He shouldnt have teased his sister
by Jasmine monica
A precocious boy annoys his sister and her reaction is completely too far on her innocent brother

chapter 1

Richard was startled by his sister Rose storming into the house in rage. She stamped up the steps and flew into er bedroom. He stood outside snickering at he heard his sister scream in rage. A few things were threw into the wall. She sounded seriously pissed about something.

The fifteen year old opened the door to see her sister sitting on her bed, huffing in rage. “Whats up sis,” He said mockingly with a boyish smirk.

Rose grunted, “You just don't know how hard it all is to be taken seriously at ANYTHING being a girl.” She said in exasperated rage. “I spent nearly 30 minutes trying to explain to my professor today that I wanted to be on the project. It gets extra credits to maintain my 4.0. I talk about how I have been doing and that I fully understood the concept. I can program nearly anything into the mainframe. And then guess what?” She demanded.

“He fell asleep,” Richard offered, “Or what, he wants to sleep with you?” Then he added mischievously, “Maybe you should.”

She yelled, “I noticed the whole time I was talking he didn't hear anything. His eyes were HERE” She pointed to her cleavage. “The entire time. Do you know how frustrating it is.”

He shook his head. “NO,” He smirked again. “But we don't have those, you do. Why do you wear those types of tops.”

“We like them,” Rose told him. “They are comfortable and we should be able to talk to people and not be thought of as a pair of breasts.” She screamed. “Richard, my face is up here. You are all the same. You have no idea what it would like. Try to imagine if you were a girl, and couldn't get anyone to take you seriously. Everyone staring at your chest or your ass any time you try to be taken seriously. How would you like it.”

“I would love it SIS,” He said mockingly. “Girls have it so easy. All you worry about is your clothes, fashion or whose going out with who. You look pretty and people will give you anything. You have great assets, use them and you will get far in life.”

Her face turned red, “Get out!”

Richard turned and headed out. “Is it your time of the month, sis, why are you so angry.” He snickered as he heard a scream of rage as he shut the door.

She sat there wondering how she was going to get her brother back. He was such a condescending asshole. She couldn't turn him into a girl. That was far beyond her abilities at present. That took immense power to do. But she knew who did have that type of power. How ever, there was little chance she would agree to such a thing on her arrogant 15 year old brother over a sibling rivalry. She would think its all stupid.

So she wondered how she could get that woman to agree to do this. She had to hate him and think he deserved such a life if she was to ever agree. Well, Rose smirked. She was very protective of her daughter Crystal. Very protective. An evil cruel idea started forming in her mind. Something twisted, it would end up destroying her brother. He would learn his lesson indeed. She got her book out and started looking for the proper spell and the potions it would require and she had it all in her room.

She mixed the potion right, and poured it into a pot. She waited until it was all ready and prepared and then poured it into a glass. Only, no one could see it except for her. The glass appeared empty.

She walked out into the kitchen. Her brother Richard was watching the television. She walked to him, “Richard, I'm sorry. I am sorry for being mad at you. Its not your fault. Here, take a soda from me.”

He took the sodacan and got a glass from the kitchen. He sat there and filled the glass and started drinking as she smirked. Perfect, Rose thought.

“This is good. Lets watch some television together.”

They sat together as he started dozing off on her. He woke up about twenty minutes later seeing her face. He rubbed his eyes. “What happened?” He asked with a glassy look in his eyes. He was almost totally under her control now.

“You fell asleep as always. Come to my room and I will help you.” He stood up as if in some sort of daze and followed here to her bedroom. He sat on her bed as she read though the book again. Then she started talking in some sort of incomprehensible language. It sounded like some chant that started speaking directly to his mind. He began repeating the words with her. At this moment, he wasn't even aware of what was going on.

Later that night, he walked out of the house and headed down the street. He saw crystal leaving her friends place. Her friends were with her as she turned seeing Richard approaching. They were good friends, they all hung out with his sister regularly. “Hi, Richard.” Crystal quipped.

Crystal had a slight thing for Richard for as long as she can remember. “Crystal, want to hang out.” He offered and she went with him. “Where did you have in mind. My parents are out for the night. Want to eat something. I have a lot.”

They went into her mothers place and she turned on some music. They talked into the evening. Then something happened when eight PM came. She was in the kitchen getting some more chips when he approached. “Richard,” She said with a smile.

Richard grabbed Crystal and pushed her down. She started struggling as he held her down. She started screaming. He started hitting her until she gave up.

About an hour later, Richard walked out of the house as she was bruised and crying. She ran into her bedroom to call her mother. She came home quickly and examined her daughter. Sarafine was enraged. “Who did this?”

“Richard, Roses little brother. We decided to hang out and then he did this. We were having a good time.”

Her face turned sullen. “That bastard will pay.”

“Are we going to call the police,” Crystal asked.

Sarafine shook her head, “No, I have a better idea.” They both smiled despite the agony Crystal was enduring. It would be good to see him like that.

Sarafine called a meeting of all of her friends and Rose was invited too. Rose knew she had to attend.

They had entered a cellar of an old house that belonged to Sarafines family. Rose looked around at many of the other older women. “Lets get right to the point,” Sarafine said sternly. “My daughter has been raped by Roses brother Richard. It all happened last night. She was beaten and I don't know if she will recover. I intend to punish Richard Personally. Does anyone have any objections.” She glared at Rose daring her to protest or protect her brother.

“Richard,” Rose said. “I never known him to attack girls like that. Hes a little sexist and demeaning to women. Are you sure, Sarafine.”

“Yes,” Sarafine said with an air of finality. “I looked into her mind. Her condition is clear. This is your brother.”

“Then do what you must,” She bowed at Sarafine. “I agree he needs a lesson.”

“Than bring him here,” Sarafine commanded. “Don't let him go to school this morning. Take him right here for me.”

She turned to walk out. Her brother would probably be preparing for school in a few hours. She would be ready to escort him. Not that it usually happened, but he wouldn't mind and would be easy to convince him to ditch and hang out with her or his friends. So she waited until he woke up for the day. He showered and ate. He got his books and supplied and started heading out when Rose interrupted him.

Richard looked down at her beside him. “Rose?” He inquired.

“I wanted to walk with you today. I had an idea.” Rose inquired as they walked out.

“Yes, what?” Richard asked.

“Lets ditch today and have some fun.” She smiled mischievously.

“Great, where did you want to go.” Richard asked.

“I know where this really old house is. Lets start there. I bet we can have a lot of fun there.” Rose offered and they agreed and headed down there.

Richard saw the old house in the middle of a field. It looked like an enormous manor. It seemed to be kept up and occupied. :Sis, are you are sure about this.”

She nodded and pulled him along. They entered the house only to be confronted with a very large tall imposing, and seemingly very angry woman dressed in solid intimidating black form fitting dress. Richard looked over at his sister, “Yeah, this was a great idea, thanks a lot.”

Sarafine sneered and grabbed Richards arm. “Follow me Richard.” And violently pulled him along into a large room into the corner of the house. There he saw other imposing women. Rose stood with the women, and there was Crystal with some bruises on her face. She looked very distraught and almost fearful seeing him. Now, he was starting to feel very afraid.

“Whats going on,” Richard asked meekly.

He was in the center of a semicircle. “Richard,” The older woman said. “I am Sarafine. Crystal is my daughter. She has accused you of beating and raping her last night. And from what I see, I am convinced you attacked her.”

What,” He said in disbelief.

“You were with her last night?” Sarafine demanded.

“Yes, we hung out. But Maam,” he pleaded. “She came on to me. She wanted it. She told me she wanted to have sex.”

Crystal shouted, “I never said that, you pig.”

Then suddenly Sarafine got angry. “Silence,” She shouted at Richard and threw her hand out. Some powerful force sent him flying back into the stone wall with a sickening thud. He cried out in pain and he was trapped on the wall. The powerful waves of intense pressure kept him pressed tightly into the wall. “You will not speak. You have no defense. We know you did it, and we know she didn't want you to have sexual contact with her. You are guilty. And the decision is unanimous. We agree.”

Every one of the women, including his sister all agreed.

Sarafine released her hold and he fell to the ground. He stood up to face this powerful angry woman who seemed totally unwilling to hear him.

“Our decision is, you will live the rest of your life as a girl.” Then she held out her hand and he felt the energy flow from her fingertips and enter into him. He began to change. He shrank from his six foot frame down. He kept shrinking until he appeared around five foot tall. His chest expanded, and kept expanding and growing into two large round mounds. His skin softened. His face softened from its hard angular form into a softer rounder more female face. His hair grew. And then he cried out as he felt a stabbing pain between his legs. It was done.

“The sentence has been carried out. You are now a girl. All who knew you were a boy no longer knows it, except for the people here. As a member of the school board, I will have your high school records changed. Now, throw him in a cell.”

He was tossed into one of the cages in the cellar. Totally bewildered, confused and afraid. And absolutely positive he never raped anyone. He just had to prove it.

He shouldn't have teased his sister

by Jasmine Monica

Richard a considers his live and how he will life from that point. And he resolves himself to solving what happened, and proving himself innocent

chapter 2

Richard sat alone on his bed in the darkened cell long into the night. There was little chance of any sleep after what the fifteen year old boy had just endured. Most boys may have been totally destroyed by the suddenness of the change forced upon their them. This one didn't. It left him with a resolve to figure it all out. So he sat there deeply contemplating in his darkened moon lit cell long into the night.

Richard thought that his sister and his relationship was fine. He thought she loved him. A little brother and sister teasing wasn't a bad thing, was it? It was to be expected. As he thought of the things he said, and the pranks he pulled on her over the years, his feelings on it all began to change. He begun realizing it went far beyond simply being a teenage boy asshole. Some of the things he said were incredibly cruel and very condescending, and it was relentless. If he was his sister and the roles were reversed. If he was subjected to that daily, on such a relentless consistency, he may have also built up a seething resentment and would consider doing something this extreme to get even. Well, if it was possible he would make up with his sister, but there was a far more important thing to deal with. Somehow she had did this. This is what caused him to rape another girl. That was inexcusable and he had to get to the bottom of it.

This woman, Sarafine was so enraged that she refused to listen to a word he said, not that he could blame her at the moment. He had no idea what her further intentions were in keeping him here. But he didn't want to leave things as they were. There must be a way to prove he didn't do this.

Then he thought of the final thing. That he was changed, and apparently this was how he would live the rest of his life. He stood up and examined this new form he had. His face was stunning. It had the soft roundish feminine edges in his jaws, large eyes, smallish chin. Only, his faces soft edges had a much softer sensuality to it than most other girls. That must have been intentional. He looked at his arms and shoulders. As a boy, he had massive broad masculine shoulders bursting with strength. That strength was due to years of intensive workouts. They now lacked that size and strength. His shoulders were narrow and his arms and biceps were soft and almost pencil thin. His skin was soft and delicate.

Then his hands went to his chest and he thought to himself, ‘Dayum’ These were huge. These must be the largest in his high school class now. The other girls would be really jealous, and it was be difficult to deal with all of the boys wanting his attention. Yes, this would be a new life that would take a lot to adapt to.

Then he heard the key enter a lock and the door swung open. There was Sarafine and her friend. His sister wasn't there. He figured she would want to see this most of all.

Sarafine, a older woman somewhere in her late 40s perhaps early 50s. She wasn't an unappealing woman by any standard. She looked large, imposing powerful and beautiful. He really saw nothing wrong with her at all. She was enraged at an attack on her daughter. Why shouldn't she be?

She spoke in a powerful regal tone, “I am releasing you now, Richard. We have a few things to discuss, But first, No one will remember you as a boy. I spent the night changing your records to being female. The name you chose can be filled in an instant once you decide on one. Now, we just need to go over what you really need to know as a member of the female sex. First, do your best not to be in public places alone, be cautious of males offering favors or rides. Third, be aware that you are now weaker and many boys who want your attention are stronger and may have less than noble intentions on you. Just like you did. I will expect you to keep going to school. And your family knows that they have two daughters all along.”

He held up his hand, “Can I ask you something,”

“Be quick about it,” She said icily.

“My family, Maam. Please don't let them think they had two daughters all along. Leave them thinking it was just as it is. They rarely notice me anyway. I am curious if they even notice me now. They ignore me, and dot over my sister at every chance.”

She nodded. “What name do you want?” She asked.

“I always liked the name, Veronica.” Richard said.

“That's a beautiful name. It is done. The final thing you need to be concerned with is your time.”

He gave a foggy look. “Huh, Time.”

“Yes, your time. Its something all women and girls need to know. If we go unprepared , we have major yucky problems for the rest of the day. We are left asking another girl for help and that can be embarrassing. And she is snickering the whole time at an unprepared girl that wasn't ready for its arrival. Your date is the 17. 17 of every month, and the next 4 days at least, if you are lucky. Remember that, or it will remember you.”

Now go home and prepare for school. Lets see if your parents even notice.”

It was still dark so Sarafine had her friend Mrs. Fawna walk him home. She explained some further things he would need to concern himself with. They had a brief discussion about pads, liners, tampons and things she needed to prepare. That was going to be the in three weeks. It was still dark when he entered his parents home and went up to his bedroom. Fawna left. Her place was across the street.

He looked at the filth and his room stank. This wouldn't do, he thought but that wasn't important now. His sister Rose must be out, perhaps she ditched, and was just going to hang out with her friends. So he went into his sisters bedroom and looked around.

He saw the stuff she cut up to make the potion. Then he saw the book opened and laid out. He was unable to read it. The words were completely incomprehensible.

He logged onto his sisters computer and saw a lot of his sisters work and her interests and her friends. None of that was relevant. He looked around and found the downloads and recordings off of her webcam. There it was. Her computers cam recorded her making the stuff and learning the spell. She liked to record her accomplishments for future use. He put it on his cloud drive and another on one of his flash drives.

It was about that time when the sky began brightening. The Sun would begin rising very soon so he needed to prepare for his parents waking up. He needed to prepare for morning and then he wondered on what he could wear now. He had nothing he could wear with his body. Everything he owned was for a large framed boy. He would have to go to his sisters bedroom to find anything appropriate.

First, he rushed into the bathroom. His mother briefly saw and said ,“Hi Richard, Did you have a good time my son.” She said absently as they crossed paths. She must not had even looked up. His heart sank. They didn't even realize he was not their son anymore. They were too involved with their own life to see their son. A tear fell from his eye as he jumped into the shower.

Then he wrapped a towel around himself and made it to his sisters bedroom to select something to wear for the day. He opened her closet and found her jeans, the various dresses and her tops. He was bewildered by the choices a girl had at clothing. He didn't know. He selected a pair of hip hugger jeans and a loose fitting low neckline top. Then he opened her drawers to select the intimates and found a nice soft pair of regular pink panties and a matching plain white bra. And he proceeded to dress himself as a girl. He noticed the bra was extremely uncomfortably, painfully tight. He was much more endowed than his sister. His sister was a B, he found out just now. He must at least be a D. His breasts were spilling out of the tiny B cup. Lets see if his parents notice a thing. He would bet money they noticed nothing at all. He didn't think they would even look up. Even his voice change probably wouldn't prompt a reaction.

He went down and said “Hi Mom.”

“Good morning Richard. Your food is on the table and we are already late. I have an early morning class.” Obliviously she replied to Richard as he sat down to eat.

His parents sat across from him totally in discussion with eachother about work matters, his mother studying to be an RN, She discussed her classes at Nursing school and his father a manager at the plant. Richard was across from them wearing his pink low cut neck line with cleavage spilling out, his long hair and face. And they seemed totally oblivious. He felt like he had been punched. He knew they didn't care about him, but this was extreme. They didn't care for him at all. A tear fell from his eyes at the rejection. How could they not notice. His parents finished and. He wanted to cry

They left without another word. Now, he decided to figure this out. He did know his father kept other cameras around for security. One was in the Living room making sure the maids didn't take anything. He went there and found exactly what he was looking for. He put that on the thumb drive and set it all up on the main television. He was going to ditch again, and went across the street to have a talk with Mrs Fawna.

She opened the door with a scowl, “Aren't you supposed to be in school little girl.” She said mockingly.

“I apologize, Mrs Fawna, but this is very important and you must see it.” He held up his flash drive for her to see.

“Very well, lets go see what you have got, that you think is so important for me.” Mrs. Fawna says as if she isn't convinced. She is at least willing to see. It was more than he hoped for.

So Mrs. Fawna led him into her home and found her office. She took the drive and inserted it into a port. The files were found and showed on the screen and she clicked on one. The Video started and he saw that she was taking this serious. A fearsome scow spread across her face. He almost felt her cold rage.

‘Did the room just get colder,’ He trembled. She stood up taking the drive out and said in an air of finality, “Lets go.” She led Richard into his own house and headed directly to Roses bedroom. And there, she saw it clearly. The book, the spells, the orbs and herbs she mixed up for him. A look of horror spread across her face as she turned to Richard with the most sorrowful look he could imagine. She gasp in despair, “Oh no.” She said looking at him. “Richard, I am so sorry.” She pulled him into a tight embrace. “We will make this right.”

She got on her cell and called Sarafine. “Sarafine,” She said seriously. “You need to get here at once. Listen to me, this is something you must see.”

Sarafine was pulling into the driveway within minutes. Fawna was there and led her into the living room where they sat watching the video of her making the potion. Then they watched another video of Rose giving it to Richard who seemed oblivious to what was going on. Then they watched another video where Rose taught him the words, and enchanting him to do her bidding. The spell was right there on the book she left open.

He watched as a terrifying look of sullen rage sank into Sarafines face. He thought she was frightening before, this was a whole new level. The room was definitely colder. He saw the windows freeze over with superchilled frost. The room darkened as frost appeared on the desk and the chairs.

She looked at Fawna and said in harsh threatening tone “Find Rose Now, lets meet at my place within the hour.

Fawna left and Sarafines features softened considerably. Her features turned into that of a totally loving and sympathetic mother, and eyes full of regret. “I will address you as Richard since its obvious I was very wrong. I made a snap judgment and assumed you were guilty. I'm sorry, . Let me look into your mind now. I should have done it at the start, I assumed you were guilty.”

She saw that he was very sorry for everything, and that he was confused and didn't know what was going on. He was unable to control any of his actions. She also saw the depressing loneliness he felt in life, his parents alienation of him and the pain that they didn't even notice a change. “You were right, I am so sorry for this, lets go make this right and punish the one who really did this to us.”

Then she quipped to herself as they drove to her own place. “I can’t believe Rose would do this. She would have my daughter violently attacked and raped simply because she was angry at you. She did this over a sibling feud I will teach her.”

They made it to her old house, Rose and Fawna followed. Rose immediately knew she was in deep shit. She saw the look of sullen rage in Sarafines eyes glaring directly at her. She also saw Sarafine holding Richard behind her possessively like a mother protecting a child.

She approached and Rose stepped back in fright. She shouted angry, “You had my daughter violently attacked and raped over a silly feud with your brother. I cant believe you, you bitch. You destroyed her life over your rivalry with your brother. You will pay for this.” She shouted with such power that Rose flew back.

Rose cried out in pain and saw there trembling in terror.

“Your punishment,” Sarafine said. “will be to be made into a dog of your own sex. You will be your parents dog and see how they care for you. You will retain your memories of your former life as a girl. You will still be you in mind, only you will be in the body of a dog. You will be your parents pet. If ever a time comes when your brother forgives you, I may reconsider.”

She cast the enchantments and Rose shrank and grew four legs and hair. Then they kicked the dog out.

Her face softened in a sympathetic motherly look. “Richard, I have done a horrible thing to your life. I will change you back. And then I will give you two gifts, what ever you desire. But first, how were your parents this morning?”

He started weeping. “They didn't even know.” He wiped a years out of his eyes. “I sat there eating in front of them. They never even noticed that I was a girl. They discussed their business, and left. My first request is don’t change me back. I can like this form you gave me.”

She nodded but warned, “If I don't change you, then this may stick. If its what you want, so what else do you want?” Sarafine asked.

Richard thought for a second on how to discuss his feelings. “There are several reasons and a big one that I don’t want to change. My sister thought this would destroy me. I want to show that it wont. There is nothing bad about being female. The second reason is more complicated. I admired girls all my life, I loved how they lived. I felt so apart from it not being able to share in it, that it made me into an asshole. That and my parents alienation from my life. And I couldn't even tell him what I wanted. This is what I want.” He said in a tone of finality.

“Very well,” Sarafine said. “And what else,”

“I want to be your daughter,” Richard pleaded. “You be my mother, protect and love me as someone should treat a child. I need that.”

She went to Fawna to discuss it for a few minutes. Then she turned back toward Richard, “I will. Now you are already late for school, Veronica.”

Chapter 3
Veronica is trying to make her way in life after being unjustly transformed after a cruel plot by her sister.

Veronica was almost happy now. She has lived with her adopted mother, Sarafine for two weeks now. It had been an enjoyable and bonding experience. She had felt loved as she never felt before. Sarafine actually cared for her and took the time to learn about her daughter, find out what she liked and didn't like. Sarafine spent time with Veronica and made sure she was safe. These were things that Veronica was very unaccustomed too. Her parents seemed to care less about her.

There was one thing that Veronica didn't consider when she demanded to be adopted by Sarafina after her transformation and wrongful punishment. That one thing she forgot to consider was Crystal's feelings in this.

Crystal had been the girl that Veronica had assaulted when she used to be a boy. The boy had violently raped her one night. Richard was under an evil spell, and he was unable to control his actions. Sarafine found out that his sister was part of the witches trained by Sarafine enchanted her brother and caused it, so he would be hated by Sarafine.

So, Crystal and Sarafine knew Richard wasn't responsible for it. He didn't really do it at all. And he was now Veronica, a beautiful, feminine, and very caring girl. But Crystal was still unsettled and afraid because Richard or veronica, it is the person that assaulted her that night. She felt fearful in Veronica's presence. She knew it was wrong, but those violent memories and feelings don’t go away. She was violently raped.

Veronica did what she could to give Crystal space and not interfere with her life. She approached Crystal that first night and slowly explained that she didn't take Crystals feelings into consideration, and she was sorry. She would never approach or be around Crystal. She would wait and hope someday they could become sisters. Veronica didn't know how long that would take, but given the violent attack and rape, Veronica figured that it was possible that it may never happen. Crystal had been very traumatized, so Veronica was mostly on her own at these times

Having lived most of his life as a boy put him at a significant disadvantage when it came to associating with the other girls as a girl. Veronica woke up earlier than Crystal, so she wouldn't encounter the other girl during her morning routine. She showered and struggled to get herself dressed. Even the tops were different somehow.

She went back into her room to dress and do her face.

Veronica struggled to make her face right. She tried to put an even coat of moisturizer and powder-like foundation on her face. Then she tried her best to do the blush. She really struggled with her eyes, the eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow. She didn't want to overdo it, but the first few times made her look like a clown with black eyes. She always struggled with this

Then she struggled to get all of the tangles from her hair, and she figured she was just about right. She went down the kitchen to make herself some breakfast when she saw Crystal standing there, shaking her head sadly.

“Veronica, what is this?” Crystal asked.

Veronica shrugged,” Excuse me, Did I do something, I am sorry.” Veronica was afraid she had upset Crystal.

Crystal approached Veronica and pointed to her hair. “Your hair is a tangled mess, it looks stupid, your eyes are mismatched, and whatever foundation you used is totally wrong. And lets not even mention what you have on. No wonder you are struggling to associate with the other girls. Let's see what we can do.”

Crystal took Veronica back into the bedroom, and she wiped the makeup off and spent some time showing Veronica how to work with her hair to get the tangles out and make it look smooth. She even used the curling iron to give her hair some real volume. Then Crystal smiled, “There, you see. It's much better.”

Veronica was stunned to see the improvement. Her hair actually shinned, and she loved the soft curls at the bottom. “I love it!” Veronica smiled. “Crystal, how are you doing.”

“It's still tough. But my sister needs some major help. I can't keep being afraid. We have to work through this together as sisters. So now, let's work on your face. Remember, you are in high school. Don't overdo it, you aren't on a runway, so less is better. There are times to really put it on, like on a date or to go out on a girl's night. But not for classes. Let me show you how to do it.”

Veronica watched as she used a tiny bit of liquid foundation and rubbed in an even coat, and then she applied some blush, and a faint hint of lip gloss was put on her lips.

Then veronica watched as Crystal the pencil around the corners of her eyes. Crystal said, “We don't have a lot of time, so I will just use some mascara, but I'm going to have to show you how to style your eyelashes correctly. That takes a little time. And we will also have to work on your hands and nails. I think we will invite some of my friends and have a mani party. You need some real work done, girl.”

Crystal looked in Veronica's closet and picked out some nice skinny jeans and a simple top. “Here, now you will look like a high school girl instead of a secretary going to the office. Now go eat and wait for me.”

Veronica went down the steps to eat, and Crystal came down a few minutes after. She sat down to eat some of the Eggs Vernocia made for her.

“It's still a struggle to accept you, Veronica, but I decided I have to try. I know what happened wasn't your fault, and I'm not blaming you. It's unfair to treat you how I was. It didn't make anything easier for me to avoid you. We are both victims, and I need to make an effort to accept you as my adopted sister. I will help you adapt to life. Anyway,.” Crystal smiled at her. “Damn, you need it. I watched you at school last week, and it was just sad. You still approach the girls in a boy way, we have to work on how you interact with the girls, you put them off, and they are starting to avoid you. Except for Ivy and Mary. Avoid them. They are a cliq, and they are bad news that they have set their sights on you. They are setting you up.

And I am worried about Tabi. Her mother is a witch, and she knows about you. I don't know what her angle is trying to be your friend, but she also has a nasty attitude. Stick with me.

Crystal took Veronica out. Crystal's friend Michelle had her car and gave them a ride to school.

Crystal stuck by Veronica's side as they walked in and were immediately approached by Ivy and her friend Mary. Crystal watched as the two went to Veronica and put their hands in her hair, saying, “Oooh look at her hair, and her face is so pretty. You are doing better.”

Crystal interrupted and pushed the girls away. She gave the two girls a stern look and said, “Back off,”

Ivy gave her a nasty look and walked away.

Veronica was confused, and Crystal said, “Those weren't complements. You know, like guys be dicks and such. They were mocking you. We call them cunts. They don't want to be your friend. Michelle is a real friend, Let me show you some other real friends. This is Karen and Amy. I have known Karen since I was young. She will stick by us, and Amy is wonderful. We will also have to work on how you talk to other girls. It's going to be very rough.

Veronica went to her classes for the day. Crystal had her own lessons to attend, and they weren't the same. Crystal was a year older than Veronica. She noticed that as a boy, she wasn't an excellent student at all. Richard tried but he wasn’t a good student.

Veronica listened intently to the lessons and took notes, she was a very good student and got along well with the teachers. She wondered why this was.

Veronica went out and met Crystal, who was waiting, and they went to the cafeteria to eat. Crystal took her sister to her group of friends and told her just to watch how the girls interacted with echother and do her best.

The girls chose their own table and sat down to start eating. Veronica did her best to watch how the girls talked to each other. She noted the difference in how they interacted vs. boys. Boys are much more teasing to each other in a friendly way, but it is usually a competition to better each other and be dominant. Girls stay on an even level, and don't try to one-up each other. They are much more friendly to each other as friends and supportive. There is playful banter and some mocking, but its really good-natured and never insulting to establish dominance.

One of the girls looked at Veronica and said, “Veronica, you are welcome here, there's no need to be shy. I am Teresa, I was in your morning English class, join our conversion, how was your day.”

Veronica also noted that the girls encourage conversation with each other and are supportive. When one looks troubled or shy, the girls gather around her to pull her out instead of exiling her as a boys group would to a boy who doesn't fit in. Veronica told her, “My day has well well, thank you, Teresa, how was yours.”

“Mine sucks, I am so bad at it. Except for that, I was okay. I am so happy to see you finally getting out of your shell. I wondered about you.”

They had a good discussion, and Crystal was impressed. Veronica was learning. Then they went to the rest of their classes. Things went well until Tabi confronted her with her friend Riley.

Tabi had a cruel look in her eyes as she approached Veronica. Luckily, her friend Crystal was right beside her holding her hand, telling her to stay strong.

“So,” Tabi said sternly. “You have finally decided to get social and try to fit in. Your failed attempts were amusing last week. Especially when you got so desperate Wednesday when you wore that tiny top, showed your straps on your shoulders, and had half of your bra hanging out for attention. You got attention all right. From the boys.” Tabi laughed loudly. Crystal was getting angry and told her to shut up. Tabi didn't even hear.

“It's hard for a boy isn't it, Richard,” Tabi said. “Yes, I know. How can anyone not know? Crystal, you had no sister until a week ago. Oh, I know almost everyone thinks Veronica was your shy sister all your life. But it doesn't work on a fellow witch. I know. And about three weeks ago, Your mother and her friend take Richard into your house, and he's not seen from again, and now we have this girl Veronica. I wonder who she could be?” Tabi said sarcastically. “It's such a mystery.”

Crystal stormed forward. “So what's your point, because stating the obvious is boring. Anyway, what can you do, go tell everyone Veronica is really a boy?” Crystal laughed. “Who would buy that?”

Then Tabi pointed to her friend Riley. “Riley is a boy. Ryan thought I would want to date him. No way, now he's my sissy girl.”

Riley almost cried. “I just want to be turned back. Stop teasing me.”

Tabi shouted, “Oh, shut up.”

Then Tabi looked hatefully at Veronica. “I could turn you into a boy again.”

Crystal looked serious. She didn't doubt it. It took a lot of effort, and no one but the most powerful could even attempt a gender transformation. The risks were enormous. But seeing a depressed and desperate Riley beside her in tears meant that Tabi was very powerful and very cruel. Her threat was obviously serious.

“Why would you want to do that?” Crystal asked.

“Because we don't need some pervert sick boy trying to interact with girls. He's not a girl, It's so obvious. I can't let you put all of your friends in danger.”

“You're a hypocrite. Isn't that what you are doing with Riley.” Crystal demanded.

“None of my friends are fooled by Riley. They know he's a sissy boy. Yes he has the body of a girl, and they know he can't really be a girl. And they know he isn't, it’s funny to see him try. But we also see he hates it and is always asking me to turn him back.”

Luckily, Crystals Mother Sarafine was there to pick them up from school. She sensed trouble and walked in to see Tabi there. Her eyes narrowed and she said, “Tabi, I think its time for you leave now.”

She simply giggled hatefully and walked away.

Sarafine decided they needed to have a long discussion with her children after their encounter with Tabi. She was at a loss herself.

Crystal began, “How is this even possible?” She inquired. “How could she transform Veronica herself?”

“A full gender transformation is one of the most difficult things. That's why I had a group with me when I did you, Veronica. I could have done it myself. I have decades of experience with witchcraft. But the risks are extremely high. Everything has to be exactly precise during the transformation. If I lost focus for a split microsecond. If I made even the tiniest error, The risks are I could have ended up with a corpse, or something so badly aligned that it could have been a painful life, or something slowly dying. Do you have any idea how many parts there are in a human body that have to operate with other parts smoothly to function at all? I had to transform your body, all of your parts, to your very genetic structure itself. We were very successful.”

Veronica smiled. “And I am happy with the results, thank you, Mother.”

“But Tabi and her family are very different. It took me decades to develop this level of power and control. But her family are much more powerful witches. You can't even imagine their power. It's terrifying. And they tend to be very bigoted and cruel. What she did to Ryan was monstrous. I fear there's little we can do for him. But we will protect Veronica.”

Then Sarafina finally decided, “And its time to start teaching Veronica how she can protect herself. This may surprise you Crystal, but Veronica is also magically inclined. One of the results of a magical transformation is that once a body is touched and transformed by Magic, it inherits it. Veronica can be taught to use it, and now that Tabi has set her sights on Veronica, we must.”

Crystal didn't know about that. “I agree, and I'm glad she has the ability. Veronica, this won't be easy.”

Then Veronica said in a tired tone, “Nothing is ever easy as a girl.” Then she held her stomach and said, “ow.”

Crystal looked concerned, “What is wrong, Veronica?”

“I have some stomach pains. It comes and goes at unexpected times.” Veronica said, unconcerned.

Then she stood up, and the two saw it. Veronica was embarrassed. Crystal and Sarafine gave eachother a knowing look and nodded. Crystal kindly took Veronica's hand and took her to clean up. Then she asked, “Do you have any supplies?”

Veronica asked, “Like what?”

Crystal wasn't sure if Veronica was being obtuse or not. She swings her hand and hit Veronica on the back of her head. “Like Tampons silly, you are leaking. We warned you weeks ago about this, I guess you weren't listening. And I assume that means you don't have any. I will give you some here, and please tell me you know how to use them?”

Veronica saw the flow and the mess it had created on her clothes. She shook her head.

“Boys?” Crystal said in a tone. She opened the tampon and showed her how to insert it to stop the flow. Then she warned, “You better make sure you have enough for the day. This one will fill up, and it will require another one. We will stop by the store, and you can get your own. Believe me you will need them.”

“Thanks, Ow,” Veronica said acidly and she held her stomach

Crystal gave her a look, “Don't get nasty on me. I am trying to help you, Veronica. But,” Then her look softened. “I know its difficult to not snap at people at these times. Boys simply don't understand. Even the nice boys who try to understand cant. This is a side of life you never knew.” Then Crystal gave her a big hug. “Let's get you some clean clothes and throw these into the wash. And we need to go shopping.”

