ATM Rewrite: B2 — 16. Trusting Mom

Author Note:  On second thought, I added to the 'ominous double invaders' interaction with Sora when she is given the warning.  Mua-hahaha.  Who is telling the truth?

PoV:

1. Sora Moore (Our fox girl is on the rise!)

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Sora paused at the window, spotting something fly past as Kari went for one of the elevators she hadn’t messed with.  “The case!”  she choked, sending her magic out to halt the Reality Anchor before hitting the ground, yet nothing was there.

“No need to worry, Lady Sora.”

She jumped as one of the gentlemanly White Rabbits was suddenly standing beside her with a courteous bow, holding the briefcase.  “Oh, y-yeah.  Umm…”

“Sora, the elevator!”

“Huh?  I didn’t break that one!”

“Then why won’t it open?”

“Ugh.  Coming!”  Waving at Devlin, Vondoom, and the rabbits with a strained smile, she ran off to join the wolf.  “I’ll get you when I’m ready to go.  And you won’t be going anywhere,” she growled, pointing at Ar’goth in his foxfire cage.

The suited demon gave her a gracious nod.  “I would never dream of it, O’ Princess.”

Vondoom lifted his hand in silent acknowledgment while looking at his phone as he tapped it against the arm of his chair; the man had been quite deep in thought about something lately, likely how so many things were going wrong in the Foundation.

Dashing through the halls, grabbing her purse in pursuit, Sora passively tucked her black rose back into the bag and met the wolf at her own elevator to find Kari, arms crossed, glaring at her.

“Do you want me to jump out of the window?”

Sweeping her hair back off her shoulders, Sora pressed the button.  “I told you, I didn’t—it isn’t lighting up?”

Kari gave her a gesture that said she’d already told her it wasn’t working, and both of them turned around as Devlin cursed from the next penthouse.

“Shit, uh…  Sora, I just saw a report that said Jin broke that one on the way down; it’s something about her powers being a little on the fritz after using it.  You can hear me, right?”

Sora pulled out her phone to text him a reply as a snarl and flick of the tail came from the wolf, and Kari stormed to the opposite suite to use its elevator.  “I’ll see you there, spiky tail.”

“Damn dragon,” she growled in return.  “She’s probably the person I hate the least, though.”

Fingers pausing over her screen, Sora’s brow furrowed as she looked up to see the girl leave.  “Wait, what?!  Don’t be petty, Kari!  I know I’m your favorite, eh—second favorite next to Aiden!”

Kari glanced back with a smirk.  “Not even close, big ears.  I hate everyone equally,” she grunted, disappearing out of sight and leaving Sora’s ears folding back.

A small smile lifted her mouth.  “They’re not that big…  Asshole.”

Sending her message to Devlin as he worried about getting up and leaving the demon alone when he’d promised to observe him, Sora slowly walked to the lift for her parents’ room.  It felt so nice to think of it in the plural.

Rising to the top floor, she went to the end of the hallway and made an exception in the silence spell to allow her pricked ears to eavesdrop.  When all she heard was their soft breathing, she cracked the door open; the lights were still on.

Her father’s head lifted to smile at her as she slipped through, stomach shaking upon seeing her mother’s cute, sleeping face, drooling on her dad’s chest as she slept.  Closing the door softly behind her, knowing how sensitive fox ears could be, Sora held her wrist behind her back as she approached.

“How is she?”  Sora asked, being careful to sit on the side of the bed her mother wasn’t on.  “She looks peaceful, but her aura is shot…  I’m worried about her, Dad.”

Being gentle while shifting to allow for a better position, her father tried to reposition the woman lying on him.  One ear folded under and nine tails looped around her dad’s legs—or covering them in a fur blanket—it was obvious her mother did not plan on letting her husband escape while she slept.

“Mom really is adorable when she’s not worrying about every little thing she does…  You couldn’t tell she was some super goddess drooling like that.  Are you okay?  Oh, let me help you.”

Tail a light-yellow flame with her desire, Sora brushed it against her mother’s, veiling her in a sleeping spell to allow her a deep, pleasant dream of her own fantasy to recover in.  “You don’t need to worry about her waking up until morning.”

“Wooh.  Haha.  Got anything for cramps?”  he asked, wincing as he tried to maneuver his wife into a better sleeping posture.  “Don’t tell your mom, but she is way heavier without her magic compensating for all those weighty tails.”

“I can fix that, too—probably.  Wait,” Sora giggled as she saw fur on the blankets.  “Is Mom… shedding?”

