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Letting the High Queen introduce herself and her husband, Sora scooted off to the side with Aiden, entertained by her best friend’s reaction to the Fairy and Elf.  They were entering an entirely new world—their world—and there was so much to explore.

It was surprisingly comforting to see Nilly practically falling asleep in Wendy’s arms.  Despite her unpredictability, the Undead Cat Mother truly just seemed to want friends to hang out with.  Sure, maybe she’d need to order a ton of food, but she could exploit this SCC for that since they didn’t want a universe-eating cat unhappy.

The cute sight of Fen made her chest shake with silent laughter; the woman still had a dazed expression as if living in a bizarre dream, holding Jian’s hand like a little girl looking for her dad’s comforting touch to tell her everything would be alright.

She was seeing a side of the three-tailed Huli Jing that contrasted how evil they could be, at least from what everyone told her.  Watching her pulled-back ears and tightly bundled tails pressed against Jian’s legs while trying to remain as invisible as possible reminded Sora how different Kari had turned out to be.

There was still so much to sort out with her former bully, and she knew she’d have Aiden’s support in that.  Yes, she dreaded the moment she needed to awaken the wolf, and yet, another part of her was excited to get to know Kari.  From everything she’d heard thus far about Alva, Kari’s mother saw Amy as a sort of mother figure to escape from her hypermasculine family, which was actually pretty cool to hear.

This world of Founders and entities beyond anything close to what even the word ‘god’ could describe was, in fact, riddled with its own broken family dynamics.  All of them—from her mother to Nilly, Jin, Eyia, and Kari—were just trying to pick up the pieces of their chaotic lives and make the best out of what little control they had.

Mind retreating into the insanity of events that had shattered her perspective of the world, Sora glanced toward the glass wall to look over the expansive view of the moon base and its futuristic spaceships, going about business as usual.

On the one hand, she had this hyper-advanced technological world of humanity and aliens, and on the other, she had a realm of mysticism and magic in Avalon.  A prayer whispered through her heart at the endless possibilities that were opening up before her.

Mom…  Thank you for fighting past your fears and giving up all your power to complete our family.  I know you’re so scared…  I know you are, and it means… so much to me that you’d dive into our uncertain future to be a part of my life.  You told me it won’t be easy… but so long as we’re a family…

Smile blooming, her tail weaving while turning to study Wendy, a silent giggle passing through her frame; the brunette was peppering Titania with questions about magic.

…Our expanding family can overcome anything.  Maybe Aiden had the right idea all along; we need to find some form of peace to move forward.

Upon catching her gaze, the blond boy lifted an eyebrow, a half-smile lifting his lips.  “What’s with that look, Fuzzy Tail?”

“Fuzzy-wha—oh, c’mon,” she huffed, glancing at her back to see her fur somewhat puffed out.  “Is it proper for a guy to talk about a girl’s tail, hmm?”  she challenged, getting him to scratch his cheek and glance away with a strained grin.

“This is one of those ‘Does this dress make me look fat?’ questions that human women ask, isn’t it?  There is no right answer; any response I give lands me on the hot seat.”

Sora couldn’t help a laugh breaking her critical stare.  “Well, that’s supposed to be left unsaid!  Hmm.  I’m just starting to think things are looking up.  I just hope we can keep up the trend.  Right, Dr. Ferdinand?”  she asked, throwing the Ethics Bureau representative on the coals.

The well-dressed man showed a compassionate expression, getting everyone else’s attention as Wendy and Mary’s discussion with Avalon’s rulers concluded.

“It is my job to make sure that there is a smooth transition into this world and to act as your intermediary with the Foundation, Ms. Moore.  If you have any desires, then please, let me know, and I will try to accommodate them.  I have hand-selected a personal assistant for you who is currently in charge of overseeing your building’s renovations.  Shall we continue?”

“After you,” Sora chimed, a new question bubbling up to the surface as he took the lead.  Her gaze flicked to the two rulers while moving to walk beside Ferdinand, getting a mischievous stare from the Fairy Queen.  “Umm…  Obviously, Titania and Oberon are ridiculously powerful and influential, so… why does Diane feel so comfortable nipping at their heels?”

