Schools and Sororities

Annyoung haseyo (Peace be with you),

Please find attached to this letter a fan's tribute to the "DIA" stories written a couple years ago by Mistress Christine Stephanie Charlemagne. Since her website has closed down due to her many committments before I finished this story, I never had the chance to send this to her. Considering my options...and seeing that I'd like the chance for others to read this...I chose your website as an appropriate place for this story to be archived.

Thank you very much for your assistance in this matter.

Annyoung'i kyeseyo (Stay in peace),

Fred Herriot fherriot@hotmail.com

Schools and Sororities by Fred Herriot fherriot@hotmail.com **** **** **** Based on the DIA and AMG universes created by Mistress Christine Stephanie Charlemagne; and the Nendo-kata, created by Fred Herriot for the anime fanfic series "Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year," based on "Urusei Yatsura," created by Rumiko Takahashi and stories based on "Bishoojo Senshi Sailor Moon," created by Naoko Takeuchi **** **** ****

NOTE: This story contains sexual situations.

WRITER'S NOTES:

1. A big thanks to Christine for creating such an intriguing series of transgender stories (I hope she will return to the Net soon). While I myself am heterosexual, I've always been intrigued by alternate-lifestyle type stories, especially of a lesbian nature (goes with being raised by my mother and grandmother; I'm used to seeing two women administering a family). I'll try to give you as thorough an introduction to the Nendo-kata as possible, but if you haven't had enough, by all means scan over to my anime fanfics at:

http://www.crosswinds.net/japan/~lennie/fherriotfics/

1. This story is set at my alma mater, Brock University of St. Catharines, Ontario. All information about the university as presented here is as accurate as I remember it. I can't say the same thing about my knowledge of sororities and fraternities; I went to Brock as a mature student after six years in the Canadian Armed Forces and never joined one.

2. Other universities mentioned here:

U of T - University of Toronto York - York University (Toronto, Ontario) Western - University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario) McMaster/Mac - McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) Niagara - Niagara University (Lewiston, New York) SUNYAB - State University of New York at Buffalo

A year ago...

"From this point, I commit myself to the slavery and servitude to the Goddess Dia and I pledge my loyalty to the mistresses who would train me in what I must learn, until I am prepared to learn of Her Full Mysteries."

"Thanks be to Dia. Our order will continue. May Our Mistress guide us in Her Will and make us strong."

With that chorus, Kristen Maria Chambers of Port Colborne, Ontario...formerly Karl Matthew Chambers...forever shed her manhood and freedom to the service of Dia as one of Her worshippers of the Kappa Beta chapter of Delta Iota Alpha. Breathing out, she touches the blue-and-gold pin marking her as one of DIA. "Congratulations, Kristen," her big sister, Alysha McNaughton, embraces her.

"Thanks," Kristen sighs. "Oh, this is a dream for me. I've always wanted to be a woman...now, I've got the chance."

"No regrets?" Alysha wonders as the two walk out of the chapter's unofficial headquarters: the McNaughton family basement in Thorold, a kilometre from the university.

"No, of course not!" Kristen muses. "I always...felt deep inside that I should've been born a woman. I never liked boys' games and all that, never felt comfortable being 'one of the guys.' Believe me, when you revealed to me Dia's power, wild horses couldn't keep me from joining!"

"Well, we're glad to be here to help you," Alysha muses. "Dia foresaw it, of course, then guided us to you. Have faith in Her most of all. She'll never betray you."

"I will," Kristen vows...

Today...

"I am a Nendo-kata, born of the Mother Ocean, sworn defender of the Unity. I am the last of my school, a Wanderer, but the oath I took before my school was cast into the Black Ocean stands. I will fight for the Unity, for the good of all living things in the Cosmic Chain of Life. I will aid my adopted Great School in their unique progression to understanding Unity. I will not bring harm to those who are innocent and I will punish those sub-creatures and Purveyors of disUnity who harm innocents in proportion to their crimes against the Unity. In the memory of my lost school, my lost sisters of the Algae Trench, I swear this before Eternity Itself."

Head bows in prayer as Lorraine Gwendolynn Keller finishes her morning devotion. While Nendo-kata were not fervently religious, the influence of her Terran half, the daughter of churchgoers whose chaplain was of the "fire-and-brimstone" school of preaching, was strong...as it was meant to be. The necessary adjustments forced by the Crossing Over and the sacred laws governing it still allowed Lorrie to retain the personal quirks of her Terran half while still steadfastly adhering to the divine mission her Nendo-kata relatives and ancestors had undertook for a hundred millennia.

She then blinks as her mind senses a familiar and welcome presence. "Are you done, Lorrie?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm done," Lorrie rises, then walks out of her bedroom to join the family at the kitchen table.

Breakfast is quiet this morning, as it had been since that unbelievable night a year-and-a-half ago when Lorrie had died...and was reborn. Lorrie knew that deep down, her parents still yearned for those halcyon days. Then, all they had to worry about was how she was adjusting to life in the Canadian Armed Forces, not dwell on the vast universe beyond the fragile limits of their homeworld, a universe Lorrie knew of first-hand. But no matter what, they loved this beautiful woman who was still their daughter in spirit as well as body. "So, all ready for you big day?" her father scans through the Welland Tribune's business column.

"Yeah," Lorrie nibbles on her toast. "Lance wants me to join Alpha Mu Gamma when I get there."

"Did you say yes?" her mother pours coffee.

"I told him I really couldn't," Lorrie sighs. "Their frat rules demand certain things that just can't work on someone like me. I'd be a disruption to them. It's not fair."

"Maybe one of the sororities might help. You need to join something, dear.

Ever since you Crossed Over, the pain your Nendo-kata self felt at the loss of her family has really hampered you from making friends...not to mention forced you out of the Army," her mother hums, buttering her toast.

Lorrie rolls her eyes. She had contemplated renewing her service contract when her second three-year enlistment was up, but that was before the Crossing Over. She didn't even want to THINK of what Canadian military doctors would do if they stumbled onto the remarkable secrets locked in her altered DNA. "I'll keep it in mind," Lorrie sighs, stretching herself. "But I think the first thing I have to search for is a girlfriend."

"I pity the poor girl who does fall in love with you," her father muses.

"Dear!!" her mother gasps.

"Because if every lesbian at Brock University finds out that you're the only woman who can ONLY mate with JUST other women, you'll be mobbed," he winks at his daughter.

"I'll keep it in mind, Dad," Lorrie smirks.

Her mother throws up her hands as they laugh. "You two're impossible at times!!"

The laughter increases...

"Hi, welcome to Brock University!!" Kristen smiles as she hands out the pamphlet.

"Thanks," Lorrie scans the brochure listing the fraternities and sororities with chapters here. Alpha Mu Gamma was high on the list, as was Delta Iota Alpha. Pausing, she glances at Kristen, her mind automatically reaching out to touch the DIA girl's mind.

What she discovers surprises even her! Blessed Mother Ocean, and I thought I saw it all?! Lorrie muses as Kristen's past as Karl, then her initiation into DIA, flashes through her mind's eye. Well, as her grandmother would say, different strokes for different folks. Turning, she crumples the brochure and File 13s it.

Kristen blinks, confused as that strange feeling of calm serenity washes through her. What was that? Looking around, she feels her body temperature rise subtly, as if she was in the tropic seas off Mexico's Gulf coast, then slowly fade, her heart racing to compensate. Breathing out, she looks around...then her eyes fall on the beautiful leggy brunette now filing to get her entrance sheet and pay her tuition. "Oh, Goddess...!" she whispers, hoping she wasn't drooling. Where had SHE been all her life?

