"Hardships prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary life."
– C.S. Lewi
One month before she caused herself, Marcy, Sasha, and Frank to be trapped in the world of Amphibia, Anne was walking down the road, letting out a sigh as she walked behind two other girls from her class. It was a long day of school with so many tests and teachers that got on her back for not paying attention during their lessons. It's not her fault that their lessons were boring! They should update the class so that people like her can understand it better.
Anne was just minding her own business, texting on her phone to her friends when the girls in front of her stopped all of a sudden.
One of the girls gasped with her hand over her mouth. "Oh my gosh, is that Frank Ramirez?"
Anne gasped and looked up when she heard that name. Frank? The same Frank she still remembered? Looking in the direction of the girls, Anne saw them staring at something across the street. She turned her head and her eyes widened.
There he was, walking down the other sidewalk across the road, was Frank Ramirez. The Hispanic boy that she and her friends abandoned long ago. His blue hat and brown hair covered his eyes as he walked alone down the sidewalk. Not looking up for anything.
"Oh my gosh, that's really him! I thought he was thrown in juvy," the other girl said. "Didn't he attack that owner of that new shoe brand?"
"I heard about that! It's awful what he did…."
Anne drowned them out as she watched her former walking away. Unable to believe what she was hearing. Frank, one of the nicest boys she's met, got sent to juvenile detention? It's been so many years since she last talked to him, yet would catch sight of him on occasions after she ended things with him. On very few occasions, they would share a glance, before Frank would bitterly look away. But just from looking at him now, even from far away, Anne couldn't help but think how miserable and lonely he appeared to be.
Anne was about to walk across the street and talk to him when her phone pinged. She looked at it, seeing that it was Sasha. She wanted Anne to meet her at the arcade, now.
Having no other option, Anne turned her back on Frank once again and walked away.
And now, Anne's back together with Frank. The same friend she, Marcy, and Sasha turned their backs on. Now trapped in another world, they're forced to work together to survive and try and rebuild their old friendship.
On this day, both she and Frank were accompanying Hop Pop to the Grub & Go. As Frank walked behind Hop Pop, Anne walked behind him. Staring at the back of his head with a conflicted expression. Anne never personally asked Frank about the rumors. Because that's all they were to her. Rumors. There was no way that the sweet little boy that was all timid and shy, while also brave and courageous, would have been sent to juvenile detention.
Then again, she was the one that ended their friendship.
It made Anne hate herself when realizing that she could have been there for him. She loved Marcy and Sasha, for they were like the sisters she never had. But being with Frank and rediscovering how much she enjoyed his company made Anne realize just how much of a mistake they made to just abandon him.
She'll have to talk to both girls when or if she reunites with them. But for now, Anne was happy to see Frank smiling and having a good time.
"Oh!" Anne stopped out of her thoughts when she saw Hop Pop stop. "Pill bugs are on sale."
"Great! We can have them with the meat from that giant chicken me and Anne killed," Frank said with a grin. "All I need to do is find the right seasoning for the meat."
"Ooh! I'll come with you. I wanna grab some of that beetle jerky I like," Anne said. The girl had to pause for a moment, with Frank even looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, can't believe I just said that, too."
"Okay, kiddos. See ya outside," Hop Pop said before the kids walked off. He then just threw all of the pill bugs into the cart.
As they walked down the aisle, Anne looked at her friend and blushed a little. "You're really stepping up as the chef of the house, huh?" she commented.
"Well, someone's gotta," Frank said bashfully as he looked at some of the spices on sale. "Especially with how Hop Pop cooks. We can't always eat fish, so I'm trying to learn how to cook other foods. I wonder if I can make chilaquiles in this world. Oh, score!"
He grabbed a single bag of beetle jerky from the shelf. The only one that was on the shelf.
"Here you go, Anne," he said, turning to her. "The last of the–"
All of a sudden, Wally shot his tongue out at the bag and grabbed it out of Frank's hand. The two kids looked at the frog as he pulled his tongue back and grabbed the jerky with his hand.
"Hey, what the hell! That was totally our, Wally," Frank said angrily.
"Didn't see your names on it, scarecrows," He said to them before guffawing and hopping off.
"Hey! Don't call me a scarecrow," Anne said, shaking her fist at him. However, she was hit in the back of her legs. The two kids looked back to see that it was Mrs. Croaker that rammed into her.
"Hey! Move your big behind, scarecrow. Croaker needs her cookies," she said, repeatedly ramming Anne with her cart.
"You can go around her." Frank frowned at her. The old frog was going to retort at him, but then she saw it was the boy that said it. Seeing the way that he was staring at her seemed to frighten Mrs. Croaker a little, because she silently took his advice and went around Frank and Anne.
With a sigh, Frank grabbed Anne's arm and pulled her along. "Come on, let's just go," he said, wanting to leave the store and go home. Even after all this time that he's spent in the village and being around the frogs of Wartwood, it all remains the same. They still feared him, and they still didn't respect him or Anne.
"My behind's not big. I'm big. Technically, it's to scale," Anne grumbled to herself.
"Don't let them get to you, Anne," Frank said, trying to calm her down. However, he didn't notice the water on the floor in front of him. When Frank stepped on it, the water caused him to slip and fall down onto the ground.
"Hey! Didn't you see the sign, scarecrow?" the teenage frog that was mopping the floor said, pointing to the wet floor sign near Frank.
"Classic, clumsy scarecrow," laughed Felicia.
The villages inside of the store joined in and laughed at Frank. The young man flushed red with embarrassment, but wasn't going to let them get to him. Anne, on the other hand, looked quite embarrassed as she helped Frank on his feet. She then pulled Frank along and the two walked out of the store.
Frank and Anne walked over to Bessie, where the Plantars were waiting for them. When Sprig saw them walking towards them, he greeted them. "So did you get the beetle jerky–"
"No." Frank simply answered, before grabbing his sword from the side of Bessie's saddle. He left his weapons with the snail as they weren't allowed in the store.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Sprig, seeing the frown on their faces.
Anne sighed sadly. "Well, it's just...We've been here over a month now, and the townspeople still treat me and Frank crappy. I just wish they were a little nicer."
"Oh, that's just the way these frogs are," Hop Pop explained to the kids. "Slow to accept, and even slower to respect. It's actually our town motto." He pointed over the stone arch gate of the town, which had a wooden sign with the motto edged into it.
"At least everyone's not afraid of you, Anne," Frank said, placing his shield on his back.
"How are you not bothered how they treat us," Anne asked.
"Trust me, I am. I just don't let it bother me." Frank said, even though it was a lie. "There's always going to be people that'll say mean things about us because we're different. But that's because they don't know a thing about us. At least we'll still have each other, and that's all that really matters, right?"
