Kahli glanced down at the timeline under her big left foot one last time, certain now more than ever that she was in the right to not only have twisted the timeline in the first place, but indeed also to choose the untwisted timeline. There was no benefit in forcing herself and Froufrou to live in some bizarre timeline wherein everyone aged backwards, regardless of how bad it made the Supreme Time Protector that they'd somewhat accidentally created such a timeline in the first place. It just reiterated indeed how powerful the ability to twist timelines really was, and how real Kahli's [class] of [Time Manipulator] was at this point.
That being said, she was glad to get out of there, and into her chosen timeline.
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Kahli had almost forgotten what was happening in this timeline, other than that it was better than the alternative. But then, she felt the force of her face almost - thankfully just almost - cracking into a smile. This was the timeline where she'd managed to convince G'athoong to try and age herself up using the time-expanding perimeter along the walking trail that presently trapped them, all while having the water dragon think it was her own idea. That took some serious chops, and Kahli was quite proud, but indeed as soon as she recognized this she forced herself into stoicism so as to not give away to anyone her true internal position. Froufrou did let loose a knowing squelch, but nobody understood her like Kahli did.
Alright, everybody. I'm gonna do it. I'm really gonna do it. I'm going to step off the walking trail and see if I can time this just right. Once again, my goal here is to only be old enough to carry all of you on my back out of this - what did you call it, Kahli?
"Oh, this is a Speed Time. Which is ironic, because it seems like time is essentially frozen and glitched out," replied Kahli. "But it's one of the things we [Time Manipulators] learn about, you know."
Very cool, replied G'athoong. So, I'm going to do this - but really I'm going to shoot for younger than I was when you first met me. I want to keep some of my youthful vigor. Surely you understand.
Kahli shrugged. Froufrou squelched. Sahdi tussled her hair.
With that, G'athoong stepped forward lightly on her claws from the trail to the thick grass beside it. And in a flash, she did indeed begin to grow and age and change. Indeed this effect was so quick that in but an instant G'athoong stepped off the trail, and then back on, and at that point she was just as old as she'd been when Kahli had first met her, if not older.
Wow. By the gods, I've gone too far in age, lamented the water dragon. It's no matter, though. Please stand by, I'm going to give it another go.
"G'athoong, are you seriously going to age yourself until you turn back into water, and then start the whole cycle over again?" Kahli was incredulous. It seemed like such a torture to shave off the age of a few years, something that was not only inevitable but also near irrelevant for a dragon that could regenerate like G'athoong.
Hell yes I am. I don't want to have these tamaven's feet by my eyes!
With that, G'athoong stepped back off the trail. In a flash she grew older, and weaker, and then she burst into thousands upon thousands of water droplets that sprayed through the air and then zoomed back together, congealing into a whole globule. This watery globule quivered and shook and became a larva, which molted and became a slug, which molted yet again and then became a very small dragon that slowly but surely increased in size and magnitude until G'athoong was fully formed, but indeed notably younger than she had originally been when she took off with Kahli and the rest of the part towards Clathalia.
Ah, this is so much better. And infinitely worth it, before you ask again, Kahli, thought spoke G'athoong with satisfaction in her tone. Now that I'm my adult size, I think I can fly us out of here. The only issue will be to make sure I don't touch outside the trail before it's time to take off, as I don't want to get caught in the flow of time again, or to catch any of you in it.
With that, Kahli and Sahdi climbed atop the water dragon, making absolutely certain to be gentle and calm so as to ensure she didn't lose her claw footing and stumble off the trail. With success, Kahli and Sahdi both breathed sighs of relief, and indeed even Froufrou let loose a squelch that was as emotionally assured as it was stinky.
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Alright, everyone ready?
Everyone said or squelched a yes in unsion.
G'athoong flapped her mighty wings, and with each beat, they rose higher and higher into the air. Soon enough, they were rapidly approaching the canopy of trees that blocked out the sky.
Kahli was a little nervous. There was a part of her that was concerned that somehow, they'd still find themselves stuck in the thrall of the Speed Time. Then again, they hadn't all started aging up at rapid speeds, and they seemed to be experiencing something different - all signs pointed to a successful escape.
