Summary: Something wicked this way comes.
Serpent's Nest
Deep inside a dark cave, a green fire heated up a large cauldron. The emerald colored flames licked the bottom of the cauldron, making the contents bubble to the surface, releasing a fetid green odor out.
A figure slithered in the shadows as it observed the markings on the walls of the cave. A long bony green finger traced the markings as the light of the green flames caught on the golden shackles on the figure's wrists. The figure muttered something under its breath as it went from one marking to the other before it let out a sinister laugh worthy of Tim Curry.
"Yes, yes, all the signs point to my master's prediction," the figure hissed. "They've returned to Amphibia after so long. All I must do is find them and claim their power for myself. All the sweet chaos that will be unleashed will be beautiful."
The figure's nose caught the smell coming from the cauldron. It was so nasty that it would've made anyone's hair stand on end with just a whiff, but to the figure, it was a scent that he thoroughly enjoyed. It fulgurated right on top of the cauldron, watching it bubble with sinister intent.
"Ah, my potion is just about ready." The figure's glowing yellow eyes and sharp craggy teeth glistened over the cauldron. "Now, by the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes."
The figure lifted one of his hands over the cauldron, stretching out one of its fingers. Then it pulled out a small dagger with his other hand and lightly stabbed his index finger. A drop of green blood pooled out of the wound before it fell down into the cauldron.
As soon as the drop fell into the cauldron, the contents exploded outwards. The stinky green mist swirled upwards, taking shape before the figure's eyes. There it could see it, the whole of Amphibia laid before its eyes as three glowing lights appeared scattered throughout the land. One green that was further away in the center of the continent. One violet that was close but inside one of the Toad Towers. And then there was a blue light not far from where the cave was located, right in Frog Valley.
"It would appear that all three have found hosts and are now scattered," the figure said. "Hm, and each in the realms of each of the three races. It would explain why the yokai are acting so strangely in the valley. Now, which one should I go after first? The green light is a big no-no, the king is bound to have it close to him. The violet light is the second closest, but I have no interest in dealing with those brute toads. Guess that leaves the blue light as my first target. I do hope whoever has it puts up a fight." The figure rose up, revealing its hooded covered upper body and long serpent tail as it laughed with all their might.
Randy often meditated with his grandpa to clear his mind and embrace the feelings he was going through. It was the best way he could think of to make heads or tails about what had happened the last few days. Ever since meeting Anne, he'd noticed that she was keeping secrets. Not the usual secrets that came from not knowing about women raised on Earth, but secrets that made him think something was wrong. She didn't seem to want to divulge exactly how she got to Amphibia apart from a random multi-colored light. She seemed to have some hidden power that attracted yokai like moths to flames. The flare in her eyes wasn't normal either.
As he sat down and meditated on those questions, his mind started to wonder. Could it be that she held Mystic Powers like the ancient warriors of Amphibia? If so, how did she get them? Did all humans now have those powers? Was it normal? What did that say about him not having any?! All those questions made him want to punch something or someone in the face.
"I need answers." Randy opened his eyes. "And it's time I get them from Anne one way or another."
Randy picked up his sword and headed down the mountain before stopping at the very edge. He turned back to the grave of his grandfather and looked down. A pit had formed in his stomach, imagining the look his grandfather would have if he'd see him now.
"I'll ask her first," Randy sighed. "And if she's truthful-"
"Who's truthful?"
Randy snapped back to his senses. Drawing his sword, he spun around at the source of the voice. His eyes soon landed on Anne as she was taken by surprise. She screamed, jumping back before slipping on the ground. She was about to fall back and roll down all the way into the traps and sharp rocks.
Randy's instincts kicked in. He sheathed his sword before tossing his scarf right at her torso. It wrapped itself around her before Randy pulled her back up. But he pulled too hard, causing Anne to crash into him.
They rolled on the ground before Anne landed on top of Randy. She groaned after the abrupt stop, rubbing her head worrying about whiplash. Her eyes landed on Randy before noting how close she was to him and the closeness of their breaths. Their faces blushed before they separated, apologizing for the awkward position they were in.
"Man, that was one crazy save back there." Anne looked away, fanning her face.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Randy cleared his throat. "You just snuck up on me, that's all. I should've been more careful."
"Hey, it's cool. If anyone knows about having their head in the clouds it's me," Anne shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with being confused or too in the zone. My friend Marcy is all about it. Almost to a scary degree." Anne remembered all the times she had to keep the girl from getting killed or hurt back home.
"That doesn't sound possible," Randy commented.
"Well, there was this one time in P.E. where she was playing a video game and almost got hit with the ball like ten times, another time she almost fell down the stairs and crashed into a trash can, this other time she was getting some fro-yo and wouldn't stop because she was playing video games, and then there was that Saturday she walked in on the zoo when the snakes had all escaped," Anne recounted.
Randy could only look at her with a horrified face at the parade of mental images Anne had dumped in his brain. That girl sounded like a hazard to herself and others. And way too in her head for her own good.
"Anne, please tell me that girl did not end up here in Amphibia," Randy begged the gods that that scenario hadn't taken place.
"She was actually." Anne pulled out her picture of her friends and looked at it with melancholy. "I'm worried about them. How long until the stupid pass is passable again?"
"It should clear up in another month or two." Randy looked at Anne, noting her worry and concern for her friends. "And your other friend, Sasha? You worry as much about her as you do Marcy?"
