ATM Rewrite: B2 — 18. A Glass Heart Reforged

PoV:

1. Sora Moore (Our confused and frustrated fox girl discovers the truth!)

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Sora held Kari, helping her through the panic attack of seeing her monstrous brother.  Memories of her time trembling in the bathroom came back; alone after all those vicious bullying sessions, she didn’t have anyone to comfort her once Wendy pulled away, and Sora knew what kind of lacerations had reopened Kari’s wounds.

Her glass heart wouldn’t let Sora reject the wolf, with Kari’s steel-like spiritual barriers collapsing under the weight of her trauma.  Worry began to set in as a void opened up in Kari’s emotional state; all the work she’d done to bring the girl out of her shell was collapsing.

Closing her eyes and making a decision she might regret in the future with the wolf so vulnerable, Sora firmly pressed in her magic to pull Kari into a dream to gently ease her through HAREM’s reveal.  Releasing her tension in a sad sigh, Sora watched the girl’s amber eyes droop, tears and racing heart settling with her soothing energy, tugging her away from the shock.

Kari’s head pulled against her chest, and she sat on the ground with her former worst enemy, a strange, calming emotional warmth mixing with the uncertainty swirling through her bitter thoughts.

I should be cold… merciless.  How many times have I wanted to see her like this?  I should feel vindicated… but every time I see her break down… I see myself.

A lump formed in Sora’s throat while staring at Kari’s puffy, red cheeks, slick with tears.  In the elevator, in her room, in the amphitheater, and now here, on this stage, she was waking up to something within herself.

She saw a bleeding heart.  She saw pain.  She saw self-hate—bitterness through years of suffering—and a cry for help she stopped expecting to be answered.  A tart tingle pricked her arms while staring into the broken spirit of the third most vile girl in history, utterly unguarded and open for any sort of attack.

I should laugh at her…  I can’t, though.

Swallowing, she held back her own tears, cursing these new powers and senses that allowed her an inside look into Kari’s heart.  Kari had never enjoyed bullying her.  There was a piece of her that actually admired Sora for never giving up, which showed through when they’d met on that bench, and Kari had actually encouraged her.

Kari was confused, traumatized, and looking for anyone who would accept her, trying to escape an obsessive brother who put her through a living hell.  Jenny took full advantage of that, twisting Kari’s soul and building her up, only to crush her.

A tear slid down Sora’s cheek as she saw the guilt, grief, and doubt festering in the wolf’s core.  Fear ruled her life, which was the very reason she was so weak.  She couldn’t trust Sora because she couldn’t risk going through the pain Lori’s rejection and Jenny’s betrayal left again.

She didn’t look up at Raven as he approached her, hands held in his pockets.  From what she’d heard pass between the frenemies, the Black Queen had gone to rescue the triplets from HAREM’s influence before it was too late.  As for Vondoom, he’d accepted the mysterious black bird’s personal phone to make calls for him and set things in motion; Raven was turning out to be quite lazy.

The tall man stood a short distance away, a thoughtful hum in his throat as the angelic figures vanished to take back the Moon Base.  “Such grace.  I couldn’t be so forgiving of my enemy.”

Taking one last breath of air, Sora bottled up her discomfort and used her magic to lift the defenseless fenris wolf into the air.  “Let’s not act like we’re friends, so stop acting like you know me.”

Rising to her feet, she rubbed the tear away, fixed her shorts and tank top, and turned to glare at the Foundation leader.  “You’re all using me—all of you—one way or another.  I don’t trust you.  I don’t want your help.  But I know you can be useful.”

Raven’s sharp eyes narrowed, lips curling.  “The enemy of my enemy, then?  You have entered the shark tank, dear.  I’ll have my driver take you back to your suite, and I’ll call when we have something more concrete.  I suggest you debug your devices with that magic of yours.”

Sora’s jaw tightened.  It was obvious she’d return home to check on her friends and family, but he could have let her make that decision.  He thought of her as a tool, and from what Cora insinuated, the Foundation council didn’t like powerful ‘instruments’ off their shelf.  They decided how best they should be used.

“I’m not your puppet, either,” she snarled, meeting his appraising stare.

