"Come on," Voren scolded, "it is not that hard."
"I'm trying." Soren muttered trying to concentrate fully on his body and mind. But it is hard with Voren just standing in front of him like a commanding knight barking orders.
"You are not trying hard enough." Viren scowled, his hands on his hips, standing in an utterly bored manner.
Soren's wings twitched. Voren had been teaching him how to turn himself back to a human–or something similar to a human.
"Soren," Voren looked up at his little brother's darkened eyes, "how many times we had been through this?" he tilted his head.
Soren guiltily looked at Voren, "I lost count after the three times."
"Forty Seven times, you dunce, sea-weed head!" he scoffed, "we had been on this for almost four days, dimwit!"
Soren recoiled at the insult. He did not seem to mind since he is a dunce, sea-weed head. He looked down, looking a little pitiful.
Voren sighed, calming down, "okay, I'm sorry. I went a little overboard on that insult." he approached Soren and gently gripped his shoulders, looking into his eyes, "how about we start like this, okay?"
"Like what?" Soren's eyes did not move away from Voren's.
"Like," Voren let go of Soren's shoulders and smiled, "think about an important moment in your life or… think about something that makes you happy."
"Something that makes me happy?" Soren thought for a while. His lips quirked upwards.
Voren scanned Soren's face a few times then backed off with a grin, "I think Forty Eighth is the charm." He cheered, "go, brother. Do your worst."
Soren let out a breath then let his mind wander off to his more happier memories. The memories before Elias had caught and experimented on him. He remembered the day Marryanne had forced Cyrus to dress up as Cinderella. Back then Soren's breath had gotten caught in his throat.
Or, the time when he and Cyrus had to share a bed in an inn. Or the times when both of them had to share a sleeping bag when the matron asked them to collect some medicinal herbs that the twins, Ray and Jay, destroyed.
All his fond memories were with the kids in the orphanage and with Cyrus.
He felt the energy on his body swirling around him in a cool but warm symphony.
"It is working." Voren commented, watching as a beam of light grew brighter on Soren's chest. It was so bright that Voren had to cover his eyes.
The light slowly dissipated and Voren opened his eyes. They widened when he finally saw Soren. A similar young man was standing in front of him now with similar features as him but with shorter hair and leaner build. Voren's eyes softened.
Soren slowly opened his eyes as he heard Voren say.
"Welcome back, little brother."
Soren looked at himself with barely concealed joy, "I am really back." He said to himself more than it sounded to Voren.
Voren grinned, "That's right, my adorable little brother is back." He said teasingly.
Soren grinned with Voren. He and his brother had never looked more similar as they look right now. Then he sighed, "we should go back. I still have to cook for the kids." he grabbed Voren's hand, "besides, poor Cyrus might have done all the cooking by himself."
Voren cracked his neck side to side, "then I will help you with that as well." He then looked at Soren, grinning mischievously "by the way, do you have any cute aprons?"
Soren thought for a but, "I think I have one you would like."