The tale of the Egg Thief spread through Sonder like wildfire. It began small - starting as a mere flicker in the midst of the Marsh's backyard. Though, like any flame, its ember spread from the Finely's yard to the neighbors across the street. It burned through homes and singed the ears of innocent passersby.

Before Emma could stop it, the story - her story - got swept up by the winds and became scorched with tiny lies.

Some aimed themselves at the Grand Mage;

"Ozker Peridot is a dud. Didn't you hear? He can't even fix a box of all things!"

While others poked fun at the mischievous villain of the tale;

"A boy with pointy ears, you say? You're joking!"

Most, however, shook their heads at the girl destined to be deemed a hero.

"She's lying. Surely, she is. That is what human children do, after all."

"Her poor parents...I wonder what they think of it."

"Better question is, when are they going to take that amulet away from her? It is much too dangerous in a liar's hands!"

Emma did her best to ignore the searing flames billowing around her. Even as the lies began to burn through her cozy little life, she became good at turning a deaf ear to the raging rumors. She was even better at mending the truth when the opportunity came. Alas, it wasn't until she ran into a group of her old friends that she noticed her patience wearing thin.

The city of Sonder was much busier than she had anticipated. Though, it may have a lot to do with Emma waking up late that morning. Despite becoming so diligent, she found herself waking up to her mother bellowing her name. The sun hung high in the sky while the timid clock she owned inched past nine.

Even with Blu's magic, Emma knew that she would never arrive at Mr. Peridot's on time. The two hopped from one side of the street to the other. With Blu mustering up every bit of magic he could, Emma focused on keeping her diligent stride.

She fought to keep her heavy spellbooks in hand as the two appeared before a wide-eyed Maja. They danced out of her way - narrowly dodging a crate full of shimmering vases. Maja's pretty pink cheeks turned a deadly shade of gray as the vases shattered onto the cobblestone street.

The witch cursed the girl's name. "Emma! You and that bouncing beast of yours get back here this instant!"

"Sorry, Maja!" she huffed, nearly tripping on her heel as she tossed an apologetic glance her way. "Running late! I'll fix it later! I swear!"

Maja grumbled a few more words before taking a deep breath. She, then, shook her head and shooed the frantic-eyed girl away. Emma shot her a grateful smile before Blu swished his magical tail once more.

Shimmering blues and hazy grays swept Emma off her feet. The streets disappeared behind a whirlwind of twinkling clouds. Emma was only in the air for a moment before Blu heaved a heavy sigh in her ear. In a blink of an eye, Emma found herself stumbling towards the town's fountain - never noticing the foot lying in her path.

Emma was flying towards the ground. Pain greeted her chin while Blu rolled off of her shoulders. Laughter rumbled through the air as Emma's books scattered across the street. Meanwhile, the bouncing Jackalope landed at the feet of their once closest friend:

Molly Brown.

The buck-toothed brunette picked Blu up by the scruff of his neck and squeezed him in her scrawny arms. Blu squirmed, desperate to check on Emma whose cheeks grew red with embarrassment. Though, before he could swish his whimsical tail, Molly pulled him closer. A rough hand rubbed the Jackalope's ears violently while another took hold of his jumpy feet - a trick Emma had taught her not that long ago.

Pushing herself up to her feet, Emma found that Molly was not alone. Five other children circled her, bellowing with laughter. Emma muttered bitterly as she swatted the dirt away from her wrinkled clothes.

"That wasn't funny."

"Awe, come on, Em," Molly giggled while her palm pulled on Blu's long ears, "you've got to admit, it was a little funny."

"Yeah," chuckled Peter Flint as his right foot reunited with his left. Raising a thick, red brow, he looked down at Emma. "Don't tell me all that magic made you lose your sense of humor, Em."

Emma glared at the red-haired boy while the other kids laughed harder. "I don't have time to talk to you, Peter," she huffed. Trying hard to ignore her throbbing chin, she turned her nose away from the boy who she used to call a friend. "Unlike you, I have very important things to do."

