First Day of a New Life (Epilogue)

It was still early (relatively speaking) when Nayeli slipped out of bed and began getting dressed. She pulled on a modest button-down blouse and ankle-length skirt... neither of which had been worn before, to the best of her memory. She simultaneously wondered why she had bought them and thanked her past self for being prepared for things she never imagined at the time. Checking herself in the bathroom mirror, Nayeli thought she looked odd in formal dress, though thankfully not awkward.

“Where the fuck are you going?" Oro grunted sleepily just as she reached for the bedroom door. He was sitting up on the edge of the bed, looking at her with one sleepy eye while the other remained stubbornly shut.

Nayeli turned to him with an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I tried not to wake you up," she promised, coming back to give him a kiss on the cheek, “I'm going to temple this morning."

“... Huh?" he grunted, one ear drooping in disbelief.

The Lioness checked the time on her phone. “I'll be late if I don't get going," she noted softly, kissing his cheek again, “But I'll explain everything when I get back, okay? It's important to me to go this morning."

Sarahi stretched, sitting up in the bed and running her fingers through her hair. “Can you afford another couple of minutes? I'll go, too. You can explain on the way."

Nayeli tilted her head, but nodded. They were both equally surprised when Oro rubbed an arm across his sleepy eyes and likewise got to his feet. Dressing quickly, they were all three soon settled in the minivan and making their way down the mountain to one of the handful of small temples scattered throughout town. Oro yawned even as he asked, “So what the fuck's got in your head that you need religion this morning?"

“Gratitude," the Lioness answered sincerely, giving a reproachful look to her husband's choice of words, “Attending services is about the least act of respect I owe the Bright Lion after yesterday." Trusting her husbands not to write her off as crazy no matter how likely it sounded, Nayeli tried her best to describe what had happened to her while they were fighting The Judge...

“I was dead," she started slowly, “I was sure I was dead, and just grateful that it hadn't hurt. I was kind of embarrassed by my own scream, when it seemed to be over. In the end, I hope to go out with a little more dignity than that," she chuckled, knowing at once that it was a silly wish and that she wished it twice as much now that she had survived. “So... everything went dead silent, no pun intended. I'd flinched at the hammer, and when I opened my eyes again I was definitely not in The Labyrinth anymore. I remember... ," here she struggled just a little, as the experience had gone fuzzy in her head, like an intense dream now half-a-day behind her, “There was a mountain. I was on top of it, I think. The slope in front of me was steep, and it looked like it stretched down for miles. I think there was a forest at the bottom, but it was hazy, like a silhouette at the edge of sight. It was night. I remember that clearly. Oh, what beautiful stars," she sighed, thinking she had never seen a sky like that before, and doubting she ever would again, much as she wished to, “The moon was full and blue and shining like a spotlight, nearly as bright as the sun beside it."

“... Both at once?" Sarahi asked gently, more to break her building reverie than in doubt. Nayeli seemed tempted to be lost in that brief memory, and the Sha'khari thought that might be dangerous while she was behind the wheel.

But Nayeli was aware of the risk herself and kept her eyes open, squarely focused on the road. "Yes. That was the first thing that struck me as especially odd, and where things get a little weird. I can't really say I saw a face, but I had the distinct impression that the sun and moon were eyes, and that there was definitely a face to go with them, though I didn't dare see it clearly. It was just... kind of framed by the stars and shaded by the clouds, and I immediately thought of The Bright Lion." She shook her head. "Don't ask me why. I like traditions and the ideas that go with them, but I'm not particularly religious. It just made me think of him like rose thorns make me think of Oro. But the thought was so clear that I couldn't help asking if he was there." A shiver ran through her as she remembered those blazing, heavenly bodies seeming to focus on her, alone and small on top of the mountain.

Sarahi quirked a brow. “I'm guessing you got an answer?"

Nayeli nodded. “Yes... and no. Nobody spoke. At least, I don't remember any voice except my own. But I'd no sooner asked the question than I was convinced beyond a doubt. It was just kind of... there, and refused to be questioned again. That was the last nail in the coffin, so to speak. I couldn't be anything except dead, and that meant I'd seen the last of you, and Mom, and everyone. I already missed you and really wanted you to get out of that awful place—"

Oro snapped his fingers, startling her. Nayeli glanced at him briefly before bringing her eyes back to the road. "Sorry," she chuckled, flashing him a grateful smile for the succinct reminder that they were all alive, well, and talking to each other right now. "Right... sorry. I was kind of overwhelmed then, too. I believed it, but at the same time, I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want it to be so soon. And then... I felt better," she chuckled. "I think he 'spoke' again. I had the thought that it would happen soon... very soon... but not as soon as that. The thought crossed my mind that all things are 'soon' to a god, so it probably wouldn't be nearly as close as I feared. That was when I began to understand how he was talking to me, I think. It's not so much that he speaks as he inserts himself into what you're telling yourself... your own inner monologue starts citing him. Because that thought, those words, weren't mine at all."

