Nikki vs Rikky

Chapter 21 - Homecoming

Capricia fumed in rage, her anger reaching the boiling point. She screamed in desperation, asking how the dragons and the dinosaurs made their way into Fantastica.

One of the little people beamed with pride and said, ‘We made them, my lady, when we heard the girls talk about them. We...’

That’s all it could say as Capricia pointed her wire-ball and blew the creature into shreds.

‘Fools, fools, fools!’ cried Capricia. ‘Repair the bridge before they reach the mirror hill.’ She groaned. ‘Pity we can’t use our own creations!’

Nikky and the princess meanwhile had reached the mirror hill. The princess patted the dragon on its neck and bid it goodbye. Then she turned to the three men waiting for her. They looked disheveled but spirited with a wide smile across their faces.

The princess ran towards them and embraced them warmly. ‘I missed you,’ she said, fluxed with joy and sadness.

‘We wonder if you really did,’ Loocidoh
replied with a wink. They all laughed heartily before approaching the final act.
‘It’s time for all of us to return. It won’t take long for Capricia to reach here,’ Preecyzoh said and turned to Nikky. ‘We got a message from your friend Trisha.’

‘Trisha?’ a bewildered Nikky asked. ‘She figured it out after all. What are true friends for?’ She sobbed.

‘We had prepared a special powder for our return before we set on our journey to Fantastica,’ Cogenitoh said. ‘We gave some to Trisha. Hopefully, she has sprinkled it on the crack and all those places that would make Rikky weak. This will make the whole return process easier.’

‘Really?’ Nikky asked.

‘Yes,’ Cogenitoh said and laughed heartily and continued, ‘with no side-effects.’

‘It’s time for all of us to go now,’ Preecyzoh said, looking down at the valley.

‘Thank you,’ the princess said to Nikky and hugged her. ‘If you ever need lessons in horse or dragon riding, just give me a shout. Call me at this number,’ she said, handing Nikky a piece of paper. Nikky looked at the numbers. They looked strange.

‘Do they exist?’ she asked. The princess nodded.

‘Thank you, all of you. I’ll miss you.’

The princess stood next to the crack in the mirror and turned around to Nikky. ‘You can call me Knowloh.’ Nikky gave a firm nod, while the three men waited for the princess to touch the crack.

Knowloh, eyes still at Nikky and a smile that was even wider, pressed the crack with her index finger and disappeared.

Not wasting any time, Loocidoh, Preecyzoh and Cogenitoh placed their little fingers on the crack one at a time and were swept back to their land.
It was Nikky’s turn now.

She was about to touch the crack when two little people grabbed her leg and started pulling her with all their might. Nikky lurched forward and caught the edge of the mirror, her thumb barely a centimeter away from the crack. In her half-suspended position, Nikky struggled to get her leg free from the tight grips and jerked it with all her might.

The force dislodged the little creatures momentarily. Nikky seized the split-second opportunity and kicked the closer of the two creatures on the chin. It fell with a loud thud. The other lurched forward but it was a tad second late. Nikky’s finger was pressed on the crack and the mirror swallowed her instantly.

***
Trisha in the meanwhile came up with an excuse and asked Rikky to search for her earrings in the bathroom that she lied about. On the other side of the mirror, Rikky felt a sudden jolt and before she could realize the mirror was drawing her in.

Rikky tried her best to back away but her attempt was futile. The powder Trisha had smeared on the entire mirror had already weakened Rikky. A second later Rikky was hurled into the mirror and saw Nikky floating towards her. Rikky was helpless and could not fight the force.

Nikky glided right through her translucent image and was happy to see the disgruntled look on her face. Finally, Nikky was back to where she belonged.

She stood in her bathroom looking at Rikky who couldn’t do anything except stare back at Nikky in annoyance. Nikky looked at Rikky in disgust for one last time and then said, ‘goodbye Rikky, I mean…Whimsica! See you…never.’

She then daubed the crack with some toothpaste that the wise men has asked her to do upon her return.

***

Nikky came out of the bathroom quietly and was happy to see her mother and Trisha in the room. She wanted to say something but her voice got stuck in her throat.

A second later a tear rolled down her cheek. Trisha recognized it. Nikky was back. She rushed to hug Nikky and so did her mother.

Nikky held her mother tightly not wanting to leave her ever. Ira was glad that things were back to normal. She mouthed a thank you to Trisha who accepted it with another big smile. She knew Trisha had played an important role in getting her daughter back. Ira never got to know the real story.

Trisha and Nikky had so much to talk, their stories never-ending. Trisha took out her wallet mirror and told Nikky how she couldn’t she Rikky’s reflection.

Nikky took the mirror from her hand and looked at herself. She was back indeed. She turned to her mother. ‘Can we have a new mirror in my bathroom, mamma?’

‘We will get that replaced first thing this afternoon,’ Ira said and then turned to Trisha.

‘Would you like to stay back longer?’

THE END