Lorrie blinks as she feels someone's gaze fall on her, then glances at Kristen. The latter gasps as sultry chestnut eyes drink in all the details, then shies away, cheeks aflame. Lorrie smirks as she turns to the clerk welcoming her in. She hadn't lost her interest in girls just yet. This could be interesting.

"What's with you, Kris?" a voice wonders from beside her.

Kristen jolts, then stares at Lance Keller, who was now helping her with the society brochures. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lance! I just couldn't get over that girl who just came by!"

"Oh, really?!" Lance smiles knowingly, then looks at the two other Greek society members manning the booth. "Take over."

"Right," they nod as Lance guides Kristen towards Lorrie.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Kristen frets. "Wait...!"

"Relax," he smiles at her, then coughs as they walk up behind Lorrie. "Hey, big sis, you busy right now?!"

"Trying to get my I.D. card, but never too busy for my little brother," Lorrie turns, winking at them.

Kristen sputters embarrassingly as the siblings enjoy a laugh, then Lance does introductions. "Kris, this is Lorrie, retired corporal and finance clerk of the Canadian Forces, now freshman in history. Lorrie, this is Kris Chambers from Port Colborne, sophomore in history. She joined Delta Iota Alpha last year."

"Pleased," Lorrie smiles. "What are you specializing in?"

"American history. You?"

"I think I'll dive into British and European history when I go into second year, but I'll delve into other parts. We had enough Canadian history in public school; I even got an American history course in grade ten. Brock doesn't offer much beyond that."

"It's what you get for a small university," Kristen smiles as Lance discreetly withdraws to grant them privacy. "I like it here; it's close to home, not like if I was going to Mac or Western. I'd be scared spitless if I wound up in U of T or York."

"Don't blame you," Lorrie sighs. "Besides, I have to keep my expenses down, so bunking elsewhere didn't appeal to me. Job market's not the best in this part of the country and my severance pay and pension remittence isn't going to last for long. I hate to get a student loan; who know what could happen after we graduate."

"So you live in Welland with your parents?"

"Yep. Why, you need a ride from Port?"

"I'd like that very much," Kristen smiles. "Normally, people in my sorority live in the same house, but getting land for our own place has been hard, so we've stretched the rules for our chapter. Speaking of which, how'd you like to join DIA?"

"After six years of being 'all you can be?'" Lorrie quotes a famous military recruiting slogan. "Thanks, but I'd have to turn it down. Don't get me wrong; I'm a friendly sort, but there are times I welcome some solitude."

"You mean you were sexually harassed?"

"Yeah," Lorrie falls into the queue for identification cards. "Cute girl like me is shark bait to some idiots in the military. Last posting I had was at Petawawa with all those freaks in the Airborne hanging around. Two drunk jumpers decided they wanted to drag me to a beach by the Ottawa River for some fun. I beat them off, then decided I didn't want to put up to that anymore."

What she didn't tell Kristen was that the two jumpers in question had moved on her AFTER she had Crossed Over, when she had some deadly abilities of her own to ward them off...which for the unlucky paratroopers, led to a prolonged stay in a hospital after she telekinetically dropped a big tree on their backs, nearly paralyzing them. "I'm sorry to hear that," Kristen frowns. "But listen, if you do change your mind, keep us in mind."

"I will," Lorrie nods. "Say, you busy tonight?"

"So you met a prospective new member?"

"Yes," Kristen nods as Kappa Beta's membership meets in a classroom in Taro Hall, a new wing to Brock University by the student centre. "Her name is Lorrie Keller, Lance's older sister. She just got out of the military. I think she's perfect for us."

Alysha, now the chapter's high priestess, hums. "Well, she'll be used to taking orders, so swearing herself to Dia wouldn't be too difficult for her.

Get to know her a little better, Kris. I can sense you're very much attracted to her."

"I am," Kristen shies from her friends' knowing smiles, then swoons as Lorrie's beautifully sculptured face, framed by under-the-shoulder length straight chocolate hair, flashes in her mind. "She is SO beautiful!"

"I saw her in the library," Caroline Taylor, the chapter president, muses. Through their link, they all knew what Lorrie looked and sounded like. "Seems like a nice girl; I'd hardly think she was ex-Army. But...I had the weirdest feeling when I saw her."

"What do you mean?" Kristen wonders.

"It...was a warmth," Caroline swoons. "The fuzziest warmth I ever felt! Like...I was in a hot spring or in the tropics. And...then, it seemed as if...every concern I had, everything that bothered me, every oath I took...even the one to Dia...it just didn't matter anymore!"

"Is your faith wavering?" Alysha tenses.

"No, no!!" Caroline asserts.

The high priestess then sighs. "I apologize, Cathy. I had no right to accuse you of something like that."

"It's okay, Alysha. Kris, did you feel that, too?"

"I did," Kristen hums, then hugs herself. "Weird!"

"Hmmm...I wonder," Alysha muses...

Now that she was officially a student at Brock University, Lorrie makes her way down the hallways of the MacKenzie-Chown Hall at the east side of campus to the parking lot for the drive home. She concentrates on her walking, turning her mind's many powers down so the psionic "buzz" of passing students and teachers didn't overwhelm her. She was quite young as Nendo-kata were concerned, over five centuries old (a Nendo-kata could potentially live for two millennia), so her command of her abilities wasn't as absolute as her older sisters now living in Japan...

...one of which was now coming here to visit!

Her eyes flash, the deep burgundy shade of Nendo-kata blood, as she senses the shift of cosmic energy patterns that warned of an opening space-warp. Looking around the corner, she grins on seeing a tall, suntanned woman with long raven hair and lavender eyes, now in civilians, stowing her Styx Staff in hyperspace. "Hello, sister, what brings you here?"

"Just coming by to see how you're settling down, sister," Yuki Tetsujo muses as she falls in beside Lorrie, wrapping her arm around the younger woman's. "We are concerned. You are the first Wanderer to settle down on Earth outside Japan."

"I came where the Unity directed me to come, Yuki," Lorrie sighs. "Against That Power, neither you or I have influence."

"True," Yuki hums. "By the way, Chuuko's still looking for a mate. Any takers?"

"Not me personally, but if my brother ever decided to change full-time into a girl, he'd definitely take Chuuko up on it."

"Oh, found someone yourself?"

"Maybe," Lorrie hums as they descend into the Pond Inlet cafe at the east end of the MacKenzie-Chown complex. "She's a sorority girl from the Delta Iota Alpha group. You've heard of them?"

"Yes, both them and their patron 'goddess,'" Yuki muses. It was amazing what the Guardian of Eternity, Sailor Hades (Yuki's alter ego among the Sailor Senshi Twins), could discover. "I've never dealt with Dia, but I do know that those who give themselves to her service are bound to her by rules we'd find very repugnant."

"Yeah, the whole slavery issue, not to mention their delight in playing with people's minds when they get offended," Lorrie snorts. "Petty-ante stuff to us, Yuki. I'll be careful."

"You know what Kris was before joining DIA, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. If worst comes to worst, all we need is another Wanderer to handle the problem in our own unique way."

"Good idea," Yuki nods. "Anyhow, I best be back to Japan. Come around sometime...and don't be afraid to yell for help."

"I will, sister," Lorrie kisses her cheek. "May the Mother Ocean watch over you."

"And you, sister," Yuki returns her kiss, then vanishes.

Lorrie sighs, then smiles as she detects Kristen approaching, her bookbag slung over her shoulder. The latter slows down, looking curiously around as Yuki's psychic "wake" flows through her, then smiles. "Oh, hi, Lorrie! Say, can you help me?!"

"Need a ride home?"

"Yeah, I do!"

