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A light rain had started, and my windshield wipers were trying to push the tears away. The rain had started suddenly, and I felt even more lost now than I had before. Everything passed in a blur. It seemed like I was only watching and not doing anything. It was as though another person was living my life. Caliban's form kept on trying to take over me again and again. Only a little further and I could go back into his form. The form I didn't want to think of as my own.

I finally came to Caliban's house and went into the driveway, the mystical feeling of his backyard added to my own. I clumsily came out of my car and walked to his door. I rang his doorbell. The dizziness was now overpowering me, and I just wanted to be let in. I heard Caliban's footsteps from inside. They stopped right in front of the door. There was a pause. It sounded like he was getting some weapon out, and then the door slowly opened.

The first thing I saw from the door was a dagger. It had markings on its side showing it to be of Caliban's own make. He had made a few of his own magical items to protect himself with. The door opened further and out came his hand; a couple minutes later and his whole body was free of the door. Caliban's form took over me and I fell down. I heard Caliban come over and tap me with the dagger. I felt a slight shock go over my body and then felt nothing more.

I opened my eyes slowly and noticed Caliban leaning over me. I looked around with my eyes and saw I was in his bedroom. I sat up slowly. I stared at him and saw his face in that saddened grimace he had long ago adopted. "Why did you attack me?" I asked him in his own voice. "I thought you were going to help me. You didn't believe me?"

"I have enemies that have tried to kill me." Caliban said and sighed. "If I were to believe you, not question you, then I might have ended up dead. I know, now, what you said is true. But, to not question you at the beginning would have been suicide. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I don't want to end up being fooled."

I put a hand onto his face, though it was a duplicate of his own. He looked at me and gave a weak smile. "I understand." I replied. "It is good that you always watch out for yourself. I'm glad of that. Glad that I love someone who isn't easily fooled. Glad that I love someone who questions."

Caliban gave a full smile and put his hand to mine. "Thank you." He said. "It's wonderful that someone can understand me and not hate me for my faults. Vera loved me, and I loved her. If only you could have known her! She was the wisest person I ever knew. But first, we must decide what has happened to you. I wasn't looking for any books when you called, I was preparing for an attack."

"And what if someone was holding me hostage?" I asked in a timid voice.

"That was a risk I had to take." He said. "If I was attacked and couldn't win the fight, what good would I have been to save you? Besides, the person would have already had you killed. I know the people that would come after me, they don't take hostages: they just kill."

I shivered in the dread of the truth of what Caliban said. I nodded. "I guess I should start preparing myself for an attack." I said and knew I hadn't been cautious enough in the past. I would be more cautious now. "I just always assumed that…they'd go for you. I didn't think that I would be attacked."

Caliban backed away and stared at me. "An enemy will use any method to destroy me. They will do anything to hurt me, even hurt the innocent." He said. "You can't assume anything with them. The family is a bunch of magic users and even Jessica doesn't know all they can do, they're that powerful."

I was about to get up when Caliban said, "I've laid some clothes out for you." He said. "They fit, and they'll be more comfortable to you than the ones you're wearing now. They're some of the most comfortable clothes I wear. I'll be looking for some books in the study." I nodded and he left. I got out of my clothes and looked at what he had gotten for me.

The clothes looked different from the ones I normally wore. I was reminded, yet again, that I would have to grow comfortable with these clothes, they would be the ones I'd be wearing for a good long time. As I put them on, I thought that the problem would be solved quickly. I knew that bad things would happen, but I would be back in my own form soon. Very soon.

When I walked out of Caliban's room I felt like I was in the Underworld. His house still showed pictures of Vera and presents she had given him. There were fading diplomas on the walls. Some of them were Caliban's, and some of them were Vera's. His whole house was a museum for Vera. I went to his study and saw that he was going through some books that weren't written in English. I couldn't tell what language they were written in. I had some doubts they were written in any mortal language. I went to a shelf and took out a book that showed dragons on the cover.

Taking it off the shelf, I saw that the words were in another language. The first page had odd markings on it. It seemed like they were from some forgotten era. I touched the page and I felt a little tingle. The page then transformed itself into a dragon's eye. I hurriedly closed the book.

