The eldest of the group, most likely the one that led them, eyes the Butlers for a moment, before sighing softly as he prepared to deliver the news.
“Well the news is decidedly mixed.” He began softly. “While it will be possible to reverse what you’ve been subjected to, the problem is that it would only be a temporary relief, and once the effects are expired, you would begin to revert to the forms you currently hold. After which you would need to reverse the process again.”
Nathan and Suzanne needed a while to take in the information, while it was true that they could reclaim their old human forms, it would not last for long and they would likely be in a constant race just to retain it. On the other hand, as they currently were, they wouldn’t be able to go anywhere really, not without winding up as the first news item for all the wrong reasons.
“Tho? Themporary ith all you can do?” Nathan asked him.
“That it is, if what you seek is to return to your former bodies.”
“Thorry? Buth whath do you mean by thath?” Suzanne cut in.
“Because there are two other options, although neither may be to your liking.” He explained gently.
“And thath would be?” Nathan pushed for the answer.
“The first is to leave you as you are, and then you learn to live as you are. The other is to allow me to complete the transformation that I started, and live out the remainder of your natural lives as full horses.” He finished his explanation as Nathan and Suzanne looked at each there and himself before adding one last detail for them. “It will take time for me to prepare either option, so you will have this night to think the matter over.”
“I thee.” Nathan replied quietly, still trying to take in everything. “You’ll underthand that we’ll neeth the to think thith mather over alone.”
“Of course, with your permission, I’ll begin the preparations then.”
“Thanth you.” Suzanne answered as she rose up with Nathan as they retired to their RV for the night.
Inside once more, it took them a moment to squeeze their way to the end bedroom, not feeling like eating as they managed to settle into the bed, their hoofed feet left dangling over the end as they pulled close to one another.
“Tho? Whath doeth thith mean for uth?” Suzanne asked with fear in her voice.
“I don’th know.” Nathan admitted. “Buth we really do need to thinth about ith.” Speaking slowly to try and make himself understood.
“Ith noth like we have any good opthions.”
“No, we don’th.” Nathan soothingly ran a large hand along her back. “Thoo either have thoo keep tathing whathever they have thoo remain human, thoo be thuck like thith, or shpend the reth of our livesh ash mundane horshes.”
“No gooth choishes then.”
“Buth, they never shaid how they’d do ith. Tho maybe there’sh where we’ll make up our mindsh?”
“I shupposhe sho.” Suzanne agreed as sleep began to claim her. “Buth thath wash a fanthashtic thime you gave me.” She giggle slightly as her eyes closed.
“I…I guesh sho.” Nathan concurred as he too began to fall asleep.
[+]
By sunrise they had woken up, and were looking around their RV, seeing if anything they had could fit and binning what they’d wrecked from their transformation. Finding nothing that could contain them in their new size, they were forced to exit with their naked semi-equine forms on display, to find only the eldest one waiting for them.
“I sent the others home.” He explained as they approached. “I have them ready now.” He gestured to a few items by his side. A group of vials grouped in two colours, one a dark brown, the other a milk-white, along with a pair of bracelets.
“And they would be?” Nathan asked very slowly.
“The first is what will allow you to return to your human forms.” He pointed to the dark brown solution. “While the other would cause you to complete the change into full horses. And the bracelets act as a perception distorter, in that they would allow you to appear human, but only so long as you could maintain the pretence. In short, if someone suspects the truth, they’ll see right through it.”
“And whath of contacth.” Suzanne queried.
“If you were touched while depending on the illusion, it would break for the one touching you.” He explained. “So now the decision is yours, which will it be? To use one of these, or to make do without any of it.”
“Jusht outh of curioshithy, how long would each one need?” Nathan asked. “And how long woulth the revershion lasht?”
“For the reversion, twenty minutes to revert you to human forms, and it would last for two-to-three days, depending on how active you are in that time. To become full horses, you it would take ten minutes for the effects to begin again, and then another hour to finish the change that was started.”
“I thee.” Nathan looked to Suzanne as a silent understanding passed between them. “Buth ish ith poshible to make ith? Ourshelvesh?”
“I have the instructions written here, so long as you can procure what you need, you’ll be able to make it yourselves.” He produced a few sheets with said instructions written in large lettering. “So I’ll ask you again. Which option will you take?”
Nathan and Suzanne looked at the instructions, the various vials and the bracelets for a minute, before they were ready to make their decision.