Anne snorted. "Nah, Sasha and Marcy are like complete opposites. Sasha is loud, in charge, and always finds a way to get what she wants. If she were here, you and her would probably be butting heads all the time. But I'm still worried about the two of them. They were next to me one moment and the next boom, I'm here." She dropped her head in worry, thinking about where her friends could be.
This made confronting her all the more difficult. Her emotions were so genuine and her care for her friends was all real. Part of him couldn't imagine Anne doing anything bad or shady willingly even if she tended to take the easy way out. If she was hiding something, then there had to be a good reason for it.
Randy took in a deep breath before letting it out.
"Anne, I swore to help you find your friends. We will find them," Randy said. "I promise."
"You promise?" Anne looked up to look at him.
"On my honor as the protector of this town and a Mystic Warrior in training," Randy reaffirmed. "But for me to help you… I need to know everything. What were you doing when you got transported, did you see anything out of the usual, was there someone you didn't recognize before you, did something trigger your arrival here, run into some kind of mystical artifact-"
Anne perked up at the list before she started laughing in a very forced and awkward fashion.
"Artifact? What? Like a music box that looked weird and stuff?" Anne laughed. "Nah, nothing like that man."
"I never said anything about a music box," Randy said.
"Oh sorry, I just remember watching this episode of Suspicion Island about a rare music box and I must've remembered it." Anne shrugged. "Geez, those clouds look very nasty. Better get home before they hit. Bye!"
"Anne, wait!" Randy watched Anne almost flee from him.
Her reactions and her quick escape from their conversation weren't painting Anne in a good light, and Randy was now even more suspicious. He frowned, remembering how she acted as soon as he mentioned an artifact and then she replied with a music box. There had to be a connection there.
"I don't know what you're hiding, Anne, but I am going to find out." Randy rushed after her and towards the house.
Randy reached the house just as the clouds started to cover the sky. He pulled out the Ninjanomicon and started flipping through the pages. He scanned every inch of every page that laid before him but he had yet to find anything like what he was looking for. It was frustrating, but he continued on reading for anything, a clue would be more than enough. But so far, the book didn't mention a thing about mystic music boxes. The closest he got was a few notes on a mystical tune and the use of rhythm for some techniques, which he would try later on.
"Randy, whatcha reading, son?" Hop Pop asked.
"Oh just looking for something in the old family book," Randy replied. He didn't want to cause any trouble where there probably wasn't any need for.
"Well, I hope you found some ancient ninja knowledge about vegetables? Cause we could use a hand," Hop Pop said. "The storm looks pretty nasty and we need to protect the crops before anything bad happens to them." Hop Pop put on a hooded poncho.
"Sure, let me get my stuff." Randy closed the book before catching the basement door out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, Hop Pop, if you wanted to ask someone something that's a touchy subject, how would you go about it?"
Hop Pop looked at Randy and then at the basement where he was looking at. His mind made the connection. His eyes went wide with shock. It was happening. Images rushed through his mind as a certain talk crossed his mind and how awkward it would be. Oh frog, it was happening right before his eyes and still he could not believe it. Hop Pop took a couple of deep breathes, setting his mind and throught in order.
"Say no more, Randy," Hop Pop said. "Sit down."
"Okay, but why?" Randy asked.
"Ah, that is the question indeed. Don't worry, I've dealt with it before. Though I expected Sprig and Polly to be older. But I suppose it was only a matter of time before, well," Hop Pop said, further confusing Randy. "You see, Randy, there comes a time in a young frog-um, human's life where they start to notice the opposite gender. At first, it starts off as a simple friendship that delves deeper and when both parties establish a… more… intimate connection they start dating."
Randy's eyebrows raised up like they were on fire.
"What-No, Hop Pop, that's not-" Randy started, only for Hop Pop to cut him off.
"And for dating, there comes a special courting ritual followed up by what the old ways call 'The Fifteen Steps'," Hop Pop spoke. "Each one a delicate dance that most would kill to have. I'm not so sure how will it apply to humans but based on my experience, I will prepare you for the magnanimous journey that would be yours and Anne's climb up these stairs-Wait, you're not interested in Anne because she's the only other human, right?"
"Hop Pop, that's not it! I-" Randy snapped.
"Oh good, just checking." Hop Pop pulled out a piece of paper where he drew a fifteen step staircase. "Now, you and Anne are around here, at the bottom of the steps before taking the first one, which is the simple action of holding hands. Then, soon enough you will reach step five, first tongu kiss, very special, followed up by step six when she will let you touch her legs after your fourth date." Hop Pop points to each step, making Randy feel more like running out into the storm and hope a lightningbolt would get him.
"Is there a step that makes he jump off?" Randy asked.
"That would be step fifteen." Hop Pop's eyes widened. "But you stay away from that one! I mean it, do not do step fifteen!"
"Hey, Hop Pop, we're ready!" Sprig called out from behind them. "Hey, what's that?"
Hop Pop quickly ate the piece of paper, keeping it away from Sprig's eyes.
"Nothing," Hop Pop said.
"Thank frog," Randy sighed. "You all set, Sprig?"
"Oh yeah, still don't know why we need to put on this rain gear." Sprig gestured to the rain coat he was wearing. "We're frogs, we love the rain. We should be taking this off!"
"This is a pretty strong looking storm, Sprig. We could be blown away at any moment." Hop Pop pointed out as Wally was seen being blown away by the winds. "Hey, where's Anne? I said all hands on deck."