Titania lifted a closed fist to her mouth with soft laughter, speaking for Ferdinand.  “Diane is an entitled little thing who feels special because Lady Badb plucked her out of her mundane human life as a spinstress in the human’s 18th century to be a travel companion for a short time, instructing her on fae Magic.  She learned etiquette from Lady Badb’s example, and feels that we did not appreciate her as we should have.”

Ferdinand cleared his throat, sliding his finger down a panel to open a large, alien-looking elevator for them to file into.  “Dr. Diane has a problem with authority, in general, but I am confident she has humanity’s best interests in mind… despite her dubious practices and history.  In any case, this will take us to the Gate Room, and everyone you have selected earlier should be ready for transport.”

Getting inside, a shiver ran from the tip of Sora’s head to the tip of her toes and tail as he made a complex design, triggering the device; it felt like a static field filtered through them, and her whole spatial perception was blasted as the doors opened seconds later, revealing a vast area filled with people.

Gravity lifts carried all sorts of cargo to dozens upon dozens of similar teleportation elevators, or whatever they were called.  Operators functioned behind desks, overseeing the groups that entered the room through giant silver rings.  Gold runes of some kind lit up around the gateways in rapid succession before punching a hole through space to various locations, sending people through, or bringing them to the station.

Mary’s lips parted in disbelief as they slowly walked forward, the static lifting her hair being extracted to leave it smooth and straightened.  Her vision wandered to the glass panels that revealed that they were now on the moon’s surface, the titanic tower of the Moon Wizard overshadowing them in the distance with spaceships arriving on all eight sides of the octagon room to unload or accept cargo.

“How… can you keep all of this hidden?  How far have we gone?”

Sora remained quiet while taking in the hustle and bustle of goods being directed around the space, spotting the medical beds several meters in front of the sole unused gate, with advanced-looking soldiers blocking off the area.  Perhaps the most shocking part was the smooth-skinned, gray aliens that looked like your typical Martians, only thinner and taller than humans.

Ferdinand led them into a lane that had been roped off, guards stopping traffic to allow them through and removing the barriers as they passed.

“My expertise is more focused on the Monster Community of Terrestrial Life Branch of the SCC rather than the Extraterrestrial or other branches.  Since our facility in Avalon was… sealed off three centuries ago, with Your Majesties only accepting asylum seekers under specific circumstances, it has been… difficult for our branch to handle the loss in magical resources.”

Oberon’s deep voice didn’t hold all that much interest in the subject as his pupilless eyes scanned the zone.  “Left to your current devices, humanity is still three centuries from reaching the state it was at during your Atlantis era, and that is after all the magical knowledge Avalon and The Mórrígan imparted to you.”

He forced a laugh while glancing back at the amused Fairy High Queen and stoic Elf High King before focusing on Sora.  “I’m sure.  In reality, before the Saturn Stag and Eric, our branch was under threat of being absorbed by another branch.  Now, we’re practically getting unlimited resources; something like this,” he gestured at the closed-off stargate, “is a totally new experience for me.  You’ve already made a real difference in the lives of all the monsters on Earth, Sora.”

Aiden frowned, stopping by Kari’s bed to brush back her bangs, a brotherly concern radiating from him.  “So… the state of the monsters on Earth, hiding and fearful of what tomorrow might bring, is due to the conflict between the SCC and Avalon?  Naturally, the SCC will prioritize humanity over any other species…”

“Things… didn’t look that bad to me,” Wendy whispered, shifting a sleeping Nilly to her back in the girl’s arms to hug against her chest.  “Well, hehe, other than insane werewolves kidnapping and infecting people.  They had an awesome restaurant, and Sora showed me all sorts of half-species in Miami that were living alongside humans, like Daisy.”

“Because… of me and Eric,” Aiden said with a sad look on his face, shifting to direct their gaze to the unconscious man, dressed in the standard elastic white shirt and pants of the Foundation.  “When we first arrived in Miami, things were… not great behind the scenes, and I’m sure the SCC had a hand in monsters hiding inside their tiny holes.”

Sora sucked in her bottom lip, crossing her arms and thinking back to her experiences in the last few weeks; the comment Eric made to the dolphin-woman server when she’d first met the man popped into her head.

“Really?  Tammy was really happy…  Was she hiding before Kari came to Miami?”

Running his fingers through his messy hair, Aiden sucked in his cheeks, a sudden surge of emotion striking his aura and hitting Sora in the chest.  He nodded and rubbed his throat.

