He is not of the same specie

That's when a smiling pink freckled face leaned in over above Gerald.

"Oh, crap."

Gerald scrambled to his feet, but she was already on him, wrapping herself around his leg like a python.

"Zuri, let go of me," he struggled.

"No way, I need your help with something and you're going to help me."

"No, I'm not. I'm going to afternoon prayer. You can't make me."

Zurra expanded her body, covering him from the neck down in a layer of pink slime.

"What is this... whoa...!"

Gerald gasped as his leg was forced to take a step forward, then the other leg was forced as well. It was like he was nothing more than one of his old G.I. Joe toys and she was making him walk.

"Okay, well, obviously you CAN make me," he struggled. "But that doesn't mean you should." Cadbury ran after him, running into the occasional tree as she did so.

Zurra forced him over to the Xovot, a small amber steppe pyramid just outside the inner temple grounds, where visitors could change from their street clothes into special gray worship robes. Once they got inside, Gerald noticed that there was only a small selection of wool robes, the majority of the space was dedicated to expansive bridal gowns, party dresses, coronation wardrobes, funeral attire, prom dresses, and a popular assortment of Izowaanian tuxedoes. It looked more like a store than a Xovot. It even had a cashier station in one corner with a young and pretty shrine maiden sitting happily greeting customers.

"What do you think of this one?" Zurra asked happily as she peeled off of him and then wormed inside a waiting white dress, filling it out from within into her adult form. It was modest and tasteful, and flattered her figure quite beautifully.

"What do you think? Don't I look beautiful?" she gushed as she set a delicate circlet and veil about her head. Cadbury clucked happily as if she approved.

"Why am I helping you pick out a wedding dress?"

"Oh, that's right, we need to have you meet my parents first."

"That's not what I meant!"

Before he could stop her, Zurra reached into his pocket and pulled out the portable vone Cha'Rolette had given him. "Here, I'll call my dad up right now."

"Do no such thing!"

The shrine maiden placed her hand over her heart. "Oh, I just love Eldireer Festival weddings, they're so romantic."

"This is no wedding," Gerald warned as he fought with Zurra over the device. "This is a kidnapping. If you have any decency, you will call the authorities immediately."

The shrine maiden tittered as if it had been a joke.

Despite his interference, Zurra managed to make the connection, and a second later a window appeared with Senator Immestria visible in it.

"Daddy, I want you to meet Geri," Zurra purred, stretching out her arms and wrapping them around Gerald's waist so tightly he could barely breathe.

The senator's pink eyes narrowed. "A solid? Sweetie, you told me he was a Zurinite, like us."

"Don't worry, he's going to convert."

Gerald pushed against her cheek with all his might, deforming it. "Who said I was going to convert?"

Senator Immestria slammed his fist down on his desk. "You can't convert species, sweetheart, he's a mundane!"

"It'll be fine. We'll spray paint him pink, no one will know the difference."

The Senator stood up at his desk. "This is absurd! Now, I absolutely forbid you to spend one more minute with that..."

Zurra waved her hand and ended the call.

"See? My daddy likes you" she tittered. "Now I'll call up my stepmom so you can meet her too."

While Zurra fiddled with the device, Gerald tried to make a break for it, but she stretched out one foot and wrapped it around his ankle. He came crashing down to the floor right in front of the cashier's desk, nearly landing on top of Cadbury.

"You two are such a cute couple," the shrine maiden praised.

Gerald looked up at her. "Are you for real?"

The cashier sighed deeply. "I just love Eldireer. It's like everything you've ever done is wiped clean. Everyone gets a second chance."

Gerald furrowed his brow. "Wiped clean? No, that's not what the festival means. Every mistake you made still happened, and you will live with the consequences for the rest of your life and into the next.

However, you can choose to no longer feel bad about it. Accept that those mistakes occurred, and let go of the pain. That is what Eldireer means."

"Oh," she said, a little disappointed.

"You're a shrine maiden, surely you've read the third scroll."

She waved her hand. "Oh, I'm just a part-timer, hired for the festival."

"What?"

She lifted up a soft drink from behind the counter and took a sip. "Oh, yeah, every year the priests hire out all the cutest girls from around here to come work the kiosks. My friends and I make a killing on tips."

Gerald couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Kiosks? But money is forbidden on temple grounds."

The shrine maiden shrugged and took another sip.

There was a spark from behind and Zurra turned around, pouting. "Geri, your stupid thing broke," she frowned, tossing it into the wastebin.

"Hey!"

"That's okay," Zurra said, melting out from inside the wedding dress and then reforming herself inside of a jade gown that was somewhere between a kimono and an evening dress. "I can still make good memories today. Tonight they're having a full fireworks display in the upper atmosphere."

"Uh-huh," Gerald said, standing up and dusting himself off.

"The only problem is that I don't have anyone to watch it with," she said, slinking up close to him.

Gerald closed his eyes and folded his arms. "I see."

She leaned up against him, twirling her shoulder in a sultry fashion. "It's no fun to watch fireworks by yourself. I really don't want to be alone."

"I understand."

"And by I don't have anyone to go with, I mean, I don't have anybody to go with."

"That makes sense."

Zurra stamped her foot. "Hey!"

Gerald threw out his hands. "Well, what am I supposed to say?"

"You jerk, you're supposed to invite me!"

"You just tried to shanghai me into a wedding against my will!"

"Of course I did! You're my bride! We were promised to one another! We're like two peas in a basket under a bushel!"

"That's not even a thing!"

The shrine maiden fanned herself with her hand. "Oh my, such passion."

It was then that Trahzi parted the beaded doorway and looked in. "We found them," she announced, and then entered along with Cha'Rolette and Ilrica.

"J-just what are you two doing together?" Cha'Rolette asked, aghast at Zurra's slinky dress.

"She is wearing clothes for the first time," Trahzi observed.

"Don't tell me you two have been on a date behind our backs!" said Cha'Rolette.

"Oh no," Gerald sighed. "That would be impossible."

Zurra puffed out her cheeks, sulking.

Cha'Rolette floated over and took Gerald by the elbow. "In that case, you are coming with me."

"Why, do you want a turn dating him?" Ilrica teased.

Cha'Rolette blushed heavily. "O-of course not. As class representative, I must keep young Mr. Dyson here out of trouble while we are here so he doesn't embarrass the school's image."

"We would think his performance on the last test would be a worse embarrassment to the school," Trahzi pointed out.

"She's got a good point, it was multiple choice. Even if you had just guessed randomly you would have gotten around 25 percent" noted Cha'Rolette.

"Since when does anything in Dyson's life follow the odds?"

"Guessing would have dishonest," Gerald explained. "I may have only scored five percent, but I earned that five percent."

"You earned a failing grade... congratulations" mocked Cha'Rolette.

"Hey, at least he's making the rest of us look better," Ilrica kidded.

"No, he's making you look better, little miss twenty-six percent. You nearly seem a decent student compared to him" said Cha'Rolette.

Ilrica breathed on her claws and rubbed them against her fur to polish them up. "Beat the odds," she boasted.

"Well, I'm not letting you have him, slinky-head," Zurra stated, grabbing his other elbow. "If he's going, then I am going."

"Slinky head? How dare you, you little pile of pink vomit!"

Zurra and Cha'Rolette glared at each other. Sparks of electricity flew between them.

Trahzi stepped up and placed her red hand on his head. "We will also go. Gerald has not given us a lesson in some time."

The other three girls looked at Ilrica.

"Hey, you ladies can have him," Ilrica said coolly, linking her fingers behind her head. "I'll just tag along to watch the drama unfold."