ATM Rewrite: B2 — 19. A Family's Resolve (Patreon)

PoV:

1. Sora Moore (Our Mom Trusting Fox Girl!)

2. Wendy Moore (Our newest family addition!)

ATM Rewrite Index

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Heart stilling in her mother’s arms, Sora pulled away as her mom’s bottom lip drew in, and she glared at the wall like it had grabbed her tail.  “What’s wrong, Mom?”

“Hmm.”  Mia’s ruby-red eyes held a firmness that made her breath catch; it was the look of a mom with something to say.  “Things are progressing faster than I anticipated.  Now that you’ve made it clear in what direction you want to go, would you mind if I took control of this dinner appointment?”

Sora’s head bobbed reflexively.  “Umm, sure?  Why so serious all of a sudden?”

Her mother’s fingers reached out to fold down her ears and handle them in a way that made Sora’s breath catch, a gentle and knowing look on the freckled woman’s cheeks.  The loving pulse from her mother’s soul crashed against her like an ocean wave.

“You’ve been under so much stress since waking up, tugged your tail left and right by all these people as you tried to work through your feelings.  I know I need to let you stumble and fall, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be your mom and step in when I feel it is necessary.”

Relief flooding her surprisingly tense muscles, Sora breathed out a soft sigh.  “What do you want me to do?”

Her mother’s tails linked with hers as she held her hands between them.  “I will ask you to do some questionable things, but just eat and enjoy your time.  If you want to rescue everyone, then you need a little room to grow, and for certain things to be set in order.  Wendy, Kari, and Eyia need you to direct them; they’re lost without you.”

Sora’s gaze fell to her mother’s dress.  Wendy would be going through her own troubles with her transformation.  Kari had her trauma and self-worth issues.  Eyia’s biggest support—Jin—had up and left to do who knew what.  If they were going to defeat HAREM and save everyone, there was a lot that they needed to overcome.

Flashing her teeth, ears folding back, Sora chuckled.  “I guess HAREM thinks we’ll have this big showdown or something.  How… strong am I, Mom?”

Her mother’s fussy fingers plucked at her tank top to hide her bra strap before guiding her toward the gravity lift.  “It’s not about strength, Sora—of which you have plenty—but in how you utilize what you have.  Desire Magic is phenomenally powerful, yet also inefficient.  I’m sure there is someone nearby who can help you train.”

It clicked in Sora’s mind as they descended the lift, her father rising to join them with a content smile.  Who had the most fighting experience out of anyone she knew?  Well, besides her frail mother, of course.  It was Eyia.

“Who are we expecting for this midnight dinner, Mo ghrá?”

“Quite a few guests,” her mother said, taking them to the kitchen, where the Valkyrie was finishing up the meat.  “Eyia, sweetie, may I join you?”

The blonde came to attention.  “Of course, Lady Mia!  I am intruding in your sky castle.  Is there anything I can support you in?”

Her mother chortled as she touched the tall Primordial girl’s shoulder to scoot over.  “You may address me as Mia, and I know it will be challenging, but might you give these pieces to Kari?  She requires quite a lot of protein.”

“You make me sound fat,” Kari grumbled, walking into the kitchen and leaning against one of the shelf walls.  “What… am I supposed to do?”

Her dad laughed and went to the fridge to look inside.  “Eat, as my wife just said.  You can’t do anything on an empty stomach.”

Sora beamed at her parents before turning it to the disgruntled wolf, currently returning Eyia’s distrustful glare.  “You’re not a lone wolf anymore, Kari, so get over yourself!”

Kari’s ears pulled back, and her tail lowered at the comment, Sora remembering the motivational talk she’d heard the wolf listen to what seemed ages ago.  “How can you accept me after I—”

“Ahem!”  Mia’s interruptive tone and cheery face pulled all of their focus as she accepted three steak pieces from her dad.  “Kari, your mother was always adamant about manners when visiting our realm.  You have been welcomed in as a guest, so please treat my daughter well moving forward.  I’m sure Alva would say the same.”

Sora grinned at the submissive, downcast cadence that overcame the black-haired girl at the shockingly commanding presence her mother spontaneously had.

