Amalgamite Magic

Something was out there.

It was one of the first moments that Ayu had to go visit a different place than the Palace in the company of her new older sister - Princess-Knight, Queen Zuqetta herself! Of course, she was excited and with Calot being busy it would be nice to play with her a bit. Ayu was shy at first but when the Saiyaness mentioned a tour outside to check on some magic shenanigans... Something clicked. A feeling, maybe? Gently pulling her sleeve, Ayu wrote a message asking if she could tag along with her. And here they were, flying above the wasteland!

Then they dropped to the ground suddenly and Ayu's head was as heavy as lead. Exactly like that one time when she made so many plants grow at once she got a big nosebleed.

Yet before they could shake the dust away, the little girl blinked as they were in the presence of... A very unlikely being. A shadow, thick and sticky with hostile intentions. Zuqetta sprung up instantly, summoning a blade and pulling Ayu behind her, protectively wrapping the tail around the girl in an attempt to push her away, further from this... Amalgamation. And that was when the echo rang through Ayu's head, causing her vision to darken for a second.

A feeling. An impulse. It was drawing her near, calling for her... Though Ayu's legs were stuck in place and she was unable to make a move, she couldn't shake this feeling of being pulled towards this scary creation. After blinking, she regained her vision and couldn't peel her eyes away from the dark mass in front of them. Something in it wasn't that terrifying, it was making her feel sad instead... And hurt, as if simply by staring at this occurance her heart was aching. Why..? Maybe that was something that called her here, creating the quiet desire to join Zuqetta on this expedition. Just, for what reason?

Ayu's face paled, turning almost pastel green - not from fear but from pure confusion, from the stirred-up feelings that were filling her head so heavily. The echo of weird sounds rang through her mind once more. And if the thing in front of them was an amalgamation... Then what were the emotions that were pouring inside her head without stopping? She was trembling, raising her hands to cradle her head, trying to make out something of the things she felt. A strange sensation that even more mysteriously Ayu seemed to be attuned to, was making its way to her mind. The low, painful screeching sound they heard was a cry of desperation... Another whine was full of pain, of suffering, of mourning the scorned soil and dried-out flesh. The deep, vibrating growl was a battle cry. Hatred, vengeance, and anger. Oh, so much anger it concentrated into a malice thick like tar that she felt she was choking on. A melancholy over the life that passed and was no more. Ayu couldn't help but tremble, not understanding anything... Though some impulses were almost familiar in this unique way that made her heartbeat quicker.

The Saiba Wastes as Zuqetta called them, were a sad, battle-worn place. Sand, burned ground, desolated, devoid of life land all around them...

Ayu was aware of only one thing. That this... This blob of dark energy was in pain. Before she could realize it, tears were streaming down her face... Because she could feel it too. Ayu could hear it. Sense it with every little fiber of her being. Her shining from tears eyes finally looked at the Saiyaness standing her guard in front of her, preparing all the blades and magic that she could muster.

... Couldn't Zuqetta hear it?

Was she going to kill it..?

No, n-no, that couldn't happen. She knew it couldn't! Ayu embraced her from the back, with trembling hands hugging Zuqetta's waist. She began to shake her head, trying to weakly pull her back, asking without words to let that thing go - for now - and for them to retreat.

Because it was hurting. The thing was in pain. They shouldn't make it hurt anymore because... Because that would be wrong. Ayu didn't understand how she was so sure about it but she knew it.

The thing was in pain. It was in pain. It... Was in pain.

A silent gasp of pain escaped her mouth and the shivering arms that were holding onto Zuqetta so desperately grew weaker.

They were in pain.

---

PL - 1,500
WC - 746

The pain was unbearable even if there wasn't even a scratch on her pale green skin. Utterly confused and twice as terrified, Ayu wanted nothing more but to make this feeling stop. She tried to pull the Saiyaness away but she didn't budge at all. This thing, this thing in front of them... Zuqetta was trying her best to reassure her that it would be alright but Ayu couldn't respond in any way, staring back in panic. Her lips moved, silently wording a plea to stop, to go, to leave it.

