11. S1: Croaking Curses

Hey kids, do you like magic?

No?

Well, too bad. Magic doesn't care about your feelings and will continue to exist whether you like it or not.

Now, Sasha did not believe in magic. A weird and creepy old guy in a black and white tux, a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, a puff of colourful smoke and walla — a dead rabbit. This was exactly what happened during her 7th birthday party, an event that scarred her for life. And while Hop Pop did tell her magic existed, she had every reason to distrust it, fair or not.

Sprig, on the other hand, was okay with it. He wasn't particularly interested but he did not dislike it. Sprig preferred to design his own little contraptions, having a knack for building and inventing things. Also, his own definition of magic was somewhat inaccurate. For example, he found the deliciousness of Felicia Sundew's scones to be 'magical'.

Nonetheless, these two children were about to experience first-hand the wonders of magic and all it cost them was their weekend.

Another day, another visit to town. It was weird how often they visited Wartwood nowadays but the additional stomach worth two stomachs named Sasha was probably the reason. Had they not sold those high-quality tomatoes and priceless jewellery, the Plantars would've run out of food weeks ago.

Just like usual, Sprig walked through town with a happy smile on his face. He greeted every single townsfolk he met, all while on his way to finish his chores — grocery shopping. Here in Wartwood, there are three places to buy groceries: the weekly farmers' market, the large convenience store in the middle of town and of course, just buying them straight from the supplier.

The Plantars, being farmers for many generations, had contacts with various suppliers all across town. This allowed them to get their fresh handpicked foodstuff directly from the source without any of the hassles of waiting in line. In turn, they'd get the Plantars best vegetables under the table. This just happened to be one of the days.

Already, Sprig had collected most of the stuff on the list. Since they've been visiting town so frequently, there wasn't much to grab. Thus, they all fitted nicely in the little wagon Sprig was dragging around.

Sprig pulled out his list, checking for what's left. "Let's see here… Milk, check! Oats, check! Fertilizer, eh, check! Last but not least…" Sprig turned upwards, looking at the bakery in front of him. "Bread! Not yet checked."

Leaving the wagon outside, he pushed the door opened and walked up to the counter. "Mr Flour, I'm here for the bread!"

"Hiiii, Sprriigg…"

His eyes shot open the very moment he heard that voice. That oh so grouchy and threatening voice. "M-M-MADDIE?! W-what are you d-doing here?!" He shrieked in surprise.

With a creepy straight face, Maddie raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I live here." She replied as if it's the most obvious answer. "But enough about me, what are yooou doing here, hubby?"

Sprig chuckled nervously, sweat dripping down his mucus-laden face. "Ha haha ha, I-I'm just here to get some bread, t-that's all. You Flours have the best way with baking, after all!"

"Prrrrr, you sure have with words. I'm currently working on something special. I'll make sure you get it tomorrow." Maddie purred.

Meanwhile, Sprig stared into the abyss and watched as his imminent demise played out in front of him in real-time. Allowing his body to run on autopilot, he didn't realize that Maddie was still talking to him. She seemed to have said something and just now noticed he wasn't particularly listening.

Oh, she was still saying something and now was frowning a bit. This looked bad. Sprig wasn't sure what to respond with — seeing that he couldn't even process what Maddie said — but he darn well knew he had to reply with something!

"Sprig, are you listening?" Maddie asked with a frown. Ignoring people was very rude in Wartwood.

Sprig nodded, his eyes still wide and frozen in fear. "U-huh."

"Oh, good." Maddie said, her mood turning for the better. "Anyway, Daddy gave me this engagement ring to make the whole thing official. I'm sure you'd like it, hubby."

"Yep."

"Really?" Maddie asked with surprise. "I was expecting some more resistance but okay!" She then slid a large ornate ring around his finger.

His pupils constricted. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Once the cold metal finished wrapping around, Sprig broke out of his stupor and screamed, dumbfounding the little girl frog. He then grabbed a nearby basket of assorted bread and ran out, dragging his little wagon with him.

Maddie stared from the inside of the bakery as her future husband shrieked in fear. Outside of Sprig, she didn't really know much about the Plantars but still wanted to befriend him.

"Eh." For now, she nonchalantly shrugged and assumed that screaming in fear was a Plantar family thing.

Meanwhile back at Bessie the giant-to-Earth-but-apparently-average-size-to-Amphibia snail, Sasha lazily sat at the back, her feet lying on top of the seat in front of her. In her hand was a magazine, something to pass the time while she waited for Sprig and Hopadiah 'Hop Pop' Plantar to return. Beside her in a bucket was Polly, her sole companion.

