A Little Sister's Love

Love is a Bittersweet Feeling

CW: Violence and blood

I know Erika doesn't have her sun necklace in the picture... don't worry, that's deliberate. She doesn't have it yet. :3

I pitter-pattered through the hall as fast as my feet would carry me, tearing around corners so fast I almost slipped on the stone floor, even nearly knocking over a few Waddle Dee guards on the way to Escargoon's bedchamber.

"Help!" I yelled, pounding on the door with my first. "Escargoon, please help!"

The door creaked open and a very grumpy-looking snail emerged from the room.

"Do you have any idea what time it is, kid?" he grumbled, rubbing his tired eyes.

I hated when he called me 'kid'. I was indeed younger than him, but I certainly wasn't a child and I resented being treated like one.

"It's an emergency!" I cried. "His Majesty is in trouble! There's a monster out in the courtyard!"

He jolted fully awake, his expression becoming serious. "What?!" He grabbed me by the shoulders, voice laced with panic. "This isn't one of your stupid pranks, is it?"

"No, King Dedede is in trouble!" I lied. "We have to go now!"

Without another word, the two of us dashed through the castle, down the stairs and across the halls all the way to the courtyard entrance. Once there, I leaned my entire body against the wall huffing and puffing, already breathless from running, but Escargoon didn't hesitate in marching forward into the courtyard calling for the King.

"Your Majesty?" His voice echoed through the open space.

The area was completely silent and empty - except for a small cream coloured ball of fluff eerily floating around like a child's lost balloon. Exactly where I had told it to be.

Escargoon approached the monster apprehensively, taking in the sight of the fluffy creature floating in front of him. Cream Puff stared back at him with large, adorable eyes. I stayed back, snickering to myself.

"Is that the monster?" he laughed, pointing at the puffball. "I've seen scarier things in a teddy bear shop!"

As if Cream Puff understood the insult, it nipped Escargoon's finger, grazing the skin. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from bursting into a malicious fit of giggles.

He let out a yelp of surprise and retracted his hand. "For an oversized marshmallow, it sure has a sharp bite!"

Cream Puff's eyes lit up at the word 'bite', and it bit again, but not just a finger this time - Cream Puff's mouth opened wide, swallowing Escargoon's entire hand with one swift motion. He wailed and flailed, trying to shake his hand free of the monster, but this only made Cream Puff sink its teeth deeper, and this time it drew blood. I stopped laughing, my sadistic joy immediately replaced by a sickly churning in my stomach at the sight of the crimson streaks running down Escargoon's arm, red droplets flying onto the stone tiles below as he desperately tried to shake off the fuzzy beast. I knew I had taken things too far.

"Get it off me!" the panicked snail screamed. "Erika! Get it off me!"

"Cream Puff! Let go!" I demanded.

Cream Puff stayed firmly attached.

"Cream Puff!" I screamed, starting to cry. "Please let go!"

This time, my monster did as it was told. Escargoon doubled up in pain, cradling his arm that was still oozing blood. I scurried to his side, terrified at the sight of what I had done.