Betrayal

When Sprig woke up in the morning, the world around him felt odd, like something wasn't how it was supposed to be. Even as he got up from the bed, careful not to wake up Hop Pop and Polly and marching toward the bathroom, he couldn't shake the feeling something was different from any other morning.

It was only when he pushed the button near the door and the bathroom remained dark, that he finally remembered: there was no electricity to power the system. Grunting, he moved toward the window and opened it, letting the Sun's natural light illuminate his surroundings. Then, he walked to the washbasin and poured out water to fix himself and brush his teeth.

After cleaning himself up, the young frog returned to the main room, again careful not to wake up his sister and grandfather, removing his pajamas and dressing in his usual clothes. A small grumble coming from his stomach told him his body needed energy, so he marched toward the door, opened it quietly and moved into the hallway, with the intent of reaching the restaurant floor and having breakfast. However, as he kept walking on the hallway, Sprig noticed more and more issues that the disappearance of electricity had caused the hotel.

First, the interior was much darker than usual, since there was no internal lighting working. Then, none of the hotel's appliances could be used: no hair dryers, no electric heating or conditioning system, no washing machines nor clothes dryers (thus, the staff had to clean and dry the guests' laundry the old fashioned way, to their chagrin), none of the small luxurious wonders that the guest and personnel of the hotel were so used to.

The young frog repressed a shrug as he walked next to an open door where a tall newt lady was yelling at another newt, in the hotel's uniform, lamenting how she was forced to wash herself 'like a peasant'. While for him and his family, having grown up on a farm in one of Amphibia's most remote regions, the disappearance of electricity had been a small bother at worst, for the people of Newtopia, who always took it for granted, it was a tragedy, for they had issues adapting to their new lives without it.

As he reached a large public area, Sprig was quick to notice a couple of newts in uniforms, different from the ones the Army used to wear. As they kept questioning the main concierge with harsh expressions, everyone passing over looked at them with various kind of glances. They were soldiers of the Newtopia City's Army, made up of the various militia and private armies the nobles had put together after the recent attacks the Order had carried on the city, and the subsequent passing of the law legalizing 'the right of Newtopia's citizens to protect themselves'. They had been quite popular at first, but with each passing day and new abuses of power, their support was quickly drying out.

The young Plantar kept moving, aiming for the stairs (the elevators too weren't working, with the lack of electricity), ignoring the dirty look one of them had given him, seeing a frog walk among the newts…

(…)

"My friends, today is a sad day, for all of us." Headmaster Albert announced, looking around with a sad expression. Around him, the surviving members of the Night Guard were gathered, into the place that had been their temporary base of operations after the Order had blown up their headquarters. The old newt felt a tear in his heart as he counted how many rangers were there, and he realized they were less than one-tenth of their original force. "Two months ago, the Night Guard was this city's main force of protection and safeguard against any kind of threats, for we had more than one thousand rangers, all of them the finest newts I've ever known. Now… we are all that's left." The surviving rangers looked around, sadness spreading among them as they once again realized how many of their comrades they had lost in so little time. Even captain Ernst's former team, the only one who hadn't suffered any losses, wept while their new captain looked down, Femur patting her back in attempt to console her.

"I won't sugarcoat it: we have a crisis in our hands. Within the wall of our very city, the Order of the Olms threatens to destroy everything we hold dear, willing to sacrifice any of us to whatever scheme they're cooking. Meanwhile, the nobles under Duke Pyrforian keep coveting for more and more power, now that they have a military force to back up their claims. However, while dire, our situation is not lost yet." The headmaster's tone changed, all rangers focusing on him as sadness was quickly replaced by resolve, and a new fire began to burn in his eyes. "We've been up in this particular creek before, and we've always come through, paddle or no paddle. I see no reason to change that policy now. Many times before, the Night Guard has been pushed to the brink, but like the phoenix, we always rise from our ruin to stand up for what is right. To protect Newtopia, its citizens and its King, and to deal justice and retribution onto those who wish to threaten them. For while we stand, the fire still burns. Hope still burns. The Night Guard is not yet lost. Newtopia is not yet lost. Amphibia is not yet lost. For the King!"

"FOR THE KING!" All rangers shouted at once, what despair they still had in their heart pulled out and destroyed by the Headmaster's speech, a few rising their fists in excitement as their commander's resolve infected all of them, quickly spreading from ranger to ranger, until the whole corp was once again united, in will. Even Marcy, who hadn't been so caught up in the moment herself, would have probably commented the speech the old newt had given was quite cool and inspiration, like the one Prince Edlwheen had given to his fellow elves before the decisive battle against the Lich King.

"We have received a report from one of our… informants." Headmaster Albert continued. "While we still have no clear idea where the Order's base is located, we have reason to assume it is in the western sewers' districts of our city. Thus, by order of the King and in agreement with the Army, we will start a new operation, to locate their den. The Army will put small garrisons here," he took out a map of the sewage system and put it so everyone could see it, his fingers pointing to a few red-dotted points "on the connection lines to isolate and prevent the Order's cultists from escaping while we will start deep explorations of the area. As you've probably noticed, the area we need to check is large and unexplored, so we don't know what kind of threats besides the Order we might face, nor do we know how much time it will take before we can find any hint of the Order's presence. It could take a few days, it could take a week or two, it could take one more month, but by King Andrias' beard, we shall find them!" He slammed his fist on the table. "Once that is done, we will surround them and launch our attack. And then, the Order will be destroyed, and Goldmasks and his lackeys will pay for everything they've done to our city! Captain Marcy?"

"Y-yes Headmaster?"

"You and your squad will cover the southern area," he pointed at his map once again. "According to what information we have, there is the chance that down there, not only could you find traces of the Order's presence, but you may even find someone who could greatly help our mission. Your orders are to approach this individual and convince him to help us. Either by will, or by force if necessary."

"Someone… who?" Maddie raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry headmaster, but why do you think there would be someone in there, let alone someone who's got info about the Order and may be willing to share them with us?"

"I think you will find all the answers to your question on this folder, ranger," the headmaster took out a few sheets of paper pressed together and handed it to Marcy, the human girl beginning to skim trough it as her eyes widened in surprise, before passing the paper to Maddie.

(…)

"A day at the Aquarium?" Anne asked with a surprised expression.

"Yes!" Hop Pop nodded with a smirk, Felicia smiling while, around them, Sprig, Polly and Ivy looked at them with curiosity. "We've been through so much lately, and I thought it would be a good idea to take a day off to spend together, maybe doing something that may not be life-threatening for once."

"What Hop Pop is trying to say," the teashop owner rolled her eyes, "is that we've noticed you have been all feeling down for a while, because of all the bad stuff we've had to pull through. We could use doing something to relax and have fun and not think about it."

"That's… perfect, actually." The human girl smiled. "Anytime I was feeling gloomy back home, the aquarium always make me feel better. There's nothing more peaceful than being surrounded by water and sea creatures."

"Works for me." Polly nodded.

"I've never been to an aquarium before… but I've always wanted to see one!" Ivy chirped with a happy voice. And since Maddie's busy with her ranger stuff, that means I get to spend the day with Sprig with no interference, she added mentally.

"Yeah!" Sprig announced. "Let's go have fun and not think about our crippling traumas!"

As those words left the young frog's mouth, everyone's mood (even Sprig's) dropped in a second, Polly glaring at her brother for having said too much at the wrong time again.

"Nice one, Sprig."

"Wait, you're going to Newtopia's Aquarium?" A voice announced suddenly, the gang turning heads to see Amelia. The girl was standing at the entrance, dressed in her everyday clothes, a dried-up purple flower tied to her hair, her trademark hat in her hands while her katana rested in its sheath.

"Yes!" Ivy announced, jumping toward her. "Do you want to come with us? We can skip the jellyfishes, if you prefer."

"Well, that's a nice offer." Jacob's little cousin replied. "I could use a day off to relax too, plus it would be a good time to spend some time with Akitsu."

"Huh, didn't James invite you to come with him today?" Felicia asked, only for Amelia to scoff in response.

"I turned him down. He said he and his Navy friends were going to do some 'exercises', far away from the city. And while that would have been a good occasion to practice some long-distance flying with Akitsu, he told me some 'stories' about the creatures living in Amphibia's oceans. Plus, they're doing military exercises, just sailing away, doing some exercises, nothing that may be cooler than our usual adventures-"

(…)

"Forward, my boys! James shouted, fully dressed in his Newtopia Navy officer uniform, a saber in his hands, as all round him, the fight went on between the sailors and the pirates of Greenbeard's crew, the barnacle-entrusted toad desperately holding his own against several enemies at once, yet unable to turn the tide of the battle on his own. "Let's seize their ship! For Newtopia and for the King, tally ho!"

"Tally ho!" The crew of the Pride of the Leviathan roared at once as they pushed forward, the pirates who haven't surrendered yet now forced to fight on their own ship, their ranks depleting with every one of them who got defeated and captured in the fight.

"Hey, this isn't how it should've gone!" Greenbeard protested. "We're the pirates! We're the ones who are supposed to seize other ships!"