“Eric and I found Tammy on the day her husband and one of their daughters were killed by the local Merpeople.”

“That’s horrible,” Wendy mumbled, lightening her pressure on the squirming Nilly, searching for a better position.

Aiden nodded, blue eyes looking into the past.  “Some humans found the small cave they were using as a home, forcing them to try to seek shelter with the Merpeople to not cause a stir.  As for the restaurant, I came up with the idea, and Eric found Sela, who provided items for monsters to integrate with humans and use her powers to create what we needed.”

Ferdinand sighed, hands in his pockets and studying the expansive space program with Earth’s alien allies.  “Eric is… a challenging subject to approach with our branch.  Probably the saddest thing I’ve seen in this position is the self-loathing that persists in many monster communities due to not being born human, which then breeds hatred of humans in a vicious cycle…

“When the US Presidents came into the SCC program, they took a more positive view of monsters and tried to integrate the ones they could; their partnership with the SCC is partly how it has grown so powerful as a nation throughout the past century… but it’s far from perfect.”

Titania hummed, walking closer to Jin to study the sleeping dragon.  “Isn’t it telling how the fae lived alongside many creatures, including humanity, for ages immemorial—in fact, we defended them—yet in a mere few centuries of humanity without fae mediating, they have practically driven all magical entities to extinction or to flee to Avelon.”

Ferdinand’s hands pressed against his thighs, nodding in the ensuing silence.  “…It used to be better back in the day… at least from what I’ve read, and without Avalon—not that I’m blaming Your Majesties—it’s just… hard to imagine that with my short life when you two have seen humanity from nearly the beginning of our species.  Oh, excuse me…”

Titania and Oberon didn’t add anything more, and the magical woman’s vision shifted from Aiden to her.  It really did put things into perspective.  A division between Avalon and the SCC caused the magical realm to close its doors, forcing them to deal with a horrific infection that afflicted the vulnerable fae while humanity swapped from living alongside to isolating Earth’s monsters.  Things did have to change.

Sora tried to keep her distance from the beds in order to not wake those still in a coma from her mother’s spell; she didn’t want to rouse them until back in Miami and away from the chaos of the moon base.  Her somber eyes slid to Kari, pressure squeezing her heart as she tried to put herself in the traumatized wolf’s shoes.

Eric had caused her unfathomable pain, yet her brother had also uplifted monsters across the world and brought pride back to who they were, allowing them to live freely under his rule.  The internal picture of Tammy, trapped on all sides, hopeless, having just watched her husband and daughter killed, made her chest hurt; then, Eric appeared, bringing an iron fist, yet freedom in it.  Things weren’t so black and white.

“Are you ready to leave?”  Ferdinand asked, signing a tablet at the desk nearby, where the man operating it began inputting coordinates.  “It will connect to your front room.”

Sora took a deep breath and returned Wendy’s somber smile.  “Yeah, let’s go home.”

The golden lights on the giant gate illuminated, and a short plume of dark energy rushed out, retreating just before reaching the yellow-marked danger-zone tape.  Emotion struck her as the soldiers that trailed them moved to push the beds through.  Sora rubbed Wendy’s back since a lazy, sleeping cat was hogging her arms, and walked with her past the safety zone, entering the portal.

Other than a weird shift in spatial ripples, Sora didn’t feel anything like the other teleportation method while stepping into her quite empty suite.  The orange glow of sunset shone across the sky, and dozens of people were walking through her home, busily talking with one another with tablets and alien equipment following them.

We’re home…  She breathed out her stress, moving off to the side with Wendy; it was a little uncomfortable with the sudden invasion of her privacy.  How much of it is left, though?  Where’s all our stuff…  Where are the stairs to the second floor?!

It didn’t take long for everyone to follow, soldiers hustling into action to wheel the beds and packed-up goods through, including her father’s medical team.

Wendy’s eyebrows came together as she watched one of the construction workers step where the stairs had been; a hologram-like sheet of blue light formed and carried him to the second floor.  “Sora… I think we’re in the wrong suite.”

Titania snickered as her husband walked right through the glass to float onto the balcony, leaving the crowded space of people and goods.  “No, this is the right place, dears.  Sora, please see us when you have found your feet.  I’m sure this is quite a shock.  Take your time!  We’ll just be enjoying the ocean view.”

