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Maya stares at herself in the mirror. Her long black hair, usually let down, tied back in a bun. It's unfortunate she didn't have much time this morning to tie it up less haphazardly. But it's fine, there would be time to fix it later. She was still in her regular clothes anyway, and people were coming to set up and celebrate today.
“Mystic Maya!” Came a call from the direction of the Winding Way.
She looks towards the sound. “Pearly?”
Sure enough, her younger cousin comes barreling into the room. The door bangs against the wall, before falling off one of its hinges. It sways, pathetically, back and forth in the air.
“Mystic Maya! I'm so sorry!” The teenager cries, in a way she hasn't since she was a child.
“What's wrong?”
Pearl doesn't answer at first, instead holding out her hands and what lies within them, her head bowed.
Maya looks down.
It's a rat.
A grey rat. With a tuft of white hair on its head.
“Hmm,” Maya frowns. “Is that-”
“I didn't know he would walk in! Please forgive me!” Pearl holds the rat to her chest, holding the squirming mass in her palms.
“Pearl?”
She sniffles. “Yes?”
“Why is my fiancé a rat?”
Pearl wails. The rat wiggles free from her grip and jumps onto the floor. Maya scurries after him, scooping him into her arms.
He seems to settle then, at least, loafing against her.
“What… what was it?” She asks, looking him over. “Simon?”
A chitter.
“It was a ritual. For your happiness!” Pearl sobs further. She runs out of the room. Before Maya has a chance to follow her, she's running back in with a book in hand.
Maya leans forward to read the open pages.
On the top reads “Until Rat Do You Part.”
“Pearly… this… doesn't say anything about that.” She should have invested more into the Hooked on Phonics program for the office computer.
Pearl hiccups, distressed.
Maya opens her mouth, closes it, opens it again. She runs a finger down Blackquill's furry back.
“I… We… Thank you for caring about us so much. We appreciate the effort. And the thought.” She tries to soothe her cousin, which seems a bit funny with her husband-to-be stuffed in her arms.
“But he's a RAT.” Pearl yells.
Simon tries to crawl up Maya's robes, like he's attempting to escape the noise. Her hands follow him over her shoulder.
“Yes… Yes, he does appear to be that… but we'll figure something out. I'm sure.” Maya sucks in a breath. “Can you go tell everyone that… hmm… Something came up? They'll understand.” She wasn't exactly sure they would. But there weren't many other options.
Once they're alone Maya sighs. She gets a grip under Simon's arms and pulls him from her shoulder. She places him, facing her, into her other palm. He squishes slightly, cradled in her hands.
“What are we going to do…” Maya tilts her head, looking him over. “I dunno, Simey. I kind of like you like this. I'm finally taller!”
The rat squeaks indignantly.
She laughs, bending to put him down. He stays nestled by her feet.
She sighs, blows the hair that's fallen into her face out of the way. She starts to read diligently through the book Pearl brought. She can't even think of where the girl found it.
“Maya? Is everything alright?” It’s Nick, knocking at the door.
Simon crawls up her leg, ignoring her yelp of surprise and slight discomfort. He settles once more at her shoulder.
“I'm coming in!” That's the only warning she gets before Phoenix knocks the door open, breaking the last hinge.
“Thanks, Nick. Real helpful.” She rolls her eyes.
“I heard you yell! What was I supposed to th- that's a rat.” He points intently, cutting off his own sentence.
“It's not just a rat,” she scoffs, “it's my special someone.”
“What.”
“Pearl turned Simon into a rat.”
“Uhhh…. Details?”
“None. None details.” She turns back to the book. “Really, I don't even know what she was trying to do. And I don't know where to even start.”
A worried sniffle fills the air.
“That's… that's really bad, Maya.” He stresses. “What if there's no-”
“I'm not worried about it,” she interrupts. Whether it's sincerity or denial, she can't tell. She doesn't want to find out. “There has to be something.”
