Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The child was quite a young frog. How young? He himself did not know, as he never bothered to keep count, although his grandfather had it memorized, just as the boy’s late parents did before him, that the boy was ten years of age. The boy didn’t recall much of his parents, although his grandfather would always answer that the boy’s father was ‘As much as a troublemaker as you are’, to which the kid would respond with confusion, although those around him who recalled the ruined dinners, runaway cattle, and giant insects understood the old man quite well.

The boy’s name was Sprig Plantar, and this is how he met the girl of the South.

“Monster!” Yelled the old blue frog in a panic as he ran out of the tall grass surrounding the small town, many of the amphibians turning to him in surprise as his sprinting came to a halt and he let out heavy breaths. “Th-there’s a monster in the woods! I’ve seen it! I’ve seen it!”

“Simmer down, Wally.” Declared the tall toad in the expensive outfit, Wally turning to him in shock. “Just tell us what you saw.”

“Oh! It was horrifying!” Wally declared as he reached for a small wooden stick and began drawing a figure in the dirt as he described it. “It had a huge head! A weird, stubby bump right in the middle of its face and long spindly limbs!”

The frogs gasped.

“We better catch this beast before it hurts somebody.” Toadstool declared, and then struck a pose with a smile. “Because for Mayor Toadstool, your safety comes first.”

The frogs began clapping in excitement, seeming to have already forgotten the seriousness of the situation. A small wooden wagon sat parked in the distance in front of an old store, two small figures sitting on the back as they watched the scene with attention, to which a confident smile formed on the lips of the young pink frog.

“Polly, I just had a great idea!” Sprig declared as he prepared to step out of the wagon. “I am going to catch that beast and save the town!”

“Stop right there! Hop Pop said that you had to stay in this cart!” Decided Sprig’s little sister, as the tiny tadpole gave gentle hops to move her water bucket and block her big brother’s path. Polly had a serious expression, to which Sprig replied by rolling his eyes in frustration. “You know you can't take me!”

Sprig thought for a moment, before he reached for his tiny jacket.

“Polly, look, candy!” Sprig commented in an exaggerated manner as he threw some piece of candy in the air, which landed right in front of the baby girl.

“Bribe accepted!” Polly declared with a smile as she jumped off her bucket and began eating the candy, to which Sprig smiled and jumped off the cart, his frog limps allowing his jumps to cover an inhuman height and distance.

“Let the monster hunt begin!”

“Don’t die.” Polly warned in an almost disinterested tone of voice, which her brother didn’t even notice as he jumped straight into the surrounding woods, a confident smile on his face.

Forest, Frog Valley.

The climate could get quite warm in the wetlands, especially during high noon where insects would buzz around. Sprig was used to moving through this environment in a swift manner, which one should be in a world where a praying mantis could be as tall as a one-story building. Sprig landed on top of a log and looked around, when he felt a small caterpillar crawling up his arm, instinctively catching it with his long tongue and swallowing it as he searched for the supposed beast.

He glanced down in interest as he leaped off the log and landed on the wet mud beneath, seeing what appeared to be a large trail of footprints. Sprig reached for his jacket and pulled out a small wooden slingshot as he began to follow the trail with slow steps.

“Seems like the beast roams these parts…” Sprig whispered to himself as he kept his serious eyes on the trail, only for the seriousness to snap into surprise as he heard the sound of leaves breaking under his foot, and before he could react, a trap lassoed his ankle, the boy finding himself hanging upside-down from a tree branch above him.

Sprig didn’t have time to respond as his attention was taken by the sound of footsteps coming from the tall grass, as he turned to it to see a large figure stepping out, and heard the sound of a click as she pointed a black metal tube up at him.

“Gotcha!”

The shadow of the grey slouch hat over her auburn hair covered the serious expression on her face, a sharpshooter’s eyes looking up at the boy in the same manner they’d gaze at any enemy soldier. Her body was covered by a set of grey clothes that the boy could guess to be military uniform, although from which army? He’d never be able to guess. She worn a single black boot in one of her feet, the other being missing to reveal the white sock she wore under it, and held a small bag tied around her torso. A long brown and grey tube remained tied to her back, which Sprig would later learn to call a ‘Richmond Rifle’, and one side of her belt held a blade that the boy would learn to call a ‘Field Officers Sword.’ The other side of the belt held an empty holster, for the tube the beast now held in her rough and firm hand, the ‘LeMat Revolver’ as it would be called.

Sprig gasped.

“Giant head! Spindly limbs! Face bump!” Sprig described as he pointed at her in shock. “The beast!”

“Keep screaming and you’ll eat led.” The soldier ordered, her mature voice making it clear she was going into her 30s, as she continued to hold her revolver, her hands not even trembling.

“Led?” Sprig asked in slight confusion, before his expression morphed back into seriousness. “Bad news for you, beast! I don’t taste anything like led!”

“What’d’ya talking about?” Anne asked in a mix of confusion and clear frustration, moving the gun barrel away from Sprig as she moved her wrist to the side in annoyance.

“You tried to eat Wally!” Sprig declared as he pointed at the soldier in an accusatory manner.

“I tried to ask Wally for help.” Anne explained as she made air quotes with her fingers at the blue frog’s name, one of her hands still holding a revolver, an expression of annoyance on her face. “He ran off screaming the moment he saw me.”

“Oh…” Sprig whispered. “That does sound like Wally...”

Their conversation was cut off by the sound of a loud screech, Anne turning and pointing her sidearm on instinct as she noticed the shadow of large plants falling over in the distance.

“It’s coming back!”

“What is–”

Anne turned around and began running, cutting Sprig off as he watched the soldier fleeing to the tall grass.

“Where are you going?” Sprig asked in a worried tone as he heard another loud screech, struggling against the rope around his ankle as he turned to the source of the sound, his expression showing terror as he began flailing and more plants began being knocked down near him, to witch a swift blade swung like a blur and sliced the rope the boy had been dangling from. “Whoop, here we go!”

Anne grabbed Sprig from the floor, not even taking a moment to look back or speak as she began running like a bat out of hell with her sword still in hand. Anne slid under an old tree log and held Sprig’s mouth shut. The two heard a loud slamming sound as the foot of a large mantis stepped the swamp near the log, leaving a large footprint, before the monster turned around and began leaving the scene, the two finally letting go of their breaths as the monster exited the area.

Anne let out a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes for a few moments and put her blade back in its sheet.

“You… You saved me!” She heard and opened her eyes, to see the pink frog staring at her in surprise, his expression lighting up into happiness as he spoke. “You’re not a beast at all! You’re a hero! An ugly, ugly, ugly hero!”

“Call me ugly again and maybe I will eat ya’.” Anne joking as her lips formed into her own faint smile.

“You’re not gonna eat me.” Sprig commented with a smile as he swung his hand in a calm manner. “You got a name, stranger?”

“Name’s Anne.” She replied, a calm tone with traces of pride as she spoke. “Captain Anne Booth, of Virginia.”

“I'm Sprig Plantar… of Wartwood!” Sprig declared with a smile, mimicking Anne’s introduction and then held out his hand. “Put 'er there!”

Anne smirked and shook the boy’s hand, only for her smile to drop as she felt her hand being covered in slime.

“Ew! That’s gross! What are you? A yankee?” Anne commented in a joking manner as she rubbed the slime off on the side of her uniform and giggled, Sprig laughing along despite not understanding what that term means. Their calm laughter was cut off by the grumble coming from Anne’s stomach, to which she looked back at the frog with a calm expression. “Okay Sprig. Could you take me to this Wartwood you speak of?”

“Sure do! Come on!” Sprig commented as he ran out of the log in an excited manner, Anne rolling her eyes a bit and running after.

Forest, Frog Valley.

“You’re not a big fan of a bug-based diet?” Sprig asked as he handed Anne some mushrooms as they walked.

“I’m starting to think ya’ actually are a yankee.” Anne commented in a joking manner as she held the mushrooms in one arm while taking calm steps. She glanced at one of the mushrooms with slight hesitation, before taking a slow bite. Her expression morphed into one of pleasant surprise as she nodded and continued biting it.

