“UUuuuhHRRRF!” cried Frog, blown off his feet by the force of the explosion. He skidded to a halt on the shore and lay there for a moment, his ears ringing.
“Buh… Buttercup?” Frog murmured, looking up at the house. It was gone – reduced to flaming rubble. He struggled to his feet and began stumbling towards it. “BUTTERCUP!”
Frog clambered over the burning wreckage, blinded by smoke and ash. He heaved chunks of wood and brick, desperately calling Buttercup’s name. Princess Rainbow and Man-Lor joined in, scouring the ruins. Even Sheriff Explosion tried to help, clopping awkwardly over the rubble and bleating loudly.
“Consider that your final warning, O Prince,” said a voice.
Frog turned to see the traceship land roughly on the shore. The door slid open and General Kurg strode down the steps. “Now, get back on the traceship. King Kroak is waiting for you.”
“You… You killed her! You killed Buttercup!” Frog screamed in rage, his eyes flooding red.
General Kurg drew his sunder-gun but Frog was too fast – he drew his own gun and fired, blasting the general’s weapon from his hands. Frog’s finger hovered over the trigger again … but this time he aimed at the general’s head.
“Frog, wait!” cried Kryl. “Don’t do it!”
“Listen to your Keeper, O Prince!” cried General Kurg. “Let’s not do anything rash…”
“He killed my best friend!” Frog howled, tears welling in his eyes. “And I’m going to kill him back!”
“But he didn’t kill her!” cried Kryl, as Frog began to squeeze the trigger. “Look!”
Frog’s eyes flashed towards Kryl. He saw her vanish – to be replaced by a shimmering haze. A moment later someone else entirely emerged. A human someone, with kindly brown eyes and a rosy-lipped smile spreading across a plump, pink face. Frog’s mouth fell open.
“Buttercup…?” he blurted. “How did… Where did you… What the bumbles?”
“Magic!” cried Princess Rainbow excitedly.
“Not quite … kroak cloak,” said Buttercup. She turned to Frog. “I’m Kroakan, just like you, Frog. I should have told you, but…”
“You’re Kryl? I mean, you’re Buttercup? I mean, you’re ButterKryl?” Frog rambled, lowering his sunder-gun.
“It’s a long story, Frog, and it began before we ever came to this island,” explained Buttercup. The air shimmered again, and in an instant Buttercup became Kryl once more. “Back when the farship crashed in the lake of the royal palace, back when you were still an egg. I told you that you had floated out of the ship … that I had lost you. But in fact I saw Princess Rainbow pluck the egg out of the water and take it back to the palace.”
“It’s not my fault you looked like treasure,” tutted the princess.
“I had to get you back,” continued Kryl. “I used the farship’s lexicron to absorb the native language, the kroak cloak to disguise myself as a human, and the UnSlumber to infiltrate the King and Queen’s dreams and persuade them that they needed a new loyal subject. Once inside, I waited for an opportunity to steal back the egg, but it didn’t come until the rarewolf attacked the castle.”
“The rarewolf?” uttered Frog. “He thought I was going to make the world end, so he wanted to eat me.”
“In the commotion, I stole back the egg and fled,” continued Kryl. “But a few hours later, the rarewolf tracked down my scent. He would have swallowed you there and then, but I begged him not to. He agreed to spare your life on one condition: that you never set foot in Kingdomland. He used his power over the winds to carry us to the Inbetween, to the island in the sky … and left us there.”
“I don’t get it,” Frog said. “If you couldn’t tell me I was a Kroakan prince, why did you tell me I was a prince at all?”
“I had to tell you something! I had denied you your destiny,” Kryl sighed. “You were born to rule. You are a son of— Look out!”
Frog spun around. He saw General Kurg leaping towards him, his massive fist swinging towards his head…
…And then the world turned to black.