Change Of Fate: Part 1 free porn video

Change of Fate: Part 1 By JRD IN OUR UNIVERSE... Tarina jogged from the airport towards the suburban home of her mother. She knew that the distance was extreme and that Joe probably would've recommended a cab, but it had been bad enough that she had to fly in one of those stinky airplanes. She was not going to further irritate her nose by riding in a car, not unless she had to. It would take a little longer, but she'd be there by mid-afternoon. A big incentive to move quickly was the stench of the city. The smell of garbage, car exhaust and unwashed bodies was almost enough to make her sensitive nose scream in protest. How could these people live in such squalor? As she ran she heard a scream, and it wasn't her nose doing the screaming. She ran to the source of the sound, amazed at the total lack of response from the people. Back at her home in the Amazon, if anyone had screamed like she had just heard, half the tribe would've come to the rescue, but these people acted like nothing had happened. She ran into the narrow passageway between two buildings, and saw three men beating on a much smaller man. Off to one side, another man was holding a woman, keeping her from coming to the aid of the man. Tarina immediately leapt at one man beating on the small guy, kicking him into one of his allies. The other swung at her with a metal pipe. She grabbed his wrist and the pipe. She wrenched the pipe out of his hand, flipped him onto his back, then threw the pipe at the man holding the woman, hitting him right in the center of his forehead. The woman, suddenly freed, was too stunned to move. As the two she first knocked down started to rise, Tarina, knowing these people were no fighters, yelled, "Take your friend and run!" The woman quickly recovered, ran to the man, then got him up and ran from the alley. Tarina was now alone as she faced the four men. One of them said, "You have no idea who you're fucking with." "Useless thugs," she replied. One of the men pulled out a switchblade and, with surprising speed for an American, charged her. She grabbed the blade from his hand, spun around him, letting him pass her by and buried the blade in his back, stabbing right through to his heart. The man fell instantly, dead before he hit the ground. Tarina was briefly surprised as the man started to dissolve into goo, and in that moment of surprise, another man buried a blade in her back. It wasn't a lethal blow by far, and Tarina elbowed him in the head, smashing his face and killing him. As he flew back, he held onto the blade, yanking it from her body. Her regenerative capabilities kicked in instantly, and the wound was gone almost as quickly as it had been inflicted. Unfortunately, the men saw it. One raised his hand to his face and said, "We have a regenerator. Special capture team, now." Tarina knew that the people in this world had special devices for talking over long distances and figured the man had just called for back-up. The two rushed at her. She broke the neck of the first, and then threw him into the other. The last man tried to struggle out from under his dissolving comrade, but was unable to before Tarina smashed his face in. She then heard a vehicle pull up to the entrance of the alley she was in. She turned and saw a nondescript, black van. It's side opened and two men in black suits and black sunglasses stepped out. She was about to charge at them when she felt a stinging pain in her rear. She turned and saw two more black suits behind her (how had they got there?). She reached down and felt at the pain. She pulled a tranquilizer dart out of her ass and felt the drug that had been contained within start to work. She tried to summon the Rage, the gift of Gaia that gave her power, but it was too late. As she slipped from consciousness, her only thought was, "My love, I have failed to re-unite you with your family." ***** IN ANOTHER REALITY... Tarina was now alone as she faced the four men. One of them said, "You have no idea who you're fucking with." "Useless thugs," she replied. One of the men pulled out a switchblade and, with surprising speed for an American, charged her. She grabbed the blade from his hand, spun around him, letting him pass her by and buried the blade in his back, stabbing right through to his heart. The man fell instantly, dead before he hit the ground. Tarina was briefly surprised as the man started to dissolve into goo, and in that moment of surprise, another man buried a blade in her back. It wasn't a lethal blow by far, and Tarina elbowed him in the head, smashing his face and killing him. He lost his grip on the blade and flew back. Tarina spun on the others, yanked the blade from her back and threw it into one of the two remaining men, killing him. The last man yanked out a gun and pointed it at her. Knowing how fast those bullets traveled, she shifted into her half- woman, half-panther form. She saw the man start to raise his hand to his mouth, but she reacted instantly, leaping forward and plunging her clawed hand into his chest, destroying his heart. She shifted back to human form; the magic bracelet Joe had given her repairing her torn clothes. She then returned to her original course towards her mother's house. It was a couple hours later when she approached the house where her lover had grown up. She looked into the driveway and saw that it was empty. From what Joe had told her that meant that mom had probably gone out. She sat down and waited, thinking of her children. Her father was watching their children while she attempted to reunite Joe with mom. It was one more reason she was thankful that Joe had come to her. Normally, when a member of the tribe married into another tribe, he or she was forced to lose contact with their family. Oh, if they ever met with their family again, it'd be happiness all around, but the distance between tribes was measured in days travel, and that made trips between them something that occurred only once a season during the best of times. But Joe had taken special pains to make sure that she and her father remained in close contact, even going so far as to make arrangements with those arrogant so and so's at the space base to allow either her or dad to use the base as a relay point so they could travel cross-continent to see each other. But that was part of the reason she was here. She saw the flicker of jealousy in Joe's eyes every time she and her father were together. She also wanted to meet the woman who had given birth to her love. She had been asking Joe since the day they were mated to introduce her. It was then that she had learned of the problems between Joe and his mom. Finally, seven years and three children later, she had gotten Joe to agree to introduce them. He had said he'd bring her across country himself when he finished with the mission he was on, and she had no reason to doubt his word, but she knew Joe to be a highly emotional man. He'd never say no to re-uniting them now that he had agreed, but he would probably put it off as long as possible. And when you were the world's premier monster fighter you could always find an excuse to put anything off. So Tarina had taken it into her own hands and overcome her revulsion at the smell of those nasty airplanes and flown from their home in Houston here to New York to talk to her mother in an attempt to re-unite her family. Seeing a large tree in the front yard, Tarina leapt into it, shifted into her panther form and waited. She didn't have to wait long. After less than a half hour, mother pulled into the driveway. Tarina shifted back into human form and dropped to the ground. Julie heard nothing. Tarina walked up behind Julie, who was fishing a bag of groceries out of the back seat of the car. Julie turned and almost dropped the groceries when she saw this short, dark-skinned woman right behind her. She