Toadette's Story: Book 2

Chapter 126 - Vivian's Warmth

The mage girl lowered her head and continued to mumble.

Toadette’s hand twitched. She lowered her guard just enough to let a breath of air through. But it snapped up again the moment she saw the mage’s feet move. Toad took a step forward, his muscles tense.

“Hey! You gonna answer us, or are you just gonna stand there muttering like a nutjob?”

The mage’s head jerked up. “I’m… What?”

“Your name. Now!” Toadette snapped.

“Vivian!” She ran a finger along her face. “Just Vivian.”

“Okay, so…” Minh tilted her head. “Vivian, you mentioned someone named Doopliss.”

“I feel stupid just hearing that,” Toad snarled. “Who is this clown?”

“He’s a trickster. A prankster, you know? He’s turned people into pigs before! He did it years ago, but I thought… I really thought he changed!”

Toad exchanged a glance with Toadette. “Pigs?”

“Yes! And just a few days ago, thirty folks vanished in Twilight Town. Thirty!” She paused. “I thought you were working with him.”

“So you’re here to stop him too?” Minh asked, kicking up dust.

“I was getting things in order when I heard screaming. I thought he was attacking, and…what I found weren’t even minions of his.”

Toadette spun to face Toad and Minh. “So what are the odds this Doopliss creep has our Ethereal Star?”

“I’d say pretty dang good,” Minh said. “If he’s stealing people, he’d totally steal shiny stuff too.”

“The only powerful dude in this dead town? Yeah, he’s our guy.” Toad jabbed a finger at Vivian. “Listen up, witch. You’re taking us to his hideout right now.”

“You’ll need permission from the mayor first.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he groaned. “We don’t need permission. We’re—”

“It’s the law!” A burst of flame sneezed out of her hand, scorching the dirt. Toad leapt back. “Eep! Sorry!”

Minh let out a chuckle. Girl’s gonna hurt herself before she seriously hurts us.

Toadette smirked. “Look, you want your people back, right? We want something he probably stole. So take us to your mayor and let us kick Doopliss’ ass. Please?”

Vivian took one more thorough look at them. Toad tapped his foot impatiently. Minh’s smile was as harmless as ever. Toadette stood with a determined look on her face. Malice or genuine kindness?

“Okay… Please follow me.” She motioned for them to follow, her feet kicking up dust as she walked.

If they end up being liars, I should be able to handle all of them. But I don’t know…

***

By mid-morning, Rogueport’s sunlight bathed the western district’s bustling streets. Amini walked the girls through the crowds of Doogans and Bob-ombs.

Her smile never wavered despite the way her hands occasionally twitched at her sides.

“And this here is the waterspout field.” She pointed to a flat terrain where tons of waterspouts would come up off and on. Some Toad kids were running among them, squealing. “We don’t have fancy waterparks here, but we make do with what we’ve got.”

“Ooh!” Penelope kicked off her shoes and darted towards the nearest geyser. “Jazz, c’mon!”

Jasmin trailed behind, her hands shoved deep in her pockets. She kicked a loose pebble and watched it skitter across the ground and vanish into a drain. Amini tapped her on the shoulder, making her flinch.

“Sweetie, are you alright?”

Jasmin nodded.

“Why don’t you go play with Penelope?” She pointed to the human child blocking the drains with her feet.

You have no idea how hard it is to act eleven when you’re thinking about all this, lady.

Penelope came bouncing back, shaking water off her toes. “You coming, Jazz?”

“I’ll pass.”

Penelope slowed her bouncing, her eyes darting between Jasmin’s slumped shoulders and Amini’s patient expression. Jasmin looked as if she was still thinking about the hardships she was dealing with. It made Penelope’s chest tighten.

Guess I can’t just rely on one person, huh? But…

She gulped. The thought of trying to play with Amini alone shook her. The last time she was alone with a stranger, she had to tongue-wrestle with her for her own survival.

Think, Penelope. Miss Toadette would never leave you with someone dangerous. Miss Minh T. wouldn’t. Captain Toad definitely wouldn’t. You can’t be weak! They need you to be stronger! Hmm… Stronger… Maybe we can make this work…

Penelope looked at Amini then down at her sandalled feet. With a few breaths, she worked up her courage. “Miss Amini, I’d like to test something, please.”

