//------------------------------// // The Amnemoneutous and the Crooked one. // Story: Aca-decade // by Daxn //------------------------------// Lemon Zest threw up her arms as she stretched herself awake. She sat up and threw the covers away before she climbed out of her small bed and stood up. She had lost a lot of years due to the regressive blast, but she was not back to her infant state, like Sour Sweet, Indigo Zap, and Sunny Flare. Rather, she was four to five years old, and very capable of speech and walking. Despite all this, she still needed to wear pull-ups, as her bladder wasn’t as strong as it used to be. She climbed out of the bed and walked over to a pile of stuffed animals. She reached in and pulled out a raggedy bear with some loose stitches. Despite the rough state that it was in, she still pulled it into a little hug and walked downstairs whilst holding onto it as tightly as she could. She went over towards the bathroom and climbed up onto little stools that allowed her to reach the sink to grab her toothbrush and some toothpaste. She brushed thoroughly before rinsing it all out. After that, she ran downstairs with the bear still clutched in her right hand. “Good morning!” Lemon said as she made it to the bottom and jumped off of the last step, landing with a tiny giggle. “Mornin’, Lemon!” Lemon’s mother, a black-skinned woman with light blue hair picked her up and gave her a little kiss. “Good to know that even when you’re a little girl again, you’re still as bouncy as evah!” “Ya still think ya can handle the show today?” Lemon’s father, who was slightly paler than his wife came out of the kitchen with a pastry in his left hand. “I mean, despite the whole bladder issue?” “I’m fine, daddy.” Lemon Zest still kept her smile. “I know, and I’m still so glad that you survived that explosion at the Friendship Games.” Her mother picked her up and gave her a few kisses and a quick cuddle. “If I’d lost my little girl—uh, littler girl now—I don’t know what I’d do!” “Laser Lights, be careful with Lemon now.” He took a bite out of the pastry. “She survived that blast enough, I know, but now she’s back to her kindergarten years. You’ve gotta be more careful with her.” “I know, Dubstep. I was just giving her the love and affection she needs in her new state.” Laser put Lemon Zest down and gently tussled her hair. “Thanks, Mommy!” Lemon blushed and clasped her hands together at her side. “But, I’ve got a question.” “What is it, sweetie?” Laser asked. “What show?” “Oh my god…” Dubstep facepalmed and groaned. “Hey. Keep it together,” Laser Light said. “That explosion at the Friendship Games messed with her brain as well as her age. It’s only natural that she doesn’t remember our show.” She turned back to Lemon Zest. “Mommy and Daddy have a little radio show listened to by hundreds of people in this country. It’s a radio show, so all we need to do is talk and play music, with a few games down the line.” “Games? I love games!” Lemon’s smile grew wider. “But anyways, the fans would love to hear your cute little voice on the show,” Laser continued. “It’d definitely get some ‘aww’s.” She walked towards the door. “Follow me, Lemon. We’ll drive you down to our station so you can get started. “Okay, Mommy.” Lemon Zest, Laser Lights, and Dubstep Blast all walked towards the front door and left the house. Once it was locked, the three of them made it towards a black car with two doors on each side. Lemon’s parents helped her climb into the car and back into her old booster seat before they got in and put on their seatbelts together. After hearing all three of them click, Laser turned on the radio and started to drive towards the radio station, with Lemon raising an eye towards the music and cooing like she wanted to hear more. Sugarcoat was gently napping in her sister’s bedroom, thumb in her mouth. Much like Lemon Zest, she was a few years older than their other friends, but was still back to her early childhood. She was now wearing a plain pink onesie and a pair of pull-ups underneath it. Her hair had been let down and her glasses were non-existent. A teddy bear sat next to her, and her other hand was draped around it, with seven or so patches coating her right arm. Her sister, Fudge Numbers, was playing quietly with some more toys. Fudge was no bigger than Sugarcoat, her silver hair was both in a ponytail and pigtail, and her age was almost identical to that of her regressed sibling. She was wearing a small pink skirt and socks, had another bear in her hand, and was almost lost in her playtime. She did occasionally look back to her sister to see if she’d woken up, but every time she checked, there was no change. Fudge began to feel a bizarre sensation in her stomach. She wondered if Sugarcoat would ever wake up, or if she’d ever return to a teenage state. But after what she had heard happened at the Friendship Games, it was obvious that her big sister was now her twin sister, or maybe even little sister if she had misjudged the years she had lost. A man opened the door gently and quietly said, “Fudge? Sugarcoat? Are you two alright?” Fudge stood up and walked towards him. “Hi, Daddy. Sugarcoat’s still napping, but I think she’ll wake up soon.” “I hope so.” A woman appeared next to Fudge and Sugarcoat’s father. “I’m also concerned about her surely unusual spinal issues now that she’s a toddler again but still has the correction in…” “If Sugarcoat has lost her perfect spine, then we’ll just have to make an appointment with the chiropractor, Make Easy.” The dad said to his wife, putting a hand on her shoulder. “We wouldn’t want her flopping and slouching again like before.” “I’m not so sure that’s going to be that easy, Beat Bush, considered that the doctors have said she still has her rods inside, which is what made her feel all that pain, and that those things may be forcing her spine to stay crooked now.” Make walked over to Sugarcoat and gently rubbed her back. “She’s not woken up since she got back home last evening,” she said. “She hasn’t even had breakfast, the poor thing…” “Is Sugarcoat ever gonna wake up, Mommy?” Fudge Number’s eyes went wide. “I hope so, Fudge.” Make knelt down and put her hand on Fudge’s stomach. “She’s not deep enough to be in a coma, but, given that she go pumped full of antidolorifics, it’s likely her painkillers haven’t worn off just yet. I’d say give her a few more minutes, and she should be fine.” “I hope so too, Mommy,” Fudge said. “I heard everything that happened at the Friendship Games. And I’m nervous, angry, and sad about everything that happened, but also glad at the same time.” “Glad?” Make Easy and Beat Bush said together. “We’re all super-lucky that Sugarcoat survived that big blast,” Fudge tightened her grip on her teddy bear. “She could’ve been a baby again, and that would’ve made things complicated. But she’s alive and my age now. That’s better than being dead, isn’t it?” “I guess you’re right about that…” Beat scratched his chin. “And besides, because of that magic, Sugarcoat and I are twinsies this time!” Fudge squealed. “I can’t wait to take her with me to kindergarten, and get her to meet my friends, and play together with the toys there, and—” “Okay, that’s enough candy for you today, Fudgie.” Beat Bush chuckled and patted her on the head. “First, you’ve gotta wait for Sugarcoat to wake up; then we can start to think about the future.” “Yes… The future…” Make Easy walked downstairs to the kitchen. “Well, anyway, lunch is gonna be ready in half an hour, Fudge. And if Sugarcoat wakes up before then and she looks fine, just tell her and I’ll make more.” “Okay, Mommy!” Fudge waved her off as she went downstairs. She then went back to playing with the toys, unaware that Sugarcoat was gently starting to open her eyes, whining lightly as she did so. Fudge Numbers snapped her head around to look at her regressed sister, and she saw Sugarcoat weakly pushing her covers around. “I-is it over?” She whimpered, crawling on her bed’s edge and then dropping down with a soft thump. “Sugarcoat!” Fudge Numbers chirped loudly, rushing towards her regressed sister and giving her a tight hug. “Are you okay?” Sugarcoat’s back produced a loud snapping sound, soon followed by a loud and anguished cry of pain, which made Fudge Numbers release immediately, just as her parents walked in again. “What happened?” Make Easy said, rushing in. “I think I hugged Sugarcoat too tightly…”