The Wrecker

by SpongeGuy

10 Years Before Amphibia... A Frog Learns There's Still Hope... An Amphibia Prequel... (The Final Chapter is out! Epilogue coming soon!)

9. So This Is Love

Wrecker wasn't a morning person.

Well, that wasn't exactly true: Growing up on a farm, Wrecker HAD to be a morning person, and for many years he had woken up thinking the beginning of the day was when the crickets chirped and the moon hadn't yet bid farewell. Since leaving home, though, the sensations of waking up early inextricably tied themselves to the, well, as he now realized, to the abuse his parents dealt him, the verbal abuse he received for still being tired, for getting hurt, for asking for breaks. And in general, Wrecker struggled to wake up. To wake up to another day where the world was subjected to his existence.

But today was no such day.

Stretching his body to get some cricks out, Wrecker shook himself awake and climbed out of his bed in the barracks. He wouldn't be staying there for long. After today, he would be going back to Wartwood, while Grime and Annie… "No! Nope! I am NOT gonna think like that! Today is a day of joy for my little Annie, and Grime, and that's FINAL!", Wrecker told himself forcefully, trying to shut down the intrusive thoughts. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Wrecker decided to leave the room and make his way to what was once the training room, and before that, Lily's room. He had important matters to attend to there, hence his early rising.

There was a giddy nature to his walk, to his mood. For once the smile on his face felt natural and long lasting, rather than doomed to dissipate. Even Toad Tower seemed nicer, with more light coming in through the windows and the sound of cricket's chirping replacing the sounds of marching and shouting. As Wrecker moved down the halls, a bright, warm smile on his face, he saw many things that only heightened his mood: The child soldiers, all singing and laughing, being sent back to their homes to grow up as they should, as children (with the exception of Percy and Braddock, who were only staying for the wedding before they too would return home); Muck's circle of trust being dragged in chains into prisons deep in the city for the genocides they enacted; Soldiers being sent with carriages full of construction tools, wood, and more to rebuild the slums into a proper neighborhood for the Frogs, which will be integrated into the city with enforced diversity, with strict punishment for those who don't comply. Even all the gold that had filled the hallways and treasuries was being removed, shared out to the citizens of Amphibia equally, everyone getting their fair share.

Wrecker beamed proudly at all this. Grime really had changed.

"What a day!", Wrecker thought, feeling like he could jump in the air and do a bell click. In fact, he would!

Laughing at his youthful gesture, before feeling his back hurt as he landed, Wrecker still smiled as he moved closer to the room he was headed for. "And it's only gonna get better! Annie's gonna LOVE my plans for today before she ties the knot!"

The smile then turned sad once more as Wrecker thought about Annie. "Huh. Now that she's gonna be married and all, I doubt the two of them would have much space for ol' Wrecker. I guess I better get used to going back to Wartwood."

He stopped for a moment, feeling his heart hurt. He and Annie may have only had a little time together, but Wrecker truly saw her as his own flesh and blood. They had been through so much together. Could he really let her go? Could he really leave her, and live on his own again? Could he really live without her? Wrecker wasn't sure.

"Oh, Frog, stop, please!", he begged himself, shaking his head again. "You will NOT ruin their special day by feeling sorry for yourself! Toughen up! Annie's gonna have the best ding dang wedding ever, cross my heart and hope to die!" "…It's the least she deserves. So I'll do that, at least."

Fully motivated again to make his family happy as can be, Wrecker tightened his costume (he wondered if he could change it a little for the wedding) and, with his heart set on it, he walked into the room to continue the preparations.

Due to how early it was, the guests he, Annie and Grime had invited hadn't arrived yet, and neither had the helpers Wrecker hoped would assist in sticking the landing. But Percy and Braddock were already in the now empty of weapons gymnasium, placing roses, daisies and lily's all in a circling line across a section of the wall, sticking the flowers with glue. It looked a little odd, granted, but it was the thought that counted.

"I really hope they're not allergic to any of these flowers!", Braddock thought out loud, and Percy shook his head. "I don't think so! But if they are, we can just eat them!" "Good point, the buffet will probably be all yucky food."

"Hey, now, my cooking isn't THAT yucky!", Wrecker joked, and Percy and Braddock happily turned to greet him, only for the ladder to begin to tilt all over the place. "Woah, woah, woah!", they cried, as they began to fall down. Thankfully, Wrecker leapt quickly to their aid and caught them, before landing down and wincing with pain. "You landed on your bad leg again, didn't you?", Percy asked, concerned. Braddock was already helping him sit down, and Wrecker tried to hide the shiver he got from the pain. He smiled through it, and lied through his teeth. "No, I'm all right! Nothing to be worried about!"

Slowly standing up, Wrecker leaned on his other leg, hoping it would hurt a little less. "How are ya, ya little whippersnappers? Decorations going well?" He inspected the room, taking in what they had accomplished so far. The weapons, as previously stated, were all gone, and the floor had been covered with a nice royal purple carpet. A table had already been set and prepared for holding a LOT of food, and Wrecker could already smell great things being cooked from behind it.

Still there was a LOT of work left to be done, especially by him. "Percy, Braddock, come with me and we'll have a talk with the rest of the team on the remaining missions."

"Yes, sir!", the little ones saluted, and the trio walked towards the catering area, where five friends of Wrecker's from Wartwood were situated: Mr. Flour, preparing the biggest wedding cake in the history of Amphibia, whisking egg after egg in his bowl, his little girl Maddie engraving satanic symbols onto the wooden table; Felicia Sundew, assembling a whole cupboard to contain the drinks for the party, her newborn Ivy Sundew lying in her crib, sleeping peacefully; and One Eyed Wally, strumming peacefully on his banjo guitar, practicing his rendition of "Here Comes The Bride". Wrecker smiled at them gratefully, barely able to hold back his emotional response that people who considered him a friend were doing this for his daughter.

"I can't thank ya enough for all this, fellers."

"You don't have to, pleasure is all ours.", Felicia replied, smiling brightly. Mr. Flour and Wally nodded in agreement. "Besides, maybe my daughter will get a new friend out of this! Or maybe something more…", Mr. Flour joked, wiggling his eyebrows, making the group laugh. "My daughter will definitely be the lucky one, Flour!", Felicia stated, again making everyone laugh.

Shaking his head with a smile, Wrecker lifted his clipboard. "All right, gang, let's go over the day's tasks." Everyone listened attentively as he read them out. "Flour, I need you to finish the cake and keep it somewhere safe."

"Will do! It's gonna be six layers of heaven!", Mr. Flour replied, taking a little bit of his prepared frosting on his finger and giving it to Maddie to taste.

"Felicia, you need to finish the cupboard and store all the drinks on it."

"Done and done! What do kids like to drink, though? We don't have many of them back in Wartwood.", Felicia asked, unsure.

Wrecker shrugged. "Put an umbrella in the waters, I guess."

"We're kids, why don't you ask us?", Percy asked, before Braddock raised her hand. "I like water with a little umbrella in it!" Percy stared at her before relenting. "Yeah, me too."

"Wonderful! Now, Wally, you finish rehearsing and if you can, try and keep the guests that arrive entertained until the procession starts? Knowing my luck we could run a little late.", Wrecker asked, exhibiting a little anxiety. "Don't sweat it, mate! You'll be back in time, for certain!", Wally encouraged, playing a few notes before a string got torn. He laughed sheepishly. "I'm… Gonna get myself a new banjo."

"Please don't fall short, my heart won't be able to take it!", Wrecker called after the running off Wally, placing a hand on his chest. He legitimately worried about a heart attack from this wedding. Breathing deeply, he turned to Percy and Braddock, who were bouncingly lightly on their feet, still so very excited. "Percy, Braddock, you are on decorating, as you remember, but I also want you to look after Grime." The duo raised eyebrows. They exchanged glances, before looking at Wrecker. "What do you mean? He's a big boy!" Wrecker suppressed a chuckle at that. He doubted Grime would appreciate being described like that. "Not my exact choice of words, but that's not what I mean. He can be… Anxious." "Like you!", they pointed out, and Wrecker sighed wearily. "Yeah, like me."

He looked down at them, genuinely hopeful. "Look, just make sure that he's ok. He might panic over somethin' and I need you to reassure him, 'kay?"

Percy and Braddock, more than happy to help their friend, saluted. "Sure thing, Mr. Wrecker!"

"And what will you be doing, my friend?", Mr. Flour asked, and Felicia nodded, curious too. Percy and Braddock also listened in. Wrecker rubbed the back of his head, still a little sad over the concept. "Well, um, I'm gonna take Annie into town to get some last minute things. Her ring for Grime, her wedding dress, the house she and Grime are gonna live in…"

"Leaving those a little late, no?", Felicia asked, and Wrecker shook his head. "We're limited on funds as it is. It's more a matter of finding the only thing we can afford. We'll be done in no time! No time at all!"

A clear melancholic tone was now attached to his voice, and he sat down on one of the large tree stumps with lilypads on them and placed his head on his arms. Everyone looked at each other, worried for Wrecker. Felicia elected herself to take the shot in the dark. "Is something the matter, Wrecker?"

Wrecker cursed inwardly. "Dang it! If they find out, the wedding will be ruined! Don't you do this! Don't wreck your daughter's wedding, Wrecker!" Clearing his throat, Wrecker shot up like a bullet and began to talk in super speed.

"WhomeI'mfineI'mgreatnoproblemshereNOSIREElot'stodonotalotoftiemtodoitlet'schopchopeverybodycomeongitI'mgonnatalktoAnnieyouguyskeepbein'amazin'you'rebeautifulbeautifulpeopleciao!"

He then dashed outside of the room, breathing a sigh of relief. "Nailed it!"

Inside, the group looked at the dust cloud he had left in his run. "…So he's not ok at all, right?", Percy asked. "Nope." "Noperino." "Oh, that's obvious." "May Satan have mercy on his soul."

When Wrecker had reached Annie and Grime's room, Grime had already left for the gymnasium, apparently sweating over a notebook he was holding. Annie, however, had not yet left, instead choosing to lie on her bed, grinning at the roof, eyes closed, breathing slow.

Annie had gone through a lot the past few weeks: Her whole town had blown up, every friend and person she had ever known including her father dying in front of her. That alone could scar someone for a lifetime.