Aiden was right beside Kari, seemingly staying behind to be the last one to join them, ensuring everyone made it through, and Ferdinand barely landed when his attention was pulled to a bright-eyed businesswoman holding a tablet.

“Senior Director Ferdinand!  Everything is on schedule to be completed within the next few hours—oh, and this must be Ms. Moore.  It’s my pleasure!”

“Thanks?”  Sora mumbled, taking her offered hand.

The Senior Director made a cheery gesture to introduce her, his mood brightening and trying to move beyond the previous topic while a frenzy of workers bustled about the area, noises happening in every direction she turned her acute ears to.

“Sora, I’d like to introduce Ms. Jeddings; her company handles much of the Foundation’s construction and real estate needs.  Her business utilizes magic, approved, minor anomalies, and various advanced technology to build anything we need.”

Jeddings withdrew her hand, speaking rather rapidly as she gestured around them.  “As you can see, Ms. Moore, the Foundation has bought out the hotel for your personal safety and privacy while adapting its designs to facilitate your particular needs.  As I understand it, the fae are in ownership of the floor directly beneath yours and will make their own modifications.”

“The whole building?”  Wendy asked in disbelief, not having heard the previous discussion on the matter, and scooting to the side as a man jogged past them in a hurry.

“Indeed, Ms. Moore.”

“Huh?”

Jeddings snapped her fingers at a man who hovered a meter away from her; he provided the woman with a few envelopes.  “We have already taken care of the paperwork for your family’s adoption of Wendy and created a new identity for the person known as Eyia, bridging her into your family tree.  It is all done by a legalized US adoption agency—here, these are your new State IDs.”

Wendy looked as if she’d been slapped, numbly taking the orange envelopes the man handed her, and even Sora was taken aback.  “Wait, b-but I thought… my mom was going to be brought back.  Sora?”

The woman jumped in without a second thought, though.  “Ah, yes, Dr. Diane mentioned that she will be making a short return, and instructed me to get everything prepared.  She should be on the flight back from Denmark tomorrow.  This was a part of the deal made by your mother, Ms. Moore.”

“Oh… okay,” Wendy mumbled, totally in shock and not processing it, the same as Sora at the burst of information that was being launched at them.  “So… we’re sisters?”

“Naturally,” Jeddings giggled.  “As for driving purposes, you will need to go through the DMV, but you have the documentation.  A full medical staff will be present in the hotel to handle the needs of your father.”

She directed their focus to the resting dragon’s bed, moving right past the previous subject.  “Jin does not seem to require any of our assistance, but it is there if requested, and, hehe, no, I am not aware of who you or anyone else here is, or why I am doing this for you.  I am merely here to grant you your every desire.”

Aiden whistled, looking somewhat overwhelmed, himself.  “Pulled out all the stops.  Respect the redhead, huh?”

“Eh-hehe.  I suppose so, Sir.  As I said, I don’t know or care what or who Ms. Moore is; this is my job,” Jeddings promptly replied.  “As for the suites, I’ll repeat that we are in the final stages of bridging the units.  I will leave a tablet behind with catalogs where you can browse and purchase whatever you desire for your living wants or needs.  Is there anything else you require?”

A little overwhelmed, Sora slowly shook her head.  “Wow, uh…  And all of this is going to be done today?”

“Yes,” she nodded.  “Within the next three hours—unless you have any further modifications for me.  Shall we explore to see if it is to your liking, Ms. Moore?”

“Sure…  Oh, uh, let me do a few things first.  Is the… upstairs done enough that we can bring everyone there?”

“Absolutely!”  she chimed.  “We’ve connected the next unit over to give you another Master Bedroom while converting the adjacent office spaces to guest rooms.  I will be here directing things until you are ready for the tour.”

“Uh-huh.  Umm.  Guys,” she said to the soldiers wheeling the beds, pausing for a second when the portal collapsed, “let’s go upstairs.”

“Kari?”  Aiden asked.

“Mhm.  I’ll leave you to talk to her in one of the rooms.”  She nudged her head to Mary, silently directing the woman to her husband, Howie, and Daisy, still unconscious; clearly, the psychiatrist didn’t want to overwhelm her but wanted her hubby awake.  “I’ll wake them up, and you can take them downstairs to the best suite below mine…”

She got a nod from Jeddings and continued.  “Try to figure out what happened with Ron; I’ll be down later.  Thanks so much, Mary.”