“Thank you for… having me in your home, Lady Mia.”

“Haaa…  Again, with the lady business after my earlier comment.  I will not have a formal tone taken from my daughter’s friends.”

“We’re… not really friends, though.”

Her mother’s flaming eyes moved to the wolf, making her ears fall back again.  “Hmm?”

“Nothing…”

Eyia seemed content enough to ignore Kari as she stood beside the fox woman.  “How can I be of support in this meal endeavor?  Would you like me to go battle the sea fish to return with more sustenance?”

“Haha.  No, Eyia, but… Jarl, I believe we do need many more ingredients to craft a nutritional meal.  Would you and Sora mind going down to the store to grab a few things?  I’ll pull up a list real fast,” she said, looking at her.  “Sora, could you…”

“Got it!”

Desire Magic pulled her phone out, and she brought up her notes app to write everything down as her mom passively prepared a giant plate of meat that Eyia had already cooked.

“Hmm…  That should be everything.  And Kari, eat your meal; I’m sure you’re famished and running on fumes.  Your mother was always a healthy eater…  Hmm, do you want me to tell you some stories about Alva?”

Kari’s fingers tightened around her elbow, vision finally lifting to the smiling fox mom.  “How well… did you know my mom?”

“Compared to your uncles, intimately,” she whispered, inspecting the ingredients Eyia handed her.  “I suppose you could say Alva looked up to my mother, which was why she was always sneaking into our territory to get advice from her.  Your grandfather was quite the jealous one,” she giggled with a fond look in her eyes.  “He wanted to spend more time with your mother, but her dad scared her; it was always a sore spot for poor Fenrir.”

Sora restrained a snicker as the wolf was lured in like bees to pollen, her tail now free-wagging as she settled onto the bar stool.  It was as if everyone else in the room melted away as Kari focused solely on her alluring mom’s stories.

“I didn’t know my mom was afraid of Grandpa Fenrir.  Why?  Was he… really physical?”

Her mother waved them to get started collecting the items with a half-smile.  “Fenrir?  No, he was an enormous softy toward your mother.  Many of the 1st Generation thought he was being too soft on her compared to Sköll and Hati, but… there was a reason for it.  After all, the strongest children generally always came from the female Founders.”

“Why is that?”  Eyia asked, seemingly trying to figure out what an avocado was.

Sora followed her father out, internally pumping her fist as her mother enchanted the two mortal enemies with stories from the distant past.  Way to go, Mom!

Looping arms with her dad as they entered the elevator, she frowned at the random Foundation employee who didn’t so much as look at them.  She’d make up her mind.  Peace would never find her friends and family in this world with these big organizations hanging over them.  When this was done, Daisy and Howie would get their wedding present in the form of a new life in her grandmother’s personal, protective realm.

I’m done with this bullshit!

Her father squeezed her arm against his side as they left the hotel, and Sora spun an invisibility spell around them to let them chat without interruptions.  “Your mom’s amazing, huh?”

“Super amazing,” Sora returned, magic keeping her hair out of her face as the Miami nighttime breeze caught them.  Their destination?  The 24-hour grocery center a few blocks down.  “Umm, Dad… I haven’t asked you if you’d be okay with just leaving all of this and going to Grandma’s Realm.  Are you okay?”

His deep chuckle transferred to her left ear as she rested her head against his arm.  “My only concern is the girls in my life, honey.  If that is our best option to spend some time as a family, then I’m good with hunkering down in a shack in the middle of a swamp.”

“Eh-hehehe…  Hopefully, it’s better than that,” she said with a strained grin.  “I’m so thankful… for everything.  I love you, Dad.  Thank you for being here for me, heh, yes, as flawed as you are,” she added at his low hum.

“No, Sora… I’m thankful to have you…  My little miracle.”

“Daww…  Dad!”

Pulling him down to kiss him on the cheek, she said a little prayer to her grandmother.  Please protect Aiden, Howie, Mary, Daisy…  Please, keep them safe until we can rescue them.

She chatted a little with her dad on their shopping trip, but her thoughts kept cycling back to the reality of her situation.  Luckily, HAREM wasn’t the type of villain to ‘kill’ her victims.  She brainwashed them into always wanting to be by her side so she could shower them with all her love.  It was a shiver-inducing AI nightmare, but it did mean they were okay.