“Haaa.  Probably the stress, to be honest,” her father whispered.  “She really is as close to a human as a vulpes can get…  She desperately wants to be your mom, but there are so many things her ‘all-knowing’ self knew that at this ‘normal’ level, she feels…”

“Helpless… useless,” Sora sadly nodded, reaching over her dad to brush back her mom’s bangs.  “Want me to help her weight and maybe some stress?”

Her dad rubbed her mother’s shoulder, pulling her in tighter as if afraid she would slip away, and he shook his head.  The love in his eyes pulled at Sora’s chest; she hadn’t seen this side of him before, and she liked it.

“No.  This isn’t something magic can fix.  I have to be here for your mother, flaws, fears, and all…  Her powers were something special at first, but after nearly sixteen years apart from her, it’s the last thing I wanted…”

Hot air shot through his nose as he rolled her back over him, seemingly only shifting positions to find a better angle to handle the weight.  “I can’t tell you how many times I prayed… screamed for her to come home… pleaded for her to just give it all up for us.  Mmgm.  I’m a selfish man…”

Sora reached over to rub his shoulder.  “Dad, you’re not selfish.  You’ve always tried to do what was right for me… provide for me, even when everything got confusing.  You wanted me to have a mom… but I know being around other women hurt—I could see it that first time I asked about it when I was a kid.”

“Oh, Sora…”  A pained smile creased his eyes as he reached up to take her hand.  “I know being the only girl in class without a mother must have been torture, yet still… every time I got off the plane after the stress of a business restructure or consultation…  You were always there at the airport to meet me when I came down.”

Fingers tightening against his, she remembered all the signs she’d made growing up, being so careful with making hearts or other shapes to welcome him home.  Every time he got home, she knew she was in for a ton of loving and attention, which always excited her.

“Whenever your job took you away for a time, I’d feel lonely for a bit, but Wendy always kept me company, and when you came back, you always had some surprise for us.  It made it so much better because I knew you’d be back and were planning something special for us…  Thanks, Dad.”

“I was far from perfect,” he sighed, regret flashing across his vision and seeping out of his aura in a way that made Sora melancholy.  “Sometimes… I had this… this hope that your mother would be right there beside you when I went down those escalators.”

“You really love Mom, don’t you?”

He breathed in sharply, fighting tears and biting his lip.  “Your mother’s presence was a light in my dull life…  The brightest star that could shine through the cityscape darkness, and when she left, it was like she’d stolen all the air from my lungs…  And now, after seeing how hard it is—the fear she feels at failing us both, and in so many ways…  It’s real…”

Sora’s ears fell back as she looked over at her sleeping mother.  “You feel guilty for asking this of her for so long.  Mom is having a hard time adjusting to being… powerless.  She’s always been near the top of the food chain, and now… she’s not.  I can see why she is so scared, asking herself how she can be my mom and protect me when she can’t fight all the things that want to hurt us…  I can see how that hurts you, too.”

Her father squeezed her hand.  “Hey, a mhuirnín,” he whispered, making Sora smile at the Irish term of endearment.  “You became the shining star that gave this tattered heart strength to keep going and trying…  I got up every morning for you.  I love you.  And I’m happy you are exploring this side of yourself.  Am I bloody terrified?”

He laughed and pulled her down to give her a one-armed hug.  “Hell yes, sweetie…  Havin’ a baby girl is a thing to make a man quiver, thinkin’ about all the horrible people out there that could snatch you, but a man also needs faith to know his girl can take care of herself.”

A tear came to Sora’s eyes as she crawled into bed next to him and her mother, face softening as even in her sleep, two of her mother’s tails unwove to loop around her tail.  Things weren’t as stable as she had thought, and her dad was going through his own internal struggles, but that just made her love him more.

“I’ll try to be more careful for you and Mom…  Did Mom tell you about what we’re going to do with Wendy?”

Her father stroked her mom’s back as they lay as a family.  “No, she was mostly speaking gibberish about topics I can’t hope to understand…  She doesn’t know what to tell you.  She’s lost, and vulnerable.  It might take a while for her not to feel so awkward and out of touch.  You’ll have to be patient with your mom.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re patient,” Sora said, shifting to her side to stare at her dad with sparkling eyes.  “Let me tell you what I’m about to do!”

“I’ve got nothing but time… and I’m not going anywhere soon,” he chuckled, gesturing to the firm tails entangling him.  “Just… Sora.”

Sensing the uncertainty in her father’s aura, she pulled back a little to look at him.  “What is it?”

