8

After I finished my complaining about my new situation she said, "Ok. Not much we can do about it right now sweetie so here is what we are going to do. We are going to cut a slit in your bath robe there to accommodate your tail, then I am going to get dressed using a pair of your shorts and a shirt because we are close enough in size. We are then going into the kitchen for some coffee and bagels, after which we are going to get ready to go out, and will probably have to jury rig an outfit for you so that we can get you some clothes that fit. We will worry about tailoring for your tail later. Got it?"

I just stared at her, stunned for a moment, as she walked over and grabbed a pair of scissors off of my desk and proceeded to cut a large slit in the back of my bath robe before tossing it to me. Then she got dressed using some of my clothes that fit her reasonably well.

"Jesus Myka, just put it on and let's go eat."

"But with this slit it is going to separate too much!"

"Sweetie, that is not a problem because it will just allow me to have another look at your luscious ass.

My mouth fell open in surprise and I just couldn't help but burst out laughing, so I hurried and put on the robe as Kelli bounced out of my room while turning to me and crooking her finger for me to follow. I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt the need to follow her without hesitation and so I did. I followed her right into the kitchen where we made coffee and we talked. She asked me about the end of the party because she said her memory was kind of fuzzy about that, and I told her the story of how I found her. She was surprised and as I continued the story she got a little bit pissed. She thought it was cool when I told her how I had beat the shit out of the flunkies and asked me to remind her to send a thank you to Bill and his friends for making sure we were ok. And she hugged me then and whispered her thanks to me over and over. We held each other for a bit, just luxuriating in the magic of that silent embrace, and it was in the middle of our blissful reverie that someone knocked on our door.

"It's probably the police needing to get more information from us," I said as I went to the living room and opened the door.

I couldn't speak for a moment, so great was my surprise. Standing there at my door was Cassandra, looking impeccable in one of her vintage dresses, and holding several bags and boxes in her arms. Standing there, looking at her in silence, I could see the amusement on her face, and something that looked like hope behind her eyes.

"May I come in," Cassandra politely asked, and I silently stepped aside and motioned her into my place.

"Hey sweetie, who is it," Kelli asked as she came around the corner, and was also silenced in shock as I had been.

Cassandra moved into my living room and sat down on my love seat after she had deposited her bags and things near my coffee table. Still unable to speak, Kelli and I sat together on my couch and held each other's hand, and Cassandra looked at us with approval written across her face.

"I suppose you have several questions for me, both of you. First, though, these bags and boxes are for you Myka."

My tongue finally loosed itself and I asked, "What for?"

"Why New Year's presents dear Myka. I realized that with the changes that were probably going to happen you would need a new wardrobe. This should get you started, and will all fit your current body and all of its relevant parts, meaning plenty of tail holes. You have probably noticed that you are a bit shorter as well so I also got you several pairs of heels. And this bag is for you Kelli. I guessed you would probably be here and I grabbed a couple of changes of clothes for you too so you don't have to go home right away."

With my silence broken I needed answers so I blurted out, "Why did you do this to me? How did you do this to me?"

Cassandra steepled her fingers and then said to the both of us, "I can answer most of your questions but it is a complicated story, and parts of it you will find hard to believe. Are you both willing to listen with an open mind?"

I looked over at Kelli and we came to a silent agreement, both of us turning to Cassandra and nodding.

"Well, first thing you need to know, though you probably already suspect it, is that I am a witch. Yes, witches exist. We come in all shapes and sizes, and some are good and some are bad, and yes magic has been around for a long time. Those are general answers and are only secondary to our purpose. The most important thing you need to know is that my powers focus on aiding nature spirits, and the abilities that they possess. Me and my sisters have striven for years to bring back many of these nature spirits so that the world could benefit from their return. Are you ok with this so far?"

Kelli and I remained silent and again nodded yes.

"Good. When the time comes for one of the spirit essences that we have care over to come back into the world my sisters and I simply follow our instincts which lead us to the place we need to be to meet with the new caretaker. You, Myka, were the first new caretaker in over eighty years."

