Amphibia: Calamity Warriors
Chapter Forty-Six: Sorrow of the Wolf
As soon as the morning sun rose over Wartwood, Shadow and his two students got up early, and after a quick and light breakfast, for the past few days, went out to the training yard and began several hours, each having a sparring session with the boy in black to test their skills and what they've learned so far. And for the most part, both seemed to be pulling their own, although it was clear that Shadow was still miles ahead.
This time, however, Anne and Kaemon were facing off with Shadow at the same time, both human and newt trying to overpower the boy in black, Anne starting with a classic shield charge, but the boy pushed back against the face of the shield with one hand, all the while Kaemon snuck up behind and swung with two of his swords, Shadow raising his blade, blocking, before forcefully pushing Anne back, before kicking Kaemon back, both students circling him like a pair of wolves, Anne holding her weapons in a guarding stance, while Kaemon held his four swords at the ready, both ready to lunge at him…
"That's enough."
With that call, both swordnewt and human girl collapsed from exhaustion, dropping their weapons and fell to the ground, breathing heavily and sweating like pigs.
"Man, when you said 'tuning up the difficulty', I didn't think you meant THAT much." Anne said in between pants.
"This is all necessary in order to be ready for the temple challenges." Shadow told her. "And you never know what kind of foes we will run in to on the road."
"Nothing wrong with pushing yourself to the max!" Kaemon exclaimed loudly, despite his tired state.
"Let's take a break for now." Shadow chuckled, putting away his sword. "Let's go check on the Plantars and see how they're doing."
In agreement, the trio put away their equipment and got cleaned up before going down the path to Wartwood before the Plantar home came into view. As they approached the door, they looked up and took notice of a small fly dressed as a mailman carrying an envelope bearing the Amphibian royal seal.
"Yo, guys! Check it out!" Anne declared as the fly flew down near her. "Looks like I got a Mail-Fly message! Look how cute he is."
The mail fly raised his hat in greetings before dropping the letter into Anne's hands before flying off.
"If I had to assume, it must be from Marcy." Shadow said.
"Let's show the Plantars, they'd want to see this!" Kaemon said with excitement.
The two went inside, seeing the Plantars at the table eating dinner.
"Guess who got mail!" Anne said, showing off the letter.
Polly stopped gulping down her food to blow a raspberry. "Jealous, I never get mail." She said.
"Open it, open it!" Sprig said before jumping onto Anne's head.
Anne ripped the envelop to reveal the letter. "It's from Marcy! She says we're ready to travel to the first temple."
Sprig, Polly and Kaemon cheered with excitement, Shadow and Hop Pop smiling.
"Ooh. She even included a checklist of things to bring." Anne said, pulling a sheet of paper that came with the letter. "Let's see here. Food. Weapons."
"Check!" Kaemon declared, holding up two bags that contained more than enough food.
"Double check!" Polly declared, pulling out her mace.
"Make that quadruple!" Kaemon added, pulling out two of his swords, making Sprig yelp before jumping away to avoid getting hit. "Jumpy little fella."
"Cool, what else?" Anne looked over the list again. "Something about armor…"
"Got it covered!" Hop Pop said. "Believe it or not, I made each of you your very own suit of armor."
While the kids seemed excited, Shadow only snickered, knowing full well what the old frog was talking about.
A few minutes later, the 'suits' were massively inflated, limiting everybody's movements, with Shadow refusing to wear one. Even causing Anne to fall back onto the couch, unable to get back up.
"I'm down! Anne's down!" Anne exclaimed, struggling to get back up.
"Hop Pop!" Polly said yelled, groaning as she struggled within the suit. "This is the opposite of a suit of armor." Her brother then fell face first.
"Exactly. Less mobility means less trouble." Hop Pop replied.
"That's the dumbest thing I ever heard in my life." Kaemon said.
With a shake of his head, Shadow casually swung his sword, cutting the suits and freeing them.
"Too much 'protection' can be cumbersome." He said. "More mobility means you're less likely to get hit."
As if to help prove his point, Sprig jumped around as fast as he could.
"Haha! Hard to hit a moving target, isn't it?" He asked playfully, before Kaemon easily caught him with his tail. "Wow, you're good!"
"Years of practice, little bro." Kaemon said before setting the pink frog down. "Anyways, anything else on that list, Anne?"
Anne held up the list to make sure. "Oh yeah, just one more thing. The Music Box!"
Almost as soon as those words left Anne's mouth, the color drained from Shadow's face, wearing an expression of dread before sharing a look with Hop Pop, then shaking his head to snap himself quickly out of the dread.
"Uh, right, the music box. No problem." He said, trying to play it cool. "My contacts will have it ready by tomorrow."
"Great! You're the best." Anne said, giving him a thumbs up.
Both Shadow and Hop Pop forced a smile. They both knew that it was inevitable before the box would come into play once again. As much as they wanted to keep it buried, they had no choice.
They need to dig it back out.
Later that night, everyone went to bed, Shadow and his students returned to the hut before retiring to bed. While the swordnewt was fast asleep, Anne kept tossing and turning, dressed in her Amphibian Hero outfit, her gear equipped and her backpack strapped on, her excitement keeping her from getting a good night's sleep.
"All packed and ready to go." She said before rolling over to try and sleep, to no success. "Ah! Too excited to sleep!"
Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from outside her door. A door opening and slamming shut before the marching of boots on the ground.
"Sounds like someone else can't sleep either." She remarked in a low tone.
Curious, she got out of bed and crept up to the door, pushing it open just a crack to see what was going on. Peeking through the crack, she saw Shadow marching across the room towards the front door, and to her surprise, she saw a rare look on his face that showed great anger. For what, she wasn't sure.
Watching her boyfriend walk out the door, Anne followed quietly, peeking her head out the door to see Shadow walked down the dirt road towards Wartwood.
"Just what are you up to, Shadow?" She wondered silently before following after.
Completely unaware of the hidden company, Shadow was completely lost in his thoughts, even mumbling to himself, as he walked down the road to Wartwood. He had hoped to keep that box buried forever, hoping to find another way to get Anne and her friend's home. Sadly, he was unable to find any other alternative, the only option of trusting Andrias with the music box becoming clearer and it aggravated him greatly. The very idea of bringing the box back into the fold was anxiety inducing for him.
But he knew he had no choice.
As he walked, he could feel a pounding in his head, like a migraine about to arise. Stopping for a moment and leaning against a tree, he pressed a hand against his head, his teeth gritting from the aggravation.
"Look what you've done."
The boy in black hissed from the voice echoing inside his head, his eyelids squeezed shut.
"Get out of my head." He demanded silently.
"You will never change."
"Stop!" He said louder, but the voice never ceased.
"You will always be a monster."
"STOP IT!" He screamed, grabbing a nearby tree and completely uprooting it as if it were a stick in sand before chucking it a great distance.
Breathing heavily, Shadow counted to five several times before finally managing to calm himself down. Ever since he came to Wartwood five years ago, he had learned to suppress the monster within and finding peace within himself. But ever since the incident at Toad Tower, perhaps even longer, he felt the darkness raising every time he called upon it, feeling 'him' clawing underneath.
He still maintained control, but how long would that last?
Letting out a sigh, he continued until he arrived at the town before heading straight for the Plantar homestead, approaching the tree out front.
"I was hoping to keep you buried until I found an alternative," He said out loud. "But it seems fate wishes to mock me for my past."
Staring at the tree in frustrated silence before picking up the nearby shovel and digging into the dirt, each scoop of dirt he took before tossing it to the side, he saw flashes of events from the past.
A field in flames.
Salamanders being cut down without mercy.
