My Super-powered Diary Chapter 41 Feeling and Feelings? By Amethyst When Maddock Ainsley gets involved in a rescue operation with his unit things go horribly wrong and his life is forever changed. Can the newly minted Merida cope with being a girl and a teenage super hero?

It was almost lunchtime when Mom and Brooke finally emerged from the examination room. They had been in there for a damn near an hour by that point and you could have heard a pin drop in the room as we all rose from our seats. Vidia was the first to get to them, but then she is a fast-flying Fairy and Brooke’s Fairy companion. She had been getting more and more frustrated the longer that Brooke was in the examination room. “Awww, it looks like Vidia was gettin’ all worried,” Rosetta commented in that southern twang of hers.

Vidia turned around and snapped, “I was not, it was just getting boring in here. You know how I don’t like sitting and doing nothing. So now we can get out of here.” It would seem that the fast-flying fairy liked to portray a tough and uncaring exterior, though we had all seen how worried she was getting during the long wait. “Come on Brooke, tell everyone what happened so we can get going.”

Brooke smiled at her Fairy friend, apparently, she wasn’t fooled either. “Sure Vidia. Dr… uh… Mom had to do a bunch of tests, but it looks like I’m perfectly healthy and I didn’t really follow a lot of what she said, but she hopes that I should be able to feel things again in the next day or two. She’s doing something similar to what she did for Toxin, I guess.”

Mom took that as her cue to explain. “Brooke’s problem is tha’ her whole body is invulnerable, includin’ her various mechanoreceptors. They can’t sense pressure, heat, cold or pain, because she’s effectively immune ta those sensations at a cellular level. Therefore they aren’t sendin’ signals ta the postcentral gyrus o’ her brain. So I’ve given her an oral dose o’ nanites. Most o’ those l’il buggers are goin’ to move through her body an’ attach themselves to her mechanoreceptors. Once in place, they will take over fer them acting as sensors an’, when triggered, sendin’ the correspondin’ signals to her brain to interpret. The remaining nanites will construct a small implant in her brain tha’ will allow her to turn her nanites on or off at will, allowin’ her to avoid distractions while in combat.”

“That sounds good, are you sure it’s going to work Mom?” Vanessa asked. I knew how she felt, we all had faith in Mom’s expertise, but it was Brooke and we were all worried that she might never be able to feel anything again, other than perhaps pain while fighting a strong enough Cat five.

“It’s experimental,” Mom admitted, “but they’re small enough to get to the proper locations and I’ve designed them so her immune system an’ regeneration will ignore both them an’ the implant as a threat. She should know fer sure once the implant is completed an’ connected to the nanites, probably in the next day or so. Toxin’s have been workin’ well so far, so I’m optimistic tha’ this will work.”

“If’n anyone kin make it work, it would be you, Mom,” I said with as much confidence as I could muster. “Now kin we please go eat somethin’ I’m starvin’ here, an’ I wan’ tae figure out wot we’re goin’ tae dae this afternoon.”

I was hungry but not as bad as I was making it sound. I really just wanted to get everyone to stop dwelling on something that we really had no control over. Mom had done her best and we would all have to wait and see what happened, for both Brooke and Hana. My distraction worked. With all of us discussing plans for the afternoon and whether to eat at the Grotto or someplace else everyone seemed to be a bit less gloomy. As a bonus, Hana and her mother were able to discretely talk to Mom for a few minutes and give her the sample that Hana had ‘collected’ to be frozen and so that Mom could take Hana aside for a few minutes to harvest the stem cells that would be needed for her treatment from her subcutaneous fat.

We had decided to go and eat at our place on the beach; me, my sisters, and all the members of 4-Ward. We still had all the extra food supplies that we had bought for the camping trip after all and hadn’t wanted them to go to waste. So we built a fire and had a cookout with all the stuff that needed cooking and had a sort of group picnic while we talked about some things and tried to avoid talking about others. We talked about having another surfing lesson, but that just brought up the fact that Brooke didn’t have a surfboard.

