Someone had kindly wound Ricky up, and she was on her way to the study rooms.
Honestly, Jeff had surprised her. She didn't think he would actually say it was all his idea... if the principal had found out it was her own work, it would have been Ricky in a lot of trouble and there was only the slightest hope she could have pinned it on Jeff, who seemed able to get away with murder.
Still, it appeared Jeff was more interested in taking care of his reputation. It was quite understandable to Ricky. After all, she would die too if anyone knew how much she....
... well, she wasn't like that any more. Ricky's phone started to vibrate. Looking at the screen she realised it was her mother.
"Hi Ricky! How's school?" her mom said on the phone, clearly a little worried for her.
"It isn't too bad actually," smiled the girl a little shyly. "Some people helped me when I wound down."
"And your new friend Belle?"
"It's a little more difficult for her, but... she's coping too."
"Okay, I'll leave you to it. Call me if you have any problems. Make sure you don't wind down. I love you."
"Love you." She said putting the phone away.
Actually in some ways, Belle was taking her transformation in a faster stride then Ricky. Perhaps because there was no gender change involved, Ricky had to re-establish just... who she was now. She wasn't sure how to feel about how others reacted to her. Some treated her like a girl, though there was the odd number that saw her more as an 'it'. A feeling certainly not shared by the majority though... In general, everyone was very nice to her. More so then as a human boy, but she wasn't sure if that was out of sympathy for her transformation, or the fact that she appeared as a girl enough...
"Am I enough of a girl?" She asked herself, as she went to the study room. Actually... that was probably going to be the strangest question she could ever ask. Did she want to be more of a girl? She certainly wanted to be alive! She didn't really care about her gender... though she was sure she would have before, right now it just didn't matter. Was that normal?
She absently moved her sleeves to expose her elbow, looking at the gears and springs that they were composed of. She looked so... artificial. So un-alive... she kind of missed being flesh and blood, but at the same time there was something very interesting about her transformation that she couldn't hate it out right. The way her clothes wrapped around her, and made her look... in complete difference to what she thought she would look. It was strange because- of any transformation, surly this would be one to hate?
But she felt... fine.
And the more she thought about it, she didn't hate any transformation... Maybe that was her best quality when she was a boy? She thought some would be awkward sure... (this form definitely) but she didn't feel hate when she saw the changed...
"You're teasing the boys I think," said Anne with a sly wink.
"W-what? I'm not doing anything." The girl responded shocked at the thought of it.
Anne just giggled.
Jeff went into the boy's toilets hoping it was empty.
Unbelievable that she was now supposed to join some study group! She went into the stalls, quietly sitting down hoping that nobody would come in while she did her business. She tried to relax but everything felt so 'weird'...
She was urinating for what felt like an eternity. Why did it feel so long? It was well over a minute, and it felt like she could still go- but finally it stopped. That... that was just weird. Then she felt- something even stranger.
She quickly ran to the basin, and washed her face, running a hand over her long... hair? What the-
The changes seemed to be accelerating, as slowly, more things changed. Her hair had not only lengthened, it started to turn... blue? Not just blue, it was turning into... into water? Some kind of strange watery like thing anyway, dripping down her body. She stared at it for a long time as the water started to cascade down, in little drips.
"Damn it I 'liked' the wet look but not like this!" Jeff tried to be humorous. Really she did. But she was scared... scared and alone, so very alone right now. If anyone saw her! No! She... she just had to get a hat or something? Urgh!
She quickly got some paper towels, and started placing it around the wet waterfall of hair. There was 'substance' to it, but if she pressed too hard the 'membrane locks' (if that was what it could be called, it certainly didn't feel like one) the water tended to break into spurts.
Finally she had wrapped it all around the hair, drying it up- but now she had a lot of paper towels on her head. "one problem at a time," she mused. "Okay if it's water, then hair gel will keep it locked in." She had some in her bag, and started to apply it, to solidify around her hair.
It looked... horrible, but it worked. she slowly pulled off the towels, to look at the damage. she sighed sadly. The hair was still blue, but at least it looked like a really bad gel, instead of- well whatever it had become.
She just needed some hair dye...
Lilly smiled as they ate the sweets and cakes that were in the tree house from her strange new angel friend. She looked at the blue stick, and its thinness... every action she performed was consuming it. Jenny and Artemis would always have something special about them, and Lucas even though she was so very kind and nice to her... the squirrel girl was different in a number of ways- mostly because, this power was not real.
Lucas at this point appeared. "Hey Lilly! Someone very important wants to see you," she said with a wink. "Come on bring your friends."
"Oh- we gonna portal?" she asked still very... very perplexed if such a thing could ever be normal.
"I think it's better we walk. Come on." The three girls got up and descended down the tree, and onto the surface of the moon.
Lilly, followed by Artemis and Jenny walked onwards through the strange dusty corners of the moon. Artemis in particular felt quite at home here.
Lilly however wanted to learn more about Lucas, and gently tugged on her wing.
"Yyyeees?" Smiled the Angel woman, with a somewhat cocky grin.
Lilly felt herself get a bit shy. "Um... T-thank you Angel-lady," She said.
