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Chapter Text

Thirteen-year-old Luz Noceda sat in the back of her Mother's car, her head hanging in shame, staring down at her feet. Neither of them had spoken for a long time, and the tension between them was palpable. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Camila Noceda spoke to her daughter.

"Luz, sweetie, I may be angry with you, but I want you to know we'll get through this."

Luz continued to stay silent, but finally, after a few moments, she started crying and apologizing.

"Mom, I'm sorry!" she said, with tears in her eyes. "I know I've said that before, but I want you to know I really am! I didn't mean for things to get out of hand like that. That kid got bit by one of the spiders I used but I had no way of knowing he was allergic, and I—" Luz trailed off as she stopped talking, and just kept crying into her hands.

"Luz," began her mother, "there's a lot to process right now, and I know you would never intentionally hurt anyone, but your antics got a kid sent to the hospital. And because of that, you got expelled from school."

"I never intended for anyone to get hurt," said Luz.

"But someone did get hurt!" replied Camila sternly. "And that's why you need to think more carefully about your actions. Mija, you need to be aware of how your actions affect others. Do you have that book with you?"

Luz pulled out her Good Witch Azura book from her bag.

"When we get home, I want you to give that to me, along with all your other books," ordered her mother. "And that figurine you have, too."

"But, Mom!" protested Luz.

"No buts, young lady!" said Camila, raising her voice. "You've done wrong, and now you have to pay for it! For the time being, no more Good Witch Azura, at least for a month, and in the meantime, we need to find another school for you to attend."

"Yes, Mom," said Luz morosely.

Luz didn't pay attention to anything else that happened on the ride home. Her mind was lost in thought about what had just happened, how she had been expelled from the school she had gone to and known her whole life. If that wasn't bad enough, she was expelled in 7th grade, which meant any new school she went to, she'd have to start completely from scratch. With roughly one year until high school. If Luz were honest with herself, it wouldn't matter much, anyway. It wasn't like she had any friends at her old school and she doubted that anyone would want to be her friend in whatever new school she ended up in. She had always been viewed as that weird kid who liked the Azura book series and not much else. The other kids had already labeled her a social outcast, and once that label was placed on you, there was no getting out of it. Luz had told herself many times that she was fine not having friends, but really, that was a lie. Luz longed to have a true friend who was interested in the same things she was, who liked her for her, and who would have fun with her.

Eventually, the car came to a stop as they arrived home. Luz went straight to her room, got the other books in the Azura series as well as her Azura figurine, and gave them to her mom. After that, she stayed in her room until dinner. Dinner was another quiet affair, with little talking between parent and child. Luz still carried a sense of shame about what had happened. Afterward, though, Camila talked to Luz about how they would make the best of this situation and assured her daughter that this too would eventually pass. Finally, she hugged Luz and told her to start thinking about the future and not to let this one mistake take over her life.

"Mija, what have you learned from this?" asked Camila

"Not to make my presentation authentic with spiders," answered Luz, not entirely sure if that was the right answer.

Camila laughed at that before saying, "As I told you before, you need to learn that even when you don't intend it, your actions can still hurt people. Do you understand?" asked her mother.

"Yes, Mom," replied Luz as she continued to hug her mother. "You know, I really am sorry, and I'll do whatever I can to make this up."

"I know you will, Mija," answered Camila. "Remember, No hay mal que por bien no venga."

The next few weeks flew by quickly. Camila had assigned Luz many chores to do around the house. She had also invested in a few online courses to help Luz keep up with her studies. Luz did her best to stay busy to prove to her mother that she would recover from this minor mishap. One day, Camila came home from work with some excellent news!

"Luz, I think I may have found a new school for you," she said excitedly

"Oh, how did this happen?" asked Luz.

"I was having lunch at a Thai restaurant and got to talking with the owner there. She told me about this wonderful school that her daughter goes to. It's a private school that isn't too far from us."

"A private school?!" exclaimed Luz. "But Mom, you can't afford that!"

"Mija, I ran the numbers, and you'd only be going there for the rest of 7th and 8th grade. That's not too bad. When that nice lady told me about it, I stopped by and picked up a brochure," said Camila, handing it to Luz.

Luz took the brochure and looked it over. The very first thing she noticed were the uniforms.

"Oh no, not school uniforms," she said in slight distress.

"I know this would be a change from what you're used to, but listen, maybe this new, more structured environment would be good for you," answered her mother. "Will you at least give it a try?"

"I guess," said Luz. "I mean, we don't even know if they'll accept me. If they ask about what happened at my previous school, then what?"

"Well, if you're willing to give it a try, I'll call them tomorrow and see what we need to do for you to apply," said Camila.

"Okay, well, thank you, Mom. I guess we'll see what happens," answered Luz.

"I have a good feeling about this, Luz," said her mother. "I think this could be the start of a new beginning for you."

After dinner, Luz headed back up to her room. Her mother had let her keep the brochure, and she looked it over some more as she lay in bed, thinking of the future.

I wonder what a private school is like, she thought to herself. Do the teachers hit you with rulers? Will I have to wear a skirt? I wonder if they separate us by gender.

As Luz continued thinking these thoughts, she realized she hadn't even asked her mother what the name of this potential new school was. She grabbed the flyer one more time and turned it over to the front to see what its name was.

"St. James Middle School," she read aloud.

Chapter Text

A girl all alone sits without friends
Must make an attempt, must make amends

She will try a new school, a new change of scene
Will it help her to focus? Help her be keen?

Are you ready for answers? Ready for fun?
Adventure abounds here in Arc One…

ARC 1: In The Human World

Luz slowly woke up, her hand fumbling by her bedside to try to turn off the alarm on her phone. She hadn't gotten enough sleep last night on account of being nervous about her first day at a new school. Still, she eventually got out of bed and headed over to her closet to get dressed. It was at that moment that she remembered one of the reasons she was not too thrilled about this first day. As she looked in her closet, there were new clothes in it that she never would have worn by choice but had to wear now, as they were a part of her new school uniform. Luz couldn't remember the last time she had willingly worn a skirt. Even at a young age, she had not found them comfortable and, when given the choice, would always prefer shorts over a skirt. Her mother had made her wear one occasionally for photos or formal events but had mostly respected Luz's decision and not forced her to wear traditional women's clothes. Now that decision was no longer hers, and part of the new school's dress code required girls to wear skirts, not pants or shorts. The skirt wasn't even a color she liked; it was a faded mauve or pink, and Luz preferred darker colors. The shirt wasn't too bad, though it too was rather plain. It was grey with a collar and it also bore the crest of the new school she would be attending: St. James Middle School.

Sighing, Luz managed to get herself dressed and looked at herself in the mirror. It was a strange sight that she was looking at. It felt wrong to be wearing this new uniform. This plain gray shirt and the faded-looking skirt. There were two things about her appearance that she had been granted some leeway on. She wore a pair of dark blue tights under her skirt. The dress code had not allowed for leggings, so Luz had gone instead with some tights that were similar in color to her old leggings. She had also been allowed to keep her white Keds. It was the only thing from her old look that was still there. As Luz closed her closet, she looked one more time at her old cat hoodie shirt and sighed, wishing she was wearing it instead.

Luz came into the kitchen, where her mom was already there cooking breakfast. Her mother turned to face her as she entered.

"That new uniform looks good on you, Mija," she said.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. Me? I'm not quite feeling it," said Luz.

"You'll get used to it," said her mother. "Now hurry up and eat, then brush your teeth, so I can drop you off on my way to work."

Before long, Luz and her mother were in the car and driving to the new school. It didn't take long for them to arrive.

"Here we are, Mija," said her mother. "Oh, one more thing before you go." With that, Camila handed Luz her Azura book.

"Wait? I can have it back!" asked Luz.

"You've been doing good work around the house, and I want you to have a good first day," replied her mother. "Luz, this new school is a chance for you to make some friends, but you have to try. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Mom," replied Luz. "I will give it a try."

"That's all I can really ask," said Camila. With that, Luz got out of the car and bid her mother goodbye. Camila drove away, and Luz was left alone to take in her new surroundings.

Luz took in the sight of her new school. She had only seen pictures of it on both the flyer and a few pictures online. It was a red-bricked building that had a flag outside with the school's crest on it. There were already several students gathering near the front. Luz took in her new surroundings and did her best to put on a brave face.

Well, I guess this is the first day of a new start, she thought. Time to put my best foot forward and see what this school has to offer. With that, she put her shoulders back and her chest forward and got ready to walk toward the entrance.

As she began making her way to the entrance, she suddenly heard a loud shout.

"Hey, watch out!"

Luz turned just in time to see another girl on her bike riding straight toward her. She managed to stop, but not before colliding with Luz and knocking her down.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize how fast I was going!" exclaimed the other girl, getting off her bike and offering her hand to Luz. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, sure, I'm fine," replied Luz, accepting the offered hand. "My butt absorbed most of the impact, and nothing looks broken or scrapped." Luz looked into the face of the girl. She was about Luz's age and of Asian descent, with a skin color similar to Luz's own. She had wild brown hair that poofed out around her head. She was wearing the same school uniform as Luz and a pair of yellow Converse high tops.

"Cool shoes!" Luz said to the girl.

"Ah, thanks! I got them for my birthday last year. Gotta try to stay in style, you know. Those are some cool Keds you're rocking," she said, pointing to Luz's own shoes.

"Really?!" said Luz who had never gotten a compliment on her fashion before. "Thanks! Right now, I feel like it's the only thing about myself I'm allowed to wear."

"Hmmm… Hey, are you new here?" asked the girl. "I've been going to St. James my whole life, and I don't think I've seen you around."

"Yeah, this is my first day here, actually," said Luz. "What a way to start almost getting run over by a bike."

"Again, sorry about that. But hey, I got to meet you. It's just like that anime where the girl runs a guy over on her moped, but then they become friends," said the girl.

"Are you referring to Korra?" asked Luz. "I mean, they also eventually became lovers, if I remember correctly. But then they find out that her father-"

"Is actually supporting Amon," finished Anne. "You watch that series, too?"

"Yeah, of course I do!" exclaimed Luz, who had never found someone she could talk about anime with. "What other anime do you watch?"

Luz and the girl began talking about the other shows they enjoyed as well as the other interests they shared. That talk, however, was interrupted by the ringing of the school bell.

"Ahh, man. Looks like we gotta get to class, but I'm sure I'll see you in there," said the girl as she waved goodbye to Luz.

"Okay, yeah, I hope so," said Luz.

"Hey, why don't we continue this conversation at lunch?" suggested the girl. "As a new girl, you won't know anyone at this school. You can sit with me and my friends. Just look for me in the cafeteria."

Internally, Luz's heart was racing. To be invited to sit with a group at lunch. That had never happened to her before. For as long as she could remember, she had sat alone at lunch. And while sometimes she tried to sit with other kids, it was clear that they merely tolerated her being there. Luz was so struck by this girl's invitation that she hadn't responded and was only staring at Anne.

"Umm, hello? You okay there?" asked the girl.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine," replied Luz. "I'd love to join you for lunch! Will your friends be alright with it?"

"Yeah, they're cool, don't worry about it," said the girl as the two began walking towards the school. "Oh, by the way, I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Luz. Luz Noceda," said Luz.

"Anne. Anne Boonchuy," said the girl, finally identifying herself. "See you at lunch!"

Lunch could not have come quickly enough for Luz. As soon as she had her tray, she scanned the cafeteria, looking for Anne. It didn't take long for Luz to find her and go over to where she was sitting. Sure enough, Anne wasn't alone. Two other girls were seated with her. One was a Caucasian girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail. The other was another girl of Asian descent who was absorbed in writing something that looked like a journal. Anne saw Luz approaching and waved her over.

"Hey, Luz, glad you could make it," said Anne. "Sasha, Marcy, this is that girl I was telling you about. Her name is Luz."

Luz sat down and sheepishly waved at the other two girls, who took her in. Both seemed to be smiling, though the blonde girl's smile was a bit cunning.

"So, is it true Anne almost ran you over?" she asked.

"Well, almost being the keyword," said Luz, "but I'm fine."

"I told you that bike you have can get some major speed," said the blonde girl to Anne. "We should totally go to that park and see how fast you can go down that hill. I bet you could go really fast."

"Yeah, but there are people on that path all the time, Sash," protested Anne.

"Exactly. How much fun will it be to watch as all those people scurry out of the way of Anne and her bike?" said the blonde.

"That's an interesting idea of fun," said Luz.

"Hey, that's not all we do for fun," said Sasha. "How about you, Luz? What do you like to do for fun?"

"Well, I like editing anime clips to music and reading fantasy books with complicated backstories," replied Luz.

At this, Marcy stopped writing in her book and turned to face Luz.

"Fantasy books with complicated backstories," she began, "perhaps like the Azura book line." With that, she pulled out a book from her backpack. It was Good Witch Azura 5.

Luz stared at the book, also in stunned silence for a moment, before pulling out her own copy of the book to show Marcy. They stared at each other for a few seconds before finally letting out a scream of excitement together.

"OMG, I can't believe I found someone else who likes Azura!" they said at the same time.

"Hey, do you have any theories on what's going to happen in book 6?" asked Luz excitedly.

"Do I?!" answered Marcy. As she flipped the journal, she was writing into a new section, "My dear Luz, let me tell you what I think is the most likely outcome of Book 6."

"Oh no, you two," said Sasha, waving at Marcy and Luz. "If you start going into one of your Azura speculations, God only knows when you'll stop. I am not sitting through another one of those."

Marcy whispered to Luz, "We'll continue this conversation some other time."

"Well, how about you, Sasha?" asked Luz. "What do you do for fun?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Go to the mall, post on social media, watch trashy TV shows, shoplift, and play games," answered Sasha.

"Wait, what was that last one?" asked Luz.

"Playing games," answered Sasha coyly.

"Sasha is a bit of a jokester sometimes," said Anne. "I think she was kidding,"

"Trust me, my idea of fun is better than Marcy's," said the blonde, pointing to the other girl. "If it were up to her, we'd just play Creatures and Caverns all day."

"Hey, don't pretend like you don't actually enjoy that game," replied Marcy in a snarky tone. "If I recall, your character, Slash the Warrior, is now the leader of her own barbarian tribe. And that wasn't even in my notes as a DM; you just charmed your way up the ranks until they made you their leader."

"I'm sure it helps that my character has been training since childhood with all manner of melee weapons and has a high Charisma stat," replied Sasha. "What can I say? I know how to lead."

"You guys play Creatures and Caverns!" exclaimed Luz a little too loudly.

"Whenever we have time," answered Anne. "It usually takes Marcy a while to come up with a quest for us to tackle, but she's come up with some good ones."

"I've always wanted to try to play a tabletop RPG, but I've never been able to find a group to play with," said Luz a little sadly.

"Oh, well, the more the merrier," said Marcy. "I can give you a character sheet, and you can think of what you want to play as. We don't currently have a spellcaster on our team yet. Maybe you can be one?"

"Oh, that would be great!" said Luz. "I already have a name picked out: The Good Witch Luzura."

"I should have known," laughed Marcy. "Okay, Luzura, I'll come up with a character stat sheet for you, and you can join in on our next adventure."

"Wow, really? You mean it?" said Luz, getting a bit emotional and tearing up a bit, which didn't go unnoticed by the other girls.

"Are you okay?" asked Anne, concerned.

"What? No, I'm fine," answered Luz, wiping the tears from her eyes. "It's just, you know, I'm the new kid here. I guess I didn't expect to be welcomed on my first day. I thought it would be a lot harder to adjust to a new school and everything."

"Hey, speaking of which," began Sasha, "what exactly happened? Did you move here? Your parents have to move because of work or something like that?"

"Well, not exactly… You see…." Luz trailed off as she looked around, wondering if any of the other students were listening. She continued to hesitate about saying why she was new before Marcy spoke.

"Hey, it's okay if you don't want to say what's up. We understand—"

Sasha, however, cut Anne off, saying, "Hold on a sec. If you're hesitating like that, it must be something really juicy! I want to know."

"Sash," began Marcy, "if she doesn't want to say, we shouldn't force her."

"It's fine. Hey, you're among friends, Luz," said Sasha. "Whatever you say stays here with us."

"Really?" began Luz. "I mean, I just met you guys. Do you really mean we're the kind of friends who keep each other's secrets?"

"Of course," reassured Sasha as she spoke. She nodded to Anne and Marcy. "Are we all in agreement? Whatever Luz says here stays between the four of us?"

Anne and Marcy both nodded and leaned in closer to Luz, eager to hear her story. Luz was getting a little flustered by this many people wanting to listen to her. It was a funny feeling, but also one that gave her a rush of adrenaline. Finally, she smiled at the girls before whispering, so only the three other girls could hear.

"I was expelled from my old school!"

A collective gasp came from the girls as their faces lit up at this news. Luz launched into the tale of what had happened, embellishing a few details to make herself sound more rebellious. When it was all over, Sasha immediately offered her hand to Luz for a high five!

"That was awesome!" exclaimed Sasha, as Luz slapped her hand. "I had you pegged as the mysterious new kid with a dark side. I knew I was right!"

"Wow, I've never known a person who was expelled before," said Marcy. "You're just like the mischievous thief Matthew from the Flame Emblem Series. breaking the rules, stealing things, and never getting caught."

"Well, except I was caught," said Luz, trailing off.

"Yeah, but then you came to this school and met us," said Anne.

"I think you'll fit in just fine," said Sasha with a devious smile.

With that, the lunch bell rang, and the girls made their way out of the cafeteria. Sasha managed to catch Anne on her way to her next class.

"So, what do you think of Luz?" asked Sasha.

"I like her," answered Anne. "How about you?"

"Eh, she's a little naïve, but I definitely like her spirit. I say we keep her," said Sasha.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that," said Anne. "So anyway, Sasha, tell me more about… that cute guy you went on a date with."

"Oh, I'm actually glad you brought that up, Anne. You see, as it turns out, I'm going to need a favor from the Breakup Queen again…." said Sasha slyly.

As the school day ended, the students either left of their own accord or were picked up by their parents. Sasha and Marcy had already left the school, leaving Anne and Luz alone. The two walked to the bike rack, where Anne got ready to get on her bike and leave.

"Hey, thanks again for introducing me to your friends and letting me sit with you guys at lunch," said Luz. "I had a good time."

"Yeah, no problem," said Anne. "I hope that means you had a good first day here."

"Honestly, it was a lot better than I thought it would be," answered Luz.

"Cool…." began Anne. After pausing for a bit, she continued, "Hey, Luz, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"I guess that depends on what it is, but sure, go ahead," she said.

"Did you have friends at your old school?" asked Anne.

Luz didn't answer right away, as she was taken aback by the question. Her smile faded from her face, Anne noticed and continued talking to explain more.

"It's just that I noticed how excited you were when I invited you. I saw how your eyes lit up when we talked about you joining our RPG group. Later, I saw you and Marcy talking about Good Witch Azura like you've been looking for someone to talk to your whole life," Anne observed.

Luz paused for a while before answering, "No, I didn't have any friends at my old school, and seeing as how I was always alone, I guess I just got used to the idea. I never really noticed how much I was missing out on by not having friends." Luz turned away from Anne, looking sad for a moment.

"Hey, it's okay. I understand," said Anne. "Truth is, I was bullied a lot growing up. If it weren't for Sasha, I probably wouldn't have any friends either. I've known her since kindergarten."

"Why were you bullied?" asked Luz seriously.

"I was an outsider just like you, but I'm also the first generation of my family to be born here. I'm Thai American. You know how it is sometimes. Kids think you talk funny or you eat weird food, and they label you as foreign. I was wondering if that was the case with you?" asked Anne.

"Yeah, it is," said Luz. "My mother came here when she was younger. I'm also first generation Dominican American. I wouldn't say I was bullied because of that, but I would say that kids did use it as an excuse to not hang around me."

"Huh, isn't that something?" said Anne nonchalantly. For a moment, the two girls stood there next to each other, processing what they had just learned about each other. Anne and Luz looked at each other, the simple connection of being the first generation in their families helping to form an unspoken bond between the two. The type of bond that existed was not something either of them had ever talked about before. The type of bond on which a strong friendship could be forged. This was broken up, though, as Luz's mother finally showed up and honked her horn to alert Luz to her presence.

"I gotta go!" said Luz to Anne. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait," called Anne to Luz. "Before you go, let me give you my number. Call me and I'll have yours, okay?" Anne gave Luz her phone number. Luz quickly dialed it, and Anne's phone began to ring.

"Got it," she said. "Talk to you later, Luz." With that, Anne waved goodbye as Luz walked over to her mother's car. Anne couldn't help but smile as she watched Luz leave. That last conversation about being first generation wasn't a conversation she'd ever had with anyone else, and she felt a kindred spirit with Luz over learning about that special connection they shared.

Luz entered the backseat of the car in high spirits. Camila was quick to notice this.

"So, Mija, how was your day?"

"It was actually very nice," said Luz, smiling at how her first day had gone. Luz thought about the new friends she had made. How Sasha had given her a high five because of her story about being expelled. In the conversation she had with Marcy about Azura, they talked at length about their theories about the sixth book. Finally, she thought about Anne. Only a few minutes ago, she had found common ground with Anne over something she had never really talked with anyone else about. As the car turned to leave the school, Luz looked out the window for one last look at Anne, already missing her. She couldn't wait to see her again tomorrow!

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, Luz started adjusting to her new routine at St. James. She had even started getting used to her new uniform. The school was not very large, and she soon found herself memorizing the various halls and classrooms. Of course, she always looked forward to lunch when she could sit with her new friends and talk about whatever. She found that she and Anne shared interests in many of the same anime. And, of course, Marcy held an interest in not only Azura but also video games and art. Luz had yet to find some common ground with Sasha, but she still enjoyed hanging out with her. It was a new and exciting feeling for Luz, and she treasured every minute of it.

On this particular morning, she had arrived at her locker a little before the first bell to grab her clothes for the gym. As she arrived, however, another girl was already there. A tall girl with black hair and a punk streak about her. She blocked Luz's locker and stared at the young girl.

"Hey, I hear you're new here," she said in a gruff voice.

"Yes, I've only been here a few days, but this school is better than I thought it would be," said Luz, trying to be pleasant.

"Well, you ain't been paying the locker fee. It's a dollar a day to use your locker. Now pay up or else!" said the girl.

Before Luz could protest, she heard another voice behind her.

"Hey, Cindy, why don't you leave her alone?"

Luz turned to see Sasha approaching from behind her. She walked straight up to where Luz was and looked straight at the girl.

"Oh, Sasha, I'm not scared of you," said the girl identified as Cindy. "I don't care if I don't get invited to your parties. Or are you going to have your parents sue mine?"

"Oh, I'm not going to do anything to you, Cindy, but do you know who you're messing with?" said Sasha, pointing to Luz.

"Her? She don't look like much. I mean, look at her weak, nerd arms. I doubt she could punch her way out of a paper bag," said Cindy dismissively.

"Oh, that's not what I heard," said Sasha slyly.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Cindy.

"I guess you haven't been keeping up with the latest gossip," answered Sasha. "You see, I heard a rumor that Luz here was expelled from her previous school. You know why?"

Cindy shook her head.

"I heard Luz has a trained spider—a spider that listens only to Luz's commands, one that's so small it could be anywhere." As Sasha said this, her eyes darted around the hallway. Cindy's eyes began doing the same.

"I heard that some bully tried to mess with Luz, and she had her trained spider bite him," continued Sasha, her tone dropping to an ominous one. "That kid went to the hospital, and I don't know what happened. I don't even know if he recovered."

"I—you're bluffing!" exclaimed Cindy. "I don't believe it!"

"Fine, go ahead and mess with Luz. See what happens," said Sasha nonchalantly.

Cindy looked between Sasha and Luz, trying to decide if it was worth pressing her luck. In the end, she simply mumbled something and walked away.

"Wow!" said Luz, a little breathless. "How did you know that would work?" she asked Sasha.

"Eh, people around here will believe anything, especially if it involves something like being expelled from a previous school," replied Sasha.

"Yeah, about that," began Luz a little sheepishly. "I thought you said that was going to remain between only the four of us."

"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about that. I didn't say it was true. All I did was say I heard a rumor. Plus, trust me, if it helps establish you as someone to be feared and not messed with, then it's the kind of rumor you want circulating," said Sasha, as she placed an arm around Luz.

"Hmm, I guess when you put it that way," said Luz.

"Although seeing as I did help you out against Cindy, you owe me one," said Sasha abruptly.

"Oh!" said Luz, a little surprised. "Umm, okay, what do you want?"

"Nothing major; just be my partner in the gym today. We're playing volleyball, and I'd like you and me to be a team," said Sasha.

"Oh, you don't need a favor for that," said Luz. "I would have done it, anyway."

"Well, hurry up and get your clothes, then. We still need to get changed," said Sasha. "I'll see you in gym." As she said this, Sasha began walking away.

Luz and Sasha entered the gym in their sports clothes. Luz was glad for a chance to wear shorts again. Two volleyball nets had been placed in the gym. Sasha began talking with Luz about strategy.

"So, you ever played volleyball before?" she asked.

"Not really," replied Luz. "I'm sorry in advance if we lose. I've never been good at sports."

"Eh, you can't talk like that," said Sasha. "You have to at least pretend to have confidence."

"But how can I have confidence if I don't have any skill?" wondered Luz.

Before Sasha could answer, the Coach blew his whistle, getting the attention of the other students.

"Alright, listen up!" he yelled. "I have the tournament bracket right here. Teams of two, first to 5 points wins. The team that wins the tournament doesn't have to do any laps. For the rest of you, it will be ten laps." The coach blew his whistle again, and the first two teams got to their spots. Luz and Sasha weren't part of the first game, so they sat on the bleachers and watched.

"Volleyball isn't that complicated," said Sasha, as she directed Luz's attention to the field. "Each side gets three hits, so all you have to do is follow the formula of: hit, set, and spike. One person hits the ball, the next person sets it up, and then the third person spikes it hard to the other side."

"Okay, that sounds simple enough," said Luz, "but I'm not very coordinated. Plus, look, I really do have weak nerd arms."

"Luz, if you don't want to have weak nerd arms, you need to do some sort of physical activity," said Sasha. "Take me, for example; I do cheerleading. It's great for building up strength, especially in your arms. I know you may not like to hear it, but it's the truth. Now listen, I have a strategy for us. All we have to do is make it so you always take the second hit. I can handle spiking the ball, so all you have to do is get it high in the air for me."

"Well, I'll do my best," said Luz.

Before long, the girls were called up for their match. Luz was nervous as she and Sasha took the court. Still, Luz concentrated on the strategy and did her best to play accordingly. It actually ended up working very well. Sasha would get the first hit on the volleyball, then Luz would get the second, and finally, Sasha would spike it to the other side. Sasha had great physical power, as her spikes would often devastate the other team. They ended up winning their first match rather quickly. Luz and Sasha continued climbing the ranks until, finally, they were in their last match. But even then, their strategy prevailed, and in a surprise for Luz, they ended up winning the whole tournament. As they won, Luz let out a squeal of delight, unable to believe it. Sasha came up to her and gave her a hug that lifted her off the ground.

"Wow! It worked! I can't believe it!" exclaimed an excited Luz.

"So, how do you feel, Luz?" asked Sasha.

"I feel a little bit more confident," answered Luz.

As they were sitting on the bleachers enjoying their victory, Sasha turned to Luz.

"Hey, Luz, come with me."

The two girls left the gym and went to the restroom. Once Sasha was sure they were alone, she pulled out a pocket knife, causing Luz to jump a little in surprise.

"We won an important victory today, Luz, and I think everyone should know about it. Even future generations of kids who come to St. James long after we've died," she said. "We need to carve a little memorial of ourselves into the bathroom to stand for all time." With that, she pointed to a mirror near the far side of the restroom.

"Umm, I'm not sure about this," said Luz with heavy hesitation in her voice. "Isn't this vandalism? Won't we get in trouble?"

"Oh, Luz, no one ever reports vandalism in the bathrooms. Come on, get real," said Sasha, handing Luz the pocket knife. "All you have to do is carve your initials in that mirror. I'll put mine next to yours, along with the words 'winner.'"

"Listen, Sasha, it's just that I got expelled from my old school, and I had to face my mom, and I remember the feeling of shame when she looked at me. I just got started at this new school, so I don't want to do something that will make me feel that kind of shame again," said Luz.

"Oh, I see how it is," said Sasha, her tone changing from one of friendliness to anger. Luz noticed the change and was taken aback by it.

"Look, I tried to help you this morning by scaring off Cindy, and then I helped you to play better at volleyball. I helped you get out of running laps, and now, after all that, you won't do something for me. I guess you don't appreciate what I've done for you," said Sasha in an annoyed voice.

"No, Sasha, it's not like that," protested Luz. "I do appreciate what you did for me. It's just that I don't think we should do something like this. There's no reason to. We already won the game, so can't we just leave it at that?"

"No, Luz, we can't. We need to prove to the rest of the school who we are. Do you want to get bullied?" asked Sasha.

"No, of course not," answered Luz.

"Then you need to stop being weak. You need to take a stand," said Sasha, as she offered the knife to Lua once more.

Luz looked between Sasha, the knife she was holding, and the mirror. After a long beat of silence, she sighed and finally acquiesced. She took the knife to the mirror and carved in her initials, L. N. Sasha smiled and took the knife from Luz, adding her own initials and the word "winner" to the carving. After which, she took out her phone and took a picture of the carving.

"I'll make sure and send it to you," said Sasha, smiling.

"Yeah, okay," said Luz dejectedly.

"Hey, don't be like that," said Sasha. "We had fun, didn't we?"

"Yeah, we had fun," said Luz, still dejectedly. "I better get going. I have to change back to my regular uniform." With that, Luz left, not wanting to spend any more time with Sasha.

As the day went on, Luz couldn't help but feel in a bit of a funk. She had never worried before about succumbing to peer pressure, as she hadn't had any friends. But now she was concerned about what she had done in that locker room. Her day had started so well and was so promising, but now she was feeling guilt about what she had done. While Sasha was probably right about no one reporting the vandalism they had done, Luz still knew about it and hoped that her mother would never find out. The guilt she carried weighed on her.

As she returned to her locker, she noticed Cindy from earlier was standing next to it again. This time, she wasn't alone, though, as a small group of girls had gathered with her, blocking Luz's locker.

"Grrr, what do you want now?" asked Luz with a tinge of frustration and anger.

"Oh, whoa, it's not like that," said Cindy, putting up her hands defensively. "We all heard about that new carving in the girls' bathroom at the gym. We just wanted to know, was that really you?"

The group of girls were staring intently at Luz, waiting for her answer. Luz herself was surprised at this, so she quickly put on a mask and decided to give an ambiguous answer.

"I mean, the initials L.N. could belong to anyone," began Luz casually, "but seeing as I'm friends with Sasha, whose initials are also there, I'd say that's your answer right there. Now, can I please get to my locker?"

"Sure, of course," said Cindy as she and the girls moved away from the locker, allowing Luz to use it.

Luz went to her locker, but out of the corner of her eye, she kept looking at the girls. They continued to stare at Luz, but not in a way that seemed as though they were making fun of her. Instead, it almost looked as though they were afraid of her. Luz pushed it out of her mind and finished gathering her things before leaving. Though privately, she did find the attention a little rewarding.

"Hey, Luz, there you are," called out a voice. Luz turned and saw that it was Sasha.

"Oh, hey, Sasha," replied Luz, somewhat downcast. "What do you want?"

"I was looking for you. I wanted you to know that people are viewing you with an air of mystery. Do you know why?" she asked.

"Hmmm, let me guess, is it because word has spread about both my being expelled and that stunt we pulled in the bathroom?" Luz asked sarcastically.

"Yes, exactly. I told you not to feel bad about that. Everyone in school thinks you're a cool rebel, and who helped you with that? Me, that's who," proclaimed Sasha proudly. "You should be thankful."

Luz was going to reply, but then a random boy came up to her to talk with her.

"Hey, are you Luz Noceda?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Hey, you're pretty cool, you know. I heard how you aren't afraid to leave your mark. Up top!" he said, offering Luz a high five.

Luz awkwardly slapped his hand. As she did, she noticed other students were smiling at her. Some were waving at her and giving her thumbs up! Luz could hardly believe what was happening. Was she getting recognition at her new school? Not only that, but the other students were regarding her as cool—something that had certainly never happened before. After looking at the other students, she turned back to look at Sasha, who was still smiling. Luz's anger with Sasha began to abate as she realized perhaps her new friends had actually done her a favor. Finally, she spoke to Sasha.

"I guess I owe you one."

"You know it," said Sasha. "Don't worry, I'll collect all debts later. For now, be happy and enjoy your status. We'll make sure and put it to good use later." With that, Sasha walked off to parts unknown.

Luz watched Sasha leave, and as she did, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride from how the students were admiring her.

I know vandalism is wrong, she thought, and it was risky, considering what happened at my old school, but maybe this time it was worth it. I've never been regarded as a cool kid before, so maybe Sasha is onto something about being a rebel. I don't know; I guess we'll have to wait and see….

Chapter Text

The days and weeks continued to fly by as Luz adjusted to life at her new school. Her new reputation was a welcome one, and she enjoyed the occasional high-fives that kids would throw her way. In addition, she started getting used to her schedule and was thrilled that she shared some classes with Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. Currently, she was on her way to English class, which she shared with Marcy. They had previously had a test, and Luz was dreading the results. In an effort to distract herself, she got to talking with Marcy about Azura theories again as they walked together to their class and managed to find seats together.

"So, in conclusion, Luz," said Marcy as she finished her theory, "that's why I feel in book 6, it is inevitable that Hecate will betray Azura. Their alliance was only made out of an 'Enemy Mine' scenario against the Arch Mage, and that kind of alliance is fragile at best."

"I see where you're coming from," said Luz, "and it's true they were enemies in books 3 and 4, but hear me out on this. I think that not only will Hecate and Azura continue to be friends, I think they will progress to become lovers."

Marcy had to stop herself from laughing at this before continuing, "Lovers?! You think after everything that happened between them that they could become lovers?"

