King Andrias Leviathan, the current King of Amphibia, and at current, the last descendant of the Leviathan family. A thousand years had passed since his great blunder. Since his mistake led to these current events. Amphibia was growing increasingly polluted, and the inhabitants pushed to the brink. Some were enslaved, others were willing followers, and as for the rest, they resisted. Honestly, Andrias believed that it was better to crush the Resistance while they had the numbers and ability to do so, before the invasion began.
However, The Core, or rather, Darcy, forbade him from taking any direct action against Anne Boonchuy and Sasha Waybright's Resistance. Despite the fact that they were the only ones who could possibly pose a threat to The Core, especially Anne Boonchuy. Andrias had not forgotten how that young human girl managed to turn him into a ragdoll, overpowering him, completely and utterly. When he tried to attack her again, through the use of the new weapon Triple B made for him, Darcy was incredibly angered by his actions. And when Anne returned to Amphibia, the only way to describe Darcy's reaction was elation. Even now, he wondered just how much of The Core was in there, and how much of that was Darcy, or rather, how much of it was Marcy?
Case in point, Andrias was currently on his way to Darcy's lab. She? – They? – It? Whatever. Darcy had been making frequent trips to Dawnblood Island in the past few weeks, in fact, they started sometime around the time when Andrias made his Christmas Eve attack on Earth. He knew not what the entity had been planning since then, but whatever project she was working on was so secretive that not even he was allowed to know of it.
Andrias finally arrived at Darcy's lab, she was currently working on the MetamorphRing, more specifically, the Core Module that was attached to the Driver. Even after everything that he had done to get them to this point, there was still a part of him that did care about Marcy, she very much reminded him of someone once dear to his heart. But that was in the past, and if he was to make up for his centuries long mistake, he had to quash all his emotional attachments to the human girl. She was humming a little tune as she worked, which unnerved Andrias further. If it weren't for the distorted echo in her voice, Andrias would've thought that it was Marcy standing there, and not The Core.
"Master," he called out.
Darcy stopped her work and turned around, shooting Andrias a sweet smile as she said, "Hey there, big buy."
There was that feeling again.
"I, ahem, brought what you requested," said Andrias.
Darcy watched as Andrias presented a tray with a lid. The large blue newt removed the lid and revealed that the tray was filled with cupcakes. She gasped and exclaimed, "Red velvet cupcakes with ube frosting!"
Andrias watched as his master quickly snatched one up and gobbled the confection with great delight.
"Mmmmmm, sooooo gooood! I've been craving these all day!"
"So, um, this has been really confusing for me, and I'm in need of some clarification. What are you? I feel as if I'm sometimes talking to someone else other than The Core," said Andrias.
Darcy chuckled as she scarfed down another cupcake.
"I don't blame you for being confused, even I couldn't predict this outcome. The Core is very much here, and, shall I say, fifty percent in control. The other half of that control is me, Darcy. When The Core melded with Marcy's mind, it gave birth to me. A completely conscious and self-aware alter ego. I am just as much my own entity as The Core is. I am a melding of Marcy Regina Wu and The Core. I have the best of both."
Darcy stepped away and struck a pose.
"Marcy's intellect, wit, and some of her more adorable quirks. The amalgamated knowledge of The Core, and their untold strength and confidence from thousands of years of ruling and conquering. The end result of these two entities gave birth to me, a being who is the best of Marcy and The Core. I guess you could say, I'm what Marcy wished she could be, and at the same time, I am a being that The Core can live out their baser desires. The desire to feel, to be flesh and blood, to consume, to…"
Darcy blushed as a cattish smile appeared on her lips.
"Well, we'll keep that one private. As much as they don't want to admit it, they're not above such desires," said Darcy.
Andrias shivered as a chill ran up his spine.
"So, you are you. I'm surprised The Core allows you to exist," said Andrias.
Darcy chuckled as she said, "I'm just as much a part of them, as they are a part of me. My existence is unique, and something that they want to study. But make no mistake, big guy, I'm very much in charge as they are of these operations. I have a voice in the decision making. Never forget that."
Andrias bowed his head and replied, "I won't, Master."
"Very good, big blue. Now, come with me. We have a very important mission for you!" Darcy removed the Driver from the workbench, placed it around her waist, and began walking towards the doors. However, after a few steps, she fell flat on her face, but got up a moment later. "Ha! Still need to fix that."
Andrias placed the cupcakes on a table in the lab and followed after Darcy.
"The Core and I have managed to figure out a way to boost our efficiency when we transform into Terminus. Since Anne has returned, we will need the extra processing speed to combat both her and Sasha. I can't see a scenario where those two won't pull a team up maneuver to try and beat us. So, in order to keep up with them, we need to purge our system of some excess data."
Andrias looked a little worried when he heard that.
"Um, what kind of 'excess data' my lord?" Andrias asked.
"Oh, nothing major. Redundant memories, that sort of thing." Darcy glanced up at Andrias, smirked, and added, "Don't worry. Marcy won't be touched. My existence is tied to both her and The Core. Taking either one away will just harm us. Plus, we can't be sure if the power will shift to us if she's gone, so until she's completely assimilated, we need to keep her around. Memories and all."
"I…I see."
"Anyway, this requires a full system reboot. And you're the only one we trust to –" Darcy paused, no longer hearing Andrias' footsteps behind her. "Andrias?"
Andrias was currently looking down at an old portrait, one that he recognized, and one that had bared three claw marks on it. Darcy glanced between the painting and Andrias, noting his slightly forlorn expression.
"Hmm, Maybe we're not the only ones who need to let go of old memories."
Andrias scoffed and replied, "Nonsense! The past means nothing to me."
Darcy chuckled.
"Just so long as you don't forget to learn from it. Those who cannot learn from past mistakes are doomed to repeat them, and the last either of us needs is for you to drop the ball like you did a millennia ago."
Andrias grimaced but kept any retort to himself. Yes, it had been a millennium since it all happened. Since everything went wrong for him, and for the future of Amphibia…
(1,000 YEARS AGO…)
Amphibia was a much different place than it was in the present. Their civilization was at the peak of its prosperity and technological advancement. A young Andrias was walking through the streets of Newtopia, heading to see a painter. However, as he walked, he passed by a statue in one of the squares. It was a statue of the three great heroes of Amphibia, Aja the Strong, Maurice the Wise, and Argus the Noble. The last holders of the gems' powers.
