5 weeks have past and no major incidents has happen except now. the town is filled with cowapiller running a muck as the townspeople running around panicking. Dart is on his knees as he looking down then up in the sky and shouted.
"Whyyyyyy!"
Flashback about 3 hour ago and Dart is in the Bakery as he kneads some dough then a explosion happened in the background which affected Dart who is now covered in soot.
He coughs out soot as Chef flour runs to the three frogs who are covered in soot and stood there horrified and Chef gives them an earful
"What did i tell you girls using boomshroom as ingredients!" he lectured
"But gives it a big kick dad" said Ginger
"you do realize we're a Bakery right?" Rosemary points out which earn her raspberry from Ginger
Mr. flour sighs and he knelt down and place his hand on Ginger's shoulder.
"Just do it by the book next time" he said with disappointment which just annoyed Ginger
"whatever.." she whispered as she leaves the building
Dart helps clean up with the mess which Mr. Flour appreciates but it's raise his pay and Dart didn't mind but would secretly hope i would.
After cleaning up and doing his job. he exits the building as he puts away his money, he then saw Maddie comforting Ginger who is sulking still from the lecture.
"Good thing the boomshroom didn't explode the whole bakery but it's still very irresponsible"
"Hey at least I'm doing that people would potentially like!" she said angrily
"i get it but if you don't like baking then do something that you like" Maddie suggested
"...i don't know, there nothing that i like to do right now" she told Maddie
"How about exploring the town?" a voice behind them suggested
Maddie and Ginger look behind them to see Dart standing with a smile on his face
"Hey Dart" Maddie greets him
"Hello Ms. Maddie"
"Oh it's Maddie's boyfrie-" Maddie elbows her which she change her tone "I mean Dart and what do mean 'explore the town'?
"You won't get anywhere if stay in one place and it give you a lot choices to pick"
"Not a bad idea dude. Lead the way" she said
"Wha-Me?" he said with confusion on his voice
"Yeah, you suggested it so you show me what"
Dart is perplexed and he chuckled nervously and he walked away with Ginger and Maddie followed
A montage of the trio going place to place for a hobby that Ginger would like. first pot making class, Dart did a decent normal vase, Maddie made a creepy but oddly cute spider tea pot, Ginger just failed making pot and just made a mess. Next there in a gardening plant some flowers with Dart looking beautiful, Maddie's creepy style , Ginger didn't even try. After 2 hours failing to grab Ginger's interest they sat down on some rocks near herds of cowapiller behind the fences they look down with devastation and sighed in disappointment.
"Not a single one, you didn't took a interest in..." Dart said with his hands on his cheeks
"Yeah..." Maddie agreed
Ginger sigh in disappointment but then she heard whip cracking and she look at the ranch to see a rancher whipping cowapiller into a barn this made Ginger intrigued at the sight and she goes closer to the fence
"Whoa...what is that?"
"That's call Ranching, we herd cowapiller and then breed to make more and to make produce out there glands" said a Rancher
"Sound gross but very different that making bread!" she then hops over the fence as she runs to the barn
"Wait, they just got in!" the rancher chases after her
Back at Dart, he saw Ginger running to barn and he eyes shrank then quickly sprinting leaving to fall down with how fast was Dart was sprinting. Before he jump over the fence, a herd of Cowapiller bust out through the and went south as they rolled over the town running a muck as the townspeople running around panicking. Dart is on his knees as he looking down then up in the sky and shouted.
"Whyyyyyy!" he looks down in devastation then suddenly looked up with determination in his eyes.
He runs towards the town while he grabs a red leaf. He calls out to the cowapiller and they turn there attention to Dart, who was waving the leaf this made the cowapiller and he runs toward the pasture. he looks behind and saw Ginger happily riding one of the cowapiller which he smiled.
He hops over the fence with the cowapillers following suit. he climbs the barn and then waited for right time to grab her then when got closer he grab her and safely lands then closed it. Dart sigh in relief then sets down Ginger and he hops in place with excitement.
"That was AWSOME!" Ginger exclaims happliy
"What did you?" he asked
"oh just open the barn then threw boomshroom to freak them out" she said innocently
"why?"
"there something clicked with something me when i saw those cowapiller being herded and i know what to do!"
"B-but what ab-" he looks back at the town and not being destroyed like nothing happened "huh?"
"beside this is normal for this town" she said as she leaves with a pep on her step
Dart looks at the town with a mortified look "this town is weird"
Next
Dart wonders around outside of the town after a day of training with Polly who is struggling but getting better and better. Minding his business suddenly scream of Wally run towards him and he bumps into him making Wally to fall down.
