Aja sat in the middle of the rose garden, breathing in the fragrant air as a wistful smile appeared on her face.
"Ahh, I missed this. The smell of home," said Aja.
"Guessing that world you three were on wasn't very pleasant smelling, huh?" Leif asked.
"Ugh, no. I may be a toad, but even I can enjoy the aroma of flowers. I don't have to love the muck and the grime all the time."
"True. I'm glad the garden can soothe you," said Leif as she tended to the roses.
"By the way, Leif, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," Aja asked with a coy smile.
Leif looked over her shoulder and said, "Sure, ask away, Aja."
"How much longer are you going to wait before you court Andrias?"
Leif snipped a rose off, hard, when she heard that question. The pink frog's face turned red with embarrassment as she tried to maintain her composure.
"W-W-W-W-WHAT?!" Leif babbled. " I-I-I-I-I don't like 'D-D-Drias like that!"
Aja deadpanned. The denial is so strong that even my ax would have a hard time cutting through it.
"Child, who are you trying to fool? We three have been around you lot for years, and while I can't speak for Argus or Maurice, I can tell that you have feelings for that big blue newt," Aja stated.
"I…I…" Leif placed her tools down and began twiddling her thumbs. "Is it that obvious?"
"Not unless someone has a discerning eye like I do, not really. So, don't fret, you're hiding it well," Aja replied. "So, the question becomes…WHY HAVEN'T YOU SAID ANYTHING?!"
Leif was taken aback by Aja's sudden outburst.
"IT'S BEEN KILLING ME WATCHING THE TWO OF YOU FOR ALL THESE YEARS, AND I'M GETTING OLD, DAMMIT! I NEED TO SEE YOU TWO TIE THE KNOT BEFORE I KICK THE BUCKET!" Aja exclaimed, loudly.
"Shh! Shh! Shh! Calm down, Aja! Please!" Leif begged.
Aja blinked, cleared her throat, and said, "Sorry, Leif. Little toad rage moment. Anyway, my question still stands."
Leif sighed as she walked over and sat on the bench next to Aja.
"C'mon, Aja, you know why. 'Drias is a prince, the next in line to rule over Amphibia. And me? I'm just a gardener. It's amazing enough that I'm even friends with that loveable goofball, but…courting him, or him courting me, that's never going to happen. Beyond the obvious class differences…I mean, a frog and a newt being lovers? That would never fly with the nobility."
Aja blew a raspberry as she said, "Pffft, screw the nobility. Buncha uptight know-it-alls. Who says you have to stick to your own kind to find love?"
"Aja, it's not just that. It's more practical for Andrias to have a wife who's also a newt. Newts and frogs can't have children together. And as the prince of Amphibia, Andrias will be expected to produce an heir. Something that I, unfortunately, will not be able to do unless he takes on a mistress to take on that responsibility."
Aja scratched the back of her neck; she couldn't deny that those were some big cons. But then Aja reached down with her right hand and gently patted the young frog girl's back.
"What does 'strength' mean to you, Leif?" Aja asked.
"To me? Um, well, I guess what you have. Being able to fight and protect what you love and care about with your own hands," said Leif.
Aja nodded as she said, "True, very true. But strength has different meanings for different people. For instance…"
Leif watched as Aja's eyes started to glow with the light of the magenta gem of Strength. The toad's left hand started to glow and then flare with energy.
"Some would call this power I possess the pinnacle of strength." Aja released her power and the glow in her eyes faded. "But then again, there's also people who consider a sharp mind a sign of true strength, or that a kind heart is a sign of true strength. Many assume mine is my physical strength, but…" Aja glanced about and continued, "I'd say my heart is my true strength."
"Why's that?" Leif asked.
"A strong heart is needed for when you're facing down several opponents at once, when you think that all hope may be lost, it is then you find out how strong you really are. But even more so when you find the courage to speak from the heart. I have dedicated most of my life to the expeditions and defending Amphibia, and because of that, I'm seen as unobtainable by many," said Aja with a hint of annoyance and sadness. "Just grow a pair and talk to me! I don't bite! …Much."
Leif chuckled at the plight of Aja's love life.
"Anyway, Leif, you're young, you're cute, and you should take a chance. Show no fear! Better to know than to regret."
Leif thought about it for a moment, she didn't really think that she had the courage to tell Andrias how she really felt. There were still some big hurdles with that, still, knowing that someone like Aja the Strong was rooting for her did give her some confidence.
"Thank you, Aja. I don't know if that will happen now, but I will think hard on it," said Leif.
"Ugh, I'm going to be an even more wrinkly old toad by the time that happens." Aja shrugged. "But I guess it'll be one of those better late than never kind of things."
Leif blushed as she decided to change the subject.
"Hey, I was working on this dance that should help with taming wild creatures. I wanted to show 'Drias and Barrel, but I wanted to get your input on it," said Leif.
"Ahaha! Leif, you're always surprising me. Let's go see those Mossmen creatures and see how it works."
"OOMPH! Frog dang it!" Barrel exclaimed.
"Try again, my boy," said Maurice.
The newt Knight was standing in the middle of a sparring arena, with Barrel trying to land a blow on him. The toad guard was relentless in his efforts to try and hit the old newt, but he had yet to grab him again like he had before. Although, considering how Maurice got out of his hold, perhaps he never really had him to begin with.
