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.

25. Shadows

Shadows

---

Sprig Plantar, grandson of Hopediah 'Hop Pop' Plantar and regular fiddler, was currently distracted as he sat down with his family for breakfast. Honestly, everyone was, especially after having spent what it felt like years in a simulated world built from Amelia's memories. It left everyone with groggy aftereffects of the illusion and, after several days, they had just started to relax.

Everyone was also trying to distinguish the fake memories from the real ones.

"Hop-sama, can I please have some yamok sauce- oh, sorry." Polly began to say, before realizing what she was saying, earning gazes of mild amusement from her grandfather and brother.

"Don't be, Polly." Hop Pop immediately reassured her. "It was a harsh experience for everyone."

"You know, back in my days as an adventurer, none of the illusion spells I ever experienced had such an effect." Felicia grunted, looking at her own croissant with eyes devoid of appetite. "Maybe we should check for a specialist? I'm sure lady Olivia knows someone who may help us sort this whole mess of memories."

"I doubt even Newtopia has someone trained to deal with 'fake memories of entire lives that turned out to be fiction'," Sprig replied as his mind began to wander once again. He could still remember everything from his fake life in Amelia's world, but he could recall some of these memories more vividly than others.

He could still remember the trauma he and Polly had experienced when they were told their parents died on a Kaiju rampage; Hop Pop's heartwarming words and his promise to take care of them for as long as he could, in front of a temple of some kind. All the happy moments he had ever since meeting Muay Thai Go (Anne) and becoming her best friend. The glorious adventure that led to the formation of the Turbo Teens, the grateful expression of all the 'humans' and frogs whom he had personally rescued-

He shook his head: none of that ever happened, it was only an illusion. A 'dream paradise' specifically tailored to Amelia's desire to keep herself (and by association, them) trapped forever in a cage they would never want to leave. And yet… it still felt so real, so lively.

And the more he saw the illusion world as real, the more distraught he felt every time he reminded himself that it was gone, destroyed by them in their attempt to escape.

He quickly realized it would benefit him and his family if they found something else to keep their minds occupied.

"So," he looked at Felicia, "how are Sasha and Ivy doing? I wanted to ask, but they left early this morning with Jacob."

"Oh, that's because today is a very important day for them." The teashop owner and former adventurer replied with a genuine smile. "There's going to be a tournament, and they've both been training hard to ace it!"

(…)

"Aaagh!" The newt cadet yelled as Sasha's lunge made him lose his balance and fall on the ground, his training sword lying out of his reach. A split second before he could even try to get back on his feet, the human was already on him, her boot slamming on his chest plate and immobilizing him while her own sword was pointed at his neck.

With irritation, the newt realized he had no more chances of winning, and promptly took the only option he had left.

"I yield."

"Waybright wins!" the Newtopian Army officer who had been overseeing the duel announced, causing another small ruckus as the local group of Sasha's admirers (led by Ivy) began to cheer for their heroine once again.

"She did it! My sister did it!" Ivy cheered at full lungs, the blonde teen smiling at their enthusiasm. Yet, she didn't get a chance to fully enjoy her victory before something (or rather, someone) poured on her parade.

A loud roar and another cheer came from the opposite side of the arena, the human girl seeing Jacob stand triumphant over his own defeated foe as he was cheered as well, Bella grinning and raising her fist in pride.

"Matthews passes!"

"Looks like we have our finalist, cadets!" The officer smiled gleefully, as Jacob, Sasha and their own small entourages glanced at each other. "I knew today's competition was going to be interesting, but it's the first time since we had such promising cadets in our ranks."

Within the crowd, as they waited for the final fight to happen, the various soldiers and cadets surrounding the arena chatted with each other, commenting on the tournament's unexpected development.

"Frog! Even after everything, those humus-"

"Humans." Another newt immediately corrected their fellow cadet. "That's what they're called, humans."

"- humans have already achieved, they're still giving everything they have for this tournament!"

"Of course they do!" A third one, eavesdropping on the conversation, reacted. "After all, the winner gets a special apprenticeship under General Yunan herself! Basically becoming her right hand!"

"And let's not forget about the promotion that come with it!" Another one added, just as all chats started to devolve in unintelligible buzz, the two human teen cadets walked on the fighting stage.

"Congratulation on your victory, and for arriving to the finals," Sasha said in a gentle tone as Jacob approached, both humans dirty and sweaty from the mock battles they endured. "Too bad this is where you're going to stop: there's only one spot for Yunan's personal attendant, and it's got my name over it!"

"Your name? Think again!" Jacob replied, taking a cup of water that Bella was passing him and drinking it empty before continuing. "You're skilled, I'll give you that, but I too have made progress since our first duel. And I'm going to win the tournament, get the job under Yunan AND be promoted to Captain!"

"I bet five golden coins on Jacob," Bella approached Ivy.

"You're on!"

"STOP!" A voice shouted suddenly, as another newt walked into the training area, both humans and their close ones recognizing who it was and straightening themselves up as General Yunan made her entrance.

"General!" The officer saluted. "We weren't expecting you here today! You arrived just in time to witness who will be the winner of our practical exam-"

"Let's postpone it, there have been… changes." The young general replied in a serious tone devoid of any boasting. "Have all the available soldiers and officers, cadet included, gathered: we have a situation, and we may require all hands we can gather!"

"Understood, ma'am!" The officer replied (even if a bit surprised) as he addressed the troops, shouting orders at loud volume while Jacob, Sasha, Ivy and Bella rushed to their positions.

"This isn't over," Ivy whispered to Bella as the two stood next to each other. "The bet is only postponed."

"For as long as this goes, and Jacob and Sasha can have their final." The newt nodded.

Yunan stood silently, watching as the officers of the Newtopia Army hurried to gather all available soldiers and cadets, a couple rushing outside their barracks still busy fixing their uniforms, a clear hint that they weren't wearing them when she arrived. That was bad, at least to her: the enemy would never give his opponent a fair warning before striking.

Finally, all soldiers were gathered in line. Their officers and commanders standing in front or next to them, battle-hardened veterans standing side by side with young recruits and cadets, as General Yunan, Scourge of the Sand Wars, Defeater of Ragnar the Wretched, and the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the Newtopian Army, started her speech.

"Soldiers of the Great Newtopian Army!" The female general yelled at the top of her lungs, "I bring you dire news. The security of Newtopia, and the wellbeing of its inhabitants, is once again threatened. A dastardly enemy, growing inside our very walls, siphoning life and wealth out of our people like a parasite, is once again showing its ugly head. An enemy that we've already faced before, and against which we'd managed, recently, to strike several blows. Now, however, this enemy whom we had fought and kept at bay has decided to strike back! And once again, Newtopia calls its strongest and best soldiers to protect it from the threat!"

Yunan stopped, making a dramatic pause as she let her words sink into everyone's minds. Everyone started to wonder what enemy she was referring to. It was centuries, frog, millennia even, since a hostile army dared to make a move against the very capital of Amphibia: even the Sand Wars, in their worst days, had never reached the florid city's borders

Unless…

"That's right!" Yunan continued, as she saw realization blossoming on several faces (mainly, Jacob's and Sasha's) at once. "Our beloved city is once again threatened, not by honorable enemies willing to face us on open ground, but rather, by cloaked traitors who conceal themselves in the shadows! Snakes who'd stab us in the back if given a chance but are too cowardly to show their faces and fight like newts!"

She raised her fist, and as she did, almost everyone in the crowd was inspired to do the same. That was the power of the young general's charisma.

"For our enemy is once again, the wicked Order of the Olms!"

(…)

"The Order is back?!" Marcy gasped, her eyes and face filled with shock and dread as her squad members and comrades rushed to assist her.

"Indeed, we just received confirmation earlier this morning." Headmaster Albert nodded, looking down on the map of Newtopia he had set down. "From what we were able to piece together, in the cover of the night, several locations all over Newtopia had been struck. Most of them were unguarded, and thus the cultists met little resistance, and even those few lucky places to have guards weren't spared!"

"Headmaster, if I'm allowed to ask," Maddie asked, taking one step forward while the attention of everyone focused on her, "which locations were attacked, and what did they take away?"

"Zephen?"

"On it, sir!" The headmaster's assistant took out a piece of paper, containing a summary of the reports, and began to skim through it. "They plundered at least two blacksmiths and weapon shops, but most of the buildings that got attacked were libraries, scholar's associations and other places that used to keep books of historic value. Not surprisingly, many of them were places that the cultists already struck in the past."

"You mean the Order already attacked those places once?" Marcy gasped. "But then, why weren't they kept under watch?"

