This story is intended to be wholesome and for most viewers. However…
*This story has transgender characters in it.
*This story has vague references to fictional abuse and mortality.
*This story has some mild profane language.

The Golden Edict: 6 Months Later (Part 2 - Finale)

Dereck looked around. He was following his mom through the store as she picked up groceries. She cut through the middle of the store to get from the garden center to the grocery aisles. He always hated that…

It meant he had to go through that part of the store… The clothing section.

He tried desperately to keep his eyes down. Every now and then, he’d catch a glimpse of a low dress, and his eyes would follow it up. A solid pink one really caught his eye…

So pretty… he swooned silently. I would be so cute in that… I could really be a pretty girl in… Reality snapped back as he felt a certain stirring that made him deeply uncomfortable. He blushed and turned his eyes down to the floor again. DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT, why do I keep doing that to myself?! he cursed at himself. Why does it even react like that?! What’s… What’s wrong with me…?

He was too busy looking at the floor to notice his mom turned around to see the mental anguish. She’d seen it again and again. She would catch a glimpse of him eyeing something feminine, like clothes or makeup, before he seemed to startle himself and look away, looking upset afterwards.

She had a feeling she knew what was going on with her child… But she didn’t want to spook him, put him on the spot. He was really timid, and no doubt he’d get defensive if she asked the wrong way. She once tried to make it clear she would be there for him no matter what after seeing one of these displays, but she wasn’t sure the message got through… He seemed to pull away for a while at the slightest insinuation he had something to hide.

If Dereck was really her daughter, she would have to come out on her own…

“Dereck?” she asked, knowing he was in the middle of one of his secret spirals.

He snapped up. “Y-yes?” he stammered.

“If you want, we can get some ice cream on the way out. Interested?” Diverting him away from what was bothering him always helped, even if he didn’t realize she was doing that.

“Oh, yeah, sure!” He was finally smiling again.

His mom smiled back. “Okay! Think about the flavor you want while we shop, okay, honey?”

“Sure thing, mom!”

As he thought of the ice cream flavor he wanted from the store’s ice-cream parlor, it brought him away from his secret dysphoria and way from his troubles. His mom knew it helped… But it was only a bandage for the real problem.

I really hope someone comes along to help my child… she prayed. I don’t know what I can do for him… Or her. S-she needs help, and I don’t know how to reach her. I’ve shown I am an ally more than once, but I think she’s too afraid of what she sees in the world to trust anyone… Please, someone, help me reach my child!

If the person who heard her prayer was there at that moment, she would tell them: “Just wait a little longer; I will come to help when the time is right!”

=======

Mar heard the door open. “Terrance, welcome back!” they greeted him. “How’d your day go?”

“Unexpected, but good! I got an unusual lead in a case, even if it’s not permissible in court, I’m afraid.”

“The Arden-Smith case?”

“That obvious?”

“That mess has been on your mind practically since you got assigned to it. Anything you can tell me?”

“I know what happened to Joel.”

“The ‘heir-apparent,’ as you once said?”

“He’s gone. And yet, she’s doing just fine.”

Mar thought it over before coming to the right conclusion. “Oh, congrats to her? You met her today?”

“It seems my contact also wanted to meet with her, and she was meeting her today as well. Sweet girl, it sounds like she’s aiming to help a lot of people, in spite of her parents trying to get rid of her. Granted, she’d never say it. It seems like she just wants to leave that life, and all the negativity around it, behind.”

“It’s never easy, but I’m glad she’s doing okay.”

Oh, she’s doing more than “okay.” Maybe one day, I can explain the other part of my job…

“I wish I could say the same… Rejected from a job yet again…”

“Hey, cheer up! Ariel even wanted to give you a gift!

“Ariel?”

“Oh, right, Ariel’s the Arden-Smith kid.”

“Pretty name for a pretty girl!”

“Yeah, she heard you weren’t doing so well – sorry about that – and she gave me this fortune cookie to give to you.” Terrance handed Mar the blue cookie.

“Okay, that’s a weird cookie,” they said, examining the odd-colored confection.

Mar snapped open the cookie, and they suddenly felt a weird surge fill them. Terrance noticed Mar was suddenly more at ease. I should have guessed it was a magic cookie… he thought.

“Woah… Are you sure that cookie wasn’t spiked, or something?” they asked.

Terrance gave a sly smile. “I highly doubt that…”

Mar pulled out the “fortune.” It was a message… To them!

“Hi there! I heard you weren’t doing so well with your transition. I know the feeling. But things have gotten a lot better for me now. And they will for you, too! Let me share some of my glow with you. Let my good luck help you too! – Ariel”

“Okay, Terrance, spill it: just who IS Ariel, again?”

=======

Dereck was dreaming again. He… No, she. She was always a girl in her dreams. She was Heather in her dreams.

I’m not trans… Am I? she thought. I-I can’t be. I know what happens. I’ll get disowned. I’ll starve in the streets. I’ll…

“You’ll be a pretty girl, and you’ll finally be happy and at peace.”

Heather looked around. “Wha-? Wh-who said that!?”

She watched as a sky-blue ball of light fluttered into her dream. It was so soft and warm… Wait, how was she feeling that?

“I am the one. Hello, Heather!“ said the glowing orb in a soft, angelic voice.

She blushed at the name. “Who – or what – are you?”

“I am someone you will meet soon… Err, I’m kind of new to this, actually,” the voice admitted.

“Oookay… This is a strange dream.”

“It’s filled with magic, so I imagine it would be!”

“Magic?” Heather asked, tilting her head.

