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Familiar (Part 1)

By otterlyoffbeat

I let out a sigh as I leaned against the wall, looking at the masses filling the club and dancing in groups, pairs, or alone. This wasn't my scene at all, and I longed for the familiar feel of a paperback in my grasp, or even my smartphone. Something to distract myself or lose myself in rather than this ineffective attempt to force me out of my comfort zone to find new connections. But Alex had insisted--indeed, had forcibly taken and hidden that portable portal of amusement and similarly denied my attempts to bring a book along. At least he couldn't force me to actually approach anybody, though not for want of trying.

After a long string of awkward silences and abortive pushes towards others from him, I'd made my way to this wall away from the throngs. In the absence of my preferred means of entertainment, I had to make my own, observing the individuals at play, careful to keep my gaze from settling on any one particular happening for too long. I didn't need to be seen as quiet -and- creepy. I also had to give credit to the DJ's music choices, given the bulk of them had me tapping my own foot or bobbing my head. Sure, there had still been some duds, but the selections easily beat what I'd expected to hear. The DJ didn't have a thing to do with the next thing I hadn't expected to hear, though.

"You look like you could use a distraction. Drink?"

I turned to look at who had uttered that surprise greeting, though 'turned' might be too gracious a term to use. Always seeing myself as an average sort, I certainly hadn't expected anyone to approach me, so that friendly, bubbly voice startled me and caused me to jerk my head in her direction. Quite the auspicious start. In any case, the girl standing there again defied expectations, this time the ones I'd assumed she'd display given her confident introduction.

She held out a red cup, a blush on her her cheeks as she studiously avoided eye contact with me, the assured tone not evident in the mousy sort that stood before me. That term may have been a bit too on the nose, given the girl was herself a mouse (and I wasn't the sort to stereotype), but the word suited her perfectly. Timid, nervous, her glasses slightly askew and clothes somewhat ill-fitting, shifting from foot to foot, whatever courage she'd summoned forth to get my attention having taken flight as she waited for me to take the drink. If anything, that got my attention more than the direct query had--she was very cute, even if the masses wouldn't vote her to the front of any contest.

"Thanks. Ah, what...that is...er..." I stammered myself as I took the drink--unlike Alex, social interactions didn't come easy to me, and adding in an adorably attractive girl certainly didn't help matters.

"Uh, y-yeah..." She replied, apparently equally stricken. I couldn't imagine how I could elicit such a reaction, but this was sure to be a conversation for the ages given the words spoken thus far.

"T-thanks." I found myself repeating. Broken records had nothing on me, apparently. "I'm Jason, by the way."

"A-Aria."

She offered a weak smile, almost as if expecting some cheesy, music-referencing line in response. In all fairness, the thought had crossed my mind, but unlike some, I had the good sense to suppress that instinct and filter myself. Instead, I nodded and smiled back, raising the cup and sniffing at the contents--citrus and alcohol. She probably couldn't have picked a better drink to appeal to my tastes, though pretty much anything other than beer would have gone in the plus column in my books. I caught her eyes watching me as I inhaled the aroma, and feeling awkward again, I lowered it back down, scratching my head and ears with my free hand.

"Pleasure to meet y-you, Aria. Sorry that my words, ah, seem to be malfunctioning this evening!"

"No, no. I get it, b-believe me! I mean mine aren't exactly, ah, flowing e-either!" She let out a little nervous titter, blushing even more. "W-would you, er...like to, maybe, ah, get o-out of here and somewhere l-less crowded? It feels...like everyone's w-watching us, here..."

I glanced around, but to my eyes, it looked like nary a soul had eyes for us. Nonetheless, I nodded. Conversation with someone, especially someone this adorable and sweet, definitely trumped standing against a wall by myself. And if that conversation led to something more serious...well, I guessed I'd owe Alex my thanks for the unexpected outcome. That in mind, I cast my gaze about, spotting my fox friend engaged in robust conversation with a trio of girls. No surprise there. I somehow managed to catch his attention, nodding to Aria, then towards the door, and he gave me the biggest grin he could as well as a thumbs up before returning to his conversation.

Following that, I got another shock when I turned back to Aria, as she took a deep breath before leaning up and planting a rather intense kiss right on me. My eyes went wide, a blush of my own burning strong on my cheeks, and I found myself starting to return it before she broke it off. She wiggled her fingers at the crowd in a wave goodbye and pulled me to the exit, turning back to me once we were outside the main room, blushing equally as strongly, but also giggling uncontrollably.

"T-that was, ah, fun! And y-your face!" She grinned, leaning against the wall, playfully spinning down the currently empty hallway towards the exit of the building, downing the contents of her own cup in a single gulp.

"You...you k-kissed me!"

"You liiiiiiiiiiked it!" She giggled again, gripping my arm and pulling me into an expansive coat closet just shy of the entrance.

Struck numb by her sudden forwardness, and unable to disagree, I brought my own cup to my lips. A shot of liquid courage sounded pretty good in light of my rising awkwardness and uncertainty. I imbibed it just as quickly as Aria had, swallowing the surprisingly sweet contents without a second thought. After lowering my arm, I noticed her exuberance had subsided, with her now holding her messenger bag and watching me with a nervous smile. Had she...done something to my drink? That'd make for quite the turnabout from how such things typically went.

