Amphibia: Calamity Warriors

by JamesFames

Upon arriving in a strange new world, full of dangerous creatures and anthropomorphic frogs, instead of the Plantars, Anne ends up living with a mysterious stranger who seems more human than he lets on. Join Anne as she searches for her friends and learns more about this cloaked stranger's mysterious past and his connection to the strange music box.

53. Shadows of the Past

Amphibia: Calamity Warriors

Chapter Fifty-Three: Shadows of the Past

It took several minutes for the group outside to make their way down the mountain, although out of all of them, Marcy was the most reluctant.

"Marcy, try to have some faith." Kaemon spoke up. "Master would never let anything happen to Anne; I know it."

"I know, and I want to believe that," Marcy said with a frustrated sigh. "But I just can't shake this feeling that something happened. It felt like the Calamity Connection within me sensed something, something bad…"

"It can do that?" Sprig asked.

"The Calamity within us creates a sort of bond between the Calamity Bearers." Apollo explained. "It sends distress signals when the Bearer nearby is in danger of something life threatening."

"Then we'd better hurry," Valor spoke up. "And pray that we're just overreacting."

Just then, there was a flash of light before them, the group covering their eyes for a moment before gasping at the sight of Shadow, Valeriana and Anne appearing before them. For a moment, Marcy felt relief to see her friends again, only for that relief to turn into dread, the sight of her best friend's prone form in Shadow's arms making her heart drop.

"ANNE!" She screamed, running up to the trio. "What happened?! How did this-?!"

"Save your questions for later, child." Valeriana chastised the Taiwanese girl. "Right now, we must get her back to my shop! The curse on her, it's getting worse as we speak!"

Not wasting anymore time, the group quickly made their way back down the mountain and into Valeriana's tent, Shadow setting Anne on the table for Valeriana to have a closer look. Lowering the collar of Anne's shirt, the old salamander's eyes grew wide with dread at the sight of the Mark; the veins around it was spreading, creeping down her body near her abdomen, as well as up her neck.

"It's worse than I thought." She murmured.

"What is that?" Marcy asked, concerned about her friend's health.

"The Mark of the End." Valeriana told her, deciding to tell them. "A terrible curse mark that kills the soul."

Sprig's eyes widened the minute he heard her say that. "Could she die?" He demanded.

"No, it doesn't affect her life." Valeriana explained. "What it does is eat away at the light within her soul."

"I don't get it." Polly said blandly.

"Our souls are made up of two forces; yin and yang." Apollo chimed in. "Our souls require both in order to tell right from wrong, good and evil."

"Exactly." Valeriana said. "What the Mark is doing is essentially killing the good within her soul, disrupting the balance. Without one part to balance out her soul, she will soon become a husk of her former self."

The group gasped, Shadow especially felt his heart drop, while Marcy had an expression of not only dread, but guilt as well.

"But how did it progress so fast?" Ina asked.

"Back at the summit, when she was stabbed, it wasn't just her flesh to be pierced." Valeriana said. "The attack pierced her soul and sped up the process, accelerating the curse to a critical point of no return." She turned to the group. "How did she get this mark in the first place?"

Everyone in the group seemed hesitant to answer, remembering the events that occurred back at the corrupted Temple of Wit.

"Well, it's hard to explain…" Hop Pop said, struggling to explain without hurting Shadow.

"Some weird entity attacked us, took possession over Shadow," Marcy spoke up. "And through him, it branded Anne."

Hearing this, Shadow felt the color drain from his face, his heart slowing down as the events replayed in his mind.

"I…did this to her?" He choked out.

"Maybe not intentionally." Ina said, hoping to soften the blow. "Do you remember anything?"

"I…remember the version of Marcy mocking us." Shadow said, straining to remember. "Then…everything went dark. Like I was blindfolded and tied up. I could hear what was happening, but…I was unable to do anything…"

Valeriana looked at the prone form of Anne, the Thai girl breathing heavily, the Mark of the End glowing brighter.

"There has to be a way to reverse this!" Marcy yelled, slamming her fists on the table in frustration and worry.

Looking at the group, seeing the worried and frustrated faces, looking at the Thai girls pained face, Valeriana breathed in and exhaled through her nose, seeing no other option.

"There is one way to save her." She revealed. "It's the only place in all of Amphibia that such a ritual can be properly enacted."

"Where?!" Marcy demanded, shooting to her feet.

Everyone gave the old salamander her full attention, before she spoke.

"The Blessed Isles; the City of Valhal."

The group gasped, Clarissa was especially perplexed, if not outraged.

"Grandmother, you can't be serious!" She snapped. "That land is sacred to our people!"

"Right now, this is the only way to save this girl's life!" Valeriana argued.

While most of the group looked on with shock, Sprig and Polly seeming confused, Shadow had a look of guilt on his face.

"Of all places we had to go next," He murmured. "It had to be that place."

"Why do I get the feeling that the Blessed Isles isn't exactly a vacation spot?" Polly asked.

"Oh, far from it, actually." Hop Pop spoke up. "The City of Valhal was a beautiful city in the very core of the Forbidden West, filled with arcane knowledge and wisdom."

"Aren't knowledge and wisdom basically the same thing?" Valor asked with a raised brow.

"Shush!" Hop Pop chastised. "It was once a place where the salamander practiced their arcane craft in peace."

"And now, for the past five years, it's a ghost town." Marcy chimed in. "I remember reading about it from the Newtopian library."

"It's more than a ghost town, child." Valeriana said. "It's a Ruination, crawling with Risen and undead all over! It would be near impossible to cut through them by normal means."

Shadow looked at her with a knowing look, his hands shaking at the memories that haunted him.

"Then I must return to Wartwood," He said, taking hold of his forearms. "…dig up a past I swore would stay buried."

"Shadow…" Hop Pop looked at the boy in black with sympathetic eyes.

Apollo and Marcy looked at him with curious eyes, confused by what he meant.

"Who you were before doesn't matter." Valeriana said, placing a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "Right now, the only thing that matters is saving this girl's life. She is not your past; she is your charge…and she needs the one who loves her."

Anne let out a groan in pain, prompting Marcy and Shadow to rush to her side, Apollo stepping out and letting out a whistle to call Joe and Skye.

"There isn't much time." Valeriana urged. "We must make for the border to the West. Return to Wartwood, dig up your past, do what you need to do. Just prepare yourself and meet us at the border, as quickly as you can. I will do my best to keep the curse from spreading."

"I'll go with you, Master." Kaemon said. "Nothing wrong with having an extra hand."

"Me too!" Sprig declared, hoping on Kaemon's shoulder.

"So will I!" Marcy declared. "Someone needs to fly Joe."

With the three already heading out, Shadow made to follow, before stopping at the entryway.

"Val…" He spoke. "The things I said back there, I…"

Valeriana remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Your words were harsh, but they held some truth. I failed my people and allowed the Risen to dig their claws too deep into Amphibia." She looked over to him. "I will keep her safe. That's a mother's promise."

Shadow turned to her, both sharing a nod before the boy stepped out, Marcy, Sprig and Kaemon already prepping Joe for flight. Well, more like Marcy was doing the majority of the work, while the swordnewt and pink frog watched.

"Never thought we'd be visiting the ruins of a dead nation." She remarked before seeing Shadow approach. "You okay there?"

"I will do what I must." He answered stoically. "Leave me with it."

"Alright." Marcy nodded, watching him climb up to the saddle.

"I'm really worried about Shadow." Sprig said, watching the human boy. "Think he'll be okay?"

"Master will bounce back like he always does." Kaemon assured with confidence. "He just needs time."

"I sure hope so." Marcy said before turning to her faithful bird. "Say goodbye to Skye for now, buddy."

Joe chirped at the roc, Skye returning with a shriek before nuzzling against his head affectionately.

"Awe, a match made in frog heaven." Sprig cooed.

The three got up in the saddle, with Marcy at the reigns, before Joe took off to the skies, Valeriana stepping outside to watch them vanish within the clouds above, with Clarissa by her side.

"You are going to help us." She said to her great granddaughter. "That is not a request."

"If I must." Clarissa sighed.

Valeriana proceeded to remove the chain that kept her bound. "The minute we're done packing, the chain goes back on. The others are still wary of you."

Looking back, Clarissa was within her own thoughts. For as long as she could remember, she saw the boy in black as nothing more than an animal, bent on destruction. But so far, the things she saw went against her assumption. He showed no signs of bloodlust, only sorrow.

'No, it's all an act!' She mental scolded herself. 'This changes nothing!'

And yet, she couldn't help but feel the doubt in her mind.

---

Joe Sparrow soared through the skies, Marcy directing the bird, the boys sitting in complete silence, Sprig and Kaemon looking out at the passing clouds.

Shadow, on the other hand, was deep within his thoughts. Five years had passed since the Black Purge and the Ruination, caused by his hands out of a manipulated desire for vengeance. He could still hear the screams of horror of his past victims, the voices begging for mercy.

And then he heard her.

How could you do this?!

His eyes squeezed shut at the sound of her voice echoing in his mind.

I wanted to protect you from this life!

His heart clenched tight.

You were supposed to be better than this!

The skies darkened as thunder cracked across the sky, the ambience was dark and haunting, Marcy doing her best to focus on flying Joe, Sprig and Kaemon watching with concern, all the while Shadow stared down at his feet.

The minute he looked up, he saw a dark figure with crimson red eyes staring at him.

"Satanael…" He murmured, groaning a bit before looking back down. "Get out of my head…"

He stared at the floor of the saddle for a moment before looking back up again, the dark figure suddenly vanishing from sight.

Eventually, they arrived in Wartwood, the majority of the townsfolk had already gone inside their homes, the bird carefully landing and allowing the riders to dismount, Shadow taking a moment before walking towards the Plantar home, taking up a sledgehammer sat outside. He then stood before Kaemon and Sprig, his two most trusted friends he ever knew.

"I need you both to do me a favor." He said to the two. "Inside Hop Pop's study is a key, and another in my room. I need you two to retrieve both for me. Can you do that?"

"Of course, master." Kaemon nodded.

"Always!" Sprig declared.

"Good boys." The boy in black said. "Now, get to it."

With the boys departing, Sprig going into Hop Pop's room while Kaemon went off for the manor, Shadow stepped inside, sledgehammer in hand and Marcy following behind, before opening the hatch to the basement before taking one step at a time down, his mind clouded with dark thoughts.

'Fate continues to mock me.' He thought bitterly. 'No matter. If digging up the past means I will save Anne, then so be it.'

From the entryway, Marcy watched with concern, her curiosity growing.

'Shadow…just what are you?'

---

Kaemon ran down the dirt path before arriving at the manor, the brother robots waiting and their eyes lighting up as the swordnewt approached, beeping in confusion at the absence of several people.

