Vignettes: Easter Egg Hunt

The time had come, the doors opened, and families eagerly entered the small, antique store to participate in the Easter egg hunt. It had existed on this road for generations, yet few people knew it previously existed let alone entered its doors. Nobody could imagine they would enter into a beautiful, awe-inspiring garden that extended well past the confines of the store's actual floor plan. You could easily forget you were inside a building at all, with the towering trees and natural sunlight flooding the area, until you stumbled across a brick wall slathered with vines.

Hidden throughout the exotic, extravagant foliage were plenty of small and colourful eggs, the goal of the event. They were everywhere. Chocolate eggs, plastic eggs filled with jelly beans, even a few boiled eggs for comedic effect. There were also some special golden eggs dotted throughout the large room. These glamorous eggs had attached instructions to find The Apprentice, the burly shop assistant whose festive bunny ears did little to soften his natural surly expression, who would help unlock its prize. Excited participants seeked down the man, and handed him their eggs.

"These are very special, magic objects that contain whatever you desire" he dully recited with a memorised speech. "Chocolate bunnies, candy eggs, turkish delight, whatever you want, anything at all, you will receive it". Most people picked out their favourite brand of candy, some even tried asking for something more obscure to see what would happen. The Apprentice would crack open the egg and poof! Whatever they asked for appeared in his palm in a puff of smoke.

However, a few people noticed the loophole in this trick. The wishing eggs could grant anything you desire. And anyone who spotted it received a rare smile from The Apprentice, because this meant he could have some fun. Wishes were one of the easiest forms of magic to master after all, and also the easiest to manipulate. This gave him the chance to put his skills to the test, and maybe have a bit of fun with the few who wanted more than just chocolate this Easter.

-------------------------------------------

"I can have anything I want? It doesn't just have to be candy?"

The Apprentice straightened his posture a little. It was the first time anyone had questioned him about the prize. A small smile crept across his face. "It doesn't, no. You can ask for whatever you want. It is magic after all"

Jared's eyes widened. Real magic! He could get a puppy, or a new computer! But what he really wanted was impossible to attain. Not at his age anyway. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask. The man did say he could ask for anything. "Well, what I really want is a beard"

"A beard?"

"Yeah, a big, bushy beard. that would be so cool!"

The Apprentice chuckled to himself. He could easily work with that. So far, he'd just been creating sweet treats for eager kids. Nothing spectacular. But this, this was something more suited to his training. He closed his eyes and visualised the kid's wish in his mind. Then he channelled the magic through his hands and into the golden egg, until it cracked in his palm. A bright purple dust filled his hand, which he blew straight at the boy. It circled around him until he was lost in a flurry of colour. The small tornado quickly grew bigger and bigger until it dissipated, leaving behind a newly changed Jared. 

No longer was he a boy, but a fully grown man, almost naked aside from the tight, torn shorts that clung to his hips and round ass. He stood tall and slim, with a fair amount of brown hair decorating his toned body, along with a few tattoos. But the main feature, the whole reason for making his wish, was the beautiful, thick beard that engulfed the lower half of his face. It grew long, wide, and straight, completely hiding his neck and brushed along the underside of his collarbone. Jared cautiously raised a hand to the bushy beard, giving a slight tug to make certain it was real, before giggling as he dug his hands into his glorious face fur. "Oh my god, thank you! Thank you!" he yelled, shaking The Apprentice's hand very firmly. "I can't believe I have a beard, and I'm a man! It's unbelievable, thank you!"

The Apprentice nodded his head, glad to be appreciated for once. "Make sure you keep it well groomed. There's a fine line between looking suave and looking dirty with a beard like that".

He nodded appreciatively. "Yeah, I'd better find a good barber. And some money. And some clothes..." Jared trailed off his thoughts. He hadn't thought this whole being an adult thing through.

However, The Apprentice snapped his fingers and Jared suddenly found himself fully dressed in a simple shirt and jeans. "That fixes one thing. As for the rest, might I suggest speaking to my boss. I'm sure he'll find a way to help". Normally, he'd be able to deal with reality changes himself, it was a lot easier than it sounded, but he had a lot to deal with that day. Jared shook the man's hand once again before setting off through the impossible forest to find Mitawi.

--------------------------------------

"Whatever I want? Really? I wanna be a growed up!"

"What? Don't be stupid Michael, he's clearly offering you a candy reward. He'll take a chocolate bunny, please"

"Nuh-uh! He said anything I want! And I want to be an adult and you can be a little boy!"