"You should've thought of that before you attempted to assault us!" James countered as he pushed forward, his blade clashing with Greenbeard's. The pirate toad and the British Navy officer teen glared at each other. "By the way, 'Captain' Greenbeard, by the authority of King Andrias Leviathan and Admiral Blueocean, you're under arrest!"

"Fool! No one had ever faced Captain Greenbeard, Scourge of the Gulf of Newtopia, and lived to tell their tale!" The pirate replied, clearly unnerved by the human's appearance. "Once I'm done with you, I'll hang your head off the mast of my-" but before he could end his sentence, James took advantage of his distraction to strike him on the side, making him lose the grip on his weapon and throw him onto the floor, the boy standing over him with his saber in 'guard' position.

"You talk too much."

(…)

"-anyway!" Amelia resumed, "I'd prefer to see aquatic creatures possibly without the risk of getting eaten and having to cut my way through their stomach. So yeah, I'm in!"

"Excellent!" Hop Pop nodded, checking out the Aquarium's brochure he had shown his family just earlier. "Now, let's make a count: we are two adults and five kids. If we take a family ticket-"

"Hey, what about Akitsu?!" Amelia asked raising an eyebrow. "Or they don't make pets pay to enter?"

"Wait, are you planning to bring Akitsu inside?" Felicia replied with a puzzled look. "I thought you were only bringing her up to the entrance."

"What, and leave her alone and bored? No way!" The samurai girl shook her head, before pointing at something written on the brochure. "Besides, the brochure clearly states, the museum's pet friendly!"

Anne, Hop Pop and Felicia exchanged a glance, something telling them that the aquarium's policy was going to be tested very soon.

(…)

"In formation! On the left!" Sasha shouted, the various Newtopian soldiers following her orders.

"Back straight! Keep that stomach in, chin up." Jacob quickly added his voice to hers, as the newts stood at attention. Of the newts standing in the frontline, a good chunk (twenty, perhaps more) weren't armed with their usual spears, and were instead carrying a token of Jacob's rifle prototypes, who the human boy had managed to 'integrate' into a few squadrons before this day.

"You've made quite some progress, haven't you?" General Yunan announced as she walked into the courtyard, Sasha and Jacob saluting her. "Hard to think it's been less than a month since you started your own training."

"General, here are the soldiers you requested for today's operation." Sasha explained, hinting at the over two hundred newts in uniform and armor standing at attention. "I personally checked three times to make sure they were the best of the best!"

"Very well." The young general replied. "I needed some good news. The last meeting with General Yussan had been quite… quite-"

"Unproductive, ma'am?" Jacob suggested, Yunan grimacing in response.

"That fat, useless excuse of a soldier… and he now act all mighty and call himself 'General' while he's not worthy to even wear a recruit's uniform! If Duke Pyrforian hadn't taken him under his wing and made him the so-called commander of his army of thugs and former convicts, he would still be living in the slums! And he expects me to 'give him the proper respect' toward a fellow officer?!"

"Did he give you a new list of demands he expects us to comply with, General?" Sasha asked, mentally preparing herself for she knew the answer was foregone. "What did he ask for, now?"

"He expect the Newtopia Army to give his own soldiers privileged access to our warehouses so they can arm themselves with our stock of weapons. He also 'recommended' that, to improve our coordinated response, there should be a unified command with the regular army and our other forces, led by the… most veteran officer in charge."

"Isn't that a blatant attempt to get himself elected just out of seniority, because he's an old fart?" Jacob grimaced. "Seriously, that's guy old as much as he's fat."

"Today, we will deal with the same Order that has caused so much suffering and unrest in our city! Working together with the Night Guard, we shall close all the connection points with the rest of Newtopia's underground network to prevent those cultists from escaping, as they've done before. Then, once our ranger pals have located their base, part of our forces will stay to garrison the checkpoints while the rest will move in and provide additional strength and attack power to our allies. The main objective is their leader, Goldmask!" She declared, pointing to a large poster behind her, depicting an artistic representation of the Order's leader, with the words 'WANTED' and an overall prize of 500.000 golden coins for his capture. "This is the newt that founded and led the Order ever since its start. This is the cruel and vicious mind behind the attacks on our city, where we have lost so many friends, family and companions. The one newt we have been hunting for months, without success. But just until yesterday, for today he will fall, and he will pay for his crimes!"

A loud roar of excitement, coming from the troops, confirmed that the hate toward the newt with the gold disguise was shared.

"Remember your training, and you shall triumph!" Sasha yelled, as loud as Yunan had done, the newts closest to her cheering in turn.

This is it, the blonde girl thought as Yunan began to yell even more orders, the hunt is on. We are coming for you, Goldmask, and you won't be able to weasel your way out this time.

"I almost forgot how bad it was down here," quipped Javi as they kept moving forward in formation, eyes wide open and senses on alert as they made way through the underground network in tunnels which their squad had been tasked to inspect. He was the first in line, his sword ready in his hand, if something hostile appeared before them; Kettle was at his side, crossbow loaded and ready to shoot, covering for him while looking around nervously every time she heard a suspicious noise or she felt like she had seen something move in the darkness.

Behind them, there was Maddie, the spellcaster frog alternating between checking every weird substance they came across and using a few of her 'Cleaning Spell' bags to remove the worst of the stuff they met on their way to keep themselves from getting infected. Judging by how many of such spells she carried, and the galoshes and disinfectants captain Marcy had insisted on bringing during the mission, whatever filth they would find here was not joke.

Talking about the captain, she was second-to-last in the formation, taking notes on her Journal as they kept moving, writing down anything remotely important she ever noticed or thought, sometimes adding a few sketches to further illustrate their venture.

Finally, last was Femur, the tall silent newt holding his weapon with both hands, carrying a large back on his shoulder where most of the group's supplies (including some advanced instruments) were put. To provide the squad with some better illumination, and act as their scouts, the silent giant had also brought some trained lightning bugs, who were now flying all over the group and lightning the path ahead of them. Offering the little troop a better chance to find traps or wannabe ambushes before any of them could get too close.

Plus, they were, as Marcy herself had put it, 'super-duper cute and very well behaved'.

They totally look just like Blunderpuss and his 'faerie friends' from Vagabondia, Marcy thought with a heartfelt expression as she once again looked at Femur surrounded by the glowing bugs, he surely has a way with animals, and his silent, kind behavior only adds to the charm.

"Stop." Kettle said, and immediately, the group froze, following the small newt as she pointed at something looming over them, a few meters ahead on their path. "Something's there. Something alive."

"Order ambush? Dangerous vagrant? Wild animal?" Marcy asked, as the glowing bugs began to move closer, yet not enough to allow them to clearly see what was over there.

"Probably the latter. Maddie, do you have-"

"On it." The light blue frog mixed a few ingredients from her belt, making them into a new spell bag and tying it to Kettle's crossbow dart. "Ready."

The small newt nodded, taking aim with her crossbow while Femur and Javi moved on defensive position, the silence in the sewers broken by the hiss of the dart hitting its target. And then, preceded by a cacophony of wings flapping and bestial noises, a flock of creepy bat-like creatures with giant pointy noses and bug-like eyes appeared. The critters flapped around before leaving, the magic of the spell driving them away and looking for someplace else to take their nap.

"W-what are those things?" Javi murmured, creeped out by their appearance and holding his sword tightly.

"Batsquitos." Marcy answered, recalling having seen them before in one of Hop Pop's books. "They're often found in swamps or other places where there are bodies of still water, so of course they find a suitable place to live in the city sewers. Don't get too close, they can suck your blood dry in a minute if you don't pay attention."

"Frog, they're just as bad as those tar-rat-tulas we've met earlier!" Javi hissed. "They make me wish Captain Ernst was still here with us. No offense meant Captain Marcy."

"None taken." The human replied genuinely. "That said, even if we already had the argument before, I'd like to know more about… my predecessor. You all seem to keep him in such high regard, was he that much better a leader than I am?"

"It's not that, rather, it's more how our personal stories are tied to him, and how we came to join the Night Guard in the first place." Kettle explained. "I had been dreaming on joining since I was an eft-"

"Sorry, a what?"

"That's' how a baby newt is called." Maddie explained, an amused smirk on her lips.

"Anyway!" Kettle continued, a slight blush on her cheeks. "I've always dreamed to join the Night Guard, but everyone doubted me and my dreams because of my size! No matter how many times I tried or who I talked too, they were all too quick to turn me down as soon as they saw the actual me – until I met Captain Ernst. He was the first not to laugh at my shortness, and instead, he took his chance with me. He believed in me and my skills, he took me under his wing and I've been thriving ever since!"

"Same here," Javi admitted, no shame on his face. "It was just after my brother had taken over as count, and I had decided to join the Night Guard to make a name of myself. At first everyone laughed, they called me a 'petty little noble wannabe' and kept repeating that I should've turned back and looked for something more fitting for me, saying that I wouldn't last five minutes with the Ranger's training regime. Just because I was from a noble family, everyone assumed I was too frail to take on a Ranger's life, everyone expect Captain Ernst. He told me that we are not what others expect us to be, but what we make of ourselves, and as long as I could keep my target on sight and never give up, I would eventually reach it. He offered me a spot on the next team he was going to train, and it was there that I met- all of you."

