Toadette's Story: Book 2

Chapter 130 - Toxically Hellish Toes

Ashley’s wrist flicked, and a crystalline spear screamed across the foyer.

Toadette, bracing for a straight shot, dodged to the side. But the shard curved in a tight arc to pursue her. A yelp escaped Toadette as she scrambled behind the fractured base of a grand marble pillar. The shard ripped a crater into the pillar.

So she can make her stuff home. Toadette’s heart hammered. Got it.

Before she could fully process it, Ashley’s wand glowed crimson. A blast of dark fire erupted and surged towards Toadette. This time she waited, feigning exhaustion until the last second. Then she dashed. The fiery torrent scorched the air where she’d stood, impacting the wall behind her and leaving a charred scar.

Immediately a thin humming echoed in the room.

Toadette flung herself to the ground. A heavy bolt vaporised a nearby vase, showering the area with ceramic.

“That all you got, creepy?” Toadette pushed herself up.

Ashley’s eyes narrowed. She hurled another ice shard, but Toadette easily avoided it. The next lightning spell was already building. Chuckling, Toadette rolled clear just as another searing bolt fired in her direction.

“Are you allergic to standing still?” Ashley snarled. Suddenly a shadow streaked past her vision.

A sharp impact struck the back of her head. She staggered forward, grunting. Then she spun, catching a glimpse of Vivian’s face. Vivian gave a mocking wave before melting back into the shadows.

“Enough.” Ashley stomped her foot. “I need you, Red. Don’t make me wait.”

Smoke coiled beside Ashley, solidifying into the impish figure of Red. “Still dealing with the uninvited guests, I see. Gotta tell ya, those guys below ground are still retching from your nasty… Oh, from your delightfully crunchy—”

Ashley grabbed him by the neck.

“Wand form. Immediately.”

“Oh… We really gotta do this now?” He let out a choked gasp. “They’ve really gotten under your skin, haven’t they?”

Her grip tightened as she glared at him. Red, seeing the fire in her eyes, sighed. His form stretched and twisted into a long wand in Ashley’s hand. She put away her standalone wand, pointing her new one directly at the reemerged Vivian.

“Let’s see if you can land a hit, little one,” Vivian teased. “Try to get me!”

“Obliterating Ovation!”

A wave of black and crimson energy burst from the wand. Vivian let out a heavy scream, catching the blast in her hands. Her screaming intensified as it felt like it was ripping her flesh apart. With a heavy grunt, she redirected the blast into the air.

It devoured the ceiling with a deafening boom. Massive beams and roof tiles rained down, accompanied by an avalanche of debris.

Outside, Minh jumped out the way of a huge piece of roof. “Holy crap…”

Toadette and Vivian shielded their heads as the world above them disintegrated. When the maelstrom finally subsided, a gaping maw now opened, revealing the Moon. The mansion’s roof was simply gone.

“What the hell was that?” Toadette asked.

“Her power just skyrocketed.” Vivian’s hands continued to shake. “Toadette, we have to—”

Vivian cried out in pain. A thin, frosty line of blood opened on her cheek. She looked behind her to see an ice shard shatter against the wall.

“Have I finally gotten under your skin?” Ashley waved her wand and disappeared. In a flash, she reappeared before Vivian, her boot lashing out with brutal speed. The tip hit Vivian’s mouth with a mighty crunch. Ashley snatched her neck, staring at her coldly. “Time to show you what a real witch looks like.”

---

“Left side’s open!” Luigi yelled. “Get him!”

Cricket weaved between each of their movements. A dusty, calloused foot planted itself on Toad’s cap. With that springboard, the boy launched into a spiralling kick aimed at Luigi’s head. Luigi dropped, a phantom wind rustling his moustache as Cricket shot past.

Reeling from the filth on his cap, Toad spun around.

“He’s faster than Toadette on a bad day. Wario attracts every kind of freak, huh?”

“Yeah, you cut him off.” Luigi summoned an emerald energy, crouching low. “Watch this.”

