Misfire Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters and a predominately micro-macro theme. You have been warned.
Curiosity killed the cat…or so the old idiom goes. Inquisitivity is one of those things that comes and goes with each passing day. Some people are naturally born to be more analytic than others, primed for the nature that comes from works related to exploration. None so much more than people in their youth. For their innocent and often naïve nature can lead them to get into trouble when they take things too far…
The vast expanse of wooden terrain before him. The grain of the oak was rough and the gnarl of the wood was visible to one as small as Bunson. Before he stood the giant of a boy that was Pent. Yet the rabbit understood that it wasn't the other boy that was big but rather him that was small. Pent's face was one of bewilderment. It was only in his dreams and the film world of science fiction that he thought this was possible and yet here it was, a tiny friend for him to behold.
Bunson had put himself in this predicament earlier in the day. He had been messing around in his parent's lab and decided to mess with one of their inventions. The small device has shattered on the floor and upon doing so, fired a beam which reflected on a mirror to hit him indirectly. Now he was very much the prey of his curiosity. The only thing in his mind now was how to get out of this situation and return to normal.
Pent scratched his chin as he was deep in thought of what to do.
"So…how did you get yourself like this?" The fox had to ask as his curious mind needed to be sated just as Bunson's did.
The rabbit huffed as he folded his arms. "It was by mistake. I didn't do it on purpose."
"Well…how did you do it then? Could you imagine the possibilities if we replicated it?" The fox's face was lit up with interest.
The scorbunny shrugged. "I'm not sure. I was just messing around in the lab and I broke this gun-looking thing and it shot me."
The fox looked behind him and saw the broken device on the floor. He stepped back a second and picked the pieces of it up before placing them on the table.
"You mean this?" Pent started to take a closer look at it.
The gun was metallic and looked to be the similar one used in movies as a prop. It was a pretty ornate design and had some red letters that resembled a caution sign.
The scorbunny nodded. "Yeah, I broke it on accident."
"I see. I'll have to run a diagnostic on it eventually. Maybe that will tell me what caused this." The fox hummed as he thought about how he would accomplish that.
Bunson stood there idly a second. "Well maybe I could help but I'm not sure how."
"Well…why don't' we have fun with it first?" The bigger cub had a mischievous look on his face.
The rabbit's eye grew wide with concern. "Fun…how?"
"Just trust me…I promise you will have fun. So….will you let me?" The fox knew he didn't need permission but asked anyway.
Bunson hesitated as he thought to himself for a moment. "Well…alright."
"Sweet! All aboard…" Pent placed his paw back down on the edge of the computer.
The rabbit slowly walked toward the bigger boy's hand. Stepping on, he struggled to maintain his upright position as the cub's palm was more squishy than the top of the table was. Pent moved his paw ever so slowly to his chest, so that if Bunson tumbled he would do so towards him rather than away. Pent began to take slow and methodical steps, each one he was extra careful with the delicate package in which he was delivering.
Bunson could feel the impact of each stride with much more levity than his friend did. The first few steps were more than enough to send him reeling on his behind back towards the safety of Pent's chest. The warmth of Pent's fur surrounded him and the density of it offered more cushioning than the fox's otherwise flat stomach. The kit made his way to Bunson's room as he had been to the boy's house several times before and knew where it was.
Entering into the living room, he heard the television and made sure to be quiet as to not arouse any suspicion as to what he was doing. Every so often he would look down and check on Bunson, who was now sprawled on his back with his arms extended to gain some form of traction. Pent felt a little bad but wasn't sure what else he could do to offer some extra safety without hurting the other boy.
It didn't take much longer for him to make it to Bunson's room. The rabbit's room was pretty well kept for someone of his age. The more clean nature of it made Pent self-conscious about his room as sometimes it got a little unruly. The fox looked around for any toys the other cub might have laying around and went into the closet. He figured it didn't matter that he was nosing around since Bunson essentially had given him free rein to do as he wished.
Opening the folding door, Pent could see that the closet was nowhere near as well kept as the rest of the room. Everything was just stuffed inside and Pent chuckled as he figured out the other cubs trick to keeping things tidy. Looking inside, there were all sorts of stuff on the floor. The kit noticed a small colorful truck fitted neatly in the corner. A smirk began to form on his face as he came up with an idea for it.
