Finally, after all this time, the final chapter! I quickly want to say that this ended up being canon divergent from Amphibia the show, so keep that in mind! Anyway, this has truly been a journey for me, and I hope all you Wrecker fans enjoy this final chapter!

A fire burned harshly in the background as Wrecker woke up from one pleasant dream to another. Tucked in a warm bed, his body slowly healing from the wounds of war, he smiled softly as he snoozed. The sun was out, the crickets were chirping, and throughout the house all who resided in there were peaceful and calm.

Happy.

Safe.

Loved.

Turning on his side and blinking the night away, Wrecker began to make out one particular member of the household, a hot pink colored pollywog, so small Wrecker swore there was no one tinier in all of Amphibia. It kept him up at nights sometimes, but even those fears were welcome. The fear of losing someone meant you had someone in the first place.

Wrecker gladly opened his eyes and grinned at the little one. "Mornin', boy!"

The boy cried out, and hopped back to his mother, who was also getting up, clearly tuckered out from yesterday's adventures, but still excited for the next ones. How could she not, when things were finally perfect?

"Mornin', Dad! I see our little blessing got scared again?", Annie asked, comforting and bouncing her son to stop the tears. He was immediately quiet in her arms.

Wrecker sighed, just a little blue. "I don't know why he's still so alarmed! Is it my mornin' breath?", he wondered, smelling it and gagging.

Annie chuckled quietly, trying not to wake her husband, back from another long night of work. "No, Dad, it's the mask. He can tell it's one."

"First one who could. Boy's sharp, I'll tell ya.", Wrecker said proudly, before sighing again. "Just wish he could see me as his grandfather."

Annie, suppressing a yawn, got up and carried the boy to the kitchen so she could get some coffee on. "Well, take it off and he won't get scared."

Wrecker suddenly got up and walked into the nursery room, all bright colors Annie had applied, full of toys she had made herself. "Um, well, uh... How's the other angel?"

"Slept like, well, a baby!", Annie joked, eyes still closed as she downed the coffee. Ready to function, she began to coo at her son. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good... Patch?", she tried out loud.

Wrecker, picking up the other pollywog, shook his head. "Doesn't really hit the right note, ah think."

"No, it doesn't. Gah, 9 months and I STILL can't think of a name! He practically came out when the wedding ended, WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!", Annie grunted in frustration, making the little boy giggle at his mother's face.

Wrecker shushed her. "Husband, dead tired, remember?"

"Right.", she whispered sheepishly, and, placing the boy down on a feeding chair, she began to collect some flies and smash them into mush with her fist.

Wrecker, smiling at his grown up girl, looked down at the new baby girl of the family. The tyrian purple pollywog was one very close to his heart, thanks to the nature of her birth. Unlike the boy, who had a relatively normal (if surprisingly quick) pregnancy, the girl had come way earlier than expected. Annie had been told she was pregnant one day, and the next she had to come out. Frog pregnancys were normally quick, a week or two at most, but a day? It was unheard of.

Except, of course, for Wrecker.

Perhaps that's why he felt extra protective of this granddaughter. Perhaps he just didn't want her to feel alone like him.

Sadly, she too was usually scared of him, which was why he could only be next to her when she was asleep. He just wanted to hold her for a moment, show her she did not need to fear him.

...Though when one isn't sure they can believe that themselves, perhaps therein lies the problem.

"...She's so small. I know it wasn't long ago, but... Shouldn't she have grown a little?", Wrecker asked, though he knew the answer. When a pollywog came out this early, it could take YEARS for them to grow to their proper body size. She would be plagued by this.

Annie shook her head, but her smile did not leave. "She should have, but she's strong. She'll get through this. We'll help her."

Wrecker nodded resolutely, but still he felt for the child. He did not wish that upon anyone.

Sitting down at the dinner table, he prayed that the girl would continue sleeping as the boy was fed Fly mush by his mother, who made silly airplane noises. "The noises are for him, you realize that, right?"

"Dude, I'm trying to have fun here!", Annie jokingly complained, before sticking her tongue out at her son, who stuck it out back. Wrecker chuckled fondly at the scamps. "Like two peas in a pod."

"Heh, yeah. Got his dad's paler shades, though!"

Suddenly, a pair of hands, softly as possible, covered the boy's eyes. "And he has his mom's adorable laugh!"

Grime lifted his son up into the air, making him giggle. Grime chuckled with success. "That's my boy!"

Annie got up and kissed her husband on the cheek, while Wrecker stared happily at the familial scene. It wasn't exactly how he had always dreamed it.

But it was probably even better than he could have imagined.

"Honey, are you sure you should get up now? You worked hard last night.", Annie reminded, exhibiting concern for Grime. Grime, reassuring her, held the boy next to him for example. "I'm a big boy, darling, like this badass son!", he crowed, blowing a raspberry on his son's belly, again illiciting a giggle from the child.

"Grime, watch your language in front of the kids.", Wrecker chided with a smile. Grime was trying so hard to be a better dad than his father, and in Wrecker's eyes, the toad was doing an awe inspiring job.

Grime sheepishly smiled. "Ah... Whoops?". The boy laughed once more.

Putting his son down, so he could practice hopping, Grime took a seat and rubbed his temples. He really wasn't getting much sleep nowadays. "I'm sorry I came so late again, sweetheart, there were more violent protests by those dam... MEAN extremists."

It worried Grime constantly: Despite his sort of absolute rule, and the threat of arrest, there were STILL those who refused to recognize the rights of the oppressed. At first people had been complaining in the dark, but recently, those secret enemies had come out into the light, hoping to incite divide among his people. The dissent could spread to the rest of Amphibia like this.

Wrecker and Annie exchanged worried glances. "Have you talked to Mrs. Croaker?", Annie offered helpfully.

Grime nodded, but his look was still troubled. "I have. She told me to exercise harsher punishments, to make it clear that this violence was not acceptable. But I fear that like in the days of Amphibia City, that could push the truly extreme to reform the clans of old."

Wrecker and Annie nodded: It was not a simple problem. "Perhaps it is just this way. There are always those who will resist change, Grime.", Wrecker noted. "Look at Bog! He's still in manure cleaning duty, and he hasn't shut up!"

Annie stiffled a laugh while Grime sighed, not even staring down at his recently placed bowl of salad. "Bog's one person. This is... This is more than I thought there would be. What if... What if I can't stop this?"

Wrecker and Annie again shared a worried glance. Grime needed a talking to. "Um, I'm gonna take our little angel here for a nice bottle of milk. Dad, Grime, why don't you go out and get some fresh air, it's a beautiful day!"

"Actually, this chair is mighty comfy...", Wrecker started, and Grime agreed. "The sun is really ouchy on my eyes, Annie, and besides I haven't checked out the comics in the paper..."

"Out!", she ordered like a mom, secretly laughing at how grown up she appeared. Wrecker and Grime, saluting her, laughed as they walked outside for a talk, Wrecker now getting the hint.

Annie sighed happily as she saw her family leave outside. Even the few problems they faced were solved. Life really was perfect, wasn't it?

"Isn't that right, my little blessing?", Annie asked, kissing her baby girl on the cheek, her eyes opening for her mama. "Mama is here, baby, mama is here to make you all better. You'll be big and strong one day too, I know it!"

Looking down at the table, Annie got a sly smile. She wanted them to go out for more than one reason. Stealing the paper, Annie walked towards the comfy armchair in the living room. "Mama is gonna read you the comics, baby."

"Beautiful, ain't it?"

Grime and Wrecker stared at the morning sun, surrounded by the green grass of their garden, the cherry blossoms on the trees, and the soft summer breeze.

"...Yes. Yes it is."

They stood their, hands on each other's backs, taking it all in.

Peace.

What a strange concept.

How wonderfully different.

How beautiful in it's rarity.

How foreign to their souls.

"I was thinking about building a room for the boy soon, one just for him. Maybe he could have a telescope like I did.", Grime told no one in particular, his gaze distant.

"Grime.", Wrecker said, without looking.

"And perhaps we could give the girl something to use when she hops, she's still struggling with that concept.", Grime continued, his eyes staring at the clouds, his heart enraged at his current disposition.

"Grime.", Wrecker nudged again, gently.

"I think that we can definitely do something to improve the living room too, make it better, make it larger, make it..."

"Grime, what's wrong?", Wrecker cut straight to it, and Grime stared at him with fear bubbling under the surface. His eyes began to tear up.

"Everything is perfect. And yet it's not. What am I doing wrong?"

"Grime, you'll figure this extremist situation out soon, I know you will. Just take your time, keep digging at it. You know that Thorn had nearly succeeded if it wasn't for Captain Claws.", Wrecker reminded softly, his voice low as a whisper, trying to comfort his friend. He placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him.

Grime removed the hand, still looking down with despair. "Yes, but what if that happens to me? What if something goes wrong, someone tries to start a rebellion? What if this is as good as it gets?"

"Isn't that pretty good? I hate to say it, considering my life choices, but things are better than ever. It doesn't need to be perfect.", Wrecker suggested, but Grime was now pacing, his stress returning, his heartbeat raised. He could not relax, no matter how hard he tried.

"Wrecker, believe me, I want to enjoy this, and I am. But I should do better! I'm technically a king! Not that I like that.", Grime stated with shame.

Wrecker nodded, knowing of the conversations they had in the past. "You can't just remove the crown, you need a solution."

"Democracy is the solution. At least, I hope. I can't claim to be good AND weild supreme power for no reason other than birth. But maybe THAT'S the mistake! I don't know anymore, Wrecker, I don't know!"

Grime began to breath heavily, looking around at his world, the world he had to save. "I want to make up for my ancestor's sins. How can I do that? Wrecker, please, I need to be good enough!"

Wrecker shook his head. "You ARE good enough, Grime. There's no such thing as perfect. You're doing the best you can. That's all anyone can ask of you."

Grime still looked full of shame and guilt. "Then maybe my best isn't good enough."

Wrecker offered his hands. "Grime... You don't need to this alone."

Grime accepted the hug after a second's hesitation, and he allowed himself to calm down a little. "I'm sorry. I should be happier."

"We're all happier, and we're all still struggling. You think I'm over my shit?", Wrecker joked, and Grime chuckled softly. "I guess you're right. I just... Want to do the right thing."

"Grime... I know you will make the right choice, whatever it is."

He pointed to Grime's heart. "I believe in you."

Wrecker, of course, was not exaggerating. He too was still feeling the pain of his life before this heaven. While he had learned to calm down, to believe in others, to believe in himself, to enjoy life, to trust that he could be better, one fear still niggled at his soul: He still did not feel that he had truly made up for his mistakes. Here he was, still making the wrong decisions. The kids were scared of him because of his mask. Why could he not remove it? Why could he not show Grime who he was after all this time? Why did he still feel like he should wake up without a breath?

Why could he not move on from the Wrecker?

No one knew of his struggle. He was still contemplating ending it all, just in case, before it was too late. He had already accomplished everything, and once the box was destroyed, then he would have no remaining obligations.

It was so easy... All he had to do was jump off a cliff, end it all, save his family from the inevitable tragedy that would follow him no matter what.

Then Grime and Annie would be safe. The kids would be safe.

Should he do it? He still did not know.

He sighed, tears welling in his eyes, as he and Grime parted. Even after all this time, he was still The Wrecker.

"Lucy? Violet? Penelope?!"

The girl pollywog tilted her head, as if she was considering the names, then blew a raspberry, making herself laugh.

Annie sighed, but she agreed. "Yeah, those names aren't cool enough for my awesome little girl! It needs to really PIZZAZ, ya know?"

The pollywog didn't respond, but Annie pretended she did. "Okay, let's keep brainstorming!"

But though she tried to think of names, Annie's thoughts sadly strayed where she didn't want them to. And once more, a haunting thought crossed her mind: Had she really... Earned this?

It all felt almost too easy, didn't it? Get rescued by a soldier, fall in love, just happen to save everyone by being you? It sounded fake, it sounded wrong.

It sounded like a fraud.

Sure, she knew everyone else thought she was all that. And deep down, she knew that it wasn't like she hadn't done anything!

...Then why did she still feel so artificial? Like a ghost that had wandered into the wrong funeral, everyone crying for someone way better than her?

She had all she ever dreamed of...

And she still felt so...

Worthless.

Perhaps it was because Annie felt like she had been lucky. Like she had a winning streak, one that perhaps was coming to a close. Perhaps it was because she could see that Grime and Wrecker still felt the pangs of pain from their past, and in a way, she felt as if she had let them down by not giving them a better life. Perhaps it was because something still felt missing.

Everyone believed in Annie, but Annie herself still wasn't sure. Annie couldn't see how she had truly earned it.

Annie still felt that she was just... Annie.

And nothing more.

Wiping tears off of her eyes, she looked at her baby apologetically. "I'm sorry, pumpkin, I'm just... Mama's a little sad. Mama's not used to all... This."

Annie sighed, and, bouncing her little joy, she began to reminisce. "Did you know that you have more than one grandfather?"

The pollywog looked up in curiosity.

Annie caressed her little head. "Yes, little one, you do. He lives on the clouds, with your grandmother. I bet they... I bet they would have loved you. You and your big brother."

She trailed on, sounding almost lost. "Your other grandfather... I know he looks scary, but he means well. He loves you a lot. He loves me a lot. My husband loves me a lot. So many people love me..."

Annie went quiet, looking intently into her daughter's eyes. "Pumpkin... Is Mama... Does Mama deserve this? Is Mama really good enough for an angel like you?"

While no one could tell if the Pollywog understood the question, she nodded enthusiastically. Annie couldn't help but smile. "Well... I guess it's better than nothing. Maybe I don't see my worth yet, but everyone else does. I guess that's comforting in one way."

She then kissed her daughter on the cheek. "And if you are happy, then I'm happy, okay, sweetie pie?"

The pollywog laughed again. Annie wondered aloud. "Mabel?"

The baby raised an eyebrow. Annie giggled. "Yeah, that DOES sound like a grandma!"

Looking back at the sun, she decided that her baby could use some fresh air too, so she picked her up and walked outside to where Wrecker and Grime were, the duo having just finished their hug.

"How's it going, fam?", Annie asked, and Wrecker and Grime both mumbled "It's ok", as she stood side by side to them.

The trio all took a deep breath and stared at each other. Despite all their self doubt, they had each other.

Maybe things would be okay.

Grime then realized the boy had been gone for a bit too long. "Shouldn't let him practice hopping this much, he'll get too tired. Let's get him!"

Annie, Wrecker and Grime all began to shout out "Boy!" out loud across the yard. Grime shouted "Boy, are you here?" at one of the bushes. Annie shouted "Boy, come to Mama!" towards the house. Wrecker shouted "Boy, who we REALLY should come up with a name for, come out come out wherever you are!" to one of the trees, just in case.

A panic began to grow in their hearts and minds: The boy always came hopping the moment someone called him. But there was no hopping, no waddling, no sight of the boy.

The glances went from worried to incredibly concerned. The searching became frantic, as rooms were turned upside down by Annie and Wrecker while Grime ran into the streets to see if perhaps he had somehow walked into a neighbor's house. Yes, that's it. A neighbor's house. He was fine, he was fine, he was fine, HE WAS FINE.

Grime tried to hide his tears, but he could hear it in his head, the voice telling him that here it was, the inevitable failure, the tragedy, the bad luck now biting his own son...

"No, no! Not him! I won't accept it! I won't! Not my son!", Grime shouted out as he ran and ran, looking at every garden for a glimpse of his son.

Back in the house, Wrecker and Annie were still looking through the rooms, making a mess that would take hours to fix, not that they would mind. Just to find the little boy would be more than enough. Wrecker left the nursery room to meet Annie in the kitchen. "He's not there, I looked everywhere!"

"HE'S NOT HERE EITHER! OH, DAD, WHERE IS HE, PLEASE, I CAN'T LOSE HIM, I CAN'T!", Annie almost shrieked, and Wrecker reassured her. "Sweetie, we'll find him, I know it, he couldn't have gone far, he's just a pollywog!"

Suddenly, they heard the summer breeze, which made then sharply turn at the same time to the back door. The windows were closed, of course, but the door was open, hence the wind.

"How did he open it?", Annie asked, confused, but Wrecker shook his head. "No time for that, he must have gone from there!"

Rushing out, Annie picking up the girl so that she won't get lost, the trio ran outside in hysteria, desperate to find their lost boy.

The backdoor led to the forest area that surrounded the town, and passing trees and crunching leaves, they could see signs that the boy had been there: His little hat had been left behind. Annie picked it up, and, choking on tears, called for him again. "BOY!", she screamed, her heart in her chest.

Wrecker, meanwhile, was listening carefully to the wind. He could hear something. "...Annie... That sounds like crying."

Both realizing what this meant, they dashed through the woods, nearing the crying sounds, not eager to witness the horror they mind wind up witnessing.

Meanwhile, having returned to the house, Grime was shocked to find the rest of his family gone. What was happening? Where were they? Had they been lost too?

"NO, NO, STOP THIS, PLEASE, I'LL DO ANYTHING, JUST BRING THEM BACK!", Grime screamed, falling to his knees, feeling like a failure. Suddenly, he saw the back door was still open. His eyes narrowing with determination, Grime jumped up to his feet and ran faster than he had ever run. He couldn't... He WOULDN'T let his family get hurt! He was not his father! He would die first before they got hurt even a little!

Grime ran and ran and ran, he ran his legs nearly clean off, he punched branches away from his eyes and ignored the blood trickling from his hands as he searched for them, for his family, for his wife, for his...

"Grime."

Wrecker stood in front of him, almost blocking the sight of what he longed to see. Where were they? A clearing? He could smell water...

"Wrecker, move out of the way, I need to save my son!", Grime shouted, shoving Wrecker away. Wrecker tried to stay on his feet, but he was too old for a young man like Grime. Still, he frantically shouted "Grime, wait, I need you to calm down first..."

But it was too late.

It was all too late.

Grime stared with disbelief, with shock and horror, his bones chilled, as Annie held their son, choking, coughing out swamp water. The pollywog was bleeding, probably from nearly drowning, and there was a cut on his eye.

Just like his cut.

Annie kept nursing the child, trying to get him to calm down. The boy looked so weak... So defenseless...

Finally, words came from Grime's mouth, as he stepped closer. "...This is my fault."

Annie and Wrecker both stared at him with comfort. "No, it's our fault, all of us, Grime, we should have paid more attention..."

"No.", Grime said resolutely, and he picked up the boy from Annie's hands. In a matter of seconds, he had nearly lost him. In a matter of moments, one mistake, one lapse of concentration... And his son would never have even spoken.

All because of him.

Grime was crying, but with no sound. He held the child close, hearing the faint heartbeat. So small... So fragile... Could be shut off just like that.

Forever.

"I'm sorry, son.", Grime said, his voice cracking. Annie stood up, as did Wrecker. They wanted to talk, to apologize too, but they knew Grime needed this.

Grime, his heart still pounding, his son still coughing, still spewing blood, he had to take him to a hospital. "Annie... Annie, Wrecker, take him to the doctor, get him safe."

"What about you?", Wrecker asked. Annie looked scared. "Grime, you should come..."

"No. I... I need a moment. I'll join up. He's more important right now, take him."

"But..."

"PLEASE!", Grime shouted, his eyes red with shame. Annie and Wrecker slowly nodded, and they ran off with the pollywogs, Grime staying behind.

He looked around. The trees... They had sharp branches. They could cut, they could stab, they could kill.

The swamp, it was deep. It was murky. In a matter of seconds, a child could drown. His child... Other children...

In the forest lay creatures. Herons, Tomato beasts, giant Hornets... All capable of eating a poor person in an instant.

Out beyond the town lay Pirates. Bandits. Murderers.

In the town? Extremists. Those who would hurt frogs. His children... They were frogs. His wife... A frog. His best friend... A frog.

And what of the toads who would side with him?

What of the order, what if they got involved in stopping those mad people?

What if the creator above chose to punish him for his sins by killing those who were innocent?

So many people... So many people he claimed he had stopped hurting...

And yet he couldn't even protect his own son.

He had lost a whole battalion.

He had killed his mother's killer.

He had killed his own pet.

And now, his son had nearly died.

Because he wasn't good enough.

He never was.

"My fault... All my fault...", Grime whispered, falling to the ground, looking up at the sky and begging for mercy.

"Take me! IF YOU'RE SO ANGRY, TAKE ME! NOT THEM! IT'S MY FAULT!"

He cried and cried, he pounded the ground, but there was nothing he could do, nothing.

He could scream and cry and beg and kill.

He could be his father or himself.

It mattered not.

The innocent would be hurt...

And he would still be alive.

Cursed with the knowledge that he was the problem...

And he had let himself live.

"Please... Please...", he pleaded, his heart broken, his soul shattered.

"How can I save them all? How can I keep them safe?"

He shivered.

"I'm lost. Please... Please help me do the right thing. Tell me what it is. Please."

"...I just want to keep them safe."

The Wrecker

Chapter 10:

Why Do We Fall?

"Well, he'll live. It won't be easy, but when is it ever, am I right?"

The doctor's joke didn't really have the impact he hoped it would have. The waiting room, eggshell white with the cold feeling of the tools he used to keep you alive, was occupied by three very serious and worried faces that didn't display a moment's enjoyment of his attempt at humor. "...Tough crowd.", he added, though he knew that it wasn't the greatest timing. Clearing his throat, he motioned for them to come inside, and they followed, silently, almost mechanically.

It was too natural by now to see such horrors.

Grime felt a shiver from that, and his mood grew darker. When one got used to tragedy, how could one ever experience a happy ending?

Was it even still possible at this state?

And if he was getting used to this, what did it say about him?

"I'm not trying hard enough.", he kept repeating, as they crossed past one empty bed and onto the one that seated his baby, his 9 month old son, eyes closed, asleep, even at peace.

But the wounds of earlier remained, they did not heal so quickly. "Not quickly enough", Grime couldn't help but think.

Annie lowered her face to kiss her son, and she stared straight at the bandage covering his eye. She could not see if he was still crying, but the bandage was damp. Annie fought back her own tears. How could she have let this happen? She really could lose it all in a second.

She could lose it before she even earned it.

How did that feel even worse?

Wrecker stood in the back, trying not to get in the way. He knew that the boy would be scared of him if he opened his eyes.

Wrecker then covered his own eyes in shame, his heart sinking into the depths he was always hiding in. How could he have let this happen? The boy had no grandfather, Annie had no father, Grime had no friend, he was just a guilty old frog who couldn't help because he was playing a part he could not escape.

And maybe deep down he didn't want to escape. Maybe he got so used to being seen as a Wrecker, that he really did become a Wrecker by the end.

He considered removing his mask...

But his hands drooped and he looked down at his reflection from the floor, all too familiar with the face that stared back into his soul with judgment.

"...Even my sins judge me with distaste."

Grime caressed his son, who stayed ever so still. One could almost think he was dead. He almost was. One second... Was all it took.

Grime felt the hole inside him grow. Was it anger? Fear? Despair?

It had been inside him since he was a child. It surrounded and it encompassed. It whispered in the morning and it screamed in the night. It wanted death, but was it his or was it those who hurt his wounded angels? He tried to ignore it, but it did not lay dorment, it continued to torment. His soul was fractured, his spirit torn in half.

"How could I have let this happen?", he whispered, begging for forgiveness from his sleeping son, his pollywog, who was so small in his hands, like a pearl that could crack from the slightest wind of change.

"...How can I make amends for my existence?"

The family all stared at the boy, the beeps of the hospital reverberating, the cold air entering their skins. He laid there, sleeping, his eyes would open, but they could have remained shut.