“What would that be?”

“Miss Toadette didn’t tell you, but I’m a fighter too.” She puffed out her chest. “And even on vacation, a warrior shouldn’t let her guard down completely. So…” She cracked her knuckles. “We’re gonna play tag, except I’m it.”

“Simple enough.”

“But if I catch you, you know your feet are gonna be tickled, right?”

“What?” Amini’s eyes widened.

“Another part of personal training. I’ve seen Miss Toadette use it as an in-capa… inna-capa-city-tation technique before.”

“Incapacitation,” Jasmin muttered.

“That big word. I’ll not only get to keep my speed up…” She wiggled her fingers. “But I’ll also get a chance to test my catch-and-tickle skills.”

Amini blinked. “With all due respect, honey, I don’t think Toadette would want me going along with that. Even if it’s training.”

Penelope put her hands on her hips, growling.

“Believe me: it’ll be the fastest way to get her to shut up,” Jasmin said flatly.

Amini glanced around the crowded plaza. “Here? Right now?”

“Why not around the waterspouts?” Penelope asked. “It’ll make things harder.”

“I…” With a heavy sigh and shake of her head, Amini gave in. A soft smile appeared on her face. “Just for a second. But when I say stop, you stop. Deal?”

“We’ll see.” Penelope nudged her towards the miniature geysers. “Now let’s see if I can catch you!”

“Wait, what?”

Rearing her foot back, Penelope launched forward. She ran at Amini at full speed, catching the older Toad by surprise when they collided. Penelope vaulted over her, yanking her down and flipping her onto her stomach. While Amini lay with water shooting right in front of her face, Penelope sat on her heels and stared at the glistening sandals.

She looked around at the crowd. Some were watching; others were going about their day, walking past the event.

“So far, so good.” Just as she went to slide Amini’s sandal off, she fell onto her side. Amini rose to her feet, panting.

“You startled me,” she laughed. “But let’s see you catch me now that I’m ready, Penelope.”

Penelope huffed. A small smile returned to her face. “You asked for it!”

Amini took off her sandals, letting her bare feet slap against the wet ground. She threw them in Jasmin’s direction. Then she motioned for Penelope to come towards her.

Penelope charged with a battle cry. To her shock, Amini charged at her at the same time. But she dodged out of the way at the last second, missing Penelope. Penelope ground her toes into the surface to pivot. She glared at Amini and smirked.

Good. It’s nice when someone doesn’t treat me like a little kid.

But it kept happening. Penelope would make her move, only for Amini to dodge her right at the last moment. By the sixth attempt, her movements were becoming increasingly clumsy.

On her seventh attempt, she tripped straight onto a waterspout. It happened to fire up at that exact moment, filling her mouth with salty water.

She spat it out violently, feeling nauseous from the pressure.

“Would you like a hint, sweetheart?” Amini asked gently.

“No! I can think for myself!” Penelope put her fingers to her head. “Think, stupid, think…”

Jasmin rolled her eyes from the nearby bench. “Three more misses and I’m telling you the answer. Whether you like it or not.”

“Don’t you dare, Jazz!”

“Don’t screw up.”

Penelope stood up and stretched her arm. She went for Amini again. Amini pretended to charge at her before duking and ending up behind Penelope. Strike one. Penelope then decided to zigzag her on the next attempt. Another miss, leading to strike two.

What am I missing? She clawed at her brain. I can’t help it if she keeps dodging at the last possible… Oh.

Her eyes lit up. But she fought to stop herself from becoming overconfident.

She gave a look to Jasmin and the rest of the crowd—the ones who were actually invested in her little game with Amini.

Growling, she stomped her foot down and began a new sprint. It was a straight line. Amini tapped her foot patiently. She pressed her toes against the ground. Then she ran.

Penelope dug her heels in, skidding for half a second as she halted her forward rush. Amini moved to the left, and Penelope’s eyes followed. In a fluid motion, she spun on the ball of her foot and used her momentum to propel herself sideways in a leap. She coiled her arms around Amini’s waist, and they went down.

Penelope reversed their positions, forcing Amini onto her stomach just as she had before. She stared down at Amini’s soles, panting.