"We… we assumed they had no more reason to hit them," the headmaster confessed. "After their first visits, all ancient books had been taken away, so we believed that they were after such stuff, and we wouldn't expect them to return. What kind of robbers return to the bank they've already robbed, if there's no more money to take?"

"Ok, I can understand your logic." Javi replied. "But then, what did they take away this time? Paper and Inks?"

"That's the oddest thing of the reports," Zephen continued. "According to witnesses, the Order didn't try to steal any more books this time, instead they ravaged the places. Most of the time by starting small fires inside them. Luckily, our forces were able to intervene quickly enough, so the fire didn't spread, but everything that was left in those buildings was destroyed, either by fire or by hand of the cultists themselves."

"This is a bloody declaration of war!" One of the other squad captains yelled with rage. "These vipers didn't have to use such barbaric means! If they chose to act like that, it was to send a message! Those zealots have declared war upon our civilization!"

"We were expecting some kind of retribution, after our recent victories in coordinating with… the Army," the headmaster lowered his gaze. As much as he recognized the success they managed to achieve, the feud the Night Guards had with the Army wasn't going to vanish overnight. "However, we must agree that we have underestimated our enemy's will and determination to fight, as well as their brutality."

"Huh, if I'm allowed," Marcy raised her arm once again, like she was back in school. "Couldn't the enemy's newfound brutality be a sign they're getting desperate? I remember that, after our latest suppression operation, not only did we manage to cut off the connection the order had with the criminals of the city, but we broke their income as well."

"That, we did." The headmaster nodded, as behind Marcy, Maddie and the other members of her squad gleamed in pride. They were the ones that took the hardest mission of the whole operation, and while they came very close to being defeated and destroyed, not only did they manage to survive (thanks to the timely intervention of the Newtopian Navy) but they managed to capture or otherwise neutralize many criminal elements for the Night Guard to collect as soon as the battle was over. They earned victory, honors, the admiration of their comrades and interest of their commanders, all in one go.

I bet Ernst would be so happy to see them now, the old newt internally smiled before continuing.

"However, we intercepted some new rumors recently, of which we didn't have a chance to investigate their validity and quell, that the Order have managed to find themselves new backers. More specifically, within Newtopia high society itself, perhaps even among the nobles!"

"Wha- that's crazy!" Javi yelled, almost like he had been directly insulted. "Even the most corrupt noble of Newtopia wouldn't even think about striking deals with such lunatics!"

"That's a sentiment I am actually inclined to agree with, and that's why, until we get some concrete proof, we will treat these rumors as nothing more than mere slander!" The headmaster replied with a proud expression, before turning sour. "However, that doesn't change the fact that the Order did find some new patron or supporter, or some other way to finance their own schemes."

"So, what's the plan now, headmaster?" The new squad captain from before asked. "How are we going to stop them?"

"We'll have to locate the rest of their members, especially their leader Gold Mask." Albert grunted, pointing to an odd sketch of a metallic mask next to his city plans. "The good news is, we already know what their next objective is, so we'll have to secure the location and prepare a trap. If luck assists us, we'll be able to capture their whole stinking order in one go!"

"Oh, yeah?" Murmured Kettle, raising an eyebrow. "And what is their next objective?"

"The only place left in all Newtopia, beside the Royal library, where books and other writings in Ancient Amphibian are still preserved: Newtopia University!" The headmaster pointed. "In its archives, so much lost culture and knowledge of our past is stocked, and since the Royal Palace is too well guarded and defended for the cultists to be able to infiltrate, it's the only place they could possibly strike!"

"NEWTOPIA UNIVERSITY?!" Marcy gasped for the third time now, but now, even more horrified than before. "There are hundreds of students living within the faculty as well as the staff! If the Order's really planning to attack the university, countless lives may be in danger!"

"The University's headmaster is an old friend of mine, and he guarantees that the security measures of the University would stop anyone daring to step inside uninvited, even the Order. That said, your concerns are legitimate and worthy of our notice. If the Order has a way to bypass or deactivate the University's defense system, or worse... Many of our brightest young minds, as well as untold knowledge could be lost forever. And that's exactly the reason why we can't allow this to happen!"

"We'll be ready for them, sir!" Kettle jumped in, resolve shining in her eyes. "It doesn't matter how many of them we'll face, they won't set a single foot inside our great University!"

"Indeed, they won't!" Marcy nodded, all members of her squad nodding in agreement. For those who destroy books and knowledge, she added mentally, kill reason itself…

(…)

"-and that's why the gravity of larger celestial bodies can influence and modify trajectories and movements of the smaller ones." James finished his speech, looking around. To his pleasure, many students were taking notes of the formulas written on the chalkboard, for later study. "In our next session, I will introduce to you the concept of gravitational slingshot and how the gravitational pull of one or more celestial bodies can be used to alter the path and speed of artificial objects. So, unless you have any questions-"

"Huh, excuse me, Ser James?" The human teen looked aside (and so did a few University students), his eyes widening as he saw the friendly face of Headmaster Herringbone peeking from the door. "Can I… talk with you, privately? There is an issue I think we should discuss. Now."

The friendly expression was still there, but the headmaster's smile was stiffer than usual. And it was putting the British teen on edge.

"U-understood." James replied with a hint of worry, wondering what he could have done wrong as he struggled to keep a calm, professional façade. "Take note of everything, and I'll see you all in the next session. I remember many of you have applied economics, don't you? I wish you good luck, Professor Paczen says you'll need it."

Several students groaned in response while James hurried outside, Herringbone having waited for him and now wearing a wider smile.

"You're quite an interesting fellow, aren't you?"

"Professor Herringbone, before you say anything, I just wish to know, what did I do wrong? Is that about those parents lamenting their children were forced to study alongside an 'otherworldy creature'? Because if it's that-"

"Relax, James, I am not here to punish you. Rather, I am seeking your… expertise on an issue that I had been informed of recently."

"An issue?"

"What do you know about… the Order of the Olms?"

Hearing that, James grimaced. "Professor, I know those fanatics too well! I even faced some when I started working with the Newtopia Navy!"

"I know. Ever since she started to come and give lectures as well, your friend, lady Marcy, was quite vocal about your heroism." The duo walked along the empty hallway. "Unfortunately, I bring dire news: not only is the Order back, but it seems their intention is to strike our university and attempt to steal our oldest papers, some of which had been in our archives ever since the university was founded."

"The Order wants to strike here?! Then we have no time to lose, we must secure the facility and activate the defense system!"

"Unfortunately, that's the issue I wanted to discuss with you. Our security system has long been considered to be flawless, yet it was designed to repel single individuals, not whole well-organized groups such as the Order. And even with the Night Guard rangers and the Newtopian Army lending their forces to protect us, I still fear for the lives of our students. So, I wanted to ask you if you could… help us make sure everyone is well-protected."

"I think I have a few ideas," James began to think about it, remembering all the lessons Mrs. Croaker had given him. "It won't be easy, and frankly, I doubt we have the resources to implement all of them, but they could provide a key advantage."

"If you can guarantee our student's safety, just do whatever you think has to be done." Herringbone replied, a hint of worry passing over his face. "I'll give you carte blanche, as long as you act within reason."

"That said, there are also a couple other ways I could help." James continued. "Army and Night Guard will send their own forces, but they're not the only branches of the military who could give us a hand. And I think I just know someone who'll be quite happy to join us."

(…)

"-so I went back to find that portrait, and found out it was no longer there!" Amelia lamented while Akistu and Frobo kept listening to her. "And of course, since I didn't think of taking a picture while we were running from those alien jellyfish, I don't have any proof I could show my friends. And I couldn't even ask the King or Lady Olivia, because if I did, I would have to tell them that we violated their guidelines and went on exploring the castle's basement, and how I almost put everyone's life at risk because I assumed it would be safe when it wasn't!" She kept ranting, the robot and the dragonfly exchanging a glance. Sure, the kid had a lot of pent-up emotions inside of her, and she needed quite a release.

"And then we find, thanks to Yunan, some strange place and we all go and investigate it, and we find a large magic ball that brings us all into some fake world, and since I was the one that touched it, not only did the world resemble a collage of anime clichés, but apparently it was ruled by my own inner desires personified, and they wanted us to stay inside that simulation forever, and then they tempted me with the life of a hero which I always wanted. And then I had to fight the guy, and then we went all Megazord- I admit, it was quite a nice adventure all considered, but not one I wished to cause in the first place!"

She hissed as she looked aside, raising her free hand and focusing, repeating the words that Jacob had taught her on their trip back to Newtopia (before they were scolded by Lady Olivia, of course). As much as she was hurt, that her own desires almost trapped her friends, there were some positive consequences of the whole shenanigan. Among them, she had her powers now.

