Lone Warrior and the Three Calamities (AmphibiaxRC9GN)

Summary:

A meeting of a lifetime...

A Beast in the Woods

The coldness of the night air parted the clouds above Randy and Howard's heads as they reached a fork on the road. One led to Wartwood and the other led to the Southern Toad Tower. It was a point they knew was coming but still didn't like to face. And yet, it was all part of the journey. After passing the pass into the valley, they couldn't help but feel like they were being locked in for the next few months. It was all part of the journey they repeated to themselves. But now they were at the crossroads of their next steps.

"Well, looks like this is where we take different paths," Howard said. "Figuratively and literally."

"Yeah, it looks like it." Randy and Howard shook hands. "Thanks for coming all this way with me, Howard. I hope you have a good time at the Southern Toad Tower."

"If it's anything like the Eastern Tower then I'll suffer. But hey, if your girlfriend shows up, I'll send her your way." Howard playfully jabbed Randy's ribs with his elbow.

"For the last time, Yunan isn't my girlfriend." Randy blushed. "If anything she's my rival. A rival that I will defeat, I swear to juice!" Randy pointed to the sky in a declaration.

They laughed at how they were all set out to take on the world. It almost made the loss they had suffered seem like a lifetime ago. They joked and remembered the good times at times like that. They looked at each other before taking off in their respective directions. Promising to see each other again and remain in contact, they walked on as the rays of the sun began to climb up from the horizon.

Little did they know, fate had plans.

Randy walked through the swamp with the wind on his back as he started to confront the idea of what he would find. Without Howard by his side, the thoughts that he'd placed in the back of his mind started coming back out to the surface, bubbling over like a cauldron over a large flame. His grandfather's letter burnt a hole inside Randy's bag, forcing him to read it every night. The thought of losing his grandfather after so many years was more frightening than facing the Red Horns on his own once more.

The idea of losing another family terrified him. Even if he'd made a home here in Amphibia, he would still be alone. An oddity among the frogs and toads. And a failure of a mystic warrior. Even after three years of training under Sarutobi, he had not come close to anything his grandfather had taught him. Tensed fists could only point out the frustration that boiled inside of him. Even the victory against the oni felt hollow compared to what he had failed to achieve.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, he looked ahead hoping to clear his head. The last thing he needed was to greet his old and possibly dying grandfather with the spitefulness of an impetus youth. All his training hadn't been for nothing. That was a good bright side to the whole issue at the very least. He'd grown in strength and skill as a warrior, and little in wisdom too. The best way he could prove himself now was to take up his grandfather's role as protector of Wartwood. A noble profession that was not short of excitement for him to face. All he had to do was find the problems of the town and fix them, whether they be bandits, beasts or yokai causing trouble around the area. Yeah, that would be enough for him to live both with means and purpose. His serious look took on a determined flare as he reached the entrance to the town of Wartwood.

"Hello, Wartwood, miss me?" Randy asked the town motto as though it could answer back. "Still, I think you've come to accept me after all these years. Maybe the people have gotten past some of their ways." He rhetorically added.

"When I say 'Kill', you say 'it'. Kill!"

"IT!"

"Kill!"

"IT!"

"Kill!"

"IT!"

"Kill!"

"IT!"

An angry mob with torches. Yeah, there were things that Randy didn't particularly like to remember about his hometown. Between the dangers around the swamp, the paranoia and the townsfolk's tendency to break out into angry mobs to beat up anything in sight, being the protector of this community was a full time job. At least, it seemed that they were more organized than before. Still, there was a chance that they could all be heading towards their doom if Randy didn't step in. He quietly made his way behind One-Eyed Wally, the only frog with looser lips in town apart from the mayor when he got his food and money.

"Say, Wally, what's going on?" Randy asked.

"Didn't ya hear?! There's a monster in the woods that nearly nabbed me!" Wally jumped up in terror of the memory. "It were tall gangly creature with strange clothes, curvy body, long limbs, mossy hair covered in twigs and sticks, blue eyes that shined like the fires of Hell and a horrid face stump! Oh it was horrible!"

Randy's mind raced with what could be the creature that Wally was describing. Part of him wondered if it was a kind of yokai or perhaps it was a bandit using fear as a way to hide their crimes. He looked at his sword, grabbing hold of the sheath. Regardless of what they could be, they were a danger to the town and he had to stop them.

"Where did you see this creature?" Randy asked.

"I saw it in the woods that way last night." Wally pointed to the woods, not even looking at Randy.

Randy took off, leaving the mob behind with their own things. With his speed, he quickly found himself in the woods when Wally suddenly thought of something.

