The impossible had happened…
…Another transformation.
Luke was now some kind of ‘lion’ girl. Well- ‘almost’ a sphinx, but she lacked the wings. The girl was stuck with they body of a lioness and a human-head at the top. It was certainly female and perhaps Luke got ‘almost’ everything she wanted…
...almost.
Luke and Steven quietly made their way through the roads at night though the lion-girl did draw some strange stares. Luke didn’t appear to mind it though she half wondered if she did have to get some clothes. “I Just live over here,” she said to Steven pointing to an average semi-detached suburban house.
Steven quietly rang the doorbell… not at all sure how this was going to go as he stood on the porch in the middle of the night. The fact that all of Luke’s keys and stuff just ‘vanished’ was also a headache though not a big one, given all she had on her were her home keys. She guessed they would turn up somewhere but... who knows.
Her parents on answering the door naturally freaked out. Steven quickly explained that this was indeed Luke… and surprisingly, they took the information ‘pretty well’. ‘Mostly well’… sort of, well. They had always known Luke desired to be changed but they never thought it was possible their son could ‘do’ it. It was supposed to be just a harmless fantasy yet here they were now, parents to a lion-girl.
“We respect your decision dear uh-“ Her mother had said.
“Uh yeah…” her father agreed. “So… uh… do I need to buy any cat-food?”
“George!”
“…I just thought-“
With that awkwardness out of the way, Seven was about to say goodnight when Luke stopped him. “Wait- um- just come with me a second?”
Steven reluctantly followed her inside the house and towards what he guessed was her room. He glanced about awkwardly as the lioness bounded onto her bed. The young lioness took a moment to examine her body, stretching her legs… and glancing- somewhat apprehensively at her hind legs, trying her best to see what was there- though mostly looked like a dog chasing its own tail. “Steven, Is it really there? Do I really have a…”
Steven inwardly groaned. “… I mean- do you ‘really’ want me to check.” This was already weird enough!
“Yes.”
“Dude- urgh!” Steven blushed horrendously. “No!”
“Just please take a look!”
Steven gave a very… very wary look. “Fine… well… you got to lift your tail…”
Luke did so and quietly note Steven’s reaction. “So… how does it look?”
“What do you want me to say? Yeah it’s.. it’s all there. I mean- it’s you know… female…” Steven buried his head in his hands. The things he did for his friends!
“But is it like a lions? Does this mean I’m going to be accused of bestiality?”
More and more Steven wondered why Luke was asking him these questions. How was he supposed to know? “I- I don’t know. I- I guess ‘you’ wouldn’t be accused of it. Unless you... uh…”
“No No!” The lioness quickly said. “I wouldn’t!”
“Well, ‘someone’ is probably going to if- you know what this is confusing. I’m not having this conversation!” Steven had to put his foot down. This was crazy enough… but more so he was worried about ‘how’ it happened. Did he really do it? Or was it just a… weird coincidence.
Luke stared into a small mirror attached to a wardrobe. “I can’t believe I did it… I’m a.. lioness… fate chose me to become this!” Luke leapt back on the bed on all fours almost like she had done so for a long time. She stared at her huge paws and legs… “I… wish I had been humanoid though. I didn’t know I would end up…”
“… I think regrets are a bit late now,” Steven conceded. “But it shows that transformations can still happen.”
Luke nodded, a strange thing to see on her lion-like body. She had mixed emotions.. she finally felt the magic do what it would do to her… it made her into an incomplete sphinx… in some ways that felt… right? She was incomplete before as a human… and perhaps that was still part of her general being. She still felt like her… closer perhaps to herself? Gender alone didn’t convey who she wanted to be.., and this felt ‘sort of’ right to her. She felt satisfied. Satisfied, that she managed to achieve the impossible and create the circumstances of another change and reasonably pleased with the results. Luke was also studying Steven curiously with that strange expression the young teen had. “Did you get a transformation too?”
