2.
Lilly opened to door to the cottage. She saw Fluttershy coming down the steps and as her mother saw her she looked relieved and scared all at once. “Lilly, your brother, he won’t open the door.”

“I’ll check on him. Is Dad home yet?” She hugged Fluttershy.

“Not yet. He should be soon.” Fluttershy whispered.

Lilly went upstairs and stopped when she saw Grace standing next to the door. “Grace, tell me…”

Grace was only a couple years younger than Dox and Lilly, and they were now in their late teens. Grace was only deaf in one ear and had very limited sight in her eye but she had unusual visions. “He is devastated, hurt, and crushed. Lilly, you can save him, but not today.” Grace whispered in a faraway voice and then shook her head. “He is calling himself a monster.” She said in her own voice.

Lilly hugged her sister, “Thank you. I’ll try and talk to him.”

Lilly tried the handle to the room, it was locked. She teleported in with her magic and she gasped when she saw that all the art work he had done was on the floor torn up and crumpled. She stepped towards him and she heard him sobbing into his pillow. “Dox?” she asked while she approached.

He stopped sobbing briefly as he looked up from his pillow to see his sister looking at him. “Lilly.” He slowly sat up and put his paws to his face. “I locked the door… you shouldn’t be in here…”

“You know you cannot hide anything from me.” Lilly was feeling anger well up inside of her and she didn’t know why. “Stop it Dox.”

“I’m sorry Lilly, I cannot help it.” He cried again. “Just leave me alone, it hurts so bad, I feel myself dying.”

“I’ll get father. He will know what to do.” Lilly said as she walked to the door unlocking it. “Don’t lock the door.”

Paradox growled as he pulled his pillow to him and started to tear into it with his claws ripping it until the feathers started to spill forth. “She was right… I’m a monster…”