This has taken a weirdly dark turn, and I love it.

I mean you titled that part of the story the Dark Fairy didn't you, so obviously there'd be a dark turn. But yes, I love the dark turns.

I'm curious to see if the main character gets braces and what her treatment plan is going to look like. I'm digging the suspense. Good stuff.

Chapter 6

Alright Diary,

I know how this looks. My wise parents request I venture to the local pet store to recruit the aid of a vicious guard dog, & I walk away with a cat. Considering the selection of dogs available were simply far too friendly & cute, there's no doubt this cat was the only choice in bettering my chances at avoiding future encounters with whatever chased me. The sooner I can address this issue, the sooner I'll be able to get back to focusing on my orthodontic conquest of the city. Since the scope of my power isn't limited to Dr. Kendra's practice, I can at least be certain overworking them won't be an option. To avoid suspicions arising I think it best from now on to reserve Dr. Kendra's aggressive treatments for only the most deserving of the common vulgar weak licentious crowd. That, and those who are subjected to Dr. Kendra will stand out more from the larger population with their tamer treatments. It doesn't matter if the whole town has braces! Having headgear wired into your mouth is sure to stand out and hamper the confidence of the well-deserving. As Dr. Kendra herself said, there's more to braces than the end result! 

As we pass the dreaded tree line on our way home, I get no odd, panicky feelings, but Mandolin does lightly growl, attempting to linger to stare off into the woods. Not wanting to stick around, I rush her along the rest of the way home, at the very least a little happy she'd shown an inclination to scrap.

Upon reaching home, I receive the expected reaction from my family. After explaining the thin selection that led to my decision, they accept Mandolin as the latest addition to our family. Dad unbolts the doggy door to the back yard that's gone unused all the years as I establish the eating and bathroom zones for our new guard cat. As Mom and I begin discovering Mandolin's preferred spots to be pet, Dad informs me Dr. Kendra's office called while I was out to approve the installation date I had requested that morning. He's proud of my maturity in taking an active role in my treatment, and pleased our insurance coverages will get more usage.

BUT I DIDN'T CALL THEM? WHAT ABOUT A CONSULTATION? X-RAYS? TREATMENT OPTIONS? WHAT HAPPENED?

Dad lets me know they're excited to get started sooner than later, since the condition of my teeth are as bad as they are.

WHAT?

But my teeth are fine! I know my victims don't have to need braces for my powers to work, but my teeth?

I find the bathroom mirror.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY TEETH?!!? THEY SEEM TO JET FORWARD, CROOKED AS CAN BE YET WITH GAPS BETWEEN ALL OF THEM! AM I DREAMING?

Okay, breath. Think this through.

This can't be the result of my power, otherwise the installation would be today instead of the end of the week. There's too much time left in the day for me to wake up with them tomorrow, and as far as I'm aware, my power can't make teeth crooked. Braces on their own aren't that bad, and I wouldn't object to a normal treatment. Afterall, I do REALLY like braces, but there's one big issue. What if I can't use my power once I've gotten braces? I don't see a lot of reason for this to be a possibility, but these are reality altering powers we're talking about! Completely uncharted territory! I need time. I need to see Dr. Kedra. She has to be the one responsible for this.

I bring Mandolin with me to walk to the clinic. She calmly trots along behind me, not hissing or growling into the woods this trip. Once into the shopping center, I'm shoved by the shoulder out of the way of a familiar miscreant. Sophia looms over me with her black platforms and giggles that she didn't see me. I'm not the tallest person, and I may be pretty skinny, but I am very hard to miss, especially with the hulking beast of a cat trailing behind me. Now here's someone worthy of Dr. Kendra's talents. She's finally back in town and on campus from attending a performance conference for her theatre major, with her perfect grades, and her put together goth outfit, with a flawless balance of theme-consistent accessories, her thick wavy black hair, and her green eyes, insufferable! Not even that halfhearted borderline passive aggressive compliment towards Mandolin will save you! That shoulder shove was all I need! Locking eyes, you're about to have a lot of fun with your lead role in this semester's musical performance of Hairspray 