But of course, Annie couldn't have it THAT easy: She had been attacked by an evil shadow monster, nearly lost her father figure to evil pirates, got tied up by a criminal and a murderer, got attacked by a gang, racially profiled, etc. etc. etc. Most people probably would have broken down. In fact, she was still struggling with all those things, and she probably would for the rest of her life.

But Annie had a luxury not many could afford: She had a loving father, a loving husband, and even some good friends. Somehow, she had managed to extract the positives from the extreme negatives, to find the full half of the jagged glass of water she had been dealt with. It still hurt, but she was able to find the good inside of it all. So for now, she just wanted to take it all in. "I'm… I'm actually getting married… Married to the love of my life…", Annie thought, and she squealed. "This is the best day EVER!"

"Really? Then how come I haven't seen your pretty smile yet?", Wrecker asked, popping in and grinning.

Annie bounced up from her bed and dropped him to the floor, squeezing him as hard as she could. Wrecker struggled to breath. "Not SO hard, Annie! Yowch!"

"Sorry, Dad!", Annie said sheepishly, before resuming hugging him. "I'm just so excited!"

Wrecker chuckled, and he hugged her back hard too. "You think you're excited, buttercup? I couldn't sleep a wink almost all week!" His eyes were sunken and black, and they twitched for a moment. "Reality is an illusion…" He then shook his head again and smiled reassuringly. "Oh, well, don't worry your head off 'bout me, dear! We have a lot to do today!"

"Yeah, I know! I need to get my wedding dress and ring and everything! Oh, Frog, I better hop to it! See ya later, Dad!", Annie declared, and she began to hop towards the hallway, when Wrecker suddenly blocked her way.

"Dad, uh, you're kinda in the way."

"Yeah, because I have somethin' to tell ya!" Annie perked up and stopped trying to get across. "Ok, what is it then?"

Wrecker now looked a little bashful. It sounded kinda sad, didn't it? A dad desperately wanting to spend a little more time with his not so little girl. She'd probably be embarrassed. "N…Never mind, you wouldn't like it."

Annie sighed, smiling a little at her weirdo Dad. "Look, Dad, I'm not as amazed by this as you, but if you really want to keep talking about the fascinating role web crusties have played in Amphibia's history, I'm game.", she replied, raising a notebook and a quill.

"What? No, no, that's not what I meant!", Wrecker said, waving his hands, before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, Annie, I was just wonderin' if your ol' pop could come along! If you don't mind, that is?", Wrecker asked, clearly afraid of a rejection.

Annie, however, was more than happy to. "Dude, of course! It'll be so fun! We could get manicures!"

"Not doin' that."

"Or we could find the nastiest looking food and see who barfs first!", Annie offered instead, making a sick looking face.

"You kids have weird hobbies.", Wrecker commented, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

Annie blew a raspberry and started dragging him out the room. "Come on, Daddy-O! We have no time to lose! I wanna paint your nails!"

"As long as it's a hip color! I wanna be in with the youths!"

"See, it's when you say that that you have no real chance of doing that."

While Wrecker and Annie went off to their errands, Grime was dealing with an all together different problem, one which was bouncing around in his noggin constantly.

A wedding custom in Amphibia similar to the Human realm, was that the wedded loved ones had to write vows for each other. Grime, of course, was more than ready, more than happy to write vows for his beloved. But he was struggling to come up with the right ones, and it was bothering him hard, as all problems did.

Walking into the wedding hall, he muttered to himself ideas over and over again. "Your face is like a really good can of tomatoes… No, no… I love to hear your snores because then I know you're still alive and haven't left me… Oh, Toad, that sounds so pathetic… I find it really impressive how much you know about Web Crusties and how they have impacted our society OH COME ON!"

This shout made Percy and Braddock swivel their heads towards him, still perched on their ladder hanging flowers. Glancing at each other and nodding wordlessly, they climbed down and ran up to Grime. "Cap… Mr. Grime?", Braddock called, and Grime turned around and smiled in a tired way at her and Percy. "Hello, my friends! How are you?" He looked at the flowers and grinned. "Oh, you're doing great! You even picked my favorite flowers! Aww, thank you!"

"You're welcome, Mr. Grime, we accept cash only.", Percy offered his hand, and Braddock slapped it away. "Percy!" She looked up at Grime, worried. "We were wondering how you're doing, Mr. Grime."

Grime sighed and sat on the floor, staying level with the kids. "Not great. I'm trying to come up with some vows for Annie, but everything I come up with sounds really stupid! 'Your bouncing is wicked cool?' I'm SUCH an idiot!", he said, putting his head in his hands.

Percy, gulping, took initiative. "Well, um, if I were tasked with writing vows, for, I don't know, um, Braddock, I guess, I'd write about things I think are cool about her, like, um, what a good gardner she is!"

Braddock blushed, but pretended it didn't have an effect on her. "But Annie doesn't garden.", Grime said, missing the point. "Wait, what if she does?!", he suddenly panicked. "How could I not notice? I'm a horrible husband!"

"No, wait, it was just an example!", Percy reassured, and Grime calmed down. "Ok, ok. Um… But every time I try to write about something she's good at, I say something weird.", Grime explained, feeling down.

"Well, maybe we can coach you to say it right! Here, try one on me!", Braddock offered.

Grime sighed and looked through his notes. "All right, um, how's this?", he started, clearing his throat. "You know how you do that thing where you drum on your belly? That's totes awesomeballs."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Yeah, you're in trouble, man.", Percy said, and Braddock nodded.

Grime sighed. This was gonna be hard.

"It's weird.", Annie commented, as she and Wrecker rode their carriage into town, the sun now up and shining in the new dawn Toad Town was facing.

"What's weird?", Wrecker asked, petting the snail that drove them, and scratching it behind the ears. The snail purred happily, closing its eyes.

"No one's attacking us."

Wrecker gave her a concerned look. "That shouldn't be a rare thing for someone your age. Or anyone, for that matter."

Annie waved him off, not worried at all. "Oh, I know that's what normal is, don't worry! It's just gonna take some time getting used to."

Wrecker sighed. It wasn't like Annie had much say in the life she ended up living recently, but it didn't make it any less depressing. "Hopefully normal will be the new normal now that you're gettin' hitched."

"I bet it will be, Dad! Keep a positive attitude!", she smiled cheerfully, and Wrecker, despite still feeling sad by this fact, bit his tongue to keep the angst in. He HAD to try harder.

"So, um, you read any good books lately?", Wrecker asked, and Annie laughed. "That's the best ice breaker you can come up with?"

"It's better than nothin', young lady, you've been silent outside of that 'weird' comment.", Wrecker quipped, and Annie chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, I guess so. Guess I'm just feeling some jitters. It's like a dream!"

"You ever imagine what your wedding would be like?", Wrecker asked, curious. "I would imagine this whole hootenanny bein' celebrated for me back in Wartwood, and I'd be dancin' all night long with my honey!"

"I assume there's a lot of Beetle Jerky, or I'm not attending.", Annie joked, and it was Wrecker's turn to laugh. "Yeah, I see what you mean!" Wrecker sighed happily and leant back on his seat. "Well, there would be a lot of Beetle Jerky, that's for sure. How about you?"

Annie scratcher her chin, thinking back to her childhood, to the day dreams of a farmer girl who would look at a field of corn and search for gold. "Well, I knew that I would have this beautiful ring to give my partner. Like, a shining diamond ring, to reflect their beauty!"

"Nice, nice.", Wrecker thought, wondering how they'd get that on their budget, but not daring to interrupt. "And, um…", Annie kept on thinking, looking up at the clouds. "I wanted everyone to be dancing and laughing! Not all stuffy, ya know? I wanted my wedding to be a day that was fun not just for me, but for all!"

Wrecker smiled proudly at her, breathing through his nose. "How very thoughtful."

Annie smiled dreamily and enthused more and more as she kept going. "And… And I would kiss my partner more than once, and I'd eat two slices of cake, not one, and, and, and I'd dance with everyone, including my dad…"

Annie then trailed off, as she remembered that one of them wouldn't attend. And neither would her mother. She slumped her shoulders and sighed. "…I wish they were here."

"They are. In your heart. Can you still feel them?", Wrecker asked softly, reminding her of the never ending love one could feel in their heart if they concentrated long enough. Annie nodded, smiling a little. "I can still feel them. I guess you're right, but it still sucks."

"Well… You have me, at least.", Wrecker proposed, though the fear was still latent in his words. Annie hugged him tightly and cuddled up to his warmth. "It's not at least at all, it's a lot!"

Wrecker chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Thanks, kiddo." Leaning back again, Wrecker's eyes trailed off and spotted the slingshot Annie had used inside the carriage. "A slingshot? I haven't seen one of those since I was a kid!"

He tongued it towards him and admired the wooden toy. "Still working, it seems."

"Yeah! I used it to fight the guards a week ago! I should keep it, I bet my kid or kids would love it!", Annie replied, giddy at the idea.

Wrecker, however, still felt himself being left behind. He shivered, despite the warmth.

Reaching the store, Wrecker and Annie looked around the town for a moment. It really did look nicer now that Grime was in control: It was hard to explain, just a feeling that the sun looked brighter, the streets looked cleaner, the loads felt lighter. Frog kids ran past them, laughing up a storm as they kicked a hackysack up in the air. Wrecker felt a twinge of pride in his heart. He had helped make this a reality. He had done something good for them.

Annie also felt proud, and she expressed it. "We did a really good job, you and I!"

"Yeah…", Wrecker agreed, still feeling the inevitable end of their relationship approach. Perhaps looking at the rings in the store would help.

A bell greeted them merrily as they walked in, it's spiritly ding dong inviting them to smell the incense and jasmine tea that spread across the store air. The lights were not too bright, and the carpet was very comfortable, more like a soothsayer's tent than a ring store. Even the store owner seemed like the spiritual type, as she sat and meditated on the counter. Her raven hair and bead necklace rested peacefully as she breathed slowly. She seemed pleasant, and when she opened her eyes, her smile was pleasant too.

Sadly, that was merely an illusion. Her face visibly scrunched at the sight of Annie, before she noticed the big man next to her, and she put on a mask.