The burning feeling like acid that poisoned this soil was corroding her innards. The searing, sizzling sensation akin to the cruel sun made her flinch in pain, reminding her of all the bones paling in the sand under the intense, hot rays... The cries of pain, of agony. Of awareness that the end was near. It didn't feel like the forest on Earth or the surroundings Ayu was used to. The rabbit was eaten so the fox could live. The grass was used to sustain bugs and mice. When they died, their bodies would give new life a chance to thrive. That is how it was. She flinched again, gasping for air. But all that was filling her head was rage at the unjust, meaningless death of so many...

The pained screech vibrated through the air - the resonance of that sound, surprisingly escaped Ayu's mouth also, as she flinched in unison with the creature. It didn't take any deduction to see that the slash of the blade that had hit the amalgamation affected her as well. Tears didn't stop flowing from her widely open eyes, pale irises filled with nothing but confusion, fear, and pain. How it happened, was beyond anything at this moment... The sharp sensation of pain was akin to a gashing wound on her stomach and she shivered violently while her knees were giving in. And that wasn't the only thing that the little one was feeling right now, the numbing, painful sensation of... Everything. Too much. It was too much and Ayu was losing herself already in these sensations that were filling her core like a sticky, heavy cement, clouding her mind. Or perhaps she has already lost herself... Or rather, her consciousness was overshadowed by something else.

The air was becoming warmer and gentler and for a second, Ayu stopped shivering. The magic that the Queen was using was condensing in the air, the tension was running high, and yet, for a moment the pressure became milder. Her glistening from tears eyes stared back at Zuqetta, who was holding her sword in an offensive stance. It will hurt. They were going to be hurt again.

The hoarse breath that the little girl took was soon followed by a gentle, disarmingly weak voice with a raspy undertone of a throat that hadn't dared to speak in over a year.

"N-No h-hu-hurts, s̵-st̵ȯ̵p̸͓͝..."

The cracking, quiet voice of Ayu was soft like a fresh grass... Feeble and sloppy with the pronunciation, as silent as a whisper, but that wasn't important. The words she spoke were followed by a cascade of intertwining echoes of all kinds, mosaics of noises deep, squeaky, low, high, all shriveling in pain. They were animal-like grunts, growls, and chirps, the sound of shattered ground, and the creak of broken wood... The roar of water and gusts of wind gave voice. And yet, through her lips, they were forming a statement.

A defiance. A complaint. A cry for help...

A plea of an aching nature.

"̶̡̿Ḯ̶̜ẗ̸̠.̵̥̇.̴͈̇.̴͎͝ ̵͙̓H̸͋͜ǘ̶̗r̷͓̀t̶̯̋s̴̙͂.̶͇̾.̷̭͂.̵͔͒"̸̼̿, the voices groaned in pain, the shaky sound was crying out loud... .̵̺̉ ̵̣͠"̵̬͊Ș̶͐t̴͎́ö̵̠́p̸̱͐.̸̫̕.̴̜̒.̴͚̚ ̸̙̐H̴̰͝u̸̹͆r̴͙͒t̷̙͑s̴͈͘ ̵̙̀s̶͖͝t̸̢̀ȯ̴̡p̵̨͛,̴͙̏ ̸̠̒ņ̶̈ŏ̵̺ ̸̻̑m̴̬̎o̷̮̐r̶̰̽ḛ̷̈́.̵̘́.̵̘͘."

The voice that wasn't her own anymore was pleading, pouring not only the tears out but all the emotions that were now tormenting Ayu's little body. The black veins grew more vivid around her now empty-looking eyes, and the vivid green of her hair slowly became duller, like a wilting plant... Was it her prayer or its begging, one thing was sure.

They both were in agonizing pain.

"̶̮̙̰͌͗̉S̷̛̏͜t̸̘͊͆̊ō̵͕p̴̡̬̭̿̎̀.̴̝̭̹͆.̵̹͔̘͝.̵̝́̈́̋ ̴̙̻̌I̵̳̒́t̶̥̦̾ ̷̛͎͉͎h̴̥̘͝u̵̜̦̺̓̄r̸̢̯͊͒͠ţ̴͍̄͐͒ş̶͇̓.̶͓͑͂͘.̶̘̱̂.̸̢̋̽̌"̷̖͊ they wept.

