Eyes | Amphibia

Chapter 21

TW: This chapter contains violence. Proceed at your own risk.

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Yunan and Olivia were found in the armory, where Yunan appeared to be explaining the history and function of every piece of armor and weapon to Olivia, who was listening intently with eyes full of interest. Grime hated to interrupt such a serene moment between the two, but this was an urgent situation, and their help was needed.
"Yunan, Olivia," Grime greeted the two as he stepped into the armory, Anise following close behind. She took a moment to admire the weaponry and armor sets that spanned across the entire room, unable to stop her jaws from parting at the fascinating sights.
The two newts quickly turned to face their king, bowing to him respectfully. "Sire," they returned the greeting in unison, before Yunan's eyes shot wide open as she spotted the unfamiliar face behind the toad. "And... human?! Grime, what's going on?"
"This is Anise," Grime stepped out of the way to reveal the pink-haired teen, who waved at the newts. "She is here along with Anne and Sasha because something terrible has occurred: The Core somehow managed to survive, and it is now back for revenge, using Marcy as its host once again. It has an incredibly powerful weapon that is capable of doing real damage; Sasha is currently being seen by a doctor because it completely immobilized her arm. We must stop it before it's too late, and we need your help."
"What?" Lady Olivia's eyes filled with horror. "B-But didn't Anne destroy it? How could it have possibly managed to survive?"
"We don't know," Grime sighed, "but we have a plan to stop it. Anne is back in Wartwood coming up with a spell to get The Core out of Marcy, and we have to compile some defense to protect the city before it tries to seize it. So, are you two in?"
The newts appeared unsure at first, shooting worried glances at each other and stepping closer to each other for comfort. Things were finally starting to settle down, and now their peace was at risk again?...
"Please," Anise urged, "Not only is Marcy in danger, but so is the fate of your world and other worlds. We can't do this without all the help we can get."
There was silence for a short while as Yunan and Olivia pondered over their options, but it wasn't long before the taller newt gently grabbed Olivia's arm and gazed down into her eyes with resolve. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to; the gesture itself spoke a thousand words, and before long both newt's worries had been replaced by fierce determination.
"Of course we'll help." Olivia nodded, bringing smiles to Grime and Anise's lips. "Amphibia has undergone significant healing since the end of the Leviathan reign, and we shaln't let The Core ruin all of the progress we've made."
"Yeah!" Yunan grinned. "I can go out and get some soldiers together to guard the castle, and Olivia can send out some search patrols; Then The Core won't even have a chance to make it into the city, I'm sure."
"And once we have The Core surrounded we can capture it, and hopefully by we'll then have the spell to get it out of Marcy!" Anise added with optimism.
"I will send a message to Wartwood telling the Plantars to arrive with the spell as soon as possible." Olivia smiled. "This will be over before we know it."
"That's the spirit!" Grime brightened. "Alright, Yunan, go compile some troops at the city gates and castle entrance, and Olivia, send out some search parties and the message to Wartwood. We will be in the throne room if you need anything."

And with that, everyone went their separate ways. As Anise followed Grime back to the throne room, hope swirled through them. The plan seemed to be growing more secure by the second, and Anise was sure that The Core would stand no chance against all of their forces combined. She couldn't wait to see its face when it saw how outwitted it was!

After all this was over, Anise knew they needed to talk to Marcy about it. She had suffered in silence for so long, and ended up putting the people she loved in danger in the process. While Anise was a bit upset at the fact that Marcy had lied to them about the whole situation, they understood why she did it. Heck, if they were in her shoes, they'd probably do the same thing. But they still wanted to hear Marcy's side of everything.
Anise couldn't imagine the pain Marcy must've been suffering through this whole time. They sincerely hoped that once this was over, she would finally find the peace she deserved.