"By the steel of my sword, by the honor of my soul,

May my actions never run afoul,"

As she chanted, a now-familiar warmth started to surge from inside her body, her eyes closing as she felt them tingle, knowing without looking that they (as well as her hair) were filling with purple Calamity energy. From where they were resting, Akitsu and Frobo now looked at the human with excited eyes, the dragonfly buzzing and chirping as she gazed upon her master's newfound power, while the droid recorded the scene, his own positronic brain sending warnings, yet not moving one inch from his position.

"Let those who exploit good people's belief,

fear my power – Respect's bringing-"

"Lady Amelia?"

Silence. The girl landed back on the ground, her power activation interrupted as her concentration was broken, her eyes turning to face the unexpected intruder, finding him a lone newt, dressed in the uniform of the Royal Guard. Judging by his expression, and by his trembling figure, he hadn't come to find her of his own will.

"What is it?" Amelia asked.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your… training, lady Amelia, but King Andrias wants you to come and meet him in the Coral Saloon."

Amelia felt tempted to raise an eyebrow: the king wanted to see her? Why? Was this connected to the crazy adventure she and her friends just went through? Or was this related to something else?

Her heart began to beat faster and faster as a new idea formed in her mind: could it be that the King had information about Leif that he wanted to share with her? So far, the giant newt hadn't said anything about her, besides giving her full access to the Royal Library for her research, but perhaps, something new had popped up? After all, if the portrait had been of any indication, Leif (assuming it was her in the picture) had probably lived in the castle in the past, or at least visited enough times to be worthy of recognition. Maybe she was a high-rank adventurer, whose great feats had earned her a spot among nobility? Perhaps she was a hero who had saved Amphibia in the past? But then, how was she connected to the Box? And why no matter how much she searched, there was no trace of her in any document?

Countless questions gathered inside her brain, to which she couldn't find a satisfactory answer.

"Understood. Tell him I'll be coming." The young samurai nodded, the Royal Guard quickly leaving as she turned her attention back to her friends…

---

"You were quite a fierce adversary, lady Boonchuy, but I guess this will be another victory for the Leviathan king." King Andrias smugly said as he moved the Flipwart piece on his board, removing the girl's last retreat route and winning the game by 'flipping' her Wart.

"Drats!" Anne grunted, realizing she had been beaten. "How did you do that? I was focused on the pieces since we started, yet it seems like you were controlling the game all the time!"

That's because I was, the king replied mentally, a part of him relieved that lady Boonchuy had been unable to beat him. Yet, he kept his tone of voice friendly, he looked at her with the 'old, caring, wise High King' face that he had honed so much ever since the six 'humans' arrived at his city, as he replied:

"Don't be too angry at your loss, my child: even a defeat can be instructive. And I think you and your friends are learning many things lately."

"Oh, yeah? Did you ask every one of them of playing Flipwart with you as well?"

"Indeed!" King Andrias replied, this time truthfully. "Each one of them was challenging in their own way, and they gave me so many insights for new opening moves; yet only one of them, so far, had been able to beat me, your friend Marcy."

"She beat you?" Anne replied as his lips smiled once again. "She didn't tell, so I assume it wasn't such a big deal."

"Believe me, it's quite a big deal." The great king fake-chuckled. "You may not know, but when I was younger, many experienced players used to come from all over Amphibia just to have a chance to defeat me. Yet no one did, and so I remained undefeated… until now, that is."

"Does that mean Marcy is Amphibia's new Flipwart champion?"

No, it means that she's the next candidate for becoming the host of our great Core, the king replied once again in his thoughts, just as the door of the saloon opened and in walked one of the royal guards.

"Your Majesty, I am sorry to interrupt, but lady Amelia has arrived and is waiting outside!"

"Very well. Just give us a minute," Andrias replied, before turning and looking at Anne. "Lady Boonchuy, I would love to spend more time with you, but there are some issues I need to discuss with your friend, and I think your presence is requested once again in the Royal Kitchens."

"Indeed, the chef promised me I'd be able to work on some hot stuff if he liked my last recommendation for a dish, and he said I passed with flying colors!"

"You know, if you ever wanted, I could make the whole process a little easier-"

"Thanks, but I don't want to take any more shortcuts. Besides, it is nice to be able to build your own success!"

Andrias smiled as Anne walked outside and in came Amelia, the samurai girl grinning in excitement as she walked up in front of the king, kneeling on one leg in respect.

"King Andrias, I am here as you requested." The young lady spoke in a voice full of grace and decorum, quite different from how she was when she and the other humans arrived in Newtopia. She had clearly grown as a person in this time, and from what the king learned, this was not the only change in her.

"Raise, young warrior. I am sorry to have interrupted your training, but I wanted to talk with you about a… private issue."

"Is that about what I told you? About Leif? Did you find any proof of her existence?"

Andrias focused not to break his facade, as the mention of his former friend's name cut deep into him, piercing his heart just like the day he had discovered the truth about her. "No, it's not something related to Leif; in fact, I wanted to ask you about your powers. From what your friends have been able to tell, you managed to activate them during your last adventure."

"Indeed! I still can't control them fully, but I have my brother's mantra, and the teaching method Hop Pop and Felicia helped us develop on the trip to Newtopia. And I'll be able to join my friends soon enough!"

That's exactly what the Core doesn't want, the king gritted his teeth, yet feeling conflicted as his sense of duty and loyalty to his master got into conflict with his curiosity. "I am sure you will, lady Amelia, but if you would allow me… can you show me these powers of yours?"

Amelia smiled, concentrating once again as King Andrias saw a magical aura surge from within her, her hair and eyes becoming bright purple, the king not realizing his jaw was wide open until he saw the girl's feet detach from the ground and she began to levitate.

It was a Calamity Power, that was for sure, yet, just like Jacob's it wasn't the power of Wit, Heart or Strength. No, this was an untapped power, something neither him nor the Core had been aware of before, and which now had utterly screwed up their plans to cancel the prophecy. Or perhaps, there was nothing new about this, and the humans had only stumbled into some lost Calamity energy that not even his ancestors knew of?

The Box had emplacement for these new gems too, so they could be drained, but to do that they needed to find their own temples! And Andrias had no idea where those temples were located, or if they even existed at all!

To their knowledge, Andrias and the Core were the only living experts of the Calamity Box left in Amphibia, possibly the whole universe (the only truth the Core would ever accept). But, in the infinitesimal chance that neither of them knew about some specific knowledge that eluded them about the Music Box?

Let's hope Captain Ernst wasn't too efficient. For our own good, the king mentally summarized his, and his master's, own predicament while not showing any hint of his internal turmoil to the girl. Until he could get them where he wanted, and the threat coming from the other humans on the outside had been dealt with, he had to keep acting and behaving like they mistakenly believed him to be.

"That's…impressive, lady Amelia." He finally said, carefully choosing the words he'd use. "So, this is the power connected with…the gem you represent?"

"Respect, that's right, since the purple gem is the one of Respect, I am its holder and personification." Amelia replied as she turned the power off, her feet once again touching the ground as the energy seemed to vanish from her body. "When I activated it for the first time, not only did I feel energized, like I could move as fast as light, but I had knowledge of all fighting styles and martial arts in my head. It was weird: one second, I knew nothing about those, the next one, it was like I had trained for those!"

Andrias grimaced, his body disguising it as a thinking expression as he analyzed what the girl had unwittingly revealed about her powers. On one side, this was indubitably going to make things harder: these 'super warrior skills' could surely throw a wrench in his masters' plan, if he couldn't find some way to neutralize them before then. On the other…

-I'd feel tempted to be proud of her and the other humans' progresses, if it wasn't my mission to sabotage them.

"That's surely an interesting story. I have already heard a short summary, yet I would gladly hear a detailed narration of those events, by the words of someone who had lived through it. Lady Amelia, if I'm not asking too much, would you please tell me the full story? About the illusionary world, and how you ended up saving your friends from it?"

"You mean after I was the one that ended up trapping us in the first place?" Amelia grimaced in disgust, and Andrias internally smiled at that. "I suppose I can, I need to vent after all. That is, if my rants won't bore you...?"

"Oh, believe me, there is nothing I would find boring in your story. In fact, how about combining duty and pleasure?" He pointed at the chessboard. "Do you know how to play at Flipwart?"

Amelia smiled.

(…)

"I can't believe it." Marcy smiled with a heartfelt expression, Maddie and her other squad comrades behind her, as she looked at Sasha and Jacob, each one of them accompanied, respectively, by Ivy and Bella. "Once again, the fight against the Order of the Olms has us working together! That's so cool!"

"Well, since we already worked well together on our last operation about the Order, Yunan obviously thought we were the most fit to lead the Newtopian Army troops tasked with protecting the University." The boy sighed. "Plus, it's a golden chance to prove our worth and show her who deserves the prize better!" He glanced at Sasha.