“You said you were a… human?” Sprig asked to make sure he remembered the exact word, to which Anne gave him a nod while swallowing. Sprig began taking gentle hops, Anne’s face showing slight surprise as his small body could reach the height of her head without any difficulty. “Where did you say you came from?”

“A place named Virginia. One of the Confederate States of America.” Anne explained in a calm manner. “I was a captain for the army back home.”

“Oh! So that’s why you have the sword!” Sprig commented with a nod as he continued to hop in a joyful manner. “What are those other metal tube things?”

“Never seen a gun before?” Anne asked, to which Sprig finally stopped hopping and gave a gentle shrug. Anne let out a calm smirk and shook her head in a joyful manner.

“How did you end up here?” Sprig asked in a calm tone of voice as he continued to walk near Anne.

“No idea. One minute, I was in my world and the next thing I knew I was here.” Anne explained as she took another bite of a mushroom, taking a moment to chew and swallow. “I have to get back home, and I have to do it fast.”

“Why the urgency?” Sprig asked in a curious manner.

“The Confederate States need me.” Anne explained, her eyes becoming serious as her voice showed traces of melancholy. “We are in the middle of a w–”

“There they are!” Yelled a sudden voice from the bushes as Anne pulled out her rifle in surprise, only to stop as she recognized the form of Wally jumping out of the bushes. Several other frogs ran out of the tall grass and dashed towards Anne, the soldier keeping a serious expression as she made a split-second decision, and let go of the firearm, one of the frogs kicking it to the distance as they swarmed the human and tied her up.

“No! You guys got it all wrong!” Sprig declared in a surprised tone of voice.

“Ha-ha! You caught the monster!” The boy heard and turned, to see his Hop Pop approaching with Polly on top of his head, and putting a gentle hand on Sprig’s shoulder. “Sprig, I am impressed!”

“What?” Anne asked in an offended tone as Sprig turned back to her. “Ya’ set me up?”

“N-no, no, no!” Sprig insisted as he waved his hands in the air. “This wasn't my plan!”

Their expressions all changed as they heard a loud screech, and turned to see the large shape of a massive green mantis standing out of the tall grass.

“Hurry! Everyone! Mantis formation!” Toadstool declared, trying to hide the panic in his voice as the frogs all jumped on top of each other, forming a pyramid that reached the same height as the large beast. A few moments of silence went by, until the green mantis walked away and left the scene, to which the frogs began cheering. “We scared it off! We have power!”

The cheering stopped as Anne recognized that same screech from earlier, turning her head and gasping as that same red mantis landed right behind the frog pyramid.

“Nope. that scared it off.” Polly commented.

“Yeah, that makes more sense.” Hop Pop added.

The mantis screeched in fury and began swinging, many of the frogs being knocked off as they began screaming and running away in a panic.

“Hey! Hey! I’m still here!” Anne yelled in a shock as she felt the ground shaking under her body with each hit of the mantis’ random rampage. She kept a serious expression, which melted into surprise as she felt the ropes being untied around her. Anne glanced at the frog who had freed her arms and yelled. “Sprig?”

“I'll distract that thing, you–”

Sprig was cut off by the loud slamming of the mantis’ foot, which had been attracted by Anne’s scream. The human had an expression of panic as she reached down and began undoing the rest of the ties, while Sprig pulled out his slingshot and fired a pebble right at the mantis’ eyes. The creature roared in anger as it raised its frontal leg, Sprig screaming in a panic as he closed his eyes. The boy heard a metallic sound, and opened his eyes, gasping in surprise at the sight of Anne blocking the monster’s attack with her saber.

The mantis shrieked as Captain Booth looked up at it, her expression showing a mixture of anger and seriousness. The mantis pulled back its frontal leg and swung it again, Anne blocking it with the blade as she let out a groan of struggle. This thing’s swing was heavy, heavier than most men she had clashed blades against. She felt her boots digging into the mud as she managed to barely push back the creature’s attack, to which the mantis swung twice more, Anne redirecting them by striking the sides of its legs with her blade, before thrusting the tip into the monster’s shoulder, a yellowed green blood flying out as the creature screamed and stumbled back.

“Do something!” Anne ordered as she turned to Sprig, her eyes flashing blue for just a moment.

“On it!” Sprig declared as he grabbed the rope on the ground and leaped, landing on top of the monster and avoiding several of its swings, before jumping off and pulling the rope. The monster began flailing as the boy came close to tying it up, his pull just short of strong enough to paralyze the creature. “Anne! Help!”

Sprig turned to Anne, and gasped in shock as the girl turned around and began running away from the scene, heading to the tall grass.

“Anne! Don’t leave me here!” Sprig yelled in surprise as the mantis pushed its body back with a sudden movement, the inertia pulling the rope Sprig had been holding and sending him rolling across the ground. Sprig looked up, to see the red mantis towering over him. The boy’s eyes were wide as the mantis lifted its frontal leg and swung it down, when…

“BOOM!” Echoed the explosion as it cracked the air and half of the mantis’ head suddenly burst open, green blood flying out and spraying on the ground near Sprig. The boy stared in surprise as the mantis’ body fell to the ground, and looked ahead to see Anne standing in the tall grass, the Richmond rifle in her hands, smoke flying out from the weapon.

“Okay… now I’ve seen a gun…” Sprig whispered, his voice a mixture of shock and amazement.

A few more seconds of silence flew past as the many frogs around the area stared at the dead body of the mantis in shock, before they all began clapping and cheering.

“It’s down! They did it!”

Sprig continued to stare at Anne in amazement as the confederate placed her rifle in the strap on her back in a careful manner, walking back to the boy with casual steps and offering him her hand. Sprig smiled and took it, Anne bringing him back up to his feet, before groaning as her hand was once again dripping with slime.

“That was so cool! It was like a cannon that you can take with you!” Sprig declared in a hyperactive manner as he began jumping around Anne in excitement, the soldier smirking and shaking her head as she cleaned her palm on her uniform. “Can I have one? Can I? Can I? Can I?”

“Well! Now that that is settled…” The two heard as Sprig stopped hopping, and they turned to see Toadstool and the other amphibians approaching them. “What the hell are we going to do with this thing? Maybe we gotta run it out of town just to be safe. Let it be someone else's problem.”

The mob yelled and approval and began running towards Anne, who sighed and rolled her eyes, only for Sprig to hop and land on the path of the angry frogs, blocking their way.

“Stop right there!” Sprig ordered. “She's not a monster. She's just lost and needs our help. We should take care of her.”

“Are you crazy?” Asked Toadstool.

“Yeah. What if it goes nutty tomorrow and starts eating people?” Wally asked.

“Ain’t happening, buddy.” Anne declared in a bored tone of voice.

“Don't worry yourselves silly.” Hop Pop declared as he made his way to the two and placed a gentle hand on Sprig’s head. “I'll keep an eye on them. Both of them.”

“Hmm. Have it your way, Hopediah Plantar, but I don't like it.” Toadstool declared in annoyance and then signed for the frogs. “All right boys pack it in.”

The frogs groaned in clear annoyance as they walked out, dragging the mantis corpse with them as they left the scene.

A few more moments of silence passed, before Sprig broke the silence in a timid voice.

“Looks like I'm back to causing trouble for the family again, huh?”

“Trouble? Sprig–”

“You stood up for what was right, even though a whole angry mob was trying to push you back.” Anne spoke, cutting off Hop Pop as they glanced at her, to see her expression had a mixture of joy and determination. “You’re the bravest frog I have ever met.”

“Yeah… I was going to say that.” Hop Pop commented with a smile.

“That was pretty cool, Sprig.” Polly added in a calm voice. “It was also really dumb!”

“Yes. Really, really dumb.” Hop Pop nodded.

“You think I'm responsible?” Sprig asked in anticipation.

“Well, yeah, I mean, just this one time...” Hop Pop spoke before being cut off by Sprig’s cheers as he hopped and did a little victory dance.

“Big win!”

