At last, we arrived at the school. Happy slipped through the front doors as students streamed in, and I urged him to navigate the bustling hallway discreetly. As we maneuvered through the crowd, I felt the weight of curious glances and hushed whispers trailing behind us. Happy moved stealthily, blending in with the students as if he belonged there. I clung to his fur, doing my best to remain hidden from prying eyes.
I scanned the area for Minerva, searching for a goth figure clad entirely in black. For what felt like an eternity, I couldn't spot anyone fitting that description. Just when I was about to lose hope, I caught sight of a black lace trail and steered Happy toward it. He leapt in front of the girl, and I prepared to make my demands once more, only to feel my heart sink when I noticed her long, flowing red hair.
"Shit! You're not Minerva!" I cursed.
It was Erza, and she looked at me with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. But why wouldn't she? I was a frog riding a cat—people had been giving me strange looks all day. However, as I glanced back up at her, I realized her expression was markedly different from the others. It was one of alarm and deep concern.
Erza knelt down, peering at me between my large, black froggy eyes.
"Did you just speak to me?" she asked softly.
Wait! She heard me?
"You can hear me?" I called out, my voice a mix of surprise and hope.
The alarm in her expression intensified tenfold. Without warning, she grabbed both me and Happy, stuffing us into her backpack. As expected, Happy yowled and clawed at her, but when she locked eyes with him, he suddenly became docile and obedient, settling down in her bag without resistance.
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" I demanded, struggling against her surprisingly strong grip. "And what did you do to my cat?"
"Stop squirming!" she ordered. "I can't explain things here, in front of all these people! Just get in the bag!"
Eventually, she managed to zip us up inside. It wasn't long before she pulled us out into a dimly lit room thick with the scent of herbs and incense. There were no windows, just a single door that she quickly locked behind us. Afterward, she lifted me up and examined me closely.
"You speak like a human, but I'm the only one who can hear you," she said. "That can only mean one thing: you're not really a frog, are you? You're a boy who was turned into one."
"How did you know? And how is it that you can hear me but no one else can?"
Erza sighed heavily, as if grappling with a confession she was reluctant to make.
"Because I am a witch, and witches—or anyone affected by magic—can hear and see things for what they really are."
"You mean you're one of them too?! Oh, right, you and Minerva are sisters."
"So Minerva did this to you?" she deduced, her frustration palpable. "Damn it! I've told her and Kagura a thousand times they can't just go around cursing people because they're pissed off! I constantly remind them that we have to be discreet. Every time the world finds out witches are real, bad things happen to them! They either get burned, hanged, or locked up and experimented on! But do they ever listen? No!"
As she ranted, her appearance began to change. Her ghostly pale face glowed as if infused with moonlight, her red hair shimmered, and the grey streaks and feathers vanished, replaced by silver adornments that sparkled like stardust. Her black dress transformed into an opalescent blend of silver and gold, her lips reshaped into a perfect heart, and her eyes became warm and brown, reminiscent of a family hearth in winter.
It was just like with Minerva—one moment she seemed to be what most people would consider ugly, and the next, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Oh, why?" Erza groaned. "Why was I cursed with such idiot sisters?"
"So, I take it by your reaction that you don't approve of Minerva turning me into a frog?" I asked.
"Of course not! There are rules in witchcraft, and the number one rule is that we have to be discreet. No one can find out we exist, and turning a boy into a frog is anything but discreet. Ugh! When I get my hands on her—"
"Can you unleash your wrath on her later? I think you should probably change me back first. Preferably before lunch; I missed breakfast today, and I am starving."
"Oh...yeah." Erza bit her lip anxiously. "About that, the thing is, I can't change you back."
"What do you mean you can't change me back?! You're a witch, aren't you?! You have the same powers as her, don't you?!"
"Yes, but she put a curse on you, and curses can't be undone by other witches. They must be broken according to the terms of the spell. Sorry."
"You mean I'm stuck like this forever?!"
"Not exactly. Any curse can be broken, and by the laws of witchcraft, she had to tell you how to break it. She did tell you, right?"
I thought back to last night, recalling Minerva's words about the spell and how to break it. Despite my panic, I remembered her exact instructions perfectly.
"She said I had to befriend a princess, share her table and bed, and if her heart is full of love for me, I need to get a kiss from her."
