It was a calm day, as the trio of Shadow, Anne and Kaemon were at the Grub & Go, grabbing some groceries, with the Plantars at their side, as well as visit them.
"Oh! Pill bugs are on sale." Hop Pop declared before pushing the whole stack in the cart.
"And there are some carrots." Shadow said as he grabbed the item. "I'm feeling a stew coming on."
"You know, you could open your own restaurant, Shadow." Anne pointed out. "With your cooking, and with the right employee's, you could make a mint off it!"
"I always liked the idea of opening my own restaurant." The boy admitted.
"Yeah, and I'd gladly be your first customer." Anne said with a smile. "In fact, I'd have your cooking everyday~."
"But you do." Kaemon pointed out. "In fact, we both have his cooking every day."
"I mean his cooking is so good, I'd have it everyday if I could." Anne tried to explain.
"But you do." Kaemon repeated.
Anne only sighed, finding it impossible to explain to the newt boy, Shadow only chuckling at their antics. Ever since he allowed Anne to stay with him, he enjoyed all the adventures they had gotten into thanks to the Thai girl. He especially felt himself smile more and his heart warming up from Anne's antics. And having Kaemon move in only made those days even better, especially having a sparing partner that was close to his level at least.
Anne felt blessed to have someone like Shadow watching over her. Growing feelings aside, she appreciated him training her and keeping her fed. It felt nice being in the presence of another human, even if they didn't understand Earth like she did. And it felt nice to teach him some things about her home as well.
"Now, to grab some seasoning for the chicken meat." Shadow mused.
"Ooh! That reminds me. I'm gonna go grab some of that beetle jerky I like." Anne said before pausing at what she just said. "Can't believe I just said that."
"Alright, I'll see you outside, Anne." Shadow nodded before the Thai girl walked off.
"It's nice to see you letting loose, master." Kaemon said, leaning over.
"Anne really brought out the best in me." Shadow said with a smile. "I don't remember the last time I felt so…warm."
Kaemon proceeded to take notes, which Shadow took notice of, "What's with the notepad?"
"No reason." Kaemon shrugged it off before pocketing it, much to Shadow's confusion.
Anne walked down the aisle, browsing the shelves, before spotting the single bag of beetle jerky, "Aha! Score. And I got the last one."
Just as she was about to grab it, only for it to be snatched away by Wally's tongue.
"Hey! That was totally mine, Wally." She snapped angrily at the vagrant frog.
"Ya snooze, ya lose, scarecrow." Wally replied with a laugh before hopping away.
"Hey! Don't call me scarecrow." She waved her fist at him before feeling something ram not her from behind, turning around to see Mrs. Croaker with a shopping cart.
"Hey! Move your big behind, scarecrow. Croaker needs her cookies." The old lady frog said, repeatedly running into Anne.
The Thai girl sighed before moving aside and mumbling in annoyance, "My behind's not big. I'm big. Technically, it's to scale."
Because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going, she didn't see the water on the floor, causing her to slip and fall on her butt when she stepped on it.
"Hey! Didn't you see the sign, scarecrow?" A teenage frog worker said, pointing at a wet floor sign nearby.
"Classic, clumsy scarecrow." Felicia laughed.
Every frog in the store joined in laughter, causing Anne to turn red from embarrassment before picking herself up and marching out of the store to where Shadow and Kaemon were waiting with Ironhide, the human boy noticing Anne approach and seeing she looked upset.
"Something troubling you, Anne?" He asked.
Anne let out a sigh, "Well, it's just...I've been here over a month now, and the townspeople still treat me crummy. I just wish they were a little nicer."
"I understand the feeling." Shadow nodded. "Even after-"
He then raised a hand and caught an airborne egg that was hurled at him, the three looking over to see several frog kids running off.
"Don't worry too much about it, Anne." Kaemon tried to assure the human girl. "Maybe it won't happen right away, but the town will grow to accept you. It just takes time."
"Kaemon's right, Anne." Shadow said, placing a hand on Anne's shoulder. "You'll find a way to get their respect, in your own weird Anne way."
Anne smiled at this before hopping the saddle with the boys, with Shadow at the reins, "Now, who wants pill bug pancakes?"
"Ooh! My favorite." Anne declared before realizing what she had just said. "I've been here too long."
As they made their drive through the town square alongside the Plantars, they came across a rather bizarre-looking statue of Toadstool, which depicted the mayor kissing a tadpole being held up by a young frog.
"Well, that statue's new." Shadow commented.
"And tasteless." Kaemon said, sticking his tongue out.
All of a sudden, Ironhide and Bessie came to a stop, both snails chirping in fear, much to Shadow's surprise.
"Bessie, take it easy, girl." Hop Pop said, gently patting Bessie's neck.
"Hey, easy, buddy." Shadow said soothingly, gently rubbing on Ironhide's neck.
"Whoa, what's wrong, pal?" Anne asked, trying to comfort the snail.
Looking up to see what could've caused his faithful snail to freakout, Shadow saw his answer in the form of a tarantula-drawn wagon, ridden by a group of unknown frogs. However, these were not frogs, but toads.
The first one that was driving the wagon was a large toad large toad with red skin and an orange, lighter underbelly. He had a crest of horn-like protrusions on the top of his head. He wore metal armor with leather pauldrons and a silver 'Amphibia' emblem across his right shoulder that took the shape of a frog's foot.
Behind him was 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 large light-green toad with armor like his fellow toad companions. His face was hidden by a large frog-shaped helmet.
The fourth one that was walking beside the wagon, on the other hand, Shadow could describe as massive! Much taller and of more muscular build than the other toads, this one was a female with ashen skin and a black underbelly, with four horn protrusions on her head, with golden eyes and wearing a heavy-looking suit of armor with a black cape. She also had a longsword in the scabbard at her waist, along with a one-handed hammer.
The two humans watched the wagon come to a stop out front the mayor's office, the smaller toads jumping off the cart, the red toad cracking his neck.
"Ah! Nothing like cracking your neck after a long drive." He said aloud, looking up at the larger toad. "Ain't that right?"
Said large toad only grunting as she stood before the mayor's office building, slamming an armored foot against the ground, "TOASTOOL! GET OUT HERE!"
The doors suddenly swung open as the mayor rushed outside, with Toadie following behind.
"L-Lieutenant Charon!" He said with a nervous sweat. "I didn't expect them to send you!"
"They always send me." The large toad called Charon said with a raised brow.
"Right, of course!" Toadstool said before gesturing to Toadie. "Give them the list, Toadie."
Anne watched the exchange go down before turning to her mentor, "Who are those guys?"
