The reaction to Viola and her pack emerging from the Woods mostly unharmed was mixed, to say the least. Equal parts relief that they were okay and angry that they’d gotten lost in the first place, all embodied in the form of Mama Coniglio. Sobbing and hugging Vienna maybe a bit too hard considering she was still recovering only to bounce over to grounding the girls for the rest of their natural lives. They’d managed to negotiate things down to a week before moving the conversation on to more important topics. Like, for instance, confirmation that their father was alive, as were Erin and Ursula’s parents. They were, for now, still in Locksmouth, along with most people who had been in the city during the invasion. There were a lot of repairs that needed to be done to the transit system – it had, after all, been the site of the final battle. They weren’t stuck in the city – there were other ways out of Locksmouth besides public transit. But their parents had collectively agreed to wait until things had calmed down a bit before leaving, at least for now.

Their parents’ safety confirmed, the subject of conversation had very quickly moved back to the fact that they had, in fact, ran off into the woods with no plan and then vanished for a week. Arbitrator Luo had taken the lead at that point, which was probably for the best as he tended towards being fairly levelheaded. “You’re technically already being informally punished with community service anyway. We’ll just make it formal instead. Six months, same as miss Ares. Nice and convenient.”

“Yessir,” the girls had responded in unison. Everyone involved was extremely eager to get this all over with as quickly as possible. Especially Viola, who was extremely uncomfortable with the sheer amount of attention being placed on her.

Thankfully, things hadn’t lasted much longer than that. Everything went smoothly and within an hour they were all back home, resting and recuperating. Erin, whose parents were still in Locksmouth, elected to stay at Ursula’s home until they returned. That was the extent of the logistics involved – everyone agreed to give Vienna the time she needed to recover before making them actually serve out their punishment.

And so, here they were, a week or so after they had escaped Ami’s facility, they found themselves once again standing at the entrance. Ostensibly, they were performing their community service by cleaning up the various debris that had ostensibly led to them being lost in the Woods in the first place. Vicky was with them for the same reason, and Lars was present to “supervise”. Technically, they were supposed to have adult supervision as well in the form of the Woods District’s caretaker, an elderly cougar named Erich Stefanowitz. But, well, he was elderly. Extremely so. He had been the caretaker of the Woods District for about as long as any of them could remember – hell, for about as long as their parents could remember. It was probably well past time for him to retire, but someone had to look after the Woods or else who knows how many more incidents like what had happened to Viola and her pack would happen? And so, when Lars had offered to look after the girls as they cleaned up in his place, he had reluctantly agreed. “But you all stay safe, you hear? No more getting lost.”

After reassuring Mr Stefanowitz, they made a beeline to the old shack. “Huh,” Vicky said, tilting her head slightly. “Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting this to turn out to be a real thing.”

“So, what, you were kidnapped by a ghost?”

“She’s not a ghost,” Viola said, trying very hard to be patient with Lars and failing miserably.

“You would know better than me,” he replied, equally tersely.

“Yes I would, I spent a whole week with her, and-”

“Guys,” Ursula interjected. “No fighting.”

“Fine,” Viola grumbled.

“I’ve gotta side with Viola on this one. If the urban legend was true, then we’d have gotten a call by now.”

“Aaaaactually, yeah, what’s up with that?” Vienna said.

“Wait, hold on, that part’s real?”

“It’s supposed to be, at least. According to Viola, she got the call pretty much right when she got here. Door’s closed, too, so we can’t actually go in.”

“So wait, you did get kidnapped by a ghost?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Well,” Lars said with a shrug. “We’ve got all day. Start from the beginning.”

“Right.” Viola closed her eyes, taking a moment to compose herself and also to decide exactly what to tell them first. After a moment, she elected that everything was just a bit too far-fetched to expect them to believe without physical, tangible proof. And, while she currently lacked any kind of physical, tangible proof of Ami, there was something she could immediately show them.

Slowly, translucent blue ink outlined with dark green flowed out, enveloping Viola’s body. “Uh... Right. Lars, Vicky? Meet my imaginary friend.”

“Call me Aubrey, please.”

Vicky’s eyes widened in awe. Even Lars seemed a bit caught off guard behind the usual stoic facade. “Wait, hold on, isn’t that-”

“Yes. I am an Inkling.”

