Anderpaul placed his hands on the fallen girl's head. He began to use his energy to heal her. Slowly her eyes fluttered open. She put her hand to her wounded chest, groaning.

"Are you ok, my love?" Anderpaul asked tenderly receiving a nod from the girl. "Good, now I will make those vermin pay for this.

As Anderpaul made to get up, Keeli knew she had one shot at putting an end to his reign of brutality, and save her friends. She pulled him back down to her and he looked questioningly into her eyes. She put her hands on his chest and summoned all her energy. There was a thunderclap as he went transonic before slamming into the wall some forty feet distant with such force the stone of the wall cracked.

 
Chapter 37
 
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"So little girl," Anderpaul sneered as the companions entered the room on their guard, "you have come to stop me have you. Well, Keeli, you couldn't beat me when you were a man and you won't defeat me now - especially in that weak little female body. I always knew you were an effeminate little sissy."

"Anderpaul, save the melodrama for someone who appreciates it," Keeli sneered back. "It's time for you to stop this madness. It is time for you to die."

"Bring it on, little girl, if you think you're man enough," Anderpaul smiled at his joke.

Keeli drew her blades and started toward Anderpaul, who sat on his throne impassively. She had progressed to the center of the room when her companions saw her drop the swords and clutch her head, before dropping to her knees. Ashrod thinking that Anderpaul was doing something to Keeli readied a spell to launch at Anderpaul. Anderpaul made a slight gesture and the mage flew back and slammed into the wall with a sickening crack.

Jarrith went over to him to check if he was alive. He was, though he was unconscious and had a broken arm and leg. The rest of the companions watched Keeli intently.

As Keeli had made her way across the room, a familiar voice spoke to her in her head.

"Greetings, Keelor," she had said in his mind. "It is time for you to give up that body now."

"Who are you?" Keeli asked.

"Don't you recognize me? It is I, Tesalynn. My goddess Skyla has commanded that I have this body now. You must give it up. You were always meant for me you know. Even back when we were children. I was to be your mate and our offspring would have created an empire. But then your god decided to interfere with that. Skyla was very angry when I fell in love with Anderpaul. She sent the ruffians that killed me. I wasn't supposed to die, but the pendant that would have protected me, I had given to you. Imagine Skyla's surprise when you, of all people, submitted yourself to her. It was then she saw a chance to fulfill her plans for us after all. She made your body female, always intending for me to occupy it. She has commanded that I take over this body and be together with my beloved once more," the voice in his head told him.

"You will not have it," Keeli said. That was when the pain started and she fell to the floor clutching her head.

"Come now Keelor. You were my friend and I don't want to hurt you, but if you resist the pain will be great. You cannot prevent the inevitable. Your mind does not fit in this body, your very maleness will allow me to easily displace you," Tesalynn said as she pushed her way in.

Keeli screamed and then sat motionless with her head still in her hands. Her companions were growing very worried indeed when she didn't move for some time, so it was with great relief they saw her begin to stir. The relief would soon turn to horror though for when their friend arose, she did not pick up her swords, instead she approached Anderpaul who greeted her without stretched arms.

"Tesalynn, my love, I am so happy to have you back," Anderpaul said as the two embraced.

"And I you," Keeli's mouth said before engaging in a deep passionate kiss with the Destroyer.

The companions looked at each other shocked. They could not believe what was happening. Their friend was acting like this Anderpaul's lover. Then what was being said penetrated Falcon's mind.

"Tesalynn," he said softly to the others. "Of course Tesalynn was Anderpaul's lover. She was also a Chosen One of Skyla. We have all been made fools of by Skyla. She planned this. When Keeli got close enough to Anderpaul, she sent Tesalynn to take over her body."

"What are we going to do?" Natalia asked horrified. "We cannot beat the Destroyer, only Keeli could do that."

As Tesalynn and Anderpaul continued their emotional reunion, a glint caught Falcon's eye. In an instant it came back to him, the words of his goddess, "you will know when the time is right." And he did know.