He chuckled and took his fedora off to bow to her.  “I wouldn’t dream of it, Vulpes Princess.  And though we may not be friends, I am sure that we can learn much from one another as we unite our efforts in stopping this undeniable menace.”

“Mmhmmm.”

Moving away from him, she glanced at Vondoom in passing, getting a serious nod from the Senior Director, plotting to get his base back under control.  He was fairly straightforward, which she did like; then again, she’d thought Devlin had had her best interests at heart, and look how that turned out.

She felt somewhat defeated as she walked up the corridor to exit the building, a sleeping Kari hovering beside her.  It wouldn’t be long before her internal power grew to the point of overpowering her dream, but hopefully, it would be enough time to settle the wolf’s nerves.

Raven’s raised voice made her pause at the doors, turning to see him at the edge of the stage, hands clasped behind his back.  “Sora, Cora will likely make an appearance out of the blue.  She can be quite troublesome to deal with, as I’m sure you’re now aware.  Just a warning.”

“Mmgm,” she grumbled in response, exiting the audience area.

Her path to the car went without further interruption, and she carefully guided Kari into the opposite seat, putting on her seat belt.  The driver didn’t need a prompt, but she charmed him anyway to be sure, ordering him to take her back to her suite.  She wasn’t feeling all that trusting at the moment.

Arms crossed as she stared out of the window, Sora let the revelation work through her heavy heart.  She knew what she expected when she got home, but experience told her it would hit differently when reality set in.

Observing the Miami nightlife from the air in the flying car, she smiled when they passed over her high school.  It felt like an eternity ago since she was worried about the girl across from her, bullies, and her grades.  Now, all of it was so small compared to the opponents she now faced, and she found herself pondering new thoughts.

Maybe Earth isn’t fit for me anymore.  What am I supposed to do, go to school with everyone, and expect everything to go back to normal?  I don’t think that’s possible at this point.

Focus returning to the sleeping wolf, Sora leaned against the door and rested the back of her hand against her cheek.  All she wanted was to have friends, be happy, and figure out what to do after all this insanely big world opened up to her.

She hadn’t had the time to process this massive change in her life, and all these other people were screaming for her attention when she should be worried about getting a boyfriend, making memories with friends, and typical teen drama… not end of the world drama or scared those close to her might get killed.

All of us deserve something… better, she concluded, looking into Kari’s aura, starving for any kind of light to fill the darkness in her heart.  I need an answer…  I need something tangible I can work toward.  I need to talk to Mom.

Making it to the balcony, Sora’s gut tightened as Kari’s defenses began to naturally return from her calming spirit.  They came back sooner than she expected.

She hopped out of the car door, guiding the floating wolf to follow her with her purse, and taking one last look at the nighttime Miami cityscape, Sora slid open the door.  She loved Miami Beach; she’d grown up here all her life, but it was looking less and less like home every day with how many enemies were barging into her life.

As if to remind her of that fact, Sora’s dull eyes settled on the smiling Wendigo, still trapped in his foxfire prison.  “I hope you had a lovely Witching Hour, Princess.”

“When are people going to stop calling me that,” she grumbled, putting him in the back of her thoughts while sending the driver away and removing the charm.  “Eyia?”

Mist crept through the walls, leaving a nice icy layer that would no doubt cause some damage as the blonde materialized a few meters away from her, looking somewhat glum.

“Sister, it appears the nice man is not so nice after all.  I only returned in time to stop him from taking—what has happened to the wolf?”

Sora forced out a laugh and hugged the sensitive Valkyrie.  At least she wasn’t a total mess and blaming herself for not being everywhere at once, and preventing any trouble that came their way.  “A lot, actually.  Follow me to the next suite…  I’m going to put Kari in one of the extra rooms before she wakes up.”

Eyia’s brow furrowed, joining her while shooting ice daggers at the imprisoned demon, who gave them a wordless bow.  “She will wake soon, Sister.  What good will a bed do her?”

Smiling at how much of a soldier mindset the blonde had, Sora picked up her pace as they entered the hallway.  “It’s about atmosphere.  She needs to wake up in a place that is safe…  Eric is back.”