The Apprentice watched on with intrigue as the two bickered over the logistics of wish granting, and whether it was even possible. Of course it was possible, he'd even seen a few role reversal spells get cast in the shop whenever Mitawi felt he had to teach some people a lesson in walking in someone else's shoes. However, he'd never performed one himself. Luckily, the wishing eggs should be able to do the work for him. While the two continued to argue, The Apprentice crushed the egg and blew the wish dust into them. Surprise registered on their faces just before the swirling dust consumed them. 

Once it had disappeared, there was certainly a change. The man had shrunk down, regressed to a young child almost swimming in his oversized clothes. Meanwhile Michael had now grown up to be a handsome, broad man with muscles to spare and a week's worth of scruff adorned his face. It was like a scene from a comedy flick as the two turned to each other and screamed.

"Oh my gosh! My wish came true! Holy smokes, look at me! I'm so tall now! And listen to my voice, it's soooo deep now! And I got big muscles! You didn't have muscles like this, but I do!"

"Holy shit... I'm a child again... Shit shit SHIT! This can't be happening, what'll I tell my wife? That our nephew just stole my adulthood and now I'm a kid again? She won't believe that for one minute! What do I do...". The former man suddenly turned to The Apprentice and grabbed him by the shirt. "Turn us back. Turn us back! I can't live like this!"

The Apprentice shook his head. "Sorry kid but it wasn't your wish. Now if you could find another of those eggs then maybe I could grant your own wish, but it can't tamper with Mikey's wish". He laughed to himself. He just made that all up on the spot. Mitawi would be proud.

But the new kid wasn't happy. He got on his knees and begun to beg. "Please, you have to do something. You can't seriously think THIS is normal". He gestured to the man who had ripped off the fabric that still clung to his body, and was now busy flexing his muscles.

"Hmm, you're right. This is supposed to be a family event". The Apprentice snapped his fingers. A pair of worn jeans and a tight vest covered up Michael, as the kid's oversized clothes suddenly shrunk to now fit him. Seeing his sad expression, The Apprentice sighed and crouched down, slapping a hand onto his shoulder. "Ahhh, don't worry kid. Things'll right themselves once you leave the store. And Mikey'll soon get tired of his new-found adulthood after a week. Trust me, I'd know..."

The kid looked at The Apprentice's gruff face, which suddenly looked quite sullen. He wondered just how old he was, whether his bearish appearance matched his actual age. But before he could ask, the man cleared his throat and stood back up. "When that happens, just come back here and I'm sure my boss will help you out. For a price of course". He winked and walked away, leaving the kid behind with his new immature uncle.

---------------------------------------

"Anything huh? Like I could get some smoking hot babes and all the pussy I want?"

The Apprentice gritted his teeth and responded with malice. "I guess...". He knew this crude, hotheaded teen back before he took on his role as apprentice. He was the popular yet dimwitted jock at high school who would bully him relentlessly. He hated the guy with a passion, but maybe this was his chance to get some revenge. It was pretty easy to twist someone's wish to work against them after all...

Brent however, didn't even notice the disdain the man had for him. In his mind, he was just another middle aged salesman whose life went nowhere. Not like him, with his multiple football scholarships to the state's top universities. He would be riding the easy train to success. There was one small bump however. His preferred college did require him to pass all his classes this upcoming semester, and he wasn't anywhere near close to doing so. Which gave him an idea. "OK, well what about non-real stuff like smarts? Could you make me smarter? I got a lot of classes to pass this year".

The Apprentice raised an eyebrow. He wanted to be smarter huh? He could have wished to just pass his exams, but missing that kind of easy logic was probably why he was failing to begin with. "If that's what you want". This was almost too easy, he thought to himself as he cracked the egg, blowing the dust onto the unsuspecting jock. 

Once the dust had cleared, the young, musclebound jock had been replaced with a balding, furry senior citizen. He didn't even notice anything was wrong at first, until The Apprentice tried to stifle his giggles. He scratched his head in confusion, eyes widening as he felt the sudden large expanse of his forehead. He panicked, patting down his hairy body and stuttering. "Wh-what did you do to me? Why am I so hairy, and pudgy? And bald! I have glasses, and a beard, and... Wait, is this white hair? Am I... Am I old!? FUCK! I'm old! I didn't want to be fucking old! What the fuck kind of trick is this!!"

