Coming out can be super difficult, even if you’ve got a protector AI chip in your head.

Please be kind and gentle with someone who comes out to you. The sheer amount of trust they're putting in you, alongside the pain they risk when doing so tends to make them incredibly fragile in the moment.

-Shadowtag, on an forum AMA 2043

I returned Benny’s hug while taking in my cousin’s various reactions. Benny was frankly a bit confused, the twins were both clearly happy about things; Summer practically attempting to sand down the floor she was standing on, and Autumn jumping up and down while clapping her hands. Both had wide smiles.

Something Evie didn’t share.

She was currently too busy trying to pick her jaw up off the floor

Giving Benny a pat so he’d let go of me, I grabbed his hand and walked us the rest of the way towards the twins and Evie.

“H-hey Evie…”

“EHHHH?”

“Ugh! This is taking too long!” Summer shouted, “Put this on now so Autumn can take pictures!”

She held up the object she had rushed off for earlier to reveal a silver tiara with a sapphire gem in it. I felt tears rushing to my eyes as I kneeled down in front of her slowly to not dirty my new dress, and bowed my head. As Summer placed the tiara on top of my scalp, Autumn spoke up with a regal voice.

“It is my great pleasure to christen Spark as the new princess of the storms! With her special lightning guns she shall protect us for years to come! Now rise Princess Graham, and show those nasty monsters what for!”

‘Pyri did you help her with that speech?’

Only a little, the entire thing was her idea and was entirely too cute to not help with.

I had rivers of tears running down my face as I stood back up and rushed the pair of twins, wrapping them up in a hug.

“You both are amazing, you know that?”

They both nodded emphatically.

“We just wanted to make you feel like a pretty princess!” Autumn declared, “Cause you are one!”

“Yep! A princess that’s really strong!” Summer said with a grunt. “And gives really tight hugs too!”

I blushed and rubbed the back of my head, “Oh, right. Uhhhh, Pyri made me a lot stronger than I used to be.” I grinned, “Now I’m literally built different!”

The pair giggled as Evie cleared her throat behind me. I turned around with the pair still held in my arms, (a bit looser though), and found Evie looking at me with an arched eyebrow.

“That still you in there Spark?”

A slight chill ran up my spine as I realized Evie and Benny had no idea what was going on. Not an inkling between the two why I wasn’t just a lot buffer, or something.

“I uhhhh yeah Evie, it’s me, no one else.”

She walked up to me a bit hesitantly, a small bit of fear in her eyes as well which had that chill coming back even stronger.

“Prove it,” she placed her hands on her hips. “What’s the one thing you created that nearly blew the both of us up?”

I started for a moment, “Evie! First off you swore not to tell anyone! Second off you need to narrow it down!”

The three kids all were looking back and forth between us, curiosity of getting some info about my more secret projects painted all over their faces.

“The one from when you were nine.”

I grimaced, “It was a homemade potato cannon made from the old water heater.” Not satisfied. she motioned for me to continue. Sighing with defeat I acquiesced, “It may or may not have blown a hole through the wall when the hot water tank exploded. And is the reason the south wall of my workshop has a different colored panel right in the middle.”

Evie snorted, seemingly convinced that I was actually me. “You forgot to mention the part where I was standing two feet below where that lump of metal went through the wall.”

I stood up and pointed at her. “You weren’t supposed to be standing there and you knew it!”

She only grinned, “I know you could probably flatten me now, but you lost your intimidation factor with your height. You’ll need to work on that.” I pouted, which unfortunately made her laugh. “Honestly the new look suits you.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

She looked a bit sad, “I wish you would’ve told me-wait no that's not fair.” She breathed in and out, “I wish I had been outwardly safe enough for you to talk to me about this. How long have you known?”

Flinching, I sat down in a nearby chair, “That depends on your definition of ‘knowing’.” I looked at the twins and Benny who was very patiently sitting on a question. “What’s your question Benny?”

“If you’re a girl does this mean you get to learn how to make pancakes so we get them more often?”

I blinked as Evie giggled, “He’s got ya there Spark!”

“Bu-But I already know how to make them!”

The kid in question pouted at me, “Then you owe me pancakes!”

“Sure sure.” I ruffled his hair, “Why don’t you and the twins go over and sit in the office while Evie and I talk about something real quick.” Evie’s eyebrows went up, “Boring adult stuff.”

Benny gave me a salute, “Yes s-ma’am!” and quickly dragged the twins to the small room in the corner. Once the door was closed I turned back to find Evie had dragged a chair over, and sat down in front of me.

“How bad?”

“I found out right after we got to the bunker, Pyri helped me sort stuff out, but…”

“Spark what’s wrong?” she prodded.

“Well you know how when I passed out right when we got there Pyri said I was having a flashback?”