"Now that I say it out loud, that thing reminded me of young Randy," Wally said. "Wonder where that kid's gone off to. Oh well. IT!"

Randy jumped through the branches of the swamp trees in search of the strange creature Wally had told him about. This swamp was his training and playground when he was growing. He knew every nook and cranny of that place including spots to hide and hunt for food. The odd yokai mostly kept to themselves and didn't bother anyone, which meant that this creature might be an animal. Or an amphibian pretending to be a wild animal.

"This is the spot Wally said he saw the creature." Randy dropped down. "There are no signs of a struggle, only that Wally shot out, hopping and running away for his life. I wouldn't put it past him that he was drunk and everything he saw was a hallucination. Maybe someone left an old scarecrow lying around and he just stumbled onto it." Randy watched the ground for any signs of disturbances, only to stop before seeing something he didn't think he'd ever see: a footprint.

A footprint that looked very different from that of any amphibian. It was curved with what looked like five toes. And right next to it was another print, one with a strange design and markings. They reminded him of the soles of… some shoes… looked like back when he was little. A sense of dread and curiosity filled him as he examined the footprint with the same dedication and attention that a surgeon would a heart as it was about to operate on. He pressed his own foot next to one of the prints, noticing the only difference being the size and depth. The other prints were smaller and weren't as deep, which meant that it could be from a female.

"This can't be," Randy muttered, taking off his mask to get a better look. "How could they-? If this is real then-?"

Snap.

Randy put back on his mask before grabbing hold of his sword. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the area for anything that made a move. Instinctively, his hands gripped his sword's sheath. The greenery of the swamp made for the best camouflage that anyone could ever ask for. Everything was thick enough to hide until they were ready to pounce on you. Something Randy knew all too well, but was ready regardless of what they might do to get the upper hand. The swamp grew quiet as leaves began to fall down around him. The warrior was not alone. Yokai or amphibian, beast or insect, human or not, he would not go down without a fight. His ears perked up at the sound of something coming up from behind him. He didn't know what was stalking him, but they weren't very good at it or they were very desperate.

With a flick of his thumb, his sword was ready to be drawn.

"YAAAAHHHH!" Someone came out running from behind Randy.

Spinning on his heel, he dodged the attack while unsheathing his sword. He waited for the figure to pass him before he aimed his sword at them. The figure was covered in leaves, mud and sticks, using one as a weapon, a makeshift spear if anything. The moment the figure turned around, it let out a soft battlecry that quickly died down once it saw Randy. Instinctively Randy narrowed his eyes at the figure before holding out his hand, trying to calm them down. But the figure took one look at him and his weapon and ran deeper into the swamp, screaming like a maniac with fear in their hearts. Randy took after the figure, wanting to make sure of what they were.

The foliage of the trees and the swamp was thick, and running through it unprepared was akin to a grueling day of manual labor in prison. But it was childsplay for Randy. His muscles were more than used to the tricky ground that made up the swamp. Running and jumping from tree to tree like a human sized frog, Randy kept on following the figure. The figure looked over their shoulder, watching Randy coming onto them like deadly and unrelenting ninja, causing them to scream. Randy jumped forward, trying to cut off the figure, but the figure used their stick to jump over a lug, cutting him off.

Randy had to hold back a grin, feeling that the cat and mouse game was starting to get interesting. He took back to the tree branches, swinging from one to another like Tarzan with his scarf. His eyes scanned the foliage until he spotted the figure once more. It was rushing through the bushes and the low branches, losing more and more of its muddy coat. Now the being underneath it all could be seen.

It had tanned skin, but not slimy like that of a frog or a toad or even smooth like a newts. It had a white polo t-shirt with a purple neck, an emblem on the chest with a shield with the letters 'S', 'J', 'H', 'S', a short purple skirt and only one yellow shoe. None of that was typical Amphibian clothing.

Randy couldn't believe his eyes. He had to get a closer look. Rushing past the figure, he threw his scarf all the way down to the figure, wrapping it around their waist. Using another branch as a pulley, he pulled the figure up as it screamed at the top of its lungs. And before it knew what hit it, the figure dropped down on the thick branch with Randy squatting before the figure.

"Back off, man!" The figure called out, backing away as Randy approached it. "I know Muay Thai!"

Randy could now see the figure clearly. It wasn't a monster or a creature. It was something he never thought he would ever see outside of a reflection. The monster was a human. Just like him. It was a girl, around his age, but still.

She had a slender body with some curves to it with light brown skin and auburn colored hair that was a little messy from all the running and bits of twigs and leaves on it. Her eyes were actually brown despite the strange blue light they had had when he first saw her. Her clothes were dirty and a bit torn, but she was human.

