[laughing]Hyaaaaa! What is this, what is thiiiiis!?" A scream echoed through the Valley of Mirza. Deep in the misty valley, by the shore of a spring that shimmered with rainbow light. A soaking-wet figure was patting their own body all over, bouncing around like a broken toy. "My chest... my chest is gone!?" Yes, the source of the scream was one of the legendary Magic Knights, Shidou Hikaru. Called Hikaru by everyone, a girl with blazing red hair—or rather, not a "girl" anymore. Their body, drenched by the spring's water, had unbelievably transformed into that of a boy. Their usual clothes no longer fit; the white shirt hung loose at the shoulders, and the slacks were about to slip off. Frantically rolling up their sleeves, Hikaru looked twice, three times. At their vanished chest. At the Adam's apple that had appeared. "[whispers]What is this... a dream? Right, it's gotta be a dream! It has to be!" They desperately pinched their cheek, but it just hurt. Not a dream. Just minutes ago, they'd been laughing their heads off. It was just an ordinary picnic, like always. The sky was blue, the wind was gentle, and the Valley of Mirza was blanketed with rare flowers. Three hours southeast of the Pillar of Will by flying beast. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, reunited after so long, were in high spirits. "[laughing]Fuu! Can I eat the snacks already!?" The tall, blonde girl, Fuu, smiled. "[gentle]Hikaru, you just ate a moment ago." "[excited]But I'm hungry! Right, Umi, you want some too!?" Umi, the noble girl with long blue hair flowing in the wind, let a smile slip at the corners of her mouth. "[calm]I'm fine. Honestly, you really never change." To think a day would come when they could laugh together like this. Once, Cephiro had a harsh system where the world was supported by the heavy burden of a single person, the "Pillar." But about fifteen years ago, the Magic Knights—Hikaru and the others who came from another world—put an end to all of that. Now, just by the people living in this land offering a small wish during the morning prayer, the world floats in peace. That's why they could eat snacks and laugh like this. —That kind of thing made them feel just a little sentimental. "[surprised]Ah! Look at that, it's sparkling!" Suddenly, they spotted something shining deeper in the valley. "[serious]Wait, Hikaru. That area should have a high concentration of ancient magical residue. We should be careful." "[excited]Just a little! I'm just gonna look a little!" No sooner said than done, they were already running. Full of energy, straightforward, their body moving before they could think. That was the kind of girl Hikaru was. But. "[scared]Whoa, whoa whoa...!" They slipped on the moss. "Hikaru!" "[scream]Hyaaah!" Splash! A huge spray of water shot up. Their body was enveloped in cold water. When they hurriedly surfaced, a slightly sweet, strange taste spread through their mouth. The spring water was clear, yet it glowed with rainbow colors, even without moonlight shining on it. "[angry]Jeez! I'm soaking wet!" Looking at their reflection on the water's surface, their movement stopped. Something's... off. Did their features get a little sharper? And their voice is deeper. "[whispers]Huh...?" They stood up and looked at their chest. The swell that should be there... isn't. And that led to the scream from before. "Hyaaaaa! What is this, what is thiiiiis!?" "[scared]Hikaru! Are you okay!?" "[scared]What happened!?" Hearing the voice, Umi and Fuu rushed over with incredible speed. In their haste, they splashed right into the puddles at the edge of the spring. In that instant. A small *bzzzt* sound echoed through the valley. The spring water turned into a fine mist and showered down on the two of them. "[shocked]Wha... what... my height is... shrinking...!?" Umi's body grew smaller and smaller before their eyes. Her blue hair, which had reached her waist, receded to her back, and her height dropped sharply. Her clothes became baggy. Her noble expression was gone, replaced by large sapphire-blue eyes that looked even bigger—the appearance of a child of about ten. "[scared]Umi... you..." A change also occurred in Fuu's body as she stared with a trembling voice. Her height shot up; from 153 centimeters, she quickly approached nearly 170. She had been a beautiful girl before, but now she was transforming into a mature, graceful model-like figure. The three looked at each other. Hikaru, turned into a boy. Umi, in the form of a small child. And Fuu, become a tall, adult-like woman. Silence lasted for a few seconds, and then the next moment— "[laughing]Huh, what is this, Umi's so tiny! You're barely up to my knees!" "[sad]D-don't laugh! You're the one who looks like a boy! And Fuu looks like a mother...!" "[gentle]A m-mother...!?" "[laughing]Mother! That's it exactly! You got taller! Ahahahaha!" "[crying]This is no laughing matterrrr!" Laughter and screams mixed together into a chaotic panic. Hikaru running around in an unfamiliar body, Umi tripping over the hem of her skirt again and again, Fuu flustered and not knowing what to do. In the midst of that commotion. *Flash!