Horrible screeching could be heard as massive footfalls pounded against the earth below. Flames and lightning erupted in different directions and feathers fluttered through the air. Near the mountains of Frog Valley, Anne and Sasha were currently engaged in battle with two giant herons. The herons were a menace to the Amphibians, and from what they were told, were responsible for several deaths in the valley itself, choosing this place as their little hunting grounds.
Anne and Sasha were informed that Lilly Paddington had been attacked by the giant avian beasts, and that there were a good number of casualties. Fearing that these creatures could attack again, the two captains of Toad Tower decided to put an end to their reign of terror once and for all. And so here they were, having cornered the two beasts, and now locked mortal combat with them. Anne and Sasha didn't see a need to transform, the herons were big and vicious, but they weren't as dangerous as Grime was when he changed. So, they stayed in civilian form, for now, and were using their super strength, superspeed, weapons, and their elemental powers.
The heron with green plumage screeched as it thrust its beak down on Anne's position. But Anne's speed allowed her to easily dodge the attack as the heron's beak pierced the dirt where she once was. Anne twirled her scythe around and dashed straight for the beast. She zigzagged to make it harder for the heron to track her movements, and in so doing, allowed her to get close to its legs. Anne energized her blade with lightning energy and slashed at the left leg of the heron. Blood spilled onto the ground as Anne skidded to a halt a few feet away from the heron, although, she was still technically under it if you count its tail feathers.
She dashed for it again and this time sliced at its right leg as she passed by. The giant heron screeched in pain as it stumbled backwards, feeling pain with each step it took due to the wounds Anne dealt it. The Thai teen spun her weapon around and shook off the blood from it as she readied herself for another pass.
"How ya doin' over there, Sash?!" Anne asked.
"Doing just great, babe!" Sasha replied.
Sasha was like a tank, she didn't need to run around too much, she was quick enough to evade its pecking, and nimble enough to dodge the heron's talons. When the giant bird came in to peck her, Sasha jumped just a bit to the right, and when its beak was close, she cocked back her right fist and punched the beak. The heron was jolted to its right, rolling into the trees and crushing them under its body. Sasha ignited her pink sword with flames and slashed the air, creating a flaming crescent that flew at the killer avian. The flame crescent hit the left wing of the heron, causing some of its feathers to catch fire as it started roll in the dirt to try and put it out.
Anne saw that the heron she was fighting was distracted by the suffering of its partner and decided to take advantage of this distraction. The blue speedster dashed straight towards one of the trees and then proceeded to run up the tree before getting to the top. She vaulted off the tree and spun in midair as she slashed at the back of the heron like a buzz saw, cutting a deep gash in its spine as blood splashed down to the ground. The heron shrieked in agony as it lost feeling in its legs and fell straight to the ground with a great booming thud. Anne jumped into the air, spun once, and then brought her scythe's blade straight down into the head of the heron.
The Thai teen focused her electrical power into her arms, building up a strong charge as she let it shoot down the shaft of scythe and into the blade. Within seconds the heron's brain was assaulted by several thousand volts of electricity as its body began to violently spasm before it stopped making any noise at all. Anne ceased her electrocution, and jumped off its body and right next to Sasha.
"One down," said Anne.
"One more to go, any ideas, Boonchuy?" Sasha asked.
The heron managed to get back to its feet, although it was stumbling a bit. Anne noticed that it was standing next to the foot of the mountain, and just a bit higher was a cliff.
"Yeah, you remember that online anime that Marcy likes? You know, the one with the girl who has a scythe?" Anne asked.
Sasha was confused for a second until it finally clicked in her head and a smirk formed on her lips. "Get ready!"
Anne dashed ahead, putting several feet between herself and Sasha. Both girls' eyes shined with their respective powers as Sasha widened her stance and held her sword like a baseball bat. She kept her eyes locked on the heron that was still stumbling about. The creature finally seemed to regain its bearings and set its sights on Sasha as it screeched loudly and began charging for her.
"NOW!"
Anne dashed straight for Sasha, at the same time, Sasha ignited her sword as she cocked it back just like a baseball bat. The Thai teen jumped, tucked her legs in, and kept the soles of her boots flat. The timing was perfect as Anne's feet landed exactly on the flat of the sword, and as soon as she did, the flames on the opposite side of the blade released a powerful explosion that acted as a propelling force as Sasha launched Anne straight for the heron at twice the normal speed. Anne held out the scythe as she managed to hook it right into the heron's neck.
The heron released a painful gagging sound as it felt the impact and piecing pain of the scythe. But it wasn't over. The momentum allowed Anne to carry the huge heron with her until she landed on the mountain's side, slamming the heron's body against it. Anne focused her electrical energy to the soles of her feet, utilizing her static cling ability as she suddenly dashed straight up the side of the mountain. The heron was dragged along with her as the blade continued to dig into the heron's neck with each passing second and each foot of height gained. When Anne got to the edge of the cliff, she channeled all the energy she could muster into her legs and launched herself straight into the air. The added momentum and gravity allowed Anne's scythe to finish its job of fully decapitating the heron, silencing it forever.
The heron's body fell from on high and crashed to the ground with its head following behind it. Anne flipped around in the air before landing gracefully at the edge of cliff, twirling her scythe around before essentially posing and taking a calming breath. Anne turned around and looked down the edge of the cliff and winced when she saw her handy work. Blood had stained the side of the mountain where she dragged the heron up, and of course the ground below was stained in that blood as well. However, it seemed as if Sasha was untouched by that blood as there was a clear area around her.
After negotiating her way safely back down, Anne run up to Sasha and asked, "You alright? You didn't get splashed?"
"No way, I threw up a wall of flames as soon as its body hit the ground, burned the blood before it even touched me. But damn, Anne, that was savage!" Sasha exclaimed in excitement.
"Yeah, it looked less messy in my head, and more so on that show," said Anne.
"Difference between a shadow monster and a real flesh and blood one. Not that we haven't been facing our fair share of those as well."
Anne knew what Sasha was speaking of. Three weeks had passed since Anne's execution of Toadstool, and in that time, they've fought at least two monsters a week so far.
"I swear, this better count as the monster of the week, because I'm not in the mood for more," Sasha complained.
"Yeah, but they're no match for us!" Anne spun her scythe around and stamped it against the ground confidently. "We're the best monster busters around!"
"Damn right we are."
Suddenly, Sasha grabbed Anne by her cape and brought her close as she captured Anne's lips in a passionate kiss. Anne didn't fight it, she saw no need to, she was growing to enjoy these sudden make out sessions with Sasha. The blonde teen ended the kiss, leaving both of them panting.
"If it wasn't for the fact that there's blood everywhere and two giant heron corpses, I'd take you behind those bushes, take off that armor, and make you scream my name, again," said Sasha in a husky voice.
"S-Sash, geez. I never knew you were such a horn dog," said Anne.
"Only for you, babe." Sasha sighed in disappointment. "But we're still on the clock. C'mon, let's go tell the toads that the operation's over, and get these things loaded up."
"Loaded up? For what?" Anne asked.
"Well, duh, we're going to parade these bird corpses around so that everyone knows that the threat is forever gone. Plus, I'm sure the cooks can make use of these things' meat. I'm sure you can whip up something good with these guys," said Sasha.
Anne glanced back at the two giant bird bodies and shrugged, "Ah, who am I kidding, I'd eat 'em. And I think I will. But first, just admit that you want me to cook just so you can just ogle me while I do."
"What? Me? Ogle you while you cook? I don't know what you're talking about," said Sasha, feigning shock.
"Whatever, dude," Anne chuckled. "Oh, Sash, do you mind if I make a trip to Wartwood later."
Sasha raised an eyebrow when she hear Anne mention that town. "Not really. Why? There something going on?"
"No, no. I just wanted to check on them. Y'know, since we put Hopadiah in charge and…well…after what I did…I feel responsible for that town a little."
Sasha sighed as she replied, "Look, I don't mind you going to check the place out and improve our public relations. But, Anne, don't get attached to these guys. Remember, we're the only two we can really trust and rely on. We need to stay focused on finding Marcy and figuring out a way back home."
"I know, Sash, and I am. Don't worry."
But Sasha did worry, she worried a lot about Anne.
After loading up the herons' bodies, Sasha decreed that the heads of the herons were to be paraded through each of the four towns of Frog Valley, to show that they were no longer a threat to anyone. The toads were even more enamored with Sasha and Anne after seeing their latest kill. No toad had ever been able to fell a single heron without a large army and not without sustaining heavy casualties in the process. And yet, it only took the both of them to kill two of the most dangerous creatures in all of Amphibia. And it was all according to plan.
