Author's note
WHOO! I BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO DIZ! Especially what comes up! Ooo, goodie!

So! Who was it that I saved from dying last chapter? Not Tango ;3: it was our lil EX, up to no good! Pilfering potions from one of our resident potion-masters, actually... But it seems as if he's gotten more than he thought, which isn't going to be good!

Especially with what he chooses...

Headcannons in this chapter
- Jevin and Cleo! Potion-maker-extraordinaries! They like experimenting with such potions too...
- Bit of an obvious one: potion colours usually give clues as to what a potion does. Unless it's a really weird/ screwed up brew...

(SPOILERS FOR THIS CHAPTER!)
- Baby TFC likes being held. His temperature is also quite precarious and hard to keep in the right degree, especially as a baby.
- IRL fact! I'm weirdly good at maintaining a consistent, nice body temperature. I'll be the one girl who's ok in winter without a coat, and ok in summer in a blazer.
- Child Joe likes to expand his vocabulary, with fancy words that he occasionally forgets.
- (Comment here if you want to know who this is) uses 'mean' language because they think it makes them look cool. It really doesn't.
- (Here) has a shockingly shorter fuse than normal.
- Most... Major body mishaps happened when these guys were older. So Doc and Iskall ain't exactly... Bot-like just yet. Xisuma and Scar don't have their scars either. Oh. Beards and... Moustaches won't be a thing yet either... Though a certain someone will now have head-hair.
- Kids, and children in general, really don't have a filter. They say what they think, when they think it, and sometimes... Kids say the darnest things.
- (Here)'s reckless courage hasn't developed yet. Or... At all...
- ... Powers... And kid hermits... WELP-
——————————————————
With some difficulty, EX had succeeded in his mission: a (small) plethora of mysterious potions could be used at his command!... Now, if only he knew what they actually did...

Hm.

Well, it wasn't his fault: none of them had any labels on, and between him stealing them and him escaping, there hadn't been enough time to test them. There was no time now either- that little brat of a girl was sure to be searching him out, so he had to deter her now.

The best way to do that? Make her hands full...

... This... Yellow and pink potion looked... Promising. Ah well, it would have to do.

EX smirked, bringing out the load of empty glass bottles he'd snatched along with the potions. He was forced to spilt the potion in order to have enough for the entire server, but that was alright... Hopefully, he wouldn't need any more.

With what unpredictable effects potions had, this should be fine...

And now... To distribute it...
—————————————————
Xisuma fell from a high place

Scar: RIP your sleep and stability.

Joe: Oh dear... Wait... Did I just see Evil Xisuma?

TFC: Really? Hold on, I'll come to you...

Impulse: Where?

Joe: He's gone now... Huh... I could've sworn I saw himnnbbbbbbbbv-

Stress: ... Joe?! JOE?!
—————————————————
"... Where did he go?" AC muttered to herself, sniffing around annoyedly. Her ear gave a twitch of caution as she trod on, trailing the faint scent of a certain evil-doer. "I could've sworn he didn't- aaand I'm talking to myself again, great..."

It was times like this that she regretted not knowing basic geography. Admittedly, the girl did find it fun getting lost within the wonders of the world once and again, but this was getting ridiculous...

... Why didn't she get Ren, or Tango, or some other bloodhoundy person?

Oh yeah. Because she was dumb and didn't think about that...

... Was 'bloodhoundy' even a word?

"Well, at this point, darling, I don't care anymore- aaaaand back to talking to myself... Man I am bored..." AC groaned.

Still, the grass was exactly like slightly-spiky-but-soft carpet where it touched her tail, and the clouds were still all floaty. That was nice.
——————————————————
Stress: I'm going to-

Cub: ... To...?

Iskall: Stressy, you left us hanging, lol.

Iskall: ... Stress...

Iskall: STRESS?!

Doc: Roll call, NOW! Who's safe? Don't answer if someone's said your name.

Iskall: I'm fine! Just saw Grian, Stress left me a while ago!

Mumbo: Saw Ren and Zed, currently with Impulse!

Cub: I'm on my way back to Concorp. I've seen Cleo, False and Ren.

Ren: I'm on myself, aw!

Doc: REN!

Ren: Seen Jevin.

Scar: I'm at Concorp, oh! I see Cub coming to me right now, and-

Xisuma: Scar? Cub, is Scar alright?!

