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Chapter Text

SETTING: King Andrias's throne room

TIME: Early afternoon, 3 years before the Calamity Trio's arrival

~~~

“King Andrias requests your presence.”

The sentence was unreal to Leroy when Lady Olivia had first said it to him. Even now, as he was guided through the spacious, elaborate hallways of the castle by her, it felt like nothing more than a dream. Leroy inquired about why Andrias wanted to see him, but even Olivia was unaware of the ruler’s intentions.

“Now, Leroy, while this is a very big deal and the most important first impression you’ll make in your entire life, there really is no need for you to worry, provided you act properly and show him respect.”

“Ah, well that doesn’t make me nervous at all.” Leroy stated with a wry chuckle.

Olivia sighed and placed a reassuring hand on Leroy’s shoulder.

“Just bow and speak when you are spoken to. You should be fine if you just do that.”

“Bow and speak when I am spoken to. Alright, Liv, understood.”

Leroy and Olivia approached the doors to the throne room, which were opened up for them by two newt guards. Olivia was unfazed, seeing as how she was used to this environment, but Leroy stared up at the tall ceilings and oceanic adornments in awe, eyes wide and jaw slackened in childlike wonder.

It was then that the weight of the situation hit Leroy in its entirety.

He was in the same room as-

“May I present to you Andrias Leviathan, Lord of Amphibia, Peacekeeper of a Thousand Years, and the first of his name.”

Leroy bowed, keeping his line of sight focused on the floor. 

“Leroy Lysander.”

The king's baritone voice caused a chill to run down the smaller newt’s spine. How was it possible for his own name to sound like a death sentence? He slowly lifted his eyes up to Andrias’s face, which was partially obscured by shadows. He gulped.

Mother of olms, he’s huge!

His eyes darted from side to side and his jaw worked uselessly as he attempted to say something, anything-

Andrias quickly stood up from his throne, a wide grin gracing his formerly solemn features.

“How nice to finally meet you!”

Before Leroy could fully process the jovial monarch’s words, the ground shook beneath him and he was whisked into his massive, burly arms. A pitiful squeak escaped him as he was held against the larger newt’s chest, the side of his face pressed into his soft, snow-hued beard.

He’s hugging me?! He’s- did he just pop my back? Do I smell honeysuckle? Holy olms-

Leroy was promptly set back on the ground, his body trembling as a million senseless thoughts flooded his mind. His knees buckled and before he knew it, he was staring straight up at the ceiling, his freckled cheeks a brilliant shade of crimson.

“My king!” Olivia chastised, running over to Leroy and helping him to his feet. “I don’t mean to speak out of turn, but you must be more careful with your subjects!” 

“Oh, he’s alright! Aren’t you, Leroy?”

“Hebuh- he- hyeah! Yes! Of course, I-”

Leroy cleared his throat and straightened his posture.

“I’m quite alright, your highness. Th-Thank you for having me here.”

“But of course! It would be criminal of me to not recognize one of Newtopia’s finest tapestry artists.”

Leroy averted his gaze and rubbed at the back of his neck. The corners of his lips upturned in a sheepish smile.

“Well goodness, I mean- one of the finest? Ah, I don’t know about that.” he murmured.

Andrias’s expression softened as he got down on one knee.

“If you weren’t one of the finest, I wouldn’t be commissioning you, now would I?”

Leroy perked up.

“You- you want to get a tapestry? From me? Is that why I'm here?!”

“That is why you're here, yes! There are a few tapestries around the castle that I’ve had the intention of replacing for a while. I have been searching for a local artist to aid me in this endeavor and, well, your work happens to be my favorite! So, I was wondering if you would be up to the task.”

All Leroy could do was smile and nod in response, his tail wagging with unrestrained glee. Andrias hopped to his feet with an elated giggle and clasped his hands together. 

“Marvelous!”

He walked over to his throne, grabbed the documents that were sitting beside it, and handed them to Leroy. 

“Here are the details of what I’m looking for in my new tapestries. Now, if you would follow Lady Olivia, she will guide you to where the old tapestries are, just so you have an idea of what environment yours will be displayed in.” Andrias explained.

Leroy recovered his usually-composed demeanor and bowed his head. 

“Of course, King Andrias. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Leroy.”

Chapter Text

~~ (Leroy’s POV) ~~

As Leroy followed Olivia out of the throne room, he was unable to contain his giggling long enough for the guards to fully shut the doors behind them.

“Oh my frog!” he shrieked. “Can you believe it, Liv?! King Andrias wants me to make tapestries for him! Me! Who would have thought…holy olms. Am I dreaming? Please tell me this isn’t a dream.”

Olivia smiled.

“I can assure you that all of this is real.” she replied sincerely.

Leroy stomped in place giddily, another bout of giggles escaping from him. He took a deep breath and stilled himself.

“Okay, I’m mellowed out. It’s just…wow! Tapestries for the king! And I’m making them!”

“You certainly are. Now, let’s keep moving.”

“Right, right, sorry. Lead the way!”

The two newts began their walk down one of the castle’s long, expansive hallways. Leroy mentally noted the different details of the architecture- he couldn’t help it, seeing as how architectural engineering was his main occupation. It wasn’t his first choice of job but, hey, it paid well enough for him to bear staying with it.

What stuck out most to Leroy was the height of the castle’s hallways. Of course, it made sense considering how it was built to accommodate the tall, powerful frames that set the Leviathan Family apart from Newtopia’s citizens. Leroy’s eyes soon settled on a massive painting with a solid gold frame that dwarfed all the other art pieces hanging beside it. He froze in place upon registering exactly who the subject of the portrait was.

King Andrias Leviathan.

The monarch had one of his metal boots hiked up on a grassy ledge, which likely belonged to one of the many cliffs surrounding the city of Newtopia. Both of his hands were balled up into fists, though one was against his hip while the other rested on his elevated knee. What really caught Leroy’s attention, though, was the small, friendly smile plastered on Andrias’s face. It contradicted his proud, regal pose with just how gentle and welcoming it was in comparison.

Leroy hugged the king’s documents tightly against his chest, a familiar heat springing into his cheeks as he kept his gaze upon the painting. He recalled how powerful and deep Andrias’s voice was, the way he towered over him, the way he laughed, the way it felt to be wrapped in his embrace for a fleeting moment, the faint scent of honeysuckle in his beard…

“How nice to finally meet you!”

Leroy gulped.

I didn’t expect King Andrias to be so…

“Leroy?”

So…

“Leroy.”

Captivating.

“Leroy!”

The purple newt quickly shifted his line of sight down to Olivia, who was now regarding him with mild annoyance.

“Huh?”

“Can we continue walking or are you just going to stand and stare at the king’s portrait all day?”

“I wasn’t staring!” Leroy blurted out panickedly. “I-I just…I…uh…”

“You just what?”

A nervous smile made its way to Leroy’s face.

“Appreciating the composition! And those brush strokes, wow. It’s a really well-done piece. Really handso- I mean pretty! Haha, y’know what I’m saying? Except I think they, uh, got his chest scar wrong.”

“Chest scar?”

“Yeah! You know, that big, crisscrossed slash on his chest armor. It’s on the wrong side.”

Olivia stared up at the painting.

“Odd. I never noticed that before.”

“Yep! Say, how about we keep going down this hall? We should just get going, amirite?!”

Olivia raised an eyebrow and cast a suspicious gaze at Leroy, who’d become very noticeably awkward.

“Uh-huh.” she muttered. “Very well then.”

The royal advisor continued forward and Leroy followed soon after. He stole one last look at the painting then turned back towards Olivia, a sullen sigh making its way out of him as the reality of the situation settled in.

Don’t be ridiculous, Leroy. You’d never have a chance.

~~ (Andrias’s POV) ~~

“The pleasure is all mine, Leroy.”

Leroy smiled up at Andrias before turning towards the throne room’s doors and going after Olivia. The king observed the two newts curiously while they made their way out into the hallway. As the guards started closing the doors, Andrias began his return to his throne, though the sound of loud, gleeful giggling prompted him to halt and look back.

“Oh my frog! Can you believe it, Liv?! King Andrias wants me to make tapestries for him! Me!”

The doors slammed shut.

Andrias couldn’t resist cracking an earnest grin. It was impossible for even him to deny just how infectious Leroy’s excitement was.

Well, isn’t he adorable?

He quickly stopped smiling, a slight scowl darkening his features upon processing the thought.

“Adorable?” Andrias asked himself quietly.

He scoffed, though he further considered the word in reference to Leroy. His mind wandered back to the diminutive tapestry artist’s contagious smile and round, freckled cheeks. He was so polite, so enthusiastic, so humble, so…

Adorable.

Andrias shook his head. There was that word again. Frustrating as it was to realize, that was the most accurate descriptor for Leroy.

Over his one millennia of ruling, Andrias had many subjects with endearing faces set foot in his throne room. Leroy was merely the latest. He would complete the task given to him and then the two would part ways forevermore, just like every charming amphibian that preceded him. Painful as it was, that’s just the way it went.

That’s the only way it could ever be.

Andrias didn’t have time for things as trivial as friendship or romance, no matter how much he may have craved it deep down. It was nothing more than a guarantee for agonizing, needless heartbreak, and he’d had his fair share of that already.

The Core had always urged Andrias to never let others get close because they’d only want him for his status, or they’d realize just how flawed he is and end up abandoning him, or he would just outlive them and leave him behind to pick up the shattered pieces of his very being.

Andrias took those words to heart.

He spent a thousand years with no one to keep him company but the cruel, judgmental voices in his head. What was a thousand more?

They were all he needed.

They were all he would ever have.

Chapter Text

SETTING: King Andrias’s throne room

TIME: Late afternoon, 4 months later  

