Disclaimer: This was originally my Fairy Tale that is in my book 'Tales From A Wandering Mind', but an idea took hold of me, and this is what came of it. This may read as OOC, so you'll just have to deal with it. Read, Review, and Spread the word.

HA

It was just a typical day in the big city – the grey sky brewing a wet storm above the stone-hearted people on the streets. The Princess strutted her way through the busy intersections, browsing around the eye candy in the windows.

The beauty of all that is sweet and innocent and pure hearted, she certainly knew how to accessorize. Her flowing red locks swayed in perfect unison with her hips, caused by her four inch stiletto heels. Her short jean skirt matched her jean jacket, which matched her white undershirt, which matched her purse, which matched her cell phone, which matched her ipod. She seemed to be the epitome of rags to riches, and certainly relished the fact that she was no longer among the poor retches of the lower-middle class. Yet even with her rise in the social ladder, she still held onto the virtuous face and morals she had as a child. Not to mention her strange change in friendships.

"Lila!" Turning her perfect head towards the caller, her bright blue eyes only brightened at the sight of her human best friend.

"Helga, hey! What are you doing?" she asked as Helga caught up with her just outside some jewelry store.

"Oh, just doing a little birthday shopping for my best friend. And you?" she replied, holding up a few bags from various stores, then implied to Lila's own bags.

"Just a little birthday shopping; not everyone knows what I want ever so much." She giggled, and the two entered the store, not noticing the small toad watching them.

*

He had been a toad for a very long time. So long, he couldn't remember where he had come from. Who was he? Did he have parents? Was he the son of a wealthy banker, or the son of a lowly pauper? Did he have brothers or sisters? Did he have a lover?

That was his biggest question: whether he had a lover in his former life or not. He was lonely; lonely and tired of being a toad. He had even contemplated ending his amphibian induced life – that is, until he saw her.

The object of his salvation, that matching Barbie doll, had stood not five feet from his park entrance, talking on her cell phone and observing her perfectly manicured nails. And then, her blonde haired friend approached her, and before he could make a move, they had left the street and crossed the threshold to a store he knew he couldn't sneak into. Stealing himself for a moment, a plan began to formulate between his deep green eyes.

Maybe she liked frogs.

Waiting until the women exited, he positioned himself above one of the friend's bags, and let himself fall in. This time it would work.

*

Helga was exhausted from a day of shopping with Lila. That girl knew how to put a dent in a credit card. As soon as she opened the door to her apartment, she tossed her keys and cell phone onto the side table, and carried the three or four bags into the bedroom. Her short little mutt followed at her heels as she opened a window, then returned to the bags while lighting up a cigarette. As she dumped the contents of each bag onto the comforter and retreated into the closet to gather wrapping paper, she failed to see the small toad flop gracelessly onto the floor. He then hid himself beneath the bed, but that mutt didn't fail to see him. The small dog barked at the toad's getaway, angry with himself that he was too slow.

"Scrap Metal, shut it." Helga ordered as she emerged from the dark closet with a pair of scissors, tape dispenser, and three choices of holiday wrapping paper.

"Let's see. This one's for her, and this was for me. That's hers, this is mine, hers, mine, hers, hers, definitely mine . . ." continuing to sort through and make two separate piles, she only stopped when she caught a glimpse of something at the foot of her bed. Crouching to her knees, she slowly lifted up the comforter, to find the small toad hidden beneath.

"Now how did you get in here?" Gently, so not to startle him, she slid her arm under the bed frame, and enchased the small creature lovingly in her hand. Her dog kept barking as she stood and set the toad on her bed.

"Shut it, Scrap Metal. Now then, you cute little thing, is there a reason why you followed me home?" The toad simply looked at her, and as foolish as it seemed, Helga never once thought herself childish for having a conversation with an amphibian in her apartment.

"Well, no matter, I think you are just the thing to give Lila this year. She may not like frogs," there was a pause as she thought this over, "but then you're not really a frog, are you? You're an ever so tempting little toad, and she has such a soft spot for small creatures. And you're in luck, for tonight's her party, so you don't have to wait long at all." And with that, she made her way out of the bedroom, cigarette dancing between her fingers and her lips, and poured Scrap Metal's food into his dish. The dog simply gave the toad a disapproving glare, then scampered out into the kitchen to eat what was his before someone else took it.

*

Lila was thrilled. Her party was in full swing. She received several amazing gifts – most of which came from herself. She had already seen every gift, save one, the one from her best friend. Speaking of which, where did she disappear to?

"Hey birthday girl, lookin' for me?" Helga asked as she approached from the stairway.

"Yes, ever so much. You still owe me one present." Lila laughed as her friend nodded, then took her hand, leading her up to the young woman's bedroom.

"Come on, you're gonna love my gift." The two laughed, but grew silent as soon as Lila caught sight of the toad sitting nice and pretty in the centre of bed.

"Oh, my, God . . . he's just ever so adorable!" Lila rushed to him, and cradled him in her hands while Helga continued with her laughter.

"Yea, I though you'd like him." Lila's lighthearted laugh joined her friend's, as she bent forward and kissed the toad softly on his head. Helga smirked.

A few seconds later, Lila set the toad down, then collapsed onto her bed.

"Helga, I don't feel good." She mumbled, holding her head.

"Like, 'woozy' not good? Here, lay back." She guided her friend till she was lying on her back, and was feeling her forehead with concern.

"You know, you could have resurfaced sooner." Helga spoke, and Lila didn't understand who she was talking to.

"And you, pssh, don't even let me start on you, Missy." Now this, Lila was certain, had been directed her way.

"What are you talking about?"

"'Sweet and innocent, pure-hearted Lila', please, you knew some bad karma was headed your way, yet you refused to see it. Well, just call me the Karma Fairy!" Helga quipped cheerfully, as she sat at the edge of the bed and stared at Lila, the toad sitting contently next to her.

"What's happening to me?" Lila choked through her fear. Helga was scary when she was crazy happy.

"Now, don't you bother your pretty little red head with the details. You'll find out soon enough." Helga giggled, speaking with mock concern as she stroked the toad with a loving finger.

"Why me?" at the question, Helga's countenance shifted to something darker.

"Don't be so conceited, this has less to do with you than you think. You were simply a means to an end. Feeling, dizzy? Nauseous? As if your insides were playing ring-around-the-rosy? Good."

"What's wrong with you, Helga? Stop, this ever so isn't funny." Suddenly, Helga's mood changed again, and she appeared sorrowful, picking up the toad and holding him towards Lila's mouth.

"Alright, I'm sorry Lila. You're right, this isn't funny. Here, kiss him again, maybe you'll start to feel better." Deciding to question her friend later, Lila leaned forward, and let her lips grace the flat of his head. Suddenly, there was a flash of smoke, and Lila had disappeared.

"Too easy." Helga said to herself, as if she didn't quite believe it, but didn't have time to debate it as she was swept into the embrace and feverish kisses of a man with deep green eyes, blonde hair and a football shaped head.

"Man I missed this." he muttered against her neck as she hugged and kissed him back, before pushing him away.

"So did I. Four hundred years is long enough. Now, have we learned our lesson Football Head?" she asked with a playful sort of sincerity, which he returned with an affirmative nod.

"No." she laughed, then looked about the room quickly.

"Good luck, Little Miss Goody Goody. You're gonna need it." She then pulled Arnold out of the room, but before they left, he cast a final glance towards the bed.

"I love this game." He chuckled, and shut the door, noticing but not caring about the small, frightened looking toad with bright blue eyes, cowering beneath Lila's bed.

HA