Side Story: Mai

*** Mai ***

I'm worried about Alzi. Her second body just cried out over nothing. She has such a strange connection to her other bodies. Alzi doesn't always seem to remember that she has other bodies or know what they're doing. She always has to stop and think whenever I ask about them.

They do act similarly. But the golden one doesn't stare at my ass as much. It also smiles a bit more, and that part scares me. What is Alzi carrying around that she can't smile so much, and why do her other bodies not carry that? Is her lust hurting her that much? Or is it just that it gets to spend more time with her kids, and the bodies really do have issues with sharing information? I'll have to see how her newest body behaves. That should help me figure it out. I hope they just show what Alzi would be like if she hadn't been thrown into the damn brothel.

We both lost so much there.

"I'm sorry, baby," I whisper. "Mommy's thinking of scary things. You can sleep. Mommy loves you and will protect you." We made such a cute kid. All of them are cute, so it's probably mostly from Alzi. I never got to see my other kids for long. I can't even remember their faces.

Why can't I think of happy things? I have tits now. I get to wear a bra for more than just having some extra clothing for the customers to rip off of me. All thanks to Alzi. She even earned me a room on the third floor. I didn't have the same draw as others on the floor did. I was picked so often just because I was the cheapest on the floor. Women could walk away saying they had someone from the third floor without paying the true cost. They are just to help Alzi. I just wish I could do more.

"Alzi's injury still getting to you?" Vanya asks. She's getting so big. She's massive next to me, even without a belly. Add it in, and I look like a kid. My tail is the only thing convincing anyone that I'm an adult.

"I think so," I say. "I don't normally think about these things."

"It has us all scared," Vanya says. "We all need her, and we continue to see how vulnerable she is. At least this time, I had a good reason not to be able to help. We all love you, and you support Alzi so well. If you need to talk to someone about it, we're always here. You shouldn't have to suffer all alone. We've finally grown some brains and started a small support group for ourselves, trying to plan things out and make sure we're all actually helping Alzi in some way. Please come by if you ever need it. You can talk to any of us. Inanos may seem grumpy, but she's a good listener, and I'm sure she would love to hug you. We can all see that there is a small group of women who are capable of supporting Alzi's right now, so let us support you while we figure out how to help Alzi."

"Do you know about Alzi's other bodies? How does it work?" I ask. "They're close, but something is slightly off about them. Like they don't have all the same memories."

"No, Ioelena is looking through the library to try to figure it out, but she's gone, along with Syro. They know the most," Vanya says.

"I thought so," I say.

"The Goddesses are behind Alzi right now," Vanya says. "And they're doing things to help. It may not be perfect, but it should benefit her. Alzi hasn't said anything directly about them, and they do communicate, even if it is delayed. We all think Alzi is on the path to becoming a Goddess. These bodies may be a method to slow that down so she can strengthen her mind, or maybe it is a direct method to strengthen her mind, or give her a way to connect with her lovers when she becomes a Goddess. But that's just a bunch of guesses. I'm sorry I can't give you more."

"No, that's good to hear," I say. "I don't understand the Goddesses much. To think Alzi may join them... I'll trust them for now. Her blood tastes the same in her second body, so it must be close. I hope they're helping her. Alzi does seem happier these days, compared to before. But I'm sure having a part of her with her kids is a big part of that. You must be getting close."

"No, Elora tricked Alzi into putting too many into me," Vanya says. "I've got a few months to go. I should follow shortly after Stacy and Inanos. A few months, or maybe a month. It's hard to tell with all of Alzi's Skills. Your baby is asleep. You should get some rest."

"I suppose," I say. It wouldn't be the worst idea to talk to the rest of Alzi's wives. I could see if they really are worth anything. They let her get hurt so much, so they have some serious work to do for me to care about them.