Tides of Darkness

Two months have passed since the humans' arrival in Amphibia.

The fertile land of Frog Valley is in full revolt against the tyrannic rule of Toads. The former oppressors fled to Toad Tower, calling for the intervention of the Toad Army and its commander, Captain Grime. In order to rebuild his army and restore order among its ranks, Grime accepted the assistance of an mysterious ally of human nature, Prince Aiden.

Eager to suppress the rebellion in blood, the Toads have marched through swamps and wilderness to Wartwood, the epicenter of the rebellion and where the six humans took refuge.

With the help of their friend and allies, the Humans make haste to prepare for the attack. While Marcy's ballista are loaded, the Militia arms itself with steel and mail taken from the Plantar's armory.

Now, united in arms against the common threat, the humans stand at the crossroad of destiny and await the coming… of the Tides of Darkness.

The news that the Toad Army was advancing on Wartwood quickly spread among its population, carried by people (mostly Wally) running around and yelling about the Toads marching on the horizon. Hearing the alarms and seeing the burning torches of the enemy's soldiers from afar, many frogs fell into panic and attempted to hide in their houses, bringing their families with them. Some of them were old enough to remember the last time the Toads had 'sacked' Wartwood, in response to late tithes: the only reason why they were still there today was because they hid when the Toads attacked and were not discovered until they left.

Yet, this time Wartwood was neither defenseless nor left to fend for itself. While children and the elderly hurried to find shelter, the Wartwood Militia, made of all able-bodied frogs and volunteers who were willing to stand up and fight for their freedom, quickly organized to man the defenses and prepare to repel the invaders.

"Sasha," Anne said, both girls having ditched their party gowns for their armor, "How bad is it?"

"Very bad," The blonde girl said, as she kept watching over the Toad soldiers gathering at the entrance of the town, "I can see at least a hundred Toads, all in armor, and I seriously doubt that's all of them!"

"At least they do not appear to have siege engines with them," James quipped, "Looks like they weren't expecting to find defenses."

"Guys!" a voice called out, the three humans turning around to see Jacob, Amelia, and Marcy rushing toward them, all wearing their armor and wielding their chosen weapons, "Did we miss the beginning of the fight?"

"It hasn't even started yet!" Sasha hurried to reply, hungry for information too. "Where are Felicia and the others? And Toadstool?"

"Our esteemed Mayor ran back to the city hollow when he heard the Toads were here," Marcy replied, still feeling a little sad about the fact. Yet, she knew that just because the mayor was now more accepting of them it didn't automatically turn him into a lionheart. "As for Felicia…she went back to get her armor and weapons. She said that she'll bring all available reinforcements she will be able to gather… and that she loves you, so you'd better not let yourself get hurt until she returns."

"I brought news of Wartilda, from the watchtower," Amelia nodded, "it appears the Toads are concentrating in front of the main entrance, where our strongest defenses are located. I suppose this is good news after all?"

"I…suppose you can say that?" Anne replied, unsure of the implications, "At least we don't have to worry about them attempting to pincer us."

"Don't let these early advantages blind you," Sasha admonished them, the fear in her mind turning into dread. "Militia or not, the frogs with us are not professional soldiers. But the Toads are…"

(…)

"Frog, this is not what we were expecting at all!" Braddock muttered, looking over the defenses surrounding Wartwood. She too, like Percy and the others, were beaten: the long march through flooded areas and wilderness, with no chance to stop and rest. Nerves were on edge for fear of falling victim to a mantis or other predator, which had taken a heavy toll on Toad Tower's soldiers. Many soldiers had been injured or lost on the long march. And even those who, like her and Percy, had been lucky enough to survive unscathed were in no condition to fight, their muscles and feet aching, their minds clouded, wishing only that they could stop and rest for even a couple of hours.

But no one was going to say anything. They knew the consequences of making their discontent known to Captain Grime and his Lieutenant.

"Why must we do this, Braddock?" Percy sighed, his face filled with sorrow, "I didn't want to be a soldier, I wanted to be a jester and play music, to bring fun and happiness rather than grief and sadness! And ever since the captain took that… 'creature' as his Lieutenant" he gave a quick glance to the 'hummus' in black armor, "things have kept getting worse and worse! I hate this job, but I can't even leave itanymore! And now we're going to attack a whole town: I didn't join to hurt defenseless women and children."

"I know, me neither." The female Toad said, as she looked over to their fellow comrades, until her eyes met Bog's. The large warrior, once one of Toad Tower's best soldiers, was now a shadow of his former self, his broken jaw barely able to emit grunts now. What's worse, ever since the day of 'that' incident, he had now lost even the last shred of respect that the captain had for him and utterly screwed up their plans to expose the Lieutenant's wickedness to him.

No matter what they would have said, the captain would've never believed them now, with the Lieutenant filling his ears with lies and keeping him detached and separated from his own soldiers.

How could all of this happen, Braddock thought with sourness, how could their plan fall apart before they could even start it?

She didn't notice Aiden noticing her look and the glance she exchanged with Bog, the human smiling under his helm with a psychotic smirk…

(…)

"Huh, it has been a long time since I last wore armor," Felicia mused for a moment, glancing over her new armor, made with the remains of the Island Crab they faced that day: she almost forgot the feeling of wearing armor.

Almost.

"Mom, are you ready?" Ivy hurried, just outside of her room, "Grandma said she's ready to go, whenever you are!"

"I'm coming, I'm not missing the battle," Felicia replied, grabbing her longtime adventurer sword, and walking toward the door. As soon she opened it, she saw Ivy standing right in front of it, her daughter wearing the skirt and items she had gifted to her during their new regime: shoulder guards, reinforced sabatons, a collar to protect her neck…Ivy had learned so much in the last two months, yet she wasn't going to spring into action without no defense whatsoever.

Children were not supposed to fight in war, after all.

"Wow." Ivy gasped, seeing her mom in armor for the first time, and realizing how close she resembled the figures in her books, "You- you look exactly like-"

"Come on, Ivy. Weren't you hoping to tell everyone you were the daughter of a legendary adventurer, someday? I'd say today is the ideal opportunity."

"What? I mean, yes of course, but-"

"Don't stutter." Felicia chuckled, a part of her pleased by Ivy's reaction, "You're the daughter of Felis the Red, act like it."

As they walked out of the door, ready to regroup with Sylvia and head toward the town's entrance to join the fight against the toads, both mother and daughter were confused when they saw that Sylvia was not alone. Rather, someone was holding onto her, and trying to pull her somewhere else.

"Let's move, Sylvia!" Monroe said, apparently not realizing that the green frog didn't like that he was trying to pull her, and was actively resisting it, "I already packed everything at my home. Just get your own things ready, and then we're out of here!"

"Out of here?!" She replied, unmoving no matter how much Monroe tried to push her, "No way, Monroe! This is my home, my family and all the frogs I know live here! This is why my family and I are going to help Sasha and the others protect it! Shouldn't you help in the battle to protect our Wartwood as well?" She glared at him with an inquisitive look. She knew what he was planning to do, and yet, she didn't dare to say it out loud. Maybe because, in her heart, she wished for him to see the errors in his ways.

"Wartwood is done for!" Monroe replied like it was common knowledge. "If those idiots want to play hero and die facing Grime, then let them rot! But we're smarter, we don't have to be here when the Toads break through. Moreover, this was just a mud hole of a town anyway: we will be better off anywhere else we go. Come on, we need to-"

SLAP! Monroe suddenly stopped, as Sylvia slapped him on his cheek, the pain on his face (and the shock from it) making him lose his grip on her and fall to the ground, Sylvia towering over him with a furious expression.

"S-Sylvia, what are you-"

"Don't 'Sylvia' me, you cowardly son of a yellow slug!" The old frog replied, as Felicia and Ivy moved to her sides, "The way you kept on belittling Hoppy and my granddaughter at every occasion was bad enough, but this? Are you ready to bolt and run, to abandon everyone you know, without even attempting to help them? You want to live the rest of your life as a selfish, self-serving, coward?! Fine, but don't you even dare to drag me into your cowardice! I plan to stay, fight, and live together with my family!"

"What?!" Monroe gasped, clearly not expecting such a response, "Sylvia dear, you can't be serious! Are you willing to let yourself be killed?!"

"No, we're willing to stand up and fight, just like everyone is doing! Everyone but you!" Ivy yelled, putting herself between him and her grandma, "A scaredy caterpillar like you doesn't have the right to tell her what's best!"

"I-I…"

"If you're planning to leave, you should do it now, Mr. Monroe," Felicia interjected, her scolding gaze a clear copy of her mother's. "The battle's about to begin, and it won't be long before people notice your absence. But, let me be clear: if you're leaving Wartwood…you're leaving for good. No matter what, you're never going to be welcomed in my teashop ever again, and neither will you anywhere else, in this town!"

Monroe snickered, before turning away "Do you really think all that work you've done is going to change anything? The Toad Army will get through easily!"

"Maybe," Sylvia said, spoking at him one last time, "but sure as frog I'm not going to kneel anymore. As for you, Monroe, I know we had our ups and downs, but I never thought you would do something so petty and prickly! Hoppy would've never thought of running away and abandoning everyone else."

Monroe, as Sylvia once again pronounced the nickname, she had for Hopediah, couldn't help but grimace, as he rushed away, his mind drifting to find the best path to leave the city while avoiding the Toads, the Sundew frogs watching him before quickly moving to reach the others."

(…)

"Ok, it's time to share our defense strategy." Sasha said, showing a map of Wartwood and its defenses, "As you can see, the Toads are all concentrating on this area, right in front of our main gate and the bridge. Jacob, how's our gunpowder situation?"

"We don't have much, but we have more than enough for our needs," The boy replied with a smirk, "I already prepared a detonation charge and placed it under the bridge: on command, we can blow it up, preventing the toads from ever using it."

"Would that be enough, still?" Hop Pop murmured, still disoriented about the whole situation, "What if they can go through? It's not a big river, after all."

"If they were here for friendly reasons, sure." Sasha said, before her smile turned into a full smirk, "But they can't jump or swim in heavy armor, even worse if they have any of those giant spiders as cavalry."

