The next day after Paula's mother had dropped Hannah and Jenny off at school they went to the dance studio to take down the decorations from the party. It didn't take long to take them down. Afterwards they ate some lunch and Paula laid down on the couch in her mother's office to take a nap while her mother did some paperwork.
After Paula's nap they picked up Hannah and Jenny from school. Back at the dance studio Paula and Hannah practiced in an empty room while Jenny watched. Paula was surprised that she enjoyed ballet now and was excited by it. Her foot work had vastly improved since she transformed. She then remembered that Hannah had said something about the medallion giving the transformed person skills so she
decided to ask her about it.
"Hannah, did the medallion give me the ability to do ballet?" Paula asked.
"The medallions could only give you the skills and personality of the person if it was held after the transformation" Hannah said. "Did you hold on to it after you transformed?"
"No" Paula said.
"Then it didn't give you any skills" Hannah said. "Come to think of it i don't think you can get any skills from an unworn article of clothing since it hasn't been worn by a person before. Skills are something that you learn, they just don't come naturally."
Hannah's explanation became jumbled in Paula's mind but what she understood was the medallion didn't give her any skills. She was doing this on her own which she was proud of.
After Paula's mother finished with her advanced class they went home and had supper.
As they were eating Paula's mother asked "What is the Brotherhood of Zulo Hannah?"
"They are an obscure cult" Hannah said. They claim to be descended from the original M'barduu tribe. They are dedicated to the continued existence of the medallions. It is said that they can sense the presence of a medallion and will use thievery skills they have learned over the years to take possession of the medallions. That this locks the transformed person in a body they may not want doesn't seem to bother them. They see it as helping Zulo in his role as
god of unexpected justice."
"Why do they steal the medallions?" Paula's mother asked.
"They seek to regain Zulo's favor" Hannah said. "You see the medallions won't work for them."
"Now you said you had been transformed by the medallion" Paula's mother said. "Please tell us about it."
"Ok I will" Hannah said. "It was two weeks before Christmas five years ago. At that time I was a thirty-four year old guy and I was shopping for a dress for my niece. I had been to just about all the stores looking for the dress she wanted. On the outskirts of town my car slid into a ditch. Fortunately a guy passing by was able to pull my car out. I thanked him and he went on his way. As I was about to get in my car I saw something shining in the ditch. I picked it up and I saw that it was some short of medallion. I put it in my coat pocket figuring someone had lost it and if not it was kind of neat. Well I arrived at the last store that might have had the dress my niece wanted. They didn't so I was browsing through the dresses looking for a dress my niece would like. All of a sudden a guy came running through the department and knocked me into the dresses. I fell down with the dresses falling around me. When I went to get up I placed my hand on a dress and the medallion that fell out of my coat pocket. I felt a slight jolt and then my vision blurred. When it cleared I felt my body tingling a bit but I ignored it. As I was getting up the tingling became so strong that I fell back down. Then a lady that worked there came up to me and asked if I was alright and where my parents were. I was about to say that I was alright and that she didn't need to know where my parents were when I saw myself in a mirror. I saw that I was a four year old girl in a cute little pink dress. At this point two people came up with a ten year old girl. They said that they were my parents and showed the lady family photos to prove they were my parents. They helped the lady pick up the dresses while I stood by the ten year old girl."
"Oh come on Hannah" Jenny interrupted "use my name instead of ten year old girl."
"I'm telling my story Jenny" Hannah said. "At the time I didn't know who you were."
"I just don't like being referred to like that" Jenny said.
"Ok I'll say your name then" Hannah conceded.
"I have a question for you Hannah" Paula's mother said. "Why didn't you recognize them as your parents and sister?"
"Yea how come?" Paula asked. "When I became Paula my mother was still my mother."
"There are a couple of differences between our situations Paula" Hannah said. "You were a fifteen year old boy and an only child. Your mother is still of an age to have had a child four years ago. I was a thirty-four year old guy and I had a brother and nieces and nephews. My mother then was not of an age where she would have a four year old girl. Instead of becoming my brothers daughter or an adopted daughter I gained a whole new family. Of course I didn't have any memories of my new family at that time."
"I see" Paula's mother said. "Go on with your story Hannah."
"Where was I?" Hannah asked herself. "Oh I remember. Our parents finished helping the lady pick up the dresses and then our mother took us to the ladies room. I was glad that she did because I had an urgent need to take care of. After we finished we went to the portrait studio in the store for a family photo and afterwards our mother helped me put on a pink coat and we left. When we arrived home they sat me down and explained what had happened. They now had memories of them having a younger daughter. They knew about the medallions and figured that one had transformed me. Of course they looked for it while helping the lady pick up the dresses but there was no sign of it. They told me about the brotherhood and that they thought the lady was a part of it. After that they began teaching me magic. A couple of years ago we moved here and I decided to take ballet lessons this year."
"That's an interesting story" Paula's mother said.
The phone rang then and Paula's mother went to answer it. After a few moments she came back and said "Jenny, Hannah, your parents are on the phone and they want to talk to you."
While Jenny and Hannah were talking with their parents Paula's mother looked at Paula and said "Hannah seems to be happy being a girl. Though I imagine that it's tough knowing that the medallion that changed her was so close after five years. If only that lady hadn't come in and taken it she could have become her old self again."
"Yea she could have" Paula said.
"There's just one thing" Hannah said coming into the room.
"What's that?" Paula's mother asked.
"I don't want to change back" Hannah said. "You see when I was Rick I had always felt like I should have been born a girl. Now I am a girl and I'm happy. Oh before I forget our parents have given us permission to teach you magic."
"You're lucky" Jenny said. "No one outside of our family has ever been taught our magic."
"Can we start now?" Paula asked.
"We'll start tomorrow" Jenny said.
"That sounds like a good idea" Paula's mother said. "Now Hannah, Paula, it's time for bed."