Steven shook his head. “I’m still me… I think.” Was he? He felt that… magic. He saw it! He did this.. he changed Luke into his- her- current form. He felt so many things all at once. A thrill that he felt like he just did something utterly impossible… wielding magic that changed a fundamental aspect of reality… caution that perhaps it wasn’t him but maybe some weird coincidence? Also, a little fear… if Luke hated her new form it was…
… it would be his fault.
Fortunately, Luke just seemed more ‘confused’ then outright afraid but that didn’t mean it could change as reality slowly set in. She had wanted to be transformed and was willing to accept ‘anything’ for it… “Um… are you okay with your change?”
Luke appeared contemplative. “I mean… I wouldn’t have chosen it…” She admitted. “But- I don’t want to be rid of it either. I think… I must accept it. I did ask for it.”
Steven at that point contemplated if to say it was him… that he had done this awful- wonderful- scary- thing… but a few things held him back. First, Luke would never believe him. He believed firmly there was some ‘higher power’ doing this and Steven was just… Steven. He didn’t want to take that away from the new lion-girl. Secondly, he wasn’t entirely sure he did it and would have to research this better… and third…
If it was him…
If, on that one tiny possibility, it was him wielding power…
… was he the one responsible for the initial changes? Could he have somehow transformed ‘everyone’ in that classroom without realising on that fateful day? He wracked his mind for that moment… wen it happened. What was he doing at the time of that change? He couldn’t remember. Why couldn’t he remember! It was all so much chaos. He recalled everything that happened before and after but the ‘moment’ it happened… was a bit of a blank.
The fact he couldn’t remember rang more alarm bells terrifying the tanned teenager with slowly widening eyes. It wasn’t impossible… the possibility could not be discounted.
…it could have been him.
He could have been responsible for... everything that happened to his friends.
The lioness watched Steven just stare into nothingness for a while. “Hey- Earth to Steven.” She called. “You okay?”
“Uh- yeah. I just... can’t believe you transformed. I’m happy for you.” Steven smiled if a little weakly.
Luke stretched with her front paws, in a cat-like manner. “Heh. I bet you wish you were changed too now.” The lioness giggled. “I think I could get used to this. I wonder how the school will react. Though I suppose I’ll have to look for someone who’s very ‘adventurous’ now to be my boyfriend.”
Steven flushed quietly as Luke seemed to be stating her fantasies quite boldly. Why the heck has he become her confident in all this! He knew the girl was excited but… did she have to drag him into all this too?! ‘Unless she thinks I’m the one who- no’ Steven tried to dismiss that thought quickly. It wasn’t that Luke was unattractive- at least to him (or was that even weirder now?!) but… they were friends after all and going further then that would be a leap Steven couldn’t even contemplate right now. “What if they send you away?” He suddenly asked. He would hate to lose her to magic… like..
..the rest of his friends.
“Nah, the lioness said confidently “They’ll want to know how it happened. I’ll be here for sure.”
“Then they might experiment on you or… or find out where you’ve been- oh crap. They’ll find out I was there!”
“Dude, relax. If anything, I’ll just say you were a lookout while I went inside. You had nothing to do with it” The lioness explained. “It’s not like you changed anyway so…”
Steven seemed a little relieved about that but the whole situation still troubled him. “You’re really just going to go to school… like that?”
“Yep.”
“But what about…” Steven looked very concerned. “…you know they are gonna come after you and ask questions.”
“Sure… they can. I’ll answer what I can but ultimately, I have no idea how this happened either. There’s literally no point sending me away now. Who knows? Maybe other transformations are happening!” The lioness said excitedly. “Dude- this is just so cool!”
Steven shook his head. The most significant event since the initial change was literally in front of him and this was become too much. “I- I should head home now anyway. We had one… crazy night. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sure…” The lioness gave a slight sniff and tilted her head. “You do have a strange… scent you know. I’ve only just realised.”
“Huh?”
“Well- I have a new nose so maybe I’m still working out stuff but… your scent is kind of... unique? I um… sorry maybe that’s too personal a thing to say. It’s just different…but nice.”
