Kit and Kin   by poetheather

 
Takeshi Saito was a quiet student who kept his head down in Ravencrest High School trying to get along. But strange things happen in this small town and the spotlight finds those who would rather hide. So Takeshi finds himself pulled from his happy geek corner to somewhere else, somewhere he is not sure of.

January 20

With a yawn, she awoke, stretching and coming awake quickly to her new body. It felt quite different to move, as her breasts had fairly significant weight and her body was shaped differently, with curves where there hadn’t been. The awareness of body that all martial artists develop made this difference very apparent to her and it sort of shook her deeply as her mind kept throwing up the contrasts. True, by the time she had transformed yet again and walked back to the main building last night, she had found her movement point, but everything was so different. Her movements flowed in a new manner as the musculature, bone structure, and nerves were ever so slightly different in this new body. Even the placement of fat was making things tricky as her new backside showed, changing the way she stood.

Maeko was a whole new girl, who had even needed to be shown how to use the bathroom with her new equipment, to her eternal embarrassment. Her mothers took it all in stride, just another day in parenting, but it was mortifying for the sixteen year old. Teenagers were not supposed to need to be taught how to pee. There were intricacies to this new body that were very different from her old male one. The rules were now different and she realized that she had a lot to learn in a very short time. She had no clue how to be the girl she had become or what to do in order to even become that girl. She felt totally screwed.

What was she going to do now? Was there some sort of plan to help her become a girl? Some sort of program in place to teach her everything she needed to learn? She really was at a loss. She knew that girls were different in the way they talked and acted, but as she had never thought that this particular fate was in her future so she had not paid enough attention to all of that in order to help her build an identity. If only she had known.

Sitting up, she slid her feet into the house slippers and pulled the yukata around her. It would not help her to hide in her room, though there had still been discussion about what they were going to tell the others. This was still a fairly fresh idea and figuring out how to break it to the rest of the family had still been on the table. Would the kids understand?

There was a knock at the door. Maeko turned her head to face that way, brushing the hair from her face. “Come in!”

In walked her kasa, carrying a tray of food. Her mother, who was holding the door, followed her in a second later and closing the door behind her. Maeko looked at her parents questioningly. With a shrug her mother answered the unspoken words, “They decided to not tell the kids just yet what has happened to you and instead have you ‘come out’ in a few weeks.”

Maeko looked a bit surprised at that. “Really? That seems a bit odd.”

“There is no real reason to mess up the kids too much over this. You are fine and coming out will not affect the parents, who can talk the kids around if they balk at all of this. And this way, there is little chance for the kids to realize that you have lost some height.” explained her kasa, after she set down the tray. “Are you hungry?”

“I haven’t really been up that long and so my stomach hasn’t woken up yet.” said Maeko, tucking another errant strand of hair behind her head. Taming her wild hair was going to take some getting used to.

“Okay.” With a gesture from her kasa, the air seemed to thicken around the tray. “There, that will keep everything warm until you are ready to eat.”

Maeko nodded, even though the casual use of magic blew her mind. Just how much was going to change at home now that she knew the truth? “So what is the plan? How are we going to tell others about this? I mean I have friends and stuff. How are we going to tell them about this?”

Her mother shook her head sadly, “Well, since we cannot just say that you are our daughter now, considering how much you have physically changed, they are trying to come up with something that will be believable. I am sure it will be good and it will protect you. It is going to suck some but we can make it work.”

Looking down at her yukata, and realizing that all she had under it was the pjs she had brought to sleep in as Takeshi which were a bit too big, Maeko bit her bottom lip and asked, “So what should I do about clothes right now? I mean I don’t have anything to wear at the moment, including underwear. I shrunk so nothing fits right anymore.”

“We could get you clothes right now but let’s find out what the plan is with your identity. That way you can get dressed as your new identity and start to get used to it.” Her kasa was very calm about all of this. It made her wonder if this had happened before. Did other people transition when they became adults?

“Who is figuring out who I’m going to be?” asked Maeko a bit confused about all of this. It sounded like someone else was deciding her fate.

“Your Uncle Satoshi and Aunt Chiharu are mostly doing this. Satoshi can get you the IDs and stuff made because of his work with the government. That gives him access to the things necessary to make that happen. You will be a ‘real’ person by the time we leave.”

Maeko blinked a few times. “Isn’t that… like very illegal?”

“Not really. Think of it like cover documents for now. It can be a great help in situations like this. Getting the paperwork side dealt with can ensure that the government does not become a problem with all of this. You will still be you, but for now we will have the paperwork to make you be your cover.” Her kasa shrugged. “It is mostly to make life easier.”

