I stirred awake, feeling the warmth of another body pressed against mine. My eyes fluttered open to find Taylor's face mere inches from my own. Our legs were tangled together beneath the covers, and I could feel the soft rise and fall of her chest against mine.

A smile tugged at my lips as I watched Taylor's sleeping face. She looked so peaceful without her glasses, the worry lines that usually creased her forehead smoothed away in slumber. I couldn't resist reaching out to gently brush a stray curl from her cheek.

The feather-light touch was enough to rouse her. Taylor's eyes blinked open slowly, confusion clear in their depths as she struggled to focus on my face.

"Mmm... Lara?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. "What're you...?"

I giggled softly, amused by her adorable grogginess. "Good morning, sleepyhead," I whispered, my fingers trailing down her arm.

Taylor's eyes struggled to open as awareness slowly returned. I could pinpoint the exact moment she became fully awake - her eyes went wide, a bright-red blush blooming across her cheeks as she became very aware of our intimate position.

"Oh!" she squeaked, tensing slightly. "I... we..."

"Relax," I soothed, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "Nothing happened. We just fell asleep talking last night, remember?"

Taylor swallowed hard, nodding hard. "Right. Of course." She made no move to pull away, though, which I took as a good sign.

I propped myself up on one elbow, looking down at her with a playful smirk. "So," I began, idly twirling a lock of her hair around my finger, "now that we're both awake, I've been dying to ask - what exactly do you plan to do with your power?"

Taylor blinked, clearly caught off guard by the abrupt change in topic. "I... what do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "Come on, Tay. You've got the ability to control bugs. Surely you've thought about using it somehow?"

She bit her lower lip, a habit I was quickly coming to find endearing. "Well... I've been working on a costume," she admitted softly. "Made of spider silk. I was thinking maybe I could... be a hero?"

I couldn't help but grin at Taylor's admission. "A hero, huh? That's perfect! We could totally do this together."

Taylor's eyes widened slightly at my enthusiastic response. "We?" she repeated, a slight crease forming between her brows.

I stared down at Taylor with an amused smile. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and I reached out to trace the warm skin with my fingertips.

"Of course, silly," I chided gently when she questioned my use of 'we'. "Did you think I was just going to sit back while you risked your life out there?"

Taylor's brow furrowed slightly, a crease forming between her eyes. "I... I guess I didn't really think about it," she admitted, her voice soft and hesitant. "But wouldn't it be dangerous for both of us to be capes?"

I arched one eyebrow, holding her gaze steadily. "More dangerous than doing it all alone, you mean?" My hand drifted down to toy with the collar of her baggy t-shirt, fingertips grazing the hollow of her throat.

Taylor swallowed hard, her eyes darting down to track the path of my wandering fingers. "I...I don't know, Lara. Shouldn't we at least think this through first?"

Smirking, I leaned closer until our faces were mere inches apart. Taylor's breath hitched, her chest rising and falling rapidly beneath the thin fabric separating us. "Whatever do you mean?" I murmured, my lips almost brushing against hers. "Maybe we could even join the Ward?"

In an instant, Taylor's entire demeanor shifted. The nervous energy bled out of her frame as she offloaded her emotions to her swarm, leaving her expression carefully blank. She reached up, gripping my shoulder firmly as she rolled us over.

I let out a breathless giggle as my back hit the mattress, Taylor's slender form pinning me in place. Her hips settled between my parted thighs, our bodies aligned. My skirt had ridden up slightly during the motion, exposing a teasing glimpse of thigh.

Taylor's gaze burned into mine with an intensity that made my core clench. "The Wards?" she stated flatly. "Absolutely not, Lara. I won't subject myself to that kind of teenage drama and posturing."

My lips curved into a coy smile as I arched my back, pressing my breasts more firmly against her. Taylor didn't so much as blink at the provocative movement, her focus laser-intense. "But just think how much good we could do," I purred, trailing my nails lightly down her spine. "With our powers combined, we'd be invaluable assets."

Taylor shook her head, and didn’t budge an inch. "That may be, but I won't have my life revolve around high school politics and government oversight. My answer is no."

I pouted up at her, deliberately jutting out my lower lip. "Aw, don't be like that, Tay," I wheedled. Looping my arms around her neck, I tugged her down until our lips were once more inches apart. I whispered softly, "Just think how much fun we could have..."

