When Jon got back to the cafeteria, she found that the party had grown somewhat. Zoe and her friends had taken the next table over and were chatting with Sarah and Karyn. The sphinx took a moment to get over the shock of seeing so many people who had been mortal enemies in the previous universe now interacting so easily.
"What's going on?" Jon asked as she hopped back onto her chair.
"Hey, Jon," greeted her sister. "Um, sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to make such a big scene."
Zoe apologizing? The surprises never cease!
Jon shook her head. "What's done is done. You didn't mean any harm."
"Well, just to make it up to you, I'm gonna try to help you out as much as I can."
Jon felt her stomach turn cold. She was beginning to suspect that this new enthusiastic Zoe may be worse than the old one. "N-no, that's okay. I can deal with this on my own."
Noticing her reaction, Zoe grinned. "Don't worry, Jon. I'm mostly just doing research. Sarah's been helping me list out what kind of things you'll be needing." She placed a piece of paper in front of the sphinx.
Jon scanned over the list. "Quadrupedal rain-boots? Tooth brush gripper? What in the world's a preening tool?"
Zoe reached out and poked one of her sister's wings. "You'll have to keep these feathers clean somehow. Birds do it with their beaks, but you don't have one. So, a preener will help with that." She lowered her voice. "There's also special oils to keep ticks and parasites away."
Sarah chimed in. "Good news is you probably produce this kind of oil naturally like birds do, but it shouldn't hurt to have some extra on hand. Plus, you'll need to brush out your fur regularly."
Jon took this all in with a sense of dread. "I have to do all that!?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Sarah smiled apologetically. "I won't lie. Fur adds a good hour to your daily routine even if you're really quick. And feathers will add even more time. And that doesn't even include human grooming. I'd suggest getting some help to shorten the process and splitting the whole thing between night and morning."
Zoe raised her hand. "I'll help. I'm guessing Mom's gonna want to help, too."
For a moment, Jon had the mental image of her standing in a basin of water being scrubbed down like the family dog. "Just great."
The fox-girl noted her expression, and she tilted her head in an oddly sympathetic gesture. "It'll be alright, Jon. You may have to dispense with some personal pride at the beginning. But as you get used to your new body, you'll be able to gradually get your independence back. It won't be the same as before, but it can be equally fulfilling. As long as you don't lose hope, you'll do fine."
Back at the house, Jon's mother emerged from the back door with two bags of trash. It had mostly been things damaged or destroyed that morning. Trash pickup would not be for a few days yet, but it felt good to get rid of any reminder of her daughter's frightening incident. She would leave the rest to Jon to sort through and perhaps donate to charity. For now, she had some furniture to rearrange.
As the woman disappeared into the house again, a shadow stepped from behind the neighbor's fence. Quietly, the trashcan lid was removed and a bag was lifted out. A knife darted out to slash a small hole in the bottom. With a few shakes, the small form of the wishing rock slid out onto a waiting palm. Goal attained, the figure replaced the bag and lid, erasing any signs of disturbance.
Nobody witnessed the stranger's exit except old Mrs. Dougherty's cat, who's ears merely twitched as soft footsteps vanished around the corner.