~~~

After many long nights and nearly sleepless weekends, Leroy finally completed all three of Andrias’s tapestries. His back and wrists ached, but seeing just how well the final products turned out made the pain more than worth it.

The first tapestry was a cliffside view of Newtopia during daytime.

The second tapestry was a portrayal of the starry night sky.

The final tapestry and Leroy’s favorite of the three was a sunflower field at dawn. He was thrilled with how the various hues of pink, purple, gold, green, and blue melded together into what he considered to be his best work yet.

He only hoped that Andrias would be satisfied with them.

After notifying Lady Olivia that he completed the tapestries, she passed the message on to King Andrias. As Leroy waited for Olivia to get back in touch with him, he assumed that Andrias would send Olivia or one of his servants to come retrieve the tapestries from him.

But he was wrong. Andrias wanted Leroy to deliver the tapestries himself.

The thought of having Olivia paraphrase the king’s reactions to his tapestries was nerve-racking enough, but being summoned to his throne room once more and actually watching him react?

It was downright petrifying.

Olivia insisted that it was something Andrias had always done when it came to commissioned art pieces being placed in the castle, long before she was his advisor. She explained how he preferred and even enjoyed having the artists see his reaction to their works rather than being spoon-fed a reworded and condensed version of it.

The fact that Andrias wanted to directly give feedback to Leroy was…nice. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but be frightened by the whole ordeal.

Even more so now that it was finally time to give the king what he paid for.

Leroy had neatly packed each tapestry into one box, taking special care to ensure that they didn’t get wrinkled. A gilded snail-drawn carriage brought him to the castle and he now found himself pacing outside the throne room.

He stopped pacing and looked at the doors.

Liv should be coming out any minute now.

A few moments passed. Leroy started pacing again. He soon stopped to look back at the doors.

Does she not know that I’m here?

He began to pace once more.

I can’t just waltz right in…can I?

Within seconds, the sound of the doors swinging open caught his attention.

Finally! She’s-

Upon casting his gaze towards the entrance of the throne room, Leroy realized that it wasn’t Olivia who’d opened the doors. Instead of making eye contact with the royal advisor, he found himself staring at the top edges of a metal pair of boots. His head snapped upwards so fast that he wouldn’t have registered doing so if he hadn’t been looking into the eyes of-

“King Andrias?!”

The aforementioned monarch beamed down at him.

“Hello there, Leroy! You seem awfully surprised that I’m in my own throne room.” he remarked amusedly.

Leroy felt like his gut was filled with a restless swarm of kill-a-pillars. In his months away from Andrias, he’d almost forgotten just how winsome he was. That smile, those eyes, his voice-

“Oh! I just wasn’t expecting you to be the one who opened the doors. That’s all.”

“Well, come in! I’ve been dying to see those tapestries all day!”

Andrias stepped aside and let Leroy into the room. After closing the doors, he walked past the smaller newt and sat down on the floor in front of his throne.

Leroy steeled himself as he approached.

Here goes nothing.

“Your tapestries, my king.”

Leroy placed the box into Andrias’s outstretched hands. With haste, Andrias opened up the box and pulled the first tapestry out, his entire disposition brightening.

“Wow!”

He pulled out the second tapestry, regarding it with a pleased “Oooh!” before moving on and pulling out the third and final tapestry. He was completely silent, though his jaw was slackened as he examined it.

Leroy waited. And waited. And waited.

Does he not like it? Did I do something wrong? I got in over my head with this, didn’t I? He’s gonna tell me that he hates-

“Leroy…this is absolutely magnificent! All of these are!” Andrias exclaimed. He eagerly turned the tapestry he was holding towards Leroy so that he could get a better look at it.

“This one is my favorite.” he added cheerfully.

The field of sunflowers.

All of the weight that had been on Leroy’s shoulders for months was finally lifted. He smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

“Ah, the sunflower tapestry. That one is my favorite of the bunch as well. I’m so, so glad you like them!”

“Like them? I love them!”

Andrias set the tapestries back in the box and stood up.

“I suppose there’s only one thing left for you to do now.” he continued, straightening his posture.

Leroy continued smiling, though he tilted his head slightly in confusion.

“What would that be, your majesty?”

At once, Andrias brandished a sword with a blade appearing to be made of fire.