With that in mind, we decided to go buy her one. Greenhill Mall was still closed for repairs, so sadly Surf ‘n Turf was out of the question, so we ended up going to Shoreside Mall again. Lindsey knew of a small surf shop there that had a decent selection of boards and Fawn would need a few things from the mall anyway. She had plenty of clothes, but she really needed a backpack for school and a purse and a few other things, now that she could take human form and size. Mom had put more money on the pre-paid debit cards she was using to issue our allowance yesterday while getting one for Brooke as well, so my sisters were all looking forward to a trip to the mall.

We actually had a lot of fun shopping for things after Brooke had found and bought a surfboard that she liked. Fawn had become human-sized for the shopping trip and we had managed to find her one as well, and some of the things that she would be needing too. I got her a backpack and school supplies, a purse that she immediately put her ID and other essentials in, and some hair ties, a hairbrush, and other things that she might want to keep in her purse for emergencies.

Fawn started to feel a little less self-conscious about her new ability while we were doing that shopping and Lindsey pointed out how she could use it to make her fellow Fairies’ lives easier. She could take necessities such as toilet paper, monthly supplies, backpacks, school supplies, and such and shrink them down along with her for them, so long as she was carrying them on her person or holding on to them. It might require a lot of back and forth on her part, but she was more than willing to put out the effort to make things easier for them. With that in mind, we bought those types of things for them as well as some self-care and personal hygiene stuff from the pharmacy. We also went to the dollar store to get things like doll furniture for their little houses and things like towels, dishes, cutlery, and other things for Fawn to shrink down to size for Fairy use. It may have been cutting into our allowance money for that, but none of it was really all that expensive. Besides, the Fairies were our friends, they were like family, and that made it worth it to us.

Our family and the Fairies weren’t the only ones getting some shopping done either. Lindsey stopped in at Magic Time to get a few things in preparation for training her soon-to-be Meidragon familiar, Garret wanted some new sneakers for while he was in human form, and Hana wanted a few sets of clothes that would fit and a couple of other necessities in the hopes that her treatment would work. Hana planned on getting most of her clothes through the Taylors, but she didn’t want to invest that much until she was sure that she wouldn’t be changing back into Hiro. She also wanted to replace the sleeping bag that had been destroyed during our camping trip, which had Michelle and Lindsey doing the same.

Shu was storing everything in a pocket dimension after we left each store so we didn’t have to carry too much but she was sure to do it while the rest of us were keeping her away from prying eyes, and only when Tasha figured that it was safe to do so. We didn’t want to get too much attention, after all. Our group stood out enough as it was, especially with Jordyn’s new look. Tall and toned girls with bright pink hair, four arms, and bright gold feathery wings tend to stand out a bit.

It was almost dinner time by the time we got back to our place, but we did manage to get a short surfing lesson in and they all stayed for dinner. Andy was happy to get another chance to use his new grill so soon and Mom didn’t mind since she liked all of our 4-Ward friends. After dinner, we toasted some marshmallows and made s’mores from the remainder of the camping trip supplies while Jordyn continued Mei’s lessons on being a Medium. It was a nice relaxing way to spend the evening until Mei created a new Meidragon egg for Lindsey. Jordyn watched her closely while she did her thing, hoping to pick up some clues that might make it easier for her to teach Mei how to actually see what she was already doing instinctively.

It was of course Lindsey who had passed out instead of Mei when that time came. Mei had done as she had with me, using a piece of Lindsey’s soul to create the new dragon-egg to make the resulting dragon have a closer bond with her. That was the whole reason that she had wanted Lindsey’s permission before creating her familiar. She wanted Lindsey to know exactly what she was doing, why, and as much of the how as Jordyn could explain.

“She’s so adorable when she sleeps,” Michelle said with a smile as she watched over her slumbering girlfriend. “So… uhh... how do we get her home and to bed? Could you fly her there Jordyn?”

