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Utterly stunned at the interaction she’d just had, Sora stood beside the railing with Eyia, staring into the empty front room.  Eric was gone.  Kari was free to do whatever she wanted.  Her blonde sister gave her time to think without interruption, seemingly pondering her own discussion with Jin.

Honestly, she was expecting more of a fight, and it felt like there was some kind of subtle game he was playing with how easily he’d given up control of his sister.  In a way, it pissed her off; it was like Kari wasn’t even worth fighting for.

Lips becoming a line, Sora huffed.  “What an asshole.”

“Indeed,” Eyia growled.  Her liquid-like armor and foxfire spear vanished in a pulse of light, revealing a blue dress that matched her eyes.  “He is the hole of the butt, which stinks like the unwashed donkey.”

Sora gave the Valkyrie a small smile and hug before pulling away.  “You’re amazing, Eyia.  I’m going to head to bed soon, so why don’t you get some sleep, too?  Maybe you can take Kari out tomorrow to play some basketball?  I’ve got a lot to do, and she doesn’t really have any friends, so… mind beating her in basketball to piss her off?”

Eyia’s sapphire eyes sparkled.  “A competition with the wolf to do the kicking of tails, as Jin says?  I am very good at such contests.  The victor obtains a cone of iced cream?”

“Absolutely!  And the loser gets, uh… a smaller portion.  Don’t take no for an answer, okay?  The wolf can’t be scared to lose, right?  Hehe.  Don’t let her be alone.  She’s in the Fox Den now, so she can’t deny Fox Rules!”

“Oooh.”  The blonde took a step back, finding her elbow behind her back with a curious smile.  “I am also within the Den of Foxes; I wish to understand the Fox Rules so as not to trespass the rules of the den.  Are they written on stone like my father did on the island?”

Sora giggled and shook her head.  “Nope.  Essentially, Fox Rules are to make everyone in the den feel at home and supported.  Plus, always be a little bit mischievous and crafty to tease your den-mates.  We’re all about having fun together here in Foxland!  Before I go, is there anything you want to talk about?  Are… you and Jin okay—still friends?”

Eyia looked off to the side with a thoughtful hum.  “Jin is, mmm… complex and rebellious.  She does not do what is told of her to do and is quite the snaggle tooth.  Jin can be mean, and Jin can be very nice.  It is challenging to determine Jin’s attitude when she is so hot-brained and face-punchy.  Jin can hurt with words, but Jin is also very caring with words…  Jin is a woman in fog, obscured and dubious in her intentions… but friendly.”

Slowly shaking her head, Sora forced a laugh.  “Yeah… I’m not following at all, but it seems like… you’re not enemies, right?”

Eyia blinked before looking up at the ceiling, trying to be careful with how she spoke to get her feelings across.  “Enemies?  Mmm.  Jin is everybody’s enemy, so I would not say what you said.  As I grasp Jin, she is red rump mad at everyone.  

“She hates everybody but hates some less than others.  I am on the least level of hate, so I have victory.  Jin said I am victorious in the competition of hatred!”  she chimed, showing a pretty smile.

“I am the acceptably annoying semi-friend who is stupid—Jin’s red rump mad words, of course.  She does not mean stupid as in stupid-stupid; only a little stupid of blondes, as she puts it.  I had no idea blondes were the stupidest of hair colors!  It makes sense since Sora is wise as a copper-colored vulpes.”

Sora’s left ear pulled back a little as she parsed through the blonde’s words.  “Wow.  That, hah, yeah… really does encapsulate Jin’s attitude well,” she mumbled, thinking back to all her interactions with the Dragon Founder.  “Well, I guess we won’t be getting special treatment in her class.  Uh, do you know what teaching position she was hired for?”

Eyia’s countenance brightened, her golden hair practically glowing.  “Battle, Strategic Tactics, and Physical Education teaching roles.  She says she will kick tails into gear to survive The Darkness.  No student in her class will die or get changed by The Darkness because no failure will be in her class because they will all drop out.”

“Oh, no…”  Ears folding down, Sora groaned, realizing what kind of teacher Jin was when she literally hated everyone; she was going to enjoy terrorizing the student body.  “I… have a feeling she’s talking about my tail there.  Freaking dragons…  I wonder how the others at the academy will take having an actual Dragon Founder as their battle instructor.”

A shiver ran down her spine to the tip of her tail as she waved Eyia off.  “Well, you should get some sleep, Eyia.  Take Wendy with you tomorrow, too.  I doubt she’d want to hang with me in court or anything, and she needs someone to have fun with and take her mind off of things.  I’ll be pretty busy until later in the evening.”