Before Javi or anyone else could add more, Marcy moved forward, and hugged him and Kettle, the two newts not protesting and instead returning the hug while Maddie and Femur quickly joined them, the lightning bugs buzzing happily around them.

A heartwarming moment was shared among the various members of the team, even Femur unable to stop himself from crying tears of joy. He too had a heartwarming story with Ernst, who had seen beyond his large and intimidating appearance to see the kind soul inside of him, but even if he could talk, he wouldn't tell. For what happened among the two of them, had been such a lovely and treasured memory, he had sworn to take it to the grave a few seconds after it.

As for Marcy and Maddie, the human and the frog could feel their bond with each one of them, sharing the same experience, even if with different names and circumstances. They knew, from their own personal experiences, what it felt like to be looked down on, not to be taken seriously, laughed at for their dreams-

The heartwarming moment, however, was interrupted as Marcy opened up her eyes and, looking behind Javis' back, noticed something moving out of her eyesight, taking cover behind one dark turn in the tunnel.

"Marcy?" Maddie asked, noticing a change in her eyes. "What-"

"We're being watched." The human replied in a low tone, the other squad members taking notice of her words and focusing on her. "Someone behind us, hiding around the corner. Look, but don't turn your heads."

Maddie's eyes widened as she realized her friend was right, as the mysterious figure peeked out again to look, the five rangers pretending they hadn't noticed while silently preparing for them, Kettle loading yet another dart on her crossbow while Javi and Femur prepared themselves to strike, the spellcaster's fingers mixing a tar-rat-tula whisker with leech's slime to produce-

"Don't look!" Marcy yelled as loud as her lungs allowed as Maddie immediately turned around and smashed her last concoction to the ground, the three newts covering their eyes just in time to avoid being hit by the flash of pure bright light, the narrowness of the place boosting the potion's effect. A faint scream coming from the corner hinted that the enchantment had hit its designed target, blinding them and leaving them dizzy for almost a full minute.

As soon as they could open their eyes once again, Marcy's team immediately sprang into action. Kettle shot a bola-dart (this too one of Marcy's inventions) toward the subject's legs, making him unable to run, while Femur and Javi approached him, the former holding him tightly and immobilizing him while Javi inspected their stalker's face.

It was a hapless-looking axolotl wearing a Janki racoon mask and dressed in tattered rags, a rope tied around his waist acting as a belt, with a medium-sized bag attacked to his side. As Marcy and the rest of her team reached their companion, the axolotl struggled, desperately trying to free himself and run away, only to be detained by the bolas around his legs and Femur' strength holding his arms, before trying something different.

Namely, weep and try to plead to be spared.

"Please, let Hamby go!" The poor sod spoke, referring to himself in third person. "Hamby would never hurt anyone! Or burn libraries! Knowledge is the root and foundation of all civilization. But Hamby DOES love to collect treasures!"

"Hamby?" Javi gasped, recognizing the name. "You're the ones Headmaster Albert had asked us to look for? The sewer dweller?"

"Please, Hamby is no enemy of the Night Guard. Hamby is not one of those cultists!"

"We know." Marcy replied, her face filling with empathy as she got closer to him, until her eyes were aligned with his. "We had been told to look for you, but we know you are not our enemy. We're looking for the Order, and we were told you might know where to find them."

(…)

"Why the frog does it mean my baby-wabby cannot enter?!" Amelia shouted in anger as she and the others stood at the entrance of Newtopia's aquarium, the other amphibians in line to buy tickets rolling their eyes collectively. "It says here, the Aquarium's pet friendly!"

"That's only for small snails and other selected species of critters." The employee replied with a deadpan expression. "Look miss, your dragonfly can't get inside. Now shoo, before I call security."

"That's a bunch of-"

"Excuse me, is there some kind of issue?" A better-dressed newt entered the booth from a door in the back. "What's going on?"

"These freaks," the other newt replied with an estranged look, "want to buy tickets for them and their companions, and the small one insist of bringing that thing," she pointed at Akitsu, the dragonfly buzzing with an irked expression, "inside the aquarium, claiming that because they call it a pet, it's to be included in our pet-friendly policy. I was just telling them to go away."

"Come on Naggie, you know we can't refuse paying customers just because they're not newts," her boss replied with a chuckle, Anne grimacing in response. "That said… I must admit I have never seen being like you. What… kind of Amphibians are you supposed to be?"

"Humans." Amelia and Anne said almost verbatim. "We're not Amphibians, if that's what you're asking."

"And- that's your bug?!" The newt gasped, his eyes filling with marvel as soon as he noticed Akitsu, rushing out of the booth and walking toward the large insect. "A-an actual White Skies Dragonfly?! Such a creature… it does exist?!"

"Yup!" Amelia replied with smugness. "Her name's Akitsu, by the way! I had raised her since she was a small grub living in a water-filled bucket, yet now she soars in the sky with me! Even Drias was amazed when he saw her for the first time?"

"Drias?" The newt repeated, the other amphibians who were in ear-sight turning head and begin to listen to the conversation, a few younglings even trying to approach the large dragonfly. "You mean King Andrias Leviathan, our esteemed sovereign? You're referring to the king… with a nickname?"

"She is." Felicia nodded, taking out the Royal Credit Card from Hop Pop's hands and moving so the newt could see it shine, his eyes further widening as he noticed it. "Lady Amelia and lady Anne," she pointed at the other human, smiling and waving next to her adoptive family, "are part of the newest knights the King himself appointed. You know, the otherworldly creatures that already gathered so many accomplishments on the way to the city?"

The newt's expression went blank, as his mind began to make calculus. Royal Knights, plus close to the King himself, plus mythical legendary creature, equal-

Felicia smirked, as she saw the expression the newt was making now, Sprig, Polly and Ivy amused by it as well.

"I-I apologize! On behalf of Newtopia's Aquarium, we would never dare to disrespect the King's trusted ones! That said, what my colleague was trying to say is, lady Amelia," he turned toward her, almost bowing as he did, "we don't know how your pet might react inside. Due to her dimensions, she might feel a little… constrained. Plus, there are all kinds of exotic creatures among our specimens, some of them which see dragonflies as predators. What if she ends up in a panic?"

"Akitsu's been my companion trough many adventures, she can hold her reflexes. Right that you can, my dear wabby tabby?"

"Brin brin brin!" The dragonfly nodded with a chirping sound.

"Did you hear her? She also promised to behave well for all the time she's inside."

"Yeah!" Ivy added. "Plus, with the Royal Credit Card, if she makes a mess, we can pay for it!"

"She can understand what it says?" One of the visitors gasped. "I can't believe it!"

"Believe it," Hop Pop nodded, having heard him. "It's not the strangest thing she had done ever since she's been living in my basement.

"Then perhaps, we could make a special agreement?" The aquarium's employee nodded with a thoughtful, eager expression. "Oh my, looks like I had forgotten about introducing myself: my name's Willy Wolternewts, and I'm a biologist here. I was currently busy writing a new thesis about the origins of aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs and… for me to be able to study a real-living White Skies Dragonfly, it would surely elevate my research and add new invaluable insight. Perhaps, I could accompany you and be your guide… if your 'companion's willing to let me study her for a bit."

"What do you think, Akitsu?" Amelia asked her friend. "Do you want let this guy check on you?"

"Brin bang-bang!"

"We're in!"

(…)

"So, this is where you live?" Marcy questioned, seeing the place where Hamby had brought her and her squad teammates. It was a little hovel built into an alcove, with a small dirty mattress in one corner as 'the bed' and everywhere else, shelves and shelves filled with trash and discarded curios, the entrance camouflaged and invisible from the outside.

"Yes. Hamby's been living here for so long, all alone, no one for company but himself…" he said, and a shadow of sadness and despair passed over his face, "Anyway! It's not too big, Hamby knows, but Hamby uses it only to sleep… and to collect his treasures."

"Treasures, yeah…" Jave nodded with a deadpan looking, seeing how much of the stuff Hamby had in his hideout were worthless trinkets. "Anyway, you said you have seen the Order's cultists skulking around in there-"

"Oh yeah! Those guys first appeared almost five moons ago! They thought no one was seeing them… but Hamby's been living here longer than anyone else! Whenever someone comes in here, Hamby always knows!"

"So… you could possibly lead us to them?" Maddie asked, only for Hamby to give her a wide smirk.

"Hamby can do better than that!" He took out a large sheet of paper, folded on itself. "This is a map of the Sewers, Hamby did that. It will show you where the Cult's hideout is. And, these," he pointed to a few robes held in one shelf, "are robes the Order's cultist uses to disguise themselves."

"Actual Order's robes?" Kettle repeated with a tone of disbelief. "How in the King's name did you get them?"

"Those cultists are too arrogant! Always believe no one could be watching them." Hamby admitted. "When they relocated here, Hamby did some raids on their base, whenever it was dark and security was lax. These robes were left alone, so… Hamby took them, to join his treasures."