Lorrie beckons her outside. As they step into the warm September air, both are distracted by angry shouting from the parking lot. Turning, they notice a burly guy, clearly a football player, having a harsh argument with his girlfriend. Quite one-sided, both could tell.

"Don't you just hate people like that?" Kristen shakes her head.

"I do indeed," Lorrie hoods her eyes to disguise their glowing, her powers lashing out at the nearest tree.

A branch over the man's head suddenly cracks, shattering to drop right on his skull! As the girlfriend shrieks at his collapsing, Lorrie's eyes return to normal, then she blinks in mock-surprise. "Well, someone's looking after her!"

"I'll say," Kristen blinks, privately wondering if Dia Herself had just interfered...

Journal of Lorrie Keller, 511th day after the Crossing Over, Dear Diary,

I met the one I want as my mate. Her name is Kris Chambers, a Port girl who once was a man named Karl. A man who wanted to be a girl, then won her chance through a so-called sorority that in reality serves a "goddess" called Dia. I could tell that she and her schoolmates are interested in me joining their group.

However, I also know thanks to Yuki and mind-scanning Kris that Dia makes some very harsh demands on her lap-remora, including forcing them into involuntary servitude, not to mention altering their very mental processes in case they show any sort of disaffection towards their patron. Just like the beasts that slaughtered my sisters so long ago.

I feel trapped. On the one hand, I can tell that Kris desires me. Winning her love would be easy. But who and what I am will come into sharp conflict with what Dia demands of her servants. My oaths would never allow me to subvert myself to Dia...and my powers as a Nendo-kata would overwhelm what powers Kris' friends can use to make me "conform."

Which way can I go? This is a far worse scenario than what Lance's frat could demand of me if I join the Alpha Mus. Yet...I know in my heart of hearts...that Kris is the one...

What do I do...?

"Hey, just in time!"

"Good morning to you, too," Lorrie hands Kristen a cup of Tim Hortons coffee, then guides her Acclaim towards Saint Catharines. "Sleep well last night?"

"Pretty okay," Kristen sips the coffee, then blinks. "How did you know I wanted cream and sugar with this?!"

Lorrie tenses, then smiles. "You had it in your coffee last night when I drove you home, remember?"

"Boy, you got good memory!" Kristen whistles, relaxing.

Lorrie mentally breathes out. She didn't want to tell Kristen that she telepathically scanned her coming down from Welland, then make a quick stop at a Tim Hortons before picking her up. "Well, you are a friend, so how am I supposed to treat you?"

"Thanks," Kristen grins. Eager to please, this one. Perfect material for Dia.

Ugh! Oh, Kris, please! Lorrie shudders, sensing Kristen making her mental notes. I just had breakfast!

The negative empathic waves the Nendo-kata-turned-Terran automatically generates resonate deep within her companion, causing Kristen to shudder fearfully. Sensing what she is accidentally doing, Lorrie calms herself, eliciting a serene smile from her would-be life-mate. Control, Lorrie, control! she commands herself, then reaches down to put on CBC news as a distraction.

Kristen hardly notices. There she was in the tropics again, floating nude in the water. No care in the world. No hassles about school, no worries about her sorority sisters, no Dia, nothing. Sighing, her hands unconsciously unbutton her sweater and blouse, eyes turning longingly to the beautiful woman beside her. Lorrie. She makes me feel this way! Oh, this was so wonderful.

Lorrie blinks, her eyes switching from the road to Kristen's slowly exposed bosom. "Um...Kris, do you mind?"

"Mmm...mind what?" Kristen dreamily sighs.

"Um...your clothes?"

Kristen blinks, then as realization dawns, turns deep scarlet as her hands repair the damage to her clothing. "Oh, Lorrie, I am SO sorry!!" she gasps, staring regretfully at her companion. "I don't know what came over me!! I...please, I'm sorry..."

"Hey, it's okay!" Lorrie reaches over to gently squeeze Kristen's hand, keeping her psi-shields up to prevent the poor girl from being overwhelmed. Did Dia's manipulations make Kristen more vulnerable to Nendo-kata telepathy and empathy? "Not that I don't mind the peep show, but can we save it for when the car's NOT moving? I don't want to cause an accident, you know."

Kristen blinks, then laughs. Lorrie winks at her, then takes her hand away as she turns the corner to the Highway 406 on-ramp around Welland to Saint Catharines. Sitting back, Kristen watches the countryside pass, then gazes again at her companion, a part of her yearning, SCREAMING for that wonderful warmth to come back. She felt so cold without it. Why?

Lorrie blinks, then sighs, pulling the car over. "What's wrong?" Kristen wonders.

Stopping the car, Lorrie takes a deep breath, then swings around to drown the younger girl with a very deep kiss. Kristen's eyes bulge out in shock, then as that wonderful warmth floods all her senses, surrenders to her passion and throws her arms around Lorrie. They remain locked in place for a time, then slowly, reluctantly, break apart. Their eyes lock, Kristen's glazed with the rush of an orgasm and Lorrie's sad, regretful.

"Kris?"

"Yes?"

"You're trying to recruit me into DIA, right?"

"Yes."

"Stop now."

Kristen blinks. To be...denied Lorrie? "Why?!" she gasps, almost a sob as tears stream down her face.

"Because...there are things about me, Kris, that I'm not sure I can reveal to you now. This I can say. My presence in your sorority will be a disruption the likes of which you CAN'T begin to imagine. Do yourself and your sisters a favour. Forget EVER asking me OR forcing me to join your group. Okay?!"

Kristen shudders. "But I..."

"Hush," Lorrie places a finger on Kristen's mouth. "I too want to love you, Kris. It's you and only you. But as I said, there are things about me you can't BEGIN to imagine. When I feel you're ready, I'll tell you them. You have to trust me on this one, Kris. I do this not just for us, but for your friends in DIA. Think about them, too. Okay?"

Kristen blinks, then looks down. "I...I don't want to lose you, Lorrie. I...oh, Goddess, I just met you and...I'm head over heels in love with you!"

"Thank you," Lorrie grins. "Kris, if you can find a way to balance your service in DIA with your loving me, then things can work out. But I want no more talk about my joining DIA. Remember, think of your friends. They will be hurt because of it. YOU will be hurt because of it. I don't want to hurt you, Kris."

Kristen sighs. It was clearly obvious that Lorrie had a BIG secret haunting her. She was unsure how Kristen would take it. And...why was she so concerned about the others? It was very thoughtful of her, but Dia could protect Her worshippers from everything, or so Alysha told her. Did...did Lorrie know the truth about DIA? How was that possible? No, it was impossible, but still, there were so many things she didn't understand...

"Thank you," Kristen smiles. "I'll tell the others."

Lorrie nods...

"She said that?!"

Alysha stares dumbfoundedly at Kristen as the members of Kappa Beta meet in Taro later. "Yes, she said that," the latter nods.

"Well, this is unique," Caroline whistles.

"Potentially dangerous," Alysha crosses her arms.

"What does that mean, Alysha?"

"How did she know to warn us off? How did she know about our influencing things at times to ensure we get the right sort of people into DIA? Now, either the woman is incredibly empathic...or a potential threat to Dia Herself!"

Silence falls as the half-dozen sorority sisters consider their high priestess' words. "I don't consider Lorrie a threat," Tanya Ellis shakes her head. "I'd believe that by her warning Kris off before we progressed things, she was trying to do us a favour."

"Still, she knows of some things, Tanya," Hollie Kidman stares at her. "Alysha's got a point. We have to find out how she knows this...and if she's passed it on to others."

"Maybe that's why she's warning us off now," Kristen cuts in.

Everyone stares at her. "From what I could tell by her words, this secret of hers doesn't threaten her," Kristen sighs. "But she is strongly convinced it could threaten the sorority. She wants us to feel safe. I say we should respect that and leave her alone. I don't sense anything evil about her."