didn't even have time to wonder why her magical senses hadn't warned her of this stranger's presence when the woman asked, "Are you Julie Braumann?" "Uh, yes. May I help you, miss...?" "My name is Tarina, and I'd like to talk to you about re-uniting with your son." Julie got a look on her face that was part shock and part fear. "I... I'm sorry. You must have me confused with someone else. I only have one daughter." Tarina was confused. Checking the street address, she saw it was the same that Joe had given her. "You are Julie Braumann?" she asked again. "Yes." Not sure what to say, Tarina asked, "You did give birth to a son who you named Joe?" Hearing the name of her son, Julie dropped the bag of groceries she had. Moving in a circle around Tarina, as though the warrior had some kind of infectious disease, Julie said, "No, why are you doing this to me? My child is a girl. She will return to me one day." Tarina tried to talk to Julie, but the elder woman just screamed, "No! Leave me alone!" and made a break for the door. Tarina just watched her as she ran, not wanting to terrify Julie any more than she had. She saw Julie reach into her purse, pull out a set of keys, and dash inside after unlocking the door. After a few seconds Julie peeked through the curtains to see what Tarina was doing. Tarina hadn't moved. Seeing Julie's eyes, Tarina took the time to pick up the bag of groceries. There were some broken eggs inside, but most of the food had survived the fall intact. Tarina took the bag and walked towards the door Julie had just walked through. When she got close, Julie ducked inside. Tarina set the bag by Julie's front door, then walked towards a park that Joe had told her was nearby. Joe had told her that her mother was unwilling to accept him for who he was, but Tarina had underestimated the almost sheer terror Julie had had in response to the existence of her son. At least she now knew that Joe's story about having been a girl for two years of his life wasn't just a story. Imagine that, Steven really had been born from his loins. As Tarina walked away, she decided that she'd have to wait and come back tomorrow. She had to get Joe and mother back together. Somehow. Some way. ***** Bronwyn drove up to Julie's house late that afternoon. It was too bad that Laurie was going to be occupied with her publisher for the afternoon before they returned to San Bernardino. Julie and Laurie used to be the best of friends before Laurie moved cross-country to birth Jack, but Laurie needed to clear up some things on her latest book deal and wouldn't have any time to meet with her old friend. Ah, well, such were the vagaries of fate. Bronwyn knocked on the door and was surprised when she heard from inside, "Leave me alone! Go away!" She called out, "Julie, it's me, Bronwyn." The door flew open and Julie looked behind Bronwyn with a terrified look on her face. She then grabbed Bronwyn by the arm and almost yanked it off pulling her inside. As Julie locked the door behind them, Bronwyn asked, "Julie, what's wrong?" Nearly in tears, Julie said, "There was this strange woman. She approached me this afternoon. She said such nasty things about my child." Bronwyn's heart leapt. "Joanie? Did she say anything that would let you know where she was?" "No. But she did know where Joanie was. She said... Bronwyn, she let me think I'd never see Joanie again!" Julie broke down in tears, and Bronwyn wrapped her arms around the distraught woman's shoulders. Bronwyn wanted to say something to make it all better, but healing was Laurie's province. Bronwyn hated to interrupt Laurie's business dealings, but Julie needed a healer and now. ***** Laurie drove up to Julie's house in her rental. She had known it was serious by Bronwyn's tone of voice, but as soon as she stepped out of the car she felt the despair from inside, and ran to the door. Bronwyn let her in and she went straight to Julie's side. "Julie, what's wrong?" "This woman. This strange woman. She came. She said nasty things about Joanie." "Joanie? What happened to Joanie?" Bronwyn said, "She disappeared. After she gave birth, but before she was inducted into the Sisterhood, she and Julie had a falling out and she walked off. Then a couple days later, she just... disappeared." "Didn't you follow her aura trail?" "Julie and I got together and tried. We couldn't find a thing. We followed it to a martial arts dojo a few miles away, but after that, nothing. No death traces, nothing." "Did you ask the people working there about her?" "They said they remembered... her, but that she left the night before with the dojo master and hadn't returned." Laurie had a flash of suspicion. Why had Bronwyn paused just then in recounting her story? "What did the dojo master say?" "Never saw him. When I went back the next day, the dojo had been turned over to the second in command. The master never returned." "So she was kidnapped? Maybe by the Brotherhood?" "Not by the Brotherhood. There was definitely NO trace of the dark power in the dojo." "Okay. Back to the present. This woman, what did she say?" "She let me believe I'd never see my Joanie again." Laurie couldn't help but feel sympathy for Julie's despair, but something was wrong. Julie didn't answer her question, not really, and Laurie felt there was something seriously wrong that Julie wasn't telling her about. But before she could pursue the matter, Bronwyn asked, "What can we do for you?" "I just want my Joanie back!" "We'll go after her. We'll make her tell us what she knows. We'll make her leave you alone." "Oh, thank you, Bronwyn. Just... Please return my little girl to me." "We will. Do you know which way she went?" "South. Towards the park. A dark skinned woman. Small, but wiry." "Come on, Laurie." As Bronwyn walked to the front door, Laurie frowned at her back. Something was going on here. Something that both Bronwyn and Julie knew about that they weren't letting her in on. How was she expected to do her job in a vacuum? For now, she'd follow Bronwyn's lead, but by the end of the day, she would get to the bottom of this. ***** Across town, two men in black suits stood over the gooified remains of their previous comrades. One held a small box and passed it over the remains. The other waited patiently until the one said, "Got something." He walked over, stuck his fingers into the remains of one thug and pulled out a small piece of black fur. He set it on the front of his box and pressed a button. After a few seconds, the second asked, "What is it?" "Unknown. It shows many of the same quantum traits as a werewolf, but seems to be a different species. Possibly even a different genus or family." "Take a signature trace, then ship it off to the Progenitor base. We need to find who did this. Anyone capable of eliminating four constructs needs to be dealt with." The one shook his head. The second had a tendency to state the obvious. It was perhaps a flaw in his programming. But as long as he did his job, it didn't really matter. They would find the person/thing that did this and eliminate him/her/it. ***** Tarina sat on a bench in the park. The park was a nice place, but a little too sculpted, too controlled for her tastes. It was clear that every tree had been carefully placed, every flower specifically positioned. It lacked the wild essence that was representative of the power of Gaia. Well, it was good enough to serve as her sleeping place for tonight. It would be fun. She hadn't slept in a tree since before she had come to this country with Joe. Speaking of which, she should probably start looking for a place to sleep. Most of the trees were pretty spindly, but there were a few that should hold her feline weight. She looked around and had just about decided on where she was going to sleep when she heard a voice say, "You!" She turned and saw two women striding towards her. The first seemed to have something