Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.

 

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Author's Note: This is an appendix for terms and lore for Alex in Wonderland, to help make sense of the Greylands. This may contain some spoilers. Thanks to my readers and to BCTS for giving their support of Transgendered authors and fiction. ~Amethyst.
 

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Appendix/strong>

Humans: Much like humans on earth.

Zenin (Cat people): Roughly the same size as humans but with cat-like features: Tails, fur, cat ears and noses, fangs, slight muzzle, claws, walk on the balls of their feet. Good balance, speed and agility.

Jiquar (Four armed bear people): Furred people with bear-like ears, four arms and can get up to 8 feet tall. Omnivorous, but largely meat-eaters. Very strong with a lot of stamina but a bit slow.

Cinole (small winged humans): Human-looking with large leathery wings, pointed ears and get up to 4 feet tall. They are quick in the air and have very good eyesight. Their bones are hollow and very brittle though.

Rokin (lizard people): They live mostly in the great sand and prefer hotter temperatures. Some are known to leave as traders though.

Kyran: (aquatic humanoids) Humanoid looking with long powerful legs and arms with large webbed hands and feet. Their skin is composed of very tiny scales ranging in shades of blue and grey. Hair is often in corals blues, greens and silvers. They have large eyes in purples, ambers and normal human eye colors with an inner transparent eyelid that acts as a protective membrane underwater and allows them to see well in the dark or underwater. They have flared fin-like ears that resemble clamshells and gills along their ribs. On average they are shorter than the human norm. They are mostly isolationist and rarely seen outside their home in the Dacotis Islands, nor do they let many outsiders in.

Drakans: Telepathic dragon like creatures native to Gaje and now an endangered species hunted down by the Lharusian Empire. Azure tries to preserve them and coexist with them. Very intelligent and form a lifelong bond with their Chosen. Most Chosen are Gifted. It is ritual for the Chosen to say that they consent to being Chosen, thereby accepting the responsibility. Drakans reach their full size by one pass they can mate at five passes and have a mating cycle every three passes.

Radiant Drakan (iridescent): Winged Drakan with highly reflective silver scales that reflect light in rainbow colors. They have the ability to bend light to make themselves or others invisible and to create illusions. It is easier for them to bend light around others if the person is wearing a suit of Radiant Drakan scales. Radiant are the largest Drakans and can grow up to 65 feet long from nose to the tips of their tails with wing spans of up to 48 feet

Shadow Drakan (black): They have the ability to blend into the shadows or darkness and not be seen. They can also teleport from shadow to shadow or in dark places. They can grow up to 60 feet long from nose to the tips of their tails with wing spans of up to 45 feet. Their scales help the wearer blend into shadows or darkness.

Storm Drakan (gold): Have two large horns atop their heads which can produce electricity and fire it as lightning. They can grow up to 45 feet long from nose to the tips of their tails with wing spans of up to 30 feet. Their scales also help insulate against electricity.

Flame Drakan (red): They breathe fire. They can grow up to 45 feet long from nose to the tips of their tails with wing spans of up to 30 feet. Their scales also protect from fire and heat.

Frost Drakan (white): They encase things in ice with their freezing breath. They can grow up to 45 feet long from nose to the tips of their tails with wing spans of up to 30 feet. Their scales also protect from the cold.

Earth Drakan (green): Wingless Drakans that help plants grow and stay healthy. Their saliva can heal most wounds and poisons and is often mixed with padith and loiku to make healing tonics. They can grow up to 55 feet long from nose to the tips of their tails.

Water Drakan (blue): Drakans that live mostly in the water and fire high pressure water blasts from their mouths. They are natural dowsers and their scales are extremely water resistant. They can grow up to 45 feet long from nose to the tips of their tails with wing spans of up to 30 feet.

Stone Drakan (grey): Heavy wingless Drakans that have very hard scales. They are incredibly good tunnelers and great at finding valuable ores and gemstones. Their scales are even better armor than that of other Drakans. They can grow up to 55 feet long from nose to the tips of their tails.

Kranth: A large tusked reptile the size of a small car, very fierce and found in the wilds in warmer climates.
Neetay: A floppy eared cat-like animal found in forests, easily domesticated and commonly kept as pets.
Scraw: A large predatory bird with a hooked beak, black and red plumage and a ten foot wingspan.
Jiccan: A songbird the size of a falcon. Very smart, often kept as pets and used to send messages and other simple errands.
Yink: Dogs the size of ponies, often run wild in packs and are white, red, or brown in color. Some have been domesticated and trained as guard dogs and beasts of burden.
Sadar: Yellow furred tri horned sheep, very gentle, used for food and raised for their wool.
Luarn: Cow-like creatures with dark blue fur raised for their naturally sweet milk and butchered for meat.
Baynard: A large black equine with a sharp long curved blade-like horn, fierce, intelligent and considered too wild for domestic use.
Machul: relative to the Banard, large black equines with no horns, domesticated and very fast.
Kythir: Large ferret like creature with thick white fur and roughly thirty feet in length that live in the frozen wastes. Hunted for their warm fur and meat. Have six legs and very sharp claws and teeth.
Kihr: Smaller and smarter relative of the Kythir. Get up to four feet in length and are considered exotic pets.
Vohm: Ten foot long poisonous snakes with mottled green and brown scales. Found in dry forests and the Great Sands.
Liddeck: A turkey sized bird with small stubby wings raised like chickens for their eggs and meat. They come in white and black but their tail feathers are very large and often come in bright blues, greens, and crimsons.
Gohl: A white freshwater creature similar in size and appearance to a crab.
Soku: Gigantic black turtle-like creatures found near the Dacotis Islands. Rougly fifteen to feet from head to tail and weighing up to 4000 pounds. Move very fast in water and the Kyran use them as beasts of burden
Cythirr: Whale-like dark purple creatures hunted for their meat and blubber which is used to make scented oils.

Stingweed: A plant with purple leaves and long sharp needles. Needles are used by Healers and the leaves contain an aloe-like gel used to treat burns and scrapes.
Shix: A course brown grain similar to wheat and grown by many farmers.
Loiku: A common plant whose fibers is used in making cotton-like cloth. The large roots are very sweet and are ground to make a pink sugar-like substance which is referred to by the same name as the plant.
Padith: An herb with many healing properties.
Yalk Trees: A very dense hardwood tree with white bark, black wood, and blue diamond shaped leaves. Often used when a sturdy wood is needed for building.
Shiide: A plant with gummy leaves that taste and smell very minty. Also, a mild relaxant.
Corrune: A blue flower native to Azure whose pollen induces sleep.
Gandir: A spicy herb.
Red Bonnets: Pretty red flowers whose pollen can act as a mild aphrodisiac.
Frostberries: found on shrubs with small almost triangular shaped leaves. Berries are pale blue, almost white and have a sweet taste.
Rillfruit: Very tart blue citrus fruit. When in bloom the flowers are lavender in color.
Brae Moss: A very absorbent blue moss that grows on yalk trees.
Vilae: A fern type plant. It’s roots are an anaesthetic.
Prickleberries: Purple berries that grow on catci in the Great Sands. Make a fine brandy.
Kala: An herb from the Dacotis Islands. The large leaves are incredibly good at preventing infection in wounds.
Battu: A sappy tree from the Dacotis islands, its bark grows very fast. The bark is ground into powder and mixed with the sap and ground loiku to make a chocolate like substance.
Piska: A rapidly growing from of seaweed found around the Dacotis Islands that the Cythirr feed on.
Bloodblossoms: Bright red flowers. Their leaves used in a teas can act as a contraceptive.

The Frozen Wastes: A large mountain range with expansive glaciers that borders the country of Azure at the north, separating it from the country of Syrnia. Alex first appears in the wastes.
The Great Sand: A large desert to the south and southeast of Azure and bordering the Ujard Ocean. A lawless area where might makes right. The Rokin tribes live there as do many outlaw bands. The sheer expanse of it as well as the dangers there are the only thing keeping the Lharusian Empire from invading Azure.
Azure: The country which Alex becomes Princess of. Most races coexist well there. Ruled by the Misalet family.
The Lharusian Empire: A vast empire covering most of the continent of Gaje. Ruled by humans and other races are enslaved and treated cruelly. Drakans have been almost completely eradicated by the empires armies.
Syrnia: A country to the north of Azure across the frozen wastes. A democratic commune.
Torma: An island nation west of Azure in the Ujard Ocean. Ruled by the Biord family. Cinole homeland.
Dacotis Islands: An island nation west of the Lharusian Empire and south of Torma in the Ujard Ocean. Home to the Kyran.
Hirn: Homeland of the Jiquar. On a peninsula west of Syrnia on the Ujard Ocean. Ruled by the Rhelik family.
The Ujard Ocean: The ocean which Azure sits on the west coast of.
The Brey Mountains: A mountain range which stretches from the frozen wastes to the great sand and separates Azure from the Lharusian Empire.
Velheim: Capital city of Azure.
Draden: Azure's largest port city and home to some very nice beaches .
Yalze River: A major river in Azure.
Misalet Lake: A lake north of Velheim. Misalet Castle sits on the island at its center to protect the crystal fountain of Itari.
Therune Forest: A large forest north of Velheim and bordering Misalet Lake
Pysis: The capital city of the Lharusian Empire.
Lojihn: The Drakan homeworld.

Kida: Spirit energy that exists in all things. Can be harnessed by the Gifted.

Kida Lamps: Bright lamps made by Enchanters. As with a lot of things made by Enchanters only the well-off can afford them outside of bartering for them. Most people make do with torches.

Gift: Magic in this world is referred to as the Gift. Those who can control and manipulate Kida (spirit energy) are the Gifted. Only about 15% of the population has any Gifts worth mentioning. Over half the population have no Gifts and the remaining 35% or less have only small Gifts that aren’t much use. There are various types of Gifted and some people can have multiple Gifts. Some have great control over their Gifts while others have very little. How much Kida they can access and use, and thus their power level also varies. People are taken to Diviners when they turn 18 to test for Gifts and to trigger those Gifts. The Gifting can result in varying physical and mental changes. The 18th birthsun is often referred to as one's Giftsun. The Giftsun is a rite or passage into adulthood whether one is Gifted or not and they set aside their childhood name for the name they will carry into adulthood.

Giftburn: When someone with a powerful Gift that hasn’t been triggered by a Gifting starts to burn up from the inside from the Kida that is building up inside them and not being used. Usually only happens when young in those with powerful Gifts as those with small Gifts wouldn’t build up enough Kida until they are middle-aged.

Healers: Can heal illnesses wounds or diseases, though the more serious the injury the more magic they need to use.
Enchanters: Can't use magic to do anything directly but can permanently enchant objects with a large variety of effect spells. Enchantments can be temporary or permanent, but permanent takes more power.
Diviners: Those whose Gifts are mind based, these abilities can include telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, sensing the history of objects or places, and empathy. They can also detect Gift potential. Most varied of the Gifted.
Wilders: Can communicate with and influence animals.
Thaumaturges: Can use their Gift directly for a wide variety of effects. Sorcerers who control the base elements.
Shifters: Use their Gift to change their shape, appearance, etc. More powerful Shifters can subtly reshape the bodies of other people and objects as well.
Wind Walkers: Can control the weather.
Dabblers: Gifted in more than one area.

Plarg: Roughly 1 mile
Tayr: 50 Lin (just over one foot).
Lin: About a 1/4 of an inch.
Zim: Roughly 3 pounds.
Zimtak: 100 zims
Candlemark: Roughly 1 hour.
Sun: A day (26 candlemarks). A sun begins and ends at sunbreak (dawn).
Pass: A solar year.
Sevensun: One week.
Tenth: Ten tenths in a Pass. Each tenth is five sevensuns. The tenths are named Learth, Quenta, Pol, Zynth, Juvan, Wharee, Guren, Patok, Yalad, and Shiyas.

Selune: Goddess of Gifts………………………………………………….......Gold
Tirrik: Horned God of the Hunt…………………………………………..........Brown
Kanae: Goddess of Fertility, the Harvest and Birth……………………….....Lavender
Gund: God of War………………………………………………………….........Red
Pallo: Goddess of Death……………………………………………………......Black
Yanis: The Sun God………………………………………………………..........Yellow
Jos: The Moon Goddess……………………………………………….......…...White
Orin: God of the Seas………………………………………………………........Turquoise
Mynde: The Goddess of Unions…………………………………………….......Silver
Drek: The God of Misfortune. His name is often used as a curse word…….Orange
Itari: The Goddess of the Earth…………………………………………….....…Green
Lharus: God of the Sky (The One God)…………………………………….......Blue

Zint: An insult similar to bitch on earth

Jikkune, Jikkun, Jikkara, and Jikkar: Jikkune means goddaughter in Zenin, with godson being Jikkun and godparent being Jikkara (female) or Jikkar (male) depending on the gender. It’s usually an oath sworn before one or more Gods within the first few days after a child is born to watch over and protect them should anything happen to their parents. It isn’t something that’s done often though, because since most Zenin families have multiple parent figures there is no need.

Alex: Former earth guy dying of Cancer and now Alexis Misalet, Zenin and heir to the throne of Azure.
Michelle: Alex’s twin on Earh, and now Alexis’ Radiant Drakan.
Jezz: Cinole Healer and Alex’s romantic interest and companion, 19 passes old.
Grayle: Earth Draken, Jezz is her Chosen.
Patar: brown-furred Jiquar scholar, advisor, and protector of the royal family of Azure.
Runne: Frost Drakan, Patar is his Chosen.
Felice: Personal Maidservant of Alexis.
Chrissy: A kihr and Alexis’ pet.
Yurin: Human miner and Chosen of Perrix.
Perrix: Stone Drakan, Yurin is his Chosen.
Alina Misalet: First Queen of Azure.
Nisa Misalet: Alexis’ Greylands mother and Queen of Azure.
Janis: Nisa’s husband, Alexis’ father, and King of Azure.
Larane: Palace Healer, Zenin.
Trevas: Larane’s son and apprentice Healer.
Mathan Biord: Cinole prince of Torma.
Galan: Human, royal Enchanter.
Kardis: grey Jiquar, royal blacksmith, Shifter.
Tarn: Zenin apprentice to Galan.
Kiryn: Human palace servant.
Duchess Yanesse: Zenin noblewoman.
Countess Nikola Tahrun: Zenin Noblewoman.
Count Leggund Tahrun: Zenin Noble.
Viscount Halan Tahrun: Zenin noble and son to Nikola.
Lannah: Human born on the same day as Alexis (Visanee). Long range telepath and shifter who can change her coloring. 18 passes old.
Snow: Frost Drakan, Lannah is her Chosen.
Rozia: White Jiquar, minor Thaumaturge, 19 passes old.
Thorza: Storm Drakan, his chosen is Rozia.
Jonth: Zenin, minor Wind Walker, 18 passes old.
Xuth: Water Drakan, Jonth is her Chosen.
Irric: powerful Zenin Shifter but stuck as a Rokin, 21 passes old.
Forte: Flame Drakan, his Chosen is Irric.
Pounce: Neetay and Jezz’s pet.
Mante: a palace squire in Misalet Castle.
Zarla: High Priestess of the Temple of Itari in Velheim, Human.
Alizia: High Priestess of the Temple of Selune in Velheim, Silver furred Zenin with auburn hair.
Gella: Chosen of Iriden.
Iriden: Radiant Drakan, Gella is his Chosen.
Kalem: Chosen of Parol.
Parol: Radiant Drakan, Kalem is his Chosen.
Nisa: Chosen of Toran.
Toran: Shadow Drakan, Nisa is his Chosen.
James O’Donnell: Precognitive from Earth during the 1600’s.
Kasmin: High Priestess in the temple of Kanae.
Girwen: High Priestess in the temple of Mynde.
Jade: Earth Drakan, Pharen is her Chosen.
Pharen: Chosen of Jade.
Naddim: Brother of Queen Nisa, the man behind the Shadow War.
Laila: A pure white Zenin with blue eyes and long curly hair blonde hair nearly as light as her fur. Runs the royal family’s summer home in Draden.
Manake: Head elder of the Kyran council of elders.
Tsinoda: The Kyran High Priestess of Itari.
Gerue: The Kyran High Priestess of Kanae.
Doran: The Kyran High Priest of Orin.
Isra Perewin: A diplomat and former vassal of the Misalet family and now the Ciuntess of Kamnis.
Carra: A palace seamstress.
Visanna and Arina: the first Drakan and Chosen pair, and it was Visanna who discovered that Drakans could bond to other species. They helped Nisa to reclaim her title of Heir and become Queen during the Shadow War twenty passes ago. And it was they who gathered all the remaining Drakans, led them to Azure, and convinced them to start the Choosings. Visanna has dark green hair and purple eyes and Arina is a Water Drakan.

 

Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.
 