Andrias walked up to the golden statue, depicting the three Amphibian Knights in both their civilian forms and their knightly attire. All three looked heroic and regal, the sculptor managed to capture the essence of all three of them exquisitely, it almost felt like they were there. The large blue newt walked up to the statue and placed his hand against the base of the statue's platform as he looked up at the leader of the Knights, Argus Croaken, the Azure Knight.
"It's been awhile, old man. One year since…that night. I still can't believe you, Aja, and Maurice are gone." Andrias raised that same hand, balled it into a fist, and brought it down against the platform. "I wish I could've done something. I wish I had the powers you had…I wish Leif and Barrel and I could've taken on the powers of the gems and helped you fight that thing. But…that cowardly creature attacked you when you were at your weakest."
Andrias sighed heavily as he took a step back and gave a respectful bow to the three heroes of Amphibia before heading on his way.
One year, and still they never discovered where that monster came from, or if there were more. There was always a vigilant watch for more of them, but to this day, none like it have been spotted. Unfortunately, this also caused his father, Aldrich, to officially end the Order of Amphibian Knights. His father deemed it too dangerous for the gems to be separated from the music box, as they were almost stolen by a monster. Since then, they've been relying on their robotic soldiers and dark legions.
Some were worried that this made them more vulnerable to attacks now that they would no longer have strong warriors to protect them, but Andrias' father assured them that they were capable of defending themselves without them. So, Argus, Maurice, and Aja became the last three Amphibian Knights, and so far, they have been doing well with their expeditions into other worlds, although they have been doing a little more scouting than usual since they no longer have Knights to protect them.
Despite this, so far, they haven't run into any problems with their expeditions, and have successfully conquered and taken the resources they needed from those worlds. But today wasn't for thinking of those things. Today was the day his commissioned painting was to be completed. Andrias eventually made it to the painter's shop and spoke to the painter themselves before seeing the finished product. It was a beautiful portrait of himself, with Leif on his right shoulder, and Barrel standing happily on his left.
They're going to love this, he thought.
After paying the painter and getting the picture wrapped up, the young prince exited the shop and hurried back to the palace. Along the way, he decided to drop in on one of his best friends. The large blue newt prince scaled the walls closest to the palace, sticking to them and moving as stealthily as possible as he spotted Barrel standing guard outside the gates of the castle. Andrias smirked, believing he had the drop on the toad as he silently dropped from the wall and managed to grab Barrel and put him in a headlock.
"I'm disappointed, Barrel! Shouldn't a Newtopian guard be more vigilant?" Andrias teased.
"Heh, shouldn't Amphibia royalty know to never put a toad in a headlock!"
Barrel suddenly inflated his throat, forcing Andrias to release him. Now off balance, Barrel dropped to the ground and threw a sweeping kick, knocking the big blue newt to the ground with minimal effort.
"Ha-ha! Another victory for Barrel!" The green, horned toad walked over to the wall were there were several tick marks on it. He extended one of his claws and scratched a mark into it, starting a new row.
"Heh, nice one," said Andrias as he got up from the ground. " Maurice would be proud of you."
Barrel rubbed the back of his head as he replied, "Thanks, I'm trying to keep up with what he taught me. Jeez…I still can't believe it's been a whole year since…"
"Yeah, I know. I keep expecting to find that old frog, Argus, on that balcony, looking over the city," said Andrias as he reminisced.
"Leif is the same, she sometimes expects to see Aja in the rose garden. Oh, hey, speaking of Leif." Barrel reached into his belt and pulled out a red-colored piece of paper. "Leif left a note for you. It's blank, so, I don't even know why she bothered."
Andrias chuckled as he took the paper from Barrel and said, "Blank to you, perhaps." The royal newt took out a pair of glasses with a rose tent on the lenses and read the note. "Leif and I came up with a way for us to leave secret messages to each other. Now let's see…Ah, she wants us to meet her in the garden! Let's go!"
Barrel and Andrias ran off into the palace, navigating the various hallways and passages of the castle before finally arriving at the indoor garden. Leif was put in charge of this garden a long time ago, in recognition of her impeccable horticultural skills. What was even more impressive was how she managed the Mossmen. The toad and newt walked a little further in and found their friend standing at the top of a fountain.
"Hey, Leif! How's it goin'?!" Andrias greeted.
Leif, hearing her friends, turned around and made a shushing sound at them.
"Shh, I have perfected a dance that mesmerizes any creature that watches. Behold."
Leif stood up and widened her stance as she closed her eyes. That's when the pink frog began her dance, shaking and moving to a rhythm that only she could hear. The moment she did, all four of the Mossmen stared at her at the same time. Leif bopped her cheeks, making a popping sound before dropping and flailing around like a fish out of water. Strangely, the Mossmen quickly gathered at the base of the fountain and started dancing along with her.
Andrias had to avert his gaze, feeling a little embarrassed at watching Leif dance. Strangely enough, Barrel was dancing along like the Mossmen, the look on his face indicating that he was just as entranced by Leif's dance as the creatures were. Leif ended her dance with a pose, and all the Mossmen did the same. When she was done, Leif jumped off the fountain and landed before her two best friends, it was right around that time that Barrel seemed to finally snap out of the hypnotic state he was in.
"Huh, what just happened?" Barrel asked. "Did anyone else just suddenly black out?"
"See? Even the strangest interdimensional animals love it," said Leif.
"Ha-ha! Brilliant! Classic Leif," Andrias praised as he gave Leif a thumbs up.
The pink frog girl blushed a little and replied, "Aww, thanks, Drias. Say, uh, wha'cha got there?"
"Oh! Almost forgot."
The large blue newt prince smiled as he removed the painting from his back, took off the covering, and presented it to his friends.
"Ta-daaaa! An official portrait of us," Andrias announced with pride.
Leif and Barrel were in awe of the detailed portrait of the three of them together, the frog and toad's mouths agape with shock.
"Amazing, it looks just like us!" Barrel commented.
