Foster’s Porn Story: Memoirs of a Demon Named Frankie Chapter 6

Orchid Bay City

Nov. 9, 2005

Careful with that, you ignoramus! the cult leader exhorted as his minion gingerly sprinkled the dust upon the tiled floor. If you get any of that outside the lines, the ritual wont work at all! Jeez… havent any of you been in an unholy ritual before?

Ah, shaddap, his lackey replied dismissively. Stuffs a buncha hooey anyway… I mean, resurrecting an ancient evil?

Well, yeah, Bob, the leader replied. Thats the kind of thing cults do. Whyd you join anyway?

Im balding, okay? I wanted to have an excuse to shave my head.

Youre stupid.

Whatever. Your stupid sands on the floor now. Im outta here. The cultist left, in a huff.

Fine! I dont need you! Youre a big stupid jerk and I hate you! The leader (by now, a leader without anyone to lead) began lighting the candles needed. Soon, he stood, holding the gem above the pile of dust.

Oh, great one, he began, I summon you once again, to do my bidding. The Emerald of Osiris compels it!

The gem began to pulse with light. Slowly, the pile of dust began to flow together, taking the shape of a man. Bandages, seemingly woven from the air around, wrapped the figure from head to toe. Within the folds, eyes and teeth solidified.

Well, now, the mummy said, bury me with Roy Rogers an call me Trigger! The Emerald of Osiris! If that dont beat all! Ooo-ee, ththings I could do with this!

O, great and mighty Kohmen-Getit… grant me the wealth and power I desire!

Now, hold on, there, pardner… it dont quite work that way. The resurrected mummy leaned against the wall of the makeshift temple… actually, an abandoned subway station. Yall can only bring me back with that there emerald… it dont tell me what to do or nothin. He snatched it away from the confused cultist. Course, when I use it… it makes me more powerfuln Texas chili on a hot summer day.

With a nod, he channeled the energy of the emerald. The air around him began to reweave into a leather vest, chaps, and a ten-gallon hat.

Well, now, thats more like it. An yall could use a new look yourself, hombre.

The cult leaders eyes widened in fear as Khomen-Getit turned the power of the emerald on him…

Frankie checked her reflection in her quarters mirror. The DPI uniform fit perfectly… as it was intended to. The black fabric hugged her unique curves, while still giving her plenty of mobility. It fit around her wings and tails perfectly, and even came with special boots that were designed for her hooved feet. There was a mask too, with holes for her horns and three-lensed goggles.

The quarters they had provided for her were amazing… her suite had three whole rooms, plus a full bath. Shed been provided with an HDTV and satellite-cable, a state-of the-art computer, and a kitchenette. Shed been given access to all of the HQs recreation facilities as well, including the gameroom, health club, pool, library, and commissary. And the salary they were offering… they must have really wanted to keep her.

There was a knock at the door. Duty calls, Frankie thought with a sigh. Cmon in, she said.

Lieutenant Melissa Perez, her superior, admitted herself. I see youve settled in. You look pretty sharp in the uniform. Ready to put it to use?

I guess so, Frankie conceded. Whats my assignment?

Commander Schuyler will be giving you your briefing. Im just delivering you today.

Perez led Frankie through the labyrinthine hallways of DPI HQ.

Youre not the only exotic on our payroll, Ms. Foster, the lieutenant informed her as they walked. We have lots of experience designing non-standard uniforms. In illustration of her comment, a pair of agents passed by. One was an immense male, with dark blue skin and heavy sideburns, and, like Frankie, hooves, horns, and a tail. The other was tall, spindly, and red, with enormous black eyes. Captain Hades and Homer Erectus, she said by way of introduction.

Hi, Frankie said, waving. Does everyone get some kind of cute code name?

Do you want one? asked Perez.

Actually… I think itd be pretty cool.

Okay… youll be Agent Troika. Since you have three eyes, three tails, and three-

Okay, okay… I understand the significance of my codename.

The two finally arrived at the commanders office. Ready to meet your boss? asked Perez.

I guess so, Frankie replied.

The Director himself was a man in his late forties, possibly early fifties. He was built like a career soldier, tall and muscled with a chiseled jaw, flinty grey eyes, and brown hair graying at the temples. In fact, he was an eyepatch away from being Nick Fury.

Ms. Foster, he acknowledged, extending a hand to take Frankies. Commander Richard Schuyler.

