Rowan stared at the lynx-eared catgirl in her green room.  “Ana?  Is that really you, back at last?  We’ve missed...”

Ray turned to face her and smiled apologetically.  “Sorry.  She stayed at the estate.”

“Oh,” said Rowan with a sigh.  “It’s just you.  Why are you Ana’s twin?”

“Long story, involving atoning for putting silver on all my pets...”  At a growl from Gwen’s direction, Ray quickly corrected herself.  “I mean my pretty guests.”

“Why?  She’d be welcome here.  How is she?”

Ray shrugged.  “She was never here for the dancing.  She got what she wanted, and she’s probably the happiest person I’ve ever met.”

“Please tell her she’s missed,” insisted Rowan.  “She doesn’t have to dance or do anything at all.  The green room is open to her any time.”

Ray looked around.  “The green room is getting crowded these days.”

“I keep telling you that.  It’s worst on full moon nights, of course.”

Ray chuckled.  “Of course.  Given that this place makes more those nights than most weeks, I’m not complaining.  My financial advisor is annoyed that I can’t take tax deductions for the losses here, either.  We’ve been in the black for months.  So...  How would you feel about managing a restaurant?”

“Me?” asked Rowan incredulously.  “I wouldn’t know the first thing about... wait, are you talking about the place next door?”

“They’ve been hassling me about costing them business for ages, and even more now that we’re pulling in a lot more customers on ‘random nights’.  I’d been toying with the idea of buying them out so we’d have most of the building to ourselves, just to end the annoyance.  But if we need the space...”

“We’re going to need it if Donna keeps up the good work.  We’re getting more and more requests for body changes, not just fantasy dancers.”

“Huh.  I wonder if the nail salon at the far end of the building would sell, too.  She could consult there, and... where is she, anyway?”

Gwen pointed at the gem on her forehead.  “She’s enjoying being the power behind the changes, but letting me figure out what to do.”

Ray’s eyes went wide.  “Can I try?”

“I don’t know if Donna would be OK with that,” said Gwen.

“Now I’m curious,” came a voice from the gem.  “Let’s see.”

So Gwen carefully took off her diadem and held it out to Ray.  The catgirl took it with an awed expression, but when it settled on her brow she pouted.  “I don’t feel anything.  It looks like it should be hugely powerful, and...”

“She, not it.”

“I don’t mind,” chuckled Donna.  “I’m a thing right now.  It is fine.”

“But how do I transform people like you did?” Ray asked, trying not to sound petulant.

“Ask nicely,” said the gem.

Ray looked around, and spotted Nissa approaching them.  “Turn her the rest of the way into a spider,” she said, pointing toward the tall woman.

Nissa’s smile grew bigger as she felt the change take hold.  “Oh, this’ll be... wait, why is Ray doing the changes now?”

“Because I wish I could do it myself.”

“Stop saying that word,” grumbled the gem as Ray started to change.  

Ray started to apologize, then cursed as she lost her balance and fell to the ground.  She stared at her legs as they wafted away into blue mist.  “What are you doing?”

“Turning you into a genie.  At least in body.”  The gem sighed.  “Can’t give you the powers, that’s a step too far even for me.”

Ray looked from her misty legs to her blue-furred arms.  “Turning me into Cobalt as the upper half of the genie?”

“Yeah.  Seemed appropriate.”

“I’d rather just be her,” mused Ray, and her legs started to reform.  Soon she was standing again, and handing the diadem back to Gwen.  She looked at it longingly, then asked, “Why can’t I?”

“You’re not ready yet,” chimed the diadem.

“Yet?”  Ray pounced on the word.

“Talk to the Moon.”

Ray begged Donna to give more than that, but she refused, saying she’d told him too much already.

Nissa chittered for attention once Ray wound down, and soon a human head reformed atop her bulbous torso.  “Thanks.  Being a spider is fun, but speaking is more useful.”  She turned to look at herself in the mirror, seeing a giant white spider with an equally pale human face on a rounded spider head.  “Think I could get away with dancing like this?”

“Mmm, probably not,” mused Gwen.  “Not enough boob.”

“Turn my whole body into one, then!” enthused Nissa.  “It’s round enough.”  She giggled as she felt her body turn jiggly and soft, then a giant nipple poked out of the front of it.  “Mmmm.  I’m liking the feel of this already.”

Gwen shook her head but she was grinning.  “Glad to hear it.”

Nissa turned to the mumbling blue-furred vixen.  “Is that Ray?  I’d heard about Cobalt...  She’s cute.”

Rowan chuckled.  “I wonder if we can keep her like this.  Did you need something?”

“Neysa said you were talking about the place next door, and... well, the chef there, Angus, is a big fan of Marilyn.  Less of spiders, sadly, but still he’s one of my regulars.  We talk a lot.”

That got Ray’s attention.  “Think he’d want to try running the place himself?”

“Hell yeah.  He’s tired of boring pub food, wants to switch up the menu to something more creative.”

Ray raised one blue furry eyebrow.  “How creative?  I’d like to keep things in a reasonable price range, not go crazy high end.”

“I don’t know.  He’ll probably be in later, I could introduce you.”

Ray smiled at the spider-boob.  “That’d be great.  Thanks.”

Nissa scuttled off toward the stage, and Gwen watched her go with a sigh.  “I want to dance.”

“So?” asked her diadem.  “Dance.”

“With you, you ninny.  Not as my clothing, but as my fantastic, weird and wonderful dance partner.”

Donna flickered into existence beside Gwen, looking almost entirely human save for a subtle sparkle to her skin.  “Sounds like a great idea.”

Gwen put her hand to her brow, touching the diadem that was still there.  “But... is this still you, too?  The power...”

“Yes.  A lesser part of me, but my Priestess should have access to my power at all times, don’t you think?”

“Donnaaaaa.”

“No.  I’m not claiming to be anything I’m not.  Can you deny your role in this?”

Gwen sighed.  “No, I suppose not.”

Donna hugged her tight.  “Good.  Then let’s go dance.”