The Adventures of Ozzie Astaroth
By Ozzie Astaroth aka Ouroboros

Chapter 17

“Ozzie? Ozzie?” a voice called out from far away. “Ozzie! Wake up sleepy head.”

Ozzie was dreaming, but recognized the voice. It was Luna's. “Mommy?” he called out. “Mommy!” He couldn't see her, but he could feel her. “Mommy I miss you!”

“Aww, I know sweety.” said Luna. “I miss you too my baby boy.”

“Mama!” cried Ozzie, feeling her embrace somehow. “Where are you?”

“I don't know.” she said. “I'm only able to contact you because of the bond we share, and the gem I left for you. I fell through a portal to another world. I'm okay for now. I have made a friend who is helping me with food and shelter. This place is not the world we came from, and I don't know how to guide you here. If only I could, I would come back to you myself.”

“I'm sorry mama.” said Ozzie with tears in his eyes. “This is my fault.”

“Aww, honey, don't blame yourself.” said Luna in response. “You did what you had to do. You lost control, but I do not blame you for it.”

“Oh mommy, I miss you so much!” said Ozzie sniffling. “I want to find you!”

“You may in time.” said Luna. “But you have to learn to control those abilities. Please sweety, I don't have much time left to talk to you like this. It uses up all of my mana. Please, be a good boy for Jenn. Try not to cry anymore. Remember, I'm okay, and if you work hard, I'm sure you can find me.”

“I will mama! I promise!” said Ozzie as he embraced Luna's raccoon form. He could see her now that her light was brighter. He felt so happy seeing her that his light grew as well. The two embraced in the dream, and Ozzie awoke. 

It had been a few more days and Ozzie was still very much a baby in every way. He could still feel Luna's warmth in his hands. He looked at his hands, and other than being smaller than before, the marks of Luna on his palms were glowing. He smiled and wiggled his fingers, happy knowing she was still alive and out there somewhere. He wondered just how old he was  since he had never seen his hands so small and weak before. “Wha...ah...guh...” the infant wizard tried to speak, but couldn't. He had flashbacks to his first regression experience and how hard to was to relearn everything. Was he really going to have to go through all that again? “Ah...bah...mmgah!” He tried making enough noise to get Jenn's attention, and eventually he succeeded.

“You're awake!” said Jenn as she entered the room. “How are we today?” She checked his diaper and found it to be very wet and a bit messy.

Ozzie babbled, trying to speak. He felt even weaker and more vulnerable than ever, and it was frustrating.

“Lets get you changed and fed.” she said, laying Ozzie on the changing table and changing his diaper. 

Ozzie noticed his whole body felt tinier and chubbier as his diaper was changed. He had almost no control of his body at this age. 

Once she had him cleaned and rediapered, she carried him to the kitchen where she sat him in his high chair.

Ozzie kept trying to communicate, but his limited body control made it difficult. He kept trying to show Jenn the crescent moon marks on his hands, but they had stopped glowing, and she mistook him for trying to grab things. He ate his food and drank his bottle as Jenn gave them to him.

Jenn picked him up and carried him to the living room. When she passed by the pictures, the baby began to squirm in her arms. “What is wrong with you today?” Jenn asked. “You've been so fussy.”

Ozzie tugged at her dress and gestured towards the picture of Luna. “Ooo! OoOoOo...nnnnn...aaaaah!” he said, hoping she could understand.

“L-Luna? Did you say Luna?” Jenn asked. “Are you trying to talk? For real this time?”

Ozzie nodded and smiled. Finally, he got through to her. “Ooonnnnaaaaahh!”

“Oh Ozzie, I've been hoping your mind would return.” Jenn said as she wiped away a tear. “I thought I had lost you both.” She smiled and hugged him close.

Ozzie smiled and cooed. Now things could finally start moving forward. 

“Now we need to see about getting your ability to talk back.” said Jenn as she sat with him in her arms. “Can you talk to Azrael?”

Ozzie shook his head. He had been trying but was unsuccessful. 

“Maybe if I try.” she said. “I know you were able to let Luna communicate with him through a telepathic link. Let me try. Now that you are in control of your senses, perhaps I can have better luck.”

Ozzie nodded and gurgled. "Ah! Gah!" he babbled.

“I'll take that as a yes.” said Jenn, and she placed her hand on the little baby's head. She closed her eyes and concentrated. “Azrael? Azrael can you hear me?” There was silence. “Azrael! Do you not want your freedom? Remember what we agreed on!”

