Book 3: Stolen Crystal (Rogue Cheney Love Story)

Chapter 12

Pic is of Doriate—->

Akira's P. O. V:

"Natsu-kun!" I call as Gray and I search for the pinkette. I'd activated my Amber Earth Sense spell again, and can sense that Natsu's pretty far in another direction, but Gray and I lost his trail. "Where'd he go? His vibration is very far from ours."

"Man, this sucks!" Gray mutters. "We can't find him."

I say, "I hope Nanami-chan, Momo, Loki and Vivienne are alright."

"They'll be fine. Your sister's an S-class wizard herself, so she can protect herself and the others, and it shouldn't be difficult for Momo, Loki and Vivienne to find us," Gray tries to assure me. We continue walking toward a cliff, stopping on it.

I feel an unfamiliar vibration heading in our direction. Gray and I look to see a man walking by. "Hey, you there!" Gray calls.

Upon closer inspection, we see that the man is chubby and has long, pointy fangs that protrude from his bottom jaw, and he has a weird marking around his mouth.

Gray and I jerk back out of shock, our eyes wide at the man's appearance.

"Now, they're just being a nuisance, showing up one at a time," The man grumbles.

"What's with that mouth? It's gigantic," Gray comments.

"Way to state the obvious, Captain Obvious," I say sarcastically, causing Gray to deadpan at me.

The man chuckles as he turns to us and replies, "All the better to eat you with! Oh, yeah!" He opens his mouth and, suddenly, we begin to shrink in size as our clothes fall off. Gray's jacket and bag fall off, leaving only his pants.

Looking down at himself, Gray asks, "No way! What happened to us?!"

My kimono hangs around my shoulders, though just barely. I squeak in embarrassment, wrapping my arms around myself. "I'm tiny! There's no way I can let Rogue-kun see me like this!! He'll dump me for sure!!"

I was unaware of the man climbing up the wall as I see it playing out in my mind.

"Sorry, kid, but I like women that are more filled out," Rogue says as he faces away from my eight year old form, while I hang my head dejectedly.

''NO, NO, NO, NO!! I can't bear for my mate to see my like this! If he does, he'll dump me for sure! I have to change back!' I think desperately, only to hear a loud scream from beside me. I look to see gray crying while clutching his head, a look of terror on his face. "Gray-kun?"

"Reliving old memories?" The man asks as he's appeared before us, hand outstretched to Gray. "You aren't the first person to have flashbacks after Regression, but you might just be the loudest. You're one messed up kid!"

I notice the ice wizard is trembling, a pained expression on his face. "Gray-kun?! Talk to me!" I try to get him to calm down, but it wasn't working.

"But it'll all be over, real soon!"

"No! It's him! Deliora. Help me!" Gray begs, the memories of the past returning.

"I'm the last guy you should ask for help, but I will tell you something before you die," The man says as he grabs on to our heads, ignoring my protests, Gray's boots sliding off. "There's one place here in this world that people should avoid at all costs. And that place is the Gate to the Netherworld! You and your friends came right to it—we're nearly on top of the thing! At least you won't have far to go once you're dead!" He then starts chuckling.