Lilly couldn't believe it. Jenny was in her house, even after all the things said- she had said some really horrible things didn't she? The young girl wasn't sure what to say. Should she say something first? She glanced at the adults wondering what they wanted to do now.
"Come in Muriel, Jenny," smiled Lilly's mother. She could see that her daughter was a little tense. "Lilly? Why don't the three of you go play in the garden?"
Jenny smiled though looked with concern. She didn't want to lose Lilly as a friend. Being a magic girl, she started to wonder how many people would be her friend if they knew her secret? Lilly's reaction was... sadly very understandable. Fear, anger, and a belief that she could have helped her when she could not. She looked at her friend curiously, remarking on the dress she wore. It was pink.. but not too frilly.
She thought the dress Lilly was wearing looked nice. But should she complement it? Or- what if that set her off again?
Lilly's mother opened the shutter doors taking them to a large garden being careful not to expose herself to the light. Weeds had started to grow and it looked a little unkempt. The shutters protected those inside the house from the sunlight, so out here only changed people could really enjoy themselves. There was a large tree with a branch near the window to Lilly's room opened slightly.
Melanie looked around blankly. A strange environment. It served no purpose. Things grew here, but they did not require it for consumption. Yet there seemed to be a value attached to wide open spaces. In the grass she saw some insects, with a hide similar to the one she had now. She tried to grab one of those insects, but found it slipped from her grasp. the strange insect arms were difficult to manipulate and the mind had no understanding of them.
"Jenny..." Lilly said sniffling. "I- I'm sorry..." she bundled her hands into her pockets- or at least would have if she had any.
Jenny gave her a hug. "I had to keep it a secret an'..." she trailed unsure what to say.
"Your cat came an' said she told you to keep it all a secret." She said looking unsure as well.
Melanie suddenly came right up to them both. The invasion of personal space was so sudden Lilly's tails bristled. She looked oddly at the red furred girl. "Why did you name me." The insect girl said with calm neutrality.
Lilly blinked. "W-what?"
"You named me" she said it with accusation in her voice now.
"Uh- I don't know..." Lilly was starting to get a little scared now.
"It's cause you need a name," smiled Jenny.
"Why" Melanie asked even more agitated.
Jenny placed her hand onto the insect girl's shoulder. "Cause now you're here. An' that's how it works. Lilly gave you a really nice name. I named her an' she named you. It's a gift an' she can give it cause she's really nice."
The insect girl didn't look happy with that explanation but decided to go back to looking at the insects. She wanted to try and capture one... maybe it would.. do something?
Lilly and Jenny looked back to each other.
"Um- I like your dress," said Jenny. "Is it new?"
"u-h uh huh," the squirrel girl said blushing under her fur. It was a very simple dress... but it was a dress. This naturally confused Jenny even more. Did her friend want to be a boy? She was upset because she couldn't turn her back...
Lilly saw that confusion and glanced down confused herself. She liked the dress... that feeling couldn't really be denied. It was given to her by her big brother. "My- brother said he would give me something nice if I wore it," she said a little shyly. Was that really her only excuse?
"Oh. What did he get you?" Jenny looked curiously.
"I dunno yet," Lilly admitted before looking at her seriously. "C-Can we.. still be friends? Jenny please I'm sor'y of all the thin's I said. I- I jus'- I jus'-" the squirrel girl cried her eyes.
Jenny's heart started to break as she saw how troubled her friend was. "I can't chan'ge you back.. you kno' that now right?"
"Uh huh," the child said rubbing her eyes of tears. "I'm sorry Jenny.. I'm really sorry."
Jenny gave her a hug. "You don't haf'ta be sorry. I'm sorry. I know you want to go back but-" she paused looking to her carefully. "Maybe.. some things happen for a reason?"
Melanie stopped looking for insects and glanced at the two talking. The words they spoke mattered little.. until now. The magic girl was speaking of pre-destined events. Was this the reason this existence was different? Was she now part of a greater mechanism? Impossible...
Lilly looked at Jenny. "I'm nothin' Jenny. Jus'-" What was she? An animal.. a girl.. a child.. weak... dumb... she found herself gazing down at the grass, unable to even express the sadness inside.
Jenny lifted her friend's chin with a finger gazing into her almond shaped eyes. "You're unique... an' I think there's a reason you got changed like this. You're my friend... I like that." she said with pure honestly in her voice. "You now know my biggest secret... I can't trust many with it."
"But I don't have any magic. Artemis-"
"Is that what your really worried about?" said Jenny as she tilted her head.
Lilly bit her lip. "I... a little" she admitted feeling ashamed even saying it. "She's got magic. She moved the moon for you. I can't do anythin' like that." What could she do? Ordinary things. Human things. Normal things...The cat girl said she did help a little... but there was no getting away on how dangerous this could get.
"I jus' like you bein' my friend Lilly. You don't have to do anythin' like that. An' maybe you can be Artemis's friend too?"
The squirrel girl looked like she believed her. Being Artemis's friend was probably going to be hard. Part of her felt that she kind of 'took' Jenny away.. the only friend she had in this new existence. Still, Artemis could keep Jenny safe and that was more important then anything else. "Y-yeah. Okay. I jus' wish I can help..."
"You do help. I got a great friend."
Lilly blushed a bit at that. This was... just weird. She wasn't really a girl, yet Jenny- in fact everyone was treating her as if she was? If she was stuck this way... having a friends had to be better then being alone right? This situation wasn't like how it was as an older boy. Having to prove oneself to be of value...
The squirrel girl gave a hug to Jenny and felt the contact reciprocated. She didn't mind at the moment if it was a bit girly to do this. Having her friend forgive her for being so mean was everything and more then she could have asked.. Suddenly felt strange arms around her. "Ah! Melanie!" she cried jumping back.
Melanie had placed her own insect arms around the two of them when they hugged. "Strange to touch others" She said as if it was some explanation for the sudden contact.
"D-Don't touch me!" the squirrel girl sad adamantly.
"Why"
"B-Because you're weird!"
Melanie blinked at that. Strange, her eyes were getting water in them again. She rubbed them a bit to clear them. This world was so strange. They were speaking of pre-destined events. As if everything that is to be was made long ago. That sparked a memory of a time before... before the nothing. The people of this world had strange insights into how the universe worked. Not all of it was accurate... but part of her felt a certain... nostalgia?
"I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry," Said Lilly ashamed once more. The last time she touched her she was... put to sleep? That was probably the nicest way to say 'turned off'. The fact that anyone could do that was unsettling.
The half insect like girl tilted her head. "Cry?" Was that what it was? Purposeless. Maybe that's why they tried to find reasons for things, so much here had no reason at all. A tear meant someone was sad... was she sad? She didn't know. They looked at her as if expecting something. What was she supposed to say when someone was sorry to her?
Lilly bit her lip. "It's just- you tried to hurt Jenny. An'... me... an'.. a lot of people..." Actually should Lilly be sorry? She was starting to get angry. "Why did you do all that!"
Melanie glanced between the two of them. The words however, were difficult to convey. She took a piece of grass from the ground, and help it up.... then dropped it. "Because..." She pointed at the grass as it tumbled, twisted and turned, then finally fell.
"It does."