The more terrifying reality was that HAREM wasn’t her biggest adversary; it was her supposed organization ‘allies,’ who would use this as an opportunity to use her further when it was their failed protocols that caused this mess in the first place.  She had to wonder if it was all planned from the beginning; there were just so many unknowns, but at least she had her mom.

Using the self-checkout at the store, averting notice with her magic, Sora squeezed her dad’s hand as she spelled the groceries to float above them.  His strong fingers in hers helped to still all the uncertainty rolling through her mind.

On the way back, she breathed a long sigh while observing Miami’s night groups, many of whom were drunk and stumbling around.   “Dad… what am I supposed to do after all this is over?  School seems so… I don’t know…”

“Haha.  This conversation about school again?”  her dad whispered, free hand in his pocket as he looked up at the tall buildings around them, lit up and welcoming guests.  “I guess ya would hate the place, and Miami Senior High probably has a lot of bad memories.”

“It’s not that I hate school.”  She followed the rush of cars along the street as they came to an intersection, waiting for the pedestrian light to flip on.  “I think I’d like school if I had friends like Wendy and Eyia… maybe Kari.”  Her father laughed, making her smile.  “I want to be a teenager… hanging out with the girls, going on dates… having my heart broken.  I don’t know…  Teenage stuff.”

“Well,” her dad’s gruff tone returned, and he pulled her against him, “anyone who breaks yer heart, I’ll break their face.”

“Haha!  Overprotective dad?  Check.  I’m going to trust Mom.  She said she’d set everything straight.”

“Did she now?”  A rumble shook his chest as the hotel came into view from down the street.  “She’s come together pretty fine, hasn’t she?”

Sora bumped into her dad with a giggle.  “Mom is pretty fine, isn’t she?  You lucky dog.”

“What’d I tell ya?  And ya know you take after her, eh?”

“Oh, shut up,” she whispered with a soft smile.  “Mom is doing better, though.  I can feel it in her aura.  I think she’s finding her rhythm.”

“Ya mean her tails?”

“Heh.  Those, too.  Don’t pull them too hard, Dad.  They’re sensitive.”

“Mmm.”

Sora’s eyebrows pulled together.  “What’s with…”  Face reddening, she slapped his arm.  “Dad!  TMI!  Gosh!  I don’t want to know if she likes her tails pulled or not.  Ewww.”

“Ouuu.  My daughter’s abusive!  I didn’t say nothing.”

She laughed with him.  It was nice to have this kind of talk with her father: that she had a mother to talk about, and that she was adorable and sensitive and scared and powerful and reliable.  Her mother was the best, and she couldn’t see how her mother could say she might hate her in the future.

Making their way inside the hotel and rising up to the top floor, Sora’s heart warmed as they stepped out to hear Kari laughing further inside the suite.

“My mother did not tug on his tail!  She hated it when I used to tug on it when she was sleeping.  She sleep nibbled, too?  Teri used to do that to my foot,” she said with a reflective whisper.

“Haaa.  I used to hate your mom,” Mia grumbled, leaning against the counter and instructing Eyia on how to create gravy.  “She would always steal my mother’s attention, showing up to escape her brothers and complain.  It’s hard to imagine how things have changed since those times…  Sora, you’re back.  Some of our guests have arrived.”

“We have the groceries—oh, Tami, Tamil… where’s Tamila?”  Sora mumbled as she came into the front room, sensing the somber vibes from the two.

Tamil’s typically cheery, animal-obsessed appearance was now a plain blue t-shirt and shorts, eyes red as if she’d just finished crying.  “My little sister… said she couldn’t imagine me being collared by someone else, so…”

An angry grunt came from the small, blue-haired eight-year-old sitting next to the teen as she scowled at the black window.  “She flew off on her own and threw us through a gateway to buy time…  HAREM has her.  The stupid brat.  We could have fended her off if we acted together.”

A sniffle came from Tamil.  “Don’t b-bad mouth Tamila, Tami… that’s so, so not cool,” she choked, wiping away more tears and getting up to fly upstairs to the guest bathroom.  “Tamila’s the best!”