Sarahi blinked, trying hard to imagine how that must have felt. She couldn't help but think it would be... disconcerting, to say the least. But Nayeli seemed to have handled it better than Sarahi imagined she would herself. "I imagine that was at least a little comforting," the Sha'khari nodded. "So, what happened next?"

"It was," Nayeli agreed, "But confusing, too. I didn't understand what was happening, especially if I wasn't dead. So I asked if I was being spared... though I was kind of afraid to hear the answer, if I'm being honest. As much as I wanted to deny it, I had kind of agreed with the judgment I was given by that 'Judge,'" she admitted with a grimace. "It felt dishonest to deny it. I was little more than a burden in there, and I'm not exactly a pillar of support even here—"

"Shut the fuck up," Oro interrupted for the first time since she'd started talking. He was frowning fiercely but continued staring out the window, just as he had since getting into the van. "I'm only alive now because of your support. And I'll pop the head off anyone who disagrees with my own fucking hands. The Judge only got off easy because you pulled us out."

Both of his wives looked a little dubious at that claim, but Nayeli appreciated the reassurance. If nothing else, she was important to someone who was important to her, and that was genuinely comforting. "... Right," she smiled gratefully. "My confidence was a little shaken at the time. And you know what's funny? I think The Lion agrees with you. I felt calmer after making my case against myself, like saying it helped me realize how silly I was being." She shook her head and let out a long, gentle exhale. "I even thought I ought to forgive The Judge for being so harsh, however accurate he might have been. His sight is confined to The Labyrinth. My life, and all it's really worth, is here, well outside that place and his limits," she smiled.

From behind her seat, Sarahi leaned forward to gently wrap her arms around the Lioness in a comforting hug, careful not to interfere with her steering. "Oh, I agree wholeheartedly," the Sha'khari sighed, "With both you and Oro."

Nayeli patted the arms around her shoulders before Sarahi let go. "Thank you. It was a relief to think of that, in that strange place, and even more so here and now. After that, confused as I still was, I at least had some confidence that I was still alive and that this visit was just temporary. And that's when I had to ask, 'Why?' Not to trivialize what I'm trying to do, but I couldn't imagine for one minute that I'd been granted a divine audience just to be told to keep up with my nursing studies. Without the fear of death and loneliness looming over me... I finally had the clarity to ask the important question. And, whoo, was that answer a doozy!" she sighed, half chuckling. "Oro, dear, you're not going to like it, I'm afraid."

That got him to turn away from the window and give her his undivided attention, tilting his head curiously, just like Sarahi. Nayeli continued, "He asked... no, that's not right. I don't think The Lion can ask questions. Except maybe rhetorical ones? Anyway... he pointed out that Oro... needs help," she put it more tactfully than the thoughts that had flowed through her mind at the time, "And told me I would be given the power to help. 'Authority over all that is, and much that was, will be put into your voice. You will speak truly, and truth will be what you speak.' That was in the third person, even in my head. I had no idea what was going on, and it scared me all over again." She shook her head once more, this time in something like shame. "I've already admitted I'm not a religious girl. I've been to temple... maybe twice?... in my life. What little I know of their teachings was all learned secondhand, and even from that... Sarahi, sweetheart, I love you, but our whole family is closer to being abominations than saints under the temple's teachings. I'm no exception."

Sarahi simply nodded, understanding she'd been singled out for being the only one in the car likely to know or appreciate the weight of what Nayeli was saying. However closely she did or didn't hold to those teachings, she had at least attended temple regularly throughout most of her childhood. "I get it. But then... why? I mean, I wasn't there—not where you're describing, anyway—but it doesn't seem like The Lion was unfriendly. I don't think he would have been so reassuring if he were angry with you."

Nayeli laughed. “Oh, thank Heaven! I don't think I could have faced him at all if the suggestion of a frown had gotten through. But I asked the exact same thing: why would he do that for me? Or for Oro? How could I even be trusted with power like that? And that was before I had the least inkling how it worked."