Iskall: I SEE EX! HE'S GOT SOME KIND OF POTION OH SHOOT TELLOW PRIBK-

Impulse: ... I saw that and he's coMING- NO-
——————————————————
Hmmm...

Curiouser and curiouser... The trail seemed to have started turning back around... And... Upon the ground, a few splashes of ... Liquid? A few splashes of liquid dampened the grass, staining it an odd, lighter hue.

Where it had spilled, the grass looked... Shorter... Fresher, smaller, even... AC shook her head tiredly, skipping along the patterned ground. She was probably being silly; the liquid could've been something dense, so maybe it weighed the ground down. Yeah, that was probably it.

Welp. Back on track!

"To... Wherever this leads!"
—————————————————
Announcement from- Xisuma: Get to cover, NOW!

Biffa: I'm going out to search for anyone, don't stop me.

Xisuma: Wasn't planning to. Anyone else, hide immediately. We don't know what this potion does, and I'm not having you all risk yourselves by being stupid.

False: You cannot be serious! OUR FRIENDS ARE OUT THERE!

Python: I agree with False, I'm not staying here and doing nothing. See any of you stragglers later.

Wels: I'm not allowed to >:S.

Grian: #withprotectiveslime ?

Wels: Yup.

Biffa: I see you out here, I'm knocking you out and taking you back to Jevin.

Wels: You can't. He went out, I can escape whenever I... Wait, have you guys actually seen Jevin?

Zedaph: I just saw Jevin get a potion chucked at him! I don't know what it- OH MY GOSH EX IS-

Biffa: Where are you?! WHERE ARE YOU?!
—————————————————
"Where aaaAAaAaAAare you?! My leggies are short and feetsies are achy... Too achy to try and flippity flappity... Nuuu... Oh, the woes of a smol author~!"

How long left...? By this rate, she would be back to the main island soon... Perhaps that was where EXy was heading?

Well, no bother... But curse her short legs!... If only she could make them a little bit longer...

Oh wait.

She could.

So, now, a sniggering Xisuma could be seen prancing through grass plains. Totally normal... Totally normal indeed...
—————————————————
Cleo: I'm out looking for people. If I don't reply within the next five minutes, I've been bombed with whatever EX has.

False: Hey, I see you! Hold up, I'll join you. We go down together.

Xisuma: Is NO ONE getting to cover?

Doc: You're searching for people when you're extra clumsy and unable to sleep. Get back.

Xisuma: Doc, I'm not leaving.

Xisuma: ... Doc?

Ren: Hey, Doc?! This isn't funny!

Xisuma: Who's actually ok at the moment oh gosh...

Grian: I'm fine... So far...

Python: Safe.

Ren: I'm ok.

Wels: Concerned...

Grian: ... Mumbo? You haven't spoken since saying you were with Impulse... Are you alright?!

Biffa: Tango, stop trying to sneak out. I can see you from here.

Tango: NO! I have no idea where Impulse and Zed are!

Biffa: Well, I'm sure that-

Wels: ... Biffa?! Tango, is he ok?!

Xisuma: EVERYONE, STOP GOING OUT!

Announcement from- Xisuma: STOP GOING OUT!

Python: CURSES! I bet Wels has just gone out, I'll see if I can find him.

Xisuma: FOR GOODNESS-
——————————————————
... The server was unusually quiet. Well, quiet for an extremely crazy server- by now, surely she would've heard something... Like the rhythmic noises of machines, the random sound of block placement, heck.

Even the ominous crack of eggs would be normal.

But no, there was nothing so far...

... Hmmm... SuSpIcIoUs-

Was... Everyone alright? Was it just a sleepy day?

Either way, AC would check it out! And... With a slightly more hurried pace... Maybe gliding with a demon's wings would be faster...
——————————————————
Python: Hey, so I just found Wels?-

Xisuma: That's great, now GET TO COVER!

Grian: Where are you?

Ren: By my shop... Oh shOOT- RIP-

Xisuma: Wait, I see EX!

Ren: OBVIOUSLY?! Right, let's fight him off.

Xisuma: Ren, no, I- REN-

Grian: I'm with you.

Xisuma: ... Well. I guess I'm doing this now... If I get splashed, I'm blaming all of you.

Grian: Wouldn't have it any other way.
—————————————————
(-Smol time skoop-)

...

Ok... This... Was too quiet... Especially with how close AC was to the more populated areas...