"And even if that cavalry of theirs could pass beyond, we have additional defenses for those!" James nodded, "Jacob, Marcy, Maddie, how's your supply of explosives and magic spells?"

"We have more than enough to go wild!" Maddie said.

"Very well. Your main objective is to stop their spider cavalry, should they use it, as well as act as a rapid-deployment force whenever you're needed. To better organize our available manpower, we've already divided the defense area into four areas: each area will have defenders assigned to it, and if the Toads come close to breaking through, you'll receive support."

"Soggy Joe!" Jacob turned to face the survivalist frog, "You, Mrs. Croaker and Loggle go with the Third Squad, take position here, near to the forest. You know all those crazy nature tricks, and this is the best area to deploy them!"

"I won't fail your trust, kid!"

"What about us?" Polly asked, waiting near Sprig.

Amelia turned to face them, "You're going with me and Akitsu. We play close ground support: attack the Toads from above with your slingshots and other ways. And this means…Plan PFA-3."

"PFA?!" Polly and the Flour triplets gasped at once. "Our time has come!"

"I'm taking charge of Second Squad," James said, exchanging a glance with Mrs. Croaker. "Our main focus is to diverge as many Toad soldiers as we can from the group defending the main gate and, if possible, organize a counterattack to bring them relief should the pressure become too much."

"But, wait!" Loggle pointed out, "Then, who'll take charge of leading the resistance in the main area?" He looked at the humans, "No offense, but if you go on the offense, there is no one left to organize us to hold the line."

"I'll take care of that!" Felicia announced, walking in that moment with Ivy and Sylvia in tow. As they saw the usually mild teashop owner walk among them dressed in full armor, many frogs of Wartwood gasped, their eyes widening, a couple of them talking to each other in whispers.

"Felicia!" Sasha gasped, seeing what her employer and adoptive mom was wearing, realizing that she might as well throw her secret out of a window. "You…that armor…"

"Hey, were you expecting me to stay back and watch while my adoptive daughter lead the battle to protect us against those Toads?" Felicia said with a smirk, "They will respect nothing but strength, but I'm sure they will think twice before crossing swords with Felis the Red."

"Felis the Red?!" Sprig gasped, Hop Pop took a step back and several other Wartwood's inhabitants widened their eyes in shock. "You-you mean the legendary adventurer?"

"Felicia!" Now this one was Farine, the baker frog gasping alongside all his daughters, "You mean that all this time…?"

"Hey, didn't you ever wonder how I gathered all my porcelains?"

"Guys!" Mrs. Croaker said from the watchtower, pointing in the direction of the Toads, "Something's happening! A small detachment of toads is moving toward the entrance. Too small for it to be an attack!"

"A small detachment?!" Anne asked, "What could this mean?"

"If I have any guesses," Felicia pondered about it, "I'll say the toads are willing to parley…"

"Frogs of Wartwood!" Grime shouted at full lungs, toward the large gate and the two small towers standing between him and the rebel frogs he was here to subjugate, "I am Captain Grime, commander of Toad Tower, and we have come here to stop your rebellion! Send an emissary to discuss your terms of surrender or be ready to face the full might of my Army!"

"Ga-guh-gremh-"

"Bog, I am not interested in what you want to say, even if you could still speak!" Grime glared at him, wondering what he could have seen in this fool, "The Lieutenant was too generous when he convinced me to let you stay in our ranks, so shut the frog off and don't push me to reconsider that!"

…next time you try to mess with me, I'll squeeze you till you pop, the cruel memory of Aiden's voice played in Bog's mind. And now the captain hated him, while that vile beast stole the place that should have been rightfully his. Why wouldn't he believe him when he was telling the truth?

The town's gate opened with a slight creak, and three figures walked out, heading toward them. The one to the left was a yellow frog dressed in armor, with long red hair, but the other two…

I guess that confirms it, Grime bitterly thought, as he saw two tall, gangly creatures wearing armor, one of them with yellow fur like his new Lieutenant, the other having messy auburn fur resembling a shrub. Those creatures were behind the insurrections among the Valley.

"You're commander Grime, I suppose." The one in the middle, the creature with yellow fur, said glancing over at him. "Somewhat, I was expecting someone…taller."

"And I was expecting to see with my own eyes the strange creatures with huge heads, bumps on their face and long, spindly limbs that the rumors said were living in the Valley for the last few months." Grime replied, earning a scolding expression from all the three of them. "You're even freakier than I ever dared to imagine."

"Why you-"

"Anne!" The blonde one stopped her friend, before turning to face Grime "My name is Sasha Waybright, current commander of the Wartwood Militia, and this is my friend, Anne Boonchuy. We're here because we believed you wanted to have a negotiation."

"Indeed, we're here because we heard about the rebellion that was sweeping through the Valley. Frogs refusing to obey orders from Toads, stepping out of the line, refusing to pay the money they owed in taxes and even assaulting the troops that I had sent, to collect them and investigate the rumors."

"Oh, I guess they did tell you this." Sasha said, as she and Anne gave Bog a glare full of animosity. "Yet, I believe they didn't tell you the full, unblemished truth."

"Your subordinates," Anne continued, looking over Bog, "tried to arrest the local family that gave us shelter, making up some trump-up charges along the way, and accused him of leading a rebellion, even if up to that time, there was no rebellion to begin with. Plus, the issue with the tax money was because the mayor was apparently embezzling the town funds all for himself, a fact that apparently you didn't know about!"

"You're right, I didn't," Grime gave yet another furious look at Bog, the other Toad unable to claim his innocence. It was then that the humans noticed that the Toad's mouth was broken, the sight of the jaw wired with blatantly shady work making them shiver. Sure, they did remember Bog's past actions and yet… there was something in such a vision that made them feel sorry for him.

"Moreover, the so-called rebellion you came here to suppress isn't even a rebellion in the first place," the red-haired frog spoke for the first time, catching Grime's attention. "Simply, the people of Wartwood were fearful, and thus they created a militia, both in the event of your return, and to protect our town from the large bugs and creatures that roam in the wild."

"You know, what was supposed to be your job." Sasha didn't hesitate to point out, to Grime's annoyance.

"And what about you?" The Captain Toad replied, pointing his finger at the frog, "Who are you, to question the way we manage our work?"

"My name is Felicia, but I am more known by my adventurer's name of Felis the Red," the frog said with a smirk, as both Grime and Bog's eyes widened as they heard yet another legendary name. "I wasn't planning to dust off my armor and sword this soon, but I will, to protect this city."

"You're going to fight us?!" Grime almost shuttered. "Do you admit it?!"

"There is no need to fight!" Anne hurried to say, "You said you came here to prevent a rebellion, didn't you? But, if there is no rebellion to begin with, then your presence here is superfluous! The Militia's aim was to protect the town from the wildlife, not from you!"

Do you realize you already admitted that you were in rebellion? Grime thought as he struggled not to show his emotions.

"And for the whole issue of the taxes, we are ready to pay them once again," Felicia nodded. "In fact, if we could-"

"That won't be enough," Grime sniped back, "It's not just Wartwood, it's the whole Valley that's been rejecting our rule. You have been making our lives quite difficult as of late, and we know the cause for all of this is here in Wartwood." Grime took out a piece of paper, still rolled up. "According to the news we have heard, everything started due to some frog living here that has been hailed as some kind of hero by the locals. Someone who had the guts to stand up to its local Toad mayor, rallied the populace against Toad rule, even grew his own batch of vegetable monsters to unleash them against our troops!"

Sasha and Anne's eyes widened, quickly imitated by Felicia's, as they exchanged a quick glance. Grime couldn't possibly be talking about him, was he?

Their fear turned to horror as Grime unrolled his paper, showing it to be an image of Hop Pop with a defying look, colored in red and blue, the words 'Freedom Frog' over it.

"If you want us to spare your town, you will hand us this stinky rebel, so that he can be made an example of what happens to those who dare to defy Toad's rule!"

"Wha- Hop Pop is not a revolutionary!" Anne shouted back, unable to hold her emotions, "He's just an old farmer, trying to do his best for his grandchildren. The same frog that took us in when we first arrived in Wartwood!"

"Yeah, he is not a rebel!" Sasha went on to assist her, still hoping her silver tongue would get them out of this situation, "He never called for a rebellion against the Toads, not even once. Frogs of Wartwood call him 'hero' because he paid the taxes for everyone, but he did that because he didn't want a rebellion in the first place. And on every other occasion, he did his best to discourage anyone who even suggested it."

"They're right, Hopediah Plantar is just a farmer who got a lucky streak after so much time making dead ends." Felicia joined, "He wouldn't even think about rebelling in the first place. The rumors you've heard are indubitably exaggerated."

"That doesn't matter!" Grime insisted, remembering the lesson about leadership his Lieutenant had given him, of never compromising. "Hero or fool of the town, many frogs actively reject our rule because of him! For this reason, he will be executed for his crimes against Toad Tower and Newtopia." Grime stopped, the two creatures gasping as they heard the 'execution' bit, "And you will hand him to us."

"Well, that's not going to happen!" Anne said, challenging him head-on, "We were willing to negotiate, if this was only about tax money, but we're not going to hand you an innocent frog, who did nothing to deserve being executed!"

"What?"

"You heard her!" Sasha suddenly snapped, putting herself between Anne and Grime, "Look, Grimesy," she looked at him, the Toad suddenly weirded out by that spur-of-the-moment nickname, "Hop Pop may be a horrible cook and a lame actor. He may like enforcing pointless rules out of needless paranoia, and I think I am still far from forgiving him for having attempted to deceive us in the past. And yet, even I won't sell him out to you out of mere convenience. Pull your troops back, return to your Tower and leave the frogs living here alone! You are not attacking unarmed civilians this time, and if you dare to attack us, we will fight!"

Grime looked at the latter creature for a long time, impressed by her words and her attitude, by how strong her determination and personality was. Somehow, it reminded him of his past, of his glorious gladiator days, or rather, of someone he used to know during that time…

He shook his head vigorously. That person was long gone, and he wasn't going to fail again. Never again.

