Small author notes:
Sorry that this part is two days late. I blame the extra work shift, my body flirting with the idea of being sick, and my lack of concentration due to sleep deprivation/insomnia.
I hope it won't happen again.

Cassy

*****

Last time on "The Lokian Way":

Mercy learned a lot from her Aunt Mary on the Weekend. Despite her worries before she had actually fun while doing so.

However, her weekend ended on a somber note. She was stood up by Mitch. Leaving the park she stumbled upon Brian and Victoria, who got all of Mercy's anger and frustration unloaded onto them.

It got only worse on Monday. Mitch absent and now she somehow managed to make the whole cheerleader squad into lesbians. For Mercy's friends, one thing is clear. Something is up with her and it isn't good.

***** Tuesday *****

"Come with me," Mercy urged Victoria as she grabbed her arm.

"So now you are talking to me," Victoria replied dryly while doing her best to be an immovable rock. "You didn't show up for lunch."

"Mitch didn't come to school again..."

"So this is about Mitch?" Victoria asked.

"Yes. No. Look. He didn't show up today. So I asked around and ... His sister hadn't been to school either. At lunch, I tried to get their home address in the principal's office."

"Isn't that a little too much?" Victoria said with doubt. "Mitch is a bully. I bet it isn't the first time he skipped school."

"But Melanie, his sister, isn't," Mercy countered. "And I asked her classmates. None of them heard of her since Friday."

"I still fail to see how this is your problem."

"Because ..." Mercy stopped to wipe away some tears forming in her eyes. "I may have given her bad advice. What if it is my fault that they are gone? What if something happened to them?"

"Okay. I get it. You need me to help check on them? See if they are okay?"

"Yes," Mercy agreed only to correct herself a moment later. "No!"

Getting frustrated Victoria grabbed Mercy by her shoulders. "Mercy. Look at me. Calm down. Tell me what do you need."

It took a few moments for Mercy's onset of a panic attack to die down. "I don't have the address," she meekly confessed. "The secretary wouldn't give it to me."

"Then we ask the sister's classmates."

"I did. They don't know where Melanie lives. She's secretive about that..."

"Then we do some further digging. Just don't panic. We got this."

"That is not what I am panicking about," Mercy admitted.

"Then what?" Victoria asked while crossing her arms. "Spill already."

"Mavis. Today is my first tutoring session with her. You promised you'd be there with me."

"Right. Yeah," Victoria agreed. "I forgot this was today. I still don't trust her. Let's go."

Mercy let out a sigh of relief. She practically dragged Victoria out.

"Slow down. You know if you aren't feeling well I bet we can reschedule..."

"No!" Mercy shouted and looked at Victoria with big shocked eyes. "I need her. She has to teach me."

"How to turn back into a boy?"

"Yes. I need that!"

Victoria opened her mouth to reply in anger, but then she held her breath. "Fine," she eventually said. "Let's go."

Both walked in silence to the center. Each of them lost in their own thoughts and worries.

They found Mavis in her office and already waiting for them. They exchanged greetings and took their seats.

"Today's lesson is about focus, planning, and consequences," Mavis started without preamble. "Victoria as you insist attending I want you to remain quiet for Mercy's lesson."

"Afraid what I have to say? Why would I do that?" Victoria challenged her.

"Bribery of course," Mavis said with a small grin.

Mavis stood up and walked over, just to hand Victoria a small leather-bound book. It looked old and Victoria had trouble at first to make out the title. "Training neurological reflexes in relation to magic? What's that supposed to mean?"

"In essence, this book can teach you to resist alteration of your mind. Be it trickster magic or any other aspect. I heard you had trouble with that in the past."

Victoria nodded and at once opened the book to explore its secrets.

"Can we get started now?" Mercy asked impatiently.

"Sure," Mavis agreed. "Now you know that you can wield your trickster magic by instinct. Most trickster mages are satisfied with that. However, mastering your own focus might lead to more ineffective use..."

"Don't you mean more effective?" Mercy interrupted her.

"Mercy. The lokian way is all about using up your trickster magic with the smallest impact on those around you. The less effective you are as a trickster mage the more effective you are in 'the lokian way'."

"I guess that makes sense. But how is that helping me to get more spells?" Mercy demanded to know.

"Aren't the two you have right now enough?"

"Well yes, but if I can vary more wouldn't that help too?"

