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A little nervous by Nilly’s sudden appearance, Sora quietly slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.  Backing into the frame, its cool wooden surface passed through her dress, shooting tingles down her spine to the tip of her tail.

Arm pressed under her bust, she clasped her elbow and tried to think of which topic she should address first.  It was so hard to find the proper response, making her throat tighten and her heart thump.

Wendy made the decision before she could utter a word, though.  Voice cracking, the brunette fought back tears as she took a shuddering breath and gently asked, “Sora… what is happening?  How did it end up like this?  I… I couldn’t even say…”  Wendy cut off with a choke, unable to finish the sentence.

Not able to restrain her own tears, Sora wiped at her moist eyes while moving forward to rub her best friend’s hot shoulder for support as Wendy’s body started to quake.  Not needing to say a word since she knew she didn’t want to hear any, Sora dropped to her butt beside the couch and scooted against it.  A hug would be too much, so she let her presence be felt by leaning her head against Wendy’s shaking arm.

They sat quietly for a time, combating the emotions that silently surged between them.  A dull throbbing compressed Sora’s chest as she thought about Jane and Wendy’s fight before she’d taken her best friend out to have a good day.  It felt so right at the time—justified justice for all the times the jealous mother had gotten between their friendship—yet, now she wondered if it was the right thing to push Wendy into it.

Am I the selfish one?  she asked herself internally, looking for some kind of way that she could have avoided this heartbreak and turmoil sinking her best friend into the pits of despair.  Was my magic the last straw that drove a wedge between Wendy and her mom?  Was… this what I wanted?

Wendy’s aura radiated guilt and shame, the same as hers, which hurt Sora because she knew it wasn’t Wendy’s fault.  Wendy was the victim, caught between her mother and best friend, yet it wasn’t like telling her that was going to help her through the spiral.  She was stuck in a trench, counting all her sins while pushing herself further into these ditches of reopened wounds along her bruised and battered heart.

It’s not fair…  Wendy’s done everything right.  She worked multiple jobs to help her mom, gave up her social life, and even tried to find a balance between her mom and me, but… still, she was hurt in the end…

If there was one silver lining, it was Nilly’s presence, which seemed to be helping, allowing Wendy to break through the panic and self-blame.  The cat’s purrs, nuzzles, and warm body were there to keep her grounded and feel loved.

Bottom lip quivering, Sora rubbed her slick eyes, sniffing back the pain digging into her breast.  Wendy was trying to fight the urge to blame her, desperately looking for a way out of this emotional tug-of-war she was stuck inside, terrified of where her mind was taking her.  She was looking for someone or something to hold her steady, yet Sora couldn’t be those hands at this time, which made her feel so useless and frustrated.

What good is my magic?  Should I use it, or will that only make things worse?

Sora puffed out the stress binding her chest in a hot stream of air.  Ears pulled back, she moved her tail to her lap, stroking it while looking for her own comfort; her best friend’s whole world was collapsing, leaving her broken, and there was nothing Sora could do.

If she used her magic, then it could turn out exactly like what she’d done to Jane when preventing her from punishing Wendy: it could further upset her best friend.  It was a conflict in her friend’s mind; her magic could be the reason her mother cut ties.

Would trying to calm her down with magic just make it worse, or be betraying Wendy’s own agency?  It was this monster and magical world that had allowed and caused this split between Wendy and her mom in the first place, which Sora was a part of.  Everything was such a mess.  Sora wanted to bash her head against a wall.

What am I supposed to do when I’m a part of her pain?!  Jane blames me for the problems with her daughter.  Wendy’s heard it over and over again.  I’m the bad influence.  Yes, Jane sucks and is a horrible mom!  But… am I a bad influence, too?  Why does she love such a terrible mom?!

Arms falling over her tail, Sora stared at her dress, fighting herself.  No, it doesn’t matter why Wendy loves Jane.  Wendy loves her mom, no matter how abusive she is, and Jane’s love matters to Wendy.  Wendy was pulled in half by both of us…  I should have seen it before it came to this!  No, I did…  I just believed I would never hurt Wendy…  I was wrong.

