“It’s me,” my sister replied, and I could hear her voice trembling at the sight of a familiar face. She wasn’t our real aunt, of course, just a neighbor and a close friend of our mother’s, but it was such a relief seeing her looking alive and well after the Incursion. Aunt Maya hadn’t changed much in the past three years, there was a touch of gray now in her black hair, but otherwise, she looked much the same as I remembered, only much bigger in scale. She was an attractive older woman of Polynesian descent with dark brown eyes and long black hair that she usually kept in a braid.

Before the Incursion, the Mackenzie family lived on the property next to our ranch, and Aunt Maya’s husband, Uncle Gavin, owned the hardware and feed store in Boulder Creek. Aunt Maya also made clothes for us sometimes since Boulder Creek was little more than a large hamlet with a lot of ranches and hydroponic farm labs nearby and only had a dozen stores of various types and one pathetic excuse for a strip mall. So, she acted as a seamstress for people in town who wanted something nice to wear for special occasions and didn’t want to have to go through the trouble of going to Billings or ordering things online.

The Mackenzies also had three kids, who Kelly and I used to hang out with since our ranch was pretty large, and they were our closest neighbors. Aiden, who was the same age as me, and a pair of identical twins, Samantha and Selina, who were a couple of years younger than me and Aiden. At first glance, you would never be able to tell that the three were siblings though since the twins took after their mother and Aiden took after their Scottish father.

Aunt Maya wrapped my sister in a hug as soon as the words to confirm her identity left her mouth. “It’s so good to see your face, Kelly, I was told you’d been taken. Ai… Aiden was right near the Breach; he saw you struggling and screaming blue, bloody murder as they took you through. There were others being taken through with you from the direction of your ranch, but he couldn’t make out who most of them were. None of your family was on the transport either.”

“Dad… was killed,” Kelly explained, the words practically choking her. “Mom and I were captured but I guess the Titans sent me back through a Breach once I started turning into this… I don’t remember much, and I wasn’t coping well until Eli showed up, and he… she… well, maybe she should introduce herself.”

I flew in front of Aunt Maya’s familiar face to make sure she could get a good look at me and then spoke as loud as I could without shouting. “Hi, Aunt Maya, you probably don’t recognize me like this, but I was Eli, though I go by Lily now. I guess I was in sort of a coma and trapped in a gory cocoon since the Incursion while my new body was growing. I only woke up about a month ago.”

Her eyes immediately widened, “Is that really you? I heard about how Fairy-types change, but I didn’t think I would ever know someone who had gone through it. How are you dealing with…”

She couldn’t seem to finish that question. I wasn’t sure if she was going to ask how I was dealing with being a girl or being less than five inches tall, so I told her, “I kind of like it now that I’m getting used to it, there are benefits to being a Sprite and I’m happy being a girl.”

Kelly quickly interjected, “What about your family? Did you all make it out okay? You don’t look like you’re Altered, did one of your kids…” She quickly put the brakes on her line of questioning as she glanced around the store.

Aunt Maya looked around the store as well. We weren’t the only customers, and they were going to be closing soon, and I doubted that she wanted to share what was probably something very personal and heartbreaking in front of other customers. It seemed that she was thinking the same way since she glanced at me and my sister for a moment before drifting over Poppy fluttering near me with an inquiring expression.

Annika had already left to wait for us in the food court with her daughter since it was close to dinner time and Lyra had started to get hungry again, and a little tired, from hours of shopping. I suddenly felt very sheepish and awkward as I looked at the beautiful Fire Sprite who looked maybe as awkward as I felt. The sight of a familiar and friendly face from home, especially since she hadn’t batted an eye at our new appearances, aside from surprise when she first recognized my sister, had caused me to almost forget Poppy was there for a minute.

I should probably introduce her. “Oh… umm… right. Aunt Maya, this is Poppy Lancaster. We met in the Fairy Ward at the hospital for Altered. She’s… umm... my girlfriend. I… uhh… mean if that’s what she wants because we’ve been trying to avoid labels, but I really like her and…” I started to ramble. For some reason, I was nervous about introducing Poppy to her. It felt like that one time, when Aiden and I were seven and got caught with our hands in the cookie jar, pilfering fresh-baked chocolate chip goodness with the twins.

I was somewhat distracted from her response though as Poppy damn near crushed me in a hug and squealed, “Of course, I want to be your girlfriend, Love!” Which, of course, made me process what I had just said and caused me to turn bright red. No fair! I wanted to ask her romantically, but Aunt Maya’s arrival totally put me on the back foot.

Aunt Maya looked thoughtful for a moment as she considered the situation. “Have you girls eaten dinner yet?”

“Not yet,” Kelly told her. “We had a late lunch. A friend of ours has been showing us around town today and we’ll probably have to take all our stuff back to the hospital soon.”

“You’re still in the hospital, Lily?” I was asked as Mrs. Mackenzie sent a concerned glance my way.

