Over the course of a couple of days, Hestia and Pandora started easing Ares into feminine activities. While she helped Pandora with her magic, Pandora taught Ares how to braid her hair. Hestia took some time away from her studies to go over the importance of skin care routines, even going into town to buy Ares a few products of her own. The three had even had a small sleepover in Pandora’s room where Ares got to wear a nightgown for the first time.

Today was special, though. Ares was still uncomfortable with the idea of going into town as a girl, so Hestia and her had bought some makeup online. That morning, Hestia had gone into town to pick up their deliveries from the post office. Ares sat down in front of Hestia’s vanity and did her best to follow the instructions.

“Once the foundation is on, you can start applying blush and bronzer,” Hestia said, handing Ares a brush. “There are a couple of ways that you can apply it, so I’ll pull up a few examples on my phone and we’ll see what looks best on you.”

“This is all kind of overwhelming,” Ares said.

“Don’t worry. You don’t have to learn all of it at once.”

Beside Ares, Pandora exclaimed, “I’m having fun!”

Pandora was mostly there for moral support. Hestia had even put lip gloss and mascara on her so that she’d feel more included. Ares had asked if maybe Pandora was a little young for makeup, but Hestia had smacked her with a large brush in response.

“I’ll admit,” Hestia said, showing Ares some different ways to apply blush, “I’ve been a bit more relaxed since I accepted that you’re a girl. Now that I don’t have to contribute to finding the solution, I have spare time again.”

“That’s good,” Ares replied.

“Unfortunately, it has kind of put me at odds with Vega and Lorrie. They accepted it when I said I needed more time for my studies, but they were counting on my help. They don’t understand why I can’t help now when I was insistent about it before.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Hestia said. “When you tell them, they’ll understand.”

Ares squirmed in her seat a little.

“I’m just not ready to come out to them,” she told her sisters.

“Ares, they’re going to take it well.”

“Will they, though?” Ares asked. “And I’m really afraid of how Eris will react.”

Hestia sighed, admitting, “Well, I understand that much, especially after how I reacted. But our moms love you and want you to be happy. They love you too much not to accept you. And I have a feeling they already suspect what’s going on.”

“I’m just not quite ready.”

“Alright. I won’t rush you.”

“Thank you.”

Ares wasn’t sure she’d be wearing makeup very much anytime soon. It was just too much to wrap her head around. But that didn’t mean she was acting the same way she had been as a boy. To start with, she’d stopped wearing the pendant except for meals. Nobody had called her out on it yet, but she knew that her moms and Eris had noticed.

More significantly, Ares had been paying attention to the way the rest of her family acted and started copying their mannerisms. She’d play with her hair, place her hands on her hips, even sit with her knees together. It took a lot of effort, but it felt like she was really starting to act like a girl. Even the inflections in her voice were changing slowly.

And people had noticed. While Ares was frying rice for dinner that night, she couldn’t help but feel Vega’s eyes on her. She knew that Vega wanted to ask about it and as a result was dealing with a cold sweat.

“Is anything new going on?” Vega finally asked.

“Hm? No, I don’t think so,” Ares replied. “Why?

“You’ve been spending more time with Hestia than usual, I’ve noticed.”

“Yes, it’s been nice to get to reconnect with her.”

“Sometimes I swear you take after her, you know.”

Ares took in a long, deep breath and nodded.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Vega asked.

It took a moment for Ares to stop the trembling in her arms before she replied, “There’s nothing going on, I promise. If I need to tell you something, I will, I promise.”

“Very well.”

Soon after, Ares heard the sound of people descending the stairs. She glanced up in time to see Eris and Lorrie entering the room. Ares gulped and looked away.

“How are things in here?” Lorrie asked, walking up and giving Vega a kiss.

“Nothing new to report,” Vega replied.

Ares glanced over. Was that about her?

“You’re still not wearing the pendant,” Eris muttered.

“Um… yeah.”

