Viktoria's Secret #16

Woman: Erieye Stock
Caterpillar: Creative Commons: Paul Wood

Tim was late.  Viktoria, of course, had transformed during her peak fertility period.  It had become almost routine.  Cockroaches, Silverfish, various fish, worms, birds, mammals - she'd been them all.  Oddly, rather than being afraid of the changes, she was becoming excited by them.  For the past few years, Tim had stayed over during her "strange period" as he jokingly called it.  Except this time.  The change had come early.  As was their plan, she'd texted a cryptic message to him and gotten the usual reply.  This time, instead of appearing an hour or so after his work ended, he was delayed.  He texted something about a special contract and that he'd definitely be there in a few hours.

Viktoria's transformation started like most.  She developed a strange skin colouring (bright green this time) that slowly spread from waist to toes.  Her legs had fused (so it was some kind of mermaid maybe?).  The body had swelled out and developed segments.  Stubby little legs (eight of them) grew from the odd body.  At least she could get around.

It only took a few minutes on the internet to discover what she was.  Death's Head Hawk Moth . Though she couldn't narrow down the exact species (there were three moth species of the genus Acherontia), it didn't really matter.  Until it struck her - caterpillars were juvenile.  They had no sex organs.  The shrieks and groans that both were convinced were the curse being broken somehow had accompanied their lovemaking while she'd been transformed.  How would they make love tonight?

Tim arrived, as he'd told her he would, a few hours later.  Hanging his coat in the closet, she could hear his footsteps as he came down the hall. Taking her in as she lay on the bed, he shook his head slowly, and pulled something from a pocket.  He walked around to her head, got down on one knee, head out a small box containing a diamond ring and proposed.  His simple question caught Viktoria slightly off guard but, after taking a deep breath, agreed.

A shimmer spread from her waist to the end of her caterpillar body.  When the glow faded, Viktoria was once again normal.  She wouldn't have to wait to the end of her fertile period before changing back.  She quickly rolled out of bed and let him know in other ways exactly how overjoyed she was.

The next day, being Saturday, the pair of them were walking down the street.  Georgio was pulling a covered box or cage.  He was delighted upon hearing they were to be married and hugged them both.  A shriek came from the box.

"No, no, is not right," a strangely distorted woman's voice sounded from within.
"What or who is that?" asked Viktoria.
"It was a relative of mine.  According to another shaman I've been talking to, she cursed someone with the 'Curse of Changes'.  The curse cannot be easily broken but it seems that it was.  The three-fold law came back to haunt her.  I'm taking her to the shaman now.  She thinks she maybe be able to do something."
"What would this 'Curse of Changes' do to the person it was cast on?" asked Tim.
"I'm not really sure.  Until she started changing - growing strange arms, wings, legs - I really didn't much believe in that curse stuff.  Why?"
"No reason.  Just curious," came Tim's response.
"Well, I'd best get going.  I'm meeting the shaman in ten minutes and I've still a ways to go."
"May I take a look?" asked Viktoria.
"Well, I suppose so.  It's not pretty, though."

Carefully lifting a corner, she looked into the box.  Scuttling about on more legs than Viktoria thought possible was a creature.  An old woman's head was attached to a creature whose body was a mixture of more animals and plants than Viktoria could count.  Slowly, though, she began to notice something.  Those components were all parts from the creature's she'd been transformed into over the past 4 years.

"Georgio," she said quietly.  "I know who she cast the curse on"
"Who?"
"Me," she said as she dropped the corner of the cloth.  "Good luck with the shaman."

Georgio, his jaw open, had nothing to say.  As the happy couple headed down the sidewalk in one direction, Georgio pulled the rope to drag the box towards his meeting with the shaman.  As strange as it seemed, Viktoria held not anger or animosity towards the old woman.  She had Tim now and everything would work out for the best.