After a second trip to the Archives, thankfully Sprig didn't hinder them out of boredom, Shadow, Anne, Kaemon and the Plantars rode their respective snails towards home.
"Well, that was a waste of time." Hop Pop said, driving Bessie.
"Ugh, you said it. Can't believe there was nothing in the archives about my music box." Anne said, looking over the music box. She rarely ever let it leave the hut, Shadow's hut being the only safe place from thieves. With it being their second trip to the Archives, she brought it along, hoping to find something within the underground library regarding the music box.
Sadly, they had no success if their disappointed faces weren't of any suggestion.
"So, you really think this is your key to getting home?" Kaemon asked, as he looked at his reflection on the box.
"Well, it zapped me here, so, yeah. It's pretty much my only lead." Anne said before repeatedly opening the box to see if it did anything. "Really looking forward to finding someone who can help me fix this thing."
Shadow looked over his shoulder at the box, trying his best to keep the dread on his face hidden. So far, he had done his best to hide any involvement with the box, but just looking at the box he had sent away five years ago made him anxious. He still couldn't piece together how Anne came across it in the first place. He was tempted to ask about it, but fear kept him from doing so.
"Don't worry, Anne. We'll figure it out eventually." Hop Pop said, before Bessie came to a sudden stop. "Whoa!"
Shadow pulled Ironhide to a stop, looking down to see what was blocking their path. Curiously enough, crossing the road were very strange and cartoonish looking creatures that took the shapes of fruits and fuzzballs that had eyes and legs. Anne had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
"Hey, get outta the way, you... Whatever the heck you are." Hop Pop shook his fist at the creatures.
"Oh, hey. Man, these things are cute." Sprig commented as he watched the creatures.
Kaemon looked over in the direction the creatures were coming from, spotting a hole in a tree they were coming out of.
"Hmm. What do we have here?" The newt said before hopping off Ironhide, walking over and looking into the hole.
"Kaemon! Kaemon!" Anne called from Ironhide's saddle. "Don't put your hand in there."
"Relax, what's the worst that could happen?" Kaemon waved it off, looking through the hole. "There's something in there…if I could just…" He there stuck his hand in, reaching for the object before…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" He suddenly yelled out in pain.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The others yelled in horror and fear, although Shadow only jumped a bit with wide eyes before reaching for his sword.
Kaemon's scream, however, soon turned to laughter before he pulled his arm out, showing it was completely fine.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist." The newt laughed.
"NOT COOL, DUDE!" Annd yelled, picking up a rock and throwing it at him, Kaemon catching the rock before throwing it off to the side.
"But there is seriously something in there." He said before reaching back inside and pulling out what looked to be an egg. It was reddish black and decorated with painted lines with a strange hourglass symbol on it.
"What is that?" Anne asked as Kaemon brought the egg over.
"No idea." Kaemon shrugged. "Think it'll make a fine omelet though."
But when Sprig looked at it, he gasped. "Whoa! Guys, I think it's an entry ticket for the Bizarre Bazaar!" He exclaimed with excitement.
"The what now?" Anne said with a raised brow.
"The Bizarre Bazaar. I've never been, but I've heard stories." Sprig told them. "It's a mysterious night market that passes through once a year. Exotic foods, games, mysterious treasures."
"Really? Maybe someone there will know how my music box works." Anne said with lit up eyes with a new sense of hope.
"And maybe I'll find some records of lost sword techniques too!" Kaemon chimed in with excitement. "Gotta add more to my repertoire!"
"Hold up!" Hop Pop spoke up. "From what I've heard, that bazaar is full of greedy degenerates. Wave that thing around, and it'll get stolen for sure."
"It's a chance I'm willing to take, if it means finding a way home." Anne said to the old frog before turning to her teacher. "Come on, Shadow. We should totally go!"
"Absolutely not." Shadow stated firmly.
Anne did a double take at her teachers' rejection. "Why not?!" She demanded.
"Hop Pop's right, Anne." Shadow told her, looking over his shoulder at her. "You never know what kind of degenerates will try to swipe that box if you go waving it around."
"You got a better idea?" Anne scowled at him.
Shadow paused a bit before sighing, "I know some frogs that have a gift in archaeology, history, the works. I'll see if they can find the answers you need."
"There, ya see?" Hop Pop smiled. "No need to go risk losing your music chest."
"Box." Anne corrected.
"That, too." Hop Pop shrugged.
Anne looked at Shadow with a glare, the boy only returning a glare of his own, not backing down.
Frustrated, Anne sighed, "All right, fine. We'll do it your way."
"Finally. Let's go. Hyah! Hyah!" Hop Pop said with smile before whipping Bessie's reins before Shadow did the same with Ironhide's.
