Tahera had no idea what to think...
Everywhere the new demon girl looked, things felt different in both subtle and less subtle ways. From the way she moved to the sensation on her... hooves... How can one just 'become' something else? She now had a red hue of skin, the clopping of her hooves sounding with each step and the way her breasts shifted with every motion despite the new bra she had been given a crash course on how to put on. A demon-girl's body... a demon-girl's life that she had just stepped into. Wearing a dress!
She was trapped in a life- a world that was no longer her own and people didn't even seem to care. She felt that they were not even 'inclined to help her' seeing this as just a normal part of having a magic side to her family. She was expected to make this her new life? Just like that?
She didn't deserve it. She didn't ask for it and she didn't even want this! Now she was attending some kind of strange magic-school with a bunch of other girls... and even her own mother seemed 'fine' with this!
She couldn't even tell people who she used to be. She did try of course... just as a little test. Her words seemed to get stuck in her throat when the effort was made. She felt a weird.. presence in the attempt, as if something was watching her with a soft hand placed gently on her shoulder. It squeezed her, sending a little shiver down her heart-shaped tail. It wasn't exactly... 'threatening'... but it was enough to stop her on an instinctive level. Maybe she could fight it though.
The young demon-girl thought she would stand out but, strangely enough, she didn't stand out at all among all the other odd students that were in this world. Demons.. angels, foxes, cat-folk, elves.. and that was just what she saw so far and could put a name to. There were so many weird and yet oddly interesting species that she would have to learn about... but not a single human she could find was here.
There was a surprising age-range though, she realized. The youngest students had their own specific classes within a protected enclosure, forbidden to older students by magical wards. Magic didn't have a 'specific age' for training, but there was a general need to be trained, once it was gained by either birth or acquired.
Nothing could be taken for granted here. Was a door a door? Was Tahera going to have to avoid meat, in case it decided to 'get up' and sing a song, or were vegetables going to suddenly talk to her about homework like some Disney movie?
The demon girl started to miss how predictable the normal world was, having been in this magic world for just a short time. She wasn't even sure she 'wanted' to learn magic. Apparently she had the.. ability now, like many 'awakened students' here and at a significantly high level. That alone meant she needed some kind of training and... she was here. Just like that.
She didn't want it! She was happy to be without magic... she just wanted to get back to her old life. She could only think of her friend Martin who said he would do 'anything' for magic... and right now she wished she could tell him how much it sucked. “Maybe I could just swap places with him,” she thought to herself idly. He'd probably love it here... well- if they could allow a boy to attend. Why was this a school just for girls anyway? They seemed fine with allowing any species but did it have to be 'girl'?
The demon-girl took another turn in the hallway.. her tail curling in agitation. She wished she could hide the stupid thing but the dress she was given to wear amply showed her legs and general body shape. Some might consider her... shapely. She didn't want to dwell on that either. At least... there were no boys here so she could relax a little on that- though the envious gaze of some girls was certainly noticeable.
In her old school she was used to roaming on her own too. It was naïve to think that might change- well- if she was in her old school in 'this' body it would bring a lot of attention. A mixed blessing perhaps- though she caught herself thinking what it might be like to be the 'popular' girl in school... a demon-girl... and she started to resent what other people would think of her.
The demon-girl wondered around, clopping sounds giving away her presence. She saw another demon... much like herself and thought she could possibly be related? She was shorter and... Well... it wasn't as if humans were all related and she had no idea how it worked when a demon saw another demon. 'Wait a minute...' The girl gasped. Halloween...
It couldn't be her... could it? What was her name again? “Zear?”
“Oh- my name is Zair!” The demon-girl smiled. “So... uh... you look a lot like me.”
Realization flooded Tahera. It was her. The demon that terrified her... all those years ago.
That moment flooded into her and she had a near panic-attack at who was in front of her. She didn't look half as terrifying now though as she imagined and amplified in those memories for so many years. She had those cute wings- wait- 'cute'? Why was she even thinking that! 'She doesn't recognize me'. Of course she wouldn't... they were once sort of friends right? Did she... hate her-
'Maybe she forgot about it' ...
Tahera had left her to those bullies... because she was afraid of what happened. It seemed oddly convenient that of all the people to run into, when she was at her lowest point... it would be the one who might have the most to exact some form of revenge. Did she really.. not know her? Was this her doing somehow?