Moving on from another soon to be job well done, I'm practically itching with anticipation to see Sophia tomorrow with her new hardware! I reach the clinic as the sun continues closing distance to the horizon. Dr. Kendra sees a patient off from the treatment theatre doors, a young man with J-hooks facilitating drool, hiding his face as he briskly exits. She then spots me, and a smile lights up her face. She welcomes me, assuming I have questions about my upcoming installation. She somehow has x-rays, and my signature on a treatment plan! Attempting to read it, she instead requests we talk further in her office. Mandolin follows me inside, and as the door closes, Dr. Kendra expresses a gratitude that I've been so cooperative and helpful in undergoing this treatment. I just know she's playing coy! She expresses an understanding of Mandolin's presence, before turning to me with a direct expression.

"I think it's very important you feel safe, and you should believe me, that undergoing a treatment with my clinic will do wonders for that."

What. The. Hell.

I try to ask if she knows about the screaming thing that chased me, but she hushes me before I can say it.

THAT FEELING THERE IT IS I CAN FEEL IT I CAN'T HEAR THE RATTLING BUT I CAN FEEL IT

Dr. Kendra's expression softens

"Let's not talk about that."

WHAT THE ACTUAL F@%&

"I'll see you end of this week, okay? Okay. Better hurry home now. It'll be getting dark soon."

Chapter 7

Diary, this is bad.

The moment I step out the clinic's doors, I find myself sitting in its waiting area in different clothes, with Mandolin in my lap, and Dr. Kendra calls my name to the installation theatre! WHAT?

Noticing it's now light outside, I check my phone to see it's now Friday just before noon! I MISSED THE REST OF THE WEEK???

Mandolin perks up and chirps at me, signaling she's now awake as Dr. Kendra walks to my chair and begins to lead me by the hand to one of her installation chairs. Thinking quickly, My shirt and undergarments have been swapped, my hair is washed, and I check my university app to see the grade for the test I was going to take Wednesday has already been posted! I flick past the daily news, check every clock I can see, IT'S FRIDAY.

She must've done this. The good Dr. must've been too impatient to give me any chances to weasel out of this. I already need braces anyways thanks to her, maybe I can get away with some brackets and light elastics, hell I won't even gripe about an appliance or two, as long as I can still use my power. She calmly and sternly pulls me toward her own chair in the center of her installation theatre, so every patient walking in or out will be a surprise spectator to my ordeal. It can't get much worse.

Dr. Kendra practically shoves me into the chair, immediately reclining it to that helpless position. She calls over an assistant, and I begin to hear platforms.

Oh God it just got worse.

Sophia arches to loom over me with a metal bound smile, her baby pink lips stretched back across her facebow, the dark makeup around her eyes stretch with them as she sucks back drool through her smile still above me. I spot a blue volunteer tag swaying from the lapel of her uniform.

Dammit. Now she gets to have her hands in my mouth.

As Sophia roughly pulls my cheeks across a plastic appliance to pull my lips away from my soon to be imprisoned teeth, Dr. Kendra wheels over multiple trays of flashing metal I can't make out. Sophia is all too eager to remind Dr. Kendra that I'm her 4th compliance case for the day.

Compliance case? Me? I'd think under most circumstances I'd have no issue wearing my appliances as directed, but when I try to raise my voice to correct her I... can't...

I can't tell if this is part of her power or if I genuinely want to stay a compliance case. At this point would she even change my status? It's my signature on the paper and my check on the waiver. Apparently I CHOSE this, no doubt the result of her power, but I find myself... curious. Let's at least see what they'll install.

