Magical Memories, by Morpher

Chapter 2
Chapter Two

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Chapter Description: By Morpher

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Chapter Two

 

 

“I hope you two had a good night’s sleep, because there’s a lot we need to do today!”

 

Sophia and Bernard both nod together, the twins doing their best to hide their relief. Their bodies hadn’t changed overnight, the siblings having worried about waking up as little kids. Thankfully they awoke as teens, even if they know they aren’t as old as they should be. Still, at least they have fitting clothes now.

Viola smiles as she sits across from them at breakfast, the blonde poking away at her scrambled eggs. “Animal Kingdom today! I’m afraid the only princess you’ll be able to cross of your list is Pocahontas, Sophia. Although I think Bernard can get a lot done if he tries! Lots of Mickey’s friends will be there!”

 

“Yeah, that’ll be great.” Bernard says, stealing a glance at his sister. At least she’ll be spared, even if it means more suffering for him. “Isn’t Animal Kingdom only a half day park though? I hear they’re adding stuff, but that’s not for some time.”

 

“Yes, Animal Kingdom doesn’t have enough to keep us occupied for an entire day I’m afraid,” Viola admits. “Which is why once we’re done there, we’ll head over to Downtown Disney for some shopping and dinner. How does that sound?”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Bernard is relieved to know they won’t be inside the park for too long. Not to mention that parts of Downtown Disney are the most “adult” areas on Disney property, so that means fewer chances for them to get any younger. Or at least, so he hopes.

 

“Excellent!” Viola claps her hands together, the older woman seeming much giddier than the teenagers before her. “Well then, I do believe we should be going! We already missed some of the earlier busses!”

 

 

Sophia isn’t sure why she’s so amazed by the Animal Kingdom’s central landmark: The Tree of Life. It’s not like this is her first time ever visiting the park. On the contrary, she’s been here numerous times since it opened, and each and every time she had seen the massive manmade tree.

 

Yet even so, she finds herself gazing upon the magnificent tree in awe. And as she finally brings herself to tear her eyes away from it, she sees her brother isn’t doing much better.

 

“Truly a work of art, isn’t it? Those imagineers really outdid themselves on that, didn’t they? And there’s even a show inside of it! Would you two like to see that?” Viola stands behind her charges, the nanny smiling as she looks upon the countless happy families around her.

 

“I-I don’t know. Maybe later.” Sophia lets out a sigh of relief as her brother speaks up. Even if they wouldn’t have to interact with the characters on screen, she isn’t sure that even looking upon them is a very good idea at the moment. Just seeing banners of Mickey and his friends on the way in had caused Bernie some trouble, and Sophia herself has to admit that looking upon their smiling faces made her smile too.

 

“How about the safari? I remember that being fun.” Sophia says, the girl realizing that she means it too. She and her brother always have been big animal fans, after all.

 

“Yeah, that’s alright.” Bernard says.

 

“Well, that’s pretty far away, but I suppose it’ll only get more crowded as the day goes on. Alright, shall we head over?” The two nod as they trail behind Viola, the whispers beginning once they’re sure the music in the area prevents their “nanny” from hearing them.

 

“Nice call.”

 

“Thanks. It always was one of the best attractions here anyway.”

 

“Yeah, I guess so. We just need to stay away from attractions with characters. I think they’re the reason we’re-”

 

“Oh look over there, Sophia! I think I see Pocahontas greeting people!”

 

Sophia feels a shiver run down her spine as she hears Viola’s voice. She trades a nervous glance with Bernard, unsure of what to do. As much as she doesn’t want to meet with the woman, as much as she’s afraid she’ll lose more of herself if she does, she knows that if she wants to stop her parents from cutting her off, she has no other choice.

 

Bernard gives a quick little nod as he whispers, “Don’t worry. Just go over there and meet her. If you act silly after, I’ll help you remember, okay?”

 

“Okay.” Sophia barely gets the word out as Viola ushers her to get in line. She gulps, doing her best to keep her thoughts clear.

 

She remembers loving Pocahontas as a kid, but over time she had come to roll her eyes at the white guilt movie it was. Pocahontas wasn’t even really a princess, not compared to the other girls anyway. She didn’t wear any of the pretty dresses, or end up with the dreamy princes-

 

Sophia blinks as she tries to stop herself. What the heck is she thinking?