Anne and Kaemon sat in silence before the newt whispered to the girl, "We're going to the Bizarre Bazaar tonight anyway, aren't we?"
"Obvi."
The two looked over to Sprig, who gave several hand gestures, as though asking if they were going anyway, Kaemon giving the 'okay' hand sign.
Later that night, Anne and Kaemon waited for Shadow to go to bed, the soft snoring of the boy could be heard coming from his room, before Anne and Kaemon snuck out of the hut, meeting Sprig who was waiting outside, the three snickering as they tip-toed away from the hut.
Anne pulled out the music box from her backpack to make sure it was still on her before putting it back in and throwing it on her back.
"Yeah-uh! Bizarre Bazaar, here we come." She said before turning to Sprig. "Okay, which way?"
"I don't know." Sprig said. "Like I said, I've never been before, remember? I think the egg is supposed to show us."
"How is that supposed to work?" Kaemon asked, holding up the egg, before feeling it shake. "Whoa, what's happening?"
"Dude, what's happening?" Anne asked in a panic.
"I think it's hatching!" Sprig exclaimed.
Just as Sprig said, the egg started cracking all over, before the top part of the egg popped off. Inside was another one of the tiny creatures that they saw earlier today. It had fuzzy purple hair covering its body with a leaf sticking out from the top and two long thin legs.
The trio looked at the creature for a moment before Kaemon asked, "Does this make me the daddy? Because I demand child support!"
The little purple creature looked at the trio before jumping out of Kameon's hands and ran off down the road.
"After it!" Anne declared.
They ran after the purple fuzzy critter as it ran into the forest. The creature turned a corner and running down another path, the trio following behind.
"Where's it going exactly?" Anne asked.
"Don't ask me!" Kaemon replied, before they reached what looked like a dead-end, seeing the creature dig into the dirt. "Oh no you don't!"
Leaping and sliding on the dirt, the newt boy reached into the hole to grab it, "Gotcha! Now you take us to—YEOWCH!" He yelped, retracting his hand, a bite mark on his finger. "He bit me!"
Anne pushed Kaemon to the side before peering down the hole, but the creature was gone. "No! We were so close." She cried, throwing her head back and grabbing her hair.
Suddenly, one of the mushrooms lit up like a lightbulb, drawing confused looks from the trio before another lit up, then another.
"What's going on?" Sprig asked as several more mushrooms lit up, each one lined up on the sides of the dirt path.
The three friends walked down the path until they entered a misty, said mist dispersing as they saw an archway formed by a giant tree. They stopped when the same symbol for the Bizarre Bazaar flashed at the top of the arch.
"Whoa." The three said in unison and glanced at one another.
Walking towards the archway, Kaemon and Anne pulled back the foliage covering the way through, and their eyes widened in amazement at the sight of the Bizarre Bazaar.
The night market was massive, much larger than the kids were expecting, filled with stands and shops, bustling with many amphibians and furball-like creatures they saw on the road. Orange lanterns hanging from ropes across the bazaar lit up the area. Several artifacts and other items were being sold at the various shops and stands, including many odd foods. It also had games and other activities for participants to take part in.
"Hop Pop and Shadow were right. This place is intense." Anne said as she and the boys walked through together, the girl stepping over a passed out drunk frog.
A brown frog with long legs suddenly bumped into her. "Hey, watch it, string bean."
"Oh, sorry." Anne said.
"How about you watch where you're going, legs?" Kaemon scowled, flashing one of his swords at him, making the frog run off. He then turned to Anne with a thumbs up. "I got your back, Anne."
"Hey, look!" Sprig said, pointing at a stand.
Kaemon and Anne walked with Sprig over to said stand covered by a blue curtain. Inside was a shelf that carried many treasures and trinkets and many more on a table up front.
Looking over the items on the table, Anne noticed a golden shield that had a frog with its arms raised as five gemstones shined brightly.
"Check it out. This looks like the markings on my music box." She said.
"Suspiciously so." Sprig nodded.
"Well, where's the vendor?" Kaemon asked, before looking up at the sign that said 'out to lunch'.
Anne let out a groan. "Are you kidding me?" She said before sighing in dismay.
"Hey, hey. It's fine." Sprig told her. "They'll be back."
"Yeah, and in the meantime," Kaemon said, looking about the bazaar, specifically at the stand that had many, many swords on display. "Might as well check out the rest of the bazaar."
"Yeah, you never know when we'll get another chance." Sprig said in agreement before running after a cart full of xiaolongbaos on it.
"Okay. But we gotta come right back here. I don't wanna mess this up." Anne said, pointing at the ground in front of the stand.