"Yes, I do," said Luz defensively. "Here's why: Firstly, while it's true that Azura challenged Hecate to a duel, she only did that to prove herself. Even though Azura lost, she was actually very gracious about it, and Hecate even told her after the duel that she felt Azura put up a good fight and was tougher than she thought. Hecate straight-up told her that she respected her. Secondly, during their fight against the Arch Mage, Azura got injured and Hecate seemed really worried about her, she stayed by her bedside until she woke up. Finally, there have been subtle hints throughout the books that maybe the reason Hecate dislikes Azura is because she's not sure of her own feelings regarding love. She was also raised in a very controlling family, and they were cold and distant to her, so she never really knew what love was, and that's why she has trouble expressing it."

"Hmmm, that's a lot to consider," pondered Marcy, "but they're both still on the quest to get the Sapphire Staff, and only one of them can claim it. Don't you think they'll have to fight again to determine who gets the staff?"

"Maybe that will be the big twist at the end of the book. Instead of fighting, they'll decide it isn't worth the friendship they've built, and then Hecate will confess her feelings to Azura," answered Luz.

"Okay, class, settle down," said the teacher as the bell rang and class started. "I've got the results of your tests back, and I will be handing those out now."

The teacher proceeded to hand back the tests to the students. Marcy was beaming as she looked at her result and saw an A+ on her test. Luz, on the other hand, was not so happy to see a C on hers.

"Aw, dang it!" she exclaimed. "Those vocabulary words were hard. I thought I did better."

"Sorry, Luz," said Marcy.

"Now I notice that many of you didn't do so well on this test," said the teacher as she returned to the front of the class. "Since I'm feeling generous, if you'd like a chance at extra credit, see me after class. In the meantime, let's continue on with today's lesson."

As the bell rang to signal the end of class, Luz and Marcy approached the teacher's desk.

"Ms. Syler," began Luz, "I'd like to hear what you have for extra credit."

"Well, of course. You seem to be the only one who wants to try it," she answered.

"No, I'd like to hear about it too!" exclaimed Marcy, stepping out from behind Luz.

"Marcy, I shouldn't be surprised," said Ms. Syler, "though I should also remind you that you have literally no need for any extra credit. I don't think it's possible for you to increase your grade anymore."

"Well, I mean… What if something happens between now and the end of the semester?" said Marcy.

"I highly doubt that, but feel free to listen as I tell Luz," began Ms. Syler. "So Luz, for extra credit, I'd like you to write a short story. I'll give you some freedom to write about what you want, but I want you to try to incorporate some of the vocabulary words that we've been learning in your story."

"I get to write?" asked Luz excitedly.

"Yes, you have until the end of the quarter to turn in your short story," said Ms. Syler.

Luz left the classroom in surprisingly high spirits

"So, Luz, do you have any idea what you're going to write about?" asked Marcy.

"I have no idea, but writing, especially creative writing, is something I really enjoy. Can I ask you a question, Marcy?" asked Luz.

"Yeah, sure," replied Marcy.

"Have you thought at all about what you want to do when you grow up?" asked Luz.

"Well, my parents certainly have," said Marcy sarcastically, "though personally, no, I haven't given it too much thought. I mean, we aren't even in high school yet."

"I think the only thing that would really suit me is to be a writer," said Luz. "I can't see myself working in any kind of office job. I'm not good at focusing on delicate tasks or staying still for long periods of time, and obviously, I can't become a witch, so maybe I could be a writer."

"Oooo, maybe you could write the next big fantasy series that will be a hit among teens and young adults," said Marcy. "Any chance I can be a character in your book?"

Luz grinned at Marcy. "Well, since you asked nicely, then sure. But that's all later. For now, I have to think of what I'm going to write for this short story."

"Do you want some help with that?" asked Marcy.

"What?!" said Luz, surprised. "I mean, I don't want to force you to help me."

"But would you like me too?" asked Marcy.

Luz thought for a moment, "I mean, yeah, I would appreciate your help, but I don't want to feel like I'm forcing you to help me. Don't you have your own homework and things to work on?"

"Eh, I can do all that and help you, Luz," said Marcy. "I've never tried writing a story before, but I would love the opportunity to try. Plus, you heard Ms. Syler. It's not like I need extra credit. Why don't we meet at the library this weekend and we can brainstorm some ideas?"

"Okay, great! I'll see you then," said Luz.

Luz walked into the library and scanned the tables for Marcy. She found her rather quickly and walked over to where she was. They spoke in hushed voices as they tried to decide what the story would be about. Luz and Marcy both put forth several ideas about what they felt should be in the story. Luz kept wanting to add more and more themes and characters to the story and seemed to have trouble settling on what she wanted the story to be about. She also seemed to not realize that the story was supposed to be a short story, as it almost felt like she was trying to write a novel.

"Luz," said Marcy, "I get that you want to put all these things in your story, but you have to remember that this isn't a novel."

"But I want there to be romance, magic, and heartbreak with shimmer tears," protested Luz.

"I think you're losing sight of what the story is really about," said Marcy. "If you try to fill it with too many things, you won't be able to tell a single cohesive narrative."

"It's just that I want to put so much into it and make it the best possible story," said Luz.

"I get that," said Marcy, "but you still need to focus. Here, how about you choose just one thing for your story to be about, and then we can work from there?"

Luz pondered for a long time before finally deciding, "Okay, let's just stick to romance. If I had to choose one thing, then it would be that."

"Okay, great!" said Marcy. "Now, tell me about your main character. What's she like?"

"Well, I guess she's kind of like me," said Luz. "I wanted to name her Luzara."

"Again, I see where you're going with that, but it's a little too on the nose," said Marcy. "Think of a different name for her, but keep the basis on yourself. There's nothing wrong with injecting a bit of yourself into the characters you write, but just make it subtle. What is it about you that you want to put in your character?"

"I want to show that she's free-spirited, she's unique, she's kind, she..." Luz faltered.

"Luz?" asked Marcy, concerned.

"She's ignored by everyone, and that's why she's had trouble finding love," said Luz sadly. Luz slowly stopped speaking and hung her head.

"Hey," said Marcy, putting her arm around Luz, "it's okay. I get it. Being the weird, dorky girl sometimes means you don't connect with people very well. And sometimes it's hard to find someone who shares your interests. Believe me, I get how you feel. The only friends I ever had were Anne and Sasha."

Luz looked over at Marcy, who was smiling at her.

"But those things make you unique, and it also means that someday when you do find someone who shares those interests, you'll connect with them on an even greater level. I mean, isn't the thought of being normal far more scary?" she asked Luz.

Luz pondered this question and nodded to Marcy, silently agreeing with her, then went back to work with her, trying to establish an outline for her story. Over the next few hours, they finally came to a consensus, and Luz left the library to begin work on her short story. She talked with Marcy over the week to get her advice and spent all her free time writing her story. When her short story was finally finished, she handed it to her English Teacher. A few days later, after English class, the teacher called her up to talk after the class ended.

"So, Luz, I finished reading your story. I must say, I was quite impressed," said Ms. Syler.

"Oh, thank you very much," said Luz. "Just so you know, Marcy ended up helping me with it, especially during the planning stage."

"You have a very good friend to help you like that," said Ms. Syler. "Well, I just want you to know that I will give you the full extra credit to help your grade at the end of the quarter."

"Thank you, Ms. Syler," said Luz as she began to head for the door.

"Luz, I think that if you keep practicing with your writing, you have some good potential. Something to think about," said Ms. Syler to Luz as she was leaving.

Luz left the classroom with a smile on her face after hearing her teacher's compliment. She ran into Marcy, who was waiting for her outside.

"So, how'd it go?" asked Marcy.

"It went great! She loved my story and thinks I might have potential, so all in all, it went great!" responded Luz.

"I heard you tell her that I helped you," said Marcy. "You didn't need to say that."

"You helped me, and I feel it was only fair to let her know. Plus, you didn't need to help me," said Luz.

"Hey, that's what friends do," said Marcy. "Hey, if you really want to thank me, can I read the final version? I didn't see what you decided about the ending. Did you have the main character hook up with the sullen poet and become his muse?"

"Well, I don't want to spoil it, but I will send you the final version so you can see for yourself," replied Luz.

"Cool, I look forward to reading it," said Marcy as she left to get to her next class.

"Hey, Marcy, I really did appreciate the help," said Luz. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to try to collaborate again. Maybe we could write an Azura fanfic together."

"Oooo, that would be fun!" said Marcy. "Sure, I'd love to!"

Luz was ecstatic to hear Marcy's answer. Writing feels so much easier when you have a partner, she thought. I wonder if Marcy would be interested in trying to write a full-length novel. I bet two heads working together could accomplish a lot more.

Chapter Text

Luz felt the wind in her face as she pedaled hard through the forest trail. Occasionally, a small tree branch would whip against her, but she paid it no mind. Luz stared behind her and saw Anne a short distance away, keeping pace with her. Anne had invited Luz to go biking and had shown her a new trail that she hadn't seen before. Luz enjoyed being out in nature. As much as she loved watching TV and playing video games, every now and then, it was important to go outside and connect with nature. The two kept biking and eventually came to a clearing in the forest. In the middle of the clearing was a small pond. Luz and Anne decided to stop and take a break by the pond. Anne walked up to the pond and grabbed a few stones that were by it, handing one to Luz.

"You ever tried skipping rocks?" she asked.

Luz responded by tossing her stone in the pond, managing to make it skip three times. Anne responded by throwing her stone and getting it to skip five times. The girls laughed at this and sat down in the grass, staring up at the sky, the clouds, and the trees. Around them, the sounds of birds, insects, and the forest itself hummed. The two girls relaxed, enjoying this quiet hideaway. Luz turned her attention to the trees and saw an owl on one of the branches. As she looked more closely, though, something about the owl seemed off. It was tiny, and its features were square, almost as if it were made of wood. Maybe it was just her imagination, but Luz could have sworn the owl was looking straight at her.

"Anne, check this out," said Luz, pointing to the owl.

"Huh?!" replied Anne.

"Look at that owl on that branch over there," said Luz. "Doesn't it look odd to you?"

Anne looked to where Luz was pointing and saw the owl. Though it was too far away for Anne to get a good look at it.

"I'm not sure what you think is strange," said Anne. "It looks like an ordinary owl to me, though it is adorably tiny." With that, the owl flew away from the branch it was on. It disappeared into the sky, almost as though it were aware it was being watched.

"That's weird," proclaimed Luz. "I feel as though it knew we were talking about it, and it flew away."

"I think you're reading too much into it, Luz," said Anne. "Oh, hey, check that out." Her attention turned to the pond, where a small frog had hopped onto the shore near the girls.

"Ah, look at the little guy. He's so…. Wait, that's a strange color for a frog, isn't it?" asked Luz. As the frog came closer, the girls were able to see that it was indeed a light pink color.

"Hmmm, I've never seen a frog that color," said Anne as she stared at it, getting as close as she dared.

"Careful, Anne, that might be a poison dart frog," advised Luz. "Though I wonder what one is doing here? They normally inhabit the rainforests of South America."

"Those poison frogs can't actually kill you, though, right?" asked Anne. "Don't they have to be eaten in order to poison you?"

"Well, the poison is secreted through their skin, so touching them could prove fatal," said Luz.

"Oh, yikes, I'll be careful then," said Anne. "Ughh, that reminds me, though. I've heard that next year we're going to have to dissect frogs in Biology."

"Oh, well, that could be interesting," said Luz. "Personally, I would have preferred to dissect a snake."

"Oh, an even creepier animal than a frog. You would enjoy dissecting things, wouldn't you, Luz?" said Anne, playfully teasing her. She turned her attention back to the frog.

"This guy's pretty cute, though," continued Anne, staring at the frog. "Must be pretty nice to be a poison frog and not have to worry about predators eating you. Or if they do, at least you know you'll take them down with you."

"I wonder how he got here, though?' pondered Luz. "Poison frogs aren't native to North America. I wonder if it was a pet that got away?" As she said that, the frog turned back towards the pond and hopped into the water, swimming away.

"Hmm, now I wonder if that frog was listening to us and ran away," said Anne to Luz.

"Maybe he ran away from that owl?" suggested Luz. "It is nice out here, though."

"Yeah, thanks for joining me, by the way. It's nice to get out every once in a while. Sasha wanted to hang out and go to that outdoor mall, but I'm broke right now," said Anne. "She seemed mad when I told her I couldn't go."

"Oh, why didn't you invite her to come with us?" asked Luz.

"I did, but she doesn't really like traipsing through the dirt," replied Anne. "Actually, now that I think about it, Sasha almost never wants to hang out when I suggest something."

Luz was a little worried upon hearing this and decided to probe further. "Hey, so you've known Sasha a really long time, right?"

"Oh, yeah, since kindergarten," replied Anne.

"Has she always been that way?" asked Luz.

"I mean, I guess. I never really thought about it before, but I try to cut her some slack. She—" Anne stopped herself.

"What is it?" asked Luz.

"Eh, I'm not sure I should be talking about this, though if you promise not to repeat this, I'll tell you," said Anne.

"Okay, sure," said Luz.

"I think Sasha is having a hard time with her father. She's never really said anything, but he's out of town a lot for business, so she almost never sees him. She's never talked about it, but one time when I was at a sleepover at her place, I overheard Sasha talking on the phone with him. She seemed pretty angry. I forget what they were talking about, but it got me thinking."

"Do you think that maybe you should talk to her about it?" asked Luz

"I don't want to admit that I was eavesdropping. Plus, you know, it's not really my business," said Anne. "And I mean, I don't want to say something that will upset Sasha. Otherwise, she might not want to be my friend anymore."

"Friendship shouldn't be like that, though," said Luz. "Maybe it was wrong of you to eavesdrop, but you shouldn't be afraid that Sasha would stop being your friend over that. You should be able to have an honest conversation about difficult subjects with your friends."

"You think so?" asked Anne, confused.

"I… Well, I can't say from experience, but I feel that's how it should be," said Luz.

"Hmm, well, I will think about that," said Anne.

"Well, in any case, we should probably get going," said Luz as she grabbed some water from her bike and drank. "That trail sure takes a lot out of you."

"Yeah, it does. Hey, Luz, are you hungry?" asked Anne.

"I'm feeling a bit peckish. I bet I'll be hungrier once we finish this trail," said Luz.

"Hmm, okay. If we head back the way we came, we can catch the Gold line. There's a stop on the Gold line that's close to my parents' restaurant. You haven't been there yet, have you?" asked Anne.

"No, I haven't," replied Luz, "but I don't know if my mom would let me. She was expecting me to take the Gold-line home."

"Can't hurt to ask," said Anne. "Here, I'll give you the address. Text your mom and see if she'd be willing to meet us there. If not, then that's fine, but you'll have to come sometime. You have to try our bomb Thai food."

"Okay, let's give it a shot," said Luz. With that, she texted her Mom and then got on her bike to head back down the trail. To Luz's surprise, her Mom agreed to meet her at the restaurant. It didn't take the girls long to get back down the trail, and soon the two of them were on the train heading to the Boonchuy restaurant. The outside of the restaurant looked rather small, but it had a quaint charm to it. There was a red awning in the front, as well as a neon sign that showed the name "Thai Go" in bright neon letters.

Anne opened the door, leading Luz inside. The restaurant was small but had a great many booths and a nice aesthetic about it. Anne called out to her mom as she entered.

"Mae chan xyu thi ni!" called Anne, "Chan pha pheuxn ma."

Mrs. Boonchuy came out from the back, looking at Anne and Luz.

"Oh, is this the new friend you've been talking about?" asked Mrs. Boonchuy as she looked at Luz.

"Hello, Mrs. Boonchuy," said Luz as respectfully as she could. "Anne said you have some delicious food here and invited me here for lunch."

"Yes, food here good. You two sit over there," she said, indicating a booth. As they sat, she brought them menus.

"So, do you have a really spicy dish here?" asked Luz.

"That food very spicy," said Mrs. Boonchuy. "Your California stomach may not be able to handle it."

"I've had my share of spicy food growing up," said Luz confidently as she looked over the menu. "Hmm, I think I'll try the Tom Yum Kung!"

Mrs. Boonchuy looked carefully at Luz before deciding to humor her. Anne also ordered her food as well as two Thai Iced Teas for her and Luz. Anne's mother returned with their food, setting a dish down in front of Luz.

"Enjoy, sweetie," she said with a small hint of slyness. Luz took a whiff of her soup, and it smelled delicious. She took a spoonful close to her mouth and blew on it. As she did, she noticed Anne sniggering.

"What, you think I can't handle this?" asked Luz.

"Okay, Luz," said Anne with a grin. "If you're so sure that you can handle this soup, would you mind if I posted your reaction to eating it online?" Anne got out her phone and pointed it at Luz, daring her to allow her to record her.

"Challenge accepted!" said Luz. "Make sure you get my good side."

Anne turned her camera on to record Luz. "Okay, Luz, say hi to all the people!"

Luz stared straight at the phone. "I'm Luz Noceda, and I am about to attempt the Tom Yum Kung challenge, which is something I just made up!" With that, Luz took a spoonful of the soup and ate it. The spiciness hit her right away, but it was tolerable. Luz continued eating the soup, but after her fifth spoonful, she started feeling the full effects of the soup and was suddenly breathing heavily and panting as she stopped eating and took a long swig of her Thai iced tea. Her face was fully flushed in a deep red, and her eyes were watering. All the while, Anne kept recording with a smug look on her face.

"Okay," Luz said as she regained her composure, "turns out the Tom Yum Kung challenge is a lot harder than anticipated. It's a good thing this tea has milk in it… and boba."

Anne couldn't help but laugh at this. "Luz, you're such a dork, but I say that with love." With that, she turned the camera toward herself. Well, it looks like this time the Tom Yum Kung challenge proved too much, but don't worry, folks. Luz will be back next week to try again."

"I will?!" said Luz in surprise.

"Well, yeah, you've gotta keep doing it until you win. Or until you get a thousand likes. Whichever comes first."

Both girls laughed at this as they continued eating their lunch (Luz going through 2 more Thai iced teas to help her finish her spicy soup), and just as they were finishing, the door to the restaurant opened and Luz's mother walked in.

"Hola, Mija!," she called. "Is this one of your new friends?" she asked, indicating Anne.

"Hello, Ms. Noceda," said Anne politely. "I'm Anne."

"Pleased to meet you, Anne," said Camilla. At that moment, Mrs. Boonchuy returned from the back and noticed Camilla.

"Camilla!" she said in surprise.

"Oh hey, I remember you! You're the owner of this place," said Camilla.

"Yes, I spoke with you that day about the school my daughter goes to," said Mrs. Boonchuy. At this, Luz and Anne stared at each other and then at their mothers.

"I remember you being the one who recommended that school. Wait, is this girl your daughter that you were talking about?" At this, Camilla looked at Luz, then at Anne, and one more time at Mrs. Boonchuy.

"Whoa, hold up!" exclaimed Anne. "You mean to tell me that you two knew each other?"

"Anne," said Luz, the realization dawning on her, "your mother was the one who told my mother about your school. That means she's the reason I'm even going to St. James, which means she's indirectly responsible for how I met you."

"Whaaaaaaa!" said Anne. "What a huge twist! This is like the last episode of season 2 of Suspicion Island."

"Huh, that is an amazing coincidence," said Camilla as she looked at Mrs. Boonchuy, who gave her a nod. "Hey, Luz, why don't you go wait for me in the car? Here are the keys."

"Anne, you can go too. You can say goodbye outside," said Mrs. Boonchuy.

The two girls left outside, leaving the two mothers together.

"Your daughter seems very nice," said Camilla.

"Yes, she is a bundle of energy. Sometimes, she is too much, but I see much of myself in her from when I was young," replied Anne's mother. "Your daughter has lot of energy too. I think that why they get along."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Luz has been something of a loner for most of her life and had trouble making friends, so I'm glad to see her hang out with Anne," said Camilla.

"You move here?" asked Mrs. Boonchuy.

"Excuse me?" asked Camilla, not quite understanding the question.

"You not from this country. You move from your home?" she asked again.

"Yes, I'm originally from the Dominican Republic. I grew up there and did my undergrad there. I moved to this country to go to vet school. I got certified here, and ma now a practicing veterinarian," explained Camilla.

"Yes, same with Anne," began Mrs. Boonchuy. "I from Thailand originally. Beautiful country, much to see, but hard to build a life. I move here for better opportunity for family. Anne born here, try to make good life for her."

"I understand completely. It's hard being an immigrant, adjusting to a new way of life, leaving behind family, and raising your children in a new environment," said Camilla.

"I see Anne take interest in American things, and that hard sometimes. Think she not have her culture, but don't know what to do," said Mrs. Boonchuy with a sigh.

"I think it's just as much a generational thing as it is an American one," said Camilla. "I mean, Luz likes those animated shows and that fantasy novel series, but they didn't have things like that when we were children. Who's to say we wouldn't have liked those things if they had been around when we were young?"

"Hmmm, sometimes hard to see your child take interest in different things than you," said Mrs. Boonchuy, "but you also want them to be their own person. That why you uplift your life and move to new country, so children can have better life than you had."

"The things we do for our children, right?" asked Camilla. Mrs. Boonchuy smiled at this as both she and Camilla looked out the window to where their children were talking and laughing with each other.

Anne had finished showing Luz the trailer for Suspicion Island, and she was intrigued.

"I don't know about Randy being suspicious, but he certainly is fine," said Luz mischievously.

"I know, right?" said Anne with a sly grin. "You'll have to watch it with me sometime."

"Yeah, that'd be great!" said Luz.

"Cool, can't wait!" said Anne. At that moment, she received a text. "Oh, it's Sasha. She says she lost her pencil case and wants mine. Guess I'll have to give it to her on Monday."

"Wait, why do you have to give her yours?" asked Luz, puzzled.

"Because that's what you do for your friend," said Anne. "You help them get the things they want."

"Maybe sometimes," said Luz hesitantly, "but friendship should be more than just that."

"It's just, you know, Sasha's really popular at school. I want to stay on her good side," said Anne. "If I don't help her out, then she might not want to be my friend anymore. Plus, Sasha looks out for me. Remember how I told you how I used to get bullied? Sasha's the one who stood up to the bullies and stopped them from picking on me."

"Oh, I see," said Luz, though in her mind she wasn't sure that Anne's assessment of friendship was entirely correct. This behavior was starting to sound a little unusual to Luz, who wanted to say something to Anne but wasn't quite sure how to say it.

"Oh, speaking of which, I heard a rumor. Is it true that you and Sasha made a carving in the girl's bathroom?" asked Anne.

"Yeah, that's true," said Luz under her breath.

"Oh, cool! Hey, from what I've heard, it's helped your reputation at school, so see? Sasha's looking out for you too," said Anne.

"I guess you do have a point," began Luz, "but Anne, just so you know, friends should be able to talk about things without worrying about what people will say. I want you to know that if you ever want to talk about something difficult, then please feel free to talk to me about it. I promise not to judge you."

"Oh, really?" asked Anne. "I mean, that's…" Anne trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say in response to that. At that moment, Luz's mother emerged from the restaurant and ushered Luz into the car. Anne and Luz exchanged a hug as they said goodbye. Anne watched as Luz and her mother drove off. As she did, she couldn't help but feel a warm and fuzzy feeling in her heart about what Luz had told her. It was an odd feeling, but a welcome one nonetheless.

Chapter Text

Luz practically jumped out of her bed as her alarm went off. She was full of energy as she made her way to her closet. Today was a special day! It was the last day of school! As a special bonus for it being the last day, the school was allowing free dress. Luz knew exactly what she wanted to wear as she went to her closet and picked out her cat hoodie shirt, jean shorts, and leggings. It felt like so long since she'd worn it, even though she had occasionally donned it on weekends. In no time at all, she was dressed in her Cat hoodie shirt and shorts and bounded downstairs to find her mother.

Her mother was listening to music in the kitchen and didn't notice Luz enter.

"And he stole from the rich and the poor and the not very rich and the very poor, and he stole our hearts away, he stole all hearts away, he stole all hearts awaaayayayaayayayaa, he stole our hearts awaaaaaaaaaay…" sang Camilla with the song as it was ending.

"Bravo, Mom," Luz said as the song ended. Camilla turned around to face Luz.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in, Luz. You surprised me," said Camila.

"Don't stop on my account," said Luz. "You were jamming to that song."

"Well, it's over now, but you can bet I'll be jamming to it some other time. In any case, let's get you ready for your last day at school, Mija. Are you excited?"

"You bet I am!" said Luz happily.

"And considering what happened earlier, it's nice to see you in such high spirits," said Camila. "I'm proud of you, Luz. You've come a long way."

"Gracias, mama!" said Luz as she went to hug her mother.

Before long, Luz had arrived at school. The other students were also in high spirits over it being the last day of school, and there was a general air of excitement. Luz found her friends outside the entrance. Sasha was wearing a T-shirt that said "Bad Girl" on it with some shorts and sandals. Anne was wearing a nice sundress with flowers on it and sandals. Marcy had apparently forgotten about free dress.

"Oh, Marcy, what happened?" asked Luz.

"Eh, I forgot about free dress," she replied. "Although that's a cool shirt, Luz."

"Oh, I haven't even shown you the best part," replied Luz as she flipped her hoodie up over her head and revealed its cat ears. "Meow meow!"

"So cute," said Marcy, mesmerized by the cat ears. "Luz, where did you get that hoodie? I want one!"

"Oh, well, it was at a store at the mall. I'll show you when we go there later," answered Luz. "Too bad I didn't show you earlier. You could have worn it today."

"Oh, well, we have the whole summer for free dress now," said Marcy. "It's no biggie that I forgot today."

"You would forget about that, wouldn't you, Marbles?" said Sasha somewhat dismissively. "In any case, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, GIRLS!" All four girls let out a shout of delight at this and came together in one big group hug.

"All we have to do is get through today, and then we have the whole summer to party!" exclaimed Sasha

"Well, maybe not the whole summer," said Anne. "My parents have already said that they want me to work part-time at the restaurant, although they did promise to pay me this time,"

"You're only twelve, Anne," began Sasha. "Isn't there a law or something against that?"

"Apparently not when your parents are the owners of the business," said Anne. "But hey, on the plus side, it means I'll be making some money. That means when I'm not working, I'll have money to go places and buy some new things. I do agree, though we definitely have to have a party of some kind over the summer."

"Oh, don't you worry, girls," said Sasha to the group. "I'm already planning to have a big slumber party at some point over the summer. Oh, Luz, I just wanted to make sure you knew, but you are totally invited. Anne and Marcy have been to ones I've had in the past."

Luz's eyes practically lit up at this invitation, and she even found herself blushing slightly. "Wow! You mean it? I get to come to a slumber party with you guys? What are we gonna do at this party?"

Sasha grinned and nodded to Marcy and Anne. The three of them linked arms and then chanted, "Pajamas, junk food, and gossip galore! Pillow fights, movies, and tearing up the dance floor! And listen up, cause this, I won't repeat. NEVER EVER GO TO SLEEP!"

"I've trained you well," said Sasha to Anne and Marcy.

"Though that's not all," said Anne, "there's also the scare dare challenge!"

"The what?!" asked Luz.

"Eh, let's leave that for the actual party," said Sasha deviously. "Wouldn't wanna spoil the fun for you, Luz. In any case, you all make sure to let me know when you have a free night. This party will be off the hook!"

"How about you, Luz? Any plans for the summer?" asked Anne.

"No, not really," replied Luz. "Maybe catch up on some anime, play some games, or re-read the Azura series again. Kinda wish I could get a job to make some extra money. Would love to get the new Flame Emblem game."

"Oh, yeah, did you hear? They say this one is going to be the best one yet," said Marcy. "This time, you have to choose between one of three different kingdoms to serve. Depending on which one you choose, you may even end up fighting against your former friends…."

"Oh man, that sounds rough," said Luz. "Can you imagine if we ever had to fight against each other?"

A beat of silence passed between the girls before they finally all laughed at this statement.

"Ha! That's a good one, Luz," laughed Sasha. "You are such a kidder."

"So, Marcy, what are you doing over the summer?" asked Luz.

"Ugh, my parents signed me up for some extra tutoring," said Marcy. "It's not like I even need it, but they want me to have a shot at getting into some honors courses in high school!"

"Hey, speaking of which, can you believe that's only a little over a year away?" said Anne excitedly. "At the end of summer, we'll be in eighth grade, and then after that, we'll be in high school! YEAH, YEAH!"

"Oh, I am totally ready for that," said Sasha. "I might even try out for junior varsity cheerleader my freshman year. In fact, I'm going to be getting in some extra training over the summer. Looks like all of us have plans over the summer, but we will have to make time to get together for sure."

"Yeah, but we are gonna hang after today, right?" asked Luz.

"You bet," said Sasha. "My mom is picking us up after school, so we'll head to the mall and hang out there."

"And I have a cavern adventure ready to go!" exclaimed Marcy, fishing in her backpack before producing several sheets of paper and assorted dice. "We can start our new adventure at the mall. Oh, which reminds me, Luz, I have your character sheet ready to go!"

Marcy handed Luz her character sheet, which showed her stats for starting as a white mage. Luz looked it over and was shocked to see her name.

"Wow, I actually get to be the Good Witch Luzura," she said in amazement.

"Of course," said Marcy. "I'll go over some of the stats with you."

With that, the girls entered the school, ready for their last day.

After what felt like an eternity, the final bell rang, and school was out for the summer! All the students were in high spirits as they exited the school for the last time that year. None more so than the four girls who ran out, arm in arm, ready for summer break. They met Mrs. Waybright, got in her car, and drove to the mall. As they were dropped off, Sasha hung back to talk with her mother in private.

"Hey, Mom, will Dad be back from his business trip soon?"

"Sweetie, you know how busy your father is," answered her mother. "Remember, he's doing all this to support you so we can have money for your school and parties."

"I know, it's just… I wish I could see him more often," said Sasha, slightly depressed.

"You know he misses you too, dear," said Mrs. Waybright, before reaching into her purse and handing Sasha some cash. "Here, treat your friends to lunch. Have a good time! I'll pick you up at 6 p.m." With that, she drove away.

Sasha turned back to her friends, putting on a brave face. "Hey all, Mom gave me money for lunch. Let's get a pizza!"

The girls made their way around the mall, looking at all the things it had to offer and stopping in various stores. Luz found the store where she had bought her hoodie and showed it to Marcy, who went in and was able to locate a similar hoodie in a green color. As soon as she bought it, she took the tags off and put it on, glad to have something different to wear. As they walked through the mall, though, Luz seemed to notice that one of the security guards was watching them. She pointed this out to the girls and was told the details by Sasha.

"Oh, that's Frank," she said, sounding annoyed. "He's had it in for me ever since he thought he caught me shoplifting."

"What?" said Luz, surprised.

"Yeah, it was when Anne and I were together at the mall. He thought he saw me putting things in my pocket and even had me escorted to security," said Sasha, "but they searched my pockets and found nothing, so they let me go. He's had it out for me ever since."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," said Luz. "Sounds like he was stereotyping you just for being a teen girl in the mall. I mean, you weren't really shoplifting, were you?"

"Of course not," replied Sasha. Though, as she said this, she winked at Anne. Anne looked back at her a bit uncomfortably and tried to change the subject.

"So that hoodie looks good on you, Marcy. Maybe when I get some money, I'll get one too, and then we can all match," said Anne.

After walking around, the girls returned to the food court to split a pizza and set up their game.

"Okay, everyone," said Marcy as she looked over her notes, "we all meet at a Horned Frog Inn. It's located in a small town where news of the Emperor is scarce and people go about their daily lives, not knowing the true horrors he's committed. But our heroes know, and in fact, they have come together united in a single purpose: to defeat the emperor and restore peace to this land! The heroes sitting in the Inn go around the table introducing themselves, telling who they are and why they have come to oppose this malevolent force."

"Uh, what now?" asked Luz, confused.

"Just say who you are and what your backstory is," said Marcy.

"Oh, but I don't have a backstory," admitted Luz.

"That's okay," said Anne, "just make one up. That's part of the fun of this game. Here, you go last so you can see what the rest of us do."

"Ahem," began Sasha, "I am Slash the Warrior, a heroic orc from the shadowlands. Although my people have assisted the emperor in his tyranny, I find that he treats us no better than he does the ones he oppresses. Therefore, I have broken from them and come to fight with you in order to bring an end to the Emperor's rule. My strength is unparalleled with all manner of weapons: swords, spears, axes, and bows."

"I am Lady Annabelle—the Paladin of his majesty's elite force!" exclaimed Anne. "Once I served the old king faithfully, but then the Emperor took over and slaughtered my brothers and sisters in arms. I am the only survivor of the Paladins, but I will see justice done against the Emperor for his crimes. My swords will help to strike down evil, while my shield and armor will protect myself and my companions from its touch."

"My true name is unknown, but you may call me 'M'," began Marcy. "Perhaps someday, when my trust in you has grown, I will reveal my true name. But as it is, being a thief requires a certain amount of stealth and anonymity. I am but a simple thief and care little for the nobles who rule us. But I have no love for the Emperor either, as his restrictive laws have included harsher punishments for thieves. I grew up on the streets and have had to fend for myself my whole life. I'm not the strongest fighter and prefer knives or swords, but you may have need of my skills."

All eyes turned to Luz as she still struggled to come up with something to say. Though after a moment, she took a breath and spoke, "I am the good witch Luzura. I was away on a magical quest when the good king was overthrown. Had I been present, I would have stopped the emperor or died trying. I feel a sense of shame for not being present to help defend the kingdom, but that is why I have joined you. I will make amends for my failure and help you defeat the Emperor. I am frail and not very strong physically, but my magic is certain to help you when you have need of it."

"And so," began Marcy, "the four heroes unite on their quest to defeat the Emperor. What will happen along the way? Will new friendships be made or old ones broken? Will the heroes succeed or fail in their quest? Will they acquire the hidden sacred weapons that may be their best chance against the Emperor? We shall soon see. So Sasha, seeing as you have the highest Charisma, you decide our first course of action."

With that, the adventure was underway. The four girls left the Inn and, after a few conversations with various townsfolk, made their way to a nearby cave, where there were rumors of evil creatures afoot.

"So, the rumors are that an old witch is living in this cave," narrated Marcy. "If you brave the dangers of it, you may meet her and perhaps learn something more about the Emperor. As you enter the cave, its darkness engulfs your vision, making it harder to see. Your accuracy will suffer if you don't have a light source. Uh-oh, did we forget to buy a lamp in town?"

"Oh, come on. None of us had a lamp already on us?" asked Sasha in frustration.

"Sorry, Sash," said Marcy, "rules are rules. Although we might have a fix. Luzura knows a basic light spell that could help us out."