"Your pathetic defenses won't stop us!" Grime said, doing his best to pretend he believed that. "You, and not us, will be leading these fools into a massacre- Hand over the rebel, open your gates and surrender to the might of the Toad Army! This is not an offer you will receive ever again!"

"Good, I don't like to say no twice," Sasha nodded, Anne and Felicia moving back with her, quickly rejoining their friends and allies behind the wall, as Grime and Bog walked back to their campsite.

"Then we will bury you," The Toad captain murmured, as he watched his Lieutenant and his trusted 'subordinates' reaching toward them.

"Captain," the armor-clad creature said, "What did they say?"

"Looks like we're going to have to do it the hard way, after all." Grim sighed, sending another glance to the tall wall that they'd have to conquer now. If we had a battering ram, ladders or at least the time to build some…

"Sir!" the Lieutenant immediately suggested, "If you allow me, we should try to tire them out. Armed or not, I doubt those farmers got enough energy to fend off several attacks of battle-hardened toads. It doesn't matter if our troops end up worn out by the enemy defenses if the rebels are exhausted as well. Then, once the enemy is no longer in shape to resist us, we will launch yet another assault, break through their defenses and annihilate everyone opposing our rule."

"But then, if both they and us are worn out by the previous fight, how can we be sure we will manage to pull through in the end?"

"I will join the final assault, alongside my own guards," the Lieutenant pointed at his mooks, clad in heavy cloaks that helped hide their mechanical nature, "With your permission, allow me to skip the first assaults, to preserve my strength and our secret. I can promise you that nothing will be able to stop us, when we enter the battlefield."

"Here's a soldier who knows how to win a battle." Grime smiled, patting over the Lieutenant's pauldrons on his armor. "Very well, Lieutenant. You and I will join for the final assault. Bog? You're in the first attack."

"Whassa?" The Toad warrior gasped, as he realized his captain had just scapegoated him.

"If you do want to get back in my good graces," Grime continued, having guessed the other's thoughts, "You better draw as many enemy fighters as you can, and make them waste their strength. That is, if you're not too cowardly to do that."

Bog stiffened, hearing the unexpected insult, before walking away with a hateful glare, looking back at the captain he used to idolize…and his new Lieutenant, whose arrival announced the beginning of his ruin, a strong feeling of jealousy and bitterness spreading in his body.

"It's just…" Grime added, scratching his head, "I seriously hope you won't disappoint me as well, Lieutenant. The troops are tired and ailing, our supply situation is overstretched, and their morale is low. I don't want any more deserters."

"Be assured, Captain," The disguised human replied, "After today, you won't have to worry about this ever again." For you will be dead, and so will every soldier of this pathetic gang of goons that you call an army.

"Brr, was that a blast of cold air? I suddenly feel like I'm freezing here!"

"I guess it's the chill of the night, sir…"

(…)

"Say what?!" Hop Pop gasped, as Anne showed him the poster with his face labeling him as a rebel. "They're here for me?!"

"Afraid so," Sasha replied with brutal honesty, "Looks like all that 'hero of Wartwood' stuff ended up blowing out of proportions, and inspiring frog rebellions against Toads all over the Valley. Short story, it's just some dumb political nonsense."

"Well, it is a good-looking poster, though." The old farmer said almost with pride, before the reality of the situation finally sank onto him, "I'M GOING TO DIE!"

"We won't let them get you!" Sprig and Polly immediately declared, holding on to their loved grandparent, "No matter what, we will protect you till our last breath!"

"Yes, me too!" Anne joined in the protective hug, "Let them come, if they dare!"

"Kids, kids, I appreciate that, I really do." The old frog said, before sighing. "But…wouldn't it be better if I simply turn myself over to them? I mean, they did say that they're here for me, maybe they'll leave us alone after-"

"Don't you dare say such stupid nonsense, ever!" Sylvia grabbed Hop Pop and shook him as strongly as she could, "Nobody is going to turn themselves in, especially not you!"

"We have strong walls, powerful defenses and motivated defenders to protect our town!" Farine shouted, holding a large rolling pin in his hands, "If they plan to take you, they'll have to walk over my dead, cold body!"

"And mine!"

"And mine!"

"Don't worry, youngster. We won't let them get you!"

"Maddie and I have our spells and crossbow ready!" Marcy announced, showing the many bags of powerful enchantments and spells they two girls have prepared, ready to use.

"I have a hammer…for hitting Toads!" Jacob roared, his face and body movement clearly telling he was ready for battle."

"Let the dark scourges of the oppression besiege our town," Amelia nodded, some leaves moved by wind swirled around her, Marcy quickly drawing a sketch as Amelia resembled a real Japanese samurai, "for they will find nothing here, but the strength of our hearts, the might of our defenses, and the power of our courage! For tonight, we will…vanquish them!"

"Vanquish! Vanquish!" The Flour triplets, Polly and a couple of others chanted as one.

"But-but-"

"Face it, Hopediah," a voice called out, everyone turning to see Toadstool and Toadie rejoining them, "No one here will turn you to them. Especially when so many of us are tired of listening to their orders, and need catharsis."

"Toadstool!" James gasped, clearly not expecting to see him again so soon, "Weren't-weren't you…?"

"No, I wasn't hiding in the City Hollow, if that's what you were asking," the mayor chuckled as Toadie moved forward, carrying something covered with a cloth on his arms and gently placing it on the strategy table among them, before removing the cloth.

And as he did so, everyone in Wartwood (minus the humans, The Mayor and Toadie) gasped at the same time.

"W-what is this?" Anne asked, looking at the red helmet with a tail of dark green feathers, the symbol of Amphibia on its visor, two decorations resembling elven ears at its sides.

"This," Toadstool explained, "Is the Helmet of Authority, the most important relic in all Wartwood. Whenever the town is endangered by war, and we need to fight to preserve our lives, our freedom, and our land, we hand it to the person we entrust with organizing and coordinating our efforts, so everyone knows who's the leader."

"Cool…" Amelia said, Marcy and Jacob nodding as well. It was an object filled with authority, almost like an Imperial Sword: whoever held it, was conferred with unlimited power in the whole town to protect its citizens and defend them from any external aggression. Then, it dawned on them. If Toadstool decided it was time to dust it off, then it could only mean…

"Such Helmet cannot be used unless our town is in dire need of military leadership due to unforeseen or catastrophic circumstances," Toadstool continued, smirking as the humans slowly realized what his intentions were. "And a whole army of Toads besieging Wartwood, with the clear intent of executing its most famous citizen," he looked at Hop Pop, "and plundering our town can mostly be defined as catastrophic. For this reason, I, mayor Toadstool, current civilian leader of Wartwood, grant this Helmet to our new Military commander Sasha Waybright, already commander of the Wartwood Defense Militia!"

"Sasha!" Marcy gasped, her blonde friend shuttering as Toadstool placed the helmet in her hands, the other humans looking at her with amazement, pride (mostly Anne) and even a little jealousy (mostly Jacob). "That's so cool!"

"I…I don't know if I should have such an honor," Sasha replied, still feeling the dark shadows of her past haunting her, "I mean, why not ask Marcy, or Anne? Marcy's got one of the brightest minds I've ever known, and Anne was the one who saved the town from the herons!"

"But I'm not good at planning battle strategies!" Marcy cried, genuinely scared at the thought of such a task, before clarifying, "At least, not in real life…"

"And I may have superpowers, but they're too unreliable!" Anne pointed out, "Meanwhile, you're the best tactician among us. And I am quite sure you already know what to do."

Sasha stood there for a moment, smiling as she felt the warmth of this touching moment, her hands moving to the Helmet and wearing it on her head.

They were her friends. Her Family. The ones who loved her. And she wanted to protect them.

"Let's drive these bozos back!" Sasha announced, unsheathing her sword, as everyone around her cheered.

The Toads' first attack came a few minutes later. Their troops were divided into four large battalions, two of them attacked the main gate of the city and the defenses placed to defend it, while the other two made secondary attacks on other sections of the walls to block the defenders deployed there and prevent them from joining their allies defending the gate. The toads, despite their heavy armor, had no ranged weapons to target the walls and defenders, and their strategy consisted of little more than storming the walls (using their own spider cavalry, or ladders that some had dragged behind from Toad Tower) and then opening the city gates and allowing their comrades to invade.

Due to the defenders' preparedness, this strategy resulted in a total fiasco. As soon as the toad soldiers tried to cross the bridge that separated their campsite from Wartwood, Jacob detonated the charges he had previously hidden under the bridge and other strategic points, collapsing it, and preventing the toads from crossing the channel. There were no casualties among the attackers, but the psychological effect was considerable: many spiders were frightened by the explosions, and they bolted, dispersing into the surrounding forest, thus depriving the toads of any support. Not only that: when some toads still attempted to cross the waterway, the Wartwood defenders began to target them with heavy defensive crossbows, built to Marcy's design, leading to discouragement and rout.

The attack, nipped in the bud, was soon followed by another. This time the toads, having passed the canal with great difficulty, rushed forward and immediately reached the walls, engaged by the defenders. However, having no means to overcome the walls, the toads found themselves unable to break through, and subjected to a heavy bombardment, were again forced to retreat, their morale in tatters and discipline near collapse.

The third attack came a bit later, and this time, the attackers were better prepared for their task: new ladders were built using rope and the forest's wood, and while advancing, their troops defended each other from the furious bombardment of the defenders using hay bales as shields. Soon, ladders were placed on the walls and eager soldiers rushed on them, engaging the defenders…

(…)

"Shoo!" James yelled, kicking one of the ladders and pushing it (and the toads who were climbing on it) back to the ground, he and a handful of other defenders fiercely engaged by the Toads, the former attempting to close the breach while the latter tried to enlarge it. Soggy Joe was a fury, swirling around the battleground with two large clubs, while behind Loggle, a large crossbow in his arms, covered him.

"Hey-ho!" The survivalist frog yelled, pushing on the attack.

"James!" Mrs. Croaker warned him, hitting another toad with her baton and pushing him off of the wall, "Behind you!"