He was still alive...

But when they were responsible for his safety...

For how long?

A while later, Wrecker stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at a clock on the wall. The second hand passed too slowly for his taste. He could still see it, after all.

He could still see things.

Soon, he snapped out of his state and noticed Grime was standing next to him, silent externally, but a storm internally. He held a leaf in his hands, and he stared at it with eyes that would not move away.

Wrecker stared at him now. He didn't wonder if he was all right, because he knew he wasn't. He wondered how bad it was.

"...You'd think... You'd think that something as important as a leaf would be strong."

Grime's words echoed, like a ghost searching for rest but never succeeding. His hands shook, but he didn't acknowledge it. Perhaps he welcomed it. Any feeling but what he felt now was an improvement.

"...You'd think that it would, no?", he asked, but was he asking Wrecker, was he asking the maker, was he asking himself? "It provides oxygen for us by taking away the carbon dioxide. It serves as a hiding place for the small bugs, and as a food source when it comes in handy. It colors our world with soft greens, and it shields the trees from the harsh rain."

Grime then tore the leaf in half, allowing the pieces to float down the floor, limp, broken. "...So why does it die so easily? Why do we have the power to tear our world in half, simply by making one wrong choice?"

He looked at Wrecker with tears in his eyes. "Why is it so easy to fall?"

Wrecker would have wanted to comfort him. He wanted it now more than anything.

But what could he say? What could he change?

Besides, it would be a lie.

He felt the same way.

"...I don't know."

Grime sighed and stared at the second hand longingly too. "Yeah... I had a feeling you'd say that."

The two men kept on staring, Grime clenching his fist in barely contained rage and sorrow, the other wishing to no avail that he could close his eyes, and that somehow it would magically make everything okay.

But the second hand was still moving.

Annie, holding both pollywogs in her arms, joined them in the middle. She couldn't muster a look at either. "...He's okay to go home now."

They said nothing.

Annie choked back a tear and choked out a lie she hoped would reassure them. "I'm... I'm sure tomorrow will be better."

Wrecker and Grime still said nothing.

Annie finally looked down at her children, and she gulped as she saw them sleeping. She had nearly lost one of them today. Was it because the maker knew she didn't deserve such gifts?

Would they survive the world hell bent on killing them?

And when they did, would they not leave her when they saw that there was nothing more to her, that she was a pretty box with nothing inside?

Annie sighed, and stared at the second hand.

How long did she have until she everything went back to normal, and she'd be all alone, like she was meant to be?

How long would the maker let them have this fantasy before they would wake up to the harsh reality?

How long did they all have before they would finally face the truth that all they had was nothing at all?

That night, Wrecker gazed at the stars, wishing he could reach them, wishing he could ever come close to such magic as the twinkle of the night sky.

But he could not reach them. He was still down here, above ground, below sky.

Wasting everyone's precious air with the breaths he had not truly earned.

He shook his head, the barrage of thoughts since the hospital still terrorizing his mindscape, and he looked down at the sleeping children, snuggled inside their crib, the world their oyster, yet they were prey. "Look at you... You're so young... And already you have felt pain."

He shed a tear. "What I'd give to take it away. To hold the burden you will carry. To feel every heartbreak and every wound, so you can be happy. I've already failed my run, I want you to at least get to the starting point."

He sighed, leaning back on his chair, the cold wood touching his neck, the creak quietly sounding itself around the room. "Kids... I've caused you nothing but fear since you came. I bet you wonder why. What did you do?"

"And the truth is, is that you didn't do anything. It's me."

Wrecker stared down at them with guilt. He seemed to plead for their forgiveness. "I'm sorry. I want to... So badly..."

"I want to look at your faces with my real face, for you to see the love I truly have for you, for you to see that's not a trick, not a lie, that I truly care for you. And I do, but..."

He placed his hands on his mask. He tried to remove it. He tried.

But...

"...I am not strong enough to stop being weak."

Wrecker removed his hands from his mask and looked down at the girl. He caressed her head, and noticed her breathing was troubled. Her mouth opened and closed, rather than her nose slits. Was it possible she couldn't breath from her nose, at least not properly? Wrecker shook his head with sorrow. "My little one, I'm sorry. I went through the same thing."

He then smiled encouragingly, or at least tried to, for it hurt to smile. "But you're lucky in one way. Your parents won't be angry, or disappointed. It's not your fault."

He sat down again, pretending she was talking to him. "Was it my fault? To tell you the truth, I don't know anymore. But I must have done something, right? To make them hate me. They must have known I'd turn out this way."

He then looked at the boy, who was sleeping peacefully, as if the events of today had not happened, as if he still had hope.

Perhaps he did.

How Wrecker wished he could inhabit such a state of being.

"What did I do?"

He looked up at the stars again. "...I pretended to be the hero of my own story, when I was always meant to be the villain. I'm not the knight, I'm the fool. I fall flat on my face every time I have a chance at redemption, and the audience laughs and laughs, because I could have been someone good, I could have been a frog, I could have been... Someone else."

He clasped his hands together, and breathed out his judgment. "But I'm not someone else. No daughter, no friends, no order can ever change that. No matter what I do... I'm still a Wrecker."

The kids did not answer, as they were asleep after all, but their silence almost felt like a question.

Wrecker looked away, with regret. "I tried, I... I really did! You think I wanted this? Maybe, maybe I'm painting myself as the victim, but I really DID try!"

Silence.

"...Maybe not enough. Maybe... Maybe I just got so used to it all, that even if I had a chance to change it, it was too late."

Silence again.

"...Maybe it's time I stopped pretending. Stopped prolonging the inevitable. Maybe it's time I faced the music. I did the only good thing I could do. There is no use left for me. If all I can do is make things worse, then maybe I shouldn't be able to do anything at all."

"...Kids... Please take care of your parents when I'm gone."

The Wrecker stood up in the darkness, looking out at the stars. He would not reach them. He would be too far into the ground.

But perhaps the dirt would hide his tears.

Perhaps the hole would fill the one in his chest.

Perhaps the rest would finally give him peace.

Perhaps the ones he loved could finally be happy now that he wouldn't be there to ruin it all.

Suddenly, his ear caught the slightest bump, and he turned around, seeing the sound came from outside the front door.

Stepping out, he could see that no one was there, but a letter was attached to the door by an arrow. The Order.

Withdrawing it, he opened the envelope and read the contents to himself.

"Dear Wrecker,

After many months, we have finally found the Box's one weakness.

You must come to the hideout, and heed our instructions.

Awaiting your safe arrival,

The Order."

The Wrecker stared at the frontier, at the last journey he'd have to take.

"To destroy the box... Perhaps that would just be enough. Perhaps that would be one last good thing I can do, before I finally end my selfish existence."

The Wrecker narrowed his eyes and shoved the letter into his pockets.

His heart was set.

Closing his eyes, he imagined the joy he would spread by laying to rest.

Finally, The Wrecker would do something good without ruining it by still being there, by letting himself stay.

Finally...

He would stop being The Wrecker.

Opening his mouth, he sang quietly to himself, his words reaching the stars without his knowledge.

"It is said
That you cannot be found
Under rocks or broken skull
Ah will lay down
Ah will lay down
Ah can be found... Beneath the rose
Beneath the rose
Alone"

"Safe to say
That Ah'll never be found
Broken bones holding loose
Ah will be crowned
Ah will be crowned
King of all Ah've found
Ah've found
Alone"

"It is said
That you cannot be found
Under rocks or broken skull
Ah will lay down
Ah will lay down
Ah can be found... Beneath the rose
Beneath the rose
Alone"

Meanwhile, inside the house, Grime and Annie laid in bed, restless in their rest. Grime's thoughts were plagued with all that has transpired that day. He couldn't sleep, at least, when he would, he would sleep, but not rest.

And how could he? His own son had nearly died, and his entire view on this brave new world was shaken. What seemed like a golden future was now a terrifying beyond that seemed to imply that all this, all this wonder, this love...

It would sink to the bottom of the swamp.

Grime shivered, and Annie, who had wet tear marks all over her face, turned around to wrap her arms around him. She squeezed, trying to kill the cold he felt, but it had already dug it's way into his heart.

"Grime... Do you need to talk?"

Grime tried to keep his eyes shut. He couldn't bear looking at her. He feared that if he did he would see what he couldn't stop picturing: Her dead, lifeless eyes, as she passed on in his arms.

"I'd rather not."

Annie pouted, looking saddened and worried by that. "Grime, honey, today was hard on all of us. You don't need to carry this weight alone."

"Yes I do! I need to fix this!", Grime snapped, and then turned away, regretting immediately what he had done. He didn't mean to get angry...

He didn't mean to...

Was he losing control again?

Annie looked genuinely hurt at first, but she kept on trying. "I know how you feel. I let my son down today too, you know."

Grime's expression softened. His voice took on a tender tone. "That's not true, dear, It's me that..."

"Grime, don't choose for me my guilt, okay? I could have been more attentive, I SHOULD have been."

Grime's face wrinkled with worry. He wasn't just hurting her by getting angry, he was hurting her this way as well.

How many times did he hurt her a day, he wondered. How many times did he do things that left invisible scars on her heart? How many times did he walk ff without a care while the people he loved felt horrible because of his ugly flaws?

The two stared at each other with worry for the other, and shame upon themselves. "...Annie... I... I promise I'll make this better. I'll find a way."

"WE'LL find a way.", Annie replied, and she caressed his face. "Goodnight, Grime."

"Goodnight, Annie."

They didn't kiss, but they didn't need to.

They quietly clung onto each other, giving each other a safe place for now.

Grime kept on thinking how he had to make it right.

Annie, meanwhile, wondered what she could do. She wasn't like Grime. She was just her, she had no real way of aiding his efforts to make the town safer. She wasn't strong or smart or inspiring.

She felt bad about this. It was her fault for being so... Aimless. She could be providing, but even when it came to the kids she was failing to come up to snuff.

"Well, what can I do? If I can't help with the problem, can I at least help the problem solver?", she wondered, staring at her love with caring eyes, his face full of pain as he tried to sleep away the guilt.

She looked at his clothes. They were the same tattered ones he always wore. They stunk real bad, and they looked sad. Maybe if Grime dressed nicer he'd feel nice, feel like the new version he wanted to be.

"Yes...", she thought, concocting a plan. "That's what I'll do..."

She decided she'd catch some winks, and then get to work on a new cape for her husband.

Soon, Grime nodded off too, after hearing the door open and close, The Wrecker having done his usual night walk, he reasoned. He yawned and closed his eyes.

When Grime finally drifted off to sleep, he hoped that he could at least find peace in his dreams.

But his mind was no sanctuary. It was a self made prison of his own guilt.

And he was about to get hit with all it's power.

FLASH!

Horrible bright lights lit up, and Grime found himself in an all too familiar location. The tiles are red like blood, the walls are covered in rusted gold, and the fire can be smelt from here. Sounds of screaming and agony echo in the halls of his mindscape, and ashes sting his eyes, making him shed tears of grief. For who? He does not know yet.

"Ah... So you finally see the folly of your ways, my apprentice."

Grime turned around in horror, his face shrouded with fear, as sitting before him, clad in black, wires attached to his body and eyes that expanded with sadistic joy, was none other than his father, Captain Muck.

Grime shook his head in denial, refusing to accept what his eyes showed him. "No... No, it can't be, you're defeated!"

Muck chuckled, grinning at his son's foolishness. "You were always good for a laugh, Grime! No, I am more powerful than ever!"

He stood up and clasped his hands, staring at his son, on his knees, stammering at the sight. "All thanks to you..."

Grime stood up and pointed accusingly, putting his foot down. His face contorted with rage. "Liar! I tried to dethrone you! I removed you from power! You can say a lot about me, but this I did not do!"

"Really?", Muck asked with a questioning tone, but his eyes told a different story, one he knew and Grime didn't. "Then explain the fire."

Grime looked around, now unsure. The real Muck wasn't in power, the rules were to be shaped only by Grime, he was the master of Amphibia's destiny.

Why, then, was it in flames?

"What's going on?", he asked, urgency in his voice. Muck simply laughed.

"Father, what is happening? What did you do?!", Grime asked, his words growing more impatient, more furious.

"Temper, my boy. But, I guess I shouldn't bother asking. Your little Annie couldn't convince you...", he whispered, his smile tearing Grime's soul.

Burning with fiery vengeance, Grime tore off the self imposed shackles and marched up to Muck, staring into his eyes, lifting him by his royal coat. "I COMMAND YOU TO TELL ME! YOU WILL OBEY ME!"

"Mercy, mercy!", Muck mocked, and Grime put him down, fearing his anger. He was losing control...

"Just tell me what's going on! Stop playing games!", Grime demanded, but Muck shook his head. "The only game we're playing is the one you played, pretending you were anything more than a failure."

Grime shook his head, closing his eyes, like a child ignoring the bump in the night. "No, no, you're trying to get into my head, not this time."

"I didn't do anything, you're not listening. It's already happened.", Much replied quietly, with a hiss. "Your destiny... Your failure... Your tragedy..."

Grime turned back to Muck, but he wasn't there. Instead, the room turned dark, and Grime found himself right in the crossbows of...

"Extremists! Hide!", a Frog woman cried, but she was impaled immediately by a sword held by a white sleeved Toad's hand, wearing the mask of a clan member.

Grime ducked in alarm, and saw the extremists bust into the restaurant/safe haven of the Frogs he had established as a temporary hideout. It was being burned to the ground, and the screams were deathening.

His pupils shrinking, Grime began to run towards the fire, begging he could save the survivors. He ran past more and more victims, children and elderly being executed in his streets, and he couldn't save everyone, he couldn't save them all, he probably couldn't even save one...

"NO!", he screamed, leaping into the flames, but instead of hitting wood, he was instead greeted with prison bars.

The metallic clang ringed in his ears, and when his eyes adjusted to the new setting, they fell on the eyes he loved most in the world...

And his heart nearly stopped.

"ANNIE!", Grime cried out loud, and he backed off to see the whole scene, which nearly made him sick to his stomach: His darling wife and kids, behind bars, shaking the prison bars in fear.

"LET US GO! LET US GO!", Annie yelled, as if she couldn't see Grime...

Or she was looking right through him.

Grime turned around, and there he was, his father, cackling once more. "Don't you just LOVE a good family reunion? It's about time I met my grandchildren..."

"YOU! YOU DID THIS!", Grime screamed, jumping at Muck in an attempt to hurt him.

"Of course you went for me. Still missing the problem at hand. You want to solve it so bad you make it worse!", Muck lectured, vanishing into thin air.

Grime looked back, and Annie and the kids were gone. "No! Bring them back! Now! I can't lose them!", he shook his fists at the heavens, his tears cascading to the floor but not making a sound, for they had no impact, no way to change the tides.

"You think I DID THIS?! YOU'RE STILL NOT PAYING ATTENTION!", Muck snapped, appearing out of nowhere and whisking Grime to a cliffside.

There, surrounded by the flames in the grass, Grime saw The Wrecker look down at him with shame and disappointment. "You let me down. You let us all down."

"No... I didn't mean to... What did I do?!", Grime pleaded for information, but Wrecker ignored him, turning his back on him.

"I thought I could be happy. But you took it away from me. You could have saved us. Saved us all. Why didn't you do more? Why didn't you do what HAD to be done?", Wrecker coldly laid on him, before beginning to jump.

Grime WOULDN'T let this happen. "Wrecker, NO!", Grime screamed, leaping after him, trying to stop his suicide, but to no avail. Muck held him in the air, making him watch his friend die.

His face full of sorrow, Grime turned towards Muck and bellowed again. "HOW DARE YOU?! I COULD HAVE SAVED HIM!"

"But you held yourself back! You have all this power, all this knowledge, and yet you allow your world to burn!", Muck shouted back, throwing Grime at a wall, Grime now shackled to it. He tried escaping, but he couldn't.

Muck appeared, sitting on the throne once more. "It's almost funny, you know? You truly CAN stop all this. The extremists. The Wrecker's suicidal intentions. Your wife's lack of self worth. If you were to just stop holding yourself back!"

"You're the one who chained me to the wall!", Grime retorted, but Muck tutted at him. "Then why don't I have the key?"

Grime looked at his left hand, and found the key hiding in it. How did it get there? He didn't... No, it... No, no...

"No, it's not like that! I'm doing what I can!", Grime defended himself, but he sounded less and less sure.

Muck laughed uproariously, his fist pounding the chair's side. "FOOLISH BOY! You're not exercising an inch of your power!"

His hand presented the carnage and chaos of outside, the tragedy and misfortune of his family, the world on fire. "This, apprentice, is the fruits of your lack of labor! The inevitability of your inaction! You really thought no one would try and bring things back to the way they were? You're even dumber than I thought!"

Grime's face burned with hot tears. He couldn't bear another second of this. "I... I will stop this! I will save them all!"

Muck shook his head. "No... It's too late. You know it is. There is only one way to truly change your destiny... And you're too cowardly to take it."

He then stood up and presented the throne with gleeful evil. "But it's all right. With the fire comes rebirth. A new Amphibia, ruled by the toad, nay, not even a frog, who forged a worse hell than I ever did, for he couldn't move away from his past by ensuring a better future no matter what!"

He grinned once more, savoring every word, as he stroked Grime's chin. "Isn't that right... CAPTAIN Grime..."

Grime's shackles were off, and he suddenly looked at his reflection in a broken mirror, the shards splitting a million different ways. He had a glowing, sickly green eye, and a tattered cape. His face was scarred, and in his hands lay a sword drenched in blood.

He looked more like his father than ever before.

"No... No...", Grime began to say, as the final image appeared: That of Annie, trying to reach him...

But their hands couldn't meet...

It phased through.

She couldn't reach him.

He was too far gone.

Grime went down to his knees and screamed. "NO!"

And then he woke up, covered in sweat, gasping for air, his heart in his chest, threatening to leap out.

He stared at his bed, but Annie wasn't there.

Thankfully, he then heard her voice, whispering to itself. She was fine...

For now.

The kids were fine...

For now.

Wrecker was fine...

For now.

Breathing slowly, he knew he couldn't waste more time sleeping.

Not anymore.

Going to the hidden room downstairs, the one Wrecker had told him about, Grime gave up on sleep so he could begin to brainstorm solutions.

He wouldn't let his father win. Whatever great thing he had to do, he would do it.

He would save his family.

So caught up in his fears Grime was, he didn't stop to think why his wife wasn't sleeping.

Annie was just too fixated on making the cape, hysterically muttering to herself "Must earn this, must earn this, must earn this" over and over and over again, as the night rolled on with fearful abandon.

No one slept that night.

"So... Anyone have any interesting dreams?"

Annie's sheepish smile was replaced with a tired frown, as she witnessed how miserable her family was at the breakfast table. Just yesterday things seemed to be happy, if not perfect. Now, it all felt like the same old shit. Wrecker was silent, oddly peaceful his eyes were, but Annie and Grime had a gut feeling something was off. They just feared asking would make things worse.

Not that they were any better: Both wife and husband were dead tired, staying up to right their wrongs meant no righting their sleep schedule. Annie kept yawning, and Grime's eyes were closed most of the breakfast as he kept dozing off.

Trying to keep the spoon up, Annie inched towards her son, who looked calmer, but was still clearly in pain. "Come on, baby, have some fly mush! It's good for you, make you big and... Strong..."

Grime looked away with shame. He couldn't bare the sight, the pain... The guilt. His son was barely alive.

All because of...

"Excuse me.", Grime muttered, and he left the table, heading towards the window that showcased the rest of Toad Town. Annie, realizing Grime needed her, decided to go after him. "Not like I can do anything.", she thought, but still she had to try.

When Annie caught up to Grime, he was staring outside, his fist clenched, his voice strained. He was breathing heavily, his chest almost violently rising up and down. Annie was honestly worried by this, unsure how to react to this situation. What could she say? Had she ever reacted to pain healthily? What if she only made it worse?

She began to put her hand close to him... But then she withdrew. She just wasn't good enough to help. The best she could do was not get in the way and make things worse.

"...I was thinking I'd take the kids somewhere today. Give you some space."

"...Of course. Sure. I'd be okay with that."

He wasn't, of course. He dug his nails inwardly, hurting himself. He welcomed the pain. It meant he could still feel. It meant he wasn't his father.

Not yet.

Annie walked away, glum. She secretly hoped Grime would say otherwise. But clearly her theory was right. He needed time away from her to heal. She would do that. She would do anything for him.

Grime looked back at her as she walked away. He wanted to say something... But he didn't.

If he hurt her... He would never forgive himself.

If he hurt her... He would make sure he knew pain truly felt like.

He would not hurt her.

He could not.

When Annie returned to the kitchen and began preparing a stroller for the two babies, Wrecker got up and cleared his throat, looking unsure and full of lament. How does one say goodbye to those they love without really saying goodbye?

"I... Um... The Order sent me a letter last night.", Wrecker started with a truth, an easy one to tell. Annie looked at him and nodded, as she placed the girl pollywog into her seat. "Good news or bad news?"

Wrecker averted his gaze and pretended to drink from the glass of water. It usually tasted like nothing discerneble, but today he could taste something, and he couldn't enjoy it. "B... Good. Good news. The box, they found it's one weakness."

Annie's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and her face bore a great, big smile. She lifted Wrecker up in the air in a great big hug, squeeing from excitement. "OH, THAT'S INCREDIBLE NEWS!". However, she quickly remembered her other worries, and her fear of getting in the way, and she quickly put him down and returned to putting her children in the stroller. "Ahem... I mean... That's good to hear."

Wrecker looked downtrodden. Annie was so clearly upset. Had he done something? He really hoped dying would heal her mood. "...Yeah. Um... The trip should take a little less on a carriage, probably about 3 days instead of 6. So... I won't be away for long."

There it was. The lie. He couldn't bring himself to say it. She'd probably tell him he didn't need to go, to die. Which was foolish. She didn't know what was best for her.

He wasn't best for her.

Annie nodded. "At least that. I wouldn't want you gone for long, and neither would Grime."

Wrecker again knew that was bullshit, but he said nothing. He simply nodded, and sighed. "Well, um... I'm gonna pack my stuff and leave in just a few minutes."

"Okay..."

Annie felt horrible. Should she hug him? Or say something? Would she make things worse?

But she had to say SOMETHING.

Gathering her courage, she choked out a few words while Wrecker began to leave the kitchen. "...I'll... I'll miss you."

Wrecker looked back with eyes that nearly flooded with tears. His heart ached and his hands shivered and shook. This... This would be the last time he saw his daughter, wouldn't it?

...And he couldn't hold her, couldn't love her, for he would only make things worse.

"...Don't... Don't worry.", He finally sputtered out, ignoring the pounding in his chest and the screams of his soul. He looked at her as only a father could: With love that would go to the ends of the world and back just for one smile. That would die if it meant for just one solitary moment... She would be happy.

"...You'll be in my heart. So... We're not really apart, are we?"

Annie tried to hide her smile. He really DID love her so much, huh? If only she could earn it.

"...I won't worry."

Wrecker stayed, but only for a second. If he were to stay longer, he knew he would convince himself to stay alive, and be selfish again. He had to leave now, before he could change his mind.

So he did.

He looked at Grime, and silently, nodded his head. In an attempt to show him he trusts him.

But Grime could only see the Wrecker kill himself in his dream.

He couldn't fail him.

So he too walked right out to the city.

To face the demons bent on tearing his family apart.

Grime was pissed.

"Everybody, eyes locked on targets. They are solitary... For now."

His voice was low, a guttural whisper that only broadcast a fraction of his current anger. His fingers scraped his sword's edge, blood running underneath his claws, coating the nail red. He didn't mind the pain.