"Hey, ro-bros." He greeted. "Sorry, but it's an emergency. Anne's in danger."

The swordnewt stepped inside the manor, the robot brothers following, both worried about Anne's wellbeing, before entering Shadow's room.

"Master said there was a key here…"

Kaemon began his search, looking under the bed, looking inside drawers, the closet, even the cracks in the walls. So far, even with the help of Echo and Frobo, the search was fruitless so far.

Sighing, Kaemon fell back into a chair to take a break.

"Am I missing something?"

His eyes darted around the room, looking at the corners, the ceiling, then the floor, before he noticed an indent in the floor. Curious, he got up and moved to the center of the room where the indent was. Getting to his knees, he ran his finger along the indent before it slipped into a hole, Kaemon gasping before he pulled the small portion of the floorboard, revealing a hidden compartment.

"No way!" He reached inside before pulling out a small, black pouch. "This must be it!"

Opening it, inside was a small black key, the end of it resembling a wolf's head.

"Alright, let's roll, ro-bros!" He declared. "No time to lose!"

The swordnewt ran out of the house, the robot brothers following behind.

---

Back at the Plantar house, Shadow stood in the basement, sledgehammer in hand before getting to one knee, running a hand along the concrete floor. It was the very spot where he buried his past. The person he used to be.

The monster that tore down an entire nation.

Steeling himself, he rose to his feet and raised the sledgehammer before bringing it down, leaving a large crack in the floor. He raised the hammer and slammed it down again, making the crack bigger. A third time, the crack grew.

And he didn't stop. Each swing of the hammer, those memories came dredging up.

"HYAAAA!" Shadow screamed as he hit the floor again.

Five years he spent, trying to escape from the trauma inflicted upon him. Trauma he suffered over his mistakes.

"AAAAAAAH!" He hit the floor again.

He always dreaded that this day would come when fate would be cruel to him again. Five years, since he was branded, he tried to move on.

"HYAAAAAA!"

Tried to change for the better, in memory of the ones he loved and lost.

"AAAAAARGH!"

And here he was now, digging up a past he tried so hard to get away from, but a past he could never escape.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The final strike broke the seal open. Underneath was the reminder of his painful past. A past that haunted him, no matter where he went. Within this velvet case was that reminder.

Dropping the sledgehammer, Shadow dropped to his knees and dug away at the broken concrete to reveal the long, velvet colored case, with two locks on the side, clearly requiring two keys to open. Taking the velvet box into his arms, he slowly got to his feet and made his way up the stairs, Marcy sat on the couch, clearly frightened by his angry yelling. She watched the boy in black set the case on the table, taking note of the wolf's head carved onto the surface of the case.

"What is that?" Marcy asked.

"A reminder of my past misdeeds." Shadow said vaguely. "Something that haunted me for the past five years."

Just then, Sprig stepped out from Hop Pop's study, a key in hand.

"Shadow, I've got it!" The pink frog declared.

Just then, the main door opened and Kaemon entered.

"Found it, Master!" The swordnewt declared, holding up the key.

"Thank you both." Shadow nodded to them as he took the keys. "Can you please wait outside?"

Complying, newt and frog stepped outside. Marcy made to follow, but stopped at the doorway.

"Back at the first temple, you offered to lend an ear if I need it." She spoke before turning to him. "Well, I offer you the same thing. Whatever happens, I swear I won't judge you."

Marcy then stepped outside, leaving Shadow with the box and his thoughts. Inserting the keys and turning them to unlock, he lifted the lid, revealing something covered in a black cloth. Undoing the cloth, Shadow laid his eyes upon a pair of Nordic longswords, both serrated on one side, colors consisting of black with silver as the secondary color, the blades themselves separated, connected by a strong thread. Alongside the weapons themselves was the scabbard and straps that held them.

The Chaos Fangs…a reminder of his past evils.

His eyes stared at his old weapons before he ran a hand along the side of one of the blades, cold at the touch, his hand shaking from the mere touch.

Taking in a breath, he took the strap and proceeded to fasten it around him, all the while trying to ignore the familiar presence of a familiar dark force.

"There's no place you can hide, Azazel." Satanael taunted. "Put as much distance between you and the truth as you want; it changes nothing."

Shadow tried to ignore the being as he finished connecting the straps before turning his attention to the first blade.

"Pretend to be everything you are not; Teacher…Brother…Protector…Lover…"

Shadow kept trying to ignore the being before pressing a switch on the cross guard of the weapon, making the separated blade retract and forming a solid blade.

"HUMAN."

Shadow spun his head towards the doorway, seeing the dark figure standing in the doorway, then returned his attention to the second blade, returning it to its blade form.

"But in the end, there is one unavoidable truth that you will never escape." Satanael continued. "You cannot change. You will never change. You will always be…"

Shadow then took hold of the blades handles before standing up, the blades igniting with black flame as though waking up at the touch of their master, eager for battle.

"…A MONSTER."

Doing his best to clear his head, Shadow let out a breath through his nose. He knew that no matter how far he ran, the past would always follow him. He could never not be the Black Wolf, that many would still see him as a monster.

"You are not your past."

Those words from Sprig's father echoed in his mind, reminding him of how much the friends he made believed in him. His past would always be tainted in blood.

But that doesn't define his future, nor would he allow it.

"I know," He said before straightening up, facing the doorway and his eyes glaring daggers at the dark entity. "But I am your monster no longer."

With renewed determination, he walked towards the doorway, passing right through the dark shade before meeting his friends outside, before suddenly, a large group of Risen descended upon them, shrieking and eager for blood.

"Alright, Shadow," Marcy said, readying herself. "Let's see what those weapons can do!"

His blades at the ready, Shadow charged forward in a black blur, swinging one of the Chaos Fangs and cutting clean through the first Risen he saw. He swung his second blade to cut down the second Risen before spinning and swinging both blades to cut down more Risen before extending the blades into their whip forms, rearing them back before jumping and slamming both blades onto the ground and causing a plume of black fire.

Several more Risen tried to swarm him, only for Shadow to swing his blades in their whip forms, cutting away at the undead as they were swung in a twister form. He swung his blades at the ground to create plumes of black fire that splashed onto the creatures, incinerating them.

By the time it was over, the Risen had been cut down with ease, Shadow breathing heavily, his old blades still burning with black flame, eager for battle.

After five years, the Chaos Fangs had returned to battle.

"Man, that's insane." Marcy remarked. "Those blades will serve us well as we make our way into the Forbidden West!"

"Well, we'd better get going." Kaemon spoke up. "We have a life that needs saving!"

"Follow me." Shadow urged, sheathing the twin blades on his back. "I still remember the way."

With the robot brothers in tow, the group soon left Wartood aboard Joe, heading to the Forbidden West.

---

Meanwhile, the group had flown on Skye, with Valeriana down from the north, towards what they would assume to be the border leading to the fallen nation.

"Are we there yet?" Valor whined.

"For the last time, child, no." Valeriana sighed. "We're not even at the checkpoint leading there."

"Have you ever been to the salamander nation, Hop Pop?" Polly asked, sitting upon her grandfather's head.

"Not personally, but I've heard stories." Hop Pop answered. "The salamanders were pretty picky about who they let into their golden city, but those they allowed in were given the privilege of ancient arcane knowledge."

"But now, the Blessed Isle is an empty shell." Clarissa said bitterly. "Due to no small part by your friend."

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but leave Azazel alone." Ina said offensively.

"Yes, especially since he's not here to speak for himself." Apollo agreed, glaring at the young salamander.

Clarissa looked at them confused, before then piecing it together. "He never told you…did he?"

"What're you going on about?" Valor questioned with a raised brow.

"The Ruination, the Black Purge, the unjust massacre of my people." Clarissa stated. "He never told you the truth about what actually happened."

Valor, Ina and Apollo gave the salamander quizzical looks, all the while, Hop Pop started to sweat from this, terrified of them finding out.

"Hey, look!"

Hearing Polly call, they looked and much to their surprise, they saw Shadow's group already waiting by the border, all huddled around Marcy and they seemed to be watching something on her phone, sharing a laugh, Shadow even chuckling lightly, before taking notice of the group on the roc before they touched ground.

"Hey, guys!" Kaemon declared. "Marcy was showing us ridiculously cute animal videos on her phone."

"We had some time waiting for you guys." Sprig said.

"So, I assume that means you've finished preparing?" Valeriana inquired, noticing the Chaos Fangs sheathed on his back. "The Chaos Fangs…"

"The same blades that tore apart our home." Clarissa said bitterly.

"We've prepared as best we could, now we must get going." Shadow said, taking Anne on his back.

"Are you sure you don't want us to carry her?" Valor asked. "The Risen are gonna be all over us and we need you at your best."

"This is my burden to bear." Shadow responded. "I cannot afford to lose another loved one; not again."

"Shadow, enough with punishing yourself." Hop Pop snapped, much to everyone's surprise as he stepped forward. "Look, you're not the only one with a stake in this. Anne is important to all of us too. She's like a second granddaughter to me, and I'd do anything to help her."

"Polly and I feel the same way." Sprig spoke up, his sister jumping on his head. "She's like a big sister to us."

"Yeah, and we'll break the legs of ANYONE who thinks they can mess with her!" Polly exclaimed.

"She's the best friend I always wanted." Kaemon chimed in. "Besides being an awesome sparing partner, she's like a sister to me, and I'd do anything to pull her out of the fire!"

"Yeah, and she's been a great friend to us since we met." Valor declared, Ina nodding next to him. "And we'll do everything we can to help her!"

"Well, I've got one up; she's my best friend ever since childhood." Marcy said with determination. "And I'll do everything I can to get her out of this mess."

Shadow looked at them before looking to his brother. "Apollo?"

The newt prince stood with his arms crossed, seeing everyone giving him expected looks before he let out a grunt.

"I don't exactly have the highest opinion of her." He shrugged. "But…she has her strengths. She is determined, and she cares about the people around her. And that's why…" He paused for a moment before sighing. "She's earned my respect."

Shadow smiled at this before turning to Frobo and Echo. "I'm guessing you two are in it for the long haul too?"

The two robots nodded.

Nodding, Shadow placed Anne in the arms of the bulky robot. "Hold on to her and keep her safe." He instructed.

Frobo nodded, holding the Thai girl close.

The group turned to the bridge structure that crossed over a water channel, the bridge itself large and seemingly well-built, built from gold and marble, not to mention majestic and geometrically designed. Beyond that, a heavy mist enshrouded the land beyond the border.

"So, once we cross this bridge, we'll officially be in Ruination turf." Polly said before exclaiming with excitement. "I dare any undead to try me!"

"This bridge, known as the Blessed Isle Bridge, acted as a crossroad between isles over each water channel." Valeriana explained. "Once we go in, the Risen will no doubt become restless."

