The Life, Death, and Relife of the Mushroom Mage

Chapter 7

Mally had never once felt beautiful as Georgina. They hadn't, no matter how hard they tried, and they had given up around age ten. That's when they started growing their new body, and they used to stare at the dirt mound for hours on end as they willed it to grow faster. But, perfection couldn't be rushed. And they were finally, finally perfect, in a way they could never be perfect as Georgina.

"I've never felt beautiful," Artesia murmured, and Mally blinked at her.

"But, you're gorgeous?" they said, more of a question than a statement, and Artesia gave them a sad smile.

"I just don't feel that way," she said, and Mally frowned.

"Why not?" Mally asked, and moved on to the final leg.

"Do you ever look in the mirror and see the wrong person staring back at you?" Artesia asked. "I've... kind of felt that way my whole life. All I see are the flaws."

"You'd be hard pressed to find a flaw," Mally said, but--- "But, yeah. I have."

It had to be weird, waking up in a body that was not your own. It had to be very, very weird and uncomfortable. Mally always felt that way, so waking up as Georgina hadn't exactly been a shock to them. They had just continued as always, and never questioned the different face, the purple eyes that stared back at them in the mirror, the picture perfect skin with a beauty mark right next to their ear.

The only thing they had missed was their freckles, which was easily rectified. They just had to put them on again. And, so, they did.

"I can only see my flaws," Artesia said quietly, and Mally looked over at her.

"It can take time to find a body that you fit into," they said, and tilted their head.

"Yeah," Artesia said quietly, and there was the sound of boot steps in the grass. Edwin was approaching them, and Mally straightened up and walked back to their saddlebag to get out the comb for Rat's mane and tail.

"I see you're taking care of your horse," Edwin said, and Mally hummed.

"I am, yeah," Mally said, and Edwin looked down at Artesia.

"It's a bit outside of etiquette to sit on the ground like that," he said, and Artesia flushed.

"Well, I like it," she said archly, and Edwin blinked down at her.

"Alright, then," he said smoothly, and then he turned to Mally. "Are you going to pitch your tent soon?"

"Once I get Rat tethered," Mally replied, and Edwin blinked.

"Your horse is named Rat?"

"Mhm," Mally replied, and Edwin stared at them, more than a little scandalized.

"Oh," he said, a bit stupidly, and Mally started picking through Rat's tangled tail.

"What, you got a problem with Rat?" Mally asked teasingly, and Edwin flushed.

"No," he replied. "He's a very good horse. He was very calm during the attack."

"That's because he's bred and trained for adventurers," Mally said proudly. "He cost a pretty penny."

Over a quarter of what was left of their allowance, but it was a good investment. They needed to get far away, and Rat made that possible. They would have paid their entire allowance if they needed to. Rat was worth every copper.

"I always thought horses bred for war were superior," Edwin said, and Mally snorted.

"Nah. Too stubborn," they replied, and continued picking out Rat's tail. "I like em sweet."