"And that's me, dream boy!" The blonde human countered, exchanging friendly glares with him.

"Huh, prize?" Kettle asked, raising an eyebrow and looking back at Femur, the tall newt shaking his head as if saying he didn't have any idea either.

"It was a tournament, a chance among the top cadets to prove all they've learned since the training course started." Ivy began to explain. "The winner gets to be chosen as Yunan's attendant and receives an official commission as warrant officer with the rank of Captain, with all the honors and privileges that such a position offers."

"And let's not forget the advancement opportunities!" Bella intervened. "To win the tournament is a golden chance to show off your skills and prove your worth for future career advancement, either inside the Army or other prestigious spots. Jacob and Sasha were the finalists, but before they could do their final duel, the news about the Order arrived and everything was put on hold."

"And that's why I'm planning to do a flawless job with this assignment." Sasha said in a smug tone. "Once I'll be selected as Captain, my rank will be above yours, and you'll have to do anything I tell you to do!"

"No way, it'll be you that'll have to follow my orders!" Jacob countered. "And I'm going to pay back all the-"

"Guys!" Marcy raised her voice. "Look, I understand that you're all excited for the tournament, and that you're both determined to show off by doing well, but I'll remind you to keep your competition on hold. Both Yunan and Albert trust us with this careful mission, and if we fail, countless lives will be put at risk!"

Hearing Marcy's reprimand, both humans were brought back to their senses, the adrenaline in their blood subsiding as calm and professionalism returned to them.

"I'm sorry, Marcy. I guess you're right, we shouldn't let our competition undermine our hard work."

"Yeah, I must apologize as well. So… I guess you already have a plan for how to fortify the University?"

"Indeed!" Marcy smiled, taking out a sheet of paper and placing it on the table, humans and Amphibians seeing it was a planimetry of Newtopia's university. "As you can see, the University is located right in the middle of the city. This alone makes it harder for us to reach for help should we require reinforcements-"

"Wait, before we proceed," Javi raised his hand, "shouldn't we take account for one more thing, Captain?"

"And what that would be?"

"The Kingdom's Council." The aristocrat-turned-ranger replied, looking outside of the window, to the streets where several wagons full of people were traveling. "With its date approaching, many merchants and people from outside Newtopia are going to come in, and so are many representatives of the Lower Nobility as well as the Toad Armies. Usually, it's a good thing, since it brings renewed income and foreign products into Newtopia. But now, with the Order threatening our citizens, even if the Army and Night Guard work together, we don't have enough manpower to maintain order within the city and stop the Order's objectives at the same time."

"That's…"

"He's right." Sasha nodded. "With the streets filled with people, and some neighborhoods flooded with merchants, the Army won't be able to move its own soldiers fast, and the crowd offers the Order both an easy way to spread panic among the population and a convenient way to disappear if things go south."

"I see." The dark-haired nerd sighed, as she realized she had to make a new plan from scratch. "Ok, let's restart by examining the situation. How much force can the Newtopia Army muster for this situation?"

"Not many, barely five hundred soldiers to cover the whole city." Jacob grunted. "And that's adding the cadets into the headcount. What about you rangers? How many Night Guards can you deploy?"

"You're looking at them." Maddie said in a bitter tone.

"Wait, what?"

"Our squad is the only one assigned to protect the University." Marcy explained, "Unfortunately, Headmaster Albert explained that our forces are also stretched thin, and we must keep a consistent mobile reserve to act as reinforcements. On the upside, he seems confident we won't need too many soldiers for the University, thanks to the defense system installed there. And… after some visits, I tend to agree with him."

"Maybe I'm saying something stupid, but why can't we simply move the Archives and the students away?" Bella proposed. "If we know the Order's targeting the University, we could move them before the battle even starts-"

"We don't have the resources to move and escort so many documents and people at once." Jacob explained. "It would require several trips, and if the Order catches wind of this, they may target them when they're outside and thus most vulnerable. Moreover, where could we move them? The University is one of the most protected and well-defended locations in the whole city, so if we were to move them…"

"… we would be forced to take them outside the city's borders, and that's not advisable." Sasha summarized. "What about you, Maddie? You have your spells, isn't there anything that we could use?"

"There are several spells which I can prepare, and that could help us deal with most threats." The spellcaster frog replied. "The issue is that the Order already faced me once. They know the stuff I use. Not only that does means they'd probably expect me to use magic, once they notice me, they're going to target me specifically!"

"We'll protect you; I promise you that!" Ivy jumped in, looking at her friend (and co-girlfriend of Sprig) with a heartwarming expression. "I may not be a cool wizard, but I have all the tricks mom taught me, and I know how not to be caught by surprise!"

"And you have me too!" Bella nodded, raising her fist and squeezing it in a show of determination. "Look, I may be the latest entry of your group, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. If it wasn't for you, I would still be handling heavy packages for obnoxious clients with little to no respect toward me, and I would still be stuck believing that miracles don't exist. You were my miracle, and I'm not going to let a group of crazy cultists take it away from me! At least with this job I can punch bad people in their face!"

"Hey, aren't you forgetting about us?" Javi interjected, as Kettle moved to his side and Femur nodded with a silent yet determined expression. "You're a member of our squad now, Maddie, and that means that if someone tries to mess with you, they mess with all of us!"

"Let them try, if they're brave enough!" The smaller newt nodded with a smirk, clenching her fist like she was eager to punch someone in a spot where the sun doesn't shine. "It's time to remind those jerks why the Night Guard rangers protect this city!"

"The Night Guard ranger AND the Newtopia Army soldiers," Ivy interjected. "We're in this too, remember?"

"That's right!" Marcy replied with an elated expression. "And last but not last, we have several aces up our sleeves, if the situation requires it." She glanced at Sasha and Jacob, her friends smiling as well as they understood, without need for words, what her friend meant. Silently, the three of them extended their right hands, making contact above the map, the bright energy of the Calamity Stones flashing as synergy was established among them, Bella, Ivy, Maddie and the rest of Marcy's ranger squad looking with eyes filled with enthusiasm.

"All for one-!"

"-ONE FOR ALL!"

(…)

"Here!" Amelia grinned as she pushed her archer forward, so now it could threaten Andrias' heron rider. "Your move, great King!"

"A bold move, yet one that I had foreseen!" The king replied, moving his toad on the chessboard and 'removing' the human's piece. "You're quite eager, yet don't-"

"Excuse me, your majesty?" For the -nth time since the match had started, the saloon's door opened, and a low-level functionary peeked inside, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but there is an issue with a message from the lower districts."

"Why do I feel like all the issues of this city are happening today?" The great king grunted, his hand laying on his forehead. "And I guess this too is an issue which requires my immediate response on the matter?"

"Indeed, it is, Your Highness." The bureaucrat newt replied. "Allow me to apologize again, but you know-"

"Fine," Andrias replied, making sign for the newt to follow on an adjacent room, where no one could hear them. "Lady Amelia, it seems like we must have yet another pause."

"Don't worry about me, great king!" The young human replied, her voice sounding strangely understanding as she spoke in a classy 'wise-woman' tone. "We know above everyone else, how hard the work of a monarch is, and how important it is to guarantee the health and wellbeing of your kingdom's inhabitants. Take care of the issue, you should; to wait and rest and think of my strategy, I have no issue against it."

Andrias raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the strange speech the girl was making, yet he simply nodded as he walked on the other room, the other newt rushing behind him as the door closed, so Amelia couldn't hear what was happening. King's guest and Knight of Amphibia, she wasn't allowed to be present and eavesdropped on the delicate decisions the king took during ruling.

Yet, unbeknownst to Andrias, she was counting on that.

As soon as the door closed, the human girl sprang into action, her hands swiftly moving on the chessboard and on its side, grabbing back some of her pieces already 'lost' to Andrias and putting them back on the chessboard, moving Andrias pieces to 'less advantageous' positions (or in some cases, simply removing them from the board and adding them to the 'eaten' pieces) while she moved to salvage her own battle plan. She didn't have much time, half a minute at most, yet she was determined to make the most of it.

As her ear caught the sound of the door opening once again, the girl quickly resumed her previous position, sitting back on her own chair, legs crossed in lotus position, eyes closed like she was meditating, like she had never moved while Andrias was away.

Mischief managed, she mentally said as the King addressed his underling.

"-and make sure that my orders are relayed exactly as I've told you! With the incoming Kingdom's Council and the anti-royalist factions hardening their positions, we can't afford to weaken our own position with new scandals!"