Undeterred, the group crossed over the bridge, but just as they reached the other side, there was a loud shriek that drew their attention, the group readying themselves as the Risen slowly emerge from the mist, weapons in hand and eager for blood.

"The Risen have made their nest here." Valeriana stated. "They even seek to halt our progress."

Shadow pulled the Chaos Fangs from their sheathes, the blades setting ablaze. "Then let us push through. Let nothing stop us."

---

Still Swinging by Papa Roach

---

The Risen went on the attack, the group defending themselves from the horde as they made their advance. Shadow swung the Chaos Fangs in their bladed whip forms, cutting down each undead with a swing of his blades. He rolled out of the way of a blade scythe swing before swinging his whip blades, slicing their legs off and slamming his other whip blades onto their heads.

Apollo charged in with spear in hand, with Marcy by his side, the newt prince thrusting his spear at several Risen, then swung it in a wide arc to cut down several that tried to surround them. He ducked forward, allowing Marcy to fire several crossbow bolts at the incoming Risen.

Valor rushed in with fireballs in hand before launching them at the horde, with Ina by his side and lashing away with her water whips.

Kaemon rushed in with four swords drawn with Sprig by his side, the little pink frog firing away with his slingshot, and while the shots themselves didn't seem to do much damage to the undead, it distracted them enough for the swordnewt to cut them down.

Hop Pop stood back with Frobo and Polly behind Valeriana, who had been casting spells in order to put a dent in the horde, with Echo firing away with lasers and gatling guns.

Of course, Valeriana wasn't going to let them do all the work, as she fired spells from her staff, with Clarissa by her side, aiming to protect her grandmother.

---

Song ends

---

Eventually, the group had fought their way through the initial wave before pressing onward, the fog getting denser with each step they collectively took into the ruins, with very little left of the city after its flooding and destruction, besides a few notable landmarks that Valeriana and Clarissa were familiar with. Soon, they made it to the ruins of what was left of the city, with crumbling buildings and growth all over.

"This is the City of Valhal," Valeriana declared. "Or rather, what is left of it."

The non-salamanders and humans looked around, Shadow looking as though he about to have a panic attack, before Sprig jumped up and hugged him, surprising him a bit, but it seemed to help calm his nerves.

"Man, this place has certainly seen better days." Marcy remarked, scribbling in her journal.

Suddenly, the mist got thicker, much to their surprise.

"Be careful, everyone." Apollo warned. "Who knows what tricks these monsters are capable of."

The group moved onward, Shadow carrying Anne this time, passing by several structures that served some form of importance to the city.

The first landmark they came upon was the Scintillant Tower that stood in the center of the city. In this building most of the vaults as well as important administrative chambers were housed.

"Man, that's quite the tower." Valor remarked.

"It was under this tower that the Ruination was unleashed." Valeriana stated grimly. "A terrible darkness unleashed, our once great city left in ruin."

"Well, maybe it can be rebuilt?" Hop Pop suggested half-heartedly.

"Unlikely." Clarissa stated blandly. "After the king drove our people out, he made sure that we weren't welcome back."

"Andrias did this?" Marcy questioned.

"And more." Clarissa said bitterly.

Marcy had a look of confusion on her face. She never thought that the king would be capable of such an act of cruelty. Right now? She wasn't sure if she could believe it.

As they moved through the ruins, they came across several more buildings with various uses; one was a grand library keep, now consisting of ruined mounts and craters in a destroyed landscape, emanating incontrollable arcane energy. Right next to it was the largest and most significant archive that ever existed on Amphibia, and part of a larger research area that housed all the dangerous artifacts of the world.

"That's quite the library." Marcy remarked.

"It housed artifacts, including runic scriptures and magical tomes." Valeriana explained. "Its scribes worked tirelessly to study, maintain and protect them from outsiders."

They soon passed several more buildings; a Grand Gallery of Ancient Artifacts, a building dedicated to housing various artifacts. Another served as an architectural center that housed some of the most dangerous artifacts on Amphibia. After the Ruination, it became a confluence of dark magic. Another was a building dedicated to the study of Geo-Thaumaturgical Science, or in other words, the study of relic stones.

Another was a workshop for the Sentinels chapter of the Fellowship of the First Light. The group stepped inside and saw that it was notably much smaller than the rest of the chapters of Geo-Thaumaturgical Sciences as the Sentinels were seen as redundant. The interior was a combination of a blacksmith's forge, an alchemist's laboratory, and an armory.

"Whoa, look at this place!" Polly said in amazement.

Walking over to what looked like a crafting table, Marcy and Kaemon looked at the various schematics involving weapons and armors. With stars in their eyes, both human and newt grabbed the various old schematics and stuffed them into Marcy's bag.

Eventually, the group made it to their destination, a massive, majestic-looking building, now looking run down and abandoned.

"This is the Hall of Conjunction." Valeriana told them. "Beneath it is a body of water that is integral for the ritual to save your friend."

Sprig looked off to the side and saw a large sepulcher, decorated with various emblems and images of what looked like samurai frogs.

"What's that building?" He asked, pointing at the structure.

Looking over, Valeriana had a sad look on her face.

"The last resting place of Shen."

The group gasped, Clarissa had her eyes closed in sorrow.

"After the betrayal, I had found his body, dumped outside his former home like garbage." She explained, sorrow in her voice. "I took the body and brought it to Valhal, where he was given a proper burial. He was one of the few that showed my people kindness."

"Can we see it?" Sprig asked with a hopeful tone. "Or can we after we save Anne?"

At first, Valeriana didn't seem comfortable about letting outsiders near her old friend's resting place, especially given how sacred her people considered it after the newts took over the continent. But seeing the look of intrigue in the eyes of these frog kids made her heart warm up, how they were interested in her old friend.

"Perhaps, after we purify this area, if that's possible."

Suddenly, there was a loud shriek, making the group jump in alarm, before the fog thickened around them, making them dart their eyes around in alarm.

Shadow held Anne close to his chest, eyes darting back and forth, watching for whatever assailant to jump out from the mist…

And then he heard her.

"Azazel…"

His eyes grew wide with shock before he saw Karlia's shape within the mist and…to further his shock, she looked exactly how she died, the wound that killed her just above her breasts, a dark look in her eyes.

"K-K-K…Karlia…?" He choked upon seeing what he thought was his former tutor.

"Why did you let this happen?" The phantom of Shadow's former tutor demanded in a ghostly echo. "You were supposed to be better than this!"

Shadow stepped back in fear, his eyes wide with terror. "Karlia, I…I didn't mean…" He choked, trying and failing to get the words out.

"You were supposed to be a beacon of hope to all creatures!" The echo screamed, getting in his face, the phantom becoming more distorted. "You've let me down! You've let us all down!"

Shadow felt weak in the knees, the words of his tutor's phantom cutting into him like a hot knife through butter, his breathing getting hitched and making it hard to breath. Suddenly, Apollo pulled him away, swiping away at the phantom with his spear.

"Azazel, get a hold of yourself!" He snapped at his estranged brother. "The mist is creating illusions! Do not let it-"

"Why so serious, son?"

Apollo froze in place, slowly looking over his shoulder at the ghostly figure of his father staring back at him, a sinister look on his face.

"That's right! Daddy's home!"

Apollo brought a hand over the right side of his face, his hand pressing over the mask as he felt his face burn, the itch under his skin and his breathing getting heavier before Marcy pulled the brothers to the building.

"Guys, snap out of it!" The Taiwanese yelled. "We've gotta focus on the mission!"

"It's your fault."

Marcy froze in fear at the sound of the familiar voices, turning around to see phantoms taking the forms of Anne and Sasha, both sporting angry glares.

Marcy felt her heart drop at the sight. "No. No, no, no, no."

"How could you, Mar Mar?" The Anne phantom demanded.

"You betrayed us." The Sasha one sneered.

"No! I know what I did was super dumb!" Marcy pleaded. "I'm so sorry!"

Suddenly, the Anne and Sasha phantoms morphed together, taking the form of a phantasm with both heads of Anne and Sasha.

"It's too late. We want nothing to do with you. Ever again."

Valeriana pulled the teens and others inside the building, her good eye spotting what looked like the ghost of her husband, a dark look on his face.

"How could you have forsaken us, beloved?"

Narrowing her eyes, a tear threatening to fall, Valeriana brought everyone inside the Hall, closing and locking the door behind her.

"What was that?!" Sprig exclaimed.

"The mist is creating illusions of our darkest regrets." Valeriana told them. "It messes with the mind, drowning its victims in their fears and allows the Risen to feast upon them."

Looking outside, Hop Pop gasped when he saw a vision of Conrad and Shelly, both covered in bite marks, before the old frog ducked back, a horrified look on his face.

"Right now, we must hurry." Valeriana urged, pointing at a stairway. "Down this passage lies the Well of Ages, that can heal any wounds, trap the spirits of the dead in the physical realm, and even extend one's life."

"Really? That's possible?!" Ina said in surprise.

"It's quite the phenomenon caused by an unstable rune resting at the bottom of the well." Valeriana explained. "The ritual will take place there in order to restore your friend."

"So, the Mark can be removed?" Marcy asked with hope in her eyes.

"Doubtful, I'm afraid. The Mark itself is too advanced to be removed." Valeriana said. "However, it can be sealed and prevented from spreading."

Marcy frowned a bit, but accepted that this was the best they could do. At least until they find a way to remove the Mark. Hopefully.

"Come, Azazel, we must hurry." The old salamander gestured to the boy in black. "We must head down and make the preparations."

"What about us?" Sprig asked.

"You lot stay up here and keep the Risen from interfering." Valeriana stated blandly. "They will no doubt try to attack once we get started." She turned to Clarissa. "You stay as well. They will need the help of a magician."

Clarissa nodded reluctantly, not liking the idea of her great grandmother being alone with the one who drove out their people. Regardless, she was willing to do what she was told, just this once.

Marcy approached Shadow, her best friend in his arms, a look of guilt on her face. "Just hang in there, Anne Banana. We'll fix this." She gave her bestie a hug before allowing Shadow to follow the old salamander to the passage before Sprig stopped them.

"I know you'll pull through, Anne." He said, his family joining his side. "We'll hold down the fort until you get back up."

"You won't have to worry about a thing, girlfriend!" Polly declared. "Any Risen that tries to stop us will FALL BEFORE OUR MIGHT!"

"Just hang in there and get better soon." Hop Pop said with a smile. "We'll hold our own from here."

Anne opened her eyes a crack, seeing the froggy family that had been so kind to her, treated her like family, and gave a weak smile.

"I'll…be back…soon…" She said weakly, but with confidence.

The group watched Shadow, Anne in his arms, follow the old salamander down the passageway, all hoping that Anne would recover soon.