“We all are,” I told her. “I just got done my physical therapy and stuff in the Fairy Ward though and Kelly has been okayed for release soon too, once she has a place to stay. I have a little doll house that me and Poppy can stay in, but Kelly doesn’t have anywhere to go yet so we’re kinda waiting for the Vanguard to see about maybe getting her into the dorm at the university early. We can put my house in her dorm room.”

“I won’t have that,” Aunt Maya said with a stern look. “You two are the children of my best friend, and you practically spent as much time at my house as you did your own while growing up. I have a spare bedroom that Kelly can use, and all of you can stay with us for as long as you want. Wait for me at the nearest food court on this level and once we’re done closing shop, I’ll drive you all back to the hospital and we can see about getting you released. Then we can all have dinner at home.”

“Aunt Maya, I…” my sister started to protest before Aunt Maya slammed down the parental, ‘This is going to happen’ look on all of us. Even Poppy balked and mumbled a quiet ‘yes Ma’am’ with us, and she should have had no stake in the game.

After our agreement was given, Aunt Maya nodded, “Good, now go get Selina to ring up your things using the family discount, while I go make sure the other customers know we’re closing soon.”

“Umm… your Aunt seems nice, but she’s kinda scary with that mom aura,” Poppy whispered to me once she was well away and on her way to speak with a group of varied Altered teenage girls. None of us had moved a muscle. I merely nodded mutely to the truth Poppy spoke. Once Aunt Maya glanced back at us over her shoulder though, I was practically rocketing toward the checkout counter with the dress I’d been showing my sister still clutched in my hands, with Poppy and Kelly hot on my heels with their own purchases.

As I waited with Kelly and Poppy behind another customer, I noticed that Selina had grown a lot over the past three years and change. I could still sort of recognize her, at least, now that I knew it was her, but wow. She still showed her Polynesian heritage as much as her mother did, but she had grown into a true beauty with long curly hair, curves for days in all the right places, and sparkling amber eyes. She probably had to beat off the boys with a stick at school.

Was she Altered too? Did that mean Sammie was too? Was that why they came to Amethyst Harbour, for the twins? That brought my mind to a horrible thought. Omigod, I hoped Sammie had come out of the Incursion okay too. The twins had always been connected at the hip, much like I stuck with my older sister, but calling them close sounded so lacking.

They were more than just ‘close’, and it was hard to think of a term that could properly convey the bond they shared. If something had happened to Sammie, I wasn’t sure how Selina could have coped. No, the fact that Selina was so smiling and friendly as she conversed with the customer ahead of us meant that Sammie had to be fine.

As we were waiting for the person ahead of us to be finished, Moonlight commented, ~You seem to trust this ‘Aunt Maya’ person. You very much wanted her approval back there. ~

“I would trust her and Uncle Gavin with my life,” I told her seriously. “They were our neighbors, and we spent a lot of time at their house playing with their kids growing up. I always felt a lot closer to them than Dad’s family. I was afraid they would have been killed or taken for sure since their property was in the direction the Titans came from. Yeah, I guess I was worried that she wouldn’t believe this is really me and I was kinda nervous about introducing Poppy since I wasn’t sure if she would actually accept the whole girlfriend thing.”

~ Oh, please. You have been the only one reluctant to put a title on it, my Maiden. Poppy seems a good match for you, and I know that you have gotten close, but I am glad that you took the time to figure out what it was you wanted with her. ~

I sent her a sort of mental hug in response as Sammie finished with her previous customer and turned that million-watt smile of hers on me and the others. Her voice was like music itself as she said, “Hi, thanks for shopping at Fantasy Frocks, which of you was next?”

“Go ahead, Sis, you might as well get the explanation out of the way,” I told her.

Kelly nodded and offered, “Hey, Selina. Shit, you’ve grown up in the last few years. Aunt Maya told us to come check out, and she said something about a family discount.”

For a moment, Selina looked confused as hell as her gaze went from my sister to scanning the store for her mom, and then back to Kelly. “I don’t think… wait. Kelly? Holy shit! Kelly! I gotta let Sammie in on this right now! She and Ainslee are gonna freak!”

“Yeah, it’s me,” my sister said with a relieved smile that matched my own. She had thought she had lost everything until I came along too, and finding out that Aunt Maya and the twins were okay too must have her heart bursting with happiness now, just as mine was. I hoped Aiden was okay too. I was sure Aunt Maya mentioned him earlier. I was distracted from wondering who this Ainslee person might be as my sister gestured to me and offered, “It’s not just me either, this is Eli, but she goes by Lily now.”

I was glad there was nothing glass nearby because the excited squee she let out at that information would have surely shattered any. When she finally stopped, she practically jumped over the counter to crush my sister in a hug. “You’re both alive!”

She looked like she was trying to figure out how to hug me half to death as well as I said, “Uhhh… and this is my…”

“Girlfriend,” Poppy proudly declared, interrupting my uncertain introduction with a huge grin. “I’m Poppy, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Poppy,” Selina agreed. “Sammie is sooo freaking out right now, girls! She’s getting out of the pool to go tell Ainslee right now!”

