Our second chance is called Amphibia - Road to Newtopia (Season 2)

by TheRealTrunko

Two months have passed ever since the six humans ended up trapped in Amphibia, and they are now ready to set on a new journey out of the Valley in search of a way to return home. On their journey, they will face old and new enemies, uncover hidden secrets and conspiracies, make new friends and allies and experience shocking revelations.

15. The Gates of Newtopia

The Gates of Newtopia

---

On the long and winding road, the Fwagon traveled through grassy plains and by relics of marble columns worn out by time. Hop Pop and Felicia were at the reins as usual, while Amelia and Polly flew on Akitsu just above them, scaring the few buzz-gulls that they flew alongside. Everyone was quite excited, and kept looking over the horizon, for it wouldn't be long before their final destination, the magnificent metropolis of Newtopia, capital city of Amphibia, would come into sight.

"Man, I can't believe we're almost there!" Jacob said as he once again looked at the map of their journey, "It feels like yesterday that we left the Valley behind!"

"But we had so many adventures on the road!" Ivy countered, showing various 'souvenirs' she gathered, each one a memento of a specific adventure or place they passed through on their journey. "I'm just finishing adding the ones I got from Stony Gulch. Sasha, want to help me?"

"Sure thing, sis!" The blonde human replied, her face and skin showing visible signs of proper skin care, as she got up from the small couch where she had been sitting and checking her phone.

"Huh, Sash?" Jacob raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you overusing it a bit?" He pointed at the mascara covering her face, "I mean, I understand you miss Wartwood's spa, but ever since you got that stuff you've been using it non-stop."

"Well, we have the Michelangelo of all make-up artists here, why not take the opportunity?" Sasha looked at Sprig, the young frog thumbing up in response. "Plus, at least it's more useful than the cord James needed to connect our phones."

"I had forgotten we had Bluetooth, Sash!" The British kid replied, still embarrassed to not have thought about that until they remembered. "I just thought we needed something so we could share the photos we did with each other."

"Come on, James, stop beating yourself up." Marcy smiled, she and Maddie working on some spell-related stuff. "It wasn't useless. I already reworked that cord and other stuff we had in a special manual charger connected to the Fwagon's wheels, to recharge the Switch and our other electronic stuff while we travel."

"You know, I am more surprised than you're not spending all day hooked on that thing." James replied, looking at the dark-haired ranger and spellcaster. "From what I was told about you, as soon as you start playing with a Nintendo, you'd…huh…" The boy tried his best to come up with a description that wouldn't be too hurtful for Marcy to hear, but he came short of words. Fortunately, Marcy herself saved him from the awkward silence.

"Fall into 'The Zone'? I know." Marcy scratched the back of her head, a bit embarrassed but accepting of her past flaw. "Look, I know how clumsy I could get when I was engorged with that-"

"We know." Anne and Sasha said almost verbatim. They remember the many times Marcy had been so focused on something that she tuned out everything else… and how every time, they (mostly Anne) had to stop her from hurting herself.

"-but, I am trying to get better! Just like you Sash, I want to be the best version of myself. And that means, being able to walk on my own without the risk of tripping at each step or having someone to look after me while I walk!"

"I still have trouble understanding how someone's cape and hair can catch fire spontaneously with no apparent reason," Maddie rolled her eyes, she too having by now grown accustomed to Marcy's insane clumsiness. "Maybe this is related to your Calamity Powers? If-"

"Guys!" Amelia's excited voice came from the outside, the sound of Akitsu's buzzing and wings flapping in the background. "Come out and see! It's Newtopia, we've reached it!"

"Come-! It's-! I-! Not gonna believe-! Ah!" Polly yelled as well, apparently unable to describe what she saw. "Just get out here!"

Glancing at one another, the five humans and their frog friends got out of the booth and walked over to the door.

Anne was the first to exit, and she felt her throat become dry, her eyes widen in surprise on a sight that made her gasp. Running toward the edge of the grassy cliff to get a better view, she felt unable to speak as she stared in wonder at the awe-inspiring view before them.

Geographically placed at the 'center' of the lily pad-shaped continent that was Amphibia, and amidst shallow aquamarine waters, stood the royal capital city of Newtopia.

The city was unlike anything the teens or the young frogs had ever seen in their life, and depending on the point of view, it could be described either as a gigantic fortress, a colossal palace, or a massive temple. It was surrounded by titanic walls, thick and strong enough to protect it from virtually any attack. On said walls, grew large coral-like ramifications, like wild vines on the logs of large trees, and for its only entrance, was a giant, double golden gate.

Inside the walls, tall buildings shaped like red mushrooms were towering the already-tall wall, as well as surrounding the main structure in the middle of the city. Dominating every other building, stood a castle tall and slender like a skyscraper, and at its peak was a large silver sculpture, with a beak-like carving facing upwards, whose nature and aim was completely unknown to its human observers. And all around those constructions, smaller plain buildings and infrastructure were already visible too, even from afar.

It was a magnificent view, as Anne could hear the various gasps around her.

"There she is, gang... Newtopia." Hop Pop said, with a voice full of pride, "If there's a way to get you home, it's in that city."

"It's…it's soooo beautiful." Marcy said with a glowing grin, literally 'captivated' by the view.

"Nice!" Sasha nodded, taking out her phone and snapping several photos of the city.

"It's been a long time since I last saw it," Felicia nodded. "Yet, it feels like nothing has changed."

"Wow, I must admit it. This place sure-"

However, before Jacob could finish his sentence, the wind suddenly changed direction, and brought to his nostrils an awful smell, that almost made him puke. It was a smell like dung and filth, mixed with the stench of waste that was very, very old. But it was also the smell of sewers, of rotten wood, and of people (or rather Amphibians) who had not taken care of their personal hygiene for too long.

"Aagh!" Anne lamented, covering her nose with her hand. "What the frog is that?! Did a sewer blow up?!"

"This is worse than the stench of Hop Pop's old dishes!" Amelia lamented, as Akitsu flapped her wings as fast as she could to try and repel the awful stench, the old frog grunting in response.

"Geeze, what is this?" Ivy protested, only for Felicia to shrug.

"Yup, nothing changed at all. Believe me, Newtopia had always smelt like this whenever I visited it in the past. In fact, the smell may be even worse, considering the time we arrived."

"Worse?!" Sasha replied in disbelief. "How could it be worse?"

"Actually… that's logical, if you think about it." Marcy commented, somehow being the one among the six who was the least affected by the stench. "In many fantasy or Middle Age settings, the concept of personal hygiene is less developed and any waste disposal system of cities like this have are often aged-up and inadequate to treat the resulting waste and effluents, sometimes directly dumping waste and pollution directly on rivers or other water masses. This is quite a classic issue in any city whose sewage and waste disposal systems that are not adequate to meet the requirement of a large population."

"So, just like old Victorian London?" James asked in shame, having remembered some lessons about the Great Stink that affected the United Kingdom's capital city for many years.

"Exactly like old Victorian London, James." Marcy said with a firm tone, the British teen groaning in response. "I guess this place could really use some serious rehauling of their sewage system. Hey, do you think that if I propose it, they'd allow me to fix it?"

"If you do, you'll be my hero till the end of the time!" Sasha commented.

"Agreed, this smell is quite strong." Anne nodded as well, "Still, I guess it's still worth it, if we can find a way home back in this city. Well, let's get down there, guys!"

"Whoo-hoo!"

"Yeah!"

(…)

The two-carriage Fwagon was now traveling on the shallow water surrounding the city, everyone sitting behind Hop Pop and Felicia as the old frog drove Bessie and Liptea toward the giant gate while, just above their head, Amelia rode on Akitsu. As soon as they got closer to the main gate, they could see it was made of gold and other materials, each door depicting a newt dressed in a monk's garb, facing each other.

Among the group, Marcy was geeking out, her brain running wild about how epic the city's entrance looked; Anne was in awe, as she saw the huge door loom over them, making her feel little and insignificant, while Sasha simply appreciated that she could once again breathe normally.

"You know," the blonde human said, "I am quite surprised we can't feel the bad smell anymore, not that I'm going to complain about it of course."

"I guess that's because we are so close to the wall," Jacob suggested. "Those big fortifications were probably made a long time ago, to stop any enemy from attacking the city and force them into a slow, grinding siege; however, they're also useful to keep the bad smell inside."

"It depends on the day; when I used to frequent this place, the smell became stronger or weaker depending on the day or the wind's strength." Felicia stopped for a moment, recalling her last memories of Newtopia. "Still, the smell was never this bad then."

"Many years have passed, if it was already an issue back then, it's only logical it somehow got worse as time passed." James proposed, "Like any kind of small issue, without proper care, it may have worsened exponentially."

"Hey, guys, check it out!" Amelia said as Akitsu lowered in height once again, buzzing over a large hole protruding from under the water's surface, like something had emerged from underground, and, judging by the large numbers of similar holes littering the area around the Fwagon, it wasn't alone. "What do you think made these holes?"

"Could it be some kind of giant mole, like Harold back at the farm?" Polly suggested, "What do you think, Hop Pop?"

"Mmh, nah, I doubt it may be the work of moles." The old frog said with an inquisitive look, looking at the holes and then to Felicia, the veteran adventurer nodding in silence. They both had an idea of what could have caused them, and neither wanted to stay around and check. "Let's just get inside the gates, kids!"