Head falling back onto his pillow, he whispered, “Wendy has just gone through a very traumatic experience…  The only mom she’s ever known has abandoned her.”

Sora frowned.  “Uh-huh… which is why she’s now a part of our family.  You’re fine with that, right?  You said you were.”

It took a second for her father to form the words he wanted, looking up at the ceiling.  “I am—a thousand percent,” he responded.  “I’m just telling you that there is a hurdle for Wendy to get over.  Yes, she’s living with us.  Yes, legally, she’s now our child to look after.  However, Wendy is going through some… hard feelings that aren’t so easily mended.”

“It will mend, though,” Sora mumbled.  “We’re a good family.  I’ll be a good sister.  I’m doing everything I can to make her a part of the family.”

“Sora…  It’s not you, and it’s not your mom,” he sighed, reaching over to pull her under his arm; the proximity helped calm her as she scooted closer.  “Wendy doesn’t have a problem calling you a sister—you’ve practically been joined at the hip since you were in preschool, and you were instructing her on how to use the monkey bars.”

“Did I?”  Sora laughed.  “I don’t remember that.  Yeah, she was pretty timid when we were younger… still is, kind of.”

Her dad’s large chest rose and fell as he worked around his jaw.  “Hmm.  I heard you emphasized ‘our mother’ to Wendy, and I think you’re causing some trouble between you by pushing that.”

Mind at a complete blank, Sora shook her head.  “No, but Mom is our mother now.  I know it may take a bit, but Mom’s adorable and sweet.  Wendy will love her as we all grow closer.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” her father said, breathing out another long stream of air.  “Let Wendy heal in her own time.  You’re putting pressure on her when she needs time to heal.  Her mother just sold her off for a moderate life, not even close to what we live… and that… I can’t imagine the anger, pain, and worthlessness Wendy feels at that.  You know how hard she tried to appease her mother, and at the first chance she got, her mother threw her out.”

Sora’s mouth pulled in, a bitter taste on her tongue upon thinking about Jane.  If there was someone she wanted to curse, it was her; maybe it was because she hadn’t quite gotten closure on it like Jenny or Lori, but what Jane did made her possibly worse than even the werewolf.  However, what her father asked her next made her recoil and stare at him in disbelief.

“If Wendy asks you to come with her to see her mom again… you should go with her.”

“What?!  No.  Wendy wouldn’t go back there!  Jane’s the worst person on the planet to Wendy.  There’s no way I’d let her go back there to get torn apart again!”

Suddenly uncomfortable at the turn of conversation, her dad took her hand again.  “Sora, I know you don’t understand it—and this might not happen—but when Wendy is ready… she’ll probably need closure.  You need to be there for her when that happens.”

“I don’t think that will happen,” Sora mumbled, ears twitching with agitation, but her mother’s soft groan and tugging tail to get closer made her relent.  “Seriously, Dad, that’s…  Wendy doesn’t need Jane anymore.  She has Mom, you, and me…  I just need to…  No, I’ll let it be a surprise,” she said, puffing out her stress and settling in again while changing the topic.

“Umm.  Did Mom tell you what you are since you’re not fully human?”

Her dad sighed and seemed to have said his piece since he welcomed her under his arm.  “Unfortunately, she decided that piece of information wasn’t important to leave with her upon taking this mortal body.”

“Figures,” Sora groaned, now really wanting to know why her dad was so special.  “Well, I guess there’s nothing that can be done about it since she’s keeping it a secret.  Can I take a nap?  I need to be up in a while, but I’d like to stay with you two for a bit.”

Making himself more comfortable, her dad closed his eyes and leaned over to kiss her mom and her before preparing for bed.

“What time is it?”

“Around 8 p.m.”

“Works for me.  I’m a lucky man to have you girls…  Wendy will come around; just give her time, honey.”

“Mhm.”

Setting a magical alarm to wake her thirty minutes before meeting up with Kari—a scant three hours at this point—Sora let her mind drift into the dream world, as Fen had taught her.  The dark expanse opened up, numberless beads of singular dreams falling around her.

Sorting through all of them, she shoved all the other ones away to stare at her mother and Wendy’s little spheres.  A soft laugh shook her frame as she saw her mom playing strip poker with her dad between shots of alcohol that most certainly didn’t affect the vulpes; her mom was having fun choosing what article of clothing would be thrown off next and baiting him with teasing remarks about her own.  Sora wanted to see this impish fox side of her mom and hoped she would make a return.

