Throughout the week, Sora spent her time meditating within her Core, entering the Outer Body Technique to revisit the scene of the endless field of wheat that represented her mother’s side and the locus that symbolized her father’s.

She didn’t make much progress in the six weeks that passed within the White Room, but the pressure against her chest felt less urgent than it once had; life was so good now, and every time she returned home after the days within herself, felt magical upon seeing her daughter’s face.

Kari remained in her own little world, strengthening her focus to take on her father and searching for a weakness within the Reverse Existence force that she could exploit. She was doing a similar yet opposite process as her friend, trying to synchronize with her mother’s side again.

Sora slipped through the front door without knocking, they were friends, after all; it wasn’t breaking and entering because she didn’t break anything—just checking up on her—on Thursday. She decided not to disturb her upon seeing Kari passed out on her couch, fluffy tail pulled against her chest.

Attempting to peer through time, she squinted, trying to make sense of the fragmented threads she was observing all at once; ever since her training with Eyia on dimensions, it had been easier to perceive the threads of a universe, but it still took a minute to adjust.

She chuckled when discovering she’d been that way for the last day; it was due to the wolf overusing the chrono-disruption field of the White Room. The stress of adjusting to the Vulpes Realm’s already time-accelerated warp compared to the Human Realm was a bit much for even her resilience. Smiling, it was nice to see her trying so hard, despite the challenges she’d had with the wolf growing up, she’d always admired the effort she put in.

In a similar case, Wendy seemed to be entering a sort of ‘rebellious’ stage, if Sora could call it that. Her poofy, brown-haired sister was doing her best to find her own solutions rather than copy Sora, which she could respect.

It didn’t mean Wendy wasn’t making space for ‘niece time’ with Emilia; they had big plans to hang out together, and Sora spent a good portion of Saturday with Mofupsi, more or less watching cooking programs that interested the over seven-thousand-year-old fox. Her enthralled maid-sister particularly enjoyed the older human shows, making notes, and she wouldn’t watch it if Sora didn’t force her to take a break.

Mofupsi was a fascinating case study of someone with a ton of experience in regard to combat and a harsh, lonesome life before being freed. Sora decided to learn more about the former Yellow Seat and was amused by her hidden hobby of taking care of a garden.

The vulpes had an entire little pocket dimension where she grew the herb she smoked, among many new variants that she was actually using in their meals. She’d collected thousands of volumes on the subject from the many libraries dotting the various worlds.

Ella, the Violet Seat obsessed with knowledge, even made a stop in her private pocket dimension to discuss some interesting findings she’d discovered on a few of the herbs Mofupsi had gathered. Sora had no clue her maid-sister was still in contact with any of her old council colleagues, and it was nice to see her spreading her wings more.

Even using magic, Mofupsi took the utmost care in studying the growth and development of the fruits, vegetables, fungi, and nuts she’d cultivated. They took a few breaks, mainly for the nine-tailed woman to smoke, and she absently pointed to various patches, explaining the various magics she employed on each.

Sora sat in her chair, basking in the artificial sun Mofuspi made as she talked, admittedly only partially listening, while reflecting on how much her life had changed in the past year and a half; at least, to her, it had been a year and a half.

The image of Mofupsi’s old room in the Tower flashed across her mind, recalling the claw marks across the walls, ruined furniture, and the pile of ripped bedding she’d used to sleep. Thousands of years of manipulation, loneliness, and being forced to enforce Niomie’s harsh rule on all the vulpes from the lower districts in a vicious cycle.

Mofupsi had been nearing the breaking point, fracturing to the point she couldn’t even look at her reflection, shattering every reflective surface in her part of the Tower, and here she was in front of her, smiling while talking about her garden.

In a way, everything Niomie wanted for hundreds of thousands of years had been given to the youngest member of The Council—which likely made her utterly furious; to her, Mofupsi was a tool like the previous Blue Seat’s function that Tola learned from and subverted her fate.

All Mofupsi wanted was to not be alone in her burden; she actually wanted to die, yet no one could grant her wish, and suicide, as insane as it sounded, wasn’t even a word within the Yellow District, much like having an understanding of love.

Niomie did well to brainwash everyone, but when she had hundreds of thousands of years to perfect her system, it was no wonder she’d been able to stamp out such concepts. Sora didn’t know a sliver of the suffering the former Indigo Seat had caused.