"Toads from Toad Tower." Hop Pop answered, showing great distrust towards the toads, especially Charon. "They rule over the entire valley."
"Toad what?" Anne said in confusion.
Sprig then showed her a map of the valley and pointed at a location, "It's a big, scary tower deep in the swamp and the toads that live there are the valley's fiercest warriors."
"Whoa! Cool." Anne replied with interest.
"Cool, yes. But they can be a rough sort." Hop Pop said. "It's probably for the best that we all stay clear of—" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Anne and Sprig walking over to the toads. "Oh, dang it. There they go."
Shadow immediately went after the two, with Kaemon following behind, already having a bad feeling about these toads, before catching up with Anne and Sprig, seeing the toads gather their weapons.
"Hey, guys. So, you're from Toad Tower?" Sprig asked.
"Sure are, runt." The red one called Bog replied casually.
Charon wasn't paying attention, but instead was looking over the list.
Sprig laughed a bit, "My name's Sprig, actually."
"Uh-huh. Yeah, sure." Bog replied, clearly not caring, but looking over his shoulder, he took notice of Anne. "Whoa! What is that? It's some kind of gangly new critter I've never seen before." He said in surprise.
"I wonder what it tastes like," Fens, the female toad, said.
"She's not for eating." Shadow said sternly, standing up front to defend his friend and keeping his shadow form up, a hand on the handle of his katana ready for a fight.
"Yeah, back off." Sprig said, pulling out his slingshot.
"Don't come any closer." Anne warned, pulling out her tennis racket.
Fens laughed at this before pulling out a spiked mace, "Is that a challenge?"
She then charged forward with a battle cry, aiming to swing her mace down on Shadow's head, only for the boy to slam the sheathed end of his sword into her gut, sending her flying into the cart.
"I will not repeat myself." Shadow said, before seeing a shadow looming over him, looking up to see the lieutenant Charon standing over him, the large toad having her hands behind her back and staring down at the boy, growling and eyes narrowed.
Shadow, however, showed no fear, only staring right back at her face, eyes filled with determination, as he readied himself to pull his sword from its sheath.
That's when Charon started chuckling before turning to bellowing laughter, her subordinates soon joining the laughter, much to Anne's confusion.
"Impressive, creature." She said with a massive grin. "I've never seen anyone strike my men so hard and fast like that."
"Yeah, that was awesome!" Fens declared with a smile, rubbing the sore spot of her stomach.
"Well met, creature." Bog said. "I don't know what you are, but you've got fire."
The toads went back to their wagon, Shadow only watching with cautious eyes before turning away.
"Okay, kids." Hop Pop said as he brought Bessie and Ironhide closer. "That's enough flirting with death. Let's head home."
"Good idea." Shadow nodded.
"Blech, finally." Sprig agreed. "Come on, Anne."
Anne, on the other hand, seemed to have different ideas, "I was thinking we could hang out with these guys a little longer. They seem pretty cool."
"Cool?" Sprig said with a questioning look. "More like smelly."
"Not to mention creepy." Kaemon added, pointing at the armored toad who was breathing heavy through his helmet. "Especially that guy."
"Wait a second. Are you jealous I think they're cool?" Anne asked with a teasing grin.
"Anne, don't start this game." Shadow frowned.
"No, you guys are totally jelly!" Anne said.
"No. Ha!" Sprig tried to laugh it off. "If you wanna hang out with some grody toads, Anne, be my guest. No skin off my skin."
Shadow pinched the bridge of his nose before turning to Kaemon, "Would you mind keeping an eye on her? Keep her out of trouble."
"Won't be a problem, master!" Kaemon declared with a two-finger salute.
"Shadow, I'm not a child." Anne pouted.
"No, but you act like one sometimes." Shadow retorted before getting in Ironhide's saddle. "Let's head back, Hop Pop."
"Okay. But don't dally too long, Anne." Hop Pop said, whipping the reins for Bessie to go.
"I'm eating your pancakes!" Polly called.
"Not jealous!" Sprig declared in defiance.
With their friends heading home, Kaemon leaned in with a smile, "He's totally jealous."
"Totally jelly." Anne nodded.
The two then walked back over to the toads before Anne spoke up, "Hey. I didn't get a chance to ask your—" She didn't finish her sentence when Charon shoved a crate in her arms suddenly.
"Name's Charon, proud lieutenant and second in command of Toad Tower." The giant of a toad declared with pride before pointing a thumb over at her companions. "That's Bog. The silent one there is Mire. And Fens here you already met."
"I'm Anne." The Thai girl said, still holding the crate. "And this is Kaemon."
"Hello!" Kaemon said.
Charon raised a brow when she looked at the newt, "Kaemon of the Four Sword? I've heard about you. Your skills and feats are well known throughout the valley."
"Oh really? Guess I'm pretty famous." Kaemon chuckled.
"Sure, famous." Fens said with narrowed eyes.
"So, what're you guys doing in Wartwood?" Anne asked.
"My money's on tax season." Kaemon said. "No other reason for toads to come down the valley."
"You've got that right, Four Sword." Charon declared, pulling out Toadstool's list. "Every year, this town sends taxes to the tower. 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 human and newt.
"Really?" Anne asked in surprise, while Kaemon just raised a brow.
"Yeah. You've got inside knowledge of this town. It'll make the whole job go a lot smoother." Bog said with a smirk.
Charon thought it over with a hum before smirking, "That's a brilliant idea, Bog! Plus, who would dare refuse the Demon of the Four Sword?" She then turned back to the human and newt, presenting two badges. "So, what do you say?"
"Yeah, no. This isn't any of our business." Kaemon refused before turning to his human friend. "Let's go, Anne."
Anne was about to comply and put down the crate she was still holding, for some reason, when Charon 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!"
"What?!" Kaemon said in shock.
Back at the Plantar house, Sprig and Polly watched Hop Pop and Shadow play flipwart, the frog boy sitting with a sour expression.
"And that's checkmate!" Shadow declared triumphantly as he took the last piece.
"Oh dang it!" Hop Pop said in defeat. "I made you too good at this game."
Suddenly, the door flew open as Anne barged in, wearing a metal pauldron and the badge.
"Guess who became a Toad Tower deputy!" She declared proudly.
"WHAT?!" Everyone in the room gasped, when an out of breath Kaemon came in.
"Geez, girl. When'd you start running so fast?" He asked in between breaths.
"Training." Anne said. "Also, check out this cool sword Charon gave me."
Pulling out the sword, Anne swung it around and nearly ended up hitting a coat hanger had Shadow not stopped it with his sword.
"Anne, have you gone mad?" Shadow demanded. "When I said earn the town's respect, I didn't mean join a gang!"