The giant blonde hopped forward to pull her into another strong embrace, picking her up off the ground.  “Thank you for binding me into your family as siblings, Sora; I will make the Fox Clan proud!”

“Aww.  You’re too pure and good, Eyia,” Sora gasped, stumbling back into the rail guard as the strong girl let her go.  “Thank you for being such an amazing sister.  Night, and if Kari says anything bad, she’s just joking, and you get to joke back.  Okay?”

“Understood, Sister!  Have a restful night, filled with visions of past victories.”

Letting her go to the master bedroom in the adjacent suite, Sora folded her arms and sighed.  Her eyes were on the carpet as she thought, Eric’s parting comment making her cheeks suck in, and a particular date she’d made jabbed her brain.  Aiden was awaiting her call, which put a brighter shade on her mood, but she really needed to get some sleep, as well.  There really were so many things that required her attention.

Jane was flying in from Denmark, and her own world travels gave her a clear picture of how long those kinds of flights were.  Even if she took an early morning flight, which it probably wasn’t, then Wendy’s mom wouldn’t be back until late at night.  Before that, she had Sela’s trial and execution, which could take who knew how long.

At least Eric was dealt with.  Her mom was coming home tomorrow, too, which had her belly a bit nervous, unsure what to expect.  School started in two weeks, giving them time to get everything put together and settled here in Miami.  So far, despite the short, bitter moments, things were taking a turn for the better.

Pushing away from the rail, her tail weaved at her back as she heard Eyia enter her room and jump into bed.  It made her smile, hearing the giggling blonde rolling around the soft California king bed, likely softer and more cozy than anything she’d slept on in her insane-sounding battle island that she grew up on.

Her gaze drifted to Wendy’s room as she passed it, hearing her soft mumbles—she was a sleep mumbler—and Nilly’s bell softly rang occasionally as the cat stretched out between the brunette’s legs.  Her family was growing, and she loved it.  Yes, there would be hardship tomorrow, but that wasn’t right now, and she’d be there for her ‘big sister.’

It felt good helping other broken girls who needed someone in their lives.  Kari and Wendy could hold the ‘I’m older’ card over her head all they wanted, but she was the real ‘big sister’ going to bat for them; someone had to do it, and she was more than willing to step into that arena.

Making her way through the halls, her gaze drifted from her floating purse to the artwork her father had decorated their house with.  This giant hotel space had felt so cold, lonely, and too big for too long, yet now she felt a warmth while passing through it: she wasn’t alone anymore.

She stopped outside Kari’s door, leaning against it and sliding down to her butt.  On the other side, the wolf was still curled up against it, holding her knees against her chest.  Her cries and sniffles had only just quieted down as she approached.

Tucking in, Sora drew her tail around to stroke her fur, taking a page out of Mary’s book and letting her talk first.  Her gaze drifted to her phone as it vibrated, floating out of her purse on a desire to see Aiden calling; he’d probably just gotten off the phone with Eric.  Using her Desire Magic, she responded without touching the device, ignoring the call and silently swapping to text the firebird.

 

1:52 a.m. Sora - Kari is doing okay.  Well, she will be okay.  She stayed in the room I gave her while I confronted Eric and told him to leave her alone.  I’ll call you in a bit.  Give Kari some time and let her be.  I know I wouldn’t want anyone connected to Eric pulling my thoughts back to him after how that asshole left.  I’m handling it; trust the process!

1:53 a.m. Aiden - Thank you, Sora.  Can’t wait for your call.  I’m proud of her.

 

A lump formed in Sora’s throat at his last statement, and she felt it resonate within herself.  What Kari did wasn’t easy, and she did need to hear that.  It took several seconds for the wolf’s soft voice to prick her ears, pulling her gaze away from her phone.

“…Here to check on the crybaby wolf?”

Spreading out her legs and plucking her dress out, Sora leaned against the wooden door and looked up at a picture of an angel above a battlefield on the wall.  A gentle smile moved her lips as she fiddled with her thumbs.

“I just came here to say I’m proud of you—and goodnight, of course; we’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

“Proud of me…  For what?” she mumbled, and Sora felt a shiver pass through the door.  “I didn’t do anything but cower behind flimsy wood.”

“Hmm.”  Head leaning to the side, she whispered, “Do you want me to tell the truth or lie to you?  I could tell you what you want to hear.”

Kari didn’t respond, so Sora took that as her answer.