Polly stared at the human, curious of her paperback. "So…" She began. "That there's one of your dirt magazines?"

"'Earth'. You mean 'Earth'."

"That's what I said."

Sasha flipped a page, her eyes still directed on the book. "Also, no. It's a magazine from the convenience store. You know, it's still weird that this place uses English but hey, I'm not complaining."

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH—!" Suddenly, Sprig appeared from around the corner, screaming for dear life. His wagon bounced up and down behind him due to the uneven dirt roads. He then threw all of the stuff one by one onto Bessie's back, followed by the wagon, and hopped onto the seats, still screaming.

Unable to muffle the noise herself, she grabbed Sprig's mouth with her two hands and forcefully closed them. "Okay, stopping that now." Immediately after letting go, she noticed a peculiar glint from Sprig's hand. "Hey, why do have bling?"

On Sprig's finger was the ornate ring Maddie gave him. For her, it was a betrothed ring as a mark of their future romanceable relationship. For anyone else, however, it looked as if demons cursed a child into gold and someone later smelted the gold into a ring for undead wizards. A bit too specific but Sasha never said that Marcy was a good influence.

Sprig turned to his ring and upon inspection, he breathed in to scream, only for Sasha to clamp his mouth shut again. "Dude, stop."

"Sorry." He stared at the ring with a worried look. "Maddie must've given it to me when I blanked out! Now there's proof that we're dating!"

"Ooh..." Sasha exclaimed. She then licked her thumb and laxly switched page. "Congrats, you got married before I got a boyfriend."

It wasn't for the lack of trying though. Every teenager was fated to go through the lovey-dovey dating phase of their childhood where emotions were complicated and parents ran away in fear of explaining why their hearts are all 'doki-doki'. The difference, however, was that Sasha's friend went by the self-proclaimed 'Breakup Queen'. That itself was self-explanatory.

Sprig glared at his human BFF. "No, that's not a good thing! I don't want to marry Maddie! We just met and she creeps me out!"

"I don't know. She seems pretty nice, eh, probably." Sasha said, shrugging. "What's the worst that could happen? Besides, if you don't want to be engaged with her, just break it off."

"BREAK UP WITH HER?! TO HER FACE?!" Sprig yelled, climbing up to Sasha's face and kicking off her magazine. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!"

"Ggh, Get! Off!" Sasha grunted, pushing Sprig off. "Seriously, learn some space. Also, it's a breakup. People break up, like, all the time. At least once a week."

Sprig gasped. Were breakups that often on Dirt? Their love-lives must have been horrendous. However, that gave the little frog boy a wonderful idea. "Hey, how about you do the break up for me? That way, I won't die a horrible death!"

Sasha thought about it. On one hand, she didn't know whether frogs had ordinary breakups or maybe some crazy challenges she'd have to risk her life for. Considering all the adventures she went through already, this wasn't far off. On the other hand, Sprig would owe her a favour. Hmm, choices and choices…

Sasha shrugged. "Eh, why not? I'll just head by the bakery right now."

Sprig jumped in joy and cheered. "Woohoo! Sashrig against the world! Up top, Sasha!"

She lifted her hand up for a high-five but instead, got a tongue slapping its slimy saliva over her palm. Sasha trembled in disgust at her goo-covered hand. "I really should've seen that coming."

Climbing off of Bessie, Sasha scratched the snail on her neck, causing her to purr. However, when turning around, she didn't pay attention and accidentally crashed into a jolly-looking fellow of a frog, wearing purple and a top hat. A pot of twinkling and bluish berries spilt into the muddy road below, causing the frog to gasp in shock.

"Oh, dear!" The frog said, startled.

Shocked herself, Sasha stepped back, not wanting to step on any of the merchandise. "Sorry! Didn't see you there!" She then stared at the dirtied berries, captivated by its colours. "Woah…"

"Schucks, kid! Don't worry about it! Nothing gets ol' Barry down!" He said, before pulling a lollipop from his sleeve and giving it to her. "Have a berry good day!"

Sasha watched as the weird yet jovial frog walked away with an empty pot. "Uh dude, you forgot your berries!" she shouted after him but by then, he was long gone.

From on top of Bessie, Sprig stared in awe. "Hah! Classic Barry. He sells berries and candies in the weekly market. He's like, the nicest frog in town."

"'Nicest', huh?" Sasha repeated in doubt. Her gaze squinched. "Yeah, not buying it." Looking down, however, she saw the unnaturally beautiful berries, left to rot in the mud.

"Still..." Without another word, Sasha grabbed a few and put them in her pocket. No use leaving them to waste. She then grabbed Sprig from the seat and pulled him off. "And you're coming with me!"