They were pink from the chase, still sparkling with water. Penelope spotted the faintest tremor running through her toes.

A smile crept onto her face. “I wasn’t gonna fall for that again.”

She started gently and dragged the tips of her fingers across the ball of Amini’s right foot in single stroke. Amini’s toes curled immediately. She sucked in a sharp breath and pursed her lips.

“Gotcha,” Penelope snickered. She dragged her fingers back the opposite way more slowly.

The waterspouts around them continued to fire in their unpredictable rhythm. There was a burst here, a spray there. And every time one went off near Amini’s feet, the cool mist sent a jolt through every nerve. Penelope noticed and began to time her strokes to land just after the water hit, when the sensation was at its sharpest.

“You’re so bad,” Amini managed to squeak out. Her lips were strained. She couldn’t laugh.

“Thank you.” Penelope ran one fingernail down the centre of her left sole.

Then her fingers sped up, scratching furiously across both sensitive arches.

“No, no!” Amini shrieked, her voice strained. Her hands pounded uselessly against the soft ground, her legs kicking wildly in Penelope’s firm grip. With precision, Penelope wiggled her fingers between her toes.

Amini’s mind went blank.

“It’s not that bad, right?” Penelope asked. She wiggled her fingers between Amini’s toes. The sharp sensation caused Amini to throw her head back. Her mouth opened wide in a silent scream, then a raw laugh erupted from her. She turned red as a tomato as she writhed under Penelope’s weight.

Penelope snorted. “You can try to fight harder, you know. Or maybe you can’t.”

She leaned her face closer. With her nose just centimetres from the feet, she sniffed lightly.

Hmm… Smells more like a pool than actual feet. Guess the waterspouts did it.

She took another sniff anyway, this one thorough and deep.

Let’s see if she can feel this… With Amini lost in a fit of ticklish agony, Penelope stuck her tongue out. She took one long, slow lick from Amini’s heel to her toes. It was slick and tasted of saltwater, but beneath that was that lovely foot flavour she craved. Amini was shaking too hard to register the wet sensation as another other than the geysers of tickling.

Penelope snuck between her toes for a second. Amini shrieked.

Okay, good enough! Mmm…

Smacking her lips, Penelope returned to the task at hand. Her tickling resumed as relentless as ever.

She glanced and waved at Jasmin with a goofy grin.

Jasmin’s focus was tight. Note to self: find a way to get Minh-Minh under you.

Satisfied, Penelope finally let go, sitting back on her heels.

Out of breath, Amini wiped her eyes and tried to regain her composure. She playfully patted Penelope on the shoulder. “I can promise you this: your catch-and-tickle skills are definitely a ten out of ten.”

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t lie,” Amini sighed. “Whoo… You give Minh competition in wearing a girl out with tickles.”

Penelope took the compliment with a laugh, puffing her chest out again. But Jasmin—her toes curled when she heard that. She scratched her head.

“Even on my break, I’m still strong,” Penelope cackled. “No one can defeat me!” She ran around in celebration. Yet she was so excited that she didn’t see where she was going. She stumbled out of the waterspout area and collided with a tall, solid figure.

“Ow!” She landed hard on her back.

Looming above her was a large, yellow-skinned Pianta in a sharp suit. He looked down at her with an expression suggesting he felt as much concern as a dinosaur for an ant. Thick sunglasses obscured his eyes completely. Another Pianta stood at his side with his arms crossed.

Penelope’s stomach dropped. “I’m so sorry, sir! I didn’t see—”

“Penelope!” A hand grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her backwards. Amini stepped in front of her, her feet sizzling against the sun-kissed cobblestone. She checked every bit of Penelope’s face. “Are you okay? You hurt?”

“No!” Penelope yelped as Amini squeezed her tight. “Just a little…”

“You gotta be more careful, okay? You scared me.” She turned back to the Piantas. “Please, she’s new to Rogueport. She didn’t mean you guys any harm.”

The lead Pianta glanced from the frantic woman to the terrified girl. He focused on Amini, disregarding Penelope completely. He took the cigarette out his mouth and puffed out smoke.

“We been lookin’ for you,” he said.