---

PL - 1,500
WC - 686
TWC - 1,450

She didn't remember much of what happened. Ayu could only tell that she was in great pain, in agony... And then Zuqetta grabbed her, there was a flash of light, an explosion of energy - and that was it. She couldn't recall anything else.

Now everything around her was too quiet. A couple of thick leaves managed to sprout from the dried soil, though when the magic explosion hit them, their organic bodies turned into clear crystals. Ayu was lying on them, knocked out, a small trail of blood leaking from her nose. Murmuring something quietly, her lips moved and not a sound was made, she rubbed her eyes. Her head was so heavy as if filled with lead but she was somehow able to lift it. Ugh, everything hurt. Ayu found herself sitting, trying to understand what happened, but aside from confusion and worry there was nothing she could sense. She patted her cheeks. The vision slowly stopped being blurry and she had a good look at her hand. Mostly, at the sleeve that was a bit smeared with her dark rose blood around the edge and there was a dried drop on her skin. She had a bit of a nosebleed, she understood as much. Though, it wasn't that scary - something else grabbed Ayu's attention.

Why was her hand... So big? The other one too. Stretching her fingers, Ayu gazed at the back of her hands, noticing the pale gold and green dots, like freckles, adorning her skin. It wasn't feeling good but that could wait, right? Everything was so strangely quiet that she knew it wasn't right. She had to find Zuqetta and the strange monster because she didn't know where they went. What if her older sister was fighting with this creature? She had to stop them, to tell her not to hurt it anymore... Yet, she had no idea where they could be and there was no time to lose.

After getting up on one knee Ayu tried to stand up, yet her body trembled and she awkwardly landed back on her side. With a gasp and a flush on her cheeks, she rubbed her elbow. She was always a bit clumsy but this felt so gawky... No matter. Shaking her head, she rested her hands on the ground, ready to pull herself up - then she noticed her reflection in the smooth surface below. The Plant's harsh sun illuminated the glass-like floor and polished texture was now akin to the mirror and...

Why was Ayu so... Big?

The person that looked at her was almost like her but older and taller and bigger! She pinched her cheek - but it was not a dream. Ayu's braids had come undone and the thick and green hair was now untamed like a fluffy bush. Somewhere along the two-thirds of their length, her strands gained a white gradient that made the tips of her hair the color of snow. And she had horns! Three pairs at that! Granted, they were pretty small, the biggest pair wasn't even the size of her thumbs... She touched them with hesitation. The pale gold surface was curved, warm, and velvet-like, there were no rough surfaces or sharp edges - reminding her of the antlers of a young deer. It wasn't the end of the unusual changes... Her fangs and nails were sharper and more prominent... The same gold and green freckles were framing her temples, oh, and since when her ears were so pointy? Normally, they were hardly poking out of her hair. There was also a tail. A tail! Since Ayu saw Calot's Saiyan one she wished to have one too - but she never thought it would look like that. It was a skin-colored tail, not thicker than her forearm, smooth, and very thin at the end. On its top short green hair was growing in line, ending at the tip with a brush of soft emerald tuft. It was hard to tell if those were hair or leaves...

Why was Ayu so big now? She looked like an adult similar in age to Zuqetta or even Calot - but that wasn't it. Inside, Ayu was still feeling small, nothing changed there. Tears started swelling in her eyes and she began to sniffle uncontrollably. She was a shy, eight-year-old little girl, that loved plants and everything about them. She shouldn't look like this. No!

Wait. Plants..? Where were they...