Randy couldn't believe his eyes. He wanted to jump up and scream in joy. Could this be real? Or was this just another trick by the yokai he was actually following and hunting? His head turned, looking at her to see if he caught sight of anything that was out of place. Which included a good look at her body, face and eyes.

"Hey, buddy," she said, getting his attention. "My eyes are up here." She gestured to her face.

Randy looked into her eyes like she'd told him. He didn't dare speak until he was sure this was another human like him. Looming over her, his face got very close to her own.

"Okay, that's enough closeness." Anne pushed Randy back with her shoeless foot. "I happen to like my personal space, thank you very much."

Smirking under his mask, Randy figured the talk was different from what he'd remembered. If this was a trick, he needed to be sure this wasn't just being made on the spot. Some yokai were known to cast illusions or take different shapes. But there was always something that stood out and gave them away. Behavior, error in the illusion or flaw in the costume and/or disguise. He couldn't tell if this was normal behavior for humans, then he'd have to use the other two.

Randy reached out to her. Only for her to slap his hand away.

"Yo, enough with the silent creepy treatment." Anne snapped. "I told you to back off!" She kicked at him, only for him to catch her shoeless foot with ease. "Um, wow, that was kinda cool."

Randy proceeded to examine her leg with his hands, making Anne laugh as he massaged and touched her. Her toes were picked and wiggled, getting more laughter out of her. They felt like normal toes to Randy, even covered by the dirty sock she was wearing. If her laughter was anything to go by then this was actually real. But clothes could hide stuff underneath as well. He needed to be thorough.

As Anne laughed from the tickles, Randy slowly moved towards her skirt. Pinching the fabric with his pointer and thumb, he slowly began to lift it up.

"Stop! Stop! Please, I'm gonna pee!" Anne laughed before opening her eyes to see what he was doing. "Get off!" Anne kicked Randy in the face, sending him back.

She hugged her legs up to herself as she blushed in embarrassment. She couldn't believe her luck, the first other being she'd seen and she got stuck with a pervert. Well, it was time to lay down the law. And if this creature, whatever he was, didn't listen, then she would use all her years of Muay Thai on his ass.

"You stay back, you hear me! I'm not playing around!" Anne glared at him. "I'm lost, I'm tired, I'm angry, and I'm hungry! The last thing I need is some creep attacking me!" She kept on her glare as Randy grabbed his jaw.

If he ever needed something to tell him human behavior was similar to that of Amphibians, that kick was it. She really was a girl, a human girl. But he had to be sure. He approached her once more with her ready to punch him in the face. Lifting his hands up, he showed he was not a threat to her.

"Easy, easy, easy." Anne watched his hand reaching her cheek. "Hands to yourself, ninja man!" Anne swung her fist at his face.

Randy caught it with ease. She struggled against his hold as both of his hands touched and inspected her hand. If anything, she wondered if he was actually trying to hurt her. It reminded her of the times her dad and her had watched apes examining things at the zoo. His fingers interlaced with her own, almost as if he was feeling some kind of kinship with her. She looked into his eyes, brown meeting blue. There was a calm realization that she was face to face with someone like her.

Randy for his part was amazed at what he was seeing. He wasn't alone anymore. He wasn't the only human in Amphibia. The girl before him was real. He opened his palm, and her hand pressed against his own. There was no illusion. This was a real human girl that stood before him. And his mind quickly reminded him that he'd been touching and chasing her without her consent. He looked away, thankful that his mask would cover up the embarrassment. He needed to fix this before it got any weirder or worse.

"WHERE ARE YOU MONSTER?!"

Randy and Anne looked out at the sound of the squeaky voice. A voice Randy recognised.

"Sprig?" Randy muttered.

Anne took this chance to kick Randy in the stomach before jumping down to the bushes. She started running as Randy fell down to the ground, holding his stomach.

"W-W-Wait!" Randy coughed as she ran deeper into the woods. "Dang it. I messed up big time." He fell down, getting his breath back.

Randy got back to his feet, taking deep breaths. Composing himself, he scanned for signs of the girl only to see that she was far too into the swamp. Snapping his fingers and cursing under his breath, he jumped up to get a better view of the swamp.

"I can't believe it, first human I meet after all this time and I act like a total shoob." Randy shook his head in disapproval. "I have to make it up to her. She's lost and scared. She could get hurt or worse." He jumped after her, swinging from tree to tree with his scarf.