Randy seized the chance to get away from Hop Pop's dating advice. "I'll get her." He sprung to his feet and jumped down into the basement.
"Randy, remember, stay away from fifteen!" Hop Pop called out behind him.
Randy silently landed down at the bottom of the basement. Anne wasn't there. Which was both good and bad for him. He only had a few moments to search the room for anything that wasn't supposed to be there. Which made him feel like a pervert, but he pushed those thoughts back.
Anne's room was pretty messy, an unmade bed, a lot of make up, a strange ball of soap, and some of her clothes just littered the ground. It felt like Randy was in the middle of a mine field. All the stuff around him could make a noise or be considered strange. For a girl that just suddenly found herself in a different world, she had plenty of stuff to be carrying with her for a long trip. Did she plan to come here or was she preparing to go on a long trip away from everything when she was transported here? Regardless of the truth, it was buried somewhere around this room.
He slowly looked through all the discarded things, lifting the stuff so as to not leave a trace of his actions. Most of it was either junk or human gibberish that he didn't understand. Anne had way too many teenage magazines that seemed more like a waste of paper in Randy's mind. He found some textbooks that spoke of human history, math, science and a couple of notebooks all filled with doodles and a few notes. Something told him that Anne wasn't the most studious of people. Not that he could blame her, since he had no formal education by human standards. He was probably the lowest of the high school hierarchy Anne was always talking about. But that wasn't important.
He continued searching, stuffing his hand under the mattress in hopes of finding anything. But all he got was a few candy wrappers, old ones.
"Seriously, Anne, clean up this place. It's a mess," Randy whispered.
His hand grabbed something. It was silky and soft. He pulled it out, only to find that he was holding one of Anne's bras. He nearly yelped, recoiling his hand before stuffing it back where he'd found it. Silently tip-toeing back to his search, Randy found himself spotting all of Anne's beauty products. Some he recognized while others appeared to be a little odd for him. He quickly found at least three different fruit scented creams.
"So that's why she always smells like a fruit salad. Why would she have so many?" Randy sighed in frustration.
There was nothing around that could tell him what Anne was hiding. He accidentally hit the side of Anne's backpack, feeling something hard inside it. Crouching down to pick it up, he slowly opened the zipper to have a look inside. With the faint light, he caught the sight of something golden inside. Randy was about to reach inside-
"Hang on guys, I just need to um, get something from down here!" Anne called as she climbed down the stairs.
"Like what?" Polly asked. "You're not fibbing just to dump all the responsibility on us, right?
Randy sprung into the shadows, letting the backpack drop down onto the mattress. Anne looked at it and quickly snatched it, closed it and put it on.
"Nope! J-Just grabbing my backpack!" Anne rushed out of the basement. "Hey, has anyone seen Randy-whoa!" She almost fell when Randy appeared next to her.
He caught her hand, helping her up. "Sorry about that, Anne, I was just, um checking something."
"No Step 15!" Hop Pop snapped, pointing to Randy and Anne. "Now, let's get to work before the storm hits us." Hop Pop, Sprig and Polly headed outside.
"What was that about?" Anne asked.
"Please, don't ask."
The small found family worked quickly, covering their crops and tying the stems of the corn to the ground one at a time. It was hard labor as the rain fell down on them like daggers. And throughout the whole endeavor, Randy never took his eyes off of Anne, more specifically her backpack.
"Alright, all that's left is this field!" Hop Pop called over the wind and rain falling hard. "We gotta tie down each one of the plants individually!" Hop Pop tied one of the stalks to the ground with a stake.
"Can't we just tie them all down to a single stake and be done with it?!" Anne asked, hoping up her hand against the rain.
"If we do that then the stake will be carrying too much weight and it'll be pulled out and take all the corn stalks with it!" Sprig explained.
Anne groaned as they began working on the field. She knelt down next to the corn stalk and began tying it down. She buried the stake in the ground with some effort. The ground started to become muddy with the rain and it was far too soft to make a proper stake. Anne kicked the stake deeper, making sure that it was nice and deep. With a sigh of effort, she looked up only to see the many more stalks that were ahead of her. There were easily a thousand of those things and the storm was only getting worse. Everyone else was doing the same work that she was and doing as much progress as she was.
An idea popped in her head. She dug the stake even deeper before tying more ropes to it. Anne tied the ropes down on the other stalks, making stellar progress compared to everyone else. She looked down at her work with a proper smile, thinking her ingenuity had spared her the extra effort.
"Another job done quickly thanks to the Boonchuy ingenuity." Anne wiped her hands clean.
However, as soon as she did that, the stake she had planted was pulled out from the ground. The strain of holding down all the stalks of corn against the strong wind and the rain had pulled it beyond the capacity to hold. The corn stalks were pulled out, bringing down the whole patch that Anne had just finished working on.
Anne jumped back, falling on top of Sprig and knocking down the stalks that he was working on.
"What happened?!" Randy asked, making his way to them.
"I-I don't know! The stalks just got free somehow!" Anne said, getting up and helping Sprig.
Randy spotted all the ropes tied to the same stake, pulling it up. "Anne, did you tie all these stalks down on a single stake?! No wonder it all collapsed!"
"Oh man, Anne, you gotta redo everything now!" Sprig said.
"Oh come on, why couldn't the easy way work this time?!" Anne groaned. "I should've just pretended to be sick to stay away."
"Why would you do that?!" Randy asked. "All you had to do was take these one at a time?! Now we have to redo everything!"