Hello, sir, Frankie responded.

Youve gotten settled, I assume? the Director asked.

Yes, sir.

At ease, Ms. Foster. Youre an independent consultant, not a soldier. Please, take a seat.

Frankie carefully lowered herself into one of the available chairs. Amazingly, the chair reshaped itself, changing to fit her body.

Intelligent molecules, the Director said in what Frankie assume was an explanation. Now, as to your first assignment… what do you know about Orchid Bay City?

Um… its on the West Coast, they still have cable cars, their hockey team got to the playoffs last year but choked in Game 7…

Did you know that its also a center of mystic activity? the Director asked.

…excuse me?

Orchid Bay is located at a nexus of a number of mystical realms. The dimensional barrier there is so weak that mystical creatures can actually travel between realms at will. There are, literally, thousands of supernatural entities walking the streets of Orchid Bay at any given moment.

Uh, okay, asked Frankie, but… if there were monsters all over the place, wouldnt there be some kind of news about it?

Thats where the Veil comes in. Hundreds of years ago, a group of powerful wizards cast a spell to block normal human beings from perceiving any kind of mystic activity. There are very few humans capable of seeing past the veil.

Wait… if normal people cant see anything, how did you find out.

One of our agents was visiting the city when he stumbled into a disruption in the veil. It scarred him, both physically and mentally. From that moment on, he became obsessed with penetrating the veil. After he gouged out his own eye and replaced it with a mystic artifact, we had no choice but to dismiss him.

I cant believe Im listening to this stuff, Frankie thought. Hes talking about this crazy mystical crap and Im sitting in an intelligent chair and I should just walk away right now.

So… whats my part in this?

I mentioned that certain rare people can see through the veil. In particular, the Te Xuan Ze. A human charged with the task of protecting the balance between the human and magic worlds. Now… this is where you come in. We need you to observe the Te Xuan Zes activities and report back to us. Our intel suggests that the current Te Xuan Ze is a man named Basil Lee. Your mystic nature should render you invisible to human detection.

What about detection by Lee? Im not exactly made to blend in with the crowd.

Your suit is designed with stealth capabilities. Its render you virtually invisible… well, except for your wings. Those youll have to be careful with.

And… why am I doing this?

We need information on the Te Xuan Zes activities and methods. Youll gather said information and relay it back to us, and well decide whether you will take further action.

What do you mean by further action? asked Frankie, beginning to become a bit annoyed with the secrecy.

Youll know as soon as we do, the Director replied.

Walk away. Right now.

When do you need me to start?

Now, where was she? Bloo hadnt seen her in days. It was…

Hey, there you are! Sure enough, the fur-covered housekeeper was vacuuming floors on the mezzanine level. Frankie, the kitchen got all messed up by itself and…

Sssh! The girl whirled. Youll blow my cover!

Frankie… Bloo asked, confused… since when did you have a mustache?

Wha… oh, drat! I thought I had her face right! In a poof of smoke, Frankie disappeared, replaced with a Smiley-headed stick figure. Thats just great, now I have to memorize her look all over again!

Cloney?

Yeah… Frankies paying me a thousand bucks to impersonate her for a week. Its kinda exhausting but, hey, a thousand bucks is a thousand bucks, right?

Youre getting a thousand bucks for this? Awww… I couldve done it easy!

Yeah, you coulda used your shapeshifting powers to… oh, wait, I have shapeshifting powers, not you. He hurried off.

I can SO do Frankie. Bloo mumbled to himself, as he traveled back to the door to await Mac. Now, whens he gonna get here?

His wait was rewarded with a frantic thumping on the door. When he opened it, Mac dashed inside. Thank goodness, he gasped. They almost had me.

Who? Bloo asked, opening the door again.

Bloo, no!

A stampede of girls thundered towards the opened door. There he is! screamed one.

Grab him! yelled another, as Mac slammed the door shut again.

Mac, why do those girls want you?

Its horrible! They… they want to CUDDLE me!

Mac, you DOG! Bloo said admiringly, yanking the door open. Hes in here, ladies!

AGGH! screamed Mac as he bolted from the amorous mob. Why, Bloo:

Youll thank me! he called after. Ah… young love.