I looked at Cassandra in surprise and asked, "Why? Why am I a caretaker?"

"Firstly, we do not know why or how caretakers are chosen by an essence, but we do know that every choice made so far has been the correct one. Secondly, you are no longer a caretaker, Myka, you have already chosen your aspect. You are one step away from fully becoming a new Neko."

"A neko," I asked, "Like in those Japanese cartoons?

"Yes. Exactly so. We are not sure why, but the origins of the Neko were remembered longest in Japan. It might have to do with the religions they had that dealt mainly with nature and nature spirits. The old ways thrived for a very long time in Japan and that probably led to the Neko entering Japanese popular culture. In truth I and my sisters are not even sure what original name the Neko had, but each culture throughout time had its own name for these spirits. We have just chosen to use the term Neko because it has almost completely moved into the global popular culture, and that makes it convenient. Other than the obvious changes to your body, Myka, you also ended up with what we believe is the dominant body type for Neko. Height on the short side, a little extra curve in the hips, and bigger than average breasts for the body type. It seems to be the norm for Neko"

Kelli asked, "Why did you pick Myka, then. How did you know it was her?"

"As I told you, we don't pick, the spirit essence does. All I knew is that I had to be in that mall on that day and that I would meet a caretaker. As to how I recognized it was Myka, she was the first one to come into that shop the entire day. In fact I would hazard a guess that until she entered that she was probably the only one who could have seen it. My suspicions were confirmed after I touched you Myka, when I was measuring you. That spark and the electric feeling are unmistakable."

"So that's what that was."

"Yes. It let me know you were a caretaker, and I had known previously what costume you would need. That's the way it works. Oddly enough I also knew what Kelli needed, but I have that figured out now and will explain in a moment. And before you left my shop I made sure to give you the totem that activated the bonding spell. That was the tail and the ears, although the ears are mainly just an artifact to help facilitate the physical changes. The tail held the power, and the main spell, which you felt when you accepted it for the first time."

I lowered my head and blushed as I recalled the experience I had had with the tail.

"You had also already chosen an aspect for your bonding unconsciously, and partly before we even met."

"Ok. What the hell is an aspect, and which one did I apparently choose," I asked in slight irritation.

"Why the aspect of love dear Myka."

"Love," I cried, "How do you even know that?"

"I can explain that, but first you need to stand and remove your robe please."

I looked at Cassandra in surprise, and then at Kelli who just shrugged, not sure what to do.

"You want me to do what," I asked, very hesitant to do so.

Cassandra had an irritated look on her face and she snapped at me, "I said stand up, and strip. Now!"

The power that was in her sharp voice was unbelievable. It was so strong, and I found that I could not ignore its command. I did as she asked and stood while letting my robe fall to the floor, baring my body to her and to Kelli. I marveled at how she had done that to me.

"I am sorry dear Myka, but the Neko spirit and your personality bonded together are going to require a strong hand on occasion. Know that I care for you, but right now I need to be firm until you are fully bonded. Now, look at your body Myka, and you as well Kelli and tell me what you see."

We both looked at my body for a moment or two, but could not come up with anything out of the ordinary besides my tail and ears. We were not sure what we were supposed to be looking for and we let Cassandra know this.

She sighed a bit then and said, "Look again. Look at the adornments you chose dear Myka, the piercings and the body art. Both are a touch edgy and a bit feisty, which fits your personality and that of a Neko, but why did you choose a heart as the motif for both. A heart, the universal symbol of love. The perfect costume for your night was that of a maid. A very sexy maid at that, but a costume that represented a person who serves. Service itself is most often another form of love. The totem that initiated the bonding spell formed itself into an object of sexual pleasure for you, and sexual pleasure given and taken can also be a form of love"

Kelli and I sat there with our mouths open listening to this explanation, wondering if we were going nuts, but deep down I felt the truth of Cassandra's words.