"Well, I'm sorry, I like the easy way!" Anne snapped back. "Haven't you ever tried the easy way?! Or wanted to do something easy?!"
"I haven't tried to take the easy way out since I was six! Doing the job the right way is better than making it seem like you're not useful or helpful! If you mess up you learn and do a better job the next time!" Randy argued. "Sometimes you have to face your problems head on, even if you don't like them!"
"Well, not all of us have a strict ninja code to make us feel better than everyone!" Anne snapped.
"You know we could stop arguing and get back to work before the damage is made worse, right?" Sprig chimed in.
"Not now, Sprig!" They both snapped.
"What is your problem, Randy?! You've been acting very strange since this morning!" Anne snapped.
"There are just a few things that don't add up, and I want some straight answers." Randy's eyes narrowed at Anne. "You claim you don't know how you got to Amphibia but as soon as you do the yokai start acting strange! The strange light that comes from your eyes! The way you seem to lie and avoid certain things!"
"I really don't know how I got here! I don't know why the yokai are acting strange, for all I know that stupid sword is bringing them here! Name one time one of those things has said that it's after me!" Anne snapped.
The ground moved under their feet. They looked down to see the ground moving, something was slithering under the mud and the roots. It was big and it was moving fast, circling around them like a shark waiting to strike from below against its unsuspecting prey. But just as quickly as it appeared, the movement stopped.
"Please tell me that was just a giant worm," Anne said.
"I hope so," Sprig added.
From underneath the ground and the mud, something shot out like a mighty tree of evil. Randy, Anne and Sprig jumped back by the sheer force of the sudden spring. They looked up in shock as Hop Pop and Polly joined them. The dark figure towered over them, casting a dark shadow that mixed in with the dark sky. The only thing they could see were its bright yellow eyes staring down at them like a pair of lighthouse lights. A lightning bolt split the sky, casting light on the silhouette towering over everyone. All they could see was green. Green scales that shone like dark emeralds from a haunted treasure on top of a serpentine lower body while the rest was covered by a dark old hood and cowl.
The figure pulled back a little of his cowl, revealing his grotesque humanoid snake face with his glowing eyes and jagged snake teeth.
"I have come for the calamity!" He proclaimed.
Randy could only shoot a dirty look at Anne.
"Do not pin this on me, Randy! I don't know this creep!" Anne pointed to the snake yokai.
"Then let us get acquainted. You may call me the Sorcerer, and I shall call you all my prize and my snacks!" The Sorcerer shot himself forward at the group, opening its maw to a giant size to swallow Anne in one gulp.
Randy tackled her out of the way just as the yokai took a bite out of the corn stalks. He looked at the yokai as it turned back to try once more. Randy looked down at Anne with one last judging look.
"We're talking after this." He got up and unsheathed his sword.
Randy charged at the Sorcerer, igniting his sword through the Dance of Fire. Swinging his sword right at the snake yokai, he missed as the yokai moved faster than Randy expected. He turned around to strike at the demon, but it moved too quickly. The snake moved faster than Randy expected. Randy turned and spun in place, trying to get at least one good strike at the demon, but every time he was about to strike the yokai, it slithered away like a phantom into the night. The sounds of its forked tongue hissing and calling for him in the shadows of the night kept Randy guessing from where his enemy could come from. But he was always one step behind. The mud and the rain weren't of any aid to him either.
The rain and the mud were making his steps slower and keeping him from pinpointing the location of the Sorcerer.
"Stand still and fight!" Randy roared, only to get a tail whip to the stomach, sending him back.
"Oh what an adorable little Mystic Warrior," the Sorcerer taunted from the shadows. "I bet you feel very powerful with that old sword. Where did you get it?" The Sorcerer hissed, getting another hit on Randy's stomach, sending him back.
Randy dug his feet and his sword on the ground, stopping his fall. The damn yokai was toying with him. He needed to make the fight more equal. He charged once more, but this time, as the Sorcerer moved out of the way, Randy slid down on the mud. Taking his chance, Randy stabbed his sword upwards, digging his sword into the Sorcerer's lower body.
The Sorcerer screamed in pain. His tail twisted, wrapping itself around Randy, pulling him up in a tight bind.
"Thought you were smart with that trick?" The Sorcerer hissed in his face. "Well, you get one." The Sorcerer's mouth opened up, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth that would make a shark blush.
Randy struggled against the scaly bind. But the strength of the snake yokai was far greater than his own. He tried to pry his arm free but it wasn't working.
The Sorcerer laughed at his plight before a rock hit him.
"Get away from him you scaly creep!" Anne and the Plantars charged at him with whatever weapon they had on hand.
The Sorcerer was not impressed, if anything he was amused. He effortlessly took Anne's racket strikes, Sprig's slingshot shots while dodging Hop Pop's scythe swings. He continued laughing until he felt something sharp.
"Ouch!" The Sorcerer lifted Polly hanging by his tail biting hard on him. "Annoying little nat!" The Sorcerer flicked her off of his tail and at the Plantars, knocking them back.
"No!" Randy pulled his arm free, plunging his sword deep into the Sorcerer's tail.
The Sorcerer screamed in pain. He'd had enough of these games.
"Enough of this!" The Sorcerer swung Randy away, slamming him against Anne and into the house.
"Anne, Randy!" Sprig called out as he and his family raced after them.
But they were stopped as a green spectral hand snatched them. The Sorcerer pulled them to him.