Leroy couldn’t help but be startled at the sight of the immense, violently buzzing weapon and nearly tripped backwards over his own feet. Its bright orange glow illuminated the ruler’s usually friendly facial features in a way that made him appear much, much more sinister.

“Kneel.” Andrias commanded.

Leroy’s heart was in his throat as he obeyed his king, getting down on one knee in front of him.

“My king,” he managed to say shakily. “What are you doing?”

“I’m knighting you, of course! Now, stay still. I don’t want to singe your hair off.”

“Wh-What?!”

“I’m just kidding!” Andrias said playfully. “Goodness. You’re a tense little guy, aren’t you?”

If it was possible for Leroy to spontaneously combust in that moment, he would have. He could have sworn that his face was on fire. Was it on fire? Was he on fire? Was it hot in this room or was it just-

Oh, for frog’s sake! Pull yourself together!

“Ahaha…yeah. Guess maybe I am.” he murmured bashfully.

Andrias’s expression shifted into one of light endearment upon noticing how flustered Leroy was.

Adorable.

He shook himself from his thoughts.

“Ahem. Let’s go through with this, shall we?”

Leroy nodded and closed his eyes. He bowed his head upon hearing Andrias take a couple steps closer to him.

“Be it known to all of Newtopia that I, King Andrias Leviathan, do hereby knight thee, Leroy Lysander, by virtue of…ugh, all this antiquated language is making me nauseous! As ruler of Amphibia, I dub thee Sir Leroy Lysander.”

Andrias held the tip of his sword over Leroy’s left shoulder, then raised it over his head and held it over his right shoulder. A shiver ran down Leroy’s spine upon hearing the crackle of the king’s blade next to his face. After finishing the knighting motion, Andrias deactivated his weapon and put it away.

“Rise and be recognized.”

Leroy stood up and fixed Andrias with an awestruck gaze.

“I-I…wow. You liked my tapestries that much?” he questioned. “Enough to…knight me?”

“I am well within my right to knight you for such an outstanding achievement. You’ve served me well, Sir Leroy.”

Sir Leroy.

He couldn’t stop his tail from wagging in response to how Andrias said his newly achieved title and name.

Sir Leroy Lysander! Wow! That’s me!

It took every ounce of willpower he had to not dissolve into a giddy, overly hyper mess in front of the Lord of Amphibia. Couldn’t risk embarrassing himself again because he got stupidly excited around the wrong person, right?

“It was an honor to serve you, King Andrias.” Leroy replied, bowing his head. He turned around and took a step towards the exit.

“Wait! Don’t forget your payment!” Andrias called out, grabbing a bag of coppers from his throne. Leroy quickly swiveled back around.

“Oh! Of course!”

Andrias placed the bag into Leroy’s hands. The artist’s eyes widened as he noticed how heavy it was.

“Olms below! Are you certain this is only 3,000 coppers, your majesty?” Leroy asked, examining the satchel.

“Mm, I may have slipped a little something extra in there.” Andrias responded coyly. “Consider it a tip for your hard work.”

“Thank you so much! That’s really kind of you. I…you didn’t have to do that.”

“I’m the king. I can do whatever I want.”

“Hahaha! Yeah…yeah, you sure can.”

Andrias and Leroy fixed each other with softened gazes for a moment.

A moment that felt far too long.

A moment that could have lasted for an eternity.

Just say something.

Say something!

Haven’t I seen that look before?

Could it be-?

No!

Don’t be ridiculous.

…Can you feel it, too?

Oh, why bother.

Leroy quickly broke eye contact.

“Well! I suppose that’s that then. Better get back home before the sun sets and put this somewhere safe, amirite?” he stated, stepping towards the throne room doors.

“Of course. Thank you again for the tapestries.”

“No problem! Hey, if you ever need another one, or whatever…you know where to find me.”

“Yeah.” Andrias mused. “I bid you farewell, Sir Leroy.”

“Until we meet again, King Andrias.”

With that, Leroy exited the throne room, closing the doors behind him carefully and stealing one last glance at Andrias as he did so. Andrias merely stood still and watched the doors shut.

Now that the two newts had parted ways, they were abruptly and uncomfortably aware of how large the castle was. How lonely it was. How its spacious but empty halls were a disturbingly accurate reflection of what they knew they both were deep down…

Hollow.

Chapter Text

SETTING: Leroy’s House

TIME: Early morning, 2 years and 8 months later

~~~

As Leroy got closer to his 40s, it seemed that every day passed by slightly quicker than the last.

Wake up, eat, drink tea, work, go home, shower, sleep.  

Wake up, eat, drink tea, work, go home, shower, sleep.  

Wake up, eat, drink tea, work, go home, shower, lay awake for longer than desired and simultaneously think about nothing and everything, sleep…

Wake up. Do it all again.

Even on the weekends, he couldn’t get a break due to his side gig as a tapestry maker. No matter how he went about his day, it was all so tedious. So repetitive. So painfully inescapable.

However, Leroy had to admit that the past week was…quite interesting.

At one point, Olivia approached him and the construction crew he was collaborating with out of nowhere and brandished a large golden credit card. She said that, if they dropped everything they were doing and followed her, they would be paid handsomely.

Well, who was Leroy to deny some extra coppers? He and his crew gladly obliged and were soon brought face-to-face with, admittedly, one of the strangest beings he’d ever seen in his life. She had no tail, abnormal protrusions coming from the sides of her head, a bump in the middle of her flattened face, five fingers on each hand, and was the same height as him.

Leroy had heard murmurings about a unique creature that the king had welcomed into the palace and was apparently taking care of. Mostly from Olivia, though he’d overheard various conversations about the otherworldly child on the streets recently.

Her name was Marcy Wu. She was friendly and staggeringly intelligent and, olms, was she an excitable little hummer…hummus? Hooban?

Frog it! Leroy could not remember the name of her species. The point was, Marcy was a nice kid and he got along with her almost immediately.

In a way, she reminded him of himself when he was younger.

As it turned out, Marcy and Olivia were recruiting construction crews, architects, and artisans from all over Newtopia to help fix the ancient, crumbling bridge that had been standing long before Andrias was coronated. It was one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking jobs that Leroy had taken on because this wasn’t some normal building he was repairing or raising or making blueprints for.

No, no- this was a notable historical monument.

After Olivia recruited even more amphibians and beasts of burden to aid in this endeavor, the massive team of 10,000 began their work.

Two days later, the old bridge was as good as new. It was even adorned with a giant golden statue of Marcy to commemorate the fact that she kickstarted its restoration! Leroy would have attended the ribbon cutting ceremony but, unfortunately, he was sick on the day it occurred.

He believed that restoring the bridge would be the last enlivening experience he’d have for a while. That’s usually the way it was- something memorable and enjoyable would happen, then it was back to life as usual for an undetermined amount of time until the next event.

Thankfully, he was wrong.

Leroy was in the midst of sipping tiredly at his tea when a rhythmic banging noise sounded from his front door, startling him out of his sleepy daze. He set his tea down and, after tying his robe shut, opened the door to a well-dressed orange newt that was slightly older and shorter than himself.

“Hi, Dawn! What brings you here?”

“Hey, Leroy! I’ve got a letter here from Lady Olivia. For you, of course.”

Leroy took the letter from Dawn, perplexedly examining the extravagantly decorated envelope. A crimson-colored wax seal with the royal Newtopian crest held it closed.

Huh. Liv’s letters aren’t usually this ornate.

“Well, thank you. Would you like to come in for a cup of tea? I can heat some water up for you if you’d like.” Leroy offered.

“Oh, not today, I’m afraid. Duty calls. Thanks for asking, though!” Dawn remarked with a smile.

“But of course! You take care, alright?”

“You too! Bye!”

“Bye!”

Dawn departed hastily and Leroy shut the door soon after, locking the door behind him. He made his way back to his kitchen.

Wonder what this is all about.

Leroy sat down and continued drinking his tea. He glanced at the overly fancy envelope every few seconds, his curiosity gradually increasing until he couldn’t resist it anymore. He gingerly opened the letter and started reading it.

Sir Leroy Lysander,

Lady Olivia Marinus humbly requests your presence as her guest at the fifth centennial Coral Jubilee, which will be located in Newtopia Castle’s Platinum Pearl Ballroom unless stated otherwise by His Royal Majesty Andrias Leviathan.

There was no doubt in Leroy's mind that, had he been sipping on his tea while reading, it would have ended up all over the elaborate parchment. He finished reading the rest of the letter, then read it a second time, then a third time just for good measure.

Liv got me an invitation to the Coral Jubilee?!

To say Leroy was thrilled was an understatement. In just two weeks, he would be attending one of Amphibia's most extravagant and rare celebrations. He knew so many newts that would give anything to attend the jubilee and here he was, one of the lucky recipients of a ticket.

It truly was a once-in-a-lifetime event seeing as how Andrias only hosted the event once every hundred years. Sure, he had a variety of celebrations that he held in his castle every year, but the Coral Jubilee was different.

And Leroy, for one, couldn’t wait to be a part of it. He'd get to dress up in his best outfit, try all sorts of exotic dishes, partake in various activities, see the king-

Leroy's train of thought halted for a moment.

Andrias.

He chuckled wryly to himself. It was amusing to think about just how deeply he'd pined for the monarch after only meeting him twice.

Lovesick fool.

Leroy shook his head and sighed, setting the invitation down on his table.

Never mind all that. I've got a jubilee to prepare for.

Chapter Text

SETTING(S): Leroy’s House

TIME: Early evening, 2 weeks later