 

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Author's Note: This is a rewrite of the original and unfinished Alex in Wonderland. I was hoping to post a chapter of Apocalypse Dawn this week, but it's not coming along as well as I hoped, so I decided to post this instead since it's sort of a prequel to AD and I intend to alternate between posting this and AD every other week going forward. Thanks to my readers and to BCTS for giving their support of Transgendered authors and fiction. ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 1: Down the Fishing Hole

Northern Minnesota
Ten years before the fall of the Veil…

“Alex, those things are going to kill you, you know,” my sister told me with a disapproving frown as I lit a cigarette. We were at a rest stop and despite the cold, we were sitting outside. It was clear and cold enough to see our breath, but I needed a nic fix and Michelle didn't want me smoking in the car.

She didn't seem to be all that bothered by the cold. She was even wearing a mini-skirt and I had to immediately stifle the surge of jealousy and self-loathing that clenched my heart like a vice at that thought. God damn, how I envied her for it sometimes, for being able to wear whatever clothes she wanted and having a body that wouldn’t look ridiculous doing so.

At that moment, I deeply wished that I could be wearing a skirt too, not that I could tell my sister that. I could barely keep my face impassive and hold in that sudden spike of the depression, self-loathing, and disgust at the wrongness of my body that had been with me since we hit puberty. It was a small wonder that my jealousy over her body hadn’t made me resent her, but we had been very close since we were born, two halves of a whole, and we shared everything growing up… everything but this. Michelle was my twin sister and my best friend, but I couldn't even tell her who I was inside.

I had never told anybody that I felt like a girl trapped in a guy’s body, not my sister and not my parents, and I had always kept my dressing up private and secret, ashamed of my body and fearful of how they might react. You'd probably keep it secret and private too if you were six foot three and broad-shouldered, with a square jaw. I was a huge, grotesque slab of masculinity that tortured my soul every time I caught a glance of my reflection or looked down at my body.

My body might have been heart-shatteringly masculine, but other than that I was pretty unremarkable with dull brown hair and eyes and somewhat lanky since I refused to work out, bulky muscles would have made my body feel more incongruous. I was built so very differently than my twin sister, who was gorgeous in comparison, a reflection of what I should have been with her nice hourglass figure, feminine curves, bright green eyes, and auburn hair. The only things that we had in common physically were our age and that we were both on the slender side, but I suppose at that point I was getting to be more gaunt than slender. I quickly and carefully squashed another surge of jealousy and inadequacy.

“It’s probably better that I keep it secret, for as long as I have left,” I thought bitterly. It was just one more cross I had to bear on my own. I hadn't told anyone about the Cancer either, they would just worry or waste their time and mine by looking for ways to save me. Better to just try to enjoy the time I had left; two months, maybe three, if the doctors were right. I took a long drag on my death stick and gave Michelle my best fake smile as I told her, “It'll take more than cigarettes to take me down.”

As I finished my cigarette, I briefly considered once again telling my family everything once we got to the cabin. Hiding it from them, and everyone else, for my whole life had only made me miserable. Maybe I could enjoy the time I had left if I could at least live it as something close to the girl I wanted to be. Maybe then my last few months could bring me the happiness that I couldn't find in the first twenty-eight years of my sad existence. I extinguished both my cigarette and that train of thought viciously under my boot, and then we both climbed back into Michelle's beat-up old Camry to finish the long drive out to the family cabin and my final Christmas.

Elsewhere…

Visanee kept her cloak wrapped firmly around her and her cowl up to hide her features as she slipped along the halls of the Misalet Castle with the feline grace and silence that was a benefit of being a Zenin. Behind her, the guards for the room that had been her prison for almost 18 passes lay fast asleep. “I will have to thank Trevas for smuggling me in some corrune pollen if I ever get the chance. For now, though,” she thought, “I must focus on my escape.”

Making her way to the stables was easier than she first expected. It was very late after all, and the darkened halls, with only very few of the kida lamps lit, helped a lot. There were not many guards to be seen either, and what few there were seemed focused on what or who may try to enter rather than who might try to leave since no alarms had been tripped yet.

The Zenin’s ears twitched, and her fur stood on end at a distant sound as she approached the entrance hall. She swiftly and silently slipped into an alcove that would let her see her surroundings, and hopefully remain somewhat hidden in the shadows. Her feline nose wrinkled as she cautiously sniffed the air and smelled sweat, steel, and wine. The guard who turned the corner and entered the hall, sniffing suspiciously at the air, was large with brown fur and bear-like in appearance. If bears walked upright on their hind legs and had four arms.

“Just great,” she thought as her heart fluttered nervously in her chest, “a Jiquar, and he's close to 8 tayr tall. Oh well, at least his sensitive nose should work to my advantage.” Covering her nose with one hand, she slipped the other into her pouch and withdrew a handful of pollen. The Jiquar sniffed his way toward her and once he was almost at her alcove, she jumped out and blew the pollen up into his still sniffing nose.

“Surprise,” she whispered as the guard breathed in the pollen. Before he even had a chance to react with more than a shocked expression, he staggered, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to the floor, fast asleep with Visanee only narrowly avoiding being pinned beneath him. A little corrune pollen just makes a person drowsy, but with as much as the guard just inhaled, even races with less sensitive noses like Humans and Cinoles would be knocked out for a few hours.

By the time Visanee arrived at the stables, she was almost out of pollen. She quickly saddled a machul and mounted it. There were plenty of horses available but she wanted speed and stamina in a mount and the large black equines were easily faster and stronger than their smaller cousin, the horse. The only thing on land faster than a machul was its other cousin, the baynard, but those were often too wild to be safely tamed, especially with their long, curved, and very sharp blade-like horns. Still, this was only one of three machuls in the stable so, with a head start, she figured that she should be able to make it deep into the city long before any pursuit was mobilized.

She rode through the courtyard to the castle gates where a lone Human stood guard. “Lower the drawbridge and raise the gates,” she said, trying to give it the air of an order while her heart raced. She was so close to escaping, she could not let herself be stopped here.

“I'm going to need to see your gate pass,” the guard replied, sounding bored.

“Oh yes, my gate pass, silly me.” Visanee barely managed to get the words free of her suddenly parched mouth as she opened her pouch, dumping the contents into her open hand.

At this point, the guard started looking intently at her cowled face then gasped in realization, “It's the pri...” was all he managed to call out before he started coughing from the handful of pollen she threw in his face. Moments later, he was on the ground fast asleep as she strained her muscles turning the wheel to raise the black portcullis. It took her longer than she wanted, but the massive gate was made of yalk wood, and that made it heavy and she was not used to such exertion.

She had not yet finished the task when the sound of the alarm rang out, signaling that she was running out of time and needed to hurry. Someone had either discovered that she was missing or found one of the guards she had knocked out. Once she finally had the portcullis raised high enough to ride through, she hit the lever to lower the drawbridge and tiredly climbed back on the machul's back to ride through the gates, across the great bridge, and into the capital city of Velheim with the sounds of the castle being roused behind her spurring her on.

It had taken almost an entire sun for Visanee to find an Enchanter who could do what she wanted, and she had been waiting for him to finish the enchantment in question for several candlemarks. She was beginning to get nervous, and rightly so. She had only narrowly evaded pursuit, and each moment that she spent in the city increased her chances of getting caught by the guards roaming the streets in search of her.

Her ears twitched and her tail swished nervously as she risked a glance out the window of the shop into the street. Her ears swiveled toward a noise behind her, and she adjusted her cowl and turned to see the shop's proprietor stepping out through the curtains that separated the storefront from his workshop. “Is it finished?” she asked.

The elderly Enchanter nodded, placing a rather plain-looking dagger on the counter as he replied, “It is. Use this to trace a circle where the veil between worlds is the thinnest, and it will allow you to change places with a compatible soul on the other side.”

Visanee nodded as she took up the dagger, her attention now laser-focused on what the Enchanter had to tell her. “And the back door that you mentioned?”

“The kida from the enchantment will linger in that spot until the passing of the full moon on the other side. The back door must be used by then, and it can only be used once. Gifts are not common in that world, if magic exists there at all, and you cannot take physical objects with you, so you must memorize the prayer that I taught you to use the back door. Only those words can trigger the kida for a trip back. Just like when you get to the other world, I cannot guarantee whose body you would inhabit upon your return...” He paused, his blind eyes turning in the direction of her breathing and his face a mask of concern. “Are you certain that you wish to do this, Miss?”

She placed three gold coins on the counter as she muttered, “Whatever happens cannot be worse than things are now.”

With a resigned sigh, the old man offered her a piece of parchment. “When you are ready, thrust the dagger through this parchment, it will take you to where the veil between worlds is the thinnest.”

Without another word, Visanee took the parchment and thrust the dagger through. Almost immediately, a blue mist began to rise from the parchment and encompassed the Zenin. Soon, all that she could see, feel or taste was the mist. It felt like the tingling sensation one feels when feeling returns to a limb after being numb and it tasted like old parchment. And then it was all gone, and she was surrounded by snow and ice. “Just wonderful,” she thought bitterly as she realized that she was in the Frozen Wastes.

Back in Minnesota…

We pulled up in front of the cabin in the early afternoon on Christmas Eve. Mom and Dad's car was already there and covered in several inches of snow. The snow had been really coming down on the last leg of our drive and a harsh wind bit into me as we stepped out of my sister’s car. I cursed as I tried to light a cigarette in the wind and snow, “Shit! It looks like we might be in for a snowstorm, Sis. A hell of a way to be spending Christmas Eve.” A shiver tore through my body as the cold wind whipped at me and I finally managed to take a drag of my cigarette.

Michelle chuckled good-naturedly. “I guess we'll save the snowball fight for another day then, and spend tonight in front of a warm fire sipping hot cocoa and talking. It could be worse.”

“True, hot cocoa does sound good, and I'm sure we can find something to talk about.” My mind wandered back to the thought of telling them everything as I absently puffed away. No, I couldn’t. I morosely finished my smoke, grabbed our bags from the trunk of the car, and Michelle and I left the snow and wind for the warm comfort of the cabin.

The Frozen Wastes…

Visanee shivered, despite her fur, as she used the dagger to draw a circle about one tayr in diameter in the ice at her feet. Once finished, she set the dagger aside and the light blue glow that had clung to the blade left it, and the dagger was just a dagger once more. The circle though took on an ethereal blue glow and, peering through it, she could see falling snow and a dark sky lit with a half-moon peeking between clouds. The deed was done. Now she just needed to wait.

She wondered whether someone compatible would arrive soon. If the area on the other side was as desolate as the wastes seemed to be, she could be waiting quite a while. She hoped not, she didn't have that kind of time. As she huddled in her cloak and tried to keep warm, the Zenin held on to hope that it would happen before she froze to death, or she was found by her pursuers or one of the waste's predators.

Her ears and nose twitched, and she carefully watched her surroundings. The howling wind was making it hard to hear anything else and since she'd never been in the wastes before the distant scents that she could pick up, other than snow, were unfamiliar. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched and it was making her tail bristle. She risked a glance back at the circle and offered a silent prayer to the Selune, the Goddess of Gifts, that something would happen soon.

Minnesota…

“The snow outside is getting worse,” I thought as I looked out the window after dinner. The wind was whipping furiously and shrieking like a banshee, and it seemed like a wall of white powder slammed into the side of the cabin with every howling gust. Inside though, the cabin was fairly warm thanks to the fire in the fireplace. The hot cocoa helped too, as did the fact that I was wearing wool socks under a comfortable pair of old sneakers and a warm sweater.

Mom had set out a platter of Christmas treats to go with the hot cocoa. There were sugar cookies, fudge, nanaimo bars, chocolate snowballs, and gingerbread. All this conspired to make me very relaxed, probably too relaxed. Or maybe I just wanted to have the truth out and get it over with. Maybe I was just tired of living the lie at long last. Either way, it doesn't matter as it all led up to me being in the wrong place at the wrong time that night, or perhaps the right place at the right time. I'm still not quite sure yet.

So, as I sat there staring out the window, comfortably full of hot cocoa and sweets, I came to a decision that would change my life. With a sigh, I turned from the window and faced my family. Michelle took after our Mom. She was a bit taller than Mom, but had those same green eyes and auburn hair, though Mom's hair was starting to go gray, and she had been granted a visit or two from the wrinkle fairy.

Dad was a big guy with black hair and brown eyes and he stood six feet four inches tall. Unlike me though, he was a wall of muscle, and he had played hockey semi-professionally before he blew out his knee and became a contractor for a construction company. In my heart, I knew that my father was going to be trouble, but I needed to get this out, it wasn’t like I would have to live long with his disapproval anyway.

“So...” I began, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I really need to talk to all of you about something.”

Mom smiled and reached across the table taking my hand. “What do you need to talk about, Alex?”

Dad looked at me sternly, his arms crossed, and his disapproval already evident. “Men don't hesitate, son. Say what ya gotta say and be done with it, otherwise you sound like a woman.” This earned him a dirty look from both my mother and Michelle.

I laughed nervously, but there was no mirth in my heart, only fear of what was to come. “Funny you should say that, Dad. I was going to ask how you and Mom would feel about having another daughter.”

Mom and Michelle looked a bit confused while Dad, as usual, heard it the way that he wanted to. “Why didn't you tell us you've found a girl, Alex? How long have you been seeing her? Why didn't you bring her for the holidays? It's about time you decided to man up and carry on the family name.”

I groaned, shaking my head at his excitement, my hands trembling and my heart tight as I cut in to say, “Dad, stop! That is not what I meant, there's no girl. I've been thinking about this a long time, and I've never been comfortable in my body.” I blushed as I looked towards my twin sister. “Michelle, I've always been jealous of you; the way you look, the way you dress.” Looking at her reaction, I was a bit taken aback by the look in her eyes. She already knew. “Sis?”

Michelle shrugged, giving me an encouraging smile. “I figured it out when we were in high school. I figured that you'd tell me when you were ready.”

Dad was not quite so understanding. “Mary! I told you we shouldn't have named him Alex! We should have named him Gordon like I wanted to, never heard of a faggot named Gordon!”

“Louis, I don't think his name is what...” my mother began before he cut her off.

“Alex, you're going to come to work with me, no more of this working with computers and hiding behind a desk all day. No son of mine is going to be a fairy. A man's work will make a real man out of you!” I looked from him to my mother and there was a cold ache in my heart as I knew there would be no convincing them. My father was never going to accept the idea, and my mother wouldn't go against him, I should have expected as much.

I stood up and glared at them. “I'm old enough to decide how I want to live the rest of my life! I wasn't asking for your fucking permission! I was telling you that this is what I've decided on!”

The arguing went back and forth for quite a while. Dad refused to give up his position while Mom silently sided with him, and I refused to give up my identity any longer while Michelle would try to get a word in edgewise to defuse the situation. Finally, things became too much when Dad shouted, “If you go through with this you are dead to me!”

I turned and stormed out of the cabin, but not before throwing back at him, “I already am dead, you just didn't know yet!”

I stomped through the snow, the wind behind me half pushing me along. The snow was close to a foot deep and even higher in some places where the wind had formed it into dunes. I was beginning to regret not getting a jacket or proper boots on before storming out of the cabin. My hands and feet were frozen, my sweater wasn't much protection from the elements, and my sneakers kept slipping on the lake ice beneath the snow. I seriously thought about turning back until something caught my attention.

Not far away, there was a circle in the snow and ice, and it seemed to be glowing. I made my way closer, thinking that maybe someone had been ice fishing and dropped their flashlight in the hole. There wasn’t any fishing equipment, but the circle was about the right size, being around a foot in diameter. I could hear Michelle's voice in the distance, calling my name, but at that moment the strange circle had my attention. I slowly reached out my hand to touch it and then everything went black.

I awoke freezing, and uncertain as to why I had fallen asleep in the first place and just what had woken me up. Maybe it was the sound of crunching snow or that strange smell, sort of like a mix between wet dog and nutmeg. I opened my eyes to see shifting movement, white on white. Something large was moving toward me and it took a moment before I could clearly make it out At first glance, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, so I shook my head to clear my vision. Sadly, this did not change the fact that approaching me was what appeared to be a large weasel-like creature roughly thirty feet in length with thick white fur.

The creature stalked forward slowly, each of its six legs moving with deliberate purpose as it watched me. I looked around and saw a knife close by, but everything was so surreal that I thought I must be dreaming. It was almost right on top of me by the time I thought of moving, on the off chance that I wasn't losing my mind, and in case the thing might think I was dinner.

I only narrowly avoided its leaping lunge as I rolled to the side and grabbed the knife, and the creature slammed into the snow and ice where I had been lying only seconds before. It recovered quickly, turning to snap at me with a muzzle full of really large and sharp-looking fangs. Delusion or not, I took off running.

I was running fast enough to keep ahead of the thing following me, just barely, but I knew that couldn't last long. My eyes darted around, and I caught sight of an ice cave not far away. It looked small, probably too small for my pursuer, but I might be able to get inside if I crouched. Once again, the creature's teeth snapped behind me and I could feel its hot breath upon me. Thirty feet... twenty feet... ten feet. I dove toward the little cave, hitting the ground in a slide that carried me inside just as the monster's jaws snapped shut behind me.

