Day 10
Cassiopeia was tending to the guests in the early morning. This was part of her duties as nun. Akita and Bridget had taken over for her temporarily while she was raising Edwin, but now that he was 10, he no longer needed supervision all throughout the day. So the nun stood at the gate and welcomed any guests before pointing them the way towards the chapel. She had just done so with a group of five adventurers when she suddenly felt something hit her against her back. At first she thought she was being attacked, but when she looked behind her, she saw that it was actually Edwin who had cannonballed himself against her for a hug.
   “Hey mom,” he laughed.
   “Ow,” Cassiopeia stammered. “Please… don’t do that, Eddie. My back hurts and I’m on duty right now.” Edwin had grown quite a lot and he was gaining up to the nun in height and so whether he wanted it or not, his roughhousing could be quite hard to deal with.
   “Soooorry,” Edwin said, letting go to stand next to her. That’s when the nun noticed something. The tips of Edwin’s hair were starting to turn from blonde into pink. She knew what that meant.
   “So… 10 years old already. You’re becoming a real teenager now,” she said.
   “Uhuh,” Edwin said. “I won’t be a little boy anymore.” Cassiopeia had to chuckle at that. If only he knew how true that was.

Day 11
“But mooom,” Edwin muttered, “I don’t wanna wear this.”
   “Oh, stop your complaining,” Cassiopeia said, butting up her son’s suit.
   “But it looks goofy!” Edwin whined. The pink in his hair was slowly climbing up bit by bit and it seems that it was getting longer too now. His eyes, which had been green before, had turned hazel now, much like the nun’s own eye colour. His body was also slowly taking on feminine curves. Being only 11 years old, this was very minor of course. The transition was running along smoothly.
   “Eddie,” Cassiopeia said, “you wanted to help Lavini with today’s ceremony, didn’t you?”
   “Y-yeah…” Edwin replied.
   “So you need to be dressed for the occasion,” the nun replied, moving on to the next button. Looking up, she could see that the young boy was blushing a bit. He really didn’t want to wear this suit. Was that because he felt like he was too young for such clothes, or was it because it was a suit for a man? Was he already starting to develop a female identity? That was quite possible of course. In any case, Edwin’s growing into a teenager was quite evident. His behaviour was becoming quite erratic and it was becoming harder to deal with on her own…

Day 12
“Oh, he is doing wonderfully, my love,” Lavini said, hugging Cassiopeia late at night.
   “But he has no discipline,” Cassiopeia sighed. “He’s constantly cracking jokes with the guests. He has little respect for our customs. He still shuts down completely around Bridget. He…”
   “Cassie, calm down,” Lavini chuckled, holding her staff over the nun’s mouth. “The guests are loving it, are they not?”
   “Y-yes, but…” Cassiopeia stammered.
   “His behaviour is merely a side effect of his accelerated growth,” Lavini said, an amused smile on her face. “That will pass in due time.”
   “Well, you don’t have to deal with him day in, day out,” Cassiopeia said, frowning and closing her eyes in frustration.
   “My sincerest apologies, my dearest grain of sand,” Lavini said, “But you must understand that…”
   “I know,” Cassiopeia interrupted. “This party is very important. I know you are doing everything you can. I just… I just wanted to vent some frustrations and tensions.” Lavini placed her hand on the nun’s cheek then and gave her a caring smile. Somehow, she was always able to calm her nun down by just doing that. Whether it was by magic or by sheer personality, Cassiopeia instantly felt some of her worries and tensions leave her. Everything was going to be okay.
   “I know you can do this, Cassie,” the hourglass time elemental said. “Just 6 more days until his growth spurt ends.”
   “Right,” Cassiopeia said, placing her own hand over Lavini’s. “Thank you, my love.”
   “I believe also that now is the time to start thinking of a new name,” Lavini continued. “Once the transition is over, she can not really be named Edwin anymore, now can she?”
   “Ah,” Cassiopeia gasped. “That’s right! When would we start calling her by her new name then?”
   “You would have to ask Akita that,” Lavini said. “They are her machines, after all.”
   “Alright, I will,” the nun said. That’s when they heard someone approach them. Looking to the side, they could see that it was Edwin. His hair had grown considerably down to just past his shoulders and about half of it was pink now. The curves on his body were still very minor, but that would quite probably change very soon.
   “Hey moms,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Juuuust wanted to say goodnight before bed.” The two women looked at each-other before embracing their soon to be daughter into a hug together.
   “Goodnight, dear,” Lavini said.
   “Goodnight, love,” Cassiopeia said. No matter how rowdy he got and no matter how hard he became to deal with, in the end they were still family.

