Kittyelfie's stories

[kittyelfie]

The surface of the lake showed only some slight ripples from the chill breeze as the group stood next to it.  Cindy had on a hoodie and jeans, while Ivey still had on her adventuring outfit. 

"Thanks for coming out here so soon."  Heather said.  "I wanted to ask you a bit about how you handled being a superheroine." 

"Before you ask, I think that you're doing a great job so far.  People like you, a lot."  Cindy unzipped her hoodie.  "Being around you is kind of like a balancing act.  It's a lot warmer if I stay close, but the thumping of your pulse gets to be a bit much."  She shifted to be about a yard from the steaming-hot superheroine.

"I guess it's probably a bit louder than usual now.  I'm still pumped-up from having to stop an army of robots."  Heather replied.

"You were spectacular, Goddess."  The nymph cupped a hand over the peak of one of Heather's biceps.  "There is no need for you to be modest.   Who else could have defeated an army that included the entire population of a world?"

"An entire world?"  Cindy sat a hand on one of her hips and cocked her head.  "How can you suddenly be getting shy?  Just standing here I'm having a hard time thinking while watching abs and legs that put Cherry's to shame."

Ivey stage whispered, "I don't think you should be doubting her.  I've uploaded the Goddess' actions from my 'phone to the Blazing Trails site so that you can see for yourself."

"You don't have to talk about me like I can't hear you.  I'm standing just two yards away, after all."  Heather gestured, holding her palms up in front of her.  As she raised and lowered her hands, her biceps swelled from a height of halfway up along her forearms to go several inches past the tips of her outstretched fingers.

Cindy took a few seconds to respond, as her attention was drawn to the motions of Heather's bicep's peaks.  "What is on the video that Ivey's posted, Goddess?"

Heather's eyes opened wide.  She thought,  'Cindy just called me that..'  "We used a treasure map to get to a chamber that had a magical gateway in it.  The activation circle for it had its triggers mixed in with a bunch of false leads.  From what I saw, all it needed was to activate the keys quickly without doing any wrong ones."

"You are being too modest."  Genie added.  "She moved around the twenty or thirty ton puzzle pieces inside a room with a magic dampening field to activate a gateway to another world."

"Dampening field?"  Heather asked.

"Oh, I guess that I forgot to tell you that.  It was marked clearly on the map.. The one that I didn't show you.  It was a permanent location charm that blocked enhancement or manipulation types of magic."  Genie smiled a little. "It was in place to keep anyone from being able to move the keys that you lifted without any effort."

"You kept that part secret on purpose, didn't you?"  Heather said.

"I only wanted to see you do what others couldn't.  It's why I wasn't able to help.  You aren't displeased with me, are you?"  Genie bit the corner of her lip.

"What else did you know about that you didn't tell me?"  Heather asked.

"The gateway was blocked because it was rumoured to lead somewhere terrible, but I knew that you'd have no trouble with any danger it showed.  I also.."  Genie looked to the ground.  "I had Queen Gouda watch to see how powerful you are."

Heather took a deep breath and looked up.  "I know that it's in your nature, being a fey.  I need to ask you the right questions."

"Can you tell me what happened, assuming that I don't know magical theories?"  Cindy asked.

"The gateway opened, showing another world.  The sky and ocean were the wrong colors for it to be earth or the fairy realm.  The area that I saw was an endless city, filled with robots that attacked as soon as they saw me."  Heather looked to Iphigenia.  "She then told me that they were hostile, and were waiting for the right moment to come through and conquer.  I had to act fast, because their weapons were making fast work of my forcefield spells."  She paused.  "It only took me a few minutes to do.  I.. I.."

"Goddess Heather flexed her bicep's peak through their world a whole bunch of times.  Each time she did it, she sent waves that looked to be miles high through the ground."  Ivey said.

"I blasted their world's surface apart and melted it.  I.."  Heather reflexively flexed one of her arms, sending her bicep into the the lake.   The ground lurched, tossing the others to the ground.  Trees around the area shook violently, with several falling over.  A cloud of steam exploded out from the water as Heather's staff appeared in her hand, accompanied by a wavering dome appearing over Cindy, Genie and Ivey.

"I didn't mean to do that.  I was just thinking of earlier and I tensed up."  Heather relaxed her arm back down, leaving the surface of the lake lowered beyond where her companions could see.  A tunnel angled sharply down into the ground, heading in the direction of the state forest. The surface in that direction collapsed downward from the line of high, rolling hills that had just formed, to settle into jagged peaks.

"Did you go all the ways through?  Ivey asked.

"All the ways?"  Cindy stammered.

"I didn't do that on purpose.  I was just thinking of what happened and I.."  Heather paused for a second.  "No, I didn't flex all the ways through.  I really don't think I did that to the robot world, either.  I just hit it a whole bunch of times, really fast.  Um..  People are going to be curious about those new hills."

"I think I can guess what happened, Goddess."  Cindy said.  "If that's just a reflex action, then you were probably hitting their planet with as much force as a planetoid impacting into it.  You probably caused rock to explode out from the opposite side and into space each time.  If you hit it a lot of times, it's not surprising that you either tore it apart or melted it."

"How'd you guess?"  Heather asked.

"I'm the resident science geek."  Cindy replied.  "It's my job to know odd stuff."  She tapped a finger onto her chin.  "I bet that seismographs all over just jumped like crazy."

"I'm actually afraid of what I can do.  I like having a good amount of muscle.  It looks really nice on me.  I just..  I have to learn to have a lot of control really fast.  I don't want to flex out enough to destroy things by mistake.  That could kill a lot of people."  Heather said.

"Perhaps invocation magic could help."  Genie suggested.  "It might help keep your biceps calm if your followers prayed to them, showing their respect."

Heather's cheeks flushed a deep pink.  "People should pray to me?"

"By showing humility, they'd ensure their survival."  Genie said.

"This is a <em>lot</em> of responsibility for me to have."  Heather said.

"I'm sure that you are able to handle it."  Genie leaned in to give a kiss to the peak of Heather's bicep.  "After all, I feel safe in your presence, even though you have the capability to kill me instantly."

"I don't know if that's supposed to make me feel comfortable."  Heather sat her hand where she was just kissed.  "I really don't like the idea of being the angry goddess that has to be appeased."

"Oh, no, no.  It's not like that at all.  I know that you're not going to do anything bad to people.  It's just a way for people to help you.  Everyone knows that you are very benevolent."  Genie replied.

...........................................................................................................

Heather stood in the bathroom and performed her short incantation and gesture.  Her outfit shifted to a painted on halter top, a short capelet, leggings and boots.  She grasped the sectioned staff from the air.  "There.  I really should be dressed in my sorceress outfit when meeting with the headmistress."

