Muriel took the rather confused child that was once minus four... still she did need a name.
"What shall we call you dear?" She wondered.
The insect girl looked blankly. "Name?" She asked.
"Well I'll have a think about it," She said taking her hand.
Muriel had to marvel at this rather.. odd situation. How in the world can she explain this? She wasn't sure she could. What exactly could she do with her? She would have to file some kind of report to the police, on finding her. She wasn't sure if she could just take her home either. There were procedures for these things though...
"Go on you children, go back to the school. Not- you Tetra." she said eyeing the small cat.
The cat girl gave a grin. "Aww..." she purred and sat herself on Muriel's shoulder. "But I thought I could make sure they get back there all safe and sound."
"I'm sure they will be fine. I'd rather someone a little bigger was with them. Robert you don't mind do you?"
The devil woman gave a small bow. "It would be my pleasure."
Lilly... was shaken to her core by everything that happened. It showed by her silence as she walked back to the school. Magic... real magic... Jenny and Artemis had real magic. She had seen it with her own eyes.
... and they never told her.
Maybe they had their reasons, but it still didn't take away the hurt she felt. She knew Jenny before Artemis, and thought... well... what conclusion can she draw from that? Why didn't they tell her?
Was she justified in being this upset? She couldn't help these childish emotions, as much as she tried so hard to keep them under. She was better then this! She was older! She just... didn't know what to think, especially given that they seemed able to do so many incredible things. They changed that girl into an insect-like person, Artemis moved the Moon itself and blotted out the sun!
Yet... they can't change her into a boy again? Can't... or wouldn't. What if... They- or people like them were the ones who changed the sun? Could that... really be possible?
Lilly felt tears well up in her eyes, and she ran up ahead so that the other's couldn't notice. Robert knew something was wrong with her though couldn't know just how troubled and upset she was. Indeed, she couldn't really interfere too much. She was just there to make sure they got back to the school safely.
The journey didn't take long. They saw Miss Violet standing at the gates. "Oh there you are! Where in the world have you been?" She had her serious voice, given the severity of children leaving the school like that.
"We found another lost child," Said Jenny.
Violet blinked. "You... did?" Okay- once was probably luck... but twice? within a day? Clearly something was up here. She saw the devil woman and Jenny's mother. Well, at least she was with them. "I will... overlook this one. But please next time tell a teacher," she said sternly.
"We're sorry Aunty," said Artemis shyly. "It was... important?"
Violet looked to Artemis. She saw the eclipse... but.. surly... no. She wasn't even going to bring it up. That was just a silly idea. Finally, the teacher looked at the devil woman. "And who are you?"
"I'm Robert... a priest. I... was just passing through," the devil woman explained.
Violet put her hands on her hips not really buying it. The elven teacher looked at the children. "Well, I'm glad you're all safe. Oh- Lilly? You tore your dress," She observed.
Lilly looked up. That did it... that broke the straw of her back. Suddenly, the child just burst into tears. She bawled and sobbed.
Violet blinked. What did she say? "It's just a little torn sweety. I'm sure it can be fixed." she tried to sooth her.
Lilly continued to cry, to the bewilderment of everyone else watching. What happened?
"W-What's wrong Lilly?" Asked Jenny.
"You. You. Won't. Turn me back!" She said in between sobs. "You- an Artemis can- but wont! You lied to me!" They can move the moon, they can change clothings, they can do all sorts of things but they wont help her! They just thought it was all some kind of game. They don't even want to help her! The squirrel girl just... She wanted to forget she ever came to this school.
Violet didn't know what the child was babbling about. But she felt a measure of guilt. She had placed the seed of a belief when she told that story about the old Artemis... though she supposed Lilly would latch on to anything... she felt pity and sadness for the girl. "Dear, I'm sure if they could they would," She explained gently.
"N-No They wont! They Wont!" She cried in severe distress.
Violet shook her head. Someone this distraught couldn't go to class. "Lilly... would you like to go home?" She asked gently placing her hand onto her shoulder.
"Y-Yes," She said crying again. "T-Take me home... I want to go home," she said even more upset, that she had to ask for someone to take her.
Jenny and Artemis just looked stunned. Violet cast an encouraging look to them. "Go on children. Maybe you can see her after school," She said.
"No! S-Stay away from me!" She said adamantly.
Aretmis and Jenny walked away together, both a little shaken.