Day 13
“By my estimations, I’d say… tomorrow,” Akita said, eyeing Edwin from a small distance who was helping around the festival area by hanging up some streamers here and there together with Lavini.
   “Are you sure?” Cassiopeia asked.
   “Yep,” the digital time elemental said. “You start referring to him as a she when she wakes up. You start calling her by her new name then and all that good stuff. She’ll start accepting whatever you call her.”
   “Right,” the nun said. “Thank you.”
   “No problem, Gigabyte,” Akita chuckled. “Have you thought of a way to calm him down around Bridget yet?”
   “No…” Cassiopeia sighed. “I fear it’s only getting worse with time.”
   “Hmmm, I see,” Akita said. She then placed her hand on her helmet and lowered her visor over her eyes where strange, digital symbols started appearing.
   “What are you doing?” the nun asked.
   “I’m researching an algorithm to come to a solution for this problem,” Akita said. “I’ll give you a full report on my findings later tonight. For now I have to keep on working. This gaming section isn’t gonna build itself!”
   “You’ve been working non-stop. How do you do that?” Cassiopeia asked.
   “Oh, I just turn off any unnecessary programs in my system. Such as emotions,” Akita chuckled.
   “You… can do that?” Cassiopeia asked, stunned at the mere idea. She had never actually seen her do such a thing in the time since her transformation into the digital time elemental that she is today.
   “Yes she can,” Bridget suddenly said, approaching the two, “but she rarely actually does it.”
   “Cause I don’t like turning off my emotions. It makes Bridgey sad,” Akita grinned.
   “Akita, please,” Bridget laughed, “don’t call me that.” Cassiopeia couldn’t help but chuckle herself then.
   “Well, I guess I’d best carry on with my own tasks again,” she said, joining her lover and son. It would be the last day she’d call him Edwin.

Day 14
It was early in the morning. It had been two weeks now since the growth process started. Lavini and Cassiopeia had talked for a grand portion of the night, deciding upon a new name. When he woke up, he would no longer be a he, and she would no longer listen to the name ‘Edwin’, just as Akita said. Now, they were ready. Cassiopeia knocked on the door and fiddled a little bit with her clothes.
   “Nervous, dearest?” Lavini chuckled.
   “A bit,” the nun replied. That’s when the door opened and there stood a rather sleepy young girl. At least, she certainly looked feminine. Her hair was completely pink and it reached down to her chest where two small bumps had appeared. She was wearing a nightgown and she was rubbing the sleep out of one eye with her hand.
   “Good morning, Estella,” Cassiopeia said. That was it. She used her new name and according to Akita, their daughter should accept it as her own now. Sure enough, the young girl stood there for a few moments as the mental acceptance happened before she started smiling.
   “Good morning, moms,” she said.
   “Did you sleep well, love?” Lavini asked.
   “As well as any night,” Estella chuckled. “Are you off doing more prep work?”
   “Not today,” Lavini shook her head. “Today is sunday and that is when most guests are expected to show.”
   “Yeah,” Cassiopeia agreed. “All of us will have to work hard today. That includes you, young lady.”
   “Oh, uhm,” Estella stammered before letting out some fake coughs. “Oh no, I uh… seem to have fallen ill. Sorry, I’ll have to stay in bed all day.” Cassiopeia sighed but Lavini chuckled along with their daughter.
   “Oh dear, we can not have you infecting the guests, now can we?” Lavini said.
   “What? Lavini!” Cassiopeia protested but she was interrupted.
   “Ah, ah, our little girl is ill, Cassie dearest,” Lavini grinned. “She obviously needs to see a doctor. He will know what to do. Maybe he will use that really big needle to administer medicine.”
   “On second thought,” Estella suddenly said, eyes wide, “I feel much better!”
   “Ah, how incredible,” Lavini said amused. Cassiopeia could do nothing but stand there dumbfounded.
   “Come, girls. Let us get to work,” Lavini said, leading the way towards the chapel with Cassiopeia following in silence.