Sarahi nodded again. “... And? Did he explain at all?"

“Yes," Nayeli smiled, blushing slightly at the comfort of the memory, “'Because you wish it and I desire it.' 'Because you can be trusted.' 'And the rest will not be so forever.' That's it. Plain and brutally simple. Heh... it made me think of something you'd say," she gave a sideways look at the Rabbit in the passenger seat. “I... don't know whether to take that last as reassuring or heart-breaking," she admitted, this time looking Sarahi in the eyes through the rear-view mirror, “I immediately thought of you... and whether I could really stomach the thought of turning you out, and committing exclusively to Oro, to abide by the temple's teachings on marriage and family."

Sarahi's heart clenched and her stomach twisted. She at least did her wife the courtesy of not asking what conclusion she'd come to, if any. Whether favorable to the Sha'khari or not, it was likely to be a hard, emotional call for the Lioness, and Sarahi knew it.

The Sha'khari tried hard to keep that gut reaction off her face, but apparently it showed. “That's exactly what I thought," Nayeli smiled comfortingly, as if she could read Sarahi's mind now, and returned her eyes to the road, “And the next thought that went through my head was, 'Those who keep these teachings will be blessed. Those who break them can be forgiven. Those who keep their oaths will be blessed. Those who break them can be forgiven.' More thoughts that decidedly didn't belong to me," she laughed again, though this time it carried the strain of tears being held back, “Those are our choices. Blessings and forgiveness, or forgiveness and blessings. No other options."

Nayeli was keeping calm, and her eyes on the road, despite giving up any effort to restrain the clear, grateful tears rolling down her cheeks now. That answer had stunned her when she received it. It had broken her heart, in some deep way she had never experienced before, and she still ached from it. It was the kind that left relief in its wake instead of desperation, and confidence where fear had lurked. She thought she might have known a new and different kind of love for the first time in that moment.

It felt so surreal now, even to her, that it was tempting to think it all a delusion of panic brought on by her imminent death. But her new power could not be denied, or put down to simple fear. “Sorry," she sighed at last, wiping away the streaks on her cheeks, “That's why I'm going to temple this morning. I need to show my gratitude. And I need to know more about him. The last thing I was told, before he taught me how to invoke it, was that I am supposed to use this power wisely... if I can. And generously, whatever that means. And sparingly, which seems contradictory, but after what happened the first time I healed you I am most clear about that one," she admitted with a slight wince to Oro.

“... Wow," Sarahi sighed from the back seat after Nayeli was finished, “That's... surprising, to say the least. I wouldn't have imagined we meritted that much attention, and especially not the favorable kind." She felt... a little cold, honestly. It felt like she'd dodged a bullet she hadn't even known was aimed at her... or rather, that Nayeli had intercepted it for her. Sarahi wasn't sure how to cope with that just yet. She gave an uncertain look to Oro, who aside from the one outburst had been very, very quiet since Nayeli began talking. “Honey-bunny... what are you thinking so hard about?"

The Rabbit scoffed, but stayed quiet for the next few minutes, as Nayeli was pulling the van into a parking spot. “If I have a bone to pick with anyone besides my parents for the life I had before meeting you," he grunted, nodding toward the little temple in front of them, “It's probably this guy."

That gave Nayeli pause, even as he opened the door to climb out. In one sense... she could easily see how he might think that. In another, he might just as easily think meeting her, and being fostered into her family, was also the Bright Lion's doing, to get him out of that life. Rather than point that out, though, she trusted that noncommital tone, and the caveat he'd chosen to use. He'd come with them this morning, after all. Oro wasn't commited to that stance, but leaned toward it naturally. At least he recognized that the years he had spent angry, bitter, and suspicious of everyone in the world had left him prone to bad impressions.

But as they approached the door, he became increasingly uncomfortable. At the top of the steps leading up to the entrance, he stopped entirely. “Am I fucking surprised? No, I am fucking not," he hissed, turning his back on the door, “You two go on. I'll wait out here."

“Why?" Sarahi asked, catching his hand before he could get out of reach, “What's wrong?"

Oro scowled at her, lifting the hand she was holding to touch one knuckle to her cheek... where she could feel the heat radiating from it, and hear the faint sizzle. “Demon-skin, remember? The air here fucking burns. I am not welcome."

The Sha'khari blinked at that... and looked to Nayeli. The Lioness looked just as uncertain as she did, glancing first at the doors of the temple, and then back at her husband. Finally, with a pitying look, she descended the couple of steps between them and kissed his cheek. “I'm sorry. I won't loiter," she promised.