It was better than what he felt inside.

"Captain... I mean... Mr. Grime...", a soldier stammered, wiping his brow. Grime's mood was targeting the extremists, and the soldier hoped it would stay that way. "I have some news from the soup kitchen."

"Report, Bentley.", Grime instructed, his gaze not averting for an instant. He was like a hunter, almost. Not that Bentley dared voice that analogy out loud. The captain... Grime was going through enough as it is.

Bentley now gulped. Shoot the messenger wasn't a part of Grime's skillset, he wasn't his father. But the soldiers never stopped worrying. "It's not good. They're running out of food again. The donations have been slowing down."

Grime gritted his teeth, and he ground his fist on the attic floor beneath him. Wood splinters floated slowly up into the air. "What am I doing wrong? Why are they ignoring what is right? Can they not see the old ways were wrong?"

Bentley shook his head in uncertainty, hoping that was the right answer. "I'm sorry, sir..."

"Grime, Bentley, it's Grime. I am in charge, my word is law, sort of, but I am NOT superior to you. Why is that so hard to understand?", Grime questioned, looking deeply frustrated.

Bentley sighed. "Grime, I hope you understand that I am completely in support of the reforms you've instated. Most us soldiers are!"

"And yet things get worse and worse.", Grime muttered, his guilt flashing in his eyes. He was failing. No matter what he did, he was failing.

For the past two days, since Wrecker had gone, Grime had been working himself to the bone to repair the damages, the cracks in his sculpted dream. The future was meant to be bright, but a shadow had been cast upon it. His father's, perhaps.

Grime had originally felt downtrodden. When he had seen Wrecker leave, when his nightmare, or perhaps, vision, refused to leave him, Grime decided enough was enough. He was moping again, letting his fears drown him, AGAIN. Every time something went wrong, his mother's death, his battalion's death, his first and only kill... Every time he would sink into his depths and cry out for help. Every time he seemed to escape, it all came crashing down again.

His father was the worst, but what he said in his vision wasn't wrong. He was holding himself back once more, saying he had lost before the battle had even begun.

Seeing his son... Seeing his son so hurt...

Something had to be done.

So he went to the town, collected the troops in a new base, one that would not force him to return to the hell that was Toad Tower, and with vim and vigor, he began to approach the problem every which way he could.

He called on the people to donate food to the frogs still waiting for new homes; he personally assisted in the construction of said new homes, providing extra manpower to the exhausted construction workers; he visited the soup kitchen every few hours to bring clothes, supplies, hope.

And the rest of the time was spent on tracking every extremist hot spot he could, searching for ways to take them down.

He had heard of the histories, of how Claws had come close to stopping them before he lost his mind. He was worried he would lose his too. That the vision would come true.

He couldn't let that happen. He had to try harder, to be better.

So far, it wasn't going so well. There weren't that many extremists, but whoever they were, they were fast, strong, cunning. They seemed to know the tactics Grime would use, they seemed adept with weaponry. Grime had wondered if perhaps he had a mole, but he hadn't come up with anyone. He decided to let his hopes stay up.

"Probably a mistake. That's the safe bet with me.", he thought, sighing wearily.

He shook his head to refocus. He could pity himself later. Now, there was work to be done.

The extremists were gathering up at their hideout.

"Bentley, signal the other troops. The vultures have perched.", Grime instructed, and Bentley saluted, before remembering he wasn't supposed to do that, then apologetically scattered out of there.

Grime stared down at them, feeling his breath run hot, feeling his shoulders hunch, shooting more shapr pangs of pain down his body. Everything hurt so badly all the time.

How he longed to make them feel his pain.

"No, no...", he muttered, trying to silence the rage, the shadow that screamed for control inside his body. He wasn't like that, he wasn't. He was better. He was better.

Right?

"...What if this fails too? What choice do I have left?", he wondered, trying not to lose hope but failing.

He clenched his fist as he thought of all the frogs who counted on him. "Gotta at least try."

"Grime...", Bentley appeared and signaled. "The soldiers are in position."

"All right... Let's end this. Now."

There was no theatrics. No big show. No need to give them a second to focus.

The soldiers descended from different areas of the roof, landing like creatures of the night, immediately beginning to disarm the extremists, but not kill them.

One group of toads immediately went to the door to escape, but found themselves blocked by an already there group of Grime's men, who locked the door so that there was no escape.

The rest of Grime's men were divided into separate groups, all outnumbering the extremists, all clearly more powerful. Some were determined to right the wrongs, and some were just afraid of Grime. All of them did the job, and they did it well, giving the enemy no room to breath, no room to act.

They had to be stopped, so they were.

Grime, of course, was the real force of nature. He seemingly moved in slow motion, taking down guy after guy with his fists, sliding on the floor to trip one man down, so he could uppercut the next. His sword left cuts all over the place, cuts he didn't mind for once, for it was mercy to let these people live.

"By the rules of your land, you are ordered to stand down and stand trial for your crimes against Amphibia!", Grime declared coldly, trying not to sound authortarian, but almost detached, as if he were not a king, but simply a representative of justice, keeper of the law.

But he could not escape his title. It followed him like how wind followed the trees.

"Our only crime is letting you do this from the first place! You selfish maniac!", an extremist yelled, leaping towards Grime with a knife.

Grime smacked him out of the way, leading the toad to smash into a wall. "This isn't about me, it's about all of us!"

"Don't pretend you're an outsider to all this!", the extremist spat at his face, breathing heavily, bleeding from his mouth. "Your family is made of filthy frogs!"

Grime grabbed the toad by his chest and growled at him. "NEVER speak of them like that again."

"Why shouldn't I? You betrayed us! Left us to rot! For some inferior species!", the extremist shouted again, his eyes sunken but his vision still focused. He lifted a knife to stab Grime, but when he hit his body, Grime didn't react.

The extremist gasped. "Im... Impossible! How?!"

"As I said... This isn't about me.", Grime breathed out, ignoring the pain and knocking the toad unconcious.

"You're mad if you think this is enough! There are hundreds of us, thousands!", Another extremist cried, locking Grime in a headlock. "We'll just keep coming and coming, and as long as you refuse to kill us, we'll teach our children the truth, and they'll attack you too! Those civilians who side with us... They're never gonna listen to you! You can't change everyone, Captain Gr..."

Grime smacked the man down on the ground, shutting him up. He wiped his hands on his cape, and looked around. They were winning...

But would it change anything?

More arrests would mean less poisonous rhetoric, sure.

But as the extremists said, there were more.

And Grime was no longer that idealistic. He couldn't convince everyone, could he?

And he refused to kill.

So the question became, as he stared at the violence around him...

Was this loop of anguish REALLY the best Amphibia could hope for?

2 Days Earlier...

Wrecker's snail driven carriage was traversing through Toad Town slowly, every road bump felt and every gale of wind given it's due attention. Wrecker wasn't exactly sure what had brought on the tiredness and weariness he felt, but whatever it was, he had decided to take it slowly, not enough that he would take more than 3 days to arrive and return, but still slowly enough that every time the scenery changed he noticed.

The sun hid behind the clouds. The trees lightly moved, their leaves falling onto his face. He contemplated letting his face, his real face, see the lands one last time.

But he still could not find the strength to do it.

"And perhaps THIS is my real face. How long can one wear a mask before it becomes who he is?", Wrecker muttered out loud, scratching behind the snail's ear. The snail gurgled in response, and Wrecker smiled at the animal's compassion. "Ah bet you creatures understand me better than most. Born into a life where you're always doin' somethin' wrong. You were born to be a carriage driver, and me? I was born to fail."

The snail smiled back in response, and Wrecker lightened up a bit. "I had a snail like you once, ya know? Left her at what used to be my home. Wanted her to be safe from me. Seems to be a hobby of mine. Leaving those I love because I fear hurting them them."

He looked up at the sky, still feeling nothing but cold. "My parents... Hate me. Maybe they were right."

He looked at the snail, almost pleading. "But I tried, didn't I? I tried... So hard."

Small tears streamed down his face. He thought of Annie and Grime, and how they would feel bad at first, before moving on. They had to.

This couldn't be another mistake.

Please.

Not another mistake.

"Wrecker!", a voice suddenly rang out, and Wrecker looked up from his pain to find June, his boss at the wedding dress/clothes store, wave to him frantically, a silly grin plastered on her face, her green and blue dress fluttering a little in the wind. She seemed very determined to catch his attention, as a few other shopkeepers walked out to see what the commotion was all about.

Wrecker looked towards the horizon, towards the final sunset, and knew that he wouldn't have another chance to talk to her. He was only prolonging the inevitable by a few minutes. Even HE couldn't ruin things that quickly!

"...Oh please that nothin' goes wrong.", he thought to himself, as he disembarked the snail and made his way towards the store, sheepishly nodding his head at the other toads. "Afternoon.", he mustered, hoping no one could hear the tears embedded in his throat.

"Wrecker! Good to see you! How are you?", June asked, sounding weirdly excited. Wrecker was a little confused by that. Was there some kind of holiday that was going on? Did she somehow know he was finally gonna die?

"Damn, that's a little grim, even for me.", he thought.

Beckoning him to enter the store, June rushed into a storage room while Wrecker waited in the entrance area, staring around the refurbished store. Ever since he had taken the job of deliveryfrog, he had managed to sell quite a few articles of clothing. Turned out he was right, and there was a lot of demand for proper clothing for Frogs around Amphibia. Now the store had comfy couches that shone, neon lights that danced on the rooftop, and even a fancy sign that turned on at nights.

Wrecker whistled in appreciation. "Mighty fine job you've done here, June! Place looks real fancy like!"

"Oh, Wrecker, you're too humble!", June cried out from an echoey place, that's what Wrecker gathered at least. He raised an eyebrow at her reply. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Wrecker, you were the one who proposed expanding our reach!", June explained, as she got out of the storage unit with measuring tape. "You mind if I..."

"Go ahead, I guess.", Wrecker shrugged, and June measured his shoulders. She wrote something down and rushed back into the storage unit.

Wrecker, meanwhile, continued their conversation. "Well, regardless of my idea, I think the credit belongs to you! I'm just, well, the messenger! Or deliveryfrog. Well, you know what I mean!"

"Annie told me you would be like this, which is why I've elected as your boss to ignore you.", June joked back, and Wrecker allowed himself a wry smile. June was one of the good ones, even if she could be a little too frazzled for his taste. "By the way, ascots? Thoughts?"

"...Ascoty?", Wrecker replied, unsure.

"Well, risks must be taken for art!"

Wrecker sighed as he looked down at his feet. That red wooden floor. How many times he had walked over it? How many times had he not noticed it until now, which would be the last time he could?

He shook his head and resumed glancing at June, who returned, with an odd ensemble of clothes. There was a dilluted waistcoat, an ascot, as promised, trousers that could only be described as so old fashioned that there are dead bodies in the cemetery saying it's SOOOOOO LAST JURASSIC PERIOD, and a mustard yellow shirt that probably smelt like mustard too.

"No offense, June, but only someone with my taste would wear that.", Wrecker tried to be gentle with his fashion critique.

"Hence why it's yours, you weirdo!", June joked, putting it in a bag and presenting it to him.

Wrecker opened his mouth but no words came out. He felt almost frozen to the spot. Finally, he choked out an avoiding statement. "...Those are too small, no?"

June smirked knowingly. "Wrecker, my dear friend, I LITERALLY work in the clothes business. You have a very well made costume on. Top of the line, so realistic it seemingly turns into a skin of its own. But it is STILL a costume, and inside it is a not so tall Frog."

Wrecker gulped. That was a little TOO impressive. And still a question lingered. "June... Thank you kindly, truly, but..."

His shoulders oh so subtly sagged. "...Why?"

June looked into his eyes with a bright smile, not sensing the tragedy in his confusion. "You helped me so much this past few months! Why, my business would surely have gone under without you! All this is because you were so kind to me and your daughter! It's the least I could do!"

She then face palmed. "I almost forgot, just a tic!", she cried, leaping behind her desk and raising a fat check full of bits. Wrecker was sure he had never seen so much money. "We collected so many funds recently, I decided you deserved a serious bonus and raise! I calculated, and with all I've paid you, you should really be able to run that farm back into action!"

Wrecker was flabbergasted. "I... I..."

June smiled warmly and placed the check in his hands. "Take it. Please."

Wrecker struggled not to cry right there and then. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. People weren't supposed to reward him, miss him, compliment him. He was The Wrecker, not some... Some...

"...Why, June? All I did was... Was what any one should do. It's not something to get all excited about."

He couldn't hide his sadness in the last question though. "...Why me?"

June, however, being the kind person she was, found what was the natural truth to her. "...Why not?"

Why not.

Wrecker could not believe such simplicity, such generosity, was available to someone like him.

Those words haunted him the rest of his journey that day.

Just After Grime's Mission...

A black balloon was grasped tight by Annie, the string nearly being choked by her grip. The cloudy day was getting even gloomier, the sun barely peaking through the sky, leaving an array of shadows cast all over the amusement park, a dour mood illfitting of the supposedly uplifting location.

"Perhaps because I came. Everywhere I go, I go back to black.", Annie thought, tugging the balloon as her sadness tugged at her heart. Ever since Wrecker had gone on his trek, Annie had tried to keep out of the way by keeping busy, whether it was working on the cape, painting areas of the house new colors, or taking the kids out on fun trips that didn't end up being fun thanks to her shadowy disposition. The spotlight was firmly shed on all her mistakes once more, so her usually rose tinted glasses were left behind for more appropriate for the time being tear filled eyes. Eyes that had seen much pain in the last few months, and had managed to keep going, until now.

It would perhaps seem odd that it was THIS that was breaking Annie from the inside. She had lost her mother, her father, and she had nearly died multiple times. Why would nearly losing her son take such a larger effect?

Well, it was simple. Like Grime had, but perhaps a little more, Annie had hoped that this was it. Life would no longer stab her in the back, kick her when she was down, and bring down a rain that felt as sharp as the knife of never moving on.

But of course, it did. There was no real safety. No break. No reprieve. No rest for a person in this world. One minute you were holding your child, the next they were nearly gone.

So she did what she should have done a long time ago. She had died a hundred times in the last few months, and now she was finally going back to black, feeling the color seep from her life, the winds bite at her sides, her breath become heavy and her eye lids droop constantly. She was barely going anymore, outside of a sense of keeping her children alive until they could leave her for better things.

They would leave her for the light, and she would not be able to see them, but to hope they were happy was better than to know they were depressed.

Hearing the gentle cooing of said children, Annie looked down at the stroller and tried to smile, even though it felt like her jaw was breaking from such an artificial action. "Would you like to see the clowns? Or maybe get some cotton candy?". She wondered if it would smell as wonderful as when she had been with Grime.

But she doubted it.

The pollywogs seemed a little afraid, however. This was their usual response every time Annie took them out on these trips. Every movement and sound seemed to make them cry or jump, their little faces scrunching up with fear and sadness. Annie guessed that the events of what had happened to the boy had not helped matters at all. Still, they had to get over those fears somehow. She couldn't not try, even if she felt it was best if she didn;t get involved.

Sighing, she attempted to entice them. "Come on, kids! Cotton candy... Mmmmm!", she made a cartoonish gesture of rubbing her stomach to show it was tasty. The pollywogs had no change in response, though. Annie licked her lips exaggeratedly, but that didn't help either.

Hands on her hips, still gripping the balloon, she sighed again, resigned to defeat. "I guess I can't blame you. I'm not in the mood either."

"I might never be again.", the realization hit her like another wave in the pier of her mind. What would it even taste like? Would she be able to enjoy it? How can she when she was so wrong?

Sitting down on a park bench, still holding onto the stroller, Annie stared at her kids apologetically. "Mama isn't very fun recently, I know. I'm sorry... I really am sorry..."

The tears quietly fell onto the stone pavement. The fireflies darted past her. The sun seemed as far away as any hope for things to be better. "I thought this would be a fairytale. But my happily ever after is turning into your nightmare. I overreached. I got more than I deserved, now I have to pay the price. After all, what did I even do to earn even a fraction of all this?"

The balloon floated near her head, and she tried to feel the wind, but felt only cold. "...I'm just Annie Lilypad."

Annie stood up slowly, looking defeated at her kids. "Maybe we should just go home..."

But just as she said that, a scream could be heard echoing around the park. Annie snapped her head to the other side immediately, and there was the catastrophe: A young frog girl, only a mite older than her own pollywogs, was crying for help, hanging off the rollercoaster tracks. She was dangling precariously, any minute and she would fall.

And surely, die.

Annie's whole body first froze, then burned in an instinctual knowledge. All her negative and depressed thoughts, pessimism and uncertainty, it all vanished like dew drops against the morning sun. Inhibition be damned, that child was going to die! Not sparing a moment to think, she acted before she could even speak, dashing down across the park searching for a proper hopping point. The cotton candy vending truck, that would do the trick!

Rearing her legs, letting go of the balloon, the black oval floating high above, disappearing as it strode towards the sun, Annie hopped onto the cotton candy vending truck, causing a large bump that alerted the worried guests who had been distracted by the screaming girl.

Annie, however, could not hear their sounds. All she could hear was the girl's screams, and her thundering heartbeat. There was nothing else but saving the girl, getting her down, averting the tragedy.

Once more rearing her legs, Annie continued powering on with her base level decisions, her most natural movements and choices taking control of her brain. It was that simple, for a moment. Just leap onto the precarious tracks, hang onto them, get up, grab the girl, and hop right back down.

So without any drama or theatrics or even a twinge of fear, she hopped as hard as she had ever hopped, her excellent ascencion skills coming into play once more as she soared into the air and landed onto the tracks, appearing larger than life to the scared frog girl.

Annie didn't open her mouth to reassure the child, or herself. Talking could come later, this was more urgent. She grabbed the girl carefully but surely, wrapping her arms around her to calm her down with her warmth. The child immediately stopped crying, and Annie, soothing the girl's hair as she looked around, found what she was searching for: The bouncy house was thankfully abandoned due to the disaster, meaning a soft landing for someone so fragile. She couldn't take the risk of shock from a hard landing, so she had to go for the softest thing possible.

Nodding her head, she again reared her legs, angling and aiming and calculating in bullet time. 5 seconds later, and the duo had landed on the bouncy house, bouncing up and down slowly until they were able to simply stand straight without going up into the air.

Leaving the house, Annie stepped outside and smiled softly at the girl, laying her down on the ground. There, the girl was safe, the danger was averted, everyone was looking at her...

Wait... Everyone was looking at her?

Annie's mind, which had soley focused on the task at hand, finally reverted to it's previous state of panic, angst, and disarray. Now she could remember all her doubts and fears. How could she have done this? What if the girl had died in her hands? Why did she have to go charging in? Who gave her the right to just do that? She wasn't smart enough or strong enough to save someone, let alone a child in a life threatening situation!

Annie looked down apologetically at the child, but the child looked up in return with awe, her eyes twinkling in the dusk. "Are you an angel?", she asked, such a simple question, but it tore Annie's soul into shreds. "No, I'm not, I'm just some nobody!", she wanted to shout out, to stop the deception, but her mouth could not form words, she was just stuck to her spot, as the other frogs surrounded her. Annie stood up, feeling closed in, and recognized that those were the same frogs she had saved from the slums. This only increased her frantic mood.

"Did you see that? She must have leaped 100 meters into the air!", one frog, wearing a sun hat, whispered loudly. The shock in his voice was clear. Frogs didn't do that... Normal frogs didn't...

"No... I'm not...", Annie began to say, but she was interrupted by another frog, holding a pink umbrella. "The bravery, the selflessness, the courage!"

Annie's eyes welled with tears, she didn't understand, no, she wasn't supposed to get in the way, couldn't they see that? "That was dangerously irresponsible by me, don't you see..."

"Wait, is that Annie Lilypad? She's the one who got us out of the slums in the first place!", a third frog holding a cane cried out, and the frogs suddenly began applauding and cheering. Annie's face physically hurt, her ears couldn't take the sound. Why, why were they saying these things?! "Stop, stop, please... I'm not..."

"She's amazing, that one! A true hero!"

"NO, I'M NOT A HERO!", Annie screamed, before falling onto her knees and crying her eyes out in front of everyone. Her cheeks were red, and her whole body shivered with self hatred.

The frogs all looked around, not knowing what to say. Annie looked up at them and felt a great weight on her heart, guilt filled and consuming. This was horrible. She couldn't embarrass her kids like this. She had to get out, NOW.

Storming off, the crowd staring at her in stunned silence, Annie grabbed the stroller and began to run off, tunnel vision permitting nothing but whatever road she had to go onto next so she could get home and stop being a fraud. She ran and she ran and she ran, ignoring the searing heat of the sun and the aching of her feet from the hard, cold pavement of the road. She didn't stop until she reached the house and locked the door. The kids, who were a little shaken by the journey, began to cry themselves.

Annie then picked them up, and began to rock them, repeating over and over to them how sorry she was.

She wouldn't calm down for another hour, before she remembered she had a previous engagement, at the soup kitchen/restaurant she had helped form to help the same slum frogs.

She wasn't looking forwards to that. But she frankly wasn't looking forwards to anything anymore. Not when she knew how badly it could all go.

Despite the beauty in her soul, she still chose to go back to black.

While Annie was preparing to go to the soup kitchen, Grime was already there. His motivation was to come and tell the frogs who lived there that they had trapped most of the extremists, which would lead to a decrease in attacks. But he had another, more private reason: He wanted to see if their conditions were as good as he was told. He wanted to see if they were being treated like people and not animals. That was why he started the whole place after all.

As he walked down the street towards the restaurant, Grime could see the looks in frog's and toad's faces. Looks of awe and fear, of gratitude and reverence. They still treated him like a king, but he knew he was no more than the fool. It was wrong. He didn't want to be some divine ruler, he wanted to get rid of this monarchy.

So why did they treat him more and more like they treated his father?

"I've been telling everyone not to treat me like this, I even stated that I would not be addressed as 'Captain'. Why are they still calling me that?", Grime wondered, certain he was somehow responsible for this. He isn't doing enough. Again.

Always not enough.

"...At ease...", he finally mouths out, hoping they would at least look at him like he wasn't a god while he walked in, but their faces did not change. "How is it that my every word is followed but the words that mean most to me?", he questioned whoever lived in the sky above them as he finally entered the establishment.

The darkness was all consuming, Grime's eyes struggling to settle to it as he took a first glance at the place. Perhaps predictably, it didn't look as good as he had hoped: Filthy, dusty sleeping bags laid all over the floor, sometimes filled with two frogs since there weren't enough for everyone. Those who weren't even lucky for that had to settle with hastily made blankets from the curtains of the establishment.

Those who weren't sleeping were attempting to eat, but what was there to eat? The kitchen's food had long ago run out, and they had had minimal scraps sent by since then. Some frogs had resorted to theft, and no one seemed very proud of that fact, but only one with a heart of stone could blame those frogs for what they did, what they were forced to do because they were simply born one way and not the other.

Surely not Grime, who looked at all this with not surprise, but rather grim anger and disappointment. This was the one thing he had thought was working. He had heard of murmors of discontent, of lack of cooperation, but not to this level.

The windows had clearly been broken by attackers a while back. The smell of grafitti reached his nose, and looking outside Grime could see racist language and imagery, a tapestry of intolerance reminding the frogs they were on borrowed time. Even the the most basic needs, such as water and a shower, were either in short supply or simply not there.

Grime's fists were clenched as he returned to the restaurant and stared around at the residents, all of whom were surprised to see him. "Captain Grime? What are you doing here?"

Grime was at a loss for words at first. What was he doing? How could he have let this go on? True, he didn't know.