“I did not agree to my powers being abused!” Azrael shouted from the depths of Ozzie's mind. “I lent him my power and he not only lost his beloved Luna, but destroyed an entire mountain! Imagine if we had been closer to a populated village. They would all be dead and it would be his fault!”

Jenn saw flashes of what happened, and began to put it all together. “Ah, I see.” she said finally. “Let me ask you, all mighty Azrael. If you lost one you cared for so deeply, right in front of your very eyes, can you say you would not have lost control as well? Would you not have been as angered and outraged?”

Azrael thought long about it. He did have ones he cared for, and if he lost them in such a way, he absolutely would be outraged. Not only that, but his anger had already led him to being responsible for the kidnapping and reselling of a number of regressed adventurers.

“Can you really say you haven't abused your own powers?" she asked. “Those you regressed and were sold by the witch would certainly think so. I'm right aren't I?” she asked. 

“You are.” he said finally. “But that does not mean I trust him with it now.”

“You don't have to.” said Jenn. “At least let him be the age he was before. He must learn how to better control it, and only you can teach him. You did promise.”

“His current age was not my doing.” grumbled Azrael. "Besides, he also promised to free me."

“Which he can't do in this state.” said Jenn. “Make him older. Teach him how to use your magic, and in doing so you can be freed.” Then there was a long silence.

"I did this?" Ozzie thought, looking down at his infant body.

“Very well.” said Azrael after thinking it over. “I can see your point. Also yes, you did this to yourself when he lost emotional control. I told you before that you have mimic abilities. You obviously copied that ability when I aged you up in the cave. However, you still need my magic and more training to use it properly.” With that, Azrael opened up his magic wells to Ozzie once again, and began to make him older.

Ozzie watched as his body grew and developed. His body was slowly becoming easier to control. He grew heavier in Jenn's arms, and his diaper grew tight. “Owie...” he said, pointing to his diaper.

“Oh right.” said Jenn, unfastening the diaper. “Got to let Luna's baby grow up.”

Ozzie blushed as he grew, past a year old, then further. He ended up being nearly two years old again when he stopped. “I big!” the bare little toddler cheered. “Weww, as big as I was anyway.”

“Why not get older?” asked Jenn.

“I dun wanna.” said Ozzie, looking angry. “I twied bein aduwt n jus messed fings up! Besides, I agweed wif Azwael dat I fwee him fiwst.”

“Sure, use that an excuse.” huffed Azrael. He knew Ozzie wanted to remain a baby even after setting him free.

“In that case we better get you into a properly fitting diaper.” Jenn chuckled. She picked him up and carried him to the changing table.

It seemed a bit smaller to Ozzie now, but a more familiar size. “I tawked to Wuna.” he admitted.

Jenn got out a diaper in Ozzie's size. “You did?” she asked, lifting him by the ankles and sliding the diaper under his bottom. “What did she say?”

“She say she not on dis worwd anymowe.” Ozzie explained. “Da powtaw was wandom n sent hew somewhere, some pwace, buh she ish safe.”

“Good to hear she is safe at least.” said Jenn, powdering Ozzie's loins and fastening the diaper around him. “Just glad you are your old, younger self again.” She picked him up and hugged him.

“Good to be back.” said Ozzie as he hugged her back. 

“I was starting to wonder how I would explain you to the kids.” joked Jenn. “I don't know how they would have reacted to seeing you even younger.”

“Dat wouwd haf been stwange.” Ozzie giggled. “Fank you awntie.”

“Aww, you're welcome dear.” said Jenn, giving him a kiss on the head. “I am happy to help take care of you whenever you need it.” 

“I guess we shouwd get stawted twaining.” said Ozzie. 

“That reminds me.” said Jenn. “I've been working on something. Its a special communication spell that will let you and I converse with your minds, and it should allow me to hear Azrael even without being in physical contact with you.”

“Dats amazin'!” said Ozzie. “You can weally do dat?”

“Well, let's find out!” said Jenn, as she pressed a finger to Ozzie's head and chanted. A glowing circle appeared on both of their foreheads, then disappeared. “Testing. Testing.” she thought.

“I can hear you!” Ozzie thought back. “It works!”

“Good!” said Jenn. “Lets try not to use it unless we have to though. Don't want to rely on it too much.”

Ozzie nodded. “Otay.” he said. He was eager to start training. The sooner he was able to control Azrael's abilities, the sooner he could set him free. The sooner he could set him free, the sooner he could start looking for Luna.

To be continued...