Barrel charged in again, throwing a punch at Maurice the Wise. The newt easily dodged the incoming punches, using minimal effort to do so. Maurice demonstrated his ability and tactical know-how as he weaved under Barrel's next punch and wrapped his tail around Barrel's wrist. The newt Knight then used the momentum of Barrel's failed punch and flung him to his left, throwing the green toad out of the arena.
"Ugh, you're too wiry! How am I supposed to land a blow on you if I can barely even touch you?" Barrel complained.
Maurice sighed as she replied, "As I said, Barrel, think outside the box. If your opponent is too fast, or too agile, you need to limit his mobility. And above all, be unconventional."
Barrel looked around the arena, trying to use his mentor's advice. But after a moment, Barrel thought that he was limiting himself to just the arena, and perhaps he should look beyond it. The wall behind Maurice had a long banner, and once Barrel looked at it, and where Maurice was standing, an idea popped into his head.
The green toad grinned mischievously as he got back to his feet and reentered the arena. Maurice could tell that Barrel had come up with a plan and was curious to see what the young toad had come up with. Barrel, once again, charged for Maurice, making the newt Knight shake his head believing that the toad warrior hadn't learned anything.
But that's when Barrel proved him wrong, instead of, well, barreling into Maurice, Barrel jumped over him. Maurice was confused, as he watched Barrel land against the wall behind him, where then saw Barrel rip the banner of the wall before backflipping off it. The long and wide banner fluttered from his quick movements, and when Barrel landed, he began using it as a cape and spun it around himself. Maurice furrowed his brow a bit, it seemed as if Barrel was using the banner as a means to hide his movements.
Strangely enough, it seemed to be working as Maurice couldn't accurately predict Barrel's movements. The makeshift cape fluttered with a flourish before a big green fist shot towards Maurice. The newt quickly ducked under the attack, but before he could grip Barrel's wrist with his tail, Barrel jumped, front flipping over Maurice while continuing to hide his body in the banner cape. Once he landed, Barrel dashed in again, this time launching his tongue straight at the newt Knight.
Maurice weaved around the tongue and was about to counterattack. However, when the cape fluttered again, Maurice caught a glimpse of a smirk. Also, it was taking a while for Barrel's tongue to retract. That's when Maurice's eyes widened, he quickly looked over his shoulder and saw that Barrel's tongue had wrapped itself around his war hammer and was now reeling it in with the flat of the hammer heading right for Maurice.
The newt Knight hurriedly backflipped out of the way of the incoming war hammer. That's when Barrel threw his makeshift cape towards Maurice, using it as a distraction as he came down with the war hammer. That's when Barrel's expression fell.
"Oh shoot! Master Maurice! I-I–!"
"It's twenty years too soon for you to worry about me."
Barrel suddenly felt his right leg violently tugged backwards, which sent Barrel falling face first onto the floor. Before he knew it, Maurice was sitting on his head, arms crossed, and looked very impressed.
"And that would be checkmate," said Maurice.
Barrel huffed a little as Maurice got off his head, allowing the green toad to sit on his rear.
"Guess I still got a lot to learn," said Barrel.
"Indeed, but then again, so do we all," Maurice replied.
The newt Knight looked upon Barrel for a moment and saw that looked disappointed in himself.
"Come now, Barrel, you've vastly improved from the first time we spared."
"It's not that…I guess, I'm just thinking of something else, and this just brought it up," said Barrel.
Maurice sat down in front of Barrel and said, "Tell me about it."
"Sometimes I wonder if I deserve to be around people like you, Leif, and Andrias. I mean, I'm just a guard. Andrias is the Prince, Leif is a genius gardener, and you, well, you're a Knight! So, I don't know, I just feel kinda less than, you know? Pfft, sorry, you probably don't," Barrel said.
Maurice chuckled as he said, "Actually, my boy, I do know what you mean. Unlike my fellow newts, I do have a penchant for the fine art of combat, not too dissimilar to a toad's mentality. Because of it, I was not exactly looked upon favorably by my fellow newt scholars. I believe a combination of brains and brawn is what's needed to overcome life's obstacles. To neglect one over the other is a sign of folly in my opinion. And when I saw how you, Leif, and Andrias got along, it very much reminded me of myself and my companions."
"I have been wondering. How come you train me and not Andras? You two are newts, so I thought you'd hit it off." Barrel asked.
Maurice shrugged.
"I have nothing against the prince, he's brilliant in his own way. Besides, he seems quite attached to Argus. But I chose you because you three are just as unconventional as the three of us. You may not be intelligent in the ways that a newt measures intelligence, but you are smart in other ways that other newts couldn't imagine. You adapt quickly to a situation, and despite what you may think, you do possess a good tactical mind."
Barrel seemed to perk up a bit as he asked, "You think so?"
"What you did back there was exactly what I was talking about. You used the banner to hide your movements, making you hard to read. And your feint with your tongue attack was brilliant. So, have more confidence in yourself. I'm sure Andrias and Leif would tell you the same," said Maurice.
Barrel smiled with a toothy grin.
Maurice sat up and smacked his shoulder pad as he said, "Now, let's get something! I'm starting to get hungry!"
"Bet I could eat more than you, Master Maurice!"
"BRING IT!"
(1 Week Later…)
The Amphibian Knights gathered at their usual meeting place, they were brought refreshments, but were otherwise left alone. The subject of this meeting was already known, and this was more or less a confirmation.