Cricket’s eyes lit up. He vanished.

He reappeared in a flash, already sending a leg towards Luigi’s charging form. But at the last moment, Luigi aborted the charge and swept a leg across the ground.

Cricket was forced to leap. Toad, already surging forward, unleashed a right hook aimed at the Cricket’s chest.

“Yeah! Got him!”

But instead of taking the blow, Cricket caught Toad’s fist between his feet. He used Toad’s own punch to swing his entire body into a distant tree, his other foot lashing out to catch Luigi in the shoulder as the plumber tried to punch.

Cricket landed with excitement in his eyes. He continued to bounce.

“He’s not a complete idiot,” Toad panted, shaking his hand. “We’ve gotta kill our predictability.”

“Unpredictability is my speciality,” Luigi said. “It’s your turn to mix things up.”

“Easier said than done.”

They charged again. Luigi used his incredible jumping abilities to come down with powerful stomps. His repeated launching sent Cricket heading in Toad’s direction. Toad punched and kicked, sometimes feinting to keep Cricket guessing.

Cricket blocked Toad’s punch with a forearm and spun into a kick at Luigi. He pushed off Luigi’s overalls to backflip over Toad’s head, landing with a precise axe kick onto Toad’s cap.

Luigi countered by hurling his hammer at Cricket, striking him with a hard clang. As Cricket stumbled, Toad grabbed his gi and headbutted him. Cricket skidded across the dirt. All three were now breathing heavily.

Cricket giggled. “Not bad.”

“Say, what would Mario do in this situation?” Toad asked.

“A little butt stomp here, a little Fire Flower there.” Luigi adjusted his cap. “But what good would it be if I copied him? We’re making progress.”

“Nope! You’re not.” Cricket stretched his arms. “You guys are strong, but I’ve trained with Kat and Ana. Two-on-one is nothing to me.”

“Who and who?” Luigi asked.

Toad scoffed. “Well those ninjas left that forest bleeding and crying. You’re not the first speed freak we’ve put down.”

---

Afternoon sunlight leaked through the blinds of the inn room. Penelope, while her thumbs clacked on her DSi, traced her lips slowly up and down Jasmin’s feet. After countless kisses, she inhaled the pungent, familiar scent with a guttural moan.

Jasmin clicked her tongue. “Still huffing my foot funk back there, princess?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Penelope murmured, pressing another kiss. “These would be my favourite pillows.”

“Weirdo.” Jasmin played with her fingers. “But if we’re talking freaks, am I a freak for wanting Minh-Minh’s toes in my mouth?”

Penelope didn’t stop sniffing. “Considering what you did when we were shrunk? I’m surprised you haven’t already.”

“I missed my shot. Two weeks ago, she was clueless. Now she knows I’m not a sex-clueless kid anymore. She’s starting to cut our kisses short. It’s stupid.”

“You could just try a closed-mouth kiss. I’ve seen Miss Minh T. do that with her parents.”

“Lengua es amor, Penelope. If I’m halfway down your throat, that’s how you know I care.” Jasmin rolled off the bed, landing on her callused heels. “All this thinking about tongues is making me thirsty. I’m grabbing a soda downstairs. Want one?”

Penelope scrambled into her sneakers, wiggling her bare feet into the tight fit. “Wait. How do we explain a thousand coins to Miss Amini T. without giving her a heart attack?”

“We don’t. We shove it in the register when she’s not looking. Call it a blessing from the stars.”

“She’s not stupid, Jazz.” Penelope tied her laces. “I’ll just tell her I’m rich. My mother is swimming in coins, and Miss Minh T. can vouch for me.”

They hit the bottom step just in time to see Amini dealing with a client. A blue-furred Doogan, whose pungent cologne hit them like a truck, was draped over the counter. His magnificent rainbow afro glistened under the lights, saturated with enough spray to grease a cog.