Anne sharpened another stick to replace the one she'd lost thanks to that weirdo ninja. It had been two days since she was zapped into this crazy world and she was starting to lose what was left of her sanity and patience. Grabbing a rope and tensing a branch, she prepared a trap for her pursuers. With the bushes as cover, she was ready to hit anything that came her way. Her body was running on fumes and she needed to get to civilization pronto. A part of her mind that had yet to snap felt bad for whoever would fall on her trap.

The sound of hopping caught her attention. Gripping her new weapon, she peaked out spotting a small frog child hopping around.

He had pink skin, big goofy eyes and a seriously cute smile on his face. He wore a dark green vest and a pair of brown shorts with a hat and a pair of goggles on top of his head like an old timey pilot.

"Hm, if I were a strange beast, where would I hide?" He walked into the trap. "Maybe somewhere around HEEEEERRRRREEEEE!" He was hoisted up by the snare.

"Ha ha! Thought you got the best of old Anne, eh?!" Anne stepped out of the bushes. "Well you didn't!" She panted with a crazed look on her face.

Sprig gasped as he looked at her.

"Giant head, long limbs, face bump! The beast!" Sprig thrashed in terror at the sight of Anne.

"Stop. Following me." Anne narrowed her eyes.

"I've got bad news for you, beast: I taste terrible." Sprig countered.

Anne blinked at the strange question.

"Ew, dude, I'm not gonna eat you," Anne said, relaxing a bit.

"You tried to eat Wally." Sprig countered. "Boy, you're lucky Randy isn't here. He'd kick your big butt easily!"

"First off, I tried asking Wally for help. He ran screaming the second he saw me." Anne explained.

"That does sound like Wally." Sprig looked away.

"And second, my butt isn't that big." She looked at her butt. "It's perfectly to scale."

Just as Anne finished her defense, they both heard a loud screech coming closer to them. Anne took off running as Sprig tried to get himself out of the snare she'd caught him in. She stopped for a second, looking at the helpless little frog boy struggling to break free. A put of guilt built inside her as she knew she'd put him in that position.

From behind the bushes and the foliage came a giant praying mantis, looking at Sprig like it was a meal served on a silver platter for it. Sprig chuckled sheepishly as the mantis got ready to bite his head off. However, before it could, Anne grabbed him and took off running. She looked back to see the large mantis chasing after them, swinging its bladed hands to catch them.

"Come on, man!" She cried out in frustration.

The mantis swiped at them, forcing Anne and Sprig to run faster, jumping and dodging whenever one of the scythe-like arms was about to take off their heads. The sense of danger and the constant screaming only made the mantis pursue them harder, keeping up with their speed thanks to its size. They couldn't keep up this escape, they needed to get as far as possible or make something to distract the mantis. Anne tossed up her spear at the mantis's face only to get shredded by the large bug's teeth.

"Help!"

"Smokebomb!"

An orange cloud appeared before the mantis, stopping its pursuit.

Anne looked back to see the black cladded figure that had caught up to her before jumping out of the smoke with its sword in hand. It looked like one of her dad's animes or one of the old cartoons they liked to watch together. The figure's blade clashed with the mantis, forcing the beast back. Their moved so fast that the mantis looked almost frozen in place from where she was looking. Honestly, she was impressed and a little intimidated.

As she ran with the little frog in tow, part of her wondered who would win that fight while another part was more focused on getting as far from the black clad figure and the giant mantis as she could.

"Good luck, crazy ninja guy!" Anne kept on running.

"Keep going, I'll handle this!" Randy called back, even if he wasn't sure they had heard him.

Randy ducked under the mantis's strikes coming for his head. With his sword ready and prepared to strike, he sliced one of the giant bug's legs before dodging another attack. He swung his scarf at one of the mantis's arms, pulling it down before jumping over its other arm. He wrapped his scarf around the insect's arms, landing underneath the mantis's large body. The mantis struggled against his hold, trying to free itself and that was what Randy wanted. He released his hold on his scarf, making the mantis lose its balance and expose its belly.

A few years ago this would've been the part where Randy did something that nearly got him killed. But now? He struck the bottom of the mantis's stomach with his sword, cutting it open for the world to see. He jumped out from under the mantis's body, watching it fall down dead to the world.

"Sorry about this big fella, but you were trying to eat a friend of mine and the only other human I've met." Randy recovered his scarf before picking up some meat from the mantis. "Hope grandpa likes some mantis barbeque. Now, where did they go?" Randy looked around for Anne and Sprig.

Meanwhile, with the runaway duo, Anne and Sprig were hiding inside a hollow log, keeping an eye out for the mantis.

"I think we lost them," Anne sighed, feeling a little gross about their hiding spot.

"You saved me! You're a hero!" Sprig hugged Anne tightly. "An ugly, ugly hero!"

