Lilly waited again at the bus stop. she was feeling that weird insistent tingling again on her chest- at all four areas. It seemed to come and go a lot and while it wasn't pain, it felt like a kind of 'ache'. it was at the moment making her feel quite agitated. It just wasn't fair that she had to get four of them, and two tails to worry about. She rubbed at the bottom left sore area but it granted no relief. It just seemed to become worse as it pressed against her clothes.
Finally the bus came, and she just tried to ignore the weird feeling. Something else was bugging her... something she forgot? She didn't know what though.
As the squirrel girl rode on the bus to school, she was starting to wonder why there were not many students. Everything seemed a little different. Less busy. But why? She finally arrived at the school, and felt a little better when she saw some other students but not as many. She was sure her schedule said to come today though, right?
She went inside the classroom, where the teacher Miss Violet was, instead of their usual spider teacher. She was stunned for a moment to see the elven teacher. She hadn't seen her in ages, since she got her uniform from her. She felt a bit sad about that as... she was at the moment her favourite.
"Please have a seat Lilly," the teacher she said gesturing to her usual desk.
Lilly went to her desk glancing around as she took out her pens and pencils. She saw Artemis and Jenny here, and a few other new students though she didn't know their names. Glancing at Artemis she tried to get her attention, but it didn't look like she could. Something else caught her eye as she glanced at the blackboard where the teacher wrote the date- wait it was Saturday?! What was going on today? Being eight years old, Lilly's ability to keep track of the days had been impaired.
"Well, I think we have a full class now," Smiled Violet. "I have your test papers ready. You can take as much time as you like on it, and feel free to skip questions you don't know. Just do your best."
The others all nodded, leaving the squirrel girl to gasp. She- she forgot! She heard she was supposed to take a test today- and she was going to study but for some reason she got distracted and- but- but- oh no!
Violet passed each desk, and placed the test papers down. It was the standard government test for all recent transformed, or new students. It would establish which groups to place the children in, and what help they would need.
Lilly trembled. She could see Jenny and Artemis appearing to breeze through the questions. She looked at the first one, and she was almost tearing her eyes. It wasn't just a test to her. She knew what the test was about. If she didn't do well, then she would never be in the same group as Jenny and Artemis, ever. That meant she could never see more magic! She felt sick to her stomach. She tried to do the first question, determined to at least try- but she couldn't even understand what was being asked. The stress of the situation had blanked her mind.
Violet tilted her head to see the squirrel girl completely, and utterly frozen. "Sweetie just try your best. You can only do what you can do in this one, and it will just show us what we need to work on with you. Then you can go home, or look at our extra activities." Offering that carrot usually did the trick.
Lilly glanced at her friends, who seemed to be nearly done. She needed more time to think. "M-Miss violet.. c-can I go to the toilet?"
There were some small snickers of laugher in the class.
Sabrina looked with great concern to her. "Go ahead." Violet dismissed her, but tried to give her an encouraging look.
Jenny and Artemis glanced at the strange animal girl, not too sure what to make of the situation. There always seemed to be something with her.
Adam smiled as she explored more of Edina. Though there were one or two areas that seemed to be off limits, it did tantalise the imagination of what lay behind those strange carved doors. She wasn't really sure how a 'ship-girl' was supposed to work. Given how organic everything was, she guessed that the girl would have some rooms that were not really for public viewing- but she still wondered all the same.
"Your change is... certainly different to any I've seen," said the harpy as she jumped back onto the peer.
"Why thank you. You're actually the first to board me... most seem to be unsettled at the idea."
"Well, I'm sure that will change." Though of course, Adam was certainly 'unsettled' at the idea of a living ship. Sure it sounded good in the movies but to actually do it? It felt... weird.
Edina nodded. "I do hope so. In the mean time, I think I will explore the vast oceans, and see what the sun has done over the horizon. There are some ships that need help... I plan on seeking them all out, and find out what happened to them."
Adam looked a bit sad about that. The sunlight would have caught a lot of people off guard when it first came, and those in transit in particular were very vulnerable. There were no reports of fatalities though, but some ships had certainly become stranded for one reason or another and they were still being recovered. (One had an entire crew, turned into pixies of all things she remembered in the news)
"I wish you luck on that," said the harpy.