“Can ya’ take me to your town for a bit?” Anne asked, drawing the attention to herself once again. “I need to re-stock on supplies before I try to find a way out of this darned place.”

“Oh, that won’t do.” Hop Pop commented as he pulled out a small map of the area and showed it. “This here valley is surrounded by mountains that are impenetrable this time of year.”

“It should clear up in a couple of months.” Sprig commented as he glanced up at Anne.

“But until then, you try to cross those mountains–”

“You will die.” Polly cut off Hop Pop in a nonchalant manner.

“What? I’m stuck here for two months?” Anne asked in a mixture of shock and worry. “I have to go back home! It is an emergency!”

“Everyone who’s tried to cross those mountains never came back.” Hop Pop explained in a tone of disappointment.

“Sorry, Anne.” Sprig added, to which the captain sighed and brought her hand to her forehead.

“I don’t even have a place to stay…”

Plantar Farm, Wartwood.

“All righty. Kitchen's upstairs. Breakfast at sunrise, sharp.” Hop Pop explained as he presented the basement. Anne nodded and unrolled a small cushion on the ground. Hop Pop nodded and climbed his way back up the ladder, while Anne took off her weapons and placed them on the floor in a gentle manner.

“Hey! Gettin' comfy?” She heard and turned to see Sprig at the top of the ladder, before he threw several plushies down. “I'm too old for these. O-oh, except for this one. Oh, and this one. Oops, this one too. Sorry. This one as well.”

Anne smiled at the boy as she picked up her rifle and reached for her bag. She pulled out her equipment and began reloading the weapon. After the shot she took earlier that day, Anne only had eight more rounds left, adding to the nine inside her revolver, and the single shotgun shell. After that, she was all out. Anne finished reloading and glanced back at Sprig, seeing the boy had picked back up all of the plushies he had brought.

“I'm glad you're living with us, monster.” Sprig commented with a genuine smile, to which Anne smiled back and put down her rifle.

“Yeah, me too, weird little frog boy.” Anne replied in a joking manner, to which Sprig smirked.

“Okay. Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed-bugs bite.” Sprig commented as he climbed his way back the ladder, turning back to add. “Seriously, they can drain a body in seconds.”

Anne let out an expression of disgust as Sprig closed the door. Anne waited a few moments as she listened to his footsteps leaving, and then glanced around, before once again reaching for her bag and pulling out what appeared to be a small music box. She had already tried this many times before, but some illogical part of her kept thinking it might be different if she did it again. She took on a deep breath and opened the box… to which nothing happened. Anne sighed and closed the box, placing it back into the bag.

“I hope you two are okay...” Anne whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, as she began taking off her warm uniform. “Hang in there, South. We will win.”

Toad Tower.

The raindrops sounded heavy as they struck the stone ceiling of the large tower, the wind blowing strong and making the flag at the top of the large base dance in swift motions, as the occasional lightning illuminated the dark clouds and broke the silence with the roar of thunder. The figure of a toad made his way down a large set of stone steps and entered a small dungeon, approaching the entrance of a dark cell, blocked my metal bars.

“Take a look at this please, Sasha.” Grime whispered as he showed the item he held in his hands, moving it close to the light of one of the nearby torches to reveal the form of a single black boot, tainted with dirt and slime, as if it had been abandoned for days. “It was found far from here in the South Forest. Now we know that you’ve been lying to us.”

Grime used his other hand to take the torch from the wall, taking a few more steps towards the bars, as the light illuminated the room to reveal the form of a blonde adult woman, appearing to be in her early 30s, wearing an expensive pink dress with a corset and a hoop skirt, pink opera gloves covering her hands and forearms, and a serious expression on her face as she sat with her back against the wall of her cell.

“Now we know that there are more of you.”

Chapter Text

United States, Virginia, 1861

Anne sat on a rock in front of the small lake, her legs crossed with a calm expression on her face and a small fishing rod in her hands, a rod that she had made herself. Anne didn’t know how to read or write, but some things she did know were how to build and how to fish. She felt a pull on the line, and a smirk formed on her face as she pulled the rod back, staring at the large fish she had caught with a prideful expression.

Anne’s smile dropped into slight surprise as she heard the sound of the leaves and bushes shaking behind her, followed by quiet growls and a large shadow blocking the light from the sun behind her. The massive bear yelled in anger, towering over the girl as it raised its paw and brought it down upon her in a rage. The birds from the trees flew away at the sound of the gunshot, and the bear fell to the ground, to reveal the image of Anne pointing a smoking revolver behind her, not having turned her head to look as she continued to glance at the fish.

“I dunno how to read or write, but I know one thing…” Anne whispered as she glanced back at the dead bear and smiled. “I know how to shoot!”

Later

The way back was the hardest part, not because she had to walk half a mile while carrying a bag full of fish and bear fur on her back, she was quite used to that. The difficult part was the background scenery. Anne glanced at the large cotton plantation in the distance, her expression showing clear melancholy as she saw the many slaves around the area. There appeared to be some kind of turmoil, as she heard some distant scream and noticed several figures dragging a woman across the ground by force.

Anne only held her eyes at the terrifying scene for about a moment, and looked away just as she heard distant whip cracks, focusing on the dirty path ahead of her. Don’t look at it… that was what her parents taught her to do… just don’t look… She closed her eyes for a few moments and shook her head, letting out a heavy sigh as she tried to gather her thoughts.

Anne had never been a slave, for which she was quite thankful, although her parents and grandparents before her had all been property at some point. She feared the same would have applied to her, had it not been for…

“Hey, girlfriend!” Anne heard and turned her head, a smile forming on her lips as she noticed a small carriage approaching and stopping near her, the horses letting out quiet neighs as the door opened to reveal a familiar Southern belle in a fancy pink dress.

“Lady Waybright! You’re back already?” Anne commented, to which Sasha gave a calm nod. “How was the trip to Washington?”

“Oh, it was lovely.” Sasha commented. “Want a lift back home?”

“Sure. Thanks.” Anne smirked and got into the carriage, placing her bag down as she closed the door and the coachmen ordered the horses to continue.

Anne always felt she owed a lot to the Waybright family. Sasha’s father had been given her family, alongside about a dozen others, as part of a land transaction deal, and the first thing he did upon arrival was to give them all freedom papers. Anne had only been a baby at the time, so she could only imagine how happy her parents had been. At least happy enough for them to take Mr. Waybright’s offer to keep working at his plantation as paid employees. Anne was quite grateful that they took the deal, or else she might have never become friends with Sasha Waybright.

“Hey, Anne, what do you say we go pick up Marcy and spend some time together?” Sasha asked with a smile, to which Anne turned to her with a neutral expression. “It’s been a long trip, and I totally need some time to sit down and drink some lemonade.”

“Oh… Sorry, Lady Waybright, but I promised to my parents that I’d go have dinner in their house tonight.” Anne answered in an awkward tone of voice with a shy expression on her face, to which Sasha glanced at her in almost boredom. “It’s just that my grandma is coming to visit, and we haven’t seen her in so long–”

“Oh, I understand Anne.” Sasha commented in a calm tone of voice as she once again put up a smile, to which Anne glanced at her in slight surprise. “You’re a good little girl who has to go home to her mama and papa, instead of your friends that love you…”

“I… No, no, it’s not like that.” Anne answered in an awkward manner. “It’s just–”

“Well, then I see no issue here! We are meeting up with Marcy right now!” Sasha declared in a lovely voice as she cut Anne off. “End of discussion!”

Anne glanced at Sasha in awkward silence for a few moments as she thought over the situation.

“Um… Alright! Sure!” Anne nodded in a reluctant manner, to which Sasha smiled.

Amphibia, Wartwood, 1863

It was quite a peaceful day in Wartwood, which Anne had to admit was something she had learned to value in the past two years. It was much easier for her to walk around without the extra weight of her weapons, so part of her was actually glad that they would not let her keep them while inside the small grocery store, although she still worn her Confederate uniform at all times, as she had become quite used to the feel of it around her body.

