Hello everyone! First of all, I'm terribly, terribly sorry. On Monday I was extremely busy and I couldn't update the new chapter. Yesterday, I was also busy, but also, it was Holiday here, and I don't know why there were moments I thought it was Sunday instead of Tuesday, so I ended up the day without updating too.
good news are I bring you the next chapter and also you won't need to wait an entire week for the next one it'll come sooner. That said, I hope you'll like it!

Well, I'd like to give a special thanks to Drummergirl for helping me editing this story. I'm really, really, really grateful to her, she's awesome!

Okay after say all this, here you have the fifth chapter of this story, I hope you all will like it!

Chapter 8. Planning

Cacofonix had always considered himself an early riser, and today was no exception. Despite the events of the previous day, the bard had woken up as always, even before the rooster crowed. He washed up, changed his clothes, prepared his breakfast, and tidied his cabin a little. To be honest, in his modest opinion, it was perfect in its current state. Although of course, when Bravura was in the village and occupied his cabin, the woman complained about the disorder that reigned and the lack of cleanliness of the enclosure, so since that day, Cacofonix had made efforts to keep his space clean so that no one could complain again.

After finishing his routine, Cacofonix sat on the edge of the platform on which his house stood. He liked to enjoy the views up there. In addition, in his own space, it was easier for him to compose and interpret his musical works without running the risk of becoming anyone's target, mainly Fulliautomatix's or Unhygienix's.

Honestly, the Gaul bard found it difficult to understand how the other villagers could underestimate his talent the way they did. It was a sad fact that it was completely out of reach. And there were very few who truly appreciated his talent. One of them was Pepe, the young son of the chief of the village near Hispalis whom the Romans had once taken hostage. Cacofonix, although he knew they had to take him back to his village, was saddened knowing that he had lost a true admirer.

The situation that Pepe lived at that time made him think of Asterix. If they hadn't rescued him, his situation would have been the same as that of the Hispanic boy. Only in Asterix's case, his situation would perhaps be worse, since his village had brought more problems to Rome and the empire than Pepe's village.

In addition, Caesar had met Asterix several times in many of the adventures the blond warrior had gone through. Yes, without a doubt, his hostage situation would have been very different from that of the Hispanic boy.

The village bard picked up his harp – his faithful companion that accompanied him wherever he went. Then he tried playing some notes – which would sound jarring to everyone's ears if they'd heard them – and just as he was about to start singing, his moment was marred by a scream:

"But I don't wanna go to thchool, by Tutatith!" There he was again… the fish seller's son, refusing to attend class.

Cacofonix turned his gaze to Unhygienix's house, more out of curiosity than habit. Every day was the same story. The child had to be forced to get up and wash. Then almost… almost he had to be dragged to the very door of the school, only to finally enter with the rest of the young Gauls.

The bard then remembered how much he liked children and how he went out of his way to instill in them the knowledge he had gained over the years from Getafix. In his school years, he had always been the first in the class, well… the first until Asterix and Obelix began to go to school as well. Thereafter, the first place as a model student was held by the youngest blond Gaul.

To be honest, Asterix being a better model student than him slightly annoyed the bard at first. But over time he learned to accept it, and was even glad that it was so. Sincerely, Cacofonix had felt a deep admiration for Asterix since childhood and would never have done anything to ridicule or belittle him, especially when he realized Asterix was a generous, kind, and above all loyal friend.

There were multiple occasions when the shorter Gaul literally faced off with the rest of the class just to defend Obelix, who for his part was too shy to answer or stand up to the other children. For the bard to see this type of action from the blond Gaul, it was a true sample of what their true friendship consisted of… without a doubt, these must be very difficult times for Obelix. To think his best friend is involved in such a problem… and if what Getafix said was true, then the situation was even more complicated. Because at least when Obelix became a child again, he kept all his memories of when he was man. But in Asterix's case, he thought he was a little boy, and therefore it was logical to suppose he believed that all who were now adult men should also be boys like him.

