Oaths are made, alliances forged, friendships kindled, and enemies revealed, as Becca prepares for the final confrontation with the Cat Goddess and her "children." Who would have thought "making out" would lead to the beginning of the end?

by Randalynn

---

 
 

"Love is the only force capable of transforming
an enemy into a friend." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
"There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be
well prepared to meet the enemy." -- George Washington
 
"Bring 'em on. I prefer a straight fight
to all this sneaking around." -- Han Solo

 
 
Nearly everyone was unhappy with my solution to Leander's problem.

Well, Mrs. Graymalkin liked the idea, but then again, she'd thought of it first. The Arbiters were angry with me for trusting someone they believed to be beyond redemption, and Heather was worried I was giving Leander too much credit, considering how hard she tried to kill me the first time we met.

We took a few days to work out the oaths to the best of our ability, and they were reviewed and approved by Mrs. Graymalkin. Leander had assumed I would have the ceremony both witnessed and bound by the Arbiters to ensure her compliance, but I told her that would completely defeat the purpose behind it all.

"We need to trust each other," I said, sitting across from Leander at her kitchen table a few days later. "The only reason I would use the Arbiters to enforce the oaths would be if I didn't trust you to abide by it, and I do. I know you'll keep your word, so who needs them? Besides, I've only just managed to get you free of them. I'm certainly not going to give them a way to take you back. The one thing they never expected from me was my giving you a free and unconditional parole, based entirely on your own sense of honor. Considering how angry they are about the entire situation, they could spend the next fifty years finding fault with everything you do. They'll keep insisting you've broken the agreement somehow, just to get you away from me and back under their control. I can't allow it. I won't."

Leander was dressed in a comfy red velvet blouse and a pair of black Capri pants, with her hair falling in gentle curls over her shoulders. She looked at me over the rim of her glass of wine and smiled.

"Thank you," she said simply, but her eyes sparkled. "I see my trust in you is not misplaced. I hope I prove worthy of yours." Then she grinned. "Besides, anyone who angers the Arbiters on my behalf is more than worthy of both my service and my loyalty."

"The oath binds both of us, even before we take it." I raised my own glass and touched it to my lips, savoring the sweetness before continuing. "I serve you as much as you serve me. We protect each other."

"As it has always been, milady. And speaking of protecting you, aren't you a little ... young for wine?" Leander asked, her lip twitching slightly. It was my turn to smile.

"I guess that depends on whose calendar you use. On Jack's, I'm just fine. As Becca, I've got a few years to go. But emotionally, I'm a responsible adult. Considering everything I'm dealing with right now, I'd better be."

"You seem remarkably mature to me." Leander hid her smile behind her glass. "Except when you're acting like a lovesick schoolgirl."

"Well, sometimes I AM a lovesick schoolgirl." I grinned, but just thinking of Tommy made me blush. Leander caught it in the fluorescent lights of the kitchen, and as I turned away and took another sip, she shook her head and reached out to me. Surprised, I took her hand.

"Tell me something?" she asked, her face suddenly serious.

I looked into her eyes, a little confused, and nodded. "If I can."

"Why would you choose this, Becca?" She squeezed my fingers gently, as if trying to hold my attention. "Why would you toss away everything you had as a man for the chance to be a woman?"

I could see that this was no attack. She was genuinely curious. As I thought about her question, I suddenly realized that she seemed far more relaxed than I had ever seen her. Since I sent Joey into that pocket universe, she had more control over her day-to-day existence than she'd had in five centuries. She could have chosen to appear as mannish as possible, to distance herself from what she had been. Instead, she sat and held herself with an easy femininity I found slightly confusing. She seemed both more and less comfortable with herself and her surroundings than she had been a few days ago, and I wasn't quite sure where it was coming from, or why.

"It wasn't exactly my choice to be a thirteen-year-old girl," I replied, buying time. Leander shook her head and looked at me from under lowered eyelashes.

"Please, no evasions," she said, her tone serious and sure. "Not between us. This is important to me."

I gave her a sheepish smile and a brief nod, acknowledging my attempt to avoid the question. She smiled back. "I realize that this wasn't truly a choice for you. I know you always knew you were truly a woman inside ... all your life. But you were born a man, and without magic or expensive surgery, you were destined to remain that way. Why not just accept the reality of who you were and play the hand you were dealt?"

"I did, as well as I could and for as long as I could." My eyes drifted towards the ceiling as I thought back to the man I was. "But as good as I was at living that way, a part of me always knew the truth. I don't like lies as a general rule, and living a lie became ... a trial."

"And now? Is it everything you could have hoped for?"

I thought about it, and Leander let me. A kind of quiet rapport had grown between us since the night I rescued her from her "husband." It felt like she was slowly putting together a picture of her world and her relationship with it, and with me. Apparently, the centuries of being forced to play the brainless sex toy had given her a new respect for being able to think things through ... for weighing alternatives and taking the time to consider consequences.

It suited her.

