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A long stream of air passed through Sora's lips as Seiōbo vanished; she glanced left at Kari, still deep in thought on some topic.  Ever since that woman’s name was mentioned, she’s been like this … What happened in her fight against that Vulpes that died?

Her attention was soon drawn by Emilia and Nari as the two got up to stand by Wendy’s single-sized bed; her daughter’s blue eyes were alright with excitement.  “What next, Aunt Nari?”

“Mmhm … that is a wonderful question!”  the blonde giggled, rising into the air to hover horizontally above Wendy.  “If we center it to the left … No, maybe the right would give more nourishment, but then it doesn’t get the right angle to reach the … Oh, Bobo, you sly vixen!”

“What’s going on?”  Sora asked, getting up to join them.  “Umm, is there anything more I can do?”  A small smile touched her lips as Emilia promptly shook her head and scooted over to hug her.

“No—at least, I don’t think so—Aunt Nari?”

It was a little strange to see the blonde teenager respond to aunt.  “Nope.  Bobo handled the hard part of navigating through that crazy chaos inside you to get the ingredients all put together into the package … She even gave me three locations to set the seed.”

“Why three?”  Emilia curiously asked, pulling away from Sora to study the sleeping brunette-haired girl.  “Is one of them better than the others?”

Nari shook her head, her tied front locks weaving with the motion.  “All three are fine for different time periods—basically, it depends at which point we enter her Oltera Nexus and what phase it is currently in.  Hmm, this will be fun!  Now, are you ready, Emilia?”

“Yup!  Just give me a bit, Mom; I won’t let you down!”

She giggled with Sora, and her mother leaned in to kiss her cheek; it was getting easier to show the girl affection as Sora became used to the dynamic of her new life.  “Take your time.”

“Mhm!  Okay, so … just like Aunt Bobo did with me?”

“Mmhm-hmm-hmm, no one calls Seiōbo Bobo but me; I love having more family members!”  Puffy blonde tail flicking to the side, Nari moved through the air to stand beside Emilia, holding out her hand.  “Let’s have an adventure!  Bobo made it look like a castle, but we’re going to be exploring a forest and diving into the mountain!”

“I’m so excited!”

A little confused as to what they were talking about, Sora waved her off.  “Have fun.”

“Thanks, Mom!”

“It shouldn’t take too long,” Nari winked.  “Okay, just like Bobo did; maintain the magic, and I’ll help you along the way.”

“Right!”

Emilia closed her eyes, and Sora smiled at the two linking fingers before sensing the familiar Vulpes Founder magic weaving around her friend and servant as the two dove into their Cores.

Stepping back to let the two work, her smile fell a tad.  Everything’s finally coming together … All that’s left to do is get stronger, help Grandma, and eventually, find Dad.  You were right, Aunt Inari; life is hard but so worth the fight.

Her gaze drifted to Kari as the Fenris Wolf stood and stretched her arms over her head, absurdly fluffy tail extending to its full length in the process; she’d been awfully quiet.

“You okay?”

A yawn parted Kari’s lips, and she nodded.  “Yeah—just been going over some things with my mom.”

Sora blinked.  “Your … Wait, she’s still with you?  Loral said she couldn’t sense your mother in you anymore, so I assumed she disappeared, and you were waiting to tell me.”

“Thankfully, she didn’t pop out of existence,” Kari muttered, vision drifting to examine the bright training room Seiōbo had taken them to.  “Even if she’s just an Intelligent Construct, I finally get to spend some time with her again … It’s like a dream come true.”

“I’m happy for you.  So,” she turned to look at the melancholy Fenris Wolf, “what happened to you in your fight against that Vulpes that died?  Was it difficult?”

“Difficult,” Kari repeated, walking around the couch to join her.  “In a way, I guess … Umm, I know this might not be the time, but … I heard my dad’s voice.”

It didn’t register for a moment as Sora’s mind spun through the statement.  “Your dad … as in … Wow!  Woah, that’s—that’s awesome!”  Sora’s smile slowly faded while Kari rubbed her left arm and glanced away.  “Oh … Is it not … Was he not so good?”  she tentatively asked.

“No, nothing like that,” Kari whispered, ears twitching a tad, and Sora didn’t miss her tail curling to press against her thigh.  “I’m just so shocked—it came from nowhere, and then … Well, I don’t know what to think after it happened, and my mom doesn’t know either.”

“Hmm…”  Gesturing to the couches they’d just left, she gave her new friend an understanding smile.  “Do you want to talk about it?”

