Trios

Not all things that come in groups of three are bad.

Dan and his younger twin brothers, Pat and Simon, live in a fairly ordinary Yorkshire village and enjoy a mostly quiet life. The only unusual thing about them is their strong affinity for water, which has something to do with the special cottage in which they grow up. The cottage just so happens to sit over a natural source of magic that saturates the three brothers and primes them to reach their true potential. All they need is a magical makeover and they'll have a chance to make a difference in the endless conflict between good and evil.

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Trios
by Terry Volkirch

Chapter 6: The Fairer Sex

Simon took his first period fairly well after some gentle words and a little research on the Internet. They raided the house medical supplies to find their Mum's tablets that dealt with cramping and soon had Simon feeling much better.

"It looks like you're the first," Dan said, after they returned to his bedroom and sat next to each other on the bed. "I haven't had a visit from Pat so far and I haven't started myself."

"Yet," Simon added.

"Yet," Dan agreed. "I was surprised there was room for... both… down there…." He blushed.

"I know what you mean, Dan. And it's okay to say vagina."

"Oy. It takes a little getting used to."

Simon nodded.

Dan nodded as well. "It's strange that you're first, being the youngest."

The twin's eyes wandered inside his older brother's partially open bath robe and he gasped. "What about those?" He pointed to Dan's breasts, not realizing until that moment just how large they were. "How could those have gotten so big without… you know."

The older boy shrugged and said, "Magic." He tried to laugh but the joke fell flat.

Simon gave him a sad smile as Dan continued. "I was angry at Jenna at first, thinking she tricked us somehow. But I know now it was all part of the deal. It was all in the contract."

"Implied, you mean. We need to master water magic so we can defend well against fire, and there's only one way for that to happen."

"Right."

They had to become girls.

Male wizards fought each other constantly throughout history, according to a very brief lecture by Jenna. And when the men fought, they'd mostly use what they were best at; fire for offense and air for defense to blow away the fire. Air magic wasn't the best defense for fire though. Blowing on flames generally makes them hotter unless you could blow hard enough. It took a lot of strength and a lot of luck to fight fire with air. Water, on the other hand, cancelled out fire much more effectively, the result often being steam that could still be redirected or blocked very well with water magic.

Dan sighed, realizing that it didn't really matter any more. He and his brothers, soon to be sisters, decided to accept whatever fate they had coming when they accepted the contract. They'd do whatever it took to stop the Dark Forces. They had to because the world as they knew it depended on them.

Like his older brother, Simon had been a little lost in thought. He had to fight to regain his focus, and when he did, he put a finger to his lips for a moment, searching for the right words. "Would you change your mind about agreeing to the contract if you knew this would happen?" the twin finally asked.

"No. No way. Not if I knew about everything else that happened as well. The serpent at the lake that tried to eat us. The troll at the funeral. Our poor little brain blasted salamander. These Dark Forces, whatever they are, need to be stopped."

"The explosion at the school was enough reason for me," Simon said.

Dan gave the twin a grim smile in agreement before sending him off to bed. It was time for another shared lucid dreaming session and a long, serious discussion with Jenna.

~o~O~o~

'Hi Jenna,' Dan said immediately after entering the lucid dream state. 'We need to talk. No more stalling. I think we've learned enough magic by now for a little break.'

Jenna smiled, wondering when he'd finally assert himself. She'd been ready and waiting for that moment for several weeks. 'What would you like to know?' she asked, catching him by surprise.

'Uh… what?'

'Could you be more specific, please?' Jenna couldn't resist teasing him. If only things had been different. If only she hadn't died and he wasn't becoming a girl. They would've been good together.

'Why aren't you trying to put me off?'

'Because you have learned enough to adequately defend yourself now, and you're right. You deserve some answers. I don't really have a lot of answers but I'm happy to tell you what little more I haven't already told you. I was planning on telling you soon.'