This was proving to be the most boring afternoon of her life, rivaling that day that Mr. Herriman had made her make sure that all the faucet knobs in the house were aligned so they pointed to 2 and 10-oclock. So far, Basil Lee had had absolutely no contact with ANY hideous underworld creatures.

…well, okay, thered been some lawyers, but they only counted in theory.

As the day came to a close, Frankie followed Mr. Lee home. Maybe his Te Xuan Ze gig was a night thing. It wasnt like there was a lot written about things that go bump in the late evening, after all.

She set down on the roof of the Lee home. It looked pretty typical… husband, wife, two-point-five kids, a dog… there seemed to be no sign that anything was abnormal.

And yet… Frankies Spidey-sense was tingling.

Slipping her trinocs back into the bag, Frankie pulls on her hood and set the lenses to infra-red, and her earpieces to High. Shed be able to hear anything going on in the house.

An hour of thoroughly boring dinner conversation later, she was no closer to getting any useful information. Afterwards, Basil and his wife engaged in thoroughly boring after-dinner conversation.

Nossir… there was NOTHING here that suggested that Basil Lee was a mystic warrior.

It was time to cut her losses and head home. She moved to switch off her recorder when…

Yeah… there we go. That Black Dragon should be guarding the Stone of Dalactos.

The son. Of course. Now, THAT, was more like it. She switched her view in the direction of his voice and turned up the power on her lenses. Now, cmon… show me a…

…video game.

The son wasnt a mystic warrior. He HAD, however, gotten to a section of Last Legend XIII that shed never seen. Mental note… check out that cave sometime, she told herself.

Yeah… this was a bust. She was out of here.

Shed felt strangely uneasy all night, as if there was a presence prying into her life. Her bracelet hadnt gone off, though, so there wasnt anything actual going on.

Not that shed mind right now. There wasnt anything more boring than re-learning the same exact physics lesson shed learned in fifth grade. Besides, these texts never took into account any of the laws of thaumodynics, e.g. the physics of sentient floating jewels, flaming ice creatures, etc.

It was hard to look at the world as normal when you knew it was so much more.

She groaned. Maybe just a quick patrol, Monroe?

The pug sniffed. Lass, ye dont get a night off that often… me, Im plannin ta enjoy it.

Aw, cmon… itll be fun. Its a nice night, skiesre clear, Ray-Rays nowhere to be found…

No thanks. Ive a full night a relaxin ahead an I dinna ant to hear any-

A strange pulsing noise interrupted Monroes brogue-laden reply. Its source was the bracelet on Junes left wrist. The sound signified an imbalance somewhere in the fragile coexistence of the magical and the mundane. And now, it would fall to June to resolve it.

June was the Te Xuan Ze, a position that had been passed down through her family for generations. She alone was expected to make sure the worlds of magic and normality never encroached upon each other.

Most of the time, it was a really, really annoying job… of course, most of the time, her brother was tagging along.

Huh… looks like theres some kind of disturbance building downtown. A pyramid just… appeared out of nowhere. Cmon, Monroe… weve got a case!

Och, lass… I was jus getting comfy!

Well, gosh, Im sure itll be so exhausting for you, what with your strenuous task of standing there on the sidelines and making sarcastic comments.

Sarcasm is VERY demanding, Ill have you- He was cut off by June hefting him. Hey! he complained, This is really undignified!

You survived that purple sweater Aunt Thelma gave you, youll survive this, June replied dismissively as she leapt out the window.

Of course, she told herself. I was so busy checking on the men, I completely ignored the daughter. And it looks like shes on her way somewhere in a big hurry.

Leaping across rooftops (flying wouldve made her wings too visible), Frankie tracked the girl until she reached downtown, wondering what the big emergency was.

The big emergency turned out to be a large Egyptian-style pyramid downtown. Frankie assumed that it wasnt supposed to be there. There was a sign over the door. Frankie turned up the magnification on her lenses. It read…

That doesna sound like the end o the world to me, Monroe replied. It sounds… kinda promising, in fact.

Promising or not, according to my bracelet, this is where the magical disturbance is. She set Monroe down. Hold tight… were going in.

She kicked in the doors, braced for anything… anything except a crowded theme restaurant for kids. The place was huge, with everything youd expect… a ball pen for the kiddies, rows of arcade games, skee-ball and other skill games, and the tantalizing smell of pizza wafting around. This place seemed to have an Egyptian theme to go along with the architecture… hieroglyphics on the walls, tables shaped like sarcophagi, and employees dressed as creatures straight out of Egyptian mythology, such as eagles, crocodiles, jackals, and scarabs.

