Author Notes - Something that makes this story kind of interesting to write is that it takes place several years before the show. Which leaves the actual time period ambiguous because I don't know when exactly The Loud House is supposed to take place. It's seems like it takes place 'now', but 'now' has gone from mid-to-late 2010's to early-to-mid 2020's.

Regardless of the actual time period, it means this story takes place before transgender issues (especially those relating to kids and sports) really entered the public eye. At this point, the most you'd see of transgender people in the media were badly-aged 'jokes' where the punchline was basically 'woman is actually a maaaaan'. In other words, before certain states were pushing things like the Don't Say Gay bill and asking for, um... girls to have their bodies inspected before playing sports. We will be tackling the 'trans girls in sport' topic, but not for a long while.

CHAPTER SIX - WHO I AM INSIDE

Lynn Sr and Rita came to an agreement - they didn't let anyone know about Lynn's transition unless she herself said they could. For now, the knowledge that she was actually a girl stayed between the Louds. And Mr Grouse, apparently. They couldn't think of another person in Royal Woods who was transgender, like their youngest daughter. Well, youngest daughter for now. That didn't necessarily mean there were no other transgender people in town, but the Loud Parents had no idea where to look for something like that.

And keeping their daughter's identity a secret was top priority. Transgender kids were practically unheard of, as far as they were aware, and they didn't want to figure out how people would react the hard way. So, as far as the rest of Royal Woods was concerned, Lynn Jr was still a boy named after 'his' father.

Lynn didn't mind it. Sure, it wasn't pleasant all the time. She could still remember the time, when walking through the sports shop to find something for her next birthday, the shop's owner watched her staring (and practically drooling) over a gorgeous catcher's mitt and laughed to himself.

'Oh, I'm sure your father is proud to have a son like you!' He said. 'Getting so into sports at such a young age.'

Lynn had to summon all of her willpower not to correct this total stranger. After all, she had no idea how he would react if she told him that she was actually her father's daughter and not his son. Would he realise his mistake and call her a girl like she asked? Would he dismiss it as a child's imagination and pretend to 'go along with it'? Would he insist that she was a boy, just because her hair was short and she hated wearing skirts?

Instead, she saved up all her pent-up anger from a whole day of being misgendered into working out. She'd punch that bag until the stuffing came out and her mother was forced to fix it. Her father would tell her over and over how proud he was of his 'littlest girl' as she lifted heavier and heavier weights each day.

And then came the big news…

'Lincoln, you're going to be a big brother!'

Mere months before Lynn's fifth birthday… the seventh Loud Kid was born.

'Lynn… Lynn! I-I think the baby's coming!'

'N-Now? B-But she's not due for another month!'

'WELL, SHE'S COMING NOW!'

Another girl, just like five of the previous six kids. Lincoln voiced his disappointment, sure, but he didn't seem angry about it. Mostly because everyone was too busy being unnerved by this child. Lucy, as her parents named her, had been born a whole month before she was supposed to be. According to their parents, that was usually but not necessarily a bad thing. Four weeks early was more than manageable, even if Lucy came out a little smaller than she should have.

But that wasn't the unnerving part, though it certainly worried Rita and Lynn Sr. The doctors said that Lucy had 'anaemia', which confused Lynn beyond belief but resulted in her having skin so pale that she looked like a vampire. Much like Great Grandma Harriet, who she also shared her strange pitch black hair with. And it was quite a relief that her black hair covered her eyes, because she just stared.

In fact, she left the doctors in quite the panic when she didn't even cry.

It took a few weeks, but Lynn Jr was finally able to meet her little sister. She must've been the only member of the Loud Family who wasn't unnerved by the pale skin or staring eyes under that hair. There was something about this tiny child, resting in her mother's arms, that Lynn gravitated towards. Like this little one was her responsibility, to keep safe from all the meanies in the world.

Lynn, very carefully, peeled back a couple strands of her. Lucy was staring right at her with those tired eyes.

'Hi, Lucy…' She murmured. 'I'm your big sister, Lynn. Well, one of your big sisters. You might not know this, but I'm a girl. Just like you! And you're my little sister. You know what that means? I'm gonna keep ya safe. You're so small that you could get lost in our house. And some mean old jerk could throw you across the room. But I won't let that happen. Cos I'm your big sister!'