 

“Why hello there! What is your name?” Standing before Pocahontas, all of Sophia’s cynicism melts away. Even if the Native American woman isn’t wearing a frilly dress like the others, there’s just something about her that brings a smile to her face.

 

“I’m Sophia! I really liked your movie!” She says with a bright smile. Bernard can only watch in awe, especially because he knows how his sister should really feel about that movie.

 

“Why thank you! It was a real fun adventure.”

 

“But…umm…” Sophia doesn’t know why she has to fight back tears as she thinks about the movie’s conclusion. But sure enough she starts to sniffle as she looks upon the woman before her. “D-Did John Smith survive?”

 

Pocahontas smiles as she places a hand on the teenager’s shoulder. “Such a compassionate girl you are, Sophia. Yes, he was able to make a full recovery.”

 

“Th-That’s good…I-I was worried.” Sophia says, a smile returning back to her lips. “S-Sorry, I-I must have sounded really silly just then.”

“It’s alright. It’s only natural to act silly from time to time. Plus it is a very real concern. Now, how about a picture together?”

“Okay!” Sophia is all smiles as the flash of light occurs, the brunette giving Pocahontas a big hug as she practically skips back over to her nanny and her twin.

 

“It seems like you had a very nice conversation, Sophia.” Viola pets Sophia on the head as the teenager smiles, her eyes almost having a glazed quality to them as she giggles. “That’s another princess off your list! Four down, Sophia!”

 

Bernard watches his sister, a knot forming in his stomach as he realizes that her mind has been effected more than either of them had thought possible. She’s not acting like a teenager anymore, but rather a giddy preteen. Maybe even younger. “Sophia-”

 

“Come on Bernard! If we want to see all of the animals we need to get moving!” Viola grins at the boy as she takes Sophia by the hand and leads her over to the Africa section of the Animal Kingdom. Sophia continues to smile as she walks alongside Viola, Bernard tensing up as he realizes that once again, his sister’s clothes seem a little loose on her.

 

Walking behind his twin, he realizes that she’s shrunk quite a bit. While he’s always been the taller of the two, he’s never been that much taller than her. He frowns, wanting to get a better look at his sister without raising suspicion.

 

“Here at last!” Viola smiles as she leads the two into line, Bernard continuing to look at the girl who should be his twin. She can’t be any older than twelve now, her breasts pretty much gone as her shirt practically acts as a dress for her now. For whatever reason, she doesn’t seem to realize that she’s gotten younger, although she does occasionally hold her pants up to prevent them from falling.

 

“I hope we get to see some elephants!” Sophia says, Bernard amazed by how much her voice has changed. Of course, nothing compares to the change in her demeanor: where’s the snarky, opinionated young woman inside of her? All he can do is hope she isn’t gone, not forever at least.

 

“Oh, we’ll see lots of great animals, Sophie!”

 

“C-Can you please not call me that, Miss Viola? That’s what my parents called me when I was a baby.” Sophia says with a little frown, her hands folded around the hem of her shirt.

 

“Oh, my apologies, Sophia! Won’t happen again!”

Bernard lets out a quiet sigh of relief. At least Sophia’s mind hasn’t been completely altered. He wants to talk with her, wants to make her remember that she’s not some preteen, but an older girl. Bernard frowns, the boy realizing he’s not exactly sure how old exactly the two of them should be. Still, he knows they should be older than they are now.

 

“What a short wait!” Viola says a few moments later as she climbs into the vehicle behind Sophia and before Bernard. The latter can only frown, realizing that knowingly or not, their “nanny” has been separating them for some time now. He has to act quickly, he realizes. Otherwise, Sophia’s mind could remain stuck in its current state.

“Miss Viola, can I sit next to Sophia?”

 

Viola blinks, surprised by Bernard’s suggestion. “But Bernard, this way the two of you both get to sit on the outside and see all of the animals. Besides, I’m taller, so I can peek over your head to see them.”

 

“But I think you should get the best experience. I mean, it’s all thanks to you that we’re here. Besides, I’m taller than Sophia, so I can look over her too.” Bernard says, forcing himself to smile at the blonde.

