"SASHA!" Anne shouted as she went to help her friend up and try to put her eye back in its socket and ultimately failing.
"What the heck happened while we were gone?!" Polly shouted in shock!
"Go... east." Sasha said, "Grime... got the town... to go that direction... for safety."
Anne picked Sasha up and put her over her shoulders, ignoring the eye resting on her chest.
"Come on, let's go." Anne said, "Oh, that's a lot of blood."
"Not... entirely... mine." Sasha said.
"And that's what worries me."
"What about Bessie? Is she alright?" Sprig asked about the family snail.
"All the snails…..got out too." Sasha said, really irritated about her dangling eyeball now.
"Thank you, that's a load off. But before we go, we need to fix that eye." Hop Pop said as he pulled the ascot from his "human" clothes.
Some quick work, tongue slime, and some dirt later, Sasha's left eye was wrapped up in a white eye patch.
"There, now let's get a move on." Anne said as they began walking. "I'll try to be gentle carrying you."
"I'm so... tired." Sasha said, "But I know... if I close my eye... it won't open again."
"Don't worry, we'll get you some help soon." Anne said, "Sprig, grab her swords."
Sprig grabbed the swords and they started to head east.
"Alright, Sasha, what are we looking for?"
"A small... shelter... made out of stone." Sasha said, "Meant to... hold... all of... Wartwood."
With the place they were searching for in mind, they continued to head east to find the people of their town.
"I think I see it!" Sprig said.
"Good, don't worry Sash, we'll get you the help you need." Anne said.
"T-t-thanks."
Moving faster than before, the family to a small shelter of stone with a metal door in front of it. There was also a metal slit to allow someone to see whoever was outside before letting them in.
"Okay, we're here. Is there some sort of secret knock or anything?" Polly asked.
Anne didn't have time to care, she knocked on the door. The slit opened.
"Who's- Anne?"
"Mayor Toadstool?"
mayor Toadstool opened the door.
"Oh, my frog. Come in, quick, it's dangerous to be outside."
Looking over the mayor quickly, they all saw he was a little dirty with his clothes torn and a few bruises on his face. The group rushed inside as Toadstool shut the door and sealed it.
"Follow me, I'll take you to the rest of the town." Toadstool said as he caught Sasha's condition. "And we can get her to Maddie, she's got some healing spells and mixes that will help."
"Oh, thank frog." Sasha said, rest without dying was so close now.
"What happened?" Anne asked.
"King Andrias has been trying at least once a week to destroy the town. Sasha has been training the town, but this last attack... she told Captain Grime to lead us away while she held them off." He said, "Many of us... many of the town are injured, some were on the brink of death."
"That's... that's horrible." Anne said.
"It is, but your here now, so that's proof that not everything is bad."
"Yeah….. I guess." Hop Pop said before quickly changing the subject. "Now about Maddie? I take it she's taken the rolls as medical specialist?"
"Yes, she has. After things got to this, she really stepped to plate and used her magic to help us all recover. Most of us aren't even afraid of her anymore." Toadstool said as he led them down a descending hallway.
Eventually they reached a large open area filled with glowing mushrooms and lanterns as the people of Wartwood had created an entire camp in the bunker.
"Welcome to Wartwood 2.0." Toadstool said as he got everyone's attention. "Attention everyone, attention. I've got some good news!"
"Now, I know there's been a lot of bad things happening to us and the town, but I'm proud to announce... Anne and The Plantars have returned!"
The entire town gasped as Toadstool moved out of the way, letting the family and human come into view. The entire town cheered loudly as they came down the steps of the bunker.
"You guys are back!"
"How was the human world?"
"Is that Polly? She's got her legs!"
Everyone was so happy to see them as Maddie, Ivy, and Sylvia rushed to the family. Anne set Sasha down carefully for Maddie to look over.
"You guys are okay!" Ivy said as she hugged Sprig.
"Thank all gods of creation!" Sylvia said as she hugged Hop Pop.
Anne wasn't paying attention to the crowd, she was more focused on Sasha.
"She's... she's going to live, right?" Anne asked.
"She'll most likely lose that eye, but other than that, she'll be fine." Maddie said, "Someone get Captain Grime, he needs to know about this."
"I'll get him." Wally said as he ran off to find Grime but came back for a moment. "Glad to see your back, Anne!"
Anne chuckled as Wally went off to find Grime, same old weirdo Wally. It felt kind of good to see he hadn't changed much.
"Help me carry her to the medical tent." Maddie said.
"Got it." Anne said as she picked Sasha up and followed Maddie to the medical tent.
Anne looked at Sasha, wondering just how much she's been through.
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