Her mother came into the hallway, wearing a compassionate smile as the Black Queen stood beside her.  “Jarl, bring in the groceries, and Sora, can you?”  She nudged her head upstairs, and she nodded.  “Kari, Eyia, help me take out the groceries and get everything ready.  We have more guests that will be arriving shortly.  Tami, can you expand the dining room and widen the grills for me?”

Tami rubbed the back of her neck, the mental tsunami against reality far less energetic than she recalled as she complied.  “Sure…”

She was playing the bossy fox mom well; her mother took control, directing people to different stations, from setting the table to helping prepare food, even changing the whole damn layout of the suite with reality-warping powers.  The Black Queen was totally compliant, making Sora believe they’d already had a chance to talk one-on-one.

Leaving the groceries on the table as she went to the gravity lift, Sora waved at Eyia and Kari when they came into view; they really were giants compared to her.

Eyia returned it with a true smile, but Kari was still trying to act like none of them existed, making Sora pout a little on her way upstairs.  How come she connected with her mom but not her after all the effort she was putting in?

Patience, Sora, she internally reassured.  Her brother-trauma just returned, and Mom talking about her mom reminds her of a safe time…  I’m still pissed.  Throw me a bone back, you stupid wolf!  How long until you’re cool calling me a friend?  Do I need to take a bullet for you?  Because I practically did already by getting between Eric and you!

She leered down at the somewhat emotionless wolf as she slunk back to the kitchen without so much as an upward glance; Eyia was treating it as a competition, as usual, arms filled with grocery bags as she looked smugly at the wolf, who couldn’t care less.

“Ugh…  We’re all a total mess,” she grumbled, walking to the bathroom.

The shower was on, but a swift magical pulse told her the teenage triplet was huddled in the corner of the room, crying.

Leaning against the door, she slid down to her butt and used her magic to make a small area of the wood ethereal.  Tail sliding through the material, she waved it back and forth before pausing and doing it again.

“You’re not going to tempt me with a real fox tail,” Tamil whimpered.  “I’m not going to do anything fun until Tamila’s back.”

“Okay… but it’s soft… and warm… and comforting… and fluffy… and floofy…”

She smiled as the girl crawled over to hug her tail like a favorite blanket, sniffling again.

“J-Just for a second…  Your tail is really warm and comforting…”

“Magic,” Sora whispered, letting her feelings transfer through the teen’s gentle embrace.  It felt different when letting someone hold it for reassurance.  “Tamila was pretty brave?”

“Super brave… but Tami always is so, so mean to our little sister.”

“Hmm.”  Sora pulled her knees up to her chest.  “You think she’s really blaming herself for not being the one to do it, you know… because she’s the big sister?”

Tamil held her tail tighter.  “Maybe…  I’m sorry we kidnapped you, Sora.  Not many people are nice to us.  Tami’s usually the one that always protects us.  Tamila is typically really scared and hides behind our big sister.”

“Tami must be really scared, huh?”

“Mhm…”

“You think she needs someone to tell her it’s not her fault?”  Sora asked, thinking about how she felt when Wendy was captured, and her father had held her.  “She’s probably beating herself up.”

The triplet didn’t answer for a minute before letting go, and Sora pulled her tail out of the door as she stood.  A few seconds later, it opened, and Tamil gave her a thankful hug.  “You’re a good, tricky fox.  Thanks, Sora.  Wanna be friends?”

“Always open for new friends!”  She brushed back the girl’s out-of-place blue locks before studying her puffy red face.  “Now, why don’t you clean up before dinner?  I’m sure it would make Tami feel better to see you doing better.  We’ll secure everyone.”

“Yeah!”

Flashing her teeth and giving her a thumbs up, the teen took a deep breath and closed the door to freshen up.  Her heart light after the detoxifying experience of helping another person, Sora felt a little less pressure against her chest as she went downstairs to join the gathering.

Her cheer diminished upon seeing the sly, black-haired leader of the Foundation leaning against the counter with dozens of wine bottles, black feathers twinkling out of existence.

“Raven…”

“Good evening, Princess.  I thought I might bring a little spirit to the party!”