Of course, Lucy was too young to say a word. Heck, she was barely making the usual baby noises, much to her parents' worries. But she still reached out a tiny arm towards her big sister. Lynn - as carefully as she could - touched her palm with her finger. There was something about Lucy that made her seem so fragile, like just about anything or anyone could break her.

And Lynn sure as heck wasn't letting that happen.

Lucy was going to be fine. Aside from her pale skin, it was entirely possible that her anaemia wouldn't have any severe consequences aside from a little weakness or a slightly short breath. Her arrival gave Lynn Sr and Rita a few questions to resolve - such as what to do about the room situation - but one question was easily answered:

Lucy was going to grow up knowing she had five older sisters and one older brother. No need to explain the details behind Lynn's identity, unless it was absolutely necessary one day. Lynn was a girl, and there was no need to elaborate.

However, the same day that Lucy had come home, Lynn found herself staring at herself through her bedroom window. Even though she was certain that she was a girl, she still struggled to see anyone but a random boy looking back at her. Her hair was taking forever to grow out, and it certainly wasn't long enough to style into a ponytail yet.

A ponytail. That's what Lynn decided she wanted to do with her hair. It was the most practical for sports, as she saw it. It was tied up so it wouldn't get in her face, but it wasn't complicated like a braid. Just a single elastic band, and that was it.

Sure, short hair didn't mean you looked like a boy. Lori's hair wasn't too long, but she was still obviously a girl. Luan, too, kept her hair in a ponytail that wasn't all that long either. But short hair definitely made Lynn look like a boy, and that was the last thing she wanted. Most people with long hair were girls. Most people with short hair were boys. At least, that was how Lynn saw it.

She didn't want Little Lucy to look up at her, through those dark bangs, and see a boy hovering over her instead of a girl.

'Hey Lynn!'

Lynn jumped; Leni had barged into her room as though Lynn had given her permission. Which she didn't. Leni didn't even knock and walked inside anyway. Lynn wanted to be mad, but her second-oldest sister always carried a smile that was so sweet and sappy that she couldn't work herself up.

'Uh, hi, Leni,' She said, trying to hide that she was frightened.

'What are you looking at?' Leni asked. 'Is it a bird? … Wait, no, you like sports. Is there a really cool, um, football in the backyard?'

'I'm just looking at my reflection. At least, I think it's my reflection.'

Leni tilted her head. 'Whose reflection would it be if it wasn't yours?'

'It doesn't look like me. It just looks like a boy.'

'... Oh.'

Lynn wasn't certain if Leni really did get it. No one in the household ever did. Leni's heart was one of the strongest and biggest in all of Royal Woods, but when it came to her smarts… that's a department where she was somewhat lacking. Not that Lynn would ever tell that to her face; just mentioning it was enough to get her parents mad at her, even if Leni wasn't in the room or even the house.

'Hey, I know what could make you look more like a girl!' Leni said, stepping closer. 'We could get you a really cute dress! I could even make you one if you want. You like the colour red, right? That's a good colour. It's very bold. Just like you! I-'

'Nooo thanks,' Lynn said, making sure to emphasise that first word. 'I may be a girl, but I hate dresses. I don't wanna be uncomfortable all the time just so people will realise I'm a girl. They should know I'm a girl without that!'

'Oh.' Leni's smile faded, but only for a moment. 'But that's okay! A lot of girls don't like wearing dresses. Doesn't make you any less of a girl! And sometimes boys wear them too, and they're still boys. So maybe a dress wouldn't really help.'

'If you find a way to make my hair grow, lemme know.'

'Okay!'

Leni left the room in a hurry, being considerate enough to close the door behind her. It left Lynn alone to stare at her reflection some more. She didn't realise that Leni had gone straight to their parents to ask them a question, and hurried back as soon as she got the answer. It was enough to make Lynn jump again.

'I asked Mom and Dad about it…' Leni said. 'And, uh, they said that hair takes a while to grow. Sorry.'

Lynn sighed. 'That's… okay. You tried. I guess.'

'I'll keep trying, though!'