Dan paused, trying to prioritize all of his questions. It would've been easier if Jenna wasn't smirking at him the whole time. 'I want to know more about these Dark Forces that you keep talking about. Who leads them? What's their end game? What's their problem?!'

The girl held up her hands. 'Whoa! Steady! One thing at a time, please. I'll start with a general overview of the Dark Forces and tell you everything I know.'

As she told him, she didn't know much. The Dark Forces were most likely led by a human trio. She couldn't be sure but that's what her intuition and common sense told her. Her few experiences with them, including her last indirect experience in the cab of the exploding tanker, could only be accomplished by evil, technology-loving, magic wielding humans. The combination of technology and magic made them especially powerful and especially dangerous.

The human leaders were definitely evil, and like many evil humans, they craved power. They couldn't begin to be happy unless they dominated as many as they could, though it was never enough. Even ruling the world wouldn't be enough. They could never be satisfied, and they couldn't recognize that the problem began with themselves. They weren't happy with themselves so they could never truly be happy.

After Jenna finished, she could tell Dan wasn't satisfied. 'I told you I didn't know much,' she said. 'It's been really frustrating for us too.'

'Right. What about what they want? Why all the explosions around the country?'

'World, Dan. They're all over the world.'

'What?! Are they trying to take over the world then? Is this just a mad James Bond plot with magic as well as gadgets?'

'Pretty much,' Jenna agreed. 'They're drunk with power and they won't stop until the whole world either bends to their will or burns.'

'Oy,' all three boys said together. Pat and Simon had been listening but they couldn't help blurting out the same word as their older brother.

'I don't understand something,' Dan added. 'Aren't there more good trios to stop them?'

'There aren't very many good trios that are powerful enough to be effective. What few exist are spread thin all around the world, and they're all busy fighting locally. There aren't that many evil trios either but the strongest one just happens to be here in England, and they've got an army of creatures to back them up.'

As long as Jenna was so cooperative, Dan had to ask another subject that niggled at the back of his mind. 'Right then. Enough about the Dark Forces. What about the Goddess? Just who is She? Does she even have a name?'

Jenna sighed. 'I'm not sure how to begin to explain Her. She doesn't have a name as far as I know. She just is. She's everywhere… in everything. I don't really understand her all that well myself. Who could understand a Goddess except another Goddess?'

Dan sulked, and even though he didn't say why, Jenna understood, and she sympathized.

'I can tell you this,' she added. 'Our intuition… that wise little voice that sometimes speaks truth to us…. That can only be the Goddess at work. She somehow connects us all and we can tap into her wisdom. Something like that. Oh! I'm also sure She has something to do with our telepathic bonds too.'

The boys paused to digest what Jenna had told them, with Pat finishing his mental meal first. He had to ask, 'How are Emma and Kate? Are they making any progress with lucid dreaming?'

Jenna smiled when she heard Pat say Emma's name first. It was usually said the other way round. It had a better ring to it that way. 'They're fine except for being a little frustrated. They can't seem to make any progress. It's just as well though because we have a good idea that we want to try next. We'll have to because it looks like the Goddess is just about rained out. Unless our idea works, we won't be able to communicate except in dreams as the weather dries out.'

That got the boys' attention. They listened intently as Jenna talked about a new spell that involved all of the four elements and more. It would be the most complex spell Dan had seen so far, and it would involve a new kind of magic that dealt directly with living things. The spells used life force, also known as chi, to operate. The simple healing spell that she gave Dan used chi, so he had an idea of how to cast the other spells. She gave a quick introduction of chi to Pat and Simon and then sent several thought forms to Dan, one at a time so he could analyze and memorize each of them. After practicing simple chi spells like healing, she'd mix chi in with the four elements to achieve their goal.

~o~O~o~

The next day started with low cloud and drizzle. That would allow Jenna and the girls to communicate with their pupils and teach a little more at least, but it didn't look like the damp gloom would last the day.

The three brothers found their way back to the wood by their house, with Ash sprawled out in the wagon as usual. They stopped near a thick stand of oak trees and started their lessons.