"W-what...?" I stammered out, thoughts waffling between asking that very query and simply asking what drink it had been so I could find it and enjoy its deliciousness again.

I didn't get a chance to finish the question, whichever way my mind would have chosen, as a field of pure, brilliant white overtook my vision and a surge of heat flowed through my entire body. The sensations overwhelmed any sort of interaction with the world, the entirety of my experience reduced to blinding white and brilliant heat. The heat only grew more and more intense, to near-unbearable levels before it plateaued and a sinking sensation replaced it, almost as if riding a roller coaster. That feeling didn't last long, but when it stopped, the heat had departed, leaving behind a chill that only grew ever more pervasive with each passing instant. In any case, it left me shivering, the white replaced with utter darkness, and the sensation of being covered with sheets right out of the dryer, the latter a welcome contrast to the odd chill I felt. All the more odd given I usually wasn't one to get cold easily.

"A-Aria?"

I called out when I re-found my voice, only to frown at the sound of it. It didn't sound right--almost softer, quieter? I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but after years of hearing it on a daily basis, I could tell -something- had changed. The darkness and chill were also concerning, and I reached out, my hands seeming to touch fabric. Maybe I'd fallen into some of the clothes hanging in the closet? But for that fabric to be all around me...that would have to have been quite the flailing fall, indeed. And it wouldn't explain why the fabric was so warm, either. I pushed myself up to a standing position, only to fall as the ground seemed to shift under me and raise up from beneath me. I blinked a few times to try and see something, anything, but it remained frustratingly dark.

"W-wow...I, uh...I guess I had the r-ratios off, or something..." Aria's voice filled the air, loud enough to make me wince. "J-Jason? Are you, ah, o-okay?"

"I...dunno. I can't see, and I f-feel unsteady...why are you yelling?"

"W-well, uh, that's because...y-you see..." As she replied, the darkness grew brighter, to a green, before the green was...moved aside and I could see again, though what presented itself to me seemed impossible.

Everything in the room appeared a vast number of magnitudes bigger than it had previously, towering above me. And Aria's face looming before me as I found myself lifted higher did nothing to put me at ease--all the evidence seemed to point to me having shrunk to a much smaller size. My jaw dropped as I turned my gaze downward, noting my previously worn clothes appearing almost comically large around my feet and hanging down off what had to be Aria's arm and hand. But that barely even registered in light of the other shocking sight presented to me in that observation of my new size: the pair of rather large orbs that now dangled from my chest. Well, large to my perception, anyway. With me now so tiny, I supposed that was all relative.

My jaw hung agape as I raised my hands to those mounds of flesh, which proved all-too-real. The action also sent an odd surge of heat and excitement through me at that inquisitive touch, my fur raising with gooseflesh at the sensation. Cradling those new protrusions with one arm, I moved my other downward, my hand finding similarly new equipment to match the absence of what had previously hung from my crotch. Rather...moist equipment, too. I jerked my hand away, feeling my cheeks burning as I moved my gaze back towards Aria.

"Oh...w-well...that ah, w-wasn't supposed to happen, either...w-what did I dooooooo?" She seemed to ask herself, even as she stared at me in wide-eyed perplexity.

"You...don't...know?" Incredulity filled my response, though I couldn't help but feel some of my indignation was lost given how tinny and weak my voice sounded. "You've made me, like, two or three inches tall, and not only that, you...I'm a -girl- now!"

"I c-can see that! A very attractive one too, I m-might add..." She trailed off, blushing before fervently shaking her head from side to side, that motion carrying through to her hand and making me struggle to stay upright with my new size. "B-but this shouldn't have happened...I followed the b-book exactly...P-Professor Luca might know...but then h-he'll chide me again...or w-worse..."

"Well, you can't very well leave me like this!"

"I k-know!"

She started shivering, tears forming in her eyes as she sank down to her knees. I felt a momentary twinge of sympathy at seeing her distress, dragging a hand down my face, but then remembering my plight, I set that aside. If she had done this, she could undo it. Right? I gathered my thoughts, and lifted my head back up to look at her as she sniffled, and saw yet another oddity--Aria's appearance seemed to be alternating between the cute mousegirl that had approached me and a more stereotypically sexy look, and of an entirely different species--a lioness, as point of fact.

"Something...else you want to tell me?" I asked, blinking my eyes, trying to bring her back into focus, but still seeing her flicker between those two contrasting appearances. "Or give me any explanation at all?"

"I'm ah, a w-witch? Or...well, studying to be o-one, at least. P-probably be...be...expelled if anyone finds out about, ah, t-this..."

"I kind of gathered that, and while I might ordinarily express skepticism to such a claim, that would be rather silly given I'm standing in the palm of your hand as a miniature woman. What I was getting at is that your mouse disguise seems to be revealing the lioness underneath. Was I just your next meal or something?"

"Wait...you can SEE that? The potion must have linked you with my magic..." Aria's eyes went wide, muttering under her breath before responding further. "But no, you've got it backwards! The lioness is the illusion, an intimidating projection displayed to those I'm not interested in. The mouse...is me, awkward and shoddy as I am."

"The oversexed lioness is the illusion to keep unwanted people away." I repeated. "Riiiiight. And what was your...potion supposed to do to those you had interest in?"

"It makes me feel intimidating and confident so I can shut down unwarranted advances!"