“Mine… Gosh, we’re not supposed to meet in person for another few months… How much do I even say?” asked the orb, sounding flustered.

“So… You’re some real magical being out there somewhere? And we’re supposed to meet?”

“Well… We could meet right now, but now is not the best time. That comes later, I’m afraid. A few more months…”

“You know, this is just a dream, I doubt that any of this is real anyway. Just my mind playing tricks on me… As usual…”

“What do you mean?” asked the voice, concerned.

Heather turned away from the orb. “Dreams aren’t real! When I wake up, I go back to being a guy, like I’m supposed to, and-“

Heather felt a hug from arms that were now wrapping around her. They were so warm and comforting. She looked up behind her to see a young woman, appearing a few years older than her, with black hair and shining eyes, like her irises were cut from amethysts. What was stranger… Heather could feel the arms touching her breasts… Gently squeezing them in her warm embrace… Like they were real…

Heather started to tear up from the feeling, like being greeted by a limb long missing, finally regrown again.

“Heather,” said the woman, who had the same voice as the mysterious orb, “you’ve known for a very long time you’ve wanted to be, well, Heather!”

“B-b-b-but-“

The woman squeezed her tighter, letting more euphoria flow out.

“I know. I get it. Sometimes, the truth is scary. We don’t know what’s going to come of it. But sometimes, we have to face it to start feeling better. I know this myself…”

“Y-you do?” Heather asked, nearly crying now.

The magic woman nodded. “I understand what you’re going through. Trust me when I say, you need to be true to yourself, whatever that looks like. You will start feeling better, Heather…”

“Because… You went through it too? You’re trans?”

The woman smiled and nodded. “You’re really smart, Heather. Unfortunately, I see the world is really affecting your thoughts. I see this turmoil in you, seeing how parts of the world treat trans folks, and you internalize it. You’ve become so afraid of what might happen, you’ve been trying to deny you’re trans because you don’t want to go through what you perceive will happen…”

“Y-you’re right… I hate to say it, but you’re right…” Heather sighed.

“Don’t you feel better like this?”

“I…” Heather felt her body, her dream body, like it was the realest thing. The softness of her skin, the squishiness and weight of her chest, the startlingly comfortable emptiness between her legs… Even the dress she was wearing – the same one from the store earlier in the day - was so soft, caressing her form with its soft touch. How was this even possible?

“What do you think, Heather?”

“It’s…” Heather was tearing up. “It’s… It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt! I want so much to be this pretty girl! I want to be Heather!” she cried.

The woman hugged Heather tightly, trying to comfort her through her sobbing. She lightly patted the girl on her head and began rocking her gently. “You are Heather. You’re finally coming to terms with it. And you will be Heather for real, one day…”

“When?”

“Soon. A few more months, Heather…”

“This is the nicest dream I’ve ever had… It’s too bad I will wake up, and none of it will matter…”

The woman let her go, looking deep in thought. “I wonder…”

“Wonder what?”

“Like I said before, we will meet at another time. But I get the impression that you may forget this ever happened, and I don’t want something to happen to you because you lost hope somewhere along the way…”

“How do you plan to do that?”

“I’m thinking of a promise. Not some word that you hear in a dream, but something real and tangible for you to hold. One that assures you that this dream is real – or as real as a dream can be, anyway.”

“You can do that!?”

“Sweetie, when we meet, you will know how and why I can do that. For now, I’m here to calm you. It sounded like you had a bad day, and you needed someone to come, tell you it will be alright…”

“Can I… Can you tell me your name?”

“When you wake up, check the ‘promise.’ For now…” The mysterious woman began to glow, warming Heather with her very spirit.

“This feels so nice…” Heather swooned.

“So, Heather, do you think you can say something to your parents? I know they worry about you…”

“I-I don’t think I can. I’m not ready for that. I don’t want something to go wrong…”

“I hope you will do so before we meet, but I understand if you are too afraid. You have a lot to think about. I just hope after tonight, you will start accepting Heather as a part of you, as the person you are. When you feel anxious about looking at feminine stuff, don’t think something is wrong with you. Think instead ‘I will be there one day. I AM Heather, and one day, I will be able to have it. Just not yet.’ Think about it like that, and maybe you’ll start feeling better…”

“Th-thanks, magic lady! I’ll try to think about it. I really don’t want this to end…”

“I know. I’ve had similar dreams myself…” She squeezed Heather a little tighter. “Just think of this as your first step towards being Heather in the waking world…”

Things started to fade around them. The dream was fading. Heather was waking up.

“It looks like time’s running out…”

“NO! PLEASE, DON’T GO YET! I’M NOT READY TO GO BACK TO BEING A BOY!” Heather screamed.

“I’m sorry… Just remember… I promised…”
“And I keep my promises!”

=======

Dereck woke up. He patted his body down, hoping…

Damnit. He wasn’t a girl anymore. Heather was gone. Again.

He looked around, but something glinting in the light caught his eye. He turned to see a coin on the end table by his bed, one in gleaming silver. That definitely wasn’t there before! He picked it up; it was warm to the touch, somehow reassuring. Words were inscribed on it:

“This is my promise to you, Heather, made in magic steel: we will meet again! When we do, it will not matter how you appear; you will always be Heather to me!”

He held his free hand to his mouth as his eyes watered. Oh my gosh, it’s real! That dream really happened! I was Heather, and the magic girl was there, and it was all real! Wait, she didn’t tell me her name!

Check the promise… her voice rang out in his head.

He flipped the coin over. There was a name inscribed on the back:

Ariel, the Angelic Genie.

THE END – FOR TODAY.

By Erica Chrisman (CrystalSeaDragon44)