Chapter VIII: Phoenix

As winter waned, spring seemed to appear faster than it ever had before. In those days, weeks and months Luna and I had spent with each other, a rhythm developed.

Our days, if we were not worn out from the night before, usually started as Luna woke me by giving me a good morning kiss before she would head out for her breakfast while I stayed in the den, cleaning up and eating my fill. After that, we would head out into the forest, sometimes searching for more food for me, or other times going to nearby farms to trade. Most weeks, we made time to see Emi, Geoff, and Hilda before heading back home with our spoils. Once we were home, I usually napped, but if not, I spent my time fashioning clothes for us both from materials and spare clothes from the farmers. With the leather we had gotten from Geoff, I made a leather harness for Luna when she was in wolf form, with pouches that sat on either side of her body. She was not the biggest fan, but it meant we could carry clothes more easily in animal form, and if one pouch was free, I could hop inside for even safer travel. In the evening, I would eat my dinner while I waited for Luna to return from hunting. Then we would go to the hot spring to clean ourselves off, although depending on our proclivities on a given day, our bathing sessions could extend for a while before we would return to the den for bed, but not always sleep.

Our nights? Those could last into the early morning. Luna was measured, but she could become quite aggressive. She would bite, bruise, leave marks and hickies all over my body; however, I was also not innocent in this regard. If Luna went too far, I would make sure she understood, but she was often far too scared of that to let me be the one to bring it up. The moment Luna thought she had gone too far, she would stop and, with genuine panic, she would ask. “Are you okay? I didn’t go too far, did I?” In response, I would wrap my arms around her and pull her head in close. “Of course not.” I would whisper to her as I let my fingers wander towards her wet lips below.

Part of me thought I was dreaming, that I would wake up back in the village at any moment. I never wanted this to end. And yet, the fear that the dream would come to an end never stopped plaguing me. And the knowledge that I still had a secret I was keeping from Luna gnawed at me every day.

“What are you looking at?” Luna questioned one night as I sat leaning against the edge of the den’s exit.

“I can see it from here, those lights in the distance,” I said as I looked out over the forest.

“What is it?” Luna asked.

“My village.”

The air stood still for a moment, both of us pondering different thoughts, one of fear and wonder, the other…

“Do you want to go back?” Luna asked.

“I love it here; it’s safe, peaceful. Honestly, I had no idea just living could be this fun. And I get to do it all with you. The woman I love… But…” I replied, still looking out at the village.

“But?” Luna’s voice dried up even with only one word.

“They think I’m dead. That thought just keeps eating at me. I’m sorry, I should have told you this much sooner, but back when you were recovering in the farmhouse, I spoke to Emi and her parents about wanting to do this.” I explained, as the pain of having lied and knowing the pain of being lied to stabbed me altogether. “I’m sorry I kept this a secret; I just couldn’t find the right words or the right timing. I knew this would h-hurt you; I know there’s barely a person you trust, but p-please, just this o-once…” I ended, unable to finish my final thoughts.

“Is this what you were speaking to Emi and Geoff about the other day? The thing you didn’t want me to hear?” Luna responded flatly; she was desperate to hide her pain, but it permeated her very essence, always under the surface, only just under control.

Looking at her with soft eyes, her defiant desperation tried to join with her pain. “Please, I know I should have told you sooner. I… I just couldn’t bear the thought of hurting you. Even if I knew stalling would make it all the worse.”

Ignoring my plea, Luna’s emotions finally exploded. “Nothing good will come from going back to them. They’ll just control you again.” The more words Luna uttered, the more desperate she became. “T-they’ll take you a-away from m-me… Y-you’re m-mine! Please stay with me.” She blubbered at last, holding my arms as hers shook with fear. For a selfish moment, I was thankful she was not angry about my lies and my stalling, but that was quickly overshadowed by a question that had loomed over Luna far longer than any of my deceptions. A fear I still did not understand the root of, but still knew I needed to comfort all the same, and share and confront her when the time came.

Closing my eyes, I had exposed a deep wound, but at the same time, I could tell that Luna realised what she had done.

“I-I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to. The… I-it’s just the thought of you disappearing, of becoming alone again… I-I’m sorry.” Getting to her feet, Luna tried to make a sharp getaway. But holding her cold, shivering hand, I yanked on her, bringing her back down to the ground with a soft thud, and before she could protest or try to escape again, I wrapped my arms around her.