I nodded, but otherwise remained silent. I wanted to bring up that appearing that way would likely bring her far more attention than her bookish mouse self, but figured it would be best not to agitate her further, even if I tempered that comment by adding that I found the mouse a much more appealing figure than the lioness. Despite all of these events, she still struck me as cute.

"It was supposed to make you open to suggestion, that's all!"

"So it was a magical instead of chemical date rape drug?" I couldn't stop myself from making the accusation.

"No! I just...I don't...I lack c-confidence...and everyone at the academy is always saying...I'm sorry, okay?"

"You'll forgive me if I don't leap to accept your apology."

"Well, leaping wouldn't get you very far right now, anyway." She gave a small smirk that was all the more infuriating for her continued cuteness. "P-probably best we take our leave, too."

With that she opened her messenger bag, and slid me off her palm into it, my stomach leaping into my chest again at the rapid descent, arms flailing and catching on one of the inner pockets. Letting go in turn, I landed on some tissues, and scampered away from her hand lowering my former clothing into the bag. I nervously waited there, part of me wanting to flee from whatever else might await me, overwhelmed by my current state, but the more rational part stopping me. Even if I escaped her bag...I was currently an inches-tall woman, which would mark me as quite the curiosity, even leaving aside any attempt to explain who I was--magic, to most, only existed in fiction, after all. For that same reason, I had no idea how to find anyone who might be able to help. Staying with Aria seemed my best option for the moment.

Aria appeared to share that sentiment, or probably more likely, wasn't willing to risk me taking flight as she subsequently plucked me from my seated position and proceeded to lower me into a flared bottle. Escape taken completely off the table by the bottle's shape, I once more resumed a seated position, glaring out through the glass, knees to my chest and my arms around my knees, keenly aware of the odd sensation in my newly-fleshy chest from the compression the posture caused. Cute or no, I couldn't say I had a high amount of faith in Aria's abilities to restore me given how spectacularly her potion seemed to have failed, but at the same time I didn't really have any other choice.

"S-sorry. But bad as the Professor finding out would be...the w-world seeing you like that would be soooooo much worse! I promise I'll l-let you out soon!"

I stayed silent, shooting daggers at her with my eyes even though I'd already come to that conclusion myself, albeit likely for reasons other than hers. Darkness set in again as she lowered the bottle back into her bag and I felt her set out, leaving the club. I could feel the steady movement, the swaying of her bag as she proceeded along the streets, at one point the darkness receding and some light from the streetlamps shining into her bag. That led to some puzzlement until I saw her hand reach in to remove my former clothes. Ditching the evidence, it seemed.

I could hear her rambling softly to herself, intermittently musing on what to do and berating herself for her mistake, and after a short span longer, she lifted the bottle back out of her bag, setting it down on a table in what I assumed was her apartment. From what I could see of it, it was something of a cluttered mess, though not in a slobby way. Papers and books were strewn about rather haphazardly, and what decor was visible matched what I'd expect from the awkwardly well-intentioned girl that had approached me--bookcases, nerdy nicknacks, and the like. Definitely a studious sort, even if those studies didn't seem to be her forte.

After putting me down, Aria slumped down into a recliner, no longer seeming to alternate between the sexy lioness and mouse forms, remaining fully the latter as she dragged a hand down her face. She let out long sigh, staring at me in my bottled enclosure and keeping her chin nestled in her hand, apparently lost in thought. A cursory flick of her hand made a bottle of wine hover over to where she was, though the glass that accompanied it ended up falling to the floor and shattering. Had she not snatched it out of the air fast enough, the bottle of wine would have followed suit.

"Seriously? Even that?" She shook her head. "I'm useless..."

Another hand gesture raised the broken pieces of the wine glass from the floor, reforming, though the cracks didn't go away. Aria shrugged, uncorking the wine bottle and pouring herself a generous portion...that promptly proceed to seep out from those very same faults in the reassembled glassware. Trembling set in, and she looked on the verge of tears as she tilted the glass to her lips, downing the contents before too much had escaped. Even so, she wound up flinging the empty vessel against the wall thereafter, making me flinch at the sudden act.

I tapped on the glass, trying to get her attention, and succeeded in getting her to look up, tears streaming down her face. On seeing me, more sobs escaped her as she pushed herself her feet and shuffled over to me, trying to wipe away her tears all the while. Again, I felt my heart go out to her--her distress was touching, though I supposed she might just be a really good actress. Upon reaching the table, she kneeled down, bringing herself roughly eye-level with me.

"I'm r-really sorry, J-Jason, I just...j-just wanted to prove everyone w-wrong about me, but...but I've d-done just the opposite..."

"Hey, beating yourself up about it isn't going to get you anywhere." I replied, hesitantly at first given it was still odd to hear the new timbre of my voice. "Look at it another way--if you can find out what you did to shrink a six foot and change tall wolf guy into an inches tall wolf girl...surely that's immensely more impressive than a potion of suggestion?"

"T-that wasn't the p-point! I wanted to...to prove I could put myself out there just as w-well as everyone, to s-show I'm not just a p-pathetic shut-in who c-can't get my s-studies right or a c-companion!"

"Not sure drugging someone to that effect would really help your case much...but even so, clearly you've got talents if you pulled this off, regardless of not knowing how, right?"

"I...I suppose...and it w-wasn't as malicious as that! Just...a way past my initial anxiety!"