Now that he thought about it, if Getafix couldn't bring Asterix back to his real age, if Tutatis didn't want it, maybe… just maybe… the young Gaul would have to attend school again. Although some years would pass before Asterix would have to go to school again. As they were told, Asterix seemed to be only three years old. He was still too little to attend class.

"Cacofonix!"

The bard was surprised to hear his name, and immediately looked for the origin of it, which he found in Fulliautomatix's wife.

"Come on Cacofonix, it's time."

"Yes, I'll be there soon."

He had Getafix had agreed between themselves that each year one of them would teach the classes. This year was the druid's turn, but given the events of the previous day with the village warrior, the villagers suggested the bard be the one who taught class until the matter could be resolved, or at least reach a point of reasonable normality. Although, to be honest, the bard doubted they would ever reach such a point of normality… not while Asterix was three years old.

The bard took everything he deemed necessary for classes and descended from his cabin. Upon reaching the ground, he met Mrs. Geriatrix, who was apparently heading towards Asterix's cabin.

"Good morning, Mrs. Geriatrix, may I ask where you are going?"

"I'm going to give Asterix his clothes. I went a while ago to take the measurements and now I'm going to try them on him to see how they fit," she explained, adding, "He's a charming child."

It was then the bard noticed what the woman was holding in her hands: clothes, undoubtedly. Actually, Mrs. Geriatrix was a very efficient woman when it came to labor tasks.

"In my opinion, we must do everything possible to make Asterix feel comfortable. That's why I worked as fast as I could to make these clothes for him," the brown-haired woman continued.

"I couldn't agree more," replied Cacofonix.

After this brief conversation, the two villagers said goodbye and each went their own way.

The bard headed towards the door of the school where most of the children were already lined up waiting to enter. The bard addressed them with a smile and then allowed them to enter the compound with him. He was the last to enter, just to make sure none of the little Gauls were trying to skip school.

Right before entering, he made the decision to go see Asterix when classes ended. Most likely, the young Gaul wouldn't recognize him. But like the rest of the villagers, he was concerned about his safety and well-being. So, in his opinion, a visit would not hurt.

"That's a terrible idea! More than that, by Jupiter, it's crazy!" Caius Marsupialus said as he paced the tent Overanxius had ushered him into.

"Excuse me?" Caesar's envoy protested as he followed him with his eyes "are you saying you refuse to carry out a direct order?"

The camp leader stopped dead and looked at the man in front of him. He knew very well the risks of the plan the senator of Rome was proposing to him. But apparently, the other man didn't seem to understand it.

"With all due respect, I will carry out that order the moment you are the one to march in front of the troops to do what you tell me." protested the centurion.

"Where is the problem? All I'm saying is for you to capture the druid from that village. It's not that difficult, by Neptune!" Overanxius said again, indignant at the behavior of the camp leader.

"The problem? The problem is that this is a suicide mission! And I'm not willing to expose my men to such danger." Caius Marsupialus replied again.

"Is capturing a druid a suicide mission?" asked Caesar's envoy.

"No, that part may not be. But what follows would be. You don't seriously expect me to send all my men to attack the village while the fat and crazy Gaul is still there, do you? Also, perhaps we'll have the druid, but you should know this man is very cautious, and my sources have told me that he usually leaves a spare pot full of magic potion in case something should happen," the Centurion continued explaining.

"So, what do you suggest I do? Forget that Gaul and the chance of handing that village over to Caesar once and for all?" Overanxius asked again.

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying that I'm not going to follow through with that plan," replied Caius Marsupialus.

"Okay. Tell me what you propose we should do in this case."

The camp leader spoke again. "If you want to know my opinion, for now I wouldn't make any rash movement. The Gauls are as lost or even more so than us in this situation. Presumably, they're unlikely to make any move, at least for now. My advice, if you want to follow it, is to stay vigilant and keep on the lookout… but not take action."