Caliban looked at me and then at the book I was reading. "It's by an order dedicated to the livelihood of dragons." He said. "I highly recommend that book for you to read later. For now, let's focus on getting the reason on why you're like you are now." I put the book down and started to search.

We spent hours in the study looking for a book with the answers. We would shout out to each other that we found something, but then be disappointed by it not being what we wanted. I grew tired of the books like my mind grew tired of keeping my original form. I finally just let Caliban search, and after thirty minutes he gave up. He got some soda for both of us. While we slowly drank, we talked about what to do now.

"I think we should call Jessica." Caliban said. "She's more knowledgeable about this than me and we might not be looking in the right area." He sipped a little of his drink. "Though I don't want to bring in someone else if I can manage this alone."

"But you can't do this alone." I said and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you want to have what happened to me stay secret, but there are some people that can help us and we should let them. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. All I care about is getting back to my original form. Besides that, I don't care what happens. I just want to be myself again."

Caliban sighed, put down his soda, and called Jessica. In a few minutes, the conversation was done and we waited in the living room. We sat on one of the couches and hugged each other, the only comfort we could give each other at this time. When Jessica came, Caliban greeted her like he had me, he wasn't taking any chances. He put Jessica's unconscious body on another of the couches and waited for her to wake up. I read a magazine while I waited.

Jessica finally woke up and she took out the books she brought that we needed. They were old books and some were even falling apart. A couple could break apart just by a soft breeze. "This is a more confusing problem than Vera's." She said. "Caliban, you just seem to get into the oddest of incidents. I don't think your girlfriend was aware of how interesting a person you are."

I laughed. "No, I didn't." I said. "That wouldn't have changed my decision to stay with him, anyways. He's too good of a person to leave alone. He helped me and I helped him. We've formed bonds of loyalty that can't be undone."

Jessica opened one of her books and looked inside. "Caliban, you've found a very faithful person." She said. "Now, as for Damara's sicknesses: Damara, can you tell me what it felt like when you first turned into Caliban?" I described, to her, my sickness in as great of detail as possible. "What it appears like, to me, is that someone did a spell wrong and caused you to turn into Caliban. Most likely, it was on accident."

"Why do you say it was on accident?" I asked. "Could anyone really mess up on a spell that bad? What were they attempting to do?"

"Most likely trying to turn into you, Damara." Jessica said. "Trying to turn into you and fool Caliban. Luckily, since the person messed up, they'll be dizzy for the next couple of days until they can learn how to control his or her transformations. Since they messed with something so potent, his or her form will flicker on and off. It'll make him or her unable to function for a few days. In those few days, we can all come up with a plan."

"But what do you think can be done about Damara?" Caliban asked. "Is it fair to have her wait a few days to go back to her original form? I don't like seeing her like this, Jessica, I really don't. She needs her original form back as quickly as possible. Do you have ANY idea of how to make things better?"

"I do have one plan of action, but you won't like it." Jessica said. "It's one that is sure to work, but will require a great sacrifice on both of your parts. The problem is, it won't get Damara back to her original form, but it'll stop the person from using her form to attack you. Damara will have to give up her form."

"What?" Caliban yelled in wrath. "You expect her to stay as me forever? You expect her to just calmly accept her lot? What kind of bitch are you? You dare say that Damara won't be able to be herself anymore? That she'll be cursed to be in my form? That she'll be forced to be a man?"

"Caliban, calm down." Jessica said angrily. "That's the only option I can THINK of now. Do you think Damara's case is easy to solve? Do you think all I have to do is wave my hands in the air and she'll be like she was before? No. I'm not that powerful, no one is."

"Let's get No One, then." Caliban said. "Maybe he'll be powerful enough to save her. Maybe he'll be able to do what you can't do. Damara deserves to be what she was before: a woman!"

"I can't do everything." Jessica said. "Besides, that isn't the bad part." He stared at her angrily and held himself back from saying anything else. "In order to give up her form she'll have to give up her family. All her family's memories of her will be gone, they won't know her. In effect, she'll be an orphan and only her friends will remember her."