"Dart, Dart you gotta help us!" he plead
"What's wrong?" Dart asked with seriousness in his voice
"A group of Toads with banners is coming to Wartwood through the north!"
"On it" he accepts as he sprints to town which caused to Wally to be daze and spinning quickly, making him strip down to his underwear.
"I was going swimming anyway"
Dart reach the town which overrun by Toads with black and blue armor with some using advance weaponry like lasers. He unsheathed his sword and calls out to the toads.
"Lay down your arms" this caught the toads attention then every toad laughed as they approach him
"Oh look a worm"
"A newt coming to fight toads? what a joke!"
"let's squish this bug then eat it" he then got looked at the other toads "what?"
"it's a shame, using weapons to strike fear in people instead of giving them a sense of security and ease" he said as he loosen the sword from the scabbard
"What is this guy saying!"
"just kill him"
Four toads lunges at him while shouting a warcry. Dart dodges the attacks then fully brings out his sword and strikes to critical points which they scream with agony. he then slides under another toad and made him trip using his scabbard while he got another one with his scabbard in a momentum of the sweep.
A female toad tries to strike him but he disables the toad under its armpit causing her go down like sac of flour. He got himself surround by toad as they raise their weapons to crush him but he looks down at there knees then swings it around a full circle which they cried in pain and they fell down clutching their knees.
He sheaths his weapon and then stood up as he look around as they see their patches on there armor which compose of two axes impaled on a toad skull. He walks around and saw one Toad frozen in fear. he menacingly walk to the toad
"what is the name of your group and the leader?" he asked with a harsh tone
"i-i-it's T-T-Toad R-Road and his name is Pep Markath!" the toad said while shielding his face
"Where is he?"
"his in the town hall!"
Dart nods and heads to the townhall quickly. After a few minutes later he reaches the townhall from a distance because it's filled toads guarding the outer parameter. He analyze the guards and think of ways to take them down but then a hand rest on his shoulder which he look back to see Sprig, Ivy ,Maddie , Polly and Frobo
"Guys? what are you doing here?"
"Helping you, duh." Sprig said with confidence
"I appreciate the suggest that i do but you should hide, i'll handle this on my own" said Dart worryingly as he goes to the townhall but he stopped by Sprig hopping in front of him
"Tsk Tsk, poor little Dart but we have fighting experience and don't plan in holding you back!" he told Dart while striking a heroic pose
"And yeah we have Frobo here" Polly point to Frobo as it flexes it's muscles
Dart smiled at their confidence as he nods and starts thinking of a plan. he snaps his finger and tells of his plan.
"Alright, i got a plan. Sprig, Ivy lead them to the forest and use ways to know them out while Polly and Frobo take care of the others while moving them far away then finally Maddie use some your magic teleport us in front of the town hall and locked every exit with plant magic"
They all , except Sprig, accepts there roles and they head out to there position. Sprig taps his arm which Dart look down to see Sprig with a concerned face
"Hey after, i need to talk with you" Sprig said with a serious tone
"Sure" He agreed
Sprig hops to Ivy and kissed her on the cheek, they called out half of the toad then lore them into the forest while Polly and Frobo attack the remaining ones but runs away to Sprig and Ivy's corner. Polly used her wooden sword slash the Toads frantically with a overzealous grin on her face.
"YOU LIFE IS MINE!" Polly threaten and laugh like a mad frog.
Dart facepalm at Polly's threat and Maddie used her powered to teleport them in front the townhall. He enters the townhall then a click. Maddie closed every window and doors then helps out the others.
Inside the townhall and it's in ruins. he carefully walk around the fallen books and papers, he walks up on a flight of stairs leading to other rooms and a long hallway leading to the mayor's room. He then walks the hallway without a ounce of fear in his steps.
In the Room, Toadie is tied up on his chair while Toadstool is laying down on the floor dazed. Toadie is in rage mode and trying to struggle out of the chair with no success but still struggle to break free.
A large toad with a mullet sitting behind the mayor's table and chilling with his other toad comrades.
"Captain! what's the next step?"
"Yeah! Captain Pep!" said one toad with enthusiasm
Pep slams his fist on the table causing it slip in half and get ups from his seat then grabs his hammer and rested on his shoulder.
"I going to challenge The Species Slayer"
This caused everyone even Toadie to gasp and looked at him with concern and fear.
"You mean that Slayer?!"
"Captain that's ridiculous, do you know where he is?"