Crystal found Veronica some clean clothes to put on and quickly threw the jeans and pantys in the wash.

“I can't believe you never got yourself a box of tampons, how could you not be ready for this?” Crystal gave her a smirk.

He shouldn't have teased his sister

By Jasmine Monica

Chapter 4
Veronica deals with forgetting her time of the month and learns her lesson. And then she has a conversation with her mother Sarafine

Crystal threw Veronica’s soiled clothes in the wash and handed her some new clothes.

Veronica replaced her tampon and put the clean clothing on and then they went out to get a box of supplies to handle her unexpected incident earlier this day.

Crystal was still slightly frustrated but she also felt giggly. Most of the teasing was good natured. Veronica felt really stupid.

She remembered the long talk she had with her Mother Sarafine after her transformation and the other talk about how to deal with periods. Veronica remembered the talk but forgot to do anything about it. Crystal smirked and then said as they drove to the local store, “I am sorry for what I said about you still being a boy. You aren't a boy at all Veronica. This happens to many girls who dealt with periods for years. It also happens to many girls their first time, so don't feel stupid.” Crystal pulled Veronica into a tight sisterly embrace. Then she smirked, “But don’t think I won't keep teasing you about it. That’s a big sister's job.”

Veronica lightly elbowed Crystal in the ribs and then dove in for a tickle attack.

The two sisters made it to a local Walgreens and Veronica walked into the feminine care aisle and saw an entire aisle full of various pads and tampons. She felt slightly bewildered now. Then she began laughing to herself as Crystal looked and started giggling too.

Veronica said sarcastically. “This is a shopping trip I would never have guessed I would need six months ago. Finding myself a box of tampons.” Veronica giggled some more and started trying to find the right type.

Crystal guided her sister to the ones labeled for a heavy flow and something more discreet instead of the bulky pads. But she suggested the bulky pads just in case. She said with a twinkle in her eye and a smirk. “A girl never can be too prepared and remember the consequences if you aren't prepared. We don't want to have to wash too many of your jeans tonight.”

“You’re really asking for it,” Veronica replied with her own smirk. “Just wait until we get home.”

The two girls giggled down the aisle as they reached the cashier. Veronica smiled sweetly at the young male cashier and winked at him as she paid. Then she went on her way out.

They made it back home. Veronica still felt silly for ignoring the warning about her period.

She sat in her room when she heard Sarafine returning. Veronica had to replace her tampon another time and the occasional pains were getting very annoying. She waited a little while until her new mother came in.

Sarafine looked down at Veronica and said, “I was told you wished to speak to me about Victoria?” She said kindly.

“Yes,” Veronica replied hesitantly. “I think it's all my fault.”

Sarafine shook her head, “You must not blame yourself. You didn't cause any of this, Veronica. You aren't responsible.”

“You don't know what I did to her. I teased and taunted her relentlessly, every day about her girl's life. I mocked girls I was very cruel. I think I did cause this. I am so afraid now.” Veronica stated firmly. “If you want to punish me, I deserve it.”

“No,” Sarafine stated even more firmly. “You didn't cause this. I am aware you teased her a lot. But she could have got revenge in many other ways than causing you to rape my daughter. Let me tell you what she could have done to get even. She could have caused to you have an uncontrollable desire to go to school totally dressed as a girl. Maybe not even a girl, perhaps just halfway to make it clear you are still a guy, just trying to look girlish. Or, she could have given you the desire to dress very gayish and go find the hunkest gay guy in school and throw yourself at him, begging to be his bottom boy. You see, Veronica. There are many other things she could have done that would have been so embarrassing to you. She could have done all of those things, but instead she gave you the desire to go rape a girl. She could have given you the desire to go gay, or make a big sissy or transvestite out of yourself. Or she could have even given you the desire to come to me and beg to be made into a girl.”

Veronica laughed. “Knowing me now, if she had given me the desire to become a girl, I would have really done it and loved it. But I see what you mean now. What she did was unforgivable. I still feel guilty.”

“That means you know what you did and you have a strong character. That’s why I agreed to adopt you Veronica.” Sarafine said.

“Can I ask you to help her then, not turn her back, but make sure she is safe and not being abused?” Veronica pleaded.

“I will.” Sarafine agreed.

“And make sure she doesn’t get bred either. I don't know how she would handle that.”

“Okay, I will do that too. Now, Veronica it's time to get started training you. Are you ready for that?”

Veronica braced herself, “Yes. I think I am ready.”

“Since you are being threatened by another witch, you will need to learn how to defend yourself from magic attacks,” Sarafine said to Veronica. “Mental barriers and defending against attacks is one of the most essential and it's the basics of unlocking your abilities. Typically, your first lessons wouldn’t even involve training. We would spend the first few months reading ancient text and learning the pattern of the stars and the flow of the energy though the universe. However we don't have time for all of that so I need to rush it and teach you how to defend yourself against magical attacks. So first prepare yourself.”

Veronica stood in the center of the room and prepared for whatever came.”

“I am going to invade your mind. The feeling will be like a violation. It will also be painful. You must block me,” advised Sarafine. “Create a mental shield around your thoughts. To do that, think of a shield surrounding your mind. Block your thoughts, focus your energy around your body and create a shield around your mind to stop me. Focus and concentrate. It will be difficult at first but it will get easier. Do you understand, Veronica?”

Veronica focused her thoughts and reached out. She felt the energy flowing around her body. She reached out and captured it and did her best to think of a shield around her mind. She did her best to hold it there as she saw Sarafine reach for her own energy and prepare her attack.

Sarafine's attack came and Veronica held her focus and concentrated. Her shield held as Veronica felt Sarafine's attack. It felt very uncomfortable as her mind probe encountered her shield. The shield held firm and blocked Sarafine's attack. Veronica focused hard on her shield and it continued to block Sarafine's attack but then her focus began to fail and her shield collapsed. Veronica cried out in pain as Sarafine's mental probe penetrated her mind. It felt like the worst violation possible as Sarafine began stealing Veronica’s thoughts.

The invasion suddenly ceased. “That was better than most people's first attempts to block a mind probe. Most beginners can only hold their shield for a second or two for the first time. You held it nearly ten seconds. That's impressive and I have never given you any lessons before. That's even better. So how did it feel?”

“I felt the attack and I felt my barrier repel your attack at first. It stopped you when I was able to keep my focus on the shield and blocking you. Then my focus failed and it hurt.” Veronica said.

“It's supposed to hurt,” Sarafine said. “It's an attack and that’s how you know you are being attacked by another witch. Experienced witches learn to focus our senses to those around us so we aren’t attacked unexpectedly. I saw how you felt my attack coming and sensed the signs. You are a natural. Now let's try again. And we will progress to more complicated attacks.”

“Is there a way to stop Tabitha if she tries to turn me back into a boy?”

“Yes,” Sarafine said firmly. “But it's complicated and may be far beyond what I can teach you over a weekend. We will work on defending against basic attacks and move from there.”

Veronica felt Sarafine prepare to attack her a second time and prepared her own defense. The attack came and Veronica raised her shield to repel the invasion. It felt much stronger this time and she found she could focus her energy much better. The shield held for nearly thirty seconds before the stress became too much for her. Her mind faltered and the shield collapsed. Sarafine invaded her mind once again and then stopped.

“That was much better. Holding a shield and repelling attacks is a skill that must be practiced and learned. It is stressful on the mind. You must practice the skill and develop it. Experienced witches have the mental strength to hold the shield and deflect attacks for hours. Attacks take much more energy. Relax and we will try again later."

by Jasmine Monica

Chapter 5
Veronica is training to use magic and learns some very important things about its use and limitations. And she has an appointment to see a doctor as she learns more about living as a teenage girls and bonding with her friends.

Veronica had been grilled hard for the past week, and she had learned so much about how Magic works. She trained hard with her sister Christine and her adopted mother, Sarafine, and was amazed at the skills they had acquired.

Then Sarafine began teaching her the ancient language during the night after training with magic. The language can control it. She had learned some of the basics of the language by the end of the week, but she had a long way to go. Veronica had learned some of the major common sounds and words and their symbols. She was going to start learning how to put them together in sentences soon.

But Veronica was given a break tonight. Christine was going to have her friends over for a sleepover and a makeover party. This was mainly for Veronica's benefit. They were going to show her about makeup and help make her over.

Christine looked over at her new sister and said slyly, “This is one of the vital parts of being a girl. We are going to teach you tonight, and we are also going to help you with your nail care. That's another vital part of being a girl.”

Then Christine sat down and held her new little sister and held her close. She said, “I am impressed and a little frightened now. You have progressed so far in your training. I saw no new witch go from nothing to being able to shoot fire from your hands in a week. It won't be long at this pace before you have nothing to fear from Tabitha. Your skills are almost at what some students are at six months to a year. I don't understand?”

Sarafine's voice was heard from the corner of the room. “This is the risk of transforming someone. Veronica's body was created by magic. It was totally infused with the energy during its creation. Including her mind. So it's natural. It understands the mechanics of the energy and its use is natural.

"But Veronica, I need to warn you. I sensed you using the dark energy during your training. It is much more powerful, almost limitless, but it comes from a dark dimension. It is dark energy and it is corrupting and evil.

"When you sense its power, avoid it. Use the cosmic energy we feel around us. It is the force the brings life into the universe and becomes the lifeblood of the universe. It creates stars and planets. That’s what we use. Dark Witches, like Tabitha's family, use the dark energy, and that’s why such a young girl has the power to enslave a boy and transform him against his will. The use of that energy has also given her no morality at all. So please avoid that power.”

Veronica looked down in shame. She was proud of what she was able to achieve, but that pride existed no longer. “I am sorry, mother. I won't use that power anymore.”

“Don’t feel ashamed,” Sarafine said to her new daughter. “We never warned you about it before. You didn’t know. I didn’t think I would have to teach you about that so soon. But when you started shooting fire during our sparring sessions, I knew it was time.

Veronica was confused, “I saw you shooting fire at me. What makes shooting fire so wrong?”

“It's not just that,” Sarafine explained slowly. “It's that you achieved it so soon. I felt the dark energy flowing through you when you did that. It takes much more training and focus to achieve it the right way. That's how we all learned it. So please, don't use the dark energy. I know it's there and its very powerful and seductive. It's a very potent energy to use. It's also very corrupting.”

“I promise, mother,” Veronica responded and pulled the woman in a tight hug.

“And now,” Sarafine said with a smile. “I have scheduled you for a special appointment this afternoon. There's nothing to worry about. It's the same woman your sister Christina and I see every few months. I scheduled this for you to make sure that we did everything correctly with you. If she catches anything, then we will know and can fix it. I doubt it,” Sarafine said, “But it's better to make absolutely sure.”

Christine ran in and gave her sister a big hug and whispered in her ear, “This is another thing every girl has to go through. She is very understanding, especially to girls who just had their first visit.”

Veronica groaned out loud, having an idea what this was all about as she prepared herself for this and getting into the car with Sarafine. Christine said she was arranging things for tonight with their friends.

Sarafine parked in front of the doctor's office, and they got out and walked in. Of course, it was what Veronica thought it was. It was an OB-GYN doctor. Just as she suspected, and they went in. Sarafine went to the counter and got everything taken care of and got her signed in. Then they sat down and Veronica asked, “Is this really necessary?”

Sarafine said harshly, “Absolutely. I do it, your older sister does it, you have to do it too. We must make sure you are healthy. And, “ Then Sarafine lowered her voice and whispered in her ear, “You were the one who insisted on remaining a girl. This was your choice. You could have turned back into a boy. I offered and you insisted. This is one of the things girls must do. So just go with this. She is very kind and understanding. She is one of the best or I wouldn’t send my girls to her. Just go with it, and it will be over.”

They sat there, and the door opened, and another girl walked out. They called another girl in, and they sat there for a few more minutes. Veronica was very nervous. She thought, what if she was a boy inside going through this. It would be a very embarrassing experience. It would probably be embarrassing enough as a girl, but it was a common thing for girls.

Then Sarafine said, “I asked for everything to make sure you are healthy. That's including an internal pelvic exam. They usually don't do those until the girl is in her twenties. But since you just became a girl a month ago. I asked them to examine you.”

And in about another twenty minutes, that girl left, and Veronica was called in. She stood up and followed the nurse into the office. Her weight was taken, then they got her vitals, and the nurse took her heartrate and did all of the usual.

Then the nurse left, and the Doctor came in soon after. The woman sat down beside her, trying to ease her. Then she began asking some very embarrassing questions. She asked when Veronica's last period was and she answered about a week ago, and it was embarrassing.

The doctor asked, “Why?”

Her face turned red, and she answered, “I wasn't really prepared. It was my first and I had no idea.”

“That happens,” The Doctor said kindly. “Was there a lot of pain,”

“No,” Veronica said. “Just the cramps here. It didn’t hurt a lot. It was just annoying.”

“Did you bleed heavy or light,” The Doctor asked.

Veronica didn't have a clue, “I don’t really know.”

Sarafine answered, “It was very heavy. She soaked through a thick tampon in about a half hour. But she didn’t seem to be in any more pain than usual. “

“Veronica, are you sexually active?”

Veronica said, “No, of course not.”

“It's okay, I just had to ask. Now let's get you ready for the breast exam. Please put on this robe, and we can begin.”

Veronica took off her clothes in a private area behind the curtains and put on her loose fitting hospital robe and came out. The doctor led her into another room and had her take her breasts out.

The Doctor took a few minutes pressing around the breast tissue looking for abnormalities. She said after the exam, “It all looks good. Now step up to this machine, and I will show you what to do.

The machine looked very frightening and uninviting. Sarafine held her hand and she walked up to the machine. The Doctor told her to put her breast on the plate. Veronica did and the top part was moved down to squeeze her breast down, and she stood there as it was x rayed. It was about one of the most uncomfortable feelings, and she had to perform the same thing with the other breast. It was squeezed into the machine and x rayed. The doctor examined the photos and said it looked fine.

And then Veronica was led into another exam room with a strange chair and she was sat down in it. Her feet were spread into stirrups. Veronica was wrong about the mammogram being the most uncomfortable feelings. The doctor came back in and examined her. After several long minutes of the doctor sticking her fingers in her and feeling her belly and even using a speculum in her and taking some fluid from the walls of her cervix, it was finally done, and she was able to get dressed again. The doctor said she did fine, and everything felt right. And then she got to leave.

Sarafine then said as they got back into the car, “You did fine Veronica. Your sister goes though that, and so do I. It’s all part of being a girl, and we found out you are a very healthy teenage girl. We did a good job, and I couldn’t be happier. I think your sister Christine has some plans for you this afternoon. Something about a sleepover and a makeover party. They all want to teach Christine's little sister about makeup and how to manage your appearance as a girl. Isn’t that exciting?”

They got back home Veronica gushed, looking at Christine with a wide smile and ran into her arms thanking her.

Christine smiled and said, “Veronica, you are such a GIRL. Calm down sis.”

She backed away, saying, “Sorry for the excitement. It just seems too exciting. And I need help with the makeup.”

“We are also going to do each others' nails,” Said Christine. “You are going to learn how to care for your nails too. So get ready. Our friends Michelle, Amy, Karen and Teresa are coming within the hour. Then we plan on heading toward the Salon.”

Veronica squealed with joy and ran up to get dressed. Christine shook her head at her little sister's antics. She was becoming such a girlie girl. It was impossible to think of this girl as the boy Richard that attacked her.

Veronica ran up to her bedroom to get dressed. She found a very cute purple miniskirt and a matching loose fitting top. She finished the look with a cute pair of two-inch heels and ran back down to see her sister getting herself ready to visit the salon.

When Veronica came back down all ready to go, she saw her friends Michelle, Amy, Teresa, and Karen there ready to visit the salon.

The teenagers went to Teresa's car and got in. They drove off to a popular salon that they liked. Veronica wasn't sure about this at all. She had never gone to a salon and didn't know what to expect. She didn't know about girl's hairstyles at all. Teresa had called ahead of time, so when they arrived at the very feminine looking salon, the stylist were expecting them, and they were taken to their seats when the teens walked in.

Veronica was with a young female blonde stylist and the young woman asked what she wanted.

Veronica had no idea what she preferred as she squeezed her lips together. “I really don't know about styles. Until a month ago, I was living as a boy. What would you suggest?”

The young woman took that statement with ease. She responded, “I have done several trans customers so this is nothing new. Your transition looks beautiful, Veronica. Do you want more curls in your hair, or do you want to be straight, or how about some waves? Do you want any highlights or a different color?”

Veronica thought for a few seconds and then said, “I want some more curls in my hair. I like the color, but can you put some pink highlights in my hair?”

The stylist said very friendly, “I think I can do that. Let me get the curling iron and some rollers to put in your hair and we can get started.

Veronica sat still as the stylist took long strips and applied the pink highlights in her hair and then took parts of her hair and rolled them tight into the hair rollers. That took about a half hour and she soon found herself sitting under a dryer chair, heating her curls up to stay in place.

After another hour, the dryer was removed and the stylist removed the rollers from her hair. Veronica looked in the mirror and smiled at the new pink curls her hair had. Veronica gushed at the new look as Victoria rolled her eyes and said, “Veronica is such a girl now. It's amazing.” And the two sisters hugged and paid the salon.

And then the girls prepared for a night giving each other makeovers and teaching Veronica about makeup.

By Jasmine Monica

Chapter 6

Veronica learns how to deal with her new group of friends as well as how to interact as a girl during her first sleepover.

Veronica was thinking of everything that had happened over the past month. It had all been very enlightening and actually fun. Then she thought of the dark times when she was Richard. Nothing of that phase of her life was fun. The memories were dark and she had been depressed and hateful. She hated being a boy so much and became a major asshole because of it.

But she was not a boy. She wasn't a boy in any way. After everything she had experienced now, there was really no way she could ever be accepted as a boy. Had she been a boy then these experiences would be extremely humiliating and mortifying. Having her period, experiencing everything that goes with her cycles, and then her Ob-Gyn appointment. Richard would have died from embarrassment. Luckily, there was never really a Richard at all.

Veronica had experienced them all with the grace and acceptance of any girl. The period was embarrassing but not because of the period itself. It was just that she was very unprepared for its arrival. She ignored the warnings and it crept up on her and hit her. It was very messy and embarrassing. But it happens to many girls and it happened to her. Luckily, she had a very kind and helpful sister who took her to the store to get the proper supplies to deal with it. And she would never be unprepared again. She was going to be fully prepared for the seventeenth of every month from now on. But it wasn't any more embarrassing for her than it was for any other girl.

Her appointments for womens health were very uncomfortable but not totally mortifying. It was something every girl must experience. This was the life she chose and her new mother had offered to change her back but Veronica wanted to remain. She couldn't imagine going back to the depressing life of a boy. She loved this life now.

What led to this transformation was traumatic and horrifying. She had done something terrible and she had used all of her insight and knowledge to get to the bottom of it all. She eventually solved it and found out she was bewitched by her sister into doing what she had been accused of. She uncovered it and Saraphine was royally pissed. Her sister was being punished for it and her relationship with Saraphine and her daughter was absolved. Veronica couldn't be a happier girl now. And now she was preparing for her first girls' sleepover and makeover party. What fun.

They went back home and she saw Teresa and Michelle start working on her sister, Crystal's, face and Veronica watched trying to understand what the girls were going with the various items of makeup that she didn't entirely understand yet. Teresa carefully explained things to her.

Teresa started by explaining about the foundation she was using and how to determine the best for a specific skin type. She continued by explaining about lip gloss and blush.

“But, Veronica. Just because you are a girl doesn't mean you have to wear makeup at all,” Michelle explained. “I usually don't and some girls don't bother at all. You don't have to wear makeup if you don't want to. Many very active or athletic girls don't bother with makeup that much. If you don't want to bother with it then it's fine.”

Crystal pointed out, “But my sister wants to be a very girly girl. She loves makeup and hair and wants to be good at it. But I have not really taught her and that's why we are here.”

Veronica smiled and agreed, “Yes, I need to learn about makeup. And no one has had the time to teach me about it.” Veronica frowned as the other girls gathered around her to help show her.

This was another thing she loved about being a girl vs being a boy. A group of boys are always trying to establish dominance over the group. A group of girls are equal and help each other out when one is in need or unhappy. A group of boys wouldn’t care about someone's problems and, if a boy didn’t fit in, he faced being cut out of the group. Girls would never do that to a friend. Girls rallied around the girl to help her as they were doing for Veronica now.

There were the girl cliques that acted like boys but that was different. Those relationships didn't rely on a bond or friendship. Veronica had always hated the macho dominance bullshit that existed in a group of boys. And she had never fit in that well with them. She loved this so much better and resolved to learn how to interact as a friend in a group of girls.

Amy and Karen gathered around Veronica, helping her understand the different types of makeup while they did her face. Veronica got the full treatment and they began by removing the small hairs on her face and doing her eyebrows. They plucked her eyebrows at an intense and determined pace. She did her best to stay still and considered how mortified Richard would have been to be here having this done. Then she remembered Richard was her, he would have adored it. He would have loved to have a couple of girls doing his face like this. He hated being a boy so much.

It was already explained but Amy went into further detail about the foundation and moisturizer she was using to help smooth her skin for the foundation. Then she explained about the different colors and types like a liquid or powder foundation and why. Veronica understood and helped choose the right liquid foundation to use and the right color for her skin type. She was amazed at the difference.

Amy explained that she shouldn't go through this much effort unless there was an occasion to do so. Like a night out or a date with a special boy she wanted to impress. They explained that some girls insisted on looking their best even for regular classes and that was silly in their opinion. Veronica happened to agree.

Then they started on the lipsticks and lip glosses and the different colors or types and what they all mean. There were a bewildering number of colors and types of lipsticks and lip glosses. But Veronica figured she understood most of it.

She found the eye makeup to be the most difficult. Eye shadow, mascara and eyeliner, and working on the eye lashes to even them. That was even more bewildering as they started off with a simple pencil eyeliner to mark the edges of her eyes and then worked on her lashes.

Amy showed Veronica how to first use an eyelash curler. Veronica learned how to hold it and curl her eyelashes and then they proceeded to the mascara and she learned how to apply that and then she learned how about that.

When her face was done, she smiled one of the biggest and warming smiles of joy Veronica ever saw. Then she removed the makeup and tried to do it herself. The girls helped her when needed but it took several tries to get close to what Amy could do.

Then Veronica was expected to apply her new-found knowledge to doing Amy's face with Karen's guidance. Her face didn't need as much work as Veronica's. Amy took care of her face well and Veronica went slowly, making sure to ask plenty of questions before she finally decided on a color or type of foundation and Amy was very satisfied with the results. Then Veronica and Amy did Karen's face.

By that time, Crystal had finished with her group and they watched Veronica do Karen’s makeup and Crystal was surprised that she was doing a reasonable job on Karen’s face. Her little sister was a very fast learner and she was very eager to learn these things.

Crystal didn't care much about makeup or the feminine side of life. She liked learning her magic and being powerful. She also liked sports and was very good at softball. It seemed her little sister was going the other way and was diving into femininity headfirst and enjoying it.

Veronica was going to be a very girlie girl. Amy would enjoy that. Most of her other friends were sports fanatics. Michelle and Crystal liked competing with the boys. Teresa liked martial arts and was close to achieving a master level rank at it. She had studied Goju ryu and shotokan since she was little and had around fifteen years of study. She really enjoyed competing with boys and beating them. She was very good at it too. That interested Veronica too and she would soon want to ask Teresa for help. But she had only been a real girl for about a month now. She was a very girlie girl but she didn’t want to be a helpless girl either.

Veronica had learned a little about caring for her hair from her older sister and now it was time to learn about her nails. The girls switched the groups up and Amy moved to Victoria's group and Teresa moved to Veronica's group. Veronica could see Teresa's ripped muscles and how she moved spoke of some extreme skill. That wasn't to say she wasn’t feminine. Teresa was still feminine and very attractive. And she wore more makeup than most other girls and it seemed to be an odd combination of femininity and strength.

This was another area that Veronica felt she needed some major work on. She knew nothing about her nails and they had not really changed since she was Richard. Her nails were unkempt, uneven and very rough. Much like any other boys and she felt ashamed at their condition. Some girls made it a point and it hurt. Hopefully, that would be taken care of today and the girls started on Veronica first since she needed the most work.

Teresa and Karen started showing Veronica how to begin and smooth out the nail first and clip any part of the skin that was in the way. Make sure the nail is shiny and polished first before they try to decorate it and then Teresa asked Veronica what she would like.

Veronica wanted a hot pink sparkly type nails and Victoria rolled her eyes, and thought, of course that's what she would want: pink. They went to work on her nails while the other two started on Veronica's toenails and she wanted the same look on the toes.

They polished and buffed her nails and clipped them to be even and then applied the color and the glitter to Veronica's nails. Veronica paid close attention and did her part when it was the other girl's turn. She helped with Amy, Teresa, Karen, and her own sister.

This was all a very good day. Then the girls curled up on the sofa and watched a romantic movie while starting to fall asleep.

Teresa snuggled into Veronica, starting to fall asleep when Veronica asked, “Teresa, I heard you are a teacher in Karate, is that true?”

Teresa shook her head no. “No. Karate is Japanese. That’s Shotokan. I am an instructor in Goju Ryu. That's Okinawan. It's much more serious and designed for self-defense and combat than Shotokan. Shotokan is an art that they changed over the decades. Why do you ask?”

“I would like you to teach me,” Veronica said with a smile.

Teresa woke up suddenly and stared at Veronica in shock, “Really? You Veronica? I wouldn’t think you would be interested.”

Veronica giggled girlishly and she rolled her eyes again and said, “Why not? Because I like makeup, hair and nails so much? I like my heels and being feminine. I can still want to be strong and confident and fight with boys.” Then she gave a sly sideways smile and said, “Even super girlie girls should know how to defend herself. I don't want to be helpless.”

Teresa laughed and said, “Sure, I will give you the number and address to the place and we can start any time. You are also learning witchcraft, aren’t you?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Because,” Teresa said. “Your mother and sister taught me. This is going to be great. Come by any time and you can start learning.”

Then Teresa and Veronica started to slowly drift off in the night.

Veronica woke up early enough to start making the girls pancakes and eggs for breakfast. She ran into the bathroom to do her morning rituals and then she went to the kitchen. She was going to make the girls cupcakes later in the day. Veronica made sure she had the supplies.

But for now, she was mixing pancake mix and pouring it in a pan to fry. She was making sure to make enough for four hungry teenage girls. She was cracking and frying eggs in another pan when the girls began to wake up.

Victoria woke up and looked at her younger sister making them all breakfast. “Sis, what inspired you to do all of this?”

Veronica shrugged, “I wanted to. You have all been so nice to me. Could we bake a cake later?”

“Bake a cake,” Victoria said doubtfully. “I don't know how.”

Veronica smiled warmly and said, “I will show you how. How about a thick chocolate cake?” The girls seemed excited by that and ran into the bathroom to prepare for the day.

They ate breakfast with Veronica and thanked her for making it and then they were off for the morning. Amy, Karen, Teresa and Victoria went out for a long morning run. They usually ran several miles in the morning to keep their fitness up. Few of the girls could go as hard as Teresa could. She could for for many long miles and typically ran from five to ten. She went three miles with the girls and barely worked up a sweat. Veronica decided to go with them this morning and she barely made it half way with the other girls. It was a start and they started headed back. The girls showered and rested.

Then shortly before Noon, Veronica was covered in dough and sugar from making cake for the girls. She also decided to make cookies for her new friends. The other girls decided to get behind the counter and help her and they were all making a large chocolate cake and cutting out cookies and putting them on a pan.

That was when Veronica told Victoria a secret. As they were putting the thick cake in the Oven and pulling out a pan of cooked cookies. Veronica said, “Veronica, I really want to tell you something and I hope that you aren't mad. Michelle saw me and she was going to tell you. Friday afternoon I went to the gym to watch the cheerleaders practice. They are missing one cheerleader that got hurt. So they are holding tryouts next weekend and I put my name on the list to try out for the competition squad.”

“WHAT!” Crystal said, picturing her sister as a cheerleader and wondering how she was going to handle that type of attention. “Please tell me you aren't serious,” Veronica gave her sister a hard unwavering look.

“I am serious. It really looks exciting.”

Victoria shook her head and said, “Oh my god. This is going to be very embarrassing.”

By Jasmine Monica
Veronica discusses her decision to try out for cheerleading and explains why. She startes training and then takes a test and learns about the history of the witches.
Chapter 7

“I really want to be a cheerleader,” Veronica told Crystal. “I know you want to look like a tough girl who looks down on that. There's even a debate about if cheerleading is really a sport at all. You are all tough sports girls. So, having a sister on the cheerleading squad would reflect on you, but I am not you. It is a serious and dynamic sport that I have always wanted to be a part of. Please understand, I really want to be on the squad. It looks so exciting.”

Crystal nodded, understanding her sister's thinking, and said, “Only if you make it on the competition squad. Otherwise, you are just there cheering on the boys during games. And the odds of a first time tryout making it on that level is slim.”

“If that's what I have to do, then I will do it,” Veronica told her sister. “I hope I can get myself ready and be part of the competition squad. But it is what always I wanted to do. Even when I was a boy, I would watch the cheerleaders practice, and I would go to the game and watch them. I would make it a point to go to the various competitions and watch our school compete. It was odd and many people thought it was just a boy's horny sexual attraction to the cheerleaders. The usual, but it wasn’t. When I was watching them, I was picturing myself as a girl, wearing the outfit and doing the routines with them.”

Crystal shook her head and said in a pained voice, “No wonder you were so closed off and miserable as a boy.”

Christine and Michelle sat there facing Veronica. Teresa was with them. Veronica felt the pressure to back out, but she wouldn’t. Michelle saw her put her name on the paper for the upcoming cheer tryouts. They had seen her watching the varsity squad training and she was practicing their cheerleading routines. This was something she wanted so bad.

“I have a week to practice, and with what Teresa will be teaching me during her classes will help," Veronica told them. "I think I have a chance. I know it will be embarrassing. But please sis, I really want to do this.”

Veronica was really jumping into the girlie girl thing big time with this. She wanted to be one of the cheerleaders. Crystal was on the softball team with Michelle. Teresa taught martial arts, but that wasn’t a school sport. Karen was on the basketball team. And Veronica wanted to be a cheerleader. Of course, she wanted to try out for the competition squad, which was on a whole new level and could be as intense and grueling as basketball.

Crystal looked at her little sister and nodded, “Okay, fine. I will support you, but you better be damn ready for tryouts. My friend Kimberly was a cheerleader for a year. Perhaps she can help you. I will give you a call. Cheerleading and Martial arts. And witchcraft. You will be very busy.”

“Don't I know it,” Veronica giggled. “But I am strong, and I can do this.” Both sisters gave each other a tight hug. Veronica said, “and now I think it's about time to go. Teresa offered to take me to her Dojo for a first introductory lesson.”

Veronica ran to her room to find something comfortable to wear when she was working out. She chose a loose pair of shorts and a top and ran out again. Veronica and Teresa walked out as Crystal waved and told them she would see them later.

Teresa drove them to the Dojo she trained in and went into the of back the instructor's area to get herself dressed. She told Veronica to stretch and get herself ready.

Teresa walked out a few minutes later wearing her instructor's uniform and a red and white belt with her name etched in red thread and many stripes down one side. She looked fearsome and stood facing Veronica.

“Are you ready, Veronica,” Teresa asked. “Did you stretch and warm up your muscles?”

Veronica nodded, and Teresa said, “Okay, So the first thing you need to learn is your foot positioning and the proper stance for the foundation. I can teach you fancy kicks, punches, strikes, and blocks, but without the proper weight distribution and stance, the rest will fall apart. Your foot positioning and weight distribution is the foundation for everything else. So let's get started.’

Teresa spread her feet and belt her legs a bit and told Veronica, “This is a neutral stance, or as we tend to call it, a guard stance. It's the basic stance we use for just about everything. It allows you to move back, forward, pivot from an attack, or attack if you wish. This is where everything else will flow from. So get into this position, Veronica, and I will show you some of the basic footwork we do. Spread your feet and distribute your weight fifty-fifty. Bend your knees so you can move around. You don’t want to be stuck in one position.”

“Now shuffle forward, this is to attack an opponent. Watch.” Teresa shuffled forward and her hand flashed out toward Veronica's face. It would have been a devastating blow if she intended it to be. But she was just demonstrating the reasoning behind the moving forward move. “See, then shuffle back, if your opponent is attacking you, and you quickly evade his attack.”

Then Teresa called someone in. A larger man walked in, wearing sweat pants and a tight workout top. “This is our instructor. He is Mr. Thompson. We will demonstrate some of the footwork for you, and we can match it later once you see it in motion.”

Thompson squared off with Teresa, and they got in their guard stance. Thompson moved forward aggressively and Teresa quickly shuffled back. Teresa moved forward and Thompson quickly shuffled back. They repeated that a few times, and Veronica got the general idea. Then Teresa said, “I will demonstrate a few evasion moves to quickly move away and gain position. So observe.”

They squared off again, and Thompson moved forward and threw a quick strike at Teresa. Teresa quickly pivoted away with her back foot and threw a solid blow to his midsection. “See how that works? I didn't move back, I moved to his side to gain an unexpected advantage. You use this against aggressive hotheads or people who like to rush. Now watch.”