“Woah. Okay. I think I can see why you decided to keep this secret.”

“We’ve all got one,” Viola said. “Um, I guess we can introduce you to them while we wait?”

“Host, I wish to make it known again that I strongly object to this course of action. The more people who are in on the secret, the more likely it is that someone will slip up or even elect to intentionally reveal it, and-”

“Oooooookay yeah Delphi you’re just going right back in my brain until you promise to make a better first impression.”

“Hey!”

“Yeah, sorry,” Ursula said with a shrug. “She’s just kinda like that.”

“And she’s, like, always in your brain?”

“Sometimes she shuts up.”

“Yeesh.”

“Tell me about it. She’s already bitching about this in my head.”

“Erin and Vienna’s are a bit more... sociable,” Viola said, somewhat apologetically.

“Speaking of which,” Erin said, before green and yellow ink enveloped her own body. “This is Titania.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Titania said, bowing slightly.

“And that leaves me. C’mon out, Edifice.”

“Hmph.”

“... A bit more sociable,” Viola said, her voice just slightly pained.

“Why don’t we take a moment to explain what we can do and who we are?” Aubrey interjected calmly.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

“You guys should probably sit down,” Vienna said. “It’s... kind of a long story.”

“Like I said, we’ve got all day.”

Actually explaining what their Inklings could do was surprisingly easy – mostly due to the fact that they could just quickly demonstrate their abilities. Viola turned invisible. Vienna used her force fields to pick Vicky up off of the ground, much to the latter’s consternation. Erin showed off some mild size changing before clarifying her limits with words. And, finally, Ursula used Delphi’s abilities to show Lars and Vicky the moment when they’d entered Ami’s facility.

“Okay, I think I get it,” Vicky said, before pointing to each girl in turn. “You turn invisible, you make force fields, you grow, and you can see the future and the past. Am I right so far?”

“In so many words, yes,” Delphi said through clenched teeth. Ursula had allowed her out on the condition that she be civil. She was, to be fair, making an admirable effort, relatively speaking.

“And you all used to work for that Osoth lady. Who was the bad guy. And now she’s dead and you’re not particularly bothered because she was the bad guy.”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, but essentially yes.”

“Gotcha. I, uh, think I get why you don’t wanna tell folks about this.”

“There are a staggering number of potential ways people could react poorly to this, yes.”

“Delphi, behave yourself.”

“I am behaving myself!”

“So,” Lars interrupted. “This doesn’t really explain where you all were.”

“Yeah, uh, there was something about computers and then something about bombs and then you got into an argument and then you went down the stairs, but that’s not really much context.”

“Um. Right.” Viola fidgeted nervously. “I was kind of hoping to have Ami around for this part, because... it’s a bit far-fetched. You probably won’t believe what happened if we just told you.”

“Viola,” Lars said in his usual laconic manner. “I already believe you.”

“... Right.” Viola elected not to reprimand him for being quite so willing to believe something outlandish without even being told it first. She was going to try to be diplomatic about this, god dammit. And so, instead of chiding Lars for his childish belief in the supernatural, she took a deep breath, and began to tell her story. She told them everything. Every single moment, though admittedly she glossed over some things like Erin’s mental illness or the occasional bit of OC, in one go. The only times she stopped were so that the others could fill in things she wasn’t there for.

“Wow. You’re right, that’s a lot far-fetched.”

“You believe them, though,” Lars said.

“Well, I mean, on the one hand, just because aliens are real doesn’t mean I automatically believe in five hundred year old computer systems underneath the town. But on the other hand, you guys aren’t exactly the best liars.”

“Yeah...” Viola said, her tone of voice belying the underlying worry. “It’d be easier to prove if Ami would just call us...”

“Yeah, uh, I’m startin’ to get a bit worried myself.” Ursula nervously scratched the back of her neck. “Maybe somethin’ happened while we were away?”

“Maybe she’s just reluctant to contact Lars or Vicky?”

“I don’t know, maybe?” Viola resumed her nervous fidgeting. “I just wish she’d say something.

“Here I am!”

“Gah!”

“Ack!”

“What the fuck?!”

There were several more similar exclamations – including an amusingly high-pitched scream from Lars – and it took them a few moments to calm back down and actually take in what had happened.

