ANPIMAT - Lessons of Love, Lessons of Life

by Tal Greywolf

chapter one

-----

    My name?  Call me Silver, everyone else does.  It's not my real

name, and I'm not willing to give that out to anyone.  It's not that I'm

paranoid, but since the gooification, there's a number of folks who want

to remain, well, call it anonymous.  Even if everyone's a polymorph,

there's still a lot of resentment against those who enjoy the ability.

    Why the resentment?  Because most folks don't like to be reminded,

that's all.  They don't want to see folks who want to be different

things, different shapes, just plain different.  Even though we're all

alike when you get right down to it, they want to put it away, close it

off, place it in a box and forget it exists.  Never mind that it's been

close to ten years now since it all happened, the memory of those events

are hard reminders to the majority.

    Me?  When I first heard about what happened, I thought for a bit

that it wasn't possible.  But things change, you know?  I did, that's

for sure.

         *                   *                   *

    It was one of those long, boring seminars, the kind that puts you to

sleep half the time.  My employer decided I should go to it, but didn't

want to pay the air fare.  So instead, I was given a gas allowance and

two weeks off to drive from Ames, Iowa to Boston and back.

    Personally, the two weeks was good, because it gave me a chance to

go visit some friends of mine.  Namely Emerald and Sapphire, two ladies

I had met online a few years ago on one of those anthropomorphic MU*'s.

They both lived in the Boston area, but wanted to come and visit me for

a few weeks before they had to get back to school.

    Emerald was 25 years old, with long brown hair and green eyes that

always crinkled in amusement.  She was fairly good looking, although I

seldom put much into physical appearance.  Nice body, a soft, gentle

face but with a quiet charm.

    Compared to Sapphire, most males would consider Emerald rather

plain.  That's because Sapphire was rather lush in her form.  Flaming

red hair and hazel eyes, she could smile and melt your heart, or with a

glare freeze it solid.  Her body was, for all practical purposes, like

those you might find on Playboy or Penthouse, all curves in all the

right places.  But she had a sharp tongue and was unafraid to use it on

anyone she didn't consider worthwhile.

    I hit it off with them immediately, which was a very good sign.  I

had gotten into Boston two days before the conference, so that gave me a

chance to spend time with them.  They were living together in a dorm,

and they had arranged for their belongings to stay in storage while they

were visiting me.  Over the next few days we got to know each other

fairly well, more than I expected to.

    The day finally came when the conference was over with, and we left

Boston early the next morning.  As much as we had enjoyed the city, it

was time to head homeward for myself, and the temporary home for my

guests and roommates.

    The drive was going to be long, and we had packed for that.  Lots of

nibbles, colas with caffeine, road music and anything else the power

driver needed.  Sapphire offered to drive part of the way, but I told

her only if it was really necessary.

    It wasn't so bad, the drive.  We chatted a while, discussing

hobbies, the news, friends on the net, what's been happening in our

lives, and all the other gossip that tends to come out on the road.

Things were going along well enough, but I saw the gas gauge and knew it

was getting close to fill-up.

    We pulled off at an Exxon just outside of New York City.  While I

fumbled with the gas cap, I handed the keys to Emerald.

    "Can you get the two plastic jugs out of the trunk and go fill them

up with water?" I asked her.  "I forgot to do it before we left, and I

want to have some water in case this thing starts to overheat again."

    She smiled and nodded.  "Sure, no problem."  She went behind the car

and pulled out the jugs, and headed towards the rest room.  Soon, she

came back out with the jugs nearly filled.

    "Ok, got 'em."  She placed them back in the trunk and closed the

lid, handing me the keys back.  "You want anything from inside the

store?"

    I shook my head as I placed the gas nozzle back.  "Nah, we've got

enough for now.  Let's worry about it when we hit Pennsylvania."

    She nodded and slipped back into the car, as I slipped in my credit

card and took the receipt.  As I got in the car, I heard a bit of a

commotion coming from inside the store, but rather than see what was

happening, decided to head out back onto the turnpike.

    I kept driving for a while, then noticed a lot of military vehicles

heading towards New York.  The girls noticed as well, as Sapphire made

comments about it.

    "Well, I wonder what they're heading out for?"  We passed a couple

of personnel carriers, all loaded down with troops, complete with

weapons.  I shook my head and shrugged, keeping my attention on the

traffic ahead of me.

    "Who knows, maybe it's weekend drill?"

     Emerald chuckled at that.  "Oh, my brother's in the National Guard.

He really loves it."

    "Well, the military isn't for everyone," I said.  "It's not for me."

    The trip continued on through Pennsylvania and Ohio, until we hit

Indiana.  There, I let Sapphire drive a while as I caught a quick nap,

then took back the wheel as we reached Peoria.  It was very late when we

finally drove up to the farm house that was my home, outside of Ames.

We all were tired from the drive, and decided simply to head off to

sleep.

    Monday morning came way too early for my taste, and I slipped out of

bed to head into the bathroom.  I peeked in on Emerald and Sapphire,

seeing them asleep in the guest bed.  Quickly I grabbed a shower to feel

better, and started fixing some breakfast.

    Turning on the radio, I listened to the news.  Most of it was the

local ag report, but when the top of the hour came, so did the national

news.

    "The situation in New York City remains critical as the unknown

contaminant in the water supply continues to affect the population.

Reports state that people who have drank the water have ended in some

type of bizarre physical state, other unconfirmed reports have strange

physical changes occurring to people.  The entire city has been sealed

off, until this condition can be understood and controlled.

    "In other news..."  I reached over and clicked off the radio,

puzzled by the news.  On an odd hunch, I walked into my library and

turned on the computer, logging into the campus network and doing a

search for news about what was happening.

    It didn't take long for the results to come back.  Many of the

messages talked about shapeshifting and polymorphism, a few coming from

individuals who were in the New York area.  Everyone was convinced that

what was happening wasn't a fluke, and a number of them wished they

could get ahold of the water.