Anne smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Frank. You're a really good guy," she said. That compliment warmed Frank's heart as he smiled back at her.
"You'll find a way to get their respect, in your own weird Frank and Anne way," Hop Pop said. "Now, who wants pill bug pancakes?"
"Oh, hell yeah!" Frank cheered.
"My favorite!" Anne exclaimed as she and Frank high-fived with big grins. But then the two stopped grinning and looked a little disturbed.
"We've been here too long," Frank whispered.
Frank hooked the cart of fruits and vegetables on the back of Bessie before walking over to the side of the snail. Squatting down, he cupped his hands together and nodded for Anne to come over. The young girl stepped on his hand and Frank helped her up by lifting her foot. In turn, Anne offered him her hand, which Frank grabbed before Anne pulled him up.
The two sat together as Hop Pop drove the snail through the town square. As they started making their way back towards the farm, they passed by a rather bizarre statue of Toadstool. The statue depicted the mayor kissing a tadpole who was being held up by a young frog.
"Well, that statue's new," Hop Pop said.
"And tasteless," Sprig commented.
"I'll say," Frank added. "Talk about a massive ego for a mayor of a small town. No offense."
"No, it's okay," Polly said. "We know what we're about."
All of a sudden, Bessie stopped and started chirping in a loud, panic-like manner. Anne and Frank quickly hopped off and came around to the front of the Plantar's snail.
"Whoa, whoa, girl. Easy. What's wrong?" Anne asked the animal as she rubbed Bessie's neck. Soothing the snail and calming her down. Frank looked around as for what might have caused Bessie to freak out. It was then that he looked towards the road leading out of town and he saw his answer.
Arriving into town on a tarantula-drawn wagon were a group of unknown frogs. However, these weren't frogs. They were toads.
The one that was driving the wagon was a large toad with red skin and an orange underbelly. He had a crest of horn-like protrusions on the top of his head. He, like his comrades, wore metal armor with leather pauldrons and a silver frog's foot emblem across his right shoulder. The frog's foot was the symbol for all of Amphibia.
Behind him sat a green female toad with a light green underbelly. She had grass-colored hair with a feather tied in a braid with a headband and wore armor like the other toad soldiers.
Next to her was a light-green toad with armor, just like his fellow companions. His face was hidden by a large frog-shaped helmet.
But the one that caught Frank's attention the most was a toad that walked alongside the wagon. Compared to the others, this toad was massive! He was much taller than Frank and Anne, with charcoal skin with a lighter underbelly. Just like the red toad, he had a crest of horn-like protrusions. He was unarmored across his bare chest and stomach, but wore plated pauldrons and bracers on his arms and sported leather armor around his waist to protect his upper legs and hips. In his hand and resting on his shoulder was a large war hammer with a blade on the back of it.
When the wagon came to a stop, the smaller toads jumped off as the large toad cracked his neck. "Ah, that felt good," he said with a satisfied smile. The toad then looked at the mayor's office and growled. He slammed the head of his hammer into the ground and bellowed. "TOADSTOOL! GET OUT HERE!"
The doors to the building quickly opened and Toadstool quickly rushed out with Toadie following behind him. "Lieutenant Tartarus! You're here," the mayor said with a very nervous expression. "I-I didn't know that they'd send you."
"I'm always sent," Tartarus said with a raised eyebrow.
Mayor Toadstool laughed nervously before nudging his assistant. "Toadie, give 'em the list," he hissed. Toadie then presented the toad with said list.
"Who are those guys," Frank asked.
"Toads from Toad Tower," Hop Pop said with great distrust aimed towards them. Especially Tartarus. "They rule over the entire valley."
"Toad what?" Anne asked in confusion.
Luckily for her, Sprig had an answer. He pulled out a map of the valley and showed it to her and Frank. "It's a big, scary tower deep in the swamp, and the toads that live there are the valley's fiercest warriors," Sprig said as he pointed to where the tower was on the map.
"Whoa! Cool," Anne said with a smile.
"Cool, yes. But they can be a rough and violent sort," Hop Pop said. "It's probably for the best that we all stay clear of–" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Frank, Anne, and Sprig walking off towards the toads. "Oh, dang it. There they go."
The three friends walked up to Tartarus and his toads as they gathered their weapons. "Hey, guys. So, you're from Toad Tower?" Sprig asked the red toad.
"Sure are, runt," said the toad, named Bog. Tartarus didn't pay attention to them, only reading the list that he was given.
Sprig laughed. "My name's Sprig, actually."
"Uh-huh. Yeah, sure," Bog said, looking over his shoulder at Sprig. But when he laid eyes on Frank and Anne he was startled. "Whoa! What is that?" Bringing the attention of the other toads to them. "It's some kind of gangly new critter I've never seen before."
Frank looked at his arms. "Hey!" He yelled, offended.
"I wonder what they taste like," the female toad, Fens, said.
"Sorry, lady, but we're not on the menu," Frank said as he pulled out his shield and sword. Sprig pulled out his slingshot and Anne pulled out her bow and arrow. "Now stay back, or else."
"Is that a challenge?" Fens asked, pulling out a spiked mace from her back. She let out a battle cry and charged at them.
However, Frank was more than ready for her. He waited for when Fens brought her arm back to take the first swing, then he enacted his counterattack. Just as she swung her mace at him, Frank bashed the weapon away with his shield. Caught off guard, Fens wasn't able to do anything when Frank used the edge of the shield to hit her in the face. Sending her on her back.
Frank looked at Fens in surprise for a moment before smiling. However, that brief sense of pride was cut when a dark shadow came over him. With wide eyes, Frank looked up and saw Tartarus standing over him with his war hammer in hand.
The lieutenant growled as he stared down at Frank. The young man gulped, fearing that he might have to fight him. However, to his shock, Tartarus chuckled before letting out bellowing laughs. This was joined by Bog as Fens got up. Her face has a red line across it from the shield.
"Impressive, creature. No one has been able to knock over one of my subordinates like that," Tartarus said with a giant grin.
"I'll say! That was awesome," Fens said with a smile.
"Well met, creatures. I don't know what you two are, but you both got fire in ya," Bog said before he and the others turned and left.
Frank sighed in relief. However, Anne felt a sense of pride when Bog said that about them. It was perhaps the first time that anyone in Wartwood, other than Frank and the Plantars, showed her a sense of respect. Sprig, however, was not a fan of the Toads.
"Okay, kids," Hop Pop said, rolling up to them on Bessie. "That's enough flirting with death. Let's head home."
"Blech, finally. Come on, Anne," Sprig said, turning and walking away with Frank following him.
But then Anne asked, "I was thinking we could hang out with these guys a little longer. They seem pretty cool."