Thompson threw another strike from the other side, making Teresa have to quickly pivot the other way to avoid it, and she threw her own sweeping move at Thompson. Veronica got the general idea of those moves.

Thompson, having helped Teresa demonstrate the general footwork drills, retired back to his office and let Veronica practice some of it herself. Veronica and Teresa squared off and practiced the drill for another ten to fifteen minutes until she began to get reasonably proficient with the footwork drill.

Once her footwork was good, they worked on a few simple strikes. Teresa demonstrated a simple midsection and face punch. “The idea is to rotate your foot and your hip to drive in your entire body to the punch. You notice how boxers move their shoulders and leg into a rear hand punch that usually results in serious damage to the other or a knockout. That's what we are going for here. Watch.” Then Teresa demonstrated the proper cross punch that sent the bag flying back. The punch was much more powerful than a girl her size looked like she should be able to have.

Then Veronica worked on that for a few minutes, and the large fifty-pound bag was barely moving from Veronica's punch. She lost her temper and concentrated and gathered some energy into her hand and struck out. The bag nearly flew off its chain, and Teresa was mad. “Veronica, don't cheat and use your craft to enhance your strength. It will come with practice. Your strength will increase. Please don’t expect to be as strong as me in a few hours of practice.”

Then they worked on a few simple kicking moves and Veronica was very worn out by that time.

Then they sat down recovering when Veronica said, “this is very different from when I did this as Richard.”

Teresa wanted to know if Veronica had done anything in the past.

Veronica shrugged and said, “I trained when I was a boy. It was a different art called Brazilian jujitsu.”

Teresa laughed, “that's what many males want to do. It is a grappling art, and I like fighting those guys. They have to move in and grab me, and it makes it so easy to keep them away and knock them down before they can get a hold on me. Of course, the more experience they have, the harder and faster their moves are. And more difficult to stop them from grabbing me.”

“It is just so different as a girl. I got to a green belt in it and everything seems to be lost," Veronica said sadly. "My muscles have transformed. My entire body is different. I have to start from square one now. I trained as a boy to stop bullies. They tended to target me until I got strong enough. But now, I think they will target me for different reasons than when I was a boy. I need to be able to stop them.”

Teresa nodded to her, “Good, go in the dressing rooms and shower and come back. I will have a uniform for you, and we can discuss your classes and schedule.”

Veronica showered and put on a clean set of clothes and walked out where she saw Teresa’s instructor sitting with her. They were waiting for Veronica to finish.

The man said, “you looked good, Veronica. We would welcome you here and since you are Teresa’s friendand have helped her, we will offer you training at no charge. Just come in and take it seriously. And please, don’t lose your temper. I think you will progress rapidly. Here is a list of our beginner courses. It looks like you should progress through them soon enough.”

Then Teresa drove her back to her place where Crystal was waiting, and Veronica just collapsed in exhaustion.

Veronica knew that her mother was planning something big, so she had to get ready for it. She already heard her inviting Lady Fawna and her other witches here for something. She suspected it was some sort of test, but she couldn’t figure out what it was for. She had only a few weeks of training at the most.

She rested and feel asleep, unexpectedly. She was jolted awake by her sister, shaking her and telling her to wake up. Veronica groaned in soreness as she was being shaken and woke. Her sore muscles screamed as she got out of bed.

Crystal was excited, “wake up sleepyhead! They are waiting for you in the training room. We are getting prepared for your big day. Get ready and come on sis.”

What infernal thing were they preparing for, Veronica thought sourly. She got out of bed and dressed in a hurry and ran down the steps to the training room to see her mother there with Lady Fawna and the other leading witches standing around the room. Veronica never felt more intimidated than she did at that moment. She felt like leaving.

Seraphine must have seen Veronica's fear and stepped forward to say, “Calm down. You are not in trouble. We are here to test your abilities to be made an apprentice witch. Such a thing is unprecedented after a few weeks of training. Your sister had to work hard, and we started her training at eight years old, and she was ready for the test by fourteen. That was also unprecedented. And she is preparing for the test to become a fully certified witch. But she swears you are you more than ready for the Apprentice test."

Veronica gave Crystal a doubtful look of fear and she just nodded and smiled at her.

Saraphine said calmly, “We will give you tasks to perform and see if you can perform them. Each one will get progressively more difficult. Then you will have a safe duel with one of us under our observation. A safe duel is more difficult, but Crystal swears you can do it. A safe duel is that you perform your defense and attacks, with extreme control, so they are executed but do not hit your opponent to cause harm. That's one of the most difficult things to do. Your sister says you can do it and I believe her. We will see and feel each move and attack and calculate the damage it would do if you had fully executed it. So, are you ready?”

Veronica nodded and hoped she didn't make a fool of herself.

Seraphine nodded and said, “Your first task is to read this story to us. Read from the ancient book to us and tell us its story.”

The story had to do with the origin of their order. She started reading, and it seemed to be a very emotional and painful story about an ancient prince named Serren, who was transformed into a princess by his sister Pattenia so she could claim the throne from him.

Prince Serren was embittered and abused by Pattenia as she ruled. Serren suffered the pain and humiliation of countless injustices and he eventually got his revenge upon the ancient Goddess and his sister. Eventually, all of the witches who executed the plan were slain and the new glorious new age of freedom they had planned with his transformation never took place.

He rounded up the witches and tried them in a horrible inquisition. Many of the witches were burnt at the stake. Instead of their new golden age of freedom, they got more of the rule of the men into the late middle ages into the renaissance.

Veronica wondered if this story was real at all. She thought that most of the story must be Myth. It took about a half-hour to read, but she had no trouble understanding the ancient language it was written in. Then Seraphine told Veronica to read it in the ancient language, which she did nearly perfectly. None of her word usage or pronunciation was wrong in any way. She passed that with flying colors. The reading was probably the easy part.

“Now, I want you to repair this dress.” Seraphine said.

Veronica looked at an old dress that seemed so worn out. It was faded from time and some of its material was so old it had laces and threads unraveled and hanging out in many places. It was almost ready to totally fall apart. But this was no problem.

The question was whether to repair it all in a modern way or try to keep it as original as possible and only repair it using methods and materials used in the time of the dress. The dress looked like it was from the sixteenth century. It sort of looked like an old English Tudor gown. She decided to repair it using only methods and materials used in its time.

Veronica pictured the dress and the method to be used to repair it. She pictured the thread appearing in the worn or tore parts and weaving itself to fill in the holes and tear spots. The spots are filling and repairing. Then Veronica cast the proper spell carefully and watched the threads appear and began slowly filling in the holes with the original and proper material used in the day. The results were amazing and, within an hour, the dress was totally repaired.

Seraphine and Fawna looked amazed and shocked. Seraphine said, “That was very impressive, Veronica. Most teenagers don’t really care about the method and just command the dress to be repaired, not caring about the proper material or method used. It just repairs to them. You took the time to use the proper method and material and colors of the time the dress was created. And kept it as original as possible. This is very impressive. Your sister was very right. You are more than ready for this test. Now, it's time for the real challenges. Now, command this dress to change colors, and to appear on you.”

Veronica brought the picture to her mind. She envisioned the bright blue dress being a deep burgundy red. Every thread in the dress being red. Then she cast the spell and the dress’s color changed from blue into a deep burgundy reddish color. That wasn't the end of the challenge. She had to have the dress on her. She pictured herself wearing the dress. There were several ways to do it. She could transform the gown she was wearing into that dress, but then it really wouldn’t be that dress then. That wasn’t the instruction. So, she pictured the dress she was wearing being removed and replaced by the red dress. That was how to do it, and she cast the proper spell. Suddenly the two dresses replaced each other, and she had the red dress on.

Seraphine said, “Veronica, do you see the fifteen candles on the wall. I want you to light each of them at once with a brilliant blue flame. And make it so that they never can burn out. Also,” Seraphine said as an afterthought. “Keep the temperature of the room the same.”

A blue flame burnt at thousands of degrees. Fifteen of those would raise the temp of the room quite a lot. She saw each candle and lit each of them at once time. They suddenly erupted with brilliant blue flames burning at three to five thousand degrees. They had their own source so they wouldn't use up the wax in the candle. Each of them had a tiny spark of hydrogen fusion in the flames. She made sure to cast another spell that those candles would not affect the temperature of the rest of the room.

“Now,” Seraphine told her, “Copy the candles and send them all through the wall and into the other room. Make them land in the center of the floor in a circle.

Veronica recreated each of the fifteen candles and lit them with the same blue flames. Then she sent them into the far wall, and they all floated through the wall and landed in a circle in the other room.

“You have done very well,” Seraphine said. “And now we have the final part of the test. You will face Lady Fawna in a witchs' duel. I was going to have you face my daughter as I was confident that she could handle and protect herself if things went too far. But I am not so sure now, and I think we need someone who has far more experience than my daughter to face you. Lady Fawna, please face off with my daughter Veronica.”

This was a very odd thing. Usually, they had someone around the child's age and experience to face off during a test. They never had someone with vastly more experience and power to face a child. That was unheard of. And made the test very unfair.

Lady Fawna went to the center of the room and faced Veronica. She whispered, “Don’t worry, Veronica. The fact that she wants me to face you instead of Crystal means you already passed. What happens here hardly matters anymore. You have done exceptionally well.”

The two ladies bowed and got into position. Both ladies levitated into the air. Lady Fawna floated upon a cloud of fire. Veronica levitated on a cloud of dark electrical energy and both ladies circled the room, facing each other. Fawna attacked, first sending a weak torrent of fire racing toward Veronica.

Veronica simply held out her hand and put up a shield to absorb the fire. It would have died before hitting her but she absorbed it anyway. Then Veronica fired off a huge torrent of electrical energy shooting toward Fawna. She held up her hand to absorb the blast as it died off before hitting her.

Seraphine beamed with pride. She said, “You didn’t absorb enough and much of it would have torn into you if Veronica was serious. Fawna, stop holding back. There is a good reason I chose you instead of my daughter Crystal to face Veronica. She is a child, but don't underestimate her, or she will defeat you without question. You were already struck with that blast. Take her seriously now.”

Fawna got seriously and sent a hail of glass shards and ice crystals racing toward Veronica. Veronica simply put up a fire cloud to block the attack and it was dissolved in the hot firestorm she created and then sent back at Fawna. Fawna tried to block it and, when she did, another attack of thick ice shards went racing lower into Fawna's legs.

Neither attack actually impacted, but the hot firestorm required much of Fawna's energy to block. The ice shards would have torn off Fawna's legs. Seraphine declared Veronica the victor and both ladies lowered onto the ground.

“Follow us, Veronica,” and the witches stood up and went into the other room. Seraphine instructed Veronica to stand in the center of the circle of candles. The other witches sat outside the circle facing her.

Seraphine said, “I had Fawna face you because I saw your power from the first second. I knew you would pass without question. But I doubted your ability to control yourself, which is why I had a more experienced woman facing you during the duel. I figured if you got out of control that she could handle you. Obviously, I was wrong on both accounts. Had you got out of control, I doubt she could have handled you, but there was no need. You controlled your attacks, and nothing was lethal.

"Veronica, you are extremely impressive and you are a very good example of what can happen when we abuse our power and do stupid things. My daughter was raped, and I wrongly assumed you had done it. I made a stupid snap judgment and ignored your absolute confusion about events and punished you.

"We are lucky that it was exactly what you wanted, and it all ended well. But it could have easily ended up being very bad and we could have had a worse problem then. Someone of such power as yourself being angry and vindictive. Our power is extreme and real. We must be very careful with it and use it only when needed. Or else we face Disaster.

"Veronica, you have passed and are now an apprentice witch. You will become a full witch very soon. You have the right to wear this amulet of power. It is the symbol of our ancient order and a symbol of our Goddess.”

“Our Goddess?” Veronica said questioningly.

“Yes, but she is gone. Killed long ago. We can still honor her even if she made some disastrous mistakes.”

Then they went to the far end of the room, and they all sat down. Seraphine then said, “It is time you learn the history and the origin of our order. Are you ready? It is a long story.”

Veronica sat down and prepared. There were so many questions she still had. “Yes, I believe so. I would love to hear it, mother.”

“Good,” Seraphine said. “Our order is ancient. Its origins start around the beginning of time itself. Or at least the first women. Our order is called the Hekatin. And it started around the time of the first witches in a nation we call the Kingdom of the Shattered Isles. We know what they are now. Everyone knows but we will discuss their history and organ of the Hekatin. Its time can be divided into three long ages. The Hekatin came from the first age. That is the time of the Goddess Progenita and the rule of women. That ended, and the Second age was the rule of men over women, and we are into the third age now. So let's talk about the first age in which our order comes from. That was the age of the Matriarchy and the rule of the Hekatin over men.

"The Hekatin thought it was a glorious time of peace and unity. But that was a lie. It was a time of darkness and brutality. We ruled over men with an iron fist and they were helpless and had no control over the course of their lives. It was the time of the Hekatin Kings and the rule of women. We thought that men were immature and could not control their anger. They were taught that men were like children and unfit to hold power. Men were powerless. Century after century of that time and men's anger rose with each one. They were bought and sold like chattel. Until they finally struck out in what we called the great war.

"Men took control of the three most powerful families, Denae, Malnae, and Fawnae, yes, like Lady Fawnae. She is a member of that ancient family. They united, they assassinated the last of the Hekatin Kings and started a long bloody war. Temple after temple fell to them. They wiped out the witches during each conquest and eventually won. The last temple fell, the great witches moon, which was a symbol of the order, and the Goddess fell. The Witch Moon vanished from the sky, and then we entered the rule of man.

"Women were denied all positions of power. We were now treated as chattel. Worship of the Goddess was declared illegal. Witch Hunters hunted for the descendants and members of the last royal family of the witch kings. Then they hunted for the remaining witches. It was a time of Darkness under their male God called Maxis.

"Women were even denied an education at first. For the first three hundred years of the Rule of Maxis, women couldn't even read. We were illiterate. It was eventually decided that educated wives were much better, so we learned domestic skills. That was the beginning of the end of the rule of Man.

"It lasted a few more hundred years but, around eight hundred years after the fall, the witch moon suddenly appeared back in the sky again. It was supposed to be a glorious time. But they did something horrible which destroyed them all. They hatched a plot to retake control. They arranged the death of the final Denae, King Gerrick. His son Serren was set to become King. He was ready, but he was very young. Text says he was sixteen and slightly immature as all teenagers tend to be. He had an older sister named Pattenia. She was a year older. Serren was a strong, and he was bred to be a warrior. He was the greatest warrior in the kingdom.

"But Pattenia was angry at her life and at the restrictions under the rule of Man. His sister Pattenia was a year older, and she thought she should be the rightful king. She was a Hekatin, as was Serren's mother, Aanya. The witches hatched an insidious plot to change the sex of Serren and remove him from the line of succession. A young woman named Actonia, she was a very powerful young witch who found out that the Goddess had chosen Pattenia to become the King, found a way to make it happen by turning Serren into a girl. She convinced Pattenia to agree.

"Serren would be the little sister of Pattenia, who would become the rightful king. The plot was formed, and it was done on the day Serren was supposed to be coronated as the King. Serren was turned into a girl in front of the entire Kingdom and renamed Serrenina. He was betrayed by his own family. He was angry but helpless.

"But they didn’t know what we know that when you change someone though magic, it infuses in them. The spell was called the blessing. It's supposed to bless the person and not hurt them. They abused magic, and the spell. The Goddess inspired it and she was wrong.

"Well, Pattenia was crowned and she ruled. She was a good ruler, but she was still horribly abusive to her little brother. He was mistreated, humiliated after having lost everything.

"Pattenia withdrew the restrictions on women and she instituted the rule of women once again. She freed the women and made worship of the Goddess the legal religion of the country. People celebrated in the streets all night long. She dispossessed every male in the kingdom when she ruled that only the eldest girl can inherent the family's land and titles. Then she prepared to go to war against a few families that had rebelled against her.

"Her brother Serren was hurt by that most of all. He was supposed to be a warrior, but he was forced to watch his arrogant sister don armor, pants, and hold his sword to go to war and lead their army. All while he was trapped in the body of a helpless teenage girl.

"He swore vengeance against her, and when someone is that angry, it may be wise to take it seriously. No one did. He started learning witchcraft to find a way to restore his manhood. He begged Pattenia to help him and offered to even renounce the crown if she would. She refused and lied to him before she marched off to war.

"He studied witchcraft and progressed faster than anyone thought possible. Much like you Veronica. Well Pattenia won the war and retook a few cities, she had yet to retake the islands the rebels held. She returned in victory and mocked Serrenina for her weakness.

"Then he suddenly became pregnant. It was a disastrous thing for a boy like him. It was a devastating blow. His sister continued to mock him, he studied and did his best to find a way. He even attacked the King's chief witch and adviser. He never gave up wanting the crown back no matter what, and he swore to retake it and destroy them. The witches were frightened by this point in time. Serren had been molested by a group of boys, abused, belittled mocked ignored, and then made pregnant.

His pregnancy was considered a miracle from the Goddess, but it was really a spell cast by Actonia and Pattenia to do this to him. She had got pregnant and transferred it to Serren though a powerful spell. She reveled at the changes overtaking her arrogant little brother and loved his suffering. He married the woman he loved, she was a beautiful woman named Nemeria. But he still wanted the crown. Serren retrained his mind and body for combat. He was the best fighter in the Kingdom as a boy. Serren was unrivaled but he lost all of that during his transformation and found himself as helpless as any other teenage girl. He solved that by relentlessly retraining himself to fight again. So when Prett tried to attack him once again, Serren was able to fight back and defeat him. He killed Prett during the second brutal assault. He trained to fight for one reason, to reclaim the crown that was stolen from him. It was a single minded devotion to one single goal.

"Pattenia should have known better. Serren suffered it all and had beautiful twins he fell in love with. Pattenia became more hateful and she won the war. She tortured citizens of the rebel isles and she massacred their army after they surrendered. She committed many atrocities on the men there as she reimposed her rule over them.

Serren loved being a mother and loved his children. Pattenia was able to quicky end the war and return to watch Serren give birth to his children. Pattenia was upset at how much he adored the kids and wanted to raise them. She went to claim the children as her own and Serrens power had grown. He prevented her from taking his children and nearly killed her and the men she sent to claim the kids. But the Goddess had prevented Serren from killing Pattenia. That was the spark that made him hate the Goddess even more and he went into action.

"Serren was still very embittered and hateful. He was powerful enough he formed his own plot and left the isles to learn under the elves. He vanished from the Shattered Isles for nearly a year, training under the elves masters to learn the hidden secrets of Magic that no human knows. The Evles were under the assumption that Serren was interested in restoring their sacred alliance between the two races. They had a sacred alliance during the first age that was broken by the men. The Elves have a matriarchy and that made the humans matriarchy attractive. The elves formed a close alliance with the humans. Men broke it when they seized control. They thought that Serren as a woman would restore it. He learned their secrets of magic over the next year and returned very powerful. But he betrayed the elves and had no interest in an alliance. Serren broke his word and returned to the shattered isles ready to reclaim his crown.”

"Then he formed his own alliance of three of the Sey Families. Onsey, Ansey and his new family, Malney. They united and formed their own nation. War overtook the isles again. Only this war was led by her own deposed brother and an alliance of the three most powerful families in the region. This was sure to be a larger and longer war.

"Then Serren started an inquisition on the witches. Witches were rounded up and tortured. He removed women from all positions of authority and re-instituted the rule of Man once again. He refused to even admit he was a woman. He was a man no matter what was done to him. Women were persecuted under his rule and he proved his brilliance by defeating his sister in every engagement.

"The witches were killed, as he overtook the capital and hunted the witches. They fled the Shattered Isles, and the new age dawned. Serren forced the witches to transform him into a man so he could reclaim his life and rule as a man. This wasnt what the Hekatin would have wanted at all. Their time of freedom lasted only a few years at most. It was still a brutal rule of Man. Witches were hunted across the world. We were illegal. Serren even put the Goddess herself on trial and had her killed. It was found that the Goddess was Maxis and Progenita. She was both, and at times, she felt like a woman and women ruled, at other times she felt male and man ruled. She wanted to institute a new age of equality, not rule by women again. She saw how that turned out.

"But Serren had suffered too much to care what the Goddess wanted and felt terribly deceived. So Serren and his new witches cast a powerful summoning spell on the Goddess that brought her to Trial. She was trapped in a cage, unable to leave.

"During Progenita's trial, he made the point that he was a follower of Maxis, many were, and that was exactly what the Goddess had taught them. One of the charges was betraying her own followers and deception. She was found guilty of that big time. She condemned her followers for doing exactly what she and her religion under Maxis taught them. Then he asked her if he could have been taught differently. And why she never encouraged his family to teach him differently so he could be helpful to them and support his sister. But he was treated as something that needed to be removed and ignored. When he was a very kind and friendly kid who dearly loved his family.

"Serren was angry. He felt like nothing but a meaningless sacrifice and he was doing exactly what Maxis had taught him to do. He said he felt doomed from the day he was born. Serren and his new friends learned a new set of very powerful spells. Another spell was to bind the Goddess into human form. She was suddenly a human girl and then she was burnt at the stake.

"And we entered the new age we called the renaissance. Men still ruled with an iron fistand women were ignored. We had few rights. Some women ruled nations during that time, but it was still the rule of Man. Women had little say over their lives under the great queens like Ekaterina, Queen Elizabeth and those like them. Slowly, the rule of man faded in the nineteenth century. But even today, here are some places where women have no rights at all. It could have been different. Still, some of the Hekatin think Serren was wrong, but they were wrong. Had they done things different, History may have gone very differently.

Then, Veronica read a final exert in the book about the history of the shattered isles that seemed to be written by the hand of Serren himself after he reclaimed the crown and declared victory. It was a very angry passage that talked about how he was betrayed by his family. How they all pretended to love him for so many years but were planing to betray and destroy his very life. How his mother must have hated having a son and never loved him at all. Then he questioned whether women were even capable of the feeling of love.

Veronica shook her lead at the level of hatred this boy must have felt. But the women of his family betrayed him and caused him more pain than she could ever imagine.

She knew that her mothers story about the Shattered Isles was a warning of what can happen when they abuse their power. She had to make sure she never abused her power and when she saw power being abused, to speak up and defend the helpless. She needed to help Riley.

Veronica confronts Tabi and helps Riley recover.
Chapter 8

Veronica's thoughts drifted back to the long story she had read as she laid in her bed. Her mother swore the story was true. She got another book on the origin of the Hekatin and read another book about the ancient shattered isles. She didn't doubt it was true anymore.

Veronica laid there thinking about herself, a former boy made a girl through magic. How could she doubt anything else after this? It was much like the character Prince Serren, who was turned into a girl by his cruel sister in a monstrous act of betrayal. They paid for it and that was the moral of the story to her. His sister Pattenia paid for it most of all. Everything that happened to Serren as a girl was inflicted on her in revenge. He watched her get raped. She was tortured for months and executed in front of everyone in a horrifying sadistic way.

They had to be very careful with how they used the power that they have been granted and make sure what they do is moral and just. They made a horrible mistake thousands of years ago, hoping it would work, and that they would be able to come out into the light as free women. They paid for their brutal act and, in a way, the Hekatin are still paying for it to this day. The descendants of that order still aren’t free. They are forced to practice their art and their religion in secret. Fearful of what people would think if they found people with such power. And, Veronica thought they deserved it.

She had read another book this night about Prince Serren's life before the transformation. He was totally boy. It must have been torture to him. His family did it to him. It was such a horrifying betrayal. Yes, the witches did deserve what they got. Serren really got the last laugh. And he still is nearly a thousand years later. That tale was a good warning of what can happen when they misuse their power.

Then she thought of Riley. Riley was a boy she met shortly after she was transformed herself. Riley was a boy cruelly transformed by another very powerful witch, just to torment and humiliate him. Veronica would not feel so intimidated by meeting Tabi anymore. She now had the confidence and training that she felt she had nothing to fear from her anymore. Perhaps she could help Riley. He did not deserve to be treated like he was. These were the type of witches everyone was afraid of and what put them in this situation to begin with.

Then Veronica slowly drifted off to sleep, wondering about Riley. And how she was going to help that tormented boy. Unlike Veronica, Riley hated this life.

Veronica woke up early the next morning and prepared for high school. She ran into the bathroom and showered and dressed like any other teenage girl. She applied what she knew about makeup and hygiene and made up her face and hair. She applied just enough makeup, and she didn't overdo it like she might for a date. She was just going to high school classes, and then she ran down the steps to make some eggs. She saw her mother at the stove, making them their eggs and smiling.

Veronica started eating and asked her mother,” Mother, is there a way to help Riley?”

Seraphine shook her head side to side as she was making Crystal's plate. “It would be very difficult, Veronica. We have to know exactly what was done and how to reverse it or we may do more harm than good. And since everyone around Riley, her family and friends accept her as a girl born that way, we must assume they cast a wide spell on everyone around her as I did for you, Veronica. To turn her back into a boy now would be very jarring and shocking for everyone. It may bring down repercussions. I would suggest you don’t even try it, Veronica. There’s a lot we need to find out first before we even dare attempt it.”

Crystal came down a little later and ate, and Crystal drove them both to school.

Veronica went to her usual classes for the morning. She went to English in the morning and then to her history class. During history, they were discussing the middle ages, and she briefly wondered if she could visit the Shattered Isles. But she seriously doubted as a witch that they would be welcome there. The witches fled it for a reason. It might be very dangerous to visit Then Veronica had algebra and went to lunch.

Her friends were occupying a table with her sister Crystal. And she saw the boy Riley at a table by himself. Riley saw Veronica approaching him from the side, and she sat down beside him and smiled warmly.

Riley looked frightened and said,” I know you are one of them. Are you just here to mock me too?”

“No,” Said Veronica. “I am here to be your friend and help you. Don't you remember me from my first day?”

Riley nodded. “Yes, Veronica. Tabi said you were a boy before you were changed into a girl like I was. But I also see you are a witch from that amulet you are wearing.”

“I won't make fun of you, Riley. I want to know more about you and help you.”

Then Tabi aggressively moved toward Veronica and said, “So what are you doing with my sissy?” She said.

Veronica turned and stood up, facing Tabi. Tabi saw and smiled, “Oh, it's you, the other sissy pretending to be a real girl. What is your interest in Riley? ‘HE’ is Mine.”

Then Tabi looked down and saw the silver amulet Veronica was wearing and lost some of the color in her face. She whispered, “Goddess, how is this possible after not even a month. An apprentice witch, second class, it took me years to reach just third class. I won't reach second until about another year. This can't be real.”

Veronica stepped forward. Her friends finally noticed the conflict that was about to happen. Veronica said, “Yes, I have been training, and I am not afraid of you anymore. You will leave Riley alone now, won't you? She is Mine, you just want to torment the poor girl.”

Tabi stood there without fear, facing Veronica, saying, “With all of these people around. And I doubt that amulet you have on. It's impossible to reach that level in a month. It took me my lifetime to reach level three apprentice.”

Veronica flashed a malicious smile and stepped forward, pulling her right arm back. Then she drove a solid punch into Tabi's midsection, activating her power at the last minute, putting much more power into the strike than was possible. Tabi doubled over in pain, and Veronica violented shoved her back. Tabi stumbled backward and fell into a bunch of chairs, collapsed in pain as she cried out.

Veronica had a wicked look in her eyes. There was no warmth or mercy. It was a cruel look. “All of the pain people like you caused. What you did to this poor boy Ryan. I wish I could help him. People like you are evil. You caused our misfortune. You must pay.”

Veronica looked at Tabi's neckline and envisioned a tight band around her neck. The band started tightening around Tabi's neck, and she began choking and gagging. The kids nearby screamed at seeing Tabi choking. They guessed she had some food in her windpipe. Tabi's face started turning blue. She couldn’t get any air. She was gagging and choking helplessly.

Crystal stepped beside her sister and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and said softly, “Veronica, stop. You proved your point. Please don't kill Tabi.”

That shocked Veronica into reality and she suddenly stopped killing Tabi at the last moment, and she gasped and sucked in air.

“You will leave Riley alone for now on. He is my boy, and we will respect him. You leave him alone.” then Veronica penetrated Tabi’s mind and said directly to her, “If I find you tormenting her again, I will finish what I started.”

Then Veronica took Riley's hand and led her to the table with her friends, and they sat and ate.

A teacher saw the fight and pulled Veronica away and escorted her and Tabi into the office.

The teacher took Tabi into the office first but didn't get much from her. Tabi told her what she already saw in the fight. Veronica was the aggressor and attacked Tabi and knocked her down. She was dismissed, and then she called in Veronica.

Veronica walked into the officer, sure she was in big trouble. The teacher asked, “So tell me what happened. I saw much of it, but I want it from your point of view. I saw you attack Tabi.”

“I was just sitting there talking with my new friend Riley when Tabi came at us. She had been bullying and demeaning my friend Riley. She thinks Riley is hers to do with as she pleases. I was defending my friend and telling her to back off. I ended up having to knock her down to make my point. I don’t like how she was treating Riley.”

There had been complaints about Tabi but nothing that could be acted on. She suspected that Tabi was a bully. The principal said, “While I agree with you on that and I can commend you for standing up for your friend, I still can't condone fighting. Students need to report these bullies so we can deal with them.”

“Yes, because it is so effective when we report bullies. It does so much to report them. Right,” Veronica said, dripping with sarcasm. “You are so effective in dealing with bullying.”

“We may be more effective if you students weren't so afraid to report them to us,” Said the Principal.

“When we do, the bully gets some punishment but just comes back angry and takes it out on his victim, and nothing changes. Perhaps if there were harsher penalties for bullying, it might do some good. But I think my way protected Riley much better. I doubt she will come at Riley again.”

“She may come at you, and her family may come at you too,” The Principal pointed out.

“If they do, I will have to teach them a lesson. I am not afraid,” Veronica said confidently.

“I see why you attacked Tabi, But I can't accept this type of behavior. I have to suspend you for a day, Veronica.” The Principal told Veronica.

“I understand, and I expected it.” Then she was dismissed. Tabi had also been suspended for a day.

She went out and saw Riley, and Riley said,”Thank you for helping me with Tabi. I don't know how I will deal with mom. She likes Tabi.”

“My mother could be here to take you when the school lets out. You could stay with us,” Then Veronica smiled sweetly. “I would appreciate that, Ryan. You really are cute as a guy.” Then she kissed Riley's cheek, and Riley blushed and agreed to spend the night with them. Riley had a few more classes, and Crystal was there and said she would protect Riley.

Seraphine came by about ten minutes later and they left. Veronica was afraid and figured she was going to be in big trouble. On the way home, Seraphine asked, “So you got in a fight with Tabi and attacked her?”

Veronica looked down, ashamed and afraid, “Yes. She was picking on Riley.”

“And you are still here and Tabi ended up on the ground. We were right to promote you to an apprentice. Good job, Veronica. Let's go for ice cream.”

“What?” Veronica said, confused that she wasn’t in trouble.

“You got into it with a sadistic bully like Tabi. Who ruined a boy's life and took pleasure in continuing to torment that boy. And you defended that boy. You thought I would disapprove of what you did,” Seraphine pointed out. “I do not disapprove at all. Veronica, I approve. But I have a feeling that Tabi will continue to come at you now. But I like what you did.”

They went to get Veronica an oversized ice cream cone, and they were on their way home. Seraphine said, “I won't punish you while you are at home. We get more time to work on your witchcraft. You are part of the Hekatin.”

Veronica ate her huge ice cream cone and thinking of her new responsibility as being part of the Hekatin. She had to defend them and make sure they stood for the ideals they espoused. They failed when it came to Serren and paid for it with their lives.

They went home and made their way to the training area in the basement. In no time, she was focusing and defending herself against Seraphine's attack.

After several long hours of training and practicing, she was lying down tired. Seraphine said, “Veronica you are a perfect example of the point I am making. Be careful who you abuse or mistreat. You have trained for under a month and you can hold your own against me and have a chance of defeating me. You defeated Lady Fawna. All in under a month.

"You are a lot like Serren in that respect. She was changed against her will and humiliated and demeaned beyond all reason. And when she started reading about the Hekatin, she became fearsome. She became extremely powerful within mere months of taking classes with the witches. She was able to hold her own against her mother, who was very a very powerful witch herself. She defeated Actonia, who was also a very powerful witch. My point is just to be careful, you never know how strong someone can eventually be. The Hekatin who changed Serren weren't, and Tabi wasn’t careful when she started picking a fight with you. Riley could become a very powerful witch if he wanted to be.”

“Mother, when I was studying about the old Hekatin during the time of Serren, something confused me. They talked about a beautiful land to the north that was the home of the witches and the final ruling family during the first age. It was called Guenefer. Guenefer was Pattenia's closest allies. But we didn’t hear much about them during Serren's rule and never again. What happened to Guennefer? They sheltered the witches and had one of the greatest libraries of the Hekatin ever.”

Seraphine looked sad. “They were utterly destroyed. They actively supported and helped Pattenia during her reign. Serren destroyed them all when he claimed the crown. Serren reclaimed his manhood, he was turned into a man and took control. He defeated his sister.