“The truth then.  Give me a second to find the right words because… I want to tell you exactly how I feel.”  She sighed and tapped the back of her head against the door with a short laugh.  “I don’t think you’re this submissive, crybaby wolf.  I think you’re proud of a lot of things about yourself… but your brother has broken you down so much that you can’t see it anymore.  I’ve seen pieces of it over the last three years, and I know that’s not all a lie…”

She swallowed the saliva that filled her mouth and shifted to her side against the wood.  “I’m proud of you because you got back up.  I’m proud of you because I know it isn’t easy to ask for help, especially when you feel like all you’ll do is hurt someone for doing it.  I’m proud of you for trusting someone—for trusting me—and I’m proud of you for telling me what you really want.  I’ve got your tail, so… take as long as you like to gain your confidence back.  You’re safe.”

Sora waited, knowing Kari was likely struggling with what she’d said, and after a full minute, the wolf cleared her throat.

Attempting to restrain the emotion in her voice, she mumbled, “…Thank you, Sora.  I hate that… I had to rely on you… but I’m grateful… so grateful.  I’m ashamed.  I’m scared.  I… I’m so scared.  I don’t know what else to say.  I’m sorry I didn’t see… the kind of girl you were…  I’m sorry for hurting you.  I don’t know why I deserve this…  Why you’re standing up for me, but… thank you.  Sora?”

Heat burning her throat, it took a few seconds for her to get control of her own heart.  “…Mhm!  I’m fine… just trying not to spontaneously combust, haha.  Umm, I know this isn’t going to be easy… for both of us.  I don’t want you thinking that you’re my pet wolf or like you owe me or anything…  I just want to be there for you when you need it, and if you need space, then… I get that, too.”

Kari strained a teary laugh, falling to her side and hugging her tail behind the door.  “You say that, and then tell Eyia not to take no for an answer.  Pick a side.”

“Oh, shut up,” Sora sniffed, joining Kari on the floor, despite the wooden barrier separating them.  “We both know you don’t want to be alone.  I’m just saying ‘in the future,’ because you don’t want to be alone with your thoughts…  I know I wouldn’t.  And can we both agree that if your brother ever does show up, Eyia is the one you want with you?”

Swallowing, Kari choked a little.  “Yeah…  Aiden told me what happened after I passed out, and if Eyia pisses Eric off so much, then maybe she isn’t so bad.  I guess I could get behind doing… something tomorrow.  Dammit.  Why am I so pathetic?”

Sora wanted to hug her but knew she had to take things slow.  “You’re not pathetic from where I’m sitting.  Like I said, Kari, I’m proud of the you that I’m seeing, and I hope you see what I see as time goes on… because I think you could be pretty amazing from what I’ve seen so far.  So, give yourself a break.  Today was rough.  Tomorrow will be better.”

“It is tomorrow,” Kari huffed, making Sora giggle.

“Not according to my clock because I’m going to crash.  Catch you in the morning?”

“…Sure.”

Sora got up, rubbing a little at her damp cheeks as Kari did the same, and the door half opened, showing the wolf’s messy face, wearing an unsure, half-smile with her ears pulled back.

“Hmm?”

The raven-haired girl looked off to the side and released her stress with a long stream of air before her amber irises met her green.  “Thank you for inviting me into your home and life, Sora.  I’d like to… to try and get to know you better as friends.  I’m… sorry to be a burden.”

Feeling the warm fuzzies at her former bully’s honest attempts at correcting things, facing her faults, and their spotted past, Sora opened her arms.  “You don’t have to hug.  I’m just a hugger, and I just want to officially say… welcome to the Fox Den.”

Kari looked a tad uncomfortable as she hesitantly opened the door.  “I’m… not really a hugger, but… just this once.  Thank you for having me.”

Sora felt like a massive negative block in her life melted away as she jumped up on her tippy-toes, the taller girl bending down to put their past behind them.  All her memories of the monstrous alpha bully tinted in a new light, and when they broke away, she saw a new girl in front of her, deceptively shy and unsure of herself.

“Don’t go easy on Eyia; she’s one to get a big head, so show her that she isn’t the only athletic one, okay?  Plus, I think you’ve got the edge in game knowledge.  Crush her!  I think Eyia needs someone who can push her and make her want to do better.”

Rubbing the back of her neck, Kari sighed as if an anvil was being lifted off her chest.  “And Wendy?  You told the blonde to bring her, too, right?  What am I supposed to do about her?”

