Chapter 10 - How and Why

Henry was the first to recover even though he was still shocked he was not shocked into silence anymore "how long does it usually take?" he asked what was on everyone's mind.

Piper had wondered the same thing when Leo had told her and she didn't like the answer and knew they wouldn't either "Shifting witches come into their power at 15 years old and they easily change throughout their lives until they reach full maturity at 30, that's when they start to think about staying changed longer until they reach 45 that's when they usually forget to be human."

"Ashe is only 16 and she's already losing her mind and changing for her is excruciating, I felt it," Phoebe explained. Their questions were being answered and giving them far more questions than solid answers and that was annoying because in order to help they needed the answers.

Billie was feeling useless sat down so she stood up and walked to the entrance of the living room "so why is Ashe so different?" it hardly seemed fair that the tortured teen was suffering more than was normal for her class of witch. Billie knew life at her home wasn't easy but she was now grateful her parents just ignored her rather than abusing her.

"The elders aren't sure, the only thing they are sure of is that they didn't assign Ashlee to Paige, Paige got her on her own." More shock ran through the room, much more and Piper feared they all might go into shock and pass out, all of this needed to get out in the open because she refused to keep it from them and it would help them all understand what poor Ashlee was going through.

Speaking of Ashlee a suspicious looking cat came into the front room and leapt onto Piper's lap making itself comfortable; the Mother of two raised her eyebrows at the cat and knew it was Ashlee because of the colour of its coat was identical to her hair and Lion fur. Leo followed the cat seconds later "look who managed to change," he was proud of Ashlee for gaining enough control to change, none of them minded her being a Lion but it was more sensible for her to be a cat in case someone came round.

Ashlee lifted her head from where it rested on her paws to look at Leo, she had been listening to him talk all day and she didn't mind but now she wanted to listen to the others talking so she twitched her tail to show agitation, "I think she's telling you to shut up" Paige chuckled when Ashlee nodded to confirm it.

"Honey I asked you to take Ashe not bore her," Piper teased her husband and watched him blush, she remembered a time when it used to be them he bored. Ashlee stretched as she sat up, she was feeling awfully affectionate so she faced Piper and put her paws on both of the older females shoulders and cuddled into her. Piper put on arm around Ashlee and giggled at the feel of the young witches purrs vibrated against her shoulder and neck "well isn't someone affectionate today."

As the shifting witch continued to purr against Piper, Leo decided to fill the girls in on what he had read at the "at magic school I found some minor details on shifting witches," he sat beside his wife and took her free hand in his. "these witches are extremely rare hence why the source wanted them, their animals represent their inner selves so if you're brave, strong and protect you're likely going to be an animal that shows that like Ashlee's is. Whilst in the shifted from their mind takes on some qualities from the animal they are, like purring," he gave Ashlee a quick stroke and started up again "the longer they are in the form the more their animalistic nature comes forth and their human mind rests, they will remember most of what's happened but it might get hazy. Now Ashlee seems to be stuck in her form which contradicts what I've been told and read because shifting is like a subconscious reaction and it's a second skin for them."

Paige cut in when Leo finished the sentence he was on "so it's like orbing for a whitelighter they only really have to think about where they want to go and then go?" she just wanted to be sure she was certain how it worked.

Leo smiled and nodded glad that Paige got what he was saying "Yes it's like a second nature once they know how to do it doesn't really take much thought to do it. Now there could be reasons Ashe can't turn back, she could prefer the second skin which shouldn't be happening for at least a few decades, Bianca could have done something to stop her and with her being in the dark arts its most likely that one or she might not know because she hasn't be able to practise." The room elapsed into silence as the occupants thought about what Leo had said, Ashlee clambered up on to the back of the couch and walked closer to Leo and batted his ear twice. Leo turned around confused as to what Ashlee was doing so the cat repeated herself; still the whitelighter was none the wiser to her actions.