Theres still something not right about this, June muttered under her breath.

Aye, Monroe answered, ye havena ordered me anythin yet!

No, I mean… doesnt this seem odd?

Oh, right, all these people enjoyin themselves… its a bleedin horror is what it is! Yed better fetch me some essence of mozzarella so I can exorcize the demons.

June groaned. Monroe usually didnt think with his stomach, but Juned put him on a diet. Now the smell of pepperoni was getting to him… and June had to admit, she didnt blame him.

Still, Junes Spidey-sense was going off like crazy. She wondered if it was connected at all to the feeling shed had all the way over that she was being followed. A number of times, she thought shed seen something out of the corner of her eye, but when she glanced in that direction, there had been nothing there… except for one time, when she thought shed seen a pink bird wing. It was gone a minute later, though, and she convinced herself it was just a trick of the light.

And then, June realized just what the problem was… the staffs costumes looked a little TOO good. From the tiny ripple in the fur of the jackal-headed guys arms, to the way the light glinted off a beetle-costumed waitresss carapace, the costumes were far too authentic for such an establishment.

The insectoid had just dropped off a pie for the table near the kitchen, and was now retreating through the back door. June was preparing to follow her when she heard a perky high-pitched voice calling her name. June! She whirled to see her two best friends entering the restaurant. The speaker, Jody Irwin, was a pigtailed blonde whose every cell seemed saturated with cheerfulness. In direct contrast was her other best friend, Ophelia LeBeau, who was instantly recognizable anywhere thanks to her goth-punk wardrobe and her spiky fuchsia-and-violet hair. Whereas Jody was almost supernaturally sweet, Ophelias attitude definitely tended towards the sour end of the spectrum.

Uh, hi… June stammered, caught offguard.

Isnt this place the coolest? gushed Jody.

Okay, like, first, these places only exist to get kids to act incredibly whiny so their parentsll drag them here to shut them up, second, they totally screw over their workers by paying them next to nothing while making them wear humiliating outfits, third, they burn down something like fifty acres of rainforest every day and… No way! They have Goth Fighter 3! Dropping her tirade, Ophelia made a beeline for the video game.

I knew shed love it, Jody said smiling. So… howd you find this place?

Oh, word of mouth… or something. June answered. I, uh, have to go… place.

Okey-dokey! chirped Jody.

Scurrying away from her overly-cheery friend, June once again followed one of the waitresses. Slipping through the door after her, she found herself in a bustling kitchen, anthropomorphic staff rushing to and fro preparing the fare to be served.

And overseeing it all…

Well, jump on my couch an call me Oprah! Ifn it aint lil ol; Juniper Lee!

…was a mummy in cowboy gear.

Skeeter? Arent you supposed to be dust?

Im like a Timex, darlin, I take a lickin an keep on tickin. Anyway, dont you wanna hear my plan? Oh, an dont try runnin, missy… you aint goin nowhere.

On cue, some of the burlier creatures moved to cut off her escape. June was reasonably sure she could take them, but it would probably be a good idea to find out what Skeeter was up to this time. Yeah, Id kind of like to hear this, she responded. I mean, food service AGAIN? Please, tell me you have a new angle.

Well, Ill tell you what. Im offerin you an in on the ground floor. See this here pizza my boys n galsre makin? Its gonna gimme a big boost in employees! Once those poor suckers finish their first slice of my pizza, theyre gonna be transformed into handsome fellas like these folks right here! He patted a hippo-woman working the oven on the shoulder. Aint they adorable?

Okay, June said, I think Ill be kicking your butt now.

She charged at the Mummy, but two of the jackal-men moved to cut her off, much faster than anything had a right to. They grabbed her, displaying strength that was a match for their annoying speed. Sorry, youngun, but yall aint getting away. Its pizza time!

Not now! hushed Ophelia. Im on the final boss and Im about to… She froze as her polygon avatar shattered, leaving only the words GAME OVER on the screen. ARRRRGH! she screamed. I was so CLOSE! Look at this… they dont even give you a continue! What kind of game doesnt give you a continue?

Maybe a slice of pizzall calm those jangly nerves, suggested Jody.

