AH! *Breathes deeply* Okay, so. This person: Enlightening-Gravity on Tumblr and I had a chat, and they are super into this au! They had so many thingy-merbobs to share and it was all so wonderful, I'm basically starting over with this au! So, here we go with the young Stan twins again. Hopefully, this won't jump around as much as before. Enlightening-Gravity is responsible for this. (Yay!)

Note: This is probably the last thing I'll write until after I return from my trip this month. I'm leaving on Wednesday, so forgive me for all the cliffhangers all my stories are on right now, I will finish them. Eventually.

1961, Glass shard beach, New Jersey. Ten years old.

Stan groaned and pulled the thin blanket over his eyes, curling in on himself when his feet were no longer under the too small quilt. He had been staring at the ceiling in agony for the last three hours, and it was making sleep impossible. He rolled over, eyes clenched shut. His back was aching and itching and he couldn't even reach it, he'd tried. The bed creaked beneath him as he tossed and turned and Ford blinked awake blearily.

"Ley...?" Ford mumbled, one arm hanging off the bed as if reaching out. Stan grunted tiredly.

"Sorry, go ta sleep Sixer." He said quietly. Stan bit his lip as he forced himself to lay still. Ford shook his head with a yawn, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Wha's wrong?" Ford slurred, eyes still drooping with sleep. He did his best to sit up and lean his head over the edge of the bunk. "Didja have a nightmare?" He asked worriedly. Stan shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Nah, it's nothin'. Just go ta sleep, alright? I'm fine." Stan smiled up at him through gritted teeth once and rolled over again. The burning ache was only getting worse. Ford glared at him through slitted eyes. He couldn't actually see Stan's face, his glasses were confiscated by Stan at some point so he wouldn't have marks on his face in the morning, but he could imagine the too large grin just fine. Ford rolled off the bed limply, letting muscle memory catch him as he dropped to the ground.

"Ford." Stan whined, "I'm fine."

Ford ignored Stan's mumbles and clambered in beside him, dragging his own blanket with him. "I'm not movin' till you tell me wha's wrong." Ford declared, plopping his head down beside Stan's. His elbow accidentally grazed Stan's back as Stan turned to face him and Stan shouted out, flinching away. Ford was suddenly much more awake, eyes wide open as he shot up, hand going out to catch Stan before he fell off the bed. Stan caught himself and immediately started reaching behind him as if trying to scratch his back. Ford saw this in a blur, still not wearing his glasses.

"Woah! Ley, C'mon, what's wrong?" Ford asked, unsure how to help. He fumbled around for his glasses and shoved them on his face. He blinked as he took in the scene properly. Stan was trying to scratch at his shoulder blades- with mild success. Ford leaned forward and rubbed at the place he thought Stan was trying to reach. Stan slumped and look relieved, but whimpered, contradicting himself. The rubbing helped- but it still hurt. Ford's brow furrowed as massaged his brother's back, something felt off.

"Ley, I think your shoulder blades are swollen." Ford surmised, tracing his fingers over the strange lumps. Stan looked back with a questioning brow,

"What?"

Ford nodded and told Stan to take off his shirt. He gasped.

Two bony stubs were sticking out right below Stan's shoulder blades. Ford's eyebrows nearly flew off his face. "Ley, this is...I don't know what this is! Your back is growing extra bones!" Ford exclaimed. He poked them and apologized when Stan cried out.

"Sorry." He mumbled his mind somewhere else. He looked up suddenly and lunged towards his desk. Stan just looked at him, grimacing in pain. Ford sat up, holding a book, glasses askew looking very proud of himself. He was mumbling under his breath and started flipping through the pages, searching for something.

"Aha! I found it." He fixed his glasses and flopped back to the bed, shoving the book under Stan's nose. Stan flinched away and laughed.

"Poindexter, I know you like your weird books, but I don't think nows the time..." Stan's gaze was attracted to the picture on the page and he trailed off.

It was a detailed drawing of an avian-human. They had wings sprouting from their backs. The picture made the man look tall and proud. Ford gestured towards it dramatically.

"Ley, look at what this says! This describes what would happen were a human being were to grow wings! I know, it's ridiculous, I was reading this earlier and the science seems impossible, but now I'm starting to think, I mean, look at your back! This book describes exactly what this looks like." He flipped to another page, "it even has another picture, see?"

Stan stared at it, dumbfounded. "What? Ford, this is, I think your weird books are gettin' to you, I mean, I'm sure that's not what's happening." Stan shifted and gave him a searching look, "Plus, what about you? Are you feeling itchy or somethin'? Why would I have these and not you?"

Ford brow furrowed and his face lit up with a knowing look. "Ibuprofen!"

"What about it? Are ya gonna get me some?" Stan asked, looking hopeful (they weren't technically allowed to access that particular cabinet on their own, and were both loathed to ask for anything from their especially. Although, they weren't above sneaking things occasionally.) Ford shook his head.

"No. Well, maybe in a minute, but I had some earlier, so..." Ford felt behind his back, but he couldn't reach it. He pulled off his own shirt. "See anything? The medicine from my initial headache would have neutralized the pain.

Stan examined his brothers back and gasped, "You have them too, you were right! What do I mean, you were right? Of course, you were." Stan snorted. "Probably right about the wings too, although I find that a little hard to believe. I know you think those heebie-jeebie things are real, Poindexter-"

"Of course their real, and this will prove it." Ford pointed at the stubs with a smile, Stan's jaw was still clenched, "Oh, I should go get you those pills, right? I'll be right back."

Stan smiled, although it was tense. "Don't forget to wear socks."

Ford rolled his eyes, "I'm already wearing them, knucklehead." He left, leaving the door behind him open so he made less noise going in and out. Stan sighed.

What a night.

This was not as good as I wanted it to be, but I really wanted to get something out there to you guys...so. Hope you enjoyed. Bye bye! (I'll probably edit this later...but not right now. I'm a little to lazy for that...)