Once Upon A Miracle

Chapter 22: An uninvited guest

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude."

~ A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)

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"When did you figure it out?" Miracle asked, his voice edgy and, perhaps, slightly accusatory. "That Evil was behind it all."

Sherry shook her head. "It wasn't me who strung together the clues. It was Warren."

"How?"

Sherry turned her back to him, facing the window, her pale face reflecting in its glass. "I told you in the ship, do you remember? It happened in India. Before you teleported to the Taj and, well, saved my arse. Warren –-- he...you know him and some of his...disturbing abilities."

Miracle nodded, unsure of what she was trying to tell him.

"Well, when that man was about to skewer me with his knife, Warren knew he had to do something. But he was too far away. He couldn't run for me. So, he...tried to possess the man. It was tough on him, of course. He had sworn long ago not to make use of that particular ability. It reminded him of how close he was to Evil and his powers.

"But," Sherry's face softened a little, "he broke his pledge to save me. Of course, he couldn't use the man as a host, like Evil. Just control his actions by working into his mind for a short-period of time. But when he was inside the pirate's mind, he sensed something...or someone. There was a voice that reached out to him. Evil's voice. He recognised it instantly. He was so shocked that he lost control of the man. I was about to be daggered when you and Blue appeared. And, well, you know what followed after.

"After that, the pieces fell into place quite easily. It suddenly made sense. Evil was the one controlling the men. And we knew those men were the one going around, kidnapping the others, doing the dirty work. Warren told me his suspicions. I'm not sure why exactly. Maybe because he knew the worry was eating me up.

"It wasn't our plan to keep anything hidden from you guys. In fact, Warren was already on his way to spill the beans to you and Blue. Right then...Evil emerged. He teleported into the small room we had booked while you and Blue were still in the upper deck. I suppose, he had been watching us. It wouldn't be surprising, considering he already had his eyes on Blue. Oh, Miracle, I was scared. I was so scared. Neither of us wanted to listen to Evil and whatever testament he had to make.

"But, I--" Sherry stopped, her voice breaking and turning into a plea, willing him to just understand. "I couldn't let my sister get hurt. What Evil promised– it was impossible for me to not be tempted. Warren warned me it was too easy. That he would never keep his end of the deal. Evil was known for his trickery, after all. But I chose not to listen. I was blinded with desperation. I convinced Warren to help me too.

Sherry's eyes glistened with tears, her nose red as she sniffed. "It was easy to convince him. I was, perhaps, one of the few friends he trusted but, that moment, I was someone else entirely – cruel and vicious. I knew his insecurities and took my advantage, feeding him words he did not deserve to listen. I told him that you, Miracle, would forever outshine him. That you would never be his friend or brother. That he was Wrath and incapable of any good. He broke. He promised to help me, swayed by the thoughts that helping Evil would finally give him what he deserved, that he could be more. Better, even."

Goosebumps erupted on Miracle's arms and he couldn't help the abhorrence that crawled into him as he looked at Sherry in a new light. He had known her for a long time. He had also always known she was no saint. But to go this far—