Sophia holds my forehead steady, placing a hand beneath my chin with an expectant look. The eye contact feels invasive. How does she look so good with her braces? The headgear clearly phases her, but the tongue crib is barely affecting her speech in the slightest! Maybe she just has that much experience as a speaker, at least I can revel in the joy that she won't be leading the theatre department's performance this go round, since we all know Tracy never had headgear. 

Dr. Kendra finally brings the first bits of metal to my mouth, the first molar bands. Suddenly, Sophia's hand beneath my chin makes sense, as when Dr. Kendra instructs me to "bite down" she wastes no time helping my jaw to push the band into place. It's an oddly submissive feeling, especially with the intense eye contact. after the first bands are in place she brings up a facebow, WITH BANDS ATTACHED? WAIT WAIT THAT MEANS ONCE THESE BANDS ARE CEMENTED THE FACEBOW WILL BE CEMENTED WITH THEM, SINCE THEY'RE ALREADY WELDED TO THE BANDS! I WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS HEADGEAR OUT AT ALL!

Still unable to resist her, I obediently bite down onto each of the bands at once, feeling the resin in place slink past my teeth. Sophia carefully removes the excess as Dr. Kendra praises me for my compulsory compliance. As I wait to see brackets brought to my teeth, I can only see her picking different shapes of more bands. Is she not going to use any brackets? AM I GOING TO HAVE FULL BANDS? YOU'RE JOKING! I'M GONNA BE A COMPLETE METAL MOUTH!

I count each band sliding onto my teeth, one by one, realizing she's missed two. I don't like this. In the latter half of my lower banding, she presents YET ANOTHER FACEBOW, you guessed it, ALSO WITH WELDED MOLAR BANDS.

TWO FACEBOWS? BOTH WIRED IN?!?!

She pulls out a messy set of thick leather headgear straps, hot pink and neon green, and tightly locks them to the ends of my facebows! Great! They'll be twice as noticeable from the back now too! Can't have me trying to hide the fact I've got HEADGEAR!!!!! 

By now Sophia is grinning ear to ear even without the help of her headgear. I can see her glancing over to the table, itching to see Dr. Kendra pull out the last appliance.

"It is odd, since I normally use this kind of appliance for my younger, more disobedient patients, but I find it necessary all the same. Don't worry, it's been properly sized for your mouth, though small for an adult's, the spaces between your teeth will make the installation a synch!"

Gee, I wonder who's fault that is...

Wait what appliance does she have? I'm getting something else? She's left 4 teeth empty, two on each jaw. My mind races to figure out what could potentially fit in the gap she's left. My tongue is held back by the lip spreader, so I have to guess, but I can't think of anything! I thought the 2 headgear appliances were bad enough! WHAT MORE CAN SHE FIT IN MY MOUTH?!

Sophia coyly smiles as she covers my eyes with the hand holding my forehead! DAMN YOU!

I feel hands gently pull my facebows and lips apart as SOMETHING taps against the edges of my mouth as it enters to be cemented in place. I hear soft metallic clicks as bands are brought to my remaining four teeth, all to be slid on at the same time. A bite stick is shoved past my cheeks as Sophia once again forces my jaws to accept this new appliance. My legs are almost trembling from the anticipation... I wanna know what this thing is!  I feel the resin slink past my teeth for the last tooth, and Sophia's hand uncovers my eyes as she clears the last of the excess. Dr. Kendra finally finishes curing the cement with her blue light wand, and Sophia lets out a giggle.

It's done. There's no going back now, I have braces...

Sophia studies my expression as she wrestles the lip spreader and tongue blocker from my mouth, no doubt awaiting my reaction to the sensation of the hardware store's worth of metal just locked into my mouth. The plastic leaves, carrying with it a few snakes of drool attached to them, my tongue flies off to feel what's been installed, and...

It's stuck behind something. I try to move my tongue around, I hear clicks and metal clanging, but I can't get my tongue to my teeth. It's like something's following it... WAIT

OH NO! NO!