A lock of hair obscured Ares’ vision. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and tucked it gingerly behind her ear before placing her hand on her hip. Eris looked tense. Ares looked away. Had that really been too feminine for Eris to handle?

Eris left without another word. Ares sighed and returned to the rice she was working on. She could hear Vega and Lorrie walk up behind her.

“Honey,” Lorrie said quietly, placing a hand on Ares’ shoulder. “You know that if you have anything to tell us, you can, right? We’re not going to judge.”

Ares cringed a little bit, refusing to look away from the pan.

“It’s nothing,” she said in the smallest voice she could muster. “Nothing is wrong. I’ll stop acting so weird if it makes people uncomfortable.”

“You can act however you want, dear,” Vega told her. “We just don’t like the idea of you keeping big secrets from us.”

“Can… Can I be excused to my room?” Ares asked.

“…Alright, sweetie,” Vega replied. “I’ll handle the rest of dinner. Get some rest, alright?”

“Alright.”

Ares locked herself in her room and collapsed into bed. Why was she such a coward? They’d handed her the perfect opportunity and she’d wasted it! Ares was never going to come out to them at this rate. And Vega and Lorrie were smart. They’d find a cure before school started one way or another. If she didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t be allowed to go to school as a girl.

A sob escaped her, followed by another. Soon, Ares was crying into her pillow. What was she supposed to do?!

Ares managed to get through dinner without having another breakdown and went to bed early. The next morning, Hestia sent Ares a message on her tablet asking if she wanted to go into town today. Though she was still nervous at the idea, Ares was desperate to get out of the house for a bit and agreed.

After breakfast, Ares and Hestia piled into the car and drove into town. Ares had brought the pendant, but took it off as soon as they were out of the woods. She was shaking for the entire car ride.

First, Hestia took Ares to a tattoo parlor to get her ears pierced. This was a big step. There was no going back after this. Ares was nervous and afraid to say anything lest she throw up. Hestia had to hold her hand as the tattoo artist pierced Ares’ ears. Once they were back in the car, Ares could finally relax. She rubbed the little studs in her lobes, stunned that she’d actually done it.

Going into the nail salon was even more nerve-wracking. Hestia introduced Ares to Missus Warren, who’d be doing her nails. Ares tried not to shake too much as she sat down and let the lady have her hands.

“What’s wrong, hon?” Missus Warren eventually asked. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”

“I’m sorry,” Ares murmured.

“Don’t be. You’re clearly dealing with something intense. Do you want to talk about it?”

Ares took a deep breath and said, “I have to tell my family something about me. Something really important. I’m not what my parents think I am, and I’m afraid of how they’ll react. My sister, too.”

“Well, if you want advice from someone who also had to come out to her parents about something really important at one point, the best thing you can do is try dropping hints and seeing how they react to those.”

“I kind of have been dropping hints for a while, now,” Ares admitted.

“How have they reacted?”

“Not… badly. Everyone thinks that they’re going to be supportive, but I’m afraid.”

“If you’ve been hinting at it,” Missus Warren said, “then there’s a good chance that they already know. Just find a way to slip it casually into conversation.”

When they were finished and Ares’ fingernails were a dazzling light blue, Missus Warren moved her to a luxurious raised chair and started working on her toes. Ares tried to relax. She had a lot to think about.

Of course her moms knew what was going on. It would be unbelievable if they didn’t at this point. And of course they’d be supportive; otherwise they’d be acting more like Eris was. And if they were on Ares’ side, maybe together they could convince Eris that nothing was wrong.

Ares actually started to drift off a bit, only fully waking up when Missus Warren stood up and declared that they were done. Ares thanked her and Hestia left a nice tip. On the trip home, Ares couldn’t stop staring at her nails.

At lunch, Ares stood outside the dining room with Pandora. Everyone else was inside, ready to eat. Ares was sweating. This would be the first time that her whole family saw her in a dress. And they’d be able to see her earrings and nails. There was no going back after this point. It was now or never.