She waited patiently for her answer, and finally I shrugged. "I've only been physically female for a few weeks or so, if you count my time as an infant. And I've been dealing with a lot of things that have little to do with the girl I've become. I've barely scratched the surface of how this feels to me, and what it means. But I do know this: when I wake up in the morning, I feel ... whole. I'm complete, in a way I never felt before. In spite of everything that's happened, I am Rebecca Jane Barnes. And it feels good."

There was another silence. Leander took a sip of wine as her eyes wandered across her kitchen, and she smiled. "I am happy for you, Becca, truly. But my problem, it seems, is just the opposite of the one you used to face. You always knew who you really were. I, however, am not quite sure who I am anymore."

There was a long silence, and I could sense this was difficult for her. In a way, she was acknowledging her trust in me by exposing a weakness, and taking me into her confidence. I said nothing, just waited. Nothing I could say would make this any easier.

"When I was first changed, I was eighteen years old -- a mage and a king, with lands to protect and an army sworn to make my word the law. I had tremendous power and an ego to go with it." She looked down at the tabletop, and her voice became small. "I was petty and cruel. I played with people's lives, and rejoiced in how easy it was to destroy the happiness of others. After being played with for five centuries, I know now how wrong I was. But back then, the world was mine, and in my heart, I knew that was just how it should be. "

Leander looked back up at me, and her eyes seemed to flash with anger. "Then, suddenly, without warning, I was a woman. I was small and pretty, and ... less than I was. Nothing but a poor man's wife, property of a hulking farmer of a husband. In the eyes of the law, I was little more than livestock." She took a deep breath. "To say I was in shock would be an understatement. I retreated from reality, ran inside myself and hid for weeks. My new body went on without me, doing her chores, satisfying her man."

"One day, I came to my senses with him inside me, trapped under his sweating, stinking body. The feeling of him inside me nearly sent me away again, but the orgasm that had started in my new body before I awoke built and exploded all around me as my 'husband' grunted and pushed his way to his own. Strangely, it grounded me, and kept me there when all I wanted to do was flee."

"Once he had finished, he rolled off of me with scarcely a glance and left the room, I felt control coming back to me. I reached out with my magic to regain my body and my throne, only to find nothing there but emptiness. I was cut off from the mystic realm completely -- powerless and frightened. And alone."

She looked down into her glass. "Without me to hold it together, my empire crumbled, as empires often do. I watched it destroy itself and wept as it died -- but only when I was alone. Whenever he was present, I was just as you saw me the other night -- a dutiful and obedient wife, eager for his touch, always willing and anxious to please. I was his for twenty years, then one morning I woke up still young as the wife of another, then another, and another."

"Since then, I have lived almost five hundred years in this body. I have experienced thousands of cycles of blood and pain and engaged in an endless parade of sexual acrobatics for the amusement of my 'husbands.' One would think after all of that, I would embrace returning to what I once was, and leave all this behind. And yet ..." She shook herself all over and took a sip of wine.

"And yet," I said softly, "this is who you are now, isn't it? Being a woman is all you have known, for far longer than you ever were a man."

Leander nodded and turned her eyes to mine. "The other morning, after you had taken Joey away, I woke up completely free of anyone else's influence for the first time in centuries. I was finally liberated, and anxious to take my first steps into a brighter future. So how did I celebrate my new freedom?" Sarcasm gave every word a bitter edge. "I took a long hot bath, dressed up in something pretty, and went out to the salon for a complete makeover."

Her voice dropped nearly to a whisper. "And when I came out hours later, primped and painted, I was watched by every man I passed. Part of me ... enjoyed the attention. The rest of me was ... well, ashamed. Even without Joey above me, I am beaten. I have become what they made me. After all of these years, I have lost ... myself."

"No, you haven't." She raised her eyes and stared at me. I caught a glimpse of a tear in her eye, but also a flash of hope. "Leander, did you ... approach any of those men? Did you want to give them whatever they wanted?" She shook her head warily. "Were sex and obedience the only things you had on your mind?" Leander shook her head, and I smiled. "See? This isn't about your punishment anymore. You were, and still are, in control."

Her face clouded, and her confusion rose to the surface. "But ... I don't understand, then. If that's true, why the bath? The clothing? The salon?"

"Why not? You could do whatever you liked, and that's what you chose to do. They made you feel good, didn't they?" Leander thought, chewing her lower lip, then nodded. I smiled. "You haven't lost yourself. You've just changed. You just did the things you liked to do, because you wanted to. On your first day of freedom, you chose to do things that made you feel good -- all things you've come to enjoy, despite the circumstances in which you discovered them."

I could see the wheels turning in her head, and gave her a smile. "It seems to me you're just exploring. Over time, you've come to enjoy some parts of being a beautiful woman. It's not a crime, you know -- you ARE a beautiful woman. With the programming gone, you're discovering you actually like some of the things that gave you pleasure in the past."

She shook her head. "It seems wrong, somehow. I feel cheated ... like I have been twisted into something I should never have been."

