Entering their hallway suite, Mia breathed out a tense laugh as her daughter spun her in a circle, doing her best to keep a smile on her face. “You’re in high spirits! It will still be two to three hours before your dad wakes up.”

“Perfect! So, what do you remember?” Sora eagerly pressed, guiding them into the front room to sit down next to her on the couch. “Do you have any questions for her, Wendy?”

Her heart ached as Wendy shook her head, the human girl’s eyes downcast. She sat across from them in an armchair, radiating a palpable sense of discomfort. Caught up in her own excitement, Sora failed to notice the tension in the room. Mia wished her daughter could read the signs, but she was too absorbed in all the positive vibes to see how uncomfortable Wendy was.

It wasn’t like she was blind without her powers; Mia had a sense of what was going on. Her daughter was attempting to tread carefully as well, not wanting to be too intrusive on her new sister. This, however, was causing its own set of problems. Trying to navigate the uncharted waters of their family dynamic herself, Sora was wrapped up in a whirlwind of emotions that needed to be sorted through. Wendy wasn’t the only one who needed time to process their feelings.

Squeezing Sora’s tail with her own, Mia shifted closer to allow her daughter to lean against her. She felt utterly worthless; luckily, her new body allowed for some deception, at least at her daughter’s current level.

“I actually know very little with this limited brain and spirit,” she chuckled, paying close attention to Wendy’s actions and looking for the right moment she knew would come, not from magic, but an instinctual knowledge from interacting with souls for millions upon millions of years. That instinct couldn’t help her with everything, though. “In fact, you’ll have to teach me how to do the laundry.”

Sora gave her an incredulous look. “Uh, we have staff that do that for us, Mom. Seriously? You didn’t even give yourself that information? What about Dad and Aunt Rose?”

Brain coming to a screeching halt, she leaned away to stare at her daughter. “Who is your Aunt Rose? Where did you get that name?”

Sora groaned, falling to the armrest, her copper hair collecting around her and making Mia’s ears fall back. “No! Mom, you seriously didn’t give yourself anything about Dad’s side of the family? You tell me he’s not human, and then I meet—”

Mia blinked, her fuzzy brain refocusing. Sora was now standing in front of her, a concerned look on her face. “Hmm?”

“I figured this would happen,” her daughter angrily growled.

“What happened… What was that? I don’t remember what we were talking about. Your dad’s side of the family?”

“Yeah, but you just blanked out—everyone does! Ugh. Only the Herald of Sakura and Nilly seem to know about her.”

Scratching her temple, Mia’s mind ran through everything she had retained in her limited brain. Her gut tightened at the implication that skidded through her thoughts. Something had changed relating to Sora and her father’s side of the family. It was simple enough, yet she’d been influenced by something just now.

Again, she discovered something else she hadn’t given herself information on. It felt like an important subject, but it also felt like a dangerous one. It was subtle, but she could see the signs. This invasion couldn’t be her immediate concern, though; Wendy should be. The Herald would handle any unforeseen hiccups.

Her crimson eyes lifted to Wendy’s uncertain face, now holding a pillow against her chest. It was time, and it couldn’t have arrived soon enough.

Rainbow flames ignited to their right, revealing Aiden as he puffed out a long breath, pacing himself in his energy consumption. Before anyone could speak, she stood and drew her daughter into another embrace.

“Excellent timing, Aiden.” Wendy’s fingernails dug into the throw pillow she now hugged, attempting to hide her quakes. “Wendy and I were just about to go for a walk to clear our heads. Would you keep my daughter company?”

“Wait, now?” the Son of Huma asked, sweeping back his slightly messy blond hair and looking toward Sora. “What if something happens to Stephanie while you’re out?” he asked, draping his suit jacket over the back of a couch.

“Yeah, Mom! I thought we were going to wait for…”

Wendy abruptly stood. “L-Lady Mia, can we…walk for a bit?”