Steven shrugged. “I’ve literally no idea what you’re talking about… I’m going home. Call me if- well- you know. You need me or something.”
“Sure...”
Steven returned home. His own parents didn’t mind his late return though his mother did leave a snack for him. The young teen ate the omelette left for him eagerly as he returned to his room surprised at how hungry he was. Questions raged in his mind as he thought of what just happened, the possibility…
“…do I… really… can I really… possibly… have magic?”
Him? He was nobody! He was… literally the worst person to ever be given any sort of power.
Out of curiosity he threw his hand out towards his bedroom desk as if to ‘move’ something with ‘force powers’… but nothing happened. “Hm…” he tried to concentrate on it, willing it… he tried over and over but it was the same result. “…maybe it was just a coincidence.”
Still… he was glad that his friend Luke was happy with the change but... his mind kept on drifting to Damien. He had no idea what was going on in her life but… he desperately wanted to help her. If there was ‘something’ he could do…
‘They say you can summon her with magic’ Luke’s voice came to his head.
“…summon her…” That seemed so rude a thing to do. It was late anyway but… the though of it didn’t leave him. If anything, he wanted to prove he couldn’t do ‘any’ magic… and perhaps trying to summon her would be a good way to disprove the theory. “Maybe that’s the next thing I can try over the weekend…” He would have to research how it would even work.
The next couple of days went quickly. As expected, Luke had to go to hospital, got checked out and questions were asked. Serious questions, with serious people, and were give the most comical of responses back. They found evidence of her going close to the old school where the initial transformations happened… and feigned ignorance. People did wonder how the transformation happened but since it was something that had ‘already happened’… people were less interested. It was quite a strange thing really. One would think there would be some concern of another change but… for the most part it was just ‘accepted’.
It did however increase the theory of ‘someone’ being responsible for it so the various agencies were working on that theory.
Steven was a bit concerned at how Luke was being treated. After he had his own issues with the school, suddenly Luke was having a ‘bullying problem’ of sorts (though now people left Steven alone). It wasn’t quite so overt but… other students mocked her and called her all sorts of names. Luke didn’t seem to care though about the words thoughts- or even actions of his peers and acted… ‘pretty cool’ Steven had to admit. The lioness brushed it all aside and somehow made new and even better friends.
Maybe because she knew she could hurt them as a lioness. Still, the things that were said… calling her a freak, a monster… it upset Steven a bit. He liked Luke but attempting to defend her would suddenly make people say he was his ‘boyfriend’ and the names would get drawn to him.
At one point he wanted to say something and was clenching his desk but suddenly, the desk just… ‘broke’. He stared in confusion seeing the pieces of it in his hands. “What the-“ students glanced in his direction as he looked sheepishly. “Ha- cheap desks, eh?” he still stared at the damage quite confused and dropped the large pieces of wood. ‘Am I some sort of … superman?’ He thought quietly. Super strength? Was this another part of the magic?
No.. The desk must have already been broken…
…he had to disprove he had any magic.
The weekend finally arrived, and Steven debated how to ‘summon’ his demon-friend. He didn’t want to hurt her but… clearly this was the only thing that would work given all the other avenues were blocked. He had got some books on various summoning rituals such as religious texts and various dungeons and dragons books, some of which called for a ‘sacrifice’ of an animal- but he hoped sacrificing an old game cartridge would do. His parents were away and so the afternoon continued as he placed a large sheet of paper, then drew a pentagram on it with some red paint.
“I’d say that looks pretty good…” Steven nodded. “Man I can’t believe I’m doing this.. and... talking myself into it,” he said. “I know it’s not really going to work but... I got to be sure.” He put on his bathrobe to look… more or less like a robe a wizard would have. It set the general tone and mood in his head. If anyone was recording this, he would… just die of embarrassment. He glanced at the clock thinking it was now or never. “A spell…” He thought quietly… He tried various incantations from the books… but nothing happened.
He tried again with some wild gestures… but nothing was working.