These toads were seeing her and Anne as more than just captains, they were seeing them as true leaders. As for the frogs, well, even with the execution of Toadstool, which Sasha was prepared for some blowback from that, it appears as if putting Hopadiah Plantar in charge of the town as interim mayor was actually a stroke of good luck for them. Apparently, there has never been a frog in charge of any town in Amphibia, toads had always run unopposed in every election in Frog Valley, and Hopadiah was the first frog mayor, ever.
Hearing this got Sasha wondering more about how this world operated, and so she decided to do some research and information gathering. She sat on the couch in her room, going over her notes as she finally managed to piece together the system of this world, as far as it's politics.
"The newts stand at the top, they're smart and apparently have access to some advanced stuff in their capital. The toads act as their enforcers, they manage the frogs as well as carryout the orders of the king of Amphibia. And the frogs, being at the low end of this totem pole, are relegated to being farmers and handyman, relatively speaking. I think Marcy called this a 'caste' system. Everyone is in their assigned station, and no one's allowed to go above it," Sasha spoke aloud.
It was the typical social structure you would probably see in this kind of environment. Technology and the ability to access any kind of information anyone wanted allowed people to rise above those who would oppress them, by making the common people able to learn and make their everyday lives more prosperous and profitable.
To Sasha, it was like what middle school would be like, but on steroids. And knowing that, made it easier for her to come up with a way to eventually make every frog and toad in the valley follow her command. If she could show them that the current ruler of Amphibia didn't care at all about their wellbeing, then she could usurp him. Honestly, it wouldn't be that hard to do it with the power she and Anne possessed, but just killing off a king wouldn't automatically make her the next ruler. She had to make sure that the people were willing to follow her, so if she could promise them a better way of living, then they would follow her to the ends of…well…Amphibia or something.
"Ugh, I just wish Marcy was here. She could help with the more technical parts of this plan, she's more into that socioeconomic crap than me," Sasha spoke aloud.
It's not that Anne wasn't useful in her own right; Anne had the uncanny ability to make connections. Talk with her for a few minutes and you'll find yourself becoming her friend without much effort. If anything, Anne could serve as her ambassador, or a mediator to bring the frogs into the army that Sasha was going to create. However, there was one problem.
She's getting a little too chummy with those Wartwood frogs, she thought.
Killing Toadstool right in front of them did make them feel a little uneasy around Anne, but ever since then she had stopped by to help out the town. And every once in a while, she brought some of their soldiers to help out. This did help to create a positive view of their toad army and herself, it was also having the effect of making Anne get too close to them. Even though she managed to kill one toad, Sasha figured it wasn't as big a deal to them in the long run, considering that toads ruled over the frogs, and Toadstool had apparently been a terrible mayor to begin with.
A lot of things were working in their favor, but Anne needed to stay at her side. She needed her to remain focused.
"Maybe I should pay that town a visit myself? But before that…Percy!" Sasha exclaimed.
The door opened and Percy saluted her. "Yes, Captain?!"
"Didn't you say you had reports about someone stealing around the valley?" Sasha asked.
"Oh yeah! From what we know, he calls himself Tritonio Espada! He's really elusive," said Percy.
"Yeah, if so, how do you know it's been him? Why haven't you guys caught him yet?"
"Ugh, we've tried, but he's crafty, and a skilled fighter. And the majority of the time, he doesn't commit the robberies himself. He tricks kids into robbing for him! The sicko." Percy explained.
Sasha blinked. "Wow, that's messed up. But I have to respect the creativity in that. In any case, do you think there's a way to draw him out?"
"Actually, he might strike soon. We got a report that the Tiger Moth's Eye is getting moved to the tower. It was on loan from Newtopia to be displayed in the different towns of Frog Valley before making its way to the Tower. Then when the pass clears, it will be sent back to Newtopia."
Perfect.
(2 Days Later…)
Anne wiped her brow as she jumped off the roof of the elderly frog lady. She had set aside her armor in favor of just her tank top and pants. Anne had decided to help out around town as much as she could and was able, at least without being a nuisance. And one of her tasks was fixing the leaking roof of one Mrs. Sadie Croaker.
"All done Mrs. C, I don't think you'll be having any problems with leaks," said Anne.
"Oh, wow, thank you deary. How much do Ah owe ya?" Mrs. Croaker asked.
"Like I said, you don't owe me anything. I'm just helping out where I can around here," Anne replied.
"Arf! Arf!"
Anne looked down and saw the little spider bark happily at her as it climbed up her leg. It took all of Anne's willpower to not swat the hairy spider off her as it came to a stop on her shoulder and licked her like a dog would.
"Eheheheh…g-g-good boy," said Anne, nervously.
"Now, now, Archie. Don't go and make a mess of her face now." Mrs. Croaker reached up and took Archie into her hands as she began petting the top of his head. "Looks like Archie's takin' a likin' to you."
"Oh, that's cool," said Anne.
"Yep, otherwise that lick would've caused total paralysis on account of his venom," she added.
Anne's left eye twitched. Of course, the spider has venom. And I just let it lick me. "Well, anyway, I'm glad I could help out. I'll be heading into town to see Mayor Plantar, so, come get me if you need anything else."
"Will do, deary."
Anne put the remainder of her tools, her armor, and her weapon into the wagon and snapped the reins of her tarantula. The huge creature whinnied like a horse before starting off down the road. Anne had to admit, Wartwood was growing on her the more she came to visit. The people still gave her the occasional suspicious glance, but it's not as if she blamed them after what she did. Even now that event still haunted her. She didn't look back to see what she did to Toadstool, Sasha made sure to keep her gaze focused on the blonde instead. But Anne could still recall the fear in Toadstool's eyes, the feeling of her blade slicing through his neck, even as brief as it was.
But Anne shook off those memories and decided to focus on the more…ahem…memorable ones. Like the fact that she and Sasha…slept together.
Anne still blushed like a schoolgirl every time she remembered that night. Which, she was, but can you blame her? Anne couldn't believe she had her first time in another world, with a girl, and that that girl was Sasha Waybright. Her best friend, captain of the cheerleaders, and the hottest girl in their school. And now her official girlfriend. Since then, they've had a few more intimate moments alone, especially when Anne decided to stay with Sasha in her room. She was reluctant to at first, but that was before she executed Toadstool, having Sasha next to her at night helped keep those nightmares at bay. And their intimate playtime especially helped to keep them away.
Since then, they've been a lot more open about their affection. And Anne was loving it. She never thought she could feel this way about a person, let alone her best friend, but she did. The occasional intrusive thought did find its way into her mind once in a while, that annoying, nagging anxiety about what would happen when they did eventually get back to their world.
Dad will probably understand, but Mom…ugh…she might just pitch a fit when she learns that I'm gay. Fuck, if she finds out Sasha and I did it…more than once…she's going to keep us apart.
Anne had brought this fear up to Sasha, wondering if it was a mistake to have done it in the first place. But Sasha's reply was, "Anne, we're currently in another world, and we don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. Yeah, we have Rider powers, and are OP as fuck. But I know you know that there's always going to be a bigger, badder monster out there that just might end up killing us. Or if not that, something else that we didn't think about. Each day is not guaranteed. Hell, it's a miracle in and of itself that we're able to wake up in the morning. Which is why I don't want any regrets. I don't want to die not knowing the embrace of someone I've had feelings for since we were little. So don't worry about what your mom might or might not approve of. We're in a place where the rules of Earth don't apply. Adapt and survive and live much as you can each day."
Those words really resonated with Anne. It was true that tomorrow was not guaranteed to them, that was truer in Amphibia what with the creatures that roam the forests, and of course the occasional monster attack.
I didn't make a mistake. I love Sasha. I don't regret m-making love to her. It was, so…so…I don't even have the words describe it. But it was just, wow, she thought. Sasha's right, I shouldn't care what Mom thinks. I love Mom, but I love Sasha, too. And I don't think I can stop loving her even when we get back. I don't care if anyone makes fun of me or picks on me because I'm gay. Sasha won't let them, and after everything we've faced here, heh, those future bullies better be afraid of both of us.
