Chapter 8

'Ingredients: These are all and any item used in a spell whether a simple cantrip to a major ritual. They may be natural or artificial. A crystal, a candle, a mirror, biological material, or minerals it does not matter. In most case these items will be symbolic in nature in their use. This is one reason why the Magical Arts have grown so far beyond what it was only a few hundred years ago.'

Over the next few weeks Katy kept very busy with her athletic endeavors, the track practice and finding a dojo for her to learn the martial arts. She was really surprise to learn how many were in their small town. Her Dad went with her to check all of them out. Katy did the actual choosing of the dojo. Most of them the teacher or sensei paid more attention her Dad then they did to her.

One really stood out in the impression she got from it. The teacher was an elderly Japanese man. When He found that she was going to be the student he examined her closely then he had her stand up and move. He had her take her shoes off and walked her through the method of approaching the training area. It began with bowing before stepping into the area and showing respect to all the instructors.

He then walked her through a couple basic move; how to break a hold, and moving out of the way of a punch. Later back in the office he sat down and faced both her Dad and her.

"I will take her as a student 1 hour a day after six so not to interfere with her school. Also 4 hours every Saturday morning. If she really work she will be examine for a black belt in six month. If she does not get it she will be dismiss from the school. She will learn self defense moves in the first 30 days with some basic Kata forms.

"I will charge $150 a month plus gear. A gi, head gear, hand protector, shin and feet protector. For her gender and size that will cost another $400. If weapon raining the cost for the weapons will vary and those are a matter of taste I will give the address of a place that supply them. If advance training for weapon or belt is desire another six month at $200 a month would be needed." He pulled a stack of forms from a drawer and handed them to her Dad.

That evening she and her Dad sit down and went over a martial arts supply catalog. They compare prices for gear and found that Master Genwa prices were right on the money. Her Dad fills out the forms and signed the contract he then wrote out a check for the gear and six months of training.

"Katy this is going to be a lot of work. Will you be able to give it your all? I really like Master Genwa attitude. He is not going to put up with any slapdash effort. You are going to be pushed to your limits and beyond."

She sits there listening to her father. Her life had been turned around completely since she open that book. It would never be like it uses to be. Heck she had barely seen let along talk to her brother and sister since her birthday. That she could do something about.

"Yes Dad I will give it my best then give it some more."

"Okay girl then go for it. After school tomorrow go by Master Genwa dojo and give him these papers and the check. Talk to him about weapon training and determine what you want. We can then fine you what you need."

She picked up the papers and check. She got up and kisses her Dad on the cheek. "Thanks Dad."

Katy went immediately to her room and placed the papers in a new manila folder she had. She stapled the check to the inside of the folder then placed the folder inside her book bag.

She then made the first step in correcting a problem she had spotted. She went to her brother's room and knocked on the door.

"Yo I'm decent so enter at your own risk." She heard her brother from inside.

She opened the door and stuck her head inside. "Tom you got a few minutes?"

"Help! It's the giant midget!" Katy froze in the door.

"Get in girl. You're all grown up now so you need to learn when a joke is a joke and not take it personal. You are going to be seeing more people doing more thing so quit being so sensitive about things. Most time it's just noises that people say because they don't know what else to say."

"That said, how are you? When are you planning on shrinking back to your normal size so I can pick on you again?"

"Well I hope never. I really like being as old as I am really."

"Yeah I can see that. I punched one of the guys in my class over you; making some wise crack about your body."

"You are really looking good."

She blushed, a compliment was the last thing she expected from him. "Well I guess I clean up pretty nicely now. Before I had nothing to dress up and show off."

"I hear that you are really getting your act together. Rumors have it that you are really something on the track."

"I like to run now. But I still think it's a mistake." She paused.

"Tom how about, I never hear anything. This is your last year, what about next year?"

"I think I got two scholarships tied up. Football at one the minor state school and a minor one for engineering at an engineering school of my choice which just so happen the state school is. That will help Mom and Dad out. Dad was hoping I go for a law degree but I have no interest there at all."

"Egh. I'm sorry but could you imagine anything more boring. So he is going to have to wait until at least Jenny go to college. Maybe we should suggest that he begin trying to get her interested." Katy joked.

"Well I will leave you to your dreams." She turns to leave.

"Hey Katy what are you up to in the basement? I tried to go down there the other day and could not open the door."

Katy stopped and looked over her shoulder at her big brother. "That's my lab; everybody needs to stay out of it. It's getting really dangerous to stumble around in it." She snapped her finger and held out her left hand. There just above her palm a glowing ball of flames appear.

She stepped out of his room pulling Tom's door shut behind her. The silence was so loud it echoed. She snapped her fingers again and closed her hand into a fist and the ball of flames disappeared.

She walked down the hall to Jenny's room. A quick knock and she open the door. "Shut that door this is my room!"

"It's okay troll it's only me."

"Well you're not welcome either!"

"Hun? Why?"

"You're just not! One day I'm bigger then you then you go to the hospital and they do some weird experiments on you and you come home a different person. You're not my sister you are some kind of pod person that they made in the hospital."

"What? Are you serious Jenny? I'm still your sister Katy!"

"Oh? Is that makeup on your face?"

"Well yeah."

"Are you wearing a bra?"

"Yeah that right."

"Are you wearing some nice new shoes? Not your old wore out sneakers?"

"I out grew my old shoes."

"Are you really in the track team at school now?"

"Well yeah."

"Help Mom, Dad the pod person is in my room!" She screamed."Help.

Katy stood there in shock watching Jenny act crazy as a bedbug. She wondered why bedbugs were crazy.

Her Dad rushed up the stairs and Mom came out of her bedroom.

"Katy, are you picking on your sister?" she asked.

"What's wrong Katy?" her Dad question.

"Jenny has gone bonkers. I'm not sure if she is serious or just pretending. She claims I am not me but some pod person that they made in the hospital."

Her Mom pushed past her into Jenny room while her Dad stopped behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Jenny stop that foolishness, right this minute girl. She stood there a minute listening to Jenny rave on.

"I think it time to start some corporal punishment around here."

"Yes, yes and start right there with that pod person." Jenny was pointing at Katy.

"No Jenny I think we will start with you. Shut up right now. Katy is not a pod person. Though, I am not sure if that would not be an improvement. She simply entered puberty and grew up almost overnight. It will happen to you one of these days also."

Jenny stopped like a cork was shoved into her mouth."Me? It's going to happen to me?"

"Yes dear it's just the process of growing up. Hopefully it won't happen for two or three years."

"Oh. I'm sorry Katy, but you are so strange and different then you were before your birthday."