Mom, she internally pleaded, what am I supposed to do?  I don’t want Wendy to become jaded and bitter like Jane…  I can feel the void in her chest getting deeper and deeper.  What can I do to make Wendy not feel worthless… powerless, and unworthy of love?  I want to help her… but I can’t.  I can’t…

Coughing, Sora shakily got to her feet, drawing her best friend’s puffy, bloodshot eyes.  Sora rubbed her wet cheeks and showed a weak smile while reaching for Nilly’s ears to rub them.  Her voice was a whisper, thick with emotion.

“I’m… going to go into the other room for a second, but I’ll be right back.  I’m sorry, Wendy.  I know I can’t help you through this…  Magic won’t help, so… I want to get someone I trust who can.  Love you, Bestie.”

She rubbed Wendy’s arm as the brunette looked away, too much emotion clogging her throat to respond.  It made her throat catch, and she fought it down with a shiver.

“It will get better, Wendy.  I promise.  I’ll never leave you.  Okay?  I’ve always thought about you more as a sister than a friend.  So… I’m sorry I hurt you.  But I’ll never leave you.”

Wendy’s aura was like a dagger to her heart as Sora felt the subdued emotions trying to prepare her for another blow, believing she’d now abandon her too; after all, she never thought her mother could abandon her, yet she had.  It was becoming harder for her to deny it.

“I won’t leave you,” Sora softly repeated, squeezing her limp wrist before slowly moving to the door.  “Thank you for being with her, Nilly.”

“Mmrow.”

Wendy’s lips sucked in as she glanced down at the cuddly kitty stretching out across her chest and legs.  Sora had told her about the scary and weird cat, which might be enough of a distraction to help mitigate her short absence.

Turning the knob, she gave a teary-eyed smile at her best friend to reassure her before slipping outside, closing the door softly behind her.  A weight fell over her shoulders as she exited, making a quake run down her frame.

She swallowed the emotion threatening to crush her heart, vision opening to watch a few men in uniforms enter the hallway with carts of food; it seemed the food portion of the meeting was about to start.  Pointing to one of the servers to catch his attention, she gestured to the wall beside the door she’d just exited.

“Could you please leave a cart with food here for later?”

He nodded without hesitation, his aura becoming concerned by her puffy cheeks and tone, yet he didn’t vocalize his thoughts.  “I’ll see to it.”

Walking with them into the fancy dining room, Sora crossed her arms as Ferdinand, Diane, and Aiden’s conversation died; the firebird had been gaining more details regarding the SCC Foundation and their activities regarding Eric and the monster world.

The blond shifted his full attention to her when she came into view.  “What do you need, Sora?  Wendy seems to be doing a little better by her spiritual waves.”

Thankful for those reassuring words since she wasn’t so sure she’d helped that much, Sora returned his smile.  “It’s a work in progress.”

She leveled her puffy red eyes right on the somewhat apathetic French woman; at this time, she was the face of this organization in her mind.  “I want you to bring Mary up and provide her with something decent to wear.  Let me know when she’s here.”

Diane sighed, leaning back to study the men loading up the large table with platters of food.  “I hate teenage drama; I suppose I am out of touch due to my age.  Haaa.  Sure, Sora, I will have her brought up, but we are on a time crunch.  We have invited King Oberon and Queen Titania of Avalon to join us.  I don’t know why you are so hesitant in using your powers, even for the ‘good’ of your friend, to expedite this process.”

Ferdinand sat a little straighter, disapproval on his face.  “That was out of line, Diane.  Our emotional fortitude comes from experience and age.  We still have quite some time before they make their appearance.  They haven’t even arrived to take the Florida Unseelie queen into their custody.”

The dark-haired woman clicked her tongue with a bored look directed at the ethics guy of the Foundation, showing a slight smirk in response to Sora’s glare.  “Which is why I clearly said I may be out of touch.  Still, you cannot deny or underestimate the time wasted on teenage insecurities, family dynamics, and drama.  I can already see the direction Aiden is taking in this conversation, which is added to Sora’s troubles and will cause conflict for us to hash out.  Go ahead, waste my time,” she muttered, dismissively waving her hand.