She didn’t want to get involved at first—she’d thought this was their culture—in reality, Niomie was a puppet master, seeking a way to hide from her mistakes, weaknesses, and the shadow that was Loral, her mentor. Sora was glad she’d broken that yoke now and saw Qebhet’s healing influence every day in the life of the citizens that passed by their house.

Everything was connected; she could see the path that brought her here, which had been filled with struggle, but it put things into perspective from how her mother and aunts saw things. Watching everything unfold and the joy she now experienced with her daughter was a gift, despite the hardships along the way.

Sitting back, Sora closed her eyes and let her tails move to the side; Mofupsi seemed to see that she was preoccupied because the vulpes had been silent for a time, puffing on her pipe.

She smiled upon recalling her time with Mary, Ashley, and Nathan after escaping the underground facility, snickering to herself.

“Something on your mind, Mistress?”

Sora’s light-green irises opened to stare at the overhead clouds in this small pocket dimension. “Just reflecting on how we can do anything… We have enemies, sure, but we’ve faced all kinds of challenges… I’m sure there are so many more hardships ahead of us… looking back, it’s just so… amazing to think about.”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm. I cannot say I know the totality of your path, Mistress… I am thankful for you defeating me and making me your slave… and sister. It certainly has brought a flavor to life I had long lost. Heh, it reminds me of a piece of wisdom Mary once told me.”

“Mary?” Sora asked, shifting to study the smiling woman; Mofupsi’s left hand was held under her bust while tapping her pipe against the arm of her chair. “When did you get close to her… When I was sick?”

“Mmh. You were unconscious for quite some time from my perspective, which gave me time to ponder how I got to this point… I couldn’t recognize myself, and I asked Mary, how could a moment shift a whole view?”

“Hah. You were worried about me? Aww. That’s sweet.”

Mofupsi chuckled, bringing her pipe to draw in and release a slow stream of sapphire smoke. “It was more than that, I’m afraid, Mistress… When did I get here? When did I change? It was when I lost to you… and I finally discovered the meaning my predecessor told me… in here,” she whispered, hand pressing lightly against her chest.

“Oh? You admired the previous Yellow Seat?”

“Significantly,” Mofupsi whispered. “She was the pinnacle of strength… and never had I felt the warmth of that moment when I had my claws at her throat, having surpassed her… I never understood her expression before I took her life. I grasped the anguish she felt, and believed I had an explanation as to her last moment, yet now… I know I was wrong… I was very wrong.”

Mofupsi’s long tails drew around for her to stroke one—her ninth by the energy coursing through it—and she laughed. “She died with a smile on her face, yet tears in her eyes, saying: wait for it… better days will come, so find a way to carry on.”

“It was meant for me and for herself… and never did I understand what a better day was like until you laid in that bed.”

“Hehe. Thanks,” Sora mused, crossing her legs the opposite way. “I’m glad you saw a silver lining in my poisoned state?”

“It’s more than that, Mistress,” Mofupsi said, fingers lingering on her fur. “I had hope that the next day would not have tragic results… I had hope for another, not myself, such as my predecessor had for me. I knew better days were to come, and I was right.

“Mary told me that as I develop and find my way, I would be confronted by the actions I took as the Yellow Seat and the millions I had a hand in sacrificing and to remember this truth I’d discovered. We’re all saints and sinners… who gets to decide? We cannot change the past, so we must learn to embrace a brighter future… Better days will surely come, so find a way to carry on until the hurt in me is gone…”

Sora’s vision faded while recalling her wonderful, brown-haired psychiatrist; the woman had been pivotal in helping her through her own inner conflicts. Her aunt had a hand in shaping her, but Mary acted as the bedrock that supported her through everything until she got a chance to meet her amazing mother.

“Yeah… Mary really is an amazing woman.”

“As are you, Mistress,” Mofupsi said, showing a somewhat vulnerable smile with her ears pulled back while looking at her. “Thank you for bringing me into your family… Never have I experienced what support from others was like until you showed me this path. Better days have come, and my pain is gone.”

Heat touching her nose, Sora wiped away the tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. “Heh. Way to make me emotional! Yeah… We’re an ever-growing family. I’ve always wanted a complete family, and family helps each other… I can’t wait to get to know you better, Moppy, and continue this choker trend,” she snickered, tugging at their matching red collars.

Discussing a few topics about their lives, Sora was brought back to the Core strengthening process her Aunt Inari had done between Wendy, Mary, Nathan, and Ashley.