“Please don’t become like them…” I pleaded. “I love that I am yours, as I am sure that you love that you are mine. But please don’t try to control me, as they did.”

“I-I… d-don’t want to lose you too!” Luna screamed, her head buried in my chest. “I’m just s-so scared.”

“I am t-too,” I reassured, trying to hold back my own tears now. “But you don’t need to worry about any of that; I’m never going to leave you. When we go, you’re coming with me.” I proclaimed. Luna’s head popped out to look up at me, her ears flat against her head, eyes wet and pleading, but her tail did begin to swish from side to side with a slow rhythm. “All I want to do is make things right.”

“When do you want to go?” Luna asked at last, still looking up at me, defiant of her own fear.

“Three sleeps from now,” I replied, facing out to the forest again. “Emi and Geoff are going for trading, and Emi is going to meet us there”

“Of course,” Luna responded, sitting up beside me and resting her head on my shoulder. “That was what you were planning with them the other day, right?”

“Correct,” I said, again in a sorrowful tone, for my lies.

We sat together watching the night for a short while longer, before Luna yawned involuntarily.

“Shall we go to bed?” I spoke before kissing Luna’s forehead.

She nodded before letting go of my hand and walking over to the fire in the middle of the den and transforming into her wolf form.

Staying for a moment longer, I gazed at my village in the distance and wondered what state we might find it in before getting up. Turning around, I found Luna curled up tight by the fire in our woollen burrow, with her back to me.

I’m sorry. I know I’m asking a lot. Please be patient with me for a little while longer. Apologising as I made my way to bed, transforming into my rabbit form, I hopped my way over to Luna. Wedging in next to her stomach and flopping into her fur, Luna’s whole body shook and hesitated before tightening up around me, encapsulating me in her warmth.

The morning of my return landed faster than I had anticipated. That morning we barely spoke. I packed the pouches of Luna’s harness with clothes, while Luna cleared up the den and put out the fire. The sun had only just risen as we were leaving. First, Luna transformed, and I attached the harness around her.

I pulled on the straps, my heart falling. I knew I needed to do this, but I also knew how much it must be hurting Luna. Looking at her forlorn expression, her ears down as she looked toward my village, I moved in closer, giving her a light stroke as I wrapped my arms around her neck and head.

Moving her head, Luna rubbed her cheek against my arm.

“I love you so much,” I whispered.

Giving her head a last ruffle, I walked around to the other side of her, transformed into a rabbit, and then hopped into the open pouch.

As we walked through the forest, it seemed magical, as if it were under some kind of spell, as we meandered along.

Flowers were blooming all over in every colour imaginable—some alone at the foot of great oaks and birch trees, others in their own quiet meadows. The sun's light playing over everything gave the whole forest a warm, yellowish-green haze that mesmerised the eyes.

For such a beautiful morning, it was very quiet, not least thanks to Luna’s and my collective brooding. But off in the distance, the sounds of squirrels, hedgehogs, badgers and even other rabbits reminded me that this forest was as alive as anywhere else, any human village, town, city even.

After about an hour, Luna stopped all of a sudden. Poking my head out, I saw we were before a great oak tree.

“Is this where we met?” I squeaked, knowing Luna couldn’t understand me.

Luna did nothing in response; she only paused, then lay down on the floor, signalling me to hop out of my pouch. I jumped out and hopped around to check on her. As I made it to her face, tears were forming in her eyes. She took one look at me and transformed.

Towering at standing height, the harness slipped from her body, landing in a heap on the forest floor. Pawing my way back slowly, I hunkered down as Luna’s eyes followed me with saddening anger.

“I never told you who actually gave me these scars, did I?” She spoke at last, her tone spiteful and sorrowful all at once, as she pointed to some of the lashings, burns and cut marks across her stomach, back, neck, arms and legs.

Stepping back even further, I squeaked and shook my head, averting my gaze as my heart bounced in my chest.

“It was my village. Everyone. As I changed more and more. Even my parents. My own Mother, my own Father. They hit me, they attacked me, they restrained me. To them, I became nothing more than a wild animal. Eventually, they dragged me out to the woods and tied me to a tree. Left me there. To rot and to die. There were no tears—only relief. To them, I was no longer their Daughter, no longer human even; I was an animal. I lost everything.”

As she finished, Luna wiped her eyes before crouching down and picking up the clothes from the pouch. Clutching one dress in her hand, she threw the other to me.

