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I wished I had did as I was told, and just slept. The previous night, I snuck out of my room and found Altair in the medical bay trauma units. I couldn't see what had happened, but when shi walked out, shi came clean with me. Marcus had also been thrown overboard by Ally, though he was farther out from Pokètara than I had been. Instead of arriving in the Dragon Frontier, he washed up thousands of kilometers away in the Sevii Islands region. Shi told me he was so badly injured that there was little hope he'd survive in a biological body. Because shi's a big tech-head though, shi had a way to transform Marcus into a sort of android called a 'bioshell'.

I went inside the trauma unit and looked him over. It was strange, because he looked almost exactly like his old self, except... Something seemed off. I approached him and put a hand into his. His skin... It wasn't skin. It was something Altair called biolatex, made to simulate the look, even if it felt rubbery. His core body was mechanical, made to simulate everything that he had before. Hell, he even had his manhood somehow. I didn't care about that, though. All I cared about was whether or not he'd be himself. Even with Altair ensuring me he would be just fine, I just couldn't help doubting hir.

Shi was kind enough to give me a recliner to sleep in, so I could stay with him. I don't know where the recliner itself came from, though. It sort of appeared out of thin air. I guess it was hir Omnivice thing. I should be thankful for all shi's done, though. I owe hir my life twice over, once for saving me, and once for saving Marcus. I just hope tomorrow is a bit kinder to us both. End log entry.

__________

As I awakened the next morning, I found myself splayed out on the recliner. I've never found them to be comfortable, but for some reason, this one was like sleeping on air. It took a few minutes for me to finally wake up and notice what the recliner actually was. It was made of fleece and stuffing, with very minimal internal structure, almost reminding me of a beanbag chair that I used in the dorms. The soft blue material was amazing just brushing up against my fur, and didn't make any static electricity. It had to be some sort of custom material.

I looked over at Marcus, who was lying still on the table next to me. His tail had apparently been disconnected the previous night, and a pair of cables were attached to what I assumed was the connector it used. They were red and black, twisted into a tight helix that had to be as big as my fist, and came through the floor. I had no clue what they were for, though. His massive Nidoking-shaped body was on it's stomach, spines in the air, eyes closed behind what looked like metal shades for eyelids. There was no breathing, of course, as even I knew that machines only needed to breathe if they were generating heat.

The tail itself was laying next to me, so I picked it up and pulled it into my lap. It was heavy as hell, and I could easily lift a hundred kilograms while sitting back at home. For a few moments, I even thought my arms might fall off form the weight. Once it was in my lap, though, I had to satisfy my curiosity and look it over. It was made of a painted purple latex, but felt more like a rubbery sponge than Altair's rubbery uniform. It didn't have much give, but even I had to admit, groping my way up and down the limb felt like it did back in school. Our special combo move had him fling me into the air at a target, and I'd use my Flame Wheel Kick to do a lot of damage. I wasn't so sure I'd be doing that again any time soon, at least until he could control his strength.

I turned up the base to look at the inner workings, only to be greeted with a complex series of circuits and wires, a rod with several ball joints spaced along it's length, stabilizing bars for each section, and a connector that looked as if it could seal flush with the rest of his body. It was an impressive setup, at least to someone like me. I wasn't too into technology, aside from using it.

With a large amount of effort, and my right arm actually detaching this time, I got the tail off of my lap and back on the table. I was just in time, too, as Altair entered the room. Shi wasn't in hir uniform, but in a full-body robe that ended just above hir ankles. The blue silk of the garment looked thin, giving the appearance of a moving ocean as it glistened in the lights above. It had no sleeves, but Altair was wearing a pair of long silk gloves that stretched nearly to hir shoulders, and matched the robe perfectly. I couldn't think of any Pokètarian fashion that would match such a look.

"Hey, hon." Shi said, smiling at me cheerfully. I could have swore that it was infectious, as I started smiling as well, even with how worried I was about Marcus. "I thought you might be hungry, so I came by to see if you'd like to go to the dining hall with me. Marcus will be out of it for a few more hours yet." Shi paused and looked at the line feeding into his tail connector with a strange sound, almost half-way between a sigh and a chuckle. "His body is going though it's final checks to make sure it's functioning properly. When he wakes up, it'll be like he was still a biological... Well, almost. He won't have to breath, eat, or anything like that. In some ways, he's got an advantage over us. Still, I wish I knew what Ally did to him. It's like his mind and spirit literally destroy any biological body it inhabits."

I cocked my head to the side, then looked at Marcus with even more curiosity. «Shi has a point, but...» "Say, that Omnivice of yours... Could it make someone into a bio... whatever? Even for a little while?" I looked at hir with hope. Maybe if I could be like Marcus for a while, I wouldn't be so worried about him. I looked back at hir, but was met with a strange, wide smile.

"You said you'd like to stay, right? Even if you don't become a rescuer?" Shi asked me, crossing hir arms in front of hir chest. I could feel hir eyes piercing into my mind like a pair of medical scanners, watching my every reaction and movement. It was like Lugia had started watching me again. I simply nodded, feeling like a Stantler caught in beams of light. "At the request of Lugia, I'll give you an Omnivice system. Tomorrow, of course, but you will get one. I don't think I could handle two patients in one day. One learning how to use a new body, and one learning how to use a new power... It feels familiar somehow." Shi held up a hand in front of hir, and it mysteriously began to glow a faint gold color. "Nocti, stand up for me."

I did so, my feet planted firmly on the cavern's floor. It was strange, though, as it felt like a soft earth. Softer than any field I had walked through, even in my time spend helping with the school's gardens. I thought maybe it was just my nerves, so I ignored it as best I could. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. Then, I felt hir hand grab onto my shoulder, and something my mind could barely keep up with started to cascade across my body. I first stopped hearing my heart beating, then I stopped being able to breath. I didn't feel like I was dying, though. It was more like a sense of calm had taken over, like I was sleeping out on the warm beach and simply nodded off. A bit of time passed, and I heard a beep in the back of my mind. It made me shiver slightly, though my body never moved. Eventually, I started my nervous twitch, and tapped my middle and ring digits against my hips. It only took one tap to realize that something major had happened to me. The sound it made... It's something I'd heard only in movies. The sound of metal hitting metal.

I few more moments passed, and I could no longer sense temperature, or any sort of smell or taste. I couldn't even sense Altair's presence. "Okay, open your eyes." Shi told me. I did, and what I saw in my vision made my jaw drop. Instantly, I had a basic overlay that functioned as a heads-up display in front of me, and my vision seemed to blink 'on', for a lack of better term. I could see hir standing in front of me, and the scene before me was more crisp and clear than anything I had ever experienced. It was like I had a direct feed from a high-definition camera going right into my brain. Seeing as I couldn't be organic anymore, I was likely dead on.

I took a moment to look over my body. Just moving my arm made me realize I had to be much heavier than before, but it moved so fluidly that it wasn't a problem. Even with the resistance of gravity, I could twist and lift my limbs without any effort. I couldn't see the underlying core, but I seemed to be covered in thick fur. It was fake, as the grain of the fur was too perfect to occur in nature, but the quality was absolutely astonishing. I felt of it, and had to keep myself from jumping in surprise. I could actually feel the texture, admiring how smooth it was. I even felt how warm it was, even if I didn't feel the inner warmth that I was used to. Flipping my hand over, I could see that I had black spongy pads, likely the same material as Marcus's body covering. The HUD seemed to react to my thoughts. activating some sort of information panel, telling me that I was right.