The human boy barely had the time to move aside before yet another Toad struck the spot where he was with his spear, James taking the chance to counterattack and punch the toad in his face, grabbing the spear and prying it, Archie quickly trapping the unfortunate toad in one of his cocoons.

The last thought James had, before focusing once again on the battle ongoing around him, was hope that Anne, Jacob, and the others were having an easier time than his.

(…)

"For Captain Grime! For Toad Tower!" One of the soldiers yelled, inciting his comrades. "Let's crush the rebels!"

"For our freedom!" A purple Wartwoodian frog with long green hair and wielding large scissors as a weapon replied, pushing back another assailant.

"I grow tulips!" Chuck nodded, hitting several assailants with his rake while covering his ally's flank.

"You!" One of the toads yelled, recognizing the local officer of the defenders, "You're that robber! The Thief!"

"I used to be." Tritonio replied, blocking the Toad's attacks with his sword, "But no, I am no longer. I found something worth fighting for, and I'm no more going to let you ruin it!" The newt lunged forward, quickly disarming the toad and forcing him to retreat, the former thief smiling as he did.

"You are taking a bit too much pleasure on this," Leatherleaf commented, without lowering his guard, "Did you have some bone to pick?"

"I guess you could say that, yes."

"Tritonio!" Another Wartwood militia member called out, pointing to their right. "The Toads are attempting to take us in a pincer move! They're bypassing our wall defenses and trying to get around us!"

"I knew this attack was only a distraction! Don't worry, I already foresaw that, and took the proper countermeasures."

"You did?" Leatherleaf asked with a confused expression.

A second later, the old sheriff realized what Tritonio meant, as they heard several screams, and then, many toad soldiers ran out of the wall and back to their camp, dropping their armors and weapons to run faster, Gunther in his transformed state running behind them with an aggressive expression.

"I guess that's a good way to distribute your resources…" The frog dared to smirk.

(…)

In front of Wartwood's main gates, the fastest and most direct way to the town's central plaza, it was the fiercest of the fighting, as the defenders had to face two battalions of enemy soldiers at once, with Bog in the frontline. The defenders knew that if the Toads had managed to break through the front gate, everything would be lost, and for this reason most of their most skilled fighters were gathered here.

And yet, even with most of their elite warriors (including the six humans) gathered to defend the town's entrance, they were barely able to hold their ground.

"So, not so brave now, huh?" Stumpy grinned, hitting the toads with his hammer hand, "You're good when it comes to terrorizing women and tadpoles, but you lose your courage when someone refuses to bow?"

"Come and get some!" Wally shouted, using his concertina to throw darts toward other Toads, giving his allies an opening to repel their offense.

"Die, frog rebel!" One toad tried to attack Farine, only for his attack to be stopped by the baker frog, who then used his rolling pin to whack him on the side.

"Hey, Farine!" Sylvia said in genuine admiration, sword-fighting (and winning) against another toad, "Good job!"

"It's been fifteen years since the last time I've had to fight against Toad soldiers." He replied, looking at the rolling pin on his hands, "Even so, they deserve a handicap."

Meanwhile, three other toads attacked Felicia, the kind and gentle teashop owner now having turned into a full-fledged warrior queen who fought with precision, hitting the weak spots in their armor to incapacitate their movements, moving constantly to give them no chance to hit her or taking respite, making two of them fall on each other and then pushing the last toad into one of their own ladders, making it fall to the ground with all the toads who were climbing on it.

Seeing that, Sasha felt pride growing in her chest. Maybe because now, more than ever, she could see Felicia as her new, surrogate mom.

"Sasha!" Anne yelled, hitting another toad with her tennis racket, "More Toads incoming! We can't hold like this! Where are Jacob and Amelia?!"

"They should join the fight, let's say…" the blonde girl looked upward, smirking as she did, "right now."

Anne looked in the same direction, and smiled as well when she saw the same thing her friends was pointing out: namely, the giant, white dragonfly dropping out of the sky and right in the middle of the enemy's' soldiers, some toads falling to the ground due to the air displacement caused by the large bug's wings, as battle music played out in the background.

Opening a breach among the attacking toads and allowing the rebels' own shock troopers to counterattack.

"VALHALLA!" Jacob jumped out of Akitsu's back, the boy holding his long Warhammer with both arms, covered from head to toe in his blue-clad armor.

"BANZAI!" His cousin and adoptive sister followed him, his face half-covered by the blue Oni mask she had commissioned a long time ago, wearing the samurai covering and her cone hat, her faithful sword Yamato in her hands, and she took a fighting stance.

"Pollywogs Fighting Squad, ready to attack!" Polly shouted, herself and the Flour triplets standing on the shoulders of the two humans.

Then, before the Toads could even react (or laugh, as some were tempted to do seeing defenseless young tadpoles challenging them) the group attacked. Jacob went directly toward Bog, hitting the large warriors on his side with his hammer, opening a path among the enemy troops as an unstoppable juggernaut, while Amelia moved toward the enemy's ladders, cutting them with her katana while the enemy Toads, frightened by her mask and her merciless efficiency (and the smokescreen created thank to some spells she had received from Marcy and Maddie), didn't even try to resist and ran, allowing her to continue her destructive work and giving the defenders a chance to clean the wall of the remaining Toads. All the while, Polly and the Flour triplets covered the two humans, hitting any toad who tried to attack them on their blind sides with fast, bouncing attacks on their face before retreating.

"Take this, you fat toads!" Sprig yelled, hitting them with his slingshot, Ivy leading Akitsu. "Take this! And this!"

The toad soldiers, already worn down and engaged by the sudden drop of enemy troops, didn't notice the gate of the city opening, until they heard a loud roar coming from behind it, Pepo charging among them, Maddie and Marcy throwing spells as they rode the giant vegetable, Anne and Sasha leading several soldiers of the Militia in the sortie.

"This is amazing!" Amelia chanted, as she kept driving the Toads back before rejoining her friends. "I'm so happy to be able to fight by your side!"

"You go that right, Amelia!" Marcy smirked, throwing another spell toward a group of enemy Toads, the spell turning into a sticky goo that trapped the toads where they stood. "Natural 20, babies!"

"Come on, guys!" Anne rushed, feeling her emotions running high, as her hair and eyes once again began to glow blue, letting loose the powers she had so painstakingly trained ever since she discovered them, the day the Herons attacked Wartwood. "This is our chance! Let's drive them back one last time, once and for all!"

"You heard that?!" Sasha nodded, pointing her sword at the still-standing, but clearly losing toad soldiers who were desperately trying to regroup, Bog among them. "Let's kick these bozos!"

(…)

"Captain," Aiden said, looking over the battlefield, where the main gate and walls were once again firmly in the hands of the defenders, and the rout of the toad army now appeared imminent. "The enemy is trying to push away our troops. I suggest this is the time to move."

"Indeed, it is," Grime murmured, unsheathing his sword. Even if it appeared as if the toads were losing, he had seen enough to notice that both sides were worn out by the harsh fighting, and the rebels were committing their last resources in a desperate effort to finish the battle. But now, he has his own aces to play.

"Follow me, Lieutenant. For now, everything will change!"

"Yes sir," Grime didn't even notice the tone of voice of his Lieutenant, "Now, everything will change…"

(…)

"Run, you cowards!" Polly shouted, as several more Toads took a step back "Run away, and never return!"

"Leave us alone!"

"We beat you! We beat the Toad Army. Now you must let us go!"

"You really think you've beaten us?" A dark voice suddenly replied, the frog silenced as they heard it, The Toads and Bog feeling their moral raising again as they saw their own Captain taking charge.

"Is…is that a newt?" James murmured, having arrived just before with the other defenders of the northern wall, as he glanced over the strange figure who was walking just behind Grime, clad in a black armor and with a long cowl covering his shoulders and back. His face was covered in a metal helmet, like the one Sasha was currently wearing, the visor lowered so he couldn't see its face, but it was tall, and stood among the Toads like he and his friends did with Wartwood's frogs. Not even Duckweed or Tritonio, their local newts, stood so much compared to frogs.

"Why would a newt accompany them?" Felicia asked with fear. The only place that came to her mind where this Newt could come from was Newtopia, and if he did come from there…did that mean the King already knew of what was happening in here? Did he send one of his officers to assist the Toads in crushing the rebellion?

"And what are those?!" Amelia pointed out at the two giant creatures, each holding a long pike in one hand, marching just behind them. As their gaze fell onto them, the Toads once again shouted with cheer, while the frogs took several step backs in fear. Was the victory they had fought so hard snatched out of their hand so soon? Or did they ever have a chance at all?

Seeing them, Anne's first thought was to use her powers once again, but before she could do so, her sore muscles warned her that doing so would probably strain her body beyond what was recommended for a teenager's health.

"It looks like our little strategy worked," Grims smiled evilly, taking his time to savor the fear on everyone's face before unleashing his Lieutenant's bodyguards on them, "You used everything you had, and you didn't keep anything to stop us from-"

The remaining words of his speech died in his throat, as he felt something cold pierce his back and through his shoulder, and the horrific shock of Frogs and Toads alike informed him that he had just been backstabbed, a long knife cutting him. He trembled as he turned around, and met with the helmet of his Lieutenant, standing just behind him, his hand pushing the knife that was currently slicing his flesh.

"You fool." The dark-clad creature said with unfiltered hate, Grime's eyes widening as he realized that he had been played, falling to the ground. Thankfully, the wound wasn't fatal (he had been hurt much worse in his gladiator's days), but it was deep, and his blood poured out of it, the Captain desperately trying to pack it as he laid on the ground, defenseless.

Seeing Captain Grime betrayed by his own supposed ally, many frogs let out expressions of shock, while on the opposite side, the Toads scattered with horrified expressions, too appalled by the unexpected event to react.

With one specific exception.

"Gheghoor!" Bog yelled, seeing his Captain fall to the ground, backstabbed by his own Lieutenant, the anger in his mind winning over his own fatigue, as the Toad soldier grabbed his hammer and attempted to attack it.