For a long, heated moment, we remained frozen like that - bodies pressed together intimately, gazes locked, the air thick with unspoken tension. Then Taylor squeezed her eyes shut, pulling back with a shuddering exhale.

"Enough, Lara," she said firmly. "I've made my decision. We're not joining the Wards, end of discussion."

Hiding my smirk, I nodded agreeably. "Alright, alright. If you insist." Reaching up, I toyed with the zipper pull of her hoodie teasingly. "Though you can't blame a girl for trying, can you?"

Taylor fixed me with an exasperated look, but I could see the corners of her lips twitching upwards. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Mmhmm," I hummed cheerfully, not even trying to deny it. Allowing my gaze to look over her body, I added, "I'm dying to see this spider-silk costume, is it finished?"

She shifted her weight slightly atop me. "Ah, well, almost? The bodysuit itself is complete, I just need to finish some detailing." She worried her lower lip briefly before admitting, "I was thinking of dyeing the paneling grey to give it more visual depth."

"Ooh, that sounds amazing!" I exclaimed, giving her an appreciative once-over. "I can't wait to see you all decked out in your sexy new outfit."

Taylor's blush deepened as she ducked her head shyly. "It's not meant to be sexy," she mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "Just functional."

"Mmm, if you say so," I whispered, trailing my fingertips down her cheek. Taylor shivered, unconsciously arching into the touch like a cat being pet. "Though I have a hard time believing any outfit wouldn't look sexy on you."

"Lara!" she protested weakly, swatting ineffectually at my wandering hands.

I pursed my lips in an exaggerated kissing motion, leaning in. Her eyes fluttered shut in anticipation, lips parting ever so slightly.

Instead of claiming her lips, I diverted at the last second. My mouth found the warm skin of her cheek, pressing a soft, lingering kiss there. Taylor let out a tiny sound - a disappointed little huff of air that made me smirk against her face.

"Lara..." she whined reproachfully.

I pulled back slightly as I murmured, "Yes, dear?" My fingers continued their caresses along her sides, feeling the slight shiver that coursed through Taylor's body.

Her eyes opened, that familiar blankness settling over her features as she offloaded her emotions to her swarm once more. Her arousal was wiped away, leaving only a composed mask.

"The costume is nearly finished," she stated flatly, all hints of breathiness gone from her tone. "I have it stored downstairs in the basement. We can check it out tonight if you'd like to examine it more closely."

Well, well. It seemed Taylor had reached her limit for now when it came to intimacy. I couldn't resist pushing her boundaries, of course, but I knew if I pushed her any further now, she would get scared.

I nodded, a mischievous grin spreading across my face. "Ooh, that sounds exciting! Actually, speaking of examining things more closely..." I trailed off, reaching into my pocket to pull out the small golden key. "Remember this? Want to see what's on the other side?"

Taylor's eyes widened, her gaze fixed on the key. "You mean... that private dimension you mentioned?" She hesitated for a moment before nodding eagerly. "Yes, I'd love to see it."

I couldn't help but notice how quickly she agreed, probably relieved to have a distraction from our flirting.

We both stood up from the bed, and I approached her wardrobe. With a dramatic flourish, I inserted the key into the lock and turned it. The door swung open, revealing not clothes and shelves, but clear blue sky and a path leading to a odd medieval smithy.

"Oh wow," Taylor breathed, eyes wide with wonder.

I grinned, grabbing her hand and tugging her forward. "Come on, let's check it out!"

We stepped through the doorway, and the air here was crisp and clean, with a faint scent of smoke and hot metal. The path beneath our feet was packed dirt, winding its way through a grassy field towards the smithy.

Inside the workshop, an old man with pointed ears - unmistakably a Hylian - was relaxing on a wooden chair. He looked up as we approached, a friendly smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"Welcome, young ones," he greeted warmly. "I am the Blacksmith. How may I be of service today? Would you like to sell items, purchase weapons or armor, or perhaps fuse some weapons together?"

I blinked, caught off guard by the directness of his question. "Um, well... what exactly do we pay with here?"

The Blacksmith's smile widened. "Ah, an excellent question! We deal in Rupees for all transactions. If you don't have any on hand, I'd be happy to exchange valuable items for them."

The mention of Rupees tickled something in my memory - wasn't that the currency from the Legend of Zelda? I glanced at Taylor, who looked utterly bewildered by the entire situation. Turning back to the Blacksmith, I carefully asked, "How exactly can we get these Rupees? Is there any way to exchange regular currency, like dollars?"