She nodded.

“Well,” I breathed out, “It was from when I was five.”

Evie gasped, knowing full well what that meant. I felt a lump grow in my throat, and my voice trembled as I said:

“I was with my Momma, and I was wearing a dress.”

I looked up at Evie with more tears in my eyes, “Evie, I knew before I came here! Something happened to me, something bad enough to make me suppress my gender identity to the point I forgot about it.”

She reached out and took my hands, “Spark. I don’t like saying this but, is it possible you were abused for being trans?”

I shook my head emphatically, my insides churning up in anger, “By my Momma? Absolutely not! She wou-“

“No no! Not your mom, by someone here.” She looked down at the floor, “The first few years I remember, you were always really quiet around Nana and Popo. Deathly quiet to the point you were like a ghost.” She looked up at me with anguish written on her face, “Only after Popo died when I was six did you start truly coming out of your shell.”

I was stunned, “I-I don’t know. Everything from before I was eight is super fuzzy.”

[If I may,] Pyri spoke through the phone left on one of the chairs. [The nano-regenerative suite you used right after becoming a Vanguard. Its logs show a few healed fractures you sustained as a small child.] Her voice took on a very somber tone. [The injuries would've been near the date of your mother’s death.]

“Wha- I- I don’t understand I-“

Evie squeezed my hand, “Spark you’re ok, you’re right here!”

I fought to speak through the tears, “But. I’m not okay! I knew something bad had to ‘ve happened, but this means my life was stolen from me!”

Arms wrapped around me as I broke down and sobbed into my hands. “I know, and we’ll just have to live twice as much so you can make up for lost time. You’re a Samurai now! I’m sure you could find out more about what happened with Pyri’s help! And even then I’ll help too! Once you’re ready for it I’ll ask mom,” her voice got angry, “and if she had anything to do with it she can screw off! No one hurts my best friend like that!”

***

After I had finished crying while Evie hugged me, she helped me wash up with the tub sink. Wasting no time, I practically tackled her with a hug. “Easy there Spark!” She said with a grunt, “You’re a lot stronger now.” Seeing the thumbs up I gave in response, she continued. “Might as well call the kids back in and let the princess gush about how good it feels to be a girl now!” She thought for a few moments, “And get you in front of a full length mirror.”

I froze at the mention of my eternal enemy. “D-do I have to?”

Evie looked down at me in pity, “I won’t force you to, but we all get to see how pretty you’ve become. Why not you?”

I could only stammer out the first half of a poor excuse before she shut me down with a look.

“F-fine, I’ll do it. B-but only a small peek!”

“Alright, now let's go get the kids, and find you a mirror. Unless Pyri has something that will work?”

I can get you a proper mirror for one point.

“She says can,” I sighed, “Get the others in here, Autumn might tear me a new one if she missed this.”

Evie giggled, “She saw right through you didn’t she?”

I blushed, “No actually. I uhhhh, accidentally… corrected Summer on my pronouns, and she said Autumn had to know about the secret.” I smiled, “Then Autumn saw right through me, and proceeded to say she’ll fight anyone who is mean to me about it.”

Evie nodded as we reached the door to the office, “That kid’s going places.”

With a quick peek inside and a few words spoken was all it took for the three to burst out of the office and rush for the chairs left in front of the BioShifter dragging the two of us with them. Autumn was the most visibly excited of the group, and only had a knowing smirk when told about my hesitance. The other two were just at their regular level of excitement.

Facing the group of expectant family members, I took a few deep breaths, “Okay Pyri. Buy the mirror please.”

It would be my pleasure dear.

New Purchase! Full Length Mirror 1 Points Reduced To: 243

A simple mirror set in a wooden frame popped into existence behind me. Taking one last deep breath I turned around with my eyes closed, and then finally ripping the band-aid off, I opened them.

“O-Oh!”

I was… transfixed. The girl in front of me was a bit short, but made up for it with how effortlessly pretty she looked! Wavy, silvery blue hair fell down to her shoulders framing her rounded face. Behind a pair of round white rimmed glasses were a pair of intense stormy gray eyes. Her skin had a slight tan from working outside in the sun so much. Her body, or at least the parts that weren’t hidden beneath the dress, was… toned yet soft? Like a coiled spring ready to lash out at those underestimating how dangerous they were.

She was also crying with a desperate look on her face? And reaching out to the mirror?

“Is-is that?”

Evie soon stood by the girl, “Yes that’s you.”

The girl’s-no my desperation melted away, revealing a mixture of relief, glee, and pure euphoria.

“Congratulations on becoming you,” Evie whispered.

Sensing what was about to happen Evie stepped back.

And after a few seconds, I listened to the desire within me.

And began dancing around while shouting my glee to everyone and everything that would hear.

The haze was gone.

I was free.