Blood on his hands.
Karlia's dead body in his arms.
One last scoop of dirt before throwing the shovel to the side, Shadow got down on his knees to retrieve the cursed box. Only for his eyes to widen in shock and horror.
The box was nowhere to be seen.
"No…" He said, almost a whisper. "No…no, no, no, no!"
He patted the earth in the hole, thinking it may have been hexed, but once again, nothing. He pinched himself a few times, thinking he was dreaming, but nothing changed, his mind rushing with panic and fear.
"It can't be!" He exclaimed in shock. "The music box! It's gone!"
"What?"
The minute Shadow heard that familiar voice from behind, his blood went cold, and his heart almost stopped, silently praying that it wasn't who he thought it was. Turning his head over his shoulder, there Anne was, standing behind him, her face filled with shock.
Both stayed still in stunned silence, neither daring to say a word before Anne broke the pregnant silence. "Did I just hear you say…that the music box is gone?"
Shadow racked his brain, desperately trying to think of a story convincing enough to turn Anne away, to defuse the situation. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with anything convincing.
Seeing that he couldn't lie anymore, Shadow gave in and said with a sigh. "Yes. I buried the box here, and now it's gone."
Anne couldn't believe what she was hearing, shaking her head in disbelief. "Bu-but you said your contacts were-"
"There were no contacts! I lied about that too!" Shadow exclaimed.
Anne stared in shock, absolutely distraught.
"Anne, I know what I did was wrong, but I did it to save Amphibia, and to protect you." He said, taking a few steps toward her as he tried to explain himself. "I-I didn't want it to be like this, but it was the only way. Please, you have to believe me."
The Thai girl stepped away from him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The boy who had taught her everything, who had given her a home, who she had given her trust and love to had been lying to her very face this whole time.
"So, you've been lying to me? This whole time?" She asked, her shock giving way to anger.
"I- I...it-it's complicated!" Shadow said, stumbling with his words.
"NO, IT'S NOT!" Anne screamed at the top of her lungs in outrage. "I need the music box to get home, and you buried it under a tree! What are you trying to do, keep me here forever?!"
"No! It's not like that! I-" Shadow tried to explain, but Anne didn't give him the chance.
"What else was a lie, huh?!" Anne demanded, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Did…did you even love me?"
Those words shocked the boy before he moved in and took her hands in his.
"Anne, what I feel for you is true." He told her. "These months with you have been the best thing I've ever experienced, but you have to understand-"
"GET AWAY!" Anne yanked her hands away, backing away from him. "I can't believe this! After everything we've been through, you look me in the eyes and you lied!"
Just then, Hop Pop stepped out of the house, seeing the two humans arguing, his eyes widening in shock. "Oh no."
"I did it to protect you!" Shadow protested. "You have no idea what dangers that box possesses!"
"You had no right to lie to me!" Anne snapped back.
"Kids, please, calm down!" Hop Pop pleaded as he approached.
"You!" Anne yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the old frog. "Did you know about this?!"
While Hop Pop stumbled over his words, Shadow was completely silent, his mind racing with panic and fear, the voices in his head growing louder every second.
"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE PAST!"
With a shout, the boy in black suddenly flew off full-tilt towards the forest, obsessed with finding the box, Anne and Hop Pop looking after him in shock.
"Shadow!" Anne yelled, giving chase.
"Anne, wait! It's dangerous!" Hop Pop warned, trying to chase after her, but eventually losing sight of her in the forest. Staring in the direction the kids went off to, Hop Pop had no words except one.
"Oh frog."
Morning came as the sun rose over the Valley, a bug-shaped alarm clock going off inside the hut only to fall silent when Kaemon karate chopped it with one hand.
"Ha! Thought you could sneak up on me!" Kaemon declared. "Well, you didn't!"
The swordnewt quickly got dressed and armed himself with his four swords and bladed war bow and arrows before kicking his room door open to enter the main room of the hut…only to find no one else inside. No Shadow cooking breakfast, no Anne sitting at the table eagerly waiting for breakfast with a drooling mouth, nothing.
"Huh. That's weird." Kaemon remarked, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Well, maybe they're at the Plantars house! Wish they could've told me before they left."
Heading outside and mounting Ironhide, the newt rode to town and arriving at the Plantar homestead, stopping at the stable and dismounting from the snail.
"You stay here and keep Bessie company, pal." Kaemon said, guiding the snail next to the female snail. "I know how much you enjoy being in her company."
The male snail chirped happily before crawling next to the female, both snails nuzzling happily. Taking a moment to admire the sight, Kaemon then turned and walked to the house and approached the door.
"BOOM BABY!" He declared loudly, swinging the door open, expecting a greeting of some kind.
Only to find Hop Pop sitting at the table, clearly looking overslept and miserable while holding a coffee mug in his right hand, staring out the window.
"Whoa, Hop Pop?" The swordnewt said. "You look like you didn't sleep well."
"Quest, quest, quest! Quest, quest, quest!" Sprig and Polly can be heard chanting the word 'quest' over and over as they emerged from their rooms and walked down the stairs.
"Hold up." Sprig said, stopping his sister as they reach the bottom of the stairs, taking note of Hop Pop's sorry state. "Uh, Hop Pop, are you okay?"
Hop Pop let out a sigh as he turned around. "I really mucked it up this time, kids." He said before taking in a breath before letting it out. "Shadow and I lied to Anne about the music box, and we buried it under the tree out front."
"What!?" All three kids gasped in shock.
"Oh, it gets worse. Anne must've seen the whole thing, because I saw her and Shadow arguing about it." Hop Pop continued. "And it must've gone missing, from the look on Shadow's face before he flew off, with Anne chasing after him. I tried to get after them, but I lost sight of both of them." He let out a sad sigh. "I've been waiting all night for them to come back."
The three kids looked at each other, all three feeling sorry for the old frog, before joining him at the table.
"Look, Hop Pop," Sprig spoke first, taking hold of one of Hop Pop's hands. "I don't know why you did what you did, but you gotta fix it."
"Yeah! You gotta get out there and bring Anne and Shadow back!" Polly yelled.
"Now, quit feeling sorry for yourself and get out there!" Kaemon declared.
Thinking it over, Hop Pop stood up with newfound determination, slamming his fists on the table. "You're right. I caused this mess, so dang it, I'm gonna clean it up!" He then quickly slurped his coffee down before throwing the mug onto the floor, shattering it. "And then I'm gonna clean that up."
The kids watched the old frog leave the house, all three sighing.
"Well, this is a bummer." Polly said.
"We gotta find that music box or Anne'll never forgive them." Sprig said. "And then we gotta find Shadow before he hurts himself."
"Right on! Let's motor, gang!" Kaemon declared, propping the siblings on his shoulders before running out the door.
Meanwhile, Hop Pop wandered through the woods, looking around for any sign of the two humans, but saw nothing.
"If there was only some clue as to which way those two went—" He said aloud, yelping as he ducked down as something flew over him.
Looking up, he saw something floating overhead over the tree branches; a black, will-o-wisp floating about aimlessly.
"Now what could that be…" He wondered before feeling something click under his foot, raising it to see a bobby pin stuck in the ground. And that wasn't the only thing.
"A bobby pin? And hairbrush, mascara, sunglasses, teen magazine." Hop Pop said, listing off the items in a trail. "I think I'm on the right track." He said confidently as he put on the sunglasses before following the trail.
Meanwhile, Anne had just awoken from her slumber, having taken refuge inside a cave she had once taken shelter in when she first arrived in Amphibia.
She let out a yawn. "Never thought I'd be sleepin' in this cave again. Not since Shadow took me in."