Sprig walked up to the cart, holding out three fingers. "Three, please." He said, the frog taking the money before giving Sprig the sizzling hot xiaolongbaos. "Ooh! Hot, hot. Here you go." He then handed one to Anne and Kaemon.
"Hey, this actually looks pretty good." Anne said, but just as she was about to take a bite, she saw Sprig and Kaemon bite into their treats, revealing bugs and insects inside. "Ugh! Or not."
She then threw hers away. "Alright, let's check this place out!"
And so, the three friends wondered about the bazaar, even trying some of the food. Anne had to admit the food tasted great, but she had to be careful that they might bite back, a lesson Sprig learned the hard way when a beetle bit his tongue.
The three even participated in a game of cards, a frog slamming his cards down, celebrating thinking he won, only for Kaemon to throw down a full house, winning the game, then flashed one of his swords at a would-be masked thief that tried to stick their hand in his pocket.
There was a bronc riding game with a large blue beetle with horns like a bull. Sprig tried riding it, only to get thrown off after a few bucks. Grinning, Kaemon hoped on, the beetle roaring while trying to buck the newt off, Anne and Sprig cheering from the side as Kaemon hung on, laughing the whole time.
After that, Kaemon ran to a stand that was selling a large variety of swords and scrolls detailing fighting techniques, slamming a large sack of money on the counter. "I'll take your entire stock!" He exclaimed.
Later on, the trio were laughing as they were walking back to the stand together.
"Wow. It's amazing how far removed this place is from Wartwood." Anne said with a smile.
"Right? There's absolutely nothing familiar here." Kaemon said, spreading his arms out.
"Oh, hey, there's Wally." Sprig said, pointing in a direction, the human and newt looking to indeed see Wally sat at a table, playing a game of dice.
"Come on. Wally needs a new pair of shoes." The town kook said, rolling the dice in his hands. He then threw them onto the table and both landed on frog feet. "Whoo-hoo!"
However, one of the little fuzzy creatures, likely the one the trio was chasing, ran onto the table, running over to one of the dice and kicked it over, making it land on a yellow eyeball.
One that everyone fears in gambling.
"What? This is larceny! I want my money back!" Wally yelled at the other players, only to be grabbed from behind by two robbed newts. Both wore cloaks that covered their bodies and hoods covering their faces, their eyes glowing, and their cloaks being held up by pins that symbolized the Bizarre Bazaar, the same marks on the back of their cloaks.
"You know the rules. No refunds at the Bizarre Bazaar." One of them said in a threatening tone.
"You're coming with us." The other said, both pulling Wally from his chair and dragging him away.
"Ah! Get your hands off me. Help!" Wally pleaded, but no one came to his aid. Not even the kids, not wanting to risk getting thrown out. So, they just walked away.
The trio sat at a table in front of the stand with the shield and waited. Kaemon was salivating over all the swords and scrolls detailing sword techniques, while Sprig was enjoying another treat, but Anne was tapping her finger with impatience. She looked at the giant hourglass inside the hole of a tree, telling them that they only had half the time before the bazaar no doubt closed. Just where was that vendor?
Thankfully, she saw a hand reached out from the shadows of the stand and flipped the sign over to open.
Anne gasped at the sign before smiling. "Finally! Come on, guys!" She said, grabbing her two friends and pulling them along.
Within the stand, they saw someone within the darkness rummaging around through their supplies. "Now where did I put my incense burner?" She said in a Romanian accent.
"Uh, excuse me?" Anne said.
"Huh?" The female amphibian turned her head to look over her shoulder at Anne and her friends, her eyes and teeth glowing in the dark before she stepped out of the shadows, revealing to be a salamander with dark brown skin, a yellow underbelly, and yellow spots on her tail. She had light red eyes, slit, dark-shaded red pupils, and medium-length grayish-blonde hair. One of her eyes appeared out of shape and possibly damaged. Her tongue was a somewhat light tone of teal, and her mouth was lined with short teeth. She had reddish-brown 'crests' over her eyes, which resembled eyelashes similar to a gecko. She wore a stitched black cloak over her body, with beige armbands. She also had a hanging black pendant with a red hourglass symbol and gold rings on her neck.
She also had a glove on her tail. For what, Anne wasn't sure.
"Ah, velcome. Velcome to Valeriana's Antiques." She said, moving her left hand and tail together, making the fingers of the glove touch. Kaemon looked closer and realized she was missing her right arm, but used her prehensile tail to replace it.
Anne and Kaemon didn't say anything, but Sprig did. "Guys, I think she's missing an arm." He whispered to them.
"I heard that." Valeriana deadpanned.
"Oh!" Sprig laughed nervously before picking up a small cauldron from the stand. "Hey. What is this thing?"