"Oh..." Erza seethed. "Boy, did she give you a hard one."
"Ya think?!" I snapped. "I mean seriously, befriend a princess?! We live in the United States of America! There are no princesses here! We live by a democracy!"
"Calm down," she said. "It's not entirely impossible. If it were, the curse wouldn't have worked. Another rule is that we can't cast curses unless there's a possible means of breaking them. The fact that she succeeded in turning you into a frog means there's a way for you to free yourself from this spell. You just have to figure it out."
"Well, what am I supposed to do?! My parents don't recognize me! They can't hear my real voice! No one can! And my mother is afraid of slimy animals. If I go home, they'll just chase me away! Where am I going to live? What about my family?"
"I have something that might help with that. One moment."
She snapped her fingers, and the dimness of the room brightened, revealing shelves lined with jars of strange ingredients—dried herbs, crystals, and peculiar animal parts. A large cauldron sat in the center, surrounded by candles and countless potion vials and talismans. Erza rummaged through a cabinet, her movements swift and purposeful, until she pulled out three spherical items.
The first two were small and green, resembling bath bombs, while the third was larger—about the size of an apple—and glimmered with a golden hue.
"Place one of these," she said, holding up the first two, "in someone's drink. It will dissolve, and whoever drinks it will be able to hear your human voice. But these are hard to come by, so I suggest you save one for the princess you need to save you."
"What about the other one?"
"This one," she said, grabbing the golden sphere next, "is a magic ball of enchanted gold that can take you anywhere with in reason. Just hold it and think of where you want to go, and you'll be instantly transported there."
"Cool, but how will that help me?"
"Well, last I checked, frogs don't get around much. They don't travel far, considering their size and the fact that they're a potential food source for many predators. Trust me, you're going to need that ball."
I gazed at the shimmering golden sphere in Erza's hand, my mind racing with possibilities. "So, you're telling me that I can just... think of where I want to go, and I'll be there? Just like that?"
"Exactly," Erza replied, her voice a blend of excitement and urgency. "But you must be cautious. Magic can be unpredictable, and you don't want to end up in a dangerous place. You need to be clear about your destination."
I nodded, my heart pounding with a mix of hope and anxiety. "Okay, so I can use this ball to travel. But what about the princess? How am I supposed to find one?"
Erza frowned, her brow furrowing in contemplation. "Well, that part is going to be tricky. As you mentioned, princesses aren't exactly easy to come by around here."
"Wait! England has princesses, right? I can just use this ball to go there and befriend one!"
"Not so fast. The ball's magic won't take you beyond the borders of the states. Magic has its limits, you know."
"But you said it would take me anywhere."
"Anywhere within reason. My fellow witches believe that granting someone the power to travel anywhere in the world is unreasonable. And perhaps they have a point. Can you imagine the chaos that airline companies would unleash if people started magically appearing in Europe or Africa without any explanation? Well without any logical explanation that is."
I sighed, frustration bubbling within me. "So, what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and wait for a princess to magically appear?"
Erza crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "Not quite. You could try seeking out someone with connections to royalty, or at least someone who can assist you. There are always people with ties to the old world, even if it's just through stories or heritage."
"Great. So I'm supposed to wander around town asking random people if they know any princesses?" I groaned. "That sounds like a brilliant plan."
"Hey, it's better than doing nothing! You'd be surprised how many people have fascinating backgrounds. Plus, you might find someone who can help you along the way."
I mulled over her words. "Alright, fine. I'll give it a shot. But first, I need to figure out how to use this magic ball without getting eaten by something."
Erza chuckled softly. "Just think of a safe place. Somewhere you feel comfortable."
"Right. I'll just picture my room." I closed my eyes, envisioning the familiar surroundings of my bedroom—the posters on the walls, the soft glow of my desk lamp, and the comforting scent of my favorite books.
As I clutched the golden sphere tightly, I focused on that image, willing it to transport me there. Suddenly, a warm sensation enveloped me, and before I knew it, the dim room faded away, replaced by the vibrant colors of my own space.
I blinked, momentarily disoriented, before realizing I was back in my room with Happy beside me. I hopped off the bed and looked around, relief flooding through me. It felt good to be in a place I recognized, even if I was still a frog.