Sora floated in the atmosphere of a new planet she had the White Room generate, spinning in a slow, upside-down circle in orbit with Wendy as they pondered their predicament.

It was Friday of her ninth week of training, and she’d learned a lot of basic things about her father’s physiology, or what she now was, but was no closer to tapping into her mother’s side.

Kari was doing her typical thing, teaching all sorts of sports to the entertainment-oblivious Vulpes, and, surprisingly, she was a lot more tame in the competition, focusing more on teaching; the upsetting part to Sora was the fact that the Fenris Wolf didn’t consider her a threat.

Why should that bug her? She didn’t know, but it did.

Either the rediscovery of sports had distracted Kari from the need to get stronger, or she was just enjoying the newfound peace she felt.

Again, Sora didn’t know because the Wolf was always so relaxed that she didn’t really open up about anything she felt inside. It was so frustrating!

Mofupsi served as a good babysitter, even if she was physically spent whenever they returned from their activities.

The woman was turning out to be a god at manipulating magic, which shocked the other council members with how much she could do in optimizing their needs with just a desire; yet, when it came to the style of unpowered sports Kari enjoyed, she was huffing and puffing, and not on her pipe.

White relieved her from time to time—possibly to distract himself from Tola’s seductive drain on him—and the Kitsune was the only person who could not only beat but instruct the Fenris Wolf.

When it came to her daughter, Emilia was learning control and finesse over raw power, which came in her understanding of the way Existence functioned.

Wendy swiftly became her favorite aunt as the Book spent most of her free time with Emi after her studies, listening to and offering advice on the ideas she had planned for dresses and desserts. The two were storyboarding the next adventure Emilia was building in her spare time with the twins—from the ground up, of course—and even Kari seemed to be a part of it.

On the other hand, Sora’s sister was hopeless regarding their attempts at unlocking their Vulpes side, and she wondered if part of the reason was because of her always putting forward the ideas.

Her aunts would probably be back next week, or at least that’s when Sora expected they’d return, and maybe they’d be able to get more answers as to Kari’s Shadow.

Sora’s focus drifted to Kedragor and Rita as the two mirrored their movements. “Wendy… I’m lost.”

“Hehe. You think? We’ve been spinning in circles for the past thirty minutes. You’ve gotten stronger in the last few weeks. Kedragor can blow up a mountain now, too!”

“Draa!” the dragon roared, holding his clawed fingers up for Rita’s tiny hand to slap in support.

“Mmgm… That’s good, but I’m not trying to destroy stuff…”

Wendy forced a grin. “Yeah, well, why would you when blowing up a solar system is no big deal?”

“To be fair,” she mumbled, frowning down at the chakram looped around her copper locks, “it’s not me doing that but just me triggering a chain reaction in the sun.”

Her sister’s head bobbed, having gained gravitational control over her hair. “Your power output seems to be the same as Kari’s thing with the super planet. She did that with her dad’s power, though, which she can’t use.”

“Just like my mom’s side,” Sora grumbled, stopping in their continual loop to stare down at the winter wonderland below them. “I’ve been trying to weave magic like I used to… and all that happens is me staring at a tree for hours. White couldn’t even teach me a simple weave to make things float!”

Wendy’s strained chuckle followed, no doubt recalling how embarrassed she’d been when Emilia and the twins giggled at her attempts, showcasing the child’s lesson.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember what you told me?” her sister whispered, holding up her hand to allow Rita to sit on it as the shy fairy fervently nodded. “Pace yourself; things will come in time.”

Sora groaned, tails flicking to the left as she crossed her legs in the air to look up at the three multi-colored moons overhead in the dark, arctic environment, casting a magical display of lights throughout the atmosphere.

“Huu-haaa… I know. I know. So many things feel different since I unlocked my dad’s side, and maybe that’s what’s so annoying. Wait… you’ve been a bit different, Wendy.”

“Uh-huh?” she mumbled, ears pulling down a bit as Rita flipped sides to cock her head at the question, and Kedragor loomed behind them, ready to be of help. “You asked me how I feel like… every day, and I feel great—I don’t know how else to describe it. I haven’t felt as free since… well, since I was a kid.”

Pondering if it had something to do with her father’s side and thinking back to some books she’d read about werewolves, with Kari also on her mind, she wondered if there was some kind of hierarchy thing.

