Luz was busy in the basement. Uodeela had given her a few extra sets of clothes that she had lying around, as well as a bag to put them in. Luz began looking around the basement and putting her meager possessions into the bag. She had already put a few things in her backpack and was trying to decide what she might need for her journey to Wartwood. Uodeela had told her that she would take care of the major necessities (food, water, etc.) so as not to cause Luz to worry about what she should bring. Uodeela mentioned that there was a small chance that the information she had about her friend being in this town was wrong, but that they would worry about that if it came up. Luz was more worried about what would happen if she found Anne, who was still angry at her. The thought had been gnawing at her in anticipation of her trip to Wartwood, but she tried not to focus on it. Instead, she tried to think about what she would say to Anne upon seeing her again.
"So, Anne," began Luz, practicing out loud, "it's great to see you again! You look great! Not that you didn't look great before, but… Nah, that doesn't sound right."
Luz thought for a few minutes before speaking again, "I realized that it was wrong to kiss you without permission, but let me explain why I did it. You see, we were dancing, and the music was perfect, and you looked so beautiful and… Ugggh! No, that's not it either."
Once more, Luz thought for a bit before speaking, "Anne, I realize what I did was wrong. I'm sorry for kissing you without permission, and you have every right to hate me for it. If you really don't want to be friends anymore, then… then… that's okay. I won't bother you anymore… and I'll accept…" Luz paused before continuing, "I'll accept your decision… Why was that so hard to say?"
Deciding to take a break from packing and her speech to Anne, Luz went back upstairs. The living room was empty until Uodeela came in.
"How's the packing going?" she asked.
"It's going okay," replied Luz. "What's harder is trying to figure out what I'm going to say to Anne when I see her. That part is proving particularly tough."
"Well, even once we hit the road, we'll still have about a week of travel for you to think more about what you want to say. Speaking of which, I need to figure out where I can get a snail for us. One that comes with a travel wagon would be nice," said Uodeela.
"Still hard to believe that snails are the mode of transportation out here," said Luz. "In my world, snails are so slow. No one would ever think of using them as mounts."
"They aren't the only method, but they are the most dependable," said Uodeela. "Spiders are better at handling tough terrain. They can also spin silk, which is helpful, but they can be temperamental. Sparrows are the best mode, as they can simply fly you wherever you need to go, but they are so expensive to keep and maintain, so only the elites can afford them."
"I suppose it will be nice to get out of Tadpole Pond for a bit and see the rest of this world," said Luz. "And who knows? Maybe while we're out traveling, we'll run into Sasha or Marcy."
"Those are your other friends, right?" asked Uodeela.
"Yeah," replied Luz. "Marcy is really smart and really kind. As smart as she is, I bet she's doing well out here. Probably thinks this whole experience is like a video game. Meanwhile, Sasha is really strong and tough. I bet she'd try taming a heron as a pet."
"Huh, interesting," said Uodeela. "Well, we certainly will keep an eye out for your friends while we're traveling. Maybe you'll end up reuniting with more than one."
At that moment, there was a knock on Uodeela's door. She was puzzled for a second, as she wasn't expecting anyone, but moved to open the door. When she did, there was a toad standing there—a green toad wearing what looked to be a jester's cap.
"Percy?" said Uodeela, somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, hey, Uodeela," began Percy. "I'm here to pick up Gustav."
"Oh, well, I'll get him then," said Uodeela, leaving upstairs. Percy's eyes fell on Luz.
"Hello, my name is Percy. I'm Gustav's dad," he said in a friendly voice.
"I'm Luz," said Luz, introducing herself. Though, as she did, she realized Percy wasn't the least bit surprised to see her. "Huh, I thought you might be weirded out seeing me. I'm kind of a 'creature' in your world, as it were."
"Oh, right. What is it you're called again?" said Percy, thinking to himself before answering. "Oh, right, human. Right! Isn't that what you're called?"
Luz was stunned to hear that. "Yes, that is my species, but how did you know that?"
Before Percy could answer, Gustav and Uodeela came back downstairs.
"Dad!" exclaimed Gustav, running up and giving his dad a hug.
"Hey there, sport," said Percy playfully. "Good to see you again! How was your time with Uodeela?"
"Oh, it was great!" replied Gustav. "I'll tell you all about it on our way home. Though honestly, it was nice to get away from the tower for a bit."
"Hey, I heard you guys put on a show while you were out here. Is that true?" asked Percy.
"We sure did!" said Gustav. "Hey, maybe we can add some of your music into the act if we do it again."
"Aww, really, that would be swell," said Percy.
"Oh, by the way, let me introduce you to Luz," said Gustav, indicating Luz. "She's a creature from another world, but she's not a monster. She's actually really nice."
"I just met her," said Percy. "She's a human, right?"
This time, Gustav and Uodeela both paused, having noticed what Percy said.
"How did you know she's a human?" asked Gustav, intrigued.
"Oh, well, it just so happens we have a human back at Toad Tower," answered Percy.
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Luz.
"Yeah, her name is Sasha," said Percy. "She's Grime's new lieutenant."
"Hold on a second, Percy," said Uodeela, coming close to Percy and looking him straight in the eyes. "Did you just say you have a human… at the tower?"