She recalled the worry on Nathan’s adopted mother’s face, hoping to at least see if he was alright before her death. Luckily, or perhaps due to Aiden or Inari’s influence, that prayer had been answered, and her aunt had promised the woman that her son would be okay, allowing her to leave this life in peace.

Nathan had found Inari’s promised, stunning wife in Alice, the innocent, over one-hundred-year-old, pink-furred vulpes that he was now showing the universe, fighting crime.

Ashley had her children again, granting her the ability to take her kids on the adventure of a lifetime with her loyal husband by her side.

Mary was now a mom, having adopted a vulpes child and having the opportunity to raise him into a positive force in the community they were a part of with her own husband. It made Sora wonder if she’d gotten into her field to prepare for this very purpose—to know how to raise her own future child.

Everything had worked out as her aunt promised—despite the bumps—and it made her excited for the future. She may not be making progress thus far with her magic, but she’d get there; she had more than enough motivation and support.

Finally, there was her best friend and new sister, Wendy; the brown-haired, timid girl she’d known since kindergarten had been such a pillar in her life. They’d gone through a sore spot for three years, but everything worked out in the end, and she’d escaped her terrible mother to go on to become a goddess. It was quite the leap.

Sora had her own adorable—well, adorable most of the time—and troublesome daughter to guide and protect through this life. Mary’s words about the purpose of a parent hit her hard. It wasn’t her primary goal to protect Emilia from the world—it was important—but most of all, she had to prepare her daughter to handle the punches.

For the rest of the Saturday morning, Sora did the math on Emilia’s birthday, combining the planned time she’d spend in the White Room with her, and discovered her daughter would officially become a teenager—thirteen—18 weeks into their 26-week training arc.

If that was the case, she had a lot of work to do because Sora wanted to have her magic by that point to surprise her daughter with a special trip—a get-away to somewhere outside of the Vulpes Realm—and she felt like she’d be versatile enough to handle anything if she had both halves of her parents unified.

Having dinner with Mofupsi, Wendy, and Emilia—salmon en papillote—Sora answered her daughter’s questions about what they’d done for the day; of course, it wasn’t really salmon but some other breed from their fishing trip with Kari.

Emilia teased her about becoming a farmer as they settled in together to watch some Japanese romantic dramas, inviting Tola to join them since she was tightening the noose around White’s neck; next week was the final stretch for the love-struck foxes, and Sora was here for it!

Finishing out the night, Sora tucked her daughter into bed and spied on her journal entry from her chakram with a curious Moppy; apparently, her Auntie Wendy was a master of arts and crafts, and ‘her mom’ had found a ‘passion’ for gardening. Mofupsi liked that the girl complimented her food in the diary.

Not feeling as guilty as she should for her invasion of privacy—she’d long killed that part of her Persona—Sora drifted off to sleep with Moppy curled up in fox form by her feet.

Week fourteen was mostly spent in her Oltera Nexus, observing the growth and destruction of the crops again. Floating in the sky, she casually drifted through the space, looking for anything that stood out to her.

Sora didn’t exactly know what to do about the balance between her powers; her mother’s side was evolving to resist her father’s consuming influence, yet that wasn’t an optimal solution. She wanted them to be in unison, not fighting against each other.

Friday came too quickly, and all she’d done was observe the reaction, yet, if she was being honest, she didn’t exactly understand both her powers; it was like operating a car without knowing how it functioned. She knew turning the key, moving the stick, and pressing the pedals did something, and that was about it—which, admittedly, was most of the human population—the analogy still held.

Breathing in, Sora let it go in a long puff before floating down to the barren earth as the insect horde devastated the crops again; the heavens darkened as it prepared to deliver the life-giving and healing rain to bring the golden field back.

This is all just a visual representation to help me understand what’s happening within me… I’m sure Kari’s bashing her head against her own problems with her dad’s side. I’ve had Null-Void far longer than my Vulpes Magic at this point… I’ve almost forgotten how it feels.

A small tilt brightened her lips as she reached down to scoop up a clump of dry soil, droplets beginning to wet her hair; a loving hand met her own—her mother’s energy was so similar to her own, feeling so familiar—it reinvigorated her.

Time stretched as she walked along the muddy path, enjoying the sensation of her mother’s side, and the cycle made her think about the base instincts of each force.

Her father’s Null-Void wanted to consume, but why? Her mother’s Vulpes Magic wanted to fulfill her desire, and it was here that she was going to get answers for her absent father’s power.

