Chapter 23: Transformation

“So, do I just leave the circle now?" Elaine asked after she was coherent again. The second soul sliver had felt just as bizarre as the first had and even now she could sense utter satisfaction and a faint smugness from Rachel, who was lazily rubbing her pussy while her asshole still gaped open slightly, pearly-white cum oozing out of it and onto the bedsheets.

“No," Jeanne said. “We will leave the circle and then we'll break it, triggering the transformation within you.”

“This is it, then," Elaine said quietly.

“Getting cold feet?" Rachel asked, her tone much gentler than the words suggested.

“No," Elaine said. “This is what I came here for.”

“And here I thought you just wanted a crazy threesome with two hotties," Rachel joked and Jeanne laughed despite herself.

“That part was fun, I'm not gonna lie," Elaine admitted. “If I die I'll at least go out with one hell of a bang.”

“Don't joke about that," Jeanne said. “You will make it through.”

“Don't worry," Elaine said, leaning over to kiss Jeanne's forehead. “I have no intention of dying.”

“Good," Rachel said. “Because I'll be very annoyed with you if you don't come back and fuck me like this again some time.”

“You bet," Elaine said. “Now shoo.”

Jeanne shook her head ruefully and gave Elaine a gentle kiss before sliding off the bed and out of the circle.

“Good luck," Rachel said, giving Elaine a decidedly unchaste kiss and sliding off the bed as well.

They both locked gazes with Elaine and Jeanne said: “May your days be many, and your woes few.”

And then the angel and the demon both scuffed the magic circle, smudging the conductive ink and releasing the power of the Oath of Crystal Tears.

Elaine only had a single moment of coherent thought before power exploded inside her and she passed out.

**

Evelyn was a ball of nervous energy and she had only stopped pacing when Cassie had pulled her down into a chair and kept a hand on her shoulder. She was terrified of losing Elaine, terrified of never getting to see her smile again. So when Rachel and Jeanne rounded the corner, looking sweaty and disheveled and clad only in bathrobes Evelyn was up again before she even realized she'd started moving.

“How did it go?" she asked.

“Professor Stollos is seeing to her now," Jeanne said. “Are you all ready to depart?”

“Yeah, but what about...”

“Oh relax," Rachel said. “If things had gone badly we would've told you already.”

There was a collective sigh of relief.

“So it worked?" Evelyn asked, wanting them to spell it out.

“If you're ready to depart you can come pick her up," Jeanne said. “We thought it best if her girlfriends would be the ones to wash and clothe her.”

“So you're perfectly fine with getting her all messed up but not with scrubbing her clean afterwards?" Ophelia joked.

Rachel snorted. “I like you. One of these days the two of us need to have a little chat.”

“I can't wait," Ophelia said.

They'd already reached Rachel's room to find the door open and the Professor leaning over Elaine, who was naked but for a blanket over her body. Even that blanket didn't manage to hide the fact that Elaine was glowing.

“Is that normal?" Alexis asked.

Elaine's entire skin was glowing like a fluorescent light tube, sky blue and almost painfully bright, not that the Professor seemed to care as he examined her with a surprisingly mundane stethoscope. He seemed focused on his task but as the others entered the room he said:

“The procedure is going perfectly. Her body is absorbing the power at a rapid pace. I've never seen the process go this smoothly. She'll be awake before you reach your destination.”

**

When Elaine's consciousness reformed she knew she wasn't in the waking world. She was floating in the air over a dark chasm and she knew she was looking into her own mind or soul or something. Either way, everything around her was dark gray but lit so well that everything was perfectly visible regardless. In front of her were two spheres, one black and red and purple, the other white and golden and sky-blue.

She knew without having to be told that those were the soul slivers Rachel and Jeanne had given her. And right now they were clashing. Elaine had assumed that it would be some sort of metaphor but the two were literally clashing. Again and again and again they smashed into each other, creating explosions of power every time they struck. Much of that power was lost to the void all around her but thick strands of it drained in specific directions. One tether connected to whatever her consciousness was attached to, whether it was her mind, her soul, her spirit or whatever, each clash sent a pulse of power inside her. But there were two more of those tethers and as she followed them down her metaphorical (metaphysical?) eyes widened.

