Chapter Twenty-six: Shadow of the Year

Shadow, Anne and Kaemon went into town with the Plantars to the town square, Anne taking note of a large number of frogs gathered.

"Man, what is with this crowd? Are fruit flies on sale or something?" Anne asked with a giggle.

Hop Pop laughed in response. "No. Today's the day they announce the Frog of the Year award."

"Frog of the what?" Anne asked before Sprig hopped on her.

"Frog of the hoppin' Year, Anne. Every year, the town gets together and votes on the frog they think best embodies the values of Wartwood." Sprig declared, hanging off Anne's chest.

"I voted this year." Kaemon declared.

"Really? How come it's the first time I heard about it?" Anne asked before turning to her teacher.

"I didn't even know the celebration was happening this week." Shadow said.

"We all voted last week. Don't you remember?" Polly asked, being carried in her bucket by Hop Pop.

"Huh. Not at all. Wonder why." Anne said.

"I remember hearing about it, but I didn't pay it much mind." Shadow admitted.

Last week…

On the day of the voting, Anne and Shadow were in the field, meditating this time to build energy, when Kaemon approached.

"Hey, Master, Anne, I'm heading to town with the Plantars to vote for Frog of the Year." He told them. "Wanna come?"

The two humans didn't reply, or perhaps couldn't reply, given how focused they are with their meditation.

"I'm gonna assume your silence is a no." The newt said before leaving, meeting back with the Plantars. "Let's leave them to have some alone time."

"Sounds fine with me." Hop Pop said.

"I don't get it." Sprig said as he and the family left.

Anne and Shadow thought about it before shrugging, when they noticed Mayor Toadstool stepped onto the stage.

"All right, folks. It's time!" He declared with a chuckle. "As you all know, the Frog of the Year goes to the most selfless, noble, blah, blah, blah... Let's get on with it." He slammed his fists on the podium and held out his hand.

"How much you wanna bet he rigged it to have himself win?" Polly asked.

"I'd wager my whole hut." Shadow deadpanned.

Toadie hopped over and gave him the envelope with the winner's name, the fat toad opening and began to announce the lucky frog. "And this year's Frog of the Year award goes to..." He then gasped when he read the name. "Well, this can't be right. Shadow?!"

Everyone in the audience gasped in shock, Anne looking at her teacher, who looked just as shocked as she did, his eyes so wide that they threatened to pop out of his head. A second later, the audience burst into cheers.

"Hell yeah!" Kaemon cheered, jumping high.

Anne took her teacher's hand, making him blush. "Come on, Teach! Let's get you up there!"

She then pulled him along, she and Kaemon pushing the other frogs out of the way to get Shadow to the stage.

Hop Pop watched with teary eyes. "A Plantar, Frog of the Year. I'm so proud." He tried to wipe the tear away, but it got stuck on his finger.

Getting on stage and ignoring the annoyed look of Toadstool, Anne and Kaemon pulled Shadow up and let go, giving the boy thumbs up. Shadow stared at the crowd with a look of genuine shock, feeling touched from the ovation.

"Wow! I just…wow!" Shadow said, trying to fight the urge to cry. "Thanks, everyone. I don't know what to say."

"I do." And the moment was ruined when Toadstool, in all his spite, opened his mouth. "Are you people out of your frog-dang minds?! He doesn't deserve to host a party!"

"Party?" Anne said with excitement.

"What party?" Kaemon asked.

"Oh, it's one of our oldest traditions." Toadie explained, holding up a scroll. "The Frog of the Year has to put on an incredible party for the whole town."

"Oh boy." Shadow whispered, the color drained from his face. "I have to PLAN the party?!"

"Yeah!" Toadstool said, glaring at the crowd. "And that party is supposed to demonstrate the Frog of the Year's selflessness. And this punk is far from selfless."

"As if!" Anne snapped, pointing a finger at the toad. "He's more selfless than your crooked butt could ever dream of being!"

"Yeah, he's done more for this whole town than you ever could as mayor!" Kaemon added. "After all the greedy crap you pulled, it's no wonder no one voted for you!"

Touched by his student's words, Shadow stepped forward with renewed confidence. "They're right. And I'll show you that I've earned this by putting on a party so big, it will leave you speechless!"

"Yeah, it'll blow your minds!" Anne declared, her voice echoing.

The crowd blinked for a second before one said, "I don't want my mind blown."

"I meant it in a good way!" Anne quickly stated.