"Hey, Maddie?" Polly asked, turning to see the spellcaster frog. "Don't you feel like they are going to become relevant later on?"

"I do, Polly." Maddie nodded, as she glared at the holes behind them. It didn't take a spell for her to feel like those holes were made recently. "I do too."

"Can I do it?" Jacob volunteered. "I've always wanted to do that."

"Huh, sure?" Hop Pop replied, unsure of what Jacob may be referring to.

The human boy smiled, before jumping out of the Fwagon, his metallic boots landing on the wet shallow water, holding on his hammer with one hand, and looking up to the gate.

"Open the Gates!"

The gates didn't open, not even by a little, but a small, reinforced opening on said gate did. Hidden within the gate's decoration, and above the image of one of the "newt monks" was a seashell that functioned as a window, which flipped open as a small newt peeked from the inside.

"You can't come in here." The gatekeeper replied, generating shock and confusion among humans and frogs at the same time. "Newtopia's closed."

"Say what?"

"Seriously?!"

"No way!"

"Huh?!"

"What do you mean, Newtopia's closed?" Anne challenged the notion, her voice full of disbelief. "Like closed, closed? Or like, 'closed for lunch'?"

"The city gates are closed, no outsider can enter the city, till the Barbari-Ants infestation had been dealt with."

"Barbari-Ants?" Sasha asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's the name of one species described in one of Hop Pop's books!" Marcy suddenly lightened up, taking her Journal, and beginning to scroll through it until she found the page she was looking for. "The Barbari-ants are a species of giant ants, with glowing coral sticking out of their heads. They have powerful pincers and armored exoskeletons and are described as fast and vicious. Every 10 years, they swarm small cities and other settlements looking for food and space for their next generation to grow, ravaging everything on their path and turn any city unlucky enough to be on their path into their own anthill!"

"How the frog did you find all that?" Anne asked, only for Hop Pop to look back at her.

"As she just said, that was part of my 'Hostile Fauna' books that I told you to study." The old frog looked at her with a smug look, while Anne couldn't help but start to feel embarrassed as she realized she had been 'busted' "Looks like someone didn't keep up…"

"Wait, so these Barbari-Ants are threatening Newtopia?" Sasha asked the gatekeeper, who could only nod in response.

"Yes. Lady Olivia herself had issued that, until the threat had been repelled, the gates must stay closed, to avoid giving the Ants any chance to rush inside."

"B-but what are we supposed to do?!" Sprig lamented, "Surely you're not suggesting us to stay here and play bait!"

"Look, there is a small military camp in that direction," the gatekeeper newt explained, pointing far to another cliff in the opposite direction to the ones the Fwagons came from. "Before the gates were closed, a small group of soldiers of the Newtopian Army and the Night Guard, under command of our two best military leaders, was deployed with orders to take care of the Barbari-Ants problem. All the outsiders who want to come inside the city are recommended to seek their assistance and wait until the threat has been dealt with. But be fast, you must reach them before-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a hideous sound came from behind them, the family turning around to see a multitude of giant ants rushing out of the different tunnels that Amelia and Polly had noticed before. All with glowing coral sticks growing from the backs of their heads and barnacles over their exoskeletons. The numerous insects were now surrounding the Fwagon, both Bessie and Liptea retreating inside the safety of their shells.

"Wholly frog, they're huge!" Sasha yelled as she grabbed her swords, while the gatekeeper frog took advantage of the distraction to close back the seashell window.

"And they are many!" Jacob gasped, looking around as he mentally counted the ants. How many were there? Ten, twelve, fourteen… too many in any case.

"Briz briz!" Akitsu buzzed as he watched the antagonistic ants gathering under her, Amelia holding steadily onto her with one hand while grabbing her katana with the other.

For a few seconds, no one said anything, the ants surrounding the group as they waited for any opportunity to strike, the humans and their families grabbing their weapons and preparing to defend themselves.

Then, the humongous ants rushed forward, as the group members moved to face them.

Valiantly, the small group fought to repel to attack, their steel clashing with the ants' mandibles and front legs, supported by Maddie's spells and Amelia's raids from above as Akitsu kept buzzing over them, striking whenever there was an opening, the defenders cooperating to cover each other's back through the battle.

At first, their defense seemed successful, but as the fight continued, more and more ants joined the others from the same tunnels as before and the numerical superiority, from slight, became overwhelming.

"Gah!" Anne yelled as two ants tried to attack her, hitting one with a slash of her sword as she focused on the other. "I'm pinned down! Someone distract them!"

"Sorry, Boonchuy, I'm pinned down too!" Sasha replied, using both of her swords to contain the assaults of five ants at once.

"Same here!" Jacob slammed his way with his hammer, the ants' exoskeletons cracking as his blows landed, yet for every ant he defeated another was ready to take its place.

"Hy-ah!" Felicia delivered a powerful blow against an opponent, the wounded ant retreating fast as Felicia had a full second to feel proud of her victory… before two other ants moved to attack her.

"Ivy!" Sprig jumped toward her, just in time to push her out of the path of an attacking ant.

"It's useless!" Hop Pop lamented, as the ants assault forced him to retreat closer to Bessie. "They keep coming!"

"There are too many of them!" James commented as he stabbed one ant' thorax with his knife, punching another in the head in the process. "No matter how many ants we defeat, their reinforcements keep coming. We need to change our strategy, quick!"

"Marcy!" Maddie threw a couple of ice spells, freezing half a dozen of ants who were getting too close to the Fwagon for her comfort. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Actually, yes!" The combat nerd thought about it, shooting her crossbow. "Ants are often led by smell, so if we use that smell-cleaning spell-"

Yet, before the two spellcasters could put their plan into action, or one of the 'Calamity awakened' humans could use their powers against the ants, an onrushing group of the bugs noticed an opening in the defender's formation and rushed toward it, aiming at the Fwagon-"

-only to be instantly cut into pieces by a new opponent, coming from behind them.

"What the-" James gasped, the first among them to notice the group of Newts in armored uniforms, armed with long pikes and swords, led by a tall pink newt with white-blonde hair, dressed in a heavy armor with large pauldrons and switchblades protruding from both her gauntlets.

A newt that they all had already met, back in the Valley.

"Yunan!" Marcy cried in happiness as she recognized her. "You came to help us?"

"We'll have time to catch up later!" The Newt general replied, her soldiers disposing in formation. "Follow us! We'll lead you back to safety! Come on, I'll help you cover your retreat!"

"Did you hear that?" Sasha roared in determination. "Let's move, guys!"

"Bessie, Liptea, things are getting messy!"

Hearing the command, both snails emerged from their shells as they rushed back from the gate and in the direction that Yunan indicated, the newts and the humans slashing their way trough any ants standing in their path while Yunan, air-assisted by Amelia, Polly and Akitsu, held back the rest of the horde the time the Fwagon needed to reach a safety distance.

---

"So, you are the strange new creatures the General was talking about?" One of the Newt soldiers asked, looking at the humans with a mixed expression of curiosity and shock. "By the Olms, you look even weirder than how I imagined."

"Well, thanks." Sasha rolled her eyes, before focusing once again on Yunan, the newt general looking around as she expected for more ants suddenly to pop out. "So, you did talk about us as soon as you returned?"

"Indeed!" Yunan happily recalled. "Just like I promised to you, as soon as I returned to the capitol I requested an audience with the King, when I told him about you."

"His Majesty was quite interested in the General's story, just as the Royal Advisor and any newt who was there to listen." The soldiers from before recalled, "And when the General showed that box full of Herons feathers … I think everyone was shocked beyond belief."

"I had to prove that my story was truthful," Yunan scoffed. "Still, the King had shown a great interest in your story, and he was quite eager to help you as much as possible. He was quite eagerly waiting for your arrival. Too bad you arrived at such a bad time."

"Well, we weren't expecting the Barbari-Ants for sure." Felicia looked aside, "How long has the city's walls been closed down?"

"A couple of weeks." Yunan admitted. "We always had faced Barbari-Ants raids in the past, but in the last years they've grown bolder. To threaten the capital city of Amphibia itself, it was unheard of! If only I was-"

"General, we've reached the outpost!" One of the newt soldiers pointed forward, as the six humans all looked in that direction.

The Newtopia military outpost just outside the capital didn't look too safe, at least at first glance: a wooden fence, surrounded by a moat and a rampart for support, encircled the camp, while the lifeless corpses of some Barbari-Ants, no doubt the 'remains' of previous attacks, littered the surroundings. A small wooden tower, placed just above the entrance, provided the defenders with a slight tactical advantage, and allowed a couple of observers to alert in case of new attacks from the ants. Once the Fwagon went through the entrance, the members of the group could see that much of the space inside the fence was covered with gray tents, where soldiers rested when off duty, and an area of rammed earth where other carriages and vehicles, belonging to those who had been unable to enter the city because of the closed gates, waited for the threat to cease.

In the middle of the encampment, far away from everything else, was a single red and gold square-shaped tent, with a purple flag raised above it, and a large round golden emblem, depicting three newts standing next to each other, just above the entrance while two tall newt guards, hoods covering their faces, and armed with seashell-heads spears, stood on both sides of the entrance. Judging from the sounds coming from the inside, there was a quarrel going inside it.