He bent over, allowing Bunson to roll into the center of his palm. The rabbit rolled, his stomach becoming uneasy as he made a few barrel rolls into one of Pent's paw pads. The fox used his other hand to grasp the small truck. The thing was plastic so it wasn't very hard for him to lift, even with only one hand. He pulled it out and maintained himself in a crouching position as he brought the small toy out.
Pent situated the small vehicle on the carpet and held out his paw so that Bunson could get on firmer ground. Bunson felt a bit queasy but his stomach wasn't unsettled enough to cause him to vomit. Once he was on the floor again, he felt a little bit better. The fox opened the plastic door of the truck and pointed to the inside of it. The scorbunny figured Pent wanted him to go inside.
Bunson shifted over towards the front door of the truck and eased himself inside. The plastic seat of the toy didn't offer much in terms of support for his back and he struggled to get comfortable. Pent moved his hand over the top of the truck and began to move it back and forth. The scorbunny felt his body rock back and forth as the truck made each sudden movement. The whiplash he was getting from the activity was quite severe.
The movement stopped for a moment and Bunson was able to collect himself as he sat upright in the chair. He grasped the wheel, which wasn't even able to move even despite him trying to adjust it. Pent went back into the closet and found some plastic ramps that the boy had used to get on the bed when he was smaller. The kit grabbed a hold of it and brought it out with him before positioning it on the center of the floor.
"Alright…hang tight. You're in for a ride." The bigger boy warned the small one.
Hearing those words made Bunson's heart skip a beat. "Wait!"
But it was too late. Pent couldn't hear the other boy's tone as it wasn't quite loud enough to be audible. The fox squared up the truck so that was in the direct line with the ramp. He pushed with all of his might, letting go of the truck and allowing it to go its own way. The vehicle continued racing in a straight line towards the ramp. Bunson watched from within as the bright orange block came into sight.
The truck was sent rolling up the ramp, more than easily having enough force to clear it. Once it reached the end of it, the car was sent careening off the edge and to the floor below. Gravity carried it back to the floor before it popped up and down from the impact of the carpet. The entire time Bunson had been holding on for dear life but the thrill of the moment had surpassed any sense of fear he was having.
It didn't take much longer for the truck to come to a stop. When it did, Pent crawled over to where it was to check on the tiny passenger. He leaned over and peered through the window. Bunson's face was hard to make out through the small window but when the rabbit peered over he gave a thumbs up.
"That was awesome!" He said with piping excitement in his voice.
Pent smirked, glad that his friend had enjoyed the activity, and rolled back over so that he was upright again.
Pent pulled back the car and repeated sending it over the ramp a few times. Each time Bunson enjoyed it, even throwing his arms up and pretending as if it were a makeshift rollercoaster. The fox eventually grew bored with it and opened up the car after its final trip over the bright orange triangular block. The rabbit figured it was time to get out, his body a little wobbly as he returned to a more stable platform.
"Now what, big guy?" The rabbit asked as he was curious to see what his friend had in mind.
The bigger boy hummed for a moment as he thought. He got up without saying a word as he went back into the closet to look for something. He returned after a few seconds with a dark green plastic box. Bunson recognized it as his figurine collection from when he was younger. Pent placed the thing on the floor and opened it up. The plastic men and women inside were all adhered to the side of the case and each of them had been kept in very good condition.
Bunson watched as his friend took them out of the protective case. He was nervous because, even despite not playing with them anymore, he treasured them sentimentally. Pent took care of them, despite not knowing their value and treated them as if they were his own. Assembling each of them on the floor in lines, one after the other. Bunson watched as a formation was created.
Pent had no understanding of the pattern he was creating, he was just doing what made sense. Eventually, he had to lines of the figures facing each other and he placed his finger behind Bunson and nudged him forward. The rabbit had no choice but to move as he was nowhere near strong enough
to put up a resistance. The scorbunny was now facing to face was one of his figures.
The plastic woman was holding no weapon but instead resembled one of his favorite anime characters. The figure was barely smaller than himself and reflected the spotlight from the ceiling. She was posable and the fox fixed her so it was like she was in a defensive position.
"En Garde…" The kit said as he let go of Bunson and began moving the figure toward the small rabbit.
Pent pushed the figurine right against the body of the scorbunny. This sudden attack caught him off guard as he readjusted to try to keep his footing.
