Another portal opened up within the Chung home. Aziza walked out of it, grasping the cursed snow globe in her right hand. A moment later, Kylie stepped out alongside her.
"Regina's not here. Suffering Shiva!"
Aziza heard Kylie giggling behind her.
"Did you really just say 'Suffering Shiva'?" Kylie asked innocently, her pretty green eyes darting all around Regina's well kept home. "Is that how you curse? Why not just say goddamnit like a normal person?"
"Because it's disrespectful."
"Is it because muslims aren't allowed to swear?"
"Wishing for Allah to damn someone is a very serious thing to do, yes" Aziza answered, somewhat irritated. "You don't make an oath unless you mean it. To damn someone is meant for a great offense like murder."
"If you're so religious, why is it OK to take Shiva's name in vain?"
"Because I don't believe in Shiva."
"But you've met Shiva?"
"Yes, I had tea with him."
Kylie's eyes widened.
"Holy shit, really? You get more interesting every day, babe."
"I've met loads of deities since The Great Change. That doesn't mean I worship them."
"I met Amanda Seyfried once when she stopped in Glendale to grab a coffee. I was working at Starbucks after school at the time, but that's probably not as interesting as meeting a Hindu god."
"No, it isn't" Aziza answered, her voice tinged with impatience.
"It kind of was for me. I love Mamma Mia, even before I became a chick. She tried to pretend she was someone else who just looked like her, but I was a little pushy about it and got a selfie. I'd worship *her* if you know what I mean, boy oh boy."
Aziza sighed.
"Sheena!" she called out.
The little golden dragon glided gently towards the two young women.
"Hello, Aziza" it answered warmly, its unearthly voice somehow both calming and eerie.
"Hello, Sheena. Where is your mistress? I need to ask her something very important."
"You just missed her. Mistress Regina is on vacation in another dimension."
"Did she happen to say which one? I have an important question I need to ask her. *Very* important."
Aziza showed Sheena the enigmatic snow globe.
"No, she didn't say where she was going. Just that she'd return eventually. Maybe you can ask Mistress Savannah about your problem."
"Who's Savannah?" Kylie asked, exploring the foreign living room.
Aziza sighed again.
"Somebody who I really don't like."
Which was an understatement. Aziza *hated* Savannah. She was a creepy government spook who had probably killed a ton of innocent people and undoubtedly was part of the American imperialist war machine that had killed a lot of Aziza's people. Why Regina would teach the mystic arts to that monster was beyond even the Sorceress Supreme.
Kylie started playing with Regina's orrey, a mechanical model of the known universe. It was highly dangerous and affected the stability of the actual physical universe.
"Put that down!" Aziza screamed. "Merciful Mórrígan, you're like a child! Do you know how dangerous that is?"
"Hey, a new cute old timey curse!" giggled Kylie. "If Regina has like the magic equivalent of a nuclear bomb laying around her house without so much as a warning label, that's not my fault."
As much as Aziza wanted to strangle her, Kylie had a good point. Maybe it was something she should bring up when Aziza and Regina met up.
**
"Logan, you've always been my best friend since we were little kids, and ever since The Great Change, you've been so, so much more than that. Through everything we've been through, you've been my light, my rock, my inspiration. The world makes sense when you're around. You've made me the happiest woman in the entire world, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I thank the goddess who blessed us with these new bodies every day."
Allison spoke her words of love directly to Logan, her watery blue eyes brimming with joy.
To the audience in attendance, she looked absolutely radiant in her flowing white gown.
"Getting married on New Years Day, it's so romantic!" whispered Amanda, one of Alison's bridesmaids, to her girlfriend Melissa.