Suddenly Shay

Roland fumbled with the borrowed key as he juggled his duffel bag with a bag of groceries he had stopped to get on his way to the apartment. The domicile belonged to a friend he had attended college with and always kept in touch with after graduation. Heather had been his support as he adjusted to being away from home. They had bonded over struggles dealing with Freshmen Year after meeting in the same orientation group, and became fast friends. Over the next four years they would be there for each other during family deaths and gigantic events. The small stuff also helped to strengthen their friendship. Roland had been in her apartment before. He easily navigated his way to the kitchen and soon had the groceries packed away. He always tried to contribute in some way because Heather never would take any cash for letting him crash at her place. He headed down the hall to the small room she had turned into the “guest room.” It was just a small room without any closet. It did have a small twin size cot that he saw was turned down already. She had left a small chocolate on the pillow. He smiled as he popped the candy in his mouth. The sweetness felt magical as he felt pleasure flow over his entire body. Some day he was going to find out where she got these wonderful candies. While putting his stuff in the small dresser he got a whiff of himself. “SHEESH!” he exclaimed. Taking a pair of shorts and a tee he went to the bath. From the bathroom closet he got a towel and washcloth. Upon turning the water for the shower on he noticed that Heather had no soap nor shampoo in the shower. While the water warmed he searched the bath for some. Nestled in the back of the closet was a bottle with what looked like shampoo and a homemade looking bar of soap. Roland had always joked with Heather about her use of natural products. Squared away he stepped into the tub and began his shower.

Warmth covered Roland as the water enveloped his body. He just stood a minute letting the shower calm him. Grabbing the bottle he grinned as he pulled the cork out and gathered some of the gooey pink liquid in his hand. He began massaging his scalp, lathering his hair. Eyes closed and the scent of strawberries filling his nose, there  gathered a sense of relaxation. For some reason he began remembering the Strawberry Jam Doll that his sister had. There was a whole line that was based on flavors of Jams with a different personality and look for each. He saw the cute freckled doll clearly. Her strange color of red hair, the bright green eyes, and that sweet smile. The suds from the shampoo had changed from a pinkish hue to a deeper red one. The water cascaded as Roland leaned his head back. As the lather was being washed away his hair was lengthening. It had changed from a dark brown to a weird red. The locks fell just below his shoulders. Through squinty eyes, Roland grabbed the bar of soap. It was a mixture of pastel blues, pinks, and purples. It caused his skin to tingle as he rubbed it along his body. Using his hands a bit before grabbing a washcloth and really getting some soapy suds forming. The image of the doll remained in his thoughts. The slender body and perfect figure. He thought how perfect the curves of the doll always seemed to be. Unbeknownst to him, as he washed, his body was changing. The soap seemed to wash the maleness from his body, leaving behind a very female form. It wasn’t until he brought the soap and his hands up over a swell of his chest and the soap rubbed the sensitive new nipple. “What the!?!” he yelled. A wave of bliss rolled over him. Looking down he saw two fleshy mounds swelling forth from his chest. “TITS!” Immediately he took the hand with the soap and reached down for his dick. As soon as the soap touched his hardening cock it began receding and the anatomy shifted until he was now all woman in his genital area. “No!” he began screaming. “Where is it? Where IS IT!” Tears began flowing as her body flushed with massive amounts of new hormones. The bar of soap loudly hit the tub as he dropped it. Her hands were touching all over her body as she wailed.

Heather came home to a scream from the bathroom. “Roland?” she said as she moved towards the room. Upon hearing wails and sobs she went faster busting into the bathroom. The shower was running and steam began dissipating as the open door brought fresh cool air into the room. Steeling herself, as she wasn’t keen to see her friend naked, she pulled the shower curtain back. She gasped. “Who the HELL are YOU!” A confused face stared at her and through tears managed to say quietly, “Roland.” Heather then noticed the bottle of special shampoo sitting on the rack. Looking down she saw the bar of soap laying at the shaking woman’s feet. Quickly she grabbed the towel and motioned the soaked girl out of the tub. Shaking Roland obeyed. Heather wrapped her in the towel and fastened it with a fold. She grabbed another towel and guided the young woman to the dining area and sat her in a chair. Carefully she dried the trembling woman’s hair. The red locks seemed to lengthen more as she pulled the towel along the strands to dry them. Roland kept mumbling “I have tits, I have a pussy, I have tits, I have a pussy.” over and over like a weird mantra. Once she was sure the hair was dry she brushed it a bit and then went and grabbed her big comfy robe with a Unicorn hood. As she helped Roland slide her arms into it she made an assessment of her body. Roland was absolutely stunning. She smiled as she saw the heart shaped patch of hair above her sex. Once wrapped up she moved her friend to the couch and went to the kitchen and started a kettle to make tea. While she kept watch from the kitchen Heather made a phone call.