Anne eventually made it into Wartwood Proper and brought her tarantula to a feeding trough. She petted the top of its head, as gross and hairy as it was, just to show that she appreciated its hard work. Afterwards, she slung her scythe over her shoulder and headed to town hall. Once inside, she made her way to the mayor's office and knocked on the door.
"Come on in," said Hopadiah.
Anne opened the door and was greeted to the sight of Hopadiah Plantar. He was busy looking over some documents, wearing a purple-colored jacket, black vest, white shirt, and red tie, along with some khaki colored pants.
"Hello Mr. Mayor," Anne greeted.
Hopadiah looked up from his documents and smiled, "Ah, Vice-Captain Anne. How ya doin'?"
"Doin' good, and y'know, it's okay to just call me 'Anne'. You can drop the Vice-Captain stuff, I'm not here on official business or anything."
"Heh, alright, then how's about ya just call me Hop Pop?"
Anne tilted her head to the side and asked, "Hop Pop?"
"It's a nickname my grandkids call me," Hop Pop explained.
"Sweet. Hey, can I call you HP?"
"Don't call me HP."
"Got it."
Hop Pop adjusted himself in his chair and asked, "So, what brings ya back today?"
Anne unslung her scythe and propped it up against the far wall before sitting down in the chair across from Hop Pop's desk. "Oh, just stopping in to help out around the town. I just fixed Mrs. Croaker's roof and now I'm just coming here to see if there was anything anyone needed in town."
Hop Pop smiled when he heard this. "Ya know, Anne, you've been doin' a lot for our little town."
"Yeah…well…after what I did, I think I owe it to you guys," said Anne as she rubbed the back of her head.
Hop Pop sighed as he got out of his chair and looked out the window into the town. He then remarked, "Ah'll be the first to admit, Ah didn't like Toadstool. He was a greedy, no-good, money-grubbin' lout. The town had so many things that needed fixin', but he never did a thing to fix 'em. Ah can't say whether or not his punishment fit his crime, but thanks to what you did, exposin' his lies and puttin' an end to them, it helped Wartwood in the long run."
Anne smiled, hearing that eased her anxiety about killing Toadstool a bit. "Thanks, Hop Pop. I really needed to hear that. Anyway, have you been adjusting well? Any hiccups?"
Hop Pop turned around as he said, "Not especially. The roads are getting' filled up. We got lampposts now to light up the town at night so it ain't as dark no more. The schoolhouse has gotten repaired, and crop production is already up twenty percent in the surroudin' farms."
"That last one's a good thing, right?" Anne asked.
"Compared to it just being above stable? It's a BIG improvement!" Hop Pop stated happily.
"Oh, well, that's good to hear."
"HIIIIYAAAAAH!"
Anne's eyes glowed blue as she smirked and brought up her arms just in time to nab something. When she lowered her hands, Anne saw the little purple tadpole that was Hop Pop's granddaughter, who he later learned as called Polly, ironically.
"Pollyanna Petunia Plantar! What in the name of Frog are ya doin'?!" Hop Pop shouted.
"Awwww…I thought I had you that time," said Polly in disappointment.
"Nice try, Polly. But better luck next time," Anne remarked as she placed the pollywog on the desk.
"Ah'm sorry about that, Anne," Hop Pop apologized.
"No worries, dude."
"Polly, where'd you – Oh! Hi, Vice-Captain Anne!" the pink frog boy, Sprig, greeted.
"Hey, Sprig, you behaving for Hop Pop?" Anne asked.
"Of course," said Sprig as he hopped in.
"He can't stop touching everything that's new in here. Almost knocked over an expensive vase," Polly blurted.
Sprig blushed in embarrassment as he groaned, "Polly! Don't embarrass me in front of Vice-Captain Anne!"
"It's okay. I wasn't that coordinated when I was younger, too."
Just then, a messenger bat swooped into the room and flew around. Anne held out her arm and let the bat cling to her before taking the letter out of its mouth.
"Everythin' okay?" Hop Pop asked.
"Yeah, looks like Sasha wants me to protect a valuable gemstone coming through by railroad. Says a thief's been taking things using kids. That's sick," said Anne.
"Well, best not keep ya. Feel free to stop on by again."
Anne got up, petted the bat's tummy, and had it fly back with a response to Sasha. She then walked to the corner of the room and slung her scythe over her back and said, "Alright, then, I'm off."
As Anne left town hall, the frog boy, Sprig followed after her. Hopping alongside her and looking up at her.
"What's up?" Anne asked.
"I just wanted to say, thanks for making Hop Pop mayor. He's really happy about it," said Sprig.
"Aww, thanks, but I mean, I wasn't the one who did it. Sasha put him in charge. I…" Anne rubbed her arm as she remembered the kill. "…I just killed someone to make it happen…"
Sprig frowned a little and said, "Yeah, Hop Pop made sure we didn't see it. But I could…hear it, a bit."
Anne's eyes flew open as she got down on one knee. "I'm so sorry! I-I–!"
"It's okay! I mean, again, neither me nor Polly saw anything. So, it's not like we have nightmares or anything." Sprig looked closer at Anne and asked, "Do you get nightmares about that?"
Anne lowered her gaze as she admitted, "I do…Sometimes I can still hear him begging for mercy…and sometimes I still feel the sensation of…cutting him down in my hands. Sasha's helped me a lot, and the nightmares are not as frequent as they were at first. I just…I feel bad that I can't get over it. I wish I was stronger, like Sasha is."
Sprig rubbed the back of his head and shyly remarked, "Well…Maybe it's not a bad thing that you feel bad."
Anne raised an eyebrow in confusion as she looked the frog boy in the eyes.
"What do you mean?" Anne asked.
"Wouldn't it be worse if you didn't? I mean, killing someone should feel bad to some degree. I can't say that about all bad people, especially if they hurt someone you loved or hurt a lot of people. But I think you should still feel something about killing someone. I think it's when you don't that you should feel worried," Sprig explained.
Anne blinked, that was very wise of Sprig. And it did make sense. As bad as the nightmares and feelings she has about killing Toadstool are, it was a sign that she wasn't some heartless monster that could just quickly take a person's life without thinking twice. Sasha said that they had to do what they needed to in order to survive in this world, and Sasha had resolved herself to make hard decisions, but that girl was strong, and was probably hurting just as much as Anne was without showing it. Projecting strength so that Anne wouldn't crumble.
I've been thinking about this all wrong. Sprig's right, it's not a sign of weakness to feel bad about taking a life. I just need to take that feeling and accept it. Toadstool probably won't be the only life I take here, God willing it is, but I need to be able to accept that I did it, and fight on. I can't let Sasha bear all that on her own. We're…We're girlfriends now! I need to support my partner!
"Sprig, you're so right. Thank you. I may not get over what I did, but I don't think I should either." Anne reached out and patted Sprig on the head. "Thanks for the advice, dude."
Anne stood up to head to her wagon, but stopped when she heard Sprig's voice call out to her.
"Hey, Anne! I heard that the herons were killed! Did you and Sasha kill them?!" Sprig asked.
Anne turned around and answered, "Yeah, we did. Why?"
Sprig's eyes started to water as he hopped closer to Anne and hugged her leg.
"What?"
"The herons…they killed our parents a long time ago…"
Anne's eyes widened as she got down on her knees and opened her arms. Sprig rushed into her arms and hugged her tight as he cried a little.
"Thank you, for avenging them," said Sprig.
"You're welcome, Sprig. I may not be here in this world for long, but for the time that I am, I'll make sure this valley is safe. Me and Sasha will make sure of that."
Anne and Sprig broke their hug, with both of them wiping their eyes free from the tears. Once Anne made it to her wagon, she donned her breast plate, shoulder pauldrons, bracers, and gloves before getting on the wagon and snapping the reins. Her tarantula made horse noises before taking off down the road, with Sprig waving goodbye to her in the distance. Anne felt renewed vigor after talking with the Plantars. More determined than ever to be a positive force of good within Frog Valley, even if their time in this world was brief, and her and Sasha would someday return home, she could at least do as much good in this world as humanely possible. She was a Kamen Rider after all, and Kamen Riders fight to protect the innocent and with their might uphold the weak.
It had been a few hours since Sasha sent Anne out on her guard mission. And she made sure to take advantage of it. The blonde teen made her way to Wartwood, riding in her private carriage and flanked by some of her soldiers. As she rolled into town, several of the townsfolk whispered both in awe and a bit of worry as to why Captain Sasha had arrived in Wartwood. They had seen Anne more than once come to their town, most of the time by herself, or sometimes with a squad of toads to help her help out in town. But Sasha's presence was a rare occurrence.
