It was an arduous day at Freila's capital for Ephraim, Eirika, Innes and Tana. The royal, green-haired twins had just informed Innes of the Sacred Stone's destruction the day before. This sent the prince into full-on war mode, rallying his troops for the hard war ahead. In secret however, Innes had a trick up his sleeve. Something that his leading mages and alchemists were working on together for some time, a new set of magic potions that could very well help defeat their nations enemies easily, or at the very least give them an unbeatable edge.
Innes called Ephraim and his sister together, with Tana, to discuss his plans. Ephraim and Eirika were surprised to hear of the potions, but willing to listen to how it could work in their favor.
"But can you be sure such a concoction will even work in the first place?" Ephraim asked.
"I'll admit, we're not very attuned to the mystic arts in Freila..." Innes admitted reluctantly.
"I'll say! Once, Innes was really into magic as a kid, and he tried to cast a fire spell-" Tana started with giggles, but couldn't help herself from breaking into full on laughter as she recounted the story of Innes's youth. "Oh boy! I'll never forget the way he came crying into my room, covered in ash! Ha ha ha!"
"Tana! That's enough!" Innes shouted. His face red from embarrassment.
"Hee hee!" Tana giggled. Eirika couldn't help but join in laughing at Innes's expense.
"Tch." Innes groaned. He ignored the girls giggles and continued, "As I was saying, we've put quite a bit of time and effort into this. However, as time is of the essence, we've not gotten into human trials."
"And your results otherwise?" Ephraim asked hesitantly.
"A rounding success." Innes sounded proud. "On the animals we tested, one would grow big and strong over the course of several days, while the other became weak and tired."
"Innes! That's no success!" Ephraim insisted angrily. "No matter how strong one might become from such a transfer, nobody should have to suffer the debilitating effects of the opposite spectrum!"
"Relax, Ephraim." Innes motioned to his alchemists. They brought out a glass cage that contained two mice. Both of the mice looked to be in fine shape, but one of them was significantly bigger than the other.
"Amazing! This is the result of a potion boosted mouse?" Eirika asked, admiring the two cute mice playing together in their cage.
"Indeed." Innes nodded. He pointed to the smaller mouse, it seemed to be normal size for a mouse, just smaller in comparison to the enhanced mouse. "Now, would you believe that this one here was actually the one whose strength was 'borrowed' from?"
"But what about the side effects?" Ephraim asked.
"That's the good news, Ephraim. Although this particular mouse was indeed a shadow of its former self just a couple of days ago, it seems the potions negative effects wear of after a mere few days. This mouse showed signs of recovery not even a week after the test's began." Innes explained.
"So it doesn't hurt at all, huh?" Eirika asked, tapping the glass where the smaller mouse was sniffling. "You look like you're as healthy and happy as a mouse should be!"
"That's right! So while one of you might be weakened for a while, once the effects wear off, you'll be as good as new!" Tana told the twins.
"Wait a minute. What do you mean 'one of us'? Do you intend for me and my sister to take the potions?" Ephraim asked. Eirika looked up at her brother curiously, seeming to consider the notion.
"Well..." Innes seemed conflicted about whether or not to answer. He coughed, and glared at Tana for spoiling his plan.
"Uhm, yes?" Tana finally told the twins, a little nervous about it.
"That's ridiculous! There's no way I'd ever put Eirika through such an awful side effect, even if it only lasts a few days!" Ephraim insisted, upset.
"Hold, brother. Why do you assume I'd be the one taking the strength sapping potion, and not the enhancing one?" Eirika asked her brother with a wry smirk.
"N-No, I didn't mean to... Er, that is to say..." Ephraim was caught off guard by Eirika's observant comment. He stammered to find a suitable response.
"Ha ha ha! My brother...!" Eirika laughed heartily. It wasn't often she'd catch him off guard, but in the moments she did, she quite enjoyed it. "Not to worry. I'd probably have insisted on taking that potion anyway. If we were to take them, that is!"
"See!? Eirika's fine with it!" Tana chimed in.