"So, I can say we're in agreement with our choices for the successors?" Argus asked.
"Indeed. The power of the Mind shall be passed to Barrel. He still has a lot of growing to do as far as his intellect, but he's sharper than he realizes," said Maurice.
"I've chosen Leif as my successor. She may be a frog, but she's strong in the ways that matter." Aja glanced at Argus and said, "I'm more than sure you're going to choose Andrias. Right, Argus? Argus?"
The light-blue frog seemed deep in thought as his fellow Knights looked on in worry from his unresponsive behavior.
"Hey, Argus, you with us?" Maurice asked.
"Oh, sorry. Yes, I have chosen Andrias as my successor…"
Aja raised her brow and asked, "What's wrong? You look like you were thinking hard about something."
Argus looked up at his fellow Knights, wondering if he should voice his concern or not.
"Argus, for Frog's sake, spit it out. How long have we fought side-by-side that you can't tell us when something's wrong," Maurice chided.
"Yeah, Argie, tell us what's wrong. Otherwise, I'm going to come over there and shake it out of you," Aja warned.
Argus chuckled and responded, "Very well. But take this with a grain of salt. I have had…visions…as of late."
"What kind of visions?" Maurice asked.
"It's strange…I call them 'visions', but I'm not completely certain. In these visions I see Amphibia. But not as it is now. I also saw three new holders of the gems' powers," said Argus.
"You saw our successors? Andrias, Leif, and Barrel?" Aja asked.
"No…they did not appear to be Amphibian. My vision was not very clear, but I am certain of that. They had no discernable Amphibian features, but stood on two legs, and were possibly female? What is important is that these three were fighting against creatures that threatened Amphibia."
Maurice stroked his goatee as he pondered Argus' words.
"I see. Visions of a possible future, but without knowing how far into the future these visions see into, we'd be hard pressed to prepare for an unseen enemy," said Maurice. "Was there anything else you could see in the visions?"
"I saw eyes…thirteen glowing eyes. They were full of malice and radiated with a darkness that felt like it wanted to swallow all things that fell in its gaze."
That last part struck a cord with the other two Knights.
"A darkness…you don't think it has something to do with that place, do you?" Aja asked.
Maurice furrowed his brow as he spoke, "The Dark Dimension. The place where we obtained the Dark Ichor. I had a feeling that it was not something to be trifled with, but…"
"I'm not saying that it is something related to that expedition decades ago. But since then, the king has allowed its use to turn our enemies into living weapons. While it has granted us additional methods of attack on different worlds, I have been wondering if its continued use would invoke an unforeseen evil that we have yet to encounter," said Argus.
"Maybe that's what your visions were about, Argus. A warning that the future holders of the gems' powers will face a being far deadlier than we have ever encountered, and will threaten the lives of Amphibia," Aja concluded.
"Shall we inform the king?" Maurice asked. "Even if it is a threat far in the future, it would serve the royal family well to begin preparations now."
Argus went silent again. There was just something unsettling about his visions that he wasn't sure of, and they were connected to the king. But he couldn't think like that. The Leviathan family has led Amphibia into an age of prosperity, since the first king and creation of the music box, and the anointing of the first Amphibian Knights. However, he could still not shake this uneasy feeling.
"I'd rather not have the king or the young prince fearing an unseen enemy. This could cause paranoia for the future royal line and might accidentally lead us into the scenario I saw. For now, let us keep this to ourselves. We'll focus on our next task of returning our portions of the power to the music box, and announcing our successors," Argus stated. "But this is only my intention, we are three. So, what say you?"
Maurice glanced at Aja, and Aja at Maurice. The two Amphibian Knights nodded at each other and looked to Argus.
"We'll follow your lead on this, Argus," said Maurice.
"But we shouldn't sit on this for too long. I think you should at least make Andrias aware, as he is the future king," said Aja.
"In due time, for now. Let us prepare ourselves."
As the Amphibian Knights left their meeting room, none of them were aware of a mechanical, orange and yellow eye that had been watching them from high above in a corner of the ceiling. When they left, the eye closed, melting back into the room as if it had never been there.
Andrias, Leif, and Barrel were gathered outside of the chamber were the music box was held. No one was allowed inside, no one except for King Aldrich, and the Amphibian Knights. The three warriors were clad in ceremonial robes that were coordinated to the colors of their gemstones, and Aldrich stood behind the box as the three Knights knelt.
"As it has been in times past, take your stones, and begin your journey to recharge them. Know that where you go, none can go with you. And when you return, you will once again bring the gems back to the box."
"We understand and accept the passing of our powers back to the gems," the three spoke in unison.
Argus, Maurice, and Aja walked up to the music box, placed their hands upon their individual stones, and removed them from the box.
"The power that the stones provided will only last us twenty-four hours once separated from the box thanks to the batteries. Hopefully with the ore we gathered from that world we can make ones that will be able to store more and for longer periods of time. Baring that in mind, our fair city and people will be defenseless from outside attacks. And while there is little doubt that there are any other civilizations that can do what we can, I'd rather not be without our defenders and our greatest power for too long," Aldrich said.
"We will return with all due haste, your Majesty," said Argus.
"Frog speed, Knights."
Argus, Aja, and Maurice exited the room to find Andrias, Leif, and Barrel waiting for them outside.
"So, this is it, huh?" Andrias asked.