"No way, Anne," Frank said, turning to her with a stern look. "You're not going anywhere near those guys."
"Excuse me?" Anne raised an eyebrow.
"We don't know a single thing about these guys, Anne," Frank said. "They attacked us, and not to mention that guy's giving me the creeps." He pointed to the armored toad, who breathed heavily in his helmet.
"Wait a second. Are you jealous I think they're cool?" Anne asked with a smirk.
"What? No," replied Frank.
"You are! You totally are jelly!" Anne said, pointing at him with a big grin.
"I am not jealous!"
"Jelly!"
"Not jelly! I…I-I peanut butter!"
"Well, if you're jelly, then why not join me," Anne said with a smug smirk.
"Yeah? Well, maybe I will!" Frank yelled at her. He looked smugly back at her for a moment. However, the moment was only very believable, as he quickly realized what Anne had just done. "Wait, I take that back."
"Too late. No, take backs." Anne grabbed his arm and pulled him along as she walked over the toads.
"Okay. But don't dally too long, you two," said Hop Pop.
"I'm eating your pancakes," Polly said as she, Sprig, and their grandpa rode off to the farm.
"You better not!" Frank yelled, before following Anne as she approached the toads.
"Hey. I didn't get a chance to ask your–" Anne was interrupted when Tartarus shoved a crate of weapons into her chest.
"I am Tartarus, proud lieutenant and second in command of Toad Tower," the large toad said with a grin that showed off his sharp teeth. He then pointed to his subordinates. "This is Bog. The silent one there is Mire. And Fens here you've already met."
"I'm Anne, and this is Frank," Anne said, still holding up the crate.
"So, what are you guys doing in Wartwood?" Frank asked with his arms crossed.
"Every year, this town sends taxes to the tower," Tartarus said, setting his hammer down on top of its head and pulling out the list Toadstool gave him. "Well, this year, they came up short. So, the Mayor gave us this list of frogs who didn't pay and we're just here to collect."
"Say, we could use someone like you two," Bog said, pointing at the two humans.
Frank and Anne looked at one another with surprised looks. "Really?" the boy asked.
"Yeah. You've got inside knowledge of this town. It'll make the whole job go a lot smoother," Bog said with a smirk.
Tartarus thought for a moment and grinned. "An excellent idea, Bog. So, what do you say, you too?" He asked, pulling out two badges and offering them to the humans.
Frank shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no," he said. "I'm not sure any of this is our business. Let's go, Anne."
However, before Anne could set the crate she was still holding up, Tartarus said, "You know, the best part of wearing this badge is how everyone in this town will have to treat you with respect."
Anne instantly dropped the crate and held out her hand. "Gimme that ding-dang thing!"
"Wait, what?!" Frank exclaimed in total shock.
"Excellent!" Tartarus exclaimed with a happy smile. He then tossed her the badge, which she caught in her hands. "Here's your badge. And everything you'll need." He then handed her a metal pauldron and a sword.
Overjoyed and excited, Anne rushed off towards the Plantar farm. "Anne! Wait!" Frank called out, before chasing after her.
When Anne got back to the house, she burst through the door and entered the home. Now wearing her new armor and sword. "Guess who became a Toad Tower deputy!" She exclaimed.
"What?!" Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly all exclaimed in shock, as well as being appalled.
A moment later, Frank came rushing in after Anne, wheezing and out of breath. "Damn, girl…how are you so fast?" He asked in exhaustion.
"Also, check out this cool sword Tartarus gave me," Anne said before drawing her sword. She swung it around and would have almost sliced the coat hanger, if it wasn't for Frank blocking her sword with his own.
"Anne, what the hell are you thinking?" He asked, sheathing his long sword. "You can't be serious about going around with those guys."
"Frank's right, Anne," Hop Pop said with a disapproving frown. "When I said to earn the town's respect, I didn't mean join Tartarus. He's a warmonger and his gang is just as bad as him!"
Anne, however, scoffed at his warning. "I don't believe this. They're not a gang. They're just here to do a job. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some respect to enjoy."
Before she could leave, Frank blocked her path and said, "Anne, don't do this. I've seen their kind before. I've dealt with gangs before, and these guys are just like them."
With a sigh, Anne placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Look, Frank, I appreciate your concern, but this is a big opportunity for me. I can finally get respect from the people of this town. Not just for me, but also for you. I know what you've…" Anne stopped herself, not wanting Frank to know what she knew. Because she doesn't know the full extent of what he went through. "I know what you're feeling, Frank. I know that you don't like how people are treating you. They treat you like a monster, and I don't like that. Sure, you're rough around the edges, but you're the sweetest guy I've ever met. So, please, let me do this. I can take care of myself."
Frank frowned as he looked into her eyes, however, he couldn't help but smile with Anne's concern for him. In the end, he sighed in defeat and stepped to the side. "Just be careful around them, Anne. And don't become like them," he said.
Anne nodded and left the house. Closing the door behind her as Frank walked over to the couch and sat down on it. In his mind, he was praying that Anne would be smart and not do anything to get herself into trouble.
All of a sudden, Sprig jumped onto the back of the couch and opened the doors. "Uh, Sprig, what are you doing?" Frank asked.
"Come on, Frank. You've got a bad feeling about this, right?" Sprig said with narrow eyes. "We've gotta go follow Anne and watch over her."
"That's all well and good, but can you at least use the front door?" Hop Pop asked with a frown.
"...No." Sprig then crawled up the wall and out of the window.
"Ah, screw it," Frank said. He got up and jumped out of the window. Going after Sprig to watch over his friend.
The first place that Anne and the toads came across was none other than Wally's small home. As the wagon pulled up to the house, Tartarus walked in front of the others with a grin.
"All right. First name on the list," he said, holding up the list.
He, the other toads, and Anne walked up to the front door as the human girl asked, "So, how does this work? Do we remind Wally how much he owes or–"
Tartarus pushed her aside and lifted up his war hammer. With a wicked grin and a malevolent chuckle, he swung it with all his strength and slammed into the front door. Destroying it and a large portion of the front wall. Wally, who was taking a bath, screamed when this happened. When the dust settled, Tartarus lowered his head and then stepped into the house with a bloodthirsty grin.
"Jumping June bugs! What's all this about?" Wally yelled as Anne and the toads entered.
"I, uh, guess you owe the town money?" Anne said, still quite startled by the way Tartarus casually just destroyed the kooky frog's home.
"Rubbish. I may live in squalor, but I always pay my taxes." Wally said adamantly with his arms crossed. All while chicken bugs scrambled about the house.
"The mayor's list says otherwise," Tartarus said, holding up the list. "You know what happens now, don't you? If you can't pay up, we'll be taking your stuff."