She felt her heart ache at the mention of the name of the boy she grew to love. She still couldn't wrap her head around why he did what he did. The way he spoke, it sounded like the box was something he greatly feared. But why?
Sighing, she looked around the cave she sat in. Along the walls were a large assortment of weapons and armor, the cave serving as a makeshift armory a long time ago.
"Funny how I never noticed this before, when I first dropped in." She said out loud.
Back in town, Kaemon, Sprig and Polly had just arrived at the town gate before Kaemon skidded to a stop, setting the siblings down.
"All right, maybe someone in town has seen the music box." Kaemon suggested.
"But who could've-" Before Sprig could finish his sentence, the three nearly gasped at the sight.
All around the town, there were several holes dug out. Looking about, they saw Maddie peering down a hole, as though she was looking for something.
"Hey Maddie, what's going on?" Kaemon asked as he and the siblings approached.
"Someone dug a bunch of holes and stole stuff from everyone in town." The witch explained as she stood up. "I even lost a talisman that, if it fell into the wrong hands, would bring an end to all...living—" She stopped when she saw the Plantar kids giving her creeped out looks. "I've said too much."
With Maddie taking her leave, the trio gazed at the hole. "Who would dig a bunch of holes in the ground?" Polly asked.
They were then startled by Soggy Joe popping out of a nearby bush. "Holes in the ground, eh? And missing valuables too?" He then snapped his fingers. "Sounds like the work of the Magpie beetle."
"Never heard of it." Sprig said.
"You gotta stop popping out of bushes, Soggy Joe." Polly added.
"I almost took your head off, dude." Kaemon said.
"The Magpie beetle is a rare breed of insect that lives underground." Soggy Joe explained, picking up a small stick and using it to draw an image of the insect in the dirt. "Every 20 years it burrows to the surface and steals junk to make its shell. It presents that shell to prospective mates in a ritual called the 'love-nado dance'."
"Ew." Polly said.
"A spectacle much too dangerous to observe—" He stopped when he looked up and saw the three running off. "You really should hear the rest of this!"
"Gotta run!"
"On a mission!"
"Thanks, Joe!"
Soon enough, it began to rain hard, the trio running back to the homestead, Polly sat on Sprig's head, arriving at the tree in the front yard, looking into the hole Shadow had dug up.
"Guys, look!" Polly said, pointing at a tunnel dug off to the side within the hole. "Soggy Joe was right. There's a burrow off to the side. Come on!"
The three got into the hole, staring down the burrow.
"Think this'll lead us to the box?" Sprig asked.
"There's only one way to find out." Polly declared, heading inside first, Sprig following behind.
"Just try not to go too fast, it's a little small for me." Kaemon requested before squeezing in.
The three continued down the tunnel before sliding down an incline, screaming as they went through a loop before popping out a hole in the ground wall, Kaemon catching the Plantar siblings before grabbing hold of a strong-looking root with his tail.
"Whoa, talk about going for a loop." The swordnewt remarked.
"Where are we?" Sprig asked.
Polly looked down and gasped. "Oh no, guys! We're right smack dab in the middle of the love-nado!" She yelled, pointing down.
Looking down, they saw that they were in fact in the middle of the love-nado, the largest number of magpie beetle they ever saw moving in a circular pattern, all carrying an assortment of items on their back.
"Maybe we should've listened to the end of Soggy Joe's thing." Polly said.
Just then, another magpie slipped out of the hole, hitting Kaemon on the head and making him lose his hold on the root, all three screaming as they fell towards the swarm.
Only to be caught by a creature composed of darkness with wings and glowing silver eyes. The three looked up with a gasp, almost recognizing it.
"Shadow?"
Back at the cave, Anne sat in the cave staring at the various weapon racks, all the while the storm raged outside. Not only that, but she could feel a sharp pain in her head, and it seemed to only get worse.
"Man, that storm's getting worse." Anne remarked, staring out the mouth of the cave. "I hope everyone in Wartwood is okay."
She then started massaging her forehead, the migraine returning. "I wonder if these headaches are a side effect of the Calamity power…"
As she looked up, a flash of lightning revealed a silhouette of a figure with hollow eyes, she let out a frightened yell, before the figure stepped forward, revealing to be Hop Pop with worried eyes.
"Oh." She calmed down before scoffing. "It's you. Go away."
"Please, Anne. Just let me explain." Hop Pop said, stepping forward.
"I am not talking to you right now, Hop Pop." Anne rejected, getting up and turning away, stepping away from the old frog. "If that's even your real name." There was a pause before she realized something. "Oh, wait. Hop Pop's a nickname."
"I need you to know why I hid the music box." Hop Pop tried to reason with her. "It's dangerous. I was just trying to protect the family."
"Then why did you lie?" Anne asked with crossed arms, still not looking at him.
Hop Pop sighed. "Remember what we talked about? During the trip to Newtopia?" He asked. "It was at Quarreler's Pass when we talked about this."
Anne thought about it for a minute before her eyes widened at what the old frog meant.
"You mean…about Sprig and Polly's parents?"
Hop Pop nodded. "That moment devastated me." He said, clenching his fist. "If I just had been there... I know things would've been different! Ever since then, I swore I'd never let my family down again. That I'd do anything to protect them." He took a step forward to the Thai girl. "So, when Shadow came to me, about the box being dangerous, I went along with Shadow's lie and hid it away. I thought I was protecting my family. But now I realize how foolish it was. You're my family too." He then fell to his knees. "And I've let you down. I let us all down." Finally, he couldn't hold himself together anymore, the tears beginning to fall before finally breaking down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm just so sorry!"
Anne stared at him for a moment, her heart aching from the old frog's pain before approaching him, getting on her knees and embracing him, much to his surprise.
"Hop Pop, I forgive you."
Hop Pop felt a weight lifted off his chest when he heard those words before returning the embrace.
"Listen, did you see where Shadow went?" Hop Pop asked before pulling away. "We need to find him so-"
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion that caught their attention, seeing an ominous glowing pillar soaring into the now worsening storm clouds above, black and green energy falling from the sky like rain. Thunder cracks as its drowned out by a howling wail.
Suddenly, the pain in Anne's head seemed to worsen, the girl screaming on pain as she fell to her knees, with one hand clutching to her head while the other cradled her heart. The sharp pain in her heart, the cacophony of tormented screams in her head having come out of nowhere, and she was unprepared for such a mental assault. And that freezing sensation, it felt like she was experiencing a chill so cold it burned. Her pupils glowing blue as it switched between brown, blue and brown again.
"Anne!" Hop Pop exclaimed, shocked and worried for the Thai girl.
Putting her mental training with Shadow to the test, Anne took several breaths before strengthening her mental fortitude, and she slowly managed to regain her composure. "What. The Frog. Was That?" She stated, deeply concerned. Her eyes turned towards the beacon of pale light continuing to grow in power. "That light, is that Shadow?"
Hop Pop was silent as an all too familiar chill creeped into his soul. "No, Anne." He uttered with sheer dread. "Worse. So much worse."
Somewhere in the west, Sasha was training with Damien, with Grime and Siwang watching from the side, they two clashing with the newt's bladed greaves and Sasha's sword before their training was interrupted when Sasha's body began to tremble, dropping her sword and dropping to her knees.
"Sasha!" Damien yelled, running to her side and holding her close to him, her body feeling as though she was on fire from the inside, the newt not letting the blistering headache bother him. "What's wrong with her, Captain?!" He yelled to his captain.
"I'm not sure!" Grime said, as he approached, shocked by what was happening. "Perhaps it's some kind of new weapon!"