“I’m not going to stop you from doing anything, no matter how stupid I may think it to be. But don’t hold it against me if they force my hand.” Luna added, with clear, confident intention.

Transforming, leaving my bunny ears and tail for the world to see, I stepped over the clothes and approached Luna. Her back was to me, and as she hunched to get the dress on, I made my move, wrapping my arms around her shoulders, sniffling as I pressed my face into her back.

“Please stop this; I can’t do this. Not at the moment." Luna pleaded.

“No. You are my warmth. You are my other half. I understand now why you’re scared, what you’ve been holding onto all this time. But I must do this. I’m sorry; please just bear with me for a day. I know it's selfish, and I understand now what I am asking must hurt more than any of these scars ever did. But I promise you, the moment this is over…” I trailed off, fighting back my own tears. “We will be together.”

Letting go of Luna, we both put on our dresses, and I put on Emi’s old boots, as Luna wore some straw sandals I had fashioned for her.

As the edge of the forest neared, the sounds of the village grew louder and louder, and as we stepped out of the trees, we both transformed into full human form. Reaching out, I grabbed Luna’s hand, partly to stop my own from shaking, but as she gripped mine back, it was clear how much we both needed each other.

As we stepped through the village, it took a few moments for people to acknowledge us, and a few more to notice my long black hair waving in the wind and the woman beside me.

They stopped and stared, as they had always done. But no one said a word. Looking around, I saw confusion and bewilderment written on many faces as we passed them by. It was clear to me that to them I was a ghost.

“Where’s your house?” Luna whispered to me, clearly not enjoying the watchful gazes.

Just as I was about to respond, the sound of a dog barking echoed through the house behind us, until Hugo crashed out of the front door, mouth frothing and teeth bared as he ran for me; Joe lagged not too far behind, calling his name.

However, as Hugo reached me at the mere sight of Luna, he cowered, his tail disappeared between his legs, and his ears drooped lower than I had ever seen Luna’s.

“HUGO! Come here, what has gotten into you? I’m very sorry, girls. He can get a bit…” Joe trailed off as he got a good look at me hiding behind Luna. “PHOENIX!?” He shouted.

Hearing that name, I gripped Luna’s hand ever tighter. Gripping back, Luna ground her teeth.

“We thought you were dead!” Joe explained, almost sounding relieved. A scowl appeared on my lips. “I’ll go tell your Mother; your Father is just inside.” He said, pointing to the house opposite his, as if I did not know where my own family lived.

However, as I gazed upon what had been my home, a weird sensation gripped me.

It’s just a building? It was once the safest, warmest place in the whole world. Now all I saw was wood, stone, mud and thatch.

“You will do no such thing, Joe!” A sudden, light, airy, yet commanding voice called from our side. Emi walked down the muddy street to mine and Luna’s side, staring at Joe as if we were under her protection.

“What are you doing here?” Joe asked, irritated by the intrusion.

“Raven asked me to come, if you must know, just for this very reason. She will be talking to her parents with Luna and without interference.” Emi explained, her voice clear and stern.

Looking from Emi to me, Joe sighed, backing down before returning to his door to let the terrified Hugo back into the house.

“What, I can be scary too,” Emi said as she caught our confused expressions, and giving me a sly wink and earning herself a jealous growl from Luna. “Haha, sorry, Luna.” She laughed before returning to the task at hand. “Right, your Dad, I believe, is in your house. And your Mum… Well, I’ll take you to see her once you’ve spoken to your Dad.” Emi explained, her voice tensing.

“Thank you,” I said as I dragged Luna towards the front door of the house, which used to be my home.

“I’ll wait for you out here,” Emi said after us.

Walking inside, I found the house warm, with a fire going in the centre.

“It looks exactly as it did when I left,” I said, gaping.

Nothing had changed. It was all as I remembered. Letting go of Luna’s hand, I walked over to the beds at the back of the main room. I found myself standing at the foot of what used to be my bed.

“Was this yours?” Luna asked.

I failed to respond; my eyes were fixed on the pillow at the head.

“Raven, are you okay?” Luna asked, having glanced at my face to find a few tears rolling down my cheek.