"WHAT?! NOOOOOOO—!"

Did Sasha ever tell anyone that frogs eating bread happened to be one of the weirder things she'd seen? Sure, she knew about it from way before and for the past few weeks have been one crazy adventure to another, but that never stopped it from being weird to her.

But hey, the bread in Wartwood just so happened to taste almost like the bread back home, just not as fluffy and white. Thankfully, no locust bits sprinkled in. She'd rather eat raisin cookies than that.

While Sprig peeked from the side of the door, Sasha walked into the bakery, waving her hand. "Hey there, Maddie."

Maddie, who was chopping some pieces of bread with a butcher's knife, emotionlessly waved back. "Oh, hello, Plantar Monster."

"It's Sasha. We've met."

Maddie shrugged and continued chopping some bread. She started giggling maniacally as the chops intensified, causing Sprig to hide even more. Sasha nudged towards the counter. "So... I heard you and Sprig are engaged. Kinda quick, don't you think?"

"I guess." Maddie replied, throwing the chopped bread into a basket. "Marriages aren't usually for love; it's a political tool used to bind two frogs together as a way to combine their family strengths and guarantee a stable future."

"... I-is that what this is?" Sasha stuttered.

Maddie shrugged. "Probably. There's nothing wrong with that."

Sasha stared at the girl frog as she grabbed another long piece of bread and began chopping. She then turned her head around, looking at the scared Sprig by the door.

Sasha went back to Maddie, a concern look across her face. "Say, Maddie? Do you like Sprig?"

The butcher knife stopped. Ominously, Maddie's whole head twisted around, her neck cracking like a broken mannequin, as the whole room darkened. She stretched her lips upwards to a smile. "Why do you ask?"

Sasha, however, was unfazed. "Dunno. A smart and independent girl like you choosing Sprig? I mean, have you seen his dolls? They're outrageous." She could feel the glare from the back of her head as she said that. "You could probably marry any young amphibious bachelor in the Valley."

Hearing that, the atmosphere calmed. Maddie turned to her cutting board and placed her knife on the counter. Without looking, she gave her answer.

"Sprig's weird and I'm weird too. But everyone in Wartwood likes Sprig and not a lot of people like me. It'd be nice to have a friend as weird as me for once."

Sasha stared, shocked by the response. She could always tell that Maddie wasn't as creepy as Sprig thought but it surprised her at how mature the girl was. Sasha never had problems socially back on Earth but here has been just one mistake after another. Even though it's been weeks, they still called her a monster and she didn't even do anything.

Sasha place her palms together in front of her and breathed in sharply. "Nice talking to ya, Maddie. I'll see you around." She hurriedly said, briskly leaving the bakery.

Once outside, she pulled Sprig by the arm and away from the building, far enough that Maddie wouldn't be able to hear. The boy had watched the whole thing and was shocked at how it went.

"What was that?!" Sprig shrieked, confused and panicked.

"Sprig, my BFF, I'mma be real with you here." Sasha started. "Maybe you should give this whole engagement thing a chance. You might actually like it. Maddie's a really cool girl. Also, she bakes bread! I like bread!"

Unfortunately for her, Sprig was having none of that. "WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?!"

"Look, I am not entirely comfortable with breaking up friendships like this! Maddie said that you're well-liked across town, which is surprising how you don't have friends." Sasha said, quietly muttering that last part. "Maybe you should give it a go for a bit. There's no harm with trying, right."

Sprig looked at her with a desperate plea. "But Sasha! She scares me..." He whispered, grabbing her shirt desperately.

Nonetheless, Sasha easily slapped his hands off. "Dude, I scare everyone in town. Heck, I even scared you. But we're okay now, so why not here too?"

Sprig looked so wrought in fear but unable to make an excuse. Thinking back, she might have a point. Was it simply how creepy Maddie was to him? In the end, he fell on his froggy knees, defeated. "You're right, Sasha. I guess I could give it a try. At being friends, I mean! I'm still against the engagement!"

Sasha pushed Sprig through the door. "Then go tell her."

While Sprig was in the bakery, Sasha watched through the window. Really though, it was a miracle that Maddie didn't see Sprig by the door earlier. He wasn't even hiding that well. But looking through windows? Sasha had experience with that.

Sprig gulped and walked forward, his arms trembling. Seven words were all it took or three for the shorter but more ambiguous one. He decided to keep it safe and go with seven.

Maddie heard his whimpers and turned with a huge smile on her face. "Hi, hubby." She said, her voice raspy and rough. "Back so soon?"