    A soft cough made me turn around, and I looked at Sapphire standing

in the doorway.  "What made you get up early," she asked, walking into

the library and staring at the screen.

    "Something in the news about New York," I replied to her as she bent

over my shoulder.  "The news says it's some kind of contamination in the

water, but folks online say that whatever's in the water makes you into

a polymorph."

    "Polymorph?  Like a shapeshifter?"  She blinked at the messages, and

I shook my head.

    "That's what they're claiming.  I'm finding it hard to believe, but

given the way the news is reacting, there might be some truth to it."

    "Some truth to what?" Emerald asked, walking into the library as

well in her nightshirt.  I smiled a bit and beckoned her to the

computer, letting her read the messages as well.  She looked at them,

and shook her head in amazement.

    "Gods," she said softly, "it's unbelievable."  She looked into my

eyes and blinked.  "Do you think it's really happening?"

    Another batch of messages came in, and I looked at the replies.  "I

don't know," I commented, "but if it is true, it's either the biggest

mistake in history or the biggest godsend."

    "Any idea when this started?" Sapphire asked me.  I turned and

quickly typed at the keyboard, and looked at the response.

    "From what messages were posted, it started about noon, the first

reports of changes."  I hrmmed softly and looked at the messages again,

and shook my head.  "That's about as close as I can pin it down.  About

noon."

    Sapphire and Emerald both nodded, then a look of questioning flashed

on Emerald's face.  "Silver, remember you asked me to get some water

when we stopped?"

    "Yeah, I did."  Suddenly it hit me as well.  I had asked her to get

some water in the jugs I usually carry.  "Sapphire, my wallet's on the

table in the kitchen."

    She needed no more prompting, but turned and headed quickly out of

the room.  I looked at Emerald and shook my head.  "Gods, if there is

something in the water..."  My thought trailed as Sapphire came back in

with my wallet.  I fumbled with it, and found the slip from the Exxon

station, looking at the time.

    1:43pm

    Slowly I looked up at them, my eyes wide in surprise.  "Dear gods,"

I said in shock, "we've got some of that water."

---

    The jugs sat on the table mutely.  We all stared at them, the

thoughts whirling about in our minds.  Something in the water turns you

into a polymorphic form, and we had it right in front of us.  My eyes

went from Sapphire to Emerald, their eyes filled equally with curiosity

and fear.

    "Silver?"  Sapphire's voice cut through my thoughts, and I looked

blankly at her.

    "Sorry, dear."  I shook my head to clear the fog.  "I was just

thinking a bit."

    "Likely the same things we're thinking," Emerald said in a hushed

tone.  "About drinking the water and changing."  She shivered a bit, but

her lips held a rather sly smile.

    Sapphire nodded and smiled as well.  "You have to admit, it's rather

enticing a thought.  To be able to turn into whatever we desired."  She

shivered as well, and shook her head.  "It sounds so..."

    "Troubling."  I finished up the statement with my own words.  "I'm

not denying that it's enticing.  But gods, it's like playing with fire.

Do we want to try and get burned for it?  What if it doesn't work?  Or

worse, what if it doesn't work the way we think it does?"

    They fell silent at that, brooding at the bottles and the liquid

inside.  I didn't really feel that way about it, but it had to be said.

I stared at the water along with them, a part of me wanting to take a

sip, while the other part kept telling me not to.

    Emerald sighed deeply and lay her head on the table.  "So what are

we going to do?" she asked plainly.  Sapphire cocked her head at me and

waited, wanting to hear as well.

    "For now, I'm going to put this stuff away."  I picked up the

bottles and headed down to the basement.  There, I stored the bottles

away where I could find them again quickly, and headed back up the

stairs.  "And after we've gotten more information," I added, watching

them stare at me, "we'll decide what to do."

---

    The next few days were like living on pins and needles.  Sapphire

and Emerald fell into a routine at the house, alternately taking care of

the chores and surfing the network while I dealt with work stuff.  My

boss was surprised when I came back early, but I requested that I have

Thursday and Friday off.  He was so glad to see me back that he agreed

without question.

    Meantime I was taking every spare moment to query the net to find

out everything I could about what happened in New York.  A lot of it was

conjecture, but I found two personal reports about what happened to

them.  The messages were quite informative, and I copied them along with

everything else I could find, and created a file for Sapphire and

Emerald to read.

    Everything I could discover about what happened made me question my

sanity.  Was this really happening?  The news footage certainly was

real, so were the messages posted from folks on the net.  Sapphire and

Emerald were both convinced it was really happening, but I still had

some doubts.  What if there wasn't anything in the water?  What if it

killed us instead?  What if it was a hoax?

    Our dinner talks sometimes got rather heated, but after a bit of

cooling off we would go back to discussing things.  I had my doubts, but

deep inside I was hoping that maybe, just maybe it was real.  The dreams

of being able to shapeshift were outnumbered by my nightmares over time,

but I still wanted those dreams.  Almost desperately.

    More discreet messages were sent by me, and the results were

interesting at times.  How much water was needed?  At least a half cup,

someone replied, wondering why I would ask that question.  How long did

it take to change?  At least a half hour, sometimes longer, depending on

the person.  The more able you were to visualize and imagine things, the

quicker the changes would occur.  What about food?  You still needed to

eat, but now you could eat almost anything plant or animal.

    I kept shaking my head the more I learned, still torn inside over

what to do.  I'd wake up at night, staring at the ceiling and wonder if

what I was doing was sensible, or if I was just simply delaying the

inevitable.

    A week passed, a long, sometimes frustrating week.  Finally

Wednesday afternoon came, the day we had agreed on to talk about the

decision over the water.  I told my boss that I had company visiting,

and not to expect me to answer the phone; he rather cheerfully wished me

a good time.  I drove the 30 minutes back to home, and went into the

house.  There, Sapphire and Emerald were sitting on the couch, the

various reports and news I could find scattered about on the coffee

table.  They looked up at me, and smiled warmly.

