Amphibia was changing drastically, and not for the better. Ever since King Andrias revived his robot army and began a campaign to use the resources of their world. This meant tearing up the landscapes to build new factories for more robot production, mining mountains and hillsides for ore metals and oil. All of this was having a negative effect on Amphibia's biosphere, as the once clear blue skies were starting to become eclipsed with the smog and soot generated from the factories.
Across the land, frogs, toads, and newts had a choice to make. Either obey King Andrias, become his work slaves, or die. This led to many villages and towns undergoing mass exodus, to flee into the wilds of Amphibia to try and hide from the robot army. However, there were some who decided that it was easier to obey than to fight and ended up joining the side of the king. Those who did believed that the king would be reasonable and might end up rewarding those who follow him.
But there was another option, and that was to fight.
A small army of Dark Frobots were marching along the desert, heading straight for a town called Bittyburg. The small frogs had learned to never let themselves get pushed around by bullies, and as far as they were concerned, King Andrias had become the biggest bully in the entire world. The small army of fifty robots stopped before the town of Bittyburg. The lead robot, identified by his silver markings, took a step forward and announced their intentions and ultimatum.
{Citizens of Bittyburg, by order of King Andrias, you are to surrender and report for work assignment. Failure to comply will result in the immediate termination. What is your answer?} The silver marked Frobot asked.
The townsfolk gathered outside, and despite how fearsome the force that stood before them was, they did not cower. In fact, it was one of their youngest citizens, Bailey, who broke from the crowd and stared up at the cold unfeeling machine.
"We don't take orders from bullies!" Bailey stated proudly.
The Bitties cheered in agreement with Bailey, yes, they knew that they stood zero chance of living through this, but they would not live in fear anymore. They were taught as much by the Plantars.
{Acknowledged. Termination shall commence.}
The silver marked Frobot transformed its right arm into a laser cannon and prepared to fire it at the town. However, the sound of a motorcycle caught them off guard. The robots and even the townsfolk listened closely, hearing it get closer and closer. The townsfolk recognized that sound, it sounded the same as Anne Boonchuy's, Kamen Rider Amp's, riding machine. In the distance a dust cloud was kicked up, and a light shined from that cloud as it rapidly approached them.
The robots turned to their collective right as their sensors registered an immediate threat. Without hesitation, the robots broke out their laser canons and began firing multiple shots in the direction of the light in the cloud. That same light weaved and dodged each of the laser blasts as they came at it. The silver marked Frobot broke out two more cannons from its back and transformed its left arm into one as well. The lead Frobot charged up all four cannons and fired a combined energy blast straight for the light. A sphere of red energy sailed across the desert and struck the light, creating a huge, fiery explosion.
For a moment, the Bitties believed that their hero had been taken down. Those fears were dashed as they witnessed a motorcycle with flame wheels burst out of the fire. And on that motorcycle, on Machine Burner, was Kamen Rider Bellona, using her Aegis shield to protect her from the blast. The flame Rider revved her engine as she went full speed towards the army of robots. She quickly shifted from Aegis form to Cestus. She pointed her gauntlet at the robots and fired it like a rocket. The robots were slow to respond as ten of them were smashed through by the spiky fist of the Cestus. All ten of those robots exploded in succession as the Cestus flew back and slipped back over Bellona's left.
Bellona popped a wheelie and brought it down on the first Frobot that was in her way. The flame wheel sliced through the robot like a hot knife through butter before Machine Burner barreled through the army, tossing them in different directions. Bellona brought Machine Burner to a skidding halt, mimicking the famous "Akira" pose as Marcy called.
"Is Andrias so pathetic that he has to pick on a town of little frogs? Wow, just wow," Bellona mocked.
{Alert. Alert. Kamen Rider detected, switching priority target.} The silver marked Frobot announced.
"Good, focus only on me," she said under her breath.
Bellona twisted the throttle of Machine Burner and took off yet again. She dismissed Cestus form and returned to Fire Form as she drew the Phoenix Wing sword. Like a knight riding her steed, Bellona passed by one of the robots and sliced its head off with her sword. The robots began shooting a volley of laser blasts at her, but they weren't fast enough to keep up with Machine Burner. And even when the blasts hit the ground around her and exploded, the bike was strong enough to tank damage. Bellona rode a little further out, making the Frobots pull away from Bittyburg, which was exactly what she wanted.
Some of the robots took to the air as they began to rain down laser beams on her, but Bellona was quick to show off her riding skills as she easily weaved around the lasers. Deciding that they were far enough away, Bellona went on the offensive as she barreled through their ranks again with Machine Burner. Staying in the center of their army. Some of the Frobots switched to melee weapons and rushed to engage her. Bellona smirked as she twisted the throttle and twirled her bike around in a three-sixty spin, using the back flame wheel to melt through several of the robots that foolishly tried to surround her.
