A New Beginning
AU INTRO –SEASON 2
The six humans are packing things around the Fwagon-Trail, aided by the Plantars and their other adoptive frog families and friends (the Sundews for Sasha, the Flours for Marcy and Amelia, and Soggy Joe). Sylvia says something to Felicia and Ivy, while Maddie hugs her father and her small sisters under Marcy's happy gaze. Sprig makes a sign for everyone to getonboard, and then Hop Pop whips the reins, Bessie and Liptea pulling the fwagon together while Akitsu starts flying in the background, Amelia riding her with some small bags on the dragonfly's side.
The Fwagon-Trail is seen starting to move, the two snails pulling it while Akitsu buzz above. The camera moves forward, the scene switching to the interior of the vehicle, and we see everyone gathered around the table, Felicia showing a map of Amphibia. The camera zooms again on her hand, and we see her pointing to the large spot in the middle of the lily pad-shaped continent where Newtopia is located.
Inside the fwagon, Sprig and Ivy are running around while Maddie is preparing a potion. However, Ivy ends up knocking into Maddie and making her spill some of her potion into Marcy, the human girl transforming into a newt with emerald- green skin. Marcy start laughing once she realizes it, quickly followed by Maddie.
The next scene, we see many tribulations the caravan faces on its travel to Newtopia: harsh climatic conditions, monsters the group must face or run from, forced deviations to bypass a destroyed bridge or even an impassable obstacle. Yet, as the group is seen dealing with the last issue, Valeriana and Noc are seen watching over them from afar, the old newt having a wary, yet hopeful, expression.
The group is resting on a small clearing, sitting by a fire, Marcy and Sprig playing their fiddles as everyone is having a meal. A large, bulky shadow is seen moving among the trees, the shape and movement revealing for it to be a wandering Frobot.
Marcy is seen again, late at night, studying Hop Pop's book with her makeshift notes and looking at the Box to her right with a guilty, sorrowful expression. Everyone else is sleeping…or so it appears, as we see Jacob lying on the side, his eyes open, covering his mouth with a shocked expression.
The fwagon is moving again, approaching the capital city of Newtopia. The scene then cuts to the Throne Room where King Andrias is seen sitting on his throne, General Yunan and Royal Advisor Olivia at his sides while a large group of Newtopia guards surround and protects them. The humans and their friends walk toward Andrias, a couple of them bowing respectfully as Anne pulls out the Box from her backpack.
Jacob and Sasha are on a training field, Yunan supervising both, clashing their weapons in a friendly, but still very energetic training. The camera moves back a little before showing Bella, the former bellhop now wearing a uniform of the Newtopian Army, looking at the training with a puzzled expression. Jacob gives her a thump up before resuming his mock fight against Sasha.
Anne is working in Newtopia's Royal Kitchen with several newt cooks and chefs around her, preparing some kind of dish. As she works, Sprig peeks from behind a table, reaching toward the lid as Anne turns her back for a second, only for the girl to notice him and stop him. Sprig is sad for a second, but then Anne shows she had prepared another dish just for him, offering it to him as Sprig's eyes fill with excitation.
Amelia is walking among unidentified ruins, looking around with a wary look. A shadow appears behind her, and the humans turns around, her katana unsheathed as she gets in a defensive posture. The shadow enlarges, revealing itself to be Noc, the old axolotl giving her a gentle nod as the human kneel with a respectful expression.
A group of cultists is seen preparing to burn some unidentified papers, when suddenly, a group of five jumps in. The camera zooms, showing them to be Marcy and Maddie, both wearing dark uniforms of the Night Guard, accompanied by the other members of their Ranger Team: Javi, Kettle, and Femur. Marcy is seen aiming with her crossbow before the group goes on the offense, attacking the cultists.
James looks at a small paper in his hand, depicting the map of Amphibia's solar system he had worked on, putting it on his pocket as the scene enlarges, showing the human to be at Newtopia's University, surrounded by several Amphibians, teachers, and student alike. The human is next shown on a wooden podium, giving some kind of speech, Professor Herringbone standing to his left with a proud expression while everyone listens to the discourse, holographic images of Earth and the planet of Sol projected over their heads.
Amelia and Polly are running into the wild, the human girl holding her katana while a group of Barbari-Ants is chasing after them, trapping them in a dead-end. Yet, before the ant can finish them, a shadow drops from the sky as Frobot joins the battle, the tide quickly turning in the trio's favor.
Aiden is seen in his Tower, the evil prince glancing over a map of Amphibia as Monroe, now reduced to be his servant, is working in the background, a large book of unknown content opens in the middle. Aiden suddenly grabs a knife and stabs the map with it, the blade cutting through Newtopia's drawing.
The humans and their friends are now in a barren, lifeless area, surrounded by several robots of Aiden. While most of them are Pikeys, one grabs the attention: twice as tall as the Pikeys, holding a giant sword in its hands, and moves it with scary speed. As the group prepares to defend themselves, the humans activate their Calamity Powers: Anne glows blue, Sasha pink, Marcy green, Jacob yellow, James white and Amelia purple, their eyes and hair changing to their respective colors while a couple of them get more small side effects (as Anne's leaves and twigs in her hair grow into branches, Jacob Viking hat's horns grow triple their size and get antler's-like ramifications, and James' pupils take the shape of stars). The teens then proceed to attack the robot army in front of them, Sasha and Anne focusing on the larger enemy as they attack it with a combined Calamity-powered punch.
The Sun rose slowly from the horizon, shining over the still-sleeping town of Wartwood, Frog Valley. It was a common town of frog farmers and herders, focused on subsistence farming and, until recently, the small commerce done there was aimed to gather enough money to pay the exorbitant taxes that a greedy and oppressive Toad Garrison had been extorting every year.
But this was the past. Now Wartwood, freed from the chains of a corrupt leader and the tyranny of toad taxes, united together with the others of the Valley, was flourishing like it had never done before: business was booming, new shops were opening, more trade revenue was being brought into the city by merchants and other travelers, coming from all over the Valley through the new roads and bridge built by the Wartwood Militia, the new trusted protectors of the town. For the first time in many years, the people in Wartwood could sleep soundly, as the future looked bright and filled with opportunities, rather than with danger.
Yet, as everyone was sleeping and dreaming, the fresh morning air brought the thumping and sound of several Toads, all dressed in uniforms of the same color, marching in line, a frog with a jester hat and a whole band on his back playing music while a human girl with a sword on her side, holding a stick like a baton, marched at their head.
"Hup, two, three, four
Keep it up, two, three, four
Hup, two, three, four
Keep it up, two, three, four."
The marching sound and the music acted like a wake-up call for the still-sleeping frogs. Some opened their windows and looked outside, trying to understand what had woken them up.