But before he could get close enough to hit him, one of his giant mooks blocked his path and then grabbed him by the skull, holding him with one hand and gazing at him with its constantly red, hate-filled stare.

"Remember what I promised you?" The Lieutenant cruelly mocked him, looking directly in Bog's eyes, the Toad desperately trying to get free, feeling the pressure on his skull. "Crush him."

As Bog kept struggling to free himself, punching the arm that was keeping him prisoner with all his might, the large pikemen began to squeeze. First, the unfortunate Toad felt the pressure over his skull increasing, and blood began to leak out of his mouth; then, his left eye popped out of its eye socket, the blood flood from his mouth started to increase, the toad still punching even as he felt his fingers pulsate in pain, desperately attempting to break the hold of the enemy; and then…

KRACK!

With a loud crunching sound, the toad's head exploded into pieces, whatever was left of his brain and eyes splattering over his killer's hand or onto the ground, his headless body falling to the ground as everyone around him (minus his killer and its owner) reacted with horror. Upon watching this, Hop Pop, Farine, and Felicia tried to protect their youngest children from such an abominable and monstrous show, covering their eyes and ears, holding them as hard as they could. Meanwhile Percy and Braddock, the Toads who had tried so hard to reveal Aiden's treacherous nature, could only hold onto each other as they attempted to relieve themselves of the panic they were experiencing.

The humans did nothing, motionless looking as they felt cold horror rush through their bodies, facing this blatant act of cruelty: Amelia felt her knees weaken and so did Marcy. Jacob widened his eyes, a cold feel of dread taking over his mind. James looked at the black figure with horror and Anne jerked back in shock, Sprig hiding behind her.

Sasha was too horrified to even move, her mind unable to elaborate what had just happened.

"Eww." The Lieutenant said, with a disgusted sound, "I got some Bog on my armor."

And it was then that the toads began to run.

They managed through it all. Even when worn out by the draconian discipline and the random punishments. Even through sicknesses, the long march, and the comrades they had lost along the way... Yet, they had endured so far, but now, watching their commander betrayed by his own second-in-command and what was once their best warrior have his head crushed like a peanut, it was too much.

The whole situation was beyond what they could put up with.

Many of them were close to the giant pikemen and as soon as they tried to move, they were grabbed, their bodies thrown to the ground with all their bones broken, their heads crushed under the two pikemen's feet. The metallic soldiers even used some Toads as makeshift ammunition to bombard their own comrades in rout, grabbing them by their neck before throwing them with all their strength.

In a few minutes, what was once the mighty Toad Army of Frog Valley, one of the main Toad Armies in Amphibia, was no more. Many of its soldiers were dead or dying on the ground, their bodies broken by the carnage of which they had been the victims, at their executioner's feet. Those who had survived were the ones who had been captured and pinned down by the rebels during the battle, or who, when the massacre had begun, had been far enough away from the pikemen and quick enough to act, and were now on the run, aimless, intent only on putting as much road as possible between themselves and Wartwood. Neither the two pikemen nor their master made any attempt to pursue them: with no one to guide them, no food, or water, and no means of getting their bearings, many of them would have died, victims of Amphibia's ruthless nature and its amphibian-eating fauna.

"Ah... that was pleasant. I think I feel better already." The dark figure turned around, leaning toward his former captain, "Thank you for not dismissing him: I've wanted to crush that scoundrel ever since I met him."

"Oh, my Frog!" Grime said, still holding onto his wound, realization hitting him. "Bog…he was right! You were a traitor!"

"He was a brute, but I guess he could count on other toads to supply the brain for him," his eyes laid on Percy and Braddock, the two toads crawling back in fear. "Too little, too late, I guess. Even as I started to nick your subordinates one by one, there was nothing he could have done to stop me."

"And what about Fens, and Mire?!" Grime looked at him with accusing eyes, "They didn't desert, right? You're the one behind their disappearances!"

"Oh, looks like you do have some brains after all." The former Lieutenant said, before kicking the wounded Toad and making him yelp in pain. "You disgusting, filthy animal!"

"Animal?" Marcy gasped, as she realized something was dead wrong. That creature, whatever it was, he was acting like, like…

…like he thought he was superior to toads, her mind realized, eyes widening as she made the connection.

"Did you really think I wanted to be your Lieutenant?!" He kept shouting, kicking Grime with anger. "Subordinate…Me?! To a beast like you?! I joined your ranks only to destroy you, and everything you hold dear!"

"D-destroy?" Braddock gasped, Percy holding her tightly. Neither of them had grasped what kind of evilness their Lieutenant might have in store for them, until now.

"You wanted your troops to be more disciplined, so I disciplined them! You wanted to be more feared and respected, so I destroyed whatever trust they had for you, and replaced it with fear! I poisoned their food, worked them to the bone, taught them to never question your orders for fear of being killed. And now…they're gone. You lost, pathetic toad: you lost the respect of your troops, you lost your army, you lost your tower-"

"Wait, my tower?!"

"Oh, right! It should happen exactly-"

(…)

Back at Toad Tower, the remaining Toads who Grime had left as a garrison were minding their own business, some still asking why the Lieutenant had ordered to not go to the Tower' basement until he returned, not that they cared much. The more time away from the captain and his monster, the better.

But just as some soldiers were chatting and making hypotheses on how their fellow comrades were doing during the military campaign against Wartwood, the explosion happened. Hidden among the foundation of the fortress, tons and tons of Boomshrooms had been gathered, all placed in strategic positions and connected with a small countdown device.

And as the countdown reached zero, the Boomshrooms went off and started exploding, the underground system under the tower completely destroyed in a giant blue fire.

First, the soldiers felt like the whole tower was shaking, the floor under their feet shifting and trembling. And then, the Tower itself began to fall apart, its crippled base unable to sustain its own weight, the Toads rushing to escape as they realized their whole fortress was crumbling around them. In vain, as they were too far from any kind of exit to reach them, before the upper floors collapsed, and they were buried under their stones.

In a few minutes, the main stronghold of Toad control over the Valley was gone. The whole fortress, which should have been able to resist any kind of siege, collapsed and crumbled, setting off some secondary explosions that contributed to its final destruction.

So ended Toad Tower.

(…)

Far away from the Tower, neither the humans nor any of their friends could see what happened, but as they looked to the horizon, they saw the flash of a huge explosion lightening the sky for a few seconds. Follow immediately after by a faint sound brought onto them by the wind, the ground trembling for a few seconds under their feet.

They knew that Toad Tower was gone.

"-now." The being in black armor concluded, taking his time to savor the expression of Grime's face, the feeling of defeat in his eyes.

"Why?" Anne muttered, unable to stop her voice. "Why did you do that?"

"My dear," he replied as he turned toward her, his voice filling with happiness, "I did it for you."

"For us?!" Sasha gasped, earning a chuckle from him.

"Oh right, you don't know…yet." He said, walking toward them, dropping his cowl to the ground. It was then that James realized that the 'newt" had no tail.

The humans held their breath, as the unknown creature moved his hand to his head, slowly removing his helmet, and showing them his face.

His short, blonde hair.

His aquiline nose.

His plainly human face.

The six teens gasped at once, as they saw who was inside that armor, another human being, just like them, looking at them with friendly eyes that contrasted with the cruelty he committed a few moments ago. Behind them, the whole Wartwood felt shocked as well, their eyes widening, their mouths agape, almost unable to process the fact.

"I-I can't believe it!" Felicia said, "Another human?"

"So, Joe the Merchant was right in the end?" Toadstool murmured with a low voice, "I can't believe it!"

"You-you are…"

"Greetings, my brethren." The new human said as he knelt in front of them, like a knight in front of his lady. "My name is Aiden, son of king Rudolf III and prince of the Black Tower. It has been so long since I last saw human faces, and I'm so happy I could meet you today. This is a moment I have looked forward to, ever since I found out about you."

"You…knew about us?" Sasha gasped, still struggling to realize there was another human beside them in Amphibia, and he was standing right in front of them.

"From the very first day you arrived in this land," Aiden replied. "I knew that the Box had returned and that it brought you with them. Yet, I didn't know your names, nor your faces, until the day you went hunting for those zapapedes on the Misty Peaks."

He knows about the Box? Marcy thought with concern.

"You were there?!" Anne gasped, realizing he had been so close to them for so long. "And you were watching us?"

"I was." Aiden admitted, "I wanted to know who the first humans in this forsaken world were, and what they looked like. And I have never seen someone as beautiful as you."

Hearing that sentence, Jacob grimaced. Why was he feeling like this guy was trying to flirt with Anne?

"And…you said you infiltrated the Toad Army?" Sasha raised an eyebrow, "For what reason?"

"To help you, of course." Aiden smiled, "I knew these filthy animals would try to hurt you again, so I pretended to join their side to destroy them, from the inside." Many frogs gasped in shock, as the word 'animal' left the human's lips, "But above everything else…I wanted to meet you, face to face."

"You…wanted to meet us?!" Marcy said in shock, "All that violence, all that trickery, the engineered destruction of the Toad Army…was only so you could meet us?" She began to hyperventilate, "And what do you want from us? Why did you want to meet us? Why didn't you even try to contact us before?! What could you desire so much that you would trick a whole toad army just to meet us?"

"It's simple." Aiden said, his voice turning somber as his hands moved to his side, many frogs feeling their nervousness growing. "I want you..." he picked out a small box and opened it, showing it contained three golden rings "to marry me!"

"..." Anne stood in silence.

"What?" Sasha replied in astonishment.

"What?" Marcy repeated, her face turning red.

"What?!" Jacob roared in anger.

"What?" James gulped.

"Nani?" Amelia grimaced.

"What?" Sprig almost choked out of surprise.

"Say What?" Hop Pop gasped in shock.

"What?" Felicia yelled.

"What?" Maddie grimaced with a murderous voice.

"Eeeeh?" Farine shouted, raising an eyebrow.

"Bri-Bri?!" Akitsu chirped.

