Soon enough they noticed Grace near the waters edge sitting on a wooden platform, with her dangling feet touching the water. She was talking to Mal who was submerging herself in the water. The guys were a little far away and were heading towards that scene. Mal and Grace seemed to notice them. Mal froze. Grace only stared angrily and panicked at the same time.
Mark: "We are only here to accompany Mal as well!"
Mal started to panic as well, and signaled grace to grab her a towel before the guys got closer and saw her. She also didn't want to change unless she really had to.
Mal decided to try to change. She would just disguise her pain by submerging herself in the water and staying there. Or screaming at them if need be. Maybe fake that he was actually secretly hurt and needed Grace's help?
Even if grace got her a towel, would it be enough to cover everything? She also didn't want to be in pain because of the change, she still had not fully mastered everything. Whilst Grace knew she was a girl disguising herself as a male. Grace actually had never seen her change or really knew she COULD be a guy. It was a topic she wanted to talk in a different situation.
Mal decided to change right there and then. She had been wearing underwear and a thin tight piece of clothing covering her upper body. These would not be enough to cover her seemingly womanly body. After all she would usually wear tight things underneath hear loose or clothes meant to hide her curves etc. She also had muscle but it wasn't enough to convince anyone if they saw her bare body. After all Grace and her were girls and she wanted to be herself with someone, they also never imagine the guys would wake up and come!
She focused on her ring while grace was hurrying with towels. She also didn't want to make it suspicious by prohibiting the guys from coming. However to her shock. She couldn't change! Real fear entered her mind and she just stared dazily at Grace who covered her and pulled her out of the water as the guys were entering their field of vision where they could see things more clearly. Just when mal got her last body part out of the water her ring reacted. It sparkled but thankfully only Grace was able to see it as the towels were covering the guys field of vision.
Grace let out a muffled scream, gritted her teeth, was painfully clutching her stomach which more muscle and things changing before grazes eyes. She was dumbstruck as she watched mal suffer while as scared. Mal was suddenly thankful that whilst her clothing seemed tight fitted it was actually stretching. This enabled her clothing to not rip apart and traumatize grace. Grace couldn't take her eyes off mal because she couldn't believe what was happening and then she saw a bulge growing where her body part was meant to be. That's when she woke up from daze, got away as if scared and started running confusedly towards the guys who had started to sprint when they heard mals moans of pain and grace running scared towards them. It was her confusedly running towards them that stopped them for a bit.
Grace: "a, ah, no, ah, what?! mal ..mal..noo. nnnnn"
Mark: " Grace what happened? Forget it, Liam go check on Mal and Jolin go get Navenia while I calm Grace!"
Liam ran towards Mal who seemed to have stopped squirming. It seemed like she didn't want to intrude on her and check her body for injured, as if he was scared, so he only held her hands, looked into her eyes and asked what he could do.
Mal glanced towards him with confused eyes and finally replied that she was fine now. Liam only noded and helped him sit up.
At the other end, Grace had calmed down and shook her head telling mark she was fine. When she was finally calm after a minute or three her brain made sense of everything. She realized that ring had to be special and that it made mal change into a guy. " O god, my eyes!" She thought to herself.
Grace: " I am fine now, am sorry didn't mean to scare you, Lets go check on mal."
Mark: " But what happened?"
Grace ignored him and started to drag him towards Mal who was sitting silently next to Liam who at some point let go of her hands when Mal glanced at him awkwardly.
It was then that Mark caught a glance at the well built body of mal and how it didn't quite seemed like mals. Maybe the lake did something to him? Made him grow a bit? This were all thought that occurred to him and stopped thinking about it.
Mark: " What happened are you okay."
Mal: " Yes i am fine now, I just felt liked i was shocked...something about the water didn't sit too well with me jeje." She didn't want to totally be dishonest to them.
Mal: " Don't worry I am fine now. Can we please go? I really want to rest now."
Mark was puzzled but since Grace and Liam weren't questioning her story, they left it at that. Liam was about to help Mal by holding into her arm but she pushed him aside and started walking aside by herself. She felt something stir inside her.
Mal: " Grace, am so sorry i didn't mean to scare you."
Grace: " Don't worry we WILL talk later."
At that point they met Jolin and Navenia who were running towards them and then stopped in confusion when they saw Mal walking upright as if he was in pristine condition. Navenia was confused.
Grace: " Can you please wait on your checkup until we get him settled in his own room?"
Navenia: " But I-"
She was then interrupted by graces intense gaze.
Navenia: " No thats fine since it seems he is fine."