"It is indeed," Argus answered.
"Feels surreal. You guys have been the Knights for so long, it's almost sad seeing you guys retire," said Leif.
Aja bent down a little and patted Leif on the head.
"Hey now, we're entitled to some peace in our old age too. But I know what you mean. I'll miss fighting beside these two, especially this nutjob," said Aja as she threw a thumb in Maurice's direction.
"Now that's offensive. I am not a 'nutjob', I'm eccentric," Maurice corrected.
"Nah, he's totally nuts," Barrel retorted.
"I can't win with anyone here."
The others laughed heartily at the little joke at Maurice's expense. Argus walked up to Andrias, which made the young prince lean down to look Argus in the eyes.
"When we return, I want to speak to you about an important matter, Andrias. So, please make sure you have time to do so," said Argus.
"Oh, uh, yes. Of course, Argus, I will," he replied.
"Good lad." Argus led their group to the nearest balcony and said, "Well, the clock is ticking my friends, let us away!"
In a matter of seconds, the three Knights' hair and eyes began glowing with the shine of their individual powers. Auras of magenta, azure, and emerald flared around them respectively, and in the next moment, the three Amphibian Knights rose into the air and shot towards the horizon.
"I never get tired of seeing that!" Barrel exclaimed.
"I know, it's amazing," Leif concurred.
"Okay guys let's hang out a bit while we wait for them to come back," said Andrias.
Leif and Barrel agreed and followed Andrias back into the palace. King Aldrich had been watching silently, still on the balcony.
"Uh, Father, are you alright?" Andrias asked.
"Yes, son. Go on about your business. I just want to stand here and reminisce a little bit."
Andrias shrugged and left the balcony and his father.
Once alone, the center of King Aldrich's crown split open and revealed a glowing orange and yellow eye. Faint whispers could be heard coming from it, and King Aldrich nodded.
"Yes, this is troubling. We cannot have those three influencing Andrias. Those friends of his are one thing, but the weight of the words held by the Knights might actually sway him."
The whispers continued and King Aldrich nodded again.
"Yes. Continuing this process of Amphibian Knights is no longer viable. It is time to end it all."
In order to return the powers they possessed back to the gemstones, the Amphibian Knights would have to travel to three hidden temples across Amphibia. The locations were only to be shared between past Amphibian Knights and the kings of Amphibia. It was shared that there would be three trials within each temple, but it was a tradition for the Amphibian Knights to never speak of what the trials were. Otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a test for the current holders if they were given the answers beforehand.
The first location they arrived at was the Temple of Mind, where Maurice managed to solve the first two puzzles with the help of his friends, but when it came to the last trial, he struggled. It was a giant game of flipwart, but unfortunately, the temple abducted Argus and Aja and forced them to become games pieces on opposite sides of the board. Maurice was able to keep his two friends from directly fighting each other, but when it came time for checkmate, the game cheated. No matter what moves he made, it seemed as if the temple was not going to let him win.
"Son of a slug! How the heck are we supposed to win this?!" Aja exclaimed.
"Maurice don't give up! You can do this! You can outsmart this temple!" Argus shouted.
Argus and Aja were about to be upon each other, a couple more moves, and Aja would not be given any choice but to strike Argus. Maurice thought about his options, but it was something that Argus said that resonated in his mind. That's when Maurice's eyes widened, and he made his last moves.
Argus was one square away from getting struck down by Aja, and the toad woman was not happy about it.
"Argus! I'm sorry! I'm trying to fight this!" Aja stated.
"It's okay, AJ, we'll make it through this," he assured.
"I don't want to hurt you!"
"If it comes to it, I won't hold it against you."
"Frog dammit! I don't want to hurt someone I love!"
Argus blushed, and Aja blushed.
"And checkmate," said Maurice.
Argus closed his eyes and readied himself for the finishing blow, however, when Aja's lance fell, it did not strike Argus, but instead smashed right through Maurice's king piece. The moment the piece was destroyed, the game ended, and Aja and Argus were released from their bonds.
"What just happened?" Argus asked.
"I lost," said Maurice nonchalantly as he walked down from the upper level.
"But you read the rules, if you lose, you can't set foot in this temple again. You won't be able to recharge the gemstone," said Aja.
"Don't worry. It wasn't worth seeing my friends nearly come to blows." Just then, glowing arrows appeared on the ground and began leading them towards the exit. "More importantly, shouldn't we be addressing the elephant tick in the room?"
Aja blushed bright red as she slapped a hand over her face, completely embarrassed by her earlier statement.
Argus rubbed the back of his head as he asked, "Um, Aja, when you said, 'The person you love…' you meant that in a platonic sense, right?"
Aja looked to Maurice, as if to silently ask for his help in coming up with a good excuse for what she said. However, the green newt merely turned his back.
Aja growled inwardly at this, but she steeled her nerves. The caterpillar was out of the bag, no sense in denying it now.
"No, Argus…I-I didn't mean it in that sense…" Aja confessed. "I…I have liked you for some time…a-and I-I know how absurd it is. A-A frog and a toad…I just…"
Argus rubbed the back of his head with his right hand as he walked up to Aja and took her right hand into his left.
"It's not quite as absurd as you might think, Aja."
"A-Argus…"
"I wondered myself if I should tell you, but I did not want to risk ruining our friendship over something that might cause a rift…"
Aja blushed and began to stutter.