"I didn't say that. I'm just looking at the reasonable way it would happen if my brother and I did take the potions." Eirika said. She looked at her brother, and put her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "You of all people should be the one to gain strength. You're already the strongest person I know. I can only imagine how strong you'd become after taking the potion. Me, though? I can stand being weaker for a few days."
"Eirika, my dear sister..." Ephraim said. He smiled at his sister, but shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to go through with it. Temporary as the side effects might be, we need you, sister. I need you, and at your full strength."
"But, brother... We could use the benefits!" Eirika offered a reason as to why they should take the potions.
"I know we're desperate, but there's no way I'll allow it." Ephraim told her. Eirika looked distraught, she was more than willing to sacrifice herself to help her brother. However Ephraim was stern in his resolve, not willing to bend.
"Well." Innes interjected. He motioned for his alchemists to take the display away. "I suppose it's not possible to convince you otherwise."
"Yeah. Guess it'll have to be you and me, Innes!" Tana said, half jokingly. "But I'll be taking the strength-boosting potion, thank you very much!"
"I'm sorry, Innes. But you'll just have to find someone e-" Ephraim was about to say "else", when his sister interrupted him.
"Brother! I'm sorry.." Eirika said. She had one of the potions in her hand, having taken it while the others were distracted. Before anyone could object again, Eirika quickly downed the entire potion.
"Eirika, no!" Ephraim reached out to grab the potion from his sister, but it was too late, Eirika had already drank every last drop of it. Satisfied with her choice, Eirika dropped the bottle on the floor. She smiled at Ephraim, who was beside himself with worry.
"I think... you should take the other one now." Eirika told him. Then, she collapsed on the floor.
"Sister!" Ephraim rushed to her side. He held her in his arms, and brushed her hair aside. Weakly, Eirika opened her eyes and nodded.
"You'll have to do it now..." Eirika insisted.
"I can't believe this..." Ephraim looked at his sister with worry like he'd almost never felt before. Aside from her sudden fall, she didn't appear any different yet. This lack of change led the green-haired prince to believe that maybe nothing would happen to his sister if he didn't take the other potion. He turned to Innes and Tana for answers. "She's not changed physically. Will this blasted potion not take effect until I drink the other one?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure." Innes admitted. "In our trials we always had both subjects drink one of the potions."
"True..." Tana said, thinking about how it might work if only one potion was used. "Hey, but, wouldn't someone else be able to take the other potion at any time, anyway?"
"Oh no..." Ephraim gasped. It was bad enough his sister was weakening herself for his sake, but he couldn't imagine someone else reaping the benefits of the strength potion and making her sacrifice go to waste. Aside from that, it was even possible that she'd just waste away from the debilitating effects of the potion anyway, regardless of if anyone else drank the other potion.
"Hmm..." Ephraim grunted. He looked over at the other potion on the table, then back to Eirika.
"Do it..." Eirika told him. She smiled before the effects seemed to kick in worse, causing the poor girl to pass out again.
"Curse it all!" Ephraim shouted. He gently laid Eirika on the floor, and got up. He grabbed the strength-boosting potion, and glared at Innes before downing it all. "You'd better get my sister to a comfortable bed, and best pray that this little concoction of yours works, Innes. Because otherwise, friends or not, I'll be having you as my first opponent after I'm stronger. Understand?"
"Er..." Innes gulped. He worried that he might have pushed his friends a little too far this time. "T-Tana, let's get Eirika to her bed, now!"
"Uh, o-okay, brother..." Tana squeaked. She was worried too, but not from Ephraim's threat, she knew he'd never really hurt her brother. But it was the chance that this potion didn't work the way it was intended to that had her afraid.
Innes and Tana both lifted Eirika's unconscious form into their arms and carried her to her room. Which left Ephraim alone to contemplate the situation.
Eirika, I wish you'd not be so rash. Ephraim thought. But now, let us both pray that this experiment of our friends' works...
Soon, the effects of the potions would kick in, and would make Ephraim grow, while Eirika would shrink. But when does this happen?
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