She shivered as the warrior’s deep blue eyes illuminated and the air chilled around them.  “It is this artificial intelligence creature that has freed him, yes?  I noticed your hairbrush missing from the room of the falling rain and clouds.  I cannot see him being controlled by the entity.  They must have joined forces.”

Sora shrugged, sending a magical pulse to eliminate any trace of HAREM, lock out her ears, and examine which spirits were within the four suites; it did take a decent chunk of her energy, but was well worth the cost.

“Whether controlled or not, Eric is with HAREM, whatever his motives.  As for Aiden, uh-yeah, he’s definitely a puppet, for sure.  We’ll figure it out.  She took… almost everyone,” Sora whispered.  “Dammit.  At least they’re being used as hostages, and I should be able to undo the brainwashing.”

“Is there anything I can do?”  Eyia pleaded, looking for any kind of guidance; she really had a hard time thinking for herself, which probably came from always listening to her father’s training guidance on the island.  “I want to be useful.”

Showing the blonde a thankful smile, Sora bumped into her.  “I know it’s hard to do nothing.  Honestly, I don’t know what to do, Eyia.  I’m figuring it out right now, so just being nearby helps me feel safe…  You make me feel safe, Eyia.  Thanks.”

The Valkyrie’s cadence instantly brightened at the comment.  “I am here for whatever you require, Sister.  I can attempt to use the magnetic campfire or gas campfire outside to prepare some food.”

“Sure, that sounds good,” she chuckled, happy to have the innocent Primordial as a friend.  “I know it’s a big ask, but… do you think you can also make something for Kari?  And Jin’s in with my mom right now, so…  did everything work out between you two?”

A low growl rumbled in Eyia’s throat as they stepped onto the anti-gravity pad that would take them to the second floor, shooting a narrow-eyed stare at the sleeping teen beside them.  “I… suppose.  The friendship between Jin and I is… ‘on the rocks,’ is how she described it to your father.  We are dealing with many of the emotions.”

“Haaa.  Too bad,” she hissed, rubbing the back of her neck as a low groan bubbled out of Kari.  “How’s my dad?  What’s he doing in the front room?  Did Jin want to talk alone?”

Eyia nodded emphatically.  “Jin was quite adamant about acquiring your mother’s time.  She is a confusing dragon… always talking about how things should be and how some things should be changed, even if they are fated.  Mmgm-hmm.  She does not like fate…”

“And you do?”  Sora asked, opening the door to place Kari on a bed.  “I think I fall more into Jin’s camp on that.  The future is before you, so forge your own destiny!”  she repeated from one of the assembly speeches she’d heard.

It got a light giggle from the blonde, yet Sora was a little puzzled as Eyia held her elbow and looked away with a somber smile.  “Some fates cannot be changed, Sister.  One must learn to accept what cannot be changed, or it may cause incredible harm to those you care for…  I shall make the meat of cows!”

Waving her goodbye, Eyia jogged out of the room, ponytail bobbing in her exit.

Sora puffed out a sigh.  There was so much she didn’t know about all of her new friends.  In fact, she wasn’t even sure if Jin was technically her friend; it was more acquaintances at the end of the day.

But, hey, at least Eyia was growing to hate Kari a little less.  It was progress.  They were making progress.  If only that were true for the misfortune that always hung around her tail because it would be nice to have a break for once.

Lifting Kari up a bit higher to study the tall, vulnerable wolf, Sora’s gut twisted at the spark she’d seen in her dwindling low.  Why was she so set on building Kari up recently?  Sure, she could feel bad for her.  This wasn’t that, though.

Rubbing her forehead in frustration, she eased out her stress and used her magic to take off the girl’s shoes and socks before settling her into bed.

Maybe I need to let this go…  Maybe I don’t need to justify it.  I’ve already told her she’s not the same Kari I knew.  It’s not my heart that needs convincing, though…

Sitting on the foot of the bed, Sora flicked her tail left, looking at the girl’s big wolf ears, pulled back in her sleep.  Kari practically felt like a ghost already, and Aiden had been the hope for something of home returning.  Now, he was gone, and Eric was back.  It wasn’t hard to see why she’d think the bird would go back to his owner once freed.

