A/N: This week has been so busy! Anyway I'm sorry for the late update as said before I was really busy. But there's good news: I have two weeks off! That means more time to update UwU. Other than that though I don't have much to say (again) so I'll just respond to reviews:

Silver - I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. As for all your questions...I guess they'll be answered through the story.

merendinoemiliano - thanks for the review :)

Till next time,

D.L.D

"Ok princess, I've decided to repay you for helpin' me," Ban scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin on his face as he looked at Elizabeth. He felt it was his duty to thank her for helping him yesterday, even after being instructed not to. That thought still in his mind, his face grew serious. "But don't think of it as anything more than repayin' a favor."

"I won't," Elizabeth gave him a smile, before raising a brow. "But what are you going to do?"

"This way," Ban rolled his eyes, a smile on his face as he led the princess into the kitchen. Since he wasn't gifted in too many areas, the boy decided to thank the princess in the field he knew best. Something that he knew wouldn't cause any danger, but would still prove handy. So what better way to thank her than to give her a cooking lesson? It would pass time and have a stand in cook for when he was too lazy to attempt. The idea was practically genius!

Feeling happy with his plan, Ban led Elizabeth to the counter. The princess followed diligently, happy but uncertain of what the Fox Sin was going to repay her with. They were all children after all, so there wasn't much any of them could do. Plus Ban wasn't beneath pulling a prank or something just to kill time, that was evident through his habit of naming everyone . However Elizabeth's question was soon answered when Ban gestured to the equipment he left out.

"Any guesses on what we're doing in here?" He raised a brow.

Elizabeth bit her lip, knowing what it was for but uncertain of whether Ban's repayment would be good or bad. Not many people know this, but Elizabeth wasn't too good in the cooking department. In fact she believed her food could rival Meliodas'. She really had to test that theory, but perhaps it was a challenge for another day. Right now wasn't the best time to think of such ideas. Plus she wouldn't be the test taster. No way. That was suicidal. You'd probably never want to eat again - if you could.

"You're going to teach me to cook?" Elizabeth guessed, her voice wavering with uncertainty. Her blue eyes scanned over the equipment lain out on the counter, her mind wandering to all the possible outcomes.

"Yep," Ban nodded, a smirk on his face. "You have a choice between cookies or apple pie."

"Hmmm, I think I'll make the pie," Elizabeth smiled, clapping her hands in excitement. The idea of making something edible for once was enough to make her beam, however reality always had a way of crashing things back down. "But I'm not that good at cooking..."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," Ban shrugged, beginning to show her how to weigh the ingredients. "I've tried to teach Cap'n - never again."

This earned a giggle from the princess. She knew that Meliodas' cooking skills were infamous for being terrible - if not inedible. However if Ban gave up on teaching him, then he must've been hard to teach. But somehow that doesn't surprise Elizabeth either. Meliodas did have a tendency to be stubborn and if she had any guess on why Ban had given up, it was probably because he kept putting his own spin on things. Even when that was proven to make things worse.

The pair had worked steadily, Elizabeth paying close attention to Ban's instructions. She somehow managed to make the pastry ok, only managing a small slip up. However Ban managed to quickly get the dough back to normal.

"Ok, now you have to leave it for a while," The taller boy spoke as they both left the bowls of dough to the side. He then got a bowlful of apples and placed it between them. The spherical fruits glistened as they caught the light, as Ban got out two knives. "I'll peel 'em since that's the dangerous part. You can cut 'em into slices."

"Oh ok," Elizabeth nodded, feeling slightly nerved as she held a knife. As a child she was always told to avoid using such things, to always have an adult watching when she did. Due to her clumsy nature, she was also fretting about cutting her finger or perhaps injuring Ban while she sliced.

The Fox Sin on the other hand seemed comfortable with the device. He easily grasped the apple and peeled, the skins unraveling in a green ribbon onto the table. In a short amount of time, the boy had peeled three apples.

This stunned the princess, who was unused to doing such tasks. In the castle it was the maids and cooks who peeled things and prepared meals. The closest thing Elizabeth had done to actual work, even at a young age, was sewing and mending. Something that she had pricked her fingers over many times and was still amateur at to this day. Nevertheless, Elizabeth got on with the task at hand. Sucking in a deep breath, she took a peeled apple into her hand. Focusing on what she was doing, the princess made sure that her fingers weren't in the way of any blades. Soon there were only a couple apples left and she felt a little better about using knives.

"From the look on your face, you'd think you're scared of knives," Ban chuckled as he watched Elizabeth slice another apple. Her face reddened at his remark.

"I just don't want to injure myself," She answered, glancing at the Fox Sin as she brought the knife down to cut through the apple. Only...it missed. By a lot.

Red fell onto the table, staining the wood as a pale Elizabeth raised he finger to her face. At the sight of the wound she cried, great tears falling from her azure eyes. Ban hissed, cursing under his breath as he looked at the scene.

"Shit, Cap'n's gonna kill me!" Ban grimaced as he looked around for something to tie around the wound. "I shoulda just kept my mouth shut."

After searching for a while, and giving Elizabeth a cookie leftover from yesterday, Ban managed to tie up the wound and stop the princess from crying. While she did that, the Fox Sin placed the pies in the oven and checked them every now and then. Elizabeth just waited contentedly, having long finished her cookie, however she was still flushed and sniffling. The cut still hurt slightly every time she bent her finger, however she did her best to hide it knowing that others have lived through much worse.

"Hey Ban! Elizabeth!" Diane bounced in, a happy expression on her face. Brown pigtails swung as she skipped into the room, a smile on her face from the news she'd been given. However Diane paused as she looked at the princess, a frown forming. "Elizabeth, what happened? Who made you upset?"

