After a couple days of relaxing, the group was back in Newtopia, getting ready for the third temple.
"Are you sure you all are ready for this?" Andrias asked them.
"We will be fine, your majesty. After plenty of time to rest, we're ready for the final temple." Marcy said with a smile.
"It's just that this is the most dangerous temple, anyone that's tried to conquer it before, has never returned."
"They didn't expect people like us to try." Anne said, gesturing to herself and Marcy.
"Uh, speaking of people like us... Anne, have you thought about changing your outfit?" Marcy asked.
"What's wrong with it?" Anne asked.
"Uh, there's more stitches than shirt." Marcy said.
"It's still a shirt." Anne said, crossing her arms. "Plus, it doesn't really matter when I transform into a wolf."
"Anne, do not even get me started that please. The point is you need a new outfit and protection!" Marcy said to her, "Besides, I can see blood on it!"
"What? I thought those stains washed out." Anne said, too casually while looking over her shirt.
"Okay, now that is concerning when you're desensitized to your own bloodshed." Andrias said to her.
"My thoughts exactly!" Hop Pop shouted with new worry. "Before we go anywhere, we're getting you some armor, young lady!"
"Oh, come on! Only a portion of it is my blood!" Anne said.
"Still, you could use more protection, Anne." Sprig said, twiddling his fingers.
"Yeah; battle scars are cool but too many can get ugly!" Polly added.
"Marcy, I understand you want what's good for me... but do you think pain does anything to me now?" Anne asked, "My pain tolerance is very high now, that it would take a family of bears to hurt me... also after the haircut incident back home, do you think I'm going to let you even think of trying to give me a make over?"
"Okay, that's fair but I won't be the one making you over." Marcy said.
"Haircut incident?" Sprig asked.
"Wedon'ttalkaboutit!" Marcy quickly said before refocusing. "I know someone else that can help you find the protect you need."
"Oh, I'm going to hate this." Anne groaned.
Allowing herself to be dragged, Anne and the Plantars followed Marcy through Newtopia to a special ship where Marcy got her armor and weapons repaired.
"Oh, yay." Anne said sarcastically.
Marcy pushed Anne into a room.
"Now you just undress and I'll get the person in charge of this." Marcy said.
Anne rolled her eye but turned around and began to pull off her shirt. Marcy got a quick glimpse at more scars on Anne's back that she didn't even know existed. She closed the door and had a regretful look.
"Oh Frog... it's worse than I thought." Marcy said quietly, "Don't worry Anne, we'll get you something that will cover your scars."
Anne didn't hear that from the closed door. The next time the door opened, it was a very... stylish Newt.
"Hello all and what can I help you with?" He asked with a sort of accent.
"I guess you're the person Marcy sent for?" Anne asked.
"Indeed, and I can see why." The newt said, looking at Anne's shirt, "Is that blood?"
"it's not mine." Anne said.
"Some of it's her's." Sprig said.
"MOST of it is not mine." Anne said, correcting herself as she glared at Sprig, "Why are you even in here?! I'm literally changing clothes!"
"I wanted to see what you look like after this."
Giving him a flat look, Anne shoved Sprig away before heading back to change into whatever outfit or armor this newt or Marcy wanted her to try on.
"This is going to suck."
"Don't be like that, Anne! You'll love it!" Marcy said from outside.
"I really doubt it!" Anne said through the door.
"Trust Bernardo!" The newt said, waiting for Anne to come out. "I know fashion and I know armor!"
"Fucking ridiculous." Anne mumbled.
She came out, wearing a giant suit of armor.
"That armor is stylish, fierce, and formidable! Not even a blade of tempered steel could pierce it!" Bernado said with a snap.
Anne was not a fan, especially since she couldn't see out of it.
"Does the helmet have to have such thin eye holes?" Anne asked.
"Those are meant to protect the eyes, but I have to admit they were not built for your big eyes." Bernardo said to her.
"My eyes are big?!" Anne asked, offended by that.
"Hm, let's try another!" He said.
Bernardo clapped his hands and summoned his assistant, letting them drag Anne back into the changing room before helping her into another outfit/armor. This time she came out dressed in all black, with a staff that had a skull on it, with a hood covering her head.
'Why are they so focused on covering my head?' Anne thought.
"What do you think of the sorcerous ensemble?" Bernardo asked Anne.
"Not really useful to me since I can't use magic." Anne said.
"Hm, perhaps something that resonates with you."
"Like barbarian?" Marcy asked.
"YES! My thoughts exactly!" Bernardo said.
'I could bite her, birds have weak bones.' Anne thought.
The assistant came back and pulled Anne away, changing her against her will into barbarian woman armor!
"Hey, watch where you put those hands!" Anne shouted, "Okay, this shows too much skin!"
"Yes, in sacrificing armor, the outfits shows off your more feminine nature. A deadly warrior princess, yes?" Bernardo said with a nod.
"I'm not wearing something that would get me arrested back home!" Anne said.
"But what about here?" Sprig asked her.
"There's standards here!" Anne shouted at him, "Also... this makes me feel weird, I don't like showing this much skin even before my scars."
"You still want to show you scars?" Hop Pop asked.
"Young lady, why are you so proud in showing off those ugly battle scars?" Bernardo asked.
"They're not ugly." Anne said, walking back into the changing room and taking off the barbarian outfit, "These scars helped reveal the person I can be proud of, not some girl that took the easy way, but someone that's willing to fight and protect her friends and family. Sure, they may have been painful, but it's that pain that helped remind me that there's nothing I won't do to protect my family."
While everyone was moved by these words, none were more emotional than Marcy as she knew Anne longer and knew the kind of person she was before coming to Amphibia.
'She really has become different, she's grown stronger.' Marcy thought, 'And I... tried to hide those scars that mean so much to her.'
Marcy began to cry a bit out of shame, wiping away some tears.
"Bernardo is moved! Such passion, such fire in your voice! I have decided not to give you something to hide your scars but I will give you something that shall still protect you!" He said, with his finder in the air.
"Like what?" Anne asked.
"Simple, yet elegant! An armored vest with arm and leg brace! You shall be protected but your scars shall remain uncovered." Bernardo said as he nodded to his assistant.
"And as a bonus, this shall help."
He held out a sword covered in a golden covered sheath.
"This was taken from a newt that had a habit of robbing trains using children pretending to be orphans."
"Really?" Anne asked as she took the sword. "How far did that con go?"
"Surprisingly long." Bernardo said as the assistant came to Anne with the armored vest, arm braces, and leg braces. "Try them on and show us the warrior inside!"
Anne did so. Gazing at their favorite human, everyone was in awe of the armored vest with matching braces on arms forearms and lower legs. The sword was firmly tied to her hip as the scars on her arms were proudly displayed as well. The golden colored armor looked great on Anne, with some light blue markings on the neck hole and shoulders.
"Well?" Anne asked, pulling her sword a bit and brandishing it.
"Awesome!" Sprig and Polly shouted.
"Like a true warrior."
"I can see your legend right now." Hop Pop said, waving his hands in the air.
"You look amazing." Marcy said, smiling at her.
"Thanks." Anne said before looking to Bernardo. "Can I assume King Andrias will cover this?"
"No. This is on the house, for your warrior spirit and your moving story of your scars!" The fashionable newt said.
'I could get used to this.' Anne thought
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