“Of course, Sora.  It’s been my pleasure,” she whispered with a soft smile.  “Things are looking up, and let me know if I’m needed.  I will need to check up on many other teenagers that require my attention, so I’ll be up late checking in on clients and their children.”

“Got it,” Sora chirped, feeling positive vibes returning as this dream began to solidify into reality.  She shifted Nilly in her arms to brush her hands against the three sleeping figures, waking them, and just like Aiden, they snapped awake in an instant.  “Welcome back to the land of the living!”

“Sora?!”  Daisy squeaked before bending over in fits of coughs that had Howie almost falling off his bed to reach her.  “Ack!  Ack!”

“Daisy—wha…  Sora, what’s going on?!  Who are all these…”

Mary interrupted by gently placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing her confused husband’s arm.  “Allow me to explain for Sora.  Everything is fine, but there will be significant changes.”

“Yup!”  Sora broke in.  “Everything is on the up, guys!  Mary will fill you in.”

Seeing them off, she turned to Wendy, who still seemed to be in shock.  “Right…  I need to wake Eyia and Jin anyway, so… Wendy, uh, do you want to…”

“Shop for things you’d like?”  she giggled, blinking rapidly and shaking her head.  “Sure!  It’s just, eh-hehe, I’ve got a little snuggle bug attached to me.  I’m loving our new cat!”

“Me too!”

“Mrrrow…”

Nilly fidgeted a little, no doubt uncomfortable with all the noises happening around them, and Wendy tried to find a better position for her.  “I don’t mind spending money on cool things.  Umm.  Should we drop Nilly off in one of the rooms to sleep?  She seems really tired.  Is she okay?”

Sora shrugged, taking the soft cat off her sister’s hands; the Nekomata instantly stopped twitching when Sora brought her tail up to play with Nilly’s swaying tails, causing her to settle against her chest.

“Mrrow…”

Cute…

“She did travel a long way with Ylva, so maybe.  Yeah, let’s move upstairs.”  Following the men to the weird new elevator, she motioned to Fen and Jian when they hesitated.  “You two can chill out in the guest rooms if you want or take a shower—maybe?”  Jeddings gave her a thumbs up, now talking on her phone.  “Yeah, just try to relax, Fen.  I’m on your side!”

Fen’s ears pulled back, fingers playing with each other at her front and meekly getting on the lift with them.  Sora figured she just didn’t quite know how to say thank you or respond to positive interactions without manipulating people with magic; she’d talk to Titania about them when she got a chance.

She looked down at the laser-like outlines that formed a platform and rails to fit their group comfortably before solidifying and carrying them up to the second level.  Making it upstairs, she stepped out and was somewhat impressed by the technology, since it certainly wasn’t magic.

Thumping heart settling down, she leaned down to kiss her sleeping dad’s forehead before sending the nurses off to set him up in the Master Bedroom.  The desperation and panic she felt with Jenny on top of her returned like a tidal wave, yet it was soothed by the memory of her dad coming to her defense.  No magic.  No powers.  Only his watchful eye and trust.

When her magic failed her, her life was falling apart, and her plan with Kari crumbled like a sand castle in the wind, her father was there to handle the problem, blasting Jenny off her with his rifle, and that was truly something she felt was magical: her dad’s unconditional love.

You’re the best Dad ever…  I need to get you a mug for that!

Scratching her arm as it tingled, she spotted Fen and Jian being guided to their rooms; they’d be okay.  However, her frown soon fell on Wendy beside her, staring blankly at the tablet in her hands.  Sora bumped hips with her to snap her out of her internal spiral, knowing the brunette’s mind was more on the envelope behind the tablet than the screen.

“C’mon,” she urged, using her tail to push her sister toward the previous guest room, now Wendy’s.  “This is your new room.  I’ll be right back, Aiden—just put her on my bed… if it’s still there—and you guys bring these two into one of the other rooms down the hall.  I’ll be there shortly.”

“Roger that, Boss Fox!”  Aiden picked Kari up to enter the already open door and placed her on the bed.  “Catch your tail soon.”

“You wish!”  She rolled her eyes with a huff at Wendy’s snicker, doing a little better as she shooed the brunette into the fairly plain room, ready to be beatified with boy bands, games, and anime posters.  “And what are you laughing at, Chocolate Toe!”

