"Let's go to the Whackbat field," Kristofferson suggested.
"Whackbat field..." Ash mused with a grin, "What are you thinking?"
Kristofferson shrugged. He had a way of coming off as unfeeling, dispassionate even, yet Ash sensed something was up. "You're lying," he said.
"I am not," Kristofferson answered dryly. Still, there was something unusual about his behavior. Suddenly, Ash bent over to pick up his practically weightless cousin and peered him in the eye. "Put me down!" Kristofferson yelled.
"Not until you tell me why we're going to the Whackbat field."
"I just thought..."
"Yeah?"
"I like you, ok? I thought it would be good for your self esteem. You could show off to everyone and boost your confidence, which, by the way, you severely lack."
Ash fought the temptation to spit.
"I do not."
"Oh, come on. You even said it yourself: This is the best thing that's ever happened to you."
It was true. Ash felt better about himself than ever. He'd had his successes, sure, but when he was little things were tough. He was a frequent, though well-intentioned, screw-up, and had always dreamed of being special. Now that he was, he wanted to exploit it for every ounce he could wring free.
"You're right," he said, lowering his cousin to the ground, "I'm tired of being a shadow. You... you always get what you want! Now, look at me!" Ash lifted his head and puffed out his chest to demonstrate. "I'm, like... I don't even know how to put it. It's amazing!"
"It is," Kristofferson thought to himself. For all his effort and discipline, he could never achieve the kind of figure his cousin had been gifted with. Whatever the tree they'd discovered was, it was incredible, and for the first time that he could recall, Kristofferson was jealous of Ash. Unintentionally, he had been superior in every way, from sports to academics; it had been a huge thorn in their relationship, even after everything they'd supposedly reconciled during the Boggis, Bunce, and Bean fiasco. Ash's jealousy had been intense, but with that suddenly changed, it was Kristofferson who felt small and overshadowed. Strangely, in a way he couldn't understand, he liked it. The thought of Ash being the center of attention, impressing everyone, or even growing bigger...
Kristofferson twitched.
"Ha ha ha," Ash beamed, "Let's go. I can't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces."
With that, Ash plucked up Kristofferson (eliciting a "Hey!" of protest) and carried him to the Whackbat field not terribly far away. It was a sunny late spring afternoon, and the sky was dotted with a scattering of puffy clouds. As the fox's figure appeared, the animals who were playing there dropped what they were doing and stared, several with their mouths agape. The unexpectedly enormous Ash deposited Kristofferson onto the ground and loomed over his friends with a toothy smile. "What happened to you, Ash?" one of them asked. A few others murmured quietly amongst themselves, while a handful more kept their distance. Kristofferson, a touch uncomfortable, sidled up against Ash and accidentally brushed his foot on top of his cousin's. It was huge! His toes were almost as long as Kristofferson's entire paw.
"I had a growth spurt," Ash said, matter-of-factly.
"Yeah you did," one of the animals replied.
"Bull-cuss!" snapped another, "You've been taking drugs or something!"
"Shut up," Ash growled, stepping forward, "You're just jealous. Hey, somebody give me the whackbat. I'm gonna destroy the ball."
The crowd seemed to like that idea. "Yeah!" one of the animals yelled, "Everybody, back in your places! Somebody give Ash the bat!"
"You can do it," Kristofferson said with an encouraging smile. With the bat in hand, Ash felt like he could accomplish anything. It was so tiny. How he could manage to actually swing the thing now that he was more than thrice his usual size, he didn't know, but this was his time to shine -- he WOULD do this. However, unbeknownst to him or the others on the field, the fruit inside Ash's pocket had started to glow. The players had taken their place and were ready to start when...
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