“Hello, Vanessa? Yes this is Heather.” She took a glance and saw Roland had curled up on the couch in a little ball. “Yeah, so my friend that I mentioned. He got into the special Shampoo and Soap. I know, I know. I forgot to have normie stuff in the bathroom and he must have found my special stuff.” She held her head in her hand as she listened to Vanessa lecture her about the importance of keeping magical elements secured better.  “Vanessa, please, I know I screwed up. What I need to know is can I fix it?” Heather rolled her eyes as she listened some more. “I will expect you in a bit then. Thank You.” She sighed and headed out to the living room and found Roland asleep. “Praxis Alcott Shimoses” Heather said aloud a spell to allow her to see the magic that had transformed her friend. Instantly, she saw swirls of magic floating from Roland to another part of the house and out through the windows. She arose and followed the tendrils of color to the guest room. Inside she noticed the clothes on the bed shift from masculine to feminine. Walking to the bathroom she watches as his shorts and tee shift to panties and bra, the clothes changing back and forth. “Reality is coalescing.” She muttered. Moving back to the couch she stares down at her friend. No longer the rugged guy that had always watched over her safety, even once getting the crap beat out of him by some handsy Football players defending her honor. Now there was a gorgeous girl next door face framed by soft red hair. She breathed peacefully. Heather sat down on the floor by the couch and held Roland’s hand. The woman stirred, blinking slowly as she woke up. “Heather?” she whispered. “I know Sweetie. It's my fault. So. uhm, yeah, magic is real. You accidentally used my magical shampoo and soap. You rest. I have a friend that is coming to see what we can do about your predicament.” Taking her finger she touched Roland’s forehead and said, “Sleep Obayioso.” Eyes slowly closed as Roland obeyed.

Roland sat up slowly and felt like they had been drinking all night. As they blinked, they saw Heather sitting across from a woman with bright purple hair. Reality came crashing hard, they looked down and they saw that it had not been an alcohol induced dream. They were a woman now. “Look Vanessa, Roland’s awake.” Heather said softly. “I have eyes, Heather.” Vanessa said dismissively. “Hello there, yes you dearie.” she snapped her fingers drawing Roland’s attention. “Listen carefully, I will ask you a question. I want you to think carefully before answering. Now, what is your name Sweetie?” Roland scrunched their face up as they thought very hard. A name was there, just out of reach. Suddenly, she sat up straight and blurted out “SHAY! My name is Shay!” The air sizzled and glowed as reality settled down and the leaking magic that was surrounding Shay stopped. Memories of being Shay flooded into her mind alongside the life that was hers as Roland. Heather looked at her, “Shay.” She said quietly. Vanessa clapped, “Very well done Shay.” It was like she was talking to a puppy. “Now Shay. You were a very naughty boy. You ended up using Heather’s magical beauty products. So now the image that the magic prodded you to form in your mind is now who you are.” Shay looked and blinked before speaking. “So now I am a Strawberry Jam Doll?” Heather’s eyes bugged out as she tried not to laugh. “I see it now. You do resemble that Doll.” Vanessa scowled, “A Strawberry what doll?” “Oh surely you know those dolls Vanessa. They were each styled after a different flavor of Jam. There was Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, etc,” Vanessa looked at Heather, then turned to Shay, “Is this correct, was it this doll you saw in your mind?” Shay nodded. “I did. My little sister had the whole set, but the Strawberry doll was her favorite.” Heather moved and sat beside Shay. I am so sorry Shay, I never meant for you to get caught up in my magic.” Shay leaned her head so it was against Heather’s” “It is alright. You are still my bestie.” Heather caught the aroma of strawberries faintly coming from Shay. “You even smell like that doll.” She giggled. “Ladie! Focus!” Vanessa said sharply. “I understand the magic is reforming your reality, but I do need to assess if this is anything that could endanger our reality.” Heather looked down, “Sorry Vanessa.” Shay looked at Vanessa and said, “Me too. I am sorry.”