"Shadow's right, Anne." Hop Pop shared the boy's sentiment. "Especially that Charon brute; she's a warmonger and her gang is no better than she is!"
Anne only scoffed at their 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 walk out, Shadow blocked her path, "Anne, I understand wanting respect, but this is not it. I've seen Charon's type before, and they are no different."
"Shadow, I understand that you're cautious," Anne tried to reason. "But try to look on the bright side; this way, the town will have to respect you!"
"I already told you I don't care for their respect." Shadow retorted. "So why bother?"
"BECAUSE I CARE!" Anne finally snapped, much to everyone's surprise.
There was silence, Shadow remaining silence as Anne continued, "I know you say you don't care what others think of you, but it bothers me. Even after five years, they still treat you crummy." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I don't like that. It's not fair for them to treat you like that, especially after how much you've done for them. Sure, you can be strict and scary sometimes, but you're one of the kindest, sweetest guys I've ever met and I'm glad to have met you. I want to do this not just for me, but for you as well. So please, let me do this. I can look after myself."
Shadow considered her words for a moment. It's true that he never cared what others thought of him, or rather, he tried to not let it bother him, but even he couldn't deny that it did affect him to a small extent.
"You feel very strong about this." Shadow remarked before sighing. "Very well, do what you feel is best, but do not sink to their level. Understand?"
Anne nodded and made to leave, but Shadow said, "And before you go, a little something in case you come home late."
She turned and saw him offer her a small box, opening it to reveal a small pie, "That critter pot pie you always wanted to try."
Anne gasped before almost snatching it out of his hand, "Thanks, Shadow! You always have a way of sneaking into people's hearts."
She then did something rather bold; she leaned in and kissed his cheek.
There was silence between them, both teens staring in stunned silence with blushing red cheeks.
"Uh—okay—good to see you! Farewell forever." She said before turning and leaving in a hurry.
"Well, that happened." Polly said blandly.
Shadow stood in stunned silence, running his fingers down his cheek, still feeling those soft lips pressing against his cheek, his heart beating fast and his face turning red, feelings he never thought he'd ever feel beginning to surface.
Suddenly, he grabbed his sword and darted out the door, leaving everyone surprised.
"What the heck is going on?!" Polly demanded.
At the same time, Sprig jumped on the back of the couch and threw open the windows, "Uh, boy, what are you doin'?" Hop Pop asked.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Sprig said. "So, I'm gonna go with Shadow and watch over Anne." He turned to the newt boy. "You comin', Kaemon?"
"That's all well and good, but can you at least use the front door?" Hop Pop asked with a frown.
"…No." Sprig said before leaping out the window.
"Ah, screw it." Kaemon sighed before following out the window.
Anne was mentally slapping herself. How could she have done that, not knowing how Shadow might have reacted or felt in response. Admittedly, she had in fact found herself becoming more attracted to the boy, and there was plenty to like about him; he was strong, wise, and caring, he went out of his way to make sure she was fed, had a roof over her head and even taught her how to defend herself and control the power within. Not to mention he was handsome to boot.
Still, does that really give her the right to pursue him? She couldn't help but feel like she was taking advantage of his kindness.
Pushing aside those thoughts, she returned her attention to the road as she walked besides the wagon with the toads, Charon leading the way.
"All right. First name on the list." Charon declared, holding up the list as they approached Wally's house.
"So, how does this work?" Anne asked. "Do we remind Wally how much he owes or—"
Charon pushed past her before kicking the door off its hinges. Wally, who was taking a bath, jumped with fright when the dust settled, Charon bending down under the frame of the door.
"Jumping June bugs! What's all this about?!" Wally demanded, as Anne and the other toads entered.
"I, uh, guess you owe the town money?" Anne said, still unsure with how Charon just busted down the door to the kooky frog's home.
"Rubbish. I may live in squalor, but I always pay my taxes." Wally declared with his arms crossed as several chickens scrambled about.
"The mayor's list says otherwise." Charon retorted with the list in hand. "And since you haven't paid, we'll be taking your stuff."
"You ain't got the right!" Wally cried in protest.
Smirking wickedly, Charon grabbed Wally by the neck with a large hand before yanking him out of the tub, bringing him to eye level.
"You know what happens to those who don't pay, don't you?" She said with a low snarl. "If you don't pay us in your stuff…you'll pay in your blood."
This was enough to change Wally's tone, the poor kook terrified by the large toad, "Y-Yes, ma'am! Help yerself!" He said in a whimpering tone.
"That's more like it." Charon smirked before dropping the frog back in the tub and turning to her comrades. "Grab everything that isn't nailed down!"
And so the toads did exactly that. Bog, Fens and Mire grabbed everything that Wally owned. From the biggest barrel to the smallest peppers, even the bag of beetle jerky that he snatched from Anne at the store. As they ransacked the small cabin, Anne watched with instant regret. Threatening people, taking their belongings for not paying? This was just too far.
"Here you go, Anne. Little something extra for you." Bog said as he handed her the beetle jerky.
Looking at the bag, Anne only felt guilty before looking up at Charon, "Charon, this seems a little extreme."
"It's just how we do things around here." The large toad said with a shrug. "These frogs understand only one thing; fear. They need to know that they're not only under our protection, but our boot as well. That's the only way they'll show you respect."
"But threatening their lives?" Anne said. "Isn't that going too far?"
"Are you questioning our ways?" Charon snarled, leaning in the human's face.
Anne stared back with fear before the toad straightened up, "In time, you'll understand, and soon, these runts will respect you." She then turned to the others. "To the next house!"
Charon and the toads left, Anne looking at the local kook with guilt before giving him the beetle jerky, "Here, take this back." She whispered to him.
"Come on, Anne!" Bog called.
"Comin'!" Anne replied before quickly, not hearing the thank you from Wally, the Thai girl hanging back, not even joining the toads at the front. After what she just saw, she didn't want to be around them anymore.
Unbeknownst to Anne, Shadow was watching from afar, with Sprig and Kaemon by his side, sharing a binocular as they watched the wagon drive away. Pulling the binoculars down, Shadow watched his friend with a worried expression.
"Such barbarism." He said with disgust.
"That's weird." Sprig said with confusion. "Wally always pays his taxes."
"I'm surprised he can pay anything at all." Kaemon remarked. "Let alone own a house."
"Something's not right." Shadow mused. "He shouldn't have appeared on the list if he did pay."
Following from a distance, the trio heard a noise before jumping in the bushes to hide. Shortly enough, Toadstool emerged from the brush with Toadie following with a large bag on his back.
"Come on, Toadie." The fat mayor said, holding a very small bag. "While the townsfolk are preoccupied."