"It's a matter of perspective, how would you have felt if someone drugged you?" I countered, shaking my head. "Regardless, let's see about figuring out what you did so you can undo it. You did say it would be bad if anyone found out, right?"

"Yesh..." She nodded, slurring a bit--apparently she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol. "B-but Sarahhhhhhz gone 'til...nex' week, so therezzzzz...t-time..."

I gathered Sarah must be her roommate from the context, but to me, it seemed entirely possible others might still inadvertently discover her actions. Not to mention I didn't exactly relish the thought of living in miniature any longer than need be. At the same time, I figured working on a solution while she was hammered to the winds might very well lead to even more problems than we already had.

"Tomorrow, then."

"Yessssssh, Mommmmmmm!" The tone was petulant, but the face plant the mouse girl did upon standing and starting to stride away brought me more amusement than it should have.

Snores soon filled the air, leaving me alone with my thoughts and still stuck in that bottle. Granted, even if I was out of the bottle, my travel options were limited at best. The edge of the table might as well have been a precarious cliff, and again, even if I managed to get down unharmed, what would I do then? Not much. As such, I laid down on the bottom of the bottle and closed my eyes, figuring it'd be good to try and get some sleep.

The task proved considerably harder than expected, given my constant stream of thoughts, the hardness of the glass, and the new feel of my body. Up until now, I'd been focused on my situation, on talking things out with Aria, but now that quiet had set in, it left plenty of time for reflection. And...self-discovery. A hand raised idly up to cup my newly-embiggened breasts brushed against the nipple and sent an electric tingle through me, making me gasp unexpectedly and jerk my hand away, eyes wide.

It didn't seem right to find pleasure given the situation I'd found myself in, but I supposed indulging in it could serve as a good outlet to relieve some of the stresses of the moment. Hadn't I read somewhere that masturbation could help with that?. And I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a sort of perverse curiosity playing a role. I looked out of the bottle again, noting that Aria had not stirred from her sprawled-out faceplant earlier as well as that despite my futile efforts to sleep, a clock showed at least a couple hours had indeed passed. Reassured by Aria's unconscious state, I took a deep breath and moved my hand back up to my breast, cupping and caressing it.

Again, that buzz of sensation flowed through me when my attention moved to my nipple, only this time, I stayed the course, my other hand moving to join in and beginning its own caresses on the opposite side. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation, stroking, rubbing, occasionally tweaking them, quivering as I held myself back from vocalizing anything--my voice might not carry far, and Aria might be completely out of it...but there was no need to tempt fate. I'd never been a terribly vocal sort, but I'd also never felt anything like this before. Especially not the odd sensation of wetness I'd started to feel between my legs as I'd continued. While on some level I knew the why of it, actually feeling and experiencing it couldn't compare to that more academic knowledge.

In any case, driven by the already quite pleasant sensations, one of my hands crept downwards to those lower lips, hesitating above them before oh-so-tentatively pressing against them. An unexpected flood of warmth seemed to blossom in response to that gentle touch, and I could feel a matching warmth on my cheeks as I carefully explored around that lower region. Before long, I allowed a finger to slip inside, feeling that new flesh spread, sending another wave of pleasure through my body as it did so. I paused, shivering and trying to acclimate to the intensity of the sensations, their newness, then proceeded after a brief span, moving that inserted finger around and exploring the cavern that it had entered deep inside me.

The feelings did not abate in the slightest, and I found myself twitching again, arching my back as my finger found varying points within. A couple other fingers worked their way in beside the first, spreading me further and aiding in the exploration, ultimately triggering a gasp from me as they found a spot that delivered even more pleasure than everything before. Hearing my own cry, I opened my eyes, heart hammering and cheeks burning, but Aria still looked to be down for the count, and I closed my eyes to continue once more, working my fingers with greater speed and intensity.

Waves of pleasure flooded through me at that increase in fervor, a warmth growing ever more intense down below, pairing an entirely pleasant tingling with the rest. I couldn't help but go at it even more thoroughly, the euphoric sensations feeding on themselves and pushing me to go harder, faster, stronger. My back arched further, louder moans escaping me, my form twitching about, tail thumping as I continued. The feelings built and built until it seemed I couldn't take them any longer, at which point the biggest wave yet spread across my entire body, a blissful rush of pleasure that almost made me feel like I was floating, my eyes opening but not really seeing, just stars and white lights that continued for what seemed like forever before they started to fade and that wild bliss began its retreat as well. I closed my eyes in the aftermath, shaking and panting, stunned.

When I reopened my eyes a short while later, still panting and coming down from my actions, I let out a startled cry at seeing Aria's face looming large outside the confines of the bottle, staring in and grinning. I scampered backwards as best I could over the now-slick glass, trying to take deep breaths even as my hands flew to cover myself. With my cheeks burning in embarrassment, I looked away, ashamed.

"Everything in working order, then?" Aria said with a giggle, even as a strong blush filled her own face.

"Um...ah...y-yeah...l-looks like you enjoyed the show, though!" I managed to counter.

"I...t-that is...ah...w-well, you might be tiny, but have you SEEN yourself?"

"Well, I've seen -these.-" I cupped my breasts with my hands.

Aria giggled again at that, gently tipping the bottle and gradually inverting it to slide me out. I let out a little cry as my feet and butt landed on the competitively cold countertop, and scrambled to my feet, though Aria soon picked me up and placed me in her hand, walking to her bedroom and stopping in front of a mirror. Seeing how I now looked caused another stirring and warmth in my loins, a blush rising to my face from getting turned on at myself. In disbelief, I raised my hand, watching the reflection do the same.