"Ah, right," said Luz, looking over her character sheet. "I cast a light spell from my staff to light up the cave."

"The good witch Luzura raises up her staff, and a bright light emanates from it, filling the cave in front of you," began Marcy. "Okay, we have a light source now, so no penalties to our accuracy. By the way, Luz, you can use the spell offensively. It's not the strongest spell, but it does do extra damage to dark creatures and demons."

"Okay, great. I'll keep that in mind," said Luz.

"Since we're entering an area that's bound to have creatures in it, let me take the lead," said Anne. "I've got the best armor, so if something surprises us, I can deal with it. Sash, you follow behind, and Luz, you stay behind us."

"As you venture into the cave, you encounter a giant spider!" exclaimed Marcy. "Roll for initiative!" The girls all rolled their dice.

"Okay, I'll act first," declared Marcy. "I attempt to steal from the spider." Marcy rolled her dice again, but the result was not a good one.

"Ah, dang it, the steal fails," she said in frustration.

"My turn," said Anne. "I go for an attack." She rolled her dice and got a good result.

"Yes! I deal 225 points of damage!" said Anne triumphantly.

"I'm next," said Sasha. "I opt to attack with my axe." She rolled her dice to reveal a critical strike!

"And with that, the monster falls," declared Marcy. "You search the remains and find a variety of spider silk. This silk is very valuable to the right person. Could be worth some gold later on."

The girls continued journeying into the cave and fighting monsters. They developed a good rhythm to the battles, though Luz lamented that she wasn't given much to do with how the battles progressed. Before long, they arrived at what looked like a camp of some sort. There were various trinkets and bottles strewn about.

"The witch of the cave sits by a fire," narrated Marcy, "and a long cloak covers her face. As you approach, she says nothing. Sasha, you're up first."

Sasha thought for a moment before saying, "I point my sword straight at her and attempt to intimidate her into telling us more about the Emperor."

"Sasha, no! What are you doing?!" exclaimed Luz. "We were trying to get her on our side! Why are you starting with a threat?"

"We don't know anything about her," said Sasha. "For all we know, she could be an agent of the Emperor. So does my threat work?"

"Uh, no, sorry," said Marcy. "Not only does your threat not work, but she retaliates by casting a sleep spell on you. Roll for willpower save or you fall asleep for 5 turns." Sasha rolled and, unfortunately, failed.

"Sorry, Sash, the sleep spell causes you to fall asleep instantly. You are unable to act for the next five turns. Your turn, Anne," said Marcy.

"I approach cautiously and ask the witch if she used to work for the emperor," said Anne.

"The witch responds by saying that was a rather personal question, and she does not like your face and decides to change it for you. She casts a transformation spell on you and turns you into a frog," replied Marcy.

"What?!" said Anne. "I asked nicely."

"Your turn, Luz," said Marcy.

Luz struggled with what to do before finally deciding. "I approach the witch and apologize for my companion's threat and tell her that we were desperate to get information about the Emperor. I also ask for her help as a fellow practitioner of magic."

"The witch is pleased by your words and restores the form of Annabelle, as well as awakens Slash," said Marcy. "Furthermore, she gives a stern warning to the group about threatening witches in the future. After that, she invites you for tea and begins to tell you all that she knows about the Emperor."

The girls continued playing, though eventually, they had to wrap it up as it was time to leave.

"Man, we got pretty far," said Luz

"Yeah, thanks to you, Luzura," said Anne. "You bailed us out of that encounter with the witch, and then we were able to get instructions about what to do next."

"Well, I hope that witch wasn't lying to us," said Sasha.

"I guess we'll see," said Marcy.

"In any case, it was great spending time with all of you," said Sasha. "We'll have to do this again over the summer. So, girls, let me know when would be a great night to have our sleepover."

"For sure," the others responded.

"If that's that, I guess we better get going. My mom will be here soon," said Sasha. With that, the girls all came together for one large group hug.

"HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!" they all said in unison to each other.

Chapter Text

Anne At Work

The lunch rush at Thai Go was starting to die down. The last few customers were filling out the door, finally giving Anne some breathing room. She had only been working as a hostess, but as the restaurant got busier, her parents asked her to help serve the food and even take orders. This had proven a little difficult for Anne, who was not used to working in such an environment. Still, she did her best and actually managed to make a few tips. When the restaurant was empty, she finally complained to her mom.

"Well, I hope next summer we can hire an additional server, so it's not just me taking out all the food," she said to her mom.

"But, Anne, sweetie, if we hire another server, that means fewer tips for you," replied her mother.

"Eh, I'm willing to accept that trade-off," said Anne.

"Hiring another server cost more money, restaurant needs to do better before we get new server," said her mother. "Besides, good for you to be working and not watching videos all day."

"I don't watch videos all day. Sometimes, I argue about things on internet forums," said Anne.

"Ah, yes, you fight with people online over which season of Suspicion Island is best?" answered her mom sarcastically.

"Not just that," began Anne incredulously, "I also fight over who is a better pick for Constance, and I also get mad at people who dislike photos of Domino."

"Ah, yes, that reminds me," said her mother. "When you get home, you need to change Domino's litter. It's been 3 days."

"Yes, Mom," said Anne morosely. At that moment, the door opened, and a customer walked in, though it was one that Anne knew.

"Ms. Noceda!" exclaimed Anne. "How are you?"

"I'm hungry, Anne. I just got done pulling a double. I thought about going to Chimichurri Sandwiches, but this place is closer, and it's nice to see you," said Mrs. Noceda. She also waved to Anne's mother, who greeted her.

"Always good to see you, Camila," said Mrs. Boonchuy warmly.

"So, Anne, you're working here over the summer?" asked Camila. "Aren't you only twelve?"

"Child never too young to learn value of hard work," countered Mrs. Boonchuy. "Besides, she'll be thirteen in the fall."

"Eh, my parents are actually paying me this time," Anne joked. "Good way to save up money."

"Yes, and you should spend it on something other than video games or manga," said Mrs. Boonchuy, shooting Anne a look.

"In any case," began Anne, "Swasdi kai, and welcome to Thai Go! We have amazing Thai Iced Tea, as well as food that will knock your socks off! Let me show you to your table."

Anne led Ms. Noceda to a table where she sat down. Anne eventually took her order and served her food. Camila ate quickly, as she was both tired and hungry from work. As Anne brought her the check, Camila asked to talk with Anne some more.

"So, Anne, I never asked; how exactly did you and Luz meet?" asked Camila.

"Oh, that's actually a funny story. I accidentally ran her over with my bike," said Anne.

"You what?!" said Camila in surprise.

"No, it's all good. I didn't hit her that hard, and it led to us talking about when that exact same thing happened in an anime we both watched. And well, that led to us meeting at lunch," said Anne.

"Should your mother be more concerned about your bike riding habits?" asked Camila playfully.

"Please don't tell my mom," begged Anne. "As it is, I had to convince her to let me ride my bike to school. I'm trying to help her out so she doesn't have to drop me off every morning. She can sleep in or do work at the restaurant."

"Oh, that's very sweet of you, Anne," said Camila.

"I try! Look, between the two of us," began Anne, before looking around and making sure her mother was out of sight. "I love my mom. I know she and Dad sacrificed a lot to build a new life here, so I try my best to make things a bit easier for them. I figure one small thing I can do is take myself to school so they don't have to."

"I'm sure your parents appreciate that, Anne. You seem like a good kid," said Camila. With that, she paid her bill and left. Anne went to get the tip from the table and saw there was a small note written on the receipt.

Thank you for being a friend to my daughter, with a smiley face next to it. Anne smiled and felt a sense of pride as she read the note and looked at where Ms. Noceda had left.

Let's Go To The Movies

Luz and Anne approached the movie theater in high anticipation. As they stood in line to buy their tickets, Anne was telling Luz about the movie.

"It's called From Pointe to Poppin', and it's about a high-class mother who sends her daughter to ballet school, but the daughter doesn't want to learn ballet. She wants to learn hip-hop dancing," explained Anne.

"So what happens?" asked Luz. "Does the mom get mad at her daughter?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to see," said Anne, "but I've heard a lot of good things about this one."

"Sounds like it's one of those movies about being true to yourself," said Luz.

"Yeah, that's what makes it so awesome," said Anne. "I mean, it's hard to do that, but it's always a good message to hear."

"Hey, Anne, are you worried at all about high school?" asked Luz.

"What do you mean?" asked Anne.

"It's just that you've seen some of those high school movies where everyone is like, You have to be this or that in order to survive high school," said Luz.

"I mean, yeah, but in a lot of those movies, the protagonist does learn to be their own person, so it's not all bad," replied Anne.

"Yeah, but I wonder how close that is to real life?" asked Luz. "I mean, I guess I'm just worried. Seeing as we're social outcasts, what will it be like when we get to high school?"

"Ah, don't worry about that. We still have a year before that happens. And in any case, we have each other and Sasha and Marcy. We'll still be friends in high school," said Anne, putting a reassuring hand on Luz's shoulder.

The girls bought their tickets and headed into the theater. As the movie went on, it became clear just how much both girls were enjoying it. Especially the hip-hop dance competition, where the young girl had to do a routine after just being yelled at by her mother for deceiving her and not going to ballet practice. It looked as though the mom might be angry at her forever. But after the dance competition, the mother and daughter met in the old ballet studio to finally talk.

"Don't you get it, Mother?" said the girl. "I know you want me to be a ballerina, but my heart belongs to hip-hop. Are you disappointed?"

"No, I'm proud of you," said the mother. "All that hipping and hopping was… breathtaking."

"Oh, Mother!" cried the girl as she and the mom embraced.

The girl wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes, as both Anne and Luz were holding onto each other and crying themselves at the ending.

"That was so beautiful!" exclaimed Luz

"The mother came to her dance competition and told her daughter she was proud of her," cried Anne.

The girls exited the theater, still talking about the movie and all the great moments from it.

"That moment in the hip-hop routine when she did that flip and then landed into a spin on the ground was incredible," said Luz.

"How about that moment when she jumped off the stage and landed in a split?" said Anne.

"That was the best movie ever!" they both said in unison. They paused for a moment, looked at each other, and then laughed as they made their way outside the theater.

"We have to do this again," said Luz. "Oh, would you like to see the next Azura Movie when it comes out?"

"Well, Marcy made me watch the first one. I thought it was alright, though I bet I would have liked it more if I'd read the books," said Anne. "I'm sure she'll want to see the new movie when it comes out, so yeah, we can make plans for that."

"I mean, have you ever thought about reading the books?" asked Luz. "I have books 1 through 5 if you want to borrow them."

"Eh, I mean, we do enough reading for school as it is. Unless it's manga, I'm not really into books," said Anne.

"I think you should give it a try, Anne," began Luz. "I'll agree that I don't always look forward to the things we read in school, and some of it is old and dated without any real relevance in today's world. But Good Witch Azura isn't like that. It's full of action, adventure, romance, and, well… It's nice to see a book about a young girl who's dealing with not only magic but the pressures of growing up as well."

"Hmm, I never thought about it like that," said Anne thoughtfully. "You know, Marcy tried to get me into Good Witch Azura before we saw the first movie. But I told her the same thing I told you."

"I think you should give it another try. Next time we meet, I'll lend you book one," said Luz.

"Well, I can't promise I'll finish it, but I will give it a try," replied Anne.

"I guess that's all I can ask," said Luz.

Father Daughter Time

Sasha picked at the food on her plate, not enjoying it. Her father was on the phone and had been for much of their lunch, despite this supposedly being a chance for them to spend time together. At least her father had taken her to a nice restaurant. Sasha tried to savor the food but couldn't enjoy it. Finally, her father hung up his phone.

"Sorry, honey," he began. "So much going on in the financial world. I had a client telling me about the latest stock surge, and I had to make sure I was on top of it. Enjoying your salmon?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," replied Sasha, not really caring.

"I am so glad we got to spend this time together. I know work can be overwhelming sometimes, but remember I—"

"Do it all for the family," finished Sasha. "I know, Dad. You tell me that all the time."

"Right, well, how's the summer been so far?" he asked.

"Oh, it's been great. Thanks for letting me go to cheer camp. I really feel like I learned a lot there. Who knows? You may be looking at the new cheer captain," said Sasha.

"That's wonderful, dear. Have you been nice to the coaches and teachers?" he asked.

"Of course I have," she replied

"You remember what I told you about flattery, right?" asked her dad.

"Flattery can be one of the best manipulators, as it's one of the hardest things to resist, and people will always respond well to perceived niceness," replied Sasha, almost perfectly.

"Correct," said her dad. "It's amazing what you can get people to do when you act nice to them. It's how I've survived in the financial world."

"Oh, don't worry, Dad. I make sure to always compliment my gym teacher and the other members of the squad. A lot of them already get the sense that I'm a natural leader, so I think I can say that I will definitely get the captain's position," said Sasha.

"If you want to make cheer captain, you need to have a leg up over the competition. I can make a donation to the school for improvements to the gym. I'll make sure they know that it was me and that my daughter is currently going there," suggested her father.

"I mean, you already made one last year to get me on the squad," answered Sasha. "Shouldn't that be enough? Besides, that was more like insurance. It's not like I wasn't already talented. I just need a little extra push."

"I know we don't get to spend a lot of time together, so I just want to make sure I help you when I can," said her father. "Also, just to let you know, I'll be leaving again around the end of July. I have a conference I'm going to in New York."

"Oh, you're leaving again?" said Sasha, clearly disheartened.

"There's a good investment opportunity that I need to see more about. Could make a lot of money on this one," said her father.

"You know, Dad, seeing as I'm getting older, maybe you can start teaching me a little about the world of business," said Sasha. "I'd like to know a little bit more about what you do."

"It's really boring," said her father. "Plus, it's very complicated. I don't think you're smart enough to understand it all."

The words hit Sasha like ice water. She turned away from her dad, not wanting to show any hurt on her face but all the while feeling a sense of shame for what her father had said to her. Sasha did what she always did with these negative feelings and suppressed them. She turned back to her father and replied.

"I mean, yeah, of course. No way I could understand things like that."

"Besides, you still have time to think about what you want to do with your life, and I'll be there to help you every step of the way," said her dad.

"Yeah, I know you will, Dad," said Sasha, disinterested. However an idea came to her and she put on a smile before asking, "Hey, Dad, is it cool if I have a slumber party over the summer? Possibly right before school starts."

"Oh, of course, sweetheart!" said her dad enthusiastically. "When do you want it?"

"Sometime in late July or early August. I have to ask the others when they have a free night," said Sasha.

"Of course, dear. Hey, since I won't be around, I'll make sure and give you some money so it can be the best slumber party ever," said her father.

"Oh, does that mean an exorbitant amount of pizza, cream soda, and Skittles?" asked Sasha.

"Whatever you want, dear," replied her father.

"Yeah," smiled Sasha deviously. "Whatever I want…"

Writing a Fanfiction

Marcy and Luz met up at the library to discuss their idea for an Azura fanfic. They both had many ideas, but couldn't quite decide which one to use.

"I mean, this is the idea phase of the writing process, so there's no such thing as a bad idea," said Luz. "But which idea should we go with?"

"Well, Luz, seeing as the last story you wrote had to be a bit more structured for school, maybe we should explore what you wanted to do with your Luzura character."

"Okay, but this time, can we put all the extra stuff in it too, please?" asked Luz.

"You mean romance, magic, and heartbreak with shimmer tears?" asked Marcy slyly.

"Yes! All of it!" replied Luz.

"Oh, alright, this is a fan-fic after all. Well, let's get crackin'," said Marcy.

Over the next few hours, the girls worked together to try to craft the perfect story featuring the OC character Luzura and her adventures. Marcy and Luz worked well off each other, as Luz did the majority of the writing, and let Marcy look over it for feedback.

"'Luzura's tears fell on the frozen prince, bringing him back to life. The Prince slowly opened his eyes as he stared at Luzura," read Marcy. "'Luzura, you saved me!' exclaimed the Prince. 'How can I ever repay you?' As the Prince looked into Luzura's eyes, no words needed to be said. Luzura pulled the Prince into a passionate kiss. Time seemed to stop for them as the kiss went on deeper and…' Oh, that next part is very descriptive," said Marcy, giggling.

"Was it too much?" asked Luz, whose cheeks were flushed from hearing Marcy read her story.

"I mean, it's your fan-fic. If you want it to be that 'descriptive', you can, but you know people might be weirded out by how much you seem attracted to the Prince," said Marcy.

"What do you mean?" said Luz with some worry in her voice.

"Well, you read fanfics, don't you?" asked Marcy. Luz nodded in response.

"Have you ever heard of this one… hmm… trying to remember its name. Something to do with hearts… It was about some girl named Marina and she drew herself having…"

"Oh, yeah, I vaguely know what you're talking about," said Luz. "Uhhh, that was not an example of good writing. Also, I mean, she was REALLY descriptive in her… scenes."

"Yeah, that's my point. Her 'fan-fic', if you want to call it that, was basically just a way for her to live out a fetish, and well, if you've read even a bit of it, you know how well that went."

"I don't want people to think that's the only reason I'm writing this," said Luz.

"Again, it's your fic, so if that's what you want, go ahead, but consider this. It's fine if you want to put things you like in your story. I believe the term for that is Author Appeal. But if you put too much of that in, then I feel it could distract from the story. A lot of people write fan-fics with their self-insert OC character because they want to write about themselves having a romantic relationship with a fictional character."

Luz sighed before replying, "If I'm being honest with myself, that is part of the reason I'm writing this."

"And that's fine," said Marcy. "But if you want your story to be more than that, then you have to still have a compelling reason for people to want to read it. I think you can make a story about Luzura falling in love with the Prince that is still worth reading and is not just an excuse for you to write a scene where Luzura and the Prince make out. And Luz, the only reason I'm saying all this is because you've told me you want to be an author someday, right?"

"Yes, of course," replied Luz.

"Then I think you should look at writing fan fiction as a stepping stone to get there. Maybe today you're writing fan-fiction about Azura, but if you make it an interesting and compelling story, it could be practice for when it comes time for you to write your own original novel."

In her head, Luz tried to imagine herself writing an original story that could one day go on to be a best-selling series. Could it all really come from starting out as a fanfic writer? Luz decided to take Marcy's words to heart and began editing her story. The two continued to work on the story, and over time, it came together. Finally, it was time to post it online.

"Here we go," said Luz as she posted the story. Luz and Marcy stared at the screen in anticipation, waiting to see if there would be any reviews on it.

"And let's refresh the page just to make sure," she said.

"And refresh the page."

"And refresh the page."

"And refresh the page. Oh, look, a new review. Let's see what it says."

Luz opened the review. "Cool chapter, please continue," was all it said.

"Ugh, seriously, that's it?!" asked Marcy in frustration. "You seriously couldn't think of anything better to say than 'cool chapter'? How about why you liked the story? What could use improvement? Do you like the setup for this? Seriously, nothing else?! WHY DID YOU EVEN BOTHER TYPING A REVIEW IF THAT'S ALL YOU WERE GOING TO SAY?!"

"Whoa, calm down there, Marbles," said Luz. "Let's take it down a notch, although I do agree. I mean, why bother giving a review if it was only going to be that short?"

"Well, at least it's online now," said Marcy. "What do you think, Luz? Are you going to continue it?"

"Of course, but only if you'll agree to be my editor," said Luz. "I don't think the story would be half as good without your help."

"Really?" said Marcy. "In that case, yes, I'd love to help you out!"

"Great!" said Luz. "Hopefully, this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership."

Summer in Wartwood

The warm summer sun beat down on the citizens of Wartwood. Of particular note was a small family of frogs who were tending to the crops on their farm. Hopediah Planter was directing his grandson Sprig on how to remove the weeds that were infesting the farm, while his granddaughter Polly was doing her best to scare off pests.

"Don't you even think about coming back here, you stupid pests," said Polly, threatening them with her rolling pin.

"Well, if it works, I guess that's all that matters," said Hopediah. "Hurry up and finish with those weeds, Sprig. I need you to head into town and pick up our bread."

"Oh, well, that shouldn't be a problem," said Sprig, "especially since Maddie won't be there."

Once the chores on the farm were settled, Sprig went off into town to the bakery to pick up the order his grandfather had placed. He was surprised, however, when Maddie answered the door.

"Maddie?!" began Sprig nervously. "What are you doing here? I thought you were off on your apprenticeship?"

"I just got back," she said in a creepy tone. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Oh, of course. I mean, I missed you so much," lied Sprig.

"Well, since I'm back, I can tell you all about my apprenticeship," said Maddie.

"Actually, I just came by to pick up our bread order," said Sprig, trying to end the conversation quickly.

"Your buns are still in the oven, so we've got time," answered Maddie, giving Sprig a creepy smile. "We can talk."

"Oh, right, uh, talking with you," trailed off Sprig as he struggled to come up with something to talk with Maddie about. "So, can you do magic now?"

"Yes, I can," answered Maddie, "but I'm still a novice, so it will be some time before I'm ready to try some advanced curses or potions."

"And your teacher, what was she like? Are all the rumors about her true?" asked Sprig.

"She's a great teacher. She's a little eccentric, but I think that's what makes her better," answered Maddie. "As for any rumors, well, I'd certainly believe that she almost single-handedly defeated the king in combat. Whether that happened or not, she wouldn't say. I can say that the rumors about her transforming into some kind of terrifying creature are false, well, mostly. If she wanted to, she could curse herself into a different form.

"Wait, you can curse yourself?" asked Sprig, in confusion. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Curses aren't always bad," explained Maddie. "You can curse a disease so that it goes away, you can curse a mantis so that it won't ever eat frogs, and you could curse yourself and transform into a stronger creature. Plus, the best part of cursing yourself is that you can remove the curse anytime you want."

"Huh, I guess I never thought about it that way," pondered Sprig. "So, why does she live alone out in the wilds of Amphibia? Not many things can survive out there."

"Connecting with the Wilds is what allows her to utilize her magic to its fullest potential. Plus, that's where all the potion and curse ingredients grow. No better place to get them than straight from the source," said Maddie.

"Was it just you, or were there other apprentices?" asked Sprig.

"No, just me this time," answered Maddie. "I was lucky I got her all to myself. She said that she would be taking on three apprentices in the fall. I hear one of them is from a fancy-pants family in Newtopia. That should be a reminder of how good she is that a family from Newtopia wants to send one of their kids to learn from her."

"Hmm, so is my bread almost ready?" asked Sprig, trying to get out of talking with Maddie anymore.

Maddie checked the oven. "Yeah, looks like it's done." She took the bread out of the oven, wrapped it up, and handed it to Sprig.

"Cool, well, nice to see that you're back, but I've gotta get going," said Sprig, as he fled the store.

"You know, Sprig, now that I'm back, I'd love to hang out with you sometime," called Maddie as Sprig hopped out of town and back to his home.

Chapter Text

Luz waved goodbye to her mother as the car pulled away from the house where she had been dropped off. She grabbed her overnight bag and walked up the driveway to the house in front of it. The first thing she noticed was how big it was. Sasha had mentioned before how large her house was, and it certainly seemed as though she hadn't been exaggerating. Luz checked her phone and saw that Anne and Marcy had already arrived, so she would be the last one here for the sleepover. Luz still couldn't believe she had been invited to an actual sleepover! She had always wanted to go to one, but due to not having any real friends, she had never been invited. Now, as she looked at the house before her, she couldn't help but be amazed at the fact that the first sleepover she ever went to would likely be a very fun one! Sasha had promised that it would be awesome, and Luz quivered with anticipation at what the night held in store for her.

The first activity she was excited about was the pool—another amenity Sasha had mentioned her house having. Luz had arrived, already dressed in her swimsuit and wearing flip-flops. The sun was still high and bright in the sky, and the temperature was in the 90s, so Luz was looking forward to cooling off in the pool. She rang the doorbell and was greeted by Sasha's mother, who led Luz out to the back, where the rest of her friends were. Sasha was sunbathing by the pool while Marcy and Anne were swimming. All three girls waved to Luz as she arrived.

"Luz, glad you could make it," greeted Sasha, offering her some suntan lotion.

"Wow, your house is really nice," said Luz. "You weren't kidding when you said you had a big house."

"Oh, this thing," said Sasha sarcastically. "I mean, it's not much, but hey, we're all here now, so kick off your shoes and relax. We have a long night of partying ahead of us."

"Come on in, Luz. The water's fine," called Anne from the pool.

Luz dipped her toes in the water. It was indeed nice and refreshing. She looked at Anne and grinned mischievously before backing up a bit. Then she ran forward and jumped into the pool in a cannonball close to Anne and Marcy, creating a huge splash of water that got both of them. All three girls laughed as Luz surfaced, and they began splashing water at each other playfully. Sasha eventually joined them in the pool, and the four friends played for hours together.

Later, after they had finished in the pool, they dried themselves off and went inside. Luz was amazed at how much food was waiting for them in the kitchen.

"Okay, gals, we have five different kinds of pizza, none of which have pineapple on them," said Sasha, winking at Anne. "Tons of chips, and enough cream soda and Skittles to make your spit hurt."

"Oh, boy, I cannot imagine what this is gonna feel like in the morning," said Luz apprehensively.

"You don't need to worry about how it's gonna feel in the morning, because we are gonna be staying up all night!" declared Sasha.

"Wow, you really are serious about the whole 'staying up all night thing', aren't you?" said Luz.

"Of course, Luz," replied Sasha. With that, she stood up on a chair to face the other girls. "Listen, girls, in two weeks, we will finally be in 8th grade. Tonight is a celebration of all that it took to get to that point. Tonight, we come together as friends to party and play so that years from now, we can look back and say, 'That was a wonderful night!'"

The girls all clapped for Sasha as she took a bow after that speech.

"So let's get this party started!" cheered Sasha.

Over the course of the night, the girls engaged in many activities, from watching movies to pillow fights, to karaoke, and dancing. The night flew by as they partied late. They took a short break to sit in Sasha's room and gossip. As was common in these types of situations, the topic of boys eventually came up.

"Joe Metzger. What do you think, girls?" asked Sasha.

"Eh, he's cute," said Luz nonchalantly

"I heard he wrote one girl a poem, so he's got a romantic side to him," said Marcy.

"I mean, maybe not my first choice, but a solid number two," said Anne.

"Okay, my turn," said Luz. "How about Chris Rivera?"

"Oh, definitely, he's a hottie," agreed Sasha

"I get the sense that he'd be into tabletop RPGs," said Marcy

"Well, he's cute, but seeing as I helped Sky break up with him, I don't think he'd be glad to see me," said Anne.

"Hmmm," pondered Marcy. "Oh, I've got a good one. David Hicks!"

"Did you see his hair? How does he have an afro like that?" exclaimed Luz.

"Oh, he's got a cute face. I would give him a 7," said Sasha.

"I thought I had the puffiest hair in school. Can you imagine what our kids would look like?" said Anne.

"Okay, my turn," continued Anne. "How about Dean Sanchez?"

"Oh, forget him," said Sasha. "I heard a rumor that he secretly likes Jesse Bliss."

All the girls let out a groan at this statement.

"Seriously?! Jesse Bliss?!" exclaimed Anne. "She is literally the worst! She kept asking if I was ever going to bring sushi to school, even though I'm Thai. She's made fun of me for as long as I can remember."

"I once lent her five dollars," said Sasha. "Then when I asked for it back, she was all like, 'What five dollars are you talking about?' She started spreading rumors that I stole money from her like I would need to steal money."

"You know, she and her group of friends once ran by and both stuck gum in my hair as well as stole my Azura Book 3," said Marcy sadly.

"That is exactly why I am no longer friends with her," said Sasha. "I stopped inviting her to all my parties after that."

"Thanks again for that, Sasha," said Marcy. "I really appreciate that."

"I remember on my second day of school, she asked if I could help her with her Spanish homework," said Luz. "She said she'd pay me in tacos. Que puta!"

"Well, we might have different opinions on guys, but I think we can all at least agree we hate Jesse Bliss, right, girls?" asked Sasha.

"Agreed," they all said.

Luz yawned and looked at her phone. "Wow, it's just after midnight!"

"Does that mean you turn back into a pumpkin?" asked Anne playfully.

"No," said Luz. "How about you, Anne? Will you lose a shoe as you leave the ball?"

"I sure hope not," replied Anne. "Walking around in only one shoe sounds uncomfortable."

"Oh, is it really after midnight?" said Sasha, looking at her phone. "Hang on, I'm gonna go see if my mother is asleep." Sasha left her room and returned a few minutes later.

"Yeah, she's out, and it's after midnight, which means it's the perfect time for..." Sasha reached into one of her drawers and pulled out a notebook. "A SCARE DARE!"

"Ahhh!" screamed Anne and Marcy.

"Oh, is this that thing you were talking about?" asked Luz. "What's with that notebook?"

"This, my dear Luz, is… The Book of Losers! Allow me to explain," said Sasha confidently. "The way the Scare Dare works is that one of us comes up with a scary dare, and we all have to do it. But if you fail the scare dare, then your name gets added to… The Book of Losers. And once your name is in the book, it's there… FOREVER!"

"Forever!" said Anne.

"Forever!" repeated Marcy.

"Oh, this sounds interesting," said Luz with a devious grin. "I am soooo looking forward to this. What's the challenge?"

Sasha thought for a moment, then took out her phone and ordered a Lyft for the girls. "Put your shoes on," she said to her friends. "I have a great scare dare, but we have to travel a bit. I'll explain when we arrive."

"Uh, Sasha, are you sure we should be leaving the house alone after midnight?" asked Anne nervously.

"Nothing's gonna happen, trust me. Besides, that will make the dare even scarier, unless you want to chicken out now and add your name to the book of losers," taunted Sasha, holding the book out to Anne.

"No way," said Anne.

"I'm in," said Marcy.

"Well, it's my first Scare Dare, and I don't mean to fail," said Luz confidently.

With that, the girls got ready. In a few moments, a car arrived outside the house, and they all piled in, eager to head to their destination.

Sasha had brought a flashlight and led the girls down a small path into a forest. At the end of the path was a run-down old house. The area looked familiar to Luz.

"Hey, I think we're near my house," observed Luz.

"Oh, if that's the case, then surely, Luz, you've heard the stories about this old abandoned house, right?" asked Sasha.

"Actually, I think this might be the first time I've seen it," answered Luz.

"Well, I heard that kids go missing around this house all the time," said Sasha in a scary voice to the girls. "What's more, they're never found again. Their bodies never turn up. It's as if they just vanished off the face of the earth. And that brings me to tonight's Scare Dare. Each one of us will go into that house alone, with no phone, no flashlight, no nothing. All you have to do is stay inside for fifteen minutes, and you win. If you leave before the time is up, you lose and have to add your name to… The Book of Losers!"

The girls looked at the house. It certainly looked creepy, as it was old and dilapidated. There didn't seem to be any lights or water inside, and the place gave off a very scary vibe.

"I'll go first," said Marcy. "Honestly, I don't think I'm gonna last, but if I go first, then that might make me feel braver."

"Okay," said Sasha, "we'll keep time for you outside." With that, Sasha brought up the timer on her phone and set it to fifteen minutes. The girls waved to Marcy as she entered the house and shut the door.

Less than five minutes had passed on the timer, though, before Marcy came out shaking

"Okay, I'm done. Too many weird noises and creaky floorboards. Don't think I was alone in there," she said. Marcy reached for the book and added her name.

"I'll go," said Anne. "I think I got this." With that, she entered the house and closed the door. Sasha reset the timer.

Anne lasted longer than Marcy, but at roughly the 8-minute mark, she too exited the house, shaking and clearly terrified.

"You know, you think if you close your eyes and don't focus on the fact that you're in a scary house, you would last longer. But no, that strategy did not work at all," said Anne. She, too, wrote her name down in the book without complaint.

"Okay, my turn," said Luz confidently. "I know I can do this!" Luz walked up to the house and closed the door.

It was very dark, so Luz couldn't make out much of the interior of the house. There wasn't any furniture in it except for an old rocking chair. Luz decided to take a seat in the chair and hoped that the rocking of it would drown out any other potential noises. Despite being alone in a creepy house, Luz was actually quite calm. She had a fascination with dark and scary things, and this house, even though it looked creepy and haunted, was actually quite peaceful. Luz steadied her breathing and did her best not to freak out. Occasionally, she thought she heard an owl hooting off in the distance or another ambient noise. While these noises did surprise her, they did not freak her out. Luz was able to focus and concentrate in order to stay in the dark. Luz had to admit that the inside of this place was scary, but it was also strangely familiar, almost as though she had been there. Luz racked her brain, trying to remember if she'd ever been in this house before, but couldn't recall any such instance. Before long, the front door opened and Anne peered in.

"Luz, are you in here?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm here," said Luz, waving her hand but not sure if Anne could see her.

"You did it!" exclaimed Anne. "You beat the clock!"

"Really?!" said Luz excitedly. She stepped forward to where Anne was. She walked out the front door, where Marcy was cheering.

"Way to go, Luz!" she said.

Sasha was standing stoically next to her, looking quite surprised. "Hmmm, you actually succeeded. I honestly didn't think you would."

"I guess that means it's your turn, Sash," said Anne.

"Well, here I go," said Sasha as she entered the house, closing the door behind her.

This time, Marcy kept time on her phone. She fully expected that Sasha would win the challenge and was surprised when, less than three minutes into the time, Sasha practically bolted out of the house, an expression of terror on her face.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE VOICE?!" she asked Luz as she ran up to her and grabbed her desperately.

"Whoa, what?" said Luz, surprised.

"THE VOICE!" continued Sasha in panic.

"Sasha, what voice are you talking about?" asked Anne, concerned.

"Marcy, Anne, I know you didn't stay in the whole time, but surely you heard it too, right?" asked Sasha.

Marcy and Anne looked at each other before looking at Sasha and shaking their heads.

"I swear I'm not making it up," she said. "I heard it speaking to me, almost as if it were talking directly in my head."

"What did it say?" asked Anne.

"It said—" began Sasha, before looking at all her friends and deciding not to say. "You know what? Forget what it said. Let's get out of here!"

With that, Sasha pulled out her phone and ordered another Lyft to get them all back to her house. As they walked back to the main road, Sasha was still trembling at what the voice had told her. She didn't want to repeat what it had said to her friends, for good reason. That voice… How had the others not heard it? As Sasha thought more, it almost felt as though the voice was talking directly to her in her own head. It had an echoey, almost metallic sound to it. Even on the car trip back home, Sasha could still feel the impact of its words, which left her shaken and scared.