Like in Wartwood, the same chill is felt by everyone present as they heard a demonic chuckling nearby. Turning around, they saw the silhouette of a winged creature with a scythe chuckling to himself as the weapon blazed with cyan flame.
Sasha groaned as she got back on her feet, her eyes glowing rink with the same effect as Anne as the sensation continues to blaze inside her. Siwang saw this and managed to keep himself like grinning while preparing for battle.
"It's no simple weapon to call upon. This is the power of death itself." His smile can be seen as he no longer contained himself.
'Oh, Black Wolf.' He thought with glee, 'What have you done?'
Back in Newtopia, Marcy, Apollo and the other elementalists were in the process of preparing supplies for the journey to the first temple, when Marcy and Apollo began feeling the same effects as the other Calamity bearers, Marcy clenching her head in agony, screaming in pain, all the while Apollo tried to fight the pain, falling to one knee, while Cody and his students seem to be experiencing the same migraine as Damien, while Andrias, and the Longclaws were trying to figure out what had just happened.
"They were both hit by this strange force at around the same time, though the effects aren't as powerful as they are with Cody and the others." Olivia explained. "Some of our scouts are reporting that a Harrowing greater than previously recorded in the Forbidden West has just begun, and it's only getting stronger. But it wasn't supposed to occur until after the humans are able to head home!"
At that moment, Olvia and Yunan flinched at her mentioning of the Forbidden West. That region was closed off to all of Amphibia five years after the end of that genocidal crusade. Hemlock covered his mouth, a crazed look in his eyes under the shades.
All the while, Andrias heard a voice in his head. "Almost completely gone, as if he never existed." It mused. "But the Cataclysm's rift has grown deeper and vast still, and somewhere down there It stirs. Something has changed, the dragon's prison weakens. We must prepare."
Back near Wartwood, Anne and Hop Pop stared at the pillar of Calamity energy, before hearing an anguished howling scream coming from that direction.
"What's going on?!" Anne yelled, shocked by the events unfolding.
"The Harrowing." Hop Pop said, his face filled with dread. "The last one was five years ago, but never to this extent!"
"You saw this before?!" Anne asked with a gasp.
"There's no time, we need to find Shadow, quick!"
The two made their way towards the pillar, and the closer they got, a thick black fog engulfing the area as they got closer to the source, the energy laying waste to anything that got close, the weather growing increasingly worse and any form of life within proximity dying, or even becoming corrupted, black mist emitting from their mouths and glowing green eyes.
"What is this?" Anne asked, feeling a chill go up her spine.
"This is what's called a Harrowing." Hop Pop told her as they passed a dead mantis. "I knew it was bad, but not this bad."
Finally, they arrived at their destination, both gasping at what they saw. Rather than a magpie hive, it was a smoldering crater with charred belongings scattered everywhere and ghostly embers still burning.
"What in the…" Anne said, completely stunned. "What happened here?"
"Anne! Hop Pop!"
Looking over, they saw Kaemon, Sprig, and Polly trapped in what looked like a bubble-like barrier.
"Guys!" Anne gasped, flying down with Hop Pop in her arms. "What happened? Where'd this crater come from?" She put a hand to the barrier. "And what's with the bubble?"
"We were looking for the music box when we came across the magpie pit." Sprig said.
"Next thing we knew, BOOM!" Polly added.
"So, what happened here?" Anne asked, gesturing to the ashes within the crater.
When she turned her head, she gasped with wide eyes at what she saw. At the center of the crater sat a shirtless Shadow, web-like veins popping out all over his body, all glowing black, along with the brand on his back, a thick black mist steaming out, and holding the Calamity Box close to his chest, breathing heavily.
Anne stared in shock at the boy she loved, staring as if she barely recognized him.
"Shadow?" She almost whispered, about to reach out to him.
"Anne, don't go near him!" Hop Pop said, holding her back. "It could be dangerous!" He looked over at the boy in black with sad eyes. "For all the time I've ever known him, I never saw him like this. So broken, so…wrong."
"All the more reason for me to approach him, HP." Anne retorted. "And right now, he needs someone to pull him back out of the darkness."
Steeling her courage, Anne activated her Calamity Trigger before starting to approach, her heart aching at the sight of the boy she loved, the boy heaving as he inhaled and exhaled heavily, the marks along his body glowing an ominous black and his hair a flickering flame.
"Shadow?"
Upon hearing the call of his name, Shadow turned his head quickly, his dark eyes staring at the girl, but she showed no fear.
"Shadow, it's me." She said soothingly. "There's nothing to fear. You can relax now." She took a step closer, ignoring the chills from the negative energy. "I know you must be hurting, but you don't have to be afraid. I'm here. We're here."
Shadow stared at her before finally registering her face, her voice, everything, before he closed his eyes, the markings over his body fading and his hair returning to normal, and when he opened his eyes, they were back to their emerald green color. Not only that, but the protective barrier the kids were trapped in also popped, the kids fall in a pile.
Finally able to calm and collect himself, he looked up to Anne with eyes full of remorse.
"Anne…" He said solemnly. "We need to talk…"
The group returned to the Plantar home, all sat in a living room, Shadow and Anne covered with warm blankets before Hop Pop came in with the tea, setting the tray on the coffee table.
"Whenever you're ready, Shadow." Hop Pop said with gentleness.
Shadow paused for a moment before looking at the people sat before him. First, he looked at Hop Pop, the old frog having been there for him for five years, always helping him up when needed and giving nuggets of wisdom. Then he looked at Polly and Sprig, the two serving a siblings to the boy, always excited about the next adventure. Then Kaemon, the swordnewt becoming more of a brother to him with each day. Then finally, he looked at Anne, the girl that he swore to protect and see back home, who he taught everything to.
The girl he fell in love with.
"First I want to say thank you." He said, looking at Anne. "For not only helping me... but for helping all of us. But if we're to keep going..." He let out a deep sigh, "Then you deserve to have the truth. My truth."
"The... the truth?" Anne questioned. "Shadow, what do you mean by that?"
He looked away, "You came all this way from that cave because of this," He held up the music box, "your friends, home, your family," He paused again, "...and now me. You want to know what happened and why." He raised his hands, which glowed with the energy of Calamity, much like the barrier Kaemon and the kids were trapped in. "This. This is your answer."
Anne's eyes widened upon seeing his hands blaze like that. It was when Ivy tried to run away when she got fed up with her mother's strict rules.
"This technique will allow me to link your minds to my mine." He said to everyone, before looking at Anne. "Originally, this idea came during our dance together and was meant to synchronize our powers. But through this variation, you will bear witness to my memories, all my secrets laid bare, and all my sins exposed. Just link your hands together with mine and you will all see. We called these tragedies, The Black Purge and The Ruination." He extended his arms to the others and slowly all but Anne and Hop Pop remained.
She reached out to join her hand with her boyfriends until Hop Pop stopped her. "W-Wait!" He blurted, worry in his eyes. "Are y-you sure that you want to see this, Anne? I know it's a lot to take and-"
She interrupted him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, HP." She assured him. "I need to know the truth. So... I'm ready for what's coming."
Her thoughts turned inward, 'Besides, I need to know... everything.' She held his right as the rain finally breaks to a lunar eclipse above them.
"I-I," Shadow stammered, tears streaming down his face and unable to find the words. "I am... truly sorry for what you're all about to see. I just hope... you will now understand everything."
Five years ago, long before Shadow left…
It was a storming day in Newtopia, the rain pelting hard and the citizens scrambling to get to shelter. Up in the castle, Azazel was sitting in his father's study, reading a book with great interest, the book titled 'The Dragon of Cataclysm', about a great beast that had terrifying power and threatened the world, before being locked away by a benevolent force.
