Tess walked into one of the side rooms in the guild, trailed by her wives. Inside was her friend Jean, fidgeting nervously.
“Ah, uh, hey.” Jean said awkwardly. “Thanks for…everything.”
“Of course.” Tess replied, smiling. She and her wives sat across from Jean, then Tess continued. “So, I heard you’ve decided what you want to do?”
“Yeah. Um, first…well, you had asked me before if I had a new name in mind, and if you should refer to me with female pronouns, and I think I’m ready. I…picked Joan, I know it’s almost the same but, I don’t know, it felt right.”
Tess gave Joan another smile. “That’s a lovely name.” She replied.
Joan blushed, looking down. “Thanks.” She mumbled. “Um, so, while you were on your honeymoon, Mr. Los gave me that ‘trial run’ of a woman’s body, and he even offered to make it permanent right then and there, but…I think…I think I want to wait.” She said. “It’s not that I don’t want it, of course, it was amazing, but…I want my parents there with me for the change.
“I came out to them a week ago, and they’ve been super supportive. Mom is all excited about getting me a wardrobe and looking into how to help me transition, and Dad…well, he’s less enthusiastic, but he’s made it clear he’s behind me, no matter what. It wouldn’t feel right if I couldn’t show them the real me as soon as I can.”
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Death: Eh, I think we can just do it. We’ll pay her a visit at her home, have Fortune Descend to give Tess a little extra oomph, then get it done. Tess theoretically has access to all types of magic, so as long as she’s got the Mana and a little know-how, she’ll be fine
Tess: What Skill would this sort of magic even fall under?
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“I think we might be nearing the point where we can just do it.” Ellie said. “Let us check with Grandpa, and then if he signs off on it, we’ll just visit your house and have Tess do it. In fact, let me text him now, we’ll see what he says.”
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Death: Uh, good question. Do any of you know?
Dungeons: Transfiguration, I think? That’s where the base spell would be, but I think you need Chronomancy to make it permanent? You have to combine a couple of spells to get it to stick, you can’t just throw one of the system’s prebuilt spells out and have it work. It’s really simple, though, you’ll have it down after getting it right once or twice. Ten minute learning process, tops.
Life: And, if you know what you are doing, you technically do not need any Skills to use magic. You simply lose access to the system’s guidance; the best mages can do so, but Evan and Alberich are the only mortals proficient enough that they can entirely ignore the system.
Fortune: For however long they’ll be mortal, anyway, I think they’re both scheduled to become Higher Beings soon
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“Really?” Joan asked. “Tess, you’re capable of that?”
“Yes.” Tess confirmed, tearing her attention away from the group chat. “It’s not trivial, but I can do it.”
“Alright, Grandpa texted back.” Ellie said, looking up from her phone. “He’s given us the go-ahead.”
Joan shot them a look of disbelief. “Just like that?” She asked. “Isn’t he, you know…busy?”
“He tends to keep his schedule open when we have important meetings like this, just in case.” Maven replied. “It’s not a surprise.”
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Ellie: Also, if you were wondering the text I sent was just me telling him we’re doing it and that it’s under the pretext of him giving permission, so he doesn’t get confused if Joan thanks him later. Not like we actually need his permission, you know?
Death: Yeah, we don’t need no authority figures telling us what to do!
Fortune: I love me a good rebellion, let’s do this!
Life: We are literally the authority figures in this instance.
Fortune: Party pooper
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“O-oh. Um, what now, then?” Joan asked.
“Now, you go home, and I’ll get the preparations done.” Tess replied. “We’ll meet you there in an hour, alright?”
“I’ll…I’ll go get ready, then.” Joan said, standing up. “Can I tell my parents?”
“Yeah.” Tess replied. “They’re going to see the result in an hour anyway, so there’s no real reason to be cagey about it.”
“Thank you.” Joan replied. “I…thank you so much.”
“Don’t even worry about it.” Tess said. “Even aside from the fact that our job is to ease people into the idea of magic and it being a positive thing, you’re our friend, and we want to help.”
Joan stood up, her eyes showing the faintest hints of wetness as she gave the three members of Maelstrom a smile. “I’ll…see you in an hour, then.”
After she left, Tess sent a message in the group chat.
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Tess: Any chance one of you can teleport me up there so we can have in-person practice for the spell?
Fortune: I can just Descend and we can do it that way, it’d probably be more efficient that way, since you’ll get the feeling of your body doing it. Plus, since I’ll be there to help you cast the spell when we do it for reals, you don’t need a ton of training, just enough to make it look smooth
Tess: Oh, actually, that makes a lot more sense
Ellie: Sometimes I get jealous that you two can just casually Descend whenever and not worry about consequences
Fortune: Give it some time, your restrictions will relax eventually
Death: We still need to do some more in-depth testing now that you’re a Higher Being, get a feel for your limits. It’s probably going to be easier on you now. Probably.