"Lucas dear, my name is Lucas." She said still smiling. "Come on we're almost there!"
Lilly moved quickly beside her, her twin tails moving side to side as she looked about the moon. Was this home to her? Didn't she miss being with people? There were so many things she wished she could ask. But most of all, she was struck by how... pretty the angel girl was. It was strange that she could recognise it, but didn't feel any... it was like when she saw the devil lady and wondered if she should feel something but didn't any more.
"Hey what are you staring at kiddo," asked Lucas.
"Um... well... Whats... it like?" she asked softly and shyly.
"Eh? What's what like?" asked Lucas scratching her head.
"Havin' um.. havin' those?" she asked gesturing to Lucas's rather ample double D sized breasts.
Lucas blinked. "Oh well- er-" she leaned in and whispered something to the squirrel girl's ear. She spoke calmly into her, as her eyes became just a little focused and serious, for once.
Lilly blushed a bit at what she said. "But um- I- g-got f-four.."
Lucas just smiled and shook her head. "Just trust me. Ah, we're almost there!"
There before them, stood Selene Herself. Artemis ran towards her, with joy. "Mummy!" She squeaked in laughter.
"Hello daughter," She said smiling as she regarded the Number Four magic girl, and the little animal-girl. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you both. I am Selene, Neurite, the Moon Herself." she said smiling.
Lilly looked at her quite stunned. "mm..p..pleasuretomeetyou," she said quickly.
"Hello," said Jenny not really sure what else to say. This was probably all just another strange dream. Even if it felt so real. Did the numbers really fix pi, and was Lilly part of that?
Selene just smiled as she picked up Artemis in a strong embrace, before setting her down. "Lilly, you are among friends here... don't be shy. I know how much you wanted to be here... and I am curious. Why didn't you come here before, if you so much desired it?" She shone her moonlit eyes, straight into the squirrel girl as it made her fur bristle.
"I-" Lilly wasn't sure what to say. "I tried but I was too heavy," she explained.
"Yes... and you became lighter. So why didn't you come here after? The stick you found would have granted you passage to places even my daughter can not go... yet you never tried."
Lilly felt really small as she tried to find an answer. "Cause- cause I- I wanted to earn it miss moon-lady," she said almost tearfully. Just- just cause I could, I didn't feel I should cause- cause- I didn't know I would be allowed an' I just wanted to be with my friends but-"
"Shhh..." the moon goddess picked Lilly up as the child felt simple contentment in her heart. "Artemis, did you know how much she wanted to come here?"
"No-" said Artemis quickly. "I mean... I thought maybe some day, but I didn't know it meant that much to her."
Lilly glanced to Artemis. "How come you didn't know?"
"Well you never said," said the moon-girl. "And- you just act weird when it comes to magic stuff."
"It's okay," said Selene quickly as she set the child back down. "It's good to clear up all these misunderstandings, especially as the final battle of the enemy looms. It would use such things against you."
The moon goddess looked a little apprehensively as she saw all the little mortal failings each of them had. They were children, so it was to be expected. A little bit of jealousy, pride, envy, but it was Lilly who intrigued her the most. A ball of potential, that just for whatever reason did not realise it. "I want you to be honest with me on something Lilly... is it true, that you were going to fight the Enemy yourself?"
Lilly tensed. "I..." she swallowed, as if she had been caught in the act of something.
Lucas also blinked. "What?"
The squirrel girl sighed. There was no way she could lie to a goddess. "I wanted to help Jenny, an' they keep stopping me. I was gonna do it anyway an- an- I don't care if anyone says I can't I'm gonna! er- Moon-lady." She said quickly blushing at her outburst. She didn't- she hoped she knew she wasn't going to be rude about it.
Jenny for her part looked absolutely stunned at this declaration.
"Did you really feel such a need to prove yourself? Even after saving all of creation with Lucas?" Asked Selene softly. She didn't speak with judgement, just gentle enquire.
"Yes..." she admitted. "Cause... I used to be older an' I thought.. I had to. But I also wanted to help. I didn't want Jenny on it alone an.. I found a little magic, so I thought I would use that."
The moon goddess sighed. "You are going to face them at some point child... that power you use, they can't help but look for you," she said calmly, if a little sadly. "Now... there is someone else that wishes to see you. Someone even... more important then me."
Suddenly there was a bright light, and there, before them stood The Woman herself. She smiled serenely to Selene. "Sister... Lucas... Ah," she said noting the three girls. "Jenny, Artemis... Lilly," she said turning softer as she saw the squirrel girl. "It has been such a long time." she placed her hand affectionately at the little animal-girl. "I hope you took well to our little talk before."
Lilly felt a strange exhilaration at the touch of the Goddess. Just something about being near her, made her feel warm and safe. "I... remember you," she said softly, her eyes brimming at such familiarity.
"Daughter," said the Woman to her simply.
"But...I..." Lilly glanced down at herself- the objection that She might have got it 'wrong' felt so wrong itself to even suggest.
"Daughter," repeated the Woman a little more sternly, but no less with love.
Artemis and Jenny glanced to each other again and at the two, the mortal daughter hand chosen by The Feminine Force...
"Does... this mean we are cousins?" Asked Artemis to Selene.
