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Chapter Text

"-And they say that these creatures looked just like newts but were four times as big with long claws, sharp fangs, and dry armored skin like a centipede!" Polly said dramatically to the small group of tadpoles before her. One gasped and nearly fell over in her bucket. Frobo caught it just in time and patted the tadpole lightly on the head.

"What happened next?" A little blue tadpole asked, raising his hand.

"We'll never know." She shook her head seriously, "-Because that was the last time we ever heard fro-"

"Are you telling people I'm dead again?" Sprig asked as he walked over to the fountain and gave Polly a look. She avoided his eyes.

"What? No, of course not." She said, waving a hand dismissively.

"I mean, we kinda almost died." Ivy shrugged as she leaned on Sprig. The tadpoles gasped in unison.

"But we didn't!" Sprig added quickly.

"And that's enough story time for one day." Maddie said, taking over. The tadpoles groaned but followed Maddie as she ushered them back down the street.

"Aw man, well that killed the vibe." Polly said, stepping down from the fountain's edge. "So how long are you two back in town for?"

"I don't know, maybe a couple of days or a week or two." Sprig said as he looked past Polly to the statue of Anne.

"We heard rumors of a couple of Moss Men sightings in the western forests. We figured we should stock up before heading out again." Ivy added. "Plus we can catch up with everyone while we're in town."

"Yeah." Sprig said, lost in thought. Ivy leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, breaking him out of his trance.

"Speaking of which, I'm going to check in on my mom. I'll catch up with you later?" Ivy said, punching Sprig playfully on the arm. He grinned and nodded. They shared a quick kiss before she left.

"Ew. You're like an old married couple." Polly teased and made a face.

"Maybe because we are married." Sprig said, rolling his eyes. Polly gave him a hug.

"I'm glad you made it back safely, even if it does ruin my story telling." Polly said, nudging him in the ribs.

"Wow, thanks." He said sarcastically as he ruffled her hair. "I missed you too." He admitted. His gaze drifted back to Anne and his expression fell. Polly followed his gaze.

"You alright?" Polly asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, it's just…" He trailed off, "It's harder to come back each time."

"Hey, it's okay." She said sitting down on the fountain's edge and patting it for her brother to join her. "I miss her too. Sometimes I think about packing up and leaving town like you do on your adventures with Ivy."

"So why don't you?" Sprig asked as he sat beside her, "You could easily be one of the best engineers in Newtopia. Or even a professor at the University." Polly twiddled her thumbs.

"I," Polly started and frowned, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Ever since Hop Pop…" She cleared her throat and fought back the tears that were welling up. She took a breath and tried again, "I can't leave him." Sprig reached over to wipe away her tears.

"Can we go visit his-?" Spring couldn't finish the sentence. He rubbed his eyes quickly. Polly nodded and stood up. She held a hand out to her brother. He took it.

"Hey Frobo, do you mind giving us a lift?" Polly asked. Frobo smiled and picked them up before leaping into the air. They flew over the town and headed for a small clearing by the edge of the forest. A moment later they landed. Polly hopped down and pressed a button on Frobo. A bouquet of flowers popped out. Sprig blinked.

"Oh frog! I didn't think about bringing-" He said in a panic and he started patting himself down. Polly thrust half of the flowers into his hand.

"Here. I don't think he'd really mind if we brought anything, just as long as he knew we would visit." Polly said with a half smile. They walked forward. A large flat stone marked the spot. Several flowers and small trinkets lay around it. Polly removed the withered flowers and replaced them with the fresh ones. Sprig stood frozen to the spot. Polly put a hand on his shoulder. "Would you like some time alone?"

"Yeah, I-I just need a minute." He sniffed. Polly nudged Frobo and they headed in the opposite direction. Sprig knelt down and added his flowers to the rest. "I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while. I wish I could tell you about all the adventures I've been on." He laughed as tears rolled down his face, "I think some of them would remind you of our time with Anne. Remember when-" A rustling in the distance made him pause. "Polly?" He asked and looked around. She and Frobo were nowhere in sight. The rustling continued. Sprig got to his feet and reached for his slingshot.

"Hello?" He called out as he took a step forward into the forest. He could hear what sounded like footsteps. "Moss men?" He looked down and noticed unusual imprints in the soft ground. His heart skipped a beat. A blur of movement caught his attention. He hesitated for a moment before running forward. He pushed through a thicket of bushes and looked around quickly. He saw what looked like a familiar outline crouch behind a tree. "Anne?" The figure froze before poking their head back around to look at Sprig.

"Oh! A human!" He said and took a step forward. They withdrew slightly. Sprig stopped and held up his hands. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. My best friend is a human."

"There's other humans here?" The boy asked cautiously.

"Well, no. I mean, at one point there were, but that was a long time ago. That's how I met my friend. She was transported here by a music box, which is also how we sent her back home." Sprig said as he tried to get a better look at the boy, "How did you get here?"

"I-I don't know." He said, stepping out slowly, "But can you help me get back home?" Sprig stared at him for a moment. He reminded him of Anne but with a few differences. He had the same messy hair full of leaves but it was shorter and blonde instead of brown. He had the same lanky body and what looked like Anne's eyes.

"Of course!" Sprig said and stuck his hand out. The boy reached out to take it but hesitated at the last moment.

"You aren't poisonous by any chance?" He asked suspiciously.

"I don't think so." Sprig said, "Not to humans anyway." The boy grinned and shook his hand. "Oh wow! That's a strong grip."

"Sorry!" He said quickly and let go. Sprig heard the boy's stomach growl loudly.

"Let's get you some human food in town. If I remember correctly it takes you humans some time to get used to eating bugs."

"You have people food?" He said as his stomach growled again, "I was honestly ready to eat bugs at this point."

"We can get those too!" Sprig said as he led the boy out of the forest. They reached the clearing and Sprig spotted Polly and Frobo in the distance. He waved to them before turning back to the boy, "I'm Sprig by the way. Sprig Plantar."

"Oh! I'm Troy. Troy Boonchuy." He said with a smile.

Chapter Text

"Wait, who is that with Sprig?" Polly asked as she and Frobo made their way back. She shielded her eyes from the sun and squinted to get a better look, "Oh my frog! Is that a human?" She nudged Frobo and started running.

"Are you okay? You seem less pink?" Troy asked as he knelt down to get a better look at him. Sprig opened and closed his mouth but no words came out. Polly finally caught up with them and doubled over to catch her breath. She pointed to the boy.

"Who the frog are you and how did you get here?" She demanded. He seemed taken aback by the question.

"Um, Troy and I don't know." He said rubbing his neck awkwardly, "I mean, one moment I was at summer camp and the next thing I know I'm here."

"I'm sorry. Can you repeat your last name again?" Sprig said, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, "I think I misheard you the first time."

"Boonchuy." He said looking between them, "Why? Are there frogs around here with that same last name?" Polly's mouth fell open.

"Can you excuse me for one moment?" Sprig said as he took Polly by the arm and took a couple steps away from him.

"You don't think-?" Polly started loudly and Sprig slapped a hand over her mouth.

"I don't know!" He hissed in a slight panic as he glanced back.

"Well, let's just ask him then." Polly reasoned and made to get his attention. Sprig stopped her.

"No!" He said quickly.

"What? Why not?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I-I don't want to get my hopes up." Sprig said, with tears in his eyes.

"Why are you being so weird about this?" Polly rolled her eyes, "We'll ask him, get our answer, and find a way to send him home."

"Polly please!" Sprig begged, "Let's just help him get home. I don't want answers."

"What are you so scared of?" She demanded.

"Everything!" He shouted, making Troy and Frobo look over at him in confusion.

"Yeah, well, good luck not finding out when he sees the statue of Anne in town." Polly whispered back.

"Then we won't go to town." Sprig countered.

"Ugh. You're acting just like Hop Pop!" Polly huffed. Sprig opened his mouth to retort but stopped and glanced back. Polly shifted uncomfortably, "Sorry. I-"

"It's okay and maybe I am acting like him." Sprig admitted, "Can we just keep this a secret for now?" Polly frowned.

"Fine but we are going to talk about this later." She said, fixing him with a look. He nodded and they walked back.

"Uh, you don't have to help me if it's too much trouble. I could probably get by with a map and maybe some provisions." Troy said avoiding eye contact. Polly nudged Sprig hard in the ribs.

"It's no problem!" He said as he winced and glared at Polly, "We'll just stop by the house and head out."

"Oh, I kinda wanted to see the town. Didn't you say it had people food?" He asked, confused. Polly gave Sprig a dry look.

"I just remembered," Sprig lied quickly, "-town is, uh, closed! Besides, my house is just down the hill. We can stop by, grab supplies, and get you home."

"Dude, it's my house." Polly interrupted her brother.

"It's the Plantar family home." Sprig argued.

"Yeah, and you haven't lived there in what? Ten, maybe fifteen years?" Polly stated.

"Okay, fine!" He said exasperatedly, "Can we stop by our family home that you live in?"

"Sure, no problem." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"So, I'm guessing she's your sister then?" Troy asked as he tried to break the awkward tension.

"That's right! Polly Plantar, best engineer in all of Amphibia!" She said proudly, "Oh, and this is Frobo. I helped rebuild him." She said casually as she gestured to Frobo. Troy stared at Frobo in awe.

"You built this- I mean, him?" Troy corrected himself.

"Not originally. But I have rebuilt him several times though, added some upgrades, and threw in some modifications here and there." She glanced at Frobo affectionately.

"Where did you learn how to do all that?" Troy asked curiously.

"Great question!" Sprig interrupted, "But it will have to wait. It's going to be dark soon so we better head out."

"Okay. You lead the way Mr. Plantar." Troy said, making Sprig nearly choke.

"You can just call me Sprig." He said weakly.

"But you're so old? Aren't you supposed to refer to your elders as-" Troy started.

"I'm only in my thirties!" Sprig replied affronted.

"That's pretty old." Polly teased, "That's why he's so cranky."

"I'm not-!" He stopped and took a calming breath, "Let's just move past this." He said and led the way down the hill. Soon they stood before the Plantar farm and home.

"Woah, so you guys are like farmers?" Troy asked looking around, "Are those avocados?"

"Sure are!" Polly said, "They were Hop Pop's favorite."

"You kept the farm going?" Sprig asked in surprise.

"Well, duh, what else am I supposed to do with farmland Sprig?" She said, sighing. She leaned over to whisper to him as Troy was distracted looking at the plants. "I'm going to need a minute to hide some things inside. Why don't you show him around?" Sprig nodded appreciatively.

"Hey, uh, Troy!" Sprig said walking over, "How would you like a tour of the farm?"

"That sounds like a great idea, Sprig!" Polly said loudly as she headed for the front door, "You can show him around while I tidy up." She winked very obviously.

"Sure, that sounds like fun." Troy said eagerly. Sprig smiled and started explaining some of the history of the farm. Polly and Frobo slipped inside.

"Okay, everything related to the human world has to go!" She said quickly. They looked around at the numerous items that filled the room. "Okay, scratch that. We'll just hide anything that can very obviously be linked back to Anne." She amended. Frobo rubbed his robot arm awkwardly. Polly put a hand to her face, "Let's just try and hope for the best." Frobo gave two thumbs up and they set to work.

"-and that's when Polliana Plantar decided to start farming turnips. See she-" Sprig continued as Troy's eyes started to glaze over from boredom.

"Alright, come on in you two." Polly called exhausted as she opened the front door. It was already starting to get dark out. Troy hurried over and stepped inside full of excitement. His face fell when he saw everything covered in white sheets. "Pretty nice, huh?" Polly tried to play it off.

"Oh, um, yes. It's very, uh-" Troy fumbled with his words. Sprig joined him and looked at Polly questioningly. She made a shushing gesture.

"Yup! This is just how I remember it." Sprig lied uncomfortably, "Let's get something to eat." A few moments later they sat around the kitchen table awkwardly as Troy shoveled food into his face.

"Wow! This food is amazing. It tastes just like what my Mæ̀ would make back home." He said with his mouth full.

"You don't say…" Polly said, giving Sprig a look as he just about choked on his maggot larb. Troy patted him on the back as Sprig coughed up part of a chile.

"Hey, didn't you mention how you had a human friend? Did she teach you how to make this?" He asked curiously. Polly glanced between them.

"Uh, no. This is an old Plantar family recipe. Very secret." He lied nervously.

"Huh," He shrugged then straightened up, "I almost forgot! You said your human friend was transported here by a music box. Do you have one that can send me back?" He looked at Sprig expectantly.

"No, it-" He set his utensils down, "It disintegrated shortly after we sent her back."

"What was her name?" Troy asked with interest. Sprig quickly wiped his eyes.

"I'd rather not talk about this right now." He said getting up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't m-" Troy started apologetically.

"You should probably get some rest. We'll have a big journey ahead of us tomorrow." Sprig cut across him and turned away to look out the window. Polly pushed her plate away and got up.

"I'll show you to your room." Polly said gently, taking Troy's hand and leading him to the basement. She returned a few minutes later and glared at Sprig, "Outside. Now." Once outside Polly quietly closed the door and rounded on Sprig. "Explain."

"Explain what?" Sprig deflected as he avoided her eyes.

"Sprig, I'm probably one of the smartest frogs in all of Amphibia and I can't even begin to understand what is going on with you." She said, throwing her hands in the air.

"That's a bit conceited." He muttered to himself, "I don't expect you to understand."

"Try me." She scowled and crossed her arms. Sprig chewed on his lip with frustration as he started to pace.

"We don't even know if he is related to Anne."

"Oh please. The last name? That he immediately recognized Anne's recipe for larb? Heck, he even looks like her."

"He doesn't look exactly like her."

"Yeah, and we look exactly like our mom." Polly said sarcastically. Sprig huffed and ignored her. "I'm 99% certain that is Anne's kid in our basement and you are acting like this is the end of the world! Why!?"

"Because he didn't recognize me!" Sprig said and slumped against the house. He put his head in his hands.

"What?" Polly asked in complete confusion, "What does that have to do with anyth-"

"Because it means Anne hasn't talked about me or shown him pictures or told him anything about our adventures or the time she spent with us!" Sprig cried, "She's probably forgotten about us or we don't matter to her anymore." He started sobbing.

"Sprig…" Polly said softly and sat next to him, "I doubt Anne would ever forget us. She's a Plantar after all."

"So why doesn't he know then? Is she ashamed of us?" Sprig sobbed, "Is she dead?"

"Geez, Sprig." Polly said, reaching over to put a hand on his shoulder, "You know you could put those fears to rest if you just ask him."

"And what if they turn out to be true? Could you live with that?" Sprig asked. Polly winced. "I want to keep my memories of Anne the same as when she left." They sat in silence for a long time. Sprig stood up.

"Where are you going?" Polly asked.

"I need to find Ivy and tell her what's going on." He said wiping his eyes, "Can you keep an eye on the kid?" Polly nodded and Sprig headed off.

Chapter Text

Polly continued to sit outside and leaned against the house as she stared up at the stars. She didn't know how to feel. On one hand she thought Sprig was being completely irrational and yet on the other hand what he said sounded entirely plausible. She heard the front door creak open and saw Troy trying to sneak out.

"Oh. Hey kid. Where are you going?" Polly asked. He jumped when he spotted her.

"Uh, I was just, uh," He stammered before coming clean, "I was going to leave. I really don't want to cause any trouble. Plus, I kinda think Sprig hates me."

"No, he doesn't." Polly waved a hand, "He's just being stupid. It happens when you get older." She said, standing up. "Here, let's head back inside and you can get some sleep."

"I can't sleep." He admitted, "All of this has been so much. I keep thinking this is a dream and I just need to wake up."

"I know the feeling." Polly said with a half smile. They stared at the stars together for a moment. "You know, when I couldn't sleep, Sprig and I would read by the stone fence on the hill over there. He used to do it all the time with…" She trailed off. "We have books if you want to borrow one to keep your mind off things."

"It would be pretty cool to read a book from another world or universe or whatever this is." He gestured vaguely. Polly laughed.

"I'll grab a good one for you." She said as she headed back inside. A moment later she returned with a book in one hand and a lit candle in the other. They headed up to the stone fence overlooking the cornfields. Polly sat down and leaned against it. Troy slid his backpack off and did the same. Polly passed him the book and Troy took it eagerly. She stuck the candle on the stones behind them.

"Hold on, I've got a book from my world that you can read." He said digging through his backpack and pulling out a worn copy of The Halfling, "My Ma read it to me a lot growing up. I take it everywhere with me." He said, slightly embarrassed. Polly took it gently and carefully flipped through the pages.

"Wait, your Ma? Didn't you say Mæ̀ before?" Polly asked puzzled. Troy fidgeted.

"I have three moms." He said slowly. Polly blinked.

"Lucky." She snorted, "So I guess you have different terms to tell them apart?" Troy nodded quickly.

"And that doesn't upset you or anything?" He said cautiously optimistic.

"What's supposed to upset me?" Polly asked confused, then it hit her, "Oh, the three moms part." Troy watched her closely. She shrugged. "It's not uncommon here. One dad, two moms, one mom and two dads." She listed casually.

"That's good to know." Troy said scratching his head, "Thanks for-"

"Don't mention it." Polly waved a hand as she opened the book to the first page. Troy smiled and opened his book. A few moments later Polly's eyes widened as she started to put the pieces together. She looked Troy up and down. The blonde hair suddenly made sense. "No frogging way." She accidentally let slip aloud. Troy glanced over and Polly hurriedly looked back at the book. "Uh, this dinner party scene is outrageous! Who would sing about breaking plates when they're a guest?" She demanded. Troy laughed.

"Mæ̀ and Ma would sing that part aloud and then Mom would always insist on voicing the dragon Smolder."

"I bet she would." Polly said quietly to herself.

"Hey Polly?" Troy asked, uncertainly.

"Yeah?" She replied as she tried to refocus on the book.

"Did you know Sprig's human friend?" He said, looking off into the distance. Polly considered her words carefully. She decided on the truth or part of it anyway.

"I did." She said slowly and closed the book, "It was a long time ago. Even I have a hard time remembering it sometimes. I was only five or six, just a tadpole." Troy listened with rapt attention. "I do remember the day she showed up. Everyone in town thought she was some sort of monster. Sprig thought he could prove how responsible he is by catching her. I don't know exactly what all happened before we caught up with him but he ended up defending her from the townsfolk. She lived with us for a couple of months and-" She bit her lip. "-and then she found a way back home. We haven't seen or heard from her since."

"It must be hard to never see a friend again." Troy said somberly as he pulled his knees up to his chest. Polly tried to read his face.

"Are you scared you won't be able to get back home?"

"Yeah."

"Well, don't worry about it too much. We'll find a way to get you back. After all, we've done it before." Polly said with certainty. He didn't seem fully convinced but she didn't push the matter. He returned to his book and Polly to hers. After a while his eyes started to close. Polly blew out the candle and stared at the sky for a long while. Just as she was about to fall asleep a loud explosion shook the ground. Polly bolted upright and looked for the source. A bright pillar of fire had set part of the forest ablaze. Troy began to stir and Polly started to tug on his sleeve.