"And what if while we wait, the druid finds a way to reverse the effects?" Overanxius asked with an air of genuine interest.

Caius Marsupialus opened his mouth to answer, but almost instantly closed it again when he realized he didn't have an answer to that question.

The Roman senator smiled when he saw he had given an irrefutable argument in this conversation that once again allowed him to tip the balance in his favor. The Centurion looked at Caesar's envoy with a slight touch of anger. He knew the man was right, but he didn't like to admit it.

"Well since everything has been made clear, tell your men what the plan is and what they should do." the senator concluded with a malicious smile on his face.

Soon, very soon, that Gaul boy would be in his possession again, and with him he would end that village of mustached savages once and for all.

"Senator, there is another small point… that I would like to talk about."

"What is it now, Centurion?" Overanxius asked indignantly, because his daydreams of triumph had been cut short.

"It is… regarding the spare pot of magic potion I mentioned. As long as the Gauls have it… they'll all be very dangerous," explained Caius Marsupialus.

"We'll deal with it when the time comes. For now, our priority is to capture the druid so that the Gauls won't have more of a supply of magic potion than they already have, nor the possibility of recovering their little warrior… and who knows? Maybe when we pick up that child again, I'll send them both to Caesar. No doubt two is always better than one. And thus, the emperor will cover me with honors and glory and I'll be the most respected man in the Empire. Don't you agree with that, Centurion?"

Caius Marsupialus looked at the envoy from Rome, not really knowing what to answer. To tell the truth, he was frightened by the twisted and Machiavellian mind the senator seemed to possess, in addition to those aspirations of greatness and power. If all the senators were like him… maybe Caesar couldn't be what one would consider… very safe.

No, it was very difficult for the Centurion to share the same aspirations as Overanxius. Truth be told, Caius Marsupialus was content with very little… just a few acres of land on which to build a modest but very beautiful villa, and thus be able to settle in it with his family and his slaves, and to invite his friends… In short, a place to live in peace and away from the noise and bustle of the city – to go unnoticed – something completely different and even contrary to what the senator with whom he'd spoken intended.

Leaving aside his own thoughts, the camp leader said goodbye to the senator with the typical Roman greeting and then left the tent to carry out the orders the senator had given him.

In little Asterix's cabin, the three Gauls had already finished their breakfast. Just after finishing, Asterix got up to play with Dogmatix. Meanwhile, Obelix again offered to wash everything, and asked Getafix to take care of the blond Gaul… although, he pointed out that while Asterix was with his pet, nothing would happen to him.

Getafix smiled, amused at the declaration of the menhir dealer. It was truly admirable to see the appreciation and trust Obelix felt for the little dog, although it was also true that Dogmatix had proven on several occasions to be worthy of that trust. The old druid immediately remembered the moment they were in Egypt to help a friend of his, the Alexandrian architect Edifis, so that he didn't end up in the jaws of the sacred crocodiles… by Tutatis! What a pretty nose Cleopatra has!

On that adventure, maybe the worst part of it was when they ended up lost in the labyrinthine corridors of one of the pyramids, and if it hadn't been for the little puppy, the three of them would have perished there. Of that there was no doubt.

Getafix sat on a stool while watching Asterix play with Dogmatix. It was difficult for the old druid to deal with this situation. Asterix was one of the villagers with whom he had spent the most time… whom he considered one of his closest friends. The village warrior had always come to the druid when he had any difficulties, or had come to help Getafix in case he needed him. But now this friend, a Gaul he had known since the day he was born, was trapped in the appearance and mentality of a child because of his lack of competence in his conduct. If he hadn't been so negligent, Asterix would be fine… among them with his true age, and everything would be as if nothing had happened. How could he be so reckless as to allow something like this to happen?

"Getafix, Getafix, do you want to play with us?" Asterix asked as he got up from the floor where he had been playing with Dogmatix.

"I'm afraid not young one, I'm a little older for this type of game." replied the older man.