The old Hylian chuckled. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with 'dollars,' young miss. But as I mentioned, I'd be more than happy to trade Rupees for any valuable items you might have - gems, rare metals, even certain monster parts can fetch a good price."

Taylor leaned in close, urgently whispering in my ear, "Lara, he doesn't seem like a projection at all. He's too... real."

I squeezed her hand reassuringly, my mind working quickly to come up with a plausible explanation. "It's okay," I murmured back. "He must just be an incredibly advanced projection. Remember, this is a pocket dimension - the rules here are different."

Louder, I addressed the Blacksmith once more. "Actually, we're more interested in seeing examples of your work. Could you show us some of the weapons or armor you've crafted?”

The old Hylian's eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. "Of course, young miss! I'd be delighted to show you my finest creations." He began to rise from his chair, but before he could take a step, a familiar pulse of energy rippled through my mind.

As the pulse faded, I felt a slight weight settle around my neck. Glancing down, I saw a small heart-shaped dark-red pendant hanging from a delicate silver chain.

[Transformation Trinket - Generic MG] - 100cp, 0cp remaining

You know what this is. The amulet or whatever that a magical girl uses to transform. Although recent series have started turning the girls' phones into the transformation trinkets. Weird. Most magical girls have a different appearance when transformed, but there are plenty of examples where the "transformation" is just an outfit change and instant hairstyling. Uses this once transforms you into your magical girl form. Using it again transforms you back.

For most girls this also enables them to use their powers

Taylor noticed my momentary distraction. "Did you just get another power?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of envy.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I nodded, a giddy smile spreading across my face. "Oh my god, yes! You're not going to believe this, but..." I paused for dramatic effect, "I can now transform into a magical girl!"

Taylor tilted her head in confusion. "A... magical girl? Like in those old Japanese cartoons? You're joking, right?"

"Nope!" I chirped, practically bouncing with excitement. "I can pretty much instantly change into a costume now. Watch this!"

I turned to the Blacksmith, who was watching our exchange with interest. "Could you give us just a moment, please?"

He nodded graciously. "Of course, take all the time you need."

Focusing my attention on the heart-shaped pendant, I felt a surge of energy course through my body. A brilliant red light engulfed me, and I could sense my clothes seemingly dissolve away. The light was too intense for anyone to see through, thankfully.

The glow gradually faded, and I found myself clothed in an entirely new outfit. The ensemble was a striking combination of black and deep red, with a form-fitting bodice that emphasized my curves. A dramatic red coat flared out from my waist, its long sleeves ending in elaborate silver gauntlets. Sophisticated pauldrons adorned my shoulders, their filigree patterns catching the light. A high-slit black skirt completed the look, along with sleek black gloves and a face mask.

image [https://i.ibb.co/c66yKsQ/Magical-Girl-Costume.jpg]

I twirled in place, enjoying the way the coat tails swirled around my legs. "So, what do you think?" I asked, striking a pose.

Taylor's reaction was... intense, to say the least. Her eyes went wide, drinking in every detail of my transformation. I heard her audibly gulp, her cheeks flushing a pretty pink.

"That's... wow," she breathed, seemingly at a loss for words. "It's incredible, Lara. And you can just... change into that whenever you want?"

I nodded, unable to keep the smug grin off my face. "Pretty cool, right?"

Taylor's expression fell slightly, and I could see a flicker of jealousy in her eyes. "Yeah, it's amazing. And here I've been working on my costume for months..."

My heart clenched at her dejected tone. Stepping closer, I took both of her hands in mine. "Hey, don't be like that," I said softly. "Your costume is going to be incredible because you put so much time and effort into it. This?" I gestured to my outfit. "This is just some shortcut. Your costume will mean so much more because you made it yourself."

Taylor's gave me a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Lara. You're right, of course. I just... your powers are so much more versatile than mine."

I squeezed her hands gently. "Maybe, but that doesn't matter. Your power is amazing, Taylor. Never forget that."

She nodded slowly, though she still looked unconvinced. "Okay… I guess it doesn’t really matter."

Turning back to the Blacksmith, who had been patiently waiting, I flashed him a smile. "Sorry about that! Now, you were going to show us some of your work?"

The old Hylian's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Ah, yes! Right this way, young misses. I have some truly spectacular pieces I'd love to show you..."

oo0ooOoo0oo

I leaned back against the locker, picking a piece of lint from my sleeve. "So, what did you think of the Smithy's wares?" I asked Taylor quietly. "Not exactly what you were expecting?"

