The trained had stalled out after the rumbling shook it all. And also me face planting into the pizza. That happened too. I now pizza face. Ow.

  Minfilia managed to grab onto me, and Dizzy scrambled onto the back of the boothe, her fur and hair frizzed up like a house cat. She looked around alert, trying to gauge the problem, her tail twitching at the tip. “Please tell me that wasn’t a-”

  “It’s just the safety mechanism of the train. Magrails like this are safer than air travel, and with the combination of magic and tech, the train can stop at a moments notice, using magic to...transfer the energy of the sudden stop to…” Minfilia was trying to remember the exact thing she was thinking of when it came to Magtech. She loved that stuff, which is another reason her family is a shit. Too religious for their own good. “Oh! Right, yeah, they use a principle of physics and mix it with magic to basically transfer the energy of the stop and the momentum to quick start another train on the magline. It’s just the circle of magic allowing us to skip a process of physics in one place by starting it in another. Entropising? I dunno, this is still...hels I can’t wait to learn more about magtech! It’ll be great and I can make my own and also I mean this thing is amazing like using magic to transfer the energy from emergencies to starting somewhere else? That’s inspired, and I wanna meet the person who came up with that idea!”

  “Min. You are dumping.” Dizzy said, before lowering herself back onto the booth. Minfilia went red. “I didn’t say stop, you sexy genius. Just letting you know.” She stuck her tongue out at my now very crimson girlfriend.

  “Welllllll I mean, it’s just using the base principle of magic eating entropy eating reality eating magic. Just a use of that fact and and and well I hope the people are okay at the front.” Minfilia was struggling with words, so I wordlessly snuggle into her. I was hoping for more, but the steam from her ears means she’s overloaded with love. Either works I guess, as Dizzy giggles.

  “FUCKING SHIT, which masked terrorist bombed the train!?” I heard Katarsis shout from behind us. Looking, I see that he was ripshit pissed and looking for, I dunno, something to take his anger out wait he’s looking at me. “Wormy fuckers probably got in.” WOW OKAY NO.

  And the ahem from behind him scared him like nothing else. Not even Dizzy could scare a fash like the tall muscled bound Annelian Nomad that came out from the car behind him. He was taller than most, and his mask was carved from southern maple in the visage of...a dove. Which explains when Katarsis was picked up like a cat and placed to the side, out of the way of the Annelian, before the man continued on his way.

  Got off a lot nicer then I’d expected. He looked at us, and then at me and my beloved, and gave a thumbs up, before continuing onward. Silent types was kinda the stereotype for them usually, no matter the ancestry they have.

  “Mrrrggg…” Katarsis grumbled before walking past us again and taking a seat. He flipped off the Annelian behind the big man’s back.

  Then the PA came on, as I grabbed a non-ruined slice of pizza to chow down on. “I am sorry dear guests. There was a bomb on the further parts of the magrail for this train, we are sorry to say. Please understand as we try to resolve the issue as soon as possible, but until then, please enjoy the amenities of the next week as we wait. We have enough food and drink available for everyone on the train until the end of next week, and repairs have been started. ETA is currently two days, then we resume our regularly scheduled trip.” She was perky, though the huskiness of the voice pointed her to be an orc.

  So that’s it I guess. We wait until then, or something. I snuggled into my love again, my nerves starting to get the better of me.

  “Alright, [][][][][]. Let’s go hang in the room.” There was that loud ring again. It pounded my ears like knives, slowly being pushed in. As if punishing me for hearing something. I clutch my ears again as they hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt.

  I blink twice. My vision had gone blurry, but that had begun to fade once the pain passed. I removed my hands from my ears, seeing the blood on them again. Again. Why? Everytime someone calls me something other than…

  [Thoughts that threaten the base are locked]

  [Set time to fifteen minutes later.]

  [All in service of purity.]

  [Lock and Key connection stable.]

  ======

  The fields are nice. Not that I could appreciate them as I ran through them. My mind wanders as the hunting party chased me down. I just wanted to be free. Why must men covet my scales so?

  The party chased me through the fields, throwing spells and arrows at me. Then a shot rings out from a musket, clipping my left hind leg. I fall down from the pain, trying to gasp and escape. A woman on my back jumps down and begins to try and fend them off.

