Jon slowly sat up. That blast of normality had hurt, but it was worth it to serve his Goddess. And it had made such a gigantic difference; for the moment, at least, Zoe had neither servants nor soldiers. But Jon knew it wasn't over yet; Zoe was still a goddess, and it was reasonable to assume that the Deity Stones created deities with equal power levels; this war might amount to little more than a long Gothing and de-Gothing session.
A little ways from him, he saw some of the other norms helping Goddess Karyn up; she was clearly drained from the blast. "Goddess Karyn." He missed the old Karyn, the one who had been his friend instead of his Goddess. He wished he could go to her and help her up the way he normally would have if she'd fallen, but it wouldn't be proper for a male to handle his Goddess like that. Jon was happy to serve his Goddess, but he wished they could be equals again. Glumly, he looked down at his feet.
There was the wishing stone! Karyn must have dropped it when she went down. Suddenly, Jon had an idea: if he was a deity as well, he could be Karyn's equal again. And with two deities against one, their odds would be a lot better. Picking up the stone, he said, "I wish I had a Deity Stone." And suddenly he did, in his hand. Clutching it tight, he invoked its power and began to change.
His pants and shirt merged into one piece of cloth, becoming a flowing white toga, draped over one shoulder. His hair changed from brown to a lustrous black and fell down past his shoulders, nearly to his waist. His hand and arms became slender and delicate, his legs long and smooth, his feet dainty. His face softened as his body became slender and curvy. His nipples grew into two modest-sized breasts, his undershirt changing into a simple cloth brassiere of the kind Greek women used to wear. Finally, his private region changed to match the rest of him. Jon was not a god, but a goddess.
Everyone had turned to stare at her. "J-Jon?" Sarah gasped. "Y-you became a g-goddess?"
Jon nodded. "This form suits my nature. I am Jon no longer. I am Jaya, Goddess of Myth, mother to monsters."
Sarah's allegiance was not to Jaya, but she was nonetheless inspired to honor her. Dropping to one knee, she said, "I am honored, Goddess Jaya."
Jaya smiled. "You may call me Jaya," she said. There was nothing in her tone of either Karyn's haughty aloofness or Zoe's sinister authority, just a gentle kindness. She raised her voice. "Come to me, my children!" she shouted.
In an instant, all the mortals within earshot were changed. Sarah was now a voluptuous, naked mermaid, sunning herself on a rock in the pool that had formed underneath her, and wearing more than a little of the old Sarah's smug, self-satisfied look. Athena had become a harpy, also naked, but only because she couldn't put anything on with the wings she had for arms. The area was covered in creatures from all different folklores, from pixies and kitsune to jackelopes and Sasquatches. Jaya smiled at them. They were more than servants to her; they were her children.
Karyn gave her an icy stare. She simply smiled back. "I am also a Goddess, Karyn," she said. "Even if it is beneath you to befriend a mortal, we can still be friends now." The Goddess of Myth approached the Goddess of Normality, arms open for an embrace.