Sliding it away after adding a protective layer around her mother to keep her hidden and guarded against anyone who might be looking nearby, Sora did the same with her father and those inside her circle.  She couldn’t be too cautious with everything happening, and she saw evidence of Foundation barriers keeping a security perimeter near her hotel; well, she suspected the Foundation actually bought out the whole thing, but that was a thought for another day.

Staring at Wendy’s blissful Disney World dream where they were made the princesses of one of the parades, possibly due to some string-pulling by her father, Sora slipped inside to see their seven-year-old selves, glowing atop the float as they joined the other princesses.  Between the Sailor Scout anime and having Disney World so close to enjoy, it was no wonder Wendy was so set on being a moon princess.  She wanted to welcome Wendy into the family; she wanted to help her sister move past her witch of a mother.  After discovering this was an option, it seemed like the only logical solution.  Her fear of being left behind and feeling different from her would be over.

Throat becoming sticky as she remained a face in the crowd, Sora tried to enjoy seeing Wendy recreate the magical moment.  She was here, pre-fox and tailless, grinning ear to ear—it made Sora remember the brighter times of her childhood, before the horror show that was middle school.  Back then, she couldn’t have dreamed of being where she now stood, yet with all the fantastical things Wendy knew she could do now.  Still, she was dreaming about the one time her mother had come to Disney World with them.

Sora’s lips pulled in as she saw Jane, taking pictures and being a tad less of a grinch.  She looked better here; well, maybe it was just their skewed child minds playing tricks, but Jane actually looked… happy.  It couldn’t be right.  In Sora’s memory, the sour puss was always a bitter, mean old lady, stumbling over her words in a drunken stupor, yet always able to tell child services the right thing.

Her father’s warnings suddenly held a lot more weight, making Sora grab her arm and look around the treasured memory of her best friend.  She needed something powerful like this to make her plan work and had planned to shift things to make it show up, but it was already here, and perhaps the most sobering part was that she didn’t think it was a coincidence.  Her mother said she’d left a gift for Wendy, and this felt oddly appropriate for the energy she’d felt just after waking up.  The magic was long gone, so it didn’t affect her, but it left a lingering tingle.

You helped her have good dreams instead of painful ones…  At least in her dreams, she can see there was a time her mother did love her.  I guess it is something…  There needs to be room for the future… to grow like Wendy wanted.

Closing her eyes, the sound of the parade slowed and came to a halt, leaving her in silence as she called upon her desire magic.  She couldn’t access the spark within her Essence, deep within her Core, as her mother put it, but her hope to touch Wendy could come through their treasured dreams that were kept at their spiritual center.

Sora brought up her most prized memory that had affected her the most in her whole life, the first real conversation she had with her mother, and let that flow out to mix with Wendy’s.  Instead of ending, it would transition into the attached memory, carrying with it the lingering spark that had triggered her initial transformation.

She would share this part of her with her sister, and it would be the ignition that would bring her into their family.  And just like Sora stood as a spectator of this parade, Wendy would get to experience Sora’s first visit with her mother.

Smiling at the little girl up on the float, no clue how broken she would become when their teenage years hit, Sora whispered, “Welcome to the family, Sister.”

A strange drag hit her as her magic wove the memory into place.  She didn’t feel heavy; instead, it was Wendy’s spirit that weirdly had a weight to it, and a swirl of odd energy melted and infused into her best friend that wasn’t the familiar vulpes energy she’d become accustomed to.

Weird…

Trusting her mother’s guidance on how to sneak her Essence into Wendy’s to initiate the process, Sora exited her dream to float above the sea of marbles, each one representing a new soul’s private experience.  Unlike the others, Wendy’s now stood out as a radiant white and red, raging in contrast and repelling all others that tried to get near.  Instinctively, they appeared to know whatever was happening, wanting no part in it.

Wondering if this was what it was like for her, Sora pulled her knees up to her chest and observed for a time, waiting for the alarm to go off and seeing what was happening to her sister.

Drifting in silence, Sora was pondering on how best to help her sister go through the changes when a soft, troubled hum came from her right, making her jump.

“Well, that is quite unexpected.  Although, perhaps it should have been anticipated since it is random in which energies would have been transferred in such an unusual, roundabout method that is then compounded by the cocktail that is your origin.  And, unfortunately, more of this unknown substance was mixed into the pot since it has yet to fully seep its way into you.”

“Who are—”  Sora froze as the golden-haired, fancy-dressed, purple-eyed woman sat next to her, floating in the same lobby armchair she’d first seen, paper fan hiding her lips.  “You’re… the Herald of Sakura?”