"Oh, okay." That frog said before the crowd roared in applause and cheer, Shadow smiling as Anne wrapped her arms around him in a hug, making him blush.

"I'm looking forward to seeing this thing go down in flames." Toadstool said snidely before walking away, Anne and Kaemon glaring as the toad left.

"Permission to shoot him in the ass?" Kaemon asked.

"Permission granted, just make sure you're not seen." Anne nodded.

Hours later, the Plantars arrived at the hut, seeing Anne and Kaemon waiting outside.

"Hey, Anne, Kaemon!" Sprig greeted. "How's Shadow doing?"

"How do you think?" Kaemon asked rhetorically before opening the door, allowing the Plantars to see the pacing mess that was Shadow, constantly pacing back and forth, even on the walls and ceiling of his hut, he seemed so stressed.

"What in the world am I gonna do? I don't know anything about party planning! Let alone what goes into a party! Why, I haven't gone to any sort of party in five years! Well, except for Sprig's birthdays, but that's besides the point!"

The boy went on with his ramblings, completely unaware of the others' presence, before Anne walked up to him and slapped him hard in the face with the palm of her hand, making him stop in place and go silent before turning to her with narrowed eyes.

"Did you just slap me?" Shadow asked.

"Sorry, but we're not gonna get anywhere with you pacing like that." Anne told him. "So, we're gonna throw the biggest, and the best party these frogs have ever seen! And with me helping you, it can't fail!"

"Yeah, you have us to help you, Shade!" Hop Pop said.

Shadow looked at them before smiling. "Thanks, everyone. So, Anne, how are we doing this?"

"I'll show you." Anne smirked.

Soon enough, the two got to work, working out each part of the plan for the party. When they finished, they slammed the impressively detailed plans on the Plantar coffee table.

"Boom! Here are the plans for throwing the best party ever and proving that mayor wrong!" Anne declared. "Stupid mayor with his stupid dumb face."

"Anne, don't worry about what the mayor said." Sprig told her. "Besides, it's all about having fun planning things."

"Yeah, but this needs to go off with a bang!" Anne declared. "After all, Shadow's Frog of the Year, and he deserves only the best!"

"Thank you, Anne." Shadow said before facing the Plantars and Kaemon. "Now, from what Anne explained, a great party has three ingredients: entertainment, exclusivity, and spectacle. With a fourth addition of security, of course." He gave Hop Pop a microphone. "Hop Pop, you're in charge of entertainment. I dub thee Master of Ceremonies."

Hop Pop gasped with stars in his eyes. "I've been waiting for this day my whole life."

"Polly, you are exclusivity. It's your job to decide who gets into the party and who doesn't." He then placed a set of stachions with a velvet rope in front of them.

Polly gasped, a look of power forming in her eyes. "I can't wait to abuse this power!" She exclaimed, grabbing the stachions and pulling her set away, going to do who knows what with them.

"Kaemon, you will be security." Shadow pointed to the newt. "Be armed and ready, and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Yes, Master!" Kaemon declared with a salute.

"And what about meeeeee?" Sprig sang as he jumped on the table and struck a pose, clearly excited.

"Sprig, you have the most important job of all: the spectacle." Anne told him.

"Oh, my frog, oh, my frog, oh, my frog!" Sprig chanted in excitement.

"At the party..." Anne began, pausing for dramatic effect, but could hold it in no longer, before finishing with stars in her eyes and a blush on her face. "...you're gonna tell Ivy how you feel about her!"

Sprig looked at her with a shocked expression, as though he had just been told he wasn't allowed to have slingshots anymore. "Wha- Huh?"

"Yup. A legendary party needs a legendary spectacle." Anne declared, giving Sprig a magazine about romance. "Can you imagine how excited party-goers will be to see true love blossom before their eyes?"

"Anne, didn't rushing love almost get you eaten by doves?" Shadow asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, and I'm not really sure I'm ready for this." Sprig said with uncertainty.

"Hey, how about Sprig and I both confess to Ivy and Maddie?" Kaemon suggested. "That way, Anne and Master will get their spectacle and Sprig won't be confessing alone, everyone's happy."

"Well, that would help." Sprig said, just a bit more confident.

"Whoo-hoo!" Anne jumped with joy.

"Alright, the plan is set." Shadow declared. "Anne, as my chief planner, I'm counting on you to make sure everything runs smoothly."