But was that really good enough from the leader of Amphibia?

Finally, his vocal cords remembered how to work, but the words were cracked, like the glass on the mirror of his once perfect life. "I... I had come here to see how you were all doing. I... I did not know that your conditions had worsened. I am truly sorry for that. I have failed you."

One of the elders, shaking from the cold, stood up and looked at the toad with honest and clear eyes. "I remember you. You said you wanted to help. I wouldn't believe that, normally. But we hear what some toads say about your 'new rules'. You are being disobeyed, Captain."

"Please... Don't call me that. I am NOT your superior.", Grime said, wishing the term would just die.

"Whether you like it or not, you are. Even if you were to change the system, you're always going to have a standing here. You were the first toad to give a damn about us."

Grime's face looked torn, his eyes bloodshot. He was visibly shaking now. "...And what good has that been to you?"

Suddenly, another frog rose up, a younger one, holding her pollywog son in her arms as he sniffled slightly. Grime could swear he reminded him of his own boy...

"Cap... Mister Grime, we were all worried that you had lied to us when the food stopped coming and the supplies came short. But if you really do want to help us, then you have our support. Please make it happen. We are dying here."

"I don't understand why it hasn't happened. I said there would be strict penalties for such actions, and yet the hatred continues."

Grime took a deep breath, shaking his head, getting rid of his victim image. "But the why and how do not matter. I can't just keep apologizing, I need to take action. And I will, now. No more waiting. By tonight, I will ensure that you will all have equal rights and lives, like every toad in this town."

This statement did not sound like an empty promise, far from it. It sounded like an actual declaration. And for these frogs, hearing that there was even the possibility of hope was enough to move them to tears. Whatever had caused their luck to turn sour once more, it seemed that Grime would truly take care of it.

Moving towards him, every single Frog seemed to almost bow in reverence, leaning down in respect. Muttering words of prayer. Some even reached out to him as if he were a holy figure.

Grime looked at this, remembering that time long ago when it had happened from fear.

Was this much better?

Had anything really changed?

Or had it all been a beautiful lie, a diamond absolute that had blinded him from the ugly truth that he was repeating his ancestor's mistakes in his own way?

He looked at his reflection in the glass window that was shattered.

He swore he could see his father.

Walking out of the restaurant, Grime only saw more and more of what he had expressly ordered not to happen. It was almost like he was being taunted with it: The homes he had ordered to be constructed were not being finished, the workers all on strike without saying so; The hate speech filled the streets walls, despite his threats of severe punishment, as were the shop keepers who refused to sell to frog customers; and there were still extremists filling the streets, announcing with their megaphones that the enemy would be exterminated soon.

Grime did not know what to do. He could not take on all this alone, he needed the law on his side, the law he held up as ruler. But the people meant to carry out the law also refused to budge. His battalion was not tasked with upkeeping this, the toad guard that used to work for his father did, and they all sat out in protest, occasionally conversing with the extremists.

Grime walked through the streets, and felt like a ghost. His word meant nothing, his intentions and feelings meant nothing. They wanted to keep the old ways. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist harder than he had ever clenched. He was a failure, there was nothing he could do, nothing he could do without being like his father, he was trapped!

He couldn't just sit by and let the frogs suffer, but if he had no cooperation, he'd have to take control like a dictator! What could he possibly do?

"It's not fair!", he screamed into the night, as he found himself in the forest, stomping his feet and shouting his frustrations out. "I get to live comfortably while the people who truly deserve it are being abused by my own brothers and sisters! Whatever I do, I'm the bad guy, like my father told me in my dream!"

He went down the the ground and pounded the forest floor, not caring about image or honor. Right now, he was the broken little boy who had lost his mother and killed her killer. "There is no good choice! There is no hope! My family will grow to be hated and feared, the people I must protect will be enslaved, and I am responsible! I am worse than my own father!"

He screamed out to the one above, begging for the end. "Kill me! Just finish me off! That's what you want, isn't it?! You want me to die! To pay for my sins!"

He presented his body, fully ready for a lightning strike to finish him off. "Then go ahead! If it's the only way, then so be it! I don't mind dying if it means they get to live!"

But the one above had no such mercy, it seemed. The skies remained clear, and Grime was still alive.

"Why?!", he cried, hot tears streaking down his face. "Give me a sign! Please! What must I do? What can I do to save them?!"

Collapsing to his knees, Grime felt utterly utterly lost.

His eyes wandered, still leaking tears.

He saw it.

The swamp where his son nearly died.

The reflection looked like his father.

He...

He had to do something.

But what?

What?

What was there that could possibly help him in all of Amphibia? There was no fix, no plan, no help.

"I just wish I could cast it all away, like magic.", he whispered, shivering and shaking.

And it was then that his head rose slightly as an idea crept into the halls of his mind.

"...And maybe there IS a way..."

Grime got up, his heart pounding as he felt a plan formulate. "The library... It contains all the secrets of Amphibia... Perhaps there's a solution there, something that could be used to create... A new land just for the frogs, or something! Just something that could bring peace!"

It was a wild bet, but Grime had to do SOMETHING, he refused to sit by and let this nightmare go on.

He excitedly began to ramble. "I just need to go in there, find the right book, maybe gather some sorcerors, tell the frogs what I'm planning..."

Grime leaped into the air, almost laughing with happiness, and he began to dash towards the tower, before realizing...

"But that means... Going back there. Where my father is."

Grime had not been to Toad Tower since the wedding. His father had stayed, of course.

Grime had not seen him since, and it was a true relief.

And now he had to go back there and face his fears, his nightmare.

The nightmare of going back to the tower, perhaps hearing his father tell him what he had heard in the dream...

How he was just like him...

Grime flinched. The pain from his wounds as a child still seared. He could very well be hurt again.

Taking a moment, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "...What's one more scar when all those people depend on me?"

With that, Grime resumed his run towards the tower, his footsteps echoing across the forest, lightning finally striking the ground, starting a fire that would rise to the skies above.

Things were going to change forever.

"And as the new mayor of this fair town, I am proud to welcome back our good friend, The Wrecker! Give him a warm round of applause, everybody!", Toadie, or as he was known now, Mayor Toadstool, announced via microphone to the rest of the town of the exciting news. Only Wrecker seemed uncomfortable by the procession.

After all, he wasn't ever gonna come back to Wartwood. He would be dead by tomorrow night.

"...It's almost here...", he thought, feeling a lump in his throat. Why wasn't he happier?

The whole town, meanwhile, seemed to be pulling the weight in that happiness measure, applauding and cheering wildly for who they considered to be their hero. Wrecker smiled weakly and waved, hoping no one could tell he was wearing more than his usual quota of masks.

Mayor Toadstool, wearing his Sunday best, and having gained just a LITTLE weight, proudly shook hands with his old friend, making Wrecker a little dizzy from how hard the shake was. "I say, Wrecker, it is a PLEASURE, a real PLEASURE to see you again here in our little town!"

"Yeah, pleasure indeed.", Wrecker muttered, lying through his teeth. He pointed at Toadstool, a little less artificially now. "You've really gone up in the world, huh?"

Mayor Toadstool stretched out his slacks with a smile. "Bein' mayor has it's priviliges! Now that I can actually do things, I've really made improvements to this town!"

He then showed his bursting wallet. "The monetary aspect's not bad either, heh heh!", he laughed, his belly jiggling slightly. Wrecker smiled, but he was a LITTLE worried at how... Well, confident and different Toadstool felt. "Hope the power doesn't get into his head", he thought with a worried expression.

Toadstool, meanwhile, finished laughing, and cleared this throat, which immediately summoned a little toad man who wore the clothes Toadstool had once worn. "Toadie, be a dear and escort me for my mornin' walk! Our mutual friend here has some folks to catch up with!"

"As you wish, sir!", Toadie declared, and the two began to depart, Toadie's little legs hurrying after Toadstool's big legs. Wrecker looked back and chuckled. "Funny how people change. Wonder what that's like."

"I would say you know that more than any of us!"

Wrecker turned around, and despite his cloudy disposition, could not help but smile at his Wartwood friends: Felicia Sundew, Mr. Flour, and 'One-Eyed' Wally Ribbiton. All three frogs seemed particularly pleased to meet Wrecker again, which wasn't very logical to Wrecker, but oh, well, he couldn't tell other people what to feel.

Wrecker shook hands with the trio, while asserting that he surely did not know what changing was like. "Far from me to disagree with you, Felicia, but I digress, I don't really know a thing about that."

Felicia had known Wrecker long enough by now to know that he had changing moods, and that now he was in a particularly depressive one. Best to leave him be for now. "Well, regardless, what brings you here, Wrecker?"

"Yeah, pal, what's the mission? I'm assuming, you seem to find yourself in this stuff every 11 minutes!", Mr. Flour pointed out, and Wally nodded. "Very consistent! I admire that in a man!"

Wrecker chuckled slightly, and the foursome began to walk down towards Felicia's cafe, the green grass squishing beneath their feet. It would seem that spring was coming, but Wrecker still could not see the sun from the gray clouds. "Well, you're not wrong! The Order sent me a letter about the Calamity Box! We just might be able to destroy it now!"

The Wartwoodians' eyes all widened in surprise. This was BIG news. "That's wonderful!", Felicia stated, Flour and Wally nodding. "Why, if you get rid of that thing, we'll never have to worry about anything else! We'll finally have equal standing with the Toads!"

Wrecker tried to ignore how monumental this all was, and how mad the notion of him being entrusted with this responsibility was. "Yeah, well, hopefully things will work out. I don't even know what needs to be done, just that I gotta arrive as soon as possible."

"Well, don't let us keep you! You've got way more important people to meet!", Flour asserted. "I could make you some tea to go, if you'll like!", Felicia expressed, nodding.

Wrecker smiled warmly at them and shook his head. He didn't deserve such hospitality and kindness. "I can take a few minutes to sit down and stretch. Besides, you're a lot more important in my mind.", he added, trying to hide the twinge of sadness in his words. Longing, was it? A truly lonely feeling.

Felicia, Flour and Wally all looked very honored by that sentiment, as they sat down on the cafe chairs. "Well, if that's what you want, Wrecker!", Felicia replied, and she went into the kitchen to prepare some tea for all of them.

"So... How are the kids? I bet Annie and Grime are so happy!", Mr. Flour asked, a knowing look on his face. "Why, when I had my little Madeline, I couldn't stop screaming at how cute she was! You know, until the police threatened to shut down my bakery. Then I kinda had to stop screaming."

"I have no partners because I'm cripplingly ugly!", Wally gave his two cents.

Thoughts of the kids gave Wrecker a wistful smile. He wondered if he'd even have time to see their faces again. Would it only make it harder? Or would he regret not looking at them one more time? "Well, they're... Fine." He decided to omit the recent tragedy. There was no need to talk of such horrible things. Soon the boy would be fine, once Wrecker was gone. "Growing up fast. Girl still a little too small, but she'll manage. Annie can't stop huggin' 'em, honestly."

"Has she named them yet?", Felicia called out. "I can't have my daughter marrying a nameless frog!", She laughed, teasing. Wrecker shook his head humorously. "I'm starting to wonder if they'll ever have names! But I admire her commitment to choosing the best names possible."

"I wholeheartedly agree! Why, when I was naming my Maddie, I went through all the best names, all the names, I tell ya! It was hard, it was long, but I persevered...", Flour went on a mini rant, making the others laugh lightly. He was just a LITTLE boisterous when it came to his daughter.

"How IS Maddie, Flour? I haven't seen her yet.", Wrecker commented, searching around for the creepy baby. She had a tendency of creeping out of nowhere and giving you a slight heart attack.

Mr. Flour closed his eyes, leaning back onto the counter, while Felicia came back with the tea cups and kettle. "Sleepin' at home! She's safely tucked in her crib!"

Wrecker, Felicia and Wally exchanged unsure glances. "The same baby that crafts satanic symbols on table and seemingly teleports out of nowhere?"

Mr. Flour shot up, all serious. "You're right, we better go to my place immediately."

Sure enough, when they arrived, things were... Less than stellar.

"IS THAT A GIANT SQUID WITH A HANDLEBAR MOUSTACH?!", Wally screamed, pointing at the creature that was holding Maddie in it's tentacles. Maddie seemed nonplussed, however, clapping her hands at the beast with a scary giggle.

"I mean, it looks like that's what it is, but my assumptions tend to be wrong!", Mr. Flour replied, sounding very worried indeed. How could they possibly stop this beast?

Wrecker, meanwhile, felt his senses sharpen. Maddie was in danger, and unfortunately he was the only one available to help. But what was he gonna do, say no? He held a very low opinion of himself, but he knew that when he was needed, he was needed. Full stop.

Analyzing the area, Wrecker deduced that it was best to focus on defense rather than attack. "Don't think about how to stop it, just get Maddie away from him!", Wrecker ordered, hopping over to the bed to attempt and spring up to the baby. Felicia followed suit.

"I'm not a great hopper! What should I do?", Mr. Flour asked, while Wally ran around the room screaming.

"Distract it!", Wrecker instructed, as he lifted Felicia onto his shoulders so she could hop up to Maddie.

"Thank heavens I took that trip to the ancient masters of the aeruonotic hops! Their tea was really good, too! The mint was to die for!", Felicia commented, before biting her lip. "Not my greatest choice of words considering our situation, I admit."

"Uh, uh...", Mr. Flour stammered, attempting to think of a distraction. "Hey... Good evening, everyone, like, what's the DEAL with my name? Flour, AND I'm a baker? A little on the nose, waiter!"

"What are you doing?", Wrecker asked, confused.

"...Comedy?"

"That's what that was?", Wrecker voiced in disbelief. He wondered if that was the one thing he wasn't the worst at for once.

"Hey, I'm trying here! Hard to get inspired when your baby could die and shit!"

Wally, stopping his running around, grabbed Mr. Flour suddenly and began to juggle him and two balls he had. "Wally, I am totally ending you once we're done here!", Mr. Flour shouted, but to Wally's credit, it WAS distracting the monster.

Taking advantage of the pocket of time they had, Wrecker held Felicia as high as he could, putting every iota of strength he had to the effort. "Gotta pull through, just once, gotta pull through...", Wrecker thought, knees buckling. "Just once... Before I can never pull through again..."

Felicia was finally high enough, and, rearing her legs, she hopped higher than she had ever hopped, reaching Maddie and grabbing her instantly. "I've got her!"

Mr. Flour, hearing the signal, went off of Wally and began searching for something. "Where is it, where is it?", he cried, throwing around papers and blankets everywhere until he finally came across what he was searching for. "Huzzah!", he exclaimed. It was a spell book Maddie would course through sometimes when she wasn't busy napping.

Flipping through the pages, Mr. Flour found the spell he wanted. "Something, something, get the fuck outta here!", he recited, and with a flash, the monster disappeared to whence it came. Wally looked at the book. "Wow, those really ARE the exact words!"

Felicia and Wrecker got off the bed and handed Maddie to Mr. Flour. He hugged her tightly, tears of joy wettening his cheeks. "Oh, my baby girl! Thank you, Felicia! Thank you, Wrecker!"

"Oh, I did nothin', it was all you guys!", Wrecker shook off the credit, but Mr. Flour refused that approach. "Wrecker, come on, you were the one that had a plan immediately and calmed me down! Why, if it was just me, my... Well, things wouldn't be good, is all."

Wrecker seemed stupified by that. "No, I... Look, it was just the right place at the right time and I got lucky. That's the only explanation."

The trio of friends seemed weirded out by this. "...Wrecker, what are you talking about?"

Wrecker realized this could go into a personal place, and he refused to share his current feelings. It would just complicate things. "Whatever, it doesn't matter..."

"No, it does.", Felicia stated firmly, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Wrecker... You saved our entire town. You put your life on the line for all of us, for a woman you weren't even related to, for a toad that you could have easily hated. Time and time again, despite your pain, you kept going for others. Is all that really luck?"

Wrecker's eyes widened in horror. Why was she speaking sense? Why did it sound almost.. right?

"No, no... No, this isn't how this works, no!", he choked out, before looking in fear at his friends. They were worried for him. A fool's errand.

"I... I need to go, for a moment.", Wrecker excused himself, and he left the house, nearly running. Flour and Wally began to pursue, but Felicia stopped them.

"He needs to be with himself. We'll be there for him if he needs us."

They nodded, unsure, but understanding. You couldn't just force a friend to stop being sad.

But Felicia deep down was more worried than both of them. "How long can anyone carry such guilt before it breaks them? And what if it's too late?"

"...It's been a while."

Wrecker was in the middle of a field, seemingly talking to no one. His posture was that of a shameful child, awaiting his punishment. His hands were in his pockets, and one could see the tears that streaked his face. A

"...Long enough that... That I actually forgot how much I hated myself for a moment."

His chest was heavy, his heart was pounding. The corn stalks moved in the wind, the cabbages sat there as still as the night. "...Look, it's not that I forgave myself or anything! I didn't forget my sins, I... I just thought... Maybe I wasn't so bad! Maybe I could turn it around!"

Wrecker almost looked indignant, as he defended his mistakes. "I... You can't blame a frog for some hope, right? I just wanted to prove you were wrong!"

There was no cloud in the sky, but Wrecker swore he could hear a thunder strike as the gravestone of his parents stood tall over him, like a colossus. The shadow cast from the monument made Wrecker kneel down in fear, regretting his angry words. "No, you're right, you were always right, I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to get greedy, to take what I didn't deserve."

Wrecker cried more as he put his hand on the gravestone, remembering his parents actions, how they told him what a mistake he was, how right they were. How dared he reject that? How dared he hurt others for his own gain? "...It's just... For a minute... It didn't hurt so bad no more! It felt like I could... I could shape up! You can understand that, can't you?"

He began to get desperate, like he was trying to sell them on a pitch he had to get right or he'd be fired. "Look, ah can still die alone, ah could move away when it becomes clear Ahm goin', ah won't buy anythin' for mahself, mah money was gonna go to Annie anyway! Maybe I'm worth the trouble, it's... Maybe it's different now!", he cried, his eyes full of prayer.

There was no reply, but he could feel their anger, their shock at his bad behavior, at his ignorance of his own evil.

Wrecker's voice cracked as he clung onto the grave, begging for mercy, for the smallest bit of love. "Please... Can't it be different now? Can't I just have one more chance? Maybe ah won't fail, maybe... Maybe..."

He looked down with shame, shaking and shivering. He was trapped, he was lost, he was cursed. What was the right thing to do anymore? "I don't know what ahm supposed to do. Ah don't know if I'm bad or good anymore. Ah know ah promised I'd do the right thing, and kill mahself. But..."

He shed one more tear as he confessed to his darkest sin. "...Ah didn't see this comin'. Ah didn't mean to be happy."

And his cries echoed across the fields of his youth, the only response the cold hard rock of his parent's grave.

He had wanted to look at the house one last time that day.

But he couldn't walk through that door.

He hadn't earned the right to live yet.

The sizzling sounds on the pan echoed across the murky gray kitchen, as chopped up vegetables quietly in the corner, away from all the busy frogs in the middle overwhelmed by the amount of food she had brought over.

Annie hadn't been to the restaurant since the day she had stolen from it for the poor frog family that was housing her. That day, she had begun a turn of events that had directly led to most of the Toad Town frogs living here. Annie didn't know they weren't being fed despite Grime's charity links and donations that were meant to do exactly that, but the moment she had learned of it she had impulsively whisked off to a super market, and, with the promise of future payments from Grime's treasury, had bought out every item of food and drink and cleansliness in the place. She had only managed to bring it all back by sheer force of will, and only when she had put it all in storage that she had then realized she was interfering once more, and had slinked off to chop veggies.

The slum Frogs were overjoyed at the amount of food they had now, and while of course it wouldn't be enough, not by a long shot, it was a well needed reprieve. They had all thanked Annie, and seemingly showed no sign of disappointment at her not doing anything until now, which had confused her greatly, and made her feel even more guilty.

How could she have not known? Why hadn't she asked around, checked? She had been so distracted by her happiness, she was horrible! And yet, every time she helped it went wrong. Perhaps she should have stayed out of the way, let Grime do the helping...

"Annie, you got them veggies ready?", a graying mother asked, and Annie nodded quickly, snapping out of her train of thought and quickly providing a bowl full of them. "I'm so sorry, I was just thinking about stuff..."

"It's okay, Annie, nothing to worry about!", she replied cheerfully, as she began to sashay the vegetables in a pan. Another frog, older, with a silver beard, popped a question. "What were ya thinkin' about?"

"Oh, um... Just that..."

Annie decided to be honest, but she didn't want to seem like she was searching for forgiveness. She hadn't earned it in her eyes. "I'm just... I can't believe that you were all still living like this. We were...", she slumped her head, full of shame. "I was sure you were being provided for."

"Your husband didn't know either. Perhaps you were being fed false information? Captain Muck would do that all the time.", The elderly frog responded, with everyone else nodding, remembering all too well those times.

"Maybe...", Annie responded, but she still felt responsible. "I don't know what I can do, though. I doubt people would listen to me, and I don't know how we're gonna give you all homes and jobs if Grime is still struggling with all those extremists!"

"Annie, what do you mean?", a frog began to ask. "You've done a lot and you can do a lot more!"

"Me? What can I do, outside of mess things up?"

As soon as she said that, they could suddenly hear angry, mindless shouting from outside. Annie got up trying to understand what it was, and who was delivering it, and her eyes caught onto a small gathering of the extremists, holding up anti-frog signs, frothing in the mouth.

"Leave this town! Leave this town! Leave this town!"

"No more frogs!", one particularly large one screamed, his shirt displaying "Toads Above All" in garish red.

Annie's negativity, her pessimism, just like when the little girl was stuck on top of the rollercoaster, all suddenly disappeared. Her feet again walked before she could think, and when she had reached the window, her inner voice of rage had turned outwards.

"What do you think you're doing?!", she demanded, her voice taking on an a note of authority, but the kind of authority that was well meaning, true, good.

The Extremists, recognizing who the frog lady was, all felt a little less confident, but one still spoke up angrily. "Getting rid of trash like you! You poisoned our leader!"

The angry Toad was big, and Annie almost felt a little afraid, and the first inkling of doubt in her abilities surfaced again...

But one look at the frogs behind her, so used to this treatment, but with anger boiling in their eyes, was enough to get her to keep going and try her hardest to ignore her anxieties.

Looking around, she spotted one of Grime's loyal men walk by, and she knocked on the window loudly, getting his attention. The Toad soldier walked up to her with a curious look. "Yes, my queen?"

"Not a queen, but doesn't matter. Is it right my husband's rules state that harassment against other species is against the law, as are threats?"

The Extremists didn't seem concerned as the Toad attempted to remember. "Um... Yes, I think so."

"I know he did. He passed it after we married. It should be in your pocket rule book, page 7."

Sure enough, it was there.

"Well, if so."

Annie turned around to the frogs behind her, the outrage in her voice loud and clear, righthous fury spilling from her words. "Do you feel harassed and threatened by this demonstration?"

"Yes we do!", the Frogs all shouted back, feeling just a little more confident, many happy to voice their rage regardless of the consequences.

Annie turned around with a victorious grin. "Well then, it would seem you people have a court date!"

The toads still seemed unfazed. "You and what army?"

But then the toad soldier blew his whistle, bringing along countless other toad soldiers, brandishing hand cuffs and protective gear. The jig was up.

The Extremists stared at Annie with disbelief. "This isn't fair! We have a right to speak our minds!"

"Maybe you should exercise some though before you use that right.", Annie shut them down, as they were dragged away.