    "Hello, Silver.  Rough day at work?"  Sapphire asked me that, and I

smiled a bit.

    "Every day's a rough day when you're working with computers."  I

walked over and gave them both a kiss, then settled down across from

them in a lounge chair.  "Well, that's everything that I could find

out," nodding at the laser printouts.  "It's not much to go on, but it's

a starting point."

    Emerald nodded.  "It's a good thing we waited, then."  She held up

one sheet of paper with a personal message on it.  "If I'm making this

major a decision in my life, I'd rather do it with some knowledge than

none at all."

    Sapphire nodded and looked at me.  "I have to agree with Emerald.

So," and she held up her fingers, counting off with them, "one, we know

there's something in the water that makes whoever drinks it into a

polymorph.  Two, it's initially a painful event that turns you into a

kind of blob of goo.  Three, once you're the blob, you can then

visualize yourself into something, and your body will take that shape.

And four, you can take just about anything you can visualize, and change

as much as you want."

    I took a deep breath and nodded yes.  "That about sums it up, I

think.  If we drink the water, we'll turn into... something that'll

still be alive, but able to change shapes."  I paused a moment, then

added, "There's no telling what else might happen, but that's the gist

of it."

    They looked at each other, then Emerald spoke up.  "Silver, I know

we said we'd discuss this, but Saph and I talked about it earlier today.

We'd... want to drink the water.  Now wait," she stopped me from

responding and held up her hand, "hear me out a minute.  We've thought

this through and we've decided.  Besides, you're one reason why we want

to."

    I blinked in surprise.  "Me?  Dears, I haven't done anything."

    "You gave us a love for it," Sapphire said gently, laying her hand

on mine.  "You showed up the online places where we could be what we

desired, and turned us on to the love of forms and shapeshifting.

You've helped us out when we've been feeling down, talked to us when we

needed to talk with someone and cared about us as individuals, not as

prizes the way some males have in the past."  She took a deep breath and

looked me in the eyes.  "Silver, we want to do this.  And we want to do

this with you.  It's your decision."

    I couldn't breathe for a minute.  My decision?  I really hadn't done

anything to make them think that... then the long talks about forms

online, about why I liked the idea of shapeshifting, about the stories

I'd written in the past came back to the surface.  They were

intelligent, and understood the risks just as much as I had.  And I

admitted to myself that I had been thinking about it, quite a bit.  More

than I realized at the time.

    I stood up and closed my eyes, centering myself and clearing my

mind.  I wanted to know that what I was about to say I really wanted

deep inside myself.  The girls held their breaths, waiting silently for

me to make up my mind.

    "Ok," I said slowly.  "We'll drink the water."

    Sapphire and Emerald both jumped up and hugged me tightly, planting

kisses all over my face.  Tears formed at the corners of their eyes, and

I could feel my own eyes starting to well up.  Quickly I kissed them

both and untangled myself from their hugs.  "First, let me say something

before I go get one of the bottles."

    They both nodded and listened quietly.  I took a breath and slowly

said what was on my mind.  "I know you want to do this, and I'll admit I

do as well.  But I don't want you to feel like you're being pressured

into this, and I don't want to feel the same way.  If you don't want to

do it, you can back out.  Just like when we're in bed, if you don't want

to do something, tell me now and I won't do it.  That goes for whatever

happens ahead of us, too.  If we go through with this."

    Both nodded their heads in agreement.  "Silver, we've trusted you so

far on this," Sapphire said in reply, "and we're willing to trust you in

your decision.  We both know you won't do anything to hurt us, and we

won't do anything to hurt you at all."

    I smiled slightly.  "I just wanted to make that clear," I said

gently.  "Now, let me got get the bottle."  Quickly I went down into the

basement, and retrieved one of the gallon jugs.  I took the steps two at

a time as I returned, finding Emerald was pulling out three glasses for

us.  Unsealing the bottle, I poured out three healthy glasses of New

York water (an oxymoron, I know) and then sealed the bottle again.  I

stared at them both, unsure of what to do now.

    Emerald settled that for me by taking one of the glasses.  "I'm

going first, then Sapphire, and you can be last."  She winked slyly,

making me shiver a bit.  "That way, you can watch us, then we can watch

you."

    I stopped her from drinking the water.  "Whoa, wait a minute.

Remember, you're going to turn into a pile of goo, then you need to

visualize what form you're going to take."  I looked at them both.

"Have you thought about what you wanted to do?"

    Both nodded.  "We decided that before you came home," Sapphire

informed me.  "We're satisfied with what we want to try first, only you

need to decide what you're going to become."

    I nodded slowly, and released Emerald's arm.  "Ok, I'll think about

it while you two are changing.  But for now,"  I led Emerald into the

center of the living room, making sure there was enough room for her.

"Here, stand here and drink, and give me the glass quickly."

    She nodded, and gave us both warm kisses.  "Wish me luck," she said,

and proceeded to down the water in three swift gulps.  She handed me the

glass, and I stepped back.

    Emerald groaned softly, a look of sudden surprise and pain on her

face.  She doubled over, her stomach starting to look like it was

collapsing in on itself.  She stumbled slightly, then fell down onto the

floor.

    Sapphire and I both watched in stunned fascination as Emerald's form

started to dissolve and melt before us.  Her body slowly flattened out,

her arms and legs becoming deformed and misshapened.  She let out a low

moan, then her face seemed to fold in on itself, her long hair falling

out onto the floor.  A metallic silver-white color spread complete

throughout her, until all that we could see was a rather large mass

flowing about on the floor.

    "AbsoFuckingmazing," Sapphire hissed, her eyes wide as she held my

hand tightly.  "That's absolutely the wildest thing I've seen."

Emerald's form wriggled about, pseudopods pushing up into the air before

melting back into the mass, and I gulped a bit.