Day 15
“Do you remember this place?” Bridget asked. She was sitting on her knees on the ground under a tree by the seaside. There was a fair drop-off to the water below from where they were. Akita was lying there with her, her head resting on the clockwork doll’s lap and her visor removed.
   “How could I forget?” She said. “We used to come here every day once. Before… all of this.”
   “Yes, good times,” Bridget chuckled, fiddling with her lover’s hair.
   “Do you miss being human?” Akita asked then. Bridget thought about that and tilted her head.
   “Sometimes…” she said.
   “Same here,” Akita nodded. “Just some minor things though.”
   “Yes, agreed,” Bridget chuckled. “Soft, warm, squishy skin… not that I don’t like my new hard, metal skin.”
   “Oh yeah. I love my new body a lot,” Akita grinned. “Wouldn’t have it any other way. Sometimes, just gotta deal with sensory overload, you know?”
   “I thought you liked that?” Bridget asked.
   “I do, yeah,” Akita chuckled. “I just miss the quiet sometimes.”
   “Ah, right,” Bridget nodded.
   “So there’s that, plus the fact that I can’t stand water anymore,” Akita remarked.
   “I still don’t quite understand why that is,” Bridget said.
   “It short circuits my everything and makes me go haywire,” Akita muttered.
   “You mean, kinda how I am with magnets?” Bridget asked.
   “Yeah, kinda,” Akita said. “Other than that, no complaints. I mean, look at us! We pretty much became time itself. We’ve given ourselves up completely to the goddess.”
   “Yes, I know,” Bridget smiled. “I am very glad to live in her service like this.” She then looked down to the beach connected to the cliff they were on. There, Lavini was using her staff to make an elaborate, highly detailed sand castle, Cassiopeia was sitting on a blanket applauding it and Estella had jumped into the water and was watching from there.
   “Guessing Lavini and Cassie must be thinking the same thing,” Akita said.
   “I suppose so, yes,” Bridget said with a smile before sighing.
   “What’s up, my Terabyte?” Akita asked.
   “The whole ordeal with Edw- I mean, Estella,” Bridget explained. “The fact that she is scared of me is just making my gears twitch.”
   “That can only be a good thing, Bridgey, because that’s what you said last night as well,” Akita chuckled but when she saw the clockwork doll’s stare, she halted her teasing. “I’ve given my reports on my findings to Cassie this morning. She said that she’d do her best to carry out my plan. Until then, all you can do is, well, be yourself around her. Show her your kindness.”
   “Hmm, right, I can do that,” Bridget said.

Day 16
“Would you PLEASE sit still for a moment?” Cassiopeia demanded.
   “But mom! I wanna go already! That cute guy might leave so- AH!” Estella yelled.
   “Your hair is a huge mess,” Cassiopeia said as she was brushing her daughter’s hair. It had grown down all the way to her hips and so its upkeep was taking quite some effort now. The fact that Estella was whining so much about it wasn’t helping matters either. She was a girl completely now. That became apparent just that morning when she had her first period. Of course, that only added to the girl’s bad mood today. This, combined with the fact that she still seemed to have the temper that Edwin once had as an old man made for quite the combination.
   “But you’re hurting me now! I-OW!” Estella got interrupted again.
   “That is your own fault for growing your hair out so long,” Cassiopeia stammered.
   “Is that the reason you have short hai-AH!” Estella asked.
   “I… no, I just like it shorter,” Cassiopeia sighed. “More importantly, you shouldn’t be flirting with the guests.”
   “But mooooom,” Estella whined, “why no- OUCH!”
   “You want to become a nun of time like me, right?” Cassiopeia asked.
   “Y-yeah,” Estella muttered.
   “Then act like it,” Cassiopeia said. “A nun is supposed to act proper and humble. We live in service of lady Alinavious and all attention should be divided towards her and time.”
   “Hmpf,” Estella groaned, puffing up her cheeks. “You and mom Lavini fell in lov- AAAH, damnit!”
   “I am not saying you can’t fall in love, honey,” Cassiopeia said as her brushing became a bit more vigorous with each passing second. “You just barely know that guy. All you’ve done so far is exchange a few glances. I just don’t want you to get hurt!”
   “So? How do I get to know him if I’m not even allowed to talk to hi- GAH!” Estella argued.
   “Look, I do not want you to turn this cathedral into a playground,” Cassiopeia said. “If you want to be a nun, you must take this more seriously.”
   “I AM taking it seriously,” Estella yelled, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun!”
   “Ugh, go ahead then,” the nun finally said, placing her hand on her forehead. “I’m done with your hair and the others should be done with the ceremony soon.”
   “Finally!” Estella said excitedly before hopping up on her feet and zipping off.
   “A ‘thank you’ would have been nice,” Cassiopeia muttered to herself under her breath. As she grew, Estella was becoming more and more of a hand full. Especially since Lavini was so busy as of late. For now, she could only hope that the sisters would keep her in check. Sighing, she brushed her own hair a bit before heading off herself. She had to prepare for something that would take place the following day.

