Hannah adjusted her wings slightly as the breeze changed, swaying into the currents. She glanced down and saw she was about ten feet above the hills, gliding gracefully down. She felt exhilarated. There was simply no way to describe the freedom flying brought to her. For a brief moment she could almost forget she didn't have any hands any more...
"Your doin' great Hannah!" Lily called as she and Bruce ran across the grass following her. The little squirrel thought it was the most amazing sight she had ever seen. Her friend, flying so free it was just like when... she climbed trees for the first time. Jumping from branch to branch. It was taken for granted now, but if she thought about it, it was one of the few aspects of her own change she could actually like.
Bruce grinned giving a very wolfish chuckle. Hannah eventually skimmed the ground as she landed. Not the best landing possible, but it wasn't that bad either. It might be something she had to work on. Her legs, crumpled down as she felt them suddenly weaken. "I- I can't believe it."
"Believe it," Bruce grinned again. "You was flyin'," he smiled again.
"I... I was flying," Hannah repeated with still shock in her voice. Did her transformation take away her fear of heights? Or did she conquer it herself? She wasn't sure, but perhaps it was a bit of both? Her change didn't take away the fear, but it gave her a means to rise above it so to speak. By a mix of instinct as well as the final, eventual flight that would take her on the winds as a bird.
Hannah felt the need to suddenly embrace both Bruce and especially Lilly for bringing her here. "T-Thank you," she said. Her fear burdened her but now... now she felt so much better.
Lilly just smiled though felt a little shy at the hug. She still wasn't really used to any of this, especially interacting with other children. Even if she was one...
Bruce suddenly grinned very wolfishly. "Hehe.. let's play a new game... An' this time, Hannah, you can't be in the air for more then 1 minute or somethin'."
"What game?" asked Lilly.
Bruce let loose a sudden howl, startling the squirrel girl. "I'm the big bad wolf. An' you have to run!"
Hannah laughed. "Tag!"
Les hanged the suit carefully. His wife was right... she was always right. He could visit his colleague at night... so why did he wish he could risk going out, even in his new fancy dark-suit?
Of course he knew the answer.
He went to his private study. He really should be sleeping during the day, but the crisis had turned him into an insomniac. It was only due to his wife insisting on his rest, that he was functioning at all in these circumstances.
He pulled out his favourite book. Darwin's Origin's of species. He laughed bitterly as he once more read of the pages... what would Darwin have made of this? He honestly didn't know, except that Darwin's laws did not apply in these instances. Yet here he was, trying to help the world find a cure to something that had no basis in science! All his work in genetics, all his attempts to undo the changes, as well as a lab destroyed...
The worst part was not failure. It was that various governments still wanted him to work on the cure. They still believed he could... as one of the foremost researches in genetics why couldn't he know?
"Because it makes no sense," He thought. It was as if biology had suddenly taken an artistic license in their world- and yet, they could still breed. Everyone was still genetically compatible with the other- or whatever it was that passed as genetics to different species (how in the world did that work?!)
That he couldn't risk going out in his new suit spoke of a far deeper problem he was realising himself. He was...loosing faith in science. Him. He never saw science as a faith though... but he did believe that every problem had a solution, and that all phenomenons could be explained. Science however, had no answer... he had no answer... and people depended on him, to have one. Now the world was different, and it scared him. He didn't want his baby growing in a world of-
What would a world like this be like in the future? He knew enough of socialism to know that tribalism still ran deep in any sentient species. Like attracted like... even if they were all genetically compatible. Humanity would diverge into millions- if not possible billions of different races... yet this was not a bad thing, from a genetic point of view. He always felt a concern when he realised just how vulnerable humanity was. Each human was essentially the same template and has been for hundreds of thousands of years. Minor differences certainly, but they were a species that was vulnerable to plague- more so then many other animals, due to their very small variations in genetics. It was due to their intelligence they had avoided extinction...
So what did this mean? It meant humans survived by no longer being human. He was witnessing the end of his species... and for a moment felt a crushing loss that he understood why groups trying to push humanities interest existed. They were as scared as him- but his children were changed, and he loved them dearly anyway. It didn't matter if they had fur, scales, or were the 'wrong' ages. They were still his, and he wanted to protect them...
He poured over his various E-mails. It was surprising how people were throwing money at him to get a new lab fixed up, and to try again. Even with resources stretched... people needed money to adapt infrastructure. To provide pools, or trees, or... whatever it was that the changed needed.
Les wondered where Lilly was. Perhaps she was doing some extra activity in school.
Robert sighed in contemplation, as she looked towards the alter. She reflected deeply on her words with Father Maxwell. It was perhaps odd for a priest to be part of the church when she had so many questions of faith. Her teachers at the time said it was not a problem. Indeed they rather have priests that did question... a thing that made no sense to her.