"If you can't control the spells you have right now you wouldn't be able to control those any better. Those two you have are already really powerful. Just imagine what could go wrong if you change someone's garments without care. "Seeing Mercy opening her mouth to protest, Mavis quickly added. "For example, one changed boxer shorts or panties could kick-start a whole chain of events."

Mercy's mouth snapped shut and she glanced at Victoria. Had she snitched in her? If so, when?

"How about this. I tell you a story about my past," Mavis continued in a softer tone.

"How is an old story supposed to help me get new spells?" Mercy asked on edge.

"Because it is all about learning new spells," Mavis chided her. "Back when I was young I heard of a great trickster mage everyone revert. She was called the Great Mother. She had harnessed her body changing spell in a way that allowed her to create human-animal hybrids. At least for some time. If someone in her tribe had behaved badly then they might have ended up with a pig head for a week. And I mean literally. It was there that ..."

Mavis broke up. She looked forlorn for a moment. Lost in the past. "I met Loki there," she continued.

"Wait! The Loki?" Victoria asked.

"Yes. Book!" Mavis said with a stern gaze and Victoria was quick to put her nose into the small leather-bound book again.

"So what has he to do with all of this?" Mercy asked.

"Everything. He.... He came to the Great Mother same as I did. Looking for a mentor. At that time he slowly was formulating his 'lokian way', but he needed more knowledge about trickster magic first. With the Great Mother rumored to be centuries old he thought she might know more."

"And?" Mercy prompted after Mavis fell silent for a moment.

"He found something else he desired," Mavis told her.

"Did he fell in love with you?" Victoria asked with glee.

Annoyed Mavis gave her a scolding look and held out her hand. The implication clear. Victoria should hand back the book. She, however, pressed it against her chest. "Sorry," Victoria pressed out. "Won't happen again."

"The Great Mother," Mavis said with her focus returning to Mercy. "She used to reward upstanding tribesmen and women by inviting them to the wild hunt. She would shift them and herself into pack animals. Wolves for example. Together they would hunt for one day and one night. Loki became enamored with the idea of joining the hunt. But there was the problem. The same we have Mercy. While old, wise, and efficient, the Great Mother was a weaker trickster mage than Loki. Her spells simply wouldn't take on him."

"So he had to learn her spell?" Mercy asked.

"Correct. It took him a long time, but he eventually managed it. You know what was the key to his success?" When Mercy shook her head Mavis clued her in. "He tried to learn the Great Mother's spell by exactly imitating her. You see, how every trickster mage invokes their spells differ from mage to mage. Loki's special spells had been audiovisual illusions. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that he had to use his own spells as a base, to learn the spell of the Great Mother. But in pursuit of the Great Mother's spells, he had neglected to develop his mastery of his own spells. Leaving him at a disadvantage."

"So there is no quick way to learn it?" Mercy asked dejected and gloom.

"There is the possibility that there is still a third major spell inside you. In that case, access would be quick. But to be honest three major spells are rare. The chance pretty low. Every other way takes time." Mavis gave a sigh as she saw Victoria holding up her hand. Like she was a schoolgirl vying for the attention of a teacher. "Yes, Victoria?"

"Did Loki ever join the wild hunt?" Victoria wanted to know.

"No. He did learn the spell, but it had taken him long. By the time he had learned it the Great Mother had chosen to pass on to the afterlife," Mavis admitted with sadness permeating her voice.

"How long?" Mercy asked.

"Loki arrived there when he was in his early twenties. When he learned the spell he was in his mid-fifties."

"Three decades?" Mercy shouted while pushing herself out of her chair. "I don't have three decades!"

"Mercy ..." Victoria was started but was shouted over.

"I don't have that time! You have no idea how it is to be stuck in a body not your own," Mercy accused Mavis while glaring at her.

"And there you are wrong!" Mavis said in a dangerous low grumble. "I used to be able to change at will. Men. Women. Animals. I used to be all of it. But now trickster magic has me stuck here. In this one little town in more or less one body for the last seventeen and a half years."

"Y-you are useless to me!" Mercy shouted before storming out of the room.

"Mercy?" Victoria asked shocked. She hastily put away the book and hurried out after her. She found Mercy outside, in the corridor, with her arms trembling.

"I think we have to talk," Victoria said with a soft tone while putting an arm around Mercy's shoulder.

However, Mercy shrugged her off. "I don't want to talk. All this talking and magic. I've had enough. They want pranks? Fine!" Mercy stomped back into Mavis office.

Victoria was debating with herself if she should follow when Mercy sprinted back out again. "Run!" Mercy shouted while dashing for the exit. On instinct, Victoria did just that.