"Because it's true, Leander. Your choices were stripped from you, and you are not what you were." I shrugged. "But none of us is, really. We are all works in progress, shaped by time and circumstance, and who we are changes from moment to moment, for all of our lives. You've been trapped in a string of intensely female moments for over 500 years -- and all those moments, all those lives, changed who you are inside."

"What you're feeling now isn't a bad thing, hon. Far from it. You're taking the first steps towards figuring out who you really are, and who you want to be." I put my hand on top of hers and squeezed gently. "We can't go back and change what has been. We can only move forward from here. So take your time. Find your destiny. Stay as you are until you know which path is right for you. I will help when I can, but in the end, the journey is yours alone to take."

Leander looked at me for a moment, fear battling hope in her eyes. Then she turned her hand over and took mine in hers. We sat there for a while in silence, holding hands, drinking wine, and thinking about the past -- and what the future had in store for us both.

###

The next night, we gathered in Mrs. Graymalkin's Studio. The front windows had been magically altered to show nothing to passersby. This was a formal event, by invitation only.

Mrs. Graymalkin stood on the small stage with Heather slightly behind her, both of them dressed formally for the occasion in white blouses and long black skirts, stockings and pumps.

The Arbiters had chosen to use my reflection to once again manifest themselves in the dance studio's mirrors, but the petulant, angry expression on my doppleganger's face was nothing I would ever be proud to display on my own.

Akomachi floated above them all, a happy smile on her face. Her love for me filled the room.

When I had revealed Akomachi's involvement in my life and my new status as a kitsune (and Akomachi's daughter), Mrs. Graymalkin warmly welcomed her to her studio for the oath-taking. But the Arbiters viewed her with suspicion bordering on hatred, although they continued to treat her politely. 'A victory of protocol over anger and frustration,' I mused. 'They only see her as one more magical entity turning their champion against them.'

Heather was still slightly in awe of the fox spirit, but Akomachi's acceptance of Heather as my adopted sister banished her initial fear and filled the newly transformed girl with a warmth and acceptance of her own. The kitsune might be something new to her, but Heather had been out of her comfort zone magically since her transformation. Even though she still feared raw magic in any form, Heather trusted me implicitly. That trust alone almost brought me to tears. So when I told her Akomachi was a friend and ally, Heather just nodded once and opened her heart to her.

When they embraced for the first time, I did cry with happiness, and hugged Heather hard when they parted.

When the time came, Leander and I stood before them all. Our hair was loose, tumbling over our shoulders, and we wore matching green dresses with long and flowing skirts -- a simple cut that flattered us both.

"You may begin." Mrs. Graymalkin's voice was firm and commanding. We turned and faced each other, and Leander sank to her knees in a single fluid motion. She looked up into my eyes, took my hands in hers, and spoke from her heart.

"I do hereby promise and swear that I will bear true and unwavering allegiance to Rebecca Jane Barnes, the one true Advocate; that I will serve her faithfully as her friend, counsel and protector; and that I will obey her every command without question or reservation, and place my body and soul in service to her mission, until her death, or such time as she releases me from this oath. On my honor, this night, Leander Valéry Aleron de Lorraine."

She released my hands and bowed her head, awaiting my response. I stepped forward, placed my hand upon her shoulder, and spoke in a gentle yet commanding tone I didn't know I possessed.

"I, the one true Advocate, do accept this oath of fealty and service from Leander Valéry Aleron de Lorraine. I promise and swear to accept her service and protection with gratitude and respect, her counsel with an open heart and mind, and her friendship with my own. I will guide her and protect her to the best of my abilities, and reward the depth of her commitment to me with a commitment of my own -- to help her find her one true path and the peace it will bring her. On my honor, this night, Rebecca Jane Barnes."

I moved my hand to her chin and raised her face until our eyes met. Then I pulled her to her feet, wrapped my arms around her, and squeezed her tight. She looked frightened, just for an instant, then smiled and squeezed back.

"Duly notes and witnessed, on this day and this hour by Olivia Margaret Graymalkin, Heather Anne Thomas, the Arbiters of the Omnipresence, and Akomachi of the Kitsune. Welcome, Leander, to our fight ... and into our hearts." With those last words, Mrs. Graymalkin gave the Arbiters in the mirror an angry glare, as if daring them to contradict her.

I pulled back and looked at my champion with a smile, only to find tears of joy pouring down her cheeks. Not knowing what else to do, I kissed the tip of her nose and held her close again, and she held me tight and laughed as she cried.

'My family just keeps getting larger,' I thought happily. Akomachi smiled at me from the stage and nodded.

'That's as it should be, daughter,' she spoke in my head. 'For when the battle is joined, true family will stand beside you, and meet your enemies without fear.'

I reached out and touched her with my soul. 'I love you, Casa.'

A wave of affection rolled over me. 'I love you too, Becca-chan.'

###

After the ceremony, Mrs. Graymalkin had arranged for a celebratory dinner in a nearby restaurant. Leander and I still wore the pretty green dresses, and Heather and Mrs. Graymalkin were still in their black skirts and white blouses. Akomachi had shifted into the form of a beautiful Japanese woman with striking reddish-gold hair and a demure smile. Having no easy way to manifest themselves, the Arbiters were watching (and listening) but had no way to contribute.