The next two hours Vanessa did a few investigative spells. The change in genders had been a massive strain on reality. Slowly it had unravelled and reality was still in flux. She explained to Heather and Shay that it was unknown yet what damage might be occurring. Shay was safe for now. She had to report to the local Head Mage. Things like this had happened before, but not exactly this type of magic being released. After Heather received a very long lecture, Vanessa left. The two women went and got Shay dressed in her nightie. Heather told her that they would share her bed for the night. She fussed over Shay and constantly was apologizing. Shay began doing stuff she was remembering that she used to do whenever Heather would get in her head like she was now. Soon it felt like they were both calmed down and they went to sleep. Sometime during the night Heather had hugged Shay, spooning her as they both floated on sweet dreams.

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Heather was snuggled up with Shay in her bed. As the night wore on the two slept soundly. Shay though was still leaking small amounts of magical energy with every breath. It swirled around her and Heather’s heads as they slept. Ripples of reality flowed out from the bed and warped space and time. The world was changing in small ways. The apartment shifted. The rooms became larger in parts of the modest abode. The “guest room” changed into a full bedroom that now had the life’s belongings of Shay. A closet full of clothes. A sewing and crafting area where several projects lay in various stages. Photos of Shay’s family now were scattered around, including one where she was posing with her little sister and the Strawberry Jam Doll. It was Halloween and the two were dressed as the Doll. It was silly, but a strong connection that the magic had formed. Heather’s once single living situation now seemed to include a roommate. Trinkets of her and Shay’s adventures since meeting in college adorned the apartment. All as the two friends slept.

Heather awoke with a start as she realized she was cuddled up close to Shay. She moved away and got up quietly. Moving to the kitchen she started the coffee machine and began making eggs and bacon. The magic had not erased memories of Roland as reality was creating Shay’s life. The old and new were in her mind with the old becoming more like a book she had read, not a life lived. She had to giggle as she pulled a jar of strawberry jam from the fridge. The smell of coffee made Shay stir in the bed, her back getting cold from the loss of Heather’s body heat. Slowly she sat up and stretched. Crawling out of the bed she did a few low level yoga poses. Then still a bit sleepy headed she trudged to her room and then to the Bathroom. As she went through a morning process of brushing teeth and cleaning her face she paused as she finished. “Wait? Where was I just at in the apartment?” Shay stumbled back to her room. Inside her mind the life of Roland crashed with the life she had as Shay. She walked over and picked up her comics action figures. Most of Roland’s favorites were still there, but also some characters that she knew were all Shay. Memories of a job and living with Heather flooded in as she looked around the room. No longer was she in Roland’s job as an engineer. Now she is  the manager at a local coffee shop and writing her second novel. Looking up she saw a print of the cover of her first novel, Tides of the Heart. “I wrote a Mermaid romance.” she whispered to herself. She went to the closet and decided to just place her hand on articles of clothing and feeling for a connection. Soon she had on a soft figure hugging yoga pants and a matching sports bra in a flattering green color.