"I-I-Idiot! Y-Y-You should've said something sooner!" Aja complained. "But…I guess…better late than never…"
Maurice let out a long sigh of relief.
"Finally. I thought it would be another decade before either of you finally said anything," said Maurice.
"YOU KNEW?! THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!" Argus and Aja exclaimed.
"What good would have done to tell you? This way, you get all the awkwardness out of the way." Maurice then stuck his tongue out at the two of them.
"You…"
"Humph!"
"Anyway, let us leave. I have a hunch I want to confirm."
The trio left the Temple of Mind and kept walking, following the glowing arrows all the way to an outhouse.
"You've got to be kidding me," said Aja.
"Well, this temple sure is…insulting," Argus commented.
"On the contrary…" Maurice opened the door and found that the inside was glowing with ancient Amphibian runes all along the walls. "It brought us right to where we needed to be."
Argus and Aja's jaws dropped.
"B-But you lost, so how…?" Argus questioned.
"Quite simple. The final test was not about winning. It was about seeing whether or not you had the humility to lose in order to win."
"I'm confused," Aja said.
"That was the point of putting you two in the middle of the game. If I had continued, it would've ended up with one or both of you severely hurt, or dead. But in giving up and sacrificing my win, I was able to save you two from getting hurt," Maurice explained. "Plus, protecting my friends still makes me the winner in the end, does it not?"
"Cheeky newt," said Argus.
"Just charge the stone, you nutcase," said Aja with a chuckle.
Maurice placed the stone on a small pedestal that rose out of the outhouse. Once placed, a green light shined from the gemstone, and a green glow began to fade from Maurice. When it was done, the gemstone was brought back to its full luster, and Maurice took the gemstone back once it was done.
"So, how do you feel?" Aja asked.
"Hmm…I feel some power, but just embers, like our masters said. Just enough to allow us to still be strong, but nothing like when we carried half the power like last time," said Maurice.
"Well, our time as Knights is over. We don't need that kind of power in our retirement."
"Suppose you're right. Onto the next temple then."
The Temple of Strength was not a problem for Aja. Despite her advanced age, she was a strong toad warrior, and not to be underestimated, with or without powers. In the end, they managed to recharge the Strength gemstone, and quickly headed to the nearest river to rehydrate and to not look like dried up raisins that had been left in the sun for too long.
The last temple, the Temple of Heart, was located in the north. They were fine for the most part, as their powers kept the cold from biting at them. But once they crossed the archway, just like the last two temples, their powers were rendered inactive. Maurice had said it was part of the trials, to prevent them from using their powers to just breeze through the tests. These tests were made so that the holders could be challenged and see what it takes to be a wielder of these powers; if they just used them for each test, it would be cheating.
However, something strange happened when they reached this temple. As soon as they passed through the archway, there was a great flash of light, and a feeling of weightlessness overcame Argus. A moment later, Argus felt solid ground underneath his feet. When the light faded, the old Amphibian gasped. Argus was now atop a huge pillar that seemed to touch the sky, and he was alone. Above him were millions of stars that twinkled against the night sky, and below was a dense cloud that covered the lower half of the gargantuan pillar he was standing on.
"What is this place?" Argus asked.
"The place that would've been your final trial."
Argus watched as a newt woman appeared from thin air, wearing a white robe and holding a staff. She was missing an arm but had a glove covering the tip of her long tail.
"Who are you?" Argus questioned.
"Someone who has been hoping to right the mistakes of our world," she said.
"What do you mean?"
"Let me ask you, brave Knight of the Heart. What have you seen in your dreams?" she asked.
Argus thought for a moment, and then said, "I…I've had dreams of our world in peril, and three holders of the gems' powers standing against this peril. A being that possesses thirteen eyes filled with malice and greed. Do you know the significance of these dreams?"
"If they were granted to you by your power, I would take heed of them. For the gems are a power beyond our understanding, despite what others may believe. They hold tremendous power, a power that you and your companions have wielded. I know you are weary of these invasions of other worlds, Argus the Noble. Leader of the Amphibian Knights."
"Be that as it may, I am no longer in a position to give voice to these concerns to the king," said Argus.
"Wrong!" The newt woman slammed the butt of her staff against the ground, piercing it into a slot and stepping away from it. "We all have a choice, Argus. We all make decisions that can impact the future. So, I ask you, make one now."
Argus looked between the staff and the newt woman and asked, "What do you mean?"
"If you wish to heed the warnings your dreams have granted you, then do the opposite of what you came here to do. I can transfer the full power of the gemstone to you. And through that stone. You will be the most powerful being in this world. Powerful enough to change the course of our world. Or I can transfer what remains back to the stone. The choice is yours."
Argus reached into his pocket and took out the stone, looking between it and the staff. This woman knew of his dreams, or perhaps they were visions of a future that was to come. If what he saw was true, that would mean that a great evil would befall their world, and three new holders of the gemstones' powers would be there to fight it off. However, his visions never showed him whether or not they were going to win or lose against this evil. If Argus took on the full power of his gemstone now, he could alter the course of Amphibia's future, and steer them away from that evil, or at the very least, prepare them better for what was to come.
Argus was about to say something, but a flash of blue light came from his gemstone. For a moment he was granted another vision. He saw someone, a gangly creature, it looked female from what he saw. Argus also saw the same newt woman and this creature standing there, and she had the music box.