"For more than a thousand years," Aiden continued, "since I have been trapped in this cursed land of talking frogs and demon birds, I have longed for one thing above everything else. I have longed for companions, for fellow humans I could lead and provide guidance to, and for a girl I could make my Queen and bear my heirs. And from the very moment I saw you… I fell in love with you. Sasha Waybright, your beauty is superior to that of anyone that ever came from the court of the emperor; Marcy Wu, your beauty can't belong to none but a Princess of the Celestial Empire. And Anne Boonchuy…even if I don't know from which kingdom or region of the world you are a Princess from, your beauty is no less than those of your friends. I want to take all three of you, as my Queens."

Sasha's eye began to twitch, and so did Anne's, both girls unsure of what being most pissed at. And why did he say that Marcy was a Princess from…

Oh, both girls realized at once, feeling their anger grow as they felt offended on Marcy's behalf. The fact he tried to seduce her alongside them was enough, but…to call her Chinese with such blatant racial profiling?

I'm going to punch him, Sasha though, and I don't know if I'll ever stop.

Meanwhile, their friend didn't apparently notice the profiling aimed at her, her attention more focused on what he had said, at the beginning of the sentence. More than a thousand years…how would he have lived that long? Yet, he spoke it with such a naturalness of that, with no hint of lying. Could he-

Marcy stopped, her eyes widening once more, as she remembered the words from Hop Pop's book.

The Box

The Gems

A menace looking for them, looming over Amphibia for more than a thousand years.

Suddenly, everything started to make sense: he was the menace the book was talking about. And now, he was after them too, wanting to make them his Queens? To bear his…his heir?

As Marcy tried to fight her instinct to throw up, Amelia took a step forward, also shocked and angered by the situation and the so-called Prince's words.

"You-you want to take them as your brides?" Amelia hissed.

"Indeed!" Aiden replied, apparently not noticing her tone of voice, "And of course, I would need some trusted advisors as well. You will be my Spymaster, to take the life of anyone who dares to plot against my rule. To your cousin, the Hammer-wielding Viking, I offer the position of general of my Army, tasked with crushing any resistance. As for you…" his eyes laid on James, "well, every king needs a Chancellor."

James just stared at Aiden. He didn't know what he was going to do—hit him? James wasn't practiced in unprovoked violence, but he'd never felt the impulse to it so strongly.

"Ok," Hop Pop said, feeling disgusted by how this new human was acting toward his adoptive grandchildren "I don't know who you are, but I'm hating everything you're saying right now."

"I don't remember inviting you in this conversation, mudspawn!" Aiden hissed, the frogs gasping in shock to such blatant insult.

"Mudspawn?!" Anne gasped, her eyes twitching with fury. "Hop Pop is our grandfather!"

"He took us, when no one else would!" Her friends came to her support.

"He's the reason why we are still alive today!"

"Grandfather?" Aiden laughed, mocking such a notion, "There is no way such beasts could ever do something out of piety!"

"Frogs are not beasts!" Amelia cried, "They build cities, they grow crops, they can feel emotions-"

"No, they're merely pretending they can!" Aiden shouted back once more, "That's what they do. Everything they have built is nothing, but a mockery of what Man can do! They play like they are civilized, but they aren't for real. They are different from us! Their whole filthy race is like a curse! They can never be like us! No matter the cities, the clothes, or the culture, animals will always be animalsand their place is beneath Man, this is the natural order of things!"

After such words, a horrible flashback came to many frogs of the day the humans arrived in their lives, when everyone thought of them like monsters came from somewhere and believed them to eat tadpoles. All those bad things they've believed with no proof, just because they looked…different from them.

And now, they could feel the same sentiment, but from the opposite side. Even Toadstool and Duckweed, who had been among those slower than the others to accept the six humans among them, suddenly started to feel like they needed a shower.

Not as much as the teens, nevertheless.

Suddenly, Sasha moved aside, standing in front of Ivy and her extended family, her eyes focusing solely on Aiden with a hard, disappointed expression, defiant to him.

"Not to men like you," the blonde girl simply said, making the so-called prince chuckle.

"There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you!" Sasha continued, unaware of the amazed expressions her defiance was causing, "Men who believe themselves above everyone else, men who turn loving families into scapegoats, men who see others as parasites rather than brothers! I don't know where or when you come from, but I won't allow you to take one step further!"

Aiden blinked in confusion, as none of the six seemed to be grateful of his offer. Rather, they looked at him like he was the monster, not those frogs. Why? He had just come to rescue them. Why they seemed to be attached to these animals?

"You can't be serious…" Aiden wondered, clearly not understanding why none of the six have accepted his offer. "You would choose this hole and the vermin who inhabit it, when you could leave them all behind and join my side?! Why you-"

But he stopped, as his eyes laid on a small, juvenile frog attached to Anne's leg, hiding behind her. A frog dressed in a dark forest green sleeveless jacket, hat, and goggles, but whose pinkish skin was plain to see. A color that Aiden still remembered, no matter how many centuries have passed since that day.

Suddenly, his shock was replaced by realization, and then, by fury. Everything started to make sense: why his brethren refused to greet him, why they appeared to be hostile to him, why they seemed to regard these animals as families.

It was her fault, once again. Even after a thousand years, her blood was still alive and haunting him, interfering with his life, messing with him just like the day she cruelly kidnapped him from his world…and trapped him in this hellscape, unable to escape, unable to live, unable even to die.

All because of one frog.

"Leif?" Aiden muttered, his eyes filling with anger "LEIF?!"

"Leif?" Amelia gasped, hearing that name, striking her like a bolt from the blue.

"So, this is what you're doing once again? To confuse my brethren, to put them against me? Even after one thousand years, your unholy bloodline still lives? Well, not for long…" he turned to his giant soldiers, and with an evil glee, he spoke. "Cleanse the town."

Hearing their master's command, the two giants charged forward, large pikes in their hands, attacking the Wartwood frogs as they attempted to scatter and escape. Some of them, armed with ranged weapons, tried to attack them, but the arrows did nothing to stop them, or even slow them down.

"Marcy!" Maddie called out for her friends, as Pepo's attempted to move among the fleeing frogs "We need to stop them. Prepare a fire spell!"!

"Got it!" The dark-haired human replied, preparing a spell bag as well. Don't panic, we just need to throw it in front of them and-

Suddenly, one of the two giants hit Pepo on the side, the giant sentient pumpkin rolling on the ground and making the two wizards lose their grip on their spell bags, the resulting fire explosion exploding less than a meter in front of the two pikeys…

"What the-" Jacob gasped, as the two walked right among the flames, the fire quickly burning their disguises, and revealing they weren't toads, or newts, or anything biological under that. Rather, their bodies looked metallic, they had visors in place of eyes, and they kept walking unflinching even as the flames burned all over them.

"Wha... What are those things?!" Maddie gasped, for feeling seriously scared of something the first time in her life.

"They're robots!" The human boy replied, almost not believing his own eyes, "They're like…some kind of giant, crazy evil robot soldiers!"

"Where did he get some robots?!" Anne yelled in horror, clearly not expecting sci-fi enemies to pop up in the middle of a fantasy world. Yet, there were more pressing issues now, as the two giants, rushing behind the defenders, were now reaching the main gate.

"Guys!" Sasha yelled, trying to get her friend's attention, "We need to stop those things! If they can breach the wall-"

CRUNCH! Even before she finished speaking to them, Sasha's words turned out to be prophetic, as the two giant robots charged the wall and broke through the main gate, the frogs who had attempted to hide behind it scrambling as any hope of turning the tide of the battle seemed to escape them, those who could still fight desperately trying (and failing) to stop the mechanical juggernauts.

"Frog!" Sasha yelled, "Ok, new plan! We distract the two big guys to give the others time to run. Don't try to get too close, just try to buzz around them and distract them!"

"Buzz around? This is my moment!" Amelia roared, unsheathing her katana, "By the power of Yamato! Akitsu, I summon you!"

Hearing the call of his friend and rider, the giant dragonfly rushed to her side, her wings flapping as fast as they could as Amelia jumped on her back, Sprig and Maddie joining her.

"Ok, if we're going to do this, we have to do it together!" The blonde girl said, hurrying to gather everyone who could still fight, "Amelia, you and the others focus on the waist up! Jacob, Anne, you're with me: focus on their legs!"

"And what about us?" Marcy asked, pointing at herself and James.

"You help the others evacuate and help anyone who need assistance. Do you have a spell there that can melt metal?"

"Sorry, we never considered a spell like that." Maddie admitted with shame, "Until now, we didn't see a reason for that."

"Then focus on slowing them down, or to give us an opening. Jacob, your hammer can damage them?"

"Let me come close enough, and I'll break them to smithereens!"

"I'll take that as a yes. Come on people, let's smash some toys!"

With a yell, the humans charged the two robots, Amelia and Akitsu flying around them while the other focused on the legs. As they did, the Wartwood defenders who weren't running for their lives joined them Felicia brandishing her sword and releasing a powerful battle cry, Stumpy just behind her with his hammer hand, Farine his rolling pin, Tritonio wielding his sword and Gunther with his fists. All of them fighting side by side to give the others the time they needed to get to safety.

But not just them.

"Percy," Braddock said, noticing her fellow getting out of the cover they were currently hiding behind, "What are you doing?"

"It's not obvious?" The wannabe comedian said, a look of determination and bravery shining in his eyes, "I'm joining them!"

"Percy, are you mad?!" The female Toad gasped, grabbing him by his arm, "You'll get yourself killed!"

"Maybe! But I don't want to stay here and hide while they are struggling to survive! The…Lieutenant," he said with a somber tone, as he remembered everything he had revealed just before, how he corrupted and manipulated their own captain just to backstab (literally) him as well, "he deceived us, but I'm not going to allow him to do to this city what he did to us!"

For a moment, Braddock felt the need to protest once more, but before she could do that, she realized that Percy was right: judging by how the battle was going, the frogs of Wartwood (and their hummus) needed all their help they could.

"Then, I'm coming with you!" She said, grabbing her weapon and rushing behind him.

(…)

The battle, already furious, became even more excited once Percy and Braddock, alongside several other Toads who hadn't been incapacitated in the previous fight, joined the Wartwood frogs as they attempted to restrain the two giant enemies, moving constantly to avoid being hit by the robot's long pikes while trying to get close enough to get an opening.