"Oh, that's a huge honor, Drias! What's the occasion?" Leif asked.
Andrias puffed out his chest a little as he explained, "Well, Dad's appointed me to lead the next invasion."
"Say whaaaaaaat?!"
"Score!"
"I never would've been able to make it this far without you two supporting me. I mean…with Argus and the others gone…" Andrias' excited expression became forlorn as he remembered the old frog warrior who inspired him to work harder.
Leif and Barrel walked up to their friend and placed their hands on his right.
"We get it, Andrias. I miss Master Maurice, too," said Barrel.
"And Ms. Aja." Leif looked up at Andrias and put on a comforting smile. "But I know they'd be proud to hear that we're still carrying on, even without there being no more Knight candidates. They should live on as the last and greatest Knights of Amphibia."
"Definitely," Andrias agreed. "I just hope I do him and Dad proud."
Barrel blew a raspberry as he said, "Are you kidding? Of course, you will! You've been working really hard for this chance, 'Drias. And now, your Dad's finally letting you show your potential!"
Leif withdrew her hand to wipe away a stray tear. Her smile returned as she looked at her two friends and said, "Alright, enough with the sad sack stuff. We gotta celebrate!"
"Hmm? Might I suggest running through the halls screaming at the top of our lungs?" Barrel suggested.
Was it childish? Yes. A little embarrassing? Oh yeah. But holding onto and doing these occasional childish things was what was fun about being friends with Leif and Barrel.
"Sounds good to me! Let's go!"
The trio ran through the halls and were screaming and laughing at the top of their lungs. The palace staff had long since come to accept this kind of behavior from the frog, toad, and newt prince. So, none of them found it particularly odd or worth the effort of correcting them to stop what they were doing. It just became something they accepted as part of working and living in the castle. And honestly, in a strange way, it kind of gave them comfort to see that Prince Andrias could still act that way even at his current age. It reassured them that he would become a kind and just king when he assumed the throne.
As the trio continued their antics, they were stopped when the king himself appeared before them. Andrias immediately stopped as he looked up at the intimidating visage of his father, who stood heads taller than him and anyone else, made even more intimidating by the fact he was holding his trademark halberd in his left hand.
"Ah, there you are, son. Come with me, we have much to discuss," said King Aldrich.
"Hey, we'll catch up with you later, 'Drias!" Barrel called out.
"Sorry, guys, gotta do prince stuff!" Andrias replied as he followed after his father.
As the two newt royals walked through the halls, King Aldrich gave a slight glance to his son before saying, "Don't you think it's time to say goodbye to this childhood friends of yours, son?"
Andrias gave his father a confused look as he asked, "What? Why?"
"Because you're about to become the King of Amphibia. It won't be long before those two start asking for favors and special privileges from you," King Aldrich warned. "Using you for their own gains."
"What? Father, no, Leif and Barrel are not like that, and would never ask things of me. Our friendship is true. Just like Argus and the Knights' was," said Andrias.
The King of Amphibia gave a low growl at the mention of those three. But made sure not to show his displeasure of hearing their names to his son.
"Friendship doesn't last, son. But allow me to show you something that does," said King Aldrich.
The father and son duo stood before an ominous door as two basins burned with flames, lightning up the area. At that moment, the center of King Aldrich's coral crown split and revealed a glowing orange and yellow eye. Within seconds, the door rolled off to the left, granting the pair entry into the chamber forbidden to all others in the castle. Andrias watched as his father entered, and slowly followed behind him. Once inside, the door slid back and closed behind him, briefly startling the young prince before he returned his attention to his father.
King Aldrich kept walking until he was at the center of the room and held out his arms as he announced, "Behold, The Core!"
The moment he spoke those words, a huge mechanical entity dropped down from the ceiling, sporting thirteen orange and yellow glowing eyes, and at least eight metal tentacles. Andrias tried not to show his shock upon seeing this machine, and for some reason, being in its presence made a chill run up his spine.
"It contains the memories of Amphibia's greatest minds, including your ancestors," said King Aldrich.
The Core walked around the king and approached Andrias, staring at him with its huge glass eyes as if peering into the very depths of his soul.
"With The Core by your side, you will have no need for friends." King Aldrich walked over to a panel and pressed his hand against it, conjuring a holographic map of a planet that was not Amphibia. "Now, about your mission. We'll be invading a medieval planet called 'Earth'. Our scouts have reported that they aren't advanced, nowhere near our level. So, you won't meet any kind of heavy resistance."
"Oh, well, that's good to hear," said Andrias.
"Now, when you are there, I want you to exterminate the savages so that we can mine the resources from their planet," said King Aldrich.
Andrias nodded, but then let his father's words sink in as he shook his head in realization.
"W-What? Father, you want me to wipe out an entire civilization?! I-I mean, we never did that before. Have we fought other civilizations and subjugated them? Yes. But never wiped out," said Andrias.
"Without the Knights, son, we can no longer just waltz into other worlds expecting to be able to overpower and overwhelm them with ease like before. We have to be more calculated, hence the use of our scouts. We've been making smaller excursions into other worlds to keep resources up, but we need more. And to do that, we need to wipe out the indigenous people of that world in order to take everything we can. It's really a mercy in the end, Andrias. If we mine their planet dry, they'll only suffer a slow death. This way, it is mercy," King Aldrich explained.
Andrias had to admit, his father did have a point. If they just subjugated the people, and took everything from their world, down to the last drop and speck, then they'd be leaving that world's inhabitance with nothing. They would essentially die without any natural resources to live off of.
"Invading other worlds is expensive, my son. And we need all the resources we can get. Besides, once we make another excursion to that dimension, we'll have even more power to conquer other worlds. But to do that, we need to do this. For our way of life to continue, this kind of work needs to be done."
King Aldrich reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a small key. The newt king walked up to Andrias and placed it into his open hands, and upon looking at the key, Andrias recognized what it was.
"T-The key to the music box! B-But then, I'm–"
"Officially in charge," King Aldrich interjected as he gently placed his right hand on Andrias' shoulder. "Now, make me proud, son."
"Yes, of course, father! I won't let you down," Andrias said.
"I know you won't."