... It wasn't right. It just wasn't. The girl sat on the smooth floor, her eyes snapped open with tears gleaming in their corners when all she could hear around her was a faint gust of wind. The heartbeat in her chest was hastening. Ayu tried her hardest and yet - the silence was deafening. The Plant was already a planet scarce with flora, there weren't many pieces of greenery that could take root in the impure sands. Still, she could sense their whispers, the gentle murmur of toughened vegetation as hardy and stubborn as this globe's inhabitants. But... No more. Where she could feel the reassuring presence of flora, the connection that Ayu felt as naturally as breathing, now there was nothing but... Quiet. Stillness. Silence. An empty spot in her core that caused her nothing but distress. She couldn't tell how long she was sitting there in shock when finally panic started to emerge from under this fear.

It couldn't be right. Right? Ayu joined her hands, closing her eyes, focusing so, so strongly in desperation, that she was able to manifest a handful of energy... But instead of happy and green leaves adorned by a bright sunflower, she was holding something small, elongated, and silver. A cold piece of metal with a rounded tip was lying on her palm comfortably and the confusion now took her aback.

Because... Her energy, an unholy fusion made of Ki and magic and whatever else she had in her has just-

Created a butterknife.

After a second of staring Ayu dropped it like it was hot. The metallic clink could be heard when the blade hit the smooth floor. No, no, no... Her whole body started shivering. Where were the plants..? Where was this deep, calming essence of forest and gentle whisper of leaves? Closing her eyes, and praying, Ayu focused again - only to find another butterknife in her hands, just slightly bigger than the previous one.

Then she made a small knife. And something that looked like a dagger... And yet another dagger.

With tears streaming down her face once more. Ayu joined her hands as if she were about to pray to whatever force could hear her. She wished and prayed and focused so hard she thought she was getting dizzy again... Please, do not take this connection from her. Don't take her shield and reassuring presence of plants, don't cut her off from what was a part of her... And maybe whatever changed her, listened to her in her moment of despair.

A tiny flower softly sprouted at the tip of her finger, unfolding delicate petals. It wasn't bigger than her fingernail, pale in color, frail - but it was hers. So maybe, not everything was lost? The tears full of relief dropped onto her lap when Ayu gently pressed the flower against her chest, sniffling.

Then something made its way to her mind's eyes, a sensation far and familiar. The energy she sensed was one she knew very well - Zuqetta! Oh, she landed on the other side of this area, just how strong that explosion was. And she was weakened too... So worried and so in a hurry she was that Ayu tripped twice before she was able to get back on her legs. With her new tail, the balance of her adult body was shifted so carefully, making still somewhat clumsy steps, she rushed towards Zuqetta. After reaching her, Ayu sat down by her side, her eyes meeting with yet another surprise.

Zuqetta was now a child. It looked like she was even smaller than Ayu was before she changed, lying on the ground knocked out in an armor way too big for her. Did that explosion make them switch their ages and looks? She didn't know. Ayu just didn't know.

After many failed attempts to wake up the tiny Queen, Ayu pulled out the outer layer of her white and gold Gi. Calot's magic outfit changed its size with her when she grew, so the fabric was now bigger. She folded it and used it as a makeshift pillow, sliding it gently under Zuqetta's head. She took away the boots, gloves, and crown, placing them on the side but she couldn't pull out the armor on her chest. It was warm enough on Plant to just lay like this, so Ayu wasn't worried about her sister catching a cold. But what... What if she won't wake up?

She tried to be brave.

Ayu really wanted to be brave.

But with her plant abilities now missing, with this awkward adult body she didn't want, and Zuqetta being small and unconscious - she didn't know what to do. They were in the middle of nowhere and Calot wasn't there either... Ayu curled into the ball, resting her cheek on the Zuqetta's armor and she wept quietly. She cried and cried... Until exhausted from tears, she didn't realize when she had fallen asleep.

The sky was turning dark.

---

The Blessing of Age is Active! - Ayu is an adult now, at least in body, not in mind and spirit!

PL - 1,500
WC - 1,560
TWC - 3,010

Somehow, time passed quickly. A voice and sounds were knocking on her head but the tiredness did not allow her to wake up... Until a touch nudged her awake. Ayu's eyes snapped open and with a flinch, she jumped up onto her knees. Blinking a lot she tried to focus her thoughts, on guard and anxious right after leaving the dreaming world... And with deep, hastened breaths she looked at the little, black-haired girl looking a her with worry.