The first was a giant covered in jagged crystals. The crystals bore an uncanny resemblance to the ones her magic could conjure up and she immediately knew the being was Typhon, the god whose Soul Shard she held. But the other?

The second was an enormous dragon. The beast dwarfed even the giant. It had two pairs of wings and its body was at once solid and yet sleek and graceful, with long limbs that ended in taloned feet and a long neck atop which sat a lizard's head topped with a magnificent crown of horns.

Who are you? Elaine wondered. She had no true voice in this place and she hadn't even been expecting an answer but at her question both beings looked up, right at her.

“I did not expect her to regain consciousness this fast," the dragon admitted. To Elaine's shock its voice wasn't a bulky lizard's roar but a pleasant female voice. A voice, Elaine noticed with a start, that sounded eerily like her own but more refined, more cultured.

“I told you she had fire," Typhon replied. His voice, by contrast, was deep, though it sounded a little like Elaine's own, if she were trying to affect a deep, male voice.

“I shall leave things to you, then," the dragon said. “I shall speak to her when she has grown into your powers.”

“Sure, leave it all to me then," Typhon huffed, sounding slightly annoyed but not truly offended.

The huge dragon drew on one more clash of the two orbs above and then simply... left. Elaine had no idea how the huge beast could possibly just disappear but it did. There was still a tether left behind and each clash sent another pulse along it but it was as if the dragon had simply stepped behind a giant curtain.

“You may as well come down here," Typhon called out and it took Elaine a moment to realize he'd spoken to her.

She floated her way down to him until she was at the height of his head and then tried her best to speak in this bizarre form. “At least take a smaller form so we can talk.”

“And give up this awesome giant form?" Typhon asked. “Why would I do that?”

“Because I'm telling you to," Elaine said. She had no idea where this attitude was coming from but somehow standing up to this crystal giant felt like the most natural thing in the world.

In response the giant smiled. “Good answer.” And then he began shrinking, getting smaller and smaller until he was of a normal human size. The chamber around them seemed to shrink with him and when he had reached his new size he was of a height with Elaine, the two of them standing on solid ground.

Not only had he shrunk down, his body had also changed, shifting until he looked human. He also looked... off. She stared at him for several long moments until she realized that he looked like a male version of herself, as if she was looking at her twin brother. His facial features were similar to hers, only slightly more masculine and most of that came from the expertly groomed stubble on his face. His skin was tanned, the way she would expect of Mediterranean people, and his hair was a shade darker than hers, but other than that he looked eerily like how she expected her little brother might look in ten years. He was clad in a black shirt and pants, utterly nondescript but finely tailored.

“So why the theatrics?" she asked.

“We're supposed to test our bearers," he said. “But honestly, I don't much feel like testing you. You've already proven you're worthy of my power. So, as one last trial I made myself big and strong and menacing and tried to find out if you would reprimand me for it or cow to me. And you told me off. You showed defiance.”

“But why do I even need your approval?" Elaine asked. “I performed the Oath of Crystal Tears and I'm still having coherent thoughts so I assume it worked. So why?”

“It's true, your Oath succeeded," he said. “You are already more powerful than a human. But just how powerful you can become depends on your Soul Shards. It is with our support that you come into your full power. I've seen Lacrima who didn't have the approval of their Soul Shards. Trust me when I say, that gets messy. Their Higher forms remain incomplete, their powers go out of control at the worst times and their magic is actually weaker than before the transformation.”

Elaine swallowed.

“But don't worry," Typhon said, “I told you. You've already proven yourself worthy of my power. You are a rebel, a proper vessel for the god of defiance.”

“I never really considered myself much of a rebel," Elaine said.

“And yet when faced with evil tyrants lording over a town your blood boiled with righteous fury," he said.