 

Viola seems to consider this for a moment before she shrugs. “Alright, that’s fine.” She stands up so that Bernard can scoot over next to his sister before she takes his place. “Such a considerate young man you are, Bernard! Such flattery will certainly get you a girlfriend someday!” She teases, much to the boy’s chagrin.

 

Still, Bernard has nothing to complain about as the vehicle starts to move. He makes sure to be close to Sophia as he starts to whisper into her ears.

 

“Sophia, you have to snap out of this. You’re not a preteen, remember?”

 

“Be quiet, Bernie. I want to hear what the driver has to say!” Sophia clearly doesn’t appreciate her brother’s talking, especially as she looks upon several gazelles as they run by.

 

“Sophia, this is important!” It’s hard to keep above a whisper due to the urgency in his voice, but Bernard does his best. After all, the last thing he wants is Viola to hear him. “You’re a teenager, like me. And we’re supposed to be older, remember?” A brief fragment of his older life offers clarity to Bernard as he attempts to think back. “I think we were both in college. Not the same one, but we were that age, remember?”

 

Sophia scrunches her face up, the girl shaking her head. For some reason, Bernard’s words resonate with her, but they can’t be true, can they?

 

“You got in some trouble for being really vocal about your opinions, even though you were a really strong student. You studied, umm…” Bernard frowns, unable to recall his sister’s majors.

 

Thankfully, Sophia does. “Journalism and Poli-Sci.” The girl blinks a few times, some clarity returning to her mind. She gasps as she looks down at her body, realizing how much younger she’s gotten. It’s as if she’s gone through a reverse puberty, Sophia almost ready to cry as she looks at her reduced form. Yet for the sake of not cluing Viola in, she fights back the tears.

 

Bernard watches the back of his sister’s head for a few moments, even as their vehicle passes by several giraffes.

 

“…h-how silly was I acting?”

 

“Honestly? Pretty silly. Younger than you look right now. You even said you loved Pocahontas, and I know all the complaints you have about that movie these days.” Bernard pretends to be looking in awe at the long-necked mammals as he senses Viola directing her gaze at him.

 

“Thanks…” Sophia manages, the girl truly thankful that her twin was able to pull her back. Even if the two look more like older brother and younger sister at the moment. “We need to find a way out of this mess.”

 

“I really wish there was one.” Bernard says, before blinking as he notices that despite the rest of Sophia’s clothes no longer fitting, her Magic Band still sits snuggly around her wrist. He looks at his own to find the blue band also tightly fitted despite his own change the previous day.

 

“Sophia, I think-”

 

“Alright children, off we go! My, that was a wonderful safari!” Viola steps out onto the platform as their adventure into the wilderness reaches its end, Bernard and Sophia realizing that they’ll need to find another opportunity to talk. The two follow their chaperone off as she leads them ahead.

 

“I think we should head over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch now. That sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

 

Bernard and Sophia both nod, even as they feel shivers run down their spines. They both had enjoyed the Lion King quite a bit as children, and if their changes were tied to the things they had enjoyed, then this could be bad.

 

Viola smiles as she boards the train to their destination. “Sophia, you sit on my left again. Bernard, why don’t you sit on my right? I’d like to sit in the middle this time if that’s okay.”

 

Both siblings exchange a quick glance, Bernard knowing that he won’t be able to flatter his way into the center this time.

 

 

“Look over there, you two! It’s Rafiki!” Bernard gulps as he looks upon the costume-wearing man, unsure of what he should do. He tries to tell himself that the Lion King was just a stupid re-telling of Hamlet with very few original ideas, tries to make himself despise the movie more than he actually does.

 

But there’s a growing part of him that wants to meet the mandrill man, a part of him that wants to tell him how funny he was in the movie. A smile starts to play on Bernard’s lips, the teen taking a few steps over toward the man.

 

“We can’t meet him right now, Miss Viola.” Sophia is a bit alarmed to see that both Viola and her twin wear frowns as they turn to her.

 

“Why not, Sophia?”

 

“B-Because we don’t have that much time today! Y-You said you wanted to head out early, and there are still plenty of things we need to see before we do that! Plus I’m getting hungry,” she adds, hating how natural acting childish seems to her now. “Besides, Rafiki isn’t on Bernard’s list.”

 

Viola blinks a few times. “Alright, well, if you don’t want to meet with Rafiki, that’s fine. But we did take the train over here, so we might as well check this place out more.” Viola shrugs before leading the two on.