Sora trailed off, spotting the brunette’s shaky eyes and overwhelmed smile that didn’t hide anything. “Umm. Sure, Wendy. Mom?”

Squeezing her tail, Mia waved her concerns away with a short chortle. “We’ve done everything we can for Stephanie. Everything will turn out perfect today. I can promise that, at the very least.”

It wasn’t a lie—she had that knowledge—not that she felt that way.

“If you say so,” her daughter mumbled, nibbling on her bottom lip. A nervous tic hit the copper fox’s left ear, stilling Mia’s thumping heart; this was why she was here. She had to remain strong. At least, she did in front of her daughter. “Wendy, are you sure? I don’t want you to feel…”

“Nope! Nope! Hahaha. I just think, I, um, I need to get out and stretch my arms—legs…stretch my legs. I’m not nervous at all!”

“Okay. Okay. Hey, I’m just… No, I get it…have a good walk! Oh, and take an umbrella. I feel a short sprinkle coming in from the sea. I’ll just, uh…be here with Aiden!” she grinned, waving back at the boy’s awkward gesture. “I’m so lost right now! Do you think I’m like an aunt now since Stephanie is having her baby boy?”

“You’ll have to ask her that, dear. I think we all are a tad lost, and that is okay,” Mia whispered, reaching out to squeeze her hand and slip her tails away from her daughter’s. “When Ferdinand makes his way here, I’m sure you’ll have a few things to discuss with him. Wendy?”

“Mhm…”

The firebird and her adorable troublemaker watched them move toward the elevators, take two of the umbrellas, enter the box, and disappear through the closing metal doors. Mia closed her eyes the moment she was out of sight, letting the strangling vice around her chest loosen…only it wouldn’t. Fire flared to life in her lungs as if it was filled with deadwood, ready for the pyre, and guilt flicked her in the forehead.

She chuckled, tails pulling together to wrap around one another, and her arms slowly drew in around her quaking body.

“Ms. Moore… Ms. Moore, are you crying?”

“Hmm? Oh. Sorry…sorry, Wendy.” Her thick-throated chuckles shook her frame as she unwound her arms to use her palm and the back of her hand to wipe away the big tears escaping her eyes. “This is really not what I wanted to do. I’m in no state to be around—hmm?”

Wendy’s hot arms wrapped around her, melting her heart, and the doors opened, showing Howie and Daisy.

“Woah, Wendy, and…Ms. Moore? Sora in disguise?” Howie mumbled.

“Is there something wrong?!” Daisy swiftly followed up, holding her purse tight against her belly. “Did something happen?!”

Unable to stop the tears or the heat burning her throat and face, Mia shook her head. Using one hand to guide Wendy out of the elevator with her, now sniffling herself and blocking out the world against her front, Mia breathed through a shaky response.

“It is Mia. Don’t fret. It is just unfamiliar, visceral emotions… Can we keep this our little secret?”

“Yeah, of course,” Howie instantly answered. “Is it not a good time for us to stop by?”

“It may be a little bit of an awkward time. Would you mind doing something for us?”

Daisy eagerly nodded, the quarter succubus’s earnest eyes showing how good Sora was at gathering in a supportive circle. “Just name it.”

“Stephanie will need a lot of ice cream sweets when this is over, and we’ll need food for the gathering. Can you—ahem. Can you go to Eight Tables and ask them to send a catering service to our apartment at 7 p.m.? Let them know that they should expect to feed some very hungry patrons.”

“We’ll get it done, Ma’am,” Howie said with a cute salute. “We basically work for your family, so leave it to us.”

Wendy gulped down her heavy emotions as the pair hurried off to play their part. “What…do you want from me?”

Mia returned her shaky embrace, resting her head against the brunette’s as she whispered. “I think we’re keeping each other stable right now. I can talk if you want to listen. I just…have some things I need to say, and I can’t really…”

“Tell, Sora? No, I get that… I just…can’t. I can’t hurt her or make her feel like she has to…to fix me.”