"Ah, there you are!"
The boy looked up to see his father approach in his night robe, with Karlia by his side.
"Hello, father." Azazel greeted with a smile before turning to his tutor. "Karlia."
"Azazel." The newt offered a warm smile.
"Sorry for bothering you, pup," Andrias said. "But there was something I wanted to show you that is of great importance."
"Are you sure this is a good idea, sire?" Karlia asked with concern. "He's only a child, after all."
"Nonsense!" Andrias declared. "He's quite skilled, despite his age. If anything, he's earned it."
"That's not what I'm worried about." Karlia mumbled under her breath.
Closing his book and getting up, Azazel followed his father and tutor down the hall before reaching the throne room, a pedestal standing at the center of the room, where the music box sat, its five gemstones colored with blue, green, pink, white and black. The boy in black also took notice of Apollo standing near the pedestal.
"Apollo!" The human exclaimed, running up to his brother and tackling him with a hug.
"Brother!" Apollo replied, reciprocating the hug.
"You remember this, yes?" Andrias asked, earning a nod from the boy. "This is a precious heirloom to our family and important for our explorations of other worlds. And this time, you and your brother will be by my side as we begin the exploration of our first destination; Earth!"
Both young boys gasped in awe before jumping up and down with excitement.
"Finally, I get to see my origin home!" Azazel exclaimed.
"This is gonna be so exciting!" Apollo chimed in.
While Andrias seemed happy with the reaction of the brothers, Karlia was the only one who seemed displeased.
"You seem displeased, Karlia." Andrias pointed out, taking notice of the tutor's expression.
"While I'm happy that these two are getting to explore a whole new world," Karlia said. "I can't help but worry for their safety."
"That's why I had them trained." Andrias said. "That way, they'll be ready for any and all possible threats."
"I still feel like there are other ways to resolve things besides violence." Karlia retorted.
Shadow then picked up the box, staring at the gemstones for a moment as the gems shined before he ran his hand over them.
Suddenly, the stones shined, and his eyes dilated when he saw several terrifying images through his mind.
Smoke and fire across the land, frogs screaming as robots ravaged the land, vast amounts of portals opening up and robot pouring out, inhabitants running and screaming, a dark future where everyone was either dead or enslaved. Among the slaves were several humans, monsters, aliens, demons, hollow machines, dark gods, fallen or corrupted heroes, many worlds taken over.
And standing among the horde of darkness was a lone figure, cladded in black armor, a helmet with gill-like horns, its dark orange eyes staring with evil intent.
Azazel screamed as he dropped the box, falling on his butt and scrambling away from the music box.
"Azazel?" Andrias said, taken aback by the sudden action before approaching his adoptive son, Karlia quickly scooping the boy into her arms and rocking him gently. "Son, what's the matter?"
Azazel took several breaths before he managed to calm himself down and look up at his father. "The box…it showed me something…"
The minute the boy said that, Andrias' face filled with dread as though he remembered something from his past. Something that affected him in a terrible way.
It was there for a moment before he suddenly busted into laughter. "Don't be silly! That's impossible!"
While Apollo looked at his father with a raised brow, Karlia frowned, clearly not finding the situation funny.
Azazel especially didn't find it funny, his face turning to anger. "Are you…laughing at me?"
"Azazel, please don't-" Andrias made to say.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Azazel screamed. "It's not funny that I just saw thousands of worlds destroyed before my vary eyes! It's not funny that I saw so many people DEAD!"
The boy ran off for his room, Karlia giving the king a look as she stood. "That was insensitive of you, your highness." She said. "As his father, you should have been more respectful when someone experiences moments of fear."
As Karlia followed after the human, Apollo looked at his father before following after his tutor, leaving the king alone, his thoughts turning bitter.
"…she dares…"
Azazel sat in his room, clearly bothered by what he saw, even more so by Andrias laughing at his concerns as if they meant nothing. As he stewed in his sadness, Karlia and Apollo entered the room.
"Azazel? Are you okay?" The female newt asked gently, approaching the boy and sitting next to him on the bed, with Apollo joining on the other side.
"He laughed at me." Azazel said, sniffing a bit. "He laughed at my worry."
"What exactly did you see?" Apollo asked.
Azazel looked up at his brother, terror in his eyes.
"Death."
Apollo looked at him with wide eyes before looking at Karlia, who hugged the boy.
"Look, I'll talk things over with Andrias." She told him. "Hopefully, we can-"
Before they could continue further, they were approached by an out of breath Cody, his two students following behind.
"Karlia, we have a problem!" He stated frantically. "There's a riot outside the castle and it's not ceasing. Andrias and Astrid tried to speak with them, but it's only gotten worse!"
Nodding, the newt stood up. "I'll try to calm them down." She said before turning to the brothers. "Come, you two."
The brothers followed their tutor before reaching the main door, descending the steps before stopping at a massive crowd of rioters, the king and queen standing before them trying to calm the crowd.
"Nothing good will come from this chaos!" Astrid declared, trying to reason with the rioters. "Please, return to your homes and all will be forgiven!"
"Never, cow!" One of the rioters snapped.
"Not until you and your tyrant husband answer for your negligence!" Another yelled.
Just as the crowd was about to get violent, Karlia stepped forward before the crowd.
"People of Newtopia! Please, lend me your ears!"
With that call, some of the citizens in the crowd seem to calm down.
"It's the high priestess!" One called.
"Let her speak!" Another shouted.
For the longest time, Karlia spent the majority of her time in the religious house of the gods, praying and offering solace and a place of faith for others. The church was also a good place to bring the Leviathan brothers and other kids for religious study, whenever the king allowed it. And for the longest time, the people loved and appreciated her for her efforts to help others.
"I understand that you are frustrated, that you wish for a solution for your plight," She declared, loudly yet with the gentleness of a caring mother. "But think of how you're acting right now. Do you believe that this will solve anything? That things will get better and not get worse?"
The crowd began to surely calm down, Azazel looking up at his tutor in awe. 'She always had a way of calming a furious crowd.' He thought.
"I assure you, whatever it is, we will get through it together." Karlia declared. "I only ask that-"
It happened so fast, too fast. A whistle in the wind before something pierced flesh.
Azazel blinked a few times, his eyes barely registering what was in front of him, before he saw Karlia fall on her back, an arrow sticking from her chest and a shocked expression on her face.
"KARLIA!" Azazel screamed, rushing to her side.
Karlia choked on her blood, looking up at the boy, raising her hand to his face.
"Azazel… Know that I…always loved you…like a brother…" She choked out, cringing from the pain. "Please…remember what I taught you… Don't…give in…to hate…"
Azazel almost felt his heart stop when Karlia's breathing stopped. The person he had come to see as an older sister had died in his arms.
"KARLIAAAAA!"
The scene unfolding before his eyes, Andrias turned to the crowd angrily. "You fools! Do you have any idea what you have done?!" He yelled in anger.
Azazel felt his whole world collapse, his tutor dead in his arms, the one person besides his mother and Cody to teach him so many things about the world was just torn from him for next to no reason.
At that moment, something inside him snapped. His mind racing with panic at first, before turning to rage.
That's when he heard it.
"Ah, I can feel the rage seething within you." It said. "I can feel it clawing to get out, to bring pain and death upon your enemies. No need to keep it contained anymore."
Azazel began to let out feral growls as the rage within him reach its breaking point.
"No need to hold back anymore. Call me Satanael and let me be your blade! Release me, and we will bring hell upon our enemies!"