"Alright, pull yourselves together, everyone." Apollo spoke up, spear in hand. "We must prepare as best we can, when the Risen come knocking."

---

Shadow followed the old salamander down the stairs until they reached the bottom, seeing a large underground body of water that seemed to glow with radiance.

"This is it."

Setting her staff to the side before taking Anne and setting her on the ground.

"Now we must strip her down and prepare her for…" She stopped when she noticed Shadow turning away, hands over his eyes like a child. "What're you doing?"

"I'm not ready." He said, his face turning red.

"Oh for…do you want to save her or not?!" Valeriana snapped. "Besides, we're not stripping her completely!"

Still slightly embarrassed, Shadow complied and helped Valeriana strip Anne down to her undergarments before setting her in the water face up.

"Now, I need you to channel your positive energy into her, in order to balance out the light and darkness within."

Nodding, Shadow placed his hands on the sides of Anne's head, his hands glowing as he started channeling positive energy into her, all the while Valeriana began chanting an incantation, a bright light shining from her staff.

---

Back upstairs, the group prepared as best they could in case the Risen would launch their attack. Frobo and Echo had dug out a large moat around the building, while Valor set up pikes at the bottom, in case the fall alone wouldn't be enough to kill any Risen that step into the moat. Marcy and Ina were setting up artillery on the balcony's, such as ballistae and catapults.

So far, it looked like they were ready for any possible attack.

"Well, I like to think that we're ready for a small skirmish." Marcy remarked. "Hopefully, it won't become too big a horde, or we'd be overrun."

Sprig sat in silence at the door, hugging his knees close to his chest.

"You okay?" Polly asked, genuinely concerned for her big brother.

"I'm just worried about Anne." The pink frog said. "I can't help but feel like that mark on her will still get worse, even with Valeriana's help." He sighed. "Then there's Shadow…I can't help but feel like he's slipping back into the darkness he was in before."

"Well, you've got nothing to worry about, Sprig." Hop Pop said, kneeling next to his grandchildren. "Anne came back from situations just as bad as this and she'll come back from this too. Plus, Shadow is right by her side to keep her on the right path."

"No to mention she's been keeping Shadow on the right path too." Polly added. "And so far, he's been a great influence for the town!"

"But how long will that last?" Sprig asked, doubtful. "How long before that darkness claims him again?"

"Not if we have anything to say about it." Hop Pop assured, placing a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Trust me; they'll pull through like they always do."

Out in the field, Kaemon was doing several pushups while several heavy crates were on his back. For as long as he could remember, when he first set out on his journey, the swordnewt had been training relentlessly in order to prepare himself for any obstacle in his path. And ever since he declared that he would surpass Scaleson and Shadow, even more so. And now, with Anne nearing death's door, he had been pushing his training into overdrive.

"Try not to overwork yourself, dude."

He stopped for a moment and turned his head to see Valor approach, the redhead with his hands in his pockets.

"Can't afford to stop; not now." Kaemon scoffed, resuming his pushups. "Can't slow down. Not after what happened."

"We all fought the best we could." Valor said. "No one could have predicted things escalating this far."

At that moment, Kaemon pushed the crates off his back before sitting cross-legged.

"Still, if I was stronger, faster, none of this would've happened." He sighed. "Maybe, even Kazuma…"

Valor sat next to him. "I get the feeling, dude. After my parents died, I swore to never be weak and to use my strength to protect the ones I care about." He placed a hand on Kaemon's shoulder. "But above all else, we must pace ourselves. We can't force ourselves to reach a certain point and we must take steps."

Kaemon looked over to him, considering his words, before smiling. "You sound like you've had experience."

"Yup." Valor nodded. "Still, I try to pace myself."

The two laughed a bit before looking on into the distance, then their faces turned to confusion when they heard the buzzing of what sounded like helicopter blades. Looking up, they saw a swarm of dragonflies flying overhead, their eyes widening in surprise as each carried a platoon of Newtopian soldiers, some even carrying supplies.

"No way." Kaemon said, his mouth agape. "Is that…"

"The Newtopian Royal Army!" Valor exclaimed. "Cody and Andrias pulled through!"

The rest of the group stepped out to see what was happening, Marcy and Ina's eyes lighting up with delight.

"Looks like the cavalry has arrived!" Ina declared.

The first soldier to touch down was Hemlock himself, stepping out of his personalized dragonfly carriage, and as he plummeted towards the earth, several blocks rising from the ground, the General of the Army grabbing onto the boulders and floating downward before setting on the ground, hands in his pockets and a wicked grin on his face. He looked about the Ruination, undaunted.

"Been a while since we last stepped foot here." He remarked before taking a sniff. "Smells as dead as ever."

Another carriage touched down, this one much larger, before Andrias stepped out, accompanied by Yunan.

"Ah, the Blessed Isles." The old king remarked, looking about. "Never thought I'd step foot in this dead domain."

"Yes, quite a sight, even for a ruin." Yunan agreed, a bit bothered by the look of the place.

"Andrias!" Marcy exclaimed, running up to the king. "You actually made it!"

"But of course!" Andrias declared in a jolly tone. "Once Cody told us about your letter, we rounded up every able-bodied newt we could muster!"

"Where is Cody, anyway?" Valor asked.

Looking up at the sky, they see something, or someone drop from one of the dragonflies, rocketing downward before hitting the ground in a bolt of lightning.

"He always liked making an entrance." Andrias chuckled.

"Cody!" Both Ina and Valor declared as the older human approached.

"Sorry for taking so long." Cody said, the two teens running up and hugging him. "We got here as fast as we could with the help we managed to muster."

Apollo watched the Newtopian soldiers land their dragonflies one by one near the Hall of Conjunction, some of them bowing to him as they approached the Hall.

"Your time is now, my son." Andrias said, prompting the prince to look up at him. "Lead them to victory, as heir to the throne."

Apollo didn't require more elaboration to know what his father was suggesting; this was a test to see how Apollo can manage as a leader. Looking about at the present newts that were brought, he saw some nodding to him in approval, others were the Knight Guard, who were bowing in respect, showing their loyalty to the prince.

Then he saw the dark mist engulf the surrounding forest, the red eyes of the Risen glowing and glaring at the intruders.

Steeling his nerves, Apollo addressed the soldiers, "Prepare to defend the Hall!"

The Newtopian Royal Guard and Knight Guard quickly got to work on the defenses, setting up more barricades and ballista's, trebuchets and Hemlock setting up several stone walls around the parameter, wide enough to keep any Risen from slipping through the cracks and thick enough to prevent any projectiles from breaking through.

The soldiers lined up front in formations, with Andrias and Apollo up front, with Marcy by his side, while Clarissa watched from the Hall's window, staring at the Newtopian Army in distain.

Soon, the darkness started to set in, before the Risen stepped out of the shadows, all snarling and jaws snapping, all of varying sizes and shapes, and all staring at the intruders with malicious intent.

Apollo stood his ground, spear in hand. Marcy had her crossbow at the ready. Andrias had a massive sword at his belt, ready to be drawn. Hemlock and Yunan stood by the side of their king, the Longclaws ready and eager for battle. Cody stood next to Andrias, his hands crackling with electricity. And every soldier stood bravely, even though some seemed afraid, no one backed away.

The horde roared, and like sharks to blood in the water, they came.

"Archers!"

At the prince's command, the archers raised their bows and aimed, then fired, launching a volley of arrows that came down on the horde, though it did take out some of the walking dead, it did little to put a dent in the horde.

"Fire the artillery!"

At the command, Valor and Ina aided in firing the artillery, and though it helped a lot, the horde kept coming.

From within the Hall, Sprig, Polly and Hop Pop watched the battle unfold, seeing the Risen still coming and growing in number.

"They just keep coming." Sprig whimpered in despair.

"Are we really gonna get out of this alive?" Polly asked, displaying a rare moment of doubt.

"Don't give up hope, kids!" Hop Pop said, trying to encourage his grandkids. "Once Anne gets back on her feet, she and the others will send those monsters packing!"

Back outside, the artillery was running low on ammunition, leaving them with little option as Apollo raised his spear.

"FOR AMPHIBIA!"

The army roared before charging, clashing with the undead horde, all doing their best to fight back. Apollo charged up his spear and launched several spears at the undead, each light spear exploding on impact. The king charged in with his massive sword, stomping over every Risen in his path and swinging his sword. Marcy fired her crossbow charged with Calamity energy, sending an energy charged bolt at the horde, blowing up large chunks. Kaemon had all four blades drawn as he charged in with blades swinging, his eyes fierce with determination as he cut down large groups of Risen. Cody drew out both blades and jumped into the fray, Ina and Valor by his side, as he swung his electrified blades, Valor throwing fireballs and Ina lashing out with her water whips.

Yunan and Hemlock dashed in side by side, the older brother jumping and slamming a foot in the ground and making several earth spikes erupt from the ground and impaling several undead, Yunan jumping from one spike to another before swinging her gauntlet claws, cutting the opposing Risen into pieces. She bent over, allowing her brother to roll over her back and swing his tail, making more earth spikes erupt to impale more Risen.

Watching from inside, the Plantars watched the battle with hope, all the while Clarissa stewed in anger. For the young salamander, allowing the Wolf to live was already bad enough, but now the ones who let him loose were here, pretending to care? It made her blood boil so much.

Looking over at the salamander, Sprig stepped away from the window and walked over to the bitter mage.

"Hey, uh…Clari?" He said nervously, unaware of Clarissa's anger reaching its breaking point. "I know we haven't been on the best first start…but, umm…we could really use your help."

Clarissa started grinding her teeth in anger.

"So, if you don't mind," Sprig went on. "Maybe you could…lend a hand?"

Finally, she could take no more, before letting out a scream of pure rage before jumping to her feet and rushing away towards the hall leading down to the Well.

"What're you doing?!" The pink frog asked, already knowing the answer before running to the window and yelling out to Marcy. "Marcy! Code Purple! We've got a Code Purple!"

Shooting down another Risen, Marcy turned her attention to Sprig while keeping her eyes on the approaching horde.

"Sprig, what're you talking about?"

"It's Clarissa! She's running down to the Well!" Sprig exclaimed, pointing to the hall.

Marcy's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Why? We need her help here!"

"It doesn't look like she cared." Sprig said. "She just screamed and had this very angry look on her face!"

Marcy's mind raced with panic. She had a feeling that it was only a matter of time before the mage would snap, but now? In the middle of a battle with a horde of undead?

She turned to Apollo. "Appa, we've gotta get inside! Clarissa's gone rogue!" She exclaimed.

Apollo fired a few more light spears at the incoming Risen, turning to Marcy with a wide eye.

"What?! Does she not realize that we're in a dire situation here?!"

"Apollo, you and Marcy go after her!" Cody called. "We'll handle things here!"