“Quit being a creep,” Cora whispered in passing, taking his fedora in passing to place on her own head.  “And was fifteen bottles really necessary?  You’re compensating.”

“Always with you,” he chuckled, offering the woman a flashy bow as the three White Rabbits popped in, waiting expectantly for her mother to give them orders.  “I am at your disposal, Lady Mia.”

“Then start mashing the potatoes,” her mother briskly prompted.  “I’ve already marked instructions on that paper in advance since you’d likely mess it up otherwise.”

“Ouch.”  Raven gave a hurt, puppy-dog look at the nine-tailed fox as the rabbits moved to do his work.  “Eh-hehe.  I can’t say I am much of a cook, but I do make up for it in other ways,” he said with a small smirk at Cora, who rolled her eyes and tossed his hat on an unused counter.

“Taste in wine is not one of them,” the woman cooly commented.  “I brought my own bottle.”

Sora stood with her arms crossed, out of the way and observing the strange bustle of people in her home.  Cora stood beside her mother, still engaged in making their steak, potato, and vegetable meal, with Eyia preparing the salad.

Her father wore the same apron she had seen him wear her whole life while cooking, and now the fox on the front had a new meaning to it.  He had some music going on the extended patio and grill, the glass wall separating the patio from the kitchen was gone, and an invisible electric net prevented any insects from getting in, courtesy of Tami, who was currently helping Kari set the table.

All things considered, the tables had turned, and her mother had everyone jumping to her commands.  Kari may have been a bit of a sour puss, but she was cooperating.  Eyia was thoroughly enjoying the thought of a feast with the family of her sister-in-arms.  Her father had her mother.  Her mother had her father.  Tamil soon came down to comfort her big sister with a reassuring smile, and even Cora and Raven seemed to be having fun with their frenemy banter.

Despite all the pressure, her mother was deflating all of it, allowing her to breathe.  As if to highlight that, her mom looked over at her with a small smile, tails pointing her to the hallway, silently telling her to check on Wendy.  She wouldn’t be awake, but it would set her at ease.

I’m okay.  We’re okay…

Moving toward the adjacent suite, she paused as laughter came from the elevator, rising from the ground level.  In contrast to the lovely meal her mother was preparing, Ar’goth’s foul stench made her nose crease when entering the conference room.

“Princess Sora,” he greeted with a slight nod that said he was perfectly comfortable in his foxfire prison.  “New guests?  Two make my bones itch.”

“I’m sure,” she dismissively mumbled, eyes widening as three figures emerged from the box.  “Sela?”

The purified Fae Queen looked far more radiant next to the small Fairy Queen and towering Elf King.  “Sora, we had a wonderful time mingling amongst the fae that has gathered…  It seems you have been busy,” she noted, narrowed gaze drifting to the kitchen.  “Are we intruding?”

Queen Tessa reached over to pat Sela on the shoulder, holding a tiny gift box in her free hand.  “We have been invited for dinner.  Oh, and Sora, are you aware they have these stores entirely designed for Little People?  So thoughtful.”

Figuring she was talking about a doll house boutique, she just tilted her head to the side, motioning for them to go into the kitchen down the hall.  “There are a few of them around Miami.  My mom’s in the other room.  I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Wonderful!  King Ellion,” she chimed, holding out her tiny free hand for the elf to place his pinky on as they went together.  “I look forward to hearing what your mother has to say.”

The elf offered her a regal bow before proceeding with Sela, still preoccupied with the energies she was feeling from the Black Queen and Raven, no doubt.  Sora jogged to the gravity elevator before realizing she was in the wrong part of the suite; Wendy’s room was next to hers.

So confusing!

Doing a full loop around to the opposite side, she didn’t even know what more than half the rooms were that she passed, not having paid attention during the tour.  Taking the lift up to her sister’s room to peek inside, she was surprised to see her mother was already there, having taken the shorter route.

“Mom?  What’s up?  Is everything already ready?”

Her mother’s tails fanned out, weaving ever so slightly.  “For the most part.  There is one last guest I’d like to invite, which might seem a little… distasteful.”

Sora’s eyes dulled.  “You’re talking about Ar’goth.  He stinks of Hell.”

