The Star Forger was roaming the plains of Eastern Ionia when he felt a sharp tug in his core. It took him a moment to place where this feeling was coming from, but then he remembered that he'd given a charm to a certain girl.

He quickly took to the skies, leaving the boundaries of the planet to reach the child faster.

As he arrived, he saw the girl huddled in a ball at the edge of a forest in Noxus, shivering, even though it was a sunny day in the middle of summer.

It was quite a while away from the closest settlement or city.

The dragon asked: 'Why are you here?'

Crying, Annie replied, 'I-I can't control it.' The scale lay charred with ash beside the girl.

'Control what?' Aurelion Sol levitated his scale with his thoughts, and brought it up to eye level. It had received a crystalline sheen and structure, he ascertained as he probed it with his mind.

'My powers.' Tears poured down her face. 'I can't f-find Tibbers!'

He sighed. 'Child, stop that incessant bawling. It will do you no good. Tell me what happened.'

'Your scale… *sniff* made me big like you said.'

'Isn't that what you asked for?' He inquired gently.

'Yeah, but the moment I became older, I lost control.' She gulped. 'A-and Tibbers, he-'

Before the girl could resume crying, the dragon instructed: 'Show me.'

'N-n-no, I only want Tibbers back,' she murmured.

'And Jinx?'

That made Annie stop sobbing faster than anything else could. She ran her sleeve across her eyes. 'She'd have laughed and called me a stupid kid…'

'…But you aren't just a stupid kid.'

'I'm not.'

'Show me.' He made the scale drift towards her.

The girl hesitated, but then accepted the proffered object. A bright flare of heat and light emanated from the girl. The dragon found the sensation, not unlike the energy of the stars he'd created aeons ago. His eyes glowed, their luminosity undulating in harmony with the child's energy.

As the blaze died away, a grown young woman appeared from behind the flames. Her clothes had grown to accommodate her size, and her green eyes had the luminescence of kindled embers. Sombrely, Annie looked up at Aurelion Sol. Suddenly; she gasped and seized her chest.

'Please…' she implored. 'It burns.' Her voice had matured from a youngling's treble to a smooth soprano.

Immediately, Aurelion Sol knew what had happened. Her previously undeveloped body had grown suddenly and her powers grew with it.

There was too large of a surge in the magnitude of the inferno of energy coursing through woman fell to her knees, moaning in pain.

'Focus, child, or you will burn this forest to the ground.'

'I-it's too much.' A large silhouette was taking shape behind her… in the shape of a bear. It appeared as though she had found Tibbers.

'Your power is just like it was before, only stronger,' said the dragon.

'…So?' She asked weakly.'

The thing is, you are stronger, too. You need to get a grip on this power.'

'Th-there's too much.'

'Can you do one thing for me, please?' He asked.

'Ok.'

'Pretend all of your power is Tibbers.'

'Ok.'

'Now that you're bigger, Tibbers is too. Hold him with the energy that you used to hold him with, only let it fill your body.'

'Ok.' That seemed to be all she could say now.

'There… can you feel him? Let him be your anchor.'

'Ok.' The flames began to burn redder and cooler.

'Tibbers wants to be with you too. Don't push him away. Pull him close to you. Hug him like you used to.'

At last, the inferno died.

'How do you feel?' Aurelion Sol inquired.

Annie replied, 'I feel like another person.' It was true, but the spell hadn't just changed her size and appearance. It had also changed her cognitively, emotionally, and intellectually, too. It was an enormous jump in age. Physically, she was now around twenty, give or take a couple of months.

She groaned. 'I feel so slow and fat.' She wasn't fat at all.

'You are only unaccustomed to your relative size. You will soon adjust to your new body, and abilities, and it will be fine.'

'What abilities?'

'Your Tibbers isn't gone. He has only matured and grown in size and power, as you have. He no longer needs a physical form. Also, stop saying OK.'

'Ok.'

x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x

Aurelion Sol and Annie met thrice to hone her powers and make sure she did not begin to combust as soon as she put on her charm. She was constantly training herself to contain her powers, which were much stronger than what she was used to. Also, the monthly cycle that all women went through began to start itself within her. Luckily, and somehow, the dragon had thought about this, and the charm supplied her with the knowledge for what to do.

One afternoon, as she was training with him, Annie asked her mentor, 'Why are you helping me? You have no reason or need to.'

To which he replied: 'I don't need to, but I have not served a benign purpose for so long, I've forgotten what it feels like to create instead of to destroy.'

Jinx was bored. She'd been sitting in her townhouse without anything interesting to occupy herself for the past week. Going out for the evening, Jinx went to get a bite to eat.

'Hey, Amanda. I'm leaving now.'

'Alright, Jinx.'

'Don't blow up my place.' This was just a friendly banter between her and her AI entity, who had a conscious functionality equalling (surpassing, is she was being honest with herself, which she was not) that of a human's.

'I'm pretty sure that you'd be the one doing that, dummy.'

Hopping off of her bike, Jinx strolled toward the diner. It was a quiet, out-of-the-way place that Jinx had happened upon a couple of months ago. No one noticed her there, probably only because they didn't expect her to be at such a nice eatery. For once, it was full. At times like these in Piltover, it was the custom to share tables if there were empty seats. She was shown to a table for two, where an attractive young woman was seated, waiting for her food to arrive.

'Hey there, how are you?' Jinx politely asked.

'Wow, Jinx. I never knew you had manners,' the woman replied. 'I'm doing fine, thanks.'

No one had ever recognized her when she came to this diner, so she was utterly shocked when this stranger talked to her with such familiarity, such ease.