"The night you accepted the totem you had let go and were starting to love yourself again. That is what first activated the spell."

"Was that the pulse of energy I felt, when I used the tail, and when Kelli and I kissed at the ball drop," I asked.

"Yes, that was what it was. But the first pulse was just the initial activation of the spell. For the spell to proceed to the transformation you needed to recognize and kiss your soulmate, the one who makes you complete and would finalize your bond. I believe you said that you felt a similar pulse when you kissed Kelli at midnight?"

"Yeah I did," I said, and Kelli nodded that she had felt it too.

"Good. For spells like this there are certain days that hold power enough to fuel the magic necessary. The solstices and equinoxes are four of them, and the hour when the old year dies and the new begins is another. There are a few others but they are not important to our discussion. So you kissed Kelli at a point of great power and the activated spell in you recognized her and began the process of transformation. If Kelli had not been there, if she was not your soulmate, or if you had not found your soulmate and kissed them then the spell would have broken after you had gone to sleep and you would not have the chance you now have. The totems would have become removable at that point."

"So, we are soulmates," Kelli asked in a hushed whisper.

"Of course you are," Cassandra said and pointed at us. "Just look at the two of you."

Apparently I had returned to my seat, though still naked, and Kelli and I had our hands wrapped around each other's. I also had my head resting on her shoulder and my tail wrapped around her waist. We both looked at each other and giggled.

"That you are soulmates is not in question, but you both need to truly discover what that means to each of you. Now, there were a few other things that indicated to me that you had picked the aspect of love dear Myka. Your encounter with Paul, that dear boy. You gave him the opportunity to show you how he will treat a woman, and in essence the opportunity to show himself as well. You took him to your bosom and your bed and showed him how joyful and exciting physical love could be with the right person."

Kelli leaned over and whispered to me with a grin, "You need to tell me all about Paul soon."

Cassandra chuckled a bit and continued, "You showed him that not all women are inconsiderate trollops, and you allowed him to be both demanding and yet subservient to your needs as well. You defended him from those who would demean his reputation and you let him defend yours in his own way. Clearly love in many forms. You also forgave Madeline for her transgression against you, an act which activated much of the power you now possess. As for my final piece of evidence, it was your actions when you felt the danger that your soulmate was in. You rushed into that room, heedless of any possible danger, not knowing that the power to save you both was now in your hands. And if I am correct you would have accepted the very loss of your own life if it meant that Kelli left that building safely. Am I wrong?

I looked at her and softly said, "No. I would do anything for her."

Kelli then leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and squeezed my hands tighter.

"Love, the aspect of love. It has been a long time since we have been graced with the presence of one who so embodies the many forms of love, and I believe that the world will be better for it. Now, this gift, this power comes with some benefits, and with a price."

"What do I need to know then," I asked.

"You first need to know that your bond is not yet complete. All Neko require a permanent bond to a human to remain in the world for more than a short period of time. Before the loss of the original spirits these bonds could be with anyone, however, once all but the essences of the spirits were lost the bond is now only possible with one's soulmate. Fortunately you have found yours, however, you both need to understand your future bond before it can be forged and your time to do so is short. The next point of power is midnight at the spring equinox. For a few hours the transition of the seasons allows for enough power to be tapped and we will be able to forge the link."

At this point Cassandra pulled another black box with the strange writing on it and placed it on the table before us.

"When you understand your bond, and what is required of it, this box will open, and not before. Inside rest the totems that will forge your soulmate bond and allow the bonded essence of the Neko to reach its full potential within Myka. If this bond is not formed by the equinox then the spell will be broken and you will go back to being just Myka. If the bond is formed, then certain things will happen. One is considered both a gift and a curse, and it is that you and your soulmate will no longer age, walking the Earth until the end of time. A gift because you spend the rest of time with your soulmate, but a curse in that all others you love or cherish will grow old and die. It is a hard path the Neko must walk."

Kelli and I looked at each other and then nodded for Cassandra to continue.