Bunson pushed back, using his boyish might to keep the small figure from overcoming it. Of course with Pent's muscles behind it, he was finding it somewhat hard to fight back. The fox was becoming increasingly gentle as he saw his friend was struggling to put up any sort of defense. The scorbunny was becoming increasingly frustrated as he was continuously being assaulted by the plastic figure.
Bunson's anger was building as he balled up his fist and his eyes lit up bright red. Pent bounded him again with the figure as Bunson punched forward, a small spit of flame billowing forward and burning through the plastic core of the figure. The tiny fire singed Pent's paw as he flicked his fingers from the startling sensation.
"No fair…" The cub said as he sucked on the affected finger.
Bunson huffed. "I mean…it's not like your playing fair either. I don't want to do this anymore."
"Awh…give me one more chance. I have another idea I'm sure you'll like." Pent frowned hoping his sad puppy eyes would win the day.
The scorbunny rolled his eyes. "Fine…one more then I want to go back to normal."
Pent pistoned his arm in a show of success and started to pick up the figurines before placing them back into their container.
Bunson waited idly while his friend cleaned up, his arms folded as he was a little bit annoyed with what had just happened. Pent offered his paw back to the other boy once again and the small rabbit clambered on once again. Just as with last time he kept his hand close to his chest as he headed out of the room. The television in the living room was still on so Pent maintained a low profile as he made his way to the door.
Once he reached the exit, Pent had to stop to put his shoes on. Putting them on was much more difficult with one hand than it was with two, but he was still able to manage. The fox brought his friend outside, the cool breeze of the outdoor air brushing against the small rabbit made him shiver a bit. Pent closed his palm a bit to offer the small boy some added protection as he picked up his skateboard and headed for the sidewalk.
Pent arranged his hand so that it was near his neck and opened it so that Bunson could get out.
"You might want to hold onto my fur." The bigger cub said as he plopped the skateboard down on the sidewalk.
Bunson heard the familiar slap on the pavement and knew all too well what it meant. He grasped tightly onto some of Pent's fur and hugged against as much of the other boy's neck as possible. The kit began kicking down the street as he picked up speed.
Bunson could see the vast streets before them. Everything around looked huge, even from the other boy's shoulder. A leaf brushed by the smaller cub as it smacked him on the face. The scorbunny peeled it off as it rushed past him. Pent hopped onto the pavement and skated along the side of it as he reeled using the underside of his board before popping onto the pavement once again.
Bunson's body jostled each time Pent's did. His grasp was tight, so much that he was losing the color in his own hands. Pent noticed a trash can in the distance, feeling that he could clear it without issue. He hunched down and picked up speed as he raced down the street, preparing to hop over the metallic canister. As he came upon it, he jumped upward picking up the board with him.
The bottom of the board scraped across the can itself as he rolled over the top of it. Pent landed his cruiser on the other side as he held up his two outer fingers, signaling his success.
"Come on, don't be such a scaredy pants. Live a little and let go." Pent suggested to Bunson whom he assumed was still holding on.
Bunson didn't quite do that but he did open his eyes as he watched the trees and landscape to the side pass by.
The fox watched as some cars came very close for comfort. Deciding to call it early, Pent hopped onto the sidewalk as he finally came to a stop. He popped the rear of the skateboard and flipped it into his paws, feeling rather proud of what he did. Some more traffic passed by as the bigger boy placed his palm near his neck, holding it flat. Bunson noticed that there wasn't as much movement now as his body finally stopped shaking from fear.
Bunson was glad the ordeal was over. Slowly the rabbit moved back towards Pent's hand. The fox peered at him as he held the tiny boy in his paw.
"So how was it, tiny rider?" He asked as he repositioned himself on the street so he could go back.
Bunson puffed out his chest. "It was alright…Can we go home now?"
The ordeal was exciting but it was a bit much more than he could handle. Pent nodded as he understood.
"Alright, hang tight. One more time, I promise." The fox said placing him back on his shoulder.
The kit was able to pick up the boy's body language fairly easily, even despite his small size. Pent decided to take it easier on the way home as he pushed back more casually. It took him a little bit longer going back but he was able to cover the distance in a few minds.
Arriving back at Bunson's house, Pent parked near the same spot where he had before. He noticed the car from the front lot had left, so he assumed that they would probably be left alone now. The kit hopped off his board and made his way back inside, wiping the little bit of his sweat from his forehead. Getting back inside was a nice change from the somewhat warm weather outside.