"I can see in your heart," the voice had said, "you desire power and control. I see you have managed to manipulate your friends into serving you. You like controlling people, and why shouldn't you? I can teach you how to be better at it. All you have to do is come through the portal…"

After checking to make sure that Sasha's mother was still asleep, the girls reconvened in the living room.

"I can't believe I actually have to write my name in the book of losers," said Sasha bitterly as she finished writing her name, her perfect record now broken. "Here, Marcy, you hold on to the book now," said Sasha, handing it to Marcy. "I'm not worthy."

"And so the Queen of Scare Dare is dethroned," said Anne. "I can't believe you won your first Scare Dare, Luz! Congrats!" offering Luz a high five.

At these words, Sasha became uncomfortable and decided to head to her room for a bit. Before she did, she pulled Luz aside for a private conversation.

"Luz, since it's just us one more time, I'm going to ask you. Are you sure you didn't hear any voices when you were in the house?" asked Sasha.

"Sasha, I swear on my mother, I didn't hear any voices. I heard a lot of sounds, but no voices. Are you okay?" asked Luz, concerned. "I wish you'd tell us what the voices said."

"I can't," admitted Sasha. "It was personal. That's why… that's why I got so scared. The voice said things about me that no one else knows."

"Not even us?" asked Luz.

"No, not even you, Marcy, or Anne. I need to be alone for a bit. You guys go on and keep partying. I'll be back in a sec." Sasha turned to leave before Luz called to her.

"Hey, Sash, wait a sec," called Luz. As Sasha turned around, Luz stepped forward and enveloped Sasha in a tight hug.

"Listen, it's okay to be scared, you know. It doesn't make you weak or any less of a person. I just want you to know that," said Luz.

"Oh, thanks, Luz," said Sasha, who actually felt a bit emotional at this display.

"That's what friends are for," continued Luz. "If you ever want to talk about anything serious, I'm here for you. I promise I won't judge you."

"Thanks for that as well. And hey, good job winning your first Scare Dare, but don't get cocky! I'll make sure I win the next one." With that, Sasha made her way to her room. But before she left completely, she looked back one more time at Luz, Anne, and Marcy, who were still celebrating Luz's win in the Scare Dare. As Sasha watched this scene unfold, she couldn't help but have the feeling that something bad had happened. Losing the Scare Dare was weighing on her mind a lot. As Sasha saw this, she began talking to herself in her head.

They like Luz more than you, said a voice in her head.

What?! No, that's crazy, replied Sasha to herself.

Luz was able to win the Scare Dare! She humiliated you, said the voice again.

So Luz won the Scare Dare. I mean, I'm still captain of the cheerleaders. I'm still high up on the social ladder. I still host the best sleepovers. How could Anne and Marcy possibly like Luz more than me? said Sasha.

Do you remember what was said to you in that shack? asked the voice. I think the others may be drawn to Luz because she shows them genuine friendship. If you don't do something about this, then Luz may be able to expose you for what you are, said the voice.

I… I… do care about Marcy and Anne, and Luz too, said Sasha.

Do you? asked the voice. Or do you merely see them as a means to an end?

Sasha didn't respond to that. Instead, she finally went to her room and sat on her bed, deep in thought about the events of the night. She didn't stay awake much longer, though, and eventually fell asleep.

As Luz rejoined Marcy and Anne, they both came up to her to envelop her in a group hug, which Luz returned.

"Hey, is Sasha okay?" asked Anne.

"She said she'd be alright," said Luz. "I think she needs to be alone for a while. I wonder what this voice she heard said to her?"

"It's probably not important," said Marcy. "For all we know, she was making it up."

"Eh, that doesn't sound like something Sasha would do," countered Anne. "In all the time I've known her, she's never been one to make things up like that."

"Well, if she won't tell us, then I guess we'll never know," said Marcy.

"In any case, let's keep this party train going!" exclaimed Anne. "Oooo, how about some karaoke? I know a song that would be perfect for the three of us!" With that, Anne began searching the karaoke book for the song listing. She finally found it!

"So, check this, it's an oldie but one I remember my mom playing a lot while she cooked in the kitchen," said Anne. "Come on, girls, get in close. We need to share the mic." As the song started, Anne was the first to begin singing.

"Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want

So tell me what you want, what you really really want"

Marcy picked up the cue and sang the next verse

"I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want

So tell me what you want, what you really really want"

Luz joined in with the other two to sing the next verse

"I wanna, I wanna, I wanna

I wanna, I wanna really really

Really really wanna zigazig ha!"

After that, the girls took turns with the other verses as they continued singing. Though they came together to sing the refrain.

If you want my future, forget my past

If you want to get with me, better make it fast!

Now don't go wasting my precious time

Get your act together we could be just fine!

The girls kept singing together as the song continued, getting more and more excited as it went on. All of them got into the song and enjoyed singing it. As the song ended, the three girls cheered, hollered, and hugged each other. Even though it was late at night, they still had energy and wanted to keep the party going.

"Let's keep this party train going!" exclaimed Anne.

"Yeah, what's next?" asked Luz.

"Well, we've gotta tear up the dance floor," said Marcy. "Ooo! And if we're doing oldie songs, I know the perfect one to play!" With that, Marcy took out her phone and searched for a song. When she found it, she connected her phone to a speaker in the living room.

"This is another great one from the nineties," said Marcy. "I hear they used to play it at high school dances all the time!"

The song started with a nice drum beat before moving into full swing with horns blaring! The girls began dancing as they heard the fast beat of the song.

"Who's that whispering in the trees?

It's two sailors and they're on leave

Pipes and Chains and swinging hands

Who's your daddy? Yes I am"

As the song played on, the girls kept dancing individually, though at one point, Marcy and Anne began dancing together, twirling and spinning around to the fast beat of the song. Luz continued to dance alone but was surprised when Anne stopped dancing with Marcy and reached out a hand to her.

"Dance with me, Luz?" asked Anne.

"Oh… I don't really know how to dance to this song," said Luz nervously.

"It's okay; it's not like anyone's watching. You're among friends, so no one's gonna judge you," said Anne.

Luz stared into Anne's eyes for a second before accepting the offered hand. Anne immediately pulled Luz into a spin, and they started to dance. As they twisted and turned around the living room, Luz felt a sudden rush of emotion. She couldn't quite describe it, but while dancing with Anne, her stomach felt light. At one point, their faces came close, and Luz could feel her cheeks getting warm. Part of her wanted to stop dancing with Anne, but another part of her wanted to keep dancing with her forever. Eventually, the song ended.

"That was fun!" said Marcy

"Yeah, I'm a little tired after that thought," said Anne. "Hey, Luz, you okay? Your face is all flushed."

Luz brought her hands up to her face almost instinctively, as if trying to hide her cheeks. "Oh, yeah, that was quite a workout," she said nervously, "but it was fun!"

"Well, let's have another then," exclaimed Marcy.

Marcy played a few more songs on her phone, all of them fast-paced. The girls would either dance by themselves or with each other. Sometimes, the three of them would come together and dance in a group. At one point, Luz got the opportunity to dance with Marcy, and while she had fun, she didn't have the same feeling with her as she had with Anne. Later, she got to dance with Anne again, and that same feeling of nervousness and butterflies in her stomach came back. Luz was glad the song was fast-paced as her face once again became flushed after dancing with Anne, but she was able to attribute it to the dancing itself.

Afterward, the girls were tired and decided to watch a movie instead. They all piled onto the couch as the movie started. Anne sat in the middle between Luz and Marcy. As the movie went on, Luz tried to put her arm around Anne nonchalantly. Though before she could, Anne ended up putting her arms around both Marcy and Luz. When the movie was almost over, Luz noticed that Marcy had fallen asleep and was leaning on the other side of the couch. Luz decided to lean her head on Anne's shoulder and yawn. Anne noticed but didn't make any move to push Luz away. In fact, she ended up leaning her head against Luz's

"Oh, this is the best part," said Anne, suddenly sitting up and looking intently at the TV.

"The shy girl just got asked to dance by the guy she secretly has a crush on," said Luz, also looking intently at the screen.

"Yeah, now they're dancing together, looking into each other's eyes," said Anne. As she said this, she pulled Luz closer to her. Luz didn't mind.

After a few minutes of dancing together, the guy pulled the girl in for a kiss. Anne let out a gasp as that happened.

"Awww, that's so romantic!" she said. "I wish that would happen to me."

"Oh, really?" said Luz inquisitively.

"I mean, can you think of anything more romantic?" said Anne whimsically. "Getting asked to dance by your crush, and then the two of you kissing while you danced?"

"No, I guess I can't," said Luz, giving Anne a smile.

By the time the movie ended, it was around 5:00 am, and Luz was a bit out of it and honestly wanted to sleep. As she peeked out a window, she saw the faintest hint of dawn on the horizon as the sky was turning a slight shade of pink.

"Hey, Anne, it's 5:00 am. How much longer do we need to stay up?" asked Luz.

"We're almost there!" said Anne, trying to sound excited but clearly tired. "We just need to stay up a bit longer, and then we'll have stayed up all night," declared Anne as she tried to slap herself awake.

Luz yawned before saying, "Anne, at this point, we've basically stayed up the whole night. What else would you want to do?"

"I just need a swig of my Blam Berry Blitz and I'll be good as new," said Anne as she tried to get up off the couch, only to trip due to fatigue and fall right back onto the couch into Luz.

"Oh, sorry, Luz. Thanks for catching me," said Anne. "Man, am I tired. Maybe it is time for bed. Can I use you as a pillow?" With that, Anne closed her eyes and leaned onto Luz's shoulder, wrapping her arm around Luz. Luz again felt that feeling she had felt earlier in the night when Anne had danced with her. She felt her cheeks flush as she felt Anne lean up against her, but the feeling passed and was replaced by one of warmth and contentment. Following this, she felt butterflies in her stomach. This night had been fun, but this feeling was a surprise for Luz. While she wasn't entirely sure how to process it, something about it just felt right. This was the first time she had ever felt this way… about a girl.

"Anne, are you awake?" asked Luz, only to be greeted with a snore from Anne. Luz stared into Anne's face as she slept. As she stared into Anne's face, Luz couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she was.

"You're cute, even when you're asleep," said Luz quietly.

Why am I feeling this way? thought Luz. Ever since she asked me to dance, something has changed. I've been around Anne before, but now something feels different. I've never had these kinds of feelings for a girl. What does this mean? A part of Luz's brain was telling her to push Anne off of her and get away, but another part was saying that she should enjoy this and let Anne sleep against her and see how this felt.

I don't know; would that be taking advantage of Anne? thought Luz. Hey, she asked if she could use you as a pillow. All you'd be doing is obliging her. Luz was feeling both scared and happy at the same time. Scared of these feelings she was having about Anne and yet, at the same time, happy that Anne was snuggling up against her. In the end, her feelings of happiness won out.

Luz shifted her position on the couch so she was lying completely on it with her head up on one side on a pillow, she pulled Anne up so that she was lying on top of Luz with her head in Luz's lap. Luz wrapped her arms around Anne and smiled. Luz made sure that they were alone one more time before leaning down and giving Anne a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Anne," said Luz softly before drifting off to sleep herself.

Chapter Text

Luz Noceda sat on her bed in her room, thinking. She had been doing a lot of that over the past few weeks. She had also spent a lot of time on the internet, searching various terms and even chatting (anonymously) with various people online. Luz had been asking a lot of questions about herself ever since that incident at the sleepover two weeks ago. She still couldn't quite explain it, but somehow she found herself attracted to Anne.

What was most puzzling about this was the fact that she had never before felt an attraction to a female. Luz had watched a great deal of anime and had always found herself attracted to the guys in it, especially that one anime about alchemy. She had played many games and was again drawn to the male heroes, especially that one where a great evil known as Sin was going to destroy the whole world. Heck, she had even written fanfiction in which her self insert OC character had made out with the Prince from Azura (in very long and descriptive detail). Why, all of a sudden, did she now find herself attracted to Anne?

These feelings had been weird, but what was even weirder was that school was starting tomorrow. It would be the first time Luz would see Anne since the sleepover. Luz wondered how she would react. Would Anne say something to her? Should she say something to Anne? Many questions replayed in her head over and over. Luz turned her attention to her computer, where she had read a few stories online about various people who had "come out" to their friends and family. Some stories were sad, with their parents getting angry or even disowning them. Some were happy, with their parents and friends saying they already knew or didn't care (in a good way). One particularly funny story had a parent reply to their son coming out as gay by responding, "Oh, come on, I don't care about that. I thought you were going to tell me you were a Republican!" Luz had chuckled at that one.

In her head, Luz tried to think of what she would tell her mother. Luz was pretty certain she wasn't gay. Her research on the internet led her to believe that she was, in fact, bisexual. What would her mother think? Her mother was a pretty progressive person in her attitudes and politics, but she had also been raised Catholic, and the Catholic Church was, at best, trying to have it both ways, saying gays were "god's children", but still refusing to honor or perform gay marriages. It seemed as though Luz's life had gotten a lot more complicated since that night at the sleepover.

One thing at a time, thought Luz. First, I need to know for sure if what happened at the sleepover was a fluke or a one-time thing. Maybe when I see Anne tomorrow, I won't feel anything. Maybe then this whole thing will be over, and I won't have to worry about it anymore. With that, Luz crawled into bed and did her best to purge the wild thoughts from her mind to try to go to sleep.

Luz and her mother arrived a bit early at her school. Before Camila dropped her daughter off, she handed her something.

"Oh, Mija, I meant to give this to you earlier. I saw it on sale during back-to-school shopping and thought you'd like it," she said. Luz took the objects. It was a sketch pad and a set of nice colored pencils.

"Wow, these are really good quality," said Luz in amazement as she examined the sketchbook and pencils.

"I feel you've come a long way since getting expelled last year. I've seen how happy you are now that you have a group of friends to hang out with. You really have grown, Mija. I think you deserve something like this to help cultivate your artistic talents." said Camila.

"Gracias, mama," said Luz.

"Have a great first day!" called her mother as she drove away. Luz opened her sketchbook and immediately began experimenting with the pencils to see how they felt. She was so busy trying them out that she didn't notice Anne approaching her.

"Hey, Luz, there you are. Are you ready for eighth grade?" asked Anne as she offered Luz a high five.

"Oh, yeah," said Luz nervously. "Now we're finally at the top of the school!" Luz returned the high five, only to be surprised as Anne grabbed her hand and spun her around like they were dancing. Luz almost fell over and tried to play it off, but she could feel her cheeks blushing, though Anne seemed not to have noticed.

"You okay there, Luz?" asked Anne.

"Oh, yeah, I'm great," said Luz. "How have you been since…" Luz trailed off, realizing what she had said.

"The sleepover," Anne finished. "Oh, I've been great. Thanks again for being my pillow. Hope it wasn't uncomfortable having me on top of you."

"Oh, no, not at all," replied Luz, rather quickly and nervously. "I'm glad I was able to help."

"Well, here we are in 8th grade. Do you feel any different, Luz?" asked Anne.

"Oh, you could say that," said Luz nervously.

"Oh, look, there's Marcy and Sasha." Anne had noticed the other girls and waved them over.

Sasha was full of energy as she approached the girls. "Hey, girls, good to see you all here. Now, I know it's the first day of school, but there are two major events coming up that we have got to start planning for. The first is the fall dance."

"There's a dance coming up?" asked Luz rather loudly.

"Yes," replied Sasha, "it's in two weeks, and shortly after that is…"

"My birthday!" exclaimed Anne.

"Yes, and it will be an excellent birthday, for sure," said Sasha. "But first things first, the dance. Now I want all of you to send me pics of your clothes so I can help coordinate what you'll be wearing for the dance. I'll also need to know what nail polish and lipstick colors you have. Don't any of you worry. I will make sure and help you look fine for this evening."

"I, uh… actually don't have any make-up," said Luz, somewhat embarrassingly. The girls all looked at her. For a brief second, Luz felt small and insignificant.

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Sasha warmly. "I can lend you some. I have a lot."

"It's okay, Luz," said Marcy. "I don't have a wide selection of polish either. I tend to stick with a few basic colors. Oh, I have this really cool green, though. It's called Emerald." Marcy showed off her fingers, revealing the emerald green polish on her nails.

"Eh, you don't really need it," said Anne. "I don't really wear it either. I think we look good without it, don't you, Luz?"

Luz's stomach once again felt light and fluttery at hearing Anne say she didn't need makeup.

"In any case, we still have two weeks to figure this out. But I also thought that to mark this occasion, for the first day of 8th grade, we should get a picture of the four of us. We are, after all, Best Friends Forever! Hey, Margo, get over here," Sasha called to a red-headed girl standing a few feet away.

"Yeah, what do you want, Sasha?" asked the girl as she approached.

"I want you to take a picture of the four of us," said Sasha, handing Maggie her phone. "Get close, girls!"

Sasha, Anne, Marcy, and Luz all came together for the photo. They all smiled for the camera, all of them happy and ready to capture this moment in a picture. Maggie took a few on the phone before handing it back to Sasha.

"I'll send you all a copy, don't worry, but I think I'll also print one out for each of us. That way, you have something to keep in your locker or keep with you as a memento, and so that you remember that we are… best friends FOREVER!." declared Sasha.

For most of the day, Luz didn't see Anne. At lunch, she was surprised to see her sitting alone. Anne explained that Sasha was using her lunch break to practice for cheer tryouts, and Marcy had said she was busy looking up something online.

"Sasha's real devoted to her cheerleading," explained Anne. "She was training hard over the summer. She really wants to be captain."

"You think she will?" asked Luz.

"The tryouts are today after school, so we'll see. That's why she wants to use any spare moment she has to train," said Anne.

"So, Anne, do you want anything for your birthday?" asked Luz.

"Eh, I haven't thought about that too much," replied Anne. "My parents said they want to throw me a party. Actually, Marcy said she was trying to find me a gift online, but honestly, it's cool. You guys don't have to get me anything."

"But what if I want to?" asked Luz.

"Nah, don't worry about that, dude," said Anne. "Tell you what, the four of us will hang out and do something later. That can be your birthday present to me."

"Yeah, that would be great!" said Luz. "But well, I still want to get you something."

"Aw, that's sweet of you, Luz," said Anne, causing Luz to blush, "but it's cool. Besides, we're still kids. It's not like we have that much money."

Luz thought for a moment before saying, "What if I could get you something that didn't cost any money?"

"Huh?" asked Anne, surprised.

Luz pulled out her new sketchbook to show Anne. "My mom gave this to me today. And hey, I need a subject to practice on. What if I drew a portrait of you?"

"What, really?" asked Anne, surprised at this offer. "I mean, are you sure you want me to be the subject of your art?" Anne hesitated and looked away from Luz, a seed of self-doubt forming in her, before continuing, "Plus, I bet you could find a better-looking model than me."

"No, I couldn't!" said Luz rather quickly. Luz realized just how fast she had said it and tried to play it off. "I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine, but I think you'd make a great subject for me to try to draw. Can I get a good picture of your face?"

"Well, I guess if you really want to," said Anne. She smiled and posed for the picture as Luz brought out her camera, being careful to take the best possible picture she could as she would need it as a reference for the portrait.

"Don't make me look ugly," joked Anne.

"That would be impossible," whispered Luz under her breath.

"Huh? What did you say?" asked Anne.

"Nothing!" replied Luz quickly, trying to talk to Anne about something else. "So, uh, Anne, have you ever felt… I don't know."

"Felt what now?" asked Anne.

"I, uh… Sorry, I lost my train of thought there," said Luz. "What I meant to say was… Have you ever…" Luz again stopped, unable to finish her question.

"Are you okay, Luz?" asked Anne, concerned for her friend.

"I just… I was having some thoughts about myself. I've been feeling… weird feelings, and…" Luz trailed off again, not able to say what she wanted to say.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Anne, concern on her face. "You know, you once told me that friends should be able to talk about difficult things with each other. Well, if there's something going on with you, feel free to let me know." Anne put her hand on Luz's, trying to comfort her, though this only served to make Luz even more nervous as she felt the warmth from Anne's hand and the tenderness of her touch.

Luz was glad that at that moment Marcy returned to the table, telling the girls about something she had found online.

"So check this out, guys," began Marcy as she read something on her phone. "Do you read creepy pastas?"

"Yeah," said Luz and Anne together.

"I found this one about a cursed treasure box," said Marcy. "They say it's a box that has treasure and jewels in it, but every person who's ever owned it has mysteriously vanished. According to the story, people would take possession of this box, and then a few days later, they would vanish without a trace. This box has shown up at various garage and estate sales, as well as auctions and raffles. I'll send you the full story. But the craziest part is that, according to the story, the last person who owned it lived here in Los Angeles. It could be somewhere here in this city, waiting for the next person to find it. The story says it's cursed, but it also says that there may be a way to end the curse and then claim the treasure. With that treasure, you could be rich beyond your wildest dreams!"

"Sounds like a Twilight Zone episode," said Luz. "The box has treasure in it, which is what causes people to seek it out, but then they get ahold of it and suddenly they disappear. I think that creepy-pasta is trying to warn you against being greedy."

"I think you've been reading too many creepy pastas, Marcy," said Anne. "You know that they're all fake, right?"

"I know some of them are fake, but how do we know that some of them aren't real?" asked Marcy.

"I mean, even if that one were real, it sounds like getting that box would be a bad idea," said Luz.

"Unless we could break the curse," suggested Marcy, "then we could have the treasure."

"Ha! That would be nice," said Anne. "Now that would be a great birthday present."

At this statement, Marcy's eyes lit up.

"But it will never happen," finished Anne. "Though, Mar-Mar, if you're into creepy pastas, I know a real good one about a video monster that traps you in its video if you watch it. Want me to send it to you?"

"Oh, sure, that'd be great!" said Marcy, somewhat distracted.

At the end of the day, Marcy, Anne, and Luz waited by the gym for Sasha, who had her cheer captain tryout, and they wanted to hear how she did. It didn't take long for Sasha to emerge in her cheerleader uniform.

"So how'd it go, Sasha?" asked Anne.

"Ahem, that's Captain Sasha to you now!" said Sasha slyly.

All the girls cheered at this news and gave Sasha a series of high-fives to congratulate her!

"Way to go, Sasha!" said Anne

"Knew you could do it!" said Luz

"You're gonna be the best cheer captain ever!" said Marcy.

"Oh, I already know that!" said Sasha. "But hey, that's just the beginning for me. Can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds. Oh, hey, girls, before I forget, here, I got a friend from the computer lab to print us out copies of that picture I took this morning. Here you go."

Sasha handed a copy of the picture to the other girls. Luz took her copy and smiled at it. She was standing next to Anne with her arm around her. Anne had closed her eyes for the picture but was still smiling and giving a peace sign. Sasha was on the other side of Anne, and Marcy was next to Sasha. Luz wasn't sure what she'd do with this picture—maybe keep it in her locker or maybe keep it with her.

"Oh, this is definitely a keeper," said Anne. With that, she took a purple marker out of her bag and wrote on her picture, BFFS, and drew a heart next to it for good measure. She handed the marker to Marcy, who did the same with her photo before handing it to Sasha. Sasha then handed it to Luz when she was done. When the girls were done, they brought their matching pictures together and looked at them.

"May this moment be the beginning of a great and wonderful year for the four of us," said Sasha.

"Here, here!" said the other girls in unison.

"So, don't forget, girls, send me pictures of what clothes you want to wear to the dance and the type of makeup you have. And Luz, I'll bring some of my makeup for you. A little bit of eye shadow, the right color of lipstick, and good nail polish, and then you won't look so plain for the dance; maybe I can even help you spice up your everyday look."

That statement hit Luz like a ton of bricks. She tried her best not to show it, but on the inside, she was hurting. She tried to laugh it off, though, and not show any pain.

"Yeah, ha, right," she said. "Thanks, Sasha. I appreciate you looking out for me."

When Luz got home, she tried not to go and look at herself directly in the mirror. But unfortunately, she found herself unable to resist. She opened her bathroom door and took a long look at herself, especially her face in the mirror.

Am I plain? She thought. What does that even mean? Does Anne think I'm plain? I've never worn makeup before. If I wore it, would Anne find me more attractive?

Luz continued to stare at herself in the mirror. As she had started growing up, Luz had done her best to try not to succumb to body shaming. She had purposefully avoided reading any sort of beauty magazine and had always tried to be happy with the body she had. Now, however, after Sasha's comment, she found herself wondering if there was something wrong with her. Something she should change. These thoughts didn't last long, though, as new thoughts entered her mind, allowing her to regain her confidence. She told herself that she had her own style and her own way of doing things. She had a look that worked for her and one that she was proud of. She reminded herself that Anne had actually said she looked fine without makeup. That feeling she had gotten around Anne wasn't a fluke; it wasn't a one-time thing. She now knew for certain that she had a crush on her friend! All she had to do was come up with a plan for how to confess her feelings to Anne! And the upcoming dance would be the perfect setting for doing that, just like in all those teen movies!

Finally, though, Luz regained her composure and said to her reflection: "Yo soy una chica fuerte, no importa lo que algien dice de ti!"

Chapter Text

Luz paced around her room, looking at the set of clothes that Sasha had picked out for her for the dance that evening. It was still several hours until it started, but Luz was not sure she wanted to wear what Sasha had selected for her. As it turned out, Luz did not have anything "acceptable" to wear (according to Sasha), so, in addition to giving her some makeup, she also lent her a crop top shirt. She told Luz to wear it with her jean shorts and a pair of nice boots. Luz had tried this combination on in her room and was embarrassed to see how much skin it exposed. She decided to give Sasha a call and ask if she had any other recommendations. Luz dialed Sasha's number on her phone.

"Hello," answered Sasha.

"Hey, Sasha, it's Luz," said Luz.

"Oh hey, Luz. What's up? Can you make it quick? I've already started doing my hair," said Sasha.

"What, you're already getting ready? Uh, okay, so listen, I tried on that shirt you gave me. Um, I'm not sure I'm liking it," said Luz.

"What's wrong with it?" asked Sasha.

"It's a little, um, revealing, especially when I wear it with the shorts," answered Luz.

"Well, yeah, I mean, that's the point," replied Sasha.

"What?!" said Luz in surprise.

"Hey, if you want to attract a boy to you, you need to show a little skin. And the makeup will fix the problem of your plain face. I guarantee that you will look great and you'll be able to have any boy you want," said Sasha.

"I… Okay, but it still feels like I'm showing off a lot, and I just don't feel comfortable wearing something like that," said Luz.

"Luz, I'm trying to do you a favor here. I lent you my shirt and my makeup. You want to keep your status at school, don't you? Then wear what I picked out for you. End of discussion," said Sasha forcefully.

"But I—"

"End of discussion," repeated Sasha, before hanging up the phone.

Luz sighed in frustration at this. It's not like she didn't have other clothes she could wear to this dance, but what was weird was why she felt compelled to listen to Sasha's advice.

No, I have to be my own person, she thought. I don't want to wear what she picked out, but what can I wear instead?

Luz began shuffling through her closet, trying to pick something else. While Sasha's clothing suggestion had been to attract boys, Luz didn't want to attract any boys, at least not tonight. She wanted to attract Anne. Luz had been going over the plan in her mind about how to confess her feelings to Anne, and it was very simple. All she had to do was ask Anne to dance, but it had to be the perfect song, and the mood had to be just right. Then, while they were dancing, she would compliment Anne on her eyes or hair and tell her how nice of a person she was. Oh, she would say how much she looked like Asami Sato! Yes, that would be wonderful! Then she would ask Anne out on a date, and Anne would say yes! And then it would all be perfect!

Still, even with that plan in mind, it wouldn't work if she couldn't find something to wear. And after looking at what Sasha had given her, it wouldn't be a good idea to wear that either, since she wanted to look nice but not trashy. As Luz kept looking at various clothes, she stumbled onto something she didn't realize she still had.

Oh, what's this? she thought. I think I wore this for Halloween once. I didn't know I still had it. Hmmm, I wonder…

Luz looked at the costume she had found. Part of her knew that wearing this to a school dance was not only liable to get her kicked out, but was almost guaranteed to make Sasha angry. Another part of her said that Luz was still a spirited individual. She had done her best not to succumb to normal standards of beauty or societal expectations of what one should look like or how one should act.

Luz, said a voice in her head, are you sure about this? If you wear this, you may very well alienate yourself from your friends.

Yes, said a different voice in her head. But if they don't want to be my friends because of this, then maybe I'm better off without them. Also, I don't want to put on a show for Anne. I want her to like me for who I really am. This costume is who I am! I'm the type of person who sees something like this and says, "Yes, I'd like to wear this to a dance." If Anne would reject me over this, then maybe it's best if I knew that at the start.

Very well, said the first voice. I hope you know what you're doing…

As the time for the dance got closer, Luz got herself ready. She changed into the costume. She decided that she would also not wear any makeup tonight. Not only was she still not very skilled at putting it on, but she remembered how Anne had said she didn't need any. Tonight was about being herself and seeing if Anne liked her, even with all her weird tendencies. Luz got ready to go downstairs, where her mom was waiting to take her to the dance.

"Um, Mija," said her mother as she saw Luz emerge from her room. "You know, I love your creativity and all, but are you sure that's what you want to wear to a school dance?"

"Yes, I'm sure, mami," said Luz. "I know what you're thinking, but please trust me on this."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Luz," replied her mom. "I just don't want you to get made fun of. I know teens, especially teen girls, can be horrible to each other. But I also want you to make your own decisions. Are you sure about this?"

Luz took a deep breath before responding, "Yes, I'm sure!"

Lights danced across the ceiling, and music blared out of the speakers. The party was just getting started at the St. James Gym, and the mood was right. Anne had arrived early, scoping out the place and getting a feel for the music. She was wearing a nice deep blue blouse, a black skirt, and black boots. Her hair had been styled back, so it was out of her face. Anne wore a silver bracelet her mother had lent her for the night. She had also donned some blue nail polish, blue eye shadow, and red lipstick. She waved hello to a few people but was looking for her friends. Eventually, she found Sasha, who had gone all out for the evening. Her hair had been straightened, so it flowed evenly down around her face. She was wearing a nice red T-shirt with a jean jacket over it and also had short black jean shorts and black dress sandals. She wore red nail polish on her fingers and toes, as well as red eye shadow and lipstick.

"Looking sharp, Sasha," said Anne as she greeted her friend. "What do you think of me?"

"Very nice, Anne. I see you followed my instructions, though what's that on your arm?" asked Sasha.

"Oh, this," replied Anne. "My mom gave it to me as I was going out the door. She said I could wear it for tonight. It's a bracelet that she's had forever."

"Oh, it's so shiny," Sasha observed. "Is it real silver?"

"I don't know, most likely. My mom said that every woman should own at least one piece of real jewelry, though I wouldn't know just by looking at it," replied Anne.

"Hmmm, you should ask your mom what other pieces of real jewelry she has," suggested Sasha. "I bet you would look amazing with a sapphire piece."

"Hey, girls. You ready to party?" asked Marcy as she walked over to Sasha and Anne.

Marcy had gone with a green ensemble, wearing a green shirt with black jeans and green sneakers. She had not worn any makeup, but still had her green nail polish. As she walked over to the girls, she tripped.

"Aww, whoopsie," she said as Anne caught her before she fell.

"Marcy, you look a little casual there," said Sasha. "Don't tell me your parents said no again."

"Well, it was either that or not being allowed to come, so I guess that technically is a yes?" asked Marcy.

"Uggh, sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you," said Sasha, annoyed.

"Oh, well, if you don't like how I'm dressed, you probably also won't like how I can't even stay until the end," said Marcy.

"What, are you serious?!" said Anne incredulously.

"Yeah, I have a piano recital tomorrow. And even though it's not until 10 a.m., my parents don't want me out all night," replied Marcy sheepishly.

"Oh yes, because 10 p.m. is 'out all night,' said Sasha sarcastically. "Well, in any case, have either of you seen Luz?"

Anne and Marcy shook their heads.

"Well, wait until you see what I gave her. Poor girl didn't even have a nice top to wear, so I lent her one of mine," said Sasha. "Hope she gets here soon."

"Huh, what's that?" said a random kid over by the entrance.

"OMG, what is she wearing?" said a girl

"Can you believe she would wear something like that?" said another girl.

"She's even making a face!" said a guy.

Sasha, Marcy, and Anne walked over to the entrance to the gym to see what all the commotion was about. As it became clear what it was, the girls all had different reactions, though Sasha's was the most pronounced, as she immediately did a facepalm at the sight of Luz… in a purple sea otter costume.

"Are you freaking kidding me!?" she said in a slow-building, calm rage.

"Oh, hey, girls," said Luz as she waved to the others. "How are you doing?"

Marcy and Anne were too stunned to say anything. While they weren't laughing at Luz, they also clearly didn't know what to say. Sasha, however, had had enough of this foolishness and dragged Luz by the arm over into an unoccupied area of the room to have a talk with her.

"Luz," she said in a tone that wasn't shouting but was clearly full of anger, "what in the hell are you wearing?"

"Well, it's an old otter costume I wore for Halloween once, and I thought I'd wear it to the dance because I'm an otter… with a dark side," replied Luz.

"So, you ignored my suggestions of what to wear and furthermore embarrassed yourself in front of the whole school by putting on that stupid otter suit," said Sasha, clearly angry.

"I didn't feel that your choice of clothing was appropriate for me. I want to be my own person, and, well, I'm the kind of person who wants to wear an otter costume," responded Luz.

"I can't believe you would not listen to me, your friend," said Sasha. "Not only do you not listen to me, but you go and get me humiliated by association with you. Now people are gonna look at me and think, Hey, she's friends with that weird girl who wore the otter costume."

"Why should you care what other people think, Sasha?" asked Luz, trying to make her see reason. "Why shouldn't you be yourself?"

"Luz, we are in 8th grade now. Very soon, we'll be in high school. Your reputation means EVERYTHING in high school, and now you've just ruined yours. You were friends with me, the Cheer Captain! I could have put you on top of the social ladder!"

"Sasha, listen," said Luz. "I didn't ignore your clothing advice just to make you look bad. It's just that I don't think those clothes really work for me. I didn't wear makeup because, well, honestly, I don't really feel like wearing it. I was just trying to be my own person. I think it's important to be yourself. I wasn't trying to hurt you or make you look bad. I—"

"Well, you did. Also, what kind of young girl doesn't want to wear makeup?" Sasha suddenly stopped talking and started staring at Luz. It was almost as though she was trying to work something out about her. Luz felt uncomfortable at how Sasha was looking at her and was afraid that she may have said too much. Thankfully, Marcy and Anne finally walked over to break up the tension. Luz was nervous, especially about what Anne would say. Would she like her like this? Would she avoid her?