"Ooooh, but I also want to play with you, Getafix," said Asterix, trying to sound as sad as possible. Immediately afterward, he used the puppy-eye technique in a final attempt to get the village druid to play with him and Dogmatix.

Getafix smiled again, amused by the boy's attitude. To be honest, it was hard to believe that just two days ago, the boy was actually a serious adult with the sole concern of ensuring the safety of his people… just thinking about it made Getafix determined – more so than ever – to not rest until he managed to cure the blond Gaul.

Seeing his strategy hadn't worked with the old druid, Asterix decided to try his luck with Obelix, who had already finished cleaning everything and was now approaching the rest of the cabin occupants. When he was by his side, Asterix opened his mouth to speak, but a noise from the front door stopped him short.

"Hello again, I have finished the clothes." announced Mrs. Geriatrix happily.

"Well, you've been in a hurry, my good lady," said Getafix, admiring the speed with which the woman had done her sewing work.

"Naturally, Getafix! Asterix must feel comfortable, mustn't he? That is why I've gone as fast as I can. Now, I need you to dress him in case I need to make any alterations," explained the brunette.

"But I wanna keep playing with Dogmatix," protested the younger Gaul.

"You can play with him when you've dressed up. I promise you," said Obelix, this time. And then added:

"It'll also be easier for you to play with him if you wear clothes that don't fit too big."

Asterix frowned. Everyone was against him. It wasn't fair! A child's life isn't easy. He looked at each adult one by one and when he realized he couldn't convince them otherwise, he sighed admitting defeat. Then he looked up at Mrs. Geriatrix and said:

"Okay, but I get dressed by myself."

"Are you sure, Asterix?" Getafix asked. Like the others, he was surprised at the boy's decision.

"Yup, just me," said the little Gaul again in the most convincing voice he could manage.

Mrs. Geriatrix looked surprised, first at Asterix, and then at Getafix. When the druid looked at her, she first shrugged and then nodded, indicating she'd give the boy the clothes. She handed him the freshly made garments and Asterix instantly ran upstairs. His new clothes were identical to what he usually wore but adapted to his new body size, of course.

After a while, the little Gaul came down again with his new clothes. Everyone was surprised to see that he had put them on correctly. The amazement was such that the only thing Mrs. Geriatrix could say was:

"You have to recognize how smart this boy is."

Getafix and Obelix could only agree to this statement. Asterix was certainly proving to be a very curious and very smart boy. He had some outbursts, or little interest in some things told to him, but that was normal considering he was really a three-year-old boy. It was totally unthinkable to demand him to act like an adult.

Mrs. Geriatrix was the first to come out of her stupor, realizing the little boy was looking at them with a strange face, she said:

"Well, let's see how you look."

Then she stepped forward and knelt in front of Asterix and began to inspect him. At first the blond Gaul blushed at the woman's action, but when Mrs. Geriatrix turned him around to see how his clothes were on his back, he calmed slightly… although his face was still as red as a tomato.

"Well I must say, the clothes fit you like a ring to a finger, and it isn't necessary to alter anything. I can say then, my work here is done," said the woman with an air of satisfaction. "Okay, since everything is perfect, I'll be going. Take good care of yourself, Asterix… and also you, Obelix, Getafix and Dogmatix."

"Goodbye my good lady, and thank you very much for your work," Getafix replied.

"Bye-bye, and thank you for the clothes," said Asterix just after his druid.

When the brown-haired woman left, Asterix ran to where the menhir delivery man was and cheerfully asked him:

"Do you want to come play with Dogmatix and me? Please, please, pleeeeeease."

Obelix looked at the little Gaul, surprised at first, but soon after, a smile formed on his face. He lowered himself to Asterix's level, and putting both hands on his shoulders, said:

"Okay, by Tutatis. What do you want to play?"

"Can we play hide and seek?" the young Gaul asked with evident emotion in his voice.