My slide carried me well into the entrance of the cave and I could see that it got bigger once further in. In fact, I could see surprisingly well in the dark cavern, though everything seemed to be in shades of grey. I crawled further inside until the ceiling was high enough for me to stand, and placed both the knife and a pouch I was wearing with some sort of coins inside on a small ice shelf. Then, worried about both my exposure to the cold and my close encounter with the strange beast, I set about going over a mental checklist.

“Okay, head? Check. Arms and hands? Check. Legs and feet? Check.” At this point, I felt something swishing against the back of my legs and saw something long, furry, and white with black stripes and tip. “Tail? Check.... wait, what the hell?!”

It was some time before I calmed down enough to think somewhat rationally. “Okay Alex, I don't think we're in Minnesota anymore,” I muttered. My hand flew to my mouth at the sound of my voice, it had a musical quality to it and was unmistakably soft and feminine.

“No, this has got to be a dream; I'm probably dying and having some sort of delusion,” I told myself firmly as I turned my head and gave my tail a good hard tug. “Ouch! Okay, that hurt too much for me to be dreaming and now I know that that tail is definitely attached, but how did I get it, and what else has changed?”

Using my hands and what reflection I could get from the knife I began to take another mental inventory, this one of a more exploratory nature. I was wearing a black hooded cloak and some sort of black bodysuit and, since that was all that I seemed to be wearing, I wasn't about to take it all off to get a better look at my body. I was cold enough already, despite seeming to have a full-body fur coat. Any further looking would have to wait until I was warmer, but my hands and the knife would do for now. “Right, on to the checklist,” I thought, taking a deep breath.

I was most definitely female, as some casual poking and touching in the right spots quickly confirmed, and I appeared to be humanoid in shape but had a lot of feline features. The fur on the exposed parts of my body seemed to match that of my tail, being predominately white with black stripes. White furred triangular cat ears rested atop my head, poking out from waist-length jet-black hair. I had a kitty nose and lips with a slight muzzle and fangs, and big green eyes with slit pupils which overall made me think of myself as pretty, if one has a taste for cat-girls. I was slim and muscular, and both my fingers and toes seemed to have claws. For some reason, I was more comfortable walking on the balls of my feet, though I would have been even more comfortable wearing some warm footwear.

With my self-discovery inventory done I turned my mind to how this could have happened and where I was. Did I die out there in that snowstorm and get Isekai’d? Could that kind of thing actually happen? I wasn't going to complain about my current situation, as going from a dying male body to the body of an apparently healthy female was a definite step up for me. I would have cried tears of joy if I wasn’t afraid of freezing to death right then. Still, it would be nice to know the where, how, and why of the matter.

As for the where, all that I knew was that I was someplace cold and most certainly no longer on Earth. That wasn’t too hard to suss out given my new body and the creature that had nearly eaten me. Well, I supposed that I could be on Earth, but it certainly wasn't my Earth. The how and why proved to be equally elusive.

With no answers forthcoming, I decided to take a good look around the small cave. The cave was just high enough that I wasn't bumping my head, and it got to about half my height at the entrance, though that didn’t really tell me much since I had no idea how tall this new body actually was. The room itself was vaguely round and about four times the height in diameter with a slight depression in the middle of the floor. I briefly considered trying to go back outside to look for some sort of civilization, or at the very least some firewood, but my newly heightened senses could still pick up my large friend prowling around outside the mouth of the cave. With a sigh, I lay down in the depression on the cavern floor and attempted to sleep.

Visanee was cold, so very cold. Her hands and feet were numb with it, in fact, this entire unfamiliar body was. She had been told that she could end up in a body very different from her own, and she had prepared herself to feel out any differences, but at the moment she was too cold to feel much of anything at all except for the shivers which seemed to wrack her body on a nearly continual basis. Someone beside her spoke to her, and her eyes briefly opened to take in the visage of a very concerned-looking Human woman with green eyes auburn hair, and a pretty face flushed from the cold. “Alex, try to stay awake, I've called search and rescue, and they’ve got a medivac on the way.”

The woman kept talking to her and occasionally shook her to keep her from falling asleep. She was so tired, why wouldn't this person just let her rest? It continued like this for some time, Visanee couldn't be sure how long, but after a time she heard something. The unfamiliar roaring sound kept getting closer, it sounded like some great beast, and the *whup whup* sound, like the rapid beating of some great wings, that accompanied it kept getting louder. Her blurry vision tried to focus as a large red blur emerged from the snowy skies, landing nearby where the deafening sound and the snow being whipped about by the beast's landing made what senses she had kept about her practically useless.

More humans approached, she could make out their outlines and they spoke strange words with many syllables that she could not understand. One opened her eye, shining a light of some sort in it as he spoke to the others. She was picked up and placed on something and then she felt herself being moved closer to the strange red beast and its odd noises. “Perhaps it is some sort of Drakan,” she thought. The last conscious thought she had as the Humans fed her to the beast was, “Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.”

I awoke on what I assumed to be Christmas Day comfortably warm, so warm in fact that I didn't want to move but just languish in the experience of not being frozen. It was with great reluctance that I finally opened my eyes to see that I was not sleeping alone. There were white-furred creatures all around me, all snuggled together sharing body heat in the cold of the cave. I wondered if perhaps this was some sort of communal den, as there were well over a dozen of the creatures ranging in size from one foot to four feet long snoozing contentedly around and on top of me.

The animals seemed to be similar to the big one that chased me in here and I pondered the possibility that they may be its children. I quickly dismissed that idea though for two reasons. Firstly, there was no way the larger creature could have made it into the small cave entrance to nest, and secondly, if they all were babies they likely would have been here when I entered the cave. I felt that it was far more likely that my idea that this was a communal den was more accurate and that these were some sort of smaller cousin to the creature from before.

I lay there comfortably for a time, feeling warm and secure as I pondered what I should be doing. My first priority would probably have to be finding some sort of food. I know that I probably could have eaten some of the creatures in the cave with me if I could have found a way to cook them but they were just too cute, it would be like eating a kitten.

Also, they had kept me warm when I would have otherwise frozen to death, so it only made sense not to since I may need that warmth again. Basically, to me, it was the same concept as not pissing in your drinking water. I probably needed them for survival and I couldn't risk screwing that up.

Honestly, they really were cute though, especially when they started to yawn and stretch as they awoke. They weren't nearly as fearsome as the larger model. As they awoke the smaller ones began to play, chasing and nipping at one another and I assumed that these must be kits. One, in particular, seemed to have taken a great interest in stalking my tail, which I was swishing about to get used to having it as an extension of my body. Okay, I admit it, I might have been playing a little, but there was nothing else to do. As I played, I considered looking for food or perhaps some trace of civilization since surely, I couldn't possibly be the only intelligent being here, wherever here was.

After a somewhat lazy morning, the creatures began to leave the cave. Trusting them to know whether it was safe to do so, I followed, hoping that they could lead me to food and water. Taking the knife and pouch, I crawled out of the entrance, where I was greeted by a beautiful day. The sky was a beautiful blue and the air, though cold, was fresh and clean.

I spent a moment taking it all in before my stomach decided to remind me of just why I was out there. With a sigh, I took a look around to find out where my little friends took off to, only to find that one of them seemed to be waiting for me. It just stood there watching me, balanced on its four rear legs until I began to make my way toward it, and then it took off, pausing only once more to make sure I was following.

My little friend, who I was almost certain was the same one I had been playing with earlier, led me to a valley that wasn't quite as barren as the rest of the landscape. The valley boasted some pine trees, shrubs, and a small glacier-fed lake. The water was cold and clear and I quickly drank my fill before sitting down to consider food. Watching the snow ferrets, I saw that they were standing on their four rear legs while using their forepaws to grab at the shrubs. Both curious and hungry, I made my way over to one of the bushes.

The shrubs had small, almost triangular-shaped leaves and some sort of pale blue, almost white, berries. Remembering my survival training from my scout days, I took one of the leaves and licked it experimentally. It wasn't bitter so I took one of the berries and popped it in my mouth. The berry had a slightly sweet taste to it and I smiled as I began to pick and eat more of them. Before long, my hunger was sated and I began putting as many of the berries as I could fit into the coin pouch.

I spent three days like that with my furry little companions; sleeping with them snuggled around me and leaving the cave whenever they did to forage food and water. Besides the berries, I also managed to catch some fish and some white creatures similar in size and appearance to a crab from the shallow parts of the lake. They tasted pretty good too, once I managed to start a small fire and cook them. Most of my furry friends preferred them raw, though the one I had taken to calling Chrissy would mostly eat whatever I did. She, yes I did manage to check her gender, seemed to have taken quite a liking to me and had become my constant companion, even while the others were off doing something else.

On the fourth day, Chrissy and I were sitting in the valley enjoying the heat of a fire and sharing a meal of berries, fish, and crab when it happened. My nose twitched as a familiar scent caught my attention, my ears twitched under my hood, and my fur stood on end at the sound of something large moving through the small valley. Chrissy seemed to sense it too, and her head swung around to the direction that both sound and smell were coming from as she hissed. Her large cousin had found us, and it was between us and the path back to the cave.

I quickly took my knife in one hand, and I used the other to grab a branch from the fire. The remnant of the branch was only maybe a foot and a half long but the end was aflame and I felt better with it between me and the approaching monster. As the beast came closer, I tried to make sure to keep the fire between it and myself. It tried to move around the fire to get to me but I quickly swung my torch at it, catching it with a glancing blow to the side of the head, and it recoiled with a squeal as it was burned. Chrissy scurried up my leg and back and hissed at the creature as she wrapped herself protectively around my neck.

We stood faced off like that for a while, the creature becoming bolder as time passed and my fire began to go out. I kept swinging my knife and torch at it whenever it would lunge at me but with the flames starting to flicker out and me starting to tire, I knew it wouldn't be long before I made a mistake and went from eating dinner to becoming it. A large shadow passed over us but I ignored it except to curse under my breath about another monster, being far more concerned with staying alive against the one I was fighting now.

Suddenly, a brown and white blur dropped from the sky and landed on my opponent's back. Then everything kicked into high gear as the creature screamed and bucked, whatever was on its back stabbed at it, and its blood flew all over the place. I had to dive to the side to avoid being crushed beneath it as it spasmed and rolled, trying to dislodge the new threat.

I crouched in the snow, ready to move again as the beast finally breathed its last, and I made out a creature resembling a cross between a four-armed man and a grizzly bear wearing a pair of fur-lined boots and a white bodysuit that seemed to be made of something scaly. He watched me for a moment as he sat atop the dead predator, brandishing a bloody sword, then gave me what I hoped was meant to be a smile. “Trying to take on a Kythir alone, face to face, with little more than a dagger? You are either the bravest or the stupidest person that I have ever met.”

I merely shrugged under my cloak as I admitted, “Maybe I'm both. Thanks for the help.”

He laughed at my response as a large white creature landed behind him and the corpse. “The Drakan landing behind me is Runne, I'm Patar, his Chosen.” I took in both Patar and the creature he referred to as a Drakan and tried not to show my surprise and wonder.

The Drakan was covered in pearlescent white scales and stood on its hind legs, looking to be over twenty-five feet tall. It had a long tail stretching out behind it and I'd say that from nose to tail tip it would be over forty feet. Its forelegs resembled arms more than legs, which made sense since it stood upright, it had large wings with a wingspan of over thirty feet, and a slightly elongated neck was topped with a proud draconian head with jagged looking blue-white ridges atop the head which resembled an icy crown.

I felt that I was doing quite well at not showing my shock until the Drakan opened its carnivorous mouth and spoke in a gravelly and distinctly male voice, “You are fortunate that we saw your plight as we flew overhead. We are looking for someone, perhaps you could help us.”

I stood up, giving Chrissy an affectionate scratch as we both began to calm down and then approached the pair, lowering my hood as I shrugged. “I haven't seen anyone since I've been out here, wherever here is.”

Patar stared at me for a long moment before grinning and striding toward me. “We have found you.”

 

Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.
 

 

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 2 of the rewrite of Alex in Wonderland. Thanks to my readers and to BCTS for giving their support of Transgendered authors and fiction. ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 2: Knocking at the Back Door

I stared at Patar in confusion for a long moment before not so cleverly responding, “I'm the one you're looking for?”

Meanwhile, Patar got on one knee and bowed his head, giving me a sinking feeling in my stomach as he started to speak. “Your Highness, how did you manage to get this far out into the Frozen Wastes? What were you thinking, leaving the protection of the palace? What if assassins from the Lharusian Empire had found you? You know that you are too important to risk, you could have been killed out here. You must stay where it is safe until your Giftsun. If their Majesties had not sent out search riders to find you on the off chance you had gotten this far then I would not have been here to save you just now.”

There were so many questions, and I didn't know the answers to any of them. In fact, everything he said just brought up more questions of my own. In my confusion, I asked what I felt was the most important of these questions. “Excuse me, but you know who I am?”

It was his turn to stare at me, and he did so for several long seconds before recovering enough to ask hesitantly, “You… do not know who you are, Your Highness?”

I shook my head, frowning at the headache that I felt coming on. I was confused enough about my situation before he showed up. If I was Isekai’d then this was the worst Isekai experience ever. Two thumbs down, would not do it again. I had no idea where I was, only a vague idea of how I had probably died, and I didn’t even get any cool abilities, cheats, or a System. Believe me, I tried everything I could think of over the past few days, so I didn’t get desperate enough to talk to Chrissy and the other ferret-like critters to pass the time, but there was nothing.

I couldn’t even get a status screen, so after three days of nothing useful, I was beginning to think this Isekai thing might be a pipe dream. That could only mean that this was more of a standard Alice in Wonderland shwooped off to another world situation, except I was Alex, not Alice, and I apparently went down the fishing hole instead of the rabbit hole. Well, the weirdness of the situation certainly fit.

I could count three good things about this situation, and even those were weirding me out or worrying me in some way or another. The first was of course that I was a girl now, I totally confirmed that when I had to pee that first night. I wasn’t a human girl, but while getting used to being some sort of real-life catgirl was taking some getting used to, at least my dysphoria seemed to be gone, and I was pretty sure I could handle it in time.

I couldn’t even really enjoy the euphoria of being a girl and dysphoria-free right now, though, except maybe when I was snuggled with Chrissy and her kin at night. The rest of the time I was freezing my new furry ass off and trying to survive until I found help or it found me. Hopefully, that phase of my new life was over now, I might even let Patar drag me off to that palace he mentioned, so long as it was warm there.

Then there was Chrissy. It was nice to have company, I liked the little critter, she was adorable, and I probably would have frozen to death without her and her family, but I was a little worried about her growing up to be as big and nasty as her now dead cousin. It didn’t make sense, even to me, but I had no idea what natural or unnatural laws governed this new world I was in.

And then there was Patar and Runne showing up to save my ass, which I was very grateful for, but Patar recognizing me and calling me ‘Your Highness’ could not be a good thing. He had mentioned some sort of assassins too, which only worried me further. Ah well, if he truly did know who I was, then maybe I could leverage that into some information on the person I was now and the world I was probably stuck in.

“No. I know who I am, or at least who I was,” I finally replied after gathering my thoughts. “I just don't know who I seem to be now. One minute I was in a snowstorm in Minnesota, then I blacked out, and the next thing I knew I was waking up here in a strange place and an unfamiliar body. That was four days ago. I don’t mind getting Isekai’d, but could this at least make some sense?”

Patar gave me a look of utter confusion. “You use some strange words, Highness. You left the castle five suns ago. We found the machul you took but there was no sign of you in the city, so we decided to extend our search in case you somehow slipped out unnoticed by enchantment or some other means or were taken by spies of the empire.”

Runne's gravelly voice spoke from behind his Chosen. “There is one way to be sure that she is telling the truth, Patar.”

“I cannot do that, Runne,” Patar growled, his brow furrowing. “You know that I do not like using my Gift like that. And she is the Princess; it would not be right.”

“Perhaps we should let Princess Visanee decide,” the Drakan proposed reasonably.

I was very confused at this point. “Decide what exactly?” I was getting nervous and started absently petting Chrissy, who remained a comforting presence around my neck. She began to hum softly at the gentle stroking, comforting me further.

Patar sighed and forced himself to look me straight in the eyes as he said, “I am a Diviner, Your Highness. Part of my Gift is the ability to read minds. I do not like doing it without permission. Some things should remain private, and reading the mind of someone of your position would be wrong.”

I looked from Patar to Runne and then back to Patar again. “I'm the princess, right?”

“Yes, even if my senses did not confirm that it is so, my Gift tells me that you are by blood Visanee Misalet, Princess of Azure,” Patar offered, not a bit of doubt in his tone or on his bearlike face. “No matter who your mind belongs to, your body is that of the princess and that makes you Princess Visanee.”

