Dreaded Outing

THE MOMENT

"Are we questing or what did you want help with?" Jenny asked. Dread asked her for company. She seemed distracted when she gave the invitation; and, she was quieter than usual even after they arrived. The taller girl took the lead.  After a few trips around the same block filled with idle small talk, Jenny decided to ask about the trip. She only waited that long because she was enjoying the sights and sounds of being on a different Earth.

They circled the block three times in total before she asked Dread why they were there. Jenny had plenty of opportunity to admire the differences between this Earth and her own. The most interesting thing she noticed was that magic was part of daily life there. Shop windows promised magical elixirs, mystical potions, and all sorts of books and wands that would have been dismissed on her own Earth as snake oil. She saw as many pedestrians actively using spells as those who were using their phones. A rainbow of auras could be seen moving among the others and she heard the pops and fizzles of magic each time she passed one. They came in and out of shops; but, the largest shop on the block seemed the busiest. It promised magical gender reassignment. Jenny was surprised to see so many people interested in it; but, she realized it was popular because it was available. In a world where someone could change gender like a pair of shoes, there was no reason for it not to be popular. She didn't have any interest in going through it herself; but, the curiosity of what it would be like came to mind each time they passed it.

"Neither...," Dread shook her head and came to a stop. She turned and faced Jenny with a slight sigh of resignation. "My apologies, I invited you here with a purpose," she said. "There's something heavy on my heart, something I need to share. It's just... finding the beginning is the hard part…”

"Oh!" Jenny smiled at Dread. "I totally get that,” she started walking forward again. "We’ll keep walking 'til you're ready," she said. It took two steps before the realization struck. This was an intentional spot chosen by Dread and she is the one that led them around the block multiple times. An idea about what she might want to share formed in the back of Jenny’s mind, though she kept it to herself to avoid jumping to conclusions. Whatever it was, Dread would tell her when she was ready.

"I truly see you as a cherished friend...," Dread opened up a little as they walked. "...and I've always been genuine with you..." she added.

"I trust you," Jenny nodded. "I totally think we're good friends too."

"Thank you," Dread nodded with a faint smile. "But there's a chapter of my story, not exactly hidden but rarely voiced. Some might already know, but it's important to me that you hear it directly from me," she said.

"Is it about your white hair?" Jenny asked. She was confident that wasn't the reason; but, she wanted to throw out suggestions to hopefully put Dread more at ease.

"My hair? What tales have you heard about it?" Dread asked suddenly. Dread had short spikey hair that almost matched Jenny's hairstyle. Except Dread's hair was bone-white and Jenny's was black. Dread had white hair when she met Jenny; but, she didn't always.

"The Demon Queen told me," Jenny shrugged. She made sure to use a title instead of referring to Ballisea by name. "She said you 'borrowed' a lot of her magic in the past." She used air quotes.

"At first, I didn't recognize it belonged to her…," Dread replied quickly.

"It's okay," Jenny giggled. "I don't think she's mad. So was that it? It's not that big a deal," she said.

"Yeah, it’s more complex than that…," Dread shook her head.

"There's no gentle introduction to this, so I'll just dive in." Dread stared into Jenny's eyes and took in a breath for courage. " I was born a boy."

"Okay," Jenny nodded. She almost wanted to say she didn't care. It didn't matter to her, but it was important to Dread and she didn't want to be misinterpreted. The only thing she could think of to do was ask questions. "Did you get that magic done?" Jenny asked. She pointed at it as they passed the gender swap shop again.

"Kind of, but not that…," Dread shook her head. "I was a young boy when I tumbled into that first portal. My father was a Mundo, so tales of the multiverse weren't unfamiliar to me. But finding my way back home? That was a puzzle. I discovered a magical source that let me Traverse, yet it always led me to another Earth, not mine. And each Earth shared that same peculiar magic. I kept hopping from one to the next, almost like a never-ending game at the beginning..." Dread sighed and she ran her hand through her hair. But it didn't sound nervous or uneasy. She seemed to relax the more she opened up to Jenny.

"My hair... it began to transform before anything else. And then, in time, the rest of me followed."

"Did you want to change?" Jenny asked. It almost sounded like an unintended consequence.

"I did," Dread nodded. "Back then, I couldn't articulate the feeling, but something felt... off, not truly me. It wasn't until later that I learned the magic I'd been absorbing came from the Demon Queen. A Mundo enlightened me; it was unadulterated magic. Neither malicious nor benevolent, simply raw power. Each dose I took brought me a step closer to the person I deeply desired to become. It's not unlike the transformations they undertake in the shop." she tilted her head back to gesture at the store behind them. "But at a gentler pace, and with a more potent magic."

"Neat," Jenny smiled.

"Yeah. It is," Dread agreed. "I appreciate it."