Day 17
Cassiopeia was getting quite worried. She and the others were waiting at the breakfast table but Estella still hadn’t appeared. In fact, she hadn’t seen her since running off the day before after she had brushed her hair. Akita and Bridget had assured her that they had seen her return to her room the day before but that meant she still hadn’t eaten anything since. Thus, Cassiopeia and Lavini now stood before Estella’s room and knocked on her door.
   “Estella?” Cassiopeia asked. No answer.
   “Estella dear. It is us, your mothers,” Lavini said. Still no answer. The two women looked at each-other for a moment before Cassiopeia knocked again.
   “Estella, do you know what time it is already?” she said. “We are waiting at the breakfast table for you.” When there was still no answer, she sighed.
   “I believe we should just enter,” Lavini said. Cassiopeia nodded and was about to open the door when it was opened for her. There in the doorway stood their daughter. Her eyes were red, her hair was a mess and she had quite the runny nose. It was obvious that she had been crying a lot. Cassiopeia gasped and went for a hug.
   “Estella, love, what… what happened?” she asked concerned.
   “I… he…” Estella stammered, sniffling some more.
   “Oh you poor thing,” Lavini said and wrapped her arm around the girl’s shoulder. “Tell us what happened, love.”
   “He… I talked to that guy… He seemed nice,” Estella explained, mixed in with more sniffles, “but… but it was all just a ploy. He just… he just wanted me to show him my tits and… and…” she closed her eyes tightly then and hugged Cassiopeia tightly as more tears started streaming down her face again.
   “That jerk!” Cassiopeia said. “How old was he?”
   “H-he was my age,” Estella replied.
   “I am so sorry you have had to deal with that, my little grain of sand,” Lavini said, her caring nature audible in her voice.
   “I’m sorry mom,” Estella said, addressing Cassiopeia specifically. “I should have listened to you.”
   “Oh, honey,” the nun said. Estella could drive her up the wall sometimes, but she still loved her little girl. The fact that she was once Edwin Thamos all but forgotten now. She was now Estella, the daughter of Lavini and herself.
   “A boy like that does not deserve a beautiful lady such as yourself,” Lavini said.
   “Yes, you deserve better than that,” Cassiopeia joined in.
   “T-thanks,” Estella said, rubbing her eyes a bit.
   “Come, we shall make this a fun day,” Lavini said with a smile. The plan for Bridget would have to wait.

Day 18
Today marked the final day of Estella’s accelerated growth. At long last, she would grow at a normal rate again. She was now just a little bit taller than Cassiopeia was and her body had completely gone through puberty now. There was not a single sign of her ever having been male. This all, however, was not the only reason this day was special. It was meant to happen on the day before but it was delayed because of her run-in with the pervert. Estella arrived at the breakfast table and was surprised to find Akita and Bridget there, as well as her mothers Cassiopeia and Lavini. They were never there for they didn’t need any food. The same went for Lavini, but she had been there often in order to accompany Cassiopeia and herself.
   “Good morning, dear,” Cassiopeia said with a smile but she could already see that Bridget’s presence was noticed.
   “Uhm.. hey mom, other mom, Akita and uh… Bridget,” Estella said.
   “Estella,” Bridget spoke up, rising to her feet and ignoring the girl’s reaction, “you’ve been raised by your mothers Cassiopeia and Lavini. They have taught you about Time. They have taught you about the goddess, Lady Alinavious. They have trained you all in preparation of this day. The gears have definitely been turning in your favour.”
   “You’ve shown that you are more than worthy of the favour of Time goddess herself,” Akita continued, standing up as well. “There’s just one little bug we need to fix first before we move on from here.”
   “Indeed,” Lavini said, nodding and joining her sisters. “We all agree that you will make for a wonderful nun of Time, just as Cassie dear is. But as Akita said, we need to address something else first. Something that has clouded your judgement like a sandstorm since you were little.”
   “I…” Estella stammered. It was clear that she didn’t really know what to say to all of the compliments. She was flattered but at the same time already knew what this issue was going to be.
   “Estella, love,” Cassiopeia spoke up, “you are 18 years old now. We believe it is time you finally talk to Bridget.” Estella sighed. She knew it was coming but she still seemed unwilling to do this. There was no backing out of it now though.
   “Do please give her a chance, my little grain of sand,” Lavini said reassuringly. “There is nothing to be afraid of.”
   “Bridget has been wanting to do this since you first met her,” Akita said. “She’s really kind. You know, when she wants to be.”
   “Akita!” Bridget laughed.
   “Go on, Estella,” Cassiopeia said. “I know you can do this.” The pink-haired girl remained silent for a few moments, contemplating the situation before nodding and putting on her bravest smile.
   “Right… I will!” she finally said. All four women smiled. Bridget then moved over to a side room and beckoned for Estella to follow her.
   “Let us be alone for now then,” she said. Estella bit her lip for a moment before entering the room as well.