Turning the corner, Shay slipped into the kitchen. “So is it me?” Heather turned from the eggs she was scrambling and took in her friend. “You know, it is. I mean I remember that you are a yoga instructor part time at the local community center.” She said, “How do I know….wait, we’re roommates. Have been since graduation. I stayed to work in the hospital. I had my nursing degree and you had just written your book. Shay, this is so freaky.” “I know Heather. I have all these memories of Roland in my head…..HEATHER!” Shay ran from the room and found a purse hanging from a hook. Frantic, she dumped the contents on the floor. “Where is it?” Heather had taken the eggs off the burner and ran behind her roommate. “Where’s what?” Looking towards the corner Shay saw a table with an area dedicated to charging electronics. She ran and grabbed her phone. Heather was standing watching as Shay waited for someone to answer, “Mama?” she said as tears ran down her face. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just needed to hear your voice. Yes, Heather is looking after me. I will tell her. Yes. Yes. I will. Mama, I love you.” Shay hung up and crumpled to the floor as Heather swooped down grabbing her. “She’s alive Heather. My Mama is alive.” The young woman just leaned into Heather and sobbed. “Wow.” was all Heather could say. She got Shay up and handed her a box of tissues. As they made their way back to the kitchen they remained quiet. Heather fixed their plates and she sat across from Shay at their modest dining room table. “Mama says hello. She asked if I was behaving for you. Like I need you taking…..wait,” Shay grabbed her head. “Ow my head is hurting with all these memories. My Mama died before I met you in college.” Heather stared in an unfocused way as she relived the moments with Shay’s Mom. Tears came down her face as she did. “She accepted me as her third daughter.” Heather said quietly. Her own Mother had died when Heather was around five. She had a worn out teddy bear and some grade school scissors that had been her Mom’s. Feelings began overwhelming both women as they sat in silence eating breakfast and remembering a life that was brand new for both.

Shay had retreated to her room to explore her life. Heather sat in the living room reading a magical tome. The door bell chimed. She went and looked out the peephole. Standing in the hall was Vanessa. Heather opened the door and Vanessa immediately started in on Heather. “DO YOU know the storm of crap you have unleashed? DO YOU?” Vanessa stomped into the apartment and once in the living room she turned and lifted her hand showing a large ring with a deep purple gem glowing with a pulse of power. “This ring protects me from changes. So I know that reality is still shifting around you two. Like this apartment, it is way nicer and way bigger than your old one.” Heather opened her mouth to speak and Vanessa snapped her fingers and suddenly Heather’s mouth closed tight. “I am not finished. The head of the regional magical authority is coming. THE person that will decide what to do about your screw up.” Heather slumped onto the couch. “This is really bad isn’t it?” Vanessa nodded as she sat down. “Yes my dear, it is. They could strip you of your magic, your memories, everything. Shay as well.” Heather lowered her head. “When will they be here?” “In about a day’s time. There is an outbreak of imps in New Jersey, so once that is done they will head down here to see us.” Heather sighed. “So how is she?” Vanessa inquired. “Well, her Mom is alive now, the Mom I never met until Roland became Shay.” Vanessa put her head in her hand. “This just gets better and better.”

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“Alright class, our stretches are complete so go into Mountain Pose, now shift to Raising Arm Pose. Hold. Back to Mountain Pose.” Shay led her Yoga Class with confidence. It was a Beginner’s Class so she didn’t do many difficult poses. “Standing Forward Bend. Hold. Mountain Pose. Hold. Standing Forward Bend.” The class moved at her direction. Some had a bit of difficulty and Shay encouraged them to just do what they can. Most here were people that had signed up because they had heard how Shay was someone that did not judge. Her rep was one of encouraging those that tried regardless of whatever body type. There was even a story that she had confronted an instructor that was berating a heavy set guy in a class. The session moved along. “Warrior Pose, just imagine that you are that favorite warrior. See them in your mind.” She kept an eye on those that seemed to be straining. Soon she had them in Corpse Pose. As she played relaxing music, she went to each student and moved their legs and body in stretches after getting consent. Soon the class had ended and Shay was chatting with the last of the students. After that she headed to the showers and was soon dressing for her job at the Coffee Spot.