The Apprentice smirked, making up an excuse on the spot. "Well, not all magic is simple. You wanted to be smarter, and everyone knows wisdom comes with age. Sadly, it's just an after-effect of the spell. But I'm sure you know that, the new smarty pants you are".

He stopped and stared slack-jaw at the Apprentice. "But I ain't fucking smarter! I'm just older! I can't believe this... When I find your fucking boss, I'm going to get you fired on the spot!"

The Apprentice smirked. If anything, Mitawi would probably promote him. He'd get a good kick out of the situation. But maybe it wasn't wise to let the old man run off. He waved a hand in front of the his face a few times and clicked his fingers. A white buttoned shirt and a pair of brown slacks held up by suspenders materialised on the former jock, who blinked a few times, looking a bit dazed. 

"I'm sorry, but what's going on?".

The Apprentice grinned and replied "Nothing to worry about sir". He glowed with happiness, a mind wipe was still tricky for him but it went off without a hitch. Now he just needed to fabricate a new life for him. Or he could just dump him at the nearest retirement home. It's not like they would question another elderly man with dementia.

-----------------------------------

"Anything I desire? Really?"

"Of course. It's your wish after all".

Sammy stroked her chin in thought. She hadn't considered the possibility of getting such a big prize. She'd heard rumours of a magic shop in town, she'd even passed its unassuming store front several times. Her mind raced with possibilities. But she always kept coming back to one wish. A forbidden wish she'd never shared with anyone until now. She took a deep breath and announced "I want to be a man".

The Apprentice's eyes widened with interest. "You want me to turn you into a man?"

Sammy flushed with embarrassment, and twiddled her thumbs. "Well yeah. I wanna be a guy like my brother and my daddy". She gained confidence in her speech and The Apprentice listened on as she spilled all her pent up desires.  "I don't like being a girl, having to wear dresses and play with dollies. Mommy won't even let me cut my hair because she think I'll look too much like a boy. But that's what I want to look like! I don't want to get boobs when I grow up, I want to get a willy. But that's not how things work. So if your magic egg can help then I'll take it!".

"Well alright then. One gender change coming up". The Apprentice paused, wondering whether he should get Mitawi to perform the spell. He'd only really dealt with time based magic. Gender magic was another thing entirely. But the wishing eggs were designed to be easy to use. Maybe if he just mixed in his own expertise. "I hope this works..." he muttered before cracking the egg and blowing the dust towards Sammy. It swirled and surrounded the anticipating girl until she could no longer be seen. After a few minutes, the dust faded away and The Apprentice grinned widely. It had worked!

The petite girl had been transformed into a massive man, buck naked and proudly baring it all. He was a tall, beefy bloke with multitudes of body hair covering his shapely pecs and soft gut. More hair spread outwards across his upper arms, his shoulders and to his back. A short beard coated his strong, round jaw and complemented his high hairline. Sam sat down on a nearby log, examining his masculine features as best as he could. He held his arms out in front of him, gazing at the dark hair that travelled across them straight down to his large hands. Curious, he reached down and cupped his cock and balls with one hand, shivering from the unusual feeling. He never dreamed he'd be able to have his own penis, but it really was his, and it was real.

Tears welled at the corners of his eyes, which he quickly wiped away. He had to stay looking strong. He was a man now. He was a man now! He jumped up, grabbed The Apprentice and pulled him into a big bear hug. "Thank you!" he cried in a gravelly baritone voice. "Thank you so much! I could just kiss you!". On that, Sam immediately let go of the man, coughing awkwardly and avoiding his gaze.

The Apprentice only smiled and coolly replied "Well, I finish working at 6 if you want to wait a bit". He clicked his fingers, and a pair of worn jeans and a red flannel shirt snaked their way around Sam's nude body. Sam undid a few buttons on his shirt to show off the silky chest hair he now attained. He dragged his fingers across his exposed chest and laughed. This was really real. He was so different, nobody would ever recognise the new him at all. They'd laugh if he even suggested this big bear of a man used to be a little girl. But maybe The Apprentice could help him settle into a new life worthy of a man such as him.

----------------------------------

"Well, I would really like some..."

"Stop! Don't grant his wish, he stole that egg from me!"

The Apprentice turned around to see a man his own age running towards him and Paul, the preteen about to make his wish.

"Nuh-uh, I found this egg fair and square! It was in those bushes over there". He pointed towards a blueberry bush that had clearly been defiled by several hands digging through it.