"Of course they would be at it again," Yunan rolled her eyes in resignation, before she noticed another figure, dressed in a ranger uniform of the Night Guard, with two of his own rangers to flank him, approaching her with a scowl on his face.

"General Yunan!" Albert, headmaster of the Night Guard, yelled with a tone full of disapproval. "So once again, you dropped your responsibility to defend the encampment to go hero-ing, and worse, your brought many of your soldiers with you! The outpost defenses are weak enough as they are, what if the ants attacked while you were away?!"

"I didn't go hero-ing, you old fool!" Yunan replied in anger, annoyed at how Albert kept treating her as a young cadet while they were basically on the same rank. "I was following our King's orders to rescue any incoming travelers that couldn't access the city due to the emergency, something that should be your Rangers' responsibility!"

"Listen, you Army jerk-"

"Huh, excuse me?"

Albert's anger subsided, his mouth opening wide (just like the other rangers) as his gaze laid on the six humans, their spindly limps, their face features, their armors and weapons. And the shock augmented again when he looked at Marcy, and recognized the Night Guard Uniform she was currently wearing: where did she get it? How in frog name was that creature wearing a Night Guard ranger uniform? How dare she?

"Guys, this is Headmaster Albert, current leader of the Night Guard," Yunan explaining, as she moved aside. "Headmaster, they are…the humans."

"So, those stories you were telling the King were true," the Headmaster narrowed his eyes, shock and surprise now being replaced by irritation.

"Greetings," Anne said, taking one step forward, "my name is Anne, and these are my friends Sasha, Jacob, Amelia, James and Marcy," she concluded pointing at the dark-haired nerd in ranger uniform, Albert clenching his teeth as she did. "And these are our families. We have been traveling to Newtopia to look for assistance in our…quest."

"Families, huh?" Albert glared over the frogs, Hop Pop and Felicia noticing the disdain in his eyes. "Well, welcome." He spoke in a 'cold, professional' tone before adding "You dirty peasants." under his breath, expecting for no one to hear him. But of course, he was.

"Hey!" Sasha yelled with an irked look, "No need to be rude!"

"Anyway!" Yunan intervened once again, before any of the sides could say something that would lead to regrets. "How are our esteemed…strategists doing? Did they finally agree on a plan to push back the Barbari-Ants?"

"No." Albert answered, and for a moment, he and Yunan were agreeing on something. "They've been at it since they closed themselves in the command tent, and they're nowhere close to an agreement from since we set camp here. Of course, that means our orders are still the same."

"Sorry to interfere," Marcy raised her hand as she took one step forward. "But, if your leaders have some strategic problem, maybe I can help?"

"You?" Albert turned scornful. "A creature like you, talking about strategy? You're not even a true ranger, you're just wearing one of our uniforms!"

"Hey!" Jacob took a step forward, glaring at the old newt like he was burning with desire to beat him up. "This girl here has the brightest brain of all, it was thanks to her strategies that we've made this far until now!"

"Yeah, didn't Yunan tell you?" Sasha came in to support Jacob, returning Albert's glare with her own, "We fought two herons, and won!We took on a whole Toad Army and held the line with only a small militia of civilians to assist us. And ever since we started our journey to arrive here, we fought our whole way trough enemies much more dangerous than those ants of yours. You may not like us, and I can see why, but this doesn't give you the right to be such a jerk!"

"Wait, herons?" One of the rangers to Albert's side gasped in surprise. "You mean that…those feathers you showed back at the court-"

"I did bring them so you could see them with your eyes, didn't I?" Yunan replied with a smug expression. "And about everything else they said…yes, I confirmed it with Captain Grime myself: these six managed to fight a whole toad army with the support of the locals and held the line against all odds."

Albert took a deep breath, as he realized Yunan was winning the argument. And while he didn't like these strange new creatures, no matter how interested the King was with them, he would willingly exile himself rather than allow a Newtopia Army officer get one above him.

"Very well, I'm sure if the General can vouch for you, we can introduce you to our top analysts and hear their opinions…" the Night Guard Headmaster said in a low tone, and if they screw up, it will be Yunan's fault for having allowed this to happen in the first place, he added mentally.

(…)

Inside the main command tent of the outpost, three nearly identical newts, dressed in the same black robes and wearing the same kind of glasses, were quarreling about the best strategy to take against the Barbari-Ants, to the utter despair of the two guards at the entrance, that were forced to listen to their rambling non-stop.

"I'm telling you, Branson, what we need is a direct frontal assault!"

"And I'm telling you, Bartley, a sneak attack is what's called for!"

"Yeah, well, you're both wrong. We need to learn how to communicate with our ant brethren and live in sweet, sweet harmony!"

"Ludicrous!"

"Yeah, shut up, Blair!"

"You shut up!"

"AHEM!" Albert faked clearing his throat, the three newt analysts stopping their quarrel and recomposing themselves.

"Oh, Headmaster Albert," Branson said. "We were just working on the strategy to repel the Barbari-Ants from Newtopia. Is there any development you want to inform us?"

"Actually, yes. General Yunan," he stopped for a brief second, "brought some…allies who she believes will be able to help us."

"Allies?" Blair asked, raising an eyebrow. "Of what kind?"

In response, Albert moved aside, allowing the three newts to see, just behind him-

The three almost jumped at the same time as the six humans walked inside, their face features visible, their frog families to their side while Yunan moved on the opposite end to Albert, a quick glance confirming that the three 'top analysts' that King Andrias had tasked with the job to finalize the best strategy to deal with the ant threats still had NO AGREEMENT on how to repel the attackers, judging from the notes scattered all over the ground and over the tent's interior.

"Greetings," Marcy said, taking the lead. "My name is Marcy Wu, and these are my friends and allies. I heard you are having some difficulties working on a suitable strategy to repel the Barbari-Ants attack, so I volunteered to help, if that's necessary."

"H-help?" Bartley repeated. "Sure, that would be…appreciated…" he looked at Yunan with a dumbfounded expression. "General, are they-"

"Yes, we are the humans your esteemed general told you about many times." James nodded with a sigh. "WE wanted to enter the city, but apparently we arrived just at the wrong time."

"Well, you'll be glad to hear we've agreed on a battle strategy."

"What?"

"We've agreed on nothing!"

"So…" Jacob approached Yunan, "What's the bane of the issue?"

"Royal analyst Bartley keeps suggesting a full-frontal assault on the ants, while royal analyst Branson is leaning toward a sneak attack on the enemy's current hideout. Meanwhile, royal analyst Blair keeps proposing 'alternate' solutions that ends up going nowhere."

"The fact is, general," Headmaster Albert said in a scornful tone, "that to man up a full-blown assault on the Ants, we'd have to basically leave the whole outpost defenseless. Not only would this leave all the merchants and people who have temporarily taken refuge here defenseless, but it would also over-expose us if the battle doesn't end in a full-blown triumph. Even if we manage to kill all the ants, they're not worth the lives of all our underlings!"

"That's what I kept saying," Branson exclaimed excitedly- "For this reason, a sneak attack-"

"We don't have enough forces even to split them with this strategy," Yunan quickly countered. "And besides, even if we could reach the Barbari-Ants anthill and penetrate it, we wouldn't have enough power to leave again, let alone destroy the infestation!"

"My rangers-"

"Rangers are known for their speed and versatility, not for their combat prowess!" Bartley underlined, glaring at the Ranger Headmaster. "Without proper support, you'll end up vanquished without achieving anything, and the outpost defenses will be weakened the same!"

"I still say we should give pacifism a go! I'll take lead personally of the negotiations and-"

"Shut up, Blair!" Branson and Bartley shouted at the same time.

"Actually," Marcy said, as he looked over the map laid out on the table, depicting Newtopia, the outpost's position and the directions where the Barbari-Ants attack were coming from, "I think I may have figured out something. Guys, do you remember when we studied insect migration patterns in biology class?"

"You mean when Jacob released that stag beetle into the class, and the teachers lost half a day to try and re-capture it?!"

"Hey, they were the one who gave me the assignment, Sash!"

"You were supposed to bring the notes of your research and a couple of photos, not a living specimen!"

"On the upside, it was the most fun session we had of the course." Anne mused, "And, we didn't get punished for it."

"My point is," Marcy raised her voice for a moment, gaining back everyone's attention, "With the weather warming up, the ants are moving into new territories, looking for food and living space. I guess that may relate to the ecological disaster going on the Olm Wood Forest."

"The Olm Wood Forest?" Albert raised an eyebrow. "What's happening in there?"

"Something… happened." Amelia replied, not sure if it was a good moment to tell them about Aiden and the sawmill she destroyed back there. "We don't know the full details yet, but it seems many species native of the forest were driven away, thus starting a domino effect that keeps displacing animals out of their local territories. We already faced a horde of Roaring Roosters, back on our journey, and if other creatures invaded the Barbari-Ants usual territories, then the ants may have been forced to move as well and this is why they're now threatening Newtopia."

"That's an… interesting viewpoint," Blair admitted, thinking about it. "The Olm Wood Forest is home of many dangerous creatures, even worse than the Barbari-Ants. If such a disaster indeed happened, that may explain why the Barbari-Ants are threatening our city: Headmaster Albert, how's that your rangers didn't inform us?"