"This is crazy..." I murmured to myself.

"Crazy...hot?" That giggle came again after shot a glare her way. "Don't look at me like that! I'm a girl so I know very well what being aroused looks like. And w-well, I can...smell it, too."

That brought a blush to both of our cheeks and I bit my lip, looking back to the mirror. Looking more closely, I could still see myself there, as if I was looking at a sister I'd never had, and one that was disturbingly attractive. Tall, lanky, awkward guy had been turned to short, busty, flustered girl, the change in stature fleshing out my former, skinny self. My face, too, had softened in its features, taking on a cute, feminine look but not drastic enough that I had vanished. I plopped down to my butt in the palm of her hand, sitting there and continuing to stare before looking back to Aria.

"So...uh...how do we go about fixing me?" I asked, trying to bring focus back to the more immediate issue.

"Fixing you? That seems a shame, especially as I'm sure we--er, you could bear some cute little pups!"

"S-say what?" I stared at her, wide-eyed, before noting her own blush, laughing along with her when she started moments later.

"You know, find you a nice, hot stud, let nature take its course, get you a nice big litter to nurse..." She elaborated, then laughed further. "But in all seriousness, you're not broken, you're just miniature and experiencing things from a different perspective."

"Y-yeah, let's not talk about me birthing any pups, please." I shook my head at the thought--I was pretty easygoing, but not quite that experimental. "In a multitude of ways. Unminiturizing me sounds like a good start, though, right?"

"It'd make your presence easier to explain, yeah." She nodded. "But I don't know how!"

"Hey, you did this." I smiled at her, hoping to defuse the brewing tears I saw as she pondered what she'd done. "It's just a matter of finding the right way to reverse it. So let's be off!"

I stood and pointed dramatically, as if I were some military commander giving orders. To her credit, Aria giggled and nodded, but frowned at a loud banging moments later. Hurrying out to the other room with me in hand, the source of the sound became pretty clear--a metal toaster on the counter had slammed into the wall, a huge dent in its side and some sparks emerging from it. Puzzlement ran across Aria's face as she looked at it, then back to her bedroom, moving to the wall between and examining a small pinhole that hadn't been there before. She looked back down at me still in her hand and shook her head.

"How did you...?" She trailed off.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not getting it until she gestured from the bedroom to the toaster. "I didn't do that! I just pointed!"

"W-well I didn't do it, and that's exactly where you pointed!"

"So what, I got magic out of the deal, too? Alakazam!" I finished jokingly, thrusting my hand out, surprised when a couple boxes of cereal directly ahead exploded rather spectacularly. "Holy shit!"

"Nonononono...you can't just -get- magic! You have it or you don't!" She shook her head again, eyes wide, trying to make sense of the situation before tilting her head. "Let me know if you feel anything...odd."

Before I could ask her to elaborate, the scattered pieces of cereal levitated and started to coalesce. I just blinked at the sight, myself still coming to terms with the existence of magic, only after a few seconds remembering what she'd asked. With that focus in mind...I could feel something, almost as if there was some intangible muscle in use separate from, but connected to, my body. Out of curiosity, I tried to flex that muscle and watched the drawn together bits of cereal compress together further, some to powder. When I stopped, the mass exploded outward again and I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me.

"I feel tired...like I'd just worked out...but without moving a muscle."

"Well, that's because you're not used to using it and you just pushed hard! I felt that surge of magic, and I'm guessing you felt something like using a muscle when I started and instinctively tried to use it?"

I nodded in silence. "...how did you know?"

"It's a pretty standard experience across mages. The fact that you felt what I was doing...I think somehow you've become linked to my magic. Which is kind of cool, because it means there's more to draw from to do more...but also scary because it should only be theoretical and there's not much out there about it and...that could raise, ah, interest. Not to mention safety concerns."

"All the more reason to get me back to normal, right?"

"R-right!" She stammered, starting to clean up that cereal before fixing up a plate for each of us, pushing the food towards me. "Eat, though. We'll want our energy if we're going to restore you."

I nodded, climbing onto the plate and sliding down the slight incline towards the gigantic looking food before me. From my perspective, anyway. Toast had never looked quite so daunting before. It almost looked like a mattress to me, minus the butter and texture. Likewise, the sausage links looked huge, almost as long as I was tall, and just small enough that I could wrap my arms fully around them if I wanted to. Still, I tucked in as best I could, surprising myself by eating more than I thought my smaller frame would have allowed. I also ended up quite the mess, with crumbs, butter, and grease all over my fur.

"Looks like you enjoyed breakfast!" Aria giggled.

"It's not like I had the benefit of silverware."

"Well, we'll just have to run up to the toy store, get a dollhouse, doll clothes, and accessories for you."

"I'll pass on that, thank you. How about we stick to the plan and embiggen me again?"

Aria nodded, still grinning as she scooped me up and carried me over to the sink. With me in hand, she picked up a bottle of dish soap in the other and squeezed out a generous dollop onto my body, using her fingers to work it into a lather over my body despite my startled gasp. I found myself blushing again, in part at the helplessness of my size, but also at the softness of her touch, and those moments when her fingers met my breasts...and lingered. The water from the faucet felt like being thrust under a warm waterfall, her hands still too tender as she rinsed the soap of me.