"Another is that you will both be able to sense each other at all times, and will have a fairly accurate feeling of each other's emotional states. This is mostly a gift, though it can be abused, and it is where much of the legends and stories about the "mate-bond" with werewolves and such come from. And no, were do not exist as far as any of us know. You have already felt some of the other senses Myka, especially the pull to accomplish certain tasks related to the chosen aspect. Your encounter with Paul, and rescuing Kelli come to mind, though the incident with Kelli might also be related to the soulmate bond."

"So that is what I felt that night. I just knew I needed to be with Paul, and to find Kelli. Wow."

"And sometimes the things you do are subtle. Giving Paul the confidence to pursue his dreams and to involve his parents in them was part of that I think."

"How the hell do you know about that," I cried.

"Myka, until the bond with Kelli is formed or not, your Neko half is bound to this realm by me and my sisterhood so I will see and understand many things until then. There are a number of other powers that the various Neko possess, but our list is incomplete and so new abilities you develop will give us more knowledge. In general though, Myka, you will be faster, stronger, and tougher than most humans, and your senses will adjust to be very sensitive, essentially the best of the human and animal worlds with spirit enhancement. Another gift is that you will experience a vastly increased libido as an aspect of love, and it will be a gift to you and others."

I nodded in understanding, but looked at Kelli, concerned about what she would think.

Cassandra addressed Kelli then, "Now the curse part of this pertains mostly to you Kelli. Myka is your soulmate, and you are hers, but as an aspect of love she will have to share what she is with many others. They will be given a portion of her love, in many forms both physical and non-physical. You will have to share her body, heart, and mind with many, most likely both men and women. The thing is that while many will share a part of Myka's love, you Kelli, will be the only one who shares the entirety of her love both physical and non. Is this something you can do, that you can do for all of time?"

Kelli turned to me with tears in her eyes and kissed me deeply then said, "God yes! I love you so much Myka, and I didn't realize how much until now. If I have to share parts of you with others then so be it. As long as the whole of you is mine, the whole of me is yours." She then looked at me coyly and said, "Though it would be fun on occasion if you shared with me a few of those you share with. I think I would eventually like to meet Paul."

When Kelli said this I could not help but giggle uncontrollably.

"Certainly I will share with you my love," I said.

Cassandra then cleared her throat for attention and we turned back to her and let her continue.

"Another blessing is that you and your bonded mate will share much of your physical enhancement, including that related to disease and sickness. Though a Neko can be killed by violence, and the soulmate as well, usually the pair will be able to prevent this from happening by chance due to the power you will possess together. You will, however, need to be careful because there are those who are enemies of the power of the Neko and would seek to do you harm. My sisters and I will make sure you both have the necessary reading materials, and will help train you where we can, so that you will have the knowledge to be able to care for and defend each other."

Again we nodded in understanding and gestured for Cassandra to continue.

"Another effect of the Neko spirit is that you can only become pregnant with your bond/soul mate. Seeing as your soul mate is another woman, my sisters and I suspect that as long as she participates and you both have the intention that you are seeking a child, the seed of a man may be used to attempt a pregnancy. Since a same sex bond has not happened yet we do not know if only one or both of you can get pregnant in this manner, or if Kelli will be free from pregnancy until it is chosen. We will research it as we can, but it may be up to you both and a lot of trial and error."

Kelli giggled at me and said, "Sounds like fun."

I laughed then and gave her a sloppy wet kiss just to embarrass her.

Cassandra coughed again, and continued "The other thing we know very little about is what types of children come from these pairings. Are they Neko, which would only be daughters as we have never run into a male Neko essence? If you have sons will they inherit anything from your spirit half? We just don't know so please take this to heart before making any decisions along this line. Remember, if you bond, you will live for a very long time. Any children you have may or may not share your lifespan, and you might have to bury them alongside your other loved ones. That is why this bonding is both a gift and a curse. A blessing with a price, a very steep price. And only you two can decide if it's worth paying."