  Then its too late. Another musket shot pierces my eyes. I couldn’t touch the sky again. Not with my friend Eloise.

  They had cut my wings in my sleep. I hope the next time on the wheel is better.

  I wanted to touch the sky again.

  ======

  “-I am going to murder the fucker that did this.” Someone said. I had my eyes closed. “I’d ask who’d have the sadism to do this, but then my father was the kind of bastard that would.” That voice was different. It was angry, sure, but the accent had a soft, sort of near middle part to it. Fairly nasally, like they spoke with usually nasal vowels.

  I tried to sit up, but was forced back down. “Down. Down. Rest up, please, erm.” That was a voice. Another voice, but I recognize it. My other dad, pop. He was always nervous around people, quiet as a sheep. Though he and dad were friends, they were separated maritally when I was young. Something about the relationship not working that way any more. “Hels, I hate seeing my...argh.” He sounded more pained.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “M, please. Be okay.” Minfilia was over my body as my eyes finally adjusted to the light. In the room, I saw Dizzy drooped in the corner, her knees to her chest. Minfilia was over me, fretting. Pops was sitting next to...to that woman I saw earlier. The one with like bubblegum pink hair and the heart shades. “Oh, hey, you’re awake.”

  “I fucked up.” Dizzy said sadly. “I triggered it because I was tired and rattled...dammit.”

  Pops sighed. “Look. I get it.” He got up and stood over me. Then he held a palm to my forehead. “Okay, fever is going away. Should be back to normalish.”

  “What happened?” I asked, blearily. I looked at my left arm and...when did those scales get there? The color was...amazing. Beautiful in the light, shining like amethysts. The edges, though, were covered by a black abyss. A seething thing that’s spreading. My heart began to race.

  The pink haired woman walked over, seeing my sweat I guess. Then she stared at my arm. “And the ass picked the wrong [][][][] to lock. Cursing this, of all things, when inevitability is on the docket?” There was that sound again. The same pain came, then suddenly went. My panic welled, then went silent.

  My ears didn’t bleed. “Hey listen. Listen, please. Calm down.” The stranger began to a rhythm with her breathing. “Follow.” I...did. My nerves weren’t trying to tear at me. The world seem to slow down. “Hi. I’m Eloise. I am a bit of a stranger to you, but can’t really ignore someone in need. Get some sleep now. What ever happened, you are probably tired.”

  She was right. I was drained of energy. I flop back onto the bed, trying to recount how I got to the bed. My head hurts. Dizzy said...something. I never did hear it.

  I felt like I lost time to something. But I let sleep claim my mind. Maybe today, I’ll have a good dream.

  ===Dizzy===

  Goddamned fuck shit. I triggered the curse again. Again and again, I want this girl to hatch already, but someone put a curse on her and now it’s like...lethal. Wipes memory and shit. It’s not a hatching, it’s a locked egg. Slammed it shut and made it everyone’s problem.

  Eloise, who introduced herself, and her other father who I’m...sure is some form of something, were a stroke of luck to come here. Me? I’m fucking useless in this situation. Can’t save a friend.

  Fuck me. Useless ass punk can’t even save someone from some fash fuck. I picked at my fur in anxiety, curled up like this. Only even coming to the college from an invite on Minfilia’s grace.

  I got up and stormed out of the room. I needed to breathe fresh air, get some exercise, shake off the zoomies for a bit. I looked to my left and right. Left was the dining car, right was the rest of the cars. I shuffle a pamphlet out of my backpack and look at the map.

  Huh, there’s a gym car on this. Thinking, it makes sense. This is like, long distance shit. Maybe its for the crew or whatever guards they got. I make my way right, heading to the gym to clear my head.

  Some of the other guests on the train were kinda milling. Some were having panic attacks, others were taking the opportunity to take a breather from their busy lives. Couple of idiots were spewing shit about Annelians. Bastards haven’t met them.

  The gym itself was filled with gym bros though. Minorans with their big horns and bull heads, orcs, and dwarves were all exercising and resting. Talking like people. A couple of other caits were here too. And I spy Katarsis.

  Walking towards me. Glowering like mad. He was focused and determined, and my guess was that he wanted revenge. “You. Me. Arena. Spar. Now.” He venomly spat out.