Percy's eyes darted around nervously before replying, "Yeah. One day, she appeared at the tower, and Grime took her in."
"And she's still currently at the tower?" asked Uodeela. "Is that where you're headed right now… back to Toad Tower?"
"Yep," said Percy nervously, "back to Toad Tower. Though speaking of which, Uodeela, is there any chance that you were going to take a vacation or travel anytime soon?"
Uodeela glared at Percy before saying, "Gustav, Luz, go downstairs. I need to speak with Percy in private."
"Wait!" said Luz. "I want to know more about Sasha! If she's really at the tower, then maybe we should go there instead of Wartwood."
"Luz!" said Uodeela in a firm voice, "go downstairs now!"
Luz was shocked to hear Uodeela speak this way, but she and Gustav quickly went down into the basement and closed the door.
"What do you think that was about?" asked Gustav.
"I don't know. Why won't Uodeela let me ask him about Sasha?" asked Luz.
"Shh, listen," said Gustav. From upstairs, they heard a door slam. Gustav and Luz peeked out the hatch and saw the living room was empty. Slowly getting out of the basement, the two went to the front door and pressed their ears against it. They could now hear Uodeela and Percy talking.
"Percy, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but I know for a fact that Toad Tower was destroyed," said Uodeela in a firm voice. "Care to tell me why you lied to me about that?"
"Umm, well, I thought you wouldn't find out about that," he replied sheepishly.
"Percy, I make it my business to know about what happens around the valley, though there is one thing that I don't know," said Uodeela.
"And what is that?" asked Percy.
"Where the devil is Grime and his army?" asked Uodeela. "I know he's not dead, as I didn't see his corpse at the tower, and if you were lying to me, then I have reason to believe you know where his forces are."
"Listen, Uodeela," began Percy, "I can't tell you where his forces are. What I can tell you is that it might be a good idea for you to leave for a few days."
"Why exactly should I leave?" asked Uodeela. Percy didn't respond immediately. After a while, Uodeela spoke again.
"You know, Percy, when I first met you, I thought you were different from other toads," said Uodeela. "I could tell your son was different, and I agreed to train him for you."
"You wanted something first, though," said Percy, a bit angrily. "Well, I fulfilled my end of the bargain. I gave you the tax collection schedule you wanted. I assume that's how you've been so efficient with robbing Grime. But I risked a lot by helping you. If Grime knew what I did, he'd have my head for sure!"
"Oh, please. It's not like you actually liked working for Grime. If anything, I was helping you stand up to him. But you still haven't answered my question," said Uodeela. "Why did you lie about going back to the tower? And where are you really going?"
"I don't have to tell you anything," said Percy defiantly. "But out of respect for you helping my son, all I will say is this. You should probably leave for a week or so and not come back."
"Is that a threat, Percy?" said Uodeela seriously. "I can't believe you, of all people, would be stupid enough to threaten me!"
"I'm not trying to threaten you!" yelled Percy before becoming deadly serious. "I'm trying to help you."
Uodeela stopped talking and looked Percy straight in the eye. "What? What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry, I can't say anymore. I've said too much as it is," said Percy in a somber tone. "Uodeela, I'm trying to give you some advice. Take it or leave it, but please, believe me when I say it would be best if you left for about a week or so."
"Percy…" said Uodeela, now calmly and seriously, "what are you not telling me?"
"Enough," said Percy, in a tone that indicated the conversation was over. "I'm taking my son, and we're leaving." He marched back to the door and opened it, causing Luz and Gustav to fall back in surprise. Uodeela put her hand on her face as she realized what was going on.
"I shouldn't be surprised," she began, "and yet, I have to admire your rascally spirit. How much did you hear?"
"All of it," confessed Luz.
"Dad, what's going on?" asked Gustav, a little worried.
"Look, I'll tell you when we get back to the camp," said Percy.
"So you do know where Grime is!" said Uodeela. Percy looked at her for a brief second, but then turned and began leading Gustav away.
"Wait!" called Luz, running up to Percy and Gustav, "you said Sasha was with you. Take me with you. Let me see if it's really her."
"Luz, are you crazy?!" said Uodeela. "You can't just go up to the toads and ask to see Sasha."
"Well, actually, she's second-in-command right now," clarified Percy, "so maybe she would want to see you."
"Wait, what?!" said Uodeela. "Did you say she's Grime's second in command?"
"Yeah, she's been great," said Percy. "She's really nice to us, plus she convinced Grime to stop insulting us every time we mess up. Right now, we're training really hard so that we can—" Percy trailed off, not finishing that sentence before continuing, "-so we can build a new tower in the southern region. We haven't quite picked out a spot yet, but I think it's going to be great."
Uodeela tilted her head at hearing this, not quite believing what Percy was saying.
"You see, Uodeela?" began Luz. "It seems like Sasha's managed to work her way into a position of power. I should have known she'd do that. I need to see if it's really her!"
"Luz, can I talk to you for a moment?" said Uodeela, ushering her back into the house. She made sure the door was closed and that Percy and Gustav were not anywhere close to the door before continuing.