    "Gods, that's... wild."  I shook my head.  "It's the only word I can

think of.  Wild."

    Sapphire nodded and snuggled against my side.  "Is that what'll

happen to us?  I can't wait to experience it."  She lay her head on my

shoulder and sighed deeply.

    I shook my head again, and looked at Emerald.  She had managed to

form a pair of eyes, rising up from the mass.  One eye turned towards

me, and I could see she winked at me, apparently doing well enough.

    "How long do you think it'll take her to take form?" Sapphire

whispered into my ear.  I shrugged, unsure myself.

    "Might take an hour, might be sooner.  Depends on the person, I

guess."

    In truth it was about 20 minutes.  After Emerald winked at me, we

both watched as she slowly formed herself, learning rapidly how to work

with her new state.  She started to stand up on long, sleek legs, her

body and arms taking shape with each passing moment.  Her skin turned an

ebony hue, while long silver hair cascade behind her head.  Within

moments she had finished her first change, becoming a luscious drow elf.

    My jaw dropped, and Sapphire made a soft sound at the sight of her.

She literally looked stunning, moreso than Sapphire did.  From the sway

and curve of her hips to the large, firm breasts, she almost literally

exuded sensuality to everyone.  Her lips twitched in amusement, then she

posed most provocatively at me.  "Like what you see?" she said in

throaty contralto.

    All I could do was nod repeatedly while I got my voice to work.

Sapphire reached out to Emerald, who took her hand and came over to sit

next to her.  "Gods, it's real, isn't it?"

    Emerald nodded enthusiastically.  "Oh, it's real all right.  Go

ahead, drink up.  You're not going to regret it at all."

    Sapphire stood up and went to the table, getting her glass.  She

stood where Emerald had been standing, clearing the leftover clothing

away.  Standing in front of me, she raised her glass.  "Here's to our

health," she toasted, and drank the water.

    Emerald took the glass from her, and sat down next to me as the same

changes occurred to Sapphire.  This time Emerald watched in rapt

fascination as Sapphire melted before our eyes, turning into a metallic

golden puddle on the floor.  She giggled softly, then lay her head on

the same shoulder that Sapphire was just leaning against.  During the

entire time, I had remained silent.

    "Tell me what you're thinking, lover," Emerald asked.  "You're too

quiet."

    "It's just..."  Words failed me, normally the most eloquent of

people.  "It's too much, too fast for me."  I sighed deeply and turned

my head, only to be met with her lips kissing me gently.

    "Relax, lover.  It's not the end of the world," and she giggled a

bit, "just the end of your normal world.  It's so... different now."

She turned her body towards me and looked down at it.  "Do you like it?"

    I looked down at her, unable to really turn away.  Not that I wanted

to, she was quite lovely indeed.  Every inch of her form yearned to be

touched, and I was hard pressed not to do anything.  "It's... Emerald,

you're so alluring to me, and I want to stay true to myself here.  I

don't want to do something stupid."

    "Doing something stupid would be not enjoying me this way," she

replied, wrapping her arms around my neck and making me turn towards

her.  "Sapphire and I find you incredibly attractive, you're a wonderful

lover, and you're patient and caring.  We want you to appreciate that,

and we want to appreciate you.  And for you to appreciate us.  We're not

doing this just for ourselves, but for you.  Your wishes and desires."

    I was stunned again, this time from her words.  "Emerald, I don't

know what to say.  Really."

    "Then don't say anything," she replied, and moved in close to kiss

me.  I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her back, then sighed as I

relaxed in the embrace, enjoying the feel of her against me.  She

responded in kind, pressing gently against my chest but not demandingly.

    We stayed that way while Sapphire went from normal human to liquid

goo, flowing over the floor as she learned her body over again.  She

took a little longer than Emerald did in taking shape, perhaps 35

minutes, but once she got the hang of it, it didn't take her long at

all.  Watching with interest we saw her head form up, her mouth pushing

out into a blunt muzzle, while her ears moved up to the top of her head

and formed points.  A pair of slitted eyes formed, blinking at the light

while she slowly stood up from the ground, her body reshaping with

feline grace.  A covering of fur sprouted across her entire body, while

behind her a tail pushed out into the air, lashing back and forth behind

her.  She yawned, a mouth of sharp teeth being visible, then she snapped

it shut and purred in delight.

    "Mmmmmm, now, this is the way to be."  She slowly sauntered over to

us, moving about with feline grace, idly flexing her fingers and making

the claws appear and disappear.  "Emerald, dear, you didn't warn me that

it felt so delightful in that liquid state."

    Emerald giggled and jiggled softly.  "I forgot."  She untangled

herself from me and gave Sapphire a warm hug and kiss.  "Mmmm, no

breasts?"

    Sapphire laughed and brushed her chest, making several small nipples

appear in the fur.  "No, dear, not for now.  You wanted to be the busty

one, remember?"

    Emerald giggled again, then picked up the final glass and handed it

to me.  "Ok, lover, it's your turn."

    I took the glass, and looked at them.  They both smiled warmly and

kissed me gently.  "You know this is what we want," Sapphire purred

deeply.  "And we know it's really want you want."

    I nodded slowly, then went into the center of the room.  Sapphire

had moved her clothes out of the way, so I was left standing there by

myself.  The stood near me, trying to make me feel safe and secure, and

I smiled softly.  "Here goes nothing," I said, and drank down the water

in the glass.

    Sapphire took it from my hands as I blinked in surprise.  Then it

felt like something took a large mallet to my stomach, and I groaned

low.  The fire in my stomach started to spread, and I gave a slight

twitch as I fell down to the floor.

    I groaned again as the fire spread everywhere, my body turning into

mush and unable to stop it.  My arms, legs, everything slowly dissolved,

then I watched the outside world vanish in a haze, then blackness as the

pain disappeared.