"Just one of my many treasures collected from my years of travel." She said, her tail grabbing a tea kettle and pouring some form of liquid into the cauldron. The kids watched in awe as two small trees sprout and spiraled together with one another with leaves formed at the top. "I've seen and heard it all."
Her parrot-like pet fly squawked. "Seen it all. Heard it all."
"Betcha haven't seen anything like me, though." Anne said, pointing a thumb at herself.
The salamander squinted her eyes before leaning in and pulling out a mechanical magnifying glass. "No, not exactly." She said as the magnifying glass changed lenses and zoomed in on the girl, making Ann lean back.
"Uh, there's something I'd like you to take a look at." Anne said, but Kaemon pushed her to the side.
"How much do you know about Malikai the Sword Master?!" The young newt asked with excitement in his tone.
"Ah, the master of the way of the sword." Valeriana said with a nod. "A renowned master and a former bodyguard to the Royal Family of Newtopia."
"He was a bodyguard?" Anne inquired.
"And a close friend to the king, back when he was a prince." Valeriana said. "He soon left to wander the land, honing his skill and using his gifts to defend the weak."
"Wow, my ancestor was awesome!" Kaemon exclaimed with stars in his eyes.
"Oh? You claim to be his descendant?" The salamander asked with a raised brow.
"I KNOW I'm his descendant!" Kaemon declared. "My mom told me stories about how we came from a long line of swordsmen!"
"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but can we get back on topic here?" Anne said. "Anyways, the thing I want you to look at."
Anne then knelt down and unzipped her backpack.
"Uh, you sure about this? Maybe Hop Pop was right." Sprig said, unsure about the creepy-looking salamander.
"You heard her. She's seen it all. If anyone knows anything about the music box—" Anne said, but just as she turned her attention back to her backpack, she gasped in horror when she saw it was gone! "My backpack! Where'd it go?"
She looked up to see the thief with her stolen backpack, his masked face looking at her and letting out a creepy cackling before running off.
"Hey! That's my backpack, you little creep!" Anne yelled before taking off after the thief, Kaemon and Sprig following behind. "Get back here!"
Valeriana watched, her tail against her chin in a thinking pose. "Could it be, Leander? Could she be the one we've been searching for?"
The parrot fly squawked before it started coughing up. "No, Leander! Not on the carpet!"
"Stop that tiny thief!" Anne yelled as she ran, trying to catch up with the thief, with Sprig and Kaemon following behind. At first, she wanted to use her enhanced speed, but she didn't want to risk hurting anyone, so she kept a moderate speed, just enough to keep the thief in her sights.
The thief didn't stop, hopping across the heads of the other amphibians before ducking behind a stand.
Anne and the boys came to a stop, glaring daggers, as the thief removed his disguise and placing the backpack on a nail on the wall with many prizes. The frog in question was light green with a lighter green underbelly and chest, and moss green spots on his cheeks. He had tiny black pupils and small front teeth. He wore a brown suit with a green bow and green half gloves.
The frog nearly jumped at the glaring youngsters, especially the newt with a murderous glare and looked two seconds away from swinging one of his swords from their sheathes. Gulping, he quickly tried to play innocent. "Greetings. Come to try your luck at my fun and exciting game?"
"How about you give back the backpack you stole, you thieving termite licker?!" Kaemon snapped.
"Backpack?" Marnie repeated, trying to play stupid.
"The one on your prize wall!" Anne shouted, pointing at her stolen backpack.
"Oh, you mean the magical pouch of mystery. Who can say where it came from? Or how?" The vendor declared, still trying to keep up the act.
"How about I make this simpler for you?" Kaemon said, pulling his sword out and pointing it at the thief, the frog squeaking in fear. "Either you return the bag, or you lose your hands. Your choice."
Just then, two bazaar guards came up behind them and grabbed Anne and Sprig, the two yelling, which got Kaemon's attention.
"Butt out, punks!" Kaemon snapped, pulling out a second sword, ready to fight.
"Ah-ah-ah!" The thief vendor said, wagging a finger at them. "Once something is on the prize wall, the only way to get it back is to win it."
"You stole it from my friend, you lily pad squatter!" Kaemon shouted in outrage.
"Sorry, pal, Bizarre Bazaar rules." Marnie said smugly as he winked and stuck his tongue out.
"And what's stopping me from killing you and taking it back?" Kaemon asked, glaring daggers at the thief.
"Then you die." One of the guards said, pulling out a sword, much to Anne and Sprig's shock.
Kaemon glared at the guards, as Marnie said, "So, what's it gonna be?"
The newt growled, wanting so badly to kill the thieving frog and take the bag back, maybe kill the guards if they got in the way. But he didn't know just how skilled the guards were or how many there were. And if they happen to be better than him, what would Anne and Sprig tell Shadow and the others if anything happened to him?