It was later that night, when all were fast asleep, that Andrias decided to take his two best friends to the most important place in the whole of Amphibia. Leif and Barrel followed closely behind him, the three of them making sure to make as little noise as possible. Once they arrived at the door, Andrias took out the key and inserted it into the special slot next to the door. Upon turning the key, the door lit up with the three colors of azure, magenta, and emerald before sliding up and revealing the chamber where the music box was kept.
"And this is where the magic happens, literally," said Andrias as he walked into the room and pointed at the music box.
"Wow, we've only ever seen this room from the outside," Leif commented.
"Woah. Hey, so, does this mean it's official?" Barrel asked.
"It's not announced yet, but yeah," Andrias replied with a proud smile.
"Then I'd bet you'd get into big trouble if anything happened to this?" Leif teased as she held the music box in her hands.
Andrias, slightly panicked, rushed to the pedestal where Leif was standing, but the pink frog girl quickly jumped out of the way before Andrias could get to her.
"O-O-Okay, guys, c'mon."
Leif threw the music box towards Barrel, essentially playing keep-away with it.
"That's important!"
"Wonder if we could become the next Knights?" Barrel asked as he tossed it back to Leif.
Leif caught it and responded, "Heh, now that'd be crazy. The three us as Knights, but how–!"
The pink frog girl's hand brushed against the three gemstones, and the moment she did, all three glowed at the same time. Leif suddenly felt a rush of power flowing through her as her mind was transported, flung into the future. It was there she saw horrible sights. The land of Amphibia had been ravaged, the land had become polluted and barren, and the once clear blue skies were choked with thick clouds of smog.
She saw legions of robots and dark monsters marching in unison, ready to invade, the castle somehow now a flying fortress that eclipsed the sun, shrouding everything in its shadow, including the city of Newtopia. While this would be a great technological feat, seeing this only brought a sense of dread to Leif. She then saw three individuals, but she could not make out their faces. They wore armor in the three colors of the gemstones and fought against something horrible and unnatural. And finally, the worst event, the moon itself falling from the heavens above to strike down Amphibia as if by divine punishment from a vengeful god.
The connection finally broke. Leif gasped as she let the music box drop from her hands and collapsed onto the floor on her hands and knees. The young frog girl panted as her body shook, the visions still fresh in her mind.
"Leif!"
"Leif!"
Andrias and Barrel quickly ran to their friend and got down next to her, looking upon her with worry.
"Leif, are you okay?!" Andrias asked.
"What happened?!" Barrel inquired.
Leif managed to collect her thoughts as she looked up at her two best friends and said, "I…I saw something…something horrible." She turned to Andrias and placed a shaking hand atop his large left hand. "A-Andrias, if you go through with this mission, if we continue to use the music box…I think Amphibia is doomed."
Andrias' first instinct was to tell her that that wasn't true, but he held his tongue, seeing just how upset Leif was. His crush was crying. She was scared, and that was something since Leif was normally a brave and fearless girl. Whatever she saw, it frightened her deeply, otherwise she wouldn't say such things. Andrias brought her into a hug, trying his best to comfort the distraught Leif. Barrel gently patted Leif's head, upset at seeing how frightened Leif was.
"A-Andrias, I need to talk to the king. Please, can you tell your father to have an audience with me?" she asked.
"I-I mean, I can, but…"
"Please, 'Drias, I need to tell him, everyone, what I saw. The lives of everyone in Amphibia is on the line!"
Andrias glanced at Barrel, to which the toad guard gave a nod of encouragement.
"Okay, Leif, I'll speak to my father in the morning and get you an audience with him. For now, I think we should all go back to bed," said the newt prince.
"I'm all for that. Just, uh, gonna put this thing back." Barrel carefully got the music box, holding it by its sides as he placed it back on the pedestal. "Okay, let's go."
Andrias led his friends out of the room, and locked the door to make sure nothing else would happen to the music box. Barrel left first, but Leif still stuck around. The big blue newt rubbed the back of his head, he figured the visions that Leif saw were still fresh in her mind, and more than likely she was still a little scared.
"Hey, uh, Leif. If you're still upset, you could…ahem, I mean if you want…you could stay in my room? I could lend you a pillow to sleep on," Andrias suggested.
Leif wiped her tears as she said, "Thank you, Drias. I…I'd like that."
Andrias held out his hand as he let Leif crawl up his arm and sit on his right shoulder. The two of them headed to his bedchambers, where he would create a makeshift bed out of one of his huge pillows and have the young frog girl sleep next to him. And thankfully, she didn't seem to have any trouble sleeping.
The following morning, Andrias made good on his promise. He went to King Aldrich, asking him to have an audience with Leif, informing him that she had a vision from the music box. Understandably, King Aldrich was a little upset about his son letting them into the chamber that held the music box, but that aside, he agreed to let the gardener, Leif, have her say before himself and the royal council. A couple of hours passed, and the council were gathered in the throne room, along with King Aldrich, Prince Andrias, and of course, Barrel, who was guarding the proceedings along with a few other toads.
"Alright, my dear, speak your piece," King Aldrich commanded.
"Thank you, your Highness. I requested this audience because, as the prince has told you. I accidentally touched the gemstones of the music box, and when I did, I was granted a series of…terrible visions. I believe the music box was giving me a warning."
The assembled court nobles began to murmur among themselves, but she paid them no mind as she continued.
"As a gardener, I know the dangers of messing with a fragile ecosystem. And I believe, by interfering with other dimensions, we have upset the ecosystem of the multiverse. If we continue as we have, then the end result of the vision will come to pass," Leif warned.
"And what was this end result?" King Aldrich asked.
"…The moon shall from the sky and end all life on our world. As if by divine punishment for our deeds. My king, I implore you, we must cease the expeditions into other worlds. Otherwise, Amphibia, perhaps even worlds beyond Amphibia, might be destroyed by our own arrogance and greed."
King Aldrich leaned forward as he pondered Leif's warning, as he did, the eye on his crown reappeared, and when it did, there were whispers. These whispers came not from the crowd but from The Core itself, speaking to Aldrich via their link through the crown. The many minds and Aldrich were having a private meeting amongst themselves, but to everyone present, it just looked as if the king was thinking hard on the matter. Although, Andrias knew what was going on, especially after seeing The Core with his own eyes. After a minute, the eye on the crown closed, their deliberations having ended.