Wendy almost fell, choking a little as Sora used her foot to shut the door.  “You remember that?!  You’re the one who dared me to do it because you didn’t think I could get my toes up to my mouth.  Gross… some of the things you got me to do… like kiss a toad!”

“We were twelve,” Sora defended with a half-smile while carefully setting the cat down on a pillow to arch her back, paw at it a few times, and curl into a tight ball to hide her face.  Dropping onto the foot of the bed and throwing her hands back to support herself, she sighed and bumped shoulders with her sister.  “Official sisters, huh?  And don’t worry about anything; your mom’s coming…  You’ll get your answers.”

“Mhm…”  A few seconds passed in an awkward silence.  Wendy’s aura was up and down; happy they were becoming closer and scared of what was to come tomorrow.  She swallowed a lump in her throat and forced a laugh, a shiver running down her frame to the bed.  “I half want all of this to be a cool… and cruel dream,” she whispered, a heavy weight carried on her words.

Sora overlaid her hand with hers, letting her sister release the pressure compressing her chest and mind, keeping her eyes on the carpet to allow Wendy her own time to process.

“…After talking to Mary, I know it’s not my fault…  It’s hard…  It’s hard not to think it is… that I could have done something, I don’t know… something more… said something more.”

Wendy shook her head, lip pulling under and body shaking with silent tears as Sora pulled her in to buffer her against the pain and let her know she was loved.  It took a few minutes before she laughed through a whimper.

“I’ve been lying to myself… saying everything’s cool when it’s not…  It’s just… not.  I have to hear it from her, though.  Why do I feel more loved in someone else’s family?  Why won’t she ever fight for me?  Why do I only feel at home when I’m with you and your dad?  Why… would she throw me away like I’m garbage?  I’m like an empty bottle of whiskey…”

Sora held her tighter, fighting the fire from crawling up her own throat into her nose.  Wendy didn’t need her to say anything; she needed someone to hold her and be there to listen.  Nothing else came, though, and after a few minutes of controlled breathing, she squeezed her hand and pulled away, showing a puffy-eyed smile.

“Thanks, Sora.  I’m, umm… I’m better.  Thank you for being my big-little sister and letting me be a big baby.  I think decorating a new room will help a little.  I don’t want to hog all of your emotional energy.”

“No!  No, I’m here for you, Wendy.”

Wendy rubbed her arm and forced a smile.  “We all die a little inside sometimes, right?  We’ll be alright…  I’ll be alright because I know you’d never leave me outside in the rain…  I just wish…  Yeah, let’s just do what we can!  Eyia needs you, too.”

Rubbing her red eyes, Sora used her magic to clear away the irritation of crying and hugged Wendy before getting up and pointing the brunette to the sleeping cat on the pillow.  “I’ll only leave you because I know you’ve got a cuddly cat to snuggle next to.  I’m with you all the way.  Get some rest, Wendy…  I’ll be back when I can.  Love you.”

“Love you,” she returned, scooting back to lay next to Nilly; she held up the envelope and squinted in the dying sunlight that passed through the window.  “I’m scared… but I’ll be okay.”  Her watery, muddy-brown eyes shifted to her with a real smile.  “After all, I’m not alone; I have a sister.”

Warmth budding in Sora’s chest, she nodded and went to turn on the light, making the brunette blink a few times to adjust her eyes.  “Exactly!  We’ve got a magical doom school to go to with mysteries to solve!  Catch you soon, Sis!”

“Catch you soon, Sis!”

Leaving in a brighter mood upon feeling Wendy’s aura of delusions and fear dissipating, Sora entered her room next, currently occupied by Aiden and Kari.  Aiden didn’t need to say a word, showing her a thumbs up to tell her he was glad to feel Wendy building the courage to face her demons.

Tail swaying, she skipped in with life budding inside her voice.  “I’m just going to do a good ol’ tap on the nose, turn around, and go right out!”  Displaying a finger to Aiden’s silent laughter, she lightly brought it down on the wolf’s nose, making it crinkle.  “And I’m off!”

“Good luck.”

Kari’s amber eyes flashed as they flew open, shoulder-length black hair whipping left and right while trying to reorient herself.  “Where—Sora’s room?  I can smell her musk everywhere—Aiden?”