"Call me ugly one more time and maybe I will eat you." Anne chuckled. "I'm Anne, Anne Boonchuy."

"Sprig Plantar." Sprig shook Anne's hand with happy gusto.

Anne pulled her hand back, wiping the slime off of her. Despite that, it was good to feel like she was talking with a regular person. Weird, but cool.

At that moment her stomach growled.

"Man I'm starving," Anne said. "Got anything to eat?"

"Oh yeah." Sprig pulled out a piece of bark, revealing lots of scurrying insects. "Nature's bounty is up for grabs."

"Um, anything that's not bugs?" Anne felt a little green.

"Hm, picky eater, eh? I'm sure we can hunt for something." Sprig led Anne out of the log.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Anne asked. "I already dealt with one weirdo today."

"What? Does this face look like it can deceive you?" Sprig out on his most harmless and adorable face he could pull, getting Anne to laugh.

Anne and Sprig kept on walking to find something to eat, not knowing that Randy was looking for them. As they looked for food, Sprig couldn't help but unload every question he had in his little head about Anne. More specifically…

"Oh, I almost forgot. What the heck are you and where do you come from?!" Sprig asked.

"Well, I'm a human, more specifically an awesome high school girl that kicks butt." Anne posed. "And I'm from another world!" She added dramatically.

Sprig looked at her with awe at her magnanimous declaration. To the eyes of the young frog, this was akin to meeting the outside world for the first time in his life. A dash of color to a much needed black and white picture. He could only mumble on baited breath to the many stories and shocking things that Anne could tell him. Adventure was calling and he wanted nothing short than to meet it head on.

"That sounds so cool!" Sprig hopped. "The most adventure that passes through Wartwood is whenever something like a yokai or a bandit comes by, but Mr. Norushi usually deals with them." Sprig's mood soured.

Anne noticed how sour Sprig's mood had gotten. Clearly there was a sore subject that he didn't want to talk about. Better change the subject for his sake.

"Say, um, then what brought you out here in the first place?" Anne asked.

Sprig froze up like that one time he'd been caught eating all the chocolate bug pancakes.

"Um…"

"There it is!"

Anne turned away only to be wrapped up in ropes. She didn't have time to move out of the way or wiggle out of the bindings before she was brought down. Like that one picture of Guilliver's Travels, Anne was tied up and pinned down on the ground as the townsfolk came out from the bushes, cheering for her capture.

"We caught the monster!"

"Heck yeah!"

"What?! Dude, you sold me out?!" Anne looked at Sprig with a hurtful face.

"Well, I-" Sprig began.

"Sprig Plantar!" Hop Pop came in carrying Polly. "Thank frog you're okay. And you caught the… creature?" Hop Pop's eyes landed on Anne, almost immediately clicking at what he was looking at.

"Three cheers for Sprig. Enjoy it, I won't call for it again." Polly hopped on Sprig's head.

"Hip Hip! Hooray!" The town cheered. "Hip Hip! Hooray!"

"Stop!" Hop Pop jumped in. "This isn't some monstrous creature. This here is just like-"

Randy landed behind the townsfolk, sword in hand. He glared at them as he stood up straight.

Everyone jumped back in sight of Randy. Sprig however used this chance to start untying Anne.

"What are you doing?" Anne asked.

"Helping you. I'm sorry for tricking you," Sprig replied. "But I'll distract them, you get out of here."

"Step away from her." Randy stepped up to the mob.

"Ah! Another monster!" Wally cried out. "Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!"

"Wally, it's me, Randy." Randy sheathed his sword. "Nobu's grandson."

"Oh, it's just Randy." Wally and the townsfolk sighed in relief. "False alarm everyone."

Just as everyone started to calm down, a large red praying mantis landed behind the group. The large insect looked far more dangerous and prehistorical than the other mantis and twice as mean with murder in its eyes. It roared at the mob of frogs and the two humans before it.

"Why are all the bugs here so dang big?!" Anne screamed in fear as Sprig untied her quicker.

"Quick! Mantis formation!" Mayor Toadstool ordered.

In the blink of an eye, all the members of the mob formed the silhouette of a giant praying mantis. They jumped and hopped to make themselves seem bigger and more willing to start a fight. But the mantis didn't even budge.

The mantis swiped one of its claws at the frogs, collapsing the formation.

"Has that ever worked?" Anne asked as Sprig finished untying her.

"Not really." Sprig shrugged as the mantis charged at them.