Yet, so far of the many weapons who had managed to hit them, only three of them had managed to dent their armor: Sasha's pink heron sword, Jacob's hammer Ragnarök and Amelia's katana Yamato. And even they haven't been able to seriously damage them, so far.

"Frog, this is useless!" Sasha panted, holding on her sword tightly, sweat dripping from her forehead. "We need a change of strategy. Anne-"

But before she could explain further, the two robotic pikemen noticed the opening in front of them and counterattacked, ignoring the humans while focusing on their Amphibian allies: Percy and Braddock were knocked aside, dropping their weapons as they did; Stumpy crashed again the wall of one house, holding his arm as he realized he may have a sprained muscle, Tritonio was directly trampled by one of them and while he wasn't directly crushed by their feet, the force of the impact was more than enough to create several bruises on his face and body, the newt unable to keep fighting; Gunther was punched in the face and knocked unconscious, reverting to his harmless form; Farine's pin was broken and the baker frog thrown against one house's window, resulting in a broken arm and a lot of glass pieces piercing through his skin.

Yet, none among them was the primary focus of the robots' fury. The one frog unlucky enough to warrant their attention, was the one frog who had fought the best among them to try and stop their assault, armed with her longtime adventurer sword and displaying long, fiery red hair.

"Mom!" Ivy gasped, reaching for the mother, lying on the ground. She was alive, having suffered a mild concussion at worst, but now, both mechanical soldiers were approaching her, ready to give her an unwanted coup de grace.

"Ivy…run!" Felicia gasped, as he saw the menace approaching them, "Get out of here! Find a safe spot!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Felicia!" Sasha yelled in horror, as he saw one of the pikemen, plunging his weapon toward her adoptive frogs' mother and little sister…

…only for someone else to get among them.

"Wha-"

"Go!" Captain Grime shouted, summoning all his strength as he struggled to resist the pikeman's attack, his mind attempting to confine the pain the open wound was giving him in the most remote parts of his brain. "Bring her away!"

"C-captain…" Braddock murmured in amazement, all the respect and admiration she once felt for his captain coming back in glory, as he risked his own life to protect a mom and child from the fury of his enemy.

The pikemen didn't seem too fazed by Grime's attempt and pushed forward, the toad commander feeling his arms and body aching as he realized he wouldn't be able to resist for long. What's worse, its companion wasn't going to give him any chance, pointing his own weapon at Ivy, getting ready to attack.

"No!" Sasha yelled again, realizing what was going to happen, yet too far to be able to do anything. All she could do was stand and watch, as the two robots prepared to destroy the frogs she cared the most in the whole Wartwood.

The loving mother who gave her a job and hospitality, that taught her responsibility, humility and martials arts.

The little sister that gave her more happiness in two months than she ever got from her birth mother and new boyfriend, back on Earth.

The family that she, deep down, always wished to have.

As her hand ran to her chest, her heart beating faster and faster, the dam that was built inside of her body began to crumble, the emotional overcharge that she was experiencing right now opening the door that had been sealed until then.

The power that she had been imbued with, but she couldn't even grasp, now flowing through her veins and body.

…I must admit, I was quite surprised by how hard-working and determined you were…

…Sasha: You really are a cool older sister!

…I don't know how long you and your friends will have to stay here, but as long as you will, you'll alwaysbe welcome at my shop. No matter what you need, we will help you….

"You're my cool older sister. No way are we letting you go!"

"You're a Sundew, Sash, and Sundews never give up!"

…I suppose it's time for you to become a full Sundew…

…regardless of the situation, no one should ever live such a harsh experience with their own parents…

Suddenly, Sasha felt an unfamiliar force filling her body, and she knew, without looking, that her eyes were turning pink.

"W-what's happening?!" Percy gasped, the first among them to notice Sasha's figure being enveloped with a pinkish, bright light, as her hair began to glow, turning into a fiery ponytail of pink flames, other flames running on her arm until they reached Sasha's sword, the heron-themed blade starting to glow as well as everyone saw Sasha's gaze focused on the robots, the energy lifting her from the ground as the newly-empowered began to levitate a couple of centimeters from the ground.

"Marcy!" James gasped, watching the scene with his mouth wide open. "Is-is that…?"

"I guess that's one way to confirm a theory…" The dark-haired simply said as her hand ran to her phone, unconsciously beginning to record the scene for later study.

"Sasha…" Amelia said in an amazed voice, Akitsu's eyes widening as well.

"Flame on, girlfriend." Anne smirked, emphatically connecting with Sasha as she experienced what she underwent already.

"Don't you dare- don't you dare touch them! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!" Sasha shouted with full lungs, the pink Calamity energy boiling on her body as she launched herself forward, flying toward the two robots with her sword ready to strike.

Of the two giants, the one that was going to hurt Ivy and Felicia turned around as it prepared for defense, its long pike pointed to the upcoming pink bolt of energy rushing toward it. Yet, the pink superpowered girl simply bolted above, the robots looking up just in time to see the energy-clad sword cutting his left arm in a single blow. Then, another slash cut the giant robot vertically, the two sides dropping and melting on the ground. Without any further notice, Sasha moved to attack the other, cutting its head and its arms before finally stabbing it in the chest, the mechanical soldier releasing a shriek before exploding, whatever was left of its armor now reduces to dust and scattered all around.

When Anne fought the herons, the first time she activated her powers, the battle had lasted barely a minute; now, when the last robot was destroyed and reduced in small pieces, it had lasted even less.

"I-I did it! I-I…" Sasha murmured, her Calamity energy powering down as she dropped to the ground, her family and friend quickly rushing to support her.

"Sasha!"

"I'm fine, Marbles!" The blonde girl said, breathing heavily as Jacob & Anne held her head to facilitate her oxygen exchange. "Wow, I feel like all the energy from my body have been sapped. Anne, is this how-"

"Every time." The Thair-American girl replied with a smirk. "It gets easier after you get used to the after-effect, but the first time…it's raw."

"W-what was that?" Grime gasped as he fell to the ground, the adrenaline kickback exhausting its effect. "Who is that creature?"

"That is my big sister." Ivy said, Grime following her with his eyes as she and Felicia rushed to rejoin Sasha.

"Sasha!" Felicia said, beaten up but overall okay, her anger originating out of worry, "That was the most reckless thing I've ever-"

"Yes, mom. I know you are proud of me." Sasha replied, Felicia taking a step back, fully unprepared to be called 'mom' by the human.

The heartwarming moment, however, was cut short as they heard hands clapping and they remembered that, while the two giant robots had been dealt with, their master was not.

"Well, this is quite a surprise," Aiden said, strolling around the disaster-struck area with an amused expression. "Do you have any idea how long it takes to build one single Pikey? Usually, I hate losing two of my soldiers in one go. Soldiers that I cannot easily replace. But it is worth losing a couple of them to find someone like you. It is worth losing a hundred, a thousand!"

As he kept approaching them, the humans and their friends prepared to attack. Jacob held onto his hammer, Amelia her katana, Anne her tennis racket, Marcy prepared a bolt of her crossbow and James grabbed Tritonio's sword.

"Do you have any idea how long I've waited to see other human's faces, in this monster-filled land inhabited by stinky animals?!" He continued, getting more than a scornful look by the Wartwood defenders. "When I heard that the Box was back, and that he carried you with it, I figured out at least some of you had to be the new wielders of the Gems. Yet, to see two of you able to activate them and to use them in so little time… you will make perfect Queens, for the new ruler of this land."

"Frog, are you serious?!" Amelia challenged him, "Look around, Mr. Prince Charmless: you're alone! Your mooks have been blown up, the Toad soldiers you admitted you were manipulating and tricking either left or joined us, and you're surrounded by all of the Wartwood Militia!"

"And me." Grime said with a bitter tone of voice, "I guess it is time to do…what I should have done a long time ago!"

"That's another mistake of yours, you disgusting animal." Aiden replied, apparently unfazed by being alone and surrounded by his enemies, "You really thought I was going to betray you and your soldiers, with no apparent way out if things went wrong?"

"Huh, yeah?" Grime raised an eyebrow, "I kind of did… until you asked that question that way. It casts some doubt."

"That's the proof that neither you nor any of you filthy slimy animals will never outsmart a real intelligent creature, mudborn." Aiden chuckled, before looking back at the humans, "It seems like our little reunion is now over, but don't worry, for I am sure you will eventually see the truth."

Before the girls or anyone else could do anything, Marcy heard a hissing sound coming from above and looked up, just in time to see what it looked like a metallic, giant eagle descend from the sky and land on the spot between them and Aiden, the supposed prince taking advantage of the confusion to jump on its back.

"StormHawk, take me away from here. Now!"

The robotic eagle shrieked, showing his mouth filled with fake teeth, as it soared upward, quickly getting out of the frogs' reach.

"No! Akitsu!" Amelia called for her companion once more, "Follow them! Don't let them get away!"

The giant dragonfly buzzed, as they rushed behind them. Yet, they were both tired from the long fight, and soon the robotic eagle disappeared from their sight, diving into the darkness of the night…

A few minutes later, once it was confirmed that the new human had disappeared, and there was no other menace looming over Wartwood, it was time to pick up the pieces. The debris of the battle were moved, the wounded were moved back to their homes, their wounds healed as best as possible, and their relatives or closest friends instructed to watch over them.

"Ok, I guess that's the last of them," Amelia said looking toward Farine, as she and Maddie finished removing the glass pieces out of his body, "As long as you give your wounds time to heal, it should be fine. The broken arm is… a bit more difficult."

"Don't worry, dad! I'll immediately look in my book and find a healing spell for you to use!"

"I appreciate the thought, Maddie, but I don't think your magic is needed for that. I just need some time off, after all. We have more than enough money to afford not to work for the time I need for my arm to heal, and I suppose some rest won't hurt me too badly."

