Hope could have just trusted Lighting. Hope could have just trusted the others. Hope could have just waited it out and dealt with it, but she had not enjoyed the eight days of girlhood she'd had to suffer.

Yesterday had been the final straw. Snow's teasing remark of "you're cute when you're scowling" had earned the blonde musclebrained idiot a kick in the face, a broken nose, and still hadn't wiped that stupid smirk of his face even this morning.

So Hope had demanded it. They had to get more of the tea to fix things, and so, they had suggested that someone could sneak into a town and buy one, since it was a rather specialised tea and could not be bought through shopping terminals (or so Vanille claimed).

Hope had a feeling that was a lie, and this had been her plan.

She'd first rejected Vanille or others getting it, fearing another prank. Then even when Lightning had offered to get it instead or watching to be sure no one played any tricks, she had refused.

And now the only option was being there in person. And the others would only agree to that with a disguise for her and her escort.

Lightning's disguise was easy enough. She'd obtained a black sleeveless top and some ripped-leg jeans, and after also dyeing her hair from pink to white (the quickest way, she said), had looked very much unrecognisable.

The trouble was, Hope also needed to be unrecognisable. Covering her brand was easy, just a different pair of gloves. She had no problems with the idea of putting her hair in a ponytail either, since it had just been getting in the way left loose and honestly she wished she'd thought of doing it sooner.

But the rest of the proposed disguise...

"Look, if you two look like sisters it'll attract a lot less of the wrong attention..." Vanille argued.

"But how come I have to..."

"Little sisters are more girly. It's a fact." Lightning pointed out.

Hope had a feeling this "fact" was revenge for trusting her. Or for Hope accidentally discovering where Lightning's brand mark was a few days ago. Even if right now she was a girl, Lighting still was justifiably offended that a boy had accidentally walked in on her bathing.

Muttering about how it was at least still a nice view, even if she was a girl right now, had been a mistake too come to think of it.

"Well, but... This? Can't girly mean... shorts or something? Pink trousers?" Hope tried.

"No. Besides, we've bought these already." Fang noted.

Hope sighed.

"Fine, I give in. But can we please buy a pair of bike shorts for me? I'll get the other kind of wrong attention in  that skirt..."

The natural-females all smirked at this.

"It's obvious you're still a boy mentally, Hope. Any normal girl your age would probably not mind that attention..." Vanille smirked.

"...That's not how I remember it..." Hope muttered.

The natural-females smirked once more.

"Don't worry, boys your age aren't meant to understand girls... Even turned into them." Lightning pointed out.