"Okay, Luz," she began, "I know you wanted to find your other friends, but I have serious doubts about everything concerning both your friend and the toads. If you overheard our conversation, then you know Percy is lying about something. I can't put my finger on what exactly, but I know there's something he's not telling me."
"I understand that," said Luz.
"Furthermore, if what he said about Sasha being Grime's lieutenant is true, that doesn't give me a good feeling," said Uodeela. "Grime is a ruthless and fearsome leader. He was once the fiercest fighter in the coliseum."
"Coliseum?" said Luz. "Like in ancient Rome? With gladiators and such?"
"I don't know what 'ancient Rome' is," replied Uodeela, "but yes. It was an arena where warriors fought each other to the death, and Grime was one of the fiercest there. He wouldn't appoint someone as his lieutenant unless they were as fierce and ruthless as he was. If he really has made Sasha his second, then I have a bad feeling about what she did in order to prove her strength to Grime."
"But Sasha is my friend," pleaded Luz. "Maybe she had to act tough in order to survive Amphibia, but I need to at least check on her to see if she's okay. And maybe we can take her with us to Wartwood. Please, I have to go back with them."
"Luz, maybe you aren't understanding," said Uodeela, "but I don't think it would be safe for you to go and meet your friend."
"If I go with Gustav and his dad, I think they will keep me safe. Plus, you said you think Percy is hiding something from you," said Luz. "If you let me go, then maybe I can find out where the toads are. You've been wanting to know what happened to Grime. Well, let me go and find out."
Uodeela paused at hearing this. While it was true that she wanted more information on Grime, she wasn't sure that sending Luz to obtain it was the best course of action. Yet she also knew that she needed to find out what happened to Grime, and Luz might be her best chance at learning that.
"Alright," said Uodeela. "Go back with them and say you want to meet Sasha; find out if she's really there. After that, come back."
"Thank you!" said Luz, giving Uodeela a hug.
"Luz, listen very carefully," said Uodeela, bending down and looking Luz in the eyes. "Don't let your guard down around the toads and be careful around your friend. She may not be the person you remember."
"I'll be careful. I promise!" said Luz, who raced back outside to join Percy and Gustav. Uodeela followed her.
"So listen, you two," called Uodeela, "Luz is going to go back with you and see if her friend is really there. I'd like to ask the both of you to watch over her, please."
"No worries, teach," said Gustav. "I hope Luz gets to reunite with her friend."
"I'll do my best, Uodeela," said Percy.
With that, the three of them walked off into the distance. Gustav began talking to his dad, telling him about some of the adventures he'd had while studying magic. He also made sure to tell him about putting on a show.
"Wow! You guys really put on a show!" said Percy in amazement.
"Yeah!" replied Gustav. "We had different acts in it. Amara and I played our instruments for one of the acts!"
"Ah man, that's great!" said Percy. "I'm glad to hear you've been practicing your ocarina! You know, for a second, I almost quit serving Grime and was going to come get you, then the two of us could go on tour performing in different towns."
"What? You almost quit working for Grime?" said Gustav in surprise.
"Yeah, it was actually Sasha who convinced me that my talents were being wasted serving Grime," said Percy. "I would have quit then and there, but then we got attacked by herons."
"Oh, no," said Gustav. "We had to deal with some herons, too. Was everyone okay?"
"Yeah, we were fine," said Percy. "Actually…" He trailed off, looking into the distance and smiling. "It was a good stroke of luck that the herons attacked because… You know, I'll wait until we get back to tell you."
"Ohh, this sounds mysterious," said Gustav, intrigued.
As day turned to twilight, the three finally made their way back to the toad camp. Luz noticed large tents everywhere, with the toads sharpening various weapons outside them. The toads that weren't sharpening their weapons were sparring with each other in the open areas of the camp. Two large toads who were standing guard spoke to Percy as he approached.
"Percy, 'bout time you got back," said one of them. "How's your son? Has he gotten any stronger?"
"Still looks like a runt to me," said the other.
"Hey, can we please not do this right now?" said Percy. "Do you know where Sasha is? I have someone here who wants to see her." He indicated to Luz.
"Another human, eh?" said one guard. "I don't know. After the last one destroyed our tower, Sasha may not be in the mood to see you right now."
"Wait, what?!" said Luz in surprise.
"Oh, you didn't know?" replied the guard. "Sasha's last human friend, what was her name? Uh, Anne, I think, ended up destroying Toad Tower. And after how nice Sasha was to Anne, inviting her up to her private quarters and giving her frogs a feast."
"That doesn't sound like Anne," began Luz. "You must be mistaken."
"Okay, ask Percy if you don't believe me," said the guard. "Isn't that what happened, Percy?"
"Well, I mean, I don't remember all the details, but yeah, that is mostly what happened," replied Percy. "But hey, I'm sure Sasha has forgotten all that. In any case, where is she?"
"She's over in her tent," said the guard, pointing to the correct tent. "I think Grime is with her, discussing battle plans."
"I'll go talk with Sasha then," said Luz to Percy and Gustav. "I'll find you after, okay?" Percy and Gustav nodded and left Luz to go talk with her friend. As Luz approached the tent, she found herself getting a bit nervous. Was Sasha really here? Was she about to be reunited with one of her few friends? She had been so nervous thinking about what she would say to Anne that she hadn't even thought about what she might say to Sasha. Still, Luz eventually found her courage and pulled the flap to enter the tent.
