"Ah, Xiviyah. It's been so long," Fate whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "You've grown so much since we last spoke."
Unable to contain myself, I turned to face the goddess. There, defying all doubt, she stood before me, a vision of shimmering beauty. Her form was faintly translucent, seemingly woven from the very stars of fate, but her face was the same, her eyes warm and kind. I rushed into her embrace, my exhaustion and anxieties melting away as her arms enveloped me.
"Fate!" I sobbed, clinging to her.
"There, there, you did well, little one," she soothed. "I'm very proud of you."
She stroked my hair as one might comfort a child, but I didn't care. Nor did I feel any shame for my tail, which flickered back and forth so hard it all but vibrated with unrestrained excitement. I had known she was hiding somewhere, as she had appeared to me since her fall, but she had been silent for far too long.
