Felicity Finds Family

A Transgender Super Coming of Age Adventure

From the Super Heroine Universe

Chapter 14: The Approaching Storm

By Sasha Zarya Nexus

Can Felicity learn more about how to manipulate her tesseract so that it interacts with the systems of Hotel Colorado to protect their new extended family of choice?

Copyright 2025 by Sasha Zarya Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

Author's Note:

This novel, in it's entirety, is available on my Patreon. Patreon Free Members can read my new complete book by chapters, Things We Do for Love. This novel will be posted by chapters on Fridays, until the novel is complete on BCTS.

The first light of dawn painted the Colorado mountains in shades of rose and gold, but within the walls of Hotel Colorado, a different kind of illumination was taking hold. Lynn Archer stood at the window of her suite, watching the early morning activities in the gardens below with the keen eye of someone who had found her true calling. Her transformation from uncertain traveler to confident caretaker had accelerated in the weeks since Hanna's liberation, and today she felt the full weight of her maternal responsibilities settling around her like a comfortable mantle.

A soft knock at her door interrupted her morning contemplation. "Come in," she called, her voice carrying the warm authority that had become her trademark.

The door opened to reveal a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, though her eyes held depths that suggested she had seen far more than her apparent age would indicate. Her skin shimmered with an opalescent quality that marked her as something other than human, and her movements carried the fluid grace of someone who existed partially outside normal space-time.

"Mother Lynn?" the young woman asked tentatively, using the title that had become natural among the hotel residents. "I'm sorry to disturb you so early, but I... I'm having trouble with my manifestation again."

Lynn's maternal instincts engaged immediately, her entire focus shifting to the distressed young woman. "Of course, dear. Come in, sit down. Tell me what's happening."

The young woman—Lynn remembered her name was Iris—perched nervously on the edge of the sitting room's antique settee. "My natural form keeps shifting without my permission. I'll be talking to someone, and suddenly I'm partially translucent, or my colors start cycling through the spectrum. It's embarrassing, and I'm worried I'll hurt someone."

Lynn moved to sit beside Iris, her presence immediately calming. The maternal confidence that had emerged since her transformation allowed her to radiate the kind of unconditional acceptance that helped others find their footing.

"Manifestation instability often reflects emotional uncertainty," Lynn said gently, drawing on wisdom that seemed to come from some deep, intuitive place. "Have you been under stress lately? Any changes in your routine or relationships?"

Iris nodded, tears beginning to form in her shifting eyes. "I've been trying to decide whether to stay at the hotel permanently or continue my journey. Part of me wants to keep moving, but another part has found something here that I've never experienced before."

"Home," Lynn said simply. "You've found home, and that's both wonderful and terrifying."

The understanding in Lynn's voice seemed to provide exactly what Iris needed. The young woman's opalescent skin began to stabilize, her colors settling into a gentle, steady glow that spoke of peace rather than chaos.

"How do you do that?" Iris asked with wonder. "How do you make everything feel... safe?"

Lynn smiled, feeling the truth of her role settling deeper into her bones. "Because I understand what it means to finally become who you're meant to be. And I want that for everyone who walks through these doors."

As they talked, Lynn became aware of subtle changes in the hotel's atmosphere. The air felt more charged, the light more vibrant, as if the building itself was responding to something happening beyond the normal scope of perception. Through her window, she could see increased activity in the gardens, and the tesseract-enhanced intuition that had developed since her transformation suggested that something significant was stirring.

Hanna's Grove: A Living Sanctuary
Deep in the hotel's gardens, Hanna worked with the focused intensity of someone who had spent centuries dreaming of this moment. The grove she had been establishing had evolved far beyond simple landscaping into something that bordered on the miraculous. Ancient oaks formed natural amphitheaters where residents could gather for guidance, their branches intertwining in patterns that created pockets of enhanced privacy and protection.

"The healing circles are responding beautifully," she murmured to herself, her hands glowing with the green light of growth magic as she encouraged a ring of silver birches to form a natural therapy space. The trees responded to her touch like old friends, their leaves rustling with what sounded almost like whispered encouragement.

The grove had become more than just a garden—it was a living sanctuary that responded to the emotional needs of those who entered it. Flowering vines created private confession spaces where residents could explore their deepest fears and desires without judgment. The very ground itself pulsed with nurturing energy, providing stability for those whose abilities made them feel disconnected from the physical world.