I shook my head as I tried to wrap my mind around that theory. “Huh, I guess possession really is nine-tenths of the law,” I mused aloud before taking a deep breath. “Okay, then as the princess, I order you to read my mind to see if I'm telling the truth.”

Patar scowled, while his Drakan companion issued what sounded like a throaty laugh. “Fine,” he muttered, “but I am doing this against my better judgment.”

Visanee awoke in a strange bed in a white room with many odd tubes and objects connected to her new body. It wasn't the beeps and other strange sounds that caused her to awaken, but rather the powerful coughing fit that wracked her weary body. Long rasping coughs left her breathless and her lungs burning. “Drek!” she cursed as she tried to move and failed. She felt so tired and weak, unable to even summon the energy to sit up, and just the effort left her feeling weaker and light-headed.

The coughing fit and her curse brought someone straight to her bedside, and Visanee looked up into the green eyes of the auburn-haired Human who had been at her side when she was last awake. The eyes were bloodshot, either from crying or lack of sleep, possibly both. “How long...” she managed to get out before another coughing fit took her. Something about her voice sounded wrong, even aside from the raspy quality of it.

“They brought you in four days ago, Alex. It's nine o'clock in the morning on the twenty-eighth,” the woman answered in a voice that was choked with emotion. “They've been keeping you sedated, hoping it might help you recover. You got a mild case of frostbite, but it's the pneumonia that has us worried. They told me you may not last the day. Dr. Ryans said you'd be able to fight it better if it weren't for the...”

The woman sniffled as tears streamed down her cheeks, and she began to sob. Once she was sufficiently recovered, she looked into Visanee's eyes. “Alex, why didn't you tell me you have Cancer? I'm your twin sister! I had a right to know! I could have been there for you...”

Visanee watched the woman lose herself to tears again, uncertain how to react. She wanted to comfort this person, the twin to her current body. The news that she was dying weighed heavily upon her, though. This had not been her plan. She had planned to let someone else be the heir to Azure, and to return to help her replacement learn about her world and what would be expected of her before leaving to enjoy her hard-won freedom. It would seem that Pallo, the Goddess of Death, meant to claim her in this strange world. She had no idea how long before the kida from the enchantment could no longer be harnessed, even if she could live that long. “When... is... the... full moon?” she managed to get out between coughing.

The woman wiped her eyes before looking at her like she was one of the befuddled. “Alex! You're laying here dying and you ask me when the full moon is?!” She looked at Visanee in concern and moved to stand up. “I think that the drugs are making you loopy, maybe I should let them sedate you again.”

Visanee took the Human's hand. “I am not your sister; I have changed places with her. She is in my world, in my body, and she needs our help. She needs someone to stand beside her.”

“No, I'm Michelle and you're Alex, my brother, I know you wanted to be a girl but you're not.”

Visanee shook her head. “No, I am… was Visanee, heir to the throne of Azure. This body may be male, but Alex is your sister. The spell I used to travel between our worlds required that there must be an equal exchange. Female essence could only be exchanged for female essence. The kida that makes up male and female essences are too different.” Another coughing fit took her, and her hand gripped her twin's tightly as she recovered, “Now, when is the full moon?”

Michelle sighed but finally said, “The full moon is tonight.”

“Drek! It must be done tonight,” the former Zenin said with a sigh. Visanee could feel her strength waning with each breath. She would not make it back to the place of the exchange and, even if she could, the chances were slim that she could hold out long enough for the back door to open and a compatible body to be found. She had to prepare Michelle, but first, the Human needed to know everything. “Michelle, let me tell you the story of a spoiled princess who wanted freedom more than anything else.”

“This may be a little uncomfortable. There is a reason I do not like doing this,” Patar said as he placed two of his four hands on my head. “I will try not to look into anything too deeply, and to avoid anything personal. Please keep in mind that whatever I see, Runne will see as well. Our minds are linked.”

I took a deep breath and then nodded. “Okay, I'm ready when you are, let's get this mind meld over with.”

“Mind meld?” Patar asked, looking a bit confused.

“Sorry, I think I watched too much Star Trek on television as a kid,” I replied, probably blushing under my fur.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Patar muttered, shaking his head.

“Just read my mind please, it would take too long to explain,” I told him, stifling a groan. I just wanted this little mind-reading session over with. I may have asked for it, but that didn't mean I wasn't nervous as hell about it.

Patar nodded grimly and closed his eyes. Suddenly, I felt a presence in my mind, and then it was as if my life was being played through my brain in fast forward. It was too quick to make out much detail, but it was enough to get a sense of who I was. I opened my eyes, only realizing when I did that I had closed them. Runne and Patar were both giving me a strange look and the latter shook his head. “You were telling the truth. You come from a strange and frightening world, but if you are to survive here in the Greylands, and one day take your place as Queen of Azure, you will have much to learn.”

I held up my hands in front of me. “Whoa! Wait just a minute, Patar! I am in no way qualified to rule a country, I can't even balance my checkbook!”

Runne snorted at that. “You have time to learn; you are young yet. Their Majesties both still have a lot of life in them. You will learn all that you need to about the Greylands with help, and your parents will teach you about Azure, your people, and your future role.”

“Ummm… about that, how young am I exactly?” I asked as I absently petted Chrissy. Only being able to see my reflection in the blade of a knife or the surface of the lake didn’t exactly give me a very good look at myself, and I had no idea how catgirls aged. I could be anywhere between my mid-teens and mid-twenties by my best guess.

Patar smiled and replied, “In three suns you will be eighteen passes. This is a very important time for you.”

Chrissy nuzzled against my cheek, causing me to smile as I posed the question, “Why is it important?” Back home that was the age of majority, but I wouldn’t even be able to buy alcohol until I was twenty-one.

“For many reasons,” Patar responded. “The eighteenth birthsun is called the Giftsun. It is when your parents will take you to a Diviner, who will test you for Gifts and trigger any Gifts you may have. Triggering can result in mental or physical changes in you, sometimes both. The Giftsun is when you put aside your childhood name and take on the name that you will use in adulthood.” He paused a few seconds before continuing, “And for you, it is also the day you will be brought before your people and recognized as the heir to the throne of Azure.”

I sighed as I rolled my eyes. “So, no pressure, right?”

“There is much pressure for Patar and me, Princess,” Runne ventured. “We must get you home safely as soon as possible and present you to your parents. They are worried that you may have been killed or captured by Lharusian spies.”

“Patar mentioned these Lharusians before,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I take it they aren't people who I want to meet?”

Patar grunted with an expression that showed he held nothing but contempt for these Lharusians, whoever they were, before agreeing, “No, they are not. The Lharusian Empire covers most of the continent of Gaje. It is ruled by Krius Myttar and they believe that Humans are superior to all other races. Other races are enslaved and treated cruelly there. Drakans have been almost completely eradicated by the empire's armies. Twelve passes ago, Azure was offered as a safe haven for Drakans and other non-human races. The empire's armies can not reach us easily as to the west there is the Ujard Ocean, the Brey Mountains to the east, and the Great Sand to the south and southwest. They are natural barriers an army cannot easily cross.”

“What's to the north?” I wondered aloud.

A chuckle escaped Patar's lips. “To the north is the Frozen Wastes, where we are now. It is not exactly the most hospitable land. Beyond this is Syrnia, a country much like Azure but isolated on the tip of Gaje.”

“If this empire can't get an army to us, then why bother with us at all? I mean, why would they try to assassinate or kidnap me?” I asked.

“Azure is everything that they hate,” Runne offered with a disgusted snort. “It welcomed the Drakans they have tried to exterminate, all races are seen as equal, and the ruling family is Zenin. They would hope to kill your family to cause unrest and put a Human puppet on the throne. We have seen your mind, so we are certain that you are not a spy, I suspect that you are here in the princess' body due to some enchantment. Maybe it was something that she herself arranged, or it could just be a Lharusian Gifted trying to destabilize Azure's ruling family. Either way, until we know, we must not let on that anything has happened other than the princess wanting a few days of freedom before her Giftsun. When we return, you must begin your lessons immediately. Patar and I will help you however we can, so just try to act like a spoiled princess.”

Patar shook himself and stretched as he got to his feet. “That is enough talk for now, I think. We must get you back home, Your Highness. The flight back will take a few candlemarks.”

I removed Chrissy from around my neck with a sigh. “I guess this is goodbye then.” She chirruped sadly in response.

“Bring the kihr along if you wish, Your Highness. You would hardly be the first of noble blood to have an exotic pet, and kihr are harmless enough and quite clever. In fact, we could use your search for a kihr to have as a pet as your reason for leaving the castle and ending up out here,” Patar pensively pondered as he approached Runne. He clambered up the Drakan's back to where large straps were wrapped around his great white chest and underneath his wings at his back, then held out a hand to help me up to join him. “I have a secure pouch that she can ride in.”

“Thank you, Patar,” I replied with a smile. I had grown attached to my small companion and I really didn’t want to leave her behind. I felt more secure with that impulsive feeling now that Patar confirmed that she was relatively harmless.

“My pleasure, Princess.” He opened up a leather pouch secured to one of the straps and after a bit of coaxing on my part, he had Chrissy safely stashed away. “Now for you.” He gestured to what looked like a sturdy-looking leather belt with large buckles securely fastened to the larger straps. “Sit there and fasten the belt firmly about your waist. You do not want to fall off, so make sure that it is secure. Hold on to the main strap in front of you while in flight to keep yourself steady.”

I nodded and did as he had instructed, and he quickly checked my work before fastening his own belt ahead of me. Then Runne flapped his large wings several times as if testing the air and then, taking a few steps forward, he launched himself into the air, and then we were flying. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. I had flown in planes before, but this was nothing like flying inside what amounted to a metal box.

No, this was flying. I could feel the muscles of the Drakan flexing between my legs, the air rushing past me, caressing my face and whipping my hair behind me. This was exhilarating, almost as heady as the gender euphoria I sometimes felt since waking in this body, but with an added adrenaline rush as the icing on the cake. Being in a body that I didn’t hate was wonderful and it made me want to embrace everything this new life threw at me, but while flying I felt, perhaps for the first time, truly alive.

Michelle watched Visanee become progressively weaker from the telling of her strange tale and the coughing fits which wracked Alex's body. The tale really was strange but somehow, she knew it was the truth, even as her common sense tried to insist it was some drug-induced delusion of her twin. There were little things that told her this was not her twin, the way she held herself and the way she spoke were too different as well. When the tale was done Visanee looked to be hanging on by a thread, but she insisted that there was information that Michelle needed to know.

“Michelle, I won't live long enough to… help your sister as I had planned. You must go in my place. She is in an unfamiliar world, surrounded by unfamiliar things. If I can not guide her as I had intended, then she needs something… familiar and close to help her through. She needs the love and support of her twin sister.”

“Whoa! Wait a minute! It was one thing when you were talking about having switched bodies with Alex and her being in a different world, but you want me to go after her?! I have a life here! I have a job and a boyfriend!”

“What is more important to you, your twin or your life here? You can find a new life in the Greylands, possibly a better one… Can you find a new sister here?” Visanee got out before another coughing fit took her.

Michelle thought a moment before sighing and answering, “Well my job does suck, damn I hate working retail. I guess my boyfriend and I aren't that serious either, but I know nothing about your world besides what you mentioned in your story. How would I even find Alex?”

Visanee spoke again, her voice raspy from the coughing. “Once you have opened the back door, all the kida will be released and your… essence will be placed in a body near the original focus of the enchantment.”

“The dagger?” Michelle asked uncertainly.

Visanee shook her head. “No, the dagger was the medium used to activate the enchantment, the focus of the enchantment was my body. You should find yourself near your sister. Look for a white Zenin with black stripes and black hair. You are twins, so your essences are similar, you should be drawn to one another.”

Michelle nodded, though she still had her doubts. “So, once this back door is open, I'll switch places with the first person to come along, like you did with Alex?”

“No,” was Visanee's reply before she started coughing again. Once she recovered from the fit, she elaborated. “The Enchanter made the original enchantment work that way to save time. He said that normally an enchantment like this would seek out the most compatible essence to yours in the area of the focus… Unless there is already an empty shell. The enchantment seeks out the path of least resistance. The back door is supposed to work that way.”

“What do you mean by an empty shell?” Michelle asked, her brows furrowing in concern.

Visanee thought briefly about how to explain it before her raspy voice offered, “I mean a body whose essence is fading or has left the body altogether while the body itself still lives. Like someone who has lost the will to live or whose essence just was not strong enough to endure. If the body is an empty shell, then the compatibility of the essence is not important since there is no essence to switch with.”

“How is something like this even possible?” Michelle asked. “How can people travel from one world to another? For that matter, how can you even speak my language?”

“It is not truly travel since there is nothing physically moving from one world to another,” the former princess wearily explained. “It is just one form of energy being exchanged for a similar one. Even that was difficult to manage though, it took me a while to find an Enchanter powerful enough and with enough knowledge to do it. Language is learned and stored in the mind; this is… a ghost of your sister’s memories. It would fade in time if… I did not try to learn the language myself. If I had… time.”

“But how did you even know it was possible?” Michelle pressed in fascination.

Visanee coughed hard and was a few minutes recovering before replying, her voice barely audible. “One of my tutors told me how our world was once connected to others. There used to be gates linking our worlds and then people could… go physically from one to another. That is how Humans came to live in the Greylands… and why we have some of the same plants and animals. A few hundred passes ago… the last gate stopped working and nobody knows why.”

Michelle nodded thoughtfully. “That could explain a lot of our myths and legends. I wonder why the gate stopped working.”

“I have no idea, but our worlds are still loosely connected,” she replied. “But without the gate, travel between is impossible, only energy can get through, and it takes powerful use of kida to do even that.”

Michelle then spent the next half hour listening as Visanee explained what she needed to do. She needed to go as close to the spot where she had found Visanee in Alex's body as she could manage and then speak a specific phrase. Michelle tried to commit it to memory but ended up writing it down on a piece of paper, just in case. Visanee was getting weaker with every breath and it broke Michelle's heart to see her brother's body that way. Visanee didn't deserve it either.

Finally, Visanee could hold out no longer, and she breathed her last as Michelle held her hand tightly, trying to reassure her that it would be alright, though in her own heart, she didn't believe it. She was sobbing as she left the room and made her way down the hallway, where her parents were walking in the opposite direction. She leveled a hateful glare at them as she passed and said coldly, “You needn't bother, she's already dead.” Then she left the stunned pair behind and left the hospital. She had a sister to find.

Flying didn't get old, not even after a couple of hours of it. We flew over countless miles of icy wasteland before the land began getting rocky and then gave way to the more hospitable-looking green of forest and farmlands. They were mostly crops, though there looked to be some that were devoted to the raising of some forms of livestock. The passing of the land beneath us and the wind in my face was a constant rush that was over all too soon in the late afternoon as we approached a large city and began to lower our altitude.

To the north of the city, on an island in the center of a lake, was a huge castle. A black wooden drawbridge was lowered and connected to an amazing stonework bridge that spanned the lake from the island to the city and bore a wide cobblestone road. It looked like we were headed to the castle, but Runne suddenly banked to the right and crossed the rest of the lake to land us just outside the city on the lakeshore. As we settled onto the ground I asked, “What's up? I thought that you were taking me to meet my parents.”

Patar turned to face me. “I am. I was speaking with another Diviner, and he said that there is a nest-breaking.”

I shook my head, not quite understanding. “How were you talking to someone from way up there? And what is a nest-breaking?”

Patar chuckled and pointed at his head. “I may not like using my gift to read minds but using it to speak mind to mind with others can be very useful. My range is not very far, maybe half the city, but it is better than some whose range is less or who can only use it with physical contact.” He paused to give me a hand with my belt and lower me to the ground. As he handed me Chrissy, who was very happy to be out in the open again, he continued speaking. “As for your second question, a nest-breaking is when Drakan eggs hatch. Your parents will be here to witness the breaking and see who gets Chosen.”

I settled Chrissy back on my shoulder, where she wrapped herself once more around my neck, humming happily. “So, is this a big event then?” I inquired.

Runne's gravelly voice responded, “When your family offered our kind sanctuary twelve passes ago there were barely more than a dozen of us left. We now number close to two hundred. We reach breeding age at five passes and have a breeding cycle every three passes. Each cycle produces, on average, three to ten eggs. Our kind imprints on the first sentient being they see after hatching. Usually, that is their mother, but since coming here we have been letting Diviners find the perfect match for the Draklings amongst the various races living here. The Chosen become lifelong partners to their Drakans, and the Diviners have not made an incompatible match yet. Given how few of us there still are, and how many wish to become Chosen, nest-breakings are always well attended.”

“So, what?” I asked. “They just randomly select people from a crowd and match them to a Drakling?”

“No,” Patar insisted with a shake of his head. “Diviners with precognitive abilities look to see who is destined to be the best match for a Drakan and place them in front of the proper egg, there is nothing random about it. Most chosen are Gifted, and often the type of Drakan they are matched to compliment either their Gifts or their personalities in some way.”