"If what you're saying is true, then we have a priceless occasion in our hands!" Marcy gleamed up, an idea forming in her brain. "Wearing these robes we could infiltrate among them and get close enough to their leader, to restrain and capture him before he can run!"

"And if we're hiding among their own, we could sabotage their defenses and open the way for our allies to come in and capture them all!" Javi nodded. "The idea's good!"

"The robes are yours, and so is the map… as long as you can give Hamby something's in exchange."

"Of course," Kettle snorted, rolling her eyes as she turned back. "How many bits do you want for them?"

"Bits? No, Hamby's not asking for money, but rather, for something else, something Hamby's always wanted, for as long as he remembered." The axolotl looked down. "Hamby wants… a real friend, someone who can keep him company down here."

Hearing that, Marcy and Maddie gasped, looking at him with eyes full of empathy and comprehension. Poor guy must have felt very lonely, to live in the sewers by himself, all this time. Just like they had felt once, at Saint James and Wartwood respectively.

And Marcy knew just the thing that could make him feel not lonely anymore.

"Here," the human girl said, taking out her old Tama-buddy and showing it to Hamby, the axolotl's eyes lightning up in wonder as soon as he saw it. "This little gig contains a digital friend to look after. One that you'll have to look after, take care and who you can spend time with… and who will always be loyal to you and never leave your side, for as long as you live."

A pitched scream of glee, and Hamby basically shoved the map and robes into their hands, grabbing the Tama-buddy from Marcy's hands and beginning to feed and clean it, clutching it tightly and calling it his 'precious'.

I'm sure that's healthy! Marcy thought with a satisfied expression, trying hard to not to think about another lanky and pathetic creature who had gone mad over his 'precious'.

"Huh, Mars?" Maddie approached her. "Shouldn't you tell him that his new 'friend' need to be recharged periodically? Or it will die the same?"

"I will, eventually." The human replied. "Just leave him have some fun, first."

"Huh, there's a problem." Javi pointed out. "There are three robes, and there's five of us. "

"Yeah!" Kettle agreed. "Plus, they don't look too spacious on the inside. Even if Javi and I were to share one, " she gave a strange, odd look to Javi, and he gave her one in return. "One of us will still be left disguise-less."

"I've already taken that into account." Marcy nodded; Hamby too engrossed with his new 'friend' to hear them walk out of the door, the group now standing in the middle of a sewers' conduit. "You, Femur and I will wear the robes and infiltrate the cultists."

"Wait, what about me?" Maddie protested. "I seriously hope you're not excluding me from this!"

"I'm not." Her friend and disciple replied. "While we infiltrate the Order, you go back to the Headmaster. Tell him what we have found and what we're planning to do." She took out her phone and snapped a photo of the map. "Take it with you, show him where these fanatics are hiding, so he can send all available forces here to give us support. Also…" she looked away for a brief second, "Jacob and Sasha, they should be with the army, presiding over the checkpoints. Tell them as well, see if they can send some reinforcements too. If all the cultists are gathered in one place, it's a golden chance to strike them down and defeat them, once and for all."

"You… promise you won't end up in trouble while I'm not with you?"

"I promise. Now let's move, Femur's bugs will show you the fastest path. Go back to the surface… and bring back reinforcements."

"I will." Maddie nodded, determination and eagerness on her face. "Don't you dare start the battle while I'm away, you hear it? And as your magic teacher, I order you not to get hurt! You hear me?! That's an order!"

Marcy agreed, the three newts of the squad looking with amusement as their captain allowed herself to be 'commanded' by her subordinate, until Maddie quickly disappeared, a few of Femur's bugs surrounding her and escorting her on her way out.

"Let's get into these robes, squad." Marcy nodded. "We have a mission to accomplish."

(…)

Back at the Aquarium., the gang (Anne, Amelia, the Plantars, the Sundew and Akitsu) were now inside the Aquarium, with Willy acting as their guide. To everyone's surprise, Akitsu WAS acting quite tame and relaxed, not even bothered by the large crowd of newts and other Amphibians gathered around her, looking at her with admiration and amusement, some even inviting their children to get closer, the large dragonfly buzz-purring as they petted her.

"I have to say, she is quite well-behaved." Felicia nodded with an expression of relief, before returning her attention toward Willy. "That said, Mr. Wolternewts, I guess we should apologize for… 'stealing the spotlights' from your actual exhibits."

"You don't have to, Miss Sundew, and please, call me Willy!" The biologist replied. "She's a White Skies Dragonfly, one of the most legendary bugs of all time, it's natural that so many people are amazed to see one with their eyes. Besides," he glanced in direction of the entrance, where more and more visitors were passing through (attracted by word of mouth and 'rumors' about the Aquarium's unexpected new specimens), "I doubt my boss is going to complain that we had more visitors and tickets sold than we usually do."

"Mr. Wolternewts, excuse me?" Ivy chirped, standing with her face pressed on an exhibit's glass, on the other's side being some kind of weird critter resembling a cross between a beetle and an Earth beaver, Sprig and Polly standing on her sides while Anne, Amelia and Hop Pop were on their left. "What kind of creatures are these? They look so cute!"

"Oh, those are the beaver bugs!" The newt explained, a few other visitors that were close peeking to listen. "Once widespread all over Amphibia, these tireless and ingenious creatures use wood and other materials to build dams and lodges respectively to restrict the water flow and to use as shelters. I don't know if you're familiar with the concept, Miss Boonchuy and Matthews-"

"Actually," Anne said, with a relaxed, carefree expression, "we have beavers too in our world. Only ours are not bugs, but mammals, like… well, us."

"You mean the beavers in your world are hot-blooded as well?" Sprig asked while a couple of other visitors, hearing the exchange, made a disgusted expression.

"Ugh! I can't imagine creatures like that with such biology!"

"Hey!"

"I must admit, this is… unexpected, though I can't say I'm too surprised." Willy noted down. "It would be arrogance to assume that the same animal species of our world are the same in every other life-bearing planet of the universe. I am more shocked to know they are quite similar, both in appearance and in behavior, even if ours are bugs and yours are… mammals?"

"Perhaps, it is not a mere coincidence, but a consequence of convergent evolution." Amelia quipped. "Different creatures, living however in similar habitats and environment, may develop similar features and behaviors to adapt to their environment. This is something that it already happened, back in our world. So, it's not too difficult to imagine the same thing could happen with species living in, well, separated worlds?"

'Willy' gasped, his eyes widening as he assimilated all that Amelia had said, while everyone's focus moved on their friend.

"Wow. That was quite… an insightful hypothesis, Amelia." Hop Pop gasped.

"Indeed," Felicia nodded, "This is the kind of logic that someone would expect from your friend Marcy."

"Oh, just some stuff I have picked up from Mrs. Willow. You see, she works at the other aquarium, the one we have in LA, and sometimes…mom…" she stopped for a second, as the bitter taste of disappointment resurfaced once again. "Long story short, she and mom were friends, and sometimes she allowed to do some small visits when the aquarium was closed, and thus, I could watch as much as I wanted. But that was before I was forced to move with Jacob and his family and… the incident."

In that moment, almost answering the silents prayers of someone who wished a distraction from the previous drama, a large snake-like fish jumped out of the water, Sprig, Polly and Ivy jumping back in surprise while Hop Pop moved before them.

"Oh, hey!" The old frog reacted, once he was sure the kids were safe. "Check it out: It's the same species of river lamprey eel that attacked you kids when the basement flooded, remember?"

"That's right, HP!" Anne took off her phone and opened a photo she had taken on that day, showing herself and Sprig cheering at the camera, in the flooded basement. "That was quite a good time, right?"

"Especially when we drove them off!"

"Oh, right." Willy nodded with an understanding look. "You said you come from Wartwood. Yeah, these river lampreys are quite common in swamps, small rivers and other bodies of fresh water. Indeed, I remember some old stories telling how they used to make nests in old, flooded houses. But… you said you were able to fight them off?"

"Not the biggest creatures we ever had to face in the Valley." Amelia nodded. "And besides, it's not like we were going to let ourselves be forced to move by a bunch of angry, spiteful blood-sucking, unproductive parasites-"

(…)

"HOW DARE YOU?!"

"Odalia, is everything all right?" Her husband asked. "What's going on?"

"I have an odd felling, Alador." The matriarch of the Blight household replied, noticing how no one was with them now. "Like I had just been… insulted."

(…)

"-that said, perhaps it would wise to move, at least to avoid 'clogging' circulation." Amelia looked back at Akistu, the crowd gathered around her now having doubled and thus, making harder for new visitors to proceed with the visit.

"Perhaps, that would be wise," Felicia nodded. "After all, we have just started exploring the aquarium, and there are so many things we still have to see."

"Ok then, enough with the River Room!" Hop Pop announced, giving signs to the kids to follow him, Amelia doing the same with Akitsu, the dragonfly crawling behind her, a few visitors following her.

"Javi!" Kettle lamented. "Look where you're going! That's the third time you almost slammed us in a wall!"