Finally, he let his rage loose.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Suddenly, there was an explosion of black fire like a bonfire, throwing everyone nearby back, even the Leviathan couple were sent crashing into the cobblestone ground from the force, Andrias looking up in horror at the sight of the gigantic bonfire before seeing a pair of red eyes glow within the flame, then something emerged from the flame, something that made the king's eyes grow wide with shock.
Standing in Azazel's place was a massive black wolf that had the limbs of a werewolf, ten spiked tails and dragon wings on its back, its body made up of black shadow.
With a demonic howl, the giant wolf swung its giant fist, smashing a building and sending rubble flying and crushing anyone unfortunate enough to get hit.
Groaning, Andrias raised himself from the ground before looking up in horror at what he was witnessing. A massive creature was rampaging throughout his city, that creature being his adopted son.
As the beast roar, Andrias could hear so many emotions in its cry.
Anger.
Rage!
FURY!
PAIN!
Sadness.
…doubt…
Snapping himself out of his shock, the king got up, pulled the horn from his belt before blowing into it.
"NEWTOPIAN ROYAL GUARD! SEIZE THE BEAST!"
Several newt guards rushed from the castle, carrying several harness' and grappling hooks, all attempting to restrain the monster, all met with varying results. Some were snatched up in the jaws of the beast before being thrown right back down onto the pavement with a sickening splat, raising its fist before bringing it down on a group of soldiers, crushing them. Some were even burned to death
Seeing his brother go berserk, Apollo got up and flew up to its head.
"Azazel!" He called. "Please, stop this! You're-"
He didn't get to finish when the wolf swung one of its tails at him, sending him crashing into the ground, knocking him out.
Just then, Ina unleashed several water whips, wrapping them around its head and trying to pull it down, Valor conjuring several fire cuffs to restrain its limbs, while Cody jumped on its back to send several bolts of electricity through its back.
"Azazel, come to your senses!" Andrias cried out, approaching the beast. "Please, come back to us!"
It did little to quell the beast, however, as it raised its head, dark purple light emitting from its mouth as it readied to fire a blast.
You are the oceans grey waves
Destined to seek life beyond the shores
Just out of reach
Suddenly, there was a beautiful feminine voice singing a familiar voice, Andrias looking to see his wife stepping forward, her voice calming the beasts fury, said beast lowering its head to her level, the queen staring at him with empathy.
"Calm your anger, my child." She called with a gentle tone. "Remember who you are, Azazel."
The beast groaned, its growl filled with pain, before it let out a sky piercing roar before its body lit up in darkness before it decreased in size, before finally returning to Azazel's original form, the boy falling to his knees.
Andrias stepped forward and knelt next to the boy, who let out tears of pain, of sorrow, the sight making the king's old heart ache.
"I'm sorry, my boy." He said, hugging the boy close. "I know not why this had to happen…"
Sometime later, Azazel stirred as his eyes fluttered open, finding himself in his room. Looking up, he saw Cody sitting at the end of the bed.
"Good, you're awake." The older man said. "How do you feel?"
The boy shook his head, as though trying to shake the cobwebs from his head. "Drained, I think." He answered.
"I can imagine so, given what you just went through." Cody said, earning a confused look from the boy. "Do you…remember what happened?"
Azazel thought for a moment, trying to think. "Not really." He answered.
"There was a riot earlier." Cody frowned. "It was getting violent, and…" He stopped for a moment before sighing. "It's best if you hear it from your father. He wants to see you."
Getting out of bed, Azazel followed his mentor down the halls and entered the throne room, the king sat at his throne waiting with a mournful look on his face. Off to the side were Yunan, Olivia and Hemlock, Olivia and Yunan embracing in a tearful embrace, clearly hurt from the events that occurred, while Hemlock stood with a blank look, his eyes obscured by his sunglasses. On the other side, Valor and Ina stood with sadness in their expressions.
The atmosphere was currently distraught.
"Azazel, I'm sorry for waking you up, but there are things we must discuss." The king said.
Azazel looked around, noticing that one more person was missing.
"Where's mother?" He asked.
"She's currently in mourning." Andrias said. "Both in your brother in a coma, as well as…" He stopped for a moment, hesitating to continue before saying, "I'm sorry, my boy. But Karlia…Karlia, who was the guiding light to our city, is dead."
Azazel stood frozen, trying to process this information, his breathing getting hitched, his legs growing weak before falling to his knees, his eyes growing watery before the tears fells, both Valor and Ina rushing to his side and embracing him in comforting hugs.
"We should be grieving, I know." Andrias said. "But right now, there's another matter. The men were investigating where the arrow came from and they found this."
He then presented a bow, crafted from a strong wood, and it appeared as something not made by frogs, newts, or even toads.
Staring at the weapon, it clicked in Azazel's mind. "The salamanders did this?"
"The salamanders have always had it out for our family, ever since my father subjugated them thousands of years ago." Andrias told him. "Now, they dared to make an attempt on your life, leave Apollo unconscious, but they also killed our most beloved high priestess!" He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Azazel, this injustice cannot be allowed to stand. We must show them what happens when they bite the hand of the Leviathans. It is the only way."
Azazel was feeling a whirlwind of emotions, starting with sorrow. Sorrow for the death of his tutor, his brother getting hurt, and the newt soldiers he had killed. Then that sorrow gave way to anger. Anger at himself for losing control, anger towards the salamanders actions against his family.
That anger soon gave way to rage.
The validity of the claim didn't matter, so long as he had someone to punish.
"Father," He spoke as he looked up to his father, his eyes filled with rage and his tone containing venom. "I swear, I will not rest until those creatures know the wrath of the Leviathan."
Andrias smiled at this, "Good."
And so, after some preparations, the Black Wolf led an army to the Forbidden West and committed one of the greatest atrocities in Amphibia's recorded history. The moment he and his army of three hundred newt and toad soldiers, the first salamander village they found, he had razed to the ground, and anyone who didn't run were met with the bladed end of his twin blades, cutting them down without mercy or hesitation. Not all salamanders ran, however, as some tried to fight back, only to be completely eviscerated by the Black Wolf. Those who were lucky to escape were able to flee from the continent entirely, fleeing back to their homeland. All the while, the Azazel everyone was so familiar with wasn't entirely there, as a new persona born from the tragedy of Karlia seemed to have taken over, calling itself Satanael, cleaving through the bodies of the opposing salamanders with extreme hatred, not even sparing the ones begging for mercy, taking pleasure in the slaughter. And to an extent, Shadow seemed to have found pleasure in it.
As long as it avenges Karlia's death, even better.
Soon enough, Azazel, under the influence of Satanael, led his army to the path that led to the city of the Salamanders, a beautiful city made of golden and green marble. The way it shined made it look like a paradise.
Sadly, that was about to change.
Azazel stood before his army, all eager for battle, the boy holding a torch and barely contained rage in his eyes.
"These creatures have dared to strike out against the king who has done nothing but make Amphibia flourish as best he could!" Azazel declared, his eyes glowing black and his face covered in black veins, his voice giving an echo. "After all the king did for them, they still dare to disrespect and bite the hand that feeds! If they won't bend, then what choice do we have but this?!" He held up the torch. "Burn this city! BURN IT TO THE GROUND!"
He then threw the torch onto a straw hut, the fire set ablaze and the army laid siege onto the city, attacking anyone in sight; men, women, even children. There were some magicians who were brave enough to defend their home, their magic proving more than enough to hold their ground.
Until the Black Wolf jumped into the fray.