“Okay, so it's only partly random,” I conceded with a shrug. Then I caught on to what he said. “There are different kinds of Drakans? Runne isn't the only kind?”

Patar began leading me to a large crowd gathered by the lakeshore as he explained, “Runne is a Frost Drakan, there are also Radiant, Shadow, Storm, Flame, Water, Earth, and Stone Drakans. They all are attuned to a force of nature and have abilities that reflect that. The mother to this nest is a Water Drakan, but all the eggs have the potential to be any of the eight types. This is a good-sized nest too, there are nine eggs.”

I nodded as I took in all that information. “What happens to the Draklings and their Chosen after the breaking?”

Patar smiled, seeming pleased that I was trying to learn more. “After the breaking, each new Drakan and Chosen pair will be matched to an older pair, who will teach them what they need to know and help take care of the Drakling. Draklings are smart and can communicate well enough with their Chosen mind-to-mind, but they are still physically infants and need a lot of care. Their bodies take a while to catch up to their minds and it will take an entire pass before they reach their full growth.”

I tried to process all this information as we began to make our way through the crowd. I kept my cowl covering my face in shadow to avoid anyone who might know the princess from recognizing me. People could still see that I was a white Zenin with black stripes, but I was hoping that wasn't too uncommon. Patar seemed unconcerned as he held my hand in one of his huge ones and led me toward the front of the crowd.

Then, as we managed to make our way through, I saw the nest. Dirt, sand, and branches of trees had been piled up in a rough circle about two feet high. Inside the nest were nine huge eggs, each of them easily bigger than me and lavender in color. Watching the eggs intently was a blue Drakan easily as large as Runne with a similar wingspan. I later learned that Drakans may look reptilian, but they are actually warm-blooded, and the parents take turns sitting on the eggs to incubate them.

One of the eggs began to shake and the mother took it from the nest and placed it on the beach, then a blonde Human woman dressed all in red began to stare intently at the shaking egg. The woman then turned to face the crowd and looked around for something before walking confidently into the crowd and taking the hand of a small woman, maybe four feet tall at most. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties and had pointed ears and long brown hair, but the most fascinating thing about her was the leathery green wings sprouting from between her shoulders and rapidly flapping to hold her aloft three feet in the air.

I tried not to stare as Patar whispered to me, “She is a Cinole, we do not see many of them get Chosen.”

The woman in red asked the tiny woman, “Do you consent?”

The Cinole nodded before speaking out, barely loud enough to be heard. “I consent.”

“The consent is really just a formality,” Patar once again whispered to me. “The Drakans offer us their children, and it would be unspeakably rude to the Drakans not to accept that gift. Once the Drakling hatches and imprints on her, she will give it a name, and the Diviner will choose an older pair to take on the new pair as their wards and lead them to where the Drakling can be fed.”

I nodded in agreement to his first statement and acknowledgment to the last. Meanwhile, the hushed crowd watched as she was led to the shivering egg. She stood before it, waiting nervously, and almost rose three feet higher into the air when the first crack appeared on the egg's glossy surface. More cracks appeared and then, with a collective gasp from the crowd, the shell shattered to reveal a wingless green Drakling. It locked eyes on her and a moment later the crowd cheered as she said, “Grayle.”

The woman in red led the Cinole girl and Drakling off to the side, where a large wingless grey Drakan and his Chosen waited. “The one that hatched is an Earth Drakan, and it looks like yon Stone Drakan and his Chosen will be taking them on,” Patar said in an aside, as he started to pull me along once again. “Let us go find their Majesties.”

“Lead on,” I agreed. I was vaguely aware as Patar led me along the front of the crowd by the hand that the mother Drakan had removed another egg from the nest and placed it on the beach. I was nervous about meeting the King and Queen and was focusing mostly on walking wherever Patar was leading me when I felt someone take me firmly by my free hand, stopping me in place. I turned to see a tawny-colored cat-person with reddish hair who I assumed was a Zenin, like Patar said I was. He was taller than me, dressed all in red, and he was holding my hand. “Do you consent?” he asked.

Michelle arrived back at the cabin in the late afternoon, wondering what exactly she was doing there. Now that she was no longer in the room talking to Visanee, it seemed more and more likely that it was all just some drug-induced fantasy. Alex was dead now; she no longer needed to humor her. “But still,” came that nagging thought, “what if it's true? What if my sister is alone in a strange world and needs my help? Can I really give up even the remote chance that I can go help her and see this fantasy world for myself?”

Curiosity, and the need to do something, won out. She made her way through the snow drifts down to the lake. The snow crunched under her feet as she walked, and she shivered at the cold. Alex's hand had been cold too when she had left him. “No,” she told herself. “That wasn't Alex. I'm going to find Alex and help hi... her.” She needed to believe that her twin was still out there somewhere, she needed to believe that this would work.

She trudged across the snow-covered lake ice until she reached the spot where she was pretty sure she had found Alex. “No, that wasn't Alex,” she told herself again sternly. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she pulled out the piece of paper with those all-important words on it. Fold by fold she opened it to reveal those words and then she spoke. “Kida gather, hear my plea. Take my essence, all of me. Selune, come and take my hands. Lead me into the Greylands.”

Nothing happened at first, ten minutes that seemed an eternity, and then there was a flash of light, and she felt weightless. She was in a dark void, endless nothingness. Then, with a sudden lurching feeling, she could sense that she had weight and form once more. Something was wrong, it was hard to move, as if she was confined.

Why was it still so dark? Such utter blackness... no, wait. There were two small slivers of light. She needed that light and threw herself toward it with reckless abandon. There! Another crack of light in this dark abyss. She threw herself forward again and was rewarded with more light as the crack grew larger. One last time, she gathered all her strength and launched herself at the crack. The darkness around her shattered as light filled her world, and then she saw her.

I stared at the Zenin in red, unsure of what to do. I turned to look at Patar, who had squeezed my other hand, and saw him give me a nod. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned back to the Zenin and croaked nervously, “I... ummm.... consent.” I reluctantly let go of Patar's hand, removed Chrissy from around my neck, and handed her off to him. Then, summoning all my courage, I let the Zenin Diviner holding my hand lead me to the egg.

He placed me in front of the massive quivering egg. There was a small jolt, and a tiny sliver of a crack appeared on the shell. Then there was nothing for a few minutes before a second jolt, much weaker and barely noticeable caused a second sliver. Then there was nothing. Four other eggs were paired off around me and their Draklings burst forth to be named by their Chosen and led away, but the egg in front of me remained quiet and still.

It had been well over ten minutes if I could count on my internal clock, and still, nothing had happened. I began to despair that this might be some cruel joke that fate was playing on me. And then it happened, the egg wobbled. Then it rocked as a new crack appeared along the shell's surface.

Another powerful tremor ripped through the egg, causing the crack to grow wider. Finally, the egg was shaken so hard from inside that the shell all but exploded, revealing a Drakling with silver scales and iridescent wings that practically gleamed in the late afternoon light and summoned a collective gasp from those watching in the crowd. Our eyes met, and it was then that I heard a very familiar voice inside my head. ~Alex?~

My jaw dropped as I recognized the voice of my twin sister. “Michelle?” The moment her name left my lips, the crowd roared.

 

Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.
 

 

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 3 of the rewrite of Alex in Wonderland. Thanks to my readers and to BCTS for giving their support of Transgendered authors and fiction. ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 3: There Be Drakans

I stared in awe at the silvery, iridescent Drakling as it stumbled toward me, speaking to me in my head using my sister's voice. ~Alex! I didn't know whether to believe her or not! You were dying and I couldn't do anything, and she told me about this place and how you'd switched places and then you died, and I wasn't going to come but I needed to know if you were still alive...~

She probably would have kept babbling in my head like that for quite some time if the tawny Zenin in red had not interrupted her by speaking to us both. “Come, I will take you both to your Warders.”

“C'mon, Michelle, we have a lot to talk about, I think, and a lot to do,” I said as I nodded. Then I followed the Zenin, with my sister stumbling alongside me.

~Where are we? What's going on? What's with all the people?~ Michelle asked as she looked around, craning her slightly serpentine neck to see.

“We're at a Drakan nest-breaking, people came here to see who gets paired with the newly hatched Drakans,” I replied quietly as we walked, “and hoping to get paired with a Drakan themselves.”

~Drakans? What are those? Were you hoping to get one of your own? Why are all those people looking at us? Is it because you're the princess?~ she continued yammering merrily in my mind.

"Her talking in my brain is going to get tiring after a while," I thought as I answered, “No, it's because I got paired with a Drakan. And I'm sure that you'll get to see a baby Drakan, as soon as we find you a mirror."

~What do you mean by me talking in your brain? You got one? Where is it? Babies of all kinds are adorable... wait, what?~ She stared at me and fell on her face, apparently unable to stare and walk at the same time.

I groaned as I helped her to her feet and told her quietly, “Congratulations, Sis, you just hatched, and now I get to be your mommy. Now, could you please try to calm down and follow the nice catboy in red? I swear that you have the attention span of a hummingbird on espresso right now.”

Michelle managed to get clumsily to her feet, and we followed our guide past the crowd and closer to the shore of the lake. ~I'm sorry, Alex. We're in a whole different world here. Everything is new and different. I feel like a kid again.~

I giggled at that as I replied, “I know, it's all pretty incredible. And news flash, Sis, you are a kid again, a newborn to be precise.” At that point, we had arrived in front of a very familiar Frost Drakan and his Chosen. “Runne? Patar?” I stammered as relief flooded through me. I did not need to explain this whole princess shit to someone else, and he had my Chrissy.

Patar was leaning against the white Drakan and grinning at me. He waited until the other Zenin was gone and he was sure we had some privacy before speaking. “Congratulations, Princess, you have been paired with a Radiant Drakan. She is a beauty, is she not? What did you name her?”

I was distracted for a moment by the bundle of white fur leaping from Patar's shoulder to wrap herself around my neck and start humming happily. I gave Chrissy an affectionate scratching as I replied to Patar, “Her name is Michelle.” Then I sighed and added uncertainly, “I know this is going to sound wacky, Patar, but in that other world I came from, Michelle was my twin sister. I think that she knows what happened to your real princess.”

Patar frowned at that revelation. “We will have to discuss this later, once we get somewhere more private. For now, since I managed to get myself and Runne assigned as your Warders, let us have Runne take Michelle to get something to eat. I need to get you prepared.”

Runne's gravelly voice spoke just loud enough to be heard by me and Michelle. “Come with me, little one, I will take you to eat, our Chosen will find us when they are ready or call us to them.”

It suddenly struck me that the Frost Drakan sounded an awful lot like Ron Perlman. I tried to shake off that intrusive thought as Michelle waddled and stumbled along in Runne's wake, and I tried not to giggle as I turned to Patar to ask, “Get me prepared for what?”

Patar let out a long sigh as he looked around cautiously. “The shitstorm that is bound to be stirred up once the breaking is over, and people find out who you are. You have only been in the Greylands for four suns, but I swear that your Gift must be the ability to get into trouble.”

I tried to think of anything I might have done to cause trouble, but I came up empty. “What did I do? I was just staying with you until that Zenin grabbed me, and you said that it's rude not to consent.”

Patar nodded and agreed, “Aye, I did, Princess. You did nothing wrong, and it would have been worse had you refused to consent. Still, I was hoping to slip you by folks stealthily and present you to your parents privately. We kept it quiet that you were missing. Some people think Visanee's escape was just a drill, and that you are still safe inside the castle. Most people believe that your disappearance is just a rumor.”

“I thought that you said that the King and Queen meet all the new pairings, though, so it's not a big deal. I'll still get to meet with them, right?” I asked, a bit confused.

Patar groaned and leaned against a tree. “It is not their Majesties I am worried about. I try to sneak you in, without folks knowing you are outside the castle, and you get yourself a Drakan. I might have been able to manage to keep things quiet if it were just that, but you had to go and get yourself paired with a Radiant!”

I was getting more confused by the minute. “What does Michelle being a Radiant have to do with anything?”

“We told you that there were close to two hundred Drakans alive today, right?” Patar asked. I quickly nodded, and he sighed as he looked off in the direction that our Drakans had walked off in. “Out of all of those Drakans, only three are Radiants, including yours.”

“So, isn't that a good thing then?” I wondered aloud.

“Yes, it is. A Radiant will be seen as a good omen, and that means a lot of people are going to want to meet the new Radiant pair. This could be a problem, especially given everything else.” He didn't seem very happy about this.

“Okay, what the hell is the problem then if all this is good? And what do you mean by 'everything else'?”

He sat on the ground, still leaning his back against the tree, and motioned for me to sit with him as he told me, “At the last nest-breaking, about a tenth ago, the first pairing was a Human and a Shadow Drakan. Shadows are almost as rare as Radiants; there are currently five. Quite a few people saw it as a bad omen. I have met the pair; they are both good lads. Nobody thinks they are trouble, but the superstitious lot saw it as a sign that the Empire is going to find a way to get to us here.”

“But that's superstitious nonsense,” I argued.

“Aye, it is. Now you are the Princess, and you are still three suns before your Giftsun. Before today, for as long as we have been having nest-breakings, no member of the nobility has ever been Chosen. Nor has anyone ever been Chosen before their Giftsun.” He sighed as he watched me sit across from him. “Now, let us put all these unlikely events together. The Zenin Princess gets paired with a Radiant only a few suns before her Giftsun, while she is rumored to be missing. How will the superstitious see that, aye?”

As I sat down, I thought about that, and the fact that I had little or no knowledge about this world, this country, the people, or even my new self. “Oh, crap.”

Patar nodded grimly. “You, Princess, are about to get a lot of attention.”

Michelle followed the large white Drakan, marveling at just how huge he was and the fact that she was looking at a real-life dragon... Drakan. Her staring caused her to lose her footing once again. With a grumble, she got back to her feet and continued shuffling along. She watched Runne ahead of her once more, thinking of how incredible it was that she was looking at a Drakan and that she was one herself. "I wonder if I'll get that big? I wish I could talk to him."

After they had left their Chosen, Runne had explained that, like any baby, she wouldn't be able to talk, move well, or care for herself very well for a while. Honestly, she was probably lucky that she could walk… or waddle, especially with how strange and awkward her new body felt. For now, she would have to rely on Alex for a lot of things. Not because Alex would be the only one to care for her, but rather because until she could talk, she could only communicate her needs by mind-speech, and Drakans can only do that with their Chosen. Runne said that it is part of the imprinting process.

So, for now, she was stuck just following the elder Drakan as best she could and listening, though there were some interesting tidbits to listen to. For one thing, it seemed that Drakans have a racial memory. As they grow older, they instinctively know everything about the world and surviving in it that their ancestors knew. This included how to fly, and also how to use their natural abilities. In short, Drakans are born with mature minds; they just can't put much of that knowledge to use until their growing bodies catch up.

She found out that Runne was a Frost Drakan, while she was a Radiant. Frost Drakans' abilities are centered around the element of ice, allowing them to freeze things. Their scales also insulate against the cold. As a Radiant Drakan, Michelle's abilities would be attuned to light. It didn't sound too impressive to her, but she supposed that she should be happy with what she got. Maybe she could find some way to use those abilities to protect Alex.

A delicious smell suddenly caught her attention, and she bumped into Runne's tail, not realizing he had stopped. “Here we are, Michelle. The butchers have prepared some portions for all you Draklings, without bones, so you do not choke.” He guided her to a large pile of raw, bloody meat, and she could see the butchers in a nearby tent, in their red-stained aprons, chopping up even more for the Draklings who had not yet arrived. For a moment, all she could do was stare at the pile in confusion, and then it hit her.

~Omigod! Alex! They expect me to eat raw meat!~ The panicked voice of my sister belted out in my mind as I was trying to focus on the instructions that Patar was giving me. They weren't terribly detailed instructions; basically, I just needed to keep quiet when possible and stick to the cover story that Patar was concocting. Still, I really didn't need the interruption.

~Sis, you are a newly hatched baby Drakan~ I tried to send back through my thoughts. I'd feel pretty silly talking to her out loud when I was supposed to be listening to Patar.

~So what? RAW MEAT, Alex! It hasn't been cooked at all! They just yanked it from whatever animal it came from,~ was her anguished reply.

~What did you think that baby Drakans eat? Somehow, I doubt they sell formula or baby food in convenient Drakan-sized portions. Or did you maybe think I'd be breastfeeding you?~ I sent back grouchily.

~But it's raw!~ she complained again.

~Is it currently moving or breathing?~ I asked, rubbing my temples as I tried to dislodge the headache that was starting to form.

~No.~ I could practically hear her pouting.

~Then it's just a rare steak. So, suck it up and eat your goddamn breakfast so I can find out how to be someone I'm not.~ With a sigh, I looked up at Patar, who had just finished explaining to me my cover story. Crap.

“So," Patar asked, “tell me what we are going to be telling anyone who asks why you are out of the castle?”