“I'll wait with you," Sarahi assured him, turning back down the stairs, but Oro pushed her off.

“I'm not some little kid or a new puppy. I won't get depressed from being alone for an hour. Go. They're already starting," he noted, ears twitching as he picked up the sound of hymns drifting out through the doors. Still giving him uncertain and apologetic looks, Sarahi followed Nayeli into the building. Oro's ears burned (literally) as they opened the door, and the volume of the hymn ratcheted up for a moment, then subsided again. Shaking the sting out of them, the Rabbit descended the stairs again, taking a seat at the bottom, where the heat was tolerable, and kicked back to soak up some sunshine and what scraps of song and sermon could reach his ears through the thick walls...

It was more like an hour and a half before the doors swung wide open again, allowing the crowd inside to disperse. It wasn't a large temple, so it didn't take very long for it to empty, but Sarahi was one of the last to emerge, with Nayeli nowhere in sight. “Hey," the Sha'khari greeted him as she reached the bottom of the steps, pausing with her front paws by his shoulder, “We're finally done. You okay? That doesn't really look comfortable."

“Fine," Oro assured her, crossing his legs and continuing to recline against the concrete stairs as if he was reluctant to get up from his nap, “Enjoy the show? Was front-row the only seat left?"

“... No," she cringed just a little, finishing decending the steps and swinging around to sit in front of his feet, clearing the rest of the stairs for the handful of people trickling out behind her. Sarahi gave a couple of them a polite wave as they passed, waving and smiling at her. “We got to sit near the back, but... I draw a lot of attention, you'll remember. So as soon as the congregation dismissed, we were kind of ambushed."

Oro opened one eye then, giving her a hard look. “You told them where to shove it, right?"

She swatted his leg. “Nobody was rude," she frowned at him, “We're not in high-school anymore. People are just curious." Sarahi sighed at that, glancing over her shoulder at her lower half. “It kind of reminded me of some of Nayeli's friends, when they wanted to stay on her good side, or at least not be horrible people. They either try too hard to pretend this isn't here, or too hard to be polite when they can't restrain their curiosity."

The Rabbit looked her up and down once, then closed his eyes again. “Still not sure if you'd rather get more questions or none at all, huh?"

Sarahi rocked her head thoughtfully. “I guess. I know it's too much to expect this to be taken as 'normal'," she patted her lower back, “And of course, the people who legit see me as just another person, like any other, wouldn't be the sort approaching me. It just feels weird to be a walking PSA for a condition none of them is ever likely to meet again. Reminds me why I don't really come into town anymore, except to go to the dojo."

Oro just snorted at that, and let it go. “Where's Nayeli, then? I'm surprised she let you get separated under that sort of attention."

“Well, she was getting plenty of her own attention," the Sha'khari chuckled, “Again, nobody was being rude. Not deliberately, anyway. All the 'regulars', I assume, were just trying really hard to be friendly to the new faces, so she was shaking lots of hands and answering questions of her own. But she was trying to get a word with the hierophant, so we parted ways in the aisle. She'll be out in a minute, I'm sure."

“Sure," Oro grunted, finally sitting up and stretching his back and shoulders, “So, what was the sermon about?"

“Uh... the proper use of money?" Sarahi admitted sheepishly, “Don't ask for the details. I kind of zoned out after the verses were read and he went into the actual sermon. It gets kind of repetative after a few years."

“You and damn near one hundred percent of the rest of the congregation, I'd bet," the Rabbit sighed. The crowd had fully dispersed by now. The parking lot was practically empty, aside from their van and what the pair assumed to be the staff's cars. They waited patiently, quietly... and a little uncomfortably, to tell the truth. Neither imagined themselves to be in good standing with the temple's doctrines, and while that didn't bother them much in their daily lives, sitting on the steps of the place felt a little like waiting outside a courtroom. “Fucking long word," Oro growled when Nayeli finally emerged nearly forty-five minutes later, “I was starting to wonder if you were signing up for the clergy."

“Sorry," the Lioness smiled apologetically as she descended the steps, clutching a small book in her hands, “I was kind of asking a lot, so it felt rude to seem like I was in a hurry. Thank you for waiting." She gifted them both with a kiss, then together they headed for the van.

“That a copy of the scriptures?" Oro arched a brow at her new book, “Is this about to be part of our weekly routine?"