"What?! You can't do that!" Wally protested.
"Oh, we can't?" Tartarus said in faux surprise. The lieutenant's large hand then suddenly grabbed Wally by his neck and pulled him out of the tub. "Need I remind you what happened the last time someone refused to pay up!?" He roared, before slamming Wally into the window and forcing him to see what was outside.
Just across from where he lived were the remains of a house that was completely burnt to the ground. And near it was a tree, where the two skeletons of a pair of frogs hung from nooses. Both corpses had multiple bones smashed or missing from the strike of Tartarus' war hammer.
Now very much scared, Wally was pulled away and brought up to the warmonger's face. "You pay us in your stuff…" Tartarus raised his hammer. "Or you'll be paying us in your blood."
"Y-Yes, yes sir. Take it all if you like," Wally said in a whimpering voice.
Satisfied Tartarus dropped him in the tub. "You heard him, lads! Grab everything!"
And so they did. Together, Bog, Fens, and Mire gathered everything that Wally owned. From the biggest barrels to the smallest papers. Even the beetle jerky that Wally stole from Frank and Anne at the shore. As they ransacked the little cable, Anne could already feel herself regretting her decisions. Stealing people's stuff, killing them, all because they didn't pay? This was going beyond what she was expecting this to be like.
"Here you go, Anne. Little something extra for you," Bog said, handing her the bag of beetle jerky.
However, as she looked at it, Anne couldn't help but feel guilt for just taking it. "Tartarus, this seems a little extreme," she said to the large toad.
"It's just the way we do things here," Tartarus said. "These frogs understand only one thing; fear. If you want respect from these frogs, you must set an example. Make them understand that they're not only under our protection from hostile tribes, but under our boot. They want to live, they'll pay us what we are owed."
"But killing them? That's far too–"
"Do you question my leadership, deputy? The ways of Toad Tower?" Anne was interrupted by the large toad, as Tartarus pushed his war hammer against her chest. Forcing her to back up against the wall, with the blade of the hammer pressing against the collar of her uniform.
With eyes wide with fear and terror, she looked up at the toad as he leaned down with a terrifying grin.
"You'll understand in time, Anne. By the end of this day, they will respect you," he said, before pulling his hammer away. "Alright, lads! To the next house!"
Tartarus and his goons walked out of Wally's home, all while the local kook sighed sadly. Feeling bad for the blue frog, she presented him with the bag of jerky. "Here, take this back," she whispered.
"Come on, Anne!" Bog called to her from outside.
"Comin'!" Anne quickly rushed out of the house. Not hearing the small thanks Wally would say. She rushed out to the cart the toads loaded Wally's things onto and hopped on. Not bothering to join them in the front. After what she just saw, Anne didn't want to be around them at the moment.
However, unbeknownst to her, Frank and Sprig were watching them. Sharing a pair of binoculars, they watched as the wagon drove away. Frank pulled away from the binoculars with a worried expression on his face. "Anne, what did you get yourself into?" He whispered.
"That's weird," Sprig said, confused. "Wally always pays his taxes."
"Wait, he does?" Frank asked in surprise. "Then why did he show up on that list."
"Come on," said a voice behind the two. Frank quickly grabbed Sprig and threw him on his back before jumping up and climbing into the trees. Going high enough so as to not be spotted by anyone.
Once they were at the right position, Frank remained still as Sprig hid behind his human friend's head and looked over his shoulder. Together, they scanned the area. "Wait, I see someone!" Sprig whispered, pointing to someone down on the ground.
Frank shushed him and looked. Sure enough, there was someone coming peeking their head out from behind a tree. The frog then came out, revealing themselves to be Mayor Toadstool.
"Come on, Toadie. While the townsfolk are preoccupied," he said, walking with a cane and carrying a small bag.
Behind the fat toad emerged Toadie, panting as he carried a large bag on his back. Every step he took caused whatever was in the bag to jingle.
"Coming, sir," he said in a whisper. Nearly stumbling over.
As the two walked under the tree, Frank and Sprig watched them. However, their attention was caught by something shiny that fell out of the bag. Frank and Sprig shared a glance. They had to get it, without being seen. So, with one free hand, Frank grabbed Sprig and lowered him down. The pink frog held onto Frank's hand and shot his tongue out at the small object, before pulling his tongue back as quickly as he could.
When his tongue returned to his mouth, he felt the object in his mouth. So, he crawled back up Frank's around and pulled it. Even though it was covered in saliva that may or may not be poisonous to humans, it was clear to see it was a copper coin.
"A copper coin? The mayor? A hole? In the bag?" Sprig asked.
"What's the mayor doing with a bag of money?" Frank asked, watching as Toadie disappeared behind a tree. "Something's not right."
Then he looked back at Anne and the toads. Seeing that they were heading off again to another house. Having just ransacked another home.
"Sprig, I need you to follow the mayor and Toadie. Find out what they're doing with all that money," Frank said, jumping down to the ground.
"What about Anne?" Sprig asked, jumping off his friend's shoulder.
"I'll follow them. Get back to me if you find out what Toadstool's doing." Frank then turned and ran off as Sprig hopped away.
As the day progressed, Frank followed the toads and Anne all over Wartwood as they hit almost every single home in the village. When they came to Felicia's tea shop, they took her barrel of Beau-Tea, dishes, and anything they could carry. However, Mire dropped one of their teacups, which said #1 Mom on it. Anne picked it up and handed it back to Felicia.
Next was Loggle's woodshop, and they took a statue of the woodsmith doing a Discobolus pose. Loggle was helpless to stop them, even as he begged them. But behind the toads' backs, Anne returned one of his canes. Frank saw this and smiled. Glad that she was doing something good for the frogs.
Mrs. Croaker was up next and she tried to put up a fight by making her pet spider Archie attack Tartarus. The little spider barked and leaped at the large toad, only for him to be caught in one hand. Tartarus grinned sadistically and started crushing Archie, making him whimper and squeal in pain. This made Sadie beg them to stop and to take everything they wanted. So, Tartarus dropped the spider. Mire grabbed Archie's bed and started walking away. But Anne quickly swapped the bed with a vash and gave the bed back to the old frog.
Being the last person inside the house, Anne carried out a grandfather clock and placed it on the pile the toads had on the cart. "I don't know, guys," Anne said, very much regretting coming along with the toads. "This whole thing feels…wrong."
"The law's the law, Anne," Tartarus said. Frank glared at the toad when he said that. "It can be tough, but this kind of work needs to get done."
"Yeah," Fens said, eating some pet food. "Needs to get done. Stuff, gotta get it done."
"I...guess that makes sense," Anne said hesitantly.
"Close your heart to their suffering Anne," Tartarus said with a grin. "After this, they'll be sure to pay next time. Who's next on the list?"