Ophelia groaned. Youre lucky Im hungry and that you paid for the pizza, she muttered, claiming a slice.

I wonder where June went off to, Jody mused, biting into her own segment.

Probably the bathroom. Hey… does your slice taste a little weird?

I bet its tarragon. Thats what usually tastes funny. Huh… do you feel itchy?

Itd be nice if I actually had X-Ray vision of my own, thought Frankie as she continued to wait. So far, shed seen nothing unusual, other than the oddly realistic costumes the staff was wearing.

Maybe theres nothing going on here, Frankie thought. She watched as the customers began to eat. Her stomachs growled, rudely reminding her it had been over a day since shed eaten.

Maybe I can sneak in, grab a slice… Im invisible to all these people, right? Theyd never notice. Or would that count as unwarranted interference?

She continued to watch, her stomachs growing more insistent on her sneaking a piece. She was on the verge of giving in when suddenly, everyone doubled over and began to glow, as if some force had gripped them.

Uh oh… maybe its just as well I didnt get dinner.

Well, now, said Skeeter as the grunts of the customers filtered in to the back room, sounds like showtime! Lets go get us a look, all right?

On command, the two jackal-men hoisted June, kicking and screaming between them, and dragged her through the double-doors, followed by the grinning hillbilly mummy.

Okay, bandage-butt! demanded June, Whatre you doing to them?

Its like I said, lil lady… expandin the workforce! Jus a lil somethin I slipped into the pizza… watch an be amazed!

Incapable of squirming free, June was forced to watch as the customers slowly began to change, growing fur, feathers, scales, tails, horns, what have you… each one became an anthropomorphic version of one of Egypts sacred animals: eagles, jackals, rams, cattle, beetles, snakes, alligators… the list went on and on.

Her eyes drifted over to Jody and Ophelia. The two were sprouting tawny fur all over their bodies… claws sprung from their fingers and burst through the toes of their boots… long, fur-tufted tails grew from their hindquarters, and wings with multicolored feathers blossomed from their backs. Their ears migrated to the top of their heads, and their faces developed feline eyes and muzzles. Her best friends were now two fine examples of humanoid sphinxes.

Well, now! I reckon Im a better chef than I thought! An now… here comes the best part!

As one, all the transformed customers stood… their eyes glowing, their faces devoid of emotion, as if in a trance.

Ylike it? Mind control! cackled Skeeter. Yeah, I tried the whole zombie labor thing but yknow, the smells awful. I mean, I dont have a nose mself anymore but ya gotta think of the customers. An customers love cuddly animal mascots! Plus, mind control means I dont gotta pay em or give em benefits. Ill be rakin in the dough, an I aint just talkin pizza dough!

June squirmed even harder. Maybe… maybe Monroell be able to get help…

Oh, an we got yer li puppy-dog, too, so dont even think youre gonna get any help.

Great, just great, thought June.

Unnoticed to all, two of the transformed customers had NOT been ensnared by mind-control.

But thats not important yet.

Screw unwarranted interference. Im going in.

She slammed her hoof down on the skylight, shattering it. Wings outspread, she shut off her suits cloaking device and dropped down.

Okay, you… whatever you are… let the girl go!

Still, help was help.

Maam, you are tresspassin, an I dont need to tell you how serious that is. So why dont yall give me what yowe me fer the skylight, an well call it even-stevens, whatcha say? the mummy said calmly.

Okay, the intruder said, Ill do that… if you let the girl go and, oh, I dunno, turn all the people back to normal? If you do that, I promise Ill talk to my boss and well see about getting the forms together for you to fill out so that you can…

On second thought, Skeeter said, I think well jus find a job for you in the kitchen… you cn join Junie here in thsausage-grinder.

Ew, gross! a voice came from the crowd. June turned her eyes in the direction of the voice.

Jody? she called.

The pigtailed sphinx elbowed her way through the crowd. This is crazy! she whined. People are turning into animals and theres a mummy in a cowboy hat and Im all furry! Whats going on here? she wailed.

Okay, like, seriously, youre totally embarrassing me, her violet-haired companion deadpanned, pushing through behind her.

You two arent under his control? questioned June.

I dont DO zombie slave, Ophelia said.

Well, actually, you did this one time, but… Oh, I am so glad you guys are normal!

NORMAL? yelled Jody.

…well, relatively. June answered.