Normally Steven would have been satisfied that that was it, he didn’t have magic… it was all a coincidence. However something ‘felt’ off… he just had this feeling he was ‘missing something’.
“Something was different… at that point… but what?” He tried to relax again thinking… His emotions were part of this spell, right? He didn’t just have to say magical words…he needed to feel them. “I know this will work…” He thought. “What I need is… a picture…” He quickly looked through his phone finding a picture of the old Damien. “There… yeah…” He nodded. “Damien Stepheson… I summon you… bring forth your form to me, from where you are. Bind yourself to this circle that we may converse… Bound!” He clenched his fists.
The circle in front started to glow and the game cartridge at the center just ‘evaporated’ in flame. Strange circles of energy pulsed through Steven’s hands once more as the magic seemed to ‘react’ to his words as he gasped in surprise. “Oh Hel-“
There was a sudden flash as a demon-girl appeared, looking… confused and angry. She spun around taking in her surroundings with alarm. She was dressed in very loose sporty clothes that had her navel exposed. Her tail slinking behind her. “Okay… whoever you are you just made a big mistake!” she growled threateningly.
Steven stared at her old friend. “Damien…?”
The demon girl stared in surprise. “S..Steven?!” She looked angrily again. “What the hell!”
Steven quickly tried to walk over to her but a ‘barrier’ prevented him. Some strange static energy wall. “Ow-“ He winced. “What the…”
The demon-girl sighed. “So you’ve go magic huh… so what is it you want? Immortality? Sex? Please don’t tell me you’re like that now.” She leaned against the barrier, it being solid on her side as well.
“Dude- no!” Steven was still reeling from the fact that the spell worked. “I- I just wanted to talk…”
Damien stared quietly at Steven, her tail shifting back and forth. “Talk is fine. To be honest, that’s all I’ve been able to do when ‘summoned’ like this. I think this is all an illusion, I can’t physically interact with anything. I’m not actually here and I can’t really do anything… that usually makes the summoner disappointed, and I’m released when they run out of power.”
“You’ve been ... summoned before?” Other people were practicing magic?!
Damien nodded. “Twice before… random people who knew my name on the internet. Seems that’s a requirement. It’s why I try to … lower my presence online… and why I was…” She looked down. “I’m sorry I- um- I just reacted because I thought it was for the best you didn’t know me. I can’t have people knowing who I am otherwise ‘this’ will keep happening.”
Steven stared at Damien. “Well... I’d rather you were here.”
“Heh so do I but you can’t just- what the-“
Steven boldly reached out through the circle, pushing hard. His hand somehow going through the energy barrier and grabbed Damien’s arm. The walls of reality rippling against his shoulder. “If you wish it and I do… I think it will happen. Come on…”
Damien was too surprised at the physical contact as she felt herself get ‘pulled’ through the circle. There was an odd zap of energy and suddenly… the new demon-girl was indeed there, In the flesh. Though Steven had to pull so hard that he fell slightly on his bed, dragging Damien on top of him.
The two looked at the other awkwardly.
“…were you always this clumsy…” Damien asked with her hot breath and breasts pressing onto Steven.
“…I- I’m afraid so-“ Steven gulped and quickly got up. “But you are here now!” He was so happy to see her!
Damien looked down at herself and glanced around. “So… I am… and I can do horrible demonic things to you!”
Steven widened his eyes. “You wouldn’t though, right?”
“…uh no.” The demon-girl flushed. People would get the wrong idea she realised. “Sorry… but this is a first. I’m really here… in the flesh… you somehow ‘teleported’ me. How?”
“I- I don’t honestly know,” Steven admitted as he sat down on his bed. “I was actually trying my best to prove I didn’t have any magic. Seems I... did the opposite.”
“Well yeah. Much more powerful than the other two.”
“Who were the others?” Steven offered Damien a chair to let her relax. “Here… I know It’s strange but please, me home is your home.”