"Mom, Dad, look!" A small tadpole, the child of travelers, called out to his parents. "A parade!"
"Oh, no!" Another frog, a local who was now used to this, groaned with a tired expression, "It's that dang Dawn Patrol again!"
"Company!" Amelia called out, looking to the Toads of her squad, "Sound off!"
"Oh, the aim of our patrol," the toads began to sing, repeating the lyrics that the human girl taught them, "Is a question rather droll. For to march and drill, Over field and hill!" Percy blew his trumpet, waking up the last irreducible frogs who were trying to sleep.
"Is a military goal!" Amelia chanted.
"Is a military goal!" The Toads repeated behind her, as many children gathered on the two sides of the road, cheering.
"Hup, two, three, four! Give it up, two, three, four!" Amelia turned to the left, the Toad patrol now marching on a small road that would lead them out of the borders of the town, toward the farms and grazing fields where many farmers were already busy with their daily toils.
"By the ranks or single file, Over every swampy mile. Oh, we stamp and march, Through the underbrush!"
"In the military style!" The children cheered at once, before the toads repeated the line.
"In the military style!"
"Hey, Percy! Percy!" Some children called out for the newest town storyteller and musician, the gentle toad smiling as he greeted them back, "When will you tell us some new story?"
"Tonight!" Percy smirked, a warm feeling of acceptance and belonging flooding through his body, "Same time as last time, still in the main plaza!"
The children cheered once again, and Percy had to move a hand over his right eye as he felt a tear of compassion running down his cheek. Ever since he and the others had decided to accept the humans' offer to stay in Wartwood, his life had changed for the better. Their new commander had even appointed him as the official 'one-Toad band' of the Militia, tasked with playing music to accompany them during their marches and training. Not only was he now free to follow his dreams of becoming a comedian, now he also got an interested and always-eager public that he could impress with his acting and delight with his stories every once in a while.
He was happy.
"Hup, two, three, four. Keep it up, two, three, four!" Their commander chanted, pointing to the crossroad in front of them. "To the left, boys! Percy, blow the trumpets and beat on the drum!"
"Yes ma'am!" He grinned as he started to play the music once again, the toads following Amelia as they walked out of the town and among the fields, heading back to their barracks. Yet, as they surpassed the crossroad, Percy felt a lump in his throat as his eyes laid on a sadly familiar structure towering in the middle of a grass field, not too far from the town's gates.
In the aftermath of the battle, one of their first jobs was to gather the bodies of all their fallen comrades who had died during the battle, slain by their treacherous tenant and his mechanical abominations, put their remains together, and then bury them in Wartwood's cemetery, side by side with the frogs they had given their lives to subjugate. The captain even led a small group of them to the ruins of the tower, to dig up the bodies of those who had perished within their fortress, so they could rest together with their brothers and sisters.
Another tear, this time of sadness, ran again on his cheek. Would they still be alive? Would they still be here if he and Braddock had taken a more direct approach, to try and tell the captain of the treachery of that…psycho? Or their effort only would have ended in their own death as well?
The Toad patrol kept marching, leaving the monument behind them. At least now, they would have been able to rest in peace…
(…)
"I feel like everyone on this island is suspicious, Peruvia, except you!"
"But, Randy, I think you're suspicious!"
"Noooo!"
"Wow. Randy too?" Grime laughed, "Everyone really is suspicious!"
"If you think this is good, wait till you finish the rest of the season," Anne gave the toad a sly grin, just before she realized someone was looking at them from the door.
"Ahem!" Sasha coughed, stamping on the ground with her boot. "Boonchuy, Grimesy, while I am happy you have found an activity to bond together, I think this is enough for now. I remind you we should work on protecting Wartwood and its inhabitants, not waste time lazing around and carousing. Mar-Mar and the boys are already gathered, it's just you now."
"Fine, Captain." Grime chuckled, getting up from his chair. The former commander of Toad Tower had changed greatly from his previous self: he was now wearing a deep green uniform with white stripes (the colors of the Wartwood Militia), as well as letting himself grow a beard under his chin. Yet, he was still an excellent fighter on his own and a good commander that had been able to climb the ranks once again. "What do we have to discuss today?"
"The outpost near the Doom Lagoon just confirmed that the last ice blocking the pass has melted. That means that the road connecting the Valley with the rest of Amphibia is now open."
"I can't believe it." Anne said with a dreamy voice, "You mean we could finally make some real progress with the Box? To recharge it and…return home?"
"Felicia said it herself: if anyone can help us get back home, we will probably find out in Newtopia. Of course, before leaving we must make sure the Valley stays safe in our absence."
The trio walked down, up to the main room of the building, where the four remaining humans were sitting already. Jacob was busy polishing his hammer, Amelia was sitting with her legs crossed, trying to mediate, James was looking outside of the window, and Marcy was busy adding even more notes and sketches in her Journal.
"Oh, nice for you to come, girls!" Jacob said, leaning on his chair. "So, how are our Calamity Duo today?"
"We are fine, Jacob." Anne shrugged, yet unable not to smile. "I mean, even if I am still unused to it, the fact that Sasha managed to activate her own powers as well–"
"Those were the pink gem's powers, right?" Jacob interjected, before she could even finish her sentence, "That's the gem associated with Strength! Then, my gem must be Courage!" The boy grinned, almost savoring the moment he would be able to use superpowers as well.
"Seems like someone is very excited about getting cool anime powers, don't you think Mar-Mar?"
"Who wouldn't be, Sash?!" The dark-haired nerd replied with cheerfulness, "I'm still not over the concept that we all have powers inside our bodies! And that my two best friends have already awakened them-"
"Mar-bles!" Anne and Sasha intervened together to calm down their over-enthusiastic friend, "Please, try to contain your enthusiasm. We have more urgent issues to discuss, remember?"
"Understood, girlfriends. Still, later can you come with me for a bit? I have some theories I would like to test with your…assistance…"
"Didn't you have plans with Maddie later?" James raised an eyebrow.
"We canceled for today!" Marcy nervously laughed, scratching the back of her head, "Farine has not fully healed yet, so she's trying to help as best as she can."
"Guys! Let's focus!" Sasha spoke once again, and this time, everyone shut up, Grime looking proudly at the blonde human. They had been together for a short time, yet it felt like he had seen her grow up now. Now he understood why Felis the Red and her bloodline had accepted her into their family.
You could become part of that family too if you accept Miss Ivy's suggestion-
The toad shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away. No matter if little Miss Sundew was a fan of his, there was no way she wasn't joking when she suggested marrying her mom. Moreover, he hadn't been the kind of toad to marry frogs, no matter how skilled or beautiful they were.
"Let's start with the basics. James, how's the situation at the main gate?"