'D-do I know you?' Jinx stuttered.

'I'm pretty sure you do,' was the reply.

Jinx had never before seen this person in her life, so she asked, 'What's your name?'

A devilish grin appeared on her face. 'My name is Annie Hastur,' said Annie Hastur.

'I still don't believe you,' Jinx said for the twelfth time as she and Annie rode back to her home on her motorcycle.

They'd been talking for the last half hour, Annie telling her that she'd come to Piltover indefinitely, with absolutely nowhere to stay. 'Is there any reason why I'd lie to you?'

'Well,' Jinx mused. 'You could be a crazy fan who is trying to get into my house and take all my stuff.'

'Who'd be your fan, and who are you calling crazy?'

'Y'know, Annie, you do sound just like the annoying little kid that you were. What happened?'

'I'll explain later if you let me. But I honestly need a place to stay.' Annie pleaded desperately.

Jinx softened. She'd always had a soft spot for the Dark Child. 'Yeah, I guess you can stay.'

x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x—x

Annie was staying in the other bedroom. Jinx was staying up, watching television. As she got up to go to the washroom, she peeked inside her now housemate's room. Jinx felt a sudden rush of blood to her face and other regions. Annie had put on some of Jinx's clothes, and although they were approximately the same height, the garments fit her frame much better. Annie suddenly shifted and Jinx ducked out of view, although the sleeping woman was only trying to get more comfortable. Jinx hurriedly went to the washroom, did a numero uno, and went to bed.

Waking up in the morning, Jinx felt something heavy on her body. A certain fire mage was lying on top of her, wearing a fresh pair of clothes and smelling like shampoo. Thank god she smelled like shampoo. If she hadn't, Jinx might've kicked her out right then and there. But how she hadn't noticed the addition of one-hundred forty-odd pounds on top of her, she would never know. But she was definitely noticing it now. She noticed Annie's warmth. She noticed that Annie was wearing the exact same thing she was. She noticed that she herself had chosen to go to bed with only a tank top and shorts. She was noticing a hell of a lot more with this fiery spirit imposing its existence upon her.

'What the heck are you doing?' (she did not say heck).

'I want to eat.'

'Then go and get something to eat!' Jinx hoisted herself to a sitting position and promptly regretted the decision. Annie's slender warm body fit right against her own, contacting some places, making her feel some things that she felt guilty about, remembering that this had been a kid at most two weeks ago.

Jinx's face reddened to the colour of Annie's hair. 'Ever heard of personal space?'

The younger girl grinned. 'It's cute when you get grouchy.'

That was slightly unexpected. Jinx blinked.

'It only happens when you get embarrassed. Am I embarrassing you?'

Jinx tried to save face. She snorted. 'Why would I be embarrassed by that?' Annie leaned in closer until their noses were nearly touching. Their breath mixed. Jinx's heartbeat was stronger than the recoil on Fishbones. She stammered, 'G-get off me.'

'I'm hungry,' she said again. With her new heavier body, Annie pushed the lighter girl back onto the bed.

'Fine, fine, I'll make you something to eat,' Jinx grumbled. 'Let me get up, then.'

Immediately, Annie got up and hurdled off. The Loose Cannon rubbed at her eyes. 'Man, this isn't going to work. She might just start bossing me around.'

A familiar voice sounded beside her. 'I don't know, Jinx. It seems like she's already doing that.' Amanda smirked. 'Are you sure you're fine with an eight-year-old being your master, now?'

'Oh, be quiet, you.' Jinx griped.

In the kitchen, Annie had climbed up onto the island, sitting and gawking at her surroundings. 'I love this place,' she said.

Jinx looked around at all of the high-tech things she had around her home. She'd gotten used to all of it, but it was conceivable that Annie had never been in a place like this before.

'Well, I guess I'll show you around later if you want,' Jinx said. Her heart beat like Fishbones again when the fiery mage's face lit up. Jinx clenched her teeth. 'Oh, while on the subject of this place, here's Amanda. Amanda, this is Annie. Annie, Amanda.'

The hologram appeared, sitting on the stool just in front of the girl. 'Hey, Annie.'

Jinx hadn't thought that Annie's eyes could get any wider, but they did. 'Hi.'

'She's like my personal assistant, but sometimes I'm not sure if it's not the other way around. She's pretty nice.'

Amanda put on a false hurt look. 'Only pretty nice?'

'Yeah.'

'Emphasis on pretty, though, right? Or is it someone else...'

'Shut up, Amanda.'

Annie laughed at the expression on Jinx's face but didn't seem to care.

'By the way, if you're going to stay here, you'll do what I say, OK?' Jinx turned to her.

The smile on the mage's face could have powered all of Piltover with its brightness.

Jinx's face heated up when she looked, so she turned away quickly. What's going on? She asked herself inwardly. Why am I attracted to a kid?

Without saying any more, Jinx made breakfast and they ate in silence. Whenever Annie tried to start a conversation, Jinx shut it down with one or two words.

After the meal, Annie asked, 'Can we go outside?'

Jinx replied, 'Sure. But I sure as hell am not going outside wearing this today.' It was a rainy and windy day, the colour scheme outside being grey, grey, and grey.

'What do you wanna wear? Jinx asked after a quarter-hour of discussion.

'I don't know,' Annie answered. 'Guys have it so easy. They just put a t-shirt and jeans and get on with their day. Us girls, we have too much to choose from. Dresses, blouses, skirts…' She picked an outfit.

'Yet you still end up choosing a t-shirt and jeans.'

'But look how much longer it takes us!'

'…Right. Go change in the washroom.'