While she was spinning out, Bellona ignited the blade of her sword, holding it out as she made a ring of flames. When she came to a stop, Bellona slashed the air with her sword, sending the ring of fire roaring out in all directions as the intense flames seared the metal bodies of the Frobots and caused many of them to explode. Only three remained now and they were hovering in the air above her. The silver marked Frobot ordered his two remaining units to flank her from either side. The two subordinate robots did as commanded as they accelerated and flew around to come at her from the right and left at the same time.
Bellona smirked under her helmet as she let go of Machine Burner's handlebars and jumped off it. When she did, Machine Burner turned in the direction of the right Frobot and Bellona went in the direction of the left. Machine Burner popped a wheelie on its own just as the Frobot came in range, allowing it to drop the flame wheel right on its head and slice it half, at the same time, Bellona raised the Phoenix Wing and cleaved the other Frobot in twain. The divided halves of both robots exploded behind them, leaving only the silver marked Frobot.
The lead robot was about to jet away to report back to Andrias, but Bellona, sensing this, quickly tossed her sword towards the robot. The blade whistled as it cut through the air and lodged itself right in the back and through the chest of the silver marked Frobot. The lead robot fell out of the sky like a lead weight and hit the ground below. Bellona mounted Machine Burner and travelled to the spot where the machine fell. Once there, Bellona kicked the robot over and pulled out her sword.
{Resistance…is futile…}
"No." Bellona raised her sword and stabbed it through the head of the machine, silencing it forever. "Resistance is never futile."
Bellona got back on Machine Burner and headed towards the town. Once there, she dismounted her bike and ended her transformation, revealing her civilian form. Sasha's armor had gotten more beaten up, she managed to hold onto her metal boots, and chest plate, but most of her wraps were gone, her pants hand some tears in them, midriff was exposed, and her large shoulder pauldrons were gone as well. The chest plate showed small gashes and dents, signs of close calls during the battles that have been waged in Amphibia. The same could be seen on her boots, with some of those gashes coming close to her major tendons. Sasha let her hair down from its normal ponytail style, she had considered cutting it, but felt that it was more iconic to see her golden hair on the battlefield.
"Who are you? You're not Anne, but you can change the same as she did," said Bailey.
Sasha knelt before the townsfolk and said, "I'm not Anne. But she's a dear friend of mine. She's no longer in our world right now, but she's trying her best to get back. Until then, I'm doing all I can to help protect this world she loves. You're not alone in wanting to fight against Andrias. We, the frogs of Wartwood, have formed a rebellion to fight back against Andrias' evil. I can tell you guys are brave, despite how small you are, you have big hearts full of strength."
The Bitties whooped in agreement.
"I won't force you or beg you, but I will ask, will you join our fight? I promise, I will do all I can to protect you," said Sasha.
The townsfolk murmured amongst themselves and after a few seconds, all of them smiled and let a loud, "YEEEEE-HAAAAAWW!"
"That means we're in," said Bailey.
Bailey's father stepped up and asked, "Excuse me, but do you think we could all go with you? I don't think this town is safe anymore."
Sasha nodded. "Of course, I have some friends close by with wagons, we can help you relocate. Don't worry, one day, you'll all be able to return home."
The blonde teen watched as the townsfolk went back into their little town and began packing up their belongings. Sasha walked a few steps away from the town as her eyes glowed magenta. She conjured a magenta fireball into her hands and shot it into the air. With a snap of her fingers, she made the fireball explode and formed the words, "All Clear" in the air. Not a moment after seeing those words, Bessie and two other snails driven by Mrs. Croaker, Wally, and Maddie came rolling in.
"Nice work out there, Sash," said Maddie.
"Really showed them what for," Wally commented.
"Heh, stop you guys. Anyway, the Bitties agreed to join and want to relocate to Wartwood. Let's give them a hand," said Sasha.
"Got it!" Wally and Maddie replied as they went on ahead.
Mrs. Croaker, driving Bessie, rolled up next to Sasha and said, "Lookin' like a real leader there, Sasha."
Sasha rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Croaker, don't start that again."
"Ah still don't see why you won't accept the role of commander," said Mrs. Croaker.
"I have my reasons…"
The old frog woman sighed and said, "Suit yourself, dearie. C'mon, Bessie, let's give 'em a hand."
Bessie chirped in response and headed towards Bittyburg.
Sasha sighed as well and looked up into the sky, one of the few places where you could still see the sky. I can't…I'm not a real leader.
Wartwood had transformed into the rebellion's headquarters. Town Hall had become the place to conduct their strategy meetings, while other spaces had been converted into training areas, and others into armories. Since the rebellion was started, several tents had been pitched up around the town, mostly due to the influx of frogs from neighboring villages or further away who wanted to join the resistance against the king.
The only thing was the rebellion had no leader. Grime refused to take up the role, one of the reasons was that thanks to Sasha, he knew that PR was part of the recruitment game. And if frogs new a ruthless toad like himself was leading a rebellion, they might think he was trying to take power for himself when it was all over. So, he relegated himself to training their new recruits to get them in fighting shape quickly. Mayor Toadstool, while technically still mayor, was not the leader of the rebellion either. Mostly because, well, it was Toadstool.
So, as it stood, the rebellion was led by a council that consisted of Grime, Sasha, Toadstool, Mrs. Croaker, and Wally, with Toadie taking notes.