"Wake up kid!" She said urgently as another explosion happened even closer.

"Five more minutes." He muttered as he tried to wave Polly away.

"We might be dead in five more minutes if we don't get moving!" Polly said, shaking him. He groggily opened his eyes and saw the fire in the distance. He shook himself awake. Frobo hurried over.

"See what started those fires and see if you can't put them out before they reach town!" She said to Frobo quickly. He nodded and took off. Polly took Troy's hand and started running for the barn. Another explosion made them almost trip over themselves. A fully grown MicroAngelo burst through the barn doors, shepherding a flock of snirds out. They scattered in all directions. Polly whistled and MicroAngelo rushed over. She leapt on and held a hand out to Troy. "Get on! We have to go!" Troy hesitated as he looked back at the approaching flames.

"Shouldn't we help?" He asked as Polly grabbed his hand and started to pull.

"And risk you getting hurt? Not while you're my responsibility kid." Polly said urgently. Troy could see the apprehension in her face and scurried on behind her. Polly snapped the reins and they sped off. "We're going to warn everyone in town, find Sprig, and get you out of here safely."

"Polly?" Troy asked as he glanced behind him, "What are those?" Polly looked over her shoulder to see a swarm of frobots rising out of the forest. Her eyes widened and she snapped the reins again. They tore down the road and Wartwood quickly became visible in the distance. Polly pulled on the reins as she saw the fires in town. She glanced behind them and spotted Frobo engaging with the frobots. Frogs were already running around town trying to put out fires as others battled the frobots. Polly swallowed hard before making a split second decision.

"I thought we were going into town?" Troy asked looking back as they headed in a new direction.

"Change of plans." She said as she started to get tunnel vision.

"But we can help!" Troy argued as he tried to reach for the reins.

"Are you crazy?" Polly asked as she held them out of his reach.

"We can't just let them handle this on their own! We could help. I could help." He argued as he got a hold of the reins and tried to pull them away from Polly.

"And how are you going to help stop an invasion?" Polly retorted, "You're just a kid!" A frobot suddenly landed in front of them, making MicroAngelo screech to a halt and throwing them forward. The frobot caught them both.

"Targets acquired. Returning to base." It said in a mechanical voice.

Chapter Text

Just as the frobot was about to launch into the air a spear suddenly protruded from its chest. Polly and Troy struggled to free themselves as it started to fall forward.

"What the frog was that?" Polly asked, looking around for the source. An old toad emerged from the shadows brandishing another spear. He was blind in one eye and had the beginnings of a cataract in the other.

"Sasha?" The old toad croaked hopefully as he spotted Troy. Another frobot landed behind Troy and Polly. The toad roared as he charged it. Seconds later it lay broken at his feet. He turned to the two of them. He reached around his belt and withdrew a silver heron sword. He pushed it into Troy's hands. "I've waited so long to return this to you Lieutenant." Two more frobots appeared and Grime held his arm out. "Back to the tower Lieutenant! Rally the other toads and I'll meet you there." Polly grabbed Troy's hand and started in the direction of Toad Tower.

"Who was that? Why did he call me Lieutenant?" He asked as they ran.

"Less questions, more running!" Polly said as they heard more frobots in the distance. They finally reached the ruins of an old crumbling tower and dove inside. Polly peaked her head out to see a few frobots flying overhead. She pulled back quickly, "Put that down!" Polly scolded as Troy examined the sword and swung it experimentally.

"But the toad gave it to me." He argued.

"Yeah, the mostly blind senile old toad." Polly countered as she pushed him further away from the door.

"He believes I can help unlike some-" He started but Polly shushed him. A frobot had landed in the courtyard and started to scan the area.

"He thought you were someone else!" Polly hissed quietly.

"Wait, did he think I was your human friend?" Troy asked quickly. The frobot turned towards the direction of the tower entrance. Polly pushed Troy back into the shadows.

"Let me handle this." She said as the frobot approached. She reached into her pockets for a handful of boomshrooms. The frobot stepped across the threshold and Troy ran at it with his sword raised. "Kid!" Polly cursed running after him. Troy swung at the frobot who easily stopped him. It grabbed the sword by the blade and lifted him with it. There was a sudden explosion behind it and it turned. Polly raised another boomshroom in her hand threateningly. "Put him down, now." She growled. The frobot tossed him aside and turned to Polly. Polly watched as he hit the wall and slid down it into a crumpled heap.

"Polly!" Grime called as he reached them. The frobot turned and Polly took advantage of the distraction to leap on top of it. She shoved a boomshroom in the small opening between its head and body. She hopped out of harm's way as the frobot imploded and slumped forward. "Where's Sasha?" Grime asked as he looked around. "Why hasn't she summoned the rest of the army?"

"Because she isn't here!" Polly said, running over to check on Troy.

"Lieutenant!" He choked as he saw Troy passed out against the wall. He hurried over to lift him over his shoulder with his one arm. "The tower has been compromised. We need to find someplace to lay low. Is the resistance headquarters-?"

"There is no resistance anymore, Grime! That was years ago!" Polly said in exasperation as she ran a hand through her hair.

"But King Andrias's invasion-!" He started in confusion, "Where are the others?" Polly was pulling her hair out as she tried to figure out the next steps to take.

"Grime! Where did you and Sasha hide after Toad Tower fell?" She asked, thinking quickly.

"Oh that's easy. It was-" He recalled fondly.

"Great, can you take us there now?" Polly demanded. Grime squinted down at her.

"You seem taller." Grime remarked curiously.

"I don't have time for this!" She said and whistled sharply. MicroAngelo made his way towards them. Polly pushed Grime towards him. "Get on the snail and lead the way." She hopped on behind him.

"Where are we going?" Grime said, scratching his beard. He looked over his shoulder at Troy. "Lieutenant!" He cried and snatched the reins. He cracked them and they sped off towards the mountains. A few hours later they arrived at an old logging mill. Polly climbed down and scanned the area. An old wanted poster of Grime was stuck to the front door with a handful of daggers. Polly cautiously pushed it open and glanced inside. It was mostly empty save for a few cobwebs. Grime followed in after her and lay Troy down on a bed of dusty straw. "Rest up." He said softly before turning to Polly. "We need provisions if we plan to hole up here for the time being."

"I'll go look for something. I think I'll draw less attention than, well-" She shrugged and headed back out the door. She paused and put a hand on the doorframe before glancing back, "Keep the kid safe will you?" Grime grinned widely.

"Nothing will make it past the fearsome Captain Grime." He said proudly. Polly nodded and stepped out into the midday sun. She was exhausted but knew she had to keep going.

"Anne would be so disappointed if I let anything happen to him." She told herself as she pressed on. Another thought struck her, "And Sasha would probably kill me." She said as she increased the pace.

A few moments later Troy began to stir. He rubbed the back of his head as he sat up. He looked around his surroundings in confusion. Grime watched him from the corner of the room.

"Ah, Lieutenant, I was wondering when you would wake up." He said as he glanced out the windows before stepping forward.

"Oh, you're the toad from earlier." Troy said as he recognized him, "What happened? Where are we?" Grime blinked.

"Don't you remember? We escaped Toad Tower after your friend-" He began then stopped, "No, that was before. We're hiding out because King Andrias…" He trailed off.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked concerned as he got up. Grime closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"I, we, we were," He looked around confused, "Lieutenant, yes, now I remember. We were hiding out because-"

"Of the robots." Troy completed.

"Yes, that's right." Grime said, stroking his beard and looking out the window again. Troy hesitated before asking a question that was burning in the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name earlier. What was it?" He asked tentatively.

"Ha! Funny joke Lieutenant!" He said leaning against the window.

"Why do you keep calling me that? Lieutenant?" Troy said, taking a step closer.

"What do you mean?" Grime asked, disconcerted as he tried to look at him properly, "I don't understand."

"Do you mean Sprig and Polly's human friend?" He pressed. Grime frowned.

"What? Her? No. You're my friend, remember?" Grime said in an apprehensive voice, "We are still friends after all these years, right?" Tears started to roll down his face. Troy took a step back and Grime looked scared. "We're still friends, right?" He pleaded desperately as his voice shook.

"I," He hesitated. He didn't want to lie but he also didn't want to hurt this old and confused toad, "Of course we're still friends." Grime sobbed and pulled him into a hug.

"Please don't scare me like that Lieutenant." He said as he squeezed him. Troy patted him on the back gently.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm just a little confused from the, uh, battle from earlier." He said quickly.

"Of course, of course." He said wiping his eyes, "I know you're upset after that fight you had with your other human friends. Don't worry, we'll get the music box back and send you three home."

Chapter Text

"Excellent form Lieutenant!" Grime cheered as Troy attacked a pair of training dummies with his sword. He turned to see Grime giving him an approving look while Polly crossed her arms. He wiped the sweat from his brow and walked over to her.

"What?" He whispered to her.

"We've been trying to lay low the past week and find a way to get you home and all you've done is play with swords." Polly said, chewing her lip.

"What else am I supposed to do while we wait?" Troy argued, "We can't leave the mountains until the robots clear out and you said it'd be safer to stay here for a while longer."

"I know, I just-" She tapped her foot impatiently, "I don't like being stuck here. I want to get you back home."

"We could go back to town and-" Troy started hopefully.

"Absolutely not!" Polly said putting her foot down, "It's overrun with frobots."

"But I can help now." He said excitedly. "Captain Grime has been teaching me how to sword fight. I could hold my own. We could bust in and save the town together!" He said striking what he assumed was a heroic pose.

"What!?" Polly demanded, "You've been playing with that sword for only a week and you think you could take on an army?"

"Well, Grime thinks I-" Troy started but he felt a clawed hand on his shoulder.

"She's right, Lieutenant, it would be too dangerous at the moment. Plus you haven't seemed to recover your full combat capabilities." Grime interrupted. "It's best we wait and continue to do reconnaissance." Troy sighed.

"But I want to help." He groaned. Grime laughed.

"I know you do! You really want to impress those two friends of yours." He said with a wink and a nudge.

"What?" Troy asked in confusion. Polly rolled her eyes.

"I'll explain later." She said waving a hand, "Ugh. That makes so much sense now."

"That reminds me," He said, sheathing his sword and whispering to Polly, "Who were the other humans that came here? You mentioned the one human friend you and Sprig had but not the other two Grime keeps bringing up."

"Yeah, well, we didn't meet them till later." Polly said avoiding the question. Troy grabbed Polly's hand and stared at her with wide sad eyes. "Fine! But I'm telling you I didn't know them that well." She tapped her foot as she considered what she should share. Troy sat down and looked at her expectantly. "There was the, uh, Lieutenant, obviously." She said as she began to pace. "And the, uh, Ranger." She snapped her fingers.

"Okay and who were they?" Troy pressed curiously. Polly looked him up and down. He still looked like Anne but the addition of Sasha's old armor and the sword couldn't help but strongly remind her of Sasha. She cautiously wondered who he took after more.

"Hm," She said as she thought about it, "Let me go back to the beginning." Grime wandered over and sat next to Troy. "So the music box we keep mentioning, it was a powerful artifact from our world that somehow ended up in yours. I guess at some point the three humans from before took it and were transported here. They ended up separated and spread out across the land. Sprig and I had our one friend, another was sent to Newtopia, and the other-" She trailed off.

"We found you outside Toad Tower." Grime chimed in, "You were our prisoner, remember?"

"Wait, she was?" Polly asked confused, "But she was your Lieutenant? She led the toad army? She tricked everyone in Wartwood into-"

"Are you saying he thinks I'm a girl?" Troy interrupted as he pointed at Grime. "Do I look like a girl?" He looked down at the armor Grime lent him self-consciously.

"Lieutenant, we've talked about this. It's not what's on the outside that defines us but the inside." Grime said, patting him on the back.

"That was surprisingly wholesome. We will have to address the whole girl thing at some poi-" Troy began.

"As I was saying" Polly tried to get back on track, "Everyone was spread out. We, Sprig and I, met our human friend and then the Lieutenant…" She trailed off and glanced at Grime awkwardly.

"That's right. We were going to kill your Grandpa in order to crush the frog rebelion." Grime said unabashedly, "A simple misunderstanding."

"I'm sorry, what?" Troy interrupted again as he glanced between the two in shock.

"You're saying that the human friend of your human friend tried to kill your family? Also can we give your human friend a name or something? This is going to be confusing." Troy said as he tried to process everything. Polly considered him a moment.

"One-shoe." She shrugged.

"I'm sure there's a very interesting story behind that-" Troy began slightly confused.

"There really isn't. She literally just walked around with one shoe." Polly said dryly.

"Okay?" Troy frowned as he thought about how uncomfortable that would feel.

"Yeah, we didn't get along with the Lieutenant at first. She kinda had this manipulative evil agro vibe about her." Polly said, pulling a face.

"She was not evil!" Grime said defending her honor, "She was mistrustful and deeply misunderstood. Her human parents sounded awful."

"Right." Polly said unconvinced, "I mean, she did help us at one point, after betraying us twice."

"I don't think I want to be mistaken for the Lieutenant anymore." Troy said uncomfortably.

"Now, the Ranger on the hand, she was cool. A huge dork, but cool. She was super smart and had this arm crossbow." Polly recalled fondly, "Why didn't I ever make my own?" She thought aloud. "Anyway, she helped our friend get back, no wait, I think she double-crossed us too. Huh." She stopped again.

"So what you're saying is One-shoe had terrible friends?"

"Not exactly." Polly said, waving her hand, "They were more like dumb teenagers doing dumb teenager stuff."

"How old were they?"

"Uh, thirteen I think." Polly scratched her chin.

"But I'm thirteen!" He said suddenly, "Who would threaten to kill their friend's frog family? Why would they still be friends with someone who would do that?" He asked bewildered.

"Yeah, I'm kind of shocked how everything turned out." Polly said, staring at Troy, "How the frog did that happen?" She muttered to herself. Maybe Sprig was right about some things. Why on Earth would Anne have a kid with someone who did that? It might explain why she didn't talk about her frog family anymore, Polly thought. She closed her eyes and frowned. No, that was the old Sasha. She had changed and helped them in the end.

"It was one time." Grime argued. "Besides, you wouldn't have found out about King Andrias's plan if we hadn't tried to overthrow the monarchy."

"You what?!" Troy asked in surprise.

"No, no. He has a point. It was really shady at first but it turned out that our former King was crazy, knew about and possibly used the music box before, and wanted to invade Earth. It's a long story." Polly shrugged.

"I figured you weren't telling me some things but this is a lot!" Troy frowned at the two of them as he stood up.

"Kid, we've only known you for like a little over a week. I don't usually go telling my life story to strangers." Polly said weakly. "Well, part of it anyway. That was certainly the most exciting part."

"But it's relevant to me!" Troy said with an angry blush, "There could be part of your story that could help me find a way home and you've been hiding it!"

"Listen, I-" She said, trying to calm him down.

"That's all I've wanted to do but you won't tell me anything!"

"I didn't bring it up because the music box doesn't exist anymore. How could we send you back with something that doesn't exist?" She argued back.

"Well, what if your crazy king knows how to make another one?" Troy retorted. Polly froze as the thought struck her. She opened and closed her mouth before beginning to pace.

"A fine idea Lieutenant!" Grime said, clapping him on the shoulder as he stood up. "Newtopia did keep extensive records in their hidden archives."

"If they were smart they probably wouldn't have left their only records of how to make one with the Core alone." Polly thought quickly. "We might be able to find something useful in the ruins of the former castle."

Chapter Text

Sprig trudged back into town on his way towards Felicia's Tea Shop. He glanced around at the faint glow coming from the various homes. How was he going to explain everything to Ivy? He hesitated before knocking at the front door.

"Ambush!" Ivy shouted as she leapt from the shadows and pounced on Sprig, pulling him into a tight bear hug. He hardly reacted and Ivy quickly let go of him to search his face. "What happened?" She asked with sudden worry.

"I…" He trailed off and wiped his eyes. Ivy reached out to hold his hands.

"Please Sprig. I want to know what's wrong so I can help." She said gently. Sprig sniffed and nodded. He opened his mouth to try again when they heard an explosion in the distance.

"What was that?" Sprig exclaimed as he and Ivy spun around.

"Isn't that in the same direction as-?" Ivy said as they could see a pillar of fire in the distance.

"The house!" Sprig shouted in a panic as he grabbed Ivy's hand. They ran forward and stopped as a frobot suddenly emerged from around a house.

"Frobots here?" Ivy said in shock and pushed Sprig behind her. "I've got this one." She said with a half smile as she charged it head-on. Another explosion tore through the air and Sprig glanced away. "Sprig! Behind you!" Ivy called as she fought off the frobot before them. Sprig spun around and aimed his slingshot at the frobot's face. He shot a wad of mud directly into its eyes. It stumbled forward into the one Ivy was fighting. She jumped out of harm's way as they collided. "I'll warn the townsfolk if you want to go check on your sister." She said quickly.

"Ivy I-" Sprig started to argue as he felt conflicted. A third explosion made them lose their balance. They looked over and saw Frobo in the distance fighting with a swarm of frobots. A flock of snirds flew overhead frantically chirping in a panic.

"It looks like Polly must have gotten to the barn. She'll probably meet us here. We have to warn everyone." Ivy said, pulling Sprig back to his feet.

"No! I have to go!" Sprig said suddenly.

"Do you think Polly's in danger?" Ivy asked seriously.

"No, she can handle her own but-"

"Then let's go Sprig!" She said tugging on his arm as he remained rooted to the spot.

"Anne's son is with her!" He shouted.

"What?" Ivy asked in surprise as she let go of him. A fire erupted in the center of town and they rushed forward. "Go home Sprig! I'll handle this." Ivy said as they ran. A frobot landed between them and looked down at Sprig. "Go!" Ivy shouted as she leapt onto the frobot's back and covered its eyes. He nodded before he turned and ran.

Frogs started poking their heads outside of their homes to see what all the commotion was about. Frobots were marching through the town as they tried to collect the townsfolk. Sprig fired several shots from his slingshot as he ran in an attempt to blind the frobots. Some frogs were grabbing supplies and starting to fight back. Once at the edge of town Sprig pulled his telescope out and looked up the road leading to their home. He saw Polly and Troy riding for town on MicroAngelo. He was suddenly lifted into the air as a frobot grabbed him from behind.

"Target acquired." It started to say before Wally struck at its ankles with his accordion. It turned to face him and Sprig wriggled free of its grip. He landed and glanced back up the road. Polly had pulled on the reins and they were headed in a different direction.

"Oy! Sprig!" Wally called as the frobot had lifted him up by the ankles. Sprig loaded another ball of mud into his slingshot and took aim. A moment later the frobot dropped Wally as it wandered off while trying to wipe its eyes. Sprig bit his lip and turned back to Wally.

