Chapter 7 – Merry-Go-Wrong Caper

 

Thatti got off the ship platform, hopping onto fresh ground. A new world, another planet in the nearest star system, one where the carnival lights could be seen from space. “Thanks for the ride mom!!” Jel said, waving as her mother flew continents away to the nearest parking Isle.

Veronica and Caleb walked close while Thatti’s eyes lit up like a child. The space ferris wheel sat on top of the tallest ship, it’s lights spinning atop the massive wheel with each rotation. Thatti was amazed at the site, never been to a carnival before, never even lived in an industrial city before. “I love it! It’s just so…” she trailed off. The crowd buzzed around, the music from the dance floor on the main ship pier filled the sky as a ship passed over the crowd’s head every few minutes. “Yeah,” Caleb said. “I guess I can’t blame you. It’s nice to be around people once in a while, isn’t it?” Veronica just smiled. Thatti walked along by herself, her feet tapping to the beat of the music playing overhead. She turned around to see her three friends just walking next to each other, looking at each other.

 

 

 

“I’m starving,” Caleb said, looking up and down at the numerous food stands that they were passing.

“It’s so cool. I can’t believe it. How can people enjoy themselves like this?” Thatti questioned. “Maybe they are. Maybe they just need to get away once in a while from the life, the job, the world. It’s all so complicated sometimes, we all need some kind of relief,” Veronica explained, “Plus, if you look at the big picture, we’re only little specks of dust in a infinite space, sometimes people need to feel important for a few hours.

"Yeah, well what's important to me is a bite to eat." Caleb said, running to a corndog stand covered in alternating purple and orange lights.

"Yeah," Thatti said, looking over the menu. "I'll just take the...oh...what's this called again?" She asked the vendor, looking down at the menu. "Carnivore Dog," he said, in his fake accent. He held up the menu and pointed at the words. "I'll take that." She said, handing over some silver and watching as her bite to eat was wrapped in a crispy piece of paper. She could hear Veronica and Caleb giggling about something, but she didn't care. It didn't matter what they were talking about, she could feel the energy of the crowd around her. Thatti took a bite out of the carnivore dog, she chewed it carefully and swallowed slowly. After a few more bites, she threw the rest in the trash, feeling sick to her stomach.

"C'mon, I want to ride that! No no, let's go play that pitching game!"

 

Thatti started to jog across the street to the pitching game, the lights of the arcade brightening her smile. She waited in line for what seemed like hours for her, and finally made it to the front. She was handed a bucket of squishy balls, picked one up and gave it a firm squeeze. Her fingers extended into claws and with a bulking of her biceps, she tossed the ball forward. It lit on fire and blew a hole through the target, setting every 'Prize detector' alarm into merry jingles. "Woops." She said, putting her arm down. She was about to walk away when a big man with a red beard came over to her.

"Hey. How'd you do that?" He asked her. She could smell the alcohol in his breath. "It's not hard," she said, shrugging. "Just a little effort," she added.

He chuckled a bit. "That's a good laugh," he said, chuckling again.

 

"Well, we should get moving on the game though," Thatti said, pushing the fat man away.

"Yeah, we should. But you're coming home with me first," he said, looking at his fat stomach and shaking it. "I'll make you something to eat."

"Well, um...no thanks." She said, shaking her head and starting to walk away. "I have people to meet." She said. She looked over at the crowd walking around, seeing the trio over at some kind of Crane-game.

"But I insist.." He put his hand on her shoulder and grabbed her arm, his body starting to morph while a disc of light lowered over ‘his’ body, until he slimmed into a twiggy gem with pale skin.

The gem of lust.

 

"Petal!" Thatti yelled at her shapeshifted form.

 

"Now Thatti, don't make a scene. If you're reasonable and hand over your wand, no one need stress tonight. We can just enjoy the fair!"

Thatti jumped up and grabbed her wand, pointed it at the Petal and started to chant.