My curiosity hit it's maximum, and I ran though the open door behind Altair, my feet making distinctive metallic thuds with each step. I approached to the small ivory sink in the connecting wash room, and using the mirror hanging over it, stared in awe at the changes. I had metal shades for eyelids, though I didn't need to blink. My eyes... My eyes were made of glass, colored red like my real eyes. The red was also glowing, and looked so natural that I almost thought the system that controlled my sight was lying to me. Without actively thinking of it, the computer system of my body performed a nearly instant diagnostic, showing me that everything checked out. It was almost like it was trying to calm me down. I also had a spongy nose, made of the same material as my pawpads/ I opened my maw, and saw metallic white teeth within a gunmetal cavity, which lead to a mock throat that held a speech system. I also had a slick, rubbery tongue that reminded me of the latex Altair wore. Wondering just how far it went, and I looked down my pants, seeing that 'it' was even there, though it looked more like a toy than a fleshy part of my body.

"And to think, that body is just as modular as your organic body." Altair said, standing in the doorway. "I've set it so that you'll stay in that form until you ask me to change you back. After all, you want your fears squashed, right?"

"I... How did you know?" My voice sounded natural, though with a slightly synthesized tone behind it. Again, the internal computer started to run a diagnostic, apparently looking to fix the problem.

Altair began to grin mischievously, then walked up and put an arm around my shoulders, though shi had to stretch up a bit. Even in this form, it felt strangely comforting. It was then that I noticed I was taller, the computer telling me that I was now two-hundred eighteen centimeters tall, just thirty-one centimeters taller than hir. "I'm telepathic, hon. I could read your thoughts the entire time. I knew how worried you were about him, and your little idea. Honestly, it's the only reason I agreed to this."

I nodded silently, looking at us both in the mirror. It was strange, almost as if it were all a dream... Or perhaps a view of how Marcus and I would be. I couldn't help but smile a bit at that thought, and gave Altair a quick glance before picking hir up onto my back, much to hir surprise. There was no strain, or even feeling of strain, on the hydraulic systems in my arms and legs. For a moment, I wondered how I knew about them, but realized that my mind was somehow syncing with the computer over time, letting it give me information that I need. It even gave me a full map of Breakwater Hideaway, so I started walking towards the dining hall. "Thanks, for everything. Actually... Think we might be able to talk about using some of the systems in this bioshell body in my biological body? I kinda like having the display in front of me." «Wait, that doesn't quite sound like me. It sounds like what I meant, but not how I'd normally say... Even my thoughts changed a little.»

"Sounds like the automation system is still trying to sort a few things with your personality." Altair replied, causing me to stop and quickly look back at hir. "Yes, I can still hear your thoughts. I'm monitoring you on my Omnivice. Just give it some time, and you'll be back to your normal patterns. Still, using bioshell parts as a form of cybernetic enhancement... With the latest version of the Omnivice, you can usually pick and choose, but I've never tried to heavily refine it like that. Might be worth a shot."

I started walking again, barely paying attention as shi started talking about the various ideas shi had. Many of them were a bit over my understanding, though I somehow managed to get the computer to record it all, thinking I'd do a bit of research later. I had to admit, having a computer built into my head was a major boon, though it made me wonder just how much access someone on the outside could get. I was also a little concerned because I had no real sense of time. It was like my mind was fighting with the faster computer, though I was sure I could get used to it with time.

When we finally got to the dining hall, I felt like I had stepped into a large restaurant built in the Flying-type's hanger-dorm back home. The cavern could have easily held a small city on it's own, and it might as well have done just that. The entire area was sectioned off into what looked like rooms, with removable bamboo screens separating each area. From what I could see, there were a mix of traditional tables and chairs made of bamboo, rainbows of beanbag chairs with art deco bamboo tables that sat low to the ground, and ancient-looking floor cushions with low bamboo tables to eat from. In the direct center of the room was a kitchen, but before I could move to look at it, Altair pointed to one of the ancient-style rooms. "Let's go there while I eat. I've got a few thing I'd like to talk to you about."

I quickly stepped into the booth-like room as I knelled down to let hir off of my back. The screens were decorated with paper scrolls, each with words in what the computer called 'kanji'. They were simple words, like courage, hope, and love, but they added to the atmosphere of the area. In the middle was a large table, made of bamboo poles that were put together like a lattice, several legs made from even more bamboo poles, and overstuffed cloth cushions on the floor. I looked at one of the cushions, but as my body didn't even feel any fatigue or stress from walking, I decided to stand off to the side while Altair went to grab some food.

'Welcome to the party.' A voice said suddenly, very synthesized and unnatural. It sounded like it was coming from inside my head, like some sort of internal communication system. Looking at my display, I noticed that the typical status overlay had disappeared, replaced with an image of some sort of dragon made of black and green lines, and a name tag below it: Durandal. 'You must be the newcomer Altair had to revive la... No, that isn't right. Shi said it was a Nidoking.'

«That would be my partner, Marcus. I'm Nocti.» I said to it, curious as to who this Durandal was. «Durandal, right? Who are you?»

'I'm the AI that helps with the Terra Delta base, A-R-C-C. I detected the power of a Terra Delta roaming around, and tracked it to you. Your partner also has that power. I figured I would at least make myself known to our newest members.' I was silent for a bit, slightly confused at what he was saying. He apparently realized something was wrong. 'Wait... Altair hasn't told you yet, has shi? I apologize. Please, contact me if you have any questions after hir explanation.'

I acknowledged him with a thought, and the channel closed. After a few minutes, Altair returned to the room carrying a large plate of what appeared to be sushi, fruit, and an insane riceball. Shi had removed hir gloves while shi was away, though hir arms and hands shimmered just as much as the silk cloth. As shi put the plate down on the table and knelled to sit on hir knees, I was expecting hir to start eating. However, that wasn't the case.

"Nocti, I'm about to be really blunt with you, and Marcus will hear this as well. The reason you were both brought here was because you have a special power. The same power that my brother, Centauri, happens to have. It's the blood of the Terra Delta, a bloodline that stretches eons into the past. Of course, I and my other siblings are also Terra Delta, but that's beside the point. The thing is, you were brought here by the gods. Brought here as a hope for the world, should something disastrous happen."

Shi paused and looked at me, smiling warmly with that motherly feel I had come to expect from hir. "You've got nothing to worry about, though. It's very unlikely you'll be doing any sort of combat like that. Just your regular missions. Still, now you know why. As for Marcus... Well, someone interfered, and I have to think it was ACT. They knew about you two, probably from comparing you to Centauri."

I felt something heartbreaking within me. It was like rage, or anger, or maybe betrayal. Betrayed by those who were supposed to be my mentors, my teachers. "So that's why I was always picked on? Because of some sort of bloodline thing?" I asked, trying not to show just how angry I was. My voice sounded very deadpan, even emotionless, as if the computer could sense my wishes and agreed with them. "Why? What did the Terra Delta do to them?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Hir reply was like a stab in the chest, piercing my good mood and destroying it completely. "Ally is... He's a glory hog. If he isn't in the spotlight, or appearing to be the most important person, he will gladly attack whoever is in the spotlight. Centauri stole that spotlight by destroying the W'Nactr before he could, so he's always held a petty grudge against all of us." Shi gave a soft sigh, shaking hir head. "Just don't hold it against him too much. I'd rather you not stoop to his level."

I didn't want to hold anything against him. I wanted to hold him against something, though. Maybe a cactus, so he'd never forget how bad it felt to be stung in the ass by hatred. "F... Fine. Just don't let him near me, and I'll leave him alone."