"We need to tell as many frogs as we can that we need to evacuate now." Sprig said, slipping his telescope away.

"An' where are we supposed to tell 'em to evacuate too exactly?" Wally asked as they looked around the chaos in and around the town.

"Send them to the old resistance headquarters." Sprig said and spotted a few snirds still circling overhead, "I'll see if I can't find a way to get families and tadpoles over there faster." Wally looked up and saw the snirds too. He nodded and ran back into town. Sprig put his fingers to his mouth and let out a high pitched whistle. A handful of the snirds dove down to meet him. He hopped on one and motioned for the others to follow him back into town. The majority of the townsfolk were in the streets now as some of the buildings had caught fire.

"Head to the resistance headquarters!" He called as he flew through town. Families were rushing forward with tadpoles in their arms. Sprig whistled again and the snirds landed. He hopped off and started helping families and their tadpoles climb onto the snirds. Once every family seemed to be accounted for they took off into the air and headed for the farm. Sprig looked around at the remaining frogs and raised his slingshot.

"We're taking back the town!" He called and the others rallied behind him. They charged into the center of town where the majority of the frobots seemed to be gathered. General Yunan and Lady Olivia were engaging in combat with several of them.

"Ah! Sprig!" Yunan said, happily as she spotted him. "Any idea what's going on?" She asked before stabbing a frobot through the chest with her double bladed gauntlet.

"No idea." Sprig said, firing his slingshot. "You don't think Andrias-?" He started as Olivia deftly took out another.

"He had better not have." Olivia said detested.

"Hadn't he left the valley though?" Yunan asked as she tried to recall. Sprig looked around the town. What was left of the townsfolk were gathered around him, Yunan, and Olivia. He searched for Ivy. She wasn't too far off, holding her own alongside her mom.

"Yunan, can you clear a path so the rest of the town can escape to the resistance headquarters?" Sprig asked quickly. Yunan grinned.

"No problem." She said charging forward. Olivia furrowed her brow as she watched her recklessly tear through the frobots.

"Everyone to me!" Olivia called as she ushered them through the opening Yunan had created. The townsfolk followed and Sprig hung back to catch up with Ivy. She spotted him and rushed forward.

"Sprig!" Ivy cried as she hugged him. "Let's get out of here." She grabbed his hand and they ran behind the rest of the group. They had almost made it out of town when a large frobot stepped out and blocked their path, separating them. Sprig raised his slingshot.

"Sprig Plantar." It said in a loud distorted voice. He hesitated and it grabbed him. Ivy leapt onto it and began pummeling it with her bare fists.

"Let go of him you-" Ivy cursed. In one swift movement it slapped her away.

"Ivy!" Sprig yelled as she hit the ground hard. He fought to free himself from its grasp. The frobot raised its foot. "Ivy, get up!" He pleaded as he struggled. There was an explosion behind them and the frobot spun around. Maddie tossed a bag up in the air.

"Drop him." She said with a scowl. Ivy started to stir and pulled herself out of the way. The frobot advanced and Maddie threw the bag at it. Vines erupted and wrapped themselves around the frobot. Sprig managed to free himself and jumped down. Maddie hurried over to help him grab Ivy.

"Maddie I-" Sprig started.

"Don't thank me until we get somewhere safe." She said urgently.

Chapter Text

"Newtopia?" Troy asked as they made their way out of the valley. Polly nodded as she watched the roads closely. They had chosen to make their move as they felt confident about the information they had collected from their reconnaissance. The frobots would be switching patrols today. Polly suspected this was because they were running low on power and needed to be replaced with fully charged ones.

"It's been ages since I've been to Newtopia. Last time I was there I was a wanted criminal." Grime said fondly. "Remember Lieutenant?"

"You were there when we defeated King Andrias." Polly reminded him. He scratched his beard confused.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Grime said slowly as he tried to recall. He looked at Troy. "We won, didn't we?" He asked as he unconsciously put a clawed hand to his stump. Troy glanced quickly to Polly who nodded.

"Yup." Troy said, forcing a smile. He liked Grime but he wasn't sure if he should or not. As time had gone on Grime had brought up a lot of questionable things he had done that Polly had corroborated. He also didn't want to keep being mistaken for whoever this Lieutenant person was. "Uh, how about you remind me of a time we did something good?" Grime smiled and slapped his knee.

"You mean like that one time we extorted that frog village for extra provisions?" He laughed as he reminisced. Polly raised an eyebrow.

"No. Not like that." Troy said flatly. Grime stoked his beard.

"I would say Drawsidoodle but that kind of turned out to be a disaster." Polly snorted.

"Drawsi-what?" Troy asked. Polly waved a hand.

"It was a game where you drew a picture and others had to guess what it was that you drew." Polly explained.

"That doesn't sound like it would be-" Troy began.

"I had almost forgotten I filled the volcakeno with battle hornets." Grime interrupted. "Yes, that was a fun time. Sure, you said you were doing it to manipulate your friends into trusting you again but deep down I knew you really wanted to-" Polly shushed him as they approached the pass. They slowed down and Polly pulled MicroAngelo to the side of the road.

"Stay here. I'll check it out and return when it's safe to go." Polly said, hopping down. Troy glanced at Grime and back at Polly.

"Can I come with?" He whispered. Polly rolled her eyes.

"No. Stay with Grime and stay hidden." She hissed back before running off. Troy crossed his arms and huffed. Grime raised his eyebrows.

"I know that look Lieutenant." He sighed heavily.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Troy said sarcastically.

"You always felt the need to keep up your tough act around others." Grime grimaced. "I know you hate hearing it but you have a good heart."

"I doubt that." Troy said as he thought about everything he had heard about the Lieutenant. Grime rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Remember when we fought that Scorpileo?" He said, wiping his eyes.

"Not really."

"Of course you do." Grime laughed. "After we returned, after we gave you that antivenom, you told me about how your parents were divorced. How your mother…" He grit his teeth and growled. Troy blinked. "Had you been my tadpole, no one would have ever laid a claw on you. No one should fear their childhood pond like that. I don't blame you for not wanting to return home."

"Oh." Troy said, taken aback. He remembered how heated his mom would get when she had a client from an abusive home. Maybe his mom could have helped this person? It sounded like they could have used it. His curiosity got the better of him and he decided to probe further. "What else did I open up to you about?" Grime chuckled.

"Don't worry. I won't go telling your secrets to anyone." He beamed and winked. "I remember the time you "didn't" tell me about your crushes." He used air quotes. Troy blushed.

"Okay, maybe I don't want to hear this again." He said quickly.

"You called them nerds so affectionately." Grime teased.

"That's enough." Troy said, covering his ears in embarrassment. Polly soon returned. "Thank frog." He sighed. Polly and Grime looked at him.

"Language!" Polly reprimanded disappointedly. Troy looked confused.

"What? I said frog?" He argued. "You two use it all the time."

"You're a bad influence on him." Polly accused Grime. He gasped in offense.

"It's better than that human word fu-" Grime started to say and then stopped as the frobots flew by overhead.

"Time to go." Polly said, climbing back up and snapping the reins. They sped through the ravine unnoticed. Once safely on the other side Polly let out a sigh of relief. Troy stared in awe around the landscape trying to take everything in.

"What's all out here?" He asked, looking at the rolling green hills.

"A lot." Polly said unhelpfully. Troy raised an eyebrow. "What? I haven't left the valley in a long time. Not since…" She scratched her head as she trailed off. When was the last time she left the valley?

"So what's out here?" Troy asked, turning to Grime.

"Vast untamed wilderness, scorching deserts, deadly forests," Grime began dramatically, "-and a surprisingly pleasant inn." He finished anticlimactically.

"Was the inn run by a family of horned bullfrogs by any chance?" Polly asked suspiciously. Grime nodded and Polly sighed. Troy looked between them with interest. "What?" Polly asked as she noticed his gaze.

"Okay, so what's the story about the inn?" He said with interest.

"Cannibals." Polly said flatly. Troy opened and closed his mouth. He didn't know what to say. He felt like there should be more of a story to this.

"And?" He pushed. Polly considered him for a moment.

"I don't think that story is appropriate for-"

"I'm not a kid." He argued and crossed his arms.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm usually all for telling a good story. Especially one where I saved the day but," Polly chewed her lip, "it was scary." She glanced at Troy who looked disappointed. She felt conflicted. On one hand she wanted to tell all about her adventures with Anne but on the other she didn't want to scare him with all the dangers they faced. There was a long pause. "You know, this is going to be a long journey. Why don't you tell me stories about back home and I'll tell you stories about here." Troy nodded eagerly.

"Hm, okay, so this one time my moms brought me to the renaissance fair." He began. "Do you have renaissance fairs here?" He asked before continuing. Polly shrugged.

"You mean where frogs dress up like knights and stuff?" She replied.

"Wait, you have those too?" Troy's eyes widened. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a journal. Polly glanced over as he started scribbling.

"Are you taking notes?" Polly said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's what my Ma would do. I want to remember everything." He said chewing on the end of the pencil for a moment. "Even if this does turn out to be just a dream."

"What makes you say that?" Polly frowned. He gave her a look.

"Talking frogs? A giant snail? Frog robots?" Troy listed as he counted on his fingers. He was going to add more but stopped himself. For example, the fact that was on a road trip with a toad that somewhat looked like and shared the name of his childhood stuffed animal.

"Fair." Polly admitted. "So tell me about the renaissance fair." Troy finished writing and put his journal away.

"Right, so we go every week or every other week depending on my sisters' schedules." He began. Polly pulled MicroAngelo to a halt. "Woah, why are we stopping?"

"You have a sister?" She asked.

"Sisters. I have two." He said looking around for the reason they stopped.

"I thought you were an only child Lieutenant?" Grime added. Troy shook his head.

"I'll explain another time." Troy said to him before turning to Polly. She was staring straight ahead with a terrified expression. Troy waved a hand in front of her.

"Mother of Olms! อึ! แช่ง!" Polly shouted suddenly, making Troy blush and his eyes widen in surprise. "Are they here too?" She asked urgently. Troy frowned as he tried to think about it.

"I don't know. Maybe?" He said trying to recall everything that happened before they opened the puzzle box.

"Oh my frog, we need to find them." Polly whispered as she clutched her head. "Why did you have to have so many froggin' kids Anne?" She said under her breath.

Chapter Text

Grime and Troy were setting up camp as Polly poured over a map. She ran her fingers through her hair distractedly. How were they supposed to search all of Amphibia for Anne's kids? She groaned and closed her eyes. She wished Sprig was here.

"Well, good thing I had all the stuff I needed for summer camp." Troy said, trying to be optimistic as he rolled out his sleeping bag. He glanced over at Polly. He appreciated her concern for his safety but didn't want to be treated like a child. He sighed and felt guilty. At least she had the sense to consider what could have happened if his sisters had been sent here as well. He shook his head. This couldn't actually be real, could it? Yet everything felt real. He closed his eyes and tried to think back to everything that had happened before he woke up here. Andria and Athena were arguing again. They had come to him because Athena had found a strange box. Neither he nor Andria could get it open. However, Athena seemed to manipulate it into opening. There was a flash of light and…

"Lieutenant." Grime said, putting a clawed hand on his shoulder. Troy turned to him and Grime cleared his throat. "I think we should have a talk."

"Uh, what's up?" Troy asked, curiously. He wondered what Grime was going to share this time. He seemed to be struggling with remembering when and where he was half the time. He had ended up inadvertently sharing a lot about whoever this Lieutenant person was. At first he thought she was a jerk but it sounded like she had a lot going on.

"I," Grime started and frowned. He scratched his beard and squinted at Troy. "I'm getting old." There was a pause. Troy laughed and patted him on the arm.

"It's okay." He said, smiling reassuringly. He was worried Grime had something serious to say.

"Please, Lieutenant." Grime continued and Troy fell silent. "I need you to be patient with me." He put a clawed hand to his head and rubbed his temples. "I can't recall things like I used to." Troy grimaced and felt guilty. Grime looked to Polly and pointed. "I need to speak with her next."

"Why? What's wrong?" Troy asked quickly. Grime shook his head.

"Later." He said, closing his eyes as he strained to remember something. "I'm sorry." He said finally as tears started to roll down his face. "It's important but I can't-" He gritted his teeth. "I had something to tell you." He shook his head as he tried to focus. Troy pulled the old toad into a hug as Grime sobbed.

"It's okay. Take your time." Troy said sympathetically. Grime seemed so sad, scared, and frustrated. "Polly?" Troy called over. Polly looked up distractedly. She bit her lip and strode over.

"Grime." Polly said gently. She felt bad for him and his failing memory. She looked at Troy. "Could you go check on MicroAngelo for me?" Troy nodded and let go of Grime. He quickly wiped his own eyes and left them. As soon as he was out of earshot Polly turned back to Grime and crossed her arms. "I know your vision isn't great and your memory-" She trailed off and glanced over at Troy. "-But I know you're not being completely honest."

"What do you mean?" Grime asked slowly.

"Who am I?" Polly said tapping her foot as she tested a theory. Grime blinked and looked at the blurry outline of the pink frog before him.

"You're Polly." He said frowning. "Am I wrong?"

"No. You're right." Polly replied.

"So what is your question?" Grime asked, stroking his beard.

"How do you know it's me?" Polly said, raising her eyebrows.

"You're a pink frog."

"So is Sprig."

"I don't understand."

"How do you know I'm Polly and not Sprig?" Polly continued to push.

"Because I know your voice." Grime said furrowing his brow. Polly waited. When he didn't continue she pointed to Troy.

"And he is?"

"Why that's the Lieu-"

"Who is he?" Polly said, raising her voice slightly while still keeping it a whisper.

"That's… That's…" Grime's lip quivered and he squeezed his eyes shut. He snarled.

"Who is he Grime?" Polly demanded.

"That's her son." Grime admitted as he broke down again. "That's the little foot soldier." Polly ran a hand through her hair.

"Why do you keep calling him Lieutenant?"

"He looks just like her." He said looking at Troy fondly. "I keep seeing her and forgetting-"

"And why aren't you being honest with him?"

"I want to remember." Grime growled sadly. "I want to relive those memories. I want him to hear some of his mother's adventures and accomplishments."

"Then why not tell him?" Polly asked.

"Why haven't you?" Grime countered. She blanched at the question.

"I'm scared." Polly said, rubbing her arms. "I know I shouldn't be but the last time Sprig and I talked… He brought up some fears I didn't have before." She glanced at Troy. "And now I'm afraid it's too late to come clean."

"You and I both." Grime agreed before looking confused again. "Why are we here?" Polly laughed helplessly. She felt so much pressure to hold everything together.

"I don't know." Polly said, clenching her fists. "I really don't know." She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. "We'll keep heading to Newtopia. We'll listen in for rumors along the way. If we think it may be his sisters we'll investigate."

"Sounds like a solid plan." Grime said approvingly. He scratched his beard absently. Polly stared off into the distance lost in thought. She narrowed her eyes momentarily.

"Wait. Why did you call him a foot soldier?" Polly asked curiously. Grime blinked.

"Because that's what I called him when he was born." Grime said simply.

"What do you mean when he was born?" Polly frowned. "We never saw any of them when they were born. Anne-"

"I saw him with Sasha." Grime said with a small smile. "We were overlooking the-"

"You've seen them!?" Polly half shouted. Troy looked over with a worried expression.

"Yes, haven't you?"

"Of course not. They never came back." Polly said, running a hand through her hair. "I mean Hop Pop thought he-" She froze. "Hop Pop said Anne had three kids…" Her eyes started to water and she put a hand to her mouth as she remembered. She thought Hop Pop was simply getting old and senile. "I saw Anne." Polly whispered. Troy hurried over when he saw Polly start to cry.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Troy asked quickly. Polly shook her head and cried quietly. He looked over at Grime for some sort of explanation. Grime had a guarded expression and stroked his beard.

"Little foot soldier…" He started slowly and Polly frantically shook her head. Troy looked confused. "Did your mother ever tell you about her time in the Toad Army?"

"Grime!" Polly hissed.

"What?" Troy asked as his heart started to race for some unknown reason. Grime smiled weakly. "What do you mean, my mother?"

"That's her old armor." Grime said letting out a choked laugh. "You look just like her. Blonde hair and everyth-"

"You know my Mom?" Troy said, frowning as his eyes widened. Grime nodded. "That's impossible."

"It's not." Polly said with a guilty expression.

"No. It is." Troy argued. "This-" He gestured around. "This can't be real. None of it can be." He clenched his fists. "And if it is there's no way you would know my moms."

"We do." Polly said apologetically.

"No you don't." Troy said, putting his foot down as his eyes started to water. "Because if you did you would have told me before now. You won't have lied or tried to cover it up."

"Kid, I'm sorry-" Polly began. Troy turned away to rub his eyes. Polly reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "It was so hard when Anne left. When-"

"You knew my Mæ̀?" Troy said desperately. He turned around and Polly flinched. "How did-?"

"She was our friend. She was a Plantar." Polly jumped in quickly. Troy shook his head and backed away. He glanced at Grime.

"Sasha was the best lieutenant I've ever had." Grime said full of pride and sorrow. Troy shook his head again.

"No. You're lying." He said looking between them. "This is a messed up joke or something."

"I'm so sorry." Polly said, taking a step forward. Troy took a step back. "It was years ago! I was going to ask - to tell you the first time we met but Sprig-" She said getting frustrated with herself. Troy took one last look at them before bolting. "Wait!" Polly shouted and ran after him. Grime closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh as he sat down.

Chapter Text

"Leave me alone!" Troy shouted as he tried to escape from Polly.

"I will if you stop running away!" Polly shouted as she came to a stop and raised her hands. "It's not safe out here and-!" Polly cursed and rubbed her eyes. Troy came to a reluctant halt and looked back at her. Polly was crying and hugging herself. "-I don't want you to get hurt okay!" Troy could feel his own tears welling up in his eyes but he fought to hold them back. Polly sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest as she buried her face in them. Troy was still upset with her but he didn't like seeing her so distressed.

"I messed up." Polly said to her knees. "I was scared. I got so scared and I'm still so scared." Troy took a hesitant step towards her. "You just came out of nowhere and it made me realize I still haven't processed some things." She lifted her head up and stared off into the distance. "Anne was a friend and family. Seeing her go was the hardest thing." She rubbed her nose and sniffed. "I thought I had come to peace with the fact that I may never see her again. But seeing you…" She shook her head.

"I was so young when I met her. I think that's why it was easier for me to move on than Sprig." She sighed. "Plus I had Frobo." She looked to the sky while frowning. She hadn't seen Frobo since the night they escaped. She hoped he was safe and protecting the town. "I'm just so scared."

"What are you scared about?" Troy asked as his brow furrowed. Polly chewed her lip.

