A PaigeMeMore Story

(Woman to King K. Rool)


Paige brushed her hand through her red locks absently, doing her best to seem unintimidated by the woman before her. Or, rather… The witch before her. Apparently it wasn’t a negative term to call a magical woman a witch, and was actually one of endearment.

That or Nicole was just crazy.

“You’re not crazy, are you?” Paige asked her bluntly, looking the Asian in her slanted eye. It seemed that her forwardness was exactly the right approach, because Nicole broke out in a wide smile.

“Depends on who you ask,” she replied. “I certainly think I might be if I’m planning on training you.”

According to Victoria, Paige’s other witch friend, magic was something anyone could learn. However, just like any other skill, someone with talent was capable of performing it far better than someone without. Likewise, someone without talent would have to work much harder towards mastery.

“Oh…” Paige looked a bit crestfallen, struggling to keep a happy grin on her face. She didn’t want Victoria to see her sad, even though she had a pretty good feeling that the woman was able to read her mind. “So, that means I’m not really suited for spellwork?”

“I didn’t say that.” Nicole hummed idly, tapping her chin with a contemplative look. “However… You must be tested. Proven, as it were.”

Victoria sighed, her first sound in the dozen or so minutes since they’d arrived. “Nicole, please take this seriously.”

The Asian looked hurt, a hand flitting to her chest. “You wound my pride! I’ll have you know that I take everything seriously, especially duels between magical folk.”

“Duels?” Paige squeaked. She looked to the door uneasily, wondering if she could outrun a fireball. Probably not, but maybe if she ducked…

“Duels.” Nicole let a smirk play across her features. She turned on her heel, twitching a hand that bade the other women follow. “Come. Your proving ground awaits.”

 

Paige looked to Nicole anxiously, a little guilty for her fifth victory in a row. From the ground, the Asian witch spluttered something very unflattering and anatomically inaccurate about Paige’s victory. She had seemed so composed and cool at first contact, but it turned out that she was rather a sore loser.

“Again!” Nicole shouted, magical energy rising around herself. Her aura was almost physically tangible, a sweet bubblegum taste filling Paige’s mouth.

“Um… Victoria…” Paige looked over her shoulder to the fight’s moderator. “I’m not sure how this is supposed to adequately prepare me for being a witch.”

“And I’m not sure how you keep cheap-shotting me with that crown-cannon combo!” Nicole pointed to her television, where a dejected Isabelle applauded the prowess of King K. Rool. It had been their tenth game of Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, and had gone much as the first nine.

“I told you, I’m good at the game,” Paige muttered, squeaking as Nicole rounded upon her. “And in my defense it really doesn’t seem like you’re teaching me anything!” She squeaked in a single breath, a flush spread across her features.

“Reaction time, forward aggressive thinking, and skill,” Nicole began, lecturing Paige despite the fact that Paige had a good five years on the twenty-something witch. “None of which you have as a cheap overpowered heavy!”

“It’s not my fault I like the character! I really wanted him to be in the last game, Donkey Kong is one of my top three favoritest games!” Paige surprised Nicole by rounding on her, showing a surprising display of confidence. Then again, she’d also just spent the last half hour mercilessly, albeit digitally, pummeling the witch.

“Girls, girls, let’s not fight,” said Victoria from the sidelines. In spite of her words, she had a broad grin on her face that even her best attempt couldn’t hide. It wasn’t clear whether she liked seeing Paige be assertive or if she found humor in someone taking Nicole down a few pegs.

“Yeah. She’s right. Let’s actually get to teaching me about magic.” Paige glared defiantly at Nicole. “I’ve learned less from you than I have from a Disney movie, and even though it’s fun to kick your rear, I’m getting bored.”

“What.”

Paige should have realized that Nicole’s flat tone was a warning sign, but she had already wound up, and couldn’t stop now. “I’m bored. You’re boring me. Truth is, I’ve been holding back this whole time. And if you want to play me again, I’m going to show you just how great of a K. Rool I am.”

Nicole’s eye did a half-twitch, something that was imperceptible to the other women in the room. However, while she was able to hide that, she couldn’t hide the spike in her magical energy. She gritted her teeth, lifting a hand towards Paige. “You’re right,” she glowered, “I think you should show me what a great K. Rool you are.”

Paige blinked, suddenly remembering she was talking to a volatile spellcaster. She looked back to Victoria for advice, only to find that her friend had backed a generous distance away, the witch’s hands raised in mock-surrender.

“Nope.” Victoria stretched out the word, drawing out the word with an air of evident amusement.

Paige frantically turned back towards the other witch to apologize, but before she could so much as blink, a bolt of energy careened into her belly. It was like a black hole appeared within her gut, as it cartoonishly pulled towards her spine, driving the air from Paige’s lungs.