“Be patient!”  Sora said with a strained grin.  “Wendy may be bratty tomorrow due to… things happening later, but know that it’s only half you.  Wendy has… her own things she’s dealing with.  Just do your best!”

“Alright.”  Kari shivered again, looking back at the plain room that she’d been given.  “I… guess I’ll see you tomorrow.  You haven’t called Aiden yet, by the way.”

Sora chuckled and displayed her floating phone.  “I texted him that I’d call him after I was done with something important.  And goodnight, Kari.  I know this is all awkward for you, and I don’t want to make it more awkward.  Let’s go to bed, and when we get up, everything changes.  You’re a new wolf from this day on.  You have that choice.  So be who you want to be.”

Kari slowly nodded, playing with her cuticles a bit, showing her nervousness about stepping into this new world.  For the first time in forever, she now had a choice in how she’d live her life, and Sora was sure that it was more than a little overwhelming.

“A new wolf…  Not a lone wolf.  Umm, yeah… goodnight, Sora.”

Giving her a real smile, the girl shut the door, and Sora felt happy butterflies as she heard Kari kneel down to sort through the bag of clothes they’d bought together to find her nightgown.  This really was a new chapter in her life.

Finding her fingers behind her back, she made her way toward her dad’s room, opening it up and smiling at the female nurse that sat beside his bed, present in case medical attention was required.  Her dad’s copper hair was a total mess compared to what she typically saw of her well-groomed father; a passive desire cleaned and reshaped it.

I’m finding new friends, Dad.  Kari, of all people!  I… wish you could be here to see how much I’m growing…  I think you’d be proud of me.  Our home is growing, and I’m happy…  I’m happy.  Thank you for always trying to be the best you can, even when Mom left a huge hole in your heart.  Hopefully, that will heal when you wake up and find Mom by your bed…

You deserve to be happy, too, Dad.  I love you.

She kissed him on his forehead before heading back to her room and collapsing onto her cushy bed, arms spread.  Her phone hovered over her head, but she took some time to allow the sounds of the suite to tickle her ears.  Everyone was now in bed, leaving her in a slight daze as she let everything settle in after waking up on that moon base.

After several minutes, she looked up at her phone, opening her messages and seeing the dog emoji she had sent to Noelia—it was unread.  Feeling disheartened but secretly hopeful at her mother’s words, Sora sent a spiel about what had happened recently to her, highlighting the fact that Kari was now not her worst enemy, strange as that may seem.  She didn’t know what her ex-caregiver would think of the insane ramble—or even if she would read it—but she had to try.

Breathing out slowly, she tried to destress and made her last call of the night; Aiden answered on the third ring.

“Sora,” he chuckled, “should I assume our date has been canceled?  I’d ask how Kari’s doing, but I trust you to handle things.  I will ask how you’re doing, though…  So, how are you doing?”

Tingles shot up her arms, and Sora’s throat constricted, bottom lip tucking under before laughing.  “No one’s asked me that yet…  Wow.  Umm, how am I doing?  Surprisingly well, all things considered.  I’m looking forward to my mom coming home!  I’m happy things have worked out with… all the shit I went through this week.”

She shifted to her side, hair bunching against her head and ear as she stared out across the vast ocean view from her bed.  “Yeah…  I’m doing well.  How about you?”

Sora got the mental picture of the blond boy falling back on his own bed from his grunt and stretching yawn.  “That’s good…  How am I doing?  Huh.  I haven’t really given it much thought,” he mumbled.  “I’d say I had a terrible week, but there was this copper-haired girl who helped me through it and made it special.”

A half-smile lifted her mouth as she got to her feet, clothes phasing off her body for a black nightgown to take their place from inside the closet.  “Oooh.  Do tell.  Was she pretty?”

A teasing hum rumbled in his smooth voice as he settled into his bed, and Sora hopped onto her own mattress, the blankets peeling back on her whim to wrap around her frame.

“Well, let’s see…  She had this little ear twitch that is pretty cute, I guess you could say.  Whenever she gets flustered, it shows, and it’s the most adorable thing with that side smile.  Her other ear folds back in this way that makes you want to make her comfortable.”

“Oh-oh!  Does she now?”  Sora whispered, hugging herself under the blanket and enjoying herself.  “I feel like you’re dodging the question there, buddy.  She can act cute and adorable, but what else, hmm?”

“Hold on!  Hold on!  I wasn’t even finished, Ms. Crafty.”

“Uh-huh.  Uh-huh.  I’m listening,” she pressed, shifting to her side.  “And our little date has been moved, not canceled.  How does a late breakfast sound tomorrow so that we can discuss Sela’s trial?”