“I’ve missed her so much,” I said, my voice not faltering, but the tears flowing ever still, as my eyes looked upon a small wolf soft toy lying on my bed’s pillow. “I used to be fascinated by wolves, hearing them howl every night; they were scary, but to me they were just animals trying to live.” As I spoke, I walked alongside the bed and picked up the soft toy, presenting her to Luna. “Her name’s Moon. She’s the reason I trusted you all those moons ago.”

Looking from me to Moon and back to me again, Luna began to cry again before she stepped forward and embraced me, squishing Moon between us.

“Fern? Is that yo…!?” My Father’s voice called as he walked out from the separate storeroom behind us. “Who are you!?” He demanded.

Looking at me for a moment as if to check if I was alright, Luna held my hand and, with deliberate caution, stepped to one side, holding Moon and presenting me to my Father.

As the cogs turned in my Father’s head, we stood silent and still.

“Phoenix?” He said at last, the word barely falling from his mouth.

Looking down at my feet, I once again found that the utterance of that name pained me more than I had anticipated, but I had to move forward. “My name is Raven,” I started, my voice gentle, intent on keeping a peace. “I came back to pick up Moon and to let you and Mother know that I am safe and happy.”

Looking from me to Luna, my Father did not know how to respond at first, stepping forward with hesitation as he began to stammer. “W-why don’t you stay for tea? It’s been a long time, and we can all talk together. As a family.” His eyes then fixed on Luna. “And you can introduce me and your Mother to…”

“This is Luna; she’s the one who found me in the forest, and we have been living together ever since,” I explained. Luna’s concerned gaze was upon me, but I stood firm.

“I see… Luna…?” He pondered, his mind clicking everything into place, before stepping back defensively and prepping. “Wait! You're the wolf!” He shouted, pointing a finger at Luna. “Phoenix! Get away from her!”

Luna, readying herself, dropped Moon to the floor and outstretched her arm in front of me. Again, though I stayed silent, breathing in and out, I gently pushed Luna’s arm down and picked up Moon from the floor, holding her tight to my chest. “Luna saved me. And I love her. Coming here, I wasn’t sure how things would go; part of me hoped everything could be fixed and we could be happy again, but deep down I knew the rift between us had grown far wider than any of us could traverse. So, I settled for showing you and Mother that I am happy and that you don’t need to protect me anymore. I wanted you to know that all this time you thought I was dead, that I was in fact still out there and more alive than ever. I will always love you both. But I am Raven, not Phoenix.”

The room settled, and silence fell.

“We did everything to keep you safe, not just from yourself, but from the village, from the world. We did it all for you. We’re your parents; all we ever think of is your safety; it is our job to worry. We will do whatever we think is best for you.” As he spoke, his tone grew into one I had known, one I had come to fear. A tone that was bereft of empathy and concern, and instead shone with authority and patronisation.

My mind clouded with a desiring fear, to return to their cold, controlling, familiar safety. But as it started to take hold, a voice as warm as the sun arrived to clear my greying mind.

“It’s okay. I’m right here,” Luna’s docile confidence rang out in my ears as she placed both hands on my shoulders, giving me a quiet push.

Breathing in deeply and letting out a long sigh, I opened my mouth to say something I wish I had tried to say years ago. “I know, Father. I understand. But at some point that protection became overbearing, that worry became suffocating. Your love became a basis for control. I know all your feelings are genuine and born out of fear of who I became. I love you, and all that I ask is that you see me for me.”

“How was he?” Emi asked as we emerged from the house.

“He’s still processing everything,” I replied, a tone of hopeful resignation in my voice as I held Luna’s hand and hugged Moon to hide my trembling hands.

Walking on, Emi guided us through the village. The stares died down the deeper we got, but my anxiety only grew as I realised where Emi was taking us.

Reaching a small gate, we entered a large green area, fenced off from the rest of the village. At the end of the path stood a giant stone church, and many gravestones surrounded us. Looking across the gravestones, under a tree, I found her, my Mother. Her back was turned, her ginger hair blowing in the wind; she was crouched in front of a gravestone. My gravestone. Emi had told us it existed, but seeing it even from this far away made my stomach recede, and my chest tighten.

Walking ahead, Emi’s hand slipped from mine. Moving forward with Luna, I knelt a couple of times, picking up some daisies as I did.

As we got only a few steps from my Mother, Luna suddenly let go of my hand, and I passed Moon to her. She held her in both arms, sniffing her and hugging her to calm her own nerves.

Stepping behind my Mother, I read the inscription that adorned the gravestone.

Here lies Phoenix,

Loved Daughter of Fern and Richard.