When the carriage came to a stop, Sasha exited and walked to town hall with her soldiers following behind her. Once she was at the front steps of the building, she turned to her entourage and said, "Stay here and guard the front. I don't want to be disturbed while I speak with the mayor."
"Yes, Sir!"
Once that was done, Sasha made her way inside. The current captain of Toad Tower found the mayor's office and let herself in without even knocking.
"Wait, who – oh – it's you Captain Sasha! How are ya?" Hop Pop asked.
"I'm doing quite well, thanks," said Sasha as she sat down.
"Has Anne returned from her mission?" he asked.
"Mission? How do you know…?"
"Oh, sorry, was that a secret? The bat messenger flew in, and she told us," Hop Pop explained.
Sasha shook her head in the negative.
"Nah, it wasn't really a secret mission or anything. So, it's cool, Hopadiah."
Hop Pop chuckled as he said, "Ya can just call me, Hop Pop. Ah already told Anne she can as well."
Sasha's right eye twitched a little from hearing that, but she still maintained her smile, nonetheless. "Cool, but if you don't mind, I'd like to keep this formal, Hopadiah."
"Oh, eh, sorry. Guess yer here on official business then?" he asked.
"You could say that." Sasha got up from the chair and walked with her hands behind her back and stood at the window. "So, Hopadiah, do you like being mayor of Wartwood?"
"Oh, yes, definitely. Thank you for the honor to do so," said Hopadiah.
"Good. Good. And I hear that Anne's been coming here frequently."
"Yep, she's kinda growin' on people here."
Sasha's brow furrowed a bit. "Yeah. That's kind of why I'm here."
"What do ya mean?"
Sasha put on a neutral expression as she looked at Hopadiah directly. "You see, Hopadiah, Anne and I, we're not from this world. I'm sure you've figured that out by now." Sasha waited until the old frog nodded. "And I'm sure you understand that we have certain priorities we need to focus on. One of those is finding our friend."
"Oh, yes, we've still been keepin' an eye out for Marcy. But we still haven't found anythin' yet," said Hopadiah.
"That's fine, I'm probably going to have a talk with Anne about ending the search. God willing she's not here at all and still back in our world, but it's just as likely that she's not here in Frog Valley, and she landed outside of it," Sasha admitted.
Hopadiah grimaced a bit. "Oh, that's not too good. Amphibia's a big place, and there are a lot more things out there than the creatures that roam the forests in the valley."
"I can only hope that she got powers the same as us and is able to protect herself. Or maybe she got picked up by some well-meaning Amphibians and is living with them for the time being. But I digress. The second priority we have, is finding a way back to our world," she continued.
"Ah figured as much. Ah'm sure yer families are worried somethin' fierce about ya."
Sasha was now the one to grimace as she was reminded of her parents. "I'm not sure how true that statement is in my case. But I know Anne loves her family, and they love her. Which is why I'm sure you can understand why I need Anne to remain focused on our main goal of returning home and finding our friend."
"Well, of course Ah do."
"I'm glad we have an understanding, Hopadiah. So, you'll make sure to tell Anne that she can stop coming to Wartwood," said Sasha.
"Of course, Ah will…SAY WHAAAAAAT?!" Hopadiah exclaimed.
Sasha looked down at Hopadiah again and asked, "Did I stutter?"
"Ah'm sorry, but Ah don't think Ah understand. Why do ya want me to tell her to stay away from Wartwood? She seems to like comin' here," he asked.
"Did I not just make it clear? I said, I need her to focus on our goals. And her coming to your little hamlet is distracting her. I honestly don't care what kind of excuse you make up to tell her to stay away, just so long as she understands that she's not needed here, and that any business done with her is only that. Business. No helping other people, no chatting it up with the locals, and no dropping in to visit. The only time she's welcome here is when she needs to do a job related to her duties as Vice-Captain of Toad Tower. Strictly professional. Nothing more, and nothing less."
Hopadiah furrowed his brow a bit, he didn't understand why Sasha was telling him to do such a thing. "Ah'm sorry, but Ah can't do that."
"Excuse me? And why not?"
"Anne seems to like spendin' time with us here in Wartwood. And none of us are makin' her come and help us out. She's doin' it because she wants to. And honestly, she seems to enjoy it. Ah get what yer sayin' about her remainin' focused on yer goals. Ah don't think she's forgotten them at all if that's what yer really afraid of. But if Ah may say, Ah think yer worried about somethin' else. Ah'm Ah wrong?" Hopadiah asked in a serious tone.
Sasha actually smirked as she sat down on the edge of Hopadiah's desk. "Don't let it be said you're not still sharp, old man. Okay, let's just get down to brass tacks. I don't want Anne coming here anymore. I want her to stay beside me, and only me. I can't have her getting all sentimental over the people in this one town. Anne is mine and mine alone. Understand."
Hopadiah could see something in Sasha's eyes, even the air around her changed. Before she had a presence that commanded respect, but now, her aura gave off a more hostile and negative feeling. And her eyes, her eyes held a promise within them. A promise that she was not above doing whatever she had to get what she wanted.
"Do you like being mayor of this town, Hopadiah? I hear you're quite popular, and that your being mayor is making waves all throughout Frog Valley. With my help, you can break the mold of toads only leading the frogs. I do plan on changing the status quo around here, and it would help if you were onboard with that vision. But the price of it, what I stated earlier. If you don't comply…well…"
Sasha raised her right hand as flames flickered to life at her fingertips.
"Fire is so hard to control sometimes. And you never know, a rainstorm could hit this area, and a bolt of lightning hits the right spot to set fire to an entire structure, killing everyone inside it. Or I don't know. A roaming gang of outlaws just happens to wander into town and kills an entire family and steals their belongings. It could happen to anyone. Even…you, Mr. Mayor."
Hopadiah clenched his fists, he could see the obvious threat in her words for what it was. And as much as he wanted to stand tall against Sasha, Hopadiah knew that he stood no chance of defying Sasha. Everyone had seen on different occasions the kind of powers her and Anne wield when they weren't in their transformed state. When they did transform, their powers were unmatched. There was literally no one in the valley who had the power to stand against Sasha except for Anne. But Hopadiah doubted that Anne would believe him if he told her that the girl she was in a relationship with, her only friend in Amphibia, had threatened their lives.
The old frog didn't want to say anything to Anne, but he could always sense something off about the way Sasha looked at Anne. The few times he saw them together, it just felt wrong. Like Sasha saw Anne as less of a girlfriend, and more as someone she craved, someone she wanted to own. Hopadiah knew what the gaze of a lover was, he had a beautiful and loving wife before her passing, and he saw that loving gaze in her eyes everyday up to the day she departed this world for the beyond. When Anne looked at Sasha, or talked about her, he saw that same look in Anne's eyes. However, Sasha's may appear to mimic that same expression, but anyone who has truly been in love before can tell, that look was born of a twisted version of love.
If anything, Hopadiah was afraid for Anne now. She was around someone like this all the time, and Anne was devoted to Sasha, not knowing the kind of person she really was. The mask was gone, and now Hopadiah could see the real Sasha Waybright behind it.
"…Fine. Ah understand."
Sasha extinguished the flames and smiled broadly at the old frog.
"I'm so glad we can come to an understanding, Hopadiah. I'll make sure to send Anne here to update you on my future plans. But make sure she comes back to Toad Tower as soon as her business is done. No more, no less," said Sasha.
"Understood, Captain Sasha," Hopadiah replied with a bit of venom in his voice.
"Good." Sasha walked to the door and opened it. She kept one hand on the side of the door as she glanced over her shoulder and remarked, "And, Hopadiah…"
Sasha's eyes glowed magenta again as she tightened her grip on the door, making the wood crack under her grip.
"I'd watch your tone in the future, or else…"
The door snapped off its hingers, causing Hopadiah to flinch.
"Whoa, flimsy door. You should get that looked into, BT dubs. Anyway, so glad we had this chat, have a nice day Mr. Mayor."
Sasha walked down the hallway towards the front door and exited the building. When she was back in the carriage, her smile fell into a tight thin line.
"No one can have Anne. She's mine, and only mine. Not this town's, not her parents, she's MINE!"
"I have to say, my dear, you were quite the accomplished fighter. No toad has ever bested me in combat," said Tritonio.
"Well, I'm not a toad, so, that's one thing. The second thing, you shouldn't have underestimated me," Anne replied.