 

Petal's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she felt Thatti's magical energy hit her like a tidal wave.

The lights of the nearby buildings flickered, the whole carnival started to quiver from the energy that came forth from Thatti's hands. The crowd started to gasp, then yell. Thatti's eyes closed as she felt her body lose control, losing her form and turning to a disc of pure purple light.

"God's s-spark!" She yelled, transforming until her appearance and expression changed. The crowd was getting rather noisy, she sighed.

"Mega Forget." she placed her hand out, and everyone in a 20m radius felt amnesia waft over their minds until the sight was forgotten. They began to disperse after.

Petal got up and dusted herself off. "I hope you don't expect those tricks to work on me, Sparkling." She said, pacing around.

"Yeah? What's gonna stop me from hitting you with a super ultra powerful instant death spell then, gem trash?" Thatti said, turning to Petal. Petal shook her head.

"Fine, you win. Take care, Thatti-boo." Petal said as she started to walk away.

 

The girl slumped and undid her transformation. Thatti slumped. "There's no way they're not going to be trying that shit all day long." She sighed, heading back to her friends.

 

 

 

"C'mon. Let's go do that thing with those water slide things," she said, running with to the trio. "Those always look so fun, even with the people that are puking on them." Caleb said.

"Yeah, they look pretty fun." Veronica said, laughing. "Maybe you're right, you could probably handle them."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Thatti said, her eyes lightening up.

 

Ten minutes later the four went down the slide, Thatti, nearly going down the ride found her neck strangled by the whip of the lifeguard watching at the top. "G-god's s-spark-" She barely managed to transform, then pulled the whip around her neck. She kicked the lifeguard until they spit up blood. The lady morphed back into Maisma, still wearing a floatie. Thatti leapt down the slide, Maisma trying to chase her down. At some point Nefcy leapt on Amy and used her as a raft, trying to swipe at Thatti's wand. She kicked them both away and cannonballed her way into the pool.

 

 

 

"You were amazing at that slide, Thatti," Veronica said, patting the girl on the back.

 

"Yeah, you really got that one down!" Caleb said, giving the girl a pat. Thatti rolled her eyes. "The fun house mirrors! C'mon!" She said, running in.

 

A fat lady with a moustache and stylish shades materialized. The big suspicious gem on her palms had Thatti furious. She transformed immediately. "Haha! No items in the Haunted house of pain or else-" Thatti punched her in the stomach and sent her flying with an uppercut to the chin, Pyra's default form appearing as she crash landed on a tent. "Atleast try to disguise yourself better! Idiot. Shapeshifter? More like shapeshitter.”

A random girl next to her stood confused, legs shaking "Forget!" She splashed her palm in her face until the girl’s memory went away and she forgot what she saw, dazed abit. The girl's cyan transformation undid.

Thatti sighed, turning to Jel, Veronica, and Caleb. She ran into the mirrorhouse, sneaking her way through, seeing her own reflection distorted again and again.

"This me looks kinda silly!" She said, sticking her tongue at a reflection of her with horns and huge breasts. She stopped and did a double-take. "Oh c'mon."

Diane morphed from a flat mirror to the gem's usual demonic form and leapt forward. "God's s- spark," She said, running into the gem as the floor rotated. "Freeze!" She yelled, the mechanics and entire attraction stopping in time. She ran down the hallway, passing through into every different mirror reflection she could find, Diane appearing again and again in every few in pursuit. "I hope you can still fly, Diane," She grabbed Diane by the neck and stuck her wand directly at her face. . "Code 1: Shockblaster deluxe." The charged energy fired from the tip of the wand, sending Diane flying into a wall and crashing beyond the ceiling.

Thatti sighed. "I'm done with this." She said. Before running to the exit.

Two hours, and a dozen attempts later Thatti ran into the 'Tunnel of Eros' with her friends, hopping onto a big swan ride along a river-track. She let her wand dangle in the water, feeling as if she could see her blue transformed self in her reflection swearing back at her.