"But…my family." I said. "I love my family, even if we sometimes disagree. I just can't give them away, leave them behind. You're asking too much of me. Caliban's right, there must be another way. I can stand a few days as long as it means I'll be myself again."

Jessica nodded. "I'm sorry about the news, I really am." She said. "But facts are facts. I don't make the rules up, others do. But, Damara, think about it. If you give up your form then you can save Caliban. If you give up your form then it'll put the person close to death and that person might even die at that moment. Even if giving up your form doesn't kill the person, it will give that person one less way to attack."

I nodded. "But it's still MY family. I have a duty to them. I can't just give them up without any thought." I turned to Caliban and he looked at me. "You are very important to me, but this is my family. We haven't always agreed, but we've always been there for each other. After the split, I still made sure they were okay and they invited me to holiday meals."

"It's your decision to make." Jessica said. "Not mine or Caliban's. You have to decide which is more important. That's what you'll end up doing. Is it yourself, your family, or Caliban that is more important? Just remember that when you look at yourself in the mirror. In a week I'll see if I found any other option. Caliban, do you have any idea who this person might be?"

Caliban nodded. "It might be Sina, she's James' sister." He said. "She was acting more arrogant than usual the last couple of weeks, it probably means something. I'll start doing a search on her and see if anything comes up. Thanks for your help."

Jessica left in silence as both Caliban and I watched her leave. I did not want to give up my family, and, at the same time, I wanted to protect Caliban. Caliban wanted my original form returned to me, and I wanted to be myself again. It would be good to wake up and not have to worry about changing my shape anymore. But...he deserved the best chance at life as possible. He had lost Vera and had brought me into his confidence. He was a protector and had intense loyalty for those he loved.

"Damara, I'll be here for you." Caliban said. "You can stay here until we figure this all out. I guess you'll have to call your family. I promise we'll find a way to turn you into your original form. I PROMISE." He hugged me and I felt a sense of gentle comfort in his presence. He would always be there for me, I just knew it.

-TO BE CONTINUED…

Description
A light rain had started, and my windshield wipers were trying to push the tears away. The rain had started suddenly, and I felt even more lost now than I had before. Everything passed in a blur. It seemed like I was only watching and not doing anything. It was as though another person was living my life. Caliban's form kept on trying to take over me again and again. Only a little further and I could go back into his form. The form I didn't want to think of as my own.

I finally came to Caliban's house and went into the driveway, the mystical feeling of his backyard added to my own. I clumsily came out of my car and walked to his door. I rang his doorbell. The dizziness was now overpowering me, and I just wanted to be let in. I heard Caliban's footsteps from inside. They stopped right in front of the door. There was a pause. It sounded like he was getting some weapon out, and then the door slowly opened.

The first thing I saw from the door was a dagger. It had markings on its side showing it to be of Caliban's own make. He had made a few of his own magical items to protect himself with. The door opened further and out came his hand; a couple minutes later and his whole body was free of the door. Caliban's form took over me and I fell down. I heard Caliban come over and tap me with the dagger. I felt a slight shock go over my body and then felt nothing more.

I opened my eyes slowly and noticed Caliban leaning over me. I looked around with my eyes and saw I was in his bedroom. I sat up slowly. I stared at him and saw his face in that saddened grimace he had long ago adopted. "Why did you attack me?" I asked him in his own voice. "I thought you were going to help me. You didn't believe me?"

"I have enemies that have tried to kill me." Caliban said and sighed. "If I were to believe you, not question you, then I might have ended up dead. I know, now, what you said is true. But, to not question you at the beginning would have been suicide. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I don't want to end up being fooled."

I put a hand onto his face, though it was a duplicate of his own. He looked at me and gave a weak smile. "I understand." I replied. "It is good that you always watch out for yourself. I'm glad of that. Glad that I love someone who isn't easily fooled. Glad that I love someone who questions."

Caliban gave a full smile and put his hand to mine. "Thank you." He said. "It's wonderful that someone can understand me and not hate me for my faults. Vera loved me, and I loved her. If only you could have known her! She was the wisest person I ever knew. But first, we must decide what has happened to you. I wasn't looking for any books when you called, I was preparing for an attack."