And Leni left the room again. This time, she didn't return. Either her quest for longer hair kept her busy, or she forgot about the whole thing almost immediately. Lynn chuckled to herself as she thought about it; knowing Leni, it totally could've been the latter. Once again, Lynn was never going to say that out loud, lest she receive the wrath of her parents.

Lynn, too, had forgotten all about this interaction. She was sitting on the couch, having fought Lori for ownership of the TV. As always, she won, and no amount of 'eldest child privileges' were going to help Lori out this time.

'HEY!' Lynn shouted. 'That was a foul! Stupid referee…'

'LYYYNNNNN!' Lori yelled from upstairs. 'I let you watch the TV as long as you do it QUIETLY!'

The utter injustice on display in front of her boiled her blood. How could the referee let that team get away with an infraction so blatant! The people in the stadium were booing too. Heck, even some supporters of that very team were complaining. That referee was definitely biased. After all, she never gave yellow or red cards to one team, but was constantly on the ball (pun not intended) when it came to the other team.

And Lynn definitely wasn't just angry because it was her favourite team that was getting all the fouls. Never. How could you think something like that?

'Hey, Lynn!'

The titular girl let out a groan - that was Leni again. This time, the blonde was practically skipping down the stairs while oblivious to the danger of doing so. Though Lynn was quite young, she could easily identify that smile. That was the 'doing dress shopping' smile…

'I'm going to the mall!' Leni said. 'Wanna come with me?'

Lynn threw back her head and groaned. 'Not unless we're buying a taller basketball hoop. The one we've got now is way too low.'

'Oh. That's okay! There's something I want to buy for you. It's a-'

'Leni, it's a surprise!' Rita said, as she entered the living room. 'Remember?'

'Oops. Sorry. I forgot it's supposed to be a surprise!'

Lynn rolled her eyes and said nothing. It was probably a dress, as much as she had complained about that. After all, it didn't seem strange for Leni to forget something like that.

'Do you think she'll like it?' Leni asked her mother. 'I really wanna make her happy!'

'I'm sure she'll love it,' Rita replied, putting her hand on Leni's shoulder. 'From what you've told me, it's just what she needs.'

Leni shook her fists around. 'EEEEE! Come on, Mom! The sooner we get the h… uh, I mean, the thing, the sooner that Lynn can use it!'

She rushed out the door, apparently forgetting that her mother was the one with the keys. Rita sighed and smiled in that 'oh, what am I going to do with you' kind of way. A kind of smile that just about every one of her kids had seen at least a few times.

Lynn was in no position to make fun of Leni's forgetfulness, because she - once again - had forgotten the whole discussion the very moment the van had left the driveway. She was just too mad at all the rule-breaking on display to think about anything else. It didn't take long until her TV time had been finished, and it was Luan's turn instead.

'Sorry, sis!' She said. 'But they're gonna be talking about Joannie Sassafra today. And I can't miss that for the world!'

It must've been serious, because Luan didn't tell any terrible jokes about it. Lynn wasn't happy, but the game had been finished, so she could handle going back to her room. Anyway, she had some exercises she had to keep up with.

She was barely into pumping her little weights, however, when Leni got home again. Leni didn't waste any time and rushed up to her bedroom and slammed the door open. She was holding something behind her back.

'Hi, Lynn!' She said, with a massive smile on her face.

'AH!' Lynn yelped, dropping her weights. 'LENI! Can't you at least knock or something?'

The smile on Leni's face curved downwards. 'Oh, sorry.' And then her smile came back. 'But I got you something that I know you'll really like!'

All those work-outs made Lynn's lungs quite strong, so she was able to let out a looong and pained groan. She threw her head back so much that it's a surprise her neck didn't snap.

'Leni, I told you!' She said. 'I don't want to wear dresses. How did you forget that so quickly?'

'I didn't forget that,' Leni said. 'I know you don't like dresses. And that's okay! I actually wanted to get you something else.'

'Is it sports-related? In any way?'

'I… don't think it is. What do you think?'

She revealed the gift in all of its glory, albeit without an epic reveal of any kind. Lynn wasn't sure what it was, but it certainly wasn't sports-related. And yet, the sight of it made her eyes sparkle. It looked like long locks of brown hair, matching the colour of her own perfectly. It was tied up at one end, much like a ponytail.

A ponytail.

'W-What is it?' Lynn asked, words almost failing her. 'I… I-I think I like it.'