“It’s a beautiful spot,” I said at long last, crouching beside her and placing my daisies next to her full bouquet of in-bloom spring flowers. Looking over, I found her staring at me, her face still in shock as tears started to roll down her face.

“Phoenix?” She questioned.

“Raven.” I corrected.

Pausing, my Mother stared at me. In turn, my own body tensed; within all her sadness, for me, only pain and misguided gestures of love were to follow.

“My baby.” She cried. “Phoenix, you came home!” With an outstretched, trembling hand, she reached up to hold my face. Grabbing her hand, I held it tight and smiled. I brought her hand down to rest between our thighs as we knelt in front of the proof of my death.

“I’m Raven; she’s Phoenix,” I said, gesturing towards the grave. “But I am still your Daughter, and I will never stop being your Daughter.” I continued as we stared into each other’s eyes—my Mother’s, a beautiful hazel; mine, blacker than a starless night. “I came here to tell you I’m safe. And I’m happy. And that…” I stopped, looking away.

My Mother, confused, said nothing; she only stared at me.

“I was told you buried me only the day after I disappeared?” I said, leading my Mother on.

“Yes. As soon as your Father saw you in the jaws of that wolf, we knew nothing could be done.” She said directly, still crying, still trying to reach for me.

“You didn’t think to keep searching just in case? Or maybe exact your revenge on said wolf?” I asked, years of hurt rising to the surface.

“We just wanted to mourn in peace,” She claimed. “I couldn’t bear letting this hurt go on any longer. Your curse had destroyed us; it almost destroyed the village. Any day you could have gotten into trouble with a patrol; we just didn’t know how to handle you.”

“And so with my ‘death’ the problem solved itself?” I finally asked the question I had been driving at; the question that had been on my mind from the day Emi told us what had happened.

“Phoenix, what are you trying to say? I love you; I always did what was best for you, and I always will. You being here now means we can go back to being the happy family we were. I get my daughter back; you get your home back. No more living like a wild animal.”

“This is what I mean. I was never a wild animal; I was never a problem. You buried me to keep the memory of me as the little girl who never saw anything else but you.” I finished, sighing with relief that I had finally told them both all that I had been feeling. But just as I was satisfied, I looked up to find my Mother, wrestling with herself in a manner I had never seen before.

“I had three stillbirths before I had you. As soon as you came to be, I knew I had to hold you tighter than anything I had before. I love you more than anything in the world.” As she wept with hurt, I felt a painful distrust flare. Is she using the deaths of three children to garner sympathy? A final effort to coerce me back under her wing?

Shaking my head at the thought, now was not the time for accusations; I came here to display my happiness, not return to my distrust and fear. “I know you love me; I always have. And I will always love you. I said this to Father as well, but all I ask is that you see me as me. Not the person you wish me to be,” I said softly.

In the quiet, the distinct sound of an approaching wolf caught my attention. “I told you not to do this.”

Letting go of my hands, my Mother began to recoil in fear as a wolf’s head appeared over my shoulder.

Reaching up with one hand, I started to stroke Luna’s neck fur, bringing her head in closer to mine, before giving her mouth a light slap with my other hand, as she dropped Moon, who had been held in her jaws, onto my thighs.

Letting out a long sigh, I stared back at my Mother. “It’s okay; she’s harmless. She’s the same as me. Luna, this is my Mother, Fern. Fern, this is Luna.” Still wary, my Mother moved back towards us. “What I want to tell you is that, all this time, while I was living happily with Luna, I couldn’t shake this horrible feeling every time I thought of you. Despite our differences and how we left each other, I knew I couldn’t just leave things as they were. So, I just wanted to let you know I’m okay and that I’ve found where I belong.”

Pausing to catch myself, I was not sure how to word my next thoughts, but looking at the gravestone again for only a second gave me the strength to continue. “Phoenix is gone. She was a happy and loved child. Her memories, I shall carry with me for her and cherish forever as if they are my own, because that is exactly what they are. Phoenix never died; I am her, and she is me.” As I spoke, I allowed my body to change; long rabbit ears appeared on my head while my short, round rabbit tail grew behind me. “I know you’re scared of me; I know you just wish I would stay as your loving Daughter. But as does everyone else, I changed. I still love you; I always will, but I know now this isn’t my home; this isn’t where I am meant to be.” Finishing with tears in my eyes, I grabbed my Mother as hard as I could, hugging her with a child’s love. Behind me, Luna changed back to her human form, but with her wolf tail swishing back and forth behind her.