Zuqetta was awake too... A relief made Ayu smile shyly but right away everything else started to remind her of what had happened. Her older sister was now smaller than her, a tiny girl with black hair and a fluffy tail - a little Saiyaness. The energy signature Ayu felt was of course hers, yet way, way weaker than it was before they visited this place. Still, it was stronger than her own, and probably far more experience too, so it's not like Zuqetta would lose the authority of an older sibling just because she changed like that.

Ayu didn't feel older at all. This body was weird, was big and clumsy and squishy in some places and she wasn't sure if she could ever get used to it... The green and white hair, horns, and tail were one thing - being now taller around two feet was another story.

R-Right! With her hands raised Ayu anxiously gestured to herself and then to Zuqetta, and again to herself, and toward the area around them, trying to convey something, something... Her gestures were shaky, her hands were shivering from nerves. Even if the body grew bigger, she could not say anything still. How could she tell everything that happened from her point of view? The explosion, that she woke up and found her here, that they were changed but she didn't know why. The distress on Ayu's face made her look as if she was about to cry again. The amalgamation hit by the Queen's magic blew up in a surreal but powerful explosion - and she wasn't even sure if that was the case of their altered appearances. She lowered her head, feeling an icy knot in her stomach, and contrary to that, her cheeks were flushed hot.

What if Zuqetta would be mad at her..? After all, the hazy memories of the amalgamation speaking to her core resurfaced, and back then they made Ayu prevent her from fighting. It made her hold onto Zuqetta, pleading her not to do anything. She didn't want her older sister to hurt an already aching being - what if that was her fault..? What if, somehow, it all led to this... Because of her?

... Maybe Grandpa was right and she was a bad kid.

That's when Ayu remembered the notebook that she carried everywhere. Patting her side, she found it and pulled out a note alongside her favorite crayon. It would be easier now, right? Holding the orange stick above the paper, she was looking for what to write... Where to start? And what to say?

Huh. It was funny. The crayon looked so tiny now between her green fingers... And why was Ayu's hand trembling like that..? Why was everything turning so blurry in front of her?

She couldn't find words to write.

Trembling lips finally curved into an expression of confusion and worry so strong that the crayon fell out of her hand. Tears as big as peas were falling down her cheeks and her shoulders shook as she wept. Ayu curled up, lowering her back to hide her face in her hands.

She was scared. And worried, And feeling guilty already... It didn't matter what she was looking like right now if the little, eight-year-old girl inside her was terrified to her core and concerned about their circumstances.

Sniffling, Ayu was looking for the crayon on the ground with her hand, still not daring to raise her head. After her fingers nudged it, she picked it up, and on the wrinkled paper, she wrote two words. She smeared every other letter and writing was bad, though what mattered was that it was still readable.

---

PL - 1,500
WC - 689
TWC - 3,699

It felt good to be reassured, even if the guilt growing in her chest didn't want to go away. Being an older sister on the inside, Zuqetta talked softly, hugging Ayu and patting her head, comforting her the best way she could. Her arms wrapped around the little Zuqetta in response and her cheek nuzzled against her little shoulder when she rested her head there. Why was she so big and awkward... Though the shivering was slowly going away. Sniffling, she returned the embrace and nodded timidly when asked how she was doing. Nothing was hurting Ayu, her body felt healthy, just weird because she couldn't get used to the size. Wiping the marks the tears left on her cheeks, Ayu nodded again, not really wanting Zuqetta to let go but there were other things to do. She rubbed her hands in an anxious motion, placing them on her lap and her gaze followed her sister around.

Sitting on the ground, with her legs tucked under her, Ayu didn't know what to do. What could she do?