Shi nodded to me, then turned around and began to eat as shi spoke. Oddly enough, shi didn't seem to care about manners as far as talking with ones mouth full. "Very well. Now, there's a reason I wanted you to know this. Life is rather quiet if you decide to stay here during the day, as you're not required to go on missions. Well, not unless one of the gods request you by name, anyway. Regardless of the missions, it's peaceful here, and our rules are a bit more natural as far as manners go."

"Noticed that last night." I replied in a still deadpan voice, giving a slightly nervous smile. Memories of the scene from the previous night made me feel a bit calmer. "Do many morphs go around in the nude here? I mean, nothing wrong with it, but... It's definitely not something I'm used to." Half of me wanted to blush at the situation, and the other half wanted to just let go.

I had a history of being rather unusual. In school, during my early years, I was going though some intense changes, and could have went down another path. One I wasn't too keen on remembering at the time. Yet, at the same time, I wanted to return to some of that side of me, and just be myself. Back then, Ally was the one who tore me away from being 'abnormal'. He beat me down a few times for it, too.

"Plenty of morphs and 'mon stay nude while they're here." Shi told me, a smirk clearly growing on hir face. That was something new, and not what I was expecting. "Some even asked Omnivice users modify their bodies, which we did most of the time. You'd be surprised at the variety here." With a quick gulp, shi downed the last of hir sushi and turned to me, hir smirk even more clear than before. It was like shi was about to tease me about something. "Say, after I finish eating, you want me to introduce you to a couple of our people? It'll give you a taste of what the Omnivice is really capable of in recreation."

I thought about it for a moment. On one hand, I had nothing better to do, and Marcus would be downed for several more hours according to the computer. On the other, I had to ask myself if I really wanted to see what else there was. I was silent for a few moments, but eventually, my curiosity won. "Okay. It'll give me more time to get comfortable with this form, and I really should meet some people if I'm going to stay here."

Altair had apparently been moments from starting on a riceball the size of hir head when I said it, because shi quickly spun back around with hir eyes wide open, the food being held in both hands. "You like the bioshell form? I mean, I know a lot of transformees do, but you... I wouldn't have expected that from you." I softly nodded my head, but before I could respond, shi raised a finger to stop me. "Tell me tomorrow, once you've experienced that form for a while. Still, if you do like it, you'll love having your Omnivice. You can set alternate forms to quickly change into on a moment's notice--up to four in total, though one has to be your natural form."

"So I could have my modular organic self, my bioshell body, and two more? That sounds fun." My curiosity was piqued again, in a few different ways. "What are your other forms, and what are a few of the others to choose from?"

Shi sat the riceball back onto hir plate and got out a square of rather beautiful green cloth, with what looked like a grassy pattern to it. Shi then put the giant ball on it, and began to speak as shi wrapped it. "Well, to answer your first question, I have my natural form, a living plush body, and another form that's rather... personal. My natural form is something I'll show you with time. For the second question, that would take an extremely complex answer. With the new Omnivice system, you can become rather inventive with your looks. Start with a base, like a species and gender, then start adding more and more detail. What kind of flesh you have, if you have fur or not, what color everything is, and so on. Then you can get really creative, even making chimera-like forms. I've seen some really inventive ideas from the others when they're in a pinch."

"If you want a good example, I've definitely got one for you, albeit a bit extreme. Centauri was on a mission for Entei recently. I had to tag along from the skies as his backup, but he was given the ability to use Entei's form for himself since we were in what is known as the Fire Fields of Holosis. It's an island with extreme heat, almost like the inside of a volcano. Well, I managed to switch my form to that of a Charizard so I could follow him in, but he was attacked by some Magmar. Just to one-up me for a previous stunt I pulled, he changed into an Entei morph, then changed his arms to be like an Arcanine and Houndoom, with their heads as his hands. Imagine a Sazan... err, Hydregion, with the way it's arms are actually heads, but his arms were much thicker. Just doing that was enough to scare the Magmar into shock, but then he managed to take it a step further by doing back-to-back 'Triple Crunch' attacks on them, knocking them out. Then he kept that form until the end."

My jaw dropped like a metric ton weight had been attached to it. If even that sort of transformation were possible... Well, I just knew I wouldn't be able to contain my explorative side, and then I'd end up trying everything I could. As Professor Reaver once said before a training mission in my first year, 'Oh, the fun to be had.' Altair could even sense my enthusiasm, as shi turned around with a grin, shaking hir head.

"Seems I've got your attention after all. Come on, let's go out into the lobby. Ceti should be there in hir usual napping spot. I warn you, shi's rather big, and not in the way you'd expect." Shi picked up the massive orb with some makeshift handles that shi had made from the corners of the cloth, and started walking out of our small room.

I followed somewhat eagerly, like a pup tailing his father on a hunt. As we walked back into the larger dining hall, my jaw dropped again. It was full of morphs and Pokèmon of all kinds and species, more and more appearing in sight as they packed and moved the screens that once separated the smaller booths. Many seemed rather normal, but others were rather extreme. I could see a few that looked like they were living plush toys, some that were clearly made of latex, some of gel, some made of stone and glass. A vast majority had exotic patterns and colors, like a blue Delcatty with white Arcanine stripes, and a golden Dewott with silver legs. The variety was so incredible that I couldn't put into words, and the computer even tried to help me with that, literally scanning every linguistic database it had access to. Nothing was good enough to describe the scene before me. While getting though the door, I even ran into a Skitty with a feline-centaur body, or 'felitaur' according to the computer. With that aid alone, I knew I was going to need it's help for a long while, at least until I could get used to seeing it. With a slight nod to it's help, I decided to name it Buster, after my favorite type of sword.

Out in the lobby, the room with the giant tree where I met Lugia, there was another mass of various Pokèmon and morphs gathered, though one particular group of eight caught my interest as they stood in front of Green Tunnel. One looked like a normal Floatzel, though she was nearly two meters tall and apparently some sort of living pooltoy. Her skin was semi-transparent vinyl, shining like a dew-covered rose in the sun. She had two strong plastic handles on her shoulders, and another pair on her hips. A purple one-piece bikini covered most of her body, but I could see the top of an air valve poking through on her stomach, and another on the floatation ring, just behind her neck. She was so detailed with her markings that I thought she might as well have had real fur, and her mouth even had teeth and a tongue.

The second was a female Aggron, made of pure living latex according to Buster. She stood an intimidating three-and-a-half meters tall, big enough to dwarf even me. Her horns looked dulled, but I was pretty sure she didn't need them to cause some serious damage. Her entire body looked thick and powerful. Buster displayed some stats about her to help quell some of my curiosity. Apparently, she was able to even melt into liquid, and reshape her body at will. Some of her latex was hardened into shiny armor, including on her head. I had to admit, I was extremely impressed.

The third and fourth were a pair of conjoined morphs consisting of a Latios on the left and a Latias on the right, at least Buster said they were separate beings. They looked like they were of an identical age, possibly even born that way, but from what I had seen so far, was wasn't willing to bet Pokè on it. The duo shared one body with widened upper shoulders, giving each of their necks plenty of room. A second pair of shoulders were positioned just below the first, leading to a pair of arms that were apparently tucked away in their 'flight mode'. They only had one pair of feet, and a single pair of wings, though their colors were appropriate and split right down the middle.