Well, I dont wanna be relatively, I wanna be me!

Oh, I dont know, Ophelia said, grinning, her tail swishing. I kinda like being all furry and weird.

I dont understand, muttered Skeeter, Yall shoulda fallen under mspell… the second you finished the slice! Wait… you DID finish the slice, right?

Ew, like, no way, said Ophelia. I picked off the mushrooms, theyre gross.

I… didnt eat the crust, Jody admitted, looking sheepish.

Jody, dont apologize to the evil mummy, admonished June.

Honeys, in case yall aint noticed, youre still outnumbered, Skeeter reminded them, an it aint likely youve got a chance.

I dont really care whats likely, June said, suddenly swinging forward, then back, slamming her feet into the creatures stomachs. The canine-headed greatures yelped in pain, letting go of the girl. She somersaulted towards her friends, landing in a protective position. Okay, guys… youre about to get a crash course in monster fighting. Lesson one: Hit the monsters! But not too hard… they all used to be human. She turned toward the stranger in black. You! Ninja Girl! What side are you on?

The mystery girl touched a button on her collar. The hood dissolved, revealing a face that seemed a blend of tiger and fox, with horns and a third eye yet, but was still somehow human. Yours. And its Frankie.

Okay… got any tricks we can use?

A few… heres one that might help. You three… cover your eyes.

Confused, the three girls did so. Concentrating, Frankie drew in every photon in the building, as shed seen Mac do, and released it all at once, blinding everyone. There, she said. Thatll give us an advantage.

Great, June said. You guys try to subdue them… Im going for Mummy Dearest! She leapt at the undead Egyptian hillbilly.

Uh uh, lil missy… it dont matter if you got me, cause aint nothin goin back tnormal without the Emerald, and I aint tellin you where that is!

June sighed and yanked off the mummys cowboy hat, exposing the gem.

Dang! …I mean, gaw-ly, howd that get there?

Youre really not that bright, are you, June sighed, snatching the gem off his head. Lemme guess… I destroy the jewel, you vow revenge and crumble to dust, all your magic gets reversed. Right?

R- …no.

Looking almost bored, June hurled the gem down and stomped on it, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.

You aint seen the last o me, Juniper L- Skeeter managed to blurt before he once again disintegrated.

A glow enveloped all the transformed humans, who slowly reverted to normal. They stood around, looking dazed.

Are they going to be okay? whispered June to Monroe, who was no longer being held muzzled by an ibis-man.

Aye, theyll most likely not remember anything. There might be an interesting dream or two, but no permanent memories.

Good, cause Id hate to have to explain all this weirdness.

Well, youre gonna, said a deadpan voice behind her. June turned to see her friends staring at her determinedly.

Uh, guys… whats wrong?

Whats wrong? whined Jody. I was a monster, thats whats wrong. What happened there?

Nervously, June stammered I… Ill talk in a minute. She whispered to Monroe. I thought you said they wouldnt remember!

Aye, by all accounts they shouldnt! I dinna understand what could possibly…

Why is your dog talking to you? asked Ophelia, an eyebrow raised.

Its… its, uh, ventriloquism! Im developing an act for the next talent show and-

Oh, come off it, June! There was a redneck mummy and cursed pizza, and that girl with the fur and wings is still here, even though no one seems to realize shes here… Theres mega-weirdness going on here, and its NOT the first time, judging by how you handled it.

I, uh…

Lass, yknow what ye have to do, whispered the pug.

Yeah, I do, mumbled June. She turned back towards her friends. Im… the Te Xuan Ze. Its… kind of a mystical super-hero thingy.

June! shouted Monroe. Ye know I didna mean that!

Monroe… I said I know what I have to do. She continued, Magic and monsters are real, and I keep them from infringing on the human world, and vice-versa. Humans cant see magic because, since this citys a nexus of magical activity, a group of magic elders cast a spell centuries ago to make anything magical invisible to humans.

So… why didnt you tell us before? asked Jody. Didnt you trust us?

I kinda wasnt allowed. Technically I shouldnt even be doing it now. But… I just cant lie to you anymore.

Monroe sighed. I guess well just have to-

No! June interrupted. No mind wipes! Not this time!

This time? Ophelia asked, raising an eyebrow. Okay, like, saying this time implies that there was a last time.

Well, uh, June said, remember that time we went to the mall that night that a new CD was being released?