"She's not doing that counting thing again is she Piper?" Paige asked having seen Ashlee bating them the last time she was asked a question that she couldn't verbally reply too. The teenager hopped over Leo and quickly crossed the living room to perch herself on to Paige and batted her with her tail twice, it showed everyone that she was still very much human because she could remember what she had done, it pleased them to know she was fighting the change. Paige hefted Ashlee up over her head and the cat batted her nose with a loud meow, clearly one of agreement "Guess that's a yes," Paige remarked as she put Ashlee back down.

Phoebe chuckled at the emotions she was feeling from Ashlee all her emotions were happy and the shifting Witch was feeling playful, Ashlee climbed off of Paige and sat by the arm and watched Henry tap his fingers and once she got the rhythm of his taps she started to playfully go for his fingers. Henry jumped in surprised but didn't say anything as she wasn't using her claws and to mess with her he would speed up and then slow down or change which fingers he taped, the others could see how happy Ashlee was because her purring got very loud. "So if she tapped you twice she knows what happened and it's the second option? Bianca did something to her?" Phoebe decided to get them back on track so they could finish helping.

"Looks like... the only thing I can think of would be a curse?" Piper didn't sound sure so she tilted her head to catch her husband's eye and he nodded, it was the only thing he knew of that had that amount of power to get a Witch stuck in a shifted form.

Billie sat on the arm of the chair Phoebe was in without realising it but Phoebe was very aware of the blonde's presence but tried to ignore the fluttery feeling she had in her body, she almost expected Coop to show up but knew he would be busy for the next few hours and he wouldn't come round here with Ashlee still shifted. Billie rubbed the back of her neck "that's great we know it's a curse but we can't do anything about it, you said it yourselves when you were training be Curses are specific and dangerous. So we can't undo the curse without knowing the words to the curse and Ashe might not know them." She hadn't wanted to bring it up but she didn't want anything to happen to the other blonde Witch and the curse could worsen if they tampered with it without knowing the intent behind it.

"Then we have to wait for Ashe too change back because from what Phoebe described it was very painful and I don't want Ashe or Phoebe to go through that again," Paige muttered suddenly feeling guilty again for Ashlee being in that position in the first place.

Phoebe felt the guilt and faced her baby sister "Paige we explained this to you already it's not your fault okay?" Paige just nodded without meeting her eyes, Phoebe saw Piper's enquiring look but mouthed later to her and Piper got the hint.

The only non magic being in the room stopped strumming his fingers and finally rejoined them in their discussion "how do we know Ashe will turn back?" he asked not wanting to be a downer but wanting to be realistic.

"we hope," was all Piper replied as Ashlee came back to her and settled down again "we just have to hope," she expanded as she started to stroke the purring cat and Ashlee nuzzled Piper's cheek trying to give her some form of strength or comfort.

"What do you mean she's living with witches!" a dark haired woman shouted at the figure of Mabonire. How dare her play pet get a new family, she should have either run away of she got hunt her or died in the fire.

"You asked me to find her, if she was alive and I did Bianca, I even tried to separate her from the witches and bring you back a new play thing but she shifted and her screaming was near pleasure to my ears," Mabonire explained as she lounged in his cave in the underworld.

Bianca walked over to Mabonire and draped herself on him and grinded into him, "show me" she begged as she continued to grind into the demon.

Mabonire gripped her hips and pulled her closer, the thought of the scream was getting him hard so he open his mouth a mimicked Ashlee's scream from earlier. Hearing the scream made Bianca go weak at the knees, she slipped her hands down the muscular chest of Mabonire until she reached his pants where she was perched and felt the hardness that was caused from him remembering her play pet's scream "I could listen to that scream all day and it would still have the same effect... now sort me out bitch," he grabbed her hair roughly as they continued to grind. Bianca undid his trousers and freed him from his confines; she slipped her dress up over head and bared herself to him. Mabonire was only interested in getting himself off so he pulled her hair and she tilted her head to show obedience and in one hard and quick thrust he entered her and then leant back letting go of her hair, "move!" he roared and Bianca smirked and started to rotate her hips, first in circles and then forward and backwards, "faster!" Mabonire met her thrusts with violent ones of his own. He'll get Ashlee back another day, her screams will last him for some time before he needed something else from her to last him but for now it was enough to know she was in pain.

\Silver-Eternal-Dragon/