"Oh, um, good day, fr… Customers! What brings you to 'Rona's Ring Store'?"

Annie could barely keep her excitement, and she half screamed. "I'M GETTING MARRIED!"

"We need a ring.", Wrecker explained, eying her all over. His hands shook a little, and he stabilized them.

Annie, meanwhile, was already glued to the display cases, amazed by the plethora of rings to choose: There were diamond rings, golden rings, silver rings, bronze rings, rings that were hand carved from the finest wood, rings that could have names engraved on them, rings made from tree sap.

"I didn't know there were so many rings!", Annie voiced out loud, and Wrecker chuckled, finding her wonder adorable. "This is only one store. There are dozens across Amphibia.", he whispered, with a grin. Annie gasped and pushed him playfully. "SHUT. UP!" "No, I'm quite the chatterbox.", Wrecker quipped.

"Uh, yes, we have a wide selection! What would people like you, I MEAN, um, what would be your preference, ma'am?", Rona asked, eye twitching from her Freudian slip. Annie scrunched up her face in concentration. "Hmm.", she hmm'd as she hovered over the rings. "Hmm!", she hmm'd louder as she went back and forth, still unsure. "HMM!", she hmm'd really loudly, making Wrecker laugh. "We don't have all day, sweetie!" "I knoooooow, but it's so hard!", Annie "moaned", and she pointed at the rings, her pupils turning into hearts at each one. "This one is shiny, but this one is sparkly! This one is teeny weeny and cuuuuute, but this one is huge ass!" She pointed at one filled with spikes, wearing a helmet. "THIS ONE HAS FREAKIN' SPIKES, MAN! SPIKES!"

Wrecker shook his head in humor. He then saw how uncomfortable Rona was and narrowed his eyes.

Annie sighed, lying on the glass display and making a squeaky noise with her face. "Oh, Frog, if only there was the PERFECT one…"

And suddenly, her eyes landed on it. Right in front of her, it was there, the one, the only…

"OHMYGOSH IS THAT A LILYPAD RING? IS THAT A FUCKING RING MADE OUT OF LILYPAD?"

"Baby, language.", Wrecker pointed out, and Annie rolled her eyes. "I mean, is that a ring made out of lilypad?", Annie asked, and Rona nodded, taking it out and placing it on the table and stepping away from Annie. "Yes, quite so! It's specially made from only the finest Marsh Pond lilypads! It's arguably our finest ring!"

Annie's eyes only continued to widen. She was mesmerized. "This ring isn't just cool, Dad, it could also be my way of honoring Marsh Pond and my family!"

Wrecker had to admit, Annie was right. The ring was perfect in every way, and would help not just make Annie happy, but maybe also deal with her remaining baggage from the tragedy's in her life. "It sure is a purty thing, darlin'."

But then he had to say what he really didn't want to say.

"But, well, we're low on funds as it is, Annie. I'm not sure we'll have enough."

Annie sighed. She had forgotten that part. "Well, let's ask first! Maybe we're just assuming!", Annie said, perking up, and she turned to Rona and pointed at the lilypad ring. "So how much does this baby cost?"

Rona looked below her at the pricing page. It was expensive enough, 12,000 bits worth. Rona's eyes shifted for a moment, before announcing the price.

"50,000 bits."

Annie's face fell. "We barely have a hundred bits! Oh man, Dad, you were right! We better go for the cheapest one.", Annie said, her look of disappointment clear.

Wrecker bit his bottom lip: Not only was it unlikely they would be able to buy any ring, but now Annie had to settle, and if his suspicions were correct, the price had been massively raised as it is.

But what could he do? He didn't have money, he would never steal again, he had nothing to barter with! What could he possibly do?

"Oh no, what if we don't have enough for a dress, too? I'm gonna let Grime down!", Annie said, and she genuinely began to look like she could cry. She was gonna wreck the day for her husband now, all because she was poor, like some kind of idiot!

…Wrecker would do whatever he could.

"Annie…", he started, his eyes searching for some kind of distraction. Looking behind him, he found it and clapped his hands. "Um, well, Annie, I think we might need to think it over with some lunch! Would be mighty kind of ya if you could reserve us a table over there?", he asked in his nicest voice.

Annie nodded, still depressed. "Yeah, I guess it might help to get some brain food. I'll go over there right now!"

"I'll join up in a minute!", Wrecker shouted as Annie lounged out of there, shoulders slumped and smile spoiled.

Turning to Rona, Wrecker's soft smile turned into a silent frown of rage. He placed his hands slowly on the counter and spoke in a tone that could cut you to pieces without even trying or showing. "Don't think I didn't notice what you did. I've had my eye on you the entire time, and you've been judging my daughter like she's some kind of monster. Guess you don't own a mirror.", he stung her with venom.

Rona crossed her arms and glared. "Just because our Prince has gone mad doesn't mean I need to follow."

"I'm sure he'd love to hear that again, perhaps while you get fined for racial profiling of his wife?".

Wrecker had a look that could pierce a battleship. His rage was only just contained. He wanted her to feel what she deserved, but it was counter intuitive. What was important was the ring.

"But… I won't tell him a word of it, if ya give me that there ring."

Rona stared him in the eyes, meeting his challenge. "You frogs ruined everything. I'm gonna need more than that for a 12,000 bits worth ring."

"I should call Grime on your ass right here, right now.", Wrecker breathed, pissed off in a hundred different ways.

"You want the ring? I want more. Or I'll start telling everyone how you hurt me."

"You wouldn't."

Taking a knife, Rona aimed it at her palm. "Try me."

The two stood there, separated by the counter, breathing hard, fire in their eyes. Wrecker knew this wasn't ok. But he would NOT ruin Annie's day, not when he only had one more before retuning home. He would do ANYTHING.

Feeling a shot of pain again, and still thinking of the home he would be returning to without her, Wrecker suddenly knew what he could give to ensure Annie's happiness.

Without a moment's hesitation, Wrecker took his sword, and with a single strike…

He cut his leg right off clean.

Blood spilled on the ring store floor, while Wrecker reached for his bag and installed a thin prosthetic with a magical sticker attached to it for a DIY situation.

"Your town doctor told me I'd have to do this one day anyway. Now you can brag to all your friends that you got The Wrecker's leg, with your own blade."

Standing up on his new leg, ignoring the searing pain he still felt in his head, Wrecker than looked her in the eyes again. "And I have a farm back in Wartwood. Pretty good farm too. If half the profits were to go to someone else… I wouldn't notice."

"And I wouldn't say a word. Have your ring, freak.", Rona said, and she tossed him the ring. Wrecker grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket, turning around without a word, and hobbling out towards the restaurant.

Annie was already seated at the wooden table outside in the sunshine, looking like she had cried a bit and dried it with a napkin. When she looked at Wrecker, she noticed he was walking funny. "You ok, Dad? Your leg acting up?"

"Somethin' like that.", Wrecker mumbled, placing the lilypad ring on the table. "Surprise."

Annie's eyes widened like pie plates, as she couldn't stop her smile spreading from ear to ear. "How how how?!"

Wrecker chuckled warmly. "I'm very persuasive.", he breathed out, still hiding the pain of his leg. He nearly cried when he bent down to sit. This was gonna take some getting used to.

Annie helped him sit down, following that with a huge hug. "Thank you thank you THANK YOU! This is… This is the best gift anyone has ever given me!"

"Annie, you let me into your life. It's the least I could do.", Wrecker said, kissing her cheek. Sure, it hurt like hell, and he would flirt with bankruptcy for the rest of his life. But his angel was happy. That was more than enough.

Back in the wedding hall, Grime was still stressing over his vows, as Felicia Sundew and Mr. Flour could very well attest to.

"And what if I stutter? Or, or, or drop the ring? Or lose the ring?! DO I HAVE IT?!", Grime asked, searching his pockets frantically, eyes wild with fear.

Felicia, clearly uncomfortable, cleared he throat and pointed at the table.

"…Oh.", Grime responded, red with embarrassment. He placed the box in his pocket and sighed forlorn, his face in his hands. "This is gonna be a disaster!"

Felicia and Mr. Flour exchanged sympathetic looks as they kept on with their work. Lil Maddie crawled towards Grime and poked at him to see if he was still alive. "Well…", Mr. Flour started, hoping to draw from personal experience. "None of these things are ever 'perfect', you know."

Grime opened an eye, his hopes and head raised a little. "Really?"

"Of course, my friend!", Mr. Flour continued, as he melted the chocolate in his large cauldron, the yummy smelling scent wafting up into the air. "Why, when I got married to Oeznik, I nearly killed him when I threw his butcher's knife at him as a joke!"

Grime was visibly shaking now, and Felicia scolded Mr. Flour. "But it turned out FINE, right?"

Mr. Flour chuckled, oblivious. "Oh, hell no! The marriage fell apart soon after! He was always harping me on about 'Managing the finances' and 'Not decorating the cakes with sex jokes", and "Please, dear, we are nearly bankrupt, Inflatable Pool Floats of yourself aren't a wise financial investment" OF COURSE THEY ARE, OEZNIK, WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO SIT ON MY FACE?!"

No one had an answer to that one for a while, but of course it was Grime who found more to be afraid of. "Oh no, what if that happens to me and Annie? She's probably more loose with cash… What if I mention that before the wedding, and she leaves me?!", Grime spiraled, and Felicia, shooting daggers at Mr. Flour, reassured him. "Now, now, sweetie, it's not like that at all! SOME of us had healthy, normal one night stands, where we quickly married the guy to save face, but then he abandons you to manage a business and raise a baby on your own!"

Grime burst into tears again. "SHE HAS LEGITAMATE REASONS TO LEAVE ME!"

Felicia bit her bottom lip, laughing with embarrassment. "Whoops."

"Oh, you two fools have no idea what you're talkin' about!", One Eyed Wally stated, making Grime perk up for a moment. Perhaps this one would…

"I'm single, and I only cry for two hours every night!"

Grime's faucets turned on again, and he kept sobbing on the table, making all three adults glance worryingly at him. Wrecker said he had confidence problems, but this…

"Look… Just because it went badly for us…", Felicia started, before Mr. Flour interjected. "Speak for yourself! My floats will sell like hotcakes once…"

"Ahem!", Felicia interjected angrily, and Mr. Flour coughed apologetically. "My bad. Proceed."