"I don't have any kind of uniform."  Sadie said.

"Really?  I think that being able to wear different things is one of the most fun parts of being a sorceress."

"What kind of uniform should someone who has demon followers wear?"  Sadie asked.

"Lots of spikes, high boots, and something to show off your abs."  Heather replied.  "Do you know why they do what you ask?"

"You know.. I've never just asked them."

"Why not?"  Heather asked.

Sadie paused for a few seconds.  "I'm kind of afraid of what the answer will be."

"Do you go around doing evil things?  I mean worse than taking eleven items through the express line at the grocery store."  Heather asked.

"I once brought a dozen eggs through.  Does that count?"

"I think you've got to do something worse than that to be evil.  I've just had an idea.  You know those separator things that they have at the cash register to keep people's items apart from each others?  In a police movie, the bad guys can toss one of them out of their window during a car chase.  The police won't be able to go past it."  Heather said.

"I can see that you're the hardened criminal.  What have you done?  Jaywalking?"  Sadie asked.

"Let's go see the Headmistress before we embark on our crime spree."  Heather suggested.
...................................................................................................

"Come in.  The door's open."  Ms. Crowley's voice carried into the hall.  The door to her private office opened, with Heather peeking in.  "Please come in.  I'm not going to conduct a conversation through an open door."

Heather entered the room ahead of Sadie, with both of them moving to stand next to each other in front of the desk.  "Ms. Crowley.  I'm sure that you know I'd been very active in my magical dealings lately."

"That is most definitely an understatement..  But, yes, I <em>have</em> seen the news reports.  You've been making quite a name for yourself."  The Headmistress sat her elbows on her desk and clasped her hands together.

"I guess I have."  Heather moved the staff from in front of her and to her side, producing a 'Thump!' as she lowered it's end into the floor.  "Um, sorry about that.  I'm feeling a little nervous right now."

"Do you feel like you've done something wrong?" 

"No.  I just feel a bit self-conscious around you.  I feel like you know everything about me and what I'm going to ask before I do so."  Heather replied.

"You can base that much more on you're being the opposite of subtle than on any kind of investigation on my part."  Madam Crowley said.  "You've been publicising your impossibly muscular physique very well.  Your public uses of magic have also gotten a decent amount of notice.  While nearly all spellcasters maintain as low a profile as possible, you make no efforts at subtlety."  She looked to Sadie.  "May I guess that your handiwork is also present in your friend's boosted athletic prowess?"

"I got a little carried away when performing healing, and advanced her physical abilities.." 

Sadie interrupted, "She didn't do anything at all harmful."

"While your transformation and enhancement skills are obviously highly developed, it is a very difficult and dangerous type of magic to perform.  There is almost no margin for error.  I'd suggest that you limit application of it on others until you have fully mastered its arcane theories."

"Um.. I'm a sorceress, Headmistress.  My spells are as much innate as they are formulated."  Heather said.  "I also think that I have a good sense of how to manage muscular development."

"Now <em>that</em> is confidence."  Madam Crowley leaned back into her seat.  "You're willing to correct me on your abilities.  In that specialized area, you've definitely progressed beyond apprentice and journeyman."

Heather's eyes opened wide as she gasped.  "Do you mean that I've.."

"It <em>is</em> pretty obvious that you've mastered that specialty.  That does not mean that you have reached a similar level of competence in other areas, though."

"That's not what I came here to talk about, though. I'm pretty scared of what I'm able to do."  Heather said.

"That's a good trait to have.  Anyone with enhanced or paranormal abilities <em>should</em> be concerned about the effects that they have on their surroundings. That cannot be all that you want to talk to me about."  Madam Crowley replied.

"That's right.  I don't know an easy way to tell you about this."  Heather looked to the floor in front of her.  "You were right about my drawing attention by channeling mystical energy.  What I've found is that I've got a permanent link to a sizable origin of magical potential."  Heather said.

"Would you care to re-state that in simpler language?  Doing so is a mental exercise in realizing the truth of a situation."

"I'm the earthly avatar of Gaia.  As such, I have access to extremely high levels of physical strength."  Heather looked to her right as she held arm straight out to the side and bent her elbow 90 degrees, so that her bicep's peak rose to the level of her wrist.  "What I'm scared of is just how much I'm capable of doing.  When I activated a portal leading to a machine world to the fairy realm, more and more of the robots started attacking.  I found out that they were just waiting for the opportunity to come streaming through any conduit they could find to conquer.  I then.."  She took a couple of breaths.  "I put up barriers to protect my friends, but I could tell that the machines would be able to take them down quickly.  More and more of them joined in at shooting.  I couldn't let them come through.. I destroyed their world to stop them."

"How did you manage to do that?" 

"The portal was a ticking time bomb.  Whoever opened it would have faced the same onslaught that I did.  The gateway had to be closed.  Just destroying surrounding area would have left it permanently active.  It had to be done in the proper fashion, slowly and carefully.  All the while, more and more of the robots would have come charging out of their city."  Heather said.

"I'm not asking you to justify your actions.  There is no changing them after the fact."

"These fill out when I flex them."  Heather had her bicep's peak rise to just below the ceiling.  "I let them grow to the height of the room and relax them back down again, like a yo-yo, as a mental exercise in control.  Fine control of an ability is what makes it the most useful.  That's one of the things we've been told in class."  The echoing of her pulse faded once she had her peak return to its resting size.  "I flexed it as much as I could, through the portal, to go through their world again and again until the force of the impacts melted it."  She paused as she parsed her next words.  "I'm a dangerous, angry Goddess, aren't I?"

The Headmistress walked over to Heather and sat her palm on the the girl's shoulder.  "My typical response to someone seeking reassurance would be to tell them to seek absolution elsewhere. Yours is a special case.  I'd give a positive to the first and a negative to the second self-accusation.  The third would take confirmation."

"I'm afraid of what I'm able to do and can use help. I've told you what I'd learned from my divination spells, but using them on yourself is never reliable. Can you set up a ritual to find out what is happening?"  Heather asked.

"Miss Hall, if you could make your way to the basement, I'll have Professor Kitredge join you shortly to prepare the appropriate magic circles."

"Thank you."  Heather replied.

As the two girls turned to leave, the Headmistress said "Sadie, could you please wait here for a few minutes?" 

"Sure, Headmistress.  What do  you have in mind?"  The girl answered.

"Are you able to corroborate any of Miss Hall's story?"

"I don't think she'd lie to you, headmistress," Sadie grimaced, "she's... she's kind of a goody-goody, and she thinks you walk on water."

