The rabbit girl, Andy, arrived home. She had to do quite a long shift, and didn't return until quite late in the evening. It had felt like an eternity since she last saw Sue, and she really needed to see him now. It wasn't quite so bad but... that need was still there. Subdued for some reason, but still pressing on her a little.
The children were sleeping. Andy smiled a bit at that, as she gingerly took off her work clothes, and her soft curved body showed itself eager to embrace her husband. "Sue?" She crawled into the bed, feeling the strange scaled skin of the snake-man.
"Oh honey, you came back." The snake man stirred a bit to wakefulness. The whole thing with the children though was still on her mind. It could wait though, she didn't want to worry his wife about it just yet... but she would tell him "Was everything okay?".
"Yes.. but um.. do you want to.." Andy whispered it hopefully. She hoped he wasn't too tired! She really needed this. She was rewarded as the snake man gave a soft caress around her leg, and kissed into her cheek.
It was late that Ruth found herself back now. Back upon solid ground, tera firma, the warm house she had lived in for ten years since before Harriet was born. What... happened? Away from the influence of... whatever that was, she tried to bring order to the insurmountable chaos that had entered into her life. It was the apex of confusion, since Harriet had been lost, then found and changed by the sunlight. There were things now that could not be understood or that just refused to be anything other then the enforced truth that they had become when she tried to think of them one way, or another. Truth burned into her mind, bypassing the natural way of being interpreted and slowly accepted, it was seared into her soul. There was simply no way to escape it.
"So now you have to believe me, right?" Smiled Harriet.
Ruth looked at her daughter. "I believe you," she nodded.
The child smiled happily. Now everything can be good again!
Her mother gave an outward smile, for her daughter and only for that reason. There was no choice but to believe. She didn't have that choice, given the strangeness of what she had just witnessed, and became in that time. Did she really do all that? Was that her? Or was this some form of influence? The whole experience felt disconnected, surreal, just frankly, bizarre. If whatever force she invited was capable to play upon her heart like this, what could she, a mere mortal do? Was she a mere puppet on a string now? She had the free will to question, though perhaps not to act any more.
The elder woman glanced at the ticking clock. It was almost morning? The sun was going to rise soon, which meant Harriet had to go to school. Ruth felt a moment of concern, given they had stayed up through the night for that long, but suddenly remembered Harriet didn't need sleep any more. She should be fine. Ruth on the other hand, did need to sleep. She helped Harriet get ready for school, much as she always had before. "Do you have your bag? Pens, pencils, rubber?" She asked. It was actually nice to be relieved of some of her personal fears now.
The moon child nodded gleefully then gave Ruth a hug. "Thanks..."
Ruth hugged back, as she carefully opened the front door. "Be safe dear. I will see you after school?"
"Oh-" Harriet paused. "Actually I have t'go with Jenny an' do a few things. Magic things."
"What do you have to do?" Said Ruth with a touch of concern.
"Some errands. I have to do what my mother says." She then started on her way to school, the bright morning light giving her skin the eerie glow of a new dawn on a the moon.
Ruth watched her go, as she waved to the child, closing the door.
She closed her eyes, as she made her way to the bed room, feeling her way across the corridor, and up the banister, as she entered her bedroom. Wordlessly, the gentle woman took off her clothes, and simply collapsed into the large bed, burying her head into the pillows.
Lilly frowned a bit as she looked around for Hannah. She wondered if she would fly into school today? She really hoped so! Sure enough, she heard the sound of flapping wings, and the small dark-feathered bird-girl dropped down. The squirrel-girl gave a wide smile, even as every other child outside stared at the ability to fly with a mix of awe and jealousy. Hannah was terribly humble about it though. Being able to fly was nice, but she still lost her hands... she had a small bag carried around her neck, which Lilly quickly helped place around her side to be a bit more comfortable.
"You fly real good now!" Smiled Lilly. She was so happy to make friends with a harpy.
Hannah blushed. "Thanks Lilly. You helped. What lessons you got today?"
The squirrel girl wasn't too sure. "Um- think we got maths, science, an' swimming. But im all fuzzy so maybe I won't have to do that. You won't be able to do that either right?"
Hannah blinked. "I- used to like swimming. I don't know if I can swim with this body." Would it be useful though to learn the limits of what they can and cant do? If the harpy did find herself in water, shouldn't they do it? "I think you should try it Lilly."
"Nuh uh," Lilly blushed at the mere thought. "No- I um- not good swimin' anyway."
"But you should learn right?"
Lilly sighed. Maybe... but it took ages to dry her fur after it was drenched in water like that. She knew that from her past experience when taking her first showers, now she's a lot more careful though. The squirrel girl then saw Jenny. She gasped a bit. Jenny was around but not Artemis? She had to quickly see her! "J-Jenny?"
The white haired girl turned and smiled. "Hello."
"This i's Hannah. She's now my friend too." Lilly beamed a bit.
Hannah waved a feathery arm. "We went to the park an' I learned to fly."
"That's great!" said Jenny. "You okay Lilly? Sorry we haven't played much lately." Jenny seemed genuinely sorry about it. It was just that... they had to patrol for any more monsters, and well... Lilly had no powers. It wasn't as if she could invite her on her work as a magic girl.
Lilly was a bit sad about it too. "Yeah... is Artemis still mad at me?" She asked. "I still got this present I want to give to her to say I'm sorry but I never see her. she always disappears soon as I get close."
Jenny frowned a bit at that. "I'm sure I'll see her soon."
"Maybe you take it an' give it to her?"
Jenny shook her head. "No silly. It's your present you gotta give it."
Lilly looked just a bit annoyed at being called silly. Why did that name follow her even though she had changed gender and age? Still it wasn't too bad when Jenny called her that. "okay," she smiled.
