Dark Forces Stirring

"What do you mean, 'boy type'?" Tripp asks, grabbing the bird with both hands. "I'm not a freakin' pokemon!"

"Hey, hey! Relax!" Al says, squished between the girl's palms. "I said it worked different on guys, not that you couldn't change back. The magic ain't designed for the male-persuasion. When the girls change back, it undoes some slight magical physical alterations and starts storin' up energy for the next transformation. It don't really get that guys are different on a - how should I say this? - anatomical level. You will change back, but you have to give it some time for the rest of the residual magic to wear off, got it?"

Tripp drops the bird and lets him flutter back to the stone lantern perch. He narrows his eyes. "How long will it take?"

"I dunno. I never really worked with a boy-type before. I'd say if symptoms don't improve in a week you should call a doctor."

"A week?!? We have school in less than a week! I can't show up like this!" He looks down at himself. His body was definitely still female after de-transforming - the same as it had been when he was in his magical girl form. The only difference he could detect now was that his hair was shorter and now a deep jet black instead of the white-blonde it had been earlier. His clothes were also new - more casual and less 'magical.' Still a skirt and overly cutesy top, but there were less frills and bows and everything was less exaggerated.

"I signed up for school as Tripp the boy, not Dove the magical girl. They'll kick me out before I make it to first bell!" Tripp balls his hands into fists and falls to his knees in frustration.

"Actually," Samantha chimes in, "I had some of our maid staff fill out dummy paperwork for a few fake identities. Daddy always says it pays to have scapegoats, and I've avoided expulsion more than once by pretending to be someone that didn't exist. You can just go to class as one of those identities and you won't have any trouble." She shrugs her shoulders like this wasn't an insane thing to reveal.

"What the hell, Sam?" Tripp says, raising an eyebrow.

Al cheeps out, "There ya go! Problem solved. You enjoy bein' a girl-type for a few days, and when ya need to transform again, just tap your feather badges and say, 'Transform!' Easy as that!"

"Wait, why would we need to change back? I mean, that monster is gone for good, right?" Sam has a worried look on her face, like she already knows the answer.

Al nods, "Yes... and no. That specific monster is gone, but it won't be the last one. Not by a long shot. I've been doin' this gig long enough to know that when the dark forces stir, they stir hard. That Minotaur was just a scout, a small fry. You did good stoppin' it, but don't think that means your job is done. You'll be needed again - mark my words. You'll be needed, and you'll step up. I believe in you!"

And with that, Al flew up and away, back towards the forest in which they'd found his shrine.

"Wait! What do you mean, 'dark forces'?" Sam calls, but it's too late. The bird is gone.