We never did that, Jody said.

Actually… we did. But there was an incident with a witch who rode a giant fish, and, well… the Powers that Be reset time and wiped your memories. Im really, really sorry. I swear I wont let them do it again.

Wont let WHO do it again? came a stern but patient voice.

Busted, thought June. Uh, hi, Ah Mah. What brings you here?

I caught an interesting report on MNN. Something about a mummy, human-to-animal transformations, and a Valix sighting.

Whats a Valix? asked Jody.

Yo, waved Frankie.

Look, June said, I know what youre gonna say. Youre gonna give me the whole Uncle Ben speech, and youre gonna say its for my own good, and their own good, and that the worlds of magic and humanity must remain separate, and frankly, Ive heard it all already and I STILL think it sucks and I am NOT going to let my friends get mindwiped again! Theyve BEEN targets even without my telling them! Theyve been possessed by ghosts and enslaved by the Sandman and magically cloned and they deserve to know!

June…

I cant lie to them anymore! Its tearing me apart every time I do it! Its driving me insane!

June…

In fact… you know what? If youre gonna erase their memories, erase MINE, too! Because I quit! You can get yourself a NEW Te Xuan Ze!

June…

WHAT!

Youre making a scene. Well discuss this back home.

No! Youre just gonna mindwipe them!

June… dear… this is the way its been for millennia. Ah Mah took a deep breath. But that doesnt mean we cant be open to new ideas.

June, smiling, silently hugged her grandmother.

Come on, girls, Ah Mah said, Back to my house. Tea and cookies, on me. She nodded to Frankie, who had remained silent throughout the exchange. You too, Fuzzy. I got something for you back home.

Frankie shrugged. Sure, why not. Uh… those arent going to be chocolate chip cookies, are they? Cause I kinda have a problem…

Yeah, like, couldnt you tell by how freaked out Jody was all the way home? Seriously, answered Ophelia.

Monsters… everywhere… all around… muttered Jody, rocking back and forth and holding her knees.

This kind of thing is why the veil is kept up. Imagine thousands of people reacting just like Jody. Can you imagine the chaos?

But the veil wasnt breached, June replied. Nobody else saw Frankie or heard Monroe talk. Just them. I think somethings given them the ability to see beyond the veil.

Yes… that seems to be the case. But how? Tell me… have they been exposed to magic before?

Well, there was the time they were possessed by the ghosts of Vikings. And, once they were mentally enslaved by the Sandman. And there was the time they were magically photographed…

…and they were transformed into magical creatures this time? Hmmm… I think I know what happened.

Really? What?

Magic overload. Theyve been exposed to magical phenomena so many times, theyve adapted. Nothing I can do can change that now.

Like, no way, seriously? asked Ophelia. Weve got magic-vision?

Exactly. So… I guess Im just gonna have to entrust you with the secret of the Te Xuan Ze. You two can keep a secret, right?

Okay… yeah, I can… said Jody, still a little shaken. Uh… do we get any other powers?

Sorry, none of those. At least not right now. There might be some new developments someday, though.

Aww, Jody sighed dejectedly.

Aye. An youre a three-eyed gazelle-fox-tiger with wings who dabbles in housekeeping and espionage. Weve all got issues, lass.

Look, no offense intended, replied Frankie.

An I suppose some o yer best friends are talking dogs? the pug replied.

Actually, I do know a couple. She paused. What could the two of them possibly have in common?

So… ye catch Marooned last week? asked the diminutive canine.

Oh, yeah! Jaimes SO gonna get eaten by the monster next week!

Nah, hell get away. He always does. Yknow, my theory is…

…that the island is really Hell and theyre damned for all eternity?

Welll, why dye think the number six is all over everything?

Well, whats the deal with the alien writing?

Oh, well, I think youre supposed tTHINK its alien writing, but it has far more in common with the hieroglyphic language of the Kralzog Demons from the Realm of Infinite Misery.

Their conversation was interrupted by the return of the others. Guess what! June chirped.

No… dont tell me, the dog replied. Were stuck with Pollyanna and Gothy McGoth.

Youre mean, pouted Jody.

Jody and Ophelia will be allowed to retain their memories and their ability to see into the magical realm. Ill also be giving them some rudimentary training in self-defense so theyll be able to handle themselves in an emergency. As for the Magic Council, they dont have to know everything, do they?