"Thanks," smiled Edina. "Think about what I said little chick. Don't be afraid to fly... enjoy your freedom," she said with strange affection.
Adam wished it could be that simple. Still, maybe the ship did have a point. That little jump she did felt kind of.. nice. Would it really be so bad, to try flying?
In the school Lilly ran down the hall, as finally the tears came out. There was nobody to see fortunately, as she ran into the girl's toilets. She ran her hand into the sink. She needed a miracle! If she didn't do well in this test, she would be labelled an idiot. Also- this school ran Saturday classes for whatever a student wanted to do. What if they did some kind of magic class? Then- then she wouldn't be able to join it! Cause- cause her test would say she wasn't smart enough!
She rinsed her eyes out with water, as she felt so cold, trembling in utter fear of failure. She didn't want to feel this. She was only eight years old! This was too much for her.
Still a weakling I see, said a voice.
The squirrel girl gasped. "Wh-who..." She recognised that voice though. But it couldn't be. Not here! "J-Julian?" The wolf can't be here!
Pft. You really think I would be here? Of course not. I'm only a voice you're imagining. I guess that's one good thing a kid can do. 'imagine'.
Lilly frowned a bit. Okay so she was just imagining him. She could just forget about it-
I wouldn't be so hasty. You obviously have a reason to imagine me. Perhaps you finally realise the truth. Where if you want something, you have to 'take' it. We're actually alike.
"N-No I'm nothin' like you!" She shouted, as the shimmering image of the large wolf Julian appeared in the mirror.
He looked at the girl with abject pity. Pathetic. The sun turned me into a wolf, because I was strong before. You however, were never strong. You were just a little girl inside. So now you want to join in a little girl's magic 'gang'. Well if that's all you can reach for I guess Julian sneered with the same dismissive notion.
"I- I can be useful to them- I-"
First of all, you are not like them. You have no magic. Second, they don't even notice you. Artemis is more useful to Jenny as she actually has magic. If you really want to do this, you will need to get their attention. Like you caught mine-
"That was jus' a stupid thing I did-"
'kid'... you want my help or not? And say it for what it is. You know what you're doing is no different to who you were before... so just say it.
Lilly knew this was just inside her head. But Julian seemed so real. It was like he was a part of her- at least he was once given how much influence he had in her previous life. So much that she forgot now- but Julian always knew how to get what he wanted... It wouldn't hurt to ask. ".... how do I pass the test an' join Jenny's...gang."
cheat
Miss violet glanced at the clock. Lilly seemed to be gone quite a long time. She knew the girl was upset, but what could she do? It was a government test, and even a private school was not exempt from it. The other kids seemed to be doing well. As expected, Jenny and Artemis had a natural talent for the mathematics for some reason and were certain to go into the high group.
she crossed her legs sitting down on her desk shaking her head.
Jon took Mikey to see their mother.
Mrs Madison gasped as she saw the flowing locks of green hair on the robot-girl, and even more that she seemed to look older. "My goodness! Where did all this come from?" Mrs Madison said as she combed her hand through Mikey's- admittedly gorgeous hair.
"I- I- grew up a bit. An' I guess my hair did all its growin' at once" Mikey inside was blushing, even if her robot form couldn't show it. Her eyes certainly did.
"Oh honey, I know some girls that would die for hair like that." She said shaking her head. "Though it is a little too long. Shall we cut it?" Her mother seemed to be almost enjoying the thought.
"Yes please!" Mikey said as she sat down on the chair. She sat perfectly still for her mother, and the stillness made her robotic change just a little more apparent if a little off putting.
"How long do you want it?"
"Maybe same as before?" Asked the robot girl.
"Well I don't know too many ways to cut hair, I guess safe is best." Slowly Mrs Madison obliged and started to cut her daughter's hair. She marvelled at the shine of it. The robot changed didn't always have hair, but when they did it always seemed to have that curious sheen to it. Almost like wax. On cutting her hair, she noticed that Mikey's antenna's seem to be just a little longer. Though that might have been an illusion with the change of her face, it was still interesting to see.
"Are you okay honey?" asked Mrs Madison.
"Uh huh," nodded the girl. "Jon helps me a lot."
"That's good. You're both sisters now, and should help each other- as much as when you were brothers."