“Ah, ma chérie,” he sang. “To zeenk zat I, zee Great Dupree, would discover such a beautiful blossom een zis dusty town. Eet eez our destiny, non?”

Amini looked ready to weep from exhaustion. “Sir, it’s just business. Five nights, single bed.”

“But in case our romantic bones strike—and zey shall strike, mademoiselle—per’aps we upgrade to a suite for deux, non?”

“The coins, sir.” She forced a cracked smile. “Unless you’d like to see how hard a Toad can swing her clog.”

“Ah, the chancla threat.” Jasmin snorted as they reached the bottom floor. “Yeah, I know a thing or two about those. But a clog? That might actually kill the dude.”

“He smells like a perfume factory,” Penelope whispered, stifling a giggle. She skipped to the counter. “Hey, Miss Amini T.”

“Hey girls.” The relief on Amini’s face was instant. She reached over, giving Penelope’s cheek a playful rub. “You two looking for—”

BAM!

The front door exploded inward. The brass bell toppled from the counter, skittering across the tiled floor. Through the sudden void surged three massive Piantas, eclipsing the Sun with their immense frames. The one in front brought a barbed-wire baseball bat into his palm.

“Nobody moves!” he bellowed. “Hands where I can see ‘em, or I start breakin’ kneecaps!”

Dupree shrieked, leaping into Amini’s arms. “Mon dieu! Zee giant trees! Zey ‘ave come to steal Dupree’s irresistible charms! Save me, my fragile blossom!”

“Beat it, fancy boy,” the lead Pianta roared. He took a swing at a floor lamp, shattering the bulb in a shower of sparks. “Before I turn you into a lamp.”

Dupree scrambled out of Amini’s grip, vanishing out the door. “I weezhdraw my patronage! Adieu, mon amour!”

The Piantas didn’t pay him any more mind, locking their eyes onto Amini.

Amini’s body shook violently. “I… I have one more day!”

“Plans changed.” The Pianta slammed the bat onto the reception desk. The wood cracked with a crunch. “Don Frankie ain’t happy. See, some wise guys hit the Trouble Centre this mornin’. Cleaned out our investments.”

Penelope went rigid. Beside her, Jasmin stopped breathing.

“What does that have to do with me?” Amini squeaked. “I’ve been here all day! I swear!”

“Don’t play dumb with me.” The Pianta leaned over the counter, casting a long shadow over her. “You’re desperate. You got debts up to your eyeballs. And suddenly, right when we put the squeeze on you, our cash grows legs and walks?”

“I… I don’t know!”

“Save it for the Don, dollface.” He jerked his head at his lackeys. “Grab her. We’re takin’ her for a ride.”

Jasmin leaned into Penelope’s ear. “They’re gonna kill her. For real.”

A lackey rounded the desk and seized Amini by the upper arms. She screamed, her feet leaving the floor as she kicked wildly at the desk.

“No! No! I didn’t take anything! Ask anyone! The girls will tell you!” She began to bite at the Pianta’s hand.

“Shut your trap!” The lackey slammed her onto the dusty floor. “Who’d you hire to steal our bling while ya played innocent, huh?”

Amini sobbed. “No one, I swear! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Jasmin hyperventilated. Her eyes darted from the bat to Amini. If we talk, we die. If we don’t, she dies.

“Hey!”

The voice was small but powerful. Penelope stepped forward, hands balled in fists. “She didn’t take your stupid money. She would never.”

The lead Pianta looked down. “Look at this. The pest she’s babysitting. Who you think you are, sweetie—her bodyguard?”

“I’m the one who took your money, dummy.”

The lobby went silent. Even the droning A/C seemed to pause. Amini stopped crying, staring up at Penelope with wide, reddened eyes.

“Yeah, I took it,” Penelope repeated. “It’s all in our room.”

“Get outta here, kid,” the Pianta laughed. “We’re supposed to believe a pint-sized cupcake like you strolled into the east side alone and lifted our dough with no one spottin’ her?”

She turned to Jasmin. “Get our bags, Jazz.”