The inside of the tent was well-lit. There was a sleeping space near one corner of it and a large table in the center. This was the table that Sasha and Grime were currently standing over, looking at what appeared to be a map of some kind.
"And this is where the second battalion will attack from," said Sasha. "This way, we'll be able to surround—" she stopped as she heard the tent open. "Ugh, what is it now? We're kind of busy," she said, turning around only to gasp in surprise as she saw Luz.
"Luz?!" exclaimed Sasha.
"Sasha, is that really you?" asked Luz. Sasha walked slowly up to Luz and put her hand on her face to see if the Luz that stood before her was real. Finally, she pulled Luz into a hug.
"It's good to see you, Luz," said Sasha warmly, "but I have to ask you… What are you doing here?"
"Well, it's actually lucky I found you," began Luz. "I only just found out you were here, thanks to Gustav's dad. He mentioned there was a human with the toads."
"Gustav's dad?" said Sasha, a little confused before realizing, "Oh, Percy, right? Yeah, I know Percy. He's been working on his music act. You should hear it sometime."
"Yeah, of course," began Luz. "Anyway, it's great to see you, Sasha! Listen, I don't know what you've been up to, but I have great news to tell you! I think I may have a lead on where Anne is!"
Sasha's face immediately fell, and she turned away from Luz before responding, "Oh, you do, and where have you heard she is?"
"In a small town called Wartwood," answered Luz. "I was just getting ready to go with Uodeela to see if Anne was really there."
"Wait, Uodeela?!" said Sasha in surprise. "You know Uodeela?"
"Yeah, she's the one who took me in when I arrived in this world," said Luz. "Not only that but she's been teaching me magic."
"Oh, I see…." said Sasha, trailing off a bit. "So you've grown close to her."
"Well, yeah, of course," said Luz. "Honestly, she's kind of been like a second mother…" Luz stopped mid-sentence as she realized what she had said. "We've been gone a real long time. I hope my mother is okay… I really miss her. Ojala que estas bien, mama."
"I see…." said Sasha, folding her arms and suddenly looking displeased. "You're just like Anne."
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Luz, who now noticed Sasha seemed to have a scowl on her face.
"You've grown sentimental over these frogs," said Sasha, "or, I guess, salamanders, in Uodeela's case, but all that's going to do is hold us back. Anne got too attached to her frog family, and now she prefers them over me."
Something about the way Sasha said that line immediately put Luz on her guard. She kept her eyes on Sasha, suddenly realizing that she wasn't smiling anymore. Luz thought carefully before speaking, trying to think of what would be best to say to Sasha.
"I'm not sure I understand," began Luz. "Did you say that you met Anne?"
Sasha paused a bit before answering, "Yeah, I met her and brought her to Toad Tower to have a private dinner and a shower. Did you know she'd been living in a basement all this time? But even after all that I'd done for her, she still turned on me. You see this scar on my cheek?" said Sasha, indicating the scar.
Luz looked closely, and, for the first time, noticed it. "Wait, you can't be serious! Are you saying Anne gave you that?!"
"I am serious, Luz," said Sasha in a louder voice. "We ended up fighting on the top of Toad Tower. Anne not only gave me this scar but also blew up Toad Tower, and that's why the toads are here now. And the reason Anne did all this was because she'd grown attached to some stupid frog family. If she had just stepped aside and let the toads kill one of them, then we might have found a way home by now. We could have gone to look for you or Marcy, but no, she had to defend the frogs. And now here you are, having grown attached to Uodeela when right now she's an obstacle to what the toads want."
"What exactly do the toads want?" asked Luz nervously.
"They want Uodeela gone!" shouted Sasha. "And they want to build a new tower in Tadpole Pond. And having already dealt with Anne and her feelings about this, I'm guessing you're going to have a problem with that!"
"Well, obviously!" said Luz, now raising her own voice. "Sasha, what's gotten into you? Why this urge to invade and destroy a town?"
"It needs to be done!" said Sasha emphatically. "If I help the toads, then they'll help me figure out a way to get back home. You could help me, but I don't think you will."
Luz thought for a long time before replying, "You're right, I'm not going to help you invade Tadpole Pond, but I'm not going to leave you. Sasha, come with me. You don't have to work with the toads. Uodeela and I are going to travel to Wartwood, and you could come with us. We'll find another way to get home. You don't have to help the toads."
For one brief second, it looked like Sasha might take the offer, but she turned her face away from Luz and stared off into space.
"You don't understand, Luz," said Sasha. "Anne and I fought, and she said she doesn't want to be my friend anymore. I can't go back to Anne."
"You can if you say you're sorry," said Luz. "It doesn't have to be this way."
"You're so quick to help me, Luz. Why?" asked Sasha.
"What do you mean, why?" replied Luz, as though it were obvious. "We're friends, that's why! Whatever happened between you and Anne, I'm sure we can talk about it. Honestly, I'm a little nervous to meet Anne, I know the last thing she said to me was that she didn't want to be friends anymore because of what happened at the dance—" At that moment, Sasha started laughing, catching Luz off guard.