  “Fine. I can kick your ass in and out of the arena anyhow.” I shrugged. A good workout to basically get my stress worked on. I grabbed a spare pair of boxing gloves and gave a few test jabs. Still good.

  Sides taken. Referee, a Minoran woman, began a countdown. Then, we crossed fists. And he’s bad. Like bad bad. His attacks are wide and slow. Too many openings. He’s done in one minute.

  “Mragh!” He screams. Then he kips up. “Magic duel then! I am a dragon and I won’t be disrespected.”

  I frown. Nope. Can’t do. I take off my gloves, throw them on the ground, and begin walking out of it, climbing over the ropes.

  “Scardey cat? Can’t beat me in magic?” He taunted. My blood boiled, but sometimes you must leave a fight.

  “Can’t is right. Sorry, no magic.” I flipped the bird as I left to exercise elsewhere.

  ===Minfilia===

  My girlfriend is sleeping soundly. So...I exhaled, collapsing on the bed next to her. “Hels. Whoever did this to you is a monster. You’d be amazing.” I wanted to touch her, but she needs the sleep. “Klein? Why are you here?”

  He gave a nervous chuckle. “I am...remarrying. Somewhat. Also getting away from my own dad.” He was hiding something with the way he was shifting.

  “That’s good. Whose the lucky partner?” I asked, sitting up in bed. Eloise was busy on her phone, typing away at something. Klein smiled brightly, though.

  “Well...Julie. The e-sports star.” I nodded as he confessed. Then I tilted my head. She said something about girls being...Did she pre-order? Does my girlfriend have two trans parents?

  I squint. “Well, I proposed after she won her last tourney and retired. We were dating in secret for a year. She makes me feel...special. Like Gregory did back then.”

  Eloise looked up from her phone, poked at something in the air, then giggled. “Well, she, and you, will be happy together.”

  “Thanks. We got a wedding planner in Loyiel. After that’s done, well, you know the rest.” He sighs. She sighs? Hrm. They then look at M. “But now...her.”

  I went bug eyed at that. “You knew!?”

  “Yeah...remember the day my own dad forced a visit? Yeah…” He picked at his arms in anxiety. I remember bits. Pieces of that day. It was when me and Dizzy discovered that we were women…

  Wait...

  ===4 years in the past===

  Four kids ran through the streets of Kamelian. Four boys whose lives were ahead of them. They came upon their favorite spot in the whole of the city. Right in front of the rental store. Klein owned it, and he lived there as well. During Michael’s visits with him, he’d let the gang of kids visit his attic to watch movies and play games.

  Today was one of those days. Racket had rights to pick a new movie that came out. The Magnolia Archives, a series of short horror films that were mostly made by beast humans. Racket, a cait, was really excited about the release of the collection, since one of his mothers worked on the project.

  And the list had her short at the top. Jack and Richard sat on a couple of beanbags while Michael let Racket sit on the back of his chair. The start of the short came on.

  The short itself was...well the four kids changed. Dramatically. It was a personal retelling of a trans woman’s own troubles with transition and the horrors of the people rejecting her. Drapped in metaphor and horror to sell the point.

  And there, the trajectory of the four lives in that room were changed suddenly. Red Path members were hunting for people to brutalize, and invaded the store. Richard and Racket, or...now Dizzy and Minfilia remember the screams of Michael, Jack, and Klein as they were taken away for reasons beyond what the two new girls even knew.

  Among the men was the grandfather of Michael. Tunisis. High priest of purity and one that had very backwards ideas on how the world worked. His shrill laugh haunted the ears of the new girls.

  That day, four girls were born, but two disappeared.

  ===3 years in the past===

  Dizzy had essentially had her parents take in the disowned Minfilia. After that day, none of them ever saw Michael, Klein, or Jack ever again. A year since there were lost.

  First day of the Graduate School, and they went as themselves. They were happy. Happier than ever, but that day still burned.

  And it burned hotter when Michael was found at the same school. He had forgotten that day. A pact between Minfilia and Dizzy. They’d reenter his life. And help him remember the times they had.

  And Dizzy had a habit of cracking other eggs at school. Here, they thought it’d be easy. Then that day they learned he was locked.

  And they fell in love with the woman she was denied from being.