Katie rushed to the store, completely leaving her friends behind. Her heart beat hard in her chest as she arrived and found the old man sitting behind the counter. "Merlin!" She cried. "What is going on? You told my friends they're going to become kids again? What about the ring, what about everything else? I.."
Merlin cut her off. "Easy young one easy! Calm down, take a breath....relax. I will explain to you the situation."
Katie started to protest but the wizard gave her a hard glance and she nodded meekly and stood trying to get her breath. Merlin sat down and offered her a chair which danced right up behind her. The college Co-ed sat down as Merlin waved his finger and closed the shop door, the closed sign and the blinds coming down. "This is between us," he said. "Though I did share it with your friends, this situation revolves mostly around you and the Ring of Age. The ring is a living thing now, Katie, it is coming alive because of the wishes you made, the trust you put in it and the purity of your spirit in making the changes you have. You have used it for good, but the Ring's nature is always of shifting change. Because you started using it when you were seven, that is your true and natural age. As a result, eventually everyone you have used your wish on will eventually want to become seven years old even if they consciously realize it or not."
"But they weren't seven before! I mean I can use the ring to change their ages back and forth, right?"
The wizard nodded, "You can but their natural age will always be seven just like yours is. Its just the nature of the ring now, wanting you to have close friends as near to your real self as you can."
"But what about my Mom? What about Judy? If what you said is true, Mom will stop being my Mom and I'll vanish!"
The wizard laughed, "No dear. Remember? I used my magic to prevent that for you....you are safe. You will never vanish."
Katie nodded and let out a sigh of relief, almost absentmindedly she brought her fingers to the ring. "What about my friends though? What about me? Will I become a child for good? Will my friends completely forget being grown ups? Whats going to happen to us? What are you going to do?"
The wizard laughed again, "Oh Katie. You should have more faith in me. I don't wish harm on you or your friends. A chain of wonderful events has been set in motion from your wishes. First of all, your friends will be safe. They will still be your friends, but they will forget their grown up lives, there's nothing I can do about that. As it is I have wonderful guardians to watch over and protect them, these guardians are magical in themselves, and they wont shy away from changes you make or choices they take. You see, I offered your friends items from my shop, so that they too can experience the wonders of my magic. These guardians will help guard and guide them in these changes. Like it or not, your friends are a part of a new and wonderful magical world, and I can promise you that I will keep them safe."
Katie nodded, "What about me and my Mom? Are we all going to become seven?"
Merlin smiled, "Kelly is going to become your sister, and the age you choose for her is the age you decide. As for the others, I leave that to you. You have the power to change your natural age with the ring, and it will adjust everyone else. But everyone who has had contact with it, except yourself, will lose any memory of their former life and of the ring. The ring will prevent you from changing it so that they remember anything else. As to your guardian, I was going to offer myself. You don't have to be my apprentice, but you can live with me. I always wanted daughters." He said smiling.
Katie smiled and thought quietly to herself and...