Sasha and her team arrived at camp, riding in on Machine Burner as she led the wagons with the Bitties into Wartwood. So far, the town had not suffered any more robot attacks. Sasha thought that Andrias probably didn't want to waste the resources trying to take over one town when he had the rest of Amphibia to deal with. But Sasha knew it was only a matter of time before Andrias had managed to gather enough resources to mount a full-scale attack on the town. She had been trying to think of a fallback area, a safe shelter hidden from Andrias, but big enough for them to bring in more and more recruits, to live, train, and plan safely.
As she rolled into camp, Sasha was happily greeted by the Wartwood frogs and the frogs who had joined the rebellion. She waved to each of them, and smiled back, it was a successful mission, and they managed to get more frogs to join the fight.
"Hey, Sash!" Ivy greeted as she walked alongside her bike.
"Oh, hey, Ivy, what's new?" she asked.
"Well, we managed to pull off a few raids. Freed some more frogs, blew up a couple of factories, and managed to secure a supply route," said ivy.
"Nice, any casualties? Injuries?" Sasha inquired.
"Eh, normal scrapes, bumps, and burns, but they'll live. No one died, thank Frog. It all went according to plan, you're plan, actually."
"Ugh, Ivy, please, don't."
"C'mon, Sasha, everyone agrees that you're the best one to lead. Plus, you're a Kamen Rider, that'd only make it better, lots of frogs would join immediately if they heard that," Ivy argued.
Sasha tempered her frustration and calmly replied, "Ivy, I get it. And I do understand that advertising that a Kamen Rider is leading the rebellion against Andrias would hugely boost our numbers, but…I don't feel ready, just leave it at that. I'm heading back to the farm to rest, come and get me if there's a meeting."
The blonde teen drove off without waiting for a response, she headed straight for the Plantar farm, having decided to use it as her residence for the time being, along with Grime. She parked Machine Burner at the fence and walked towards the house. Passing through the front door, Sasha opened the trapdoor that led to the basement where Anne lived. Once down there, she removed her armored boots and chest plate, placing next to Anne's bed. Now in her tank top, Sasha plopped onto the bed back first.
Days of sleeping on this bed, and I can still smell Anne, thought Sasha.
It granted Sasha some comfort, helping her to sleep as she imagined that Anne was sleeping right next to her. Sometimes, in her half-asleep states, she could swear she felt Anne's presence, and in her dreams, she would see her lying next to her, both of them just staring at each other happily, not really saying much but enjoying their other's presence.
That wasn't the first time that Ivy or really any one has asked her to become the leader. She understood why, but at the same time, Sasha didn't believe she had earned that right. She was content with fighting, protecting the Wartwood frogs, and the others who were being oppressed by Andrias' robot army. And while she has come up with a plan or three that worked, and helped with the team assignments, and helped with the organization of their supply routes, that didn't mean she felt ready, or rather, she didn't feel worthy of it.
"The last time I was in charge of anything, I almost killed an old man, and I helped stage a coup…I don't want to hurt anyone. I promised I would become someone worthy of Anne, of her friendship, of her love, and I meant it," said Sasha to herself.
Sasha took another sniff and sat straight up.
"Oh, wow. Guess I'm overdue for a bath."
"One! Two! Three!" Grime instructed.
The recruits slashed with their swords horizontally, gripped their weapons with both hands and slashed at a right downward angle, and then thrust their swords into their imaginary enemy before drawing them out and returning to a ready position.
"Again! One! Two! Three!"
The recruits repeated the motion, but one of the frogs, a young female frog, lost her grip on her sword and had it fly towards Grime by accident. The former toad captain stepped to the left and raised his right hand as he caught the sword in midair before it sailed past him.
"I-I-I'm sorry!" she apologized in a panic.
Grime made a grunting noise as he marched over to the female frog, the poor thing was trembling as she looked up at him as Grime stared down at her with his glowing left eye. But instead of reprimanding her, Grime gave back the sword. The female frog tentatively took it back.
"Let this be a lesson to you, always keep a firm grip on your weapon." Grime glanced to the others and added, "That goes for all of you! The only thing worse than losing your weapon in the middle of a battle, is having it injure your comrade! Always be aware of this."
"Y-YES, SIR!" the recruits saluted.
"Now, little one. This sword is too heavy for you, go back to the armory and find one that is less so," Grime instructed.
"B-But then I'll lose strength on my swing," said the frog girl.
"Work your way up. Use a lighter sword now, and then once you find that easy to manage, use a slightly heavier one. A sharp blade cuts through these robots' metal hides all the same, but they're made of metal, not flesh and blood. Which means they do not tire, whereas you will. Stamina as well as strength, remember this."
"Yes, Sir!"
Grime watched as the frog girl headed to the armory to switch out her swords, as he watched this, Grime saw Mrs. Croaker walking along with Archie on her shoulder. "Ah, Sadie. Did the mission go well?"
"Smooth as silk. Sasha's plan worked again," said Mrs. Croaker.