Fifth was one that looked rather arrogant as the conjoined pair berated him. He looked rather normal as a Rapidash morph, at least at first. On his back. a pair of incredible bird wings sprouted from his shoulders, made of pure black feathers that had an otherwordly sheen to them. He was about two meters tall, but his wing span was almost four, giving him a rather deadly bird-of-prey look. He also had dark purple flames sprouting from his mane and tail, with brighter purple flames around his wrists and ankles. His hands also turned out unusual once I got a better look, having only three digits that ended in hoof-like nails. He had what I immediately identified as a collapsible scythe attached to his right forearm, something I knew full well to be a symbol of a Nightmare Reaper. Reaver, one of my old teachers, was a Reaper, and trained me and Marcus in the craft during our first two years. Judging from the Nightmare's scythe, he was actually a rather low rank.

Numbers six and seven were also twins, but not conjoined. One was herm while the other was male, both Cubone morphs. They stood a normal two meters tall, but something seemed really odd about the male. He didn't move much, never blinked, and his purple eyes stared into mine. They seemed almost empty and curious, as if he had everything taken out of him, waiting to become full of life again. He also had a thick metal collar around his neck, partly embedded into his body and apparently containing some technology that Buster didn't want to identify. He wore a pair of jeans, as well as bone gauntlets. His twin bone clubs were tucked into his belt loops.

The herm, however, wore a tight purple latex uniform, very similar to Altair's, that left little to the imagination. Hir breasts were as big as Watmel berries, and definitely got the support they needed from the uniform. Shi also had a black latex mask in place of hir bone helmet, the eye-holes covered by Flygon-like lavender dome lenses that appeared to have heads-up displays of their own. Buster showed me information on it, stating that it could also become more like a gas mask, and was sealed to hir head. Shi also held a collapsible scythe, though it was hanging from hir hip, making me realize that shi was also a Reaper.

For the last member of their group, I had a hard time concentrating once I could see hir. If I were still organic, I would have likely been blushing so heavily that my nose could have sprayed blood from it. Shi was a herm Vaporeon, standing about two-and-a-quarter meters tall. If it weren't for a few features, shi could have been considered rather normal. However, shi had a pair of massive breasts that were much bigger than hir head. In addition, swinging from hir groin were a pair of testicles that would put Arceus himself to shame. Above that was a flaccid cock that measured nearly half a meter long, and at least fifteen centimeters thick. I shuddered to think just how big that weapon would be erect, and how painful that might be to someone who was poorly equipped for the job, for lack of a better term. However, I did feel rather aroused by it, even if I didn't know why.

Altiar stopped just out of earshot of the group, and I got close enough to hir to hear if shi wanted to whisper. Looking up at me, shi gave a wide grin and pulled me down to hir level to talk, keeping hir voice down so as not to disturb them. "Those are members of Team Starlight, or rather it's joint group called Team Reapers. From left to right, you have Auva the Floatzel, Eltanin the Aggron, Sulaphat and Deneb the Lati-twins, Alphard the Rapidash, Wega and Vega the Cubone and Ceti the Vaporeon. Vega, the herm Cubone, is my sister and leader of the Reapers. However, it's Ceti I wanted you to meet."

"You see, Ceti may look rather 'lewd' in hir current state, but when shi's out in the public, shi keeps things minimized to normal size. Shi doesn't have hir bits that big for show or anything, though. It's just because shi's comfortable that way. Shi stays in that form simply because shi likes it. Of course, when shi first changed hir body that way, it took hir a few days to learn how to walk again, but today... Today, shi can run, swim, and even do gymnastics like a pro, even with hir hyper-sized organs."

I couldn't help but stare in awe at the group before me. They were so mis-matched, and yet they looked as comfortable as any other morphs. Shi continued, smiling as shi quickly stood in front of me, staring me right in the eyes. "The power of happiness, love, unconditional acceptance... The will to learn and adapt to any situation or experience... That's what everyone in Teams Starlight and Reapers hold dear. We bring in the unloved and socially-rejected, and we give them a home. We give them happiness, love... Hope..."

What I had seen in that dining hall, and what I was seeing in the lobby, made it impossible for me not to smile. The happiness that everyone was showing, across the barriers of species, gender, age, body type... That was something I had never come across in Pokètara. Sure, people were happy, but they always had sadness behind their smiles. The feeling of having to fit in, and the worry of being seen as abnormal, among many other things, always seemed to weigh on their hearts. Here, there was no sorrow behind their smiles and laughter, only pure glee.

That happiness made me feel something in my heart. Long ago, back when I was nothing more than a pup, I read of the Knights of Sanctuary. They were a league of warrior who had found their calling, protecting Holy City Sanctuary and it's leaders, TeraDyne and Toren Solanse. They were dedicated to their cause, pledging their life to protecting all Morphs. When the human Templars of Sinnoh invaded the region, they fought to the last man, and many of them kept fighting when their bodies should have long died, using sheer will to keep going. When it was done, no human lived, and the last of the knights passed only when they made sure of that. Every time I read the stories, I had dreamed of finding something like that all of my life. Perhaps... Perhaps the gods saw that, and decided that I would be happiest here, living that dream.

"Altair," I said, trying not to let my feelings raise my voice, "thank you. Thank you for all of this. You've given me something I thought I'd never find, a dream I had lost sight of. There's no doubt in my mind. I want to stay. I want to experience all that I can." The words weren't my own, at least not entirely. Once again, they were exactly what I meant, as if I weren't allowed to beat around the shrub, so to speak. I had always had trouble with making myself clear. Maybe Buster knew that, and was trying to help.

I started to turn around and get a good look at the other inhabitants, but I didn't get that chance. A several rapid, sudden thuds began echoing through the base, coming from Indigo Tunnel and growing closer by the second. Everyone stopped talking and looked toward the opening of the hallway, and Team Reapers quickly moved away from it. After several moments, I saw a pair of familiar faces come into view: Marcus and Sirius.

Marcus rushed at me with the speed of a strong wind, Sirius jumping off of his back just as he wrapped his arms around me with a joyful smile. I was lifted off of the ground by him in a hug, though his strength was very specific as to not hurt me. "Nocti! It's really you! I thought I'd never see you again!" His voice, clearly just as synthesized as my own, was much closer to his original voice, and filled with extreme relief.

__________

Marcus and I had spent a couple of hours catching up in the dining hall, and talked with Altair about what shi had told me. I asked to be excused and ducked out early, then made my way to the cliff at the end of Blue Tunnel. I needed time to myself, to think about things.

While I was with Marcus, I told him about wanting to stay, and that I wanted to join Team Starlight. Altair, on the other hand, said I should talk with Vega about being sent on missions with hir team. It turned out that shi had access to my full file, even the classified parts around my training as a Reaper. Shi also presented Marcus and I with a pair of collapsible scythes called the 'Cross Deaths', both made of ocean blue crystal. Shi had made them hirself, but shi wasn't going to be an active fighter anymore, and didn't want them going to waste. Mine was hanging from my hip.

It was odd. I never thought that training would be so useful. We just did it for fun, and so our grades would skyrocket. Now I was being told that it could save lives. Today has been one wild ride. Buster was trying to help me sort my thoughts, quite literally, but even the best organization didn't help all that much. I needed so fresh air, even if I wasn't exactly breathing in my current form.

As I looked out into the emerald forest below me for some sort of calm, I felt something press against the back of my head. I suddenly couldn't move, but Buster assured me I was fine. A moment passed, and the heads-up display in my vision changed. First of all, it became much more prominent and purple in color, though it was quite out of the way. The actual pieces of it condensed into the corners of my sight, giving me a sort of window to look through. In the upper left corner was a small circle of icons that I immediately recognized as email, chat and web, as well as one that looked like a playing card. In the upper right, I saw four squares in a cross pattern, one holding a stylized Growlithe head, and another holding a robotic Growlithe head. The lower corners held some sort of placeholders, but for what I couldn't tell.