“He does,” her mother chuckled.  “Which is why I’d like you to desire for it to smell… better.  It shouldn’t require too much energy, and he promises to behave himself.”

“Wooh.  The word of a demon,” she mumbled with fake enthusiasm.  “Okay, Mom.  How long do I have?”

“About five minutes,” she said, walking forward to kiss her forehead in passing and squeezing tails.  “See you soon.”

“Mhm.  See you soon.”

Letting her go, Sora slipped into the room to sit on the chair across from her brown-haired sister… only, her hair was now white, and she was floating in the air.

She snatched Wendy’s phone off the table, guessing the password.  Second try, she nailed it.  Turning on the camera, she recorded the hovering teen, wreathed in weird energy that reminded her of something she’d sensed recently, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Oooh.  I’m sensing paranormal activity!  Someone’s possessed you!  Haha.”  Getting into the frame, she grinned and held up a peace sign.  “I didn’t get to see how my change affected me, so I wanted to show you a little of it.  Love ya, Sis!  Look how crazy you look…”

Recording from different angles, she giggled and made jokes to make Wendy snicker at how stupid she was.  If one thing that would pull Wendy up and give her strength, it would be a true introduction into the family.

She wrapped up her recording with a bright grin.  “I hope you enjoy that big, bushy brown tail I know you’ll get!  You were always a blanket snuggler, which means you’ll surely be a tail snuggler, too!  So, now, all that’s left is to have a good family breakfast!  See you in the morning, Ms. Alarm Clock!”

Lowering the device, she put it back on the desk and reached out to rub her sister’s arm, feeling static tingle her fingers upon touching Wendy’s wispy form as it fluctuated.  “See you in the morning…”

Sora exited and walked the halls until she came face-to-face with the giant, elk-horned demon.  “No funny business, Bud.”

Hands held behind his back, Ar’goth’s voice was low and untrustworthy.  “I wouldn’t dream of it, Princess.  I cannot recall the last time I ate an earthly meal.”

Her mother came from the dining hallway, arms crossed under her bust as she glared at the demon.  “It was dry grass and dirt after eating the last bit of flesh off your little sister before Bathin offered you a place in his legions.”

Ar’goth’s head tilted ever-so-slightly, a reflective note in his throat.  “It was… wasn’t it.  The things we do to survive.”

Sora brushed away the foxfire, bathing the demon in floral scents as she swept by him to join her mother.  “Wow.  Somehow, you’ve found a way to disgust me even more.  Congratulations.”

Entering the expanded dining room, she saw the single, long table had been divided into sections for each group to eat on their own respective side.  Naturally, all of them were tilted to face her family, where her father, Eyia, and Kari were already seated.  Everyone else remained standing, plates of food on their tables, seemingly placed with a purpose by her mother’s instruction.

Ar’goth stood behind his solitary table, where only salad had been placed.  The moment she and her mother sat, everyone else joined them, and her mom addressed the candle-lit gathering.

“I will get straight to the point before we break bread, as they say.”  Sora gulped as her mother’s cool gaze drifted between each individual.  “Each of you has your own agenda in getting close to my family.  Some of you, I am appalled and enraged at the audacity and brazen actions you have taken before my sight.  Events have not solidified beyond repair, so there still is time to change your paths, and that is why we are here today.”

Kari’s hands tightened in her lap as Tamil held her stomach with a sad expression, yet everyone else didn’t so much as blink an eye.  A misty stream of arctic energy escaped Eyia as her frosty eyes leered at those present, reflecting the heat in Mia’s flaming stare.

“Whatever your goals, whatever your reasons for your actions… I suggest you work with my daughter, and candidly… before it is too late for you.  Sora has a much larger heart than mine, and I trust you to remember it.  That is all.  You may begin.”

Sora could cut the tension with a knife as her mother cut into her steak, generating a shiver from everyone present, yet she could practically see the approving steam blowing out of Eyia’s nose, giving one last stare-down at each person present.

You go, Mom!  Sora laughed inside, recalling her first meeting with her mother in that fiery place she’d been taken to when completing her transformation.  Mom goes rawr!  ‘My baby kit!’