I want to help Kari, so shut up, brain.  I don’t fully get it, either.  I just want to help her.  Kari deserves to have a good friend, one who will let her be herself and not try to influence her.

Sora internally groaned, fingernails scratching her left ear.

I say that and then manipulate her to show her ears and tail… but that’s different since I’m trying to get her to accept herself.  Wow.  Kari needs so much help.  How am I going to make this work?

She put on a forced smile as the girl began to rouse, her magic being smothered by the wolf’s natural immunity.  Right now, there wasn’t much she could do but wait for everyone else to finish what they were doing.

From her magical pulse earlier, she knew Wendy was still sleeping, in the middle of some strange kind of transformation that totally rejected all her waves.  Jin and her mother were in a serious conversation that she didn’t want to butt into.  As for her dad, he sat in the living room, deep in thought with something that he didn’t want to be interrupted on.

Zen, the twins, Howie and Daisy, and probably Mary, Fen, and her guardian had been taken by the possessive AI.  The two newlyweds were probably loving the second kidnapping, but at least they were together.  She’d wanted Wendy to wake up to lots of fun and teasing, but that wasn’t going to happen now.

It was obvious that the Moon Prince actually went willingly to prevent Wendy from being taken by the barrier surrounding her.  However, HAREM was also tricky.  She’d probably convinced Zen to trade himself in for Wendy’s safety, when Wendy wasn’t in any danger to begin with because of her transformation, as Evil Devlin said.  Zen certainly could have caused a commotion otherwise, which didn’t happen by the look of things.

Her soon-to-be fox sister would probably thump him on the head for being so naive, but he didn’t have much experience outside of his father’s realm.  So, they had to be lenient on the Moon Prince.  Plus, she couldn’t see Wendy staying mad at her dreamy bunny boy.

Watching Kari slowly wake up, Sora didn’t feel as panicked as she’d been during the first two kidnappings that had happened.  Maybe she was growing more used to it at this point, which wasn’t a comforting thought.  Maybe that was why she was suddenly reevaluating things.

She felt Jin leave her mother’s room as Kari’s face scrunched up, and she groaned, cracking open blurry eyes.

“Morning, Sunshine!”  she chirped, waving at her in the dark room.  “Feeling better?”

Kari didn’t respond—not a good sign—staring up at the ceiling.  Unfortunately, her defenses were back up, meaning she couldn’t read her aura.  It wasn’t hard to tell what she was feeling from her dull amber eyes.

“I’ll take that as a no…  Umm.  So, it hasn’t been that long—”

“Is your mother punishing me?”

Kari’s lifeless question caught her a bit off-guard.

“What… do you mean?  Me putting you in bed, like the good fox friend I am… a punishment from my mother?  Okay, now you’re not making any sense.”

Black ear creasing against the pillow, Kari blew out a sigh through her nose and turned her back to her, tail listless below the sheets.  “This has to be punishment for how I treated you the last three years…  Take my brother away, then shove him back down my throat.  Just… leave me alone,” she sniffed.

Not moving from the corner of the bed, Sora’s gaze fell to the carpet.  To Kari, she’d been free, and things were actually getting better.  She had offered a hand and asked to be friends.  Mary and Aiden were letting her talk out her pent-up feelings.  Then, her brother makes a shocking return, dumping cold water over her head as if this was the plan all along.

Sora’s thighs tightened together, pressing her heel against her foot as her voice became a whisper.  “I know what Jenny did really hurt you, Kari, but I’m not betraying you.  I know it’s hard to see that from where you’re sitting.  I’ve already told you that you get to decide what happens with your brother, and that hasn’t changed.”

Kari sniffed.  “I just want to be alone.”

A knock came at the door before Jin walked in to lean against the wall, yellow eyes glowing in the darkness; the ominous pulse of the dragon Founder’s unsettling aura spread through the room.  Despite Jin’s weakened presence, it was even stronger than what she’d felt before due to her senses becoming sharper.