"You got it, Teach!" Anne saluted. "Come on, everyone! Let's bring the thunder!"

Everyone cheered together, ready to get the party started.

Later, the preparations were underway for the celebration, everyone in town helping get the party ready. Stumpy was preparing a vast assortment of foods with Thai specialties, at Anne's suggestion, and there was a giant wooden statue of Shadow as the centerpiece of the party, crafted by Loggle.

"All right, let's see how things are going." Anne said as she walked around with a clipboard and pencil. "Stumpy, stew's lookin' good and I want some later!"

"I'll save ya a bowl, Anne!" Stumpy said.

Anne continued walking around, checking off everything on the list as she saw them. "Decorations are up, glassware's looking polished." She then stopped by the statue as Loggle was carving the boot. "Loggle, love that statue. Looking good!"

"As cool as him, right?" Loggle asked before resuming his work.

Anne looked up at the statue and smiled. "He sure is."

Moving on, she walked over to Hop Pop, who was looking over his cards with written material on them. "All right, Mr. Emcee, let's hear some jokes." She said.

"Okay. Have you heard about the snail who went on a diet?" Hop Pop said before pausing before finishing. "He's a shell of his former self!" If there was a drum set, someone would have played it.

"Hmm. Okay, okay. A little soft, but keep working on it." She said, trying to be encouraging.

She then moved on to Sprig and Kaemon, both standing in front of scarecrows that looked like Ivy and Maddie.

"Kaemon, Sprig, my homies. Let's see how that romantic proposal is going." She said to them.

"We've been practicing for several hours now. Watch this." Kaemon said before approaching the Maddie scarecrow with a swagger in his step. "Hey, gorgeous. Wanna dance?" He then took hold of the scarecrows hand and dipped it, holding it by the waist. "My, you look so beautiful tonight."

"Looking good, Kaemon." Anne clapped.

Sprig cleared his throat. "So, it's gonna go a little something like this, okay?" He said with confidence, but when he looked at the fake Ivy, his confidence slipped. "Uh, Ivy, I got, uh, s-something to tell you, uh- Oop!"

Suddenly, when he stepped forward, he tripped and fell right into the scarecrow, breaking it as he landed on the ground. Sitting up, Sprig rubbed his forehead until fake Ivy's severed head landed on his lap, making him scream in horror.

"It's a work in progress." Kaemon shrugged.

Anne kept herself calm before saying, "It's okay, as long as you get this to work."

"You got it, Chief." Kaemon saluted before helping Sprig up.

Anne watched the two practice, Anne suddenly had a thought. "Actually, do you think I could practice with you? I was thinking of…"

She suddenly trailed off when she realized what she was saying. Was she really thinking of confessing to Shadow, her teacher who had done so much for her?

"Oh, planning on confessing to Master, Anne?" Kaemon asked.

Anne felt her cheeks heat up as she averted her eyes. "I guess I am, it's just…what if he doesn't feel the same way?" She asked.

"Hey, I'm sure he will." Sprig assured her. "If anything, he's probably wondering how he should confess to you!"

Anne seemed unsure, but before she could think further, she saw Shadow walking about, looking over everything. Hoping her teacher would be impressed, she approached him.

"Hey, Teach!" She greeted. "So, what do you think so far? Think we'll knock it out of the park?"

Shadow hummed before answering, "It'll work, no doubt. I don't know why, but I have hope for this."

"I told you it'll work out." Anne declared with a grin, before gasping at the sight of Polly swinging the stanchions around like a nun-chuck. "Polly! That's not what those are for!"

"Says you." Polly chuckled, before accidentally smacking one of the caters in the head, sending him flying back into a stack of crates and spilling them over, breaking the contents inside of them.

Toadstool and Toadie were walking by to see the small slip ups. "What'd I tell you, Toadie? He's gonna be the worst Frog of the Year ever."

Anne groaned, but Shadow stared at the fat toad with anger, those last words echoing in his mind. "Oh, you'll see. This party will be absolutely lit!" He looked at Anne. "Am I saying that right? Lit?"

Anne nodded, but before she could get another word in, Shadow had already walked over to Hop Pop. "Hop Pop, those jokes are outdated. Get up there and improvise."

"Improv? I've never done that before." Hop Pop said, but Shadow wasn't listening and pointed at Sprig.

"Sprig, work on that proposal. Be more confident. Kaemon, help him." He chastised the two before pointing at Loggle, who was just about done with the statue. "Loggle! Re-do that statue. Make it cooler."