Taylor shook her head slightly. "No, I have to admit it was...surprising to say the least. All those weapons and armor pieces looked useful."

"Definitely," I agreed with a nod. "Though I'm not sure most of it would really suit our needs." I eyed her up and down slowly, taking in her slim figure. "I mean, can you really picture yourself decked out in full plate mail, swinging a massive broadsword bigger than yourself?"

She snorted at that image. "No, I don't think that would be very practical for me," she said.

I giggled at her reaction. "Exactly. We're better off keeping our distance and using our powers from afar, don't you think?" I leaned in closer, pitching my voice even lower. "That spider silk armor is going to look absolutely amazing on you."

Taylor managed a small smile at the compliment. "Thank you. And you're probably right - fighting up close seems unnecessarily risky when we aren’t Brutes."

"Precisely," I said, toying with her fingers. Taylor didn’t react at the contact, too used to it by now. "We should probably buy some smaller weapons like knives, but I do have to wonder where we'd even find things like gems or rare metals to trade for rupees without breaking the law..."

Before Taylor could respond, a new voice cut through the busy hallway. "H-hey there! You're the new girl, right? I'm Greg!"

I turned to see a pimply-faced boy practically vibrating with nervous energy as he approached. His eyes immediately locked onto my chest, unable to look away from my ample cleavage.

"My eyes are up here," I said in a bored, condescending tone, crossing my arms to push my breasts up further.

Greg's gaze snapped up to meet mine for a split second before drifting right back down to ogle my breasts. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to- It's just- Wow, you look like you could be a cape, you know? Like Alexandria, but prettier! Not that Alexandria isn't pretty, but she's older, and you're- I mean- Have you ever played Cape Crusaders Online? There's this character that looks just like you, and I've got her up to level 50 already, which is pretty impressive if I do say so myself, and-"

I rolled my eyes dramatically at his pathetic attempt at a compliment. Before I could shut down his sad flirting, Greg barreled onward.

"Not interested," I cut him off flatly, turning back to Taylor.

But Greg didn't take the hint. He sidled closer, words spilling out in a frantic rush. "But I haven't even told you about the cape conspiracy theories yet! Did you know there's a rumor that Eidolon is actually an alien! Like, his powers make no sense for a normal parahuman, right? So I think he must have gotten them from some kind of advanced alien tech-"

I held up a hand, silencing his rambling. "Listen, Greg. I don't care about your video games, your cape theories, or anything else you have to say. So why don't you do us both a favor and leave?"

Greg blinked rapidly, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "But... I just thought... Maybe we could be friends? Or more than friends? I mean, not that I'm assuming anything, but you're really pretty, and I'm... well, I'm me, and-"

"And that's exactly the problem," I sneered, cutting him off again. "You're you. Now run along before you embarrass yourself any further."

Greg's face crumpled like I'd slapped him. For a moment, I thought he might cry right there in the hallway. But he seemed to rally some last vestiges of courage and turned to Taylor with a pleading look.

"Taylor, you know me! We were such good friends back in middle school. Tell your cousin what a great guy I am! We'd be such an awesome couple, right?"

Taylor stared back at him in disbelief. "Greg, we were never friends. Please leave us alone."

The blunt rejection seemed to finally get through Greg's thick skull. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he cast one last, longing look at my chest before slouching away down the hallway.

I watched him go with a satisfied smirk, then turned back to Taylor. "Can you believe how pathetic that loser is?" I asked Taylor, not even trying to hide the cruel amusement in my tone. "He's lucky I was being gentle with him."

Taylor frowned at me, seeming torn between disapproval and...something else in her eyes that I couldn't quite place. "That was unnecessarily harsh, Lara. He was just trying to talk to you."

I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Please, he was being a total creep who couldn't take a hint. I simply put him in his place." I shot Taylor a sly grin. "Though I have to admit, seeing him deflate like that when you shut him down too? Priceless."

Taylor sighed, but didn't argue further. "I suppose. Come on, we should get to class."

She turned and started heading down the hallway towards their next classroom. I pushed away from the lockers and fell into step beside her.

Up ahead, I spotted Emma Barnes, Madison Clements, and Sophia Hess. The girls were huddled together, talking quietly amongst themselves. I leaned in close to Taylor.

