59 Remember, remember....?

I am with Celes, Seria and Aengus inside the Garden of my log-house in the southern part of the continent. While I enjoy the screams of pure pain and horror, I sip on my cold fruit-juice. Celes is taking a sunbath with Seria and I am comfortably lying in a hammock. 

The screams are coming from Aengus. He is rolling around on the ground while he is trying to scrape out his eyes. 

"Haaah, Celes, do you remember when we were that age? Isn't it reassuring that we aren't the only ones who have to suffer?" 

"Sure my dear. Though I have the feeling that Aengus is a really bad case." Celes mumbles while she is lying on a mat. 

"I am sure he is just a sissy! Couldn't you do something to ease the pain? What are you researching our bodies for if you can't do that." I raise an eyebrow. She sure is heartless if she could help her son but decided against it. 

"Probably I could do something, but it would require some pretty heavy drugs. I don't want to give something like that to a little child." Celes hums a little while she is enjoying the sun. 

"What's happening to big bro mom?" Seria musters her brother with a concerned look. 

"Ahem... nothing dangerous. He is just undergoing the metamorphosis. His Adult features are developing. Like horns and split pupils. He will look similar to daddy." Celes smiles at Seria and pats her head. 

"Hooooorrnnnnnnnsss!? Puuuuppiills!? Whaaaahaa... III DONnn't wannNNNAaa bEEE AA DEEOEMON!! HUUURRRRTTTSSS!!!!!" Aengus rolls over the floor and then starts to hit his head against the ground. 

Seria looks at her brother with a shocked expression. 

Celes continues to explain. "The affected body tissue starts to grow and change rapidly. As a side effect the nerves inside it are going havoc and start firing constantly for naught. It's in fact a form of phantom pain inside the brain. Nothing you could treat that easily. And it's a natural process, better not to disturb it." 

"Aaah. I remember it like yesterday! It was like someone was stabbing screwdrivers into my eyes while twisting them and having a mixer meshing up my brain at the same time." I recall my own metamorphosis. 

"Kyyyyaaaaa!" *Sob* "Thiiis IIS Theee PPURRRTAAAGOORY! III KneWWW I WAAS In HEELLL!" 

"You have to learn the dark sides of this world as well as the bright ones Aengus. Try to control yourself a little, you're starting to sound like a little girl." I grin at the wriggling figure. 

"Don't be so high and mighty! You started to cry like a little baby yourself!" Celes rebukes me. 

"Mom! Will that happen to me too?" Seria asks Celes with a frightened voice. 

"Most likely. Though you will be spared from the screwdrivers through the eyes." Celes continues to hum her melody. 

Seria lets out a sigh of relief while she sits down besides Celes again. "Then it will be half as bad." 

Suddenly Celes tail entangles Seria and Celes throws a creepy smile towards her daughter. "Oh, it wont be half as bad. In exchange for the screwdrivers it will feel like someone is constantly stabbing and drilling a stake up your butt, directly into your spine!" 

Seria's mouth falls open while she comes to view her mother's tail in a different light. 

Ireth enters the garden through the veranda. "What's all the screaming abo... . Oh my. They grow so fast. Before you can take a look they are already at age. How is it Aengus?" 

"IIS? Iiii waanana DDIEEEE!" 

"Your parents surely are horrible for letting you go through that even though you did nothing bad." -Ireth 

"WhhhyYY?" 

"On the other hand. We never showed them the method to ease the pain for a while because we had to educate the naughty children." Ireth ponders over the past while she scratches her chin. 

"Grandma! Save brother and show me the method! Pretty please!" Seria jumps at the opportunity. 

In the meanwhile the screams have taken another dimension. "Okay! If my cute little granddaughter asks me like that, we will save your brother." 

She walks over and grabs Aengus at the neck to drag him over to the close fountain..... and pushes his face under water. 

"Blerhg BbllBLblbB" 

A long and nasty fight for life and death starts. Aengus is trying to cast a spell to breathe under water but Ireth cancels it. Various other attempts to escape are also prevented. 

After long and gruesome ten minutes Aengus's movements are just mere twitches. It's really hard to drown a god, even if he is a child. 

Seria is just standing besides Ireth with an unbelieving expression on her face while she watches the entire procedure. 

When Aengus stops to move, Ireth pulls him out and casts a mid-level healing spell on him. This has the benefit of not waking him up again. 