"You serious?!" Loggle yelled, throwing down his tools.

The boy then marched over to Stumpy. "Stumpy, throw that slop out and replace it with sashimi."

"What's a sashimi?" Stumpy asked.

"Fresh fish! Get it!" Shadow ordered before turning his wrath onto the other frogs. "Burn these decorations and get new ones! Replace that jug band with a deejay! And where the hell is that chocolate fountain?!"

The frogs that were helping to make this party happen looked at the boy as though he was a madman. And he certainly looked like it, after that long rant, he was panting wildly like a crazed animal, but no one dared to talk to him. Until Anne stepped forward.

"Uh, Shade? While I'm happy that you're learning things about my world, don't you think maybe you're taking this a little too seriously?" She asked. "Maybe you should, you know, calm down? Like you usually are?"

The boy stood in silence for a moment. "Calm?" He suddenly spun around to face her, his eyes crazed and bloodshot. "I COULDN'T BE CALMER!"

Anne quickly backed off, not wanting to incite her teacher's wrath any further.

"Now, hop to it, everyone. We've only got 12 hours left. Hop! Hop!" He yelled, making everyone and even Anne and Kaemon hop away.

"This is gonna end horribly, ain't it?" Kaemon asked the Thai girl.

Anne only sighed. "I hope not."

The night came soon, and the party was in full swing and everyone was excited, colorful lights shining up to the sky and fireflies as rave music boomed from giant speakers. Frogs were in line, waiting to get in, as Polly sat proudly at the front, pointing at those allowed in.

"Uh-uh! Not you." She said, stopping Wally from entering.

"Aw!" The hillbilly sulked, looking like he was about to cry.

"I'm just kidding, Wally. Get in there." Polly exclaimed.

"Validation!" Wally shouted, jumping up and running in, cackling like a madman.

Shadow made his entrance, dressed in the finest black tuxedo he could get, a purple sash that said 'Frog of the Year' on it, his hair slicked back and holding a wooden cane.

"Welcome, my friends, to the best Frog of the Year party ever!" He announced, fireworks going off as the frogs staring in amazement, the fireflies inside bubbles, and the new statue that showed Shadow doing a dance move that Anne once explained to him was 'trendy', back home.

Anne regretted ever telling him about the 'dab'.

Leaving the abomination, Anne walked around, making sure everything was going without a hitch. There was a DJ remixing the best music Amphibia had to offer, and even a chocolate fountain.

She then walked over to Shadow near the fountain. "I have to admit, I was worried, but I'm glad our plan pulled off well."

"Same here." Shadow nodded. "It's thanks to your brilliant thinking that we got this going. After tonight, everyone will see me as the best Frog of the Year ever!"

Anne smiled. "You deserve it, Shade."

The two looked at each other with warm smiles, feeling fuzzy inside. Both felt like they had something to say, but for some reason, they couldn't work the nerve to say it.

"I should…get back to hosting." Shadow said, turning away with a blush on his face.

"Y-Yeah, and back to making sure everything is fine." Anne quickly said, turning away before the two parted ways, hoping nothing went wrong.

And it does in fact go very wrong. Starting with Stumpy's food stand, the cook having brought a colossal fish and set it up to serve. "All right, Stumpy, what do we got here?" Toadstool asked, being the first in line.

"This is Sashimi. He's a mudskipper." Stumpy said, patting the dead fish.

"Ooh. And is it, uh, fresh?" Toadstool asked with interest.

"Well, ya can't get fresher." Stumpy said with a raised eyebrow.

Suddenly, the fish turned out to not be dead, the monstrous mudskipper rearing up and roaring angrily, scaring everyone off before chasing Toadstool.

At the same time, Hop Pop was on stage, sweating nervously as he grabbed the mic, almost dropping it. "All right, folks. It's time for some improv." He said nervously before pointing at a frog in the crowd. "You, sir, where are you from?"

"I'm from the same town as you, buddy." The frog said.

"Oh! Great…"

As Hop Pop was freezing with stage fright, Sprig was searching around, trying to find Ivy. Eventually, he did find her, kicking around a bubble with a firefly in it, said bubble popping and the firefly fell to the ground.

Gulping nervously, Sprig looked over and saw Kaemon walking with Maddie, the newt spinning her before dipping, the frog girl laughing with a smile as they faces were so close. Kaemon looked up to Sprig and winked at him, giving him some confidence.

