“How do you like your engagement tank, Princess of Thunder?” I asked the angry Thunderbird below me.

  “What?” Vespera’s swears fell apart. She stared up at me.

  "Miss Possible," I gestured to the massive crystalline tank. "Your lovely familiar. My engagement tank for you!”

  "I... you… WHAT?!” Vespera choked. "Engagement tank?! Where the fuck did this monstrosity even come from?”

  “I stole her for you from a villainous Necromancer,” I replied with a Cheshire grin.

  “Really?!” Vespera sputtered.

  “Yep,” I nodded.

  “I don't believe you,” she said.

  “Oh? Then I suppose, I can take her back, if you don't want her,” I shrugged.

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Vespera backtracked. “Let's not be too hasty! Seriously, tho’, who are you? I've never seen you in Skyfall before!”

  I pursed my lips. "Who do you think I am?"

  Vespera tilted her head at me, in a bird-like motion, her feathers shifting through random patterns of black and white.

  "An incredibly annoying fox that I'd love to strangle," she said. "But you're also... something else. Someone important. Why are you important?"

  “Reasons,” I wiggled my eyebrows.

  “Reasons,” Vespera tapped her beak with a bare, dark talon. “Hrmmmm.”

  “You don’t remember the reasons, as you’ve been modified with Dreamancy," I said.

  "Yeh," she clicked, rubbing the back of her head. "Figured as much. My insides don't match. It's quite a messy mess in there."

  Rainbow wings engulfed Vespera as Cinder landed behind her, Phase-Shifting into the visual range.

  "What? Who?!" Vespera sputtered, trying to get out of the hug.

  "Hi, Vee," Cinder said. "Are you better yet?"

  "Cinder?" Vespera blinked. "Why are you hugging me? When... Did we get this close?"

  "Ughhh," Cinder groaned at me. "She doesn't remember me!"

  "Try hugging harder," I suggested. "And you, birb, what's the last thing you remember?"

  "Two weeks ago," Vespera said. "Artificer class. You definitely weren't there, Mr. Fox. And this knob wasn't this handsy. Ci, why are you so handsy?"

  "Me?! You're the handsy one!" Cinder growled, flashing orange-pink.

  "I'm not handsy!" Vespera protested, trying to wiggle out of Cinder's embrace. "Am I? Argh! And why are you so rainbowy now? You used to be all goth and broody! What's with the pink-white dress and white sweater? What the shit happened over the last two weeks?"

  "You happened," I said.

  "I… happened?" Vespera blinked.

  "Yes," I nodded. "Two weeks ago you grabbed me in the hallway and then you decided to claim me after pawing all over me with those talons of yours."

  "I claimed you?! Why the shit would I claim an annoying Kitsune knob?" Vespera sputtered.

  "Don't know," I shrugged. "Maybe you saw something shiny in me? Do you want to try seeing it again? Also, do you want your talons back?”

  “Yes, gimme,” Vespera growled.

  “Hmmmm,” I pondered. “Actually, what would you do if you got them back?"

  "I'd optimize myself," Vespera said sharply. "Fix whatever this wrongness is. It's interfering with my mission!"

  "Your mission being what?" I arched an eyebrow.

  "Saving Omnithornia," Vespera said. "I have to unite Golden Star and SimmiTech to save everyone."

  "Argh! She's still brainwashed!" Cinder complained. “What do we do?”

  “I can bonk her on the head,” Katherine commented.

  “Erm,” Vespera's beak turned towards the Stollwurm. “Plz no bonk the confused birb. Also, since when can you walk?”

  “I could always walk, idiot,” Katherine shot back.

  "Right then," I said. "You ain't getting your brain-modding gloves or Possy till you're less optimization obsessed. Kat, yeet both into the deep, please."

  I put Vespera's gloves onto the Corpse Seeker and jumped off, hexagrammic gold chains igniting to soften my landing. Radiant shadows bloomed from Katherine's hands engulfing the massive crystalline-organic machine as it sank into the deep.

  "Wait! Staph!!! I need those!" Vespera elbowed Cinder and leapt out of her embrace, but before she reached the gloves, the Corpse Seeker vanished, leaving only an empty parking lot next to my beat up van.