Kari puffed out a sigh, running a hand through her thick black hair.  “What’s there to talk about?”  Her unspoken words rang louder in Sora’s mind as the girl retook a seat, crossing her legs and leaning against an arm.  “I was having—I don’t know, kind of a moment, and then he just kind of swooped in or something.”

Sora took the seat across from her, adjusting her gown and crossing her own legs.  “What did he say?”

Resting her head against the back of her hand, Kari gave a weak shrug.  “Basically, he was happy I don’t really hate myself anymore, but I still have work to do—heh, he pretty much told me I need to shape up … Then I can see him.”

“Eh-heh, doesn’t sound that good of a start,” Sora admitted, forcing a grin.

“No, it wasn’t bad,” Kari dismissively muttered, tail rising to hide part of her face as she looked at it.  “Jemissa was the first person to see my mother’s Realm with me … She was there when it happened, and it just feels … Gmmgh.”

Vision falling to her lap, Sora nodded.  “Oh … You wanted to talk to her a bit, but then you found out she died … Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.  Humph, it’s just kind of sad, I guess … I don’t even really know why I feel sad,” she whispered, tail lowering to rest on her knee.  “I grew up in whatever dimension that was—so it wasn’t all that special to me—it was home, but to her … She saw it as something worth dying over, and I still don’t get why.”

Sora’s silver irises drifted to Mofupsi.  “I think I get it … at least a bit.  These Vulpes in the Yellow District have done nothing but survive, but eventually, they get so strong that there’s nothing left … It’s then that the loneliness sets in, and none of them can trust each other on any personal level.”

“Hmm…”  Kari followed her gaze to the red-furred Nogitsune.  “So, she became your slave to escape?”

She pondered the question for several seconds, remembering the woman’s torn apart room and shattered mirrors.  “Mofupsi puts on a charming and casual attitude—at least that was the mask she showed us—but I found out she’s been drowning for millennia, and … I don’t think she can step out of that bubble on her own.”

A somber tilt came to Kari’s lips as her vision glazed over.  “Yeah, I can relate.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sora pulled a leg up to hug against her chest.  “Mofupsi needed something to latch onto—to show her a path that wasn’t the small box she’d been trapped in for over seven thousand years.”

“I couldn’t imagine,” Kari whispered.  “Seven thousand years … I don’t know what I’d do if you didn’t come into my life … And even with all the pain I caused you, you still made room in your heart to save me from myself.”

Kari’s head tilted against her fist to smile at her.  “You seem to attract the broken ones, huh?”

“Heh, tell me about it!”  Sora forced a laugh.  “No, really, though … In a way, helping each of you has helped me, too.  This entire journey has been so rough at times, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world—this world I’m building back from ruin … I met my mom,” she choked, happy tears coming to her eyes as she sniffed and blinked them back.

“I got to hug her—feel her body against mine … how she smelled and to know she loves me.  It really feels like years have passed since our time in Miami … So many things have happened … He-he, I have my grandma back, Kari!”

Kari’s amber irises shone in the light, showing signs of tears coming on herself.  “Yeah, and your aunts—even if they’re a little weird.”

“Ha-ha-ha!  You’re not wrong,” Sora sniffed, rubbing her nose and clearing her throat, “then again, aren’t all of us kind of weird?  I’m some Outer-Existence being mixed with a Founder … Hmm, I do wish my father was here, but at the same time, I have a feeling he’s alright.”

“Is that enough?”  Kari questioned, taking a short, calming breath.  “The more we both learn about our pasts … It just keeps getting more complicated.”

“I know—cut the drama!”  Sora chuckled, voice thick with emotion.  “Heh, but really … If it wasn’t for all of you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  I wouldn’t have so much, and I owe a lot of it to the life lessons you taught me and what my aunt explained.  Oh…”

She coughed, laughing with Kari.

“So, umm, about your dad,” Sora whispered, returning to the topic.  “What was it like?”

Settling back against the side of the couch, Kari adjusted her skirt and laid down, holding her hands behind her head.  “Good question … All I remember is total darkness, but … there was a strong, protective force embracing me, pulling me closer.  His words weren’t harsh but gentle … The emptiness was kind of scary at first … then it felt right.”

“That’s nice,” Sora smiled, tucking both legs to the side of the cushion to wiggle her toes between.  “Soon as in pretty soon, or hashtag soon™, he-he?”