~~~

Today was the day.

Leroy stood in front of his bedroom mirror, carefully pulling his new white cravat out from beneath the edge of his formal vest, which was a cyan cornflower blue. A little smoothing here, a little fluffing there…

He grabbed the silver shell-shaped brooch on his dresser and began fastening it to his cravat.

The lilac-hued newt took a couple of steps back after he was done and closely surveyed his outfit. Light reflected off the crystals that were evenly nestled throughout the embroidery on his dark blue tailcoat and matching dress pants. His black knee-high leather boots clicked on the wooden floor as he took a step closer to pull his hair into a low ponytail. He backed away from the mirror again and couldn’t resist beaming at how attractive he looked.

Why, Leroy hadn’t felt this good about himself in at least a decade! He felt like he could conquer anything when he looked as fiendishly handsome as he did now. After giving himself a moment to admire his appearance, he took a deep breath and smiled at his own reflection.

Knock ‘em dead, Leroy!

Leroy made his way towards his living room. Seeing as how he was finished getting ready, there was nothing left for him to do but wait for Olivia to give him a ride to the Coral Jubilee.

He glanced up at the clock.

Ah. She should be here any minute now.

Leroy leaned his back against the countertop, mindlessly tapping his fingers against his upper arm. It’s not like he had time to start on his latest tapestry commission before Olivia arrived. He couldn’t sit down either since he was concerned that sitting for too long would cause his clothing to get all wrinkled.

How dreadfully boring it was. Though, Leroy was still excited- he just hoped the Coral Jubilee would live up to all the hype that surrounded it.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Leroy perked up. He hastily made his way to the door and opened it, pleased to be met with the sight of a familiar golden snail-drawn carriage. A tall, yellow newt in formal attire stood not too far in front of him.

“Sir Leroy Lysander, I presume?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Very good. Right this way, sir.”

Leroy locked his door and followed the chauffeur to the carriage. The door was opened for him and he stepped inside, his gaze instantly settling on Olivia. Her ruffly magenta dress glimmered ever so slightly in the lamplight and, in Leroy’s opinion, was perfectly complemented by her white weasel fur shawl and light pink satin gloves.

“Olms below! You’re as stunning as ever, Liv!”

Olivia laughed softly.

“You’re too kind, Lee.” she replied.

“Just telling the truth is all.” Leroy said, an earnest grin crinkling the skin at the outer corners of his eyes.

“Thank you. I must say, you look rather dashing yourself! Is that a new tailcoat?”

“It certainly is! I got it just for tonight. Oh, and this vest is…”

Leroy and Olivia continued conversing as the carriage trekked onwards to Newtopia Castle. Deep down, Leroy knew that everything was going to be perfectly fine. He and Olivia were going to have a great time- heck, a grand time! There was nothing to worry about.

So why was it that a sense of dread boiled in his gut? Or, maybe, it was just the leftover crab cakes he ate earlier. They did taste a little strange.

Either way, Leroy did everything in his power to ignore it. He’d always been an anxious newt when it came to large events, so it was probably just the jitters. Nothing could ruin this night!

…right?

~~~

SETTING(S): The Platinum Pearl Ballroom

TIME: Early evening, 5 minutes later

~~~

Leroy and Olivia stepped into the Platinum Pearl Ballroom, arms linked as they slowly made their way through the crowd of well-dressed amphibians together. Events like these were nothing new to Olivia- she’d known the ins and outs of this ballroom since she was a teenager, training under her mother to become Andrias’s next royal advisor. Leroy, on the other hand, stared with wide-eyed wonder at the elaborate décor and architecture and sheer size of it.

The artist silently reminded himself that, of course, it would have to be big enough to accommodate the likes of the Leviathan family. Speaking of which…where was Andrias at? Leroy scanned the room, curious as to where the monarch was located, until his eyes settled on the large throne-like chair at the table on the farthest side of the room. It was currently empty and surrounded by seven normal-sized chairs, though they looked like part of a furniture set for efts in comparison to what clearly belonged to Amphibia’s ruler.

He cracked a smile at how humorous the juxtaposition was, though it soon fell as he started to wonder if Andrias ever felt alienated due to how massive he was. Sure, the castle was built for newts his size, but he really couldn’t go anywhere else without instantaneously being noticed by his subjects and subsequently getting swarmed by them, starstruck beyond belief at being in the presence of their king! It had to be impossible for him to get privacy if he just wanted to get out of the castle, which likely made him feel-

“HELLOOOOOOOO, DEAR CITIZENS!”

Upon hearing the deep, thunderous voice reverberate through the ballroom, Leroy’s train of thought came to a screeching halt. The sound of raucous cheering and loud applauding flooded his senses enough to where he started to feel slightly nauseous.