It took some time, but Anne finally managed to capture the thief known as Tritonio Espada. She was hiding in the car that contained the Tiger Moth's Eye, and waited patiently for when the newt thief made his move. And just like she was told, some frog children came in and tried to steal the gemstone. Of course, by this time, word had reached the entire valley about who Anne was, so when the frog children saw Anne, they immediately knew something was off.
After that, Anne confronted Tritonio and the two of them engaged in armed combat. Tritonio was at a disadvantage thanks to Anne's growing expertise with her scythe, using the length to keep Tritonio at a distance, and when he tried to get in close, she would use her powers to dash away before he could complete his attack. Tritonio was hard pressed to find an opening, as Anne had gotten good at spinning that scythe around herself, to keep any would be attackers at bay for fear of losing a limb. Even an expert fighter like Tritonio found himself hesitant to get too close or else risk losing his head.
In the end, he was no match for Anne's scythe skills and powers and was defeated. She did not kill him, as, well, Sasha's orders were for capture, not killing. Whether or not that would remain true when they got to the tower was another story. But for now, she decided to let the newt live. Now they were on their way to the final stop where Anne had some toad soldiers waiting to transport both the gemstone and Tritonio. Until then, she kept watch over him in the cage she brought onboard in a separate train car.
"Too true. Although, I have to say, you could benefit from a little more instruction. Perhaps I could offer some assistance in that department in exchange for sparing my life?" Tritonio bargained.
"Look, save it, dude. I don't get the final decision on that. If Captain Sasha says you're going to be executed, then so be it," Anne replied.
"I heard about what happened in Wartwood," he said.
Anne flinched.
"I heard about a strange, tall, gangly creature who commanded the power of the storms themselves. One of two who managed to take over Toad Tower and commands the toads. One who wields the scythe and used that scythe to behead the mayor of Wartwood with one swift stroke."
Anne glared at the caged newt and growled, "What about it?"
"I just found it strange. You said my fate is up to the Captain, but are you not also the Vice-Captain?" Tritonio asked.
"Duh, dude. It's in my title," Anne retorted.
"Hmm, then, does that not mean you have equal say in who should and should not be executed?"
Anne paused for a moment, her glare vanishing as she digested Tritonio's words.
"I mean…I-I guess it does. But Sasha…she's more decisive, and she's good at what she does. I trust her decisions," said Anne.
Tritonio raised his eyebrows as he glanced at Anne's hands. "If that is so, why do your hands tremble so?"
Anne looked at her hands and realized that they were trembling. She quickly stuffed them into her pockets and turned her back on Tritonio.
"I've seen such a thing before, Vice-Captain. Was killing the mayor the first time you have taken a life?" She did not respond, but he still continued. "I know, for a grown adult, taking a life is not an easy thing. But you, I'm not one to assume, but you seem to be a child in my eyes. Or am I wrong? How old are you?"
Anne glanced over her shoulder for a moment before going back to stare at the wall of the car. "I'm…I just turned thirteen about a month ago."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh, my dear, you are so young. Still in the prime of your life, and to experience the horror of taking a life. I do feel bad for you, truly, I do," Tritonio confessed.
"I don't need sympathy from someone who uses kids to pull off robberies!" Anne snapped.
The newt nodded in acknowledgement of her statement.
"You are correct. I do use children in my robberies. But I make sure they don't take a life so long as I can help it. I may be a thief, Vice-Captain, but I am not a monster."
"Whatever. I made my peace with what I did. I can't get over what I did, and a wise little frog told me that I shouldn't stop feeling bad about it, and that it's worse if I don't feel bad for taking a life," Anne remarked.
"A frog said that? Wow, that is quite wise. I'm truly shocked," said Tritonio, actually sounding shocked.
"You don't think too highly of frogs, do you? I noticed it's the same thing with the toads," Anne observed.
Tritonio chuckled as he sat down close to the bars and said, "It's just the way things are. Newts like myself are sharper of mind, toads are brutes, and frogs are just the laborers."
Anne turned around and sat down in front of cage as she crossed her arms and rebutted, "Dude, that's such a racist way of thinking. You're saying a frog can't be wise and smart because they're a frog? And you're telling me that there aren't any dumb newts at all?"
Tritonio shrugged. "Oh no, there are some. But even the dumbest among us, are still smarter than your average frog, and far, far smarter than a toad. A wise newt child would've seen through my deception fairly quickly. Why do you think I mostly trick small frog children? They're easier to deceive, of course!"
Anne narrowed her gaze at Tritonio as her eyes glowed a bit. "The frogs are good people. They're kind, and welcoming. Even after I did what I did, I've been working hard to earn their trust. I don't know if they've forgiven me, but they treat me with kindness."
Tritonio chuckled. "Oh, Vice-Captain, you look like a smart young girl. But very naïve. Can you not see why they're treating you so well?"
"Enlighten me, oh wise newt," Anne replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The green newt moved closer as if to whisper and explained, "It is because they are afraid of you. You cannot tell me that seeing someone such as yourself killing their mayor is not a fear inducing sight. Now I've only heard rumors about the kind of power you and your Captain wield and heard of the battles you have fought in the valley against strange monsters of darkness. But if even half of those are true, do you not think it would be smarter to be on the good side of such a powerful being?"
"I…well…I-I guess, but–!"
"Anne, may I call you Anne?"
"Fine."
"I say the frogs aren't smart," Tritonio went on, "but even the most uneducated individual knows that it is better to curry the favor of a powerful being, less that powerful being bring down their wrath upon them. They will not say out loud that they fear you, so they act kind to you, they're nice to you. They make sure that you will think twice about killing them if for whatever reason they accidentally, or intentionally, anger you. Or if they commit a crime, that you will be lenient in their punishment and not behead them."
Anne started to feel her heart racing with anxiety. Could Tritonio be right? Could those frogs really just want to make sure that she doesn't kill them? Was that the only reason why they were nice to her and letting her do all the things she was doing for the townsfolk? Was Hop Pop the same way? Was he only staying on Anne's good side to keep his position as mayor and to not give Anne a reason to kill him?
"Thank you, for avenging them…"
Anne's mind harkened back to Sprig's words, the tears he shed, and the tight embrace of his hug as he thanked her for killing the monsters that took his parents away from him and his little sister.
"…You're wrong," said Anne with determination. "The citizens of Wartwood do care about me! They're thankful for my help! And I won't have you making me doubt them!"
Tritonio raised his hands in a calming motion. "I never said to doubt them. I only gave my opinion on why they would act that way. In the end it is up to you on whether or not their kindness is sincere or born from fear."
"I've already decided." Anne rose up and started to exit the train car. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll talk to Captain Sasha about imprisoning you."
"Unless she asks you to be my executioner, what will you do then?" Tritonio asked with a smug expression.
"…I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."
Anne slammed the door on the train car, leaving Tritonio alone.
The newt thief laid down on his back as he crossed his right leg over his left knee and placed his hands under his head.
"Anne, Anne, Anne. You don't see what's happening, but it seems you are dancing to the tune of another. And something tells me that you're unwittingly dancing to the song of your own requiem…"
After delivering Tritonio to the tower, Anne immediately left and headed to Wartwood. She was exhausted after the long train ride, and of course her fight with Tritonio, but she needed to go and see the Wartwood frogs. It's not that she believed Tritonio's words, but she needed some peace of mind. That's all, just to prove that smartass newt wrong. Then she could have a laugh with Hop Pop about how stupid Tritonio was for saying that stuff and apologize to Hop Pop for ever having a doubt about his sincerity.
Anne pulled up into Wartwood and was once again greeted kindly by the townsfolk who were going about their days. They smiled and waved at her, even greeted her.
"They will not say out loud that they fear you, so they act kind to you, they are nice to you…"
Shut up, thought Anne.
She quickened her pace to town hall.
"They make sure that you will think twice about killing them if for whatever reason they accidentally, or intentionally, anger you…"
SHUT! UP!
Anne broke into a sprint as she rushed past the doors and made a beeline for Hop Pop's office. Without even a knock she flung the doors wide open and exclaimed, "Hop Pop!"
"GAAAH!" Hop Pop yelled as he jumped out of his seat and fell on the floor.
"Oh crap! Hop Pop, you alright?!" Anne asked.
Hop Pop managed to get back up as he said, "Frog help me, ya almost gave me heart attack!"