"Y-yeah, well I, uh...!" He leaned slightly to the window, in which Sasha gave him a thumbs up. "M-M-Maddie, we n-need to talk."

"Talk away. Also, you took the wrong basket when you left. Those were for Mrs Croaker."

"Oh, really? Sorry about that." He apologized. "Wait, that's not why I'm here! Maddie, I WANT TO BREAK UP WITH YOU!"

One could hear the strings of dramatic music in the distance. Maddie's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"

"Look, I'm sure you're probably a nice frog but I don't want to get married yet! What if I found someone else I like?! What if I get eaten during my great adventures?!" He explained in a fervour of adrenaline. "Who will support our children?!"

Outside, Sasha facepalmed.

"Sprig, calm down. I think it's too early to talk about having kids." Maddie assured. "Also, if you think the engagement is too much, just say so. We can start by being friends."

Panting, the boy frog nodded. "Y-yeah, that sounds nice. Friends?" He asked with his hand out.

"Friends." With a genuine smile, Maddie accepted and the two shook on it. She then pulled him closer, their face touching and the ominous atmosphere returning. "We should hang out sometime."

According to both Sprig and Sasha, that went well. Sprig broke off his engagement and Sasha learned the value of friendship or whatever the lesson was. The point being was that Sprig now had a friend and got to keep the cursed ornate ring, as a token of their newfound friendship.

All's well that ends well, right?

Wrong.

At that same night, in a mysterious warehouse deep in the woods of Frog Valley, a figure was boiling a mystical concoction. The green viscous liquid in the cauldron bubbled and popped and from there, the figure dropped a single item: a strand of blonde hair.

The figure laughed, for no one would be able to hear their insanity.

The very next day, Sprig got up extra early. Seeing that he was no longer trapped by the conventions of society, he was feeling quite positive. Maddie still scared him but a lot less now that he knew she wouldn't kill him. At most, curse him for life and that was something he could deal with.

"Good morning, parental figure!" Sprig cheered, pouring himself a cup of cold worm milk.

Sitting by the dining table, Hop Pop straightened the newspaper with a rustle. "Good morning, problem child. You seem quite chipper today. What's the matter?"

"Oh, I broke up my engagement with Maddie and she was okay with it! We're friends now!" Sprig explained, taking a seat himself.

"Oh, friendship from breakups? How unexpected. Good for you, Sprig."

Just then, the basement door creaked opened and out stepped its sole resident, Sasha. Having recently woken up, she needed some water for her parched throat and headed straight to the kitchen.

"Sup, Sprig. Oh hey, Hop Pop. You're up early." She greeted, scratching her neck. Ugh, it was oddly moist.

"We're farmers, Sasha. We're always up early." He said, still reading the newspaper. "You, on the other hand, are late."

Finally finished with his drink, Sprig opened his mouth to greet the human as well but instead, gasped loudly in complete and utter shock. His glass fell uselessly onto the table, spilling what milk it had left.

"Sprig! Why in Amphibia did you do thaaaaaaa—?!" Hop Pop exclaimed, Lowering his paper before being left aghast much like Sprig.

Sasha, who just got herself a cup of water, faced the two frogs with their gaping mouths. She took a long sip, hydrating her ever-so dry throat. "Mwah! Aww, that's the good stuff. ... Why are you guys staring at me?"

Hop Pop leaned sideways and lightly nudged Sprig with his paper. "Boy, get the mirror."

"On it." He replied, jumping out of his seat and running off. The older frog also got off his seat and walked up to Sasha, his hands clasped together.

"Sasha!" Hop Pop croaked, his smile forced. "You look mighty fine today! And I must say, love the new, uh, everything. Did you put one some new makeup."

"Hop Pop, I don't use makeup. Also, what are you hiding?"

"In a few seconds, you'll find out."

Exactly a few seconds later, Sprig reappeared at the kitchen, carrying a small hand mirror. He jumped and landed right in front of Sasha, handing her the mirror. "Here. Y-you'll need this."

"What are your talking abo...u...t..." Right at the end, her words vanished from her throat. Her hands trembled as she touched her very face, the unexplained moistness now in light.

What she saw was not Sasha the Human.

Instead, it was Sasha the Newt.

"... AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH—!"

Ever wonder what it'd be like to reincarnate in another world? Like, imagine just being born again with overpowered abilities and a generic but apparently handsome look, then going on adventures and getting a largely female cast as loyal followers.

Sasha was familiar with this story. This was not that story.

"OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD—!" Sasha repeated, freaking out. Her fair human skin and beautiful human face were gone. In its place, gross mucus-ladened purple skin and oddly-shaped head replaced them.