"He took control of the army and gathered his fleet and led them all to Guenefer. They knew they were in big trouble then. Serren's army landed on Guenefer and they killed and burnt everything. The nobles and people were rounded up and slaughtered. The cities were burnt to the ground. He destroyed and burnt their secret library, he burnt all of the witches. It was like Carthage and Rome. Even today, all that’s left is charred bodies, graves and burnt cities. Then his witch hunters started rounding up witches wherever they were in his country. We ended up having to flee the Shattered Isles. And I think we deserved it. But Serren killed every man woman and child who supported the Hekatin.”

“How is the Shattered Isles today, are they still a country?” Veronica asked.

Seraphine said, “Yes, but they are hidden. But they are a nightmare. It is extremely sexist and brutal. They still have the strict and unquestioned rule of man over women. Women are persecuted and have no power. It's to such an extent that they make Saudi Arabia look progressive, even with their guardianship laws over women.

"The Shattered Isles is a nightmare. And they still have an absolute monarchy. And only men can hold any position of power. Their witch hunters still hold power over society. Don’t even consider trying to visit the Shattered Isles. Some men have, and they were horrified. They are a modernized country. They have power plants and airports, a modern military with firearms and tanks. But they still hunt witches and liberalized women. And they are burnt at the stake.”

Then Seraphine looked at her new daughter and said, “And now I hear that you are trying out for the cheerleading squad.”

“Yes, I would love it,” Veronica replied.

Seraphine laughed. “That is great. I don’t know how we will handle that. But after today, punching Tabi out, no one can say you are a weak girl. A girlie girl does not have to be weak. Kimberly will be coming to help you soon. She is eager to help you train for the squad.”

Veronica actually stood up and bounced on her toes with joys squealing, “Ohmygod, A real cheerleader wants to help me prepare for the tryouts.” She squealed so loud. Her smile was so huge as she bounced on her toes.

Seraphine just rolled her eyes and considered what an injustice it was that this so obvious girl was born as a boy. How much torture that must have been for her.

“You have about another hour until Kimberly shows up.” Seraphine told her.

“I forgot to tell you that I invited Riley to stay with us. Her mother sees nothing wrong with the way Tabi treats her, and they are close friends. She needs someone to care and protect her.” Veronica pleaded with her mother to understand.

“That was very kind of you. Since you have taken the responsibility, her protection and helping her is up to you. I will do what I can to find out all that I can so we can restore her masculinity. I will accept her in my house, but I won't have a boy in your room with you. Especially one you are obviously interested in.” Seraphine flashed a sly smile, letting Veronica know that she knew what was behind all of this. “I saw you kiss him.”

Veronica’s face turned crimson with embarrassment as Seraphine laughed and told her to go get some rest and get dressed for Kimberly.

She sat down and began reading a little about Pattenia's life before she seized the crown from her little brother. Pattenia seemed very harsh and cruel to her when she heard how she treated her little brother and the things she did.

Veronica was surprised about how upset and sad Pattenia's life was before it all. She was the older and stronger of the two, she was a little smarter and mature than her brother. But she was so angry that she could never be considered for the crown the way things were then, just because she was a girl. There was that, and her little brother's treatment of her, and the marriage she was being forced into.

Her reign was very brief and violent. Seizing the crown and calling off her contracted marriage sparked a war with that family. Then her little sister forms alliances against her and sparks a full-scale civil war. Her brother proved he could lead, and he was the stronger of the two.

After reading about Pattenia's depressing childhood under the rule of men for about a half hour, it was time to prepare for her first training session for cheerleading. Kimberly was arriving shortly, and she had to prepare.

Veronica went to her bedroom and found some athletic training clothes. She put on a pair of pink leggings and a sports bra, and loose fitting white and pink workout top and a headband. She tied her hair in a ponytail using a hairband and went out to loosen up.

She started with some simple stretches and running to warm up. Then she practiced some of the basic cheerleading routines that the freshmen practice. That was what she was doing when Kimberly came out to meet her. She stood there watching Veronica go through several of the freshmen squad's basic cheers and then proceed to some of the more advanced routines for the Varsity squad. Kimberly had a basic idea of Veronica's skills by then and stepped in to help correct some of her mistakes and help with her timing.

Kimberly stopped Veronica and said, “I am impressed, Veronica. Usually, first-time tryouts hardly know any of the cheers. You know most of the freshmen squad's cheers and the Varsity squads.

"But you chose to try out for the competition squad. Of course, to be on that squad, you will also be expected to cheer on the varsity squad too. That's a given. But you are lucky that the cheerleaders decided to hold tryouts and invited anyone who wanted to try out come. Usually, they promote a girl from the Varsity squad to the competition squad. You would have to be on the Varsity squad for at least a year before they even consider you for the competition squad.

"It is likely that a girl from there will be accepted. But, there is a still chance that you might make it. And if you want to be considered, then you had better be exceptional. The competition squad is the elite of the elite. And we have a week. You are lucky you know many of the basic cheers but that won't help you get on the competition squad. We need to train with stunts and flying. That's what they do. You will also have to work on your timing with the moves, as that is vital. So, let's start, can you do a slow cartwheel?”

Veronica got into position and tried to do a slow cartwheel, and she lost her balance and fell over.

“That's okay, can you do a very fast cartwheel?”

That was simpler, but she almost over-rotated and missed before her legs flipped over to her hands and fell. She was unsteady when she rose back up. Then she was asked to do a walk over, one hand cartwheel with her legs together. She tried it and barely succeeded.

Kimberly knew they had a lot of work to do and said, “Well, if you want to even have a chance at this, I think we better train every day, from two and a half hours to three.”

“You were a cheerleader for the high school?” Veronica asked.

“Yes,” Kimberly replied. “And now I cheer for Florida state. We went to the state competition four years in a row. We placed three of those times and went to the nationals. Now let's start practicing the cartwheels. You have to learn how to time them with the others in the squad. The timing must be precise, or you will lose your squad points. You need to be able to perform a cartwheel with the precise timing, slow or fast, depending on the routine you are performing.”

Then Kimberly performed a slow cartwheel and then sped it up, and she showed Veronica how to keep her balance while performing a slow, deliberate cartwheel. And they worked on that until Veronica learned to perform it reasonably well without tumbling over.

Veronica was far from ready, but at least she could follow instructions and learn quickly. When she had arrived, Kimberly didn’t think there was a snowball's chance in hell of preparing Veronica for tryouts on a competition squad in a week. Kimberly thought that now, there was a slim chance she could be ready for it and maybe even be accepted.

Veronica paid attention to the specific details of her instructions and followed them reasonably well. And she learned very fast. There was indeed a chance of pulling this off. Kimberly was encouraged. There was still a long way to go and they would need every minute they had training to do it. So they began to quicken the pace of the cartwheels to medium speed and then fast speed.

Once she had all of the speeds in hand, they began trying to put them together with other routines performing together in sync with each other in a two-person routine. Then they began working on a walkover and a handstand.

Kimberly felt that they had accomplished a lot in their two-and-a-half-hour practice and would be there tomorrow at the same time. Veronica had learned a lot in that time and was well on her way to mastering the basics. Kimberly was walking out while Veronica was still practicing the walk overs using one hand. Yes, Veronica was dedicated. There was a good chance. But the competition for a place on the competition squad was going to be fierce. And there would be many very experienced cheerleaders trying out for the one spot. Veronica was going to have to work hard and prove her dedication to it to have a chance at it.

Kimberly had worked and taught Veronica much in their two and a half hour session. She watched Veronica continue to practice what she had been taught. Kimberly turned and left after assuring Veronica that she would be here the same time tomorrow.

Veronica continued to work another half of an hour practicing and she was getting good at the single-handed walk over with both legs together, and then she decided to call it a day. She rushed to the shower to clean up and prepare for Ryan's arrival. She wanted to look her best for him. She showered and did her hair and spent some time on her face before deciding that her look was good for him. She had looked into his mind and found out what he liked.

The cupcakes she was baking were done and Veronica went to the oven and pulled out a pan of thick chocolate cupcakes to let them cool off before Ryan arrived.

Seraphine saw her daughter all made up and pretty pulling a pan of cupcakes out of the oven. She looked at her daughter and said, “Wow, Veronica, you went all out. That red miniskirt, that flattering lacy low-cut blouse, those low heels and you are baking a pan of cupcakes. Your hair, you must have spent some time with the curling iron and your face, your eyes and lashes. It looks like you are preparing for a hot boy. What is this about? Is this for Riley?”

“RYAN!” Veronica said pointedly. “Mom, HIS name is RYAN!” She said in a stern tone.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Veronica.” Seraphine admonished. “But her name is Riley now.”

“But you know what happened to HIM, and he didn't want any of it. He isn't like me and this is a nightmare for him. Let's give him love and respect, please. Don't humiliate him anymore than he already has been. I know it may be difficult to refer to someone with that body and form as a boy. But Ryan is a boy inside all of that. So please understand.”

It was clear that Veronica had more than a casual interest in this boy and she told Veronica to sit down beside her.

Veronica obeyed, and Seraphine then said, “Veronica, I know what happened to him was horrible. I understand that he is all boy inside all of that. Ryan is a suffering and tormented boy. I absolutely will not mistreat him. But referring to him as a boy in public will attract unwanted attention and make things more uncomfortable for him in the long run. We can do it your way in private, here between us, and I will call him Ryan. But, Veronica, before you do all of this, you may want to have a talk with him and find out what he prefers himself.”

Then Seraphine gave Veronica a sly knowing look of a mother who isn’t fooled. “And you may want to find out if he is into you in any way before you take it too far and just get embarrassed or hurt.

“I found out what kind of girls he likes. I think there's a good chance of this working. I know he likes me. And I found out what he likes.”

Veronica went to check to see if the cupcakes were done inside, and she was satisfied. Then she started putting a thick coat of chocolate icing on the top.

“He likes Chocolate.”

Seraphine laughed and commented, “Then you two have that in common. You are both crazy for chocolate. But listen. If you two are going to pursue a romantic relationship, then we will have to have a long talk about limits. But do you want him to live here? What about his family and his mother?”

“Mother, listen,” Veronica said. “His mother was behind his transformation. She wanted a daughter and not a son. She set him up with Tabi and pushed him into it all. Knowing that he would be transformed by them. She betrayed her own son.”

Seraphine got that frightening look in her eyes. It was that same look she got when she found out that Veronica’s own sister Rose had bewitched Richard and caused him to savagely attack her daughter. Even now, Crystal occasionally had traumatic nightmares and needed to be comforted.

“He can stay here as long as he has to, and if his family has a problem with it, they can go fuck themselves. I will do everything I can to help Ryan reclaim his sex.”

Ryan walked in with Crystal a few minutes later and greeted Veronica. Crystal saw the cupcakes that Veronica had made and rolled her eyes once again. She was doing that a lot lately, but her little sister's antics were very amusing lately. Especially out seeing how she was acting around Ryan. This was too much and she struggled to not burst out in a giggle fit.

Seraphine welcomed Ryan to her family and said he could stay here as long as he wanted. And if his family came for him, they would have to deal with her and a report to the council about what they did to their son. That would be enough.”

Veronica started acting very feminine and smiling at Ryan as she offered him some cupcakes, and they sat at the table facing each other eating the chocolate cupcakes she had just baked for them.

She smiled at him, and they started talking. Ryan was slightly uncomfortable and said, “Um, Veronica, look at me. I can't be a boy.”

“Sure you can,” Veronica said as she sat beside him. “Beneath all of that, you are all boy inside, and I have seen it. That’s what I see when I look at you and you are a very attractive boy in my eyes.

Seraphine and Crystal watched the two teens interact, and it was almost unwatchable. Veronica was acting so girlie and feminine for Ryan. The way she looked at him, her occasional touches and fluttering her eyes. She was really putting it on that it was hard for Crystal to not giggle at it all. The two rolled their eyes and left.

“She is really into him,” Seraphine said. “I really didn’t expect this at all. But look at Ryan, he's clearly into her too.”

“How can any boy resist that kind of affection she is giving him,” Crystal asked as they left the room to stop from bursting into laughter. “But I see he likes her too. But she saved him, and I saw sis knock Tabi on her ass for him.”

Seraphine shook her head and said, “I am going to have to have a very long talk with those two.

Later that night, the two were curled up on the sofa watching a romantic movie in each other's arms. Veronica was slipping into sleep with her head on her boy's shoulder. It was strange being held by such a feminine body, but she knew in her mind that this was a strong boy, and he would be a boy again. So, she could get past the uncomfortable feeling. But laying her head on his shoulder and holding him tightly, the soft and slim shoulder and the swell of his soft breast where there should be the feeling of a strong chest was slightly distracting to her. She started falling asleep and stood up. She told Ryan she had to go to sleep now. He could sleep on the sofa until they could find a better place for him today there.

Veronica went to her own bedroom and curled up on her pillow. She fell asleep almost before her head hit her pillow.

Then she started having a very strange dream. She saw people from Georgia to Tennesee having mass rallies under the symbol of Maxis. She saw the Maxis priests in their scarlet robes and hoods standing near the rallies, controlling the crowds. Massive numbers of people raising their fists shouting, “Maxis. MAXIS.” And the priests marching down the streets like some military.

Their rally's grew each year. Politicians were giving bombastic political speeches with the symbol of Maxis behind them. People screaming and cheering. Then she saw those states holding meetings together and forming an alliance. Then they started hunting for the witches that fled to America.

There was the image of their great King Serren behind the speaker. Serren had been dead for about five hundred years at this point. He was still known as one of the greatest kings of the Shattered Isles and saved the country from the witches. He was beloved by his people.

There were new laws passed restricting the freedom of women. And then in her dream, she saw vast American armies marching under the symbol of Maxis clashing with federal troops. It had become a full-scale war on American soil. Then her vision saw the skyline of New York and she saw a brilliant eye smiting blinding flash of light that enveloped everything. Then the light dimmed and coalesced into a massive ball of fire in the center of the city that incinerated miles. The massive white hot fireball coalesced into a huge cloud rising above the city as a line of fire and heat radiated out from the center wiping out the rest of New York.

She woke up trembling and remembering the dream. She wondered how this was possible. There was no way. If vast numbers of Americans in the south were falling under the religion of Maxis, wouldn’t that be in the news. Wouldn’t people know? How could such a vast new movement be hidden? Those few hundred people from the Westboro Baptist church made the news. And they were total fools no one cared about. But, if people were turning to the Religion of Maxis here, that would be no laughing matter. This was something that would be very serious. That religion was a religion that demanded action. But there was no way this was happening. But Veronica was still trembling in fear from that dream.

She considered running to her boy to be held, but he would not understand at all. Veronica ran to her mother's bedroom, trembling and shaking in fear. She woke Seraphine up and said in a shaky voice, “Mother, we need to talk.”

Seraphine wiped her eyes clear and said, “Yes, indeed we do. But can't your ass chewing wait until later in the morning please.”

Veronicas future comes more clear as she talks with the other witches about her dream

Chapter 9

Seraphine looked up into her daughter's terribly frightened face. The room was still very dark, and it was not even three a.m. yet. Seraphine was waking up from a deep sleep. But the terror she felt coming from her daughter and her trembling told her that this was something serious. At least to her daughter.

“Veronica, tell me what has frightened you so much?" She had no clue. She hoped it wasn't something having to do with Riley or Tabi.

“I,” Veronica shuddered trying to find her voice, “I, I had a terrifying dream and woke up nearly screaming. I am very afraid.”

That woke Seraphine up the rest of the way. When a witch had a dream like that, it was best to be very serious about it. It isn't something to dismiss out of hand.

“Okay,” Seraphine said seriously. There was no mocking or kidding in her voice about a dream. Seraphine was calm and very seriously considering this. “Tell me about this dream. Be as specific as you can. Tell me everything you saw in your dream.”

Veronica started explaining her dream using as much detail as possible. She saw a mask of horror overtake her mother as she started explaining how she had seen the Rallies for Maxis in many southern cities and the marches she saw. Then she started explaining the priests she saw in her dreams patrolling American cities and the new laws that they had passed against women. Then she saw the arrests of witches and other witches being tortured, charged for treason against the state and being hung, drawn, and quartered. Then she told her mother of the alliance between those states and the war that followed.”

She half expected her mother to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Yet Seraphine was taking it very seriously. She looked at Veronica in horror. “You aren't laughing at me,” Veronica said.

“This is hardly a laughing matter, Veronica,” replied Seraphine. “You are a witch now, and a witch like you having a vision like this that scared you out of your mind isn't something we should laugh at. This isn't something we should dismiss. To dismiss something like this would be a major folly. This is something the fates wanted you to be aware of. I admit it seems silly and almost unbelievable. But knowing what we know about the religion of Maxis, this isn't something that is impossible in any way. We had better take this very seriously.”

“But the priests of Maxis were holding these meetings in the United States and it grew to the extent I saw in my dreams where they can pass laws and take control. This is something that we would have known about isn't it? The news would have covered them if this was happening," Veronica pleaded, hoping this was true.

“Not if they were very secretive about how much their power grew,” Seraphine pointed out. “Remember how powerful the Hekatin grew by Serren's time that they could attack him and take control of the entire kingdom when they were illegal. Don’t totally discount that this is something very real and could be happening right under everyone's nose. And no one will know anything about it until it's too late to stop them. You were given this vision. It is best we consider it.”

“So what should I do?” Veronica asked.

Seraphine looked at her daughter and replied, “Nothing for now. Just be aware. But you are a teenager and just learning how to live as a girl. That is what you should do for now. I will look into this. I have contacts and I will look into this possibility and what we can do about it. I know you were given this dream, so the fates must have something for you in mind. Things will become more clear in time and you will be ready to face it when it comes. Whatever that is. For now, be a teenager, have fun, and learn. You want to be part of the cheer squad and annoy your jock sister, who doesn’t understand. Do that. I will see what can be done. Now, go back to sleep. It's not even three in the morning yet. Let's get some sleep, and I will look into this tomorrow. We will contact the other witches tomorrow morning.”

Veronica went back to her bedroom and curled up, trying to sleep. It took a few more hours, but she eventually fell asleep.

She awoke around 10 in the morning. She was suspended from school and Crystal and Riley had already awoken hours ago and gone to school. She hoped Riley would be okay. Tabi was also suspended but she would know if Tabis friends tried any of their horse shit on Riley.

She dressed and went out to run a few miles around the block. She had formed a path to run around the block to build her body and stamina.

The witches were all there by the time she returned to the house. She had to rush to the bathroom for a shower and get herself cleaned up.

Then she was hungry and ate a little. Seraphine's friends were all ready to hear about her dream by the time she was finished.

Veronica stood there, nervous, in front of many of the older witches like Lady Fawna, Celestia, and the others that were there. She was shaking under the gaze of these older and wiser witches.

Seraphine stood up and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, “Calm down and tell them what you saw in your dream last night. You did well in explaining it to me. You can do this and none of them will be harsh. Just explain what you saw.”

Veronica slowly explained what she saw using the most detail she could. And she saw their reactions as her story went on explaining from the rallies and the torture of the witches to the war. She saw utter shock, disbelief, and horror.

Lady Fawna said after her tale was over, “I would love to dismiss this as a child's nightmare. But I can see I would be an utter fool to do so. I think this is serious and we need to consider it.”

Celestia said, “Even now, eight hundred years later, Serren's mad hand is still trying to kill us across an entire continent and an ocean. We should have seen this. He's trying to expose us and it seems like it would work. Serren was such a monster.”

Veronica spoke up, “Yes, but consider what he suffered at their hands. I can understand.”

Celestia spoke up harshly, belittling Veronica's defense of Serren, “He personally had his sister raped, and watched it. Then he personally tortured and disemboweled his own SISTER. He forced Pattenia to watch as he raped Actonia and tortured her. He had many of the other Hekatin witches tortured and charged with treason against the crown. How can you defend that child? He had Pattenia tortured for months before her execution. He raped Actonia. He participated in it personally beating Actonia and his own sister on the rack and the wheel. Then as a mockery of mercy, he personally hung his sister, then had her drawn and quartered. And took pleasure in it. After making her watch Actonia’s execution. How can you defend this sadism?”

Veronica bristled and stood her ground, “I am not. But I am considering what they did to him to encourage it. What his sister did to him.”

“She didn’t have him murdered or even tortured. She hardly laid a hand on him.”

“She was the king,” Veronica responded. “She didn’t have to. She did have him beaten.”

“Only so he would allow them to dress him once he was transformed. He fought them." Celestia shouted.

“Yes, of course he would. So would I if someone did that to me. But it was torture for him. Serren was a boy that was transformed and immediately expected to change and live that way. That was the worst torture imaginable. Every day of that existence for Serren was torture to him. It destroyed his entire life and it was all so much humiliation and pain. He lost everything. The Hekatin worked hard to turn such a loving and compassionate boy into the monster he was. I say they all deserved what they got. That bitch sister reminded me of my own sister Rose. I still love her. But Rose was a sadist.”

Seraphine spoke up to stop the argument. “I agree with my daughter on this. The Hekatin went way too far and created the monster he turned out to be. Had they acted differently, then things would have turned out better. But the Hekatin had vengeance in mind and piled it all on an innocent boy who knew nothing of what they were living under. And they treated it as it was all his doing. Of course, he will be very bitter and enraged. So would I and so would any of you. And now, I see why Veronica was given this vision. The fates have something in mind for her to do, and to stand up to you, Celestia, we can see she has the conviction and strength to do it. Once we find out whatever that is.”

One of the other witches spoke, “This is a serious matter we need to look into. It will require all of us to find out what is going on in the south and what, if anything we can do about it, before it is too late.”

“What are we supposed to do?” asked Veronica. “Go disrupt those rally’s and expose yourself to them? That's what they are doing anyway. Exposing us and stirring up fear at witches. And it looks like they are being successful.”

Veronica was taking this very seriously. It showed a maturity beyond her age. Seraphine said, ”Veronica, we will find out what must be done. We will find out what is going on and how we can deal with it. These are things we must figure out. Now, don't you have Kimberly coming soon to work on your cheerleading? That's what you wanted to do. You leave this to us and we will let you know if we need you to help us.”

Veronica smiled and ran up the steps to prepare for her session with Kimberly.

Celestia asked after Veronica left, “She does have a part in this or she wouldn't have received the vision. There is something she must do. We need to figure out what that is. But it really worries me. I think I have a feeling about what that may be.”

Seraphine rose her eyebrow and asked, “What?”

“What if she has to go to the Shattered Isles to deal with this problem? What if her mission is over there?”

None of them wanted to even consider such a dangerous mission. Going to the Kingdom of the Shattered Isles was a highly dangerous thing.

Seraphine said, “Let's hope not. But if so, she will have a lot to learn first just in order tobe able integrate with their culture first. And be able to defend herself to accomplish whatever the fates have set for her.

Celestia then said what they were all thinking. “If that is what she will have to do, we have to prepare her. There's a lot she will have to learn and much to prepare for. She will learn how to integrate with their male-dominated culture under the religion of Maxis. And we all know what that means. She will have to give up her independent spirit and learn to be submissive to male authority in the extreme.

"She will also have to learn about their history and religion. She will have to learn about Serren, their first “great king”. How he built his religion around him as the prophet of Maxis. He is almost elevated to godhood in the religion of Maxis. How they idolize him and his statues. She will have to learn about the religion of Maxis and the Book of Serren. She will have to be accompanied by a man, preferably she will have to get married beforehand and will have to learn what is expected of her as a wife under the religion of Maxis and their culture. That probably means she will be expected to get married in the religion by a priest of Maxis.

"If this is where it's all going, she has a lot to learn and prepare for. Their very life will depend on it if she is to actually travel to the Shattered Isles. She will also have to learn their language. Their kings have prevented their language from progressing since the year one thousand. They speak a very early form of English. Let's pray this isn’t where it's going.”

But Seraphine had a bad feeling that was exactly where this was headed.

Veronica had rushed up the steps and headed toward her bedroom to find her workout clothes. She found a pair of her blue shorts with her light pink leggings and a matching sports bra and a workout top.

She tied her hair back and then went outside to warm herself up before Kimberly arrived. Veronica had warmed up and was working on the one-handed walkovers by the time Kimberly came through the door.

The walkovers Veronica was practicing was getting better as Kimberly watched. She offered a few more pointers and performed it for Veronica. She was improving and the two worked on that a few more minutes before Kimberly changed it up.

Kimberly asked, “Can you do somersaults?”

Veronica could do them as a boy. She wasn't sure if she could do the same thing as a girl. She tried a few and almost made it on her feet at the end.

So they started practicing somersaults and how to spring up properly, and tucking her feet and hands as she performs the flip. Veronica took her advice and her somersaults improved so that within a half-hour to an hour, she was able to perform an almost flawless forward somersault. She worked on the backward somersaults and was soon able to do it both ways.

They spent the next hour trying to put together a routine and performing them together like a halftime show or something. Kimberly was impressed with Veronica's dedication and her creativity in helping her put together an exciting routine to perform together. They would walk to opposite ends of the yard and perform their routine together. They faced each other and walked over and somersaulted at each other ending in a cartwheel where they came within a handspan from each other and ended in the opposite place.

They performed the routine in various ways for the last half hour of practice and had got each other very tired and sweaty. Kimberly smiled and said, “Veronica, you have a good chance at making it. If you keep progressing like this, you will be equal to anyone on the varsity squad by the end of the week. But you aren’t there yet. You are getting very close though. We will work on more advanced routines tomorrow. Now get some rest. You look tired.”

Kimberly walked back to her car and drove away as Veronica headed toward the shower. Afterward, Veronica curled up in bed and drifted off for a short nap before Ryan would come back from school. And she had another very frightening dream.

This one didn't seem to be as much of a warning, as it was showing her fragments of Serren's life before his traumatic transformation. Then she was shown his transformation on the most important day of his young life. In front of everyone a group of witches transformed him into a teenage girl, shorter and younger than his sister, her sister claimed his crown and boasted in front of everyone about the lack of a male heir and that she was the rightful heir then.

Veronica saw the betrayal and pain in his face as Pattenia was crowned and then apologized, telling him that she had no choice. She had to do this. He said she didn't, and Veronica saw the pain in his eyes slowly turn to hatred. Then he was removed, one of the elder witches told the guards to take the princess to her room. Then Veronica saw flashes of the next year as he was in pain, suffering a life he hated.

He was deprived of everything he loved in life, his birthright, his joys, and his destiny as a warrior was stripped and then he was humiliated. He was assaulted by boys, he was molested, guys went after him trying to force him into a marriage. Then he became pregnant and gave birth to twins. He married a woman he loved and she became his husband.

He turned to hatred and then she watched as he gathered allies and went to war. He was turned into a man again and fought for his birthright and plunged the Shattered Isles into a civil war. Then the scene turned to his last battle as he besieged the capital of Denaerk.

King Pattenia saw the way things were going and she knew there was no way to defend the capital anymore. She still had a significant force to defend the capital with. But it was still no match for Serren’s Army and there could be no victory here. Especially when Serren flew in and landed in front of the palace riding on top of a huge massive black beast. It looked like Serren had acquired a massive black dragon. He was that powerful by now and threatened to burn down the capital if she didn’t surrender. Pattenia swallowed her pride and surrendered the capital to Serren. She knelt and surrendered to her little brother. He forced his sister to follow him and his generals and priests into the throne room where he forced her to surrender her father’s sword, and the crown to him. The high priests proclaimed him the King of the Shattered Isles by divine right, and the head of the Danae family. Pattenia and her witches were seized and Serren ordered them taken to the dungeon for treason against the crown and blasphemy against god. Serren looked at the throne, it was his throne now. He was finally the King of the Shattered Isles. It was his divine right yet the women did their best to deprive him of it, as well as to deprive him of his dignity and manhood. They had failed in the end and he was going to make them pay dearly for what they had inflicted on him, as well as every other man in the Kingdom. He had a lot of scores to settle and it was time to begin to settle one of them as he watched his sister, and his mother be dragged out and taken down into the dungeon.

Serren sat on his throne and ordered his guards to find Stone, and Rose Bucket and bring them to his throne room. He sat there and waited. The women were found and forced into his presence. Veronica saw that those two women knew they were in very serious trouble now by the terror in their eyes. She almost felt bad for the women as Serren glared down at them with eyes full of rage and hate now that he could finally unleash on them for what they did.

Serren looked at Stone and asked her, “Tell me Stone. If a girl does not want to wear a corset and heavy gown, does she have that right in your eyes to refuse to be dressed as she is told?”

Stone knew where this was going but her reasoning was trapped. She replied in a shaky voice, “I would think so in my personal view but I was following the King’s orders.”

“Don’t give me that, bitch,” Serren yelled out loud. “It was more than simple orders. You enjoyed dressing me by force. You enjoyed demeaning and humiliating me. I saw the joy in your eyes, as well as in your daughter’s as you invaded my room morning after morning. You beat me into submission, and then you dressed me after you had me defeated and secured. I was helpless. Is this the treatment you would give any girl, do you believe a girl should be treated that way?”

She refused to answer. “Yours was a special case. We had to do this to you to avoid you regaining the crown. But you did it anyway.”

“You beat and humiliated me day after day. You treated me with such disregard to my own wishes as a girl. Such treatment that you don’t believe should be inflicted on any girl. You betrayed your sex, and the crown. You are clearly guilty of treason. Both of you are. You both deserve to be punished. And I have the perfect punishment for you. Since you were so angry at me for sleeping with your daughter Bucket. I will do it again right in front of your eyes and punish her. Then she will die right in front of your eyes and you will bury your daughter. You will live with the knowledge of where your cruelty and brutality on me lead to.”

Serren stepped down from his throne and approached Rose as she cringed and tried to get away from his lust. He slapped her hard and she fell down. Serren descended on her and ripped her grown from her body and undid her corset. He went down on her, seized her, pinned her down on the floor of the throne room and violently penetrated her. Stone was forced to watch Serren violently rape her daughter in front of her. She was helpless to stop it. The first time he had slept with her could be considered a rape. She consented, but it was more out of fear of refusing the crown prince than her own desires. Serren didn't know the difference. But this was a violent rape against her will. She was screaming and Stone just watched through her own tears. Serren climaxed in Rose and stood up and looked down with a dark seething anger. Then he began striking her as she curled on the floor in agony and shame. Serren kicked her in the body and on her legs, arms and her back. He was beating Rose in front of her mother.

Stone knew there was no hope. Rose would die this day and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Serren said it was her fault, it was her doing by the way she treated and abused him day after day. But this was Serren’s own doing and he was torturing Stone’s Daughter. Serren finally had enough and took his sword Justice and drove it through Rose’s stomach. She bled out and died slowly. Serren watched with pleasure. He didn't hate Rose that much. It angered him that she preferred him as a girl than a man. But he had formed a sisterhood bond with her as a girl. It still wasn’t what he was supposed to be. This was more to hurt Stone than having to do with Rose. This is the price that Stone must pay and Serren went up to the cruel woman and stood face to face with the broken woman. He said, “This is the price you must pay for the crimes you committed on me. Your cruelty had a steep cost and you have just paid it. I hope what you did to me was worth the cost. If not, then perhaps you should have really thought that perhaps brutalizing and abusing the crown prince may eventually have a cost that you wouldl be required to pay. But you never did and now your daughter is dead because of it. So, Stone, want to try me now?” Serren faced her and prepared for action. Stone did nothing but stare at him blankly. She was broken. She knew that he was now a very powerful King. He had led his forces into battle against Pattenias army and had won victory after victory against her army. He had killed many of her soldiers and eventually won the entire war. She stood no chance against him now.

Serren laughed bitterly and sneered to Stone’s face, “I guess you only use force on someone when you are sure you can overpower them. You are good at abusing and beating helpless teenage girls.” Stone was seized and thrown out of the Throne room. She would not be executed. Serren thought it was crueler to let her live the rest of her life after seeing her daughter raped, tortured and killed in front of her eyes. Serren was right.

Serren called for a meeting of the Lords and administrators and he had Falconette and Pattenia summoned to observe. Serren entered the council chamber and sat at the head. The other Lords were there waiting for Serren to begin the meeting. Pattenia was brought in wearing chains around her wrists and legs. Falconette was brought in after her, and she observed Pattenia’s shame and Serren’s cruelty. There appeared to be some bruises around Pattenia’s face. She was completely defeated and demoralized. And both women now knew that whatever was going to happen here was not good at all. Sitting near Serren was the new leader of the church of Maxis, which Serren had renamed the Church of Serren. He began the meeting. “As of this moment, I name myself the head of the church of Maxis, as it is now, the church of Serren. I name myself God. I am your God-King. Does anyone disagree?”

Of course none of the lords that stood by Serren during the war would dare oppose him now. Pattenia observed that there was fanatical loyalty to Serren during the war against her. And their soldiers often took direct orders from Serren. They were more loyal to Serren than their own houses. The Lords wouldn't dare turn on Serren now. They knew it would be their head. He looked at the Lords as they all approved. “Good, the motion passes. I am your Divine King. For my next motion, the crown will pass to the eldest male heir once again. Women must never get the crown again. And all property will be inherited by the eldest male heir.”

Pattenia and Falconette saw that Serren was reversing all of her progress in this glorious instant in his life. It was what he was waiting for. The motion passed of course, every lord agreed. “Good. The Shattered Isles belongs to men once again. For my next motion.” He gave Pattenia and Falconette a knowing wolfish cruel smile. “All of the previous edicts prohibiting worship of the Goddess will be reinstated. Worship of the Goddess and Witchcraft are now crimes against the crown. It is treason to either worship the Goddess or practice Witchcraft. The witch-hunters will hunt for them. But they will be turned over to civil authority for punishment. And the punishment will be to be hung, drawn, and quartered.”