“So what, all I have to do is keep fighting the Outsiders and you'll help me?" she asked.

“Pretty much," he said. “As I said, I don't much feel like testing you. My powers are yours. So long as you stay your path, I will help you fight these monsters and their worshipers.”

“And once the Invasion is dealt with?" she demanded. “What then? Do you expect me to run around toppling over dictators?”

“If you live to see the world rid of the Outsiders, make sure nobody tries to take the Invasion as an excuse to turn your country into a totalitarian shithole," he said. “If you do that, I will never challenge you again.”

“Fair,” she said. “And what about the dragon? What was up with that? I don't recall any dragon gods.”

“She has become a little obscure these days, hasn't she?" he chuckled. “You hold one other Soul Shard, Elaine, that of Tiamat, the Mesopotamian mother of dragons.”

Elaine took a moment to digest that. She had a fucking dragon inside of her? “And how do I win her over?”

“You don't," he said.

“Wha—” she began but he cut her off.

“As you are right now you wouldn't be able to handle both of our powers," he said. “So, right now, only I will be granting you my power. If and when you get used to that we can introduce you to her.”

“And if I need more than your power to deal with what's coming?" she asked, glaring at him.

“Then you'll be fucked either way," he said. “Once we're done here your problem will be control, not lack of power. You'll need to learn to control yourself first and foremost. And if you can't handle what I give you, you certainly won't be able to handle what she will grant you.”

“So you're saying she's stronger than you?" Elaine asked with a smirk.

“Cocky little shit, aren't you?" Typhon said and then grinned. “I would say our shards are about equally strong but you've already been using my magic, not hers. So since you're more familiar with my power we decided that I should be the first to work with you.”

Elaine thought about that for a while, then nodded. “That sounds reasonable. I do like using your crystal magic.”

“I know,” he said with a smirk. “That reminds me, though. What did you think of the other gift I gave you?”

She blinked. “What other gift?”

He smirked and cupped his crotch.

Her eyes widened. “That was you? How? What? Why?”

He grinned. “I saw it in your mind. For years you fantasized about it, didn't you? What it would be like to be like the women in the smut you read. So, when Stollos' treatments made your flesh more malleable I... gave you a little push.”

She lunged at him and punched him right in the cheek. He rocked sideways but didn't lose the shit-eating grin. “Why would you do that you asshole? You turned me into a freak! Why? Because I fantasized about that every once in a while?”

“Is it really that bad?" he asked.

She grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up. “That's not the point!" she yelled in his face. “I fucking hated myself for months because of this!”

“And now you love it, don't you?" he said, still grinning.

She ground her teeth. “I...”

“If I could take it away, would you ask me to?" he asked.

She slumped and let go of him, dropping him back to the ground. “No.”

“See?" he asked.

“But why?" she asked.

He gave her a smile that was more sympathetic than she'd expected but there was still an edge of amusement in it. “I gave it to you to fulfill your fantasies, first and foremost. I will admit, however, that I feel more comfortable inhabiting bodies that have it.”

“Too insecure to handle a pussy?” she asked with a smile.

He snorted. “Not at all. But a penis is one of the symbols of the god of defiance. It is, after all, the great equalizer.”

“Great... equalizer?" Elaine asked dubiously. She had heard many weird euphemisms for penises before but that had never been one of them.

“Of course," Typhon said. “The tool by which a rebel can sire an army to fight against his oppressors and the tool through which even the lowliest servant can bring the mightiest of kings to his knees.”

“That's a very bombastic way to describe a kick in the balls," she said, smirking.

He just grinned at her.

“You're not nearly as serious as I thought you'd be," she said. “Aren't you supposed to be a god?”

He huffed. “You can't be an avatar of rebellion all the time. You need to remind yourself sometimes that you have things worth rebelling for.”

“Doesn't seem like the Professor is having a lot of fun," Elaine said.

Typhon shrugged. “I can't communicate with the piece of me that's inside him so I can't tell what kind of compromise those two have come up with.”

