"No time for goodbyes! Just run!"

Grabbing her hand, Andrew dragged her away from the family which had kindly concealed them as they made their way down that street. Waving with her free hand, she was dragged out around the corner and out of sight.

"I don't see why we're still running. We lost them three streets ago."

Andrew halted and turned to face her.

"And you didn't see the need to tell me this earlier?"

"Well, you seemed occupied."

"Because I thought we were still being chased!" Andrew yelled, startling many passers-by.

"Well, it's not my fault." Angelica pouted. "I wasn't the one who thought 'Ooh, that looks pretty. I think I'll take it.', which is weird, because I usually am that one. Meh, you've got it now. What is 'it'?"

"I'm not sure." In his palm lay a small, golden star attached to a thin, black stick.

"Ooh, it looks like a fairy wand! Give it here, I want to try it!"

"It's not a fairy wand, and even if it was, it would be a cheap fake."

Angelica widened her eyes and started whimpering.

"Please?"

"It's your time you're wasting." That said, he dropped it into her eager hands before checking once more for their pursuers. This meant, of course, that he was thoroughly unprepared when pink sparks flew out of the wand and hit his forehead. Toppling over due to a sudden weight on his chest, he squealed in pain. Then paused.

Inspecting his injured chest, he stared in terror at his new appendages. Andrew now had a problem. Andrew did not squeal. Andrew did not have… these. Therefore, something was wrong with Andrew.

"What the… WHAT DID YOU DO?! GIVE ME THAT!" Leaping for the now confirmed magical wand, he snatched from Angelica's hands before giving it an experimental wave. This time, blue sparks flew out and knocked Angelica backwards.

"Well, this is weird."

"Yeah… What are you doing?!" Andrew barely managed to keep Angelica from unzipping her jeans.

"What? I was curious."

"Still, you don't do that in public! You don't see me feeling myself up!"

"There! There they are!"

"Uh-oh." Angelica grabbed the wand again before they tried to sprint away. However, they had forgotten to take into account their new changes in balance and so promptly tripped over themselves.

Standing angrily above them were the two men they had escaped from earlier. The one in the bomber jacket and glasses was grinning from ear to ear, but the bushy-browed man looked absolutely furious.

"See, Iggy? I told you we'd catch them! Because I'm the Hero, and that's what heroes do!"

"Shut up, you git." Turning to the pair on the pavement, 'Iggy' gave them an unimpressed look. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that thing is?! I have no idea what possessed you to steal it. Especially since you shouldn't be stealing anyway! Now then, give it back, and maybe I won't report you to the police."

Panicking at the word 'police', Angelica gestured frantically with the wand, once more releasing pink sparks. This time, however, the sparks found their way to the two men. Who soon also ended up on the ground.

"Bloody Hell." Raising his head to glare at the children, he found his eye-line blocked by the new occupants of his chest. Not to mention his American friend had collapsed on top of him. Pushing him… her… Pushing them off, his gaze found the boy who had waved the wand staring horrified at what he had done.

"I think you had better hand that back now."

The boy shook his head so fast it looked like it would fly off his shoulders as he rapidly backed away from the two transformed women.

"Give it to him, Angelica! He might know how to reverse this."

Seeing that she wasn't going to respond, he walked over and eased the wand from her grasp. Carefully, he handed it back to its original owner.

"Here. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stolen it from you. I just had this sudden urge to take it, and I know that doesn't justify my actions, but please could you turn us back once you've finished sorting out you and your friend."

Removing the wand from the possession of the young lady who had first taken it from him, he scowled at the children.

"Even if I wanted to fix all this, I couldn't. I would need to be in my original form, which your friend kindly redesigned."

Andrew plucked the wand out of his hands, waving it quickly and producing the blue sparks again. The retransformed man gaped at him as the wand was once again given back.

"There. You can do it now, right?"

"Yes, but how did…?"

They were rudely interrupted by the American who was poking herself inappropriately.

"Hey, Iggy! Look! They move back! Hmm… I think I'll call myself 'Amelia'. It's got a nice ring to it."

Greens sparks were produced form the wand, and the American pouted at the loss of his new playthings.

"Ooh, pretty!"

Soon Angelica was also affected by the green magic, before, finally, Andrew regained his true form. Stretching, he checked his chest.

"That's so much better."

England thought carefully. He had seen this boy's potential for himself, and if that much magic went untapped, it could end very badly. He needed training.

"You."

Andrew pointed to himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You need training. I propose that I train you in how to use your magic, before you do something idiotic like blowing up your school."

"No. No, no, no. No magic, none of this crazy fantasy stuff! I want to get away from this weirdness. Angelica, we're going." He looked around. "Angelica?"

England was startled by the young girl appearing suddenly in front of him.

"I want to learn magic! Can I come too? Can I? Can I?"

"Oh, no." Andrew started to drag her away. "You are not getting involved in this."

England had to think quickly. On one hand, it seemed like the girl would be nothing but trouble. On the other, if he said yes, it looked like the boy would agree also, if only to protect the girl.

"You can learn magic."

Suddenly, she was in front of him again. Andrew stood a fair way away staring at the now vacant space between his arms.

"Really? You mean it? Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He was embraced in a quick hug, as Andrew walked reluctantly back towards them.

"I guess I have to accept, if only to keep her," he jerked his head at Angelica, "Out of trouble."

Inwardly, England smirked. It seemed his guess was correct. Outwardly, he displayed a passive smile.

"By the way, I'm Andrew. That's Angelica. Who are you?"

The American which everybody had forgotten about burst into the conversation.

"Nice to meet ya dude! That's Iggy, and I'm Alfred F. Jones, the Hero!"

Elbowing Alfred in the ribs, England exclaimed "My name is not 'Iggy'!"

He composed himself, before once more smiling at the children.

"My name is Arthur Kirkland."