«Wait! Four squares, two filled with Growlithe icons...» "Let me guess, I just had an Omnivice put on me, didn't I?" My body returned to normal operating mode, and I quickly wheeled around, expecting Altair to be behind me. To my surprise, it wasn't. Instead, I had come face-to-face with Vega. I could see right into hir eyes, and actually felt somewhat intimidated by them. They held a battle-honed gaze that spoke more than any written file of hir likely experiences.

"Indeed you did, though I'm definitely not like my sister. I'm kinda glad you aren't as formal as I thought you'd be." Hir voice was slightly deep, that of an older woman's. If it weren't for all of the oddities, I would have guessed shi was in hir early thirties. Shi smirked and wandered to the railing, resting hir back against it with a rather arrogant pose. "Now, down to business, and I'm sure you'll have plenty of questions."

"First of all, I'm well aware of your training. My own Pokètarian mother was a Grand Reaper, and I know Reaver was her best friend, so you had the best teacher possible. I have nothing more to give you there, aside from a proper uniform."

"I wouldn't mind that." I told hir, smiling slightly as I watched a pair of Charizard-both appearing to be living plush toys-play with a ball at the edge of the forest. "It'd give me some sort of starting point you know?"

Shi reached up and put a hand on my shoulder, a gesture I wouldn't have expected from someone like hir. "I know the feeling. I had everything come down on me once before. Still, you're right. It would give you a starting place." I could feel a warmth coming from hir mitten-like three digit hand. Looking back at it, I could see it glowing, and the glow quickly spread down onto my body. In the wake of the wave, latex clothing appeared out of thin air, as if it were being created on my body. for my body. It was all black in color, starting with a cargo vest with enough pockets to put a storage building to shame. As moved down, I gained a pair of fingerless glove-like arm warmers, as well as a pair of cargo pants. Down on my legs, a pair of knee-length pawboots-digitigrade leg warmers that ended with toe-less boot soles-formed and enclosed them.

I brought my hand up and flexed it, the rubbery covering giving a small squeak as two sections touched. " Thanks. I have to ask, though. why do you use latex so heavily? I mean, I can see that's useful, but..."

Vega laughed softly, hir smirk turning into a smile as shi looked me over. "You're the first one who actually asked. Yeah, it's easy to seal everything if we have to, but it's also waterproof, fireproof. and Altair's biolatex blocks out electricity better than any normal rubber. Biggest reason? We don't have to change clothes when we change forms. It just fits, no matter what."

"Now, second thing I wanted to tell you. I'll train you on how you use your Omnivice in a couple of days, but I want you to get used to your modular and robotic forms first. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. Altair won't let just anyone have a bioshell form. Exempli gratia, Sirius and I asked hir to let us try it out, and that was shot down faster than a soldier asking for leave."

I looked at my hand, confused as to why I was so special. Sure, I was worried about Marcus, so shi let me use it, but shi's apparently letting me keep it when no one else was allowed to even try it. Then I remembered hir reaction to my enthusiasm. «I'm special, because I'm curious. Shi knows I'll try out everything I can, and learn everything just to be close to Marcus. Shi loves curiosity. I wonder...» "Say Vega, why do you want to try it? Just to try it out because it's different?"

I had apparently caught hir off guard with the question. Shi was so stunned that shi looked at me like a Stantler caught in some light beams, and it took several moments for hir to even blink at me. "I... I never really thought about it. I guess I just wanted to try it since I always get to try out the new toys. Always have, since shi makes stuff for my company."

"Company?" I asked, trying to keep from chuckling. "I would've never thought you to be a businesswoman. You don't come off that way."

"A lot of people tell me that. Still, I own an inter-dimensional sex toy company called VegaCorp." Shi reached into a pocket and pulled out a folded-up purple flyer, handing it to me. I unfolded it and gave it a look, though much of the text was completely foreign to me. Buster translated it all, though, letting me know that it was the same thing in dozens of languages.

'VegaCorp, the company of dreams. Need something new in your love life? Want to dabble in fantasy kinks? Come to us, and we'll get you rolling. Custom commissions are welcome and encouraged.Visit us on your local network, or come into one of our many locations around the multiverse.'

I started to chuckle, handing it back to hir. "I have to know. How popular are your products? How much money do you guys get in that field?"

Shi took it, a wide grin on hir face as shi stared me in the eyes, pulling me down to hir level and putting the end of hir snout just centimeters from my nose. "We get more money than you could ever imagine. Sex sells, and it sells extremely well." My eyes went wide once I realized shi was serious. Shi backed off, laughing at my reaction. "We don't just do sex, though. Some people just aren't happy with their looks, gender, species... body type. We transform them using one-time objects, invoking the same effect as the Omnivice. We also have... other services, though they're extremely specific."

"Really now? I supposed you wouldn't mind telling me about them."

"Alti was right, you really are curious about everything." Shi commented, shaking hir head at me. "Alright, I'll tell you. We take in people who wish to become owned-as pets, living toys, slaves, et alia-and help them find loving owners. Some become personal pets, some become rentals, others show pieces... It's all up to the person in question, and we only take in the willing. We don't support forced slavery, ever."

The way shi said hir last point, I could tell shi had something of a personal vendetta against even the thought of it, and made a note never to press hir for information on it. "In other words, it's like what you do here. You help people find happiness, just in a different way."

"Pretty much. Anyway, you and Marcus have new quarters in Purple Tunnel, right next to mine. It has decor of my choosing, but that's easily changed out to your liking. I have to warn you though, I'm rather sexual myself, so you might hear some noises. I usually can't help but have a nice time in bed with others, and quite regularly. Though, from your record, I doubt you'll mind. You had a bit of a history in school, from what I read."

If I had the ability to, I would have been biting my lip. Yeah, I kinda had a thing where I was enticed by an Arcanine senior named Fallon back at Pokèmon Rescue Academy. I ended up being his personal bitch for my entire first year, and almost dropped out just to follow him. Ally found out and beat the hell out of me. Nearly killed me, if I had remembered right. Fallon was thrown out, but before I could drop out to follow him, I heard about Marcus beating Ally so bad he had to be bed-bound for eight months. That was enough to really look at him, and before I knew it, I saw him as more than just a friend. Of course, I still had that old love of being dominated. That never left, even if I did tuck it away in some dark corner of my mind.

"Yeah. I guess you could say that." I admitted reluctantly. Hir eyes immediately locked to mine, and even though they weren't like an organic's eyes, I could tell shi was able to read me like a book. "If you want specifics, I'll tell you later. I'd like to get comfortable here with Marcus first."

A smile grew across hir maw, one that was both odd and ecstatic at the same time. "You really love him, don't you? I have to admit, I can see why. Big, burly protector who's as cuddly as a plush. Personally, I have my eyes set on someone myself, though I'm not telling who. I don't want to jinx it."

"Fair enough." I looked back down where the two Charizard were, only to see that they had been joined by Ceti and Auva. "So, wanna tell me about your team? I was going to introduce myself, but you know."

Vega peered down at the fun below, hir smile turning into a smirk. "I'll give you the basics, and you can get the rest from them yourself. Auva is ditsy airhead, quite literally, but loves to relax have a lot of childish fun. Ceti is slightly more serious, but shi's very cuddly, and very likely to try and really know you. Alphard is an arrogant braggart who thinks only of himself, but he's always there when you need someone to help you. Wega is still trying to regain his core personality after some... personal issues. Eltanin loves company, but mostly that of children, acting like one giant mother. The twins never leave the island anymore, as they're too fond of staying together, but they love to help out whenever they can, and they make damn good sparing partners."