"Excellent, Sash!" The British boy replied, "We have finished repairing the last damages left from the battle, plus now both the gates and the walls connected to it are made with hard stones instead of with simple wood. Gary is already planning yet another expedition to the Tower to salvage new stone blocks, but I can say the Town is safe, at least for now."
"I am still amazed that Gary could accomplish all of this in such a short time," Grime murmured. "Another couple of expeditions, and we could make this town a true fortress."
"That reminds me," Marcy sniped in, "Loggle said the new ballista and catapult built according to my blueprints should be delivered in a couple of days at most. With those weapons at the top of the walls, we'll be able to defeat anything that dares to attack Wartwood! I would even say that they'll be greatly effective even in case of another Heron's attack, so no need for any Calamity powers!"
"I'll check this with Loggle later," Anne nodded. "Grimsey, how are Percy and the others faring in our new regime? I know they come from a harsh training and many of them are still experiencing trauma after, well…"
"After Aiden, you mean?" Grime raised an eyebrow.
The humans said nothing, their faces morphing into haunted expressions as they started to have flashbacks of that meeting. How they had found out that another human had been living in Amphibia without them knowing; how he suggested they become his subordinates (or in the girls' case, wives); how he revealed to consider Amphibians as nothing more than animals, viewing them with a hate so strong many had been shocked by it; his giant robotic soldiers, the massacre, the blood, the death-
"I guess it's a good thing we put that behind us." Amelia hurried to reply, still shuddering as he remembered how Aiden asked her to become his 'assassin'. Every time she thought about it, she felt disgusted and horrified.
"I guess they are doing well," the toad continued. "True, many of them are still traumatized after the events they were forced to endure, especially how I let myself be tricked by him and allowed his sweet words to cloud my own judgment." He looked aside, feeling guilty for not being able to see the truth until he backstabbed him…literally, as the wound on his back still reminded him. "But I guess this town, and the Frogs living in it, helped many of us to heal. I don't think I've ever seen Percy being this happy about his job before. And I do have to admit that the music and song you taught my soldiers are quite…catchy."
Amelia shrugged, as everyone else looked at her. "I…I just wanted to share some of the songs I love."
"Always knew you were a Disney nerd under that hat."
"Sasha!" Amelia jerked up, her cheek blushing while Jacob tried not to show his amusement. "What's the issue with my songs?"
"The fact that they all come up from movies for children?" Anne teased her.
"They are not movies for children!" Amelia defended her taste. "They're classics!"
"Still!" Sasha said in a louder tone of voice, trying to move the discussion back on its tracks, "As some of us already know, the Mountain Pass that divides the Valley from the rest of Amphibia has finally cleared out, thus soon we will be able to set forth to Newtopia, where we will look for solutions how to return home. However, we must keep in mind that, as we leave, the Valley risks remaining vulnerable to any kind of…menace."
"You mean that snotty, jerk prince charmless, right?" James said, still feeling angry every time he thought back to Aiden.
"Indeed!" The blonde girl replied quickly, her urge to punch someone rising for every second she remembered Aiden's face. "And this is why, before leaving, I want to make sure that we settle every issue we still have unsolved, and make sure all the towns in the Valley are properly protected during our absence. You follow me?"
"Huh, yeah?" Marcy raised an eyebrow, unsure where Sasha was leading the discussion.
"Good! Then, as for this moment, I, Sasha Elizabeth Waybright, step down from my role as Commander of the Wartwood Militia-"
"WHAT?!" Grime gasped, shock taking over him, "Is…is this a joke?"
"Nope, Grimsey!" Sasha smiled at him, "I can't continue to lead them if we're going to leave the Valley, and the people in the Valley will need a new leader that can provide them with order, security, and protection. Yet, I think I have the perfect candidate in mind for my replacement-"
"I do too," Jacob spoke up. "And I think we're thinking of the same person."
The former commander of Toad Tower, now sergeant in the Wartwood Militia, looked around as he saw all six the humans were looking at him with an approving look, his eyes widening in realization.
"You…You-"
"Sergeant Grime," Sasha turned to face him once again, her eyes filled with heartwarming emotion, "we entrust you with the leadership of the Militia, with the duty to protect the people of the Valley from any kind of aggression, to ensure the safety of its settlements and communication routes. Do you accept?"
"You trust me?" The toad gasped once again, unable to think of anything else to say. "After everything I did?"
"I won't dance around it, yes, you were quite dumb and arrogant, even before you met Aiden." Jacob nodded, remembering everything Percy, Braddock, and the others told him. "Yet, in the days you were with us you have changed. A lot."
"The soldiers who used to fear you, now respect you once again!" Marcy happily chirped. "And the Wartwood' folks, now look at you with respect rather than with fear. You even have your own little fan club now."
"Made by my little sister, of all people." Sasha chuckled a little bit.
"Plus, you're the best one we have. No one else here is more knowledgeable about military experience than you," James intervened. "And Leatherleaf said he wasn't interested already."
"And don't forget about Newtopia!" Amelia said as well, as realization had struck her just then, "Now that the mountain pass is open once again, emissaries from Newtopia are bound to come to the Valley, just as we plan to go to the big city. You were the former leader of Toad Tower; thus, they'll be more trusting if they see you in charge."
"I'm…not quite sure about the last point." Grime scratched the back of his head. To tell the truth, he had suspected all the time that the result of him becoming commander of the Southern Toad Tower was due to the meddling of the other Toad Lords; especially one. This was one of the main reasons why he strove to shape his soldiers before Aiden used his goal to manipulate him and blind him to his own cruelty.
"Grime," Sasha said, her hand grabbing the Toad's shoulder and looking at him. "I know how you're feeling. You're desperate not to make the same mistakes you already did, even at the cost of going overboard in the opposite sense, but this is not healthy as well. Wartwood and the Valley need protection, and above everything, they need a leader who can protect them from any danger, that they can entrust with their own lives, charismatic and good-looking. In short, someone like you. Wartwood needs you, we need you. We can make a difference. Amphibia needs Grime, the fiercest fighter of the Newtopia Coliseum, more than ever! Are you with us?"
Grime said nothing for a couple of seconds before his smile grew and joined hands with Sasha. "Yes. I'm with you, more than ever."
"Then, welcome back, Captain Grime…"
"-another important thing you must keep in mind, is not never step on the ground where you have just planted your seeds, because doing that-"
"I'm home!" Amelia announced, opening the door of the farm, and walking inside, noticing the toad that was sitting with Hop Pop, carefully listening to his lessons about cultivating and plant care. "Oh, Braddock! I wasn't expecting to see you today as well. How's the garden coming along?"
"Oh, it's gorgeous!" The female toad replied in a delighted voice. "You should see the squash-"
"Amelia!" Sprig and Polly yelled, jumping down from the stairs, and coming to greet her. "You're back, how did it go at the Barracks?"
