Lives

(Quick Recap)

Gimtimi had brought Minaam back to reunite with Mooji. The two sisters, together, are a strong healing force for Ma'iingan.

Minaam brings her pact, Waagbigwan, to join forces with the Ma'iingan.

Jerell captured Xui in one of his potion jars.

Ansel has met up with Leifae and has offered him a gift he cannot reject without severe repercussion.

Manji-Manidoo and Niiganii are losing power over the other half of the Ma'iingan that are following them.

Manji-Manidoo's 4 remaining henchmen plan to overthrow him and replace him with Niiganii.

Riverway has now been re-established into Gichi-Ziibi (BIG RIVER).

Sereen's pregnancy has been confirmed by Mooji and her Alpha title was accepted by the Ma'iingan.

(Recap ENDS)

In the dead of the night, around the campfire, Wawa beats on a drum. Softly and steadily, she begins to since. Her song holds much power and before I knew it, I was lifted. I look down at my own physical body and at everyone below me before I transcend into another Realm.

Like light traveling through space, I am pulled into the stars of the universe and far beyond our world, our Earth.

In this starry realm, I am met by the lady in red…me.

"What is my purpose for this world?" I ask her.

"To lead one… to lead all…" The lady in red replied.

"Who are you?" I asked again, "and why do you look like me?"

"I am the thousands of rebirth of the one and only Goddess, Vio. I am you. I am the past, present and your future."

"How?" I asked puzzled, "How can you be the future me when I'm still very much alive."

Vio smiled, "...that is for me to know and for you to find out…"

"So me, being here, this was all of your doing?"

"Sereen, you are here because you needed to be here. You need to allow your full powers to come through. This is the first life-time in all of my reincarnation where my powers are never fully developed."

We stare at each other, both confused at one another.

"Sereen, in the thousands of lifetimes that I have lived mortally, I have never been so tortured and so weak."

"Does that mean YOU'RE going to kill me?"

"I do not have that power." Vio said, slowly shaking her head no.

"Then what is it that you want from me?"

"There is going to be a war. There will be deaths. You will be ruined. I am here to guide you into the right direction to prevent certain things from happening. I've seen you ruin this world over and over again. I have to change your course… YOU will have to change your course of action when it comes or else you will turn into a vengeful goddess that will ultimately destroy this world again."

"Again?"

"Yes, again. Pangea was once whole. The dinosaurs roamed this Earth once. Over and over, I reincarnated. Over and over, I am met with either a tragic end or I ruin this Earth and bring upon calamity that could only be fixed by evolution. I don't want that anymore. And then came you… The weakest version of me."

What am I supposed to do?"

"You will know when the time comes. For now, I need to help unleash your full potential. Do not fear what you may feel or see when you get back..."

*

I am pulled back down into my body, sweat dripping down my face as I struggle to breath properly. I was as if I had run a mile.

"What did you see?" Wawa asked.

Giken pushes Wawa out of the way, "Are you alright?" he asked.

Mooji shoves both of them out of the way and places her palms onto my abdomen. Everyone goes quiet watching Mooji, "Oh, it's alright. They are both alright." she sighed and everyone let out a loud relieving breath. "Mom, how are you feeling?" Mooji asked me.

"I feel fine, just a little tired." I replied. "Honestly, I want to rest."

"Yes, yes. Sure, sure." Wawa said rapidly and helped me stand. Giken carries me into his arms and walks me to our shed.

I kept my eyes closed as I took in all the visions playing in my mind. All my past life as the reincarnated Vio, played from one life to another. All the good and all the bad, fast forward in my head. Giken sets me down onto the sleeping mat.

"Please leave me be. A lot is happening in my mind and I need to be alone." I whispered to him.

"Yes, my love." He replied and left the shed.

I begin to cry from the failures of my past lives. I laughed at the happiness and I mourned the bad. Giken left me all alone until the next morning.

"Alpha? May I enter?" He asked from outside the door.

"Yes, Giken and please call me Sereeen. I don't like you calling me that."

"Yes, my love." He replied as he entered with a big smile on his face. I forgot how gorgeous his smile was as it revealed the two deep dimples at its side. "Did you want to talk about what happened?" he asked.

"Not really, no. But I think you, of all people, should know." I said and Giken nodded. "I really don't want this to get out because I don't know how the world would react to this new information." I study Giken's face as he remained fixated on me. "I'm the reincarnated goddess Vio, herself." I whispered.

Giken's eyes widened as he tried to comprehend this new knowledge.

"Giken, I was given the visions for all the lives I had lived. It all ended badly and some ended horrifically. Vio, she is the very first version of me and she came to me to give me a warning. She said I might end mankind with this lifetime, like how I broke the Earth apart and how I destroyed the dinosaurs. Skinchanging was changed because of me."

The image of Giken begins to blur as tears well up in my eyes. "Giken, I've watched everyone I ever loved die in every life. My heart hurts so much. I can never imagine you…" I choked and began to sob.