... Even if most people were in the 1.14 are, it still wouldn't be this quiet! Seriously! What was going on?!

Besides, from the many, many angst stories that her senpais had written, an unnaturally quiet place was DEFINITELY bad. Or strange.

And it was strange... The server wasn't completely silent though- if that were so, then that really would be terrifying. But it wasn't, so it was still tolerable. For now.

If she didn't find human contact soon enough though, AC would be forced to take excessively complex measures.

"... Gee. How very n-"

"WAH-!"

But wait! What was that?!

... Crying?

"Oh, please stop crying! I-I know this is an... Um... Un... Unfor... Bad situation, but it's ok! It's ok, really!"

"Aw, he's so sweet!... Hey, you're ok! You're ok... We've got you."

"WAHHH!"

Human voices! ... Young human voices... Actually, by the sound of them...

AC cautiously travelled towards the taking voices, peering around until she saw where they were coming from and gasped. They too noticed her, having a similar reaction of surprise.

"WOAH- oh! Oh my goodness!"

"You're normal?!"

"You're not?!" She stuttered, staring down at the three hermits she'd finally found. Please note the use of 'staring down' instead of 'up' this time...

(Author's note: YEAH DON'T ASK ABOUT THE CLOTHES-CHANGE I DON'T KNOW EITHER)

Joe sat, much younger and befuddled than before. His fringe was a tad too long, and his glasses lay at a slightly crooked angle on his nose. His clothes remained around the same, aside from him now donning a pair of grey shorts.

Next to him was Stress, her usually short hair now just below her shoulders. Her rose-pink cardigan had been replaced with a rose-pink pinafore, though still with a white shirt underneath. A sweet, cautious expression of relief was upon her features.

Most surprisingly, however, was TFC. To put it bluntly... He was a literal baby. No, seriously...  He looked around a year old, starkly different and his clothes had shrunk accordingly. Wait, was that a napp-

"EX threw this... Potion at us from... I don't really know... It put us to sleep, he was gone and when we woke up, we were... De... De... Old? Not older? Um...-"

"De-aged? Younger?"

"Y-Yeah, both!" Joe said, smiling... Before wincing at TFC still brawling his eyes out. "... Oh, please stop crying! Please?"

AC pondered over what Joe had recounted silently, picking up TFC in a gentle hold as she did so. With a small nuzzle from the usually youngest of the server, he became quiet almost instantly. Joe and Stress stared, confused and impressed, before AC started walked away.

The two scrambled to get on their feet and follow her, shouting a few 'stops' too.

"We gotta check out the rest of the server... If EXy disappeared, who knows what he could've got up to!" Suddenly stopping, the girl held a hand out at once, catching Stress' arm before she slammed into her. "Careful, lil Queenie. Do you guys remember anything else, before you got... Splooshed?"

The last word only prompted a short giggle, and a shake of the head.

Well. Time to do some... Investigating.

One handedly, AC took her C.P.S.T out from her pocket, clicking the main chat button. The amount of messages wasn't too surprising, but the subject of those messages was...

And it caused AC to gasp in shock.

Oh dear...

... If... That potion caused the hermits to be... Childrenified... And it seemed like EX had already gotten to the entire server...

"... What am I goING TO DO?! The people I look up to... Are going to be looking up to me?! Literally?!" She panicked, pacing forwards and forcing Joe and Stress to start speed-walking. Just as suddenly, she halted again.

"Oh my gosh- well, Joe, darling, no time to loiter around! We need to find them first- NO WAIT-"

Joe narrowly ducked under the arm thrown out above him. He couldn't stop the frantic girl from mussing up his hair anyway, tilting the angle of his glasses accidentally. As he straightened them out as best as he could, AC started rambling again.

"Ohhh, no no no! Don't try and be cheeky with me! No, Joe, Stress, you're going to... Go into the portal-"

A portal opened behind her, startling the... Only two sane children. Baby TFC didn't notice it.

"-to my room. Or... My kind-of temporary, kind-of hidden one... Because I'm to stubborn to allow myself regular sleeping areas at Concorp- OK, g'day, I'll be back soon! Oh, and take babi TFC!" Arguing with... Seemingly herself? And (albeit carefully) thrusting TFC into Joe's arms.

... Until he started sniffling again, and was quickly passed/ taken back into AC's arms.

