[Grunge's Castle]
a Pair of doors were opened wide with a loud creak,
and Grunge walked into a large study room with Grime and Sasha close by.
Grime and Sasha examined the interior of the room, which resembled a Laboratory.
Only it had full tables of arcane trinkets, ancient books and other strange items.
Another table, Sasha recognized as being similar to Chemistry sets
in Science Class at the school she went to back in her own world.
There were also shelves stacked with even more books.
a small table with a crystal ball, and a large Cauldron standing a distance away.
"Okay, Brother...let's hear it." spoke Grunge, as he walked at the center of the room.
"what matter of GRAVE IMPORTANCE do you need to discuss with me?"
Sasha watched as Grime walked forward into his brother's sanctum.
"Well, to start things off: My tower is gone. Crumbled to dust and rubble."
"Yes, I know all about that." said Grunge.
Grime raised a brow in surprise. "you did!?"
"YES. I foresaw it's destruction in a vision." spoke Grunge.
"You really should've paid closer attention to your captives, brother."
"If you KNEW, then why didn't you WARN US!" exclaimed Sasha, approaching Grunge.
"Sasha, SHH!" shushed Grime.
Grunge smirked at the human girl. "you mean BESIDES the pact I made with my siblings
to stay out of each others way? I knew my older brother could handle the situation on his own."
Grunge then chortled. "Besides...It wasn't his time to die. NOT YET."
Grime crossed his arms, and smirked. "appreciate the CONCERN, brother."
"My only concern was for the human girl." said Grunge.
"Unlike you, dear brother. HER fate that day was a tad..."Dicey."
Sasha widened her eyes. "what do you mean?"
"I foresaw your death happening more than once that day." answered Grunge.
"Thankfully, my brother taught you well...AND, was quick enough to catch you."
Sasha froze, feeling shaken at the thought of ACTUALLY dying.
Sure, she willingly let herself go when she fell from the tower.
But looking back...she was GLAD that Grime managed to catch her.
(one main reason why she trusted him with her life, and would kill anyone
who would threatened the only real friend that she felt she had left now.)
"Moving on..." spoke Grime, who faced Grunge.
"Brother...I have been accused of desertion for abandoning my post.
Even now, an unhinged Newt General hunts me and all who STILL follow me."
"Which doesn't appear to be very much anymore." said Grunge, with dry sarcasm.
Grime growled in his throat...but restrained his anger. "Brother...GRUNGE.
I am well aware that you hate the Newtopian King." continued Grime.
"I intend to overthrow King Andrias, and take control over ALL of Amphibia.
But, I can't do that without an Army...a BIG army. So, as hard as it is to say it: I need your help."
Grunge's eyes flashed bright red as he eyed Grime.
"true enough...I would love nothing more than to watch Newtopia BURN.
Although, I am surprised that you suddenly want to topple the king that you were so loyal to."
Grime clenched his fist. "That all changed when he branded me a Traitor (shouting) FOR SOMETHING THAT WASN'T MY FAULT!"
Grime then sighed sharply. "You always said that our service to the king was an Insult.
That the Newts were only using us, and that WE TOADS were more deserving to rule Amphibia."
"Yes...and, I recall you telling me to KEEP THOSE OPINIONS TO MYSELF!" spoke Grunge, anger in his voice.
Grime nodded. "well...only NOW do I realize the wisdom in your rebellious words."
Grunge's dark, demon-like eyes began to soften just a tiny bit at this.
"You want me to say it?, FINE:"You were right, and I was wrong." blurted out Grime.
"and, i'm...I'm ss-sorry brother. I'm sorry for...not listening to you."
a silence fell that was so quiet, the sound of dust falling would be as loud as thunder.
Sasha watched as Grunge looked on in disbelief...and then smirked at Grime.
"Glad to see that you have FINALLY come to your senses, Brother...(took you long enough.)"
Grime breathed out, pleased (and, a little surprised) that his dark brother held no 'grudge.'
"But, I still must ask: WHY come to me?" continued Grunge.
"Surely our sister, or the other Toad Lords could better provide what you need."
"you know as well as I, Little Brother. That the Toad Lords (ESPECIALLY our sister)
won't just lend me soldiers out of the goodness of their greedy hearts."
"...Indeed." chuckled Grunge, as if already knowing this fact. "So, what is it that *I* possess that YOU think I could provide?"
"Something BIG...someone no one will expect." answered Grime.
"I know you, Brother. you hate King Andrias, and have no doubt been planning to overthrow him for YEARS.
You MUST have something that can help us both achieve our goal for World Conquest!"
Grunge grinned wide. "I have been dabbling in some magicks to accomplish that.
and, you always were *nicer* to me than our sister ever was when we were children."
"So...you will help me?" spoke Grime, hopeful.