Musk?!  Sora internally balked while flipping on her heels by the door to give the bewildered wolf a toothy grin.  I don’t know if that’s a compliment or diss from her… probably a diss.

“Morning, Wolf Breath!”  she sang, tail whipping out of the door as she slammed it shut.  “You’re welcome, and bye!”

“Sora?!  What the hell—who was that Fenris Wolf woman?!  Sora, don’t you run away from me!”

“Kari!  Kari!  Chill,” Aiden pleaded, practically having to tackle her to the bed, which she obviously had to allow because Sora had slapped those cheeks before, and it was a solid brick wall!  “I’ll explain!”

“Is that…  I smell Eric in the hallway!  What in the—”

“Let me explain!”

“Bite me!  What… are you doing?!  Eww—stop!”

“Mmm?  You said to bite you.  Maybe you should take a shower, though…  You taste like sweat, dust, and Hellstone.”

“You did not just…  Ugh!  Get off, Aiden!  Damn…  Okay, I’m listening.  Shit.”

Sora almost fell to her knees as she quaked with laughter, imagining the scene in her head.  Aiden certainly knew how to deal with Kari, the tried and true method of calling the bluff and biting the wolf!  She should probably take a few notes from his playbook.

Just before going down the newly expanded hallway to her suite, she glanced back at the bed that remained in the hallway with a guard.  Would Kari allow her to wake Eric?  That remained to be seen.

Proceeding to the nearest bedroom, she discovered it was the Master Bedroom of the other suite, with Jin and Eyia’s beds inside.  Dismissing the soldiers and closing the door, she listened for a second, hearing Ferdinand talking to Ms. Jeddings about the staff that had stayed.  It was something she was interested in, but that could wait for later.

She puffed out a long breath and put her hand on Eyia’s hand; instantly, the blonde’s shimmering blue eyes opened, not an ounce of panic in her demeanor as she sat up, glancing around their surroundings.

“Sister… it appears that the conflict with Ylva has concluded, and your transformation has ended.”  Her calm, innocent smile wholly centered on her.  “Am I correct in thinking you had a lovely chat with your mother?”

“Eyia!”  Sora lurched forward to hug the tall Valkyrie, receiving a firm embrace in return.  “I’m so happy; you have no idea!  And, and, my mom would love for you to stay.  In fact, in this world, we’ve made it official and made you a part of the family!  You’re now part Primordial Asgadrian and vulpes Founder!  Eyia?”

When she pulled away, the blonde’s nose was bright red, her tanned cheeks coloring as sniffles shook her frame.  “You… wish to bind us as Blood Sisters?  I cannot speak for my family, but I will pledge my Bond of Blood.  I shall not be a burden upon your community; I swear it, Sister!” 

Getting the internal picture that this was Eyia’s way of being welcomed into a family, she flashed her teeth and held out her pinky.  “From Sisters-in-arms to Blood Sisters!  Wendy’s joining us, too, so you have two sisters on the Founder side now.  Yay!  We’re going to have to throw a party for my mom when she gets here.  I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

Eyia began to hiccup, letting her tears fall freely as joy Sora couldn’t fathom overtook the girl, and suddenly, it hit her; Eyia had been exiled from her family—she’d told her that when in her lonely ice maze—and put into a deadly trial on an island.  She’d been isolated from everyone she loved, like her father and big brother, whom she idolized, and for who knew how long?  Jin was the only person she’d come to call a friend since she was a child.

Bottom lip quivering again, Sora’s tail thrashed while crawling onto Eyia’s bed to hold her and cry with the blonde; despite all her power and training, Eyia had demons of her own, demons she couldn’t contend with—her isolated, lonely life, and the struggle with being exiled from her family—she’d been breaking down for as long as she could remember.

Now she truly understood why Jin had been so enraged when she’d stood Eyia up; it wasn’t just that Eyia would blame herself.  Eyia blamed herself for everything and carried the weight of her exile, struggling with so many more deep-rooted insecurities than Sora could have ever known.  But now, she had a family that welcomed her in with open arms.

“You have a family with us, Eyia!  Forever and always!”

A long puff of air brought Sora’s puffy eyes to Jin, sitting cross-legged on her bed, rubbing her neck and studying them, a total wreck, locked inside each other’s arms.