"Heh, naturally," said Grime with pride. "And she's still…"
"Yep."
Grime facepalmed himself. "I see it, you see it, everyone in town sees it. Sasha on the other hand…"
"Ah'm really startin' to think that it's less to do with her ability, and more to do with how she's feelin'," Mrs. Croaker suggested. "Why don't you try askin' her why she's not up to it?"
Grime rubbed the back of his head as he replied, "I'm not so good when it comes to 'feelings'. I'm a toad of action."
"Well, you're about the only one Ah figure who can convince that young lady to see it. She respects you, and more than that, Ah think she sees you like a father."
Grime blushed at the notion. "M-M-ME?! A F-FATHER?! Not in this lifetime! If anything, we're…comrades-in-arms! Old war buddies! A couple of pals who you can knock back a can of Bog Grog!"
Mrs. Croaker raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Uh-huh, layin' it on pretty thick there. Just talk to her ya big galoot."
Grime wanted to say more, but Mrs. Croaker already walked off. The former toad captain groaned. He had to admit, all this time with Sasha has had him feeling differently towards her. He's felt such pride for the girl at times, and that human has on more than one occasion, helped him become a better toad than he was before. If he was being honest, Sasha was the daughter he never thought he wanted. Marriage was never on his mind, not much room for that when you were fighting in the colosseum as a gladiator, nor was there time when you were the former captain of the South Toad Tower. Work and combat were his thing, and he enjoyed it.
But, after meeting Sasha, Grime found himself wondering if this is what life would've been like if had bothered to sire a child? And if that child had been someone like Sasha? He couldn't help but chuckle a bit a feeling of pride swelled in his chest.
Grime shook his head. Ugh, stop it, Grime! Don't get sucked into that line of thinking. We've maintained a good command structure, and I'm not jeopardizing that! But the old one does have a point. And we cannot remain leaderless. The only one who can truly command this army is Sasha. It's a high time I finally put my foot down!
The former toad captain was about to start marching in the direction of the Plantar house, but stopped, did an about face, and headed to the one of the shops.
After I perhaps procure an offering of some kind?
Sasha had taken a dip in the tub and managed to relax herself a bit. Now dressed in pair of shorts and a new tank top that wasn't torn and ratty looking, Sasha walked into the kitchen to grab a bite. She looked around the living room first as an empty feeling overcame her. The Plantar home felt different without Anne and the Plantars here, even when she was here for the dinner party, the inside felt alive, now, it lost that spark with its original owners gone. Even Anne made an impression on this place in the time she was here, making it feel like it was her second home.
"Heh…" Sasha chuckled.
When she thought back to the times when she would come over to the Boonchuy home, she wondered if she was inconveniencing Anne's parents. Her own mother, well, she did love her, but she wasn't there in the conventional sense, always trying to be the "cool parent", less like a mom and more like a big sister.
Not as if that was hard to pull off, as young as Mom looks, we always got mistaken for sisters, Sasha thought.
But Anne's home was different, it felt like the home she always wanted. Perhaps that was why she often suggested to hang out at Anne's house. Mr. Boonchuy was a gamer nerd like Marcy, and Mrs. Boonchuy was a bit strict, but it came from a place of caring and love.
"Huh, maybe I was secretly hoping that they'd adopt me if I kept coming to her house? Heh, now that would be awkward. If they did, then Anne and I would be sisters. Sounds like the plot to some anime hentai."
Sasha blushed as such a scenario popped into her mind.
Sasha and Anne were in bed, Anne's bed, on a sunny Summer day. Their parents were out of the house, and Sasha decided to plop into Anne's bed and wrestle her adopted Thai sister until she had Anne lying on her chest back first, and with her head nestled against Anne's fluffy afro hair.
"Sash, c'mon, we can't be snuggling in bed like this?"
"And why not, Anne?"
"Uh, 'cause we're sisters now."
"Not by blood, and only on paper."
"But if Mom and Dad see…"
"Then we'll pretend to be asleep and let them 'd'aww' at how cute we are together. 'Sides, I don't exactly see you fighting to push me out of your bed."
"I would if you weren't built like an amazon."
It was quite the scandalous relationship, Sasha had always had a crush on Anne, but ever since they started living together as adopted sisters, Sasha got to spend every day with her crush. She tried, really, she did, to not look at Anne a certain way, have a hug last longer or a touch linger for longer than it should. But things happened, and well, turns out Anne felt the same way and now the two of them were carrying on a pseudo incestuous romantic relationship under their parents' noses.
"How long do you think we can keep this up? Mom and Dad will eventually figure it out. Aren't you worried?" Anne asked.
"…Yeah." Sasha held her closer. "I am. I owe you and your family so much. I don't…I don't want to be separated from you. But I can't stop feeling how I feel about you."
Anne gently grasped Sasha's arms. "I feel the same…I couldn't stop liking you even if Mom and Dad said not to. So, maybe we could keep up the act long enough to get to college?"
"Hmmm? Why until then?" Sasha asked.
"We'll be adults by then, we can both go to the same college, live at some dorms or get an apartment together. And not have to worry about anyone saying anything," said Anne.