Marcy, with Apollo, and Sprig by her side, ran down the passageway, hoping that her best friend was okay, as well that the Royal Army could hold their own.

Hop Pop watched the four go, looking back at the battle before a look of determination formed on his face, before he looked up to Echo and Frobo.

"Ro-Boys? We've got ourselves a fight to win." He declared. "Now, let's show them that we won't go down without a fight!"

Nodding, the two frobots stood by the old frog and deployed their firearms.

"Don't forget me!" Polly exclaimed, holding up her mace. "YOU KNOW THEY CAN'T TAKE ME!"

"Then let's do this! For Anne! For Shadow!" Hop Pop declared, raising his fists. "FOR WARTWOOD!"

---

Down below, the Well of Ages glowed with radiance as Shadow channeled his positive energy into the girl that he loved, the black veins around Anne's face surely enough fading, reverting back into the wolf mark on her chest. All the while, Shadow seemed fatigued from the transfer, feeling the positive force inside him grow weaker.

"We're almost done." Valeriana said. "Now, we seal the Mark."

Shadow let out several shaky breaths, his eyes flickering between black and green.

"I…don't feel so good…"

"Just hold on." Valeriana said. "We're not out of the woods just yet."

Her hand glowing, Valeriana placed it over Anne's chest, the light shining brighter as an image of chains began to materialize around the Mark, keeping it trapped within the circle of chains.

"The seal is set; the Mark can do no further harm." She said before turning to the boy in black. "Now come; we must restore you as well."

"Do you really think I'm worth saving?" Shadow questioned.

"You are doing everything you can in order to right the wrongs of your past." Valeriana said. "You've already suffered five years for it and it's time to remove your curse."

Shadow felt his heart flutter for a moment, but felt his body grow cold as black veins started appearing on his body, making him groan in pain.

"We must hurry." Valeriana said in a worried tone as she began to remove the boy's cape. "It will be over soon."

"Oh, it'll be over, alright."

The two looked up to see Clarissa standing at the entrance, staff in hand and murder in her eyes.

"Clarissa, what are you doing down here?" Valeriana asked with a frown. "You're supposed to be topside aiding in the defensive."

The young salamander said nothing, only glaring at the boy in black with hate-filled eyes as she stepped forward with purpose.

As if she knew what her great granddaughter was intending, Valeriana stood in the boy's defense. "Child, cease this at once. We cannot afford to be divided, lest the Risen taint all of Amphibia!"

Clarissa ignored every word as she drew closer, her staff alight with magic.

"It's already too late."

With a burst of magic and before Valeriana could react, Clarissa blew them away, Shadow being slammed against the wall before falling to the ground, as well as Valeriana, who ended up trapped under some rubble. Facing her hated foe, the young salamander approached and pulled out her sword, Wolfsbane.

"For five years, I've lived with the nightmares you've left me." She said angrily as she approached the downed boy. "For five years, I've watched my family die before my vary eyes, over and over again! Me, my people, ALL OF US have suffered because of YOU!"

Shadow coughed and struggled to get up, only for Clarissa to place a foot on his back and push him back into the dirt.

"I've waited so long for the day when I could exact my revenge against you." She snarled. "And I will wait no more."

She raised her blade over her head, aiming to bring it down on the boy's neck, but she didn't swing it down. Instead, she looked over to Anne, who laid unconscious upon the ground near the water's edge.

Looking back at the boy, a new idea formed in her mind as she lowered her blade and bent down to him.

"Actually, death would be too good for you." She sneered. "You took everything that I held dear. Now, I will take what you hold dear."

She stepped off and began to approach the Thai girl, Shadow desperately trying to get up to stop her, but his strength failed him. He watched helplessly as she drew closer, his eyes widening with panic, and soon switching to black and the black veins spreading across his face.

Valeriana struggled to push the rubble off her, seeing her great granddaughter approaching the Thai girl with malicious intent.

"Clarissa! STOP!"

Her cries fell on deaf ears as the young salamander towered over Anne, blade raised over head as Anne's eyes cracked open in time to see the blade come down to her throat.

But she was too weak to move.

Suddenly, the sound of something metal shattering echoed throughout the chamber.

Clarissa froze for a moment, her blade stopping mere inches from Anne's throat, making her confused before she was launched across the chamber. Slumping to the floor and shaking off her confusion, she looked down at Wolfsbane, only to find that it had been shattered. Finally crawling out from under the rubble, Valeriana looked toward Shadow, only to be launched and held in place in the air. Having just arrived at the bottom of the well, Apollo, Marcy and Sprig also realized that they also couldn't move.

---

On the surface, the battle stopped suddenly, the Risen approaching their prey before they stopped, the army looking on in confusion.

"What the hell is going on?" Yunan demanded.

Andrias watched the horde with caution before seeing a dark portal manifesting at the center, the Risen running for it in a frenzy, running away from the Royal Army.

"Something isn't right." He remarked with suspicion before looking toward the Hall. "Something must've happened down below."

---

Another portal manifested over the water, Shadow pointing toward it and whispering something that drove the Risen above crazy. Clarissa looked at her nemesis with enraged confusion. His mate was wide open, ripe for the kill, yet somehow, something stopped her. The wolf made no visible move to stop her with some form of command.

And unbeknownst to the ones present below, the monsters above heeded him.

She moved back toward Shadow before a young voice called out to her, making her stop dead in her tracks.

"Sister!"

The waters turned black as tar, its properties spent from saving Anne as dark smoke coagulated together, manifesting as the lone salamander child that had been just out of reach all this time with every ward they reignited on their way here.

"Jin?" She said out aloud, walking to him and reaching her hand out to her little brother.

He shed an ethereal tear as he was pulled away from her, falling into a dark orb reminiscent of a black hole and pulling her in, an orb held aloft in Shadow's left hand. He hovered over Anne, landing opposite of her, prompting her to look up at him. He wagged a finger at her mockingly, moving the orb away from his face, revealing a much darker face, translucent over Shadow's entranced one, his eyes completely black with red iris', hair flowing upward like flame, blazing with dark energy.

Then he spoke.

"Poor lost souls." He said to all in attendance, his voice overlapped by another's. His garb also transformed, turning into a dark cosmic attire, on the verge of full corruption. "Didn't you know? Precious little ones like yourselves shouldn't be in a place like this. I didn't want to make a surprise appearance so soon, yet you forced my hand, oh revenant mine."

He blinked in front of Sprig and grabbed his throat, raising him to 'eye' level. "Now we come to the question, little one. Do I kill you here and now? Do I tear you apart to my heart's delight for as long as inhumanly possible? The possibilities are just endless."

Sprig choked from the fear of looking at the corrupted face of his friend.

The orb rippled in his hand, pulsing in a strange form of communication, shrinking and moving to behind his head, making him turn said head around 180 degrees before turning back as it entered his body. "You're right, Savisa. If I'm going to be using a physical form again, I might as well have some fun to pass the time."

He turned to Sprig. "Now then, let's play a little game fitting for someone like you. It's actually quite an easy game. You hide, I seek. I'll even play nice with you."

He threw him screaming into the rift. "I'll give you a running head start." He paused as he made a motion with his hand, letting the others free from his hold. "Buhahaha. You can cry and shout to your heart's content." He called into the portal in a playful tone, knowing the pink frog could still hear him. "Nobody will hear your call except me. Remember to hide, little one. Or run, I really don't care what you do. I'm still the one seeking."

Just then, Kaemon and Hop Pop, along with Polly and the Frobot brothers entered the chamber, stopping at what they were witnessing.

Shadow's form became more corrupted as it began to break apart under the overwhelming energy. "Hahahaha! So many souls to play with, so little time. I better start playing too. Wouldn't you agree, oh family mine?"

He turned back as they all drew their weapons, Marcy and Apollo transforming activating Calamity Trigger, but it quickly gave out to their surprise and confusion.

"I'm not here for you, not yet. Clarrisa forced our hand, and we don't to disappoint her last wish. She wanted to fight the Black Wolf, my shadow, so badly and now she'll have what she so desired these past five years. Go to Savisa, she still needs you."

He turned back as the visage almost becomes solid, almost replacing his current form. "This so much fun that it almost makes me want to spare her life." He chuckled ominously. "Almost."

He then entered the portal, the rift closing shortly after before anyone could react.

"SPRIG!" Both Polly and Hop Pop screamed in terror.

The Well fell deathly silent, the water gone of its power and two occupants missing.

"This…this can't be happening…this can't be…" Hop Pop stammered, tears in his eyes as he fell to his knees.

"Sprig…" Polly sobbed, dropping her flail.

"Anne!" Marcy cried, rushing to her friend's side.

"I don't understand what's happening." Anne said, still shocked from the event that just occurred and still recovering her strength. "What just happened to Shadow? And Sprig?!"

"It's the demon within." Valeriana said, managing to get up, despite her injuries. "It's slowly taking over him, more and more. I fear it's only a matter of time before…there's nothing left of him."

Anne froze in terror, her eyes glued to where the portal once stood, where her frog friend was thrown into, as well as the boy she loved. Her heart beat fast from anxiety out of fear over the two people she cared about.

Just then, Valor ran down into the chamber. "Guys, come topside, QUICK!" He said loudly as Ina joined him.

"Something big is happening!"

---

After Anne had gotten her armor back on, the group rejoined the army topside, and once they stepped outside and saw something that nearly made their jaws drop. At the center of the battlefield, was a dark portal, rippling with energy.

"Is that…?" Anne said.

"He's toying with us." Valeriana snarled. "He still holds them hostage, daring us to step in his realm."

Anne stared at the portal for a moment, while everyone argued on what to do, before her faces grew determined.

"So…we have to go inside to save them, right?" Anne spoke up, everyone looking at her. "Guys, I'm going in!"

"Anne, you just got back on your feet!" Marcy immediately protested. "We don't even know if it's safe inside there?!"

"Even still, I have to try." Anne said, dead set in her choice. "Shadow went out of his way to save me at my lowest. Now it's my turn to save him! Sprig too! Even Clarissa."

Everyone looked at her, some still unsure, before Hop Pop spoke up.

"No talkin' you outta it, huh?"

"Nope!" Anne declared with a confident smile.

"Well, we'll do everything we can to help!" Marcy chimed in.

"I too stand by you." Apollo declared. "No matter how I feel about it, I won't lose him again."

"Same here!" Polly exclaimed. "I'll save my brother!"

"Do we have to?"

"Valor!" Ina snapped, elbowing her friend harshly.

"What? She literally tried to kill Azazel! Twice!" Valor protested.

"I admit, I'm also skeptical about this." Apollo said. "Clarissa isn't exactly the most stable."

"Look, I get it; we're not exactly on good terms with Clarissa, given her actions." Anne said. "But even then, it wouldn't be right to just leave them to a terrible fate. If there was one thing I learned, it's that no matter what, we do the right thing. And the right thing to do is that no one gets left behind. Not even her."