"I'm scared to see Anne again." She laughed with a sob. "I'm scared I'll disappoint her. I'm scared that you'll get hurt. I'm scared that I will fail her. I'm scared that I'm not doing enough." Troy took another step closer and sat down. There was a stretch of silence.

"What about my other moms?" Troy asked as he stared up at the sky.

"You mean the Ranger and Lieutenant?" Polly snorted and shivered. "I'm sure Marcy would have already found a way to get you all back home by now and Sasha…" She shuddered.

"Wait…" Troy paused. He still hadn't processed this. "Wait!" He said more loudly. Polly looked over at him. “Mom was the Lieutenant!?" He said in disbelief. His eyes widened in horror. Polly blushed. Maybe she shouldn't have said all those things about the 'Lieutenant' earlier. "She did all that horrible stuff to Mæ̀ and Ma?"

"Yeah but-" Polly tried to do damage control.

"And Ma!" Troy demanded. "You said she lied and betrayed Mæ̀ and Mom!"

"Okay so it's a bit complicated…" Polly said as she rubbed her temples. She looked over and winced as she saw Troy staring at her expectantly. She sighed. She might as well come clean about everything. "Alright, so let's start back at the beginning. The very beginning." Polly said slowly. "There was this powerful artifact that the newts created years ago. It allowed them to travel to different worlds and mine them for resources." She started drawing the music box in the dirt between them. Troy tilted his head to one side.

"That looks kinda like the puzzle box Athena found that sent us here." Troy said slowly. Polly froze.

"It does?" She asked sharply. Troy started drawing a similar one next to it. Polly frowned as she analyzed it closely. It shared several similarities to the music box for sure but the imagery on it was clearly different.

"Hold up." Polly said as she pulled her phone out and took a picture of it. Troy blinked in surprise.

"You have a phone!?" He gasped in shock.

"What? Oh, yeah. I got it when I was in the human world." Polly said, waving a hand dismissively. A hundred different thoughts were running through her mind. She pulled up a map of Amphibia. If something like the music box had transported them here was it possible it sent them to similar locations as the music box? She marked the approximate spot where Sprig said he found Anne and where they found Troy. They weren't too far off. She tried to recall where Sasha and Marcy had said they landed all those years ago.

"Grime!" Polly shouted. Grime looked up and over at them. "Get over here!" She said waving him over. Grime got to his feet and put a hand to his back. He groaned and lumbered over. "Where did you say you first found Sasha?" Grime blinked and scratched his beard as he thought about it. Polly held out her phone. Grime took it and squinted at the small screen. He zoomed in and tapped a spot. Polly made a note of it. She crossed her arms and paced back and forth as she thought about what Marcy told them. She was pretty sure she landed directly in the city. However the city was very large. Lady Olivia probably could have told her the exact spot.

"Do you think-?" Troy asked as he trailed off. "Do you think my sisters could be there?" Polly closed her eyes. They had briefly been to Toad Tower and there hadn't been any sign of anyone else other than Grime. She glanced at him.

"Grime!" Troy blurted as he turned to him. "You said you had something important to tell me before!" His heart started to race. "Was it one of my sisters? Did you see one of my sisters?" Grime frowned as he tried to remember. He looked over at their dwindling campfire. The black and red embers sparked a sudden memory in him. A black armored figure with glowing red eyes raising a scythe. Grime started to panic and quickly glanced around.

"I saw her Lieutenant!" He said quickly and drew his sword as he looked around for an unseen enemy.

"My sister?" Troy said hopefully.

"No." He said as he circled around them on edge. "Her." He said in a low voice. Polly's eyes widened. There was only one person that could cause this kind of fear in Grime. She glanced at Grime's stump.

"That can't be." Polly said, shaking her head. It couldn't be possible. It shouldn't be possible.

"I saw her!" Grime said seriously. He was starting to hyperventilate. "Foot soldier!" He cried. His vision was flashing between the moment Sasha was almost cut down and her son before him. He couldn't let the same fate befall her son. He pushed Troy behind him. "Come out you coward!" He bellowed.

"Grime, she's not here!" Polly said, pulling a hand on his arm. He reacted on instinct and pushed her away as he pointed his sword at her. He couldn't clearly make out who was before him and the dim lighting of the night sky wasn't helping.

"Grime stop!" Troy said as he darted out from behind him and placed himself between him and Polly. Grime spun around as he kept looking. "Grime!" Troy said as he kept stepping in front of him. "Grime, look at me!"

"Move aside Lieutenant - foot soldier!" He said, shaking his head.

"Grime, please look at me!" Troy said as he tried to force his voice into being calm. "Look at me." He repeated as he stared into the old toad's foggy eyes. Grime huffed and tried to do as he was told. "I want to try a technique my mom taught me for when I get scared or overwhelmed."

"But foot soldier-!"

"Can you try it with me?"

"Sasha?" Grime said in a cracked voice with watery eyes.

"Yes, Sasha taught me this." Troy said calmly. It felt weird to call his mom by her first name. He shook the feeling off and pressed on. "It's called grounding. Are you ready to try it?" Grime sniffed and nodded but kept his sword at the ready. "Name five things you can see." Troy said and looked around himself. Tears started to roll down Grime's face.

"I can't see anything anymore, Lieutenant." Grime croaked, feeling weak and ashamed. Troy winced.

"Sorry! Sorry!" He said quickly. "Forget that. What are four things you can hear?" Grime frowned and strained his ears.

"Do our voices count?" Polly asked.

"Yes, they can." Troy said as he kept his eyes focused on Grime.

"I hear the wind and the crickets…" Grime said slowly.

"And two more?" Troy prompted.

"Your voices."

"Good! Now, uh, three things you can feel?" He said as he tried to remember which senses in what order. Grime blinked and adjusted his grip on his sword. Troy very slowly and carefully reached out and put his hand on Grime's. Grime sniffed.

"Your hand." He said in a quavering voice. Polly stepped forward and also put her hand on his. "And Polly's." He said with a half laugh as tears continued to roll down his face.

"One more." Troy said as he looked around. Polly whistled and MicroAngelo made his way over. They raised his hand and placed it on his shell.

"Such a good snail." Grime remarked. He was starting to forget why he had his sword out.

"Two things you can smell?" Troy continued. Grime frowned and sniffed himself.

"Are you saying that I stink?" He said somewhat offended.

"What? No." Troy said confused. Grime put his sword away and patted MicroAngelo.

"Such a good snail." He repeated. Troy and Polly let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Who-?" Troy whispered to Polly who quickly shook her head.

"It's not possible." Polly whispered back as she glanced at Grime. Troy narrowed his eyes.

"You're not trying to cover things up again are you?" He asked suspiciously.

"No!" Polly said, feeling hurt. She sighed. "Listen, I swear I'll tell you everything in time and in order." Grime looked around and grimaced as he saw their fire almost completely extinguished.

"Needs more firewood." He grunted and wandered back to it.

"Who was he talking about and why couldn't it be her?" Troy asked as he crossed his arms.

"It was years ago." Polly said as she struggled to find the right way to describe it. "It was someone your mothers fought and defeated." She felt her skin prickle uncomfortably. "I think Grime was mistaken. He's getting old and…" Her heart skipped a beat. She glanced back at the picture Troy had drawn of the puzzle box in the dirt. She suddenly recognized the imagery. "...And the Core shouldn't exist anymore."

Chapter Text

Polly struggled to fall asleep as she tried to process everything. She poked the campfire and looked over at Troy and Grime. She bit her lip. Did Grime really see Darcy or was he just seeing things? She glanced at Troy. How did something like the music box get back to the human world? She had a very uneasy feeling about this. She pulled out her phone and looked at the picture Troy had drawn of the puzzle box. She frowned at it before putting a hand to her mouth. The symbols on it suddenly made sense. It was the Core’s design. Her heart started to race. She looked back at Grime, who was snoring loudly. A smile tugged at his lips as he dreamt.

“Excellent form Lieutenant!” Grime praised as he watched Sasha soundly defeat ten toad soldiers at once. He clapped his hands together. He was so proud. Sasha smiled over at him as she helped the toads back up. Grime walked over to pat Sasha on the back and blinked as she and the toads vanished before him. He was standing in the ruins of Toad Tower. He clutched his chest as his eyes watered. It was just a memory. He rubbed his eyes. He knew he was starting to lose it. These visions were made worse when he stayed in places that he had strong emotional connections too.

“Sasha…” Grime whispered. He shook his head. He felt so alone. He glanced in the direction of town. He knew his mind would be better if he was in town and surrounded by others and tethered to the present. He grimaced. He didn’t want to go back to Wartwood and he presumed Wartwood didn’t want him back either. Since his mind had started failing he had accidentally drawn his sword on a few frightened citizens. It had happened when he was struck by a sudden traumatic flashback. The look the citizens gave him when he came back to reality made him feel ashamed. That is why he had chosen this self-imposed exile back to Toad Tower.

Polly, Sprig, Olivia, and Yunan had tried to convince him to stay but he had made up his mind. He had slipped away one night and planned on never returning. He was a threat to the peaceful town. They’d be better off without him. Besides, he had felt so alone there even when surrounded by others. Polly was busy at the farm or working on her robotics. Sprig was rarely in town because he was off on adventures. Olivia and Yunan were often kept busy by their eft. They had named her Marcy.

Grime fought back more tears. He wished he had a little tadpole of his very own. A daughter to raise and train. To watch her grow and become a fearsome warrior.

Grime closed his eyes. It felt less lonely out here, surrounded by his old memories. He opened his eyes again and beamed as he saw Sasha waving him over back to the Tower with Percy and Braddock. He sniffed and headed over to them. The ground suddenly shook and his vision of them vanished. He spun around as he heard a heavy thud behind him. A frobot stood before him. He fumbled with his sword. Was this real or just another flashback? He readied himself just in case. The frobot yanked a spear out of the ground and lunged at him.

Grime grit his teeth and rolled out of the way. The frobot quickly changed direction and swung at his feet. It caught Grime off guard and he was knocked over. His sword fell from his grip and the frobot raised its spear and thrust at his chest. Grime caught it with his hand and fought to push it back as the frobot kept pushing it towards his heart. The tip of the spear was almost touching his armor. Grime was starting to sweat. Was this how it was going to end?

“Enough.” Came an eerie whisper of a voice. The frobot stopped and immediately straightened up. Grime stared at it in confusion. The frobot turned and looked in the direction where the voice seemed to be coming from. Grime followed its gaze and his heart stopped for a split second. His vision wasn’t great but he recognized that armor and those red eyes. He fumbled for his sword and squinted as he tried to get a better look. Something was off. The helmet wasn’t whole. It was cracked in half and the single remaining metal gill was broken in such a way that it looked like a horn.

“No.” Grime croaked as the figure retreated into the shadows. She couldn’t be here. It wasn’t possible. They had freed Marcy. So how was the Core puppeting her again? The frobot turned and prepared to leave with the mysterious figure. Adrenaline was pumping through Grimes veins. He raised his sword and rushed at the frobot. It reacted too late and Grime cut off one of its arms. The frobot stumbled back and glanced between the figure and Grime. The figure nodded and the frobot readied its spear. Grime let out a bellow and charged it again.

“Grime!” Polly whispered as she shook him gently. Grime was grinding his teeth and thrashing about in his sleep. “Grime!” Polly said a little louder. She didn’t want to wake Troy. Grime’s eyes flew open and scrambled to his feet. “Shhh. It’s okay.” Polly said quickly as she tried to calm him down. “It was just a dream.” Grime felt his heart racing wildly but took a moment to catch his breath.

“Right…” He said shakily. “Just a dream…” He looked at Polly. He knew she wouldn’t believe him.

“Why don’t you try to go back to sleep?” Polly suggested. Grime frowned. He knew he wouldn’t be able to but he didn’t want to argue. He nodded and laid back down. He grimaced as he thought about the horned figure.

Marcy sat bolt upright in a cold sweat clutching her chest. She was breathing hard and started looking around the room in a panic. She jumped as she felt something touch her shoulder.

“Woah, easy Mars.” Sasha said in a soft voice as she pulled her hand away. “What’s up?” Marcy kept clutching her chest and tightened her grip on the bed sheets.

“I had a dream-“ She shook her head. “- a nightmare…” She amended. Sasha placed her hand on Marcy’s. Marcy took it gratefully and laced her fingers with Sasha’s. “The kids-“ She began. Anne’s cell phone started to ring.

“Who’d be calling at this hour?” Sasha said, frowning at it. Anne sleepily reached for it and pulled it to her ear.

“Hello?” She asked groggily. Marcy gripped Sasha’s hand tighter.

“Mars-?” Sasha asked, feeling concerned.

“What!?” Anne responded sharply as her eyes flew open. She ripped the covers off the bed and scrambled out of it. “When!?” She demanded as she looked around the room and started pulling on more clothes. She shot a look at Marcy and Sasha. They understood and started dressing too. Anne started pacing and ran a hand through her hair anxiously. Her heart was racing and she grit her teeth. Sasha and Marcy shared a look. “We’ll be there in the next hour.” Anne said as she strode out of the room. Sasha and Marcy hurried to follow.

“Anne what’s going-?” Sasha asked. Anne grabbed the car keys and tossed them to Sasha.

“Our kids-“ Anne said seriously as her eyes started to water with a mix of panic, fear, and rage. “-are missing.” Marcy put a hand to her mouth as tears started to stream down her face. Sasha stood frozen to the spot with a look of horror. A moment later she came to and pulled her shoes on as she threw the door open.

“No they’re not.” Sasha said with a snarl as she took both of their hands and headed to the car. They all climbed inside and Sasha tore out of the driveway.

“Anne…?” Marcy asked in a small voice after a moment or two. Anne was starting to pull out her hair. She closed her eyes and tried to take a calming breath.

“They were doing nightly checks on the cabins and they weren’t there.” Anne said slowly. “They searched the whole camp.” She said as she turned to Marcy.

“They didn’t search hard enough.” Sasha growled.

“Anne.” Marcy repeated.

“They couldn’t have gotten far.” Anne tried to reason. “The camp is in the middle of nowhere.”

“Anne.” Marcy said as she tried to grab her hand.

“We’ll find them, Mars.” Anne said, trying to sound reassuring as she took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Tears were streaming down Marcy’s face.

“I know where they are.” She said in a cracked voice. Sasha slammed on the brakes.

“Where?” She demanded as she threw the car in park and looked back at her. Marcy sniffed.

“They’re in Amphibia.”

Chapter Text

Athena blinked and rubbed her eyes as she stood in a flooded library. Was this a dream? She heard a low rumbling in the distance and started to shiver. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a green toad stuffie. Grime would keep her safe. She hugged him close to her chest and slowly started wading through the ankle high water. The rumbling got louder and she looked around as she tried to find the source. It sounded like… snoring?

She spotted what looked like a chess board at the far end of the library next to a large seated statue. The snoring only got louder as she made her way towards it. Her face lit up when she saw the pieces on the board. It looked like Flipwart and the board was already set. She clambered into a chair across from the statue and set her stuffie on the opposite side of the board.

"Your move first, Grime." Athena said cheerfully. She scanned the board and moved a piece for him. There was a sudden loud snort and the ground shook. Athena reached across the board and grabbed her stuffie again.

"Master Marcy?" An old deep voice asked hopefully. Athena's eyes widened as she realized what she presumed was a statue was starting to stir. A pair of white cloudy eyes looked around the room blindly.

"You know my Ma?" Athena asked, half scared and half curious. Andrias thought his heart nearly stopped.

"Andria?" He asked in a cracked voice.

"That's my sister." Athena said as she looked up and down the hulking newt. She chewed her lip as she took in his appearance. "Oh!" She said, clambering to her feet. "You must be King Andrias! Ma told me about you!" She couldn't help but stare. Her Ma had told her and her siblings all about their time in Amphibia. So was that where she was? She looked around. After a moment or two Andrias finally found his voice again.

"Master Marcy-" He shook his head. "-Your mother," He amended, "told you about me?" He got choked up as he thought about it. Giant tears were welling up in his eyes.

"Yeah, Ma told us about how she went to frog land and met a king and joined the Night Guard and fought a lot of bad guys." Athena said brightly. She flapped her hands excitedly. She always knew her Ma's stories were true. Her siblings had said they were just stories from Ma's webcomic but the way her Ma told the stories… They didn't sound made-up.

"Please excuse me." Andrias said as he wiped away the tears now rolling down his face.

"No, it's okay. Mom says it's okay to cry." Athena said as she walked over and patted his giant hand. Andrias sniffed and looked down blindly at where he thought she was.

"Thank you little Master." He chuckled as he pulled himself together. "Forgive me but I'm afraid I don't know your name."

"It's Athena." She said proudly. "Mæ̀ picked it."

"I see." Andrias said as he scratched his beard.

"Wait, you can?" Athena asked, confused. Andrias blinked.

"No, no. It's a figure of speech." He said waving a hand in front of his face. "I lost my eyesight years ago." He sighed.

"So what are you doing in here?" Athena asked as she looked around the flooded library.

"Waiting." Andrias said, looking up.

"For what?" Athena said as she followed his gaze. There were a couple of holes in the ceiling where light from outside streamed in. He looked back down in her general direction.

"For whatever happens next." He said cryptically. He closed his eyes and felt around for Barrel's hammer. It functioned as both his cane and guide as his body continued to deteriorate. He found it and gripped it tightly as he struggled to get to his feet. Several of his joints popped and cracked painfully as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Athena asked as Andrias steadied himself.

"I was hoping you could bring me to your mother." Andrias asked as he stretched. "I'm very curious to hear how she got back and brought you with. I'm guessing some sort of portal or-"

"Ma didn't bring me here." Athena said, frowning. Andrias stopped stretching and furrowed his brow.

"Then who brought you here?" Andrias said, starting to look worried.

"No one." Athena said as she hugged her plushie close. "We found this box-"

"No…" Andrias whispered as Athena dived into the story of finding a mysterious puzzle box at summer camp. "W-what did it look like?" He asked urgently.

"Oh, uh, it had a bunch of these red orange eyes all over it." Athena said as she tried to recall it. Andrias clutched his chest. One of his last great sins was coming back to haunt him. He knew exactly what had brought her here.

"Little Master." Andrias said quickly as his heart began to race. "Where is the box now?" Athena shrugged then remembered he couldn't see.

"I don't know." She said kicking her feet through the shallow water. "Troy or Andria might have it." She jumped as Andrias knelt down.

"Do you know where they are?" He asked desperately.

"N-no." Athena said as she squeezed her plushie close to her chest. Andrias could hear the quaver in her voice. He stood back up and took a calming breath. This was his mistake and he needed to fix it. Marcy would be depending on him to keep her children safe in such a scenario. "Am I in trouble?" Athena asked nervously.

"What? No, no." Andrias said, waving a giant hand.

"Cause Mom and Mæ̀ keep telling me to stick with my Troy and Andria, especially if we get separated from them or think we're lost." Athena said, chewing her lip. "And I-I haven't looked for them… yet." Andrias chuckled.

