Brandon 4 turned to face the shopkeeper, running backwards just as fast as he had forwards. "Oh come on now, still lagging behind? Hurry up, buddy!" he taunted, as a long glove appeared to match the first on both arms.
The shopkeeper felt a hint of annoyance at the changing boy's words, and then compelled himself to keep up with his odd companion. As he did, though, what he couldn't observe is that his body's changes were accelerating to keep on par with Brandon's.
First his clothes fused together,turning into a black bodysuit like Brandon's. Then his hair changed, turning black and growing out into curving spines, gaining few red tips. His ears were next, turning triangular and moving to the top of his head. Next were his shoes which changed to the same dusky color as his gloves, developed crimson colored hearts on the toes, and began sliding up the shopkeeper's legs. Next his proportions changed, his hands, feet, and particularly head growing larger.
"I won't let him beat me," the shopkeeper muttered, as his eyes changed from their usual color to red.
Brandon 2 was finishing up the repairs to the machine when he heard a strange chiming sound on the other end of the workshop. He stopped his tinkering, setting down the tools as he headed towards the source of the noise.
As he walked, his shoes, which now reached up the majority of his legs, began to alter in shape, sprouting heels which clicked along the cement floor as he walked.
Brandon 3 continued wandering around the forest in search of the pieces of the master emerald. So focused was he on his task that he noticed none of the changes occurring to him, the most recent of which being the addition of red hearts on the toes of his shoes.
Brandon's eyes lit up as he spotted a promising glint in the distance, increasing his pace as he came closer to what he hoped was another piece of the master emerald.