"As I was saying… Just because it went badly for us, doesn't mean it has to be bad for you!", she encouraged, looking into his green eyes full of sorrow. "If you don't believe in yourself, how will you ever have a chance to love her?"

She was making a point, Grime had to admit. "But how do I express it right? I don't know what to say!"

Wally tapped his chin. "Well… Maybe you need to think about what makes this girl special to you! What is it about her that makes you want to marry her?"

Grime considered the question, flashes of things that Annie had said and done racing through his mind. A small smile appeared on his face. In almost no time, Annie had made his life… Worth living.

"I guess… I guess she just makes me feel… Feel like I deserve to be happy.", he stated, and Felicia Aww'd happily, while Wally and Mr. Flour nodded their heads in approval.

"That's the spirit! You need to dig in deep and find what makes your heart beat in her direction!", Mr. Flour offered helpfully. "I guess I could try that, instead of just writing down compliments…", Grime replied, his voice sounding encouraged. "I think I'll try again!"

"Wonderful! But first you should really invite these people to come by carriage if you don't want them to be late!", Wally stated, handing Grime a list Wrecker had written. Grime shot up and ran to his carriage drivers. "I hope Annie doesn't mind staying after 3!"

"Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!" Every patron in the tiny restaurant turned around to observe the loud noises erupting from Annie's mouth as she devoured her Beetle Jerky. The waiter approached Annie cautiously. "Would the lady… Like more?"

"Ah, yeah! Please!", Annie nodded enthusiastically, and Wrecker laughed, shaking his head. "What my family would say if they saw you now."

"Bunch of killjoy's, that's what they are! Mama needs her PROTEIN, OK?!", Annie joked, before getting a realization. "Oh, Frog, if this is what I'm like now, how bad am I gonna be when I'm pregnant?"

Wrecker suddenly choked on his Beetle Jerky, and it took him a moment to get the wedge out of his throat, making disgusting old man noises the entire time.

Annie laughed at the display, as she began to bounce her knees excitedly. "Damn, Dad, you need a plumber?"

Wrecker panicked, and he deflected the choking he just had with feigned bravery. "So, uh, pregnant? You expecting?"

"I don't think so, but I can't wait to be! I have SO many name ideas, I might never be able to pick one! How's Crusher? Or Badass? Or Dave?!", Annie asked excitedly, jumping up and down now.

"Dave?", was Wrecker's only response.

"Yeah, Dave's a nice name! My cousin had an incurable disease named Dave!"

Wrecker, of course, was still stuck in the having children part. He wondered if he could perhaps slow down the process in a good way. For her best interests, of course.

"Well, you know, there's no shame in not having kids RIGHT away! Took my parents quite a few years! And I turned out just fine!" Wrecker then realized what he said, and backed off. "Ah, scratch that last part."

Annie, still excited though, kept on listing reasons why she wanted them as soon as possible, her eyes gleaming like brilliant diamonds. "I am gonna be SUCH a good mom! I'm gonna read em stories that are wholesome, but also VIOLENT! And, and, and I'll cook em really good food, food that will make em go 'Mommy, mommy, I don't wanna eat grandpa's good it sucks I want yours!'

"Hurtful.", Wrecker half joked, but he DID feel his pride stabbed a bit. His cooking was… Adequate!

Annie stuck her tongue out playfully, before resuming listing off her hopes and wishes for her kids. "And I'll let them play, they won't work like Grime or I did, they'll be free to be little cute gremlins, and I'll train them to defend themselves with cute little weapons, and… Oooh, maybe these restaurant menus! Do regular kids like those?"

Wrecker, who had been listening contently up until then, suddenly widened his eyes as he realized what Annie was suggesting. "Wait… You want… More than one?"

"Oh yeah, for sure! Two and more or bust, that's what I say! Wouldn't want the one kid to be lonely, daddy might be busy after all!"

Wrecker had a thousand yard stare. How was he ever gonna deal with all this change happening so fast? He had only recently gotten used to the wedding, which STILL felt too fast for him! But on top of that, Annie wanted to have kids? As in plural? As in two?! And doubtless she wouldn't have time for him anymore. She would be rightfully busy raising her young ones. She wouldn't have time for some old has been who was never up for snuff.

"No, no, control yourself!", Wrecker ordered himself, getting angry. "You promised you wouldn't do this!"

Wrecker took a deep breath, and put on a fake smile, that pained his face. A mask on a mask. "That… That sounds wonderful, honey."

"It DOES, doesn't it?", Annie enthused, before finding another plate of Beetle Jerky next to her. "Thank you, Garcon!", Annie put on "airs", and giggled, before realizing something. "Oh, they better love Beetle Jerky, the little scamps! It's a family tradition, after all!"

Wrecker had to admit, that made him smile. "You remember what we said, that first time we met?"

Annie giggled and nodded enthusiastically. "The savory, salty taste. The just slightly too hot ends that char your tongue, but in a pleasant way…"

Wrecker chuckled, and recited past Annie. "But you know what's the best part?"

"You bet! Nothing better than…", they both started, and they both exclaimed at the same time after taking a bite…

"The crunchy sound!"

Both laughed once more, and both smiled with nostalgia at each other. How far they had come. Once, they were alone, depressed, aimless. Now, they were united, joyful, and with purpose.

"At least… Until after today. Then I'll revert to who I once was." Wrecker sighed.

"How time flies, when you're having fun, huh, Annie? You were so unsure, so afraid, and now… Well, look at you." He smiled through his beginning tears. "I couldn't be prouder."

Annie smiled at first, but then she yelped and jumped up, a surprised ribbit coming out of her mouth, her eyes ablaze with alarm. "Oh no, we are wasting so much time! We need to get to the dress store!"

Wrecker bolted up too, realizing she was right, before realizing something else. "Uh… You sure you're not still hungry, Annie?"

"Positive!", Annie said, stuffing the rest of the jerky into her mouth and dashing off. "Thanks, gotta go, byeeeeeeee!"

Wrecker, fishing the money out of his pocket, thankful he still had some, stared longingly at her leaving.

"…Bye."

When Wrecker arrived at the dress store, he was pleasantly surprised by the sights and sounds that were on display as much as the dresses: The place was so brightly lit it nearly burned your eyes, but in a strangely soothing way; The walls were painted baby blue, which for some reason seemed to make Wrecker's high strung nerves curl into a ball and snooze; and a faint smell of lavender engulfed the surroundings, bringing about a feeling of peace.

"The bar is admittedly low, but this has ta be my favorite dress store.", Wrecker admitted to himself, as his eyes scrolled around for any trace of his daughter.

It didn't take long to find her, but it was thanks to his ears instead of his eyes. To be honest, anyone around a five mile radius could probably hear her when she started to squee and shout her lungs out.

Annie was no dress girl, she was raised to dress practically for any weather, through rain or more rain, but a small part of her had always dreamed of having something nicer than her overalls. It was only natural, the desire to appear pretty not just for others, but yourself.

As Annie eyed the dresses, she caught herself in a mirror, looking as rough and disheveled as ever, scratches on her face, hair all over the place, but she didn't mind this time. In just a few minutes she would be as beautiful as the flower in her hair.

She threw her hat to the side, only for Wrecker to catch it desperately. He chuckled, as he lifted himself from the ground, wiping the dirt off of his cloak. "Nearly took my head off."

"It wasn't of much use anyway.", Annie teased, sticking her tongue out again, as she leafed through the dresses, oohing and aaahing at each one. Wrecker really couldn't tell what was different about any of them, but he wasn't just gonna sit there and be useless, so he tried to ask questions he felt made sense. "Um… What should I be looking for?"

"Well, what do you think I'd want in a dress?", Annie asked.

Wrecker tapped his chin, totally unsure. "…A knife holster? Pockets to store candy in? Two knife holsters?"

"Ok, the holsters are a good idea, I'll give ya that!", Annie admitted, but she then shook her head. "I was hopin' you have an answer, actually, because I sure as hell don't have a clue!"

Both Frogs sighed and scratched their heads at the same time. They could really use a helping hand.

Fortunately one DID show up, in the form of June, the dress store owner, a stout toad with jet black hair rosy cheeks. She was an excitable type, rushing right in with vim and vigor at the sight of the confused customers. "Oh, my, darlings, don't work up a sweat! Here, here, let me get you the right dresses!"

"Right dresses? Isn't this, like, one size fits all?", Annie asked, wondering if she had gained weight somehow. She looked down. No, seemed normal.

"Oh, no, no, those are TOAD dresses, see?", June replied, as she entered the storage area to their left, her footsteps echoing into the store. Wrecker raised an eyebrow. Where was this headed? He didn't have the patience or spare body parts for another racist.

June dispelled his fears though, when she returned with a selection of thinner and longer dresses, all as glamorous as the ones already on display. "I'm sorry, love, we only got the Frog ones recently, those will fit your size a lot better than those short toad ones! Wouldn't want something too small on your special day!"

Wrecker relaxed his clenched knuckles. At least someone normal.

"Oh, that's so thoughtful! Thank you!", Annie chirped, feeling a little unique. She excitedly looked at the spread on the couch before her, while Wrecker eyed them, wondering what differentiated any of them.

"Anything catching your eye, honey?", June asked sweetly, enjoying the enthusiasm the young frog girl was exhibiting.

"Um, all of them! Wish I knew what to choose or look out for.", Annie expressed, looking sheepish. June placed a comforting hand on Annie's shoulder, and Wrecker had to stop himself from being overprotective. He still worried they had encountered another jerk. "No need to worry, dear, we'll find something! Let's start with the way the dress appears. I assume you don't want it to show anything?", she asked, pointing at the more translucent dresses. "It's nothing my husband hasn't seen before!", Annie joked, making the two girls laugh, while Wrecker wished he could rewind that part of the conversation and forget about it forever.

"But yeah, I don't want anything showy like that. In both meanings of the word.", Annie replied, pointing at the one with a corset and the one with a mermaid silhouette.

"Go more personal, gotcha!", June replied, and she leafed through other options. Wrecker decided to sit down. This would take a while, and he was really sticking out like a sore thumb. He was nodding off as soon as he sat down, anyway.