"Look where I'm going?!" Her companion protested from under the robes. "How the frog do you expect me to look where I'm going if I can't see anything? You're the one sitting on my shoulder, so it should be you telling me where to go!"

"Guys, keep your voices down!" Marcy looked back, the robe Hamby had provided her fitting her body shape like a glove, while wearing bandana over her face to hide her human features. "According to Hamby, the Order's headquarter is close by. If they have guards, they might hear us… and expose our mission."

"U-understood, captain."

"Yes, sorry."

"Femur, are you okay in your disguise?"

The large newt said nothing as usual, only nodding to Marcy's question. In truth, the robe he was wearing was a tight fit (being made for newts of smaller stature), yet it didn't feel constraining.

"Hey!" A voice suddenly announced, the three newts and Marcy mentally gasping at the same time as a figure moved in sight, revealing himself to be some newt dressed in robes similar to theirs, holding a short pike in his hands. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh, well," Marcy muttered, trying to come up with a good cover. They could rush him, true, but what if the noise ended up alerting the others? "You see-"

"You know well that our dear leader hates those who comes late." The guard continued, his voice mollifying. "Get inside brothers, I'm keeping watch."

"Thank you… brother." Marcy nodded, mentally taking a deep breath of relief, that their disguises worked, his friends and companions walking beyond the guard and into the Order's base of operations.

As soon as they were inside, the first thing Marcy noticed was the chanting. Into the large, dilapidated room with coral incrustations growing over the walls, were several cultists, all wearing the same robes she and her squad members were currently dressed on, many of which were currently chanting the creepy tune in Ancient Amphibian, their voices mixed so Marcy couldn't understand what the song said. At the very end of the room, in front of an empty alcove was a heavy, round-shaped table that was probably the cult's altar, a few trinkets laid next to it. Finally, to accommodate each member of the cult, several rows of wood-carved seats and benches were placed in front of the altar.

As Marcy and her companions marched to the last bench, they were quick to realize however that many seats were empty, and that the Order's cultist gathered in the room could not have been more than one hundred.

Was this perhaps a sign that not all the Order's members were gathered here today? Marcy's mind began to speculate, the girl struggling to keep her panic and paranoia under control, perhaps this wasn't their main base, and their real hideout was someplace else? But then, why had Hamby been that sure this was the place? Perhaps he had been wrong?

Or perhaps… the large number of empty chairs and seating spots in the room is an indication that the Order is not more numerous as they used to be?

"Hey! Stop daydreaming and pay attention!" One of the cultists sitting in the row in front of them hissed. "Dark Armor's here, our leader will show himself soon!"

Marcy's eyes widened as she once again focused on the altar area at the other end of the room, and saw a tall, scary figure standing in attention. The newcomer was wearing a thick visor that covered its face completely, large pauldrons over their shoulders and a gray cape covering his back. The chant had now stopped and several cultists, especially those sitting on the frontal rows, were glancing at the figure with nervous expressions. Like just him being here made them feel on edge.

That newt… Perhaps they're some kind of enforcer for Goldmask? The armor could be a hint for a tougher opponent to face, plus them standing right next to the altar implies a high-rank, perhaps second only to Goldmask himself! But who are they? Why was there no previous mention of this individual in the Night Guard's reports? Did they miss him, or did he join later on?

"Psss, Kettle?" Javi murmured, his voice barely a whisper to avoid being heard. "What's going on? What happens?"

"Looks like there is some kind of cult soldier, say his name's Dark Armor." Keetle replied. "Heavy armor, long curvy sword, tall… yup, this one will be a tough shell to crack."

Then, almost in response to some invisible signal, a small wooden door opened with a creak and in walked Goldmask, the leader of the Order of the Olms himself. In the same fashion as his followers, he too was dressed in a cowl and robe, light armor pauldrons over his shoulders, the stylized image of an Olm impressed on them, his infamous golden snake mask over his face. As he marched toward the altar, the sound of his boots stomping on the ground echoing through the silent room, Dark Armor turned around and bowed to him, all the other cultists falling into their knees, forcing Marcy and her squad to pretend to do the same.

So, this is the newt who had caused so much destruction to our beloved city, Femur thought gritting his teeth, his mind keeping on replaying the same scene of him jumping out of his robes and launching himself toward the traitorous cult leader, slamming his axe into his body and hitting him until he stopped moving.

Yet, his body did not move, and he limited himself to glaring at Goldmask, trying to rein in his emotions. As sweet as payback would have been, they had a mission to follow. And even the death or capture of Goldmask would have been for nothing, if his proselytes managed to escape to rebuild the Order.

"My brothers," Goldmask announced with a raspy, distorted voice (the metallic twang in the background hinting it was distorted with some kind of built-in device in his mask), "today we gather, to remember our fallen brother and sisters, who had given everything in name of our faith." His glance fell on the empty spots on the rows. "Each one of them, a faithful and loyal follower of the will of the Olm, now a martyr for our cause. Each one of them, a loss that we cannot fill."

Strange, Kettle thought as she kept observing Goldmask, hearing his voice, looking at the gestures he made with his hands. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"And yet, their deaths were not in vain, for it is thanks to them that we are now close… to accomplish our mission." Goldmask continued. "The sacrifice of our brothers allowed us to deal severe blows to Newtopia and its defenders, giving our allies the momentum they needed to force the situation to their advantage, and throwing this whole city in disarray."

So, you did ally with Duke Pyrforian and his lackeys, Marcy thought, feeling anger surge within her. No wonder they were ready when the explosions happened, you probably warned them in advance where you were going to strike and when.

"We've achieved tremendous success, and while our numbers had been reduced to less than one tenth of we were, our goal is now within sight. And is for this reason… that we can't stay in this city any longer."

Wait, what? The same thought blossomed into the minds of Marcy and his companions at the same time.

"Oh voice of the Olms, what do you mean?" One of the cultists asked, he too apparently surprised about this latest revelation. "Why retreat, if success is on our side?"

"With the ancient corruption destroyed, our permanence into the city is no longer a necessity." Goldmask explained. "And while the chaos we've sown has put the city's defenders in disarray, it won't be long until their retribution strikes us. To avoid that, the cult must now leave Newtopia, taking advantage of the chaos, and redeploy someplace far away where we can fulfill the final part of our mission."

We've arrived just in time, Marcy realized as she shared yet another glance with Kettle and Femur. If the Order was planning to leave the city, then it was imperative that the Night Guard was to stop them, before they could take refuge someplace far away where it would be too difficult to follow them, forcing the Night Guard to allow them to escape unpunished.

"Kettle?" Marcy whispered, making sure that Goldmask nor anyone else could hear her. "Did you-"

"Fifteen cultists armed, beside the guard we've met outside." The small newt replied, anticipating Marcy's question. "Seven swords, three maces, three crossbows and two pikes. Adding Goldmask and his bodyguard to the count, I'd say we have a good chance to shock them and at least neutralize their crossbows, making it easier for our allies on the outside to rush inside and get them. Should we proceed immediately?"

"No." The dark-haired girl replied, glancing toward the door they've entered, the guard from before now nowhere to be seen through the half-opened entrance, and instead, a small glint signaling them that their allies had arrived and were now in position, Marcy smiling as she saw that. "Keep your eyes open if you see any more weapon, especially ranged ones. Once the flash goes out, cover your eyes, then here's what we're going to do-"

(…)

"I'd say, I have the odd sensation everything today is trying to remind us of our past adventures." Ivy murmured, the group walking through a large exhibit tunnel. Amelia let out a hiss before looking down, desperately trying to ignore the jellyfish glowing above them, Akitsu trying her best to cover her companion's face with one of her wings. Meanwhile, Anne was holding Polly in her hands (with Sprig at her side) while Felicia, Hop Pop and Mr. Wolternewts were side by side at the front of their little group.

"I agree, who would have though than a simple visit to a marine exhibit would awaken so many heartfelt memories at once?" Anne commented.

"So," Wolternewts said, still unable to believe it, "you say that… your adopted granddaughter" he glance at Anne, "found a Kill-a-pillar in the wild, decided to take it as a pet because she 'thought it was cute', until it turned into a Kill-a-Moth and tried to devour your family?"

"In hindsight, it looked exactly like Anne's pet from Earth… and she didn't know it was one of Amphibia's most vicious predators." The old frog replied. "Besides, as soon as Marcy and James found out the truth, they did try to warn us."

"Oh, guys, look!" Polly pointed at a large window glass, the humans and frogs all turning heads just in time to see a large squid-like creature, with a glowing yellow eye, swim in front of them. A squid creature they'd already seen before.

"Hey, look, that's a kraken!" Sprig said, pointing at the creature.

"Indeed!" Wolternewts said with a tone full of pride. "It is one of our prized specimens, a female and we call her 'Gorgon'."

"Hey, Anne!" Polly exclaimed. "It looks just like the one you tried to cook up at Stumpy's."

"Who knew fish sauce and fear of death went so well together?" Felicia nodded, remembering too that delicious adventure well.