"Sorry we didn't take care of it sooner, your... That is, Mrs. Lilypad! Grime had told us to await further instructions, and we didn't know what we should do.", the Toad soldier explained, looking ashamed as he saw the effects of his inaction.

Annie was understanding. "It is all right, soldier. We wanted to be more peaceful, but sometimes people only learn if they are punished."

The Toad saluted in respect, and left off to join the prison transport.

Annie's proud smile dropped when she turned around, as she realized she had interfered again, however. Looking extremely apologetic, she went down to her knees, almost begging for forgiveness. "Oh my frog, I am SO sorry! I didn't mean to interfere, it's like something took over me, now you're gonna have it worse, and..."

"What are you talking about? You just made things better, Annie!", the elderly frog retorted, stepping slowly towards the knealing young woman, who seemed so helpless and sad next to him.

Annie shook her head. "No, you're just saying that! I ruin everything!"

"...Annie, while our situation is nowhere near good enough, you were the one to make Grime see we were in trouble. You got us out of even worse than this, and hopefully, you will get us to what we deserve as living creatures: basic, undeniable rights. Rights that all should have.", the old man reassured, caressing her hair.

Annie's tears blinded her vision as she breathed slowly but surely. "...I want to do more. I want to do so much more. I had no idea it was still this bad. I want to help you, but I am afraid of failing."

"Why?"

"Because all my life I have been so unlucky, all the people I love are constantly sad. It must be me. I'm doing something wrong."

The frogs all stared at her with sympathy. Finally, the elder frog responded. "Grime is out there now trying to end this nonsense and give us what we deserve. He might never have escaped his father's control if you hadn't opened his eyes. Isn't that something?"

Annie's voice stammered with realization. "...I... I g-g-guess."

"And The Wrecker, he would have been dead without you. He told us this much."

"...Yes?"

"And now you've shown the toads of this town there will be punishment for their racism. It won't stop all of them, but it will be a start."

Annie slowly stood up, struggling to believe it, but knowing it wasn't false. Her hands were shaking. Her people all gazed at her with pride.

"You're good enough, Annie. You have nothing to prove to us. We're proud of our ambassador."

Annie's mouth said nothing.

Her eyes sparkled though, like diamonds in the rough.

The box hummed in the middle of the room, resting idly in a restless room. It's glow reflected in Wrecker's eyes, a gulp echoing from him. It sparkled, as if it was tempting him to use it, but he wouldn't fall for its call.

Still, he felt uneasy at its presence. The jewels shimmered, and Wrecker remembered Annie's dad... Her real dad... His sacrifice... Her anguish...

He turned away from the horrible device and stared back at Mrs. Croaker, who stood behind him with an equally wary look, her hands clasped behind her back. No one else dared be in the room. Fear overtook them.

"So... You said you know how to destroy it?", Wrecker asked, his voice distant. His heart was still back in the cemetery, and he almost felt like he was just doing the motions until the end would arrive. Maybe that was for the best, the emotional detachment would stop him from reconsidering his choice.

Mrs. Croaker let out a nose sigh and nodded slowly. "We do... But it's not ideal. Frankly, it's downright annoyin'."

"Figures.", Wrecker joked, a small smile on his lips. "Nothin' ever gets to be easy, huh?"

"Nothin' worth doing ever is easy, son.", Mrs. Croaker replied with a slight twinkle. "Come with me, please."

Wrecker obediently followed her out of the room, and into a narrow hallway, gray in color and mood. The floors smelt as if they were recently washed, and there was shine from the walls that nearly touched them. The chatter of other members of the order could be heard as they crossed the hall and arrived at a small, humble door that had wall cracks on the edges. Mrs. Croaker looked both ways out of habit, before opening the door and letting Wrecker in.

Entering the room, Wrecker saw an office not so different from Mrs. Croaker's old living room. There were picture frames of her daughter, who had entered the later stages of life herself. There were embroidered pillows, and even a pet spider, and a photo...

Of him.

"...It hasn't changed much.", Wrecker commented sadly, looking at the photo of himself.

"To an untrained eye, perhaps. But changes can be hardest to spot from a bad angle.", Mrs. Croaker replied, and she sat down on one of the two chairs, her body creaking from age. Wrecker sat down too, staring in anticipation at what Mrs. Croaker had to say. The fireplace inside gave a late evening glow to the proceedings, but also set an eerie tone to the events that would shape their worlds very soon.

Staring intently at Wrecker, Mrs. Croaker began to explain the situation, her voice turning serious, even grim. Her eyes were like black pearls, and her hands shook slightly, as if she were afraid.

Maybe she had good reason to be.

"When Slimes created The Box, he had put in failsafes. Contingencies for if The Box would fall into, in his eyes, the wrong hands."

"Anyone who wasn't a Toad, then?", Wrecker replied with a question, sounding disgusted.

Mrs. Croaker nodded in response, her chair rocking with her. "Exactly. He foresaw that his weapon had potential drawbacks. What he didn't foresee was the unlikely event of two amphibians making a wish at the same time."

The mantelpiece clock ticked and tocked. Time was moving ever steadily. Wrecker had a day and a half left. Only a day and a half left.

"Sadie wasn't a Toad, of course, but The Box had no contingency for the situation, so differentiating between the two meant nothing. Couple that with the sheer energy two equally strong yet opposing wishes would create, and it's no surprise The Box short circuited."

Mrs. Croaker coughed a bit, and her body shivered slightly from that action. Even someone as strong as her was getting up in the years. "Well, for the last few months we tried to figure out if the short circuit would change The Box's structure, it's nature. Perhaps now all one had to do was wish it away."

"But clearly that wouldn't work or I wouldn't be here.", Wrecker filled in the gap. Mrs. Croaker blinked a yes. "Precisely."

"So, we experimented. Tried to decrypt the odd glyphs on it. We did all we could to find SOME sort of solution. And finally, we found it. The one and only way to destroy The Box in it's current evolution."

Wrecker was on the edge of his seat, and he leaned in to listen. Mrs. Croaker lowered her voice to a whisper, just in case. "The Box... It has changed, but only slightly. The reason Mr. Lilypad and that Swampbeard you told me of could barely open it were because they were not Toads. Specifically... Only a Toad of The Line can destroy The Box if they so wish it to."

Wrecker's face deepened with realization. "Of course! Grime!"

"To complicate matters, it MUST be done in Toad Tower. The Box will unleash a wave of energy from such a wish, and only Toad Tower has been designed to withstand and contain this energy. Otherwise, everyone in the area will die.", Mrs. Croaker added.

Wrecker felt the gravity of the situation. All his grief left him for the moment as he digested this task, given to him of all people. "...There is no other way."

"I'm afraid so, my boy."

Wrecker felt his heart in his throat. He, the mistake, the failure, the fuck up...

The fate of all of Amphibia was in his hands.

And he couldn't just say no. No one else could talk to Grime like he could, apart from Annie, and he would never endanger her with such a task.

He had to do it.

"...I'll be on my way.", Wrecker said, fighting his doubts as hard as he could.

Getting up, Wrecker began to turn around, when Mrs. Croaker placed a hand on his shoulder, and he felt a warmth he had once felt all those years ago, when...

"...I know you can do it. I believe in you."

"...Thanks.", Wrecker choked out. He then turned around, hoping she could not read his mind. "Thanks... For everything... Mom."

Mrs. Croaker nodded resolutely, and Wrecker, relieved his secret wasn't out, left the room and, after collecting the box carefully from the room, his heart pounding like a drum, he began his long journey back home.

As he reached his carriage, however, he noticed that a member of the Order, clad in a hood, was caressing his snail. Wrecker raised an eyebrow as he walked up to the, as it turned out, Frog. "Ah see Ahm not the only snail appreciator 'round these parts."

The frog turned around and shyly chuckled. "Sorry, Wrecker, I just wanted to see if the little darlin' was fine."

Wrecker chuckled in response, caressing the snail as well now. "No harm, no foul, miss."

Wrecker sighed as he felt the weight of the box in his satchel.

The frog noticed this and put on a comforting voice. "What's wrong, Wrecker?"

Wrecker looked up. He wasn't one to share his innermost struggles with just about anyone, and he refused to talk of his plans. But perhaps sharing his current mood with this one wouldn't do any harm. After all, he would never see her again.

He wouldn't see anyone again. Ever.

"...Oh, just... Got a big mission to do. And somethin'... Somethin' ah should 'ave done a loooong time ago."

Wrecker's face scrunched up with guilt and sadness, his eyes almost tearing up.

The frog sympathetically nodded. "Afraid of failing, huh?"

Wrecker bit his lip. "Not like it would be anythin' new. Seems like every time ah think ahm safe, ah fall down."

"Yeah... But... No one ever stays up all the time."

Wrecker gave her a questioning look. "Yeah, well... Ah never stay up."

The frog smiled warmly. "Well... Maybe you're just looking at it wrong. I once made a big mistake too. Chose a man who mistreated me and mah daughter. Been tryin' to make up for it ever since. Falling made me realize I was always makin' snap decisions, letting other people's views define mine."

She stared at Wrecker with understanding, offering him a sliver of hope. "Why do we fall? It's simple, Wrecker. We fall so that we can learn to pick ourselves up."

Wrecker's eyes widened, for a brief moment. He had never considered that. He... Hadn't realized that was a possibility.

It was okay to make mistakes? To fail? To falter?

It was okay to fall?

"...I'll try to... Keep that in mind.", he replied, still unsure of how to interpret this. Stepping onto his carriage, he bid goodbye to the frog.

"Um... Thanks for the tip. Ah hope you'll patch things up... Uh...", he stammered, hoping she'd fill in his silent question.

"Sylvia.", the woman replied, shaking his hand.

Wrecker said nothing for a moment, and then, gave her a warm smile. "...That's a very lovely name."

And with that, he began his journey home, the clouds of uncertainty following him on the way back.

The rain kept on pouring as Grime marched towards Toad Tower, his breath heavy but his heart free. This was to be his finest hour, his moment of truth. There WOULD be a solution in the library, something, something would come to him, and he would save them, save them all, as he had promised his mother. He would not fail. Not this time.

"Whatever it takes.", he thought, the twigs snapping under his feet as he emerged from the thicket into the clearing, that seemed swampy and murky now. Smog filled his lungs but he paid no attention to the scratches it left, he had far more important matters to attend to.

The sky, violent dashes of blue and gray, crackled with lightning. The guards shook awake and in front of them was the once and future king, their captain, the little boy still crying out for his mother. His face carried no emotion, but he had no need for words. He simply motioned, and they saluted and opened the doors for him.

"Welcome home, Cap... Grime."

Grime nodded, his eyes firmly reminding them to never address him that way again.

Down the hall he went, the stone walls and floor glistening in the darkness, the lack of light almost disconcerting. The gold that had adorned the tower seemed to lose it's luster and light, the sounds were muted. It was as if he had entered a sleeping giant's den.

His footsteps across the vent behind the painting, their monumental mission clear to all those that heard it. It would all change from now on.

Up and up he ascended, ignoring the guards who whispered and pointed, in disbelief that Grime had returned to his own personal hell. Wondering what Muck would think or say.

If he did those things anymore.

Finally, Grime reached the library, opening the big door and finding the soothing red and yellow lights almost reassuring. It was here. The end. The end of all the struggle.

Here he would find peace.

Hundreds of books were occupying the shelves. Grime knew which ones would hold the keys to his victory. He just had to go through each one, slowly and surely, patiently, until he found what he needed, whatever it would end up being.

The minutes passed, the clocks chimed, and the lights flickered as Grime searched and searched for his miracle. Scattered in between the pointless, frivelous spells, were the ones that could truly incite change. Spells that could change the very makeup of the world. Grime didn't want that. Just one that could form new land. One that could give the Frogs a safe place to live in.

It had to be here, somewhere.

"Come on... Come on...", he whispered, but the words seemed to avoid him, every passing book disappointing him more and more. Where was it? Where was what he needed?

He began to search for alternatives as well, just in case, his fingers nearly tearing the pages as he searched. "They need it... Please... I need it..."

It didn't make sense. There had to be SOMETHING here. He didn't want to lose hope, but there were less and less books now to search through.

That old familiar feeling began to set in. That of failure. Of coming up short. Of never living up to what he was born to do. He was SUPPOSED to save them. How could he do it if he couldn't do what HAD to be done?

"I must do it... I must...", Grime whispered.

But it was not to be done. There were no spells that could accomplish what he wanted. Grime had bet it all on nothing.

It didn't make sense, but there was nothing.

Grime wouldn't give up however. He was tired of doing so. He had to figure out a solution.

He had been told of all the possible magical weapons in the kingdom since he was a boy. He knew every single one as well as he knew the alphabet. His father had ensured of that. Grime paced around the room, bringing up possibility after possibility and shooting them down each time. Each weapon could do incredible things, but none could just up and create new land. He couldn't just make a new city, it wouldn't change anything. There was only one way, but there was nothing that could do it, but...

"The Calamity Box..."

Grime's heart rate spiked. No. No he couldn't do that! The Box was too dangerous! And it was supposed to be destroyed! No, he couldn't even entertain the thought!

But then what COULD he do? Was he missing something?

And that was when it hit him. There was only one other Toad who could have more answers.

"My father...", he uttered to himself, the weight of the realization heavy on his soul.

Seeing him again was not something he looked forwards to.

But he HAD to do the right thing.

Perhaps overcoming his fear would be the challenge he'd have to face to save the other species.

"...If that's the case..."

Grime took a deep breath. Every molecule in his body shivered.

And still he took the first step.

Annie's fingers traced delicate touches, soothing almost like a mothers, on the cape she had worked so hard on.

It was hard to believe that it was finished, but here it was, a glorious cape, bathed in an orange so bright it nearly blinded, long enough that it would reach the floor but short enough so that Grime would not trip on it. Golden pads were attached to, so they could link onto Grime's shoulder pads. Annie had used the softest material possible so that Grime would feel cozy while wearing it, too.

"I really put a lot of effort into this. And so far, nothing has gone wrong.", Annie said to herself, her voice careful but her tone rising in hope.

The events that had transpired at the restaurant, alongside her fresh new look at her memories and past calamities, had begun to set a new feeling in Annie's heart. Her depression had begun to dissipate, the gray clouds that had blocked her vision dispersing the blur clearing as she regained focus.

The slum frogs... Their situation was still not good enough, not at all, but according to them (and who better to decide that?), she had helped them massively, and they had faith she could do more.

Wrecker... Surely he would have killed himself if it weren't for her. She had tried so hard to let him know he was loved, and he seemed to feel that now. That was something SHE did.

"Grime... My love would have surely killed himself too. He was so guilty, and I've been able to show him he still had a chance."

All those things she had done. They were indisputable facts. At the very least, she had tried.

And maybe that was good enough.

Maybe trying despite the pain, trying despite how easy it seemed to not, was the real achievement.

If Annie was truly always failing, then why had the people she loved not gone yet? If she had truly fucked up, why then did the frogs reassure her? By now, someone would have told her she had to do things better, at the very least because they cared for her.

Resting in her arms, snuggling up to her chest, the pollywogs yawned adorably, their little eyes settling into the darkness, their bodies absorbing their mother's warmth. Annie looked at her bundles of joy and wondered how could she have been blessed with such angels.

But now she felt better about it, she began to see how her children needed her. Not because she was an amazing parent or anything. But they NEEDED her. To stay warm, to fall asleep, to eat, to drink, to survive.

They could not improve and become grown up without her.

And perhaps she could improve too.

Annie had no illusions, she knew she made mistakes. But clearly despite her mistakes she was also making good choices. Maybe she didn't need to give up hope.

"I'll never leave you two unsupervised again, for instance.", She whispered, kissing their little foreheads softly. She held them close as she rocked on the chair. "And I'll always be checking on the slum frogs, make sure they're fed and taken care of. And I'm always listening to Grime and Wrecker now to see if something's bothering them."

Maybe...

Maybe it was all right that she had made those mistakes.

She was making up for them, wasn't she? She was learning, not repeating.

Her little boy had been hurt, and he would be hurt again. Annie would surely learn of a new thing she had to avoid, she couldn't foresee everything.

But she could adapt. She could recognize what she was overseeing, and never oversee it again.

She wasn't perfect, no.

But she was improving.

For the first time in Annie's life, her skin didn't feel tacked on, her self didn't feel artificial, like a ghost.

For the first time, Annie truly felt that she was... Well, maybe not GOOD.

But she wasn't that bad.

"Imagine that...", she spoke to herself, feeling a lightness in her chest she had never felt before. The love her parents sent her from the clouds was suddenly pulsing again, and Annie felt even stronger.

"Whatever comes next, I'll get over it. We all will. We're stronger than we seem.", she whispered to the babies.

Still... She wished Grime would see that. They hadn't seen each other in days, and she was missing him greatly. He was clearly troubled. Should she help?

Annie's usual doubts crept up for a moment, but she dashed them with her newfound belief. "No, I won't give up when my husband needs me! There's gotta be something I can do!"

She had made the cape, true, but perhaps she could add a little something special, something only she would do (or at least, say).

Say...

"That's it!", Annie snapped her fingers, then checked sheepishly to see that thankfully her babies were still asleep. Placing them gently in the crib, Annie picked up her sewing kit again, ready to embroider a phrase that hopefully would give Grime a much needed reminder of her love.

And while she did that, her brain went back to thinking of names for her children, as she felt a bout of inspiration and confidence. She could do this. She could DO this.

"I can do this.", she said to herself, smiling brightly.

Darkness greeted Grime as he descended into the underground chamber of Toad Tower, his heart in his throat, his fists clenched. The other soldiers had told him that ever since Grime's ascension to power, Muck had retired to there, lurking away, refusing to see anyone. No one knew if he was eating, or even if he was alive, and no one dared find out, just in case.

"That doesn't sound like you.", Grime thought, alert and ready for whatever he could encounter. His father was no fool, and he wasn't one to punish himself when others were there to be hurt. This would be a test.

Perhaps the last one Grime had to face before he could finally make amends.

There was a nervous excitement in that idea. The kind where you feel like you might throw up, but you're still dazed in a good way. Grime's stomach was feeling very much like that, and he stopped for a moment to lean on a wall.

The dull stone felt cold to his touch, his fingers nearly recoiling. The shiver it brought onto him made him realize he was about to tell his father what to do, to order him.

It was an unnatural, almost sickening feeling. Was this okay to do? Was he breaking some kind of law?

Grime wasn't sure, but he knew he couldn't stop now. It was too late for that. He had made his decision.

Quickening his pace, Grime arrived at the bottom, where he saw the chamber, a dusty old room completely covered in darkness. Grime searched for a source of light, but could find none, and he hadn't brought any matches. He shrugged, and began calling for his father, trying to make his voice sound forceful, and not unsure thanks to the inky black he was lost in.

"Muck! Muck! Answer me!", Grime ordered, hoping the deep tone he put on wasn't also too obvious.

"Muck... Am I longer holder of the title of father, boy?"

Grime swiveled his head to see that behind him there sat Muck, just barely visible in the darkness, his voice carrying weight, but like a wounded tiger almost. The little Grime could see was a sight to behold: From thin, boney fingers that looked like they could snap like twigs, to sunken eyes that barely had any light shine from them, Muck looked like a shadow of his former self, more dead than alive. If Grime had been told Muck was a skeleton that somehow gained sentience, he would have believed so.

"Fa... Muck. I've come to...", Grime began, trying not to ask the obvious question of what was going on with his father, but Muck interrupted him immediately. "So you ignore my quary."

Grime took a moment, but he steadied himself and delivered a retort. "I'd figure someone like you would recognize such behavior."

"Indeed.", Muck breathed out, his evil grin still felt even in such darkness. "You continue to resemble me."

"I am NOT like you.", Grime declared with such finality that Muck whistled, impressed with the show of authority. "Well! Now I DO want to hear what you have to say."

Grime sighed, trying to ignore his father's games. "The people are counting on me, I won't waste more time on this. Tell me what magical weapon I'd need to give a land for the frogs."

"My my, aren't we direct? Not even a long winded speech on how I ruined your life?", Muck replied, feigning hurt feelings.

Grime tried to control his shaking fist. Could his father feel his anger in the room? "The evidence lays before you. You decorated my body with your mistakes."

"Yes... Yes I did.", Muck admitted, almost proudly. It took all of Grime's patience not to snap there and then, but time was of essence. "I am not here to lecture you about our past, I am here on behalf of the future."

"As am I. I have come to witness your ascension to the throne, my boy.", Muck answered, shifting slightly on whatever he sat.

"This isn't about me, or about the throne, or anything! Stop changing the subject!", Grime stamped his foot, and Muck raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Grime, you may be a disappointment, but you're not a fool. This has ALWAYS been about you."

Grime's heart immediately began to feel pangs of guilt, but Grime shook his head to ignore, eyes shut tight. "I won't let you in my head. Just answer me! What could I use?"

Muck took a breath, calculating his response, it seemed. His fingers tapped the sides of his seat. "Boy, you may think I am being dishonest with you now, but I assure you I'm not. And yes, I know my promise means dirt to you, but it is the truth I speak when I say: Only The Calamity Box can grant your wish."

"Liar!", Grime stated, holding back all his will to hurt his father, to punish him for all the pain he had caused. "You want them to suffer!"

"Of course I do, Grime. But I am not lying. And besides... Your solution will not bring you the peace you so desire."

"How come? Because it's my idea?", Grime shot back, almost snarling.

"Temper, boy, temper! Regardless of your feelings, you will NOT snap at me!", Muck growled, boiling Grime's blood.

"You lost the right to parent me the moment you decided pain was a good teacher!", Grime spat, losing his patience. Yet another plan seemed to be in tatters, but was his father lying or not?

"Boy, you're as confused as ever. You say your mind is with your people, and yet emotions betray you. You're angry, you're a storm, but it can't be because of me. You would have come by now, you had enough reason. No... This is something else...", Muck thought out loud, and Grime felt a twinge of fear. His motivations were led by a need to do the right thing, but also by guilt. Was that... Dishonest?

He clenched his fist hard, trying so desperately to ignore him. "Why would my idea not work? You say you speak the truth, but you supply no evidence!"

Muck sighed, shaking his head. "Grime, use your head! Think! What would a land for the frogs do? You think no toads would ever go behind your back and attack them?"

"I... I am their leader, they must listen to me!", Grime blurted out, and then he panicked and stammered. "No, n-no, I'm not like that, they are free to choose..."

"And if they are free to choose, they WILL choose hatred. Say what you will about me, Grime, hate me for an eternity, you know I am right about this.", Muck spoke quietly, almost sounding sorry for a moment, but Grime knew it was fake, set as bait.

"...No... People are better than that... They have to be...", Grime pressed on, but Muck cut him down again. "So you'll bet innocent lives on blind hope? How is that not selfish?"

"I AM NOT SELFISH!", Grime screamed, his heart roaring in his chest and his body shaking, tears starting to cascade down his cheeks. "I AM DOING THIS FOR THEM!"

"Boy, you can't fool me! I know you feel guilt, regret! You promised your mother all those years ago that you would be better than me, that you would save the innocent. But every time you try and make everyone happy, you make the same mistakes. Your rage and your fear control you! You're so hungry for forgiveness that you are willing to dash it all away, place a wager on their lives so you can sleep at night!", Muck tiraded, and Grime was growing so furious he felt the floor move beneath him.

"NO! NO! SHUT UP! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! I AM NOT LIKE YOU, I AM THINKING OF THEM! I AM DOING THIS BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT, NOT BECAUSE OF ME! I AM TRYING TO PROTECT MY PEOPLE, MY WORLD, MY FAMILY! I'M TIRED OF SEEING PEOPLE GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME, AND I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME AS LONG AS THEY'RE SAFE!", Grime roared, stepping closer and closer to his father, telling the truth that laid dormant in his heart, the truth that in the end, when the chips were down, he didn't want forgiveness if it meant he could save them. It wasn't a trick like his father thought.