Ellie: That doesn’t exactly instill confidence
Death: Thanks, I strive every day to not quite instill confidence wherever I can
Life: In all seriousness, now that you are a Higher Being, your body and soul are more resilient than they used to be. Now that Amy has worked out the kink that previously prevented Descent from working when both parties are Higher Beings, everything will be a bit more efficient for you, Descent included.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Fortune: Alright, I’m going to Descend now, okay?
Tess: Wait, do we need a practice target?
Fortune: No, the spell will just fizzle if we target a wall or something, and that’ll be enough for you to get the feel of it.
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A moment later, Tess felt her mother requesting Descent, and obliged. “Okay, so, this is pretty simple,” Fortune began, “if we want to make the transformation stick, we just do this…”
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“Um, Mom, Dad, there’s…something I have to tell you.” Joan said, watching her parents nervously.
“Did something happen, sweetie?” Joan’s mother asked. “You look nervous.”
“Well, sort of.” Joan replied. “Do…do you remember my friend Tess?”
Her father frowned. “The one that’s some sort of witch?”
Joan nodded awkwardly. “Yes, that’s her.” She said. “Um, she’s a good person, though; both Pastor Faust and a Hunter have vouched for her, and if you need, we can call them to confirm it. She’s different, but not bad, you know? But, um…she’s gonna be here in half an hour, and she’s gonna work some magic to…fix my body.”
There was a moment of silence as Joan’s parents digested this. “You mean…she’s going to give you the body of a biological woman?” Her father asked.
“Yes.” Joan replied. “I’ve…actually had it done for a shorter period of time just before I came out to you, just to be sure I was trans. It’s legit.”
“That sounds great, but…what about your ID?” Joan’s mother asked. “No one would believe that you’re the same person. Normally, people don’t spontaneously change sex.”
Joan froze. “I…hadn’t thought of that.” She admitted. “But they probably have something lined up, we can ask her when she gets here.”
“They?” Her father asked. “Who else is coming?”
“Her wives.” Joan replied. “Ellie, and a woman named Maven who isn’t from around here. Perhaps Mr. Los as well, but probably not.”
“Well…as long as they have a plan for your ID and can guarantee the process is safe, I don’t see a problem with this.” Joan’s mother said slowly. “Your happiness is our priority, and it sounds like this will make you happy.”
“What do you need us to do?” Her father asked. “We’ll help however we can.”
“Just…be there.” Joan replied. “They offered to put me up out of town while I went through the process, so it would be less suspicious, but I wanted you there.”
Joan’s mother frowned. “Why not do that anyway? We can be there with you and then get you a hotel for a few months.”
“Well…there are some potential reasons.” Joan replied. “We can talk about it more when they get here, they can explain it better than me.”
“Alright. You prepare whatever else you need to, and I’ll get the living room all cleaned up.” Joan’s mother turned to her husband. “Dear, will you get some snacks ready? It wouldn’t do to greet someone doing such a service for our daughter without at least that much.”
“Sure.” Joan’s father replied, standing up. “I can handle that.”
“Um, I’m…going to go get some clothes I bought during that ‘trial run’, ones I know will fit my new body.” Joan said. “Mine aren’t exactly going to fit. And, um, I only got a couple of pairs, I knew you’d want to go help me pick stuff out, Mom.”
Joan’s mother gave her a smile. “You know me too well. We’ll call for you when they’re here, so you just relax, alright?”
Joan left to her room to gather her things and collect her thoughts, and, after what seemed like ages, heard the sound of the doorbell. She hurriedly made her way up the stairs and to the front door, where her mother was already letting Tess and her wives inside. “Thank you again for coming.” She said quietly. “This means the world to me.”
“Like I said, it’s no problem at all.” Tess replied. “It’s just the right thing to do.”
“Um, we…did have a question, though; what are we gonna do about my ID?” Joan asked.
“Ah, that.” Tess replied. “We were hoping to do this in a public space, so there would be eyewitnesses.”
“What?!” Joan’s mother exclaimed. “Why would you ever want that?!”
“Under the direction of Life and Death, we are trying to get people used to the idea of magic.” Tess explained. “It’s why I’ve been so public about my magic. Having eyewitnesses should hopefully smooth the process over. If you do end up having trouble with it, then we’ll call in some favors and pull some strings and we should be able to get it taken care of.”
“That’s a big claim to make.” Joan’s father said suspiciously. “How do we know you’re not just trying to trick us?”
Joan shot her father a flat look, but she couldn’t exactly tell him about the other planes if Tess wasn’t going to, so she stayed silent.
“You can ask Pastor Faust if you want, but if it really doesn’t sit right with you, we can do it in private.” Tess replied. “It’s going to make the process of getting an updated ID a lot more complicated, though.”
“I’m fine with it being in public.” Joan said. “It might attract some attention, but that’s fine. It’s a small price to pay, really. If we’re really lucky, I can get some TV deals and fund college with them.”
