Breaking rules, breaking free (bxb)

Chapter 18

18- The boy behind the beanie
The final straw was when I was unceremoniously dumped into a rubbish bin. I was cold, smelly though I lost my pride a long time ago. Trying to navigate the bustling corridors as a fox proved more difficult than first expected it was alright for Donovan who could part the crowds with ease but I had to be carried like a purse puppy or brave the crush. Today I had been trodden on, kicked, heckled and smushed up against people at an unfortunate height as I was carried...especially if they were girls. 

  By the time I entered the cafeteria I was sick of being a fox. I knew what I had to do and it would be rewarding. "Guys will you come to the toilets a second Blaze has something to show you," Donovan told my friends for me. 
   "In case you haven't noticed we're all different genders we can't use the same bathroom," Kal laughed.
  "It's fine we'll go to the girls toilets and just kick everyone out,"he said and I shrugged.
   "Violence I'm in," Lauren joked. 
  The whole way to the bathroom Donovan gave me a calculating look. "Are you sure about this," he whispered to me when we were just about to go in.
  "Yes I'm sure, I've realised what I need to do."
"You trust them?"
"Completely."
"You know I have to get you to do it too if it's going to work. But if you don't want to I'm not going to force you," I said nervously.
"I trust you if you think it is the right decision so be it. Be warned though if this goes wrong I will run and I'm taking you with me no matter if you want to stay. It's too dangerous for you to be alone as your powers manifest."
"I respect your wishes."

    Lauren, Kal and Grace went in and after some cries of indignation a stream of girls poured out with half completed make-up, messy hair and murderous expressions. "Oh my God like they're boys they can't go in there its for girls duh," an orange-faced girl said.
"Shut up Patricia and go read a book," Kal snapped before pushing  Mark, Ally, Donovan and I inside as we watched in powerless bewilderment.

"So what did you want to tell us," Mark asked completely unfazed by this strange meeting.
    I turned into a human feeling the usual velvety warmth as I did so and arrived at as a fully clothed human. At my side Donovan did the same as per my wish.
"I've had enough of lying, of living in fear so I'm coming clean. I am a kitsune and I'm not hiding it," I said firmly as I pulled off my beanie.
"And I am a Puca," Donovan spoke beside me pulling down his hood to reveal those impossibly black ears.
   There were no gasps of shock, no shouts of disgust, not even a noise of fear as they saw my glossy orange ears standing to attention instead of lying down limp as they usually did. I stared intently at my shoe laces with sudden interest, one was frayed needing a new anklet and I pondered with disinterest whether I should bother buying a new one. 
   "Well done you passed," Lauren said. 
"Passed?"
"We knew you were a kitsune! Its why I sought you out in the first place not that you weren't interesting anyway but we tend to seek special people. We are careful people, those who lie or conceal the truth shouldn't be trusted with your own secrets.  So we've been waiting to see whether you'd tell us about your true self when you discovered your identity." Ally said clearly pleased. 
   "So now we can tell you who we are! I'm going first" Grace squealed in excitement rushing over to the sink. I watched in fascination as she ran  water over her hand to reveal a silvery sheen on her skin. She pressed this hand to her temple giving a quick, "watch out," before her whole body was engulfed by water spurting from the taps. When it cleared her trousers had ripped open and her legs replaced by electric blue scales. She also now seemed to glow with perfection her hair having a desirable windswept look, her eyes sucking you into their incising depths and her skin glowed with smooth glory not a mark polluting its surface.
   "You're a mermaid," I gasped as the smell of salt and crystal clean water hit my nose.
  "It's an honour Miss I could learn much from your brilliant control of the water," Donovan said formally though his eyes sparked with awe at the water now spiralling in an ark back into the sink.
   "And I could learn much from your speed properties too I'm sure,"  she grinned.
He looked a little crest fallen. "I am only young a mere colt really."
   "Then you have progressed quickly young one," Lauren said with respect. This was all going way over my head and I felt embarrassed, like I was intruding on some intimate tradition I did not understand. 
His face filled with shock and pride. "Thank you elder."
  "Err elder," I asked in surprise.
 "Guess its time for my close up," she laughed and clicked a finger. A green flame flickered to life at her fingertip and she brought it too her lips promptly putting it in her mouth and swallowing it. Instantly her skin was engulfed and she sprouted two immense wings of flame. Her feathers were a beautiful mix of different tones green, turquoise and indigo to name just a few. 
    "I am a phoenix. Donovan called me an elder because I am eternal when I die I am just reborn from the ashes of my old body. Each time I regenerate, so I am forever young too."
  "Wow! How old are you if you don't mind me asking."
"437, I died too many times to count though. Being a phoenix can be dangerous.....especially when your learning to fly. I died ten times before I managed to hold myself up."
"My turn," Kal shouted and she ran to the opposite end of the bathroom.
   Out of her bag she pulled a small chilli pepper which looked lethal. She bit into it and almost seemed to melt in pleasure at the taste. She grinned then belched releasing a burst of flames from her lips. I clapped knowing this was only part of the act. She then proceeded to leap into the air disappearing at the peak of her jump and being replaced by a large indigo dragon that barely fit the room. 

  "Wow that's amazing!" Donovan said. 
"Hang on a minute," he said and turned into a crow flying up to join her in the air. "Your scales are beautiful, so shiny! What gem stone are they made of?"
   "A mixture of sapphire and moonstone."
"Ah that would explain the pull towards them."
"Yeah Puca's and moonstone go together like a house on fire."
  Kal changed back and Mark went up next. He turned out to be a nature elf adept at archery, magic and animal taming. Donovan and I being nature spirits were strongly affected by his magic and he managed to help me create a strong illusion of fireworks going of in the toilet. 
   Finally it was Allister's turn but he looked a little nervous. "I'm a techno-path meaning I can manipulate technology for example," he said then closed his eyes clearly concentrating before he set the fire alarms started wailing. Thinking about it he was probably the reason they didn't go off when Kal and Lauren did their displays. 
  "Wow are you a wizard," I asked eagerly.
"No I'm a castor, wizards specialise in many types of magic but we are adept in one specific area."
 "It is an honor sir," Donovan gasped bowing. 
"It was nothing really," he sighed.
"What wasn't?"

   "Castors were once human and gained their powers by sacrificing themselves to save others.  
"That's so noble of you."
  "It was nothing seriously there were children trapped in a burning school bus and nobody was around, I couldn't just let them die!"
  This whole day just made me realise how little I really knew about my world.