Jon smiled a little at that. The way the world was adapting, it was almost as if nothing had actually changed... fantastical perhaps, but... where it counted, people still cared. Even if their bodies were different. She had been seeing only doom and gloom before, but now she had started to see some of the good that came. The more she saw, the greater the good seemed to be... but at the same time, for every happy person there must be a very unhappy person...
"How is Becca coping Mikey?" Asked Jon. For some reason she felt a particular guilt over those who had become younger. It was hard to be anything like yourself, when you were changed so young.
Mikey thought a bit about it. She wanted to tell the secret about her being a magic girl- but- there was a high probability Jon would not believe her. "She's okay. She's doing stuff again. Sometimes happy sometimes sad. But we play."
Jon sighed a bit. Could she really wish someone like Becca back to her normal self? Could she... should she do that? If Becca is doing well enough, then why not leave well enough alone? It wasn't as if she made a judgement call. While it was true she didn't like Biff, she wouldn't have wished this on him... did she? She just... wished for something interesting.
Mikey detected elevated stress around Jon- though the cause eluded her. Clearly she was concerned about Becca, but the stress seemed to be a little higher then it should be. It was like something very heavy was weighing on her. "... are you okay?" The robot girl asked, throwing the question back to Jon.
"Oh... yes I'm fine. I guess I just think a lot about those changed like Becca."
Mikey knew there was something more to it, but ... let it go.
"All done," smiled Mrs Madison gesturing to a mirror. She was hardly an expert at this but... she thought she did a good job. She left it just long enough for her daughter to style it, should she desire.
Lilly frowned a bit in the toilets as she stared at the mirror. Cheat? She- she couldn't do that! There wasn't even any way to-
The wolf in her head growled. You're not thinking kid. You got claws, tiny as they are. Climb to the teacher's office, through the window. Find the test papers, and you'll have all the answers.
Lilly looked outside the girl's toilets through the window. Craning her head above them and to the left, was the teacher's office. It would be easy for her to climb it and get the answers to the test paper- if they were there.
It wont hurt to look. said Julian's voice. You only have a few minutes before the teacher gets suspicious. If you are going to do it, do it now
Lilly bit down, making her large front incisors pierce her chin slightly. There didn't seem to be any choice. If she wanted to pass this test, and join Jenny's group, cheating was the only way. It wasn't as if it would be completely bad. She wasn't normally so dumb that she couldn't answer a single question- she didn't even need to get a perfect score. Just- just enough to show she had potential and then study really hard and be that smart for real. Just one tiny cheat!
She vaulted from the window sill, to the next one up, then across.. easy. her body was agile, even if not particularly strong. She pried open the window, feeling terribly guilty at breaching this threshold. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here... she wasn't supposed to do this... She was about to turn away but- there on the teacher's desk, in plain sight, were the answers to the test! She didn't even have to look for them. They were all there!
Good girl. I'm proud of you said Julian inside her head. Okay, now it would be too dangerous to take the actual test. there's a copier. Use that.
The voice spoke so professional. It may as well have been the real Julian she was imagining. She reached for the answers- but suddenly her paw just... stopped. Could she really do this? This- this was so wrong. But if she didn't she wouldn't- ever-
Do it! growled the wolf.
Lilly looked with indecision.
Do it! Now! the wolf inside barked the order.
The squirrel girl was almost shaking. What could she do! She had come this far but- but-
Lilly... another voice spoke gently. The squirrel girl wasn't sure who it was, but it silenced the larger wolf. A magic girl... wouldn't cheat...
That was true. But- but they were always so much smarter, and had powers and... what could she do if she wanted to be friends with them? Nothing, except-
she isn't a magic girl The wolf said in reply.
And she never would be if she cheated The voice said back plainly, and simply.
She wouldn't get anywhere with a zero on her test
The others might help her
They don't even notice her! One cheat and she can go straight
Once on this road she can never be a magic girl-
she did before, she might as well never be a magic girl then
That was not Lilly... She is Lilly now. Would Lilly cheat?
Would she? "N-No I can't do this!" The squirrel girl felt the wave of voices inside her die down as finally she made her decision. She left the papers on the desk, and quickly jumped back down the window, in two quick jumps back to the girl's toilets.
She wasn't sure what she could do... except to go back to class.