"So apparently, Sasha isn't a fan of my otter costume, but uh… What do you guys think?" asked Luz.

Marcy answered first, "I just want to know, Luz, is there some anime or video game reference that I'm maybe not getting with the whole otter thing?"

"No, it's not a reference to anything. I just felt like wearing it," said Luz honestly.

"Oh well, in that case, I like it. I mean, an otter might not have been my first pick as an animal to dress up as. Mine would have been a tiger. Any particular reason, or you just felt like it?" asked Marcy.

"I just felt like it," said Luz.

"Stop encouraging her," said Sasha bitterly. "Anne, you've been rather quiet."

"I guess I still don't really know what to say," said Anne. "But I will say this, Luz, you're a lot braver than I am. I'd never have the courage to just wear something like this to a dance. As for what I think… Oh, Luz, make that face you were making earlier. The one where you look like an otter."

Luz made the face as well as raised her arms in a position that made her look like an otter.

"Aww, that is cute," said Anne. Luz couldn't believe she said that. "I think this otter costume suits you, though, one last question. Can you move around in that thing? How were you planning to dance?"

Luz suddenly realized that she hadn't considered that. How was she going to dance with Anne if she couldn't move in this thing? Luz tried to dance a little and almost fell over.

"Whoa, careful there, Luz!" said Anne as she caught her.

"Aw, man, what am I gonna do?" asked Luz.

"Well, it serves you right," said Sasha. "Maybe next time, when I give you a suggestion for something to wear, you'll listen."

"Sasha, why are you being so mean to Luz?" asked Anne, defending Luz.

"Unbelievable! You're taking her side?!" exclaimed Sasha. "Can you not see the damage this will do to all our reputations?"

Anne was a little troubled by this statement as she looked between Luz and Sasha. Sasha did have a point. Would associating with Luz after she had dressed like this be bad for her reputation? Still, Anne had grown to care for Luz and didn't want to stop hanging around her simply just for this. In her mind, she was torn about what to do. But after a bit, she replied.

"Sasha, Luz is our friend, and we've become close over the summer. I know that in school, your reputation means a lot, but I admire Luz's bravery for not caring what people think and just being herself. That takes a lot of guts," said Anne. Luz could barely contain her smile at hearing Anne compliment her.

Sasha simply stared at Luz. After a while, she said, "I'm going to go get some… punch." With that, she walked away.

The rest of the girls watched her leave, a little sad to see their friend leave so angrily. But also unsure if they should follow after her.

"It's okay, Luz," said Anne. "Why don't we give Sasha some space to cool off for a bit and then talk to her?"

"That's probably the best idea right now," agreed Marcy.

"Hey, Anne, I'm sorry if I got Sasha mad. Are you okay with me? Sasha seems to put a lot of stock in her reputation at school. I hope you don't feel I'm hurting yours."

"Well, to be honest, I already kind of have a reputation here," said Anne. "I'm sometimes known as the Breakup Queen, also known as the Angel of Death."

"What?! Why are you called that?" asked Luz.

"Well, it started when Sasha asked me to help her break up with a boyfriend, then another, then another. After that, a lot of other girls asked if I would do it for them too. So I did, and I guess that's why they call me the Breakup Queen now," replied Anne with a proud pose.

"That doesn't seem fair to you. Why did Sasha ask for your help in breaking up with her boyfriend? Shouldn't she have done it herself?" asked Luz.

"I mean, you know, I did it as a favor for a friend," answered Anne.

"Anne, I… I just don't think a real friend should ask someone to do things like that for them. Has Sasha ever done something like that for you?" asked Luz.

"Well, no…" began Anne, who trailed off and was now starting to think a bit more about what Luz was saying.

"You know, now that I think about it," said Marcy, "it does sometimes seem as though Sasha always wants us to do things her way. Have you ever felt that, Anne?"

"I… no… What are you talking about? Sasha is our friend," replied Anne, though after pausing a bit, she added, "Although I do feel it's really hard to say no to her sometimes."

These thoughts were interrupted as a new song started to play, one that the girls all recognized.

"Oh, hey, I love this song," said Luz, trying to get the group's attention. "Let's go dance! I'll figure out some way to still move in this thing; I just have to try."

"Oh, I know this song too," said Anne. "You're right, let's go dance! Let's show Sasha we can still have a good time." So the girls went out onto the dance floor to have some fun.

Sasha sipped her punch as she watched her other friends having fun on the dance floor. She couldn't believe that Marcy and Anne had taken Luz's side over hers. This was inconceivable! She was so mad that she began talking to herself in her head.

Luz defied you! her thoughts said.

Why is she being so difficult?! replied Sasha to herself. I was only trying to help her, and now she's gone and embarrassed herself and me by association!

And this after she beat you in the Scare Dare! said her thoughts

OMG! You're right! First, Luz beat me in the Scare Dare. Now, she's got Marcy and Anne thinking that it's cool to dress up as an otter at a school dance, thought Sasha.

If this keeps up, Luz will surely replace you, said her thoughts.

What?! No, there's no way Luz would replace me as leader of the group. How can that be? asked Sasha.

Marcy and Anne like Luz more than you replied her thoughts

How could they possibly like Luz more than me? She asked.

It may be because she shows genuine emotion and kindness, whereas yours is superficial at best, replied her thoughts.

Pfff, like Luz, could help them in a fight or confrontation. I protect them, she said.

Well, you better think of something or you could lose your influence over them, said her thoughts. Hmm, now that's interesting. Do you see how Luz is looking at Anne?

Sasha focused her gaze on Luz as she was dancing next to Anne. She did notice now just how happy Luz was. She never took her eyes off of Anne, and was it her imagination, or was Luz blushing just being near Anne?

Wait! Is Luz crushing on Anne? thought Sasha. For the first time in a long time, Sasha was genuinely sad as she realized this, though she wasn't entirely sure why.

Luz likes Anne! said her thoughts. If Luz and Anne start dating, then you will for sure lose your place in the group.

What?! NO! That can't happen! exclaimed Sasha in her head. She almost started crying at this realization.

Oh, but it will! said her thoughts. Luz and Anne will grow closer. Luz will make Anne see just how selfish and controlling you are, and you'll be nothing but a third wheel at best. At worst, Anne will tell you she no longer wants to be friends with you.

No, thought Sasha. But sadly, this time, she almost resigned herself to her fate.

You never should have let Luz join your group. First, she beat you in the Scare Dare, now she's going to take Anne away from you! said her thoughts.

No! thought Sasha again, now desperately thinking of what she could do to put a stop to this.

You have to get rid of Luz, or at least make sure Anne isn't interested in Luz romantically, said her thoughts, and I think I have a way for us to do both. But not yet… When the time is right, we'll act…

If you say no, things will be alright. In the end, it was worth a try, but as you can see, babe, I'd rather have you standing next to me. I couldn't ask for anything better. So what's it going to beeeeeeeeeeeeeee?

Luz had found a good balance and was able to dance in her costume. Anne was close, grooving to the song in her own way. Marcy tried to dance, but seemed to almost be tripping over her own feet.

So what do you say, you and I, let's put our lives, our work, our feelings aside, and dance this night away. Yeah, just one night, I'll try my best to make it worth your while, and so on the count of three, one, two. Will you go to Prom with me?

"YEAH! Yeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!" cheered the girls with the song as it came to an end, "On the count of three!"

"Will you go to Prom with me?" they all said in unison.

"Whoa, we are on fire tonight!" said Anne as they left the dance floor.

"I hope they play that at our actual prom someday!" said Luz.

"Well, but if they play it at prom, everyone will have already been asked to prom at that point," observed Marcy.

"Somehow, I doubt I will," said Anne a little casually. "In any case, I'm going to go talk to Sasha and see if I can get her to rejoin us."

"Good luck!" called Marcy as Anne left.

Anne found Sasha standing against a wall, sipping her punch.

"Hey, Sasha. We had fun out there," said Anne. "I bet you'd have fun if you came and joined us."

"I am not associating myself with Luz if she's going to dress like that. I'm cheer captain now, and I have a reputation to think of," said Sasha firmly.

"I wish you would change your mind about that," pleaded Anne. "I mean, since you are cheer captain, don't you have a say in how the social ladder works now?"

"Anne, you don't have to hang with Luz tonight if you don't want to. It's not too late. Stick with me and save your reputation," pleaded Sasha.

"Sasha, I… I think you're being petty about this," said Anne. "Luz is our friend. She's quirky in her own way, but she's fun to be around. We shouldn't abandon her for something like this."

"Oh, is that what you think?" asked Sasha. She paused for a second before continuing, "Have you noticed how Luz looks at you?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Anne, confused.

"Oh, you haven't then. Well… You know what? Forget I said anything. Maybe you're right. I just let my emotions get the better of me. I'll go apologize to Luz," said Sasha as she walked back to the girls, leaving Anne alone to ponder what she had just said.

The way Luz looks at me? thought Anne. What does she mean by that?

As the night went on, the girls danced and talked with each other. They continued to talk and have fun. Though it became clear that Sasha was the only one that the boys seemed interested in, she was asked to dance by multiple boys. Marcy was asked to dance once, but after stepping on the poor kid's feet several times, she hadn't been asked again. Anne and Luz had both been completely ignored. Luz had tried to find an opportunity to ask Anne to dance, but every time she tried, her courage failed her, and she couldn't work up the nerve. At 9:30 p.m., Marcy said goodnight to the girls and told them that she had to leave early. Marcy said her goodbyes and then left.

"It's a shame her parents are so controlling of her," said Sasha. "You've got to be careful not to let that happen to you."

"Marcy's never really complained about it, though," observed Luz.

"Oh, she may not say anything on the outside, but I can tell that she's hurting," said Sasha.

"It's not like we were getting asked to dance anyway," said Anne, a little bitterly. "So not like she's missing much." As it so happened, a new slow song was starting up at that very moment. Sasha pulled Luz aside to talk to her.

"Luz, I wanted to say again that I'm sorry for getting angry at you earlier about your otter costume," began Sasha.

"Oh, that's okay. I'm glad you changed your mind about it," replied Luz.

"Yes, and I have an idea that I think you'll love," she said. "You should ask Anne to dance."

"What?!" said Luz, caught off guard by this request.

"I heard it in her voice just now. Anne is sad that she hasn't been asked all night. I think you should do it and show her a good time," said Sasha, grabbing Luz and pushing her towards Anne.

"But I… I… I…" protested Luz, though before she could say anything, she found herself in front of Anne.

"Hey, Anne, Luz has something she wants to ask you," said Sasha.

"What's up, Luz?" asked Anne.

Luz stared into Anne's eyes, gathered her nerves, and quickly said.

"Annedoyouwanttodancewithme?"

"Huh? Not sure I caught that," said Anne.

Luz took a deep breath, held out her hand, and repeated, "Anne, would you like to dance?"

"Oh, um… You aren't doing this out of pity, are you?" asked Anne.

"No, of course not. But hey, if no one will ask us to dance, then maybe we shouldn't wait for them. Maybe we should have fun on our own, right?" said Luz.

Anne thought for a second before responding, "Yeah, you have a point. The night's almost over, so let's have some fun."

Anne took Luz's hand, and the two stepped onto the dance floor. As the slow song was still playing, Luz put her arms on Anne's shoulders, and Anne grabbed her around the waist. Luz's heart was racing at this sensation. She kept her focus on Anne and her eyes, almost getting lost in them, but trying to remain focused just as well. She began having a battle in her mind about what to do next.

Tell her she looks nice! said the voice in Luz's head.

But what should I say? said Luz back to the voice.

I don't know. You had this all planned out, didn't you? asked the voice.

I honestly didn't think I would get this far, said Luz to herself, but I don't want to say the wrong thing either.

Hmmm, maybe instead of saying something, you should do something, said her voice.

Oh, but I mean that…

Yes, that's it! said the voice. Don't say anything; just show Anne how you feel!

Is this a good idea?

It's the best idea!

Luz looked once more at Anne, who was smiling as they danced, clearly enjoying herself. Luz was enjoying herself too. The mood was almost perfect. She decided to agree with the voice in her head and take a chance on a gut feeling.

Luz closed her eyes, leaned forward, and pulled Anne into a kiss!

For one brief second, everything was perfect! Luz could feel Anne's lips against her own, and she felt a sense of overwhelming happiness at what had just happened. But that sensation was all too brief. In the next instant, she felt herself being pushed away from Anne. As she opened her eyes and looked into Anne's face, she saw neither happiness nor joy on it but a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger.

"LUZ, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled Anne, her voice a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger.

"I… I… I..." stammered Luz, but she wouldn't get to say anything else, for at that moment, a teacher who was chaperoning the dance came over to them.

"What in the world did I just see?!" she exclaimed

"Ms. Bryant… I… nothing," began Luz.

"That was not nothing, child," said Ms. Bryant angrily. "I know that I saw some sinful behavior from you, Ms. Noceda."

"No, it wasn't…"

"How dare you?!" yelled Ms. Bryant. "How dare you bring your evil ways here?!"

Luz was on the verge of tears as she struggled to defend herself. "No, I didn't—"

"Save your excuses. I know what I saw. You were trying to corrupt an innocent girl!" yelled Ms. Bryant, turning to Anne.

"Are you okay, Anne? You haven't been turned to a life of evil, have you?" asked Ms. Bryant.

Anne didn't respond, as she was still in shock. Luz tried to say something to her.

"Anne, I'm sorry, I just thought that maybe—" began Luz before being interrupted.

"No more from you, you evil witch!" said Ms. Bryant. "Get out of here before I call your parents!"

Luz's eyes were already watering as she turned and left the gym, heading down to the locker room. Ms. Bryant continued checking on Anne, asking if she was okay. Anne told her she was fine, though that was more to get rid of her. She was still trying to process what had just happened. Eventually, Sasha came up to her.

"Anne, I'm so sorry. I had no idea Luz was like that," said Sasha with concern. "Please say something. Are you okay?"

"I… I need to go talk to Luz," said Anne.

"Whoa, hold up there. After what just happened? No, I think you need to leave her alone for a bit," said Sasha.

"But I saw her as she was leaving. She was practically crying," protested Anne.

"And what exactly are you going to say to her?" asked Sasha.

"I… I… I don't know, but I can't just leave her alone now, can I?" wondered Anne.

"Anne, listen to me," said Sasha. "Luz just forced herself on you. I'll bet she's been manipulating you since you first met. Please listen to me. I'm your friend. I want what's best for you."

"What should I do then?" asked Anne desperately.

"Leave her alone for now," said Sasha. "The dance is almost over, anyway. Give her a chance to calm down, and then, if you still want to talk to her, you can do it on Monday. But personally, I think you should keep your distance. We just saw what happens if you don't."

Anne stood still, lost in thought. While it was true that she was not happy that Luz had "forced herself" on her, a small part of her heart actually enjoyed the experience. The only reason she had pushed Luz off was out of shock! Part of her wanted to go find Luz and talk to her to try to figure out what had just happened, but part of her was also angry at Luz for this. Angry at her for causing a scene at the dance, but also some anger at perhaps awakening feelings she had never had before. What Sasha was saying made sense, but at the same time, she felt bad for leaving a friend, one whom she had genuinely grown to care for, in a state of distress.

"Anne, you didn't actually enjoy that kiss, did you?" asked Sasha.

"What?! No! Of course not," replied Anne, a bit too hastily.

"I mean, I think I can still save your reputation from what just happened here tonight, but if it were to come out that you were a lesbian, well, I don't know," warned Sasha.

"I… I… I need some air," said Anne as she headed outside.

"It's okay, Anne. I'll join you outside, and we can talk about this. I'm here for you," called Sasha to Anne as she was leaving. After Anne had left the gym, Sasha walked up to Ms. Bryant.

"Oh, Sasha, there you are," began Ms. Bryant. "Thank you again for bringing that hoodlum Luz to my attention. I appreciate you telling me about her trying to corrupt Anne."

"Oh, it's no problem at all, Ms. Bryant," replied Sasha, in a honeyed tone. "I'm just trying to make sure we all stay pure."

"You know, I had heard reports from some other teachers that you were a bit of a troublemaker. But after your actions tonight, I know that isn't true," said Ms. Bryant. "I'll make sure and put in a good word with the other teachers for you."

"Oh, that's not necessary, but I do appreciate it," replied Sasha. Ms. Bryant walked off, leaving Sasha alone. She stared at the locker room where Luz had run off to. Sasha had also seen how sad and upset Luz was as she turned to leave. Even though her plan had worked, at that moment, she wasn't entirely proud of what she had done.

You did what you had to do, reassured her thoughts.

I… I… didn't think it would work so well, thought Sasha.

That was brilliant! said her thoughts, congratulating her. Not only did you get rid of Luz, but poor Anne is feeling alone and violated right now. This is the perfect moment to swoop in and comfort her!

Yeah, I guess it is! I can go be her friend and let her know that I'm here for her. Everything will go back to how it was! thought Sasha. As she was thinking this, she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of guilt over seeing Luz run to the locker room, where she was likely going to cry her eyes out.

Don't feel bad about Luz; she's a plucky girl. She'll recover from this, reassured her thoughts.

Yeah, she'll be fine, thought Sasha. Besides, it's not like it's my fault. All I did was encourage her to dance with Anne. It's her own fault that she couldn't keep her lips off her.

Exactly! replied her thoughts.

Luz had run as fast as she could into the girls' locker room, which, thankfully, was empty. The tears had already started flowing out of her eyes by the time she got there. Still, Luz tried to calm herself down and breathe, but the pain and humiliation from what had just happened kept resurfacing and replaying in her mind. She found a sink to brace herself against. Letting out the rest of the tears, she was currently crying until she stopped. Then she looked up to see a mirror—not just any mirror, but the one she and Sasha had carved their initials into that day after the volleyball game. As she raised her face to look in the mirror, she saw her reflection look back at her. Her face had no makeup and was now a mess from crying. Her face was so… plain. So many emotions were flowing through her right now that she couldn't get a handle on them.

As she looked into the mirror at her reflection, she began hearing the voice in her head speak to her.

Of course, Anne doesn't want to be with you! You aren't attractive.

Why did you think wearing that stupid otter costume would be a good idea?

If you had listened to Sasha, maybe Anne would have liked you.

If anything, Anne wants someone like Sasha. Strong, confident, rich, and captain of the cheerleaders. Why would anyone want you when they could have someone like her?

Now the whole school knows about you. What if the teachers tell your mother?

You've really screwed up this time, Luz! You finally made a friend, only to scare her off with your gay, sinful ways!

Your face is so plain, so… ordinary.

That's all you are… ordinary

That's all you'll ever be… ordinary.

The voices and the emotions kept coming, making Luz feel as though she was going to explode. It all finally became too much, and she let out a cathartic scream!

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Luz slammed her hand into the mirror, smashing it! Destroying the mirror and the carving she had made in it. After which, she leaned her head on the sink and cried.

And cried…

And cried…

And cried…

Chapter Text

When Marcy arrived at school on Monday, she sensed that something was off. She didn't see Anne, Luz, or Sasha before school, and when she saw Anne in a class later, she looked dispirited and downtrodden. She saw Luz in another class and noticed how she also looked sad. The biggest surprise came at lunch, though, when she went to sit down and saw Sasha and Anne sitting together but not Luz.

"Hey, where's Luz?" she asked.

Sasha turned to Marcy and pointed to a table where Luz was sitting alone.

"Why is she sitting alone instead of with us?" asked Marcy.

"Oh, that's right, Mar-Mar, you had to leave the dance early, so you weren't there," replied Sasha slyly. "Anne, do you want to tell her, or should I?"

"I don't really want to talk about it," said Anne morosely.

"Luz kissed Anne," said Sasha quickly.

"What?!" said Marcy in surprise.

"Yep, Luz asked her to dance, and then, while they were dancing, she decided to force herself onto Anne for the whole school to see. Oh, but don't worry, Ms. Bryant put a stop to it, but poor Anne was nearly traumatized by the whole thing," said Sasha.

"Traumatized is maybe a little strong. But in any case, I said I don't want to talk about it right now," said Anne.

"What about Luz, though?" asked Marcy. "Is she okay?"

"Who cares what she feels?" said Anne bitterly. This caught the attention of both Marcy and Sasha, who looked at Anne with concern.

"Well, why don't you go ask her yourself, Marcy?" said Sasha. "Anne and I will be having a gossip-free lunch."

Marcy decided to take Sasha up on her offer and went over to the table where Luz was sitting. Luz wasn't eating and was just looking at her food, and she didn't even notice as Marcy came over and placed herself at the table until Marcy said hi.

"Oh, hey, Marcy. Did you talk to Anne already?" asked Luz, not really caring.

"I heard Sasha's version of events, so I'd like to hear yours," said Marcy kindly.

Luz shrugged her shoulders and looked away. She hadn't talked about what had happened at the dance with anyone, not even her mother. While part of her didn't want to discuss it with anyone, another part of her saw that Marcy was trying to offer her an ear to listen and support, so perhaps she should talk to her about it.

"I have to start at the beginning," she said. "It started at the sleepover." Luz took a breath before continuing, "I know that we're all still young and going through puberty, but even so, I always found myself attracted to guys. I had one or two crushes at my old school, and I told you I think Chris Rivera is cute. But then something happened at the sleepover. Anne leaned up against me and asked if I would be her pillow and then… I can't even really explain it, but at that moment, I felt something—that feeling you get when you're near a guy you like. The butterflies in your stomach when you hold hands with a boy are just a feeling of happiness and contentment you get when a guy compliments you. I was feeling those feelings… for a girl… for Anne, and I swear that had never happened before. It was so confusing, but it felt so right! I let her sleep against me, and it just felt good! Ever since then, I have wanted to tell Anne how I feel. I thought the dance would be the perfect opportunity to show her how I felt. It was shortly after you left that I asked Anne to dance, and while we were dancing, I guess I got carried away and just kissed her. After that… I actually don't want to talk about what happened after that, but Anne was not happy with me, and that's the whole story. Sorry, I've been rambling for a while. Well, what do you think?"

"Wow, that is a lot to take in," said Marcy. "But if this is a lot for me to take in, then it must have been even more for you to deal with. I can't imagine what you've been feeling these past few weeks."

"I just, I just… I don't know what to do about all this," said Luz in frustration.

"I don't want to just tell you to get over it or that things will work out, because I don't know that," said Marcy. "But I think you should at the very least consider talking to Anne about this."

"Are you crazy?!" said Luz. "She doesn't want anything to do with me right now."

"But if the two of you don't talk about this at some point, then it will just fester between you and create bad feelings for you both," said Marcy.

"Even if she wanted to talk to me, I have no idea what to say," said Luz, exasperated. "Also, did you not react at all to the fact that I just told you I was bisexual?"

"Why should I react?" asked Marcy. "So you're bi; that doesn't change who you are or what interests we share. We both like the same video games, we both like anime, and we both like Azura."

"Azura," said Luz longingly. "You know, one of the things I love about reading those books is the fact that I can escape to a fantasy world. A fantasy world where magic is real, a fantasy world where women are powerful, a fantasy world where I don't have to worry about mistakes I make. I would give anything to just open a book and escape into the world of Azura, so I didn't have to worry about how I totally screwed up my chances with Anne."

Marcy's eyes lit up at this statement, and her eyes shifted a bit before she spoke to Luz, "I feel you, Luz. The world we live in is so bland, and sometimes I feel there's no place for people like you and me here. But if we lived in a fantasy world, think of what we could do…"

"Do you think we could learn magic? Or become knights? Or go on an epic adventure that would test our resolve?" asked Luz, finally smiling again.

"Luz…" began Marcy, "if you had the chance right now to leave this world and escape into another one, would you take it?"

"Are you kidding?!" said Luz. "Of course, yes, one hundred percent for sure!" Luz's eyes seemed to light up at this before becoming depressed again. "But of course, there's no way for that to happen."

"But what if there was?" asked Marcy

"Huh?" asked Luz.

Marcy shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked away from Luz before saying, "I mean, hypothetically, what if there was a way you could open… say, a box… And when you opened that box, you would be transported to a new world. Would you take that chance?"

"I mean, I just said yes," said Luz. "But come on, Marcy, be real. Something like that isn't going to happen."

Again, Marcy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, we got a little off-topic, but listen, I have an idea! Anne's birthday is on Wednesday, so why don't I talk to her tomorrow and see if I can smooth things over with her? Then, on her birthday, the two of you can talk and hopefully come to an understanding. How does that sound?"

"I… I… just don't know what to say to her," said Luz. "What can I possibly say to her to make this right?"

"I don't know, but you have a day and a half to think about that," replied Marcy. "Good luck!"

Anne awoke from her bed on Wednesday morning. Normally, she would have been excited on this day because it was her birthday! But the past few days had been a bit stressful for her. Anne wanted to enjoy today but was still feeling down from the events of the dance last Saturday. She hadn't spoken to Luz at all since then. Part of her wanted to talk to Luz, but another part didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore. What was even more confusing were the feelings she was having. Anne didn't want to admit it, but a part of her did enjoy the kiss that Luz gave her that night. She was just so surprised about it that she had acted the way she did. Anne couldn't reckon with the duality of the feelings she was having for Luz, partly never wanting to see her again, but also partly wanting to see if perhaps their friendship could become something more. Anne took so long contemplating that soon there was a knock at her door and her mother entered.

"Sukhsant wan keid!" said her mother, loudly entering her room with a big smile on her face, though she was quick to notice Anne's sullen demeanor.

"Anne, are you okay? I thought you'd be excited. It's your birthday! You're finally 13!" said her mother.

"Oh, yeah, I am excited," said Anne, trying to hide her sadness. "I was just in shock, you know! Still can't believe I'm officially a teenager now!"

"Well, get dressed, because I've made you breakfast. Come down when you're ready," she told Anne. Anne got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen.

"Your father had to leave early to take care of some things at the restaurant," said her mother. "After that, he'll be getting things ready for the party we're having tonight."

"Oh yeah, the party," said Anne. Honestly, Anne wasn't in the mood to party, but she knew how much it meant to her parents.

"Hey, mom! The party is not until 6 p.m., right?" asked Anne.

"Yes," said her mom.

"I guess, um… Would it be cool if I didn't come home from school right away? Maybe I can hang with Sasha and Marcy for a bit to celebrate my birthday with them before I come home." asked Anne.

"Yeah, that's fine. Oh, and Luz too, right?" asked her mother.

That simple statement caused Anne to feel sad again as she muttered, "Yeah, and Luz too, I guess."

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" asked her mother with concern in her voice. "Anne, I'm your mother. I've known you since before you were born. I've noticed that you've been acting strange these past few days. Is something bothering you?"

Anne wanted to tell her mother the truth. She wanted to tell her about what happened at the dance. She wanted to tell her about the strange feelings she was having about Luz. She wanted to ask for her mother's advice on this rather complicated matter, but she also knew her mother had grown up in a world that was not kind to "gay" people. Her mother was of an older generation that didn't understand the problems of today's youth. Her mother loved her, but would she still love her if she told her the whole truth of what had happened that night? Anne decided to try to appease her mom's concerns and tell a bit of the truth.

"I guess I was a bit bummed after the dance on Saturday. I didn't get asked to dance even once, and I guess it did a number on my self-esteem. It made me wonder if I'm unattractive," said Anne.

"Sweetie, come here," said her mom, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. "You are a bright, beautiful young girl. Don't let something like that get you down. Someday, you will either find someone who sees you for who you are and wants to be with you because of that, or you will be too much for anyone and you can be your best self without anyone else."

Anne couldn't help but smile at her mother's words and even get a little emotional.

"Thanks, Mom," she said as she hugged her mother tighter. The two eventually separated, and although she hadn't told her mother the truth, Anne did genuinely feel better having told her something. She was about to leave out the door when her mother stopped her.

"Oh, Anne, wait here. Take this with you," she said, handing her daughter a green-wrapped snack.

"Ah, no way, you made me some khao niew bing!" said Anne excitedly.

"Happy Birthday, Anne!" said her mother, hugging her one more time. "See you tonight for the party!"

"Bye, Mom!" called Anne as she raced out the door.

Mrs. Boonchuy looked at the door after Anne left. She still couldn't believe how much her child had grown over the years. Now she was thirteen, and eventually, she would be eighteen. At the very least, Anne was now in the difficult transition stage between child and adult. Even so, Mrs. Boonchuy couldn't help but feel emotional about this. She went back to her room to find the silver bracelet she had lent Anne for the dance. Her daughter was growing up, and her mother felt it was time for Anne to have a real piece of jewelry for herself. She decided she would give it to Anne tonight as a gift, as it was real silver after all, and she believed every woman should own at least one piece of real jewelry.

"I'll put this in a box and wrap it," she said aloud. "I'll give it to Anne tonight at the party. It will be wonderful to pass on a piece of jewelry from mother to daughter…"

Luz woke up from her slumber and stared at the ceiling. An alert from her phone caught her attention. As she read it, she found herself even more miserable. The notification reminded her that today was Anne's birthday. Luz looked across her room at the portrait she had worked on of Anne—the one she was originally going to give her as a present for her birthday. She hadn't worked on it since Saturday, although it was mostly finished. All it needed were a few touch-ups here and there. Luz walked over to her painting, and while there was a small desire in her to take the portrait and rip it up, another part of her simply couldn't bear to destroy something that she had worked on. She gazed into the portrait, feeling she had done a good job of capturing Anne's features, especially her eyes, her hair, and her smile. Luz had no idea what she would do with the portrait now, as it seemed inevitable that any chance of being either lovers or friends with Anne was over. Even so, she still wanted to finish it. Perhaps she would keep it as a memento. As she was thinking of this, her mother knocked on her door and opened it.

"Mija, are you up?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm up. I was just going to get dressed," said Luz dispiritedly.

"Uh, actually, take your time, Mija. I've got breakfast ready downstairs, so don't rush," said her mother.

Luz was a little puzzled by this. Usually, her mother tried to rush her out the door so that she wouldn't be late for school. Not only that but her mother wasn't dressed for work. Luz got dressed in her school uniform and went downstairs to find her mother waiting for her at the kitchen table. The two of them ate breakfast in relative silence. At some point, though, Luz looked at her phone and realized how late it was.

"Oh, Mom, it's after 7:30 am!" said Luz in alarm. "Shouldn't we get going?"

"No, don't worry about that. I already called your school and told them you would be late, likely missing first period," said her mother.

"What?! Why?" asked Luz.

"Because we need to talk," said her mother sternly.

Oh no, thought Luz. The school called her and told her about what happened. What am I gonna do?!

"Talk about what?" said Luz, trying not to sound suspicious.

"Luz," began her mother, "something has been bothering you. I noticed it on Saturday when I picked you up from the dance. Your mood was entirely different from normal. I didn't say anything that night because I wanted to see if you would bring it up, but ever since then, you've seemed depressed and out of sorts. You haven't talked about it yet, so I decided I would bring it up now. Did something happen at the dance? Did the kids make fun of you for your otter costume?'"

Oh, she doesn't know the truth, thought Luz, feeling relieved. But what should I say to her? I hate lying to Mom, but can I tell her what happened? I'd have to tell her I'm bisexual. Would that be too much for her to handle?

Luz's mind was racing as she tried to think of what to say. What can I tell her that isn't an outright lie? Finally, she settled on telling her mother the truth from a certain point of view.

"Okay," began Luz, "I'll tell you what happened. It actually wasn't the otter costume. In fact, Marcy and Anne both liked it." Luz paused as she recalled how Anne had said she looked cute in that costume.

"I was dancing with a boy, and I liked this boy. He's pretty cute, and I've had a crush on him," Luz continued. "Anyway, we were dancing, and then he… kissed me while we were dancing."

"What?! Mija, that's terrible! He forced himself on you! What happened after that?" said her mother with concern in her voice.

"One of the chaperones saw what happened," continued Luz. "They… they kicked him out for that. They asked if I was okay, and I told them I was, but I guess it affected me more than I thought."

"Oh, Mija, come here," said her mother as she approached Luz and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry that happened to you." Luz accepted the hug but couldn't shake the feeling of guilt she had over lying to her mother. She had to ask more questions.

"Mom, listen for a second," began Luz. "I know it was wrong of that guy to do that, but well, I kind of liked it. And like I said, I did have a crush on him. Was it still wrong?"

"Of course it was wrong, Mija," said her mother. "If he liked you, he should have said something to you. He should have asked you out on a date. You can't just kiss someone you like while dancing. That's not right." Luz winced as she heard her mother say those words.

"It's just that I want to try to empathize with him a bit, Mommy," said Luz. "What if he was just really shy and didn't know how to say he liked me?"

"Mija, I know you have a big heart, but you shouldn't be defending a boy like that, even if you had a crush on him. Do I need to call the school and talk with them about this?" asked her mother.

"No!" said Luz, a little too hastily. She paused before adding, "Mama, I understand what the boy did was wrong, but I also want to know if you think I should forgive him for this. If he came and told me he was sorry, what should I do?"

"I would say that if he truly is sorry, it's fine if you want to forgive him, but you have to be sure that he's being sincere in his apology and not just saying it because a teacher or his parents made him," advised her mother.

"How would I know if his apology is sincere?" asked Luz. "What should I be looking for to know if it's real?"

"Listen to what he says. Look into his eyes when he apologizes and look at his actions. Remember, actions speak louder than words," said her mother. "Make sure he actually does anything to improve his behavior toward you."

Luz listened to her mother as she tried to think of how she could apply what she was saying to Anne. They talked a bit more about school and how Luz was doing. Luz told her mother she was fine, even if that wasn't true. Luz did feel slightly better talking to her mother. They finished their breakfast in better spirits, and Luz got ready to go to school. Eventually, Luz and her mother left the house, and Camilla dropped her daughter off at school. The first period was just about over, so Luz went to her next class. Though, as she was walking through the halls, she thought she heard voices. She peered around one hall and spotted Anne and Sasha talking.

"Forget the sick room; forget school. Let's get out of here and celebrate your birthday in style," said Sasha.

"Oooff, skip school? I don't know, Sash," said Anne, clearly unsure about this.

"Anne, this is your 13th birthday. You only get one of these. Besides, I can tell from your mood that you're still bummed about what happened at the dance. Skipping is not just about celebrating your birthday; it's also about cheering you up. I want to help you forget about Luz, and I want to help you be your normal self again."