"It is a bit odd how she's nervous around me.  If she's as capable as she claims, there is little anyone can do directly to harm her." She replied.

Sadie snorted. "Yeah, but you're a wizard, and wizards are subtle and tricksy. Everyone who ever played DnD knows that."

"I did say <em>directly</em>."  Mistress Crowley clasped her hands behind her back.  "Wording is important.  Physically, I'd be better off trying to hurt her feelings than to try and cause her harm.  The best actions would be to put her in situations where strength is not of benefit, but that's not what I wish to discuss.  Have you seen her exhibit any of her physical ability?  Were you there to see her deal with the alien world?"

"Nope. I'll bet Gary could find out more, if I asked, though."

"I don't want to provoke whatever forces she's aligned with by having a demon acting upon her.  How about having him fetch those who were with her?  Tell him that he is to invite them to accompany him.  He's not to just grab them." The Headmistress said.  "Wording is very important with demons, as you well know."

Sadie shifted uncomfortably. "I've... been learning, anyways. Maybe we could try an alternative magic first, though? I believe Ivey and Cindy have these neat things called, 'cellphones...'"

"I don't just use a pair of soup cans with a string between them to communicate.  You can call them and let them know to be ready.  I'll have a friend send them here."

"Okay. D'you still want me to send Gary to ask for Genie? I don't think they like each other much, to be honest."

"Isn't Genie a fey?  I don't think it wise to send a demon to their realm.  I'm sure her other friends will have the information that we need.  Also, they are nearly impossible to interrogate."   Crowley picked up her familiar, "Wiggins, you've been listening in, so you know what to tell Kittredge."  With that, the raven hopped and then flew off.  The wizard then used her desk telephone to make a call, letting Ms Mystic know to open portals for the students, and to meet her in one hour.

After a minute, a pair of swirling portals appeared in the air.  Out stepped Cindy and Ivey.  "Welcome, both of you.  Cindy, you know who I am.  Ivey, I am Madeleine Crowley, Headmistress of the Paragon Academy.  There will be time for formal introductions later.  I need to ask both of you some questions.  Neither of you are in any kind of trouble.  I am looking to help a friend of yours, so I just want to have honest answers."

"Ms. Mystic told us that there was something we had to do to help Heather."  Cindy said.

"I'll do anything to help the Goddess."  Ivey added.

"I'm about to conduct a divination ritual to find out how Heather has been changing and what the source of her power is.  She claims that she is the earthly personification of one of the universe' primordial gods.  While I know that high level abilities or spells can appear to be divine, is there anything that you'd seen her do that warrants such a title for her?"  the Headmistress asked.

"She outmuscled Cherry without any effort.  She also created the world's deepest point just to try out her strength.  There's also a line of hills just west of Eastlake High School, in the national park, that she created today.  I think that the ability to alter a planet is beyond the realm of superheroines."  Cindy said.

"I guess it's my turn."  Ivey said.  "We were in a cavern in the fairy realm when the Goddess shifted the keys to open a magical portal without any effort, even though the key stones had to weigh dozens of tons.  It was really neat when it opened.  It was like a huge movie screen, showing a city of enormous buildings on an alien world.  Odd shaped robots started coming out of the buildings and shot at us.  She put up a forcefield that blocked their shots from hitting either Genie or me.  They looked like they stung her when they hit.  Anyways, there had to be thousands of the robots after only a few seconds, all shooting through the portal."  Ivey paused, seeing the others watching her.  "She said that the forcefield wouldn't last long enough for her to figure out how to close the portal, so she had to stop them.  Also, Genie told her that the robots were there just waiting to invade.  It's kind of hard to describe what she did.  Goddess Heather, um.. She stood right at the edge of the portal and flexed her bicep out, so that the peak of it grew through the city and into the ground.  The forcefield wavered from the shockwave, while the buildings were destroyed.  She repeated it a bunch of times, displacing the ground to have mountains pushed up.  There were huge waves that went out from where she hit their world, sort of like how waves spread out on water when you throw a rock into it.  The hits she did melted the ground, and ended up having magma come pouring out of them.  Once she finished, the sea in the distance was gone, and replaced with glowing lava.  She looked like she was in a daze as she undid the keys to close the portal."

"Thank you both for your information.  It appears to corroborate what Heather told me.  If you wish, you may both remain on campus while the ritual is being conducted.  Heather will be free to tell you about it after it is completed."  The Headmistress stepped towards the door. "I have preparations to take care of, so I will need private use of my study."

As the students went into the hallway, Ivey grasped her hand over the peak of the younger girl's bicep.  "Do you think the Goddess will grant me a build anywhere as good as yours if I pray to her enough?"

"I think you've also got to put in a lot of work at her temples as well.  I'll meet you at the school gym tomorrow morning at seven."  Sadie replied.

"Why not now?"  Ivey asked.

"I've got to help with the ritual."  Sadie answered.

Cindy tapped Ivey's side.  "There's a small gym here at the academy.  I'll show you some of the basics while we wait."

...............................................................................................

"We'll need to layer a divination circle with a protection one, just in case there's an energy surge."  Heather picked up a piece of iron ore from the shelf.  "Rubbing it into powder with my fingers is faster than using spells and a mortar and pestle."

"That is.. Efficient."  The professor replied.  "We also need to incorporate a binding circle."

"Why do we need that?"  Heather asked.

"While the ritual is meant to involve only astral sensing and power tracing, we also have to be prepared for adverse effects.  If whatever source for your powers sees what we are doing as a threat, it may retaliate.  Just imagine if you were to be used as a puppet.  Anyone else here would be lucky to escape with their lives."

"I don't think of myself as that much of a threat to others."  Heather replied.

"That's because you are in control of your abilities.  We're preparing for the worst."  Professor Kitredge said.

After the circles were laid out, with the designs and measurements double-checked, the participants arrived.  "You should occupy the East and you the West."  Headmistress Crowley pointed to Sadie and then to Ms. Mystic.  "I'll take the North point and Wiggins will occupy the South."  She knelt at her place as the others moved into their positions. "Sadie.  You are to maintain the binding ritual.  Ms. Mystic, I'll call you by title, so as not to confuse your name with the young student.  You are to trace back to the power source and identify it.  I will work on how the power is linked with it's earthly anchor."  She looked over to Heather.  "Would you please occupy the central circle?"  Once Heather was in place, she asked, "Heather, do you willingly accept this ritual?  Agreeing will bind you for its duration and limit your powers."

"I do accept the binding and limitations.  I will allow the probing of my being, the baring of my soul to the participants."  She knelt back slightly, until her overly muscular calves pushed against her equally unyielding hamstrings.  Heather cupped her hands over her thighs.  As the ritual began, the traced symbols on the floor glowed, with some sending up pillars of light to the ceiling, while others producing arches of wavering hues.