“And if we’re unlucky, you’ll be taken to a government lab and experimented on.” Her father pointed out. “It’s too risky.”
“We have friends in high places to keep that from happening.” Tess replied. “And, on the off-chance it does, I can just go rescue her myself. Believe me, with the people I know, there’s nothing in this country that could stop me from saving her.”
“And how would you know that, young lady?” Joan’s father asked reproachfully. “I’m sure there are all sorts of secret projects the government has that might be capable of stopping you, magic or no.”
“Um, she’s probably right, Dad.” Joan said. “It’s kind of secret, so I can’t say exactly who, but I’ve met some of the people she knows. They could probably handle whatever problems come up with their eyes closed; if she says she can save me, then she probably can.”
“As long as you know the risks, then we’ll support you.” Joan’s mother said, laying a hand on her husband’s arm. “We don’t know much about magic, so we’ll just have to believe you when you say that she can handle it.”
“Good. In that case, we’ll be doing it just outside the church.” Tess replied. “I’ve already cleared it with Pastor Faust, so don’t worry about getting in trouble or anything, we’ll just walk down there and get it done.”
“That’s it?” Joan’s mother asked. “You don’t need more prep time or anything?”
“That’s it.” Tess confirmed. “I’ve already prepared all I needed to before coming here.”
“Uh, let me go get my shoes and a change of clothes. Oh, and I’ll grab your shoes too, Mom and Dad.” Joan replied. “I’ll be right back.”
She walked back to the mud room to grab the shoes, and once she returned, Tess held her hand out. “Give me the change of clothes. I’ll put it in my bag and we can change inside the church.”
Joan handed the clothes over, then watched in surprise as Tess stowed them in her pockets, not even a hint of them remaining. Seeing the shock on Joan’s face, Tess laughed. “My clothes double as my magic bag. You wouldn’t believe the amount of stuff I have in them.”
And, with that, they were off. The town they lived in was tiny and Joan’s family lived near the city proper, as much as it could even be called that, so the walk to the church took only fifteen or so minutes. Once they were in front of the path leading up to the church proper, Tess whirled, giving Joan a smile. “Alright, this will only take a moment, if everyone but Joan could stand back, that would be excellent, thanks.”
Once they had, Tess began to chant, a strange charged feeling entering the air as magic circles began to appear around her. Joan couldn’t help but look around, noticing that, as the chant wore on, cars had stopped in the street around them, and a small group of people had exited the church, everyone watching with wide eyes as Tess chanted her spell.
And, what felt like ages later, Tess stopped chanting, gave Joan another smile, and let loose her magic. A rush of energy filled Joan’s body, and she could feel herself begin to change. It was slower than when Mr. Los had done it, taking place over the span of a few seconds rather than instantaneously, but the sensation was no less intense.
The foreign power flowed down from her head until it reached her toes, leaving everywhere it touched changed. And, once it had finished its work, there was another pulse of power, and everything faded, Joan feeling…not the same, but right. Her body felt normal, yes, but in a way that her male body never had. She was finally who she was meant to be, and it felt wonderful.
“There you are.” Tess said, dusting her hands off theatrically. “That’ll be you forever, unless you get someone to do the same thing in reverse. Any dispelling effects will bring you back to this form. Oh, and you might want to grab your pants before they fall off, they’re getting close.”
Joan hurriedly clutched at her pants, and a moment later felt the arm of Pastor Faust over her shoulder. “Congratulations.” She whispered, then turned to the people gathered outside of the church doors and, more loudly, continued. “Everyone go back to what you were doing! I’m going to bring this poor girl inside and get her some fitting clothes, and I don’t want any of you seeing her if there’s an accidental wardrobe malfunction!”
The people scattered, and Pastor Faust guided the group into the church and to a side room. Once inside, Tess took Joan’s clothes out of her pockets, handed them over, and everyone left. And, as Joan changed, the emotions overwhelmed her. Tears began to flow freely from her eyes as she realized that…this was her now, and for forever.
Still crying, she finished changing and left the room, giving her parents a hug before giving Tess one as well. “Thank you again.” She croaked. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“You already have.” Tess replied, returning the hug. “Just letting us do this in public is payment enough. Now, let us know if you have any trouble with publicity or government agents knocking or anything, and we’ll make sure it all goes away, alright?”
“And you can trust that you will have the full weight of the church behind you.” Pastor Faust said. “Life and Death themselves are watching over the events here, and watching over you. If they need us to move, then we will, no matter the cost.”
Joan’s father looked up at Pastor Faust. “So…they really are working for you, then?”
“They work for the gods, and them alone.” Pastor Faust replied. “But we can speak of this later; you should be celebrating, not worrying about theological issues. I’ve arranged for a car to drive you home, so you won’t get swarmed by curious people on your way back, so you just run along, and whatever problems come up, we’ll take care of, alright?”
“Thank you, Pastor Faust.” Joan said. “Mom, Dad, let’s go home. I’m…tired, emotionally speaking, and I want to rest.”