Aiden snorted, and she could see him rolling his eyes, making her snicker.  “Way to derail my train of thought.”

“Well, I am Ms. Crafty, after all,” Sora smugly responded.  “Let’s not dwell on the obvious that you’ll make time for a late breakfast.  Now, let’s get back to the juicy topic about this copper-haired beauty?”

“I… don’t think I made that ‘beauty’ remark.”

“Oooh.  So, she’s not beautiful?  Got it.  Got it.”

“Oh, that’s mean,” he mused.  “Let’s just say she has a certain… elegance in the way she moves her tail when she walks.”

Belly tingling and tail weaving under her blankets, Sora played with her toes.  “Elegance in her tail, huh?  So she walks pretty and has a nice butt, is what you’re really saying.  And why would you be looking at her swaying tail and butt, Mr. Bird?  Kind of sus.”

“Is it, though?”  Aiden slyly returned.  “I mean, birds are known to be watchers, you know, and if a mesmerizing, flaming tail comes into sight—even if a tad shorter than someone else I know—then he’d have to take note, right?  It would be a crime not to.”

“Wha—”  Sora’s left eye narrowed, lips pursing to the side.  “Shorter than someone else you know…  Fen’s like… over two hundred years older than me.  That is totally not a fair judgment.  Objection, Your Honor!”

“Oh?”  Aiden’s voice had Sora imagining him looking left and right, searching for support.  “Who said I was talking about Fen?  I know a few people with tails, ya know.”

“Touché, my good sir,” she hummed, rubbing her chin.  “Well navigated.  We shall pick up this conversation again upon the morrow!”

“I shall sharpen my tongue, my good lady,” Aiden returned, playing into the theme.  “You best review the case findings because you will discover the evidence quite compelling.  This cinnamon roll fox on trial has quite the spice to her.”

Taking note from a popular celebrity trial she’d seen, Sora balked, “Lack of foundation!  Relevance?”

“Oh, there is plenty of foundation on that account, Judge.  And relevance?  You will find out on the morrow.  May your dreams be filled with sugary delights…  Of course, you can tip that in your favor, my good lady.  One point to Mr. Bird.  Sweet dreams.”

Sora gave her phone a lighthearted glare as he hung up before she could respond.  “Meanie.  I wasn’t done.  Humph.”

Yawning, she turned over and directed her phone onto its wireless charger, feeling her energy near 27% after everything she’d done today, and that was after all the regeneration as well.

Maybe I will drown myself in sweets tonight!  I’m not addicted.  I’m not!  Sweets are just… sweet!  And sweet things make the world go round…

Gently drifting into oblivion, Sora felt weightless as she passed into a sugary wonderland, but the chocolate rivers and powder sugar-topped mountains soon gave way to a white void.  Floating in a swirl of endless nothingness, senselessness overtook Sora, yet there was something all around her, wrapping her in black thorns, and a dark star bathed her in shadows.

A deep, feminine voice rippled through her entire soul, drawing her into a black hole of questions.  “Our connection grows…  Who are you, little one, and why do you reach into the Null Void?  It is dangerous to draw attention to this side of you…  Awaken, Voidling.”

Sora’s eyes snapped open, meeting large, feline irises.  “N-Nilly?!  Wha—aaah!”  Scrambling back, she fell off the bed, hitting her head against her bedside table.  “Ouuu…  Nilly, what was that about?”

Rubbing her smarting ear and scalp, she brushed back her bangs to glare at the teenage cat, older than she’d ever seen the undead 1st Generation Founder of the Cats.  The 18-year-old cat woman threw back the covers that she’d snuck into and gave her a somewhat terrifying, puzzling stare.  Both ears had golden earrings in them, with one having two more linked to each other, making four in total.

“Nilly thought Nilly smelled something that shouldn’t be here.  Mia keeps secrets… dangerous secrets.  Nilly keeps secrets, too… many secrets.  Sora should be careful, or else Sora might draw too much attention to herself.  It is good that Sora’s secret is nothing because nothing is nothing, and nothing cannot be discovered.  Nilly knows, though.  Nilly knows everything.  Shhhh.”

“Mrrrow…”

Sora’s ears flew up as she heard the cat’s cry to her right, vision darting to the two-tailed, black cat that sat on her dresser, licking herself and looking at her as if she were crazy.

“Nilly?”  Eyes darting to where the 18-year-old version of Nilly had been, only she was gone now, and her bed was now made as if the cat had never been there.  “What… is going on?”