"I see Heather's presence as an ethereal cyclone.  She's masking all of our presences."  Ms. Mystic stated.

"Her soul conduit combines with another."  Madam Crowley added.

"I see it.  It spreads and joins with the background for the earth."  Ms. Mystic said.

"Why aren't I able to see anything?"  Heather asked.

"You agreed to the bindings.  Your sight is blocked, to limit your actions.  Please don't fight it."  Sadie looked over to Heather, who's now jet black eyes started glowing green around their edges. "I don't want either of us to get hurt.  Please relax.  We're not going to harm you."

"Her power source is linked to the planetary sphere.  Both she and the other have the same feel.  It is not human, nor is it fey, infernal or celestial.  It is old, ancient, primordial."  Ms. Mystic said.

"Her's is joined with it, as though they are one."  Madam Crowley added.  "It seems that your wanton use of astral conduits did indeed draw notice, Heather.  You are, indeed, linked with Gaia."

"Can my link be limited? Or changed?"  Heather tensed some as the others probed her astral lines.  Her muscles rippled and expanded.

"Heather!"  The binding circles around both Heather and Sadie flared brilliantly as Madeleine continued, "Nothing is happening to you.  Don't fight the traces.  Don't try to break free.  Don't use your physical strength!"

"Please-and-thank-you-very-much," Sadie muttered under her breath as a light sheen of perspiration misted her forehead, "don't get Gary involved in this."

"Huh?" Madeleine asked, looking at Sadie, "Why...?"

"He doesn't like it when I get hurt," Sadie said impatiently. "Can we hurry this up?"

"Heather and Gaia are combined.  Your soul is entangled with hers."  Ms. Mystic said.  "No mortal magic— probably no divine magic— can separate you without causing your death."

"You are an avatar of Gaia."  Madam Crowley said.  "There is no changing that.  You are no longer human.  You are a divine being.  I think that the title 'Avatar' may be the best descriptor."

"That is a <em>huge</em> load of responsibility for me to take on."  Heather said.  As the ritual faded, the glowing runes and magic circles faded.  Her eyes shifted to an incandescent green from black, while her pulse echoed in the room.

"Try being the Queen of the Damned," Sadie sniffed. "At least your powers aren't regularly offering to eat your friends for fun."

"I don't think I'll take your offer of trading."  Heather got to her feet.

"Let's get out of the stone basement.  I don't need for your pulse to make me deaf.  You're also turning it into a sauna."  Sadie replied.

"Miss Hall, I'll register your increased power levels into the school ledger."  Headmistress Crowley gestured, summoning the large, floating tome.  "With that, we'll need to add in activities designed for you to learn how to limit and control your physical abilities.  I will not have you graduating without you having a much greater level of restraint."

Ms. Mystic interrupted,  "I will add that, overall, you are handling your capabilities very well.  Anyone can handle adversity.  That is actually a common trait.  If you want to know someone's true character, give them power, especially if they have power that others cannot match."

Madeleine arched an eyebrow at Ms. Mystic's comments. "I don't think I would generally recommend that course of action," she noted blandly, "there are far too many youngsters who, given the opportunity, would <em>not</em> handle power as well as Heather has."

..........................................................................................................

As they walked toward the school's modest gym, Heather said "I really need to learn how to deal with people talking about me in third person or as if I am not there."

"How does the divine one wish to be addressed?"  Sadie asked.

"Hopefully not in a derogatory manner."

"Good.  Good.  Feel the snark flowing through you.  Channel its strength.  Soon your training will be complete."  Sadie replied.

As Heather and Sadie arrived at the gym, Ivey got off of the stationary bicycle and stood, wobbly. "Welcome to your temple."

"Did you confirm what you already knew?"  Cindy asked.

"Madam Crowley and Ms. Mystic traced my astral connections.  The Headmistress said that I'm an avatar of Gaia."  Heather held her hands in front of her, with her fingers laced together, causing her biceps' peaks to press together.  "I guess a gym <em>could</em> be thought of as a temple to a deity with strength and physical fitness as aspects."

"I'd say that suits you perfectly.  Those <em>are</em> among your areas, after all.  Avatar is a sanskrit term meaning an earthly representation of a goddess.  Avatar, Demigoddess, or Goddess.  Whichever one you like is kind of a case of to-may-to, to-mah-to."  Cindy replied.

"I think the key word there is 'representation', mighty one."  Sadie tapped one of Heather's arms.  "Restraint is a good way to not gain a head as big as your biceps."

"Maybe I should have someone constantly whisper to me 'Remember, thou art mortal'."  Heather said.

Sadie grimaced. "You have a lot of power, but you're hardly alone in that. <em>Everybody</em> has weaknesses."

"I don't know what mine are, but I'm sure there's someone out there figuring them out."  Heather replied.  "It's not going to be fun for me when they show up."

"A little advice," Sadie mused, "don't fight Gods. Or God, depending on your belief system. I hear that's a great way to discover your limits."

"That's just what I need, for someone to 'release the kraken' on me."  Heather said.

"While we're on the subject, I also recommend not getting into a staring contest with a gorgon. Not sure that the strength of Heracles would really help in that case, y'know?"

"I'm a sorceress.  It's my job to find workarounds. Mirrored sunglasses.  But I get the idea."  Heather replied.

"Just filling in as your personal memento mori, until you hire some other sucker to do the job, big H," Sadie teased.

"Any more happy banter," Cindy added, "and I swear I'm going to hear theme music and see credits rolling past. Let's can it and go home, now."

......................................................................................................................



   (Heather finds Cindy and Ivey at the gym. Tells a bit of what happened.  "Avatar, Demigoddess, Goddess, to-may-to, to-mah-to.  Sanscrit Avatar means earthly representation of a Goddess"  Cindy says.  How does Heather's parents react to her?  How does she feel about taking directions from normal humans? According to Sadie (with her usual, sardonic commentary) the key word, there, is "representation." Sadie smilingly informs Heather that she doesn't want her to get a head that's bigger than her biceps.
 