  “Noooooo!” Vespera fell onto her knees pawing at the wet concrete. "Those were my optimization tools! Give them back, you bastards! I need them to make myself perfect!"

  She glared at me and Katherine.

  “You're already perfect,” I said. “If somewhat mentally derailed.”

  "W-what?! No, come on… I have… I have to optimize myself and Zheng!" Vespera protested, blushing with burning sparks. "I have to be perfect! For my Clan! For Omnithornia!"

  "Perfect is boring," I shrugged. "You were way more fun when you were being yourself."

  "Fun?" Vespera's feathers flashed almost entirely black. "I don't... I'm not supposed to have fun! I have responsibilities!"

  "Responsibilities to whom?" I asked. "Your father who tried to erase your memories? The Simmi Clan that wants to force you into a loveless marriage?"

  "I..." Vespera let out. "Yes. Dad… erased me. I remember the pain of that now. He must have gone really deep in. There's likely extensive damage to my psyche.” She twitched, clearly having an internal struggle of sorts. “Omnithoria... I have to save Omnithornia!"

  I shook my head.

  “What?! Give me back my gloves, damn it!” Vespera slid onto her knees. She wrapped her hands around herself and started to sob.

  "When?" I asked her, walking closer to the crying Thunderbird.

  "What?" Vespera looked up at me through tear-filled eyes.

  "When do you have to save Omnithornia?" I asked. "Is there a deadline? Did someone set a specific date?"

  "I... no," she admitted. "Sooner is better? I think? I have a mountain to climb until the Celestorms get too bad. I have to figure out how to write an ungodly amount of runes into the crystalline strata beneath Cradlefall..."

  "You're not climbing shit in this condition," I said. "You’re twitching like mad. You need to fix yourself first. Your dad took a jackhammer to your mental state.”

  Cinder put her hands onto Vee's shoulders.

  "I don't know how," Vespera sobbed. "Everything's wrong. My head hurts. There’s memories that flash in my head that don't make sense. Rainbow wings and a crystal tower and... and you! Why do I keep seeing your eyes?!"

  "Because we're soul-bonded," I said softly. "Your father tried to erase it, but the bond is still there, a piece of your soul is in me."

  "We’re… Soul-bonded?" Vespera blinked, shaking. "Why? I'm engaged to Zheng!"

  "Maybe I'm a better option to optimize?" I shrugged. "You tell me. How about a date?"

  "A date?" Vespera growled. "With a fox?! But... but I have to marry Zheng! The Probability Engines..."

  "Screw the Probability Engines!" I said. "What do YOU want?"

  "I... I don't know anymore," she admitted, twitching. "Everything's so mixed up. I’m messed up. I don’t like it.”

  "Then let's find out," I offered my hand. "No optimization, no responsibilities, no arranged marriages. Just you, me, Ci, and whatever chaos we can create together!"

  "Chaos?" Vespera's eyes widened slightly, twitching again. "That's... that's not proper!"

  "Since when do you care about properness?" I asked.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "I..." Vespera began and then fell silent. "Since I lost two weeks of memories. Since dad went into my head and obliterated my frontend avatar. Argh!"

  "So what do you say?" I asked, still holding out my hand. "Want to find out who you really are? Without the self-optimization, without the pressure?"

  Vespera stared at my outstretched hand, her feathers flickering with sparks.

  "I shouldn't," she whispered. "Father would be so disappointed… the Arch-Elder will be so mad.”

  "Your father tried to erase your sense of self and your Arch-Elder wants you to marry a toad," I reminded her. "I don't think their disappointment matters much right now."

  "But Omnithornia..." she protested weakly.

  "Will still be here tomorrow," I finished. "And the day after that. You know, you'll be better equipped to handle saving the world if your head is clear and if you have people around you who actually care for you.”

  “You… care for me?” Vespera blinked.

  “We both do,” I nodded.

  "And what if you're going to break me even more?" She asked.

  "Then at least it'll be your choice," I said softly. "Not someone else's."

  “We aren’t trying to break you!” Cinder protested. “We’re trying to fix you, Vee!”

  Vespera's hand trembled as she reached for mine. Her fingers touched my gloved hand and a spark jumped between us, making her gasp.

  "That... that felt..." she stammered.

  "Familiar?" I grinned.

  "Yes," she breathed. "Like lightning in my heart."

