Hmm, I’m probably not actually gonna write it, but now I’m thinking about an AU where chibi-Terry finds himself time-slipped unawares into the DQVI timeline and meets his future self.
Terry realises pretty quickly that this kid is his past self somehow, but chibi-Terry, even after learning that this guy’s name is also Terry, does not. He just thinks he’s really pretty/handsome and cool and strong and wants to be just like him when he grows up! Also to marry him. Terry’s just like, good luck with that, buddy. (He quietly discourages chibi-Terry’s glaring crush while internally despairing that why did he decide against telling him they’re the same person??)
Milly, when they meet up, finds it adorable. And hilarious. But mostly adorable. Especially when chibi-Terry declares that he’ll be the bride when he gets married so she can be his bridesmaid. (When it gets relayed to him, Terry’s just like, like fuck I’m gonna be a bride.)
I’m also not sure if it’d work since I don’t remember/I’m not sure when Terry becomes Dhuran’s servant (is it during the game or before it?) (but, well, it is an AU). But he meets chibi-Terry sometime before then (but after he’s crossed paths with the party once) and decides he has to take responsibility for him and look after him until they can find a way to send him back to his own time. I also don’t remember (if it was even revealed) how he came to sell his soul to Dhuran, but I guess here, Dhuran forced him somehow? Or perhaps he could be tempted. Unrivaled strength would allow him to protect the kid, after all.
But in any case, he sends chibi-Terry away before facing him to keep him out of danger. Chibi-Terry runs to find help and comes upon the party, immediately recognising Milly—and ignoring the cognitive dissonance that she looks 10 years older than when he last saw her. Milly realises that her Terry didn’t tell chibi-Terry that he’s him from the past, and she tries to handle him in a way that won’t disrupt his worldview and confuse him. (Chibi-Terry gushes about Terry and how he’s gonna marry him when he’s older, and Milly glosses over that he can’t marry himself and just tells him that when he does marry, she’ll be the bridesmaid. Although, she supposes since there won’t be a bride, she can’t exactly be a bridesmaid… Cue chibi-Terry assuring her that he’ll be the bride so she can.)
Botts isn’t sure about Terry at first, if he’s apparently the type to fall in love with an alternate version of himself. Milly’s pretty sure it’s just that chibi-Terry has a kiddie crush on someone he looks up to—someone he doesn’t even realise is himself from the future. Botts accepts it for now.
The party goes and finds Terry, with Milly convincing chibi-Terry to stay behind with the remainder of the party as the main party confronts Dhuran by encouraging him to train with Amos. Amos is a good swordsman, and chibi-Terry can get stronger faster if he has someone to teach him. Chibi-Terry doesn’t want her to go into danger without him, he wants to protect her, but he reluctantly agrees. The confrontation goes much as in canon.
Terry develops a crush fairly quickly on Botts, and Botts decides that he’s not as bad as he was envisioning and that he might like him too. They’ll kinda flirt a bit, and chibi-Terry experiences his first heartbreak lol
(I have no idea how they get chibi-Terry back home.)