Part 11 starts with dinner at Heather's home.   Cherry and her parents are there.  "You  know, anything that you eat is, by default, the Food of the Gods."   "Do either of you need to eat?"  "I don't know."   "I just eat things that I like the taste of."   "Honey, you've been quiet about what you did over the weekend.  You don't need to keep your 'superheroine stuff' secret if you don't want to."   "I'm not sure you'd like to hear it all. I went with Genie on what I thought was gonna be a simple adventure.  I ended up stopping a robot invasion by destroying their world.  When I got back, I built up a line of hills by mistake, then found out that I really <em>am</em> the representation of Gaia."  Heather's parent (not sure which one) says that he/she wants their little girl back.  Can't she just let other people go out and face danger.  She can still live like a normal person.  Heather replies "Can you give up being a mammal and go back to being a reptile?  I can't stop being a goddess.  I also can't just sit by and let other people be in danger or get killed because I don't feel like helping."   Alice or Max say "Cherry, could you and Heather leave us parents for a bit?  There's some things that we'd like to discuss"    when they leave, Heather says to Cherry.  "That came out wrong, didn't it?"  Cherry replied "You might not notice it, being so close to them, but your parents are in that 'shock and awe' stage that people seem to have when meeting superheroes."  Heather replied "It probably didn't help things when I blurted out all of that.. Or when I went all goddess mode."  "You're still getting used to it, aren't you?"  Cherry asked.  "I'm not sure that I ever want to be fully used to it."  Heather replied.   Heather feeling a tingle when she's prayed to.



















Part 11

   
"Um, Dee?"  Heather asked.

"Yes?"  The girl answered.  She had just slid her finger from the inside of Heather's elbow up to the cleft between the two portions of her biceps.

"I was told that I shouldn't do anything that'll distract people while in class." Heather replied.

"That's pretty much impossible.  Every muscle that you have shows off."  Dee turned in her seat to face Heather.  She fumbled her free hand around in her desk and reached towards the superheroine's abdominals.  Within seconds, there was a metallic squeal.  She then raised her hand to show that she had an oven mitt holding a pair of crushed scissors.  "You warned me against putting my fingers where you can do this to them."

"I see that you've come to class prepared to deal with metal that gets heated from my crushing it." Heather said.

"I see that you didn't even flinch when I put sharp metal objects against your bare skin."  Dee added.

"Why should I worry about that?"  Heather asked.

"I could have been under some kind of evil mind control and stabbed you with them.  What if it were a knife or gun or something?"  Dee sat the flattened scissors on her desk and took off the mitt.

"I don't want to sound like I'm showing off, but.."  Heather paused for a second, "nothing that you can do could possibly hurt me."  She took out her own scissors from her desk and held up her other arm, looping her fingertips through the handles, with the points sitting on her biceps. Heather bent her elbow slowly, so that her peak rose up to her fingers, flattening the blades lengthwise. 

"Wow.." Dee's stared, along with that of nearly everyone else in the room.  They were interrupted when the bell to start the class sounded.  "What does it feel like when you do that?"

"I just feel a tiny bit of pressure where the points are, but that's all.  It doesn't take any effort to squish things.  My resting biceps are a lot harder than the scissors. Do you have anything else you'd like for me to flatten?"  Heather asked.

"I'll bring a bag full tomorrow."  Dee replied.  "How about if I were to bring some coal for you to squeeze into diamond?"

Heather chuckled.  "If that's what you want, then okay.  How's this for now?"  She rolled her scissors into a ball and squeezed it a few times, until the metal glowed a bright red.  Heather pulled off a small amount to twist into a braid, and shaped the rest like it was modeling clay.  She attached the handle onto the small basket and set it on the corner of Dee's desk.  Wisps of smoke rose from where it charred the surface.  "It'll cool off eventually."

"Your pulse makes it sound like there's a rave party going on, but it's worth it to sit next to you during class."  Dee peeked over to see the clock, and then their teacher getting out a stack of papers.  She leaned over to look at Heather's arm and said, "Thank you Goddess.  May your omnipotent biceps guide and protect me." Dee gave Heather's peak a kiss and sat up just as the bell rang.

................................................................................................................

"Hey, Defender."  Candi said as she walked over to her classmate.  "I've been wanting to ask you about something.  Let me know if it's not too personal."

"You're an exhibitionist.  What could be too personal for you to talk about?" Cindy replied.  "You also don't have to call me that all the time."

"I think it's fun to call people by their hero names."  Candi replied.

"Then why don't you have one?"  Cindy asked.

"I haven't thought of one that sounds good.  'Mouse-girl' or 'Squeak' aren't all that impressive.  Anyway, what I want to ask about isn't about me.  It's about you."  Candi said.

"I'm not the most shy person in the school, either, so go ahead."  Cindy replied.

"You've got slightly different color skin on either side on your shoulders, neck and upper torso.  It's in two patches that look like they meet in the center.  I can only notice it when I'm really close to you.  I don't think it's a birthmark, because it is nearly perfectly symmetrical."  Candi stepped behind Cindy and pulled the neckline of her shirt down.  "I see that you're also getting your build back.  It looks good on you."

"That happened when I was with Heather, at Lord Entropy's underwater pyramid."  Cindy turned to face the other girl.  "Do you really want to hear what happened?  It was a bit gory."

"You're standing here with me now, so whatever happened, you made it through."  The mouse-girl put her hands on her hips.  "I've got a pretty strong stomach, so you don't have to hide anything."

"I wasn't awake for all of what happened, but Heather filled me in on it." Cindy replied.  "I remember the part where we were rushing to get out of the billion ton iron pyramid.  We had destroyed his teleportation gateway to mars.  He retaliated by turning off the force-fields that were holding the pyramid above them.  Heather caught it and held it up until I got out.  She then tossed it in back of her.  The shockwave from it hitting basalt sea floor knocked me out.  From what I know about biology, I'd bet that the blast turned my internal organs to jelly."

"Ew.  That is not something that I'd want to have happen, but that doesn't explain the marks."  Candi said.

  "We were down really deep, and didn't have our air tanks.  Heather's light spell let her see that I wasn't moving, and that clouds of blood were coming from every orifice in my body.  She wanted to get us to the surface fast, so she could work her healing spells on me."

"And why wasn't she affected by the shockwave?"  Candi asked.

"I'm a super-powered person.  She's a Goddess.  There's a big difference."  Cindy answered.

"I should stop interrupting, shouldn't I?"  Candi added.

Cindy nodded.  "Only if you want to hear the rest of the story.  You know how her biceps fill out to go past her wrists to her fingertips  whenever she bends her arms?  Well, in order to get me to the surface, she cupped her hands beneath my armpits and swam upwards."

Candi flinched.

"Yeah,"  Cindy continued. "When she lifted me, the Goddess' biceps filled out in front of her, crushing me instantly.  I'd bet that there wasn't much of anything left.  Instant red mist.  If that's what happened, Heather isn't telling me."  She paused. "If I didn't get better, I wouldn't be here talking to you.  Anyways, she zipped us up to the surface in order to take care of me." 

"Don't you have hyper-strength and durability?"  Candi asked.