"We have to make sure," Hollie warns.

"When's her world history class?" Alysha asks.

"Ten-thirty," Kristen supplies.

"That's when we find out," Amanda draws out her amulet.

Everyone assumes their position as the high priestess faces the small shrine that was always brought to their meetings (it was normally kept under lock and key at the chapter's office in the Student Centre; it was a substitute for the chapter's proper shrine in Alysha's home). "Oh, Mistress Dia, we have encountered a woman whom we desire to join Your Sisterhood, yet she not only desires to remain away from us, she has gone out of her way to warn us away from her. Please, help us understand who Lorrie Keller is, help us make our decision so that we may continue to serve Your Purpose."

The amulet floods Alysha with energy. A moment later, the high priestess blinks as she is freed of her trance. "What did the Mistress say?" Caroline wonders.

"She...doesn't know," Alysha stares in disbelief at the chapter president, then gazes blankly at the other sorority sisters.

To the high priestess...it might as well be the end of the world.

"Incredible! Dia...doesn't...know!!"

Everyone pales, stunned...

Journal of Lorrie Keller, 515th day after the Crossing Over, Dear Diary,

The damage is done.

Kris' friends in DIA attempted to contact their patron sometime ago to discern what I am. And when Dia couldn't provide an answer...a first, or so I've sensed from Kris...the pain and fright it caused them was heartbreaking. I could see it in Kris' eyes every time we go to and from university. She still wants me, is coming to the point where she might have to make a decision...but what happens when we face that point? Where Unity and disUnity come into sharpest conflict?

Oh, Mother Ocean, what do I do now...?

"I hurt you."

"What?"

Lorrie sighs as she guides the car onto Highway 406 for the trip to Port Colborne. "I hurt you, Kris," she sighs, gazing sadly at her companion. "I warned you about not pursuing me. Your friends got curious...and when they couldn't understand what I am, that lack of knowledge scared them."

Kristen blinks. "I...I don't understand."

Lorrie sighs. "Kris, I know about your goddess and what DIA really is!" she snaps. "I know what she does to you, what she demands of you, the whole works!! THAT'S why I warned you to back off from pursuing me!"

Silence. Kristen is ashen-faced. "How...?"

"I'm a telepath. I'm also empathic. THAT'S just the tip of the iceberg about me, Kris!" Lorrie turns her attention back to the road. "It's automatic with me, just like breathing. When I meet someone, my mind scans that person to ascertain whether she's good or evil. I did it with you and learned the whole story. How you USED to be a man named Karl, but wanted to be a girl. How you swore yourself to Dia's service, became her slave, allowed yourself and your families to be manipulated in a way so that Karl would be cast to the Cosmic Chain of Life so that Kristen can be ushered in.

How you will do ANYTHING to keep the truth about yourself secret from all around you, though I can't for a moment really understand why! And I know right now that your sage Alysha is turning herself inside-out to figure me out so that the 'threat' I present to Dia will be eliminated!!"

Kristen shudders. "Please don't be angry, Lorrie..."

"I'm not angry at you, Kris. I'm angry at myself," Lorrie shakes her head.

"There are so many ways I could've handled this, but...damn it all, I fell in love with you! What was I supposed to do when THAT happened to me?!"

Kristen blinks, then smiles. "I'm flattered."

"You deserve it."

"But...Alysha will try to erase your mind of it..."

"She'll fail."

"You don't understand Dia's power, Lorrie..."

"You don't understand MY power, Kris!" Lorrie icily hisses as she stops the car at the Highway 20 stoplight. "Kris, let me tell you something. To you, Dia is all-powerful and all-benevolent. You've never encountered things that would dispute that belief you have...until you met me. I can NEVER see her as that, Kris, no matter how hard you or Alysha try otherwise. I can only see her as a MINOR power on ONE planet in the WHOLE of the Cosmic Chain of Life. In my lifetime, I've seen things I can't begin to describe to you; they're WAY beyond your concepts of what is."

Silence falls as the car passes through the intersection. "Lorrie, what are you...?" Kristen stares at her.

"I?" Lorrie hums, tears flowing down her cheeks, then she pulls the car over. "I am...many things, Kris," she grasps her companion's hand. "On the one hand, I'm the older sister of your friend Lance, who himself belongs to a fraternity with some...unique practices, compatible to your own. I won't tell you more; I don't like blabbing my brother's secrets.

"On the other hand...I am a 472-year old wandering bard, the last of my family, a warrior forever on the watchout for evil, wherever and however it's encountered. One who finds the practices of your sorority utterly loathsome, but...respects your desire to live your life the way you want it.

And one...who is trapped between her sacred duty to the Unity, which would demand I fight Dia...and my desire to make you not just my lover...but my life-mate."

The silence is so thick after those words, you could cut it with a knife. Kris looks down, knowing she couldn't keep something like THAT secret from her sorority sisters no matter what...but knowing that revealing more would just hurt everyone else for no real purpose. Suddenly, her bond with Dia was worthless now. Lorrie flatly admitted she loved her, wanted her not just as a lover but as...? Life-mate? What did THAT entail? "Lorrie?"

"Yeah?"

"Do...you want me as a man?"

"No. I can't have you as a man. I can only have you as a woman...that is, if we're to have children."

"Eh?! What, you're a hermaphrodite?"

"No, I'm of an all-female race that reproduces via telekinetic parthenogenesis."

Kristen stops, paling. "Goddess...!" she covers her mouth as realization dawns. "You're an alien...?!"

"In your terms, yes," Lorrie frowns, then sighs; the Nendo-kata really didn't have a term for "alien." "Actually...I'm a symbiont. One part of me was born here, in Welland to be exact. The other part was born on a planet fifteen billion light-years from here. I'm like Jadzia Dax of 'Deep Space Nine,' but the bond between my two halves is much, MUCH deeper than that. This isn't just a physical bonding, Kris, it's a COMPLETE bonding. Body and soul. Total Unity. And because of that, I have powers, inherited from my 'alien' half, which would make your friend Alysha look like a penny-ante amateur in comparison."

Kristen stares at her. "You...I...what do I say?" she looks away, shaking her head. "Oh, Goddess..."

"Maybe it's best you back away and leave me alone..."

"NO!!!!" Kristen snaps.

Lorrie jolts. "I will NOT back away, Lorrie!!" Kristen glares at her. "I don't care what other people think, but I will NOT leave you, nor will I let you go if you leave me!!"

"Then you must be prepared to renounce your oath to Dia," Lorrie stares at her.

Silence falls as Kristen falls back, staring wide-eyed at her. "And I know what that could cost you," Lorrie adds. "All the power that was used to erase all records concerning Karl Chambers could be undone if you displeased Dia THAT much. You'd be a man again. I know you don't want that, Kris. I will not be responsible for causing you more pain. And even if I could find another Wanderer like myself, one that could bond with you and Cross Over with you, what then? How do we convince your parents that you wanted to be a girl since you hit puberty? They'll only remember Karl, not Kristen. I have friends that could help you adjust, but it will take time and it's not guaranteed to heal all the wounds...and that doesn't mention how much pain you'll endure throughout that journey."

Kristen smiles. "You love me."

"Yes, I do," Lorrie nods.

Silence falls as Kristen considers the point. "I'll tell Alysha what you said," she bites her lip. "I can't guarantee what she'll do and I really can't second-guess her..."

"I have an idea what she might do," Lorrie warns. "You see, I know how a relationship between a 'goddess' and her worshippers works, Kris. Someone like Dia exists because her power is derived from her parishioners' faith in her. Empathic vampirism, we call it. Without that faith enhancing her, she weakens. If she weakens too much, she dies, just like the way 'mortals' die. Hence, the strict bond you follow concerning her. Alysha, as Dia's sage, will do everything to further her patron's ends, including removing the power that gave you your dream. I won't take that dream from you, Kris.