Once they were inside, Pent decided to go back to the lab. He realized that he needed to help out his friend and the best way to do that was to go to the site of the accident. After he arrived at the table, Pent found that the little gun he had placed there had gone missing. The kit didn't recall moving it and wondered where it might have gone. Looking around the room, he didn't spot any sign of it.
"What did I do with the gun?" Pent asked out loud as if he expected an answer.
Bunson overheard the statement and didn't recall if the cub had moved it either. "I'm not sure."
Pent began looking for it, searching around the room for any signs of the object. After a few minutes of searching, he gave up.
"Well, I'm not sure where it went. Maybe your parents went to go have it fixed?" Pent deducted since the car was gone and the gun was missing.
Bunson shrugged. "Probably but that means they know I was in here and…."
"Oh relax…maybe they think it fell on its own." The bigger boy tried to ease his concern.
The scorbunny sighed. "I guess but what are we going to do about my issue."
"Well, maybe there's something in the fridge? An antidote or something?" The fox figured that maybe something like this had happened before.
The kit made its way over to where a small mini-fridge was situated. He popped open the door and the cold air from the inside escaped outward. He peered inside and noted all of the different chemicals within.
Most of them were labeled, some of which he knew what they were and others they didn't. A single carton of milk was situated near the side, which looked oddly placed among all of the glass and plastic containers in the fridge. Pent began to finger through them, reading the label for each. Most of them were simple labels made from masking tape with some permanent markings on them, but a few of them were eligible.
Eventually Pent came upon a somewhat blurred-out bottle that seemed to resemble the word Diffusion. It was a promising find, one that Pent decided to take out for testing. He showed it to Bunson who almost jumped for joy at the possibility that his friend might have found something. The fox wasn't entirely sure what to test it on, but a plant in the near corner seemed to be the only likely suspect other than Bunson himself.
Pent headed over to where the small plant was and dropped a single drop of the solution into it. He saw no apparent change in it at first but after a few seconds, a few sprouts were visible in areas where there used to be only leaves.
"Alright, so this produced a few buds. Do you think it's worth a shot, Bunson?" Pent asked just to make sure he was comfortable with it.
Bunson nodded as he was willing to try anything. "Yeah, I don't have a choice."
The fox returned to the table and held out his paw near his shoulder, allowing the rabbit to dismount him so that he could be placed on its surface.
Once he was on it, Pent went and got a saucer from one of the cabinets and placed it on the table next to the scorbunny. He poured out some of the liquid onto the makeshift container and then closed the bottle once he thought there was enough.
"Drink up," Pent instructed the cub.
Bunson peered over to the small plastic dish. It wasn't very big so he was able to lean over it and lick at it a few times. The solution was lukewarm and had a slightly sour taste to it.
The edge of the saucer made it difficult for him to remain in that solution for very long. When he retracted from it, his body rubbed against the corner and pulled it towards him. His weight was just enough to pull the thing over his way and cause the entirety of the liquid in the dish to spill over him. Pent acted quickly and lifted the thing off him but it was too late, the damage was done.
Bunson coughed and spattered as he picked himself up. The entirety of his body was now wet and he shook in place to get
some of it off his body. His body felt tingly and warm, even despite the otherwise cold temperature in the room.
"Are you alright?" Pent asked as he looked at the crestfallen cub.
The scorbunny didn't answer as his body was in a state of shock. The effects of the solution were not, at first noticeable, but his body was slowly enlarging bit by bit. Pent watched as his friend began to grow right in front of his eyes.
"Hey! It's working." The cub announced proudly.
Over the next few minutes, Bunson's body slowly returned to normal. Pent helped him maintain his vanity by handing him a towel so that he could cover himself. When the ordeal was over with his friend returned to his normal size. The entirety of his form was somewhat tense and sore from the vast change in size he had just experienced. He forced a smile as he stretched across the table, allowing his body to recover.
Pent helped him back into his room to allow him to rest. It took him about a day for his body to return to its normal state. His parents even checked in on him a few times, where he insisted he was ill. They, of course, had their suspicions but they didn't know for certain. They sent Pent home when they learned of this. The two boys share their secrets and have an interesting story to share…or not.