He didn’t have to turn around in order to know who’d just made his entrance. Frog, he was almost afraid to do so. The ache in his gut from earlier returned at full force as he looked back towards the Lord of Amphibia, Peacekeeper of a Thousand Years, and first of his name…

Andrias Leviathan.

His snow-white beard was neatly pulled into a braid. He donned ivory-hued chest armor with round pauldrons as opposed to his usual purple-brown armor with shell-shaped pauldrons. A scarlet cape wrapped around his body and cascaded down to his ankles, which were concealed by reddish-brown leather boots that came up just below his knees. His off-white dress shirt with lacy cuffs was tucked into his dark grey dress pants, whereas his light teal tunic with golden embroidery along the edges was tucked beneath his brown leather belt and stopped at his knees.

One of the most eye-catching parts of Andrias’s attire, though, was the gold crown with inlaid pink and blue gems around its circumference sitting atop his head. Seeing Andrias without his usual crown, which was carved from a shark tooth, was quite an unusual sight to behold.

Marcy, who was wearing a lavender dress, came up beside Andrias. He knelt down in order to hear something she was whispering to him and promptly let out a laugh. A warm, rich, melodic, beautiful baritone laugh.

Oh, olms. Not this again.

Leroy quickly shifted his sights down to Olivia, trying desperately to ignore the warmth spreading to his cheeks.

“What’s that face for?” Olivia asked, her voice dripping with smug amusement.

“Nothing!” Leroy blurted out. “Don’t worry about it!”

“If you insist.” Olivia remarked.

Leroy huffed and turned away from the royal advisor.

Andrias advanced into the ballroom. Closely following behind him was General Yunan, Bartley, Branson, and Blair, who all wore formal suits. As he got closer, he locked eyes with Leroy. An unidentifiable emotion briefly flashed across his features before he went back to smiling and waving, slowly but surely making his way to his table.

Leroy furrowed his eyebrows, unsure what to make of the look he’d been given.

“What was all that about?” he inquired, looking back down towards Olivia. However, she seemed to be lost in her thoughts since she was practically gawking at Yunan.

Leroy smirked despite himself and nudged Olivia, snapping her out of her trance and prompting her to look at him.

“‘What’s that face for?’” he questioned mockingly.

Olivia scoffed and shoved Leroy back, receiving a snicker from him.

“Let’s just go to our table.” she grumbled, pulling Leroy forward by his arm.

“As you wish.”

Olivia led Leroy through the group of amphibians until they found themselves not too far from their table. But it wasn’t just any old table, oh no- it was the host’s table. Andrias’s table.

Leroy’s eyes were like saucers.

“Liv. Liv. You didn’t tell me we were going to be sitting with the king.” he whispered hoarsely.

“I’m his advisor, Lee! Of course I’m going to be sitting with him!” Olivia murmured sharply. “I thought that was obvious!”

“Well, clearly, it wasn’t!” Leroy snapped back.

“Lady Olivia! Sir Leroy!”

The pair swiveled their heads towards the table, immediately making eye contact with Andrias.

“Why don’t you two take a seat?” he questioned, gesturing towards the two chairs that were still available.

Leroy gulped.

He remembers me.

Holy frog, he remembers me!

“Of course, sire.”

“Right away, my king.”

Olivia approached the table and sat between Yunan and Marcy, which left Leroy no choice but to sit between Blair and Andrias. He settled into his chair, careful not to wrinkle his tailcoat, and instinctively clasped his hands together.

Relax, you’ve talked to him before! Then again, that was…two years ago? Three years ago? Frog, why did Olivia have to take the one seat left that wasn’t right next to him?

“How nice of you two to finally join us!” Andrias remarked jokingly. “Now let’s get this party started, shall we?”

At the snap of his fingers, the hired musical ensemble consisting of a string quartet, pianist, and saxophonist was cued to play by their conductor.  A large group of waiters with trays spread through the ballroom and snaked their way to each table. The waiter for Andrias’s table brought a tray with a single massive goblet filled to the brim with chardonnay in the center, surrounded by seven smaller goblets- six of them were also filled with chardonnay but one was filled with grape juice for Marcy.

Andrias took his goblet off the tray and thanked the waiter, which was the waiter’s cue to serve the rest of the table their drinks.

“Thank you.” Leroy said politely, taking his goblet off the tray. He took in the scent of the beverage and sighed blissfully.

Wine. Thank the olms.

Leroy took a swig of the drink, which was oaky and much nuttier than he’d expected, then pulled the goblet away from his lips. A pleasant sweetness seemed to tie the flavors together perfectly.

“Wow!” Leroy exclaimed. He lifted the goblet to his mouth and took another sip of the drink.

Andrias beamed down at the smaller newt.

“Pretty good, right?” he asked.

Leroy simply nodded and smiled in return before glancing away.

“Y-Yeah, for sure.” he murmured.

An unusually tense silence quickly filled the space between Leroy and Andrias.

“How’ve you-”

“So-”

Andrias and Leroy realized that they’d started speaking at the same time and began stumbling over each others’ sentences.

“Sorry, you can go first.”

“No no, you can go first!”

“Are you certain? I don’t mind, really.”

“I insist, your majesty.

“Alright!”

Andrias cleared his throat.

“How’ve you been holding up? It’s been a while since I saw you last.”

“Almost three years, I think.”

“Something like that!”

“Yeah! Well, uh, I’ve been alright. Just been working on architecture and tapestries, which is…normal.”

Is this room getting hotter? I swear it was cold when I walked in here.

Leroy took a large sip of his drink and lightly pulled at his collar.

“So, how about you?” he continued.

“Oh, just ruling the same country I’ve been in charge of for the past thousand years. You know how it is.” Andrias replied casually. He glanced over the edge of his goblet and made eye contact with Leroy, who regarded him with a befuddled look.

“Uh…no, I don’t believe I do.” he replied amusedly.

The two held each others’ gaze as Andrias registered what he said and, at once, they dissolved into giggling messes.

“‘I don’t believe I do.’” Andrias parroted before bursting into laughter once more.

“Whew,” he wiped away a tear. “You’re quite the comedian, Sir Leroy. But yes, you’re right- you wouldn’t know what it’s like to rule.”

“Nah, I don’t.” Leroy remarked, lightly swishing his chardonnay around in his goblet.

“Wouldn’t mind learning, though.” he mused under his breath.

Andrias tilted his head.

“What was that?”

“U-Uh,” Leroy’s cheeks became rosy. “I said I wouldn’t mind more of this wine! Frog, this is delicious. Can I get a refill? Do you want a refill? I can call a waiter over!”

Leroy momentarily ceased his nervous rambling.

“Do I even know how to call a waiter over?” he pondered hushedly.

Andrias pretended not to notice Leroy’s worrying as he slowly drank from his goblet, watching the lilac-colored newt from the corner of his eye while he attempted to summon their waiter. After a few times, he was finally successful. Olms, even he had to admit that Leroy was just…

Adorable.