"Hear me, warrior, bring me the Calamity or the frog family dies! Come to the deep cave in the darkest corner of the swamp to deliver the goods! Just follow your nose!" The Sorcerer laughed before slithering away with the Plantar Family in tow.
The Plantars cried in terror, calling for Randy and Anne, hoping that they would be fine and safe.
Randy and Anne slowly pulled themselves out of the house, groaning in pain. They had broken the door with their bodies and now they had to pull themselves together. It took them only slightly less to understand their situation.
"Oh no, that creep has Sprig and Hop Pop and Polly!" Anne freaked out. "We have to save them!"
"...What did he mean?" Randy asked, holding his side. "What did he mean by the Calamity, Anne?"
"I don't-"
"Don't lie to me now, Anne! The closest thing I have to a family is in danger, tell me the truth!" Randy demanded with fire in his eyes. "Is it what's in your backpack?!"
"I don't know!" Anne snapped. "Wait, how do you-?"
Randy turned her around, pulling off her backpack. He reached in, grabbing the object inside. It was a wooden music box with three dulled gems and amphibian carvings.
"What is this, Anne?" Randy asked.
Anne tried to come up with a lie, but she knew that it was hopeless.
"It… Its the thing that brought me to Amphibia," Anne replied.
"You've had this thing all along and you kept it hidden? Why?!" Randy snapped. "Were you capable of going back and forth this whole time?! Was this all just a game to you?! Are your friends even here?! Why didn't you tell us about this thing?! Why have you been lying this whole time?!"
Randy's words built up inside Anne's heart like a water pushing against a dam, breaking it down until it bursted.
"BECAUSE I STOLE IT!" Anne confessed through tears.
"...What?" Randy asked. "Why would you do that?!"
"The day I came to Amphibia was my birthday. My friend Sasha convinced me to play hooky and just mess around all day long. It was getting close to my birthday party my parents were throwing me when Marcy sent us a picture of the music box claiming it was my birthday present," Anne admitted. "She found it at a thrift shop and they told me to steal it. So, I did."
Randy was left speechless. The headstrong Anne with a strong moral compass he thought he knew had been told to do something wrong and did it?
"But why? You know it's wrong. Why would you do it?" Randy asked.
"Because that's how friends are. At least, that's how things with my friends are," Anne admitted. "I care about them so much. I've known them for so long that I can't bear the thought of losing them. I didn't know the box would cause this mess. I got them sent here and now I have to find them… But saving the Plantars is more important. This is my mess to fix. They, no you, shouldn't have to pay for my mistakes."
At that moment, things started to click for Randy. The reason for Anne's secrecy all stemmed from the guilt she felt over doing something so stupid. One mistake and now she and probably her friends as well were stuck in a different world. She had been carrying it in her heart all this time and now it was causing more problems than she ever thought possible. All the negatives that came from that one decision were eating away at her and even still she kept on being positive and helping others. Helping him.
There was only one thing that he could think to do to help her.
Randy punched her in the shoulder.
"Ow! Okay, I probably deserved it," Anne said before Randy punched her again. "Okay, I definitely deserved it." A third punch hit her shoulder. "Okay, that last one was not necessary!"
"It was. Anne, you made a mistake and you've been trying to correct it this whole time. I can't fault you for that," Randy said. "If anything, I'm sorry I doubted you. You were genuine and I was being suspicious of you. I'm sorry." Randy handed Anne back the music box.
"Honestly, I would've acted similarly if someone had kept a big secret from me and thought my friends were in danger," Anne said, putting the box back inside her backpack. "So, what's the plan?"
"Go in and give the Sorcerer a little payback." Randy and Anne walked, following the trail left by the snake yokai through the rain and the storm. "By the way, Sasha's the blonde one, right?"
"Um, yeah," Anne replied.
"Good, just making sure I knew which one I was going to call a bitch," Randy said, almost making Anne slip from the shock of him cursing.
The cave the Sorcerer called home was as nasty on the inside as it was on the outside. A perfect representation of the kind of being the snake yokai was in his entirety. The walls were filled with jars with pickled creatures and skulls of dead animals, ancient masks, texts filled with scribbled runes and markings, and more than a few cursed weapons. In the middle of the cave was the bubbling cauldron with green flames licking at the bottom of it keeping it warm and ready to be used at a moment's notice. And hanging just over it, inside a crammed and poorly kept cage, were the three members of the Plantar Family. Their eyes were poised straight at the cauldron and its icky green fermented contents, as well as any sight of their host as it slithered around, keeping them on edge.
"Where do you think he's now?" Sprig asked.
"I can't see him," Hop Pop whispered. "I think he had to go to the bathroom."
"Then let's bust this joint," Polly suggested.
"Leaving so soon? And I was just going to get snacks." The Sorcerer appeared right next to them, causing them to flinch in fear at his appearance. "Watching tiny adorable creatures like yourselves yelp in terror is always amusing. Better than the nearby rats at least. They're fun but pretty lacking in conversation." He slithered off and away from the frog family as he patiently waited for the arrival of his prize.
"What do you want from us, you creep?!" Sprig demanded.
"From you three? A light snack at most," the Sorcerer shrugged. "But from the strange creature and the baby Mystic Warrior? The first piece of a power that will allow me to reshape this world in my very image!" He laughed with pure glee at the thought.
That didn't answer anything for the frog family, but it made them wonder just how messed up the snake yokai was to have such plans and plots inside his head. Though none of them wanted to voice those thoughts out.