Violet considered the situation. Under normal circumstances a parent would come and collect her... but neither parent of Lilly was changed. She glanced at Robert, she didn't know her, so it wouldn't really be appropriate to let her take the child either. Still there didn't seem to be much choice. She had brought them back to the school, and she did vaguely know of the priest from others.
Reluctantly she asked. "Could you take her home Robert?"
"Of course," The devil woman replied.
Jon looked out the window at the unscheduled eclipse and return of daylight. It had come and gone quickly, and there was nothing to suggest anything untoward was going on... still what Brittany had said, the slug girl was concerned.
"Do you think everything is okay?" she asked.
The ghost-girl gave a nod. "We are all still here... so I believe so," She said.
Jon blinked at that but nodded as well. "So... how do I make this group?" She asked.
Brittany gave it some thought. "Merlin always suggested a round table," She said a little wryly.
Jon chuckled just a bit at that. Honestly... her in an Arthurian legend? That would be crazy. Still she would need candidates. They would have to be people she could trust to keep the secret of the stone. But who to trust?
In a way it felt quite good to think about this. Sharing the secret in some way made it less of a burden. That indeed, others have had to do similar things... Obviously Karyn was her most trusted friend in all this, as was Brittany. Could this Three eyed girl that saw Truth also be of help?
"I'll talk to er... this three eyed girl?"
"Lady Haru," Said Brittany.
"Haru," Jon nodded.
The walk back with the priest was very quiet, aside from the clicking sound of Robert's feet. She didn't really know what was wrong with the girl, and dared not to make any assumptions. Everyone was dealing with some aspect of their change... still she didn't think the girl looked that bad to be this upset.
Lilly looked at her house, and ran towards it. She then jumped onto a side tree, then onto a window ledge. She opened the window and crawled into her bedroom.
The devil woman sighed and rang the bell. The door opened, and she saw Mrs Gordon with a look of surprise. She was protected by the shade of the house from the affects of the sunlight though. She glanced at the priestly robes and sighed. "I'm afraid I'm not really interested in-"
"No it's not that," Robert quickly said with a blush. Why did people always make that assumption. "I accompanied your daughter... she was not feeling well in school."
"Oh... where is she?" she asked.
"She.. used the tree to get into that window?" she explained uncertainly.
The mother frowned slightly. For Lilly to go through the window she must be in a seriously bad mood. "I'll... try to talk to her. Any idea what's the matter?"
"Sorry... I don't know," she said sighing once more.
The mother sighed and nodded. "I hope- she didn't cause you any trouble."
"No- No trouble. Though- I hope I'm not being intrusive, but... I think you should consider sending her for some counciling," she said delicately.
"She's not that bad," She said a little defensively. "I'll talk to her. Thank you again miss."
"Billy?" Her mother said knocking onto the squirrel girl's bedroom door.
There was no answer. She tried to push open the door, but found it was barred from the inside. Billy must have pushed the bed against it. She probably could push through but the child really seemed determined to keep everyone out of her room today.
The mother was almost in tears herself as she spoke. "I... am sorry things aren't working out in that school. We can pull you out of there if you want" she offered. She was suddenly rather glad that she hadn't paid the full course. The money though wasn't important.. she just wanted her daughter to be happy.
She heard a whisper of a voice. At least she knew Billy was okay in there.
"I-It doesn't matter... mom.. please... leave me alone," She said through the door.
"I'll have some food for you when you come out of there... okay?"
Suddenly, loud music blared out of the room. Rock music... Billy's mother shook her head and went back downstairs. Her family was being torn apart by all this... she just didn't know what to do.
Lilly turned her music as high up as she could. These were the CD's she used to listen to before she changed. It sounded horrible to her now... but she didn't care. This was what she used to listen to. Right now, she just wanted to do something that she used to do. Something that would let her pretend she was that person again. Older.. a boy... just rocking out.
She laid on the bed on her front and closed her eyes, so that her tails were not touching anything... and just pretended. Pretended she was human again. The soft fur was just a blanket covering her, everything was fine... everything was fine...
Track after track played through the stereo speakers. Another CD started playing automatically, and even more rock and roll was heard to her ears. She could almost sing the words to some of them, but a lot were just... not in her head. It was like she was listening to them all for the first time. She had no connection to any of them.
The music was starting to make her sick to her stomach, but she endured it, her eyes still shut.
She knew it wasn't a cure, and when she opened her eyes that furry young little squirrel-girl with twin tails would be there again. She lost so much and gained.. nothing.
Maybe... she could set out for a real cure herself now that she knew, Artemis wasn't going to help her.
Now that she knew, she could only really depend on herself.
