The door chimed as we passed through the threshold, and I looked around me as my nose was greeted with the familiar scents of metal and leather. To my delight, I could see that they did indeed have a few saddles, including a black one for western riding. They also had grooming stuff, like the kit that had been one of the gifts left for Moonlight, as well as various types of saddle and harness bags, bridles, and even horse feed, which I assumed was meant for Pegasi.

The store looked empty at the moment, the only customers consisted of our group and there was nobody behind the counter. A door to a back room was left ajar though and a deep voice emanated from the room beyond, calling out, “I’ll be with you in a moment!”

We were all browsing the wares, and Annika was picking out a set of saddle bags when the owner of that voice stepped through the door to the back to make himself known. He was of middling height with brown eyes and short, black hair that was beginning to go grey at the temples, and he was clean-shaven with a complexion and facial features that hinted at Native American ancestry. His build was that of a man used to physical labor and he wore simple jeans and a flannel work shirt that were well-worn but clean.

“Hi, I’m Alex, the owner of this place, what can I help you ladies with today?” the man asked as his attention fell on my sister and the pair of Centaurs.

“I’m looking for some large saddlebags for shopping,” Annika told him as she hoisted up a pair of large bags with a harness, all made from dark brown leather. “I think I’ve already found something that should work well for me though.”

I flew up to the man with all the moxie my tiny little body could summon, leaving Poppy to enjoy the soft carpet of my sister’s hair alone. I flew straight into his field of vision so I was sure he wouldn’t miss seeing me and said, “Hi, I’ve got a digital gift card for this store, but I’m not really sure what the amount is. Do you think that you could find out for me?”

A pensive expression settled upon the man’s features as he began to reply, “There must be some mistake, young lady, we don’t offer gift cards here… unless…” The man’s eyes went wide in realization and his words faded almost to an almost reverent whisper. “You’re the Sprite with the Unicorn.”

I looked away awkwardly, focusing on keeping my flight stable and staying in his field of vision as I replied, “Yeah. I don’t really own her or anything though. We’re just bonded, she is my partner.”

“As it should be,” the man agreed with a nod. “Do you think that I could see her though? We will need to make sure that anything you purchase is a good fit for her.”

“Umm… sure? I can probably convince her to show herself,” I replied somewhat dubiously. Then I asked the Unicorn in question, “Could you please join us, Moonlight? It’s just this guy here, so there aren’t any crowds to worry about like earlier.”

Moonlight’s answer was to take her physical form, coalescing into existence close enough that I could land on her head, which I did to give her mane an affectionate stroking with my tiny hands and arms. She might not feel it much, but she could at least feel the affection that I was sending her through our mental link. Alex stepped back; a look of wonder etched into his face as he murmured, “Oh, my stars. I wasn’t sure whether to believe them or not.”

“Believe who?” I asked, keeping my voice loud enough for him to hear.

“My wife, and the nurses at the hospital,” the man responded absently as he gazed at Moonlight. After a moment, he seemed to shake it off and smiled at us. “As for your earlier question, little one. That gift card has no value because your money is no good here. My wife was quite clear that if you ever came in to redeem that card, we would cover the cost of your purchases, within reason, to suit your needs. I happen to agree with her.”

“Wait, what?” I squeaked. This was sounding suspiciously like a blank check, and I wasn’t really sure how I felt about that.

It was as bad as I feared, and Alex wouldn’t take no for an answer, especially after my less proud and more practical sister told him that we originally came to look at prices for how much it would cost to get Moonlight kitted out properly for Kelly to ride her. Horseshoes, a bitless bridle, riding reins, a western saddle, saddlebags, a hoof care kit, and even a bag of feed were all added to the growing pile on the counter. He probably would have added a horse blanket and grooming kit if I hadn’t told them we had been given those already.

The saddle and associated riding paraphernalia were all in nice black leather that contrasted Moonlight’s white coat and mane. With my sister’s help, Alex was able to get everything fitted properly onto Moonlight, who didn’t even complain, at least not too much, and only to me. The horseshoes went into one of the saddlebags so Kelly could properly shoe her later. Since we were too small to be of any use, Poppy and I hovered and watched, while I occasionally protested.

He was looking over it all while Kelly checked the tightness of the saddle when he suddenly snapped his fingers and exclaimed, “There’s one more thing you’ll likely need!”

”No!” I complained. “I don’t need anything else, I’m not even sure how we’re going to carry those big bags of feed!” The two bags were fifty pounds each and unless one of us suddenly developed the power to bend time and space, there was no way that they were going to fit in the saddlebags. Not to mention I was worried that all that gear was just going to fall right off Moonlight when she pulled her disappearing trick, and we would have to ask Annika to carry it for us.