"Yeah, even if I still should have cooked it more." Anne replied, before her mood soured once again. "Great, now I'm feeling all emotional and hungry."

"You- you tried to cook a kraken?!"

"Oh yeah, it was back when we were helping a friend of ours renovate their place," Amelia looked at Wolternewts, "and we had to face some kind of caustic critic, so Anne tried to amaze him with her squid food… but it turned out it was still alive and we had to fight it."

"Bri-brin-zin?"

"Of course you don't remember! It was before we ever met! You were barely a nymph living in a bucket!"

"Brin-bri-bit?"

"What? No, humans don't grow that way."

"Briz-briz-buzi?"

"Look, I'll tell you… when you're bigger, okay?"

"Bring-bri-bong?"

"No! I'm not being secretive; it's really things hard to explain! Why, do you think dragonflies' reproduction is easier?"

"Biz! Biz-biz-sum! Zum-mum-pi-ripi-buz! Buz buz-bez! Buh-buh-"

"WAAAGH!" Amelia yelled, covering her ears with both hands as everyone turned to look at her, the younger humans' face blushing red and her eyes widened with horror. "Akitsu! TMI, TMI! Too much information! I could've lived a long and happy life without knowing it!"

Then, she ran away, leaving behind her friends and companion, each one of them looking at the large dragonfly with surprise.

"Should we… ask what she told Amelia?" Sprig suggested, looking at Anne with a hopeful look, only for the remaining humans to shake her head as fast as she could.

"Not unless you want to deal with severe trauma."

"Perhaps it would be best to move someplace else?" Wolternewts proposed, checking his clock. "Looks like it is almost time for the Stingray Stage Show. Maybe that could be of your interest?"

"Ooh, a stage show? Those are the best!" Anne cheered. "Alright gang, who's in?"

"Me, me!"

"Let's go!"

"I see no problem with that!"

"Who-hoo!"

(…)

Marcy and her companions were still there, dressed in the robes that Hamby had given them so they could disguise as cultist of the Order, their attention equally divided between Goldmask (who was still talking from behind the altar) and their allies outside of the room. With a few brief glances., the dark-haired girl had recognized Maddie peeking from the outside, her smile being the warmest confirmation that everything was ready.

"-and now, before we return to our post for one last time, let's intone our graces to the Olms," Goldmask said, "for they will be always guiding us, trough-"

The door opened and closed back in a few seconds, as something large dropped in the middle of the room. It was the signal that Marcy and her fellow rangers were waiting for. As the Night Rangers' squad closed their eyes and took cover, the human girl began to repeat the words that her friends had taught her, on how to activate the Calamity Power in her blood.

«An answer for every question,

For every problem, a solution,

Here I come, faster than a faraday,

Wit has been summoned – here to save the day!»

The room filled with flashing light, as the cultists of the Order, caught by surprise, screamed at the same time, their blinded eyes unable to understand what was happening. It wouldn't last long, a few seconds at most, but it was all the time Marcy and her team needed to get into action.

When the girl re-opened her eyes, the world around her was almost completely motionless, like everything was going into slow motion. Her companions jumping out of their disguises, the cultists yelling in pain and stumbling around, Dark Armor wielding his sword and using it to cover his visor while Goldmask, the leader of the Order of the Olms himself, was jumping to the site, evidently having already understood what was going to happen.

Marcy acted fast, pulling out her crossbow and shooting several darts at once, aiming at those cultists who were armed with similar weapons, or at various feature inside the room who she could turn at their advantage, even as her brain began to hurt and a small dip of blood began to run down her nostril, her physique unable to deal with the strain of moving at such speed for too long. Yet she didn't lose her focus, gritting her teeth even as her headache kept getting worse, taking aim at every designed target, until-

-until she felt her strength abandon her and took back cover, the world around her returning to its normal speed, the newts who she had targeted yelping as they saw their weapons destroyed or neutralized at once. Kettle took out her own crossbow and began to shoot darts while Femur and Javi, both wielding respectively their ax and sword, move to protect their comrades and face every cultist who tried to get too close.

"Captain, are you ok?!" Javi yelled, clashing hand with the cultist who had been sitting right in front of them, pushing him away with a kick.

"I'm fine, just… a little drained." The girl replied, swiping her face with her hand and looking at the glowing green blood on her glove. "Do not worry, I'll live!"

The cultist had barely realized that there were traitors among their numbers when suddenly, loud yelling and trumpets playing aloud resounded from outside the room. Then, the wall exploded, and the door slammed free of its bindings, as the forces of the Night Guard and the Newtopian Army rushed inside, cutting out any retreat route for the cultist and forcing them into a fight.

"For Newtopia, for the King!" Sasha, both Heron swords in hand and burning with the pinkish energy of her Calamity Gem, yelled as loud as her lungs allowed her, as she led the Newtopian soldiers while cutting her path through the Order's cultist like a hot knife into butter.

On the opposite side, there was Jacob, the human boy holding his war hammer with just one hand and using it to knock the enemies on the sides while, with his free hand, yellow lightnings of Calamity energy were released in burst. Other newts soldiers marching behind him, all armed with his rifle prototypes and using them to shoot at the cultist.

Meanwhile, Maddie was leading the charge of the other Night Guard rangers, the petite frog throwing spell after spell at her adversaries, blocking them on the spot or making them feel sleepy enough for rangers and soldiers to capture as many of them as possible.

"Marcy!" Jacob yelled, noticing his friend's situation. "Are you hurt?"

"She's ok, just went a little overboard with those… powers of her." Kettle explained, using her crossbow to snipe one pike-holding cultist, making him lose his grip on his weapon. "We'll protect her, just focus on the battle!"

"Don't worry boss, Bella's on it!" The self-mentioned newt rushed forward, firing at the closest cultist with a short flintlock gun in her hand. "Come on, you cult-crazed idiots, come and face me!"

"I'll take that challenge," Dark Armor replied, charging from the spot he was, holding his sword with both hands and using it to protect himself as he rushed forward, evading any shoots from several rifle-holding newts.

"Oh, so you're Goldmask's right hand?" Jacob stood on his path, his hammer clashing against his blade, both opponent pushed back by the kickback of the blow. "I guess I should call myself lucky, to have found a worthy adversary among you turncoats!"

"One against one, I can do it."

"Who says he's going to fight alone?" Sasha jumped to Jacob's side, with clear intent of supporting him. "Let's dance!"

The battle raged on as the cultists fought by force of desperation, trying to find themselves a way to escape, while the Night Guard rangers and soldiers of the Newtopia Army refused to allow them, fighting to keep them constrained in their own base so they could be captured. Numerically, both sides were equal in numbers, and the desperation of the cultists allowed them to resist for a while, even trying to counterattack at some point to try and support Dark Armor, Goldmask's main enforcer still locked in duel with Sasha and Jacob, moving constantly to avoid offering himself as a target to their Calamity Power.

Yet, as the savvy frog once said, 'too many hedgehogs, in the end, can trap and defeat even the fastest snail." The cultist, all considered, managed to defend themselves quite well, considering they had been caught by surprise by Marcy's gamble, but little by little, the combined force of the Night Guard and the Army, the new weapons developed by Jacob, Maddie's spells and the Calamity powers of two humans were too much.

Even Goldmask, from the altar who he was using as temporary cover, had realized it by now, seeing two more cultists fall into the ground, the Newtopian Army soldiers grabbing them and restraining them while Dark Armor once again retreated as Marcy, having fully restored her energies, went on support Jacob and Sasha. To continue the fight in these conditions could only end with his capture, surrender or death. And since he didn't have Andrias' political clout to protect him, any of the former two scenarios would probably turn into the latter.

There was no time to lose: if he wanted to live and see another day, if he wanted a chance to save his life and his riches, he needed to leave now. Thankfully, his own right hand had already foreseen such a possibility, and he had already developed a strategy for them to escape, if necessarily.

Curse you, you useless idiots, Goldmask, alias Captain Ernst, thought as he watched the remaining cultists, since you can't do even something as simple to protect your leader, I guess I'll have to use you as bait to distract them, while I run.

"Dark Armor!"

"Master?" The warrior asked, retreating back a few more steps, now standing directly in front of the altar.

"Now!"

The armor-clad warrior didn't need more orders from the cult's leader. Taking out a large boomshroom hidden in his armor, he threw it towards the empty alcove, Goldmask jumping to safety a second before the mushroom impacted the wall. A new explosion erupted with force, debris and broken parts of the infrastructure above falling onto both cultists and rangers, the three humans forced to switch their attentions to protect their allies while Goldmask and Dark Armor, ignoring the fate of their remaining followers, rushed into the opening created by the explosions…

(…)

"Just in time! The show's already started!" Anne cheered as she and the others took seats among the bleachers, a large crowd of tourists and visitors (mostly newts, but there were also many axolotls) already gathered to watch the spectacle.

"Hey!" One of them grunted as Akitsu landed right in front of him, blocking his view. "Get your bug someplace else!"

