Steven couldn't believe it.
It looked like it was over! The sun had changed back to normal! Finally! That meant she could become a male human again. She glanced at Ken who had fallen asleep on the sofa and blushed quite heavily over their antics last night. It was hard to deny she was acting like quite a... a girl.
It.. it was wrong. It was just so wrong to even think about it. Was her body starting to affect her? She had resisted it with everything she had and yet, when things looked bleak, she acted like such a... a girly-girl coward!
is that what you think a girl is?
Steven inwardly winced. No... of course she didn't. It... it was just...
You were terrified that the world was about to end... a friend was with you. Was it really that bad?
"b-but...we... we kissed," She said feeling quite angry at herself for allowing it. It was just... a spur of the moment kiss. It didn't mean she was attracted-
Not even a little?
Steven clenched her hands angrily, as a little powdery scent filled the room. She did not want to think about it. Well... that can be fixed as soon as she goes into the sun.
Ken woke up suddenly, smelling Steven's floral scent change to her more anxious mood. "Hey.. er.. you okay?"
"No- Yes- No! Er- I- I will be," She said quickly not really wanting to even look at her friend right now.
Ken looked sheepishly. He felt awful... he wanted to resist and tried so hard, but there was just something about Steven's scent that made her even more attractive to his sensitive nose. It wasn't an excuse though... it just felt normal and natural to want to comfort the 'girl' all his senses told him she was. To protect her when she got scared...
... she was a delicate flower, right?
Even if she looked like she was about to seriously hurt someone if they dared to call her that right now. "So, the world didn't end huh?" asked Ken getting up, scratching his ears.
"Something else has happened," said Steven as they replayed the news. The sunlight could now cure them!
Ken sprang up quickly, twitching his whiskers. Being a rat was certainly an... 'interesting' experience. But... it was probably not a good thing to be, if he could be human again. It might even help him not be so unable to 'resist' Steven's scent. "I-I think I'm ready to call this form a day," said the rat-boy.
"Me too," said Steven. She had unconsciously 'forgot' to hold up her petal-blouse, so it was in its low cut state.
"Was it really all that bad for you?" asked Ken trailing his eyes over her, as they went across the hallway to the front door.
Steven glanced back. "You heard that news report. I have to think how much my life sucked in order to change. I am picturing all the worst parts of it right... now." Steven filled his mind with all the 'Horrible' things...
... looking like a girl.
... having flowers 'talk' to you.
... smelling 'nice'.
... 'kissing' Ken
... which wasn't actually that 'bad' really... but... damn it! It wasn't her!
Ken looked at Steven who had her eyes clenched shut. "Um... I actually really liked your transformation. Its better then mine. I'm just an animal-changed. You got to be the more fun one."
"You're talking as if this is some contest dude!" Said Steven angrily. "Look, I'm a guy!"
"But... I really do like you," said Ken biting his lip.
"Dude shut up!" said Steven suddenly. "Don't say stuff like that! Look- you got to help me. Just picture how horrible it was for the 'both' of us, and we'll turn back to normal. That's the trick. Its gotta be."
"I- I don't know if it works that way," said Ken suddenly really worried. If steve didn't turn back, she was going to blame him!
Steve cast a wild eyed look. "Please! Just... please, if you are my friend do this for me. I don't want to be a flower girl! This... this 'thing' you see isn't even real. It isn't me! Its- its like a costume. that's all. You have to see the 'real' me underneath it all. You know who I am!"
Ken sighed and closed his eyes. As much as Steven insisted, he knew her really well. He knew how she acted and well... they were close as friends, and even closer as members of the opposite gender. She was so beautiful and wonderful to be around. Her personality was full of fire, as much as she was gentle. She was the perfect flower girl, couldn't Steve see that? "Um- Okay fine... yeah it was all just so 'horrible'."
"Be honest," said Steven adamantly.
"I... eh... I'm trying, but er... maybe you should go into the sunlight first. You know, so that there's no chance what I think could influence you. Just... promise me you wont get angry at me if..."
Steven looked at Ken. Would she really blame her friend if... if she was stuck like this?"Okay. I... I won't get mad at you," she said with a... surprisingly sweet smile. "And... maybe it wasn't all b- Argh! No damn it no!" She was loosing her focus! "Okay sunlight, make me a man again!"
Steven ran outside. This was it... this... this was it.
Jenny was true to her word, leaping from building to building as Magic-Girl Four. Lilly held on for dear life, clutching her around her neck.
Leaping from tree to trees, or huddled upon the arms of an angel, nothing compared to the simple flight of motion from a real magic girl. It was like reality parted from them, allowing the impossible to become possible. Lilly wished she knew what it must be like to be at the center of it. Four was grace and wonder... and her friend. "I'm glad you still get to change into a magic girl, even with the enemy gone."