A hundred feet outside Victoria dared to look behind her. An angry Mavis pushed the doors open. Clad in neon colors one might think she was a raver just exiting a club after a night of techno and dance music. Her old-fashioned clothes replaced by glow bracelets in different sizes, neon fur boots, and matching PVC bikini.

A more detailed look eluded Victoria as Mercy grabbed her and dragged her behind a wall of shrubbery. "Oh my gosh! Have you seen her face?" Mercy gushed while wandering further onto the private property. "Still think my pranks are lame?"

"Mercy, we need to talk," Victoria proclaimed while stopping beside a swimming in the backyard of who knows who. She crossed her arms.

"Talk about what?" Mercy asked.

"About you," Victoria continued. "About how you behave and what you are going through right now."

"What do you mean? I am not ..."

"Mercy it is okay," Victoria said with softness returning to her voice. "All girls are scared and confused the first time they have their period."

In a split second, Mercy lunged to her close. "I don't have my period."

"Mercy..."

"I said I don't!" Mercy shouted while pushing Victoria, who stumbled backward and lost her bag.

"Yes you do," Victoria shouted back and did the only thing she could think of: to shove Mercy away from her.

Caught off-guard Mercy fell onto her bum. For the moment her anger vanished and tears came to her eyes. "I don't. I really don't..." she whimpered to herself.

Victoria's eyes grew wide as she saw Mercy sprawled on the ground. Her skirt had flapped up and revealed something of concern.

"Are you wearing latex panties?" Victoria asked. "The same latex panties from yesterday?"

"M-maybe," Mercy admitted.

"Did you fuse them to yourself?" Victoria asked more sharply.

"That is none of your concern," Mercy hastily countered.

"It is!" Victoria insisted. "Give me your panties Mercy."

"What?"

"Your latex panties. Unfuse them and give them to me."

"No!"

"Now, Mercy!"

"You want my panties? You just want latex, right?" Mercy shouted back while angrily pushing to her feet. "To feel deviant again? Isn't that all I am too you? A source of naughty stuff?"

"No, Mercy," Victoria insisted. "I am concerned about you."

"Concerned about your source of fetish fuel? Don't worry. I've got plenty for you!" Mercy shouted back.

When Victoria opened her mouth something slipped past her lips. Her eyes grew wide as she recognized a gag on her tongue. Mercy was shifting her clothes. Fast. The slippery feeling alerted her that her outfit shifted into the realm of latex and fetish clothing. Real panic threatened her as the gag grew longer and plunged down her throat.

Victoria clawed at the gag to get it out only to feel it become part of her. Mercy had fused it to her. She felt her clothes grew tighter and soon her legs were pushed together as her skirt constricted around them. Effectively hobbling her. But nothing had prepared her for the moment as an enraged Mercy pushed her into the pool.

Cold water closed around Victoria, who had lost her sense for up and down. Her legs, constricted as they were, proofed to be utterly useless to help her get up. It took Victoria a moment to realize that she wasn't drowning. The gag in her throat was fused. Meaning her need to breath was overridden by trickster magic. With sheer force of will, she calmed down her panic attack.

Now she could see that she had sunken to the ground of the pool. Victoria felt herself being encased from head to toe in latex. Looking at her legs Victoria knew what Mercy had done to her. The tight latex around her legs flared out again at her feet. Or rather where they used to be. From the hips down Victoria had the latex tail of a fish.

Mercy stared down in anger at Victoria. Saw her making her first attempts to kick with her mermaid tail. Then, Mercy watched her rise to the surface. Fixing her gaze on Mercy and just watched her.

"What?" Mercy half shouted at her. "Isn't that what you want? Latex mermaid. Can't get kinkier than that, right?"

But Victoria didn't answer. Couldn't really, as Mercy knew. But there was no reaction of Victoria. She only stared daggers at Mercy.

"Stop glaring!" Mercy said with fury. "Go. Swim. Enjoy your pervy dream come true."

Nothing. Not a twitch. Victoria kept staring at her.

"That's what you want," Mercy told her, but doubt crept into her voice as her anger slowly dissipated.

"Isn't it?" Mercy asked while sinking to her knees. "That is what you want, right?"

Tears started to cloud Mercy's view. Within moments she was bawling like a small child. When she looked back up again Victoria had drifted close.

"I am sorry," Mercy cried. "I don't know what happens to me. Please. Victoria. Say something."

Victoria gently reached for Mercy's hand and as she had it placed it on the gag.