Swiftly rejecting the idea, Sora sighed, and, lost on ideas to progress, she put the question to Wendy. “Hmm. What do you think we should do to unlock our Vulpes side? Look, we even have tails!”

“Correction!” Wendy snickered, swinging around her bushy appendage for Rita to latch onto it with a content grin and using it as a bed. “Tail, singular. I’m a youngin’, old lady! Hehe.”

“Pfft! C’mon. You can’t be serious. Me? I’m only sixteen, so I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Wendy gave her a wink. “I don’t know!? With all that time acceleration you’ve done, I’m pretty sure you’re older than me, but you want my opinion?”

“Please!” Sora begged, scratching both ears as her tiny chakram layers quivered. “How can I do it? Teach me, sensei!”

Her now ’little’ sister floated into the air with a slow, amused chuckle. “Yes, bow before my great wisdom because it certainly won’t be to my power! Now, give me ten air sit-ups.”

“Eh? Sensei, I think the power is getting to your head.”

“Ho-ho-ho! Very well. Very well. Let this wise one have the stage,” she grinned, directing a page out of her book to expand it over two meters. “I’ve thought about this a lot over the past few weeks, and do you know what answer this brainless book has come up with?”

“What?! Tell me, Old Sage of the Dusty Pages!” Sora joked, not expecting a serious answer as she tried to release tension.

The expanded Null-Void parchment folded into the shape of a giant arrow before pointing at Sora’s breast, mirroring her sister’s finger. “Everything dealing with our mother’s side is inside our Cores. So, logically, that is where we need to look, which is why Kari did what she did.”

Sora’s mood instantly soured, which Wendy appeared to have known it would since she continued her analytical breakdown. Rita hid inside her fur as Kedragor gave her a forced smile.

“You asked what I think, and this is it, even if it’s hard to hear. Naturally, after Kari’s stunt, you’d be against doing anything with your Core since you have to have things pulled together in case anyone else needs saving, but it’s pretty clear that doing anything on the outside is pointless at this point. Am I wrong?”

Sora answered by cutting off her levitation, falling to the icy sheets below to plow through the layers to the below-freezing waters underneath. Her unmitigated weight carried her to the bottom faster than any rock to slam into the hyper-dense ground to glare up at the pristine waters, only marred by the chunks of ice she’d caused to break up and the small torrent she’d whipped up in passing.

Wendy soon followed, floating against the sheet two hundred meters above her to give her an innocent smile.

She’s become way looser with her tongue than she used to be with every day she spent with Emi… I know searching my Core is the best answer but is it really that smart to make those sorts of gambles when Kari could go berserk or Eyia could show up, and there be problems?

I have so much else I need to…

“Haaa…”

She watched the bubbles of air drift up to her little sister, Wendy taking it as a sign to approach.

“Feeling terrible, Frisbee Sis—come back around?”

“I’m not a boomerang.”

“Heh. Could have fooled me the last time you swung around and hit me in the back of the head!”

Closing her eyes, Sora breathed out the long stream of water that filled her lungs, not requiring air to survive. “I know, Wendy… I wanted to find a way without messing with my spirit or meeting my Shadow again.”

“Uh… why do you need to meet your Shadow?”

Her brow furrowed, vision clearing to see Wendy’s crossed arms and lifted an eyebrow, but it was hard to take her seriously with Rita struggling to use her wings in the hyper-salty water.

“I don’t?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but from everything I’ve learned so far, your Shadow only deals with your priorities, personality, and boundaries. Sure, fighting it can unlock a whole lot of things—like what Kari did—but it’s not necessary to unlock your powers unless it takes that part of you.”

Sora’s lips parted for a moment before shutting, gaze wandering to the swaying field of gray plantlife to her left. “It can’t be that simple…”

“Hehe. Did I say it would be simple?” Wendy challenged with a toothy grin. “You’re just so stressed and anxious lately… I think you could use a vacation. As Emilia dubbed you, you, Sora, Void Fox of Fluffiness… you need to take a break!”

“Kari…”

“Can chill with Mofupsi! Hehe. She’s your slave, after all—as she calls herself—so put that collar to use and make her babysit! You’re not alone. Who is stronger than Kari?”

Her little sister had a point; there was White, Tola, Mofupsi—having surpassed solar system level two days earlier—Loral, Qebhet, Jin, and there were enough people to handle a flare between Kari and the Valkyrie.