“Pill bugs are on sale.” Hop Pop added, which drew Anne out of her thoughts.

“Oh! Imma go grab some of that beetle jerky I like!” Anne commented with a smile, which dropped in realization of what she had just said. “I’ve been here for too long…”

“Okay, kiddo. See ya’ outside.” Hop Pop added as he threw all of the pill bugs right into the cart, Anne not really paying attention as she walked to the other side of the store.

Anne looked around for a few moments, until noticing a small bag of beetle jerky on the shelf a few meters away. It was the only one, so it appeared she had arrived right on time. Anne took a few steps towards the shelf and reached for it, only for a swift tongue to grab it right before she could.

“Hey!” Anne declared in annoyance as she turned to see a blue frog holding the bag in his hands. “That was mine, Wally.”

“Ya’ snooze, ya’ lose, scarecrow!” Wally declared as he began hopping away while laughing.

“Scarecrow?” Anne asked in a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

“Hey! Move your big behind, scarecrow!” Mrs. Croaker, an old cranky frog with a large pet spider in her cart, complained as she pocked Anne’s leg. “Croaker needs her cookies!”

Anne rolled her eyes and began walking away, grumbling under her breath as she crossed her arms.

“That nickname doesn’t even make any sense. What would a Confederate soldier ever be doing in a cornfield?” Anne whispered to herself, when she felt her feet stepping on a wet puddle and slid to the ground in surprise.

“Hey! Didn't you see the sign, scarecrow?” One of the frogs commented as Anne glanced at a sign to the side, some illegible text spelled on it, to which many of the surrounding frogs began letting out loud laughs, to which Anne’s expression showed a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment.

Outside

Anne stepped out of the store with an upset expression as she approached the massive snail parked near the building. She had come to learn that this land of amphibians was not home to any horses, and in their place the frogs used massive versions of normally small animals, in this case a gastropod named ‘Bessie’ was the Plantar family’s loyal steed.

“So did you get the beetle jerky you…” Sprig commented with a smile, which dropped into worry as he noticed Anne’s expression of slight anger. “Hey, what's wrong?”

“I’ve been here for over a month and the townspeople still treat me crummy.” Anne complained.

“Oh, that's just the way these frogs are. Slow to accept, and even slower to respect. It's actually our town motto.” Hop Pop commented as he pointed to a small sign on the town’s entrance, which indeed had those exact words spelled out. “You'll find a way to get their respect, in your own weird Anne way. Now, who wants pill bug pancakes?”

“Oh, those are my favorite!” Anne declared with a smile, which then dropped as she realized her own words. “I really need to get back home.”

Anne got on top of Bessie, which began moving forward at a slow pace, the soldier glancing down at it in hesitation. She had tried to ride the steed herself before, although she could never quite find a comfortable position to sit on it or any practical way to make it follow her orders. Hop Pop had added that Anne might have had better luck riding some other animal as her steed.

“Well, that statue's new.” Hop Pop commented, to which they glanced to the side to see a small statue of Mayor Toadstool being built right in the middle of the town hall.

“And tasteless.” Sprig commented with almost disgust, before their attention was caught by Bessie suddenly stopping her movement and beginning to chirp as if in a panic.

“There, there, girl!” Hop Pop commented as he petted the large snail in a gentle manner, before they all turned to see what appeared to be the source of the steed’s panic.

A large spider crawled its way through the city hall, pulling a wooden carriage with spiked wheels. Many of the frogs jumped away in slight terror as the carriage stopped right in front of the mayor’s building, and three short muscular figures in grey-colored armors stepped out from the vehicles. One of the three strangers reached for his head and moved it to the side, a loud snapping sound noticeable.

“Ah! Nothing like cracking ya’ neck after a long drive. Ain't that right?” Declared one of the figures, his rough voice showing clear traces of overconfidence, before his attention was taken by the sound of a door swinging open.

“Oh, good. You're here.” Mayor Toadstool commented as he stepped out of his office alongside his assistance. “Toadie, give 'em the list.”

“Those are some strange frogs.” Anne commented as she stepped out of Bessie, before reaching for her weapons that had been strapped on the side of the steed.

“They’re not frogs. Those are toads, from Toad Tower.” Sprig explained, his voice showing traces of excitement as he pulled out a small map and showed it to Anne, pointing at the drawing of a large tower. “It is located deep in the swamp, to the south of Wartwood. The toads that live there are the valley’s fiercest warriors!”

“Soldiers?” Anne asked as she strapped her sword and revolver to the sides of her belt and glanced at the toads. Anne had great respect for soldiers, may they be ally or enemy, as she believed anyone brave enough to step into those battlefields was worthy of the highest respect.

“They can be a rough sort.” Hop Pop added, traces of worry showing in his voice as he glanced at the two. “It's probably for the best that we all stay clear of– Oh, dang it! There they go!”

Anne and Sprig approached the large carriage, just as the toads began pulling out their weaponry. Anne stared at the scene with curiosity, as they unloaded small swords and maces. The weaponry of Amphibia appeared to be quite archaic, although the weapons were surprisingly well kept in comparison to those from Earth. The truth is, Anne had no idea if she would be able to defeat an Amphibian soldier, although she hoped to never have to find out.

“Hey, guys!” Sprig called in an excited manner, catching the attention of one of the soldiers. “So, you're from Toad Tower?”

“Sure are, runt.” The red toad declared in a disinterested tone, not even bothering to turn around as he pulled out a large metal hammer from the carriage.

“My name's Sprig, actually.” The boy commented with an innocent smile.

“Uh-huh. Yeah, sure.” The toad answered as he glanced back, his bored expression morphing into surprise as he laid eyes on Anne, his voice changing into a tone of clear interest. “Whoa! What is that? It's some kind of gangly new critter I've never seen before.”

“I wonder what it tastes like.” Declared another one of the toads as the three soldiers approached the two. Sprig’s expression morphed into surprise as he pulled out his slingshot and was about to speak, only for Anne to cut him off.

“You can try to find out, but I can’t guarantee you’ll still be breathing by the end of the day.” Anne commented in a calm tone of voice as she reached for the handle of her saber. She glanced at the toads with a serious expression on her eyes, measuring their bodies, weight, weaponry, and the distance between them. She knew the town hall was about to become a battlefield, although the extent of the battle was up for them to decide.

“Is that a challenge?” The toad asked with an almost deranged smile as she pulled out a small mace and dashed towards Anne, the Confederate’s instincts kicking in as she sidestepped the toad, avoiding a swing from the mace at the last moment as it struck the ground with a loud slamming sound, the toad turning to Anne just in time for her to draw her blade, smacking the toad on the eyes with the handle in the process, forcing the Amphibian soldier to take a few steps back while holding her face in pain. “Hey, that hurt for real… It was awesome!”

Anne glanced at the three toads as they began to laugh in a joyful manner, the toad she had struck letting go of the eye to reveal it had become black from the strike. Anne kept her guard up for a few more moments, before the toads put away their weapons, and she followed suit with a nod.

“Well met, creature!” The toad declared. “I don't know what you are, but you've got fire!”

“I’m a southern!” Anne declared in a prideful manner, while Sprig stared at the toads in clear suspicion. “Name’s Anne Booth!”

“Bog!” The red toad declared and then pointed at the other two. “The silent one there is Mire, and Fens here you already met.”

“What brings ya’ll to Wartwood?” Anne asked with a calm smile.

“We’re tax collectors.” Bog answered, to which Anne’s smile dropped. “Say, we could use someone like yo–”

“Pass.” Anne declared as she turned to Sprig and signed for them to leave. Sprig nodded as they began walking away.

“C’mon!” Bog insisted. “You've got inside knowledge of this town! It'll make the whole job go a lot smoother!”

“Have a good day, soldiers.” Anne answered as the two walked back to the rest of the Plantar family. The toads glanced at them with serious expressions as they got back on Bessie and left the area.

“Are we gonna tell the captain about that creature we found?” Fens whispered. “She appears to be the same species as the prisoner.”

“Oh, we're gonna tell the captain everything.” Bog answered in a serious tone.