"Coming, sir!" Toadie panted, clearly struggling with the bag.
The two passed by, unaware of Shadow and company hiding in the bush, and not noticing a copper coin falling from the bag. Picking it up, Sprig was even more confused.
"A copper coin? The mayor? A hole? In the bag?" Sprig said.
"Something stinks here, and it's got the fat toad's handprints all over it." Kaemon said with narrowed eyes.
Thinking, Shadow thought up a plan, "Kaemon, you and Sprig follow the mayor and find out where he's going with that bag."
"Yes, Master!" Kaemon nodded.
"What about Anne?" Sprig asked.
"I'll keep following them. Get back to me when you find out what Toadstool's doing."
Shadow then returned to following the tax collectors, while Sprig and Kaemon went after Toadstool.
As the day went on, Shadow continued shadowing the tax collectors as they hit every house in Wartwood. When they came upon Felicia's tea shop, they took her barrel of Beau-Tea, some dishes, and anything they could carry. As they were leaving, Mire dropped one of the teacups that said #1 Mom on it. Anne picked it up and gave it back to Felicia.
Loggle's woodshop was next, as the toads took a statue of the axolotl doing a Discobolus pose. Loggle was pretty much helpless to do anything, even as he begged them. But when the toads weren't looking, Anne gave the woodsmith one of his canes back. Shadow smiled, glad Anne was at least trying to do the right thing.
Next was Mrs. Croaker, who tried to put up more of a fight by siccing her pet spider Archie on Charon. The little spider barked before lunging at the large toad, only for said toad to raise her boot and press it against the spider before beginning to crush Archie, making him whimper and squeal in pain. This was enough to make Sadie beg them to. stop and take whatever they want. And so they did, Mire grabbing Archie's bed and walking away, but Anne swapped the bed out with a vase and returning the bed to the old frog, the little spider hugging her leg in gratitude.
Anne was the last one out of the house, carrying a grandfather clock and putting it in the wagon, "I don't know, guys." She said, showing regret for coming along. "This whole thing feels wrong."
"The law's the law, Anne." Charon said. "It can be tough, but this kind of work needs to get done."
"Yeah." Fens agreed, eating a box of pet food. "Needs to get done. Stuff, gotta get it done."
Shadow could only stare with narrowed eyes, disgusted by what he saw.
Anne didn't seem convinced, before Charon spoke again, "Close your heart to their suffering. It all gets easier with time." She then turned to Bog. "Now, who's next on the list?"
Bog held up the list, "Eh, some nut named Hopadiah Plantar."
"Oh crud/crap." Anne and Shadow said, realizing something was definitely wrong here.
"Charon, that list has to be wrong." Anne tried to reason with the large toad. "I know that frog. He's totally honest."
Charon faced 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?"
Anne tried to think up a reason, but sadly, nothing came up.
Shadow, on the other hand, could feel himself panic. He snuck away from the scene and made a dash for the Plantar home, all the while dark clouds hung overhead.
Meanwhile, Kaemon and Sprig made after the mayor and his lackey, with Sprig thankfully keeping Kaemon on the right path before they arrived at the town square, the mayor approaching the statue with drapes around it. Curious, the newt and frog got closer, peaking through the curtains and saw the toad dumping the money into a secret compartment in the butt end of the statue.
"It's flawless, Toadie. The perfect plan." Toadstool boasted. "Who would think to look for the missing taxes in plain sight?"
"Master stroke, sir." Toadie said, throwing a small bag into the compartment.
"Quickly now. Let's skedaddle before anyone notices—"
Just as he was about to close the compartment, Sprig and Kaemon threw open the curtains, both glaring furiously.
"So, you snuck off with the taxes and left the townspeople to suffer for your greed." Kaemon snarled. "I knew you were a greedy bastard, but this takes the cake!"
"You fiends!" Sprig shouted angrily. "Everyone's gonna be furious when they find out about this!"
Toadstool then gave a smug look, "Well, too bad you won't have any proof-"
"Click."
With a flash, Kaemon pulled up Anne's phone and snapped a picture before showing it, the picture showing both Toadstool and Toadie in front of the statue and the compartment wide open.
"Good thing Anne taught me how to use her phone, and allowed me to borrow it for a while." Kaemon smirked.
"You guys are so busted for this." Sprig snarked.
"Well, then it's a good thing you'll never get to tell them." Toadstool said before attempting to lunge at them.
Kaemon slid under the fat mayor while Sprig jumped over, the two jumping outside the curtain.
"Well, ya gotta catch us first!" Sprig said as he jumped on Kaemon's shoulders, blowing a raspberry, before the newt ran off, holding Sprig tightly as he ran.
"Hey! Get after them!" Toadstool yelled, hopping slowly after them, with Toadie following behind.
Back in town, Shadow dashed to the Plantar home, barging into the house.
"Hop Pop, there's trouble heading this way!" The boy declared.
"What's going on?" Hop Pop asked.
"Are we being attacked by ants?!" Polly exclaimed.
"It's Charon!" Shadow said, both old frog and pollywog gasping with fear. "She's on her way here with her goons because they think you didn't pay your taxes!"
"That's preposterous!" Hop Pop said. "I've already paid my taxes, fair and square," He said that with eyes closed and fists against his hips.
"Yes, I know." Shadow said with a look of horror. "I was there."
Flashback…
Hop Pop sat at the desk, going through every step of paying taxes, with Shadow sat next to him. "So, then you add up your deductibles and... Oop! Guess what, Shadow? You're a deductible!" He said jokingly, pointing at the boy.
Shadow didn't respond, only banging his head against the table in barely contained frustration.
Present…
"Well, what're we gonna do?" Polly asked with worry, sitting on the couch and looking out the window, they could see the toads and Anne approaching the farm. "They're here!"
"Hop Pop, take Polly and go down to the basement." Shadow said, gripping his Black Hope katana. "I'll deal with them."
"Shadow, no." Hop Pop refused. "If one of us takes a stand, we all do it together. We've got to tell them I've already paid and get this whole thing sorted out."
Shadow wasn't convinced, "Hop Pop, there's no need to-"
"Shadow, you've already done more than enough to repay your debt to me, even though I never asked you to, nor expected you to." Hop Pop interrupted. "You've done your part for me, now it's my turn to repay you."
Shadow smiled at this before the three stepped out, Shadow standing at the front with Hop Pop by his side and Polly on his head. The tarantula came to a stop off the property and the toads got off, Anne rushing around to join them, a look of regret on her face, even when Shadow nodded at her.
"Hopediah Plantar!" Charon yelled. "Your taxes are due!"