“Well, this looks fun.” A voice calls from behind them. They turn around.
“Mia!” Phoenix sighs in relief. “Great, you're here. Fix this.”
“Pearl called me. She seemed like she was in a lot of distress. Although…” She looks around, “I don't know how warranted it was.”
Her gaze settles on the rat Maya is currently petting. “Ah, I see. The ol rattle dattle razzle dazzle. I see that soul of yours, Prosecutor Blackquill. Don't think I don't.”
“Isn't he cute?” Maya asks, turning to give her a better view. “I never even thought of him as a rat before.”
“Adorable.” Mia agrees.
“I don't think any of you are giving this the gravity it deserves!” Phoenix throws his arms up.
Mia shrugs. “So her boyfriend's a rat. Happens to the best of us.”
“Really?” Phoenix questions, skeptical.
Mia opens her mouth. Pauses. Deflates. “No…”
“What are we going to do?” Phoenix says, and in a fit of madness reaches out to take Simon from Maya's person. “We're gonna get you back!”
Mia laughs.
“This isn't funny!” Phoenix yells.
The rat screams. Squirms until Maya takes him back.
“Well, luckily, this doesn't feel permanent.” Mia soothes. “I just… don't know if it would be best to wait it out?”
“That was my thought.” Maya scrunches her lips.
“You could… try kissing him? Frog prince style?” Phoenix says in a way that reminds her of court. Before the Judge gives him a penalty.
But it's better than nothing. Maya lifts Blackquill to eye level.
“Let's give it a shot!” Maya leans forward, pursing her lips and pressing a kiss to his tiny rat nose.
There's a large bang, a blossoming heat, and a bright white light.
And then the room seems too big, her feet feel too long. Her nails scrape across the floor.
Maya realizes that she, too, is now a rat.
“That was unexpected.” A voice deadpans next to her. “I'm fairly disappointed with the results.”
“Simon! I can understand you now!” She squeaks.
She reaches out to him with a pink goblin hand.
“Maya!” Phoenix scoops her up, pulling her away from her fiance.
“Hey!” Maya yells, turning her head and grazing her new long teeth against his finger.
“Ack!” He yelps, dropping her back to the ground.
“You're really striking out.” Mia says.
“How do we change them back?” He whines, shaking off his hand. "I'm gonna need to get checked for rabies..." He mutters.
“Or the Plague. I'll leave notes for Pearl to do… whatever she was trying to do… backwards? And maybe that will help. At least this doesn't seem too bad.”
“They're rats.”
“And healthy. Look at that big boy.” Mia coos.
“Is the ghost of your sister… mocking me?” Blackquill squints his little rat eyes.
“It's how she shows affection.” Maya reassures him.
“Oh my God, where's the bird? Where's Blackquill’s bird?” Phoenix starts looking around, like the bird will emerge from a potted plant or candle. He runs out in a hurry, grabbing the door and setting it in place before running back off. The door falls to the floor behind him. “Somebody grab that hawk!”
“Well… at least he didn't overreact.” Mia says, before turning to the rodents. “I think this will wear off on its own, but it would be wise to stay in this room for the time being. I can feel Pearly trying to get back… She does feel awful about it. I don't think it would be wise... to see that you're also a rat...”
“It's okay!” Maya says, forgetting Mia won't be able to understand her.
“Well, congratulations anyway.” Mia laughs. “And really, Prosecutor Blackquill, this isn't the worst thing that's happened to a man with the Fey.”
“That's reassuring.”
“I love you.” Maya says, cozying up to his side. “Just two rats, sitting in a room. What will they do?”
“They'll try not to get eaten.”
“I'm too pure of heart. Taka would see me and let me ride him as a steed.” Maya's convinced. Determined.
“I suppose it's not all bad… At least we're together…” he says, almost reluctantly.
“Awww, you big softy.” Maya blinks. “We're together till rat do us part.”
In the distance, Maya hears a badum tss. Someone must have found the drumset.