Finally, the bathing ceased, leaving me huffing and a bit flustered on a dish tray beside the sink. I shifted from foot to foot, dripping wet, and in my inability to meet her gaze, didn't notice her tossing a washcloth to me. I stumbled for the briefest of moments before staring to towel dry with it, and attempting to wrap it around me as a makeshift covering, only to realize it also outsized any practical attempt to do so. The nontraditional shower had at least left me feeling refreshed, even if I smelled decidedly more citrusy than usual.

Aria scooped me back up--still a very odd sensation for a hand to completely undermine your balance and effortlessly pick you up--and carried me over to the table, setting me back down. I pulled the washcloth back into place around me, eliciting a grin from Aria. She giggled as she stepped away and returned with another washcloth, some scissors and a handful of pins.

"You know, it is just us girls here, there's no need for such modesty!"

"First of all, not a girl despite my present body! Second, that's easy for you to say since you're still wearing clothes!"

"Ah, so you'd be more comfortable if I got naked?" She winked.

"I...that's...you..." I stammered out, feeling another blush rise to my cheeks at the thought of her naked. "Let's just focus on the task at hand, okay?"

"You do make for a very attractive task, at that." She started cutting the washcloth with the scissors.

"You know, for someone as timid and flustered as you initially passed yourself off as, you're surprisingly direct now."

"True, but even though you're still beautiful..." I snorted at that erroneous description, but she continued anyway. "...albeit in a different manner than before, it's kind of hard to be intimidated by an inches-tall wolfgirl."

"I don't think I was all that intimidating before, but I suppose I can see your point."

I punctuated the comment with a growl and aggressive posing, claws out. The act only sent Aria into a fit of giggles, and I joined in with laughter of my own. After a few more moments, she finished cutting the washcloth and wrapped it around me, pinning it in the back, a makeshift dress, albeit one that seemed shorter than it could have been. I tugged on the bottom of it a bit, then seeing Aria trying to hold back laughter, found myself blushing all over again.

"Now, that was very girlish behavior for someone who claims not to be a girl." She giggled again.

"Well, it's short! It barely covers my lower bits!"

"Yes. Yes it does." She grinned. "Certainly won't win any awards for my abilities as a seamstress, but it'll do, and gives me something nice to look at, to boot!"

"Y-yeah..." I stammered, still blushing and looking to that book. "So what's that, your grimoire or something?"

"Exactly!" She nodded, then a few moments later spoke with more hesitation. "Kinda. It's a combination textbook and personal grimoire. Part of the terms and conditions of enrollment gives the university the right to any unique spells created by its students."

"Doesn't sound exactly ethical."

"Better than being marked a wild witch or having one's talent ripped away."

I shrugged and waited for Aria to open the tome. While I thought her description sounded rather draconian, I figured learning more about the dynamics of this previously unknown world could wait, curious though I was. If things went well, I figured I'd be back to my normal life, Aria likely wanting no lingering reminder of her flawed potion. Though that train of thought led me to pondering returning to my prior life with this new knowledge, and whether I'd even be allowed to remember. If they had policies like that regarding their students...what sort of ones must they have for outsiders?

"Don't look at me like that. Plenty have raised their voices in opposition. It didn't go well for them. I...prefer not to rock the boat."

"So you went out and used a magic potion on someone decidedly unmagical and damn the consequences?"

"A-again...it wasn't meant to d-do what it did! Plenty of others do it, and n-no one's any the wiser! There shouldn't have been any...c-consequences!"

Aria sniffled, holding back tears and making me feel decidedly awful for my response. I hadn't meant to be harsh, but replaying it in my mind, I could see it. I bit my lip and looked away.

"Sorry...I was just lost in my own thoughts and speculation about the future after this and didn't reply as kindly as I should have. But if we can fix this, we can mitigate those consequences, yeah?" I offered up a smile.

"Y-yeah." She nodded, opening the book. "And you have every right to be mean. Y-you didn't ask for this, and you're taking it a lot more c-calmly than many would. If anything, you're being too n-nice!"

"I've never been the type to panic, and I'm not the aggressive, bullying type, either. Besides, acting without thinking often just serves as an invitation for further trouble."

She nodded and I made to look at the now opened book, but couldn't see much thanks to my current miniscule size. From my perspective, the edge of the thick book might as well have been a wall. Noting my struggle, she lifted me up and placed me on her shoulder, giving me a much better view of the book below and its text. Most of it went over my head, but I supposed that was to be expected given my complete lack of grounding with magic.

Still, I tried to grasp whatever I could as she flipped through page after page. Most of what I got were warnings and reminders of the code of magical ethics and conduct, but occasionally an instruction I glimpsed seemed simple enough to understand. After a short span, Aria stopped flipping through and tapped her finger against the page, a page that seemed different from those before, almost glowing.

"This is the one that should have made you more receptive and open to suggestion." She explained.

"Is it glowing because of its recent usage?"

"Glowing? What do you mean?"

I blinked a couple times, just to ensure I wasn't seeing things, but the glow remained nonetheless. It wasn't a bright glow, but it did shimmer and occasionally made it look like the page itself had an oily sheen overtop it. Given Aria's reaction, I had to assume that wasn't normal.

"The other pages just looked like standard pages with text...this one seems to radiate, or shimmer, and the text sometimes looks like it's under some iridescent coating."

