We're almost done!! Anise will return to normal in this chapter. I debated that for a while, but alas...

I don't own it...

Read on!!

And so, it was one of those days where a little boy leaned over the sink on the royal kitchens, groaning and moaning about his 'dummy tummy', or something along the lines of that....It was also one of those days where a very high pitched scream rang through the palace, and Luke ran away from the room shouting "I'm sorry!!" and "I'm scarred!!!"

Why was this going on? Well...Everybody is too pre-occupied right now, so I'll tell the story...Again...

Peony laughed as he held his 'concoction' up to the light. Oh it looked like apple juice. It looked like apple juice. Heh, he was glad he took medicine in high school...This was not apple juice, although it did have a rather apple-like after taste, NO! It was some form of medicine that I'm not explaining, because it's was a mixture of Tylenol, and something else...

Anyway, Jade stared at this cup, unsure if he wanted to drink it because Peony was just cackling as he held it. Saying 'I've done it!!'...He took the glass in both hands, ignoring his upset stomach. There had to be something in it...Looked like apple juice...smelled like apple juice...Had a strange, tangy apple-like after taste...Oh what the heck. He took a gulp...and quickly spit it out.

"Argh!" Peony wiped his face with his sleeve. He was now covered in his own creation! "What was that for!?"

"Tha' tastes baad!!" Jade held the cup away and leaned over the sink again. Lesson learned: do not take a gulp of something just because a finger covered in it tastes good...

"Well..." Peony sighed and Natalia took the glass. "The only thing I can think of is..." he whispered in Natalia and Asch's ears. Obviously this was something that Jade wouldn't like...

Jade gasped. They were taking his ice cream away!! He jumped off the counter, still ignoring the strange feeling in his stomach, and ran down the hall. It was time for another run through the palace while they tried to catch him...

Jade didn't get very far however. About half way down the hall, he stopped, leaned over, and threw up something pink, orange and green-ish.

"...Now that's just...ew." Peony held his nose with one hand and held Jade with the other. "Can we get some one to clean this up?" he called, and a maid appeared as if from no where with a mop.

"Please tell me this is over..." Asch groaned as he leaned against the wall.

"Don't worry Asch. This will all be over soon." Natalia patted his shoulder.

"Damn it! I'm supposed to be searching for the Jewel of Lorelei!" Asch growled.

"Hey! Language!" Peony called.

"And what am I doing? Messing around with toddlers...messy...annoying...bratty...stupid..." he walked off to change. Muttering something about 'evil Necromancer's in the form of toddlers'...

While Peony, Natalia, and now Tear and Guy, who'd recently woken up, tried to make Jade feel better, Luke slept on. Across the room from the sleeping red head, Anise also woke up. She moaned, rubbing her head. Every bone in her body hurt...She rubbed her eyes...When did she get in Grand Chokmah? Weren't they just in Baticul?

...Why the hell was she naked?!

"Eh..Anise?" Luke asked. How he woke up so soon, I don't know. "Oh, you're awake...Ack!" he noticed she was naked. "What the?!"

Anise screamed. "LUKE!! YOU PERVERT!! GET OUT!!! GET OUT!!! GET. OUT!!!!!!!!!!"

Luke scrambled for the door, yelling. "AAH!!! I'M SORRYYY!!!!"

Anise wrapped the blanket around her, her face beet red. She shuffled through drawer after drawer, trying to find her clothes. What the heck was going on?! Finally she found a pink dress much like her own(she had no idea what happened to that), and threw it on. She could still hear Luke's yells.

"I'M SCARRED!!! SCARRED FOR LIFE!!!"

Suddenly Tear walked in. "Anise! Oh Anise you're back to normal!" Tear threw her arms around the smaller girl.

"Tear?! Wh-what's going on?!" 'Why are you hugging me?!' is what she wanted to say, but that would be rude.

"Oh it's been horrible!" Tear said. "I'm sorry! Luke and I tried that arte, you were all toddlers and-and-"

"Calm down Tear! So, I was a...toddler for a bit...Was I bad?" Anise asked nervously.

Tear twitched. Twice. Three times. Suddenly Asch burst in. He appeared to be covered in ice cream...

"Bad!? BAD?! Oh BAD is an UNDER STATEMENT!!! IF WE WEREN'T ON THE SAME SIDE I WOULD BEAT YOU AND THAT-THAT NECROMANCER INTO THE GROUND!!!"

"What are you talking about?!" Anise exclaimed.

"Don't worry Anise!" Natalia entered behind the raging red head. "He's just a little angry, that's all!" she shuffled him out the door.

Anise was vaguely aware that Tear was still hugging her. "Um..Tear?"

"Oh! S-sorry Anise." Tear blushed a little.

"It's okay...What was Asch talking about?"

"Um..You know, I think that's...a story for another time! Let's go see the others!!!" Tear started to push her out of the room. Peony walked in-still holding Jade-before they could exit.

"Good news! He just had to throw up, and he was good!" Peony held up the now-grinning toddler.

"Who?" Anise asked.

"Anise!" Peony noticed the teenager standing in front of him.

"Yes! Me! Why is every one so...crazy?" Anise asked.

"That, my friend," Peony placed a hand on her shoulder. "is a story for another day. For now, meet Jade!" he set the boy down in front of her.

"What?!" Anise stared at the little boy in front of her. This was the Colonel?! "This is the Colonel!? Now way!!"

Jade tilted his head. "Coal...nal??"

Anise knelt on her knees so she was at eye level with Jade. "What;s you're name?"

"Jade!" Jade said happily. "What abou' you? I don' know you..." he trailed off.

"I'm Anise!"

Jade took a step back, shaking his head. "No...You can't Anise...Anise is only this big..." he held up his hand, just below the top of his head. He looked up at Tear and Peony. "Where's Anise?"