"Is that right?" Peter snorted before his sly expression fell into a weary plea. Bowing with one hand fluttering in front of her face, the boy grunted nasally. "My apologies, Grand Apprentice. Please, forgive me for interrupting your busy schedule!"

Emma rolled her eyes at Peter's tedious display. Meanwhile, the others laughed at his ridiculous stance.

"What's so important anyway, Em?" Molly grinned. Blu whimpered as the girl ran another rough hand over his soft ears. "Don't tell me you're running off to hurt more chickens."

Emma's cheeks flushed at the girl's words.

It was no surprise that Molly had heard the story. Though her ears seemed a bit too small, Molly Brown was always the first kid to hear Sonder's latest gossip.

"N-No," she huffed, leaning forward to retrieve her spellbooks. "I will have you know, Molly, that Mr. Peridot is expecting me and-"

The group of kids interrupted her with a harmonious groan. Their joyous expressions all fell into a bored scowl at her words. Confused, Emma stiffened at their harsh gazes. She wondered if it had been her stern voice that caused them to become so ill-tempered.

"Of course, he is," Peter snapped as he snatched one of Emma's books away from her. "That dud doesn't have anything better to do than wait on his precious protegee to show up."

Emma felt her cheeks burn at his words. But, Peter wasn't fazed by the girl's cold glare as he plopped onto the edge of Sonder's fountain.

He flipped through Emma's spell book while shooting her a sly grin. "Ya' know, Em, my Dad heard a strange rumor the other day about that wizard. Tell us," he sang, "is it true that one of his spells blew up in your backyard?"

There it was again. That eager question that made everyone's eyes turn to her. Emma could already hear Molly's sour giggles in her ear as the kids tuned in to what she had to say.

But, honestly, Emma did not have time for Peter's games.

She glowered at the red-haired boy before marching right up to him. "You already know what happened, Peter. Now, give me my book back! I wasn't lying when I said I don't have the time."

"Oh, wow," another boy whistled. Turning, she found the Wellwright twins mimicking Peter's snotty grin. Aiden rolled his gaze over to meet a matching pair of dark brown eyes. "That's a first, 'innit?"

Caden raised a cocky brow. "You mean Emma Marsh telling the truth? A miracle, if you ask me."

"Hey," a plump boy named Thomas bellowed from behind, "what's this?" Turning on her heel, she found the blonde-haired boy holding her wand. He eyed it playfully, waving it in the air for all to see.

"M-My wand!"

Quickly, Emma went to snatch it from Thomas's grubby hands. However, as she reached for it, the boy tossed it to Peter's younger sister who owned a judgmental glare. The little girl eyed the flimsy rod in her hand before sighing.

"Looks like a stick, to me," Wendy sneered.

"It's not a stick," Emma huffed. She went to retrieve her wand again only for the snooty girl to toss it to one of the twins.

The two dark-skinned boys gazed at the device with interest. "How's it work?" Aiden asked as he began dancing the thin rod in the air.

"You dolt!" Caden bellowed, snatching the wand from his brother's hand. "You're doing it wrong! You're supposed to flick it - like this."

Aiden watched his twin flick the stick sternly and with much more force than a mage would ever need. "Oh," he gaped, "Let me try!"

"No way," Caden gasped, pulling the wand closer to his chest, "it's still my turn!"

"No, it's not! It's mine!"

In a matter of seconds, the twins were strangling the wand by both ends. The more they pulled and tugged, the more Emma's wand seemed to struggle. Magic fizzled from the frayed seams as the wooden conductor opened its mouth wide to scream.

"Stop," Emma squalled, "you're breaking it!"

Hurrying towards them, the two boys ceased their war to toss Emma's wand to their fearless leader. The wand flailed in a panic only to be seized by the foulest boy in Sonder - perhaps, in all of Elysia, if Emma had a say in it.

Peter caught the enchanted stick with ease. A mischievous grin spread across his freckled face while Emma ran towards him. He waited patiently for the girl to scramble his way before hopping onto the edge of the fountain.

For a moment, Emma was foolish enough to believe Peter was kind enough to relinquish her beloved wand. He held it out to her with a lion's paw only to snatch it away from her desperate grasp. He snickered as he held the frightened wand right above her nose.