"Yeah, and right on time"
as he said it the doors flied open as two toads flew out from the door and they are knocked out, He stood in the entrance of the door with sword in hand. he walks a few feet and told them
"With any indication, surrender now and leave this town with your group" he offered
Pep smirked then pushed back every toad remaining of his group. he walks up in front them and readies his Hammer.
"So you're the Slayer...What a joke!" Pep laugh at Dart "A little Newt being the Slayer?! this some kind of prank.. but if you can take out two toads then you have some semblances of skill"
Pep dash to Dart and then activated his weapon as it boost him to Dart but he quickly move out the hammer slam. Pep redirects his swing to Dart but he just dodge the swing then leaped closer to Pep's stomach and bashed it with his scabbard. Pep groan in pain but still stood up as Dart move passed him.
"Takes more that to take me down!" he then winds up his weapon then slams it down and Dart dodges it but as he was dodging, a fist came like a train and made contact to his body. Dart slams on the wall and groan in pain but he recovered from the slam.
Dart run around as Pep swings around the his weapon but he just slides under it. Pep became daze from the swing which leaves him open and Dart dash toward Pep then shouts
"2nd Sage: Wind Wave!" he double handed his weapon then slashes him with multiple but fast that others didn't even see it contact and he just appeared besides Pep who has a terrified look.
Pep slowly goes down on one knee then slams down on the floor with his hammer hit him on the way down. Dart breath heavily as he grips him right forearm in agony.
"It's...over, your leader has fallen and leave this place and never come back" he told in raspy voice to the other toads which they complied scurry out of the building with their leader.
Dart's vision became blurry as he stumbles forward and then fell unconscious. He opens his eyes to see his in an unfamiliar room, he darts his eyes around the room to see elements of creepy decoration, potions, and ingredients.
He slow sit up from the Bed as he wince from the pain and notice that he does have his outfit but instead replaced by bandages over his bruised body. he looks under the sheets to see any further injuries but to his relief nothing is off on his lower half. He gets out of the bed take his outfit and cloak but he suddenly realize the box is nowhere to be found, he frantically looks around for the box with no results. He then silently leave the room then heard three voice from down stairs carefully tip toeing to the stairs then stop and peeked between baluster.
Dart saw Sprig, Ivy , Polly , and Maddie talking with each other about the box and each theorized why he has it and restored to perfection.
"is this even the real one?" Ivy asked
Sprig opens it and saw the note inside it " 'Dart, i leave to you this box for answer you want. don't let people of Wartwood see this. p.s i have the keys' does that mean?"
"Yeah..." Polly said with sadness on her voice
"Then let's ask what he know about this"
"you don't have to" said a voice behind which cause them to jump and looked back to see Dart with a neutral face
"W-wha, Dart! you're okay" said Maddie as she run to him and hugs him which she regrets and throws a powder bag and she disappeared. Dart look down apologetically then back up while rubbing his arm
"I apologized for hiding but i hid it for all this month because i don't want to get you guys involve"
"It's fine and-" Sprig walks up to Dart with the box in hand "I get why but we already know what box is"
Dart's eyes widens as from the revelation of what Sprig said "wait that means you know the purpose then?"
"Yup, it's a box that allows you teleports to another world depending what it's musical frequency" Sprig explained
"Hmmm but Ivy said this one may not be the real one, why?" Dart asked
"Well...ummm it's used back when i was a young frog but it essentially was destroyed when it was used"
"was it for Anne?" Dart said which Sprig just nodded
"well it's for her friend but that all in the past now" Sprig thought the past but that triggers the memories which cause him to tear up then quickly recovered
"Oh...sorry"
"no it's fine but one question is why did your Mentor have it."
"That i was hoping for when i find him, also why did you lie about Toad Tower?" he asked with curiosity which made Sprig sweat
"O-oh that" Sprig then clears his throat and continues talk "Well i just thought that you're really cool newt and i might, sorta wanna hangout longer"
Dart chuckles at his reason to why his kept in Wartwood and hugs Sprig lovingly which Sprig didn't expect but somehow a familiar feel
"Then didn't you say so, i would have stay for bit anyway" Dart look at him with big smile on his face
From Sprig's perspective the one how is smiling at is Anne with a big smile with tear on her eyes which Sprig let the waterworks out and hugs her tightly then whispered.
"i missed you, Anne"
Back to Dart, he look at Sprig who is hugging tightly which he didn't care how much it hurts. he wraps around his arms and just said.
"You too, Sprig"