The information Leander had promised back in the hospital helped narrow down the Cat's origins, or at least track her back through the earliest records of her existence. Back when Leander had been a warrior-mage-king, there had been traces of unfamiliar magic on the edges of his domain. Carefully woven scrying spells had given him scattered images of a cat woman being worshipped by a group of local farmers. Along with the images came a sense of tremendous power. Not wanting to meet this kind of threat without knowing his enemy, Leander ordered his scholars to find out what they could. The information they uncovered made Leander decide to leave this cat goddess alone, at least until his personal power became great enough to make victory a certainty.

She was called araNyamArjAra in texts Leander had magically translated from the original Sanskrit. She was described as a minor deity in the Indo-Aryan pantheon, but from what Leander's scholars could determine at the time, her position in the pantheon was by her own choice, negotiated with the various gods and goddess to allow coexistence without being assimilated. The fact that she could negotiate with the pantheon at all indicated that she wielded considerable power -- enough to make even a god consider compromise.

But Leander's scholars had traced her history even further back, to references found on a stone tablet rescued from the ruins of the library of Ashurbanipal, the king of Assyria from 669-633 B.C. Written in the Akkadian language, it told of the Sumerian king Gilgamesh and his encounter with an unnamed goddess of great power who appeared to be both human and feline. Even though Gilgamesh was not a magic user by nature, he was supposedly two-thirds god and one-third human, and with this innate power, he managed to fight the feline goddess to a standstill. Impressed, she agreed to leave his kingdom and not return while he was its king.

Since Leander was not even partially a god, he determined that his best course of action was to leave her alone and hope that she would eventually find another part of the world to make her home. Unfortunately for him, one of those he had wronged begged the goddess to bring him low, and with a wave of her tail, she transformed him and allowed everything he built to collapse into chaos while he was forced to watch.

When Leander finished telling what she knew, everyone at the table was silent.

"Well," I said, patting my lips with a napkin. "This tells us a lot."

"It does?" Heather sounded confused, and looked around the table. "I mean, it's interesting and all, but is there anything we can really use? It doesn't sound like she has any weaknesses ... does it?"

"It's not about weaknesses, child," Mrs. Graymalkin said with a smile. "It's more about understanding who she is and how she interacts with others."

"Exactly," Akomachi smiled as well, her voice warm and welcoming. "Remember, Heather, knowing your enemy is the first step in determining how to defeat her. Or even if you need to defeat her at all."

Heather still looked confused, so I took her hand and squeezed. She faced me, her face wearing a puzzled frown.

"It's like this, hon," I said. "From her history with the Indo-Aryan pantheon, we learned that the Cat Goddess had power, but chose to use it as leverage to bargain for what she truly wanted. She negotiated for -- and received -- a lower position within their existing system. I don't think she wanted power within the pantheon. I think she just wanted a little recognition -- a way to gain worshippers without having to conform to the hierarchy of the pantheon itself."

"From her history with Gilgamesh, we learned that she respects strength." Akomachi grinned at me, letting me know that her interruption was more a tease than a belief I couldn't figure it out. I smiled back and nodded. "When Gilgamesh proved to be her equal in battle, she agreed to leave voluntarily and not return during his reign."

"And what of my story?" Leander asked, her finger drifted around the rim of her wine glass. The edge in her voice betrayed the feeling behind her question. "What does that tell us?"

I turned to face her. "From your story, we learned that she occasionally behaved as a proper goddess, listening to her worshippers and using her powers for their benefit. She felt an obligation to help them -- although based on my conversation with her in the pit, I believe her opinion of humans has gone down drastically since then."

"Perhaps it is because she no longer has human worshippers." Mrs. Graymalkin stirred some sugar into her tea and took a sip. "Perhaps she feels that humanity abandoned her, and her response is to strike out at them with anger."

"I get the sense she's not attacking humans just because they are humans," I said. "It's more because she understands them, and they serve a dual purpose. Abusing them helps her teach her 'children' to abandon the best of human values. It also feeds her personal guard of pain eaters."

"And yet, for all her talk of human values being weak and inappropriate for her kind, she was quick to feel compassion for me." Akomachi looked at me. "She was quick to feel my pain and loss, and to sympathize."

"Because your problem was very much like hers?"

Akomachi considered, then nodded. "Or she viewed me as an equal, and worthy of her sympathy."

Silence fell again. I sensed that everyone was curious about Akomachi's problem, but were unsure whether it was proper to ask. Her addition to the mix had brought wisdom, but also left many confused as to how we had managed to acquire her allegiance -- not to mention how to behave in her presence.

Again, Heather broke the silence.

"So, we know more, but it doesn't help us free Mike and his friends." She sounded sad.

"It doesn't help us yet, hon. But everything we know brings us closer to finding an answer. Just a few days ago, we didn’t even know exactly what we were facing. Now we do. And we're learning how she thinks and feels." I reached out and took her hand. "It's a start."