Emma reached for it again (faster this time) and found herself growing furious when Peter pulled it away again. She stomped her foot. "This isn't funny, Peter!"

Peter merely chuckled, seeming to find joy in Emma's fury. "Come now, Em. You used to love our games!"

"I told you," Emma huffed as she jumped for her wand again. "I don't have time for this! Give it back to me right now or I'll -"

"You'll what exactly?" the boy huffed as he tossed Emma's wand upward only to catch it in his tight grasp. Waving it in the air majestically, he pointed the conductor at Emma with an eager brow. "Curse me?"

"Careful, Peter," Molly chimed in, clutching Blu tighter to her chest. "You heard what she did to those three mages from Abernathy, didn't you?"

Emma's chest ached at Molly's words. Laughter hit her ears while her fists tightened at her sides. She found herself blinking traitorous tears away. She refused to cry. Instead, Emma narrowed her gaze and held out her hand firmly.

"Give it back," she said to Peter who was still chuckling. "Or, I'll tell your mother where you really go when you head off to school."

Peter stiffened, all the joy in his eyes fading away. This time, he was the one stomping his foot in defiance. "Y-You wouldn't dare. You swore you'd never tell!"

"Try me," Emma hissed, unfazed by the borderline betrayal lacing his hazel eyes. "I'm sure Mrs. Flint would be happy to know that you've been skipping school for the past year!"

Gasps pelted the air before everyone turned their anxious eyes on Peter.

"You've been skipping school?" little Wendy gawked. Her soft, round face grew grim at the news. "Ma' is going to kill you!"

"You told us she made you quit," the twins, Aiden and Caden, bellowed.

"Peter," Molly gaped, "tell me this isn't true!"

"Why didn't you tell me you were skipping this whole time?" Thomas whimpered, seeming the most betrayed, "We could've done it together!

It seemed that for the first time in his life, Peter was at a loss for words. His usual sunburnt cheeks were now a ghostly white. Even his throat tightened as he tried to find his voice. But, as his dark, hazel eyes fell on Emma's victorious expression, his fear turned into anger.

"Why, you little witch," he spat, hopping down from the fountain. The palm of his hand clashed with Emma's shoulder, causing her to stumble backward. Thick, red brows fell over the boy's gaze while he gritted his teeth. "I should have known all that magic would go straight to your head!"

Emma winced as another firm hand shoved her again. She was quick to catch herself this time but could see a bloody-shade of red blossoming over Peter's cheeks.

"Think you're all high and mighty now that you've got some old kook's magic on your side, is that it?"

Another violent hand struck her shoulder. Her heel caught on one of the many jagged cobblestones that filled the street. Blu whimpered as Emma stumbled again.

"Well, tell you what," Peter grinned, albeit wickedly. He pointed the tip of Emma's wand at her chest before sliding it up to her throat. Emma considered snatching it right then and there. But, she thought better of it as Peter finally stopped in his tracks.

He stepped back. It was only a step but Emma felt as though she could finally breathe. Peter grinned, his keen gaze catching Emma's shoulders relax. Though, he wasn't done with her quite yet.

Pulling her wand back towards him, he allowed the frail stick to bounce from one hand to the other. The act was casual, fun even. Yet, it made Emma's stomach turn.

"Since you're so keen on being honest," the boy gleamed, "how 'bout you tell us what really happened that night? In return, I'll give you your stupid stick back. But, if not, then..."

Emma's eyes widened in horror. The putrid boy gripped her wand by both ends, bending the rod in a heart-wrenching way. The thin conductor quivered, threatening to break in the boy's hands. Emma's first instinct was to rescue it but before she could move, another wicked grin popped into her mind.

The memory of the flaming beast she conjured during her exam came in a blink of an eye. Peter's sinister laughter transformed into the beast's crackling chuckle. Its wide, toothless grin reminded her so much of Peter's arrogant expression. And, though fear burned itself a hole in her chest, Emma decided to stand her ground.

"I already told you what happened," she breathed, hoping she sounded brave.

"So? You think we're supposed to believe that rubbish?"

