Alicia:
It was the morning after the festival and I had just one job. I kicked down the door to Dave's room and barged straight inside,
"Just who do you think you are, you prick!" I yelled. All I got was silence in return, it wasn't because no one was in the room but because Dave just stared at me. He was holding a bunch of papers and as I glared at him, finally he put them down and sighed,
"Let's hear it."
"Let's hear it?!" I replied angrily. "You made her cry Dave. I told you what I'd do if that happened."
"I see…," he bent down his head.
"Well what do you have to say for yourself huh? What was it? Was she not good enough for you? Is that it? We both know our races didn't matter and don't lie to me that you weren't attracted to her too." I stepped forward, "Damn it say something!"
Nothing, he didn't even have an excuse. I felt my anger swell inside me. No matter how much he had helped us, no matter if he was my friend, he made Sayuri cry and for that he needed punishment. My fist shot towards his face but just before it collided I stopped. His eyes, they were red. Just like Sayuri's eyes this morning when I questioned her.
"Why are you stopping?" he asked indifferently.
"You…" I lowered my hand and stepped back. "I'm sorry." My emotions had gotten the better of me. Of course Dave was hurting as well. I had seen them both together for a while now. It wasn't like they hated each other.
"I'd rather you punched me," he smiled sadly and sat down in a nearby chair.
I sat down opposite of him, "If you were gonna cry, why did you say no?"
"I didn't cry," he lied. "Sayuri and I, all of you actually, we live in different worlds."
"So?" I grit my teeth.
"Alicia I can send you home, all of you," he put his hands together. "And after I do, we might never see each other again."
"B-but…," I felt my head heat up, "So you rejected Sayuri because of that?"
His expression didn't change, "I rejected her because I had to. Aren't you the same? You're not going to stay here forever and Carl and Gary won't either."
"…."
"It's better we leave things as they are now."
"What about this world? The humans and you, the Miltis Empire, don't you need us?"
He laughed, "Actually I talked to Carl about this earlier. We're fine. Even without you we'll manage. It's best you go home before you can't at all. You've all done enough and helped me more than I could ever thank you for. So please go home and live peacefully."
My face tightened. Dave had put more thought into this than I would have liked. Even I had some unfinished business I needed to take care of and Carl actually had a family to go back to. Even if Garr and I stayed… no, it wouldn't feel right.
"Exactly when are you sending us home?" I asked.
"One week from now everything will be ready."
"One week!?" I stood up surprised. "That's too soon."
"Any longer and the spell I've made might not work properly. I'm sorry but that's all the time I can give you. This last week is good bye."
My stomach began to feel queasy, "I… I don't like this."
"Neither do I," he smiled empathetically.
"I need to talk with the others," I headed for the door. Dave watched me leave without another word.
Aside: Things I hate.
Terraostra Dark Eyes of the Autumn Wind:
Hello. I don't really appear much in this story and honestly I've been pretty useless. I'm not strong enough to compete with the Heroes or my brother and I'm not smart enough to help with much else. All I can do is watch and cheer everyone on with a smile. It's always been like that, even when I was little. Although really I am still little, even after all these years.
This year I turn 25, but on the outside I'm 13 and on the inside I've been told I'm 10…. Even though I've aged at half the rate of others I never really had any problems with it. Almost every day was a fun day and together with my family I really believed it would always be like that.
There have only been four times where I've hated it. The first was when my brother turned ten. He was no longer little brother Varry but big brother Varry. It was clear to everyone who looked and acted older but I didn't mind that. What I minded was when we were playing outside and assassins tried to take our lives. I was meant to be the older one, I was meant to be the one who stopped them, but I couldn't. I was scared and afraid. The one who protected us was Varry, to the point where he had to kill one of them. If I had been normal, he would never had to have felt that pain.
The second time was when my family went to fight the Monster. I wasn't strong enough to go with them and when they came back without mum… it was the worse pain I'd ever felt. Knowing I was weak and could do nothing. The third time was when they went to fight Monster again. I had trained really hard to go with them and every day I watched the Heroes, sometimes they even let me join them. But like last time I was told to stay behind, so when I found them all alive although I hated it before, I could only feel relief.