Pattenia had expected this, she knew this moment was coming. Witches would be hunted again, and tortured. Worship of the Goddess would be illegal once again. This was Serren’s vengeance and he was becoming a tyrant. The motion passed, of course it would.

Then Serren said, “Contracted marriages are legal again. And as of now, every woman in a position of power in the Shattered Isles is to be removed and arrested. She is to be tried for treason against the crown.”

Pattenia watched in despair as those two final motions were passed. Women were now deprived of all civil rights and power across the Shattered Isles.

Serren made one final declaration. “I can’t make this a legal motion. But it is my strong recommendation. One I will enforce in my family shortly. As of now, the eldest child of a family must never be a girl, or daughter ever again. We saw what they can do, I suffered under my sister’s cruelty and madness for over a fucking year when she felt just because she was the eldest, she was the rightful heir to the crown. She had me tormented, humiliated, raped and abused relentlessly. I can’t order you all to, but if for any of you your eldest is a daughter, you should have her killed and from this moment on, you all should never allow a girl to be your eldest child. If a girl should be born first, you should kill her at birth. I can’t order you how you should run your families, after all, they are your families . But, I will kill my daughter Blaze very shortly. I know that for some of you your eldest child is daughter. Be aware of their treachery. We all know now that girls have no loyalty to their family, and no love in their hearts. They are filled with evil and can never be trusted again. Protect your son’s claim to your titles.”

The Lords all agreed and would be making plans to kill their eldest daughters if they were the first-born. Pattenia was completely horrified by this cruel declaration. Her little brother was becoming a monstrous tyrant now. She understood the reasoning behind it, and she had had a part in it, how she treated her little brother and then sister once she got the crown. It was a total betrayal in his eyes that would never be forgiven. For that others were going to be punished and measures were going to be taken to prevent it from ever happening again. From this moment on, girls would never have hope. The boys would be the eldest and their future would be secured. The girls didnt have a future. Serren’s dark age was dawning and it was going to be an age of horror.

Veronica watched Serren arrest Pattenia after he seized her crown back. She was shackled and taken to the dungeon. He visited her that night as he walked down with a triumphant smirk and boasted how her rule and the women’s liberation only lasted two years before things were put the way they had been before.

Serren glared at his sister with the darkest most hateful look that Veronica had ever seen in anyone’s eyes. It was as if Serren had been consumed and dominated by darkness by that time. It was a horrifying expression. What could have happened to him to be this hateful? His mother Aanya had been watching from another cell. Serren eyed his sister Pattenia and approached her cell from the outside, wearing his new crown and royal robes. Even though he had lived the past few years as a woman, he had turned into a dominant man. Serren locked eyes with his sister as she refused to wither under his hateful gaze. She knew that pain was coming. She knew her brother’s cruel nature. He said, “Pattenia, I was a better woman than you, and I was a better man than you. I am better at everything. As a woman, and a princess, I was beloved and popular. The women adored me in ways they never saw you. You seized the crown from me two years ago in one of the most traumatic and humiliating experiences of my entire life. You turned me into a girl and made me your little sister. Then you boasted there was no longer a male heir and stole my crown.”

Pattenia wanted to argue that the crown was hers, it had been prophesied and it should belong to the eldest and whoever was worthier. But she knew it was no use to argue with her victorious brother now. He had clearly won. So she just continued to listen to him. He defeated her and claimed the crown. There was nothing to be done now.

“And your revolution was intended to free the women. You wanted to make it so women could live the life that they wanted to live. You lifted the restrictions on women, ,h,and you proved the point that women could fight. You fought and many women fought under you. So, it was clear I could have fought beside you just like any other female did. But you refused to allow me to fight. You restricted and oppressed me no different than the men did. You belittled and mocked me just like Maxis’ priests did once I was a woman. You stole my birthright and my sex, then you stole my future and my ambitions. I was born to be a warrior, I was raised for it, I was bred and trained my entire life for it. Once you stole that, I had nothing left. You took everything. So I want to ask you, dearest sister,” he sneered the word and curled his lip as he snarled, “Why couldn’t I have fought with you and why couldn’t you had made it possible? Stealing my destiny was one of the cruelest thing you did to me. I had little ambition for the crown at first, but once you started persecuting and oppressing me. I knew I had to regain the crown.”

“We knew what you would do,” Pattenia said to her angry brother. You wouldn’t fight for me. You would rally support against me and that’s exactly what you did. We had to make sure people wouldn’t rally to you against me. But I should have known that you would do anything to undermine my efforts. You wouldn’t just settle with things as they were and see why I had to do what I did. You were always the entitled arrogant little brother who would do anything to take what he believed was his birthright.”

Serren shook his head, “No,” he said firmly, “had you given me respect and the freedom you gave the other women and allowed us to stand by each others side, I would have accepted you being king and been proud of it. But you gave me no respect. You bullied, humiliated, and abused me. You made me have to fight for my respect and my rights. Then I had to regain the life that I lost because of you. Your hatred of me pushed me to do what I did. It’s all your doing.”

“Now, I want to know something else. You claim to respect our father and everything but your rule undermined everything he stood for. You even took part in his assassination so you could claim the crown.”

Pattenia spoke up because this was going too far. “I had nothing to do with our father’s death. It hurt me just as much as it hurt you. As for my rule, It was what I was destined to do so the women would be free finally.”

That was as far as she got before the cell doors were flung open and he had a knife. Serren violently grabbed his sisters face and pried her mouth open. He pulled her tongue out and held the knife on it. He snarled in rage, “Don’t you dare lie. You wanted him to die. You and Actonia arranged it together so you could claim the crown. You didn’t love him at all. You were happy he died so you could rule as King. If you dare tell another lie to me, I will cut your tongue out and silence you for the rest of your life.”

That was the way he saw things and anything else was a lie. She had not participated in the plot. She knew nothing of the plot to kill her father. She was hurt by it and she personally attacked Actonia when her father died and she found out that Actonia had played a part in arranging it. But none of that mattered to Serren and he refused to believe the truth. Not that she could blame him. His father was killed in a horrifying way. When he was supposed to be crowned, his sister claimed it and made him a girl. In his mind, she was happy it all happened and arranged it that way. Nothing could convince him otherwise. In his mind, anything else was a lie.

Serren snarled in rage, “How do you think it felt to me watching you take my life, and my clothes. You wearing my clothes and training to fight while I was trapped in corsets and gowns unable to do the things I loved and was bred for. It was torture.”

“It was torture for me too,” Pattenia retorted. “I was my father’s daughter just like you, but I was prevented from doing the things I wanted to do so much. You and him both forbid me from even touching a sword. I proved to you all that I could do it, and I was also good at it.” Pattenia said proudly.

“But so was I,” Serren snapped. “I was also his son and it was a life I was meant for. Not even your goddess or you could stop me. I conquered you all and put you back In your place.”

Then the scenes she was shown got much worse. Serren walked down with a couple of other men and confronted Pattenia as she was locked in a cell. The cell was unlocked and her shackles were taken off. Serren violently struck Pattenia across the face several times and she collapsed bleeding from the mouth and her nose was smashed in.

Serren snarled at her, “I suffered every pain a woman suffers in life. I suffered being assaulted, raped, I became pregnant, I was deprived of everything. And you never suffered those things as a woman yet you decided I needed to experience them. But you didn’t, until now. These men will help you experience what I experienced because of you.”

Pattenia screamed as the men approached her and ripped her clothes off. They both took turns holding her down, molesting her, and then raping her. Serren watched with a smirk on his face as he watched his sister get raped before his very eyes. They finished and left as she curled up crying. Serren pulled her up to her feet and struck her across the face again. He yelled, “You had me beaten and tortured." Then he kicked her in the ribs. “I know the beatings weren’t that much. But the life you subjected me to was agony and a torture worse than you can ever experience. But I will try."

He kicked her in the stomach a few times as she cried out. “You stole my life." He struck her on the face.

“You stole my destiny and my crown." He pulled her by the hair and smashed her face in again.

“You stole everything from me. Then I was assaulted and raped by Prett. You imprisoned him, but then you let him out to rape me again." Then he violently kicked her in the ribs.

“I had to,” she groaned. “His family demanded it, and he was a nobleman whose family I depended on for their loyalty. I had no choice.”

“You were King! You had choices, and you knew he would attack me again." Serren yelled at her as he kicked her across the jaw. “And when we said what you did was evil. You mocked me saying I was exaggerating. And then he raped me and tried to kill you. Nothing that ever happened to you can't even begin to approach what I suffered. I was made pregnant and repeatedly raped. Now you will experience it all.”

Then he pulled Pattenia up and slammed her against the wall.

“So now, you will experience it all. You will never hold a sword again. Every woman who was given a position of authority is considered a traitor to the crown. The rule of Man will rise again. And you will die slowly.”

Pattenia spit blood before she said, “Serren, you are a sadistic monster. I never did any of this to you. You are cruel and I was right to do what I did. We were right to deny you the crown.”

Serren laughed cruelly. “You calling me cruel after what you did to me is laughable. You haven't suffered half of what I suffered but I will do my best. I can't deny you your sex, like you did to me. But you hate your sex anyway. You wanted the life of a man and talked about how you suffered. While I was destroyed, lost everything and was then raped and impregnated against my will. You were cruel to me. You deserve all of this you bitch.”

“I may have,” Pattenia groaned, “but your orders extend far past me. You are subjugating every woman in the kingdom to what they feared the most. You have betrayed them all and reimposed a cruel system over them all because of me. And you are having all of the Hekatin persecuted, hunted, and killed. I freed the women and gave us religious freedom. I banned forced marriages. You are putting it all back and persecuting the women. You are killing people. You are far crueler, Serren.”

“After what you all did with your freedom, I cannot allow you all to rule again. They must pay," Serren said.

She was placed back in her cell and she was forced to watch Serren rape and torture her friend Actonia. Serren tore Actonia's clothes off and raped her. Then he violently beat her and threw her back in her cell.

A few more men walked in and he ordered Pattenia to be tied to the rack. He watched sadistically as she was stretched. Her joints were torn and destroyed. She was put on the breaking wheel the next day and tortured. Then he cut pieces of her flesh off.

He had tortured Pattenia and watched her being destroyed before his eyes. He had personally raped Actonia and brought that arrogant girl down just like she did to him. It was so delicious in his mind. All of these arrogant hateful women that enjoyed watching his total destruction as a woman were now suffering what they had inflicted on him. He turned his gaze on his desperate and horrified mother. She watched her son’s savagery. She watched him rape Actonia and order his own sister’s rape. But she wasn't surprised. She knew in his mind that they deserved it after everything that he endured at their hands and that he blamed them for it all. It wasn’t like that was the culture they had spend the last thousand years creating for women and he just lived part of it. No. In his mind, it was all their doing to punish him. Nothing could convince him otherwise. He glared at his mother and said to her, “Every time you said you loved me or showed me any motherly affection, it was a lie. You must have hated me all along, and planning to destroy your only son, this entire time. But what about Dad? Was there there ever a time when you really loved your husband, or did you just resent him and his son all your life.”

She wasn't sure what to say then. He would refuse to believe the truth and just get enraged at anything she said in protest. But she had to try, no matter how silly it would sound to his ears. “I loved him a great deal Serren. He was my beloved husband. Although I didn't always agreed with him.”

He snorted rudely, “Of course you didn't. You were a worshiper of the Goddess of female empowerment right under his nose all of those years. You believed in, and devoted your entire life to undermining everything he believed in all of those years. I don’t know how you can say you loved him at all. All of those years, you were looking toward his death. Some love. I really wonder if women are even capable of the feeling of love. I loved you and loved my sister all of those years and I paid for my naivety and weakness with everything I was. It’s a mistake I won’t ever make again. I know we can’t trust women now. They are treacherous, women have no honor or bond to their family the way men do. Women are by nature, untrustworthy. Thanks for teaching me that mother.”

“How could you have ever even thought you ever loved me, your son when you were planning to do what you did to me all of those years? You never loved me at all. You caused me more pain than any mother ever did to her son. There is no way you ever loved me.”

There was nothing that Aanya could say to that. It was the lesson Serren had learned and he continued, “This is the lesson all future generations of boys will be taught. They will be warned of women's unfeeling cruelty. Mothers will not be entrusted with the care and education of their sons. We will know better than to trust mothers at all with any responsibility for their sons. We will know they just want to betray and crush their son’s will. Future boys will be spared the pain that I was forced to endure at your hands. We will know of women's treachery and their lack of any loyalty to their family, or any bond with their children. Thanks, Mother. I learned my lesson well and it will echo for thousands of years. We will know that women aren’t emotionally capable of love.”

The relentless torture continued into the next month day by day. Serren enjoyed it well. There was one curious thing about it all. It was that Serren’s great army was not disbanded. They continued to camp outside of the City and train daily. Finally, weeks after Serren seized the crown and restored his right. He called his Generals and assembled the army and went out to meet them, and to explain why they had not been released from service yet even thought the War was apparently over. Serren stood before his great army that totally dwarfed the army that Pattenia had led during her reign. Serren made sure that Pattenia, Aanya, especially Actonia and the other head witches were there to witness this. He demanded it. He stood before his army and rose his voice, “I understand there are many questions and those questions will be answered now. Our war is not over yet, we have one more great mission before we can establish peace and begin rebuilding our country. There is yet one more enemy we must deal with before peace is to be established. There is still an enemy that threatens the peace, stability and survival of our great nation. The cursed Island of Guenefer. They have long harbored witches from our authorities. They host the headquarters of the Hekatin and encourage witches’ leadership. They have secretly protected the final heir of the Keiblie family, the final Hekatin king’s direct heir from our justice. That is Actonia that they used as a weapon to strike the heart of our great kingdom and establish the Rule of Women over us. It nearly succeeded and would have if not for my great strength and my divine destiny. And now the time for justice has come.” Serren roared. “Our time for Revenge. For all that I suffered at their hands is to be repaid. Our fleet is ready. We will board the ships and go to the Island of Guenefer and land. This will be our final battle. We will destroy everything and everyone on Guenefer. Nothing will be left standing, and nothing will be left alive on that cursed and traitorous island. They will be destroyed for all time. They will never again be a threat to the stability and survival of our kingdom. This won’t be for conquest. This mission will be for sterilization and extermination. Every man, woman, and child will be destroyed. And then we will have peace.”

Despite everything that Pattenia and Actonia had suffered. The daily tortures and rape they endured. This was still a horrible shock and the two women wept. This was something they had not expected. Serren was planing for the total destruction of the island of Guenefer. The witches power would be destroyed for all time and would never be a threat to the Kingdom again. The army loaded their ships and set off for their mission of extermination. And it would be successful. The witches that had escaped, fled the Shattered Islands and resettled in Europe. Few made it out alive.

Once the mission was successful, Serren finally disbanded his army and released the soldiers from service. Serren continued to rape and torture Actonia. Then Veronica watched Pattenia's final day as she was dragged by a horse to her execution site. She was hung on a ladder. Then she was disemboweled in front of everyone. Serren personally cut her open and pulled out her intestines. Then he cut her head off and hacked off her limbs. She was hung, drawn and quartered.

The purpose of this all came clear as she watched Serren order the witches to be hunted. They already were, but he saw the witches flee the Shattered Isles as his power solidified. Then she watched as Serren created a cult around his power. Giant statues went up as he was celebrated and almost deified in the Shattered Isles. Then he ordered all witches who left the Isles to be hunted.

Many witches fled to Europe but the Catholic Church ramped up its inquisition. They were no longer safe in Europe, and many witches then fled to the United States. Serren had died but they continued to worship and hail him as a hero in the Shattered Isles. Stories of how he rose above his sister and suffered the life of a woman were told through the ages. He saved them all from the darkness.

A future king started sending priests to the United States and they formed a plot. The religion of Maxis started to take hold in the south. Secret airports were set up. Secret churches as well. And now it was starting to really pay off. And now she knew where some of these airports were, and how she could get into the Shattered Isles. She saw herself in the arms of Ryan. Ryan would be a large and strong man by this time. He would have to become a man and she knew there had to be a way to restore what he lost at the hands of Tabi.

It was getting close to the time when he was going to return from school.

Ryan returned and walked through the front door with Crystal. Veronica saw her boy come through the door and she ran full speed into his arms and pulled him into an intimate embrace as she passionately kissed him. Her mouth went to his and they kissed.

She struggled but did her best to enjoy being in Ryan’s embrace. But it was weird and more than uncomfortable for her. He had to be restored. It was difficult to be in his embrace and yet feeling his soft feminine body embrace her own. His soft breasts pressing against hers. His breasts were a full cup size larger than her own. His wide hips and thighs brushing against hers. His soft hands around her body and his feminine face and lips kissing hers.

It was difficult for Veronica but she knew he was a boy inside. But the intimacy with him was difficult since he had a woman’s body. She just had to tell herself that he was a boy and would become a boy again. Being intimate with him was difficult but she could handle it, knowing he was a boy. But there was something she had to deal with and said, “Ryan, can we have a talk about this, please? I do think we need to talk.”

Ryan accepted and they went to the kitchen and sat down. “What do you want to talk about, Veronica?”

“We need to talk about our relationship. I want to know your feelings about it and if you are okay with it,” Veronica said. “I feel a deep attraction to you as a boy, Ryan, but I know I pushed this on you and I want to make sure you are okay with it. I don't want you to feel pressured or forced just because of my strength and that I saved you from Tabi. So please, tell me how you feel?”

“Veronica,” said Ryan, looking longingly into her eyes. “I am so thankful you helped me. And,” He reached out and pulled her into his slim arms. She again felt his curvy feminine body against her owns and she fought her true feelings, reminded herself that he was a boy. She melted into him.

“I know you love me, and I also love you. I am happy that you accept me like this. I want to be with you Veronica." Then he kissed her. “I can sense your feelings in my arms, and you are fighting those feelings of discomfort in my arms. I know its hard. My boobs are bigger than yours." Riley giggled. “My lips, my face, and hips. I know you aren't into girls. I know we can get past this and I will be the boy that you deserve.”

“I just love you, Ryan," and she returned his kisses, still feeling his large breasts pressing against her body.

Then Seraphine walked in, saying to the two horny teens. “Now that that’s taken care of, we need to seriously talk about this relationship, you two.”

The two hormone-driven teens sat beside each other looking at Seraphine. Veronica had expected something like this. She knew that her mother was very concerned with her developing relationship with Ryan.

“First, we need to know how Ryan feels about this. So Ryan, are you comfortable with my daughter Veronica and are you okay with a relationship with her?”

“Yes,” Ryan admitted. “I was surprised when she began her romantic advances on me so soon. But I think I like her. I can accept being in a romantic relationship with her. I just don’t really know about her feelings. I know she feels uncomfortable being intimate with me because of my female body. But I am also uncomfortable with it. The thing is that I simply don't know if I can ever be what she wants me to be for her. I don't know if I can ever be a man for her in this relationship. And if this can't be reversed then I don't know if we have a future together." Ryan looked very sad admitting that.

“Ryan, listen to me,” Seraphine looked into Ryan's desperate eyes. “You will be a man again. I know we can reverse this. We are getting close to being able to change you back. You can be Veronica's man. I know we can do it." Seraphine smiled as he smiled back.

Then her friendly look turned serious and she said coolly, “That being said, now I have to figure out how to handle two hormone-driven teens living under the same roof now. Especially since one of them is my daughter. I will be keeping a close eye on you two now. You hugging and kissing is acceptable. But that better be it. No sleeping in the same room. And your clothes will stay on when you are together. Is that clear?”

They both said yes it was very clear.

“And you won't be alone in the same bedroom. I will be watching you and so will Crystal. She will be helping me keep an eye on you two. She also knows the rules I am setting here. And finally, Veronica, you are getting very aggressive towards Ryan. You better cool it and make sure he is comfortable with your advances. You are pursuing a relationship with a boy who has the body of a girl. If you are the one pursuing this then you better know what you are getting into and get yourself comfortable being intimate with someone who has a girl's body. You are the one who made the advances. So don’t be hurtful.

The King of the Shattered Isles prepares for a meeting with the American President as he also prepares for Hostilities. Veronica continues to learn more about Magic as she tries to set up her new life, as powers outside of her control turn her to something far more dangerous.

He shouldn’t had teased his sister

By Jasmine Monica

Chapter 10

He was chosen by God and ruled by divine right, King Turaun stood by his ancient throne and marveled at his accomplishments during his long reign. He drew the royal sword, Revenge, an enchanted sword of power, and held it high. It’s strange undamageable metal glinting in the sun. It's jewels on its pommel and hilt shimmered with the power within them. No one was ever able to examine it, or find what metal Serren used to forge the sword. Legends in the Book of Serren said he got the metal from the abyss. Then he walked to the side and examined his ancient sword, Justice. It was just a regular sword, but it had struck down the last Hekatin King during the first age. It was already an ancient sword by the time it was given to King Serren and taken away a week later. That was his father’s sword and precious to him. He was their first god King and he had written the book of Serren. King Turaun ruled by the consent of their God King, Serren, and Maxis. It was now time for a council of war.

He stood outside of the council chambers wearing his scarlet red royal robes and the insignia of the Shattered Isles and his family crest, the war hawk. He stormed into the chambers to meet his leading military generals to discuss the latest events overtaking the Shattered Isles. He sat down at the head and looked at the chairmen of his joint chiefs for his combined military forces. He asked, “Is the Serren ready for deployment and action yet?”

“Yes, your majesty. The Serren has finished its shakedown and is fully armed. It is ready when you call on it. It is fully crewed and ready for action,” answered Lord Ampar Ansey.

“Good,” replied Turaun. “That will be our flagship when I board it to depart for our visit to the United States. I will be meeting their new president for an official state visit. We will discuss the troubles we have been having, and I hope they are willing to be reasonable.”

The Chairman looked at their king with a face full of doubt. His eyes narrowed, and he asked, ”Will you be able to be reasonable in the presence of a female head of state. Can you treat her with respect?”

“I don't know,” Turaun admitted, “but it doesn't really matter. I seriously doubt she will be respectful to our nation. She knows how our nation runs and I seriously doubt she will be reasonable to our requests at all. After all, all we want is our criminals back to face justice. I doubt she will be willing to help us find them and extradite them. Including my daughter.”

“But your daughter, Tabitha, was charged with treason against the crown and plotting against her younger brother,” the Chairman pointed out. “Those are serious charges.”

“Except she was charged with witchcraft, teaching it to other girls, and worship of the Goddess Progenita. Their president is bound to ask what the charges were and I doubt they will understand the seriousness of the charges or the history of it all. How it nearly destroyed our nation, and what it did to our first divine King Serren and his struggle against it to reclaim his birthright. And, of course, my daughter is bound to explain that, and how she was always treated as the first-born daughter. How we rarely ever tolerate an older sister anymore, As they are usually killed at birth to ensure the boy is always older and the girl has no claim. I had mercy on her, but she will explain how she was always held under suspicion and controlled. Their president will surely take issue to that. And will refuse our request.”

“So what will we do then,” their chairmen inquired.

“At that point, there is nothing else to do. Them harboring a traitor, who plotted against the crown. There is only one option left. That is an act of war just like when Afghanistan harbored terrorists against the United States and their reaction. We will blockade their ports and open fire. Harboring a traitor that plotted against her own brother, against me, and against the nation. Keeping my daughter, Tabitha Denae, leaves us only one option left. We will go to war against the United States. Is our new weapon ready to test?”

“Yes,” replied Ampar. “But where shall we test it? A weapon of such power, at one hundred percent charge as you requested. Where can we fire it?”

Turaun shrugged. “On Guenefer, where else? We don’t want to deploy our battleships without first testing their main weapons first. Prepare the test as soon as possible.”

“Yes,” replied the chairmen, “your Majesty.”

“Good. Tell me when it's all ready and I will board our new flagship to observe the results. Remember, I want a full-power test of our new weapon. I intend to use it on the United States if they refuse to be reasonable. If they refuse, that will be an act of war.”

Then Turaun walked down the enormous archway wall that they called the hall of the Kings and walked outside. He turned toward the massive palace. It had changed a lot since the time of Serren nearly a thousand years ago. It had been reconstructed and enlarged during the nineteenth century. It had been modified for plumbing and electricity. And it had been massively enlarged. Even so,, the rooms Serren and Pattenia stayed in during their lifetimes were still there. Some of the original palace remained. But there were new rooms and hallways. The palace at Versailles encompassed over three square miles and this palace was easily twice as large.

Then Turaun turned to look out at the courtyard and his eyes looked at the enormous gold towering statue of their first great King Serren. The enormous statue stood over two hundred feet in the air, raising his sword high. Turaun walked over to stand before it and knelt submissively to bow his head in respect.

This was the greatest and strongest of all kings. He wrote the book of Serren for them all to follow for all time. That book outlined his status in this new religion and its rules for society. Serren suffered horrors that would crush most men. Few men could ever live through the sheer torture and suffering the witches had inflicted on him. He was turned into a woman against his will and forced to live as a woman. He submitted for a time because of the sudden change and his lack of strength.

The witches took control and began implementing the rule of women as his evil sister stole his crown. Serren was stronger than anyone ever thought, and he rose above them and conquered them. He reclaimed his manhood,his crown, and his life. He suffered the life of a woman and in the end, reclaimed his life.

This would have destroyed the hopes of most men, Turaun didn't know if he could have survived such horror. He would probably have chosen to end it all. Serren persevered and conquered them. He was stronger than any other king in history and that was why this statue was here as a remembrance of his manhood and his strength. And to serve as a warning to never trust women.

Women have a treacherous nature that must always be controlled. Women were underestimated in his lifetime and Serren had suffered because of men's lack of awareness of what the women were doing. They must never make that mistake again. Men's lack of control, their lack of foresight, and taking things for granted nearly destroyed the entire country. They must always be aware of women's treacherous nature. Women have no honor, no loyalty to their family or their country. They must never be free. The control must always be strictly maintained over them. Especially women in their own family. He thanked King Serren, their god-king for that lesson.

He wondered if Serren was really as strong and powerful as the legends claimed. Questioning such things was blasphemy. But the legends said that he had conquered a real divine god. They still worship him in the religion of Maxis. Many of those rules are still there.

Legend claims he had conquered and destroyed Maxis. He put the God on trial in an inquisition. He trapped the God and tried him. He found out that Maxis and Progenita were one and the same.

The God and the Goddess.

Maxis had been playing games with his followers and he had chosen to destroy Maxis and impose the Goddess rule, the rule of women. He turned his back on the followers of Maxis. He destroyed his Maxis statues, and the temples, and gave power to the women to conquer the followers of Maxis.

Serren rose above the God and put the God on trial. Serren was so powerful that he removed the God's power and divinity and made her a regular human woman. Then Serren killed her. Turaun wondered if any of that was true. It was in the religion and the stories so it had to be true. Serren took the God's place, and he was named the God-King.

But recently much had gone wrong with Turaun's reign. First, he found out that his daughter Tabitha was plotting against the crown, and her own brother Prince Bismark. He was only fourteen. But Tabitha was planning to turn him into a girl and take the crown after dealing with Turaun. He also found that she had many allies and was teaching a group of girls magic. This was all so clearly treason it could not be ignored.

Tabitha was arrested and tried. Then she escaped and made it to the United States with the witches she had trained. And now, he had discovered that his eldest son Bismark had actually requested it all. He had approached Tabitha and asked her if there was a way to become a girl. Bismark did not want to be King and did not want to be a man. He wanted Tabitha to make him into a girl.

Turaun was disgusted. He refused to believe it. This had to be Tabitha's witchcraft that perverted and bewitched his son. But now he wondered what to do. He briefly considered naming Tabitha his heir since she was clearly stronger than her brother. Perhaps she could become a man and rule. But no, she did not have a man's spirit. She was a woman and had a woman's spirit. Naming her the heir was unthinkable. So that left him with his youngest son, Otto, who was only nine years old now. He was their only hope, or he would have to find another heir to adopt.

He blamed Tabitha for this perversion. Turaun tried to convince Bismark to fight this spell and be masculine. But it didn't work, he would not fight his nature and instead became more feminine. It was so disgusting. He could not be the heir now. So it was left to his youngest son Otto and remained a lesson for him and every other familiy to not ever let the eldest be a daughter. There was a reason why Serren wrote that rule. He suffered under Pattenia’s rule and was betrayed, the same way Bismark was betrayed by Tabitha. He would never believe that Bismark had approached Tabitha to be turned into a girl. That was impossible. Tabitha had to have done something to cause this. His son Bismark could never willingly want to be turned into a girl. Turaun refused to believe that was even a possibility.

In the middle of Turaun's disappointment and thinking of what all went wrong, a young ensign approached respectfully and said, “My Lord, the test is ready. The Serren is ready for you to board. The battleships King Gerrick and Runtick are ready to be tested. They are in position to fire on Guenefer."

A number of their capital ships were named after martyrs from the restoration war Pattenia launched against the true believers to restore the goddess and the rule of women.

A large helicopter had landed with the seal of the King of the Shattered Isles. Turaun boarded and it took off into the sky. The helicopter turned toward the open sea and took them many miles away where he saw the Shattered Isles fleet ready for their test.

The battleships were in position to fire their full power blasts. And in the center of it was the newly commissioned enormous super carrier, the King Serren. The helicopter landed on the deck of the Serren and he stepped off once it landed. His guards escorted him to the flight tower of the Serren, where he was able to observe the battleships sitting a few hundred feet away. Their enormous rail guns were fully charged and ready for Turaun to give the order to open fire.

Turaun looked at the fleet admiral and issued one command. “Begin the test. Runtick fires its weapons first. Then let's see what the Gerrick can do with its larger guns."

Turaun focused his energy and reached out to the future to see how everything would turn out. His foresight activated and he saw no forthcoming danger on the testing of the new weaponsing.

Unlike the first generations of male kings under Maxis when the rule of Man was being established thousands of years ago, that ended with Serren being humiliated and deposed. This generation of kings was highly trained in dark Magic. They did not dismiss prophecies or underestimate the witches in any way. They were highly trained from the time they could walk in all aspects of Magic. They were taught the history and to take prophecies and the witches very seriously. They did not dismiss the prophecies or the threat as children’s fairytales. That’s what King Gerrick had done and his son paid for it with everything he had. Including his very future.

Gerrick was thought through history as a fool who had sacrificed his son's future. He was the final king of the rule of man until Serren's reforms. No future King or Prince would ever be so unprepared and blindsided as Serren was. He wasn't taught the prophecies facing him and his family so he had come to dismiss the Goddess and anything related to her as fairy tales and not to be taken seriously. Turaun and his line would never do that. That’s why they were doing this now. He sensed the threat that the witches in the United States posed to the stability of his country. He was resolved to deal with it.

He called out to his generals, “Start with the firing tests. Open fire General.”

He saw the enormous new battleships that exceeded a hundred thousand tons charging up their main batteries to open fire. Their huge double barrels were raising in banks of two. The larger strategic weapons behind the smaller ones in front. He wanted the strategic weapons to fire first. The battleships charged the weapons to full power and then opened fire.

The results of the main batteries firing at a hundred percent charge were unexpected. However, the eye splitting brilliant flash of light from the firings was fully expected. The power they were charged at coupled with the incredible speed the projectiles fired at produced a blinding eye smiting flash of light, much like a comet entering the atmosphere.

The projectiles fired at speeds many times the speed of sound. Turaun was told that the projectiles were launched at nearly seven hundred miles per second. The speed of a comet.

The impact was almost instantaneous. He hardly could see the projectile reaching its highest attitude and then plunging down at its target. The blinding light and fire trailing were all they could see before the final impact on Guenefer. The result was devastating. They watched an enormous white-hot fireball rising nearly a hundred thousand feet above the devastated Island and the blast racing outward. The blast must have been hotter than the sun. Guenefer was almost over the horizon, but they felt the flash of heat from the fireball and it rose threateningly above them as if they were next to the blast. He wondered if anything was safe from this. Perhaps he should have ordered a fifty percent test instead of full power.

The fireball died off and left a blackened, charred surface. Whatever remained of the devastation from the invasion nearly a thousand years ago and burning the cities and people was wiped away in an instant. What was left was a blackened surface and an enormous impact crater miles across.

Then the ships prepared for the battle test. The Shattered Isles had built up a mock American fleet with two massive fleet carriers of the Nimitz class surrounded by a dozen modern destroyers and cruisers. The power of this fleet should be able to easily handle two Shattered Isles battleships. One would think. Turaun laughed.

First, the carriers and cruisers launched dozens of anti-ship missiles that were easily intercepted and taken out before they got anywhere near the battleships. Then he needed to see how the ships handled carrier airstrikes. So they launched dozens of mock remote-controlled F18s to strafe and fire on the battleships. The air groups were knocked out of the air with little trouble and whatever hit the battleships did little to no damage at all.

Then the battleships opened fire with their tactical weapons. The smaller forward batteries targeted the carrier battlegroup. All of the ships and destroyers were targeted at once and he saw the batteries open fire in rapid succession with their supercharged projectiles. The fleet didn't survive. He saw the projectiles impact the enormous carriers and drill a huge hole right through the center of it. The carriers point defense weapons had no hope of ever intercepting the super speed projectiles that plunged down as fast as a comet. Every ship was totally destroyed.