Randy jumped into the fight, unsheathing his sword as he stood between them and the praying mantis. He blocked the first strike with his sword, digging his feet on the ground and leaving marks behind them. Glaring at the red mantis, he pushed back, before the mantis attacked him with its other pincer at blinding speeds. Randy jumped over the pincer, pushing himself to its face, planting his feet on the creature's eyes. Spinning in the air, he slashed at the mantis's neck, nicking it. Landing on the ground, he turned to Anne and Sprig.

"Get back!" Randy said before jumping back in.

"You could talk this whole time?!" Anne snapped.

Randy ran in circles around the mantis, keeping its eyes on him as its pincers moved like lightning. He ducked and dodged the attacks, feeling the strength behind each blow, almost like the air itself was trying to catch him. Spinning on his heel, he caught one of the attacks, slashing the limb with an upwards slice. The mantis roared in pain as it continued to attack Randy with it's pincers. Randy jumped back as the attacks grew faster and forced him on the defensive. He jumped out of the way of one of the pincers before ducking under another strike. Stepping back, he avoided another strike, but soon found himself with his back against a tree.

"Hey ugly!" Sprig fired his slingshot at it. "Over here!" He hit the mantis in the eye, making it roar in pain.

"Come get us, you jerk!" Anne picked up her makeshift spear.

The mantis charged at Anne and Sprig, forcing Randy to wrap his scarf around the mantis's legs, stopping its march. However, the mantis was ready and pulled Randy up, catching him between its pincers. The beast looked at the ninja with hunger, ready to eat his head in a single gulp.

Randy quickly put up his blade, blocking the mandibles from biting his head off. He tried to push himself out of the hold of death, but it was too strong. It was like a small fish trying to swim against the current of the river. If he could pull out one of his kunai then he could blind the mantis and free himself. But if he even so much as moved his arm, the mantis would feast upon his flesh. Thankfully, he didn't have to miraculously grow a third arm.

Anne jumped from behind the beast, plunging the spear into the mantis's eye. She didn't know how but her body moved on its own against something that was easily much bigger and stronger than her. Even as she and the ninja fell down to the ground, she felt like she could stand and fight it back.

"Get back!" Randy stood before her, blocking one of the pincers coming their way.

She turned her head, spotting the other arm going down on him. Even if he'd been a creep with her before, he was now protecting her. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to see him hurt. Springing to her feet, she caught the other arm with her bare hands, stopping it.

"Whoa," Sprig said.

"Do something!" Anne's eyes glowed a faint blue for a second.

"Wrap it up with the ropes!" Randy instructed.

"Oh right!" Sprig grabbed all the rope he could get his hands on. "Anne grab the other end!"

With a loud grunt, she and Randy pushed back the large beast as Sprig bounced and hopped around it. Sprig pulled his rope's end, using a tree as an anchor while Anne pulled on her own end. The ropes tightly bound the mantis as Anne and Sprig pulled from both sides, stopping it in place. Randy jumped at the beast's neck, decapitating the red mantis with a swift and clean cut.

Randy landed behind the mantis as the corpse fell before all to see. He turned around to see everyone in the mob cheer for their victory. But his worry was more with Sprig and the girl. He rushed to their side as they high fived in victory.

"High five!" Anne held up her hand while Sprig hit it with his tongue. "Gross."

"Are you two okay?" Randy asked.

Anne snapped, getting into a fighting stance.

"Back off man! I'll kick your butt!" Anne threatened to kick him.

"Hang on. That voice," Sprig said. "Randy?! Is that you?!"

Randy took off his mask, letting everyone see his face. Anne's eyes widened at the sight of Randy's face. She hadn't expected there to be another human, let alone someone that was so badass. It kinda made her blush a little.

"Hey, Sprig, you missed me?" Randy asked as Sprig jumped up to hug him.

"Oh my gosh, it is you! Wow, you got taller!" Sprig said.

"Randy, that you boy?" Hop Pop joined in. "When did you get here?"

"I just did when you were making the mob to hunt a certain beast." Randy shook Hop Pop's hand. "Didn't want to miss out on all the fun."

"Meh, show off." Polly shrugged. "We could've done it on our own."

"Oh, Randy, this is Anne!" Sprig pulled Randy to meet Anne. "She says she's a human from another world. Just like you! Except for those weird pecs and butt of hers." Anne slapped his hand away from her.

Randy looked away from Anne, remembering that he had literally gone through his whole analysis not that long ago. A blush spread through his face.

"Oh, um," Randy began.

"We've met." Anne crossed her arms, glaring at him. "What the heck dude?! You were human this whole time?! What gives?! How did you get here?!"