He dashed in, cutting down the first salamander with his twin blades with a downward slash, then stabbed a second salamander before slicing his head off before cleaving another in two. It was bloody and brutal, and he took great pleasure in the slaughter, each salamander falling by his blade one by one, before he stopped and looked at a statue depicting a salamander wizard holding a staff. Growling, the boy switched his blades into bladed whips before shooting the tether around the statue, and with a single tug, he pulled the statue down to its side.
Leaving the fallen statue, he turned his attention to the temple near the center of the city. There was something about this temple that seemed forbidden. This was a place of worship, where no blood should be spilled.
The city oracle emerged from the shadows, her old eyes staring into his blackened soul. "Beware, Azazel. Your actions have already angered the gods. What you do here will decide your fate."
Ignoring the oracles warning, the Black Wolf shoved her to the side, stepping towards the temple with murderous intent. His vengeance would not be denied.
He proceeded to kick open the doors and attacked without hesitation. Without mercy. Swinging his blades, he cut down everyone inside the temple, no one was spared from his wrath. Some fell to their knees and begged for mercy, others tried to fight back. All met a brutal end by the Black Wolf.
By the time he stopped, he let out several heavy breaths before seeming to come to his senses, blinking several times, as Satanael took his leave before Azazel returned, slowly looking around the room he was in, seeing the bodies of the salamanders lying at his feet, the blood seeping from their bodies. Looking down, he saw his blades and his hands covered in the blood of the salamanders he had been spilling.
His heart rate spiked, Azazel fell to his knees, his eyes glued to the body of the female salamander before him, in her arms being a young salamander child, another victim of his rampage.
"What…have I done?" He finally choked out, reality setting in.
Suddenly, he heard clapping coming from behind, the boy looking over his shoulder to see Hemlock approach, clapping his hands and a predatory grin on his face.
"Well done, kid!" The General of the Army declared, sitting on one of the barrels. "You've completely stomped the salamanders out and driven them out of Amphibia! You're becoming everything the king hoped you'd be and he's quite proud of your Black Purge." He looked at the bodies of the fallen salamanders. "Now, with the salamanders all but chased out, and with Karlia dead, nothing will hold you back." He got off the barrels and approached. "You will become death itself, the destroyer of worlds, and will lead the campaign across endless worlds," He then leaned down near the boy's ear and hissed, "starting with your birth planet; Earth."
At that moment, as Hemlock took his leave, Azazel's mind went back to the vision shown to him by the box. At the end, where the figure in black armor stood over the horde, upon a closer look, what he saw shocked him; it was himself, a darker version wearing the armor with multiple amber eyes.
Snapping back to reality, Azazel felt his heart beat faster, his mind racing with a whirlwind of emotions.
"What have I done?" He said, silently praying to wake up from this nightmare.
"The worst of atrocities."
He saw the oracle enter into view, the old salamander sporting a stare that could burn into one's soul.
"From this night forward, the mark of your terrible deed will be visible to all." She said, venom in her voice, as she waved a hand. "The Mark of Damnation will forever be fastened to your skin, never to be removed."
And with that curse, the bodies turned to ash before swirling around the boy before homing in on his back, forming the black brand on his back; the Mark of Damnation was formed, a reminder of his sins, of the monster that he had become.
And then, he was left alone, besides the toads and newts that followed him, all celebrating their 'victory', all the while, the boy heard voices in his head, the cries of his victims, even Karlia's voice was heard over the others, the boy breathed heavily as black mist began pouring from his body as the energy within built up.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
At that moment, with a cry of pain, he lost control, the energy blasting from his body and into the sky, causing the nation to be utterly destroyed, parts of the Forbidden West sinking beneath the waves, creating what would be the First Ruination.
Present…
Anne, Kaemon, and the Plantars sat in stunned silence as they returned to reality. Sprig and Kaemon were in shock, even Polly, who was mostly the most hardcore of the family, had a look as though she had seen a ghost. Hop Pop had a sad expression, feeling sympathy for the boy who he had taken into his home and helped in every way he could think of.
Anne, on the other hand, was utterly gob smacked. After seeing such an event take place, all those salamanders slaughtered because of someone going through a moment of grief, and then feeling the regret within Shadow's very soul.
"So that's what that mark on your back meant…" She said, remembering first seeing the brand during and after the events at the northern toad tower.
"A reminder of who I am…the monster I've become…" Shadow nodded solemnly. "And a reminder of my past sins. Sins I'm forced to live with, because of the sins of the father."
"Andrias' sins?" Sprig repeated, quizzical.
"Ever since Hemlock dropped that bomb on me, I believed that Andrias was responsible for Karlia's death." Shadow explained. "She always taught me and Apollo to show restrain, to use our minds more rather than rely on force…to create bonds rather than isolate yourself."
Anne looked back on the memory of Karlia, the newt showing genuine kindness towards Shadow in his youth, comforting him when he needed it.
"So, why would he have her killed?" She asked. "Given that she was someone so important to you, it just seems counterintuitive."
"When it came to my upbringing, he and Karlia would butt heads when it came to violence as a solution." Shadow told her. "While she understood the need for self-defense, she didn't find it necessary for pointless violence when other options are available." He sighed as he looked at the box. "After everything that happened, I took the box and ran, the voices echoing in my head, the images constantly flashing in my mind, and for the longest time, I was numb; the guilt eating away at me, my senses growing numb." He looked up to the Plantars. "Until I was taken in by Hop Pop and they made my life mean something." He then turned to Anne. "And then I met you, and I felt alive once more." He looked at the box once more. "And when you showed me the box, I felt those memories return, the destruction it caused and the lives it ruined. I didn't want the past to repeat nor the visions it showed to come true." He looked at Anne again. "And I especially didn't want you to go through what I went through."
Anne took a moment to process everything he said, and while she was slightly skeptical, she still struggled to wrap her head around this information. Still, the idea of a young boy going through such hardship, having someone so important to them torn from them so suddenly and being tricked into committing genocide, only to find out their parental figure was deceiving you the whole time could break anyone. Hearing how Shadow had gone through hell for five years, living with his past actions, living with survivors' guilt, and a literal demon inside his head, constantly reminded of his actions and the voices in his head made her heart ache.
"I'm…so sorry, Anne." He said, his eyes beginning to water before the tears began to flow. "I can understand if you don't forgive me. I only ask that you understand. I didn't want to lose anything else."
Anne thought it over before getting up and walking over to him, then wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a hug, much to his surprise.
"Shadow…I forgive you."
Shadow sat in stunned silence before returning the hug, burying his face into his beloved's shoulder. Finally, a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, after so long of keeping it bottled up.
"Reconciliation!" Sprig yelled, joining in on the hug.
"Group hug!" Kaemon yelled, joining in.
"Frog pile!" Polly yelled, tackling them to the floor.
Everyone let out a laugh, finally relieving the tension.
"Anyways, here's what we're talking about." Hop Pop said, holding up the family book. "This book has been in our family for as long as I can remember." He explained as he sat the book on the table and turned the pages. "And look."
Looking at the page, they saw the picture of the music box, along with the five gemstones, the various warnings printed on the pages.
While Sprig, Polly, and Kaemon were in awe, Shadow and Hop Pop still had those looks of dread, while Anne was curious.
"It's called the Calamity Box?" She said. "Eesh. That does sound bad."
"Yeah. Not exactly comforting." Hop Pop nodded.
"Andrias only told you part of the truth." Shadow said with a frown. "The box wasn't just used for traveling to other worlds; it was used as a tool for conquest and further genocide."
"So Andrias wasn't telling us the full story?" Polly asked.
"He might twist some things or leave out other details to make it seem frivolous," The boy in black said. "But it's all lies, nothing but a fake smile." He turns to Anne. "You know the truth now, Anne; Andrias is not your friend, and he will stop at nothing until he gets his hands on the box. And if he does, you can bet he'll pick up where he left off, with Earth being his first stop."