"Well, the Night Guards currently were focusing on…other tasks," he said, trying to explain this obvious blow in his rangers' responsibilities. "And we don't have enough manpower to watch all of Amphibia at once, obliviously."

"There are also two more points that we must keep in consideration," Marcy continued to explain, recalling every detail and information she ever learned about ants, Amphibian fauna and related topics. "First, all ants, regardless of their species, communicate with each other using pheromones. That means that anything that may interfere on their semiochemicals could break apart their ability to communicate with each other, and thus, their cooperation."

"And cooperation, just like their ability to overwhelm their opponents with sheer numbers, are the main advantages of the ants in warfare." Yunan smiled in approval. "Yeah, this is an obvious weakness that we can exploit!"

"And last, no matter how many ants you may face, there is one member whose existence is the keystone for the colony's survival, the only ant who can lay eggs and thus produce new generations."

"The Queen," Felicia, Jacob, Anne, and Hop Pop said at the same time.

"Yes, all the other ants are her servants and her warriors. Thus-"

"-we kill the Queen, and the rest of the ants will disperse with no more leadership!" Sasha grinned, "That's my kind of plan!"

"Kill a Barbari-Ant queen?" Branson scoffed, "Easier said than done! Not only the queens are always bigger and stronger than the rest of the ants, but they also have razor-sharp claws and thick armor that only the most powerful weapons can damage, let alone break!"

"And even ignoring that," Bartley nodded, "the fact that the Queen is so important for the colony's survival means that the second she's coming under attack all the ants available will rush in her defense. Even if someone manages to kill it, you wouldn't be able to get back to the surface without heavy losses."

"The plan is not to kill her," Marcy replied immediately. "Without their queen's command, the surviving Barbari-Ants would become an even greater threat to Newtopia. BUT, if we manage to drive the Queen away, using their own smell communication against them, all the Ants will follow her and leave the area, stopping any attack on Newtopia for good."

"And how do you expect us to launch such an attack?" Albert challenged her once again, trying to find a flaw in her so-called plan to discredit her before the Top Royal Analysts. "I keep telling you, we launch a frontal attack, we'll lose too many lives to call it a victory!" He looked at Yunan, the Newt general answering in kind.

"And I keep telling YOU, that if we go for a sneak attack, we won't have the capacity we need to repel the threat!" The Newt general answered in kind, starting once again an argument that seemed it would go for some time now.

"There is a way to satisfy both needs without unnecessary bloodshed and risks!" Marcy quickly countered once again, exchanging a glance with her friends and families, the humans and the frogs realizing what she meant.

"I'm coming!"

"Me too!"

"Hey, you can't go off and have fun without me!"

"Count me in!"

"Zattenayo!"

"You kids are going nowhere…without us!" Hop Pop and Felicia smiled at the same time, with Polly joining in the collective enthusiasm.

"Those ants won't see what hit them!"

"What? A ragtag group of civilians, in a mission against an anthill full of bloodthirsty Barbari-Ants?!" Albert could only gasp in shock at such nonsensical suggestion. "You won't last two minutes!"

"Seriously, you didn't remember anything of what I said to the King?" Yunan replied with an offended tone. "These kids, as unrealistic as it may seem, DID beat those Herons, and they managed to defeat me too when I attacked them in Wartwood, due to a misunderstanding. Plus, their training and weaponry are good!"

"Oh yeah?" Albert turned to face Felicia, the lady frog simply staring back at him with a cold glare. "Then, what about you? How such a delicate frog expect to help us in such a dire situation?"

"This 'delicate frog' you're talking to was once a veteran adventurer, with the name of 'Felis the Red'" Hop Pop simply said, the three newt analysts gasping at the same time as they recognized the legendary name.

"F-Felis the Red?" Albert could only repeat in shock, a quick glance to Yunan's smug face confirming that, yes, this wasn't a joke. "You mean-"

"The legendary adventurer who was deadly as she was beautiful?" Felicia herself said verbatim what Albert had been thinking, while Ivy and Sprig snickered to see the horror in the old newt's face. "Yes, it's me. And I can say I was quite surprised by how the quality of the Night Guards have dropped since the last time I was in Newtopia. The Night Guard ranger I befriended, back in my days, would have never allowed for the situation beyond Newtopia's wall to become this volatile, nor they would be this ready to refuse help just because we aren't newts!"

"Ugh!" Albert took a step back, as he scanned among the crowd of the frogs who had come with the Humans, until his eyes met Maddie's, the spellcaster frog waiting for him to accuse her as he did with Ivy's mom.

It didn't take long.

"But then, her? What's so special about her?"

"Maddie's my magic teacher, my best friend, and the best spellcaster of the whole Frog Valley, maybe in all of Amphibia!" Marcy replied in irritation, already tired of the third-degree interrogation she and her friends were forced to suffer through. "Her magic experience and spells proved to be invaluable in many occasions!"

"Wait, spellcaster?" Bartley said, looking at the various spell bags hanging on Maddie and Marcy's utility belts "You mean…she's a magician? A real, actual expert of magics and spells?"

"I am," Maddie said in her usual monotone voice. "Of course, I understand you might see it-"

"That, is for the King to judge." The three newts looked at each other, for once agreeing on something. "Still, if you have such a power and you're willing to put your expertise to Newtopia's, you're welcome!"

"WHAT?!" Albert turned around, a vein on his forehead threatening to pop. "We can't do that! King Aldritch's decree on the suppression of all dark arts-"

"The decree forbids all dark Arts in the whole Amphibia, not magic itself!"," Yunan quickly pointed out. "And I think what the top analyzer of the kingdom are suggesting right now is more or less allow for her, as well as anyone else who volunteer, to help us."

"Indeed."

"The King has the final say."

"Plus, we do need all the help we can."

Headmaster Albert, realizing he has lost in every mean of the word, began to seethe, as he once again looked at the 'creature' who dared to dishonor his rangers' uniform, feeling like he was going to jump onto her and rip it off, before finally his discipline and sense of duty managed to stop out any emotions he felt-

"Fine. If they want to help us, we can let them." The old newt said, walking back outside of the tent, "I'll go check with my own rangers, to try and come up with a REAL plan."

"Ok, I guess I owe you one for this, kiddo." Yunan smiled in amusement as soon as Albert was out of eyesight. "Still, I do hope you have a strategy to get inside the Barbari-Ants nest and send their queen running."

"I do!" Marcy happily announced, turning around to look at her friends, "But I'll need everyone's help to pull it out! We'll need a lot of preparation and hard work to pull it out!"

"Well, then let's no waste anymore time, kiddo!" Hop Pop proudly said, taking a step forward, "What we need to do?"

"Let's start with some recognition. Amelia, you, Polly and Akitsu locate the Barbari-Ant nest's current location, take note of how many ants you see and what kind of defenses or obstacles there are. Sasha, you go with them: I want you to analyze the area's geography and try to locate how much access the place has, and which opening is our best way out if things go awry."

"Well, looks like we're once again together, disaster daimyo!" Sasha said with a teasing, yet unaggressive look.

"Just don't fall off, fake Valkyrie!" Amelia responded in kind.

"Maddie, we need spells, as many as we can make. Smell-cleaning spell, to disrupts the ants' movements and stop them from following us, but also ice spell, trapping spells and any kind of curse or enchantment that we can use in open combat. Can I trust you with that?"

"You know you can, Marcy," her friend, magic teacher and adoptive sister nodded in approval.

"Wait!" Ivy suddenly jumped in, "if we don't have any other role, how about I help you with making that stuff? You just need to tell me what to do, and I'll follow your orders. We could have double spells ready at the same time!"

"Let's make them triple!" Sprig joined in.

"Jacob," Marcy now moved to the boy in blue armor, straightening himself up as soon as she looked at him. "In order to get inside the ant's hideout, it would be best to draw as many ants as possible out of it and far away. Do you think that with your black powder, we could make some kind of bomb, or bait, to draw the ants' attention while we sneak inside?"

"Just tell me how big you want the bang, Mars!" Jacob smiled eagerly.

"I guess I should help you, then." Hop Pop rolled his eyes. "At least to make sure you don't blow yourself up…again!"

"I'm going to check all our weapon and equipment, to make sure of what we can use and what not." Felicia volunteered, "It would be quite an issue if all our hopes ends relying on something that we find too late doesn't work anymore or need fixing!"

"And what about me, Mar-Mar?" Anne asked, "Is there something you need my help for?"

"You and I are going to work together on a coordinated strategy to use once we are inside. We could have many tasks to deal with at the same time, and we need to make sure to follow the plan to complete the mission as fast as we can. And for this, we'll first need James' contribution."

"Me?" The hood-clad British teen asked, realizing he was the only one left with an unassigned role. "What do you need me for?"

"It's not something easy to ask, and before I explain that further, I want to apologize for any bruise, contusion or scratches you may receive on the mission." She said, and suddenly James started to feel very nervous, as she resumed her speech. "But I need for you to get a special item for me…"

---

An hour later (actually, fifty-two minutes, as the phone screens of the six humans confirmed), when finally James returned to the base, everyone was ready to carry out their own part. In the middle of the outpost's square, stood Akitsu, looked with admiration and curiosity by the various Newtopia military personnel and all the travelers who were forced to wait there. The giant white dragonfly moving her wings slowly, enjoying the nice warmth of the sun over her limbs and exoskeleton, while Amelia and Sasha were busy loaning on large sacks tied to her side various items and instruments that would later be used during the mission, while Anne and Marcy were fishing checking a couple of things nearby.