"But every day ..." Heather couldn't continue. I could see the tears in her eyes. Akomachi took her other hand, and she looked up, surprised.

"This will not last, Heather. We are all working on this together, and we are formidable. Until Becca-chan's arrival, the situation remained unseen and unknown. Now, in the course of a week, we have determined what is going on, who is responsible, and why it is happening. The only question that remains is ... how do we stop it?"

Heather hesitated, then suddenly spoke, her words coming out in a rush. "Well, you're strong, and you're on our side. Couldn't you just ... take her on?"

Akomachi furrowed her brow, confused. "Take her on?"

"You know ... one-on-one, single combat, fight to the finish?"

The fox spirit's human face lit up in perfect comprehension. "Ah! You wish me to do battle with the Cat, and force her to submit to your will?"

"Ummm ... our will, but yeah. Save the boys -- and the girls, too, if this isn't really their fault."

Akomachi looked at me, and I looked back, shrugging my shoulders. The kitsune sighed.

"I am sorry, Heather. I cannot fight her. I can advise you in your own quest to resolve this, but direct action is denied to me, unless I am defending someone who specifically asked for my help."

"But you helped Becca --"

I held up a hand. "No, Heather. In the pit, I called to Akomachi with my power, my respect, and my need. She saw it as a cry for help, and came to rescue me before the Cat could harm me. She cannot attack the Cat without direct provocation, or risk creating an inter-pantheon conflict. There are rules dealing with how different pantheons interact, and Akomachi cannot break them without penalty."

Heather opened her mouth to argue, and I shook my head. "We can't cause a war, sis. We humans have a legitimate cause for action against the Cat. Akomachi does not."

"How do you know all this?" Heather looked frustrated, and I wished I could reach over and hug her. But she was too far away, so I did what I could, touching her soul with mine.

"Blame the Arbiters, or the Omnipresence." I felt Heather respond to the touch and saw her smile. "I've got a library or two of magical info in my head that comes when I need it. This isn't the first time I'm going to blind-side you with new data, sis, and I'm sorry. But at least you can take comfort in knowing that I get surprised all the time, in my own head."

"Don't be too concerned, Heather." She turned to face Mrs. Graymalkin. The woman looked back at her, a small smile playing across her lips. "Remember, the Advocate is our chosen champion. It is Becca's duty to rescue those children, and defend humanity from those who would treat us as prey. She can do it. I believe in her. You should, too."

"I do!" Heather's voice held concern, and something else. Fear. "I just ..."

I reached across the table and took her hand. "You just don't want to lose a friend, now that you've found one."

She squeezed my hand. "I don't want to lose you, Becca. I love you."

"You won't lose me. I'm not in this to fail, hon. Trust me."

"I do! It's just ... " She stood up quickly, biting her lip, and ran from the table.

I rose from my chair, hesitated for a second, and took off after her. Leander started to rise as well, but I saw Mrs. Graymalkin touch her arm and shake her head.

###

I found Heather in the ladies lounge, which was just inside the rest room door. She was sitting on the sofa, staring at her feet and wringing her hands. I sat down next to her, put my arm around her, and gave her a hug. She was trembling.

I didn't say a word, just held her for a while. Eventually the trembling stopped, and I touched her chin and turned her head until she faced me.

"What is it, sis?" I said gently, barely above a whisper. "What's wrong?"

"Me," she replied, a catch in her voice. She swallowed, and a few tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm wrong. You're going to be facing an ancient goddess with the power to change reality, and I can't help. Everyone at that table out there has something to offer -- magic, wisdom, something. I've got nothing."

"That's not true!"

"It IS." More tears welled up in Heather's eyes. "You were there for me when I needed you. I want to be there for you, too. I want to fight beside you to keep you safe, so you can save everyone else. But I'm just human. All I am now is a victim and a target. If I'm anywhere near you when it all goes down, you're going to have to keep me safe. That means I'm going to wind up making it harder for you to do your job."

There was a long silence. I thought for a moment, looked into her eyes, and nodded.

"You're right." She looked stunned. I went on, my tone as serious as I could make it. "Right now, without a way to defend yourself, you're in danger. You all are. You, Mom, Emma ... and Jeremy."

Then I smiled. "So I guess we'll have to make a magic user out of you, too."

Her jaw dropped in astonishment. "You mean it? Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

She squealed and hugged me close. I closed my eyes and hugged her back, and felt her happiness about finally getting to help. I pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, sis," I whispered. "I really am. But I've been thinking about this for a while, and the truth is, I need your help more than you realize. Mom, Emma and Jeremy live in blissful ignorance. They have no idea my job makes them targets for vengeance from every two-bit spell-slinger or demonic predator in the Omniverse. But I can't do my job and still defend the people I love, every minute of every day."

"That's why I need you to do it for me. I've checked your potential, and so has Mrs. Graymalkin. You can wield magic, if you're properly taught. But you can't fight beside me, because I need you to watch my back and keep my family ... our family ... safe. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded and hugged me again. "Of course, Becca. I'm glad you trust me enough to let me help."