"There's been a mix up." Shadow said calmly, hoping to reason with the lieutenant. "Hopediah's already paid and shouldn't be on the list."
"And yet he is." Charon retorted. "Now stand aside and let us work."
"Like Shadow said, I already paid my dang taxes." Hop Pop exclaimed, while Polly sat on his head and was trying to look tough. "You can't come in here, and that's final."
"I don't like your tone, frog." Charon growled. "Or did you forget who you're talking to?"
"Charon, I'm telling you there's a mistake." Anne said. "Hop Pop's already paid."
"They all said they've paid!" Charon roared, causing Anne to flinch back a bit. "I don't care what you think, or if you're friends with him. Anyone who doesn't pay their dues get the sword." She then turned to her subordinates. "Get to work, you lazy idiots!"
"R-Right away, ma'am!" Bog said, looking around to see what to take. "Now, what should we start with?"
"Well, how about that thing?" Fens said, pointing at Bessie.
"You stay away from her!" Hop Pop yelled.
"I'll bite your face off!" Polly screamed with fury.
"Good choice. That snail should cover everything." Charon smirked. "Bog, Mire, Fens, Anne, move out."
The three toads moved in, but before they could grab Bessie, Shadow dashed in and sent them flying back with a swing of his sheathed katana, the toads falling on their backs, Shadow standing tall with a defiant look on his face.
"If you touch that snail, you will lose the hand." He said darkly, his eyes turning black. "Now, I will not repeat myself; get off the property!"
Thunder clapped loudly and light flashed across the sky before rain started coming down on the valley.
Anne looked on in shock as her friend and mentor stood in defiance, holding his sword and ready to pull it free from its scabbard. Anne wasn't sure how to respond or if she should, until Charon gave her a push from behind.
"Quit standing around and get busy, Anne!" She shouted. "You want this towns respect, then do your damn job!"
Anne looked at Shadow with a scared expression, the boy only looking back at her with a blank expression, his eyes reverting to green. The two humans stood in silence before Shadow stood before her, his head leaned forward as he looked her in the eyes.
"Anne, listen to me." He said, the Thai girl looking up at him. "When I took you in, I swore to see you protected, no matter what. But I also swore to never raise my hand against you." He then held his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "No matter what you choose, I will not raise my hand against you. I only ask that you make the right choice."
Soon enough, a large crowd of frogs was beginning to form near the Plantar home, the various frogs in town watching the whole thing go down.
Anne only stared back in shock, her thoughts racing so fast. In that moment, she looked back on the first time they met; Anne was scared out of her mind before she met Shadow, the boy willing to give her so much, a home, a warm bed, warm meals every day, and the training he was giving her.
In the end, she could never hit the boy she owed so much to.
"STRIKE HIM DOWN!" Charon roared, losing her patience.
"No."
There was silence beside the pitter patter of the rain, the spectators looking on in anticipation.
"Care to repeat that?" Charon growled.
"I SAID NO!" Anne screamed, spinning around and glaring angrily at the giant toad.
The crowd gasped, Shadow opened his eyes and smiling.
"Oh, she's brave." Wally commented, a towel wrapped around him.
"What did she just say?" Mrs. Croaker asked in surprise.
"All I wanted was this town's respect." Anne said, tearing the badge from her sash. "But just because these people treated me crummy doesn't mean I'm going to do the same to them. I'm done with this. I don't care if they've broken the law. You can't treat people like this!"
And with a huff, she threw the badge to the ground at Charon's feet, the lieutenant glaring dangerously at her.
"I'm proud of you, Anne." Shadow said, placing a hand on her shoulder, the Thai girl calming down at his touch. "Now it's my turn."
He then moved past her, sticking the butt end of his sheathed katana into the ground, lowering his hood and his eyes filled with determination.
"You really are willing to stand against me?" Charon questioned. "Even after how they treated you like a monster?"
"You're frog-damned right I will." Shadow replied. "For five years, I swore an oath when I first settled here; no matter how much they fear me, no matter how much they wish me gone; I will never forsake these frogs. I will always be the shadow watching over Wartwood, no matter what they think of me. Because it's the right thing to do."
The frogs watched in awe, Hop Pop smiled, Polly cheered, while Anne was amazed by such dedication the boy showed, feeling the warmth in her chest, looking at the boy with admiration.
Charon chuckled wickedly, "Such blind compassion will be your downfall." She then looked towards her subordinates, who were still knocked down. "Bog, Mire, Fens! Get up! I know you're not so weak, you can't take a punch to the face!"
The three toads got up, all glaring angrily at the boy, weapons raised.
Shadow, on the other hand, didn't seem worried.
"Well, time for a warmup."
With that, he undid the collar of his cloak before throwing it to the side, revealing his dark clothing consisting of a long-sleeved shirt with gloves, a pair of long pants and boots. But the most stand out part was his long black scarf he had wrapped around his neck, which had several drawings of wolves along it.
Bog let out a battle cry as he charged in, sword raised overhead before swinging downward, but the boy easily sidestepped it before delivering three fast punches to the gut before throwing a roundhouse kick to the head, sending him flying back. Growling, Bog got up and charged back in, a club raised overhead, only for Shadow to then spun in reverse and deliver a devastating kick across his face, sending him into the dirt and knocking a tooth out.
Fens charged in with her mace, swinging to the side, only for Shadow to jump back to dodge, Fens swinging some more, but only hitting air, before Shadow kicked the mace away before delivering an elbow to the face, then knocking her off her feat with a sweeping leg kick, the female toad tumbling to the ground. Getting up, Fens growled in anger before grabbing a barrel full of spears before hurling every spear at him, the boy simply standing still before time seemed to slow down, the spears freezing in place before him, the boy cracking his knuckles before punching every spear, breaking each one in half, and in such short time, he was standing before the female toad and delivered a backhand across the face, sending her to the ground.
From the perspective of everyone else, it happened so fast. One minute, Shadow stood there as a volley of spears was thrown his way, then the next, the spears were broken into pieces and Fens was sent flying. Anne, on the other hand, knew that Shadow moved faster than light, so fast, it was next to impossible to keep up.
Mire roared before lunging forward with a spear, Shadow easily weaving side to side before grabbing the shaft, then hitting the toad in the face before kicking him away, then breaking the spear over his knee. Mire rushed forward, a fist reared back, only for the boy catch the fist before punching Mire several times in the gut, then delivered a powerful punch to the helmet. Upon contact, the helmet shattered, revealing Mire's small face.
Mire could only squeal in shock before Shadow punched him in the face, sending him tumbling into the dirt.
Anne watched in utter awe at the scene unfolding before her; the strength, the speed, and dominance her teacher showed, her heart beating fast and feeling butterflies in her stomach.