deliberate on her mind. The other just seemed to be following. "May I help you?" Tarina asked. The first one angrily said, "What do you know about Joanie?" Joanie? The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Tarina couldn't place it. "I don't know any Joanie." Angry and thinking Tarina was lying, Bronwyn said, "Julie's child!" Tarina was confused. Joe had never mentioned a sister. And why would they think she knew anything about her? "I know nothing of any Joanie." Bronwyn screamed, "Liar!" and let loose with a stun blast. Tarina, using her own spirit magics, managed to counter the worst of it, but there was still enough left over to knock her on her butt. Damn, this woman was powerful! Tarina was about to launch a counter-attack, but paused. For being a "peaceful, civilized" country, Americans had a tendency to resort to violence far too easily. At home, if you were attacked, you knew it was to the death and you could defend yourself with impunity. Here, resorting to lethal force in response to an attack could get you in serious trouble. Laurie saw the dark skinned woman knocked back and wondered what was wrong with Bronwyn. She had never seen her High Priestess so angry, so destructive in her life. Bronwyn seemed determined to force the issue as quickly as possible regardless of the consequences. Now Laurie knew something much deeper was going on here. Both Bronwyn and Laurie were surprised when Tarina leapt to her feet, almost unaffected by Bronwyn's assault. "What is your problem?" Tarina asked. Bronwyn yelled, "Where's Joanie?!" "I don't know any Joanie." Laurie tried to calm the enraged sorceress down. She put her hand on Bronwyn's shoulder, and said, "Bron." Bronwyn shrugged her off and yelled, "Don't toy with me!" and launched a power blast at Tarina. Tarina threw up her arms and Laurie felt her use some kind of magic as a block, but she was still knocked backwards into a tree. Laurie was surprised. The power blast was one of the few purely physical attacks in the arsenal of spells available to the members of the Sisterhood. It was a blast of purely physical force. It was known only to a few members of the order, and was never supposed to be used against a living target, there was too much risk of killing them. Laurie grabbed Bronwyn's arm and spun her around. "What is wrong with you?! Are you trying to kill her?!" Bronwyn said nothing. She was so angry that she wanted to justify everything she did, but, deep down, she knew Laurie was right. She was out of control. But she so desperately wanted Joanie back. Ever since Julie had told her that this woman had information that could reveal the girl's whereabouts, Bronwyn had the urge to come and thrash the information from this stranger. Bronwyn kept telling herself that it was because she wanted to end Julie's separation from her child, but, deep down, there was another reason. From the ground, Tarina said, "I have had," leapt to her feet, and finished with, "ENOUGH!" Both women were surprised. The fact that Tarina wasn't dead was amazing. The fact that she was able to so quickly rise was simply astounding. Tarina stood tall and roared to the sky. A metaphysical echo sounded in the Sisters' ears. To them it sounded as though some wild animal, perhaps a lion or tiger, were roaring in front of them. They were forced to steel themselves to keep from running in terror. Tarina brushed her fingers over her bracelet and her clothes unraveled and flowed into the jewel on the bracelet. The Sisters were shocked, but no less amazed when Tarina's body suddenly shifted into a seven-foot tall half-cat woman. Bronwyn and Laurie were shocked with fear as Tarina roared and charged them. Tarina moved with super-human speed and ran right between them, grabbing Bronwyn around the throat and shouldering Laurie to the ground. Tarina moved about ten feet straight behind them and slammed Bronwyn into a tree, knocking the wind out of her. She clenched her hand just tight enough to prevent Bronwyn from getting enough breath to cast a spell. She felt Laurie pull together her power, so she raised her free hand where Laurie could see it and popped her retractable claws. To Laurie, she said, "I can feel you have great power, woman. But I can also feel it lacks speed. Dispel your power, or I'll rip your friend's face off." Laurie, who had stood up, was astounded. She knew Tarina was right, the few really effective spells she had of any speed were emergency healing spells. What she didn't know was how this woman knew that. But since the few combat spells she had were nowhere near as powerful as Bronwyn's, she did the only thing she could. She dispelled her power. Tarina then asked, "Why did you attack me?" "Why are you torturing Julie?" Tarina seemed genuinely confused. "Torture mother? I would never." "Then tell us what you know of Joanie." "Who is this Joanie you speak of?" "Joanie is Julie's girl. Julie said you knew where she was." "I tell you, I know no Joanie. Has mother had another child recently?" "No. Joanie is her only child. And why do you keep calling Julie mother?" "Because she is." "You hardly seem to be any offspring of hers." "Not offspring. I joined her family. Oh, yes, your country has that silly tack- on. What is it? In-law. Julie is my mother-in-law." Mother-in-law? Laurie was starting to get a sinking feeling in her gut. "Two women can't marry." Tarina had a look on her face that Laurie took as a lack of understanding. But a look of understanding crossed the she-cat's face and Tarina said, "Now I recall. Joanie was the name mother gave to her son during the years he was transformed. But I fail to understand why you still refer to him with that name. Joe hasn't been Joanie for 11 rainy seasons." Laurie's stomach dropped into her shoes. "Joe transformed back? Bronwyn, did you know about this?" Bronwyn tried to say something, but couldn't through Tarina's grasp. Laurie waved her hand at Bronwyn. "Could you let her go?" "Can you keep her in line? I have tolerated two attacks. I will not tolerate a third." "I'll do what I can." Tarina looked into Bronwyn's eyes, considering it briefly, before releasing her and stepping back. Bronwyn fell to her knees, gasping for breath. As soon as she had collected herself, she started to collect energy for a quick attack, but was cut off when Laurie sharply said, "Bronwyn!" and glared at her. Bronwyn stopped collecting power, but stood up defiantly. Laurie asked, "Is it true? Did Julie's child decide to transform back?" Bronwyn stood there stoically for a few seconds before saying, "Yes, she did." "In the Goddess's name, why are both of you acting like she's still out there as a woman?" "Julie's sure that it was just Joanie's male ego preventing her from accepting her femininity. That eventually she'd come to her senses and return and ask to be transformed back into a girl." "Bronwyn, that doesn't happen and you know it." "Actually... it has happened. About twice a century, a girl transforms back, and then realizes that she made a mistake and asks to be returned to womanhood. Julie was sure that Joanie would be one of these." Laurie was stunned. She had never heard of such a thing. She had always been taught to believe that only those who were truly male would ever choose to go back. But another question did pop into her head. "How is it that Julie knows about these re-transformations, but I don't?" "I... told her." "And let me guess, you're not supposed to tell anyone, right?" "Well, yes. But Julie just seemed so distraught after Joanie left-" "Joanie left?! Damn it, Bronwyn! You made it sound like they just had a little tiff and Joanie disappeared when she took a walk to cool off. You have no idea how badly you've screwed up!" "What's the big deal? So I gave Julie a few words to give her some hope after her daughter ran off." "Her son, Bronwyn. Her son ran off. And don't you