“Humph.  Brought back the mutt, huh?  So, big bro’s back.”  The Korean girl’s adaptive voice held a smirk as she leered at the curled-up wolf, sheet tearing while pulling it tighter around her body from the dragon’s attitude.  “Boo-hoo.”

“Ease up, Jin,” Sora mumbled.

Kari tensed under her covers, tail twitching.  “No, go ahead, laugh at me.  I’m stupid and weak.”

“Kari…”

Jin smirked.  “Screaming like a wolf doesn’t make you stronger, and you can cry alone, but does it even matter?  No.  Crying won’t get you anywhere.  Bite back.  Otherwise, you’re a waste of space, time, and energy.  Just roll over and die.”

“Jin!”  Sora’s mouth drew in at the callous words.  “That’s really uncalled for.  What’s up between you and Eyia anyway?  You were the one so defensive of her when we first met, and now you’re being a real bitch about everything.”

The dragon’s lips became a line, intense eyes drifting to her, but Sora did her best not to flinch or shiver, meeting her gaze, which, shockingly, put a smile back on the small Korean girl’s face.  Pulling back her silky black locks, her intensity and low voice didn’t lift.

“You’ve grown a lot in a short time, Sora.  I guess you do have your mother on your side to help with that.”

Sora’s ears pricked at the comment, Kari’s lifting, as well, going so far as to tilt her head to look at the dragon.

“What do you mean by that?  Are you saying my mom’s manipulating all of this?”

Flipping sides to stare through the walls to where her mother sat, still in her room, Jin crossed her arms, face tempering.  “None of you have any clue what privileges you have, yet all I hear is whining and crying.  Do you have any idea how rare it is for a Founder to have one of the original 2nd Generation at their beck and call?”

Sora didn’t know how to respond as Jin’s words turned bitter, unable to stop a quake from running down her tail.

“You have someone more powerful than almost anything in Existence hovering nearby, fretting and fussing over you…  A mother so dedicated that she would put herself in more danger than you can fathom, just to know you on a personal level.  And here you are, letting everyone run you around in circles when the answer is right there.”

The events inside the coliseum came back to her when she learned about Jin’s mom, and how she was the 1st Generation Founder of the Dragons.  It made Sora realize how lucky she must be to have her awkward and adorable mom.  It also made her not want to put more stress on her parents.

“My mom has her own insecurities and needs,” Sora shot back.  “She’s not invincible or heartless.”

“Heh.  And there it is…  All you see is an awkward, terrified mom, when she was among the most powerful beings there ever was and been through more heartache and suffering than you can possibly imagine.  Ugh.  You’re so short-sighted, but you are a kid, I suppose.”

Pushing away from the wall, she left.  “Anyway, I just came to tell you I’ve got some things to work out, so take care of Eyia for me.”

Jin paused at the doorway, intense golden eyes moving to them.  “Don’t be bitches, tucking those tails under.  It disrespects everything your mothers went through to keep that fur on them.  If something bites you, bite back ten times harder, and never hesitate.  Otherwise, I might kill you next time we meet.  Bye.”

Actually feeling the threat, Sora’s tail bristled.  Of course, she should have expected this kind of attitude from the dragon.  Swallowing the sticky saliva in her throat, Sora shook out her tingling arms and legs before getting up as Jin literally vanished into thin air.

Head tilting to the left, she glanced at Kari, seeing her ears fall back again, shivering with her.  “Eh-heh.  Don’t mind Jin, she’s just… like that.  Umm, yeah.  I’m going to see my mom and dad.  Eyia said she’d cook some meat for you, and… apparently, the Black Queen will show up sometime soon.  So… maybe we can get some answers then.  Just… rest up, I guess.”

Awkwardly making her exit, she puffed out a frustrated sigh once she shut the door.  Was that talk meant for me or Kari?  She’s such… a dragon.  I mean, she’s not wrong, but she doesn’t have to bite our tails off.

Scratching away the prickles lingering on her arm, she studied the spot where Jin disappeared, yet not a thing stood out, showing the disparity in their abilities.  The dragon was over eighty years older than her, though, so that wasn’t fair.