"Yes, the tongue cage can be an alarming appliance. I want you to know we think you're very brave for readily accepting such an aggressive gadget we agree to be necessary for your treatment. Sophia here is going to teach you all about cleaning your appliances! Sophia, use the private office on the left.  "

I really enjoy reading all your stories. The appliances of the characters are super creative, yet their descriptions perfectly understandable. Can't wait for the next chapter!

Chapter 9

Berserker Cat's Log: Number 341

Since my liberation from the cold captivity at the hands of the dreaded "Pet Shelter", I am still unable to recall more than brief flashes of my previous life. Many of them, flashes of battles fought and won. A handful of them, flashes of a battle lost. While I cannot recall the faces and names of those whom I proudly fought alongside, I can see their cunning and compassion mirrored in the person that saved me from that cold, barred box in the corner of the room. I was certain to flex my figure and form, to properly exhibit the godly muscles that adorned my divinely crafted body. At last, this person had seen the value of all that the Fates had gifted me for this life.

I would've thought this life a reward for what must've been a warrior's death, a new life in the lap of modest luxury, love and care. I was pleased this advanced dwelling my new master called home had a unique device attached to the bottom of their door, an opening meant just for myself to enter an enclosed paradise filled with soft grass.

I watch the grass. Roll in the grass. Defecate onto the grass. Mercilessly torment the small insects that hopelessly meander about the grass. Lay in the grass. Eat the grass.

Though this place bears a strong resemblance to the paradise once promised to my previous form, the Fates have not birthed me to this mortal fold once more without purpose. In addition to an unfailing kindness, my new master appears to possess a calculating mind they are often lost in. They mumble to themselves about a divine power bestowed to them, and how they might access its fullest potential. This very power appears to bring with it a unique challenge, as on one of our first journeys back to my master's dwelling, I came to the realization that my master was being hunted. When crossing the boundary of a strange woodland, I could smell a malevolent creature stalking my beloved master. It smelled very old. While it's clear that my new master will without a doubt require assistance with their vision, likely in the form of glasses, even my ambush-predator eyes could only make out a large silhouette, a dark quadruped mass with elongated face, its aura threatening, hateful, and angry. I could only growl to intimidate it from a distance, as my compassionate master would not allow me to venture deeper to confront this dangerous abomination that draws breath against divine will. My master fears for my safety, even though they can clearly sense its presence.

Our latest escapade resulted in a strange force trapping us within a strange building that seemed to affect my master. While I feel we are safe from the beast within these walls, some other power surpassing my master's seems to permeate the air, flowing from the form of a taller woman with plans for my frightened master. However, I sense no hostile intention from this tall woman, so I will choose to not spill her blood at my master's feet.

Today, I awoke in my master's comfortable lap to the words of the tall woman, her power seeming to have shaken my master's sense of orientation. As my master was brought to a strange chair to have what appeared to be weapons placed into their mouth, I could only sit patiently at the base of the chair as the tall spell-speaker and an eager woman with strange shoes had their way with my master's mouth. While the intentions of the woman with the strange, tall black shoes were conflicted between coy amusement and a desire for my master, I allowed them to proceed. The tall spell-speaker believes that what was done will greatly help my master's safety. Once the ordeal was completed, and the strange woman with the tall shoes was done playfully tormenting my master, we were permitted to begin our trek home. Awaiting the sensation of a lease to my collar, I am instead surprised to be lifted into the arms of my master. This stuns me, for while my master is truly gifted in their cunning and wily tactics, physical strength eludes them, and their small stature only furthers this. Yet still, after the trying ordeal they've undergone, the exhaustion, the humiliation, my master decides to carry me, to hold me, in their careful arms as we exit the strange building.

I have only known my new master for a short time in the grand expanse of this mortal world, but so long as I continue to draw breath to this flawless form crafted by the Fates, I swear that no harm will befall my beloved master.

It should be chapter 9.

Nice catch! Thanks for letting me know