Zuqetta was gathering her thoughts and she didn't want to interrupt her now... She still was a kid on the inside, Ayu would usually do things that didn't involve big decisions like that. Like drawing or picking books in the library or suggesting what they could eat for dinner... What to do now? And, well, Zuqetta didn't expect her to be the adult she appeared to be, which was nice. What would Calot say if he noticed that they were like this..? Or people in the Palace? Ayu was trying her best not to attract any attention but with how she was looking after this change - that would be a task way more difficult than before. Was she going to be like that forever now..? That thought gave her shivers right away and she rubbed her arms, her expression worried.

With a crown that felt a bit too big on her head, Zuqetta walked back to Ayu, acting just as she always did. She didn't even realize but she gave back the little Saiyaness a shy smile. Oh, right, her outfit... Nodding, Ayu reached for the outer clothes of her Gi, smoothing the fabric and putting it back on. The Plant seemed to be warm enough to not catch a cold but she didn't want to worry her sister like that. Though Zuqetta herself was barefoot and the shirt her adult self wore under armor was like a knee-long little dress now. If anyone would have a chance of getting sick, that would be her... Perhaps she should give her the Gi after all? But there was a solution for that too! Right, the magic was amazing - Ayu almost forgot that both Calot and Zuqetta could create things out of nothing. Maybe one day she could learn it too?

However, instead of new clothes that would appear around the little Saiyaness, something rustled, and crinkled, and suddenly - she was covered from head to toe in leaves. The use of mana took way more steam from her than one could expect and Ayu could sense that for a moment, her energy flickered like a candleflame under a gust of wind.

Ayu quickly opened her arms, catching Zuqetta and pulling her on her lap softly. Her short legs stumbled and she wouldn't want her falling to the ground like that. At least this big body was useful for that... And the reach of her hands was greater now - she wouldn't have any more trouble sneaking cookies from the top shelf back in their home on Earth. No matter, it wasn't the right time to think about a snack time, though after missing dinner they sure would be hungry... But first things first! The foliage growing thickly around the little Saiyaness was gentle, yet stubborn. It... Made sense, at least a bit. Ayu grew up and got Zuqetta's ability to pull swords out of thin air, while Queen was turned into a child and somehow gained her ability to create and control plant life. So this connection, her feelings towards greenery, the comfort it gave her... It wasn't gone. It simply was transferred to her older sister... That was so reassuring, Ayu's heart started to feel lighter instantly. Delicately she started to remove the tangled vines, careful to not break any stem or leaf. Inside this fluffy bush was a very confused Zuqetta.

With one hand around her big-little sister, Ayu picked up the worn-out notebook that was still lying on the smooth ground. With one hand, she started to write a message.

She explained the sudden growth of leaves and pointed to the tangled greenery that she took off Zuqetta. It was now gently and safely placed next to them.

Ayu realized it a bit sooner perhaps, mostly because she had a chance to try things out before. She woke up earlier. Confused and distressed, she felt the connection gone and tried to check if there was anything left - only to create a small pile of butterknives and daggers somewhere nearby. It all made a weird sense, though how did it happen and why were the questions too hard for her child's mind.

Ayu showed Zuqetta her open palm. With closed eyes, she tried to focus once more... To create something. To make something... It wasn't a flower, of course, that would be impossible, yet the flow of energy surged in the same way as before. Soon enough a long, small, and thin shape started to take a materialized form. A smooth, polished handle, a narrow blade with a rounded tip - oh, it was a butter knife again. Ayu's face flushed a bit and she rubbed her cheek abashed, rotating the knife in her hand to get a better look. She wanted to make a cool-looking dagger... Zuqetta was easily creating amazing and beautiful swords, but it seemed that by default, her blades weren't for that... Maybe Ayu was too weak to make a sword?

Or maybe it was because she was hungry..? Maybe. There was a low, subtle growl in her stomach that made her face turn a deeper shade of rose color.

---

PL - 1,500
WC - 1,029
TWC - 4,728

She wanted only to help, so... Was she so strong now? Confused, Ayu immediately raised her arms when Zuqetta asked not to be squeezed like a plushie anymore. But she was holding her gently, right..? Her adult hands were big but she did her best to be careful. Or not? It was perhaps the first hint of something more happening here, but abashed Ayu could only rub the side of her neck. Right after her little-big sister read the notes she wrote, she lowered her eyes. Zuqetta praised her for figuring out so much but truth be told, did she even discover anything? They swapped ages and magic and... They both knew as much. And would Calot be proud of that, Ayu wasn't sure - it was nice hearing that but she was more than anything, worried and confused.