"Bug?!" Amelia jerked, offended by the term. "Akitsu's not a mere bug, she's-"

"Amelia, sweetie?" Felicia tried to calm the human down before the situation could deteriorate further. "While he is being rude, he does have a point that Akitsu block him to enjoy the show. Perhaps, you could find a different accommodation…?"

"Brin briz!" The dragonfly chirped, unfolding her wing and taking to the sky, keeping herself in stationary position above the bleachers, far enough to be out of sight (and thus no further a distraction to anyone) but still close enough to watch the show.

"There, happy now?" Amelia looked at the newt with a deadpan expression. "Just get off our back!"

It was then that the music began to play even louder as a slender, light-red female newt with sandy hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in an aquamarine swimming suit came into view. She was sliding onto the water basin with a bodyboard, as two large stingrays with glowing yellow eyes were jumping out of the water as they swam next to her.

"All right, give it up for our stingrays, Sugar Ray and Billy Ray!" The newt said as the crowd cheered for her and her 'aquatic stars'. "And now for the main event, I'll need a volunteer!"

"Hop Pop, can I volunteer?" Sprig asked, looking at his grandfather with pleading eyes. "Please?"

"Yeah, can I go to, mom?!" Ivy did the same thing with Felicia. "I bet this will be the most magical moment of my life!"

"I wouldn't recommend that," the newt from before spoke. "Stingrays might be tamer than most of the aquatic creatures, but they still love the taste of frog's flesh. Not everyone knows this because, you know, there aren't many frogs in Newtopia…"

"I guess we're sitting this out then," Sprig and Ivy almost said verbatim, already seeing the expression on their legal guardians' faces. "However, if someone else want to propose…"

"Nun-huh. No way." Polly replied, noticing how no one else among the crowd was in a hurry to propose.

"Come on!" The host called out once again. "Isn't there anyone who want to be part -"

"I VOLUNTEER!" Amelia suddenly announced, jumping out of her seat and shouting at full lungs, raising her hand as high as she could, everyone around her instinctively turning heads.

"Amelia," Anne grumbled, "what are you-"

"You, the tall…" the host stopped for a second, realizing that Amelia wasn't like anything she had seen before, "whatever you are over there. Come down!"

"Amelì, are you sure about this?" Anne asked.

"Hey, I have Akitsu already, I know how to deal with large animals. Plus, if something does go bad, I can defend myself." The would-be samurai proudly nodded, a glint of purple energy shining in her eyes, making Anne recoil back. That's right, she has her Calamity Powers, and I have mine too: if something bad happens, we can use them.

Amelia marched down, the crowd who had been too hesitant to volunteer started cheering and whistling until she reached the spot where the host was.

"What's your name, and where are you from?"

"I'm Amelia Matthews, from Wartwood!"

"Wartwood, represent!" Polly and Ivy shouted at the same time.

"Well, Amelia," the host continued, "all you gotta do is put this fish in your hands and hold it out over the tank."

"And let me guess, the stingray will jump out and eat it?"

"Usually, that's exactly what happen, but today, we have a very special guest." The host announced, riling up the crowd once again. "Everyone, put your hands together for…Wanda, the Water Snake!"

Immediately after, a large water snake jumped out of the water, doing a circle with her own body and hissing before splashing underwater again, the crowd cheering once again at her sight.

With a few exceptions.

"Well, I have to admit, that's pretty cool." Said Hop Pop

"Hey, Anne?" Sprig nudged her. "Doesn't it look just like the one that almost ate us, Sasha and Marcy?"

"That's right!" Anne replied, showing off the photo she had of that time, causing a series of knee-jerk reactions among her friends and companions. "What a coincidence!"

"Wait, what?!" Felicia gasped.

"You faced a water snake? Without me?" Polly protested.

"And it almost eat you?" Ivy questioned. "Cool!"

"When-when did that happen?" Hop Pop replied, his protective instincts surging once again.

"Oh, it was the very first day when you tried to lock us in the house!" Sprig confirmed.

"I knew it!" The old farmer scoffed, realizing his suspicions of that day were correct. "You and Sasha never listen to me, always disobeying and causing trouble. Why can't you be more like Marcy?"

"Huh, Marcy was with us, Hop Pop." Sprig confessed.

"Then she should have acted more rationally and listened to me! You almost died!"

"Hey, we were fine!" Anne countered. "Sure, it was a bit scary, but then Jacob and Amelia appeared, rushing down onto some stone and slammed right into the snake's face, thus-"

"YAAAH!" The argument broke down as they heard Amelia's yell, just in time to see the youngest human get swept away into the pool of water.

"AMELIA!"

(…)

Into the deep and dark sewers under Newtopia, Goldmask, leader of the Order of the Olms, panted and hissed as he struggled to keep going, trying to remember which path he should take. Usually, he would simply ask one of his 'cultists' to lead the way, but this time, there was no one left to assist him. Even Dark Armor had disappeared, the newt losing sight of him a little after their daring escape, abandoned the rest of the Order of the Olms to their destiny.

Blasted, feeble-minded weaklings! The former Ranger Captain cursed in his mind, feeling the sting coming from the wound on his side, gritting his teeth as he fought the pain by will alone, trying to relegate it into the corners of his brain. They're all likely dead by now! Still, I can't give up now. I must press on: if I keep going into this direction, I'll soon find the passage-

A hiss of something flying through the hair and the newt screamed in pain looking down to see a crossbow dart piercing his leg, making his leg painful to move and forcing him to slow down.

A sneaky ranged attack, the newt realized angrily, aimed at the opponent's limbs to temporarily disable him and make it harder for him to fight or run, allowing for their capture. Standard combat strategy for Night Guard Rangers whenever they faced large monsters… or hunting down high-level criminals.

"Goldmask!" a female voice, one that Ernst had never heard before this day, shouted, the newt noticing a tall, tail-less figure with spindly long limbs and a large round head, a bump in the middle of her face, standing in his way, a loaded dart on her crossbow and aimed at him. "By the authority of King Andrias and the City of Newtopia, and with the power imbued into me as captain of the Night Guard-"

"Oh, so you must be Night Guard's new rising star." Ernst chuckled under his mask, a part of him surprised to see such a 'creature' dressed in the exact uniform he had worn for many years. "Never thought I would see the day the Guard would accept non-newts among their ranks, nor that I would end up arrested by one… and I won't!" He yelled, taking out one of the last disguised weapons he was carrying (a long knife) and rushing forward, trying to break through. Yet, as he did, the 'ranger' moved aside, apparently having predicted such a move, throwing some small bags onto him, his vision darkening as everything around him was enveloped into smoke.

"What's the issue, Goldmask?" Another female voice taunted him, just before a punch landed on his knee, making him yelp "Are you afraid of the dark?"

New attacks came from every direction, be them punches, kicks or other kind of unarmed attack. The former captain struggling to hold down as its enemies kept hitting him, taking advantage of every opening and opportunity to strike, making him yell in pain as he fruitlessly attempted to protect himself, until-

A large fist slammed on his belly, temporarily depriving him of breath and making him lose grip on his weapon, as he fell on the cold floor, his face slamming against the lower side of a wall, the mask cracking and falling to his side.

When Ernst could finally see around, only then he realized he was trapped, stuck in a literal dead end, his mask damaged beyond repair, his body aching in pain, only able to keep together due to the adrenaline. And judging by the footsteps he could hear behind him, he was surrounded, with at least four enemies (beside the creature) surrounding him.

"Guys, bad news!" Another voice Ernst couldn't recognize, this one male, shouted, as the sound of new footsteps signaled three mor enemies joining in. "We tried to follow Dark Armor, but he- oh molly!"

"Is that… Goldmask?"

"He is." This one was a voice familiar to the newt, his eyes widening as the weight of sardonic irony fell onto him. Of course it was them, it had to be them, he thought as he moved his head to the side, to look at his opponent without showing them his own face.

Surrounding him, standing side by side with the new captain that had taken his place, Javi, Kettle and Femur stood on alert. The small 'firecracker' was aiming at him with her crossbow, Femur grabbing the knife Ernst had dropped and pulling it away while Javi gritted his teeth, seething, his sword on his hand. With them was two more creatures, carrying twin blades and a large hammer, a small light blue frog with small bags tied around her waist (the famous mage he had heard about, perhaps?) and another newt, this one a young female dressed in a uniform of the Newtopia Army.

Three beasts, a witch, an Army-moron and the ragtag squad of misfits he had last commanded. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like a frogging joke.

"It's over, Goldmask!" Javi spoke once again. "Now let's finally see what's your real face!"

Slowly, the newt lying on the floor put himself back on feet, slowly pulling out the cowl covering his head as he turned around, revealing…

"CAPTAIN ERNST?!" Javi and Kettle gasped in unison while Femur had a look of shock and horror in his face. Hearing them, Marcy's and Maddie's eyes widened in shock as well. It was THE Captain Ernst? The beloved former leader of their squad-mates, who had gone missing on a high-profile mission months ago?

Behind them, Sasha could only gasp in horror, covering her mouth with one hand, while Jacob and Bella stood in silence, unsure how to react.

"But… the mission," Javi couldn't help but mutter, "you were gone."