understand? That was exactly the WRONG thing to do! Of course her son ran off. Being a powerless male, if Julie didn't accept his return, then as long as he stayed near her, he ran the risk of being forcibly transformed back. By telling her about the change backs, she'd have an excuse to never accept her son's masculinity and he'd NEVER be able to return!" As Laurie's words sank in, Bronwyn said, "Goddess! What have I done?" Tarina shifted back into human form. She rubbed her bracelet, and the jeans and T-shirt she had been wearing before reformed around her body. She then asked, "Why do you say powerless?" Laurie said, "Those of the Sisterhood who transform back to their male selves lose their magical power. Joe would've been powerless to prevent Julie from changing him back to a woman." Tarina snorted. "Most of your men may wind up powerless, but after Joe had to fight his way back to manhood, he Awakened, and became one of the world's most powerful Mages." Tarina smiled. "He even stomped me in a straight fight." Laurie and Bronwyn stared at Tarina. What she was saying was totally without precedent in the history of the Sisterhood. A male with power? Unheard of. Laurie latched onto another part of Tarina's statement. "What do you mean 'had to fight his way back?'" As though the women knew what she was talking about, Tarina said, "The last spell mother cast on Joe." When it became clear by the looks on their faces that the Sisters had no idea what she was talking about, Tarina said, "You really don't know." "Know what?" Tarina thought about it. Finally, she said, "I'm not sure I should say. I seek to reunite our family. If mother hasn't told you what she did, and I betray her, then it may make that impossible." Laurie said, "Please. As a healer, if I'm to do my job, I need to know what's wrong. I need to know how deeply the problem runs." Tarina considered it for a little while longer before explaining. "According to his story, on his last day as a woman, he told mom that he was going back and returned to his room to cast his spell. As his spell took effect, and his power started to leave him, he felt another spell start to take hold. The spell would've made the transformation spell unusable by him and trapped him as a woman forever. He was forced to fight back with everything he had and was in order to reclaim his manhood. He won, but, in the process, blew open every channel of magical power he had, including powerful magical senses that let him know that it had been mother who cast that spell." Both Laurie and Bronwyn were speechless. It took Laurie almost half a minute to ask, "Bronwyn, did you know...?" "No, I swear. I never knew it was this bad." "We need to talk to Julie. Now." Tarina asked, "I'd like to come." "I think we should all go. By the way, let me make formal introductions. My name is Laurie and this is Bronwyn." "I am Tarina." They started to walk back towards Julie's house when Tarina suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. Laurie asked, "What's wrong?" Tarina jerked her head around, looking back the way they had come. The Sisters looked back and saw a black van pull up to the park. The side of the van opened and two men, dressed in slacks, trench coats, glasses, hats, and loafers, all in black, stepped out, and started walking towards them. Tarina growled and said, "M.I.B.'s!" Then as she ran at the men, yelled, "RUN! Get out of here!" Laurie and Bronwyn watched as Tarina's clothes disappeared and she shifted into her she-cat shape. They were stunned as she ran between the men, literally ripping their sides out. Tarina continued her charge, running right at the van. They saw a missile fly from the van and explode near Tarina, filling the air with a cloud of green gas. Tarina stumbled and fell. Bronwyn and Laurie ran at the van but another missile shot out and filled the air around them with more knockout gas. The two women dropped, unconscious before they hit the ground. Another man stepped from the van and dragged Tarina back into its confines. He left Bronwyn and Laurie alone. They had shown no special talents, and, alone, he would have to act quickly in order to get the beast back to base before she woke up. ***** Two hours later, Bronwyn and Laurie fought their way back to consciousness. The first thing Bronwyn did was look around. Neither Tarina nor the black van was anywhere to be seen. She felt Laurie's hands upon her and felt the last of her grogginess dispelled. "Now what?" Laurie asked. "We need to get Julie. She's our specialist in information gathering. We're going to need her to deal with whoever these people are." Laurie and Bronwyn walked back to Julie's house. As soon as they walked into the house, Julie asked, "What did you find out? Where's my Joanie?" Laurie and Bronwyn looked first to each other then to Julie. Laurie stepped forward and said, "Julie, the woman who approached you earlier. She's your... son's wife." Julie was stunned. At first, she didn't know what to say, but finally she managed to say, "It's... It's a lesbian relationship. Joanie always did prefer other girls." "Julie, you need to accept your son for who he is." "NO! Joanie will realize who she is and return and have me make her whole again." Laurie was about to try another tack when Bronwyn put her hand on the healer's shoulder. The High Priestess whispered, "We need to get after Tarina as soon as possible. We can't afford the time to convince Julie of the truth." Bronwyn stepped forward and said, "Julie, the woman's in trouble. She was attacked and taken prisoner by some bad men in the park. We need you to help us find and rescue her." "Why should I?" "Because whether it's really a straight relationship or a hidden lesbian one, she is your child's lover. What is your child going to say if... "she" returns and finds her lover dead, and you had done nothing to prevent it when you could have?" Julie got a shocked look on her face. "Goddess, you're right! She'd never forgive me. She'd hate me forever." Julie grabbed her purse and ran from the house, saying, "Let's go!" Laurie frowned. "I don't like giving into her delusion. That only reinforces it." "I know. But Tarina is in trouble now. If we're to save her, we have to move now." Laurie reluctantly nodded her agreement, and the two women followed Julie to her car for the drive to the park. Once there, Julie cast a spell that allowed her to scan for the aura traces of Tarina and the men. When she found them, she got a curious look on her face. "How many men did you say kidnapped this woman?" "We saw two, and there was at least one other inside a van. Why?" "I'm finding only one aura trail, but it's duplicated three times." All three women were mystified. Every living creature had an aura, but since every creature was unique, every aura was unique. Even identical twins could have wildly different auras. There was no explanation for what Julie was saying. But the explanation would have to wait. Getting back in the car (Bronwyn driving so Julie could concentrate on the trails), they followed the van to a small medical lab on the outskirts of the nearest business district. They watched the building for a while, seeing who came and went. Finally they saw three women leave the building, and made their move. They followed them to where they wouldn't be seen and Bronwyn knocked them unconscious with low-level stun blasts. Each woman then cast an illusion to appear as one of the workers, and entered the building. They had a brief bit of worry as they were delayed using their I.D.'s on the electronic lock, but were passed on through. ***** In another part of the progenitor base, as they used the stolen I.D.'s, a low- level security agent alerted his boss. "Sir, we have an anomaly. Three women whose genetic patterns don't match their identification." The other man stepped up. "Give me a look at what their genetic