Aiden flashed his teeth.  “Glad I’m asking the hard questions!  Don’t worry about the mouthy witch, Sora; I’m getting a pretty good picture of things.  Be with your best friend, and we can talk when you get things sorted.  I’ve got your back.”

The witch snorted, curling in with laughter.  “The blind flames of youth on display.  Honestly, while I do find some joy in this drama, I just can’t wait for the next arc,” she chimed.

“You’re a bitch,” Sora snarled, directing a grateful thumbs up at the firebird before giving the smug French woman the bird and storming out.  Her best friend was still in her lying position, observing the resting cat across her chest.

All the fire she’d built from interacting with the cold doctor evaporated as she gently shut the door.  She showed a strained smile, trepidation returning while silently holding up a hand to communicate that she’d kept her word.

“I’m back!”

“Mmm…”

Her lips drooped a bit as Wendy only momentarily acknowledged her, mood less chaotic and more melancholy now, but the haunting ghosts of her own thoughts and emotions continued to torment her.  Time moved on, leaving Sora to sit in her previous position to lean against Wendy’s arm, and several seconds went by before Wendy’s weak voice broke the oppressive silence.

“You want Mary to talk to me?”

Intestines twisting, Sora pressed her hands against her abdomen while shifting slightly to see the hollow look on the brunette’s face.  Gulping, she smoothed her copper hair over her shoulder, combing through it while trying to ease the pressure closing in around her chest.

“Is… that the wrong thing to do?  I mean, was it, umm, not something you’d like?  How did you know I’d get Mary?  I’m not trying to shove you off on someone else; I promise!  It’s just… I don’t know how else to help you.  I want to help you,” she mumbled, now fidgeting with her fingers on her lap, “but… I don’t know how.”

Unable to look at the tortured teenager with the bone-chilling vibes brushing against her senses, Sora’s focus wandered to the fancy sitting space.  In the crushing atmosphere, its wooden aesthetic pressed in around her.  The rugs, paintings, and cabinets of magical items couldn’t distract her from Wendy’s gloomy whimper.

“Hehe.  It’s not hard to guess who you’d get when the people you trust can be counted on one hand, and… well, your dad isn’t really an option, so, yeah… Mary is the obvious answer.  Hey, you okay?”

“Mrroww?”

Her focus wandered to Nilly as the cat yawned and stretched out, paws pressing against Wendy’s chin.  She flipped to the opposite side of Wendy’s breast and relaxed again, falling asleep to the brunette’s gentle strokes.

Sora smiled a little and reached up to scratch the Undead Cat Mother’s neck.  “The number is growing lately, but if we’re talking a single hand, you’d be on it, Wendy.”

A short pause passed between them as they gave the lazy cat their attention, yet a sad smile soon lifted her best friend’s wet cheeks, making Sora cheer a little inside.  She had to celebrate the small victories.

A few more minutes went by as they settled in, Sora returning the back of her head against Wendy’s warm arm.  The squeaky wheels of carts seemed to be present even on the moon station because she could hear every click they made against the wooden floor of the hallway, and the heavenly smells of the food soon came through the vents to them.

She heard Wendy’s stomach growl, yet the brunette didn’t react to it, pulling at Sora’s heartstrings.  Her internal turmoil had eased more, but there were now dark emotions sinking into the bedrock of her best friend’s core that worried her.  The chaos could be whipped back up with a single wrong word, but Sora didn’t want to walk on eggshells.

It took fifteen more minutes for her to speak again.  “…How can I say goodbye when there’s nobody left?  I don’t know if my mom really wanted to forget me or if they made her, and that’s… so scary.  I tried to make all the right decisions…  I tried to be a good daughter, a good friend… a good person.  So… so why does everything bad happen to me?”

Rubbing at the liquid threatening to leave her eyes, Sora sniffed, yet Wendy had one request that made her fingernails press against her burning chest.

“Sora… can you undo what they did to my mom’s memories so… so I can talk to her?”

Nervous jitters sent a quake through Sora’s frame as she tried to control her breathing, and she had to be honest, but it was so hard for her to form the words.  So, she worked through her emotions, letting her own feelings be known.

