Anne smiled as she looked into the cage where "Jonni" lay, exhausted, while five small balls of fur lined up at her side to suckle. The births had gone over incredibly well, without a single hitch. All of the kittens and both the parents were healthy and doing fine. The crew was saddened by the fact that "Karyn" had to be returned to her original home after the delivery, but it wasn't seen as anything unusual.
As a matter of fact, everyone had taken the entire thing in stride. No one seemed to find anything bizarre about two leopardesses appearing in the zoo, being impregnated, and then giving birth the SAME DAY. And no one asked where Karyn had to go All the cubs had simply been given to Jonni when Karyn "left" so that they'd imprint on her. All in all, things were truly unbelievable
"Yooouuuu!!" Karyn said as she stepped back out of the bathroom, redressed in a simple zookeeper uniform. Her previous clothes had failed to reappear when she changed back a few hours after having her kittens. "You are SO dead!!" Karyn said, clearly still angry despite Anne's help in dressing her. Not that she didn't have reason to be angry. Having kittens was neither the easiest not the most pleasant thing she had ever done in her life.
Anne twitched a bit. "Look, I said I'm sorry, okay? I was just.. a bit overwhelmed. I made that wish in haste. I really didn't mean to cause any trouble. And things all turned out all right, now didn't they?"
"All right? ALL RIGHT?" Karyn demanded, looking ready to blow up. Then she sighed and with a visible effort, calmed herself down. It probably wasn't a good idea to tick off the person with the wish stone in any case, and she DID seem like a kind, reasonable woman
"Look, you have NO idea how dangerous that thing is! I can. . Sympathize.. About the wishing " Karyn said, flinching a bit. "That's how WE ended up there. But you have no idea the damage you could do with that thing! Once you wish something, you can't UNWISH it, even with another wish!" Karyn explained desperately. Anne blinked in surprise.
"You can't?" she asked.
"No, you CAN'T! So it's a good thing you DID wish the pregnancy to hurry up Because trying to wish us back wouldn't have worked!" Karyn sighed, then glanced around. "Where is Jon, anyway?" She asked.
"He.. Um.. She's right over there " Anne said, pointing at the cage. Karyn blinked in surprise.
"W.. what? But.. He's still a leopard? Why didn't he change back??"
"Don't look at me! I didn't do it " Anne replied..
I groaned and slowly opened my eyes as I heard a familiar voice outside. The last few hours had NOT been pleasant. The kittens growing inside of me at an incredible rate, he handles taking me out, actually giving birth I shuddered at the memory. And I DID have a memory. I remembered everything that had happened. I just couldn't DO anything. My body and instincts mostly took over. And now there were these five little balls of fur laying there, suckling off me
To be honest, I did find that rather pleasant. My body's maternal instincts were setting in. But all in all it had been a VERY lousy day. I hadn't even really "come to" until a few hours after having the kittens.
So it was a big boost when I opened my eyes to see Karyn standing there talking with.. With the woman who had the stone? I tried to speak, but nothing came out but a growl.
Damn it! I still can't talk! I thought to myself. But Karyn and Anne had taken note of my, and turned in my direction. I couldn't speak, but I could listen as they discussed the situation
