Chapter 8

"That nail has a blade on the end." said the mysterious man. "If you struggle, that hand will get cut. And in case you're trying to pull it off, I'll beat you with this staff again." The mysterious man pulled off his hood, and revealed himself as an adult toad.

"A toad!" said Fur Foot. "I knew there was one around!"

"Fur Foot!" Beauty Stem ran inside. "We saw that man run in after you!"

"Guys, we have to leave this cave!" said Fur Foot. "But first, who are you?"

The adult toad turned around to Fur Foot, with a glimmer in his ardent, kind eyes and a smile. "My name is Mistle Toad." said the adult male. "I am an explorer."

"Why are you here?" said Fur Foot. "Was this your home? Did the monster take it from you?"

"No. This creature, this rat, was endangering a toad with a strange sense I felt, one that you probably cannot sense yet. It is somewhere around this area. Anyway, what are you toadlets doing here? I assume you're late."

"Late?" said Fur Foot. "Late for what?"

"The Great Migration." said the man. "You're late-born, yes?"

"What's a migration?" said Fur Foot.

"Ah, yes." Mistlew Toad smiled at the young lad. "A migration is a time when a large amount of a species moves to another location to live. The toads migrated to Toad Hollow."

"Toad Hollow?" asked Elf Cup. "Is that where the others are?"

"Yes."

"Not all of them..." said the rat with a menacing smile. "I must've found at least ten."

"Bite your own tongue, rodent. I can sense it has something in it besides toads." Mistle Toad warned the rat. The rat's face immediately turned into a hateful frown.

Mistle Toad turned to the toadlets. "So, I assume you do not know how to get to Toad Hollow."

"I don't even know what's going on anymore..." said Puff Ball.

"We'd better get back outside." said Beauty Stem. "Shaggy Mane and the little ones are waiting."

"Yeah, we should wait until we're all together before we get all the answers." said Fur Foot.

"Assuming he's completely trustworthy." said Puff Ball.

"Don't mind him." said Elf Cup to Mistle Toad. "He's a bit paranoid."

Fur Foot helped Puff Ball up from the ground, who was still recovering from the shock of all that occurred. "He just saved us." said Fur Foot. "And he's a toad like us. Take it from me: I would know an adult toad when I see one." Fur Foot was referencing his memories of his father and mother.

"Let's go." said Mistle Toad as he walked towards the rat, who was quickly putting his arm away from the boomerang he was trying to get off.

The rat stared at Mistle Toad. "You want your nail back? Come closer and get it if you want." The rat had a plan. As soon as Mistle Toad came close, the rat would-

WHACK! WHACK!

With two beats of his staff, Mistle Toad knocked the rat out. He then wriggled the nail out of the rock. "This rat will be fine. A simple headache is all he has. Let's depart from this cave." said Mistle Toad. "It's far too dreary for the standards of living."

"Where are the others, Beauty Stem?" said Fur Foot.

"Outside, and Shaggy Mane's watching the little ones."

"Wait!" said Puff Ball. "Are there any toads that are alive here? We should help them! There's a light on the other side of the cave."

"I suppose so." said Mistle Toad. But I'll stay in front. I'm the only one with a weapon."

"I'll be in front with you." said Fur Foot.

"It may be too dangerous!" said Mistle Toad. "You're too small t-"

"I'm responsible for us." said Fur Foot. "And I'm going to help. It's better if two are out there."

Mistle Toad looked at Fur Foot's eyes. He was standing upright, bravely, and most of all, unwavering. His eyes showed true responsibility, enough courage to defend the younger ones with his life. He had true strength inside him, and Mistle Toad could not deny that. "All right." said Mistle Toad, with a grin. "You seem brave enough."

Mistle Toad leaned down to Fur Foot and gave him his nail. It was curved, ivory white, and had a blade on the end. The handle was wood, and there was a long, brown curve as a design.

"Ridged Tooth," said Mistle Toad. "Has seen much war. It's a weapon of ancient times that goes back generations. It's history will be explained as we exit this room. But for now, we must focus on our defenses. To use it, throw it at whatever you wish. Depending on how it is thrown, it may slice anything and return to you if you catch the handle, or you may render a foe unconscious."

"It just comes back to me!?" shouted Fur Foot?

"Don't shout!" whispered Puff. "Some rat could hear us."

"I doubt any other rat wouldn't have come due to the commotion." said Mistle Toad. "Now, the red haired one and I shall remain in front, and the others in the back. Be on your guard." Mistle Toad held his staff high. Fur Foot raised the nail, known as Ridged Tooth, above his head. Puff Ball readied his fists. All of the five toads slowly walked towards the light on the other side of the cave.

"Now," said Mistle Toad. "Ridged Tooth is one of many animal nails to be changed into weapons for toads against the dangers of the world. It was built in a way that it can turn around back to the owner after it is thrown. Its shape manipulates the wind in such a way. Being carved by toads of old, it is stronger than the normal animal claw."