"You're right. I am still bummed about that. And while a part of me doesn't want to talk to Luz, I also kind of wish she'd at least apologize to me about it," said Anne. "Honestly, what bothers me more is the fact that she won't talk to me about it. Though another part of me doesn't even really want to ever talk to her again."

"You deserve an apology for sure," said Sasha. "But in the meantime, let's get out of here and go party!"

"Alright, I gotta be home by 6 p.m., though. My parents are throwing me a big party, and they really want me to be there," said Anne.

"Right, right, you got it," said Sasha dismissively. "Now, let's get this thing started!"

With that, the two girls raced down the hall, out of sight, and out of the school to go celebrate, leaving Luz alone in the hall to think about what she had heard them say.

At lunch, Luz found Marcy sitting in her usual spot. She wasn't surprised to not see Anne or Sasha, but she was surprised to see Marcy on her phone, looking up something and muttering under her breath.

"No good rasan frasan. Uh, I get that it's here in LA. I want to know where exactly in LA it is," she grumbled to her phone.

"Hey, Marcy, what are you doing?" asked Luz as she sat down next to her.

"Oh, Luz, hey," greeted Marcy, quickly hiding her phone. "Looks like it's just you and me today."

"Oh, you heard that Anne and Sasha ditched," said Luz.

"Sasha sent me a text saying she wants to meet up later," said Marcy.

"Yeah, I didn't get a text," said Luz bitterly.

"Oh, about that, as it so happens, Sasha asked me for a location to meet up. And if I pick it, then I can tell you about it. Then you could meet us there and have a talk with Anne," suggested Marcy.

"Uh, I don't know about this," said Luz. "I mean, I tried thinking about what to say, but I still can't think of anything."

"Luz, I know things between you and Anne are awkward right now, but if you don't at least try to smooth things over with her, then things will only get worse. Oh, I have an idea. Why don't you text your mom and tell her you'll be hanging out with us tonight? This way, you can come to where we're going to meet up and then have a talk with Anne," said Marcy.

"I just feel so scared," said Luz. "I don't think I can do this."

"It's okay; you don't have to worry. I'll be there too. All you have to do is speak from the heart, and it will all work out," said Marcy. At that moment, she got an alert on her phone and went to look at it. Curious to see what she was doing, Luz snuck a look at her phone. She noticed a picture of what looked like a music box of some kind.

"Hey, Mar-Mar, what was that thing you were trying to find earlier?" asked Luz.

"Oh, this?" said Marcy, showing the picture to Luz. "I was trying to find a birthday gift for Anne, and I think I found a good one. What do you think?"

Luz looked at the picture on Marcy's phone. It was an ornate box that looked to be made of gold and jewels. It had an image of what looked to be a frog on it. Most prominent, though, were the jewels that were on the box. Luz could see four jewels: a pink, a blue, a green, and a purple jewel, all grouped together in the upper left corner of the box. If those gems were real, the box was likely worth hundreds of dollars!

"I think that gift might be a bit out of your price range, Marcy," said Luz, "especially if those gems are real. They do look shiny."

"Well, maybe I can get a discount on it, but never mind that," said Marcy. "Tell you what, Luz. I know what will sweeten the deal. How about you and I hang out after school until about 6 p.m.? We can go to the library and work on the next chapter of your fanfic. If I help you with that, will you come with me to meet Anne?"

"You know, writing always did help me get out of a funk," said Luz, "and I have been looking to work more on that story. Okay, you've got a deal!"

After school, the two girls went to the library, where they spent time working on Luz's fanfic. They made some good progress, though, at one point, Marcy got a text from her father and had to leave for a bit.

"I shouldn't be gone too long, Luz," said Marcy to Luz before leaving. "I'll call you with the meet-up location later."

A short while later, Luz did indeed receive a call from Marcy, though there was something off about the way Marcy was talking.

"Hey, Luz. Are you there?" asked Marcy.

"Yeah, I'm here," replied Luz.

"Okay, great! Listen, there's a park we used to hang out at. I'll text you the address, so meet us there," instructed Marcy.

"Marcy, are you okay?" asked Luz. "You sound a bit nervous. Is everything alright?"

Marcy took a deep breath before replying, "Everything is going to be just fine, Luz."

Time seemed to fly by, and before long, the 6 o'clock hour approached. Luz left the library and headed towards the rendezvous point. She arrived and began to wait for Marcy and the others to show up. It took a lot longer than Luz thought it would. At one point, she even got a text from her mother, asking her how much longer she would be out. Luz saw the text but decided to ignore it. She was trying to clear her head and focus on her inevitable confrontation with Anne.

I'll text Mama back after I talk to Anne, thought Luz.

Finally, she saw the other three girls round a corner. They noticed her immediately, and Sasha was the first to comment.

"What is she doing here?" she asked in an accusatory tone.

"I invited her here," said Marcy, sticking up for Luz. "Anne, Luz here wants to talk to you. Sasha, why don't we leave them alone for a bit?"

"Actually, I think this will be a very short conversation," said Sasha.

"What?" said Marcy in shock.

"Oh, Anne and I were talking while we hung out today. I think Anne knows exactly what she wants to say to Luz," said Sasha with a grin.

"Luz," began Anne, as she walked up to Luz. "If you came here to apologize, then save your breath. I've had a conversation with Sasha, and she gave me some good advice. I think… I think we shouldn't be friends anymore."

Luz felt as though she had just been stabbed in the heart with an icicle. She didn't think it was possible, but hearing Anne say that somehow hurt even worse than the night of the dance. Already, she was fighting back tears as she tried to think of something, anything, to say in response to that.

"Well, now that that's settled," said Sasha, "let's open up that box and see if there's anything good in it, Anne."

Luz saw that, out of the corner of her eye, Anne took out a box from her backpack. It was the same one that Marcy had shown her earlier. How in the world had she been able to get it for Anne? Luz hardly had any time to dwell on this, though, as Anne, in one swift motion, opened the lid on the box.

Luz saw a bright, rainbow-colored flash of lights emerge from the box. It danced and flashed like lightning around the girls. After a second, a bright flash of white engulfed her vision.

When Luz opened her eyes again, she discovered she was no longer in the park. Although she was still a bit woozy from the light that burst in her eyes, she slowly started to take in her surroundings. It looked like she was in a swap of some kind. There were strange plants and watery bogs as far as the eye could see. As Luz got up (having landed in the water), the first thing she noticed was how dirty she was. There was mud all over her school uniform, and she could feel water leaking into her shoes, getting her tights and feet wet and soggy. Luz looked around some more to confirm that she was indeed not seeing things. After her surroundings didn't change, she began to call out to her friends.

"Sasha!" she yelled, "are you out there?" no response.

"Marcy!" she yelled. "Marcy, do you hear me?" no response.

"Anne," she murmured, before increasing her volume. "Anne, I know you don't want to be friends anymore, but will you please at least let me know if you are alright?" No response.

"Anne, I'm sorry! I really am sorry for what I did at the dance!" said Luz, on the verge of tears. "If you hate me, then you can go ahead and hate me. But please, at least let me know that you are okay. If you let me know you're fine, I promise you can hate me all you want. I won't ever bother you again." The tears began to flow out of her eyes.

"But please let me know you're okay!" she yelled.

"Please let me know you're okay," she said, almost in a whisper.

In desperation, Luz pulled out her cell phone and tried to call her mother, only to be instantly told her phone had no service. Luz looked around and noticed quite a few giant bugs. If the bugs of this world were that big, she shuddered to think of the size of whatever ate those bugs. The situation was quickly looking hopeless. Luz didn't know what to do. Finally, she broke down and cried, not just because of losing Anne but because the realization was setting in that she herself was lost and likely very far from home…

END OF ARC 1

NEXT TIME…

Arc 2: Teen Girl in a Frog World

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Chapter Text

ARC 2: Teen Girl in a Frog World

The light from the rising sun shone down on the world of Amphibia—a world that, outside of its scattered towns and great city, was a wild world of large insects, dangerous predators, and an unforgiving climate. A world in which Luz Noceda was struggling to survive. As the sun began to beat down, it awoke Luz from her sleep, though her sleep had been far too restless for it to actually do any good for her. Luz had lost track of time in the days that had passed since she first arrived in this world. While she had been able to construct a crude shelter out of branches and large leaves, it had done little to give her reassurance of any sort of protection against the many dangers that this world had to offer. Furthermore, she had been unable to find any sort of food, and hunger was beginning to take its toll on her. Water was another concern, as the only water Luz had managed to find was dirty swamp water, which was hardly something she wanted to consume. She was very glad that it had rained the other day, allowing her to simply open her mouth and drink some of the rainwater. Though, unfortunately, the rain had also been absorbed into the dirt and had turned the ground into mud once again. This mud was particularly thick and difficult to walk through. Once or twice, Luz lost one of her shoes in the mud as she struggled to walk through it.

Ugh, can you imagine if I lost my shoes in this place? she thought as she went to retrieve her shoe from the mud yet again. Luz pulled her shoe out of the mud, her white shoes having been thoroughly stained brown by both the mud and the swamps she had walked through. Afterward, she continued on her journey to explore her new surroundings and, maybe this time, find some food.

She hadn't seen any signs of civilization, nor had she run into Sasha, Marcy, or Anne. After a few days of searching for them, Luz had concluded that either she was entirely alone in this world or Sasha, Marcy, and Anne were here as well, just in a different area than her. While the thought that they were still here had given her some comfort, it was slightly offset by the fact that only a few minutes before she had arrived in this world, Anne had coldly told her that she didn't want to be friends anymore. Luz secretly hoped that if she did run into someone, it would be either Sasha or Marcy, but she hoped it would be Marcy. In the meantime, with not much else to do, she had erected a shelter and tried not to wander too far from it, hoping that she would either be found or somehow miraculously be transported home.

Occasionally, Luz would take out her cell phone and look to see if her service had been restored, though it never was. Sometimes, she'd delay looking at her phone, hoping from the bottom of her heart that this time would be different. But every time, it was the same, almost as if her phone were mocking her. Thankfully, her phone had been fully charged before she was zapped to this strange place, but Luz knew she would need to find a power source for her phone if she wanted to keep using it for its other functions. She had some music and videos stored directly on the phone that did not require the internet to play. Music had brought her some comfort from her loneliness and helped to keep her mental state in check.

As Luz was walking through the swamp, she came upon a large stick, which she decided to carry. It wasn't much, but she figured any sort of weapon would be good under the circumstances. She kept moving forward and heard some noises up ahead. Quietly, she made her way toward the noise and peered from behind a bush to see what it was. On the other side was a large purple butterfly, or was it a moth? She wasn't sure, but it was certainly big. It was flying around the ground, seeming to mind its own business. Still, Luz was careful not to attract any attention to herself and began to back away slowly. That's when she stepped on a stick, and the creature turned around.

Luz was face to face with the giant creature and stared into its enormous, compound eyes. Suddenly, the creature let out a loud screech and charged straight at Luz. Luz used her newly acquired stick and swung at the creature, hitting it on the head. The creature responded by flying into the sky, and it began beating its large wings, creating a gust of wind that tried to blow Luz away. Luz stood up and tried to fight against the wind. She used her stick and stuck it in the ground, trying to use it to help her brace against the strong gale the moth was sending at her. The moth saw this and stopped flapping its wings and instead flew straight at Luz, who was ready, though, and used her stick once again to hit the moth, sending it back into the sky. As she looked up, she saw the moth coming at her again, though it stopped just above her. It began flapping its wings again, but this time, it didn't create wind with them. Instead, it began to release a bluish-green powder from its wings. The moth creature directed this powder at Luz, who inhaled some of it and began to feel dizzy and sleepy. She got to her feet and ran away as fast as she could from the moth creature, and this time, it didn't follow her.

When Luz felt she was far enough away, she finally took a break and stopped running. She began coughing and panting, trying to get the powder that the creature had thrown at her out of her system. Luz began to get scared that she had inhaled some kind of poison and would succumb to it. Already, her vision was getting blurry, and she found it hard to keep her eyes open. Luz kept walking and coughing, doing her best to stay conscious. But she didn't last much longer, and soon she fell to the ground and passed out.

As it so happened, a trio of amphibians came walking by near the spot where Luz had fallen. They didn't notice her at first, though, as they were busy with their own tasks. They looked at the various flora and compared it to a list they had, trying to find certain ones.

"Hmmm," said a blue frog with blue hair, "I think this is one of the plants we're supposed to collect. Do you guys want to take a look?" she called to her companions.

The other two came over to look at the plant she was pointing at.

"I can't remember," began a small green toad, "are the leaves on this supposed to have three points or five? Because this one has three."

"Oh, honestly, you two," complained the third, a pink newt. "I thought you would have paid more attention to what our teacher said. The plant we need has five points, so clearly it's not this one. Not only that, it also has red berries that grow with the leaves."

"Hey, give me a break. I'm still new at this," said the toad.

"You didn't do any sort of preparation for your apprenticeship," scolded the newt. "I would have thought you would read up on some books or something before you came to start learning about magic."

"Well, it's kind of hard to do any of that when you're constantly being bullied for being a runt," replied the toad. "Oh, and I'm sorry I didn't have access to a private library like you did, Little Miss Perfect."

"That's enough, both of you!" said the frog, trying to restore order. "This plant is the last one on the list, so all we need to do is find it, and we'll be done for the day."

"Maybe we should split up?" suggested the toad.

"No, that's a bad plan," countered the newt. "We're deep in the wilds of Amphibia, and there are all kinds of dangers out here. We're better off sticking together in case we run across anything unfamiliar."

"Do you maybe mean like that?" asked the frog, pointing to a figure lying in the mud a few feet away.

"Huh? What is that?" asked the newt as she cautiously stepped towards the figure.

"Be careful," said the frog. "It could be a dangerous predator."

"Maybe it's sleeping," suggested the toad.

The newt got close to where the figure was and carefully turned it over using her foot. All three children looked at the figure, and it was unlike anything they had ever seen before. It was very gangly, with thin arms and legs. Its skin was a dark tan, and it was wearing a strange set of clothes. Its eyes were closed, but as the newt got close to it, she could clearly hear the creature breathing slowly.

"So, hey, you're from Newtopia, right?" asked the toad. "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

The newt stared closely at the figure before replying, "No, I haven't seen anything like this, nor have I read about any sort of creature like this. Could it be a new, as of yet undiscovered species?"

"A new species?!" said the frog excitedly. "I mean, do you think we could name it if that was the case?"

"Well, I know for certain my parents would be delighted if I told them I discovered a new species. They'll finally be proud of me!" said the newt.

"Hey, do you think Teach might know what this thing is?" asked the toad.

"Oh, yeah, good point," said the newt. "If Teach can't identify this thing, then I bet no one can. We should take this back to the house."

"I mean, how are we going to carry it, though?" asked the frog.

The newt got close to the creature's head and tried lifting her up by her shoulders. As it turned out, she was surprisingly light.

"Here, I've got this end," said the newt. "You two grab its… I think those are its feet. Grab those, and we'll carry her back."

"But what if she wakes up?" asked the frog. "We have no idea what this thing eats. It might eat us!"

"Don't worry, it won't be waking up for a while," said the newt confidently.

"Huh, how do you know that?" asked the toad

"Look closely around her mouth," said the newt, directing their attention to the creature's mouth. "See that bluish residue there? That's sleep powder. I get the feeling this thing ran into a Venomoth, and they use that powder when they get attacked by predators in order to put the predator to sleep, and then they fly away. It lasts for hours. I learned that from my library," she said smugly to the toad.

The toad grumbled at that statement but still helped to move the creature. With that, the three of them were able to grab the creature and move it back to the house they were staying at. The house was a cozy little cottage deep in the forest. It was mostly red, with traces of black mixed in. The door had an ornate silver bell with a string to pull on it. There was also a sign on the front of the house that bore the name of its owner. From the outside, it looked very normal, though, upon closer inspection, it was clear that there was artwork of salamanders all over, both outside and inside the house. As the three children entered the house, they placed the strange creature on a couch in the living room. She had continued to breathe but had not awakened from her sleep.

"Should we wake her up?" asked the frog.

"I think the more pressing question is, should we restrain her in some way?" said the newt. With that, she disappeared into her room and reemerged with some rope.

"Come on, help me, you two. We need to get it tied up before it wakes up," demanded the newt.

The frog and the toad began to help the newt wrap the rope around the creature. They were almost finished when suddenly the creature stirred and began to open its eyes.

As Luz began to regain consciousness, it took her a second to realize that she couldn't move. But since the rope hadn't yet been tied, she was able to easily work her way out of it and free herself. As she did, she noticed the three amphibians in her presence and let out a cry of surprise, making them bolt from the room and out the front door. Luz didn't follow and instead took in her surroundings. She was in a house of some kind. In fact, it didn't look much different from a house she might see in the human world. She noticed she was lying on a couch in the living room, where she could see a hallway leading out and one or two doors that likely led to other rooms. She also saw a staircase leading to an upstairs area of the house. For one brief second, she wondered if perhaps she had dreamt the whole experience and if she were, in fact, back in her world, having been taken in by a kindly stranger.

That hope was shattered, though, as the front door opened and a small, anthropomorphic frog came in through the door. The frog was a lot shorter than her and colored a light sky blue with a darker set of blue hair. She also wore glasses and was dressed in a green tunic. The frog stared at Luz, and then it spoke to her.

"So, uh, you're not gonna eat me, are you?" she asked timidly.

"I mean, I am hungry, but I don't really eat frogs. In fact, there's been very little in this world that I've found to be edible," answered Luz.

"What?!" exclaimed the frog. "You can talk?!"

"Of course I can talk," replied Luz. "Why wouldn't I be able to?"

"This is fascinating!" she exclaimed. "To think we may have discovered another intelligent species. It's better than we could have hoped for."

"Oh, so I take it you have no idea what a human is?" asked Luz.

"A human?" repeated the frog. "Is that what you call yourself? Human?"

"Well, that's what my species is called," clarified Luz. "My name is Luz."

"Wow, you have your own individual name? That is so cool!" said the frog. "Oh, speaking of which, my name is Lilly."

"Oh, like a Lilly Pad," began Luz, "because you're a frog."

"You even understand puns and humor. This truly is wonderful," said Lilly. With that, she opened the door and called out to her friends, "Gustav, Amara, come in! The creature can talk. It says it won't eat us, and it even has a name."

Two creatures entered the house again. One was what looked to be a toad. Luz wasn't entirely sure, but she did notice how small it was; it was almost the same size as the frog she had spoken to. It was green and had a sky-blue cloak on. It also had a small tuft of black hair on its head. The other was a newt, who towered over the frog and the toad. In fact, it was almost as tall as Luz herself. The newt had a scowl on its face as it looked at Luz with suspicion. The newt was pink, wearing gray clothes, and had long, flowing brown hair. The toad and the newt entered back into the house, still nervous, but Luz tried to assure them with a wave and a greeting. They were fascinated to see that Luz could talk. Lilly introduced Luz to the other two.

"The toad here is Gustav," she said, "and the newt is Amara. She's from Newtopia—the capital city of this land."

"Don't tell the monster where I'm from!" exclaimed Amara, the newt, in outrage. "For all you know, it could travel to Newtopia and eat my family."

"Listen, as I was telling your friend here, I don't eat frogs," explained Luz.

"Firstly, she's not my friend, more like an acquaintance. And secondly, how do I know you don't eat newts?" said Amara.

"I don't eat frogs, newts, or toads, I swear," said Luz. It was at that moment, though, that her stomach let out a loud and inopportune growl.

"Uh, I know that sounded bad," said Luz sheepishly, "but um, do you maybe have anything to eat around here?"

"Oh, well, if you come outside with me, I bet we could find some bugs," offered Lilly the frog.

"Uh, any chance you have something besides bugs?" asked Luz.

"Oh, Teach has a small garden outside, so I think she might have a few vegetables," said Gustav the toad. With that, he left the living room and went to the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with a carrot and a zucchini. Luz eyed the vegetables greedily, quickly reached out to take them, and began eating them. As hungry as she was, Luz chowed down and ate rather messily. In no time, she had consumed both vegetables, leaving the kids staring at her, slightly aghast.

"Sorry, I just haven't eaten for days," said Luz. "Honestly, I'm still a bit hungry."

"So, you're a strange creature that can talk like us, you seem to eat vegetables, not bugs, and you have your own name. This truly is astounding!" said Lilly. "Are there more of you out there? We've never seen a creature like you in Amphibia before."

"Amphibia?" asked Luz.

"That's the land we live in," answered Gustav. "All manner of amphibians live here, which is why we were fascinated with you. You don't look like an Amphibian of any sort, or really any kind of creature we've seen in the wild before."

"I guess that would be because, like I said, I'm not an amphibian; I'm a human," said Luz. "And also, I'm not from here. I'm actually from another world."

"Psssh, you expect us to believe that you just came here from another world?" said Amara, the newt in disbelief. "How exactly did you get from your world to ours?"

"Well, I…." began Luz before stopping. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she had a feeling that she shouldn't reveal the specifics of how she had arrived here. Partly because she herself wasn't exactly sure how she got here, but also because while these people were friendly to her, she wasn't sure about trusting them one hundred percent yet.

"I don't really know," answered Luz. "One minute, I was in my world, and the next, I was zapped here."

"Hmm, that sounds a little suspicious," said Amara, eying Luz suspiciously. "I don't think you're telling the truth."

"Hey, give her a break, Amara," said Lilly, sticking up for Luz. "I mean, even you said you've never seen anything like her before, so for all we know, her story is real. Hey, I just thought of something. Maybe some magic spell brought her here."

"I've never heard of any sort of spell that could pull a being from another world here," countered Amara. "Plus, what purpose would such a spell serve except to potentially bring more dangerous creatures here?"

"Did you say magic spell?" asked Luz, suddenly interested. "Do you mean to tell me I'm in a world where magic is real?"

The three kids stared at Luz at this statement, stunned by what she had said.

"Well, of course, magic is real," said Lilly. "In fact, the three of us are here on an apprenticeship to learn magic and become witches."

"You're studying magic?" said Luz in amazement. "That is so cool!"

"Yeah, it is cool," said Gustav, "especially because we have one of the best teachers in the land. Oh, which reminds me, I should probably go get her so she can have a look at you."

"Don't bother, Gustav," said a voice from upstairs. "I've heard enough of the conversation to have a guess at what's going on."

All eyes turned to the stairs as a new figure came down. The figure was old, though how old it wasn't clear. From her appearance, Luz guessed she was a salamander of some sort. Her skin was bright red with black spots all over. She had a huge mane of long, bushy, white hair flowing out of her head and was carrying a staff that helped to give her the look of a witch. Though she didn't carry the staff in her hands, instead, she used her tail to hold on to it until she got to the bottom of the stairs and then transferred the staff from her tail to her hand. She stared straight at Luz and gazed at her for a long time before speaking.

"So, you're the creature my apprentices found," she said, continuing to look at Luz.

"We found her in the woods while we were out looking for those ingredients you asked us to get," said Gustav. "We brought her back because we wanted you to have a look at her to see if you'd ever seen anything like this."

"I see," said the salamander.

"Is this your teacher?" asked Luz.

"Throughout the years, I have borne many titles," replied the salamander. "But yes, I am the Master of these up-and-coming witches in training. I have roamed the Wilds of Amphibia for many years, dedicating myself to uncovering its secrets and learning all I can about magic. My name is Uodeela—the Witch of the Wilds!"

Chapter Text

Uodeela stared at Luz, then pulled an object from her hair. The object looked like a magnifying glass of some kind and used it to look Luz over. It extended an extra set of lenses and came very close to Luz. After a few minutes of scanning Luz through the device, she finally stopped.

"I must say, in all my years of wandering the Amphibian wilds, I've never seen such a creature," she said. "Here, I thought I had seen and heard it all."

"She said she was called a human," said Lilly.

"Human," said Uodeela pensively. "Now that is bringing something back. Yes, I haven't seen a human in the flesh before, but I have seen a picture of one a long time ago."

"You have?!" said Luz excitedly. This was the first good news she'd heard in a while. Maybe this witch could help her.

"The picture did not really look like you, though," said Uodeela. "You look a bit small and skinny compared to the picture I saw. That's why I wasn't sure if that's what you were."

"When did you see a picture of a human?" asked Amara, intrigued.

"The Royal Library of Newtopia has many resources that you may not be aware of, child," replied Uodeela.

"So you know what I am? That's great to hear!" said Luz. "I know I just got here, and I'm sorry to impose, but do you think you can get me back to the human world?"

"Did you say you came here from another world?" asked Uodeela, eyeing Luz.

"Yes, see, the thing is, in the world I'm from, me and humans are everywhere. I have a life in my world, I have a family, and I have friends…" Luz trailed off and stopped talking, as she had once again reminded herself of what happened before arriving here. Did she still have friends back home?

"If you came from another world, then how did you get here?" asked Uodeela.

"I… I don't know," said Luz. In her head, she knew that there was a strong chance that she had gotten here because Anne had opened that box. Even so, it just felt so crazy to say it. Not only that, but she didn't even have the box with her, so talking about an object she didn't even have didn't seem like the right move.

"How could you not know how you got here?" asked Amara, a bit aggressively. "Doesn't that sound a bit suspicious, master?" she said to Uodeela.

"If she knew how she got here, don't you think she would have told us?" said Lilly.

"Why are you so quick to trust her?" accused Amara. "She's a member of an unknown species that just randomly showed up here in Amphibia and apparently doesn't know how she got here. We know literally nothing about her, and you want to trust her for no reason. I'm starting to see why frogs are so plebian."

"Hey! Take that back!" yelled Lilly defensively.

"If you stopped acting so stupid, then maybe I wouldn't say things like that," responded Amara.

"Enough! Both of you!" said Uodeela, raising her voice. "Neither of you are experts on magic just yet. I'm the only one in this room who is. Now, it might be possible that this human was zapped with a spell that transported her here. It could also be possible that someone cursed her in order to bring her here. While I haven't heard of such a thing, it could even be that she drank something that somehow transported her. The only other thing I could think of would be…" Uodeela trailed off before turning back to Luz.

"So, uh… Luz, was it?" began Uodeela.

"Yes, that's my name," said Luz.

"Did you come here by yourself or did you come with other people?" asked Uodeela.

Oh, no! thought Luz, she's on to me! But I have no way of knowing if Sasha, Anne, and Marcy were transported here with me.

"Well, there were some other people with me right before I arrived here. The last thing I remember is that the four of us were gathered together and…"

"Four of you," said Uodeela seriously. "Luz, please try to remember and think carefully before you respond. Are you sure there were four of you?"

"Yes, it was me, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy," said Luz. With that, she began digging in her backpack before pulling out the picture they had taken on the first day of school and showing it to Uodeela.

"Those are my friends," she said, indicating the people in the picture. Amara, Lily, and Gustav all moved closer to see the picture as well, amazed by the sight of more humans.

"Wow, are those other humans?" asked Gustav, intrigued. "Hey, they come in different colors, just like frogs."

"They look so gangly," observed Amara. "How does your species survive when it looks so weak?"

"That one next to you. I like her hair. It's so big and poofy," said Lilly.

"That's Anne, she…" Luz again trailed off, unable to finish, as once again she remembered what Anne had said to her, "Actually, I'm not sure if Anne and I are friends anymore. Something happened right before I came here that… Let's talk about something else."

"Yes, let's," said Uodeela. "Well, I had a theory about how you may have gotten here, but I'm not sure if it fits. In any case, I know a lot about magic, so you're lucky that you arrived with me. If it was magic that brought you here, then I am likely your best bet for getting home."

"So you'll help me?" asked Luz, hopefully.

"Yes," said Uodeela, "although I'll need your help with something first."

"Oh, well, sure. If you help me, then it's only fair that I help you. What do you need?" asked Luz.

"I need you to go on an errand with me. Actually, Lilly, you come too," ordered Uodeela. "The rest of you stay here and watch over the house. You can read your book on Amphibian plants to finish up our earlier lesson."

"But master, I assure you, I am already up to speed on my plant knowledge. I've read that book more than once," protested Amara.

"Well, reading it one more time won't kill you. And hey, learning and retaining the fundamentals will save you a lot of trouble in the future," replied Uodeela.

Later, as Uodeela, Lilly, and Luz were walking away from the house deep into the forest, Uodeela explained where they were going.

"There should be a toad outpost to the south of here. I've been keeping an eye on them ever since they set up shop here. It's not far from the town of Tadpole Pond, so I'll bet they're here to get their 'taxes' from that town.

"Whoa, time out," said Luz. "I'm still new here. So what exactly are you talking about?"

"Right, I suppose one of us should explain. Lilly, do you want to do it, or would you like me to?" asked Uodeela.

"You go ahead, Master," said Lilly. "I still don't like to talk about it." Luz noticed that Lilly's face fell as she said that last part. She suddenly looked very sad.

"Well, Luz, if you're gonna survive in Amphibia, in addition to knowing about all the things that could eat you, you also have to know about politics as well. Honestly, that might get you killed faster than the predators," said Uodeela, laughing at her own joke.

"In any case, as you might have surmised from the name, Amphibia is home to all sorts of amphibians, though there are roughly three main groups. You have the newts, who mostly live in Newtopia, the frogs, who inhabit a variety of villages, and the Toads, who are mostly concentrated in Toad Tower, far to the north of here. There are other smaller kinds of amphibians here, like me. I'm a salamander.

"Is there a place where salamanders live?" asked Luz.

"Not one specific place," answered Uodeela. "There are a few in Newtopia and some in the various other cities, but salamanders as a whole are, unfortunately, rare. There's a reason for that, but I don't want to talk about it now. The main point is that there are three main races: Newts, toads, and frogs. Now, newts are generally thought to be upper class. It's why the capital city is named Newtopia. A lot of them think they're better than others."

"Like Amara," said Lilly bitterly.

"Yeah, like her," agreed Uodeela. "I could tell when I first met her that her parents had done a number on her. She definitely grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth. I hope that I can maybe help her drop that attitude and see things differently, but I've had newt students before who didn't want to change, so we'll see. Moving on next, there are frogs. Frogs come in all shapes and sizes, and they live scattered because they're good at living just about anywhere. A lot of frogs are farmers, so they have a good connection to the earth. But, like I said, they tend to be good at everything. Heck, the last student I had was a frog who was a baker. She and her father were the local bakers for a town called Wartwood."

"Wartwood? That's so far away from here," said Lilly. "What was she like?"

"Oh, she was great," said Uodeela. "She had the perfect mindset for learning magic. I loved her personality! But getting back on topic, lastly, we have the toads. Toads are mostly all brawn and no brain. A long time ago, they used to serve as the royal guard for the king. But nowadays, they're little more than thugs who run an extortion racket against other towns. Their main base is Toad Tower, deep in the center of Amphibia."

"What do you mean, they run an extortion racket?" asked Luz.

"They collect 'taxes' from various towns, both inside and outside of the valley. But they don't use that money to help improve the towns in any way. It's basically a payment from the towns so that the Toad Army doesn't invade them. Hence, the whole protection racket," explained Uodeela.

"That doesn't sound right at all," said Luz.

"It isn't, but that's where I come in," boasted Uodeela. "Ever since I started living out in the wilds, I've made it my mission to harass the toads and steal back the taxes so I can redistribute them to the people."

"We're going to steal from the toads?" asked Lilly, a bit apprehensively. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"The toads aren't much of a threat to me because I know magic. But I thought with Luz here, it might be even easier, as she's a never before seen species," said Uodeela. "As I said, toads have almost no brain, so all Luz here has to do is pretend to be a savage monster, and we should easily be able to get their money."

"Wait a minute," said Luz, "you want me to pretend to be a monster to scare some toads?"

"I believe that's what I said, yes," said Uodeela. "Trust me, this will be a piece of cake."

The trio continued walking for a while. Eventually, Uodeela saw a flag with the toad symbol on it flying in the distance and stopped short, making sure to stay hidden from view. The group quietly moved forward to see two toads at a makeshift camp with a wagon full of bags of coins.

"Good haul this year," said one of them, a burly light green one.

"Yeah, Grime'll be happy when he sees this," said the other, a dark blue one. "He was worried about some towns maybe getting uppity, but it looks like that ain't happening."

"So I'm guessing those are toads," whispered Luz to the others.

"Yep, sure are, and it looks like they just got done collecting the taxes. All we have to do is get the money from them and redistribute it back to the citizens," said Uodeela. "So listen up, you two, here's the plan." With that, she began outlining the plan to Luz and Lilly.

The toads had built a small fire and were cooking some bugs over it when, suddenly, they heard a scream. They grabbed their weapons and looked around to find the source of the scream. After a moment, a young frog burst through the bushes, running towards them.

"Oh, thank goodness, I've found you," she said. "There's a monster in the woods. It's like nothing I've ever seen before!"

"A monster, you say?" said the green toad. "Good, I've been looking for a fight!"

"Don't you worry, girlie," said the blue toad, "we'll handle this monster."

The toads turned to the bushes where the young frog had emerged, where they heard a strange sound emanating. The bushes rustled a bit, and then a figure emerged from them. The figure was tall and gangly. It had weird brown skin and a smile on its face. It was making a horrible noise as it approached them.

"Raahhhaaa!" growled Luz.

"What is that?!" said both toads in disbelief. They began shaking at the sight of the creature.

"It's so unnatural!" said the blue toad as it began to run away.

"Hey, don't leave me!" called the other as it ran towards his companion. Within moments, the two toads were gone, leaving behind a wagon filled with coins.

"Nice work, you two," said Uodeela as she came out of the bushes and up to where the wagon was. "Now all we have to do is get this wagon out of here."

"Wow, that was way too easy," said Lilly. "I almost feel sorry for the toads. Almost."

"Yeah, we better get moving before they show back up. Who knows if they had any friends?" said Uodeela, lifting up a bag of coins in her hand. Right as she finished talking, though, a knife flashed through the air and came down on her hand. Uodeela let out a gasp of pain as her hand became separated from her body and fell to the floor.

"Nice try, you witch!" said a new red toad. He was much larger than the others. "I've heard about you, Uodeela the Salamander. You've been giving Grime trouble for too long. You, idiots!" he called to the toads who had run off, "it was a ruse! Get back over here!"

He turned back to Uodeela. "Your days of stealing from us toads are over. Grime will give me a promotion when I bring back your head!" With that, he grabbed Uodeela by the collar and raised her off the ground, ready to separate her head from her body.