 

“Come on. Remember, you’re supposed to be bigger.”

 

Bernard blinks as his sister speaks into his ear. “R-Right, sorry. I think these might have something to do with it.” He gently grabs his sister’s Magic Band.

 

Sophia frowns as she looks at the pink accessory. “You think so?”

 

“They’ve somehow managed to change sizes with us. And remember that whole thing about if we take them off-”

 

“We are essentially cut off. Damn, is there nothing we can do?”

 

“Viola says that an alert will go off if we ever take them off. I’m not sure if it’s a bluff though. There has to be something we can do. We need to tell-”

 

“Oh look Bernard, you’re in luck! Look who is over there! None other than Chip and Dale: two of the ones on your list!” Viola has the biggest of smiles on her lips as she faces the twins, Bernard going cold as he realizes that this might have all been planned.

 

Sure enough, the two chipmunks are greeting with guests not too far away, big smiles on their faces. Bernard gulps, realizing that a part of him wants to give the two a nice, big hug. He recalls fondly their television show, remembers watching it all the time when he was little. Sure, it was no Winnie the Pooh, but it made him-

 

He shakes his head, to the confusion of Viola and the concern of Sophia. “Bernard, don’t you want to go meet them? They are on your list, and I know you want to have your parents’ wealth behind you.”

 

Bernard wonders if he’d be better off pennyless but back to normal as he gulps. Just looking upon the two costumed figures brings a small smile to his face.

 

Sophia bites down on her lower lip: a nervous habit she’s always had. How many times will she and Bernard have to pull each other out of whatever childish stupor the characters put them into? And how long will they be able to remember enough to do so? Sophia can recall many things about her late teen years, but she can tell there are plenty of gaps too.

 

She watches as Bernard makes his way over to the silent duo, the girl recalling that most of the characters in full costume don’t say a word. Viola smiles as she stands next to her, the older woman giddy as she watches Bernard give the two a nice hug as his photo is taken.

 

“Very good Bernard!” Viola says once the boy returns to her side. Sophia gulps, realizing that Bernard seems to be slowly shrinking himself. It looks like their ages are starting to equalize once again, although from the vacant smile on the preteen’s face it’s fairly clear that Bernard doesn’t realize that.

 

“Miss Viola, how come our clothes don’t fit well anymore?” Sophia isn’t going to walk around the park dressed in oversized clothes the whole day, the girl crossing her arms over her now tiny chest. She is forced to uncross them, however, as her pants start to slide down.

 

Viola blinks as she studies the two. “My, that certainly is strange. I could have sworn your clothing fit earlier today. Well, isn’t this a surprise!”

 

She’s lying, Sophia tells herself. Viola knows a lot more than she lets on. She isn’t sure whether this strange English woman is the mastermind behind everything yet, but she knows she’s bad news. It’s all her fault that she and Bernard have become so much younger.

 

“Well, fortunately for the two of you there are plenty of stores nearby. Come on now; let’s head back to the train!”

 

 

“Did I do anything stupid?”

 

“Not really. Just gave them a big hug.”

 

Bernard sighs as he looks at his clothes: a pair of shorts and a shirt featuring Simba on it. Just looking at the lion cub makes him feel nice, but thankfully his sister is there to draw his attention away.

 

“We have to do something soon,” Sophia says, the twelve year old studying her own apparel. Thankfully there isn’t much princess merchandise in the park, Sophia wearing shorts much like her brother as well as a T-shirt featuring The Tree of Life. “We need to tell someone what she’s doing to us.”

 

“I’ve thought about that, but what’s the chance of people believing us? In their eyes we’re just two kids with overactive imaginations.”

 

“We could tell them something that kids wouldn’t know,” his sister suggested. Sophia looks over to where Viola is ordering their lunch, the woman either oblivious to or uncaring about the twins’ discussion.

 

“They’d probably just say we heard it from someone else. I hate to say it, but I don’t think there’s much we can do if we want a chance at-”

 

“Screw the money, Bernie!” Sophia looks to make sure that Viola didn’t hear her say the “naughty word.” “At this rate we’re going to be turned back into infants! If our parents are willing to let this happen to us, then I don’t even want their money!”

