He watched the girls cautiously as they separated from the hug and made friendly faces at Anne. She turned around and gestured into the gloomy forest background and out of it emerged atleast one hundred toad warriors following by one larger toad with a scar down one of his eyes and a giant metal shoulder pad.
Y/N: (Squeak) Toads! I need to get everyone to safety before something bad happens.
He quickly rushed towards the Plantars but was blocked by two large toads with their arms crossed.
Toad: Where do you think you're going, squirt?
Y/N: Scrambled as he slid to a half, sliding on the sides of his feet as his claws and hands pushed against the floor as he darted past them while they tried to grab at the end of his shirt.
Thankfully, he saw that the Plantars had escaped and they made their way to Anne and her friend. He looked around the rest of the village and saw everyone surrounded by the toad guards. Not seeing another choice, he decided to go to Anne and the others and confront her friend. He slowly walked up behind Anne and the others with his knees shaking wildly.
Y/N: Guys? The toads have got the vil-
But before he could finish his sentence, Sasha had leapt ontop of him, latching onto his back as he fell forward and she pinned his arms and legs down. He yelled out in pain at the sudden force against his back and wings
Anne: Woah, Sasha! What the heck dude?
Sasha: This is what we came here for. You're all safe now, you can thank us later.
Anne: What are you talking about? Y/N didn't hurt anyone!
Sasha: So this is Y/N? The description our patrolling troup gave was pretty spot on then. Human, bug features, it seems like we've got our culprit right here.
Y/N: Anne! Get your (squeak) friend off me (squeak)!
Sasha: We'll take him away Anne, you don't have to worry anymore.
Sasha called over the two toad guards from earlier who tied Y/N in a thick rope and threw him into a cold, metal cage on wheels attached to the back of a tarantula. The toads gave a thumbs up to the driver and he began driving the tarantula through the dark woods.
The journey was short but for Y/N it felt like hours. Hours of dread and fright and pain until he realised his destination wasn't like his fears at all, it was worse. He looked up at the looming Toad Tower, a monolith that stretched above the trees with it's castle tower design. They stopped abruptly inside the tower's outer walls and detached the tarantula from his cage.
The toads opened the door as one went inside and held him over his shoulder and took him inside the tower and up a spiral of stairs to the very top of the tower. He was pushed up roughly and his feet dragged along the floor as they pushed him to a similar sized metal cage that dangled from a plant off of the tower. He was thrown harshly to the back of the cage as the door was slammed shut, causing the cage to rock back and forth.
Y/N: Let me out! I didn't do anything wrong!
Throwing himself against the cage, he winced as his shoulder collided with the hard steel and the cage rocked again, pushing his back against the wall as he crumpled to the ground. Coming up the stairs came a menacing laugh and the toad with a scar down his eye came up cackling.
Grime: Well, you don't look anything I expected. I'd expect a killer like you to be bigger, stronger, more intimidating. But you're pathetic.
Y/N: Why don't you (squeak) let me out of these ropes and I'll show you my strength.
Grime: Still fighting, eh? Can't tell it you're brave or just an idiot. Well you must be an idiot if you're trying to stand up to me. Don't you know who I am, human?
Y/N: Not a (squeak) clue.
But Y/N did know. This was Captain Grime, the fiercest toad to have ever existed. He had heard tales of Grime when he was still stealing from villages. It was his main reason for never venturing too close to Toad Tower.
Grime: You know, its easy to spot a lie with such an audible cue like those squeaks of yours. But anyway, we should wait until Sasha gets here before we execute you. We only thought it fitting for your death to be ... well, look below you.
Y/N looked down and through the bars as he noticed a giant, 3 headed venus flytrap below him. It snapped it's jaws at him menacingly as Y/N screamed and kicked at the bottom of his cage while Grime laughed menacingly.
Grime: I had a feeling like it'd get this reaction out of you. But now you'll know how it feels to be eaten. Just like all the others.
Y/N: Please! (Squeak) I'm innocent!
As Grime laughed at his pleas, echoing footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs and coming closer and closer as they reached the top. Leading the pack was Sasha with a scowl on her face and behind them was the whole town of Wartwood with the toad guards marching them up.
Y/N: Guys? What're you (squeak) doing here?
Sasha: Caught these villagers trying to break in, Grime.
Grime: Very impressive, Sasha. Always playing Flipwart when everyone else is playing Bog Jump.
Anne: Huh?