Maeko was thoughtful as she began to eat her breakfast. There was a lot about this to think about. Becoming a girl when it was just supposed to be a ceremony to unlock powers and welcome you as an adult was very strange. Being a half Kitsune half Werefox was also something that took some time getting used to. The fact that their family worshiped a Goddess who had actually shown up back in the day was slightly less world shaking. But only slightly. All of this combined to make her world all but collapse in on itself.

What was she going to do? She was a girl now, with all the necessary body parts and everything. That still freaked her out. It implied a lot and those implications really did not reassure her. Looking in the mirror after she had used the bathroom had freaked her out because she clearly looked like the daughter of her mothers. The family resemblance was huge. So how could they possibly convince other people that she was not Takeshi? She looked similar, like a sister, like she would have if she had been born a girl, at least that’s where her thoughts led her. In what way could that fact be spun to make her a different person?

Once she had finished eating, her parents left her alone to get dressed in some temporary clothes her haha had conjured out of a sheet. Maeko struggled with the bra some due to its unfamiliarity but her mothers had explained how to get it on clearly enough that she did not need to add to her mortification by calling her mothers in to help her. This was the only set of clothes that she had and was unsure what to do now that she was dressed. She sat and got into the lotus position with greater ease than ever before. This body was more flexible than her old one by just a little bit but that difference was noticeable because of her body awareness. She settled and began deep breathing, letting her stress and worry fade with each breath. It helped reduce her tension and she dropped into a deep meditative state, letting everything flow away.

After about twenty minutes of Void meditation where she just let everything go, Maeko opened her eyes and sighed. This was a lot better and she felt grounded and able to face whatever needed to happen to move her life forward. A knock sounded and she turned to face the door. “Come in.”

Her parents and her Aunt and Uncle entered. She grinned and asked, “So you have a person I am supposed to be?”

The four looked at each other and the sisters shoved Satoshi forward. He turned his head to glare at them but it had little effect. Clearly this was a normal thing between the siblings. He turned back to her and said, “Yes, we have come up with something that we think can work nicely and be easily managed.”

“Oh?” This did have Maeko intrigued.

“Yes. What we came up with is that you are your own half-sister.” stated Satoshi with a slight grin.

“What? That sounds crazy.”

“We know, but here is what we were thinking. If you and your half sister ‘shared’ a father then you as Maeko could easily be Takeshi’s sister. That would explain why you looked similar to your old form. And if we managed to find you a workable mother, then the familiarity is even better.” explained her Uncle, clearly enjoying this whole situation.

“Okay… so if my ‘father’ was shared, who is my mother?” Maeko was a bit worried about this part as it could be very awkward. Just what was her new history going to be?

“Me.” replied her Aunt. “People in the town know who I am, since I grew up here and I did move out to California around that time. It could be close enough that people’s own faulty memories could fill in the details, making sure that things work out. The only person who would not be fooled by that would be the Lore Keeper, but since she is not known for blabbing any of these secrets, you would be covered with a plausible reason for birth.”

Maeko nodded slowly as this idea filtered into her head. She was going to be her own half-sister and cousin? What the hell? Was this a Springer show? “Okay… and so I am your daughter, why the hell would I be in Ravencrest? That part does not make any sense.”

Aunt Chiharu smiled weakly, looking a bit sad. “Well, as sometimes happens with teenagers, you and I have been fighting, really badly. Because of this we arranged for you to move in with your Aunt for a while, as we worked things out. Takeshi is going to leave with me and move to California in order to help me with the store.”

Maeko looked at her parents who had been quiet this whole time while the facts of her new identity were being explained. “And you are good with this?”

Her mother shook her head, “Not really, as we are proud of you and to hell with other people, but this would ensure that we could get you covered with the needed paperwork to explain your existence without having to answer some really awkward questions. And you get to live with us and we really like that. Besides, it makes Chiharu look like a trollop.”

Maeko smiled and hugged her mom. Her kasa came over and joined in. “So do you think you can do this sweetie? Do you think you can be this girl?”

She paused and thought about this for a few moments. The whole thing was kind of crazy but since her father was still her father that meant that there was not even an illusion of her being anyone but her mother’s daughter. While other people would never know about that particular part of her life it still made her happy. To know that she was the child of her mothers really did make her happy. “I think so. I mean, do you think I can pull off being a girl? I don’t know anything about how to do that.”