Zair looked at the demon-girl tilting her head. “Hello? You okay?” she asked as the taller demon-girl looked in a state of paralysis. They did look quite similar, though Tahera's horns were more to the side while her owns were at the front. The older demon-girl also had a heart-shaped tail... she seemed scared. Poor girl- what spooked her? “Oh don't be nervous!” She tried to assure.”I'm new to this school too.” Zair smiled. “-and I'm at the top of my class on my first day!”
Uh- really...” Tahera spoke softly. Zair didn't recognise her. She had to keep up that appearance. “Um- do humans go to this school?” she wondered.
“Humans?” Zair smirked at that. “Nope. Not that I can tell. You like humans then?” Zair grinned thinking about Martin but... that was a secret.
“Uh... huh. Well- I guess-” Tahera wasn't sure what to say to that. Zair was clearly hiding something. She wasn't even sure if she had anything to do with her current situation but she didn't recognise her... and there was no reason to tell-
At that point another girl walked besides Zair. She seemed to be a girl in a hood.. with pink spirals of hair. Zair gestured to her friend. “This is Mara. She's the worst student in the school but we're friends anyway,” she giggled.
“Hey!” Martin protested. “Well... um...” The pink haired disguised boy glanced at the larger demon, holding her breath. 'wow... she's...' There was no question just how hot that demon was. He stared at her ample chest before realizing it. Her long hair and strange exotic features. He had become fairly used to demons being with Zair so much but this other one was... curvy. Really curvy.
Tahera looked awkwardly at pink haired girl wondering why 'the girl's' gaze was lingering so much. “Well- you can't be worse then me,”she muttered. “I don't know a lot about magic. I'm just... talented with it. Apparently.”
“A natural gift?” Martin asked.
“Sort.. of...” Tahera sighed not wanting to explain it. It would be considered 'natural' here since she was now in a family of demons... “What happens now? Is class starting?”
The younger demon-girl smiled. “We were going to go to this Well of Power... there's some kind of ritual we got to do there now.” Zair was certainly excited. “I wonder how it works.”
“Oh? Well.. sure. I guess that sounds like a good idea.” Tahera nodded. “I don't know how any of this works so I guess I'll follow you.”
“Yep! Uh... So where is this well of power?” Zair suddenly looked unsure. “Oh I also got to get my iconograph taken.” She realized. “You going to be okay 'Mara'?”
Martin looked at Zair and nodded. He didn't want the demon-girl to hold his hand through all this anyway. At least he now understood what was happening to him. “Yeah... I'll be fine. You go get your picture.”
“Thanks.”
Tahera watched the two and hefted her bag filled with various books her aunt insisted on having. “I guess I'll go with you to this Well of power then...”
This was how three friends became three strangers... each keeping a secret on who the other was...
Zair walked happily on her own through the school towards the principal's office. For the first time, going there without being in trouble. She felt like she belonged here... in some surreal way. Everything was going well and... yes- she was a little unnerved by that. Things usually didn't go her way. People would 'take' things away from her if she liked them..
She eyed the army of strange clockworks before the principal's office. It was a little unnerving... knowing they could pop in and out of the walls. They ignored her- so she quickly knocked on the door.
“Hello Zair!” smiled the oriental sphinx. “I've been looking forward to meeting you.”
“Uh- thanks Principal Yuanshi.” She looked nervously.
“I guess it's a bit of an adjustment not being able to fly for a bit.” she said looking at her smaller wings. “Don't worry, once you go to the Well of Power, that will be returned to you.”
“Thanks,” she sighed. “Um... why is it that I can't fly here like I could on Earth?”
Yuanshi sat up on her desk. “Well, Earth is a strange place. Essentially there is no magic in its environment...but our world is part of that very fabric. You as a demon-blood, carry the spark of magic even if you go to another world. So in a world with no magic at all you still retain your abilities like other magical users.”
“So.. when I fly that's using magic?” Zair asked.
“Of course. Do you honestly think wings can provide enough lift at our size?”
Zair shook her head. “I honestly never thought about it.”
“Well, the magic allows for certain rules of physics to be bent particularly with abilities like flying, or breathing underwater; biological enhancements. Earth is... somewhat unforgiving to those without any magic at all. I do feel sorry for those humans in a way. I never thought it possible to live like that... yet they somehow do.”
“Humans... are not pleasant,” Zair sighed.
“Oh? You are half human yourself are you not?”
