Yuna awoke in a puddle of drool on the Vyx apartment floor. She sat up in a daze, facing away from the front door. She glanced around as the morning sun filtered in. After rubbing her eyes, the daze faded as she dragged herself to a nearby chair and used it to pull herself up. She noticed the dagger at her feet.

“Huh? What’s this doing here? Why am I even…?” Yuna glanced around again. “Heads so fuckin’ fuzzy.”

Yuna shook her head violently, which made her dizzy. As she held herself up via the table, she spotted markings on the floor nearby. She stumbled toward the hall, gaining strength with each step. She pressed her hand against the wall as the tracks came into full view, which led from Reina’s room. She raced forward with heavy steps. She entered to see the aftermath of Reina’s bed severed from the floor. She paused for only a moment before turning around.

“No, no, no.”

Yuna dashed down the hall. She saw her dagger again and grabbed it as she turned into the foyer. However, her legs cramped, sending her crashing into the wall. She stabbed the dagger into the wall to keep herself from collapsing, then punched her legs in fury.

“Fuck! What the hell, you bastards! Don’t fuckin’ betr—.” Yuna froze, awestruck.

Right in front of the Vyx home entrance sat Reina in a wheelchair. She slumbered peacefully. Her long hair cascaded over a winter coat and a blanket wrapped around her legs. Yuna willed herself forward, stabbing the wall along the way as her legs wobbled. She flung herself to the side of Reina, on her knees.

“This is Reina? Right? How?” Yuna patted various parts of Reina as if a heavier touch would break her. She cautiously cupped Reina’s cheek. She felt Reina’s steady breath upon her palm. “This can’t be real. I must be dreaming.” She pulled away, then held the dagger over her other forearm. Suddenly, Reina’s hand fell weakly onto Yuna’s wrist.

“Pinches work, dummy.” Reina whispered. Her fingers moved as if to pinch, but were too weak. Her eyes drowsily opened.

“Reina! It’s really you?”

“I…” Reina’s eyes darted about. She failed to lift her own head. She inhaled deeply. Sensations she had long forgotten flooded into her. The taste of the air. The smell of her home and Yuna. The weight of the coat and blanket. She coughed a little at the awareness of her breathing. Yuna observed with care, clearly holding herself back from embracing the confused Reina. Reina’s eyes locked with Yuna’s, which had a glassiness. “…don’t know?” Yuna lunged into Reina’s cheek with her own while wrapping her arms all the way around the chair and Reina.

“I don’t get it. I don’t get it.” Yuna shook her head, rubbing her cheek into Reina. “But you’re my Reina. I know it. And you’re okay.” She pulled back a little, leaving some dampness on Reina’s cheek. “Wait. You are okay, right?” She glanced hastily around Reina’s form.

“I…think?”

“Are you hurt at all? Any pain?”

“No?”

Yuna paused for a moment. “Mom! Pops!”

“Ouch.” Reina recoiled at the sound.

“Oh. Sorry, sorry.” Yuna looked around. While still gripping Reina and the chair with her left, she picked up the dagger with her right. She cocked her arm. It reconfigured into a sword. She whipped it into the opposite wall. “Wake up, you old fucks.” The sword penetrated to the hilt.

“Are you crazy? Mama’s gonna—.”

“Gall darnit, Yuna! You almost stabbed your father!” Celeste yelled. “I don’t care what the reason is, missy.” She stomped out into the dining area in pajamas. “You’ve gone way too far this time. A mouthful of soap is gonna be just the beg—.” She froze at the sight of Reina and Yuna.

“Punish me later. Mom. It’s Reina. It’s really Reina. I don’t get it. It makes no sense what’s happening. She’s weak, but she seems fine?” Yuna gestured at Reina as she looked at her. “Right?” She glanced at Celeste.

Celeste hurried over with an anxious expression. She bent and caressed Reina’s cheek. “Is it really you, hun? Reina? My lil’ Reina?”

“I think?” Reina said. Determination flashed across Celeste’s face.

“Are you hurt?” Celeste inspected Reina. “Are you in pain, at all, anywhere? Yuna, some space.” She nudged Yuna, who withdrew just enough to not hinder Celeste. Celeste cycled through brief tests like checking Reina’s eyes, pulse, and more. She did this while slinging questions at Reina, who would answer with a quiet ‘no’ or ‘yes’ each time.

“So?” Yuna asked.

“She seems… fine?. Healthy, even?” Celeste’s lips trembled as she locked eyes with Reina.

“Mama.” A faint smile formed on Reina’s face.

“My little girl.” Tears drifted down Celeste’s cheeks. “Reina.”