Amini’s breath hitched. “I’ve been busy. I’m so sorry. I’m just looking after my friend’s kids.”

“You’re a day late,” the other Pianta said. “Don Frankie ain’t fond of waiting, but for some reason, he’s feeling a bit generous on your second slip-up. You got two more days to cough up your fair share.”

“You heard the guy.” The leader put out his cigarette on Amini’s cap. “Don’t make us come looking for you again.”

Amini stood frozen, her face pale and her hands trembling visibly as the Piantas left.

Penelope blinked and emerged from behind her. “Um… Fair share?”

“Figures there’d be a protection racket going around here,” Jasmin said, walking up to the two with her arms crossed. “At least they gave you extra time, huh?”

Amini took a deep breath, looking as if she were trying to contain her anger. “Their demands skyrocket and skyrocket, and we can barely keep up at this rate! I’ll need a miracle just to keep things running!”

She gasped, turning to the girls properly. Penelope’s eyes narrowed with worry.

“Relax, girls. This has nothing to do with you.” Amini forced a soft smile. “Oh! Lemme get my sandals before someone makes off with them! Stay put.”

As Amini ran to the waterspout, Penelope poked Jasmin. “I think she’s being blackmailed.”

“You’re getting smarter.” Jasmin rubbed Penelope’s forehead. “Let’s just pray Minh-Minh and the others get us out this place before this lady’s deadline is up.”

Penelope raised a brow. “Does this not feel wrong to you?”

“Why should it?”

“Jazz, show a little care.”

“Why don’t you just grow up?” Jasmin tilted her head. “I’m not saying this makes me happy. Just that it’s life around here, and we don’t need to dip our toes in it, got it? It doesn’t benefit us.”

Penelope pouted. She watched Amini jog back with her sandals squeaking against her feet.

“Hot as heck out here.” Amini grabbed each of their hands and started walking south. “Say, you girls want some ice cream? On me, of course.”

“Chocolate,” Jasmin said.

“I’ll pay for my…” Penelope’s words trailed off. She looked up at Amini’s hand around hers then at the direction the Piantas had gone. “Yes, please. Thank you very much.”

***

Vivian guided the Toads through the greater part of Twilight Town. While walking, Toadette observed the various dwellings. Some Twilighters peeked from their doors—their bright, yellow eyes piercing her.

“There’s nothing to fear, people,” Vivian announced. “They’re here to help us.”

Immediately a door slammed.

“I think they’re starting to trust us,” Toad snarked.

Soon the mayor’s house came into view. The mayor himself was waiting inside, delicate like the rest of the townsfolk, with his skin a faint blue.

Clasping her hands, Vivian began her polite explanation. But Toadette wasn’t listening to every word. Her nose twitched. That faint burning essence clung to Vivian like smoke to a cloth. It prickled in her nostrils. She scanned the room, making sure no hidden flame was lurking nearby.

The mayor’s gaze drifted into some faraway place as he reached out with his cane.

“Ethereal Stars… I haven’t heard those words in a long, long time…”

Toadette’s eyes widened. “So you actually know about them.”

“Indeed.” He tapped his cane against the worn floorboards. “Artefacts from a bygone age. Legend says if you gather them all, they can grant wishes beyond mortal reach.” His eyes narrowed. “Where they lie now, I cannot say. Certainly not within Twilight Town… Or so I believed.”

“We can confirm there’s one here,” Toad cut in, folding his arms. “Wouldn’t have bothered dragging ourselves out here otherwise.”

“We just don’t know where exactly,” Minh added.

The mayor’s cane tapped again, slower this time. “If what you say is true, I’d wager the Creepy Steeple is your destination. But before you set out, you must understand the danger—”

In a blink, the cane was gone. The mayor stumbled, and Vivian lunged to steady him.

Toadette stood exactly where she had been, grinning and twirling the cane between her fingers. She whistled. Then she tossed the cane back to Vivian with a casual flick.

The mayor’s moustache twitched. “You now have my permission to enter Twilight Trail. Tell the gatekeeper I sent you.”

Vivian snapped her hat into place. “We won’t fail. The Twilighters will be brought home safely.”

“I trust you, Vivian.” The mayor sat in his worn-out chair. “And do make haste. We wouldn’t want to miss tomorrow’s Reversed Rebirth celebration.”