Anne took a moment to process all these things being said. She saw Shadow's memories, the bombshell of a hint Hemlock dropped on him those years ago, how flippant he was. From what she saw in person, he came off excentric and over the top. If anything, what he said might have been some form of a cruel joke or a sick taunt. Given how intense he can be, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
Then there was Andrias, the king who had been nothing but kind to them since they met. He came off as goofy and fun-loving and seemed to genuinely care about Marcy. The idea of him being this cruel person and tricking his own child to commit genocide didn't seem possible. Still, perhaps this was in fact the truth, and Andrias was this horrible person Shadow claims him to be. And if so, did something happen that made the king see the errors of his ways and seek atonement, the same way Shadow did?
Making up her mind, she looked Shadow in the eyes. "Don't you think…maybe he had time to think about his actions?"
Shadow blinked, looking at his beloved as if she had grown a second head. "What?"
"Hear me out, okay?" Anne requested. "I admit, seeing the stuff you went through is a lot to take in, and I believe that you're atoning for what you did. But what if Andrias had the time, over the past five years, to reflect and change his ways?"
Shadow stared in silence before his brows furrowed. "Are you serious?"
"Master, at least give it some thought." Kaemon chimed in. "I saw the whole exchange between you two, and before you say anything, Anne and I were worried about you. From what I saw, Andrias seemed to be genuinely remorseful of his actions and wants to make amends."
"Yeah, it's something to think about, Shadow." Anne said, taking her boyfriend's hands into hers. "Do you trust me?"
Shadow's expression softened at her touch. "With my life."
"Then trust me when I say that people can change." Anne said, giving a warm smile. "Five years is a long time. If you can atone and change for the better, then surely so can Andrias."
A large part of Shadow wanted to dismiss the idea. Andrias, changing his ways? To the boy in black, it was almost laughable. And yet, another part of him that Anne may have a fair point. Surely, if Shadow could acknowledge his past actions and put in every ounce to atone, then surely the same could be said of Andrias, right?
Looking past the horrors of the Ruination, he remembered the first time he saw Andrias when he was still a newborn, seeing the king's jolly smile and hearing his laugh. The king taught him how to walk, to run and climb, to hold a blade, study history and memorize strategies. For the first ten years, he was living with a father that genuinely loved him and treated him like family, despite being completely different species.
Despite his grudge, despite his suspicion and doubt, he wanted to believe that some semblance of the father who loved him unconditionally was still there, hoping to atone and earn forgiveness.
With a sigh, he looked at Anne. "I…I will consider it. It will take time before I'm convinced he's changed." He told her.
"That's all I ask." Anne smiled before hugging him.
"I guess all we can do now is wait for Marcy." Sprig said.
"Yeah." Kaemon nodded. "I hate to say it, gang, but this temple quest may be more dangerous than we thought."
"Yeah, who knows what we'll encounter." Anne said. "And with the whole Forbidden West thing, and the Harrowing…" She suddenly gasped. "Oh, I almost forgot! Is there anything about that, Shadow?!"
"Nothing concrete, but only stories." Shadow replied. "Stories I'm more than happy to tell you."
"Well, Anne, think this gang can handle it?" Hop Pop asked, a grin on his face and his fists on his hips.
"After today, I'm pretty sure this gang can handle anything." Anne declared, pulling the family and friends into an embrace.
"Awww." Polly said.
"You kids sure you don't wanna wear the puffy suits?" Hop Pop asked.
"Hop Pop." The kids and teens complained.
"Okay, okay, just had to ask." Hop Pop chuckled.
On a faraway continent, near the cliff, there stood a tall salamander with long, unkempt brown hair and beard. He wore a blue tunic with a red linen scarf and various hides as pants along with a beige cloak.
He stared across the sea before another large, slightly overweight salamander joined his side, this one having long, unkempt red hair and beard with a braid in the middle, wearing a brown cloak and tunic, and having a one-handed hammer at his side.
"You've been staring across the sea for hours, brother." The overweight salamander remarked. "Is it really that serious, Elijah?"
"There's no mistaking it, Raidon." Elijah replied. "A second Harrowing is happening, and it's only a matter of time before the same tragedy happens again."
Nodding, Raidon turned away. "I'll prepare the others."
As his brother left, Elijah stood for a few more seconds before leaving himself, to prepare for the worst.
Deep beneath an ancient ruin, in what appeared to be a catacomb of sorts. What little light pokes through shows a massive assortment of statues all hanging suspended on the ceiling. Eventually a small wisp of black mist slipped through the cracks and passed into the most prominent of them all, making the statue twitch. "Do you hear it?" A deep voice echoed across the chamber, soon causing the whole place to rumble. One of the statues blazed to life with three eyes in a triangular alignment, then another, and another, and another. "Our time...has come."
Meanwhile in another place, there stood a figure almost identical to Shadow, yet bathed in shadow and held by spiked chains, two linked to his waist, two on both of his arms and one around its neck, the restraint reaching up to his face like a mask, only his eyes seen. He was trapped in a cavern-like space, two statues resembling Karlia are on either side of him, connecting the waist chains to the other side. On his back, there was a draconian symbol on his cape, though it's currently in a state of disrepair. A large 'X' making the emblem indiscernible.
In front of him lied his blade; a Zweihänder made up of a giant crystalline structure with a red hue covering the blade while having a proper handguard with wings and a skull-like form in the middle with an eye situated inside it instead of being on the blade itself. The blade itself retained a crimson hue but with traces of black and flesh in the interior.
Images appeared in his mind, a young Shadow, an insurrection, a wolf in pain, a broken mirror, a culling, harrowing ruination, the Omega symbol, a lone gemstone split into five, which became part of a music box. A girl with brown hair, a warrior's death, a crumbling tower and now a beacon of light. His eyes opened, revealing that they are identical to what Shadow's were during the Love-nado, before turning into a blood-red. Then one of the lesser chains broke.
And finally, the new chapter is out! Sorry it took me so long, as my job has been keeping me busy, I've also been revisiting some games I grew up with, like Assassin's Creed Black Flag and 3, Persona 3 and 4, as well as some classic and new God of War. I just love gaming, when done right. And yeah, I'm an AC fan, practically grew up with the franchise, I'm glad you can see the references.
Speaking of GoW, now you see what made Shadow leave Newtopia in the first place; the events that led to Karlia's death, him losing control and being tricked into committing genocide, leading him to be marked and the PTSD he suffers from. This was definitely something I've been looking forward to in this story, showing why Shadow is the way he is and why he holds such animosity towards Andrias. Of course, Anne suggests that perhaps he's changed after the last five years, but is that true? Only time will tell.
And then we have the appearance of the salamanders! Who are they? Stick around when we find out in the fourth temple arc!
And of course, the cliffhanger. Who or what is it? Hope you stick around to see, because this is another idea Unity pitched to me that I found intriguing. It involves the story of the Blue Maiden, but I'll share more in the next chapter and more. Stay tuned for the next chapter where the gang go to the First Temple, the chapter title being 'The Emerald Knightmare'.
Also, sidenote, I was looking up VA's that could voice some of my OC's and I think I found a few for four of them. Here's what I have so far.
Shadow: James Arnold Taylor
Apollo Leviathan: Grant George
Damien Fausta: Liam O'Brien
Kaemon: Vic Mignogna
These are my picks so far, and after giving a listen to their previous voice roles, I think they'd make a great fit.
And with that, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and stay tuned for more! Reviews are greatly appreciated!