"Understood, sire!" The smaller newt replied as he knelt, hurrying from the room as fast as he could, while the king sat back on his own armchair.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but state affairs never end. So, remind me," the large light blue newt asked, trying to remember the match among the continuous interruptions, "what was the last move?"

"I had just eaten your toad, great king," Amelia replied, feigning innocence. "It was trying to threaten your heron rider with my archer, but you stopped my attack by sacrificing your piece."

"I did? Strange, I don't remember losing any of my toads." The King's eyes gazed upon the board, struggling to remember: why did he get the impression the pieces were placed differently? Or were they? Perhaps it was just him?

It doesn't matter, he concluded, shaking his head: the situation was disadvantageous, but he already knew how to overturn it with a few moves.

"Ok, I guess it is your turn then," he conceded. "Your move."

"Very well," Amelia smirked, her hands moving at one of her pawns and moving it forward, 'eating' Andrias' heron rider with a swoop. "Here!"

"It seems like I am at disadvantage…" the old king replied, yet smiling as countless Flipwart moves flashed in front of him. "Good."

I guess I don't have to hold back anymore, do-

Once again someone knocked on the door and once again the face of one of the king's administrators peeked inside. "Your Majesty-"

"WHAT NOW?!"

(…)

"The headmaster of Newtopia University officially requested our help against the Order?" Admiral Blueocean gasped, looking back at James.

"No actually, professor Herringbone's words were quite generic and open for interpretation, he simply asked me if there was anything I could do to further secure the lives of the students and integrity of the documents in the Archives. And of course-"

"James, you're a good lad. I would love to provide help, anything I could do. And I don't doubt that you'd have no problem into finding volunteers if you ask any of my officers and sailors." The Admiral looked outside, toward his ships and the crews working on them. "But the truth is, what do you expect us to do? We are sea-fit Amphibians, and on solid ground we are out of our environment just like fishes! The help against the Order the first time was one thing, but this-"

"Oh, but that's why I came to see you first: I'm not thinking of bring you and your sailors to the University. Rather, I was planning to do… the opposite."

"Wait, what?"

"The Archives are too big and disorganized; it would take too much time and effort to move them in secret. But what about the students? If they weren't in the University when the Order arrives, they won't be at risk of getting hurt or worse. And that means our friends will be able to fully focused on the threat without worrying for the students."

Admiral Blueocean started to digest James' words as he thought about his proposal. It wasn't something unheard of. According to several security protocols, in case of a sudden and overwhelming threat to Newtopia, at least one member of the Royal Family and a small token of government functionaries and advisors were to be moved to the Navy's flagship, ready to be taken away in case of danger, to preserve the King's government and bloodline. And their ships were spacious. They surely could host many students onboard, at least for one day or more-

"And tell me, how do you expect to be able to move so many students without the Order finding out?" The Admiral asked. "With the Kingdom Council's date approaching and so many people coming from all over the continent, not only is movement inside the city's walls slowed down, but we could risk ambushes from the Order and their lackeys."

"It's difficult, I won't lie about it, but I think it is doable. As for how…"

---

"Lady Boonchuy, so pleased to see you," Lady Olivia smiled as she saw Anne enter her office, accompanied by Hop Pop, Sprig and Polly. "And good day to you too, Mr. Plantar and family."

"Good day to you as well, Royal Advisor." The old frog nodded, lowering his head for a moment. " I suppose there's a reason why you called us?"

"Yeah, I was supposed to be working with the Royal Chefs right now." Anne looked aside with a worried expression. "I worked hard to prove my worth, I don't want to ruin it!"

"I already informed the Royal Kitchen that your presence was requested by me, so you don't have to worry about it." The politically-skilled newt replied with a smirk, before continuing. "As for the reason I called you today… there is something I could need your help with soon, and I wanted to explain to you so you can tell your friends as well."

"Oh, the King's advisor is asking for our help?" Sprig whistled, "That's cool!"

"You said it, brother!" Polly cheered, earning an eyeroll from lady Olivia.

"As you may know," the newt continued her explanation, "the Kingdom's Council will soon begin. Many delegates and representatives of the major noble houses from Newtopia and the surrounding region, as well from any relevant groups from around the continent, are starting to gather in the city. And already both our faction, the royalist faction, and our opponents are getting ready to fight to push for their own political agendas, or to stop and neutralize ours."

"That sounds… overwhelming." Hop Pop commented, "We heard some rumors back in Wartwood whenever a Council was in session, but since us frogs are often not involved in the kingdom's management, there isn't much interest."

"And yet, since you have arrived, you were able to provide us with some critical help to disgrace our adversaries and pull more and more neutral parties towards our side. By the way, while I can't officially approve what you did at the Opera, nor I can say it was warranted, young Sprig, I would be lying if I'd tell I didn't enjoy that."

"Oh… yeah…" the young frog started to chuckle nervously, Anne amused by how similar he now sounded like Marcy, while Polly gave him an amused look.

"Unfortunately, it seems like our adversaries have decided to play even dirtier." The Royal Advisor continued. "We've received words from one of our informants, a mole within the Oligarchy faction. They've recently informed us that several noble households in Newtopia have made large donations of money toward an unknown recipient. While we have no proof of this, I suspect the receiver of the money to be the Order of the Olms."

"The Order?!" Anne gasped in shock, and so did Sprig, Polly and Hop Pop. "I thought those guys were done for!"

"Believe me, I wish I could say the same." The Royal Advisor took a deep breath before resuming her speech. "Unfortunately, both General Yunan and Headmaster Albert have confirmed that the Order has raised its ugly head once again and is now back to threaten order and peace within our city. Moreover, the fact that the order's pocket could be filled with money coming from any noble house is worrying. It's truly a shame our spy can't risk compromising their identity, because now we aren't able to make any progress identifying those vile traitors and can only make wild speculations."

"And yet, you don't seem worried about this." Anne replied, noticing the small glint in Lady Olivia's eyes. "This means you already have a plan to deal with this!"

"I haven't been the Royal Advisor for so long just because of my pretty face, you know?" Lady Olivia quickly confirmed Anne's deduction, showing a cold, calculative smile that made Hop Pop and Sprig shiver. "The first step, of course, is to determine which noble house is secretly promoting the Order while tricking the others into supporting it and get proof that can be used to arrest them without groundless accusations of 'tyranny' used against the King. And for this, King Andrias and I would like to recruit your help, from everyone in your group, into this."

"I can't talk for any of my friends," Anne took a step forward, determination shining in her eye, "but if I can help find out which nobles are traitors and cut off the Order's funds, I'm here!"

"Me too!" Sprig jumped to her side. "Spranne against the Order of the Olms!"

"Me three!" Polly intervened as well. "No one dares to mess with my family!"

"I can't believe my ears!" Hop Pop scoffed. "You're planning to go in some dangerous mission to fight cultist and corrupt nobles… without me?" He smirked, his expression softening up. "I may be old, but I can still hold my own!"

"Great to see you're so willing already," Lady Olivia mused. "The good news, we already have a nice event that's surely going to help our investigation. You see, on the eve of the Kingdom Council's first session, a great gala and banquet is scheduled to happen here at the castle. Each noble houses is going to send a member, or at least a representative, and so is every association or group in Newtopia worthy of mention. The King shall be present, as will I, and since you're the King's guests and knights, many expect for you to be there as well."

"Thus, taking advantage of the event, we can investigate the nobles and finds out which one of them is in cahoots with the Order!" Anne smirked in turn. "That's a good plan!"

"Please don't go too far with your reasoning." Lady Olivia warned her, shaking her head. "While I'd love to be wrong, it's dangerous to assume the nobles will talk about their schemes and bring proof of their wrongdoings to a public event. Moreover, with all that has happened ever since you arrived in Newtopia, your name and faces are quite known, just as your connection to the King. To find out the truth you'll have to be more… creative with your investigation, and your questioning must be subtler. Besides…"

She stopped for a second, taking a deep breath, "the gala isn't just an event for nobles to show off their wealth, but rather, it's the practice run for the Council, so each faction can confirm how much strength they have and how powerful their political adversaries are. And just like you did at the Opera, your presence may be pivotal to swaying as much support as possible."

"So, that means I'll have to wear that dress again and-"

"No, not that one!" Lady Olivia scoffed. "What kind of message would it send if the King's knights were to wear the same dress twice for a public gala? For the nobles it would be seen either as mockery or as a direct insult; for the commoners, it would be seen either as a sign that the kingdom's financial situation is dire, or it would feed gossip and slander! No, no, no: I already took care of contacting a well-known dressmaker to make new gala clothes for each one of you, and I can guarantee you'll shine among the crowds!"

Uuugh, Anne mentally groaned, as she realized what that would entail for her and her friends. Just how many unpractical and old-looking clothes would she be forced to wear by the time they'd be back home?