"V-Neck, no… Sheer overlay is a little too "Queen", if you feel me… Lace tattoo, oh, no way!", June commented, until she finally reached something Annie might like. "How about this, girl? A nice, simple A-Line, with a sash in front? Pretty humble, but still elegant!"

Annie nodded slowly. "It's definitely the right direction, uh…"

"June."

"June, yes! It's definitely the right direction, but it's not quite "Annie", not enough. I feel like we're so close though!", Annie stated, hoping she wasn't being too picky.

June laughed pleasantly, easing Annie's nerves. "No worries, Annie, this is a big, big choice, we can take our time!"

The girls kept on, looking at option after option, until finally, after all Annie could see was white and gold, she found it.

"WOAH! WHAT. IS. THAT?!", Annie vibrated like she was on a sugar rush, as she stared wide eyed at the dress she found.

June eyes widened too: How had she missed this one? "That's one of the fancier ones! Must have been lost in the shuffle, but it might JUST be your style!", June said, as she pointed at the dress' sleeves. "See, these are Statement Sleeves, specifically three-quarter-length ones! Their illusion sleeves that hit around the elbow, and with that sweetheart neckline that forms the shape of a heart, and the embroidery over the tulle, it's…"

"Perfect…", Annie gazed at the dress and nearly began to cry. It was just her, not too elegant, not too humble, not too flashy, but still oh so lovely!

"IT EVEN HAS POCKETS!", she nearly screamed, waking Wrecker up. "Guess that's where you'll keep the knife.", Wrecker laughed quietly, and Annie giggled too. "Oh my Frog, June, I love love love it! This is the one, I can feel it!", Annie announced, clapping her hands excitedly and bouncing up and down.

June grinned, overjoyed for the customer. "Oh, Annie, that's wonderful! I agree, it's right up your alley!"

Annie cheered, and Wrecker breathed a sigh of relief. This went off without a hitch! But of course, it was never gonna be THAT easy. June, who had left to the counter to check the price list, returned with an uncertain voice. "Turns out this is one of our… Pricier ones. I hope you brought a full wallet, dear."

Annie's sprits fell down immediately. "A hundred bits ain't gonna cut it, huh?", Annie said, feeling broken hearted. How dumb was she not to consider that.

June's spirits also fell. "Not even close, honey. I'm so sorry. I would lower the price if you had more, but this is 3,000 bits!"

Annie sat down, sighing, but understanding. "Don't apologize, June, I understand! I wouldn't expect you to do that to just any customer!"

Wrecker felt his heart sink too. Just a minute ago Annie was so happy, now she looked like she could cry. Sure, it was just a dress, but everything seemed to be against them. Even though Annie HAD gotten the ring, he understood why she felt down. After all, they had gotten lucky with the ring. The dress, that was a different story, one that seemed to tell her that racists or not, Annie just couldn't afford what she dreamt of.

And Wrecker was not gonna let that stand. But what could he do? He had nothing to offer, outside of the rest of his monetary gain from his crops. Perhaps he could do that, but that would mean he would have no house to live in.

…It would be worth it, though. If it meant she was happy.

But before Wrecker could even suggest that, June made a comment that gave him a better idea, one that at least wouldn't leave him homeless. "Stupid Toad Town! Only thing that makes money here is war! At least if I sold more, I'd be able to make you an exception!"

"Only thing that makes money here…", Wrecker started, his head working overtime. "But outside of here… Yes!"

"Yes what?", Annie asked, confused.

"Not now, Annie, adults are talking.", Wrecker retorted, and Annie crossed her arms, not too amused. "I'm 20."

"I'm 58, so there." Wrecker returned his glance to June, who stared at him with curiosity. "Listen, I'm no spring chicken, but I know Amphibia like the back of my hand. And I can tell you, there are a LOT of towns that would love some of these here dresses! I could go over to those towns and sell em, making you a tidy profit!"

June had to admit, it was a good plan. "That might just work… But how much of the cut would you want?"

"None.", Wrecker said immediately, and Annie's eyes widened as she realized where this was going.

"All I want is for that girl to have the dress of her dreams. I know, it's a big loss, but I'll make it up for ya in the long term with all the dresses we'll sell, and not just wedding dresses!"

June was a practical woman as much as she was a woman of heart, and she was more than able to see the long term benefits. "You make a solid pitch, mister! Now I can definitely give you that dress for a hundred bits, Annie!"

Annie was still speechless, not sure what to say. All she could do was nod, her mouth agape. June and Wrecker shook hands, solidifying the deal, and June, smiling giddily, hugged Annie. "Oh, you're gonna be a knockout, Annie! Oh, you know what? If I'm already giving you the dress for a hundred, have some baby clothes on the side for free! If you're expecting some tiny miracles…"

Annie finally cracked a smile. "One can hope…", she trailed off, struggling not to look at Wrecker.

"I'll get your dress all packed up! See you in a minute!", June exclaimed, and she left to the counter.

"Heh. What a nice lady.", Wrecker expressed with a small smile and a happy tone, turning to find Annie nearly crying. "What's wrong, Annie?", he asked, worried. Had he done something wrong?

"Dad… That's a fulltime job. That's… That's a fulltime job in something I doubt you even care about."

"I care about you.", he responded simply. She sounded emotional, like any minute she would shatter. "I would have compromised if you had just let me."

"…I don't compromise on your happiness, Annie.", he stated, and, with a big, teary smile, she hugged him super hard. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I… I CAN'T STOP THANKING YOU, FIRST THE RING, NOW THIS? I LOVE YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!"

Wrecker smiled, enjoying the last bits of love he would get from her. "…I love you too, baby."

And for a few moments, they embraced, feeling the joy of the coming day.

A while later, Annie had to try out her dress, just to make sure it was the right fit in sight and not just in numbers. And when she came out, it was Wrecker's turn to cry. "How do I look?", Annie asked shyly, as she emerged from the dressing room, shining like a star, looking so grown up. Tears filled Wrecker's cheeks. He stood up and smiled at her, at his…

"…You look… You look like a beautiful woman, Annie.", he finally said, staring at her as a father would, with pride.

As the afternoon sun shone brightly, Grime sat in his room, a mountain of scrunched up paper serving as a throne of sorts as he attempted to write his vows once more.

"No, that isn't right... That's too corny... What does Smeckledorf even mean?!", Grime grunted in frustration, and he crumpled up yet another scrap of paper, throwing it behind him with a heavy sigh.

"Maybe a walk will do me some good. Clear my mind.", Grime muttered to no one in particular, and he left the room, bringing with him the Annie sketch he drew.

The hallway was as gray and cold as it always was, thanks to the crimson curtains that kept the sun at bay. It was supposed to be like that, of course, Muck had always ordained it, for some reason or other, Grime wasn't sure, he just knew it was deathly important.

Grime stared at the dusty old things, and felt a raw and real loneliness, no, a twinge of fear it was, from the future. Perhaps it seemed odd to be afraid of better times, but that was the point, wasn't it? Touching the curtains softly, Grime realized that there was no war, no battles, no enemies, no father, no revenge to be wary of. There was no opposition to his ideals, no obstacles to his destiny, no threats to his loves ones.

He was safe.

"I'm not used to being happy. I never planned for that. It just kind of happened by accident."

"Indeed."

Grime turned around with a jolt, and saw Muck staring him in the eye, seemingly listless and drifting. The once mighty and imposing ruler of Amphibia appeared a shell of his former self, a wandering shadow in the halls of his kingdom. His eyes were sunken, his expression was absent, and he even looked weak.

Grime realized perhaps for the first time that his father was no god. Just a toad who had the power to do what he wanted.

Until now.

"What... What are you doing here, Father?", Grime asked, still a little wary. His father was still dangerous in his eyes, at least. He felt himself instinctually pull up his hands to defend himself from any attack.

Muck, on the other hand, seemed a lot calmer. Stretching for a moment, he asked a question, as if he were a normal father talking to his normal son about their normal lives. "The wedding's today, right?"

Grime nodded slowly, a little uncomfortable. This felt wrong. "...Yes?"

"Yeah, I thought so. Didn't look at the calendar, I forgot."

His father never forgot stuff. That is, he didn't use to. He was getting old...

Letting out a yawn, Muck looked at the curtains that Grime was hiding and pointed. "Might as well open the curtains here while you're at it."

Grime was even more surprised. "You... You want that?"

"Doesn't matter what I want. The choice isn't up to me.", Muck said, and he resumed his wandering, leaving Grime alone with the strangest thought, the strangest realization in his entire life.

He could open the curtains, or he could keep them closed.

Grime, full of fear and hesitation, carefully extended his hand, his fingers shaking. He grabbed at the curtains, and felt a sting of paranoia, but no one was behind him. The voice of doubt grew weaker as he began to pull.

Slowly, inches by inches, the curtains parted, letting in the light into the halls.

Nothing happened.

Nothing happened.

Grime took a moment...

And smiled.

He closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh air, the new path.

Nothing happened.

"...I know what my vows will be, Annie."

And so, as the afternoon sun began to slowly set, leaving an orange, husky glow that painted the atmosphere as well as the sky, Wrecker and Annie arrived at their final destination, one Wrecker did not know, but one Annie was more than familiar with.

For it was the house in the frog slums that had once housed Captain Claws and his sister Thorn Croaker.

The house had undergone a real transformation since she had last been there, though, and that was because of Grime: After he had realized what he had to do, he had gone and made sure that the slums would be fixed up properly. Every single house was quickly refurnished, revitalized, all the dangerous mold and rust removed. Now people could actually live in that neighborhood, and not just survive by a thread.

Annie hadn't realized how much she had loved the place. When she had stayed there, she felt truly at home, like she did with Wrecker. Perhaps it was because Annie was used to modest surroundings, and not to a tower that stood in the middle of Amphibia. Perhaps it was due to how welcoming the original owners were.

Whatever the reason was, once Annie had understood the house was free to be moved in, she had talked to Grime about it, and since Grime was more than open to shedding the royalty image and moving into the simpler home for a simpler life for their kids, their future was set in stone.

What a funny idea. That any future could be set. That there would be assurance, not fear, happiness, not despair.