"S-S-Sorry, I'm sorry! I…ugh…" Anne walked inside and closed the doors behind her as she sat down and slumped in the chair. "I just had a rough mission. This wise ass newt was – pardon my language – talking a lot of shit about you frogs and it really pissed me off. And…might've…also…gotten into my head."
Hop Pop managed to get back into his chair as he asked, "Gotten into yer head 'bout what?"
"He said that the only reason why you guys are nice to me, that anyone here is nice to me, is because you're afraid I'll hurt you. Because you think I'll turn my blade or whatever on you. That's such bullshit, right?" Anne laughed.
Hop Pop wasn't laughing, he had interlaced his fingers and his gaze was downcast.
"Heh…c-c'mon, HP, laugh with me. It's funny how wrong he is, right?" Anne asked with trepidation.
Hop Pop bit his bottom lip and tightened his grip as he said, "The truth is, Anne…The…The truth is that newt is right."
Anne's eyes widened as she slowly sat up straight. "W-What?"
"Anne, ya have to understand. You killed Toadstool right in front of us. Yes, he was a criminal. Yes, he did us wrong for a long time. But, still, you just took his head off without a second thought, even after he begged fer mercy," said Hop Pop.
"I…I…Hop Pop, I was just following Sasha's orders…! He was just going to keep doing the same thing to you guys if we didn't! I even told you I still feel bad about what I did!" Anne exclaimed.
"Ah know ya did, Anne. But that doesn't negate the fact that you are a terrifyin'…powerful bein'. Ya can't tell me that if ya wanted to, you could wipe out this entire town on a whim, right?"
"I mean…I-I could, but that doesn't mean I want to!" Anne argued.
"Anne, Ah have to look out for my family, every frog here does. And it does us no good to make a person who's that powerful angry with us." He then whispered, "No matter how much I want to right now…!"
Anne shook her head in dismay as tears ran down her eyes. "C-C'mon, Hop Pop, you're just messin' with me, right? This is just a messed-up joke you're playing. Good 'ol twisted Wartwood humor, right? Ha-ha, funny, really funny! Y-You got me good, HP!"
Hop Pop was silent.
"Please…Please laugh…Hop Pop."
Hop Pop got out of his chair and turned to face the window as he said, "Anne, from now on. Ah suggest we keep this professional. You're the Vice-Captain, and Ah'm the Mayor."
"Hop Pop–!"
"It's Hopadiah Plantar, Vice-Captain Anne. Or Mr. Mayor. Not Hop Pop, and not HP. Understand?" he asked.
Anne's heart felt hollow in that moment as she rose from her seat and replied, "I…I understand…S-Sorry f-for…for barg-ging in…M-Mr. Mayor…"
The Thai teen turned around and left the office, unaware that the reflection of Hop Pop in the window showed that the old frog was crying as well, his heart breaking from what he just did to that young girl.
Anne fast walked out of town hall and headed to her wagon, along the way, she was spotted by Sprig and the young frog child ran to greet her.
"ANNE! Hey, Anne! I didn't know you were back!"
Anne said nothing as she kept walking, keeping her back to Sprig.
"Hey, I wanted to know. Do you think you might want to join us for dinner? I mean, Hop Pop's cooking can be a bit suspect at times, but most of the time it's really good," said Sprig.
Anne continued to move forward, barely acknowledging Sprig.
"Anne, you alright? Why aren't you saying anything? Did your mission not go well? If you want, you can talk about it with me," Sprig offered.
Anne finally stopped when she reached the wagon and clenched her hands into fists. "Were you just trying to make me care about you?"
"What?"
"Was all that stuff about the herons killing your family even true?!"
Sprig had a confused look on his face, not just because of what Anne said, but the tone in her voice along with it. "What? Of course, it's true! Why would I lie about something like that?"
"Oh, I don't know? Maybe to avoid getting killed by the tall, scary girl who's carrying around a grim reaper scythe and can shoot lightning from her hands! I can't believe I was stupid enough to think you guys were liking me just for me!" Anne exclaimed loudly.
Now Sprig was more confused. "Anne, why are you saying that? Of course, we like you. I mean the plaque over the town gate does say, 'Slow to accept'. Even slower to respect, but at the very least I like you for you."
"OH, SCREW YOU, SPRIG! I'M DONE WITH YOUR LYING! Hopadiah made that clear enough!" Anne yelled.
"W-What?! What did Hop Pop say to you?!"
Anne still didn't face him, and Sprig was starting to get annoyed by that.
"Anne, turn around so we can talk this out!"
Sprig reached towards Anne's hand, grabbing her by the wrist to turn her around.
"LET ME GO!" Anne yelled angrily.
Unfortunately, her emotional state made her powers activate, and from her hand a small burst of lightning hit Sprig and flung him several feet away from her. The entire town gasped in horror when they saw the pink frog boy lying motionless on the ground. Anne looked upon what she had done and felt the world grind to a halt.
"Sprig…Sprig…? SPRIG!" Anne yelled.
Using her superspeed, Anne zipped across and dropped down on her knees next to Sprig. She quickly put her ear against his chest, and felt a pit grow in her stomach when she didn't hear his heart beating.
"No…Nonononononononononono! I didn't mean it! Sprig! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"
Anne tried to think, she had to do something, anything. She managed to focus her thoughts for a moment and realized that it was her lightning that stopped his heart, and it was that same lightning that can restart it. Anne noticed a crowd about to form around her, most of them had fearful and angry looks in their eyes for what she did, but she couldn't concern herself with that right now.
"GET BACK! UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET SHOCKED TOO!" Anne warned.
The crowd did what she said, with someone yelling to get Hopadiah.
Anne remembered her CPR classes – her mom's idea – and placed her hands over Sprig's heart. At least where she believed it was. Now she was wishing she didn't skip that frog dissection class. Anne wasn't about to give Sprig the kiss of life, all she needed to do was shock his heart back into working, like jump starting a car. However, if she didn't do it right, she could end up just frying Sprig's insides.
Focus Boonchuy! Just like those medical TV dramas! Charge up!
Anne's eyes glowed as she built up a charge inside herself.
Ready…and…
"CLEAR!"
Anne released brief spark of electricity that made Sprig's body spasm, causing the frogs around her to gasp in horror. She ignored their horrified gasps and waited to see if he responded. Nothing.
Okay, gotta up the voltage a little more!
Anne raised the voltage inside her body a bit more. She could hear the frogs yelling at her to stop, but she tuned them out. All that mattered was saving Sprig's life.
Ready…and…!
"CLEAR!"
Another spark went off, bigger than the first one. Once again, Sprig's body spasmed, but no response was given.
"C'mon, Sprig! Don't you quit on me little guy! You can't die! I won't let you die!"
Anne built up a bigger charge, she was afraid this one might just fry his organs, but at this point she was desperate.
"WAKE UP, SPRIG! CLEAR!"
The third spark released, and blue lightning surged over Sprig's body. And then a loud gasp was heard as Sprig took in a gulp of air.
"SPRIG! SPRIG!" Anne exclaimed.
"WHA-WHAT HAPPENED?! W-W-WHY DOES MY CHEST HURT?!" he asked frantically.
"Shh, shh! Calm down Sprig. You need to calm down. Y-You're heart stopped, and I…I had to shock your heart to make it start up again," Anne explained.
Sprig weakly looked down and saw a strange burn mark around his chest from the initial lightning bolt that hit him.
"Sprig I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to–!"
"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!"
Not really paying attention, Anne found herself getting smacked in the face by a rolling pin that sent her sprawling against the ground. Pain erupted all over Anne's left cheek as she writhed on the ground, gritting her teeth as she tried to control the urge to hit whoever just attacked her. When she stopped her writhing, Anne sat up and realized that it was Polly. She was holding a rolling pin in her flippers, brandishing it like a club and putting herself between Sprig and Hopadiah.
The old frog knelt next to his grandson and brought him into his arms as he asked, "Sprig! Speak to me, son! Are ya alright?!"
"I…I think so. Anne…Anne saved me," said Sprig.
"Only after she viciously attacked him!" Felicia accused.
"She shot lightning right at his chest!" yelled another frog.
"And she kept shocking him until he came back!" accused a third.
"I-I-I didn't mean to do that! I was…I was just…!"
"GET OUT!" someone yelled.
Anne's eyes began to cry as she looked upon their fury-stricken faces. Her gaze fell on Hopadiah as she pleaded, "Hopadiah, I swear on my life I didn't mean to hurt Sprig! It was an accident! I swear!"