 “I have no idea what that means,” Kari mused, “but I can’t say … Soon for him, I guess, but I don’t even know what he is … clearly not human, and I’m pretty sure Nilly wasn’t…”  She paused, glancing around the space.  “Speaking of Nilly…”

Sora’s eyes widened, doing her own sweep of the area.  “Githa … Where did she go?  She was petrified seeing Nilly getting tossed around by that spider dude, and she vanished when Qebhet showed up.”

“Right,” Kari mumbled.  “It makes sense, I guess—this whole Realm is being purified by her so naturally, a Nekomata would split.”

“Yeah…”

A few minutes passed as they receded into their own thoughts until Kari broke the silence.  “Six months, huh?”

Following her gaze to Wendy, Mofuspi, Emilia, and Nari, Sora nodded.  “It should give us time to get stronger … Oh, you have your mom to help you, too!  That’s nice.”

“Mhm … She’s been having to recover a bit—I don’t really understand it—but there’s only so much time she can spend with me after my father showed up.  Apparently, it put stress on me that caused a feedback loop; not that it’s necessarily bad, but just a bit draining as she puts it.”

“Strange.”

“Calling my dad strange?”

“No!  I’m just … C’mon…”  Sora forced a grin, catching Kari’s teasing smile.  “She’ll be okay, though?”

“Yeah, she’s great—Inari helped to fix any of the damages … Umm, shouldn’t your black-haired aunt be back by now?  It’s kind of crazy they all have different hair colors.”

Sora looked up with Kari, eyebrows coming together.  “True … Umm, you know, now that you mention it … maybe?”

“Heh, don’t sound so confident.”

“Well, I have no clue how these dimensions work.”

Kari snickered, tail trapped between her legs, absently stretching her skirt up.  “Weren’t you listening to Seiōbo’s explanation?”

“I was…”  Sora mumbled, blushing a little.  “It was just kind of … out there.”

“I’m joking!  Heh, weren’t you supposed to be the jokester?”

Sora glared at the entertained wolf.  “It’s hard to tell with you—I’m still learning how you joke around.”

“Same for me,” Kari smirked, twisting to her side to prop up her head with her hand.  “So, care to train together and get stronger over the next few months?”

A new voice entered the mix, pulling Kari and Sora’s gaze to the small Korean girl that popped up between them.  “Excellent plan!”

“Jin!” Sora smiled, straightening a little; Kari yawned and leaned back against the cushions to close her eyes.  “Did my aunt talk to you?”

“She did … Quite different, your aunt,” she hummed, arms crossing across her petite chest.  “So, basically, the human and fox over there,” she gestured to Wendy and Mofupsi, “are going to be going through a few Spiritual Essence conversion and development cycles which will take six months, according to Seiōbo.  Correct?”

Sora’s eyes blanked.  “A … what now?”

“Not important,” Jin absently replied, skipping right over the topic.  “The critical part is that we’re going to have a lot of time…”  she trailed off, vision centering on her and tone lowering a tad.  “You still plan on coming to see Nüwa with me?”

“Of course!”  Sora chimed.  “I was just worried you might be mad since we kind of screwed up the schedule.”  Jin’s lips pulled in, drawing her gaze.  “Something wrong?”

The Dragon puffed out a heavy breath that opened Kari’s eyes and pulled her attention; hips shifting to the side, Jin effortlessly created an armchair, likely by requesting it from the room and promptly sat.  “Yes.  Yes, there is, Sora, and I’d like you to be aware of it.”

“Okay?”  Sora straightened, catching Kari scooting back against the couch armrest to listen.  “What’s up?”

“Ffppph,” Jin breathed, playing with a lock of her hair.  “Look, Sora—I’m not going for a casual visit … It’s not just Bathin and Hikaru that are going to be out there—Hell, even the Fenris Brothers may recover after Inari’s beating in six months.  Those stupid wolves are shockingly resilient,” she grumbled, vision darting to Kari.

“A real shame,” Kari dryly stated.  “So, what other dangers are we talking about?”

Lips further drawing in, Jin hissed and scratched her scalp.  “Look … I told you I’m a Second Generation Founder…”

“Uh-huh?”  Kari said as she trailed off.

Jin shot a soft glare in her direction, yellow irises flashing for a moment, but taking a short breath, she puffed it out again.  “It’s not easy for me to say.  Okay?  Chill.”

“Take your time,” Sora swallowed, hands meeting in her lap.  “It sounds important.”

“Eh … I guess,” Jin growled, directing it more at herself than them by her tone.  Licking her lips, the girl’s cheeks puffed up again, releasing more air to calm her beating heart.  “Look, I’m a Second Generation Dragon Founder, and that comes with some problems.”