    I felt myself suspended in the blackness, unable to hear or sense

anything.  All I could feel was my body, being rearranged completely

within.  The feeling of connection with my form became crystal clear,

like I could feel every single cell, every millimeter.  I could feel the

floor underneath me, every fiber of the carpet with startling clarity.

    Eyes, I thought to myself.  I want to see what's happened to me.  I

felt something stir inside of me, and slowly they pushed outwards,

rising into the air and becoming a pair of eyes on stalks, like wheat.

I blinked and looked around, trying to get my bearings.

    Emerald and Sapphire were sitting on the couch, watching me

intently.  It looked like they both had been keeping themselves amused,

as Emerald had a slightly flushed look on her face, and Sapphire was

licking her muzzle repeatedly.  I wanted to shake my head at them, but

that reminded me that I needed to take a shape.

    My memory was sharper than before, and I quickly tried to remember a

print I had in my collection, one that I particularly enjoyed.  A Terrie

Smith print, of a male elk morph.  The image formed in my mind, in

three-dimensional vision.  I held onto that image, wanting it deeply.

    The odd sensation returned, only this time it was much stronger.  I

could feel my arms and legs forming, becoming strong, powerful.  My

chest broadened, flat, able to hold my head up proudly.  Bones and

muscles formed correctly, while my jaw pushed outwards, becoming a

short, sharp muzzle.  Ears flicked at the top of my head, and I shivered

as the dark brown fur formed across my entire form.  I felt a tugging at

the top of my head, then a pair of antlers pushed into the air, tines

separating until there was a handsome rack.  A short tail pushed out the

base of my spine, and I flicked it for a moment.

    I opened my eyes, and looked down at myself.  Three fingered hands

were attached to long, powerful arms, while my legs ended in a pair of

hard hoofs.  Between my legs I could clearly see a sheath, yet I was

unashamed at the fact that I was as naked as they were.  I looked up at

them, and saw that they were whistling in appreciation.

    "Oh wow!" was all Sapphire could say.  Emerald stood up and walked

over to me, placing her hand on my chest.  I was a good foot taller than

her, and I looked down at her.

    "You like?"  My voice had changed as well, taking on a whistling

sound.  Emerald nodded rapidly, and ran her fingers through my short

fur.  It tickled lightly, yet it was a pleasing sort of feel to me.

    "Silver," she said in an awed voice, "you've surprised us both.  But

I'm glad."  Her hands dropped down to my sheath, and I twitched slightly

from the touch.  "Mmmmm, do you want to find out what it's like this

way?"

    I laughed softly and ruffled her head with my hand.  "It looked like

you were already trying things," I said, giving Sapphire a warm wink as

well.  "Or did you notice me looking at you."

    "Oh, I saw," Sapphire said, coming over to where I was standing.

"Not that either of us minded in the least."  Glancing down at my groin,

she let out a throaty purr.  "And I know I don't mind this in the least

as well."

    I let out a sharp laugh, and bent my head down to kiss them both.

"Oh, I'm sure you both won't mind it in the least."  Giving them a sly

wink, I reached for Emerald and lifted her up with surprising ease to

kiss her soundly.

    She wrapped her legs around my chest and her arms locked around my

neck, kissing me with fervor.  Down below I could feel Sapphire moving

close against me, her tongue starting to lick along the length of my

sheath as her fingers lightly wrapped around my sac.  I let out a soft

sound as I felt them being gently squeezed, aware suddenly of just how

large they were.

    It was a slow, sensual pace that our lovemaking began to take.  My

muzzle dipped down to Emerald's chest and breasts, my tongue lightly

licking along the skin and nibbling playfully on her nipples.  She in

turn arched her back, offering them to me in full while Sapphire

caressed, licked and stroked me into full hardness, my now-cervine shaft

sliding out into the air for her to give her own attention to.  We would

occasionally look at each other with amazement, taking the time to

marvel at what was happening to us, then one of us would go back to

pleasing another, and we'd start anew.

    By now I had moved Emerald up enough so that her legs rested on my

shoulders, holding her up with my arms as my muzzle dived between her

legs to lick warmly.  My nose and tongue were intimately familiar with

her scent now, her own arousal very much a part of me.  She held on to

my antlers, moaning low every time my tongue found a sensitive spot to

tease.  Sapphire on the other hand was purrring in total delight as her

mouth slowly engulfed my hardness, her rough tongue gently rasping

repeatedly along it's length.  I rocked slowly back and forth in rhythm

with her motions, her fingers playing with the base of my tail and

sending a new sensation through me, one that was as equally pleasurable

as any other.

    The playfulness changed into a more urgent need in us all as our

desires became truly inflamed.  Sapphire suckled strongly on my shaft,

taking it completely into her mouth while Emerald groaned low, grinding

her hips against my muzzle as I worked my tongue deep into her.  It

wasn't long in coming, as Emerald suddenly let out a low moan that

increased in pitch until she was nearly screaming out in pleasure,

spasming about my tongue as I licked her juices as quickly as I could.

My own climax was approaching, as I could feel a powerful sensation

filling my groin.  Sapphire sensed it as well and gave a series of

strong, slow suckles that pushed me over the edge.  I grunted and bugled

loudly as a climax like I'd never felt before exploded inside of me, the

sudden rush of juices surprising Sapphire and ending up with her muzzle

coated with them.

    Slowly I went to the floor, laying Emerald down first before laying

on my back, panting quickly.  Both Emerald and Sapphire lay next to me,

Emerald helping clean Sapphire's muzzle of my juices and kissing lustily

over my chest.

    "Gods, that was... incredible."  My mind whirled wildly, the new

senses and sensations still washing over me inside.  Sapphire curled up

against me and nuzzled my neck, licking gently while Emerald lay on the

other side, still shivering.  I wrapped my arms around them lightly, and

we lay there slowly coming down from our highs.

    Emerald sighed deeply and nuzzled the other side of my neck.

