Mykas Tail Ch 04

Thanks so much to my readers who are the reason that I write. And huge thanks to my editor Tccrusher, for his fantastic effort that makes this story shine.

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I was crouched in our clearing, the damp earth easing its way up through my toes, bringing with it a sense of contentment. I had closed my eyes so that I could hear the living sounds of nature around me, and I could feel my breathing sync up with what I felt was the heartbeat of the world around me. The gentle sounds of spring water bubbling out over the rocks into the pond below were like a gentle whisper of an attentive mother to me, and my thoughts drifted back to the terrible spring break that showed me how little I really knew about my new life.

It had been just over two years since we had come back from Scotland, and even though my life changed in a huge way that night, the time afterwards had caused even greater change. The first few weeks after returning I was always irritable, a real bitch to deal with. I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt so out of place and I didn't know how to center myself. I thought, perhaps, that it was a side effect of coming to grips with my Neko half, but after talking things out with Kelli neither of us were sure that this was the case.

We decided to take a break from our regular lives, and made our way home to be with our families for the two weeks that followed Jasmine's graduation ceremony. It was nice to spend time with our parents, and to bask in the intense web of love that we had all woven together. Kelli and I took this time to explain to our parents some of what our bond now entailed, and they probably had more questions than we had answers. Still, our parents having had the crash course in the existence of magic took things in stride, and were coping with things better than most people would have.

I was still feeling that itchy irritability, though, and neither Kelli nor I could figure out what to do about it. Just for fun, and because the last time we had been there had turned out so well, we decided to stay the night at our clearing. It turned out to be the best thing that happened during our at home vacation.

We packed a small bag of essentials, put together some light sleeping gear, and made our way out into the forest. The anticipation that I felt as we approached the tree line was giving me the shakes and Kelli noticed that something was up.

"Hey, sweetie. What's wrong? You feel ok?"

"I feel fine," I huffed, and gave Kelli a scathing look. "I just want to get out there right now. Can't we hurry it up?"

"There's no reason to hurry," Kelli replied, and I growled at her in frustration. "Are you sure you're alright?"

I opened my mouth to give her another withering response, but what I actually did took both of us by surprise. I cocked my head to the side as if I was hearing some distant call, and then as fast as I could possibly move I tore off all of my clothing and pulled in an incredibly deep breath. Then I ran. I was moving faster than I ever thought possible, and the rush of the wind in my ears had me laughing in delight. My heart once again felt wild and carefree, and I had not experienced that in a long time.

I found myself leaping up onto and through the trees, heedless of any danger, with an agility that was beyond my Neko enhanced reflexes. I was running barefooted across the forest floor and not once did I trip or step on an unseen root, rock, or fallen branch. It was as if I had become one with the world around me. The land and I were now singing together in perfect harmony.

Within a couple of minutes I had covered the entire distance from the edge of the trees on our property to our clearing. In the past, a brisk walk could cover the same distance in about fifteen minutes. I had never been this fast before, and I realized that something had definitely changed. Regardless, as I walked into our clearing for the first time since returning from Scotland I gave into the overwhelming desire that had come over me and I dived into the shallow pond and allowed myself to sink to the bottom in relaxed bliss.

I lost myself in the cool tranquility and the silent caress of the water, and it was only Kelli's overwhelming agitation that brought me to the surface. She was both startled at my sudden appearance and relieved at it as well.

"God sweetie, please don't scare me like that again," Kelli breathed.

"Sorry about that," I replied. "But you must have felt that I was ok."

"Yeah, I did. I haven't felt you this relaxed in a while, but I knew you were here in the clearing and I couldn't find you. Do you even know how long you were under the water?"

Her question caught me off guard, and I realized that I had no idea of how much time I had spent on the bottom. I also hadn't realized that I was still standing in the middle of the small pool, and I really did not want to leave.