(…)

"-we've placed checkpoints in all the main hallways, and closed down all the secondary entrances the Order may attempt to use for infiltration." The Newtopia Army soldier saluted, as Sasha listened to him. "Unfortunately, the size of the structure means that our soldiers are stretched thin and won't be able to properly defend the place if-"

"That's already been covered, soldier." The blonde human passed him a sheet of paper where she had just finished sketching a plan. "Follow the instructions as explained in here, and place additional traps and security measures in the points shown in the map; this should make it harder for the Order to surround us, and it would also help us coordinate our defenses."

"U-understood captain Waybright!" The newt nodded, a hopeful smirk on his face. "I knew your strategic mind wouldn't let us down!"

Sasha smiled as the newt rushed away once again… only for her mood to become bitter as she saw Jacob, accompanied by Bella and Ivy, march toward her. What had he been doing while I was busy organizing the defenses?

"I checked the security system, closed all non-essential classrooms and received confirmation by James: the last batch of students has left the University and is now on the way to the harbor. There, they will be loaded on the Navy's ships for their impromptu 'live navigation and orientation' lesson." He stopped for a second, thinking about it. "Man, I can't believe James managed to pull that off. I thought it was impossible, but for once I'm happy to have been wrong!"

"That's more than half of the students that won't be at risk of being hurt by the Order." Sasha nodded. "What about the others?"

"Already confined within their own quarters. Doing whatever they can to pass the time." Ivy answered with her usual adorable cheerfulness. "We're doing one last check-up on the whole defense system just to make sure the Order didn't plan some nasty trick to neutralize it or turn it against us in one fell swoop."

"I remember that!" Bella rolled her eyes, looking around with an irked look. "You know, Jacob. It is quite strange to be back in this place where I spent so much time and money, hoping to get myself better education to help my family, only to end up in such debt I had to get the first job available just to pay the interests on my student loans, working my back off day and night, carrying boxes and luggage of other people and listening to their rants for a feeble salary!"

"Hey, calm down Bella!" Ivy immediately tried to comfort her taller friend. "You don't work at that place anymore, you work for Jacob now! And with the money he's paying you, your debt's gone."

"It is, and I will never thank him and you enough." The newt smiled awkwardly. "Still, being here brings back… unpleasant memories, such as when-"

"Lady Sasha! Ser Jacob!" Another voice interrupted them, Bella turning around as she felt her heart starting to ache as she recognized the figure of Professor Herringbone, the Headmaster of Newtopia University and widely recognized in Newtopia as one of the brightest and most important non-noble figures of all Amphibia, showing his trademark grin.

The first time she had seen him had been years ago, at the acceptance speech the Headmaster and several professors had held to 'welcome' her (and all the other new students) in her entrance at the University. It was a long speech, yet Bella still remembered some things that Herringbone said, how they would be 'the future of Amphibia' and that 'limitless opportunities and adventures' awaited them once their studies were done.

Yeah, right, the former bellhop grimaced.

"Headmaster Herringbone!" Both Jacob and Sasha nodded, lowering their heads for one second as the old professor approached them. "Our soldiers are working double-time to secure the area. Is the security system ready to be activated? The longer we wait, the higher the risk."

"The system is already active." Herringbone replied. "There is no way I'm giving the Order any chance to hurt our students, if we can stop them. And what about Lady Marcy? Isn't she with you?"

"Mar-Mar and her team are currently busy checking the Archives' warehouses." Sasha nodded. "I know they don't have much manpower to share, but they're all trained rangers, they even have a spellcaster among them. And besides her extraordinary intellect, Mar-Mar can use her Calamity powers like us."

"Magic and supernatural powers." Herringbone nodded with an interested look. "I would love to get a chance to witness such wonders in action, but-"

His speech stopped abruptly, as his eyes crossed Bella's.

"Miss Virides?"

"Hello, headmaster." The former bellhop replied in a dry tone, Ivy and the two humans looking at each other in surprise. Since when Jacob's assistant and Newtopia University's headmaster knew each other? "It's been so long since our last meeting. That was… at the graduation ceremony, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that sounds about right. Young miss, I am quite surprised to see you dressed in such uniform. You were one of my brightest pupils, so focused on her studies you barely had time for any social interaction. How did someone like you end up joining the Army? You had-"

"Limitless opportunities?" Bella interrupted him with a sneer. "Yeah, didn't work like that. In order to pay for my studies, I took a loan that I had to start paying back as soon as I graduated, spending so much time working myself to the bone just so I could keep up with any interest I had!" The bellhop-turned military cadet began to rant, venting months of frustration she had been accumulating on the inside. "If it wasn't for Jacob hiring me, I would still be working as a bellhop and carrying luggage for angry customers day, forced to listen to their rambling for a measly salary with-"

But Bella's rant was cut short when an alarm began to blare through the whole facility, and soldiers of the Newtopia Army who weren't already at their position rushing to reach them as the university's defense system activated.

"It's the Order!" Someone shouted through some kind of intercom. "At the southern gate! We require all possible manpower available!"

"Come on Jacob, let's get there!" Sasha rushed, Ivy jumping behind her as Jacob grabbed his hammer and began to run as well. Bella was going to follow him, but then, she looked at Herringbone one last time and spoke yet again:

"I'll tell you more… when everyone's safe again."

(…)

"And… checkmate!" Amelia smiled smugly, moving her heron rider to 'flip' Andrias' wart, the great King barely having the time to turn around before reacting in shock.

"Wait, what? How? You… beat me? You actually beat me?!"

"Seems so," the human girl nodded, pointing with her hand at the chessboard, Andrias wart being the only of his piece left, surrounded by Amelia's own.

How could this have happened? The giant newt wondered, as he tried (and failed) to recall all moves and piece movements of the match. Useless... The match had been interrupted so many times, all those administrators and servants bothering him all the time to ask him for orders and indications, all those interruptions breaking his concentration and forcing him to start from scratch, again and again…

"I am impressed." King Andrias Leviathan said, looking at Amelia with wide eyes. "I am very impressed. To lose two matches against different adversaries, with so little time passing between each match… I assumed your friend Marcy was the only one that could pull this off."

"Marcy's smart, but intelligence doesn't mean wisdom." The girl in samurai outfit nodded, once again doing the Oogway's impression before getting up on her feet. "Can I go now? All this Flipwart really worked up my appetite, and I could go for a snack."

"A-absolutely lady Amelia." Andrias nodded, still trying to look amicable as his eyes and attention were still focused on the final positions of the Flipwart pieces. "I'll warn the chefs to prepare you a light, yet filling meal-"

"No need for that, I'll go ask them!" The girl walked toward the door, still looking at Andrias as she made one more reverence. "It would be quite improper for a king to get and walk to relay such order, when my legs works fine. Plus it would be quite an occasion to check up on Anne and see how she is doing." She knelt once more, in proper etiquette, opening the door and walking outside while still facing the king, turning around only as soon as the door closed.

"Lady Amelia", a voice greeted her, the girl noticing it was one of the many servants and administrators who had kept interrupting the game, "how did it go?"

"Full victory, nothing else!" Amelia smirked, looking around with a suspicious glance before her hand moved forward, dropping several coins in the amphibian's hands. "Here, this is your payment for your role. Share them with the others and-"

"Wait, but these-" the newt gasped in shock as he saw that the coins the human girl had just given him were not silvers like she promised, but rather, gold coins. "This is… way much more than we agreed?"

"Are you protesting that?"

"No, of course not! Only… I wasn't expecting this!"

"Hey, I did ask you to keep interrupting the game with futile reasons just so I could take advantage of the distraction to win the game, didn't I? Didn't you take all the risks by recruiting as many servants and low-level administrators to pull this? Plus, I didn't only buy your collaboration, I forced you to violate your work integrity and mess with your King! That is a serious offense!"

"It is?" The servant asked, now with a worried look as he glanced at the door, his tone of voice lowering further.

"Yeah, and that's why you should receive this as payment proportional to what you did even if you did it by your own will!" Amelia skittered away. "Now, if you can excuse me, I need to go to the kitchen and apologize to the cooks: the dish they served me earlier was delicious, yet I didn't say anything even if they deserved recognition for their effort. After that, I must start working on some ways to make amends to Marcy and Jacob for some things I have said yesterday-"

As Amelia rushed away, going motor-mouth as she kept explaining how she needed to 'make amends' for this or 'apologize' for that, the servant silently looked at her until she disappeared from his sight, before once again looking at the golden coins she had gifted him. There were so many, and none of the others knew about it; perhaps, he could simply give them the original sum they were due for and-

No, he wouldn't do that. Lady Amelia had decided to reward them much more than she was due, and he wasn't going to betray her trust by embezzling most of it. Besides, even dividing the money as they had originally agreed, a single golden coin valued as much as several coins made of silver. It wasn't an exaggeration to say each one of them would receive four, or perhaps even five times the sum they were supposed to get.