Giving his friends an apologetic look, he stuck his blade into the counter of the stand, making Marnie yelp in fear, "We'll play your game, but we're getting a discount, considering that bag happens to be a stolen item." He then turned his head back to the guard. "That's a rule, right?"
"Indeed, it is." The guard nodded, putting away his weapon.
"I think sixty percent is reasonable, then." He then turned back to the thief, daggers in his eyes. "Got any objections?"
"That's fine with me." Marnie smiled nervously.
The guards released Anne and Sprig before leaving. "I'm sorry, Anne. It's the only way." Kaemon said before sheathing his swords.
"It's fine, Kaemon. We'll beat him at his stupid games." Anne told him before glaring at the frog, slamming a small bag of money on the counter. "So, what is it? Dunk tank? Whack-a-mole? Whack-a-tank-a-dunk-a-mole?"
"Huh?" Both Sprig and Kaemon gave her confused looks.
"Look, I'm tired, okay?!" Anne said, throwing her hands up.
"Oh, it's a little more involved than that." Marnie chuckled before pocketing the money, before the wall behind him split open like a pair of doors. The trio watched him step through and got a good look on the other side. "Behold!"
On the other side was a whole full-size racetrack! Complete with obstacles, jumps, and turns. They could see two frogs riding on two cockroaches, one red and the other blue respectively. Off to the side were two stands on both sides of the racetrack, where frogs were seen cheering on the racers.
"That's right, folks. Thrills! Chills! Spills!" Marnie announced, jumping on the body of a dead green beetle before pulling out a cane with a spider on the end. "The best cockroach racing this bazaar has to offer!"
The crowd cheered at the announcement, Anne, Kaemon and Sprig stood nearby, watching the race. "Giant cockroaches. Of course." Anne said exasperatedly.
"Now, then. Who has the guts to challenge this strange-looking biped and her two sons?" Marnie said, pointing his cane at the trio.
"Whoa! Not related!" Anne snapped, shaking her fist at the scumbag frog.
"And she's only thirteen, you moron!" Kaemon added.
"Yeah, she's not old enough for those kinda responsibilities." Sprig said.
"Yeah. Wait, what?" Anne said, realizing what the frog boy had said.
"We will take this challenge." The deep voice of an amphibian said. Everyone turned to the source and gasped at who it was.
Standing at the top of the stands was a large, burly frog with an eyepatch over one eyes and scars all over his face. He wore a gambeson armor, gloves, brown pants with green stains on them, black boots with spikes on the bottom, and a dark sage green cloak covering most of his body.
The second one, however, was probably the more wicked looking, wearing an all-black outfit with a black cloak and hood, black gloves and boots with spikes all over, and a silver and black wolf mask with glowing red eyes. He then reared his head back and howled, fire erupting from his jaws.
Both frog and wolfman stared down at the trio with glares before walking down from the stands. They then stopped on the other side of Marnie.
"The Wrecker and the Hellfire!" One of the frogs from the stands exclaimed.
"The Wrecker hasn't been seen in years." Another said, equally shocked. "But the Hellfire has been an active racer, never losing a single race!"
"The Wrecker? The legend says he'll wreck yourself if you don't check yourself." One of the racers said. "And if you play with Hellfire, you'll get burned!
"Let's get outta here." The other said, both racers ditching their rides before running off.
"Oh, boy." Anne said, staring up at the Wrecker and the Hellfire.
"You're better off forfeiting now." The Wrecker said in a warning tone.
"Yeah, at least you can keep your bones intact." The Hellfire added, his voice about the same as the Wrecker, but a slight rasp in his voice.
Kaemon, on the other hand, wasn't intimidated, as he stood up to the large men. "Are you guys' as good drivers as you do talk? So shut up and let's race!" He said with confidence.
"The race is on!" Marnie announced.
A large bell clung, the racers climbed onto their roaches. Taking the blue one, Anne took the middle spot and holding the antennas to drive, Sprig sat in front of her while Kaemon took the back. Luckily, it can hold their combined weight, just as the red one could handle that of the Wrecker and the Hellfire.
"You sure you know how to drive this thing?" Kaemon asked the human.
"It's no big deal. It's just like driving go-karts…except with cockroaches." Anne said, slightly disturbed. Having grown up in a restaurant, besides rats, critics and health inspectors, cockroaches were no doubt the worst.
Oh, the irony of having to ride on top of one.
"Last chance to quit now." The Hellfire called.
"How about you shove it!" Kaemon snapped.
The masked man only shrugged. "Your funeral."