Wartwood, Outside

“Are ya’ sure there’s no better way to open a watermelon?” Anne asked as she held the small scythe, which appeared to have been made out of a large mantis claw. She looked at Sprig, who was rolling a watermelon through the field.

“Better way? Maybe.” Sprig answered in a calm voice. “More fun way? Nope!”

“Alright then, ya’ menace.” Anne declared with a smile as she held the scythe in position, gripping it with both hands. Her grip on the handle was quite firm, no different from how she would grip her sword, although this was no thing she did in a conscious manner, instead her muscles were just trained to grip weapons in such way.

Sprig lifted the watermelon with some difficulty and threw it, Anne slicing it in the air with a precise swing. The boy cheered, to which the soldier posed with the scythe on her shoulder, letting her ego take over for a moment and showing off as the frog ran to her.

“That was so cool! You got my hairs standing up!” Sprig declared to which Anne smiled.

“It’s no big dea– Wait, you have hair?” Anne asked in slight surprise, before her expression changed into confusion as she heard the sound of what appeared to be a cat meowing. “Did you hear that?”

The two were silent for a moment, until they heard another meow, Anne’s expression changing into seriousness.

“Something's in trouble!” Anne declared, to which Sprig nodded and she dropped the scythe to the ground, the two running to the tall grass and towards the source of the sound. The two ran for a few moments, until coming out on an open area to see three giant wasps trying to sting something that was stuck inside a puddle. Anne drew her sword almost on instinct as the two ran into the scene. “Yee-aay-eee!”

Sprig hopped and reached for the small creature to pull it out of the mud, the wasps dashing down towards the frog with their sharp stings, only for Anne to jump in front and block their thrusts with her sword. The wasps flew back, to which Sprig placed the animal under his arm and fired several pebbles with his slingshot, disorienting the wasps for a few moments, which Anne used to grab the frog and run off the area at high speeds.

“Thanks, Sprig! I couldn’t have done it without you!” Anne added, Sprig smiling as the two continued running for a few moments, until they were sure the wasps would not be able to follow. Anne smiled and looked down at the small creature, gasping in surprise.

“What's wrong? Are you stung? We'll have to amputate!” Sprig declared as he tried to reach for Anne’s sword, only for Anne to roll her eyes and give him a gentle push away.

“This little fella’ looks a good deal like my cat Domino from back home.” Anne explained with a smile as she looked down at the small caterpillar-like creature, who gave her a quiet meow. “She was irreplaceable… but now I found a replacement! Let's take her home with us!”

“Eh, I don't know, Anne.” Sprig explained in a reluctant tone of voice. “That's a wild animal. I'm not sure bringing it home is a good idea.”

“Oh, shuddap! My cat back home was a stray before I adopted her!” Anne explained as she held the small animal, who let out a cute purr in her hands. “All it takes is love and patience and... love?”

“You said ‘love’ twice.” Sprig declared as he crossed his arms. Anne smirked and placed the small caterpillar near the frog’s face, to which the little bug gave Sprig’s face a gentle lick, the frog smiling in response. “Sold!”

“It's settled!” Anne declared with a smile as she held the small bug in her hands. “I hereby dub thee Domino II!”

United States, Virginia, 1861

“Domino!” Anne commented with a smile as she sat with her legs crossed on the ground and held a small cat toy over her pet, Domino trying to jump in order to catch it, with Anne holding it just out of reach, before giggling and throwing down the toy for Domino to play.

“Seeing you play with that cat is so cute.” Sasha commented, glancing up from the small book in her hands as she sat on a small chair near the wall. “You just got her off the street?”

“Yep. Mom at first yelled at me, because Domino could have scratched me and given me some disease, but she warmed up eventually.” Anne commented with a shrug as she gave her cat some gentle pets, the animal still playing with the toy. “Ya’ could try getting one, Lady Waybright. I bet ya’ family is in better condition than mine to raise a pet.”

“Oh, goodness no! My father would never allow me to just pick up a stray animal off the street. Our family has very high standards to meet.” Sasha explained in a calm voice as Anne glanced at her for a second, which was the very second Domino took to throw the cat toy all the way across the corridor.

“Domino! The Waybright family is kind enough to let us stay in their home! Don’t just throw things around!” Anne complained to Domino, the animal not even reacting as it just stepped out of her leg and laid on the ground to rest. Sasha let out an amused giggle, while Anne groaned and got up, walking to the other side of the corridor to pick up the toy.

“We can’t deny this any longer.” Anne heard, her expression changing into a mixture of surprise and interest as she recognized the voice. She glanced to the source, seeing a half-open door, and peeked inside, confirming her suspicions that this had been the voice of Mr. Waybright. Anne could tell the tone in the room was very serious, the plantation owner having an almost stressed expression on his face as he glanced around the select few of his employees standing around the room, Anne raising her eyebrows as she noticed her father was included in the small group. “We are in a war.”

“I can’t believe they voted to secede after what happened in Fort Sumter!” One of the workers declared in a worried tone as he crossed his arms. “This is South Carolina’s problem! We don’t belong in this fight!”

“Lincoln put us in the fight when he told us to send three regiments to invade the Deep South. I do understand these are desperate times for the president, which explains his desperate measures, although an explanation does not equal an excuse for such escalation.” Anne’s father commented with a calm voice. Anne was familiar enough with her father’s voice to recognize the clear traces of worry that he hid behind his professional tone, although nobody else in the room came to such notice. “I know for a fact everybody in this room would avoid this war if it was possible, but–”

“Lincoln wanted this war! For three weeks the administration newspapers have been assuring us that Fort Sumter could not be provisioned or reinforced without a great sacrifice of life and that it would be abandoned! Mr. Lincoln saw an opportunity to inaugurate civil war without appearing in the character of an aggressor!” Another worker declared, his tone showing a mixture of anger and impatience. “His anticipations are justified by the results! If this is the war Lincoln wanted, then I say we give it to him!”

“You’re going to blame Lincoln for Sumter? The Confederacy chose to open fire instead of seeking a peaceful solution!” Another impatient worker argued in anger from the other side of the room, his voice showing just as much aggression. “That was a federal fort! It was United States property! Who cares if the area around it seceded? The president had the right to send troops there! You want us to fight for the side that fired upon bread?”

“We’ll be the ones not getting any bread if Lincoln doesn’t tear down that sea blockade of his.” Another worker commented in a tone of clear worry, appearing more fearful than anything. “Trade is the means of livelihood for many of us here in the South. The president is blocking us from doing our jobs, and doing so while also imposing import tariffs, property tax, and income tax to fund his war. This is something that effects all of us.”

“Maybe that would not have been a problem if Davis hadn’t shot first!”

“Maybe Davis wouldn’t have to shoot first if Lincoln had abandoned the fort like the administration promised!”

“You’re losing focus.” Mr. Waybright declared, to which they all turned to him.

Anne’s father glanced around for a few moments. The first thing he noticed is that there were no women in the room, as only men were allowed to serve. The second thing he noticed is that he was the only person of color in the room, although he was mixed from his white father’s side, which might be argued to circumvent the rule that people of color were not allowed to enlist. Waybright had made sure to call only all of his employees who had even the slightest possibility of ending up in a battlefield.

“I did not call you here to discuss what led to this, I called you all here because of one single fact: The United States of America are no longer our country. We are now all Confederate States citizens, and our country is at war.” Mr. Waybright declared. His tone of voice was firm, although not forceful. He sounded very professional, trying to make each word as clear as he could. “I shall not, must not, and cannot force any of you to take arms and defend our country. The governors might do so if it ever comes to that, but I will not. I respect every single individual in this room, no matter what path you choose to take, from those who shall take up arms, to those who shall stand back, to even those who might put on blue coats in the future… for there is one thing that unites us: We are all citizens of Virginia, one of the Confederate States of America, and that is why I now announce that I shall be leaving this plantation to join the battle. Those who choose to fight for our country may stand by my side.”