Sasha: Wha...
Grime: Well, see, Flipwart and Bog Jump are games, but Flipwart, of course, is far more complicated and... I'm trying to say you're smart!
Sasha: Oh. Thanks, Grimesy. What can I say? Just how I do. Up top.
Grime: Ah... Um... Yes.
Grime awkwardly gave Sasha a high-5 as the town grumbled.
Anne: I'm sorry, Y/N. We were going to try break you out but we got caught getting up here.
Y/N: It's ok, Anne. Thanks for trying atleast.
Grime: Ok this is getting all too happy for my liking. Drop the murderer!
A toad guard advanced to a lever with a chain that would drop Y/N into the flytrap's mouth but before he could reach it, Anne grabbed his sword and batted him away, pointing the sword at the rest of the army while the rest of the town backed her up.
Anne: Stay back!
Wally: Do your worst.
Felicia: Oh, if you're gonna bring it, then bring it.
Toad Soldier: In retrospect, we really should have tied them up.
Sasha: Enough!
The toads part as Sasha looks over to them menacingly with her sword brandished.
Sasha: Anne, what are you doing? Are you really gonna risk your life for these talking frogs? We don't even belong here. Don't you wanna get back home? See your family?
Anne: Yeah, but—
Sasha: Then put that sword down now. End of discussion.
Anne face turns nervous as she starts to lower her guard. Y/N looked distraught at Anne and then angrily at Sasha. He had to get out.
Sasha: There we go. That's my girl.
He suddenly got an idea and started rocking the cage back and forth while Sasha encouraged Anne to give up and drop her weapon. As he gathered enough momentum, he smashed himself at the cage door, flinging it open and sending him flying through the door towards Anne.
Sasha: What the heck?!
He slid the rope tying him against a blade, cutting himself free as he stood straight infront of the town and Anne.
Y/N: For someone who's Anne's best friend, you sure don't know her very well. She's brave! She's smart! And most of all, she's not gonna be pushed around by a bully like you!
Anne smiles at Y/N and picks her sword back up into a defensive position while Sasha scowls.
Sasha: I think I've had enough of you. Time to be squashed like a bug!
Sasha swings her blade down on Y/N as he readied his claws in an X shaped defensive position but a sound of steel striking steel rang in his ears as Anne stood infront of him, holding the blade of her sword above him, blocking the blow from Sasha.
Sasha: Anne, what are you doing!?!
Anne: Something I should have done a long time ago: Standing up TO YOU!
She parried the blow and send Sasha stumbling back a few paces.
Anne: Thanks for believing in me, Y/N.
Y/N: Hey, we're Y/Anne against the world, remember?
Meanwhile, Grime was chuckling menacingly as Sasha turned to him, infuriated
Sasha: What are you laughing at?
Grime: Looks like you've got a rebellious seed of your own. You've given me plenty of advice. Now let me give you some. Stamp this out. Make her yield. Fail, and nothing will ever be the same.
Sasha: Not gonna happen.
Grime: This should be fun. My friends! Instead of a messy free-for-all, I have a splendid idea. How about we settle this the toad-fashioned way?
The toad guards enclose around Anne and Sasha in a circle.
Grime: Trial by combat! If your champion wins, you all go home, no harm, no foul. But if our champion wins, well...
He gestures to the venus flytrap that roared and snapped at the roof of the tower.
Grime: Baby's hungry.
Y/N: Anne, you don't have to put yourself on the line just for me.
Anne: Yes, I do.
The two girls stare imposingly at eachother, waiting for the signal to begin the fight.
Grime: Begin!
Their swords begin clashing as they duel. Sparks flying at their battle continues.
Sasha: What's gotten into you, Anne? You were never like this back home!
Anne: Do you ever stop talking?!
Anne hits at Sashas handle, causing her to throw away her sword as Anne yells out in triumph but Sasha pulls out a swift dagger from her boot.
Anne: Haha! Oh, come on, a dagger?
The fight continues and Sasha picks up her sword again and manages to knock Anne's sword out of her hands.
Sasha: They're just slimy little frogs and some rando, Anne! They don't matter!
Anne: They're not just frogs. They're my friends! And that rando? He's my brother!
Anne grabs her sword from besides her and swings it towards Sasha's face. She screams as it cuts below her eye, leaving a small scar as she falls to the floor with her weapons dropping and Anne pointing her weapon at Sasha.
All: Whoo-hoo!