"Right! The gag. I am so sorry," Mercy whispered as she unfused the offending garment.

Victoria gasped and wheezed after she pulled out a foot long dildo out of her throat. She soon grabbed for Mercy's hand again. For a moment Mercy saw soft eyes looking at her. Then steel returned to them. It was the last thing Mercy saw before Victoria pulled her into the pool.

Mercy kicked wildly around her in panic when arms closed themselves around her from behind. They dragged her upwards and Mercy gasped for air as she broke through the surface again. However, she wasn't let go. Victoria dragged her to the middle of the pool.

"Victoria?" Mercy whimpered. "Please let go."

"Shut up," Victoria commanded from behind her back. "Unbelievable. You know I have seen plenty of girls deal with their first period ..."

"I don't..."

"Yes, you have," Victoria insisted. "Do you think that bleeding down there was all that there is to a period? Fusing latex panties to yourself just to stop it? Really Mercy? Come on."

"It helped," Mercy whimpered.

"It did not!" Victoria insisted. "Yes, the blood is a major part of the period, but not all. Your whole body goes through it. Your body produces plenty of hormones and you robbed your body of the only means to end it!"

"But..."

"When did it start, Mercy?"

Mercy started to cry again and in between sobs she admitted it. "Saturday. It wasn't much. I thought..."

"No, you didn't think. And you didn't get help either," Victoria accused her. "I have seen plenty of period-induced mood swings Mercy. None as strong or uncontrollable as yours. Now tell me. Do you want to get out of this pool?"

"Please Victoria. I am sorry. Please let me out," Mercy begged.

"Then here is the deal. I want your panties. Unfuse them and hand them to me," Victoria said before releasing Mercy. "Don't get funny ideas. Thanks to you I am a mermaid. Quick and agile. Now. Panties!"

Treading water Mercy needed a moment to gather herself. She needed to look at herself to unfuse something. She reasoned Victoria knew as she kept herself behind Mercy's back. Finally, she managed to get her panties free and flung them to the side.

"Good," Victoria cooed while grabbing Mercy again. This time gently and as a hug. "Let's get out of here."

Together they swam to the pool edge and heaved themselves out. Victoria felt her latex skin unfuse and shift into normal cloth again.

As both stood up Victoria gave Mercy an intense look over. Her clothing clung to her with wetness and was half see through. Still, Victoria had to make sure. "Lift your skirt," she demanded from Mercy.

Mercy hesitated for a moment, but then let her head hang in defeat. Lifting up the hem she revealed her being nude underneath.

"Good," Victoria said softly. "Now let's get you home. Before someone spots us and calls the cops."

"It's the Radcliff's house," Mercy murmured. "They are on vacation."

"Not helping," Victoria sighed.

They gathered their bags and belongings and left.

*****

Mercy was huddled in a blanket sitting at the kitchen island. It was there where Mercy's mother found her daughter clinging to an empty mug that had previously contained chocolate.

"Victoria just left. Her Mother picked her up," Mercy's Mom started.

"She hates me now, right? After what I did to her?"

"We'll see. Don't give up on her yet. Tomorrow you'll apologize and then you take it from there."

Mercy nodded but remained silent.

"I am sorry," Mercy's Mother said while giving her a hug.

"Why? It was me who did those awful things to her."

"Because I didn't prepare you enough. I actually believed it would be enough what they taught you in Sex Ed. I was wrong."

"I haven't really listened to it. You know. Back then. On the female side of things."

"Come on. Let me get you a new cup of hot chocolate and then we talk."

"About what?"

"About what I should have told you weeks ago. The talk. From mother to daughter."

Mercy winced, but after a moment she sighed. "I guess I have to get used to it. It's just..."

"Unfair? Gross?"

"Yeah..."

"Maybe. All I can tell you is that you get used to it. That it gets better. And one day maybe you'll find it was all worth it."

"Has it? For you?"

"There was this day, seventeen and a half years ago, where I held you in my arms for the first time. In that moment, past and future, it had all been worth it."

"Oh, Mom," Mercy whimpered while giving in to the urge to hug her mother. After a while she admitted in a whisper:"I don't think I am ready yet. To be a mother."

"Oh goodness no. You better be not. But give it a few years and you might feel differently about that. Till then how about I finally give you the one-oh-one of practical living as a woman."

"Okay," Mercy eventually whispered. There was no way around it. It felt like a nail in a coffin. One for the very idea that this was only temporary. But now she had to face the truth. She was in for the long haul. Maybe forever. And she had to get used to it.