"Aaaaah~ Anne, and here I thought I was the devious one. But until then…" Sasha manged to slide herself from under Anne and got on top of her, staring down at the Thai girl with hungry eyes. "We'll just have to be sneaky about our alone time, you and your Big Sis Sasha."
"Big Sis? Why are you automatically the older sibling?"
"My birthday is before yours, so, yeah, I'm the 'Onee-chan' in this scenario."
"Did you just have a Marcy moment?"
"I'll show you a 'Marcy moment'!"
"GAAAAAAAAAH! What's wrong with me?! Ugh! I need more training or something if I have time for horny thoughts like that!" Sasha complained as she tossed the towel she was using to dry her hair.
The towel hit the painting above the fireplace mantle. The heavy waterlogged towel managed snag on the painting and made it go crooked. But upon doing so, the entire living room rumbled and within a few seconds, the fireplace opened up into a secret passageway.
Sasha stood there dumfounded by what she just saw. She walked a little closer and saw that the passageway led further underground. "What the actual eff…?" Sasha tapped into her powers and conjured a fireball big enough to illuminate the passage as she started walking down into it. Upon crossing into it, the fireplace door came down and cut her off from the entrance. "Huh? Alright then."
The blonde teen was left with little choice but to head further down below. Sasha eventually ended up in a room filled with jars and things you'd find in a mad scientist's workshop. Sasha strolled over to a workbench that had some papers on it, she had the fireball hover in the air as she picked up the papers and read them.
"Skip Plantar? Experimentation with living vegetables?" Sasha glanced at one of the jars and saw a tomato with a face on it. "Eew. Seriously, though, this stuff looks legit. Wish Marcy was here, she'd get a kick out of this." Sasha's expression soured a bit when she remembered her friend. Her feelings regarding her (ex?)girlfriend were complicated. She was worried for her because of what happened, but at the same time, she still harbored some anger towards Marcy for how she got all three of them trapped in Amphibia.
Sasha put the papers down and looked around the room, there seemed to be a struggle here as some jars were broken, and there was a hole in one part of the room. There was also a lever next to the workbench.
"Yeah, as if I'm going to fall for that," said Sasha as she headed towards a doorway.
There were some stairs, so she followed those deeper into the underground. All else fails, she could just backtrack and smash her way through the door, so Sasha wasn't really worried about finding a way out. The next level brought her to a decked-out armory. Thankfully this room had lighting, so Sasha dismissed her fireball. She did take note that for the lanterns to be burning down here meant there must've been a steady supply of oxygen from above ground.
"Holy crud! This has been under their house all this time?!" Sasha found a portrait on the wall, presumably the one who probably built this room. "Pollianna Plantar?" Sasha looked around and found a book on the floor, when she picked it up, she found that it was journal that contained entries of every war and battle Pollianna fought in. "Seriously, what kind of family do they have?! I wonder how much deeper this place goes?"
Grime got a box of chocopedes, which he was nervous eating on his way back to the house. "Sasha, I think it's time you finally took your place as the leader of this resistance. And I'm putting my foot down this time young lady! Eek, that sounds weird."
The former toad captain sighed heavily as he steeled himself. He opened the front door of the house and was about to call out Sasha's name, but right before he had the chance to, the clock on the opposite side of the living room turned two times before turning a third time and launching Sasha out of it and onto the floor.
"Lieutenant?!" Grime exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
"Better than alright!" Sasha exclaimed as she shot to her feet. "Grime, there's a whole underground cave system thing under this house! We'll need to update and expand it, but it's perfect for a backup base for the resistance!"
"Wait, what?" Grime asked, perplexed.
"Look!" Sasha rushed to the fireplace and activated the mechanism that opened the door into the secret passageway.
"By Barrel's belly!" Grime gasped.
"It's totally awesome! Like I said, it'll need a bit of structural work, and some expanding, but overall, it's perfect! There's still some passages I didn't get to explore. So, we'll need to organize some exploration teams so they can survey each of the passages and map them out, also, we'll need another team to take inventory of the items down there, some of it might be useful or useless, but we won't know until we properly catalogue it, also…uh…what's with that look?"
Grime was smirking as he crossed his arms. "That sounds like a lot of orders. Orders that a commander might give out."
"Uh…" Sasha blushed as she realized she shifted into commander mode without realizing it. "S-Sorry, no, it's not an order, none of them are! Just suggestions! I'm not telling anyone what to do, but…I think it'd be a waste not to do something about this…"
"Then, why don't we go back into town, and start getting those teams together?" Grime suggested.
"Uh. Maybe you could do it? I should do some…uh…what do you call it?" Sasha snapped her fingers as she tried to think of the word. "Preliminary surveying! Yeah, I'll stay behind and start the groundwork, I already looked through some of the different rooms down there, I can start drawing up a map or something!"
Grime facepalmed himself. "Sasha, I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore. Why won't you take on the leadership role?! The town knows it, I know it, and you Frog damn know it that you are the one best suited to lead us!"