'Oh. It's a hair extension!' Leni replied. 'I got the idea to pick one up because you said that you wanted a ponytail. But hair takes too long to grow, and I think you wanted one now. So I bought you one of these! If you put it on, it'll look just like a real ponytail! So you won't have to wait.'

Lynn sprung from her spot and yanked the ponytail out of Leni's hands, staring at it like it was the trophy of a world tournament. It seemed so silly for a simple fistful of hair to amaze her so much, but it was a symbol of hope and dreams. As cheesy as that might sound.

'Do you want me to put it on?' Leni asked.

She had barely finished asking the question, when-

'YES!' Lynn yelled. 'Put it on right now! Now-now-now-now-now!'

Leni giggled. 'Okay! I even bought a little red hairband, to make it look a little more real. You want that too?'

'YESSSSS!'

It didn't take long for Leni to do her hair. Lynn was rather surprised with how well she did it; apparently, when it came to matters of fashion, Leni was actually a genius. The very moment that Leni's hands stopped making contact with her hands, Lynn made a mad dash for the bathroom. The window just wouldn't do it today; she needed something clearer.

'HEY!' Luna yelled as she dashed past. 'I was here first!'

Lynn didn't pay her any mind as she dashed into the room and climbed onto the sink. There, she had a clear view of her reflection in the mirror. She turned her head just slightly, so she could better see the ponytail so perfectly clipped onto her hair. And the strangest thing happened.

The strange boy that she had been seeing in the mirror for years was gone. It was as if he had disappeared, or was even 'lost' in an accident. There was only one person staring back at her now: a girl. But not just any girl.

Herself.

'So, do you like the way it looks?' Leni asked, from right behind her. 'I got a ponytail one cos I think that's what you wanted. I hope I didn't get that wrong. Again.'

At first, Lynn's mind simply didn't process what her eyes were looking at. As simple as that, her reflection had truly become her reflection, not that of a strange boy who happened to look a lot like her. Then, it finally hit her. It overwhelmed her. Tears flooded her eyes and rushed down her cheeks like waterfalls.

'It's… m-me…' She said, hardly able to speak. 'I-It's really me.'

That's who she really was. Not some random boy with a strikingly similar appearance. No. For the first time in her life, she could look into the mirror and see herself. A simple act that the vast majority of people took for granted.

'Uh, so do you like it?' Leni asked again. 'I-I know that sometimes people cry when they're happy, but I'm not sure if-'

'I LOVE IT!'

Lynn leapt from the sink and into a big embrace. It was enough to make Leni stumble, almost enough to send them both tumbling to the floor. Leni was certainly surprised at first, but reciprocated the hug in a way only she could.

'T-Thank you so much, Leni!' Lynn cried, between sobs and sniffles. 'I-I didn't think I-I could ever… but I… I really look like me now!'

She glanced back at the mirror, and it only brought those emotions up again. Never before had she cried so much, and certainly not so happily. The rest of her family was now witnessing her emotional breakdown, but - for once - she didn't care. The other people in the world didn't matter. They could've laughed at her (not that they would), and she still wouldn't have cared.

And Leni didn't care that Lynn was getting various body fluids over her dress.

Among those watching were Lynn Sr and Rita. Rita had a smile on her face, relieved to see that her fifth daughter could finally see herself in the mirror. Lynn Sr, on the other hand, was breaking down into happy tears as well. Just a lot less elegently.

'S-She's finally happy!' He said. 'T-T-To look into the m-m-mirror. I-I'M SOO–OOOO-OOO HAPPY FOR HER!'

Rita patted his back gently. 'There, there, Honey. I know, it's beautiful, isn't it?'

Author Notes - This ending scene was directly inspired by several accounts from actual transgender people. I have read many stories of trans people making some sort of change to their appearance, like wearing a skirt or cutting their hair short, and then getting all emotional when they see themselves in the mirror. They get emotional because it's the first time they can remember looking into a mirror and seeing themselves instead of a stranger.

I'm a cis woman who's never really had any problems seeing herself in the mirror (which I hear is a rare experience even for cis people), so the thought of this kind of blows my mind. I can barely comprehend how amazing it must feel to see yourself for the first time as you, so I hope I was able to capture this wonderful moment.