Chapter 16

"Oww, hey! That fucking hurt you little bitch!" The Ram doll grumbled and rubbed at its face.

The hallway outside her room thudded as her mum rushed the door.

"Is everything alright?" she asked concerned.

"There's!" Avery turned from her mum to point at the cursed toy only to find it gone.

"… there's umm." She looked around wildly.

Her mother seeing nothing wrong with her daughter and nothing wrong with the room merely raised an eyebrow.

"I thought I saw a rat?" Avery offered, knowing telling the truth would only get her a lecture on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. "But I just imagined it."

"Right. Well, I wouldn't be surprised, this rooms a mess."

"Moooom!" It was messy but it wasn't dirty! She knew where everything was.

"Alright, alright, if you want to live in filth that your choice. Just don't come crying to me if you really do get vermin in here."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

"Anyway, goodnight sweety, I know it's Saturday but don't stay up too late."

Her mother closed the door and Avery sighed. Maybe she should get some sleep, she was clearly seeing things.

"Damn, she looked good for her age. Total MILF."

Avery stifled another scream and spun around to face the foul little toe-rag of a plush toy.

"Ok. First: EWWWWWWW! That's my mum! And second: What the fuck are you and why are you in my room?!" Avery hissed quietly at the thing.

The doll leapt up onto the bed and sat on the edge to face Avery. "I'm Aries! Embodiment of War and Fire! I chew ass and kick bubble-gum…" The doll paused and reexamine its last sentence. "I mean I kick ass and chew bubble-gum, except I don't chew bubble-gum because it would take forever to get out of my fleece."

Avery just stared at the doll. "Umm right. I've gone crazy, haven't I?"

"No more than anyone else." The doll nodded.

"Right… are you with the bear?" Avery asked.

The Ram doll narrowed its eyes at her. "What bear?"

"The bear in the toy store." Even as she asked Avery was fairly sure that they were not the same. The bear in the toy store had floated at her and just sort of flopped in the air, this doll however had facial expression, life to its eyes and moved as if it was a living, breathing creature.

The Ram just looked at her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Fine." Avery crossed her arms. "So, you're not with the bear. You still haven't explained what exactly you are and WHY YOU ARE IN MY ROOM!"

The doll nodded and frowned seriously at her. "I'm a Seeker."

"Like in quidditch?"

"What? NO!" The doll shook its head. "I Seek people! Certain people with certain traits!"

"And you've found me?"

"YES!" the doll nodded emphatically. "You're headstrong, you're brash, you're competitive and you're full of energy! You'll make a great Starlight Princess Knight of Aries!"

Avery wasn't a WEEB but that wasn't to say she was completely unfamiliar with the concept of magical girls.

"You want me to be a magical girl…?" She asked sceptically.

"A Starlight Princess Knight, yes."

"I don't fucking believe you." Avery deadpanned.

The doll looked shocked and stricken. "Why the fuck not?!"

"Magical girls don't exist!" Avery waved her arms around for emphasis then thrust a finger at the freaky plushie. "You shouldn't exist! None of this makes sense!"

"Bah! They too exist!" Aries grumbled. "Or well, they will when we find them all."

"Prove it." Avery snarked with an aggressive thrust of her chin.

The doll grinned and launched itself at the girl. "Request accepted!"

"Wha-!" Avery flinched as the doll grabbed onto her chest and a red bubble appeared around them.

For one moment, Avery could see her bedroom, tinted red as the bubble formed around her and the little shit of a plush toy. She felt gravity loose its hold on her and she floated within the bubble. In the next moment she felt the world stretch and contort and twist in a stomach punching, bowel clenching spiral and her red tinted room vanished.
Avery didn't have any time to take any notice of her surroundings as the red bubble popped and she fell heavily to a stone floor. She managed to get herself onto her hands and knees before she messily threw up.

"Argh- Oh God, Fuck that was… fuck." Avery moaned then spat out the sour taste still clinging to her tongue.

"HEY! Watch it. You almost got me." Aries complained from where he was also limp on the ground. "Guah… I shouldn't have done that." He moaned. "It's supposed to be for emergencies but I didn't think it would be that bad."