Anne listened for a few more moments, before she sighed and sat down on the ground with her back against the wall. She was quite aware of the war that had begun as of recent, Anne was not a child, although the thought of her father and friends charging into those battlefields send a shiver down her spine. If there was one thing Anne wished was to stop the war from happening. If there was a second thing Anne wished, it was that she could do something to help, although women were not allowed to enlist, meaning her hands had been tied.

“Anne?” She heard, and glanced to the side to see Sasha had sat down on the ground also, right next to her. Sasha’s expression appeared more puzzle and curious than worried. “Is there something wrong?”

Anne glanced at Sasha in silence for a few moments as thoughts began flying through her mind, before she once again peeked inside the room.

“Lady Waybright…” Anne whispered, her voice showing a strange mixture of conviction and hesitancy. “Do ya’ think a uniform would make me look manlier?”

Amphibia, Wartwood, 1863

“Uh, hey, Hop Pop, what's the worst thing Charlie Bigbottom ever did, since we're talking about Charlie Bigbottom?” Sprig asked as he tried to draw as much of Hop Pop’s attention as he could, while Anne sneaked into the house behind him with Domino II in her hands.

“Heh! How can I even choose? Jumpin' out in front of Bessie and overturnin' the wagon. Gettin' tarantula hair everywhere.” Hop Pop listed as he thought over the family’s former pet. “Then there was the time he put a hole in the roof.”

“Where'd that happen again?”

“You blind? The big hole right there.”

“I don't see it.”

“It's right there!”

Anne had to hold back a quiet chuckle as she climbed down to the basement. She sat on her small cushion and looked at the cute animal, placing it on her lap as it laid down and rested just like a cat. Anne gave a gentle smile and a few gentle pets to the animal’s head. She was happy to have something that at least reminded her of her home, before everything had started.

Wartwood, Wally’s Home

“All right. First name on the list.” Bog commented as they stopped their carriage right in front of the small house. The toad grunted a bit with a smile on his face as they approached the entrance, before sending the door flying out of its hinges with a casual kick, followed by a sudden yell by a blue frog on a bathtub.

“Jumping June bugs!” Wally screamed in shock and surprise. “What's all this about?”

“You frog boys must understand that you must mind your Aunt Mary Pond!” Bog declared in a menacing tone, his smile showing some deranged pleasure.

“Rubbish!” Wally declared in an almost offended tone of voice. “I may live in squalor, but I always pay my taxes!”

“The mayor's list says otherwise, and since you haven't paid…” Bog declared in a menacing voice. “We’ll be taking your stuff!”

Wally whimpered and tried to hide inside his bathtub as the toads smiled and began looting the place, breaking over the frog’s furniture as they seemed to take everything that wasn’t nailed down.

“Now who wants to race to the next house?” Bog asked with a smile as he playfully slammed his hammer on the ground, the entire house shaking for a moment, to which the toads laughed and made their way out of the building, Wally peeking up in terror at the scene.

“God help us all…” Wally whispered with a slight tremble.

The toads jumped back into their carriage, as the spider charged away at full speed. The soldiers had just left, when the nearby bushes rumbled, and a pair of toads made their way through the nearby tall grass.

“Come on, Toadie. While the townsfolk are preoccupied.” Mayor Toadstool declared with a smile, as his tiny assistant followed close behind, carrying a large bag over his head with much struggle.

“Coming… sir…” Toadie whispered in between pants as he struggled to even move with the large bag over his head. The small toad took another step, as a small object fell out of the bag and became lost in the grass, the two waling away without noticing it. There was a small glow through the glass as the light from the sun above reflected on the metal trinket, revealing it to be a copper coin.

Plantar Farm

“Anne, you awake? Anne?” Sprig asked as he climbed down to the dark basement and touched the large mushroom of the wall, lighting up the room and gasping as he saw the entire place was filled with large silk webs and scratch marks, Anne sitting on her cushion with a tired expression as she held Domino II in her hands like a baby. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“What– Oh, yeah. Domino II is just having a rough first night.” Anne commented with a yawn as she turned to Sprig, revealing half of her face was filled with small red scratch marks.

“Eesh!” Sprig groaned in clear surprise, and then turned around to the borderline destroyed basement. “Hop Pop is definitely gonna notice something.”

“Oh, don’t worry ya’ pants, boy! She’s still getting used to the new environment. Isn’t that right, Domino II?” Anne asked as she held a small cat toy over the little pet, whose pupils strangely grew to cover her eyeballs as a whole, making her eyes appear pitch-black, to which Sprig let out a nervous laugh, and Domino II spat a large web onto his face, Sprig groaning in slight panic, to which Anne put the pet down and went to help the little frog. “She’ll stop doing that eventually, I bet.”

“I hope there isn’t a Domino III!” Sprig declared in clear annoyance as Anne pulled the webs out and helped him up. The two glanced at their little pet, to see Domino II rolling around for a few moments, before laying down and shooting a blast of silk to make what appeared to be a cocoon around itself. “Okay, I gotta admit, she is pretty darn cute.”

“Oh! She even sleeps like Domino!” Anne breathed with a quiet smile as she thought over her cat back home. Anne couldn’t help but worry if Domino was being taken care of in her absence.

Anne’s thoughts were cut off as the two heard a loud slam, their expression changing into surprised worry as they felt the entire building appearing to shake, small pebbles of the ceiling falling down and hitting the ground just as the two looked up at the ladder.

“What the heck?” Sprig asked as Anne rushed up the ladder in worry, the small frog jumping after her without looking back, neither of them realizing the cocoon beginning to expand to cover Domino II’s head.

Plantar Farm, Outside

“I already paid my dang taxes!” Hop Pop insisted, trying to put an aggressive tone in his voice as he stared at the three toads before him, all of which stared back at him like predators scanning their prey, while Polly sat on the old man’s head and tried to put on a menacing face in response. The wind was blowing strong and the skies were beginning to darken, signaling an approaching storm. “You can't come in here, and that's final!”

“I don't like your tone, frog.” Bog declared in a menacing tone as he took a single step forward, Hop Pop having to hold himself from taking a step back. “Did you forget who you're talking to?”

“What’s going on here?” Hop Pop heard as the door behind him swung open, Sprig and Anne running out, to which the soldiers immediately ran ahead and placed himself between the frogs and the toads. “You three again?”

“Step aside, you freak!” Bog ordered, his tone sounding a mix of dismissal and aggressiveness. “That old man has not paid.”

“What? Hop Pop always pays his taxes!” Sprig insisted as he held his grandfather’s arm in a protective manner.

“Yeah… he even made me watch.” Anne whispered in a weirdly uncomfortable tone, before shaking her head and focusing on the toads once more. “

“I don't care what you think you saw. The list don't lie.” Bog declared.

“This means buzz off, scarecrow!” Fens declared in an aggressive manner and a meaning smile, before looking around and pointing at Bessie, who had been parked near the house. “That thing should cover it!”

“You stay away from her!” Hop Pop ordered in a defensive manner.

“I’ll bite your face off!” Polly threatened.

Bog let out a wicked smirk as the two frogs made their way to the snail, Bessie chirping in terror as the frogs continued to almost beg. Fens smirked as she reached for the snail, only for the metal handle of a blade to striker her wrist, Anne having dashed like a blur and drawn her saber. The frogs gasped in surprise as Anne held her blade in a combat position, taking a few steps forwards, forcing the toads to step back in response.

“Get the hell off our property!” Anne ordered in a menacing manner. The sound of the first light raindrops hitting the mud could be heard over the battlefield, followed by the rain swiftly worsening into a tempest. Anne heard gasps and whispers, seeing a small crowd of frogs had formed around the farm upon hearing their argument, but the soldier did not dare to take her eyes away from the frogs for even a moment.

“We have an aggressor over here…” Bog commented with a menacing chuckle, before he snapped his fingers, Anne gasping in surprise as Fens pushed her from behind and tripped her to the ground, the saber falling out of her hands. Anne reached for it on instinct, only to be forced back down by the green toad’s foot.