I won't."

Kristen smiles as Lorrie guides the car back onto Highway 406 for the ride past Welland towards Port Colborne. "Thank you..."

"Sisters, we have a big problem."

The members of Kappa Beta assemble in the basement of the McNaughton home the next evening. "We have now encountered a being the likes of which no servant of Dia has ever met," Alysha begins. "Thanks to Kristen, we have learned a lot about Lorrie Keller. Who she is, WHAT she is, what she stands for and how she looks on us. As we have learned, so has Mistress Dia."

"Has there been a decision?" Caroline wonders.

"No, the Mistress hasn't made a decision. She still doesn't fully understand what Lorrie is. We also have to know if there are others like her now on Earth. What is the purpose of these beings being here? This potentially is a worse threat than when the demon Toch and his servants fought our sisters in Colorado."

"I don't think so."

Eyes turn to Kristen. "I don't think you can judge this clearly, Kristen," Alysha muses. "You're too involved."

"And why are you getting involved, Alysha?" Kristen glares at her. "Don't you understand? We're on a collision course with something that could destroy us IF we provoke Lorrie. She doesn't want us to provoke her. She only wants us to acknowledge her space and wants to acknowledge ours. What's wrong with that?"

Alysha shudders. "What's wrong, you ask?!" she clenches her fists. "I'll tell you what's wrong! Do you have any idea what people will say if it ever got out that we manipulate people's minds, their very LIVES, to serve Dia? Do you have any idea what narrow-minded people like Lorrie could do to us?! How badly we could be hurt if people decided we're a threat?!"

Kristen is horrorstruck. "You think Lorrie's narrow-minded?!" she bolts to her feet. "YOU'RE the narrow-minded one, Alysha! She made it clear to me that she'll accept the way we want to live AS LONG AS we leave her alone! What is SO wrong with that?!"

Looking around, she notices that Caroline, Tanya and Linda Eldridge were clearly on her side, their thoughtful nods speaking volumes. Hollie firmly backed Alysha, shaking her head. "Alysha, instead of screaming at each other, let's ask the Mistress what to do," the chapter president moderates.

Alysha sighs, then faces the shrine as everyone assumes their place. "Oh, Mistress Dia, aid us, please," the high priestess beckons. "This alien whom we've encountered has spread discord and disharmony among us. Please, show us the way that we may return to a state of harmony so we may continue to follow You."

Silence. The crystals don't glow. The chapter sisters stare apprehensively at the shrine, realizing how big the problem was. "No answer," Linda blinks. "Oh, Goddess..."

"Then...we're alone," Caroline sighs.

"But we must act," Alysha shudders.

Kristen bites her lip, wondering where Alysha's determination would lead them...

"Why did you stop me?"

"Because your parishioners are walking into a minefield. They believe you'll go help them every time they face something beyond their understanding. It's time they learned how big the universe is. Even if they are your 'slaves'..." the word is spat out, "...they have to learn how to think on their own sooner or later."

"I will not let them be hurt by your friend, Setsuna."

"Nor will I let them hurt Lorrie...or do you wish to discuss this with Yuki instead?"

Dia stares apprehensively at Sailor Pluto. At least when dealing with the time guardian of the Silver Millennium, she could normally have her own way; Pluto's responsibilities were totally centred on guarding the time stream. But Pluto's sister, Sailor Hades, was a different matter; the Guardian of Eternity could call on Those Powers even Dia had problems understanding if things got out of control.

"Not really," Dia affirms.

"I didn't think so," Pluto sighs...

Lorrie sips her coffee as she gazes at a copy of the Brock Paper, now relaxing in the cafeteria in the basement of the Schmon Tower. Things seemed quiet...

Wishful thinking.

"We wish to speak to you, Lorrie."

Lorrie looks up to see Hollie, Tanya and Linda glaring at her. "About?" the Nendo-kata smiles knowingly.

"It's private," Hollie states.

"Then I won't come."

The three women jerk. They weren't used to someone openly defying them...and having the power to support that defiance. With that, the three withdraw. Lorrie sighs, then returns to her paper. Several minutes later, her senses detect a welcome presence. "Hi, Kris," she smiles as Kristen sits across from her.

"Lorrie, Alysha won't take 'no' for an answer," Kristen warns.

"Have you been threatened?"

"Me?! No, of course not...but..."

"Then why is Alysha pressing this, Kris?" Lorrie wonders. "Don't you understand what you're doing to yourselves? For the first time since...oh, probably since DIA was founded...you've bumped into something you can't begin to really understand, even with Dia's help. It scares you, so you automatically want to control it, isolate it and twist it to serve your own ends. You're a history student, for Unity's sake!! Don't you realize that's the way ALL religious orders react on encountering the unknown?"

Kristen jolts, staring dumbfoundedly at her. In fact, the concept of power over the parishioners in the Roman Catholic church during the Middle Ages was the theme of a seminar in the first year medieval history course, a course she took last year and was on Lorrie's winter term schedule. Deflating, she looks down. "Oh, Lorrie...I know, I understand, that you mean us no harm. But...how can I persuade Alysha of that?! Cathy, Tanya and Linda are on your side, but Alysha's still the high priestess of the chapter."

Lorrie purses her lips. "I wish I could ask a sage from one of the schools living on Earth to come here to tell you more," she mutters, then sighs. "Okay. Tonight, you and I will go to Erie Beach; my family owns a cottage there. I'll reveal everything to you then. Does that sound okay?"

"Okay," Kristen nods...

Journal of Lorrie Keller, 517th day after the Crossing Over, Dear Diary,

Tonight, I go for broke.

If I can convince Kris of my good intentions, then I could convince her to Cross Over. I just sensed a Wanderer, from one of the southern abyss schools, entering the system. Mother Ocean, this world seems to attract us, doesn't it? If I can pull this off, then I have my mate...and hopefully, Alysha will be cowed to let Kris go; once she is one with the Great School, Kris' memories can never be affected by Dia's servants again.

Oh, my sisters, wherever you are, be with me tonight...

"This is beautiful!!"

"Glad you like it," Lorrie smiles as she unlocks the bungalow overlooking the calm waters of Lake Erie west of Port Colborne, then beckons Kristen inside. Glancing outside, she does a cursory pass with her powers. "The others didn't follow us."

"I didn't tell them, actually," Kristen sighs as they relax in the living room. "Alysha's working herself into a froth over you. Our petitions to Dia have remained unanswered. It's scaring the others very much."

"I can tell you why," Lorrie fills two glasses with mineral water, then walks over. "Tell me, have you ever heard of the Sailor Senshi...or Sailor Scouts as they're called here?"

"They're a group of superheroines in Japan," Kristen nods. "Really powerful people. We never really talk about them."

"One of them is Sailor Pluto," Lorrie muses. "Her sister, Sailor Hades, is like me."

Kristen stops. "What...?" she gasps, then blinks. "Lorrie, how many are here?"

"At last count, twenty-nine who were born of my world and four natives we automatically consider part of our families, co-parents to our children. I'm the only one of my kind not living in Japan right now," Lorrie sips her water. "Then again, why are you complaining? If I decided to go to Japan before I Crossed Over, Lorrie Keller would be dead and we'd've never met."

"You would've...bonded...with someone else," Kristen muses, then stares quizzically at her. "What is this...Crossing Over?"

"It's the most profound ritual of my Great School," Lorrie rises. "Follow me."