"Sweetie, I was here for almost ten minutes. I sensed you here, but couldn't find you anywhere. Did you even come up for air before I got here?"

I lost myself in thought for a few moments, and as far as I could remember, I had been under from the moment I had entered the water until I came up to see Kelli waiting for me. How long had it been? I had no idea, but it was for at least the ten minutes that Kelli had looked for me.

That night we sat in the clearing and talked about why I was feeling so much better, and the possible reasons why I could stay under the water for so long. We tested it and figured out that I could stay below the surface for around twenty minutes without coming up for air. I wasn't breathing under the water, but I didn't feel the need to take another breath while there. Out of the pond I could hold my breath for maybe a minute or so before I had to take in another gulp of air. Things were definitely different about me.

Over the course of the weeks and months that followed I thought a great deal about why I had new abilities that didn't relate to my Love aspect. When I finally realized why I about kicked myself for my own stupidity. It was those thoughts I was musing on when I felt Kelli walk up behind me.

"Hey sweetie, I thought I'd find you out here. "You seem to always be here when I look now."

"Yeah, I know. I've really been thinking about my changing abilities over the last two years, and the thing is my thoughts are so much clearer here by the pond than anywhere else. I think I finally figured out why."

Kelli raised an eyebrow in interest and gestured for me to continue.

"So I just couldn't figure it out, why I had these new abilities. Then it hit me," and I rubbed my arms to bring attention back to my tattoos.

"The twins," Kelli whispered as I nodded at her sudden realization.

"Yeah. One was the aspect of water, and the other was the aspect of earth," and I pointed out the pattern of the tattoos that adorned my arms. "I can see even better in the dark now, and I can run at world class speeds through the forest while barefoot. I can beat any swimmer in a race, and I can be under water for more than a half hour now. And check this out."

I bent down and placed my hand over the water and concentrated for a few moments until I felt as if I was in perfect sync with each drop in the pond. I gave a silent command for the water to move, and as my desire pulsed over the clear surface a small whirlpool began to form. I was able to hold this small change for about a minute after Kelli gasped in surprise.

I stood and closed my eyes while holding my arms out to the side for my next demonstration. It happened a bit faster than the whirlpool, and I heard another gasp from Kelli as vines and leaves crawled up my legs while entwining themselves around my naked body. I saw wonder blossom in her eyes as the plants continued to grow and wrap around my body until I was entirely clothed in green. After a few moments I let go of the power I had tapped and the plant growth I had called into being seemed to reverse its growth until only the forest floor remained. It brought a smile to both of our faces.

"The twins gave you these gifts?"

"I wouldn't say that they gave me anything when they died," I responded. "I think that as they died, their essences, which probably included their aspects, were drawn into me and I was marked with their responsibility."

"That is one of the most interesting ideas I have ever heard, and we will certainly discuss it with Millicent when we see her next. As amazing as this is, however, we need to get you back if you are going to get you to your test on time."

"Oh shit," I cried out, realizing that I had made myself very late.

I released my hold on the plants around me, and they responded to the urgency in my thoughts by pulling back as fast as they could. As soon as I was free I ran forward a few steps before I turned back to Kelli.

"Sorry. I forget you just can't run as fast as I can sometimes," I apologized while waiting for her to follow me.

"Just go sweetie," she said. "You can get home and be through a shower and dressed by the time I get back to the house and then we can head back to the apartment."

I ran back the few steps and laid a soul scorching kiss on Kelli that left her out of breath before I took off at full speed back towards the house, crying out a heartfelt I love you over my shoulder as I ran while Kelli's feelings of love continued to flow over our bond.

Luckily I was able to get back to the house and down into the bathroom that attached to the basement bedroom without our parents catching me running through the house with nothing on but my collar and my piercings. As comfortable as I had become running around outdoors with little to no clothing on, the thought of any of our parents catching me naked had me shivering in embarrassment. I didn't let those thoughts distract me from getting ready to go, however.