 

Bernard gulps, realizing that there’s truth to his sister’s words. “We could take these off.” He says, showing his sister his Magic Band. “If they have something to do with it, then maybe getting rid of them is the best idea. Even though it means forfeiting everything…”

 

“It’s better than ending up back in diapers.” Sophia says as she prepares to tug at her band. Unfortunately, Viola arrives over at their little table before she can do anything.

 

“Alright you two, I got you both Chicken Tenders while I’ll have some nice Beef Lo Mein!” She said, plopping the cartons of food down before them. Sophia and Bernard both frown a bit as they look at the meals. Since when are they forced to eat stuff off the kid’s menu? Yet as the two look at Viola’s dish, both twins find themselves considering the dish to by “yucky,” what with all the vegetables in it.

 

Sophia quickly hides her arm underneath the table as she continues to tug at the band. Yet tug as she might, she finds it impossible to undo the strap. She gives Bernard a worried look, realizing that they may well need a new plan.

 

“Now, we still have some time here, so I’m thinking that we should go down to DinoLand U.S.A.!”

 

“I guess we could go on Dinosaur,” Bernard suggests. After all, if it means not having to face any characters he’s fine with it at this point.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to see Finding Nemo: The Musical? I hear that’s a blast!”

 

“W-We’ve seen it before.” Sophia says at once, the girl afraid what might happen to both her and her brother inside that auditorium. After all, even though certain characters seem to have a bigger effect on the two than others, Sophia is wise enough to realize that exposure to a number of characters for an extended period of time could cause trouble.

 

“Well, if you’re sure then!”

 

 

“Sophia, come back here!” There’s a mix of worry and power in Viola’s voice as she chases after the brunette. “Bernard, stay right there! Don’t move a muscle!”

 

Sophia sniffles, wiping the tears from her eyes as she tries to run as far away from the woman as she can. She knows that Bernard is the one who suggested the ride. She knows that he’s the one she should blame for nearly wetting herself due to how scary it was. Yet right now, she just wants to get away from the woman behind all of this.

 

Even though she had been on Dinosaur before, even though she knows it is all fake, it had felt so real when the T-Rex had almost gobbled them up at the end. And it had terrified her.

 

“Sophia Arast, please calm down!” Viola says as she grips one of the preteen’s wrists and drags her away. A few onlookers watch as Sophia throws a tantrum much like a child half her age, the girl shaking her head as she tries to escape.

 

“No! Let me go! I hate this! I-I don’t want to be a little girl anymore!”

 

“You aren’t a little girl, Sophia. You’re twelve years old! That means you are-”

 

“No!” Sophia won’t hear anymore of Viola’s lies. “I’m getting younger! You’re making me little! I-I’m supposed to be bigger! Supposed to be a c-college student!” She chokes back a few tears as she looks straight at Viola.

 

The nanny is speechless for a moment, before she pulls Sophia off to the side. Once she’s sure that no one else can hear them, she starts to speak. “How much do you remember?”

 

“A-A lot…why are you doing this to us?”

 

Viola sighs, giving the preteen a big hug as she pats her on the back. It’s certainly not the reaction Sophia expected. “It’s not as if I enjoy this job, Sophia. But I need to do it to please your parents. I’m so sorry, you were never supposed to be involved in this.”

 

Sophia blinks as Viola releases her from the hug. “What do you mean?”

 

“Graduating in the top five of your class from high school and maintaining a 4.0 throughout your first year at college? Sophia, why would your parents ever see any problems with you?”

 

“B-But, I chose a major-”

 

“It’s Bernard they want to start over with.”

 

Sophia is unable to contain her surprise as she gasps. “Wh-What?”

 

“He’s the one I was hired to change, to make young again. Your parents put a lot into your twin brother, and from the sound of things it seems they don’t believe it has paid off. So they want to start over again, to ‘raise him right this time.’ Their words, not mine. I’m just the one who was hired to help all of this along.”

 

“I-I can’t believe they’d do something like this…our own parents.” Sophia shakes her head, the tears starting up once again even as Viola pulls her into a tight hug.

 

“Shh…it’s going to be alright, Sophia. We aren’t going to let them get away with this.”

 

“Wh-Why don’t you call the police and tell them about all of this? Y-You can stop all of this right now!”