"Believe what you want, Peter," she stated, her nose turning towards the sky. "I know what I saw."

Blu whimpered again as Molly spoke up gleefully. "And, what was that again?"

Emma turned her cold-hearted gaze to her. She even opened her mouth to speak. Though, the voice that followed was not hers.

"A boy!" Aiden bellowed, appearing suddenly behind Emma. His high-pitched voice caused her to jump, her shoulder bumping right into his brother.

"And not just any boy," cried Caden in that same scratchy tone. This time, Emma swirled on her heel to glare at the two of them.

The twins snickered despite the cruel look Emma gave them. 

"But a strange boy!"

Emma choked back a scream as Peter's high-pitched voice came swooping down to rattle her ears. She nearly jumped out of her skin at his awful tone. Thankfully, she caught herself twirling to face him with a furious, wide-eyed expression. "Peter!"

Peter and the rest of the children laughed loudly at her. Her cheeks burned while she thought of something clever to say. However, the only words she could muster were:

"I-I don't sound like that!"

Her high-pitched stutter caused the twins to fall to the ground with laughter. Even Peter had to wipe tears from his eyes while Molly snickered behind a freckled hand.

"Yeah, Peter," Thomas chuckled, "she sounds more like this."

Getting into character, the plump boy picked up the large spell book Peter had stolen from her. He clutched it to his chest while he batted his beady green eyes. Taking a deep breath, Thomas cleared his throat.

"Hi, my name is Emma Marsh and I love magic!"

Everyone except for Emma giggled at Thomas's squeaky tone. Twirling an imaginary ponytail, the boy continued despite the girl's irritated expression. "Why I love it so much that I would do anything to be a witch! Even if that means stealing it."

"What?" Emma gaped, "I didn't steal any-"

"Oh!" Thomas interrupted, "Magic is the greatest thing in the world! It can do just about anything. Like turn all my father's chickens to stone! Ooh, how marvelous!"

Wendy snatched an old blanket that was hanging on a neighboring clothesline. Placing the thin sheet over her head, she snuck up behind the boy and croaked in an eerie voice, "Bewaaaare... I'm coming to get you, Emma!"

Thomas let out a playful scream, trying hard not to laugh. "Oh no!" he cried, "Not the-the Egg Thief!"

The girl reached out toward the boy with a clawed hand. "That's right! I'm here to take all of your precious eggs away! Muahahaha!"

"Oh, whatever shall I do!" Thomas sighed dramatically before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

Opening her mouth to say something that she might regret, Emma swore Wendy's blanket began to flutter. At first, Emma believed that the wind wanted to join in on the kid's cruel idea of fun. Though, there was no wind. No mystical breeze looking to tease. Still, the edges of the frayed sheet fluttered to life.

Its movements began in waves, rising to meet Wendy's frail shoulders. Then, without warning, the haunted blanket jumped backwards - pulling Wendy to the ground.

The girl yelped in surprise and could nothing but blink wildly at her friends. Turning a frightened gaze over her shoulder, she noticed the enchanted blanket looking down on her. It looked down on everyone, there, in fact. Hovering over the group, the sheet took its time bidding over who to tease next. 

Finally, it swooped towards Thomas whose face had gone pale.

"P-P-Peter!" he stuttered, looking to his fearless leader for answers.

Peter, however, looked just as frightened as everyone else. All of the children watched as the thin, beige sheet swirled above Thomas's head. But, none looked more fearful than Peter.

The boy's brows furrowed, trying his best to comprehend the wicked scene. "You!" he spat, pointing an accusing finger at Emma. "You're doing this, aren't you?"

"Me?" Emma scoffed, pointing right back at him. "You have my wand! How am I doing this?"

He gawked at the stick in his hand as if he had forgotten he'd been taunting her with it mere moments ago. Peter opened his mouth again only to be confronted by the ghostly sheet.

The haunted blanket swallowed Peter in a single, mighty bite. Soft cotton tied itself around the boy while it danced higher into the air. Fists pounded against the dancing laundry while a muffled voice echoed;

"W-What's going on? Let me go! Someone let me out of here! P-P-Please!"