The Medium laughed as she shook her head. “I may have wings, but I have no idea how to use them properly yet, I can barely keep them from springing out whacking anything or anyone nearby. I’m still getting used to this new body too so even if did know how to use them I wouldn’t feel safe carrying her home.”

“Don’t look at me, I don’t have super strength in this form,” Hana pointed out as Michelle looked her way.

I looked around at the others in the light of the campfire and thought aloud, “Well, ya ken… we’re already outside wit’ a nice fire goin’, an’ we jus’ had s’mores. We didnae really ge’ tae camp out las’ night, so why no’ dae it t’night. The three o’ ya ‘ave yuir new sleepin’ bags, an’ I kin set up ma tent an’ sleepin’ bag. An’ we ‘ave a bunch o’ Mythrilex blankets an’ stuff fer anyone else wot wants tae camp out.”

“That’s a great idea Mer,” Vanessa suggested with a grin. “I should be able to manage it if I sleep close enough to the shore that I get wet when the tide comes in.”

“Couldn’t you drown that way though, Ness?” Garret asked in concern.

“You’re so cute when you worry about me Fuzzy, but my gills will appear and kick in automatically if I completely submerge,” the mermaid Shifter assured him. He still looked a bit worried, but calmed down when she gave him a confident smile and added, “I sleep under like three feet of water every night and I’m still around.”

“Ness? Fuzzy? What is with the pet names and the lovey-dovey-ness between those two?” I wondered. “Are they…? When did that happen? Why didn’t she tell me? Why am I upset that she didn’t tell me? I mean, sure she and I have been close since we first met as captives in that bathroom, and she’s my sister now, but that doesn’t mean she has to tell me everything. Even sisters have secrets, right?” Still, I was upset and a little hurt and that was making me distracted. It had also made my force field activate.

I fought to stifle it, focusing on petting the sleeping dragonet in my arms in an attempt to calm us both. Peaches might be sleeping, but she could still pick up on my emotions, and whatever upset me, upset her as well. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who was surprised either. Michelle and Hana were both staring at the pair. An awkward silence had fallen over us when I excused myself, placing Peaches gently in Fawn’s lap. “Could ya watch ‘er fer a wee bi’ Fawn? I’m goin’ tae go ge’ ma campin’ gear an’ the blankets.”

“Sure Merida,” the currently human Fairy agreed as she began to slowly rock Peaches in her arms.

I went straight to my room and removed my portable portal from my purse. I had just shaken it out and started to extract the tent that would keep my powers contained when the door opened and Vanessa’s voice called out from behind me, “I thought you might need some help.”

“Dinnae worry, I’m fine,” I countered as I placed the collapsed tent on the bed and peered inside the portal to find and grab my sleeping bag. It was a good thing that I had left everything close to the entrance.

The moment that I was completely out of the portal she said, “You’re not Mer, your force field doesn’t activate on its own when you’re fine. You’re obviously upset about something and you’re too damn stubborn to admit it or want to talk it out.”

“I’m no’ upset, so there’s nothin’ tae talk aboot,” I grumbled as I walked past her with the tent bag slung over my shoulder and my sleeping bag in hand. I made my way down the hall to the linen closet to grab the stack of Mythrilex blankets that Mom had placed there, adding them somewhat precariously to the sleeping bag in my arms.

I could hear Vanessa sigh from down the hall before she followed me, took the blankets from me, and said, “Look Mer, I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you about this as soon as you got back, but your trip didn’t go as planned, there was the whole thing with being there to support Brooke and Hana, then the shopping trip and stuff, so there wasn’t really any time to talk to you alone. You’re my sister and my best friend other than Silvermist. You’re the first one I wanted to tell, I don’t want there to ever be secrets between us and I wanted your advice. I love Sil to bits, but she can be a bit flighty sometimes and I know that I can always count on you.”