Kristen nods, following the Nendo-kata outside, then down to the beach. Awaiting her is a large hollowed rock filled with salt water. Lorrie stops before Kristen could look inside. "My race's name, as we like to say it here on Earth, is a Japanese term. Nendo-kata. 'The path of clay' as it translates in English."

"Clay?!" Kristen blinks. "I don't understand..."

"Clay is malleable at the beginning," Lorrie sighs. "But once it's moulded into a shape the artist desires, it is then frozen as rock. It cannot be changed from that time on without destroying the sculpture itself. That...is very much the way Nendo-kata live."

"I don't understand..."

"Our story, our modern story, begins a hundred thousand years ago," Lorrie beckons her to the rock. "This is what we look like in our pre-Crossing Over state."

Kristen balks on seeing a large octopus-shaped being with glowing eyes, about the size of her mother's car. "Oh, Goddess...!!" she gasps, stumbling back. "That was you?!!"

"Part of me," Lorrie gently steadies Kristen.

As soon as the sophomore calms herself, she returns to looking at the Wanderer within her large pool. The creature's eyes cease glowing, returning to a normal brown shade as one of her tentacles comes out of the pool to gently touch Kristen's arm. She tenses on that contact, then feels that wonderful warmth surge through her again. Arms entwine her from behind as Lorrie's calming breath falls on her neck. "You said you're a...symbiont," Kristen muses. "Why did you unite with Lorrie?"

<<If I didn't, Lorrie would've passed into the Black Ocean and returned to the Cosmic Chain of Life. What of her brother and parents? How would they have endured her loss?>>

Kristen stares dumbfoundedly at Lorrie; the latter hadn't opened her mouth but her voice resonated deep in Kristen's mind. "Is that what...you people do?"

"Yes," Lorrie returns to speech. "A hundred thousand years ago, we were already sentient. Since our planet is 99.9 percent covered in water, there was no way we could've developed a culture like yours. So our development progressed through mental evolution, not physical evolution. By then, we could already sense many other Great Schools around us. We learned from them, learned of good and evil. Unity and disUnity as we call it. Then one day, one of those races was attacked by monsters from space, beings that looked on them like cattle, only good for being harvested for food or things even I couldn't understand now. We heard their shrieks of pain and death all the way from our world. We FELT it in our hearts and souls, Kristen. And then...some schools transported themselves to that world. They fought the monsters, drove them off that planet and out of our galaxy.

"In that fight, we discovered some things about ourselves. We realized we had the talent for fighting for those who couldn't fight for themselves. We also discovered the power of the Crossing Over. The ability to craft a new body based on a template's unique DNA and RNA strands, then transfer our mind into that body so that we could become one with the Great School we wanted to protect, but still maintain our powers as Nendo-kata. And with that, we developed our philosophy of Unity, of being Unity's warriors, going out and fighting disUnity wherever and however it's encountered."

Kristen gazes at Lorrie, stunned that her kind had been locked on this mission since humans were in the Neanderthal stage of development. "So why are you here?"

"Because your Great School is worth defending," Lorrie smiles. "I am a Wanderer. A bard, a messenger...and an orphan. My school, my Nendo-kata family, was wiped out in a battle with an extra-dimensional creature on another planet some hundred years ago. To ensure the memories of my school, the Algae Trench School, weren't lost, I was sent away to tell their tales to other schools. And eventually, I came here, when I sensed my human half being hit by a drunk driver. If my Nendo-kata half hadn't interfered..."

"Lorrie...your human self...would be dead," Kristen shudders. "Oh, Lorrie!"

They gaze on each other, then tenderly kiss. Kristen then gazes on the untransformed Nendo-kata behind her. "And where is she from?"

<>

Kristen jolts, then grins. "Are you also...a Wanderer?"

<>

"What happens now?"

<<If you desire it, we will merge in Psi-Unity and Cross Over as one being.

Then we will mate with Lorrie and form a new school, preserving the memories and teachings of both the Algae Trench and the Southern Deep Abyss.

What happens after...that is for Fate to know; even we cannot know of That Power's intentions for us.>>

Silence falls, then Kristen gazes at Lorrie. "I suppose I have to take the plunge if I want to learn more."

"I'd love that. But would you?"

Kristen blinks, then smiles, tears flowing down her cheeks. She then gazes at Lorrie. "It's you and only you."

The next day...

"Lorrie!"

Lorrie sighs, then gazes contemptuously at Alysha. "Is there a problem?"

"Where is Kristen?!" the high priestess hisses, ensuring that people didn't overhear them in the middle of MacKenzie-Chown.

"She's indisposed at this time," Lorrie replies. "She'll be available tonight by eight o'clock. Wait until then."

Alysha grabs Lorrie's arm, her eyes glowing deep azure. "Take me to her, now!"

She gasps on seeing Lorrie glare at her, her own eyes burning a bright burgundy. "Cute little trick," the Nendo-kata sneers. "Pity it doesn't work on me."

Yanking her arm away, Lorrie marches off. Alysha remains in place, paling considerably. What could she do now...?

That night...

The hatching pouch on the side of the bard's body explodes, allowing Kristen to emerge as her original Nendo-kata body disintegrates and returns to the Cosmic Chain of Life; Lorrie had long already disposed of her old Terran body. Before she could fall to the sand, Lorrie catches her with a towel. "There you go!" she warmly kisses her life-mate as she carries her back to the bungalow. "How do you feel?"

"Weird..." Kristen shudders, then relaxes as the warmth floods her very soul, her minds merging as the stories of her Nendo-kata school flood her soul. "Oh, sister..."

"It's wonderful not being alone anymore, is it?"

"Of course it is!" Kristen smiles at her.

Inside the bungalow, Lorrie's mother and Lance await. "How are you, dear?" her mother hands Kristen some cocoa as Lorrie sets her down to towel off the gestation fluid.

"Pretty okay," Kristen sips the hot liquid, then gazes at Lance. "I guess you're used to seeing this, aren't you?"

"It could be said," Lance smiles. "Kris, if DIA expels you, I want you to know that Alpha Mu Gamma would gladly welcome you as one of us. It's not fair that you should be isolated because your faith in Dia conflicts with your Nendo-kata beliefs."

Kristen blinks, her eyes glowing as she scans Lance's mind, then they widen. "Blessed Mother Ocean, you do THAT?!?!"

"Yep," Lance smiles, taking crystal in hand and initiating his own transformation.

Alexandra Helena Keller then stands in his place. "Whoa!" Kristen whistles.

"I'm still getting used to it," Mrs. Keller smiles.

"What do you think?" Helena winks.

"Pity I can't be your life-mate," Kristen hums, then winks at him. "So I hope you won't mind my being your sister-in-law."

"Deal," Helena laughs.

Lorrie finishes towelling Kristen, then hands her a robe. "There you go, my dear."

"Thank you, my love," Kristen slips it on, then smiles sadly at Helena. "Helena...Lance. Thank you very much for your offer to join the Alpha Mus. But, just as your sister believes, I feel my presence in your fraternity will just bring disruption and discord to your brothers and sisters because your special power can't affect us due to our single-sex nature. Still, I can't deny that your beliefs and those of the Great School are quite similar. To that end, I say this: if ever the Alpha Mus need any assistance of any sort, we will always be there for you."

"Well, maybe we could work an honourary membership instead," Helena muses. "Believe me, many of my friends want to learn more of your kind. Like the fact that every guy on your planet upped and changed themselves into girls just to experience childbirth."

The Great Crossing Over, as that event 100,000 years ago was called, Lorrie and Kristen exchange knowing smiles. "Don't you desire that as Helena?" the latter then asks.

"You bet!" Helena beams.