Aria flipped to a different page, then back again, repeating the process and shaking her head. The other pages continued to look like nothing out of the ordinary, but every time she returned to it, the one she'd used to make her potion continued to glow. She seemed to mutter some words under her breath, then lowered a fingertip back to the page. The sudden flash of light thereafter startled me and I lost my balance on her shoulder, toppling back and catching myself on her shirt with my claws, heart hammering as I climbed back up.

"B-but thats...I didn't..." She stammered to herself as she stared down at the page, which I could see no longer glowed...and the text on it was completely different.

"What was that? What did you do?"

"I used a simple dispelling charm to remove illusions..." She answered almost in a whisper. "I wouldn't have known it was there if not for you."

"And now we don't know the specifics of what you'd done outside your own memories. Or any evidence to show this wasn't your fault, if worse comes to worse. I'm sure given what you mentioned earlier, something like this would be severely looked down on?"

"Y-yeah..." Aria nodded. "Doesn't stop p-pranks from happening, though..."

"This seems a bit more than a prank, doesn't it? Imposing something so severe on an outsider, and leaving you the blame?"

"I...I'm not widely l-liked here. I escape most notice, b-but there are a handful of cliques that harass me mercilessly."

Again, I felt my sympathy go out to her. Had I been a less physically intimidating sort in my school days, I might well have had a similar experience with my introversion and quirks. Being over six feet tall and a wolf bought me a certain leeway, I supposed. I'd never been at the center of popularity, but I'd never been bullied either. I was just there, which suited me just fine, and I gathered, would suit Aria equally so.

"Hey, you can handle this, alright? No one even knows what's happened other than the two of us, so there's still plenty of time to undo it."

"But you just pointed out we don't know what I specifically did!"

"There's multiple ways to solve a problem." I countered with a reassuring smile. "We don't have to reverse it all at once. For now, let's focus on making me normal sized instead of fun sized. Easier to explain me away that way, at least."

"B-but what if we...c-can't make you y-you again?"

"I'm me regardless, Aria. Even if, ah, acclimating to this side of the fence..." I motioned to myself. "...might take some time."

She managed a chuckle before breaking back into sobbing. "Y-you're too c-calm and n-nice even though I turned your w-world upside-down"

"Now, now. Everything's right-side up, it's just gigantic!"

"Y-you know what I m-meant!"

Despite that protest, a smile came back to her face and she wiped the tears from her eyes. Bringing her focus back to the book, she flipped through the pages, and nodded when she found what she'd been looking for, tapping the page. I looked down, and while the bulk of the text remained incomprehensible to me, I could at least tell it was a growth spell thanks to the heading.

"No glowing or glimmers?"

"Not that I can see, no."

"G-good." She nodded again. "This...probably won't be pleasant, but it's important you don't try to fight it."

"Fight it?"

"It's hard to explain." She sighed, moving her hands about a bit as she searched for an explanation. "You'll probably feel something...thrumming within you, an energy, a heat rushing through you--"

"Like when I shrank?"

"Yeah! P-probably, at least! Only then you didn't have the link to magic you do now, so if you were to push back against it, it might nullify the spell or subvert it."

"Is there anything I can do to help besides not fight it?"

"I'm not an instructor, so I wouldn't trust myself to give advice on that front. Given our magic seems to be linked, I'd recommend breathing slow and deep, almost like you were meditating, leaving yourself open, a well of additional energy to dip into as needed."

"Sounds reasonable enough, I'll do my best!"

Aria proceeded to lower me to the table, clearing off the extraneous materials and having me lay down. Closing my eyes, I began to take long, slow breaths, trying to empty my mind as best I could. I hoped that would be sufficient to allow for that easier usage of my newly-granted magic she had mentioned. In any case, I allowed myself a hopeful smile. While it had provided an interesting perspective, I didn't particularly relish the thought of living in the world in miniature in perpetuity.

I heard her murmuring to herself, then heard her take a deep breath before a started to feel a tingling over my body. The warmth came soon thereafter, spreading outwards to my limbs from my chest, and mounting, soon turning to a burning sensation. Biting my lip against the sensation, I continued to breath slow and keep my mind empty, which made the subsequent stretching sensation seem all the more painful. A cry escaped my lips, my fingers clenching in on themselves in the absence of anything to grip on the table. As with when I'd shrunk, a blinding white light subsumed my vision in turn, this one lasting considerably longer and the pain not subsiding throughout its duration.

After what felt an interminable span, the sensations ceased, the pain slowly fading away and replaced by a chill. I blinked a few times, bringing my vision back into focus, and between what I saw and my other senses returning, I could tell it had worked, at least in part. I also felt more tired than I ever had before, with nary a muscle responding to my desires other than to scream in silent pain. The only comparable sensation I had was from when I'd done a lengthy hike down and back out of the Grand Canyon and pushed my body almost past its limits.

"W-well...three feet is better t-than three inches, r-right...?" Aria's voice spoke up, sounding equally as tired as I felt.

I shifted my gaze over to her, noting she herself seemed to sit a foot or so taller in the chair than she had before, though even as I took note of that, she toppled sideways and fell to the ground. I opened my mouth call out to her, but found myself paralyzed from even such a simple action. Despite the extreme exhaustion, I felt some relief when I heard Aria's snoring begin a few moments later. And even if her comment before passing out proved accurate, three feet definitely beat three inches. It also meant I wouldn't pass as an adult, but as a stepping stone, it would work and would allow me some self-sufficiency. In any case, I figured I could play the role of niece or the like well enough.

