What if they come with you?
Ivan looks at you hopefully and says, "Well, what if they come with you?"
You pause for a second, at a loss for words, then nod. You would like it better if they came along with you.
Ivan claps and laughs, "Perfect! I will make the preparations, listen you're in for the ride of your life." Ivan laugh again and starts chanting.
You step backwards and promptly back yourself into some miscellaneous crates. You're unused to having a back half. You sigh you yourself, this is going to take some getting used to. Your tail sensing your emotions swishes furiously knocking into other detritus lining the shelves and boxes of the storeroom.
Red energy cracks and sparkles in front of you as the portals form. Suddenly reality starts shifting in front of your eyes. You can see your friends in front of you in their homes, or at school, or on the bus. With a start, each one of them realizes they can see the portals. Each one of them screams as they plop through the portal and into the storeroom of the magic shop.
The storeroom explodes into screams and profanities as your two closest friends and your girlfriend pop into existence inside of the room. Noticing you they back away from you as if something is wrong. It takes a second for you to remember that you would look like some sort of mascot alien to them.
Ivan yells for quiet, then again, before finally sighing in resignment, casts a small spell that amplifies his voice and booms across eternity. "I SAID BE QUIET"
Each of your friends quiet down. You remember that you are practically unclothed but your fur does a great job covering your bits. You decide to ride with it and see how it goes.
Ivan sighs again and says in a much quieter voice. "Great, now that I have your attention, let me tell you why you are here."
Your girlfriend, Jennifer, cuts him off first. "Where are we? Send me back right now, I am going to be late for class. You just wait until I tell my boyfriend about this."
Ivan rolls his eyes and says "Funny you should say that," he waves his hand and Jennifer falls silent.
"You can tell him, or her, yourself, right now."
Jennifer, confused looks around, and says angrily, "What are you talking about old man? He's not here."
"Oh she is here, she just looks a little bit different than he did this morning." Ivan says, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
Jennifer's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" Looking at you hesitantly. You wave to her with one furred hand.
Her eyes roll back in her head and she faints, falling to the floor. Your friends, Steve and Jim, each rise from their crouched positions. Each had taken in your new form and each had come to the same conclusion.
"Cooool" They say in unison. "You look really weird," Steve says to you looking you over. "Like some sort of skunk centaur. Awesome."
"Whoah," Jim says reaching out a hand and brushing your fur backwards, sending a jolt through your body. "You've got to be hot under all that fur," he says.
"Well," Ivan replies. "funny story about that. She has become, or rather, will become, something of a celebrity very shortly and has selected you to come with her, and help her transition into her new life. Isn't that right." Ivan says, looking at you.
You nod and smile, shrugging to your friends. You felt some concern for Jennifer, but figured she would come to terms with it in her own time. "Wow that is hilarious," Steve says. "I am down for this," he says to Ivan. He says to you. "Any chance to miss school right?" You laugh and clap Steve on the back.
Ivan meanwhile has leaned over Jennifer and had managed to rouse her. She stands up, and looks at you with trepidation. Tears roll down her face. "Oh what has he done to you. I am not sure I can handle this." She wraps her arms around her chest and holds herself. You want to go to her, but understand that might not be the right move right now. You shrug at her sympathetically.
Jim looks you up and down and blushes himself. "I am in." He says.
Ivan looks at the four of you and sighs saying, "This isn't some mystery movie, if she wants you to go," He points at you then resumes, "you're going. Now then, a couple rules. You're going to be entering a world completely unfamiliar to you, everything you know is going to be upended. Don't touch anything. Don't eat anything. Everything you see is some sort of magic and will have lasting consequences if you mess with it. I will explain everything when we get to our room."
"Our room?" Steve says.
"Yeah it's like a hotel. A magical hotel." Ivan says. Then turns and conjures forth another portal. "Now then, through you go." He waves his hand, ushering you through the portal.
"I am not going through any portal, I want to go home." Jennifer yells.
Ivan sighs casts another spell which wraps around Jennifer's head and muffles her cursing. It binds her hands and feet together as well. Ivan gestures with a finger and lifts here up and through the portal.
"Shall we?" He says to the rest of you.
Written by crunchynachoes on 14 November 2018