That life could, but for a moment, feel like a blessing rather than a curse.

Annie had fought so hard for this moment, for this stage, and as she entered the house, caressing the door frame, she felt at peace.

"Home.", she whispered, to no one in particular, perhaps to the kids she hoped she had in her womb.

Wrecker, meanwhile, surveyed the land. "Not much farming space. Where will you park your snail?", Wrecker asked, staring at the enclosed space, unused to such an urban setting.

Annie rolled her eyes with a giggle as she turned on some lights and wiped off some cobwebs. "We don't have a snail, Dad, remember?"

"I do.", Wrecker reminded, before remembering himself what was gonna happen. He tried to hide his sadness by moving onto a different subject. His eyes landed on the dinner table in the middle. "Well, young lady, I would like to know who's gonna cook for ya! I don't remember you bein' much help when we had meals."

"Which we had, like, 3 times, maybe."

"...True."

"And your food isn't exactly Newtopia class."

"That's a matter of opinion."

Annie decided not to show Wrecker his entry in the Newtopia list of must avoid cooks, and instead walked up to the dinner table, removing a dusty glass and placing it in the dustier sink. "Dad, Grime and I can learn, and there's this thing called takeout, so we'll be fine."

"I know you'll be fine, I know that.", Wrecker slightly snapped, before retreating. "What I mean is... I just wanna make sure you're TOTALLY prepared, that's all. You know how I get."

"All too well.", Annie barbed, and she moved further into the house, into the now deserted bedroom. All that remained was the bed where she and Grime had slept together in.

She blushed at the memory. It had all happened so fast, but it was like a dream, a song, a fairytale that she had been sure was not for her. Her happily ever after was meant to be a life of serfhood for a tyrant, and now here she was, bringing peace to the people of Amphibia, with the man she loved.

All thanks to the frog who had saved her.

Annie felt something click in her head, perhaps all the insanity of the past few weeks had not truly registered, but it all came crashing into her as she saw the bed, as she saw herself and Grime, and as her adoptive father slowly walked in, clearly suffering from his bad leg. This frog, this frog she had once thought was a merciless, cruel killer...

Had given her a life.

No longer she would just survive. She would live.

Choking up, Annie turned around to Wrecker, who looked at her quite sadly. "You okay?", he asked, concerned. As always, he seemed to think it was his fault. "I know I've been all naggy again, it's not that I don't trust you, just that..."

Wrecker then stopped talking, as he saw the tears in Annie's eye. The soon to be married frog was shaking as she slowly walked over to him. "Annie, did I do somethin'? I'm real sorry if Ah did, I just..."

Annie then held Wrecker close, hugging him harder than she had ever hugged anyone, the tears silently streaming down her face. She wasn't ugly crying, it was more of a quiet cooldown hug, as she hugged Wrecker more and more.

Wrecker, on his hand, kept on being confused. "Sweetie, what's going on?"

"...Thank you.", Annie practically whispered.

"Fer what?", Wrecker asked, even more confused. He was getting really worried now too. This was supposed to be a happy day.

"For saving me. You're the reason I'll even get to get married today. You gave me a life to live."

Wrecker shook his head, disagreeing with that notion, and he distanced himself from the hug. "That's not remotely true, I... I just did what I had to do, and..."

Annie seemed a little hurt, and Wrecker felt bad, but he wasn't sure what to say. He wanted her to be happy today, but whatever he said could make things worse. After all..."

Wrecker didn't notice he was beginning to cry too as he began to ramble. "Look, I'm just worried, I know something is gonna go wrong eventually, and... And well, maybe it IS for the best that I go back to Wartwood after this, and get out of your way."

Annie had now gone from crying to shocked. "What are you talking about?", she asked, her eyes wide with confusion. Was he hiding his pain from her again? What made him think all these things?"

Wrecker, meanwhile, realized that he had done exactly what he wanted to do. "No, wait, it's not like that, I... I don't wanna ruin your big day, let's just forget this happened!"

"Uh, no, I don't want you to just hide this from me!"

"I mean, hiding is the best policy."

"That's honesty.", Annie retorted, unimpressed.

"Is it though?", Wrecker asked, with a weak smile.

Annie wasn't buying it. Walking up to him again, she looked him in the eyes and said "Dad, I... Dad, I love you, okay? I'm not just gonna leave you! And what's all this about bad things happening anyway?"

Wrecker sighed and leaned back on the wall, unused to such... non dramatic ways of revealing innermost feelings. "Oh, Annie, surely you've noticed by now that every time something good happens to us, or, well, me, that it all goes wrong. Inevitably we'll get hurt again. Or, well, me. Maybe it IS for the best that I leave, 'cause you're grown up, you've got a husband, kids comin' soon!"

He fought the tears again, his voice full of sorrow. "What place do you got left in your heart for some old fool? I ain't done nothin' right nearly my entire life. I finally came of use, just let me go, and we'll both be happy."

Wrecker braced himself for what always happened. Annie would leave him, as was predicted. Something would go wrong. It always did. It had to. That's just how life worked.

But Annie didn't leave.

Instead she hugged him again, comforting him by caressing his hair, whispering "No. I'm staying. It's ok."

Wrecker didn't get it. He couldn't get it. "No... It never goes like this..."

"It doesn't HAVE to go like that."

Wrecker stopped talking. Was... Was she right?

Could things just be good, even for a bit?

"Things go wrong, we'll have problems. But we'll face them together. As a family. You saved me, I'll save you. No one gets left behind.", Annie said, and Wrecker still couldn't believe it.

"...Are you sure? Are you sure I deserve that? Tell me, please, tell me I do. I'll believe it if you tell me."

"...You do."

Wrecker cried quietly as he held her. "...I didn't want to lose you. I just want this day to be special."

"It will be when you're there too. You're my father, after all."

Wrecker shook his head. "No, I'm not, I just took care of you..."

Annie shushed him. "No. You're my father. Period."

"...I'm not really accustomed to this unconditional love thing."

"Well, you will be thanks to me."

Wrecker couldn't believe his luck.

And he knew that there was something he had to do, something he should have done a while ago.

Looking to see if anyone was near them, just in case, he looked back at her with proud eyes. "If... If that's really the case, then... Then I..."

Not knowing how to say it, he decided to just do it.

Annie's face shifted into surprise, a small smile gleaming as Wrecker removed his mask for her, and only for her.

She saw his face, truly, for the first time, full of pain, full of tears, but also full of relieved joy. Joy that he was loved, that he was someone, that he was worth it.

That perhaps life could be good after all.

He was older than she imagined, perhaps.

But there he was, warts and all.

"...Yeah, I know, I'm a real looker.", Wrecker joked.

Annie chuckled, touching his face to make sure it was real. She smiled, crying again. "Look at us: Actually happy."

"Heh. I guess yer right. Maybe... Maybe it WILL be okay after all.", Wrecker smiled back for once, and he put a hand on her face in return.

"...I love you, Dad.", Annie responded.

"...I love you too, Annie."

And thus father and daughter embraced one last time, as they finally saw no obstacle ahead of them, just one clear sky.

After all they had went through, they could finally feel loved.

They could finally feel happy.

Arriving back at Toad Tower in their carriage, Wrecker and Annie found a whole line of people waiting to enter from outside. But it wasn't a small line, oh no: This one stretched out as far as the eye could see. Wrecker smiled at his daughter's gaping face, her awe struck eyes failing to comprehend the sight. There were more people there than she has ever seen in her entire life, and they were all here for...

For her.

"...How?", she asked. Wrecker grinned and winked. "Guess you're more special than you think."

Wrecker was a little surprised himself, though: He hadn't realized that the entire Order of Amphibia would arrive for his daughter's wedding. He had thought only a handful would. Still, the look on her face was worth it.

Stepping out of the carriage, Annie struggling to convey words and Wrecker simply shaking hands heartily, they greeted every member of the procession.

"An honor to make your acquaintance, Ms. Lilypad! You have turned our mission away from fantasy and into reality.", Olivia remarked politely, and Dave was quick to nudge her with a shake of his head. "Olive, come on! The girl is gonna get married! Leave the politics for now!"

Olivia, blushing furiously, stared back at him with annoyance. "Don't call me that!"

"But I love the look on your face!", he smirked, and she stood down, frustrated, though secretly she didn't TRULY mind that much.

Annie giggled, finding her voice. "Why, a thank you!", she curtsied, eliciting charmed smiles from the guests in line.

"Lovely to meet you too, Ms. Lilypad! You're an inspiration to us peace seeking creatures! Why, your father couldn't STOP talking about you!", Bloats the Toad shook her hand hard, making Annie go up and down comically. Wrecker gently made him slow down, and Bloats chuckled in embarrassment.

Annie blushed from the praise. She wasn't used to this, and she felt that she could cry almost from all the kind words. "Oh, did he?". Wrecker rubbed the back of his neck. "Couldn't help myself, all right?"

Clearing his throat, Wigbert Ribbiton stepped forwards as well. "Why, while it is too a great honor to meet a fine young frog such as yourself, I do believe more pressing guests would adhere to greet you! Starting with this delightful young chap we picked up from Newtopia! An actor, I believe."

Annie wasn't sure who he meant at first, but then she saw the "chap" and a huge smile erupted on her face. "PETER!", she yelled, running off to him and lifting him off the ground with a bear hug. Wrecker happily ran up to them to greet the old friend, who was grasping for air. "ANNIE! GREAT... TO SEE... YOU... BUT I... NEED... AIR..."

Annie brought him down gently, laughing, as Peter wiped some dust off of his suit. "Smart clothes, Pete.", Wrecker complimented, and Peter beamed with pride. "Why, thank you, Mr. Wrecker! I joined an acting troupe, and well, the benefits are quite splendid!"

"Well, look who's coming up in the world! I'm happy you found your path!", Wrecker said, Annie nodding violently. "It's wonderful, Peter! You look way less nervous too!"

Peter sighed happily. "Well, if it weren't for you two, I would never have done it!"

Wrecker and Annie both smiled at him, while Peter suddenly remembered something important. "Oh, yeah, I got you something from Newtopia!"