I could bring my family in some nice restaurant, or perhaps pay for some house renovation, the newt smiled as he walked away, thinking how he could use his part. Or maybe I could use this money to pay my kids some better education, something classy and prestigious like Newtopia University…

(…)

"Sasha, Sasha!"

"Jacob, what are you doing here?!" The blonde cadet replied, as she saw the warhammer-wielding boy approach her. "You're supposed to cover the western area, the Order's coming from there!"

"That's what I need to tell you: The Order's not there!" The boy replied, Sasha and Ivy (as well as any Newtopian Army soldier who could hear him) widening their eyes in surprise. "There has been no attack so far!"

"Say what?!"

"It's true!" Bella said when she finally reached them, struggling to catch her breath after the long run.

Sasha was left mumbling about the new development, trying her best to make sense of the situation. "Something's wrong." she addressed the group "How could the Order's cultist be assaulting the University, if so far we haven't seen any-"

BOOM! A loud explosion could be heard, the humans and amphibians alike turning around to see a large blaze of fire erupt from one of the University's buildings. More specifically, the one who contained most of the University's archives, as well as countless irreplaceable ancient texts; stocked for future generations.

And where Marcy, Maddie and the rest of their squad were supposed to be at the time.

"Marcy!" Sasha and Jacob shouted at the same time, before rushing toward the building. It's roof was heavily damaged by the explosion, and under their horrified eyes, soon started to collapse and break down. Rushing to the place, Sasha unsheathed her swords as Jacob roared in anger, holding his hammer with both hands. Everyone on their path quickly pushed aside to avoid being trampled, just as Ivy, Bella and a handful of other soldiers ran behind them.

Mentally, Ivy couldn't help but be in shock for what happened to her friends: were Marcy and Maddie hurt? Were they still alive but wounded, trapped under the debris? Or perhaps…

She shook her head to push away those scary thoughts. They were trained rangers; Marcy was the smartest person she had ever met, and Maddie carried enough spells and magic potions that could wipe out the floor of an army of giant bugs. There was no way either one of them could let a 'simple' explosion beat them.

"Guys!" As the group rushed toward the building with the collapsed roof, a voice called out for them, the two humans stopping as hope once again surged from them. A few seconds later, Marcy, Maddie and their squad reappeared in sight, bruised and sore, but alive.

Of the five, Javi was the one who looked hurt the most, his face twisted in pain as his right hand held his left arm close, hinting it was broken (or at least, badly bruised), a bandage over his forehead and he had to be carried by Femur, the silent giant sporting several bruises and a cut on his left cheek. Kettle was mostly unharmed, as was Maddie, the spellcaster frog looking like she had just seen her whole life flash before her eyes (and having found that there was no happy ending). As for Marcy-

"It happened, all of a sudden!" The dark-haired nerd wept as she held onto her friends, tears pouring off her cheeks and Sasha patted her back. She didn't look like she had received any physical damage. Her hair was all messy, there were small bruises on her neck and hands, yet nothing that a couple of days of rest and a hairdresser couldn't fix. But for her mind… It was clear from how she held strongly onto Jacob and Sasha, like a newborn clinging to its mother, that what she had just experienced was one of the most traumatic events in her whole life.

"What happened, Mars?" Sasha asked her, looking at the fire starting to burst even more violently while, around them, the soldiers of the Newtopia Army and the University's personnel tried to contain the flames. "It was the Order? How did they managed to bypass us?"

"We don't know." Maddie replied, looking at the fire with a grim expression. "We were in the middle of checking the documents when Marcy said there was some strange smell in the air. She said nothing for a few seconds, and then she yelled at us to get out. At first, I couldn't understand, but then I tasted the air myself, and just as we were outside, there was a flash, and the ground trembled- oh frog, if we have still been inside-"

"Vice commander Maddie used one of her spells to generate a shield around us, in order to protect us from the blast and the first flames," Kettle sighed, "but then the shockwave broke through… Javi was standing between us and the door when it happened, and was hurt the most by the debris!"

"Do not worry for me, firecracker; I'm not dead yet!" The taller newt replied, smirking yet also grimacing due to his wounds, as Bella started to check on him. "I'm still in… for another round…"

"His condition is stable, sir." The former bellhop nodded, "It doesn't seem like his organs have been compromised, though it will take at least a full month before he's back in shape."

"That won't be necessary." Maddie scoffed. "As soon as I can resupply myself with some new healing spells, I'll personally took care of him!"

"So… the Order managed to sneak explosives inside the Archives?" Ivy wondered. "Why?"

"Because that was their objective, of course!" Kettle grunted, only for the young yellow frog to shake her head unconvinced.

"We were told the Order was planning to storm the University to steal them! We were sent here to protect the institute and its students, as well as stop the attempts of the Order to steal the documents: yet the Order never showed its face!"

Just as Sasha was going to reply to her sister, Marcy suddenly jumped back, her eyes once again widening in realization as horror dawned upon her features. If Jacob and Sasha had been able to see inside her head, they would have seen her brain doing calculus and analysis, connecting facts and circumstantial elements to produce solid ideas, until a grim image appeared in front of her.

Her friend and companion saw the dark-haired girl rush forward, the green energy of her Calamity Stone surging from inside her body, her hairdo and eyes beginning to glow as she started to run, and then to fly. She didn't listen to anyone telling her to stop as she zoomed away, apparently abandoning her companions and the university.

Immediately, Sasha and Jacob, seeing their friend tap into her powers and rush away, activated their own powers to follow her, the storm of emotions they had been all experiencing allowed them to activate their powers without needing the mantras.

For Marcy had realized, before anyone else, the horrific truth of that day.

---

When Jacob and Sasha finally reached Marcy, they found her on her knees, as a scene worthy of a nightmare played in front of her.

The Headquarters of the Night Guard ranger was no more. Instead, there were the remains of a large fire that had completely consumed the structure, sparing only the whale bones acting as the structure's carriers. The fleshless bones, no longer trapped amid walls and ceiling, having collapsed to the ground while a remnant of the fire dashed among the skull's empty orbit, creating an image that not one of them would have forgotten anytime soon.

Scattered around the remains of the buildings, were papers, cloaks, knives and other items abandoned to themselves… as well as several bodies of newts of various ages, genders and skin color, all wearing the cloak and uniforms of the Night guard.

All Rangers.

All dead.

"The attack on the University was a distraction, a trick, something to distract us." Marcy began to explain, her voice devoid of any emotion while tears keep running down her cheeks. The teen's eyes never looking away from the destruction. "As soon as our forces were deployed all over the city, the Order snuck here. There weren't many, maybe a dozen or around that. They were probably disguised as rangers, that's why no one raised the alarm. They snuck in, they placed explosives, and then took care of the survivors." She looked down, pointing at the lifeless body lying on the ground in front of her. "He didn't go down without a fight."

Sasha and Jacob, shocked, walked up to her, the blonde girl grabbing her friend by the shoulder and hugging her deeply, as the boy reached for the body and turned around, revealing his face.

"Zephen…" Jacob murmured, trying not to throw up as he saw what was left of the Headmaster's assistant, Marcy tearing up in Sasha's hands.

"I-I knew Amphibia wasn't the world of adventure I had imagined." The dark-haired nerd cried, letting all of her emotions go. "I knew it, ever since we first we helped Hop Pop win the potluck and we almost ended up digested alive by the tomato. I knew it, but not… up to this point." The girl raised her head, looking at Sasha right in her eyes. "Sash. I-"

"I know." Sasha replied, holding her with all of her strength, as she tried to calm her down. "I know."

"Lady Marcy! Lady Marcy!" A voice called out to the group, and they saw an old newt approach them.

"Headmaster Albert!" Marcy gasped, rushing toward him. "You're alive!"

"By sheer luck," the headmaster admitted, grimacing at the devastation their headquarter had suffered. "I was checking how things were going at the castle; I told Zephen to hold back the fort until I was back. Had I returned earlier, now you'd be recovering my body."

"How many rangers were in the HQ, then they-"

"You mean, how many of our rangers were murdered? All those who weren't assigned to some squad or mission, plus several training squads and the whole Night Council! Two third of our whole fighting force, plus almost all our leadership, annihilated in one single strike by those bastards! But that's not the worst part!"

"What do you mean?" Asked Jacob, wondering what could be worse that so many lives lost and destruction at once.