Then, with an audible fwoompf, her belly rebounded, bulging out into a large, rounded gut. However, instead of jiggling it held fast, likely because of the golden plate which covered it. The filigreed abs of flab could only belong to one character, and Paige pressed her hands against her changed gut in disbelief.

“Ha! You look ridiculous!” Nicole laughed, watching her handiwork spread like wildfire. The gold crept up Paige’s belly to her ample bosom, shrinking her breasts into a set of metal pecs. From there, green scales began to cover Paige’s body, quietly creaking as they spread. “What a fatty!”

Something about that made Paige’s blood boil. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides even as they changed, pinkies withering away to nothing to leave her with three strong fingers and a proud thumb. Claws sharpened from her digits, and she unclenched her hands with a quiet snikt. “It’s majestic, and you will respect it!”

That seemed to catch Nicole by surprise, and she arched an eyebrow. “Hold on… What was that?”

Paige growled under her breath, arching her back as her hourglass figure took on a barrel shape. She ended the stretch by hunching forwards slightly, better to fall to all fours if need be. She curled a first at her hips, jerking her other thumb towards her face. “I said, rrressspect rrroyalty!” It was getting easier to hiss and let out low rattles from her throat, so she did with pride.

Her shapely rear burst from the confines of her yoga pants, exposing firm and scaled crocodile buttocks. Her legs shrank, but the rest of her body swelled to accommodate until she towered over the witch. The changing woman leaned in towards her aggressor, wobbling slightly as her feet burst forwards into three-toed, scaly claws. “Brrrcrracks rrRROAGH KING!”

Spittle flecked from her jaws as she bellowed, and she let out a manic laugh, snapping her teeth closed with an audible clack. It was music to her dwindling ears, and King Paige snapped her jaws shut again and again, echoing the sound like a percussive beat.

With every snap, her jaw stretched a little further from her face, nose slipping down into the developing snout until it was little more than slits in a dangerously pointed maw. Long, curled talons each as long as her fingers slid from her upper jaw, displacing human teeth which vanished before they could fall from her jaw.

“You okay, girl?” Nicole offered, receiving a snarl for her belated concern.

King Paige Rool was a king, and since she was a king she had to be male. It stood to reason in his mind, and he would harbor not doubts. He slapped his chest, cackling loudly and madly. He could feel his trendy female sweater stretch into a majestic red cape, and his Metroid earing vanished along with his ears, only to reappear in the form of a gem fastening his cape to his collar.

“HRROAGH!” He thundered, left eye bulging as his right eye shrank. His brow took on a prominent arch, befitting the kunning King of Kremlings. Delicate bracelets reformed into decadent bracers, and he flexes his rippling arms with the sort of arrogance that comes from a life at the top of the food chain.

“Paige?” Victoria asked curiously, and King Pai Rool turned to address her with a withering glare. It wasn’t that the king didn’t appreciate a good sorceress—she was actually his favorite. But he wouldn’t tolerate being called the other name in his head.

It was the strangest think, and one that warranted further concern back on his island. He could remember living life as an attractive woman named Paige, but knew as sure as his skin was green that he was King. P. Rool.

It was a question for later. For now… He reached atop his head, long jaw twisting into a smile at the feeling of his hair hardening in to a crown. Red locks turned to a more befitting gold, and he lifted it from his head with a wide smirk, bringing it before him to examine his noble visage.

It was as he expected. King K. Rool was a mountain of a crocodile, with dangerous fangs and an even more dangerous glint in his eye. He couldn’t remember why he had wasted his time being upset at the witch before him, so he turned to offer her a rakish grin. Some of Paige’s memories implied that she was responsible for his magnificent emergence into this world, so she had earned a smile from her superior.

“Huh.” Nicole tilted her head, looking at him curiously.

In many ways it was to be expected. A lowborn human like her could barely comprehend his nobility. He pridefully tilted his head back, allowing the glint from the television to reflect from his golden belly. Soon she would see that he was her superior.

“I… Did not see that coming.” Nicole continued, walking up slowly to K. Rool and patting his belly. “I had only intended to give her a gut, but it seems your friend is unusually receptive.”

King K. Rool swatted her hand away with a disgruntled huff, upset that she was speaking of him as though he wasn’t really himself. It was a ludicrous notion, but it seemed they were of the belief that he was really the Paige from his memories.

“See?” Victoria beamed, sidling up to her friend-turned-tyrant and draping an arm around his shoulders. She motioned to his face in a suitably grandiose fashion, and K. Rool decided he liked her very much. “What did I tell you? Potential.”