"I'm just some thirteen-year-old girl with superpowers! Not some brilliant tactician or some battle-hardened soldier! I'm not even from a military family, nor am I in some ROTC program at school!" Sasha argued.
"Oh, that's where you're wrong. A: You are brilliant in your strategies and tactics; you've singlehandedly planned out all the raids and figured out our 'Guerilla Tactics' against the king's forces. And you are a battle-hardened soldier, or did you forget who helped train my toad forces back at the tower, and fought against those Fallen creatures? And I have no idea what an ROTC program is, but upbringing doesn't make a soldier, time, training, and experience do. And between the two of us–!"
"Between the two of us, you should be the leader! You were a captain, a gladiator! You're a warrior in every sense of the word!" Sasha argued back. "You're the perfect one to lead the resistance!"
Grime scoffed at the notion. "Not for something like this. My skills are best suited for the battlefield now. Sasha, I know it's a lot of responsibility to be a leader, especially in a situation like this, but I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't feel as if you were the best one for it."
"Until I get people killed…Until I go mad with power and start using everyone…" Sasha's hands balled up into fists as she recalled her past actions. "I don't want to go back to that!"
Grime stomped his foot against the wooden floor and retorted, "Sasha, you can't let the past keep dictating your actions! I'm not telling you to forget what you did but learn from it instead!"
"I…"
"SASHA!"
Sasha and Grime turned their attention to the front door as Ivy hurried inside.
"Sasha! Emergency flares went up! One of our teams is in trouble and needs help!" Ivy explained.
"What?! When?! Who?!" Sasha asked.
"Stumpy's team! They went to take out a power station for the robots, about thirty minutes ago, but now a spotter says they saw flares in the distance," said Ivy.
Sasha's brow furrowed. "Ivy, run back to the town and get Croaker, Wally, Maddie, and Loggle, have them get a wagon together with medical supplies. And…Tell Fern to join in as well."
"Fern?" Ivy asked.
"Just do it!" Sasha ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am!" Ivy responded as she sped out the door.
Sasha glanced at Grime and said, "Not a word, Captain. We need to hurry and get to Stumpy." Sasha thought about hurrying down to put on her armor, but if she was being honest, that armor was about to breakdown any second now. "We're heading into town; you're hitching a ride with me."
A circlet of fire appeared around Sasha's waist as it before the MetamorphRing appeared. "Henshin." A dome of fire appeared around Sasha and transformed her into Kamen Rider Bellona once again.
Grime hurried out the door with Bellona as both of them mounted Machine Burner. Bellona twisted the throttle, igniting the flame wheels as they took off towards the town. They arrived in no time, and when they did, they already found a wagon ready with Mrs. Croaker, Wally, Maddie, Fern, and…
"Uh…"
"Uh…"
"What's wrong?" Loggle asked.
Loggle was huge and muscular, The only thing he had on was his work apron, a pair of pants, and some boots. But the blue axolotl was absolutely ripped.
"Uh…what's wrong?! You're friggin' swol!" Bellona exclaimed. "This is what you've been working on for the past few days?!"
Loggle flexed his new gains as he said, "Yep! Now I'm ready for action!"
"…Not gonna argue. Alright, hitch up the wagon to Machine Burner and hang on!" Bellona ordered.
Loggle did as she ordered and hooked the reins of the wagon to the bike. Everyone else piled into the wagon, and once in, Bellona revved the engine of Machine Burner, sped down the dirt road.
"Which way?!" Bellona asked.
"THAT WAY, MA'AM!" Wally yelled as he pointed eastward towards the setting sun.
Bellona turned her bike in that direction and went full speed ahead.
Sasha and the other rebellion fighters wheeled back into Wartwood. They all looked beat, but otherwise unharmed. It turns out that Andrias used something new that they hadn't come across yet, a mind controlled giant animal. Thankfully they spotted the collar around its neck and managed to destroy it and free the creature, ending the fight and allowing them to destroy the supply depot.
"Croaker, Wally, Loggle, nice job back there with that maneuver," Sasha praised.
"Ha! Thanks, love, but you were the one who came up with that! What did you call it again?" Wally asked.
Sasha blushed a little as she said, "Mirror Punch."
"That's it!"
"And you were the one who spotted the collar that was controlling that thing," said Mrs. Croaker.
"Just luck, and I'm glad we managed to salvage one of those things. We need to find out how this thing works, if he can use this to control giant animals, he could use this on normal sized people," Sasha pointed out.
"If they don't obey, then he'll take away their ability to defy him," said Grime. "He's a monster of the worst kind."
"What do you expect? He's in league with The Night."
Machine Burner came to a stop, and the medical team moved in to start tending to any wounded. Stumpy and his teammates got off the wagon and went with them, but not before the large frog turned around and said, "Sasha, thanks for comin' out there and savin' our hides. Sorry we messed up the plan."
"What? No, Stumpy, you guys did everything right! None of us could've predicted that Andrias would use mind control on a giant snake! We'll just all have to be more careful from now on," Sasha assured them.
Stumpy nodded to the young blonde and went with the med team.