Suddenly the lights flickered on and off. "Oh for Flora's sake-" She prepared for another attack, yet more assaults. But the 4 were stuck on the ride, without moving forward. Everything on the track came to a roaring halt and then stayed deadly still.

"What is going on?" She said, turning to the others. Caleb looked at his phone. "The ride is broken. They're evacuating."

Thatti looked up at the sky. "Fuck," she said, closing her eyes. "If this is one more trick-" She slumped back on her seat, the dim emergency lights casted on them. Veronica scratched her head. "Well, we'll be stuck here for abit. Why don't we just, talk together or something?"

"Yeah sure." Caleb said, putting his arm around her.

 

"Why don't I go first." Veronica cleared her throat. "Well, I've been working internship for this Press corp in the next solar system over there for a while, and well...it's been rough. Lots of deadlines, paperwork, and lots of time with out of shape people I don't like and that sort of stuff. So yeah. But it's been a lot of valuable training in journalistic integrity! I've been taking notes.." She took out her notebook. "Trying to learn how to investigate and interview others. I'm hoping to write a report on, uhm, you guys as silly as that sounds.”

"Ah, pretty cool." Thatti looked down at her swan seat. "Yeah. I don't really want to talk about me. You know. I'm still sorta new to this stuff.

"Oh." Caleb said, leaning forward to look at Thatti. "I uhm, I guess I don't really wanna talk about me too. Not tonight anyways. I'm still learning all this stuff." He sighed.

"Oh spill you big baby, c'monnn." Jel jeered Caleb in the chest.

Caleb sighed. "Well, uhm...my parents wanted me to find a good, honest-to-god job corporate. Want me to sign up for one of the big ones, like Atlas or Kosmocorp. And you know, I don't really do have a heart for it." He shrugged. "I'd much rather work on my photography, my dream is to do photo-Ops and film models. My brothers have all been pretty successful in those sorts of regards."

"Models?" Thatti asked, leaning on one arm. "Yeah. I know it’s a bit weird for a boy. But there's lots of women who love my stuff, I swear."

Jel snickered. "By 'models', he means cosplayers. Galatubers, streamers. He wants to take smutty pictures of pervy woman and get paid." She folded her arms. "I already knew that."

Caleb blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uhm, well..yeah. Sometimes. Its mostly just good pictures though."

Thatti and Veronica shook their heads. "Well, what about your hobbies Jel? What do you like to do?" Thatti asked.

"You know, like, video games and stuff." Jel shrugged. "Sometimes I'm helping out my mom.”

 

Thatti nodded, her eyes lighting up. "I think your mom is a pretty big deal." She loved the irony in saying that to a friend.

"Yeah? Well, um...I've learned a lot from her, that's for sure. You should ask her, she has a lot to share."

"Whore, whore." Caleb whispered mockingly. Jel shrugged. "What about you Thatti, what do you do for fun?"

Thatti smiled. "I like to help people, ya know? Fix things, break things. I've got a few years left on that before my mom makes fun legally a crime. But I like to make my own fun."

Veronica was taking notes. "And, what about your wand? How did you get Headhunter?"

"Oh her?" Thatti shrugged. "It was laying around in the Glitterkiss academy I went to. But, her name isn't actually Headhunter." She looked around to see if anyone was listening. The wand began to vibrate, as if trying to silence her. Suddenly there was a watery eruption behind them, shadowy figures behind the track. A gigantic shark-headed centipede, a cat-like hulking silhouette, a hooved seductress, along with Maisma and Pyra's shadows above.

"Geez.." She got up and pulled her wand out, muttering the words. Her body transformed once again.

"What's going on?" Caleb said.

 

"I'll be right back. Stay in the bird wittle Cally-wally." She waved, and hopped off the ride. The lights went back on and the swan continued along the track.