Outside again, Minh tilted her head towards a strand of lights. “Reversed Rebirth?”

“It’s a tradition here. A way to breathe new life into the town each year,” Vivian explained. “But it needs everyone to participate. If not, what awaits us in this town is a suffocating darkness.”

“And they don’t want that?” Toad chuckled.

Vivian scoffed. “Absolutely not.”

“No one’s gonna miss this important ritual.” Toadette glanced up at the Moon, its pale face hanging too low in the sky. “Anyway, which way to Creepy Steeple?”

“One moment, please. I need to check on something.” Vivian hurried towards a nearby house.

Toadette frowned, puzzled by the shift in the twilight’s glow. It had been morning when they arrived, so why was the Sun nowhere to be seen now? And why did everything here feel frozen in time? Minh nudged her shoulder, yanking her from her reverie as Toad strode off in pursuit of Vivian.

When they entered, three small Twilighters were sitting on the floor. They had the same pale blue skin as the mayor’s. Their eyes, large and luminous, were dull.

“These are Eve’s children,” Vivian said softly, reaching into her hat. “Their mother was one of the first people Doopliss took.”

She retrieved plain, dark bread.

“I know it’s not much, but please, you need to keep your strength up,” she murmured. The children barely reacted.

She then shifted her weight, bending one leg until she balanced a slice of bread on her bare sole. A soft orange aura began to swirl around her ankle, glowing in slow loop-de-loops. She hummed a melody so low that it vibrated through the floorboards, and as she traced invisible patterns in the air with her foot, the bread started to warm and turn brown. Luminous specks of light drifted upward.

Toad crossed his arms. “Couldn’t have used your hands?”

Vivian didn’t pause. When she delivered a final kick, the slice soared in a perfect arc before landing in the frail fingers of the middle child. The glow seeped out from the crust.

In that instant, the corners of the child’s mouth quivered. The other two leaned forward. They took a sniff. Their hunger instantly flared to life, and they devoured the bread.

Vivian shot a look at Toad. “Does it matter if I use my hands or feet?” She was already preparing another piece. “Would you like some? I’ve plenty.”

He and Toadette recoiled in unison. “No thanks.”

Minh, however, was blushing. She wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth. “Nah, it wouldn’t be right. The kids need it more.”

Vivian balanced a final piece of bread between her toes before Minh could protest. With a mischievous smile, she launched it. It burst past Minh’s lips.

Her blush deepened. The warm, toasty scent of the bread filled her senses as she bit down, the crisp outer crust cracking as she did so. A heat spread across her tongue, carrying with it a sweetness beneath the earthy grain.

She chewed cautiously at first, but the flavour was comforting.

Vivian watched her with a soft smile and clasped hands. The children, still clutching their own piece, happily gnawed away. Toad made a face and muttered something under his breath about “foot bread”, but his voice was drowned out by Minh’s increasingly loud chewing.

She finally swallowed. “It’s… It tastes really good.”

“Look, it’s not rude to accept food when it’s offered.” Vivian dusted off her hands. “What’s rude is letting friends go hungry.”

Toadette, shaking off her own bewilderment, knelt before the children. “We’re going to get your mom back. You have my word.”

The children didn’t speak, but the smallest one reached out and squeezed her hand.

Having ensured the kids had enough for a day, the group finally turned towards the edge of town, where a tough, wooden gate marked the entrance to Twilight Trail. The gatekeeper merely nodded at Vivian’s gesture and stepped aside.

“If they like you so much,” Toad said, “then please campaign to be mayor so nobody has to get permission anymore to leave.”

“Nope.” Vivian cheekily grinned. “No interest in being mayor, and I’d make things even safer.”

“Oh, you’re just perfect for this town, aren’t you?”

As they passed through the gate, the perpetual twilight of the town deepened into something more oppressive. The path ahead was full of black trees whose branches wove together to blot out the strange, moon-dominated sky.

Doopliss. The name echoed in Toadette’s head. What kind of game is this guy playing?

---------

Author’s Note:
Next week, we’re entering the worst part of the original Thousand-Year Door game: the fucking Twilight Trail. However, this is Toadette’s Story. You just might find this path pleasurable.