I swallowed hard, clearing my throat before speaking. “Uh… being the spoiled princess that I am, I snuck out of the castle because I just had to have some raw meat... I mean a kihr as a pet. So, I got some Thaumaturge in the city to take me to the Frozen Wastes. He was... uh… eaten by a kythir before we could come back. I got away, found my new pet, and you found me.” I sighed, shaking my head. “Nobody is going to believe that. Can't we just say that I have no idea how I got there because I hit my head and don't remember anything? Then from there, I can just tell what happened until you found me.”

Patar chuckled at my slip-up. “Having them in our heads takes a little getting used to.” Then he considered my idea and agreed, “Fine, we will go with that, it will explain any odd behavior and gaps in your knowledge. Maybe we can get a Healer in on this to 'confirm' that you hit your head and suffered memory loss.” His eyes glazed over, and I realized that he must be doing his telepathic thing.

~You know, this is actually pretty good,~ Michelle sent, interrupting my thoughts.

~I am so happy for you,~ I sent back with a groan.

Patar seemed to focus on his surroundings once again and grinned at me. “Do you remember the Cinole who was paired with the Earth Drakan before you and Michelle were paired?”

I thought back to the first pairing. “Yeah, I remember her, she had brown hair and green wings, right?”

He quickly nodded. “She is the daughter of a friend of mine, and she is also a Healer. She is still young, barely a pass older than you, but she has enough experience for people to believe her when she says that you bumped your head and may have some memory loss.” He spaced out for a few seconds again, nodding about something. “I was just told that the last pairing has just been made. We need to hurry if we are going to talk with her before their Majesties start making the rounds of the pairings. Her Drakling is still feeding, but she will meet us at the lakeside garden. I will have Runne bring Michelle to meet us there once she has finished her meal.”

I got to my feet and dusted myself off. “Let's go find her then.”

When Patar had said gardens, I thought he was referring to flowers. There were some big red ones and some pretty blue ones, but most of the garden seemed to be herbs. I assumed that their vegetables and other major produce were grown on some of the farms that we passed when we flew to the city. The Cinole was waiting for us, seated on a large rock. Once we were close, she jumped up into the air to dive-bomb Patar with some kind of kamikaze hug. “Unca Patar!”

Patar easily caught her in his upper arms while his lower arms moved out to steady him. “Jezz,” he said with a grin, “you have grown. I saw you paired with that Earth Drakan, but you have gotten so big that I did not know it was you until your father told me. What brought you back to the capital? I assume that you have a good reason to stay now.”

“Da wanted me to get some trainin' from the Healers in the palace. They been lookin' for young 'uns wit a strong healin' Gift. Da thinks they might be wantin' proper trained Healers in case the Empire decides we may be wort' a long walk 'cross the Great Sands after all. There’s been talk 'bout trainin' a defense force too, what wit the rumors that the Princess is missin'. But ya, 'tween Grayle an’ proper Healer trainin', I got good reason t' be stayin'.” Her accent was a bit hard to follow, and I tried not to stare as I stood off to one side.

Patar chuckled. “Actually, speaking of the Princess, I need you to do something for me. I found the Princess, but there were some complications. I need you to tell anybody who asks you about it that you looked over the Princess, and she took a good blow to the head and might have some memory problems. Do not worry about their Majesties, we will be telling them the truth. Can you do that for us?”

“I'll do it for ya, Unca Patar, but how can I be sayin' I looked o'er the Princess if I dun know what she looks like?” the Cinole asked. “I heard she's a white Zenin wit black stripes, but I can't be givin' a better description than that if someun' asks.”

I lowered my hood and offered, “You could look me over, then you won't be lying when you say you looked over the Princess.”

She did look me over, in fact, she downright stared as she freed herself from Patar's arms and knelt on the ground. “Yer Highness.”

I groaned inwardly as Patar gave another of his grins, although his tone was serious. “For now, you will be the only Healer the Princess will trust, and you will be sticking with her. I might have to pull some strings to see if Runne and I can be Warders to both of you.”

“Warder fer both of us?” Jezz asked, a bit confused.

“I must be getting old, I forgot to introduce you both,” Patar said with a sigh. “Princess, this is Jezz, newly Chosen of Grayle. Jezz, I would like you to meet Princess Visanee, newly Chosen of Michelle.”

I could have sworn I heard her jaw hit the ground before she spoke. “Michelle? That's the name everyun's been talkin' 'bout. The Radiant. Folks been askin' if I knew who her Chosen was, she was wearin' a hood. Nobody saw her face, alls they knew was she was a white Zenin wit black stripes.”

Comfortably full, Michelle was once again following Runne. She was uncomfortably aware of the amount of attention that she was getting as she waddled along behind the massive white Drakan. She might not have been able to speak yet, but she could still understand what was being said. They were talking about her. They spoke about what a good omen a Radiant Drakan was. She heard other talk too.

Mostly, it was talk about her and her Chosen, whom she assumed was Alex. People were wondering who she was and why she was wearing a cloak and hood. Some people were also talking about Princess Visanee. There were rumors that she was missing, but those at the palace weren't saying anything about it. Michelle felt bad that her being a Radiant was taking attention from all the other new Drakans and their partners. She sighed and sent a thought to Alex as she walked. ~Alex, we're on our way to meet you. People are talking about us a lot.~

She quickly received a reply. ~I know, Sis. Jezz said that a lot of people were asking her if she knew who your Chosen is. I feel bad, it sounds like people are in such a buzz about us that hardly anyone has congratulated her about being Chosen herself. Patar says that we're going to be getting a lot of attention when people find out that the Princess is your Chosen.~

Michelle grumbled about that as she made sure to stay close to Runne. ~I feel bad for all the other new pairs, too. This shouldn't be about just us. What I don't get is how these people aren't putting two and two together and thinking that the mysterious white and black Zenin Chosen could be their missing princess?~

She could feel something like a mental shrug from Alex before she answered. ~Patar seems to think it's because they've never had a member of the nobility, or anyone under the age of eighteen, get Chosen before. It's so highly unlikely in their minds that they don't make the connection, since I'm the Princess and my eighteenth birthday isn't for another three days... err suns.~

The Radiant Drakling sighed. ~This is going to be the Greylands version of a media circus, isn't it, Alex?~

~Yeah, Sis, it is.~ The sadness and uncertainty in her sister's thoughts were palpable.

I looked at Patar and Jezz and tried not to let my feelings show as I told them, “Michelle says that she and Runne are on their way. She's been overhearing a lot of talk about us.” I turned my gaze directly onto Patar. “So, how much time do we have, and what's the plan?”

Patar shrugged, which looked weird on a guy with four arms. “They will want to gather all of you to break apart the nest once the Drakans have all been fed. Their Majesties will want to meet you all before that, so I imagine that they will be on their way here to meet Grayle and Jezz very soon, so we do not have long. We will go with your idea of having hit your head and not remembering anything before that. I found you and brought you back to the capital, and then, as we were looking for your parents, you were Chosen. Play shy and make like you don't know, or trust, much of anyone except me and Jezz.”

“And what bout Jezz?” I asked. “What does she do?”

He turned to the Cinole in question. “Jezz, I brought the Princess here to meet you because you are a Healer, another Chosen, and close to her age. You confirm that she banged her head hard, that you healed her, and that she has forgotten even some basic everyday things. Just go with that for now, we will tell you the whole story once we can be sure to have enough time alone.”

Jezz nodded to the Jiquar. “Ya, I think I got it Unca Patar. T' think I came here t' learn proper Healin', an’ now in one day I got Chosen an’ became the Princess's own Healer.” She grinned at me. “I can't wait t' hear whate'er ya did t' lead up t' this, Yer Highness.”

“You and me both,” I muttered to myself.

Grayle was, of course, the first of our partners to return from feeding. She may have lacked wings, but I could tell that she was going to make up for it with her sheer energy and enthusiasm. Even though she couldn't speak, she was extremely friendly, far more so than the Stone Drakan escorting her, and she seemed to adore her Chosen. The Stone Drakan was named Perrix, and he and his Chosen, Yurin, stepped aside for a brief talk with Patar while Jezz introduced me to Grayle, who gave me a lick on the cheek.

The talk was indeed brief, and soon they approached us again as Yurin conceded, “I have no problem with you and Runne taking over as their Warders, so long as Their Majesties approve of it. Perrix and I found a fine vein of silver, and I wouldn't mind the extra time to work on mining it.”

Patar gave him a friendly slap on the back. “Aye, I imagine you would. I will clear it with Their Majesties. I know it is unusual to want to ward two new pairs, but trust me, these are unusual circumstances, and I think it is for the best.”

Yurin nodded. “I'll leave them in your care then, for now. Let me know if you need anything, or if Their Majesties decide they want us to remain their Warders after all.” He gave us a friendly wave as he clambered up Perrix's back and the pair took off toward the city at a leisurely walk. It was then that Runne joined us with Michelle following at his heels. Michelle waddled her way over to me, and I gave her a big hug. ~Welcome back, Sis, did you eat well?~

I could feel her contentment bubbling in my mind, though it seemed tinged with worry too. ~Yeah, I'm full. Once I got over the fact that it was raw, it actually tasted pretty good.~

“Michelle,” I spoke aloud as I gestured to the green Drakling and the Cinole, “this is your sister, Grayle, and her Chosen, Jezz.” ~Sis, get to know your new sister and play for a bit. It'll probably help things if you and Grayle can get along well.~

~We can't communicate mind to mind; it seems we only have that link with our Chosen. Playing, I can do, though!~ She cheerfully made her way over to Grayle, and soon the pair started to roll about, pounce, swat at one another, and generally act like a pair of seven-foot-long kittens.

Jezz grinned at me. “Seems like Grayle likes her, though she's bein' a bit jealous 'bout how pretty Michelle is. I think they'll be good friends. Michelle is gorgeous, by the way.”

I returned the grin as I offered, “Grayle is really pretty too, just not as shiny.” I laughed a bit at that. “I hope that they are good friends since we'll likely be spending a lot of time together if Patar gets his way. I hope that we can be good friends too, Jezz.”

The Cinole's smile lit up her face. “Yer not what I was expectin', Yer Highness. I think we'll get 'long fine.” She paused as something caught her attention. “Best be lookin' behind ya, Yer Highness, we got comp'ny.”

I turned to look and saw a procession of people heading our way. At the front was a regal-looking white Zenin female with bright green eyes. She was in a very expensive-looking dark blue dress that made me think of Victorian England. Beside her was a grey Zenin with black stripes and amber eyes wearing an ornate dark red tunic and green hose. From the way that everyone seemed to be speaking with the woman, who I guessed must be Visanee's mother, it appeared that she was the one in charge.

Patar intercepted the procession and knelt before the royal couple well before they reached us. After he rose, he had a hushed conversation with them as he gestured toward us. A moment later, he was leading the pair toward us while their retinue waited behind. As they approached, I could hear the white Zenin saying, “...is very unusual, Patar, but you have served me well for many passes and I trust you. Now, why did you wait until now to bring our daughter to us? You told me that you found her before the breaking got underway. Could you not have brought her to us right away?”

Patar shook his head. “I had planned to, Your Majesty, but there was an unforeseen complication.”

“What sort of complication, Patar?” she inquired more insistently.

By this time, they were almost upon us. Patar gestured to the playing Drakans, “Your Majesties, those are Grayle the Earth and Michelle the Radiant. And these,” he added as he gestured to Jezz and me, “are their Chosen, Jezz and... your daughter.”

“Ummm.... hello,” I spoke softly, giving a nervous little wave. Both the Zenins' eyes went wide as the realization sank in.

It had been a long explanation. Patar and I explained who I really was, and with Michelle's help, I was able to tell them what Visanee had done and her fate in my former world. They were both understandably distraught at the news of her death. We gave them a bit of time to come to terms with that after Patar confirmed that he had read my mind and seen the truth.

The Queen spoke softly, her voice hoarse from crying, “We… tried to give her everything she wanted. The best of everything was made available for her. We spent all the time we could with her. In the end, we couldn't give her the one thing that she truly wanted.” She began to cry again, soft little sobs that made my heart ache in sympathy. I wondered if my mother on Earth had cried when Visanee died. Would she cry at Michelle's apparent death?

The King took over. “She wanted freedom. She wanted to see the world and have grand adventures like in the stories. We couldn't let her do that with all the dangers out there. The empire would like nothing more than to kill her or use her against us. More importantly, she was our only daughter; if something happened to her, then the royal bloodline would end. It would be a disaster.”

“What do you mean by a disaster? Couldn't someone from one of the other noble families be announced as a new heir?” I asked.

“No,” the King replied, shaking his head emphatically. “The land itself is tied by magic to the blood of the females of the royal line. This land used to be uninhabitable; covered in poisonous swamps, the mountains brimmed with fire and ash, and the very earth shook constantly. We Zenin, had been forced to flee our homeland. That was long ago, when the empire was just starting to expand. We fled across the Great Sands and came here; many of us died on the journey. We tried to make a home here, but it seemed impossible.”

“So, what happened to change that?” I wondered.

“The island in the center of the lake,” the Queen said, her voice strained from sobbing and her eyes damp and red. “Alina, the first Queen of Azure, discovered it, and the crystal fountain that sits at the center. The fountain is sacred. It is connected to Itari, the Goddess of the Earth. Itari spoke with Alina. She offered to make the land livable in exchange for the Vow that the daughters of Alina's line would protect the fountain and rule the land fairly. She was bound to the Vow by her blood, and her blood was tied to the land by magic. Should our line end, or the Vow be broken, the land will start to return to what it was before. Each eldest daughter of the line is announced as heir and bound to the Vow on their Giftsun.”

“Damn,” I cursed. “That's why Visanee was so desperate to make the exchange. She wanted freedom and not to have the responsibility of the Vow. She was running out of time, but she didn't want the land to fall into ruin, so she couldn't just leave; she needed a replacement. That's why Patar said that I'm the princess, no matter who I was in my mind.”

The Queen nodded slowly, sniffling a bit as her husband held her close. “I am sorry that she put you in this situation, Alex. If she had waited, she would have been given a little more freedom once she was named heir.” She looked at me, the weight of her loss and responsibility heavy in her tear-filled eyes as she told me, “I can bear no more children. You alone have the blood needed now. People cannot know that you are not the true heir. I ask not for me, but for my people, will you be our heir and princess?”

I looked at the pair of them, obviously distraught. They just lost their daughter, even if I was standing here now in her body. How would they deal with losing a vow that obviously meant a lot to them as well, even if the part about the Goddess wasn't true? Given how I'd gotten here and what I'd seen so far, I couldn't eliminate the possibility that Itari was indeed real. I nodded grimly and reached out to hug them both. “I may not be your real daughter, but I will do as you ask and try to make it look like I am.”

It was then that we relayed what had happened since I had arrived in the Greylands, ending with the plan that we had come up with to explain my lack of knowledge. They both thought the plan was a good one and approved Patar's request to be Warder to both me and Jezz. The Cinole was also recruited to help Patar teach me the basics of life in the Greylands. All of this was decided quickly, as it was felt that the royals had spent too much time already talking with us without their retinue. Any longer, and the other nobles would become suspicious that there was more going on than just the Princess getting chosen.

The retinue in question, consisting largely of the nobility and some important officials, was quickly called over once the royals had composed themselves. That grief wasn’t going to go anywhere, but it seemed like they were both well-versed in putting on a brave face for their people during difficult times. So, it was explained to their retinue that Princess Visanee was the Chosen of the Radiant Drakan, whom everyone was so interested in. We also gave them my story about having hit my head and losing my memory. To sell the story, I was careful to act a bit shy and skittish if anyone other than my parents, Patar, or Jezz got too close.

When the procession left, we accompanied them to visit the other Chosen and their Drakans, but I was careful to stick close to those that I was 'comfortable' with. Finally, once all seven of the other pairs had been visited, we all gathered back at the nest. It was tradition for the Chosen to take all the branches and other flammable materials used to make the nest and move them to the center of where the nest had sat. Then, once it was all piled up, the Queen herself would set fire to it all with a torch. It was considered bad luck for any part of the nest but the earth to remain behind and possibly be used again.

Once the fire was set, animals were roasted on spits, and a feast was prepared to celebrate the new unions. Shards of the Drakan eggshells were tossed into the fire by couples as offerings to Kanae, the Goddess of Fertility, the Harvest, and Birth. As that was being done, a Priestess of Kanae performed a blessing on each Drakan and their Chosen. It was all so strange to Michelle and me, but exciting as well.

I was sitting alone with Michelle and absently petting Chrissy, who was now snuggling up in my lap. We were staring into the great bonfire that was still going strong when Jezz sat down beside me. Grayle curled up beside Michelle, her eyes, like Michelle's, getting droopy. I giggled as I looked at them. “I guess they're pretty tired. It was a big day for them, being born and then all of this. Big day for us too.” Was it really just this morning that Patar had found me? So much had happened in just this one day.