Tail drifting over to connect with the fox lady beside her, Sora gave her a warm smile.  No longer was she or her dad alone.  They had their flaming goddess mother of the house back, and she was making her presence known.

Conversation soon sparked up, Raven being the first to break the ice while engaging her mother on the topic of HAREM, and what she knew.  Cora and the fae got into a discussion on how they were faring, and if the Foundation was treating them well, as Sora was sucked into the weird topic of cosplay with Tamil.

Shockingly, her father engaged more with Eyia and Kari, of all people, during the dinner.  As expected, the wolf wasn’t the best conversationalist when her mother wasn’t a topic, yet her dad did get her interest in sports, which actually pulled her out of her shell.

Sora found herself totally at a loss as they discussed basketball, football, and a host of other sports that showed her a new part of her father that he usually only shared with people like Tom.  Perhaps even more of a head-jerker was Eyia’s spark of interest.

Apparently, Sora was blocked out because she had no clue how to contribute without looking like a complete dunce.  Instead, she spent the majority of the meal with her mother, Tami, and Tamil, which she didn’t quite expect.

On the other hand, Ar’goth silently sat in his seat, staring at the bowl of greens in front of him, the entire meal without condiments or toppings.  Once everyone was finishing up, he stood and gave them a bow before leaving in a flash of black flames.

“Is… it okay to let him go?”  Sora whispered to her mom as she helped her bring all the plates to the kitchen to be cleaned.

Her mother’s smile fell, eyes narrowing.  “He got the message to send back to his masters.  Now, why don’t you prepare for bed?  I can finish cleaning up.  I have a lot of years as a mother to make up for,” she said with a weak chuckle.  “Progress will be made by tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Hugging her, and feeling the weight of sleep falling over her, Sora yawned, waving at Kari and Eyia, who were still locked in conversation about last season’s playoffs, or something like that.  She was pleasantly surprised as Kari gave her a smidgen of attention with a dismissive hand of recognition.

Eyia was a glowing ray of waves, a brilliant diamond necklace back around her throat as it swung with her arm’s wave.  “Goodnight, Sister!  I look forward to playing this football with you.  I have yet to throw a shoe!”

Kari and her dad snickered, which made Sora glare at him.

“Don’t bully Eyia!”  she accused, making her dad force a smile and Kari snort.

“Just go to bed already, nosey fox.”

Eyia’s blue eyes widened as she looked between the two.  “Bully?  How is it that I am being bullied?  You do throw the shoes since it is called the ‘football.’  Correct?”

“Sure,” Kari said with a smirk.

“Humph.  I will not lose in the football to a frightened pup!”

“Frightened—you take that back,” Kari snarled.

“Girls!  Girls!”  her dad laughed.  “Remember, we leave it all on the court, right?”

Eyia’s eyes sparkled.  “I have yet to lose to the ogres in their games.  You shall be my next conquest, Fenris Wolf.”

“Bring it, blondie.” Kari scoffed, tail flicking to the side as she brushed back her thick black hair.  “I’ll show you what defeat tastes like, Sister.”

“You are no sister of mine!”

Giggling at their banter, Sora was happy to see her dad had seen a way to get them closer as friends.  She had no experience in that world.  Although, it would be fun to see the two hyper-competitive girls go at it in basketball.

Yawning, she went upstairs to change into some silky pajamas before slipping into Wendy’s room.  She smiled at her floating sister, somehow still going through her transformation.  Again, she felt that weird familiarity from the power; it wasn’t Desire Magic, but something totally foreign, yet familiar.

Not having the mental strength to puzzle it out, she tossed her pillow on the bed and crawled under the floating sheets, half a meter above her.

“Night, Wendy…  See you in the morning.”

Closing her eyes, she drifted into her dreams, allowing herself to be swept into the maelstrom of external fantasies and adventures that filled Miami’s sleepers.

* — * — *

Wendy floated through an empty void, not white nor black, but something else.  An endless, shapeless mass writhed all around her, eating and being eaten by an eternal cycle: a snake, eating its own tail.