Holding out an open hand, despite her previous statement, Mia didn’t have to say a word. Wendy stared at her inviting hand for a few seconds, working herself up before taking it, and Mia guided them toward the back of the hotel. She just needed someone else that she could hold right now…someone who didn’t fill her with profound guilt. On the way out, she almost tripped; luckily, Wendy stabilized her.

“Oops. Sorry, I’m…not used to walking with such weak ankles… It’s been challenging holding myself together in front of Sora.”

“It’s fine. Just…breathe with me for a bit. It’s okay…”

Fighting back her emotions at the surge of vulnerability that struck her, Mia felt sweat slicking her armpit, her hands clammy as the brunette she should be comforting reassured her.

“That’s it… One breath in…and one breath out… Hehe. Sora had to do this with me not that long ago. Mmm. I didn’t think you’d be in such a mess…being a hyper-goddess or whatever.” A weak laugh followed, the brunette’s eyes shining in the dull light of the back party area. “Is it real…or are you just trying to…to connect with me?”

Sad chortles quaked through her frame as Wendy guided her toward a few reclinable chairs just before reaching the sandy beach. “I’m utterly pathetic right now, Wendy… I can hardly think about you as it is… I’m so weak—my legs…”

“Here… Take a seat. What’s happening?” she asked with sudden worry. “Is your body not working—is it failing?”

“No. No… I just need a minute to catch…my breath and…and calm down. It’s unfamiliar…everything is unfamiliar and frightening. I’m so sorry, Wendy,” she wept, the three hearts within her chest pulsing as if they were about to combust into pure fire. “I’m the one who should be comforting you…and look at me… Some Founder mother I am… Did my mom feel like this at any point? I…wish I could have asked her.”

Getting her onto a chair, Wendy sank into her own, not watching her embarrassingly disheveled fur and curled legs. Instead, the brunette pushed their chairs together and pressed her back against hers, letting a silence that was as thin as paper pass between them.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Minutes went by, and the pain in her chest hardly eased in that time. She let the strong, humid sea breeze slide across her cold body; had she ever felt cold like this? Not that she could remember. Her ears pulled back when a chilly bullet hit her wrist—no, a raindrop.

Wendy cleared her throat and forced herself up, dragging over one of the big, open-stand umbrellas to position over them. It could have been all in Mia’s brawling mind and heart, but she was failing. Had she thought this was going to be easy? Because not being able to use her magic felt like claws around her throat, robbing her of air and biting into her neck.

The pattering of the overhead rain made her tuck her tails through her legs and hug it to her chest. Through her blurry eyes, all she saw was a light mist, a spotless shore, and the rough waters of the ocean. It was like she was a little girl again, feeling out the vast dimensional waves; she didn’t like it.

“I can’t hear…”

“Hmm?” Wendy’s hot arm pressed against her back as she shifted in her seat. “What did you say?”

Shivering again, she pulled in tighter, watching the splashing raindrops dash in all directions on the chairs beside her. Wendy’s comforting, warm hand slid around her sick stomach as she pulled her into a soothing embrace that felt like redemption—unearned redemption.

Once again, no words were exchanged until Mia sniffled a laugh. “I am selfish…I’m wrong. I’m so…wrong.”

“Do you…want to talk about it?” Wendy whispered. “Hehe. Sorry, your fur just tickles a little. If you don’t want to talk, then that’s okay, too. I just needed some time…away from everything. So…thank you.”

Needles cascading down her back, Mia shook her head and swallowed the thick saliva in her throat. “How do you do it?”

Pushing herself up, Wendy looked down at her flaming, puffy cheeks. “How do I do what?”

Looking up, past her messy red locks, she shook her head again, unable to find the words for a minute. “…Everything…this chill…this confined, isolated mind…this pressure pounding against your chest… The fear of the unknown… The pain?”