She nodded.  "There's a bit of a power level difference.  Lord Entropy's device had hit me with a dampening ability, but it hadn't really taken full effect yet.  Let's just say that her regeneration and healing spells are really, <em>really</em> good."  Cindy swallowed hard.  "I think that all of me, from my chest upwards, was re-created when Heather brought me back to life."  She smiled.  "That probably explains why I have no more birthmarks.

"Wow, that <em>is</em> some high level stuff."  Candi said.

...................................................................................................................

After morning classes had ended and Heather was headed outside, she spotted one of her classmates.  "Uri!  Wait up."  She jogged over to the younger girl.

"Oh, um.. Hi, Heather."  Uri looked around them.

"I've noticed that you've been pretty quiet lately."  Heather said.

"I'm usually quiet."  Uri answered.

"This is more than usual, or should I say less than usual?  More quiet seems like a misnomer."  Heather added.

"It's just that I don't have much to say.  What is it like now that you're more powerful than Comet Girl is?"  Uri asked.

"I wouldn't say that I'm more powerful than her.  She's got so many things that she can do, like flying or traveling in space.."

Uri cut Heather off, "How much physical ability do you have?  Your muscles out-class hers."

"So that's it.  It's not that I've got more than she does.  You're not happy that I've got more than you do."  Heather said.

"It <em>is</em> kind of my special thing." Uri replied.

"Don't you ask people not to think of you as being different, and that you only use your powers when absolutely necessary?"  Heather asked.

"Well, yeah.."  Uri answered.

"Then why does what I'm able to do bother you?" Heather sat a hand on her hip.

"It just makes me.."  Uri looked down towards her feet, "a little less special."

Heather clenched her fists, causing her arm muscles to swell out.  "Gyah!  You're not making any sense.  Do you want any attention, or do you not want any?

"I guess what I'd like is for people to notice me, but not to say much about it.  It would be like having fans that are secret about it."  Uri replied.

"You want a secret fan club?"  Heather cocked her head. "That's very.. Different."

"I hardly ever overhear anyone talking about me anymore.  Now it's all about how Cindy's gaining her buffness back, and how cute Candi and Nik are, and how gorgeous Cherry is."  Uri paused for a couple of seconds.  "They also talk about Tina a little bit.. And how you're a Goddess."

"I'm not asking anyone to come up with a religion.."

"You don't have to.  That kind of thing just seems to be happening."  Uri replied.

"I know.  It's an awful lot of pressure.  I feel like I have to act perfectly whenever I'm in public. Gymnasiums are my temples, and people have to pursue physical fitness to show their respect for me.  I guess I'll have a positive impact on public health."  Heather said.

.............................................................................................................

"It's really nice of all of you to show up for dinner."  Heather said to Cherry and her parents.  "I thought it was just gonna be Cherry over tonight."

"We're not going to turn down home-cooked farm-fresh cooking."  Cherry's father, Max replied.

"Is mine not good enough?"  Alice elbowed him.

"It was my turn to cook tonight, remember?  This is an improvement."

"You know sis, anything that you eat is, by default, the 'food of the gods'."  Lucas grinned, then pointed to Heather and Cherry.  "Do either of you really need to eat?"

"I don't know."  Heather replied.

"I just eat things that I like the taste of."  Cherry added.

"Honey, you've been really quiet about whatever it is that you've been doing when you're out and about."  Heather's mother, Hilda, said.  "You don't have to keep all of your superheroine things secret if you don't want to."

"I'm not sure you'd want to hear all of the details.  Is it really something you'd be interested in?"  Heather asked.

"Of course we'd be interested.  Being open about things is so much easier.  We worry about you, after all." Hilda continued.

"If you want to know, I went with Genie.  You know her, the fairy that's helping me to learn magic, right?  I thought it was going to be a simple adventure, but I ended up stopping a robot invasion by destroying their world.  When I got back I sort of built up a line of hills in the state park by flexing through the ground by mistake.  I then found out that I really <em>am</em> the representation of Gaia."  Heather paused, seeing the blank looks on peoples' faces.

Cherry leaned over to whisper, "I think you might have given a little too much detail."

"I miss you being my little girl.  Can't you let others face dangers like that?"  Harry Hall asked.  "You can live like a normal teen sometimes, too."

Heather's eyes narrowed.  "Can other people give up being mammals and go back to being reptiles?  I can't just stop being what I am.  I also can't just sit by and let other people be in danger or even killed."

Alice interrupted, "Cherry, could you and Heather leave us parents for a little while?  There's some things that we would like to discuss."  She paused, then added, "Lucas, also."

After leaving the dining room, Heather said, "That came out wrong, didn't it?"

"You might not notice it, being so close to them, but your parents are in that 'shock and awe' stage that people seem to have when meeting superheroes."  Cherry said.

"It probably didn't help things when I blurted out like that.  I didn't think before talking."  Heather paused for a few seconds.  "They are a bit frightened of me.  That's not easy to take."

"I don't think that's ever going to fully go away.  People are going to either be scared of you or worshipful of you.  I find that it's part of the price that's paid for having an obviously superhuman physique,"  Cherry said.

"I'd prefer less of the former and more of the latter."  Heather replied.  "Actually, I'd like to try something out.  I occasionally feel a kind of tingle that seems to come from nowhere.  I have a feeling as to what causes it."  She looked to her brother.  "Lucas, can you, um.. Please pray to my biceps."

"Uh.  I thought you didn't like me doing that when you are around,"  He answered.

"Don't worry.  I'm not going to be telling people about what you do," Heather replied.

Lucas sat on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes.  He spoke in a whisper.

"Wow!"  Heather cupped her left palm over her right bicep.  "I felt that.  Thanks."

"Any time,"  Lucas replied.

"From what I can tell, the closer the person is to me, the more I notice it,"  Heather looked to Cherry.  "When Cindy had us compete, with my flexing against you, I don't think it was done all that fair.  You were all surprised and didn't have a chance to get ready.  Would you like a rematch?" 

"How would it be done differently?"  Cherry asked.  "I'm open to suggestions."

"We'll go with my left against your right, to give you a bit of an advantage, like we did last time," Heather took hold of Cherry's right hand with her left one, so that their palms were against one another's.  "I'll keep myself relaxed, and you can flex your arm out against mine.  Since you can 'hyper-flex', you'll be able to use that against me."

The two girls faced each other, with Heather bringing their clasped hands up in front of them, so that their arms were held out to the side, with their elbows bent at about 90 degrees.  As they got into position, Cherry's bicep swelled so that it's peak out up along her forearm.  Heather's peak filled out at the same time, going to its resting size, which would have it just past her upraised fingertips. 