Suddenly, a black brush grew around her, wrapping her in an embrace unlike anything she’d experienced.  Vision cracking open, she saw tiny spikes blooming out of the thick black vines, and her eyes began to shake as all-encompassing yellow irises peered through the tangled mass, every thorn now staring right through her.

“Ahhh!”  Screaming, she tried to thrash, but her arms could hardly move; they felt like lead as she struggled to orient herself.  “Sora!  Sora!”

“Ahh!  Wendy?  Wendy, where are yo—Wendy?!”

A weightless sensation twisted her gut as a breeze blew her stomach open like flipping through filing pages, and the world came into crystal-clear focus in such a vast view that she instinctively closed her eyes in a panic.

“Wendy?!  Are you…”

Peeking a look, she saw green and blinking, she saw Sora looming over her in emerald pajamas, copper locks hanging over her.  She was practically a giant!

“Sora, what did you do to me?!  Mmgm.  Let me get up.  C’mon!”

Her best friend looked like she’d been punched in the gut as her fingers slowly closed around her whole body, lifting her into the air, and in the window, Wendy saw her reflection, making her anger melt away.

“I’m… a book?!  W-What the hell!?  Sora?”

“Huh.  N-No, that’s not…  You’re supposed to be a fox girl like me!  Only… you’re supposed to have a big bushy brown tail, a-and…  I made you a Founder, like me!  Y-You’re not supposed to be a—ahhh!”

Wendy’s mind instantly went to the exact image Sora described, having fantasized about it dozens of times over the last week, and light blinded her reflection.  The world narrowed into normal eyesight, and Sora was spontaneously the right size.

Stunned, she looked down at her naked body, kneeling in front of her stupified sister as long brown hair covered her front, and a thick cinnamon-brown tail lifted up, practically a third arm by how easy it was to swish back and forth.

“Huh…  Ahhh!  Sora!”

“Wendy, no, listen!  Look, I made you a Founder, Zen got kidnapped by HAREM, and Aiden, and Eric’s awake, and—”

“Woah!  Woah!  Shut up!  Shut up!  Too much!”  she shouted, hearing Sora’s parents in the hallway as Mia prevented her husband from opening the door.  “What happened to Zen?  That stalker, yandere robot chick has him?  You—I…  What the hell, Sora!”

“Eck!”  Choking on her tongue, her best friend coughed and rubbed her throat.  “He, uh—he gave himself up to protect you when I was trying to save Aiden.  Umm.  I, uh, I made you into my sister—it was supposed to be a surprise—why were you a book?”

Ears itching like she got a spider bite, Wendy snarled, scratching her head and grabbing the sheet to wrap around her body, feeling oddly hostile all of a sudden.

“WHAT?!  In ONE night?!  ONE!”  Sora shook her head, still apparently stuck on the fact she’d been a book.  “And Zen did WHAT?!  Ugh.  Aaaaand I’m a book again?!”

Another flash of light, and she was staring up at her stupid best friend.  “C’mon!  Pick me up!  I need to go KILL him!”

“Huh?  Wendy… you’re a book!”

“Yeah, who cares?!”  she shot back.  “Who said I wanted him to save me like that, huh?  Where’s my damsel in distress fantasy?  Why do I have to be the heroine that does all the work?!  And she BETTER NOT TOUCH THAT WHITE FLUFFY FUR, I SWEAR!  I’ll cut her!  And why am I STARVING?!  Ugaah!”

Pages fluttering, Wendy breathed, anger twisting her up inside and subduing any other minor thought, such as her current body situation.  Sora sat back, hand against her chest as she took a few breaths.

“Wendy…  Chill!  Let’s first figure out what the hell went wrong.  Okay?”

Rage melting away with the concern in Sora’s big green eyes, Wendy sighed, binder closing as she hugged herself.  “Fine.  I, umm—yeah, this is kind of weird.  D-Did I just become a fox girl a second ago, or did I imagine that?”

Sora’s locks brushed against her shoulders as she shook her head.  “No, that was real.  You went from book to the perfect brown-furred fox sister, and then…”

“A book again…   Huh.  Okay, yeah, let’s figure this out…  Mmgm.”  Whatever was her mouth salivated as sweet scents of everything she loved spun around her, making her feel dizzy.  “Maybe… after breakfast?”

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