Celeste dropped to her knees, grabbed the back of Yuna’s head, and brought their foreheads all together. Soft weeping resounded as the three embraced. Meanwhile, Leon had been watching stealthily from around the corner, as if to not distract Reina. At the sight of their embrace, he approached to Reina’s free side. He kneeled and wrapped his arms around all three of them, chair included, as he joined them.

“Reina,” Leon said.

A short time later, the Vyx family sat around their dining room table. Yuna had one hand over Reina’s while she gestured to her door.

“I’m struggling to remember anything,” Yuna said. “The last clear memory was fighting in ALTR.” She described how she woke up.

“So, in other words, excluding Reina’s bed and the roof door, you dealt more damage to our home than the intruders,” Celeste chastised. “You will fix all the holes you put in the wall, missy. Am I understood?”

“Aw, come on. That’s not fair.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Help,” Leon said.

“Fineee.”

“We can check the cameras later,” Celeste said. “It seems likely they entered through the roof, took Reina and returned her before we awoke. It must’ve been some kind of sleep paralytic based on Yuna’s behavior. I can’t think of any other way we wouldn’t have woken, especially Leon. Hmm.” She slipped into thought.

“Okay?” Leon had a subtle worried expression as he patted Reina as if she would break with too much force.

“Yes, I’m fine, Papa, really,” Reina said.

“Hm.”

“I swear I’ll speak up if that changes, okay?”

“Mm.” Leon gave a slight nod.

Reina turned to Yuna, who had been watching her with a delighted expression. “What?”

“Just enjoying the view.” Yuna smiled.

“Stop being weird. Would you check my inner coat? I only just noticed a slight weight.”

Yuna reached in. “Hey, not bad.” She winked.

“Yuna.” Reina gave a slight glare.

“One sec.” Yuna pulled back the coat a bit, revealing an inner pocket. She then pulled out an envelope from within. She glanced at it. In print, it read ‘No strings attached’. “No strings?”

“Let me see.” Celeste appeared behind Yuna, snatching the letter from her and startling her a little.

“Christ, Mom, when’d you get there?”

Celeste inspected the envelope, then extracted a letter, and unfurled it. She quickly read until Leon spoke.

“Read,” Leon said.

“Sorry, hun.” Celeste cleared her throat. “‘To whom it may concern, Reina’s affliction has been fixed. Your residents in the basement should be able to verify her health. I debated whether to include this letter. However, I wanted it clarified that there are no strings attached to this act. Nothing will be asked of you, ever. None of the Vyxora will ever be approached regarding this manner. You have no reason to trust these words, yet I offer my apologies all the same for violating your home and committing this act without your and Reina’s permission. It is due to various circumstances that such a reprehensible method was employed, but I will comment no further than that. May you have an expedient recovery, Reina.’” Celeste turned the letter to and fro, looking for more words, but found none. “The fuck?” Rage flashed across her face as she crumpled the letter.

“Language,” Yuna said.

“Breathe, Celeste,” Leon said. Celeste glanced around in a slight daze, then took a deep breath. Meanwhile, the front door opened and Val stepped in.

“Hey, did everyone oversleep? Where are you all?” Val called.

A short time later, Reina sat in the chair Reina-cat usually did, in her basement room. Yuna sat in the wheelchair beside her. A disheveled Dante in a t-shirt and boxers drowsily exited his room. He moved toward a fridge, opened it, and took a drink out.

“Damn, that was a deep sleep.” Dante yawned. He took a swig and put the drink back. “Wonder why I didn’t hear from—?” He glanced over to see Reina looking at him. “Huh? Who?” He stopped.

“Hey… Dante.” Reina had a faint smile and gestured a weak wave.

“That face looks familiar? You know me? Wait, nah? Couldn’t be? Weird. Guess I’m dreaming? Wonder what happens if I try ALTR right now.” Dante shook his head and moved toward his room.

“You’re awake, ya idiot.” Yuna said, now standing beside Reina. “It’s Reina, in the flesh. How could you forget this adorable mug?” She placed her hand under Reina’s chin, as if presenting her face.

“Quit it.” Reina gave a weak slap to Yuna’s hand, and she withdrew.

“Uhh…” Dante said.

“Put some pants on,” Yuna said.

A brief time passed as Reina and Yuna caught Dante up. He sat in his usual spot.

“Wow. That’s pretty crazy,” Dante said. “I’m having a hard time processing it. How’re you doing?” He looked at Reina, who stared at the screens while touching the dusty keyboard.

“I’m fine. I think. It’s a lot,” Reina said.

“Must be kinda surreal to actually be sitting there, huh?”

“Very.”

“We should get going. We weren’t even supposed to stop, but Reina really wanted to,” Yuna said.

“I’ve just never physically been here. I had to.”

“I get it. Just don’t want Mom chewing me out.”

