Nicole materialized on top of the pyramid, out of thin air, startling the Incan priest there. "You are... Forgive me, mistress! You are a messenger from the sun god Inti? Or perhaps you are Mama Quilla herself, the moon goddess."
Nicole shook her head. "No, I'm not a god of any kind," she said.
"But I have seen you appear from thin air!" The priest walked over to a clay pot and took out what looked like an ear of red corn. The kernels were larger than Nicole was used to, and it was half-burned. He offered it to Nicole.
"Well, I appreciate the offer," replied Nicole, picking up the corn ear. "But I'm not a god. I'm trying to stop someone else who isn't a god either, he just thinks he's one. I'm really here for one thing. To borrow the stone once you're finished with this ritual."
"You are here to...?"
"Oh, don't worry, I'm not taking it away. I know this is a one in a billion thing, in the history of the world it'll never be possible again, yadda yadda. In return I'll grant you, umm... Well, I can grant you lots of things, but you could get them anyway with your magic stone."
"Surely you know that the magic stone is a project for the ages? Its power is low and it will grant wishes only at arm's length. When my sons are grown it may grant wishes within several. Only after centuries will it become truly miraculous."
Of course, thought Nicole. The magic stone couldn't possibly have had its full power at the beginning. If it did, then the Incas would have used it and they'd have never been conquered. So instead the priest would mount it on an altar, not knowing that in a few years the Spanish would come and destroy everything, leaving the stone lost for centuries....
Jon materialized in the room, looking as he did before--maybe a bit taller, and with no acne, but very much Jon. "What is it, Kevin?"
"Well, you see..." replied Kevin, "it's... Well, Jon, are you really sure that what you're doing is right?"
"Of course it's right, Kevin. The world's at peace. People like us are at peace. Everything is better, all the way from the President's new plan to eliminate world hunger, to the way everyone in our class is always honest with each other."
"That's one of the things that bothers me, Jon. If you can do anything at all, wouldn't you just do everything you need in a second and then spend the rest of eternity having fun?"
"I'm going slow," said Jon. "The world is a big thing. I don't want to mess up with it. Like the world hunger--I'm not going to give everyone an infinite magic supply of food. That would destroy economies and do all sorts of things."
"I thought it was something like that," said Kevin. "You know about restraint. You're using restraint. But are you using enough? There has to be a better way to do some of the things you've done. Making everyone honest or destroying all weapons of mass destruction is as much overkill as throwing around infinite food. And why can't I change back to Karyn, anyway?"
"Is that what's bothering you, Kevin?" asked Jon. "Here, let me fix it." He didn't even wave his hand, but Sarah could sense a subtle difference. "Kevin," said Jon, "you like being a boy now, right?"
"Of course I do," replied Kevin, "I'm just trying to say that maybe you shouldn't be doing all the things you did. The overkill, the vengeance, all the unfair things...."
"I'm not being unfair!" exclaimed Jon. "I do what needs to be done because I have the power and nobody else does, and these things need to be done!"
"Dammit, Jon, you're playing God!"
"If there is a God," said Jon, "he isn't doing anything. I guess I'm going to have to fill in. You know what, Kevin, I'm glad I got this power. I'm glad that I can make the world a better place and I'm glad I can give bad people what they deserve."
"Nobody deserves the things you're doing," said Kevin. "Not Chaz, not Moose, not Saudi Arabia, not the President, nobody."
"Why are you talking like this anyway?" asked Jon. "Haven't I been good to you? If I was this monster you think I am, I'd have just forced you to worship me. I haven't forced anyone to worship me yet."
"It's just that you..."
"No," said Jon. "Something's wrong. It's..." Jon turned to face the wall. "Wall, show me what you've seen here."
The white surface of the wall began to glow, first evenly, then irregularly, showing shapes that formed themselves into a picture. On it appeared Kevin, and the poodle that was Sarah McMillan. The poodle turned into Sarah and began talking to Kevin....
"I see," said Jon.
The poodle in the room grew taller, paws becoming hands, long blonde hair cascading down from its head... and Sarah McMillan stood in front of Jon. "There's no reason for me to hide it any more," said Sarah. "You never transformed me. Not really."
"I should have!" exclaimed Jon. "You've been a thorn in everyone's side. Sarah McMillan, teacher's pet. Sarah McMillan, head cheerleader. Sarah McMillan, popular slut."
"What, I'm a slut because I have big breasts and blonde hair? Your boyfriend got those, did that make him a slut? I got liked because I did things that made me liked. And you may not know it, but even the popular kids aren't liked by everyone. I don't see how you can say with a straight face that you hate me and everyone liked me at the same time. I'm going to ask you once, Jon. Please, give this all up. Change things back the way they were, and stop trying to control people. Just because you're not sitting on a throne and calling yourself emperor of the solar system doesn't mean you're not out of line."
"Just because you wished yourself up some brains and copied some of my ideas doesn't make you speaker for all the poor suffering people."
"I never wished up any brains! You don't know anything at all about me!"
"Hmm," said Jon. "Come to think of it, emperor of the Solar System--I like the sound of that."
"I know you're just saying that to make me mad," replied Sarah. "How does it feel to finally run into someone who won't just take what you're dishing out?"
"I don't want to deal with this," said Jon. "I used to get tormented by the cool crowd lots of times. I'm not letting you do it again." He lifted his hand and a stream of fire shot out at Sarah. It bounced off her chest harmlessly.
"I hate what I'm going to do," said Sarah. "I hate this so much... but you leave me no other choice."
Nicole nibbled her roasted corn until the ceremony finished, then teleported over to the stone and picked it up. She spoke her wish in English. The Incans didn't understand it, but the stone knew all languages. "I wish that when Jon gets this stone and wishes for power and invulnerability, after a few days it would no longer affect Sarah McMillan."
Sarah hoped the plan would work, but didn't see how it could fail. No wish could contradict a previous wish. If Nicole went to the past and wished that Sarah could hurt Jon, all future wishes--including Jon's original wish to become super-Jon--would be limited by their inability to contradict that first wish made centuries ago.
"Die, Jon," said Sarah.
Jon suddenly choked, then collapsed to the ground, dead.