Nayeli stopped in her tracks. Taking a deep breath, she turned back toward him, and nodded. “Yes, it is," she answered both questions at once, “I won't ask either of you to come with me. Especially since it hurts you just to be near the building," she winced on Oro's behalf, “But... I was told to use this gift wisely, and generously," she noted, running her fingers around the edges of the book in her hands, “In order to do that... I think I'm going to need this, if I'm going to have any idea what either of those look like to The Lion."

Oro gave a hard, dubious look at that little book, and tapped it with a knuckle... but nodded. “I'm not gonna look down my nose at anything that interests you," he muttered, “Just remember: if you thump me with that thing, it's going to burn." With a grateful smile, Nayeli nodded again, and kissed his cheek. She also made a mental note to herself to get a zippable cover for her new treasure, to help prevent any accidental blisters.

Back at the house, the trio joined the rest of their family for a late breakfast as Nayeli explained where they had been, and why. Meanwhile, the newest addition to their family was intensely interested in the stove and microwave as the meal was prepared. “Is every house equipped with these?" the little Dog asked excitedly, “Only royalty could demand such magic back home... and their wizards would moan at how much mana was wasted on mere convenience," she added with a giggle.

“Yeah, they're pretty standard-issue around here," Diya chuckled, “Just like cell-phones, showers, cars... I warned you there's a lot you haven't seen yet."

“I am looking forward to it all!" Kitt declared, tail wagging excitedly as she savored the last bites of a waffle covered in syrup. “Oh gods above and below, did food always taste this good?! I might have forgotten... "

“Hey," Oro grunted, drawing her attention, “I have something for you." Pushing back his empty plate, the Rabbit stepped into Sarahi's former room (increasingly used for storage until last night), and fetched the little felt-lined box from their last run through The Gauntlet. “It's not much of a gift, but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be for those wands of yours."

“Oo! It's perfect!" the little Dog beamed, opening the box and inspecting the slots inside. With a smile, she pulled the little bag containing her picks from... well, the empty air behind her back, Oro was pretty sure now. Shaking them out, she lovingly placed each one into its space in the box, smiling as the count and cut of each proved to be an exact match for her set, then closed the box and slid the whole thing back into the pouch and drew it shut. The bag should barely have been able to close around its contents, if it could close at all, but seemed practically empty as she tucked it behind herself again.

“Thought so," Oro grunted.

“Thought what?" Sarahi asked beside him, head tilted curiously as she also seemed to be thinking there was something strange about that bag Kitt had produced.

It wasn't the bag her husband was remarking on, though. “Fucking Gauntlet set us up," the Rabbit growled, gesturing vaguely at Kitt, “You've had those things since before you ended up in The Labyrinth, right? I don't know if The Gauntlet was just making sure we came back for our punishment or if it intended to chuck us into the other place from the start, but it was clearly setting us up to meet you, one way or another."

“Hehe, I owe it a 'thank you' either way, then," Kitt winked.

“And I don't want to think about that place ever again, either way," Sarahi concluded, stretching her arms above her head and gathering up the empty plates from the table, “I'm just glad to be out. And we are totally taking the day off," she declared, padding into the kitchen with Kylan to do the dishes.

Oro nodded, pushing back from the table, but started heading for the front door once he was up. “Yep. We've definitely earned one. But I've got one thing left to do before I settle in to relax, so I'll be back in a little while."

“Like what?" Nayeli asked with a concerned look.

“I warned that fucking witch," Oro growled in answer, “Her stones are coming down today. Fuck if I'm going to let her think I was bluffing."

The Lioness and the Sha'khari exchanged looks at that answer. “Kylan... can I leave this with you?" Sarahi asked softly, wiping her hands and likewise heading for the door.

“I'd better come, too," Kitt mused, skipping into the hall to retrieve her cloak.

“The fuck for?" Oro arched a brow at both of them... and Nayeli, who trailed along quietly behind Kitt with a determined look on her face, “Not all of you together could pull one of those things over. I'm going to eat through them. You don't need to—"

“Oro," Sarahi interrupted gently, “Regardless of what you said, you threw her out of our house. She doesn't have anywhere else to go. You know she's going to be there, and I half think you're looking for that fight. And for once I am all in with you," she admitted with a dour look, retrieving her spear from behind the door.

Kitt chuckled, nodding. “You definitely made an enemy yesterday, Broro," she grinned, having turned her near-slips into their own word now, “Maybe not a particularly threatening one, but she'll be a handful in her own house."