"This guy is crazy," Polly said without any shame.
…No one except Polly.
"I heard that!" The Sorcerer smacked the cage with his tail, making it spin over the cauldron. "Oh, what could be taking them so long? I'm starting to get famished."
"Sorcerer!"
The Sorcerer turned to the entrance of the cave, spotting Randy with something wrapped in his scarf.
"I got what you wanted," Randy said. "Now, release the Plantars!"
The Sorcerer quickly slithered towards Randy, hovering over him like a deadly predator about to strike. Randy made sure to keep track of the hooded top of his head, keeping the wrapped object within sight at all times.
"I decide when the frogs go free, little warrior. Not you." The Sorcerer's hands glower with green fire, coiling himself around Randy, making sure that he had nowhere to go. "Now, hand it over!"
Randy pulled back the wrapped object. He needed time.
"I need your word that you will release the Plantars, you won't come after us, and that you will leave Wartwood alone." Randy drew his sword, poising the tip over the object. "Or no deal."
The Sorcerer narrowed his eyes, hissing in anger at Randy's defiance.
In the back, where the Plantars hovered, they tried to see what was going on between Randy and the Sorcerer. But it wasn't easy with the yokai standing with his back towards them.
Hop Pop felt something poking at him from the side, making him turn his head. His eyes widened at the sight of Anne holding up a long stick, trying to free them. They all turned to see her with joy springing from them. She pressed a finger to her lips, telling them to be quiet. They obeyed her as she used the stick to open the cage. The gate creaked from the movement, causing the Sorcerer to almost turn around.
"Hey! Eyes on me big guy! I went through a lot of trouble to get this thing!" Randy snapped, regaining the Sorcerer's attention. "You better keep your eyes on me or else!"
"You dare threaten me?!" The Sorcerer laughed. "You won't live long enough to regret it, you wretch!"
With the Sorcerer preoccupied with Randy, Anne gestured to the Plantars to get out of the cage while the getting was good. Hop Pop tossed Polly at Anne. She caught Polly, putting her down on the ground before the others went on and got out of the cage. Sprig went next, climbing down on the stick as quietly as possible, hopping to the ground as silent as possible. Hop Pop was the last one to go out, grabbing hold of the cage to keep it from making any noise. He slowly grabbed hold of the stick, pulling himself towards safety. But one look down at the cauldron under his body, Hop Pop couldn't help but start sweating from the fumes and the heat.
A single drop of Hop Pop's sweat dripped down his forehead, falling down to the edge of the cauldron.
They all freezed up at the action.
But the moment it hit one of the bubbles of the cauldron popped, swallowing the sound.
Anne and the Plantars sighed in relief for the quick safe. And then the stick Hop Pop was holding onto snapped, dropping him on the ground.
"Son of a sea slug!" Hop Pop called out.
The Sorcerer snapped at the curse, spotting them all out of their cage and the other human right behind him.
"Deceit!" The Sorcerer's eyes sprouted fire in rage.
"Hey, ugly!" Randy tossed the wrapped object right at the Sorcerer's eye.
The Sorcerer felt something hard hitting him square in the eye. He screamed in pain as the wrapped object fell down, revealing a lousy rock. He gritted his teeth, lunging at Randy with its mouth open and ready to bite down on him.
"Smokebomb!" Randy dropped a smokebomb in front of him, blinding the Sorcerer.
The Sorcerer gasped at the stench that filled his nose and eyes. Randy jumped forward, punching the Sorcerer in the face, sending him back.
"Now, Anne!" Randy called Anne.
Anne flipped the cauldron over itself, flooding the cave with the green smelly contents. The warm concoction reached the Sorcerer, burning his back and making him thrash in pain.
He turned towards the two humans and the frog family as they fled for their lives out of the cave with murder in his eyes.
"You shall not escape!" The Sorcerer slammed his hands on the hot ground,summoning a wall of green flames to block their escape.
Randy, Anne and the Plantars skidded to a halt before they were roasted alive. They turned to see the Sorcerer getting back up to his full size and angrier than ever before.
"So, what's the plan?" Polly asked.
"Survive!" Randy held his sword tightly as the yokai charged at him like a king cobra trying to devour a mouse. "I'll distract him, find a way out and don't turn back!" Randy jumped over the Sorcerer, wrapping his scarf between the yokai's jaws.
He pulled hard on it, keeping the Sorcerer distracted. But it was harder than wrangling any animal. The Sorcerer thrashed around, grabbing the scarf with his own hands while his lower body smashing and hitting everything around them. It was like riding on the back of a runaway water snake in the middle of a storm. If Randy loosened up his grip for even a second then he would be left at the mercy of the snake yokai.
"Get him while he's distracted!" Anne and the Plantars grabbed some random stuff laying around, tossing it at the Sorcerer while Randy held him.
"I told you to get out of here!" Randy called out.
"I am not leaving you, Randy!" Anne threw a jar full of eyeballs at the Sorcerer, hitting him in the stomach. "Weirdos Against the World!"
"Weirdos Against the World!" Sprig threw a large skull at the Sorcerer, hitting his hand.
"Weirdos Against the World!" Hop Pop joined in, hitting the Sorcerer in his open mouth.
"I'm not a weirdo but I do like throwing stuff!" Polly tossed a morningstar at the Sorcerer's tail, really hurting him.
The Sorcerer screamed in pain. His teeth gritted against the scarf as his patience ran thin. After so long, he was so close to his goal. He would not let these fools make him the bottom of a juvenile joke.