Several things caught my attention in that stream, but I made sure not to interrupt hir before shi was done. There were some questions I just had to ask and get out of the way. "Wait, you mean Deneb and Sulaphat weren't born that way? I'm guessing the Omnivice somehow conjoined them, but... Does everyone have that capability?"

Shi chuckled softly, still watching the game. "Sulaphat once had Alphard's name, actually, but they decided to switch after mister Nightmare realized one shortened to 'Alpha', and the other shortened to the female form 'Sula'. Sula is the Latias now, originally born a Latios, while Deneb was originally a Flygon. After the two got extremely close, they asked Altair to give them access to hir Split/Fusion card so that they could become conjoined. At the time, Altair and Sirius tended to stay conjoined as Altarious, though that's since change. Still, shi gave it to them, and you can see the result."

For some reason, an image of Marcus and I joined like the twins popped into my mind, and I had to laugh at the sight. Still, I kept it in mind for later. "I won't ask about Wega's past, but does he have any personality at all? He looked like he was barely there at all when I saw him."

"Wega has a fledgling persona, but it's only starting to grow. Every little experience seems to bring him closer to being whole again." Shi gave me a quick glance and a smirk. "Baby steps, of course. Sort like how you're going to learn how to be a modular and non-organic, and how Marcus is going to learn more about being in that bioshell body of his. As they say, 'It's the journey that counts. The destination is just an added bonus.' Maybe you could learn a few things from him yourself."

"Maybe." The way shi said it made me think for a bit. Maybe there was more to him after all. "Hmm... Say, Auva is a sort of living pooltoy, right? I'm sure she changes when shi's off of the island, but what about here? Does she fear being deflated or popped?"

I could have swore Vega's eyes turned a rather sadistic red when I asked my question, but shi apparently regained hir composure quite quickly. "Not at all. She's slightly mobile while deflated, and even re-inflates herself. As for popping, she actually loves it. There's no pain, and her body regenerates rather quickly. Even tears self-seal after a few moments. Actually, speaking from experience, popping as a pooltoy is good to release stress when nothing else seems to work. It feels like full sensory deprivation until you're pulled back together."

I had Buster make a mental note to talk with Auva herself about it, and maybe experience that personally. Before I had a chance to ask my next question, one of the icons on my HUD began flashing brightly, trying to grab my attention. I tried calling on it with my mind, and to my astonishment, it worked flawlessly. The icon opened up a window titled 'New Cards', and in it were a few more icons that looked like some sort of playing cards. Buster quickly notified me that they were used for transformations with the Omnivice.

Each card had a large picture of what I guessed was the species or effect that it caused, as well as a caption along the bottom and right edges. The cards themselves were titled in a simple manner: Cubone, Dragonite, Nidoking, Male, Female, Herm, Bioshell, Modular, and one each with Altair and Vega's pictures and names. The Bioshell card had a lock, along with a message that stated it was for my use only, but the Altair and Vega cards seemed very strange. Unlike the others, which had white edges with black letters, these had red edges with gold letters. "Say, Vega. My Omnivice says I have new cards that I can use, but two of them look really out of place. They're red, and one has your name on it."

I closed the folder so I could focus on talking with hir some more, but what I saw on hir face was like nothing I had expected to see from a battle-scared warrior. Hir jaw was wide open, and hir eyes told me shi was in complete disbelief. "R-red? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yeah... Why, is something wrong?" I couldn't help but wonder if maybe I had said something bad, and that made me start to worry. However, that worry was soon lifted, and more curiosity would take it's place.

"Nocti, what you have is a rare gift. Only Altair has ever been able to use it. " I started to ask the obvious question, but shi stopped me by putting hir hand on my nose. "Those red cards allow you to take the physical form of whomever is on them. If you were to use that Vega card, you'd literally turn into a copy of me. It doesn't give you their mentality, or knowledge, or anything like that, but you could still become them with practice. We call it the 'Copycat' power."

«I... I could become Vega, or Altair. Could I become someone like Ceti and Auva? The twins? Marcus?» Thoughts ran though my head like a torrent. Here I was, trying to regain a sense of self, and suddenly my new team leader tells me I have a power that would put a Ditto to shame. Something in the back of my mind seemed to click into place, as if it had been buried under a metric ton of physical time, only to emerge once again. My thoughts weren't those of 'could this hurt me?', but rather 'could this help me?' I had to learn about it.

Shi continued. "I... I have to admit, I'm rather jealous. You're getting a lot of rather nice things. Then again, you must be a really good person. Karma and the gods are definitely shining on you. Just... I'll teach you how to use it, but you'll be transforming into me. You'll learn to be my clone. Err... so to speak. Anyway, count yourself luc-" Hir pause was sudden and deliberate. "Wait, you hear that?."

I adjusted my ears, and heard the sound of footsteps coming from Blue Tunnel. We both turned around just in time to see Altair emerge from it. Shi looked rather tired, shaking hir head. "I've been looking all over for you, Nocti. Marcus is going to spend a bit more time in the medical bay tonight. Nothing bad, just installing his Omnivice system and making a few tweaks that he asked me for. There won't be enough room for you tonight, though. You'll have to stay in your quarters or something."

"He'll stay in my quarters for the night." Vega told hir, cutting me off before I could say anything. I actually wanted to meet up with Auva, but something told me Vega had a good reason for wanting me with hir. "Nocti and I have some things to discuss, and I want to get to know him better. He'll be working with my team, after all. The more I know, the better I'll be able to help him out."

Altair nodded, giving a small grin and chuff. "Point taken, sis. We have some things to discuss as well, but I guess it can wait 'til tomorrow. Have a good night, you two." As shi turned around to walk away, I noticed a large emblem had appeared on hir back. It looked like an eight-spoke wheel, though I had no idea what it signified. Still, something told me to remember it, and it wasn't Buster.

Vega waited until Altair was out of hearing range to continue, clearly not wanting hir sister to know what shi was saying. "Thanks for not arguing with me. I just really want to talk with you tonight. We won't be alone, though. Ceti and Auva are supposed to stop by."

"What for?" I asked, expecting that whatever shi said would be something completely odd. I wasn't far off.

Shi looked over the rail again, back down at the two in question. I looked as well, noticing that they were joined by a large crowd, the ball game having evolved into a kickball match. "Well, I know I can be honest with you, so here goes. I have my own harem of personal pets, morphs and 'mon who have literally given their freedom to me willingly. I typically have Wega handle everyone in the room opposite of your new quarters, but my quarters are just as equipped for that kind of fun. Ceti often stops by to be hooked up to a milking machine for hir over-sized bits, and Auva has me or Wega pop her once a week. The others stop by at random, but anyway, tonight happens to be Ceti's usual milking night, and Auva wanted me to try out something she was working on."

If I were still my normal self, I'd likely be blinking at hir with my jaw on the floor, looking like an idiot. "You... You say all of that so casually."

Shi smiled, then looked me in the eyes. The smile told me a lot about hir, but the words I heard next were all the explanation my question needed. "Sure, but that's because it's normal here. It makes them happy, and it makes me happy to provide the service. If you wanted to be my 'bitch', as your file so happily noted, I'd gladly take you in. If you wanted me to hang you upside down by your feet, or force you to sleep in a box, I'd do it. If you wanted me to tie you and Marcus up together and leave you alone, so be it. That's what makes our little part of the world so fun."