“I… could try—I don’t know… I’ll bring it up to Diane, but… will you listen to… to what I have to say?”

“…I’m listening,” she whispered, sounding breathless and defeated as if she were about to slap her across the face.  “You… don’t want to.”

Rubbing her arms as chills ran through her, Sora cleared her throat.  “It’s not like that…  Well, it’s… hard for me.  Just… listen, okay?”

Gathering her courage, Sora scooted out to face her fears.  Fixing her dress around her crossed legs, she rubbed her knees and tried not to let her emotions ruin everything by taking a long, controlled breath, catching Wendy’s guarded eyes; she never wanted to have her best friend look at her in that way.

“I know… if our positions were reversed, and… and it was my dad—I’d be totally devastated, too.  I hate your mom because I really know how she feels, but that doesn’t matter because… because I know you love her.”

Wendy’s lower lip quivered, a lump forming in her throat as tears fell down her cheeks again, and she nodded.  “I do…  I love my mom—I don’t know how I c-can’t—I just… she’s my mom, Sora…  She’s my mom!  Who can fix me if I’m a part of the problem?!”

Unable to stop herself, Sora blinked rapidly as liquid fell from her own eyes, and she crawled forward to hug her and Nilly.  “I know…  I know.  I don’t know…  I really think you’re my sister, Wendy—we’ve grown up together forever, and… and I hate that this is happening to you.  I want to stop it!  I want to make all of your pain go away, and I feel so useless…  I don’t want you to hurt more, and I feel like if I do this—if you find out what your mom really feels, then… then it’ll crush you.  I don’t want to hurt you!”

“I have to know!”  Wendy cried back, Nilly squeezing out to hop off the couch as Sora pulled her sister up into a full embrace.  “I have to know…”

Fear gripping Sora’s chest, she choked, body quaking; in reality, Wendy had been breaking since she could remember due to her neglectful mother as more cracks appeared every year.  “Okay.  Just… just talk to Mary, okay?  Tell her everything!  I’ll make a barrier so I can’t hear anything—just…  I know I can’t help you like she can.”

“Okay…  Thank you, Sora…  Thanks for being my sister.”

Lungs spasming as she hugged her tighter, Sora nodded as words failed her; not long after, a knock came at the door.  Pulling away, she showed a messy smile, both of their hair a royal mess that she straightened out with magic.

“I’m just going to be in the next room whipping these guys into shape to get us back home…  I swear, I’ll make it work.”

Wendy’s head bobbed, now feeling apprehensive and scared to talk to her mom again as she entered another tug-of-war with her many internalized fears.

Touching foreheads, Sora breathed before pulling away to show an encouraging grin and move to the door.  “We’ll make it through this, Big Sis.”

“Hehe.  I may be older, but you feel more like the big sister,” Wendy chuckled through her tears.  “Just… give me a few minutes to, umm, to collect myself.  And, Sora…”

Sora paused, fingers on the knob to exit.  “Hmm?”

Wendy gave her a real smile while fixing her dress.  “Thank you for caring so much about me.  I know you’re dealing with, heh, a lot would be an understatement.”  she let out a dry laugh from her cracked throat.

“Of course!  Like I said, you’re my sister, and family comes first.  I’ll always be here for you…”  She caught herself before going further and talking about her mom coming back and her dad healing since ‘parents’ would be a sore spot right now.  “Talk to you soon, so take care of Nilly.”

Wendy’s muddy brown eyes wandered to the lazy cat, now in one of the armchairs and half falling off of it in her stretched-out position.  “Just to be clear, you’re talking about the, uh, Nekomata… that you told me about when we were with Eyia?”

“That’s the one,” Sora chimed.  “She just wants friends to cuddle with… I think.  Heh.  Well, I hope.  Treat her nicely, and she’ll be nice to you.  You didn’t recognize her from my description?”

Wendy’s hesitation melted away as she got up to bring the cat against her chest, getting a yawn from Nilly as her purrs continued, and the brunette carried her to the couch to snuggle.

