"Cherry's gone bad," Patch frowned, then looked around. "Uh, where's Darla?"
"I'm over here, how'd you all get so big and how'd I get so small?" Darla's voice asked.
"I'm afraid to look down." Atticus said.
"Darla...?" Patch asked, then looked down to see a blue-eyed green frog with a purple bow on its head.
"What happened?" Darla asked.
"Darla, he turned you into a frog." Atticus said once he looked down as well.
"What?" Darla asked.
Atticus took out a mirror for her to see for herself.
"I'm A FROG?!" Darla screeched.
"Okay, first, why did he transform her into a frog and second, why did he need a sample of her blood?" Patch asked Atticus.
"I don't know." Atticus said.
'You don't know?!" Darla asked. "You know everything!"
"I'm sorry, I don't know what to tell you guys..." Atticus frowned. "It can't be good though especially since he took my best friend!" he then looked angry.
"Atticus, don't worry, we will get her back." Patch said.
"I really hope so..." Atticus sighed, he then bent down and picked up Darla in his hands. "You can't go to the party looking like this..."
"So what are we going to do?" Darla asked.
"I'm sorry, Darla, but you'll have to stay like this until we find out what to do with you, let's just get to the party, we'll think of something later." Atticus said.
"Okay, Atticus..." Darla sighed. "I was hoping to be a princess like my grandmother."
"Wait, Atticus, don't you know a spell that can turn any animal into a human?" Patch asked.
"I suppose I could try that..." Atticus said as he took out his spell book and he then found the spell. "Aha!" he then recited the spell.
Darla squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the magic to turn her back into a human, but surprisingly, it did not work. "Well? Did it work?" she asked.
"Uhh..." Patch and Atticus hesitated.
"Oh, no... It didn't work." Darla frowned.
"That's impossible..." Atticus frowned as well.
"That Shadow Man must have worse magic than your own..." Patch suggested.
"I'm sorry, Darla..." Atticus sighed. "Let's just get to the party."
"Fine." Darla frowned.
"It'll get better..." Atticus promised.
"I don't know about me being a frog getting better..." Darla sighed.
Atticus and Patch looked to each other, unsure of what else to do since they couldn't change Darla back into a human.
"We'll have to figure it out later.* Darla said.
It was getting dark as the costume party was starting.
"Patch, can you do me a favor?" Darla asked.
"Yes, Darla?" Patch smiled to her.
"Could you go to the party as me?" Darla smiled.
"What?!" Patch asked. "Are you nuts?!"
"Please Patch..." Darla pleaded. "I promised Charlotte I would be there and I'd hate to disappoint her..."
Patch grumbled before he gave in and used his magic to me himself look like Darla.
"Thanks, Patch." Darla smiled.
"You owe me big time for this..." Patch grumbled as he was in Darla's human form now.
"We should get dressed for the party." Atticus said.
"Yes, yes," Darla agreed. "Patch, put on my Rapunzel costume."
"Must I...?" Patch whined.
"Yes." Darla replied as she hid in Atticus's pocket for now.
"Oh, fine." Patch pouted.
"Thank you, Patch!" Darla beamed.
Patch growled as he was then in a purple gown without shoes and the blonde hair reached the floor and he was given a green lizard toy.
"Ooh, how darling~" Darla cooed.
"Let's just get this over with..." Patch groaned.
"Oh, but Patch, you look so adorable." Atticus smirked.
"Shut up!" Patch groaned as he held his new head.
Atticus chuckled. "Sorry, sorry..."
"Just go and get dressed." Patch groaned.
"Here, watch her." Atticus took Darla out of his pockets and handed her to Patch while he went to get his own costume on.
"Oh, this is so demeaning," Darla groaned. "I'm a slimy frog!"
"You think this is demeaning? I'm reduced to being disguised as a girl." Patch groaned.
"I guess..." Darla replied. "Oh, man, I really wanted to dance with Charlotte..."
"I wonder who your grandfather is?" Patch wondered as he held Darla in his hands.
"I hope it's someone she's always been in love with." Darla smiled.
"I'm sure..." Patch replied.
Atticus came out in a detective costume with a cap and even had a pipe that blew bubbles.
"A detective?" Patch and Darla asked.
"What happened to Hercules?" Darla asked.
"I can't be Hercules without Pegasus, so I'm compromising with fate, plus I love detecting." Atticus replied as he 'smoked' his pipe.
"Why not just use your magic to make it the way you want it?" Darla asked.
"Maybe another time, let's just get going to the party." Atticus replied. "Besides, I look smart this way."
"You look smart all right..." Cherry walked by mysteriously. "A smart-"
"CHERRY!" the others called out.
Cherry smiled sheepishly.
"Cherry? How did you escape Dr. Faciler?" Atticus asked.
"Is that important right now?" Cherry asked. "I don't think so, gotta go!" she then zipped off.
"Something's up..." Atticus said. "Cherry's never that anxious unless someone's trying to pulverize her for no reason."
"We're keeping an eye on her, right?" Patch asked.
"Yep." Atticus replied as he popped his pipe into his mouth.
"You look so grown up." Darla said to her big brother.
"I try." Atticus smiled as he 'smoked'.
"Well, we should get to the party." Patch said.
"Come along then." Atticus said.
"Here you go, piping hot." Tiana handed a platter to a woman dressed like a saxophone.
"Hello, Tiana." Atticus smiled.
"Oh, hey, guys," Tiana smiled back. "Y'all want some beginets?"
There was a dog who was begging for some of the savory treats while dressed like a Roman Guard.
"Stella, excuse me, no, Stella, no, no." Tiana warned her best friend's dog.
