This story is meant to be fairly wholesome and for most viewers. However…
*There’s some mild profane language.
*This story features transgender and other LGBTQ+ characters.

KIT Mecha-ala - Part 4 (Finale)

=== A few hours later, Kaylee’s apartment. ===

Kaylee opened the door. It was Kit, and a man she’d never seen before (who looked like he had a long career of disappointment somewhere in his life; it really shows). “Are you Agent Terrance?” Kaylee asked.

“I am. I’m here to make sure Kit didn’t get hurt. Oh, and her meal was on my department, so you can have your money back…” he replied, handing Kaylee the money she gave Kit earlier.

“Wow, thank you! How was the ocean and lunch, Kit?”

“Both amazing! Especially when…” She wrapped her arms around Terrance. “… You get to enjoy it with a genuinely pleasant person who might also need a hug or two! He’s like a sad puppy that you just want to squeeze and pet and tell him everything will be alright!”

Terrance blushed. Gosh, is it THAT easy to tell? Still, the hug is nice… “You know what, I’m not even going to deny it. My official case is straight out of hell…”

“Well, you’re not the only company I have,” Kaylee suggested, gesturing them inside.

When they rounded the corner, there was a teal-furred, orange-haired kitsune man, wearing a thin coat and spectacles. His two tails were curled up against his leg.

“Ah, there she is, in the mechanical flesh!” Varfen exclaimed, excited to see the AI girl for the first time. “You are amazing! Please, sit!”

“So, you’re… One of my original creators?” Kit asked as she sat down.

“Well, I developed the coding kit that was used to make you. So in a way, yes, I am! Doctor Varfen. And you’ve decided to name yourself Kit. A very cute name for a very cute girl!”

Kit blushed.

“Oh my, how ingenious, using lights to convey blushing! Very clever! I’m sure that’s buried in all that code we pulled from your log. You’ve possibly single-handedly jumped human and kitsune medical and robotics research by a hundred years or more, just to make yourself that body there, young lady!”

That affirmation made Kit feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. “Thank you, sir!”

“And how courteous! For such a young intelligence, you’re full of compassion and respect. It’s truly an honor to meet you.”

“Th-thank you!”

“Now, as you seem to already understand, I’m not here to take you away, only to ensure your safety. I don’t need you for understanding the data you’ve given us, either. That said, it may be difficult for an AI such as yourself to find a job in this world. However, there is a place you can go to live a life…”

“Oh?”

“Citadel Harbor University, I’m assuming?” Terrance asked.

“Indeed. The city is out in California, built into a hillside that was a former merfolk kingdom in ancient times, before being pushed to the surface by tectonics. Now eroded, the structures there reminded people of a great citadel, hence the name.” Varfen explained. “There, we could find you a job you like, helping out with joint research between humans, my kind, and so many more that live on this Earth. It’s the place we’ll even be working on dissecting all that data you left us!”

Kit was stunned by the offer. “R-really? You’re offering me a place?” She then looked at Kaylee. “But… I know I’ll miss you… Being out in California and all, while you’re still here…”

“Actually…” Varfen suggested, smiling.

“I’ve been offered a job there too, Kit! I have a boyfriend out on the other coast I wanted to eventually move out to live with. The pay I’m being offered is amazing, and it’s still the security work I’ve been doing for years now. And I’m told they have amazing trans benefits too…” Kaylee explained, a sly smile forming on her face at the end.

“Oh, yay! My first friend and I both moving out there together!? And I can be myself without worry?”

Varfen and Kaylee nodded to her questions.

“Yeeeee! I want to go there as soon as possible!”

“Hold your horses, Kit. It’s still going to take time to move,” Kaylee explained.

“Actually, an order from the kitsunes in this regard could speed some things up for you…” Terrance suggested.

“I can get the paperwork done. I can also get some extra hands to help you move and offer the kitsunes’ ways of traveling to get you and your stuff over there quicker…” Varfen suggested.

“Damn, Kit, where have you been all my life?” Kaylee asked sarcastically.

“Both of you will take my offer, then?” Varfen asked.

“Yes!” Kit and Kaylee exclaimed at the same time.

“Wonderful! Give me a couple of days to get everything set up for you two…”

“I’ll also lend a hand,” Terrance added. “I needed to head over to Citadel Harbor anyway. All my leads just dried up, so I’ll have to wait for something else to show up. Might as well make myself useful somehow.”

“Fair enough!” Varfen bowed before activating his armband, creating a human look-alike form around him, and he proceeded to walk out. Terrence followed suit. Kit and Kaylee looked at each other and smiled, before hugging each other. This turned out better than either of them had ever imagined!

Varfen was true to his word – even if he underestimated his own abilities. A ten-kitsune moving crew, aided by Terrance, arrived the next day to help them pack up. A short drive into a nearby bog became both girls’ first trip to the Hallow, the kitsune home dimension. From there, they were loaded onto a kitsune cargo jet with all their belongings.

Cutting a day or even weeks-long trip to a couple of hours, Kit and Kaylee looked in both wonder and horror as they sailed the skies of the kitsunes’ alternate (and near-identical) Earth, with all of its remaining natural beauty and the decayed sandy deserts, dried out from an ancient curse. Before long, they had arrived on the west coast. A relatively new construction housed the portal directly to Citadel Harbor University, their new home until they could afford a place elsewhere, wherever they wanted to live.

Kit and Kaylee stood in front of the portal. Kaylee turned to Kit. “Are you ready for what’s next?”

Kit smiled and nodded. She had a good friend by her side. She was ready for anything. Together, they stepped through the portal back to Earth, and to their new lives.

THE END.

By Erica Chrisman (CrystalSeaDragon44)