The older man shook his head. "You liar! I caught you snatching it from my own basket! I deserve that wish fair and square"

"Yeah, well this is supposed to be for kids, not creepy weirdos like yourself"

"It's an open event and I know the true power of these eggs. I saw you granting a kid's wish, turning him into an adult with a big beard"

"Woah, you can do that!? I want to be older too! I want a beard!"

"Fat chance, that's MY egg and I want to use MY wish to be young again. If you can turn some brat into a man then surely you can do the opposite"

The Apprentice zoned out of the ensuing argument, pinching his nose in frustration. There was no way of knowing which of the two were lying. Luckily, it seemed that they both wanted opposing wishes. With an equal exchange, he could grant both wishes at the same time. He had previously swapped an uncle and nephew earlier in the day. These two were complete strangers, but it was basically the same thing right? If he focused right, he could probably make them the same age and everyone would be happy. The Apprentice shook his arms out and cracked the egg, before blowing the wish dust towards the arguing duo. Neither of them noticed what was happening as they were engulfed by a cloud of colourful dust, momentarily silencing them. 

Once it had cleared, The Apprentice was the one left perplexed by what had happened. His spell to exchange the boy's youth with the man's maturity had definitely worked, albeit probably a little too well.The man who claimed he'd found the egg first was nowhere to be seen, just a pile of clothes where he once stood. This worried The Apprentice, had he taken things too far? But he let out a sigh of relief when he noticed the abandoned clothes moving. A small head popped out from beneath with a very confused expression. He tried to say something, but only babbling came out of his mouth. The Apprentice had accidentally taken all of the man's maturity and left him as a vulnerable baby. And all of that maturity had to go somewhere.

The Apprentice now turned his gaze to Paul who was just as perplexed by the situation, looking down at the newborn. He had been gifted, if you could call it a gift, all of the man's maturity and was now even older than The Apprentice himself. Paul eventually turned his attention to his own body, running a veiny hand up his soft, hairy torso to the salt and pepper beard that covered his leathery face, before running a hand through his thin hair and stroking the bald spot at the back of his head.

"The baby... Was that... Does that mean I'm... I mean obviously I'm older. But did I get all of it? Of the age? I did, didn't I? Wow... I'm older. I'm older than he was, than you are... This is... I can't believe..."

The Apprentice cleared his throat to stop Paul from babbling "Yeah, OK, this is kind of my fault... But technically you only wished to be older, and he wished to be younger so you both did get what you asked for..." He trailed off. The Apprentice felt a twinge of guilt. He hadn't meant for this to happen at all. The kid probably only wanted to be college age, and now he was closer to retirement age thanks to him. He understood that feeling of confusion and helplessness after aging without warning after all.

The young baby on the floor made some loud babbling noises which clearly sounded annoyed. The Apprentice ignored him for now, he had been a bit of a jerk and they wouldn't be in this situation if he'd kept his mouth shut. If anything he'd gotten the good end of the stick, gaining the rare opportunity of a second chance at life. Unlike Paul who had lost the opportunity to forge his own path through life, not to mention half his life expectancy. The Apprentice put his arm around the older man's shoulder. "You alright man? I realise this probably wasn't what you expected huh?"

Paul shook off The Apprentice's arm and turned to face him, sadness in his eyes. "No, I only wanted to be half this age actually..." Then a smile flashed across his grizzled face. "But I'm fine. Really! My wish was to be older and I should have been more specific!".

"Are you really sure? I kind of experienced the same change and it took me a while to adjust. I still catch myself flinching when I see my reflection sometimes". 

Paul nodded his head, assuring him that he was OK. However, the tired expression on his face gave away his true feelings. Both of them smiled weakly at the other, until The Apprentice said "Well you know where to find me if you ever want to talk. Believe me, I barely leave this place".

Paul chuckled, before turning his attention to the infant still laying on the ground. "So what do we do with this little guy?"

The Apprentice picked him up, cradling him in his strong arms. "Oh don't worry, my boss deals with this more often than you'd think. He's probably the sole person keeping the orphanage in business". He clicked his fingers as a fresh pair of clothes appeared on Paul's naked body, and a diaper appeared on the baby. "Maybe he could help you too. There's a vacancy in the shop, and my boss prefers to hire men with, uhm, experience like ours". Paul smiled, maybe this wouldn't be too bad after all.