As Hanna worked, she became aware of a presence approaching through the garden paths. She turned to see Dr. Merideth Zvezda walking toward her with the measured pace of someone deep in thought. The mathematics professor's expression held the sharp focus of someone who had spent the night working through complex equations.

"Hanna," Dr. Zvezda said, her voice carrying both greeting and urgency. "I've been analyzing the energy patterns throughout the hotel, and I wanted to discuss some concerning developments."

The dryad straightened, her ancient instincts immediately alert to potential danger. "What kind of developments?"

Dr. Zvezda consulted a notebook filled with equations that seemed to shift and change as she watched them. "The mathematical models are showing fluctuations in the hotel's dimensional stability. Nothing dangerous yet, but the patterns suggest that something is building. The tesseract energy is increasing exponentially, and the hotel's infrastructure is adapting to accommodate power levels we've never seen before."

Hanna felt the grove respond to her growing concern, the trees leaning inward as if to provide additional protection. "Felicity's abilities are expanding rapidly. Perhaps too rapidly."

"That's my concern as well," Dr. Zvezda agreed. "The mathematical progression suggests that her power is building toward some kind of critical threshold. The question is whether this is a natural evolution or a response to external pressures."

As they spoke, both women became aware of subtle disturbances in the garden's harmony. The protective wards that Hanna had woven throughout the grove were detecting something at the edge of perception—not an immediate threat, but a presence that didn't belong to the hotel's usual dimensional signature.

"Do you feel that?" Hanna asked, her connection to the living systems of the hotel providing her with information that normal senses couldn't detect.

Dr. Zvezda nodded grimly. "The mathematical models have been showing increasing instability at the dimensional boundaries. Something is testing the hotel's defenses, probing for weaknesses."

The grove's protective systems began to pulse with deeper energy, the trees forming tighter circles around the healing spaces as Hanna's instincts kicked into full defensive mode. Whatever was approaching, her sanctuary would be ready.

Felicity's Expanding Abilities
In the quiet of the hotel's library, Felicity sat surrounded by books that defied conventional organization. The tesseract within her core had been pulsing with increasing intensity throughout the morning, its infinite energy responding to something that hovered just beyond the edge of her perception. Her dimensional sight, which had grown steadily stronger since her arrival, now showed her layers of reality that she was only beginning to understand.

The books around her seemed to resonate with her abilities, their pages turning themselves to reveal information that appeared to be specifically relevant to her current needs. Ancient texts on dimensional theory mixed with modern physics papers, creating a synthesis of knowledge that should have been impossible but felt perfectly natural.

"The mathematical relationships are becoming clearer," she murmured to herself, her enhanced perception allowing her to see the underlying patterns that connected all forms of energy manipulation. The tesseract's power wasn't just infinite—it was infinitely adaptable, capable of manifesting in whatever form was needed to serve the greater good.

But with growing power came growing responsibility, and Felicity found herself wrestling with questions that had no easy answers. Her healing abilities had expanded to the point where she could perceive not just physical ailments but emotional wounds that spanned multiple dimensions. The weight of that perception was both a gift and a burden.

A soft sound made her look up to see Lyra Boring approaching with her characteristic ability to appear when deep thinking was required. The unremarkable woman carried a book that seemed to be writing itself, its pages filled with observations about the hotel's current state that updates as she watched.

"The patterns are accelerating," Lyra said without preamble, her forgettable features somehow conveying profound significance. "Your abilities are expanding at a rate that suggests external pressure rather than natural development."

Felicity felt the tesseract pulse with recognition at Lyra's words. "You think something is coming."

"I think something is already here," Lyra replied, settling into the chair across from Felicity. "The question is whether it's friend or foe, and whether you're ready to face it."

The tesseract blazed with sudden intensity, its energy responding to the implications of Lyra's statement. Felicity could feel her abilities reaching toward their full potential, preparing for whatever challenge lay ahead.

Staff Monitoring: The Watchers
Deep in the hotel's basement workshops, Mr. Medici stood surrounded by instruments that hummed with increasing urgency. The diagnostic equipment that monitored the hotel's dimensional stability had been showing concerning readings throughout the morning, and his weathered face bore the expression of someone who had seen such patterns before.

"The fluctuations are definitely increasing," he reported to Miss Devereux, who had arrived with her ever-present clipboard and an expression of professional concern. "The tesseract energy is building toward levels that we've never recorded before."