"Woah, hey, you guys aren't going to fight are you?" Veronica said, hoping to get a deeper interview.

Along the ride, the three would watch behind numerous animatronic military-soldiers saluting, dancing and marching in place while the shadows danced, striking each other like pinballs with spells for days lighting up the tunnel inbetween. Soon they were taken to the end and out of the tunnel.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jel asked. "Girl's tough as nails but.."

 

"I guess so. But hey, the show's just getting started. Who's hungry for some hotdogs real quick?" Caleb said, looking at the vendor with a dog waving a flag and some burgers.

"I dunno...I guess." "C'mon, let's head over."

"Aren't they expensive though?"

"Don't worry about it." Caleb said. They quickly made their purchase, turning to the rumbling inside the little love-tunnel ride every few moments. Then went back over, taking their seats and eating the food quietly. "I got you one too, Vero," Caleb said.

"Thanks. I'm just full, really." She took a bite out of it, then spat out some hair in a napkin. "Ew, gross." She threw the hotdog into the water.

Then 3 watched as their swan pushed to the front of the Tunnel of Eros and to begin to ride track again, soon heading back inside.

They heard guttural screaming. "Is Thatti still at it?" Veronica asked.

 

"She's not in trouble, I think. She's just looking for an excuse to fight." Caleb said, pushing Jel back. "She won't tell us, but I know."

"I see.."

 

"Well, don't worry about it. She'll be fine."

 

A series of explosions went off somewhere in the backstage of the staff areas, the gentle water- track erupting like a geyser and pushing their ride forward back and forth. They could see flashes and clashes and Thatti's silhouette tossing bodies left and right at rocket speed.

"We're going to die." Jel said, trying to undo her transformation.

 

"It's alright," Caleb said, turning to the two. "We're all going to die together."

 

Veronica took out a notebook and pencil, scribbling down something and throwing the paper out the raft. "Geez, hurry up and fight these things! I've got a scoop to write."

He put his arms around Jel and Veronica, turning to Thatti's voice. "Thatti-boo!" The blue- haired girl fighting beyond the animatronics didn't respond. "Thatti?"

"Huh? S-shutup! I'm almost finished with these big idiots." She yelled back. Her wand became a large flaming sword, glowing with energy. "Code 6: New Era Burst!" With a downwards slash, she created a thrashing wave of energy that skid along the water and charged at Nefcy, Petal, Pyra, Amethst and Diane. "Got it!" She said, jumping out on the ride, and waving to her companions. She asked, holding her wand up.

She looked back at them. "You kids okay?"

 

"Just fine." Jel said, rubbing her head. Veronica put her arm around Caleb, pulling him close. "What about you?" Caleb asked.

The girl detransformed, her expression shifting into a warm smile. "Bright as starlight!" She said eerily chipper.

The swan-carousel began to push through the darkness, Thatti's magic lighting the way. "Well..I'm tired of fighting. Where were we?"

The three went silent, looking around the tunnel occasionally.

 

Veronica took out her notebook, waving at Thatti who put on a smile. "Can I just ask you one question, Thatti?"

Thatti nodded. "Yeah sure.

 

"How did you get your wand? Headhunter?"

 

"Oh, I found it at my old Glitterkiss Academy. Sadly I didn't get to graduate yet," She said. "Some dumb bureaucracy shit or something."

"And how old are you?"

 

"I'm seventeen. I'll be eighteen in a couple of months." "What is your favorite color?" Veronica joked.

"Tangerine!"

 

Caleb cleared his throat. "Uh, before you got interrupted. You said that Headhunter wasn't your wands real name? What is it?"

"Well, Headhunter is the name of the Perceptcival, which is the artifact that contains the weapon's power. My wand has, a bit of its own personality."

The other 3 looked at her confused, and the magic inside Thatti started to go wild. "I...I think it wants to show you. Best if you see for yourself."

She held up Headhunter and whispered the phrase, her body beginning to transform. "My name is.."