"Nonsense! You sound like those cowardly olms, girl. You speak of fate and warnings, but the stones are our sacred birthright. They are unique to our world and PROOF," King Aldrich slammed his right fist against the armrest of his throne, "that only we are destined to conquer!"
"B-But you're Majesty, please. We can figure out other ways to sustain our way of life that doesn't require us to–!"
"SILENCE!" King Aldrich commanded as he slammed the butt of his halberd against the floor. "The expedition will continue as planned. With the prince presiding. This council is adjourned."
Leif could see that the king was not going to be swayed, so she saw no further need to try. She gave a respectful bow and left with the rest of the nobles, and with Barrel walking beside her.
Now that they were alone, Andrias looked up at his father and said, "Thank you for hearing her out, Father. She was pretty shaken up."
"Oh no, son, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Now we know the gardener is a traitor," said King Aldrich.
Andrias had a shocked expression on his face when he heard his father call Leif a traitor.
"W-What?! No, father, she's not a traitor. She's just…worried, for all of us. She's got a big heart like that," Andrias assured.
"Are you certain? You've had that key less than a day, and now she suddenly wants to dictate how we use the most powerful object in the world." The large king placed his hand on his son's shoulder as he continued. "I warned you about this. It won't be long before I have to join The Core, son. And when that day comes, our people will be looking to you for strength and guidance. I need you to be the king I know you to be."
With those words said, King Aldrich left the throne room, leaving Andrias alone to ruminate on his words. However, when the king did leave, Leif and Barrel were waiting outside, and entered once King Aldrich had left.
"Well…that didn't go great," said Leif.
"Yeah, sorry…"
"But that's okay. You're in charge. You can just decide not to use the box."
"It's not that simple, Leif." Andrias turned around to address his friend/crush. "You know as well as I do that our society is built on these expeditions. If we just suddenly stop, we won't have the resources necessary to continue providing the way we have been for everyone in Amphibia."
"I know it'll be tough, and things won't be easy for sure. But I know it'll work out, especially if it's you. Plus, Barrel and I will have your back every step of the way," Leif assured.
"Yeah, we got your back," Barrel replied.
"See, together, we can use your power for good–!"
"Look, Leif," Andrias bent down and looked Leif right in eyes, "maybe you should stick to gardening and leave ruling to me! Okay?!"
"Ooh…"
"Wow…'Drias…ouch," said Leif as hugged herself.
Andrias facepalmed himself as he released a long sigh.
"No…I…I'm sorry, that was way too harsh…" The big blue newt walked to the steps of the throne and sat down. "I'm just under a lot of pressure y'know? Dad's put me in charge, and I'll be king soon. Look, Leif, maybe your vision's right and maybe it's wrong. When I become king, officially, we'll stop the expeditions. But only after we've built up enough resources in excess to ensure that we can continue providing for the people of Amphibia while we figure out alternatives. That sound good to you?"
Leif smiled as she walked up to her friend/crush and patted his right shin.
"Sorry, and yeah, that sounds good. At least we can try and avoid that future I saw. Friends?" Leif asked.
"Friends," Andrias replied.
The newt and frog shared a hug, reaffirming their friendship. At the same time, Barrel waddled over to his friends and joined in for a group hug. However, neither Barrel nor Andrias noticed how Leif stealthily snatched the key out of Andrias' pocket. Once they broke off the hug, they bid their farewells and went on about their days.
As Leif made her way through the halls, she could hear the sound of thunder roaring in the sky, a storm was approaching. Leif gave a quick glance at the key she stole, her heart ached at the idea of betraying her friend, the newt that she cared about most, but if she didn't do this, all of Amphibia would suffer.
I'm sorry, 'Drias. I…I just can't let that future come to pass.
Andrias and his father walked through the halls as a couple of attendants spoke to the king about different matters of the state while a couple of Frobots followed behind them. The young prince was still berating himself for what he said to Leif, even after it was over.
What is wrong with me? Andrias, you idiot! You went and said all that to the girl you like, ugh! Way to blow your shot at even the possibility of courting her! I need to think of something to make it up to her. Maybe I should tell her how I feel, once and for all? Yeah, besides, like she said, I'll be in charge, so I can marry who I want, right? A-And I'll make good on that promise, we'll just invade enough worlds to ensure we can sustain Amphibia for a good number of years while we research alternative ways to use our resources.
"Any orders for the portal operation your Highness?" the attendant asked.
"Don't ask me, Andrias is calling the shots tomorrow. Show them the key, son," said King Aldrich.
Andrias was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his name and mention of the key. He glanced down at the two attendants who were awaiting his word.
"Oh, yes, of course." Andrias reached into his pocket to show the key, but a bout of dread formed in the pit of his stomach. There was nothing in his pocket. The key was missing. Sweat began to form on the brow of the young prince, the most important item that unlocked the door to Amphibia's greatest treasure, was gone. "Um…Be right back!"
Andrias, without another word spoken, ran like the wind. His mind was racing at a million miles an hour. He knew he had the key prior to meeting in the throne room. There was no hole in his pocket, and unfortunately, that left only one other conclusion. The key was stolen. But he had been with this father and the attendants this whole time, and there were two Frobots guarding them, the only other time would've been…Andrias stopped dead in his tracks as the realization hit him.
No…No, no she wouldn't.
Andrias turned down one of the hallways, changing course to the chamber where the music box was kept. The whole time he ran, he was praying to Frog that he was wrong, hoping beyond all hope that he wouldn't see what he might see in that room. Hell, he was hoping to see another monster like the one that killed Argus and the Knights. Finally, Andrias reached the door, and it was opened. He quickly went inside, and right now, he wished it was a monster that was inside the chamber, instead of his best friend and crush.
"Leif…no…what are you doing?!" he asked.
Leif, with a heavy heart, and a determined expression, grabbed the music box as she said, "I'm sorry, 'Drias. I can't allow that future to come to pass. I don't want to see Amphibia, or you, die because of our arrogance! Forgive me…"
"LEIF!" Andrias yelled as he charged for her.