 

“Surely you know how much money and influence your family has. Besides, they’re keeping a close eye on me.” Viola points to her own Magic Band. “While this is on me, they can track my every move. Yours too, might I add.”

 

“Then take it off. I was going to take mine off earlier-”

 

“You mustn’t!” Viola says as she catches the girl’s hand. “If you do that, all of your memories of college and high school life will be lost, and you’ll be stuck as a twelve year old girl.”

 

Sophia freezes up at once as this knowledge is delivered to her. “Wh-What?”

 

“Before I put the bands on you, I made some adjustments. They’re helping to keep your minds clear, although you play a role in that too.”

 

All of this is too much for Sophia to take, the girl shaking her head as she backs away. “I-I’m so confused…and if they want Bernard, why am I here?”

 

“No matter how little Bernard becomes, he’ll remember that he’s supposed to have a twin. He’d be very confused if you were still a young adult, and that could cause a number of problems.” Viola explains. “I’m glad you’re here, Sophia. You’re able to help him remember who he really is, like you’ve been doing. I wish I could help the two of you more than I can, honest. But I’m afraid we’re in quite the delicate situation right now.”

 

“And why is that?” Sophia asks as she frowns.

 

“Because your parents have the ability to tell the world that I know how to make people younger. Tell me, if that gets out, what do you think might happen to me?”

 

Sophia can see the fear in Viola’s eyes as she speaks, can tell that the woman’s concerns are very much real. “They’d call you a witch or something.”

 

“Essentially, yes. So I need to play my role and make you two younger.”

 

“P-Please, you can’t.” Sophia fights back the tears as they threaten to spill out of her eyes. “I-I don’t care about the money anymore. Just please, we want to be normal again.”

 

“I know, Sophia. That’s why I’m going to help you two. Because you see, I made sure to get your parents to agree to something: if the two of you do manage to meet with all the characters on your list and maintain your adult minds, you’ll both be restored to normal. And when that happens, not only will you be allowed your inheritance once again, but-”

 

“We can use that money to get back at them for trying to do this to Bernie and me…” Sophia shuts her eyes, the girl’s whole body trembling at this betrayal by her own parents.

 

“I’ve heard of worse ideas. Now Sophia, I need you to tell Bernie this later tonight, okay? Your parents have eyes everywhere, and it’s only be some miracle that we haven’t been spotted right now. I don’t want to know what they might try if they learned I just told you all of this.”

 

“Then let’s not find out…so, what can we do?”

 

“Continue to play along. I’ll try to get you to meet up with as many characters as you need as quickly as possible. And I just need you two to cooperate. Otherwise, you two don’t stand a chance.”

 

Sophia still isn’t sure if she can trust Viola, but she sees no better option. She nods as Viola finally smiles again. “Thank you. Now, let’s go find your brother!”

 

 

“What’s wrong Sophia? Something’s been bothering you.” Bernard frowns, the boy now seeming the younger one after another encounter with both Goofy and Pluto. Even as his mind had told him that he had just seen the former the day before, he had rushed over to say hello to the two and even given them both a big hug. As a result he now appears to be about ten, although fortunately some words from his sister have restored his mind. Still, now he once again finds himself wearing too large clothes as he sits on the bus next to his twin.

 

“Take a guess.”

 

“Okay, I mean outside of us being turned into kids.”

 

“It’s just…” Sophia shuts her mouth as she looks around the bus. What if there are cameras present? What if it is tapped? Were some of the other passengers working for their parents as well? The last thing she needs right now is to make them learn how much she now knows. “I-I’m a little carsick.”

 

Bernard can tell his sister isn’t being honest with him, but chooses to play along. “Well we’ll be at Downtown Disney any moment. Just try to keep it together until then.” He says, looking upon the large stretch of buildings before them.

 

It isn’t long before the bus parks, Viola leading the two off with a smile. “Come now Bernard, Sophia. We’re visiting quite the magical place today!”

 

Both twins exchange a nervous glance as they are led into the World of Disney store. Immediately their eyes are assaulted by plenty of character merchandise, the two closing them in hopes of avoiding any further changes to them.

 

“Alright you two, you both have some money to spend today, so make sure to buy whatever you think will impress your parents!” Viola says in a sing-song voice, the nanny leading them around the store with a big smile on her face.