Once again, electrical light shredded her surface and morphed her in a flight of light into a different girl with mint skin, green-blue hair and red eyes with yellow pupils, pink tattoos lining her skin. Her hair flowed into two pigtails, a new face.

The three stared at her confused.

 

"Becca." She said. "And this is Headhunter, or right now it holds my choom, Thatti. She's my compadre, kk?"

Her wand undid itself, becoming the hilt of a large and menacing sword. "That's it?" Jel asked, still confused.

Becca shrugged. "I'm just Becca. Thatti and I are on this trip as the same body, she's just the one who prefers to be the wand when we are fighting.

"Wait, but you're not the same person?" Jel said, rubbing her head.

 

"Yeah, we're not quite the same person. We just take turns doing things." Thatti said, winking. Veronica sighed. "So you are Thatti and Becca?"

"Yeah. Or well...I guess Becca and Thatti?" She said, turning to the other. "Becca is sorta the badass me, my dark side. Thatti is the light side. And we switch with uh, you know.. our transformation and shit. We share bodies. We've been on this trip for a bit, but she's been a big help!" She nodded, smiling. "Ever since she found the wand, found me." Becca said.

Caleb was trying to put sense to all this.

 

"So, you are Thatti In there?" He asked, pointing to the wand.

 

"Thasss right!" The wand said, the three teens almost falling back into the carousel ride from the wand suddenly speaking. "I'm Thatti! Oh no- lookout!" The ride fell ahead thru rapids and Caleb fell into the water.

They slowly pulled him back in, now dripping wet. "Ugh.." He squeezed the water out of his shirt. He sighed.

"Let me make sure I have this clear. You're the wand, or, inside the wand... is usually Becca. And Thatti is Thatti. But when you transform.."

"That's right." Thatti-within-Headhunter said. "I become the weapon, and Becca is wielding me. We switch places while sharing a body kinda. Though right now she looks like herself, she's really in my body and I'm kind of in hers, that is to say my souls inhabiting Headhunter, borrowing its space. If her body gets hurt, I do too when we switch back, and any injuries stay while she’s borrowing my body. She has powers and tricks even I don't have while she's in the driver's seat."

Becca nodded, snapping her fingers. "FREEZIE PEASY." The entire ride froze, water current and everything. The three looked around. With another snap, it resumed.

"Oh. Ok. That makes sense."

 

Becca nodded, she smiled. "Right?"

"When you're Becca, or Becca's you, the real Thatti is a wand. But when you're just Thatti, Becca is a wand."

Becca smiled back at her, whispering to the weapon. "I think he gets it.”

 

"How does it transform you like that?" He asked. "Well. That's a.. kind of a long story. It just kinda does." "I guess so." Caleb said, wiping the water from his face.

"This is all a bit much. But atleast, now I know a bit more." Veronica said, taking a photo of the group with her phone.

"Thatts great." Becca said, waving at the wannabe reporter. "Best magic-mate a gal can ask for don'cha know, doesn't mind switching with me one bit." She made kissy faces.

"Okay." Caleb turned to her. "So what are you fighting for?" "Eh? We're fighting for..oh, you mean besides me fighting for stuff, right?" "Right." Caleb said, turning to the smoldering broken animatronic soldiers Thatti and the Gems had totally destroyed before.

Becca sighed, and her shoulders leaned back into her seat. "Uhm, I'm not really sure. I've been helping out Thatti with her life and sorta..uh, well I am still fledgling in a sense. I'm not sure I can do much else but help out." She shrugged. "Besides. Maybe I'm just looking for a little bit of fun." She smiled, waving at the group. "You guys too, right?"

"Yes!" Veronica, Caleb and Jel shouted, high-fiving each other. Becca deactivated the transformation and switched back, her body resuming Thatti's pinkish innocent form. She held up headhunter- Becca gleaming from within the jewel as Thatti held her.