"James!" Marcy yelled as she raised her eyes from the map and saw the boy's figure once again behind the fence, a large bag with unknown content on his shoulder. "You're back! How was it?"

"Absolutely nightmarish," The British teen replied, taking out his hood to reveal several bruises and small cuts, plus a small dark area around one of his eyes, all new 'trophies' of the quest Marcy had tasked him with. "I think I had a couple of encounters that were a little too close with the Barbari-Ants, plus some other creatures that wanted to get a piece of me, but… I managed to get them!"

"You did?" Marcy asked in trepidation, "Let me see!"

Anne, Sasha, and Amelia all looked in curiosity while James dropped the bag and showed its content, revealed to be brown-orange mushrooms with yellow tips.

"Mushrooms?" Amelia asked, raising an eyebrow with a puzzled look.

"Not quite." Marcy replied, "These little beauties are stink shrooms. They are close relative of the boom shrooms, only their explosions are much less powerful and instead they release a foul smell, that almost all animal species cannot withstand."

"Do they stink worse than Jacob's stinky bombs?"

"Sasha," Marcy looked at her friend, her expression turning serious for a couple of seconds, her voice changing almost to underline her honesty. "There is nothing on Earth that may produce a smell fouler than these."

"I guess I should call myself lucky I knew what I was looking for and how to handle them." James nodded, thinking back to the small 'adventure' he had in solo to get them, "The last thing I needed was to smear myself with them."

"Guys, the bombs are ready!" Jacob announced, walking proudly with a small round-shaped object on his hand, made of leather and containing almost all the black powder he had saved up to this moment. "We just need to put them someplace close enough to the Barbari-Ants hideout and-"

"We already got that covered!" Amelia proudly announced in turn, as she showed him the map she and Sasha had drawn after their reconnaissance mission. "Check it out! Here is where the Barbari-Ants have currently settled their hideout. As you can see, it's just next to the cliffs, and so this," she pointed at another spot on the map, "is where we will place your little 'distractions'."

"We're ready too!" Maddie rushed in, Sprig and Ivy at her side, all three carrying all the various spell bags they could make in this time. "We made enough spells that should last the whole adventure, even if we have to fight the whole Barbari-ant colony!"

"Let's go and kick some butts then!" Polly jumped in, holding 'Ol' Doris' in her flippers. "I'm going to give those ants a lesson."

"Temper your emotion, kiddo." Felicia rolled her eyes as she and Hop Pop arrived. "Let your bloodthirst get the control over your mind and rush in without a strategy, you'd only be putting yourself in danger."

"She is right, let's review the plan one last time!" Marcy nodded, looking over all her friends and family. "First, we will place Jacob's distraction bombs here, here, and here, close enough to the Barbari-ants anthill that they will notice them but also far enough to give us an opening to enter, while they swarm to attack. Then, once we are inside, we'll have to make our way-"

"Huh, excuse me?" A voice called out, the group turning head to see Yunan, approaching them. "So, it seems you already have a valuable strategy to solve our current situation, is that right?"

"Yup! Marcy proudly said, showing her the stink shrooms. "The pheromones kept in these little beauties will drive the queen away instantly. But to use them, we'll have to actually find her within the anthill while fighting our way through a bloodthirsty hoard of ants." Polly grinned as Marcy said that "We'll have to be extra careful. If one thing goes wrong... whoa!" Marcy cried as her weight pressure on the table almost topple itself. "Hehe. Flimsy table."

"Huh, Marbles?" Sasha approached her.

"Sash, I know what you're trying to say. I know that you and Anna-Banana are worried about me, but like you, I'm changing remember? I can take care of myself now."

"Your hairdo and cape are on fire again."

"WHAT?!" Marcy turned around and sure, her cape had once again caught fire with no logical explanation. "Stop it! Stop it!"

"Stay still, will you?" Hop Pop quickly moved in, removing the cape and throwing it on the ground to stop the fire out of it, while Marcy got a new one. "Geez, kiddo, you REALLY need a new fire-proof cape."

"I was thinking…" Yunan continued, a part of her worried but also amused by how an adorable klutz Marcy had just shown to be. "You will need all the help you can get on this mission, so what do you think about me joining you? Truthfully, I'm not feeling relaxed with the idea of letting you go on such a dangerous mission with no assistance, and I don't like to stay here and do nothing: I'm a frontline-kind of general!" She proudly said, showing her newly repaired claws. "Would that be good for you?"

Sasha thought about it, and so did everyone else. Sure, it would be nice to have additional help and support, especially if they had to fight those ants. And Yunan had proved herself to be quite a formidable fighter, surely her presence would have been invaluable. On the other hand, still…

"But… aren't you supposed to be in charge here?" James asked with a puzzled expression, raising his hand like in school. "Your troops need their commanding leader, should the Ants attack the outpost."

"I already took care of that," Yunan smiled smugly. "I choose one subordinate who I trust to take over my duties and assigned my own soldiers to their best deployments to protect the place should something happen while I'm away. And I'm tired for stay here and wait anymore! Plus," she looked over Sasha and Anne," with those…power of yours, I'm sure this mission will be nothing less of a success."

"Actually, it's four now." Marcy explained. "During our journey here, Jacob and I also-"

"General Yunan!" An unknown voice shouted at full lungs, the humans, the frogs, and the aforementioned newt all turning around to see Albert make his way toward them, his two Ranger bodyguards running behind him as they tried to calm him down.

"Headmaster Albert." Yunan said, once again her voice turning full with disappointment. "Is there something urgent that warrant my attention?"

"Don't you try, your reckless Army egomaniac!" Albert yelled back, "I know what you were planning to do: you're just going to leave the outpost and attack the Barbari-Ant nest, all on your own!"

"Ok, first, it's not 'on my own', I'm joining them." Yunan moved aside, pointing at the various frogs and humans of the Fwagon group. "And before you even try to accuse me of neglecting my own duties, I want to tell you that I already took care of everything I had to, including choose a successor shouldn't I return. Now, do you have a real reason to be angry at me, or are you just looking for an excuse to be naggy?!"

"It's not that! This is not an Army-only operation. The King ordered us, Army and Night Guard, to work together!"

"But this is not an Army operation, I am merely joining of my own will, to help and look after them."

"Then I shall too!" Albert suddenly announced, shocking both Yunan and his two rangers at the same time. There is no way I can lose face by letting Yunan get all the glory for the Army.

"Wait, what?"

"Headmaster Albert, you can't be serious!" The two unnamed rangers protested at the same time.

"Of course I am! I am a veteran scout and fighter myself, I personally lead hundreds of missions either by myself or as Ranger Squad leader back in my youth, long before any of you ever hatched from your eggs!"

"That's exactly the reason of our concern, Headmaster." The other ranger replied, trying to find a way to say what he was thinking without looking rude with his boss. "You haven't led or even participated in a ground mission for years, and you've mostly done office work ever since we were small tadpoles. Not to disrespect on you and your honor, but… we don't think you're in optimal conditions for a frontline mission, let alone one against the Barbari-Ants."

"Nonsense! I may be old, but I'm still perfectly fit to go on any field mission I want! Check it out!" He took out a short sword and began to swing it around, trying to show off his martial skills. "I'm floating like a butterfly! Stinging like a b-"

CRUNCH! A very loud and audible sound like a twig snapped could be heard, the headmaster's expression suddenly turning from pride to pain, Yunan, the humans, the frogs and even Akitsu wincing in pain as the two newt rangers rushed to assist their leader while he dropped his sword to the ground, gasping in a silent cry for help.

"I-I guess it should be better to bring you back to your tent, Headmaster." One of the rangers said.

"That…would be…greatly appreciated…ranger." The old leader of the Night Guard replied, all his eagerness to join the mission and not let Yunan to grab all the glory now gone as she focused on his own issue.

"Here, take this." Maddie grabbed one of her spell bags, with a white drawing just above it, and passed to the other ranger. "This is a bone-relocating healing spell, it should fix your Headmaster's back in the two-three hours after you apply it."

"You… Thank you!" The ranger gasped in surprise, taken back by the sudden display of generosity. "But why?"

"What do you mean 'why?'" The witch frog answered, raising an eyebrow with an inquisitive look.

"Well…" The other ranger tried to speak, scratching the back of his head. "We know first-hand how rude the Headmaster can be."

"A weird and awful mix of pride and grumpiness, all mixed with an instinctive hostility toward everything that's' new." The other one nodded.

"Hey!" The headmaster tried to complain, as everyone was acting like he couldn't hear. Just because his back was hurt it didn't mean he was deaf, nor defenseless!

Maddie could only sigh in response, looking at the two newts, before answering to their question.

"Because no matter how rude he was," the azure frog said while glaring at the old Headmaster, the rangers' leader looking away with shame. "We are still supposed to be all on the same side and helping each other is how allies work."

"She's right, you know?" Felicia approved, his eyes moving between Yunan, the rangers and their hurt headmaster. "Otherwise you wouldn't be Night Guards, but Royal Guards."