The test was a resounding success. It was an awesome display of power. It was now time to prepare to visit the United States president and see if she will cooperate with the Shattered Isles. And perhaps see if he can talk his son Bismark out of wanting to become a woman.

Veronica had finished her cheerleading session that morning with Kimberly. She was really worn out that day. They had practiced for over three hours working on increasingly complicated routines to prepare for her tryouts that weekend.

After taking her shower, she went to the kitchen where she baked her new boyfriend a yummy lasagna with some meatballs. Her family ate it together as she sat by her boyfriend, eating and cuddling with him at the same time. Then they spent the few final hours of the day snuggled on the sofa watching some action movie that Riley really liked.

Riley had not become feminine at all, even though the body he was now forced to live in was all female. He was still all-male inside and it came out whenever he was free from Tabi's control. Without Tabi forcing him to live as a girl, Ryan was allowed to come out and show how masculine he really was. All they needed to do now was find out how to turn him back into the boy that he was meant to be.

It was after nine when both of the teens were in each other’s arms that there was a knock on the door. Her mother, Seraphine, went to the front door grumbling at whoever dared knock at their door at such an hour in the night when they were preparing to go to bed.

She opened the door and suddenly took a defensive posture as soon as she saw who was there. She said in a voice full of hostility. “Tabi, Millicent , what do you two think you are doing at my door, especially at this unholy hour?”

Tabi's mother Millicent answered for them, “We are here to help and my daughter Tabi is here to apologize and help in any way she can. Tabi is also here to explain some things.” Then she narrowed her eyes at her daughter Tabi and said, ”Aren't you, my daughter?”

Her daughter looked intimidated and answered softly, “Yes, Mother. I am sorry for what I did, but…”

Seraphine interrupted, “Thank you for your apology, but your help is not needed here, or welcome, and you two can leave.”

Millicent retorted, “Actually, Seraphine. Tabi will be a lot of help. She transformed Ryan, and she can help you all transform him back into a boy. She will be a lot of help, and she has a lot to explain to you. If you can, listen to her. What she has to tell you is vital. There is so much you really don’t know about my daughter.”

Seraphine did not budge. She demanded, “Okay, like what does she have to say, what about her is so important?”

Millicent replied, “First, Tabi is not my actual daughter. I adopted her once she came to this country. Her family and her witches were well adapted to the dark arts of Magic and I did my best to help her stop using it. I adopted her as a young teen, not much older than thirteen. Second, her real name is Tabitha Denae. The first-born child, and daughter to Turaun Denae of the Shattered Isles. Condemned to death for treason against the crown. She was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered as a traitor. And I think you know who I really am. So may we enter and have a very long and serious conversation. And my daughter has a great many things to apologize for, and to explain.”

Seraphine's mouth hung open for nearly a minute, trying to process all that she had been told. She felt the truth of what Millicent had just explained. There was no sign of deception. She moved aside and said, “Fine, let's go to the living room and have a long discussion.”

They walked into the living room to see Ryan and Veronica in each other's arms tightly embracing each other. Tabi said, “I can see you two are getting to know each other very well. That is sweet.”

Both teens glared at Tabi, wondering what she was doing here.

Tabi looked at Ryan and then glanced shamefully at her mother and said softly, “Ryan. I am sorry for what I did. I was angry at how things turned out. I needed to know if the spell would really work or not. But it was wrong to do what I did and to treat you the way I did.”

Veronica spoke up, “It's women like you that got us in the situation we are in now. There's really no excuse for what you did or forgiveness. I think Ryan and I have heard enough.”

Seraphine snapped, “Veronica, Ryan, stay here. This is important, and Tabi has offered to help. She really is sorry and knows she was wrong. That is a start. Now, Tabitha, you can now tell us what you came to tell us.”

“Millicent is not my real mother,” Tabi said to them. “My real mother is Nemeria Denae. My father is Turaun Denae and my real name is Tabitha Denae, their firstborn child.”

Tabi let that hang for a few long seconds as the two other teens just stared speechlessly. Then Tabi continued, “Me being the firstborn is really not that common anymore. Since the first king of the new age, King Serren Denae and after his sister's betrayal and seizure of the crown, they stopped allowing first-born daughters to live. We are usually killed shortly after birth to prevent anything like what happened to Serren ever again. No girl would have any rightful claim to the crown. The boy was always the eldest. To make his point, King Serren publicly executed his own infant daughter, Blaze. His son Gerrick was the legal heir. And I am the firstborn daughter in more than a thousand years. My father had mercy on me and he has regretted it ever since. He says I was a mistake.” Tabi wiped some tears from her face as she choked back a sob.

“Killing first-born girls has become very common in the Shattered Isles among the nobility and the royalty like my family. Infanticide has been the way for more than a thousand years. Life for girls of the royal family was always very harsh and restrictive. I needed express and written permission to be able to go anywhere at all. Even if I wanted to go out with my friends. And I was closely watched and controlled no matter where I went. I was always watched by my father's people or by the authorities of the state, which is the inquisition and police. At any sign of hint of disloyalty or a plot, I would be taken in by the inquisition and ruthlessly questioned. They have been taught that girls are by nature, treacherous and we are not capable of having loyalty to our family, or even love them. That’s how it was for regular second or third born girls. I was a first-born girl so it was much worse on me. It was assumed I would betray my brother, and they just waited for the slightest hint of a plot. Then I was arrested, tried, and convicted of treason. I was to be tortured, then hung, drawn, and quartered.”

Veronica had to ask, “What did you plan on doing to your younger brother?”

It was like she assumed Tabi was guilty of whatever she was accused of. “As a female, witchcraft is my birthright. I was studying witchcraft and teaching other girls in the Kingdom. I became very powerful and we planned on turning my brother Bismark into a girl. But it isn't as you think. My father thinks everything is my doing. Every misfortune his family suffered is because of me. I would never hurt my brother Bismark. Never.” Tabi shouted loudly.

“In fact, he found out about me studying witchcraft and came to me. He wants to be turned into a girl. He begged us to help him. Out of all of us, he is suffering the worse. He has no ambitions to rule. He wanted me to rule and wear the crown. Well, our plot was exposed and we were all arrested and tried. Bismark tried to defend us at great cost. He humiliated our family by revealing his desire to be changed. I was blamed for bewitching him. So, we were convicted. We barely made it out of the Shattered Isles alive. My father is still punishing my brother for his decision. We need to help him. I think you can help us get into the Shattered Isles and help my brother Bismark. But first, Ryan has to become a man, and you two can go under his protection and guardianship. And that means you two will have to marry.

Veronica looked stressed. Marrying Ryan didn’t seem that bad to her. But going to the Shattered Isles to help a persecuted prince seemed like a lot. What could they do for him anyway?

“Can we transform Ryan back?” Veronica asked, hopeful.

“I believe that I can,” Millicent answered for them. “I think I know the spell that my daughter used and reversing it is easy. And I think I know how she got everyone to believe Ryan was born as a girl. Reversing that will be easy too. I will show you all how.”

“How can you know all of this,” Veronica asked Millicent doubtfully. “And how did your daughter do this?”

“Tabi is part of my curse,” replied Millicent. Tabi looked hurt, but Millicent just glared at her. “Having such a girl that gives so little thought to who she hurts or what she does. I have been cursed in various ways for so long. As to how I know. I think in your heart, Veronica, you know who I really am." Millicent gave Veronica a knowing look.

Veronica didn't want to admit it. It seemed too silly at first. But she knew. “Progenita. But how is that possible? I thought Serren killed you more than a thousand years ago.”

“He did. I was hung, drawn, and quartered by him. But I just keep coming back. But part of the curse he put on me is that I am always born to suffer. Each of my lives has been full of suffering. Like my first rebirth. I found myself at Lindisfarne. I was there in the ninth century when the Norsemen raiders landed there and killed them all. I was there, and so was Pattenia. We were both taken and made to be wives. Whether we liked it or not. I had many daughters with my husband. One of them would go on to marry a prince and rule a place called Normandy. My other daughter would lead her people to lay siege to Paris.

"In my life after that, I was a native somewhere in the Caribbean when Columbus landed there. I got to see my people enslaved and wiped out within a generation. It was a total genocide. Then, I would be on the Trail of Tears. Around a century later, I would be a native in the Congo when the Belgian king took over and enslaved us all to get rubber from the rubber trees.

"You see, lives of suffering. My life before this one, I was Jewish somewhere in Berlin in the twenties. I got to see the rise of the NSDAP under Adolph Hitler. I survived the riots. I survived Kristallnacht. I survived being rounded up and taken to Dachau. But I did not survive Auschwitz. And now I have a daughter that's so arrogant that she threatens to expose us all with her arrogance and inflicted unimaginable pain on an innocent boy.”

After going into such tragic and heavy subjects, Millicent just watched the family trying to take it all in. She smiled and said, “Ryan, you will like this part. In one of my lives, I was even made a boy. A few of my former followers of the Hekatin were practicing nearby and had decided to transform me. I finally got to experience what it was like, and it was hell. It was such a tragic and horrible transformation, and I got to experience what it was like for a boy. So I learned. I hadn’t entirely understand why Serren was so angry and why he was so unable to accept the transformation that was good for everyone in the country until then. I was angered at why he couldn’t understand that it was needed. I am sorry. He was so hurt and angry in the end that he knew he was doing something horrible, but he just didn’t care anymore. He wanted to inflict pain that would resonate for centuries.”

“Millicent,” Veronica then asked, “How did Serren do this to you, and how did he even put you on trial in the first place and do what he did?”

“Serren was so hurt and angered by what was taken away from him that he had totally embraced the Dark and forbidden arts of witchcraft. The part that even Tabi is afraid to embrace because we know it has a serious cost and usually requires one to give a part or all of themselves to use. I understand that they have used the Dark Arts a lot and are well accustomed to it. But even Tabi is afraid to use it too much and there are areas that they are afraid to go, or it will consume their soul. Serren embraced the Dark Arts and was totally consumed by the Darkness that came with its use. The power was great, but it can cost a person everything. It gave him the power to even overpower gods, he domesticated one of the most powerful dragons on the planet.

"Even I couldn’t stand against that power. He killed my dragon, Kursar, and took a more powerful dragon from the abyss and made it his own. He knew what it could cost him, but by then, he didn’t care. But this is part of the problem. The curse lasts forever. He would be consumed by the darkness and be its servant for ever. He will be pulled into the Abyss and enslaved for all time. And so would all of his heirs. That’s why Bismark fears it and doesn’t want it. He does not want to be consumed by the darkness and taken into the Abyss for all time. Veronica, you can break this curse. You and Ryan can save them, and maybe you could even save Serren from the fate.”

“How did he put you on trial and condemn you, I am really interested in how he accomplished that?” Veronica asked.

“He totally embraced the Darkness. Then he actually set the trial up and even invited the King and a majority of the Hekatin’s leaders to observe. He found ways to bind Gods like me and set it up. Then he summoned me to the place he had prepared. I was shocked and didn't even know he had such powers. I was compelled to arrive there against my will. I found myself in a circle and then I was bound with powerful chains that were locked around me. I could not escape them and then a cage was dropped over me. Their bars seemed cursed and enchanted. They began draining my power and I found myself helpless. Serren stood there triumphantly smirking. The Hekatin like Actonia, Pattenia, Aanya and Falconette were horrified but they realized there was nothing they could do. Serren and his priests were totally in control of the inquisition. Then they began asking me very awkward questions that condemned me. You see Veronica,. by then, I had told Serren my biggest secret in hopes that he would understand and help me make peace in the world. It enraged him beyond all reason. I had told him that I was both Maxis and Progenita. I was both male and female and I wanted him to help me unite both sides.

"Even a God can know confusion. But he was enraged at me and thought it was unfair that I had make him suffer for my confusion. It was not fair and he put me on trial for betraying his people. His first set of questions condemned and destroyed me in most people's eyes. He asked what he did wrong as a child and if I was following Maxis exactly as the religion dictates or if I was wrong. I had to confirm that he made no mistakes. Then he made it clear that I was Maxis. He then asked if any of his followers were violating the religion and I had to say no. And then that I had betrayed them for no reason and turned my favor to the Hekatin and Progenita to effect the downfall of the rule of Men and the followers of Maxis. That was a betrayal. Then we talked about the first age and how the women had done nothing wrong according to how I had taught them when I turned my back on them to create Maxis and the rule of Men. It was very clear that I was the source of the world's confusion and I had betrayed my followers who were doing nothing more than what I had taught them. I was found guilty and Serren removed my power and made me human. Then he publicly executed me in front of my horrified followers. It was an example of his power and a symbol of a new age. It would be his age.”

Millicent continued,”Pattenia's trial was even worse than mine. She broke down when Serren cruelly accused her of not even loving her father for how she ruled. Her reign stood for everything he was against. He accused her of plotting against him, betraying her father, and being part of the conspiracy to kill her father. He made it seem like she hated her father and couldn’t wait for him to die so she could rule and betray everything he stood for. Pattenia broke down. But she had been repeatedly tortured and raped by that point. Serren was brilliant.”

Ryan asked her, “So what exactly are we supposed to do now?”

“Your task will be very difficult for you, but you must do it. Veronica will be under your guardianship and rule. You must accept it there. And she will have help. You must make it to Denaerk and contact the Prince Bismark. And you must transform him into a girl. He wants it, that’s his dream just like yours, Veronica. It will save him.”

Veronica shrugged and laughed, “Sounds so easy. We just go and transform a highly guarded prince, and then what, die?”

“Veronica, you are one of the most powerful witches in this generation. That was fated. And you will have a lot of help. If you do it right, they will not be able to punish you for it. But this will be the hard part. Protecting yourselves and taking control of the Kingdom. That will be Bismark's job. He is still to be their Queen. He just doesn’t want to rule from the darkness and brutality. He really doesn’t want it at all. But he will have to. He is the only one.”

“I thought I was,” complained Tabi. “What about me?”

Millicent looked at her sadly. “I am sorry, Tabitha. But you aren't the one here. Your conduct here has shown you really don't have the morality and strength to rule justly. Bismark does. He is trans there and is enduring it all and still hoping for the best when all hope seems lost. He hopes you will rescue him. And if you show you can learn, then you can stand beside him and help him. But He…She is still to wear the crown and lead them into a new age. If you can give up your petty vindictiveness and spite, and stand by Bismark, then you can be part of it. The question is, can you?”

Veronica shook her head sadly and said, “Oh my god. I just wanted to be a normal girl and be a cheerleader and do the things with my new friends that all girls do. Now I must go to one of the most dangerous parts of the world and rescue a princess. That's just great!”

“You can be a normal girl after this. After this is done, you can go back to your life, and Bismark and her sister Tabitha will be handling things in the Shattered Isles.”

Veronica laughed bitterly, “Sure,” She said sarcastically. “After that, I am so sure we can go back to a normal life.”

“Well,” Millicent laughed, “You may be heroes to the Shattered Isles and held in high regard by their royal family, and the savior of the Hekatin. But how you live your lives will still be up to you.."

He shouldn't have teased his sister chapter 11

by Jasmine Monica
The Americans figure out how to deal with the crises
Chapter 11

Madam President Shannon Marshal was wondering what she should do at the moment. She had been informed an hour ago that an emissary from the Kingdom of the Shattered Isles wanted to speak to her about their upcoming meeting with their head of state Turium. They were all going to expect answers very soon. She knew what they wanted and she wasn't sure if she could do what they would demand. From the tone of their demands and what she had been told of their King, she had a feeling that refusing their demands would lead their two states into war. The Shattered Isles would consider a refusal an act of war and respond accordingly. A huge fleet from the Shattered Isles was sailing toward them, so it was obvious that they were expecting a refusal. Turaun was expecting a war.

The President was sitting at a large conference table with the rest of her advisers and cabinet. The chairman of her joint chiefs, General Raymond King. One of their first five star flag officers since the second world war along with ther Secretary of Defense, Madam Halow, and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Ambar. They were all desperately trying to find answers to this problem that would not lead their nations into a war.

Most nations daring to threaten war would be laughed at unless they were a nation like the Russian republic, or the Peoples Republic of China. This was a large island chain in the pacific, somewhat like the United Kingdom. But they had a massive fleet with very advanced tech that was roughly a generation ahead of anything the United States had. This was nothing to dismiss out of hand. Raymond King had told her that this fleet could cause them damage and it seemed likely that they would blockade their ports. The United States had not been under a naval blockade since the war of 1812. She was at a loss here.

Nancy spoke up in the silence. “Madam President Being that your your campaign was based on respecting civil liberties and that as an American President you are duty-bound to uphold such liberties, I think you only have one available response. We know what their king wants. Their ambassador strongly hinted at it. They want the return of their citizens to face punishment in their homeland. These people came here and asked for legal asylum. Their reason was religious persecution and their Princess Tabitha and many others are sentenced to death there. We cannot, in good conscience, return them. To do that would not only betray everything you claimed to stand for but everything you represent. And we know how their nation operates. Our ambassador to their nation has stated repeatedly that living among them is a nightmare. He said it was the hardest post he ever served in.”

They needed to know more so Marshal looked at her Ambassador to the Shattered Isles and asked, “You have lived in Denaerk for years now. What can you tell us about their society and their nation?”

“Their country is a nightmare,” said the United States ambassador to the Shattered Isles. He had lived there at the United States Embassy for several years. “I have prepared a few videos for you all to watch. I was allowed to record a few of their rallies and ceremonies before I left to report to you.”

He looked up at the screen on the wall and pressed a button on his remote and the image of a huge rally appeared on the screen. There were tens of thousands of uniformed soldiers arranged in enormous military columns in the center of some massive stadium. They were standing in front of a huge gleaming statue of Serren in his full armor, holding his new sword, Revenge, high in the air and wearing his crown. He was immortalized there for all time. Standing under the statue on the raised platform overlooking the soldiers was their King Turaun, wearing his military uniform and holding the same enchanted dark sword.

The Ambassador spoke, “This is a military rally I was allowed to observe before I left. It is chilling and you may have trouble understanding them so I will translate for you.

"First, every soldier and officer knelt in submission and prayed to the statue of Serren, their first Divine King of the Shattered Isles. Then they all started singing and saluted their King Turaun."

The Ambassador used a laser pointer to indicate, “That is their national anthem and see their flags of the War Hawk flying in the air. The War Hawk is the symbol of the house of Denae. I hate that Anthem and I heard it every morning. Hear how aggressive and militaristic it is and it also speaks about men being honorable and holding power forever. It also speaks about the glory of King Serren and the downfall of Pattenia and the rule of women. It's a terrible song but they love it and sing it before every rally. And hear this other song they sing. It's just as aggressive and militaristic. This is an ancient song from the age of Maxis that they love to sing about the everlasting glory of Man and the soldier. Now listen to Turaun. I will help you understand.”

King Turaun started giving an aggressive and bombastic speak. It was incomprehensible to most of the people in the room so the Ambassador helped translate. He spoke of his glory as the King and his divine right. Then his upcoming meeting with the American president and the witches that lived there. How they may have got control over society and the government if they weren't careful of the witches' deception. But now, the religion of Maxis was spreading in some American states. Then he hoped the woman president would be reasonable to him but they doubted it because no woman can reason and that's why he had called for a mobilization of the army and that they were preparing for war against the United States. And the soldiers must prepare for victory.” On the film, the soldiers cheered and chanted the name of their King.

President Marshal spoke up, “Why can't I understand him? I thought they spoke English in the Shattered Isles.”

“They do,” The Ambassador replied. “But they speak a very early dialect of the language that is incomprehensible to modern English speakers. It's more Saxon than English as we know it.”

Then they watched Turaun rile up the soldiers more and more with his talk of victory and the danger of the witches living in America. Including his villainous daughter Tabitha who ran away.

“Their country is a medieval nightmare. Especially for women. They revealed themselves to the world about a generation ago and it was a big shock to them. We didn't even know about the Shattered Isles before that. They had isolated themselves much like Japan did after their civil war.

"Serren lost the crown to his sister and fought a brutal civil war to regain the crown. Then he clamped down on womens' freedom and persecuted their witches. They fled the country and then he shut the country off from the rest of the world.

"They only recently opened their borders and made contact with the other nations and their attempts were almost comical. Like watch this video of their emissaries in the UK trying to establish diplomatic contact with them not even knowing what country they are in. You see them dressed as they are twenty years ago going into Morpeth asking to see the King of Northumbria.” He laughed.

They all laughed at the image on the screen of them walking in dressed as knights and such, asking to see the King of Northhumbria. They all laughed.

“Those people were almost institutionalized. Same result when they went into Tamworth asking to talk with the King of Mercia. Those first attempts were a disaster and almost got their emissaries institutionalized for mental illness. That is until they realized these people were real diplomats from some medieval nation that didn't realize those early English kingdoms had unified and called themselves the United Kingdom now.

"But they didn't make that disastrous mistake again. They sent out people to research and study the new nations of the world after that and made successful diplomatic contact with many Asian and European nations after that. Still, most of the world was horrified by the arrival of this new nation on the world stage and how they treated their citizens. Especially their women. But this new nation was exceptionally powerful and cannot be ignored.”

He cast his eyes down in sadness. “Living there among them has been a nightmare. But someone must do it. But that is one of the most horrible countries I have ever had to represent the United States diplomatic interests in. Women are savagely oppressed in that country. They call it the Rule of Man and it's no joke. Women have no rights.

"In Saudi Arabia, they are treated as Minors and need a guardian to speak for them and give them permission to do almost anything. The Shattered Isles makes that look progressive. In this country, they can't even go out without a man escorting them. They are treated like mindless animals. And a woman is executed almost daily for some reason there. They can't speak for themselves and any attempt to be an individual can get them in big trouble with the inquisition. And they hunt witches relentlessly.

"They believe in witches and fear them and it goes to their first King Serren which we will get to shortly. That is one crazy story. But they have witch hunters and an inquisition. It is their firm belief, started by Serren, that women are cruel and their nature is treachery. They believe they can't trust women at all. Women must be controlled or killed. Men hold all positions of authority. Not women. Women are forbidden to hold any power. Even the mother has no say in anything. Trying to speak out can be dangerous.”

He let that hang in the air and then continued,” They have a very strict religious theocracy and their society is very militarized. You see the statues of their first great King Serren and they pray to it. They study from the Book of Serren. They also have a religion of Maxis. They used to worship him but he has been superseded by King Serren who defeated Maxis and placed himself as the head of the religion and declared himself a God and a divine King. They pray to him and ask for his favor in battle.”

The president said, “That is about what I expected. So tell me about Serren.”

Their ambassador played a video on the screen where a great number of solders were kneeling and praying to a statue of Serren and asking for his blessing for an upcoming battle. That was before they departed on their fleet heading toward the American east coast.

“Serren is their God King. He was their first king in the new age. The Story says a bunch of witches including members of his own family, his own sister and mother turned him into a girl on the day he was supposed to be coronated as their new King at sixteen years old. And they treated him very cruelly.

"He was beaten, humiliated, he suffered the life of a woman and they forced it on him. He was given no time to adjust, then he was abused by males, molested, assaulted and raped. Then his sister used witchcraft to impregnate him. He suffered a pregnancy and gave birth to twins.

"He started studying witchcraft and became a very powerful witch himself/herself and eventually got found allies. Then he returned to being a man and waged war and won. Then he began savagely oppressing the women and killing all of the witches. He lived from 1263 to 1347. He died during the black death in the fourteenth century. He was a mighty ruler and a great warrior from what we can see.”

The president was very distressed at the news so far. Then she said, “I see your point. But I am afraid that we may have to do as this nation asks to maintain friendly diplomatic relations with them. Now, bring in their ambassador and let's talk with him.”

A guard opened the door to the conference room and let the ambassador to the Shattered Isles enter. Few of them were shocked by this man's appearance. He walked in wearing medieval black robes of a priest. At least his sword was taken by the Secret Service but he clearly had a scabbard for the sword. It was empty. He walked in and sat down across from the female president.

The American Ambassador spoke up, “Madam President. Do you see that insignia of the flame on his robe? And that medallion he's wearing around his neck and that symbol on his arm.”

She nodded.

“He is a witch hunter and a high-level member of the Inquisition. And that symbol means he has murdered women with his own hand. He has killed witches.

The President turned to the newcomer and asked, “Why has your country sent a witch hunter of the inquisition as a diplomat to speak with me?”

The man looked up with an arrogant sneer and snapped, ”My King needed to be sure that none of you were part of that infernal order of witches we call the Hekatin. You never know with women.” He smirked at the President and the other females in the room. “They cannot be trusted at all. But, luckily that infernal order has not compromised the executive branch but it is only a matter of time. I am happy to report that it has not happened yet.”

The President frowned, “The Hekatin, what is that?” She asked trying to be reasonable to this arrogant man.

“The Hekatin are an ancient order of female witches that nearly destroyed our entire nation. They tried to take over and destroy everything we stand for,” The Ambassador sneered arrogantly. “Those women chose to destroy an innocent boy who never laid a hand on any of them and crushed his spirit and his life. They were evil just every woman was and that’s why we can't allow women in power in our country to have power. The men in your country should follow our example.

“And if any of us were members of this Hekatin?” inquired the President.

He frowned. “Then any negotiations would be no use and the results would be very unpleasant.” He said darkly. “But none of you are Hekatin. But since you are still women, my king has a feeling that you will be unreasonable as women usually are.”

“Can you explain why you have nearly five hundred heavy warships headed toward both of our coastlines,” the President asked threateningly. “Some may consider this a hostile act.”

“Because your country is ruled by women,” the Shattered Isles ambassador snapped. “The ships are prepared for that. We seriously doubt women are capable of being reasonable so they are headed toward your coastline.”

“We are very capable of being reasonable,” The present replied. “What is it you want so badly?” The American President inquired.

The ambassador smirked arrogently and reached into his leather briefcase he was holding and pulled out some papers. He looked across the table and said, “You are the director of intelligence. You are the head of the Centrel Intelligence Agency, from what I am told by our intelligence.”

The man across from the Ambassador nodded, “Yes that is my position here.”

“Good,” The Ambassador smirked knowingly. The smirk sent chills down everyone in the room. It was a ruthless knowing smirk. “I have been given this information by our Security administration of the Shattered Isles. My king has instructed me to give you this information.” The Ambassador handed the stack of papers to the man across from him.

The man read the first paper and the room saw him suddenly lose all color in his face. He was shocked. He didnt know that many details of specific operations happening. But he knew enough to be horrified. He sudddenly asked, “These are names of our opretives within the Shattered Isles. I assume all of those names are people we have operating within the Shattered Isles. How did you come by this information?” He assumed one of them was selling out the other agents. “Who gave you this?”

“No one,” The Ambassador replied with a chilling smile. “We have our ways. As you can see, those are the names of each and every agent you have operating within my country. Every one. And you have no traitors selling out his other agents. We have strict security and we can tell who is supposed to be there, and who isn’t. Who is not where hes supposed to be, we can tell these things and we have our ways. We also know other nations have agents spying on our operations. We are about to clean house as you say.” He smiled an evil cruel smile.

“Will you at least give us time to withdraw them,” The Secretary pleaded.

“I have a better proposal. If we can reach a deal, then your agents can remain there and alive. Only if we can reach a deal. And then, we may give them something more. Perhaps we will allow one of your agents to have a big break in his case and find out some of our really secured military projects and stumble on vital information and documents. If we can reach a deal. If not, we will make an example of them all.”

The President demanded, “Okay, so what is it you want?”

“We demand the return of the Princess Tabitha Denae, and her other accomplices. Those women fled to your country and requested asylum in your country. They are traitors and highly dangerous people. We need them returned so they can face justice.”

“In the interests of maintaining friendly diplomatic relations. I will grant your request. You only had to ask. If you consider it this important to your nation, we will grant your request to return your criminals. You can tell your king that.”

Their ambassador smiled warmly and nodded, “I am glad we were able to resolve this issue without hostilities. We had not been expecting that. I will be happy to inform my King that your country is willing to help us.

He stood up and nodded.

This had been very unexpected. Women were usually so unreasonable and unwilling to compromise. Especially when they get power, they tend to be very unreasonable and it leads to chaos. But sometimes, some women in power can be reasonable. Especially those that had been trained and are submissive. This woman may be one of those women who are naturally submissive to male authority. He thought to himself as he left to inform Turaun this great news.

@@@

Tabitha and Veronica were sitting beside each other with Ryan on Veronica’s other side. Lady Fawna and Seraphine was sitting across from them with Tabi's Mother Millicent with them. Millicent began the discussion. “We called you here because we have a very serious problem. A crisis has occurred and we need to accelerate our plan.”

Veronica and Tabi looked alarmed. “Accelerate how much? “

“Now, actually,” Millicent replied with a very serious look. “Our president has totally conceded with the King of the Shattered Isles to return the Hekatin, and you Tabi, to face judgment there. We need to move now as authorities will be coming for you. We need to change Ryan to a man today and prepare you all for your mission to the Shattered Isles.”

The teens looked very alarmed. Tabi asked, ”How could the president do that? She totally conceded to their King. I was assured we were safe here. How could this happen?”

It was Seraphine that replied this time. “The President was backed into a corner. She had no choice and was bound by their treaty and international agreements and law. Like when American criminals go overseas, we have various extradition treaties with other nations that they are bound by that treaty to return them here for trial. We had the same treaty with those nations to return their criminals whether we like it or not.

"We have a treaty of friendship and cooperation with the Shattered Isles and that includes extradition of criminals. The President was bound by that agreement if she wanted to maintain diplomatic relations with them, and not war. Their ambassador made it very clear that they were very prepared to go to war over this. They want you badly Tabi. We must move right now. Veronica?”

Veronica looked up.

“You have been studying the Book of Serren haven’t you?”

She nodded with distaste in her mouth. “Yes, I read it all. I learned their religion. I know what I will have to do. Ryan also read it and knows his part.”

“Good, and you read the history of the Shattered Isles and all about their religion, culture and history. So you two will know what's expected. When we restore Ryan’s masculinity, you two will have to get married.”

“If this works,” Millicent boldly said, “then you will be helping correct a horrible mistake that I made around eight hundred years ago. And there's even a possibility you can prevent it from ever happening. But that will be more difficult.” Millicent said looking at Veronica. “You have been given immense power for a reason, Veronica. And this is a great chance to make a huge difference in the entire world. Tabitha will be with you along with her accomplices.”

“Can you tell me what you mean when you say I can correct a mistake you made and maybe prevent it from ever happening?” Veronica asked.

Millicent braced herself and replied,”There are two things you could do here. First, you, Tabi, and her friends could go to the Shattered Isles and help her little brother Bismark become the girl he wants to be. And save him from a horrible fate. And then help her other brother Otto avoid that fate.

"Then Turuan would have no blood heirs. His family would face destruction then. It wouldn't save the Isles or overthrow the regime. You would have to confront Turuan and rescue him from his fate which would be harder but doable with your power Veronica.

"That's one of the things you could do. And the other thing you could do, and I would help you do it, is to go back in time eight hundred years and rescue Serren from his fate to prevent him from ever being changed and abused.

"That would require going to the date of Serren's birth and convince Aanya to teach him about the Goddess and to value women so he can be his sister's ally instead of her enemy. And then convince Gerrick to allow it to happen and help him. You would have to stay there for decades for this mission to help guide them and his sister to help and respect Serren.

"And for that, I would also have to teach you how to shield yourself from my power. I was a very powerful goddess back then and I wouldn’t be happy with you in that time. Your first mission would be to rescue Serren from his curse in Hel, and the Goddess of Death Hela. So that he can be reborn.

"We have spoken about the missions and decided you should do them all. First, rescue the Royal Family from the curse and help Bismark and Otto. That would break the curse for this time. Then go rescue Serren and his sister so they can be reborn again and then try to stop the curse from ever happening. I think you can accomplish them both. And if you do, I will give you the greatest gift you ever wanted. You will be born as a girl and experience a girl's childhood as she grows up. It's what you have always wanted.”

Veronica smiled with pure joy. But she wondered if she would be able to do what these women and the fallen goddess set for her. Could she go to Hel itself, confront the Goddess of Death, and rescue Serren and Pattenia from their eternal curse and prevent another brutal dark age that existed to the current day?

Millicent sensed exactly what Veronica was thinking and was afraid of.

"I know that the world considers that age the start of the end of the middle ages and the beginning of the renaissance, or the age of enlightenment. But it was still a very brutal age of warfare, cruelty, death, and that women had little to no say in the course of their lives.

"Yes, there were some women rulers of nations at the time. But their rule hung on a spider's silk. Elizabeth faced many challenges to her rule and she could have relations with men. But she could never marry. If she married, then a man would take control of her life and her power.

"There was Ekaterina of Russia and her rule was challenged and stood on a spider's silk too. She had her husband killed and took control of the nation. And even then, she was often challenged by her sexist son Paul who challenged and criticized her rule and opposed a woman ruling. She had to be very careful with him and often excluded him from any power and went through great effort to make sure he was away from power. He still took power after her death even though she chose his son Alexander to succeed her. It was still a dark time for women, and for many people.

"This is why you need to succeed Veronica. This is Serren's mad legacy. Veronica, you know everything you need to succeed. You are the only one who can do this. It is up to you to prevent this dark age from happening.”

Veronica thought for a second and commented sadly, “I read about Pattenia in the history of the Shattered Isles. It seems that the golden age of women that she had planned on creating turned into her nightmare and Serren's Dark Age.”