Bog pulled out the list and read it. "Eh, some nut named Hopadiah Plantar."
"Oh, crap," Frank and Anne said, both of them realizing that there was something definitely wrong going on here.
"Tartarus, that list has to be wrong," Anne said to the lieutenant with a pleading look. "I know that frog. He's totally honest."
Tartarus leaned down towards her with a glare. "Anne, the tower didn't get any taxes, okay? And if we didn't get the money, then where is it?"
"I-I…" Anne couldn't come up with an explanation.
"That's what I thought," he said before turning away.
Meanwhile, seeing the disaster that was about to unfold, Frank started to panic. "I've gotta get back to the farm. I've got to warn them!" He said, before rushing off back towards home.
As he ran down the dirt road towards the farm, dark clouds started to form over the skies. Blotting out the sun as thunder was heard. As he reached the farm, he quickly ran to the door and burst through it, finding Hop Pop and Polly eating.
"Guys! We've got trouble coming our way!" He exclaimed, startling the two.
"Frank? What's wrong?" Hop Pop asked, standing up.
"Are we being attacked by ants?!" Polly yelled.
"It's Tartarus!" Frank said, making the two frogs gasp in fear. "He's coming here with his goons because they think we didn't pay our taxes!"
Hop Pop gasped in shock. "That's ridiculous! I paid all my taxes fair and square," he said with his eyes closed and his fists on his hips.
"I know you did. You... made me watch," Frank said with a haunted expression as he remembered that day.
Flashback:
Frank felt ready to slide off his chair as he sat with Hop Pop. For more than an hour, the old frog walked him through every single step of paying taxes to the town. "So then you add up your deductibles and... Oop! Guess what, Frank? You're a deductible!" He joked, pointing at the young boy.
"I can't take it anymore!" Frank yelled, pulling out his knife and aiming at his chest.
Present:
"Oh please, that didn't happen," Hop Pop said.
"It did in my head," Frank retorted.
"Uh, guys." The two of them looked over at Polly, who was on the couch and looking out the window. She could see the toads and Anne arriving on the farm. "They're here!"
"Hop Pop, take Polly to the basement," Frank said, grabbing his mantis scythe that was leaning against the wall. "I'll hold them off."
"No, Frank. If one of us makes a stand, we all make a stand," Hop Pop said with determination. "We've got to tell them I've already paid and get this whole thing sorted out."
Together, the three of them exited the house. Frank stood with his scythe in hand and Hop Pop stood beside him. Polly sat on top of his head. Seeing them standing before their house made a grin form on Tartarus' lips. This might be interesting. The tarantula came to a stop, and the toads got off their cart and approached the house. Anne quickly got off and rushed around to join the toads. She glanced at Frank with a look of regret, even when he nodded at her.
"Hopadiah Plantar!" Tartarus yelled, pointing his hammer at the old frog. "The taxes are due!"
"You've got it all wrong, Tartarus!" Frank said, trying to reason with the lieutenant. "Hop Pop paid his taxes. He shouldn't have been on that list!"
"And yet he is, Frank," Tartarus said. "Now step aside and let us do our business."
"As Frank said, I already paid my damn taxes!" Hop Pop exclaimed, with Polly trying to look tough on top of him. "You can't come in here, and that's final."
"I don't like your tone, frog. You would dare stand against the Tower?" Tartarus growled, gripping the handle of his hammer tightly.
"Tartarus, I am telling you, he paid his taxes," said Anne.
"They all say they've paid!" Tartarus roared, making her stumble back from him with her hands up. "I don't care what you think. I don't care if you're friends with him. The list doesn't lie. And I will kill everyone on this farm to get what we're owed!" He then turned to his subordinates. "Get to work, you lazy idiots!"
"Uh, right, sir!" Bog said nervously before looking around to see what to claim. "Alright, what should we start with?"
"Well, how about that thing?" Fens asked, pointing to Bessie.
"You stay away from her!" Hop Pop yelled.
"I'll bite your face off!" Polly screamed in fury.
"Good choice. That snail should cover everything," Tartarus said with a grin. "Bog, Mire, Fens, Anne, move out."
The three toads proceeded towards the snail to claim her. But before they could reach out and touch her, Frank suddenly jumped across and swung his scythe.
SLASH!
With a single swing, he cut across the chest of all three toads. Not enough to kill them, but enough to cut into their armor and nick the skin. Making them bleed as they were sent flying back. All three of them landed on the ground and groaned in pain.
"You keep your claws off that snail," Frank said, standing tall and slamming the butt of his scythe's handle into the ground. "Better yet...get off our property!"
Thunder clapped loudly and light flashed in the sky above. Then the rain started coming down on the valley.
Anne stared at her friend in shock as Frank stood in front of the Plantar home in defiance. However, her shock turned to horror when Tartarus started marching towards Frank. His face contorted into an enraged glare as he dragged the head of his hammer across the dirt.
"Wait, Tartarus! Don't–"
BASH!
To Frank's shock, Tartarus hit her with a backhanded strike. Sending her flying back into a fence post. "Anne!" He yelled at her, almost about to run to her when Tartarus stopped in front of him.
Frank stared at the larger toad as the lieutenant glared down at him. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Tartarus snarled as his soldiers got back up.
"Yeah. I told you to get lost. Now!" Frank yelled, getting into a fighting stance with his scythe. "Or else you want this to be the last thing you toads ever do."
Over where she was at, Anne groaned in pain as she picked herself up. She then saw the two and became extremely worried about her best friend. However, as she sat there on the ground, Anne noticed they weren't alone. Somehow, all of the townsfolk heard about what was going on and all showed up to see it for themselves.
They were all stunned. This was the first time they've ever seen anyone stand up to Tartarus and attack a toad from the tower. Nonetheless three at once. But they all knew what was going to happen. It's happened to frogs that were brave or stupid enough to stand up against the warmonger. Now it was going to happen again.
"Surrender, boy," Tartarus growled.
Frank glared up at him. "No."
The toad grinned. "Good."
SMASH!
Tartarus suddenly swung his hammer and slammed it into Frank's scythe. Shattering the weapon into pieces. The sheer force of the impact forced the boy off his feet and sent him flying into the air before landing on the ground. Hard. The pieces of his former weapon scattered all over the ground around him.
"FRANK!" Anne screamed as everyone else gasped in horror.
She scrambled to her feet and tried rushing towards Frank when she was tangled by Fens. The female toad pinned her down as Mire grabbed Hop Pop and Polly.
"Hey! Let me go." Anne yelled, before Bog walked up to her with a hammer.
"I wouldn't get in the way, Anne," Bog said with a grin.