"Oh right, the dance," said Sasha. "See, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Here you are trying to help me, and you have no clue."
"No clue about what?" asked Luz, not understanding what Sasha was talking about.
"You're too nice, Luz, saying we're friends and all," said Sasha, catching Luz off guard.
"We are friends!" insisted Luz, though she added, "Aren't we?"
"I don't know, Luz," began Sasha. "I wonder if you would still want to be my friend if you knew the truth?"
"The truth about what?!" asked Luz, clearly not understanding what Sasha was getting at.
"No way!" exclaimed Gustav. "So Braddock, you and my dad are together now?"
"Yeah, we were about to be eaten by herons when your dad confessed his feelings of love for me," said Braddock, remembering the incident with fondness.
"Ahh, that's good to hear," said Gustav, offering his encouragement. "So anyway, Dad, what's going on with this encampment? I thought you said the toads wanted to build a new tower."
"Oh, right," answered Percy. "Well, you see… The thing is… I'm not quite sure how to put this…"
"Wait, Percy, you haven't told him yet?" asked Braddock, concern in her voice. "I thought you were going to tell him on your way back from Uodeela's?"
"Well, something came up," said Percy. "We had to bring along another human, and I thought it just didn't seem like the right time."
"What are you talking about, Dad?" asked Gustav, concern in his voice.
"So, Gustav," began Percy, "you know how toads are expected to serve so many years in the army?"
Gustav nodded.
"Well, a big part of that army's job is to collect the taxes that are owed by the towns in our territory," explained Percy. "We collect the taxes and deliver them to Newtopia. Of course, we get to keep some of it for ourselves."
"Yeah, okay," said Gustav.
"Well, you see, the problem is that Uodeela has been stealing the taxes from Grime and his soldiers," began Percy, before being interrupted by Gustav.
"But Dad, Uodeela said that you helped her by giving her the collection schedule."
Percy quickly moved to "Shhh!" Gustav.
"What?!" exclaimed Braddock. "Percy, you gave Uodeela the tax collection schedule?! Do you know what Grime would do to you if he knew?"
"Look, son," explained Percy, trying to get back on track, "Uodeela offered to train you if I helped her with that, and I figured it was a chance to get you away from the tower, so it seemed like a win-win scenario. But Grime has had enough of Uodeela stealing from him. Not only that but since we lost the tower, he and Sasha have made plans to build a new one… in Tadpole Pond."
"What?" said Gustav, not sure he quite understood what was happening. "Dad, there isn't room to build a tower in Tadpole Pond. You'd have to tear down all the houses and buildings there."
"Well, yes, you would have to, and that's what Grime intends to do," said Braddock.
"Does he really think Uodeela is just going to let him do that?" asked Gustav. But as he said that, his mind was slowly starting to put everything together. "Wait, a second… Is that why we're camped out here? I thought it was odd that it didn't take long to get from Uodeela's house to here, but that's because Grime is planning on attacking Uodeela!"
"Listen, son," said Percy, trying to calm Gustav down. "I tried not to tell you about the more unpleasant aspects of what we do, but you're getting older now. At some point, Grime is going to expect you to serve in the army, and you'll have to do what he tells you."
"Why?" yelled Gustav. "You obviously hate it, Dad! Is that why so many others hate us? Because we're just muscle for the Newtopian elites?! Helping them get rich and keeping everyone else poor?! Do those taxes we collect actually do anything to help the people who pay them?"
Percy didn't respond, but his silence was enough of an answer for Gustav.
"Listen, Gustav," said Braddock, putting a hand on him, "I know you've had it rough with the other toads, but hey, you learned how to make potions, right? Maybe you can use your brains to help us out with the invasion."
"Are you serious?" said Gustav, removing her hand from his shoulder. "I just spent four months with Uodeela and, by extension, the people of Tadpole Pond, and you want me to help you conquer them?"
"Gustav, we're toads," said Percy. "This is what we do."
"Is this what you want to do, Dad?" asked Gustav.
Percy again hesitated, not answering his son, though Braddock spoke up.
"It's what Grime wants us to do," she said in a loud voice. "Well, actually, now that I think about it, Grime didn't actually want to fight Uodeela. It was Sasha who convinced him that it would be a good idea."
"Wait, a minute! Sasha is the one who came up with this plan?" said Gustav in shock. "As in Luz's friend, Sasha?"
"Well, that is the only Sasha we know," said Percy. "But yeah, it was her."
"Luz is in trouble then. I have to find her," said Gustav, rushing off to find Luz.
"Gustav, wait! Come back!" called Percy.
Luz couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sasha had just confessed what she had done to her the night of that dance.
"No! It's not true! Why?" she exclaimed as she absorbed this information.
"Because I saw how you were looking at Anne," said Sasha. "I saw how you were crushing on her. You were going to take Anne away from me!"
"Take her away from you? Are you insane, Sasha?!" asked Luz, anger beginning to build up in her.
"If you and Anne ended up together, well, what would happen to me?" asked Sasha. "I wouldn't be Anne's best friend anymore."
"And that made it okay for you to traumatize me?!" asked Luz indignantly. "I spent the rest of that night crying in the bathroom!"