"Now hold on a second, ugly," taunted Uodeela. "Do you really think Grime will believe that you defeated me?"

"Of course he will!" replied the toad. "I'm about to bring him your head."

"And how will Grime know that it's really my head?" said Uodeela. "For all he knows, you just killed a salamander who happens to look like me and brought him that head."

"I… well… When he sees that you're no longer interfering in his plans, he'll know I've succeeded where others have failed," said the toad.

While all this was going on, Luz collected herself and did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed Uodeela's staff and snuck up behind the toad, managing to hit him on the head with her staff, knocking him out.

"Great job, kid. I appreciate this assist," said Uodeela. "Now grab what you can, and let's get out of here." Luz, Lilly, and Uodeela grabbed some coins out of the cart and raced back the way they had come.

"We won't be able to get all of it," declared Lilly, a little disheartened.

"It's okay, this is a war of attrition," said Uodeela. "A little here and a bit there. As long as we stay alive to fight another day, we've won, no matter how small that victory seems." Lilly perked up on hearing this and grabbed a few bags of coins.

"Uodeela! Your hand!" said Luz, clearly terrified and looking at the spot where her hand had been severed from her body.

"Yeah, that smarts, isn't it?" said Uodeela, casually raising her stump and looking at it, annoyed. "Shoulda paid more attention."

"YOUR HAND WAS CUT OFF!" screamed Luz. "And you're treating it like a minor injury?!"

"Oh, right, I guess you don't have salamanders in your world," began Uodeela. "Trust me, I'll be fine. Right now, let's keep going. If we can get back to the house, we'll be safe."

"There they are!" exclaimed the red toad. He was chasing the group, along with the two other toads who had joined him.

"Ah, farts. Listen, you two," said Uodeela, handing Luz and Lilly her bags and turning to face the threat, "keep going and don't stop. I'll handle these ruffians. They may have gotten the drop on me before, but this time, I'll be fine."

"But—" protested Luz.

"No buts! Run!" she yelled. Luz and Lilly ran, leaving Uodeela to face the toads alone. Before she was out of sight, Luz looked back one more time at Uodeela and saw her close her eyes and get into a battle-ready position. She transferred her staff from her tail to her still attached hand.

When Uodeela opened her eyes back up, they were glowing a bright red. She was focused and determined as she stared down at her enemies. With a wave of her hand, she launched an ice spell that connected with the blue toad, freezing him instantly in a block of ice. The green toad saw this and continued charging at Uodeela, pulling out a large club and trying to hit her with it. Uodeela dodged the attack and several others that he tried to unleash on her. After his next swing, Uodeela blocked the club with her staff. At that moment, the red glow transferred from her eyes to the rest of her body. In a display of strength, she was able to knock the club out of his hand and, in a quick series of punches, hit the toad in four different pressure points on his body, causing him to fall over in a crumpled heap. That just left the red toad—the leader of the bunch.

"So, you really are as strong as they say," he observed, brandishing his knife, the one he had used to cut off her hand. "But it doesn't matter. I'll show you what I'm made of!"

As the red toad charged at Uodeela with his knife, he swung around wildly, trying to connect her with it. Uodeela managed to dance around and avoid his swings easily. She moved her staff to her tail and used it to help her block hits from the knife. Finally, she summoned a ball of fire to her hand, but instead of aiming at the toad, she aimed at his knife. She tossed the fireball at his knife, where it connected and caused the knife to heat up, forcing the toad to drop it. As he staggered back from the pain of the hot knife, Uodeela, in one swift motion, used her tail to sweep at his feet, tripping him. With him prone on the ground, Uodeela reached into her hair, grabbed a small bag of some kind, and threw it straight at the toad. The bag exploded in a puff of smoke, and when the smoke cleared, the toad had been transformed into a grasshopper.

"Ahh! What have you done?!" exclaimed the transformed toad. "I'll be eaten for sure if I stay like this! Hey, get back here, you witch, and change me back!"

Uodeela had taken this opportunity to run away. She continued in the direction that she had sent Lilly and Luz. A short while later, she found them. Uodeela sat down to rest, with the fight having taken a lot out of her. She finally pulled out some ointment and rags from her hair and handed them to Lilly so she could patch up her wound.

"I can't believe that guy got the drop on me. Maybe age is finally catching up with me," mused Uodeela. "Still, in any event, once you get that patched up, I'll be good to go and we can…"

"WHY ARE YOU NOT REACTING AT ALL TO YOUR HAND BEING CUT OFF?!" screamed Luz, still in disbelief at how casually Uodeela had treated the situation.

"Okay, kid, it seems you aren't going to stop screaming until I talk to you," she said dryly to Luz. "Firstly, stop yelling. It's annoying, and it doesn't solve anything. Secondly, seeing as you must not have salamanders in your world, let me explain. I can regenerate limbs."

"Well, actually, we do have salamanders in my world," clarified Luz.

"Then why the heck were you screaming?" asked Uodeela, annoyed. "I've lost a limb or two in the past. Just give me about two weeks, and I'll fully regrow a new hand. One perk of being a salamander."

"Can you regrow anything?" asked Luz curiously.

"It's mostly restricted to limbs and tails," said Uodeela. "If I suffered a mortal injury, then I don't think there's any coming back from that. Although…"

"What is it?" asked Luz.

"There was a legend of some special elixir," began Uodeela. "It's just a legend, though, 'cause I don't think anyone's ever tried brewing it. It was an elixir that if a salamander drank it and then died, as in died completely, the elixir would allow them to regenerate an entirely new body."

"Whoa, really?" said Luz, mesmerized by what Uodeela had said.

"No one's ever found out if it was real or not. I've tried to piece together the recipe for making that elixir, but if I can't do it, then I doubt anyone else can," boasted Uodeela.

"Still, that sounds like it would be sweet!" said Lilly, who was listening to the conversation. "Wish frogs could regrow limbs."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," said Uodeela. "Plus, as you can see, I've developed a rather cavalier attitude toward having my limbs severed. I'd probably be a lot more careful if I knew I couldn't just regrow a hand."

"Well, I'm done," said Lilly as she finished dressing the wound. Uodeela looked at her now bandaged stump and moved it around a bit before shrugging her shoulders.

"We aren't far from the house," said Uodeela. "Let's keep moving until we get there."

The trio continued walking, and before long, they had arrived back at Uodeela's house. Uodeela directed them to a basement at the back of her house. They opened the doors and stored the money they had taken inside. The basement had a variety of other things in it. Though it was full of objects, it wasn't so full that you couldn't move around in it. There was, in fact, a lot of space in the middle.

"Thank you, Master," said Lilly. "I still can't believe we did it, although we didn't get all the money."

"Like I said, kid, war of attrition," said Uodeela.

"Hey, I just thought of something," said Luz. "If the toads are so bad, why do you have one as a student?"

"Gustav is an exception," began Uodeela. "Kid is actually pretty smart. Might have to do with him being a runt. Well, the other toads might make fun of him for that, but honestly, I think it allowed his brain to develop more. He got teased and made fun of a lot, so his father sent him to me to try to make something of him. Not all the toads are on board with Grime one hundred percent. Some just pay lip service to him and then send their kid to be taught by his enemy. Funny world we live in, right?"

"I guess so," agreed Luz, "but have you told him about what the toads are doing?"

"No, I haven't, and I'd appreciate it if you two didn't either, at least not yet," said Uodeela. "He's still young and naïve. Plus, his father works directly with Grime, so I don't want him to get into any trouble. While we're on the subject, don't mention this to Amara, either."

"Would she even care?" asked Lilly.

"Hard to say. Maybe not right now, but I'm trying to get the girl to see the world outside her own bubble," said Uodeela. "At some point, I'll tell her, but I hope that by that point, she will actually care. We'll see. In any case, thanks for the assist back there, Luz. Really helped me out of a jam."

"Yeah, no problem," said Luz. "So, can you help me get home?"

Uodeela looked back at Luz and stared for a bit before saying, "Honestly, I don't know, but being as I am an expert in Amphibian magic, I give you my word that I'll do what I can to help you. For starters, you can stay with me until we figure out a way to get you back. All my rooms are taken, but I have some space here in the basement where you can stay. Let me get you some blankets, and we'll make a space for you here."

"You know, despite the dangers of today, I honestly had fun," said Luz. "Truth is, I've been in a bit of a funk because of something that happened between me and Anne before I left this world. This was the most fun I've had in a while." Luz paused before continuing, "So, you teach magic, right?"

"Was that not clear already?" asked Uodeela.

"It's just, well… I've had a bit of an obsession with fantasy, and this world may not be the PG fantasy world I've read about in books or watched In movies, but the fact that magic is real here is amazing! Do… do you think I could learn to do magic?" asked Luz somewhat hesitantly.

"So there really is no magic in the world you come from?" asked Lilly.

"Not like here, there isn't," said Luz. "It only exists in fiction, in books like this one," Luz said, pulling out her Azura book to show Lilly and Uodeela. "I've always wanted to try to learn magic, and now I actually have a chance to do that! So I have to at least ask if you'd teach me."

"Hmmm," mused Uodeela. "Well, most of the magic that exists out here is either brewing potions or performing curses. In theory, anyone could do that if they have the patience and aptitude for it, so I don't see why you couldn't learn to do that."

"But what about what you were doing?" asked Luz. "I saw your eyes glowing red, and you were able to cast spells out of your hand."

"I thought you were supposed to be running away while I was fighting those toads," scolded Uodeela.

Luz turned away sheepishly.

"Well, in any case, that kind of magic is different, and unfortunately, not just anyone can do that. Here, let me show you something." With that, Uodeela brought her staff over so Luz and Lilly could look more closely at it. That's when they noticed the bright red gem that was embedded in the top of the staff. The gem glowed brightly with a faint glow, and as Luz stared at the gem, she could have sworn she'd seen one like that before but couldn't remember where.

"This is a special kind of gem," explained Uodeela. "They are very rare, and they won't work for just anyone. First, you'd have to find one, then you'd have to keep it with you and hope that the gem would grant you its power. Oh, yes, the gem is sentient in its own way. I've formed a bond with this gem, and it allows me to draw power from it in order to cast magic, but I have to be careful. It takes a lot out of you to use this kind of power, and it requires years of training to learn to do it properly. But as I said, it's hard to find gems like these. All the magic I use is self-taught because of how rare these gems are. That being said, I can teach you about potions, elixirs, and curses, just like I'm doing for Lilly, Gustav, and Amara. I don't see why you shouldn't be able to do that kind of magic, since a lot of it is just mixing ingredients together in the right order and quantities."

"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, then yes! I'd still be interested in learning about that!" said Luz excitedly.

"Very well," said Uodeela. "You will stay here and be my apprentice. I'll teach you what I can about Amphibian Magic and do my best to help find a way to get you home. In return, if I need your help with something, then I expect you to help. I hope that those are agreeable terms," said Uodeela, reaching out her hand. Luz responded by stepping forward and enveloping Uodeela in a hug.

"I suppose that works too," said Uodeela, who was surprised by the gesture, but accepted it nonetheless.

Much later, Luz was alone in the basement, having changed into some pajamas and lying on her makeshift bed, when the door leading to the house opened and Lilly walked in.

"Hey, Luz," she greeted.

"Hey," replied Luz.

"I was just checking on you and wanted to see how you were settling into your new room," she said.

"Oh, I'm fine," said Luz. "Honestly, I'm glad to be sleeping on the floor in a house. When I first got here, I had to sleep in the mud and dirt outside. That, and I couldn't really sleep because of how worried I was I'd end up being dinner."

"Wow, that sounds rough," said Lilly. "I'm sorry to hear about that, but it's good to see you doing better. If you don't mind me asking, you mentioned that you got into a fight with one of your friends before coming here. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Honestly, not really," said Luz, "but I appreciate you asking."

"Oh, well, if you ever want to talk about anything, then I'm happy to listen," said Lilly. "I know you miss your friends, so I was thinking that maybe until you get back to your world, I could be your friend while you're here."

"Ha, really? You'd do that for me?" said Luz, a little surprised.

"Truth is, I've been a bit lonely since coming out here. Gustav is nice, but Amara's been mean to me, so I thought I'd ask you if you wanted to be friends," said Lilly.

"I think I'd like that," said Luz. "Thanks for checking up on me. I appreciate it, new friend." With that, Lilly smiled and went back up the stairs. Luz smiled to herself and laid back down on her bed, glad to be able to finally get some restful sleep for the first time in a while.

Upstairs in her room, Uodeela was pacing around nervously and talking to herself.

"She said there were four of them when she suddenly arrived here. I didn't want to press her further, because right now, it's just a theory, but it's a theory that has a 90% chance of being correct," she said to herself. With that, she grabbed a book from a shelf and began flipping through it until she stopped on a page that had a picture of an ornate box with four jewels in it—jewels that were similar to the one in Uodeela's staff. The description of the box named it "The Calamity Box."

"Can it really be that the Calamity Box has returned to Amphibia?" mused Uodeela. "I don't think Luz has it, or she would have shown it to me, but if it was the box that brought her here, then it means that not only are her friends here as well, but one of them has the box. And if one of them has the box, then there's no telling where it could be right now."

Uodeela closed the book and sat down on her bed, trying to calm herself down.

"It's the only explanation that makes sense," she said out loud. "While I suppose there's a faint possibility that Luz got here through some other means, it's looking very likely that it was the Calamity Box that brought her and her friends here. I'd hoped to never have to deal with that infernal box again! At the very least, I need to keep a close eye on Luz until I can learn more."

Sighing, Uodeela crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling. "What am I going to do?"

1000 Years Ago

Far from the palace of Newtopia, outside the city walls in a clearing of the forest, a red frog and a purple salamander were engaged in a fight. The red frog held onto a box with four gems in it.

The red frog gripped the box tighter and quickly dodged a fireball thrown by the salamander.

"Sheresade, please listen to me!" exclaimed the red frog

"Listen to you? After what you've done, Leif?!" countered the purple salamander. "You stole the box and put Andrias's reign in jeopardy. You betrayed us all on a whim for something you claim you saw."

"I thought you, of all people, would believe me," said the frog. "You know all about magic."

"This vision you claimed to have is nothing like any sort of prophecy I've ever heard about," answered the salamander. "For all I know, you're making it up."

"I wouldn't do this if I wasn't sure that we were in some kind of danger," said Leif, the frog. Leif continued to dodge Sheresade's blasts but eventually got caught when Sheresade launched a stream of water at her, knocking the box away. Leif reached for the box, but Sheresade summoned up some vines to trap her, leaving her unable to move.

"Enough of this foolishness, Leif!" yelled Sheresade as she moved towards the box. "For the sake of our friendship, I will spare your life. Go back to that town your mother grew up in or go wherever you will, but do not return to the palace. I will be going back with the box. I'll say I lost you or something. I don't care; I'll come up with some excuse, but do not test my patience any further, Leif!"

With that, Sheresade bent down to pick up the box. And as she did, she had a vision—the same one Leif had had. Sheresade quickly dropped the box and fell down in terror as she tried to process what she saw.

"You saw it, didn't you?" called Leif from her still-trapped position.

"I—I—I don't know what I saw," said Sheresade, confused.

"You saw the moon come down and crash into Amphibia!" yelled Leif, thinking she might actually get through to her now. "Admit it! That's what you saw!"

"No… I… How can this be?" asked Sheresade out loud. "I'm the foremost expert on all things magic in Amphibia, and yet I've never heard of this sort of prophecy."

"But now you know!" yelled Leif. "Please, let me go. Let's talk about this."

Sheresade complied and released Leif from her trap. Surprisingly, the frog came over and gave the salamander a hug.

"It's alright. I was so worried when no one believed me about that vision. But now that you've seen it too, I know that at least you believe me now, right?" asked Leif as she continued to hug Sheresade.

Sheresade didn't answer right away, but eventually, she did say, "Yes, I believe you now."

"What can we do to stop it?" asked Leif.

"I… I don't know," answered the Salamander. "My people have studied magic for centuries and yet have never heard of anything like this. I don't know if the salamanders would have the answer to this."

"What about the Olms?" asked Leif. "They've been around since the beginning of Amphibia, so surely they might know more."

"I suppose it's worth a shot, though let's hope they actually let us in. The olms can be very speciest, even in this day and age," said Sheresade.

"I'm glad the other races aren't like that," said Leif. "It's good to know that frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders can all get along despite being different."

"The thing is…" began Sheresade, "most amphibians don't know this, but before the box, we were divided."

"Wait, really?" asked Leif.

"Yes, we were," answered Sheresade. "Before the box, we were a much more primitive society. We tended to group among only other amphibians of the same species. In fact, there were frequent wars fought over resources, but when the newts discovered how to travel to other worlds, we realized that we didn't have to fight for resources any more. We could simply take them from other planets."

"Oh, I see…" said Leif slowly as she realized what Sheresade was saying. "In the back of my mind, I sometimes wondered if what we did… harvesting those other worlds. Was it the right thing? The king and other nobles told us… that it was crucial for the survival of our species."

"It was…" said Sheresade with some hesitation in her voice. "At least, it was in order for us to maintain the status quo. Once other worlds were open to us, there was no need for frogs, newts, and toads to fight amongst themselves. The newts told us that now there were limitless worlds available to us. They told the races that we had a new purpose. They said that if we united together, we could accomplish great things!"

Leif sat down and continued to listen to Sheresade speak

"To show that he was sincere, Aldrich's father began inviting frogs and toads to be members of his court, then he opened up the capital to all the other species. He said there should be no more barriers between us. So we listened, and we united. We came together as a species and began conquering other worlds. The resources we harvested from them allowed our civilization to prosper. Now there was enough for everyone, and we no longer needed to fight each other over precious resources. Eventually, after many generations, the old prejudices of the past faded away, and we did become one whole species."

As Sheresade finished, she glanced over at Leif, who was still processing all that the salamander had told her. Eventually, she spoke again.

"We have to go and see the Olms. They might be able to tell us more about the vision we saw," said Leif.

"Very well," agreed Sheresade. "Let's get going."

After their visit to the Olms, the frog and the salamander made a trip to Earth to leave the box there. Using it one more time, they both returned to Amphibia, far away from the palace and on the outskirts of a small town. Much time had passed since they left, and Sheresade had managed to regrow her hand. She flexed it a few times as they walked, testing it out.

"So this is Wartwood?" asked Sheresade, looking over the cliff at the town.

"Yes, this is where my mother grew up. I should be safe here," answered Leif. "It's far enough away from the palace that no one would think to look for me here. I can live a quiet life and go back to growing vegetables."

"If you're certain that's what you want, then I suppose that's fine," said Sheresade.

"What about you?" asked Leif. "You know, you could go back to the palace and say that you lost me or something."

"I couldn't do that," said Sheresade. "No, before I left to chase after you, I made a vow to Andrias." Leif looked up at her friend, concerned.

"I told him I would return with the box, or else I would not return at all," said Sheresade, hanging her head.

"Sheri, why didn't you tell me?" asked Leif in a serious tone.

"What's done is done," said Sheresade flatly. "When we made the decision to leave the box on Earth, I knew what it would mean for me, and I did it anyway. I feel I can make that sacrifice for our species' survival. I hope it was not in vain."

"So what will you do?" asked Leif.

"I will return to my own village. I think I will spend the rest of my life researching magic and trying to pass down that knowledge. Well, some of it anyway. Also, there's something else I must take care of," said Sheresade as she moved towards a shallow pond.

"Oh, I remember this spot," said Leif. "You had us stop here before we left. You said you had something to do. What was it?"

"Take a swim in the water, Leif," said Sheresade. "Look near the rock."

Leif dove into the water and approached the rock Sheresade had pointed out. She quickly swam back to the surface.

"Sheresade, there's an egg attached to that rock!" said Leif excitedly.

Sheresade smiled, and as she did, her cheeks began to blush. She explained, "Yes, before all that stuff with the box happened, Andrias and I… well… you know." She smiled as she recalled that memory. Leif understood her meaning and didn't press the matter further, though she did hang her head.

"I'm sorry," began Leif, "I was really looking forward to the wedding. It was never formally announced, was it?"

"No, Aldrich was going to wait until Andrias returned from conquering Earth," reminisced Sheresade. "There was going to be a grand announcement throughout the city. The wedding would have been lavish and extravagant. You… you would have been my maid of honor."

"Oh, Sheri, I'm so sorry," said Leif, her face falling.

"Andrias was going to ask Barrel to be his best man," continued Sheresade. "Aldrich was certain that a union between me and Andrias would have produced a strong heir. Well, now that I am on my own, I suppose I shall do my best to raise the child."

"Does Andrias know?" asked Leif.

"No, he doesn't, and though I doubt you would ever see him again, please, if by some chance you do, don't bring it up," said Sheresade strictly.

"Of course. I give you my word," answered Leif.

"There is one more thing. Here, take this," said Sheresade, handing Leif an old, worn book.

"Isn't this your old journal?" asked Leif.

"Yes, it is," replied Sheresade. "It was the journal I used to take notes whenever I explored a new world. I figured you should have it, as I have no need of it anymore."

"But why? Surely you would at least want to keep it?" asked Leif.

"I… I lied in that journal," admitted Sheresade. "Take a look, read a random entry, and you'll see."

Leif opened the book and flipped to a random page. She silently began to read, and after a bit, she stopped and looked at the salamander.

"You pretended to be an explorer?" she said in a low voice.

"Yes…" said Sheresade after some hesitation, "but it was a lie. I knew why I was really there. The King wanted me to scout out the worlds and make sure they were suitable for us to conquer. That was my job. And even though I knew what I was really doing, I pretended I was an explorer, learning about these worlds instead of seeing if the local population had anything of use for us to plunder!" she said that last part with bitterness in her voice.

For a while, silence passed between the two before Leif spoke again.

"Sheresade… Were we wrong to conquer those other worlds?" asked Leif slowly.

"If you had asked me that a year ago, I would have said no," answered the salamander. "But recently, I've begun to question things myself. I thought nothing of harvesting Earth, especially after meeting that vile human. I laughed in his face and told him that we were going to conquer his planet and he would never exist! Yet, when we went to Earth just now, I saw humans who were kind, humans who cared for their planet, and humans who weren't like him. I guess they aren't all bad."

"I thought those Moss-men were all primitive beings," began Leif, "beings who could be easily swayed. And now, after spending some time with the one I freed, I see how gentle they truly are. They didn't deserve to be harvested by us."

"With the box gone, Aldrich won't be able to conquer other worlds, but I wonder," began Sheresade. "I wonder if the amphibians will still be able to get along? Or will they go back to their old ways?"

Leif and Sheresade looked at each other, neither of them sure of the answer to that question, but they both remained hopeful that the Amphibians would stay united. After a moment, the two said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, never to see each other again.

Chapter Text

Luz yawned and stretched as she got out of bed. The floor had been a little uncomfortable, but she still had a refreshing night's sleep for the first time in a long time. Moving over to where she kept her clothes, she changed back into her old school uniform. It had been nice to take those clothes off for a bit, as she had worn them for several days in a row. As she put her uniform back on, though, she noticed just how worn it had become in her time, traipsing through the wild.

Her St. James shirt had stains all over it, and her skirt was relatively undamaged, but her blue tights had a big hole around the knee where she had fallen and scraped them against a rock. Her white Keds were all but brown, having walked through so much mud. On more than one occasion, she almost lost one of her shoes to the mud of Amphibia, though she was glad to have both of them.

"Ugggh," she said out loud, "I don't suppose I'll be able to get new clothes out here, but I don't fancy wearing this all the time either. Still, it's all I really have for now, so I guess we'll see what happens."

When Luz was finished getting dressed, she finally went upstairs to see that the rest of the household was seated at a table eating.

"Good morning, everyone!" greeted Luz cheerfully. "How are we all doing this morning?"

"Pretty good," said Gustav and Lilly.

"Fine, until you showed up," said Amara coldly. "So it's true then. Teach said you'd be staying with us for a while. Here I was hoping she'd be able to just send you back to your world."

"Trust me, we were both hoping that," said Luz, trying to be friendly to Amara. "But hey, in the meantime, it means I get to stay here with you guys and learn magic."

"What?!" said Amara, dumbfounded.

"Oh, did Uodeela forget to mention that?" said Luz. "I asked her if I could learn magic like you guys, and she said yes."

Amara's mouth hung open as she tried to absorb what Luz had just said. Thankfully, at that moment, Uodeela entered the dining room, holding a mug.

"Master, is it true what the creature just said?" asked Amara. "That you would be teaching her magic?"

"Did I say that?" asked Uodeela, a little out of it, clearly still sleepy as she sipped the mug she was carrying. "Eh, that sounds like something I would say, so I guess, yeah. Sorry if I don't remember the details. Didn't get much sleep last night."

"But, Master, how could you agree to such a thing?" asked Amara incredulously. "I mean, are you even sure that the creature can do magic?"

"That creature's name is Luz," responded Uodeela, "and you of all people should know that magic is just mixing ingredients together. There's no reason to think she can't do that."

"But, but, but," protested Amara.

"No more buts," said Uodeela. "Hurry up and finish breakfast, you guys. I'm gonna need you to make some deliveries for me today, on account of my hand being out of commission." As she said that, she waved her bandaged stump around.

"Here, Luz, you need to eat something to keep up your strength," said Uodeela, sliding a bowl of mashed bugs to her. Luz took a look at the bowl and had to stop herself from vomiting in disgust.

"Um, do you have any more of those vegetables? Maybe some carrots, potatoes, or tomatoes?" she asked.

All the occupants of the room turned to Luz as she said tomatoes.

"Hmmm, well, I suppose you do have some upper-class tastes if you like tomatoes," said Amara.

"You eat tomatoes?" asked Lilly incredulously. "Wow, um, I've never had one, but if you come back alive from getting some, I'd love to try one!"

"Toads have sometimes used the challenge of gathering tomatoes as a trial to prove their worth. Honestly, I can't see why people would ever want to eat them. They taste so bland," said Gustav.

"Tomatoes are used in a few potions that I know of," said Uodeela, "but getting them is always hard. Even if I had any, I'm not just going to give them to you to eat."

"Am I missing something, or are tomatoes really different in this world?" asked Luz.

"Wait, how are tomatoes grown in your world?" asked Lilly.

"They grow out of a vine from the ground," said Luz

"Wait, that's it?" said Amara. "They aren't guarded by a giant amphibian-eating plant?"

"Not that I know of," said Luz, a little slowly. "But I've never actually grown any, though, and I think I would have heard if tomatoes also grew a deadly plant that guarded them."

"In any case, I don't have any tomatoes right now, though you're more than welcome to try to get some later if you want." Uodeela left and went into the kitchen, then returned with a carrot and a potato, which she offered to Luz.

"So your species doesn't eat bugs, then?" asked Uodeela.

"Well, I suppose some humans do eat bugs. Humans can actually eat quite a lot of things, but bugs just aren't that appetizing to us," said Luz as she munched on the carrot. "I suppose, seeing as you are all amphibians, I shouldn't be surprised that you all like bugs. I've seen some pretty big ones out there! Are they like steaks for you guys?"

"Not sure what a steak is, but hang on a second," said Gustav. "You said you aren't surprised that we like bugs, but how would you know that's what we eat if you're new to this world?"

"Oh well, there are amphibians in my world too," said Luz.

"There are?!" exclaimed Gustav in surprise.

"The thing is, in my world, amphibians are a lot smaller. They also don't talk, and well, I suppose they don't really have any towns or cities. But I do know for sure that they eat bugs," said Luz.

"That sounds so sad," said Lilly. "To think there's a world where amphibians aren't an intelligent species. How dreadful."

"Well, enough depressing talk," said Uodeela. "Luz can tell us all about the horrors of her world tonight after you four have gone into town to deliver potions to my customers. You'll also have to collect payment from them and don't try to shortchange me. I have a list of exactly who is supposed to be getting what and how much it costs, so I will know if the money is short."

With that, Uodeela handed a bag to Luz that was full of various potions. She also handed a list with a pen to Amara that had the names and information of her clients, and finally, a small treasure box to Gustav to hold the money.

"You'll be going to the small town of Tadpole Pond," began Uodeela. "The list I gave to Amara has all the clients who have ordered potions from me and how much I charge them."

"Wait, you're sending Luz with us?" asked Amara.

"Is that a problem?" asked Uodeela.

"Um, hello? Of course it is!" exclaimed Amara. "Did you forget that she's a new, unsettling, strange, bizarre, gangly, HORRIFYING! creature that no one in Amphibia has ever seen before?"

"And if we keep her locked up here, all it will do is raise suspicion and make her even more disliked if she ever has to interact with other denizens of this land," countered Uodeela. "Look, you do bring up a good point, but that's also exactly why we need to introduce Luz to the people of the town. If they see her more, then they'll start to get used to her and hopefully come to accept her." Uodeela turned to Luz.

"Listen, kid, Amara is right. The folks in town have never seen anything like you before, so the first few times you visit, they might get a little nervous around you. I recommend you think of something to say on your way to town, something to try to assure them that you're alright," recommended Uodeela.

"Ugghh, it's not enough that I'm stranded in a strange world; I'm also considered a monster in that world," sighed Luz. "But I suppose you're right! I have to try to integrate with the people of this world, so I'll do my best!"

"Alright, you four, you better get going!" said Uodeela. "There are a lot of names on that list." With that, the four apprentices got ready and left out the door. They walked in relative silence on their way to the village, and in a short time, they reached their destination.

Tadpole Pond was a small town with a central pond (no doubt where it got its name from) and some scattered buildings and homes around the edge. Luz looked around and noticed that most of the inhabitants were indeed frogs, though she started to see many differences in the types of frogs, not only in color but also in small little things as well. She also saw one or two newts and a few species of amphibians that she didn't recognize. As the four apprentices entered town, all eyes turned to Luz, and many of the citizens began whispering and pointing at her. A small crowd began to gather near them, and Luz decided to try to convince them she meant no harm.

"Greetings, frogs, newts, and various other amphibians," she said in an attempt to be cordial. "I am Luz Noceda… the human!"

Hushed whispers came from the crowd as they wondered aloud what a human was.

"I have come to this land of Amphibia from far away, but I want to assure you here and now that I mean no harm to any of you. I do not eat any kind of amphibian, and I hope to even make friends with some of you," she continued.

"How do we know you won't eat us?" asked a frog in the crowd. "For all we know, you could just be saying that to get us to lower our guard and then swoop in for a snack."

"Yeah, he's got a point!" said another frog.

"I say we keep an eye on her and watch for any signs of her acting suspicious," said an elderly frog.

All the residents of Tadpole Pond seemed to agree and collectively gave Luz the stink eye all at once. Amara sighed with frustration and motioned for the group to leave and go back outside the town.

"Okay, Luz," said Amara once they were outside the town, "it seems that wasn't the best idea. So here, give me the bag, and the three of us will make the deliveries. You just hang here outside of town so you won't scare anyone."

"But I—" protested Luz.

"End of discussion," said Amara firmly as she motioned for Luz to hand over the bag. Luz did so begrudgingly and then found a rock to sit on outside of town while she waited for the others to finish the deliveries.

"Was that maybe just a bit too harsh?" asked Gustav as they walked away from Luz.

"It's for the better," replied Amara. "This way, we can get the deliveries taken care of without having the townspeople constantly be suspicious of us."

"You do seem to always take the more pragmatic options, Amara," said Lilly, "even when it means being mean to someone."

"Oh boy, here we go again," sighed Gustav.

"As I've told you before, I prefer the most direct course of action. I get results," said Amara.

"I'm surprised you want to take any action. I mean, you're a newt, right? I thought newts didn't take action. They prefer to leave menial tasks to others," said Lilly.

"Hmmm, good point," said Amara. "Maybe I should come up with a plan for the deliveries and then just give the list to you two and have you take care of them. I mean, as a Newt, I am a great planner, and I shouldn't have to dirty my hands with pointless work."

"Nice going," said Gustav sarcastically to Lilly.

"If you do that, then I will report you to teacher and tell her that you didn't help us at all," threatened Lilly.

"Hey, I did some work. I made a very effective plan and route for the two of you," countered Amara.

Luz watched in the distance as the three amphibians continued to bicker with each other. She sighed as she wondered just how they would manage to do anything if they were at each other's throats all the time. Her thoughts were interrupted, though, as she noticed an elderly frog come up to her—the same one who had told the crowd in town to treat Luz suspiciously.

"Hmmm," he said as he stared at Luz.

"Can I help you with something?" asked Luz a little stiffly as she recognized him.

"I wonder… Are you truly a beast from some unknown realm? If so, perhaps you can prove useful," he said.

"Um, it's a little weird that you're asking for my help after telling the town to be suspicious of me," replied Luz.

"Oh, I am sorry about that," said the frog, "but then I noticed how your companions shoved you to the side and how sad you looked because of that. Plus, I do feel a little guilty about my comment."

"Honestly, I'm starting to feel as though Amara has it out for me," said Luz. "Seems like she's always looking for an excuse to fight or say something demeaning to me."

"Yes, those newts can be stuck up at times. Perhaps you aren't so different from us at all," said the frog.

"Huh, well, thanks," said Luz. "Anyway, what did you want to ask me?"

"You see, I've wanted to try to get my hands on some tomatoes," said the frog. "Normally, that would be quite a challenge, but I think for a creature such as yourself, it might prove easier."

Luz paused upon hearing this. She remembered the conversation at breakfast, where Amara had mentioned something about the tomatoes being guarded by a plant of some sort. Still, perhaps she had been exaggerating a bit. This task might not be so hard.

"Yeah, okay," said Luz. "I'll help you get some tomatoes, then you can re-introduce me to the town and tell everyone that I mean no harm."

"Deal! The tomatoes are deep in the forest, but I know the way, so follow me," said the frog. "Oh, by the way, my name is Gaspar."

Amara, Gustav, and Lilly eventually stopped arguing and got to the actual work of delivering Uodeela's potions. The day passed by, and soon they had completed all the deliveries. They went back outside town to the spot where they had left Luz, only to not find her.

"Uggh, I guess she wandered off," said Amara. "Oh well, guess we should tell teach we lost her."

"Maybe she went home?" suggested Gustav.

"Well, let's go check then," said Amara. "If she's not at home, then it's likely she got eaten."

"Excuse me," said a female frog. "Are you talking about that strange creature who was with you?"

"Yes, exactly!" replied Lilly. "Do you know what happened to her?"