“Haha.  It’s not like we’re on the moon or anything.  I just thought two-tailed cats might be a little more common in the monster community, and she was so sweet and lovely,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss the Nekomata’s ear and folding it down.

Happy her best friend was in a bit of a resurgence—despite the reason for that being a disaster waiting to happen—Sora was revitalized with the idea her parents might actually adopt the brunette, and they’d be official sisters.

Entering the hallway, she found Mary lying in the advanced medical bed they’d transported her on.  Spelling the room to give Wendy privacy while adding a detective desire to know if anyone else entered to cover her bases, Sora turned her attention to the woman she’d come to trust.  She wore the medical gown of the station, which did look fancy.  As a bonus, the opposite door to the dining room was closed, which was fine with her, and the female nurse was waiting to be of service.

“Ms. Moore, I was told to wait for your instructions and to inform you that Mary’s husband is in the first batch of people being transported back to Miami.  Only a few individuals seem to be experiencing the sleeping condition they arrived in, which the Foundation has placed in a special ward, awaiting your touch to free them.”

“Thank you,” Sora said, ignoring her after the delivery as she placed a hand on Mary’s wrist.  Her mother’s tiny thread snapped just before she touched the woman, burning itself into oblivion, which now Sora realized was to not interact with her.

Mary groggily opened her eyes, blinking a few times in confusion as Sora drew her attention, hearing Aiden in the other room discussing this fae school that she was supposedly going to.

“Are you okay?”

Her gentle prompts brought Mary to push herself up and slowly study her surroundings.  The woman’s practical mindset and high stress threshold were clearly on display while gauging the situation; it was something she’d come to respect about the psychiatrist.

“Sora, we were… turned into werewolves, Kari was fighting her brother, and… then Jenny went after you.  Now, I wake up in… a mansion hallway, I assume, in a medical gown with a nurse?  Hmm.”

She pressed a hand against her chest, searching for something as she stared down at her lap.  “I don’t feel the weird… itch?  That is all I can do to describe the sensation of the werewolf infection on first impression.  Am I… cured still?  What about my husband?”

Sora noted the emotion and concern that touched her voice.

“He’s fine, Mary,” she soothed, taking her hand to reassure the doctor.  “He is resting right now, and there is a… lot I need to tell you about.  Care to follow me to the, uh…”

The nurse held up a white bag that she assumed had her clothes inside before gesturing down the hall.

“Third door on your right for the washroom, Ma’am.  Also, here are the garments you requested; they were taken from the patient’s personal wardrobe back on Earth.”

Mary’s left eye lifted in question as she took the offered bag, spreading it apart to peek inside.

“On Earth?  Hmm.”  Her lips drew in, and curiously, the brown-haired woman’s cheeks colored slightly while seeing the contents, just out of view from Sora’s position.  “Well, those are certainly from my wardrobe, and I wonder why they would be the first choice.”

The nurse showed a rosy smile in return that made Sora want to look inside, but the psychiatrist snapped the opening shut upon getting out of bed.  In the next instant, the nurse wheeled the medical table out, and they were on to the washroom.

When they arrived, Sora stood in the doorway for a moment, marveling at the size of the place for a space station, not that Mary knew that yet.  She wouldn’t be surprised if a spa were hidden behind one of the connecting rooms as Mary went to the wide open window that could be shuttered by the slide of a sensor.

“This… isn’t an illusion?”  the woman asked, stopping in front of the glass to look out across the colossal sealed crater and lunar surface; the planet wasn’t visible from their angle.  “Are we on the moon?”

“Yeah…”  Sora sighed, taking one of the seats outside of the shower that Mary would likely change inside.

“Wow…  Hahaha.  My husband and I are super nerds when it comes to science fiction.  He’d love this…”

“I think I can make some things happen… probably,” Sora mumbled, ears falling back and tail looping around to hold against her belly.  “I can fill you in while you get dressed and process.  But I, umm, I need your help with Wendy…  It’s really bad.”

