"Step two, don't call strangers to you 'mortals.' Refer to them as Sir, or Ma'am..."

Alabaster had taken me outside, and I was startled by the blinding reflection of light off of the snow. I was so used to the dark...

Now we walked the sidewalk of the neighborhood, avoiding black ice and other people shoveling their driveways. Most of them simply waved or nodded to us, and Alabaster did the same in return.

We got to the edge of the street however, and I jumped as a massive vehicle drove by, flinging snow to the side at us in its wake. "What the heck!?"
I realized how flustered I'd gotten when Alabaster touched my shoulder. "What was that?"

"A snowplow. It clears the roads for the drivers."

I smoothed my quills back down, trying to regain my posture. "Snowplow. Right."

"Looks like your new friend's a bit jumpy, Lunar!"

I saw the dog coming up the street, and I watched Alabaster's ears flatten a little. "Shouldn't you be locked up, Warren?" She hissed.

"I'm out on good behaviour and all that jazz..."

The dog took a step towards Alabaster, and she took a step back. "Well you'd better stay that way, unless you want to go back." She replied.

"Oh, what's wrong with a little fun?"
Alabaster started to remove her glove, but Warren grabbed her wrist sharply. "Ah ah ah, we won't have a repeat of last time, Miss Skunk!"

"Striped Possum, you creep."

"Hey!" I knocked the dog back. "Leave her alone."
Suddenly I felt the cold spike again, and it was enough to distract me until Warren's fist met my cheek. "Ah!"

"Not so tough, are ya!?"

I dodged a kick at my head, flipping back onto my feet. I was ready for a fight, but Alabaster beat me to the punch.

I watched as her eyes glowed red, then she put her exposed hand on Warren's neck, and the dog went down to a little pup, whimpering in the pile of clothes that no longer fit him. "Whoa..."

"He'll only be like this for about an hour." Alabaster put her glove back on. "Are you okay?"

"Give me a second..." I held my hand out in front of me, and slowly, it shifted to crystal. "...I'm great."

"Your powers are returning... I wonder why you lost them in the first place."

I shrugged, but I was curious. Did it have to do with those cold chills I kept feeling?

.............................................................

"Hey!" Alabaster smacked my hand, making the apple I was holding fall back into the basket. "Rule three, 'no eating the produce before you pay for it.'"

I nodded, rubbing my hand as it stung. "This whole thing is very confusing."

"Demonstrated by the fact that you kept looking for who was opening the automatic door for us."

"Perhaps it's a ghost and nobody knows it."

She rolled her eyes then continued onwards. "I'm pretty sure that if there was a ghost haunting the store, somebody would've done something by now."

"I did say 'nobody knows it.'"

"Back in town, Alabaster?" The cashier asked.

"Would she be standing here if she wasn't back in town?" I asked. Alabaster gave a light glare. "...Ma'am?"

The cashier grinned, "Friend of yours?" She giggled.

"Yeah...needed a place to crash." She took my hand away from the shelf before I could put anything else on the conveyer. "He uh...has a head injury that left him kinda childish."

I raised an eyebrow, wondering why she was calling me a child.

The cashier just waved a hand. "No problem. We have lots of interesting people come through here." She handed Alabaster the bag then waved as we left. "Have a good afternoon, Alabaster!"

"You too."

As we wandered back out into the snow, I leaned closer to her. "Childish?"

"Yes." She smirked, "Come to think of it, you were acting your age back there."

I do believe that was the first time I've ever felt my cheeks burn.