 

“Ooh, look Sophia! Look at this amazing place!” As much as Sophia doesn’t want to look, her curiosity gets the better of her as the preteen looks into the large pink room. She regrets it immediately, her mouth falling open as she takes a few steps forward. There within the room are at least a half dozen little girls getting makeovers to look just like their favorite princesses, a few of them going with Rapunzel while some of the others are styled to resemble Aurora, Snow White, and Cinderella. She smiles, a veil of glittering pink fairy dust seeming to fall over her mind as she goes to Viola’s side.

 

“Nanny Viola, can I get turned into a princess too?” Bernard quickly looks over to his sister, realizing that never before has she called the woman her nanny. Sophia looks to be getting a little younger now, to the point where they both look like twins again.

 

“I’m sorry, Sophia. But it’s quite expensive and time consuming too! Maybe some other time.” She says, patting the pouting girl on the back. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t buy some princess costumes for yourself.”

 

Sophia blinks before she smiles. It’s such a clever idea. She doesn’t need to be dressed up as a princess; she can do it by herself! She nods as Viola leads her over to a large assortment of princess dresses and dolls, her eyes lighting up as she looks upon the collection.

 

Bernard fidgets about, doing his best to hold up his own oversized clothing as he watches his sister become too little for her own. Her voice gets higher as she loses a few years as well, the smiling brunette now talking with Viola about what dresses to get.

 

“All of them!? My Sophia, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea! I don’t think you’ll get around to wearing them all!”

 

Sophia’s response is a pout. “But I like all of them, so I want to get them all!” She says, stomping a foot as she starts a childish tantrum. It’s almost too much for Bernard to watch: instead of getting upset about different political views, now she’s getting upset because she can’t buy all of the princess dresses she wants.

 

“One second, Sophia. You pick out a few things while I go with your brother to get something.” Bernard gulps as Viola approaches him. “Come on Bernard, let’s find you…oh wow! Look at that! Isn’t that precious?”

 

Bernard gulps as he is handed a rounded Winnie the Pooh plush, the boy unable to take his eyes off of it as he smiles. He can only nod as he holds it in his hands, a warm blanket seeming to fall over his mind as he nods. The cute yellow and red plush simply stares back at him, the adorable thing almost too much for Bernard to take as he starts to giggle.

 

“Would you like to buy him?” She asks, the boy nodding with the silliest of grins on his face. “Excellent! He really does suit you! Now, let’s get back to your sister!”

 

 

It’s like the end of a nightmare when Sophia’s mind starts to clear up. But at the same time, the damage has been done: she can tell there are more blank spots than before, the brunette unable to remember exactly how old she is supposed to be. She remembers being in school, but was it high school or middle school? Looking down at her smaller body, she realizes that she isn’t big enough to attend either of those anymore.

 

As she gazes down, she gasps to discover that she’s now in new, dangerous clothing. While the pink shorts seem pretty harmless, the T-Shirt featuring Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Aurora and Rapunzel nearly causes her to lapse back into a childish state as she sees it. She quickly glances over to where her twin sits on the bus, Bernard smiling like an idiot as the boy wears a shirt heavily featuring Tigger on it.

 

She frowns as she looks over at Viola, their nanny currently sitting contently with a number of bags on her lap. Wasn’t she supposed to be helping them? She scrunches up her face, trying to remember the conversation the two of them had had earlier. Yet few answers come, Sophia realizing that seeing that room within the World of Disney had messed up her mind quite a bit.

 

“Here we are!” Viola says as the bus reaches the Polynesian Resort, the nanny leading the two children off with a big smile. “Alright you two, now I have a surprise for you tonight! You see, there are a few things I have to take care of, so I’m going to leave you two someplace special for a few hours.”

 

Sophia nods, the girl a bit relieved that she’ll be able to spend some time alone with her twin. After all, while she vaguely remembers that Viola is supposed to be helping them, she still isn’t super sure she can be trusted.

 

“This way!” Viola leads the two along, Bernie happily following along after the woman while Sophia looks around, hoping desperately that the holes in her memory will soon fill up. She blinks as she gazes upon a building she is at least a little familiar with: The Never Land Club. Arianna had stayed there one night in the past while the rest of the family had enjoyed a trip to Downtown Disney. And now she and her brother are being put in the same daycare that her little sister had.