"It was good, I'd say." The girl with the cone hat said, "Long story short, Grime is once again the captain, and he will take care of everything while we are gone. Hope that's not a problem for you, girlfriend?"
"Don't worry about me, kiddo," Braddock chuckled, "Sure, I'll miss you while you and your friends will be away, but-"
"Huh, Braddock?" Hop Pop interrupted her, "Maybe it would be better to move our gardening lesson to…another time if that doesn't bother you. Is that an issue?"
"Not at all. Is that for some…family issue?"
"You could say that, yeah." The old frog replied, his tone of voice puzzling Amelia.
"Ok, then. I'll better be going-"
"Huh, what's going on, HP?" Amelia raised an eyebrow as Braddock left, leaving the four of them alone. "Is this for something I did?"
"No." Hop Pop replied, taking a deep breath. "Will Anne and the others be away for…some time?"
"Huh, yeah? I mean, Marcy went with Anne and Sasha to 'test their cool, anime powers', Jacob impressed James for one thing-"
"Good. To tell the truth, I think we should talk about something that happened that night." Hop Pop said, once again with a solemn voice, looking over Sprig and Polly. "About…Aiden."
"Are you still worried about him, for what he said? For when he tried to attack Sprig?"
"Of course I am! But more than that, I am worried about the name he said as he tried to hurt him, the same name you once asked me if it was inside our Family Shrub. Leif."
Amelia gasped, feeling her blood going cold, exchanging a glance with Polly, the tadpole's eyes widening like hers, as they both realized Hop Pop had managed to connect enough points already. Sprig, for his part, kept looking at them, unable to understand what was going on.
"Girls, I know you've been keeping something secret," Hop Pop said as he looked at Amelia and Polly, the polliwog gasping as well as he realized he knew she was into it as well. "I played my part, I pretended not to know there was something that you were keeping from us, letting you do what you felt you needed to do, but now, I can't turn a blind eye anymore. Not when the security of my own family is at risk."
"How-how long have you known?" Amelia murmured, certainly not expecting this twist.
"I've known since the day you both came home relaxed and peaceful after you skipped spending the day with the other girls to go exploring the forest."
"How?"
"How?!" Hop Pop repeated, "I raised children two times in my life, and I was young too! I didn't know what happened on that day, but I assumed you went on some small adventure on your own."
"Hop Pop…" Polly said, only for the grandfather to continue.
"I'm not angry with you two, really, I'm not. But…I'm scared because now I know there is someone out there that tried to hurt my grandchildren. Someone who could still try again, and the next time, we wouldn't be so lucky. Please, tell me what you know. Who is this Leif, and how is she connected to us?"
Amelia didn't say anything, her emotions running wild once again as she felt her legs growing weaker, the wannabe samurai sat down as exchanged a silent dialogue with Polly, the hotblooded tadpole uncharacteristically devoid of words. And then-
"Fine," Amelia said, letting out a sigh. "I suppose it is time for you to know. But, before we start, I want to warn you that what we know might not be of your liking."
"Psh, how bad could it be?" Sprig commented. "True, you two had a secret, but what kind of secret-"
"We met the Moss Man." Polly simply said, stopping for a second as she waited for Sprig and Hop Pop's reactions.
"Say what?" The young frog murmured, his eyes widening in shock.
(…)
"Ok, Marbles?" Sasha asked, raising her hand as she tried to get the attention of her friend, the dark-haired girl setting her phone so she could have a videotape plus the notes she would add to her Journal. "What are we doing here?"
"We're going to train your superpowers, of course!" Marcy replied with an overexcited tone, "I mean, Anna-Banana and I already did some test earlier, but now that we have two Calamity anime power users awakened-"
"It's…nothing you should get worried about, Sash," Anne hurried to tranquilize her friend. "So far, we have only done some small tests to try and understand how to activate my powers, as well as to get used to using them. It's not too different from our martial art training: the more you practice, the more fluid you get."
"I guess so," Sasha replied, still unsure how to feel. She still remembered the day she saw Anne awaken her own powers for the first time, how shocked and astonished she had felt when she saw her friend glow in bright blue light and take two behemoth birds with super strength and super speed. And now…was the emotional turmoil she had been experiencing the same path she had walked through?
Though I must admit, having cool anime powers is pretty awesome, she snickered as she clenched her fist. "So, what's the first order in business?"
"We need to check your powers, so the first thing we need you to do is to activate them." Marcy set ready to take notes and sketches for the experiment, "So far, we have found a system-"
"A system to activate superpower?" Sasha smiled.
"Yeah, but it's not quite easy," Anne commented, looking far away. "As far as we have learned, since our powers are…connected with emotions, we have to summon back the mindset we were experiencing when we managed to activate them the first time."
"You mean-"
"Yes," Marcy intervened, "We did try different ways to activate them without having to think back to those moments, but none of them worked, so far."
"Ok, Sash," Anne grabbed her friend's hands as she looked at her directly in the eyes, connecting with her empathically, "You remembered how you felt when you ended up activating your first time? When Ivy and Felicia-"
"I do, Boonchuy," Sasha replied with a meek tone of voice, her eyes closed as she remembered those dramatic moments. The robots attacking Wartwood, pitted onto them by the order of an evil, psych prince wannabe; the dark shadows looming over her adoptive family; Grimsey struggling to hold his ground against one of the robots, the other one ready to attack; the horror, the shock, the unbearable feeling of being powerless, of not being able to do anything-
Sasha opened her eyes, as she realized something inside her had changed, and came to face Anne, her friend once again shining in her now-characteristic blue light. She looked down at her hands, and she saw her body enveloped by a similar energy, pink in color.
"How-how do I look?" Sasha asked, turning to face Marcy, her dark-haired friend looking at her with eyes full of glitter, her hands moving frantically as she was now drawing a sketch of her two best friends holding hands, each one glowing in anime powers.
"Sasha…you're amazing!" Marcy said, unable to stop watching or draw her friend's current form. Sasha's hair wasn't simply glowing in pink, it was replaced with pure pink energy shaped like a ponytail, the same energy burning fiery in her iris, flowing through her body as the blue energy flowed into Anne. Where the two energies connected, as the girls kept holding each other's hands, small sparks ran through her fingers and palms: yet, the girl didn't feel like their power energies were in conflict. Rather, it felt like they were in synergy with each other.
"Ok, I have, like, one million questions now," Sasha commented, still unsure about how to feel.
"Yes, me too," Anne commented with a sigh. "But we have no one that can answer that. This is why we're doing this: going by trial and error is our best chance to find as much as we can about these powers and how to manage them."
"How about doing something more instead of simply connecting then, Boonchuy?" Sasha's lips twisted into a smirk. In every manga, anime, and comic book where a character gets glowing superpowers, they show off at the beginning by shooting up at something.