"And now a question for you, clanky. Would you be willing to have sexual fun with us, maybe after you get used to us? Or would you rather avoid that subject? I gotta know so I can tell the other your limits." I looked out at the forest, finally realizing that it was almost sundown, and starting thinking about the answer. However, shi smirked and began walking inside. "You don't have to answer right now. Think about it for a while. I'll be in my quarters if you want to talk more."

Instead of staying put, I turned around and followed hir. Too many questions were on my mind to just ignore, and there was no way I could answer them myself. If I was going to get any clarity, I knew had to earn it though learning. It was how I'd always done things. "I'll think about it, but I'd rather get more info from you before I do. You really know how to get my mind working."

"I always know how to push someone's buttons, dear. It's kinda one of my trademarks." Shi suddenly maneuvered in front of me and stopped just as my much larger stride would have overtaken hir's. I was too far into my next step to stop, and instinctively reached out to move hir out of my way, worried I could hurt hir. Instead of a collision, I passed though hir as if shi were a hologram, and ended up falling to the ground with an earth-shaking thud. My impact with the ground was forceful enough that a few stones were knocked loose from the cavern ceiling. I rolled over in time to notice a hefty five kilo chunk as it fell towards my head, but Vega swiped it out of the air as if it were a tiny insect. Shi laughed, tossing the rock to the side. I started to pick myself up onto my feet, but before I could even comprehend what was happening, I felt myself being hoisted into the air. Vega was somehow holding me--a nearly four-hundred and fifty kilo robotic being--in the air without any effort, gripping my underarms tightly,

"Impressed yet? You should see me when I'm serious, or even in bed." Shi joked, chuckling behind me. Shi finally let me down after a few moments, continuing on hir way by stepping though me like a ghost. I had to reorient myself for a moment before catching up. "I'm not just a reaper, kid. I possess bodies, pass through solid things, and even use the strength of the undead. All gifts of my mother's position. In combat, I'm one lady you don't want to mess with. Still, I'm fair enough to only use them when I have to. Just remember, never abuse power when you have it. You'll be much happier if you don't."

"How does the saying go? 'Abuse hurts the abuser more than any other', wasn't it?" I asked, getting a rather unsettling nod from hir. It never once crossed my mind that shi could have so much power, even with all of the strangeness here. Shi'd appeared much more innocent than the others, and yet shi had to be the strongest of them all. Then again, hir choice of words seemed extremely precise. My intuition told me that, like Wega, there must be a lot more to hir than I could imagine.

I continued following, letting my thoughts wander as shi led me to hir room. Back at school, I had met so many morphs with pasts who were almost identical. They had good families, good homes, lots of potential for advancement in society, even boyfriends and girlfriends. Now, here I am in almost a brand new world, learning about things I would have never imagined. Almost all of these people were adults who had experienced the world much more than I had. I was pretty sure they had some bad things in their past, just like me. Maybe... Maybe they were just as sensitive about their past as I was, too.

"Hey! Where you going?" Vega yelled, snapping me out of the little bubble I had apparently put myself into. I was nearly two doors past where shi had entered. I shook my head and returned to hir, stepping quickly into hir bedroom. Unfortunately for me, I had forgotten what shi said earlier, and was taken aback by the view.

Hir room was rather large, each wall measuring at least ten meters long and five high. The air was tinted purple by the rather dim light crystals that lined the walls, making the entire cave feel like a dungeon. Buster adjusted my optics for the tint so I could see better, which explained the purple lenses that Vega wore on hir mask. I was standing in one corner of the room, and across the entire wall to my right, the same which held the door, were shelves of nothing but sex toys of all kinds. They ranged from tiny butt plugs to a large milking machine, as well as a single bookshelf packed solid with sex books. Just a bit away from the wall were a pair of gunmetal tables with restraints, and along the next wall around the corner were several black metal cages of various sizes stacked on and next to each other. The center of the room held a bamboo table for eight, with a large wooden throne-like chair at one side, and several floor cushions making up the rest of the placements. Another throne was against the wall in corner opposite of me, this one made of ebony stone that gave of the feel of the underworld, and possessed several demonic spikes at the very top of the back. In the corner directly ahead of the door I had come though, there was a bed large enough for at least six average-sized morphs to comfortably sleep in, and it also held a demonic look that might have sent more than a few shivers down my spine. As I curved out towards the table, I could finally see that the wall between the door and bed was lined with what looked like eye-hooks for restraints. All four walls themselves were bare cave walls, making the scene feel very much like a dungeon of lust.

Vega too hir seat in the wooden throne at the table, where a large mug and tea set were waiting. I went to one knee and put my own worried butt on the cushion to hir right before shi could say anything. "You thrive in this sort of atmosphere, don't you?" I asked, saying the first thing that came to mind just to calm myself.

Shi smirked, crossing hir arms in front of hir and resting them on hir breasts, leaning back in hir seat to relax. "Mhmm. I'm a pleasurevore, able to feed off of energies created by sexual and innocent pleasures. This sort of thing is perfect for me." Upon closing hir eyes, I could have swore shi began to glow slightly. "The more sex I have, an' the more happiness I'm around, better I feel. If you don't mind me spoiling something about my siblings, they're the same way."

I quickly looked square at the lenses of hir mask, shocked at the news with my mouth agape. "Wait, what? How? I saw Altair eating a ton of food in the dining hall!"

Vega laughed softly, shaking hir head. With a cocky tone in hir voice, shi opened hir eyes and leaned over the arm of hir throne, taking the edge of my chin between hir thumb and first digit as if shi were a mistress about to plant a kiss. "Alti and Centauri can eat normal food, but their real diets happen to be the same, pleasure and more pleasure. It's a never ending cycle that benefits us all. We provide others with happiness, and in return, we feed off of the energies made by it. Everyone is satisfied, and no one is hurt. Even you could put out the energy with that robotic body of yours." Apparently, shi had forgotten that I hadn't answered hir question, as shi turned hir head and took my lips against hirs in a soft kiss. the rubbery mask gave a soft squeak against my spongy lips, but I felt every bit of it. It was heavenly, as if all of my worries had simply disappeared, replaced with a happiness that no words could describe. I almost didn't want the feeling to stop. However, shi pulled hir head away from mine after a few moments, and I was left craving more.

Only one other had given me a kiss that made me feel that way, though the circumstances were much different. During one summer break, I was staying with Marcus at his parent's second cottage. We had the place all to ourselves, and the shelves were filled with wine. Marcus told me it was just like Grepa Juice, and after several glasses, he was drunk. As it turned out, he couldn't tolerate alcohol very well. That night, I snuck into his bed with him, and he literally pulled me up and kissed me for nearly an hour. It was then that I had let out that I had a crush on him, and he admitted the same. For the entirety of that incredible embrace and kiss, I felt like even the gods couldn't touch me. It wasn't the alcohol, as I was immune to it's effects. I had my father to thank for that.

"Earth to Nocti! Hey, you okay?" Vega yelled into my ear, trying to get me to respond. I shook my head to knock out the cobwebs, shifting slightly in my chair. Unfortunately, it seemed that Busted had finally gotten my body and mind into perfect sync, and I was blushing for the first time since my transformation. I also had a bulge in my pants that I absolutely knew was visible, though I tried to hide it. "I really got to you, didn't I? Geez, and here I thought Altair was the most kiss-sensit..." Shi stopped, looking down as shi finally realized what hat happened. "Oh gods I got you hard without even trying. Sis really did rub off on you a bit."

"No no! It was just some memories of years past." I laughed nervously, turning away. "You just reminded me of when Marcus got himself drunk. We ended up sharing a moment, so to speak." «Did I seriously just admit to that? Wow...»