Everyone considered her words before collectively agreeing.

"Alright, but I'm coming with you." Marcy said, stepping forward. "Someone's gotta watch your back."

"As will I." Apollo nodded. "I intend to save my brother…and make sure Marcy doesn't trip over her own feet along the way."

"Hey!" Marcy whined with a pout.

"Don't forget me!" Polly yelled, hopping on Anne's head. "Sprig wouldn't last a second without me!"

"Polly, just stay with Anne and don't wonder off." Hop Pop told the tadpole. "I can't afford to lose both you and Sprig."

"Don't worry, HP. We'll be back safe and sound, with Shadow in tow." Anne declared with confidence.

Their mission set, Anne and her team stepped into the portal, mentally preparing themselves for what they may face.

The minute the group stepped in; the atmosphere suddenly shifted upon the once sacred land. The skies darkened, the looming presence fell upon them like a hammer upon anvil, the storms above grew more aggressive, it's as if the land itself had remembered what had happened half a decade ago and was now acting on vengeance.

Andrias looked about, seeing a dark aura encircle the ruined city like a ring of fire, as a dark magical dome encased the ruins. The first soldier panicked before running up to the barrier of darkness keeping them trapped and tried to strike at it with his spear, only to be repelled upon impact. He was surprised by this repulsion, before the second tried the same and like before, was thrown back. The third, the fourth, the fifth, sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, tenth, eleven, twelve, thirteen. More and more soldiers tried to push through, yet none could breach the barrier.

Andrias looked into the forest and saw something that made his eyes widen; a series of figures shrouded in shadow, looking at him and his army in a mix of amusement and scorn in their eyes, some appearing more bestial, while the rest taking the form and size of an adult human. A ravenous monster, a spearman, an insect, a living mountain, a woman with a key in her back holding an orb, a reaper dyed in blood, a dagger-wielding jester, a woman with clawed gauntlets, an archer, a man with twin wristblades, a monk with an ornament on her back and a man with tendril-like hair carrying a sickle and holding a black hole as a lantern. Emerging from the pack was a large, winged figure as tall as Andrias himself, carrying a blade as large and thick as his arm.

Cody reached his hand out to the first who tried to break through the barrier, before he looked beyond them and gasped. The soldiers all turned around to see their own bodies, all lying dead on the ground in various methods of execution. Suddenly, they started to devolve into mists, pulled away on invisible strings, into the all-consuming maw of the sickle-wielders orb, accompanied by the female monk, and the mace-wielder, and the dragon.

"NO!" Cody cried out.

The sinister squad floated upward, stopping just in front of the barrier, in front of Andrias.

"That is the truth of the Isles, the truth of this existence, betrayer of my betrayer." The center one said.

The Newtopian king looked beyond him and to the three behind him, and something clicked in his mind. Those three, he had seen them before, he knew them from before.

"Mortals come, lured by hope, and we... are always... waiting."

The corruptants vanished as the thick fog soon enveloped the isles to the point that it was never even there.

Everyone was trapped.

---

For years, Clarissa Fintail had trained herself to never show fear. To always remain brave, even against the most dangerous looking individual.

Now, at this moment? She had never felt more afraid in her life, as she and Sprig ran through this maze of extremely distorted energy, as if a new power had taken immediate control and had shattered the space around, around them were small orbs slowly devouring pieces of the route and bridges away little by little, all the while hearing steady footsteps slowly growing louder no matter how fast or slow they went.

"Man, could this get any creepier." Sprig remarked.

"This cannot be how this ends," Clarissa said in a panicked tone. "It can't! Not like this!"

"Well, maybe if you hadn't tried to kill Shadow, again," Sprig said angrily. "Maybe we wouldn't be in this mess."

"You know nothing, frog!" Clarissa snapped. "Nothing about the destruction he caused, the massacre of my people! My FAMILY!"

Sprig paused for a moment before sighing, "Actually, I do know. He told me."

Clarissa raised a brow at this, allowing the pink frog to continue. "He told me and my family about his past. About him starting the Black Purge and the Ruination."

"And yet you still defend him?" Clarissa demanded with a growl.

"Because he's trying to be a better person." Sprig retorted. "Yes, he's done bad stuff in the past, and nothing can justify it, even it it's understandable. But he's been trying to atone for what he did over the last five years, helping the town, doing jobs for the folks, and even teaching us new stuff. I know he's not perfect, far from it. But he's striving to be better and move on with his life."

Clarissa took a moment to absorb what she was told, trying to understand what the frog was telling her. It's true, some people are capable of change and be better, and perhaps the same could be said about the Wolf. But despite this, Clarissa just couldn't forgive what had happened.

Her hate wouldn't allow it. But maybe…

The sound of steady footsteps made the two jumped before resuming their attempt to escape, the distorted voice of the Wolf calling out.

"Round and round we go. Where and when it will end, only I know."

---

Anne, Marcy, Apollo and Polly exited the rift to the other side, entering a massive chamber with multiple passageways.

"Where are we now?" Anne asked, looking about the chamber they stood in.

"If I had to guess, we're in some form of maze, or a labyrinth." Marcy answered.

"Kinda reminds me of that one movie about labyrinth's that Anne showed us on her phone." Polly stated.

"Too many passageways, but we can't afford to split up." Apollo analyzed the situation. "Otherwise, that thing that's possessed Azazel would pick us off one by one."

Anne felt her heart ache at the thought of her boyfriend suffering at the hands of the demon controlling him. She then steeled herself.

"We may not have much choice. We have to find them as fast as we can." Anne argued.

"Still wouldn't recommend."

The four kids jumped with surprise before seeing Valeriana appear before them.

"Val! What're you doing here?!" Anne blurted out.

"Clarissa is my granddaughter, so it is my responsibility to keep her safe." The old salamander said. "She may be stubborn, but I will do anything to protect the last bit of family I have left."

"I know the feeling." Polly nodded, hoping to save her brother before it would be too late.

"I understand." Anne said. "Now, looking at this place, we must be at the center of the labyrinth. So, if I had to guess…"

As she was musing, thinking up a strategy, suddenly the rift collapsed inward, surprising the group before it manifested a dark entity, carrying a greater corruption than Shadow had. The entity landed his bony feet to the ground, rising to show armor that grew up his legs, toward his right shoulder and ending with a hand carrying a chained sickle. His chest had been unraveled, making it similar to a nebula as it was exposed, the left arm showed another orb, carried in a similar way as 'Shadow' did before. The head just floating over the empty chest, an eyeless maw with three tendril-like hair ending at golden tips.

Valeriana stared it down and clenches harder, noticing the symbol resembling a black sun emblazoned on his forehead, one that once belonged to someone close to her.

"Savisa, my old friend." The corruptant said to Anne, using her middle name. "We're so happy that you're still alive and kicking, despite your template's more merciful efforts. It will make your and Robert's unions with the originals all the more fulfilling."

He started spinning the sickle faster and faster before it was spinning fast enough to carve scratches into the ground.

"Guys, go find Spring and Clarissa!" Anne commanded, pulling out her sword and shield. "I'll keep mister Ryu Hayabusa busy!"

"Anne, it's too dangerous!" Marcy protested. "You're still recovering!"

"Don't worry about me; just go!"

As much as she wanted to argue, Marcy knew that Anne wasn't going to back down when her mind was made. She knew she had to accept that Anne had changed during her time in Amphibia.

All she could do was trust in her friend's strength.

"Just be careful."

As Marcy and the others ran to begin their search, Anne faced the corruptant, taking a stance and readied herself.

"Let's see what you've got, Thresh."

The corruptant she had just called 'Thresh' chuckled darkly. "Now then, let's see if you won't make the same mistake twice."

The dark phantom charged at her, swinging his sickle, prompting Anne to roll out of the way as the sickle's blade bit into the floor. Anne took this chance to counterattack, swinging her sword at his midsection, only for the corruptant to catch the blade with the chain of his weapon before swinging, sending her flying around him and crashing into a wall. When she tried to get up, she started feeling sluggish for some reason.

"Feeling a bit slow, are we?"

With that taunt, Thresh charged forward and lashed at her with his sickle, before falling up with wrapping the chain around her neck and sending her crashing into the stone floor. Anne quickly got to her feet, no longer slowed down, before putting away her sword and shield, then drew out her bow. Notching an arrow, she fired at Thresh, who simply swung his sickle to block the arrow.

Growling in frustration, Anne fired another, and another, only for the corruptant to block every one, approaching as he did so before swinging his weapon in a wide arc, making Anne roll under the attack before firing another arrow, this time hitting him in the head.

"Hah! Bullseye!"

Anne's victory was short-lived, however, as the corruptant simply pulled the arrow out of his head, then snapped it in two before discarding it like trash.

"Oh, come on! That's cheating!" Anne whined.

Thresh went back on the offensive before Anne could prepare another arrow, throwing his sickle at her, the enchanted blade stunning her for a brief moment, giving the specter more than enough time to lunge at her and assault her with punches and kicks. He then followed up with an uppercut, sending her flying into the air before he threw his chain up, said chain wrapping around her waist before he gave a sharp tug, pulling her right back down into the ground with a crash.

Anne groaned in pain as she struggled to get up, the corruptant laughing darkly as he pulled his chain.

"Your fate is sealed by a curse." Thresh told her.

Anne forced herself to her feet, still feeling the effects of the specters dark magic slowing her down.

"What're you talking about?" She wheezed.

"Doomed is your soul." Thresh said cryptically. "Damned is your life!"

He threw his sickle at her again, this time, Anne pulled out her shield and batted it away before charging, bashing him with her shield, then delivered a powerful Calamity charged fist to the head, sending him flying into a wall. Drawing her sword, Anne didn't give Thresh a chance to recover as she charged it with Calamity energy, then slashed at the specter several times until he was just a crumbled heap.

"You just got served." She snarked before putting away her shield and sword before breaking into panted breathes.

Facing Sasha and the many opponents she had faced in the past were one thing. But this corruptant fought differently, with much more intellect and strategy than the rest.

It was clear that she would need to be more careful going forward.

"Alright, now to find the others!"

As she took off, she failed to notice the skeletal eyes of Thresh's head glowing before his body started to slowly reform.

---

Sprig and Clarissa stopped for another moment to catch their breath. They had already lost count on how many breaks they stopped for, but they both knew that they had to keep going, lest they get caught.

To say they were exhausted would be an understatement.

"How long have we been running?" Sprig asked in between panted breaths.

"I've lost count." Clarissa panted. "But we must keep going!"

Sprig struggled to move his legs, only to face plant on the floor. Seeing this, the young salamander picked him up and held him close before continuing her run.

"Hey, Clari?" Sprig spoke up.

