For once, there is no nightmare. A fearful dream all the same, but a simple one. It’s just me… “Ascended” me, I should say, the sky, and the wind. I have no control over myself. The wind carries my body through a sky painted by the setting sun. It’s frightening, being forced this way and that. I know that I should trust this wind, but I don’t know why. It’s a gentle breeze that somehow picks up my entire body, moving me so softly, as though I were a cloud in a calm summer sky. I try to fight back the fear, but it won’t relent.

You’re going to fall, you’re going to hurt yourself, you’re going to regret this, this isn’t what you want. 

I hate it. I hate these thoughts so much. They don’t even feel like my own.

God bless her heart, I’m gracefully saved once again by my partner, her voice filling my ears with her gentle and caring tone. “Fox… Fox Vixen~ C’mon, wake up sleepy head.”

I begin to stir. No abrupt awakening. Just Cat sitting next to me as I sit up slowly.

“Sleep okay?”

“Much better than usual, thanks. What time is it?” I ask, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes before sitting up and pulling my legs up to my chest, waiting for an answer. Cat pulls out a pocket watch she nabbed a long, long time ago and glances down at it, then back to me.

“‘Bout five to midnight. We got home earlier than usual, so that’s some decent sleep!” She smiles at me, tail swaying about slowly as she stows the pocket watch away. “Wanna join me on the roof?”

I smile weakly and nod. We have no plans to go out tonight, but we keep our sleep schedule consistent. So here we are, awake in the dead of night. Standing up, I stretch and look at Cat, who…

“...New outfit huh?”

The girl smiles and gives me a twirl, showing off her light blue skirt that matches her white and blue crop top as well. “Mhm! I forget exactly when I picked these up, but it’s been a long time. I’ve always had trouble liking myself in them, until now!”

She’s really making the most of herself. “Well, you look great in it. Just try not to flash the neighbors once we’re up top.”

She blushes and chuckles, punching my arm with no real force, “I’ve got shorts underneath for a reason! C’mon, let’s go!”

 

We step out of my room and into the dining area, stopping for a moment. 

“Do you want some tea or a snack?”

Her tail sways merrily at its own pace once more, the girl perking up and placing her hand to her chin. “I’d love a bit of both! How about--”

A pause. No, not a pause.

She’s frozen.

My brain tells my muscles to walk over to her, but they don’t budge an inch. I’m frozen too.

“F-Fox…?” 

We can speak and see, but our bodies… Perhaps they’re not frozen, just completely relaxed. I don’t even have time to get scared as what feels like a hurricane envelopes my entire body. I gasp for the very air that torments me as I feel my body shrinking, growing, changing every which way until the process is over, the gale scattering and revealing… our Ascended forms returned. From the embers flying away from Cat’s body, I assume she had fire instead of wind.

“Oh, god, it’s happening again…”

“It’s really happening again…!”

While I soaked in the dread of having to confront my body and mind, Cat relishes every moment of this, tears streaming down her face with that merry grin going ear to ear again.

Staring at her, I realize I hadn’t really fully taken in what either of us look like in these forms. I was much too panicked the other night, but right now observing Cat will make a good enough distraction from myself.

I step towards her, taking in just how tall she is now. She’s a whole two feet above me… Even just thinking about it makes my heart flutter something fierce. Her transformation really added a lot to…specific areas that I’m far too flustered to focus on. Beyond that, though, her fur, and her hair… Her hair is so long and fluffy now, and her fur looks so sleek and soft. As she takes time to enjoy what I assume is the feeling of affirmation, I reach up and place my hand on her arm.

“Ah! Oh, ehe, sorry, It’s…it’s a lot. In a good way.” She smiles at me, but my hand just falls down her arm, feeling her fur.

“Soft…”

I hear a snort from Cat before retracting my hand immediately, blushing heavily at my lack of self control.

“Sh-shut up, I was just curious!” I declare, crossing my arms in a huff.

“Ehe! It’s okay, cutie pie, I don’t mind. Cats are meant to be pet, y’know?”

“C-cutie pie?!” My tail, ears, and fur all stand straight up, flustered beyond belief. “When did you start calling people such things?!”

She throws her head back in a laugh before coming back down and sighing contently, “Just now! It felt right, you were being so cute! I’ll stop if you don’t want me to though!”

My mind says stop, but my tail says please don’t stop. My mouth simply refuses to give a clear answer. “Whatever.”

 

The girl snickers at me before getting on her knees and giving me a better look herself.

“You really are cute though, you know.”

Once more, I refuse to reply, arms crossed and stupid tail wagging.

“Do you mind if I give your fur a feel? It’s okay to say no.” She holds her paws up as if she had dropped a weapon oh my god she has paw pads. Oh my god. It takes a moment to get a hold of myself before I can answer.

“...Yeah it’s fine. Just. You know. Obvious places off limits.”

She smiles and nods, placing her hand on my arm like I did with her. “Oh! Oh, you’re very smooth and silky…!”

I don’t like how good this makes me feel. Her hands roam up to my cheeks, which she gently squishes.

 “...Cat…” I say exhaustedly.

She chuckles and shrugs, “Sorry, sorry!” 

She finally moves up to my head and ohhhhh. Ohhhhh head empty. There’s nothing but pats. My tail just keeps moving as she gently drags her paw over my hair, between my ears. I hear a rapid and rhythmic thumping from below but this is too much to bother looking down. I don’t care about anything else right now. My ears pin themselves downwards and I give in. I swear Cat is saying things I probably wouldn’t consciously approve of, but I can’t hear a thing besides the sound of a clear sky.

Once it’s over, it takes a moment to wind out of it, my tail slowing and my vision becoming clearer. I shake my head and fake a cough. “Are you satisfied?”