“Yeah, I’d hurry if I were you,” Dante said. “Knowing Celeste, she might’ve rushed through her morning responsibilities by now.”

“Oh, shit. Especially with Val and Pops helping?” Yuna grabbed the wheelchair in haste and transferred Reina to it.

“Hey, watch where you’re grabbing,” Reina said.

“Shush, it’s your detour’s fault.” Yuna turned them to the door.

Suddenly, the door opened. Elias and Sophia attempted to enter at the same time, bumping into each other.

“Move it, ya old goat.” Sophia elbowed Elias hard in the ribs. She walked toward Reina. “So it’s true.”

Elias coughed as he followed. “Is that really you, Reina, my dear?” He asked.

“Hello, Sophia and Elias,” Reina said.

“We were just about to come see you two. Why’re you here?” Yuna asked.

“Vyx message board,” Elias said.

“Of course it’s her. This face is unmistakable.” Sophia had closed the distance and grabbed Reina’s face, inspecting it.

“What in the world’s happened?” Elias asked.

“Huh. Yup,” Dante said. “‘Princess Reina reborn?’ It’s a hot topic. Not that anyone actually knows for sure it’s you, since they don’t know what you look like. But I guess Yuna wheeling along a frail girl was plenty.”

“W-what?” Reina’s cheeks flushed as Sophia turned her head back and forth. Elias now leaned in close as well. Yuna slapped away Sophia’s hand.

“Settle down, you old fucks,” Yuna said. “We need to get to your workshop before Mom catches up. You need to run a full health checkup on Reina, so you’ll have plenty of time to bask in her adorableness.” They ignored her, both reaching for Reina. She in turn blocked them, corralling them toward the door in an instant. They grumbled, to which Yuna gave them a forceful shove.

“Alright, I get it,” Sophia said.

“No need for violence, girl,” Elias said.

“Dante, push Reina and follow. I don’t trust these two to behave in the elevator.” Yuna guided the Nezins into the hallway.

“Guess I’m coming.” Dante stood and grabbed the wheelchair handles.

“Sorry,” Reina said. Dante shrugged before following Yuna.

“No big. I’m a bit curious. And you’re crazy light, anyway. It’s like you’re not even there.” Reina shied a little from Dante’s gaze. “You know though…”

“What is it?”

“We’re gonna have to get you a new ALTR. Kinda sounds like it got stolen. Well, at least we learned from my mistakes and have a proper backup system. Don’t worry, I’ve got your avys and even the Cafe.”

Reina giggled and shook her head. “Of course.” Even now, he treats me no differently. Unlike Mama, Papa, and Yuna… and now Sophia and Elias. It’s gonna be a long day. I’m already so sleepy… Reina dozed off.

Later that night, Reina laid flat on her back at the center of Yuna’s bed, who laid to her side. The room had dim light. They had one pair of hands interlocked under a shared comforter. Yuna, on her side, stared at Reina. She made an audible sniff.

“Are you gonna stay like that?” Reina asked.

“I’d planned to,” Yuna said.

“Could you not sniff me, at least? You’ve been so close all day.”

“Hehe. It’s hard to resist. How’s it feel to bathe after so long?”

“Strange, but nice. I’d forgotten the sensation. Though I could’ve done without so much ‘help’.”

“Again, hard to resist.”

Reina sighed. “Do you have to keep staring at me like that? It’s gonna be hard to fall asleep.”

“Can you really blame me? This is literally a dream come true.”

“What?”

“I forgot about it until today,” Yuna spoke abnormally soft. “After I first saw you for real when I started living here… I’d have dreams. Dreams about sleeping side-by-side with you, just like this. Most dreams are so weird and confusing. I’m too dumb to know what they mean. But those were obvious. Just how much you already meant to me.”

Reina turned her head. “Yuna.” She had a faint smile. The pair exchanged a glassy-eyed gaze. “I… I did too.” She turned her head back and closed her eyes. Yuna had a gentle smile.

Celeste entered the room in pajamas. “May I join, girls?” Yuna appeared ready to object, but before she could, Celeste occupied the other side of Reina, lifting the covers for only a moment.

“Aw, come on, Mom, we were—,” Yuna said. She stopped as Celeste somehow found and placed her hand over their’s under the comforter in an instant. She met Celeste’s gaze. She had a warm smile. They exchanged a myriad of thoughts without a word. “Take a whiff.”

Celeste sniffed at Reina. “Mmm.” Her smile grew with an acknowledging glance at Yuna. Reina’s eyes were heavy, barely open.

“Not you too…Mama,” Reina said. She drifted off.

Celeste and Yuna exchanged another joyful glance. Celeste then looked at Reina’s sleeping visage. Yuna glanced at where their hands intertwined, as she felt a slight tremble.