She was there at the start, always had been. She’s the one who has kept me strong all this time. There’s fire in her hair, her eyes. She has a knowing smile that curls her lips as she stares back at me. She knows, she’s always known. She’s the one. She’s me, everything I was meant to be and am now. I look to her for strength. Her hands rise up to touch the glass, my hands, they burn. I turn away and take a moment to think.

Why am I still wearing a skirt? It’s been years, can’t I change it? It’s hardly practical, the others are fine with it but I’m honestly so fed up. I tried to fashion it into shorts once. But the next time, they were back to normal. I don’t mind the rest of it. The crop top. The arm bands. The chunky boots. Maybe I wished for it somehow? I don’t think so though, cus the others are in the same thing. Some of the details are different of course, but the style is the same.

It’s been years and I feel like I’ve outgrown this style. But it’s not like I can ask someone to change it, I can’t even change it myself. It’s just always gunna be this way I guess. I look over my shoulder at my reflection again . It’s time to go.

They’re waiting for me outside, not saying anything silent and solemn. It’s dark even though it’s only 2pm.

No one says, “‘bout time” or anything like that. We’re in no rush. Mimi takes to the sky first, I watch her and briefly remember when she used to be so self conscious of people seeing up her skirt. I wonder when she stopped caring.

Without her signature jump, Tristy lifts off next, her take off lacking it’s usual resolve. As I join them in the air we fly silently towards the direction of the dimensional rift, our hearts heavy with dread.

She was one of us and we weren’t able to protect her. We let them take her, change her. Now we have to fight her. We were never strong enough for this. I see Mimi’s hand move to wipe away her tears. We must look like sad reapers floating through the night sky.

As we reach the rift we can already see her, cocooned at the base of it.