'He's strong.' She thought.
Straightening up, Shadow stared down at Charon, the defeated toads laying at her feet.
"Last chance to walk away." He offered.
Charon looked at the scene before chuckling, "As expected from the Black Wolf of Newtopia."
The frogs nearly gasped, Anne only gave a confused look, unsure what Charon was referring to. Shadow, on the other hand? A look of dread was plastered on his face at the mention of that.
"Don't look so shocked, boy." Charon said with a grin. "Did you really think that five years out in the boonies would make everyone forget the legend you left behind? The wolf that left a mark that big at such a young age?"
Shadow only glared back with a hard stare before saying, "If you know about me so well, you should know better than to make me bare my fangs."
"You've gone soft, boy." Charon snarled. "All that fame and you throw it away for life out in the boonies! It's pathetic!"
"Have you ever considered why I came out here in the first place?" Shadow asked. "The answer is simple; I sought peace."
"Peace?" Bog repeated with confusion, lifting himself from the dirt.
"Peace of mind." Shadow clarified. "For ten years, I was forced into becoming a weapon against my will. When I first came out here, all I wanted was to be left in peace." He then turned towards the crowd of frogs. "Sure, it wasn't easy, but I soon came to earn the respect of some frogs that I've grown attached to."
Wally, Mrs. Croaker, Felicia, Ivy, Maddie, and a few others were touched by his words, Hop Pop and Polly especially. Anne felt her heart warm at this.
"And that's what I strive for every day, no matter how much they may detest me." Shadow declared. "No matter what, I'll always protect this town." He then placed a hand on the handle of his sword. "Now, if you value your life, you will walk away."
There was silence, both human and toad staring each other down before Charon pulled out her sword and hammer.
"Fine by me." She said as she spread her arms out and turned to the frogs watching. "Bear witness, Wartwood! Bear witness as your protector falls before me!" She then faced Shadow. "Light the fire in your heart, Black Wolf! Bare your fangs! Fight hard! …and die well."
With a roar, she charged forward, swinging her sword, only for Shadow to sidestep the attack, the sword cutting into the mud, before he swung his katana from its scabbard, swinging upward and cutting the toad's back, causing her to yell in pain, before she turned to face him, his sword dripping a bit with her blood.
"Ever heard of death by a thousand cuts?" Shadow asked, raising his blade at her. "It can refer to a figure of speech, where a failure occurs due to many small problems that can cause one to bleed to death. In your case, it's literal, as you just suffered your first cut."
Growling, Charon rushed forward, swinging her sword downward, this time, Shadow raised his katana to block before pushing back, then kicked her in the solar plexus to push her back before delivering three swift strikes with his katana, cutting into her armor and drawing blood from her abdomen, the toad attempting to counterattack with her hammer, but Shadow ducked under it, blocking a sword strike aimed for his back with his katana before swinging, leaving a cut on Charon's cheek.
Growing irritated, Charon jumped back and launched her tongue at him, Shadow easily catching it before she pulled him in, hoping to use his momentum to get him impaled on her sword. This proved ineffective, however, as he was able to knock the sword out of the way before socking her in the jaw, sending her tumbling to the mud.
Anne watched in amazement as her mentor was practically running circles around the toad, wondering if she could do the things he did.
Getting up, Charon growled angrily, watching Shadow stand there so casually, the blade of his sword resting on his shoulder, and his expression never changing, just that usual blank, unamused look, as though he was disappointed.
Charon readied herself, charging forward with another sword swing, Shadow blocking, but she smirked as she swung her hammer, Shadow jumping back to avoid it, the toad launching a barrage of sword and hammer strikes, Shadow dodging or blocking with his sword, and when he ducked under a sword swing, he raised his leg and kicked her in the jaw, sending her flying before she crashed into the dirt.
Everyone watched as Shadow approached the downed lieutenant, the toad looking up with angry eyes, the boy looking down at her with narrowed eyes, the black eyes reverting back to green, as he sheathed his katana and crouched down a bit.
"Gather your cronies and leave." He warned. "Now."
He then turned away and made to leave, but stopped when Bog and Fens blocked his path, both holding weapons and angry looks on their faces.
"You think we're just gonna let you walk away?" Bog growled. "Nobody steps on Toad Towers toes and gets away with it!"
Shadow only shook his head, ready to draw his katana, "You thugs never learn."
Anne saw Charon get up, rearing her hammer back, much to her shock.
"SHADOW, LOOK OUT!"
The minute Shadow turned his head…
Wham!
He was hit in the left side of his head, sending him crashing into the ground.
The crowd gasped in shock, Anne and the Plantars equally shocked, the three about to rush in to help, only for Mire to grab both Hop Pop and Polly, and Fens grabbing Anne.
"Hey! Let me go!" Polly yelled.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Hop Pop exclaimed.
"Get off!" Anne yelled, struggling to break free.
"I wouldn't get in the way." Fens snickered.
Looking at the fallen boy, Charon laughed victoriously, "You see?! This is what happens when you get too comfortable out in the boonies! You grow weak, soft! And an embarrassment!"
Groaning, Shadow struggled to push himself up, pressing his hands into the mud, and his vision slightly blurry. He raised a hand to the side of his head where he was struck. The moment he laid his hand against his head, he froze before bringing his hand into view, now covered in a red liquid with an iron smell.
Blood. His blood.
For the first time, in five years, his carelessness gave Charon the opening she needed to land a hit on him. And now, because he was foolish to turn his attention from her, he was bleeding.
His mind was swarming with emotions, panic being one of them, his heart beating so fast that it threatened to burst out of his chest.
"And now for the cherry on top!" Charon boasted as she made to approach, hammer and sword in hand. "Putting the wolf down."
Anne's mind was overtaken by panic, watching the monster of a toad approach her fallen mentor, her breathing going at a faster rate.
And a fire igniting in her heart, refusing to lay down and let the boy who did so much for her die.
"GET OOOOFFFF!"
Suddenly, there was a burst of blue energy igniting around her, and with a primal scream, she threw Fens right off of her, sending the female toad into a tree. Determined, the Thai girl grabbed a sword and dashed right at Charon.
"YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU BITCH!"
She raised her sword, aiming to cut the large toad down…
Wham!
Only for said toad to spin around and slam her hammer right into Anne's right arm, followed by what sounded like broken bone, sending her crashing into the dirt.
Anne could only scream in pain, gripping her injured arm, and the blue aura around her fading away.
"ANNE!" Hop Pop and Polly yelled in shock.
The crowd gasped in horror.