“Are you crazy? After all we did for that damn money—”

“Get. Them. Now!” This time Penelope turned. Her eyes held none of their usual softness, only a terrifying authority. Jasmin flinched. “I gave you an order. You gonna listen?”

Stunned, Jasmin bolted up the stairs. The silence stretched while Amini stared at Penelope, horrified.

“You… You stole from them? Why?”

“I couldn’t let them hurt you, miss.”

“Penelope, no. I’m not worth this. I told you. You didn’t have to do this all.”

The staircase groaned under Jasmin’s slow descent. She dragged the backpacks down the steps, heaving them onto the lobby floor with a metallic clink. A lackey unzipped the nearest one, eyes widening as the coins shimmered.

“That’s our dough, boss. Blue coins. All of it.”

The leader whistled. “Well, well. Got ourselves a couple of little bandits.”

“You have your money,” Penelope said. “Take it and leave us alone.”

“Sorry, kid. Doesn’t work like that.” He tapped the bat against his palm. “You stole from the syndicate, and that’s its own fee.” He pointed the bat at Amini. “And she still owes us our money. Since the cash is technically ours, her debt ain’t ever getting paid, is it?”

“We keep the dough and the broad,” a lackey sneered, hoisting Amini by her chest. “She’ll answer to Don Frankie. Maybe she can work it off, one sliced toe at a time.”

Penelope’s hands trembled with anger. “I wish to speak to your boss. Take me to him.”

The Piantas erupted in laughter.

Penelope didn’t wait for it to die down.

She grabbed the lead Pianta’s wrist and drove her heel hard into his knee. As he howled and hopped on one foot, she pivoted, twisting his arm behind his back before shoving him.

Off-balance, the massive Pianta stumbled forward, crashing face-first into the coffee table.

“Get the little brat!” he screamed from the floor.

The second Pianta lunged to grab her. She slid underneath his legs and kicked upward, striking him in the groin. He collapsed with a heavy thud.

The third lackey hesitated, confused by the scene.

Penelope scrambled up the desk. With a cry, she launched herself into the air and sent both heels squarely into the Pianta’s nose. He staggered back, clutching his face. She landed in a crouch and delivered a swift kick to his shin, the bone making a hollow thwack. He crumpled, wheezing.

Panting, she straightened up and smoothed out her skirt. She looked down at the leader.

“I said take me to your boss,” she snarled, channelling the terrifying aura she’d seen Toadette summon. “Or do you need me to break your leg first?”

The leader looked at his groaning crew then back at the small girl. A mix of fear and respect crossed his face.

“Alright, alright.” He pulled himself up. “Don Frankie’s gonna wanna see this personally. We’ll take ya. Just cool with the karate, capisce?”

“I’m coming too,” Amini said. She applied a rag to her bleeding head. “I refuse to let you take her alone.”

“Guess I’m part of this too,” Jasmin sighed, snagging a stray blue coin that had rolled away. “If we die, then we’re gonna die as a group.”

Penelope glanced back, grinning. “Oh, we’re not dying today. Like I’d seriously give them that honour.”

---

Toadette barely ducked in time. Ashley’s fireball scorched the air where her head had been, close enough that she felt it on her cap. The witch was closing ground fast, her wand leading every step.

“Running already? We’ve barely been introduced.” A bolt cracked from the wand’s tip and caught Toadette in the chest. She hit the dirt hard.

Vivian was already throwing herself into the gap. A shadowy fist here, a fiery jinx there; she kept Ashley from zeroing in. But Ashley read the punches whenever Vivian wound up. And whenever Vivian’s fire came close, Ashley threw up a deep-red barrier that swallowed the heat without a flicker.

The barrier dropped. Toadette charged it from below with a kick.

Ashley snatched her by the ankle without looking. She held the struggling foot up, examining it. Then, slowly, she dragged her tongue from Toadette’s heel all the way to the tips of her toes.