But alas...

There was one more card up his father's sleeve.

"Funny that you mention family...", Muck grinned, his body preparing for what was to come. "After all... You couldn't protect your own mother and son from me..."

Grime's whole body froze.

His eyes barely blinked.

His heart stopped dead in its tracks.

"...What?", Grime breathed out, finally, after what felt like a century or two.

"Come on, son... Who do you think let all those extremists back onto the streets? Who do you think bought most of your guard so that you would feel as if it was helpless? Who do you think has been stopping the food and supplies from arriving to those slum frogs, who do you think got his wizards to give you that nightmare?"

Muck's evil grin would haunt Grime for the rest of his life. "And who do you think ordered your mother to be killed by Houdini and for your son to be hurt?"

Grime was speechless.

His whole posture was stiff, painful.

Only his hot breath and his rapidly beating heart could be heard.

He tried so hard to ignore it, to ignore the rage and anger, the nearly maddening need for revenge, as the voices screamed louder and louder, his soul begging for closure. He tried and he tried and he tried to ignore it.

But he couldn't.

The first punch was a cracker, echoing across the room, as Muck's jaw instantly fractured from the force of the hit. Blood was instantly gushing from the wound, and Muck had no time to react from it as Grime then went for another punch, this time to the nose, bashing it in.

It seemed at first as if Grime was going for cold efficiency, but that wasn't true. Every alarm bell in his head called for true pain, slow, plentiful, deserved. Muck wouldn't be hurt on a schedule. He would feel every scar that he had left on Grime.

Roaring in rage, Grime picked the off balance old toad and smashed him on the floor, the thud kicking up dust into his eyes, but the stinging was nothing compared to what he felt inside.

"YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!", he finally spoke, his vocal chords on fire. "YOU HURT MY SON!", he added, repeatedly smashing Muck's head onto the cold, stone floor over and over again, until he felt blood pooling in his palms. Lifting him again, he strangled the old toad's throat as he ran to a wall, smashing him again.

"YOU HURT ALL THOSE PEOPLE! YOU WON'T WIN THIS TIME! YOU WON'T TAKE AWAY THEIR HAPPY ENDING!"

Another hit and another hit, Grime's teeth were gritting so hard he surely damaged them forever.

"You... think you have won? You think... you can just beat me and create your perfect world? Your new land won't change anything, it... it will simply delay it. You can't erase hatred or evil, it always... rises... again...", Muck managed to speak, though he was clearly struggling to.

"SHUT UP!", Grime screamed back, headbutting Muck. "I CAN STOP IT!"

"No, you can't, boy! Even without the extremists, even if you isolated yourself, your family, and those frogs, you would still not have the perfection you seek!"

"WHY?!", Grime asked, not wanting an answer, really, as he slammed him once more on the floor, so driven by madness and grief that he retracted his claws.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PERFECT IN YOUR EYES! YOU ARE TOO FLAWED!"

"NO! NO I AM NOT! I CHANGED! I CHANGED!", Grime bellowed back, and he stabbed Muck's shoulder.

"Mercy, mercy!", Muck echoed, and Grime suddenly snapped back to reality. His eyes widened in fear as he felt it, the blood in his hands. The lights suddenly turned on, and there was his father, full of gashing wounds, looking almost as Houdini did.

Grime felt horrified, and he began to step away, trying to deny his father's claims. "No... No, I wasn't going to kill you, I wasn't!"

"Perhaps... But who's to say what would happen the next time someone gets you that angry?"

Grime gulped, the horrible realization of what he had just proven setting in. "No... No... I'm not like you..."

"No. You're not. You have your own set of problems. And unless you get over them... You will NEVER have what you seek."

Grime tried to ignore it, but he couldn't. Muck... His father... Was right.

Grime was still making the same mistakes. A part of him still wanted forgiveness, even if deep down he was better than mere selfishness.

But right now Grime couldn't see that. He couldn't see the truth. He was so broken by his flaws, by the fear, that he began to sob.

"I'm not good enough... I'll never be... I just want no one to be hurt... But that's impossible."

Grime burried his face in his hands, and cried and cried. "No matter what I'll do, people will suffer because of me. If I become authorotarian, I'll hurt them, and if I just let the wicked do as they please, I'll hurt them. There... There is no solution. I can't just remove all this hatred and make everything perfect."

Muck slowly stood up, but he stood lower than Grime. "Well... There is one way..."

Grime's head slowly rose as he realized what the insinuation meant. "...The Box..."

"Precisely. You know The Box grants whatever wish the holder has, no matter how hard. It is the only thing that would truly give you what you want."

"I know... But I can't... It's... It's not right!", Grime rejected the idea, but Muck needled on.

"Is it? You said you do not want to be selfish. If this is the only way to make everyone happy, AND make sure you are no longer imperfect so you can keep that safety alive...", Muck's words were like music almost, and Grime couldn't deny they sounded...

"Perfect...", Grime whispered.

He looked down at his hands. His bloodied, scarred hands. No matter how hard he tried, his weaknesses still raged on inside him. He wasn't fit to be a ruler, but he could not just dodge the responsibility. He had promised he'd save them. Should he really deny them what would be literally perfect from some selfish effort to redeem himself?

Grime slowly kept backing away, until he found the seat Much had been sitting on. He slowly sat down himself, his body aching. His head suddenly felt way heavier, but he welcomed the weight. He wasn't gonna let himself off anymore.

"The world... Deserves better than me. Better than anything that exists. I can't just hold that away from those who truly deserve it.", Grime stated, coming to terms with the idea. "Annie... My children... The Wrecker... They have all suffered for no reason, because of selfish monsters. I can remove that pain. I MUST remove that pain."

"...I have hurt them long enough."

Grime took a deep breath, and straightened his back. His expression was that of stone cold resolution. No longer would he be selfish. He would finally be the protector they needed.

"...I will talk to The Wrecker. I will convince him. And I will use The Calamity Box to bring peace. I will do the right thing. I WILL.", Grime finally said, his voice full of pain and hope, determined to fix it all.

Muck, with a twinkle in his eyes, kneeled down to the toad who now sat in the throne, the portraits of captains past above him.

"As you wish...", he whispered, so that Grime could not hear him. "Captain Grime..."

Thunder crashed loudly, illuminating the doorway. Inside the house, Annie awaited patiently for the arrival of her husband and her father. Both were kind of late, which worried her a little, but her new, more positive attitude helped her calm down and look on the bright side. "They've both had tiring days, they're just being a little slow. Not every delay means the end of the world, Annie!", she thought, humming to herself as she stared at the now finished cape, stashed away inside a tote bag, waiting almost impatiently to be opened. Annie was so excited to give it to Grime, to see the look on his face, and maybe the realization in his eyes that she would ALWAYS care for him.

But for now, she would have to wait. Things couldn't be perfect just yet.

CRASH!

Thunder struck once more, and as it did, a voice sneaked in and nearly made her jump from fright. "Is he here?"

It was Grime.

On the outside, he looked normal enough: Calm, collected, his shoulders straight, his eyes clear of any tears or sunkeness. His legs didn't shake and his hands didn't quiver. He seemed as calm as he was during their honeymoon period.

But inside, deep down, Grime's usual storm was raging, just in a new, dangerous direction. His mind was pointed towards one way: Their destiny. The destiny that would make things better for everyone. He had no time to waste, so he didn't waste it.

"Is he here?", he asked again, not rudely or angrily, simply directly. Annie, who was still a little shaken from how suddenly Grime had appeared, shook her head and kissed his cheek. "No, honey, dad isn't here yet! Should be here very soon, though, I would guess he's already in the forest!"

"Then I must see him. We... We have an important matter to discuss.", Grime replied, almost robotically, and he began to walk towards the back door, swift motions dominating his body language.

Annie, who hadn't yet noticed the odd behavior exhibited by Grime, blocked the doorway and playfully stroked his head. "Now, now, I haven't seen your handsome face for 3 whole days! And I STILL haven't been kissed!", she sing songed, playfully booping his nose.

Grime looked at her with near guilt. He was planning to tell her, but first he wanted to convince Wrecker. Was this lying? He didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't tell her yet why he couldn't stay for long. And there was the niggling thought in the back of his head that Annie and Wrecker might not like his solution. The prospect of their disapproval was one he did not look forwards to.

"...Perhaps I should tell her now. Rip the band aid off and get it over with. Surely she'd see my way!", he thought, as Annie, giggling, kissed him on the lips.

The warmth of her kiss... So inviting, so heavenly...

So unearned.

Not yet.

Not until he amended his sins.

He would have to live just a few more moments in the cold, and then, when the perfect world was formed, THEN...

He would rest.

Cutting the kiss shorter than it could have been, which surprised Annie, but didn't arouse her suspicion, as she assumed he hadn't meant it to hurt her, Grime excused himself. "I really need to go to Wrecker. I'll be back soon, I... I promise."

Annie at first seemed a little saddened, but she then shook her head. He was just a little nervous, and it was clearly important for him to see Wrecker. She decided to reassure him. "I know you will, darling!", she said, side hugging him and looking into his eyes with love and affection. "Everything's okay."

Grime froze, and his fists clenched for a moment. His voice turned into a pained whisper. "Annie..."

Annie nodded her head slowly, alertly listening to what he had to say. "Yes?"

Grime could barely look in her eyes. He fought the doubtful voice in his head as hard as he could, choking out the question. "Do... Do you love me no matter what?"

"Of course I do!", Annie immediately retorted, but Grime stopped her, raising his hand, his breath cold.

"What I mean is... Do you... Do you trust that whatever choice I make, I make because I believe it's what's best for all of us?

Annie was confused by this statement. She didn't feel the need to search it further, but she DID find it curious. Perhaps when he came back from Wrecker, she could inquire further. But she didn't want to keep him for too long, and she DID trust him no matter what, so she replied in the positive. "...I do. I really do."

Grime stared at her, and closing his eyes, he kissed her as softly as he did in her dreams. He wanted to feel it, one last time, just in case... Just in case...

"No. No, it WILL be okay.", Grime told himself. But he still savored the kiss.

"Damn! That was the best one in a while!", Annie complimented, goofy grin on her face.

Seeing that grin, that look in her eyes, it steeled Grime's resolve. To keep that smile on her face... Yes, he would do what it takes.

"See you soon, Annie.", Grime replied, a confident smile shining for her, as he walked out to the night, ready to meet The Wrecker, and change everything.

Annie, waving, suddenly remembered her gift. Rushing outside for a moment, she waved the tote bag. "Grime, wait, can I give you something?"

Grime turned around, and looked hesitant. Whatever was in it, it wouldn't be enjoyed by him right now. "...I think it would be best if you showed me that AFTER I come back!"

Annie saw the logic in that, and while she WAS a little disappointed, she knew it was better to wait. Just a few more moments before perfection wouldn't be the end of the world, right?

The forest seemed more peaceful than usual, despite the lightning storm that raged above. Wrecker, breathing slowly, took it all in.

This was the forest that he had so often walked through to Toad Tower. The forest where he spent his most intimate moments in, his thoughts only on how he was so sure he was doing what was right, and then onto how sinful he was.

This forest... He had walked it so many times, so many footprints left that he regretted.

Perhaps this time, he could be proud of the impression that remained.

Here he was, with the potential solution to everyone's problems. Once the box was destroyed, everyone would finally be safe, and while there was a LOT more to do, the light was beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel.

And... And maybe...

That light could also be his.

Wrecker had been mulling over Sylvia's words the entire trip back. Hours and hours of introspection, but not his usual kind. Instead of his usual dour outlook, wherein he blamed himself for every mistake, treated every flaw as if it were a cardinal sin, he had decided instead to view himself from not a defensive lens, but an understanding one. He didn't let himself off the hook for his mistakes, but he decided to take a more logical, less emotional look. One that took into account the things others did to him, and the good things that he had done, and he HAD done good things.

It was all this thinking that led him to remember the moments when he had truly acted selflessly, and kindly. The mistakes he had made were bad, granted, but they weren't without reason. He had joined the Toad Army because truly he had thought they had changed, and once he realized they hadn't, once he realized he was doing bad things, he had left. He had killed a frog, it was true, but it WAS to save Grime, and he knew that it was more complicated than black and white. His parents had mistreated him, and whatever mistakes he had thought he had made back then, he could see in retrospect that he was still letting their lies take sway. They had tried to sell him to slavery. His mistakes were the product of his fear, his confusion, his problems from birth.

Did that mean he wasn't without error? Of course not. He had many times been mean and angry and a jerk to those around him, and he had also been judgmental and a little possessive.

But he WAS improving.

And he WAS trying.

And maybe, as Sylvia said...

That was good enough.

All this had led to the better mood Wrecker had, the best he had had since the wedding, to the extent that he was even...

"...Do I dare dream?"

Wrecker looked to the horizon. For once, there seemed to be a light in the darkness. He was supposed to be dead after this...

But perhaps the plan had changed.

It was only an inkling, really. Only a small bit of hope. An door only open by the very slightest ajar.

But there it was.

An opening.

What a concept.

What an idea that he could possibly choose to stay alive because he wanted to.

This positive train of thought, resulting in a simple, homely smile, momentarily halted (but did not derail) when he saw Grime approaching him.

"That's odd. How did he know?", Wrecker thought, scratching his chin, but his good mood led to him waving that off. "Eh, does it matter? Now that Grime is here, things will be better sooner!"

He disembarked the carriage, and landing with a thud, happily greeted his dear friend. "Grime! How are ya, pal?"

Grime, looking even more serious than usual, had no cheery tone to his voice. He wanted to approach this as carefully as possible, as calmly as possible, which wasn't easy when Wrecker was squeezing you to bits.

"How's Annie, huh? Oh, ah guess I'll see so mahself in a bit!", Wrecker asked, glad that for once the added "and for the last time" did not add itself.

Grime nodded, as he separated himself from the hug. Wrecker could feel an air of... Detachment? Coldness? Perhaps fear? He wasn't sure, but he could sense that something was off with Grime, and that usually meant trouble.

Still, he refused to assume anymore about Grime. He knew what that was like, and he would not subject others to that treatment. Still, he asked an innocent sounding question. "Everythin' okay?"

Grime's breath slowed down and his voice again sounded like a pained whisper. How could he convince them if he was still doubting? "I... I..."

Again, he strengthened his resolve. While seeing Wrecker had brought back his jitters, the ghost of Annie's smile continued to inhabit his mind, and with that powerful image, he presented himself as a man with a plan, not a frightened boy searching for magic. "Wrecker. It is good to see you again, truly, but I must discuss an urgent matter concerning The Calamity Box."

"Well, shucks, so do I, Grime!", Wrecker laughed jovially, patting his backpack. "And it's a lucky thing that you decided to come so quickly! The order just told me how to get rid of this darn thing!"

The next sentence that was already on Grime's tongue was ordered to wait. He raised his eyebrow in curiosity. Had the Order really found a way to destroy it? At the very least, he had to know what. "Go on..."

Carefully removing The Calamity Box, Wrecker gently held it in his hands, almost like a baby. He feared any sudden movements with it, so he opted to stand still. The gemstone sparkled in the night, Grime's face, his desire for change reflecting off of them. So close he was to what could save everyone...

But he had to stay patient and explain his solution. He was not going to just steal The Box and run.

That wasn't who he was.

"So, here's the deal: Mrs. Croaker explained that thanks to what Captain Claws did, and then the contradictory wish he and his mother had, The Box has sort of evolved and developed a very specific weakness."

Wrecker looked down at the box, and then at Grime, adopting a serious, but optimistic air. "And that weakness can only be exploited by you."

Grime's eyes widened. This was a... Badly timed reveal, it would seem. "What... What do you mean?"

"Basically? Only a Toad of The Line, while in Toad Tower, can destroy The Calamity Box with a wish."

Yes. It was definitely a badly timed reveal.

Once more, the doubts and fears returned, but this time Grime expelled them away in a moment. He HAD to stay resilient. This didn't change anything, the best solution was still his own. He just had to get Wrecker to see that.

"Well... This is an interesting development."

"Yeah, sure is!", Wrecker replied, ignorantly cheerful.

"...But I have a counter to it."

Wrecker's eyebrow raised itself immediately. His voice turned confused, but not hostile. "What do you mean?"

Grime took a deep breath. He had to get this just right. They all counted on him. "Wrecker, I know you might see this as... Madness. But I assure you, I have spent the last three days, heck, arguably most of my life, trying to find some sort of solution to this hell my ancestors wrought on us."

Wrecker listened attentively as Grime began to pitch his plan, the two men standing in close proximity. It was as if the world did no longer exist, and they were the only inhabitants, debating its fate while holding its precarious strings.

"Look... I tried so many things. I bought my father's bullshit, thinking I was doing any good. Then I tried to save you. Then I tried to save the people I should have saved all along. Every time, I have failed because I..."

Grime sighed a heavy but starkly honest sigh.

"I am not good enough. Not yet."

Grime cast his palms around, gesturing at the lives that were being lived badly around them. "Look at them! Oppressed, targeted, hated, all because they are different, all because of the sins of my fathers! And I have chosen to give them false hope by pretending I can fix this when it will always rise again, uglier, meaner, scarier!"

Grime seemed almost heartbroken, tears in his eyes. His son's crying face seared in his head like a white hot pulsing pain. "I have tried my hardest, and I have failed them, I have failed my family, and I have failed you. And yet I insist on my misguided help, I selfishly search for redemption and forgiveness when I can solve it all..."

He finally pointed at the dreaded subject. "...If you let me use The Box."

Wrecker's eyes momentarily widened, his breath paused, but he refused to judge, not yet. He wanted to hear him out, even if he found himself disagreeing more and more. "...Use it how?"

Grime seemed a little relieved: Wrecker was listening, for the time being. His chances had gone up. "Wrecker, you more than anyone know how cruel and unfair this world is. Annie lost her father because of my people's transgressions. The Frogs, Newts and Salamanders were treated like the lowest form of trash by my family. Your parents tried to sell you to slavery, your army made you kill and every friend you made turned on you and tried to tempt you. You have lived your entire life suffering, and you have felt no need to stay alive."

Grime put his hands on The Box, and Wrecker seemed concerned, but the Toad Prince pressed on. "With this Box, I can... I can remove all that. Imagine! A world where everyone lives in harmony, with no ill will or wrong thought! A world where you have loving, caring parents! A world where Annie and the kids are safe, are treated like people, and aren't forced to slave away for the devils!"

"A world, perhaps, where... Where my Mother is still alive, and I am no longer a failure. I can make myself the leader they need me to be, instead of subjecting them to my flaws! If I can do that, do... Do I not have the right? The responsibility? I must do this because I can!", Grime finished passionately, his soul laid to bare, his intentions pure.

Wrecker considered all this with deep, instant thought. And at first, Grime's plan didn't sound bad at all. In fact, it sounded perfect. And Wrecker could not deny how deep down he almost felt like giving Grime The Box and shaking his hand.

But that was exactly the problem.

"Grime... Grime, that's now how things work."

Grime seemed almost disappointed, but he listened as Wrecker spoke, the old Frog's voice full of the wisdom he has painfully gained over the decades. "Look, ah wish things were better, and ah wish that your instant fix was real. But even The Box can't do that. SOMETHING will go wrong, the universe changes whether we like it or not."

"But suppose I'm wrong. Suppose it CAN do that. Maybe it can. Maybe it does. Who are we to make that decision? Who are we to reshape the entire universe from what only one toad sees as perfect? What about everyone else? Should they not at least have a say before you force everyone in the world to become perfect in YOUR image?"

"Wait, that's not what I want! I am not forcing anyone..."

Wrecker stopped him. "I'm not saying those racists should be allowed to spread their hatred. But what I am saying is that this isn't a decision one can just make without at least consulting everyone else. And the truth is, Grime, that what you see as perfect isn't what others will see. Say you do this. Say one of those frogs is from a bad family, like mah own. There are only so many ways you can imagine your perfect world, and a wish of this magnitude could fry the box. So how can it be perfect when you can't truly wish for every single person's life to be exactly as perfect as they want it to be, you can only think of so much!"

"And even then! Even then..."

Wrecker looked him in the eye with honesty. "Will it be real?"

"Of course it will be real, I'm gonna magic it into reality!", Grime retorted, almost sounding angry.

"But that's mah point! You'll be turning people into puppets! Suddenly all those evil people will be brainwashed into not being evil, and yes, they are evil and they should be punished. But we are not gods! And you will be forcing people to live in a fake reality with no pain or hardship, one you cannot contain! What happens when you die? Sure, it will feel real, Grime. But it won't truly be real. Because if in the end of the day, it's an illusion, forced not by co-operation, not by hard work and learning, not by freedom but by pure force..."

"Then how is it a good thing?"

Grime listened to all of this with silence, but his fists were clenched. Wrecker did not notice, and instead placed his hand on Grime's shoulder. "Grime... We are flawed. But we can be better. We can make things better by working smarter, by working together, by getting back up and coming up with new ways."

Wrecker smiled lovingly, and Grime looked up. He was at a crossroads. He could choose selfishlly again, or he could do the right thing.

And he refused to fuck over everyone else again.

Suddenly taking The Box, Grime forced Wrecker down, making sure not to hurt him, but to keep him stunned from the mere action for a moment. "I'm sorry, Wrecker. I truly am. But this is the only way. And I won't be the villain anymore."

And with that, he ran off, leaving Wrecker in a daze.

Slowly getting up, Wrecker was just able to understand what had just happened.

And event then, he could hardly believe it.

"Grime... Grime, no... Don't do this...", he practically pleaded to the air before him, alone once more.

The Calamity Box... It was in Grime's hands, and any moment now, Grime would destroy everything they had worked towards for.

Seething with self hatred once more, Wrecker pounded the floor, screaming at himself.

"How could you have let him take The Box?! How could you be so weak?! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! ALL MY FAULT!"

But just as he was about to hit the forest floor again, he stopped himself.

"What am I doing? All this self pity, this anger... Again, I'm falling and staying down!"

Wrecker got up and clenched his fists, staring at the horizon, and the beginning of Toad Tower. "...My guilt can be sorted out later. Right now, the entire world is in danger."

Stretching for a second, he took a deep breath and bit his bottom lip. This was going to be more than hard. He might just have to fight Grime. To get some sense back into him. This could be disastrous. And Wrecker famously failed at defining moments like these.

...But someone had to help. Someone had to try. Someone had to.

And right now, that responsibility was his.

Everyone else depended on him. He had to at least try!

"...Here goes nothin'."

And with that, he ran off, ran as fast as he could, towards the storm.

Running and running like everyone's lives depended on it, Grime found himself nearing his house again. Toad Tower wasn't far away, but a sensation ran across his spine and he found himself rooted to the spot just before the back door.

"There's no time for this!", he muttered to himself at first, The Calamity Box's near madness inducing hum reverberating in his ears. Wrecker could reach him at any moment, and then he would fail everyone! He had to go to the tower NOW!

...And yet, he knew, deep down, that he HAD to tell Annie.

"No, no, it's a bad idea!", Grime countered himself, turning his back on the door, the wind whistling at his cape. "She'll reject me too, won't she? I'll make her... She'll think I've gone bad too! I can't have that on my mind as well as with Wrecker!"

But still, he stayed rooted to the spot, still, his hand traced the door handle with longing. Annie... Annie...

"Annie...", he whispered, like a secret only he knew.