“Anne!” The Plantars gasped as they prepared to run in, only for Mire to jump in the way and block their path.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. How disappointing.” Bog declared in a menacing manner as he towered over the soldier, his heavy metal hammer in hand. “Do you know what we do to traitors in the tower, Anne?”

“You're about to be a pill bug pancake, you little brat.” Fens declared in between chuckles as Bog held up his war hammer and swung it down, Anne looking up at him with a defiant expression.

“Anne!” Sprig yelled in a shock as a lightning lit up the skies, the roar of raging thunder cracking across the area as a loud sound echoed across the battlefield. The surrounding crowd gasped in shock as blood gushed onto the mud. Bog took a few steps back as he held his shoulder in pain and anger, while Anne pointed her smoking revolver up at him. Before the surprised Fens could react, Anne grabbed her sword from the mud and stabbed the toad’s ankle joint through the gap in the armor, making her scream in a mixture of shock and pain as she pulled her foot back, Anne rolling away and jumping back to her feet.

“You little bitch…” Bog whispered in clear anger as he let go of his shoulder and held the hammer with his wounded arm. The toad flexed his muscles, the hammer handle almost bending in his grip, which made the bullet fly out of the wound and hit the mud below as blood began dripping out. Anne looked at the toads for a few more moments, noticing by their positions that she was surrounded. The Confederate put her revolver back into her holster, as it would give her no advantage from such close distance, and held onto her blade with both hands.

Anne thought of a few moments as she planned her next move, before her expression changed into an aggressive one and she dashed towards Bog, swinging her blade at him, only for it to be parried by another blade, the soldier looking to the side to see Fens had jumped in to defend the red toad. Anne only had a split second to react as Bog raised his hammer and swung it down, the Confederate jumping back almost on instinct as the impact made the ground shake and the crowd gasp in shock, her eyes widened as she heard footsteps from behind and jumped to the side, just in time to avoid a spear thrust from Mire.

“Shit!” Anne whispered under her breath as all three toads dashed to her at once, Anne raising her sword in desperation while stepping back with each hit, deflecting the sword and the spear while jumping back to avoid the hammer as the toads advanced after her, forcing Anne into a full defensive retreat.

“Got you running, don’t I, scarecrow?” Fens asked in a mocking tone with a deranged smile.

The Plantars stood in front of Bessie, the snails still letting out some scared chirps as they watched over the battle with worried expressions. Sprig let out some anxious breaths as he watched, Anne not even trying any offensive moves, as she could not afford to let her defense slip up for even a moment. The small frog glanced down, picking up a tiny rock from the mud and aiming his slingshot. Sprig fired, the rock aiming to hit one of the toads right on the face, only for Anne to suddenly move her head to the side, the rock striking the side of her face instead.

“Anne!” The Planters all yelled in shock as Sprig felt his body shake in surprise. Anne glanced back at Sprig for just a fraction of a second, although for the small frog it seemed as if time was slowing down. There was no trace of anger in her eyes as a small trail of blood flowed out of the wound from Sprig’s projectile. The Confederate’s eyes showed nothing but purpose. It had not been an accident or coincidence. Anne had blocked the stone with her head.

Anne stepped back to avoid a blade and a spear head, and looked up at a hammer swinging down, her ears still ringing from the stone, to which she made a split second decision and swung her blade to block, lightning lighting up the skies once again and shining right into Anne’s eyes as she missed the swing completely, thunder booming just as the hammer struck her right on the shoulder, the frogs gasping in shock as they heard the sound of cracking, the Confederate falling with her face in the mud, as Bog let out loud wicked chuckles.

“Anne!” The Plantars all yelled in desperation, having to hold themselves from running in as Anne laid on the ground, appearing to not move at all as the toads laughed in a mocking manner, and Bog once again raised his hammer and prepared to swing it down.

Bog’s smiled suddenly dropped as he let out a gasp and let go of the hammer, the hammerhead digging into the mud as it struck the ground, the other toads looking at their leader in surprise as he took a few steps back in clear pain, holding the side of his face. He let go and looked at Anne in hateful anger, the other toads gasping as they noticed his hand was dripping with his own blood, half of his face having been sliced open with a large cut that went through his left eye.

“I thought that last swing was a block that you had missed…” Bog whispered, his hands trembling in clear pain. “It wasn’t a block at all!”

“I’m not all that happy with how this turned out either…” Anne whispered in a tired voice as she forced herself to stand back up. Her hand was still holding the sword on instinct, but her arm was just dangling, her shoulder visibly dislocated. Anne reached with her other hand and grabbed her shoulder with a mighty grip, grinding her teeth in pain and then screaming as she forced her shoulder back to its place with a loud crack, the crowd gasping in shock. Anne moved her arm up and down, making sure she had regained mobility of it, and then pointed her sword at the toads, her expression showing clear exhaustion as she let out a tired smirk. The other two toads pointed their weapons back, serious expressions on their faces as the Confederate noticed they were beginning to sweat. “I was trying to cut ya’ head off!”

“You little worm…” Fens whispered in hesitant anger. Anne glanced back at her with a confident exterior, although her mind was hard at work trying to strategize. That last trick had taken a lot from her, and while it did take Bog out of the fight, they still outnumbered her two to one. The Confederate let out a nervous chuckle, as she was quite used to those odds.

Anne’s eyes widened as a loud banging sound broke her concentration. The toads, appearing just as clueless as the soldier herself, glanced at the home, the Plantars stepped away from the door as they heard the sound of violent banging, before the door suddenly burst open from the inside, a loud roar echoing at the revel of what appeared to be a gigantic moth creature who was holding Anne’s rifle in its mouth, the surrounding crowd screaming in surprise as they began running away in terror. Hop Pop immediate reaction was to take Sprig and Polly in his arms and ran away from the general area, hiding behind one of the fences as they watched the scene from afar.

“It’s a Coastal Kill-A-Pillar!” One of the frogs yelled, to which the large moth roared and flew towards the center of the battlefield, both Anne and the toads jumping away at the last moment, the moth landing right where they once stood and letting out a loud roar, making all of them cover their ears in shock.

“Domino II?” Anne asked in a mixture of surprise and confusion. Domino II slammed the ground with her paws as she held the rifle in between her teeth, shaking it around and giving gentle bites, as if it was a toy. Anne’s expression lit up for a moment in realization, before reverting back to seriousness as she stood up and pulled out a small cat toy, holding it up. “Hey, Domino II!”

Domino II turned to Anne; the creature’s red eyes lightning up at the sight of the toy. The toads stared at the scene in disbelief, taking a few steps back as the creature was distracted by the human. Anne put her sword back into her scabbard and held the toy in her clenched fist.

“What is she doing?” Polly asked in a whisper.

“I don’t know…” Sprig answered, not daring to take his eyes away from the scene. “But I trust her with my life!”

Domino II roared and dashed forwards with her wings, flying at high speeds towards Anne, who was quick to throw a direct punch right at the moth’s face, Domino II flying back in surprise. The creature hovered over Anne, a small trail of blood coming out from the cat’s mouth, to which it roared and once again dashed towards Anne at high speed.

The Confederate leaped and landed right on Domino II’s back, holding on as if for dear life as the moth began trying to shake her off. Domino II’s attempts were quite violent, knocking Anne to the side at first, the feline moth screaming as Anne held onto its hair, before it struck Anne with its paws, sending her flying down at high speeds and crashing right onto another metal fence, Sprig grinding his teeth in worry as he watched the scene with wide eyes.

Anne sat back up as the dust settled, using her hand to clean a small trail of blood coming out of her nose. She glanced to the side to see a small sharp piece of the broken wooden fence sticking out of her shoulder, blood also coming out from the wound. Anne’s face twisted into a deranged smile of almost pleasure as she stood back up. She reached for the piece of wood and pulled it out, clenching her teeth in pain before throwing it over her shoulder and once again putting her fists up in a boxing position, Domino II’s mouth forming into a smile as she roared at the soldier.

Domino II dashed towards Anne at high speeds, the Confederate soldier leaping and grabbing onto the creature’s face, Domino II hissing as the human pulled its white hairs. The moth tried to swat Anne away with its paws, but it was too late, as the human had already climbed and sat on the creature’s back.