"On your marks." Marnie said, holding up the starting flag, the racers revving up their cockroaches as they waited at the checkered line. "Get set." The kids glared at the opposing racers, the Wrecker returning the glare, while the Hellfire simple kept his eyes glued to the track.
"Go!"
The racers took off, neck to neck, before the Wrecker slammed the side of his cockroach into the kids, sending them into a wall before driving off.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Anne shouted while shaking a fist.
"Anything goes in the Bizaare Bazaar." The crowd chanted, holding up signs saying exactly that before laughing.
"Oh, no. They have signs." Sprig gasped. "It must be true!"
"Oh, anything goes, huh?" Kaemon said with a grin. "Well, two can play at that game!"
They sped off, catching up with the opposing racers, Hellfire standing on the back of the red cockroach with a serrated katana in hand. Grinning, Kaemon stood up front with two swords drawn.
"Let's see if you're as good a swordsman as you are acting tough!" Kaemon boasted.
The two swordsman soon clashed blades, both trying to overpower the other, before locking blades, both glaring at each other before Kaemon headbutted him, knocking him off balance and causing him to fall off, the Wrecker slowing down and catching his partner.
"Whoo-hoo! How do you like that?!" Kaemon boasted as the trio sped ahead.
"Nice work, dude!" Anne said. "Now, let's get to the finish line!"
Pulling Hellfire back on, the Wrecker was astonished at first, but smirked when he pulled out a turtle bug with spikes on the back. He threw it, the bug opening its wings and flying straight for the leading roach.
"We're gonna win! We're gonna win! We're gonna win!" The three kids chanted together, racing towards the finish line. But that's when Anne heard something coming from behind and looked back.
"Blue shell!" She yelled, pointing at the incoming bug, knowing full well what the bug shell was about to do.
"I can see that." Kaemon said with a roll of his eyes.
"It's a Mario Kart reference- aw forget it." Anne gave up trying to explain, trying to get away from the incoming bug, but it was no good. The bug flew over their heads and divebombed on them, creating and explosion that killed the roach, and sent the three kids crashing into the dirt, covered in ash and smoke.
The Wrecker and the Hellfire passed the finish line before skidding to a stop, horn tooting as Marnie waved the victory flag.
"Winner, winner, cricket dinner!" He said, standing atop the roach's back and pointing at the winners.
"Well, that didn't feel balanced." Sprig said, he and his friends coughing up smoke.
"Our reigning champion takes the prize." Marnie said, before Hellfire pushed him aside.
"I already know what I want." The wolfman said before taking Anne's backpack from the wall.
Anne gasped in horror as the Wrecker and the Hellfire started to leave, her backpack slung over the wolfman's shoulder.
"NOOOOO!" She screamed, reaching out, but they were already out of sight. "Wait! Come back!"
Just then, the clanging of a gong was heard, everyone looking up to see the hourglass had run out.
"Oh, no. The bazaar's closing." Kaemon exclaimed with horror.
The people wasted no time packing up. The guests left as quickly as they came while the shops were broken down. Some collapsing in on themselves before being carried off, others were technologically elaborate and moved away independently. Others even drilled themselves into the ground or flying away by large animals. When it was over, the three kids were alone on the deserted race track.
Anne collapsed to her knees, her only ticket of getting home gone and tears forming in her eyes. "The music box. I-It's gone." She whimpered. "Now I'll never get home."
"This is garbage!" Kaemon shouted, anger in his voice. "This whole thing is messed up! All those bastards were crooked as hell! I should've risked it and cut my way through!"
"Hey, it's okay, guys. Maybe, uh, we can find someone who knows The Wrecker and Hellfire. Track them down, you know?" Sprig said, trying to cheer his friends up.
"The frogs in there said they hadn't seen the Wrecker in years. And nobody's said anything about that Hellfire guy." Anne said in defeat, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her knees. "No, they're long gone by now."
"Damnit, I never should've found that stupid egg." Kaemon sighed, kicking at the dirt.
"Hey!"
The three screamed in terror, turning around to see the Wrecker and the Hellfire standing behind them, Anne's backpack still in the wolfman's grasp.
"AAAH! The Wrecker!/The Hellfire!" The three screamed, pointing at the two.
Seeing her chance to get her backpack back, Anne got up and approached them. "Look-" But before she could make her request, Kaemon pushed her aside, fury in his eyes.
"Now, you listen here," The newt growled, getting in their faces. "It's already bad enough that some thieving crook ran off with my friend's possession, but I ain't in no mood hunting you down for something that wasn't yours to win in the first place! Now, you either hand that bag over, or this gets messy, and no bazaar guard is gonna save your sorry asses this time!"
"Kaemon, what the heck?!" Anne asked, put off by the newt boy's outrage.