Green mystic energy surrounded his body like a new coat of scales. Then he unleashed it in a mighty shock wave, getting Randy off of his back and sending Anne and the Plantars away from him.
Randy slammed against the cave wall. The air was knocked out of his lungs before he fell down to the ground. He struggled to get back up, gripping his sword with one of his hands. But he didn't have much time to get it out. A blast of green Mystic magic slammed him into the wall once more.
"You think you made a fool of me, boy?!" The Sorcerer slammed Randy against the wall with his magic.
Randy didn't get the chance to land on the ground once more. The Sorcerer slammed him once more with his magic.
"You will regret ever trying to pull a fast one on me!" The Sorcerer's blows hit harder, smashing the wall with Randy's body.
Randy did everything he could to keep his hold on the sword. But his mind couldn't come up with a plan. He was stuck as a punching bag until the Sorcerer grew tired. Pain coursed through his body, he couldn't get enough air in his lungs to scream. But he would not give the yokai the satisfaction.
"And I'll take my time too!" The Sorcerer pinned Randy to the cave wall, raising his other hand with a green fire ball ready to strike him.
"WAIT!"
The Sorcerer turned around and saw Anne holding up the music box.
"You want it?! Go and get it!" Anne tossed the music box away.
The Sorcerer sprung into action, releasing his hold on Randy. The yokai grabbed the music box, catching it before it could hit the ground at the same time as Anne caught Randy.
"I don't believe it! You brought me the whole box?! Oh my, oh my, this must be my birthday!" The Sorcerer cackled insanely. "I must commend you children, I didn't think you'd actually go the extra mile to collect all three in such a short time! It almost makes this a bit anti-climactic! But that no longer matters, rejoice, for you're about to witness my ascension to godhood!" The Sorcerer laughed as he opened the music box.
But nothing happened.
The Sorcerer opened and closed the lid on the music box a couple more times. But he only got the same result.
"Hang on, this can't be right." The Sorcerer examined the box before his eyes landed on the three dull gems on it. "They're not there! The powers aren't in the gemstones! You dare trick me AGAIN?!" The Sorcerer tossed the music box away like it was trash.
The Sorcerer thrusted his hands forward, unleashing his mystic power at Randy and Anne, sending them back. They fell as the Sorcerer's tail whipped the Plantars away.
"What are you talking about, dude?!" Anne gasped. "That's the thing!"
"Don't you 'dude' me, girlie!" The Sorcerer grabbed her by the throat tightly. "The powers of the box have left it! I don't know where you're hiding it, but I will pry the secret from you even if I have to rip out every bit of your soul spec by spec!" He channelled his mystic power into his hand, hurting Anne.
Randy gritted his teeth, forcing his body to move. In the blink of an eye, he appeared next to the yokai's face, punching him across his nasty cheek. The Sorcerer released Anne, dropping her to the ground. Randy unsheathed his sword, pushing himself through the pain and the hurt that coursed through his body. He landed on his feet, sprinting to the side just another blast of magic brushed past him. Fire filled his lungs and blood vessels, circulating like gasoline through a spitfire engine. He rushed forward, slicing at his side with his fire sword.
The Sorcerer cried out in pain. He glared at Randy, spotting his hand holding his sword.
"You tied your own scarf around your hand to keep it from slipping?!" The Sorcerer hissed. "You really are gambling all on this last breath, aren't you bo-AAAHHHH!" The Sorcerer was cut off as Randy cut him across the chest with his sword ignited with fire.
"I don't care if I fall, but I am giving you back all the hurt a hundredfold!" Randy jumped, avoiding the Sorcerer's long tail.
He slid down on the tail, pushing himself forward. His fire sword sliced at the yokai's flesh as he made his way further up his body.
The Sorcerer thrashed and twisted himself, trying to pry Randy off of him. But Randy took every chance to slash and cut into his flesh. He jumped, bringing his sword down on the Sorcerer's tail, ducked under a green fireball, slicing at the Sorcerer's side, rushed at the demon's torso, thrusting his sword forward, digging into the yokai's flesh.
Anne groaned, lifting her head to see what was going on. Her eyes caught sight of Randy facing the Sorcerer. She could see him pushing himself further, through the hurt, the pain and all the other odds stacked against him. All for the sake of others. She couldn't let him carry this burden on his own.
The cuts and slashes with the fire weapon added up on the Sorcerer's body. But so was his anger. The Sorcerer slammed his hands on the ground, unleashing a blast of green energy.
Randy got hit. He was sent back only to be pinned down by the Sorcerer's hand.
"You die here, ninja!" The Sorcerer's green coated fist travelled straight for Randy's head.
But it didn't connect.
Randy slowly opened one of his eyes, wondering if he'd be seeing his grandpa. Instead he was looking at the back of Anne's body. His eyes widened as he spotted her blue glowing hand catching the Sorcerer's hand cold in its tracks.
"Anne?" Randy asked as the Plantars watched in awe.
"What is the meaning of this?!" The Sorcerer tried to pull his hand free, but it was stuck.
Anne's hand tightened around the yokai's hand, crushing it.
The Sorcerer screamed in pain from his broken hand. His eyes, now filled with fear, looked at Anne as the blue energy covered her completely.
Anne's hair stood on end as her eyes became completely blue in color. Her clothes floated with the power coursing through her. It was like being in the presence of power itself. And She wasn't gonna give the Sorcerer a second to rest.