"I'm going to find the biggest, meanest, most slobbery-est fucking dog and make you his chew toy you little…" Avery lost her train of thought as she stood up and finally took in where she was.

The hall was massive. The floor was a solid expanse of cool blue crystal with flecks of silver and gold. The walls were a luminous grey-white, adorned with carvings of glorious figures battling armies of creatures, of fighting and death, and of celebration, love and sex. The carvings were coloured in muted pastels by a subtle glow that seemingly came from within the very stone of the walls. The ceiling three or four stories above was a beautiful dark blue affair of arches and engravings that depicted the various constellations in brightly shining silver crystals connected by lines of gold. In the centre of the ceiling, where the arches all peaked, was a representation of the sun in glorious shades of gold, yellow and red. Holding up the ceiling were graceful translucent pillars of crystal that glowed softly and were the main illumination of the room. Additionally, each pillar was also adorned delicate coloured crystal vines and flowers that almost appeared to have grown up their length and they added reflected notes of brilliant colour to the room.

Yet despite the grandeur of the room and the resplendence of the art and detail, what distracted Avery so intensely was the ceiling to floor window that took up an entire side of the hall. Beyond the window was an expanse of barren dull grey dust land composed of monochrome dunes and harsh impact craters. Beyond that, framed by an immense starry sky was a blue and white sphere about the size the fist of an outstretched hand. Through the swirl of white clouds, Avery could make out the shape of what she was certain was an upside down North and South America.
Avery could only stare dumbfounded at the view. She was on the motherfucking moon! Like, what the FUCK?! That wasn't possible… except that it looked like it was.

"Welcome, young Maiden, to the Moonstone Temple." Came calm yet sure female voice that startled Avery out of her shock.

Avery spun around to face the far side of the hall. A side she didn't even notice once she had become distracted by the sight of the luna sky beyond the window.

This side of the room was dominated by a silver crystal throne on a raised dais. Sitting on the stone throne was a regal yet athletic young woman of stunning beauty. Above her head and shining like a halo from the wall behind her was a carving a crescent moon that cupped a large round, glowing, pearlescent stone. The soft light from the stone reflected in her silvery blond hair and skin, which glowed a luminous white, and her eyes shone like small moons in the sky. She was draped in a black fabric that glittered like the stars in the night sky. The cloth was carefully folded in a manner similar to an ancient Greek strophion that left one of her breasts bare.

Avery couldn't help but notice how perky the woman's breasts were or that her nipple was a shade of silver rather than pink.

"Fuck, you have nice tits." Avery said the first thing that came to her mind then cringed.
As first meetings go it could have been better.

⦖⋄⦕

"Fuck you have nice tits."

"She did not just say that?" Lyn laughed as they watched the first Starlight Princess Knight meet her 'patron.'

Alex shrugged. "She's an Aries. A certain amount of bold, idiocy is to be expected."

"I have been reading up on astrology and I was under the impression that corresponding traits were more of a coincidence than anything." Morrigan commented from where she sat next to Alex.
On the screen Avery was apologising and bowing and to Diana.

"Oh, it is." Alex reassured her. "But I purposefully made the mascots with the personality traits of their zodiac and they in turn are supposed to seek out girls who were both born in the correct months and express similar characteristics."
Lapis frowned. "Why bother?"

"It has to do with how the mascots work. They're a combination of Gem and Ghost and need to bind with a host matching with a matching personality."

"Huh?" Lyn draped herself over Alex's shoulders as they watched Diana explain the dangers of the 'Massive Geodesic Organism,' or 'Titans' as they had chosen to represent them to the chosen Starlight Princess Knights. "What do you mean by host?"

Alex simply nodded at the screen where Avery was being urged to transform for the first time.
The process was quick but it wasn't so quick as to be able to miss the details. The Aries mascot dissolved into an amorphous blob of white light which rushed at the young girl. The light moved like liquid as it wrapped around her form. Where the light touched; Avery's clothes disappeared until she was a feminine silhouette of light.
A very detailed silhouette if Lyn's wolf-whistle was anything to go by.