She passed through the conference room, ignoring the attentive demon and finding Eyia in the kitchen, playing with the dials with a pan on the stove.  If there was someone she could count on to uplift her spirits, it was Eyia’s innocence.  It was a crime that her family wasn’t supporting the Valkyrie, because she was an angel—maybe even literally, Sora reasoned, considering the Norse mythology she had looked up in her previous research.

“Here, let me help you real quick…  See the blue outline?  Oh…”

“Yes, Wendy told me how to operate the magnet fireplace, but yes, see, the light keeps going off.  I did everything she did…”

Sora slapped her head, seeing her future bushy-tailed sister in horns and snickering off in the corner at her practical joke.  “This pan isn’t magnetic…  Wendy was playing a prank on you.”

“Huh?!”  Eyia’s blue eyes widened in surprise as Sora swapped to a new pan from under the counter rather than what hung on the rack.  “I sensed no ill intent when she showed me the operation of the fireplace.  How am I missing these deceptions?!”  she growled, rubbing her temples.

Taking out some spices and other ingredients for her to make something with, Sora giggled.  “She probably wasn’t thinking about tricking you when she taught you.  It was something she came up with later and snuck in like a little rascal, swapping out the pans.  You’re doing great, Eyia.  It’ll all work out.  Let’s save our energy for when we really need to punch someone.  Right?”

“Right!  I enjoy your positive outlook, Sister,” Eyia chimed, closing in to hug her.  “Sister?”

Sora swiftly retreated from her meat-coated hands.  “Woah!  Woah!  Hehe.  Hygiene, Sis.  Wash with soap before handling anything else!”

“Oh!  Okay.  Normally, I just do this…”  she said, holding up her fingers to show crystals of ice flaking off them.  “I destroy all of the harmful bacteria by attacking them directly.”

She laughed and moved in to hug her.  “Great!  Although, next time, do that over the sink so it doesn’t get all over the floor.”

“Ah…  My apologies, Sister.  Eh-hehe.  I am trying to learn your customs.”

“You’re amazing!  Keep it up.”

Not wanting to get the Valkyrie in the dumps again, she waved her off and went to the suite she called home.  Her dad met her with a smile, his Irish accent a bit thicker than normal.

“Another problem to solve, aye?  Your mother wanted to talk to ya.  I’ll be here when you’re done.”

“First… we both need a hug!”  she said, bustling over to embrace him.  “I’m not scared… just a little exasperated, I guess.”

“I hear ya.  We’ll get through it as a family.  How’s Wendy?”

“I haven’t checked on her personally, but my transformation happened over nine days, so… yeah.  She’s still sleeping.  Want to check on her for me?”

“Sounds like something a dad can do!”  He got up, rubbing her back as they broke apart.  “See ya soon?”

“See you soon!”

He walked toward the other suite, greeting Eyia in passing.  “Damn, this place has grown a lot bigger.  Aye, it smells heavenly, Eyia.  Have ya used these spices before?”

“I’m following the fairy on the interwebs that connect the world in digital space.  I find her precise instructions quite helpful.”

“Haha!  The fairy on the interwebs, huh?  Sounds good.”

Sora giggled as she rose to the second level, holding her hands at the base of her tail, swinging it left and right.  Making it to her parents’ room, she knocked on the door.

“Mom?”

“Come in, Sora.”

Her mother’s voice was so smooth and calm compared to the last time she’d heard it.  Heading inside, she saw her mom fixing her tails, wearing a lovely blue top and white skirt, even if it was now the middle of the night.

She turned to give her an adorable smile, tails spreading out.  “I suppose it is a little late for breakfast or a good morning, and our circumstances could certainly be better, but I’m here for whatever you need.”

“That looks super cute on you, Mom,” she whispered, fingers tightening around each other as she made up her mind.  “Umm.  Mom…”

Her mother sat at the foot of her bed and gestured for her to join.  “What decision have you made?”

Taking a deep breath, she eased next to her mom and placed her hands in her lap.  “I want to fight.  I want to get everyone back.  And then… I want to go to Grandma’s Realm.  I can’t see us getting a chance to be a family with all these organizations barging into our lives.”