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Vanessa had left after again lecturing Heather on her mistake. After gathering herself, Heather got ready for her shift at the Hospital. It was disconcerting to see pictures and mementos of adventures she had with Shay. In her memories she also remembered her friendship with Roland. It was hard to not just let him go and embrace Shay. She picked up her pink scrubs and after donning a sexy pair of teal panties & bra that had roses accenting the lingerie. She pulled her hair into a tight swishy ponytail. Grabbing her purse & backpack she headed out the door. As she walked to work new memories came forth as she saw the Ice Cream Shop that Shay always dragged her to for Banana Pudding Ice Cream. There was where Shay got her comics. Every block was filled with a familiarity of her life with Shay. Heather’s head was hurting by the time she clocked into the hospital. She placed her stuff in her locker and took a moment before heading out onto the pediatric floor. Once out there her head slowed down and she felt less torn apart by competing lives knowing Roland and Shay. “Hey Jimmy!” she said smiling as she entered the room, “How is my sharp shooter today?” Jimmy grinned, “Hi Nurse Heather. Been a good day, no bad guys. I do feel kinda sick.” “Aww, let me check you out.” Heather said as she took the digital thermometer and checked his temp. “You do have a fever.” She leaned over to check to see that his oxygen monitor was still on his finger. It was that moment that the contents of Jimmy’s breakfast came up. Heather was fast, but not fast enough as the entire side of her top was covered in throw up. “Sorry.” Jimmy croaked out. “It is fine, do you think you are the first patient to throw up on me, no sweat, just gonna need some help.” She hit the call button and relayed her needs to the Nurses Station. Soon, Ted, a giant of a man in Maintenance came in with a cleaning rig. “Heather, you look interesting.” She rolled her eyes, “Ted, this is so not interesting.” Soon Malcom, another nurse, had come with stuff to clean up Jimmy. As he was hustling him to the bathroom, he handed Heather a patient’s gown. “All I could find.” he shrugged. Ted pulled the privacy curtain and stepped on the outside as Heather took her top and her also soaked bra off. She put the gown on and soon Ted was busy cleaning the bed as she placed the soiled clothing in a plastic bag. Malcolm had just finished with Jimmy as Ted finished the last of the mopping and Heather finished making the bed. The doctor came in with another nurse and began checking Jimmy out. Heather was glad as she still felt icky and needed to find out if she had a spare top in her locker.

Around the corner from the Hospital, Shay came from the back of the Coffee Shop adjusting her apron and looking at the half full room. “Hey Boss!” said a chipper young man. “Good Morning Greg.” she smiled. “How did your Political Science presentation go?” Greg rolled his eyes, “I passed, but stupid prof did tear my opinions to pieces because in their words, ‘You are such a raging liberal’” Shay laughed. It was pretty funny that the local Community College was such a conservative place when the City it was in was tremendously diverse. Shay thought about Heather being a practicing sorceress and the other marginalized groups that had found refuge in this place. “Well at least you passed.” she said as she went to check on Becca at the register. After getting the staff settled she took a moment to look at her employees. All of them were fresh out of High School or fresh out of College. Memories flooded Shay’s brain like an ice pick. Roland’s working two jobs while in college to help his dad and little sister. Money was sent home and Heather looked after the starving student. Then it was scenes of hugs and smiles as Mom, alive, Dad and little Sister helped move her in, meeting Heather, a very different life from what had been. “Boss, you okay?” Becca said as she steadied the swaying manager. Blinking fast as she held a hand to her head, she looked over at the girl in the most Waltons type outfit she had ever seen. “Yes. I am okay. Just got a bit lightheaded.” Becca slowly nodded but watched her boss as she went back to wiping tables down. Shay felt a swath of emotions as she went to an area that was quiet in the shop that many used as a reading area. This early in the day it was empty. Shay sat on a window seat and leaned her head against the glass. The memories continued to storm inside her. She closed her eyes and as she sighed, tendrils of multi colored magic escaped her mouth. Reality was getting more fuel to burn at its truths. In her cottage at the edge of town Vanessa felt the waves of change flow over her and the ring she wore pulsed as she remained aware.

The Regional Representative for the International Magical Monitoring & Enforcement Federation, or IMMEF, for short, had just walked out of a cave covered in goblin and imp guts. Before he could clean himself his pocket vibrated. Using a levitation spell he floated his phone before his face and using his mind answered it. His supervisor sighed as he told him he was sorry about sending him to another case. It appeared that south of him was a very large disturbance concerning a reality altering event. It looked like a mutated spell, but something had super charged it and now the entire world was feeling shockwaves. He nodded and ended the call. After a cleanup spell and some divination about the waves of magic a monkey appeared in a poof of smoke. It handed him a leather folder that contained all the information of the crisis. His mood darkened. “Of course Vanessa is somehow involved in this mess.” Moments later both he and the monkey had vanished.