Hopadiah took a deep breath and turned to look at Anne. She wasn't sure why, but his neutral expression hurt more than if he was just angry. It was the look of a parent who was completely disappointed in their child, a look that Anne never hoped to see on her mother and father's faces. Angry she could understand, even deal with. But this look…this look was worse than if she had gotten stabbed through the heart.
"Anne, you should leave. Please don't come back for a while," he said.
"MORE LIKE, DON'T COME BACK!" Wally yelled.
"YEAH!" the frogs yelled in unison.
Anne got up and dragged herself over to her wagon. Once on it, she drove out of Wartwood, the furious yelling of the townsfolk echoed behind her, but for Anne, it felt as if they were still around her. At some point she stopped the wagon and broke down into a full sob, crying into her hands as she tried to compose herself, but it wasn't happening. How could she have done that? She almost killed a kid. She let herself think that they actually liked her. Well, even on the smallest chance that was a lie, there was no way they would ever allow her back there. Not after what happened.
Sasha was growing worried. Anne had delivered Tritonio to the tower, and the toads locked him in the dungeon. But then she went and hurried out of the tower. She had no doubts that Anne was at Wartwood by now. She gazed out of her window, biting onto her left thumbnail as she pondered what was happening in that Podunk town.
"That fucking old frog better not tell her what I said. If he knows what's good for him, he'll do what I say," Sasha growled under her breath.
Just then, Sasha spotted Anne's wagon coming in. The toads below opened the gates and let her in. It was hard to tell from where she was, but as she watched the toad soldiers come to corral her spider wagon, they seemed to look at each other. She couldn't read their expressions, nor Anne's, but the body language of her subordinates told her that she seemed off to them. That could mean a myriad of things.
Sasha's mind was already coming up with several scenarios and things to say, preparing to either have to explain herself, comfort Anne, or…she may have to take drastic measures.
It wasn't long before the door to their room opened and shut behind her. Sasha put on the best smile she could muster and turned around as she said, "Hey girlfriend! Welcome ba – whoa, what the hell happened to you, Anne?!"
Sasha beheld Anne's face, her eyes were bloodshot, red and puffy. The left side of her face was swollen a bit, and she looked as if the life had been sucked from her. Anne didn't say anything, she looked hollow, defeated.
The blonde teen rushed to the front door and yelled out, "BRING ME COLD WATER AND A MEDIC, NOW!" Sasha quickly headed to Anne and gently grabbed her by the arms. "Anne, what happened to you?!"
Anne was still silent.
"Anne, babe, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong! Please, say something to me, you're scaring me!" Sasha exclaimed with genuine worry.
I swear to God, if that frog went overboard and hurt her, I'll fucking burn down that entire town! And kill his goddamn grandkids right in front of him!
"Sash…Sash…Sashaaaahaahhaaaaaaah!" Anne cried as she buried her face in Sasha's chest.
Sasha was caught off guard by this crying fit, but quickly enveloped Anne in hug as she gently rubbed her back and made soft cooing sounds.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Anne. Hey, it's all good. I'm right here, you're safe with me. You're safe here in the tower with me, it'll be okay."
"N-N-No! It's not! N-Nothing's okay! I fucked up, Sasha!"
Sasha was starting to get really concerned. "Okay, okay. Let's get you to the bed and get your armor off."
As she said that, the medic toad came in. After getting Anne to the bed, they worked together to remove armor. Afterwards, the medic performed a quick evaluation to see if Anne was physically injured anywhere besides her face. When he was done, he dipped a washcloth in a basin of cold water and had Anne lie down on her right side as he gently placed it against the injured area, she barely acknowledged that he did that. Once he was done, Anne curled up into a fetal position as she just laid there.
"Anne, I'm going to talk with the medic for a sec. I'll be right outside that door," said Sasha.
They both made sure not to make sudden movements and left bedroom to enter the foyer.
"Okay, what's wrong with her?! What did those country bumpkin pissants do to my girl?!" Sasha asked angrily.
"Well, from what I can see, she has no other injuries aside from her swollen face. Most likely from a blunt instrument striking her," said the medic.
That caught Sasha off guard. Someone actually managed to hit Anne? Anne was super-fast and had developed a kind of Rider style "Spidey sense" when it came to detecting incoming attacks. So how was it someone was able to hurt her?
"I'm not too worried about that injury mind you. You and the Vice-Captain seem to heal rather quickly thanks to your powers. I don't know how bad it was at first, but the swelling will most likely go down within the hour now that we added the cold press," he added.
"Okay, then what are you worried about?" she asked.
"From what I can tell, she seems to have experienced a very traumatic experience. How traumatic I can't say, but it seems to have hurt her deeply. Emotional damage is something I can't heal. That I have to leave up to you, Captain."
"I see…thank you. Please have a guard at my door in case something happens. Until then, I don't want anyone disturbing us. Understood?"
The medic saluted and went to do just that.
Sasha glanced back towards their bedroom. She knew what she said to Hopadiah, but there was following her orders, and then there was taking it too far. Sasha had to resist every urge to run out of this tower, take every toad in the tower with her, and raze Wartwood to the ground. But right now, her girl needed her, she had to find out what Hopadiah did that made Anne look so sad. She slowly entered the room, trying to make sure she didn't appear as hostile.
"Hey, babe, I'm back," said Sasha.
Still no response.
Sasha walked until she was on the other side of the bed. She crawled onto it and draped her left arm over Anne's body, bringing her into a hug against herself.
"Anne, please, I need you to say something. What happened to you? I know it might be painful, but I'm scared for you right now. I love you, Anne," said Sasha.
"…He was right, Sash…"
"Who was right?" she asked.
"Tritonio…"
Sasha raised an eyebrow. "The thief? What about?"
"He said the only reason why the frogs were nice to me, the only reason they gave any damn about me…was because they were afraid of me…"
"Oh, uh, well…Anne, he's a thief. He's all about mind games and crap. He probably just said that to throw you off your game," said Sasha.
"…I wish to God that was it…but when I went to Wartwood, and talked to Hop…to Hopadiah…he said the only reason he's been nice to me is because he was afraid I'd hurt him, his kids, the whole town. They never accepted me, Sash…they just tolerated me because of fear…"
Sasha could understand why Anne took that hard, but she felt as if there was something else she was missing. "Okay…well, screw them for that then. We'll still collect taxes and protect them when a monster attacks, but other than that, you don't have to see them ever again."
"…It doesn't matter. They never want me there again. They practically banished me from Wartwood."
Sasha was confused. "Why would they 'banish' you?"
"…I hurt Sprig."
"Who?"
"Hopadiah's grandson…I hurt him…no…I killed him."
Sasha's eyes flew wide open as she sat up a bit. "Whoa, whoa. Hold on. You killed a kid? Anne, why?"
Anne sprang up to meet her gaze and retorted, "I didn't mean for it to happen! I was…I was sad…angry…we were yelling! And then he grabbed my wrist and I yelled at him to let me go! Then my powers activated, and a lightning bolt hit him in the chest! I stopped his heart, Sasha! I killed him!"
"Oh…Oh, Anne, babe, no. That was an accident, you didn't mean to do it," Sasha reasoned.
"I know! I know! The moment I realized what happened I used my powers to jump start his heart!" Anne explained.
"Wait, like a defibrillator? You can do that?" Sasha asked, surprised.
"I didn't know if I could until I did it! But it worked! I shocked his heart back to working again! But then…Polly…his little sister…she hit me in the face with a rolling pin. Oh, God, Sash, the look on her face. She was so angry and afraid. I made her feel that way! I almost killed her big brother! I almost took a family member away from her!" Anne cried.
"Okay, okay. But you didn't, you saved his life," she told her.
"That doesn't erase the fact that I was the one who hurt him in the first place! Hopadiah…he…was so disappointed in me…that look on his face was just pure disappointment…!" Anne buried her face in Sasha's chest again as she cried. "I didn't mean to do that! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Sasha…smiled.
She was smiling, she was smiling so broadly and wickedly like it was nobody's business. She held Anne close to her, making sure her face was hidden by Anne's afro. There was just no way she could allow her little lover to see just how giddy she was about hearing how this all turned out.
Oh my GOD! This…This was SOOO much better than I could've ever imagined! Just, ahahahahaha! I can't believe that all happened, and I wasn't there to see it! But who cares! This! This is just pure gold! Not only did I get her away from those little frogs, but now she's not even welcome there anymore! And I barely had to do anything else to make it happen! Oh, wow, this is DEFINITELY that divine providence shit! Anne's mine now…! She won't go to anyone else but me!