"Silver," she whispered, "do you regret this now?"

    I shook my head and kissed her lightly, then turned to kiss Sapphire

just as gently.  "No, lovers, I don't."  I sighed just as deeply and

relaxed, feeling more at peace than ever before.  "I was worried about

you two, about myself, that we were making a mistake."

    Sapphire scritched my chest and nodded, her muzzle close to mine.

"I know, lover.  But now that it's done, let's enjoy ourselves as we

are, not what we were.  We've all dreamed about being able to shift, and

now we have our wishes fulfilled."

    "Be careful what you wish for," I rumbled.  "Or you might just get

it."

    They both laughed softly and snuggled back down against me, and we

lay there in the gathering twilight.

---

    I woke up slowly, feeling a warm, sensual sense of calm throughout

my body.  I didn't know how long I had been asleep, only that the

contentment of being snuggled against by my lovers had banished the

fears from me for the time being.  I opened my eyes, seeing the darkened

room and turned my head slightly, searching for the clock on the

bookcase.  It read 10:13pm.  Five hours since we had drank the water and

turned into... into what?  Polymorphs?  Blobs?  Shifters?  Was there

even a term for what we had become?  Or did it matter at all?

    The room slowly brightened as I looked about, my eyes adjusting

rapidly to the darkness.  Emerald and Sapphire still lay next to me,

their hands lightly scritching across my chest as they were awake, their

voices a soft murmuring in my ears.  I lifted my head up a bit, and they

were startled by my wakefulness.

    "Hi," I whispered, bending my head to give Sapphire a warm kiss,

then turning it to do the same to Emerald.  "Why didn't you wake me up

earlier?"

    Sapphire gave a slightly crooked smile.  "You looked like you needed

the rest," she purred, still in her feline shape.  Emerald hadn't

changed as well, still very much the drow elf who I had given so much

pleasure to earlier.  Her fingers ran through my fur again, making my

chest twitch in response.

    "You looked like you needed the rest, love."  She leaned up and

licked my ear playfully, getting it to bat against her nose.  "Sapphire

and I didn't mind it, we really needed the rest as well.  It was good,

wasn't it?"  Her nose crinkled in a smile, referring back to our earlier

tryst.

    I replayed the events in my mind with sparkling clarity and shook my

head.  "I still don't believe it," I whispered softly.  "It's seems

so..."  I tried to think of a word that would fit.  "Surreal.  It's so

surreal right now, and I'm trying my best to adjust."

    Sapphire leaned against me and nuzzled my muzzle, licking it gently.

The affection made me sigh softly and wrap my arms warmly against them

both.  "We're all adjusting, love," Sapphire purred.  "We're all in this

together, and we will learn how to deal with it.  Together."

    I nodded in agreement, then smiled a bit.  "I don't know about you

two, but I want to see myself."  With that, I got to my hoofs (strange

how you automatically changed your thinking, they weren't really feet

any more) and stood up.  They scrambled to their feet as well, putting

their hands in mine.

    The bathroom had a large counter and sink, and over it was an

equally large mirror on the wall.  Snapping on the light, I blinked as

my eyes adjusted to the brightness, and stared at the images reflected

back.

    It was like looking through someone else's eyes, peering at my

reflection in the mirror.  From the large rack of antlers on my head to

the soft muzzle that was my face, the ears flicking lightly on the top

of my head and the colorful fur pattern that covered my broad chest and

body completely, I had to admit I made one hell of a good looking stag.

Even my sheath was impressive, although I suspect a little subconscious

influence there.  Tilting my head a bit, I let out a soft chuckling

sound and posed for myself, amazed at how it felt, this new shape.

    Emerald and Sapphire were also looking at themselves in the mirror,

equal looks of wonderment and fascination on their faces as they gazed

at their forms.  Sapphire purred deeply as her tail flicked lightly

against my ass, while Emerald preened and took a number of provocative

poses, giggling all the while at my wide-eyed reactions.

    "Oh, come on, lover, wouldn't you just enjoy being behind me and

putting all that nice hard shaft up inside?"  She grinned, bending over

the counter and showing off her ass, spreading her legs wide.  Sapphire

giggled and proceeded to mimic her, her tail held high in the air.

    "Isn't often a cute shapeshifter gets this sort of chance, you

know," she purred at me, batting her eyelashes towards my stunned

expression.  I shook my head and laughed, reaching down to hug them

both.

    "Scamps.  Can't you two wait a little while here?  Or am I going to

have my thoughts scattered to the winds on a regular basis?"

    They both grinned widely at me, and I knew the answer already before

Emerald spoke.  "We're going to drive you insane with our bodies, and we

damned well better expect the same from you."

    I grinned, and swatted both hard on the asses.  They both yelped and

turned, but I had already turned to run down the hall.  Shouting and

yelling at me, we ended up back in the living room as I was tackled by

Sapphire, then tickled by them both into submission.

    Despite the lateness of the hour, we all were still fairly much

awake.  We lay on the floor, snuggling and kissing gently, then Emerald

smiled gently as she whispered something into Sapphire's ear, something

I couldn't quite catch.  Sapphire grinned as well, and I knew that they

had something new planned.

    My ears flicked lightly.  "All right, what are you two planning?" I

said in as stern a tone as I could manage.  For their part, they giggled

and kissed me warmly.

    "Remember that demon portfolio you have?" Emerald said, her fingers

running along my arm.  "The ones with the really good looking ones."

    "Huh?"  I looked puzzled, then remembered the one she was referring

to.  "Oh, yeah, I know the one.  It's in my room, want me to get it."

    "Please."  Sapphire and Emerald both looked anxious, and I went off

to get the folio they were thinking of.  Come to mention it, it did have

some rather interesting images in it, I recall muttering to myself.  I

went into my library/bedroom, and quickly located the portfolio, heading

back out into the living room.

    They had settled down on the couch, and were waiting for me to

return.  I held up the folio and grinned.  "Is this the one?"

