Moonspear asphyxiated

Alya snapped her head back when the stranger turned toward her, and in the moment, she was sure she'd escaped the encounter unscathed. A moment later, the wolf was dead, and Alya had already turned to Hydra with excited praises when Amekaze came and licked her cheek. The girl paused her worship of the Conquering Princess ("You're so strong and brave! Thank you for saving me!") to offer her mother a kind (and entirely exasperated) lick in return.

"I'm fine, mama," she assured, tail wagging behind her. "Hy just has a little nick on her shoulder, and I think she might've gotten my... my...."

Alya wiggled her right ear, ignoring the sting that accompanied the movement. There was something strange and... loose about it. "Hy..." she mumbled, feeling dizzy, all of the sudden. "Hy, does it... do I look okay?"

And it was only a little notch halfway up her ear, along the outer edge - but a sick feeling was growing in the pit of her stomach. She turned to her mother.

"Mama, will you fix it?" she asked in a strained falsetto, failing to achieve the calm facade she'd been hoping for. Because she could not be Hydra. Not when she was so clearly marked as... as...

Who was she? Could she even still be Alya, or would Hydra and Lyra have to take up that part between them for good?