By the time the woman had finished filling a second bucket Maedel arrived carrying me.
“Here is your friend and a bucket of milk for your troubles,” she said, “she’ll be back to her old self tomorrow evening, perhaps a little humbler.”
Maedel sighed, “A baby and a cow. You sure know how to get into some shit, Princess.”
Maedel looked down at the pile of cow dung at Sara’s rear and held her nose, “Like, literally. I don’t know which one of you smells worse.”
I felt embarrassed not just for me but the younger version of me… well, technically older right now… the cow one. She paused from chewing cud for a moment and mooed at Maedel, insulted. I felt a pang of guilt. I hadn’t been changed into a cow in my timeline so felt a responsible for causing it by going back. “Soh,” I tried to apologize but ended up blowing bubbles and drooling. Somehow, Maedel manage to decipher my baby prattle.
“Hey, it’s not your fault Sara decided to insult that old lady, baby,” She cooed and wiped my chin. Annoyed I babbled trying to tell her I can wipe my own damn chin. “Ah wah muh ugh cha!”
“Pfft, you’d just spread it all over your face,” Maedel snorted, dismissively. She really had a knack for understanding my chatter.
“The Sara of the future was fiercely independent and tough. Unlike her present self.” The fortune teller explained, “she had matured into a strong willed woman and leader of a resistance against the clowns. It is a cruel twist of fate that she has taken a form so very dependent on others. It’s almost like another force is at play.”
“Whoa… This little babe lead the resistance?” Maedel gasped.
“No wonder your so grumpy.” She said to me and sniggered, “can you be Maedels little tough girl now and suck it up when I have to change your diapey?”
I gave her my grumpiest stare yet.
“Seriously. I have to change your stinky butt, like, ten times a day as well as feed you and you aren’t the least bit thankful.” She pouted.
I suppose she was right. I was being a little selfish. “Soh soh, Ma-da.”
“D’aww did you just call me, Mama?” she smiled. She knew full well that I was trying to say Maedel! “You can be such a good girl when you want to.”
“Now, lets get you and Sara back to the Inn, we’ve got a long walk to Morgana’s tomorrow and I’ve gotta do the walking so I need a good nights sleep.”
Maedel pulled Sara back to town by her bell collar and led her into the barn where the Inn’s guests could leave their horses and before long we were sound asleep. The next day our small party of 4 transformed Princess’, a monkey, an elf and a Prince set off on our journey to Morgana’s cabin but not before Maedel bought a pink frilly dress and matching bonnet to dress me in, much to my chagrin. As it turned out, the town was Stonebridge, a mining town and quarry where Morgana had got the stone to build her cabin meaning we were very close to our destination. By the evening we had arrived and I felt a little nostalgic being back there. I hadn’t seen the place since we’d left to battle the King of Molossia which was years ago to me though it had only been a matter of weeks to everyone else. In the cabin Maedel found some pillows and made me a makeshift seat atop the dining table. For once I felt like I was being included in the conversation rather than being left in a crib and ignored. Within an hour of our arrival Sara transformed back from a cow into a very peeved, and very naked, young lady again. Luckily, Morgana’s wardrobe had a few dresses that fit her.
“It’s nice to have you back, Sara. I can finally have an intelligent conversation again,” Maedel said.
“Hey!” Connie and Andrew cried in unison.
“I hope Morgana has a spell here to make you all forget I turned into a smelly farm animal…”
“Being a farm animal isn’t so bad…” Princess Connie said. “At least you weren’t a pig.”
“Speaking of animal transformations… does anyone have any idea who the dog is?” Sara asked.
“Oh… about that… it turns out that Hazel is you from the future and the little puppy is future Connie.” Maedel said.
Sara’s jaw dropped before she put her head in hands. Her face was bright red and it was clear she was embarrassed that I, her future self, had become a baby.
“What? That little brat dog is me? No way! I’m not a pain in the ass like that mutt.” Connie squealed in disbelief. Having spent years fighting alongside her and listening to her constant whining about being a pig I could tell you she was most definitely a pain the ass.
The “little brat dog” Connie proved just what a pain she was by biting her pig self.
“Shouldn’t we be concentrating on changing Morgana back?” Prince Andrew interrupted. The former witch, present monkey, was climbing on Andrews shoulders and poking her fingers in his ears.
“Ewww! I sucked on Maedel’s boobs!” said Sara, still off in her own little world. A light punch on the shoulder from Maedel brought her back to reality.
“Any of elf ranger girls would be glad to suck on my…” Maedel began before stopping herself when she saw everyone was staring at her, “I’m not a fruity elf, okay!?”
“Of course not.” Connie said, deadpan.
“She did seem to enjoy having Hazel suck her tits a little too much,” Andrew whispered to Connie.
“ARRR! Let just search for some spell books already!” a pissed off Maedel threw her hands into the air and gave up trying to explain she wasn’t gay.