"That black girl with the two others," I whispered. "I can sense a space-time distortion centered around her brain, just like with you. She must be a parahuman. Do you know her?"

Taylor went utterly still beside me, her body tensing like a coiled spring. If I focused, I could just make out a faint buzzing sound - her swarm reacting to her emotions.

"Are you sure?" she asked emotionlessly.

I gave an small nod. "There's no mistaking it. The distortion is unmistakable."

Without another word, Taylor grabbed my arm and pulled me down a side hallway and under the stairwell, away from Emma's group. The buzzing grew louder around us as we moved.

"Taylor, breathe," I said soothingly, placing a gentle hand on the small of her back. "Just take a deep breath and try to relax."

She shook her head jerkily, her jaw clenched so tightly I thought her teeth might crack. "That's Sophia Hess," she bit out. "One of my bullies. And you're saying she's a cape?"

I nodded slowly, keeping my expression carefully neutral. "It certainly seems that way."

Taylor's hands clenched into white-knuckled fists at her sides. "Of course she is," she spat bitterly. "Of fucking course the psycho bitch tormenting me has powers too."

I rubbed soothing circles across her back, feeling the taut muscles. "Easy now," I murmured. "Getting this worked up won't help anything."

"How can I not?" Taylor demanded, finally meeting my gaze. Her eyes were wild behind her glasses, shining with unshed tears of rage. "You know what she's done to me, Lara. The pranks, the insults, the... the locker..." She trailed off, shuddering violently.

I felt my eyes grow misty at the naked pain and trauma clearly visible on her face, and I pulled Taylor into a tight embrace, hugging her against me.

"Shh, it's okay," I crooned, stroking her hair gently. "Just breathe. I've got you."

For a long moment, Taylor simply clung to me with her face buried in the crook of my neck. The buzzing swarm gradually calmed down, but I paid them no mind. Finally, Taylor's grip on me loosened slightly as she regained a modicum of composure.

"We need to find out who she is," she mumbled, her voice slightly muffled against my skin. "What her powers are, what she can do."

I leaned back just enough to meet her gaze, keeping my arms looped around her waist. "Of course," I said soothingly. "Perhaps we could look up a list of Brockton Bay capes online? Try to narrow down who this Sophia girl might be."

Taylor nodded shakily, swallowing hard. "Right, yes. That's...that's a good idea."

Reaching into the pocket of my skirt, I pulled out my phone and unlocked it with a few swipes of my thumb. The screen lit up, reflecting in Taylor's eyes. "Here, let's see what we can find."

I opened the web browser, my fingers gliding across the touchscreen. "Okay, first thing's first - we can discard any capes from the Empire Eighty-Eight or the Azn Bad Boyz," I said. "Sophia clearly isn't white, and I doubt a black girl would associate with those racist assholes."

Taylor made a small noise of agreement behind me. One of her hands drifted down to rest on my hip as she peered over my shoulder at the phone's display.

"Any male capes can be ruled out too," I continued, scrolling through a list of known Brockton Bay parahumans. "As can the members of New Wave - they're pretty open about their identities, and they’re white anyway."

I hummed thoughtfully under my breath. "What about this Faultline's Crew? They seem to do mercenary work, maybe she's with them?"

Taylor shook her head, her hair brushing my cheek. "No, I'm pretty sure they don't have any black members. At least none that have been made public."

"Fair point," I conceded with a nod. My eyes scanned the next entry on the list - a small-time villain group called the Undersiders. "Well, this is interesting. They're apparently a gang that specializes in robberies and such. But from what's publicly known, the two female members are both white."

I gave her hip a comforting squeeze. "There's a Rogue mentioned here - Parian. Says she sometimes partners with stores downtown to animate large mascots or characters for promotional purposes. Her race isn't listed, so she could potentially be Sophia."

Taylor seemed doubtful. "I...I can't really picture Sophia doing anything like that," she said hesitantly. "She's never shown any interest in performance or that kind of art."

I nodded slowly, conceding her point. "Okay, good observation. Let's keep looking then."

My thumb swiped across the screen, scrolling further down the list of known capes. "Well, we can dismiss anyone from the Protectorate heroes - they're all adults. But the Wards team is still an option..."

I paused, rereading the brief bio on Brockton Bay's Ward members. "Hmm, it says here there are currently only two girls on the team. Vista, who's described as a young white female, and Shadow Stalker."

Taylor tensed slightly at the second name. "Shadow Stalker..." she whispered.