"SCREW THE ROYAL GUARDS!" Yunan, Albert, the rangers and every Newtopian soldier in ear range suddenly yelled, their long rivalry momentarily forgotten within the communal hate for yet another branch of Newtopia's military…

(…)

"Ok so, you won't use those powers?" Yunan asked, as the group silently waited for Jacob, who had set off a few minutes ago, to start exploding his bombs in the distance and draw the Barbari-Ants out.

"Kind off," Anne explained. "Even after all this time, we still know very little about our powers, only that using them is draining. We are getting better at manage them, but so far-"

"-we won't use them UNLESS there is no other option to escape our current situation." Sasha finished the explanation, "Besides, not all our enemies are this bad that we have to rely on our powers each time."

"I can see the logic behind it, yes." Yunan nodded, just before she heard giant explosions come from far way, and she realized Jacob's so-called 'black powder' was going into effect, generating loud sounds, and shaking the ground to gain the Barbari-Ants' attention.

As Jacob rushed to rejoin them, and seeing Yunan's aghast expression, he answered her silence question. "Saltpeter, coal and sulfur all mixed together." He explained, with a very proud and smug smile. "In our world, we call it gunpowder."

The group waited in silence to see if anything happened. Ten seconds became thirty, then a full minute. They almost feared that the distraction didn't work as planed but then, a terrible shriek rose form the underground. And then, the Barbari-ants once again came into light, rushing outside of their own hideout and toward the source of the sounds, searching for the menace who 'dared' to threaten their new nest and hunting grounds.

"Now!" Sasha nodded, and all the humans and the frogs rushed toward the nearest exist, the one that, thanks to the previous reconnaissance mission, knew it would be safe to enter.

"Hey, we're inside!" Anne said, realizing the first step of the plan had gone well.

"And there is no Barbari-ant on sight, for now." Felicia continued with an approving look, "Still, I guess we should move: we don't know how much time we have before those ants realize they've been tricked, and come back."

"Look at this!" Marcy squealed, looking around the vast formations the ants had dug with their own claws. "I never got to see an anthill from the inside, at least not in real life! Look at the sizes of these holes! They're massive!"

"Yeah, big enough to allow for a horde of ants to pass through at high speed in case of an enemy attack," Yunan mused, unsheathing her claws and walking forward, Sasha, Jacob and Anne at her side, all three the humans ready with their own weapons to repel any ant who may still be inside.

Just behind them, Amelia was to Marcy's left, the young samurai listening to all sounds that may hint at something hostile approaching their position, her arms ready on her katana, while Felicia was on Marcy's right side, using all her hard-earned experience as an adventurer to analyze the environment surrounding them. Ivy, Sprig and Maddie all walked in the middle of the formation, the most protected part of all, each holding their slingshot, sword, or spell bags with nervousness.

Finally in the back was Hop Pop, a large hammer in both hands, Polly resting over his head while they stayed alert in case something came to cut off their retreat.

The alien ambiance of the gigantic anthill and the absolute silence they were forced to travel in, was nerve-wracking for the group.

"I don't like this calm," Jacob murmured, as they kept walking forward, the nerves of everyone already on the edge. "It's quiet… too quiet."

A horrible shriek broke through the air, and a small number of Barbari-Ants, at least a dozen or more, with smaller bodies and less pronounced coral sticking from their heads, moved to block their path forward.

"Well, you had to say it, don't you?" Anne rolled her eyes.

"Wait, these are not warrior-cast ants!" Marcy realized, once again checking her notes. "These are workers, the cast tasked with all the various tasks around the anthill. Why they're trying to fight us if that's not their role?"

"I guess our little trick worked a little bit too well," James grunted, putting himself on a defensive position. "All the warriors must have left, so the colony is using their workers to try and slow us down to give time to their soldiers to return and chop us into bites!"

"Then, it's imperative we don't slow down!" Yunan grinned, looking at the Barbari-Ants in front of her, before charging, her claws unsheathed. "For Newtopia! For the King!"

The battle was short, yet it was also extremely violence-filled as the Newt General, quickly followed by Sasha and Jacob, rushed toward the smaller Barbari-Ants, slashing their way through them, Marcy, Sprig and Maddie providing cover from the rear while the rest of the group tried to fend any ants that came too close.

Yet, as the sounds of the battle echoed trough the air, another hissing sound reached the human's ears, as they realized the small 'distraction' outside had by now worn off and thus, the whole Barbari-Ants army would soon come for them.

"Frog, the warriors are returning!" James gasped, slashing one Barbari-Ant's head with his dagger.

"We have no time to lose then!" Felicia answered, slashing with her own sword and sending back three ants who had tried to outflank their formation. "Kids, we need to move now!"

"I'm a bit occupied here!" Anne lamented, as two ants tried to bite her, the human girl using her Muay Thai knowledge to avoid their claws and strike back. "Agh! Get off!" She punched one ant in her 'face', the insect whimpering away in pain.

"Ah!" Amelia jumped on the side and stroke another ant with her katana, cutting it in two. "These ants sure are wimps!"

"Don't get cocky!" Yunan, who had more direct experience fighting Barbari-Ants, urged her. "These ants are mere workers, yet they're making us waste valuable time just by sheer weight of numbers. If they throw us something tougher than these small servant ants-"

A sound like a roar, or maybe a thunder, erupted among the walls of the anthill, the battle stopping for a second while the humans, the frogs and Yunan all turned head at the same time, giving time for the surviving workers to retreat.

And then, the Barbari-Ants warriors, bred and selected for their fighting power, rushed back inside, determined to wipe out the intruders who 'dared' violate their own home.

"They just did!" Sasha grimaced, her voice sounding more annoyed than worried.

"Spri, Ivy!" Hop Pop called out for them. "Get back behind me, in formation!"

"We can't fight so many ants at once…at least not the traditional way!" Anne yelled, exchanging a glance with Sasha and Jacob. But before any of them could start to activate their Calamity Powers…

"No need for that!" Marcy loudly announced, as she held a glass containing purple-looking liquid in her hand. "This way guys! Fast!"

She threw the flask toward a nearby wall and it exploded, creating a hole large enough for everyone to pass through it. Immediately, everyone rushed toward it, Yunan covering their retreat before joining them for last.

"Now, Maddie!" Marcy yelled at her friend, the light blue frog smirking before hitting the hole in the wall with another spell bag of hers, making a wall of purple vines wit glowing thorns grew amazingly fast and cover the hole, creating a barrier the ants couldn't break through.

"W-what is that?" Jacob mused as he looked at Marcy and Maddie, both girls giving each other a high-five with a smug look on their faces.

"Insta-vines!"! Marcy explained proudly. "We bred them ourselves. Not only they grow fast, but they're strong and resistant enough to shrug off any attempt to damage them! For at least one hour, they can't follow us. Not from that hole anyway."

"By then we'll have to be very, very far way, then!" Yunan nodded, internally noting how interesting the spell looked and making a note to report it to Lady Olivia. "Quick! Judging by the cavern's structure, we should be near to our objective.

"So, you had that spell ready until now?" Ivy asked Maddie. "But then, why-"

"This is a new spell Marcy and I prepared using ingredients we found on this region, as they're not from the Valley." The spellcaster frog replied, "Weren't planning to use it already, but…I guess that count as a field test."

"It's amazing!" Marcy cooed. "Every region we visit has its own plants that can be combined into limitless ways to make new magic spell and incantations. Isn't vegetation in Amphibia just the coolest?!"

"Yup, it is." Hop Pop proudly nodded, Polly rolling her eyes in annoyance.

The group proceeded through the narrow corridors of the Barbari-Ants nest, fighting off any unfortunate Ant who happened to stand on their path, until they reached a large chamber with coral-like formations on the walls and stalactites growing from the roof of the cave, illuminated by the light coming from various hole above. As soon as the group reached the chamber, Yunan made sign for everyone to cut the chat and hide behind the rocks, as the reason for her alarm came in sight.

In the middle of the hollow cave, stood a Barbari-Ant much larger than any other the group had ever seen.
It had a thick, armored hide covering a good chunk of its body, with large, glowing green V-shaped horns on the back of her head, eight legs on the back of her body provided her for locomotion while two sharp claws, right to next to her head, were for manipulation. Notably, like for any other Ant Queen, more than half of her body was comprised of a massive birthing organ, with cirripeds, algae and corals growing all over her body (even a starfish!), the end of the organ being dark green in color and visible veins around the hole where new eggs would be laid.

"That's'-that's…" Ivy whispered, unable to believe the image in front of her eyes.

"Yes, this is her." Yunan answered with a frown. "The only Barbari-Ant who can produce new generation for the future, the Mother of them all. The Queen."

Almost as underscore what the newt had just said, the large Barbari-Ant groaned, laying another batch of transparent, sickly green eggs with Barbari-Ants larvae floating inside. Then, she moved her head closer to the just-laid eggs and barfed some kind of slimy green fluid, covering all eggs but one. The queen quickly noticed it and sprayed another amount of green fluid on it, tucking the egg under it like a baby under a blanket, the queen cooing and blushing as she looked at it.

"Well," Sprig said, looking at the scene, "at least she's a good mother."

"It is bad that I suddenly feel jealous that some ant got a better caring mom than I did?" Sasha quipped, Felicia looking at her. "I mean my birth mother, of course."