“Mmh… But, Wendy!”

“No butts in this conversation, but yours hightailing it on vacation!” A smirk lifted her mouth as a chime rang throughout the space, signaling it was time to return home. “It looks like it’s time to head back, and we can’t keep Emi waiting!”

Sora rose out of the dirt, rejecting the filth to float out of the light mist that was created. “What do you mean, Emi is waiting? She won’t get out of school for another ten minutes or so.”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm!”

Unsure what to make of her sister’s suspicious giggle and smile, Sora scratched her twitching left ear as Rita mirrored her; on the other hand, Kedragor looked nervous as he joined them, spinning around them and kicking up a small vortex that they resisted.

“Okay… I’m interested. Back home?”

“Mhm—oh, I can do it now; Realm, take us home!”

Their environment instantly shifted from the freezing waters to their front room, filled from ceiling to floor with people.

“Happy Birthday!”

“Eh?!”

In the next instant, she was tackled by Emilia, lifting her into the air. “Happy Birthday, Mom!” she repeated, causing laughter to echo throughout the crowded room.

“Wha… Huh?! It’s not my… Aunt Seiōbo, Aunt Nari…”

In utter shock, she found an army of people in her house, many she didn’t think she’d see this soon.

Mary, her husband, and Zeri—her adopted Vulpes son—sat on a couch with Qebhet floating overhead. Nathan and Ashley—what she assumed was his over a century-old, pink-furred, two-tailed Vulpes girlfriend—were holding up a card and present in the mostly cleared living space.

Ashley with her family stood off to the side with balloons that read: Happy 17th Birthday!

White and Tola were also present, holding a banner that read the same.

Sora was speechless with the rush of voices and faces, which included Kari, Liz, Aiden, Jin, Eyia, Yeven, and Niki—the sisters she’d saved in the Yellow District conflict—Mofupsi, and even Alva’s Intelligent Construct was given form, but one corner stole all her attention with Emilia’s squeals.

“Mom…”

Wearing varying grins, trademark to their personalities—a hidden smirk, unreserved, and cutely awkward—her Aunt Seiōbo, Aunt Nari, and in their center, by the kitchen wall, sat a freckle-cheeked, nine-tailed Vulpes Sora saw in her dreams.

It was too good to be true, yet her daughter unlatched around her throat to fly into her mother’s welcoming, somewhat clumsy embrace.

“Mom! Mom! It’s Grandma! Grandma came to celebrate your birthday!”

“Hello, Sora,” her mother said, rising to her feet to set Emilia in her chair as everyone quieted down to watch. “I’ve been having a wonderful time getting to know my granddaughter, and I look forward to meeting the wonderful sisters you’ve, hehe, cultivated while I’ve been away.”

Sora couldn’t move as her mother closed the distance to embrace her; her skin felt so hot, yet she still couldn’t believe it.

“No… No, this has to be a trick—a trap… You’re with Aunt Inari, saving—ack…”

Nari teleported over to slap her on the back. “Hehe! Don’t be a worrywart, Sora! Your mom came all the way here to spend a bit of time with you.”

“It’s really her, Mom! It is! She’s so pretty and amazing—she promised I could make a dress for her—she has to be Grandma!”

“How?” Sora mumbled as her mother pulled back, giving her a strained smile.

Seiōbo huffed, drawing her mother’s slight frown as she pulled back a bit. “By making a dangerous trip into Primordial space. I wouldn’t expect anything less of you, Mia.”

“It was far less dangerous than you think,” her mother returned. “I happen to be on neutral terms with many Primordials, and this particular sector of their given space isn’t so hostile toward me.”

“If you say so. How’s Ine and Mom?”

Sora could sense the tension in Nari’s tight lips as she nodded, making it clear her arrival was relatively recent.

The golden-haired Vulpes Founder’s hands overlapped against her breast. “Are you making progress?”

Seeing the silent atmosphere, her mother sighed before adding a sad smile and hugging Sora. “In short: Yes, we have made progress. However, let’s not dampen my daughter’s surprise party with the topic. We will have enough time to go over it before I leave. Sora…”

“Yeah…” she mumbled, still in shock.

“Happy seventeenth birthday.”

“Cake! Cake!” Emilia yelled, magically floating in the big choco-caramel cake—fudgy layers of chocolate goodness, caramel buttercream, laced with hidden hints of gooey candy bars—it looked like the ultimate chocolate caramel creation that had her Aunt Nari salivating.