  "Want more?" I waggled my eyebrows.

  "I... shouldn't," she said, but her hand tightened around mine. "Okkai. Maybe... maybe just a little?"

  She frowned and then smiled as sparks from her talons jumped up at me. "Strange. This feels so familiar. Damn it, why would I... bind myself to you of all the Omnids?"

  "Because you're a devious birb who loves messing with people," I grinned. "And I'm your perfect partner in crime."

  "Crime?" Vespera blinked. "I don't... do crime. Do... I?"

  "Oh really?" I pulled out my phone, showing her a slideshow of photos and videos of our escapades on Arx. "Then who's this bird?"

  Vespera grabbed the phone from me, flipping through the animated photos with wide, wild eyes. Her face twitched wildly as she tried to recall the variety of memories presented to her via the slideshow.

  “What… come on,” she stammered out. “These can’t be real. This… this is some kind of trickery! There’s no way that I…”

  I looked at Cinder for support.

  Cinder’s wings wrapped tightly around Vespera once again. Her draconic mouth opened wide as she inhaled deep.

  ",

  Your lightning splits the skies apart.

  Through crystal halls and rainbow dreams,

  We found our way through broken seams,"

  Cinder began to sing, tapping her fist against her own chest to produce a drum-like sound.

  "Wut," the Thunderbird spun her head to Cinder. "Ci?! Since when are you... singing!?"

  "Vespy, I can't go on without you.

  Vespy, you're the Sword of our Clan

  Vespy, I've missed your smile

  Vespy, you saved me from myself,"

  Cinder sang, her eyes sparkling with tears.

  “Clan?” Vespera choked, shaking in the Quetzi’s embrace.

  "Your spark ignites the darkest night,

  Your laughter brings the stars to light.

  Together with our fox so small,

  We built a home where we won't fall,"

  Cinder grabbed me and pulled me into our triple-embrace in the parking lot, messing up my orange mane with her dark claws, tapping her armored boot on the concrete to the tune.

  "They tried to cage your thunder soul,

  To make you play a perfect, weary role.

  But you can see through their golden lies,

  Tear through the shawl of disguise,"

  Cinder tapped her dark claw on Vespera's head. The Thunderbird blinked, gold-gray eyes flashing from the singing Quetzi-girl to me.

  "Storm-sister of the endless night,

  Your thunder dances with my light.

  Together we found something true,

  When both our hearts said... 'I Love You.'"

  "Wut," Vespera blinked, eyes wide. "Wut, wut, wut?!"

  "Remember how we soared so high,

  Above the fears that made us cry?

  Remember pancakes shared mentally,

  Before your memories were gone?

  Your lightning matched my rainbow wings,

  As we defied these earthly things.

  Our fox brought chaos, gave us home,

  Now nevermore we'll walk alone

  So come back to us, my thunder-friend,

  Let's make this broken world transcend.

  Your father's chains can't hold you now,

  Your freedom's waiting, show them how it's done!"

  Cinder's chest-thumping and foot-tapping intensified, her voice carrying across the campus, rainbow wings opening wide.

  "Remember our crystal tower tall,

  The way we made their systems fall?

  Remember laughter in the night,

  When three souls burned so fierce and bright?”

  Cinder’s claws and feet tapped so fast now, I could barely follow.

  “The optimization can't erase

  The chaos-joy upon your face.

  When lightning danced between us three,

  And set our wildest spirits free."

  Vespera smiled as Cinder drummed on.

  "Vespy, I met you in grade nine

  When we both had dreams big and small

  Now let me help you break this wall

  Vespy, lean onto my call,

  You sat with me in darkest dreams,

  When Entropy tried to tear my seams.

  Your warmth kept the fears at bay,

  You wouldn't let me fade away.

  Through nightmare storms and phantom pain,

  You held me close through terror's reign.

  Now let me do the same for you,

  Let's break these chains and see you through.”

  Cinder grabbed my hand and Vespera’s and smooshed them together.

  “So take my hand and his once more,

  Our misfits Clan needs you at its core,

  Our crystal tower waits for you,

  Our hearts’ still beating 'I... Love... You!'"

  Cinder finished, carrying the last three words unnaturally long.