Shi put a hand on my left shoulder, chuckling. "Seems the kiss has struck again. The others tell me that when I kiss someone, they 'lose all inhibitions and start letting things out', like I'm some sort of living truth serum. Granted, even that stubborn Alphard seemed to melt in my hands when I did it to shut him up. Heh, maybe there's some truth to that after all." Shi suddenly grabbed my face and turned it towards hirs, a wide but joking grin spread across hir face. "Maybe I should see what else you've got in that metal brainpan of yours."

I grinned as well, starting to understand something that Altair had told me during my time with Marcus earlier. Shi told me not to take everything so seriously, especially at Breakwater Hideaway. Shi also told me that relaxing is the best medicine for a mending mind. I could see hir point. Vega was doing everything shi could to relax me, to make me happy... to help me heal. Shi was trying to joke around, even if shi was doing it in a sort of sexual way. I was aroused, and shi knew it. I was worried that Marcus and I might not have a real love life, and shi must have realized it. The question was, should I take hir up on the offer, or should I wait? I was rather tempted to try out my new form, and see how Marcus would be. After all, we had already planned on taking things that far once we moved out. «Eh... Why not?»

My grin turned wide, and I had to keep myself from chuckling. "You're not after my mind. You're after what's in my pants. Admit it." Hir eyes went wide, letting me know that I had taken hir completely off guard. "Fine, I'll play with you guys, but only if you'll sate my curiosity, and if you'll keep me close to Marcus. Deal?"

Shi quickly regained hir composure and nodded. "Deal. Now that I have THAT load off of my mind..." Hir uniform began to glow softly, then disappeared in a flash. With a sigh of relief, a smile crept across hir maw as shi leaned back in hir chair, propping hir feet up on the table.

I gave hir body a quick look, blushing even more brightly at what I saw. Shi had a rather muscular build, visible beneath the cream-colored fur of hir abdomen. Shi also had what looked to be a pair of F-cup breasts that perked up without the need of a bra, drooping only just slightly as shi relaxed. Down below, I could see a purple-colored penis laying flaccid against hir lower torso, nearly 25 centimeters long with a pointed tip, flared head, and three ridges along it's length, the last of them resting against a thick sheath. Shi also has a ball sac with a pair of baseball-sized testicles, and a purple-fleshed vagina that looked as if it were not only well used, but ready for use at any time, maybe because of hir being a pleasurevore.

"I hate wearing a uniform." Shi said, breaking me out of my stare. I thought shi might have been mad, but then I noticed that hir eyes were closed. "Most clothing in general drives me insane, unless I'm wearing it for a good reason. Sexual fun, showing respect at a funeral or wedding, that sort of thing, all okay with me. Otherwise, I prefer letting the air get to me. It's keeps the body from overheating, and it's SO much more comfortable..." Shi paused, opening one eye to look at me. "Nocti, here's your first Omnivice lesson. Use your thoughts to search for a menu called 'Create and Recall', then choose 'Outfit'."

I gave hir a quizzical gaze, but obeyed hir regardless. The Omnivice responded almost instantly to my mind, not even giving me a visual menu before showing that it was carrying out whatever I had ordered it to do. I quickly noticed that my clothing was starting to glow, and before I could ask what had happened, they disappeared, leaving my thirty-eight centimeter erection out in the open, knot fully swollen. My face turned even more red in response, but before I could say anything, Vega interrupted.

"Don't say a thing. Just relax, and let it hang out. I mean, you ARE the one wanting to learn new things, right?" Shi smiled widely, and I knew I was cornered with that question. I nodded and lied back, smiling and I brought my arms behind my head. "See? Don't get so embarrassed over simple things."

"You have to let go of all the manners you were taught were 'normal', and let nature take a little more control. Clothing, eating habits, sleeping habits... You'd be surprised at how things really work in the world." I looked over and watched hir as shi got up from hir chair and walked over to hir bed, pulling a small box out from underneath it. I couldn't really make out the box for hir boot-like feet and legs, at least not before shi pushed it back into it's original resting place. With a swift twirl, shi threw a latex mask to me, one very similar to hir own. "Take it, as part of your uniform. Just keep it with you for now. I'll explain why later on."

I nodded as I gave it a closer look. The mask itself was made of black latex, the outside solid and shaped identically to a Cubone's bone skull. There was also a softer section for the lower jaw and neck, stretching down to encompass the wearer's shoulders as well. The back of the lower section had a zipper that opened to show a much softer inner core. Buster brought up information for me that showed it had both a conforming gel and a sealing agent, made to literally bond with the wearer's head until released by the zipper. The eyes were the only section exempt from the materials, made of a purple crystal that was apparently unbreakable and scratch-proof. I quickly used the Omnivice to recall it as part of my uniform, which it did.

Vega has walked to the wall of sex toys while I was distracted, and as I looked back up at hir, shi was already turning towards me, holding one each of a black leather collar, and a black gunmetal collar much like Wega wore. "You'll get one of these big ones eventually, if you want. Personally, I think you and Marcus would look great in them."

Collars... I had forgotten about those. Civilians were always confused when it came to knowing why rescuers wore them, but for me... Well, I knew the real reason. Nearly a thousand years ago, when Pokèmon Rescue was first started, the original Rescuers had fought against the gods in a journey to save the world from a meteor, called Black Meteor Omega. They blamed the gods for summoning it, but found out they were wrong, and begged them to help stop it. The gods did stop it, though a small chunk landed near Sanctuary without killing anyone. In return for their help, the rescuers had to pledge to do the bidding of the gods, helping all who walk on the planet. As a symbol of that pledge, rescuers wear collars as a symbol of being at the beck and call of the gods. However, as of nearly two hundred years ago, most rescuers ignore such calls, only doing jobs for other morphs.

"Got any in blue and white?" I asked, remembering that Lugia had summoned me. However, shi smirked at the request, and instead brought out one of the larger collars with gunmetal black and purple markings. Of course, I already knew what that signified. The Shadow Pokèmon incident in Orre... Those were the colors of a Pokèmon known as XD-001, a Lugia so corrupted by darkness that it had physically changed. Being the nosy one, I had researched the entire thing back home, even breaking into the classified files my father kept. "Actually, that one's perfect."

Shi placed the other collars back where they belonged and approached me, twirling the chosen one around hir wrist like a giant bracelet. "You sure you want one of the large ones? They're not heavy, but they do have more of a presence, so to speak."

"I'm sure. Besides, it matches the uniform. Just make sure to lock it." «Damn... Now I really am starting to think like hir, and it feels pretty good.» I couldn't help but smile at hir as shi placed hir hands on hir hips and sighed. A little reluctantly, shi opened the back of the collar and started slipping it around my neck. Unlike banded collars, the metal collar came in two halves that split apart on a hinge, and I could see a physical lock built into it. Many locked their collars as a symbol of being career rescuers, but in the old days, a collar was only locked if a god had specifically approached them about being a rescuer. It was a symbol of accepting one's fate. In my case, I was accepting my fate as a member of Team Reapers, and as a resident of Breakwater Hideaway. I just didn't have to tell Vega that.

The lock clicked shut as soon as shi closed the collar around my neck. Shi was right, it was rather light for it's looks, no more than half a kilo at most. It didn't restrict my neck or movement either, and according to Buster, it wouldn't do anything to my normal self.

"You look good in it." Shi told me, smiling. "Now, I've got to get ready for Ceti and Auva. I know you don't have to sleep, but a bit of down-time wouldn't hurt you, you know? Maybe head back out for some of the scenery."

I folded my arms against my chest and laughed. "No, I'm staying. I've got to see what this is all about."