The children started chanting with the 12-year-old girl as she began the song:

“Happy birthday to you!

“Happy birthday to you!

“Happy birthday, Dear Mom (Sora)!

“Happy birthday to you!”

Yet it didn’t stop there, and several others added their own lyrics that had peoples’ eyes darting to each party:

“From good friends and true!”

“From old friends and new!”

“From good friends to sisters!”

“From enemies to friends!”

“From bad times to good!”

“May good luck go with you,” Aiden chimed.

Smiling, his girlfriend followed with, “And happiness, too!”

Emilia finished off, bouncing in the air with her eight wagging tails:

“How old are you now?

“How old are you now?

“How old, how old?

“How old are you now, Mom?”

Forcing a chuckle as the sparkling candles flickered, it finally hit her as she answered. “Seventeen?”

“Yay! Now, make a wish and blow out your candles; I made them myself, and I have presents—so many presents—so, so many!”

“Haha! I bet you do.”

Closing her eyes, Sora found her fears and anxiety melting away in the warm, surprise celebration; she hadn’t even been keeping track of the days, but apparently, others were, and it made sense her aunts would know the precise timetable since they entered. It also meant they were a bit behind on the 3-year estimation.

A whole year has passed, huh… I can only wish that I’ll get strong enough to take care of this little fox pup and become her invincible mother… Strong enough to protect everything I care about.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and blew out the flames in one go to cheers.

The rest of the night was more or less a whirlwind of activity as she was pulled from one group to the next, mainly opening house-warming gifts, new popular movies series that had come out since she’d left Miami, and many sweets or clothes from her daughter.

When it came to her mother’s small gift, she opened the small box to display a bracelet entirely fashioned of glistening, unclouded rubies, filled with a dense concentration of her personal, raw magic. “Mom… what’s this?”

Her mother’s delicate fingers spread it apart to place it around her wrist as everyone watched in fascination; a small, somewhat sad smile was on her lips as Sora examined it her mother explained:

“I crafted this as a means to communicate with me when you want to talk… for whatever reason. Emilia can steal it to chat with me, as well.”

“No way!” Emilia cried, diving forward to hug Mia from the back as her tails parted to accept it. “That’s so cool, Grandma!”

“Mom… I don’t know what to say… Any time?”

“Yes. There is a ten-minute delay as it finds a secure path through Existence to reach me, and a short rest period after use that masks and burns the thread so it cannot be intercepted.”

Seiōbo’s mouth tightened as she glared at the phenomenally powerful magical item—likely high 12th-dimensional—and mumbled, “It’s so unlike you to put so much work into something like communication.”

Mia giggled as she turned to her ’former’ older sister. “I was very self-absorbed during our early childhood. I look forward to eventually getting to know you two more, Sisters.”

“Me too, Mia!” Nari sniffed, waving her tail. “I’ve been having a blast getting to know your daughter. I want to know everything! Humans are strange, fantastic creatures, too, and your mate—I wanna know more about him!”

“In time…”

“Always time…” Seiōbo sighed. “Heh. What do you think, Sora… It’s getting close to 10 p.m. Do you want to spend some time with your mother? We can prepare for the movie night on that series you liked.”

“Before that,” Sora whispered, “and, hehe, I definitely want to have some time with you, Mom, but… who set all this up—it wasn’t you, Mom?”

Emilia’s big grin, stiff, upright tails, and pointing finger said it all as she chimed, “Grandma sent me a dream two weeks ago, telling me what day would be your birthday, and I did everything; I was so good at keeping it a secret! You didn’t know, Mom, huh? You didn’t know!”

“No way… Two weeks… Wait, is… You knew this whole time!”

Wendy held up a peace sign in response. “Hehe! It was hard to keep it a secret.”

“That’s why you and your Aunt Wendy… Your Aunt Kari?”

The Wolf gave her a thumbs up. “She did most of the planning.”

Her daughter’s head bobbed up and down. “Planning everything out in super-secret!”

She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time from the overwhelming smiles that assaulted her. Yet, the most relieving part of this whole thing was Kari and Eyia—in the same room—not at each other’s throats, which made her believe they’d come together at some point to reconcile for at least this day and showing how much they cared for her.

“Thank you, guys! Thank you so much…”