“Hey!” Toadette shrieked and kicked wildly, but Ashley’s grip didn’t budge. Her tongue travelled back down the foot. When she finally retracted it, she smacked her lips twice.

“Your flavour is truly addictive.”

A brick cracked off the side of Ashley’s head. She barely moved, slowly craning her neck. Minh stood with another chunk of mansion debris already in hand.

“Patience.” Ashley took one last sniff of Toadette’s foot before dropping her on the dirt. “Once I’m done with the sweat generator, I’ll see what you’re about.”

Toadette immediately swept low for Ashley’s legs. Ashley hovered up, only to catch Vivian’s flaming punch directly to the chest, sailing back several metres. The two of them fell into a rhythm: Toadette from below, Vivian from above, not giving Ashley a window to aim. The witch was fast, but the constant switching had her stumbling over her spells.

Their brawl pulled them farther from the mansion. Minh made a break for the entrance.

She nearly made it.

An explosion of dust erupted directly in her path as Toad and Cricket traded blows. Cricket got a clean chop on Toad’s collarbone that folded him into the wall.

“And you thought I wouldn’t be a challenge,” Cricket laughed. He tilted his head back up at Luigi spiralling down towards him. “You’ve done that twice already. Using the same pattern will only get you—”

Luigi dropped like a stone. He landed right behind Cricket, back turned.

Then came a crackle. Cricket shifted to dodge.

A brick caught him in the back of his knee. The half-second it took Cricket to find Minh was enough time for Luigi to drive a crackling orb straight into him. Cricket’s teeth locked together. The electricity ran the length of his body until his legs gave out.

“I don’t need advice from a newbie.” Luigi brushed his palms off and looked back at Toad. “Thunderhand.”

“How long’s he down for?”

“Not long. Quite a stubborn lad here.” He reached into his overalls, pulled out a white-and-red bottle and tossed an identical one to Toad. “Drink it. Now.”

“What is it?”

“Power Punch. Thick. Tastes like yoghurt.” Luigi downed it all and crushed the empty bottle in his fist. A low gurgling sound came. Minh and Toad stepped further back as his frame swelled, muscles layering over muscles, his breathing going deep. His eyes blanked white for a beat before returning. He rolled his neck.

“Temporary, right?” Minh asked.

“The length depends on the person. I’ll last long enough.” He glanced at Cricket. “The boy won’t stay down. Hurry.”

Toad went to pop the cap off his bottle. Minh grabbed his wrist.

“Hold that for a second.” She looked at Luigi. “The Twilighters should come first.”

“Then quickly.”

The three entered through the ruined doorway. Minh was thrown back to the Sweet Stuff the moment she saw the enslaved. The sight of that many people restrained in a row shook her. She steadied herself.

“Alright.” Luigi stepped forward. “You’re heading home.”

“There should be around thirty,” Toad said, doing a quick count. “I’m looking at about fifteen.”

Luigi crouched in front of the nearest Twilighter. “Hey. Where are the others?”

The man drew back as far as his chains allowed. Luigi tried the next one. Same reaction. He moved down the row, but by his fifth attempt, there was still nothing.

“We’re trying to help you people! Speak already!” His voice caused the mansion to tremble.

Minh moved past him. She sat on her heels in front of the first Twilighter. “How do we get you free?”

“There’s a key. A big one. The imp got sick of carrying it, so he left it somewhere.”

“Okay.” She reached up and brushed the dust from his hair. “We’ll come back for you.”

Luigi stared at her. “What’d you do that I didn’t do?”

“She spoke softly to them, for one,” Toad said. “She also looks just as dead as they do, while you’re looking like quite the foreigner.”

“I’ll take care of this,” Minh said, already scanning the room. “You two handle—”

“Electricity, huh?” Cricket stood in the doorway. His eye twitched. “Mean trick.”

“You throw energy blasts, and you’re complaining about mine?” Luigi moved towards him, rolling his enormous shoulders. “Outside. You don’t want to hurt the innocents, right?”