"You…You risked your life to save me! But why?! I was about to harm you and take the box from you!"
"Yeah, you were, but even so, that's what a Kamen Rider does. Saving people is the right thing to do. And yeah, you're right, I did lie and steal, and if that makes me unworthy fine. Those bad choices were mine, and I'll own them. But making them taught me that it's always better to do the right thing. I'm not perfect, but I'll always strive to do my best."
The vision ended, with Argus now seeing the present. Again, it was unclear how far in the future that vision was, since the newt woman in the vision seemed to be the same age as she was now. For some reason, the music box was in their position, but he could sense something from the tall gangly creature, the look in her eyes, it looked very much like his own.
"Did the gem show you something?" she asked.
"It did." Argus walked up to the staff and looked at the newt woman. "I know not how far into the future my vision showed me. But I saw you there, and a tall gangly creature. She possessed the music box. I think she might've stolen it? I'm not sure how. But I didn't sense that she had any ill intent. It sounded as if she wanted to save lives. Whoever this girl is, she is more than likely a successor. She called herself a 'Kamen Rider'? Whatever she is, I think she is the one who will help us. Save us from the unknown evil."
"You are willing to put your faith in someone whom you've never met before? Who could possibly be an enemy of Amphibia?" the newt woman asked.
"I am."
She smiled at Argus and held out her hand.
"Then, I shall restore the gem's power. And I eagerly await meeting this supposed protector, this Kamen Rider."
Argus handed the stone to the newt woman, where she then placed it in the center of the hook at the top of it. The gem hovered in the center of the staff as lines of blue light shined on the ground and ran up the staff until the entire staff was glowing. The gemstone released another flash of light, and when it did, Argus' eyes glowed with the same color. The light in them began to fade as the gem dimmed and was restored to its full power.
"Go now, Argus," the newt woman floated the gem back to Argus. "I pray for the future of our world."
Argus nodded, and with a wave of the newt woman's staff, he was gone.
The three Amphibian Knights were on their way back to Newtopia, to return the gemstones and appoint their successors. The sun dipped below the horizon, turning day into night as they flew through the skies. Argus had spoken to his friends about what he had encountered at the temple, and the decision he had made. It was a lot to take in, but they agreed that they were going to tell the king and prince about this before something bad happened to the world. Even if some gangly creature was meant to come and help them, there was still some things they could do now to prepare for the day that happened.
However, before they could get to the city, something flew at them. The three warriors quickly threw up a shield, but whatever struck the barrier blew up their shield, shattering it to pieces as they were thrown directly to the ground below. The Amphibian Knights quickly summoned their armor. They could sense that the powers inside them were not what they used to be, but so long as they fought together, they should be able to make up for the reduction in power.
Whatever had attacked them landed a few feet away from them. When they saw it, all three Knights gasped. This creature stood on two legs and was heads taller than all three of them. Its head was oblong in shape and sported several horns with spikes growing from them. It had a long tail that had spikes running along its length, and at the tip was a barbed arrowhead tip. Its form was lanky, with long thin arms and four long claws. Its feet had three talons, two in front, and one on the back heel. In its left hand it held a halberd weapon, the shaft was made of black metal, while the blades at the top burned with orange and yellow light. Upon this creature's chest were thirteen glowing eyes, in addition to the three that were on its face.
"What manner of creature is that?!" Argus exclaimed.
"Did another monster slip through the portal like last time?" Aja inquired.
"No, not to my recollection. We've been very careful about clearing the portal before we make the jump back home. This doesn't resemble anything we fought thus far," said Maurice.
The monster pointed its halberd at them and spoke in a distorted voice, "Relinquish the powers of Calamity. Or I shall lay waste to this city."
"Do not think you can just attack us and threaten Newtopia! You shall fall before the might of the Amphibian Knights!" Argus proclaimed.
"Then die."
The monster twirled its halberd around and dashed straight for Argus. The Azure Knight formed a construct broadsword, just in time to block the attack of the monster. The impact caused a shockwave and pushed Argus back, which was not reassuring. Having only the embers of the gemstones' powers was already putting him at a significant disadvantage. Before, a blow like this wouldn't make him struggle, but now, his arms were shaking. The monster retracted its weapon and readied to slash again, but Aja swiftly stepped in and slashed with her dual ax constructs. The demon-like monster jumped back, narrowly missing getting cut.
When it landed, it was treated to a barrage of emerald light arrows. The monster twirled its halberd around, using it to deflect the numerous energy arrows that were shot at it. While the Emerald Knight was pinning it down with constant fire. Aja and Argus decided to hit it from two different sides. Argus zipped around so that he was now on the monster's left, while Aja remained where she was on the right. Argus charged his sword, making the blade flare with azure energy. At the same time, Aja brought both axes together to form one great ax that also flared up with magenta energy. Once charged, both Knights brought down their weapons.
Argus' attack took form of a beam of azure light being fired from the blade, while Aja's blade struck the ground before her, and caused a magenta crescent blast to carve through the dirt and rock as it traveled directly towards the monster. The two attacks converged on the monster, creating a powerful explosion. The attack must've made it stop deflecting Maurice's attacks as the arrows were now making it through and exploding several more times. When Maurice ended his attack, all three Knights remained vigilant, waiting to see if their foe had been felled.