Annie, who had trusted him from the moment they properly met.

Annie, who had given him chance after chance.

Annie, who believed in his capacity for good.

He was trying to save the world, and she was part of that world.

Part of his world.

"...I must tell her. I can't... No, I won't lie to her!", Grime vowed, shaking his fist. He refused to resort to such... Such tactics!

He was still Grime, at least, he was trying to be the Grime he wanted to be.

So, with a quivering but defiant hand, he grasped the handle, and he opened the door, bracing for the potential heartbreak, but hoping for what he always knew to be true, even when his brain said otherwise...

That Annie would ALWAYS be by his side.

The second he opened the door, Annie rushed to him, giving him a big bear hug that nearly made him fall on her. The warmth and power of the hug made him forget how cold it was outside. "GRIME! YOU'RE BACK!"

"Of course I am, dear, it's only been 20 minutes, no?", Grime replied, looking back in fright for any sign of The Wrecker.

Annie shook her head, not caring. "So what, I missed you!", she cried, kissing him on the lips. Still not noticing The Calamity Box, Annie rushed back to their bedroom, her voice all bouncy and excited, which only heightened Grime's dread. "Now I can FINALLY give you my little gift! It's not much, but I BET you'll love it!"

"Um, Annie, there IS something I need to tell you...", Grime started, again looking behind him with frantic worry. How much time did he have? How long before she hated him "No, stop, STOP, she won't!", he shouted inside his own head.

"Just a moment! I'll listen, just gotta do this!", Annie said, trying to stay quiet for the kids, but too hyperactive not to skid across the floor and bounce a little as she removed the present from the tote bag.

Grime didn't speak for a moment as Annie clasped the cape onto Grime, and, stepping back, admired her handiwork, her tongue sticking out. "Now, isn't this cool or what? I made you a new cape!"

Grime was running out of time, but he sacrificed a little bit of it to appreciate the cape. "It's... It's...".

He wanted to say something, but his heart got caught in his throat. Instead, he teared up a bit, as Annie began to explain. "It's orange, because orange is the color of change and joy and happiness and freedom! You know, to really show the new you, and to maybe wish that into reality!"

Grime was still silent as Annie gushed on. "I also gave you these golden pads, to replace those kinda depressing black ones you had, and if you look underneath, you'll see that I wrote...", Annie started, but then, she saw it.

"Wrote what?", Grime asked, before realizing why she had stopped.

An uneasy air formed, or at least, for Grime it did. Annie, meanwhile, was just curious.

"Why are you holding The Calamity Box? Is dad back?", Annie asked, her pitch rising in happiness, but still in questioning of The Box's apperance.

Grime looked back again. Lucky. He was lucky. He had to do this quickly.

Turning to her, Grime felt the words tumble out, but more confidently and quickly this time, almost like he had nothing to explain. And what did he have to explain? That he was trying to save the world?

It was going to be all right!

"Annie, listen, I know this might sound crazy but it isn't! I have tried and tried and tried to make things better, but there will ALWAYS be bad people, and there will ALWAYS be those who try to hurt you, and hurt our kids, and hurt our people! I cannot allow that to stand anymore, I cannot, and I cannot let things be bad because of some selfish attempt to fix myself! Not when I can fix it all now!"

"What are you talking about?", Annie asked, weirded out as all hell. Grime didn't sound like himself...

Grime, looking almost crazy in his eyes, moved The Box vibrantly. "The Calamity Box can only be used by a Toad of The Line! I can wish for anything I want! So why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't I wish for a better world?!"

Grime's smile was almost terrifying. It seemed as if the longer he thought of the idea, the more he wanted, no, needed it. He was betting it all on this one, more than he had bet on anything. This was to be his savior, everyone's savior!

"Think of it, Annie! If I focus hard enough, I can make all these racists stop be racist! I can heal our son from his wound, make it as if it never happened! I can give The Wrecker good parents! I can bring your father back! I CAN BRING MY MOTHER BACK! I can erase all the mistakes and the sins and the cruelty, and make a perfect world, teeming with life, love, liberty!"

Grime gazed into her eyes, eyes that seemed almost scared, as he finished. "Annie... I can save EVERYONE!"

Annie gulped as he backed off a little, breathing hard after his speech. She looked down for a moment, then up. Closing her eyes, she saw him. Her father. How he made a choice, and died. She saw everything she had gone through.

But Annie already had learned the truth that day. She had learned that...

"...Grime. We... We can't do this."

Grime's expression didn't sour, as much as it broke. "This... This can't be happening...", he muttered to himself, his heart nearly broken.

Annie stepped closer to him. "I know how you feel. Really I do. And I wish this was the way. But we can't just force everyone to change! We can't make that choice for everyone, it's not right, it's... It's godlike! We can do better in other ways, just today I stopped some of those racists!"

"And besides, it's... It's just not right. I can feel it in my gut. And I'm tired of not trusting that, of not trusting myself! I may not know much, but I know this: This... This won't be real, and it won't be good.", Annie said, her voice steady and true. For once, perhaps for the first time, Annie Lilypad didn't disregard herself. Instead, she presented herself for all to see.

She clasped his hand and caressed him. "Please... Listen to me... You're wrong about this."

But for Grime, that wasn't good enough.

He looked at her, and removing his hand, began to leave. "I'm sorry, Annie. I am more sorry than I have been all my life. But that isn't good enough for me. For everyone."

Annie stared in shock as he marched towards the exit. She felt like she had been shot through the heart. "Grime?! Grime, what are you doing?! No, no, listen to reason!"

"I am, Annie. And I am right. This is the only way.", Grime said with finality, clutching the handle and opening the door.

Annie finally felt like she could move again, and she pleaded for Grime's heart again as he stood in the doorway, looking like a man possessed. "Grime... Don't do this... Please, Grime, we can solve this, WE can fix this, together! It's okay to fall, to be wrong! We can stand up together again!"

Her tears crashed to the floor. "Please... I love you!"

Grime said nothing at first, and for a moment, it seemed as if he was hesitating, as if he was considering. But instead, he opened his mouth and changed everything.

"I love you too, Annie. And that's why I must do this."

And with that, he closed the door, and bolted off towards Toad Tower again, ignoring the screams in his head of the two people he loved most begging him to stop.

Annie would have moved at first. Grime hadn't even locked the door.

But the very fact that she was in this situation made it hard for her to respond to it.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Things were supposed to be getting better, or if they were supposed to get worse, not like this! Grime wasn't supposed to be making WORSE mistakes than he had ever made before!

It was almost maddening, and Annie was so sunken into herself from the happening that she only realized 2 minutes later that she was crying, when her tears hit her toes.

"I... No... Just when I was getting better...", Annie whispered, feeling crushed. And why shouldn't she?

"Again, just when I thought... Just when I felt safe... It's all come crashing down."

Annie was shaking as she struggled to get up, leaning on the piano. She felt pain in her fingers but didn't care. "Let it happen. Pain is the only truth, the only constant, there is no peace, just the quiet before the next pain."

Annie's mouth felt right saying those words, yet her heart did not.

She shook her head, trying to stay in this mindset. "No, shut up! This is how things are, how they've always been! I was supposed to be a farmer's daughter and a farmer's husband till the day I died, and I dared to dream! This IS the life I was meant to have!"

But again, for how good it felt to ennounciate the feelings, she found her legs beginning to move towards the door. Trying to skid to a halt, she bent backwards and held the table legs to stay in place. "Stop! Stop it! I can't change anything, how many times do I..."

She closed her eyes, interrupting herself with a deep, nearly gutteral sigh. "...What am I doing?"

Sitting down, hugging herself, Annie looked up at the ceiling and saw stars in her mind. Her soul spoke through her mouth. "Every time something goes wrong, I revert. Every time I make a mistake, I cut my own progress down. I say that upwards mobility is unrealistic, but I find downwards so likely instead."

Annie turned her head to the side, where her children slept. They seemed so peaceful... So wonderful... Was that not a gift? Was that not luck?

"...Maybe it's time I understood that it's so much more complicated than good or bad. That life isn't either horrible or wonderful. I was sure I had a handle on things 5 minutes ago, now I'm ready to give up again."

She felt the tears cascade from her deep black eyes. "...I'm just... I just want somebody to take my broken wings and say it's okay. Someone to stop the dark and show me it can always get better. Someone to save me."

Annie looked back up again. How many people were about to have their lives changed, ruined, because of Grime's mistake?

How many times did she have to feel this way?

How many times did she have to learn that she wasn't so bad? That things CAN improve?

That she COULD be good enough?

"...For someone who knows nothing, I know this much. I know this has to stop.", she whispered, wiping her tears.

"...For someone who's so clearly bad, I know that I must stop this for the good of everyone.", she stated, slowly picking herself up.

"...For someone who's such a failure, I know that I can't lose my successes, these children I swore to protect...", she said firmly, clenching her fists.

"...Maybe I'm not the Annie Lilypad I want to be..."

She smiled confidentially, thinking of it all. Not of the people who saved her...

But of what she did with those second chances.

The friends she made...

The frogs she saved...

The life of the Wrecker she extended...

The soul of Grime that she saved...

The children she raised...

The people she had given hope to by going and going and going no matter what...

And how she not only needed, but WANTED, to keep going, to do what was right...

To be a hero...

A friend...

A daughter...

A wife...

A mother...

An Annie...

"...But I know I can be the Annie Lilypad I want to be."

They needed her right now. Just as much as she needed them. She wasn't perfect, but that was okay.

What mattered was the trying, the effort, the love that she exhibited.

They needed Annie Lilypad.

"...I... Can... Do... This..."

Annie went over to the crib and held her babies in her arms, her pollywogs, her blessings. They slept peacefully in her warmth and protection.

"I... Can... Do... This..."

Annie walked out the door, knowing she didn't have much time, so with the luck that Wrecker would keep him busy, and she knew he would, she'd have to hurry.

"I... Can... Do... This..."

She prepared her legs. She had to run, but not so fast that her kids would awake. Reaching June's store would take no time, just so she could look after the kids.

Then, all she had to do was to run to Grime and save him from himself.

"I..."

"Can..."

"Do..."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She put faith in herself.

For once in her life...

She would believe in her possibility.

"This!"

And with her eyes open wide, she ran and ran and ran...

Ran to do what she did best: Be a good person.

Toad Tower.

"So this costume, it fits onto your body like a second skin?"

The Wrecker looked up at it, at it's grotesque size, it's nearly hunching body, the gangly vines surrounding it. It felt like a gargantuan behomth, the lion's den to end all lion's dens. This was where it all began, and this was where it would all end.

"Yes, sir! It will even reflect your wounds, tears, feelings, anything, really! And it's made of strong stuff! Should last 30 years!"

His new leg was quivering. He hadn't really fought with it yet. How long before he'd need to use a walking stick constantly? How long could his body go through battle after battle, before the inevitable fight where he just wouldn't have enough?

That day...

Could be today.

"Figures. Just when I felt, for the first time, that maybe... Maybe living was an option... A good one, at that."

Wrecker's words were sad, but his voice was not.

He didn't sound or feel broken, or disheartened, or depressed, or even blue.

No.

He was used to this by now.

"It always goes wrong, doesn't it? This... This is surely the end. I won't kill him, but I can't survive a battle like this."

Wrecker felt the sword he had by his side. He gripped it hard but true.

"...I guess... At the very least... I'll go doing what's right. I'll die doing something... Good."

A small, accepting smile rose. "Time to earn it, Wrecker. Time to earn it."

It was almost freeing. Knowing this was his last stand. His heroic end. His valiant sacrifice.

Finally, he wouldn't be a waste of space, at least he'd try.

Finally, he would be a... A hero... Even if he failed.

For a moment, he considered removing the mask.

For a moment, his hand prepared to remove it.

"Thank you, then. This will do just fine."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mr..."

"..."

"...Wrecker. The Wrecker.", Wrecker echoed, and so he entered his birth place so that he could finally rest.

Walking across the halls, The Wrecker saw terrified guards, toads who did not know what had happened to their leader, but were dying for an explanation.

One said guard walked up to Wrecker, recognizing him. "Wrecker! The Wrecker! Oh, thank Toad, you've come! What happened to Cap... To Grime?"

"...Something bad.", Wrecker remarked bluntly. He didn't exactly have time for this, so he began to shake the guard off and keep moving.

"Where is he?", Wrecker asked, direct and resolute, his eyes fixed on wherever he had to go next.

"The dungeon! He's got The Calamity Box, and some kind of book? I don't know, but his eyes... He looked mad!"

"Misguided. I'll deal with it.", Wrecker said almost coldly, not even bothering to look at the guard.

But then, the other guards all swamped over to him with concerned faces.

"Are you gonna stop him? Are you gonna get Grime back?"

"Please let me...", Wrecker started, but his concience couldn't hold on for long. They sounded so scared... As if they had lost a friend.

He know how that felt.

Grime...

Grime was better than this.

It wasn't just frogs, but toads, toads who refused to accept this horror, that would suffer.

Wrecker's heart won out against his brain, and he stared back, with a comforting look. "...I will deal with this. Grime... Grime will be himself again."

They still all looked so scared.

Wrecker took a deep breath.

It wasn't a fake promise.

Not when he meant it.

And...

And he did.

"...I promise you. I will... I will try my best, at least."

The guards, a little reassured, all nodded. Wrecker nodded back, strengthening the promise with his caring stare.

Turning his attentions back to his mission, he moved towards the dungeon stairs.

Running was no option. He couldn't make a mistake.

Instead, he slowly but loudly descended, making sure Grime knew. Grime could not make his wish without focusing, and if he had the book, that meant he was still reading the instructions. "Not impulsive. But still not right.", Wrecker commented to himself.

As it turned out...

He was right.

The dungeon was not a dungeon, it was a throne room: Red, velvet carpets covered the floor and walls, portraits of Captains past illustrated a mood of past sin and royalty, and the throne, golden, beautiful, perfect, sat, no, stood in the back of the room, occupied by none other than...

"Muck. I should have known you'd be behind this.", Wrecker said a loud, reflecting his contempt.

Muck grinned wildly at Wrecker, his bruised and battered body adding to his grotesque appearance, but it was Grime, who was standing just after him, on the same floor as Wrecker, who replied.

"Wrecker.", Grime spoke, seriousness in his voice, solemnly spoken, as if he knew what was about to happen.

"...Grime.", Wrecker responded, his hand reaching to his sword...

To drop it on the floor.

The echo resounded across the room, and Grime seemed almost taken aback, while Muck seemed not surprised at all.

"...I suppose you've come to stop me.", Grime breathed out, finally, as Wrecker showed no sign of moving from his spot.

Wrecker's deep breathing from his running was underscoring the moment, sweat trickling down the side of his head. "...I suppose I have."

Slowly and carefully, Grime placed The Calamity Box on a table next to him. The gems sparkled despite the light. Grime's new cape moved with him, feeling out of place with his current demeanor. "Wrecker... I know you think I'm making a mistake, but you must listen to me! I am the only one who knows what to do!"

"You're not sounding like yourself, Grime.", Wrecker bluntly shut him down, but Grime was quick to cut him off. "Then that's a good thing! Everything I've ever done has made things worse! You know that!"

"No. I know that you are imperfect, but that's not bad.", Wrecker retorted, his own cloak, black, torn, ragged, collecting dust.

Grime's face contorted into anger, his emotions at the forefront. His eyes were cloudy, and his voice breaking. "It's not good enough! It never was! I won't be selfish anymore!"

"And this isn't selfish? Grime, I know you. I know you very well by now. This... This is your guilt. It's consuming you. You have to get back up!", Wrecker beseeched, trying to be cool and collected, to be parental almost.

Grime turned his face away, huffing hard, his tortured soul present in his words. "Of all people... I thought you'd understand. Finally, I'm doing what's right."

He suddenly screamed. "LET ME DO WHAT'S RIGHT! LET ME MAKE AMENDS!"

Wrecker's voice was apologetic, but uncomprimising. "...Not like this."

Grime turned back, closing his eyes in pain. Opening them, he saw the man who had saved him when he was a child. The man who had given him so much.

"...You know that I won't stop.", Grime said regretfully, fists clenching.

Wrecker stood his ground, taking a defensive position. He looked at the boy he cared for so much. The broken boy begging for forgiveness. Wishing for light... No matter the cost.

"...I do."

Wrecker took a deep breath, keeping his eyes steeled on Grime.

"And you know... That I won't stop... Until I can no longer move.", Wrecker reminded him.

Grime's face was full of sorrow. His eyes shed the tiniest tears. "I don't want to hurt you."

Wrecker did not budge.

Not for a moment.

This was to be his last stand.

For all the people of Amphibia.

They needed him.

And for once...

He would not fail them.

For Grime, the same was true.

He had to prove that he was truly changed, truly ready to give everything for what was right.

He had to get past this obstacle to save everyone.

He had to.

"...So be it.", Grime removed his sword as well, lodging it into the floor. He went into a fighting stance, his breath ragged.

"...So be it, then.", Wrecker agreed.

Grime, almost closing his eyes, charged at Wrecker, his arms pushing Wrecker's shoulders, trying to hold him up to the wall.

Wrecker was stern in his fortitude, however, and without much effort, was managing to stay still. His eyes however, kept darting to the side, which was distracting to Grime.

Heaving, Grime was using all his strength on this one move, failing to budge Wrecker, who then suddenly moved to one side, making Grime fall to the floor, scratching his cheek. Wrecker hated to hear the scratch, having hoped Grime wouldn't be hurt by the move. But this was no time for pity, he had to enact his plan.

Running towards The Box, Wrecker immediately lowered his hands to collect it, which surprised and angered Grime.

"Step away from The Box!", Grime shouted, getting back to his feet and and angling his right shoulder.

Wrecker's eyes however were only on the box, his finger tips nearly scraping the lid. Just a few inches more...

But with a resounding thud, Grime shoved Wrecker out of the way, sending the old Frog careening into another wall. The blow was harder than he expected, disorienting him.

Grime thought of using The Box now, but he knew he had to focus to do it right. He placed it down and returned to Wrecker, who was still down.

Trying the least violent way he could, Grime simply picked Wrecker up, squeezing his arms with his own hands. Wrecker felt the seering pain and stared angrily at Grime.

"Stand down.", Grime asked, almost pleading.

"You can forget it!", Wrecker shouted, barely reaching the floor and using the little bit of bounce he could muster to escape the powerful toad arms. This was enough to shake Grime just a bit, leaving Wrecker time to plan his next move.

Grime wasn't much taller than Wrecker, especially thanks to the costume, but he was still way stronger, and he was starting to get angrier. He ran at Wrecker, frustrated, hoping to knock him with one punch and be done with it.

Wrecker could see it coming however, and side stepped simply, making Grime lose his balance and fall again.

"ENOUGH!", Grime bellowed, his veins throbbing. "If you won't stand down, then at least fight me!"

Wrecker didn't grace him with a response, instead choosing to duck and slide underneath his legs, once more causing Grime to fall on the floor.

"STOP! STOP DOING THIS!", Grime screamed again, the pain he was now experiencing alongside the fight he did NOT want to fight in causing his blood to boil. He was getting too angry now.

Wrecker once more tried to avoid his charge, but this time, Grime had seen it coming, and with a swaying arm, he grabbed Wrecker and held him upside down.

Blood rushed to Wrecker's head, as Grime almost snarled at him. Seeing him like this... "Grime... My friend..."

Grime didn't leave him any time to finish that thought, however, as he pinned him to the ground, applying pressure to his shoulders and chest. Wrecker was struggling to breath.

"Please... Stand down...", Grime muttered over and over, as Wrecker kept on choking, his mind getting fuzzy.

Instinct kicked in, and Wrecker found himself using his hind legs to kick Grime off of him.

But the kick was too hard, and Grime smashed into the wall, leaving a massive crack in it.

Blood gushed from his nose, and his eyes were dazed.

Wrecker gasped, his heart racing. Grime, his best friend, his daughter's husband... How could he have done this?

"Grime, Grime, Ahm sorry, Ah didn't mean to...", Wrecker started, rushing over to him and offering his hand, but he was soon interrupted.

A loud smack and Grime punched Wrecker hard, sending the frog flying backwards across the floor, just before the stairs leading to the throne. Muck looked down and grinned with glee. "Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.", he whispered.

Wrecker placed a hand on his face. He could see the red stains. Grime had got him good.

Grime, meanwhile, stood up, nearly growling. "THIS ENDS NOW!", he roared, running to Wrecker, and picking him up, landing another punch.

Wrecker, barely lifting his arms up, looked at Grime, and saw what he feared to see most. The little boy he had so much love for...

Moving aside, he managed to disorient Grime again, but the window of opportunity was growing ever slimmer as he hesitated. He didn't want to hurt him, just stop him. But how could he do that without...

Another reverberating strike again stopped his thought process, as Grime grabbed Wrecker and smashed him on the floor, the golden tiles beginning to appear red. "I AM GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND YOU WILL NOT STOP ME! THIS TIME, I WILL PERSEVERE!"

Leaning over him, casting a shadow, Grime pounded away at Wrecker, over and over and over again, making Wrecker bleed further from his forehead. Barely managing to keep his wits, Wrecker suddenly rolled to the side, Grime striking the floor by accident, and screaming in pain.

Wrecker struggled to get to his feet. Feeling his forehead, he could suddenly feel...

"...My mask!", Wrecker blurted, feeling the hole in the cloth. His mask was damaged!

"IS THAT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU NOW?!", Grime screamed back, his anger rising and rising. "You say you care about everyone, but you won't let me do what must be done, and you won't even fight me! You have to choose!"

Grime was fighting even harder now, backhanding Wrecker in the cheek, causing another tear.

Wrecker was starting to panic, covering the holes with his hands. "NO, STOP, NOT MY MASK!", Wrecker screamed, but he couldn't duck, he couldn't block, not when rushing at him was Grime. He could only see the poor soul that had to be saved. How could he hurt him?

Grime didn't seem to have that debate, as he grabbed him by the throat, choking Wrecker.

"FIGHT ME! FIGHT ME ALREADY! OR STAND DOWN! MAKE A CHOICE!", Grime spat, throwing him down on the floor and then knocking him to the side, leaving a cut on his eye and on his mask.

Wrecker's real eye and masked eye stared back at Grime, who was almost frothing at the mouth. The damage on Wrecker's face was becoming clearer and clearer, and Wrecker was beginning to cry.

"My face... I can't show my face!", the guilt of a child echoed from the body of a broken man, and yet Grime continued to fight, kicking Wrecker in the chest, leaving the warrior out of breath.

Grime's yells became more pained and desperate, his heart tearing itself apart.

"FIGHT ME! FIGHT ME! STOP STANDING THERE AND FIGHT ME!"

Time slowed to a crawl, as Grime let out a barrage of fists and fury, smacking Wrecker over and over in the face, chest, and shoulders, leaving more tears and blood out of the frog. Wrecker was barely able to see, as he grew faint.

"How can I fight him? How can I stop this? I can't just give up, I can't...", Wrecker thought, until he looked at Grime's face, and saw a mirror. A face that had more tears than blood, and legs that shook and quivered.

"Of course. That's it!", Wrecker realized, a glint in his eyes.

Just as Wrecker said this, Grime responded with a loud punch, and a piercing question.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

And with that, Wrecker went flying to the wall, his hands barely moving, his eyes shut.

He ears were buzzing, and his breath was booming in time with his heart.

Everything was so loud and so quiet at the same time.

Blood covered his vision, and with a quick touch, Wrecker could see that his mask was officially torn, half his face showing, half still covered.