As with the healing spell, Dan centered his breathing and tapped into his own chi to change his hair color. It worked. His dark brown hair became a golden blonde, all the way down to the roots. That spell wasn't like a glamour. Glamours are illusions. This spell was permanent in a way, sort of like using hair dye. His hair would still grow out with its true color but Dan would have to cast the spell again to change his current hair back to its original color.

With Jenna's guidance, he tried a couple more spells and made it to the last spell of the day. He'd cast what his teacher called a cosmetic spell that would totally change the appearance of his face. He could look like anyone, and like the other spells, it would be permanent until he cast the spell again. Having blonde hair seemed harmless enough but the idea of changing his whole face made him a little nervous. Still, he needed the experience if they wanted to advance enough to communicate with the girls outside of dreams.

The sun began to peek through the clouds as Jenna gave her last instruction. Dan heard her say, 'Concentrate on the face….' Then nothing as a shaft of sunlight lit up the area. The fetch was left with an image of Jenna's face as he cast the spell, leading to predictable results.

Pat saw his older brother and gasped. "Oy! Your face!" he said with a slightly raised voice.

Simon just stared.

"What about it?" Dan said, barely finishing the last word. His eyes went wide as he heard a very feminine voice. His neck and vocal cords were also changed by the spell. He looked exactly like who he imagined as he cast the spell. He looked — and sounded — like Jenna except with short blonde hair instead of long. Even his eye color changed. He looked back at his brothers with dark green eyes and it didn't take him long to figure out what happened. "I take it I look like Jenna," he said.

Both twins slowly nodded, with Simon soon shaking his head vigorously to shake off his surprise.

"At least your face better matches your chest now," Simon said, trying hard not to snicker.

"Keep it up," Dan said. "I'll have you looking like Kate… and Pat looking like Emma."

"We'd stun the entire village," Pat said quietly. Then, more loudly, he added. "Hang on. What did Simon mean about your face matching your chest?"

The older boy blushed. "I've… developed a bit. That's all."

"Blossomed," Simon said. "Definitely blossomed."

"Oy, Simon. One more word from you and you'll have a matching set."

"We'll all have them soon enough, Dan," Pat said. "No use pushing things."

Dan cooled down and cast the spell again, returning his normal face, or at least as close as he could imagine. He couldn't keep from shrinking his nose and chin slightly, and his jawline was smoothed and rounded a little more. He couldn't seem to help himself.

"Mum's gonna notice you look a little different," Pat told him. "We're going to have to tell her soon." The older twin turned and stalked back towards their house, slowly shaking his head.

Dan felt very confident using chi to cast spells in spite of being challenged by his attempts to get his original face back. He only wished he had as much confidence when he thought about telling his mother about his changes, about all of their changes. He volunteered to do all the talking, alone; especially since he'd changed the most. She'd more likely believe him after seeing his chest and feminized face.

With a sigh and a last quick little fireball to feed Ash, he turned to slowly walk back home with Simon just behind, pulling Ash in the wagon. It was a long walk home.

~o~O~o~

The eldest child looked round the lower floor of the house. The twins were nowhere to be found. Simon had veered off with Ash without him noticing before getting back and Pat was long gone. Only their Mum was home, sat in her recliner watching the telly in the sitting room.

Dan stood at the entrance to the room. "Mum?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Give me five minutes to wash up, then come up to my room, please. I need to talk to you."

Sue raised an eyebrow and nodded, watching her oldest quickly turn and run to the bathroom.

Once inside, he pulled off his tee shirt and started unbinding his chest. It felt good. He couldn't wait to unburden himself to his mother, but he still had to be careful. He didn't think she could handle the full truth.

Sue knocked on his door and entered just after he slipped into a zippered hoodie and got a certain website displayed on his laptop. He'd been preparing for a little mother-daughter talk for the past several weeks.

"Are you okay?" she asked, giving his face a good look. "You look… different."