"I can do this, I can do this, I can do this." He then punched himself in the face. "For Anne and Shadow!"

With a battle cry, he charged in as Ivy was about to pick up to firefly, when she heard Sprig and looked up with a smile.

"Oh, hey, Sprig."

Sprig came to a skidding stop, his eyes wide before he ran away screaming.

The dance floor wasn't much better, the music playing so loud, even the DJ had his ears plugged.

"I don't know how to dance to this." One frog said.

"What?" Another yelled, barely able to hear.

"Like this, you guys! Like this!" Shadow said with clear frustration, trying to demonstrate, but even his own dance moves were terrible, not realizing his party was crumbling down.

Just then, Kaemon and Anne rushed over, both with weapons in hand. "Master, we have a problem!" The newt exclaimed.

"Big problem!" Anne added.

"What could possibly-" Shadow said before gasping, seeing what was happening.

Hop Pop was running away, too embarrassed to go back on stage, Sprig was hiding behind a stand from Ivy after bombing his chance, and to top it off, the giant mudskipper was still on the loose, chasing the frogs and destroying everything in its path, including the dance floor.

Watching the devastation, Shadow removed the sash with sadness. "This party's terrible. Some selfless Frog of the Year I turned out to be."

"That doesn't mean we can't make things right, Shadow!" Anne told him.

Before Shadow could reply, there was a scream from a frog being chased by the mudskipper, said fish knocking over Shadow's statue, causing it to fall over, threatening to crush the fire dancers. They quickly jumped out of the way as it came crashing down, dropping their fire polls on it, setting off a massive fire that spread across the party grounds.

Everyone ran screaming, while Loggle popped up next to the humans and newt. "At least the party's "lit" now, Anne."

"Now is not the best time!" Anne yelled.

"I'll deal with the mudskipper. You two get the people out of danger!" With renewed determination, Shadow pulled out Black Hope and charged at the mudskipper, the fish turning its head with a frog in its mouth before dropping said frog and charging at the boy.

Shadow jumped over head before swinging his katana, severing the mudskippers head before cutting up the rest of the body into slices, effectively killing the fish and landing on the ground before swinging the blood off the blade and sheathing it. "You will feed a lot of hungry bellies tonight."

Meanwhile. Toadstool angrily shouted, "I knew it. Didn't I say it'd be a disaster?" Kaemon and Anne tackled him to the side before a pillar could crush him.

"Mayor Toadstool, I need your help to save the town." Anne told him.

"Me? Work with you? Ha!" Toadstool scoffed, until Kaemon stood over him with a dangerous glare and two swords ready to fly from their sheathes. "Okay, well, just this once."

"Great. You and Kaemon get everyone away from the fire while I put it out." Anne said before heading off for the chocolate fountain.

"Don't tell me what to do." Toadstool said before heading to do what he was asked, grabbing several frogs. "Upsy-daisy! I got ya. Vote for me." He and Kaemon grabbed everyone and ran for a gap in the flames. Once they were out of danger, the two sat the citizens down, the frogs surprised that the usually selfish mayor would go out of his way to save them.

Anne ran straight for the fountain, covering her clothes in chocolate and she yanked the nozzle and hose used to dispense it.

Once the mudskipper was dealt with, Shadow yelled to Anne, "Let 'er rip!"

Anne turned on the hose, the chocolate spraying out at high speeds, the girl running around and spraying the chocolate to put the flames out, just as Kaemon and Toadstool saved the last partygoer.

"Whoo! We did it!" Toadstool declared, now that the chaos had subsided.

"Yeah. We did." Anne said, her expression falling when she saw her teacher sitting on a fallen pilar, his face downcast, before walking over. "Shadow?"

"This whole thing was a disaster." Shadow said gloomily, giving the sash to Toadstool in shame. "You were right about me, Mayor. I am selfish. I allowed this obsession of proving I deserve this to control me, and I ruined everything. I'm no Frog of the Year. Why did anyone even vote for me?"

"Because I nominated you."

Shadow looked up to Hop Pop in surprise. "What?"

"Turns out you can nominate anyone you want, and since nobody wanted to vote for Toadstool, they instantly voted for you." Kaemon said, walking up to them.

Shadow looked at everyone with surprise. "Why?"

"Shadow, we didn't vote for you because you're flawless." Hop Pop said with a chuckle. "Far from it. We voted for you because of how far you've come. You've grown so much in your time here, helped this town in more ways than one, and this town just wouldn't be the same without you."