Millicent nodded in acknowledgement. “That was my mistake and Pattenia's own doing. She could not give up her resentment of her treatment by Serren and the other men ignoring and belittling her. And the fact that he was chosen and not her. And her wanting a reign of women in general caused such a violent backlash against her.

"Serren's rage at what he lost and what happened to him caused such a violent reaction and hatred in him that he devoted his life to undermining everything she stood for and to destroy it forever. He succeeded and I should have seen his internal strength. He was bred and born for greatness and leadership. It could not be denied and he refused to be denied. And anyone who tried to would become his enemy and he was bound to win in the end. He could either be great, or the worst evil. He was largely a monster of our own creation and we can prevent that.

"That is your task now Veronica and, to do it, you must overcome me in my time and teach me a lesson I won't forget. So, can you do what you must, including what you need to do in order to even enter the Shattered Isles?”

Veronica looked down sadly knowingly, and said, “Yes, it will be difficult. But it must be done and I will have to totally demean myself.”

Then Millicent looked at Ryan and asked him, “Can you do what you must as a man, for Veronica and yourself to enter the Shattered Isles?”

Ryan looked down in shame and replied, “Yes, but I really don't want to treat Veronica like that. I know it's needed. But Veronica, if I do this to you, I will hate myself. I doubt I would even want to be a man anymore after acting like that to you. Do you think you could accept me as a woman?”

“Ryan, you are a man and you have proven it by how you act,” Veronica pointed out. “You hate being a woman. How can you consider this now?”

“It’s a feeling I have.” Ryan replied, “So could you?”

Veronica looked into Ryan's sad eyes and embraced him. “Yes, I love you Ryan. It will take getting used to your female body if that’s what you chose in the end, but I can accept it.”

Then Millicent said boldly, “Good, so now, let's turn Ryan into the man he was meant to be. If he chooses to return to a woman, we can do that after this mission. But Ryan, really consider what you will be asking. You have been miserable as a woman. I doubt you will be happy and you have nothing to be ashamed of now. You will be doing what is necessary in order to keep her safe. You will have nothing to be ashamed of. And Veronica knows it. It won't be a reflect on your character as a man in any way. Now, stand before me and prepare to become a man again.”

Ryan stood up in front of the women dreading this now. It had been all he could think about for months and had looked forward to being returned to a man. But not now, knowing what was going to be expected of him after reading a husband's duties in the Book of Serren. All he could feel now was dread. He couldn't imagine ever treating a woman like that. Even a cruel woman like Tabi. No woman deserved that and any man that would, was lower than scum in his mind. And now he was expected to do it, and the fate of the entire world depended on him acting like a misogynistic asshole. He wasn’t looking forward to this at all as Millicent put her hand on Richards chest and began chanting the spell to restore his manhood.

Millicent may have been a defeated Goddess that lost her powers. She was human but she was still an exceptionally powerful witch of the Hekatin. Ryan felt the tingling feeling as the witches' energy entered his body. The tingling spread through his body and he felt himself change. He felt his vocal cords strengthen and his voice deepen, that was the first thing he felt as his entire body distorted. His large breasts shrank into his chest and his skin thickened. His bone structure strengthened. His breasts shrank into his chest and his chest became layers of muscle. His shoulders widened. The soft curves of his face straightened into the hard angular lines of a man's jaw and face. His hips shrank and his entire body’s soft structure grew into layers of hard muscle. It was what he had hoped for since this had been done to him. He still felt the dread of what he was now expected to do with this new strength. Richard was a young man once again and he felt he should be delighted. But he was not.

He could have the life that he wanted now. He had his life and his very identity back. What much of the Hekatin and the Goddess didn't realize for regular humans and men is that much of their identity as a person is in their sex that they are. It's the same for women too. That is the core of their identity as a person. And when that was stripped from them, their identity and everything that they are was taken from them.

It must have been so much worse for Serren and Ryan wondered if any of them could begin to understand. Serren was the crown prince and meant to be king. He had trained and studied his entire life to be a leader and the greatest warrior in the entire Kingdom. So when he was changed into a girl and made the princess and Pattenia's little sister. His entire identity, his future, and life were stripped from him in an instant and he was left was nothing. Add to that, Pattenia took great delight in throwing everything he lost right into his face as she took his future for herself and left him with nothing but seething anger and rage. It was no wonder he lashed out the way he did. He wondered if the Goddess could begin to understand that.

Millicent looked into Ryan's eyes as if she sensed his thoughts about Serren and she replied, “I didn’t understand it then. But I understand it now. Much of what you thought was a total mystery back then and I could not understand his point of view or why he was so hurt and enraged at us. I was angered by his refusal and his hatred at us. I understand it all now. And this is what we must prevent from ever happening. I won't understand it when you come to interrupt my plans. I will be upset at these people coming in to change my plans. I won't understand why, but you must make me understand it as you protect Serren, and help him become the man he should be and help his sister know that she is loved and valued and respected. This will all be on you and Veronica and Tabitha. I hope that you can do it.

Veronica nodded that she could do what was expected of her. Then Millicent and Seraphine talked among themselves and then cast a very large and powerful spell. Millicent looked at Ryan and said, “Now people will know you are male again and accept you. They will think that the time you weren't here was you wanting to experience life as a woman. But now you are back and they will accept you.”

Normally Ryan would have disapproved of this choice. It would be humiliating having people think that the time Ryan wasn’t around was him wanting to live as a woman. He wouldn’t want them thinking that about him but now he didn’t care. That was a good choice in case he chose to return to that life after all of this.

Millicent looked at the two teens holding each others hands and said, “We now need to make plans for you to travel to the Shattered Isles. First, you two will need to get married by a priest from the Church of Serren, that way it will be accepted by their government. I know its uncommon for people your age to marry unless it's in a nation like this. But the situation demands you two must be bound together so Veronica will be safe there. Do you understand Ryan? And what you must do?”

He nodded sadly. “Yes, and I am really not looking forward to treating the girl I love that way. I know the situation demands it, and her safety will depend on me doing my part. And marrying her in the Church of Serren. I will do it for her.” How stupid did that sound? Ryan would marry her in the Church of Serren, dominate her, control her life in the way of the religion all for her. It sounded really stupid to Ryan's ears. But it was true. This was all for her. And he hated this.

Ryan wondered how Serren got so much power that he was able to bind and destroy a Goddess. Then replace her and make the religion centered around him. These were things that he doubted even these very powerful witches could even attempt.

Veronica saw Ryan's thoughts and replied. “Serren, then Serrenina, was so angered and hurt by what was done to her that she gave little thought to herself anymore. She wanted power and dominion over everything by then. She started studying and doing the Dark and forbidden arts. The very dangerous and forbidden arts with things we should never even consider.

"Serrenina summoned Death itself. She made a deal with Death in return for power. Serrenina called on the Goddess of Death, Hela from Hel. She made a deal for the power to bind and destroy the Goddess Progegnina. She didn’t care if that power would curse her with an eternity of subservience in Hel.

"So Serrenina spent months learning everything she could from Hela. She returned as the most powerful witch ever. She took control of the Malneys that she was then a member of after marrying their daughter and becoming her wife. She lost her last name and became a Malney. She took control of the Malneys by threatening their Lord, her father in law, by saying that if he didn't surrender control and abdicate for her, that he was going to have an accident like Gerrick did. Lord Malney said that even if that did happen, his elder daughter would take control then not her. Serrenina smiled at him and said what happened to Serren when he expected to inherit his father's position and title could happen to the Lord Daughter Jewel. Serrenina would seize power from her and take control by force but she will take power one way or another. It can be a humiliating and violent seizure of power that will destroy Jewel and she will be humiliated and suffer, or he can give it to her.

"The Lord agreed and he abdicated and gave Serrenina control of the house of Malney. Serren then reinstated the rule of Man on the Malneys land. Women were evicted from their positions of power, they were subjucated. The witches were killed or expelled and Serrenina reinstated the Church of Maxis and their witch hunters. Serrenina made an alliance with Onseys house and the defeated Anseys. She spent months helping the Anseys raise another formidable army and they allied and went to war against the Kingdom, with Serrenina leading them. We know the rest. Serrenina regained his manhood, waged total war, he was brilliant, powerful and unbeatable on the field and defeated Pattenia.”

Veronica let that all sink in and then she told her boyfriend Ryan, “Ryan, we will have to go to Hel, and see Hela herself to rescue Serren and Pattenia. If we want to change history and prevent that catastrophe from ever happening.”

“How can we ever even think of confronting Hela?” Ryan demanded loudly.

“Well,” Veronica said smiling to Millicent. “Once we help Bismark, Otto, and Turaun to break the curse on his family, Hela's hold on them will be weakened. Then she may be more willing to work with us. If not, we may have to do things the hard way but be aware she is a very powerful Goddess. Hela is the goddess of Death. She taught Serren how to subjugate and destroy Progenina.”

Millicent then asked, “What about Actonia. She is also trapped there serving for an eternity.”

“She stays,” Veronica snapped harshly. “She caused the whole catastrophe. She was the brains and the inspiration behind the whole plot to transform Serren and give the crown to Pattenia. It's her doing. She caused it; we don’t want her messing it up again. She stays in Hel and pays for what she did while we will try to make a better world.”

Millicent frowned. She wanted to protest that she was the inspiration behind it all then, Actonia was just doing Progegnina's will. But she knew Veronica was headstrong and had made up her mind. And Actonia was really eager to do it all. She relished in Serren's suffering and humiliation and did nothing to help him cope.

Perhaps Veronica was right. Without Actonia egging Pattenia on, Veronica could help the siblings learn to value and love each other. That would take a lifetime and they would have to arrive there on the day of Serren's birth to make sure he was raised right this time. He would have to be taught to respect and value women and to bond with his strong and adventurous sister. He would have to make sure Pattenia knew she was loved and valued. So that she wouldn’t grow up resenting and hating Serren.

Veronica looked down and then said softly, “Ryan, I have a feeling we will be spending decades in the thirteenth century. But first, let's prepare for a trip to the Shattered Isles today and we need to get married. My mother Serephine knows a priest from the church of Serren that can marry us.”

He shouldn't have teased his sister chapter 12

By Jasmine Monica
They settle a few last minute issues and prepare to travel to the Shattered Isles
Pattenia and Serren settle some issues on their own
Chapter 12

Seraphine watched the two teens in front of her. They held each other's hands, and she could see the love in their eyes went deep. This was still going to be an incredibly difficult thing for them both.

She said to them, “I know you aren't looking forward to this at all. Ryan is going to hate this, and so will you, Veronica. A marriage in the Church of Serren is very strict. First off, it's done in the customs and language of the Shattered Isles. I know both of you have studied early English and you know the language well. You better brush up on it because that’s how the priest conducts the marriage. And then, the honor and OBEY part is very serious in the church of Serren. You, Veronica pledge yourself to Serren and swear to obey him and be under his guidance and protection for the rest of your life. He will swear to guide you and protect you. There’s more, but that is the basic concept. And since this is a mutual marriage, you both will speak your part and make your vows. They are very much from the middle ages and came from the second age. If this wasn't a mutual marriage...”

Veronica asked, interrupting her mother, ”How could it not be?”

“The church of Serren does contract marriages where the wife may not agree, but her disagreement doesn’t matter, the priest marries her to the man and bonds them anyway. It's a custom from the middle ages that they still do today. That's what Pattenia was facing and why she was so desperate to do what she did. Laws here prohibit such marriages and they aren’t legally binding in any way. But the people who do this are in the culture of the Shattered Isles and that binds them anyway. And since you two are planning to travel to the Shattered Isles, this marriage and the bond will be binding to you two. This will be serious, but you are going there to change the culture. Now, have you thought about how you are going to accomplish this?"

Veronica thought for a second and said, “Well, once we get there, the first thing we are going to have to do is to make contact with the young prince Bismark and find out what he really wants. Tabitha said she still has some people within the palace and they can help get the Prince out so we can contact him. I think it will be simple after that if what Tabitha says about him is true and he wants to be transformed into a girl.”

Seraphine spoke up and interjected, “But Bismark has been removed from the line of succession anyway so transforming him won't really matter. Turaun has made his youngest son Otto his heir. Just like when Serren was transformed and most people then agreed that he could not inherit the crown as the younger sister.”

Veronica smiled cruelly. “I think it will be easy to handle Otto. Just like Bismark fears his fate as King. I think Otto will understand once we explain the curse and being stuck in Hel serving the Goddess of Death. I think he will reject being the heir then and want no part of it. The only problem then will be dealing with Turaun. There are a few things we can do. We can use threats to get him to comply with us. Threaten him with having an accident and be removed. Or we can try to reason with him and see if he wants to break Serren's curse and start a new age or continue with it which will result in him being condemned in Hel for all time with his children and future descendants, suffering eternal torment and suffering under Hela's cruelty for all time. Or, he can break the curse. If he doesn’t see reason, then we can always do it the hard way. Do you think there's a chance your father can be reasonable, Tabitha?”

“There's a chance,” Tabitha said hopefully. “My father isn’t stupid. If we are united. Even my mother, Nemeria, supports me in this. If we all confront him together to try to get him to see what will eventually be his fate and what his children fear. Him and his children being condemned in Hel for all time. Serving and suffering under the Goddess of Death, not being dead but not being alive either. He may finally see it and help us. I just don’t know.

"The problem is Serren and his madness. He is a god to them. His words and the culture he designed with his own will is unquestionable. But Turaun was the first king in centuries to dare question it. He refused to kill me at birth because he loved me so much. And he has questions about Serren. I think there is a good chance we can get him to see reason.”

“But what about his opinion of the Hekatin?” Asked Veronica.

Tabitha replied, “He hates them. But the problem is that their conduct and what they did is nothing to really be proud of. Most men rightfully fear the Hekatin's agenda after they revealed their hand on Serren. Men don't want to be powerless under them any more than we want to be powerless under the priests. They are two sides of the same damn issue and we must change that. There must be equality and unity. And we have to get the men to see that we are a new breed of Hekatin that has no intention of subjugating the men under our fist.”

“That was my intention,“ said Millicent. “I wanted equality between the two sides. I wanted an age where men and women were equal. But the Hekatin's zeal for a rule of women and Pattenia's first few edicts really ruined it. Men saw her order that only women could inherit and that the crown would go to the eldest girl. They saw that and the Hekatin starting to form a rule of women over them. They resisted as soon as Serren started to rally them against her. My age of equality never happened. But the problem was the priests. We had to first destroy them and we needed the Hekatin to destroy their power over society first. Unfortunately, the men saw that as the rule of women being re-established, and it never got the time to be reformed. Maybe we can do it right this time.”

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Serren stood there proudly in his bedroom next to his bed. Serren, the powerful self-titled God of War, the first divine king of the Shattered Isles, worshiped and revered by his people. The conqueror of the Shattered Isles and the destroyer of the Hekatin and their rule of women proudly stood there next to his bed. It was an ironic image, he stood there wearing his elaborate lacy pink Gown and crushed in his tight constricting corset. His very ample cleavage was threatening to spill out of his gown's very low neckline. Perched on his bright red heels. And he was having trouble controlling the leakage from between his legs after having bent over his bed for the past hour until his husband finished with him. His very large and powerful husband, Thor.

Serren turned and passionately kissed his husband on the lips and slipped his tongue in his husband's mouth, tasting him. Serren loved his husband. Hela thought this would be suffering beyond his imagination, but it wasn’t in any way. It was thought that such a strong man being turned into a woman and a wife would be humiliation and suffering, but Hela didn't really understand Serren's contradiction at all.

Serren, as a child nearly a thousand years ago, had been a man's man. He was suddenly turned into a girl at sixteen in one of the most traumatic and horrifying ways possible. It became a living nightmare he was unable to escape from. His sister turned him into a girl and then proceeded to humiliate and abuse him. She took his life, and everything from him and left him with nothing. Serren was able to find some sort of peace and joy as a woman. He adapted better than anyone could have thought possible. But his sister's cruelty prevented him from being completely happy as a girl. Her cruelty and abuse made any real happiness impossible and he simply could not allow it to continue. Serren fought Pattenia and regained his manhood and proved to her that he was a force to be reckoned with. He showed Pattenia that what she did was a tragic mistake. He thought he had just cursed himself with his deal with Hela. He didn’t know he had cursed his entire family and all of his future children to service here. The Goddess Progenita had great plans for Serren as the princess. But Serren did not know that. All he knew was the suffering that had been inflicted on him and the agony of losing everything in an instant. And the agony of being trapped in a life he wasn't meant for.

Hela had thought that turning him into a girl would be a crushing humiliation but it was really a blessing. Serren adored being a woman, and he loved his husband Thor. And now, after almost a thousand years, there was hope to break this curse.

The latest king of the Shattered Isles was beginning to question the way things were. He was not totally brainwashed by the dogma of the religion. His son Bismark did not want to rule the Shattered Isles and wanted to become a woman. Bismark reminded him of himself at that age. The only thing is he was not afraid to reveal his nature. Bismark had approached his sister and begged her to turn him into a girl. Turaun was going to get a bigger shock from his youngest son Otto. And his daughter and her friends were about to give him the shock of his life. It was going to be fun.

He knew this all had to happen. Turaun needed to allow this change to occur. Serren had to turn against them now. Turaun did not know what he was starting. Sure, his nation was generations more advanced than the rest of the world and his power was immense. He was leading his nation into war and he would likely destroy the United States Navy. The Shattered Isles was an island nation with over a thousand years of experience in war at sea. Their fleet was very powerful and they would likely devastate American military and strategic assets. But that would leave the United States with only one option left and they would do it. The U S would then unleash its nuclear arsenal on the Shattered Isles. The Isles had anti-missile defenses but not enough. And once the U. S. did that, other nations would respond, and it would be a global disaster. Turaun needed to be replaced. The entire society he created needed to fall. Serren now knew he had made a mistake, and he needed to help correct it.

But Serren also knew that Veronica and her friends wanted to rescue him. There was no need for that, but it had to be done for the good of everyone. Perhaps a second chance is what he needed. But, after everything was done, Serren would want to return to his husband. But maybe then he wouldn't be stuck in Hel.

A curious smell in the air caught Serren's attention. It was an unpleasant smell he knew very well. It was the smell of rotting flesh. It was an overpowering sickening smell that filled his entire bedroom. He looked up to see her. She was a horrifying and sickening sight. Hela appeared in his bedroom, smirking as best as she could. The rotting flesh was hanging from her arms as she stood there. Pieces of flesh hung from her body, and her legs were so thin they were skeletons. The rotting flesh on her face was so thin that her face was a skull. This was Hela, the Goddess of Death, and she was much more powerful than Progenita. Serren made the deal with her to imprison and kill Progenita. He made the deal to accept a curse on himself and he had killed Progenita.

The Goddess laughed, “I can sense you have hope that this curse can be lifted from you, little girl.”

“Yes,” Serren said with a smirk. “Veronica can do this. And Bismark won't use the power you have granted to my family at all. He won't end up cursed. No matter what, this curse will be broken, and you will have little choice but to release me when Veronica comes. Haven't you had enough frustration with me anyway? Nothing you did hurt me.”

Hela laughed at Serren. “After being such a glorious and mighty man and self-titled God of war. Coming here and becoming a woman was a shock that took years for you to accept. You suffered a lot and gave me so much delight. And then making you marry Thor and become his wife. That also took a lot for you to accept. Being deflowered by your husband that first night was great. I saw it crush your masculine pride, and he did it over and over and you had no choice. Don't tell me you didn’t suffer. It took you years.”

Serren shook his head. “No, only a few months at most to accept Thor as my husband. And now, for over eight hundred years of pleasure and delight as his beloved wife. Even if the curse is lifted, I will still stand by his side.”

“But Veronica wants to change everything,” Hela pointed out. “She will make me release you in your own time period for a second chance. And there will be a catch when I do. You will be a clean slate, just as you were the first time and you won't know Thor, or this curse. Or the results. You will be reborn as an infant with no knowledge of this. And we will see how it goes.”

“With Veronica there overseeing the events,” Serren smirked wider.

“Except she will have to contend with the society and your arrogant father. Her chances will be slim.” Hela returned Serren's smirk, certain that Veronica would fail in her mission.

“I think that my feminine nature will be stronger this time. And my beloved Thor will be waiting for me. There is much to look forward to.”

Hela laughed bitterly and replied sardonically, “Yes, I didn’t know you had such a strong feminine nature when I cursed you. You made it all into a blessing. I can understand your sister's frustration in how you turned everything she did into a blessing. She turned you into a girl, and you excelled at it and became very happy and popular. You were much stronger as a girl than a boy. Then you became pregnant and you felt so much joy instead of bitterness and humiliation. But her treatment was what ruined it, and she got to enjoy that. Until you rebelled. She has not been happy here at all.”

Serren laughed, “Yes, married to Runtick for 800 years. Being his wife. She deserves it. I have one request if this is going to happen, Hela.”

She looked at him with her shrunken eyes and asked, “What is it?”

“If I am to be reborn and try again. Make me into the most beautiful woman in the entire Kingdom.”

“I will contact the Goddess of beauty, Freyja. But, Progenita did go through a lot of effort to recraft you into a stunningly beautiful woman. You want to be even more beautiful?”

“Yes,” Serren said confidently. “I want my beauty to be unequaled.”

Thor spoke up at this point, "I will make it happen. You will be prettier and wiser than even the Goddess Freyja is. Even Hela fears her power.”

Thor saw a brilliant smile on Serren's face and felt like laughing. His feelings had grown for Serren over the years. Serren was precious. He knew that Serren would fall for him, and that's why he agreed to Hela's request that he take Serren as his bride. He knew Serren had a feminine spirit and was even able to see it. He knew this would happen, and Hela didn't. She was very shocked by Serren's acceptance of this marriage. Hela was actually pissed, and it was only Thor’s protection that made sure that Hela didn't destroy Serren. They were married and Serren was under his protection now. Hela just had to deal with it and not harm Serren anymore.

Serren was still a very powerful woman. Her spirit was unconquerable. By contrast, Pattenia's spirit was very weak. She was spiteful, cruel, and very malicious. Progenita made a disastrous error in making Pattenia her vessel and King. She wasn’t fit to be king and it caused Serren horrible suffering. The big problem then was what was done to him didn't need to be done at all. It was a horrible injustice on him and made him feel like a sacrifice. His sister Pattenia even said so. She said to Actonia the night before his transformation, “If he needs to make a sacrifice for the women of the Shattered isles, then he will make that sacrifice.”

That meant his feelings didn’t matter. He was irrelevant, just something to move out of the way. He didn’t matter, his feelings and dreams were irrelevant. He was nothing but a human sacrifice, and that pissed him off. No one really cared about him or his feelings. And they paid more than they could ever have guessed for that injustice and cruelty. If there was to be a second chance, things would have to be done very differently.

Veronica and Tabitha, and the witches she personally trained were now preparing to travel to the Shattered Isles to make those changes to the country, and confront the King. Serren knew they were headed into danger. He turned toward his husband Thor and pleaded, “Please, my beloved husband. Protect them and make sure they are successful. And make sure that Turaun sees reason.”

He kissed Serren deeply and replied, “I will, my love. I know how important this is to you.” And Thor vanished. She already missed him. He knelt and prayed that his husband was successful. Then he prayed to Freyja to make him beautiful for Thor.

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Pattenia sat in her room alone wearing a tight constricting corset and a heavy elaborate pink lacy gown. Two of Serren’s women came into her bedroom early and dressed her according to his desire. She knew this was revenge for the women she sent to dress him day after day, giving him no say in how he was dressed. So she sat there stiff from the corset and humiliated. She now knew that the way she had treated Serren was very wrong.

Her memories went back to the time when she first seized the crown of the Shattered Isles from her brother and the pride she felt at her new found power and how she wielded it. She remembered those first glorious months she wore the crown and how hurt her brother was at the loss of his entire life. He hated her then and wanted to murder her. But she had done some great things. Within the day, she held a council and declared the worship of Progenita the state religion. She lifted all of the edicts that forbid the worship of the Goddess. Preventing worship of the Goddess became a crime against the crown. That was resisted but her force of will pushed it through despite all of the objections. Then she declared that the crown will go to the eldest female. She remembered the celebrations went through the night. The Hekatin celebrated and the bells tolled for their new found freedom and it was all her doing. Then she declared contracted marriages to be illegal. She worked hard to make things better for everyone and to start a new golden age for the people. She enjoyed making things better for the people she now ruled. There was resistance and she fought a minor rebellion from the family that she had been contracted to wed into. And she won that war. She brought women into the army and made great progress. But it was only to last a little over a year.

During that time, her brother’s anger grew, and turned into a rage at what he had lost,wanting it all back. He felt cheated. He told her that she stole his crown. He took control of his new family through intimidation and force. Then Serren forced the Hekatin to restore his manhood. He retrained himself to fight and became twice as good as he was before.He then formed an alliance with his new family, the Malnaes, and brought in the Onseys and the Anseys. He spent a little over a year reforming the Ansey army after their defeat by Pattenia and started a war. The Shattered Isles went into a civil war and Pattenia did her best to defeat Serren. Serren exterminated her witches in those lands and restored the rule of man over women.

Pattenia quickly found out that Serren was a great military commander. Engagement after engagement, he defeated the armies she sent. He was always several steps ahead of her and knew her army’s weak spots and exploited them. He defeated her even when he was vastly outnumbered and she thought she had her brother’s forces in a trap. But in reality she had been the one that really marched into his trap and came back totally defeated. Even when she tried her trick with the Griffins and huge War Hawks like she did in her war on Ansey’s Isle, did not work. Serren had trained his forces to counter them and the Griffins and Hawks were killed. After the warh he hunted them all down and hunted them all to extinction.

That is when she knew that Serren was fighting a war with no mercy. He exterminated entire cities and burnt them down. Like when he landed on Wensey’s Isle. Wensey was the first family to rally to her after she seized the crown. Serren invaded and exterminated every member of the Wensey family and burnt their castles and cities. The leading members of the House were all executed. She watched as Baldic and his sons and daughters were all hung, drawn and quartered. He didn’t treat the Fawnaes much better. The Denaes were mostly lost when she had seized the power and turned Serren into a girl. Pattenia was all that was left and no one wanted to marry her and surrender their family name to her. He hunted down every last member of the Denae family and killed them. She lived long enough to watch Serren undo all of her progress and destroy her legacy. She was totally vilified while Serren was honored and celebrated through the land as their liberator. He was the savior and the conqueror of the Hekatin. He saved them from the witches and solved that problem for all time. But, Serren had committed a genocide by then. He exterminated all first born girls, and killed much of the Hekatin.

But out of everyone, Pattenia figured that Serren’s wife, Nemeria suffered the worst. Serren considered her marrying him as his husband to be a betrayal of his love. She forced him into it. During his pregnancy, he didn’t really have the will to fight it and went along with it then. He delivered his twins and fought for his life back. He restored his manhood and began beating her into submission and restored his status as her husband. Then he declared the rule of man again and took control. Then Serren declared that first born girls of every noble family must die. Making an example with hiseldest daughter Blaze. He killed that infant girl in front of Nemeria.

Pattenia knew she had done wrong when she started abusing Serren over and over and having him humiliated and abused. His anger grew and grew and he refused to forgive her.

The big issue was that she didn’t see how Serren had become a powerful member of the Hekatin. He had come to believe and love the Goddess Progegita. He became a very devoted believer of the Goddess and saw her mission to free the women. He did understand it all. He was very loyal and loved her, and agreed with her mission at first. The sad thing was it didn’t mean anything to her. Pattenia didn’t care. She had a lifetime of resentment and hatred toward her brother and didn’t care about his transformation. She wanted to see him humiliated, and to suffer as she had suffered. So his devotion and love turned to hate and he became a monster devoted to undoing all of her progress. He took control and restored the rule of man just to spite her. He knew he was wrong but he didn’t care either.

Pattenia would have liked to enjoy that Serren was again turned into a girl here, and forced to live as a girl. Then to top off the humiliation, Hela had forced him into a marriage with a strong powerful man. But Serren seemed to adapt to it, and even enjoy the life. Serren fell in love with the man he married. But he still hated her with a passion and did everything possible to make her life here a misery.

Pattenia had hoped that she would finally be forgiven after eight hundred years. But she had not been. She knew that her little brother Serren still harbored intense anger at her after this much time. The pain of what she had inflicted on him did not go away. She had been trapped in a loveless, crushing marriage with Runtick for this long, never getting easier. She was married to him when she arrived here in Hel with the Goddess of Death conducting the wedding. That was to be her punishment and eternal torment. It seemed fitting to Serren, and this wedding was what prompted her to rebel and execute the plot to change her little brother and seize the crown from him. He seemed to think she hated him for being a boy, but that wasn't it. So, trapping her in the same marriage was her eternal punishment. Serren was happy with it.

His fate was to be a girl and she saw him a few times in the eight hundred years they’ve been in Hel. Strangely, he seemed very happy, and he was even happier with his enormous husband, Thor. How could Serren be happy as a girl when he was so miserable while he was living as a girl, and how could he ever adapt to having a husband over him? It was totally mystifying to her. But, Serren seemed to have a talent for turning a curse into a blessing.

She should not have been surprised that a spell called the Blessing would end well and make him happy. And she had been told he would be happy as a mother, so why was she so shocked and surprised and resolved to take it away from him?

Now, after eight hundred years, it was not a surprise at all. She knew why he was so angry and was willing to do anything to strike back at her in any way possible. Even to the extent of doing what he did with such joy. It was not a surprise anymore.

Once three of the powerful noble families rebelled under Serren's leadership and inspiration, she knew everything was lost. She had been warned before the change that if that situation wasn’t avoided it would then turn into a nightmare. All of their lives were in danger. It was inevitable in hindsight. Being under the women's power was the men's worst fear, and everything appeared to be leading in that direction, and all they needed was a spark to strike. Serren provided the rallying cry and it happened. They went through great effort to avoid that. It was thought that dressing Serren as a girl and forcing him to live that life would turn the men against him. Instead, it only inspired them. Serren used it to inspire resistance. Then it happened and the rest was lost. Serren killed the Hekatin witches and restored the rule of man over them. Pattenia should have known that with Serren's strength, this would never work. No matter what they did, Serren would hate it and use everything he had to undermine and destroy them.

Serren seemed to blame her, their mother, and the entire Hekatin, for every injustice and abuse he had endured from then on. He blamed her for his rape at the hands of Prett and his friends, even though she had nothing to do with it. It didn’t matter. He blamed her for it, saying that if she had not turned him into a weak, helpless girl, it wouldn’t have happened. He blamed her for all of the pretty comments and how everyone dismissed him from then on because he was only a girl. He blamed her for the second assault he suffered at the hands of Prett when he was released. He blamed her for everything.

Then he blamed the women and sought to conquer them and destroy Pattenia’s progress. Territory after territory fell to Serren’s rule of man. City after city fell. The families that stood with Pattenia fell too. His march was unstoppable and temple after temple also fell to Serren’s army. Then he killed the Goddess herself. The witch moon vanished from the sky and the Hekatin witch’s spirits fell. They knew they would be destroyed and there was nothing to stop it now. Their liberation was very short lived and only a few of them knew this was their doing.

His rage and anger could not be understated in any way. His anger was immense, as was his response. Later, she asked him why he was so cruel to them, and his answer was stunning. He only wanted them to see his strength, and that it was wrong to sideline him. He also wanted them to know they had made a mistake, and it was going to cost them all a lot.

But now things appeared to be happening that might undo it all. There was a second chance coming and she would welcome it. Only this time, she would stand by her brother against them. Serren was right. The Hekatin was evil and needed to be destroyed. She would not join them this time. She would not blame her brother for her life. They must stand together this time.

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Seraphine had found the right priest to marry them, and the two lovers had filed their paperwork in the church to be accepted as members. Veronica had taken the test to show that she knew about the religion and the Book of Serren. She had gone through the introduction ceremony and pledged to obey the religion and follow the priests, and Serren in the Book. Ryan followed her and pledged to do his part, and they were now ready for their wedding.

None of it was a surprise to Veronica. She had studied the hateful book. She knew what was going to be expected of her and her life. She was going to have to forget about being a powerful woman and learn to be submissive and follow Ryan's lead on things and obey his word as if it were a command. She also knew he was going to hate it and may not ever want to be a man after this. She hoped he did want to continue being a man. Ryan was a good man.

She looked into Ryan's brilliant brown eyes in the shadow of the darkened room. They had a few minutes alone together before the wedding. She knew Ryan had serious doubts about this and said to him, looking into his eyes. “Ryan, I know this will be very difficult for you.”

Ryan looked at her with a serious expression. “And for you too. You will be surrendering everything to me, Veronica. I hate having to do this to the one I love. How can anyone consider this love is beyond me. They are scum.”

“I know,” confirmed Veronica. “But we have to do this. It is the only way, and then we will be able to stop it. But first, we need to be accepted as part of their society. A horrible injustice and a tragic mistake occurred eight hundred years ago. This is the only way to correct it. Ryan, you need to be strong enough. The priest will sense any doubt you have. We must profess our love, accept our obligations, and the mark of Serren on your hand. We will be bound for all time. I love you, Ryan.”

They held each other and Ryan knew she loved him. Veronica embraced Ryan as they held each other tight. It was about time to begin and walk into the chamber with the priest and his assistance to be wed to each other. Veronica knew she loved Ryan so much. Ryan was bewildered by the events in the past few weeks. He went from a changed and persecuted girl to being rescued and then engaged to one of the most powerful witches of this generation. How was this possible?

