What If... Sasha had left Toad Tower?
Alternate take on: "Prison Break"
"Sasha Waybright, a young girl full of confidence, optimism, personality, and of course strength. She got dealt a bad hand when she arrived in Amphibia, being immediately captured by the toads and locked in prison. Such conditions would break a person of lesser strength than her, but despite these rough circumstances, she was able to turn her situation around and help the toads drive out a pair of herons when their tower was under attack. Before this, though she had made a deal with Grime to be allowed to leave after this was done, part of Grime did not want to honor this deal as he had just begun to realize just how powerful and influential Sasha could be. He had begun to see her as a potential ally and hoped to be able to convince her to stay and help him lead the toads. In the story you know he is able to succeed and thus sets in motion a series of events that set Sasha on a path of anger and destruction. But all of that was only possible because of the choice Sasha made to stay, so what would happen if she instead chose to leave?"
— The Guardian
Sasha decides to leave Toad Tower and it results in her coming to a much-needed realization.
Tropes That Appear In This Chapter:
- Alternate Timeline: This timeline shows Sasha turning down Grime's offer to become his lieutenant, and she journeys off into the Amphibian Wilds in search of her friends. She ends up in the Misty Moors and reunites with Luz and Anne after facing her inner guilt over what happened at the dance.
- Breaking Old Trends: Unlike the last two What If? chapters, this one doesn't have a Bittersweet Ending.
- Call-Forward: The Guardian mentions that things turn out better for Sasha here than when she tries to cure Uodeela, which they stop themself from spoiling for the audience.
- Continuity Nod: Fens brings up breaking Anne's arm during the Toad Army's attack on Wartwood and breaks it again while they're fighting.
- Death by Adaptation: Unlike canon Amphibia or the main storyline, Grime is killed when Sasha rams Anne's sword through him.
- Graceful Loser: Once the girls and Uodeela reach Newtopia to rescue Marcy from Andrias' clutches, Luz pulls Sasha aside to tell her she can date Anne when they get home. Sasha asks if he's sure and when Luz gives her support, she accepts and it leads to her standing up to Belos when he tries to convince her otherwise.
- In Spite of a Nail: Anne tells Luz that she wants to be Just Friends until they return home, but now she also says it to Sasha after learning about her feelings.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: To save Luz from being killed by Grime, Sasha ends up stabbing him through his back, killing him.
- Point of Divergence: After rejecting Grime's offer to become his second-in-command, Sasha travels until she enters the Misty Moors at the same time as Anne, Luz, and their companions. She is confronted by a vision of Luz confronting her about her manipulation at the dance and this leads to Sasha confessing her crush on Anne in front of the girls and once they make up, Anne tells Luz and Sasha that they'll discuss their feelings for her once they get home.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Uodeela doesn't get stuck in her Red Heron form in this timeline, either.
- Storming the Castle: The chapter ends on the Calamity girls and Uodeela preparing to storm Newtopia in order to defeat Andrias and save Marcy.