Hugging me back, I could tell my Mother still could not accept me, at least not yet. “You were such a beautiful child, always running to me for help; you were so well behaved and loving. To us, you’ll always be that child. But no matter how you change, we’ll never not love you.”

“I know,” I said through years of held-back tears.

“Are you going to come back through the village with us?” I asked as I stood, taking Luna’s hand once again, our fingers interlocking.

Looking back towards my grave, my Mother’s tears continued to flow. “No, I think I’ll stay a while longer.”

“Okay, we’ll be going then, but we’ll be back now and then, so don’t worry,” I remarked, turning to leave.

“Ah, ah. One second. You. Luna, stay a moment.” My Mother suddenly called.

Looking at me with fear and confusion in her eyes, I waved her on with as much confusion.

Walking over to my Mother, Luna crouched down and leaned one of her furry ears toward my Mother’s mouth. Walking away, I held my ears to try to tune them out, but I could still hear my Mother’s warm tones ringing across the graveyard.

“I don’t think I will ever trust you. But please look after her.” She stated.

“I will,” Luna responded, her tone flat and honest.

Walking back through the village, we both stayed in our semi-animal forms, as Emi escorted us. The stares we got were much more explicit, but we kept our heads high.

Emi stopped where the village roads ended, allowing us to walk on for a moment. “Will you come back again?”

Turning around, Luna and I shared a glance.

“We will come back to the village from time to time to check on Mother and Father,” I said. “And thanks for everything today,” I added.

Emi nodded, smiling.

Looking at Luna once again, we both turned to walk away. But after another couple of steps, I stopped again. Passing Moon to Luna, I spun and ran back to Emi, embracing her.

“I love you.”

Hesitant and surprised, Emi hugged back. We stayed like that for a good minute before Emi whispered in my ear with a sarcastic grin. “I think you might need to go before your girlfriend gets too jealous. She’s staring daggers at me.”

“Pfft. Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to treat her when we get home.”

“Please do. I certainly don’t want her as an enemy.”

Letting each other go, I gave Emi one last “Goodbye” before running back to Luna. Passing Moon back to me, we held hands once more and walked across the short plains to the forest again.

But as we broke into the forest and got out of sight, Luna stopped and let go of my hand; she stood there staring blankly ahead.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Falling to her knees, breathing loudly, she screamed.

“I was so scared!” She howled, letting everything out.

Running to her side, I held her close.

“I t-thought I was going to l-lose you! I thought they were going to take you away! I thought I was going to be a-alone again! I’m sorry for everything I said earlier. I was… I was just s-so scared!” She continued, bashing my body with balled-up fists.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you.” I tried to reassure her as I also started to cry again. “I would never leave you. I might want to go back to my village once in a while. But you and our den will always be home.” I added, petting her hair and ears; her tail anxiously wrapped around me. “Luna. Look at me,” I said. Removing her face from my chest, she looked up at me, her face red with tears. “I’m happy you said what you said; you told me your deepest secret because you care about me; you wanted to warn me, to keep me safe. I’m sorry I hurt you; I know I pushed you to expose yourself in such a painful manner. But knowing what I know now only makes me love you and want to carry those burdens with you all the more. And I can only hope you feel the same.” Looking away, she rested her head back on my bosom as I continued to stroke.

After a short while, Luna pushed herself away from me. Her golden eyes filled with hurt, but as she gazed up at me, her eyes changed. “I love you.” She said, with her trademark confidence returning, before kissing me and holding me tight once again.

Kissing back, I knew she would only desire more later, so I kept it short, knowing I’d need to balance her lust now while steeling my own for later.

Transforming into her wolf form, Luna picked up her harness in her mouth and brought it to me. I put her clothes in the pouch after she dropped the harness before me. Attaching the harness to her, I myself now hid behind a tree and undressed. Folding and placing my clothes inside the pouch alongside Luna’s, I moved around her and placed Moon in the opposite pouch, making sure to leave enough room for me to snuggle next to her.

Taking one last look out across the short plains at the village. I kept my eyes open as I transformed, watching the village grow larger and larger as I shrank, until much of it was above my eyeline.

Looking over, I found Luna lying next to me. Hopping inside the free pouch, she got up and turned us around.

It’s time to go home.

End