"Hey, let's be real here! What happened at the dance was partly your fault, too!" yelled Sasha. "All I did was suggest that you dance with Anne, and it's your own fault you acted the way you did."
"I—" began Luz, but her words got caught in her throat. She paused before continuing, "Actually, you're right. It was my fault."
Sasha was surprised to hear Luz say that.
"I messed up," continued Luz. "It was wrong to kiss Anne without permission, and I understand that now. The whole reason I'm nervous about meeting her is that I don't know if she'll forgive me, but I have to try to make things right with her."
"And what if she says she still doesn't want to be friends with you?" asked Sasha.
"Then I'll accept that," said Luz firmly, "but I have to at least apologize." Luz paused and looked at Sasha, who seemed to be holding back tears.
"Sasha, please come with me!" begged Luz one more time. "If you say you're sorry, I'll forgive you for what you did to me, and we can be friends again. We can go find Anne together."
At that moment, Gustav burst back into the tent. "Luz, we have to get out of here! The toads are planning to attack Tadpole Pond!"
Luz looked at Gustav.
"Oh, you knew that already?" he said sheepishly. At that point, though, he was suddenly grabbed by a large female toad.
"Little Gustav, still weak after all this time," said a rough female voice. "Guess whatever training your dad sent you off on has made you even softer."
"Fens!" said Gustav, identifying the toad. "Nice to see you," he said sarcastically. Behind her, two other toads entered the tent. Luz recognized Grime but didn't know the other one, a burly red toad.
"Seems like we have a problem here, lieutenant," observed Grime.
"No, there's no problem here," said Percy, running into the tent out of breath. "My son was just joking. He doesn't know what he's saying."
"He was going to go back and warn Uodeela about our invasion," bellowed Grime, "and the human was going to go with him." He suddenly pointed at Luz. The red toad moved to where she was and grabbed ahold of her.
"Hey, let me go!" screamed Luz.
"No, I don't think so, Luz," said Sasha, advancing on Luz. "We can't have you going back to warn anyone. Bog, Fens, take them to the prison tent. I'll deal with them later," commanded Sasha.
"We could save some trouble if we just ended 'em here," suggested Fens, raising her club above Luz's head.
"No!" declared Percy, rushing forward to try to place himself between Fens and his son. "Gustav, please just say you didn't mean any of it! Grime, please don't hurt my son! I'm sure he didn't mean any of it."
"Yes, I did!" said Gustav defiantly. "Let me go, and I'll go and warn Uodeela about your invasion plan."
"Well, that seems like enough of a reason to not let you go then," said Grime. "I am a bit curious about why you seem so concerned about that witch." Grime shifted his focus from Gustav to Percy. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, Percy?"
"Uhhh, no, I… don't know what you're talking about," said Percy nervously.
Grime turned his attention back to Gustav. "As for you, well, you've always been a disappointment, Gustav, but maybe we can find a use for you. An army needs pawns, after all. Let's see how much defiance you have left when you're on the front lines. Fens here is taking point in the battle tomorrow, and she has very effective ways to discipline unruly soldiers."
Fens glared at Gustav and raised her club.
"So we have another human here," said Grime, looking at Luz. "I take it you know this one too?"
"Yeah, I do," confirmed Sasha. "She and I used to be friends, but I won't make the same mistake I made with Anne. Take her away!"
With that, the red toad led Luz and Gustav out of the tent and to another, where he tied them up against a post.
"I'm impressed, lieutenant," declared Grime. "It's good that you've taken care of the problem now instead of trying to win her over."
"Yeah, I knew it would be a lost cause," answered Sasha. "Luz is too nice, so there's no way she'll support our invasion. But enough of that. Let's finalize our battle plan!"
Meanwhile, in Sasha's tent, Gustav and Luz were tied together against a post and struggling to break free.
"I can't believe what Sasha's doing," said Luz.
"I can't believe my dad's going along with this. I thought he was different," said Gustav.
"Guess we both had a rude awakening today," said Luz bitterly.
"Still, we have to get out of here. We have to warn Uodeela!" said Gustav. With that, he began struggling against his bonds, but to no avail. Luz began squirming, trying to wriggle free, but couldn't manage it.
"Sure could use a knife right about now," said Luz.
"I might be able to help with that," said a voice. Luz turned and saw Sasha entering the tent with a small knife in her hands.
"What are you doing here?" asked Luz.
"What does it look like?" replied Sasha. "I'm helping you escape."
"Are you serious right now?" asked Luz indignantly.
Sasha used the knife to cut through the ropes, freeing both Gustav and Luz. "Yeah, actually, I am. Now follow me. I'll lead you out of the camp."
Luz and Gustav followed Sasha, and before long, they had left the camp behind. Suddenly, though, Sasha stopped.
"This is as far as I go," she said. "I have to go back to the camp."
"What?!" exclaimed Luz and Gustav at the same time.
"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't abandon the toads. I was the one who came up with the idea to invade Tadpole Pond and build a new base there, and the toads want to punish Uodeela for stealing from them. I have to see it through but listen, you don't have to get hurt for that."
She came up to Luz and took her hands in her own, staring directly into her eyes.
"Listen, Luz, you were planning on leaving with Uodeela. Just go."
"What?!" said Luz, not sure how to respond to this.