An ominous pulse made her body lock up, and the sudden sensation of being watched from every angle put a quake through her bones as something sinister hid behind the elegant figure’s spiraling eyes, rotating as if a maelstrom.  Yet, a strange field seemed to dispense around her from within, and the Lady in Black Thorns’ voice whispered from a distance.

“She deceives you.”

The barbs only just started to crawl out from around the Herald’s skewed frame before they vanished, her tightening eyes gave Sora a look that said she knew what had happened.

“Mmh.  Its pull on you is stronger than I anticipated, even without the artifact in your possession…  Curious.  In any case, in an attempt to please you, your mother has opened a box she hardly understands, and not for its intended purpose…  And it cannot be resealed.”

“Is it going to hurt Wendy?!  H-How do I stop it?”  she asked in a panic as the powerful woman she assumed her mother contracted to guard her secrets gave a curious chuckle while staring at the sphere.

“Hmm-hmm.  Nothing is certain when dealing with this unorthodox power used in your creation.  Perhaps your mother knows something I do not…  Doubtful.  But I am not here to judge, only to observe and safeguard secrets from those that would.  In fact, I opened a box I shouldn’t have once myself.  It is positively thrilling.  No, I think Wendy will be just fine…  A part of the family,” she said with smiling eyes.

“I only showed myself to give you this warning…”  Even in the dream world, reality cracked around the woman, fissures breaking across space as her ominous vortex eyes drifted to her.  “Do not trust the entity linked to that star pendant.”

“Why?”  Sora pressed.  “She did help me when I needed it.  How do I know you aren’t actually the bad guy?”

Fan closing, a gentle face hid the monster that most certainly crawled underneath.  “You can’t.  What I will tell you, is what you have is beyond the edges of what can be dealt with, and its purposes are unknown.  It found you, and it will not leave.  So, I leave it in your and your sister’s hands.  I look forward to seeing how you two handle what is to come.  Quite the plots circling you, little fox…  But congratulations on expanding your family!”

The glass reality shattered, and all before Sora could ask another question.  Yet, the woman seemed unbound by such concepts of time.

Sora blinked, and the Herald was gone with those foreboding words.  Looking down at Wendy, she breathed out a troubled sigh and left the dream world.  She had five minutes before the bell rang.  Using her magic to untangle herself from her mother’s strangling tails and father’s arm, Sora hovered out of bed, placing a silencing spell over them so nothing would wake them.

Scratching her ear in agitation, Sora hurried out of the room to check on Wendy.  She ran past the Foundation men, rabbits, and demon to reach her sister’s door, slowing and opening it up to peek inside.

Trepidation squirming like worms in her belly, she could instantly feel the bizarre flow that had encased Wendy like a caterpillar, wrapping her spirit and body up like a cocoon as a mix of copper orange and white flames embraced her.

“Please be okay…”  Sora hissed.  “Just trust Mom…  Mom wouldn’t do anything that would hurt Wendy.  Just in case, though…”

Jogging out, she burst into a cosmic-shining room, the sudden noise sending the sleeping bunny practically jumping to the ceiling in a panic from her entrance.

“Zen!”

“H-Huh!  What is it?  Who—enemies?!  Where?!”

The young man hopped onto his hind legs, big eyes spinning for danger as he spun his little paws, looking left and right with colorful lunar tattoos lighting up on his fur and sparkles flashing to life around him.  “I’ll teleport them in the trajectory of a satellite!  Where are they?!”

“Woah!  Woah!”  Sora laughed, holding up her hands and knowing Wendy would have loved to have recorded that; Zen now floating up and calling upon his lunar cosmic power.  “No enemy!  I just need your help.”

“Oh…  Okay?”  The charged atmosphere and lunar spheres faded away as he dropped down on his hind legs to look up at her, floppy ears pulled back.  “You are much better at waking me up than the alarm clocks.  I keep sleeping through them.”

Feeling better after the amusing sight, Sora waved him to follow her.  “Come here real quick.”

“Coming.”  He hopped off the bed, yawning as he exited the door, and she took him to a stop in front of Wendy’s room, making the bunny’s eyes go big again.  “I’m not allowed to go in here.  Wendy’s room is off-limits unless I’m with her.”

“Wellll,” Sora said, looking away with a forced smile and knowing she’d be mortified at inviting her crush to watch her sleep.  “I’m worried about a change she’s going through.  I just would feel better if you were here to make sure she’s okay.  Can you call me if something weird happens to her?  It’s for her safety.”