"As for me.. She sighed. "I want the respect of a certain person. To make things right." She shrugged. "So, I'm going to make things right. Or maybe you can help me, Caleb?" Caleb's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah, sure." Caleb said. "I can help you, for sure. I mean, I'm trying to make my own life." He turned to Jel. "You can help me too, right?"

Jel shook her head. "Yeah, why not?"

 

"Thank you guys." Thatti said, holding the other three's hands. "This person, he's very important to me.."

 

 

 

Sometime in the past

 

"Thatti, you've grown quite abit." A limber boy with soft eyes and a gentle smile said, affectionately patting Thatti's head. "How do you feel about your training day?" The man asked.

"Mmm..well, I love it, but it's also very difficult. Sometimes I just want to leave it behind for a while." She shrugged, her eyes glancing down at her Glitterkiss outfit. "All that sparkly magic, its really hard work! I'm glad to get the week off, but mom wants me to practice as makeup for failing my last report." Thatti sighed. "She, really doesn't like Becca..."

He fell back, several gems pouring him a cup of tea.

 

"Becca is a wonderful being, she really is amazing. I'm sorry you've gotten so caught up with 'her', you knew how cruel that one can be." The boy said, running his fingers through silken robes. "I am so sorry she tried to hurt you that way. I hope you are feeling better." Thatti nodded, shaking her head. "I'm not gonna ever stop using her though, she's important to me." She sipped on her drink, glancing out the window. The young man tried to put his arm around her, but she slunk away.

“Listen to me Thatti, LISTEN.” He shouted. “You and I need to put palm to palm on something. Are you listening?”

“I’m listening Nathan.” She flopped on the bed, luscious silk serenading her.

“Friends are very precious, when you really love someone and care for them, you’ll do everything in their power to keep them alive and protect them. Becca is your friend right, even if she’s just a wand?”

Thatti nodded. “Yeah! I care about her a lot.”

He grabbed Thatti’s hand and held it up, palm to palm. “Then promise me, you’ll protect her no matter what. Give me your word you’ll never abandoned a friend, can you do that for me?

There’s nothing more important in the world than this promise.” He told her.

 

He pressed tightly against her as they exchanged vows. “I, I p-promise! I’ll protect Becca no

matter what.” Taken by her brother’s words, she took her oath to heart.

 

“Becca is a powerful weapon, but she's also a person too. Sometimes I wonder if I am not just a shell for her to use to fight. What she needs to do. Or, maybe..she is a shell for me." Thatti shrugged. "Sometimes it's hard to know."

The boy sighed, looking over Thatti- the wand, so close, yet at the same time so distant.

 

"Well, whatever the case, you won't have to find out alone. I’ll always be with you, sis. Becca and you are wonderful together. I'm sure that'll lead to many wonderful things." The boy said. "Thatti, I need you. You are very special."

The young man and woman shared a kiss and went off to his quarters, falling onto his bed. "I love you too, B-brother." Thatti whispered in his arms.

 

 

The 3 looked at her as she recalled her account, Thatti looking out as the swan ride finally reached the end of the tunnel.

"So?" Thatti said. "Are you guys going to help me? Get the revenge that I deserve? Heh..I guess you're not much of a fighter though. That's alright, I understand."

Veronica looked directly at the girl. "So, you need help finding your brother? Was he kidnapped?"

"Eh? Of course not." Thatti shrugged, laughing. "Nono... He's dead."

Thatti's face grew tense as she felt the other three were looking at her, feeling more and more annoyed by the second.

"Aaah geez, I'm starving. Let's go get some cinnamunny and sodapop okay?" She unbuckled out of her seat. The three stayed seated, the weight of the evening gnawing at them, like knots burying into their stomachs. "You guys gonna share a cinnamunny or what?" Thatti hopped off the ride, and went off to get the food.

 

 

 

"C'mon! What are you waiting for ya bunch uv’boogers?" She yelled. The 3 didn't say a word.