Alex wasn’t hearing my protest though as he went into the back of the shop and returned a moment later with something made of black leather, which he securely clipped in place to where Moonlight’s bridle was secured behind her head. Curious, I flew closer to inspect it, seeing what looked like a tiny Sprite-sized black leather couch with a lap belt. It looked like it could seat two comfortably, but you would probably squeeze three sprites on there if it was needed and they were very friendly.

“That’s a fairy saddle, I wasn’t sure if we had any of the Sprite-sized ones still in stock,” the shopkeeper explained. “The Vanguard uses them to give Fairies a place to land and rest on Pegasi and Gryphons during pitched battles or to allow them to travel faster to Incursion sites. You’re all pretty tiny and, while you’re good fliers and Sprites are excellent at offensive elemental magic, you don’t have the speed and stamina of a flying mount and can get worn out if you’re constantly spell-slinging and flying during pitched battles.”

Okay, that was pretty cool, and it would mean I could still sort of ride Moonlight. Still, I wasn’t sure that I was comfortable with this level of generosity. “Why are you doing this?” I asked while he finished securing the fairy saddle.

The man turned to look at me in confusion for a moment before what I was asking finally clicked and he gave me a wan smile. “My wife, Valerie, is a member of the Vanguard. She’s an Elf, and while her special ability isn’t very powerful, she is exceptionally talented with battle magic. She’s on one of the first response teams, those sent in on flying mounts to harry the Titans and prevent them from capturing or killing innocent civilians until reinforcements can arrive. Pegasi and Gryphons aren’t quite as fast as a hover-jet, and they can’t carry nearly as many personnel, but they are far more maneuverable and less likely to be shot out of the sky.”

He paused to laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Did you notice how I said, ‘less likely’ there? About a year and a half ago, Val’s team was responding to an Incursion and a Titan got off a lucky shot. Swiftwind, her Pegasus, got her wing clipped and they were knocked out of the sky. It was a miracle that Val lived. The doctors said that it was probably because Swiftwind had taken the brunt of the impact, but they told me that she was paralyzed from the neck down and they were worried that they might have to amputate one of her legs.”

“Moonlight healed her?” Annika asked, the Centaur giving Alex a sympathetic look as she reached out to hug her daughter tightly. “She healed Lyra too, and I will never be able to thank her and Lily enough for that.”

I was about to protest that it was all Moonlight, and I hadn’t done anything when Alex replied. “Yes. Her doctor went to check on her during his night rounds and found her completely healed and trying to get out of bed. They called it a miracle. Val swore that she had seen a Unicorn that night, but people brushed it off as a hallucination from the drugs she was on at the time. Then, we heard from one of Val’s friends who works as a nurse about a Sprite in the Fairy Ward who had a Unicorn that could heal people, and we put two and two together. Val is still alive, whole, healthy, and back to fighting the good fight because of Moonlight’s kindness. It’s only fair that we return that kindness now.”

I couldn’t find it in my heart to refuse their generosity after hearing that, though I did insist on paying for any future purchases from the store just like any other customer. Alex relented to that but offered to deliver anything that we couldn’t carry with us to the stable at the University under my name since he often made deliveries to the stable and aerie anyway. Fortunately, that delivery would only consist of the bags of feed since when Moonlight vanished before we left, her saddle and everything else in physical contact with her turned ethereal along with her.

That was a pleasant surprise since we hadn’t tested that earlier. Moonlight thought it was possible, but we just told Professor Frazier that it was without really testing it since they were far more interested in her healing ability at the time. I briefly found myself wondering if she could make people who were riding her ethereal as well, as I thanked Alex and we said our goodbyes to get some lunch before shopping. Annika had gotten her saddlebags, paying for them after my purchase was complete so Alex wouldn’t get any ideas. So, the Centaur was ready to carry any purchases for us that my sister couldn’t. If needed, we would have Moonlight’s saddlebags available as well.

Superior Centre Mall had two floors and dwarfed the tiny mall that Kelly and I were used to in Boulder Creek. Seriously, you could have probably fifty of them inside of it. It had over a hundred and fifty stores, and the doors, ceilings, and stuff were all made to accommodate even some of the larger Altered like Ogres or Trolls, who could get up to ten feet tall. Such a vast space made me feel even tinier than I usually did, and I don’t think I was alone in that because Poppy was warily watching our surroundings from atop my sister’s head as much as I was.

They really went all out to be inclusive for all types of Altered though, as we discovered in the food court that Annika and Lyra led us to. While most of the tables and chairs were made to normal human proportions, there were a few larger ones for those larger species and some smaller ones for Dwarves, Gnomes, and the like as well. There was even a wide pillar of sorts in the center of the food court that seemed to be geared toward us Fairy types.

The pillar was about three feet high and was a four-by-four foot circle that had Pixie and Sprite-sized tables and chairs on it and even a couple of little food stalls our size that were run by Pixies and Sprites respectively. We had our own little food court! Poppy and I decided to eat there for convenience, while my sister went to go satisfy the craving she was having for a meat-lovers pizza and Annika and little Lyra got something from a vegetarian place and then the three of them ate at one of the tables near the Fairy food court.