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Vanessa jolted up from her chair. The wards of protection surrounding the property her cottage was on were blinking out one after another. She headed to her front door and stepped outside. Anger shot through her as she watched the mage walking up the path to her porch. He flicked his wrist and the magic shattered. “David!” Vanessa screamed, “Do you know how long it took me to weave all those spells?” The mage just smiled, “Hello to you as well, Vanessa.” She turned and walked inside. As he stepped to the door it slammed shut in his face. “Awww, don’t be that way. I mean we were to be married. Why so mad my dear?” She glared across the room at the door, watching as it shimmered into intangibility. He walked right through and now stood in her living room. “There, now we can have a face to face about this spot of trouble you have caused.” Her eyes widened. “THAT I….why you…it was not me…grrrrrr.” She crossed her arms under her chest and noticed his eyes wandered to her breasts. “Oh for the love of hemlock my eyes are up here.” Shaking his head he regained his composure. She pressed him, “They sent my ex-fiance to investigate, figures, this mess just keeps getting worse and worse.” Vanessa motioned for David to have a seat. After brewing some tea she went over the events that now were leading to an alteration of reality.

David set his tea cup down and was frowning. “This should not have happened Vanessa.” He raised a hand before she could say it wasn’t her fault, “I mean that the changes in reality. From what you have stated, it was a simple beauty spell on beauty products that had been made according to recipe. I know that anything you make is not going to do anything but what it was meant for, no something else is at play here.” He stood, walking to the window, “This feels like wild magic. I need to meet this person. It has to be something in their makeup that has caused the disruption.” Vanessa stood, “We can head over soon. Heather gets off from work soon, not sure about Shay, but I figure talking to Heather first might be good.” She stepped up to him and stood leaning up so she was nose to nose. “Before that, you are going to repair all my wards you so casually destroyed.”

The shift at the hospital had been a grind. Between bouts of having memories competing in her mind, she ended up covering for another nurse that had to leave early. Having never found a new top, Heather had to wear the hospital gown all shift. She threw it into dirty laundry. Thankfully she had her sports bra and yoga pants in her locker because of sometimes meeting Shay to relax after they both got off work. The outfit was not made for nursing duties, but had allowed her to at least not be so unprofessional. “SIGH.” Heather leaned her head against her closed locker before heading home. She had happy feelings from most of the new memories. Shay’s Mom being alive had changed both their lives for the better. She stopped short as she neared the Coffee Shop. Suddenly she felt all the emotions of her love for Shay tumble over her. She steadied herself as she knew that she and Shay were lovers, partners. They had been so for a long time. Something else came to her, Shay was a sorceress. 

A torrent of realizations flooded into Heather’s head. Sudden realizations she had, discovering a secret as she studied magic, knowing Shay had no idea, keeping a secret for the sake of a person she loved more than anyone else. The flashes caused pain as she also saw Roland and the secrets surrounding Shay crash into his life and Heather made a connection that froze her blood. Before Shay had seen her, she rushed out of the Coffee Shop and ran straight to the park. Her heart was pounding as she slowed down. Her feet traversed the gravel path to a secluded spot near the pond at the center of the park. Heather leaned onto a rock that had become her spot to find peace when things got hard or she had something to think through. The new life with Shay had meant she made a vow. This vow was binding, it had to be. Lives depended on it. She remembered the History of Wild Magic tome she had studied. Wild magic had been removed from the world. It was a major divide in the magical world. It had been decided that as Humanity moved forward into a modern age of science that magic must step aside. It was the reason magical creatures no longer existed in the world like they once had. They were now contained and controlled by the IMMEF. When that was decided not every mage nor sorceress agreed. Those who practiced Wild Magic were being asked to give up being magical. They would lose all their abilities and access to the knowledge of magic and that world. There was a war. What was known as the Dark Ages was the time of this Magical War. In the end Wild magic was contained. Most of the people who wielded it were imprisoned or magically lobotomized so that they would never use magic again.