Grime, meanwhile, stood breathing heavily, trying to ignore the blood on his hands and the guilt clawing into his brain. He had no time to think of it, he was doing what he had to do. Still, he showed signs of worry when he saw Wrecker the way he was.

Wrecker, still lying on the floor, took a deep breath, trying to stabilize himself. The question rang in his head:

Why are you doing this?

Why was he doing this?

Why was he still going on, still trying, when he knew he would fail, knew he would make things worse?

Why was he still alive?

"...Why am ah doin' this?", he asked back, barely audible.

He closed his eyes, and saw Grime the way he really was, becoming a better man.

He heard his joints click, and he saw the frogs of Wartwood, all safe and secure.

He hitched his breath, and he saw the original Tritonio's dying body, the old thief dying for the woman he loved.

He felt his hand move, and there was Mrs. Croaker and the order, counting on him.

He saw in his heart his grandchildren, and his friends, and the victims, and the poor families, and the frogs and toads and newts and salamanders who counted on him.

And there was Annie, lying on the ground, about to be killed, closing her eyes with no hope.

And then he knew.

He clenched his fist.

He barely got up on his feet.

He removed his defensive stance.

And he stood there, offering himself, offering all he could give, his hands aside, his face nearly revealed.

"Why am ah doin' this?", he echoed, looking right back at Grime and through to Muck, and he there, right there, he chose to keep going just a little bit more.

"...Because someone has to."

Grime, desperate to finish this, ran at him and hit him over and over, wishing he would finally just be too tired to go on, just stop and let him do this.

But Wrecker kept on getting up, over and over and over again. Every hit, every kick, every bruise meant nothing to him. He didn't care about how he could barely stand, he didn't care that he was bleeding all over, he didn't care that he would surely die soon if this went on.

He had to keep going. Someone had to keep trying.

"Fight back! Fight back! FIGHT BACK ALREADY!", Grime screamed and screamed, but Wrecker refused, taking the punishment each time.

By the 20th time he had gotten back up for more, Grime couldn't take it anymore.

"Fine! So I won't focus properly! It's better than nothing!", he shouted, knocking Wrecker down one last time, who, of course, immediately went back up.

"Grime...", Wrecker was barely able to cough out. "You don't need to do this."

"Yes, he does.", Muck retorted.

"YES I DO!", Grime echoed back, walking over to The Calamity Box and preparing to open it.

Wrecker kept his voice and resolve calm, and he kept going. "Grime... You know this won't truly change things. I know you know. I know... Because you're better than this."

"Do not listen to him, Grime. Show your strength!", Muck cried out, egging his son on.

Grime looked at Wrecker with hints of regret and guilt, but he tried to shake them off. "No, you're wrong, this... This is the only way."

Grime began to sound like a child again. "Wrecker... This is the only way... The only way I can... I can finally make up for it. For everything."

Grime looked down at The Calamity Box, at it's power, it's mystery.

"My mother... She could live again. As could... Alexander. The beetle. Annie's parents. My children could be safe. All of their children could be safe. It would be... It would be..."

Grime kept on crying and crying, practically begging. "I need to do this! I must! I must!"

"Go on, son... Do what must be done! For once in your life, do what MUST be done!", Muck shouted, his eyes hungry, his disappointment in the past clear.

Wrecker simply stared back with sympathy and understanding. "Grime... Listen to your heart. You keep doubting it. But I know you're good. I doubted you... I was wrong."

Wrecker offered his hand to the broken toad. "I'm never giving up on you. I KNOW you're better than this. I know... That you're a good man. And I trust you... To make the right choice."

Wrecker then added "...I will support you even if you make the wrong choice. Because... Because I don't want you to do this because I tell you so. I want you to make the choice... Yourself."

"...How can you be so sure I'll do the right thing?", Grime asked, his voice as low as a whisper. "...I'm a failure."

"...I know. Because... Because I love you, Grime."

Wrecker sat down, closing his eyes, full of faith for once in his life.

"...And I always will."

Grime looked down at The Calamity Box.

The lives he would change.

Would they truly change?

Grime looked back at Muck. The old man sneered.

He caressed The Calamity Box, and searched his heart.

Grime said nothing.

"What are you waiting for? Do it, Grime! Do it!", Muck shouted, descending from the throne and staring right into Grime's eyes.

Grime stared at his father. Then he stared back at Wrecker, still full of faith, eyes closed as he sat there, bleeding, beaten...

If this was the right way... Why did it feel so wrong?

Why did it mean such sacrifices?

Why did he feel doubt?

"...The right way is never easy. But deep down, you can feel when it's right."

Grime thought of all that had been said to him about his plan. He felt it. The doubt. The hesitation.

"...This doesn't feel right."

Grime looked into Muck's eyes, and, bravely, he placed The Calamity Box down.

"...No.", Grime simply replied, fear in every molecule of his body.

"...No?", Muck asked, as if he was ensuring Grime knew what he was doing.

"...I trust myself. If we are The Line... Then I must be better than you. I won't go down this path.", Grime replied, putting his foot down.

"I won't be like you."

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.

Muck said nothing, didn't even breath.

Grime stared back.

Wrecker opened his eyes, smiling at Grime.

And then...

Muck slashed Grime's eye with his claw, sending his son flying back.

"You DARE challenge me?! Just when I thought you had finally grown up! I wanted what was best for you, but I guess you just want this pain!", Muck bellowed, as he approached The Calamity Box, Wrecker gasping and rushing at Muck to stop him.

Muck simply swatted him like a fly, and went on. "I already had spells cast to ensure I'd have control in your little paradise, but you have failed me again. Why send someone to do what you can do instead?"

Muck lifted The Calamity Box with his sharp claws, and nearly cackled in glee, Wrecker and Grime again rushing towards him.

With a kick, Muck wedged the sword out and sent them reeling back with fresh stab wounds in the shoulders.

"And now, once I use this Box to accomplish the dreams of my ancestors, I will be The Line!"

Wrecker and Grime, both bleeding heavily, looked at each other and nodded in sync. They could not let this happen, death be damned. Once more, they rushed Muck, this time dodging his hits and knocking him down, The Calamity Box momentarily dropping onto the blood stained floor.

At that moment, Annie finally entered the basement.

"Oh my frog!", Annie exclaimed, horrified at the sight of her family fighting Muck.

"Annie, Grime changed his mind but Muck is trying to kill everyone! At least, I assume.", Wrecker quickly explained, and Annie nodded and leaped in to help.

Grime barely had time to acknowledge she was there, but he didn't panic. He could apologize once they finished here.

But Muck was way more powerful than they thought he would be. Every punch, every kick, every dodge, it failed to register, as he quickly blocked and returned in way greater force.

While the two of them were getting up from an attack, Annie quickly gave Wrecker a slip of paper. "I gave them names, keep this safe for me!"

"Where are the kids?", Wrecker asked.

"I left them at June's!", Annie quickly responded.

"Why didn't you stay with them?", Wrecker asked, and Annie noticed how gashed he was. She didn't say anything, but she was fearful inside.

"I thought I could bring some sense into Grime, at least try and do something to help!", Annie explained. Grime desperately wanted to say something, guilt lacing his heart, but Muck was choking him.

"LET GO OF MY HUSBAND!", Annie shouted, suddenly leaving Wrecker to land a scissor kick on Muck, who grabbed her once she hit him.

"Pitiful frog. You took my son away from me. You will be the first to die!", Muck spat at her, throwing her right up to the wall opposite him.

"ANNIE!", Wrecker and Grime both screamed in horror, staring at her hurt self as she laid there, bleeding. She could barely see what was going on thanks to the nearly blinding pain.

Filled with rage, Grime ran at his father, punching and punching him, but it was clear he was no match for his father when the toad was up for it.

Muck kicked him down, and stepped on his chest, choking his son.

"ENOUGH!", Muck ordered, madness in his eyes. "THIS ENDS NOW! Frogs, Newts, Salamanders, they are a plague on this world! And with The Calamity Box, I will be granted ultimate power to do what must be done! All knowing, all seeing, I shall cleanse the earth of your sins and imperfections! There will be one species! One world! ONE LINE!"

"MY LINE!", Muck roared.

Wrecker looked at Grime, and saw he was close to the end.

He closed his eyes, and knew what he had to do...

"If I could distract him... Just long enough..."

Wrecker got his legs ready for one more run...

"If I could get Grime out of the way, get him to focus on me... They might just have enough time to get The Calamity Box..."

Wrecker knew what this meant.

He knew what would happen.

But he didn't mind.

"...It would be worth it... It would have all been worth it... I don't fear dying..."

Annie, meanwhile, staggered to her feet, and saw what Wrecker was planning.

She also saw Muck get his hands on The Calamity Box.

"If he opens it, it doesn't matter what dad does!", Annie realized, gasping. Wrecker was also old, and hurt, he didn't have the energy, and even if she were mad enough to let him die, Muck would still have time because Grime was out for the count.

And she would never let him die.

It was then that Annie remembered what had happened the first time The Calamity Box was used for pure evil.

Her eyes teared up...

But her heart stayed true.

She had to...

She had to...

She wouldn't fuck up...

Her fists clenched, and she readied her legs, her legs that hopped better than anyone in Amphibia.

She looked at Grime, her love, fighting for his last breath...

She saw Wrecker, her father, prepare to die.

And she saw the fate of all Amphibia...

And she realized...

"...I have meaning."

She saw her pollywogs, her babies... She thought of their names, the names she had chosen.

"I love you, my angels."

She thought of Grime, and how she believed in him no matter what.

"I love you, my Grime."

She thought of Wrecker.

Of Leap and her mother.

Of Peter.

Of the Slum Frogs.

Of all of Amphibia.

And with the heart of a hero...

She leaped.

It was like everything moved in slow-motion: Annie's legs kicking dust off the ground, Wrecker still rushing towards Muck, Grime screaming with despair, Muck laughing evilly as his claws began to reach for the lid.

Annie felt the wind in her hair, and the peace in her heart. She had thought this would feel worse, feel scary...

But it didn't.

It was what had to be done.

It felt...

Right.

It was like she was flying.

She put her arms forwards, edging ever closer to the lid.

She looked down at Wrecker, who paused to look up at her, his eyes slowly understanding.

She looked at him, at her father, her hero...

And smiled.

"It's okay... I love you, dad."

She looked back at the Box, her counter wish in her heart, knowing it was her last few moments.

But it was okay.

She was okay.

"...I can do this."

She closed her eyes, and for once, ignored the doubts and hesitations and guilt.

"...I'm Annie Lilypad."

She voiced her wish in her heart.

She reached.

And just as Muck opened the lid and made his wish in his mind...

She laid a finger on it.

When the light subsided and the dust settled and the noise stopped, Wrecker found himself in the same throne room, but different.

The golden walls and floor were brown and black and even green, rusted and revealed for their true selves.

The throne now but a tattered chair, empty of its luster and grace.

Ashes filled the air, and Wrecker saw that all that was untouched was a mirror.

Upstairs, the same had happened. The entire tower had seemingly been stripped of its golden look.

Wrecker tried to get back up and restore his balance, but as he did, he finally saw Grime, who was slowly scrambling up as well.

When Grime turned, Wrecker struggled not to gasp in horror: One eye was not only scarred, thanks to Muck's claw, but his other oozed a sickly green. A result of The Calamity Box's explosion, no doubt.

His face wasn't all that changed: His armor had turned bronze, and even his cape had turned dark purple.

"Grime...", Wrecker started, when both suddenly remembered what had happened.

The Calamity Box was gone.

Muck was gone.

Annie...

Wrecker, fighting back tears, tried to approach Grime.

Grime, who had realized what had happened too, turned away.

In front of him, was the mirror.

He said nothing.

He didn't express any emotion.

He simply stood there and stared.

Finally, without moving, he opened his mouth.

"...This is my fault."

"Grime, it's not...", Wrecker started, but Grime turned around and interjected him.

"No, Wrecker. I did this. If I had been thinking clearly, none of this would have happened."

Grime's voice was steady, almost too calm.

"I understand now. I cannot just ignore what I did, Wrecker. I must fix this. I MUST."

Wrecker said nothing. He knew Grime was right. He was the only one left to lead Toad Tower, and perhaps, lead right.

Grime then realized another thing, and, sounding pained, he said "Wrecker... Where are my children?"

"...They're with June."

"...Take them."

Wrecker's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "Grime, they need their father!"

Grime refused. "No. They need someone to take care of them. I can't. Not like this. Not when I make decisions like these."

Wrecker wanted to say something, but again, he felt like Grime wasn't exactly wrong. Besides, he couldn't just not listen to him after all this.

Grime for a moment thought of holding Wrecker, shaking his hand, something.

Instead, he turned away again, embracing the cold and the pain.

"Wrecker... Please... Do me this one favor. Just this one thing. For me."

"Take care of my children. Protect them... Like I should have done. Until the day I am worthy of being their father. Until the day I can truly be there without endangering them."

Grime turned back one last time, the smallest tear in his eye. "Please... Please..."

Wrecker took a deep breath.

He looked at Grime.

He knew what was right.

"...You have my word."

Grime nodded, sealing the deal.

He then turned away for the last time.

Wrecker, walking away, looked back with tears too. His voice nearly breaking.

"Grime..."

Grime said nothing.

"...I will come back for you, one day. I will. I still believe in you. I still love you."

Grime said nothing.

Wrecker nodded.

And he left.

"Farewell... Old friend...", they both thought, at the same time.

When Annie woke up, she saw clouds.

Clouds and clouds of white, and skies of blue.

She felt lighter, and she soon saw she was dressed in white too.

"Where am I?", Annie wondered, apparently aloud, as an answer soon came.

"Why, you're home."

Annie's eyes widened, and there, standing in front of her, were...

"Mom? Dad?", Annie's voice echoed the grief, and without a moment's thought she jumped to hug them, crying and crying her heart out.

"I wish we would have met again later.", Leap stated, and Annie then realized where she was.

She sighed, but smiled wistfully. "I had to do it. There was no other way."

"But my Annie, you're... you're...", Leap started, sobbing, when Annie comforted him.

"I'm Annie Lilypad. I know things will be okay down there, even if it takes years and years for it. I have faith in them, Dad. I do."

"I knew you would succeed, honey.", Annie's mom said, and Annie hugged her hard.

"Oh, Mom, I missed you!", Annie enthused, squeezing.

"I missed you too, Annie!", Eliza responded, smiling.

"Don't worry, guys, I felt your love in my heart, like Wrecker said!", Annie reassured, before brightening up.

"Speaking of which... I have two people I need to help..."

Alone in the Throne Room, Grime had stood there for what felt like hours and hours.

Wrecker was long gone.

Soon the soldiers would surely want to know what happened.

His breathing was slow, full of sorrow.

His whole body felt too heavy.

He couldn't die, not yet...

But how he yearned for the sweet release.

"Annie...", he whispered, the name like a cherished secret on his lips.

The mirror still showed him what he feared most.

He looked like his father now.

He looked like a monster.

"Maybe I am.", he whispered, clenching his fist, which made him feel the cape.

The cape... The cape Annie made...

With tears running immediately out of his eyes, and his heart pounding at his chest, Grime remembered Annie had told him to see what she had added to the cape.

It was almost too scary to do, but slowly, he removed it and looked at the bottom.

There, embrodired in letters of gold, letters that had not changed from the explosion, letters that reflected his scarred, monstrous face...

Was a message.

"Together Forever, Never Apart, Maybe In Distance, But Never In Heart".

The cape began to get wet from the tears he shed.

"Annie...", Grime whispered again, almost calling for her, begging for her to come back.

But there was no Annie.

There was no one there.

"My fault... All my fault...", Grime said, knowing he had to make up for it. For Annie's sake.

"What happened?"

Grime turned around, and in front of him was Bog, who looked practically stunned at the state of the place.

"Where's Muck? Where's The Calamity Box?"

Bog actually was worried, even concerned for Grime. He approached him, but Grime had turned his back.

"Is everything okay? I saw your wife come down here at one point."

Grime tried not to scream.

"...Okay, if you're not gonna do anything, Grime, I guess I'll just tell the troops...", Bog started, but that was his biggest mistake.

"My name...", Grime started, turning around, his voice full of anger, hate, fear, and pain.

"Is Captain... Grime."

Bog immediately shrunk as he saw Grime walk up to him, his size and power overwhelming.

"You are gonna go up there and get the troops ready to march to Newtopia. Andrias will be providing us with better resources to protect the Valley, the frogs, the newts, and the salamanders."

"What?", Bog interjected, but Grime picked him up by his shirt and snarled.

"You will do as I say, soldier, you will protect the line! We will make sure NO ONE ever gets hurt again, or I will bath the stallways with your blood!"

Bog stammered and shook. "Yes, Grime!"

"What did you say, soldier?!", Grime shouted again, puffing his chest.

"YES CAPTAIN GRIME SIR!"

Bog was dropped to the ground, and, like a rat, he scattered away in fear.

Grime took a moment to relax, before wincing in pain. He couldn't be like this...

"No, no, I must be! I need to play the part so they'll listen to me! So threats will fear me! It is the way!"

Grime hesitated again.

"But... But I don't want to hurt anyone..."

His eyes then narrowed, as he remembered...

"Too late. You already have. This is what you have left. At least... At least try to fix it this time. This time... I won't fail."

As he said that, he heard a noise, and turning around, he saw something truly shocking.

Annie.

"Annie?", Grime asked, his hands shaking. "It... It can't be..."

And as he reached for her, to hold her and to never let go, he was right.

She was a spirit, or, well, a projection of sorts, a part of Annie's soul. But nothing more. Nothing substantial enough.

Just a voice and face from the past, staring at him with love and sadness.

"...It can't be.", Grime answered himself, knowing he didn't deserve it, knowing...

"That it's too late for you, son."

Grime once more turned, face to face with another projection, one of Muck, his body completely monstrous and skeletal almost, grinning wildly.

"I told you... You always fail..."

Muck opened his eyes.

"Captain Grime..."

Grime knew. He had failed. He had finally become Captain Grime, and even if he did manage to save Amphibia...

Would he ever be able to forgive himself now?

Ghost Muck began to laugh maniacally, Ghost Annie's hands went through Grime as she tried to comfort him, and Grime, Captain Grime, on his knees, shed all the tears he could shed onto the blood red floor, not a man, not a hero, not a villian.

But a 10 year old toad boy, wishing he could save them from himself.

"I'm sorry, Annie... I'm sorry..."

All there was left was painful slow breathing...

And the broken heart of a fallen toad.

…

Darkness.

Crickets chirped...

Birds tweeted...

Leaves crunched under his feet.

(The Mandalorian Main Theme – Ludwig Goransson)

It had been a whole day since the tragedy, and Wrecker had left his carriage to carry the pollywogs with him into Wartwood.

In a way, he was so dazed, so distracted, that he hadn't really considered what would be next, where would they stay.

Until he got there.

Staring at the door frame, Wrecker gulped and looked down at the Pollywogs. They were sleeping soundly, but they had been crying before, and he feared waking them would cause them to cry more.

The night was cold, the wind was howling...

"Why am I taking my time?", Wrecker asked himself, but deep down, he knew.

"How can I walk back into here? I haven't earned it, I can't yet, not yet...", Wrecker started, but the practical side of his head intervened.

"And let the kids die of cold? Where else CAN you stay? No, this is the only place to go to!"

Wrecker didn't want to go in, he felt his soul cry out as he even considered it...

But he couldn't let the kids get hurt.

Taking a deep breath, Wrecker roused up his courage...

And walked into his family's house for the first time in 40 and a half years.

Thunder immediately crashed, and Wrecker was too late to close the door.

Both pollywogs woke up and cried out loud, the moment they saw his half torn mask.

"Ahm sorry, Ahm sorry!", Wrecker apologized profusely, trying to quiet them down, placing them on a couch in the living room. "It's okay, we're home now, you're safe!"

But they kept on crying and crying, making Wrecker feel worse and worse. He knew why they were crying...

"No, no, I can't, I can't remove the mask, Ahm not good enough yet, Ahm not...", Wrecker said, almost in madness, before suddenly screaming, slamming the cabinet next to him, and looking into a mirror where he saw his half and half face.

"STOP! JUST STOP, FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, AND THINK OF WHAT OTHERS NEED!", Wrecker screamed, hating himself so much as he stared.

He then sighed, painfully. "But how... How can I forgive mahself? Grime thinks he's lost, Annie's... Annie's..."

Wrecker's tears drenched his costume.

"...What do I do?", he asked, sounding so lost.

Suddenly, he felt something in his heart, but it wasn't pain. It was something else, something he had felt a few times since he had left Toad Tower, but he hadn't had a chance to make sense of.

It was this odd sort of feeling, like a light, like an...

An eternal hug.

Wrecker gasped, and looked up.

Somewhere, in the clouds, despite the stormy weather and the thunder...

Annie.

Annie had sent him the eternal hug after all, the hug that those who you love give you from up above.

"...So that's what it feels like.", Wrecker said aloud, a small smile on his face.

And it was then, that he found himself at a crossroads.

He looked at the scared and trembling pollywogs.

There was no one else for them.

No one else but him.

Despite everything, despite all he had gone through, Wrecker was still here, still able to make things better.

Annie... She had been saved by him, and despite all his mistakes, she believed in him.

Grime did too. Grime believed he could take care of his kids.

People believed he could be good, and deep down, deep deep down...

Wrecker knew that he had done good things.

"...They need me. Someone has to help."

Wrecker saw it all. Every mistake and every good deed, every bad choice and every sacrifice, every sin and every heroic act.

He was flawed and imperfect and stubborn and angry and guilty and broken.

But he was also kind when he tried to be, and caring in his heart, and brave when the chips were down, and loving always and forever.

"I'm not perfect..."

Wrecker smiled a small smile at himself for the first time in his life.

"...But it's okay. I'm gonna keep trying."

Wrecker knew that he COULD kill himself if he wanted to.

But they needed him.

And besides...

Maybe, a small part in him...

Wanted to live.

Wanted to keep going.

Maybe...

"Maybe Ahm not so bad."

Wrecker knew what he had to do.

He could only do this if he moved on.

Truly.

Totally.

Completely.

Slowly, almost poetically, he began to remove the costume, his old tired legs and hands leaving their areas, his broken and battered chest exposed for the first time in 30 and a half years.

The cape fell to the ground too, and finally, all that was left...

Was the mask.

He cautiously put his hand on it, almost too afraid to believe it could happen.

"...I can. I can move on. I won't fail. Not this time."

He looked at the kids.

"Not this time, Annie."

Finally, he took another deep breath...

And with a yank...

He removed the mask once and for all.

"I am no longer The Wrecker.", he whispered, letting the mask drop from his hand, onto the floor, with a silent thud.

Now out of his disguise, one could see how old he truly was.

His hair was gray, and his face was weathered. His hands shook, and his legs could barely stand. Thankfully, there was a walking stick available right next to him. Taking it, he slowly edged over to the Pollywogs, who began to calm down now that the mask was gone.

"It's okay, babies, it's okay.", he reassured them, caressing their soft heads with his hand. He had tears, happy tears for once, in his eyes.

"Your mom and dad... They need me to protect you. And... I will. I will."

Reaching into his waistcoat pocket, from the new clothes June had given him, he found the note with the names Annie had given.

Reading them, he had a soft smile.

"She always did have the best ideas, huh?", he mused, before closing his eyes.

Annie's eternal hug lit up his soul.

"I can do this."

And with that, he finally let himself start anew.

"...Sprig... Polly..."

He held them close, hugging them with all his love.

"My name... Is Hopediah Plantar."

Hopediah smiled.

"But you can call me Hop Pop."

Thank you all for reading this. An Epilogue that will explain what is next for this universe will be up sometime around August.