He sighed forlornly before drinking some more of his chardonnay and quickly standing up.

Don’t even try, you old fool. There are more important things to focus on.

“Well,” Andrias started. “I ought to pay my other subjects a visit.”

With that, the monarch made his way to a nearby table and greeted them with his trademark cheeriness. Leroy kept his eyes on him for a moment before leaning towards Olivia. As he opened his mouth to try striking conversation with her, though, he noticed that she was walking away with Yunan and Marcy.

No worries, I’m sure I can talk to-

Upon turning to Blair, Leroy realized that he was bickering with Bartley and Branson about something. Probably a trivial happening- Olivia told him all about their tendency to squabble over any possible topic.

Oh.

Leroy leaned back into his chair and downed half of his freshly refilled drink, silently observing the rest of the partygoers. It was then that he remembered why he kept to himself and never went to events like these- one way or another, he always ended up being the odd one out.

Sure, he could just stick around Olivia, ask if he could tag along with her, Yunan, and Marcy, but it felt invasive. She was her own newt with her own companions and Leroy respected that.

…was he right about the two of them starting to drift apart?

He shook himself from his thoughts.

Snap out of it, Leroy! Tonight’s supposed to be fun…so how about I make it that way?

Leroy chugged the rest of his chardonnay and slammed his goblet down on the table with enough force to startle Bartley, Branson, and Blair out of their argument. They quietly stared at Leroy, clearly puzzled and annoyed with his behavior. A certain lightness filled Leroy’s head as he stood up and a familiar warmth crept through his thighs.

“Come on, gentlemen! Do you really wanna spend the whole night bickering? Don’t you wanna let loose?” Leroy inquired.

“‘Letting loose’ isn’t what we do.” Bartley stated flatly.

Leroy scoffed.

“Your loss. Say, are you gonna drink that, Blair?”

“No, I probably wo-”

Leroy snatched Blair’s goblet and gulped down the entirety of its contents before placing it back down on the table and wiping his mouth on his sleeve. All Bartley, Branson, and Blair could do in response was stare dumbfoundedly at the artist.

“Whew, thanks! I’m gonna head to the dance floor. Later, Bee Boys.” Leroy said, sauntering away from the speechless trio.

He walked towards the open space, picking up some bug appetizers from a nearby waiter’s tray and scarfing them down on his way. Within a few moments, he made his way through the crowd to the edge of the dance floor…

And froze.

Upon further observation, Leroy saw that it was filled with pairs of wealthy newts, young and old, dancing together. They gazed upon each other with adoration, laughed into their partners’ shoulders, and twirled one another around to the tune that echoed through the expanse of the ballroom. Leroy thought it was endearing to see so many couples having a nice time but a profound feeling of emptiness seized his gut nonetheless.

Maybe I shouldn’t dance right now. Besides, this room’s getting stale anyways.

With legs that grew wobblier with each step he took, Leroy walked to the balcony doors, opened and closed them behind him, and made his way further out onto the balcony. He steadied himself against the railing. He took in the sight of the faintly glowing streetlamps and the lights that adorned Newtopia’s buildings.

It was like Leroy stared down upon a field full of fireflies- or at least, what he imagined a field full of fireflies would look like. He’d always trekked beyond the cliffs of Newtopia to get visual references and inspiration for his tapestries before dusk.

I should search for that field full of fireflies someday.

Leroy lifted his line of sight towards the full blueish-purple moon that hung high above the horizon, then up to the starry sky above, then back at the moon upon realizing its discoloration.

Oh hey, that’s new.

He’d never seen Amphibia’s usually blood-red mood look like that before! It was then that he remembered tonight was the night of a rare lunar eclipse that only happened every half a century. It made the night sky look completely new and magnificent. Heck, he could even see stars that he had never viewed before!

As Leroy craned his neck further and further back to take a better look at the sky, he lost his balance and fell on his rump. At this point, his head was spinning from the amount of wine he drank, so he opted to stay sitting.

Alright…guess I’ll stay here on the ground then. No problem.

Leroy made himself comfortable on the balcony. The muffled sound of music and voices melded together and faded into a pleasant ambience as he scanned the sky for constellations. Every so often, he hummed along to the melody of whatever piece was playing. He breathed in the cool, crisp nighttime air, mentally noting that it wouldn’t be long before autumn arrived, and quietly said the names of every constellation he found out to himself.

The lavender amphibian gave up on finding every constellation and decided to start making up his own names for asterisms he spotted in the sky.

Meanwhile, Andrias had finished catching up with his other subjects, drinking more of his chardonnay as he did so. He always enjoyed interacting with his subjects, but there was something so dreadfully boring about hearing them talk about their businesses or wealth or new boats. All of it was so frivolous and irritating to listen to over and over again, though Andrias kept wearing a good-natured smile and acting interested.

Lord, why are rich newts so materialistic?

Despite him trying to make things fun and exciting, newts like that made things so dull. Besides, he didn’t want to miss out on the quickly approaching lunar eclipse. This particular one only happened once every fifty years and, ever since his reign began, he hadn’t missed a single one. It was a beautiful sight to behold and he simply had to witness it for himself.

“I’m going to get some fresh air.” he announced to his final table, walking towards the balcony doors.

“Oh! Might we join you, your majesty?” one of the newts said.

“The offer is appreciated but I’d like some time to myself.”

“Ah. As you wish, my lord.”

Andrias walked out to the balcony, shutting the doors so as to deter anyone from following him, and let out a sigh of relief.

Peace and quiet.

However, in his haste to get away from the aristocrats, Andrias hadn’t noticed that Leroy was already occupying the balcony and promptly jumped out of his skin.

“Sir Leroy!”

It was Leroy’s turn to be alarmed. He got his bearings together hastily and turned towards Andrias, whose expression spelt out mild apprehension.

“King Andrias!” he exclaimed. “I- you-”

Leroy looked around the balcony, his eyes widening and darting around as he fearfully realized that he was trespassing.

“Oh frog! I’m in your space, aren’t I?!”

“You're fine! It’s just, I almost stepped on-”

“No no it’s okay! I’ll go-”

Leroy quickly stood up, failing to remember how inebriated he was, and lost his balance again.

Though, this time, he didn’t hit the ground.

After a moment, he registered the sensation of two large hands cradling his back and the way his hands were placed on Andrias’s forearms. On top of that, the ruler’s face was now much, much closer to his own.

Due to Andrias growing accustomed to catching Marcy, he instinctively dove forward upon seeing Leroy lose balance but fell on one knee due to being tipsy himself. As a result, he was now leaning over the smaller newt and holding him close like he was in the middle of dipping him on the dance floor.

The duo quietly gazed into each other’s eyes, unsure what to make of their predicament. All they knew was that their panic shifted into something more serene and exciting now that they were so close to each other.

“May I kiss you?” Leroy blurted out, his words shaky and faintly slurred.

Olms have mercy did I just say that out LOUD?

Andrias was taken aback by the question. Kiss him? Right here? Right now? He hadn’t done that with another amphibian since he was known as Prince Andrias! The very thought of it was enough to make his heartrate spike.