Jezz giggled back, but quickly turned serious, “Ya, big sun fer us all. I been flyin' 'bout, listenin' t’ the crowds. Folks are talkin' non-stop 'bout the 'Radiant Princess'. Yer right, people are talkin' like yer Itari Herself. Sayin' this is a sign. If it's not that, folks are talkin' 'bout how sad it is ya lost yer mem'ry.”

I nodded, taking a cautious look around. “I keep expecting to get swarmed by people any time now.”

Jezz shook her head. “Nah, Queen Nisa announced that yer t' be left alone while ya recover. Dun worry, ya got Unca Patar an’ me t' look out for ya, Yer Highness.”

“Thanks,” I said as I reached out to squeeze her hand. “I'm glad to have you both with me. One thing though, Jezz.”

The Cinole looked at me curiously and asked, “What's that, Yer Highness?”

She wasn't much older than me, and in the flickering firelight, I could see how very pretty she was. She looked so fragile and innocent at that moment, and I kind of wanted to hold her. She had a strength inside her, though, and I could sense that she cared a lot for people in general. I had a feeling that she would be a good friend through whatever came. I smiled at her and told her gently, “Friends don't call friends 'Your Highness'. When we're alone like this, call me Alex.”

She blushed a bit at that, I could see it even in the firelight. She nodded, though, as she answered quietly, “Okay then, 'Lex, I think I'd like that.” We sat there together for a long while, staring at the fire as I thought about all the weirdness that had happened since I had arrived in the Greylands. We were both dozing off along with our Drakans when Patar came to take us home.

 

Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.
 

 

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 4 of the rewrite of Alex in Wonderland. I was hoping to have a chapter of Apocalypse Dawn done this week since I was out of town and couldn't post it last week, but it's not nearly ready and once I got started on the edits and changes for this chapter, things went a lot smoother. There were quite a few changes and additions to this one, so it is again a longer chapter than normal at about 7500 words. Thanks to my readers and to BCTS for giving their support of Transgendered authors and fiction. ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 4: Giftsun

We were all very tired when Patar came to collect us and take us to the palace. By that time, the bonfire had died down to mere embers, Chrissy was asleep in my lap, and Michelle and Grayle were snoozing peacefully. Jezz and I had also fallen asleep, the Cinole's head resting on my chest, while mine rested on Michelle's back. Patar gently shook Jezz and me awake and, once we were both alert, we woke our Draklings.

Chrissy awoke from the jostling as I got mobile and scurried up to take her place around my neck as we all shuffled over to a very large wagon that Patar had prepared. Two massive and pitch black horse-like creatures, which Patar had called Machuls, were hitched up to the wagon, and honestly, the size of the large equines was a little bit intimidating. I had seen Shire horses once, the largest breed on Earth, and these Machuls were at least a few hands taller, and even beefier than those.

Getting the Draklings into the wagon proved a bit difficult given their size and their clumsiness. It also didn’t help that both Michelle and Grayle were tired and still half asleep. Once we finally had them situated somewhat comfortably in the back of the wagon, Jezz and I climbed in with them, and Patar got into the driver's seat and flipped the reins to set the Machuls into motion.

It was a bit of a bumpy ride across the huge cobblestone bridge that spanned from the shore of the lake to the island in the center where the castle stood. As we made our way over the huge black drawbridge, we were stopped momentarily by the gate guards. Once they saw Patar and his passengers, though, they quickly let us pass. Then, once we were in the courtyard, Patar began issuing orders. “The Princess and Michelle are to be taken to her rooms for tonight, Jezz and Grayle are to be taken to one of the guest rooms, and then all of their needs are to be seen to.”

We were escorted to our rooms by palace servants and, as soon as we entered the princess's rooms, Michelle found a spot on the floor to settle down and fell asleep almost instantly. I was led by someone that Patar had introduced as my personal maid, a reddish-brown Zenin woman named Felice, to the bedchamber. “Can I get you anything before you retire for the night, Your Highness?" she asked.

I was tired, exhausted really, but I also realized that it had been over four days since I had had a bath. It had been too cold to do anything but drink from the glacier-fed lake in the valley, even if I did have fur now. The only time I had taken off my bodysuit and cloak had been to relieve myself, and I had always made sure that had been quick. So, with that in mind, I reluctantly removed Chrissy from around my neck and placed her on one of the pillows of a very comfortable-looking couch before saying, “I think I would like to clean up a bit.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” she replied, “I will prepare a hot bath for you.” She disappeared into a room connected to the bedroom, and I could hear her moving around and water splashing for a while before she returned. “Your bath is ready, Highness. Let me help you off with those clothes.”

It was more than a little awkward, not to mention uncomfortable, having someone undress me, but I was honestly too tired to argue about it. She was doing her job, and I couldn’t fault her for that. It was probably something that I would have to get used to, at least if I was going to be a princess. If the king and queen had been telling the truth about the family oath to the Goddess Itari, I had little choice in the matter, unless I wanted to see this entire kingdom turn to shit, and I didn’t want to be responsible for that. I needed to find out more about this place’s history and see how much it matched what they had told me.

Soon, I was relaxing in a hot bath as Felice scrubbed my back. Once my back was clean, Felice left at my request, leaving me a robe and some towels for when I was finished. I was amazed at what I was seeing in the bathroom as I soaked and let the hot water relax me. It practically had all the comforts of home. There was hot and cold running water for the large marble bath and smaller wash basin, and even indoor plumbing. I later found out that this was all made possible by Enchanters, and that only the very wealthy could afford such convenience. I decided to enjoy it while I could.

I soaked for some time before I started to carefully clean myself, and once I did, the bath was a learning experience. Firstly, I discovered that while I only had two breasts, I also had two other sets of nipples hidden in the fur on my belly. Secondly, I discovered while shifting position to better reach my feet, that sitting on one's tail hurts a lot. Felice rushed in looking panicked after the yowl I let out when that happened. Lastly, once I was out of my bath, I discovered that fur is a bitch to dry properly. I first had to shake myself like... well, like a cat, I guess, and then towel off if I wanted to get dry in any decent amount of time.

The past few days were catching up with me, and when I left the bath chamber, I felt about ready to pass out for a day or two, though I doubted I would have that luxury. It would be luxury, too, if the bed were any indication. It was the biggest, and probably girliest, bed I had ever seen; a full princess-styled deal with four intricately carved black wooden posts, and a canopy and curtains that looked to be made of a somewhat sheer, silky pink material. By the time I finished flopping onto the bed and climbed under the silky sheets and warm covers, I fell asleep almost immediately.

The two days following the nest breaking were extremely hectic. Not only did the baby Drakans require a lot of care and attention, but when we weren't doing that, Patar and Jezz spent all the time they could teaching me about life in the Greylands, and specifically in Azure. I learned about the history, geography, the various Gods and Goddesses that were worshiped, and how time, weights, and distances were measured.

Patar also had both me and Jezz working on our language skills. Jezz grew up in a very small village in a distant part of Azure and had a very thick accent, so sometimes it was hard to understand her. In my case, while I seemed to have little trouble speaking either of the languages commonly spoken in Azure, Patar believed this to be an echo of Visanee’s knowledge and that if I did not use those language skills as much as possible to become familiar with them in my own right, I would lose them. Michelle was able to confirm that Visanee had believed the same.

Of the two, the Zenin language was the hardest, and I had to focus on it the most, usually by speaking with Felice and Visanee’s parents in that language as much as possible, and reading books written in that language. The more common language was easier for me. It was actually a bastardized version of Old English that had been developed after people from Earth started coming through the Gate near their former homeland and making homes there.

At least there were plenty of books to read in the palace in both languages, notably history books about both the Zenin people and the Queendom of Azure. I was probably going to have to make a conscious effort to keep using both languages for months to retain the knowledge I had inherited from Visanee, though. At least all of the reading was serving two purposes since I needed to learn more about both Azure and its history anyway.

Most of the history that I was learning seemed to confirm what I had been told by Visanee’s parents, so it looked like I was probably going to be stuck taking her place as the heir to the throne of Azure after all. The alternative was to refuse and gamble with the lives and happiness of this entire queendom, which was something I wasn’t really keen on. I liked Patar and Jezz, and the king and queen were growing on me as well.

Possibly the most important lessons that I was learning were about Gifts, though. With my Giftsun coming up fast, it was felt that basic education on various Gifts and the Gifted was of the utmost importance. Gifts were granted to people on their eighteenth birthday, or birthsun as they called them, by the Goddess of Gifts, Selune. Because of this, the eighteenth birthsun was called the Giftsun.

On their Giftsun, people of all races are taken by their families to Diviners to test them for Gifts, and to trigger those Gifts if any are discovered. Triggering, or Gifting, can sometimes result in various degrees of physical and/or mental changes. The Giftsun is a rite or passage into adulthood, whether one is Gifted or not, and it is when people set aside their childhood name for the name that they will carry into adulthood.

Not everyone has Gifts, though, and those who do are called the Gifted. The Gifted harness kida, the spirit energy found in the earth, the air, and all living things to use what I would call magic. There are various types of Gifts, and each type of Gifted has a different name. Healers can heal illnesses, wounds, or diseases, though the more serious the injury, the more kida they need to use. They also make potions, balms, and use various other non-magical healing methods to care for the ill. Jezz was a Healer.

Patar was a Diviner. Diviners are those whose Gifts are mind-based. These abilities can include such things as telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, sensing the history of objects or places, and empathy. They can also detect Gift potential. Diviners are the most diverse of the Gifted, and their abilities vary widely amongst them.

Both of Visanee’s, or I guess my parents, Queen Nisa and King Janis, were Thaumaturges, who can use their Gift directly for a wide variety of spells. These spells can be offensive, defensive, or completely neutral, and I guess they would probably be called sorcerers on Earth. In any type of combat situation, Thaumaturges are extremely useful. It was assumed that I would probably be a Thaumaturge as well, should I receive a Gift.

Another type of Gifted are Enchanters. They can't use kida to do anything directly, but can permanently enchant objects with pretty much any effect spells they can imagine, should they have enough power. Enchantments can be temporary or permanent, but permanent ones take more power. Then there are Wilders, who can communicate with and influence animals; Wind Walkers, who can control the weather; and Shifters, who use their Gift to change their shape, appearance, etc. More powerful Shifters can subtly reshape the bodies of others or various materials as well. Finally, there are also people with more than one Gift; these are called Dabblers.

It wasn't all work and studying during those two days, though. Michelle and I spent time just being together again and getting used to the new connection that we shared. Being able to speak in each other's minds all the time took a lot of getting used to. Thankfully, we weren't the only ones new to this, since Jezz and Grayle were going through the exact same thing. It turned out to be a good bonding time for the four of us, and I felt myself feeling truly close to someone besides my twin for the first time in years.

Semi-permanent living arrangements had been made as well. Most Chosen and their Drakans were deeded land to make a home on by the Queen, but in my case, that wouldn't work, so both Jezz and I were staying in the royal palace, or Misalet Castle as it was called. I, of course, had the princess's room. I shouldn't call it a room, though, since it was practically a home all by itself.

Jezz had one of the spacious guest rooms for VIPs, which sat beside mine. For Michelle and Grayle, one of the larger private courtyards had been set aside and made comfortable for the pair until something more permanent could be arranged. Guards were posted to ensure that the Draklings, Jezz, and I were not bothered by anyone, and food was brought to Grayle and Michelle whenever we requested it.

On the second day, I also spent some time with my new parents, mostly getting to know one another. I already liked them more than my parents on Earth, not that that was a high bar. I guess that I also felt bad for them. They had lost their only daughter, and here I was, hanging around in her body. To make it worse, we had to maintain the fiction that I was her, which was hard for all of us, especially at first.

Queen Nisa and King Janis were a bit withdrawn, which was understandable since they needed time to process and mourn Visanee's death. Luckily, most people were attributing their mood to almost losing their daughter and the shock of my amnesia. To their credit, both the Queen and the King were trying their best to get to know me and start to build some sort of relationship with me, though.

With Michelle’s help, I was able to tell them more about Visanee’s last moments in my body on Earth. They deserved to know, and I hoped that it would bring them some form of closure. I also think it helped them to realize that I was a different person, even though the body was that of their daughter.

Still, even if they could disconnect enough to see me as maybe a younger daughter rather than as Visanee, it couldn’t be easy on them trying to build a relationship with me while mourning Visanee. They were trying, though, we all were. This was partly because we had no choice but to try our best to make the fiction believable for the sake of Azure and its people, but I guess it might have been a little bit of wish fulfillment on both sides as well.

I could tell that Visanee’s parents felt awful about being so protective that they drove their daughter to run away like she did. They had good reasons, though, admitted to their mistakes, and it pained them greatly that things turned out the way they did. Anyone could see that they had adored their daughter, only wanted the best for her, and wished that they could have had a more positive relationship and didn’t have to place such a burden upon her.

I, on the other hand, never had the best relationship with my parents. My father was always trying to push me into being someone I wasn’t, and he was a bigoted and abusive asshole. My mother was spineless and went along with whatever he said, even if it hurt her, Michelle, and me.

From what I had seen so far of the king and queen, they were pretty much the opposite of my parents. Queen Nisa was intelligent, strong-willed, and determined to do the best she could for the people under her care, whether it was her people or a new daughter who was feeling just a little overwhelmed by everything that had happened since appearing in this world. Her husband, Janis, seemed to be a gentle and caring soul who was devoted to her and their daughter. They both took her death hard, but it was Janis who showed it the most. Nisa couldn’t afford to, except in private; she needed to look strong and like everything was okay, for the sake of her people.

Jezz was treated as a special guest; she even dined with us. She was a country girl and, although she seemed to enjoy all the fancy clothes and servants waiting on us, I think she was a bit unsure how to act and nervous about her new social standing. I couldn't blame her, since I was feeling the same. It was another bond that we shared. Queen Nisa and King Janis were trying to make us both feel welcome and comfortable, though, even in their grief.

I was awoken early on the day of my Giftsun. Felice woke me with the dawn, insisting that I needed time to prepare for my busy day. She immediately ushered me into a hot bath and started washing me, despite my objections. I had no time for a leisurely soak, so the bath was an exercise in precision cleaning. Once I was extracted from the hot water, I was instructed to dry myself as quickly as possible while Felice went to fetch my breakfast. It seemed that Michelle was getting similar treatment as, while I was drying myself, I heard ~Coooooooold!!!~

I continued to towel myself as I giggled. ~At least I'm not suffering alone. What's going on, Sis?~

Michelle sounded irritated. ~Patar has some servants here in the courtyard. They're giving Grayle and me baths for some reason. Why did they have to wake us at this ungodly hour for this?! Mmmmmm, at least they brought us breakfast.~

I rolled my eyes at that as I started towel-drying my hair. ~Hey, if I have to suffer, so do you. Just try to cooperate. They probably want you to accompany me on the parade through the city to the Temple of Selune.~ I finished drying off and stepped into my bed-chamber, where Felice had my breakfast laid out on a small table. I took my seat and looked over the broiled fish, hard-boiled eggs, some sort of dark bread with creamy butter, and a glass of milk. ~Ah, the breakfast of champions.~ Michelle's only answer was a contented warmth in my mind as she ate her own meal.

Breakfast was delicious, the fish was delicately spiced, and the milk had a sweet taste to it. It was over all too quickly, though, and soon Felice was getting me properly dressed. Green was the color of Itari, and since much of today would be committing myself to Her, that was the color of the day. After I was placed in appropriate undergarments, we began with a crinoline, followed by a full-length skirt of hunter green velvet. The skirt felt heavy, and I thought that it and the crinoline were going to be difficult to move in, making me suddenly very grateful for my new body's inherent feline grace.

A golden-colored satin chemise with large billowing sleeves was next on the list, the color chosen to honor Selune when I visited the Diviner Priestess at Her temple. It was actually fairly comfortable, but I could see the sleeves having the potential to cause problems when I ate. Over the chemise was placed a corset in hunter green velvet to match the skirt. Corsets may look great, but they should probably be banned by the Geneva Convention, as they are sheer torture to put on and wear. As I was being squeezed into it, I mentally grumbled. ~Be glad you just got a bath, Sis. You could be in my shoes.~

Speaking of shoes, those were the next item on the list. Well, boots actually, made of a dark green suede with a three-inch heel. They looked intimidating at first, but since I walk on the balls of my feet, they were actually very comfortable. I thought that we would have been finished then, but Felice had me sit down (not an easy feat with what I was wearing) and she started working my hair into a complex-looking bun, with a braid at the back center and two more falling to either side of my face.

Then it was time for more torture. Three gold rings were placed in each of my ears. This wouldn't have been so bad if they had been pierced beforehand, but apparently, it was tradition to wait until the Giftsun for it. You try getting needles thrust through one of the most sensitive parts of your body and not screaming. I only marginally succeeded... the first three times didn't count since I wasn't ready.