Sora nodded.  “So, if I remember right, Nüwa is also a Second Generation Founder … Your big sister?”

“Eldest sister,” Jin sighed, arms closing under her armpits as she refused to make eye contact.  “I’ve been restricting my powers for a long time … It was just a lot more fun that way … It’s not like much in this universe could ever really offer me harm … And when I was really subduing my strength, Aiden’s manipulations caused me to be caught by surprise.”

“Eric and that horrible facility … Sorry,” Sora mumbled.  “So, are there enemies that will come after us when we start heading there?”

“Kind of … You see, I have something that I need to give my sister,” she swallowed, “something very important, but … the second I exit your grandmother’s Realm, we’ll be a target … a target for other Dragon Founders that want to steal it from me.”

Kari snorted, brushing her hair to her stomach before dropping down and shaking her head.  “Of course, Founders and family drama.  Who—do you know them?”  she grumbled, likely thinking about her uncles.

“Only by face … My mom didn’t really give me a comprehensive family tree—ancient and grand knowledge apparently are far more important than her failed offspring.  No one will say it, but there’s a reason why Dragons hate Inari … It’s because they fear her.”

Sora’s eyes widened.  “Oh … So, am I, eh … kind of like a warding charm?”  she hesitantly asked.  “They won’t want to attack you if I’m with you…”

“Eh?”  Kari interjected, doubt in her voice.

“Oh, wait, no … Eh, he-he, never mind—they wouldn’t know who I am.”

Kari snickered.  “Who’s a smart Vulpes!”

“I am!”  Sora giggled, playing into it.  “Umm, heh, sorry, Jin—just trying to brighten the mood.  Go ahead.”

“Right … Ahem, I talked to your aunt, and she thinks there’s going to be about ten Dragon Founders that could make an appearance.  Eyia and I might be able to handle the stronger ones, but they’ll do anything—throw any pride they have to the gutter—to get what I have.”

Sora’s eyes narrowed.  “Mmh … So, they’ll target the weaker members of the group.  Okay, so we take these six months to really train ourselves up because I want to fight with you—not behind you or cower in the back like when we were trapped by Bathin, and Eyia pushed herself to death to save us.”

“You…”  Jin sighed, rubbing her forehead in confusion.  “We’re not friends, Sora … I get that we’ve been through a bit together, but why would you get involved in a family feud you have no part in?”

“Are you kidding?”  Kari laughed.  “Have you not learned anything about Sora?  You probably don’t think of her as a friend, but to her, you’re right over that line, I bet.”

“Eh-he-he, guilty,” Sora chuckled.  “You feel closer than an acquaintance … I mean, you’ve stuck with me through so much and never complained once!  You helped a ton—probably more than I know—and what kind of person would I be if I abandoned you when you needed me?  Uh, do you need me?”  she tentatively asked.

Jin sat back, letting the question ring in the air.  “Hmm … You’re impossible to understand … No gain whatsoever, yet you’re there when people are lost to offer a hand … Honestly, I don’t know, Sora … It’s just … I know I can’t do it on my own,” she whispered, which was more than enough for Sora.

A smile brightening her cheeks, Sora nodded.  “Then you won’t have to!  You and Eyia have been a pillar in my chaotic life—comfort knowing I could look to and rely on—heh, even if you say we aren’t friends.  Let’s make it official; this will be our friendship journey.  Sound good?”

Jin’s lips pulled in, and Sora was sure she was on the verge of crying, but in solid Dragon fashion, she battled it back pretty well.  “Thank you, Sora.  I’ve never trained a day in my life—oh, boy … Eyia is going to chew me apart.”

“Ha-ha, at least Eyia isn’t a Valkyrie Founder.  Am I right … or is she?”  Sora playfully proposed.

Jin’s smile strained.  “Eh-he-he—yeah, that would be weird … A good thing there isn’t such a thing as a Valkyrie Founder, ha-ha-ha … Umm, anyway, I suppose I’ll get started with her.  Are you going to tell the others?”

“Leave it to me!  Nathan, Mary, and Ashley are leaving today, so I’ll tell everyone after seeing them off.  Oh, wait … Uh, yeah, I’ll need to let Qebhet and Loral know we’re planning on staying a bit longer, and—yay, that means we have more time to spend with the people we’ve met here!  I’d like to see Luna and Rayla again—he-he, those two fox twins were such an ad—”

She stopped suddenly, rising to her feet with Kari as a mix of white and red flames bathed Wendy and Mofupsi—Sora expected something like that, but not the shimmering lights around her daughter.