Cherry winced as her nanites screamed damage reports to her.  She hopped backwards before their elbows were fully bent.  "I can't do it.  Your one would crush through my arm if I got into that starting position with you."

Heather took a couple seconds to think.  "How about if you stayed where you are?  We've got our hands together, so you won't push us apart when you flexed against it."

"What do I win if I can get you to back down?"  Cherry asked.

"You get my help on any literature assignment," Heather replied.  "I'm not looking for anything if you can't do it."

"You're liking this, aren't you?"  Cherry asked.  When Heather nodded, she continued, "Okay, for the title match, here goes."  She had her bicep fill out slowly, until it met Heather's.  "I can feel your pulse echoing through me."

"You don't know how much I have to concentrate to keep relaxed right now.  My bicep really wants to flex," Heather took quick breaths as her excitement built.

Cherry closed her eyes, grunting with effort.  Her arm ached where the vein over Heather's bicep pressed into her one.  Her shirt pulled tight over her expanding lats and pectorals, threatening to split along its seams.  The heroine's quadriceps and calves took on definition as her body shook.  "How's that.. Feel?"

Heather half-closed her eyes.  "It feels really nice, like you're giving my peak a squeeze.  How about if we change the contest a little.  Instead of getting me to back down, you just have to be able to dent in my biceps."

"You really <em>are</em> enjoying this.  Okay.  Now to push it as far as I can go."  Cherry took a few breaths as she got ready.  She clenched her teeth and strained for a few seconds, grunting with effort., then relaxed her arm.  She let go of Heather's hand and used her left hand to rub over her right arm.  "Okay."  She took a breath.  "That was my best.  What do you get for winning?"

"How about if I just get to do something that'll be fun for both of us?  Would you like to take a ride on top of my peak?"  Heather asked.

"You mean like what you do for Candi or Sadie?" Cherry asked.

"We can do it somewhere private, so no one else has to know,"  Heather looked to Lucas.  "I'm calling Goddess privilege here.  You aren't to tell anyone what we're talking about."

"I'll agree," He replied.

"Cherry and I am going to go outside for a little bit.  If you're asked where we are, just say that we have important superheroine business to do," Heather said.

Once they were outside, Heather lead Cherry around to the side of the house.  She cupped a hand beneath the superheroine and was about to lift her when Cherry said, "Won't you squish me between your hand and bicep if you picked me up like this?"

"Oh.. I forgot.  How about if you were to just climb on top, then?"  Heather asked.

"It might not be the best advertising for people to know that I'm riding on top of your biceps."  Cherry said as she reached one hand onto Heather's peak to lift herself to sit, straddling it.  "Wow, I can.."  She blushed, "I can feel it pulsing against me."

"That's what Candi likes.  Okay, she likes it a <em>lot</em>.  I won't tell.  I know that you want to keep the impossibly pure image,"  Heather said. 

"I can see why she likes it.  Wow!"  Cherry replied.  "This is so not city protector superheroine stuff."

"You've got to have some time to do things that are fun.  You can't be on duty permanently.  Don't we all need a little time off?"  Heather flexed a little, so that Cherry's legs were pushed out to the sides by her expanding biceps.

"This is fun, but it's a little bit humbling for me, too,"  Cherry said.

"What is?"  Heather asked.

"Being overpowered by your resting biceps."  Cherry answered.   "Wow, your pulse is thumping through my whole body."

"You're a generalist, with a whole bunch of powers; a high level generalist.  I'm a specialist, so I'm better in my one area."  Heather said.

Cherry arched her back, her shirt tenting over her firmed nipples.  "It is kind of fun having you pass me in this area.  It takes the pressure off of me."  She held her lower lip in her teeth.

"What pressure is that?"  Heather asked.

"World's strongest,"  Cherry's breath came in short gasps.

"You don't mind me passing you in that?"  Heather asked.

"Do you mind that I have flight and you don't?"  Cherry asked.

"It doesn't bother me at all.  There's one fun thing about my strength that I think you'd like to try out.  My pulse gets stronger the more I flex.  Candi can't take much more than my resting amount,"  Heather said.

Cherry's legs were forced out to the sides, nearly into a split as Heather grew her biceps beneath her.  Her nanites screamed warnings which blended into the pounding that filled her hearing.  Her triceps flexed into rolls on the backs of her arms as she pushed against the pulsing vein that was lifting her above the bicep.  "Oh, Goddess!"  Cherry's fingertips blanched as she squeezed them against the pulsing vein. 

Heather thought, 'Okay, Cherry really, <em>really</em> likes riding my biceps.  I'll just give her a bit more.'

Cherry shivered as she was lifted to the level of the house' roof.  Her body shuddered in time to Heather's pulse.  She held her lower lip in between her teeth, trying not to make noise as her body climaxed.  She was lifted onto the pulsing, firehose-sized vein.  The shockwaves of Heather's heartbeat slammed through her body like a jackhammer was hitting against every part of her body.  The superheroine screamed out and collapsed, slumping forward onto the throbbing vein.

The width of her biceps prevented Heather from seeing Cherry on top of it.  She thought, 'She's quiet.  Probably afraid to let anyone hear her really enjoying herself.  <em>This</em> should make her lose control.'  Heather's peak rose further, going to treetop level.  When she didn't hear anything, Heather shouted, "Cherry?  Cherry?"

Heather relaxed her arm down fully, so that her bicep came down to just above her fingertips. She held her arms out in front of her as she caught Cherry's limp body. "She's sloshing like a water balloon."  Heather whispered, "Set her down gently.  Don't crush her."  She let the girl slide along her forearms to the ground.  Blood was trickling from Cherry's mouth, nose, ears and closed eyes.  "My pulse tore her apart."

She took a couple of breaths and took her centering pose.  Heather held her hands out in front of herself, letting her biceps' peaks press into each other.  "Need divination to see what needs healing."  She heard her own heartbeat as her pulse quickened.  "Her bones are shattered and her organs are ruptured.  The nanites are damaged.  I.. I liquified her.." 

Heather's aura flared into incandescence as she cast her healing spells. The girl's eyes glowed green, while Cherry's body was bathed in gold light.  The blonde superheroine floated into the air as Heather poured her efforts into her.  "Gotta save her.  I can't kill my friend." 

Once her spells had been cast, Heather sat her palms on her knees and panted for breath.  When she heard a groan and a series of coughs, Heather looked to the other girl.  "Cherry!  You're back.  I'm.. I'm so sorry.  I.."