"What?" Clarissa replied dryly.

"What was your family like? Back then?" He asked.

Clarissa was silent for a moment, unsure how to respond or if she should. In her mind, she had no interest in sharing her past with anyone, let alone with some stranger kid. Still, perhaps he could understand.

"My parents worked hard to keep us happy." She told him. "There was this meadow near the house that mother and I would walk through, and it felt nice with the wind in my face. My father would teach me various forms of magic. It was hard, at first, but I did my best and got better. Then there was my brother; Jin." She chuckled a bit. "Sure, he could be a pain, but I loved him to death. We'd always play in the meadow, go fishing, telling stories. We were inseparable." Her face fell into sadness. "But then the Black Purge happened…and I lost everything."

Sprig took a moment to absorb what she was telling him. He understood where she was coming from. He still remembered losing his parents to the herons five years ago, a moment that traumatized him and his family for years. Clarissa lost not only her family, but her family and her place in the continent of Amphibia, along with a large population of her people as well.

"Look, I understand where you're coming from. Really, I do." Sprig said, hoping to reason with her. "But you have to understand that Shadow really wasn't in the right head space."

Clarissa rolled her eyes, something Sprig took notice of.

"I'm serious! For five years, Shadow has lived with that guilt trying to do better." Sprig pressed. "He's done so much for Wartwood, helping the frogs with a lot of stuff; dealing with the wildlife, defending us from abusive toads, and helping others follow their dreams. He's not perfect, I know, but he's not imperfect either."

Clarissa gave these words consideration. For five years, all she could think about was the end goal; making the Black Wolf pay for the atrocities he caused. And yet…the things this frog brought a few good points.

Could the Wolf really have changed after all this time? That small nagging voice in the back of her mind pestered her to no end.

"SPRIG!"

They looked to see Marcy, Apollo, Polly and Valeriana rush to them.

"Sprig, thank goodness you're okay!" Marcy said, happy to see the pink frog safe.

"SPRIG!" Polly screamed, tears in her eyes as she jumped at her brother with a hug. "Don't you ever let yourself get thrown into a labyrinth ever again! You hear me?!"

Sprig chuckled nervously, "No promises, but I'll try."

Valeriana approached her granddaughter with a disappointed stare. "You disappoint me, child. Even with a situation as dire as this, you still allow your emotions to cloud your judgement."

Clarissa only averted her eyes, not even meeting her grandmother's gaze.

"Why, Clarissa?" Valeriana asked, her tone and expression softening. "Why must you insist on this path?"

"You already know why!" Clarissa snapped at her in anger. "He destroyed everything that we held dear and robbed us of our place in Amphibia! He pushed us to near extinction!"

Upon hearing this, Marcy's and Apollo's eyes widened. Sprig looked at the Taiwanese girl and newt prince with a worried expression. Atop her brother's head, even Polly looked worried.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Apollo demanded.

"Oh, he never told you?" Clarissa sneered. "Your brother was the one responsible for the massacre of my people, the destruction of our nation, the murder of my family and our exile from these lands! You want to know why everyone called him the Black Wolf? THAT'S why!"

Marcy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew that the boy in black had a dark cloud hanging over him for the longest time, something that lead him into self-imposed exile. But to hear that he was responsible for mass genocide, it shook her to her core.

"Lies."

Everyone turned to Apollo in surprise, his face turning to anger.

"What?" Clarissa seethed.

"You're lying." Apollo growled. "I've known my brother for the longest time. He would never be involved with something so atrocious!"

"You know nothing!" Clarrisa snapped. "I was there! I watched him march the Newtopian Army across our borders and slaughter my people! A lot of them dropped to their knees, crying and begging for mercy, only to be cut down. No hesitation. No MERCY."

Before they could argue further, the sound of audible footsteps echoed once again, everyone looking around for the source. Soon, it came in the form of a heavily possessed Shadow, peeking around a corner before fully sticking his body out, a dark, toothy grin on his face.

"Found you."

Acting on instinct, Apollo drew out his spear and pointed at the ground before them, making several light spears shoot up from the ground, blocking them off from the demon.

"Run! Back to the entrance!"

At the princes command, the group took off running, all the while, 'Shadow' just stood there staring after them, that toothy smile never leaving his face, before he turned his gaze to the light spears. The spears gave off a heavenly glow, as though it was meant to keep back demons.

'Shadow', however, didn't seem bothered. In fact, he raised a hand and grabbed the very blade of one of the spears…

…then snapped it in half like a twig.

---

The group ran as fast as they could, trying to put as much distance between them and the demon possessing Shadow, trying to find the way out and doing their best to avoid any dead ends, as well as keeping an eye out for Anne.

Thankfully, as they turned a corner, they ran into her, almost literally, making her fall back on her butt.

"ANNE!" Sprig nearly screamed, jumping at his best human friend with a hug, latching onto her head. "Oh, thank Frog you're okay!" He cried, tears in his eyes.

"I'm glad you're okay too, buddy!" Anne cried in return, hugging the frog boy close and not wanting to let him go.

"Okay, we're all happily reunited," Polly said. "Now, can we GET THE HECK OUTTA HERE?!"

Just the, the portal at the center of the chamber opened up, much to the groups surprise. Before they could enter, however, they saw the demon chasing them, standing at the end of the long hallway, the Chaos Fangs in his grip, and Elysium floating before him. He touched the blade with the smaller weapons, enveloping both in darkness before they fused together, and when the shadows dissolved, in the place of the three weapons was a large zweihander, similar to the Chaos Fangs in terms of design.

Holding the blade and turning it over, the demon pointed it at them, a malicious grin on his face.

"Feel the Inferno's embrace."

Valeriana quickly jumped through the portal, dragging Clarissa behind her, followed by Polly and Sprig, while Apollo and Marcy had to force Anne to follow, everyone making it back to the ruins.

"Oh, thank Frog!" Sprig exclaimed, kissing the ground. "Oh, sweet dirt! How I missed you!"

"Kids!" Hop Pop yelled, hugging his grandkids tightly, along with Anne. "Thank Frog you're okay!"

"Guys, what happened in there?" Ina asked as she and Cody approached. "Where's Azazel?"

"He's still in there!" Anne shouted, pulling away from the Plantars. "We've gotta get him out!"

Before anyone could act, suddenly, a dark arm shot out through the portal, followed by a second one, then a third, a fourth, and more followed, every arm grabbing onto the rim of the portal and pushing it outward, allowing the possessed Shadow to float through, hovering over the frightened army and staring down at them, specifically at Anne, as he floated downward.

"Did you think you could get away?" He said, chuckling darkly, staring directly at Anne. "Although, I am intrigued; why would you ever love someone who never even existed."

Anne looked at him confused at first, before she thought of something; could he be referring to the Azure Maiden?

Fueled by anger, Clarissa grabbed a soldiers sword and charged before anyone could stop her, the young salamander screaming in fury before swinging the sword at him…

…only for Satanael to raise his blade lazily, shattering the sword on contact.

Clarissa especially didn't have time to react when he raised a hand and smacked her with the back of his hand, sending her flying back into the arms of Frobo and Echo, the robot brothers catching the unconscious salamander.

Valor stared in shock. "It wasn't even close. All it took was one strike."

Satanael stared at Andrias' party before the silhouettes of his corruptants joined him, the King and Hemlock staring at the corrupted ringleader, as though they recognize it.

"I am not a king. I am not a god!" Satanael bellowed loudly. "I. Am. Worse."

Suddenly, some of what was left of the soldiers charged at him with reckless abandon, all hoping to stop the fiend.

"Soldiers, STOP!" Andrias yelled his order.

"Stop! Stop, damn you!" Hemlock also ordered.

The soldiers, however, did not stop. Fueled by their oath to the king, they charged forward, hoping that their shear numbers would overwhelm the devil…

…

…

It was a massacre.

With breakneck speeds, Satanael swung his massive sword and cleaved the first soldier in half, then grabbed and crushed the head of another with his hand. Another tried to sneak up from behind and lunge at him, only for the devil to deliver a back kick to the jaw so hard that his head was knocked off his shoulders. Another tried to jump him, only for the devil to grab him by the tail and slam him into the ground several times, smashing his head in. Another stood in shock, the shock preventing him from acting when Satanael's fist punched through his head.

The group watched with terror on their faces as the devil tore through the army, when suddenly, the possessed boy appeared before the king, making everyone jump with fright, even Hemlock to a surprised step back, as the king stared into the eyes of evil, Satanael staring into his very soul.

"Oh... It's you."

Yunan stared at the devil, then looked to her king in shock. "You know that thing?!"

"It's been a long time." Satanael said, almost in a mocking tone. "How have you been? I've been really busy, locked up since the Purge." He glared at the king, that malicious grin on his face. "You know, after you had me kill all those salamanders."

Apollo looked at his father with shock. "You did what?!"

Satanael conjured several dark hand constructs to grab hold of Andrias and Hemlock, holding the two in the air as he blinked in front of them. Suddenly, more constructs appeared and restrained everyone else, holding them in place.

"Now, we've all said some things that you're about to regret," Satanael said, his wicked smile showing rows of sharpened teeth as he looked between Andrias and Hemlock. "but I think we can put our differences behind us, for vengeance, you monsters." He let out a cackling laugh. "You know, after going through all that trouble to reawaken me in that lesser entity, you must really, really want to die. I love it too. There's just one small thing we need to take care of first."

He turned to Hop Pop, the old frog flinching back as the possessed boy stepped forward, raising his sword overhead, the old frog bracing himself for the end…

…but it never came.

Slowly opening one eye before opening both, he looked up in confusion, the possessed boy standing as though he was frozen in place. Just what was he waiting for?

That's when he saw it; the eyes, for the briefest instant, flashed green.

"Shadow!" He called.

The dark entity loomed over him, growling like a chainsaw as his grip around the sword tightened. Hop Pop, however, wasn't deterred as he stood up and stepped forward.

"Yeah, ya can't do it, can ya, you punk?" Hop Pop declared. "Something inside is stopping you and you don't know what it is! Well, I do! Shadow!"

The demon flinched at the name, a low moan escaping its mouth. Polly laughed and hopped next to her grandfather. "He's stronger now, you sick freak! You're not taking him over again like before!" The pollywog exclaimed.

Satanael took a step back, a hand over his face as though he was trying to maintain control, as the Plantars pressed their advance, as Sprig joined his family's side. "Fight him, Shadow! You brought him in, now send him back!" The pink frog declared.

"Yeah, Master!" Kaemon cheered, jumping forward. "This bastard's got nothing on you!"

Satanael hissed furiously, but he gave ground, his posture weakening.

Seeing what was happening, Anne got up and stepped forward. "He needs you for him to be strong!" She yelled. "But you don't need him, you never did!"