She caught Wendy’s tucked under her bottom lip and red nose before the girl sniffed back her tears. “Can you…wait here for just a second? I just need a second; I know where they are.”

Not wanting her to go or her warmth to leave, Mia forced herself to nod, unable to say the words. Her legs knotted as the brunette got up and dashed through the light rainfall, out of sight.

I am selfish. I’m wrong… I didn’t think this would be so…hard. What do I do? I can’t hear anything. I feel too much. I think too little. I can’t… breathe when I want to… It hurts. Everything hurts…

Trapped in her brain, she jolted when something heavy draped over her. Stinging eyes fluttering open, all she saw was unfamiliar darkness, causing a whimper to escape from her thick throat. Yet, rays of light filtered into focus as someone crawled under with her and pulled her into a warm hug. Wendy’s soft, comforting body tempered her turbulent heart.

“It’s me. Sometimes…you have to just blot out the world. Hah. Thick blankets work pretty well—in my experience. Umm. Feeling better?”

“Mhm… Thank you.”

“Mhm. Just tell me when…yeah.”

Mia gradually slid her hands off her tails to hold her adopted daughter’s arm against her knotted belly. Guilt turned it…but also relief and gratitude. Eventually, she heard the shower pass. Once again, she had no grasp of time in this unfamiliar world.

Poking her head out of the blanket the brunette had found, she saw a dazzling bright landscape of sun-enhanced droplets of water. The Miami sun spread its rays across the land and sea, making her wince and blink; she couldn’t look away.

“Feeling better?” Wendy mumbled, the girl’s hair somehow not as messy as hers. “I’m feeling better.”

Muscles rendered utterly useless, sore, and alien, Mia swapped to her back. She clutched the blanket tightly against her chest and tried to keep her tails underneath its weighty, protective veil. She stared up at the big umbrella, having lost her own that Sora had told her to take at some point—she truly didn’t know what she was doing. How was that possible?

“Better is…a subjective word.”

“Okay,” Wendy said, sitting up and tucking a knee under her chin while examining the choppy, sunbathed ocean. “What are you thinking right now?”

“…The ocean stinks…kind of. It smells nice, in a way. I’m weak…so weak. I can’t think. Everything is too small and too big. I can’t…stop myself from crying! Agh…or choking. It’s just…”

“Overwhelming?”

“Yeah.”

“I get that… Why does it hurt?”

The question struck Mia in the lungs, and several seconds went by before she worked out an answer. “I…fear that I made the wrong decision. I’m afraid I did this out of selfish reasons…and put my daughters in danger…that I failed at the one thing I’ve wanted for so…so long.”

“Hmm. So, you think I’m your daughter, too?” she asked.

Her voice somehow didn’t tell Mia anything when it should have; being mortal was so…frustrating. This was what she’d wanted, though. Oh, how limited was her understanding when she made that decision. Would her mother laugh at her or slap her tails?

“I do, truthfully. It’s not like I expect anything in return… You’ve given me more than I thought, which makes me stupid…ignorant. How can I guide Sora when I’ve…never been so lost and helpless? I’m…flawed.”

“Good.”

“Good?” Mia glanced at the smiling brunette, rubbing at her cheeks. “I know all things are flawed, but…I don’t want to be flawed for my daughters.”

Wendy giggled and relaxed. “I’m flawed… I don’t feel worthy to be Sora’s friend. I’m not strong enough…good enough. I’m selfish, too. Haha. I want to be Sora’s friend…her sister—like Eyia always calls her. I’m weak, too… I’m scared. So it’s nice knowing…I’m not the only one,” she choked, cheeks flushing again.

“My mom thought she was perfect…so…so,” Wendy looked into her red eyes, bottom lip trembling, “so if I ever had another mom…I’d want her to be flawed…like me. I’d want her to be flawed, so I’m not alone.”