On Avery's chest a brilliant red diamond formed and burst into red and gold flames that wrapped around her figure and coalesced into a short white and gold dress that appeared a cross between an ancient Roman tunic and a much more modern mini dress. Details of golden armour appeared around her dress but they looked more aesthetic than functional. Finally, the flames converged at her head and hands and formed into a pair of golden ram's horns up on her head and a pair of golden metal cestus about her fists… or to the layman: some fucking golden knuckledusters.
The transformation was elegant and stunning and just a touch erotic: the perfect combination for an anime style magical girl.

"That was hot." Lyn grinned and offed a fist as on the live feed as the newly transformed magical twisted and turned to inspect her changes.

"Thankyou." Alex returned the fist-bump.

On scene Avery was put through her paces. The throne room they were shifted itself; pillars and blocks of crystal and stone emerging from the stone and forming a moving obstacle course.

"Neat." Morrigan commented. "That must have taken a bit to construct."
Alex shrugged, "I cheated. Dianna's Gem is actually the prominent gemstone behind the throne. It means she can control the entire Moonstone Temple from the floorplan and design to the atmospheric generators."
Lapis shuddered and eyed the glittering stone behind the throne. Alex reached over and took her hand in his.

"It's completely reversable and under her control, I wouldn't have done it if she couldn't leave." He said causing Lapis to relax somewhat.

Lyn wasn't paying any attention to the conversation, instead she watched with avid eyes and a large grin as Avery jumped, kicked, punched and even flew with generated wings of starlight.

"How did you get the magical girl transformation to work and can I have one?"
Alex narrowed his eyes at his sister. "Can you have a method to transform into a magical girl or a magical girl of your own?"

Lyn's grin grew to dangerous proportions. "Both. Both is good."
Alex rolled his eyes. "You'll get all the powers eventually. This-" and he gestures to screen where Avery is playing and fighting imaginary enemies with fists that are on fire, "is a work around of a work around to get the powers to work."
Morrigan leans in. "How so?"

"I had to specifically make loyal ghosts that in addition to the standard flight, intangibility and invisibility have the added powers of Fusion, a limited Exorcism, some healing and a seed of emotional absorption."

"That's how the mascot fuses with the girl, right?" Lyn nods along.

"You can absorb emotions?" Lapis instead asked curiously.

Alex shook his head no. "No, but it is a ghost power and I was able to work out a framework for it. Right now it's just a seed but give it a few years and the magical girls might be able to absorb hope and love to empower themselves."
Lapis made a cute squee sound that was actually out of character for her normally. "Thankyou! You really pulled out the stops!"

Alex blushed and enjoyed the hug.

"How did you get the other effects; I'm assuming Gem creation?" Morrigan asked.

"Yep. To get the other affects I had to upgrade the ghost with Gemstones for an elemental affinity, Form Shifting that includes the costume change, a personal armament creation and a weak bubbling ability for emergency teleportation."
Morrigan frowned. "Isn't that a bit much to give out?"

"Nah. It's not at the level of any of us or even a full Gem. The emotional absorption could empower them more but if enough people are supporting them with those emotions, then they are likely going to be using them for the right reasons."

"Why can't you make more ghosts for yourself and us so that we have all of the powersets?" Lyn asked curiously.

"It's a careful balance." Alex sighed. "Fusion runs a huge risk of affecting the personality of the people fused. That's why I went with the stereotypical zodiac personas. Avery is an Aries but more importantly is that she exhibits the personality traits of an Aries. The Aries mascot embodies these same traits so that the end result is that Avery's personality traits are strengthened. While fused she'll be more headstrong and passionate and aggressive but she'll still be herself. If I wasn't careful then she could end up a completely different person when fused."

"So the zodiac mascots will all match there personality stereotypes?" Lapis reasoned.

"It was either that or give them no personality at all but that makes separation all but impossible. The 'blank' ghosts simply dissolve into the host and can't be removed. Additionally, the more abilities I give the ghost the stronger the personality usually is going to be as part of the process is specifically injecting an emotion, memory or personality into the ectoplasm to give it form. Alice actually is more of an exception than a rule and even then, she still has a personality if only an undeveloped one."