“We should get this stuff paid for, Selina,” my sister suggested. You’re closing soon, and a line is forming. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up later since Aunt Maya wants us to stay with you.”

“That’s great, it’s so good to see you both again, well, sort of anyway since you’re both Altered now and different. I’m sooo glad you’re both still alive. Let’s get you rung through then,” she said as she made her way back behind the counter. “Sorry for the wait, folks, I’ll ring them through really quick.”

I looked behind us but the two people there were smiling and didn’t seem to mind the wait. They were both Altered, a blonde Catgirl and a redheaded woman with horns, a spaded tail, and demonic-looking wings. They weren’t much older than me and my sister, so they probably lost people during Incursions too, and would be just as happy if they were reunited.

“I’ll pay for it all, Sis,” I told Kelly as Selina started ringing up the various items “I haven’t had to spend nearly as much of my setup money as you, and I want to buy the dress Poppy picked out for her to celebrate our new status.” That got me a hug and a very passionate kiss from my new girlfriend. Once Selina was done ringing us up, including the 30% family discount, I focused my thoughts through my comm crown on my new bank account and mentally directed it to connect to the payment terminal to send the required funds.

It was finished at the speed of thought, which admittedly is faster for some people than others. Still, it’s much faster and more secure than the physical debit cards of the old days that had been phased out when comm rings, and later implants, became a thing. Each ring or implant is permanently attuned to the user’s brain wave patterns upon first use, and since each person’s brain wave patterns are unique, that keeps anyone else from using them, which keeps things like debit and credit payment methods secure.

A person can try to clone a card or steal an account number all they want, but they can’t do shit without the right brainwave pattern if said account has been linked to a comm ring or implant. That security is kind of a relief since I’m now too small to carry physical cash around, not that anyone but really old people do that anymore. Payment terminals only work for registered employees of the place of business using biometric data, always have a dedicated connection to the outernet, and don’t have to worry about power outages either since the new ones are all run by magitech batteries, like the one running my little house.

With promises to see Selina soon, we headed to the nearest food court, which thankfully, was the one where Annika and Lyra were eating, and where we needed to wait for Aunt Maya. It looked like they were finished eating but there was a dinner rush for a lot of the places in the food court. They’d be staying open until the mall as a whole closed at nine, but I guess some stores in the mall didn’t see the need to stay open that late on a Saturday unless it was holiday hours or something.

“You’re all done looking around, or is there anything you still think you might need?” Annika asked upon our approach to their table.

“I think we’re done, thanks for bringing us and showing us around for the day, Annika,” I told her before jumping onto Lyra’s head and ruffling her hair, though I had to use practically my whole body to do it. It was like making a snow angel. “We’ll probably see you later kiddo. Your mom has our numbers if the two of you want to hang out again. Maybe we can get you and Moonlight in another race. You almost had her today.”

“Awww, stop it, Lily!” Lyra protested. Though that protest was mostly giggles.

Annika gave us a curious look as I lifted off from her giggling daughter’s head. “Did you not need help getting things back to the hospital?”

Kelly smiled and shook her head. “No, but thanks so much for today, Annika. It was a great day, better than you know, and I think we found everything we needed and more. We actually have a ride back to the hospital and might be able to officially get released too. That last store was run by someone we knew from back home, and she’s offered to let us stay with her family for a while.”

The Centaur’s eyebrows shot upward. “That’s great, I take it you know this person and her family well then?”

“Yup,” I said, popping the P. “Close enough that we call her Aunt Maya, we grew up getting into trouble with her kids. We thought they might have all died during the Incursion. The Titans were coming from the direction of their place when they hit us and they were the first people Kelly tried to contact besides me. None of them had implants like me and Kelly did and she got nowhere when she tried to contact their comm rings.”

“Maybe they had to change them for some reason or just decided on implants instead,” Poppy suggested. “Comm rings don’t store data the same way as implants do, and the operating systems are completely different. Transferring account and contact information from a comm ring to an implant is pretty much impossible and the reverse wasn’t even imagined to ever be necessary. Plus, phone numbers aren’t tied to people but rather the individual devices. And if you’ve actually lost your ring, instead of just upgrading, you better hope you have all that info stored away somewhere for backup.”

“Which was why I had to start everything new on my comm ring, even though the damn implant in my deceased former noggin’ is still perfectly functional. The only way I would the able to get access to the savings account Mom and Dad made for me would be to go to the branch in person, and they’d laugh me out of there, if they didn’t try to spray me with pesticide or something first. Honestly, even if they did have the info backed up, their house was probably near ground zero in an Incursion, who knows what could have happened to their house, let alone the contents,” I pointed out.

“I’m doubly glad that you found each other again then,” Annika offered.

She and Lyra stayed and hung out for another fifteen minutes before she released custody of Kelly’s cloth shopping bags, which had been secured to her saddlebags by carabiners. Then they said their good nights and we were left alone until just before 6:30, when Kelly spotted Aunt Maya and Selina heading our way. The former seemed tired but very happy to see us waiting as they approached, and she offered, “Well, girls, what do you say we see about getting you all out of that hospital?”