Once again, the dam behind Mia’s eyes fractured, and the exhausting fire assaulted her. Wendy’s words cut deep into her heart, but she restrained herself from initiating anything the brunette didn’t as the girl continued.

“I don’t know if I can ever call anyone Mom again…but you’re amazing. You’re not weak; you’re strong. And even if you don’t have all the answers, I know Sora loves you…so much. Thank you for noticing me…for caring about me…for letting me be a part of your family, even if it hurts. Thank you. But it hurts. I’m flawed…I’m flawed, too.”

The instant Wendy initiated, Mia lurched over to pull the human girl—her human daughter—over her to cry into each other’s arms. Stroking her hair and pressing hot foreheads together to laugh through their tears at how pathetic they both were, Mia felt a new light bud within her breast.

Hope dangled on a string between them, like slow-spinning redemption, winding in and winding out like the lapping waves. The shine of it was reflected in her muddy-eyed daughter’s wet and red cheeks. It rendered her so isolated…motivated…and now she was certain. She’d made the right choice. The corners of her lips turned up; she was too deep now to ever swim against the current, so she let herself be pulled into its arms.

“I promise, Wendy. I’ll be the best mom I can be for you girls…even if it is hard for all of us. I’ll do everything within my power—as weak and limited and flawed as I am…I’ll do everything in my power to give you what you deserve… A mom’s everything.”

Wendy’s chest quaked against hers as she hugged her tight, robbing the air from her lungs as her daughter cried. “…Mom…help. Help me, Mom…”

Holding her head against her breast, Mia let her tears fall freely. The guilt in her heart dissipated; she didn’t have room for it if she was going to give her a family. She knew what Wendy feared, and there was a way to make her a genuine part of their family.

“It’s okay,” she whispered as her daughter broke down, repeating the words she’d told her earlier. “I’m here…and I’m not going anywhere. I won’t let you slip away. You’re mine…and I am yours, my beautiful brown-eyed daughter. I love you.”

“I love you, Mom… I’m scared! I’m so scared…”

“I know… I’m here to make everything better,” she soothed, kissing her forehead. “I have a plan. Everything is going to be okay.”

This was her redemption for all the years she’d watched from a distance. The family her mother had always dreamed she would have was here, and she couldn’t have imagined the feelings it brought… It was worth killing for.

What will Inari do when she discovers what I’ve been doing in my room? I have to prepare for that day.

* — * — *

Sora puffed out her cheeks, twiddling her thumbs in the awkward silence that fell between Aiden and her once Wendy and her mom left.

I hope you know what you’re doing, Mom…

“Ahem.” Her ears flew up, green eyes darting to the firebird as he chuckled, rubbed his neck, and sat back. “Since we’re alone. Can I…run something by you real fast?”

Saliva thickening at the implication, Sora tried not to bring her tail up to hug while trying to act cool. “Huh? Yeah, of course. Haha. What’s up?”

Aiden sucked in his left cheek and glanced at the floor with a light glare, leaning against his armrest. “I’ve been giving this Foundation business a lot of thought…and some things don’t line up. Mind casting a silencing barrier around us? Hah. My feathers are a bit in use right now,” he said, wiggling his sparking, multi-colored fingers.

Yup, Sora dully sighed to herself. Of course, it’s about something that’s not me.

“Sure! And…done.” she chirped, not letting her anxious heart get dragged into the bud while waiting for whatever bombshell the blond was about to drop. “So, what’s up?”

“Well, the Foundation has almost totally botched its Monster Branch, right?” He crossed his legs and bobbed his leg, showing fancy-looking socks and an anklet she hadn’t noticed before; it had a paw print on it. “If so, why have it so defunded when they know that the fae are a serious threat, and they don’t know why they sealed their borders?”

Sora blinked, lips falling into a frown as she leaned her head back to look at the partly cloudy sky, her hair draped over the back of the couch. “That…is a good question. My mom pushed for us to go to Avalon Academy. She was pretty hardcore when it came to demanding things from the Foundation…and Diane is…icky, to say the least.”