pattern says they are." The agent punched some buttons and super-powerful computers went to work, giving, in seconds, what the three women looked like underneath their illusions. The holograms that the computer projected were idealized versions of the women, lacking scars, marks, or even the simple effects of old age that all the women had to one degree or another, but it was enough for the man to say, "Those two look like the women our agent encountered in the park when capturing the were-cat. Apparently they weren't just normal women." "How do we handle them?" "They're probably here to free the beast. Let them get through to the lab. They'll be easier to capture there." The agent pressed a button, buzzing the Sisters through. ***** Julie looked around, almost thrilling at being in action again. She had only intended to take a few years off to train her daughter then return to active duty, but then Joanie had left her, and she just couldn't face the other Sisters. She had almost forgotten how good this felt. The touch of the Goddess's power, as well as the private thrill of knowing what no one else knew, even other Sisters. It was why she had gone into information gathering in the first place. She was a nosy, pushy broad. She almost laughed at the reference. It was a private, little joke amongst the Sisterhood. Every specialty seemed to reflect a certain aspect of femininity, and it was a small joke to refer to members of their specialty as if they truly were living examples of their aspect. Information gatherers were nosy, pushy broads. Healers like Laurie were molly-coddling mothers. Masters of illusion and shape-changing like Bronwyn were manipulative bitches. The names were always the most severe references, and always meant in only the most jovial way. It was an in-joke and if anybody outside the Sisterhood had ever used it, they'd have been harshly rebuked. It was the old principle that the members of a sub- culture could use terms to describe one another that were actually derogatory when used by those outside the sub-culture. Much the same way the term "Nigger" had an entirely different meaning when used by a black man and a white man. But the joke also brought back a wave of nostalgia. Joanie had been, before her transformation, an inquisitive little boy and had chosen to specialize that when she was informed of her new status as a neophyte Sister. It was then that Julie had joked that Joanie was a nosy, pushy broad. Joanie had looked up at her with hurt eyes, and Julie had finished her jest by saying, "Just like your dear old ma." They had shared a hug over that. The next two years had been great. After Joanie had gotten over the initial resentment of her transformation, that is. They talked, they laughed, they were a real mother-daughter duo. Then, after Joanie gave birth, she had come right out of left field with that statement that she planned to go back to being a boy. Julie managed to convince her that it would be better for little Steven to have a single mother rather than a father, but Julie also knew that Joanie's ego wouldn't give in that easily. It was only two months later when Joanie had said she couldn't take it any more and planned on going back. But Julie had planned for this. She had taken the same two months to work up a very special spell. In the moments when Joanie had devoted herself to the transformation, the spell would strike, diverting Joanie's own transformation energies and wrapping them upon her, making it impossible for her to ever use the transformation spell on herself again. Joanie would've been upset, but eventually she'd come to realize she was happier as a girl. But when Julie cast the spell, something had happened. It was almost like Joanie herself had flared and fought back. Julie had tried to make her spell work, but it was too much. Her spell failed and backlashed against her. She didn't remember much of the next few hours, but when she pulled herself together she saw Joanie, now male, going through the front door. Julie had asked where she was going. That was when Joanie said she was leaving. Then the child turned and... threatened her. Julie understood, of course. Joanie was angry and overly emotional (which Julie took as proof that deep down she really was a woman). But Julie was sure that Joanie would eventually see that what she had done was for the best. Joanie had left then. Julie had tried to follow, but she was still too weak. She had been forced to just sit on the floor, conserving her energies so she could follow her child's aura. But then, a little more than a day later, Joanie's trail just disappeared. Nothing Julie, the Sisterhood's greatest information gathering specialist, could do allowed her to find the girl. Bronwyn had tried to help, but even together it was as though her daughter had disappeared off the face of the planet. Julie was suicidal at that point, but Bronwyn had kept her alive. Bronwyn had even explained about the re-transformees. Julie was sure her daughter would be one of them. For eleven years, Julie had held out the hope that her daughter would return to her and ask to be returned to her true self. Then this woman had come to her door, saying that she wanted to reunite Julie with her son. Julie was so shocked that she had just run away. But that had been silly of her. Of course any relationship Joanie had formed would have her as a man. Until Joanie transformed back, the entire world would see her as a man. But deep down Joanie would have to know. Her relationship with her "wife" was really a lesbian relationship. And now Julie had a chance to get her daughter back. Julie would save this woman, and Joanie would come back to her. Then Julie could convince her daughter of her true self, and Joanie would ask to be returned to womanhood. Julie was even sure that Joanie would get her power back. Bronwyn had told Julie that the re-transformees remained powerless, but Julie was sure that the Goddess would understand Joanie's impetuousness and bless her once more. Julie just hoped that this woman wouldn't be upset when her husband became a woman. Julie would hate to destroy a relationship of her daughter's, but she had to convince Joanie of her true self. Julie was, in fact, so focused on her reunion with her daughter, that she missed the subtle whir of camera lenses as they focused on the three of them. And when they finally got into the room with Tarina, all three missed the subtle click of the door locking behind them. ***** In the security room, the agent watching said, "They're locked in. Should I release the knockout gas?" His boss said, "No. The progenitor scientists want to test one of their new creatures. We're to stand down unless otherwise notified." "Is that wise?" "You're young, so I'll forgive that. Just remember, ours is not to question why..." The agent finished, "Ours is but to do or die," then shrugged and returned to his duties. ***** Inside the lab, the Sisters found Tarina strapped to a table. She was naked and had electrodes strapped to her body. Every few seconds some of the electrodes would send an electric shock through her body, and others would measure her responses. Laurie quickly ran to Tarina and ripped off the electrodes. As she shielded, linked, and started healing, Bronwyn prepared to cast a spell that would remove them from the building as quickly as possible. As Laurie quickly finished the basic healing, Tarina whispered, "You shouldn't have come." Laurie just ignored her and said, "Get us out of here." Laurie and Julie both took Bronwyn's hand, and the High Priestess finished the teleportation spell. The women were shocked when absolutely nothing happened. "What's wrong?" "The spell... was blocked." From behind them, they heard, "Of course it was blocked. Our reality hardening shields prevent any such radical deviations." They turned and saw a man dressed in