"I'm sure one little beginet won't hurt." Patch said in Darla's voice the best he could.
Darla pouted as she was excluded since she was now an amphibian.
"Okay, but just one." Tiana gave in to Stella's begging and allowed her to have the treat.
Stella then caught the pastry and enjoyed it very much.
"But Miss Charlotte, you said 'later' two hours ago!" the worker from the costume store said to Charlotte who dressed like a princess, pleading for a dance with her.
"Travis," Charlotte turned to him with an agitated look on her face. "When a woman says 'later', she really means 'not ever'."
"Really?" Atticus asked.
"Now run along," Charlotte waved Travis off. "There are plenty of young fillies dying for you to waltz with them in a stupor," she then then rushed to the snack table, panicking. "Give me them napkins, quick!"
"What on Earth for?" Tiana asked.
"I swear, I'm sweating like a sinner in church!" Charlotte gasped as she stuffed some napkins into her front pocket. "Tia, it's getting so late!"
"Don't worry, ma'am, I'm sure that the prince will be here soon." Atticus said.
"There's still a few stragglers." Tiana told her best friend.
"It's just not fair!" Charlotte huffed. "My prince is never gonna come!"
"Now Lottie..." Cherry tried to calm her friend.
"I never get anything I wish for!" Charlotte squabbled, setting herself on the stairs with her big, frilly pink dress. She then rushed up the stairs.
"Oh, poor Grandma." Darla frowned while still in her brother's pocket.
Atticus gently patted his pocket as he was sure that Darla felt bad for Charlotte. He and the others soon went to comfort Charlotte.
"Maybe I just need to wish harder..." Charlotte said, she then looked to the first star she saw that night and begged for it to make her wish come true to dance with Prince Naveen. "Oh, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"
"Wow." Atticus said.
"Ma'am, stop, it's getting embarrassing..." Patch muttered in Darla's voice.
Darla only looked sad for her poor grandmother, she knew the prince wasn't going to be her grandfather and he would end up with someone else in the end, but the woman's happiness was very important to her right now to care about her own life right now even if she was a 'slimy frog'. They soon heard an announcement that was surprising.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" a man called, turning Tiana and Charlotte's attention away from the night sky. "His Royal Highness, Prince Naveen!"
Charlotte swiped her tiara from Tiana's hands as she was excited as the other guests. Tiana looked up at the star Charlotte had wished on and wondered if it had anything to do with Naveen's entrance. As Naveen was in his royal robes and walked down the aisle, the blonde young woman powdered her face, wiped her eyes and drew a little mole on her cheek. She then whistled a spotlight for herself and put her fan up as sparkles and glitter dawned upon her like the spotlight. The guests applauded her as Naveen walked over to the stairs.
"Something doesn't seem right." Darla whispered.
"You do have a point." Atticus had to agree.
"Something feels weird in the pit of my stomach." Patch agreed.
"What're you talking about?" Cherry asked as she wore a black dress with matching heels and a silver crown on her head. "It's a party! Who needs to worry?"
"Cherry, it just doesn't feel right." Atticus said.
Naveen and Charlotte began to do the Waltz together. Darla groaned and looked a little sick again. Tiana smiled as she was happy for her friend as she swayed to the music, then stopped as a horse appeared to do the same until she realized it was only a costume.
"Um, hello?" Atticus greeted the two people in the horse costume.
It was revealed to be Mr. Fenner and his brother, Mr. Fenner.
"Evening, Tiana," Mr. Fenner smiled. "Marvelous party."
"Evening Mr. Fenner," Tiana greeted, then spotted the fatter one. "And Mr. Fenner..."
"Fine-smelling beignets." the fatter Mr. Fenner licked his lips.
"It'll be a house special once you give her the papers to sign." Atticus said.
"Uh, yes, about that..." the thinner Mr. Fenner said.
"You were outbid." the fatter Mr. Fenner said for him.
"What?!" the others asked in unfortunate surprise.
"What do you mean?" Cherry asked.
"A fellow came in offered the full amount in cash." the thinner Mr. Fenner explained as his brother stuffed his pockets with more beignets. "Unless you can top his offer by Wednesday..."
"You can kiss that place goodbye." the fatter Mr. Fenner finished.
"You know how long it took me to save that money?" Tiana stood in front of the Fenner brothers as they were about to walk away.
"Exactly!" the thinner Mr. Fenner smiled. "Which is why a little woman of your background would have had her hands full trying to run a big business like that. No, you're better off where you're at." he then pulled the horse head back on top to continue walking about with his brother as the bottom.
"He can't be serious." Patch said in Darla's voice.
"Now wait a minute!" Tiana began to protest.
"Love those beginets though." the fatter Mr. Fenner chuckled.
"Now, hold on there, you come back!" Tiana grabbed onto the tail of the costume, but she slid back and crashed against the table and the herdouvs fell all over the floor. Her costume got splattered with powder, sauce, juice and other contents.
"Tia!" Charlotte gasped as she walked over. "Time to hit Prince Charming with those man-catching-" she then looked down and noticed her friend in trouble on the floor which made her sad. "What happened?"
"The Fenner brothers is what happened." Cherry said.
"I... I just..." Tiana tried to explain.
"Oh, you poor dear..." Charlotte helped her best friend up off the floor. "Oh, Prince Naveen, we'll be right back, sugar!" she called out as she helped Tiana upstairs to her bedroom. "I got just the dress for you."
"She's such a good friend." Darla smiled weakly to her grandmother.
"Should we go with them?" Patch whispered.
"Probably." Atticus nodded as he pulled Cherry who seemed nervous for some reason.