"The Guard's database, where we kept notes and information about all dangerous elements within the city, had been completely destroyed! Those dastardly cultists knew where to hit to reduce us to impotency! The loss of so many lives and manpower is a tragedy, but the loss of those cabinets is a complete disaster!"

"There's more bad news." Jacob nodded. "Back at Newtopia University, Marcy and her team almost ended up being victims of an attack. No losses, but the University's archives were destroyed as well!"

"Don't blame yourself for it, lad." Albert grunted, yet barely restraining his anger. "Seems like we underestimated the Order, they've tricked us into focusing our attention on the University just so they could strike us here, in our own base. I have faced many enemies in my life as a ranger, but this is the first time someone dares to attack us in our own home…"

Sasha and Jacob looked at the Night Ranger leader after his last words, and pity immediately gripped them as soon as they saw how the Night Guard headmaster started to look as old as his venerable age indicated. The wrinkles on his face seemed deeper, instead of standing tall and proud, his back was now arched, as if the weight of his years were finally crushing him. When the old newt's legs started to shake, Jacob immediately rushed to his side, keeping him from falling by offering him support.

All four stood in silence, looking at the devastation around them, while people were still looking for potential survivors within the rampage, or crying for those who were already dead.

"They're dead!" Marcy began to yell, all the sadness and horror in her voice now replaced by fury. "It doesn't matter where they will hide or how of them we'll have to face, I'm not stopping until the Order is brought to justice and all of their members in our hands!"

"And we will help you!" Sasha nodded, "I promise, I will be to your side!"

"Indeed!" Jacob nodded, Albert nodding with a bittersweet smile.

"Never I believed it would come the day where I would be happy to accept the Army's help…"

(…)

"Ok Hop Pop, are you reclined enough?" Amelia asked with a strangely overexcited expression. "I can move the chair a bit more if you want-"

"No no, I'm actually good." The old frog replied, worried but also surprised by the strange behavior the young human was having. Ever since she rejoined them, Amelia had been working herself non-stop to try and assist them anyway they liked, and while he didn't mind being pampered with attention, he started to worry his adoptive granddaughter may exhaust herself if she didn't take a pause soon.

"How about you, Felicia?" The girl now rushed back to the former adventurer. "Is the tea enough? You don't need any sweets? I can bake you a cake-"

"Thank you for the offer, Amelia, but we don't need any sweets. What we have is enough."

"Speak for yourself!" Polly countered, hungrily ravaging trough the assortment of high-class sweets Amelia had brought from the Royal kitchen. "If she wants to be our slave so badly, let her do it!"

"Polly Petunia Plantar, your sister is not a slave!" Hop Pop glared at her. "And when she is being nice and kind, the least you could do is say 'thank you'."

"No, there is no need for that!" Amelia zoomed in between them, bringing a new drink for Sprig, the young frog having been given free unlimited access to the anime collection on her phone. "I'm just being kind and respectful to all of you. After all, we are family now, and as family we must take care of each other, so is as natural for me-"

"You know, half of me is scared of how Amelia is behaving," Sprig nodded before taking a sip on his drink, "and the other half feel sorry that Anne's stuck having her lesson with lady Olivia and can't be here."

"Oh right, Anne deserves respect as well!" Amelia jerked up. "Quick! I need to give her a good massage for her shoulder! Then-"

"Young lady, calm down!" Felicia grabbed her before she could rush away. "You're starting to sound like Marcy after a sugar overfill!"

"Thinking about it, it all started since she returned from playing Flipwart with King Andrias." Polly pointed. "Perhaps something happened during that? Forcing her to behave like this?"

"Come on Polly, don't be silly!" Amelia replied as she pulled free, resuming her over-kindness rampage. "There is no way a simple game of Flipwart can have consequences for someone!"

(…)

"She beat you?"

"Indeed, master." Andrias nodded as he knelt in front of the large machine, its glowing orange eyes focusing on his expression, the crown lying to his side. "As part of your orders, I was testing the analytic and strategic skills of each one of them. For one of them to be able to win was extraordinary, already and yet… the fact that two of them had managed to snatch victory is nothing less than a miracle!"

The Core didn't reply immediately, as the countless minds that composed once again started to discuss among themselves, trying to make sense of the whole debacle.

When Andrias reported that lady Marcy, displaying extraordinary intellect, had managed to beat him at Flipwart, unwittingly passing the test the Core used to select their new host bodies with flying colors, the Core's reaction had been of elation. Finally, after centuries spent in the shadows, making schemes and plans on how to fix the disaster Aldritch's incompetent son had caused, by trusting his so-called 'friends', forced to put their conquests on hold, finally they had found an intellect 'worthy' of joining them, a new host that could grant them the joy of having a physical body. For once, it seemed like Andrias had managed to pull something right.

Now however, the revelation that another human, moreover the holder of one of the new three gems, had managed to pass the test, was going to call everything in question once again.

"These humans keep giving us new surprises, don't you agree?" One of the Core' voices, once belonging to a famous scholar, nodded. "Two potential candidates for elevation, two intellects worthy of joining us. Perhaps this is a sign that their race deserves more attention than we thought?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Another voice in the hive mind, this one belonging to a famous general, countered. "Hadn't been for this idiot and his soft hear, their world would have conquered and plundered for every available resource a millennia ago! They can't have possibly progressed this much in so little time!"

"And yet, if she had managed to beat Aldritch's useless excuse for a son, that means at least some of their individuals can reach brain intellect levels high enough to be worthy of consideration." A third voice, this one belonging to a former royal functionary, explained. "Thus-"

"SILENCE!" Once again, the voice of the former king Aldritch leviathan echoed through the machine's mindspace, shutting down the debate and making Andrias flinch as he felt the Core's undivided attention focus onto him once more. "The human, the one who beat you, was the one called Amelia, right?"

"Y-yes."

In the span of a millisecond, thousands of images replayed inside the Core, showing every moment of Amelia the Core had witnessed ever since she and the other humans arrived at the castle.

How she had first caught their attention by name-dropping Leif's name in front of Andrias.

How her search among the castle's library ended up discovering the secret passage the Core had been preparing, forcing them to forego the attempt to avoid being discovered too early.

How she continuously showcased her martial and fighting skills, revealing she was a warrior of some unknown order called 'samurai'.

How she and one of her 'companions' ended up befriending a lone Frobot, whose origin was still unknown to the Core, and stopped his rampage just with words, doing something the Core would have believed to be impossible, if it hadn't happened already.

How she had 'supposedly' ended up capturing all her companion into some simulated reality, akin to the mindspace the Core had developed and perfected through millennia, even if by accident, and how she had effortlessly freed them all from such an illusion as soon as she became aware of it.

And now, how she had beat Andrias himself in a game of Flipwart, proving that under that strange hat and infant personality, she had brain as well as brawn.

She is connected to the betrayer… she is cunning, and wise enough to notice the details around her… she can fight, and uses techniques unheard of this world… she can use her words alone to defeat her adversaries and turn them to her side… she created a whole fake reality by accident, just by touching an appropriate artifact… she is skilled enough to recognize a simulation, and strong-willed enough she could break free of her own tailored prison as soon as she wanted to… and now this?

King Aldritch Levianthan looked upon the image of the chessboard that Andrias showed them just after the match, analyzing the position of each piece and trying to understand what kind of strategy the human girl could have used to achieve such an overwhelming result.

This girl… who was she? She was able to compromise their plans… she had secretly manipulated his own blood just by touching a few sensitives nerves, by reminding him of the frog who ticked him before betraying him… she had come closer to anyone else to find out about their existence and their central role into the history of Amphibia… and she had managed to make it look like they were accidents?

No, Aldritch was too smart to fall for such tricks: there was no way what had transpired could be dumb luck. But then, there was only one possible explanation-

Her intellect, her brain power and her deductive logic were superior to anything else they had faced before. She played the fool in public, just so anyone would underestimate her skill while she secretly used her wits to dance around them, undetected, waiting for the right chance to strike and defeat her opponents before they could ever realize it. And if she hadn't inadvertently revealed her true brain power by winning the game, no one, nor even the Core would be the wiser about her.

She was smart, she was skilled, she could fight with words as well as with swords, she could fight and strategize. She was perfect. Perhaps even more perfect than-

"Son," the voice of Aldritch played loud once again, Andrias mentally preparing himself for the lashing. "We are…pleased by your results."

"Pleased?" The current king of Newtopia replied, clearly not expecting to hear that word in his regards. "Do you mean that… you approve my suggestion for lady Marcy…"

"Forget about her!" The Core shouted at once, shutting Andrias once more as several images of Amelia kept playing inside the mindspace, Aldritch and the other intellects absorbed in the hive mind glancing upon them with interest. "We have a far better candidate in our sight."