"Just leave. If you leave tonight before we invade the town, you can be out of harm's way. Here, I can give you a map to show you the way. You don't need Uodeela to guide you there. Go to Wartwood and find Anne. You'll be safe there. And listen, Luz… For what it's worth, I am sorry about what happened at the dance. I know that might not mean much now, but…" said Sasha, struggling to hold back tears.
"Sasha," began Luz slowly, not sure what else to say to her.
"You don't have to get hurt, please! I'm begging you! Just go to Wartwood and forget about Uodeela and the town," said Sasha.
"Sasha, I can't do that!" said Luz firmly. "I can't just abandon someone who has basically become a second mother to me."
"Do you think she's a better mother than your real one?" asked Sasha.
"You can't honestly expect me to compare them!" said Luz.
"I can understand how you feel, though," began Sasha. "Grime has been a much better father figure than my real dad. That's why I can't abandon him! Luz, Gustav, just go!" With that, Sasha turned away from them, almost as though she was trying to turn a blind eye. Sasha was feeling a plethora of emotions after her conversation with Luz, and it felt so overwhelming, almost as though she would burst.
Luz wasn't sure what to do. She reached out her hand and attempted to put it on Sasha's shoulder to comfort her, but before she could, Sasha ran back towards the camp, and although Luz couldn't see it, there were tears streaming down her face. Not sure of what else she could do, Luz and Gustav fled, and they kept running until they were far enough away from the camp that they could no longer see it. As the darkness surrounded them, Luz drank one of her elixirs and summoned a large orb to light their way. She and Gustav kept running until they made it back to Uodeela's house.
"So, your son and the human have escaped," said Grime, staring hard at Percy.
"Um, well, maybe they went for a walk and will be back soon," said Percy innocently.
Grime put his hand to his face and shook his head.
"It's no matter," said Sasha, coming into view. "Even if they warn Uodeela, we should have more than enough toads to deal with her."
"I hope you're right, lieutenant," growled Grime. "Our attack was supposed to be a surprise, though I doubt the town can put up much of a defense. Still, the fact that your son is causing us trouble means you need to be punished, Percy."
"Hey, it's not his fault," said Braddock, jumping to Percy's defense. "You shouldn't punish Percy for something his son did."
"I'm the one in charge, Braddock!" yelled Grime. "I'll decide how things work, but since you seem so eager to defend your boyfriend, you can share in the pain."
Braddock thought about responding but decided to bite her tongue.
"In any case," continued Grime, "the two of you are on latrine duty. It will be long, grueling, unpleasant work that you'll likely be up all night doing, so the one upside is you won't be part of the battle tomorrow. Once you're done with latrine duty, you can stay here and guard the camp."
"We do need a rear guard for the camp anyway, Grime, so good call there," said Sasha. "And trust me, the fact that Gustav got away won't help much. If anything, I bet it will make Uodeela overconfident if she thinks she can beat us."
"I hope you're right. I'm still curious as to how they escaped, though. I thought you were going to go check on them," said Grime to Sasha.
"I was," responded Sasha, "but by the time I got there, they were already gone."
"Hmmm, I wonder," mused Grime.
"What is it?" asked Sasha.
"Nothing," said Grime. "We should probably get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day."
"For sure," said Sasha, as she made her way back to her tent. "See you in the morning, Grimesy!"
Once Sasha was alone in her tent, she finally sighed, mentally trying to unpack everything that had happened. She sat down on her bed, rubbing her face with her hands. She was feeling so many different emotions that she eventually began talking to herself.
You shouldn't have let them go, she said to herself
I didn't want Luz to get hurt, she replied
You know she won't take your advice, said her thoughts. She'll probably stay and try to fight you.
If she does, then I'll deal with her then.
Will you?
Yes! I said I would!
Somehow, I doubt you'll be able to.
After arriving at the house, Luz and Gustav gathered Uodeela, Lily, and Amara into the living room and told them everything they had learned. All of them had grim expressions on their face as the tale came to an end.
"So that's why Percy wanted me to leave," said Uodeela. "He wanted me out of the way so Grime and his army could march into Tadpole Pond unopposed."
"I want to think that my dad actually cared about your safety," said Gustav, "but I'm not so sure."
Uodeela looked at Gustav. "I'm sure in his own way, he was trying to help me."
"I don't know," said Gustav, "but I learned some things tonight… Uodeela, is it true that the toads act as enforcers for Newtopia? That they collect taxes from the various towns for the elites? Is that what my father… Is that what my whole species does?"
Uodeela paused for a long time before answering, "So, your father told you the truth?"
Gustav nodded his head.
"Unfortunately, yes, it's true. All of it," answered Uodeela solemnly.
"When you say they gather taxes for the elites, do you mean… the newts?" asked Amara hesitantly.
"Not all the newts," said Uodeela, "just the ones who have connections. It's a very small exclusive club that gets to essentially live a life of luxury at the expense of everyone else, I'm afraid. But don't worry, Amara, your parents are most certainly part of it."
Amara hung her head in shame, not sure how to handle this revelation.
"Uodeela, why didn't you tell us?" asked Amara angrily.