Miss Devereux consulted her notes, which seemed to update themselves as she watched. "The other residents have been reporting unusual dreams, temporal displacement events, and enhanced abilities across the board. Whatever is affecting Felicity is having a ripple effect throughout the entire hotel."

The instruments around them began to emit soft chimes as new readings appeared on their crystalline displays. The hotel's infrastructure was adapting to accommodate the increasing power levels, but the adaptation was happening at an unprecedented rate.

"It's as if the building is preparing for something," Mr. Medici observed, his hands glowing with diagnostic energy as he interfaced with the hotel's systems. "The defensive mechanisms are coming online, the dimensional anchors are strengthening, and the reality stabilizers are operating at maximum capacity."

Miss Devereux made detailed notes, her professional efficiency masking deeper concerns. "How long do we have before the tesseract reaches full manifestation?"

"Based on the current progression rates," Mr. Medici said, consulting readings that defied conventional understanding, "no more than forty-eight hours. Maybe less if external pressures continue to build."

The Hotel's Response
Throughout the grand structure of Hotel Colorado, subtle changes were occurring that went beyond the normal magical ambiance. The walls themselves seemed to pulse with deeper energy, their surfaces showing faint patterns that suggested the activation of protective systems that had lain dormant for decades.

In the dining room, residents gathered for breakfast noticed that the usual morning routines had taken on an almost ceremonial quality. The shadow-man's form was more solid and defined than usual, the ocean-woman's luminescence had brightened to unprecedented levels, and even the most mundane conversations carried undertones of preparation and anticipation.

"The building is responding to the tesseract energy," Dr. Zvezda explained to the assembled residents, her mathematical insights providing context for the changes they were all experiencing. "The hotel's magical infrastructure is adapting to support power levels that approach the theoretical maximum for dimensional manipulation."

The residents listened with the focused attention of people who understood that their sanctuary was preparing for something significant. Whatever was coming, they would face it together, supported by the protective systems that made Hotel Colorado more than just a building—it was a living fortress dedicated to the protection and nurturing of supernatural beings.

Mysterious Disturbances
As the day progressed, the disturbances at the edge of perception became more pronounced. Staff members reported brief glimpses of figures that shouldn't exist, shadows that moved independently of their sources, and sounds that seemed to come from directions that didn't make spatial sense.

"Something is testing our defenses," Lyra reported during an emergency staff meeting, her unremarkable features sharp with concentration. "The mathematical models suggest coordinated probing rather than random dimensional instability."

Miss Devereux's clipboard showed readings that updated in real-time, tracking the mysterious disturbances with increasing precision. "Whatever it is, it's specifically interested in the tesseract energy. The probes are concentrated around areas where Felicity's abilities are strongest."

Mr. Medici's instruments revealed the hotel's response to these incursions—defensive systems that had been built into the structure's foundation were coming online, creating barriers that existed in multiple dimensions simultaneously.

"The hotel is ready," he reported with grim satisfaction. "Whatever is coming, we'll be prepared."

Power Preparation
In her private chambers, Felicity felt the tesseract within her core building toward something that felt both inevitable and terrifying. The infinite energy source was no longer content to remain dormant—it was preparing for full manifestation, gathering power that would soon demand expression.

Mother Lynn appeared at her door, her maternal instincts drawing her to provide support during this crucial time. "How are you feeling, dear?"

"Like I'm about to become something I don't fully understand," Felicity replied honestly, her dimensional sight showing her glimpses of potential futures that both thrilled and frightened her.

Hanna joined them, her ancient wisdom providing the third point of their triangular support system. "The grove is ready to provide whatever protection and grounding you need. The trees have been preparing consecrated spaces where you can safely explore your full abilities."

The tesseract pulsed with recognition at the support being offered, its energy responding to the love and acceptance of her chosen family. Whatever was coming, she would not face it alone.

As night fell over the Colorado mountains, the hotel settled into a state of watchful preparation. The mysterious disturbances continued to probe the edges of their sanctuary, but the protective systems held firm. Inside, residents gathered in small groups, sharing stories and offering mutual support in the face of unknown challenges.

The tesseract energy continued to build, its power preparing for the full manifestation that would define not just Felicity's future, but the future of everyone who had found sanctuary within the walls of Hotel Colorado.

The approaching storm was almost here, and they would meet it together.