"Heather, you're my sister now. I wouldn't trust their safety to anyone else." I smiled. "So let's get you some training and see how good you can be."

"How am I going to train? With Mrs. Graymalkin?"

"Eventually," I replied, "But for now, I think I'll share some of what I've learned to give you a head start. Defensive magic is the easiest to learn, so hold still." Thinking carefully, I leaned forward and kissed her forehead, willing the knowledge to flow from me directly into her. It only took a few seconds, and then I broke from the kiss and looked into her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Heather seemed slightly dazed, but the small smile that played on her lips was proof enough my method worked. She nodded.

"I can feel something there, but I can't reach it. It's like knowing that you know a fact but not being able to remember it." She cocked her head at me, a question in her eyes. "Does that make sense?"

"Completely, sis." I stood up and offered her a hand. She took it and rose to her feet. "I think you need some triggering event to bring the magic forward, like mine did when Leander attacked me."

Suddenly, she looked afraid. "You're not going to --"

I shook my head. "Oh, no. Don't be silly. Anyway, it wouldn't work now. If Leander attacked you, you'd know it wasn't real."

"Don't be so sure, Becca," Heather looked away and bit her lip. "You know I still don't trust her."

I touched her chin and brought her back around to face me. "Well, I do, and she gave me her oath. It'll be all right, you'll see. She's not the same person who attacked me a few weeks ago."

As Heather opened the door to the hall outside, I heard her mutter, "She looks the same to me."

I sighed. 'This partnership may take some time to come together,' I thought. 'I just hope it doesn't take Leander another 500 years to gain Heather's trust.'

###

Since my many visits to Leander's home had helped me to master teleportation, I started visiting Mike and his transformed friends every night after their parents and sisters had gone to bed. Mike had let them all know I existed, but I wanted them to actually see me and talk with me. I wanted them to know I was real, so they would have something to hang onto until I could straighten out this whole mess and get their lives back. All of them broke down and cried in my arms, happy to have hope for an end to their torment. But Tina, the boy-turned-infant-girl, just stared at me with blank eyes, sucking on a pacifier, and I found myself worrying that I might not be able to bring his mind back from wherever it had gone to escape his powerlessness.

The trouble was, I didn't know exactly how to proceed. I knew a lot more about the Cat Goddess and her power than I used to, but not enough to get the boys their lives back -- not without a confrontation I wasn't sure I could win. I didn't want to rush into a magical "cat fight" (insert groans here) until I had a battle plan I felt good about, but nothing had occurred to me in the days immediately following the oath-taking ceremony.

Part of me was scared as well. Secondhand, through her "children," her magic had remade reality and disrupted the grand plan of the Omnipresence. Was I really strong enough to face her down?

While I thought (and worked on my self-confidence), I took refuge in routine -- in living my new life as a teenaged girl. I woke up every morning with a smile and got dressed in the clothes I'd always dreamed of wearing when I was Becca's age the first time. I took the bus to school with Jeremy and Heather, smiling at their happiness as I watched the two of them snuggle up for the short trip. I went to my dance and martial arts classes, and spent a few hours every afternoon training with Leander and Heather. Heather came with me, mainly to watch and make sure Leander didn't turn on me. Her power hadn't yet manifested itself, and wouldn't until there was some kind of catalyst -- one that I would have to provide, unless the Cat Goddess provided it for me.

Still, except for tasks undone, it was truly heaven.

The best part of every day was the few moments I stole with Tommy each morning. I would meet him in the stairway by the girl's locker room, and we would spend what little time we had engaging in what the Assistant Principal would have considered "public displays of affection" -- although "teenagers in love (and lust)" seemed more appropriate. I would have been embarrassed at how much we "displayed" each day, if I hadn’t already known the area was always totally deserted at that time of day.

The day the endgame began, I broke from a long and tender kiss with a sigh. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his heart beating fast while I worked on getting my own pulse under control. It wasn't easy. The feeling of his hands on my bottom, squeezing gently, made me melt inside, and as I pressed my body against him, I could feel him growing harder and shivered.

If you've never been there, you can't know how it feels to be held and kissed by someone you truly, deeply love -- someone you care for who cares for you, and wants you just as much as you want them. I had felt this way with Carolyn when we first fell in love, and it had remained just as strong for our entire married life, until the chance encounter in a supermarket parking lot that stole my wife from me and set me on the road to this life, and this hallway, and this boy.

All week long, I'd started each day just like this, being held and kissed, and swimming in the feeling of being loved and desired. It was wonderful, and I didn't want it to end ... but at the same time, I wanted Tommy to go further. I wanted him to touch me in ways I hadn't been touched yet, and had run out of ways to hint that didn't make me sound like a bitch in heat.

One of his hands began wandering up to rest on my hip for a second, then started up again before hesitating just inches from my chest. I looked up at Tommy to find him looking down at me, and I smiled up at him. He smiled back, a little unsure, and I sighed. 'It's way past time,' I thought. 'And even now, he's still asking permission. God, I love this boy -- but he drives me crazy!'