Of their own accord, my eyes drifted shut, sleep calling to me with a siren's call. A call that I had just about answered when I heard the sound of a door opening between snores from Aria. I forced my eyes back open, but couldn't shift my gaze to the door in question, so I let them fall shut again, turning my focus to my other senses. I thought I heard at least three distinct pairs of footsteps enter, which did little to put me at ease, especially given my body's exhaustion and refusal to move.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?"

"In for a penny, in for a pound. We committed to this, so there's no backing out now. Besides, what's Aria going to do? Shoot sparks at us after stuttering an incantation?" A sharp laugh followed that.

"I guess..."

"Will you two be quiet? We don't need to advertise ourselves, precautions or no."

The fact that one of their number seemed reluctant brought me little solace, given how easily they'd cowed her into submission. Again, I tried to move, hoping to escape notice or obtain something with which to defend myself, but I still found myself unable. I did hear my foot drum against the table in the silence and regretted it instantly.

"Ah! There we are." The last of them to speak said, moving closer to my side. "I was hoping you'd still be fun sized, but I'd be lying if I said we hadn't come prepared for multiple eventualities."

"Did she really try to undo it all by herself? No wonder the dumb bitch is passed out!" That gleeful statement accompanied the sound of a kick to Aria's sleeping form.

"That...wasn't necessary, Ashl--"

"No names, stupid!" The one responsible for the kick hissed, the sound of a slap and a cry following it.

"Ash, Yew...can the two of you kindly shut the fuck up and stop squabbling?"

"Y-yes, Elm!"

Had I been able to speak, I might have managed a snarky 'I take it Oak couldn't make it,' but my body still refused to follow any of my commands. A smirk might have managed to cross my face, as I soon felt sharp nails or talons tracing along my mouth, then down my chin, gooseflesh raising at the touch. Her hand proceeded to cup my chin with a firm grip, tilting my head towards her, but I kept my eyes closed despite my curiosity. Engaging wouldn't do me any good given I couldn't even speak, much less move.

"I'd ask if you're having good dreams, but I know you're awake. And if you're smiling, no doubt you've got some misplaced sense of confidence. Some might say that's admirable, but it's just dumb." Then after the briefest of pauses: "Sorry."

[Sure you are.] I thought to myself, and when I failed to react or open my eyes, 'Elm' let go of my head, letting it slam back against the hard surface. Compassion and caring clearly topped her agenda.

"So, uh, what are we gonna do, then? It wouldn't...l-look good if we were seen abducting a little girl to parts unknown." That had to be 'Yew,' the conscientious, if ineffective, objector, and I had to assume that I was the 'little girl' in question.

"No, it wouldn't. And we won't be. We'll just be leaving with a gift. Now, sisters, your own gifts?"

Following that, silence fell and I could feel my fur stand on edge at sensing a powerful energy in the air, almost seeming to thrum. Its intensity only increased when the three started to chant in unison, and my eyes shot open as I felt something akin to an electric shock hit me. Following that came the sensations of pins and needles across my body, just as unpleasant in their constant nature and unrelenting, increasing intensity. Despite those painful stabs, I also noted an odd lessening in feeling, almost a numbing, losing any sense of temperature or the like. Maybe even a stiffening, though given I couldn't move anyway, that bit might have been in my mind.

Or not. My fur had taken on a somewhat artificial look, and unless my eyes deceived me, it looked almost like the limbs I could see had taken on a jointed appearance, almost as if I were a doll as opposed to flesh and blood. Even as I noticed that, a frilly pink dress with petticoats, ribbons, and bows poofed into existence around me, and I could feel my legs ensconced in a pair of stockings and footwear, as well. Next, I felt a number of bindings wrap around my limbs, securing me to something stiff, uniform, and firm behind me. It looked like a pair of short walls soon raised themselves up from either side in my peripheral vision, before extending back inwards in front of me. A clear plastic film closed the gap, some text printed on it that I couldn't quite make out.

"See? Just picking up a doll to give to our dear friend's sister as a gift!" Elm crowed after my newest transformation had completed.

"Shouldn't gifts be wrapped?" Ash's question yielded an exasperated sigh from Elm, but given my vision was cut off by pink wrapping paper going round and round before I found myself sealed in darkness, she must have agreed.

"Any other pointers, or can we be on our way now?"

"W-we should probably, ah...make sure we don't leave evidence w-we were h-here..."

"True, Yew. Since you brought it up, we'll leave that up to you. You're certainly the most fastidious of us, so I'm sure you won't leave any forensic evidence behind."

"R-right..." Yew agreed softly.

With that, I felt the box I now found myself in lifted up roughly and the sensation of movement as they, presumably left and took me with them. I tried to squirm, and while I remained immobilized, I felt oddly energized after the apparent dollification compared to my prior exhaustion. Additionally, I could swear I'd felt my fingers clench into a fist in spite of the lowered tactile sensations. Tentatively, I willed that movement again, and felt almost certain my hand had opened and closed once more.

If my frozen face could smile, I knew it would have one upon it. While the trio had the upper hand, they at least didn't hold all of the cards.

(TO BE CONTINUED)