“Haaa.  Well, shit.  Could you have controlled your tail at least a bit longer before snapping your mother’s charm?  Now it’s awkward,” the Korean grumbled, yellow eyes looking away.  “Blood Sisters, huh?  Hehe.  I guess you don’t need me anymore.”

“Oh, shut up, Jin!”  Eyia growled through her tears, surprising both of them as the Valkyrie sniffed and coughed, shooting a glare at the dragon.  “You promised me an—an explanation on your honor!  I shall hear you express your heart of hearts.  Speak to me without a forked tongue.”

Jin chuckled with a short sigh.  “Ouch.  I guess I deserve that…  Forked tongue?  Mmgm.  Yo, Sora, mind if I take Eyia to chat?  I’ll probably not stay long anyway.  I see the signs that your mom is—”  Her head tilted to the side, golden irises flashing red for a second before her focus returned to her.  “You… want me to stay… and teach some piss-poor Physical Combat course in the collapsing realm adjacent to this one?  Are you stupid?”

Sora drew away, wiping at both of her eyes with a snort.  “Yes, Jin, heh, I’m stupid!”

“Incorrect, Sister!”  Eyia promptly defended.  “You are merely incompetent due to age and inexperience.”

“Hehehe.  Thanks, Sis,” Sora giggled, seeing the Valkyrie’s pride bloom at feeling like she was being supportive.  “Obviously, you can, like, I don’t know, see through time or something!  You’re awesome, Jin—no joke—and I’d love to learn from that big head of yours.”

“First of all,” Jin drew in her lips, holding up a finger, “I have a perfect physique, including my head, shape, size, and thickness that matches my stubborn streak, thank you very much…

“Second… I’m not trying to find friends, Sora.  I’m trying to piss off my mother.  Period.  End of story.  You are not involved in that beef since your mother isn’t.  If you ask me to stay and hang out, it could prove dangerous for you and your entire territory.  I’m basically a runaway child, Kid.  Your mom could be brought before the Three Pillars and put under trial… which my mother is a part of.”

The gears in Sora’s mind spun for a second before they finally fell into place.  “Your… mom is the Dragon Mother—you’re Second Generation, like my mom?!”

Jin shrugged.  “Like I said, you’d be stupid to get in the middle of a beef between me and my mom…  I’m the youngest damn 2nd Generation Dragon by like… many ages in–between.  My fifteenth cousin could trounce me due to my age.  So, it’s best I skip town and go to the next territory over to cause trouble since…”  Jin groaned and ran her fingers through her hair.  “…Since I’m actually starting to like you… despite my better judgment.”

Sora set her brow and grinned.  “Then it’s official!  You’re a part of the crew!  When do you start the Avalon job?  Before or after you apologize to Eyia and let her beat you at a game?”

Eyia’s smile vanished.  “She does not let me win, Sister!  I always beat her rump red.”

“Pfft!  Keep dreaming, Feather Butt,” Jin snickered.  “You can’t release your full power, or it will cause ripples and pull in unfriendly faces.  I’ve got you beat every time.”

“T-That is cheating, Jin,” Eyia balked, pointing an accusatory finger at the dragon.  “We agree to equal our strengths in each challenge to determine skill, and I do not have a feather butt; it is quite plump with muscle!”

Sora held her stomach as it hurt.  “Yeah!  I can’t get rid of this dynamic.  Please, at least think about it, Jin.”

“Ugh…”  Breathing out as if life was nothing but a drag, Jin grunted and looked away.  “I’ll think about it.  Anyway, let’s have a serious talk, Frosty.  Thanks for being suicidal, Sora; it’ll be fun while it lasts.”

“Jokes!  Hehe.  You’re so funny, Jin!  Talk to you two later.”

Jin gave her a two-fingered salute and vanished in a surge of hyper-condensed red energy, making Eyia huff.

“You made this a challenge without warning me, Jin!  You are so—mmrrrrr—I cannot say the word in this language!  Not so fast, Jin!”  she cried, cheeks turning even more red as she followed in a swirl of mist.

Stretching out, Sora rolled around her neck, feeling surprisingly optimistic about the whole exchange.  She hopped up, tail swaying, and made her way to the front room, deciding to let Wendy have her space.  Kari and Aiden had already gone down the elevators to walk the Miami night and talk.  It was as good of a time as any to see what the fae rulers wanted.

We’re making it through the storm!  Fourteen days until magic school starts, too!  I'm getting so excited!

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