"Fern, nice scissor work with the power cables, you're getting good at handling those big scissor blades."
"I know right? I didn't think they'd work too well, but like, wow, they're so handy!" Fern stated as she twirled the blades around before expertly catching them.
Sasha swung her legs around and let herself set on Machine Burner. She was still in the same outfit from earlier, she didn't even get to put on her boots or feet wrappings.
Grime was standing next to her, arms crossed as he looked down at her.
The young blonde was not unaware of his gaze as she sighed heavily. "What, Grime?"
"You handled yourself like a true leader out there, Sasha," said Grime.
"Please, you can drop it already. I'm not meant to be a leader. I think my past history speaks for itself," she retorted.
"Sasha, look around you."
Sasha looked up as he asked. All around her the rebellion fighters were busy at work, focused, and yet optimistic about what lied ahead.
"All these frogs fight so hard because you're here. Because their willing to fight with you. The council idea? Yours. The team assignments and mission planning? Yours. And when one of our teams was in trouble, who was it that figured who we needed for the rescue mission, and led the charge? You. And tell me one time when any of these frogs said 'no' or objected to your ideas?"
Sasha thought for a moment, but she could not remember any point when they had. "None that I can remember."
"Shouldn't that be testament enough to how much they trust you?" Grime asked.
"…It's not so much about them trusting me. It's about if I can trust myself not to abuse that kind of power, again. I don't want to slip back to the person I was, now that I've resolved to become a better person," Sasha confessed.
"Ah don't think that's gonna be a problem, dearie." Sasha looked over her shoulder and saw Mrs. Croaker. "Or did you forget that you told us everything that happened back in Newtopia?"
"Well, no, I didn't, but isn't that just more of a reason why you shouldn't put me in charge?" Sasha asked.
Ivy strode up to Machine Burner, jumping onto the handlebars as she said, "Like we said before, you were honest with all of us when you didn't need to be. If you hadn't showed up, we'd probably be overrun and enslaved by now. And even though you didn't initially come to here to defend us, you risked your life to do it. And you and Grime helped us to fight back against Andrias!"
Mayor Toadstool strolled up as well and added, "Let's face it, Sasha, none of us here have a clue how to fight in an army, let alone run a rebellion. Heck, we only agreed to this 'council' thing because we thought it was the easiest way to help you be in charge without you havin' to take on the title. Since y'all were so hesitant to take it on in the first place."
"Seriously?! So, you all have just been agreeing to all my ideas and plans without even really consulting each other?!" Sasha exclaimed.
Every frog around her nodded a "yes".
"Don't get yer britches in a bunch, we've voiced our opinions or objections during the plan makin', you were there for all of that, and you listened," said Mrs. Croaker.
Sasha thought back to when she came up with the plans for their missions and raids, and she did remember when some of them raised an objection or had a differing opinion. She didn't shoot any of them down and listened to them and gave counteroffers or rearranged the plan to better fit the teams or the mission itself.
"Well…yeah I did," Sasha admitted.
"Being a good leader means you not only make the decisions, but also listen to your subordinates and value their input. You were the one who taught me that, Lieutenant," said Grime.
Sasha looked at Grime, back to Croaker, then to Ivy, and then to the other Wartwood frogs who were listening in on the conversation. "You all really want me to lead this rebellion?"
"Only if you want to, Sasha," said Ivy. "But it'd be great if you did."
Sasha sighed as she stood up and looked at all the frogs. "Geez, if you're gonna twist my arm about it so much, guess I really will."
The entire town erupted into cheers as word spread that the Wartwood rebellion finally having a leader, and that leader was Sasha Waybright.
"FINALLY!" some frogs exclaimed.
A day passed since Sasha officially took on the role of commander, and honestly, things were running a lot more smoothly now that she was taking a more active and direct role in the activities of the rebellion as the leader rather than just a soldier.
Sasha was standing in Anne's room, but now clad in her new armor. They were going to make it official today, so for the occasion, they fashioned Sasha new armor since her old one had gotten beaten and worn.
She now wore a leather armor that protected her upper body, she had a crimson bracer with two spike studs on the top part of it. On her left arm she had leather wrapped around her bicep, and over her left hand was a gauntlet with sharpened claws. Sasha questioned why the gauntlet had claws, but she was sure they'd have their tactical advantages later on, and for now she'd just need to be extra careful when touching someone with that hand or her own bare skin. She still had on a brown tank top, she wore a crimson rope belt that kept both her fur and cloth skirt secured around her waist. Further below she wore her black pants, but now she had crimson leather boots. Sasha had a single large shoulder pauldron on her left, and a flowing fur cape that stopped halfway past her knees. Around her forehead was a pink tiara that had a crane head molded onto the center.
Sasha checked herself out in the mirror, even placing a hand on her hip as she cocked it to the right side. "Huh, rebel fighter chic. I like it." Sasha reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, she opened her gallery to a picture of herself and Anne at the lake and smiled. "I wonder if you'd like this new me?"
"Sasha." The trapdoor to the cellar opened and Grime poked his head in. "It's time."
"Got it." Sasha put the phone away and said, "I'm ready."