Slowly he removed the diamond tipped arrow from his quiver. He nocked the arrow and pulled back taking careful aim. So intent was his concentration he didn't notice Talynnda move up behind him. He didn't see as she raised her mace in preparation to smash it down on his skull. He didn't see her look of surprise as the two tips of katanas appeared from her chest. He didn't see Natalia withdraw the blades and guide the dying cleric to the ground. All he saw was the sapphire and diamond pendant dangling above Tesalynn's breasts. Falcon let the arrow fly.

It flew straight and true. It struck the sapphire and there was a blinding flash. When everybody's eyes recovered Tesalynn lay unmoving on the floor, shards of shattered sapphire imbedded in her chest. Where the pendant had hung there was a hideous bruise appearing. Anderpaul dropped to his knees beside her, checking to see if she lived.

Keelor felt his mind get free of the sapphire prison that had entrapped it. He knew instantly that he only had one shot to get his body back. Tesalynn, in her arrogance had given him the key. "Your male mind does not fit in this body" she had said. He knew he must embrace the femininity that had been growing inside his mind. He also knew he must let go of the male, it was like an anchor dragging him down. He knew he must surrender that which he was and embrace who he must be. Keelor let go. Keeli mentally tapped Tesalynn's mind on the shoulder. As Tesalynn became aware of her, Keeli attacked, forcing Tesalynn out of her mind forever.

Anderpaul placed his hands on the fallen girl's head. He began to use his energy to heal her. Slowly her eyes fluttered open. She put her hand to her wounded chest, groaning.

"Are you ok, my love?" Anderpaul asked tenderly receiving a nod from the girl. "Good, now I will make those vermin pay for this.

As Anderpaul made to get up, Keeli knew she had one shot at putting an end to his reign of brutality, and save her friends. She pulled him back down to her and he looked questioningly into her eyes. She put her hands on his chest and summoned all her energy. There was a thunderclap as he went transonic before slamming into the wall some forty feet distant with such force the stone of the wall cracked. She watched as he fell heavily some ten feet to the floor.

Keeli got up slowly, the pain in her chest screaming at her. She went over and picked up her swords, then went to the crumpled form of Anderpaul. When she reached him she could see he was still alive, incredibly. Blood was streaming from his nose and mouth, but he was trying to talk. Warily, Keeli leaned closer to hear him.

"I am sorry, my friend," Anderpaul said weakly. "My gods have left me to my fate and I see now what a horrible monster I have been. Can you forgive me, Keelor?"

"Keelor is no more but I forgive you," Keeli said with compassion.

It was then that a huge thunderclap hit and the Keep began to shake. As stones started falling from the ceiling, everyone heard a voice.

"Once again my plans have been confounded," Skyla said angrily. "You will all die now for insolence." With that the building shook harder.

"We have to get out of here," Natalia yelled running toward Keeli.

As Falcon and Jarrith picked up Ashrod and ran, Keeli looked down at Anderpaul.

"Go," Anderpaul said, "I am dead anyway. I will use the last of my stored life energy to hold the way open for you. Go. You don't have much time."

Keeli allowed Natalia to pull her away from the dying man, that had been her childhood friend, and in the end, was her friend again. Then they were running as fast as they could. They reached the door and kept running until they were outside in the dawn light and at the edge of the forest. They saw the warriors begin to run towards them, helping them. When they reached the safety of the forest they stopped and looked back at the keep just in time to see it implode on itself, as if crushed by some giant awesomely powerful hand.

Natalia looked into Keeli's eyes, "Keeli? Is it you?"

"Yes love, it is me," Keeli said embracing her lover.

But that was not strictly true. Keeli was indeed the same person she'd always been. Her values and morals had not changed. She was still courageous in battle and compassionate when not. She was everything he had been, but for two things. The first was that her mind and body were as one for the first time since the change. She was now truly female in all aspects. The second was that she was no longer a Guardian. Skyla had withdrawn her support just before trying to kill them and Keeli was once again just a Chosen One of Kale. Her guardian powers were gone except one, her amplified strength. She retained that because it was simply another aspect of her same ability to amplify her speed, therefore a power available to a Chosen One.

Falcon came up to them and embraced both girls, and was soon followed by Jarrith. The four stood in a group hug for a while and then broke. Falcon took Natalia's hands in his.