"That is quite alright little Master Athena. We can find them together." He said as he started tapping his cane around the flooded library. Athena nodded and stood beside him. She grabbed the hem of his cloak and held onto it as they made their way out of the old ruin. Athena shielded her eyes as they emerged into the bright sunlight. Andrias hummed softly to himself as they made their way towards the city gates to New Newtopia. He was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.

"Ooo! Are we going into that city?" Athena asked excitedly as her eyes roamed over the glittering towers and pearly walls.

"Yes." Andrias said as they slowly made their way.

"Do General Yunan and Lady Olivia live there?" She asked eagerly as she started digging in her backpack for their plushies.

"No. I don't think so." Andrias said, frowning slightly as he thought about it. "They settled in Wartwood, though I believe Lady Olivia still makes visits every so often as part of her vows to protect and keep the land." He closed his eyes. He still had deep regrets for the wrongs he committed against them. He didn't think they ever truly forgave him and he didn't fault them for it. He didn't deserve any of the forgiveness he had been so freely given.

"Maybe if she's there she can help us find my brother and sister." Athena said as her eyes widened. "And then she can take us to see Grime and Sprig and Polly and Frobo and-" She rattled off an impressive list of names. Andrias raised his eyebrows.

"Your Ma told you about all of them?" He asked dumbfounded.

"Yup! But I don't know all their stories. Just what Ma told me and what she put in her comic." She said, proudly.

"You have quite the memory." Andrias remarked. She reminded him so much of Marcy he couldn't help but smile. It wasn't too much longer before they reached the gates. "Now Master Athena, I don't know how much your mother has told you about my past but-" He could hear the guards shouting urgently to one another. "-I might not be allowed to accompany you through the city. I hope that is okay."

"Wait, why not?" Athena asked worriedly as she tightened her grip on his cloak.

"Andrias!" A harsh voice spat as it approached. A fearsome looking troop of newt guards approached and barred their path in front of the gates. "You know well enough that you aren't welcome here." A captain snarled as he stepped forward. Athena shrunk back and Andrias looked down at her.

"It's alright little Master. You aren't the one in trouble." He said gently.

"Who are you-?" The newt demanded as he drew his sword. His eyes followed Andrias's gaze and he yelped when he saw the tiny human. "A human!" The troop collectively gasped as they spotted her. The captain nudged one of his soldiers who fumbled with a horn before quickly blowing it. More soldiers peered down from the walls as they hurried down.

"That's Master Marcy's kin!" The newts started whispering amongst themselves.

"Little Master." The newt captain said, approaching her and bowing deeply. "Forgive me for not noticing you sooner. I am Captain Rosales of the New Newtopia Night Guard."

"Hi." Athena said shyly as she continued to hide behind Andrias's cloak.

"May I have your name?" He asked, straightening up and peering over at her curiously.

"Athena." She mumbled quietly. The sudden crowd along with their chattering was overwhelming her. Andrias could pick up on her discomfort and cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we may continue introductions inside the city walls and with a smaller audience." He proposed. The newts all glared at him.

"You don't get to make demands like that." A soldier snapped at him.

"I apologize if it sounded like one. I was merely making a suggestion." Andrias said calmly. The newts looked to their captain who let out a heavy sigh and motioned for them to open the gates. He looked up at Andrias suspiciously before glancing back down at Athena.

"Please, follow me." He said turning his back on them and leading the way into the city.

Chapter Text

"So Master Marcy is your mother." Rosales said, raising his eyebrows as they walked through the city. Athena nodded and kept glancing back to where Andrias was being held near the gates. Rosales followed her gaze and frowned slightly. "I take it she didn't tell you about him." He said, jerking his thumb back.

"Ma, told me about him." Athena said defensively. "She told me how he found her and helped fix her broken leg and let her join the Night Guard and go on missions." She listed off. Rosales rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes, that's actually how I know about your mother." He said with a small laugh. "She uh, worked with my parents." Athena blinked and stared at him in surprise.

"Wait." She said slowly as she tried to recall what her mother had told her about her time in the Night Guard. "Does that mean your parents are-"

"Jovi and Nettles." Rosales said with an embarrassed smile. "Yeah." Athena's eyes widened.

"Your mom and dad can probably tell me about their adventures with my Ma!" Athena said excitedly.

"I'm sure they could." He said looking off in the distance. "But that's beside the point." He said, shaking his head. "That newt," He looked back towards Andrias, "isn't safe."

"Ma said he helped fight the moon." Athena frowned. Rosales closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Should he really be the one to tell her Andrias was behind the attacks that set everything into motion? Marcy clearly had her reasons for not telling her but could she have predicted her child would ever meet the deposed king?

"He's not…" Rosales tried to choose his words carefully. Sure Andrias had done horrible things but was he still capable of being a threat? "He isn't as kind as your mother told you." He finished weakly. He couldn't bring himself to tell this small child the horrors the great newt had committed. Let alone the fact that he had almost killed her mother.

"Okay." Athena shrugged. She knew people weren't perfect so it made sense Andrias had probably been mean a few times.

"May I ask why you were traveling with him?" Rosales asked as they sat down outside a cafe.

"Oh, we weren't traveling together very long. I just kinda woke up here and found him in a library." Athena said as she kicked her feet back and forth.

"Woke up here?" Rosales said furrowing his brow.

"My brother and sister and I were at camp and we found this box and then there was this bright light and then I was here." Athena said as she looked around the glittering city. Rosales scratched his chin.

"And your brother and sister weren't with you when you woke up?" He asked.

"Nope!" Athena said brightly as she watched the newts bustling about the city. There was so much to take in. Rosales ran a hand through his hair as he tried to piece together the best course of action. As a member of the New Newtopian Night Guard it was his duty to help those in need.

"Master Athena," He said, clearing his throat, "allow me to put together a troop to help locate your missing siblings."

"You'll help me find them?" Athena asked with wide eyes. Rosales nodded.

"It would be an honor to assist the daughter of the great Master Marcy." He said with a bow.

"Will I get a cool cloak and crossbow too?" She asked excitedly as she pointed at them. Rosales blanched.

"Er, no, I don't think that will be necessary-"

"Will Andrias get a cool cloak and crossbow?" She asked, tilting her head to one side. Rosales frowned.

"He won't be getting anything," He said bluntly, "except maybe a jail cell…" He muttered under his breath.

"Why not?" Athena asked, crossing her arms.

"For you or Andrias?" Rosales asked slowly.

"Both!" Athena said, glancing back over to the city wall with worry. Rosales sighed and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath in before opening them again and squatting down to Athena's height.

"You won't need those things." Rosales began patiently.

"Why not?" Athena said, furrowing her brow.

"Because you will get to stay nice and safe in the city walls here." He gestured around. "I'll talk to the other captains and I'm sure we can set something up so you can stay with one of their families while we look for your siblings."

"Does Andrias get to stay with them too?" Athena asked. Rosales glared in the direction of Andrias.

"No."

"So he's going with to look for my brother and sister?"

"No."

"Then where is he going to be?" She asked, crossing her arms. Rosales rubbed his temples.

"He will either be locked away or better yet, exiled." He said straightening up.

"You can't do that!" Athena huffed and put her foot down. "He didn't do anything!"

"He did." Rosales said as his tail swished back and forth in irritation.

"When?" She demanded.

"A long time ago."

"What'd he do?"

"I… I can't say." He said gritting his teeth.

"Why not?" Athena said as her eyes swam with angry tears. Why was everyone being so mean to her new friend?

"You're too young to understand and what he did was too horrible to tell a child!" Rosales snapped. Athena withdrew slightly and Rosales took a step back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I just-" He turned his back to her. He took a breath and turned back to see Athena sprinting off into the crowd. "Mother Olms!" He cursed and tore after her.

Andrias let out a heavy sigh as he sat leaning against the city wall. He raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow and heard the newts that were watching him tense up. He lowered his arm and stared blankly into the sky. He could see the blinding light of the sun but not much else as the heat beat down upon him. He closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable. If he was lucky he could get a nap in before he was escorted away.

"Andrias!" He heard a small voice call out desperately. His eyes flew open and he quickly felt around for Barrel's hammer. The newt guards drew their weapons and pointed them at Andrias. They had confiscated the hammer earlier but it wasn't very far away. It had been too heavy for them to carry so they had instead opted to just move Andrias away from it.

"Athena?" He called back worriedly as he used the wall to stand up.

"Don't move!" One of the newt guards ordered. Andrias ignored him as he continued to look around blindly. He cursed his poor eyesight as he heard Athena call out again.

"Athena!" He called back as he rubbed his cloudy eyes.

"Andrias!" Athena shouted as she ran towards him. The guards shifted uncomfortably as they glanced between her and the former king. They parted awkwardly as she pushed past them and tugged on Andrias's cloak. "We have to go!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Andrias asked as he readied himself against some unseen threat.

"They wanna lock you up." She whispered in distress. Andrias's expression softened.

"My dear-" He sighed.

"We have to go now!" She pleaded as she pulled on his cloak. Andrias shook his head as he prepared to settle back down. An explosion suddenly shook the city walls. The guards spun around as they tried to locate the source. A plume of smoke and dust rose into the air several hundred feet away.

"What happened?" Andrias asked sharply as he began searching for Barrel's hammer once more. The guards hesitated as they looked between Andrias and the explosion. Before they could make a decision as to what to do another explosion went off followed by several screams. The guards shared a look before sprinting off in the direction of the new explosion.

"What are those?" Athena asked as she pointed to several frobots as they rose into the air. Andrias stiffened as he recognized the familiar sound.

"We need to go." Andrias said quickly as he used the wall to support himself. "Where's my hammer?"

"Over here!" Athena said as she led him by pulling on his cloak. Andrias found it and gripped it tightly in one hand as he stumbled back from the wall.

"Little Master-" He said, kneeling down. "I need you to be my eyes." He lowered his hand for her to step on. Athena did so quickly and he placed her on his shoulder before gripping the hammer once more. "Where's the gate?"

"Straight ahead!" Athena said, patting him urgently as another explosion went off. Andrias nodded and took off towards it as fast as he could.

Chapter Text

"What were those things?" Athena asked once they were well out of sight of the city. Andrias sighed heavily. He gently picked up Athena and set her down.

"Frobots." He said staring blindly ahead. "From my former army."

"But you had a newt army and the toads and the night guard?" Athena frowned. "Ma said everyone worked together to fight some evil robots."

"They weren't evil." Andrias grimaced. "They were simply following someone who was." He reached down to touch the ground beneath him. They seemed to be on a grassy hill. He carefully lowered himself and sat down. Athena looked back in the direction of the city. She thought she could see a few small specks in the distance flying off.

"I take it that Master Marcy, your mother," He amended, "Didn't tell you who exactly she and your other mothers were fighting." Athena looked at him.

"She said they were fighting robots and the moon." She said, feeling a little confused.

"Yes, but did she say who built the robots? Who led the robots? Why the moon fell in the first place?" Andrias said grimly. He wasn't going to lie to this small child. He was going to be honest about the crimes he committed. She was owed that.

"No…" Athena said slowly. She sat down too and tried to recall the villains in her mother's comic.

"I made the frobots." Andrias said finally. "I led them against your mothers and my own citizens." He scowled at himself. How had he let himself be so blinded seeking his father's approval that he tore apart his own kingdom to gain it? And did he ever really gain his approval after he did all those terrible things? He shook his head.

"No, no. Ma said there was this big evil monster hive mind that-" Athena defended quickly. Andrias would never have done such horrible things. Her Ma talked about how kind he was to her. He was understanding. He was scared.

"The Core." Andrias spat. "I awakened it. I did it's bidding. I waged war in its name. I hurt so many people I loved because it demanded it. I was cruel and careless. I was a fool." He said full of self loathing. "I don't deserve to still be here when so many others lost their lives fighting for their homes and loved ones." Andrias hung his head. Athena stared in shock as she tried to process this.

"So you did what the hive mind told you?" She asked.

"Yes." Andrias said, gritting his teeth.

"Then you weren't the one being evil." Athena said simply.

"What?" Andrias asked, furrowing his brow as he lifted his head. Athena looked back towards the city.

"You said the robots weren't evil."

"No, they weren't."

"Cause you said they were just following someone who was."

"Master Athena-" Andrias tried to interrupt. He was touched by her simple reasoning but felt the need to correct her.

"And you were just doing what the hive mind said. That's what you said." Athena said self confidently. "So that means you aren't evil."

"It's not that simple." He said tiredly. "I had free choice. The frobots…" He closed his eyes.

"And in the end you said sorry to everyone, right?" Athena pushed.

"I tried." Andrias said as his eyes began to water. "But some of them were long gone before I had the chance." He let the tears flow freely as he thought about Barrel and Leif. What he wouldn't give to be able to apologize to them.

"Ma said you helped at the very end. She said you fought your dad and it was really scary." Athena said quietly as she patted his hand. Andrias let out a choked laugh.

"It was one of the scariest things I ever did. But it was the right thing to do." He said, wiping his eyes. "I only wish I had done it sooner."

"Yeah, well, it sounds kinda hard to fight your dad when he's the moon." Athena shrugged.

"Wha-?" Andrias frowned then shook his head. "Anyway, I hope you understand that is why most folks don't care to see me."

"It's okay." Athena said as she stretched. "Lots of people don't like me either."

"What?" Andrias said as his eyes widened. He tried to look down in her general direction. "Why would anyone dislike you?"

"Cause I don't understand people very well." She hugged one of her plushies. "I make people mad and I don't know why."

"How?" Andrias felt a familiar twinge in his heart. He vividly recalled Marcy expressing similar concerns but she had two friends at least.

"Okay so before we left for camp I borrowed one of my sister's toys." Athena said as she immediately jumped in. "It was an action figure and you could move its arms and legs. I wanted to see how that worked so I took it apart-" As she recounted the tale Andrias's mind drifted back to Marcy. He remembered Marcy telling him about a time Anne was upset with her but didn't understand why. The answer seemed obvious to him and yet completely eluded her until he explained.

"-And I didn't even break the toy! I put it back together like I said I would and she still yelled at me!" Athena said as she started to get worked up.

"Little Master." He said patiently. "You sound so much like your mother."

"I do?" Athena asked, rubbing her eyes. "Cause I don't think my voice-"

"Ah, sorry, I forget that both you and your mother take things quite literally." A smile tugged at his lips. It felt like he had gone back in time and was talking with Marcy once more. "I mean to say that your experiences sound very similar."

"They do?" Athena asked. "But people like Ma."

"And I'm sure people like you too once they get to know you." Andrias assured her. "When your mother was younger, not quite your age but within a few years, she also struggled with understanding people. However she excelled in so many other things. She had such a brilliant mind that she seems to have passed on to you." He said fondly. He noticed the pause and continued. "Genetically speaking. She didn't physically give you a mind. I mean that you inherited her brilliance and deficits."

"Oh okay." Athena said as she started pulling grass out absentmindedly. She looked back in the direction of the city and squinted as she thought she saw the specks growing larger. "Why are there still frobots?"

"Hm?" Andrias scratched his beard. "There shouldn't be, well not the ones that seemed to be causing chaos in the city." He furrowed his brow. "Were you able to see what they were doing?"

"Uh-" Athena closed her eyes and scrunched up her face as she tried to recall. "I think they exploded out of the walls and then flew up."

"Out of the walls?" Andrias asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Athena said, opening her eyes again. The specks in the sky were growing bigger. Athena patted Andrias quickly. "There's some flying this way!"

"What!" Andrias reached for the hammer and struggled to get back up. He hefted the hammer over his shoulder as he used his tail to help him balance on his one leg. "Stay close." He said as he listened hard for the approaching frobots.

"But they shouldn't be evil, right?" Athena asked as she held onto his tail. "Because your dad and the hive mind are gone." Andrias remained silent. He tensed as he could hear the sound of the frobots' rockets. He hadn't regretted his decision to let his android body fall into disrepair until now. He didn't need to be whole for his sake but he needed to be able to protect Marcy's daughter. He grit his teeth as he readied his hammer. A large group of frobots flew overhead. Three stopped as they spotted Andrias and started to land.

"Target located." They heard one say as it scanned him over. Athena ducked behind his tail. "Requesting further instruction." There was a pause. Andrias shifted slightly as he tried to ascertain their approximate position before him. "Understood. Proceeding." The frobots' rockets started up again and they prepared to take off.

"Wait!" Andrias called out. "Who are you?" The frobots hesitated as they hovered a few inches off the ground.

"Request denied." The lead frobot announced.

"As former king and your creator I demand to-!" Andrias bellowed.

"King of what exactly?" An eerily familiar voice issued from the frobot. Andrias was gripped by a sudden fear he hadn't felt in a long time. "You're not worth our time…" The frobots took off and rejoined the larger group.

"Andrias?" Athena asked quietly once the frobots were out of sight. He was shaking and his eyes were wide.

Chapter Text

"-What do you mean you don't know?" Sasha snarled as she poked Mr. X in the chest.

"As surprising as it may sound Mama Bear, we aren't tracking your children's every move." Mr. X said, gently pushing her hand away.

"So you don't know where they are?" Anne said, furrowing her brow and crossing her arms. "Then why are you at this camp?" Sasha nodded and stood next to Anne.

"Because," Mr. X said patiently as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "we picked up an anomaly we haven't seen in quite some years." He looked at them meaningfully. "To be honest we're surprised Mrs. Boonchuy here wasn't the cause for the brief tear between time and space."

"What?" Anne asked, confused.

"Your guardian powers, sweetie." Mr. X said, waving a hand.

"I'm not supposed to get those until after I die…" Anne said slowly.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Mr. X said, straightening his glasses. "But anyway!" He clapped his hands together. "Lucky for you three, we have some idea where your children are."

"They're in Amphibia." Marcy whispered quietly. Mr. X opened and closed his mouth. He shook his head and tried to refocus.

"Well, I suppose the cat's out of the bag then." He said, putting his hands on his hips. "Why bother demanding answers from me when Immortal Mama already knows?" He said, gesturing. Marcy hugged herself and looked at the ground. Sasha glared at Mr. X and Anne tried to catch Marcy's eye as she put an arm around her.

"Great. So we all know where they are but what are you going to do about it?" Sasha said, narrowing her eyes.

"I would tell you to calm down so I can explain but I feel like I'd be wasting my breath." Mr. X said, looking Sasha up and down. A vein in Sasha's temple started to throb. "And you're supposed to be a psychologist…" He said under his breath. "I think it'd be easier just to show you. Follow me." He said turning his back on them and walking away. Sasha ground her teeth.

"Sash." Anne said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"He's not taking this seriously!" Sasha spat.

"I know Sash." Anne said softly.

"He thinks that just because they're in Amphibia they must be safe. Does he not know how dangerous it can be?" Sasha said as her voice broke. Anne took her hand. She could see the fear behind Sasha's eyes.