    Sapphire clapped her hands in delight.  "That's it!  That's the one

we wanted to look at."  I placed it on the coffee table, spreading out

the images.  Quickly they started looking at one print, then another,

talking to each other in a low whisper.

    I waited patiently, but soon my curiosity was getting the better of

me.  "Come on," I said, "what are you planning now?"

    Sapphire looked up at me from one print.  "Give us a moment more,

and you'll see."  She whispered to Emerald, who nodded.  "Ok, we're

ready."  Both of them stood up and walked into the middle of the room.

"Just watch, and you'll see what we've got in mind."

    I grinned widely, trusting them now with their ideas.  Sapphire and

Emerald winked and blew kisses, then their forms seemed to ripple and

shimmer as their forms started to alter visibly.  Sapphire's fur

vanished back into her skin, while Emerald slowly became taller,

matching Sapphire's height.  Their skins started to take on a reddish

hue, with Sapphire growing a pair of breasts the equal of Emerald's set.

Their feet slowly became a set of cloven hoofs, while behind Emerald a

long tail pushed outwards.  The tails became draconic, long and thick

with a spade at the end, flattened out.  A pair of spikes pushed from

the back of their shoulders, quickly taking shape as bat wings, slowly

spreading wide in the air, while their hair became glossy back, horns

growing up from the front and curling back behind them.  Their changes

finished up with a flourish as needle-sharp teeth became between their

lips, a pair of identical demonesses standing there before my eyes.

    I let out a low whistle and stared with undiluted appreciation.

"You two are absolutely crazy, you know that?"  I shook my head, and

grinned widely as they sat down on the sides of me, nibbling on my

shoulders.

    "So you like?" one of them asked, I guessed being Sapphire.  I

couldn't help but nod, giving them both warm kisses.

    "Ok, let's see if I can find something that'll match you two."  I

went through the images, noting that most of them were females to begin

with.  An idle thought crossed my mind, but I let it percolate in the

background while I kept looking.  Finally, I spotted one of a demon with

a wolf's head, looking very impressive as he was getting the once-over

by a smaller demoness.  I locked the form in my mind, and stood up from

the couch, moving away from them.

    Still holding the image strongly, I willed myself into the form.  My

body seemed to turn momentarily into jello as I felt myself starting to

shift shape, the sensations being both thrilling and erotic.  My muzzle

pushed outwards, becoming longer and narrow, my tongue flicking along

the lips repeatedly.  My fur slowly vanished, the skin becoming a dark

red in coloration as the muscles rearranged to make my chest even more

prominent than before.  I felt two spikes pushing out from my shoulders,

turning quickly into the skeletal structure and wings of a dragon or

bat, matching my skin coloration and feeling good as they unfurled

behind me.  My tail twitched and grew longer, thicker, taking on an

equally draconic appearance.  My thighs became bulkier, but I retained

my hoofs, feeling them grow larger to help keep me balanced.  I let out

a low growl as my sheath turned into a rather large, and very long

shaft, making both of them gasp in excitement.

    I grinned down my muzzle at them, still towering around a foot

taller than they were.  It didn't matter to them, however, as they stood

up as one and walked over to me, placing their hands on my chest and

sliding them down to my groin.  Two sets of eyes sparkled with lust as

they caressed my shaft, their heads dropping down to run their tongues

along it's length.

    Our sexual play took on a new intensity this time as we licked,

suckled and slid into each other repeatedly.  Maybe it was the fact that

we were demons, or what we thought demons would be, or just our

subconscious working in overdrive, but our desires were incredibly

strong.  I would lay on my back, wings spread wide as one of them would

straddle my muzzle while the other would take my shaft completely inside

of her.  Despite it's length, they both easily could take it, moaning

about how good it felt inside of them.  Once one was finished, the other

would want to be taken, either with me thrusting away at her from behind

as she stood on her hands and knees or standing over her as her legs

were spread wide to let me in.  Even our tails were involved, sliding up

and teasing spots our hands couldn't reach, or wrapping around and

caressing in a loving way.  I couldn't count how many times I climaxed,

staying quite hard and ready for them.  They too were nearly lost in the

lusty lovemaking, offering themselves again and again to please me

completely.

    We came down slowly from our orgasmic peaks, going from urgent

demands to a more slow, sensual state.  I nuzzled and licked them

repeatedly, murmuring about how wonderful it's been and how good it

feels, and they reassured me that they were enjoying it just as much and

wanted it to continue.  I rumbled gently in reply, more than happy with

the way it'd been so far.

    An odd idea popped into my head, although I hadn't really thought

about anything.  But it was a tantalizing idea, one I thought might be

fun to try with them, considering all we had done to begin with.  I

nuzzled the top of Sapphire's head, now that I was able to really tell

them apart, and rumbled gently.  "Lovers, care to hear a really strange

idea?"

    They both looked up at me with that, a wry smile on Emerald's lips.

"What sort of idea do you have in mind?"

    "Well," I said slowly, trying to put the idea into words, "We

started off as becoming a kind of liquid blob.  I was wondering if we

could, well, merge together while that way."

    Emerald blinked in surprise, and Sapphire looked a touch thoughtful.

"You want to try it?"

    "Sure, why not?" I admitted.  "Considering what we've been though so

far, let's try something really different."

    "Sure!"  "Let's do it!"  They both sounded excited over the idea,

and I grinned in response to that excitement.  I stood up, and helped

them to their feet.

    "Let's all stand just slightly apart, and just go liquid.  We should

be able to sense each other, and from there, we should be able to merge

into one."

    They nodded in understanding, and stood away from me.  I closed my

eyes, thinking about this for a moment, and felt my body start to melt

from within.  I sank down to the ground, feeling myself turning into a

liquid state again, only this time doing so intentionally.  The feeling

was odd, but it was a pleasant sort of odd, not uncomfortable at all.