The two walked into a massive darkened chamber lit only by candlelight. It really looked like an ancient church from the thirteenth century. They stood in the center of a large circle with the priest in front of them. He wore the darkened robe of a priest from the church of Serren. There were images of Serren on the colored stained glass and a large statue of Maxis standing over them. Pattenia tried to destroy the religion, but she failed in the end when Serren rescued them and then appointed himself as their god.

The priest began the ceremony with Veronica, of course. They had to make sure she fully understood this marriage and was agreeing to it. That was more vital than anything else at the moment. He assumed the man would be all for this. Normally, the womans concent to the marriage was vital in the United States. But not the way they were going to perform the marriage using magic. It still helped in some cases if she was willing. He spoke to her in his natural language, hoping that she would understand.

So, he looked at Veronica and asked her if she fully read and understood a wife's duty as outlined in the gospel of Serren.

Veronica agreed, “Yes, I have, Sir. I consent to this wedding.”

“Do you understand that you will be placing your life, your body, and your soul under your husband's guidance and his protection? This is no small commitment. He will be your guide, your protector, and your master. You will submit to his guidance in your life and devote yourself to his happiness. Is this understood and agreed to?”

“Yes, sir, I agree. I love Ryan.” She looked into Ryan's eyes to make sure he was staying strong for this. It would be terrible if he backed out of it now. “We intend to make a life in the Shattered Isles after our wedding.”

“That is good,” replied the priest. “I wish more of you would stay here and spread the word and our culture in the US to fight the defilement of the sexes here. But it is your choice.”

“So, you will devote yourself to your husband's happiness and his life. You will love him and remain by his side. You will fulfill your duty as his wife. You will never displease him or refuse or argue with him. He will become your guardian and your master, to guard you against your feminine sinful and treacherous womanly nature. You will also guard yourself against that.”

“Yes, I do.” She replied strongly.

Then he turned to Ryan and he braced himself for the nonsense he needed to agree on. That's how he saw all of this male domination. The priest said in early English, the language of the Shattered Isles, “You, Ryan, will love your wife, Veronica, and remain by her side. You will be her master, and protector for her life. You will remain vigilant of her sinful nature and guard her against sin, her natural female treachery, and evil. You will be firm and loving toward her, even if she is naturally incapable of really loving you in return. It is just a woman's nature.”

“Yes, I will.” He replied in the language of the Shattered Isles.

With both parties in agreement, the priest ignited the circle they were standing in and he started chanting in early English. The flames rose as the two teens pressed their palms together and gazed into each others' eyes. The priest spoke of this sacred commitment they were making to each other and chanting a spell. Then he marked the husband and the wife with runes of their commitment of marriage to bond them for life. Then Veronica was marked on her heart with an obedience rune and Ryan as the master of the marriage. The flames rose higher and higher. It got hotter in the circle until it was almost unbearable as the priest kept chanting. The heat seared the runes into the teens. Veronica could handle the pain, but Ryan seemed to start complaining and then screaming out in pain from the heart of the flames of the circle. It was really painful.

Then the flames were sucked into the two teens as a sign of their marriage and the ceremony was done. The priest told them where they could get a visa and permission to enter the Shattered Isles. And where an embassy was.

The experience was truly traumatizing to Ryan. He was a regular mortal until a few months ago and didn't understand or comprehend what had just happened. They walked out of the church a newlywed couple and got in the car. Ryan turned to his new wife and demanded harshly, “Why didn't you warn me about that. We were enveloped with FLAMES. I was on fire and it hurt, Veronica. I know it had to be done, but you could have warned me that was what a witch wedding consisted of.” He nearly snarled.

Veronica looked over at her new husband and replied,” No, that is not a typical witch wedding at all. This is a wedding in a church of Serren that bonds the wife to the husband's authority for life. We don’t typically do that at all. This bonded me to you, and I am almost compelled to obey your will. We don’t do it that way at all.”

Ryan felt really sick. He never wanted to do anything like that to her. Ryan started hating these people for pushing him into this. He turned to look into Veronica's eyes. His eyes were inflamed, and he said with a tight jaw, “These people need to be destroyed, and I am so glad to be a part of it. Let's get this done. But, Veronica, is there a way to undo this?”

“Yes, I think my will is strong enough that I can resist. And we can undo it when the time comes. Now, all we need to do is find the Shattered Isles consulate and make arrangements to emigrate. Then link with the witches there and make plans to turn the young Prince Bismark.”

Ryan groaned and said sarcastically, “You make it sound so easy.”

Veronica giggled and said sardonically, “I never said it would be easy. But it is doable if we do it right. It will be mostly up to the other witches and me. And I will have to go to Hel alone. You can't go there. That will be my job alone. I have to rescue them.

Veronica parked at another house to pick up the other witches Tabi had trained. The witches that fled the Shattered Isles with her when her plot was discovered by the Authorities. Tabi was there and they all packed into the car. Tabi was their leader, then Michelle, Julie, Arcadia, and Vankia piled into the large luxury car.

It was then that Veronica wondered if this would really work. Her mother Seraphine said it would. The identities of the witches would not be discovered when they filed for travel and immigration to the Shattered Isles. Seraphine had got them all new identities, except for Veronica but she was unknown, and Ryan couldn't be helped. She had already got him his identification. He was the weakest link among them all.

Veronica wondered how the Shattered Isles authorities would react to his six months of dressing and living as a woman and then reverting back. From what she had heard, the Shattered Isles had a little problem with transsexuals. If a man wanted to become a woman among them, fine. But then they would have to live that life, including the restrictions and life chosen for them. The priests would allow it but wonder why any man would subject himself to such a life. But it was done. And a man that had chosen to live that life and revert back after deciding it wasn’t for him would be a plus in the priests' view.

Tabitha and the other witches were strong. Their link to the Hekatin would not be discovered. Tabitha was Mary now, and her being the Royal Princess would not be discovered. Seraphine was confident of it. That included the numbers that were tattooed on the outside of the girls' arms. Those numbers signified the girls were condemned to death. Those numbers were removed by the Hekatin here. And they had been taught to suppress their power deep within them so the witch hunters could not detect them.

They all went through the formal introduction, and many of the girls laughed and were impressed with Ryan's marriage to Veronica and thought it was slightly funny. They all oohed and made other embarrassing gestures at first. They were all headed toward the Shattered Isles consulate in New York. It would be a long drive for Veronica.

So, after the initial discussions and some playful comments about the marriage, many of the girls started falling asleep or listening to music on their headsets.

About halfway to New York City, Veronica heard Ryan giggle lightly at a thought he had. Veronica looked over, while keeping her eyes on the road. She asked, “What is so funny, Ryan?”

“Just a thought I had about Serren. It’s slightly embarrassing for them all and it is something that I read but is rarely talked about. It was his transformation to a woman and how he was treated by the priests who loved and supported him as a man. That part is not really talked about that much, but it is funny to me.”

Veronica laughed. “It is a big black mark on the priests. It showed their stupidity. But that part was a big part of the witch's plan and supposed to be a lesson to Serren. The priests saw Serren's change as a sign from above that he was unworthy and did not have Maxis' blessing. He did, but the priests didn’t know. And then, they all turned their back on him. For instance, days later, he was able to escape his royal escort and flee to the Temple of Maxis and beg for help. There was no help to be had from them. They treated him as a girl, which was the witch's plan. He was seen as a helpless girl and subject to that treatment. He was alone and helpless. The priests mocked him, belittled and even threatened him. They would not help him. It was stupid, none of them knew what was coming from Pattenia and no one would help them either. Pattenia destroyed their power and ran them from their temples. Serren would finish the job when he retook his power. The lesson the witches hoped he would get, weren’t understood and made no sense to him. Pattenia was in control and started the reign of women. It was supposed to be a liberation but it wasn’t for Serren. The lesson fell flat and just angered Serren. It was embarrassing all around. But it did seal the priests' fate. He took control of the church, reformed it around his divinity and power. The old priests were executed with the Hekatin. They are no laughing matter now. The priests are powerful and vicious. Be aware of them, and don’t underestimate them,” Veronica warned the girls, and Ryan. “That would be a fatal error.”

@@@

Veronica had finally made it to New York City in her car full of teenage girls and her new husband, Ryan. They found the Shattered Isles consulate and pulled into the parking lot. The girls had woken up and prepared themselves for a very unpleasant time. Vankia felt a small giggle threaten to escape her lips as she thought of the irony of this mission. But it was no laughing matter in any way. They had barely escaped the Shattered Isles alive. They had been captured, marked with numbers that signified they were sentenced to death. They had been imprisoned in a horrible concentration camp that was basically an extermination camp for the condemned to die. They had been tortured and brutalized. They escaped and fled the country and made it to the United States with luck and a lot of skill. Now they were committing a deception to return to the Shattered Isles. Vankia wondered if they were all sane to try something so crazy.

Veronica knew what they all must be thinking, and they seemed to look to her as their leader. Even Tabitha was doing it who at first hated Veronica was doing it now. She had come to respect the girl. Veronica said to her new girls, “This is going to be dangerous if we succeed. We are going there to rescue a persecuted child and help the young prince find his way. We are going to try to overthrow the entire regime and we must succeed. A catastrophe happened eight hundred years ago due to stupidity and arrogance which resulted in future generations of girls being condemned to misery and death. It must be corrected, and it has fallen to us to try it. Be aware of what we are going into, we must be mad to try such a dangerous thing at our age, but we are the only ones. Remember now, we are not witches. Don’t even think of our abilities. They don’t exist, take off our jewels and our pendants, and everything that marks us as a member of the Hekatin. They are bound to have witch hunters in there. They can't do anything to us here, but they can deny us entry, or let us enter and blunder into a trap. Either outcome would mean we have failed. The women there as well as future generations of women are relying on us to succeed. So, let's go free them.”

Veronica wondered how inspirational her speech was to the girls looking up to her. They all seemed riveted to her every word and seemed to be inspired by it. Veronica figured it was good. They were all inspired to do something incredibly stupid.

Veronica had called in ahead of time and made an appointment and explained what they wanted. It was about time so everything should be ready. The people there should be waiting for them. The girls all followed Veronica around the corner of the building and entered the large glass doors to the Consulate of the Shattered Isles. It was a very secure place and Veronica saw the imposing armed guards dressed in black suits and wearing Kevlar. Then she saw the robed witch hunters dressed in their robes with the insignias and badges on their chest. Everyone in the building looked at the newcomers with extreme suspicion. A group of American girls coming into the consulate of the Shattered Isles was bound to arouse a lot of suspicions. The Witch Hunters wouldn't take their eyes off the group of very suspicious looking girls who just entered the building. The girls made sure their abilities were suppressed deep within them. They approached an official in the front desk where Ryan handed her ID to the man and explained that they had an appointment.

It was all confirmed, and they waited until a very official-looking man left his office in the back and came to the group of girls. He introduced himself as a member of the state department of the Shattered Isles and immigration. He led the girls to his office and sat behind his desk. He also had the look of extreme suspicion. He asked for Veronica's papers and she handed him the papers that she had filled out, along with the papers that were given to her by the priest that married her to Ryan. Ryan handed his papers over and the one the priest gave him.

The man looked at them with an extremely critical eye and seemed to frown in the end. “I can find nothing wrong with any of this. Actually, you come highly recommended by a very high-ranking priest from the Church of Serren. I know him, and I respect him very much. And he explained what you said to him Veronica. You wanted to live a more simple life, with strong traditional values of what a woman's life should really be. You want to be valued, loved, and protected by your man in a society that respects those very traditional values. That's what the priest said you said to him. If it's true, I can understand and respect it also. Veronica, please explain in your own words why you want to give up this life, and emigrate to the Shattered Isles and live as part of that society.

Veronica looked at the man and said, “I don't feel like I have much here. I am living in a society that says I am equal and strong as a man and try to take away what it means to be a woman. I feel like I am living a false life here and I can't handle it. I have married Ryan in the church of Serren and I want to be respected by a society that has those traditional values and has not been corrupted by modern values. Can you understand, sir,” she said very submissively and respectfully. She felt like she was going to choke on the words she just said.

The man said that he understood and agreed with her. Then he dismissed the other girls and kept Ryan and Veronica there and subjected her to an intensive question and answer session in the language of the Shattered Isles. She passed and so did Ryan.

Then they were subjected to a very intimidating question and answer session with a powerful high-ranking inquisitor from the church of Serren. It was a grueling two-hour season. The man from the state department questioned all of the girls, then they had to face the inquisitor. They all passed in the end. Their documents were approved and they were given IDs from the Shattered Isles and approved for immigration to the Shattered Isles.

They slept overnight and the following day went to LaGuardia Airport where they boarded a Shattered Isles Airways flight going to Denaerk City.

After finding their seats they sat and getting ready for the long twelve hour flight to somewhere in the Mediterranean.

She saw the robed Inquisitor watching everyone. That must be security for the airline. He watched Veronica occasionally but kept watching everyone else. He didn’t sleep during the flight at all. The engines roared to life and they taxied onto the runway and then flew into the skies. She watched as they left behind them the United States on their way toward their destination.

He Shouldn't have teased his sister

By Jasmine Monica

Chapter 13
Serren and Pattenia prepare for battle to become free
Note from the Author. This chapter deals with a lot of old Norse Mythology. And I am using the mythology of the old Norse Gods of as was written of them in the stories. Not the Avengers MCU. Loki is not Thor’s brother. He is Odin’s brother. Hela is not Thor’s older sister. She is Loki’s daughter.

Serren stood in his bedroom, looking up at his husband who towered over him by nearly two feet. Hela had done a good job feminizing Serren. His husband had just issued him another test and said, “I was told that someday, you would be able to wield this. I know that you will be able to do so when the time is right. Events are coming to a head and Veronica and her girls are under Freyja's protection. But we will need you as well. So don't be afraid, we know you can do this and you will finally be able to defeat Hela.”

Serren looked down at Mjolnir, waiting for him to try to pick it up. Serren abandoned his fear and convinced himself that Mjolnir would allow him to wield it now. He reached down and wrapped his fingers around the handle. As he felt Mjolnir's power fill him, Serren lifted the hammer up and held it out before him. Its intense power filled him and the weapon felt like an extension of his will. Serren swung the hammer around, feeling its power. He threw the hammer across the room, watching as it flew out and returned to his hand. Serren was finally able to wield Mjolnir.

He smiled at his husband Thor and Thor smiled in return and kissed Serren deeply. Thor said with a wolfish smile, “Let's go kick Hela’s ass and get some revenge for what she did to us. I know that despite everything, you have not suffered from her cruelty. Turning you into a girl was a blessing that you enjoyed, and marrying me was a dream come true that you came to love. But it was a curse on me, by linking me to you in Hel. She launched a war on Asgard and I was unable to defend my family. Being your husband meant I was stuck with you here and part of her family, so I could not take part in that war. She killed my father and brothers. Now her father, Loki, is sitting on the throne of my father. Let's get our revenge.”

Serren was shocked when the Valkyrie and the goddess Freyja appeared beside Thor, ready to attack Hela. Serren held Mjolnir in his hand ready to march out and confront the Goddess of Death. But Serren wasn't quite ready yet. He stood there, holding Mjolnir in his hand. He lifted the powerful Hammer up and looked at the ancient weapon of war. It was forged in the core of a giant star. They took the metal from the heart of the star and forged it into one of the universe's most powerful weapons. And it could only be wielded by whom it considered worthy of it. His husband said he had seen that he would be deemed worthy of it someday. Serren highly doubted it, but his husband kept testing him century after century while being stuck in Hel for the atrocities he had committed in his life. And now, Mjolnir had deemed him worthy, and he held the weapon in his hand.

How was this even possible? He looked at the weapon doubtfully and then gave his husband a look of disbelief and asked, “How could I possibly be considered worthy of wielding this? Me, the monster I had become, being condemned here by the goddess of Death for what I had done? How can I be worthy? After exterminating every man woman and child on the Iles of Guenefer. Destroying every building and sowing the fields with salt so they would never support life again? Killing every witch and member of the Hekatin, including their entire families. Declaring that the firstborn girl of every noble family had to die. And now this weapon considers me worthy? How in the name of your father Odin am I worthy? Me, who raped countless women, tortured women, disembowel my own sister, and beheaded her. Am I worthy?“ Serren asked.

His husband smiled, “Yes, and despite all of that? 800 years later, it knows you know you were very wrong and want to help stop it now. You want to make it better and free those women now. That makes you very worthy. And Mjolnir wants to help you overthrow the regime and free those women. You are now worthy, and now is the time.”

“How can I possibly unmake any of that right now? It's already done, and I killed millions,” Serren questioned.

“By stopping it now," Thor replied patiently. "Freeing the women that are being imprisoned and condemned to death now. You can overthrow that cruel regime and free them. That would go a long way, and we have ideas on how you can stop it from ever happening. Especially with Mjolnir. You are now worthy, and you are not the man that did all of this.”

Serren giggled, “I am not that man now. I am not a man at all.”

He felt the power of Mjolnir flowing through him, and he learned of its various powers. It could control lightning and thunder, but it had many other abilities he could use. There were a few things he still wanted to do before he broke the curse. Serren caused Mjolnir to vanish in his hand and said to his husband, “I will confront and defeat Hela, but first, there's a few people I want to see before I free us. I want to see Actonia and then visit my sister Pattenia.”

“Serren,” his husband Thor warned, but Serren refused to listen and marched down the hallway of the dark tower they had been imprisoned in for the past eight hundred years. Serren could not be stopped now that he wielded Mjolnir. He marched down the hallway and turned to Actonia's room and entered without warning.

Actonia looked up from her bed with fear in her eyes, seeing Serren burst into her room. This was never a good thing. Serren usually came in to torment, abuse, or cause her more suffering in some way. Even as a woman, Serren made her suffer countless times. He even managed to rape her, wearing some sort of thing that allowed him to penetrate her as a woman. Then he got the worse idea and got Hela's help to do it. Serren brought in corpses. Reanimated, living corpses that Hela gave life to. The living corpses came in and Serren watched them rape her countless times century after century. That gave Serren great joy to watch. And she saw in his eyes, that his anger at her had not diminished.

“Welcome to my room, Serren. I don't see those living corpses anymore. I guess they aren't here for me, so what are you going to do, beat me, torment me in some way? What do you want to do?”

“I want to beat you Actonia, I enjoyed your intense suffering so much after what you did to me. I still have not forgiven you,” Serren snarled. “It is all your doing. You destroyed my life and led me to suffer unimaginable agony. I lost everything because of you.”

“Yes, you did,” Actonia replied. “But we were trying to free people’s lives from suffering and meaninglessness, and you refused to understand. You just responded with selfish rage and then tortured and raped me and continued to inflict suffering on me in the afterlife. You ripped out my intestines and beheaded me. It's clear you were stronger than me then and I was helpless. That was made clear that day you entered my chambers and confronted me to force me to give you the spell to restore your manhood. I felt your power then as you lashed out at me. I couldn't handle you then and you kept growing stronger and stronger. Even here, you are stronger than any other witch and I sense an immense power in you now. You can do anything you want and I can't stop you. So get it over with and do what you want.”

Suddenly, Mjolnir became visible in his hand as Serren approached Actonia.

“Now I understand this power I feel from you, that makes sense. I don’t know how you were deemed worthy to wield such power. But it has always been your way.”

Serren smiled a wolfish, sadistic smile and said, “I won't beat you now. I have figured the perfect suffering for you. I am about to defeat Hela and free us. I will free the women of the Shattered Isles and overthrow that regime I built 800 years ago. And it's possible we will be reborn for a second chance. Only this time, you will find you are useless, and no one will care what you have to say. You will find yourself sidelined and ignored as my sister and I do what must be done. I won't torment her, I will love and cherish my sister as she does what she must, and I will stand by her side, as my king and sovereign, and love her as a little sister. You will find there is no use for you anywhere.”

Actonia burst out laughing at that. “Serren, you are forgetting one vital thing. To be reborn, which is possible with the right gods by your side. Which, I have no doubt you have them. But still, you will be reborn as a baby with no knowledge of any of this. And you will again be raised and compelled to believe and belong to the religion of Maxis. You will belittle your sister, you will torment her and she will grow up helpless watching you get everything she wanted, while she is ignored. She will grow up to resent and hate you. You won't know any of this and it will just happen again as it happened before.”

“No, it won't, not this time,” Serren snapped with a smirk. “I will have help to guide me the right way this time. It won't happen as it happened before. A woman is coming who will help me learn how to respect and cherish women. Father and Mother will try to raise me in the religion of Maxis. They will fail this time. Your tricks and turning my sister to torment and abuse me will go nowhere. She will love me and listen to me. You will be sidelined and ignored.” Serren laughed a sadistic condescending laugh as he left the room and shut the door.

Serren made his way to Pattenia's quarters and entered to see his sister standing there defeated. She looked up at her brother with defeated, sorrowful eyes full of centuries of pain. “You come to gloat again, dear brother.”

He just smiled a knowing smile at her that just made her more angry.

“We all suffered here while you enjoyed your time. And it was you who murdered us,” Pattenia roared with rage. “We were only following the prophecy to free the women of the Isles. You responded with rage and reimposed that cruel system over us all. Then you raped the witches. You broke many of them on the breaking wheel. Or you had them hung, drawn and quartered. You cut me open and ripped out my intestines as I was screaming. Then you beheaded me. And you enjoyed it all. You killed everyone on Guenefer and passed a law to order the killing of every firstborn girl of every noble family. You personally killed your infant daughter, and you try to claim any moral high ground over me for just turning you into a girl and trying to free the women?”

“Yes,” Serren responded. “I think you have the high ground over me. But you made me suffer a lot and I was not a bad kid in any way. I was only believing in what I was taught and trained to believe in. Then I found that what I was taught was all wrong. And because of some prophecy, it meant that I was not to have a future. I was made to suffer for it. Everything was taken from me, for no fault of my own. Then I was tormented and abused by you and you scratch your head and wonder why I was so upset?”

“I understand it now but still. We were trying to do what was right.”

“Pattenia, you were very wrong. You were not doing what was right. You were very cruel to me. What you all did was sadistic and monstrous. You became drunk on your power and made yourself into a tyrant. You said it was the will of the Goddess and you are right. But that only condemns the Goddess and means she is cruel.”

Pattenia shook her head. “I was not a tyrant, Serren. I freed the people and brought equality. I didn't kill many people at all. You became the tyrant once you regained the crown.

“Why does the Goddess keep getting wrongly vilified. We all followed her because she was a great and wonderful Goddess. I supported her and wanted to restore her. We did what we had to, in order to be free. What the priests did to us all was so wrong and cruel. We were in the right wanting to restore the Goddess.”

Serren's face turned a dark shade of red, he still hated the Goddess. “She deserved it. It was so easy to turn the people against you because they all saw what you did to me on that day. You turned on your own family, your brother, and betrayed him in the cruelest possible way. They saw you betray your family and demean and destroy your own brother and then talk about loyalty to the lords.

"It was so easy to use what you did to make an example of your nature and make them distrust and turn on you. Your own actions made it so easy to vilify you. And it was the will of the Goddess. That's a stain on her. Her will was to destroy an innocent boy's life, crush and demean and destroy him. It was her will for you to turn and crush your own brother.

"After what I suffered because of her, and so many other men, I say she was very rightly vilified. Also, with the way she and her people treated the men in the first age, she was very rightly vilified then. The men were right to fear her return, especially considering what you did when you were restoring her.

"It was so easy to raise a rebellion against you. What you all did was so wrong and so cruel, it justified the fears of so many men. You didn't like how you were treated under them and Maxis. You vilified Maxis just like the men vilified Progenita. But the men didn't like how you all treated them either. We will start an age without Gods. Progenita will not like us messing with her plans then. But we will be shielded from her power this time. We will prove we don’t need corrupt gods leading us. This will be an age where we forge our own path.”

Serren smiled at her. It was a warm friendly smile that Pattenia rarely saw from him anymore.

Pattenia got serious and said, “There is one thing I really need to know, Serren.” She was looking intently at her little sister. “So please, give me an honest answer. It seems you are willing to be honest, so please tell me. Why did you unleash your anger at the women in general when you regained the crown? You lived as a woman for years by then and you fully understood what I was trying to do. You admitted that the system was wrong, and you turned to support me then. So you know you were wrong when you reimposed the rule of man. And your wrath on the witches was even crueler. You have to know that a vast majority of the women and girls you killed during your witch hunts were totally innocent. They weren't witches at all. But an accusation or a vague suspicion was all that was required and the judgment from the inquisition was made before the trial. So many of them were doomed from the start. If one was found guilty, every girl in the family was killed. Serren, why did you do that?”

“I didn't care about right or wrong at that point. I was raped multiple times. I found the women didn't really care and they preferred me as a woman than as a man. That's why they befriended me and many didn't want me to regain my manhood. So I got angry at you all. They were why I suffered. And one of the things you said to Actonia stuck with me. When she was teaching you magic and how to transform me. When you transformed that huge buck to show it could be done. You didn't want her to transform your horse. You cared more about your horse than your brother. But when she said it would take 12 women to transform me, you asked why. You said I was sealed by Magic and it would take many women to overcome me. But she said there were many women in the Kingdom.”

“That was all private. You weren't there,” Pattenia commented. “How can you possibly have known all of that?”

“I knew everything,” Serren replied. “So when she said that. It solidified it to me that the women hated me and wanted me to suffer. So I returned the favor tenfold." Serren smirked. “I know I was wrong and I know it now. We have to do something for the king's son Bismark. Unlike me, he wants to be a girl.”

“I think you enjoyed being a girl too,” Pattenia said to Serren. “But you didn’t want to be mocked and you didn’t want to lose what you had. We were wrong to do that.”

Then Pattenia looked at Serren seriously. Then she asked what she had been wanting to ask for so long. “Were you happy with what happened? Were you proud of what you did?”

Actonia had came to Pattenia’s side. She smiled and asked, “I am curious about that too. You had become a follower of Progenita and female empowerment to only turn against us all and have us all killed. Tell us Serenina, are you proud of what you did then?”

Even Freyja and the Valkyries were silent waiting for an answer.

Serren looked up with a serious look on his face and smiled softly. “Yes indeed, I was very pleased with the results. I was very proud of what I did. I was so happy for centuries after it all. I overcame all of the obstacles put in my way. I stopped you after everything you did. I created a legacy that was unbreakable and lasted until now. I even overcame a goddess that was against me. I showed you all that you made a horrible mistake by mistreating and abusing me. I was not to be ignored and I was not to be denied. I got what was taken from me and I punished those that abused me. I secured men’s position in society and it was unbreakable. There were to be no more females with any claim to power. They would forever be living in their brother’s shadow. What happened to me would never happen to any boy ever again. I was very pleased with it all. I proved I was meant to be more than a sacrifice in which to build progress. I was meant for more. Century after Century, I saw kings rise in my place and carry out my legacy. I helped guide them. After about five hundred years or so, I realized how wrong it all was but I was helpless to do anything about it. I made an alliance with death to get my revenge. I sold my soul to death herself for the power to overcome and kill Progenita. I know I was wrong now. And I have the power to correct it all.”

Then Serren smiled and said, ”You were supposed to be King and turn me into a girl. But because of how I was raised, I would not understand. You were supposed to help and guide me to understand why it was all necessary. You didn’t. You mocked me, threw it all in my face and abused me. You failed, Pattenia. You betrayed the prophecy and paid for it. But I am sorry for what I did.”

Pattenia looked down in shame and responded, “I am sorry too.”

Serren kept smiling and said, “We are being given a second chance at it all and we will do it right. It was your destiny to become King over me. We will do it right this time.”

Pattenia looked upset and said, “You have such a glorious legacy Serren. You don’t deserve it. But you are remembered and nearly worshiped for what you did. You are known as the savior of the Shattered Isles and worshiped as their God. They all seek your guidance and sing songs about your achievements. When you were their enslaver and killed millions of them.”

Then Pattenia added, “I am reviled and hated. I am known only for your abuse and your rape. Tales are told of how I caused you to become pregnant with my children, then trying to take the children away from you after you delivered them. That’s what I am remembered for, changing you, and your abuse. I am known for disempowering the men. Your rape, your humiliation. I helped restore the Goddess, I empowered the women and rebuilt many of the temples but I am not known for that. I should be known for more.”

“You are remembered for what you did in the Hekatin and restoring the Goddess.” Serren smiled.

“Yes after you reviled her.” Pattenia commented sarcastically.

Then Serren leaped at his sister and embraced her tightly. “I still love you. I will love you this time. I will help you become the best you can be. I will teach you everything you need to know to become a strong and noble King. I will serve by your side strengthening your rule and defending you. It is your destiny, my King.” Serren knelt at his sister's feet and bowed his head. Then he gripped her hand and looked up into her eyes. “We will change the world together. I will make sure of it this time. You will be the greatest King of the Shattered Isles. And we will destroy our enemies. My sister and My King. You will lead us to greatness.”

Pattenia saw Mjolnir in her brother's hand and the entire Valkyrie Corps behind her brother, all of the women were armed. Her brother's husband stood beside him. Everything had turned out good for her brother, despite being trapped here and cursed. It was her brother's way and he had a way of making the best out of any situation.

Pattenia had realized that, in all of this time, that her brother stood by her side at first and pledged loyalty to her. But he began to resent and hate her as time passed. It wasn't until she started having him punished and humiliated that he began hating her. When she tried to sideline him from everything and push him into the life of a meaningless maiden princess, only being a pretty face and nothing more. That's when he began to fight and she should have known he was born for greatness, she could not take it away without consequences. Future generations consider what happened to be a total catastrophe and they are right. She did become a monstrous tyrant and made her brother into the same thing.

Then Serren looked at his sister Pattenia and said, “Okay, I am going to confront Hela and free us. Then we will see if we can help the people that are now headed toward the Shattered Isles to start a revolution. They are headed into great danger and will need help."

Serren marched at the head of the Valkyries, holding his husband's hand as they marched down the hall with a very determined look in their eyes. Thor was the angriest of them all. Hela had killed his entire family and put Loki on the throne of Asgard.

As the small army marched down the hallways preparing to do battle with the Goddess of Death, Serren suddenly halted his progress looking at a young boy standing in his way. The boy couldn’t be older than fifteen. And out of all of them, this boy had suffered the worst in his life. He was transformed into a girl by his step-sister, Gawin, who wanted to be queen instead of letting him become the King of their Kingdom. His name was Baldur and he had become a great warrior that had protected his people before his step-sister's betrayal. Gawin cared nothing for Baldur and arranged a marriage with a foreign King that violated and humiliated him on their wedding night.

He did get his revenge when he arranged a coup against Gawin and exiled her. He eventually killed Gawin but he remained Khan's wife and settled for it. Khan was nicer to him, perhaps being afraid of finding a knife in his back. He didn’t suffer in death at all. Hela and Freyja both agreed he suffered more than enough in his life. But he still wanted to live the life he had been denied. He did have chances to kill the Khan but he figured it was not worth the risk.

Serren knew it and looked down at the boy. “I will make sure you get to be the King of your Kingdom. Gawin will remain here paying for what she did to so many men in her Kingdom. But, Baldur, there’s something you must do.”

The boy looked up with hopeful eyes.

“You must free the women of your Kingdom. That’s what Gawin wanted to do. You must become their savior. End those forced marriages where the woman gets no say. You didn’t like having no say in your wedding arrangements, did you Baldur?”

The boy shook his head. “Not at all. Few women really do and the men found out how terrible it was. I will help them all this time.”

“Good,” Serren smiled, “Then prepare to do what must be done. First, we have to confront the Goddess of Death.”

“What about me,” asked Gawin. “Don’t I get another chance?”

“No,” Serren scoffed. Even Freyja agreed. “You are getting what you deserve here. You forced your step-brother into an unwanted cruel marriage to a domineering man and enjoyed his suffering. You were a monster Gawin. You were a sadist and you will stay here.”

“Why does Pattenia get another chance?” Gawin asked.

“Because she had great intentions and was just mislead. But she didn't torment her brother or ruin his life like you did. He was able to find happiness as a woman and marry who he chose. You were just sadistic. Pattenia ended the contracted marriages. She did serve the women while you served yourself, Gawin.”

Thor looked at his wife and nodded with a sad smile and said, “It is now time to take care of Loki's daughter. Let's go,” he said firmly and Mjolnir appeared in Serren's hand.

Serren's expression became very serious and determined as he agreed, “Good, Lets go deal with the Bitch.”

He turned to lead the group out of the room and down the halls. Freyja was beside him, Thor was on the other side, and the entire Valkyrie corps was following them to deal with Hela's power.

Serren turned to his beloved sister and offered his hand, “Join us Pattenia. I know you want to.”

She backed away and shook her head. “I think this is your area, Serren. I can’t deal with this.”

He prodded, “Oh come with us dear sister. You want to fight and that's one of the big reasons you deposed me at first. You wanted the sword and you wanted a life of fighting, war and combat. Join us in this fight.”

His smile was warm, sincere and he refused to leave his sister behind anymore.

But she knew this was beyond her. “Serren, I won't be hurt. You are going to fight a God. Hela the Goddess of death. You are leading gods here. I have nothing to offer in this fight. Fighting Gods is way beyond me. You free us. Mjolnir chose you. For some reason.”