“Indeed. But we’ll stay close. Someone has to watch them, after all.”

“Fine by me.” Luigi followed him back into the dusty exterior. Toad lingered, watching Minh.

“How bad is it out there for them?” he asked. “With this Ashley girl?”

---

The fields had been worked raw, scarred by furrows where the Twilighters had spent days clawing at the earth. They were looking for something then. Now the trenches were just ready-made graves.

Toadette hit the floor of one with a thud, the air rushing out of her.

Ashley drifted down a second later.

“Be honest.” She took Toadette off the ground by the throat. “Compared to me, the others are merely pesky flies, aren’t they?”

Toadette’s response was a wet, defiant glob of spit.

Ashley simply parted her lips and caught it, swallowing with a loud gulp that made Toadette’s stomach churn. A smile touched the witch’s lips before she hurled Toadette skyward, right into Vivian’s jumping arc.

Vivian swerved, her fist wreathed in shadows as she drove a punch into Ashley’s sternum. Ashley skidded back and grabbed her chest, but the moment of pain was gone as quickly as it had arrived. She straightened her posture, looking more annoyed than hurt.

“She’s like a sponge,” Vivian wheezed, dropping into a crouch beside Toadette.”

“She’s starting to get good at reading you.” Toadette pulled herself upright. “Next time she comes for me, let her. I’ll try something.”

“Hmm…” Vivian looked down. “Just make sure you give her an eyeful of those dirty feet again.”

“What?”

Vivian somersaulted into the sky, tearing her hands apart. A sphere of obsidian and liquid fire coalesced between her palms, spitting sparks like a dying star. Below, Ashley watched with bored curiosity. She whistled to herself.

“Ashley!” Red’s voice crackled out of the wand. “I’m running on fumes here! Give me a break!”

“You’ll survive.”

“If you’re about to do what I think you’re about to do—”

“Precisely.” She felt the heat bleeding from the wand’s core into her own blood. “Let’s see if this little shadow nuisance has a final—”

“Ultra Flare!” Vivian’s roar echoed through the fields.

Ashley’s pupils shrank as the sky turned orange. “Oh shit…”

The fireball slammed into the earth like a Banzai Bill. The resulting shockwave vaporised the dirt, punching a deep wound into the field and shooting a pillar of ash and scorched heat towards the clouds. Vivian lowered her hands, her fingers twitching uncontrollably. She squinted through the haze and searched.

Ashley’s presence was on the move.

A distorted, high-frequency screech reached Toadette’s ears before she whirled around. Ashley burst through the dust and swung her wand downward, a whip of frost trailing behind it.

Toadette ducked low, the passing frost close enough to numb her nose. With precision, she swept Ashley’s ankles, sending the witch into the air. She then threw her weight onto her palms and kicked upward, spinning like a top. Her bare feet hammered into Ashley’s chest repeatedly until, with a final surge of strength, she snapped into a side kick and sent Ashley flying far into the distance. She landed back on her hands, her feet glowing a dull orange.

“Did I always have that kicking power?” she asked herself.

“I funnelled the energy from my blast into you,” Vivian rasped, bracing her hands against her knees. “Dang… If that didn’t do her in…”

Thirty seconds passed before a speck appeared on the horizon, flying back towards them with a terrifying calmness.

Ashley hovered, her expression flat. She brushed dust from her jacket.

“Ash…” Red croaked.

“Tedious but interesting.” Ashley’s gaze fixed on Toadette. “It seems you’re slightly more than the mindless fungal growth Wario described.”

Toadette responded by raising a single middle finger.

Ashley’s eyes narrowed. She vanished, and before Toadette could even blink, reappeared before her with a fist deep in Toadette’s groin. The impact could be heard from metres away. Toadette’s eyes went wide as she collapsed.

Vivian could only stare.

Ashley slowly rose, her hair billowing in the wind. She let out a slow exhale, the magic energy fizzling off her knuckles.