"I can't believe that rat ate all of them..." said Elf Cup, looking at the skeletons.

"Hunger drives the weak-minded to evil." said Mistle Toad. "He went mad. However, I do not think he wanted to eat us."

"What would give you that idea?" said Puff Ball. "Did you see the look in his eye!? He was-"

"Yes, I did." said Mistle Toad. "It was the look of deceit. He was a liar. He was merely trying to scare you for some reason. I do not understand why, but I am surprised at how many of these former toad bodies he has in here."

"So, they are toads..." said Fur Foot.

"Scare us!?" shouted Puff Ball. "I'm sorry, but I don't think putting a stick through a little girl counts as a little scare tactic."

Beauty looked around to see he many bones, and realized they were shaped like people. "W-Why?" Beauty Stem was in shock, and now in tears. "Wait, these are toads? How are these toads?"

"I'll explain later." said Mistle Toad. "However, I happen to know that the rats' primary diet is purely vegetarian."

"What does that mean?" said an annoyed Puff Ball.

"Rats mostly eat fruits, nuts, berries, any actual food they find. He's a rat, and rats are not meat-eaters. It's likely he wanted to scare you. We are almost to the end of the cave. Stay on guard." As soon as they went through the cave, they found...

Dust. A giant pile of glowing dust surrounded the room, along with many other strange oddities: gems, bones, piles of bark, and nuts.

"Nuts!" shouted Mistle Toad. "Whole Piles of nuts! He was no meat eater!"

"But why does he still have all of the bones?" said Fur Foot.

"I suppose he wants to freeze people with fear, and then robs them. I expect he thought the little girl would faint. It's possible that he never ate anything, and that the bodies just rotted away. But there are too many bodies for that to take place in such a short time. This rat was young, so I am not sure what he needed of this. I suppose he struck a bargain with a predator that he'd provide meat for him or her and be spared, but why would he keep the bones?"

Elf Cup wasn't listening. She was too busy staring at the beauty of the yellow and glowing dust in one large pile. "So beautiful." she whispered. She reached her hand out to touch it.

"Young one! No!" shouted Mistle Toad as he whacked her hand with his staff. Elf Cup quickly pulled her hand away, staring at Mistle Toad angrily.

"Do not be angry." said Mistle Toad. "This is dangerous. Touching it could burn the hand. It's best if handled by a glove, but it hurts skin. That's yellow dust." And that's when it hit Mistle Toad. He knew what the bones were about. "So that's it." said Mistle Toad quietly. "No one ate them. They are still alive!"

"What?" said Puff Ball.

"You see, it's a long story. But basically, it is not the rat's fault. These toads were simply messing where they shouldn't have."

"What do you mean?" said Fur Foot.

"What I mean is, look at these gems." Mistle Toad held up some of the blue, glowing gems that were in the cave. "These gems have a power about them, and some of us toads are able to use it. Some are not. My guess is that their trapped inside these gems with no way out."

"What?" said Elf Cup. "How does that happen!? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Some toads are not wise enough to handle what they misunderstand." said Mistle Toad. "These toads likely had their very souls entrapped inside the crystals. There are many blue gems, but there are also many bones. My guess is that all of these toads tried to leave the cave with them. Gems of this color come from fairy magic. As an explorer, I'm aware of various kinds of magic stones. These are Soul Stones. The gems took their consciousness, and I know they can, and entrapped them inside the gems. They MUST be touched with a glove. Now, they are somewhere else, unable to escape. However, I suppose only their consciousness, not their bodies, did. The bodies did not get proper care, so the bodies rotted away."

Beauty Stem, upon hearing that, was broken in heart. "Oh, that's horrible."

"OK, I'm too confused." said Puff Ball. "Can't you just free them by breaking them or something?"

"You could," whispered the old toad. "But they have no body to return to now."

Puff Ball stared at the gems. All of this was too much.

"Be glad you do not have that kind of greed. It was greed that destroyed them." Mistle Toad proceeded to examine the room. "They wanted power, and they payed. The gems know a man's soul. They likely attempted to find the easy way to safety, and felt the gems would help. Either way, that is caused by impatience, greed, and lust. Those who live in darkness of the mind spread it. Those who live in light spread the light of good."

These words were immediately imprinted into Beauty Stem's heart. "Then I'll bring light." said Beauty. She picked up a twig, looked at it for a moment, grabbed a blade of grass growing inside the cave (it gained light from the dust), and wrapped it around the twig, leaving a cup of grass on top to put something in. She scooped up the dust with the twig, and made a torch.

"What's that?" said Fur Foot.

"It's a reminder that we are not lost in darkness!" said Beauty Stem as she held her new torch in the sky. "It will be a symbol of the good in all of us toadlets!"

"What an excellent symbol!" said Mistle Toad. "And what a fine, clever craft you have made! May that light shine on all of you for seasons to come, toadlets!"

"Thank you." said Beauty Stem.