She appeared in front of The Sorcerer's face, cracking him across the face with the strength of a giant rhino beetle. He was sent flying backward in shock as she followed right after him. The Sorcerer tried to fight back, but Anne moved too fast for him to even counter. Her fists collided with his flesh, sending him bouncing and tumbling through his lair like he was a beach ball. She appeared behind him, kicking him in the back of the head, slamming him into the ground. In the blink of an eye, she was before him, glaring at his very soul before punching him square in the face with a war cry.
"What the heck is going on?!" Polly asked as Sprig and Hop Pop helped Randy to his feet.
"I don't know! Maybe it's a human thing?!" Hop Pop asked.
"Randy, could Anne be a Mystic Warrior?!" Sprig asked as Anne hopped around the cave, beating on the Sorcerer.
"No… This isn't a Mystic Warrior thing," Randy gasped. "This is something else."
Anne landed on the ground, cracking it as the Sorcerer came down. She jumped at him, uppercutting him in the jaw with all her strength. The blow was so strong that it sent the Sorcerer flying through the roof of the cave and far away into the distance.
"I'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkk-!" The Sorcerer swore through the pain.
Anne hovered in the air before the blue aura dissipated. She moaned, holding her head, feeling like she'd just gotten over a sugar rush. Then she fell.
"Anne!" Randy and the Plantars jumped after her, catching her before she landed on the floor.
"Ow… my head. What… just… happened?" Anne moaned.
"Anne, that was amazing! You saved us!" Sprig said. "You went super! Like one of the Mystic Warriors of legend!"
"What?"
Randy spotted the music box, picking it up from the ground. Whatever it was, it was what the Sorcerer wanted or what was supposed to hold it.
"Let's talk back at the house, there's some stuff we gotta clear up," Randy said.
"Yeah, you guys mind carrying me, I can't feel my body," Anne groaned.
They returned to the house and sat down on the kitchen table. Randy and Anne were covered in bandages as Anne placed the music box on the table.
"So, this thing is what brought me here," Anne admitted. "I'm sorry I held it from you. I didn't want you guys to learn how I got it. I was ashamed of what I did. I hope you can forgive me."
"Anne, you just saved us and Randy from a crazy yokai snake," Sprig said. "We trust you. And yeah, you made mistakes, but you can always learn from them."
"Plus, that blue form was super cool! Do it again!" Polly said.
"That one was a first for me too," Anne admitted. "I have no idea where that came from. One second I was on the ground and the next I was feeling the need to be stronger to save you guys and the next, well, I went Super Sayanne!" Anne chuckled.
No one got the reference.
She sighed in defeat.
"What's important is that we're all on the same page and now we can start learning more about this thing and why the Sorcerer wanted it," Randy said.
Hop Pop kept his eyes on the music box, looking at it from afar. There was something familiar about it, but he needed to be sure.
"Anne, you think I can give this thing a closer look?" Hop Pop asked.
"Yeah, sure, it's busted. That snake creep even said so." Anne shrugged.
Hop Pop picked it up and started examining it closely. He swore he'd seen this thing before. But he had to be sure.
"Nope, never seen this thing before," he said.
Randy looked at him with a bored expression.
"You recognize it and you're gonna keep it secret, aren't you?" Randy asked.
Hop Pop almost cracked. But he still had one card to play.
"Say wha? Me? Old and well-manner Hop Pop know about some strange box from another world? Must've taken one too many-" Randy stabbed his sword on the floor. "...Okay, I think I've seen this thing before."
Hop Pop placed the old Plantar book on the table.
"This book has been in our family for generations, and it has information about a lot of things in Amphibia's history and its folklore." Hop Pop opened the book to the page he was looking for. "There it is."
The two-page spread showed the music box dubbed the 'Calamity Box'. The imagery of the box made it appear like an object of great mystic power and religious importance. But it was also accompanied with symbols of dire warnings and signs of great danger.
"Okay, that doesn't look good at all," Anne winced.
"That's what the Sorcerer was talking about. The Calamity must be the power the box has," Randy said. "Or at least it's supposed to have."
"Relax guys, I don't think they're the same box," Sprig said.
"They look pretty similar to me, bro," Polly deadpanned.
"No, no, no, baby sis. Look here. The one in Hop Pop's book has three colorful gems of different colors," Sprig pointed out. "These ones look pretty dull and gray. And there's also a thingy poking out of it. See?"
They looked at the picture and the music box, noting the differences.
"Hey, you're right, Sprig! Phew, that was a close one." Anne dropped on her chair. "Guess I'm not starting the apocalypse, he, he." She laughed.
But Randy wasn't laughing. He took off his necklace, holding the strange piece of metal next to the picture in the book. Everyone looked at it. The comparison was too on the nose. Randy put the piece into the music box and it fit together like a hand in glove.
"Okay, that's not good, right?" Sprig asked.
"But the gems are still gray," Anne said. "That Sorcerer creep said the powers were spread. Where could they be?"
"I think they might be closer than we think. Three gems. Three powers." Randy pulled out Anne's picture. "Three girls."
"Oh man, I am an anime protagonist." Anne muttered with wide eyes.
The Sorcerer might've been beaten but the truth had been revealed. Something had come to the world of Amphibia and was linked to an object the Plantar ancestors deemed dangerous. A calamity was approaching and time was of the essence. And they had to be ready. To find Anne's friends and find the powers of the Calamity Box.
End of Yokai in the Night Arc.