“Mrrow?”

Sora groaned as she hoisted herself back onto her bed, rubbing her ear as Nilly hopped off the dresser and started rubbing against her leg.  Reaching down to pick up the cat and pet her, she puffed out the panicked stress, feeling the purs of the two-tailed cat calming her racing heart.

“You… are a little troublemaker!”

“Meow.”

“Nilly!  Hehe.  Stop… that tickles,” she smiled as the cat snatched her arm with both paws and started licking her hand.  “Yes, yes, you’re adorable and cute… and also totally random and scary sometimes.”

The chime of a bell brought her eyes to her armchair, and now she smelled the cat practically everywhere in her room at different points in time.

“Nilly’s a good kiddy!  Nilly’s not bad,” the 8-year-old huffed, now only showing a single earring.  “Nilly cuddled next to Wendy all night and kept her legs warm and snuggly.  Nilly’s a really good kiddy.  Don’t be mean to Nilly.  Nilly and Sora are friends!  Friends aren’t mean and call friends scary.”

Glancing back down where the cat had been, now gone from her lap, Sora breathed out a laugh, feeling totally awake after the shocking event.  “No, you’re a good kiddy, Nilly… and you’re back to a cat.”

“Mrrow!”

“Well, ugh… what time is it…  11 a.m.?  Well, that’s not terrible, and I feel totally recharged,” she grunted, throwing her arms out and turning her ears toward the rest of the house.  “Who is awake?  Let’s see…  Wendy, Fen, Jian, and…  Oh, Daisy and Howie are here.  Nice.”

“Mmmm!  Who is Daisy and Howie?”

Sora’s eyebrows pulled together as a little Fairy sleepily hoisted herself out of her purse, struggling a little to sustain her weight; the Fairy that Titania had given her to be her guide that she totally hadn’t forgotten about.

“Ember?  You’ve… been in my purse the whole night?”

“In a flower inside your purse, but yes, it was quite cozy and soft, Lady Sora!”  Flickering fire lit across the girl’s hair and sparked at her wings as she took flight, hovering in the air and studying her new environment.  “Wow.  Really cool room.  Were you talking to… the cat?  Do cats speak in this world, too?  I swear I learned in school they don’t… which is weird.  Hello, Nilly?”  she asked, flying over to greet the cat.  “I’m Ember—woah!  Hey!  Hey!”

Nilly’s pupils went big as she neared, paw coming up and lightly swiping toward the little woman, her tails flicking.  “Mrrow!  Mrrow!”

“Yikes!  Lady Sora?!”

“Wait, wait!  Nilly, she’s not food and not a bug—she’s my guide—be nice to her.  Friend!  Friend!”

Using her magic to pull the Fairy out of the sky and into her protective hands as Nilly got up on her hind legs to pounce, Sora cupped the little woman in her palms.  Nilly gave the hyperventilating Fairy a doubtful stare before seemingly giving a huff and jumping off the couch to walk toward the door.

“Meow…”

Sora blinked, and she was gone.  “Haaa.  You okay, Ember?  Best keep close to me for now.”

“Y-Yeah…  Cats in this world are terrifying!  Did you hear what she said to me?  She said, I’ll catch you later, Firefly.  Why did she call me by my mom’s name?  Like… what?!  I’m Ember.  I’m not Firefly.  I want to go home.”

“There, there,” Sora soothed.  “Let’s go downstairs, and then we can go get breakfast.  Sound good?  My treat!”

“Okay… but only if I can hide behind your hair.  I’m still scared…  Can you turn it on fire, too?  You did that, right?  Or was that me dreaming…  Sometimes I dream of stuff like that.”

“Sure.  How about… this?”

Bringing the frightened Fire Fairy to her shoulder, Sora desired for her hair to lace with warm, soothing foxfire, making the little woman squeal with excitement.

“It’s so pure and beautiful; you’re amazing, Lady Sora!  Mmm.  Nice and snuggly!”  she chirped, wrapping herself in her flickering locks.  “Thank you!”

“Mhm.  I’m glad you like it.  Okay, I’m going to get ready now, so don’t mind me.  Ember?”

“Mmm?  Huh…  I’m just… a little sleepy.  It’s just… so nice.”

Giggling at the lazy Fairy, who was skipping out on work to nibble on wood and hide from her co-workers, Sora allowed the little woman to rest.

Okay…  Now, what to wear?  Yeah, this is a boss fight!  Throwing open her walk-in closet, she faced down her opponent.  Let’s go!

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