Och, this has bad idea written all over it, muttered the pug.

Now, asked Ah Mah, Can I have a few minutes of your time, Miss Foster?

Sure, said Frankie with a shrug, following her into the back.

Frankies eyes widened. You know grandma? she asked, surprised.

Sure, sure. I helped her with the houses construction. We go way back, the two of us. After all, a lot of imaginary friends are magical in origin. She paused for a sip of tea. In fact, weve met before. You were a baby at the time, so you probably dont remember. I must say, youve grown.

Frankie blushed, her eyes turning all glowy. Well… this wasnt exactly my choice. I wouldnt mind being normal again. She chewed a little on her lower lip nervously. You… wouldnt happen to be able to do that, would you? Please? she added mentally.

Sorry… thats beyond my power. Honestly, Valix looks good on you. Like you were born for it. Youre not the first, you know.

…not the first?

About eighteen hundred years ago, the Te Xuan Ze of the era encountered one in India. Just like you, she was a young human woman before being transformed. There was a slight difference in her form, though… she had an extra set of arms. Probably a fluke. Anyway, she was being worshipped by the locals as an avatar of Vishnu, but she got sick of the adulation. The Te Xuan Ze helped her move on to another magical dimension where she probably still lives today.

Huh, Frankie managed, still processing all the information shed just been given.

Before she departed, she left this behind. Ah Mah rummaged around in a chest, and took out an irregularly-shaped object. This crystal shard is what transformed her. Or, rather, triggered it. She handed the roughly diamond-shaped chunk of crystal the same color as the one that still hung from her neck to Frankie. Take it… as the only Valix currently in existence on Earth, it belongs to you.

Frankie carefully and a bit gingerly took it. As soon as it was in the palm of her paw, it began to glow with an inner light. Strange markings appeared on its surface. Never did THAT before, muttered Ah Mah.

Frankie felt an odd sense of dj vu upon taking the crystal. She wondered if this was what they called racial memory. She could almost get a clear picture in her mind of Asherya (deep down, she knew that had been her name), of her transformation, her life, her service to the people of her village, and their worship in return.

Wow, she managed, still having problems verbalizing. Thank you. Thank you so much. She hugged Ah Mah. I feel like… like you said, that this was meant to happen. Like this isnt just what I am, but what I was always supposed to be. Not that Id turn down being human again… but I feel more at peace with myself than ever.

Hey, no problem at all, said the Ex-Xuan Ze with a smile. Just tell Aggie not to be such a stranger. Its been way too long since our last game of racquetball.

Thats all I found out, said Frankie, shrugging. I have determined, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Basil Lee is not the Te Xuan Ze. Which, I believe, was the purpose of the assignment, right?

Perez groaned. Youre hiding something, Foster. I cant do anything to discipline you because, technically, you DID complete the assignment… but, Im warning you: youre on thin ice with me.

Whatever you say, Frankie said nonchalantly as she strode out of the briefing room. Oh, and I wont tell anyone youre a were-dragon.

Perez froze as the tips of Frankies tails vanished from sight. Damn, she thought, how did she know that? Ive NEVER told anyone… damn it, her damn telepathy… crap.

That was really mean of me, thought Frankie as she set down in front of Fosters once again clad in her normal attire.

As she let herself in, she wondered if anyone had even realized she was gone. It HAD been a day and a half, after all. Cloney might be able to duplicate her appearance exactly, but there were subtleties that he couldnt duplicate. Surely, not everyone would be fooled…

Ah, Miss Francis. We are still on for checkers this evening, am I correct?

Then again… Sure, Mr. Herriman. Just let me take care of a few things. Frankie flapped off and upwards, towards her room. After the last day or so, she was really looking forward to some peace and quiet.

HELP!

Wait… was that Mac?

Frankie flew at top speed towards the call for help, only to find something she never expected… Mac had been ensnared by a gaggle of little girls who were taking turns cuddling him.

Frankie! Thank goodness you finally came! gasped the eight-year-old.

Okay girls, Frankie ordered, Break it up. Funs over.

Awwww, whined the girls as they backed off from the desperate child.

Thanks, Frankie! I was almo-

…cause its MY turn! The cobalt-furred woman swept up her junior and squeezed him.

No fair! complained one ponytailed moppet.

Hey, you had your chance, Frankie said as he carried the boy off for the night.