Mary took her gaze away from the moon and didn’t return to it.  Concern touched her face while examining her body language.  “Alright, Sora, I get the impression that you’ve sorted things out to the point where I will have the opportunity to decompress.  I will be available to think about where all of us are so I can properly evaluate, though; I know how you feel about Wendy, so I’ll be sure to try to be of help.  I, eh, feel like, ugh, I need a shower after growing hair everywhere, however… and maybe a few dozen razors.  A tail was a… interesting thing to experience.”

Sora followed her gaze to her fluffy appendage with a giggle.  “Absolutely!  Take a shower and relax a little.  I might ramble a bit… maybe cry, so… fair warning.”

“Haha.  I might cry with you.  This has been… this has been a little more than life-altering.  Tell me all about it while I try to rid myself of that traumatic sensation.  What is happening with Wendy?”

Expressing everything she’d gone through as the woman listened, guiding the discussion down specific topics to get a more rounded view, Mary washed herself behind the partially opened door.  Sora felt warm fuzzies when she got congratulations from the brown-haired woman upon learning that her mother would be returning soon.

Yes, things were kind of crazy, like her mom said they would be, but Mary was a person who could help her calm things down.  She’d come to really rely on the psychiatrist and her advice.  She still wanted to keep their relationship at a professional distance, which was understandable, but she still tried to learn more about the woman since she wanted to build more trust with her—she’d accepted her for a vulpes, after all, which was huge.

Mary exited the shower in the same outfit Sora had seen her wear on her first day of school.  The wash area had everything one might want to clean up and prepare for a dinner date, making Sora believe this was some kind of important person’s personal living space that they’d commandeered.  The woman was obviously a science fiction superfan by the way she looked out of the window to observe the moon and spaceships flying around them; Sora could feel it was hard for her to keep her curiosity curbed, which was another juicy detail she’d learned about her doctor.

Yet, her cheeks seemed slightly more flushed, and her skin was far hotter than it should have been, even after the shower.  A quick desire illuminated her eyes, and a sly smirk came on when the woman’s dress was filtered out, giving her a full view of the scandalous lingerie that lay underneath.  Sora’s own cheeks colored at the bold design, taking her back to the time she’d shopped for undergarments with Daisy.  Mary was surprisingly more of a Succubus than the blonde.

“Sora…”  Mary hummed, vision narrowing slightly as she crossed her arms and shifted her hips, suddenly becoming a tad guarded.  “Why would you be blushing and looking at me like that right after your eyes started to glow?  I think we need to discuss boundaries again.”

Letting her see-through vision fade, the maroon colors turned blue as her dress overlaid the underwear, and Sora’s ears laid back as she looked away, now putting herself in the woman’s position.  It had been a pretty invasive thing to do, and while they were closer than they’d been before, it wasn’t like she shared the same relationship with the psychiatrist as she did with Wendy.

“Sorry, Mary.  I was just so curious about how you acted when getting the bag, but, umm, eh-heh, I think you look great!”  She winced, gulped, and gripped her elbow while looking at her feet, shame touching her softening voice.  “No—that wasn’t what I should have said.  Sorry…”

Mary’s stern and defensive aura lessened.  “It was very invasive, Sora, but I do understand you may be having trouble with your vulpes instincts, which may have an influence on that behavior.  That being said, it doesn’t make me feel more comfortable or safer with how you might act in public and could push your friends away if not carefully controlled.”

“I know…  I have abilities that can cause a lot of harm to people,” she sighed.  “I messed up.  I wouldn’t want some guy to do that to me.  I won’t do it again.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Mary said with an encouraging tone.  “I also get that you are under a lot of stress and are trying to brighten the mood.  That… isn’t the way to do it with me.  Let’s try to focus on what we can do to help Wendy and not deflect from the problems you’re facing.”

“Mhm!  Thanks, Mary…  I’d hug you, but, heh, boundaries, right?”

“Right.  Lead the way.” 

Her spirits rose a bit after her blunder, and her tail swished a bit.  She knew what she had done was wrong; still, learning a little more about her psychiatrist’s more ‘naughty’ side had helped her realize that the brunette woman was a regular girl herself and not just this super-sophisticated doctor.

She guided Mary to the room her best friend was waiting in.  Now that she could leave Wendy with someone she trusted to support her through the turbulent emotions, it was time to confront this big bad organization!

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