    I sensed something close to me, and pushed out towards it.  A part

of me touched another liquid surface, and immediately started to flow

towards me.  The surfaces remained for a moment, then like a barrier

being broken I could feel Emerald suddenly pouring into me, our bodies

starting to mingle together.

    When the barrier broke between us, something else vanished as well.

My mind was suddenly filled with the mind of Emerald, hearing her

thoughts of astonishment, her body telling me everything about herself,

even down to the details of what it was like for the last few hours.  My

body was doing the same with her, totally exchanging information in ways

never dreamed of.  I knew instantly what it was like to be female, how

it felt to her, the loves and the pain she's suffered.

    *Oh, Silver, I'm sorry*  She seemed to touch me in ways that made my

own hurts vanished.  *You've been hurt worse than I have*  My own life

was equally open to her, and she felt the pain from my marriage, the

person who I thought loved me but turned out only wanted to use me for

her own advantage.

    She would have added more, but we both shivered as Sapphire suddenly

merged as well into us, her own thoughts and mind as open as her body.

It was like reading a book, only the books were living, thinking beings.

Sapphire and Emerald quickly read my mind and body, and I could feel

them both surrounding my thoughts with their own.

    ~Don't be afraid, lover~ Sapphire mind-whispered.  ~We're not going

to hurt you, we don't want to hurt you.  All we want is your love.~

    *Please, Silver, love us as much as we love you*  Emerald's mind-

whisper was passionate, and it touched me as deeply as Sapphire's did.

*We love you so much, we can't lie to you.  You know what we're thinking

and what we've felt before.  We want you for what you are.  Kind and

loving.*

    <I know, lovers> I mind-whispered back.  <I love you two deeply,

more than I should.>

    ~Don't say that.~  Sapphire's tone took on a darker sound.  ~We

don't want to lose you, and you're not too old for us.  We're all the

same age now, born anew and that means you as well.  So stop making

excuses for us, lover.  Please.~

    Again they touched me, and soothed away the years of hurt I had, the

pain of a broken marriage, the times of spending it alone with no one to

share my dreams, my imagination, my wishes with.  They wanted to share

that with me, I saw that clearly in my own mind.  Sapphire and Emerald

were distinct individuals, but they shared the same deep love and

passions I had kept buried from others.  But not from them, no longer

could I hide it from them.  They were as much a part of me now as I was

of them.

    They said that males and females can't understand each other, but

Sapphire, Emerald and myself understood each other with supernatural

clarity.  Not merely their thoughts and emotions, but the person,

physically, emotionally, spiritually.  It was more than before, a kind

of bonding that has no word for it other than soulmates, perhaps.

That's what we were becoming, soulmates.

    I cried, I cursed, I despaired, for them and for myself.  They cried

with me, the hurts of lovers who didn't care, those who treated ladies

like pieces of meat, individuals who despised them for being intelligent

and unafraid.  They felt my nightmares, the long nights alone with no

one to be with, the few loves who understood but left for others because

they couldn't see what was underneath.

    Their desire for me, for the individual who was Silver, made me feel

loved, wanted, needed.  I wanted to love them, care for them, give them

what they wished, and found they wanted to do the same for me.  It was

honest, it was basic, it was simple yet indescribable.  I whispered into

their minds repeatedly I loved them, putting all of my healing soul into

it.

    There was no way to describe what happened between us next.  Call it

sex with no form.  Or formless sex.  You had heard about what happened

in Times Square, when over 200 people merged into a single, giant mass?

It might have been wild, but it was just pure sex for them, simple

desires to please just themselves.

    Not between us.  It was sex, but it was more than sex.  It was love

and lovemaking on a pure level, a primal state where the only things

that mattered were not only your own pleasures, but the pleasures of the

others.  Whatever you might call it, our bodies were totally merged into

one single mass, a mass that rippled and squirmed about on the floor as

we dived into each other, learning each other's bodies and minds like

never before.  I learned completely what it meant and felt like to be

female, from both Sapphire and Emerald, showing me everything from the

sexual pleasures of the body to why our changing forms were so exciting

to them.  They learned what it was to be male from me, discovering the

dual sensation that make up a male orgasm, saddened that so few others

had spent time with me, determined to make up for that by giving me as

much of themselves as they could.

    I felt myself being both male and female, them gently teaching me

their bodies as I taught them mine, discovering ways to please and tease

without taking a solid shape.  Each orgasm was felt by us all, each one

having an individual flavor that was distinctive as a scent, or a color.

We took solace in this state, aware but not truly aware of anything but

ourselves for now, and the needs of each other.  Slowly the walls I had

built up inside me were torn down, eventually able to give myself as

fully to them as they were to me, making the pleasures even more

enjoyable for all.  After a while there was no distinction between male

and female sensations between us... there was Emerald, Sapphire and

myself, and that was all.  Form, gender, that wasn't important.

    The ebb and flow of our mutual lovemaking finally slowed down, and

we started to feel our body needing to rest.  There was a whisper in my

mind, from them both.

    ~*Separate?*~

    I didn't want to.  <No.  I'm tired of being by myself.  Stay.

Please.>

    I felt them snuggle deeper into my mind.  *Thank you,* Emerald

whispered.  ~I don't want to be alone tonight, either,~ Sapphire added.

    <Move?  Bedroom?>

    They whispered agreement, and slowly we moved across the floor like

some giant amoeba, one eye forming to see where we were heading.  After

a while we reached my bedroom, and flowed up onto the bed, our body

spreading out to take up every inch of space.  Together we relaxed, the

eye disappearing as we hung in the darkness together.

    ~Good night, lover~  *Sweet dreams*  <Rest well, loves>  Our minds

slowed and quickly we fell asleep.

-----

ANPIMAT - Lessons of Life, Lessons of Love

copyright 1997, Tal Greywolf

all rights reserved

Dedicated to Caribou, the model for Emerald