“I guess we're all going on one more family adventure," Tuli added as she and the Runepaws joined them. Diya already had her mask on and Sonny was waiting outside the door.

“We can pull rocks down, Dad!" the Nicks declared proudly, erupting from Tuli's shoulders as Nigel peeked out from her back, “No problem!"

Oro looked around at them like they'd all lost their minds... then chuckled. “Fine," he grunted at last, shoving the door open almost right into Sonny's nose, “We'll give her a big send-off together, then. This bitch is fucked," he smirked as he stepped out into the sunlight.

She was sitting on top of her hut, flipping lazily through the pages of her Akashic Connection and looking thoroughly bored and perhaps just a bit depressed, when the group arrived at the circle of standing stones. Organa glanced up at them briefly, then flipped another page. “What do you want?" she huffed, “I thought we were done with each other."

“Almost," Oro growled right back, laying one hand on the nearest of the stones. Large, thick teeth sprouted from his hand, clamping onto the edges of the rock, and bit a fist-sized chunk out of it. “I told you I was—!"

A shock like a red lightning bolt knocked him down, driving him out of the ring and into Nayeli's arms. Organa was standing now, glaring down from atop her hut, and cutting quite the ominous figure despite her diminutive stature. “Not twice," she hissed, baring all her teeth at them, “I will not be killed in my own house twice!" A cloud of vibrant purple fog swirled into existence within the ring, stretching all the way to the outer edges of the standing stones and almost concealing her and her hut from view. Oro got his feet back under him, sneering at the obviously magical mist, and called his bat to his hand for the first time since Gorgorond had fully claimed his body.

But Kitt stepped in front of him, patting his chest with a confident smile, and stepped up to the edge of the mist ahead of him. Taking a light whiff through her keen nose, she trailed her fingers through the cold vapors and deposited a few wisps on her tongue. Kitt shivered, hugging herself briefly, then exhaled with a gasp. “Oh, this is gonna be good!" she grinned... then strode boldly into the fog.

“Stupid girl!" Organa hissed, closing and then re-opening her book to a very specific page. Every step the Hound took into her small domain seemed to twist a small knife in her pride, and for a moment it would have been easy to mistake her for a species-swapped Oro.

Kitt savored the expression, sighing with each step like she was having a wonderful night in the bedroom, and reached behind herself to pull out a small pouch. “Am I?" she asked with a grin as she upended the bag, “I know your weakness, succubus' disciple." Out of the fist-sized pouch poured several feet of rope, which Kitt deftly looped over her wrist as it fell. Organa's expression went from furious to shocked. “Oh, looks like I sniffed you out perfectly!" Kitt giggled, tying a quick loop at the end of the rope and tucking the small pouch loosely into the front of her belt, “Manipulation, especially emotional, and especially of men, is your specialty. Combat? Not so much, I'll bet." A flick of her fingers set the loop to spinning at her side, more for display than any kind of preparation, as the Dog showed off her agility. “I'm going to catch you," she warned the Fennec, sounding less smug and more sincere now, “And let brother eat your soul. Your old, mana-rich soul. His strength will grow, and we'll make love aaaall night long! Your teacher will be proud."

“How are you still standing?" the Fennec growled, more impressed by the girls' ease of movement than her threats. With a flinging gesture, she sent a thick wave of the violet fog gusting into Kitt's face.

A shudder ran through Kitt's body, pausing her advance for just a second, but her smile never faded. “Hmhmhm... your allure is strong, but you have no real power over a woman already completely consumed by her own lust," the Dog smiled, running her tongue over her lips. “Oh, this 'Fog of Euphoria' is keen, but I kind of live in the stuff already. Here I come!" she warned playfully as she reached the base of the hut, tossing the end of her lasso up at the witch lazily.

Organa hopped back from the edge, easily dodging the half-hearted attack and making room for Kitt to jump up on a level with her... which had actually been the Dog's intent. Now on even (if narrow) footing, she held herself much more seriously, and kept the lasso in hand and at the ready.

“... Almost," the Fennec sneered, “I was trained by a devil of lust at first." Holding out her book contemptuously toward Kitt, as if daring her to try and snatch it from her small hand, she finished, “Then my Akashic Connection taught me so much more." Snapping the book shut sent a shockwave out from her hand, blowing a surprised Kitt right off the roof into a rough landing on the ground. The Hound squirmed there for a second, fighting the effects of the fog more than any injury, before rolling back to her feet with her smug smile still firmly in place.