"... Um... Ok, never mind that last part then... B-But, you two, go through that portal! I'll be searching around for your- OUR friends!" AC smiled briefly, pushing Joe and Stress into the portal without their total consent. It closed as silently as it opened, leaving the girl to travel onwards, in search of... Anymore children...

... Oh boy. This... Would be interesting...

From various other corners of the server... The exact same thought would soon be shared by its many players. Once they woke up.

Childrenified.

(Author's note: Let's see if you guys can guess who's who... Without the next chapter to verify the kids' personalities. I'll give you guys a hint, rechecking the chat's messages... May help with... A few hints~)
——————————————————
"... Ah, frick, my head..."

"You sound like me when I was- waiT I SOUND LIKE ME WHEN I WAS-"

"That's because you are, stupid!"

"Oh my gosh! You said stupid!"

"Yeah, so?"

"THAT'S S-SUCH A BAD WORD!"

"NO IT ISN'T-"
——————————————————
"H-Hey? You-You ok, there?"

"... What does it freaking look like?"

"... No? Ok, uhhh... How do you... Feel?"

"I feel like I was just splashed with a random potion, knocked out by it and fell uncomfortably on the floor as I did so."

"Woah... That sucks."

"Oh yeah? Gee I really wouldn't have guessed-"

"Ha! Sucks to be you!"

"... You know the exact same thing happened to you, right?"

"Naw, I fell in some red powder."

"... Is that... Complicated redstone?!"

"Yup. And imma mess with it- ..."

"..."

"D-Did you just hear that high pitched, evil-gleeful laugh?"

"... Yes. And I also see that crazed boy blinking his new, humanly blue eye in wild fascination..."

"... Nice-"

"No, it's not-"
——————————————————
"Help... Me..."

"HOW?!"

"PULL ME UP?! I don't know, just please, I can't MOVE-"

"Ok! Ok, here let me just- OH SHOOOT YOU FEEL WEIRD-"

"What did you expeCT?!"

"I don't know, but not this!"

"Just help me up!"

"I AM TRYING TO!"

"WELL, YOU AREN'T TRYING HARD ENOUGH THEN- GAHHH-"

"HHHHH-"

"Aw, shOOT- you ok?!"

"... YuuuUhP... I tHInk sO?"
——————————————————
"You're pretty."

"You're pretty cool."

"Wanna be BFFs?"

"Okie! What about screechy boy though?"

"AAAAAAARGH?! WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!"

"... Mmm... Naw, leave him. He seems to have something wrong with him, and I don't wanna deal with that. What do you think?"

"Meh. You sound right."

"Thanks, BFF!"

"You're welcome, BFF!"

"WHY AM I S-SO SHORT?!"
——————————————————
"What are you?"

"Uhhh... What do I look like?"

"S-Scary..."

"I kinda feel like it as well, but yeah. What about you?"

"W-hu-huh?"

"... Um... What are you?"

"... A-A... Mmmph..."

"... A what?"

"Robbnnn..."

"... Robber?"

"N-No a-a robot! Robot! S-See? I-I have real metal b-bits and-and stuff!"

"Oh. Cool."

"..."

"... W-Wait, no, don't start crYING-"

"I CAN'T HELP IIIIT!!!"
——————————————————
"Oh my gosh! Friends! Everywhere!"

"No, they look... Dangerousss..."

"... Sssss?"

"Ssshut u-"

"IMMA COMIN GETCHA!"

"NO- NOOOOO- STOOOP!"

"IMMA GETCHA!"

"NOOO!"

"Sssee! Evil!

"P-PLEASE HELP!"

"W-WAIT LET ME JUST- oh. Leaves! Nice!"

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

"S-Shouldn't we help him?!"

"Why? It'sss hisss problem."

"BUT-"

"... Ugh. Fine. Let's go catch them then..."
——————————————————
Author's note
GUESS WHA I DREW FROM AN IDEA ME AND SAVI SENPAI CAME UP WIT-

(Yes. Iskall has make-up on, but I couldn't drAW THAT TEENY WEENY-)

>:3! Ahu hu hu... Hope chu happy wit it, senpai! It took some time!

In other news, CHILDRENS!

THEY'VE BEEN CHILDRENIFIED-

Sorry, I had to, lol. I'll just be rounding them up for now... Should be pretty easy- just follow where the most screaming is. But... How... Am I supposed to... Care for twenty odd children?

...

Well.

You'll all finD OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER-
——————————————————
...

"... Potions are... So useful..."