Then again, tonight was about having fun and enjoying himself. A night free of The Core’s vitriolic voice rattling through his skull. What harm could a few kisses from Sir Leroy do?

It’s not like I’ll remember it in the morning anyways.

He grinned and moved one of his hands up Leroy’s back in order to support his neck.

“I thought you’d never ask.” he replied playfully.

A ghost of a smile flashed across Leroy’s features before he moved his hands up to Andrias’s face. The pair leaned in, closed their eyes, and their lips met in a soft, clumsy kiss. Then they shared another less clumsy kiss. Then another, then another, and one more…

They pulled away and drank in the sight of each other, smiles lightly playing at their lips.

“Wowza.” Leroy murmured, breathless. He furrowed his brow upon registering what he said and groaned.

“Really, Leroy? ‘Wowza?’” he added, clearly embarrassed by himself.

“You’re pretty ‘wowza’ yourself.” Andrias commented, making himself and Leroy chuckle.

After a moment, he helped Leroy stand up straight and guided him to the railing of the balcony, where the two stared up at the lunar eclipse in silence. Leroy was wobbly from the amount of alcohol in his system and, without thought, leaned against Andrias’s arm to steady himself.

“Mmm,” he hummed softly. “Big guy.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Andrias stated, clearly amused. He looked down at Leroy, whose eyes appeared heavy and glassy.

“You feeling alright?” he asked.

 Leroy pondered the question.

“Just wiggly.” he answered.

“Mmhmm, I figured. Why don’t you go inside? Wouldn’t want you falling off the balcony.”

“Yeah…being out here with you’s a lot more good though.” Leroy confessed, leaning his head against Andrias’s arm and looking up at him adoringly.

How sweet.

Andrias lightly placed his hand on the side of Leroy’s face. In the artist’s eyes, he saw more than just moonlight and devotion. He saw hope. A chance for happiness.

A future.

His expression grew somber in a matter of moments.

Do you really think you deserve it?

Leroy was a charming and endearing newt- that was something Andrias couldn’t deny. But there was no doubt in his mind that, if he let him get too close, it’d hurt too much. He couldn’t deal with that…not again.

Never again.

Andrias straightened himself, lightly pushing Leroy away.

“I think it’s time you went inside.” he said lowly.

Leroy tilted his head slightly.

“I’m sorry, did…did I do something wrong?” he questioned.

Andrias sighed exasperatedly.

“I need space, okay? You’re not supposed to be on my balcony anyways.” he responded sharply, not turning around. “Just go.”

Leroy shrunk back, clearly hurt by the king’s words. He swallowed at the lump that rapidly grew in his throat, threatening to choke him, and tried desperately to ignore the fact that his eyes were now stinging.

“Okay.” he managed to squeak out.

Andrias continued to look up at the eclipsed moon. The sound of a door opening and closing told him that his wish for peace and quiet had been granted.

…But at what cost?

His hands trembled as he gripped onto the railing and his shoulders sank. He exhaled unevenly.

It’s for the best. Just remember that.

Leroy started walking back to his table, tail dragging behind him as he trudged along unsteadily. A few newts shot confused and dirty looks his way, whispering to each other under their breath about him as he passed by. He eyed the host’s table, considering sitting back down, but how could he face Andrias after…

He looked towards the exit.

I should go home.

Slowly, but surely, Leroy left the ballroom. He slowly stumbled down the steps, hailed a taxi, and got a ride home.

It all felt like a blur to him. He felt numb. He felt sick.

After fumbling with his keys and successfully making his way into his house, he made his way to his bedroom, closed his door, and leaned his back against it to steady himself. He reminisced on the events of the evening. Getting dressed, being picked up by Olivia, making it to the ballroom, talking to Andrias…

…kissing Andrias…being pushed away by him-

Just go.

Leroy slid down against the door, hid his face in his knees, and began to weep.

There you go, crying like a baby again.

Did you really think you had a chance?

Idiot.

Chapter Text

SETTING(S): The Platinum Pearl Ballroom

TIME: Shortly after Leroy’s departure

~~~

Andrias stared numbly at the moon, which was gradually shifting back to its usual blood-red hue. A feeling of dread- no, guilt- weighed him down on the inside. Leroy was nothing but kind to him, nothing but sweet, and that was the thanks he gave him- pushing him away. Treating him frigidly without explanation. Regarding him with such raw, unfiltered cruelty-

The king’s throat went dry.

I’ve made a mistake.

Andrias swiftly turned around and marched to the balcony’s doors. He fumbled with the lock- frog damn it, why were his fingers so shaky- until he heard it click.

He swung open the doors and immediately began scanning the room, paying no mind to the fact that his subjects regarded him with a mix of concern and confusion.

Come on, come on…where are you, Leroy?

He kept searching the ballroom but the tapestry artist was nowhere to be found. Surely, he must have left after being dismissed so harshly. Andrias couldn’t blame him. He’d have probably done the same if he were in his shoes.

Now look at what you’ve done.

“Sire? Are you alright?”

Andrias looked down at Olivia, his jaw slightly agape as he tried to compose a sentence.

“I…”

Andrias managed a lopsided grin despite himself.

“I’m fine!” he exclaimed. “Just a bit tipsy is all.”

“Are you certain? It appeared as though you were searching for someone.”

“Well, there’s someone I was expecting and he- uh, they, aren’t here. No biggie.”

Olivia furrowed her brow.

“Very well then.” she remarked. With that, Olivia headed back towards the center of the ballroom.

Andrias watched as she left, his thoughts racing impossibly fast. With rapidly increasing anguish, he recalled his interactions with Leroy.

May I kiss you?

Being out here with you’s a lot more good though.

…Did I do something wrong?

The monarch’s shoulders sagged under the familiar heft of sorrow.

What have I done?

~~~

SETTING(S): Leroy’s House

TIME: The next morning

~~~

Everything hurts.

Leroy slowly opened his eyes, groaning in pain and squeezing them shut again at how bright the morning sunbeams were. His head was pounding.

Frog, why does everything hurt?

With blurred vision, he attempted once more to assess his surroundings and found that he was in his own bedroom. His tailcoat was haphazardly placed in a pile on the floor, his cravat not too far from it, and both of his boots had been tossed beside his opened door. Leroy gingerly got up from his bed, wincing at how much his entire body ached.

As he picked up his discarded clothing, he noticed that both sleeves of his tailcoat each had four thin slits where his upper arms would be.

Claw marks.

Leroy’s eyes widened.

At once, he began closely searching his bedroom for any more signs of destruction- more claw marks, broken items, wayward clumps of purple fur…to his relief, he found none. However, when he went to check his living & dining room, one of his chairs was lying on its side, a glass was shattered on the floor, and one of his cabinet doors was partially hanging off its hinges and had four deep grooves near its handle. A few leaves from the plant he used to make his tea were lying on the floor.

Olms below! What the hell happened?!

Try as he might, Leroy couldn’t fully figure out what had occurred. He knew at some point he must have metamorphosed, but why? When? Had anybody seen him?

Bits and pieces of the previous night started flashing through Leroy’s head.

A snail-drawn carriage.

Olivia’s dress.

The taste of champagne.

Moonlight.

Rubies.

Warmth.

The taste of champagne…again?

My tea.

…wait a minute, how did I even get back home?

He sighed and shook his head.

Guess I’ll never know.

For now, he needed to focus on cleaning up the mess he’d made.

Chapter Text

SETTING(S): The Southern Cliffs of Newtopia

TIME: Sunset, 4 months later

~~~

Wake up, eat, drink tea, work, go home, shower, sleep.