She poked her cheek once more, her fingertips bouncing off the moist surface.

"I'm a monster." She lamented.

Hop Pop looked at her, confused. "Actually, Sasha, you were a monster before. Now you're just... acceptable."

Sprig nodded. "Yeah. Like, I was surprised when you looked different but it wasn't because you were scary. You're just so normal now."

"HOW IS THIS NORMAL?!" She yelled, only to remember who she was talking with. She bopped herself in the forehead. "Right, right, amphibians... Just…"

Sasha groaned audibly. "Augh…! Well, it doesn't matter! I can't stay like this!"

"Stay like what?" Just then, Polly hopped in, only to see Sasha's new form. "Woah... You look way better now! Did you finally get rid of your human skin?"

"Is that a thing humans do?" Sprig asked, either at Polly or Sasha.

Sasha crossed her arms. "No. And I can't stay like this because I plan on going home, and I can't go home if I look like a frog!"

Hop Pop raised a finger. "Actually Sasha, you're a newt."

"I DON'T CARE!"

Out of nowhere, an innocent-looking fly buzzed its way into Sasha's field of vision and instantly, her tongue lashed out and grabbed the fly, flinging it back into her mouth. Her eyes widened at the realization.

"What have I done?" She whispered in horror.

While Sasha continued grieving over her new form, Hopadiah Plantar walked around and examined her closely. He hummed, his mind racking up ideas. A few moments later, Hop Pop nodded, his suspicions correct.

"Well, I've seen all I need to. You, Sasha, have been cursed!" He revealed dramatically.

Sasha gawked at the answer. "Cursed?! That's a thing here?!"

"Sasha, I told you that magic exists. This land of ours is home to many arts. Sculpture, mosaics and of course, magic. Or as I like to call them, the Dark Arts!" Hop Pop explained, just as dramatic as before. "Still, magic doesn't just appear out of nowhere. Someone must've cursed you when you were asleep. But who…?"

She remembered Hopadiah saying something about magic but he never said that anyone in Wartwood could use it. She looked back at him, angrily. "You told me no one in Wartwood uses magic! How do you know it's some curse?!"

"I never said I knew everything about everybody, Sasha. All folks have their hobbies." He stated as if it was obvious. "There was one time my roommate turned me into a stool!"

"Really? He turned you into a stool?"

Hop Pop nodded. "I got better."

Knock knock knock! Just then, someone knocked on the front door.

"A visitor! I'll get it!" Sprig said, turning around and hopping away. He then opened the door and to his surprise, it was a familiar face: Maddie, with a basket of assorted bread.

"Oh! Uh, hey Maddie! Welcome to the Plantar homestead! Didn't know you were coming! Hehehe..." Sprig exclaimed, coughing into his fist. He still felt awkward around her but at least it was easier now.

"Yeah, you still left the bakery with another frog's bread so I'm here to deliver yours. I added some extras I made myself so I hope you like it."

Sprig took the basket and noticed the extras she mentioned in the shape of Sasha and himself. He cooed. "Aw, thanks, Maddie! Anyway, we kinda have a situation so sorry I can't stay long."

"Situation?" Maddie asked, her voice rough as ever. She then tilted slightly and saw the tall newt inside. "Say, who's the newt? Did she eat the human Sasha?"

"I AM SASHA!" At the back, the aforementioned newt screamed in response.

Maddie clicked her tongue. "Huh. Well, I like the new look." Her eyes suddenly sharpened. "But this reeks of wicked magic."

The newly-turned newt crossed her arms in annoyance. "Yeah, we figured it out."

"But how did you know, Maddie?" Sprig questioned, confused.

Maddie shrugged. "Eh, I'm an amateur magician. I dabble in the mystic arts from time to time. You'll also know that it's not that different from baking."

"Well, can you remove it?!" Sasha asked, a pleading look in her eyes.

Maddie thought about it. It wasn't that long but there was an attempt. "Well, here's the problem. A curse can only be removed by the one who placed it. Since this isn't any of mine, eh… no." She answered bluntly. Sasha could feel her heart being stabbed by the metaphorical knife known as the truth. "Anyway, come here for a second…"

Despite the panicking, Sasha bent down to Maddie, who then proceeded to pull out a few strands of her blonde hair. Snapped out of her impending heart attack, Sasha shrieked. "OWWW! What'd you do that for?!"

With the ex-human's hair, she pulled out a small bag of magical spices, dropped both into a mortar and grounded the two together. Afterwards, she grabbed a handful and threw them onto the floor, covering the small area with dust. Sasha and Sprig both coughed and once the dust cleared, a twinkling cloud trail appeared.