"Let's follow him." Anne said bracingly as she led the way.

"Anne-" Sasha said, while wiping her eyes with her other hand.

"I know." Anne whispered back. Marcy hugged herself tighter. They followed Mr. X back to a large military-looking tent. He held one of the flaps open and they stepped inside. "Terri? Dr. Jan?" Anne said in surprise as she spotted the two familiar faces working what looked like a portal.

"Anne!" They both exclaimed as they dropped what they were doing to head over. Marcy moved over to stand by Sasha as Anne hugged Terri and Dr. Jan.

"It's been forever!" Anne said, looking between them.

"Too long." Dr. Jan nodded seriously. "I just wish we were reuniting under better circumstances." She said sympathetically as she looked past her to Sasha and Marcy.

"But we might have some good news." Terri said as she patted the portal in-progress. "We still have the coordinates and a steady lock on Amphibia." She said moving to a computer beside the portal. "However-"

"You don't have a strong enough power source?" Anne guessed with a heavy sigh. Terri and Dr. Jan nodded.

"But, that's where you come in." Mr. X said, gliding over.

"How does he still have heelies?" Sasha whispered to Marcy. Marcy didn't respond. "Mars?" Sasha asked, frowning slightly. Marcy shook her head.

"I don't have my calamity powers anymore, none of us do." Anne said, gesturing to herself, Sasha, and Marcy. "We can't power it like I did before."

"Yes but like I said earlier, you have something more powerful than that, Boonchuy." Mr. X said, and glanced back at the empty portal.

"And I told you, I don't have access to those powers yet. Plus I haven't even agreed to become the new guardian." Anne said scowling. Mr. X rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure the guardian is still keeping a close eye on you, seeing as you're the only qualified applicant for their replacement." He said patiently. "I'm sure if you asked-"

"How am I supposed to contact them?" Anne argued. "I haven't seen or heard from them in years."

"Well, have you tried reaching out?" Mr. X said, crossing his arms.

"You don't think I haven't tried?" Anne half shouted.

"Sasha…" Marcy said in a barely audible whisper as she tugged on her sleeve.

"What's up?" Sasha asked as she tore her eyes away from Anne and Mr. X's argument. Marcy looked extremely pale and anxious.

"Something bad is happening." She whispered as her eyes watered. She looked up at Sasha full of guilt and remorse. "Something really bad."

"What do you mean?" Sasha asked seriously as she put her hands on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry." Marcy sniffed as tears started to roll down her face.

"Marcy?" Sasha said as she cupped her face. Marcy closed her eyes and shook her head. "Marcy!" Mr. X and Anne stopped arguing to look over at them.

"Sash?" Anne asked.

"I can hear them." Marcy breathed. Sasha felt her heart freeze for half a second. "I can hear them." Marcy repeated as she opened her eyes again. Sasha withdrew involuntarily as she saw a flicker of flaming orange and yellow behind Marcy's fearful brown eyes. "Sash?" Marcy asked, covering her mouth. She didn't like the look Sasha had given her. Sasha swallowed and furrowed her brow as she pulled Marcy into a sudden tight hug. "Sash?" Marcy nearly choked as she squeezed her eyes and hugged her back fiercely.

"What's going on?" Terri asked, feeling lost. Anne ran a hand through her hair as her stress continued to grow.

"I won't let them take you again." Sasha growled quietly. She was trying to keep her voice calm and steady but her heart was racing madly as she entered fight or flight. The thought of facing Darcy again was terrifying. She tightened her grip. She couldn't look Marcy in the eye right now. She could either hold her or run.

"Sash." Marcy said shakily. She could feel Sasha's heart pounding against her chest. She buried her face in Sasha's shoulder. She felt a cruel conflict of emotions. On one hand she trusted Sasha to save her again but on the other hand she knew last time had almost cost Sasha her life. She felt disgusted with herself for being so selfish.

"Mars?" Anne said cautiously as she walked back over to them. She glanced at Sasha and recognized her vaccant wide-eyed stare. "Sash." Anne said gently but firmly as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Go take a walk." Sasha let go of Marcy at once. "Mars." Anne said, as she noticed Marcy's continued grip on Sasha. Marcy begrudgingly let go and Sasha immediately turned on the spot and left the tent without looking back at her.

"Anne." Marcy sobbed. Anne held her arms open and wrapped them around Marcy. She stroked her hair soothingly as Marcy cried into her shoulder. "They're back." Terri and Dr. Jan shared a confused and worried look before turning away to give them some privacy.

"I've got you Mars…" Anne reassured her. After a moment or two Mr. X cleared his throat. Anne glared at him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Mr. X said, as he strode over. "But I believe you may have something important to share?" Marcy tried to collect herself enough to respond but Anne took over. She pulled away from Marcy but held her hand.

"The Core." Anne said, frowning. She looked over to Marcy who nodded. "It's back." Mr. X crossed his arm.

"The hive mind that was working with the newt king?" He asked to confirm.

"Yeah, that one." Anne said, as she looked at Marcy with deep concern.

"How does she know?" Mr. X asked as he pointed to Marcy.

"It doesn't matter." Anne cut across. "What matters is that it's back and we need to stop it and get our kids back." Mr. X raised his eyebrows and gave her a look. Anne scowled. "I don't know how to access those powers even if I had them."

"Well, good thing you're not alone." Mr. X said, waving a hand. "I have some ideas and luckily I came prepared."

Chapter Text

"So where are we going?" Athena asked Andrias as they walked through tall grassy plains.

"To Wartwood." Andrias replied. "A lot of the old Resistance still resides there."

"Ooo! Like Sprig and Polly and Grimes and-?" Athena rattled off a list of names. Andrias nodded.

"Perhaps we may even find one or both of your siblings there." He said with an optimistic smile.

"Yeah!" Athena said cheerfully. Andrias nodded again but his expression slowly became more stony. He didn't want to alarm Athena but he was deeply concerned about what they had just experienced. There should have been no way that his father, the Core, should have survived. It bothered him even more that they seemed to be in control of a small army of hidden frobots. He closed his eyes as he got lost in thought. He needed to consider everything he had just learned.

The Core was back but it didn't seem to be at full power. Otherwise why wouldn't it have launched a full out attack on the city? Athena had told him exactly how many frobots she had seen fly overhead. It was a worrisome amount for sure but not enough to take on New Newtopia. They also seemed to be flying in the direction of Wartwood from what Athena described. He had confidence that the citizens and former Resistance members that resided there would be able to handle themselves.

Another thought came to mind, the puzzle box Athena had told him about. The one he and the Core tried to make all those years ago when he searched fruitlessly for the music box. They had never completed it. Apparently the Core had been busy since its defeat. But how had it finished the box on its own? They had tried for centuries without success. What had changed?

"Master Athena, you spoke of a box, a box that sent you here. What more can you tell me about it?" He asked carefully. Athena chewed her lip as she thought.

"You mean what it looked like or the puzzle or where I found it?" She asked.

"No, no. But those are excellent questions I'll be sure to ask later." He said as they walked. "I'm not sure how to put this." He paused and closed his eyes for a moment. "How was it powered?"

"Like a battery?" Athena asked as she kicked the grass.

"Yes." Andrias said as his mouth felt dry.

"I'm not sure." Athena admitted. "Where would the battery be?"

"Possibly on the outside. But it wouldn't look like a battery. It could have the appearance of something else. Something simple, like a gem." Andrias tried to explain. He couldn't imagine that anything other than the gems would be powerful enough to open a portal between worlds.

"I don't think so." Athena said, frowning as she tried to remember. "It just had all those eyes." Andrias sighed. The Core had probably learned to be more discreet in hiding its power source after everything that happened with the music box. "Would finding the battery help?"

"Yes…" Andrias said slowly. "I believe so." A wind suddenly began to blow and Athena shivered. Andrias turned to face the wind. "It feels like a storm is coming on. We should take shelter."

"It looks like there's a town up ahead." Athena said, tugging on his robe.

Marcy nervously poked her head into one of the tents Mr. X had set up around the camp. Her heart leapt when she spotted who she was looking for. Sasha was sitting on a cot with her head in her hands. Marcy cleared her throat quietly and Sasha looked up.

Though they were only a few feet apart it felt like they were miles away from each other. Marcy steeled herself and hesitantly took a step forward. She wanted to bridge the gap, to close this sudden valley that had come between them.

"Stop. Please." Sasha said in a cracked voice. Marcy's stomach plummeted. Their eyes had met. Sasha's eyes were red and bloodshot. It looked like she had been crying. Marcy's own eyes started to fill with tears. The way Sasha was looking at her… It was more painful than anything Sasha could say.

"Sash-" Marcy said shakily as she tried to fight back tears.

"I need to know." Sasha said seriously. "Are they in your head right now?" Marcy hugged herself.

"No… but it comes and goes." She said, looking away. "And I can only hear whispers."

"Can they hear us?" Sasha asked warily.

"I don't think so." Marcy said uncertainly.

"What makes you say that?" Sasha said, as she watched her closely.

"They haven't tried talking to me." She said, glancing back. Sasha furrowed her brow and Marcy continued. "Why wouldn't they try talking to me if they knew I could hear them?"

"I don't know." Sasha said slowly. Marcy had a feeling Sasha wasn't sharing her thoughts out of caution.

"They're talking to someone but I don't know who." Marcy said, fidgeting with her hands anxiously.

"And why don't you think it's you?" Sasha said, narrowing her eyes.

"Because they're talking about things happening in Amphibia right now." Marcy tried to explain. Sasha gripped the sides of the cot. Marcy noticed and started to become frustrated that she couldn't explain better. "They were at the ruins of Toad Tower, they told someone how to find some frobots hidden underground and turn them on."

"Hmm." Sasha grunted. Marcy stomped her foot.

"I heard them talking about how they needed to find-" She stopped herself. Sasha was already mistrustful of her right now. Sharing that she heard that the Core had gone after Grime wouldn't help. "-the old Resistance members."

"I see." Sasha said as she felt something inside her tense. She knew Marcy had just lied to her about something or at the very least hidden something important.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Marcy snapped suddenly. She didn't need her wife psychoanalyzing her right now. Not when their children were missing and the nightmare of what had happened to her in the past was suddenly back and tormenting her. "We're on the same side!"

'Do you want to know what she really thinks of you?' Darcy's haunting question came back to the surface of her mind. Sasha's heart winced. 'She always thought you were a bit of a brute.'

"Mars…" She said weakly.

"Please stop treating me like I'm the bad guy!" Marcy said as angry tears began to roll down her face. Sasha opened her mouth and closed it. She couldn't argue the fact. She couldn't definitively confirm that Marcy wasn't a potential threat right now. What if the Core was using her to spy on them right now? What if it was planning to use what she shared against them? Against their kids? She couldn't take that risk.

But she also couldn't hurt Marcy like that. However, she had a plan. If the Core was listening she might be able to trick it into admitting it.

"Marcy." Sasha said, getting to her feet. She closed the gap between them and put her hands on her shoulders. "Do you remember what you asked me before we fought on Andrias's ship all those years ago?" Marcy frowned as she searched her face.

"I don't understand-" She began.

"When you were being controlled by the Core you asked me something." Sasha persisted. "I want to know the answer." She stared hard into Marcy's eyes. The Core wouldn't pass up the opportunity to hurt her and hurt her badly right now.

"Sasha I couldn't remember anything when it was- when it was-" She shivered and shook her head. She hugged herself tight and closed her eyes. "When I rejected its fantasy, its invitation to join, it threw me into darkness. I thought I lost everything. I thought I lost you and Anne." Sasha pulled her into a fierce hug. This was her Marcy, not the Core masquerading as her. Marcy blinked in surprise and hugged her back as she started to sob.

"I'm sorry and I believe you." Sasha whispered as she squeezed her tight.

"Sasha, I wouldn't come find you if I thought it was listening." Marcy said, pushing her back and glaring at her with hurt eyes.

"I know - I mean I should have known." Sasha apologized. Marcy huffed. "Marcy…" Sasha said, cupping her face. "Marcy, I'm so scared of her, of losing you again."

"Then don't push me away." Marcy scolded as her eyes burned with tears.

"I won't but-"

"I'm scared of her too." Marcy said quietly and kissed Sasha on the cheek. "But I also understand that you were hurt badly."

"The scar? Marcy that-" Sasha started.

"Psychologically." Marcy interrupted. "And I don't expect you to trust me fully right now. Or to act like you feel safe around me. I can't ask you to."

"Marcy I-"

"I'm just asking that you still love me."

"…Marcy." Sasha said in a broken voice. "I could never stop loving you."

Chapter Text

Andria's head was throbbing painfully and her whole body ached. She cracked her eyes open and looked around. There was nothing but darkness surrounding her. She heard a voice whisper in her ear.

"So… you're her child…" It hissed quietly.

"Who said that?" She said, whipping her head around. She couldn't see anything through the pitch black.

"And you have the other one's powers too. You are a dangerous one, aren't you?" It laughed. Andria's heart was beating quickly.

"Who are you?" She demanded. "Show yourself!"

"You're so full of pain." It purred. She shivered. The voice sounded somewhat familiar.

"What are you talking about? Where am I? Why is it so dark?" Andria said defensively, raising her fists.

"You've been in pain for so long and you don't even know why. I can help with that." It whispered.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Where are you?" Andria growled as she started to sweat nervously.

"Why, I'm right in front of you." A faint light illuminated a figure a few feet before her. It seemed to be a person in black armor wearing a helmet with what appeared to be antlers sticking out of it. Suddenly several sets of glowing red eyes opened and Andria scrambled backwards.

"What are you?" She whispered. The person laughed and slowly strode forward.

"I'm an old friend of your mother's." Darcy said, sticking a hand out to help her up. Andria hesitated before taking it. She grimaced as she looked at Darcy. She seemed uncomfortably familiar. Darcy grinned. "Oh, yes, that probably doesn't clarify it does it?" Darcy said walking around her. "She's the mother you call Ma."

"How do you know that?" Andria bristled.

"Because I am in your head." Darcy leered as she tapped her own.

"What do you-" Andria put a hand to her head and felt something clinging to it. She panicked and tried to pull it off but Darcy grabbed her hands and stopped her.

"Don't!" She hissed menacingly before pausing and making her expression neutral. "Don't." She repeated softer. "You were injured when you landed here. I'm helping you. See?" She waved a hand and half of the darkness lifted. Andria could see what looked like a semi-destroyed laboratory. She looked down to see her arm and leg bandaged.

"Did you possess me?" Andria said as she started to freak out. "Am I possessed?"

"Only a little." Darcy laughed as the rest of the darkness lifted. "I can only seem to possess you when you're unconscious and you seem to be waking up." Andria looked around frightened. She scrambled to her feet and looked around wildly. Darcy watched with some amusement as Andria ran around the laboratory looking for an exit. "You're not going to find it." She trilled.

"Why are you doing this? You said you were helping me!" Andria said as she turned back to face Darcy.

"I am and I will. I'll help you get out as soon as we come to an agreement." Darcy said, circling her. Andria caught a glimpse of her reflection in a cracked glass tank. Less than half of Darcy's helmet was covering her head and obscured part of her face. She saw a single red eye and one broken antler that looked more like a horn.

"What kind of agreement?" Andria asked suspiciously.

"I don't blame you for not trusting me." Darcy whispered in her ear suddenly. Andria jumped. "There's plenty of reasons you shouldn't. However, we're going to need each other if you want to get back home."

"Where am I?"

"Another world."

"How'd I get here?"

"Through a puzzle box that was stolen from me years ago."

"What do you get out of helping me?" Andria said, narrowing her eyes.

"A chance to see the world again. A chance to live." Darcy said simply. Andria suspected she wasn't sharing everything.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I can help you, little Prince." Darcy smirked. Andria frowned and spun around. She couldn't see Darcy anywhere.

"What kind of deal do you want to make?" Andria asked slowly.

"A simple one." Darcy said as she reappeared suddenly. "I get to stay here." She tapped on Andria's head. "And in exchange I will help you find a way home." Andria chewed her lip. She looked at the broken tank again. Darcy wasn't reflected back in it. She touched the helmet lightly. So Darcy seemed to exist solely in this strange helmet. "What do you say?" Darcy whispered.

"I don't trust you but I don't seem to have a choice." Andria scowled. Darcy grinned widely.

"A wise decision little Prince." Darcy said with a hint of a laugh. Andria furrowed her brow.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" She said bristling.

"You were named after a prince." Darcy said, waving a hand dismissively. "Who grew up to be a failure of a king. But unlike him, I see great potential in you."

"And what do I call you?" Andria asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Darcy." She laughed. "Though I suppose that name may no longer be fitting."

"Darcy…" Andria said, frowning. "And you said you knew my Ma?"

"Yes." She replied as her lip curled. "I knew her very well. She was exceptionally brilliant minded." Darcy said as she looked at Andria with interest. "A shame she wasted such potential to be a lowly artist."

"Hey!" Andria barked. "Don't you talk about her that way! She's a great artist!"

"I never said she wasn't." Darcy smirked. "But she could have been so much more."

"Stop talking and show me the way out." Andria growled as she grabbed the helmet by the horn. Darcy's pupils retracted.

"Very well." She hissed and forced a smile. She bowed dramatically before turning and walking away. "Follow me, little Prince." Andria glared at her as she stayed close behind her. Darcy put her hand to the wall. "Place your hand here. It should open." Andria did and the wall slid into the floor. "This way." Darcy said as she led her up a steep sloping staircase. Once at the top she pointed to a hatch in the ceiling. Andria nodded and pushed it open. She climbed out into what appeared to be the ruins of a fallen tower.

"What's this place?" Andria asked curiously.

"An outpost of my former kingdom." Darcy said bitterly.

"Kingdom?" Andria said, looking around. "You were a… queen?" Andria said, taking a step forward. Darcy eyed the remains of Toad Tower critically.

"Several monarchs actually." Darcy sighed. "But there are fewer of us now…"

"What?" Andria said, furrowing her brow. "There's more of you?"

"Yes and no but that doesn't matter at the moment." Darcy said, waving a hand. "What matters is that we help get you and your siblings home."

"How do you-?" Andria started then stopped as Darcy grinned and tapped the helmet knowingly. "Where are they?"

"That, I don't actually know." She said lazily as she walked around the rubble of the fallen tower.

"I assume you know a way to find them though, don't you?" Andria said suspiciously.

"I might." Darcy said before vanishing.

"Then how do we-?" Her words faltered as a sudden sound behind her caught her attention. She spun around to see a large frobot looming over her. There was a heavy thud as Andria hit the ground. The frobot blinked and lowered its fist. A moment later Darcy returned to her feet and dusted herself off.

"Don't worry little Prince, I'll find them." She whispered to herself before looking up at the frobot. "And a couple of other friends too while I'm at it…" She said, glancing over at an old toad in the distance.