"And what if someone was holding me hostage?" I asked in a timid voice.

"That was a risk I had to take." He said. "If I was attacked and couldn't win the fight, what good would I have been to save you? Besides, the person would have already had you killed. I know the people that would come after me, they don't take hostages: they just kill."

I shivered in the dread of the truth of what Caliban said. I nodded. "I guess I should start preparing myself for an attack." I said and knew I hadn't been cautious enough in the past. I would be more cautious now. "I just always assumed that…they'd go for you. I didn't think that I would be attacked."

Caliban backed away and stared at me. "An enemy will use any method to destroy me. They will do anything to hurt me, even hurt the innocent." He said. "You can't assume anything with them. The family is a bunch of magic users and even Jessica doesn't know all they can do, they're that powerful."

I was about to get up when Caliban said, "I've laid some clothes out for you." He said. "They fit, and they'll be more comfortable to you than the ones you're wearing now. They're some of the most comfortable clothes I wear. I'll be looking for some books in the study." I nodded and he left. I got out of my clothes and looked at what he had gotten for me.

The clothes looked different from the ones I normally wore. I was reminded, yet again, that I would have to grow comfortable with these clothes, they would be the ones I'd be wearing for a good long time. As I put them on, I thought that the problem would be solved quickly. I knew that bad things would happen, but I would be back in my own form soon. Very soon.

When I walked out of Caliban's room I felt like I was in the Underworld. His house still showed pictures of Vera and presents she had given him. There were fading diplomas on the walls. Some of them were Caliban's, and some of them were Vera's. His whole house was a museum for Vera. I went to his study and saw that he was going through some books that weren't written in English. I couldn't tell what language they were written in. I had some doubts they were written in any mortal language. I went to a shelf and took out a book that showed dragons on the cover.

Taking it off the shelf, I saw that the words were in another language. The first page had odd markings on it. It seemed like they were from some forgotten era. I touched the page and I felt a little tingle. The page then transformed itself into a dragon's eye. I hurriedly closed the book.

Caliban looked at me and then at the book I was reading. "It's by an order dedicated to the livelihood of dragons." He said. "I highly recommend that book for you to read later. For now, let's focus on getting the reason on why you're like you are now." I put the book down and started to search.

We spent hours in the study looking for a book with the answers. We would shout out to each other that we found something, but then be disappointed by it not being what we wanted. I grew tired of the books like my mind grew tired of keeping my original form. I finally just let Caliban search, and after thirty minutes he gave up. He got some soda for both of us. While we slowly drank, we talked about what to do now.

"I think we should call Jessica." Caliban said. "She's more knowledgeable about this than me and we might not be looking in the right area." He sipped a little of his drink. "Though I don't want to bring in someone else if I can manage this alone."

"But you can't do this alone." I said and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you want to have what happened to me stay secret, but there are some people that can help us and we should let them. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. All I care about is getting back to my original form. Besides that, I don't care what happens. I just want to be myself again."

Caliban sighed, put down his soda, and called Jessica. In a few minutes, the conversation was done and we waited in the living room. We sat on one of the couches and hugged each other, the only comfort we could give each other at this time. When Jessica came, Caliban greeted her like he had me, he wasn't taking any chances. He put Jessica's unconscious body on another of the couches and waited for her to wake up. I read a magazine while I waited.

Jessica finally woke up and she took out the books she brought that we needed. They were old books and some were even falling apart. A couple could break apart just by a soft breeze. "This is a more confusing problem than Vera's." She said. "Caliban, you just seem to get into the oddest of incidents. I don't think your girlfriend was aware of how interesting a person you are."

I laughed. "No, I didn't." I said. "That wouldn't have changed my decision to stay with him, anyways. He's too good of a person to leave alone. He helped me and I helped him. We've formed bonds of loyalty that can't be undone."