"Anne, it'll be okay. It was an accident, that's all. And you saved that kid's life. Fuck them for not accepting that in the first place. If they were so easy to turn on you like that, then they really didn't care about you at all!"
Sasha put on her mask of concern as she brought Anne up to look into her eyes. She took the cloth and used it to wipe Anne's face clean as she stared into those beautiful dark brown eyes.
"Anne, I promise you. No. I make a vow to you, right here, right now. I will never betray you. I will never hurt you. And I will never stop loving you. Do you believe me?" Sasha asked.
Anne sniffled. "I-I do. I do believe you, Sasha. Please, don't leave me."
"Never. I won't, no matter what happens."
Several hours passed by before Anne calmed down. It may've taken a little subtle prodding on Sasha's part, but she and Anne made love to each other that night. Anne seemed very responsive to Sasha's touch earlier, especially after all the Thai girl went through earlier that day. As the two of them laid there, bare under the blankets, Sasha glanced over to her sleeping lover. She was so beautiful, so fragile. Ever since they were little kids, she had to protect Anne. There was no end to people who wanted to put down this beautiful creature next to her, no end of people who wanted to be cruel to her, who wanted to harm her. But Sasha made sure that those people regretted even having such thoughts when it came to Anne or Marcy.
They were the only things in her life that she could truly count on, the only things that she could control. The only things she really gave a damn about in their world, and in this one. She continued to gaze at Anne's face, and just like the medic said, Anne's swollen cheek had gone down within the hour of her arrival. Sasha reached out with her left hand and brushed it against the right side of Anne's face, eliciting a content moan from the Thai teen.
"You're mine now, Anne. I'm the only one you can rely on in this world, even if we were forced out of this world and sent back to ours, you'll still be mine even there. And hopefully soon, Marcy will join us, and we can be complete," Sasha whispered.
Sasha made sure that Anne was fast asleep before she got out of bed and dressed herself. Afterwards, she headed down to the dungeon where their only prisoner was being kept. Once she reached a particular cell, she ordered the guards to leave the area until she was done speaking with the prisoner. The toads did as she commanded without question and left the cell block until it was only the two of them.
"You played your part really well there, Tritonio Espada," said Sasha.
The newt was lying on the floor and glanced at Sasha as he replied, "Well, hard to say no when you pay such a hefty sum of coppers. I take it your plan worked as intended, no?"
"Oh, you have NO idea. It worked far better than I could've imagined, with a fucking cherry on top. Anne won't ever go back to Wartwood, because now those frogs hate her, and won't allow her to come within a mile of that place," said Sasha.
"My, my, that sounds severe. May I ask what made them go that far?" he inquired.
"She accidentally zapped a kid and stopped his heart. She got it working again, but the damage to her reputation there was done. They won't ever allow her to come back."
Tritonio got up and stretched his limbs as he said, "Well, I'm glad I could help you in your scheme. But now I believe the other end of our deal must be carried out."
"Of course." Sasha looked around and handed him a key. "The Tiger Moth's Eye is in the safe. I'll make sure the patrols are light, and that my weakest guards will be standing watch outside of it by the time you escape. Afterwards, use the sewer system to get out from the tower."
Sasha reached into her pocket and pulled out a map.
"The route on this map is the fastest way out of here. If you go down the wrong tunnel, you'll either get eaten by a creature down there, or fall off the edge. Make sure you follow the directions exactly," Sasha explained.
Tritonio took the two items and winked at the blonde. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, my dear captain."
"No, no. The pleasure was all mine. And now, I'll be going back to get a bit more pleasure before I completely turn in. Goodnight."
Tritonio watched as Sasha walked out of the cell block, and once she was far enough away, the newt thief cringed and shivered. "That girl is crazy. I do feel bad for that Anne girl. She seems like a good kid. Oh well. Not Tritonio's problem anymore."
More hours passed on, and now it was the dead of night. As promised by Sasha, she made sure that the least competent guard, sans Percy, was guarding Tritonio's cell that night. The intelligent newt managed to trick the guard before knocking him out. Afterwards he used the key that she gave him to unlock the cell door. As he made his way through the halls, he noticed that there was a light patrol.
Tritonio stealthily made his way around the halls until he found the safe, once again lightly guarded. It was easy to subdue the two toad guards, all brawn and no brains. He dragged their unconscious bodies into the safe and left them there as he took the Tiger Moth's Eye. He gazed upon the priceless gemstone, a truly magnificent prize for an accomplished thief like himself. Once he pocketed the gem, he quickly made his way to the dining hall. From there, he opened the sewer grate and hopped down into it.
The smell was foul, but he could stomach it if it meant he could get out. Tritonio followed the map Sasha provided and headed down the designated tunnels. He stopped for a moment and pondered if he should follow a different tunnel just in case, but when he did, he ran into a giant centipede creature and immediately went down the tunnel he was supposed to.
It took a while, but eventually, Tritonio managed to come out in the courtyard of the tower. From here it would be a swift scaling of the wall and then he would be home free. As he got out of the manhole and laid the cover down as gently as he could, he flinched and let it drop when the sound of slow clapping caught his attention.
From the shadows of the stable, two glowing magenta dots came towards him until the shadows revealed Captain Sasha Waybright waiting for him.
"Record time, Tritonio," said Sasha.
"I see…this was a trick the entire time," said Tritonio.
"You don't seem too surprised."
"Quite honestly, Captain, I figured there was a ninety percent chance you were tricking me. There's no way you could let me live knowing what I know. No way you'd risk allowing me to roam the valley free and potentially risk telling your dear lover your schemes to make her your plaything," said Tritonio.
Sasha seemed to take offense to that. "She's not my plaything! She's my girlfriend!"
"Oh-ho, so sorry. Hard to tell the difference when you work so hard to make her reliant on you and you alone," he retorted.
"Still, if you knew the chances were that high, why bother?" she asked, again.
"For one thing, the money. Second, I thought I could be fast enough to get out before you had time to get ready for me."
Sasha smirked. "You got overconfident. You newts really do think you're so much smarter than everyone else. And yet, it's that same arrogance that's going to be the reason you die tonight."
Tritonio watched as Sasha drew her sword, the pink metal gleamed in the dim moonlight that shined down on them.
"Funny you should speak of arrogance, considering you are not immune to such a downfall yourself," said Tritonio.
"What did you say?"
"You think Anne will remain loyal to you forever? I've had the chance to speak with that girl one-on-one, and I can tell she's far smarter and more talented than she herself realizes. It may not be tomorrow, not even the next day or week. But one day, she will realize what you did, how you see her, and when that day comes, you will lose everything. Including the affection of the girl you claim lo – AAAH!"
Sasha rushed Tritonio and ran her sword through his chest, in her rage she keep charging until she pinned the newt against the wood doors behind him, driving the blade clean through Tritonio and the other side of the thick wooden doors.
"Shut your fucking mouth. Anne will never turn on me. She needs me. She's in love with me. There's nothing that will make her doubt me, ever," Sasha stated.
Tritonio coughed up blood as he managed to hold onto his smirk. "Ack…heh-heh…I wouldn't be…so sure…dear Captain…you…you can only fool someone for so long…until…one day…they'll wake up…and see you for…the fraud that you are…someday…your mask will fall…And when…when Anne sees the real you…that will be the day…that I laugh from beyond the grave…or, perhaps I laugh now? Ahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Sasha growled in rage as she focused her flames on the blade of her sword and made a jet of flames blast through Tritonio, burning a hole through his chest and the door before she swiftly drew it back and sheathed it. All as the newt's body collapsed onto the ground. Sasha walked over to the stable and pulled out a sword. She walked back to his body and placed the sword in his right hand to make it appear as if she didn't just kill an unarmed prisoner.
…She…She won't betray me. She…She won't leave me. Fucking newt thinks I can't keep this up? I won't have to after a while because she'll do as I say because she believes in me!
"What if you're wrong, dear Captain? Can you truly say she'll continue to love you when she learns the truth?"
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE DEAD! AND YOU STILL WON'T SHUT UP!" Sasha yelled.
The blonde teen raised her hands into the air, conjured a fireball, and threw it at Tritonio's body. She stood there and watched as the flames burned his body, but at some point, she snuffed out the flames, remembering that she needed a body.