As the afternoon wore on, the group eventually made their way towards the fairgrounds. Spotting Connor and Spark, Nat, Rei, Miranda, and Amara made their way towards the couple. As Spark now saw the childish Amara, the teen couldn't help but burst into laughter. "It's not that funny," Amara grumbled.
"Oh yeah it is," Spark laughed. "What are you eight? And the face paint!" Spark now succumbed to laughter, doubling over in laughter as Connor now rubbed his neck sheepishly. "So how did this happen?"
"Miranda wanted to get her face painted and roped Amara into it," Nat sighed. "We um, kind of had a hand in this."
"Its only temporary," Rei added quickly.
"I hope not," Spark laughed. "She's the cutest little fear demon I've ever laid eyes on." Reaching down, Spark now pinched Amara's cheeks, the grown down mara sporting a sour look as she tried to avoid Spark. As the group now awkwardly watched, they could hear Miles and Chenoa now call out to them. Waving the pair over, Chenoa immediately noticed the 8 year old girl. "Is that someone's sister?"
"Its Amara," Miranda stated, rubber her neck sheepishly. Chenoa paused, tilting her head as she looked over Miranda's childish girlfriend. "I don't know why she would want to be a child but she looks adorable."
"So what did you guys do," Connor asked, desperately trying to change the subject. "We went on a couple of rides," Miles smirked, placing his arm around Chenoa. "Yes the rides were quite fun," Chenoa said happily. "And Miles was quite affectionate on each of them."
"Looks like Miranda is going to have to wait awhile before her girlfriend can go on any rides," Spark joked. "Is she even tall enough for some of them?" Amara frowned, the young mara now arguing with the teenage fairy. No one noticing as Rei's ring began to glow until it was almost too late. "Rei is that your ring," Miranda asked, noting a light out of the corner of her eye. A collective gasp now escaped the teens lips as the ring now enveloped them in its power.
"Where is everyone," Stephanie asked as she scanned the fairgrounds. "Not really sure," Travis shrugged. "They did say to come here right?" Stephanie nodded, glancing down at her phone as she re-read the text message. Chenoa had told them they were hanging around the carnival rides but, the couple could not see their friends anywhere.
"Stephanie over here!"
Stephanie paused, the voice was oddly familiar yet it seemed different somehow. Turning towards the voice, both teens jaws dropped as they gazed at their friends. "No way!"
"Hi Stephanie," Chenoa chirped, the now 8 year old Deer girl skipping to her friend. Stephanie gazed wide eyed at Chenoa, the Deer girl now an adorable 8 year old with a wide childish face and thin body. Chenoa now craned her neck upwards as she looked into.her friends eyes. "You're really tall now." "Um yeah," Stephanie stammered. "Um...you all got...really small." Although Chenoa was smiling ear to ear, it appeared the others weren't exactly thrilled with whatever had happened.
Nat and Rei looked slightly embarrassed, Nats hair seemed even redder with her age cut in half, while her Asian girlfriend gazed at her small hands. Miles and Miranda had also not been spared from this sudden reduction. Miranda no longer a curvy teen but a rail thin child of eight with a round faced brother who found himself slightly shorter than his twin sister. Standing next to the pair was Amara, the chubby girls face painted like a cat as she asked her girlfriend if she was okay. Finally Stephanie noticed Spark and Connor. The teenage demon hunter now an adorable straw haired child with an adorable face. Spark it seemed wasn't as thrilled to be a child once more, standing shorter than the rest of her friends, Sparks green hair rested just above her shoulders with an incredibly skinny body.
"What happened," Stephanie exclaimed. "Um my ring kind of zapped us back to childhood," Rei squeaked, the girls voice sounding almost helium fueled to Stephanie's ears. Nat now approached, placing an arm around Reis shoulders. "Its not your fault Rei," she said, Stephanie unable to shake Nats childish voice from her head.
"This sucks," Spark pouted, the 8 year old fairy pouting as she stamped her foot. "Oh quit being such a brat," Amara chuckled. "You brought this on."
"Okay enough," Stephanie stated, her voice authoritative. Somehow it seemed to work as her childish friends seemed to snap to attention. "Ugh I feel like I'm babysitting and not getting paid," she thought. Taking a breath she now looked to her friends, hoping to make the best of this situation. "Look we all know this spell will end sooner rather than later," she said. "So, for the time being why don't I have you all ride the kiddie rides while me and Travis babysit." Despite some initial grumbling the group of children agreed, Stephanie now pulling out her wallet as she turned to Travis. "Can you get some tickets so we can put the kids on the rides?"
"Yeah sure," Travis stammered, the teen pausing as he now gave Stephanie a quizzical look. "Does this kind of thing happen often?"
"When a magic ring is involved yeah," Stephanie sighed. Buying the tickets the two teens now found themselves babysitting their grown down friends, chuckling as they watched them. For Travis, he found the entire ordeal to be entertaining, gradually gaining a deeper appreciation for Stephanie as she successfully maneuvered the kids around the festival. Still, has they began to finish their day, he couldn't shake an odd feeling of dread.
Travis felt as if someone was watching, an ominous presence he couldn't quite put his finger on. Shaking the feeling off, he now tried to focus on what he hoped would be a fun-filled school year.