"Only if it is mutually beneficial." answered Grunge.
Grime continued to smile. "just like old times."
The two brothers chuckled together...Then Grunge brought his attention to Sasha. "Hmm...Interesting."
"What?!" spoke Sasha (feeling creeped out by Grunge.)
"I sense...a great POWER within you, child." spoke Grunge. "It feels similar to a great power that I felt not too recently."
"You speak of that strange lightning storm that we saw earlier." spoke Grime.
"Indeed...and, that was no natural lightning." said Grunge.
"AND, it wasn't the first time I sensed it. It happened once before many seasons ago."
Grime looked at Sasha...then back to Grunge. "that...sounds to be around the time my Toads first found Sasha."
"I KNEW IT!" exclaimed Sasha, pounding her palm. "It WAS the same lightning that first brought me, and my friends here!"
Grunge approached Sasha. "and, WHERE did you first see this "Lightning?"
"When me and my friends opened this damned music box in our own world." explained Sasha.
"There was a white flash...I felt a SURGE of power, and then I ended up HERE in this froggy world."
"music box..." mused Grunge. "could it BE?"
Grunge then walked away, and with a gesture of his hand,
levitated some books from his bookshelves and onto his work table.
Grunge opened up one book, and swiped his finger in the air to turn the old pages.
He then stopped...and smiled a wide, toothy grin. "Does THIS look familiar to you, child?" spoke Grunge.
Sasha scowled. "My NAME is Sasha, not chi-OHMYGOSH!"
"What is it, Sasha?" spoke Grime.
"That's it...THAT'S THE MUSIC BOX!" exclaimed Sasha, pointing at the illustration in the book.
Grunge grinned as he looked at the old tome again. "As I thought: The old legends WERE true."
Grime looked over Grunge's shoulder at the two page spread. "Calamity Box?...what is that?, a Weapon?!"
Grunge chortled, glancing at his brother as he laid the book down. "In the right hands, Perhaps." spoke Grunge.
"The Calamity Box is a centuries old artifact. So ancient, that modern day Amphibians
doubt it ever existed. Considering it "just a firefly tale."
Grunge then smiled a toothy grin once again, snickering. "but as always: *I* knew better."
"So, what is it really?" asked Sasha, her tone demanding.
Grunge grinned, all too happy to tell the story.
"Legends speak of a time when the three tribes of Amphibia: Newts, Toads and Frogs, were unified.
They say our ancestors had technology so advanced, that it would be considered "Magic" by today's standards.
One such device was The Calamity Box, and marvelous blend of Science and Sorcery that was designed
for the sole purpose of breaching the barriers between Time and Space, and travel to other worlds in the Multiverse."
Sasha widened her eyes. "wait...the Multiverse is REAL?!"
Grunge nodded. "Indeed it is...and, beyond even THAT: The Omniverse."
Sasha staggered in disbelief. "holy sh*t...Marcy was right all along!"
"If those Calamity Box was so important to our culture, Why haven't I ever heard of it?" asked Grime.
"Newt Propaganda, WHAT ELSE!?" replied Grunge. "The last known record of the Calamity Box
was during the reign of King Aldrich over One-Thousand years ago...
Officially, the Calamity Box was destroyed...but I always suspected that it was stolen,
and hidden away in another world where the Newts could no longer get to it."
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say that the Second thing happened." said Sasha, sarcastically.
"It would explain how three non-amphibian children ended up here." said Grunge.
"Tell me, chi-Sasha. Tell me how you came about the Calamity Box."
Sasha sighed as she recounted that day. "The Music Box was sitting in this antique store,
and me and Marcy had Anne steal it. We then opened the box...there was a Blinding flash, and that's how we got here."
Grunge strokes his massive chin as he mused on this.
"Not a very reliable transportation device." mused Grime. "It sounds completely random."
"Not random at all, brother...the box was NEVER meant to be opened like that." explained Grunge.
"See, it isn't the box itself that is magic. It is only to CONTAIN the magic of the Calamity Gems."
"Gems!?" exclaimed Sasha.
Grunge's hands illuminated with dark energy that billowed like smoke.
he swirled them around, and conjured a realistic illusion of the Calamity Box.
"Take note of the colored gems upon the box, girl..." spoke Grunge.
"THAT is the true power of the Calamity Box. Without the stones, it is JUST an empty box."
Sasha stared at the gems upon the illusion of the Music Box.
One Blue, One Green, and One Pink.
"Each gem holds a power fueled by a unique trait." continued Grunge.
"The Cyan Gem of Heart, The Emerald Gem of Wit, and The Rose Gem of Strength.
Having even ONE gem at hand can grant an individual the power to wipe out whole armies.
But with all three gems united, the power it would grant would be almost God-like."