"Not only that, but you saved me from a life in chains, and encouraged me to pursue my dream." Kaemon added. "And that's why I voted for you!"

"You inspired us so much." Ivy spoke up.

"And you helped change me too." Anne said, taking her teacher's hands into her own. "I was lost, but you took me in, helped me learn and grow as a person. If it wasn't for you, I don't know where I'd be. You helped me so much and I hope to return the favor someday."

Shadow felt his heart warm at their words, a smile forming on his face before he stood up and hugged Anne, the Thai girl returning it, the frogs cheering and clapping.

Even Mayor Toadstool gave in and put his pride and greed to the side. "Gosh dang it, I tried to fight it, but I have to say, even I'm a little impressed with how you just saved the town from a raging inferno. Here." He gave the sash back to the boy. "This belongs to you."

The grateful feeling stronger than ever, Shadow smiled. "Thanks, Toadstool. I knew there was a big heart under that pride and greed."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it. Now come on, everyone. Let's try to salvage this party, shall we?" Toadstool said, earning a cheer from the townsfolk.

With what they could salvage, the citizens managed to put together a party that felt more like Wartwood. Instead of being trapped in bubbles, the fireflies were flying freely, creating a cozy atmosphere. No DJ, not fountain, not even a statue commemorating Shadow.

Off to the side, Shadow, dressed in his usual black clothing and cloak, sat with his friends, the four kids watching everyone enjoy themselves.

"Sorry I tried to rush you into confessing your love to Ivy." Anne said to her froggy friend. "You do that when you're good and ready."

"Thanks, Anne. When the moment strikes, I'll know it." Sprig smiled.

"That moment might come sooner than you think." Kaemon said with a pointed finger.

Looking over, Sprig saw his childhood friend approach, slightly sheepish.

"Hey, Sprig. There's something I've, uh, been meaning... to ask you. I, uh... Do you, um..." She cleared her throat. "Do you think you'd wanna go out with me sometime?"

This came as a surprise to both Anne and Shadow, especially to Sprig, while Kameon just watched with a smile as wide as Texas, Anne squealing with excitement.

Thinking it was rejection, Ivy's face flushed with embarrassment. "Never mind! I'm stupid! This is stupid! This is stupid!" She said as she turned to walk away.

"Ivy, wait!" Sprig said, hopping up and grabbing her shoulder. "I'd love to." He told her before hiding his own face. "Mlep!"

Seeing him do what she did made Ivy laugh.

"Wanna dance?"

"Heck yeah!"

The newest couple then ran off to the dance floor, Shadow and Anne looking on before looking over at Kaemon. "I assume you had something to do with that?"

"Ivy and I had a bet." Kaemon shrugged. "I wagered that if Shadow was still Frog of the Year by the end of the night, Ivy would have to confess to Sprig."

"And Ivy's wager?" Anne inquired.

"Does it matter? Now, if you'll excuse me," Kaemon said, standing up and straightening his kimono. "My date calls to me."

The humans watched the newt walked off to the dance floor to Maddie.

"Two of Wartwoods newest couples." Shadow said with a content smile. "I have to say, they were made for each other."

"Yeah." Anne nodded.

The two sat in silence before Shadow stood up. "Well, the nights still young, and the music's still going." He then held a hand out for Anne. "May I have this dance?"

Anne blushed before accepting, her and in Shadow's as the boy led her out to the dance floor, as the song Careless Whisper by George Michael began to play, as everyone got with their romantic partners and began to slow dance.

"I should thank you for allowing me to be on this journey with you." Shadow said. "It's been quite hectic, but one I'm proud to take part in."

"I should be the one thanking you, Shadow." Anne looked up at the boy with a smile. "Despite all the trouble I caused, you were willing to stick your neck out to help."

"I made a vow, Anne; a vow I swore to uphold, no matter what." Shadow said with a smile of his own. "For as long as I've been out here, I was afraid of myself, afraid of the damage I could cause if I so much as got angry. But ever since I met you, I felt a part of my soul light up, and slowly, I broke out of my shell. Letting you stay with me was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I don't I ever told you that, but I should have." He looked her in the eyes. "Because you mean that much to me, Anne."

Anne looked him in the eyes, her heart beating fast, before a smile crept on her face. "I feel the same way. And I hope, maybe we could be…" She trailed off, uncertainty setting in before she breathed, getting her confidence back. There was no going back, now or never.