Nayeli has invoked the authority which has been given to her. Let the witch's defenses fall, and her weakness be exposed.

With a series of loud cracks, the stones surrounding the area fell over at their bases, and the magical fog appeared to be sucked into the ground in the span of a breath. The Lioness blinked, apparently a little surprised by the scope of her command, and both the females inside the circle shot her disapproving looks.

“Awww, don't destroy the high-ground!" Kitt whined, “I use that stuff, you know!"

Organa didn't waste time on complaints. Hissing a handful of words as quickly as her trained tongue could manage, she shot a jet of flame at the Dog on the ground. Snatching the pouch off her belt, Kitt opened it toward the flames, which erupted in a hiss of steam as they were met by a water-spout. The Fennec's eyes lit up at the sight as her suspicions were confirmed: “You have a key!"

“... Huh?" Kitt tilted her head in genuine confusion for once.

“A key to the Amunetian Gate!" Organa was practically salivating, momentarily forgetting they were engaged in deadly combat, apparently.

Understanding lit up in Kitt's eyes, and she flashed another smug grin. “Oh, this?" she presented the pouch tantalizingly, “We call it the Mansion of Ivail'allaruushe... but sure. You waaant it?" she shook the little bag teasingly.

Organa almost fell for it, much to her chagrin. Her attention was narrowly and singularly focused on that little bag, and whatever trick its holder might be preparing to protect it (Organa didn't think for one second that Kitt would just hand it to her), so she didn't notice Oro's advance until he popped up practically at her shoulder, bat already drawn back for the swing.

Fortunately, she'd been preparing for him well before Kitt's little distraction. He was almost halfway through his swing when she snapped her fingers... then immediately reached out to snatch the little leather pouch from Kitt's hand before the Dog could realize she and the Rabbit had swapped places. Organa cackled victoriously as Kitt dropped hard on the ground with the surprise still on her face, and Oro similarly collapsed on the ground some feet away, having not been prepared to meet it yet. Not wanting to give them a chance at a counter-attack, the little Fennec immediately hopped down through a hole in the hut's roof... and vanished to somewhere not inside the charred shell.

“NO!!" Kitt shrieked in genuine frustration for once, grabbing a nearby rock and throwing it spitefully against the blackened wall in front of her, “Damn it!"

“Fucking witch!" Oro growled in agreement, hauling himself up from the ground and applying his bat to the other side of the hut, with rather more effect than the rock had had. The ramains of the structure caved under the first blow, collapsing toward the broken corner and then falling into a charred pile as if it had only been held up by the hopes and dreams of its previous owner for several decades already. With a huff, Oro stomped over to Kitt and offered her a hand to her feet. “You okay?"

“No," she muttered, ignoring his hand for the moment and half-heartedly throwing a second rock at the remains in front of her, “I let your prize get away. I'm sorry, Broro."

The Rabbit arched a dubious brow, reaching down to grab the back of her neck and lift her to her feet whether she wanted it or not. “Apologize for misspeaking my name, not letting a greasy snake slither off."

“We'll find her," Sarahi tried to be encouraging, trotting up to the pair, though she was still scanning the area warily, as if expecting Organa to pop back up the instant they relaxed, “And we'll get your bag back. Don't worry."

“Nah," the little Dog shook her head as she brushed the dirt from her backside and drew another, similar pouch from under her cloak, dropping it in Sarahi's hands without a thought, “It's just a plain old bag. My consolation prize is how furious she's going to be when she realizes she used all that cunning to steal a bit of leather and string."

“Heh, I don't know if you're an actual wizard or just a master of the stage-type, but nice move," Sarahi congratulated, arching a curious brow at the bag in her hand as she turned it upside down and proved it to be as empty as it felt. “So, just to be clear... she didn't get your magic bag, right?"

Kitt giggled, taking the pouch from Sarahi's hand. “That's the trick," she grinned, shaking three gold coins out of it into the Sha'khari's palm before tucking the pouch back under her cloak, “I don't have a magic bag. I just use these for misdirection." Taking a step back, the little Dog flexed her fingers, and three large, luminous circles sprang into existence around her head, pouring water, flowers, and a stream of gold coins into three more circles around her feet. “I am the key. Same genie as the nose," she winked, closing the portals, “They usually give three, you know, and I did a better job wording my second."

“What was your third?" Diya asked as the rest of the family joined them.