Unfortunately, it was not. A strong gust of wind blew out from the center of the flames, snuffing them out, and revealing the monster's undamaged body. The three Knights grimaced behind their helmets, they knew their powers would be diminished, but they didn't realize just how much. Regardless, they were determined to not allow this monster to destroy Newtopia or harm any innocents so long as they drew breath.
The monster's body began to flare with orange and yellow energy before releasing it in an explosion wave that expanded in all directions. The three Knights quickly retreated to the air to avoid getting caught in the blast, but the monster followed after them and turned this into an aerial battle. From the city, many could see three streaks of light battling against a fourth yellow and orange streak. Several thunderous boom sounds echoed through the sky, reaching the city at their current distance.
The monster continued to fight with the three, but then turned its sights on Newtopia. It twirled its halberd around and charged up the construct blade at the top. Within seconds the blade crackled with barely restrained power, and in the next moment, released that energy in the form of a beam of orange and yellow light that roared towards the city.
The Magenta Knight quickly flew ahead and placed herself between the city and the beam. She formed her great battle ax again and poured all the power she had into it. With a mighty war cry, she slashed with her ax just as the beam neared her. The blade of her powered up ax sliced the beam in two, making both halves split in different directions. Aja grunted and growled as she held on, even as her construct started to form cracks, she didn't give up. Eventually, the beam finally stopped, and Aja's construct shattered.
"AJA! LOOK OUT!"
The Magenta Knight noticed too late as the demonic monster rapidly closed the distance on her and pierced right through Aja's armor and chest with one fluid motion, hitting her right in the heart.
"AJAAAAA!" Argus and Maurice screamed.
The monster pulled back its halberd and watched as Aja the Strong's armor faded. The glow of her hair and eyes was starting to fade, but not before the monster reached out with its tail, wrapping it around her neck to prevent her from falling. It then opened its left hand as small tendrils quickly snatched the gemstone of Strength from her pocket. Once in hand, the demon threw Aja down towards the waters. Argus flew with all due haste, intercepting Aja before she could hit the waters and brought them both to a gentle descent to the ground.
Maurice growled in anger as he flew at the monster, shooting off hundreds of energy arrows at the monster. The demonic creature began dodging the arrows, seemingly easily. Maurice continued to fire more and more arrows, despite his accuracy, none of them were hitting the monster. The monster was so preoccupied with dodging Maurice's attacks, that it did not notice what was occurring around it. After a minute of continuous fire, the Emerald Knight stopped his attack and flew high in the sky. That's when the demon realized that the arrows it had dodged did not vanish, instead, many of them were still in the air, hovering in place. Every direction it looked there were energy arrows, there was nary an angle or direction that the monster saw that wasn't littered with them.
The Emerald Knight drew his bow again and funneled all his power into forming a raging energy arrow. And once he took aim, all the other arrows shot towards the demon, each one exploding against its body in rapid succession. Once all the arrows were fired, Maurice launched his final arrow, which streaked through the sky like a comet and struck the center of the explosion, creating a big emerald colored ball of fire that lit up the area and the city below.
"HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT YOU WRETCH!" Maurice yelled.
"I am not impressed."
Maurice's eyes widened when he heard the monster's voice coming from behind him. That's when the monster's spiked tail pierced through his chest.
"MAURICE!"
The newt's armor faded, and just like before, the demon pilfered the gemstone from his pocket, and let his body fall to the ground. Argus dashed once again and caught Maurice's body before it could land. He quickly brought it next to Aja's, lying them next to each other.
"Only one remains, Knight of Heart. Surrender the stone or die," said the demon.
The Azure Knight's body flared with azure light as he disappeared from sight. In the next moment, the demon was struck in the face, and then in its side. Multiple blows started to rain down upon the monster from multiple angles, making it raise its arms up in defense. Argus appeared behind it, eyes blazing with azure light as he gathered his energy into his right fist and punched the demon in the back of the head. The demon was sent sailing far into the distance where it impacted against the side of a cliff.
Argus wasn't about to stop as he flew through the air like a blazing meteor and struck the demon. Plowing through dirt and rock as they traveled underground for a few feet before bursting out of the ground and continuing their battle in the air again. Multiple clashes took places as they streaked through the open skies before they clashed once more before they both plummeted back down to terra firma. The demon and Knight were locked as Argus' construct sword grinded against the energy blade of the demon's halberd.
"I must admit, I was not expecting you to show this much resilience, Argus," said the demon.
"You speak as if you know me, monster!"
"Oh, but you do. You know me, Argus."
Argus' eyes widened, the distortion was lifted, and now Argus heard the familiar voice coming from the monster.
"King Aldrich!"
"Indeed. Although, I'm not really here. I'm safely watching this transpire from the palace. This creature is a prototype creation, combining the Dark Ichor with our robotic technology. I have to say, the results are very satisfying. But considering the three of you are not at your peak, I can't say for certain that its power something to boast about."
"Why have you done this!? Why have you killed Aja and Maurice and set this monster upon us?!"
"You were beginning to question our way. And you would seek to influence my own son to stray from our righteous path. Our birthright! Amphibia is the kingdom that shall rule over all worlds!"
"Rule over?! We only take what is needed to continue our way of life! We do not exterminate other races, nor do we rule over any of them! We are not gods, Aldrich!" Argus retorted.