"There! This should lead us directly to the caster. Quickly, before it goes cold!" Maddie explained, running off. Sasha and Sprig both followed suit, leaving Hop Pop and Polly back in their home.

Polly blinked, followed by a sharp gasp. "Agh, darnit! I forgot to tell them to bring me with! They always go on adventures without me!"

"Cheer up, Polly. Someday, you'll have your own life-changing adventure! And it might be soon too, especially with all the mischief they've been getting themselves into." The old frog assured, patting the polliwog on the back.

She could only hope.

You know, despite the short time Sasha has been as a newt, she wasn't completely against it. Maybe it's because her taste buds having been altered or the fact that everything felt way cooler than she thought. The matter at hand was that it was as if her new body and the surrounding nature finally accepted each other, like some symbiotic relationship.

Also, she ate like eight bugs during her trek with the two younger frogs and they didn't taste horrible! Once the shock subsided, being a newt wasn't half bad.

"Fwap!" Sasha sounded, her tongue whipping out and catching a poor grasshopper. The long-legged insect was about the size of a small cat but with her huge jaws, she was able to chomp it whole.

Sprig looked at her with concern. "You, uh, you've sure been eating a lot."

"I know! And I'm not even sure how!" Sasha giddily replied, having swallowed it within a few bites.

"Probably due to the change of brain biology.", said Maddie from in front. She then called out to the duo. "You two, I think I found the place."

At where she pointed, stood a single rundown warehouse. Its rotting wooden walls and shabby roof gave it an abandoned feeling but if Maddie's spell was correct, it was anything but.

The three amphibians opened its large doors and looked around. The insides were dark, making it impossible to see. As they walked in, the mushrooms on the walls lit up without warning, providing some light in an otherwise pitch-black environment.

Sasha awed. The warehouse was lined with shelves and on them were various pots, jars and baskets of different ingredients. She had no idea what they were but she guessed they were for magical reasons. By the wall, a mysterious cauldron stood, its contents still bubbling.

Maddie dragged her finger the liquid and rubbed it in-between. That confirmed it. "Yep, this is the place. The mix is still fresh too."

Looking around, the ex-human shivered. "Sheesh, this place gives me the creeps. Who'd want to live in this dump?"

Suddenly, a new figure emerged from the door behind them. His voice was strangely jovial. "Doot do do! I love walking back into my secret lair with the entrance strangely opened!"

Sasha turned to see who it was and gasped angrily. "HUH?! YOU!" She shouted, pointing her slimy finger at him.

Barry Goodness, proprietor and owner of Barry's Berries and Sweets. The store would open every week at the farmer's market and due to his insane charisma, stocks ran out all the time. He was the market's biggest earner.

Barry shrieked upon seeing intruders. "Kids?! How did you find my secret lair?!"

"You left a clear trail of magic from the house. No good curse-wielder would ever make that mistake." Maddie said with an accusing tone. "Seeing hexes and cursed being used for malicious reasons? You sicken me."

"Yeah, dude! Why the heck did you turn me into a newt?! I didn't even know who you were until, like, yesterday!"

"It was exactly that day in which you wronged me, monster." He growled. "On that day, not only did you ruin my harvest of rare berries but you also stole them from under my tongue!"

Sprig gasped. "Sasha?! You promised you wouldn't steal again!"

"Okay, last time was an accident. Also, I never stole from you!"

"Yes, you did!" He shouted in anger. "The berries are in still in your pocket!"

Sasha rummaged through her dress pocket and to her surprise, there were, in fact, a couple of blue twinkling berries. She had honestly forgotten about them. "Oh, you're talking about these? Dude, I called you to picked them up again but you disappeared."

Barry's hips swayed to the side. "Yeah, well it didn't give you the right to take them. Just because they're failed produce to me, doesn't mean it's yours."

"Sasha, how could you?!" Sprig exclaimed, feeling betrayed.

"Hmph, I can't believe you'd do such a thing. For shame." Maddie added, disappointed.

Sasha choked. Her team was against her? "Ghk, I'm not the villain here! I didn't turn people into newts!" She then walked forward and handed over the berries. "Look, if you want them back, here! Just take this stupid curse off of me!"

Barry hummed. Scratching his chin, he thought about it. For such a simple decision, it was awkwardly longer than she expected. Sasha quickly grew impatient.

"Well?!" she asked.

"Hmm... Nope!"

Sasha gasped. "What?! Why?!"

"Those berries were priceless. The bushes only bloomed once every seven years! Since you took away my long-term investment, I'll take away your natural form and replace with something more socially acceptable!"