I blazed through the shower with feline grace and speed, letting the remnants of the rich soil that still clung to my skin wash down the drain as I stood under the warm spray. I trembled some as the water flowed over my body and stimulated my most sensitive parts, and I could feel Kelli's slight distraction at my gentle arousal. If I had had more time I would have fingered myself to a slow and methodical climax while I opened every miniscule feeling I would have so she could share my languorous bliss. I didn't have the time for that so I contented myself with the occasional brush of my swollen and sensitive labia which caused her to stumble once or twice on the way back.

Kelli was right in that the extra time I had before she returned was just enough for me to be ready to go, and we stopped into the living room to say good bye to our parents.

"Hey guys," I said to them as I grabbed her hand. "We have to take off because I have to be at the dojo in about thirty minutes for my test."

"Really," Steve, Kelli's dad, asked in surprise. "Another one? What are you testing for tonight?"

"And how the hell are you going to make the three hour drive in less than thirty minutes," was my dad's question, though he had to face palm when Kelli giggled as she waggled her fingers at him in response.

"My god Dan," mom chided him as the rest of us were shaking our heads in disbelief. "After all that we have seen and learned, you are still surprised enough to ask that kind of question? I thought you were smart."

We all had a good laugh at my dad's expense, but the overwhelming feelings of love and loyalty that I could sense among our family softened the painful sting of humiliation.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," dad replied as he shook his head. "I will never get used to all of the amazing things that our daughters can do, so sue me if I forget all that is possible once in a while."

"Really though," Kelli's dad continued. "I am curious how exactly you are going to go from here to there so quickly. Can you tell us, or is it one of those things you can't talk about?"

"After all that you have experienced and talked with Millicent about," Kelli replied. "I don't think that it's a problem to talk about the improved transport spell I came up with."

"Improved," dad asked.

"Oh yeah! Big time improved," I said with an ear to ear grin. "Kelli is just that good. See most witches know how to move from one place to another via teleportation magic, but the range has always been around a hundred miles or so no matter how powerful the witch. Kelli figured out a way to rework the magic so that you can pretty much go to any place on Earth that you have been before, instantly."

"Yes, or to someone that you know very well," Kelli added. "Basically I inscribed a permanent magic circle in our bedroom downstairs, and a matching circle in the second room in our apartment. Now, with just a simple activation word, I can transport us between the circles whenever I want."

"Could you take someone other than you and Myka with this transport thing," Kelli's dad asked.

"Sure. It doesn't matter who goes between the circles, just as long as I activate the magic correctly."

"Could you give me a minute or two and let me come along? I haven't seen Myka test yet, and I would love to say hi to Rick as well."

"I'd love to come too," dad said, as excited as a little kid. "Do you think you could bring Lilly and Amanda also?"

"Oh no," mom retorted. "We girls have too much to do to get ready for the party tomorrow."

"That's right," continued Kelli's mom who then turned a withering stare onto the two of us. "And you two better make sure this magic still works tomorrow when you have to get here, ON TIME."

"Why do I have to have a big party," I whined. "It's not like I'm getting some major award or something."

"Oh Myka," my mom sighed in mock frustration. "You are graduating from college soon, tomorrow is your twenty second birthday, and since we weren't able to be there, for obvious reasons, we are also going to celebrate what amounts to your "marriage" to Kelli two years ago."

"And, we've already invited your friends and the McAlisters," Kelli's mom added. "So you don't have a choice, unless you really want to piss us off."

I understood that by pissing them off that it meant our moms, because our dads would have never set something like this up in the first place. Now that it was happening, however, they also had no choice but to agree and go along with it. In reality I was happy that our parents cared that much for us, but I just didn't like the fuss. I could also see the joy that this party was bringing to our moms pulsing through the bonds that connected our family, and that was why I would only complain a little.