"Well, um, I wasn't sure you were human too, so I had to make sure." Randy scratched the back of his head. "Yokai sometimes take on different shapes, sorry about that. My bad. Buut yeah, I should've introduced myself. Hi, my name is Randy Cunningham-Norushi. Can we start over?"

"You bet, after you tell me everything." Anne pulled him up by the shirt of his suit. "I'm Anne Boonchuy, by the way."

"Charmed." Randy pulled up his hand to shake hers.

However, every nice moment had to be brought back to reality.

"Great, just what we needed. Nobu's weird pet now has a friend." Toadstool groaned. "They'll be littering the whole place before you know it. Best get rid of them and have them be someone else's problem."

Randy didn't miss the mayor one bit, and was tempted to draw his sword. Thankfully, Sprig jumped in.

"Hey, they're not monsters. Anne's just lost and scared." Sprig said. "We should help her."

"But they're freaky and dangerous." Toadstool countered.

"That's enough of that, Toadstool." Hop Pop stood up. "Randy has lived here for years and just saved us from that giant mantis. Not only him but this other creature, Anne, helped us after we tried to capture her. We can at least show them some gratitude."

The town seemed to agree with Hop Pop's words, especially when they remembered that Randy had indeed been living with them for so long. It was enough to get Toadstool to back off, plus the mantis meat was delicious.

"Have it your way, Hopediah. Those two are your responsibility now." Toadstool and the others left with the dead mantis in tow.

"Guess I goofed there, didn't I?" Sprig asked.

"Sprig, standing up for them was the right thing to do, after all Randy is a friend." Hop Pop placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "And maybe Anne will be too. That's your name, right?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, we won't be staying long." Anne pulled Randy close to her. "This guy here has some answers to give me. Now, how do I leave this crazy place and where are the other humans?"

"Sorry, but can't help you on both questions." Randy pulled himself away. "The valley is surrounded by dangerous mountains that are almost impossible to cross."

"It should clear up in a couple of months," Sprig said.

"If you try to get out before then," Hop Pop began.

"You will die." Polly finished.

"As for other humans, you're kinda the only other human I've seen since I've been here." Randy revealed. "Sorry again for acting weird, but I didn't know if you were real."

"How long have you been here?" Anne dreaded the response.

"...About ten years." Randy shrugged.

"But what about your grandpa?" Anne asked.

"Adopted. But you'll love him." Randy smiled, imagining what his grandpa's face would be like when he introduced Anne to him.

As soon as he said that, the Plantars all looked down with a sour look in their eyes. Anne had noticed this before with Sprig. She could almost immediately empathize and understand what they were feeling. There was only one time when people felt like that when talking about someone else. But the one that didn't make the connection right away.

Randy looked at the three Plantars. They all kept their eyes from him. The air grew colder as he put the pieces together. It had to be a lie. He had to know what had happened. He'd only just received the letter, sure it took him a couple of days to get back, but nothing could've happened between then and now. He had to ask what had happened. It took all his strength to ask the question. Yet, it felt vile, almost alien to him.

"What happened?" Randy asked, his fingers trembling from the anticipation. "Hop Pop, tell me what happened."

Hop Pop only shook his head with his eyes closed. It was with a heavy heart that he was the bearer of bad news. He'd already done this in the past and it never got easier be it friends or family. The old frog took Randy's hand, leading him and the rest of the family out of the swamp.

No words were exchanged on the trip out to the old house Randy had been raised in. They passed the old house covered in dust and moss growing on the sides and the ceiling. There were no sounds coming from the home but it still carried the warmth that had raised Randy for many years. The gang climbed up to the top of the mountain where Nobu had trained Randy. As they passed, Randy couldn't help but look at the spots where all the traps laid with fondness. Even if it was dangerous, they still had a reminder that his grandpa made sure to train him as best as he could to survive.

They reached the top of the training grounds, with only Randy being the one to still hold his breath and strength.

"Dude, it's too much." Anne panted.

"How did Mr. Norushi climb this high every single day?" Sprig panted.

"I can't feel my arms." Polly dropped next to them.

"You can rest here. I know where to go from here." Randy didn't even turn around to face them.

"T-Take your time, son." Hop Pop had to take a second to catch his breath. "W-We're just gonna hang here and wait till you're good and ready."

Randy smiled.

"Thanks, Hop Pop."

Randy kept on walking by himself until he reached the bottom of a great tree. The tree was tall, curved like a large bonsai tree. It was covered in moss with a rope covered in talismans and bells that chimed with the wind and at the bottom was the family grave. A tall carved stone slab with the Norushi crest on it. It was a simple gravestone where all the ashes of their ancestors were laid to rest after their journey had ended. He'd seen it many times over the years. He just never thought that he'd be doing it on his own so soon.