Her eye twitched. "... YOU COULD'VE JUST WASHED THEM!"

Sprig stepped in between them, pushing the two apart. Knowing Sasha, she'd definitely start a fistfight and he'd rather not have her punch one of his role models in the face.

"Let me try." He said at his BFF. Turning around, Sprig begged. "Please, Mr Barry! Being human is important to her and we'll pay for the loss. The Plantars have enough to spare."

Her eyes widened in shock. Sprig and in essence, the whole Plantar family was willing to give their hard-earned savings just for her? They went through a bunch of Sasha-related disasters for it. As selfish as she could be, even this was too much for her.

"Sprig, no..." Sasha pleaded.

Sprig showed her his palm, halting her. "No, Sasha. It's fine. Besides," he turned around to her. "we can always make more. Being poor never stopped us before."

That... was touching. She'd never been bailed out from her messes before. She got into trouble before but rarely was she ever caught. And even if she failed, it was always a team effort. Her plans, Anne's athletic skill and Marcy's smarts. Together, they could do anything.

Now, it's just her. If she had problems, it was on her to fix them.

Sasha smiled, feeling warm in her chest. "Thanks, Sprig."

Sprig nodded, shifting his attention back to Barry. He pulled out his right hand with a smile. "So, do we have a deal?"

This was a hand of good faith. With the incredible fortune the Plantars had amassed recently, it'd be crazy to reject it.

"Hoho, nope!" Barry answered, harshly slapping Sprig's hand away.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" The boy gasped, completely flabbergasted.

"You think that just because I'm the nicest frog in town, I'm a forgiving person? HAH! You wish!" he said, laughing cruelly. "This niceness of mine is just a façade! When not in front of customers, I'm a very greedy and petty person."

Sasha angrily threw her hands. "We were going to pay you!"

"Unfortunately for you, I am more petty than I am greedy!" He tipped his tophat forward, shading his eyes like his black heart. "Guess you'll never be your disgusting monstrous self ever again. Serves you right! Hohohoho!"

Her whole face twitched.

Sasha took a deep breath, in and out. Her heartbeat slowed and within moments, she felt calm and at peace like a weight lifted off her shoulders.

"You know, I'm pretty sure there was a lesson I learned during all of this but really," she glared at the bastard of a frog, her eyes sharper than daggers. "it's been replaced by sheer hecking anger!"

"RAAAAAAAAH!"

"AAAHHHHHH!"

Screaming her lungs out, Sasha startled Barry and lunged at him like a wild animal. The two tumbled and rolled on the ground, shaking the whole warehouse. Sprig watched in horror as two of his life's role models wrestled each other.

Such violence.

Meanwhile, as the two fought, Maddie searched around some more, looking for any unused curses. So long as the curses were made by Barry, she could use them to undo Sasha's.

"Get off of me, you rapscallion!" Barry threatened. Like the frog he was, he then shut his mouth and pushed air out of his lungs, causing his throat to inflate instantly. The force easily pushed back Sasha, separating the two.

Barry patted the dust of off his clothes. "Ugh, assaulting an innocent frog in their own home? Nothing's too low for you, huh monster?"

"YOU TURNED ME INTO A NEWT!"

"Hmm, you're right." He then pulled out a small tied pouch from his inner pocket. "Maybe you'd prefer to be a bird."

He threw the pouch at Sasha, forcing her to jump back. The pouch exploded into a cloud of magical dust and she yelped in surprise. "Woah!"

Barry threw another. "Or maybe a mantis."

Poof! She tumbled backwards. "Hey!"

"Or better yet, a worm!"

Poof! Another pouch, Sasha retreated, only to realize her back was at the wall. "H-hey! Stop that!"

Looking next to him, he saw a basket and smiled maliciously — the unused curses that he prepackaged. He grabbed a handful and threw it onto Sasha's feet. With nowhere to run, Sasha raised one leg after another, a desperate attempt at avoiding another curse on her.

"Dance, girlie! Dance! Hohohoho!" He laughed, torturing the girl.

"YAAAAAHHH!" Out of nowhere, Sprig appeared from above and latched onto Barry's face, blindsiding him. "Leave Sasha alone!"

"Sprig, grab one of his curses! It's the little bags he was throwing!" Maddie shouted, unable to find any on her side.

Sprig was a slippery frog, both physically and figuratively. Barry tried to catch him but the boy was quick on his feet and crawled around, head to toe. But alas, there was only so much Barry he could climb and ultimately, the large frog successfully grabbed his leg.

"W-woah!" Sprig yelled, hanging upside down.