Obelix opened his eyes wide. He knew that playing that game was a great risk… especially because, although Getafix hadn't told him, he knew very well Asterix was an expert in leaving the village without anyone seeing him. Moreover, how he managed to get out of village without being seen is the only secret the young Gaul had never shared with his best friend. To tell the truth, Obelix remembered being surprised every time Asterix had returned home, dirty, muddy, and with small bruises and cuts all over his body. He didn't understand what his friend was doing to end up in such a state, and the blond Gaul never said a word about it. He just occasionally disappeared for a while and then returned as if nothing had happened, always in the same way.

The menhir dealer looked with evident concern at Getafix, knowing the danger Asterix faced. The best thing was to not lose sight of him. But on the other hand, how to tell the little boy without hurting his feelings?

Getafix, for his part, had also been surprised. He shared the concern of the red-haired Gaul regarding leaving Asterix unattended. So when Obelix looked at him with that clear expression of asking for help, the old druid approached the two of them, and drawing the attention of the blond Gaul, said:

"Asterix, I don't think it's a good idea, you see… if you're with Dogmatix, Obelix will find you right away."

"What? How is that possible, Getafix?"

"Dogmatix and I have a strong connection. I'm even able to understand what he tells me, so if you are with him, I'll find you right away and the game will no longer be fun. Also, Dogmatix has a very good nose, so if he is the one who is looking, he would also find you right away," explained Obelix, trying to sound as convincing as possible before adding:

"Also, if you are the one looking for us, you'd find me right away," he said, moving his arms to show his body. "It is difficult for someone who is a little plump to hide," ended the great Gaul.

"In short, if you play this game, you'll soon be bored. It's better that you play something else," concluded the druid stroking his beard.

Asterix frowned and seemed to be angry. He looked at Obelix suspiciously and said:

"I don't think you have this… connection with Dogmatix. That's impossible! And how can you talk with him? That's even more impossibler!"

The druid and red-haired Gaul smiled tenderly at the boy. Despite the charming grammatical mistake, there were many aspects… many small details Asterix kept in his person, even as a child. The menhir dealer got up and softly explained everything to the blond Gaul:

"It isn't so difficult to understand. About a year ago, I found Dogmatix who at that time was a newborn puppy. If I hadn't helped him, he most likely would have died. I took care of him as well as I knew… but I never forgot the rest of the village, in case that worries you… in short, I suppose that since I took taking care of Dogmatix very seriously, a very strong bond was born between the two of us that we have even now… do you understand?"

Asterix looked at Obelix, still a little skeptical about what he had just heard, but knowing the desire his best friend had always had to have a dog – at least when they were still the same age – made him think the great Gaul was telling the truth… but even so, Asterix couldn't understand why they didn't want him to play hide and seek. Were those the real reasons? Or was there something else they didn't want to tell him? He couldn't say for sure. To tell the truth, the little Gaul didn't understand why the two adults were watching everything he did since they had gotten up. It was as if they were his shadows and the blond Gaul was beginning to grow impatient.

Actually, playing hide-and-seek was partly to play, obviously, and partly to be able to rest a bit from the intensive surveillance he had been suffering since he'd been rescued. He just wanted a little time for himself, and the time to change his clothes wasn't enough. But it was quite clear that neither Getafix nor Obelix were willing to grant him this… he would have to find another method to evade them.

And here ends this chapter. I had the idea of making Getafix and Cacofonix both teaching children one year one of them and next year the other since I saw in some comics the teacher was Getafix and in some others, the teacher was Cacofonix. Also, what do you think about the Romans plan? Do you think it'll succeed? I'd love to hear your thoughts about this story.

Okay, after say that, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I also would like to thank you all those who've read this story, those who follow it or have it among their favorites: MyCelestialFury.

P.S.: there's a piece of fanart related to this chapter. You can find it on Deviantart: Piliarquitect and on Tumblr: Pilyarquitect

See you in the next chapter