"So much destruction…" Captain Grime murmured, looking with his own eye at the damages the earlier battle had caused, as Percy and Braddock (alongside all the remaining toad soldiers who were still with him) moved to check the bodies of their fallen comrades. A couple of them were still breathing, and the frog of Wartwood (differently from what he assumed) were fast into giving them proper care, but most were dead, their bodies and blood covering the ground as a grim reminder of the battle that had just unfolded in front of the town…and his own blindness.

"Poor Bog," Grime murmured, as he saw the headless body of his former champion carried away to give him a proper burial. "To think you knew the truth, all this time…I feel ashamed of letting myself be tricked by that creature."

He turned around, facing the soldiers who, like him, had survived the battle and Aiden's betrayal. There were not many: twenty-five toads, slightly less than a handful of the soldiers he had commanded from Toad Tower.

"I…suppose I owe apologies to all of you. To every one of you, for letting myself get blinded so much by my desire to have soldiers worthy of such a name, that I didn't realize that I already had. Braddock, even during the harshest of the training, you never broke. You're tough, tough as beetle skin. And not only that, you are smart: you saw the deception when I was too stupid to notice it, and you even tried to open my eyes."

"I…I suppose I wasn't comfortable knowing that you were being tricked, sir."

"And Gary, you never missed a day, even when you were sick."

"What can I say, I'm dedicated."

"And Percy?" Grime focused on the wannabe comedian, "You may be an idiot, but…whenever you make a mistake, you try to fix it, and you don't stop until you make things right. Plus, to be honest with you…I secretly enjoyed your comedy."

"T-the captain appreciates me!" Percy said, so happy that he started to cry.

"Everyone of you, I forced you to endure those brutal training, made you march day and night, and I have no excuse for how blind I was. But you all have earned…my respect."

The collective gasp that escaped the toad's mouths was almost deafening, everyone looking at Grime in shock.

"We…we have, sir?" Percy dared to ask.

"Yes."

"Captain!" Braddock straightened herself up, giving him a perfect salute, "We are ready to follow you, wherever you go!"

"Yes, me too!" Percy shouted, "Come on, you toads: you want to live forever?"

"Sir, if I can afford to ask," Gary asked, still unsure after so much time where questioning the commander could only end with a brutal reprisal, "Where are we going? If Toad Tower is really gone, where will we go?"

"One step at a time, soldier," Grime replied, a strange friendly expression on his eyes, "First, we need to find a real proper place were set up a cap; then-"

"Not so fast, big guy!" A voice called from behind them, Toads turning around to see Sasha now again able to stand on her own feet, drawing her pink Heron Sword and pointing it at them, "You've already tried to destroy us, you came here with an army and planned to ransack our town, you kept exporting the Wartwood inhabitants for taxes while doing nothing to protect them! You're far too dangerous and deceiving to be left to go away free!"

"Sasha!" Anne called out, the other humans gathering around her.

"But!" The blonde human continued, sheathing back her sword and looking at him as a worthy opponent, "You also saved the lives of many of us, including the ones of my adoptive mother and little sister. Plus, capturing is not worth another fight. So…go ahead! Try to go back to your tower, or whatever, wandering in the wilderness, with only a handful of soldiers. Try to rebuild your strength and survive."

The toad looked out past the ruined wall of Wartwood and into the horizon, the red moon visible in the sky, illuminating the forests, swamps, and mountains, all filled with dangerous monsters and limitless dangers that had claimed so many casualties on their way here. He knew that many of his remaining soldiers, including himself, were wounded and wouldn't be able to march or fight if the situation required it. And why no supplies or ways for them to orientate, probably none of them would have survived past a few days.

Unless…

"Or?" Grime asked, facing Sasha. He knew, from her tone of voice, that it was implied.

"Or stay here." Sasha added, smiling at him. "You can help us fix the damages your former Lieutenant has done to Wartwood and learn to see frogs under a different eye. We could even enroll you and everyone who's willing to follow you in our militia. We could really use an experienced fighter and officer, to whom we can entrust with the safety of all people living here. You could restart your career, not as an oppressive commander, but as a trusted officer and earn back not only the respect of your soldiers, but also the love and cheer of the people. And when my friends and I will have to leave, and we'll have to pass the reins of the militia to someone, you could become their commander, once again lead them, not through fear but by charisma and trust. Now, how does that sound?"

"That's…doesn't sound too bad, captain."

"Militia Service provides for regular meals, better opportunities for career advancement and better uniforms." Amelia said, joining Sasha, "And let's not forget the medical coverage, dental included."

"We'd have dental?!" Gary gasped, clearly amazed at that.

"And when you're not busy with stuff for the militia, you would have a lot of time to do whatever you want, or to cultivate your talents." Anne added, realizing what Sasha was planning to do.

All Toads turned to their commander. It was clear that many of them wanted to say yes, but before doing so, they waited for his response.

"I see what you are trying to do..." The former captain said, before smirking. "And it works! Lead the way, strange creatures!"

"We got dental!"

"So, you're the real Captain Grime?" Ivy jumped in, "The legendary Gladiator once known as the 'Stonewall Toad'?"

"Huh, yeah. You want my autograph?"

"Are you kidding? You're one of my greatest heroes!"

"Ivy Hibiscus Matcha Sundew! Get down from the captain now!"

"Anne?" Hop Pop reappeared, approaching the girl with Polly and Sprig aside, "I just want to say…Thank you, you know, for everything."

"Hey, you are my family. I'd never let anyone hurt you, especially not some kind of narcissistic fake prince that talk like a racist snob!"

"I'm still confused…" Sprig said, scratching his head as he thought back at the dramatic moments earlier, "Why is it when he saw me, he got that angry? And why did he call me 'Leif'? Who is Leif?"

Polly grimaced, exchanging glances with Anne and Amelia. Then, the samurai girl sighed.

"It's… a long story, Sprig. It could be dangerous, perilous even."

"Well, whatever happens next, one thing's for sure." Hop Pop gently said, looking over at his children, "If we're together, I know we'll be alright."

"Yeah, we surely…will…" Marcy replied, her mind still focused on the words Aiden had told them before the battle. Sure, his body looked like a teenager like theirs, yet why did he act as if he was much older?

Did he lie, or was he telling the truth? Was he really a thousand-year-old?

Why did he get so angry when he saw Sprig? And why did he call out Leif's name?

And what was his connection to the box? Perhaps, was this connected to the warnings and description of menace in Hop Pop's book?

Why for all their family history, the Plantars pretended to be common farmers and tried to hide their real talents?

And how many secrets, beyond the mountains that surrounded the Valley, were waiting to be discovered?

(…)

"Frog!" Monroe yelled, walking back and forth between all the things he had gathered before leaving Wartwood, his bag spilling his content at his feet.

He had watched the battle from the top of a hill, well hidden by the vegetation. Perhaps he did this out of nostalgia or perhaps just so he could give a posthumous 'I told you so' to his former countrymen. Those fool who had chosen to stay and get slaughtered, rather than get smart and flee as he had done. He could have stay until it was obvious that the toads had won, after which he would walk away and make a life elsewhere.

But to his surprise, the battle that in his mind should have been swift had gone on for a long time, and not only had the toads failed to overwhelm the defenses, but they had also been annihilated when another human, hidden among their ranks, had betrayed them and exterminated them in large numbers.

The toads had lost, and Wartwood had won. Those who had decided to resist and fight, rather than flee, had prevailed.

Monroe gnashed his teeth; the defeat of the toads having made his escape not only pointless but futile. Felicia had told him that if he decided to leave, he would never be accepted again, and the frog had no illusions about the meaning of such words.

He had lost everything. He had lost his home, he had lost his life, and he had lost Sylvia. Everything he had or had tried to possess was now lost forever. And what was worse, while he was as it lowest, Hopediah was victorious.

This was more painful than his self-imposed exile could now appear to him.

"Frog! And now, what do I do?! What's even left for me?"

"For you?" A voice called out, Monroe turning around and gasping in horror, as he recognized the figure who was now looking directly at him, the same creature whose own doing had caused the destruction of the Toad Army.

"You-you're one of those hummuses!" The blue frog gasped.

"We are humans, you filthy creature!" Aiden took a step forward, Monroe quickly covering his face with his hands and begging.

"Please, don't kill me! Have mercy on me: I'll give you everything you want, just spare me!"

"Don't worry, I have no plans to kill you immediately," the human prince replied, an evil smile growing on his face. "I may have a use for you. And the rewards…" his hand moved to a small bag, opening it to show the content to the frog.

Thirty coins of pure silver.

"…will be great."

Monroe looked at the bag of coins before him, his breath slowing down, as he looked up to the cr- no, to his new master.

"My sovereign…"

Hello everyone!

As you've probably guessed, this is my alternate version of 'Reunion's events and the Season 1 finale. As usual, I added some elements hidden among the various events that will you foreshadowing on some events that will happen, both during Season 2 and on the

Before resuming the series, events and start Season 2, I would like to take some time both to edit and fix some of my earlier chapters (those who I wrote and published without beta reader and editor assistance) as well as better prepare the Season 2 episodes list. Moreover, I'd like to follow canon's footsteps and work on some auxiliary content, an AU version of the Amphibia shorts which were aired between Season 1and 2 (among them, 'Teen Girl in Frog World') with original material added to expand it. Among the ideas I'd like to explore, I'd like to have some shorts shown from Sasha and Marcy's POV, as well as from my OCs.

I also want to thank all my readers who are currently following my story. When this whole project started, I was quite unsure about its chances, especially after the person who was supposed to write it with me (in origin, this was a 2-writers project) decided to drop me without any warning. But as I kept adding more chapter, and I realized people were reading what I posted, and they were leaving feedback…I can say I was quite surprised by see how this fic had by now reached over 8.500 visualization and readers. For this reason, I hope to be able to keep updating my fic, both with regular updates (new episodes of my Amphibia AU, both derived from canon or 100% original) and auxiliary content (shorts, original intros for Season 2 and 3, plus everything else).

That said, I want to congratulate with everyone who read my story so far for the support and feedback you've given to me and look forward to seeing you again once I start publishing both the auxiliary material and Season 2 episodes.

Good luck, and thank you for the attention.