Domino II began trashing to try to throw Anne off in midair, only for the soldier to press her feet onto the monster’s sides, making Domino II scream and spit out blood. Anne put her hands up together and struck Domino II right on the back of the skull, forcing the moth to lower its head. Anne then reached and grabbed the sides of her rifle, still on the creature’s mouth, pulling it to make Domino II look ahead upon the rider’s command, as if it was a makeshift horse bit.

Domino II began to slow down her flight, circling the area as she began going slower and slower, until she was simply flapping her wings to hover above the battlefield. Domino II growled for a few more moments, before opening her mouth, allowing Anne to pull out the rifle. The toads looked up at Anne in a mixture of surprise and amazement, as she sat on her steed with the rifle over her shoulder, looking down at them with a serious expression.

“That girl is crazy…” Hop Pop whispered as the frogs all looked up at the scene with wide eyes.

Anne pointed down towards them with the rifle and whistled, the toads gasping and beginning to run in different directions, as Domino II dashed towards them while roaring with Anne on her back. Domino II flew in close pursuit of Fens as she ran into the town hall, the surrounding frogs staring at the scene in shock as Anne held onto the rifle with both hands, aiming to stab the toad with the bayonet.

Fens groaned as she felt a sharp pain on her foot, the stab wound on her foot flaring up as she tripped and leaned on a statue of Mayor Toadstool, glancing back and gasping in shock as she saw a blue glow from the soldier’s eyes, the toad ducking in terror as Anne’s bayonet struck the statue, the impact making a large booming sound in the middle of the town hall as the entire statue blew open, countless copper coins flying out and falling to the ground. The entire crowd seemed to stop screaming and running at that moment, looking down at the money in surprise, which then melted into clear anger as they turned, seeing Mayor Toadstool standing just behind the crowd.

Fens almost growled in anger as she shifted her attention to the mayor, Anne staring at him with serious eyes as she held her rifle over her shoulder, and the small crowd of frogs began to surround him with impatient expressions.

“People, I needed the extra money for my campaign! Do you have any idea how much it costs to buy your love?” Toadstool insisted, to which the frogs all pulled out large pitchforks and other farming tools, Toadstool gulping in a nervous manner. “Uh... And as mayor, I hereby pardon myself of any wrongdoing! Thank you, good day!”

Toadstool ran away in a panic as the frogs all ran after him in clear anger. Fens took a moment to breathe, exhaustion clear as she turned to Anne, just as Domino II landed and the Confederate jumped off, still holding her rifle in a combative position. Fens groaned as she held her sword with both of her hands and prepared to dash forwards.

“That is enough!” They both heard and glanced to the side, seeing Bog approaching the scene, having to lean on Mire to continue standing as all of his wounds were soaked with blood. Bog glanced at Anne with anger as he walked past her, and then stared at Fens. “Turns out the frogs have indeed been paying their taxes. That is all we had orders to check.”

“This little brat–”

“Is not our responsibility!” Bog interrupted, staring at his fellow toad with a serious expression, making his own indignation clear. “Our mission here has been fulfilled! Let’s return to the tower and give a mission report!”

Fens glanced at Anne once again, clear anger still visible in the toad’s expression, before she glanced at Bog’s bloody wounds, at her own foot, at the shards of the statue on the ground, and at the large moth creature standing right before the Confederate soldier. Fens had an indignant expression as she put her sword back into her scabbard and nodded. Bog turned to Anne, with anger noticeable in his expression.

“We’ll be back, Anne… and we won’t be alone!” Bog threatened, and then turned around, the three toads making their way out of the scene.

Anne turned around, looking at Domino II. The large moth creature approached Anne, who gave it a few gentle pets on the head, Domino II lowering her head at the motion, before Anne showed a small cat toy in her hand.

“Thank you.” Anne whispered, to which Domino II let out a calm hiss and took the toy in her mouth, before opening her wings and flying away, becoming smaller and smaller in the distance, until disappearing from Anne’s sight.

Anne had a weak smile on her face as she watched her steed leaving. She let out a sigh of exhaustion and let her legs finally give in, falling backwards, only to feel her body being caught by two pairs of hands, Sprig and Hop Pop helping her to lay on the ground in a gentle manner. Anne looked at the two, alongside Polly who was still on Hop Pop’s head, and then heard the sound of many footsteps, the four glancing around to see the crowd of frogs had returned. There were a few moments of silence, before the frogs all began to slowly clap, which quick escalated into a full round of applause.

“Looks like you did get their respect, haven’t ya’?” Sprig asked as he sat down near Anne, the Confederate soldier letting out a wide smile.

“I think I might need medical assistance…” Anne commented while still smiling. “I mean, like… right now.”

United States, Virginia, 1862

“Yee-aay-eee!” Yelled the many Confederate cadets as they all ran towards the soldier in the center with their training swords from different directions, all attacking at once, the soldier smirking as he swung his own training blade, the cadets gasping as they all fell to the ground, their swords flying out of their hands. They all looked up in amazement at the soldier.

“Take some time to rest, soldiers.” The soldier declared in a calming manner as he made his way out of the training area, placing the training sword near the entrance as he began making his way out of the training area.

“Who is that guy?” Asked one of the cadets. “I’ve never seen someone wield a blade with such mastery.”

“Just wait until you see him shooting.” Declared another cadet as he sat up on the ground. “His name is Anthony Booth, and he is very secretive. We have no idea where he came from and who he was before the war. He can’t read or write, but he can fish, hunt, shoot, and fight like nobody else can.”

The soldier was about to leave the training area through the door, when the doorknob spun right before he touched it, another soldier walking in at that exact moment.

“Mr. Booth?” The soldier commented. “The major wants to speak with you.”

Major’s Office

“Major? Have you called?” Booth asked as he entered the office, being careful as he closed the door behind him, only for his expression to morph into shock as he saw who was the person who sat near the major.

“You look quite good in uniform… Anne.” Anne’s father declared as he stood up and approached the soldier, pulling out her hat to reveal the face of his daughter.

“Quite an incredible story.” The major declared in a calm tone, his voice showing clear interest. “For the past nine months, there has been a woman serving among my ranks, and we have all been none the wiser?”

“Major, I–”

The major put up his finger, Anne becoming silent at the order of her superior.

“I am very sorry for any inconvenience my daughter might have brought you. I shall take her back home at once.” Anne’s father declared as the major stood up from his desk and approached the young girl in the grey uniform, who looked back at him with an expression of almost despair.

“I already knew.” The major declared, to which both of their expressions morphed into surprise. “You did quite a good job fooling the others, Ms. Booth, but I am known for my attention to detail… such as the detail that Anthony Booth has, for those past nine months, been one of my best marksmen and swordsmen. He has been loyal and followed orders, and he has assisted us in any way he could.”

“You mean…” Anne whispered in a hopeful tone, to which the major smiled and signed for Anne’s father to give him back the hat. The old man let out a smirk as he nodded and obliged. He placed the hat back on the girl’s head, who smiled in a prideful manner.

“Anne Booth… welcome to the Confederate Army.”

Amphibia, Toad Tower, 1863

The three toads sat on their old carriage, their battle wounds having already received quick bandages, as they held serious expressions on their faces. The sky had become quite clearer after the storm, allowing them to see the orange hue of the sunset above them. The three glanced up upon being covered by a large shadow, seeing a pair of massive herons flying over them, unaware of the toads’ presence, as the massive creatures flew away and left the area. Bog let out a sigh of relief that he would never admit to have been holding, as he was in no state to face giant creatures with those battle wounds.

The carriage stopped and the toads glanced at the tower, gasping in shock at the sight before them, as they saw large destroyed ruins of what had once been toad tower, the many toad soldiers preparing what appeared to be a feast. Most shocking of all were the two figures standing on top of the ruins, as Captain Grime walked to their former prisoner and handed her a small pink sword with a heron-shaped quillon.

“Sasha Waybright… welcome to the Toad Army.”