Aru Shah Stories

3 - Magic Tea Time with a side of Scones

The portal spit them out in the night bazaar. There were stalls of dreams and the Costco and so much more, and it was all bustling with activity. Aru sighed in relief, at least the Drakova had not affected everyone else.

At the same time she felt a surge of annoyance that while her sisters (and rudy) had been captured, everyone was just lazing around.

Aiden turned to Aru.

"Okay, is there like a map or something?"

"Nope, we are supposed to trust my gut or something like that."

"Your gut Shah? Oh gods this quest is doomed."

"Shut up." Aru looked down at her stomach, "Hey gut, where are we supposed to go?"

Aiden rolled her eyes, but Aru felt something.

"We have to go that way." 

The walked in the direction of the Ladies Potions and High Tea shop.  

"Um, I can't come in." Aiden remarked.

"Okay I will just be a moment."

Aru went inside, and felt that she needed to order something. She looked up at the Tea menu

- Hones tea

- Brutali tea

- Prosperi tea

- Responsibili tea

and more.

She felt that sensation in her gut, and walked up to the cashier, a mystical woman shrouded in robes.

"What may I get for you today dearrrrr"

"Umm, I will have a cup of Brutali tea." She didnt know who said the words, she was planning on getting prosperity, but apparently the monkey god had other plans.

"Are you sure dear there will be repercussions"

"Yeah" Again that hanuman.

"One Brutali Tea coming right up."

The cashier waved her hands, and handed Aru the cup. She asked no payment, just waved Aru out of the store.

"Okay Shah, we've stopped for tea, now can we move on please?"

"Okay Okay."

Aru felt that now familiar sensation in her gut, as she led them down the streets of the night bazaar. They passed a stall of an old lady selling genies, and Aru walked quickly past her. She has not had the best experience with those. (Long story)

While they walked Aru took a sip of her tea. And then then threw it into the nearest trash can.

"That was the worst tea I have ever tasted. Worse than that time Boo tried to cook fried rice."

Aiden laughed.

Suddenly his face changed.

"You know you are really annoying sometimes, and childish. I wish you would take things more seriously and be a little more grown up."

Aidens tone was harsh and bitter.

Aru had tears in her eyes. 

"All the other friends in our group have more of a composed attitude, why do you have to be so immature Aru?"

He called her Aru. With a start Aru realized what was happening. The tea. She ordered Brutali tea and Aiden was being brutal. She frantically wiped the tears out of her eyes and steeled herself.

"Come on, We have to go that way."

Aiden kept throwing insults at her, but he followed. They ended up in front of the Aspara Dance Institution. Aru recalled Aiden mentioning once that it used to be his moms before she moved out of the otherworld. It had been closed for years, but Aru pushed open the doors and entered the studio.

Aiden shook a little, and collapsed.

It was then that Aru saw the sign on the board, walking in would cleanse you of other small charms, sort of a cleanse. 

Aru shook Aiden until he woke up.

"Shah? Wait where are we?" He looked around, and everything seemed to come back to him. "Why are we here?"

"Its where my gut led us. And thank god it did. The cleanse really did you a favor."

"The cleanse?" Aidens face went white, "Oh my god, I AM SO SO SO SO SORRY. I did not mean ANY of those AWFUL things I said before."

Aru nodded, tears falling. She knew that the Brutali Tea had made Aiden say all of those things, but there was truth underneath. He was brutal, but that came from his own thoughts. 

"Shah I am so sorry about that stuff I said. That wasn't me. You are not annoying and you do take stuff seriously, especially your duties. I wish I could do half the things you do."

Aru looked at the ceiling and shook her head, like what am I going to do with this one. 

"I try very hard to be annoying. Don't insult my ability to annoy. And how am I supposed to hate you if you go apologizing. I am supposed to resent you, you're all like wham bam fancy magic singing and camera and divineness and all that."

"Shah"

"Yes"

"Shut up."

"See I do annoy you."

"Okay, I apologize for apologizing."

"Thank you."

They got up, the tension between them eased, but there was still a little bit of worry. Aru was worrying that Aiden actually thought some of those things, and Aiden was worried that he made Aru hate him permanently.

"Okay so, what do we do here?"

Aiden looked around. 

"I remember something my mom told me about this place. It can transform into other realities." 

"I'm assuming that we need to get into the other reality. How exactly do we get to that reality?"

"Umm," Aiden looked off put, "We have to dance."

"Okay, I can do the macerena or something, but we need music."

At the mention of the word music, the studio sprang to life. The decor changed to an elegant ballroom, and a slow song flowed. It seemed to be coming from the room itself. 

"This isnt macerena." Aru commented.

"Shah, I think we have to," Aiden gulped, "slow dance."