She could sense that Zuqetta, despite her confidence and mature demeanor, was also uneasy about everything. The uncertainty in her energy flickered here and there... Was she trying to mask it for Ayu's sake? She started to nervously play with a strand of her hair, wrapping a white and green lock around her fingers. She knew. She could never hide her tears but the idea of making Zuqetta worried when she already was in a tight spot, made Ayu feel so bad.

And she wanted to prove that there was nothing to be afraid of. First, Zuqetta prepared a battle stance. Ayu could sense her energy tensing, focusing on materializing a familiar form, a ball of power to be exact. She had seen it before of course, so she knew what to expect. What the both of them weren't prepared for was a pea-sized ki blast that thinned into the air as soon as Zuqetta fired it. The look on her little-big sister's face could have been funny if the situation wasn't so dire. Her power was small but it still shouldn't be like this, right? She was stronger than her. Maybe Ayu wasn't so good with offensive techniques but even she knew how to make a ki blast. Well, even she wasn't meant to sound degrading in her mind, it just felt right as Ayu was aware of her... To be fair, she wasn't good at fighting. She wasn't skilled in any type of combat or even in using magic... The only thing that came so naturally to her mind was her plants. Now, that too was gone, making her heart ache in her chest.

Yet, that wasn't the end. Did the failed ki-blast make her sister angry? There was another stance and before she could realize it, Zuqetta hit the smooth ground, creating a crack in the porceline-like floor.

And then she yelled in pain!

Right away Ayu got up and sat in front of Zuqetta, looking all-worried at her red hand. Skin began to swell a bit so she blew it on it gently but that wasn't much of a first-aid... She caught herself browsing her knowledge about plants to make one that could cool off the pain after the unlucky strike - but, no. Ayu was of course reminded by the silence in her head, that she could not do it anymore. She couldn't create anything anymore. The gleam in her pale yellow eyes faded, saddened, but she tried not to look so pained. Though maybe she could still make something... After a bit of thinking, a small dagger with a flat blade and no sharp edges was indeed constructed by her magic. A piece of cold metal. Ayu gently laid the cool surface on the reddened skin, hoping that it could ease the burning pain a bit, even if a little...

Calot must be worrying about them. A sudden thought appeared in Ayu's mind. It was getting late and the sky was darkening, yet no one was around them and she couldn't sense even the tiniest Ki signature aside from the two of them... And a bundle of vines nearby. But it made sense. If Zuqetta, the Queen, was away from the Palace, people wouldn't be concerned about her, right? Because she was so strong. And Ayu was with her, so the only thing that they could be scolded for was to be late for dinner. No one even thought that something like this could happen - they never thought either... And now Ayu was an adult and Zuqetta was small, which sounded like a made-up story to trick their friends. But...

Ayu's pointy ears dropped when she thought about it, wondering how would they even explain their changes to her older brother.

Would he be angry at them..? The worried flush didn't want to go away from her face. If Zuqetta would try to explain that there was this amalgamation, would Calot be irritated..? Or disappointed that they let something happen? Could he think that it was Ayu's fault..? If he knew that she was the one trying to stop Zuqetta from attacking the weird creature, maybe he would assume it was like that... Her eyes once again started to heat up from building up tears but she didn't want to make Zuqetta worried more. No, no, no, she couldn't, at all! Rubbing her face, Ayu looked for her notebook.

If there was anyone they knew who was knowledgeable about magic enough to fix them, it was her older brother Calot. Ayu showed Zuqetta what she had written again, smiling shyly.

In short... Ayu really wanted to go home but she didn't know how to express that.