Jessica opened one of her books and looked inside. "Caliban, you've found a very faithful person." She said. "Now, as for Damara's sicknesses: Damara, can you tell me what it felt like when you first turned into Caliban?" I described, to her, my sickness in as great of detail as possible. "What it appears like, to me, is that someone did a spell wrong and caused you to turn into Caliban. Most likely, it was on accident."

"Why do you say it was on accident?" I asked. "Could anyone really mess up on a spell that bad? What were they attempting to do?"

"Most likely trying to turn into you, Damara." Jessica said. "Trying to turn into you and fool Caliban. Luckily, since the person messed up, they'll be dizzy for the next couple of days until they can learn how to control his or her transformations. Since they messed with something so potent, his or her form will flicker on and off. It'll make him or her unable to function for a few days. In those few days, we can all come up with a plan."

"But what do you think can be done about Damara?" Caliban asked. "Is it fair to have her wait a few days to go back to her original form? I don't like seeing her like this, Jessica, I really don't. She needs her original form back as quickly as possible. Do you have ANY idea of how to make things better?"

"I do have one plan of action, but you won't like it." Jessica said. "It's one that is sure to work, but will require a great sacrifice on both of your parts. The problem is, it won't get Damara back to her original form, but it'll stop the person from using her form to attack you. Damara will have to give up her form."

"What?" Caliban yelled in wrath. "You expect her to stay as me forever? You expect her to just calmly accept her lot? What kind of bitch are you? You dare say that Damara won't be able to be herself anymore? That she'll be cursed to be in my form? That she'll be forced to be a man?"

"Caliban, calm down." Jessica said angrily. "That's the only option I can THINK of now. Do you think Damara's case is easy to solve? Do you think all I have to do is wave my hands in the air and she'll be like she was before? No. I'm not that powerful, no one is."

"Let's get No One, then." Caliban said. "Maybe he'll be powerful enough to save her. Maybe he'll be able to do what you can't do. Damara deserves to be what she was before: a woman!"

"I can't do everything." Jessica said. "Besides, that isn't the bad part." He stared at her angrily and held himself back from saying anything else. "In order to give up her form she'll have to give up her family. All her family's memories of her will be gone, they won't know her. In effect, she'll be an orphan and only her friends will remember her."

"But…my family." I said. "I love my family, even if we sometimes disagree. I just can't give them away, leave them behind. You're asking too much of me. Caliban's right, there must be another way. I can stand a few days as long as it means I'll be myself again."

Jessica nodded. "I'm sorry about the news, I really am." She said. "But facts are facts. I don't make the rules up, others do. But, Damara, think about it. If you give up your form then you can save Caliban. If you give up your form then it'll put the person close to death and that person might even die at that moment. Even if giving up your form doesn't kill the person, it will give that person one less way to attack."

I nodded. "But it's still MY family. I have a duty to them. I can't just give them up without any thought." I turned to Caliban and he looked at me. "You are very important to me, but this is my family. We haven't always agreed, but we've always been there for each other. After the split, I still made sure they were okay and they invited me to holiday meals."

"It's your decision to make." Jessica said. "Not mine or Caliban's. You have to decide which is more important. That's what you'll end up doing. Is it yourself, your family, or Caliban that is more important? Just remember that when you look at yourself in the mirror. In a week I'll see if I found any other option. Caliban, do you have any idea who this person might be?"

Caliban nodded. "It might be Sina, she's James' sister." He said. "She was acting more arrogant than usual the last couple of weeks, it probably means something. I'll start doing a search on her and see if anything comes up. Thanks for your help."

Jessica left in silence as both Caliban and I watched her leave. I did not want to give up my family, and, at the same time, I wanted to protect Caliban. Caliban wanted my original form returned to me, and I wanted to be myself again. It would be good to wake up and not have to worry about changing my shape anymore. But...he deserved the best chance at life as possible. He had lost Vera and had brought me into his confidence. He was a protector and had intense loyalty for those he loved.

"Damara, I'll be here for you." Caliban said. "You can stay here until we figure this all out. I guess you'll have to call your family. I promise we'll find a way to turn you into your original form. I PROMISE." He hugged me and I felt a sense of gentle comfort in his presence. He would always be there for me, I just knew it.

-TO BE CONTINUED…