Yet here it was... the most inexplicable thing to happen to her, was to be given this body.
A miracle...
This was her miracle... to be turned into a... hooven eight (sensitively) breasted horned devil woman? At least she was younger... but...
Why?
But there was no answer... none at all. She read various parts of the bible, but the passages in it gave her no answers. Should there not be an answer here? She was starting to wonder of Cass and Lucas as well, and their boldness of... exploring reality in such a fundamental way. She wasn't sure how far one could stretch reality without some kind of breakdown...
She thought to go back to hell's Kitchen today. She wanted to see more of the devil-changed. It was perhaps a morbid curiosity but... she wanted to invite them to her church. She wanted to make sure that they knew, God had not forsaken them- like she once felt before. Father Maxwell made it clear she could simply leave the priesthood... there wouldn't be anyone feeling ill will towards her for it.
But... she still felt like she belonged here. The bell was fixed, but society still needed healing. The changed and unchanged... now there was an idea. Why not conduct a sermon at night? She could invite the changed and unchanged at the same time... it was going to be odd certainly to sing morning glory, but... it was morning somewhere, right?
She locked up the church, and opened her senses to smell that spicy meat that would take her back to Hell's Kitchen.
The strange multi armed girl gave one last look at Andy as the rabbit girl was leaving work. She smiled happily, but it was time to go. Time to...
It wasn't movement exactly, the shifting- all reality was connected, so it wasn't as if she had actually gone anywhere. she was simply in another aspect of the place she was in. This was the within... the within world.
She imparted her knowledge without words, and it was understood immediately. For just as reality was all connected, so were they. It was not the way of mortals, but it was easier to interact in the forms they had given them when they were present. She guessed it was a form of politeness adapted.
The multi armed girl nodded as if understanding something and departed the realm.
She had many names to the world. Venus was one of them, of course. She was still sleepy from slumber, even as an aspect of her had interacted with her dear friend, Selina. The moon goddess had also interacted with mortals of late. Such was how things were now. The universe was going through change, and so were they... they were part of the universe too, after all. In fact one could argue, they were more susceptible then anyone else to the new sun... it was not a force they could exert influence on... any more then a god could stop being a god.
"Selina," she voiced melodiously.
The moon goddess appeared in front of her, as their domains merged briefly. Only in part of course. This realm was one of the oldest and most primal, although Selina was very close to her all the same. They shared many aspects of the other within them. This was normal for gods. They did not have to be individuals, although it certainly made things easier. Yet there was always a part of them that was distinct.
"Sister. Awake?" Selena asked curiously.
"More so each day," The feminine force spoke. "A mortal visited me... she was as you described. Thank you."
"I wish I had better news of her," said Selena sadly. "She is a friend of my Artemis- though that is being tested now..." Her daugher's anger was her own in some way, of course. But tempered with the knowledge of a millennia...
The feminine force's realm breathed, as a rush of wind blew through the canyons and valley. Each temptingly promising hidden secrets to unveil... "You have a daughter now, my sister?"
"You already knew. You still have much waking to do," Selena chided somewhat.
If a world could groan, it did. "To be so tired... how are you so wakeful..."
"I always watch sister... always," Selena said softly. "What did you think of the mortal, Lilly Gordon?"
The feminine force smiled gently. "She has my love. As do all who would be woman," The light in the sky seemed to brighten. Rivers ebbed and flowed with new life, as trees glistened from the shining water.
"I sense more," said Selena curiously. "You never had a daughter..."
"I could not... for all woman are my daughters," The trees became as weeping willows, as if a pang of regret. "I wish a favour Selena, my sister..."
Selena arched an eyebrow. "You need not ask..."
"But I must..." she said wistfully. "Lilly holds my favour, for better or worse... It is not something I can help. I do not wish her to be unhappy for it. I sense her sadness at the loss of friendship with your Daughter, The Artemis."
Selina sighed. "It is not our way to..." she trailed. This was coming close to interference.. yet... was this not interference when Artemis came to her? She recalled that first day she saw her...
"I know it is not... but you have others now with you...sorry my sister. I must.. rest again. So tired... Tell Lilly, I love her..."
The moon-goddess felt herself disengage from the realm- with some palpable relief. The Feminine force was going to take a long time to be fully wakened. It was rare for her to favour anyone... Rules made that clear. Yet they were being broken all the time... and if it is true that Lilly held that primal-forces favour, there was a small concern... much as she had given favour to Artemis, as her own daughter. Mortal understanding was so difficult... perhaps Cass and Lucas could aid her in healing this rift between Artemis and Lilly.
