This was not the first time Arin had witnessed the world shift around him.
From the time he'd first appeared in that clearing - and this world - as Rin, to when he'd made use of the teleportation portal while traveling to Silvershade with Siel, to all those times going back-and-forth entering and exiting Elara's distortion, he liked to think he'd had more than enough experience with these things.
Blink - and you're someone else.
Blink - and you're somewhere else.
Blink - and -
Arin opened his eyes, looking down at 'his' own sandaled feet planted firmly on the grassy ground. Small, purple wildflowers dotted the edges of his limited view, bobbing and dancing in a gentle breeze.
His gaze shifted lower to see 'his' tiny hands clasped in front of 'his' stomach. He caught a flash of purple through 'his' fingers, and realized that 'he' was holding tightly onto some of those same purple flowers.
Suddenly, the breeze seemed to loosen a strand of 'his' hair, and he saw it flutter in front of his face; it was the now-familiar dark-brown curls.
Sure enough, he was still Rin. Albeit in a much younger form than he was used to.
With a sigh, he moved to straighten up and take in more of his surroundings.
Well, he tried.
His body wouldn't respond to his will.
Arin felt a brief moment of dread at the helplessness, before calming himself down almost immediately.
This was what he was here for.
He was in a memory.
'-there you are!' came a loud, clear voice from somewhere in front of him, and he felt Rin start slightly before he slowly looked up.
Arin saw a taller girl - probably about ten-or-so years old - running towards him.
'Your sister has been calling for you! Why must you make her worry so?'
Despite her words, the girl's face - flush from running - wore a gentle smile as she approached him.
'Oh! You liar!'
Rin's attention was drawn further away by another voice. Another girl of similar age was following after the first, her brightly colored skirts gathered up in one hand. Her loose braid was half-undone, with familiar, dark curls glinting in the sunlight.
'Ami is a liar!' the second girl exclaimed, also smiling. 'I never called for you once! She was the one who was worried. And all because you were not where you'd said you'd be!'
'Sera!'
'Ah...' Arin felt Rin gasp. 'I'm... sorry,' he whispered in a low voice.
At that, both the girls, who'd stopped to bicker about the details of who'd said what, whipped around to face him.
'Don't be!'
'Sorry? Why?'
'Truly, we were just worried you'd gotten lost again -'
'Liar. I wasn't.'
Arin felt his lips twitch up into a small smile. He then raised his hands and held out the purple wildflowers he'd held bunched-up towards the two girls.
'Ah. For us?' The first girl, Ami, widened her pretty gray eyes.
The second girl, Sera, reached out to...
Flick him lightly on the forehead. 'Mother says you cannot keep picking flowers from the south lawn. Not even the wildflowers!' she said. 'The gardeners complain.'
Rin's gaze locked onto the flowers in his hand again, and he tilted his head to one side. 'But, sister. They grow back...'
'You miss the point -!'
'Oh, hush.' Ami cut Sera off, and leaned forward to graciously take the offered flowers. She then dropped into an exaggerated curtsy, saying, 'Thank you, my lord.'
'Ah. Uhm...' Rin took a small step back.
'Pfft-'
The girl with the braid doubled over in laughter. 'Ami! You admonish me for teasing my brother too much, but look at you!'
Ami, also laughing, straightened up and said, 'It won't be long before the little prince masters etiquette. All jest aside, he must start getting used to such forms of address, because that's all he'll hear soon enough.'
Sera drew her brows in at those words. 'No. Surely not when it's just us. In our own time, you may be as comfortable with him as you are with me!'
Rin's head had been moving back-and-forth as he listened to the two girls speak. At those words, he nodded mutely, but with a determined set to his mouth.
'However!' his older sister continued, 'We must all take care to not let that little stiff-necked -'
'Sera!'
'Oh, apologies. We mustn't allow such uncouthness to harm the royal ears of my dearest younger brother, prince Ralen, that peevish little -'
'Your Highness!'
'Fine, Ami! Come, Rin. Let us leave together.'
As the two girls led the way, Rin remained in place.
'But... little Ralen is nice too...' he mumbled to himself, in a voice much too low for anyone else to hear.
Besides, Arin, of course.
After a moment's pause, Rin shook his head slightly. He then started hurrying after the girls.