One morning, the phone rang at an ungodly hour—6 AM, no less. It jolted me awake, a rude awakening for someone who preferred the comfort of sleep. I wasn't an early bird; I'd rather be an early frog, snoozing in as long as possible. Wendy often reminded me that sleeping the day away wasn't healthy, especially given my current situation. She claimed it was one of the first signs of depression. How does she come up with this stuff?

"Hello?" I heard her answer the call. "Natsu isn't here right now. Can I take a message?... He's missing? Didn't you hear about it on the news?... Wait a minute, who is this?... Glen Grisham?"

My sleepy eyes snapped open at the mention of that name.

"I'm sorry, but my brother doesn't know a Glen Grisham," Wendy replied. "No, sorry, that doesn't ring a bell... Gray? Gray Fullbuster? Oh, hi! It's great to hear from you! How have you been?... I just told you, you can't talk to Natsu. He's missing... You know he's a frog?!"

Now I was fully awake. How did he know that?

Wendy entered my room, phone in hand, and placed it on my desk.

"I think you need to hear this," she said, setting the phone to speaker. I leaned in, unsure of the point in talking since only Wendy could hear me right now.

"Um... Hello?"

"Hello, Natsu," the voice on the other end said.

"Wait a second, you can hear me?!"

"Yes! I can hear you!"

"But how?"

"I've been affected by magic, just like you."

"Affected in what way?"

"Just answer me this first: are you really a frog? Like, seriously?"

"Yes! I'm a frog! I can't believe you're actually talking to me!" I croaked, my heart racing with disbelief and excitement. "Wait a minute, why are you talking to me? We haven't spoken since ninth grade! You ditched me, remember?"

"I know, I know," he sighed. "Look, I'm calling because... I don't know who else to turn to."

"Turn to for what?"

"Those witches did something to me too, Natsu."

"What do you mean? What did they do to you?"

"I messed with one of them, played a mean prank on her, and it really pissed her off. So she turned me into something."

"Was it a frog?"

"No. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what I am anymore, but let's just say I can't ever show my face in public again."

"Well, it can't be that bad. Not as bad as being a frog."

"Wanna bet?"

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. I just need to talk to somebody. Somebody who won't look at me like I'm a freak."

"You mean like how you used to look at me and so many other people?" I shot back.

There was a pause on the line, and I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

"Okay, okay, I deserved that. But you don't understand, Natsu. My uncle left me. I'm all alone except for the maid. I've lost everything."

Despite our rocky past, I felt a pang of sympathy for him.

"Alright, I get it. So do you want to come over or something?"

"No! I can't leave the house looking like this!"

"Well, neither can I! I'm a frog!"

"And I'm a monster! Which one of us is more likely to get shot on sight?!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at his dramatic flair, despite the gravity of the situation. "Okay, point taken."

"Look, I'll send a limo to pick you up and bring you to my new place. Does that work for you?"

"Only if Wendy can come too."

"Alright."

"And I'm not calling you Glen! That's not your real name!"

"Fine," he relented, and I could hear the relief in his voice. "I'll send the car in an hour. Just... try to be ready, okay?"

With that, he hung up, leaving me staring at the wall in disbelief. Wendy, who had been listening intently, raised an eyebrow.

"Are you really going to go?" she asked, her voice a mix of concern and curiosity.

"I mean, what choice do I have? He's in trouble, and I can't just leave him hanging. Besides, I'm curious about what he's turned into."

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know," she warned, but I could see the excitement in her eyes. "But I guess it's not like you have much to lose right now."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I replied dryly. "But I can't just sit here and do nothing. If Gray's in trouble, I have to help him. Even if he doesn't deserve it."

Wendy sighed, shaking her head with a hint of a smile. As she rummaged through my desk for anything that might help, I felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation swirling within me. What kind of monster had Gray become? And what trouble were we about to dive into?

An hour later, I perched on the windowsill, my heart racing as a sleek black limo pulled up outside. Wendy stood beside me, arms crossed, exuding both pride and worry.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice low.

"Not really," I admitted. "But I have to know what's going on."

Taking a deep breath, I hopped off the sill, landing softly on the floor. The limo door swung open, revealing a tall figure in a sharp suit. He looked like he belonged in a high-stakes business meeting, not picking up a frog.

"Miss Wendy, I presume?" he said to my sister, his voice smooth and professional. "I'm here to escort you to Mr. Grisham's residence."

"Uh, yeah, that's me," she replied, feeling a bit ridiculous. "And this is my pet frog."