"I am different." He moved away from his bed and motioned his mother to sit on it. After she sat, he put his laptop on her lap and continued. "I've been doing some research. I know I looked like a boy when I was born, but sometimes things get mixed up. It appears that I'm not really a boy. I'm intersexed." He pointed at the website and directed her to read the little summary.

Sue felt numb as she looked back and forth between her son and the website. She read the summary and looked up. A tear threatened to escape her right eye. "I don't understand."

"I don't either. But sometimes it just happens. It's no one's fault. I have boy bits but they don't work so well, and I found out recently that I also have girl bits. They're easier to hide and they're working fine."

"This is mad. I must be going mad."

Dan unzipped his hoodie and bared his breasts. "Please, Mum. I need your help. I'm changing into a girl and I need clothes. I need a bra… among other things." He blushed.

Sue gasped and stood up, wrapping her child in a tight hug.

"Please, Mum," Dan whispered. "You're squishing them."

"Sorry. It's just so… sudden."

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. It's been going on for a couple months now."

"Do the twins know?"

Dan hoped to put off talk of the twins for another day. He didn't want to put his mother into shock so he kept it short and simple.

"Yes. They know."

A tear rolled down her cheek, followed by another. "How? How could this happen?"

"It's more common than people think. I'll give you links to more websites if you like so you can read more about it."

"Sure," she said, looking lost.

This time, Dan initiated a hug. She looked like she needed one.

Sue pushed him back after a moment, looking stern. "I think we need a doctor's opinion. What if something's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I feel fine, just a bit girly." He gave her a nervous smile. He didn't want to get doctors involved.

"I'm going to have to insist, Dani."

"But…," he said, pausing as her last word sunk in. "Dani?"

"That's going to be your new name. It's short for Danielle. That's close enough to your current name I think. It's what I would've named you if you'd been born a girl. You'll need new identification, and a whole new wardrobe."

"Yeah. Okay. That sounds… okay." Dan carefully zipped up his hoodie and flopped down hard on his bed. "I really need a bra," he muttered.

Sue smiled and thought ahead to what it would be like to have a daughter. There'd be shopping trips, clothes and makeup, girl talk and more. She'd been the lone female in the house for too long.

"Dani? What do the twins think about all this?"

The oldest child was distracted for the moment. He spoke without thinking. "They're not developing breasts yet," he said, then slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Yet?! What's going on, Dani?"

"Sorry, Mum. I didn't mean to let that slip out. But you might as well know. The three of us are all going through the same thing."

Sue sat down close by on the bed. She wasn't exactly in shock, just thinking. Both mother and soon-to-be daughter kept quiet for several minutes before Sue broke the silence.

"If Pat and Simon develop as you have, they'll need a doctor's note to get them out of P.E. when they start school again. I don't want them getting harassed in the boys shower."

"It's a good thing I'm old enough that I don't have to take P.E. I think I'd have been beaten senseless by now."

Thinking about the boys shower made Dan feel a bit queasy and strange. He got a sudden twinge in his abdomen and frowned.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"I don't know. I think I have a bit of indigestion or something."

Dan intensified his frown when he felt a little dampness in his underwear. He got a bad feeling and slid his pants down a little to investigate. Blood spotted his briefs and his face turned pale.

"What is it?" Sue asked, looking very worried by that point.

"I think I'll need your help with something else. Forget the bra for now. I seem to be bleeding."

"What?! Did you cut yourself? Is it bad?"

"Not that kind of bleeding, Mum. The monthly kind. You know. Like you have?"

Sue looked a little shocked at first, but as she thought about it, she found that she really liked the idea of having a daughter. She was the lone female in a house full of males for a long time, and now the tides were turning.

She soon smiled and took charge. "Okay. Stand still a moment and I'll get something to tide you over until we can move to the bathroom for a little lesson in feminine hygiene."

"You needn't be so happy about it!" Dan called after his mum as she left the room, his voice cracking and sounding more like the girl he was becoming.

~o~O~o~

 © 2013 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.