"See? Easy, isn't it?" Ireth asks Seria with a bright smile. Then she lays Aengus on the ground and folds his hands on his chest like you would do with a dead person. 

The little sister of Aengus just nods with a pale face and a very forced smile. Then she walks over to us with dead eyes. "Mommy, daddy, I am sorry. Aengus is right. I really created hell." 

We both just grin at her and say nothing. 

That's when Rose arrives with a plate of new drinks and sets them onto the ground besides Celes. "Um, everyone. There is something I want to ask. Would it be a problem if I took a leave for the rest of the day?" 

"No, But if it comes from you, I have to know why. Otherwise I would die of curiosity." I answer with a stern voice and Rose starts to fidget. 

"Rose has something on her heart! What's it? I want to know!" Celes sits straight up and looks at Rose who turns red. 

"You know... originally I thought it would never happen. But with us becoming gods. And the much longer lifespan. There were suddenly so many new options! It kinda happened before I knew it." 

Oh, no! It can't happen! The good soul of the household! Don't tell me you want to quit! 

"I have a date!" 

Puh. Wait! "Who!?" 

"His name is Drem and he is the captain of the guard." Rose smiles at us while Celes spits her juice over the ground. 

"The bear!?" Ireth shouts out. 

"..... I am trying to imagine the fragile slender elf-body of Rose besides that muscle monster Snowden but the picture is just too hilarious...." I mutter while my fantasies are running wild. 

"It's the first date?" Celes asks Rose. 

"Um, yes?" -Rose 

Celes jumps up and runs into the house. A few seconds later she comes back with a little box and shoves it into Rose's hands. "Give him that when you are alone." 

"What is it?" Rose asks with a curious voice. 

"Just a little help, you have to go now. It's better if you find it out yourself." Celes urges Rose to take her leave and Rose nods. 

Then Rose teleports away. 

"What's inside the box?" Ireth asks Celes. 

"Nothing, just a little chocolate." Celes has a wide grin on her face. 

I have to warn him! I close my eyes and concentrate myself and establish a mental connection. 

-Drem! Drem do you hear me? It's important!- 

-Your Majesty? Is something wrong? It's rare for you to call me.- 

-Nothing is wrong. But it's important, don't eat the chocolate!- 

….. 

-Drem?- 

*SMACK* 

"Ow!" I rub my head. "You tried to tell him didn't you?" Celes looms over me. Did she interrupt the connection? Did Drem get the important part? 

"Did daddy do something bad?" Seria hops up and down besides Celes. 

"Yes, he tried to tell on a woman's secret plans." Celes pats Seria's head. "He was a veeeery bad daddy and mommy will have to punish him!" 

"How can you punish daddy? I need to know too!" Seria is such a smart child! She knows what's really important. 

"That's not for children to see! Stay here and keep watch over your brother." Then Celes grabs my hand and drags me to the house. 

Noooo! Snowden! I hope my sacrifice wasn't in vain.... 

"That's the same thing you always tell me Sandra! I am sure you will just drag him to the bedroom and do this and that...... why are you looking at me like that?" Seria became aware of our frozen state and looks at us. 

Celes drops me and kneels down in front of Seria. "You just called me Sandra." 

"Did I?" Seria smiles at Celes. If this were a comic I could probably see small pearls of sweat forming on her forehead. 

"You totally did! What else do you remember!" Celes grabs Seria at her cheeks and starts to twist. 

"Owowowo!" 

"I said many times that if you remember something you have to tell! How much did you hide!" Seria gets grabbed by Celes's tail at one leg and is lifted into the air. 

"Do you remember how to travel the void Seria?" I ask her with a smile on my face. 

"No? I thought we already confirmed that I only have memories of more recent events?" Her smile becomes wide and shiny. Hah! I remember! She always did that when she lied as Sofie! 

"You just called your mom, Sandra. That memory should be quite old." I point out her mistake. 

"Do you see your brother lying there?" Celes asks with a sweet voice. 

Seria looks into the asked direction and nods her head. 

"Right now, he has the bliss of unconsciousness. But if you don't spit it out, I will see to it that you are awake and aware the entire time when it's your turn. You wont even have the mercy to faint from exhaustion! I will personally see to it." She grins at Seria who becomes as pale as the moon. 

"Uwaaah! I just didn't want to tell that I remembered more! You and daddy will go off to war if you know how to travel the void. I didn't want that! I want things to be like now forever. I will tell! Please hit me unconscious when it's my turn!"