She stayed silent at that.

“So, shall we begin? There is so much I must teach you.”

Elaine nodded.

**

Alexis couldn't help fretting. The Professor had assured them that Elaine was going to be fine but she couldn't stop worrying. Elaine wasn't waking up.

Evelyn, Ophelia and her had cleaned Elaine up, feeling a little jealous of how much fun she'd apparently had without them, and dressed her in one of her uniforms. By the time they were done Elaine's body had stopped glowing at least but now her clothes seemed like a much tighter fit than before. She'd filled out in every sense of the word. Her muscles were even more pronounced, her body had grown an inch taller and her chest had become just a little bit bigger and firmer, losing whatever bit of sag her breasts had had before. Elaine had looked amazing from the start but now she could be a model. A model for Badass Military Chicks Quarterly, maybe, but a model nevertheless.

And now all of them were geared up and sitting in a Gospel, Elaine strapped in between Alexis and Ophelia, her head resting on Alexis' shoulder as she slept. Apparently they still had an hour's flight ahead of them but still, the fact that Elaine hadn't woken up worried Alexis. Not just because she was scared for Elaine but also because their strongest fighter might not wake up in time for the fight they knew damn well was coming.

She'd been hoping Ophelia would do her thing and distract everyone with a ridiculous rant about some book series or another but the vampire was clearly just as worried as everyone else.

“We really have it bad, don't we?" Cassie asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence and causing everyone to look up at him. Well, everyone except Elaine. “I mean, just the chance that something bad might happen to her and we all go panicky. Can't really deny that we're all crazy about her at this point, can we?”

“You as well?" Ophelia asked him.

“I was terrified," he admitted. “We've only just started something and then this. And now I'm terrified that she's grown on me so fast.”

“She is kind of amazing, isn't she?" Abigail said from her spot as the Gospel's pilot. “I can see why you're all crazy about her.”

“What about you, Abigail?" Cassie asked.

“I'm just glad she's even willing to talk to me after what I said to her," Abigail said.

“You realize she cares about you too, don't you?" Evelyn asked. “Just because you're not in a relationship with her doesn't mean she doesn't care.”

“Maybe you're right," Abigail said quietly.

“So, what do you think we'll find when we arrive?" Alexis asked. She was a little uncomfortable with this relationship banter. She was aware of, even fine with, her girlfriend dating other people. She had even had a ton of fun with Elaine and Ophelia together. But something inside her balked at the idea of talking about it so openly, especially with someone like Abigail along, who technically wasn't part of this relationship of theirs.

“If the Lieutenant General wasn't chatting shit we'll be early enough to talk strategy with whoever is in charge at the camp," Ophelia said. “So I guess we'll find out then.”

“I just hope Elaine wakes up before we get there," Evelyn said.

The group let out a collective sigh.

**

“Anyone want some apples?” Abigail asked into the silence.

“Where'd you get apples?” Evelyn asked.

Abigail just chuckled, held out a hand, and in it appeared a golden apple.

“How did—“ Cassie began, then caught herself. “Oh right, Skill Copy.”

“That's a pretty clever idea,” Alexis said. “Didn't even occur to me.”

“It took me a while as well,” Abigail admitted. “Especially because I don't really have a use for them. But you all do so I figured I might as well help you get stronger.”

She chucked the apple backwards at her passengers, then proceeded to create two more. Seeing this, Cassie also produced three apples and soon they had six of the mystical fruit.

Calling them golden apples was accurate but it failed to convey the specifics. They didn't so much look like apples as they looked like the ideal of an apple, perfectly round and plump and big, like every apple ever showed off in every adaptation of Snow White. Except where the apples used for that story were always blood-red, these were golden. But they didn't look like metal. They were a nice, natural golden color with only the subtlest hint of a metallic sheen that didn't take away from how appetizing they looked. They were too pretty, too perfect, but the fruity smell coming off them still managed to get the whole group salivating.