Zair grimaced. “Yeah, but I don't like them. They treated me like garbage. I'm... quite happy here.”
“Hm...” Yuanshi paused at that. “Well, I want you to know, I want to recommend you to a wish-granting course.”
“Wish... granting? What- we can grant wishes here?”
“Of course, when you are older” Yuanshi smiled. “You'll be going to a class about the ethical considerations...”
Zair couldn't look more thrilled. This was the best magic-school ever! “Heh... I'm going to twist those wishes!” The demon-girl laughed just loving the idea of it. “What about the whole 'magic is for good stuff only'?”
Yuanshi arched a slight eyebrow. “Are you saying you will do bad stuff with it?”
“Uh... no, but... changing someone with magic... isn't that considered a bad thing?” To change someone's reality- she could really mess things up!
The sphinx walked on her four legs from one end of the room to the other. She gave it some thought with the sound of the ticking clockwork girls outside palpable. “When magic enters a person's life.. its either accidental, or intentional...” She explained carefully. “When magic does come it 'must' cause a change, either temporary or permanent. As a magic user, you will be the agent of that change. People will wish for you... or they will curse you... such is the nature of power. You'll have to work out what kind of magic-user you want to be. I dare say though... giving people 'exactly' what they ask for, will make you the most hated magic girl in history... so twisting wishes is not actually that bad. It might even be considered a kindness, depending on how it is done.”
Zair felt herself getting nervous now. She was really permitted to... do that? Someday? To be a.. wish granting demon?
“Though that's not for a while,” The sphinx reminded. “This is assuming you pass your exams. Ah- let's make your iconograph shall we?” Yuanshi set her to the strange pentagram.
There was a strange flash as before, with balls of light now flowing towards a blank card. It began to fill with all her details. Though to Zair, the most important part was the picture.
She saw her eyes glowing red... and behind her what seemed like an orb of darkness. She looked oddly at the picture and saw that there was 'someone' there. It was someone very big... six eyes of red. “Who's...” She stared at the image. There was also some kind of a crest. six stars overlapping six circles.
Yuanshi arched an eyebrow. “Hm.. your bloodline power.. and not just that- your literal Father as well... it seems you are the daughter of Lucifer.”
“Lucifer...” Zair raised her eyes in surprise, shock, bewilderment and perhaps even some fear.
“He was quite a prevalent granter of wishes too. Nice to see you keeping up the family tradition if you do take that up!” Yuanshi smiled.
“I'm.. Lucifer's daughter. Oh great...”
“I think he has a shop somewhere.” Yuanshi thought. “A nice man so I hear, though it's been a few centuries.” She looked out the window in thought. “Are you okay?” She asked.
“I'm the Devil's daughter!” She gasped. “How can that be okay?!”
“... oh! You're worried about that. Don't worry, his reputation in early human history is a little exaggerated from what I hear. Maybe you can go meet him later.”
Zair breathed in and out slowly. She did want to meet her father and expected him to be a devil but THE DEVIL?! She needed to sit down..
“Well with that taken care of, you can go to the Well of Power and acquire your companion.”
“My... uh... what is that?”
The principal seemed surprised at that. “I do forget you don't know how the magic works here,” She sighed. “Your companion is the manifestation of your magic.. it provides the conduit you need to use magic here and allow you to fly again.”
There was so much to learn about this place... so many strange things. “So.. I can use magic again once I have this... companion?”
“Yes, like all girls here.” The sphinx smiled. “That's why we are a magic school for girls. The well provides a useful link to that realm to access the spirit world.”
“Oh...” and once again an alarm bell rang inside the devil girl's head. “Miss Yuanshi... um... what would happen if a boy... went to this well?”
Yuanshi frowned at that. “Well, boys have their own way of creating that particular bond.” She explained. “Usually they have to battle the manifested spirit in some way. The bond has to be... earned you see. So they will find one and fight to gain that respect. It's a very arduous process... taking many years sometimes to prepare.” The sphinx sighed a bit at that. Males could do magic of course- but to gain a companion was always a difficulty for them.
Zair gulped. “So.. why couldn't they earn it at the well of power?”
“Well- because they would be fighting... thousands... of spirits all at once dear, in their purest form.” Yuanshi explained. “Girls get accepted by them and unharmed.. their energy passes through until they feel a sense of compatibility. A boy however, is seen as a challenger and in their very own realm no less. They will fight, probably until the boy becomes comatose- Zair?”
Zair was already gone.