“Geeze, you guys are high-strung,” Ami said. “Also, you came way earlier than I expected! I figured it’d take at least a few weeks before you could get away with sneaking off to see me so I totally wasn’t ready yet!”

“what”

“Oh, right! This!” Ami’s voice was coming from a small, spherical object. It was silver with several glowing blue stripes around its length, about six inches in diameter. “Remember when I said I can’t actually contact people because of incompatible technological standards? Well, I’ve found a way around it! I salvaged some components from those cell phone things you guys left behind and combined it with my projector tech and some little innovations of my own and voila! Remote projector! This way I can hang out with you guys without you having to make excuses to go into the woods!”

“Oh.”

“And before you say anything, don’t worry! I’ve come up with a perfectly inconspicuous cover identity so no one will question my presence! I’m Ursula’s fifth cousin once removed on her mother’s side – no, not that one, the other one. No, no, the other other one. Totally flawless.”

Ursula gave Ami a blank stare. “I’m pretty sure,” she said after a moment of thought, “that my moms would probably be aware that I don’t have any third cousins, removed or not. I’m not even sure what that is.”

“It means that I’m like five layers of uncles deep and also my parents are the same generation as you. Aaaaanyway, my parents died in a tragic accident and you’re my closest living relative. Don’t worry, I’ve perfectly forged all of the paperwork so no one will ask any questions.”

“Someone is absolutely going to ask questions about my cousin the sphere, Ami, holy fuck.”

“Oh ye of little faith! I told you, this is a remote projector. Did you seriously think I would put all that effort into coming up with a cover identity and not make a disguise to go with it?”

“Maybe you should actually show us your disguise, then, darling?”

“Ah, right, yeah. I figured you all were mammals so I decided I’d be something different and then bam, it hit me!”

With that, the silver sphere vanished, immediately replaced by a small, bipedal, lizard-like creature with blue-green scales and tufts of bright red feathers on its head, arms, and the tip of its tail. “Hell yeah! I’m a dinosaur!”

“Oh my god,” Ursula said, burying her face in her palms. “Couldja maybe try and be a bit more conspicuous?”

“Yes.”

“Wait no that wasn’t a challenge don’t-”

“Ra-a-aar~”

“Oh my god, I was being sarcastic. Please stop being a giant lizard monster.”

“A tyrannosaurus rex,” Erin corrected. “I, um, know from experience.”

“I don’t care what it’s called! What if someone sees you holy shit!”

“Fiiiiine, if you’re gonna be a killjoy.” With that, Ami once again abruptly changed shape, from the forty foot long colossus to her original, smaller choice.

“Okay, that’s better,” Vienna said. “But I think maybe you’d better pick something more... anthropomorphic?”

“Oh, pfffft, that? Don’t worry about that.” She shifted to a more upright stance, her arms shifted to something more humanoid, and her talloned feet became normal human feet. She even had understickers on in the correct places. “There, see? Post-splice human version for when I’m in public. I can even wear actual physical clothing! But in private, I’m a hologram, I don’t need thumbs so fuck it, I’m gonna be a cool dinosaur! I may be five hundred years old but I absolutely reserve the right to act like a child if I wanna and you can’t stop me! I’m going to eat candy until I barf, I don’t care that I don’t have a stomach because I was alone in a hole for five hundred years!”

“Ami,” Viola said, gently placing a hand on Ami’s head. “It’s fine.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll calm down. Just...” She sighed, and then darted forward to hug Viola. “Thank you. For, um, giving me a second chance.”

Viola was very briefly caught off guard, before smiling slightly and returning the hug. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

“Still, it means a lot to me.” They stayed there for several minutes, hugging in silence, before Ami pulled away. “Anyway, yeah. That’s the plan! Soooooooo,” she said, abruptly shifting back to full velociraptor form. “Who are your friends? Introduce me!”

Oh. Right. Lars and Vicky were still there. Viola turned and awkwardly took in their reactions. Both were inscrutable, though in different ways. Lars had his usual expression plastered firmly on his face, while Vicky’s seemed to be trying to express every possible emotion at the same time in a vague grimace. Viola took a deep breath through clenched teeth.

Maybe things weren’t going to go back to normal just yet after all.