"Do you have some suggestions, Sash?"
"Sure thing! Let's see…" The pink-powered girl looked around, searching for a suitable target, until she saw a large rock standing in the middle of nowhere. Her smile grew, as she raised her arm and summoned all her willpower, pointed at the rock.
At first, nothing happened. Then, Anne and Marcy's eyes widened as they saw a trickle of pinkish light condense on Sasha's raised arm and hand before departing as fast as it had gathered, the blast of energy hitting the big rock on a straight shoot and blasting it, leaving only a few pieces on the side, many small pieces of rocks and dust (whatever was left of the chunk the girl had just vaporized) falling onto the ground.
"Wow!" Anne said with an astonished look, before looking at her own hands. Could she pull up something like this as well if she tried?
"Sasha!" Marcy gasped as well, mentally wondering if her phone had caught all of that, "Did you…did you just blow up a rock?!"
"I guess I can be even more awesome, when I want to." Her friend smiled, "So, want to try something different?!"
An idea blossomed in Marcy's mind, thinking back to what she read in Hop Pop's book about the Calamity Gems and the powers that were supposed to be granted to their bearers. Make nearby crops grow better, heal wounds, and cure diseases-
"Maybe I have an idea!" Marcy suggested, making a sign for Sasha and Anne to come closer, "It's something I wanted to try, ever since we started translating that book…
(…)
"Huh, Jacob?" James asked, raising an eyebrow, "Small question: why did you want to talk with me alone? Is it for something 'guy-talk' related?"
"To tell the truth, no." The other boy replied, sitting on a small log lying on the ground. "The reason I wanted to talk with you today is about the girls. More specifically…about their powers."
"It's our powers, remember?" James was quick to point out, "I mean, according to the book, every one of us has it inside: Anne and Sasha are just the first among us to be able to awaken theirs."
"I know," Jacob replied as quickly, "But there is another thing I remember. You remember the small…experiments we did with Anne when we first awoke her powers?"
"Sorry, I wasn't there." The British kid sat down as well, "But Marcy gave me a smattering."
"Did she tell you that, in order to activate their powers, they have to relive the same set of emotions and turmoil they experienced the first time, again and again?"
James stopped and looked at Jacob with eyes filled with dread and shock. Yeah, Saint James' regular prankster and blithe free spirit boy thought as he saw that, I guess you didn't know that until I told you now.
"They…what?!"
"The powers activate in moments of emotional turmoil, remember?" Jacob continued restlessly, "When Anne first activated her powers, she did because she believed Sprig and Polly had just been eaten by the herons. When Sasha activated hers, Felicia and Ivy, her adoptive mom and sister, were being targeted by two giant robots commandeered by a psycho prince!"
"It's too bad Sasha broke them into many pieces. We could have managed to learn something-"
"My point is," Jacob said with a deeper voice, looking at James like he was failing to grasp the whole point of the conversation, "every time one of them needs to use their power, they must feel the same set of emotions. How would you feel if you were forced into one of the most dramatic moments of your life, again and again?"
Silently, James asked himself how he would feel if he was forced to relive such a moment. For example, the day his grandfather-
Yup, I would never want to relive that day over and over.
"I can see the logic in your reasoning." The British boy said, "Still, I'm not sure what you plan to do. I mean, I'm sure Marcy will come up with a different way-"
"She did already. Many times." Jacob replied, taking off a sheet of paper and a pencil from his backpack. "None of them worked. But maybe, I have an idea that could."
"You do? How?!"
"Superhero comic book fan, remember?" Jacob allowed a smug smile to blossom on his lips, looking at his bro like he had just discovered fire. "And in many comics, the heroes have to trigger their transformation sequence by shouting one specific sentence, or reciting an oath…"
"Like Green Lantern?" James said, Jacob looking at him with widened eyes, "What? Just because I'm not a fan it doesn't mean I don't know the basics!"
"I guess I'll refrain from deepening the question," Jacob snickered, a part of him positively surprised. "Anyway, you hit the mark. In the comics Green Lantern uses a special sentence and mantra to activate his powers: the Oath of the Green Lantern. The Oath not only allows him to channel his determination and hope, but it's also a powerful reminder of his mission and strengthens his mindset, and through that, his powers."
"Let me guess, you think that if Anne or Sasha could use a similar mantra to activate their powers, it could work?"
"It would be faster and more efficient, and less traumatic than having to relive some of your worst fears and memories every time." The former prankster nodded, "Plus, being able to activate and use such powers at will would be invaluable should we need to use them against a new, all-powerful enemy…or for one or those side effects we found out by the translation."
"And what do you need me for?"
"I need you to help me to come up with some good mantras, one of each of us, that we could use to summon our powers and control them. I mean, come on: you were born in the land of the greatest dramaturgists of all times, I'm sure you can have an easier time than myself to come up with four rhyming short sentences!"
"You're not a big fan of poetry, aren't you?" James chuckled, before continuing. "Very well, let's get to work bro!"
"So, let me get this straight," Hop Pop spoke, looking over Amelia and Polly, the small tadpole standing in the human's arms while Sprig was at their left, having listened to the whole story. "You met the Moss Man. The REAL Moss Man, the one that everyone believes to be a myth, and that only gullible people and folks like Wally would think to be true."
"We met it twice, actually." Polly said, Sprig gasping for the -nth time as he heard that.
"The first time it was only us, but the next one," Amelia scratched the back of his head, "Anne and the others met it as well. It gave Marcy a small gift too."
"You mean the pendant she currently wears?" Sprig said with an amazed expression. "It's a gift from the Moss Man?!"
"Yup, and when we met him," the human continued, "he revealed to us that he used to have someone who was close to him, and whose name was Leif."
"So, this is why you asked if there was someone named Leif in our family shrub." Hop Pop replied, his suspects now being confirmed, "But…she wasn't."
"Yeah, and this is why I assumed she wasn't related to you. However, after hearing Aiden say that name when he saw Sprig, it got me thinking. Plus, the hidden rooms of the Plantar family underground, and the book where you first found about the Box gave us some clear hints."
"You think they're all connected?" Polly gasped, "How?"
"First of all, we don't know how old that book is," Amelia quickly replied, all three frogs focusing on her, "And the myth of the Moss Man is old too. So, either there are more than one…or our friend living in the forest is quite long-living."
"You think he's actually that old?" Sprig said, raising an eyebrow.
"Aiden claimed to be and while he could have been lying, he sounded quite sincere with such affirmations. And the book's warning about the Box could have been against him. This would even explain why all members of the Plantar family pretended to be mere farmers and hid their talents under the family farm."