And Shadow? His eyes were wide with shock and horror as he watched his student writhe on the ground in agony, gripping her broken arm, eyes squeezed shut as she tried to fight back the tears. The very sight made Shadow's mind race with panic, even more so when he saw Charon turn her attention to the Thai girl, looming over her.
"You know what we do with traitors to Toad Tower?"
He watched as she raised her hammer over her head, about to bring it down upon the girl…
…and at that moment, everything seemed to freeze from Shadow's perspective, the boy watching in panic, but upon looking at that scene, that panic soon turned into an emotion he hadn't felt in five years.
Anger. Hate. Rage.
Anger at the toads for their brutality. Hate for Charon injuring the girl he was responsible for looking after. And a rage clawing to get out.
That rage built up, his eyes turning pitch black wasn't the only thing that happened.
Charon stood over the Thai girl, hammer raised over her head.
"Nothing personal, creature; just business."
When she swung it down, however, she only hit dirt, much to her confusion. Looking up, she saw Shadow crouched near Hop Pop and Polly, Mire and Fens having scrambled away from the sight of the boy, even Bog stepped away in fear. And when Hop Pop and Polly got a good look at his face, they could see why.
Cracking her eyes open, Anne saw she was in the protective arms of Shadow, but when she looked up at his face, she saw something very different. His eyes were pitch black, and the veins seemed to be popping around his eyes, the veins glowing black, and seeming to be spreading across his face and down his neck like a web, his hair like a burning black flame and a black aura around his body.
But what scared her the most was the look on his face. Gone was that look of confidence and swagger. In its place was a look of absolute rage, like a snarling beast waiting to escape from its cage.
"So, you finally gonna stop holding back?" Charon goaded some more. "Gonna finally show the monster inside?! Who you really are?!"
Setting Anne down, Shadow stood at full height, looking over his shoulder at the toad with a dark stare, rage in his eyes.
"You will choke on your own heart."
Before anyone could give any form of reaction, he flew at Charon faster than light before slamming a fist in her gut so hard, it made her cough up blood, before he sent a barrage of punches into her gut, lifting her off the ground before flying up with a kick to her face, sending her crashing into a wall. Charon barely had time to get up before Shadow appeared in front of her as though he was teleporting, the toad trying to fight back by swinging her sword at him, only for the powered-up boy to catch the blade with a single bare hand, much to her shock.
"What?!" She gasped.
"Nice knife." He said darkly, an echo in his voice, before he snapped the blade in two.
Everyone watched in shock at the scene before them, the boy letting out a roar before he went back to pummeling the toad at hyper fast speeds before grabbing her by the collar and throwing her back into the opening.
Breathing heavily and her body aching from the assault, Charon was barely able to stand, looking up to see the boy marching towards her, the rage never leaving his eyes.
'I've only heard stories about the Black Wolf's rage,' She thought. 'That he had a rage so strong, that not even fate could stop him until his target was dead.' Her eyes began to widen. 'That must mean…I won't be leaving alive.'
Suddenly, after years of hardening herself on the battlefield, after working so hard for the strength and respect she earned and fought for, she was feeling something she hadn't felt in so long; fear.
Pushing the fear out, she raised her hammer up and threw it at him in a last-ditch effort, but something unexpected happened. When it got close, Shadow drew out his katana, the blade covered in a black aura, and sliced the hammer in half!
Charon was utterly perplexed by this, and she couldn't even find time to react when the boy dashed in, sword reared downward, as time around him seemed to slow to a crawl, his black eyes looking over at Anne, at her injured right arm, before he returned his attention back to Charon, and swung upward…
Slash!
…and severed her right arm, the limb flying off in the distance!
Charon blinked a few times before noticing a pain in her right arm, slowly looking over to see her arm was missing. Her eyes widened in utter horror, her mouth hanging open…
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
She let out the most pained, ear-piercing scream, almost falling to her knees from the shock. But somehow, she turned her gaze back to the boy in absolute anger.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"
With a roar, she reared her remaining fist back and lunged forward, only for the boy to catch it with no effort. Desperate and filled with rage of her own, Charon launched her tongue, which wrapped around his neck, as though attempting to strangle him.
"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" She screamed in pure rage. "I'M GONNA MAKE YOU SUFFER! I'LL TEAR YOU APART AND MAKE YOU WATCH WHILE TOAD TOWER BURNS THIS VILLAGE TO THE GROUND! AND MAKE YOU WATCH WHILE MY MEN HAVE THEIR WAY WITH THAT WRETCHED BITCH OF YOURS!"
Those last two statements proved to only dig her grave, as Shadow reached up, grabbed the base of her tongue and tore it out of her mouth, worsening her shock further.
But Shadow wasn't done, before he then ripped her remaining arm off, leaving her with no arms and her fear reaching unexpected heights, before he then sent his arm through her chest, punching right through the armor and his hand clutching her still beating heart before pulling his arm free, his other hand holding her head up to look at him, his black-veined face and rage filled eyes and Charon's still beating heart in plain view.
"Remember what I promised you."
With the cold statement, he then shoved the heart into her mouth, lodging it into her throat, the now whimpering lieutenant pushed to her knees as he held her head in between his hands.
"Now swallow."
Charon could only whimper as the boy soon started squeezing, nothing she could do about it, before soon enough…
Ker-splat!
Her head then exploded in bloody fashion, the now headless body falling to the ground. Shadow, his face still covered in those dark veins, just stared down at the mess he made before he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Shadow?"
Looking over, he saw Anne, her face riddled with worry and fear. Worry for her mentor, but fear of him as well. Even now, just looking at his face covered with those black veins, his eyes pitch black and blood covering the side of his head, one could easily mistake him for a demon.
But Anne knew better than that.
Shortly, Shadow's eyes returned to green, the aura soon ceased, and his veins stopped glowing before they no longer looked like they were popping around his eyes, and his expression softened, but it wasn't cheery. In its place was sadness and guilt.
"I'm sorry, Anne." He said softly. "I never meant for you to see that side of me."
Before Anne could say anything, she saw the three remaining toads with weapons in hand, and all three looked angry, especially Bog.
"You have any idea what you just did, Black Wolf?" The red toad demanded, gripping his hammer tightly.
"Hey, back off!" Anne yelled in defiance. "Your boss lost, now leave us alone!"
"That don't mean nothin', brat!" Fens yelled back. "You think we're gonna let you kill Charon and get away with it?!"
Suddenly, there was a whistle in the wind that was somehow heard amongst the rain, before a powerful force sent the three toads back, Anne nearly gasping when Kaemon appeared before her, three of his swords drawn and his bandana wrapped around his head.
"You dare steal from these frogs under false pretenses and assaulted my master and fellow student." He said in a dark tone, crossing his swords. "Now, you face me!"