*****

Mercy's list of strange things to figure out:
- Being a girl sucks!!!!!!
- Magic (two big and one small natural spell; might have other spells; need to learn about limitations; don't go over 100% or below 15% or bad things happen; I have way more magic than I should have - Al says to keep it a secret)
- Spell 1 lets me change clothes (targets don't notice change unless I want them to; others might notice change; Mom, Dad, Al and Brian know my spell; Victoria too!; 150 feet and line of sight limit; tiring if more than 90 feet)
- Spell 2 lets me fuse stuff to people (apparently it suppresses body functions if needed; target person feels fused items as if part of body; damaged fused items regenerate if damaged)
- Victoria the deviant mystery (she is way more deviant than I am; freaking big sex toy collection; hides behind an act of being innocent and proper)
- evil trickster mages (not all follow the lokian way; name of the evil one who assaulted Victoria is named Gideon)
- I have a new mentor (Mavis Cannon; might be old as hell; can change bodies of herself or others; knew Loki; Victoria and I don't trust her)
- there might be a way for me to turn back into a boy (but it might take a long time)

***** Wednesday *****

"Mitch isn't showing today either?"

Mercy twirled around to see Victoria, who once again managed to sneak up on her.

"Victoria! I am so sorry about..."

"Not here," Victoria cut her off. "Follow me."

Mercy opened her mouth to reply, but Victoria simply walked into the school. Having no other choice Mercy hurried after her. They ended up once again in the bathroom on the other end of the school.

"I am really sorry," Mercy started again when they had their privacy.

"Can it!" Victoria snapped at her. "You are damn lucky I knew you weren't yourself. What were you thinking? You could have asked me. I would have helped."

"I panicked," Mercy admitted.

"Feeling better now?"

"Still feeling queasy and cranky. But I don't think it is as worse as before."

"Good," Victoria said while giving a serious nod. "Now lift your skirt."

"What?" Mercy asked bewildered.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "The skirt of your dress. Lift it. Show me your panties."

"I haven't fused..."

"I don't give a damn," Victoria cut her off. "After yesterday you lost the privilege that I take your word for granted."

Blushing, Mercy did as told.

"Lift the band of your panties too," Victoria added. "Just to be sure. Okay. Nothing fused. I see you chose to wear a pad."

"Yeah," Mercy said with a small nod. "Though I hate how it feels when I move with it."

"That's why I go for tampons," Victoria said with a smirk.

"Oh, no way I can... put things there."

"Really? You did just that at our sleepover," Victoria teased.

"T-that was different!"

"I am kidding. Come here," Victoria said while pulling Mercy into a hug. "If you ever fly off the rails again like that then we won't be friends anymore. Got it?"

"Yes!" Mercy hastened to reply. "I promise it won't happen again. Learned my lesson."

"Good." A small grin appeared on Victoria's face. "I have two small gifts for you."

"What?" Mercy asked bewildered.

Victoria pulled out a chocolate bar and a piece of paper. "This is what helps me survive those special days of the month. My home remedy."

"Thanks. What's the paper?" Mercy unfolded it and gave it a peek. "An address?"

"Yeah. That's where Mitch lives. I still think he just skips school, but if it puts your worries to rest we can check it out after school."

"Thanks," Mercy said with honest relief. "Wait. We?"

"Of course," Victoria said. "Apparently you do stupid things when I am not around. Honestly thought it was the other way around."

That lured a chuckle out of Mercy.

"Come on," Victoria beckoned her. "Class is about to start."

Nodding, Mercy followed her out.

*****

"It should be around here," Victoria remarked.

They weren't that far away from the school. Maybe ten minutes away by foot.

"I think that one is it," Mercy said while pointing at the only rundown looking house in the street.

"Because it looks shabby?" Victoria asked.

Mercy rushed to the gate of the property. When Victoria was slower to come along Mercy shouted over. "It's the only one with police tape all over the front door."

"The mailbox says Jenkins too," Victoria agreed while joining Mercy.

"Let's peek in the windows. I wonder what happened," Mercy said while hurrying up the stairs.

"Mercy," Victoria said slowly as he followed her onto the porch. "I thought I entertain you coming here, but I think you are onto something. Look."

Mercy turned around and saw at once what Victoria was getting at. One of the support beams, old and in disrepair, had a fresh wound torn into it.

"Are those bullet holes?" Mercy asked shocked.

"Shotgun I would say," Victoria said. "Whatever happened here. It can't be good..."