Chiharu smiled, “And that’s where being ‘angry’ at me comes into play. You can be a bit upset, somewhat down and all of that, while you are learning how to be a girl, which is not that difficult. I am sure you will be able to figure out a good bit in a few days of paying attention. Besides, girls are pretty much like guys, with a few differences you will be able to pull off because of your body. The extra hormones and stuff will make you cry easier and all of that. Just living in your body and trying to get along will help you become a girl. That’s what every girl does anyway.”

Maeko looked a bit skeptical. “Are you sure that it will be that easy? I mean it really doesn’t feel that way.”

“It should be. Being the new kid at a school will be tough but if you are a bit down and angry still at me then people will give you space to become yourself. At least they should. That’s the way most people react.”

“We are also going to have me pretend to be you, while we get you moved into your house.” added Satoshi. “That way people can see the switch happening and the two of you will be seen at the same place at the same time. That will allay any suspicion and convince people that you are two separate individuals.”

“Can I call my friends and let them know that this is happening?” asked Maeko a bit worriedly.

The adults looked at each other, silently conversing. Satoshi answered for them all. “I guess we can get your voice masked by spell as that’s easy enough, so you can say things. And that way we might be able to have more witnesses to the switch, witnesses your own age. But we will have to have a good reason that you aren’t sending them any updates from CA.”

“Poor net connection?” offered Maeko, trying to help with this whole mess. “Also, I don’t really know anything about California, or Pearson’s Creek.”

“So we start cramming. I can tell you a lot and let you know how people talk there and everything. You can do this if you focus. Pretend this is a belt exam or something.” replied Chiharu. “I also guess we need to shift your wardrobe to something more Californian and more Pearson’s Creek. I can get my daughter on Skype to show me her clothes.”

“How?” asked Maeko, somewhat confused how wardrobe alterations could be managed from here. There were no California stores in town, so how could they buy California fashions?

“Magic, of course. I know what my eldest daughters clothes look like and what the teen girls in town wear. If I get reminders of things over Skype we can really get the look right. We can work this out and get you all set. We can make you look really good and fit with the personality you come up with. This whole process is going to take all day, so shall we get to work?” Chiharu grinned at Maeko, seeming to be somewhat excited by all of this.

“I guess. This whole thing is just crazy. No one will ever believe that I am from California and the only reason they will think I am a girl is because I have a girl’s body. Really, I’m going to get caught my first day, I’m sure of it.” protested Maeko. Thoughts were spinning in her head and there was no way that she could see pulling this whole thing off. It was clearly too complex.

Her kasa ran a hand down her long auburn hair and smiled softly, “Well, if you are a bit of a tomboy that covers you some, so you won’t have to act all that ‘girly’. And you can finally be an athlete. You have wanted to join the swim team for a while now and there would be no reason not to. Now could be your chance. I mean, everything can change now and you can make your life into anything you want it to be. This is a brand new start.”

Maeko frowned slightly. Was it really going to be that easy?

Her mother hugged her saying, “And yes, if you want to chase girls we won’t mind. You know how to be safe and if anyone comes after you there is no reason not to defend yourself with all of your skills. You don’t have to play a part anymore. You are an adult now, with the expectation that you can live your life wisely. You can break from that role and become someone new, someone more you. Living a girl’s life will make you a girl; you will only have to act at the start. But be yourself, honestly and truly yourself and be happy. Please? That is all your haha and I want. We want our little girl to be happy.”

With a slowly growing smile, Maeko leaned into her mother’s comforting embrace. “Okay mom, I think I can do that. It sounds crazy. I’m just nervous about all of this. My whole world changed a lot last night and I am still trying to make sense out of it. But I will try. I promise.”

“I know baby. You know, when I was sixteen and found out that I was a Werefox it took me a while to deal with it. Sure it explained some things that I had noticed and I found the amped up senses were really cool, but it really does take some getting used to. Finding out that you are something right out of a monster story or fairytales is pretty world shaking. I am just glad that I already knew I was into girls before that or things might have gone poorly, with the family blaming my change with that. As it was, that got its own kind of ugly.” Her mother kissed her temple. “You have us and we are up for anything. There is nothing that could happen that could change how much we love you.”

Maeko looked a little embarrassed by that and a bit unsure what to say, “Okay. Well then, I guess we should try to find a way to make this work out then.”

“Alright. Well, let’s change your clothes, luggage and everything and get you started on learning how to be a girl and how to be a Californian girl on top of that. Think you are ready for all of this?”

Maeko took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, reaching for her center. “Yeah, I think I can manage to make this work out. It’s not like I really have a better option.”

Her kasa grinned, “Don’t worry baby. We’re not going to let you fail.”