"Hey, what's wrong in being farmers? Marcy said: We are the backbone of society and don't get enough credit for it!" Hop Pop protested before calming down, "Still, that would explain many things…"
"But why Aiden," Sprig said, his voice trembling for a moment as he pronounced that name, "mistook me for this Leif?"
"Probably because you look very similar to her? And that could be explained if she was a member of the Plantar family." Amelia concluded, Hop Pop's eyes widening as he heard that. "You know how it works in families: every few generations, the same face can reappear more than once. I guess even Polly would look like that if she was a bit older."
"For once I am quite happy to not have my legs yet." The polliwog nodded.
"But if she was in the family shrub," Hop Pop moved to grab the Pantar Family History book, "Why doesn't her name appear even once?"
"Beats me." Amelia rolled her eyes. "So far, our best guess is that either Leif wasn't her real name, or she changed it at some point. If she was trying to hide from someone else, that could explain it."
"Y-you mean-"
The four members of the Plantar family, frogs and humans, shared glances filled with worry as they stared down the partial truth they had managed to assemble. If Aiden's claims to be more than a thousand years old were true, how long had he been looking for Leif? How long had the Plantars unwittingly been hiding from this psychopath? Did it mean that, now that he knew about them, he would target them for whatever purpose he was doing this?
Hop Pop took a step back, as he felt his own blood turn cold, fear gripping his mind. For more than a thousand years, a dangerous maniac had been looming over them.
And now, he had found them.
(…)
"So, what are we supposed to do here, again?" Anne asked, looking around the various vegetables growing in the fields surrounding the farm."
"We're going to test your powers, of course!" Marcy said with her usual never-ending enthusiasm. "Now, choose a vegetable."
"Mar-Mar?" Sasha raised an eyebrow with a puzzled expression, "While I think that it would be quite fun, I don't think HP wouldn't be too happy about us burning the crops."
"We are not going to burn them, Sash. We are going to make them grow out of proportions!"
"Make them grow?" Anne asked, surprised, "With our powers?"
"Yes! Don't you remember, Anna-Banana: The Gem's power was used to make crops grow in the past. How about test it out?"
"Look, it's not that I am against it, only…I have no idea how to do it."
"Me neither," Sasha nodded, "And I fear that if I touch them, I may end up disintegrating them instead of making them grow."
"That's one of the risks, yes." Marcy murmured, chuckling as she tried to repress her nervousness once again. This was the reason why she wasn't too enthusiastic to try and ask Anna-Banana and Sash to try and heal Farine's wounds. Forgive me Maddie, but I won't try untested medical powers on your family until I'll be 100% sure it will work with no side effects.
Anne looked around, to the many vegetables and crops she and her friends had spent so many days with. Ever since Hop Pop took them under his care and gave them a place to sleep (no matter how cold, dusty, or smelly the basement was). She remembered how she used to think the farm was a dirty place with exhausting work, but now?
Now it started to feel like home, even more than the one she already had on Earth.
Her lips twitched into a smile, as she remembered how many happy moments she had ever since they arrived here. How they met Sprig and how he ended up becoming her best friend. The crazy adventures they had, the good memories they shared or how much she had grown as a person and as an individual. And not just her: Sasha, Marcy, Jacob, James, and Amelia, every one of them had changed so much, and they all had made new friends and had happy moments in this world.
Hop Pop, Sprig, Polly, Felicia, Ivy, Maddie, Stumpy, Soggy Joe, Wally, Mrs. Croaker, the girl though in happiness, being surrounded by such kind people helped us so much. This is why we had been able to adapt so nicely to this place, and I've never felt so welcomed. So…
Anne didn't notice, but as she thought back to all the kindness she had received, to all the frogs that helped her ever since she arrived here, a light appeared on her chest, and she felt a strange, yet pleasant warmth growing on it.
…I want to be able to help them, as much as I can.
"Boonchuy!" Sasha gasped, the first to notice what was happening to her friend, "What's happening to you?!"
"Anne-Banana! Your chest…is glowing!"
"Huh?!" Anne looked down, suddenly brought back from her thoughts, as she noticed a small globe of blue light glowing over her chest, smaller globes appearing all around her. "What-what's going on?" Is this…
As one of the smaller globes impacted with one of the vegetables, a turnip, the globe's energy was being absorbed by the plant, its skin glowing.
Anne looked back at Marcy and Sasha, her friends looking back at her with their jaws open, silently watching. Was this the power Marcy was talking about less than a minute ago? The ancient power of the gems, imbued into their bodies, that could make crops grow, cure all diseases, and heal any wound?
Please, Anne though as she closed her eyes, focusing on the energy flowing into her, please let it work.
The orb of blue light on her chest began swirl faster and faster, the other orbs around her growing steadily, until a large wave of azure energy departed from her body and spread all over the fields, covering them with blue energy that was quickly absorbed by the plants and vegetables that come into contact with it, each vegetable that got its share of energy glowing for a good minute.
At first, nothing had visibly changed, except for the glowing skin of every vegetable. But a few seconds later…
The plants began to grow, the carrots and the turnips, the pumpkins and the eggplants, the cabbages and the cauliflowers, all began to grow, slowly but steadily, the three girls watching in amazement as they saw the veggies become bigger and bigger with every passing second, in leap and bounds, until every one of them had become bigger by a third compared to their previous sizes.
"Anna-Banana!" Marcy ran to her friend, the excitation in her voice reaching new heights, "You did it!"
"I…I guess so?" The girl replied, her knees feeling a little weak, as she watched over the larger-than-usual crops surrounding them. "Did I really do this?"
"Boonchuy, that was amazing!" Sasha interjected, "How did you understood what to do?"
"I guess that's-"
"Girls!" Hop Pop shouted, opening the door of the farm and rushing outside, Sprig, Polly, and Amelia (the human girl holding the tadpole in her hat), "What's going on? We saw some flashes of light and- say whaaaat?!" The old frog gasped as soon as his eyes laid onto the fields, and he saw his vegetables having grown bigger and more beautiful than he could ever imagine.
"What happened to the vegetables? Marcy, did you manage to develop a fertilizer even better than the one you made already?"
"Sorry, Sprig: not me this time!" The dark-haired girl hurried to say, pointing at her friend, "This time it's all Anne doing!"
"Anne?" Amelia raised an eyebrow, understanding what Marcy meant. "Does that mean-"
"Yeah!" Sasha smiled with a smug expression, "You remember that secret power of the gems, that could make crops grow faster and bigger? Found it!"
"You mean…you did this, Anne?" Sprig said, his eyes even bigger in amazement.
"Most importantly, can you do it again?" Hop Pop's eyes shined.
"I…suppose we can do some more tests?" Anne replied, looking at Sasha and Marcy.
(…)
"Ok Sasha, let's do that again!" Marcy said, everyone else standing behind her and watching the blonde girl test her newfound skills, "Remember: you must keep your mind in the point between fear, and serenity."