"WRONG! You are not a god, neither are any of our subjects! I answer to a collective! One that I will soon become a part of! I will one day soon attain godhood! And WE will not be stopped!"
It was then that Argus finally understood what his visions meant.
"It's you! YOU are the evil that is threatening Amphibia! The one that will cause the end of all of us! The one whom the three will fight against! And we – no, not just us – ALL the Knights have only been helping you further your ambitions!"
"And thanks to the discovery of the Dark Dimension, and the Dark Ichor, we can now go beyond what we thought was possible in terms of power! Now we can become true gods! So, thank you, Argus, for your years of service!"
"DAMN YOOOOOOU! ALDRIIIIIIIIICH!"
Argus' azure aura flared wildly as the dark mecha-monster's orange and yellow aura flared at the same time. Both opponents broke off their clash, putting some distance between them. Argus gripped his sword with both hands as he concentrated, calling on the last burning embers of power within himself to burn bright once again, for this last time. Even if it meant exhausting all the power he had left, he was going to destroy this monster, and then take down Aldrich before that future came to pass. The sword Argus held shined brighter and brighter until the entire sword was glowing bright white, with a raging azure aura outlining its shape. The mecha-monster twirled its halberd around, eyes narrowed as it summoned its own power and created a large aura field around itself.
From the balcony of the palace, Andrias watched with fear as he looked through a spyglass and saw the frog he admired and looked up to battle a monster. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he prayed to Frog that Argus could win this fight.
"FOR AMPHIBIA! FOR THE FUTURE!"
Argus' aura expanded, raging like wildfire. The ground beneath Argus' feet shattered as he dashed straight towards the mecha-monster, leaving a trail of embers that took the shape of leaves. The mecha-monster held its ground as it prepared to attack with its own weapon. When Argus got close, his aura was the first thing to make contact as it struck against the mecha-monster's aura. A massive eruption of power took place as the two auras swirled around each other, crackling and screeching like two legendary beasts.
Inside the tornado of power, Argus slashed with his sword. The mecha-monster blocked the attack with its halberd, but Argus' sword smashed through the construct blade. He then twirled his sword around and came in with a thrust. The mecha-monster used the shaft of its halberd to block, but after a few seconds, the halberd's shaft snapped in half as Argus' sword pierced through its chest, and out the mecha-monster's back. The tornado of power released a mighty explosion that sent rock, dirt, sand, and water flying into the air and in all directions. A huge cloud of smoke covered the area as the shockwaves from the explosion rattled the city, and even the palace itself.
Andrias gripped the guardrail hard enough that it started to show cracks, fear and anxiety built up inside the young prince as he waited to see what the outcome of the fight was. The smoke began to clear a bit, and from what he could see, Argus was still standing, and his sword had run the monster through. But Andrias' jubilation was short lived as when the smoke completely cleared, it was evident that the battle had ended in a draw.
Argus was impaled through the chest by the mecha-monster's tail, but Argus' sword had gone all the way through the mecha-monster.
"Good work, Argus…"
"Son of a slug…you…this is what you wanted…wasn't it? You wanted this outcome…"
"Take solace in the fact that in the eyes of our people, you all died heroic deaths to stop an unknown monster from taking Amphibia's greatest treasures, and from causing harm to its people…rest in peace, old friend…"
The mecha-monster's body began to break down into particles of orange and yellow light, and when it did, Argus heard two plopping sounds hit the water. The old frog dropped to his knees, reached down, and grabbed the two gemstones. He managed to take the one in his pocket out and held all three in his hands. The armor faded from his body as the glow of his hair and eyes did the same.
Argus weakly angled his head up, and in front of him, he saw the same gangly creature from before. Except this time, she looked as if she was reacting to this moment, as her hands were covering her mouth, and she was shedding tears.
"…To you…in the future…I pray…you save us…from ourselves…"
"ANNE! ANNE, WAKE UP! ANNE!"
Anne's eyes snapped open as she got up from the bed. She quickly glanced around the room, remembering that she had entered Sasha's room to sleep beside her and keep the nightmares away for her. However, Sasha was yelling for her, and right now, the blonde was staring right at her with shock.
"S-Sash, what's wrong?" Anne asked.
"Anne…you're hair, and your eyes…"
Anne reached up with her left hand and touched her hair. When she did, she realized that it was spiky again. Now that she was paying attention, the room had a soft blue glow, which was coming from her hair.
"And…you're crying," Sasha added.
Anne used her right hand and touched her face, realizing that her face was wet. She remembered now, she remembered the dream, no, not a dream, a vision of the past.
"Sash…can you hold me, please?" Anne asked, her voice cracking.
Sasha didn't ask why as she wrapped her arms around Anne, letting the Thai teen cry into her chest as the pain of those last moments for the three Knights was fresh in her mind.
"Sasha…I need to tell you what I saw," said Anne.
"It's okay, Anne, you don't have to," Sash replied.
"No, you need to hear this." Anne pulled back her head and looked Sasha in the eyes. "You need to know what happened to them. The spirits that we've seen…you need to hear their story."
Sasha's eyes widened, she recalled Magenta Spirit, the one who gave up her power so that Sasha could become strong enough to defend the frogs of Wartwood and fight alongside Anne.
"Okay, tell me."
Anne wiped her eyes and said, "This is the tale of Argus the Noble, Aja the Strong, and Maurice the Wise. They were our predecessors, the Knights of Amphibia…"