And then with a crash and a slam they burst through the thick canopy and out into the clear, blue sky of a midday afternoon.
"Thank Theseosus," said Kahli with a sigh. "I was worried we'd never get out of there."
Sahdi chuckled.
"What?" Kahli raised an eyebrow, noting that there was a little bit of living wood creeping over it.
"I can't say I felt the same. Sure, I was confused, and maybe a little stressed out, but I had a pretty good feeling you'd get us out of it. You always seem to, Kahli. Is that something that comes with being a [Time Manipulator], too?"
Kahli wasn't sure how to respond, as all she could rightly think about what the second timeline scenario wherein Sahdi had totally freaked out and ran off the trail herself, only to immediately get dissolved into dust. On picturing this, Kahli decided less was more, and that she'd opt to let Sahdi live in blissful ignorance. "Yes, Sahdi, it is because I'm a [Time Manipulator]."
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"Omar, I don't know how I feel about having this consumer locked into my bag of holding. Now, every time I reach in there to get a piece of toast for my toaster, I get some snarky comment about being a robot. It's like, the consumer can't do any physical harm, so it tries to do mental harm, y'know?" said Unit 5a23 with a bit of unease in his voice.
But Omar had barely heard the automaton. He'd been more focused on showing off his flaming arm to Flungunglian locals on the news, most of whom had never seen a fire elemental in the flesh. This novelty allowed him to arrest the attention of the newscasters and indeed, quite literally, steal the show. As he summoned up enough flames to commit arson, Omar proudly demonstrated to the Flungunglians that differing uses of his fire-based [skills] could do things as minor as incinerate insects (or prophetic scrolls, for that matter) and things as major as conjure up orbs of flaming energy at will, and even to use fiery expulsions from his posterior as tools to fly through the air. It was generally received by the Flungunglians as a wildly fascinating and valuable thing to behold, although some of the more crass features that Omar demonstrated left them feeling a slight bit of unwariness.
"And you'll see here that I can even power up my arm's [skill], and when I do that, the color of the flames engulfing it change!" said Omar as his left arm lit up with fire and then, in a burst, exploded into brilliant blue flames.
Unit 5a23, in the meantime, was once again accessing his bag of holding to grab a slice of bread. However, the two consciousnesses contained in the bag - both the dreadful Voice of the consumer as well as the incredibly affable and friendly undead skeleton Frank - were bickering.
"Why've you suddenly gotten so talkative since I got sucked into this bag of holding?" complained the Voice. "I thought having your corporeal form ground into dust, such as Omar and the robot did, would be more than enough to keep your awful psyche from invading me with further atrocious idiocy, and yet here you are floating around in this toast-filled bag of holding, cheerful as ever! It's infuriating."
"Old chap, I wish you wouldn't crack on in such a way. Really, it's quite perturbing that you can get so worked up and angry about things you can't control. Why, I was locked in a small room alone in a study, with nothing to keep me company but books for the better part of five centuries, and I'm doing quite swell! With that, why can't you just put to bed all these silly notions of consuming all and ending all taumanity, or whatever it is you really want, and just enjoy the moment?"
"Enjoy the moment? Enjoy the fucking moment? How in the fucking hell am I supposed to enjoy the gods damned moment when I'm literally unable to go anywhere or do anything other than talk to you and exist around near infinite multitudes of bread slices? Seriously, this is the most bullshit situation I've ever been in, and before you wax on and off like the moons about your afterlife or whatever, I want to remind you that I was literally stuck in the bottom of a deep, dark hole in the very same place that your study was adjacent to. And I know that study of yours was a hell of a lot nicer than where I was stuck, no question there, buddy. So why don't you just go fu-"
"Alright you two," Unit 5a23 cleared his robo-throat and pulled a coupled slices of bread out of his bag of holding. "I'm going to shut this bag now."
Before either voice could argue, Unit 5a23 pulled the bag shut. Then, Omar hailed him.
"Hey, Unit 5a23! Look up there!" He pointed his flaming arm at the form of a large water dragon. "What's that dragon doing here in Flungunglia? And is it just me, or does one of the taumans riding it look a little something like Kahli?"