"Huh… it's a shame you can't just breed the powers into ghosts."

Alex looked at Lyn like she was crazy. "What?"

"Breeding Program from the Bears jump allows you to pass on any and all powers, abilities, perks and alt-forms to the offspring. It's a shame that you can't do the same with ghost creation and give blank ghosts more powers."
Alex just stared at Lyn for a long moment before reaching forward and kissing her so hard as to make her toes curl in her pink converse sneakers.

"I gotta go." Alex dashed out of the room as Lyn just sat there dazed.

Lapis waved her hands in front of an unseeing Lyn. "I think he broke her."
Morrigan just laughed.

⦖⋄⦕

Thunder and lightning raged around Andrew. The anger of the storm bleeding out his own feelings of powerlessness with its sheer fury and calming him down. He had been a fool. Two months… no less even! That's all it took to realise that life still truly sucked.

Andrew lashed out at the thunderstorm from where he stood atop the second tallest building in Seattle and took a measure of satisfaction in the way the clouds billowed and swirled, from the way lightning flicked and twisted with the motions of his hands.

His mum, Karen, was better. In fact, the doctors were speechless as how a near terminally ill woman with aggressive cancer had made such a sudden turn around. And that DID make Andrew happy. Ecstatic even. He just wished that all other aspects of his life had similarly improved.
His father, Richard, still drank. His mother's miraculous recovery did not suddenly turn his father into a saint. His father could still not work due to his old fireman injury and now that Karen was well it only highlighted his own inability to provide. While an anonymous beneficiary had, in a grand act of charity that had made the papers, paid the medical bills of everyone at the hospital who had outstanding amounts owed and somehow reached out and paid the insurance companies too; this had only damaged his Richard's pride more than anything.

With Karen's return to health, his father had been less abusive but that's not to say he wasn't still and asshole and mean bastard. He still lashed out at the only viable target though he was certainly less physical. Even so, his mother had noticed. The near two-month honeymoon phase following her recovery was eroded away by Richard's sour and mean demeanour. The house, once in a state of anxious quiet as she slowly wasted away; was now filled with arguments between the two.

Andrew couldn't stand it and had fled into the skies and the coming storm to vent and leave that oppressive atmosphere behind.

"Andrew!" Steve's cry was almost lost over the grumble of thunder. "What are you doing up here man?"

Andrew watched with only a small glare as Steve floated down to the rooftop with only a slight wabble. Really. It wasn't that hard to maintain balance. Steve even had more practice flying then either Mark or himself, so why was it so hard for them to pick up the subtle stuff?

"I just want to be left alone, Steve." Andrew did not whine and you cant prove otherwise.

"Bro, this storm is wild." Steven looked out over the roiling clouds.

"Steve." Andrew tried again.

"Andrew. This thing. This power we have. It connects us. We're friends, dude."

"Yeah right. If this had never happened, you'd never have been my friend." Andrew moped.

"You're right."

Andrew's head shot up in shocked disbelief. It's one thing to gripe about how alone and angsty you were, it was another thing to have your insecurities confirmed.

"We likely would have never been friends without this weirdness to bond over. Hell, I was only vaguely friendly with Mark because we take Lit together."
Andrew was torn between resigned antipathy and a growing anger. He knew his sudden companionship wasn't real and yet it hurt to hear. Steve just continued on.

"But that's how all friendship start. Do you think every group of friends come from growing up as toddlers together or meeting on the first day of class or," Steven snorted, "or defeating mountain trolls together?"
Andrew couldn't help but grin at the reference.

"I thought you were a creepy weirdo before we really started hanging out… and now I think you're a creepy weirdo who is also funny and insightful and really talented."

Andrew wasn't sure is he was being insulted or not.

"What I'm saying, man, is that we're in this together. Hell, my nose started bleeding and I just knew you needed someone to talk to."

Andrew just stared out at the clouds ruminating his feelings before finally opening up.

"My dad is a prick." Andrew started unloading and maybe even started healing.