She did feel bad about not telling me earlier and I knew that she was telling me the truth because I could see it in her face and her eyes. I still felt bad, though now it was more because I had been upset about something so stupid and that I had doubted her. She hadn’t done anything to deserve that, in fact, she had always been there when I needed her. “I should be the one apologizin’ getting’ upset o’er sumthin’ so stoopid.”

Vanessa shook her head. “Don’t be Mer, I would have probably been upset if I wasn’t the first one you talked to about the whole thing you have going with Hiro/Hana. I got to watch the whole thing unfold though, so there wasn’t any need for you to tell me or ask for advice. And when you did need advice after the whole first kiss thing Tasha and I didn’t exactly give you time to ask for it before butting in.”

“So, Garret huh? Wot’s goin on b’tween the two o’ ya then? I leave fer one bloody day an’ yuir both makin’ googoo eyes at each other when I ge’ back.”

She flushed a bit but did start to explain. “Well, I guess it’ kinda started just after we met them and you and Hiro started getting all touchy-feely. We’ve been talking on the phone and texting sometimes before I settle into my aquarium. We get each other y’know? It started as friends with similar issues talking things out that nobody but us can really understand. We both have trouble maintaining our human forms for long periods of time and when we don’t it’s pretty obvious that we’re mutants. We both have the whole TSD thing too, though I think I talk to you more about that than him, but he still gets it. We have similar interests too, and he’s as avid a surfer as I am. At first, it was just friends talking about similar interests and issues, being there for one another.”

“So wot ‘appened tae change things then, an’ wot is it tha’ ya need my advice aboot?” I asked, not really sure where she was going with this other than the fact that it seemed to be somewhat more than friends now.

“While Mom and the others took Brooke shopping yesterday Garret and I decided to get some surfing in and he just sorta asked me out. So we went to a movie and had some dinner together last night and then we kissed. I liked it. I like him, we have so much in common, but what if we’re rushing things? What if we’re not really compatible, I mean he’s part wolf and I’m part fish. I sleep in a fucking aquarium, how could a long term relationship possibly work between us?!” Her voice rose a bit and she was sounding a bit panicked as she said the last.

I shifted my sleeping bag under one arm and reached out to hug her with the other. “I’m no‘ one who kin throw stones aboot jumpin’ intae relationships ‘Nessa. If you like him an’ ya think tha’ there kin be sumthin b’tween ya then go fer it. The only way tae ken fer sure is tae spend time t’gether. Jus’ take it slow and dinnae rush anythin’ physical, tha’s wot Hana an’ I are doin’. If ya both really dae find tha’ ya love each other an’ wan’ tae give a long term relationship a try, then yuir goin’ tae find the solutions to any problems t’gether. Tha’s wot couples dae in a relationship.”

Vanessa leaned into the hug and whispered, “Thanks Mer. I came to calm you down, but it looks like I needed it more than you did. I’m glad you’re my sister.”

Once we stopped awkwardly hugging around blankets and sleeping bags we went back out to join the others and started setting things up for our impromptu camp-out. Jordyn had phoned her Aunt Rachel to get permission for her and Lindsey to sleep over, and Garret and Hana were currently on their cell phones talking with their parents to do the same. Once they had all gotten the okay and sleeping bags had been retrieved, Hana helped me to set up my containment tent while the others set up blankets and sleeping bags around the campfire. By the time Hana and I were finished so were the others and Michelle had gotten Lindsey into her sleeping bag with the new dragon egg nestled beside her inside to keep warm.

We stayed up talking for a while after that while I snuggled with Hana and Garret and Vanessa did the same. When the last embers of the fire died down to nothing we all prepared to get into our individual sleeping arrangements and Mom and Andy said their good night’s before heading into the house and their nice warm bed. Fawn had returned to her usual Fairy form and had fallen asleep in my lap with Peaches at some point. I had a little trouble moving without waking them both and did wake Fawn, who stirred long enough to fly into the tent under her own power. After one last good night kiss with Hana, I joined my Fairy friend and soon I was snuggled up in my sleeping bag with her and Peaches, the faint hum of the tent’s containment field lulling me to sleep.