a doctor's lab coat step out from a hidden panel. Following close behind him was... a thing. Its torso was that of a gorilla's; its arms and legs belonged to a bear; and it had the head and wings of an eagle. Each of the women recoiled at its presence. This thing was a travesty of nature. A forced combination of body parts of various animals forged by science. Behind the creature, three other men in lab coats stepped out. The first man said to his thing, "Take them." The creature charged forward. Bronwyn used a power blast against it in defense. Not being even remotely human, Bronwyn had no fear of losing her power from killing it, and used her blast at full power. And at full power, the power blast could've blown apart a small building. Which made it all the more surprising when the creature was only blown backwards a few feet, digging its feet in to keep from going back any further. To all appearances, it was unharmed. Bronwyn muttered, "I think we're in trouble." Laurie was surprised when Tarina, still weak from her ordeal, raised her head, and, with no trace of fear in her voice, said to the men, "You are so dead." Laurie thought it was false bravado, but when the thing advanced on them again, a glowing ball of light came from nowhere, streaking through the room like a mini-comet. It slammed into the thing, knocking it backwards into the back wall. The comet then arced away from the beast, changing shape into the form of a man dressed in a blue karate gi with a sword on his back. When the man landed between the thing and the women, they heard Julie whisper, "Joanie." Laurie (correctly assuming this was Julie's child) wondered what Julie was thinking. At slightly over 6' tall, this man bristled with masculine force. She had no problem seeing him as a man. She had a lot of problem seeing him as a woman. Joe turned his back on the men as if they weren't there, and went straight to Tarina's side. As soon as he touched his wife, Laurie felt healing energies flow into her and Tarina was restored to full health. The first man entering the room told his beast, "What are you waiting for? Get up! Destroy them!" The creature shook its head, shaking off the stunning effects of Joe's earlier blow. It pulled itself to its feet, screeched in rage and charged the invaders to the base. Joe looked up, said, "Excuse me," and turned and ran at the thing. The thing took a swipe at him, and was surprised when its target just seemed to disappear. Its animal intellect was so low that it had missed Joe ducking down and rolling through its legs. It heard a whistle and turned towards the sound, only to have a freight train in the form of Joe's fist slam into the side of its head as Joe sailed over its shoulder. In a smooth motion, Joe rolled on the ground, spun, and buried his fist deep into the thing's gut. A blast of power leapt from Joe's hand, blowing the creature's abdomen out its backside, killing it instantly. Joe then reached up and pushed the thing onto its back. The man who had been ordering the beast said, "That won't save you!" But one of the three men who had yet to speak said, "Wait." He stepped right up to Joe. "The sword on your back, it is the Soul Blade?" Coldly, Joe replied, "It is." "That would make you the M.A.N. fighter?" "Well, duh." "And these women are relations of yours?" Joe looked over his shoulder at them and said, "Two of them are." Laurie took it as a hopeful sign. At least he hadn't disowned his mother entirely. The man just turned and said, "Let's go." Joe said, "Not yet." Joe unslung the Soul Blade. "I've got some work to do." He pointed the blade at the first man and a blast of light shot out ripping the man's arm off. The "doctor" grabbed his stump. The women and the Progenitors watched him tremble until a bear paw exploded from the doctor's stump. The women all felt a wave of raw evil emanate from the man. "Time to die, Nephandi." The Progenitors stepped back as Joe and the doctor rushed at each other. The Sisters all felt an urge to do something, but were unsure what. Tarina then said, "Your purification ritual. The one you use to strip those of the Brotherhood of their power. Use it on him." Bronwyn looked at her. "How do you know it will work?" "Because that's what it was designed for. Joe explained to me that you and the Brotherhood were designed to fight evil like that. Your ritual was designed to weaken them, so that the Brothers could destroy them. It's use to strip destructive Brothers of their power was an incidental effect." The women looked at Tarina, unsure of whether or not to follow her advice, wondering how she or Joe (who had never been more than an apprentice) knew more about their purposes than they did. Finally Bronwyn said, "We might as well try." The three Sisters formed a triangle pointed at the doctor with Bronwyn at its point. They summoned forth the Goddess's power and blasted the doctor with Her glowing light. They heard the doctor shriek in pain, and, in his moment of shock, Joe drove the Soul Blade deep into his gut. Struck on both the physical and spiritual level, the doctor exploded in a fiery blast, his pieces disintegrating before they struck anyone. After the room settled down, the man who had stepped up before asked, "Is there anything else?" Joe gave him a sidelong glance. "That depends on you and your subordinates." The man turned and started to walk from the room. He told his subordinates, "Let's go." One of the lesser men said, "Go? We're not just going to-" The leader grasped him around his throat. "I have given you an order. Disobey me and I will personally rip you apart and feed you to the pit beasts. Understand?" The subordinate, unable to speak, just nodded. The leader dropped him and walked from the room, his two men quickly following. Bronwyn, somewhat stunned at the quick resolution, asked, "Is that it?" Joe lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, and suddenly, they were outside by Julie's car. "That's it. At least as far as the Progenitors go." Joe turned and faced them. Tarina stepped up into his arms. He kissed her deeply and smiled. "My love, you should not have come here without me." "You knew I wasn't a patient woman when you married me." He slid out of her grasp, and then stepped up to Bronwyn. Coldly, he said, "Bronwyn Llewellyn." It was almost as much a statement as it was a greeting. Bronwyn, not sure of what to say, gave an assenting shrug. He then stepped up to Laurie. "I don't know you." Laurie tentatively extended her hand. "Laurie Donovan." He took her hand and in a most gentlemanly way, kissed it. "Charmed." He then stepped up to Julie. Laurie felt a mix of guarded reserve and hopeful expectation emanate from him. "Hello, mother." Julie gave him a hopeful look, and said, "Hello, Joanie." Joe clenched his eyes shut and Laurie felt a spike of pain and sorrow from him. How could Julie not feel that? But Laurie had an answer almost as soon as she thought the question. Julie didn't feel it because she wouldn't let herself feel it, wouldn't let herself feel anything that meant she was wrong and Joe wasn't really Joanie deep down. Joe wouldn't let his pain show, instead letting it come out as anger. "Aaggh! I told you she wouldn't accept me!" He turned and strode towards Tarina. Angrily he said in an almost growl, "Let's go home." Tarina said, "No!" and bolted past him to Julie. She grasped Julie's hands. "Please, mother! Your son is a good man, a good provider, a good protector, and a good father. He is strong, kind, compassionate. With Steven, we have four children who need their grandmother. But it took me 7 years to convince him to let me try to reunite you." With a plaintive tone, she added, "If you reject him now, I may never be able to convince him again." Julie stood there, unsure of what to say. Joe had remained utterly silent throughout Tarina's speech, neither encouraging, nor