"If you don't mind, Lance, could you change back to normal so we can go home and leave these two alone?" her mother cuts in. "Besides, I got a call this morning from some girl in Japan who wants to meet you. Chuuko, I believe..."

"WHAT?!?!" Helena moans. "Aw, sis...!!"

Lorrie and Kristen laugh...

Later, Lorrie and Kristen emerge from the shower, then enter the master bedroom. Disrobing, they relax on the bed, gazing warmly at each other, all their senses drinking in the other's attributes. "I think I know of a way to deal with Alysha," Kristen then smiles.

"She can't hurt you much anymore," Lorrie muses. "All she can do is undo the magic that marks you with your family and friends as Kristen. But I've already talked to Yuki about it. She'll get Setsuna to lean on Dia to make her stop."

"But we have to do something to protect the sorority's secrets," Kristen warns.

"We can still do that," Lorrie nods. "But what's your plan?"

With that, Kristen lays back. "My heart of hearts, I desire to feel our child within me," she enticingly spreads her legs. "I desire to give you the gift of new life, to progress the Unity and give birth to the first of our new school."

"So shall it be, my dearest one," Lorrie leans over her. "As the Sagussans would say it, do you have a cure for a headache?"

Kristen nods as Lorrie's lips gently brush hers, then sink in as her lips force the former's apart, her tongue darting in to entice Kristen's out to play. At the same time, Lorrie's hands fall on Kristen's shoulders, then as she draws her mate onto her side, traces down her arms to gently caress her breasts. Kristen's nipples perk up at that contact, then Lorrie trails kisses down her chin and neck, across her nape, then dance over to one breast. As she feels Lorrie's dainty licks tickle her nipples, Kristen gasps, her mind exploding with waves of pleasure as Lorrie's other hand dives south to her dampening crotch.

Leaning back, Kristen spreads her legs more as Lorrie begins to gently stroke the curve of her labia, not touching but ever coming closer to that little bulb that would send her into orbit if contact was made. Deep within her, her limbic system ignites, triggering a rush of endorphin in her mind...which in turn triggered a special function unique to Nendo-kata.

"It's time...!"

Laying on her left side, Kristen picks up her right leg and bends back, thankful that her new body could contort itself this way. Problem with a humanoid body was that it wasn't really well-designed for mating, especially when the would-be mates were both women. Lorrie sits up, then manoeuvres herself onto Kristen's left leg, poising her crotch in direct line with her mate's. Their eyes glow as bright as supernovae as a telekinetic bubble forms around them, lifting them off the bed as Lorrie permits gravity to draw her vaginal opening as close as possible with Kristen's. When their clitorises are just centimetres apart, their minds then reach into the other's wombs. Awaiting them are two eggs suspended in unbreakable sterile bubbles. They take one, then draw it through the vulva, out the vagina, into the other vagina and from there into the womb.

"Done!!" Kristen gasps.

They lower themselves to the bed as their minds totally focus on the microscopic eggs within them. The bubbles are permitted to merge into one as the two eggs come into contact. Instantly, the egg walls, which could forever resist natural impregnation from a male's sperm, pull apart as the chromosome strands within seek the other out, merging together, then replicating as the relentless process to create new life begins.

Lorrie sighs, her eyes reverting to normal as she rolls off Kristen's leg, then sinks into the inviting covers. Kristen breathes out in relief, then swings herself around to drape an arm over her mate's back, gently drawing the hair away from the neck as she plants a thank-you kiss on the spine. "First time as a woman," she admits, kicking up a pillow for them to rest their heads on.

"It gets better...or so I'm told," Lorrie chuckles.

"Pity we have to wait nine months to do it again."

"Yeah," Lorrie rolls, then draws Kristen into her arms. "Then the real fun begins."

"I can't wait..."

"Beautiful."

"Hentai!"

Dia glares at Pluto. "You know, you can really be a pain at times, Setsuna."

"So what happens now?" the time guardian wonders.

"That is for Alysha and her friends to discover..."

Journal of Lorrie and Kristen Keller, 525th day after Lorrie's Crossing Over, Seventh day after Kristen's Crossing Over, Dear Diary,

We found a gay priest willing to do a commitment ceremony for us yesterday.

Kris' parents have long known of her preference, but were still taken by surprise when we declared we were getting hitched. "Too sudden," Mrs. Chambers exclaimed. So we finally had to reveal what happened to Kris, though we made it appear as if Kris had suffered an accident swimming in Lake Erie and would've died hadn't her Wanderer-half came by. I got Yuki to come by as Sailor Hades to drive the point home. They took it well, especially when we told them they'll soon be grandparents.

We'll be heading back to university today. Like it or not, even as Nendo-kata, we have our responsibilities for our education. Atop that, we'll be taking residence in the bungalow at Erie Beach; while it's fresh water and quite messy after two centuries of pollution, Lake Erie is still a sea.

Along with coming back, we'll have to deal with Alysha and her friends. The Alpha Mus have invited us to their induction ceremony, where we'll be made honourary members of their Brock chapter, Epsilon Theta. As for the Delta Iotas, we'll have to wait and see.

A day later...

The members of Kappa Beta chapter file into the Keller home. Eyes scan around as they detect the cute touches to the walls and furniture. "Hi, everyone," Kristen smiles, descending from the upper floor. "Make yourselves at home."

"Lovely house, Kris," Caroline smiles. "Where's Lorrie?"

"She's making snacks," Kristen looks at the kitchen. "Everything set, love?"

"Coming right up!" Lorrie calls out from inside.

The DIAs relax around the table. "Has she done anything to you?" Alysha asks.

"No, she hasn't," Kristen glares at the high priestess. "Relax, Alysha. We're going to settle this now."

The others tense. "You're leaving us," Linda looks down.

"It depends on you," Kristen sighs.

Lorrie emerges from the kitchen, a big tray of snacks in hand. "Here you all go, everyone! Eat up!!"

The women beam as they dive into the homebaked cookies and slices of cake. Lorrie relaxes beside Kristen, grasping her hand. "So what happened to you?" Hollie asks.

"Well, we got together and discussed what was happening to us," Kristen gazes at her life-mate, then her friends. "Point is, Alysha was panicking so much, driving you all into a frenzy over Lorrie, that even if we could overwhelm her powers...which we couldn't...her friends, the other Nendo-kata on Earth, would've never let you have a day's peace again."

"So what did you decide?" Caroline wonders.

"I will withdraw from the chapter and Delta Iota Alpha," Kristen sighs. "But before you act, you better know two things. One, I'm pregnant. You know how Lorrie's people mate. Two, I'm also a Nendo-kata. I Crossed Over nine days ago. You can't erase my mind of Dia and what she does. However, it doesn't mean we won't respect your desire for privacy. If you wish to keep your powers secret, we'll help in whatever way we can."

Silence. Tanya stares at Kristen. "So what happens to you two?"

"Well, we have taken a commitment ceremony and are...in all respects married," Kristen gazes at Lorrie. "Atop that, the Alpha Mus have invited us to join them as honourary members. We can't say anymore since we don't want to inadvertently reveal their secrets. We would ask you not to press us on that matter."

"It's agreeable," Caroline nods.

"Atop that, since my family also owns the bungalow next door, we'll be willing to let you use it as your sorority home," Lorrie adds. "During the winters, all the people who come here from the States go back home, so you've got total privacy. The Nendo-kata on Earth are friends with some very rich families, so we can have it refurbished to whatever standard you want; they'll be supporting us throughout university."

The DIAs blink, then Alysha looks down. "Why are you doing this, Lorrie? After what we nearly did..."