Of the two of us, Kelli has always been the most diplomatic and she made sure that our moms understood that come hell or high water that we would be there for the party the next afternoon. She also assured them that both of our dads would be back later in the evening without any problems. I made sure to grumble a little bit so that no one would think I was going crazy, but in the end I also made sure to let our moms know that not only would I be there, I would be happy to be there as well.

A few kisses on the cheek later, and when our dads had rejoined us, we made our way down to the basement bedroom. The traveling circle filled up one corner of the room, bathing the space in its dim but ever present light. The purple and orange lines and symbols were almost hypnotic in their placement, and I had enjoyed just looking at the design ever since Kelli had activated it.

"Ok," Kelli said and motioned for them to step into the circle. "Just stand in the center and try not to move."

"This isn't going to hurt is it," her dad asked, barely keeping the concern out of his voice.

"No, it won't hurt at all. At most you will feel a slight tingle, but it's faster and uses a bit less power if you don't move."

"Yeah, it's not really that bad," I added. "Just that your first time can be a little confusing. And once you are in the room in our apartment, step out of the circle and wait for us in the hall. We'll be right behind you."

"Alright little girl, we trust you both. Guess we'll see you in a moment."

Our dads stood there with stoicism written across their faces as Kelli drew upon her magic and gave voice to what she called the activation sequence. To my ears it was a pleasant sound and the lyrical and musical quality it gave her voice always reached into my soul with its gentle caress. It was just another of the ways that I could give a description to the feelings that Kelli made me feel. And just as fast as she started to speak it was over and I watched both of our dads vanish from sight.

"Ok, sweetie," Kelli said as she pulled me into the center of the circle after waiting a few seconds. "Our turn."

We held hands as we stood there in the circle, and I felt the familiar tingle as Kelli activated the magic that would transport us back to our apartment near campus. It only took a few times moving back and forth between the two circles before I was used to the weird way that magical transport played with your senses. I could now deal with the sensation of being in two separate places at once without my stomach doing back flips, and my balance didn't go nuts anymore either. And just like that we shimmered into existence in our apartment's second bedroom.

Both of our dads were on the other side of the room near the door, excitedly talking with each other like young boys who had just discovered their first skin magazine. Kelli and I both couldn't help but laugh at their antics. Apparently their first experience with magic had made them both very excited.

"Ok, you guys are the best dads in the whole world, but we need to get going so that I am not late to my test. I'm going to change and I will meet you in the living room."

Knowing that they had a lot of questions, Kelli did her part by herding them out and into the front of the apartment while I ran to our bedroom to change. I could hear them talking about how she had transported us here, and the non-stop questions about the process and the sensations associated with it affected us, and humans in general. Kelli's dad was very interested in how the power that his daughter now had was able to move us from one room to another more than three hundred miles away, and also in the sensations that he had experienced on the way.

My dad's questions, however, were more about the way that the magic worked. He was asking Kelli about whether it could be interrupted, or rerouted in some way, and if it could, what might happen in that case. He was also curious to know if her spell had any safeguards built into it, or if anyone with the power and knowledge of magic could make use of this swift mode of transport.

To her credit, Kelli was able to answer all of our dads' questions and give them some peace of mind. That they were asking about these sorts of things was pretty normal for them, because it was what they had pretty much done for a living after they both left the military. Kelli's dad had taken his training and skills and used the small amount of inheritance money that he had been given to start a consulting company that focused on the best means and methods for providing physical security to individuals, locations, and even large groups. My dad's job during his active duty had been related to his computer science degree, and he joined up with the company to help his best friend out on the electronic security side of things.

All in all, they had done very well for themselves and Kelli and I had grown up pretty comfortably because of it. Our families had always been close, and listening to our dad's talking to Kelli in the other room warmed my heart. They were interested in our lives, in how we were coping with all that we had been through, and how we planned to cope with things that were surely going to come up in the future. I didn't have to see them to know that the bonds of love that tied all of us together in a web of love were as powerful as ever.