disrupting. Laurie could feel both his pain and his desire. She felt he wanted a reunion with his mother, but was afraid to approach her for fear of being rejected again. Laurie said, "Julie, open your heart. Can't you feel the pain your son suffers? Is having a daughter so important that you would so willingly hurt him like you are?" Laurie felt Julie's walls come down from within. For the first time in a long time, Julie felt, seeing things as they were. With tears in her eyes she said, "Joe, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me." They all felt the private war raging inside of him. His desire for his mother clashed with the history he had experienced already. Finally a decision was made and Joe said, "We have to go home." Julie almost broke down, thinking her son was rejecting her, but Joe allayed her fears, saying, "but we'll be back tomorrow. We'll talk. You should bring your healer friend." Then to Tarina, he said, "Your father had to go home early. Steven's at home with the girls." Tarina kissed Julie on the cheek. "Worry not, mother. Joe's word is his bond. If he says we'll be back tomorrow, then we will be back tomorrow." Tarina then ran to Joe and took his hand. They took a few steps and were gone. Julie stared after them, too frightened to do much. Finally she turned to Laurie and said, "You will come? He said you should come." "Yes, I'll come. I'll need to use your phone and give Jack a call, but I think he's mature enough to handle a couple more days alone at home." Bronwyn said, "Do you think Joe will mind if I come along?" Laurie gave her friend a curious look. "He didn't say no. The worst that can happen is that you show up and he asks you to leave." Bronwyn seemed to consider that, then nodded. They got into the car and drove back to Julie's home. When they went inside, Julie seemed to get a burst of manic need and started cleaning the house. Laurie convinced her to take five minutes to rest, and used a bit of her power to put Julie into a restful sleep. She then went into the kitchen to talk to Bronwyn. She sat across from her friend and asked, "So what's up with you?" "What do you mean?" "You've almost been as bad as Julie. You've been emotional, irrational, and almost manic. I'm just wondering what's going on inside your pretty head." Bronwyn considered it. "I can't help remembering the few times I met Joanie." "Don't you mean Joe?" "I mean Joe when he was Joanie." "Okay. Just so we're sure of who we're talking about. Who he really is. One mistake and Julie might lose her son forever." "I know. I realize how wrong she... How wrong I was." "You? What did you do?" "Nothing. And I think that was the problem." "I don't understand." "I only met Joanie a few times before her... his transformation. Part of me always liked him. He was nice, personable, and fun to be around. But he was also a young boy and always running off to be with his friends. Despite that, part of me always wanted him around. Then Julie surprised me with an early transformation." "Early transformation?" "Yeah. She originally wanted to transform her after his graduation. She said she wanted to minimize the disruption in his life. Then she transformed him on his sixteenth birthday." "Why?" "She never told me exactly. She just said that she was forced to revise her decision as to when the right time to transform him was. And since that decision is ultimately up to the mother, I took her word for it. But on that first visit, I should've pushed harder." "What do you mean?" "I sensed his pain. I tried to question him about it, but he wouldn't open up to me. I even revealed who I was to him, but that just caused him to close up even further. I asked Julie about it. She told me that he was just having problems adjusting to his new womanhood. And that he was feeling a little resentful of her. It sounded right, and he made such a beautiful, powerful Sister. I guess I didn't want to hear about anything that would mean his return to manhood. Now I can't help wondering; if I'd have pushed a little harder, dug a little deeper, could I have prevented all this?" "Water under the bridge, my love." "I suppose so." "But is that all there is? Your reaction to this still seems a little intense for just a regretted decision." Bronwyn thought about it for a while. "I cried when she left us, Laurie. When Julie called me, so distraught over her return to manhood and walking out on her, I cried. I told myself it was because I felt for Julie's loss, and that we had lost so powerful a Sister." "But that wasn't it, was it?" "No." Tears came to Bronwyn's eyes. "Laurie, I think I'm in love with a married man." Laurie took her hand comfortingly. After a few seconds, Bronwyn wiped the tears from her eyes, and asked, "Have you called Jack, yet?" "Thanks for reminding me." Laurie got up, called her home, and told her son about her decision to remain in New York for a while longer. She then sat back down, a contemplative look on her face. "You're thinking about Jack's transformation, aren't you?" "You're surprised?" "No. You're not considering... not transforming him, are you?" "Yes, I am. I've been looking forward to the joy of sharing with Jack all the joys I shared with my mom. But then I see how Joe reacted. Bronwyn, I don't think I could stand it if he reacted even half as badly. And I know I couldn't stand to lose him for over a decade." "So you won't make the mistakes she did. Laurie, we're going to need Jacqueline's power. All of our information gatherers say that something big is going to happen in the next few years." "Damn the portents, Bronwyn. I won't risk my son. Even if it means losing the daughter I've dreamed of all my life." "Even if it means risking the Sisterhood?" "Are the portents really that bad?" "All the Sisters I've talked to say yes. It looks bad enough that if we even wait to Jack's eighteenth birthday to transform him, it may be too late." "What does Julie say?" "Julie retired from active duty. She still helps coordinate the gatherers, but she hasn't actually performed the rituals since before... you know." "Well... We'll see after tomorrow." ***** The next day Julie woke up early. She complained a bit, but eventually thanked Laurie for helping her relax. Laurie then asked, "Julie, how long has it been since you performed a self-purification ritual? Asked the Goddess into your heart to help heal your inner strife?" "It... It was a couple years after Joanie... Joe disappeared. I performed the ritual, asking to be reunited with my child. Then I felt this overwhelming... male... presence. Oh, Goddess! What did I do?!" "What's wrong?" "When I last performed the ritual, I asked the Goddess to bring my child back to me. I felt something that I thought was her, but it was just so male, that I rejected it and the Goddess out of hand. But... what if that really was my son? Oh, Goddess, no wonder he hates me so. I rejected him completely." Julie broke down in tears. Laurie and Bronwyn sat beside her and wrapped their arms around her. Laurie said, "Oh, hun, he doesn't hate you." Tears in her eyes, Julie asked, "Are you sure?" "Would I lie to you? When I sensed him earlier, I sensed pain, anguish, and a longing to be with you. But I did not sense hate." "Thanks, Laurie." "But now, more than ever, you need to spend some time in prayer. Go upstairs and spend some time alone, doing what you know you must." Julie nodded, and then went upstairs. She opened the drawer where she kept the crystals she used for her morning ablutions, amazed at how much dust had collected on them. She took out a rag and carefully wiped each clean as she set it in its proper place for her morning rituals. As she started her personal song that would help her touch the Goddess, she worried that she wouldn't be accepted back after rejecting Her so completely. But as she felt wrapped in the Goddess's loving presence, she