Jenny gave a little smile. "Me too!" She giggled. "I'm not sure what's even gonna happen now. Do we fight another enemy someday?"
"I dunno," said the young squirrel girl. "But if you do... take me with you?"
Jenny stumbled slightly. "I- uh- L-Lilly..." she said glancing back to her. "You don't have to." The experience has taught her just how dangerous it was to have 'ordinary' friends. As extraordinary as the squirrel girl was... she was still ordinary- doing what an ordinary person, any child could do given the right circumstances and trail of thought. Luck couldn't last forever though...
"Neither do you," said the squirrel girl. "You've done so much... an'... no matter what happens... I... I gotta stay near you. Please Jenny..."
Why? What is it that Lilly felt so needing to be with her like that? What was she hiding? "Uh... alright Lilly." she relented in the end.
"Promise?"
"I promise. I'll... I'll take you with me." Jenny hoped, she would not regret it. She didn't know what magic the squirrel girl was learning, though Becca seemed more informed. But it was certainly not 'battle tested'... or even designed, as she was. "Bruce lives in this house, accordin' to the teachers."
It was a nice looking ordinary house, to the west of the school. There was a small pond with a frog on a Lilly-pad... a croak from it made them pause and smile at it.
The two girls knocked on the door, Jenny changed into her 'normal' clothes with a flash of light.
"Hello?" said an elderly woman. "Oh... you must be from the school? What can I do for you?" Was this Bruce's grandmother?
Lilly glanced behind her. "We... we wanted to see if Bruce was here?" she asked.
"Bruce? Oh... ah... he's a little 'shy'. He doesn't want to turn back to normal you see... and the sunlight... well..."
"W-what was Billy before?" Asked Jenny now a little curious.
The elderly woman looked reluctant. "That's really Bruce's secret... I hope the two of you can understand," she said. "Let me call him." She went inside the house and called the wolf boy.
Bruce showed up, tensing seeing the door open, but relaxing when he saw Lilly and Jenny.
The sight of him made Lilly curl her twin tails a little protectively. "Hi Bruce," she said feeling just a little happy that this time, the shoe was on the other foot. They had surprised him, in his own territory.
Billy looked a bit sheepish for a wolf as he walked towards them, wary of the sunlight. "Sorry I wasn't in school today. Is the teacher mad?"
"Nuh uh," said Jenny. "We was jus' worried cause so many kids turned back human in our class. Lilly an' me, an Artemis, Hannah an even that angel girl is still changed though. I think Hannah and the angel girl are takin' it badly."
Lilly frowned at that. That weird angel girl was 'mad' that she was still a changed? what in the world was she then before? Nothing about her added up... but right now, she focused on Bruce. "Bruce? If you're real happy about bein' a wolf, there ain't no way you're gonna change back!" she said happily.
"You dunno how it works though," said Bruce.
"I... I do," she said. "Please trust me? I know some stuff about magic now, an' you got nothin' to worry about! You wont change."
Bruce looked warily. "I don't want to be what I was be'fore! I... I can't risk... it," he said almost close to tears. "If... If I turn back... I..."
Jenny and Lilly glanced at each other sympathetically. They didn't know what Bruce was before, and they really didn't want to pry.
"What if... I hold your hand?" asked Lilly.
Bruce looked completely taken aback. "R-really?"
"Uh huh," said the squirrel girl. "I'll hold you hand an' I wont let go! You got to go in the sun sooner or later, so you can step in it with us."
Bruce looked at Lilly and found himself blushing. "I... o...okay," he said.
The elderly woman watched them. "Go ahead Bruce... be safe." she said. "I think your friend is right... you get to live this new life. I'm so happy for you. Really."
"Why don't you come out with us in the light too?" Asked Jenny. "Maybe it will make you young?"
The elderly woman shook her head. "Oh... I'm quite content with the life I've already lived, and still living now. Go ahead you kids..."
Bruce suddenly brought out a small toy from the umbrella stand next to the door. Lilly blinked. The wolf boy was so fast! "What's that?"
Bruce grinned. "It's a magic sword! I'm playing that I'm a magic knight today!"
Lilly and Jenny giggled. "can we play too?" they said scarily in sync. Three magical people, fighting the Enemy- all their enemies, in their world of imagination... what more could they want?
The three children ran into the sunlight...
Bruce still held his toy sword, as it glinted in the sunlight. It took Lilly a few moments to look at the pommel as she saw writing on it.
you are invited. Bring one token.
Those familiar words... invited to what though? Somehow Lilly knew, things were not over for them and that maybe... just maybe, another adventure lay in wait for them.