Zen looked past her with an unsure frown, thinking she was trying to get him to do something he’d been specifically told not to do.  Luckily, he was an inexperienced moon boy who never had to deal with weird situations like this because he should have asked a lot more questions.

“If it’s to help Wendy…  I do feel something strange happening to her mana spirit.  A shell encases her whole body.  Is this… supposed to happen?”

Sora opened the door and had him jump in, looking nervous and scared.  “W-Wendy, I’m coming in with Sora.  Are you okay?”

Clearing her throat, Sora giggled at the cute boy’s attitude.  “I think it’s fine.  I’d just like an update if anything drastic happens.  I’m trusting my mom here.  Okay?”

“Alright…  If Ms. Mia says it’s supposed to happen, then she’s the expert in all things magical.”

“Yeeeah…  Alright!  I’ll leave you to watch her.  You have your phone?”

He held up his paw, where a sparkling light revealed his galaxy-themed phone.  “Got it.”

“Nice!  See you in a few hours… hopefully.”

“Good luck on your mission.”

Waving him goodbye, her face softened while seeing the bunny float over a chair to jump on and keep guard over the sleeping brunette.  The twins had corrupted him on some things, but Wendy was aggressively protective over the innocent moon prince.

Please, let this be a good thing.  Wendy needs all the good vibes.

Leaving the room and closing the door softly behind her, Sora got the well-dressed bunnies and Mr. Vondoom up to go, realizing he’d sent for a flying, invisible car to be dropped off for them.  It seemed odd to her that one of the White Rabbits would be driving, considering their size.

Devlin assured her that he would remain with the demon, showing a new briefcase, fitted with holy energy to weaken demons as an added measure.  In addition, two of the White Rabbits stayed behind to safeguard the house, which Sora was grateful for.

Getting in the back seat with Vondoom and one of the bunnies, they made their way to the theater where Kari and the Black Queen waited, hopefully with Aiden.  Juggling so many pins, Sora was a tad worried one had to fall, and she called the phone she’d given Eyia to check up on their day.

Sora restrained a laugh as the blonde answered.  “Jin, the little fairy in the runic device is doing its dance.  What am I supposed to do?  I pressed the glass, but no image of my sister came up.”

“Eyia!  Can you hear me?”

“Sister?  Are you there?  Did you do the butt dialing?  Hello, Fairy, how do I do the unmuting of my sister!”

Sora held two fingers to her brow with silent laughter as the robotic voice of what she’d named her digital assistant answered.  “Here is what I found on the web.”

“The fairy is in rebellion?”

“Dammit, Eyia, give it here,” Jin growled, bustling in with an annoyed edge in her voice.  “You have the volume all the way down.”

“Yes, which is why I asked the fairy to fix it.  It refuses my orders as usual.  I think we must find a new fairy assistant.”

“Maybe we can ask it where we can find you a new brain.  Yo, Sora, you there?”

“Here!”  she laughed, Vondoom even showing a small smile at the Valkyrie’s antics.  “I was just checking in.  How is it going?”

“It’s going.  Bye, Mom.”

Sora snorted as she hung up.  “Well, that’s Jin.  Haaa.  Let’s see what Kari found out.”

The bunnies and Vondoom were rather quiet on their ride, and Sora kept her guard up; she didn’t want to get caught off-guard again like the elves that dosed her with Pixie Dust.  Yet, nothing happened in the five-minute flight to the theater.

They passed a block away and got out; Kari must have spotted them because she appeared out of an alleyway after jumping down from the roof.

“Took you long enough,” she snarled, tail swaying with agitation, but there was a hunter’s edge in her eye that made Sora think the wolf was enjoying herself, prowling around the building and scoping it out.  “One car showed up twenty minutes ago, and a blond boy got out—not Aiden—and he went inside.  No woman, as far as I could see.”

Vondoom fixed his jacket as he exited, the rabbits flanking them.  “She will be using a dimensional shift to enter, using something that the blond man has as an anchor.  We’ll be expected.  So far, everything lines up with how the Black Queen does business, but we shall see.  Do you still want to go through with this?”  he asked, glancing her way.  “It’s likely a trap.”

“Isn’t it always…”  Sora sighed.  “Everyone wants me to help them with something, but I haven’t seen anyone really trying to kill me…  I’m an easy access card to hard to get things.  I guess it comes with the territory since this is my territory,” she grumbled with a shrug, sweeping back her hair in the light breeze.  “Let’s get this over with.”

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