"You know, now I feel a little guilty about this," Ivy nodded. "I mean, she's just trying to look after her own children."

"By devouring any other lifeform for miles and razing their own homes to turn them into expansions of their anthill." James quickly counterpointed. "Besides, we are not going to kill her: the smell will drive her away, and she will bring her 'children' with her."

"Ok guys, here's the plan." Marcy took charge, taking out one of the Stink Shrooms and showing it to the others. "We're going to have to plant these all around the room, this way she gets a nose-full and she'll run away, bringing all the other Barbari-Ants with her. But be careful: once you set them, they'll go off in five minutes top, so move quickly and don't waste any time."

"Try not to make excessive loud noises too," Yunan said, remembering just then. "The queen is nearly blind, so she can't see you unless you're very close or you move very fast. However, she has an excellent hearing, so try to be quiet."

"Just like that time with the Olms, got it." Amelia said, Sasha, Ivy, Maddie, Sprig and Polly nodding in response.

"Wait, what?" Yunan gasped, as she realized Amelia had just mentioned the Olms. Yet, before she could interrogate her on the matter, the group split up to plant the Stink shrooms in strategic positions all over the giant room, taking advantage of the Queen' apparent ignorance of their presence, while Jacob, Sasha and Anne kept watch on the Queen, raising their hand to stop their friend work whenever the Queen seemed suspicious.

Yet, it wasn't only the Queen they were watchful for.

Marcy and Maddie were planting the stink shrooms on one side of the room, Anne walking right behind them with her sword on her hand when she heard something cracking above them, raising her head just in time to see a lone stalactite starting to break off the ceiling. Acting quickly, she launched herself forward, and pushed Marcy and Maddie away before the stalactite could fall upon them.

The Queen heard the sound, and looked in their direction, just as the trio instinctively hid behind the fallen stalactite, out of sight. Seeing nothing that could count as a threat to her eggs, the Queen looked away.

"Thanks, Anne." Marcy said, "Sorry we…didn't notice that."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," the other human chuckled whispering, thinking back on how many times she already had to save her friend's life. "Maddie, how are you?"

"Fine, though I'm a feeling a little hurt in my pride that I didn't notice that."

"Guys!" The trio heard another whisper, and they saw Amelia approach them, careful of where she was putting her feet as to not make any noise that might attract the huge Queen Mother Ant's attention. "Are you ok? Do you need help?"

"We are fine…mostly." Marcy admitted. "Anyway, we're almost done here. What about you?"

"Jacob and Sprig already finished their own part, while Sasha and Ivy are almost done. Yunan thinks so far the Barbari-Ants have no idea we are in their own sancta sanctorum, but she's already planning an emergency way out in case something bad happens."

"By emergency way out, you don't mean blasting the ceiling, right?" Anne once again looked up with a nervous look.

"Only if you think we should use your…Calamity Powers." Amelia replied with an even lower whisper.

"Everyone, let's fall back!" Sasha arrived then, Ivy just behind her. "These shrooms should get off any moment now, thus-"

Yet, as Yunan already knew 'no military plan, no matter how perfect, survives direct contact with the enemy'. The group was gathering back together, ready to take cover before the Stink shrooms went off, when Sprigm who has been with Jacob, stumbled into one of the Queen's egg, causing it to hatch prematurely, the small larva mistaking him for food and trying to attack him. Sprig, of course, noticed the incoming attack and used his slingshot to hit the small larva, but the latter began to emit loud, high-pitch noise, almost 'crying' for being hurt, calling for help.

More specifically, calling for its mother's help.

The giant Barbari-Ant queen recognized the sound of her own brood and turned, noticing the intruders in her lair, and shoot her tongue, whose end looked like a monster's head, toward Sprig, only for Jacob to put himself between him and the Queen, hitting her tongue with a powerful strike of his hammer, while Amelia slashed it with her katana, the cut part of the tongue falling lifeless on the ground, blood pouring out of the cut as the Queen roared in pain.

And then, her roar became louder, turning into a summon for her warriors that she and her eggs were endangered, to come and kill the invaders.

"Uh, not looking forward to being torn apart right now!" Polly lamented, looking around to see thousand of Barbari-Ants surrounding them, with even more rushing out of the tunnels and any hole big enough.

"You'll have to fight our way out!" Yunan announced, readying herself for the fight. "Go, I'll keep them busy as long as I can!"

"We are not leaving you here!" Sasha challenged her, holding both of her swords, glaring at the ants like she was challenging them to move forward and attack them. "We're going to leave all together, no matter what!"

"This is not up for discussion! Go while I give you a chance, that's an order!"

"Hey! Don't try that! We are not-"

"Huh, guys?" Marcy interrupted, raising one hand, her phone in the other. "While is nice that Yunan is willing to sacrifice herself to save us, that won't be necessary." She checked on her phone one last time. "Three, two, one..."

A chicken cluck sound effect signaled the end of the timer, as all the mushrooms the group had planted in the cave detonated at once, filling the cave and all the connected tunnels with clouds of orange smoke, the ants being literally 'invested' by the intense, stinky smell, the Queen roaring one last time before charging into the wall to her right, running away, the other ants following her (all the larvae and eggs carried away by the workers), abandoning their hideout and any hope to lay further threats on Newtopia.

"They're gone!" James said, as soon as he stopped coughing due to the smell, "The Barbari-ants are gone!"

"WE DID IT!" Anne celebrated, Sasha and Marcy joining her. "We won!"

"And with zero casualties too!" Yunan couldn't help but appreciate the bonus result of the outcome. "I have to admit, I am still…unaccustomed to this."

"You know what?" Sprig took a big breath, smelling the air. "It actually smells kind of nice."

"I mean, it will liquefy your lungs if you breathe too much of it," Marcy pointed out covering her nose.

"Wait, what?"

"It's true," Maddie nodded, covering her mouth. "Don't worry, I can regrow some new lungs later on…maybe."

"Ok guys, the works' here is done!" Felicia hurried them back toward the exit. "Let's get out of this place!"

"Wait, just one second," Marcy asked, walking toward the area where the Queen Barbari-Ant had been before and taking a sample of the green, mushy liquid she used to cover her eggs.

"Huh, Marbles?" Hop Pop asked, "What are you doing?"

"This stuff the Queen used to cover her eggs looks interesting. I'm taking a couple of samples for further analysis."

"Wait, she really thinks about learning from that stuff?" Yunan asked, looking back at the rest of the group, specifically at Sasha and Amelia. "And what was the thing that you were saying earlier, about the Olms?"

"Oh, it's a loooong story," Amelia responded. "Maybe we will tell you…someday."

---

As soon as the group had left the now-abandoned hideout of the Barbari-Ants, they returned to the Outpost, where Yunan quickly informed the "Triple B" (as Marcy had nicknamed them) and Headmaster Albert that the threat had been vanquished, thus making it sure to reopen the gates of Newtopia.

And this is why, right now, the Fwagon was lining behind many other carriages and personal vehicles, all the travelers who had been waiting until this moment waiting with trepidation, flanked on both sides by soldiers in Newtopia Army's armors and Night Guard rangers with capes and hoodies to hide their features while, in front of the giant gate, Yunan, Albert and the three analysts looked up.

"Open the gates!" Yunan called out, and just like earlier today, the window seashell flipped over.

"I told you already-" the guard from before began to lament, before realizing who he was addressing to, immediately catching himself. "G-General Yunan! Headmaster Albert! ROYAL ANALYSISTS!"

"Is this how you do your duty, ranger?" Albert said with a scolding voice, annoyed by how uncaring the gatekeeper had sounded a few seconds before.

"I-I'm sorry! I…I didn't mean-"

"Enough, we are not here to listen to your excuses!" Yunan almost roared, "The Barbari-Ants infestation around the capital has been repelled, the emergency has been recalled! Open the gates, so these people can finally enter!"

"It is? I-I mean, yes general!" The ranger saluted before rushing forward. It took a full minute, but then, the large bell just above the gate began to chime, to signal to everyone who could hear it that the danger was gone.

And then, slowly, pulled by some unknown mechanism, the large golden door began to open, and a fanfare began to play out as Yunan, Albert the three newt analysts walked back inside in triumph, followed by their own soldiers and the various civilian carriages who had been waiting behind them.

As soon as the Fwagon passed the large entrance, and the humans and their families could see the city behind it, they gasped in awe at the same time, for Newtopia was different from any other settlement they had seen up tot his moment. Even Ribbitvale's rich architecture didn't reach the level of design and outline than the capital city of Amphibia had.

Right now, the Fwagon and the other carriages were in a large circular square, surrounded by many tall buildings made of stone, with red roofs and golden decorations, perfectly blending with the giant red coral plants growing on all over the city, making it a perfect blend between nature and civilization. Countless newt statues decorated the streets and the public areas, depicting important newts of the past whose life accomplishments, as scholar, soldiers or leaders had granted them an immortal effigy.

On the roof of the Fwagon, Sasha, Amelia and Jacob were taking photos non-stop of any architectural feature they see, while Marcy was sketching like crazy, a burning fire of excitement brightening her eyes as she kept adding drawing and notes of everything she saw, mumbling thing without realizing, while James grabbed on her cape, to make sure she didn't wander off on her own while she was 'in the Zone'.