I grinned, took his hand, and kissed it. Then I placed it firmly where I knew he wanted it to go. I put my hand over his and gave it -- and my left breast -- a small squeeze.

"I love it when you touch me, Tommy," I whispered, looking into his eyes. "I want you to, okay? Just ... be gentle?" He nodded, very seriously. I reached up and touched his lips. "And this is just between you and me, right? No talking about it later with your friends."

I saw a flash of hurt cross his face, as if he was disappointed that I thought he would do something like that. "I'm sorry, baby," I said quickly. "I should have known better than to think you'd do --."

He shook his head with a small smile, then squeezed me again as he brushed my lips with his. Both nipples got hard enough to be seen through both blouse and bra, and I moaned as our kisses deepened. Encouraged, he took his thumb and ran it roughly over the nipple closest to him.

"Eeeeeeep!" I jumped slightly, and he started to let go, clearly afraid he'd done something wrong. I grabbed his hand and put it back. "I said be gentle, Tomcat. A little touch goes a long way with a girl. Especially this girl. And especially your touch." I placed his thumb back over the nipple, then moved it lightly over the tip through my clothes. A small wave of pleasure made me shut my eyes and shudder, and I couldn't help thinking about what his lips might feel like right ... there one day ... or maybe the tip of his tongue ...

He kissed me hard as his other hand rose to caress my left breast. I lost myself in the feel of him feeling me ... and then I heard a snicker.

"Well, looks like somebody likes to have her tits played with!" Surprised, Tommy and I pulled apart and turned to face the owner of the voice.

It was one of the Cat Goddess's "children" -- not Gwen, but one of the other four I had only seen at "feeding time" in the pit. With a flash of hindsight, I suddenly remembered where Hunter had been caught and transformed, and realized why this one staircase was never used during the early morning rush to classes.

The girl's locker room was right around the corner. And maybe some of these girls liked their privacy a little too much -- enough to make anyone who tried to hang there "unlucky" in all sorts of nasty ways.

The girl in front of me sneered and pointed at Tommy's crotch. "Looks like Lover Boy enjoyed playing with your tits, too." I felt him tense next to me, obviously embarrassed, but he refused to try and hide it.

Another girl came up next to the first, looked where she was pointing, and laughed. "Damn, he must really have liked having his hands on a pair." Then a third girl walked up behind her and grinned evilly.

"Well, if he liked hers so much, maybe he should have a set of his own to play with," she said, and grabbed for the second girl's hand. The first girl took the other hand, and the three of them looked straight at Tommy. I saw the magical energy flare, and watched as a single golden beam shot across the space between us, directly at his chest.

I didn't think. I didn't have to. My brain shifted into overdrive, analyzed the incoming energy, determined that it couldn't be nullified in time, and spun through thousands of possible solutions before deciding on the one most likely to work in the short amount of time I had.

A flare of my own aura flew across the space between Tommy and I, creating a reflective shield just inches from where I knew the energy would strike.

I couldn't stop the spell. But I could stop it from hitting Tommy.

The spell hit my "mirror" hard, sending ripples through my connection to it. The shield held, and I "tasted" the component elements of the spell before it bounced back at the trio. The girls scattered and the spell flew back across the hall, flowing through the closed door into the girl's rest room. I felt it flare as it found a target.

There was a muffled scream. "Oh my God! I've got boobs!"

There was a short pause, then a sarcastic voice replied. "Way to rub it in, Sheila! You know, some of us haven't even started yet!"

The three girls rose slowly from where they had fallen to avoid their own spell. None of them could take their eyes off of me. I felt Tommy's eyes on me as well, but I couldn't stop to explain anything. Not that I knew what to say, but I couldn't afford to split my concentration even a little.

The first girl found her voice. "How ... how did you DO that?"

"Natural talent, a bit of training, and a strong dislike of bullies," I replied evenly. "Especially the magical kind."

The second girl took the first girl's hand, and I saw a flare of magical energy when they touched. Interesting. When she spoke, her voice held as much anger as fear. "How dare you!"

"Easily, thank you for asking." I grinned. Tommy's mouth dropped open. "I'm a very daring kind of girl. Short skirts, sassy manners. Sometimes a little too much make-up." I took his hand in mine. "Even making out with my boyfriend on school grounds. Just ask anyone -- I dare to dare."

"I wasn't asking!" The second girl reached for the third girl's hand, and there was a larger flare when they joined hands. "You have no right to interfere. We do what we want."

"Not with my boyfriend you don't." I put my hands on my hips and leaned forward. "So back off!"

The first girl's lip began to tremble, and her face was pale. "You stopped us. I don't know how, but you STOPPED us. No one has ever done that before!"

I grinned wider. "I'm glad I was the first. Imagine that ... daring AND a trendsetter." I put my hands on my cheeks, a worried frown on my lips. "Unless no one else tries to stand in your way. Oh, I do hope other people defy you, too. It would be so embarrassing if I was the only one, don't you think?"