"I'm sorry, Anne, but I'm in no mood for anymore bullcrap today!" Kaemon declared, his glare still on the two. "Now, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way." He put both hands on his swords to emphasize his point. "Your choice."
The Wrecker and Hellfire only stared back at the newt, not even the least bit intimidated by the threat, before the Wrecker grabbed hold of his hood and pulling it off, the Hellfire grabbing his mask and pulling it down, the three kids gasping in utter surprise when it was actually Shadow under the mask and Hop Pop on stilts, both sporting disapproving looks.
"Hop Pop/Shadow?!" The three kids exclaimed in shock.
"What the heck?" Anne said. "I'm so confused."
"Isn't it obvious, Anne?" Hop Pop asked.
"Actually, no." Anne frowned. "Hence, I'm confused.
"Oh." Hop Pop said in realization.
"We both knew you three couldn't resist the Bizarre Bazaar," Shadow explained, walking around them. "so, we decided to keep watch in case you got yourselves into trouble."
"Which you did. A big, fat pickle." Hop Pop nodded.
The three kids flinched at their caretakers' words, sporting looks of shame.
"Anyways, here you go." Shadow said, holding Anne's backpack out for her.
Anne gasped before taking it, holding it close. "You guys are the best! Thanks for having my back... pack." She said.
"I understand you want answers, Anne, I really do." Shadow said. "But more than anything, we must have patience, lest we end up in a terrible situation."
Thinking over the boy's words, Anne nodded. "You're right. I was too impatient for answers." She then unzipped her bag and pulled out the music box and held it out to him. "Here. Go through your trusted channels. I'm okay with waiting a little longer."
Shadow stared at the box in Anne's hand, before taking it with some hesitation, his reflection staring back at him atop its lid. He was more than familiar with this box, an item capable of the danger it brought and the damage it's capable of causing.
An item he thought he had gotten rid of five years ago.
He looked at Hop Pop, the old frog giving a nod, before turning back to Anne. "I'll do my best, Anne." Shadow told her, a hand over his chest. "You have my word."
Anne smiled before hugging him, the boy returning the hug, resting his head on her shoulder.
"We know how important this is to you." Hop Pop added.
"Okay, back up. You're The Wrecker, Hop Pop?!" Sprig exclaimed, jumping on his father's back. "And Shadow! You're the Hellfire! How many games have you beaten?"
"Did it ever get dangerous, Master?" Kaemon asked.
"Have you killed a man, Hop Pop?" Sprig asked darkly.
Hop Pop and Shadow gave the boy frog odd looks before simply laughing.
"What happens in the Bizarre Bazaar…" Shadow began.
"Stays in the Bizarre Bazaar." Hop Pop finished.
"Aw, man!" Sprig pouted.
"Just like Vegas." Anne said with a chuckle.
"Sure, Anne. Just like Vegas." Shadow said with a roll of his eyes. "Now, let's all head home."
In agreement, everyone turned to leave, Shadow making to follow, but stopped when he felt a familiar presence.
"You can come out, Val." He called softly. "It's just us now."
Emerging from the shadows, Valeriana stepped forward, her parrot-fly on her shoulder.
"Ah, sharp as ever, boy." The old salamander said. "I was beginning to worry you were losing your edge."
The boy turned back to her, glaring harshly. "This wasn't supposed to come back." He said, holding up the box.
"I told you it was a temporary solution." Valeriana retorted. "It was bound to come back one way or another."
Shadow only stared back, his glare hardening.
"I have done all I could, but you cannot keep running from the past." The old salamander said. "Nor can you keep this from her. Sooner or later, you must tell her the truth. And if not by you, another."
"This isn't hers to deal with!" Shadow snapped. "This burden is mine to bare and mine alone!"
"Even then, you can't turn back time, nor escape the hand dealt to you by fate." Valeriana said. "Sooner or later, you must face your past. Otherwise, you only risk hurting her and many others."
Shadow's fist clenched tight, a conflicted look on his face.
"I can only advise what you do next." Valeriana said as she turned away. "But I suggest you be honest with her. After all, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions."
The old salamander disappeared into the darkness, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts.
"Hey, Shadow!"
Upon hearing Anne call his name, Shadow straightened himself up before turning in her direction, the Thai girl approaching.
"What's taking you, Teach?" She asked, before noticing the tense look on his face. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Shadow insisted. "Just wrestling with some thoughts."
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, concern in her voice.
Shadow looked at her before answering. "Maybe another time, when I'm ready."
"No problem." She smiled. "Now, let's head back!"
The two kids left, heading for home.