Grime pondered this. "Power such as that...could bring Newtopia to it's knees."
Grunge dismissed his illusion, and approached his brother. "COULD Bring," Brother? I assure you: IT CAN."
the dark toad then smiled. "And, Fortunately...we already have ONE of the Calamity Gems at hand."
"We do?" spoke Grime, puzzled. "Where is it!?"
"I already told you, brother..." spoke Grunge, as he scooped up some sparkling powder.
"...I sensed a Great Power...within the child."
Without warning, Grunge blew the power at Sasha. The girl coughed at first,
but as she waved her hands...she saw they were glowing Bright Pink.
In fact, Sasha's whole body was glowing with a bright pink aura...which quickly faded away.
"Behold...the Rose Calamity Power of STRENGTH." spoke Grunge.
"No doubt absorbed into the girl when the combined Calamity powers were unleashed from the box."
Sasha stared at her hands that were glowing just a moment ago.
She gasped, as she felt a lingering feeling...that familiar Surge of power.
Sasha then knew that everything Grunge had said was true: SHE HAD THE POWER.
"Amazing." spoke Grime. "No wonder she could fight so well: It was the Power of the Gem!"
"Close, Brother." spoke Grunge. "The Gem may have given her it's power of Strength...
...But it chose HER because she was deemed worthy to be the Avatar of Strength."
Sasha looked at Grunge. "How am I worthy?"
Grunge chortled. "Strength", isn't just about being stronger than everybody else, child.
It's having an unbreakable will, the Perseverance to keep fighting...no matter how many times you fall."
Grunge's words made Sasha think back briefly to her childhood.
To the day she first met Anne and Marcy, and 'defended' them from some older bullies.
She never managed to lay a finger on them, and fell flat on her face every time she attacked.
But she kept getting back up...and eventually made them leave out of embarrassment, Winning by default.
"yeah...that sure sounds like me: Never give up." mused Sasha.
Grime turned back to Grunge. "If Sasha has one of the gem's power within her,
then it stands to reason her friends ALSO have the other gem powers."
"Most likely, yes." confirmed Grunge.
Grime grinned. "Well, we already know where one other Gem Power is then.
The one called 'Anne' lives in the Wartwood Village among the Frogs."
"That just leaves Marcy unaccounted for." spoke Sasha.
"NOT QUITE." spoke Grunge. "I have seen a non-Amphibian creature dressed in Newtopian garb,
poking around all over Amphibia, scribbling in a journal of some kind for months."
Sasha looked at Grunge. "This Newtopian...do they trip over themselves a lot?"
"Oh, my yes..." confirmed Grunge. "Their cape even combusts into flames as if cursed with a Bad Luck spell."
"That's Marcy, alright." said Sasha, smirking.
"Then, she is in Newtopia...with KING ANDRIAS." spoke Grime. "very unfortunate."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, dear brother..." spoke Grunge. "but, for now..."
Grunge then snapped his fingers, and summoned what looked like a Jewelry box.
He opened it...and, inside were three copper rings with grey crystals embedded into them.
Grunge took one ring, and levitated it into Sasha's hand.
"What's this?"
"Something to help you control your new powers." spoke Grunge.
"The crystal is made from the same material as the Calamity gems...allegedly.
Wear the ring at all times, and you can call upon your power without fail."
Sasha shrugged, and put the ring on her finger...and immediately felt another surge of energy.
Only this time, the power didn't fade...It remained, and even grew stronger.
With her once blue eyes now bright pink, Sasha balled up her now glowing fists.
Sasha then bashed his fists together, which created a small shockwave.
"wow...this is totally awesome." spoke Sasha.
Grunge floated the remaining two rings to Grime.
"I don't know how you do it...but get other humans to wear these rings as well." spoke Grunge.
"Sasha's power alone won't be enough, we'll need the combined might of the Calamity Gems to succeed."
"Easier said than done, brother." spoke Grime. "I recently tried to kill the Elder Plantar,
so Anne and her Frog allies won't be too willing to trust me, or Sasha. and the one called Marcy-"
"I have a feeling that "Marcy" won't be hard to persuade..." said Grunge.
"and, as for Anne and the Frogs...you leave the hard part of that to ME."
Grime nodded. "okay, Brother...I trust you."
Grunge grinned wide. "Good. Now, back to your Army Problem...I am sorry, but I cannot help you with that."
"What!?" exclaimed both Grime and Sasha.
"I have no army to give you...only my Golems, and they are bound to follow MY commands." explained Grunge.
"But, I know of a way that you can get the Toad Lords to take you seriously, and give you what you need."
Grime and Sasha eyed Grunge. "and, that is?..."
Grunge grinned wide. "BARREL THE BRAVE'S WARHAMMER."
[End of Part Four]