The fourth time was now. The Heroes were leaving in just two days and along with them the one I fell in love with. Don't laugh at me okay? He's the weirdest of them, says things I don't understand, he can be silly and a bit nonsensical but above all that he's caring. Gary Stallworth the human Hero. Thinking about him made me feel ten years older than I looked.
We haven't really known each other for long and at first I didn't really see the point of him. My brother was way better at magic than he was and unlike the other Heroes he didn't offer anything unique that my brother couldn't. But when they first came here and when they trained together, he was the one who called out to me. He was the one who spent time with me even when he was busy. I know he only sees me as a child but I wished it could be something more. The problem was he was leaving and if he left, there would be no chance for me at all.
I slipped down the side of the castle wall and onto the balcony of his room. He had his hands placed against his chin contemplatively while sitting by a nearby table. I knocked on the window with a grin. His eyes widened in surprise but he opened the door with a smile to let me in.
"Gary, hello!" I greeted cheerily.
"You're up nice and early Terra," he replied. "Up to your usual shenanigans?"
"No, I just came to see you," I walked past him and sat down where he had just been.
"Ha," he sniggered, "What do you want?"
"Nothing," I replied immediately with a slight fluster.
"Like I believe that. Last time we met you stole my hidden supply of snacks and the time before that you wanted to, and I quote 'do battle'." He sat opposite of me.
Tch, he was totally treating me like a kid. I needed to show my adult side, "I'm just here to see you."
"Really?"
"Really," I smiled charmingly… which for how I looked just came off as weird.
He smirked, "Okay then, how about a game of chess?"
"Ugh," I let out unfavourably. I had never won a game of chess.
"Too adult for you?" he laughed.
"N-no!" I shook my head, "I'll play."
Ten minutes later I watched my King fall just as easily as when I versed my brother. He played it off well but Gary was actually quite the smart cookie. I pouted as I stared at the dismal state of my pieces. They had fallen right into his trap.
"Want to try something else?" he asked sympathetically.
"Yes…" I gave up.
"How about we find the others and play hide and seek?"
I perked up but quickly demolished my enthusiasm. As fun as that would be, that was something you'd do as a child. Focus, bring out the adult you are inside. Think about how long you've been alive for. Act your age!
"I'm fine, how about we just talk?"
"Sure but about what? We've been talking a lot lately, I don't have many more stories to tell."
He was right, we had been talking a lot lately. Every day since the end of the war I've been trying to get closer to him and I've learnt a lot about him but…. Screw it, I'll just go for it. Follow your gut!
"G-Gary," I began with a tremble, this was more nerve wracking than I thought it would be. Is this what brother felt like when I spied him and Sayuri together? It must be proof of my adultness.
"Yes Terra?" he stared at me pleasantly.
"I-I… I… I really like you!" I shouted.
"Thanks," he smiled and leaned over the table rubbing my head gently. It was a pleasant sensation…. Argh! This wasn't right.
"Stop treating me like a child!" I shook off his hand. "I'm serious. I really like you, not as a child but as a women."
He pulled back. His expression was a mix of confusion and surprise, "Oh…." He smiled wryly, "Terra umm how do I put this… what you're feeling is just a child's adoration."
"It's not! I know it isn't. I even asked Lana and your sister."
"… Those aren't the people you should be asking…." He sighed, "Terra you already told me yourself just how old you are but to me I can only see you as a child and besides, I'm leaving soon."
"B-but…," I felt my eyes begin to water.
He smiled gently, "I'm sorry but its better you don't get attached to me. I'm sure when you grow older you'll be turning heads."
That's right… when I'm older. "Then when I grow up, four years… no eight years! I'll look and act the same age as you now so, how about then?"
"Terra I think you've forgotten the point I'm leaving. We'll probably never see each other, besides eight years is a long time. I'm sure you'll like someone ten times better than me."