Sasha nodded, closing her eyes once again, feeling the power of the gem rushing through her blood, thinking back to all the happy moments she had shared with Ivy, her family and Grimsey. Curiously, the more the human thought back to the toad, she more she felt like…like the relationship between the two of them was not close to transcend mere friendship: maybe-
Don't let Ivy's words mess with you, the image of Felicia admonished her, especially when you start thinking about me and Mr. Grime getting married!
Sasha repressed a chuckle, as she felt her powers focusing once again, the pink light of the energy growing in her chest, the gem's power condensing around her before being released suddenly, once again impregnating every vegetable that was in their radius. She almost fell to the ground, her tired body aching for how many times she had done this already, as she saw Marcy and Amelia rushing to assist her.
"Amazing, amazing!" Hop Pop almost yelled in excitement, seeing his vegetables getting bigger and bigger with every infusion of power. "Again, let's do it again!"
"Hop Pop, please!" Anne groaned from the bench she was currently resting on, her body aching in pain. "You asked us to do it several times already!"
"She's right, Hop Pop," Amelia said, as they rushed to bring Sasha to the bench as well, "Moreover, the vegetables are big enough already!" She pointed out to the pumpkin, now almost as big as the house itself.
"But I've never got a harvest like this!" The old frog replied, looking over his now-giant vegetables, the turnips alone now bigger than him, "Is this something you found in the book?"
"Yes, Mr. Pop." Marcy nodded, finishing sketching a small drawing of Sasha pouring her power on the crops and making them grow to such sizes. "Apparently, the gems were also used make crops grow better, so we decided to make a small experiment using the vegetables of your farm. Of course, assuming that doesn't have any side-effect-"
"What's going on here?!" A female voice called out, Sasha raising her head to see her adoptive family (that being Ivy, Felicia, and Sylvia) looking at the giant crops surrounding the farm. "Hoppy, is that you?"
"S-Sylvia?"
"Sprig, what's going on here?" Ivy jumped in, looking around with an amazed expression, "Did Marcy come up with a new fertilizer?"
"Actually, it was all Anne's doing." Sprig chuckled, "And your sister's."
"Wait…Sasha?!" The young yellow frog with tortoise hat gasped, turning to see her blonde adoptive human sister, "You did this?!"
"Sure did." The former school queen chuckled, taking a moment to taste the look of surprise in her family's eyes. "Boonchuy and I were testing our cool anime powers, and apparently we can use them to make crops grow bigger and faster."
Anime powers? Amelia was taken back by Sasha's choice of words. Sure, they were quite appropriate, yet…
"I must admit…this is not something you see every day." Felicia nodded, "What else could this be used for?"
"Well, we haven't tested it yet," Marcy said, showing the Sundew the notes she and the other had translated, "But according to Hop Pop's book, not only the power of the Gems can help us during a fight, but they also grant powers that go from curing diseases to, well, making giant vegetables. And that should be the case for any of us."
"Any of you?" Felicia was the first to notice the hidden meaning of that sentence, "You mean that even you, Amelia or the boys could do it, should your powers awaken as well?"
"I…I think so… maybe?" Marcy started to laugh nervously, clearly feeling uneasy as it hit her that yes, she would probably be able to do the same things that Anne and Sasha could do if she managed to activate her own powers as well.
Suddenly, the way Hop Pop was looking at her and Amelia made her feel weird.
"Anyway," Sasha asked, as Anne slumped against her shoulder, starting to feel sleepy, "Why are you here? Did something happen?"
"To tell the truth, we are here because we need to discuss something important," Sylvia replied, looking around with a prideful, assertive expression. "Can you look out for the boys, and gather everyone? I don't want to be forced to explain it again."
(…)
"Ok, we're all gathered here, as you said," Jacob said, sitting on one chair in the living room of the Plantar's farm, looking at his friends and allies, "What's all this about?"
"Simple," Felicia replied, smiling at him, "now that the mountain pass has cleared off, I guess it is time for us to leave the Valley and help you find the responses you need to go back home. Of course, we're coming with you."
"For real?" Anne asked, with a surprised, yet happy tone of voice, "You're coming with us too?"
"Hey, I'm not leaving my big sis!" Ivy jumped and grabbed Sasha's right arm, the blonde human smirking as she did. "Plus, you're going on a big adventure. You'll travel through unexplored wilderness, mysterious ruins, and savage mountains! All to reach Newtopia, and you don't know what kind of dangers you'll end up meeting. For my whole life I've waited to go on an adventure like this, and mom said that now I'm ready!"
"She is?" Sprig raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I wasn't actually expecting for my own daughter to find out the truth about my past this early, nor that I would have been forced to reveal my identity to the whole town-"
"Come on, Felicia," James spoke, "it's not that bad, right?"
"There are a bunch of new customers coming to the teashop every day," Sylvia revealed, "all here to see the greatest adventurer of Amphibia with their own eyes. Some even came with expensive gifts or come with marriage proposals."
"Grimsey was there too, and he scared them with a glance."
"Ivy!" Felicia protested, her face blushing, "Anyway, I need some time away from the Valley, while the dust settles and the novelty wears off. I may have two daughters now, but I still have all my experience and knowledge as an adventurer, and I have contacts in all the largest settlements from here to Newtopia. Plus, I too would like to have a good adventure with my daughters."
"Sylvia, you're not coming?" Hop Pop asked, noticing how his old-time love had said nothing about herself."
"Believe me, sweet potato, I would love to, but I'm not as young and vigorous as I used to be. Moreover, someone must watch over the teashop while my daughter and granddaughters are away."
"Wait, I have an idea!" Marcy raised her head, her eyes once again filling with enthusiasm. "Can I ask Maddie if she wants to come with us? She knows magic, and she would be invaluable in our journey."
"What?" Ivy stopped, her left eye now twitching for a second as she felt a wave of unfamiliar jealousy.
"I don't see any reason to refuse," Felicia nodded with a thoughtful expression, "I mean, an active combat mage is something rare to see nowadays, and since we can't rule out the chance of facing hostile magic out of the Valley, having an expert on our side might be helpful."
"Yay!" Marcy cheered, "I'll ask her first thing tomorrow morning!"
"Be careful to ask for the permission of her father first!" Hop Pop grumbled, "Farine is still healing from the injuries he received fighting those…things that day."
"Hey, you said the Gem granted the power of healing!" Sprig suggested, "Why can't you try to use it to heal him?"
"Because…we don't know for sure how that works." Marcy quickly replied, confessing her inner fear, "And I don't want to risk causing him some…unpleasant side effects."