One of the booths was run by a Fire Sprite who used her Fire magic to get an actual little grill and something like a wood stove to work and was offering a surprisingly nice range of dishes. “Ooh! I want to go there, love!” Poppy squealed excitedly as she half dragged me toward the place.

We both ordered a fish burger along with a blueberry and a cup of flower nectar and while we waited for our meal, Poppy had a chat with the other Fire Sprite about the intricacies of cooking for their kind. Apparently, she baked the tiny buns herself and thin slices of fish that she grilled for the burgers were trout from Lake Superior. She had a deal with the sushi place in the food court for the fish and to store what perishables she couldn’t store in her tiny cooling unit at the back of her booth.

The Fire Sprite, whose name was Tigerlily, told Poppy that cooking for them required not only very precise control over their fire to not burn things to a crisp, but also being able to get or make tools that could do the job, without being damaged in the process. It wasn’t only the grill and oven she was talking about either, but various things like even knives small and sharp enough to cut things without making a mess of them. As we took our meals to a table to eat, I could see that Poppy already had some ideas for having her own little working kitchen at home someday floating around in her mind.

The burgers were really good, well-cooked and they had a bit of tartar sauce and a shred of lettuce leaf on them. It was a nice change from the usual cereal and berries. We finished eating shortly after the others and went to join them at their table to discuss the plan for this shopping trip. Kelly was eager to get clothes, but we decided to start by going to the drugstore for personal hygiene stuff.

The only stuff we had in that regard was things that the hospital provided, so we needed a lot to cover the basics. My sister needed tampons, though as Sprites, me and Poppy had dodged that bullet. I didn’t even want to think about how Pixie girls handled their monthly visitors since they weren’t part magical plant like we were. We got everything that we could think of for my sister: haircare stuff, a nail care kit, shower stuff, deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and even a couple of towels and washcloths.

Things were a little trickier for me and Poppy though. The Fire Sprite had already made us both some towels and stuff, and she was working on some clothes and other simple things with her special ability, but I feared that the hygiene stuff was going to be a lot more difficult. Fortunately, Annika pointed out some small, refillable dispensers geared toward Fairy type Altered that could be filled with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and the special cleansing and toothcare mouth rinse that was created for us to use rather than toothpaste.

The dispensers were small enough that we could lift and install them without any trouble, and they had a sticky back so they could be secured to the wall in places like the bathroom of my house. As for the refill cartridges of various products, they were made locally and could be easily bought at any drug store or grocery store in the city. They did have Fairy-sized towels and stuff as well, but I liked the ones that Poppy had made for us more since they were cozy, fluffy, and really absorbent.

Next, we went to the store that sold the dollhouses and clothing for both actual dolls and Fairy-type Altered since it was close to the drug store. The place had the humorous name, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. We must have spent an hour there, trying on different outfits and getting the opinions of our companions.

My sister and Lyra were very happy to play dress-up with me and Poppy, and we spent my entire gift card on some nice clothes and comfy little slippers for the two of us. We got some warmer winter clothes as well since autumn would be coming soon. They also had some Sprite-sized hairbrushes and accessories like scarves, hats, and mittens for people our size.

Then it was my sister’s turn to shop for clothes. With that in mind, Annika led us to some of the best stores in the mall for people with tails, wings, or other nonstandard body types. Luckily, tops, bras, jackets, and shoes weren’t a problem for Kelly, and the places that we looked at had plenty of underwear cut for people with tails, even if my sister had nine of them.

Skirts and pants proved to not be a problem either since they had plenty of those for people with tails as well. They all had tail slits in the rear that fastened at the top with buttons or snaps for easy removal and Kelly seemed happy with what she was buying once she got used to having to fasten her jeans at the back rather than the front. They still looked like regular jeans at the front, but I guess that was just cosmetic, for style purposes.

It was starting to get close to dinner time when we visited the fourth store geared toward young Altered women. They had some nice clothes and even had a couple of things in Sprite sizes that Poppy and I were considering getting. We had gone to show my sister our prizes while she was looking at a nice azure sundress with a tail slit in the back that would go wonderfully with her pale complexion and white tails and hair.

That was when the saleslady came over to announce, “We’ll be closing in ten minutes, ladies.” Okay, why was that voice strangely familiar?

“Sure, thanks for letting us know, we’ll be done s…” my sister replied as she turned around. The woman’s appearance made Kelly stop short and I instantly knew why when I got a good look at her myself. Kelly recognized her. There was no other explanation because I recognized her too. “Aunt Maya?!” we both blurted out at the same time, but my voice was as small as the rest of me, so she probably only heard my sister.

She gave my sister a confused look before her face suddenly lit up in recognition. “Lord Almighty, as I live and breathe. Kelly Pierce, is that really you? You’ve changed, but I’d know that face anywhere.”