Her eyes flew open when the witch’s parting warning resurfaced. “She said something about a random number monster—eh, a Kumiho that escaped and is probably going to Avalon. That could have been planned,” she debated. “Diane warns us, but they’re being sneaky in the background and maybe cut a deal with her. Do you think they’d make a move against my mom?”

Aiden laughed, wiping away a tear from his eye before abruptly cutting off and becoming serious. “Absolutely—well…hold on.”

“Uh-huh?”

“What if your mom wanted them to plot against your family?”

Sora’s ears pulled back. “Come again? You think my mom is trying to toughen me up?”

“Not necessarily just you,” Aiden hummed, getting up and walking to the glass window to stare down at the bustling Miami streets. “If there’s something I’ve learned from what Alva did to our family, it is that older Founders see things on a totally different scale than we do. I can see your mother plotting against herself in order to further protect your family…just in ways none of us can fathom or see.”

A lump formed in Sora’s throat as she saw her puppeteering mother plucking their strings behind countless dimensions. It was swiftly swept away, and she got up to join him by the window. She couldn’t help but notice how muscular the boy was in his fitted, button-up shirt, the sleeves folded back to his elbows.

“My mom wouldn’t do anything to traumatize or hurt us, but I can see her trying to push us…and she was scared about things she wasn’t sure she could fully counteract. This was a leap of faith for her, so…I guess she’s putting her trust in us to overcome whatever is coming. The dreaded magic school!”

He chuckled at her joke, but his sober tone didn’t falter. “I can’t really say much about the horrors of school life, but we can’t overlook the threats we know are lurking in the background.”

“I know. I know,” Sora sighed, letting herself feel a bit of the weight behind his words; she knew she was a tiny fox in a big onion. “The Darkness, the Foundation, the Avalon High Court…potentially Sela’s relapse or Fen’s plots. Hey, maybe we’ll get bullied! Haha. Been there, done that.”

She turned and shot him a confident grin, holding up a fist for him to bump. “Whatever comes, I think we can handle it if we’re a team. What do you think I’ve been doing all this time? If I’ve got a solid family, then no way they can shake us.”

“Oh! Adding me into the mix with that family vibe?” Aiden asked with a dubious smirk while meeting her knuckles. “Is that really where you want me?”

Her brain was knocked all the way back to her stutter.

“W-What?!”

“Playing! Playing! Too much?”

Sora recovered, doing her best to reflect his energy. “Too much? Maybe not enough? You decide.”

Tension mounted in Sora’s lungs as she held her breath, and just as Aiden opened his mouth, the elevator doors opened.

“Sora, Aiden! How have things been? Everything seems to be going well upstairs…”

“Ferdinand.” Sora’s eyes dulled, sour expression moving to the oblivious, intrusive man. Maybe Aiden was onto something about this evil organization.

The sparkling firebird didn’t even skip a beat. “Dr. Ferdinand, I’m glad to hear it. Do you have a more detailed report?”

Confusion filled the man’s face as he approached them. “What was that? I didn’t hear you. Am I, eh… interrupting something?”

Yes! Sora internally shouted, dismissing her silence barrier with annoyance. Get lost!

“Not at all,” Aiden replied. “I actually had some things I wanted to ask you about. Let’s talk.”

Sora dragged her feet back to the couch to plop her sour butt into the comfy cushions as they got into the boring topic of the Foundation. Well, some parts were interesting but not as interesting as the path they’d been going before.

Chill a bit, Sora, she internally coached herself. Chill… We still have all of magic school to figure things out. I can’t eat all my sweets at once. I need to savor the wholesome family vibes. Yeah, that’s the right attitude! Dad is waking up soon. And…hopefully, Mom and Wendy will be cool, and Wendy isn’t going to run away, thinking I’m better off without her… Please, don’t do that! Mom, work your magic!