"She's right," Sylvia nodded, "Besides, Farine's wounds are not that serious. He's already much better than he was a week ago, and to tell the truth, he deserves a small break from his work. From what I heard, he and his family have more than enough money to make up for him not being able to work for a while, thanks to his adorable assistant and adoptive daughter with black hair-"
"Sylvia!" Marcy lamented, turning around to hear her blushing.
"What? You're adorable Mars, deal with it!" Jacob nodded, prompting the girl to blush even harder, "Just to ask, what do we have to do in order to prepare for the trip?"
"I was hoping you would ask that." Hop Pop smirked, taking off some paper with notes written all over it, "Ok, first thing tomorrow morning you, James and the others will help us harvest all the giant vegetables-"
"But it's not harvest day yet!" James protested, already imagining the hard work in front of them.
"Well, since the vegetables have gotten so big already, why wait?" The old frog replied, both boys groaning in response. "Anyway, we'll need to bring them to the market and sell them. Then, Felicia and I will get the…vehicle needed for the long trip."
"I already know where to find what we need at a good price," the teashop owner nodded.
"Everyone, remember to use your time wisely to prepare your luggage and everything you think we need to bring with us on the journey be careful not to forget anything, but also not to pack useless things. I am talking to you, Sprig!"
"Why, my collection of actions figure is not among the bare essentials?"
"Nu-huh!" Hop Pop rolled his eyes, before turning to the girls, "Amelia, I want you to be sure that Bessie and Akitsu are in good shape for tomorrow. Can you cover that for me?"
"Sure thing, Hop Pop!" The wannabe samurai replied, almost bowing, "Don't worry, I'll make sure they'll be ready and well-rested for our travel."
"Hey, mom, can we bring Liptea with us?!" Ivy suggested, "Two snails are better than one."
"Well, I…suppose so…" Felicia guessed, "At least Bessie will have some company."
"You three!" Hop Pop now looked at Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. "Can you take care of making a list for everything we need to bring? Especially…the thing?"
"You mean the Box, right?" Sasha scoffed, a part of her still angry at him for having broken their trust and attempted to bury the box in the farm's lawn. "Still, I can agree on bringing that with us…but this time, we will watch over it!"
"I guess I deserve that," Hop Pop sighed.
"Come on, Sasha, are you still angry over that?!"
"We could have ended up trapped here forever, Mar-Mar!"
"Girls, girls, calm down!" James intervened, not wanting to waste valuable time in a stale, meaningless discussion that would only reopen old wounds. "I'd say the Box is not the only important thing we need to bring with us: We should also bring the book, this way we can keep up with the translations on our trip; then, our personal weapons of course, as well as a couple of spares from Pollyanna's room; some emergency cash or rations too. I also want to take some items from Gertrude's room-"
I wonder if all this preparation is necessary, Anne asked, rolling her eyes as everyone else listened to James' words. I mean, is not like we are going to fight for our lives again tomorrow…
"Ugh-" Juniper lamented as she crawled froward, desperately trying to flee, the slash over her stomach hurting with every movement as more blood kept pouring out of it.
Dad was dead, his head removed from his body and crushed under their latest 'visitor's' boot. Mom was dead, her body cut in half by the blade of the visitor, her remains splattered over the floor in the inn. Even Juliet, her almost-identical sister was dead, the visitor having stabbed her in the heart with the same swift attack that had cut her on her belly. The only reason why she was still alive was that, while the intruder focused on her sister, she had run, desperately trying to make a getaway to the stable. She knew that many snails (all the snails of the previous visitors that had taken refuge at their inn) were currently detained in there. If only she could get one of them free, if only she could drive one, if only she could get away-
The inn's door behind her slammed open, and a tall, shadowy, and frightening figure with a scary look glared at her. Juniper looked behind and could see the inn that had been her family's home, and the trap that brought so much food to them before, burning, the intruder having set fire inside of it before focusing once more to her.
The figure marched forward, its metallic boots stomping on the muddy ground, as Juniper realized in horror, that it was over, and that she couldn't escape. That the visitor they had planned to eat, would now kill her as she did with the rest of her family.
"So, this is what was going on, all this time?" The newt hissed, her polite tone of voice barley hiding her anger, "Trapping innocent passerby, forcing them to seek hospitality at your inn, drugging them with tampered cookies, and then eating them? Tell me, how many?"
"How many-what?"
The newt kicked her in the head, "How many frogs ended up in your stomach before I stopped at your door? How many innocents ended up losing their lives, just because they passed too close to your inn?"
"I…I don't remember," Juniper cried, the blood running from her forehead mixing with her tears, "It never mattered, they were just-"
"—food?!" The newt hit her again, the horned bullfrog wimping as she did. "Would you have done the same to me, if I didn't find the truth?"
"You- who are you?!" Juniper yelled back at the newt, who proceeded to stare down at her as the bullfrog kept yelling, begging, and weeping with a pathetic voice, desperately trying to find a way to convince the same newt that she tried to eat before to spare her life.
"My name is General Yunan," the newt in armor, with many medals appointed over her chest to attest her previous successes.
"Scourge of the Sand Wars," she kicked the cannibal frog again, a couple of teeth departing her mouth.
"Defeater of Ragnar the Wretched," she hit her on her stomach with a fist.
"-and the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the great Newtopian Army!" She finally yelled, unsheathing the switchblades in her right gauntlet, before using them to cut the bullfrog's head, her now-detached skull rolling away.
Yunan rolled her shoulder, the inn burning behind her, as all the anger she had felt barely a minute ago began to dissipate. Then, she moved again, walking toward the stable she had seen before. As she moved the doorway with her shoulder, the Newtopian general almost gasped as she saw several snails, one of them wearing a band with the words 'JUST HITCHED' on its side, detained in there, all of them with a conspicuous trap on their tail to prevent them to escape.
They surely got a better end that they deserved, Yunan thought angrily, quickly moving to remove the restraints of every snail. She had faced many enemies in the years she had been a soldier, and then an officer of the Newtopian Army, but sometimes she could still feel the shiver, every time she ended up facing a being so dastardly and villainous whose actions were an outrage to every society and culture.
She chose one, an adult red snail with a small luxury sedan chair on its shell and that looked like it was more energetic and vigorous than the others, quickly jumping on its back and seizing the reins, the other snails following as they quickly left the stable and dispersed, leaving that place of horror behind them. Maybe, they would find new owners or make a new life as free snails in the wild.
Yunan gave them a sympathetic smile, the former inn now completely enveloped by flames, before focusing back on her duty. The orders she had received from King Andrias were clear, and she had lost too much time already between the last thawing of the pass, and many other 'incidents' she had met on the road.
It's time to check if the rumors I heard are true, the newt though as she passed a lone road sign with the words 'TO WARTWOOD' written over it.
Once again, the cosmic forces of an all-dimensional being were at work…