“Not as satisfied as you, apparently! God, you were so cute! You were even thumping your foot, it was adorable!” I barely have enough time to even blush as she throws herself at me and holds me tightly against her. “Oh, please be honest with me, how did it feel?”

I’d rather not admit a thing, but…fine… 

“...It was really nice. Too nice. Okay, not too nice, but… Everything just faded around me. It was the calmest I’ve ever felt in my life, just constant warmth and motion as my body took over for my mind. It was…” I fake another cough. “Yeah.”

 

Cat finally pulls away and sighs wistfully. “You have to do the same for me sometime, okay? Later.” 

I wonder why she asks for later, we don’t have any plans tonight, but then a light begins to shine. Not from outside the window, or even in our house, but it feels like it’s coming from inside us. Cat is already on her way outside, and I follow, stepping out the door and closing it before we both leap with much more ease onto our roof, landing silently and feeling barely any weight pressing against our unstable roof. We really tempt fate by coming up here so often…

As soon as we both take a seat, the light begins to manifest outside of us, building and building until the very same goddess of billowing brightness appears before us. 

“Yombroila…”

“So you recall my name, I am so very thankful for that.” She claps her hands together and…smiles? Her voice is much different than before too, no longer booming within our minds, rather she speaks to us as any other person would. “I must apologize again for how suddenly I offered the both of you my gifts. I feared without them, you would be at the mercy of the Inkton Witch’s wrath…”

I want to be mad. I want to be furious at her. It almost feels like she can sense that. But she’s also right. Without whatever it is Cat and I can do in these forms, we would have been dog treats or smoked out.

“Well, it all worked out in the end, didn’t it? We’re alive and happy! I’ve never been happier in my life, to be honest…” Cat sits back with her arms behind her holding her up, tail gently swaying as she smiles, though it falters somewhat as she looks at Yombroila and me. The goddess looks remorseful, and I feel so frustrated. “...So… Something’s not right then, is it…?”

We both nod at her. 

“I’m not happy. I feel like I’m constantly tearing myself in ten different directions, yet none of me ever goes anywhere, like I’m stuck in this eternal, internal tug-of-war…” My tail lays against the roof as I pull my legs up against my chest and hug them, looking away from both my partner and the goddess.

“It is as she says. While my gift reveals one’s true self, this alters nothing but the body. If Fox is unable to accept who she is, then there is internal strife to be dealt with. Normally, I would avoid offering Ascension until one is mentally prepared for such a thing, or if they are in need of a dire lesson in some more extreme cases. However, what was dire last night was your lives being at stake. I am so, so sorry for what I’ve done to you Fox, but I promise, I will do everything in my power to help you.” 

Yombroila continues to look away from me sadly, while Cat takes a closer look at me as I huddle into myself. She slides closer and puts an arm around my shoulder. She doesn’t say a thing. She just keeps me close. It’s all I could want right now.

“Alas, while I wish I could be here as a guardian angel to you, I sense the world is in need of my guidance once more. I must travel and bear the gift of Ascension to all those in need of it, starting with what is now known as Railsent Village and Monorise City.”

Despite all my anger, I continue to listen. It’s clear as day that she cares, that she’s remorseful, but all the anger I hold towards myself is reaching a breaking point, and I can feel it threatening to lash out at her now. I stay quiet though. She must know these feelings and there’s little to be done about it now.

 

Surprisingly, instead of floating above us the whole time, Yombroila hovers down to sit next to Cat. “...I understand the gravity of what I’m about to ask, but there are no others I can seek aid from. Cat Kitten, I feel your gratitude and thus have no qualms in seeking your help, but Fox Vixen…”
“Don’t call me that.”

The silence rings in my ears with deadly intensity. Yombroila closes her eyes and nods.

“Fox. I would not ask a thing of you now. Know I do not expect your help. But I must ask your partner for help.”

“Then I’ll do it.” My words are sudden, like thrown daggers in her back. “There’s too much pain as is. I don’t care what it is you want us to do, but you won't’ split Cat and I apart. You must know she’s all I have…” 

I know she has no intention of separating us, but my fear speaks loudest of all. The goddess nods and Cat holds me even closer.

“You have my sincerest gratitude, my child. I must trust you both for you are deeply important to me, and incredibly special.” We both raise our heads and turn to face her. What is she talking about…? “Not by any means of predestination or bloodline, but the circumstances in which we have met have put you in positions no others can hold. Any capable of Ascension could hear my call as the gate weakened, but only you two, with your skills and talents, were capable of reaching me so that I may offer my gifts to all who need them. And with the odd gifting of Ascension to you two upon my awakening after over a thousand years, you…are unlike any who will Ascend from here on. It was not my intention, and has resulted in your gradual transformation over the following days, but you will return to these forms in the night--”

I stand up, legs shaking, claws clenched into fists, voice trembling as I look down at the goddess. “Gradual transformation?! You mean we’re slowly going to turn into these monstrous forms permanently?!”

While Yombroila sits still, Cat flinches and looks up at me. “Th-they’re not monstrous…”

My claws drag themselves down my face. “Maybe not to you, but how are we supposed to live like this?! I thought the tail alone was going to be a pain to deal with, but all of this?!” I gesture at the rest of my body, a fury building in my eyes like a brewing storm. “Nowhere will take us in. They didn’t before, and they most certainly won’t once we’re animal folk. We’ll be stranded in a world that hates us, alone, and scared, a-and that means she… This isn’t what I want, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life, it’ll invite nothing but pain…!”

 

My legs give out right then. My claws grab at my face. This time I can’t stop the tears. Of course the goddess is here to see too… Cat pulls me in close but it all hurts too much… I close my eyes, hearing only my sobbing as I feel everything fade away around me.