The giantess then shot a glare towards Ban, her mind putting together its own scenario. Ban definitely had something to do with Elizabeth being upset. If the brunette didn't know any better he probably called her a shithead or something and upset Elizabeth. She'd would not stand by and let that happen. Never.

"You did it, didn't you?" Diane looked at her fellow Sin. Before anyone could say anything she was throwing punches towards him. "You dumbass!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Yes you did, otherwise Elizabeth wouldn't be upset!"

"Well, I didn't cause it!"

"That's what they all say!"

It had escalated pretty quickly, both of them causing a small mess as they rumbled in the kitchen. By now they both were grasping the other, trying to knock the other onto the ground. This caused Elizabeth to get up, pushing both away from each other. The princess stood between both parties, arms out and expression serious.

"Ban didn't do anything, Diane," Elizabeth sighed, before holding up her hand. "I cut myself and he was wrapping it up for me."

"Oh..." Diane chuckled sheepishly as she instinctively reached into her pigtails. "Sorry about that Ban."

"Yeah, whatever," He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Just remember I may be a thief, but I ain't no liar."

"Never said you were..." Diane sighed as she sunk into a stroppy mood. She then smiled, something causing her to perk up. "What smells so good?"

"Oh the apple pies," Elizabeth smiled, "Ban was teaching me to make one."

"He was?!" She turned to him, to see him shrug. "Lucky! He never teaches anyone else how to make anything. Anyway I want a slice! I'm sure it'll taste amazing!"

Diane then went into a spiel about how she hasn't had apple pie in ages as well as what she'd learned from Merlin about the shrinking pills. Soon the room had slowly began to fill with the aroma of baked apples and golden pastry. Eventually the pies were out the oven, steam emanating from the top along with the scent. Ban then divided both pies into slices, serving both girls a plate with some cream.

"Enjoy."

And enjoy they did. The pies tasted amazing.

"So...I heard about last night," Merlin smirked as King flushed red.

She'd known that no-one had particularly fussed about King and Diane falling asleep outside, however it was an issue that she had to address. Mainly due to the danger it placed them in, as well as the fact that it wasn't exactly suitable. Now that all of the Sins were kids, it just wouldn't be right for them to fall asleep outside or wander off on their own. They had to be a lot more vigilant. After all Meliodas was right when he said they were a lot more easier to snatch.

"Nothing happened!" King insisted, his expression serious albeit extremely flustered.

"I know nothing did," Merlin answered, simply. Her knowing smile was soon replaced by a sigh and a hand swiping over her face. "However it wasn't very wise of you. For all we know we may have been turned into kids just to be snatched and then killed. Or worse brainwashed to be part of the enemy. Do you know how easy you would've made it for them to complete that?"

The flush on the fairy's face died down, his expression growing serious at Merlin's words. She was right it was irresponsible, however it wasn't as if he had any control over it. But that was just making excuses...

"I understand," King sighed, feeling like a shamed puppy. Somehow Merlin had that weird effect on all of them recently. With one look she could silence them or stop all the ruckus going on about, let alone manage some situations that stunned the others. The mage really was becoming the impromptu mother of the group, whether she'd like to accept it or not. But something told King that she already knew that.

"Good," Merlin smiled before changing moods completely. A stern expression was now on her face, the look in her eyes telling the fairy that she meant business. "Now I need to tell you about this whole situation. Oh wait. Escanor!"

The sound of footsteps followed by heavy breathing followed. Then the ginger appeared in the doorway, his face flushed but body in a salute.

"You called Ms Merlin?" He stood there, the very epitome of a loyal soldier. Even as a kid he was still devoted to Merlin. Whether that was shown by making sure she wasn't too stressed out, to even urging her to take a break from her endless scouring of books, Escanor had been by the ravenette's side.

"I need you in on this discussion," The ravenette continued unfazed. "It seems like you and King are the only ones who haven't received any...urges."

"Oh...those," King sunk into thought as he recollected the strange incidents.

First it had been Diane. She'd had a few episodes where she couldn't remember where she was and what was going on. Sometimes she'd refer to King and ask him where the village had gone and how she could fit inside a building; others she would freak out and begin to marvel at how tiny she was. However Diane wasn't the only one to receive random spells of childishness. Elizabeth, Ban, Gowther (in his own kinda way) and even Meliodas had experienced a couple.

The rate of the incidents was also alarming too. It seemed to increase and last for longer than Merlin had first recorded with the occasional situation where two people were acting like kids. In fact it was shocking - worrying even. If they were all acting like children, then who would stop anything bad from happening? Who would protect them all from any impending doom? Or reverse what has happened to them.

The cases were beginning to make Merlin worry about how much time they really had left before the true purpose of the spell was revealed. Before they had no chances to be their 'chronological' ages again. She could already feel some long forgotten memories returning to her, the events feeling more recent than distant.

If anyone had a guess, then it was evident that the ulterior motive of this spell was coming to surface. It wouldn't be long before things took a turn for the worse...

"Yes, I've studied them and linked it to something going wrong with the spell Vivian cast," Merlin frowned as she shook her head and recalled all that she had gathered. It had taken hours, and much gratified help from Escanor, to uncover what she had. Too little had been uncovered, in the mage's opinion. Too little time and chances were left. "But I need to share this with you two before anything undesirable occurs."

"Undesirable?" King repeated.

"What do you mean by that?" Escanor raised a brow, his mind taking a guess. He had seen some of Merlin's notes on their situation, simply out of the desire to help her - really - but he didn't have all the pieces. Some of what he found was simply sheer pieces of information that could be used for good or bad news. Nothing completely definite had been found.

"Well I might as well say it outright," Merlin sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. She looked at the two boys, her face serious as she stared them in the eyes. "We're slowly becoming kids again."