In the dead of night, as Anne and Kaemon slept soundly in their rooms, but Shadow laid awake at night. After making sure his two houseguests were asleep, he grabbed the music box and snuck out of the hut, making his way down the dirt path to town.
He was hating himself right now for what he was about to do. Over the past three months, he had grown attached to Anne, even developing feelings for the Thai girl. She had grown to trust him, enough to give him the Calamity Box, the only device that could get her home. But he couldn't leave it in her hands, especially after she almost lost it at the Bizarre Bazaar, the risk of it falling into the wrong hands gone up exponentially, forcing him to step in to get it back. That kind of power had no business in the hands of anyone.
So, he lied to the girl he had grown so infatuated with, the girl who had grown to trust him. There were no contacts that could look at the box and figure out how it worked. All so he could protect her from the truth about the dangerous box. He was betraying her trust, just so he could protect her. At least he tried to tell himself.
What would Anne think of him, should she find out? Would she understand? Or would she hate him forever? These questions among others plagued his mind, but he quickly pushed them aside. She could be angry all she wanted, but this was for the best.
At least, Shadow tried to tell himself.
Finally making it to town, he approached the Plantar home, where Hop Pop was waiting for him by the dead tree in the yard, a shovel in hand and a deep hole dug near the tree.
"I was wonderin' if you'd show up." The old frog said as the boy approached. "I dug the hole for ya."
"Thank you for this, Hop Pop." Shadow nodded at the frog thankfully.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hop Pop asked with concern. "I mean, Anne's trusting you with this, and, well…this just seems like a betrayal of her trust."
"It needs to be done, Hop Pop." Shadow stated firmly. "After all the pain and destruction caused by this box alone, it cannot fall into the wrong hands. Not even Anne's. And I especially can't have her waving it around." He then gave Hop Pop a serious look. "You'd do the same thing if it meant protecting Sprig and Polly."
"I understand." Hop Pop nodded. "No matter what happens, I'll support you."
Nodding, Shadow sat the box inside at the bottom of the hole.
"Now it's where it belongs. Where no one can find it. Ever." Shadow said before taking the shovel and started piling dirt on top, hoping to never look at the box ever again.
Unfortunately for him, fate would have other plans.
Back at Toad Tower, Sasha was in the training room, doing several sit-ups. Ever since she had been inducted into the Toad Army and as Damien's personal apprentice, she had been training nonstop, eventually building up some muscle and developing a four-pack abs. The various sparing sessions were no doubt tough, but that didn't stop her from getting back up and improving.
And so far, she had been enjoying it.
"Working hard?"
She sat up to see her partner standing at the doorway, arms crossed and a grin on his face.
"Enjoying the show?" Sasha grinned before getting up.
"I've taken a few looks at you while training." The newt said before entering. "You've got spunk, and I admire that."
"Just trying to make sure Grime doesn't get tempted to throw me back in the cell." Sasha shrugged. "Gotta make sure I'm useful."
"And you've done a great job, especially helping out with rebuilding the tower." Damien pointed out.
Over the three months, Damien had been overlooking Sasha's training, teaching her basic sword combat and strength training, as well as tactics and strategies. And during those, the two had grown considerably closer to the point Sasha felt like she could count on him in a pinch.
"I've had a great teacher." Sasha said, winking at him.
Managing to suppress the blush, Damien then pulled out a scroll. "Anyways, I thought I'd let you know that Grime wants me to double up your training. Said he wants you in full form when we march on the valley."
"Not complaining," Sasha shrugged. "Although I've gotta ask; what for?"
Damien walked over to a nearby table. "Ever heard about Charon's death?" He asked, the blonde shaking her head. "Well, Bog and company came back with the taxes, along with Charon's headless, armless corpse, telling us how she was brutally murdered by the creature claiming to be Wartwood's protector."
"And that would be?" Sasha asked.
"A creature called 'The Black Wolf'." Damien said, unrolling the scroll, giving Sasha a good look of the crude drawing that was supposed to be Shadow. "A dangerous vagabond that's been living out in the swamp near the town, apparently labeled its protector by the townsfolk."
"I assume he's dangerous?" Sasha said.
"Yup, especially if he managed to kill Charon." Damien nodded. "So that's the why for the extra training."
"I'll take whatever Grime throws at me." Sasha said with determination. "Anything to find my friends."
"Good to hear." Damien smiled. "Go ahead and rest for the day. We start bright and early tomorrow."
After Damien walked out, Sasha pulled the photo from her pocket and looked at it, before looking at the drawing. Oddly enough, this 'Black Wolf' character in the drawing looked very human, making Sasha wonder if there were other humans trapped here.
And if so, did they know where to find her friends?
"It doesn't matter how tough this guy sounds." She said with a serious look. "If he gets in my way, I'm mowing him down."