"Because it has to be done, Alysha," Lorrie smiles. "Kris and I are Nendo-kata, the founding mothers of the Great Lakes School, as we will call our future family. We are sworn to protect the Unity in all its forms throughout the Cosmic Chain of Life. We will kill in Unity's name...our Nendo-kata halves have killed before...but we see no use in assaulting a group like yours, who in the end only wish to bring peace and harmony to your Great School. There are things we don't like about your practices, but each Great School and individual school has their own ways of interpreting the Unity. We can't inflict our way of viewing Unity on you and we don't want you to do the same to us. But it doesn't mean we can't care for each other as friends and as fellow warriors to protect the innocent."

"I'd hardly call us warriors, Lorrie," Caroline muses.

"Oh? Didn't your sisters in Colorado fight the sub-creature Toch and his followers some time ago, Cathy?" Lorrie muses. "Do you not help those people who lose families and loved ones, even those who lose their rights to form chapters at a university, by bringing them into your nest? Do you not help those who want to achieve a better life, both men and women? Fighting disUnity doesn't always entail finding a dragon and slaying it."

Everyone laughs. "Lorrie, Kris...thank you both," Alysha smiles. "I feel very scared. For so long, Delta Iota Alpha has survived because of our hiding things from the outside world. It was the fact that you could prevent us from erasing your mind of Dia that really scared me. But...that you offer us a home, your love and friendship, your protection...!" She shrugs. "Maybe, sooner or later, the time will come when bigotry is eliminated and we can reveal to the rest of the world what Dia stands for without fear of persecution. And perhaps the time has come now to take the first real steps to make that dream a reality. All I can say for what you have brought to us, Lorrie...all of us...is thank you."

The others nod...

The next night...

Lorrie and Kristen watch the five women step into the Delta Iota Alpha house, now dressed in matching turquoise sea-scene kimonos provided to them by the Oshika School in celebration of their bonding together and the coming of their children. "If they only knew what they were in for," the latter hums.

"Hush, my love," the former sighs. "In the end, we can't interfere. Besides, can't you sense their potential? If they do refuse, they'll be let go and returned to normal lives."

"I'm glad for that. C'mon, let's get inside."

They step into the bungalow. One of the newcomers, a fellow history student from Lorrie's world history class and seminar, smiles. "Hey, Lorrie! You're here to pledge, too?"

"No, Charlene, we're just witnesses," Lorrie smiles. "Kris is an honourary member and I stick with the lady I love."

"Don't blame you," Charlene smiles.

At that moment, Caroline rises, in the traditional blue dress and white sash. "Welcome to the pledge initiation of the Kappa Beta chapter of Delta Iota Alpha. My name is Caroline Shannon Taylor, the chapter president. We are now ready to begin. Our master-at-arms will begin calling names. Please line up when your names are called."

Tanya walks up as Caroline goes downstairs. "My name is Tanya Svetlana Ellis. We'll go in the following order today," she looks at her notepad. "Charlene Bronstein?"

"Here," Charlene nods.

"Master-at-arms, may I escort her downstairs?" Lorrie asks.

"Certainly, Matriarch," Tanya nods.

Charlene quizzically stares at Lorrie. "'Matriarch?'"

"You'll understand soon enough," Lorrie smiles.

Once everyone is in place, Kristen falling in beside another, the pledges proceed downstairs. Awaiting them were a large group of women, guests from other DIA chapters at McMaster, York, U of T, Western, Niagara and SUNYAB, all in the traditional blue dresses and white sashes. Caroline and Alysha kneel before the altar. As the pledges relax, Lorrie and Kristen sit down behind them. Alysha nods, then rises. "Sisters, since the dawn of time, Nature has called out for those who will give of themselves for the enrichment of their companions and the betterment of Humanity. Many heard that call before they were even born and Nature smiled upon them, gave them special abilities that would aid them in their task. In the outside world, they are called talents, gifts. We call them spiritual powers. For us, we believe that those powers can be obtained in whatever level they prove worthy of possessing. And for us, we know they come from one source...Dia."

"Dia, our Mistress. Dia, the Source of all spiritual power," the chorus chants. "Dia, the Source of light and truth."

"It is for this reason we have committed ourselves to Her Service," Alysha gazes at the pledges. "And to make that first commitment, we have brought you here tonight."

"Oh, Mistress Dia, please strengthen the hearts of these women to accept Your Will and commit themselves to Your Service."

Alysha then places herself before Charlene. "Oh, Mistress Dia. You have selected this one to succeed your faithful servant Alysha Cimbri McNaughton in bringing Your Will to Your Sisterhood. Please prepare her for such a task so that she may serve You as we have committed ourselves and ceaselessly endeavour to do so."

"Blessed be Thy Name, Dia. Thou art The Mistress whom we obey. Thou art The One who we have committed ourselves to eternally be bonded to. May Thy Will be done."

"It has been approved," Alysha concentrates, then smiles serenely at Charlene. "This, Charlene Melissa Bronstein, will train to become the new high priestess of this young yet illustrious branch of our sisterhood."

"Thanks be to Dia. Our order will continue. May Our Mistress guide us in Her Will and make us strong."

Alysha then takes the amulet from the shrine, then holds it before the future high priestess of Kappa Beta. "Touch this amulet, Charlene...and hereby prepare yourself for training in our beliefs and practices."

Charlene pauses, uncertainty gripping her. She then feels a steady hand on her shoulder. She glances at Lorrie. "Don't be afraid," the Nendo-kata-turned-Terran whispers.

Charlene places her hand on the amulet, the magic filling her with its power. Her clothes then transform to a pledge's uniform. Alysha's eyes glow as she intones the pledge of education. "As the guide who will guide you through your training period, I will hold this symbol of your dedication to our sisterhood until you are prepared to receive it. Now, I, Alysha Cimbri McNaughton, high priestess of the Kappa Beta chapter of Delta Iota Alpha, present these women to you commitment to the service of Dia."

Lorrie nods as Alysha reads the names; the words were changed so as not to offend hers or Kristen's sensibilities. The chorus strikes up the chant. "If they will accept the vows of service, then our Mistress Dia will accept them."

"Candidates, please touch the amulets held by the sisters before you to commit yourselves to the service of Dia," Alysha instructs as Tanya, Linda, Caroline and Hollie fall in before them, amulets in hand. "If you make this commitment, you will begin a journey of learning, growth and spiritual development which will lead you to full initiation into our sisterhood. The woman who stands before you will be your spiritual guide on this journey and will assist you in any way she can to make it worthwhile for you. But for now, touch the crystal so that your journey may begin."

"Blessed be Thy Name, Dia. Thou art The Mistress whom we obey. Thou art The One who we have committed ourselves to eternally be bonded to. May Thy Will be done."

Charlene's fellow pledges replicate their future priestess' actions. The older sisters chant the pledge of education. "As the guide who will guide you through your training period, I will hold this symbol of your dedication to our sisterhood until you are prepared to receive it. For now, turn and greet your new sisters."

Lorrie and Kristen close their eyes as everyone in the room forges the link, filling their minds with each other and their devotion to Dia. Then the new pledges state their oath. "From this point, I commit myself to the servitude to the Goddess Dia. I pledge my loyalty to the mistresses who would train me in what I must learn until I am prepared to learn of Her Full Mysteries."

"Thanks be to Dia. Our order will continue. May Our Mistress guide us in Her Will and make us strong."

As they make their oath, the two Nendo-kata amongst them smile, gently grasping hands as they share a personal link, their own glowing eyes burning like burgundy candles in a sea of azure. <<Blessed Mother Ocean, protector of Unity, watch over these, your daughters of Dia. Protect them and serve them as they strive to seek their personal understanding of the Unity and the Cosmic Chain of Life. Give us the strength to protect them from disUnity, from those who would look on them with dark hearts and emotions, so they may eventually discover the True Beauty of Unity.>>

The End