Frank groaned in pain as he sat up. Feeling something stinking on his face, he placed his hand on his left cheek and revealed that he was bleeding. The blade of the hammer had cut into his skin.
He was then met with Tartarus' hammer being pressed into his chest and pushing him down. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. How disappointing. I was hoping for more of a challenge. But it looks like you're all talk," the toad said with a sadistic grin. "Now I'm going to give you another choice. You die here, or watch as I kill the Plantars!"
When he said that, something inside of Frank snapped.
Tartarus stared down at Frank with a wicked grin. But then, to his surprise, Frank grabbed the head of the hammer and pushed it aside. Making the toad step back from him. Everyone was stunned by this. With his cheek still bleeding, Frank stood back up.
With a newly found determination, Frank glared at Tartarus. "You want to harm my frog family?" He asked. "Then you're going to have to get through me, Tartarus!"
Tartarus looked at him with a surprised look for a moment, before he started laughing out loud. "HAHAHAHAHA! You honestly believe that you can fight against me?" He asked the boy in amusement. The other toads laughed with him, finding it funny that the human believed he could defeat the Tower's best warrior.
"Yeah. I do. And make you pay for all the frogs that you hurt in this village!" Frank shot back.
"HA! You would fight for these frogs? They, who treat you like shit and view you as a monster."
"Yeah. I would. Because even though they treat me like shit, doesn't mean I'll do the same to them. You can't treat people like this!" Frank reached for his sword and drew it. Twirling it around, he then reached behind his back and pulled out his shield. Now with both sword and shield in hand, he got into a fighting stance. "You want to kill my friends? Then you're going to have to go kill me first, you bastard!"
Everyone in Wartwood stared at Frank in surprise. After the way they've treated him and Anne, he was still willing to fight for them? Anne stared at her friend with wide eyes as a sense of admiration grew for him.
Tartarus' grin only grew. He wasn't mad that Frank was standing up against him and was willing to fight. No. This excited him. For so long he's been unable to find a worthy challenger. But could this creature be the one to do such a thing? There was only one way to find out.
"So be it." He spread out his arms and turned to everyone watching. "Bear witness, Wartwood, as your hero falls before me!" He shouted at all the frogs. "Set a fire in your heart, Frank! Bear your fangs! Fight hard!...die well."
And with that, Tartarus let out a thunderous roar and charged at Frank.
Frank watched as he raised his hammer over his head and swung it down at him. Thinking quickly, he jumped out of the way. Landing on the ground, Frank launched himself at Tartarus and tried to cut him. However, the lieutenant used his armored arm to block the attack. When Frank swung, the sword couldn't cut through the gauntlet. He then kicked Frank away.
Landing on squishy mud, Frank groaned and sat up. Tartarus pulled his hammer out of the ground and rushed at him again. This time swinging horizontally at Frank. The boy raised his shield, blocking the hammer. Frank's arm ached from the impact as his whole body felt like it was vibrating. But he dug his feet in and then thrust his sword at his exposed chest. Cutting across it with the tip of his blade, and drawing blood.
Growling, Tartarus took his hammer away and backed up. He swung again, but Frank ducked his head under the hammer and then attacked. But Tartarus used his weapon to block the sword. Again, he tried smashing the young boy into a bloody pulp, but once again, Frank used his shield to block the hammer.
Frank and Tartarus pushed against one another, digging their feet into the mud as they tried pushing the other back. But as he held him off, Frank used his sword to stab into his leg.
The toad let out a cry of pain and agony before angrily punching Frank in the face.
Frank stumbled back, letting go of his sword as his nose bled slightly. Now all he had was his shield.
Tartarus grabbed it and yanked it out, growling when he did so. Throwing it down, he charged at Frank and swung down at him. Frank, however, stepped out of the way of the hammer and let it slam into the ground. Then he bashed the edge of his shield into the face of Tartarus, disorientating him and giving him time to rush to his sword.
Grabbing it off the ground, Frank turned around and saw Tartarus turning towards him. Now there was a noticeable limp from the toad's injured leg.
"He's…actually losing?" Fens asked in shock. Anne, who was still pinned under her, watched her best friends with a smile. While still concerned, she believed that Frank could actually win.
Stumbling towards Frank, Tartarus swung his hammer again at him. However, when Frank blocked it with his shield, Tartarus twirled around and swung from the opposite side. Frank tried to counter it with his sword, but the hammer knocked the long sword out of his hand. Once again, Frank was disarmed, and Tartarus took the opportunity to punch him in the face.
This knocked him down to the ground, and the lieutenant used that at the perfect moment to disarm him again. And he did so by stomping on the edge of the shield.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Frank let out a horrible scream of agony as the shield dislocated his arm.
Everyone in the crowd, including Hop Pop, Polly, and especially Anne gasped in shock. Frank was unable to move as Tartarus took that moment to start beating on him. Punching his face and even stomping on him.
Now bruised on his body and face, Frank tried to stay in the fight as he was hit multiple times by the strong toad. Thankfully, Tartarus stopped and got off his shield. Unfortunately, it was because he was about to end the fight. And his life.
First, Tartarus grabbed his shield and ripped it off his arm. Causing Frank even more pain. Then he stood before him and raised his war hammer high over his head. Read to bring it down onto Frank's face.
Just as all hope seemed lost, Frank kicked Tartarus in his injured leg. The lieutenant screamed in agony as he stumbled back and grasped his leg. This gave Frank time to grab his sword and rush at him. Slashing him across the back and then stabbing him in the back!
Tartarus let out a fatal gasp as everyone else gasped in shock. Still alive, the toad lieutenant fell to his knees. The frogs, the other toads, and Anne stared in disbelief. Frank has just done the impossible. The commander gasped as Frank pulled his sword out and walked around to face him. With the blade still stained with the blood of the toad, Frank raised his arm and pointed the blade of the sword at Tartarus' throat. He prepared to end the toad's life.
But then he looked up at Anne. Staring at him with wide eyes, as if afraid that he'll do it. He then looked around at the townsfolk. All of them were waiting to see what he'll do. And as Frank started to calm down from his adrenaline, he began to lower his sword. After all that he said and standing up to Tartarus, he wasn't going to be the monster they feared him to be.
"He's beaten…" Frank whispered. Then he looked at Bog and Fens. "Now get the fuck off our land."
Frank started walking away from Tartarus. He headed for Anne, who was still pinned by the two toads. She smiled at him in relief.
However, her expression turned to horror and she screamed, "Look out!"
Frank looked over his right shoulder and…
BASH!
With all the strength he had, Tartarus stood up and swung his war hammer into Frank's head! Slamming it into the right side of his face and head, sending him flying up into the air and slamming back down into the ground. His body remained motionless as his blood leaked onto the ground.