The nimble frog girl jumped straight over Andrias as he collided with the pedestal. Andrias quickly recovered and gave chase, his heart was racing out of anger, and feelings of betrayal from not just his friend, but the girl that he had feelings for, and whom he thought may've felt the same way. As they ran, Barrel came walking from around the corner, completely oblivious to what was going on. He did pause when he saw Leif run by him without even greeting him, but before he could question this, Andrias barreled into, well, Barrel, making the two of them tumble onto the floor until finally stopped, with Barrel looking up at the prince with great confusion.
"Hey, what's the ruckus?" Barrel asked.
"Leif has betrayed us!" Andrias accused.
"What?! No, she would never do that!" Barrel argued.
"I SAW her with my own eyes, Barrel! C'mon, we need to find her before she does something crazy!"
Leif ran as fast as she could, she needed to get out of the castle as quickly as possible, but she could hear the thundering footsteps of her best friend and crush right behind her, but with the added footsteps of their other friend, Barrel. She changed her direction, she needed a different exit out of the castle, one that Barrel and Andrias didn't know about, so that just meant she would have to make one.
As Leif headed to the armory, she stopped abruptly when the wall to her right busted open, revealing Barrel with his Warhammer at the ready.
"Stop right there, Leif! Don't make me do this," Barrel warned.
"Barrel, please trust me! What I do, I do for all of us! You know I would never do this unless I had a good reason," Leif pleaded.
Barrel lowered his hammer a little. It was true that Leif never did anything without a clear reason, but those visions of hers, were they really that bad that it would make her do go these extremes?
"Gee, Leif…I-I don't know…"
Leif used that moment of hesitation to jump onto Barrel's head and used it as a springboard to propel herself further down the hall and into the armory.
"Hey, get back here–"
Barrel was suddenly pushed aside as Andrias ran at full speed, now wielding his flaming energy sword as he closed in on Leif. The pink frog girl stopped for a moment but gasped when she saw Andrias raise his sword and come down with it. Leif managed to backflip away from the first slash, landing on a control panel, but Andrias recovered from his swing, and slashed again, only for Leif to dodge again as the energy blade cut into the metal.
Leif landed close to a wall that had a few Frobot parts, one of which was an arm blaster. The pink frog girl grabbed the arm, found the firing mechanism, and began shooting the palm laser at Andrias. Although her shots weren't meant to harm him, she knew Andrias was skilled with a sword, and would be able to block the shots, but that was what she was counting on. That distraction was enough to allow her to shoot off the hinges of a grate above her, allowing Leif to jump into the airduct.
She could hear the arguing of her friends behind her, but she ignored them and continued her crawl through the ventilation shafts. It took her several minutes, but she eventually found the exit she was looking for. She blasted the metal grate off the airduct, which brought her to the garden where the Mossmen were being kept. Leif knew it would take her friends a long time to figure out where she was, so she had some time.
Leif approached one of the sleeping Mossmen, one that had two branches growing out of its head that had many leaves and flowers growing from it. She used the Frobot arm to blast away its collar and chains, granting the creature freedom. She then hopped onto the Mossman's back.
"C'mon girl, let's get out of here," said Leif.
The moss creature understood her and readied itself for departure. Leif pointed the Frobot arm at the wall ahead of them, she had the arm charge up its remaining energy and fired a large laser blast at the wall, destroying that portion of the wall and creating a big enough hole for the two of them to escape through. The Mossman immediately ran and jumped out of the hole. The creature summoned vines and roots from its arms and body to swing from rooftop to rooftop. Once they were past the city wall, the Mossman broke out into a sprint and ran across the fields with Leif still clinging to its back.
"LEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!"
Even above the thunder and pelting rain, Leif could hear the hurt voice of her friend. Calling out to her with anger and a sense of deep hurt from her betrayal, but she had to do it, even if he would never forgive her for what she did, at least he would be alive and have a future.
"We must find the olms, they'll know what to do…" Leif spared one more glance at Newtopia, the city that was her home, the city where she met her two best friends, and the city where she fell in love with the Prince of Amphibia. A place she could never return to for the rest of her life. "I'm sorry…'Drias. I'm so sorry…"
It took a few days, but Leif managed to find the entrance to the olm kingdom. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince the olms to help her, but she hoped that they would at least understand the urgency of her visit with the music box in her position. Leif and the Mossman entered the cave before them, they walked down it for about a mile, but the Mossman stopped when it felt something coming.
"What is it girl?" Leif asked.
The Mossman grew some flowers on its body that released enough light to illuminate the cave, and that's when Leif gasped, spotting two olms clad in armor and wielding spears, which were now pointed right at her.
"Who goes there?!" one of the olms demanded.
The second olm sniffed the air and said, "Smells like a frog and…" he took another sniff, "a pile of living moss?"
"Please, I must speak with the leader of the olms! It's an emergency!" Leif pleaded.
"HA! Parisia won't see the likes of you, surface dweller."
"Get out of here, before we make you regret ever coming into our territory!"
"I don't seek an audience with Parisia, I wish to speak with the great leader of the olms, the wisest and oldest olm, Mother Olm!"
The two guards' eyes widened upon hearing the name of their most revered olm, and immediately brought their spears closer to Leif and the Mossman.
"What business could you have with Mother Olm?!"
Leif reached behind her and undid the makeshift satchel that she carried the music box in. She raised it into the air and said, "I have taken the music box that possess the three sacred gemstones. I am officially branded a traitor by my people, and all because I was granted a vision by the gems. A vision that I must speak to Mother Olm about, or else Amphibia might be doomed."
The two guards glanced at each other for a moment, they could definitely feel something off inside the cave, the gems gave off a unique aura and scent, and the two guards could smell that the frog had something with her that was not supposed to be in her possession.
"…Let's take her to Parisia first," said the guard.
"What?! You believe her?" the other guard asked.
"It's not a question of if I believe her, it's a question of can we afford not to believe her?"