"Whoa, look at this place!" Anne said, her mouth wide open in amazement. "This is not a small village or country town. This is, like, a city city."

"I want to touch everything!" Sprig loudly said, Polly agreeing with him.

"It's…it's so marvelous!" Ivy almost whispered, unable to express her current state of mind with words.

"I have to admit…this place is beautiful." Maddie nodded, feeling the magical nexus energies all over the city, yet grimacing as she felt like a stink. Was this still the smell coming from the city's waste, or something else?

"This is so interesting!" Marcy was basically in a delirium of overexcitement and passion. "The cobblestone roads are like those of the Bronze Age, yet the structures resemble those of the Iron Age! Plus, those columns are like those of the Greek temples, but the main palaces look like a cross between the Italian Renaissance and French Neoclassic Baroque. Thus-"

"Someone's having a good time." Amelia mused, looking over Marcy while she fed Akitsu another apple. "Just like a kid at Christmas."

"Well, she is an architecture enthusiast," James nodded, giving once glance of the city around them. "Though we do have to admit this is quite an amazing place."

"I agree, I never saw a city like this before…outside of an anime, of course."

"I guess you weren't lying about this place," Sasha nodded at Felicia, her adoptive 'mom' shrugging in response. "Thought it still kind off smell."

"That's not the only thing that has changed since the last time I was here," the veteran adventurer replied, noticing how several small buildings looked damaged, couple even having collapsed walls or roofs. Sure, the city was still grandiose, but her keen eye didn't fail to notice that some parts of it showed obvious hints of decay.

Yet, as the other carriages dispersed all over the city's smaller streets, the humans heard heavy footsteps and saw a large group of newt guards, all in dressed deep aquamarine capes and hoodies, armed with seashells-made spears and large round shapes, march toward them.

"Hey!"

"What's going on?"

"I didn't do it!" Polly hurried to say, as the new soldiers surrounded the plaza, while Yunan and Albert scoffed in a rare moment of agreement.

"Royal Guards." The old Headmaster mumbled as she looked aside, his rangers showing similar expressions of disdain.

Yet, instead of pointing their spear as if they were trying to contain them, the Royal Guard simply hit the ground with them before parting aside, allowing for yet a new individual to pass through them, walking in direction of Yunan.

Marcy quickly saw that the latest arrival was a beautiful aquamarine newt with long blue hair tied into a bun with a shell-made band, dressed in a taffeta dress purple and white, her gown decorated with images of moving waves. She also wore white gloves over her hands, a golden brooch over her neck and a semi-transparent shawl covering her shoulders and her arms.

As soon as she walked on sight, the newts soldiers and Night Rangers all straightened themselves in salute, while Yunan, Albert and the three Royal Analysts knelt on one knee. It was clear, that she had to be someone of high rank.

"General Yunan, Headmaster Albert." The newcomer spoke with her hands pressed together, exuding authority. "I can assume your mission was a success?"

"It was, lady Olivia!" Yunan happily announced, snapping her fingers. Immediately, two newt soldiers, who had been waiting in the rear walked forward, and brought with them the head of one of the Barbari-Ants soldiers. "The Barbari-Ant infestation in the region had been repelled, and our beloved city is safe once again."

"Excellent work, as expected by our greatest youngest general and the leader of the Night Guard." Lady Olivia said, Albert grumbling in silence. "And of course, I won't forget our main Royal Analyst, whose strategy surely was decisive in securing our victory."

"Huh…"

"…actually…"

"…it wasn't."

"Excuse me?" Lady Olivia asked, noticing the wariness in their voices. "It wasn't you the ones that planned the strategy against the ants?"

"To tell the truth, Lady Olivia, we weren't." Blair confessed, scratching the back of his head, before looking back at the Plantar's Fwagon, his gaze focusing on Marcy "She was."

"We spent days trying to figure out the best plans to deal with the Barbari-Ants, yet as soon as she arrived, it took five minutes to come up with a perfect strategy to drive them off." Branson nodded.

"Moreover, she was able to come up with a strategy that managed to unify all of our best ideas, connecting the advantages while removing the disadvantages." Bartley added, "She has a keen mind and a great intellect, no matter how weird she or her friends look!"

As Lady Olivia heard the three Royal Analysts explanation and followed their gaze, her impeccable facade seemed to break for one second as she saw the large two-carriage Fwagon, and the creatures on it. Some were frogs, that was plain, but the others… Lady Olivia had never seen beings like them, with tall, slender bodies and limbs, even taller than most of the Newts, and bizarre face conformations that seemed different from anything that any other Amphibian creature.

"Ah, I see you're the humans our esteemed General was talking so excitedly, when she came to make the King her report," Lady Olivia said, recalling that day. "Our esteemed king sends his greetings."

"And we greet him back," James said as he took charge, jumping out of the Fwagon and making a reverence, like a valet in front of a noblewoman. "My name is-"

"James, and they are your companions Anne, Sasha, Jacob, Amelia and Marcy." Lady Olivia nodded with a smile, leaving all the six human flagstabbered in surprise. "Don't be scared, the general told me about your appearances and names. I simply had to learn them, so I could recognize you."

"You managed to differentiate us, just from the info Yunan gave you?" Marcy said in wonder, clearly amazed by what this newt could do.

"Of course, that's part of my duty as First Royal Advisor of the King." She smiled again, "And I assume these are your…families."

"Your highness," Hop Pop knelt in a respectful way, "I am Hopediah Plantar, and these are my grandchildren Sprig and Polly. When they arrived in our Valley, I offered them food and shelter, and I eventually took them under my care as my own kids."

"I see." Lady Olivia seemed to approve the simple, yet generous nature of the old frog, before looking at Felicia. "And what about you?"

"Royal Advisor," Felicia knelt as well, "my name is Felicia Sundew, but I was once known in this city by another name, as the adventurer… Felis the Red."

As she said that name, some of the Royal guards surrounding them took a step back in surprise. Even Lady Olivia, while struggling not to show it, was caught by surprise by this new information.

"Felis the Red? The legendary adventurer?"

"Indeed! I hung up my adventurer identity for a long time, but ever since I took Sasha," she looked at the blonde human, "as my other daughter, I voluntarily choose to reveal my past in order to support her and help her return to her world, alongside my daughter, Ivy."

"And what about her?" Lady Olivia now looked at Maddie, her skin color a clear hint she couldn't be related either to Hop Pop and Felicia."

"She-"

"I can do my own presentation, Miss Sundew." Maddie walked up front, "My name is Maddie flour, I am Marcy's best friend and adoptive sister, as well as her magic and spellcasting teacher."

"A spell caster?" One of the guards whispered in shock.

"She is," Yunan quickly came in her support. "I saw her myself use various elaborate spells and enchantments, either to protect us or to fight our enemy. Even headmaster Albert," she looked at the Night Guard leader, the old newt glaring back in anger, "benefit of one of her healing spells."

"I-I guess we should thank you for your contribution, then." Lady Olivia nodded. "So, it's true as our Royal Analyst and General said, that you've helped us stopping the Barbari-ants from threatening our city?"

"It is, miss- I mean, my Lady!" Anne nodded, "We arrived to find the gates locked due to the emergency, so we volunteered to stay and help."

"It was nothing," Jacob said with a boisterous tone, knocking over his armor. "We fought threat like that all during our journey to come here. We're quite tough!"

"Still, on behalf of our kingdom and King Andrias, let me thank you for your precious support, and give you our sincere welcome to Newtopia. Our city is old, but also rich in history and splendor. Please, leave your vehicle in the hands of my guards and follow me."

"Follow?" Sasha asked, as one of the guards took the Fwagon's reins from Hop Pop. "Where?"

"To the palace, of course!" Lady Olivia said, hinting with her head toward the large castle towering over the city. "Our king gave us the order that, as soon as you arrived in Newtopia, you were to be summoned for an audience with him personally."

"An audience with the ruler of this world?!" Anne said, feeling excited too now. "Awesome!"

"Indeed, it is," Lady Olivia said, before turning her back. "General Yunan, shall you…?"

"With pleasure, Royal Advisor." The newt general locked arm with her and walked side by side with Lady Olivia, with Albert only able to gritter his teeth in annoyance.

---

Unbeknownst to the six humans and their families, someone was watching them. In a high tower, from which he had witnessed the encounter between Lady Olivia and the 'humans' in the main plaza, someone had been watching over the humans with interest.

For the presence of such off-world creatures could only mean that they had brought back…what it was rightfully his.

Turning away from the window, the figure turned to a large, round table with a chessboard motif, where various Flipwart pieces were disposed without apparent logic., Some of those pieces, however, weren't the regular ones.

"The pieces are all into place now." The figure said, placing new pieces resembling the six humans, in their armors and uniforms, on the board, opposed to other pieces of a darker almost black wood, resembling toads and robots, led by a figure that looked like a human in armor and cape, and a long sword in his hands.

For literal centuries, he had waited for this moment, for the Calamity Gems to be brought back to the world they belonged to. Now, he would finally begin the plan that had been set for him so long ago and reclaim his birthright.

"It's time for the game to begin."

(…)

"Yes, Andrias," Aiden said with a wicked smile, watching over his opponent in secret, "It's time for the game to begin. But I'll dictate the terms."