Ares nodded to Pandora, who took her by the hand and pulled her into the dining room. Conversation stopped, but Ares didn’t look at anyone as Pandora led her to her usual seat. Ares sat down with Hestia on one side of her and Pandora on the other side. She changed a glance up at Eris, who was fuming.

“Ares,” Lorrie began slowly, “did you get your ears pierced?”

“I did,” Ares said, picking up her fork in a shaky hand. “I got my nails painted, too.”

Lorrie and Vega shared a long glance.

“Are you happy with the results?” Vega asked.

Ares nodded, keeping her attention on her plate.

Then Lorrie asked, “Ares, is there anything going on that you want to tell us about right now?”

Under the table, Hestia placed a hand on Ares’ arm and squeezed. Ares took a deep, shaky breath and nodded. Vega and Lorrie leaned forward.

Ares opened her mouth and tried to speak. Nothing came out. She closed her mouth and tried again, but she couldn’t do it. Tears welled up in her eyes. She just couldn’t do it! What was wrong with her?!

“I… I need to go!” she cried, springing from her chair and running out of the room.

“Ares!” Lorrie cried after her, but Ares didn’t slow down. She ran up the stairs and into her room, locking the door behind her. Ares leaned back against the door and slid down, breathing heavily.

She expected to hear someone knock on the door. Instead she heard Eris’ door open and slam shut, causing Ares to jump. Nobody else came after that.

Once she’d calmed down, Ares got to work on her homework. She was almost done with all of it and really needed something to distract her at the moment. Occasionally, she’d start to tear up again, but managed to choke it back each time. Unfortunately, none of her friends were online at the moment; it would have been nice to talk to someone right now.

Eventually, Ares’ stomach betrayed her. She hadn’t finished her lunch and was still hungry. Quietly, she left her room and started to sneak downstairs. Unfortunately, as she got close to the first floor, Ares could hear the sound of people in the family room.

Ares peeked around the corner to see what was going on. Vega, Lorrie, Hestia, and Pandora were sitting around. When they saw her, Ares took a hesitant step inside the room.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Your sister has locked herself in her room,” Lorrie said. “She won’t answer anyone at all. Something is clearly wrong with her.”

“Ares,” Vega said quietly, “Eris is closer to you than anyone else. Maybe if you talk to her, you can get her to explain what’s bothering her.”

Ares gulped.

“I agree,” Hestia said. “You really need to talk to her eventually, after all. It’s not going to get any easier the more you put it off.”

“I won’t do it,” Ares said, clenching her fists. “If she wants to lock herself away, then fine. Eris doesn’t want to listen to me anyway.”

“Why not?” Vega asked.

“Whatever is going on here,” Lorrie said, “it’s escalated out of control. Just be honest with us, Ares. We can help you fix this if you just tell us what’s going on with you.”

Ares nodded. Things would get better if she could just come out and say it. But her jaw was locked. She couldn’t even open her mouth.

Vega came over and gave Ares a hug, insisting, “We just want to help, sweetie. But you have to tell us. I know you want to. We’re going to support you, I promise.”

“Hestia?” Ares asked.

“Yes?”

“Can you do it for me?”

“Are you sure?”

Ares nodded.

“Alright. Ares is—”

A sharp knock at the front door interrupted Hestia, who groaned.

“For the love of...” Vega muttered, letting go of Ares and walking out of the room. Everyone was quiet while waiting for her to return. When she did, Vega looked at Ares and said, “It’s your friend Mercedes. She’s here to talk to you.”

“Mercedes?” Ares asked, her heart sinking. “I… I don’t have the pendant…”

“I can tell her that it’s not a good time.”

“No,” Ares said. “I’ll… I’ll talk to her.”

She gulped and walked out into the front hallway. Mercedes was standing in the doorway. When she first saw Ares, Mercedes looked a little confused. Then her eyes went wide as she realized who she was looking at.