"If you think that's embarrassing," the third girl replied with a nasty sneer, "just wait until your boyfriend has bigger tits than you do." The three concentrated, and another burst of energy shot across the hall at Tommy. This time, it manifested as a cloud of glowing particles pushed by an unseen wind. My mirror shield wouldn't work on that.

Again, my mind raced through the magical options open to me, until the simplest solution suddenly appeared without warning -- and it wasn't magical at all.

I just stepped into the spell's path, directly in front of Tommy.

The magic hit me hard, causing me to stagger back a half-step. Most of it was absorbed effectively by my own innate defensive shields and stored for later use, but there was so much of it that some threatened to spill past me and touch Tommy anyway. Since I liked his chest just the way it was, I sighed, opened myself just slightly, and took in only enough of the spell to keep the overflow from reaching him.

The result was ... dramatic.

From my smallish B-cup, I suddenly found myself extremely top-heavy. I fell forward, and stuck my arms and bottom out trying to keep my balance. Since my bra and blouse changed to accommodate my outlandish new measurements, there was no She-Hulk like rending of cloth and embarrassing display of WAY too much cleavage. Still, the girls pointed and laughed, as if they scored some kind of point.

I straightened slowly, the weight on my front making my bra straps dig in painfully. When I was fully upright, I reached up with both hands and cupped them gently. Then I shook my head.

"Girls, girls," I sighed, my voice a model of disappointment. "Didn't your mothers ever tell you that you can have too much of a good thing?"

"Well if they didn't," the first girl said, laughing, "we sure get it now. You're a living example, bitch. Or should I say 'cow?'"

"Mooooo!" The second girl burst into giggles. "Maybe 'Bessie' here needs a milking. She looks like she's going to blow. That's got to hurt!"

"Hmmmm." I nodded, then smiled. "Well, you know what they say. 'What can't be endured, must be cured.' Or shared."

I reached into the store of energy my shields had absorbed, closed my eyes, and forced my chest to shrink back down to a decent sized C-cup. The energy I had pulled from myself drifted back into a pinkish cloud, and I pushed it at the three girls with a thought. As it drifted over them, I watched all three of their chests expand several sizes. The laughter stopped almost immediately.

'Interesting,' I thought. 'They've never been attacked before. They've never learned to shield.'

I opened my eyes, looked down at myself, and smiled.

"That's better. A little larger than I was before, but a girl likes to take pride in her appearance." I turned to a stunned Tommy and gave him a peck on the lips. "Besides, I thought my Tommy deserved a special treat for all the shocks he's had in the past three minutes."

He reached up tentatively, still coping with the rapid expansion and reduction of my chest, and I gently pushed his hand away.

"Not now, Tomcat," I said softly, looking into his eyes. "I still have work to do. Why don't you head off to class and I'll clear this all up later, okay?" Tommy nodded absently, still stunned, so I stepped back, visualized his homeroom, and sent him there in less time than it takes to tell about it.

"Good," I said briskly to no one in particular. "Civilians off of the battlefield. Time to get dangerous."

The third girl stepped forward. Her larger breasts bounced uncomfortably, and her face held a mixture of anger and fear. "How did you do this to us? How can you do the things you do? Nobody can stop us -- NOBODY! Just who the hell do you think you are?"

I looked at her, and I smiled, and at that instant my inner drama queen decided a grand entrance was required. 'Fear?' I thought with an inner grin. 'I'll show you something to be afraid of, bitch.'

I threw my arms wide, fingers stretching, and laughed. A large flare of captured power burst from inside, creating a fiery aura that surrounded me and lifted me several feet into the air. My hair and skirt whipped around in an invisible wind, and I let my eyes flash bright red ... just because I wanted them to.

"I am The Advocate," I replied in a voice that boomed and echoed through the stairwell and down the halls beyond. "Chosen by the Omnipresence to stand between humanity and those who prey on them with magic. That's you, in case you missed tonight's program."

I narrowed my eyes and let the magic flare briefly. "You've tortured a lot of people, changed them against their will -- even driven one of them to the brink of insanity. That's what brought me here, to stop you all. I was going to try and keep this civil. I wanted to bring you all down as gently as I could, since you might be victims, too. But then ... oh, then you tried to hurt the boy I love. Do you know what that means?"

The three girls, still holding hands, looked up at me in shock and shook their heads in unison. I raised both arms over my head, letting a massive ball of energy boil into existence and grow until it filled the stairway above me, and shouted.

"You all get to DIE!"

As I hurled the nasty-looking fireball towards the shocked trio, I tried to suppress a grin, and failed. But I did my best to make it look like an evil grin, to keep the girls scared.

The truth was, I was just ... happy. I mean, I had figured out how to stop the Cat Goddess's "children," but that was only part of it.

The waiting was finally over. Battle had finally been joined.

And Tommy had finally made it to second base!

I almost giggled as the fireball flew towards its targets. It was good to know I had my priorities straight.

© 2005-2007 as a work in progress, all rights reserved. Posted with permission of the author.

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To Be Continued...