“Emilia … What’s happening to her?”

Jin hummed.  “Is this … Oh, heh, makes sense.”

“What…”

Nari unhooked her fingers from Emilia’s and did a quick twirl, grinning and giving them a cute v-sign, likely pulling the mannerisms from Emilia’s memories of Earth culture.  “Flawless victory!  And, drum roll … May I present … Darling Emilia!”  she exclaimed, holding out her hands.

Sora’s lips parted in disbelief as the eight-tailed woman she knew began to age in reverse, turning to show a nervous eleven-year-old girl.  “Umm, hey, Mom—Aunt Nari helped me to, umm … to learn how to change my physical appearance to match my age—as she says, so … umm, is that okay?”

“I, uh … umm…”  Sora stammered, unable to complete a sentence as her eyes darted between various features her daughter now held.

“Cute,” Kari grinned.  “I like the freckles; it reminds me of Sora, pre-awakening, that is.”

“Thanks,” Emilia blushed, eyes falling to the floor.  “Is … it okay, Mom?”

“Hmm?  Hmm?”  Nari pressed, still presenting the girl.  “She tried super-duper hard, and we had to study a lot of stuff to make it work; it was so much fun spending time with her to get everything right!  Isn’t she adorable?!”

“Is this … permanent?  No, I mean, yeah, you’re an absolute darling, but … How?”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm!”  Nari puffed up her chest.  “Emilia’s still not fully developed after everything my sister did, so I managed to hack in and change around some code; I love this human lingo, he-he-he!”

“Cool,” Kari smiled, giving a thumbs up.  “I approved.  Sora?”

Coming to terms with the change, Sora walked forward and reached down to lift her now much smaller and younger-looking daughter into a hug.  “I’m happy you’re happy … If this is what you want, I’m all aboard.”

“Thanks, Mom,” she smiled, sniffing back apprehensive tears while enjoying the embrace.  “Umm … Aunt Nari said we need to wait now … They’re beginning the transition.”

Nari hissed, looking up and pulling everyone’s gaze.  “Yup!  Yup!  Umm … Bobo’s calling—ugh, I don’t wanna work that hard, Bobo!  I’m tired—look at my sweat!  Do you see it?”  Sora didn’t see a single drop on the girl’s flawless skin.  “Ugh … Fine!  Fine!  I’m coming—no, wait, I’m coming!  Please, no, Bobo!”  she cried, vanishing into thin air and leaving them smiling.

Jin rubbed the back of her neck.  “On that note, I told Eyia to get ready for some training … Wish me luck.”

“You’ll need it,” Sora laughed, finding it so much less awkward to keep Emilia in her arms.  “I want to stay here a bit longer to watch Wendy and Mofuspi, then I’ll gather everyone else; I’m sure Mary and the others are getting ready to go.”

Her eyes closed, a pained sigh leaving her lungs before turning to her best friend resting on the bed.  “Wendy’s probably going to be sad she couldn’t say goodbye … I guess there’s nothing we can do about that now.”

“I’m sure she’ll be okay with it, though.  Right?”  Emilia questioned, nuzzling their ears together.  “She really wanted this.”

“I suppose … Thanks, Jin.”

“Teh, why are you thanking me?  I should be the one thanking you … Well, see you later.”  Stretching out her black tank top, Jin put her hands in her jean pockets, turned, and vanished.

“So,” Kari muttered, dropping back onto the couch.  “We gonna chill and wait to cool down?”

“Eh-heh, caught me,” Sora sighed, carrying Emilia to sit with her on the opposite sofa; the girl was already dozing off in her arms.  “I’m a bit overwhelmed right now, which gives us some time to sleep,” she said, making Emilia giggle while managing her hair against her lap.

Taking a deep breath, Sora closed her eyes and leaned back.  My life is so different now … Not that it’s terrible … No, I can get used to this.

Silence took them as they rested, and Kari retreated back into her Core to possibly talk to her mother.  After a while, she opened her eyes to look at her servant and best friend; she could sense the weak Null-Void trying to eat away at the beds, but there was a constant trickle of protection feeding into it from the room.

The destructive force was far weaker than Sora’s; it would easily be smothered had opposing energy tried to overpower it.  Then again, Nari mentioned it was a seed, and seeds grew, especially given the knowledge her aunts seemed to possess on the subject.

Closing her eyes again, Sora let her chakram relax, becoming almost liquid-like; for the first time in a long time, she felt her head breaking the surface of a gloomy ocean.

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