"Yes, that's exactly what I wanted everyone to think," his former captain replied, a smug expression on his face. "Honestly, you believed I was dead without a body, or at least part of it to confirm? You disappoint me Javi, I thought I taught you better."

"Of course! Now I know what happened to you!" Marcy suddenly squeaked. "Amnesia!"

"No."

"Evil twin?"

"No."

"Magic doppelganger?"

"No."

"Shapeshifter!"

"NO!" Ernst yelled with irritation, shutting down each of Marcy's theories.

"Oh right, it was so obvious!" The human girl replied. "The Order's ACTUAL leader kidnapped you and brainwashed you into being his proxy, to lead the operations in his stead."

"Without me, the Order would have never existed at all," Ernst left out a small chuckle. "Now, I guess you all have questions-"

"That's right!" Javi yelled. "We want answers, and you'll give them to us!"

"Or we will knock them out of you!" Kettle added.

"Fine," Ernst nodded, part of him feeling elated now that he could tell them the truth. "Five months ago, I received a unique offer from a benefactor. To leave the Night Guard and fake my own death; then, create the Order to destroy all historical documents pertaining a few specific topics, and use the name of the Olms as a scapegoat. In exchange, he would pay me handsomely."

"But why?!" Marcy cried. "You were a mentor and hero to them," she pointed at the three newts, who couldn't believe their former captain would commit such crimes for such a basic reason. "The whole Night Guard considered you one of their best officers! Headmaster Albert himself was going to give you his job! You had the adoration of all the rangers you trained through the years, the love of the people who you protected! You were a soldier of righteousness, a paragon for everyone to look up to, a-"

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR THAT BURDEN!" Ernst sneered, like the mere idea of his past made him sick. "Do you think I liked all that attention on myself? To always be an example for others? Being a hero was suffocating; the more I tried to follow the path of justice, the more I felt crushed by the expectations everyone had of myself! I already had to play the perfect ranger while on a mission, the perfect captain when giving order, the perfect trainer when training new recruits, now I'd have to play the perfect Headmaster too as soon as that old fart Albert kicked off? I was given a choice, a chance! The chance to escape this dull reality and start fresh anew, with countless riches to live out any destiny I choose for myself! And I would have got it all if it wasn't for you!"

"So, it's our fault for stopping the bad guys and not letting them win." Sasha rolled her eyes with a snarky undertone. "Typical."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm hating this guy more than my former boss at the Hemisphere."

"But if your job was simply to destroy those papers… why do all the rest?" Maddie challenged him. "Why did you have to blow up half of the city and kill so many people? If you just wanted an escape, why didn't you leave back then instead of becoming a murderer!"

"I'm not a murderer, you useless frog!" Ernst yelled back, causing new gasps of shock to escape his former squad's members. "My plan was flawless, so my benefactor offered me more money, just so I could keep you busy a little longer! But then, you had to mess everything up! You had to force my hand, wreck my operation, and obliged me to retaliate!"

"No toads!" Jacob shouted, rage quickly taking over his senses. "No one forced you to set those bombs off! No one told you to attack Newtopia University! No one obligated you to attack the Night Guard's HQ and kill everyone inside!"

"All our friends and comrades…" Kettle spoke, her body having now worked out the shock and feeling fury surge within her. "We idolized you! We'd have followed you no matter what, and we would have never doubted you!"

"Move aside, Kettle!"

"They died because of you!"

"WELL, TOO BAD FOR THEM!"

The three humans, plus Bella and Maddie, could almost see the pedestal break down and collapse, as the one captain that had taken them under his wing, the hero and model for countless young cadets, revealed his true face onto them.

Even Marcy, while having never met Ernst before and only knowing him from what the trio had told her, couldn't help but feel disgusted, repulsed by his betrayal and oath-breaking. How could he do thing this horrible, just because he wanted to escape his 'mundane' life? His life was awesome! Not like-

…

Frog, is this what I could have become, if I hadn't seen the truth? The human ranger wondered, fear gripping on her heart. Hadn't she revealed the truth to his friends, and pushed on her original plan, could have I possibly become like him too?

Regardless, Marcy was the captain now. And as much Ersnt's crimes makes her feel like she wanted to puke, they had a duty to do.

"Raise your hand and get on your knees, former captain Ernst." The dark-haired girl hissed, unable to hide her own disdain for the newt whose shoes she had struggled so hard to fill. Meanwhile Jacob, Sasha and Bella pulled closer, not wanting the disgraced captain to try one last trick. "It's over."

"Over? You're quite skilled and talented, I must admit you, but you're still green, young lady." Ernst hissed, his eyes looking forward. "Why do you think I told you all about that, while my friend was getting ready behind you?"

Marcy gasped, and so did everyone else, but before any of them could turn around, a sudden shock and a blast of electric energy hit them, knocking them onto the floor, still conscious but feeling like all their stamina had been drained.

"Goldmask, or rather, Captain Ernst." Dark Armor emerged from the shadows, walking among the downed humans and amphibians until reaching him, raising him over his shoulder and assisting him in walking. "Seems like I found you just in time."

"My body… I can't move!" Jacob lamented, struggling to get back on his feet, yet unable to move even one finger. "What have you done to us?"

"Do not worry, Ser Jacob." The warrior in dark armor replied, as he carried Ernst among them. "The effect is temporary, and once is over, you'll be able to move without issues once again. Of course, by then we'll be gone."

"You… stinky… traitor!" Bella hissed as her eyes crossed with Ernst, the older newt looking at her with a glare full of sufficiency. "Betraying your own king and your country, for money? Even back to my days as an underpaid bellhop, I would have never done such a thing!"

"Believe me, I am genuinely displeased things had gotten to this point." The exposed former leader of the Order said, before Dark Armor pulled him away, leaving behind his former team mates, heartbroken, unable to go after him or attack, forced to watch as the newt they once idolized disappeared from their sight.

"There is a passage just a few corners ahead," Dark Armor spoke, once he was sure they were far enough. "Trough there, we will return to the surface while avoiding the checkpoints the Army had placed. We will arrive in a small, abandoned house: I'll provide you with new clothes and some rations. If luck's on our side, we should be out of Newtopia by sunset."

"You're still… willing to help me? Even now that you know, our cause was a sham?" Ernst asked, genuinely surprised.

"Faith was never the reason why I choose to join you." Dark Armor replied, ignoring the effect his words had on Ernst's expression. "And I do remember you telling how you were paid quite handsomely just to burn some old books. I guess I could stick you around and make sure you get out of this in one piece… in exchange for a payment of my services, of course."

"How much?"

"Half." Dark Armor's demand caused Ernst to sneer once again.

"Fine." Money won't be useful to me if I am caught before getting them back, the old newt thought with a scoff, and besides I will still have more than enough money to live in luxury for the rest of my days, even if I was to give up half. "But how do you expect for us to be able to leave the city? Be from the city's gates, the harbor or back from the sewers, The Night Guard and the Army will be there!"

"Oh, do not worry about them, captain." Dark Armor said in a knowing tone, his right hand moving to the side of his head. "They have bigger problems to focus on, at this moment…"

(…)

On the streets of Newtopia, the presence of soldiers of Newtopia City's Army had quickly worn off its novelty. The city's inhabitants going from cheering and saluting them as they passed to looking at their patrol with disdain and worry, as they used their recently established authority to harass anyone who got on their bad side, extorting bribes and favors from those shops and businesses who wanted to avoid trouble and ostensibly more interested in showing off their power than doing actual good.

Yet, as more and more soldiers kept pouring through the way, carriages and small coaches forced to move aside and make way for them, it soon become clear that something was off. The soldiers marched in a hurry, silently, without chatter or being distracted by anything else, only a few stopping down in pickets while the rest of them kept going.

"Hey, what's' going on?" The old newt lady known as 'Doris' asked, using her cane to get the attention of the closest soldier. "Is it a parade?"

"No, ma'am, a power transition." The soldier replied with a scoff, before moving to address the crowd that had been gathering. "Please vacate the street and return to your homes: A curfew is in effect!"

"A curfew?!" One axolotl among the crowd scoffed. "Is this a joke? Why should we-"

"Shut that hole up, you vagrant!" The soldier hit the axolotl in the face with a punch. The poor sap fell onto the ground and lamented as he was carried away, the crowd shocked by this.

"I'll say it again: a curfew is in effect from now on! All civilians must return to their domiciles and stay inside until it is lifted! We don't want to cause useless bloodshed during this phase of transition, but we won't hesitate if that's what we need to restore order!"

Slowly, scared by the harsh expression the soldier and his comrades had, the clear example they were dead serious and the implied threat that further questioning could led to violence, the crowd began to disperse yet Doris saw several large wagons, pulled by snails or other kind of pack beasts, carrying large ballistae and catapults, or other devices that Doris knew were to be used into sieges, escorted by even more soldiers, all dressed in the uniform of Newtopia City's Army, marching through the street.

A street that, as the old newt could recall, led directly to the castle where King Andrias himself resided.

Oh my, Doris gasped internally, realizing what was really going on, I hope James and his friends will be fine…