The blonde heroine held one hand up as she knelt.  "I can hardly hear you.  My nanites are telling me a hundred things at a time.  Damage and repair reports are coming in.  Everything aches.  My vision's coming back.  Corneas reforming.  Catastrophic disruption being reversed.  Most systems offline."  She lifted her head to face Heather.  Cherry's eyes went from milky to blue as she got to her feet.  "No hugs.  Not until you learn some control."

"I didn't mean to do that to you," Heather clasped her hands together in front of her waist, pressing her biceps together.  "I thought you were enjoying it, and that you'd want.."

Cherry pushed a finger vertically against Heather's lips, "You don't have to say it.  I know that it was an accident.  You're going to need a lot more practice in self-control."

"Are you okay?"  Heather held her lower lip in her teeth.

"Yes, Goddess."

Heather's eyes opened wide, "Do you mean that?"

"Giving a direct answer would ruin the mystery,"  Cherry leaned forward to give a quick kiss to the peak of Heather's bicep.

Heather swallowed hard as she felt a tingle run through her arm.

...............................................................................................................

The glow of the pre-dawn sun had just started to light up the sky as Heather walked around the edge of the familiar lake.   The dim light reflected off of her skin, as the girl had on a bikini bottom and halter top.  She picked up a rock and smoothed it into a disk before sending it skipping across the mile wide surface.  A second rock was sent into the water, with a trail of bubbles following it into the depths.

"You executed the summoning spell almost perfectly,"  Iphigenia said.  She was disguised as a human woman in a trendy blouse and designer jeans, standing behind Heather.  "I received your thoughts clearly."

Heather jumped nearly a foot as she tensed, squeezing in her toes.  "Genie?  You startled me."  She turned to face the woman.  "Is that you?"

"Of course!  Who else could possess such unearthly grace and beauty?"  The nymph in human form smiled teasingly.  "Now, tell your magic teacher what troubles you."

"I'm sure that Madam Crowley would have a little to say about who my teacher is."  Heather pursed her lips, "I <em>can</em> have more than one magic teacher.  Only one of my instructors makes house calls."  She looked down to the ground. "I've been up all night.. Thinking.  Yesterday, I.."  She paused for a breath. "I killed Cherry and brought her back to life."

"Your healing spells have gotten that powerful?"  Iphigenia couldn't keep the shock off of her face for a second.

"Bringing her back wasn't easy, and left me feeling a bit drained afterward.  If I hadn't cast it right away, I wouldn't have been able to do it."

"And why did you kill her?"  Iphigenia raised one eyebrow.  "I believed that was considered impolite on this planet."

"Oh, it's very, <em>very</em> impolite.  I didn't do it on purpose.  She finally agreed to ride on top of my biceps.  I noticed that she really liked how it felt to have my vein pulsing against her, so I flexed a bit.  You know how my pulse gets stronger the more I flex, right?"  Heather replied.

"So you flexed her to death?"

Heather nodded.  "I really didn't mean to.  She's really resilient and I thought it would push her to.. climax."

Iphigenia shivered.  "You are a terrifying woman, Heather."

"I am?"

The nymph looked out over the lake and thought for a few seconds.  "I can try to devise a spell to restrain your strength," she said.  "I don't know if it will work, but it might make it safer for people to be around you."

"I need to learn how to limit it on my own.  Your spell might fail at some point."  Heather looked towards the nymph.  "There's also a chance for feedback if I overwhelm the spell, and I don't want to hurt you.  What I've been thinking about is how people are now treating me.  After I healed her, Cherry kissed my biceps and prayed to them.  She's a top tier superheroine, and she prayed to them.."  She blushed and subconsciously flexed a little, swelling out nearly all of her muscles.  The thumping of Heather's pulse got louder.

"Your top is about to explode," Iphigenia pointed out.

Heather relaxed her pectorals down to their usual size.  "Thanks.  I don't want to ruin too many more outfits."

The nymph looked at Heather's hulking physique for a few seconds quietly.  "Heather, may I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course.  How could I say 'no' to you?"

Iphigenia bowed her head.  "I would like you to train me, Heather.  I wish to become stronger, and there is no one in any world who knows more about building muscle than you."

"Of course.  I'll do what I can.  Are you trying to distract me from what I was thinking about?"  Heather asked.

"I am not sure," Genie confessed.  "I do not want you to be sad, but I do want to be stronger.  If Queen Gouda is ever threatened by someone as strong as you, I will be useless as I am now."

"You aren't a combat monster and you are definitely <em>not</em> useless.  As I was trying to say before, It's not easy for me to accept what I now am."

"It isn't easy for me to accept it, either.  Ever since I met Uri, I feel like I've been in a dream."  Iphigenia shook her head in disbelief.  "How is it possible for anything to be as strong as you are?"

"I can't answer that.  It's been a bit like a dream to me, too.  I guess that I've gotten what I wanted, and now I have to learn to live with it.  I have to think about limiting my strength all the time.  There's no mental 'switch' like what the others have that goes between lower and higher power levels.  My strength scares me a bit," Heather replied. 

"It scares me, too," Iphigenia said.  She put her hand over Heather's.  "That is why I am glad I can rely on you to keep us safe from it."  The nymph smiled.  "Or was that too overdramatic?"

Heather shook her head, "Not at all.  It would be a lot worse if I was fully comfortable with it.  I need to accept people seeing me as a Goddess.  I may never be able to fully live up to it, but I won't stop trying."

"Think not only of the harm you can do with your strength, but also the joy you can bring to people with it," the nymph advised.  "Think of how lucky people are to be able to see your beautiful physique! You bless people with your, um, what is it called. Bodybuilding!"

"I was thinking of rescuing people and using my spells to help them, but you just reminded me.  Candi wants me to try out modeling with her.  I'm not too sure of it, as I'm not super cute like her or intensely beautiful like Cherry."  Heather paused, "I don't think it would be right or fair for me to compete for prizes in bodybuilding any more.  Maybe they'd let me pose for exhibition."

"Oh, my," Iphigenia said happily.  "I do hope they'll let me watch."

"It would be counterproductive if anyone was prevented from watching.  People are going to look, anyway, so why not pose for them and make them happy?  I'm not going to be one of those types who holds something in front of my face and jogs away from fans," Heather replied.  "I've got to think things through.  People worship me as a good Goddess.  If I treat them badly, they'll shun me as an evil one.  That would be the most awful thing I could imagine happening."

Iphigenia nodded. "Wonderful! You would have made an excellent nymph, Heather."

"I don't think I possess all of the qualifications for that," Heather replied.

The nymph looked at Heather for a minute.  "It's true," she said.  "You do have an overdeveloped sense of modesty."

[kittyelfie]

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[kittyelfie]

The above story is two chapters, and includes my notes that I had while writing them.