After my torture session, Felice took Chrissy for me and led me down to the main courtyard, where I found half the castle waiting. All the nobles and officials from my parents' retinue on the day of the nest breaking were there, as well as close to thirty guards, several horses, and two of our machuls. Patar sat astride Runne, who took up a good portion of space, and both Grayle and Michelle sat in another large wagon decorated in golden flowers, which was hitched up to the two machuls. Sitting demurely just ahead of the Drakans was Jezz, who was dressed similarly to me and looked just as uncomfortable.

Normally, on her Giftsun, the Princess rides in a carriage behind the Queen and King with a trusted servant, handmaiden, or sometimes a friend from the nobility to help her throughout the day. It was decided that Jezz would do that for me since we had been bonding so well. Since this was our first public appearance since the nest breaking, it was also decided that the Drakans would come too. With a hand from some of the guards, I managed to climb into the wagon and get myself seated on the padded bench beside my Cinole friend. “You look about as nervous as I am,” I grumbled. I took Chrissy from Felice and placed her between Jezz and me to gently stroke her fur and calm my nerves.

“Ya, Yer Highness, I ne'er thought I'd e'er be sittin' 'side the Princess fer her Giftsun parade,” she said, wringing her hands.

I nodded agreement, giving a nervous laugh as I replied quietly, “Well, we're in the same boat then. I never thought that I'd be a Princess in her Giftsun Parade.”

Michelle's voice slipped into my mind, radiating calm. ~Relax, Alex, we just need to sit here and look good for the most part. Then you do your thing at the Temple, and we look good on the way back, too. Then you do your vow thingy and get crowned. Easy, right?~

~Easy for you to say, but thanks for trying, Sis,~ I replied as I turned around to smile at her. Then I turned back to the front as two large and heavy sacks were placed in front of Jezz and me. From what we had been told, the sacks were filled with a mix of sweets and copper coins for us to toss to the children out to see the parade.

Despite my concerns that this would take a while to get organized, under Queen Nisa's supervision, we were soon underway. Ten guards in golden armor took the lead, with my parents behind them on large bay horses, followed by our wagon, then ten more of the golden-clad guards, the members of the nobility, and finally the final ten guards. Above us, Patar and Runne flew with six other Drakan pairs in formation. I had thought the parade wouldn't really get started until we crossed the bridge spanning the lake, but even at this early hour, people were lined up along the sides of the bridge to get a good look at the procession.

I groaned and reached into the bag for a handful of coins and sweets, speaking loud enough so my companions could hear me. “Showtime, girls, let's smile and look pretty.” I put a nervous smile on my own face and tossed the handful out into the crowd. Jezz followed my lead, and our Drakan companions sat up, doing their best to look proud and noble. All eyes were upon us as we made our way across the bridge and through the capital.

Somehow, I had managed to make it to the Temple of Selune without throwing up from nervousness and the anxiety that weighed heavily in my chest. Our sacks were now depleted, and the only thing keeping me from being glad it was over was the fact that after we were done at the temple, we'd have to do it again in reverse. Once I was helped out of the wagon, I walked along the path of golden flower petals that Jezz was spreading out before me, leading to the small dais that had been erected in front of the temple, for the sole purpose of my Gifting. No pressure, right? When I finally stepped onto the dais, Jezz moved to one side as she had been instructed and knelt waiting, while I stepped in front of the Priestess in white and gold robes.

The Priestess smiled at me and began to speak in a voice that carried well over the hushed crowd. “Visanee Misalet, daughter of Nisa and Janis. Why do you come before the Goddess Selune?”

I swallowed hard, hoping that I was remembering all of this correctly. We'd only gone over it a thousand times or so. I knelt and raised my face and hands to the heavens. “I come before Selune to seek Her favor. I am eighteen passes old today, and humbly ask Her for Her touch. I ask for no more than She is willing to give. I ask that She bestow me with what Gift or Gifts that She finds me deserving of.”

The Priestess took my outstretched hands, and I could feel a warmth filling me as she looked for my Gift. Then I felt something release in me, like I wasn't quite whole before, and now I was. Then the Priestess raised me to my feet. “You have been found worthy. Set aside your childhood and tell me the name that you will carry into adulthood, so that I may know who to bestow these Gifts upon.”

She said 'Gifts'. Plural. We hadn’t planned for this! For a brief second, I was unsure what to do; luckily, the murmuring of the crowd as they realized the same thing gave me a few seconds to compose myself. I was careful to speak loudly and clearly as I said, “Alexis.”

“Alexis Misalet,” the Priestess intoned as the crowd now hung on her every word, "Selune has seen fit to bestow upon you three Gifts on this, your Giftsun. She gives you a great Gift in Healing. She also gives you a small Gift in the Divine, and another in the Wild. I pronounce you Dabbler!”

This was unexpected. It was thought I would be a Thaumaturge like my parents, but I got three Gifts, and none of them were what I had been told to expect. The crowd was shocked too for a moment before they suddenly burst into applause and loud cheering. I quickly shook off my confusion and said, “I thank Selune for these Gifts, and I will do my best to be worthy of them.”

With my Gifting complete, Jezz rose to escort me back to the wagon, several women and young girls offering us both flowers as we stepped off the dais and made our way back to the wagon. As we settled into the wagon once again, I had to make an effort not to just slump into my seat. The corset helped a lot with that, but smiling was still an effort with as nervous as I was. “Am I ever glad that is over,” I said once we were underway, and once again smiling and showering people with sweets and copper coins from new bags.

“You 'n me both, 'Lex,” was Jezz's soft reply. “I was nervous at m' own Giftin’, but at least mine was done in the privacy o' the Temple. Dinna have thousands o’ folks watchin' m' every word. Ya did well though, 'Lex.” She paused to toss a handful from the bag. “And yer a Dabbler, I dinna think anyun expected that.”

“Least of all me,” I said with a sigh as I too tossed a handful. “I guess we'll both be busy with Healing lessons now, too. I wonder what exactly my Wilder and Diviner abilities are. I mean, how small is small?”

The Cinole shrugged, her green wings fluttering a bit. “Ya should be findin' out o'er the next se'ensun. It takes a bit fer the Gifts t’ start showin'.”

“That's good to know.” I was a bit relieved that they wouldn't start kicking in right away. “The last thing I need right now is to find out I'm a telepath or something in the middle of thousands of people. It's bad enough with the one person I already have in my head.” I giggled and winked back at Michelle before tossing another handful.

I could feel Michelle's laughter in the back of my mind. ~Just for that, Alex, I've got something for your Giftsun.~ Then she began to sing, ~This is the song that never ends....~ It was a long parade back to the palace.

It was almost midday when we arrived back at the palace. The procession, followed by all the townspeople who could manage it, filed into the main courtyard. Behind us, I could see that the entire bridge was also full of people hoping to get a look at the ceremony that would name me as heir to the throne of Azure. When we entered the courtyard, I stepped down from the wagon to join Queen Nisa at the great doors that stood at the rear wall of the courtyard. To either side of the great doors were stairs that led up to the balcony, the great hall, the throne room, and the rest of the palace proper.

The great doors themselves were made of the sturdy black wood called yalk, with thick wrought iron hinges and handles. The doors were barred and guarded at all times unless the Queen or her heir was inside the Queen's private courtyard that lay behind them. Swallowing my fear, I watched as two large Jiquar guards pulled open the massive doors. Then Queen Nisa stepped inside, and I moved to follow. Inside the great doors was another, smaller door sealed by magic. From what I had been told, only someone who had been bound to the land could open that door. My new mother opened the door, and we stepped inside, the door shutting behind us.

The Queen's courtyard was large and very well lit by kida lamps, which gave off a natural-looking light. I had been told that the light in this courtyard was created to simulate the time of day. There was even an illusion of the sky, with moving clouds and the sun in its proper position on the ceiling. After I was bound to the land, I would be able to come in here any time, and it would be just like being outside, no matter whether it was day, night, dawn, or dusk. It was an amazing illusion, and even the flowers and small trees that grew all over the bare earth at our feet couldn't seem to tell the difference.

Another enchantment caused the air in the room to stay fresh and even have cool breezes, which would make this a nice place to keep cool later in the summer. There were even birds and some small animals. The Queen led me by the hand as I took in the realistic environment, and she let out a giggle as she said, “I was the same way when I saw it for the first time.” It was the first time that I had heard her laugh or seen an unrestrained smile on her face since we had met, and it warmed my heart.

I merely nodded in answer and squeezed her hand, not really wanting to spoil this moment. I saw several benches as we made our way to the center of the courtyard, and then, as I turned to face forward, I saw it. The crystal fountain of Itari was a large formation of crystals, in all the colors of the rainbow, that gave off a light all their own. We stopped when we reached the formation, and the Queen spoke. “Itari, Mother of our land, patron Goddess of our people. I bring before You my daughter, Alexis Misalet, and ask that You accept her as my heir.”

The crystals seemed to hum, vibrating as I stepped forward to stand beside the Queen. Then I heard a voice in my head that wasn't Michelle's. It was a voice of power that seemed to make my head hum right along with the crystals. ~Alexis, you of two worlds. Your mind is not hers, but you are of the blood. Are you prepared to leave your old world behind forever, to defend and rule this land and these people? Are you prepared to protect this sacred place?~

I quickly shook off the shock I was feeling and formulated my reply. “I… yes. There is nothing for me in my old world. This land is now my home, these people my own, and I relinquish the family of my old world to embrace the family whose blood runs through my veins. I promise to defend and rule this land, and its people, fairly when the time comes, and to protect this sacred place from harm.”

The Queen smiled at me, teary-eyed, and the voice in my head seemed happy once it spoke again. ~Very well then, Alexis. I accept you as heir and will bind you to the land. Seal the Vow with your blood.~

I nodded and stepped forward to prick my finger on one of the crystals. I held the finger over the crystal, letting several drops of blood fall onto it. The blood seemed to be absorbed by the shard of crystal it fell upon, which began to glow even brighter than the others. Then, the whole crystal formation started to glow brighter, shining with a blinding light, and the crystals and the castle around us started to sing.

Sometime during the cacophony of bright light and the music of the earth, I felt a connection begin to form with the crystal formation and the land beneath my feet, like some sort of tether between it and my soul. It wasn't truly binding, as I didn't feel bound to the land, as I think that would have felt restrictive. No, this was more like I was part of the land, and it was part of me, and would be no matter where I was. ~You are now bound to the land and the Vow. I know that you will serve both myself and your people well.~

"She's been in there a while now," Michelle thought as she waited impatiently for Alex to either come out the doors or contact her to let her know that everything was alright. Things had gone smoothly so far, even if Alex had been thrown a bit of a curveball with the Gifts. There was no reason for people to think anything would go wrong now. Still, most people didn't know that Alex wasn't the princess in her head. Could that somehow throw a wrench in the works? The more time that passed without something happening, the more worried she became.

Then something did happen. Something that she wasn't expecting at all. Michelle's eyes darted around rapidly as the castle began to shake around her, the very walls seeming to hum with the vibrations. The sound carried through the walls and flagstones, and she could feel it even in her bones. The humming sound seemed to change pitch with each passing second. It almost sounded like… singing.

She tried to contact Alex through their mind link, fearing for her sister's... her Chosen's safety. She couldn't seem to reach her, though; it was like her thoughts were being redirected elsewhere. She couldn't sense Alex at all. Her heart raced, and a lump of terror lodged in her chest as the Radiant Drakan began to fear the worst, that this Earth Goddess had sensed that Alex wasn't the true heir and had killed her. Was that why the earth was shaking?

She was supposed to protect her; she should have insisted that she go in with her, regardless of the tradition. What would she do if Alex were dead? How would she make it alone in this new world? She came here to be with her twin because it would have hurt too much to lose her. How could she go on if she lost her now? Then, suddenly, she felt it again, the comforting presence of her former twin in the back of her mind, and she reached out.

~What in the hell was that?!~ Michelle's voice suddenly popped into my head. ~The whole castle was just shaking and humming!~

~I think that was me being made heir, Sis. Itari accepted me, and all that started happening when we used my blood to seal the deal. I think we should be coming out soon,~ I sent back, trying to calm her down.

~Okay, Alex. By the way, your furry little white friend is shaking in Jezz's arms. The whole castle eruption scared her pretty badly. You might want to find a treat for her after all this,~ Michelle said, trying to sound unbothered but still sounding a bit spooked herself.

I had to stifle a giggle at that. ~Noted, Sis, I'll see if I can slip you some sweets too.~

~I wasn't scared. I was just startled, is all, but some of those frostberry pies would taste really good.~ I could feel a happy warmth in my mind as she thought of the pies.

I giggled at that and quickly composed myself as my new mother smiled at me and gently said, “You may now enter our courtyard whenever you wish, but only you, and possibly your pet kihr. No other people are allowed in here under any circumstances. This is our place, and it's a nice place to be alone with our thoughts when needed.”

I nodded my head solemnly as I answered, “I understand. It's a very relaxing place, and I think I'll like coming here when I need to think.”

She took my hand again and began to lead me back to the door. “Now it is time to go up to the balcony and complete the tradition.” I followed her back through the door and then the great doors, which were closed securely and barred behind us. We walked up the stairs, my hand still in hers, to the balcony where the King waited. As we got to the balcony, overlooking the throngs of people in the main courtyard and beyond, she gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

My mother on Earth had always been afraid to show me affection like that, as my father would always complain that I needed to learn how to be independent if I were to grow up to be a strong man. This was a nice change, and I realized that what I had said earlier was true. She was my mother by blood now, and she was trying to fill that role, even through the pain of losing Visanee.

This was my family now, my home, and my people, and I had to stop thinking about my Earth parents that way. Deep down, I knew that I was dead to them before the heart in my old body even stopped beating. The only family I had ever given a shit about there was Michelle, and she was here with me now. There was no going back. I had Michelle, a family, friends, and my people. It was time to live in the present.

“People of Azure!” my mother spoke in a tone that commanded attention. “Today, my daughter pledged herself to Itari, our country, and all of you. Itari heard her pledge and accepted. She has been bound to the land and our Vow. Today, the earth sang for her.” She took a delicate jewel-encrusted gold tiara from her husband and placed it on my head. “I give you Princess Alexis Misalet, true heir to the throne of Azure!”

The crowd burst into a deafening cheer, a cheer which almost threatened to shake the castle again, as I stepped up to the stone railing for my part of the ceremony. I tried my best to speak clearly and loud enough for all those in the courtyard to hear. “Thank you, my people. Today I have been bound to you all, and our country. Today I have been given Gifts. Today I celebrate. But I do not wish to celebrate alone. Let there be feasts, music, and celebration for all!” This resulted in another thunderous cheer and some chanting of my name.

My Giftsun feast was well underway in the great hall of the palace. Food and wine flowed freely, and people joked and laughed. Chrissy was in my lap, humming contentedly as she nibbled on a cookie. I was so full that if I tried to eat another bite, I think my corset would have exploded. People around me were happy, and so was I. I could feel that Michelle was happy too, the warmth of the feeling radiating in the back of my mind. ~Enjoying your pies, are you?~

~Yes, I am, and so is Grayle. Thank you for thinking of us.~ She gave me a warm and fuzzy mental hug.

~Good. You both deserve it after spending half the day in a wagon and putting up with me and Jezz complaining about how uncomfortable we were. Besides, it's my day, and the cooks want to keep me happy. I think those closest to me should benefit from that a little today. You both enjoy it, we'll be out to spend some time with you as soon as we can get away for a bit.~ I quickly turned my attention to Jezz, who I realized had just asked Patar something potentially embarrassing. “Oh no, Jezz, all these wonderful people don't want to hear that story.”

“Ya, sure they do, Yer Highness. Folks have been askin' him all through dinner. An' yer only tellin' how ya woke up an' found yer l'il friend there.” She pointed at the kihr in my lap. “Ya dun tell much 'bout the valley and meetin' Unca Patar.” My friend grinned at me, and I silently resolved to put something squishy in her bed later.

Patar didn't need to be asked twice, and soon he was spinning his tale, leaning in toward his listeners like some sort of conspirator. “So, there I was, flying over the Frozen Wastes looking for the Princess. Now, I did not expect to see her out that far. I am still not sure how she got all the way out there in the first place. Anyway, there we were, flying over this nice little valley, when Runne tells me he sees something. So, we circle down and I see this huge kythir, it was at least thirty tayr long. But that is not the interesting thing, no, I also see this crazy person trying to fight the beast with nothing but a dagger and a burning stick.”

I groaned and put my face in my hands. “Okay, Patar, while you besmirch my good name, with what is probably the truth, we're going to go check on Michelle and Grayle, right, Jezz?” I picked up Chrissy and placed her on my shoulder, where she soon found her favorite spot around my neck and proceeded to happily hum.

“I thought ya'd ne'er ask, Yer Highness,” the Cinole said with a grin.

"Oh yes, definitely something squishy, cold too if I can manage it," I thought.

As we left the hall, Patar's voice trailed off behind us. “So, I was thinking to myself, 'this is either the stupidest or bravest person I have ever seen'...”