Chapter Text

"-And if we ever see your face again, next time you won't be so lucky!" One of the townsfolk yelled as they brandished torches and pitchforks. Andrias scooped Athena up and placed her on his shoulder as he hurried down the road out of town. He cursed inwardly at putting her in danger once more as he felt the stones thrown by the angered frogs hitting his back.

"Andrias-" Athena frowned as the townsfolk continued to hurl objects and insults at them.

"I'm sorry little Master." Andrias panted as he struggled to pick up the pace. He didn't want to risk one of the small projectiles meant for him to hit her.

"Stop it!" Athena yelled back at the frogs as angry tears ran down her face.

"It's alright Master Athena, it's-" Andrias tried to explain.

"No! It's not alright! They're being mean to you again!" She said glowering at them. Andrias sighed. There was no point arguing with her. He knew her strong sense of justice came from her mother and there was nothing he could do to sway her skewed opinion of him. He stumbled slightly as his foot sunk into a hole on the road.

"Master Athena, if you wouldn't mind, could you be my eyes again?" He asked as he righted himself. Athena huffed and wiped her eyes and turned her attention back to the road.

"There's another pothole to your left." She said, scanning the way before them.

"Thank you." Andrias said gratefully as he carefully stepped around it.

They continued down the road mostly in silence other than Athena voicing obstacles to avoid. Andrias was lost in thought as he grappled with himself and tried to plan their next move. This had been the third town they had been chased out of since they had fled New Newtopia. He was too large and recognizable to set foot near town and Athena was too shy and easily overwhelmed to enter town alone.

Andrias exhaled slowly. If only they could find one of Marcy's old friends. Any one of them could help Athena and her siblings better than he could, Adrias thought gloomily. What use was he to anyone? He was an old broken newt with the reputation of being a former despot king. No one in their right mind would want anything to do with him.

"Your left!" Athena shouted as she tugged on Andrias's tunic.

"Oh!" Andrias blinked as his foot collided with a large boulder. He shook his head to clear it. He didn't have time to wallow in pity and self loathing. He needed to pay attention. "Sorry." He apologized to Athena as he tapped the boulder with Barrel's hammer. "What's this doing in the road?" He wondered aloud.

"Doesn't your foot hurt?" Athena asked worryingly. Andrias blinked. What didn't hurt at his age?

"Not much." He said dismissively. "Say, we've been walking for a while, why don't we take a break and have lunch?" He suggested as he tried to navigate himself off the road.

"Okay." Athena agreed. They found a spot and Andrias carefully lowered Athena back onto the ground. "What do we have leftover?"

"Let's see…" Andrias sat down and rifled blindly through his bag. "Ah, we still have beetle bread, beetle jerky, and cheese." He said as he pulled them out.

"We could make sandwiches!" Athena said excitedly as she set to work. Andrias smiled softly and closed his eyes. He appreciated her optimism. He stretched and then winced, grabbing his stump where his arm used to be. "Andrias?" Athena asked.

"It's nothing." He groaned. "I just pulled something." Athena looked him up and down.

"Why don't you get a new arm and leg?" She asked.

"Oh, well…" Andrias cleared his throat.

"You're part android right?" Athena continued.

"I was." Andrias said, putting a hand to his side. "I suppose I still am." He could feel the gears slowly grinding along. As things had broken he hadn't bothered replacing them. He felt he didn't deserve to. None of his former citizens had been given the same privilege to live as long as he had.

"So why don't you get fixed?" She asked again. Andrias stroked his long beard absently as he thought of how best to respond.

"…I don't want to." He said honestly. "And I doubt anyone would want to fix me."

"Why?" Athena asked as she handed him a sandwich.

"Because I've done terrible things." He said, accepting the food.

"But doesn't it make it hard to do stuff?" She continued.

"It does." Andrias shrugged. He couldn't see her but he could already picture the confused look on her face. It was probably just like Marcy's. "And I don't mind." He said then frowned. "Well, I didn't before anyway." He threw the whole sandwich in his mouth.

"And now you do?" Athena scratched her head. "Then why don't you fix yourself?" Andrias swallowed and went back to stroking his beard.

"I still stand by what I said. I don't want to be fixed."

"But it's bothering you."

"Only because it means I can't protect you." He said finally.

"You could protect yourself too if you were fixed." Athena added as she dug into her sandwich.

"I don't need protection…" Andrias grunted. "I need to hurry up and rust."

"You… you want to… die?" Athena said in a frightened whisper. Andrias blanched.

"No! No no! That's not what I meant little Master!" He tried to do damage control. How could he say something so careless in front of her?

"My mom talks to people who want to die. She says they don't really want to die, they're just sick and need help." Athena shifted uncomfortably. "Do you need help?" She asked, looking up at him.

"I… Perhaps I do." Andrias admitted. "But I promise you that I am fine. I'm sorry for worrying you unnecessarily."

"I don't want you to die." Athena said, placing her hand on his. Andrias sniffed. This was certainly Marcy's child alright.

"Thank you." He said softly.

"I don't know a lot about robotics but I could help you make a new arm and leg." Athena said, looking out over the grassy plains. Andrias closed his eyes. It couldn't hurt to build something temporary. Plus he could probably teach her some valuable skills.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Master Athena." He said, opening his eyes again. New eyes wouldn't hurt either. "We're in the plains, right?"

"Yup!"

"Do you see any frog head shaped domes?"

"Uh…" Athena stood up and looked around. All she could see was an endless sea of grass and the occasional mound. "No." Andrias scratched his chin.

"Any hills that seem out of place?" He asked. He remembered the factories being half buried after all.

"There's a couple, I think." Athena said slowly.

"You finished your lunch?"

"Yup!"

"Let's go to the closest hill then." Andrias said, as he grabbed Barrel's hammer to help himself up.

"What's supposed to be in the frog head domes?" Athena asked as she grabbed the hem of Andrias's cloak and led the way.

"Well, a long time ago they used to be factories."

"What'd they make?"

"Frobots. Armies of frobots." Andrias sighed. "They were used in invasions so as not to put frogs or toads or newts at risk."

"Were they ever used not for war?" Athena asked. Andrias blinked as he thought about it.

"Occasionally, yes. They would help with simple tasks, like repairing roads, building homes, and helping with any sort of general infrastructure."

"Did they like doing that?"

"…I haven't really thought about it." Andrias mused. "I think they did."

"Maybe when we free those other frobots they can do that stuff too." Athena said cheerfully. "We're at one of the hills." Andrias reached out and placed his hand on it. There appeared to only be a thin layer of dirt. He started scraping it away.

"There's something underneath!" Athena exclaimed. Andrias smiled. "I'll help!" She said as she started digging.

"We're going to want to look for anything bronze. That will be the door." He said, blindly feeling his way around the hill. "Ah, I think it should be here." He said as he resumed scraping away at the dirt.

Chapter Text

"-So Ma lied and got Mæ and Mom trapped here, Mom tried to kill your family and then overthrew the king, and Mæ got super powers and had to fix everything?" Troy summarized as they rode through the plains.

"Pretty much." Polly nodded. Troy stared blankly off into the distance as he tried to process all of this.

"And my sister is named after the king who stabbed Ma?" Troy continued. "The one who tried to kill her?"

"Yup." Polly nodded again.

"What the frog!?" Troy exclaimed.

"Language!" Grime scolded.

"Okay so if that's how Andria got her name-" His voice trailed off. "-how did I get my name? Am I named after someone who tried to kill Mæ or Mom?"

"Goodness no." Grime said, waving a hand. "I named you, inadvertently it seems."

"What?" Troy turned to him looking confused.

"Why, you're the little foot soldier of my Lieutenant." Grime said proudly.

"That's what my name means?" Troy asked.

"Hold up!" Polly hissed suddenly as she nudged them both.

"-You'll need to connect those two wires." A familiar voice instructed. Polly narrowed her eyes and Grime gripped his sword.

"Like this?" A smaller voice asked.

"Athena!" Troy blurted as he recognized his sister's voice.

"No!" Polly cursed as Troy leapt off MicroAngelo.

"Troy?" Athena called as she got to her feet.

"Foot Soldier!" Grime shouted as he drew his sword and hurried to follow after him.

"Athena!" Troy nearly cried as he ran towards his sister. As they hugged Polly quickly joined Grime with a handful of boomshrooms at the ready. Andrias looked around blindly.

"Kidnapping tadpoles now are we?" Grime growled as he placed himself between the Boonchuys and the former king. "And my Lieutenant's no less." He said, baring his teeth. Andrias raised his eyebrows.

"Captain… Grime?" Andrias said in surprise.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Polly said scowling.

"And one of the Plantar children?" Andrias remarked.

"Don't act like you don't remember my name!" Polly spat. "You were going to kill me before I got legs!"

"What's going on?" Athena asked as she pulled away from her brother. Troy blinked and looked around. He blanched when he saw the giant wizened newt. He grabbed his own sword and drew it too.

"That's the king that tried to kill Ma?" He whispered. Polly and Grime nodded. Andrias closed his eyes. He was fine with meeting his end this way.

"What are you doing?" Athena shouted as she tried to pull Troy's arm down.

"That monster almost killed Ma!" He said, shaking her off.

"It was an accident! He's sorry!" Athena said running between them.

"An accident!?" Polly yelled up at former king. "An accident when you stabbed her through the back? An accident when you tried to kill my whole family? An accident when you invaded Earth?"

"Foot Soldier," Grime hissed out of the side of his mouth, "take your sister and get back to the snail."

"I'm not leaving you." Troy argued.

"Your sister is more important." Grime said furrowing his brow.

"Stop!" Athena cried as she spread her arms as wide as she could to protect the old newt.

"Troy, get your sister and get out of here!" Polly shouted. Troy grimaced and ran forward to grab Athena.

"Let go!" She said, trying to push her brother off.

"It's okay little Master." Andrias said calmly.

"No it's not!" She argued as tears filled her eyes.

"They can keep you safe." He assured her as Troy managed to scoop her up.

"Andrias!" Athena struggled to break free.

"You've got nowhere to run." Polly said, raising a boomshroom threateningly. "So I suggest you tell us everything."

"I couldn't run even if I wanted to." Andrias laughed darkly. "You might as well be threatening a ghost." He said sourly as he stretched his aching muscles.

"Oh so he has jokes now." Polly said with disgust as her lip twitched.

"Don't lose your cool just yet." Grime warned her.

"I did not kidnap the child." Andrias said plainly. "What would I have to gain from that?"

"I don't know, but I would assume it has something to do with the fact that there's a new music box." Polly said, watching him closely. "A strange coincidence if you ask me." Andrias sighed.

"She landed in my library. Likely the same way the other child landed in Wartwood." Andrias explained.

"Then what is she doing here now?" Polly questioned as she tore her eyes away from him to scan the surrounding area. Her eyes widened when she saw the scrapped frobot pieces littering the ground. "Building a new army? Did you use her to send the frobots to Wartwood?" She said sharply.

"So they were heading to Wartwood." Andrias said thoughtfully.

"Polly, they made it to the snail." Grime whispered as he glanced back at Troy and Athena. "We can launch our attack and give them time to flee." Polly nodded. Andrias shook his head and grabbed Barrel's hammer. Polly and Grime readied their weapons.

"Let me cut to the chase then." He said seriously as he stood up. "I didn't send the frobots."

"Then who d-" Polly began in disbelief.

"The Core survived and no I don't know how." He said, predicting her next question. "I don't know what it's planning but I do know it's after the puzzle box."

"I thought it was a music box." Grime muttered to Polly.

"How do you know it's a puzzle box?" Polly accused.

"Because I built it years ago with the Core's guidance when the music box was still missing." Andrias said impatiently. "Believe me or not. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you keep Marcy's kid safe and you stop the Core."

"Don't act like you care about the kid of the person you tried to murder." Polly spat angrily. Andrias shook his head and turned around. "Where do you think you're going?" Polly demanded.

"Back to my library." He said tiredly.

"Then what's all this for?" Polly said, looking down at all the frobot parts. Andrias stopped.

"She was going to build me a new leg." He said somberly. Polly looked back down at the pieces. He seemed to be telling the truth. She glanced at Grime and then back at Troy and Athena on MicroAngelo. Andrias started heading down the path away from them.

"What's our plan?" Grime asked as he watched the newt go. Polly grit her teeth and closed her eyes. It felt like her brain was on fire. There was too much going on.

"Wait!" She yelled after Andrias. Andrias hesitated. "You know how this puzzle box works, right?"

"Yes, considering I built it." He said dryly. Polly grimaced. Was it worth the risk to keep him around? She gripped the boomshroom tighter. It would be better to keep an eye on him than to let him wander off.

"What are you doing?" Grime asked uncertainly.

"So you probably know a way we could track it?" Polly continued.

"…Yes." Andrias said slowly.

"I'll build you a new leg and eyes too if you help us track it down and send the kids home." Polly said, carefully putting the boomshroom away.

"Polly!" Grime hissed. Polly held up a hand.

"Do we have a deal?" She asked. Andrias considered her offer for a moment.

"Very well." He said finally and turned around.

Chapter Text

Dinner around the campfire that evening was uncomfortable to say the least. Polly sat off to the side, scowling, as she worked on Andrias’s new leg. Grime sat between Andrias and the Boonchuys as he sharpened his sword with a whetstone. He had been at it since they started the fire hours ago. Troy and Athena sat side by side as they ate quietly. Athena had pulled out all her stuffed animals and set them around the fire.

Andrias sighed softly and Troy’s eyes immediately flicked to him warily. He really didn’t like this giant newt joining them. Especially after everything Grime and Polly had told him. Apparently this monster hadn’t only almost killed his Ma but also his other mothers too. Andrias lifted his hand to warm it by the fire and Troy grabbed his mom’s sword without thinking. Grime clicked his tongue as he looked between them.

“Foot Soldier.” He said, finally sheathing his blade. “Hand me your sword. I’ll sharpen it too.” Troy hesitated. He didn’t want to be unarmed around this potential threat. Grime glanced between Troy and Andrias. “Ah, well, I suppose it may be more prudent to teach you how to do it yourself.” He said scooting closer and handing over the stone. Troy tried to concentrate on what Grime was showing him but his mind was racing to recall everything he thought he knew about his Ma.

He knew summer was her least favorite month. He had asked her once why that was. He recalled her smile wavering and a hand going to the scar in her chest, just barely visible as it peeked out from her tank top. Mom and Mæ had also acted strange. Everything was suddenly tense and he felt scared seeing them freeze up like this. He remembered Mæ glancing to Ma and Mom’s hands balling into fists.

Ma had forced a smile and said she didn’t like the heat. The tension seemed to lift at once. He thought about asking if it was because of her scar but Mom and Mæ had spoken to him before about not bringing that up. They had said it was very upsetting for Ma to talk about.

“Careful.” Grime said, adjusting Troy’s grip on the whetstone. “If you angle it too sharply you’ll accidentally end up dulling the blade instead.”

“Right, right.” Troy said absently. He wondered darkly for a moment how dull or sharp was the blade this monster used to stab his Ma. Polly had spoken about how it was one of the scariest things she had ever seen. Apparently Mom and Mæ had seen it too. They had all thought Ma was dead. He swallowed hard. How could anyone survive being stabbed through the back like that? His eyes wandered back to Andrias.

“Foot Solider!” Grime tried to snap him back to attention.

“Why did Ma forgive you?” Troy asked as he glared at the monster before him. The weight of the question bore down on all of them. Athena kicked her brother and Grime grimaced. Polly’s eyes narrowed but she kept working. Andrias took a deep breath.

“I cannot say for certain other than that your mother is an exceptionally kind person.” He said slowly. There was a stretch of silence that followed. “Perhaps that is a question you can ask her.”

“She hates summer because of you.” Troy said, glaring at him. “Because of that scar you gave her.” Andrias frowned. Troy couldn’t explain why but this only fed his anger. “Ma has nightmares because of you!” He shouted as he got to his feet.

“Troy!” Athena said, grabbing the hem of his shirt and trying to pull him back down.

“I… Am truly sorry to hear-“ Andrias began as he closed his eyes.

“No! You don’t get to talk about my Ma!” Troy bellowed as he pointed at him threateningly.

He remembered hearing a scream in the night. It terrified him. He had run to his mothers’ room and pushed the door open. Ma was screaming and sobbing as Mom and Mæ tried desperately to comfort her. Ma was clutching her chest, right where he knew that strange unexplainable scar was.

“Ma?” He had asked as tears filled his eyes. Seeing his mothers so scared like this was scaring him. Mom and Mæ had shared a look before Mom had leapt out of bed and ushered him out.

“What’s wrong with Ma?” He asked as tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Shhhh, shhhh.” Sasha whispered as she pulled him into her arms. “Ma was having a very scary nightmare.” She explained as she walked him to the living room.

“But? But why-?” He couldn’t understand.

“Do you remember when you’ve had nightmares?” She asked. Troy nodded and she continued. “Do you remember how when you woke up it still felt like the nightmare was happening?” He nodded again. “That’s what’s happening to Ma. Sometimes it just takes her longer to wake up and realize the nightmare is over.”

“I thought grownups don’t get nightmares?” Troy asked, rubbing his eyes. Sasha smiled down at him warmly.

“Why’s that?” She asked.

“Because you don’t have anything to be scared of.” Troy reasoned. Sasha considered him for a moment.

“Grownups can still get scared of things. Sometimes we still get scared of things that scared us as a kid.” She said, ruffling his hair. “Like spiders or the dark.”

“What’s Ma scared of?” He asked. It must have been something really scary to make his Ma scream like that.

“Hmm.” Sasha glanced back at their room. Marcy seemed to have calmed down. “Ma got hurt really bad once and sometimes she has nightmares about it happening again.”

“What happened?” Troy asked.

“Ma doesn’t like to talk about it.” Sasha said lightly.

“Is Ma going to be okay?” He asked.

“Anne?” Sasha called.

“She’s fine!” Anne called back. They could hear faint arguing before the door to the room opened and Marcy stepped out. Troy hurried over and hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry.” Marcy whispered hoarsely as she hugged him back. Anne appeared in the doorway and shared a silent look with Sasha.

“It’s okay Ma, it was just a nightmare.” Troy said, parroting back what his mothers would always tell him.

“I know.” Marcy said, rubbing her eyes. “I’m so sorry I scared you.”

“You hurt her!” Troy continued. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears as imagined the nightmare his Ma must have had of this giant monster bearing down on her with a sword. It was terrifying.

“I’m sorry.” Adrias repeated.

“Sorry doesn’t-“ Troy shouted.

“Troy!” Athena interrupted. “Stop being mean to him!“

“Mean to him?!” Troy almost laughed. How could his sister be so naive? “He tried to kill Ma!”

“Yeah but he’s sorry!” Athena argued back.

“Sorry isn’t enough when you try to kill someone!” Troy yelled. “Especially our Ma!”

“He was scared!” Athena said, stomping her foot.