 

Sophia nearly stops in her tracks, realizing that Arianna is now older than her. That’s just not right, she’s supposed to be the older sister! If only she could recall exactly how old she is supposed to-

 

“Sophia, are you coming?” The girl nods as she rushes over to the entrance, Viola currently signing her and her brother in. “There we are, you two will be all set. I’ll put all of our new purchases back in our rooms, so don’t worry about them. You two have fun now!” She says as she leaves, Sophia and Bernard now being shown into a series of rooms.

 

For a daycare center, the Never Land Club is well themed: an area based off of Wendy’s room, one based around pirates, and another based around the natives from the movie. Several other children play throughout the room, Bernard ready to go join them before his sister grabs his arm.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Bernard, you need to remember…” Sophia realizes that it’s really a miracle that she can recollect so much, especially after her time in the store.  “You aren’t a little boy. You’re a teenager. We were starting…” Sophia frowns, realizing that her inability to recall her age means she can’t remember what grade they were starting either. So she decides to make a guess. “Ninth grade. Don’t you remember?”

 

Bernard frowns. That doesn’t sound right to him, although the idea of being older does confuse him a little. Looking down at himself, he smiles as he sees Tigger, only to gasp as Sophia forces him to look at her.

 

“Don’t look at your shirt. It’ll only confuse you more. Please Bernie, you have to remember.”

 

Bernard nods, his sister’s words helping to clear his mind at least a little bit. “What happened?”

 

“The Disney store. Too much stuff for us to handle. But we’re here now, so let’s try and keep our minds clear, okay?”

 

“R-Right.” Bernard nods, the boy upset with himself for having lost himself once again.

 

“Look over here at all these costumes!” Sophia freezes up, the girl feeling like fairy dust is being sprinkled all over her mind as she turns to see what’s going on. Several yards away stand a number of girls, crowded around a rack full of princess dresses.

 

“Sophia, wait…” Bernard is too late, the boy frowning as his twin walks off to be with the other girls. Even after helping him return to some mental clarity, Bernard realizes that Sophia isn’t immune from lapsing back into a childish state herself. He wants to go over to her, to tell her that she needs to stop it.

 

But he’s just too tired. Whether it be because of the long day he’s had or the fact that his younger body isn’t used to staying up as late, he just feels so tried. He wants to warn his sister, but maybe he can after a nice nap. Even though Wendy’s bed is pink and girly, it looks so comfortable as he climbs on top of it, his eyes closing as he drifts off to sleep.

 

“Can I play too?” Sophia’s eyes are full of happiness as she walks up to the other girls.

 

A redhead smiles as she looks at Sophia. “Okay!” Sophia smiles right back, the girl looking through the small assortment of dresses before her. Without much hesitation, she takes the frilly yellow one worn by Belle in Beauty and The Beast.

 

A few moments later and she and the others are giggling as they wear their dresses, Sophia never having felt so pretty in her life. She’s gotten to talk with the other girls about their favorite princesses, the girl learning their names as well.

 

“I’m Sophia!” She says with a smile, the girl unsure why the other girls are giggling.

 

“Just like Sofia the First!”

 

“Who’s that?” Sophia asks, before regretting it instantly as the other gasp.

 

“She’s a Disney Princess too!” The redhead, Emily, says with a smile. “You haven’t heard of her?”

 

Sophia frowns even as she nods. She loves the princesses so much; how is there one she doesn’t know? And they even have the same name!

 

“Well, don’t worry! I’m sure we can watch it here!” Emily says with a smile. “I wish they had an Elsa dress though. She’s my favorite princess, although she’s really a queen! But not a mean one like Snow White’s wicked stepmother!”

 

Sophia nods and smiles with the other girls, even if she doesn’t know much about Elsa. For some reason, she remembers not wanting to go see Frozen because she thought too many people liked it or so. What sort of reason was that, she had to ask herself. Everyone else seems to think it was the best movie ever, so she has to watch it sometime soon!

 

“Excuse me, but can we watch Sofia the First?” Emily asks one of the cast members running the Never Land Club.

 

“Of course you can! Let me pop it right in!” The girls all gather around a TV screen as the young woman sets everything up, Sophia watching the screen with nothing but anticipation in her eyes. Especially as she gazes upon the cute brown-haired princess who reminds her of herself for the very first time.

 

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