He put down his bag and sword as he knelt before the family gravestone. Almost like clockwork, he cleaned up the fallen leaves from the grave before putting up a bowl full of earth, a plate with mantis meat and some fruits. Lighting up two pieces of incense, he stuck them on the bowl before putting his hands together. It was an offering for his grandfather, a form of respect and gratitude that he could only give him now. He fought the urge of collapsing in tears. Though, he did feel the tears running down his cheeks and dropping down on the ground.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't here, grandpa. Hop Pop told me that you passed on the day after you sent the letter." Randy gripped his knees. "I should've been here. I'm sorry, I failed you, grandpa. But I will do right by you and our name. I will protect this town and all the frogs that live in it. Oh, remember when you told me that one day I'd find more people like me? Well, I sort of ran into one. Her name is Anne. Spunky, loud, kind of a mess. But she is also brave and caring. I bet you'd love to meet her."

Randy allowed the silence to take over. All the stories he wanted to tell his grandfather now rang hollow. His adventures were nothing but vanity that he felt he had to earn to make himself look like his time wasn't wasted in the tower. But even now he knew that death was inevitable. It came to all eventually.

"I suppose that I should stop crying. No use in doing so, huh?" Randy asked. "But don't worry, grandpa. I'll make you proud. Please, watch over me and everyone else from wherever you are." Randy clasped his hands together letting out a silent prayer for his grandfather, wherever he was.

It was a sad thing indeed. Not many become orphaned twice in one lifetime, but unlike the first time, Randy wasn't a scared child. It hurt a lot. More than any battle or training he'd gone through over the years, it hurt. It wasn't like he didn't know that his grandpa would pass on one day, he just didn't think it would be so soon. There was nothing to do about it, only face the change that brought life on. He was still alive and would do his best to fight for what his grandfather had done and raised him with.

He stood back up, giving another bow to the family gravestone. Taking up his things, he walked away as the incense burnt away behind him and a gust of wind blew the leaves into the valley.

Randy put down his things on the Plantar's couch. It wasn't his bed, but it was better than sleeping in the big house all on his own. He needed some company after all.

"Thanks again for letting me stay here for the time being, Hop Pop." Randy placed his sword next to his bag.

"Think nothing of it, Randy. You're like family," Hop Pop said. "Besides, your grandpa made me your legal guardian until you came of age. I also got a good amount of your gramps' things here before the vultures took anything of value."

"I appreciate it." Randy bowed thankfully.

It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He'd slept in worse conditions back at the Eastern Tower. For now, he had to get ready to fulfill his duties and settle all the matters left by his grandpa.

"Hey, Randy," Anne called from the basement door. "I just, um, wanted to say, sorry about your grandpa. He sounded-I mean, he sounds-I don't know the best tense for this."

"It's okay, Anne. Don't worry, I'll bounce back." Randy put on his best charming smile. "Sorry for the messy introductions today."

"Hey, at least you are here. If you want company, you could bunk with me in the basement." Anne pointed down.

"Boys and girls in separate rooms!" Hop Pop called from the kitchen.

Randy and Anne chuckled.

"Let's start over. Hi, I'm Anne Boonchuy." Anne held out her hand.

"Randy." They shook hands. "Your humble warrior and protector of Wartwood. At your services."

"Don't let Hop Pop hear you say that." Anne smacked Randy's shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Randy. Good night."

"Good night Anne." Randy went to the couch, getting ready to go to bed.

As Randy made his way to the couch, Anne gave him one last look before closing the door above her, leaving only a smidge open. Her mind was filled with conflicting ideas on the young man. On one hand, he was a little creepy, but on the other, she could understand why he was being cautious. Living in a strange land for years had to take a toll on people and he'd just lost the only family he'd had. Looking at her friend's picture, she could relate to being in the same situation, a stranger in a strange land. Maybe all he needed was a friend to help get better? It wasn't such an outlandish suggestion, not to mention that he was pretty hot when he fought like a total anime hero…

"Did I just think that?" Anne asked herself. "Get it together girl. Let's try this." Anne sat down on her sleeping bag, pulling out a strange box from inside her backpack.

It was a music box with three dulled out gems and golden markings and figures on it. The reason for her and her friends being stuck in Amphibia and away from home. Counting backwards, she slowly opened up the box. But there were no bright lights nor a flash. Just a normal music box.

"Guess we're both stuck here, huh Randy?" Anne asked.

"You called?" Randy popped his head down, only for Anne to scream and throw her show at his face.

…What a lovely friendship.

Strange Creature Like Me Arc has begun…