“At this rate, I’m going to kill you by pure accident.” She nudged Toadette’s exposed foot with the toe of her boot. “Stay down. I’m thinking of all the ways I’ll need to discipline you later.”

“Yo! Goth ‘n’ Ugly!”

Ashley paused, her boot still against Toadette’s arch.

Toad stood metres away, perched on the edge of the crater. His cloak struggled against his bulging biceps. He smiled.

“Toadette’s good.” He cracked his knuckles. “But she’s still soft compared to me. Why don’t you tangle with a man for a change?”

“I’ve heard dying grandmothers with more bass in their chests.”

Toad tried to muster a menacing growl, but his voice snapped into a high-pitched squeak halfway through.

“I’ll humour you.” She turned from Toadette. “However, if I may, I’d like to make this more interesting.”

“How so?”

Her eyes remained locked on Toad as she reached for her left foot. She peeled the heavy leather away with agonising slowness, the material resisting against her ankle until her bare foot was free. She repeated the process with the right. When she finally stepped onto the soil, her wiggling toes gripped the dirt.

“No more magic. Just bone against bone.” She tossed her wand to the side, and Red expanded into his true form, coughing. “Spells are off-limits. And I’m doing you a favour by shedding the boots. I’d rather not have to turn your femurs into splinters by accident.”

She ran a finger under her toes, sniffed it, and a shivering breath escaped her lips. Toad cringed.

“I should warn you, though,” she murmured. “My feet are hellishly toxic.”

Toad glared at her as if she were crazy. If he could survive being near Toadette’s bad aroma, this girl had nothing that could terrify him.

“Make the first move,” she said, lifting her right foot high. “If you feel like it.”

With a sharp smirk, Toad lunged. He drove his knuckles straight into the centre of her foot.

The impact sounded like a hammer striking an anvil. A thick, dark mass oozed from between Ashley’s toes, spraying across her shin. Vivian’s jaw dropped. From the dirt, Toadette let out a choked sound.

Toad’s smirk vanished the second he felt the burning in his hand. Ashley looked down at his cracking fist then tilted her gaze back to his.

“That tickles.”

“Didn’t you say no magic?” Toad grunted, laughing harshly through gritted teeth. “Guess Wario’s only good at hiring weaklings.”

“Hmm?” Ashley blinked slowly. “You wanna see magic?”

The black of her hair turned blinding white. Toad lurched back, but his arm stayed rooted. His knuckles had sunken into the arch of her foot, the skin practically melding.

A crimson glow bathed the dirt. When Ashley spoke, a dual-tone voice took hold, sounding like a young woman speaking over a deep roar.

“When my hair is dark, I’m still a human. No magic in sight.” She pulled Toad deeper into her. “Your mistake is thinking that all humans break easily. Wario should’ve already disproven that, but I guess I’m your confirmation.”

“She’s not as weak as she looks,” Red wheezed. “I mean, she’s just as strong as she looks! Y’know, let her do the talking…”

“That’s her when she’s normal?” Toadette gasped.

“A good effort.” Ashley flexed her toes. From the dark space between two of them, a spindly bug scurried out. It skittered over her foot and onto Toad’s trapped knuckle, its tiny legs pricking his skin. Suddenly the white in her hair vanished, the magnetic grip snapping instantly. Toad stumbled back as she chuckled. “Now, let’s see how you handle one of my attacks.”

The ground began to tremble.

---

Author’s Note:
Much of this was animated in 2024, although at the time I had no idea when or where this would happen. Consequently many elements changed, such as Vivian replacing Minh in the final section, since Minh is at the mansion. Next week… Wait… Why do I smell a disgustingly giant foot?

Now then,would you like to have a say in where this story can go next?

I’m currently writing the next arc, and I’d love your input. So I’ve put together a quick, anonymous Google Form where you can give input on things like the character’s next designs, acts they can get into, etc. It’ll be open until the 15th of March, so don’t miss your chance to influence the plot.

https://forms.gle/4bgEYXd9JQDgeNAH6