"Frank!" Anne screamed with tears in her eyes. Bog and Fens were now having a harder time trying to keep her down as she thrashed around. Trying to get out from under them and go to her friend. "Get off of me! Frank!"
"What's with this girl? Is she in love with him?" Fens asked, to which Bog shrugged.
Hearing his name being called out by Anne's voice caused Frank's body to start moving again. But now he was in a worse state than he's ever been in before. He could feel his bones were broken and he was bleeding. His face was all bruised up, and the right side of his face was bleeding. He couldn't open his right eye, which now had a large scar going down his eye that was bleeding badly.
"I must admit, you are by far the greatest warrior that I've ever faced. But you're sloppy and young. Weak and undisciplined," Tartarus said, dropping his hammer to the ground. Then he walked over to Frank's sword and picked it up. "You'll have no use for this anymore. For you are going to die here, Frank."
"What!?" Anne screamed as the frogs all gasped in shock and horror. "No, please! Don't do it!"
Panting from exhaustion and agony, Frank struggled to sit up. However, every part of his body hurt. "Look…me in the eye…when you say that," Frank said on his hands and knees.
"As you wish." Tartarus walked up to Frank and grabbed him by the back of his head. The toad then lifted Frank up into the air and aimed the sword at his chest. "My face will be the last thing that you'll ever see."
As he stared into the bloodthirsty eyes of the warmonger, Frank tried to keep his left eye open. However, as the world started to become a blur to him and his hearing became muffled, there was something that he could hear. No, it was a girl.
Past Tartarus' head, Frank could see Anne crying out to him. Crying his name as she sobbed. Begging him to not give up. He never liked it when she was sad. It made him sad. But what could he do? Frank was going to die.
However, maybe it was bravest or stubbornness, but Frank told himself that he couldn't die here. This wasn't his place to die. Frank wouldn't let this monster touch the Plantars, especially not Anne. Not after he just got her back. Not after they became so close after being apart for so long.
As he struggled to stay conscious, Frank's mind wandered back to when he was a little kid. He was in his parent's house and was playing around the living room with his toys. However, he saw his dad hanging up something on the wall. It was a picture frame, and inside of it was a single, old-looking piece of paper with something written inside of it.
After his dad finished hanging it up, he looked down at Frank and smiled. Stepping back from the wall, he picked up his son and sat him down on his lap. It's strange. Remembering the good moments about his parents, even after their falling out. His dad explained that the words written on the paper were part of a quote that has been special for their family. Remembering those words gave their family the strength and determination to pass any change. At the time, he didn't really understand what the meaning of those words really meant, until today.
"Any last words?" Tartarus asked.
Remembering those words, Frank quoted them, "Once more into the fray…into the last good fight I'll ever know. Live and die on this day…
Tartarus grinned a bloodthirsty was about to deliver the final blow when…
"Live…and die…on this day…"
SLAB!
"Gah!" He let out a gurgled gasp when Frank pulled out his knife and stabbed it deep into his neck.
As blood spewed out of his neck, Tartarus dropped Frank and the sword and tried to pull out the knife. With what little strength he had left, Frank picked up his sword and stabbed it into the chest of Tartarus. The toad lieutenant let out one final death cry before lifeless falling down onto the ground. Breathing his last breath before death took him.
Anne, the toads, Hop Pop, Polly, and every frog that was there stared at Frank with wide eyes filled with shock. But most stared down at the dead toad. Neither one of them believed what they have just seen.
Tartarus, the most feared toad in the valley, was finally dead.
But victory might just come at a cost.
As the rain poured down on him, Frank fell back down onto the ground.
"Frank!" Anne cried. She forced herself off of Bog and Fens, both too stunned to stop her. Anne rushed over to Frank's side and looked down at him. He looked horrible and Anne feared that he might actually be dead.
Anne's eyes started to tear up, with some droplets falling down onto his cheek. With one arm, she lifted up his upper body while stroking his blood-soaked cheeks. she stroked him He did it again. He saved her from a situation that she believed was her fault. And it was because of her, Frank got himself hurt once again. And this time, she might have just lost him forever.
"Frank, no...I'm so sorry...Please don't leave me..." She whispered as she started to sob.
"Anne!" Hop Pop called out to her. "Behind you!"
Anne looked up and saw Bog and Fens walking towards her with their weapons. Setting Frank back down, she quickly pulled out her sword and got in front of her best friend.
"Don't you dare touch him!" Anne growled threateningly. Raising her said and got ready to fight.
"Out of our way, Anne," Bog said with a glare. "We're going to finish what Tartarus started."
"Frank won. He defeated Tartarus and now you all have to leave." Anne pointed her sword at them.
"That's not how this works," Bog said with a smirk. "No such deal was made. And no one kills one of us and lives to tell about it." He raised his hammer to attack when all of a sudden, he was hit in the face by a ball of mud. "Gah! What the–"
"You leave them alone!" All of a sudden, Sprig came hopping out of the forest with his slingshot and landed on a nearby rock. However, it wasn't just him that was now standing against the toads.
"Yeah, you leave our Frank and Anne alone," Wally said, who was still wearing a bath towel around his body. The townsfolk rally behind Sprig as they start yelling at the toads. Hopping over the fence, they surrounded the humans, toads, and the Plantars. All of them were ready to fight against the tax collectors.
"If you got a problem with him, you got a problem with all of us," Mrs. Croaker exclaimed, putting up her fists as Archie barked angrily at Bog and Fens.
All of the frogs pulled out their farm tools to fight against the three remaining toads. Without Tartarus, they had nothing to fear. Realizing that they were outnumbered and defeated, Bog and Fens dropped their weapons. Mire's helmet opened to reveal his small face as he squealed in fear. He dropped Hop Pop and Polly, who quickly rushed over to the humans.
"Frank! Anne!" Sprig yelled as he ran towards them.
"Anne…" Anne gasped when she heard that weak voice and looked down to see Frank opening his eyes halfway.
"Frank! You're alive!" Anne dropped to her knees and hugged him as best as she could. Sprig came to his side and picked up his hat. Polly hopped onto Anne's head and looked down at him, while Hop Pop stood near them. "I thought I lost you."
Frank reached up at her face. Whipping away the tears as he placed his hand on the side of her head. Cherishing it as he smiled up at her. "It's…gonna take…more than that to…kill me…" he said with pants as he tried to sit up. Anne and Sprig helped him as he held his left arm, which was still dislodged. "Where is…"
Frank paused when he saw Tartarus' body on the ground. Sword still stabbed into his chest and the pool of his own blood spread across the ground.
"Oh…"
"You didn't have any other choice, Frank," Hop Pop said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"So, what took you so long?" Frank asked Sprig.
"Sorry, I got tied up," said Sprig.