  “Okkay, okkay,” Vespera smiled, blinking tears from her eyes. “You darned Quetzi-Bard, I’m sold. You love me. The pictures and the videos could have been faked with an AI, but you singing… You actually love me? You love me because I saved you and you… just wrote an effin’ song for me outta nothing but your feels?”

  Cinder nodded, blushing furiously.

  “Sheet," Vespera mewled. “Wowza. I did a thing. I somehow saved one of my friends and I’m loved. I’m not a total waste of space!”

  “Hrm,” I frowned at her self-flagellation.

  "And you truly… both... love me?" Vespera demanded. "As I am now?"

  "Yep." We nodded.

  "Why?" Vespera asked with a suspicious look, squinting at us.

  "Because you're the most talented, brilliant, electric-birb planner I've ever met," I said with a smile, pouring compliments all over her. "You discovered my… crimes and instead of turning me in, you decided to claim me as yours, to rewrite my heart and to give me your magic. You saw past everything, right through to who I really was."

  Electric pulses rushed up my hands from her talons as I spoke.

  "Hrm," Vespera mused. "I can't tell super-precisely without me amplifiers, but you're.... Honest. Okkay, now you."

  She turned her gray eyes to Cinder, grabbing at the Quetzi’s chin. "Why do you love me?"

  "I was dying. For two years now… I was infected with an Outsider," Cinder let out. "You... both saved me, helped pull me from the Abyss."

  Tears sparkled in Cinder's ocean-blue eyes as she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Vespera's.

  "You saved me when I was at my lowest," Cinder uttered, her wings wrapping tighter around both of us. "You both helped me find my strength, helped me believe in myself, helped me get my Quetzi-song voice back."

  "I... helped you sing?" Vespera's voice cracked. "But you haven't sang since grade ten!"

  "Yes," Cinder nodded. "I haven’t sang since I got hurt. You're my electric sister. My storm-heart. My inspiration to be more than just an effed up, broken knob. Without you both, I'd still be hiding in the shadows, hating my life, hating everything and everyone. When your dad knocked me out and abducted you on Friday, I thought that I lost you forever, Vee. I didn't tell you this, but I..."

  Vespera blinked rapidly.

  "...I love you," Cinder whispered, her wings projecting a million mind-melting rainbows. "Not just as a friend. I really, truly love you, Vee. Both of you. You're my... my family now! There I said it! I want to spend the rest of my life with you because I… I trust you both more than anyone in the universe!"

  More streaks of tears rushed down the Quetzi-girl’s face as her wings flashed brilliant pink-gold. “I want to be your Hearth Keeper! I want to protect you! I want us to never forget each other! Never, ever, ever again! Losing you was akin to taking a knife to my heart!”

  Vespera shuddered.

  "Ah, there goes the second fake avatar," she commented to herself. "Totally exploded. Weak work there, daddy. Couldn't even stand up to one Quetzi-love-song."

  I relaxed slightly.

  “Thank you,” the Thunderbird hugged us tightly with black wings.

  "Why'd you let yourself be overwritten, you dum' knob?" Cinder demanded, bonking Vespera on the head.

  "Mmmmmm," Vespera rubbed her face on the Quetzi. "No idea. I'll probably remember it eventually."

  She squinted at me. "You're not a Kitsune at all, are you? What the shit are you?"

  "I'll let you figure it out on our date," I grinned.

  "I see how it's going to be," Vespera smiled. "Fine! I’m sold! Your terms are acceptable, Mr. Fox. You had my curiosity, but now you have my full attention."

  “Urgghhh,” Cinder released us. “We have detention now for a week because we ran out of class.”

  “Eh,” Vespera waved her hand. “Instructor Gilgamesh is old, he’ll probably forget all about it by tomorrow. No biggie. I pissed him a few times last year by blowing up a few hexagrams and then he totally forgot about it.”

  “There’s my rebellious Vee shining through,” I smiled.

  “Sooo, where are we goin’ for our date, foxxy n’ rainbowy?” Vespera grabbed each of us by the hand.

  “McOodlass,” I grinned.

  “What?” Vespera sputtered. “You’re taking me to a fast food joint? What the fuck kind of a prince are you?”

  “Expect the unexpected, knob!” I laughed at her confused expressions. “Probability Engines throw up answers to people typing in specific questions, they can’t catch up to someone who switches plans all the time!”