I huffed supremely annoyed, "It's not right if it isn't you!" I stood up and stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind me. Grrr, I was angry. The entire time we talked not once had he really treated me like an adult. I'd show him. I'd show him just how adult I could be and then he'd be begging to stay here.
"So let me get this straight," Varry put the book he was holding down. "You want me and grandpa to find you a spell to alter your body to make you look older?"
"Yes!" I replied fervently. After leaving Gary's room I had charged straight to the library where grandpa and Varry were studying.
Grandpa turned to Varry, "Well I do now one spell however it may take a toll on your body."
"That's fine. I can handle it!" I said with as much confidence as I could. "As long as it makes me look like my actual age."
Varry sighed, "And why exactly do you want this? You haven't been too bothered by your body till now and even if we use the spell you're strength won't grow with it, so don't think you can fight us and suddenly win."
"I know, I know!" I was running out of time. "I just want it because I do." I couldn't tell him what it was for. He could be surprisingly protective and I didn't want to waste time having him interrogate me and Gary about our relationship. Our relationship… just thinking about it made me oddly giddy inside.
Grandpa however had already caught on and stroked his chin knowingly, "I'm fine with it. As current Demon Lord I approve of this method. Sometimes one must just push forward!"
"Really?" Varry and I both replied with different emotions.
"Of course. Terra please sit down in the seat over there. It will take a moment for me to bring out the correct texts and supplies. First, you're not needed so you may leave the library."
"Umm okay?" Varry began to walk out but grandpa quickly called out one more thing,
"Also don't think you're off the hook. I don't want you regretting anything."
He froze at the door but after a short pause continued outside without a word. I didn't really understand what that was about but right now was about me! I hopped over to the chair and sat down expectantly. Grandpa started to move around and take various crystals and different objects and place them around me. I recognised a few of them as stabilising agents for magic or for amplifying certain parts of a spell, not that I knew it in much detail, unlike Varry I had inherited the barge through with physical strength gene.
"Okay, Terra are you sure you want to go through with this?" Grandpa asked while posing himself.
"Absolutely!" I replied immediately.
"Then here we go. Mind you it will be painful and feel not a small degree uncomfortable."
I nodded resolutely but less enthusiastic.
He smiled and stood back as the diagram he drew beneath me began to shine. His mouth moved rapidly but all I could hear was a steady hum. The first feeling I felt was a burning sensation in my chest which rapidly began to spread all over me. Then it started to hurt. It wasn't a very even transformation as my arm flexed forward and suddenly grew larger, followed by my leg, then body. It was painfully awkward but within the minute the light had faded.
"Argh…." I was covered in sweat and my clothes pressed tightly against my now adult sized body. "Too tight…." I tried to move but tearing sounds broke out instead as what had been my dress split.
"Hmmm," Grandpa stared at me, "I did not consider that part." He reached into his pocket and took out a dress and coat. "Wear these, they used to belong to your grandmother."
"Ah thank you!" I took the clothes as I stood up, immediately noticing the increased height I had. I pulled off my clothes haphazardly and put on the new ones as I scanned the room for a mirror.
A full length mirror sat against the wall and I awkwardly ran over to it, not quite used to my body anymore.
My mouth gaped open, "I… I look like mum." Long brown hair, a sizeable chest, smooth feminine curves, and a delicate face. I was a beauty! Like this Gary wouldn't dare to treat me like a child.
"Yes but you have your own charms as well," Grandpa smiled from behind me. "You have your grandmother's nose and your red eyes, they only belong to you."
"Do you think I'm pretty?" I asked for good measure.
He laughed, "Of course you are, no matter what you look like, you are my beloved granddaughter. Now don't you have somewhere to be?"
"Right!" I quickly brushed my hair down and straightened my posture. Prim and proper like an adult should be. "I shall be going now," I curtsied.
"Good luck," he waved me off as I left the room. "Ah, about the time limit-."
I couldn't hear what he said as I was already outside.