Wrecker and Annie were quick to say that "He didn't need to bring anything", but Peter insisted, taking out from his suitcase the littlest spider imaginable. Annie and Wrecker stared at the spider curiously, and Peter, petting the little tyke, explained. "You taught me how to be brave and carve out my own path. I felt that perhaps you too could use some bravery. He's small, but soon he'll grow big and strong, and protect you."

"That's a wonderful gift, Peter.", Wrecker sad proudly, and Peter smiled quietly. "Well... You're wonderful people."

Annie, already in love with the arachnid, let him sit on her shoulder. "Thank you, Peter, really! You're the bestest friend a gal could ask for!"

"And speaking of best friends...", a voice teased playfully from the darkness, and Wrecker laid his eyes on Valeriana, sporting a tired but friendly smile, hands on her hips. "Missed me, Wrecker?"

"I certainly did.", Wrecker replied. Annie looked at her with surprise. "Wait, you had friends?"

"Sort of? My backstory is very complicated and often convoluted.", he joked, shaking Valeriana's hand warmly. She took him aside as Annie kept on talking with Peter, wanting to impart some secret info to him. "The box... We're approaching a breakthrough thanks to you. It will take time... A lot of time... But by years end, we could get rid of this nightmare once and for all."

It was like a weight was lifted from his soul. Breathing easier, Wrecker nodded with understanding. "What do you need me to do?", he asked immediately, hand already at his sword. Valeriana, looking sad almost, reached out to make him drop his hand. "Enjoy your life. Settle down. Rest. The war is over, Wrecker. You don't need to do anything."

Wrecker took his hand off, slowly and hesitantly. His lips radiated compliance, but his eyes implied that he id not recognize the situation before him. He silently looked away at Annie, who was still talking excitedly, gesticulating like crazy.

"...So you finally found a family, huh? You always struck me as a family guy."

"Took me some time to find the right one for me, but ah did.", Wrecker said with a peaceful expression, realizing that he didn't feel any fear suddenly at the moment that was coming.

"Well, don't forget your old one, sonny!", Mrs. Croaker, appearing from the shadows as well, greeted her dearest friend with an old, loving look.

Valeriana gave them some room, and Wrecker, frozen to the spot, felt himself unsure of what to say or do. He wasn't used to being seen proudly. Especially from a family figure.

"...I... I..."

Mrs. Croaker shook her head and embraced him. "You don't need to say anything, dear. Just know you did a good job."

"...Promise?", he asked, searching for that security, that confirmation of safety.

"...Yes. I promise."

Parting from the hug, Wrecker decided it was time to enter the tower. "No need to catch a cold, everyone, let's head inside!", he called, and the guests began to fill the tower, walking towards the wedding hall.

Wrecker and Annie dawdled for a moment, staring at their destiny. Wrecker took a deep breath, clearly still a little afraid of the path laid before them. Annie took his hand, and looking into his eyes, showed him that she was afraid too, but that she would help him. Wrecker affirmed that back with a squeeze of her hand, and together, they walked towards the future, hand in hand.

The hustle and bustle inside the wedding hall was all encompassing, dozens upon dozens reaching hundreds of chattering voices, hushed and excited and anticipating the wedding ahead. In a sense, this was not just a victory and celebration for Annie and Grime, but also for the impending defeat of tyranny by justice and democracy. A new dawn was dispersing the darkness, and soon there would be a reason to look up at the sky and dream once more.

Wrecker and Annie were quite starstruck by the decorations as they walked in, whistling in amazement: Percy and Braddock had truly worked their hearts out, covering the gymnasium with blue and green flowers, firefly lights that danced on the ceiling, and lilipad seats that would allow for a more traditional marriage, one of the days before Captain Claws, before even Amphibia City.

"Kids did their research.", Wrecker expressed out loud, admiring the blue and green lights the fireflies displayed, alongside the paper model stars that twinkled above them. Annie nodded, feeling chills up her spine as she twirled for a moment. "It's beautiful! It's like a fairy tale!"

Percy and Braddock, appearing from behind them, proudly smiled and bowed. "Why, thank you, Ms. Annie! We wanted to make it extra special for you because of all you did!"

"Who, me? I didn't do much...", Annie started, but suddenly the guests all turned towards her, facing her, and all simultaenously shook their heads.

"What are you on about, lass?", Swampy the chef asked, raising his hook hand. "Why, yer the one who helped Grime see sense!"

"You saved The Wrecker and restored his heart!", Felicia, holding baby Ivy and offering her a drink of punch, added to the choir.

"You helped me be brave!", Peter chirped up, and Annie looked more and more flustered, blushing harder than she had ever blushed before.

"Guys, that's all so sweet, but..."

She looked down, and felt that old inferiority coming at her. She hugged herself and looked around to this all too strange sight, this feeling of undeserved attention. "...I'm just the daughter of a farmer from Marsh Pond."

Wrecker was about to comfort her, when suddenly Mrs. Croaker rose up in the middle of the hall, making everyone else quiet down in respect. The old frog, slowly but surely, made her way towards Annie, her kind and whitered old face displaying a look she kept only for Wrecker and her own daughter. She brushed off the single tear off of Annie's face, and gave her a look that Annie knew meant that she was telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

"...No, child. You are not just a farmer's daughter. Or a warrior's daughter. Or a toad's husband. You are not just a survivor, or a friend, or even a frog. It was your kindness, and your perseverence and your love, that have given this land hope, and freedom."

Mrs. Croaker gestured at the procession behind them. "All these people, frogs, toads, newts and salamanders, they all came here for YOU. You have given the poor slum frogs on the left lives to be lived, not just survived. You have given us freedom fighters a spark that could burn down evil. You have given the men in your life renewed faith."

She then held Annie's hands and kissed her forehead lightly. "And, my dear, you have found yourself in all this chaos. You are a hero, Annie. And you have brought honor to us all."

And with that being said, a magical thing occurred, something so special and enchanting, that Annie's heart felt a love that she had never felt, a pride that she did not know was possible. Her knees wobbling, Mrs. Croaker knelt down, bowing in respect and admiration.

Annie's mouth could not formulate words, as the rest of the hall followed suit: frog after toad after salamander after newt all gave their thanks by kneeling down to the hero of the rebellion. It was not like the showings of fear that the frogs once gave Grime all that time ago: It was a showing of respect for the woman who had given so much from her heart to all those around her.

Wrecker too knelt down, giving his daughter a look only her other father had given her before, and Annie, crying tears of joy, accepted the honor as graciously as she could, feeling finally that Annie Lilypad was no waste, but in fact, a worthy member of Amphibia. Through the tiny sobs, she let out a quiet "Thank you".

The guests all rose up and smiled at the bride to be, who, still crying, tried to get back to her wedding. "Well, heh, I guess I should get my dress on so we can cry more!"

The guests all laughed heartily, and Wrecker, still proudly smiling at Annie, rose up last and stroked her cheek. Annie smiled back and replied "I love you too, Dad. Wish me luck!", she cried out, as she happily hopped towards her dressing room, Braddock hurrying after her.

Now left with Percy, Wrecker looked at him and asked him a question. "How did you guys help Grime?"

Percy shuffled his feet. "Not well, Mr. Wrecker. He decided to be alone up until now."

"No need to feel bad, Percy, it's good you let him be alone, but I'm worried he's gotten himself into another depressive episode. We should check on him.", Wrecker stated, and with a nod of his head, Percy began leading him towards Grime's room, where he was supposed to be getting dressed and prepared.

As they approached the aforementioned room, Wrecker couldn't help but think the usual worried thoughts. Grime had been clearly anxious that morning, and if he knew his friend, he knew that he was prey to his insecurities at such a momentous occasion. Perhaps he was locked in his room, certain that he was not meant to be wedded to someone "better" than him. Perhaps he was having a panic attack, all the possible circling his head like vultures. Perhaps he had already fled the tower, the idea of a happy ending too foreign for a toad of his disposition. Whatever the outcome was, Wrecker braced himself for another disaster, another crisis he'd need to avert by reminding Grime of his good qualities and his hard work towards this golden future.

Opening the door after taking a brisker pace, Wrecker already began his cool down speech. "Grime, I know you think that you don't deserve this, but I promise you..."

"What did you say, Wrecker? I couldn't hear you!"

The sight was before him, but Wrecker was puzzled at it: There was no sadness or angst to be beheld, simply a smiling Grime, dressed in his best suit, standing calmly in front of him, giving Percy the box with the ring he had already purchased for the event. Wrecker stared around: No signs of an anxiety attack, the window was closed, Grime's face was empty of tears or frowns.

Scratching his head, Wrecker entered the room, still on the lookout for any possible speed bumps. "I... Well, no offense, but I thought I'd come back to you thinking you weren't good enough or stuff."

Grime chuckled, relieving Wrecker a bit, and he sat down, Percy now massaging his shoulders to relieve any stress. "Oh, I can understand why you'd think that, Wrecker, but I'm fine! More than fine! I feel like it's going to be an awesome wedding!"

Wrecker smiled gratefully, though he was still a little befuddled. "Wonderful to hear, Grime, but I gotta ask how you did it? I know how you feel at moments like this, I mean, I just had one today!"

Standing up from his seat and brushing his pants, Grime had a thoughtful look on his face as he explained. "Well, see, I saw da... Father today."

Wrecker looked like he was suppressing some violent desires. "And what did the bastard do?"

"Nothing."

Wrecker raised an eyebrow.

"I know, I was surprised myself!", Grime admitted, laughing the worries away. Placing a hand on the window, he looked at the peaceful red moon. It was like he could finally look back at all his pain and see that it would get better. He seemed... Happy.

"Anyway, he... He made me realize, in a sense, that I was finally free. Free to be... Happy. And then I realized... Why not? Why not be happy? Why not enjoy today, and face the problems of tomorrow with family rather than alone?"

Grime turned back to Wrecker, sighing wistfully. "Maybe I'm being a little foolish, but I feel optimistic. I love Annie, she loves me. Maybe instead of worrying, I'll just enjoy the fact that for the first time in my life, I'm not lost. For the first time in my life, I'm... I feel... Alive."

Wearing a proud smile once more, Wrecker placed a loving hand on Grime's shoulder. He towered over him, but their eyes were equal. "Grime, you have no idea how happy that makes me. I've seen you waste years blaming yourself, fearing what was your true spirit, and suffering for no reason at all. To see you like this today, brave and hopeful, accepting of the fact that yes, you DO deserve this..."