The other guard made a face that let Leif know that he was worried as well. After a moment, the other guard nodded and the two motioned for Leif and the Mossman to follow them. Together they descended down the long winding tunnels to the olms' city of Proteus. It was there that the guards brought Leif before Parisia, and after a heated back and forth, and then the presenting of the music box, Leif was officially granted an audience with Mother Olm. Once in the great chamber of the eldest olm, the gong was rung, and Leif watched as an olm larger than any of the others arose from the chasm below and looked down upon her.
"O-Oh great Mother Olm, I have traveled far and…sacrificed much…to come and seek your wisdom," said Leif as she bowed before her.
"OH, HONEY, PLEASE. DON'T GO THROUGH ALL THAT. HMM…" Mother Olm lowered her head closer to Leif, using her frills as tendrils to touch around the frog girl and the music box in her hands. "IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?"
"It is, Mother Olm. It is the music box that my people have been using to invade other worlds, and plunder their resources," Leif answered.
"HMM…I SENSE A SWIRLING OF EMOTIONS WITHIN YOU, CHILD. I'M GUESSING YOU'RE NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN YOU SAY YOU SACRIFICED MUCH," said Mother Olm.
"No, I am not. I…I betrayed two of my friends, one of which I cared for deeply. I have no doubt brought great hardship on him for my actions and will forevermore be a curse upon his tongue. But I had to do this, if not, then Amphibia would be destroyed by the heavens above," Leif explained.
Mother Olm narrowed her gaze at the young frog and asked, "TELL ME, CHILD, WHAT DID YOU SEE? WHAT VISION DID THE STONES BESTOW UPON YOU?"
Leif told Mother Olm of her visions, of the ravaged land of Amphibia, of the flying castle, the three great warriors, and the moon falling from the heavens to annihilate their world for their transgressions upon the multiverse.
"Mother Olm, I have thrown away everything to prevent this future from coming to pass. Please, tell me that I didn't betray my friends and homeland for nothing more than a simple nightmare?"
Mother Olm went silent for a moment, but then said, "I WILL TELL YOU OF THE GREAT PROPHECY THAT WAS GRANTED TO ME WHEN THE STONES WERE FIRST USED TO CREATE THAT MUSIC BOX OF YOURS."
Suddenly, Mother Olm's frills, dorsal fin, and eyes began to glow. Several flowers and mushrooms also began to glow and release a sparkling radiance as the eldest olm spoke of the prophecy.
"THREE STARS BURNING BRIGHT…
COME FROME BEYOND TO EXPEL THE NIGHT.
SHOULD THEY FIGHT OR EMBRACE THE FALL…
THEIR CHOICE WILL DETERMINE THE FATE OF ALL…"
"What…? You mean…My vision was true?!" Leif asked.
"YES, YOUNG ONE, IF THE STONES GRANTED YOU SUCH A VISION, THEN IT IS TRUE. AS HARD AS IT WAS FOR YOU, YOU DID THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR WORLD," said Mother Olm.
Leif looked at the music box, she was glad that it wasn't a mistake to take the music box, that what she did was not in vain.
"But if this is all true, then the music can't stay in Amphibia. Otherwise…"
"THEN, YOU MUST TAKE IT BEYOND AMPHIBIA. OUT OF REACH FROM EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD."
Leif looked up at Mother Olm as she asked, "You mean…take it to another world where no one can use it, not even that world?" A thought just occurred to Leif. "Wait, I think I know where it can be taken. There was a world that Andrias told us about, it was called 'Earth'. It was supposed to be the next world to be invaded, but they're a medieval world, so they wouldn't have the technological or ability to make use of the music box, and without any knowledge of the box, they wouldn't know how to use the stones."
Mother Olm nodded as she said, "I CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO USE IT TO TAKE YOU TO THAT WORLD."
"But will it really prevent that future from coming to pass?" Leif asked.
"I CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN, CHILD. AT BEST, WE DELAY THE INEVITABLE, AT WORST, WE BRING IT ABOUT FASTER. THE FUTURE IS NOT ALWAYS SET IN STONE, IT IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND SHIFTING. YOU ONLY SAW A POSSIBLE END RESULT IF AMPHIBIA CONTINUES TO GO DOWN THE PATH IT'S CURRENTLY ON. ARE YOU PREPARED FOR WHAT IS TO COME AFTER THE BOX IS TRULY TAKEN AWAY FROM THIS WORLD?" Mother Olm inquired.
Leif looked at the box once more, furrowed her brow, and nodded her head.
"Show me how to go to Earth. And if the three stars you speak of are on this world, I will leave them a message to seek you out."
(DAYS LATER…)
Despite a massive search for the music box, all efforts to locate it had failed. At first, they were going to track the box via its unique energy signature, however, not too long ago, that signature spiked and then vanished. The Newtopian army, along with Andrias, searched high and low for the music box, but they could no longer find its energy signature. After several days, the search was called off as the council was called into the throne room, where Andrias stood before his father as the king readied to address his subjects.
"The worst has come to pass…The box has left this world, and with it, our legacy…" King Aldrich lamented.
Andrias clasped his hands as if to pray for forgiveness and declared, "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to right this wrong!"
King Aldrich sneered at his son in disappointment as he replied, "There isn't anything you can do, son. Our way of live is ruined, thanks to you."
Andrias winced, but it wasn't as if he had any right to argue otherwise.
Just then, the glowing eye appeared in the middle of King Aldrich's crown as the whispers of The Core started to echo in his mind. After a minute, King Aldrich nodded his head in understanding.
"I see. According to the olm prophecy, the box will return to Amphibia," said King Aldrich.
The crowd murmured with excitement and relief from hearing this, and Andrias was overjoyed to hear that this blunder of his could be rectified.
"However…When and how it will return is impossible to calculate. So, unfortunately, we must wait. We will bury and preserve our glorious civilization until our birthright has returned to us. And only then can you begin to redeem yourself."
When the meeting was over, Andrias stormed into his room with Barrel following close behind. He was fuming, angry, no, furious about everything that had happened. He trusted Leif, he loved Leif, and what did she do? She betrayed him and made him look like a fool before his father. Not only that, but she doomed their civilization, without the resources taken from other worlds, they could no longer sustain the technological advancements they have created.
Newtopia's technology would have to be cut down, the robotic armies dismantled to be used for their parts. The factories would have to be shut down, so many things would change now and all because of Leif's actions.