"I'm sorry for acting so terrible to you. Jarrith told me what you did in there. I owe you my life," he told her.

"No Falcon, we owe you all our lives. If you hadn't done what you did we would all be dead or worse by now," Natalia told him. "For what its worth, I am sorry too."

Natalia reached out and touched the emerald pendant hanging from Falcon's neck. "When did you get this?" she asked.

"Yeah and where did you get that arrow? It had a diamond tip, if I am not mistaken," Jarrith said.

"Gianna visited me the last night we camped before arriving here," Falcon explained. "She gave me the arrow saying it was from Kale, then she gave me the pendant. Oh, and she also told me..."
 
 
Epilogue
 
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Keeli stood before the altar of Sabri, goddess of love. On top of it lay a golden ring. The ring was unadorned but for a small opal. The ring was to be her reward. With it she could once again become male. She looked over at Natalia who was standing at her side. Natalia looked on impassively. Keeli reached out a delicate feminine hand and slowly touched the ring in a light caress. She looked once again at Natalia.

"It is your decision, my love," Natalia said unhelpfully. "I will love you and we will be together whatever you choose."

Keeli gently picked up the ring, examining it as it lay in her tiny palm. Then she seemed to reach a decision, snapping her hand closed over the ring. Turning and kissing Natalia she walked outside to where the other companions waited Natalia following a pace behind. As she walked by the companions and between Falcon and Jarrith, she discretely flipped the ring to Jarrith who caught it. As Keeli kept walking, Falcon began walking beside her.

"So what happened? I thought the gods would have mercy on you and let you return to being your old self. Did you get your reward?" Falcon asked.

Keeli looked back at Natalia, who looked up from a discussion with Jarrith and smiled a warm smile of love at her. "Yes, I got my reward," said Keeli smiling.

Falcon and Keeli were both too far away to hear what the bard and the little thief talked of.

"It does what?" Jarrith asked with excitement.

"It switches your gender for as long as you wear it," Natalia explained. "In short, it makes your dreams possible."

She looked meaningfully at Falcon. Jarrith looked at the ring, then to Natalia, then to Falcon. His eyes filled with joy as he moved to slip the ring on. Natalia stopped him right before he did it. He looked at her questioningly.

"Keeli gave this to you as a gift, but I am going to ask you for a favor," Natalia said mischievously.

"Please anything," Jarrith said excitedly.

"I would like to borrow it a time or two," Natalia explained with a big grin. "I would like for my lady love there to be with child, and I would like to be too, after she has the first one, of course."

"Oh my," Jarrith said putting his hand to his mouth and tittering as if he already wore the ring. "Does she know?"

"She hasn't got a clue," Natalia said with a wicked grin. "I plan to surprise her."

"You are bad," Jarrith said smiling. "Sure, anytime you are ready, it is your's for the night, as many times as it takes. I'm not so sure that I would surprise her though. That could be, well, rather painful."

"Somehow I don't feel that it will take too many times," Natalia said mysteriously. "Thanks, you're a doll."

With that Jarrith was a doll, a beautiful honey haired doll, with ice blue eyes and a body straight out of some teenager's fantasy. She looked down at herself, running her hands down the front of her torso.

"Oh my," she said in a beautiful dulcet tone, "thank you so much, you girls are the best." And she launched herself at Falcon.

"So I thought we were all supposed to get a reward here," Falcon was saying.

"I am your reward," Falcon heard a strange but captivating new voice say.

Falcon turned toward it just in time to get plastered as a honey blonde beauty threw herself on him wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, then planting a deep passion filled kiss on his face.

"Hey, who are you?" Falcon asked when the kiss broke.

"You can call me Sarrith," the honey blonde said.

"All right Sarrith," he unbelieving disengaged from the girl to look at her.

"My, you are beautiful," Falcon commented, looking at his companions. "Hey where is Jarrith?"

Sarrith tittered at that, and Falcon caught on looking rather stunned.

"Well what did you expect to get here? This is the temple of Sabri, goddess of love," Keeli laughed as she linked arms with Natalia and walked on.