"Aw hell no." Fens gaped in fear. "Bog, there's no way we can face the Demon of the Four Sword!"
Bog only growled in response before he was hit in the face with a ball of mud, "What the-?!"
"You leave them alone!" Sprig yelled as he jumped through the trees and on Kaemon's shoulders.
"Yeah, you leave our Anne and Shadow alone!" Wally yelled, a ball of mud in hand.
"You mess with these two, you mess with Wartwood!" Felicia chimed in defiance, the crowd soon getting behind the two humans.
"If you got a problem with them, you got a problem with all of us." Mrs. Croaker nodded, fists raised ready to tussle and Archie barking at her side.
Shadow and Anne smiled gratefully at the crowd before Sprig hopped up to them.
"Anne! Shadow!" The frog boy cried.
"Hey, what took you so long?" Anne smiled.
"Sorry, we got tied up." Sprig answered.
Soon enough, both Toadstool and Toadie emerged from the brush, both clearly out of breath.
"Oh, boy. Gotta cut back on them cricket nuggets. Whoo!" The mayor said in between breathes.
"Arrest that toad!" Sprig yelled, pointing at the mayor. "He stole the town's money and was keeping it all for himself!"
Everyone gasped in shock, even the Toad Tower toads were confused by this.
"Where's he keeping it?" Shadow asked.
"Follow us." Kaemon smirked.
It had stopped raining by the time everyone had gathered in the town square, all gathered around the tacky statue.
"May I?" Sprig asked Bog with confidence, only for said confidence to fall when the toad dropped his hammer into his hands, clearly too heavy for him. "Actually, I think you should do the honors."
Taking the hammer, Bog then smashed the statue, knocking it right off its base before crashing into the ground, coins spilled out of it.
The townspeople gasped, all appalled by Toadstools greed, even the toads were angry at this.
"Should you guys really be surprised by this?" Kaemon deadpanned.
"People, I needed the extra money for my campaign." The mayor tried to defend himself. "Do you have any idea how much it costs to buy your love?"
"No, but do you no how much it'll cost to kick your ass?" Kaemon said, the angry crowd advancing on Toadstool, rotten fruit and veggies in hand.
"Uh... And as mayor, I hereby pardon myself of any wrongdoing. Thank you. Good day." Toadstool quickly said before running off, the crowd throwing produce and mud at him.
Not intending to let the greedy toad off the hook so easily, Shadow grabbed a spear and hurled it towards him, the spear sticking him right in the butt.
"Yeowch!"
"Nailed it." Shadow smirked.
The sun peaked out from behind the clouds as Shadow, Kaemon, Anne, the Plantars and the toads spent the remainder of the day returning everything taken form the frogs. Once that was done, the toads loaded Charon's body onto a separate wagon, wanting to give the deceased lieutenant a proper burial, to which Shadow understood.
Once everything was settled, Shadow having a bandage wrapped around his head while Anne had her arm in a cast, the two humans and newt were about to head back to the hut when they were approached by Bog.
"If it was respect you were looking for, Anne, you sure lost mine." The red toad said.
"Good, because if your form of respect is fear and hurting people, then I don't want it." Anne declared before looking at Shadow with a smile. "Besides, I've already got the respect of someone better."
"You've a lot of nerve, I'll give you that." Bog laughed before turning to Shadow, a serious look on his face. "As for you, Black Wolf; we won't forget this. Charon was second in command of Toad Tower, considered one of the best soldiers we've ever had. We'll be back, and we won't be alone."
Shadow returned a glare of his own, "Well, it'd better be in peace, because I will not tolerate anyone who threatens this town. So, tell your master, whoever they are, that Wartwood is under the protection of its Shadow, no matter what."
Bog scoffed, "Then we'll be seeing you real soon, hero." He then climbed into the driver's seat and whipped the reins with a 'hyah', the tarantula crawling off, pulling the wagons with the taxes and fallen superior officer away to the tower.
"So, are we gonna tell the captain about that creature we found?" Fens asked. "And about the Black Wolf?"
"Oh, we're gonna tell the captain everything." Bog said in a menacing tone.
Shadow watched the toads vanish into the forest, lost in his thoughts, before he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, looking over to see Anne with a worried expression.
"What was that back there?" She asked. "You didn't look like yourself."
Shadow considered it for a moment before sighing, "Our Calamity Powers are tied to our emotions. The more control we have over our emotions, the more in sync we are with our powers." He then looked at his bandaged hand. "As you saw back there, I was under extreme duress and panic, before the rage suddenly took over, the minute I saw her attack you. I lost control, and my instincts took over."
"That explains the weird glowing veins all over your face." Anne said. "Like you were on autopilot, focused only on the objective, like completely obliterating Charon."
Shadow was silent, looking away as though he was ashamed, "I told you once before, Anne; I've killed before, and ready to do so again if necessary. I just rather avoid it." He then looked at her with sad eyes. "That's why I want to teach you how to control your powers as quickly as I can, as much as I'm able to. Because otherwise, you may end up losing control."
Anne looked at him with wide eyes, amazed yet worried at the same time.
"So, after hearing all that, do you still want anything to do with me?" He asked, believing she would reject him.
"ShadAnne against the world, remember?"
Shadow looked at her with surprise, the Thai girl giving a confident smirk, "No matter what, we're in this together. We're already this deep in and you're not gonna scare me away!"
Shadow looked at her with surprise before chuckling and giving a smile, "ShadAnne against the world." He then held her hand, the two blushing from the touch.
"Now, you do need to tell me about this Newtopia place." Anne said. "Whenever you're ready, of course."
"You have my assurance." Shadow nodded.
They were in the deep now, and Anne was determined to stick it through to the end. Even after witnessing a new side to Shadow, she wasn't intimidated. In fact, she felt more motivated to get stronger to be better, not just for Shadow, but for herself and her friends as well. And with Shadow at her back, she was certain she can do anything.
'He's my guardian angel.' She thought to herself.
"Three cheers for Anne and Shadow, defenders of Wartwood!" Wally declared.
"Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!" The crowd chanted, Anne feeling warm that she finally earned the respect she sought.
"Aw, thanks, guys." She sniffed a bit. "Now who wants to sign my cast?"
"May I?" Shadow asked with a smile, gladly writing his name on the cast, Anne blushing.
"Me, me, me next! I'm her best friend!" Sprig declared.
"Me! Out of the way, you plebes!" Polly exclaimed.
"Oi! I can't write." Wally said before laughing.
All the while this happened, however, there stood the stranger cloaked in white once again, standing on the roof of one of the houses, watching the whole thing, before they then disappeared into the sky.