"THAT SLIPPERY LITTLE FROG RUINED EVERYTHING!" Andrias yelled. "Her and her kind will need to be kept in line."
Andrias ire was now turned to his other "friend" as he approached the toad and looked down upon him. For the first time in years, Barrel was made to feel small before his friend, both literally and figuratively.
"And as for you, Barrel. You failed me as well."
"W-What? How did I fail you?" Barrel asked.
"You let Leif get away when you had the chance to stop her. You should've done as you were told. You're a toad! Your only duty is to follow the orders of Amphibia royalty! Not to think or get sidetracked!" Andrias took a calming breath, but the amount of anger was not lost in his voice. "I've having you reassigned. You will travel to the outskirts and defend villages."
"For…how long?" Barrel asked.
"Until I say otherwise. Now, get out of my sight," he ordered.
Barrel let a couple of tears fall from his eyes, but nonetheless saluted the prince, his former friend, and said, "Your Highness." He left the room to begin packing for his long, and undoubtedly, lengthy stay in the outskirts.
Once Barrel was gone, Andrias turned his attention to the portrait, it was as if it was mocking him, telling him he was a fool for ever trusting someone. With rage in his heart, the young prince slashed the portrait with his claws, creating three jagged marks in it.
Time would pass in Amphibia, months at first, then years, all the while, things were changing all around Andrias. The once vibrant and glowing city of Newtopia lost its glow, becoming a shell of its former self. And as his father had said, his time to join The Core came with Aldrich's passing, and his mind uploaded into the mechanical entity. Andrias became King Andrias, and although now the new king, there were still some among the court that were not pleased about his appointment to the throne, mostly due to his blunder.
Upon his ascension to the throne, Andrias decided to make sure that all the different races of Amphibia knew their place. The newts would retain the wealth and superiority of knowledge and innovation, the toads would be the enforcers of the crown, their soldiers. And the frogs, well, they would be made remain in poverty, and remain in poverty as much as possible, with the toads collecting the taxes from them to ensure that would come to pass. A fitting punishment for what one of their own had done.
You brought this on them, Leif. No matter where you are now, you will know that you are responsible for all of this.
Time continued to pass as Andrias continued his rule, and his laws and practices were enforced upon the populace of Amphibia. His heart had grown bitter and filled with anger over his mistake, and the decline of Newtopia and Amphibia's technology overall. It would not be long before all of it would be rendered unusable, but fortunately Andrias was able to consolidate the majority of it within the castle, in order to keep The Core alive, and for the use of other creations.
"Sire!"
Andrias looked up from his notes, his beard had grown long, and he had formed a scowl that was reminiscent of his father. The young king looked down at the newt messenger and asked, "What is it that you want?"
"Um, your Highness, I have a message from the outskirts," she said.
"What? Has that fool, Barrel, sent you to beg for me to allow him back in Newtopia?" he assumed.
"Uh…no, you Majesty. I've come to inform you that Barrel…has fallen in battle."
Andrias stopped his note reading and looked up at the messenger with confusion.
"What did you say?"
"Barrel, now regarded as Barrel the Brave, has died defending a village from a great beast. The villagers, as well as several of the villages that Barrel defended, are requesting that he be enshrined in the Tomb of Legends, sire. Sire?"
Andrias had gone silent for a moment and then he uttered, "Leave me."
The messenger didn't argue as she exited the throne room and left Andrias alone.
For some reason, his heart ached. He didn't think Barrel would meet his end out there…but he did. He had sent Barrel out there in a fit of spite, and in the process, ended up indirectly killing him.
"Barrel…"
Just then, a tear fell from his eye, which surprised even him. He had lost the chance to at least try and make amends with him, and it was by his command that it was done. Andrias looked out the window, his thoughts turning to another.
"Are you living in regret, or are you living a fulfilling life? Or are you dead? I guess, I'll never know for sure…"
(PRESENT…)
Andrias stood before the fireplace, watching his old, commissioned portrait burning in its flames. To his right was Darcy, who was hooked up to a portable terminal as the optimization process was underway. A thousand years of living with this shame, a thousand years of waiting for the day he could atone for his past sins, and now, the time was finally upon them. And yet, why did it feel so hollow?
The computer beeped, signaling the optimization process was complete. The King of Amphibia sighed heavily. It was useless to dwell on this feeling, all that mattered was that he finally made up for his mistakes, there was no turning back now. Not after all he had done, all the pain he caused, the lives lost and taken, this was all there was now, his duty, his atonement. Andrias walked up to the terminal and unplugged the terminal from Darcy. Upon doing so, the hivemind/amalgamated personality rebooted, and returned to a waking state.
"Alright! You did it! Gold star for you, bud!" Darcy jumped out of the big chair in Andrias' room and stood before him as she asked, "Now that that's done. Who's ready to finally start invading Earth?"
"Ready? After a thousand years I've thought of nothing else."
Darcy smiled, but when she spoke, it was not in her voice, but rather someone else that Andrias knew all too well.
"Why, son, I think I'm almost proud of you."
(CENTURIES AGO…)
An old frog woman sat alone in her room as she wrote onto a blank piece of paper. Although writing with a quill pen, no words appeared on the paper, but she kept writing anyway. It had been many, many years, and she knew her time in this world was coming to an end. Despite that, she could not go, not before writing down her final words, thoughts, and feelings onto this note.
She had no intention of sending it to that person, not because she didn't want to. But because she feared what might happen to her family if the feelings of that person were still the same as they were decades ago. But she hoped beyond all hope that someday this note would reach the person she loved.
Once she was done, she placed the letter in an envelope, and placed a wax seal upon it.
"Grandma Lily! I wanna play!" someone called out.
"Heh, heh, I'm comin' youngster, Imma comin'."
Grandma Lily left her room, shutting the door behind her as the letter remained on her desk.
A/N: Just letting everyone know, since we're moving into ENDGAME with the Amphibia episodes, I'm going to be solely focusing on this fic in order to finish it out. So, until then, Witch is on hiatus so I can focus on this one.
The "All In" and "The Hardest Thing" episodes are going to be crazy~