Well, except Cassie, who'd been gorging himself on them for days now.

“Question is, how do we divvy them up,” Alexis said.

“I'm not eating any for the foreseeable future,” Cassie said immediately. They're great but Jesus Christ, there is something like having too much of a good thing.”

“So six apples for three people,” Ophelia said and grabbed two. “Let's get started then.”

“Shouldn't we save one for Elaine?” Alexis asked.

Ophelia opened her mouth to answer, then stopped herself and thought. “Not a bad idea, but how do you divvy six apples up between four people?” She turned to Cassie and asked: “Have you tried what happens when you split them with someone?”

“I have a bad feeling they'll only count if you eat a whole one and I didn't want to waste any of them,” Cassie said, “so no.”

“Alright, better not to experiment,” Ophelia said, grabbed a single apple and sat back. “Alexis, Evelyn, you can take two each and we'll save the last for Elaine. Everyone good with that?”

The others nodded and went for the apples.

“Holy shit,” Evelyn mumbled after crunching into the first.

“Wow,” Alexis agreed after her first bite.

**

“Oh god," Evelyn breathed as she stared out the window, seeing the column of enemies marching along the highway towards the refugee camp. They'd almost reached the camp and so they could clearly see that it would only be another hour before the army arrived.

The force consisted of dozens and dozens of soldiers, or cyborgs more likely, all marching in perfect lockstep, and the soldiers were flanked by both Outsiders and... weird stuff. At first glance Evelyn thought she was looking at normal siege equipment but the more she looked at it the more things didn't add up. The howitzers were twitching. The tanks sometimes stopped to dig at the ground with sharp claws. And that was to say nothing of the Outsiders. Some absolute madman had put armor on a group of Dark Young. There were things that looked like Yellow Wraiths but with tubes and sensor arrays sticking out of their air bladders. And of course the most concerning were the elephant-sized constructs of bone and stone marching in the front.

“You have got to be kidding me," Ophelia said. “Aren't they supposed to be a military supplier or something?”

“Private defense contractor," Evelyn corrected. “They sell military tech but they're also a private army for when you don't just want weapons but also bodies to use them for you.”

“Charming," Ophelia said. “But still, that's a lot of guys to fight.”

“Remember, we'll have all of Project Divinity and at least one other project along," Alexis said. “Although I'd feel much more confident if Elaine would wake up.”

They all heaved a sigh but then, as if the words had stirred her awake, Elaine opened her eyes. Sitting across from her Cassie and Evelyn were the first to notice.

“Elaine!" Evelyn called out.

The brunette blinked a couple of times and then her gaze locked onto Evelyn before she croaked out: “Hey there, Evie.”

Everyone but Abigail crowded around Elaine in a huge group hug.

“I knew you'd make it," Ophelia said.

“Welcome back," Alexis said.

“Good to be back," Elaine said once she got done hugging all of them back.

And as if waiting for her to get done with her team members her CARD chose that moment to bombard her with notifications.

“What are you looking through?” Alexis asked.

“The Professor sent me a video,” Elaine said, “says he wants to tell me about my new powers.”

“Probably better to watch it right away,” Alexis said.

Ophelia gave a quick smile, then tossed the last golden apple underhand to Elaine. “Have a snack while you watch.”

“Shouldn't you girls be eating these?” Elaine asked, looking at the fruit. It didn't even register to her that she'd caught an apple thrown at a very weird angle without even thinking about it.

“We did,” Ophelia said. “But we decided to save one for you.”

Elaine frowned. “So, who didn't get one?” she asked, already about to chuck the apple at whoever said something.

“Nobody,” Ophelia said. “Abigail figured out she can use Skill Copy so we can produce six of them a day.”

Elaine's eyes widened, then she smiled and said, so quietly that Abigail probably wouldn't hear it: “Good girl.”

But Ophelia heard, and she grinned.

Elaine shook her head as she saw it, then looked back at the apple, then up at her AR displays. Finally she shrugged, poked the attached file and then crunched into the apple.