swore she heard Her voice say, "Welcome back, my child." Almost two hours later, Laurie heard a knock on the door. Since Julie still had yet to finish upstairs, Laurie took it upon herself to answer it. As she opened the door, Julie rushed down the steps to stand beside her. Outside was Joe and Tarina. On Joe's shoulder was a small girl. Behind him were two twin girls and a preteen boy. Joe said, "Hi, mom. Tarina insisted we bring the kids. I hope you don't mind." Julie was stunned. Never would she have hoped that she would have a chance of meeting her grandchildren so quickly. "No, I don't mind. Have them come on in." With that, one of the twins burst away and dashed into the house. The boy yelled, "Tasha!" and started after her. He braked abruptly in front of Julie, took her hand and shook it lightly. "Sorry. I'm Steven, your grandson. Be right back." He then took off after his little sister, yelling, "Tasha, this place isn't you-proofed yet!" Joe sighed. With a smile, he said, "38 seconds standing still. I think that's a new record for her. That little bundle of energy was Tasha, a true handful. The young boy, as he said, was your grandson, Steven. This shy one behind my legs is Inya." Joe gently pushed Inya out into the open where she gave a tentative curtsy. "And this toddler on my shoulder is Norma." Joe stepped into the house and surprised Julie by handing Norma to her. Julie held her youngest grandchild for minute, lost in bliss as Norma ran her little fingers over her face. Then all the Sisters were surprised when they heard in their minds, "Pretty, but 'fraid." Norma then turned her head to Joe and asked, "Da-da, why Gramma 'fraid?" Joe inclined his head towards his mother. "Ask her." Norma turned back to Julie. "Why Gramma 'fraid? Do I scare you?" Julie smiled. "No, little one. Your grandmother is scared because she's afraid of hurting someone very dear to her." "Why Gramma 'fraid of hurting da-da?" Julie was shocked. "How did you know I was speaking of your father?" "Hear it in Gramma head." Joe said, "That's enough, Norma." Joe took Norma and put her on the floor. "Inya, take your sister and play with her." Inya took her sister's hand and led her over to the couch. Joe explained, "Norma's a natural telepath. And she's so good at it that so far I'm the only one who can block her out." Steven returned from the kitchen with Tasha slung over his shoulder. Despite her position, Tasha didn't seem miffed in the slightest. Steven set her down, and she ran over to the couch with her sisters. Joe said, "Shall we adjourn to the kitchen?" Bronwyn came downstairs. "Hello, Joe. I hope you don't mind me being here. I can leave if you want." "No, I don't mind. But I think this talk should be just mom, Laurie, and me." "I understand." Julie, Laurie, and Joe went into the kitchen. Shortly thereafter, Norma went to her mother and Tarina picked her up. Bronwyn asked her, "I'm curious. Why did you bring your kids?" "Leverage. If mother sees what she will lose by refusing Joe, then she will be less likely to refuse him. And if his children form an attachment with her, Joe will make a greater effort at reunion." "Kind of... manipulative, isn't it?" "Yes. But I will do anything to heal my family." Bronwyn was impressed with the woman's devotion. She knew what she wanted and went after it. Bronwyn was also impressed with the woman's mix of feminine grace and raw, primal energy. When fighting, she was a savage force of nature, but as a mother, she was as loving and nurturing as a woman could be. It was a couple hours later, and Steven had just pulled Tasha from an antique cabinet the youngster was determined to climb. Tasha smiled happily as she went back with her sister. It all seemed to be just one big game to her. Bronwyn decided to talk with the young boy. If tradition was followed he should undergo the Transformation in about 6 to 8 years. But this family was anything but traditional, and if Joe had told him too much of what he had gone through, it would make Steven a lost cause. "Hey, youngster, mind if we talk?" Steven smiled up at her. "Sure, what do you want to talk about?" "You seem to be a mature young man, and I was wondering, do you know why you're here? Why your family is here?" "Because grandma made a mistake with dad's Transformation, so dad walked out on her, and now mom is trying to bring them back together." "So your father has told you about the Transformation?" "About the Transformation, and about the Birth Rites." "Birth Rites? What about the Birth Rites?" Steven started, "That they're-" But Tarina interrupted with a reproachful, "Steven!" shaking her head in a negatory way. Steven shrugged and said, "I guess you'll have to ask dad." Bronwyn looked back and forth between Steven and Tarina, and knew she wasn't going to get anything out of either of them. Pressing on, she asked, "What has your father told you about the Transformation?" "Not a lot, really. He just explained that, as a male descendant of the Sisterhood, I could undergo a Transformation into a woman, and, after learning what it was like to be female, I could join the Sisterhood if I wanted." "Has he said when or if he is going to transform you?" "He said that's up to me. It's my choice when or even if I become a girl. Excuse me." Steven leapt off the couch and went over to pull Tasha off the cabinet again. Bronwyn was a bit stunned. Steven knew about the Transformation and his father had left it up to him? It was rare enough that a child was told about the Sisterhood or the Transformation before actually being exposed to it, but to leave it up to the child? Such a thing had never been done before. It was felt that with the anti-female undertones in male socialization that a child never would willingly undergo the ritual. How could you expect a boy who had spent the better part of his life avoiding girls because they had "cooties" to actually want to try living as a female? Bronwyn felt that Joe had made a mistake, and her wheels started turning, thinking of a way to trick Steven into accepting the Transformation. As Steven returned to the couch, Bronwyn shook her head. What was she doing? This was a family matter, between Steven, Joe, and Julie. If she interfered, it might wind up ensuring Steven's rejection of the Transformation. Bronwyn looked at the young boy and asked, "So what do you think about the Transformation? Are you going to do it?" "I don't know. I mean, I see how all the female manipulation and betrayal have hurt dad and it's not a big plus, but then I see Tarina's honest, straight- forward attitude, and I know that if I do decide to try changing, then I can be the girl I want to be. I tell you this, though. If I do become a girl, then I'm not going to be one of those ultra-feminine frou-frou types." This was getting curious. Not only was Steven not rejecting the Transformation outright, he was actually considering what kind of woman he was going to be. "What kind of woman do you think you'd be?" Steven considered it. "I'd be part Tarina. A little bit of grandma. A good part Tasha, with her zest for life. A little bit of Inya's artistry. And maybe just a little bit of you." "Me? You barely know me." "But I know you're interested in making sure that the Sisterhood remains strong. After all, that is why you're questioning me, isn't it? To see if it's okay for me to join the Sisterhood?" Bronwyn was amazed. Looking into his eyes, she saw that there was no use denying it. "You're a very perceptive young man, Steven." Steven smiled. "Thanks." He then bolted from the couch and plucked Tasha off the cabinet again. "Kiddo," he said, "there's a big tree in the front yard. Why don't you go climb that?" Confirming what Bronwyn thought, Tasha said, "'Cause this is more fun." Tarina said, "Tasha, outside." Tasha smiled, said, "Yes, mother," and ran outside. A couple hours later, in the kitchen