“What does this big ugly monster have to be afraid of?” Troy said, gesturing to him. There was an uncomfortable pause. Athena was too upset to speak.

“Troy, was it?” Andrias finally said, breaking the silence. “If I may…” Troy glared at him. “I do not deny that I have done horrible, horrible things. I have hurt your family, many families actually.” His blind eyes wandered to where he assumed Polly might be. “And I am truly sorry. I know that doesn’t fix anything but if you will allow me I would like to fix what I can.” Troy huffed and looked away.

“How can I fix things with you?” Andrias asked.

“Fix things with me?” He asked, confused.

“By hurting your mother it is obvious that I have caused you distress.” Andrias said somberly. “What can I do to fix it?” Troy stared at him dumbstruck. How was this monster supposed to fix the nights where his Ma woke up screaming from nightmares?

“You’re being mean.” Athena hissed at her brother angrily. Troy snorted.

“You can start by telling my sister the truth about all the bad things you did. About how you weren’t really scared because you’re just a bad person.” He said, crossing his arms and sitting back down.

“Very well…” Andrias said tiredly. “But I must correct you on one thing first.” Troy furrowed his brow. “I was scared.”

“See!” Athena said, pushing her brother.

“But that didn’t make me any less of a bad person…” Andrias continued. “If I am going to confess all my crimes then I will start at the beginning.”

“You let her get away!” Andrias roared at an anxious and confused looking Barrel.

“It was Leif, Drias!” Barrel tried to explain. “How was I supposed to-“

“Enough!” Andrias said coldly as he closed his eyes and folded his hands. “Such betrayal must be dealt with swiftly and severely.”

“An-Andrias?” Barrel asked. This didn’t sound like his friend. He glanced at the new crown upon his head and did a double take. He could have sworn he had seen a glowing red eye peering out from it.

“Leif’s actions are unforgivable and your incompetence is unignorable.” Andrias said slowly. “You will be sent to the outpost farthest from my city.”

“Andrias!” Barrel said, stepping forward. Andrias held up a hand.

“I never want to see such a reminder of my poor judgment ever again.” He said, opening his eyes and looking down at Barrel with disgust.

“Please…” Barrel begged. “We can go find Leif together, she can explain everything. I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding.”

“I’m afraid there is nothing to explain.” Andrias said. “Leif is a traitor and as such she will be… hunted down and… and punished for her crimes.”

“Andrias. You can’t mean-?” Barrel couldn’t say it so he mimed it, drawing a finger across his throat. Andrias nodded. “You can’t!” He exclaimed as he grabbed Andrias’s hand. “She’s our friend! She’s-!“ He pleaded but Andrias pulled his hand free.

“I have already commanded that every pink frog be arrested and imprisoned on sight. I will find her and this will be dealt with.” Andrias said grimly.

“Andrias, this is crazy!” Barrel said, shaking his head. “This isn’t like you!”

“You’re right.” Andrias snorted. “That Andrias was weak and foolish and trusted the wrong people. I have to be better. Stronger. I have to be a worthy king.”

“Drias… please…” Barrel begged. “We can fix this!”

“I’m fixing it now.” Andrias said, turning his back on him. “Guards!” He shouted. “Get this toad out of my sight.” He kept his back turned as Barrel was dragged from the room. The Core scoffed in disgust as Andrias wiped his eyes.

“Weak.” It hissed. “If merely banishing this disgraced toad is causing you to turn into a sniveling eft, how are you expected to deal with the traitorous frog?”

“I’ll handle it!” Andrias asserted as tears began to well up in his eyes once more.

“Pathetic…” It whispered in his ear. “If you can’t handle this properly then I will simply have to take charge.”

“No!” Andrias shouted as panic gripped him. He knew exactly what horrible things the Core planned to do if it was given full power. He cleared his throat and quickly recomposed himself. “She’ll be captured, we’ll retrieve the box, and we can put this behind us.”

“I certainly hope so, son.” Aldrich said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “And we’ll ensure you live long enough to see it.”

Chapter Text

Andria woke with a start and nearly lost her balance.

"Careful!" Darcy hissed as she materialized seemingly out of nowhere.

"What?" Andria looked around in confusion. Why was she in the middle of a burning town? What was going on?

"You've awakened at a most inopportune time." Darcy said, stepping in front of her to try and block her view.

"Why is everything on fire?" Andria asked in a panic.

"It's inconsequential." Darcy said, waving a hand.

"You said you'd help me find my family." Andria said, grabbing the helmet.

"I am!" Darcy said, her red eyes widening.

"What's going on? What did you do while I was out?" Andria demanded as she tightened her grip.

"Like I said," Darcy said slowly as she forced her voice to be calm, "I am helping you look for your family." Andria narrowed her eyes and glanced around at the broken frobots and burning homes. "This place was like this when I - when we got here."

"What is this place?" Andria asked.

"Wartwood." Darcy said in a bored tone. "It's a small unremarkable frog farming town."

"Frog… farming?" Andria blinked and let go of the helmet.

"Oh, that's right. You haven't seen any of my former citizens yet have you?" Darcy grinned. "Well, to you they would appear quite similar to your world's versions of frogs, toads, and newts but much, much larger."

"I… What?" Andria furrowed her brow.

"Why, your Ma made a comic about this place. Did you really not read it?" Darcy laughed.

"It was just a bedtime story." Andria whispered. "None of this is real." She tried to reason. Darcy paused as she considered her a moment.

"Perhaps this is all just a dream." She offered slyly. Andria shook her head.

"But it can't be. I've never had dreams like this before." She said, taking a step forward and touching one of the broken frobots. "This feels too real."

"That doesn't mean it can't be a dream." Darcy argued.

"I have to find my brother and sister." Andria told herself as she tried to refocus.

"And I have been helping with that." Darcy said impatiently. Andria looked at her distrustfully. "I have!"

"Then why-?"

"Look." Darcy said, snapping her fingers. A damaged frobot suddenly landed not too far from them and started lumbering forward. Andria took a step back anxiously. The frobot stopped once it was close enough and held out the head of a dismembered frobot. "Go on, press the button on the back of its head." Darcy said, pointing. Andria approached it cautiously and pressed the button Darcy was pointing too.

A hologram suddenly erupted from the dismembered frobot's eyes. Andria jumped and Darcy sighed.

"See? That's your brother, is it not?" Darcy said, gesturing to the hologram of a massive snail with two figures on its back. Andria frowned and looked closer.

"Wait… That looks like Troy." Andria said in surprise and glanced back at Darcy.

"He was spotted leaving town, likely headed towards the pass." Darcy said, waving a hand.

"When was this? Who's that with him?" Andria asked, turning back to the hologram. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"Oh, but I tried." Darcy said, half telling the truth. "But as you can see, this miscreant pink frog had obviously kidnapped him." Andria raised an eyebrow. From this static image it did look like the two of them were fighting.

"This frog? This tiny frog kidnapped my older brother?" She said skeptically. Darcy grimaced.

"Well, clearly she had help." She said defensively. The frobot holding the other's head knelt down. Andria hesitated before pressing the button on this one. The hologram showed a large toad now on the snail with the frog as her brother lay unconscious. "As a precaution I sent some frobots to watch the pass. It is the only way in or out of this valley."

"Okay, so why don't we head there now?" Andria asked, straightening up. Darcy turned her back to her.

"Because," She began slowly, "I said I'd help get you home."

"Okay and-?" Andria frowned.

"There are a few of my former, traitorous, citizens here who we need to grab in order to help with that." Darcy said, narrowing her eyes as she placed her fingertips together. Andria looked around the smoldering remains of town skeptically. "I know they are holed up around here somewhere…"

"Who or what are we looking for?" Andria asked curiously.

"A pink frog." Darcy said evasively.

"Like the one that kidnapped my brother?" Andria asked.

"Yes and no. We're looking for that frog's brother." Darcy answered. "A pink frog in a green hat." Andria blinked and hesitantly pulled her backpack off her back. Darcy waited for her to retrieve the well-worn and loved pink frog stuffed animal from inside before spinning around. "What a coincidence!" She said in mock surprise. "That's the very frog we are looking for." Andria chewed her lip as she looked down at her sister's stuffed animal.

"Sprig?" She asked.

"Sprig Plantar." Darcy nodded seriously. "But don't let his meek and unassuming appearance fool you." She hissed. "He is incredibly dangerous."

"I didn't read a lot of Ma's comics but I'm pretty sure he was one of the good guys." Andria said, shaking her head.

"Oh, but that is part of his deceptiveness." Darcy said, walking over. "He pretended to be your Mæ's friend only to put her in unthinkable danger."

"Why would Ma and Mæ have a stuffed animal of him then?" Andria said as she grew increasingly more suspicious of Darcy.

"Like I said, he was quite deceitful." Darcy said as her lip twitched. "But your Mom saw right through him. She never trusted him and rightfully so."

"What do you mean?" Andria asked as she placed the frog carefully back into her backpack. "Wait, what's this?" A grin spread across Darcy's face but she said nothing. Andria pulled out one of the scrolls that had suddenly appeared in her backpack. She glanced up at Darcy, who had quickly hidden her smile. Darcy said nothing but motioned for her to read it. Andria carefully unrolled it and was shocked to see her mom's handwriting.

"What?" She whispered quietly to herself as she quickly read through it. It was a report Sasha had written to one of the other outposts and included a crudely drawn picture of a pink frog in a green hat.

"See?" Darcy said smugly.

"I don't understand…" Andria said, taking another scroll out and unrolling it. It was all her mom's handwriting again. Her mom writing about a horrible traitorous friend-stealing evil ugly pink frog.

"It seems your mothers didn't tell you the full story, did they?" She leered.

"…Full story?" Andria said blankly as she looked between the stuffed animal and her Mom's description of him.

"Let me guess," Darcy said, eagerly preying upon Andria's growing doubts and uncertainty, "they told you and your siblings about visiting a magical land of amphibians and how they made friends and fought an evil king that was also the moon." She said, looking down at her nails as if disappointed.

"Of course they did! Because that's what happened!" Andria said, suddenly defensive at the thought of her mothers lying to her about something so important. Darcy sighed and shook her head as she turned her back on her.

"I can tell you what really happened…" She said cryptically. She could feel Andria struggling internally with herself. "And you could tell me if your mothers lied to you or not." Andria opened and closed her mouth wordlessly. Darcy waited a moment longer before turning around. "What am I saying? It doesn't matter. I mean, you can read what your mom really thought about everything: about this world, about the frogs and the toads and the newts, about how horrible her family was, and what she really thought about your other mothers. It's all there." She gestured to her backpack.

"I don't…" Andria sat down at the edge of a nearby destroyed fountain. She pulled several more scrolls out of her backpack.

"I could summarize things to save time." Darcy said, looking past her as she scanned the smoldering remains of the town. She frowned as she thought she saw a flicker of movement. She walked over and pointed silently to one of the frobots and then to the spot where she saw it. As the frobots stomped over she caught something else from the corner of her eye. She spun around but saw nothing.

"Tell me." Andria said in a half broken whisper as she looked over a couple of the scrolls.

"What?" Darcy said, temporarily distracted.

"I want the truth." Andria said, pushing the scrolls away and looking back at the frog stuffed animal beside her. Darcy slowly grinned.

"Let me start at the beginning." She said, snapping her fingers. Darkness blotted out Andria's vision. "Your Ma's beginning to be exact…" She waved her hand and a single light illuminated a scene of Marcy as a toddler at a park.

Chapter Text

"But wait, who's Leif? Who's Barrel? You said you were going to start at the beginning." Athena said, looking confused. Andrias blinked and paused. An awkward silence filled the camp.

"That part doesn't matter." Troy said, waving a hand dismissively. "You don't need to know the backstory about his friends. You just need to know that he betrayed them, like he did to our moms."

"Nuh uh! It does too matter!" Athena said, crossing her arms.

"No it doesn't!" Troy argued.

"I wanna know who they are and how he met them and how they became friends!" Athena said stubbornly.

"You're missing the point." Troy said, putting a hand to his face. "No one wants to know th-"

"I want to know." Polly said, finally speaking up. Everyone looked over at her. "I want to know more about her, about Leif Planter." Silence fell again as she got to her feet and carried Andrias's finished leg over. Andrias sighed.

"It's a long story." He said tiredly.

"We have time." Polly said stubbornly as she began attaching his new leg to his stump.

"Indeed we do, however," Grime said, groaning slightly as he got to his feet. "The tadpoles need rest." He gestured to Troy and Athena.

"I'm not tired!" Troy said quickly.

"Yeah! Me neither!" Athena said before failing to suppress a yawn. Troy hid his yawn by turning around and pretending to look for something in his backpack. Polly glanced at them then back at Andrias.

"Fine. In the morning then." She huffed. "There." She stepped back after attaching his new leg. Andrias grabbed his hammer and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He cautiously put some weight on it and took a few steps.

"It's perfect. Thank you." Andrias said, looking in the general direction he thought Polly was.

"Don't thank me." Polly said coldly. "I only did it so Marcy's kid wouldn't have to."

"Nevertheless…" He trailed off as he sat back down.

"I'll take first watch." Grine said, stoking the fire.

"I can do that." Troy said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and straightening up.

"No. You need your rest foot soldier." Grime said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"But-!" Troy wanted to argue but Grime cut him off.

"I'll wake you for the second watch." He said taking the whetstone back from Troy then held his hand out for his sword. Troy begrudgingly handed it over. "I'll have this nice and sharpened by then." Grime promised as he set to work. Troy nodded and laid out his bed roll. Athena was already asleep in the grass, hugging her stuffed animals.

"Athena." He said softly, nudging her. She blearily cracked her eyes open. Troy pointed to his bed roll. Athena understood and sleepily crawled onto it. Troy grabbed a blanket from his pack and carefully tucked her in before laying down beside her.

Polly watched over the Boonchuys until they fell asleep. Her eyes wandered over to Grime, still dutifully sharpening the heron sword. She looked over at Andrias and frowned. He apparently had fallen asleep sitting up. The sound of his slow deep rumbling breaths and the sword rhythmically gliding across the whetstone was oddly calming. Her eyelids threatened to close and she shook herself to stay awake.

"Get some rest Polly." Grime said without looking up.

"I'm not tired." She grumbled.

"You sound just like the kids." Grime said with half a smile. Polly rolled her eyes. "The sun will rise tomorrow and then we can keep looking for the music box."

"Puzzle box." Polly corrected as she stretched her legs out.

"Pardon?" Grime said, frowning slightly.

"We're looking for the puzzle box." Polly yawned as she stared into the fire.

"But Sasha said-?" He said looking down at the sword in his hands. Polly looked over at him sympathetically. Grime glanced around and spotted the blurry outline of Troy and his blonde hair. "Ah, she's resting." He said, returning his attention back to sharpening the sword.

"I'm going to set myself an alarm and then I'm taking the next watch." Polly said, fiddling with the gadget on her wrist. "You need your rest too Grime." Grime scoffed.

"The frobots aren't leaving." Ivy said as she reentered the old resistance headquarters. "They've already burned the town to the ground. What more do they want?" She said frustratedly.

"Because they're looking for us and probably Anne's kid too." Sprig said, sitting with his head in his hands. "Why else would they have hung around for three days?"

"We've got to do something." Ivy said, looking over at all the townsfolk huddled in the main hall. "Launch another counter attack, something." Sprig shook his head.

"We can't keep doing that. That will just make them stick around longer." He said clenching his jaw.

"Then what do you think we should do?" Ivy said, sitting down beside him.

"I…" He hesitated.

"Sprig." Ivy said, giving him a look. She could practically hear his thoughts from his pained expression. "No."

"I think if we just let them spot me leaving town-"

"No!" Ivy repeated.

"-then maybe they'll follow?" He said, taking her hand in his. "I know it doesn't sound like a great idea-"

"Because it isn't." Ivy interrupted.

"But it's the only thing I can think of that might actually draw them away." He said, squeezing her hand gently. Ivy frowned. There was a long pause. "Ivy?"

"When are we doing this?" She asked with a resigned sigh but a look of determination. Sprig chewed his lip.

"Tomorrow." He said finally. "We'll take one of the exits just outside of town, sneak through town, let one spot us and then head for the pass."

"Okay and what's our plan when they call for backup?" Ivy asked. "And a swarm of frobots surround us?"

"Uh…" Sprig blinked a few times. "We fight them off and run faster."

"That's certainly a, um, plan." Ivy said, trying to be optimistic. "Then what do we do after we leave the valley?"

"We find Anne's kid, find a way to send him back, and then we find out who's controlling the frobots and stop them." Sprig said. "But also I haven't planned how we'll do all that yet."

"Hey, at least it's a start." Ivy said, kissing him on the cheek. Sprig blushed and returned the kiss. "But as for your first plan of leaving the valley, I have some ideas…"

"And this isn't going to hurt her?" Sasha demanded as she eyed all the wires hooked up to Anne as she wore what looked like a VR headset.

"Do you really think I'm willing to take that kind of risk?" Mr. X said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Y-" Sasha began but Marcy interrupted.

"How exactly does this work?" She asked, looking at one of the several monitors Anne was hooked up to.

"I'm glad you asked." Mr. X said excitedly. "It's a little complicated but once you get the idea it will make perfect sense." He glided over to a table and tapped on one of the monitors. An image suddenly appeared of Andrias holding Sprig out a window. Anne grimaced and clenched her fists.

"What is this?" Sasha asked, glancing between Anne and the monitors.

"This," He tapped another screen and an image of the Plantars frozen as Cloak-Bot bore down on them appeared, "will show us every time Anne used her powers." He then gestured to several cables connecting back to one central computer. "Well then be able to process all that data and use it to pinpoint exactly where, when, and how she's able to access them." Sasha watched as Andrias dropped Sprig and the screen became temporarily filled with blue static.

"You said you weren't going to hurt her." Sasha growled as she slammed her fist against the desk and pointed at Mr. X threateningly. "How is torturing her mentally going to-!?"

"Sash." Anne cut across firmly. Sasha and Marcy looked at her. "If this is what it takes to find our kids…" She trailed off. She knew she didn't have to say anything else. Sasha scowled and crossed her arms as she turned away from the monitors.

"So this can show us all her memories?" Marcy asked with interest as she watched Anne powering up a portal.

"Technically yes, but for our purposes it will only show when she used her powers." Mr. X said, gliding over to the main computer. Marcy couldn't help but stare at the various screens, each showing a battle either in their world or Amphibia. Her heart plummeted when she spotted one of Anne all alone as she whispered to three colored gems in the vacuum of space. She put a hand to her mouth. She didn't want to see this. She was about to turn away when-

"But I need a name now!" Anne on the monitor said in a panic.

"A name?" Hop Pop asked furrowing his brow before the realization hit him. "My third great grandbaby!"

"Woah, woah! When was this?" Marcy asked, tugging on Sasha's arm with one hand and pointing at the screen with the other. Sasha turned around and Mr. X glanced between the screen and Anne.