“Hi,” Ares mumbled. “Um… this is not a good time for this, Mercedes.”

“I can see that,” she replied, shifting uncomfortably. “But I really need to talk to you and it has to be in person. Can we speak in private? I really don’t want anyone else to hear what I have to say.”

Ares nodded and pulled on her shoes, then followed Mercedes out of the house. They didn’t look at each other as they walked. Once they were well out of range of the house, Mercedes leaned up against a tree and folded her arms.

“I talked to our friends,” she said. “And then I talked to my own family; I didn’t tell them exactly what was going on, but I needed their advice. Everybody seemed to agree that it wasn’t my place to judge another person for what they are. So… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the things I’ve said. I didn’t want to hurt you, I just didn’t understand what was going on. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course,” Ares replied, taking Mercedes’ hands in her own. “Of course I forgive you, Mercedes. I want to still be friends, no matter what.”

Mercedes sniffed and smiled softly.

“I’m going to support you at school,” she promised. “No matter what anybody says, you’re going to be a girl and they’re just going to have to deal with me if they don’t like it. And I promise that we’re going to have a sleepover before the summer is over.”

“Thank you,” Ares said. “But can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Will you stay and help me come out to my parents?” she asked. “I think that I really need the emotional support.”

“Yeah, I think I can do that,” Mercedes replied. “Let’s go.”

Ares and Mercedes returned to the house. As soon as Ares opened the door, though, she could hear Eris shouting in the family room. Ares ran, not stopping to even take off her shoes. She stopped at the entrance to the family room, and all the color drained from her face.

Eris and Hestia were standing, glaring at each other and shouting. Vega was holding Hestia by the shoulders while Lorrie grabbed Eris tightly by the arm. Both girls were struggling to get free. Pandora was sitting on the far couch, cowering.

“—making him act all girly now—!”

“—won’t let her be true to herself—!”

“—he’s my brother and I’m not going to lose him—!”

“—won’t even talk to her and let her explain herself—!”

When Hestia saw Ares, she stopped shouting. Eris stopped too and spun around to look at Ares. Tears were streaming down her face.

“Ares,” Lorrie said, exasperated. “Just tell us what's going on already. Please! You don’t have anything to be afraid of!”

Pandora hopped down from the couch and ran over to grab Ares’ hand. Mercedes took her other hand. Ares took a deep breath.

“I’m… I… I want to be a girl,” she choked out. “I’m transgender. I’m a girl on the inside and I want to live as a girl from now on.”

Vega and Lorrie relaxed and let go of Ares’ sisters. Hestia smiled. Eris didn’t move from where she was standing. Vega scooped Ares up in a hug.

“Finally,” she said. “It’s such a relief to hear you finally say it.”

Ares grinned, tears welling up in her eyes.

Lorrie walked over and patted Ares on the back.

“I’m proud of you,” she said.

Ares sniffed and buried her head in Vega’s shoulder. She wasn’t surprised, but it felt so good for her parents to actually accept her. Pretty soon, Ares was crying.

Vega sat Ares down on the couch. Lorrie sat down next to them. Hestia, Pandora, and Mercedes gathered around the couch as well. Ares managed to quell her tears, feeling a little embarrassed.

“So, honey,” Vega said softly, “is there anything else that you’d like us to call you?”

“Um… I have been thinking of a new name, actually.”

“Oh?”

Ares nodded, explaining, “I want to try out the name Elpis. It’s still similar to Eris’ name, but it was also the last spirit out of Pandora’s box, and Dora helped give me the space I needed to experiment and figure myself out.”

“That sounds like a fine name,” Lorrie said, running her fingers through Elpis’ hair.

Elpis relaxed. It was over. Everything was going to get better now. She could be a girl for real. Her family accepted her. Finally, Elpis felt like she truly belonged.

Eris was nowhere to be found.