Damien did her best to relax. She had been here before playing video games… they were fun times. “Um, the first was a goth-girl… she wanted me to tell her the future. I told her ‘in future’ give me a call instead… she got annoyed and sent me back. The second was this really fat guy who was playing with magic… he wanted me to make him lose weight… so I told him for every bad food he ate I’ll take part of his soul- he let me go quite terrified…”
“Heh… seems you are doing pretty well as a demon.” Steven smiled.
“I wish. I didn’t want random creeps summoning me… so I.. I lashed out a bit. Sorry.. again. I shouldn’t have done that to you but… it’s hard you know?” Damien looked down meekly.
“I.. can imagine.” Steven looked at the demon-girl. She was… so pretty, If people got better with magic no doubt they could try and bind her… or… do worse. He didn’t want that to happen to his friend. “I… I’d like to help you.”
“How?” The demon girl frowned. “Your magic is impressive, but I don’t really want to hang around you all the time for my protection.”
“No, nothing like that- um… I have an idea. The thing that’s needed to summon you is your name.. right?”
“Yeah?”
“so…let’s change your name.”
Damien stared at Steven annoyed. “I rather like my name! I’m not changing!”
“Do you really want people to keep summoning you at inconvenient times?”
The demon girl sighed. It was true that… Steven had a point. Still.. changing her name… “Urgh fine.. I Guess I ‘could’ change it… if it’s possible. Do you know a way?”
“Maybe…” Steven took out another piece of paper and wrote Damien’s name on it. “You’ll need to put a drop of blood on this ink… at least I think that’s how it works.”
“How do you know this stuff?” Damien asked warily.
“I watch a lot of movies and … I guess instinct. I dunno.” Steven sighed. “Give it a go… I got a needle here.”
Damien frowned a bit and pricked her finger, placing a drop of blood onto the writing. Her name started to glow with a fire red. “Is.. that normal?”
“… I guess.”
“You guess?!”
“Okay just.. cross through it and write a new name.”
Damien attempted it. “I guess I have a new name I’d like to try... but it’s my own name. I’m not letting anyone know it.. not even you. ” she smiled and tried to write it keeping it secret from Steven. However… it didn’t work. “Why isn’t this working! I wrote my new name!”
Steven looked down. “I was afraid of this…”
“What!” The girl looked in dismay. “What’s not right?”
“…you can’t give yourself a name. It.. doesn’t work that way.”
“Like hell!” The demoness growled and almost ripped up the paper in her black finger nails. “Something took my body I sure as hell will choose my own name!” She declared. “I’m not the plaything of people!”
“… I’ll have to name you.” Steven said apologetically. “If I name you… then… you’ll be safe.”
“The hell? But then you’ll know my name! How can I trust you?”
“…you can trust me.” Steven insisted. “I’ll never say your name to anyone…”
“…and if I hate the name?”
“It’s only your ‘summoning name’ anyway… you can still go by Damien if you like but... this is your ‘secret name’” Steven took back the piece of paper and looked at his friend… “I’ll name you… thus…” he wrote in careful letters ‘Rozzeriel’
The demon-girl looked at the name and sighed. “I.. I guess it’s okay. Thanks.” She blushed.
“…are we still friends?” Steven asked.
Rozzeriel nodded. “Yeah… we are. I just... have a lot of issues. People say stuff about me being a demon-girl. It’s.. upsetting you know?”
Steven could only imagine. His own friend Luke was having issues as a lioness… what could Damien be going through? “Maybe I can find a spell to make you look human? I’ll research that.”
“I don’t see the point. I am what I am… seems… you are more then what you seem though, Steven,” The demon-girl replied. “So… I take it I’ll have to take a plane home. People will wonder how I got here.”
“Oh- uh- I didn’t think of that!” Steven admitted.
“Can’t you teleport me back?”
Steven shook his head. “I don’t even know how I got you here… I think I rather not try it. You could end up anywhere but where you want to be.”
“Well.. I am rather glad to be back. Truth, is I have missed my old home. I might.. have a look around…”