Just then, Mayor Toadstool came running out of the bushes. Huffing and puffing from chasing after Sprig. "Oh, boy. Gotta cut back on them cricket nuggets. Whoo!" He said, taking a moment to stop and catch his breath. Toadie came running out of the bushes, but tripped and fell face-first into the mud.
"Arrest that toad!" Sprig called out, pointing at Toadstool. "He stole the town's money and was keeping it all for himself."
The town gasped in shock. "Gosh!" said Wally.
"Show us, Sprig. AAAAAAAAHHH!" Frank suddenly screamed when Hop Pop relocated his arm.
"Sorry."
With the help of Anne, Frank was able to make it to the center of town with everyone. Sprig had them gather around the tasteless statue of Toadstool where Sprig said that the money was being hidden.
With one foot on the base of the statue, Sprig turned to bog and held out his hands. "May I?" Bog obliged and dropped his hammer into his arms. However, the weapon was too heavy and Sprig ended up dropping it onto the ground. "I think you should do the honors," he grunted, struggling to pick it back up.
Bog took back his hammer and smashed the butt of Toadstool's statue. When pulling out the hammer, everyone gasped in surprise as a pool of coins spilled out. All of Wartwood, the toads, and even Frank and Anne grew absolutely furious at Toadstool, who started backing away from them.
Frank turned towards the mayor and limped as he walked towards him. Anne helped him over, glaring at Toadstool with her friend. "So, you're the reason why the toads came to Wartwood? Why everyone had their stuff taken from them? Why I almost died?" Frank shouted angrily.
"You no-good son of a bitch!" Mrs. Croaker yelled as the townsfolk started to surround Toadstool.
The mayor grew very scared as he stepped back from them. "People, I needed the extra money for my campaign. Do you have any idea how much it costs to buy your love?"
"Yeah, well you know how much it'll cost for everyone to kick your ass?" Frank growled as the frogs pulled out their tools, weapons, and angry mob supplies. "Not a goddamn thing."
Toadstool gulped. "Uh... As mayor, I hereby pardon myself of any wrongdoing. Thank you. Good day!" He said before running off while everyone else started throwing fruits and vegetables at him.
"So that's it? He screws everyone over and just gets away with it?" Frank asked Hop Pop incredulously.
"I wouldn't say that." Frank turned back to Anne and saw her notching an arrow, pulling it back on the string, and taking aim at Toadstool. She then released the arrow and watched as it stabbed into Toadstool's butt.
"YEEOW!"
"Yes!" Anne cheered.
Later that day, the toads gathered the money from the statue, but not before giving back what they stole. And they did so by having the villagers do all the work while they attend to other matters.
Their wagon was parked outside the gates of the town, where Frank and Anne were unloading all that was stolen. Most of the right side of Frank's head was bandaged up, as well as other areas of his body. While still recovering from his fight, he was determined to help Anne. Together, the two friends helped bring down Mrs. Croaker's grandfather clock. When they set it down, they glanced at one another before looking away with bright blushes.
They then heard another cart coming their way and saw it was the toads. They had all the room they needed for the money on the cart. But not for Tartarus. Tartarus' body was wrapped in whites sheets and laid on a simple wooden cart. He was going to be brought back to the Tower to be given a proper burial.
Frank and Anne moved out of the way, letting them pass. Fens and Mire hooked the cart to the wagon, while Bog placed his war hammer next to him. Then the red toad walked up to the humans with a smile. "Well, Anne, if it was respect you were looking for…you sure lost mine," Bog told her, his smile vanished.
"Good." Anne ripped the badge they gave her and threw it to the ground. "If your form of respect is through fear and hurting people, then I don't want it."
Bog scuffed and smirked. "You've got a lot of nerves, I'll give you that," he said, picking up the badge. Then the toad turned to the second human. His expression turned into a glare. "And as for you, Frank. You have no idea what you've just done, do you? Tartarus was the second in command at Toad Tower. One of the best toads in the valley. Believe me when I say that this is far from over, and there will be consequences. We'll be back, Frank, and we won't be alone."
"Yeah?" Frank asked, stepping up to Bog and glaring down at him. "Well tell whoever comes–whoever they are–that they better come in peace. As of now, this village is under Anne's and my protection. And we will protect it. No matter the cost."
Bog stared up at him before scuffing. "Then we'll be seeing you see, hero," he said before climbing into the driver's seat of the wagon. "Hyah!"
The tartacula started off, carrying their money and their fallen superior officer down the road towards the tower. "So are we gonna tell the captain about those creatures we found?" Fens asked. "He's gonna wanna know who killed the lieutenant."
"Oh, we're gonna tell the captain everything," Bog said in a menacing voice.
With his one good eye, Frank watched as the toads disappeared down the road. He sighed in relief, but felt a sense of unease by Bog's threat. Tartarus was unlike any enemy he's fought before, and he was just one of many toads from Toad Tower. And all would be coming down to Wartwood once they return. He could only imagine what they would say when they saw the lieutenant killed.
"Welp, I think we just started a war with the toads," he said.
"Are you scared?" Anne asked in a teasing manner.
Frank looked at her with a serious expression. "Aren't you?"
Anne blushed as she grabbed his hand. Grasping his hand tightly as he did the same. "With you, no."
"It'll be okay, you two," Hop Pop said as he and his grandkids gathered around the two humans. "We'll be standing with you when they come back."
"He's right, Frank." Frank and Anne turned around and were amazed to see everyone in Wartwood gathered in a crowd behind them. All the frogs looked at them with smiles, which surprised the two humans. "They want to mess with you, then they'll have to get through us," Wally said, finally having gotten dressed.
"And, well…We all owe you and Anne a huge apology," Felicia said, shamefully.
"All we ever saw were just two weird and skinny creatures," Mrs. Croaker said, walking up to the two humans with a soft smile. "We didn't even bother to get to know you. And yet even after the way we treated you, you were still willing to risk your life for us and stand up for all of us. Now, we frogs aren't too keen about admitting when we're wrong. But I think I speak for everyone when I say we've never been more wrong about someone in our lives. I hope one day you can forgive us."
Frank stared at all the frogs with wide eyes as he felt tears starting to well up in his eyes. It has been so long since he felt accepted by a group of people. People who, while not humans, still showed him so much respect and even admiration. Even Anne started tearing up as she felt she was finally accepted by the town.
They looked at one another and then turned back to the crowd. "Thanks, you guys," Frank said.
"Three cheers for Frank and Anne, defenders of Wartwood!" Wally shouted.
"Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!" They all chanted and cheered for Frank and Anne. Even though a toad was killed on that day, and Frank was badly hurt, both humans gained something more valuable. Something that they would cherish as much as their friendship. The town's acceptance.