"Got'cha!" Barry declared before throwing Sprig across the room. The boy frog slid face-first on top of the floor, stopping right in front of Maddie.

Sprig ripped his face off the floor. With a bruised face and ugly smile, he showed Maddie a single curse sack and gave a painful thumbs up. "F-f'here ghu go."

Maddie took the curse and returned a thumbs up too. Pulling out a string and some leftover strands of Sasha's hair, she tied it onto the curse. It was crude but it'll do its job. "There, done!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Barry stomped forward, several bags of curses in his hands. "You think you can just barge into her and destroy my property? Well, you kids got another thing coming. Hohohoho!"

Maddie glared and reeled her arm back, the curse in hand. Barry stopped to gloat. "Hoho, you're going to use my modified curse on me? You'll need a straight hit for that to work."

"Oh, don't worry." A voice from behind said. Suddenly, two amphibious arms appeared and wrapped around his shoulders from underneath, pulling him off the ground. "She won't miss."

Barry turned his head around slightly and gasped. "T-THE HUMAN?!"

"The name's Sasha. Got it memorized?" she replied with a smirk. She then looked at Maddie and Sprig, and winked.

Maddie nodded and stepped forth. "As a representative of curse-wielders everywhere, Barry Goodness has been found guilty of using his powers in a cruel and unusual fashion. For that, he is sentenced..."

"TO BE CURSED!" Maddie shouted, lopping the modified straight at Barry and Sasha. The large frog screamed in fear, all while Sasha's smirk grew. Right on his chest, the curse exploded, engulfing the building with mystic smoke.

And then, there was silence.

Meanwhile, back at the Plantar farm, the front door of the house fell over, off its frame. Hop Pop frowned at the sight. "Darn hinges..."

For an adventure that began this morning, a lot of time had passed. Just as they got out of the forest, it was already the afternoon and even almost the evening. The valley had vast forests and swamps so even a simple trek can take a while.

"Well, here's the last one." Sprig said, placing a barrel on the Flour residence. It wasn't particularly heavy but it was still a long walk. "I kinda feel bad for taking Barry's whole stock."

"You didn't take anything. It's a fair exchange: the curse removed over everything he owned. This is now officially Flour property." Maddie explained, patting a barrel.

Sprig nodded in understanding before turning to his other friend. "What about you, Sasha? How do you feel?"

Putting two barrels down, Sasha began stretching her arms and legs. Her previously slimy skin and long snout were back to their original forms: boring dry skin and a bump of a nose. She twisted her waist, relieving some tension.

"Well, ghh, I just found out how cold you guys feel and my body feels a lot heavier. Honestly, being a newt wasn't so bad but I prefer to stay human, thank you very much." She replied, her body tilted to the side with an arm over her head. "Also, I'm pretty sure I learned something today but I kinda forgot what it was."

"Nice. I learned that appearances lie and that some psychopaths." Sprig cheered.

"Good for you, Sprig." Sasha praised. She was pretty sure that wasn't the lesson either but she'd let him have his moment.

Sprig then turned around to Maddie, who was checking the barrels. "Hey, Maddie? Thanks for the help. We couldn't have done this without you. You're... pretty cool!"

Maddie smiled, a small blush over her cheeks. "Eh, it's fine. Just a witch maintaining laws regarding magic, that's all."

"When we have time, I'll call you and we can hang out!" Sprig said.

Maddie simply shrugged. "Sounds cool. I'll see you around then." Slowly, the temperature dropped and the sky blackened. "We'll have so much fun next time."

Sprig blinked. "Okay!" he cheered, the atmosphere now back to normal.

With waves of goodbyes, the Plantar and the adopted human left the Flour's bakery and headed back home. Today was an eventful day and at last, they could finally sit back and rest. At least, until Hop Pop decided to give out chores and whatnot. But those are still better than having your species changed overnight.

Sasha glanced the younger frog below her and nudged him with her elbow. "Hey, Sprig?"

"Yeah, Sasha?"

"Thanks for what you did back there. You were pretty cool."

Sprig blushed at the compliment. "Aww shucks! It's no problem. You're an honorary Plantar and we Plantars watch over each other."

"Sasha Waybright Plantar, huh?" she said out loud, only to chuckle. "Heh, I think I'll stick with just Sasha for now."

Still, hearing Sprig call her a Plantar made her feel warm. She quite liked the sound of that. She'd keep that in mind. Nonetheless, the rest of the walk home was peaceful. Just the sounds of crickets in the bushes and the breeze between the leaves.

Sprig smacked his lips.

"Yeah, she still scares me."

"Oh yeah, I totally get what you mean now!"