The demon hissed, but his hold on Shadow was weakening.

"You don't need him because you've got us!" Anne declared triumphantly. "Now go kick his butt!"

Satanael howled in agony, his hands shooting up to his face and dropping his sword and stumbling backwards, the weapon splitting back into the Chaos Fangs, the Elysium blade vanishing. His fingers parted to see the shadows fade from his face to show a familiar face.

A face that Anne grew to love.

"Ya got this, kid!" Hop Pop cheered. "You've got him on the ropes!"

The struggle continued, Satanael and Shadow fighting for control, but Shadow was slowly gaining back control as more of the shadows left his body.

Before the struggle ended, Shadow heard Satanael's last words.

"I'll allow you to have this small victory…for now."

The last of the shadows finally faded, Shadow falling to his knees and doubling over.

"Shadow!" Everyone yelled in worry before rushing to his side, Anne rushing forward and holding her boyfriend's head, his eyes closed.

"Shadow?"

A low groan escaped his lips, and shortly enough, his eyes that bright green that Anne was so familiar with.

"Shadow!" She held him close, his head to her chest. "Oh, thank Frog you're back!"

She then heard him sobbing. "I'm so sorry, everyone." He said in between sobs. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Shadow, it wasn't your fault." Hop Pop said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It was that Satanael creep that was messing with you."

"I can't even tell who I am anymore." Shadow said. "I…saw everything that was going on, heard everything that was going on, the things I said…" He looked at his trembling hands, his breathing hitched.

"I know exactly what you are." Hop Pop spoke up, stepping forward and making Shadow look him in the eyes. "You're a young man who's trying to make amends as best he can. You are the older brother to my grandkids and the protector of Wartwood." He wiped away the tears from the boy's face. "You're human, and we treasure you as family."

Shadow looked at the old frog before looking at the friends he made, all standing around him. Even Hemlock gave a nod. His gaze turned to Anne, the girl he took in and fell in love with.

The girl who taught him to be human again.

His resolve hardening, he stood up, with help from Anne and Kaemon.

"Shadow?" Marcy said, stepping forward, with Apollo by her said. "What's going on?"

Shadow looked at the two, then to Clarissa, who stared back with a hard glare, then back to Taiwanese girl and his estranged brother before sighing.

"There's so much to talk about."

Watching from afar, Clarissa's glare softened, recounting the pink frog's words about how he insisted that the Wolf was changing his ways. Looking at the Wolf after he was freed, those doubts started to resurface, no matter how much she tried to bury them.

Perhaps, the pink frog has a point…

---

While the royal army was gathering up the equipment and supplies and loading them onto their dragon fly carriages, Shadow decided it was time to show his Newtopian friends the truth of the Black Purge and the Ruination. Sitting inside the Halls, Shadow had his hands locked with the hands of Marcy, Apollo, Valor and Ina, his energy flowing into them and showing them the events from Karlia's death all the way down to the destruction of the City of Valhal and Shadow being branded with the curse mark.

By the time it finished, to say that they were shocked would be an understatement. Marcy was utterly appalled by the events, covering her mouth with her hands, Apollo's eye was wide in shock, Valor and Ina were shocked.

"Oh, my frog…" Marcy gasped lightly.

"I had no idea…" Apollo admitted.

"So that's why you left." Valor said.

"It was you, this whole time…" Ina said.

"It was something that haunted me to this day." Shadow said sadly. "Everyday, I've been plagued by nightmares, visions of that day, the screaming…I was never the same after that." He looked over at Anne, specifically her backpack, which held the Calamity Box. "So, I took the box and ran, at first taking it to Valeriana in order to get rid of it. After all the pain caused because of it, I didn't want the past to repeat. I was afraid…that what I saw…would come true."

Marcy and the others took some time to absorb what they were just told, especially Marcy. The thought of being tricked into committing such an atrocity by their own parents could break any child.

And to make it worse? Andrias was the one who tricked him.

Andrias, the same king who had taken her in. The one who had leant her an ear to listen to her plight. A shoulder to cry on.

But most of all, someone who gave her the newt she fell in love with.

"I accept full responsibility for what I did that day." Shadow said, before his face turned bitter. "But never forget that it was Andrias who put those thoughts in my head in the first place."

Just then, there was a loud yet gentle tap on the wall from the outside. Peeking out through the old doorway, they saw King Andrias standing outside.

"Do you have a moment?" He requested politely.

The group looked at each other for a moment, unsure at first, before allowing the king to squeeze in, some members of the group, like Shadow, Kaemon, and the Plantars seeming cautious, while Anne, Marcy, Apollo, Ina and Valor were confused. Andrias sat before them, his face riddled with guilt.

"You no doubt have a lot of questions." The king said before turning to Marcy. "How much did he tell you?"

"The events that caused the Ruination and the salamanders being persecuted." The Taiwanese girl said. "Andrias, did you really…?"

Andrias looked at the group before letting out a sigh. "For as long as I remember, that box has been in our family heirloom for years." He said, his tone sad. "I remember how my father would talk on and on about our forefather's…legacy, how it was our destiny to rule. How he and our ancestor sacrificed everything in order to get to where we are."

He looked down at Anne, the Calamity Box in her hands.

"At one point, I was tempted to walk that similar path," He continued to explain. "Until I became a father." He looked to Shadow. "Until I found you."

Shadow raised a brow at this, but allowed the king to continue. "When the box was stolen, thousands of years ago, I held on to two of the stones; the Yin and the Yang. With what technology still functioned, I created a temporary portal, sending a scout to explore. When he came back, he brought the box…and you in his arms."

Anne and Marcy gasped at this, Shadow's eyes widening.

"I was determined to not end up the same as my own father, so I took you in and raised you as my own." Andrias said. "For ten years, I saw you as my own, despite your appearance and did my best to be the father that you needed." He sighed. "But then, Karlia was murdered and I was blinded by fury. But by the time I realized the truth, the damage was already done."

Shadow still seemed unsure, but he couldn't feel any insincerity in Andrias' tone. In fact, he seemed remorseful.

"Andrias, there's something I want to know." Anne spoke up, stepping up to the king. "Did you have her killed?"

Andrias seemed taken aback by this question, but remained calm. "Of course not. I admit, we both had differences when it came to Azazel's upbringing; I encourage him to learn how to fight, should the need come to it, and she insisted on holding back. Sure, we had our disagreements, but I never had ill will towards her." His expression turned sad. "I truly valued her and saw her as the best friend I could ask for. And when she died, a piece of me broke inside." He looked to Shadow with tears in his eyes. "I made many mistakes; mistakes I chose to make, but you are not one of them. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I want to try and make things right; no matter how long it takes." He hung his head, tears forming in his eyes. "So, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry for the pain I caused you."

Shadow felt heavy mixed feelings stirring within, unsure of how to feel. On one hand, there was a voice in his head, screaming at him from within to not trust the king, that he was trying to manipulate him all over again. On the other hand, he didn't sense and deception from his former parental figure. His tone of voice, his facial expressions, all were telling of a man who was regretful of his actions.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned his head to see Anne standing next to him, giving him a nod, as if urging him to give the old newt a chance. Thinking it over, Shadow flew up to Andrias' face, the two locking eyes.

"I haven't forgotten the days when you first brought me in." He said. "I remember the times when you would take me and Apollo fishing, when you and Cody would teach us how to fight. I felt so safe around you, but then…" He paused, the emotions running within him. "I miss when things were simpler. I miss the people we used to be, the family we were."

Andrias felt the emotions of guilt surfacing within him.

"I don't know why life sucks." Shadow said. "Or why things are the way they are. And I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why the universe decided to put you back into my life."

Andrias hung his head, bracing for the inevitable rejection. "Do you still not want anything to do with me?"

Suddenly, he felt the boy in black hug him by the nostrils, much to his surprise.

"There's no going back to the way things were." Shadow told him. "But maybe we can start anew, from scratch." He backed up a bit. "What do you say? Can we start over…father?"

Andrias felt his heart grow warm inside, hearing his estranged son call him 'father' after five years. He felt the tears run down his face before he smiled.

"I'd like that very much, son."

From afar, Hemlock watched the heart-warming scene between father and son. Some would find beaty in this, interpreting it as father and son reconciling after five years of distance from one another.

Hemlock, however, smirked wickedly, interpreting it in a different way. Seeing his sibling approach, the general of the army held up his carriage keys to her.

"Go ahead and take the carriage for a spin." He said. "Treat Olivia to something nice.~"

Snatching the keys, Yunan ran for the carriage with a smile on her face, the older Longclaw sibling hatching schemes in his head.

---

After an hour of packing their equipment, the Royal Army soon departed from the Ruination, Andrias riding in his personal carriage with Hemlock at his side. Most people would be happy that they had survived such an ordeal with the Risen.

Andrias, however, was not happy. When he received word that Anne had suffered a fatal wound, sure, it made him sadden, but deep down he know that sacrifices would be paid on this journey. But when he learned that they were heading west, to that place, he immediately launched an expedition to the isles on a rescue mission. However, they never expected to see the former salamander nation rend asunder so completely. It had become a literal ghost of its former self.

Still, they were able to save the group, treat Anne's curse, and free Shadow from possession. But most importantly, they saw that they made progress with restoring the Calamity Box.

Something Andrias took great joy in.

Yes, he used his manipulation and wordplay to the best of his ability, appealing to Shadow as best he could, in order to earn his trust, putting on a display of a regretful father, begging for forgiveness and a chance to make amends.

Thankfully, it paid off in spades, and his steps to taking back what was his seemed all the more closer.

"So, your Highness." Hemlock spoke up, his eyes looking at the king from behind the sunglasses. "I take it the runaway boy took the bait?"

Andrias smirked. "Hook, line, and sinker."

---

And finally, the new chapter is out! Hoo boy, I had so much fun with this, with Shadow getting his old blades, the visiting of the Ruination, as well as Satanael making an appearance to make sure Clarissa doesn't interfere. Thanks again, Unity and Guest, for your suggestions!

First off, the Chaos Fangs are obviously a reference to the Blades of Chaos from the God of War series, with a little hint of Ivy's whip sword from Soul Calibur. Actually, they appear more as the whip sword while they function similar to the Blades of Chaos.

And then Satanael appears, toying with our heroes, style, another suggestion of Unity, and something I had fun with.

And then there was the reconciliation between Andrias and Shadow, or so it seemed. I hope it doesn't seem out of character for this to happen, given their history, I believe Andrias would be a good enough manipulator that he could fool even Shadow. I mean, he had everyone fooled by the time True Colors came around, well, except some of the audience, but the point still stands. And Shadow, someone who has grown to give people second chances, would at least be willing to give Andrias another chance. Hopefully, the scene was well written.

And with that, we move on to Barrel's Warhammer! I hope you guys look forward to it! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!