Leroy’s life returned to normal after the Coral Jubilee, just as he thought it would. However, something about this time was different. Wrong. He knew he sometimes forgot things and knew that he had gotten drunk past the point of remembering a good chunk of the night’s events.

But this? Deep in his gut, he knew that what slipped his mind was deeply, terribly important. Leroy couldn’t shake the feeling for hours, which soon stretched into days, then into weeks- why, it nearly drove him to madness! And it’s not like he could ask Olivia because she also indulged in one too many glasses of champagne.

The frustration caused by the situation was almost too much for Leroy to bear, so he dealt with it in the only way he knew how- throwing himself into his work. If he kept himself distracted then maybe, just maybe, the feeling would go away.

It did.

But only because Leroy overworked himself to the point of sleep deprivation.

He couldn’t even think coherently. Though, to him, anything was better than having that wretched nagging feeling. Eventually, his coworkers noticed his change in demeanor and started asking if he was alright.

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

“If you say so, Lee.”

It went on like that for a couple months until Leroy collapsed from exhaustion on the job and was promptly taken to the hospital. That, combined with the fact that he was nearly trampled by a tarantula after fainting, forced his supervisor to confront him with a sentence that was inevitable at this point:

“I’m putting you on paid leave.”

Leroy couldn’t stand not having something to keep himself busy with but his supervisor was right- he needed a break.

“Sleep the day away, go on vacation- I don’t care. If I see ya on the worksite when you’re supposed to be restin’, I’m kicking your lilac tail to the curb. Am I clear, Lysander?”

“..As crystal, sir.”

“Good. Now get outta here.”

It was difficult for Leroy to get used to having an abundance of free time at first but, after a few days, he began to wind down. His supervisor’s suggestion of going on a vacation gradually became more appealing to him, which is why he made the decision to visit The Caecilian Coast. He’d never been to the westernmost regions of Amphibia before so why not seize the opportunity to do so?

The multiple near-death experiences from the journey were worth it when he finally beheld the sights of Amphibia’s western region. He saw mountains, canyons, woodlands, and, on top of that, he was able to view the night sky without the lights of Newtopia’s streetlamps obscuring the dimmer stars that hung above. He even tried some dishes he’d never had the opportunity to taste before!

His only regret was not experiencing it all sooner.

When Leroy’s vacation came to an end, he started his trek back to Newtopia. It took quite a bit of hiking but he didn’t mind. At the pace he was going, he’d be back in the comfort of his home shortly by sunset. Besides, he enjoyed the scenic route he was taking.

As Leroy ascended the hills leading up to Newtopia’s surrounding cliffsides, the ground beneath his feet began to tremor violently. He was knocked over by the force of- what even was it? A groundquake? An olm burrowing its way to the surface?

In any case, Leroy continued climbing- though the seismic activity ceased right before he got to the cliff’s edge. With a grunt, he pushed himself off the ground and up onto his feet. He was immediately greeted by the sight of…

What in frog’s name is that?!

Leroy couldn’t believe his eyes. Hovering above the city of Newtopia was none other than King Andrias’s castle, elevated by four blue brilliantly burning flames. In front of the gates and across the bay was a massive army. Toads, he guessed. They didn’t seem to notice him, seeing as how they were also preoccupied with watching the ascending palace. Leroy also directed his attention back up to the massive, elaborately designed building, which kept climbing higher up into the sky.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of it. Olms, he couldn’t even believe what he was seeing. Small, indistinguishable figures soared through the sky directly up to the castle, likely powered by whatever was allowing the castle to do the same.

Shortly afterwards, the structure on top of the flying fortress instantly changed its shape into…Leroy couldn’t make out what exactly it had become. A blue, violently blazing ball of energy instantly formed at the tip of it and-

KRAKOOOOOM!!!!

A blinding streak of light, which moved quicker than anything Leroy had ever seen before, shot across the sky and out beyond his line of sight. Within seconds, he heard a distant explosion and the sound of bloodcurdling screams echoing from within the city walls.

Leroy’s heart dropped down to his gut.

Oh no.

He took one step back, then another, and another, until he realized he had broken into a full sprint. The weight of his back satchel seemed insignificant now that adrenaline coursed through his veins, urging him to run faster faster faster faster-

Leroy didn’t know where he was going but, deep down, there was no doubt that Newtopia was lost. The only home he’d ever known, his belongings, everything dear to him- was gone. Tears pricked at the edges of his vision, threatening to blind him, choke him, swallow him whole.

But there wasn’t any time to succumb to those emotions now.

Not if he wanted to survive.

~~~

SETTING(S): The Northeastern Amphibia Wilderness

TIME: Midnight, 1 month later

~~~

The world is ending.

Perhaps that was an exaggeration of events, but what else was Leroy meant to believe when the sun, moon, and stars were blocked out by a gradually thickening layer of smoke? Up to this point, he’d done a good job avoiding other amphibians and eluding the metallic frog-like beings that constantly patrolled sky & swamp alike.

Leroy was in rough shape. His clothing was tattered, his hair was greasy and unkempt, and a full, scraggly beard now shrouded the lower half of his face. It was hard for him to prioritize his personal hygiene when putting himself in a vulnerable position or making even the smallest misstep could lead to his demise. He'd had too many close brushes with death already to become complacent.

He didn’t- no, couldn’t trust anybody. Not his dearest friend, not himself…

Not even his king.

Leroy didn’t want to think about, nor believe, that the jovial ruler he once had affections for was a tyrant. He couldn’t be. Maybe the pressures of ruling and living for so long was causing him not to think straight. Maybe he was being forced to do this. There was no way he was genuinely capable of such cruelty on his own, right?

The artist shook his head. Best not to focus on that kind of thing now, lest he make himself nauseous. That was the last thing he needed to obsess over, seeing as how he was trying to scout out a new shelter. It was getting colder- much, much colder than he was used to, and the sun had set hours ago. The sky was shrouded in smog and thick clouds, which likely meant a storm was coming in.

At long last, Leroy found a den. It was a little ways up a steep hillside and appeared to be abandoned, so he climbed up, carefully examined it, and was relieved to find that it was empty save for a few bugs crawling around.

After chowing down on the insects, Leroy laid down in the den and curled up. He was unusually drowsy and couldn’t stop shivering despite the fact that he had a full belly.

Olms, why is it so cold?

The lavender-colored newt couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore and kept trembling from how frigid the weather had suddenly become.

I hope tomorrow will be better.

Within a mere few minutes, Leroy finally drifted off into a deep slumber.