She looked up at her mother’s supportive face as she expressed all the feelings and thoughts swirling through her heart.  There was hidden pain in them, as well, hinting at something Jin’s comments had made her realize.

“I know you’ve already seen all of this happening… eh, probably—and I have to go through it.  I just… I need to go to Vulpes Founder school, or whatever that looks like, and we all deserve a vacation.  So… I want to rescue everyone and give them the option to join us.  Is that okay?”

Her mother’s eyes creased with a hint of sadness as she smoothed her bangs to the side.

“I feel guilty because I could wipe away all of this trouble… but my own mother’s actions have been becoming more clear to me, as of recent.  I cannot stunt your own growth by solving all your problems.  I must let you make your own mistakes.  I have to facilitate a means for you to understand that there are consequences for your decisions, and be here to support you through the hardship…”

She paused, swallowing something bitter.  “You may… hate me for not telling you certain things, or what I allow to happen.  I must be able to bear that burden.  I must let you grow into your own woman… and that means I must let you take risks that terrify me.  Still…”

“Mom… how could I hate you?  I never want to hate you.”

Her mother pulled her in.  “This marks the start of a signal fire that will light others and strengthen your resolve.  You asked me to do certain things, and I have done them.  I have put my trust in you, Sora.  Life is meant to be a struggle, and there will be struggles ahead for all of us because of your decisions.”

Sora’s mind returned to all the things she’d asked, from giving Kari a chance to bringing Wendy into their family.  If all of this was because of her wish, then it meant that these trials were meant to bring all of them closer to that goal.

Squeezing tighter, her mother cleared her emotional voice.  “You are separating from the norm of what it means to be a Founder… and I am quaking at the thought of stepping into my mother’s realm again, but I will do anything for you… even if it kills me inside.”

“Just… make sure to take care of yourself, too,” Sora sniffled.  “I can’t lose you… our family… not after finally having you here.”

“Oh, Sora…  I am so proud of you, and the young woman you are becoming.  Regardless of what happens in the future, know that I love you.  You’re stronger every day.  The blood, sweat, and tears… the sacrifices will make the victory taste sweeter.  Just… make sure to also take care of yourself because as much as you can’t lose me… I cannot lose you, My Sweet Little Ember.”

Sora’s ears shot up as she heard Kari roll out of bed, growl, and run her fingers through her hair, the wolf’s words burning her ears.

“Damn Dragon…  I won’t roll over and die.  I won’t.”

Wanting to strike while the iron was hot, Sora jumped to her feet.  “We’ll take care of each other, Mom!  Okay, let’s have dinner and figure things out.  I am done with letting all these organizations and people use me.  If they want to push me, then I’m going to war!  I’m never going to back down to bullies again.”

A sad smile moved her mother’s lips as she rose to fold back her ears and fix her hair.  “I already ordered some room service to fill in for the extra plates.”

“Extra plates?”  Sora asked, her mind going blank.  “As in, plural?”

“We’ll have some guests.  Come on.  Let’s set the table.  There is a war to plan, after all.”

“Right!  Uh…”  Eyes creasing as things started to settle down and they made their way out of the room, her brief encounter with presumably the Herald of Sakura returned, making her nervous after her mother’s comments.  “Mom…”

They paused as Sora plucked at the back of her shirt, causing them to stop.  The freckled fox woman gave her a semi-stressed smile before looking away.  “You’re… going to ask about Wendy’s transformation, aren’t you?”

Sora stepped back, rubbing her arm and searching her mother’s face.  “You said it would work, but… there are risks, which the Herald warned you about, right?  She’s been helping to suppress something… weird, and told me about you two talking.”

Her mother swallowed and set her brow.  “In most situations, I would defer to her council, but in this, I am sure that it will work.  As for consequences, it’s more like unexpected… growing pains, I suppose.  Unpredictable, but not lethal to her, just as yours was.  She will just need our support.  She, umm-heh, could probably be your alarm clock if you sleep in her room after dinner.”

“So soon?!  Yes!”  Breathing a sigh of relief, Sora closed the gap to squeeze her mom, purposely getting a bundle of tails with it for good measure, relishing in the fluff.  “I love you, Mom.”

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