Holding her hands behind her back, allowing her feet to sink into the dirty mud while allowing the rain to soak her, Sora welcomed her mother’s energy and searched for answers.

Why do you want to make my wishes come true?

Sora slowed to a stop as a radiant, multi-hued vulpes shimmered into being before her like a mirage, showing a beautiful and elegant glow.

“Grandma…” Sora whispered.

The sun dispersed the clouds, sending nourishing rays to make the field’s hidden seeds bud, and Amy flashed her teeth in a charming grin before vanishing.

“Hehe. Well, that helps a lot,” Sora breathed, looking up at the bright heavens. “Vulpes Magic founded with you, Grandma… and you only wished to fulfill your daughters’ desires. Hmm… Existence molds around that love and hope, giving form to our magic. It certainly sounds magical if it’s true…”

Floating into the sky and spinning in a slow circle, Sora saw this blooming field differently—her grandmother and mother were a piece of her—the whole of Existence resonated with the emotions within the essence of her being, moving to the song it spun and weaving into a tapestry of desire.

Her grandmother’s nightmare was powerful enough to resurrect two 1st Generation Founders with the help of Gloria’s stabilizing dust, which showed how strong Amy’s willpower was, including her fears that could manifest into reality.

In a way, Fenrir would be the same, wanting to be invincible—a pillar for his pack—his family—yet that had been taken during the Primordial and Founder war. It made her rethink the actions of Jin’s mother, as well. All of the 1st Generation was immensely powerful, and what this showed within her was that her heritage could equal her father.

It wasn’t in the same way, but without a doubt, Sora saw why her father had been attracted to her mother in the first place; within her was this same budding endless seed of love and desire that Amy had implanted within her children to support them.

Sora rose high into the heavens, scanning the endless golden sea as it reflected back the sun’s rays in a marvelous, sparkling wave. Her grandmother’s powers were without bounds—except for one, which she’d learned all too well through her interactions with her aunts.

Mom and Aunt Inari, the youngest and the eldest, weren’t capable of bearing children. Why? Grandma infused everything she was into her children; she could do anything… but give Aunt Inari and Mom their true desire…

It had to be something stronger than her that placed the limiter or caused the defect that she couldn’t cure. She sought a cure by researching it with Frank… then The War started, and Anansi entered the picture, destroying our family. No, there’s something wrong with all of this information… a mask that even Aunt Inari and Mom can’t see past.

She ran her fingers through her hair as her father’s locust swarm ravaged the landscape. “C’mon, don’t get distracted by the non-important stuff right now, Sora… Grandma’s power is attempting to adapt to Null-Void with my desire to use her side, but my real issue isn’t my Vulpes Magic… It’s my Null-Void.”

A frown creased her face as the horde ate every blade of wheat, taking even the moisture from the soil in their passing to leave it cracked and dry.

Instead of letting it go by like she’d done every time before, Sora joined the wave, letting it soak through her as she’d done with her mother’s magic. The flurry froze her body—fear gripping her breast as she struck soil—she didn’t even know she’d been falling.

Working down the lump in her throat, Sora gasped for air, coughing a few times. “Dad fears something… but fights to consume anyway. It’s not about hunger and more than just a need…”

She felt her father’s fear in the darkest night, struggling to discover any light to fill the void within his heart, and understanding began to bloom. It was like her chest was ripping open, but a pained smile lifted her eyes to the departing swarm; Sora knew the answer now.

“Is that how it was, Dad? Mom was the light that allowed you to overcome the battle within you… when you couldn’t fight for yourself.

“Null-Void and Existence meet… to make me, and I need to bridge these forces like you and Mom did… By showing the Null-Void, it needs Existence, and Existence needs Null-Void… A kind of love that will outlast the night and continue to fight; a desire to feed the fire that keeps the flames alive… Together, they’ll never stop fighting to reach their goal.”

Sora fell to her back in the dust, the dark clouds gathering to cover her in her mother’s love. “Haha. I have my work cut out for me… Dad, if you felt this way, why did you have to leave? No. He had to fight for us… He believes we’re still with him… wherever he is. Love you, Dad. Grandma, we’ll save you, too.”

“Heh. I guess this means I need to call you again, Mom.” Rubbing her eyes as the rain veiled her, Sora sniffed. “Thanks, Mom, Dad… for giving me so much more than I could ever understand… I love you.”