---

PL - 1,500
WC - 919
TWC - 5,647

Was it wrong of her to make the knife? The swelling didn't look that good and that was the only thing she could make... The weird look Zuqetta had in her eyes made Ayu uncertain if what she did was right. Or did she not like the idea of bothering Calot? Somewhere deep in Ayu's mind, there was an engraved sentence saying that she should never disturb adults when they were working. Zuqetta admitted that most likely would know how to magically fix them - but... He was already so busy. Would it be alright to trouble him in his office? Ayu's brother might be even too occupied with all those papers making towers on his desk to come to look for them like the little Queen said. Her green fingers started fidgeting and to not show how worried she was, Ayu curled her hair around them, nodding again to her sister's words. They should go. They should go and try reaching home.

A gentle sparkle of fresh and green energy caught her eyes. It was barely a faint gleam, yet with fascination Ayu was looking at the plants growing around Zuqetta's hand. The now-adult nodded, though the look in her eyes betrayed confusion. She used to make plants, that was it - but what about that? The leaves she saw were resembling aloe, surely... And yet the aloe she knew wasn't looking like that. They had different leaves and cooling jelly-like inside. Then she blinked with understanding. Plants from Earth weren't equal to the ones on Plant. If she remembered right, Ayu once borrowed a book about this planet's botany to look over carefully in her room. So many familiar names were met with such obscure new forms. Perhaps that was the case? As long as it was cooling Zuqetta's swollen hand, then it was all good. And like her sister said, there was no time to ponder or worry anymore, they needed to go back to the Palace first.

Ayu nodded shyly, walking by Zuqetta's side. The way home was long... And everything fell smaller than usual - but it was only her who was taller now. Such a weird feeling. She wasn't that tall actually, the view from Calot's shoulder was quite different from this - but the transformation here was obvious. Getting used to that body will take a moment. Carefully making steps, with her tail balancing the movements, Ayu had to learn how to walk again, adjusting every action to her new form. It must have looked funny - tiny Zuqetta was walking fast on her small legs, while adult Ayu was keeping pace with her without any problems, albeit her steps were uneven and slow at times. Even as a child, she was clumsy, but with those long legs, arms, and a tail rocking gently behind her with every step, it felt so weird, so unusual, so... It wasn't bad, but it wasn't her usual self. Ayu couldn't help but wish to be freed from this discomfiting shell. It wouldn't hurt to perhaps ask Calot for some flying le-

She tripped over her own feet and with a surprised squeak as quiet as a mouse, Ayu fell flat onto the ground. Confused, she raised her face with a reddened nose up, blinking and giving Zuqetta an awkward, apologetic smile. Ouch. Pulling herself up to sit, she rubbed her face and turned her head back, gazing at the tail. A slim, elegant one, with a tuft of hair-leaves, similar to a brush. If she could only know how to walk with it, her center of gravity was now shifted and Ayu simply had a hard time getting used to it. To that and many other things alongside their current conditions...

Shaking her head she quickly stood up, dusting her legs, and gave Zuqetta a nod that everything was alright. Ayu was putting on a brave face too, but falling wouldn't be enough to make her cry. Not like this. Not now. She couldn't make her big sister worry more than she already was...

So here they were, walking through the area, on a stroll among the smooth, glass-like soil. After a long while, the air felt cooler... And the place started to look different. The ground that resembled porcelain stopped being slick, they could make up some shapes from under the glassy layer, like boulders or stones. A bit later the floor began to look gritty, uneven, and cracked... Before it started looking like a regular ground with dark orange sand and rocks everywhere. Ayu carefully looked back to gaze over the whole area. They have walked quite a while and only now their surroundings have begun to change.

Just how big was Zuqetta's magic energy to have affected the area that large? She was so strong... Amazing.

Though it wasn't the right moment to admire her little big sister, because Ayu was still looking back and her tail slightly curled, she stepped on it - and fell again.

That... That was going to happen a lot now, was it not?

Rubbing her blushed from abashment cheeks Ayu did everything she could to pull herself from the ground. She was dusting her shoulders, trying to look unbothered to not worry Zuqetta... But her face was glowing raspberry pink.

---

PL - 1,500
WC - 877
TWC - 6,524