* Suddenly, the center of the spring emitted a dazzling light. "[laughing]A-hahahaha! You got nicely wet, didn't cha! How does it feel!?" Fluttering rainbow-colored butterfly wings and kicking up water droplets, out popped a tiny fairy, barely twenty centimeters tall. A fluffy mohawk of pink and light blue swayed on top of its head. Its round, golden eyes sparkled like stars. "Wh-what the heck is this thing!" "[excited]Pape-chan is Puppet! I'm the fairy of this cursed spring! As punishment for taking a bath without permission, I've brought out everyone's hidden true feelings and put 'em on display with your bodies!" "T-true feelings...? You mean my true feelings are... this boy's body...?" Unable to comprehend, Hikaru's face twitched. Puppet fluttered around Hikaru. "[teasing]It's not just your body, cha know. Your heart's gonna start wavering too. 'Cause the way the person you like sees you is gonna change, ya know—ahaha!" "Th-the person I like...!" For some reason, those words made their heart pound. Lantis—that silent, honest swordsman—flashed behind their eyelids. No, not in a weird way. She's just an important comrade. But why now? "[cold]Hikaru, don't get upset. This fairy is plotting something." Even in a child's form, her strong will hadn't changed. She glared sharply at Puppet. "[excited]Plotting, that's a mean thing to say! Pape-chan is just saying I'll give you a chance to break the curse, that's all! Wanna hear it?" "...Let's hear it." The three nodded. Puppet did a flip in the air. "[serious]Within three days, you gotta collect three 'Shards of the True Heart.' If you can't collect 'em, those bodies are yours for life. If you can, you can return to your original forms. That's it!" "Th-three days!? That's way too short!" "[laughing]The shards, see, they pop right out the moment you face your true feelings. Which means all three of ya have to confess the feelings you've been hiding! Ahh, I can't wait to see what happens next!" "[angry]Stop messing around! You fix this, right now!" Hikaru instinctively tried to grab him. But their hand swiped through empty air. Puppet fluttered lightly away, drifting toward the valley's exit. "[teasing]Pape-chan's just here to commentate. I give the trial, but doing your best is your job! Oh, and also, this curse affects the Magic Knights' will magic too, so if your heart wavers, you won't be able to do anything at all. Be real careful, cha know! Bye-bye!" "W-wait—" The rainbow light was already gone. All that remained were the three of them, soaking wet, in mismatched bodies. "...Sorry, you two. It's my fault for falling into the spring on my own, ending up like this." Hikaru muttered quietly. Saying it in a boy's low voice made them feel even more miserable. "[gentle]Lift your head, Hikaru. It's not only your fault." Saying that, she placed her own changed hand on Hikaru's shoulder. "[sad]That's right. And now that it's happened, let's gather information first. It's irritating being in such a small form... but anyway, our priority is to return to the 'Weathercock Inn' in the town of Fontaine." Fuu nodded. "[serious]Yes. The town of Yorokobi is thirty-five kilometers west of here. Let's think while we travel." It was when they started down the valley. "Hey, you two... do you think Lantis and the others will see us in these forms?" At Hikaru's words, Umi and Fuu's feet stopped. They didn't want to be seen. Hikaru was most surprised at themselves for thinking that. Because Lantis was their best friend, their comrade, someone they could talk to about anything. And yet now, a small voice deep in their chest said, "I don't want to see her." What if she saw this boy's form and was disappointed? What if she thought it was weird? *Thump, thump.* Their heartbeat quickened. Was this because of the curse? Or had it been there even before—? "[gentle]...It's okay. We'll manage somehow." Fuu said that and once again squeezed Hikaru's hand. As the three looked up, far in the distance, the Pillar of Will in Cephiro shone white in the setting sun. In the shadow of the valley's rocks. "[laughing]Fufu, fufufu... that golden child's gonna worry a whole lot from now on, cha know. Maybe she won't even be able to hold her sword right in front of the person she likes... ahh, this is gonna be a sight to see." The tiny fairy spun around on the spot, laughing somewhere happily.