Kitt grabbed Oro's arm, pulling it around her shoulder and leaning in against his side, surprising him. “Brother got a fancy cloak first, but I worked hard to steal the genie's bottle, so he let me have the other two. He's so sweet to me!"

Oro rolled his eyes, but patted her head before he pushed her back to arm's length. “Good. She didn't get away with anything important, then," he summed up, looking around at the remains of the circle. Nigel and the Nicks were already reaching out from Tuli, wrapping around each of the formerly standing stones one-by-one and crushing them into much smaller chunks of rubble. “And we've accomplished what I came here to do today. Yeah, she'll probably be back, but we'll eat her lunch when she brings it over. For now... let's call it a day," he suggested, to many nods of agreement all around, and began the hike back down to the lodge and the van.

Organa's escape put a bit of a damper on what would otherwise be considered a victory, but Nayeli grew concerned as they reached the trail, noting the particularly downcast faces of Diya and Kylan. “Hey," she nudged the little female gently, “Something bothering you? You two look worried."

“Eh... kinda," Diya admitted, pushing a reassuring smile onto her face, “Sorry. We didn't mean to put a downer on the victory march. Kylan and I were just talking this morning and... well... " She was still reluctant to bring up whatever it was, suggesting it might lead to a long and serious talk that they weren't quite ready for. But now that it had been mentioned, neither Nayeli nor Sarahi would be comfortable letting it go without at least some idea of the subject matter. Diya understood that without either of them having to say it aloud, so continued with a sigh, “We don't want to leave. You don't dislike us, we know, but you probably want something closer to a normal marriage now that you can have it. So... we understand, but we're kind of sad."

“Shut the fuck up," Oro grunted. Pointing a finger at Nayeli rather than Diya, he went on, “You know what's great about you? You're a better person than I am. So much so that I can say what I'm about to say without the least fear that I'll regret it one day." Looking down at the little Feline walking between them now, the Rabbit continued, “From today forward, Nayeli has veto power over anything I say. So, for better or worse, take whatever comes out of my mouth with a grain of salt until she seconds it. That said: I'm not kicking anybody out. If you want to stay, stay. You're welcome. The only thing that changed today is you don't have to. You're not trapped anymore." Rocking his head thoughtfully, he also added, “And yeah, nothing personal, but there'll be a lot less sex, at least for my part. I'm married now, to the only girls I ever wanted. I've got no reason to roam."

Nayeli's heart swelled, and she reached behind Diya to take Oro's hand in hers happily. “I'm on board with most of that. You should definitely stay with us. Wouldn't you agree, Sarahi?"

“I will be sad if you leave!" She reached down to snatch up Kylan (the closer to her and with no arms in the way) in a tight hug, rubbing her cheek against his. “I don't care how it got started. We're all family now. I want to keep living together for as long as you're happy to."

Kylan returned the affectionate gesture with a chuckle, and moved aside as she put him down so she could lift Diya right over Nayeli and Oro's joined hands for a similar crush. “So... which part are you not on board with?" he asked of Nayeli, for clarity.

Her cheeks turned red, and she patted Oro's hand comfortingly. “I don't want to cut off any part of the relationships we've built. We've become close because of it. So... I think we should keep up the sex, too. Even you," she looked pointedly at Oro. Then, with a brief look of embarrassment, she looked over her shoulder at her mother. “And us. Everyone. It can be on our own terms now, at our own discretion. I think that will make it more meaningful."

Oro rolled his eyes, inclining one ear in her direction. “Well, my wife has spoken. Good enough for you two?"

Diya was clinging to Sarahi like a tired child, crying into her shoulder, and could only answer with a nod. Kylan reached up to pat her back comfortingly. “Yeah," he answered softly on both of their behalf, “Thank you. Heh... does that go for the new girl, too?"

Kitt tilted her head with a curious look, as if only just realizing her acceptance might be in question. But Oro headed off any concerns with a dismissive wave of his free hand. “Yeah, even Kitt. Newest member or oldest, we're all family. No exceptions." The Hound squealed happily, throwing herself onto his shoulders for a hug and nearly toppling him into the dirt. Oro reached back to clamp a hand on her neck and pull her over his head like an uncomfortable shirt. He dropped her on the ground with much the same impression. “Some of you will definitely get fucked more roughly than others, though," he growled.

Seeming to take that as a promise rather than a threat, Kitt smiled brightly and skipped happily the rest of the way down the mountain, physically embodying the mood they all shared by that point, regardless of what individual faces expressed. They spent the remainder of the day, as a family, solidifying it.