The driver raised an eyebrow but quickly masked his surprise with a polite smile. "Of course. Please, hop in."

I felt a twinge of embarrassment as I clambered into the backseat, Wendy following closely behind. The interior of the limo was plush and luxurious, a stark contrast to my current amphibious state. I settled onto the seat, trying to make myself comfortable while Wendy adjusted her seatbelt.

As the driver pulled away from the curb, I glanced out the window, watching the familiar streets of our neighborhood blur past. "So, what's the plan once we get there?" I asked, my voice a nervous croak.

Wendy shrugged. "I guess we'll figure it out when we arrive. But you should be prepared for anything. If Gray's in trouble, it could be serious."

"Yeah, but what if he's just being dramatic? He always was a bit of a diva," I muttered, trying to convince myself that this was all just a wild misunderstanding.

The driver took a sharp turn, and I felt my stomach lurch. "You okay?" Wendy asked, noticing my discomfort.

"Just peachy," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I'm a frog in a limo; what could possibly go wrong?"

After what felt like an eternity, we finally arrived at Gray's place. I couldn't believe it; it was the old manor house—the one he lived in before his parents passed. He had invited me over for sleepovers and holidays, and while Wendy had been there too, she was so little that she probably didn't remember.

As we stepped out of the limo, the grandeur of the manor loomed over us, its tall spires piercing the sky like fingers reaching for something just out of grasp. The once-vibrant garden was now overgrown, wild vines creeping up the stone walls, as if nature itself was trying to reclaim the space. It felt eerie, almost as if the house was holding its breath, waiting for something—or someone—to return.

"Wow, this place has seen better days," Wendy remarked, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "I can't believe he lives here."

"He used to live here," I replied, my heart pounding in my tiny chest. "But his uncle moved him back."

As we approached the front door, a mix of nostalgia and dread washed over me. Memories of laughter and late-night snacks flooded my mind, quickly overshadowed by the uncertainty of what awaited us inside. Wendy knocked on the heavy wooden door, and we waited, the silence stretching out like a taut string.

Finally, the door creaked open, revealing Gray standing there. I'm sorry to say this, but when Wendy and I saw him, we both screamed. He looked like something out of an old black-and-white werewolf movie—fur, claws, fangs. His once-familiar face was now twisted into a grotesque mask of fur and sharp angles, something between man and animal, his eyes gleaming with a mix of fear and desperation. The transformation was so drastic that it took me a moment to process that this was indeed Gray.

"Uh, hey," he said, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down my spine. "Thanks for coming."

"Gray?" Wendy asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me," he replied, his tone laced with frustration. "I know I look like a monster, but I need your help."

I hopped forward. "What happened to you? You look... different."

He looked down at me, taking in my shocking new appearance just as I was taking in his.

"So you really were turned into a frog," he said.

Before I could react, he picked me up.

"You're so squishy," he remarked.

I squirmed in his grasp, feeling both vulnerable and oddly offended. "Yeah, well, at least I'm not a furry nightmare," I retorted, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity despite my current amphibious form.

"So do you still have a butt?" he asked, looking me over. "Or you know... balls?"

I blinked in disbelief, my tiny frog brain struggling to comprehend the absurdity of the situation. "What kind of question is that?!" I croaked, my voice a mix of indignation and confusion.

"I don't know about the butt part," Wendy explained. "He does have something called a spermatic canal in place of a penis."

"Wendy!" I yelled at her.

"Sorry!" she said, holding her hands up defensively. "I'm just trying to help!"

Gray chuckled, a deep rumble that echoed through his monstrous form. "Well, look on the bright side, Natsu. Your body finally matches your brain."

"And now you're as ugly on the outside as you've always been on the inside!" I shot back, my words laced with sarcasm.

"At least I can still stand upright!"

"At least I can still see my feet!"

"Will you two knock it off?" Wendy interjected, her patience wearing thin.

"Right, sorry," I mumbled, feeling a bit sheepish.

"Me too," Gray chimed in. "Here, Wendy, take a seat. I'll ask Ur to bring us something to eat and drink. We can talk in the drawing room."

Wendy and I exchanged uncertain glances, both unsure how to navigate this strange situation. Gray led us through the grand entrance of the manor, the air heavy with the scent of dust and forgotten memories. It felt almost like a castle from a bygone era, lost to time. I couldn't help but wonder if the prince who once inhabited it had also been forgotten—or perhaps, if he had chosen to be.