"What did you want me to say?" asked Uodeela. "That your parents are part of the reason Amphibia is such a mess? That it would be better if they weren't alive?"
"Why do the toads do this?" asked Gustav, almost desperately looking for an answer. "It's not like we're any better off for being enforcers for the newts. It feels like we're getting the short end of the stick. We don't get to live a life of luxury like the newts, and we're hated by the frogs because of what we do."
"I'm afraid there is no simple answer to that, Gustav," said Uodeela. "Your statement is very logical and yet not many toads see it that way. To most of them, getting the chance to push around the frogs makes them feel that they are 'better.' Plus, since most toads like violence anyway, being enforcers gives them a chance to act out their aggression against the frogs."
"But how can they not see how they're being taken advantage of?" asked Gustav.
"Look, Gustav," said Uodeela, "when I first started living out in the wilds, I tried to reason with some toads. I tried pointing out many of the same things you're saying, but very few of them would listen. The thing is, for them to realize there's a problem, they'd have to admit that they've been wrong and that's hard for a lot of them to do."
"So that's how my parents have the life they have?" asked Amara.
"Listen, you two," said Uodeela to Gustav and Amara, "this doesn't mean anything. So now you know the truth about what your parents do, but you are not your parents. Or rather, you don't have to be like your parents if you don't want to be. And Gustav, for what it's worth, your dad did try to get me to leave, so I'll give him points for that."
Gustav and Amara perked up on hearing this.
"What matters now is getting you all out of here as soon as possible," said Uodeela. "Amara, if you take Gustav and Lilly with you, you should be able to make your way back to Newtopia within a few days. Luz, I think you'll have to go alone to Wartwood, and you'll have to start tonight—"
"No!" said Luz firmly. "I'm not leaving you!"
"Luz, this isn't open for discussion," said Uodeela firmly. "I can't just let you stay when there might be a very real possibility of you getting killed."
"I'd rather be killed than abandon you," said Luz fiercely. "Listen, Uodeela, you took me in when I was a lost child wandering alone in Amphibia. You cared for me, taught me magic, and are even helping me get home. What kind of person would I be if I abandoned you? I couldn't live with myself knowing I wasn't there when you needed me."
Before Uodeela could respond, Lilly jumped in, "Listen, Master, I know what you've been doing in trying to stop the toads. I know you and my dad are working together in some sort of rebellion. I know my dad didn't want me to know about it to try to keep me safe, but now I have a chance to help you. I know it's what my dad would do and… I know it's what my mom would do too." Lilly trailed off the last bit, remembering what had happened to her mom.
"I promised your dad I would keep you safe," said Uodeela to Lilly. "What do you think he would do to me if he found out I let you participate in a battle?"
"I know what you promised my dad," said Lilly, "but I also know that this is my chance to do something that will help. You and my dad are risking so much in fighting the toads, so it's time for me to help, too."
As Lilly finished speaking, Gustav came up to join her, "I don't care what my dad or any other toads think. What they're doing is wrong. If you are going to fight against Grime and his army, then I am with you."
"Gustav, you realize your father may well be part of the army?" asked Uodeela. "Are you certain you're prepared to face him on a battlefield?"
Gustav thought for a moment before replying, "Yes, I am."
Finally, Amara stepped forward. "Luz, Lilly, Gustav, the three of you have become the first real friends I've ever had. Over these past few weeks, I see what I was missing in my life. And if you all will stand with Uodeela against the toads, then I will stand with you!"
"We aren't leaving you, Master," said Luz. "So what's the plan?"
Uodeela looked over at her apprentices and smiled. While logic told her that she should still refuse their help and send them somewhere safe, she was secretly glad that they had decided to stay of their own volition. She couldn't be prouder of them!
"Alright then," began Uodeela. "If you're determined to stay, then we need to come up with a plan of attack, or rather a defense since defending the town will be the smarter and safer course of action. But before any of that, let me give you all something!" With that, Uodeela ran down to the basement. A few minutes later, she returned with four bottles of elixir.
"Each of you take a bottle of the Elixir of Life," she said, handing it to all four students. "I swear on my mother that I followed the instructions and brewed it correctly. If the worst should happen, then this elixir will save you from death. Keep an eye on each other out there tomorrow, and if something happens… well, you know what to do."
The students each took a bottle and stared at it, the implication of what it was for leaning heavily on their minds.
"Next, let's head into town and get everyone up," began Uodeela. "We need to spend as much time as we have building traps and defense to keep the town safe. The townspeople may not be soldiers, but you'd be surprised at how effective a group of angry citizens can be when pushed to the limit. Alright, troops. Move out!"
As they were leaving, Uodeela pulled Luz aside.
"Listen, Luz," she began, "I don't know what may happen tomorrow, but are you sure you want to stay? At the end of the day, this whole fight with the toads is an amphibian problem and not something you as a being from another world need to concern yourself with. Last chance to change your mind."
Luz listened to what Uodeela was saying but didn't change her mind. "I hear what you're saying, but Sasha is a part of my world, and it was her idea to invade the town. So, in a way, it is my fault. Maybe not directly, but indirectly, so it isn't just an amphibian problem."
"Alright then," said Uodeela. "If that's your decision, then let's go and prepare. We have a long day ahead of us…"