"…more than friends."

As soon as she said that, time seemed to slow for the two, both looking at each other with wide eyes and blushing faces. They were so close to each other, brown eyes meeting green.

And soon enough, they brought their faces closer, and their lips connected, the two staying like that for a lengthy moment, Anne's hands cupping Shadow's cheeks, the boys' hands gently pressing the girls back. Finally, the two broke away from the kiss, their foreheads pressing against one another.

"So…what happens now?" Shadow asked her softly.

"Now, we're an item; a couple." Anne told him. "Now Wartwood has three new couples!"

While Shadow felt happy from what had occurred, his heart ached. The desire to tell her everything growing strong, along with the fear of chasing her away.

"Anne, I…" He struggled to speak.

"Ahem! Mister Frog of the Year and Anne?" Toadie suddenly appeared, completely interrupting their moment and not looking guilty for doing so.

Both teens looked at him with glares. "What is it?" Anne asked through gritted teeth.

"There's someone waiting at the bridge for you. They say they're a friend." Toadie said with his usual diplomatic tone.

This brought curiosity and confusion to the two, unsure of anyone else that wasn't already at the party that they knew. Agreeing to be safe than sorry, the two gathered their weapons, Shadow getting his odachi and Black Hope, Anne taking Azura's Tear, before they decided to go together.

Together, they walked out to the town's gate and headed for the bridge as fireflies flew around. On the bridge, there was a hooded figure, looking out at the red moon, their back towards them.

"You claim to be a friend." Shadow called, a hand on his katana, just in case.

Upon hearing the boy's voice, the figure turned, lowering their hood to reveal a teenage girl with blonde hair. When her eyes set on Anne, her eyes nearly widened.

"Anne?!" Sasha said in surprise.

"Sasha?!" Anne exclaimed.

Knowing what was coming, Shadow plugged his fingers into his ears just in time as the two girls squealed with absolute joy.

"Oh, my gosh! I can't believe that it's you!" Anne yelled, running up and hugging her BFF, Sasha doing the same, both laughing.

Shadow watched, smiling, happy that his now girlfriend had reunited with her long-lost best friend.

"Oh, my gosh! You're here too!? I wasn't sure. I woke up all alone and..." Anne then gasped. "Is Marcy with you? Where have you been? I've missed you so much!"

Sasha giggled. "I'll fill you in later. For now, I'm just glad I found you." She said, but her expression fell when she laid eyes on the boy in black.

Shadow approached them, Sasha feeling herself tense up as he got closer, her blue eyes staring at him with anxious caution.

"So, you're Sasha Waybright." The boy said calmly. "One of Anne's friends that ended up trapped here."

Sasha felt her breath hitch before regaining her composure. "Yeah, I am. And you're the one called Shadow; the Black Wolf of Wartwood."

"That I am." Shadow nodded. "I see my reputation spreads far."

"Even I heard about you." Sasha told him. "The big bad boogeyman of Amphibia."

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm the boogeyman, per say." Shadow said. "More like I'm someone you call to kill the boogeyman."

"Oh." Was all Sasha could say, her anxiety once again going through the roof. To her, this kid couldn't be no older than 15, and yet he's considered that dangerous?

"Oh, don't let all that wolf talk get to you, Sash." Anne waved it off, taking Shadow's arm and holding him close. "He's actually a big softy under all that shadow."

Sasha couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with how close her friend was to this boy.

"Well, any friend of yours is a friend of mine." Sasha said with a forced smile before offering her hand. "Put're there, pal!"

Shadow looked at the offered hand, Sasha anxiously waiting, before he finally accepted, gently taking her hand and shaking it.

"Likewise." He said with a friendly smile, making the blonde relax. "So, if you don't mind, how did you know where to find Anne?"

Feeling more relaxed, Sasha spoke. "Remember that Tritonio guy? He told us about meeting you two. So, we came as soon as we heard."

Anne raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how do you know about Tritonio?"

"Better yet; who's 'we'?" Shadow asked with narrowed eyes.

"Oh. Just me and some friends of mine." Sasha said, gesturing behind her.

The couple looked behind her, their eyes widening at the sight of dark shadowy figures on the other side of the bridge. At the head of the large army, stood an armored newt with bladed greaves.

Damien Fausta stared with golden eyes, and a deadly smirk on his face.

"Nice to finally meet you in person…Black Wolf."