Polly: Go, Anne!
Hop Pop: Go, Anne!
Anne: It's over, Sash. You're not gonna push me around anymore.
Sasha turned away and glared at Anne at the side of her eyes as Anne lowered her sword and looked towards Grime.
Anne: So how about it, big guy? We're free, right?
Grime: Yeah, I don't think so.
Toad guards marched forward and grabbed
Y/N roughly as they dragged him to the side of the roof.
Grime: Pretty cool, huh? This ends now.
Before they could chuck him towards the monstrous flytrap, there came a rumbling sound below the tower as blue explosion clouds erupted from the bottom.
Grime: What the... What?!
Anne: Wally, what did you do?!
Wally: What? I thought we agreed to use boomshrooms. Wait, could you not tell I was winking? Ah, curse you, one eye!
Y/N: Everyone! Get (squeak) to the bottom of the tower!
The crowd screams as hoard of toads and frogs rush down the tower's stairs to escape the building.
Toad Soldier: We gotta get out of here!
Grime: Hold ranks! Where are you going, you cowards? Aghhh!
The tower rumbles so violently that Grime was thrown over the side of the roof.
Hop Pop: Ah! Eh, I never liked that guy.
Toad Soldier: Move, move, move!
Hop Pop: Everyone! Come on, get off the roof, quick!
Sasha begins to stand up straight but another rumble causes her to slip backwards and start falling off the roof.
Sasha: Anne!
Anne: Sasha!
She dives towards her and grabs her hand before she can plummet down.
Anne: Gotcha. I've got you, Sash. You're gonna be okay.
Meanwhile, the rest of the family was escorting others off the roof and down the stairs.
Hop Pop: I think that's everyone.
Sprig: Anne!
Anne: Can't... hold on... much longer.
The others rush over as Anne begins to fall off the side and chains themselves to catch them before they can fall.
Sprig: Don't worry. I got you.
Hop Pop: Hold on, kiddo.
Y/N: Hold on, both of you!
Sasha looks down terrified. The venus flytrap had now been crushed by falling debris but the drop down was definitely large enough to kill someone.
Anne: Hey, hey. Look at me, look at me. Everything's gonna be totally fine. Just hang on.
Hop Pop: We got you, Anne. No matter what.
Anne: Y/N, can you fly as all to safety?
Y/N: My wings are all crumpled from (squeak) the rope. This place doesn't (squeak) look like it'll (squeak) give me the time to straighten them out.
Sasha looks down again at the long drop and closes her eyes before looking up again at Anne.
Sasha: Hey, Anne? Maybe you're better off without me.
Anne: No!
Sasha pulls her hand away from Anne's grip and starts plummeting to the ever growing closer stone floor. As she falls down, Grime suddenly appears and leaps up to her and stabbing his dagger into the side of the tower, sliding down it with Sasha in his arms and landed at the edge of the forest with the rest of the toad guards and retreated away, into the thicket.
As the rumbling died down as the last boomshroom was set off, they pulled Anne and the others in the chain back up to the roof and slowly escorted her down the cracked and broken stairs to the ground level
Y/N: Anne, are you ok?
Anne: Oh, yeah. Never felt be—
She burst into tears as he squeezed against his chest tightly. Tears pricked his eyes to see his sister in such a shape as he returned the hug tightly as the rest of the town gathered around to give her their support.
Polly: Aw.
Mrs. Croaker: Whoa, girl. Easy now. All right, everybody, we're home.
It took a while but the townsfolk had made their way back to Wartwood and Anne had mostly calmed down, only sniffling a bit from time to time.
Wally: Wooh. I am knackered.
Toadie: Think you could carry me again, sir?
Mayor Toadstool: Never again, Toadie. Never again.
Hop Pop: I know that was hard for you, Anne. Thank you, you know, for everything.
Anne: Hop Pop, you guys are my family. I'd never let anyone hurt you.
Sprig: So, you guys wanna get breakfast and come up with some kind of plan to get Anne home?
Hop Pop: It's gonna be dangerous. Perilous even.
Y/N: We're going to have, like 5 or so near-death experiences.
Polly: Understatement!
Anne: Well, whatever happens next, one thing's for sure. If we're together, I know we'll be all right.
She brings the family in for a tight hug and she squished them all together.
Hop Pop: Hugging a little tight there, Anne.
Anne: No, I'm not.
Y/N: Don't worry, Anne. You earned it.