Heather shivered. Wild magic still existed, it just did not have a way to manifest fully. The IMMEF sought out any occurrence of Wild Magic and destroyed it, forcing it back into the wells of power that still powered those that still were allowed to practice. Her body shook as she began to cry. A burden she had never had was now weighing down on her. She was Vanessa’s apprentice. The person that taught her about magic was the person she had held this secret from. If Vanessa knew she would have had to report it. That would mean death, it had meant death. Memories of Roland flooded her heart and mind. She knew, she knew why he had been so fragile and vulnerable even as she saw an inner strength as their friendship grew. Now she knew that Shay was the result of another life. A life where events had gone different, where a family was now whole. It was growing dark. Heather slowly began to make her way to her home. Storm clouds were forming in the sky, but for Heather it felt like they were forming closer to the person she loved. She loved Shay. It was so pure and natural, she knew that she soon would have to fight for that love.

The after work crowd had begun to filter out as the closing hours came for the Coffee Shop. Shay was helping wipe tables and put chairs up. Becca was mopping as the bell rang over the door. “Sorry, we're closing.” Shay said as she lifted a chair up from the floor. “You can’t even spare a cup of coffee for your poor old mother? A woman said. Shay stood slowly and turned around. Before an eye could even track her, Shay had moved and taken her Mom in a crushing hug as tears streamed from her eyes. Tabitha held her daughter. “I felt like something was wrong when we talked on the phone.” she said. Shay gasped in a breath as she let her mother go, taking a napkin from the table and dabbing her eyes. “Mama.” Soon, the two were in Shay’s small office, sitting on the worn couch. Tabitha held Shay, looking down, studying her child as they lay there. She gently played with Shay’s hair. “I’m sorry Mama. I don’t know why I lost it like that…I guess it has just been a bit stressful.” But Shay did know, she knew that in another reality this woman was dead. As Roland she didn’t even truly know how they died. Dad came in and told him and his sister that their Mother had passed away, the whirlwind of a funeral, then the loneliness, watching Dad begin drinking and becoming a shell of himself, just a different path. Shay looked up at her Mother. “Why are you here? I mean I am so glad but….” “Oh you know Sweetie, a Mother knows when a child needs them. I dropped your Sister off at the nearby University for a campus tour. She is staying on Campus in a dorm for a full experience. I didn’t want to cramp her style.” She smiled. Yeah, the little brat is an eighteen year old almost graduate isn’t she?” Shay smiled. They chatted even as Becca came and told her that she had locked up. They soon left and went to dinner to talk. The small Fifties style cafe was not crowded. Tabitha looked at her daughter and just felt happy.

Trudging up the stairs to the now transformed domicile, Heather felt tired. The apartment building had changed, now there was a nice townhouse. It was three stories in height and had a rooftop that had a green space with grass and trees. It was a strange mix of modern and nature. Heather was weary now, the changes had a reason. Her mind had put it together partially. The realization brought fear. “Heather Dear!” Vanessa called as Heather reached her door. She turned and saw him. “So David, this is my apprentice, Heather.” She flourished a hand towards David, “And this is my Ex, David. He is also with the IMMEF.” She added. Heather carefully extended a hand, “Hi, I guess you are here about what happened with Shay?” David nodded, letting a bit of energy probe Heather as they shook hands. “That is really not polite.” Heather stated. Taken aback, David said, “You felt that?” “I did. I was taught that probes were not something one did without consent.” David grinned, “Busted. My apologies. It is an old habit I got from all these days of tracking down people that are misusing magic. I tend to be cautious, but you are correct. Please forgive my actions.” Heather shrugged, “Well, come on inside. Shay is not here yet.” Vanessa spoke, “that is alright dear, we felt we should chat with you first. David is not very good at social skills, but he does have his moments in other avenues.” They went inside and soon Heather was recounting the events of the day of transformation. David had a hard time not showing a grim response as the more he heard, the more he felt that the eruption of Wild Magic was more than just mere coincidence.

The door to the town house opened and Shay called out, “Honey I’m home.” “In here. We have company.” Heather replied. “That is so funny as I have a guest as well.” Shay said as she turned the corner followed by her Mother. David stood and turned to greet the young woman at the center of the magical chaos when his eyes went wide. “YOU!” he screamed as threw his arms up, hands motioning quickly forming a strong spell. Magic erupted and a torrent of power flew at Tabitha. The Townhouse suddenly was cascaded in waves of magic that had explosive results.