Grime and Sasha exited the Plantar house, and when they did, a battalion of frogs waited, swords drawn. Sasha started out first, walking ahead as Grime took up the rear. The battalion made a path for Sasha, and once she and Grime passed them, they followed right behind. Halfway towards Wartwood proper, another battalion of frogs waited, and just like before, they waited for Sasha and Grime to pass by, and then once the first battalion passed, they merged with it and marched with them.
Sasha finally entered Wartwood, where many of the residents/rebellion fighters gathered and waited. A direct path was cleared for her, leading right to a stage where Mayor Toadstool and Toadie awaited her. Sasha took a calming breath and began her walk down the line. Partway to the stage, she passed by Mrs. Croaker, who had her arms crossed and a smile on her face as she winked at the young teen. Sasha smiled and winked back at her and proceeded ahead. When Grime got close, she gave him a knowing look, and Grime blushed and grumbled under his breath that he wasn't a father figure. Finally, Sasha got on stage and stood next to Toadstool as the battalions dispersed and pointed their swords down at the ground.
"Today is a great day, not only for Wartwood, but also for our rebellion! Today we are here to officially anoint Sasha Elizabeth Waybright as the commander of the Wartwood rebellion!" Toadstool announced.
The crowd erupted into cheers, along with whistling.
"Alright, alright, simmer down now, simmer down." Toadstool turned around to face Sasha and Sasha did the same to him. "Sasha, our first meetin' wasn't exactly pleasant. And sure, we all suspected you were up to somethin' when Anne brought ya here."
Sasha smiled nervously.
"But you've stepped up when you didn't have to. You came and defended our little town, and you helped build us up into a force that's become a real thorn in the king's side."
"Here! Here!" Wally exclaimed.
Toadstool turned to Toadie who was holding a crimson helmet with a turquoise-colored war plume, and the symbol of Amphibia on it. "This here is the Helmet of Authority. This hasn't been worn in many, many years. It is only to be brought out durin' war time events, and only to be worn by someone we have chosen to be our leader in such times. And today, I bestow upon you, this helmet. Will you accept this great honor and heavy burden?"
Sasha glanced out into the crowd, and then back to Toadstool. "I will."
"Please kneel for the ceremonial placing of the helmet," said Toadstool.
Sasha got down on one knee and presented her head to Toadstool. The mayor of Wartwood carefully slipped the helmet onto Sasha's head, and once he had, he stepped back.
"People of Wartwood! I present to you, Commander Sasha!" he announced.
Sasha stood up and faced the crowd as everyone cheered even louder than before. Grime watched this all transpire, and yet again there was the prideful swelling in his chest.
"It's enough to make a grown toad cry…" A single tear was about to fall from his right eye. "But not this toad. Get back in there you!" Grime snorted and sucked the tear back into his eye.
Sasha raised the face covering of the helmet and looked directly into the sea of frogs before her. "Frogs of the rebellion! I was reluctant to take on this role, not because I didn't think I was capable, but because…I was afraid of becoming how I once was. Someone drunk on power and obsessed with control. So, while I will do all I can to ensure not only our victory, I promise to also prioritize your safety! But, if at any time you all see me deviate from the person who stands here before you, do not hesitate to call me out on it, or even depose me if necessary! This is my first official order as leader of the rebellion, and I expect every single one of you to follow it! Understood!"
"YES, SIR!" all the frogs shouted at once.
Sasha nodded satisfactorily. "Okay. With that covered, we have a lot of work to do. First off, we will begin establishing a new base of operations, a fallback should things get too dangerous in Wartwood. I accidentally discovered an underground facility under the Plantar home!"
"Oh, you mean the Plantar secret family underground rooms?!" Loggle asked.
Sasha's eyes widened. "Wait, you knew about it?!"
"Why didn't you tell us?!" Grime asked.
"You never asked," Loggle responded.
Sasha blinked for a moment. "Oookay. Fine. Well, I want to use it as a place that we can use as a backup location for the rebellion. Andiras would never think to look underground for the rebellion. So, I'm going to create teams that will act as a survey team, a mapping team, excavation team, and a building team. I want everything under the Plantar home carefully categorized and preserved, it's their family history and I'd rather try to keep as much of it intact as possible. The survey team will begin exploration of how deep the tunnels go. And once everything has been mapped, I want the excavation and building teams to expand it to make it as big as possible for all of us and room for more. This will be one of our biggest projects and will be crucial to the survival of the rebellion! Meanwhile we will continue our raids, rescue missions, and sabotaging missions. We can't allow Andrias to think we've gone dark. Frogs of the rebellion, please lend me your strength as we fight together to free Amphibia!"
A cacophony of cheers and promises to take down Andrias and free Amphibia could be heard echoing through the crowd, along with the stamps of the spears that some of the armed frogs as they hit the ground with the butts of those spears. Sasha glanced up into the sky once again as her right hand reached up and rubbed the side of the helmet.
This is only temporary. When you come back, Anne, you can take your rightful place as this rebellion's leader. I won't stand in your way, and I will fight at your side.