Giken wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me tight. "That will never happen. I will never let that happen. Not while I'm still alive. I promise you."

Early the next morning, I gave another announcement to the Ma'iingan.

"In three months' time, we will return to Ma'iingan territory. For now, we will continue to rebuild this place and try to recruit. We know that Manji-Manidoo and Niiganii are mistreating their followers. What we know is our strength. I will send Asin and some of our fastest men to scout and recruit. If you shall find someone in the woods, assist them back here. We are Ma'iingan and no one's ever left behind."

The camp roared in a loud whoop and balls of fists pumped up and down.

*

A week after the announcement, Jerell woke up to Xui cuddling on the side of his naked body. He quickly got up and pushed her aside, trying to catch his breath, but stumbled on his own mess and landed on top of her.

"What the bloody hell!" he yelled, yet Xui remained fast asleep.

Giken and Asin rushed with pots and pan in hand, since they were on cooking duties, only to blush at the scene.

"It's not what it looks like." Jerell hollered.

"Sure. A woman beneath a man is never what it looks like." Asin jokes.

"No, it's not what it looks like, I swear."

"But you're clothless. If anything, I'd say you should make sure she's awake and consenting. Jerelly, I've never seen you stoop so low." Giken scolded.

"It's not what it looks like I swear!" Jerell shouted again then noticed Giken and Asin looking at Xui. Jerell quickly switched his gaze from the two guys to Xui.

Xui's eyes fixated on Jerell's face then she slowly studied her eyes down his chest and onto her own clothless body right before she let out an alarming scream.

"You imbecile! You dare defile me, the Great General of the Zaa Clan!" Xui snatched the small blanket from Jerell to cover herself, leaving him completely exposed for Asin and Giken to see.

The two men laughed at Jerell's situation.

"Here," Giken said, "cover yourself up, your hands are barely doing the job for you." and hands Jerell a wooden bowl.

Jerell takes snatches the bowl from Giken and quickly covers himself up.

"Guys it's not what it looks like."

"Then what does it look like?" Xui shouted.

"I don't know. I just woke up like this!" Jerell tried to explain.

"What do you mean you woke up like this? The last thing I remember was you forcing a kiss on me!" Xui puffed angrily.

"OooOoOHHh" the two men said in unison.

"Yes, but NO, it's now like this…" Jerell struggled to explain. "Why don't you get dressed first and I will explain everything as best as I can. I folded your clothes, armor and your sword is right…" Jerell searched around and grabbed it out from a pile of things behind him. "Here!"

Xui's sword was unsheathed and glowing in Jerell's hand. "How did you unsheath my sword?" she asked.

"It just came out of this pile like that. The sheath is probably too loose for something." Jerell replied.

"Well, as much as we'd like to stay and watch this whole drama play out, we've got things to do. Sereen wants to eat poultry, so good luck my friend." Giken and Asin laugh loudly as they exit the shed. "Jerell, please just burn that bowl when you're done with it." Giken called out to Jerell.

"Alright, please get dressed." Jerell says to Xui.

"No," Xui replied.

"Why not?"

"Because you're looking at me. Turn your gaze away, human!"

"Oh right," Jerell quickly turns his back to her then quickly grabs a random trouser to put on. "So, I figured that if I kissed you, then you'd be one less thing to worry about. Because, you know, my heart is resides elsewhere and you and your kind were starting to be a pain in the ehh"

"Ahh!" Xui screams, "peeping pervert!"

Jerell whipped his head 180 degrees away from Xui, closed his eyes, and blurted out his apology, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to look at you. It's just so weird to be in my room with restrictions. I sincerely apologize."

Xui screams again

"What? I'm not even looking at you anymore!"

"My….my…oh no!"

Jerell turned around, "What?!?"

"It won't fit anymore." Xui said as her face twisted into the biggest pout Jerell has ever seen. Xui's armor would not wrap around her body. Her bosom had tripled its normal size and that was when Jerell noticed that her body was that of a woman. It wasn't the broad shoulder, masculine form anymore, but a very fair, very soft feminine body frame.

"Help me strap this on, please." Xui had begun to tear up. Jerell quickly aided her by pulling the two waist straps closer together for Xui to clip together. He hands lightly braised her skin and he lets go. "What are you doing? I need you to hold it together like this, press it like this." Xui grabs Jerell's hands to press the front and back plates together so that she can clip the straps together.

All Jerell could think about was how IT bounced ever so softly beneath the breast plates, squeezed together so tightly that it bulged at the side, where his hand was touching.

Finally, the clip clicked into place and Xui released a sigh of relief. Jerell just kept his eyes away from her, uncomfortable that she wasn't affected by him being so close to her.

"What?" Xui breathed out. Suddenly, the clips disengage and popped out. "No!" Xui yelled. Then IT popped out again, this time everything was bouncing in place.

Jerell's eyes widen and his jaw drops. Xui looks at his face then her chest and then…

~SLAP