"Her race is listed as unknown, since she always wears a full-face mask and bodysuit," I continued. "But the height and build seem to match Sophia's from what I could tell."

Pulling up a video, I watched intently as a lithe figure in a black costume walked across the screen - Shadow Stalker attending some kind of PR event, it seemed.

"What are you doing?" Taylor asked quietly.

"Just comparing their sizes," I explained distractedly. "Parian was listed as fairly short, so I'm ruling her out as a possibility. But Shadow Stalker seems to be around the right height for Sophia..."

I trailed off, ‘scrutinizing’ the video. After a few moments, I pulled up a separate clip - this one showing Parian posing with some oversized stuffed animals, her small frame dwarfed by the plush figures.

"See, look how tiny Parian is compared to those mascots," I said, gesturing at the screen. "There's no way she's anywhere near Sophia's height."

Taylor leaned in closer, her chin nearly resting on my shoulder as she studied the videos intently. "I...I suppose you're right," she admitted slowly. "So that would leave Shadow Stalker as the most likely candidate for Sophia's identity."

"Exactly," I agreed with a nod. "Of course, that's not definitive proof. Sophia could also be some unknown new cape that hasn't debuted publicly yet. But the pieces seem to fit for her being Shadow Stalker."

I could feel Taylor's chest rising and falling against my back, her breathing slightly elevated. When she spoke again, her voice was tight with barely restrained emotion.

"If she is Shadow Stalker...then she's been a Ward this entire time." Taylor's hands clenched into trembling fists against my hips. "While tormenting me, shoving me into that... that filth... She's been a supposed 'hero' all along."

Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I twisted in Taylor's embrace until I could cup her face in my palms.

"Hey, look at me," I said softly, holding her gaze steadily. "We're going to figure this out, okay? One way or another, Sophia's identity and misdeeds are going to come to light. And then she'll face the consequences."

Taylor's lower lip trembled, but she gave a jerky nod. "You're right. I know you're right, I just... How could someone like that be allowed to be a Ward?"

I stroked my thumbs soothingly across Taylor's flushed cheekbones, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips. "I don't know the full details," I murmured, "but I promise you, we'll get to the bottom of this whole mess."

Leaning in, I pressed the gentlest of kisses against her forehead, my lips lingering for a heartbeat. "No matter what," I breathed against her skin, "I've got your back. Always."

Taylor's eyes fluttered closed at the intimate gesture, her body melting ever so slightly into my embrace. For a long moment, we simply held each other in the empty stairwell.

Then, without warning, a pulse spread through my mind. I tensed instinctively, recognizing the signs of the Celestial Grimoire activating.

[A Bottle of Something - Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap] - 50cp, 50cp remaining

This bottle contains either Milk or some form of potion and replenishes every day. Multiple purchases can be taken with this perk, so that you gain more of one thing or one of every type of potion at your wish.

I felt a slight weight appear in my hand. Glancing down, I found myself holding a small glass bottle filled with a creamy white liquid. A brand new label was wrapped around the container, the blocky text proclaiming it to be 'Lon Lon Milk'.

Taylor noticed my distraction, pulling back slightly. "Lara? What is it?"

I held up the small glass bottle filled with creamy white liquid, allowing Taylor to inspect the odd container. Her eyes widened behind her glasses as she took it in.

"Is that...?" She trailed off, seeming unsure how to properly phrase her question.

"Another new power, apparently," I replied with a casual shrug, raising the bottle to eye level for closer examination. "Though I'll admit, I'm not quite sure what this is meant to do."

"I'm not sure a bottle of milk really counts as a power," Taylor said dryly, giving me a skeptical look as she eyed the glass container. "What exactly is that supposed to do for you?"

Rolling the bottle between my palms, I tilted my head to one side, considering. "I'm not entirely certain yet, to be honest. But I have a hunch it might be related to the Blacksmith in some way."

Taylor looked slightly lost. "How so? He never mentioned anything about milk."

I gave her a mysterious smile. "Call it a gut feeling. My power has been giving me...intuitions about what I get."

Truthfully, the bottle came from one of the Legend of Zelda games. While the Blacksmith himself seemed to be from a different Zelda setting, perhaps they still shared some common elements. Though I decided not to voice that theory out loud to Taylor, that would only confuse her even more.

Slipping the glass bottle into my purse, I looped my arm through hers. "Anyway, we should get moving. We don't want to be late for our next class."