Wrecker tried to hide his tears as he finished his little speech. "...Grime, I'm not your family, and I don't pretend I can be that, but I want you to know... That your mother would have been proud. And I am proud too."

Grime tried to hide his tears too, but his smile was wide as all of Amphibia. He had never felt just joy before. He felt this growing love in his heart, and his hands shook. This wasn't what he was used to. But damn, he could get used to this.

Looking at his best friend, he offered his hand. "Wrecker... Thanks."

Wrecker beamed back, and shook the hand warmly. "You're welcome, old friend."

And with that, the groom and his best man bid adieu to Wrecker, as they left to the hall so they could position themselves for the ceremony. Wrecker could already hear the music begin to warm up, and he knew he'd have to take the bride to her groom any minute. He wasn't exactly dressed as best as he could (his costume couldn't really fit on a suit), but he at least tried to look presentable by straightening his hair and taking a deep breath to relax. Feeling suitably prepared, he walked towards Annie's room, and opened the door.

The soft, floating piano music rose to the sky as Grime walked into the hall and stood besides the priestess, who put on her spectacles and dusted off the ceremonial book she held. A hush settled on the audience, who had been talking up a storm just moments ago. This was a special moment, and it would be treated as such. Percy, holding Grime's ring box for him, puffed up his chest in pride. Grime straightened his bow tie, hoping no one noticed the beads of mucus on his forehead. He may not have been afraid, but this was still a big moment, and his stomach was full of butterflies.

The gymnasium's freshly waxed floor sparkled in the now dimmer lights, only bright blues and greens identifiable thanks to the fireflies. With the time at nigh, the eldest among the crowd began to croak ever so quietly, in a melodious harmony that touched the hearts of those who heard it. The piano began to rise in it's buildup, and, with a gentle push, the doors opened wide, and the music truly began.

"Here Comes The Bride" began in earnest, the crowd all sat in place, staring back at the bride to be, and, accompanied by father Wrecker and bridesmaid Braddock, Annie Lilypad, bouquet of flowers in her hands and tears welling in her eyes, her dress shimmering in the night, began to slowly walk towards her husband to be.

Annie stepped slowly, for she wanted to look at her friends, her dear friends who had come here for her and her beloved. She gave each guest a bright, genuine smile, and they all smiled back, the melodious croaking from the eldest guests still coloring the scenery. She looked back as she began to near the end, waving shyly at the audience, before taking a deep breath and staring at the altar where she would join her soul with the man she loved.

Wrecker, meanwhile, had tried to ignore the whole thing, and treat it as just another walk, another moment, one which would not end sadly, but rather extend. But Wrecker also knew that that was not true: Annie was taking the biggest step of her life towards womanhood, and, while she would remain with him, she would now be her own woman, her own person, grown up and ready to protect herself.

And yet, despite all his fears and reservations, despite how he felt a lump in his throat and a pain in his chest, Wrecker knew that his daughter, his Annie was ready.

She would always be in his heart, and even if this were to be their last moment, even if he would only be able to play a bit part from now on.

Because... Because seeing her like this, free, true, strong...

Was more important than anything he had ever done.

As he held her hand, and she began to walk up one step, she turned to him and smiled, a sort of temporary farewell, a symbolic look of letting your child grow.

Wrecker's eyes widened as he saw her, but she wasn't in a wedding dress: She was that scared and lost woman, who had lost her father and had needed a protector, a second father of her own. The one who held his hand all those weeks ago, when they faced a crossroads, and had promised she would help him.

And it was then that Wrecker truly realized that...

"...I thought I'd saved you. But it was you who saved me, Annie.", he thought, tears in his eyes.

She was safe now.

She didn't need protection now.

In front of him was a grown woman, his daughter, his pride and joy, and she was ready for the world.

Wrecker did not close his eyes. He looked at her with one last look...

And he let her go.

Retreating to the first lilypad in the first line, Wrecker sat down next to Mrs. Croaker, and watched on as the ceremony properly began.

Annie and Grime, now facing each other, couldn't help but smile lovingly at each other. "I really like your dress.", Grime whispered.

"I really like your bow tie.", Annie whispered back. Grime looked down and realized he had accidentally put on a bow tie with a smiley face on it, one he had owned when he was a child. For a moment, he was flustered, but looking around, he remembered that no one was there to degrade him. He was safe. So, he smiled, and whispered "It was my sexiest one", making Annie giggle, before the priestess signaled for them to be quiet.

"Toads, Frogs, Newts, Salamanders. We are gathered here today, to witness the union of Prince Grime Toad of Toad Town, and Annie Lilypad of Marsh Pond."

The piano silenced, the croaking stopped, and all eyes were onto the center of the stage.

The Priestess cleared her throat and read on from the book, her voice crystal clear, with a twinkle like a wind chime to it. "For many years, such a union was not to be dreamed of. For many centuries, our peoples have been torn by violence, selfishness, and fear. All sides have participated, and all sides have down their own damages. What was once a family was now a war with no winners."

"But, of course, today is not a day to dwell on the tragedies of the past, but rather the bravery, selflessness, and love that these two young amphibians have exhibited by commencing their union. Grime Toad, you have reminded us all that for whatever some say, the Toads should never be seen as one evil faction, but rather our brothers and sisters led astray by one toad, not by nature."

Grime nodded, feeling for once, worthy of the praise.

The Priestess turned to Annie. "Annie Lilypad, you were once a victim, destined for a life of servitude, then that of an orphan. But your courage, your commitment to your ideals, has led to your standing here today, not as a woman to be pitied, but one to be admired. You showed grit and determination, and most importantly, you reminded us all of the kindness that hides in our hearts."

Annie couldn't believe that she, that Annie, could be those things, but she felt closer than ever to accepting that.

"Now, before we continue, the bride and groom would like to read out some vows, I assume?"

Annie excitedly took a scrap of paper from Braddock, making Grime chuckle at her quickness. "My dearest Grime, my beloved who made me feel beautiful, important, and skillful, who is kinder than he thinks, better than he believes, and worthier than he knows, I vow to you to never leave your side, to never give up on you, to never lose sight of the man I love. Your mistakes do not define you, and I will always be there to give up a safe place. I will make up for the love you did not receive, and I will..."

She held back a sob for a moment, and looked up again. "Frog, I just... I just really love you. So, so, so much."

Annie put her scrap of paper away, and half laughed half cried. Grime, holding back tears of his own, did not grab a piece of paper. The Priestess raised an eyebrow in questioning.

"I tried to write down what I feel, but... What I feel cannot be described by words. But I'll try."

He took a deep breath and continued. "Annie, I... I was lost before you. I had the Wrecker, true, but... I was a shell of a toad. I was so confused, so scared, I... I was afraid of everything I did. I was a disappointment to all around me, and I did not know that the love I received was toxic and wrong. I wasn't even sure that I could ever be anything more than a failure, a waste of space. But you came into my life, and you opened my eyes to the possibilities inside me. No longer will I stand by the side when innocent people are hurt. No longer will good people suffer under my watchful eye. Maybe I cannot truly make up for my father's atrocities, but I can at least try. I can at least try to be good. And it is you, Annie, who showed me that that was not a fairy tale, but a reality. I vow to love you forever, for who else would I want to love? I vow to stay by your side, for what side could be better than yours? I vow to stay by you no matter what, for you did the same to me. I love you forever, Annie Lilypad, and I will never stop loving you, not even when my eyes shut for the last time and my heart sends it's final beat. Even a million years from now, when we are both of the stars, you will feel my love. Thank you, Annie. Thank you for helping me rise."

There was not a dry eye in the house.

Annie had to restrain herself from kissing Grime there and then.

Wrecker flashed a thumbs up to Grime, who nodded with affirmation.

Even the Priestess had to wipe her eyes for a moment.

Percy and Braddock then handed out the rings, and the rings were exchanged between the duely weds.

"It's very beautiful, Annie.", Grime said, and Annie beamed. "It represents my home. I like yours!"

Grime's ring, a simple ring that humbly shone, sparkled on his finger. "Thanks.", he smiled.

"Well, if we're done making me cry, will you, Grime Toad, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?", the Priestess asked.

"I do.", he answered immediately, resolute and final.

"And will you, Annie Lilypad, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do! I do!", Annie shouted out, shaking with excitement.

"Well, then you may kiss the bride."

And with that being said, Grime and Annie leaped into each others arms, and kissed passionately, the piano exploding with joy, the audience cheering loudly.

But that was not the end of the ceremony.

Suddenly, all the guests rose up, linking arm in arm. Grime seemed confused at first, but even Annie knew what was going on. "It's the oldest Amphibian wedding custom.", she whispered in disbelief.

Grime was surprised, but pleasantly so. He could not believe something so holy was occuring right now. Holding Annie's hand, they leaned on each other as the guests all began to close their eyes, hum harmoniously, and prepare to sing.

Wrecker, who had never done it before, was led on by Mrs. Croaker. "I hope I don't mess It up.", he admitted.

"Even if you do, It will be okay, son.", Mrs. Croaker reassured, and Wrecker smiled. "I guess this is what happiness and family feels like."

He sighed. "...It feels right."

Finally, the humming stopped, and the guests voices turned to song, solemn as church bells, soulful as the heart.

"We swear, by peace, and love, to stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand. Mark, oh spirits, and hear us now, confirming this, our sacred vow."

"They swear, by peace and love, to stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand. Mark, oh spirits, and hear us now, confirming this, their sacred vow. Confirming this, their sacred vow."

"There they stand, hand in hand, ready to change their wedding band. There they stand, hand in hand, ready to change their wedding band."

"All of your loved ones are here to say... Bless this couple, who marry today! Bless this couple, who marry today!"

"Bless this couple, who marry today!"

And with that final sung sentence, the audience erupted one more time. Grime and Annie stared at each other and kissed again. There would be food and dancing and laughter all through the night.

But for now, there were three souls, once lost, now found.

Grime was now loved, by himself and others.

Annie was now whole, satisfied with who she was.

And The Wrecker...

The Wrecker closed his eyes and smiled...

Glad to be alive.