“Have a seat,” Bridget said but Estella remained on her feet, standing in silence. The clockwork doll sighed and looked down to the ground for a moment. She then looked around herself, thinking of what to say.
   “Gosh,” she finally said. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you like this since you were 6 years old but now I find myself speechless.” She chuckled but Estella still seemed scared to speak up. Bridget placed her hand on her chin and looked to the ceiling, thinking of what to say next. This was suddenly quite intimidating. Unexpectedly so.
   “Is… there anything you would like to tell me?” she finally said. After all, it was Estella here who had troubles.
   “I… uhm…” Estella stammered.
   “You can tell me anything,” Bridget said reassuringly.
   “You… appeared in a bad nightmare once,” Estella finally admitted.
   “A nightmare?” Bridget asked. “What did dream-me do then?” Estella’s eyes went wide then.
   “I… don’t wanna…” she started saying.
   “Estella,” Bridget interrupted, “I know this is hard for you, but if you are going to be a nun of Time, we are going to have to work together. Besides, you are my niece. I want us to get along.”
   “I… was old… but then I became younger and younger and… it didn’t stop. I became a child… an infant… a baby. And… you were there. You… were the one who did it to me. You did… nothing to stop it,” Estella explained. Bridget fell silent then. While that wasn’t completely correct, that is pretty much what had happened. It seemed that the influences of Cassiopeia and Lavini had paid off and Estella at least now thought that it had been a nightmare. Still, she seemed very haunted by it all. Bridget thought about what to say for a moment.
   “You must know that I will never harm you, or let harm befall upon you,” she said.
   “It… just seemed so real,” Estella said, folding her arms and looking to the floor.
   “Sometimes we have dreams that seem so vivid and real, yet they are still only dreams,” Bridget said. “I had a nasty, vivid dream once. I was perceived as ugly by everyone around me. I was shunned by all and so, I went adventuring on my own. I then ran into a hulking clockwork beast and… well, I don’t think it ended well.” Her inner gears and cogs shivered and twitched as she remembered that nightmare. It had seemed so real to her as well at the time. Then, when she transformed into a clockwork time elemental herself on accident, she got incredibly scared. Since then, she had learned to accept this new reality and she’s even come to love it. It was her hope that Estella could do the same.
   “That… seems really bad,” Estalla said. “I guess that’s worse than what I dreamt.”
   “Oh, don’t cut yourself short,” Bridget chuckled, cheering herself up. “It caused fear in you and that’s what matters. That is why, now, we face those fears together.”
   “Yes… you’re right,” Estella said.
   “So, Estella, are you ready to leave behind your fears and accept me into your life?” Bridget asked. Estella looked at her for a few moments and contemplated her options.

“WHOOOH,” Estella cheered.
   “Ugh, honey, please, stop yelling,” Cassiopeia said.
   “But I’m just so excited!” The pink-haired girl said. She was now wearing a nun’s outfit much like that of her mother. Small clocks proudly adorned her shoulders and she had two small bags on her hips. It was topped off by a cute necklace containing a pocketwatch.
   “I know, I know. You’re happy to have been made a nun,” Cassiopeia said, “but as a nun, you should be modest and calm.” Earlier that day, Lavini, Akita and herself had been waiting with anticipation for Bridget and Estella to finish their talk. When they returned with their arms wrapped around each-other’s shoulders, they all knew that things were going to be alright. The following ceremony became a big success, giving Estella the title of nun at long last.
   “Right, right, I know,” Estella giggled. “So, let’s get to work! Mom Lavini’s ceremony is about to start!”
   “Estella, volume,” Cassiopeia said, rubbing her ears.
   “Sooorryyyy,” Estella whispered. Being a nun was hard work. Of course, a lot of work befell upon the High Priestesses of Time, Bridget and Akita, as well as on the Bishop of Time, Lavini, but she had to work just as hard behind the scenes. Especially now that she had a partner nun to look after. She could drive her up the wall from time to time and sometimes just wanted to tape her mouth shut. Still though, she would not want to miss her, for Estella was her daughter too, and she loved her nonetheless.