"I saw her talking with someone. I think they mentioned they were going to go into the forest and look for tomatoes," said the frog.

"WHAT?!" said all three apprentices in unison.

"Why did we even bother telling her about the dangers of tomatoes this morning if she wasn't going to listen?" complained Amara.

"We have to find her before she gets herself killed," said Lilly in distress. "Amara, go back to the house and get Uodeela; tell her what happened. Gustav and I will go after her."

"We will?" asked Gustav, somewhat hesitantly.

"Why do you care so much about what happened to Luz, anyway?" asked Amara dismissively.

"Because she's my friend," said Lilly defiantly. "Honestly, she's been a lot nicer to me than you ever have, despite being from a different world. Maybe you should try being more like her." With that, Lilly grabbed Gustav and headed into the forest after Luz, leaving Amara standing there, speechless.

"We're close now," said Gaspar. "It's not much farther. I must say, I'm glad you agreed to help me with this."

"No problem," said Luz. "I like helping people. And hey, I want to prove that I'm not a monster, despite what I must look like to you guys."

"Good to hear," said Gaspar. "Oh, we've arrived. Look, there in the distance are the tomato plants."

Luz stared in shock in front of her. To say that tomatoes were "guarded" was an understatement. She saw the bushes where the tomatoes were growing, and right above them were enormous carnivorous plants. They almost looked like sentient tomato plants. Even from a distance, Luz could see their enormous size and teeth. They roared and growled as they hovered above, the tomatoes gnashing their teeth and growling. Luz quickly regretted her decision to help this frog, but at the same time, she didn't want to break her word to him. She looked from the giant plants to the tomatoes they were guarding and tried to think of some way she could sneak past them to get the prize.

Come on, come on, think of something, she thought to herself. What would the Good Witch Azura do In this situation? She would probably cast a spell to get rid of the plant beasts and then swoop in to get the tomatoes, but what can I do?

Gaspar eventually interrupted her thoughts, saying, "If I may, I believe I have an idea."

"Oh, what is it?" asked Luz.

"If we work together, then I think one of us can distract the beasts, and the other can sneak in and take the tomatoes. You look a little more spry than me, so I reckon you should be the one doing the distracting," began Gaspar. "Once I grab the tomatoes, we can get outta here."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Luz. With that, she picked up a rock and nodded to Gaspar. Luz threw the rock at the plant monster and immediately got its attention. She then began running to the right of the creature, trying to get it to chase her. The three heads of the beast came after her and began trying to eat her. Luz jumped out of their range and saw Gaspar picking at the tomatoes, gathering them up. She continued to run from the plants until she felt she was safely out of their range. She watched as Gaspar ran away with tomatoes in his hands.

Luz didn't notice as a tendril crept up her leg and ensnared her. It began pulling her towards the carnivorous plants. Luz let out a scream and shouted for Gaspar to help her.

"Sorry, creature," called Gaspar. "I got what I wanted, and if you get eaten, I can claim I drove the beast away."

"You no-good traitor!" called Luz as she dug her fingers into the ground in an attempt to prevent herself from getting dragged to the plant.

"Ah, don't worry," called Gaspar. "If it makes you feel better, I'll make a fortune selling these tomatoes, considering how rare they are."

"Why would that make me feel better?" asked Luz.

"At least you can know that you died for a noble cause," taunted Gaspar, "making me rich!"

"Luz!" said a new pair of voices as Gustav and Lilly rushed into the clearing to help her. They were so set on rescuing Luz that they ran right into Gaspar, knocking him down and causing him to drop his tomatoes. Gustav and Lilly grabbed Luz's hands and attempted to pull her back. The creature redoubled its efforts to pull Luz into its maw, and it became a tug of war to try to save Luz. At the same time, Gaspar tried to gather up his fallen treasures. He wasn't paying attention, however, to the fact that one of his tomatoes had rolled right into the range of the tomato monster. As he rushed to retrieve it, he was snatched up by the plant's vines and instantly deposited into its mouth with a sickening crunch.

"I'm sorry I wandered off," said Luz to her two friends. "That frog needed help and said he would talk to the other frogs in town about me, but he abandoned me when I got caught."

"It's okay; we'll get you out of this," said Lilly as she continued pulling to try to free Luz.

"We sent Amara to go get teach, but I don't know if she came through," said Gustav.

As if in answer to his question, a fireball suddenly whizzed past the trio and hit the center plant, which howled in agony. The three turned to see Uodeela standing in the clearing, her eyes glowing red as she conjured up another fireball in her hand and launched it at the monster again. Behind her, Amara suddenly appeared as well and joined Lilly and Gustav in their effort to free Luz. Uodeela launched a third fireball at the plant, and it finally relinquished its hold on Luz. With Luz free, Uodeela concentrated and brought her staff to her hand. She made a quick slashing motion with her staff, which caused a blade of air to materialize and sever the root of one of the heads of the plant monster, killing it and halting its threat. Another of the heads lunged at Uodeela to try to eat her, but she jumped to avoid it. While in the air, Uodeela repeated the motion a second time to decapitate the second head and, finally, a third time to kill the final head. With the three heads severed, the monster was no longer a threat. Uodeela landed back on the ground and turned to face her students, her eyes returning to their normal color.

"Aye ai ai, I sent you to do a simple delivery mission, and you almost wound up getting killed," said Uodeela, shaking her head. "What the heck happened?"

Luz launched into an explanation of what happened, telling Uodeela all the details.

"Well, I guess I can't be too mad," said Uodeela. "I'm sorry about the town being cold to you. I should have figured that out, but I didn't think their reaction would be that bad. Still, you showed some real moxie by trying to get some tomatoes." With that, Uodeela turned to the now unguarded tomato bush.

"I guess this day wasn't a total loss," said Uodeela, grinning as she began thinking of an idea.

A few days later, Uodeela had set up a small stand in town and was selling some new wares.

"Few amphibians have ever tasted the glorious splendor of tomatoes," she said as she held a tomato in her hand and showed it off to the crowd. "Now, I, Uodeela, the witch of the wilds, have managed to bring this rare delicacy from the forest into your mouths. For a price, that is."

Immediately, the crowd went crazy, offering money to Uodeela for the tomatoes. In less than an hour, she had managed to sell out her entire stock.

"Well, I gotta hand it to ya, kid. Your foolhardy and reckless decision ended up being a prime moneymaker. You should take stupid risks more often." She had said this to Luz in jest, but she noticed how the comment seemed to make the human look sad.

"Hey, I was joking, kid," said Uodeela, placing a hand on Luz. "Look, don't feel bad about this. Sometimes, you get in a bad situation, and you have to learn to make the best of it."

"I almost died," said Luz morosely. "If you hadn't shown up, I would have been plant food."

"But you weren't, at least not today. Look, I was trying to make you feel better about this. Fact of the matter is, in life, you're going to make one or two stupid mistakes, but you can't let that discourage you," said Uodeela.

"I know," began Luz, "it's just that this world is so dangerous. It's not like my world at all, and it's not what I imagined a fantasy world would feel like either. There were no giant bugs, killer plants, or evil toads in my world. I keep thinking of how fragile I am and how easily I could die in this world, and then I think of my friends." Luz paused as she realized what she was thinking.

"I don't know if they were brought to this world or not, but if they were, then for all I know, they could have been killed or eaten, and I'd never even know," said Luz.

"Hey, you can't think like that," said Uodeela. "Tell you what, while I work on trying to get you home, I'll also do some digging and see if I can maybe find out what happened to your friends, okay?"

Luz perked up a bit at hearing this and smiled.

"That's the spirit!" said Uodeela. With that, she handed her some coins she had earned. "You like bread, right? There's a local baker in this town, so why don't you get some bread for yourself and maybe stop by another stall that sells fruits or vegetables that you like? It is because of you that I have this money. Take Lilly and Gustav with you."

With that, Luz, Gustav, and Lilly went off to get some food. Amara stared after them, frowning.

"You know, it's a good thing you got me when you did," said Uodeela to Amara. "If you'd waited any longer, I might not have been able to save Luz."

"I… well… Good, I guess it all worked out then," said Amara, still looking at where the other three had left.

"Lilly says she was surprised that you not only got me but also came yourself to help Luz. said something about the two of you arguing earlier," began Uodeela. "Wanna tell me what that was about?"

"I… no… Not really," replied Amara, in a dejected tone.

"Look, kid, maybe it's not my place to say, but whatever other newts have told you, we're all amphibians here. No species is inherently worse or better than another. Just food for thought," said Uodeela.

Amara stood there once again, speechless, as she gazed out and saw Luz laughing and enjoying herself with both Gustav and Lilly. Amara was still somewhat shaken by what Lilly had said to her about how mean she had been to her. A part of her wanted to join in with them and hang out as friends, but another part of her was remembering what her parents had told her about other amphibians, right before she had left to become Uodeela's student.

Now don't forget, dear, said her mother, you're a newt, and newts are at the top of the social caste in both Newtopia and in all of Amphibia. We only ever associate with other Newts of similar status.

Quite right, said her father. As a newt, you are much more intelligent than those stupid toads and much better at planning than frogs. We newts are above such things as "fieldwork." Don't feel bad about looking down on those other, lesser species.

You're going to be learning alongside other species, said her mother, so I expect you to do better than the others. Help to prove that newts are the best and deserve to be on top.

It's your birthright to be the best of the amphibian species, said her father. Never forget that, Amara.

As these thoughts played out in her head, Amara was, for the first time in her life, starting to wonder if everything her parents had told her in regard to other species was true.

Chapter Text

A few days after the tomato incident, Uodeela regrew a new hand, and she seemed glad to have it. She showed it off to Luz one morning in order to assuage her fears of losing her old one.

"Ah, feels good to have both hands again," she said, flexing, and turning it in front of Luz. "See, kid? Good as new."

"I still can't believe you can do that," said Luz. "I must admit, I'm a little jealous."

"Well, here's hoping I don't lose my tail anytime soon," began Uodeela. "Ah, don't worry, I can regrow that, too. It just takes a bit longer."

"Well, good to know anyway," said Luz. "In the future, I'll try not to freak out if I see you lose a body part since I know how easily you can regrow them."

As the days and weeks passed by, Luz got used to the routine with Uodeela and her apprentices. She would spend some days lecturing her students about the various types of potion ingredients and how to prepare them. On other days, she would take her students out on a walk in the forest and point out different types of plants and what they could be used for. On other days, she would prepare a potion in front of her students for some practical knowledge, and then drink it to show its effects. Though as of yet, she hadn't had her students try to prepare a potion of their own, that would soon change.

"Good news, pupils," declared Uodeela one morning. "Today, for the first time, each of you is going to prepare a potion as part of our work today."

"Yes!" said Amara with excitement. "It's about time."

"Wow! I can't wait!" said Lilly.

"So what kind of potion will we be brewing?" asked Gustav.

"I figure let's start small with a nice sleep potion," said Uodeela. She turned a few pages in the book she was holding until it landed on the page she was looking for. She turned the book around to show her students.

"This basic sleep potion is great if you want a full, relaxing eight hours of dreamless sleep," said Uodeela. "This potion is in demand from farmers and laborers who have had a hard day and need a swig of this stuff to help them recover. It's not terribly complicated to make, and it's also unlikely to kill you if you prepare it wrong."

"That's reassuring," said Luz dryly.

"So you can grab a cauldron from my kitchen and use your book to prepare the potion," said Uodeela. "I have stores of ingredients in my cupboard, though one flowers that is required for the potion needs to be harvested fresh. So if you head out into the forest, you should find it. Now, this isn't a race, so don't rush. Take your time and reread the instructions if you need to."

With that, the apprentice went to grab some cauldrons and set them up in their own workspace. Luz looked over her book carefully and did her best to gather ingredients for her potion. The first thing she needed was water, which was easy enough to put in her cauldron. Then she looked in her book to see what she would need. Luz began gathering her ingredients and bringing them to her pot. Finally, she saw the flower that would be needed. It was called "The Blue Orchid." Uodeela had mentioned that they were fairly common in an area just to the north of her house. Luz started out alone but was joined by Lilly and Gustav as they walked together to find the flower. As they moved into the clearing, they saw Amara, already having picked her own flower, walking back to the house with a smirk on her face.

"Better hurry up, slowpokes," she teased. "At this rate, I'll be done by the time you even find the flower."

"It's not a race, Amara," called Lilly. "Teacher said so."

"Whatever," said Amara dismissively as she turned to walk back to the house.

"At least we know we're heading in the right direction," said Gustav. The trio continued walking and eventually found a clearing with many blue orchids growing in it.

"These are so pretty," observed Lily. "I almost hate to have to mash it up and use it in a potion."

"So if a guy frog wanted to impress you, then maybe he should give you one of these," teased Luz.

"Oh well, I guess, but honestly, it would depend more on what my father wanted," replied Lilly.

"Huh?" asked Luz.

"Oh, right, not from here," began Lilly. "Most frogs still do arranged marriages. That is, your family has a say in picking out your future spouse."

"What?!" exclaimed Luz. "That sounds terrible! You mean your parents can force you to marry someone? In my world, they used to have arranged marriages, and it was awful, especially for the women."

"Well, yes and no," said Lilly. "I doubt my father would ever force me to marry anyone. While some families might force their children, I know my father wouldn't."

"Really?" asked Luz.

"Yeah, honestly, the person you should feel sorry for is Amara," said Lilly. "Her family is upper class, so I get the sense they would force her into a marriage if it helped them get even more wealth or help form some sort of alliance between them and another family. I doubt she'd have much choice about who she marries."

"In any case," said Gustav, "we have the plants we need. Let's head back to the house and start grinding these up." With that, the group marched back home.

Luz began using a mortar and pestle to mash the flower. The instructions called for the flower to be ground into a paste and boiled in the cauldron. After that, she added the other ingredients and brought the whole concoction to a boil. When that was done, she let it simmer for a few minutes, then let it cool. The potion looked good. It had a shy blue color to it, similar to its description in the book. Luz got a small test tube and scooped up some of the potion to give to Uodeela. Uodeela took a look at the potion and nodded in approval.

"I'll keep this and run my own analysis on it to see how you did," she began. "But to truly put it to the test, you need to scoop up some and drink it tonight. If you've prepared it correctly, then you'll have a nice, restful, dreamless sleep."

"Oh, okay," said Luz, a little nervous.

"Don't worry, kid, this is a beginner's potion. Trust me when I say that even if you prepare it wrong, you won't die. While Luz wasn't entirely reassured by that comment, she did feel a bit better.

As her bedtime approached, Luz got into her pajamas and got ready for bed. She drank the potion in one gulp. It tasted like grapes. Almost immediately, Luz felt the effects of it as her eyelids became heavy and she drifted off to sleep. The next morning, she woke up feeling refreshed and revitalized. It turned out her companions had all prepared the potion correctly and slept well, too.

"I told you this one was easy," said Uodeela to her students. "Now get ready. We're going to keep going."

Over the next few weeks, the students continued to learn new potions. Some potions were ingested to gain their effects, while others were ones that you mixed together and stored in a bottle before throwing them. When this potion reacted with air, it would have a reaction. Uodeela taught them a useful fog potion that you could throw on the ground to make a smokescreen, a potion that gave you a temporary increase of strength, allowing you to lift heavy objects, a potion that improved your vision, allowing you to see a long distance away, and a potion that increased your stamina, allowing you to run or do strenuous tasks for a long period. Luz and the pupils managed to make all of these successfully, and they were filled with confidence at their success. The days and weeks melted into each other, and for a time, Luz was happy. She had adjusted well to her new life in Amphibia, and her friendship with both Lilly and Gustav was growing as the three started to bond more. While Luz would occasionally think about home and her friends, she had to admit that learning about potions was a lot more interesting than any subject she had learned in school.

On this particular day, Uodeela was showing them an explosive potion.

"Essence of Harrid's Bane is the key ingredient in this one," lectured Uodeela, showing them a picture of the flower and its stamens. "Now, you have to be careful with this one, as it's very potent. The amount of Harrid's Bane that you add to the potion will determine how powerful the explosive is. And trust me when I say, a little goes a long way."

"So how much would you recommend?" asked Lily.

"One stamen that's been properly prepared and liquified will give you a nice, big explosion," said Uodeela. "The great thing about this potion is that you can keep the Harrid's Bane separate from the rest of the ingredients for safety if you want. The potion doesn't become volatile until it's added to the main mixture. At that point, I wouldn't hold on to it for much longer, so you'd best throw it at whatever you're trying to explode. Now, this flower is a little tricky, as it only grows in areas with little sunlight, making it hard to find. Though you can usually find them in caves and tunnels. There's a cave not far from here where I believe you can find some."

"So are we going to go get some right now?" asked Luz hopefully.

"No," said Uodeela.

"What?!" said Luz in surprise. "I thought that's why you were teaching us this potion?"

"Actually, I am teaching you that potion so I can segue into another topic," said Uodeela. "You see if you're going to go exploring in a cave for a flower, then you're going to need a light source in that cave. So before you go looking for that flower, I'm going to teach you an elixir."

The three amphibians let out an "Ooooo" at this proclamation.

"So, what exactly is the difference between potions and elixirs?" asked Luz.

"Sigh, yet another basic thing about our world that the outsider doesn't know about," said Amara dismissively.

"Since you seem to be so concerned about that, Amara," said Uodeela, "why don't you explain the difference to Luz?"

"If I must," said Amara smugly. "A potion is a basic mixture of ingredients, so they are usually very easy to make and are either drunk to gain their effects or thrown to cause them. An elixir is a much more complicated mixture, whereas potions are not required to have perfect measurements, and most are not affected if the ingredients are slightly off. Elixirs require a PRECISE calculation of ingredients, as even a small deviation could make the Elixir worthless. Not only that, but Elixirs tend to require much longer to prepare, and unlike potions, which are either drunk or thrown, elixirs are always drunk to gain their power. Finally, elixirs require a precious stone to be added as the final ingredient, and they need to be left to simmer for a long time, usually overnight, in order for the elixir to absorb the properties of the stone and function correctly."

"Hmm, very good," said Uodeela. "That was actually a good explanation."

"I do actually know what I'm talking about," said Amara. She turned to Luz before continuing, "I'm also better than you."

"Okay, we get the picture," said Uodeela, trying to restore order. "In any case, I will teach you how to brew the Elixir of Light. As elixirs go, while it is more complicated than any potion you've ever attempted, it is one of the easiest to prepare. When this elixir is drunk, it will give you night vision for up to three hours. If you can prepare this elixir correctly, you will be able to explore the cave and have no trouble seeing in the dark."

Uodeela took the book she was holding and flipped it to a different page. This page showed the recipe for the Elixir of Light. The first thing all the students noticed was the long list of ingredients. Uodeela turned the page to show them the equally long instructions for preparation.

"Well then, I have a few stores of some of the things you'll need," began Uodeela, "but the rest you'll have to go out into the forest and find for yourselves. I'd recommend you all work together to gather what you need. Also, the elixir has to simmer overnight, so make sure you leave yourselves time for that to happen."

"Do we have to work together to gather the ingredients?" asked Amara morosely. "I mean, what about those of us who are already well-versed in identifying various plants for use in potions? The ones who aren't might hold us back." She glanced at Luz, Lilly, and Gustav to show who she was talking about.

"You know, Amara," began Uodeela, "some might say that if you really are better at identifying plants, you should share your knowledge and expertise with others. Perhaps if you helped others, they might rise to your level of expertise. Have you ever thought about it that way?"

"Can't say I have," said Amara, "but I suppose working together will allow us to work faster, in theory."

"Well, you all better get out there and get at it then," said Uodeela.

With that, Amara and Gustav went to Uodeela's potion stores to see what she had. They marked off a few ingredients while Luz and Lilly wrote down the rest of what would be needed out in the wild. After writing down the list, the four pupils went off into the forest. It took hours, but they eventually managed to gather everything they needed. The sun was setting as they made their way back to Uodeela's house. Uodeela told them that they didn't need to start brewing it tonight as it took a long time, so they got ready for bed and an early start the next morning so they would have as much of the day as possible to work on the elixir.

The next day, the students woke up early and began the vigorous process of preparing the Elixir of Light. It took almost the whole day, as the ingredients needed to be prepared in specific ways. The elixir, as a whole, needed to boil and simmer for specific periods of time. Luz was honestly a bit flustered as she worked to try to get everything just right. As evening approached, it was time to add the precious stone. In this case, add quartz and let the elixir simmer overnight. If everything had been prepared correctly, then the elixir would turn a yellow-golden color when it was ready the next day.

When the next day came, the four students rushed to take a look at their mixture. Only Amara's cauldron had golden liquid in it, which was disappointing to the other students.

"Well, this wasn't that surprising," boasted Amara. "There's a reason that newts are better than other species, and now you can see why."

The others didn't really have much to say in response to that as they looked over their failed elixirs, which ranged in different colors. Luz's was close; it was a bright yellow compared to Amara's more subdued gold. Luz stirred her elixir with a spoon and wondered what could have possibly gone wrong. At that moment, Uodeela came down to greet them.

"Well, let's have a look-see at your first attempt at an elixir," she began.

"Amara was the only one to make it successfully," said Lilly bitterly.

Uodeela looked at the different pots and saw that none of them were the correct color. She stopped at Luz's, at first thinking it was, but then quickly realized it wasn't.

"It may look the correct color," began Uodeela, "but let's have a drink and make sure it works properly." With that, she dipped a ladle into Amara's mixture and spooned it into her mouth, then she went down into the basement, making sure not to turn on any lights. After a few minutes, Uodeela reemerged.

"Seems like Amara knows what she's doing," said Uodeela. "Her Elixir of Light works perfectly. Well, very good work, Amara. I recommend you bottle up the rest of it and keep it for future uses. As elixirs tend to be complicated, you'll definitely want to keep some around. As for the rest of you, good effort. You can try again some other time, but don't get discouraged."

"Thank you, master," said Amara. "Does this mean I can go into the cave to get the Harrid's Bane?"

"If you'd like," said Uodeela, "but be careful." As soon as Amara left, Uodeela went to talk with her other students.

"Don't feel bad," she began. "Amara has no doubt reaped the benefits of being raised in an upper-class life. She probably had a private tutor, butler, and maid."

"And a private library," added Lilly. "She told us about that one."

"Which is why I say don't worry too much about the fact that she got it right on her first try," said Uodeela. "You don't have that kind of resource, but you've still been able to do well with what I've taught you. And Luz here isn't even an Amphibian. She's a complete outsider, but still managed to brew potions correctly."

Luz took another look at her elixir before responding, "It's just frustrating that it looks so close to the right color, and yet, it's not right." She paused before adding, "Hey, is this safe to drink? I know it might not work, but I'd still like to test it just to see. But only if it won't poison me."

"It should be fine," said Uodeela. "If the elixir wasn't prepared properly, then it wouldn't have any effects. You're welcome to try."

Luz took a sip of the elixir, and it tasted just like honey. She didn't feel any different after, though she ventured down to the basement, making sure to keep the lights off to test and see if it would work. As soon as she descended the stairs, she could tell that she couldn't see in the dark. She tried taking a few steps, only to trip on her own makeshift bed and fall to the ground. Luz growled in frustration as she sat on the ground. In her mind, she tried imagining being able to see in the dark or, at the very least, creating some kind of light source in order to help her see.

It was then that something happened. A small orb of light appeared in her hand. Luz jumped back in surprise at this development, but after the initial shock wore off, she looked down at her hand and the glowing orb in it. She couldn't believe what had just happened! She released the orb into the room and watched as it hovered In the air, shining a light for her to see.

"UODEELA!" she called to her mentor. A second later, the doors to the basement opened, and Uodeela came down, her eyes immediately moving to the orb of light.

"What?!" she said in disbelief. "How did you do that?"

"I was just thinking about having a source of light so that I could see, then suddenly, this orb formed in my hand," said Luz.

"That's incredible," said Uodeela. "See if you can do it again."

Luz sat down, closed her eyes, and thought about light again. And once again, an orb of light formed in her hand. It was larger this time. Luz held it in her hand and showed it to Uodeela.

"That's interesting," said Uodeela. "Keep trying. I want to see what you can do."

"What's going on down there?" said Gustav's voice. He appeared at the entrance to the basement and was amazed at what he saw.

"Whoa! That's pretty cool! How are you doing that?" he asked.

Luz concentrated, and in her mind once again, she imagined light. Though this time, she imagined it forming in her hand. It was a lot easier to make this time because of that. Again, the orb formed in her hand. This time, she pulled her hand back and shot it forward, causing the orb to fly straight at Gustav. It gave him a small scare, but then dissipated harmlessly against him.

"Wow, that's kind of like teacher's magic!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, it is," said Uodeela. "Here, I'll show you." Uodeela closed her eyes, and when they opened, they were glowing red. After which she summoned an orb of light to her hand, exactly the same as what Luz had done. Uodeela released it into the air before closing her eyes and returning them to their normal color.

"Usually, that kind of magic is only possible when you've bonded with a special gem," explained Uodeela. "I believe I told you this before, right?"

"Yeah, you told me about it and showed us the gem you have," said Luz. "How do you think I'm able to do this?"

"I don't know," answered Uodeela. "For now, let me take a sample of your elixir and study it. Maybe I'll be able to figure it out. I think a good theory might be that your drinking the elixir had some unforeseen effect on you. That being said, I think you'll only be able to form these light orbs for as long as the elixir remains in your system. You should probably bottle up the rest of it for the future."

Luz went back upstairs to bottle the rest of her elixir. Uodeela and Gustav followed her, though Gustav tried to talk with Uodeela about something.

"Master, I've read a few books about the history of Amphibia. I know there was a time when gems like the one you have were a lot more common, but it's always been weird that we seem to not be able to figure out what happened to them," said Gustav.

Uodeela stared at him, not responding.

"Do you think maybe the reason Luz can do magic is that she's somehow bonded with a gem? Luz has said she's from another world, so maybe gems that grant magic exist in her world?" said Gustav.

"A good theory, but there's one problem," said Uodeela. "Luz has said that there is no magic in her world. If there were gems that granted power in her world, then I can't see how magic couldn't exist."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that. I guess you have a point," said Gustav. He scratched his chin before continuing, "Hmmm, maybe the method that brought Luz into our world did something to her and gave her powers. Perhaps the elixir did something to awaken them?"

"That's certainly a more plausible theory, though the problem there is that neither we nor Luz seem to know how she got here. If we knew that, we might be able to make a better guess," said Uodeela.

"Yeah, you're right about that," said Gustav, right as Luz came running back to the basement.

"I have about seven bottles of elixir," exclaimed Luz. "If this ability does wear off, at least I know I'll have some stockpiled for the future."

Later in the evening, Uodeela was up in her room reading a book when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," she said. Luz entered her room, looking a little depressed.

"You were right about the elixir," she began. "It eventually wore off, and now I can't make those light orbs anymore."

"I'm sorry about that," replied Uodeela. "Still, it's good to know that you have some saved. I'm still not exactly sure how you were able to do that, but it will be interesting to see what else you can do if given a different elixir."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," said Luz. "Thanks again for teaching me what you have. Being stuck in a strange world is rough, but learning magic has been fun. Goodnight!" As Luz left, Uodeela's thoughts turned to herself and how she had first learned to brew potions.

500 Years Ago

"Good job, Uodeela," said her mother as she looked over Uodeela's elixir.

"Yes, I think that looks perfect," said another older salamander.

"Well, it's my first time trying," said a much younger Uodeela. "I'm glad I have both my mom and my grandmother to help me."

"That's why someday, you'll be a great witch in your own right," said her mom.

"Hey, grandma," asked Uodeela, "is it true that you used to work directly with the king?"

Sheresade hesitated for a moment as she thought of what to say, but she decided to tell at least a bit of the truth.

"I did, yes, but that was a long time ago," said Sheresade. "Almost like a distant memory, you could say."

"Why did you stop working in the palace?" asked the young Uodeela.

Again, Sheresade hesitated before finally saying, "I'd had enough of being cooped up inside and thought it was best to try new things. And hey, because I left, I was able to start my own life. I raised your mother from when she was an egg, and now I helped to raise you."

"You know, grandma, you almost never talk about your time working in the palace," observed Uodeela. "I wish you did. I can only imagine the stories you must have."

"Ha ha! There are indeed many stories," began her grandmother, "but I'm not sure if I will tell you all of them now, and some things are better left in the past. You know, it wasn't just Andrias I was friends with. There were two others, a frog and a toad, whom I was also on close terms with."

"Oh, are you still friends with them?" asked Uodeela

"No, but that's because they died…" said the grandmother, trailing off a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," corrected Uodeela.

"No, no, you didn't upset me," answered the grandmother. "We salamanders are one of the only amphibians blessed with longer life spans, but in some ways, it can be a curse. It means you are certain to see friends who won't live as long as you die first."

"Oh… that sounds so sad," said Uodeela.

"I once told Andrias that's the problem with having such a long lifespan compared to others, especially when you make friends with them. The more you love them, the more it hurts when they go. I've outlived quite a few friends, and it hurts every time," said the grandmother.

Uodeela didn't say anything but hung her head.

"Still, you shouldn't let that discourage you from making friends," said her grandmother. "If you do, it will only make you cold and alone. Even though I've lost friends simply because I lived longer than they did, I still cherish the times I had with them. And I'll cherish the time I have with you."

"Glad to hear that, Grandma Sheresade!" answered Uodeela as she hugged her grandma.

200 Years Ago

"By the time we arrived, sire, there wasn't much left," said the newt captain as he was explaining the situation to the king. "I think the herons really did a number on that place. We looked for survivors, but so far, we only found one." With that, he motioned to the red salamander behind him. She was staring down at the floor, not moving. Her tail was missing, having been torn off by one heron.

"I see," said Andrias. "Has she said anything?"

"She says her grandmother knew you; that's why she wanted to talk to you," said the captain.

"I see," said Andrias, looking over to where the salamander was standing.

"Come here, child," he said as he motioned for her to come closer. "Are you okay? I see they've got your tail."

"I'm not a child," answered the Salamander. "I'll have you know I'm over 200 years old."

"Well, compared to me, you are still a child," said Andrias, laughing. "You know, I'm just over 800 years old and still young."

"Is it hard living so long?" asked the salamander. "My grandma said that you were one of the few species that could live for so long. She said that you've seen things that no one else has and that you were a special kind of newt blessed with a long life."

"Well, but salamanders live long lives too," countered Andrias.

"Not as long as you, though," said the salamander. "Yes, we do have long lives, but my grandmother died 100 years ago. She was over 600 years old when she died, but even that's nothing compared to you, is it?"

"No, I suppose not," answered Andrias. "With that said, even though you're over 200 years old, you're still young. You still have many years ahead of you."

"But now I have to spend them alone," began the salamander. "My parents were eaten, and I'm all alone now." As she finished talking, she hung her head in sadness and began crying.

"Hey, you don't have to be alone," said Andrias, coming up to her and putting a comforting hand on her. "You can stay here if you want. Your grandmother was right. She and I… knew each other a long time ago. She left the palace, and after she did, I never saw her again. I never even knew what happened to her, and I honestly thought she had died." As he spoke, tears appeared in his eyes, though he tried to hide them.

"Are you okay?" asked Uodeela.

"Yes, I'm fine," said Andrias, quickly wiping the tears from his eyes. "I assume your grandmother taught you magic?"

"Yes," said the salamander, "I was taught by both my mother and grandmother. They taught me everything they knew."

"I see," began Andrias, as he looked closely at the young salamander. "Did your grandmother… did she ever talk about your grandfather?"

"No, not really," answered Uodeela. "I never met him. She said he died a long time ago."

"But she never said who he was?" asked Andrias.

"No, she didn't like to talk about her past. All she ever told me about it was that she used to work in the palace, but she never said anything more than that," said Uodeela.

"I see," said Andrias, stroking his chin. "Oh, what have you got there?" He noticed the salamander was holding onto something in her hands that appeared to be glowing.

"Oh, this?" said the salamander as she opened her hand to show the object, a bright red gem, to the king. It was glowing softly.

"Is that a magic gem?" asked the king excitedly.

"Yes, it is," said the salamander. "I found it a few weeks ago and was able to bond with it, and my mom was so proud. She said if I practiced, I could learn to wield its power, but then the herons attacked…" Her voice trembled as she began reliving the horror of that day. "If only I'd found it sooner and learned how to use it, I could have done something." Suddenly, she began screaming, "I COULD HAVE STOPPED THEM!"

"Whoa, there, it's alright," said Andrias, kneeling down to give the salamander a hug. "Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. And hey, you're here now, and you're safe. That's what matters."

The salamander sniffled some more but did stop crying. She looked into Andrias's face.

"So, what do you think of my proposition?" began the king. "I know you've been through a lot, so I think it's best if you stay here and take some time to rest. Your grandmother and I were… very close… So let me do this as a way to repay that old friendship. At the very least, you should take some time to rest and let your tail regrow."

"I… I guess that sounds good," said the salamander. "Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

The king smiled before replying, "Actually, there is something I'd like your help with, but not yet. After all, we have many years ahead of us. I did want to let you in on a little secret, though. You see, Amphibia used to be an entirely different land. We were much more than we are now, but that greatness was stolen from us."

"What do you mean?" asked the salamander.

"Did your grandmother never tell you stories of the kind of land we used to be?" asked Andrias.

"No, she said all that was in the past and that it wasn't worth talking about," answered the salamander.

"Oh, I see," said the king. "Well, let me tell you a story about the kind of place Amphibia used to be. Once upon a time, we were a technologically advanced civilization that never had to worry about herons attacking us."

"Never had to worry about herons," repeated the salamander, clearly interested in hearing more.

"Yes, exactly, and with your help, maybe we can make it that kind of place again," said the king, putting his arm around the salamander. For one brief moment, the king felt a sort of fatherly pride at hearing the salamander hang on his every word. He showed her to a room in the palace and helped her settle in. As he spent more time with her, there was a small part of him that wanted to open his heart again and try to form a genuine bond with this young salamander. But those thoughts were interrupted as a voice inside his head began to speak to him.

"She's Sheresade's granddaughter," said the voice excitedly, "and she's been taught by her. We can use this to our advantage!"

"What do you mean?" asked Andrias to the Core.

"Bring her to the basement and have her consciousness absorbed into the Core!" demanded the voice. "It may not be a perfect replacement, but it is still better than nothing."

"Wait, no," said Andrias, "there's no need to do that now."

"Why do you hesitate?" asked the Core.

"She could help us create a new box!" said Andrias quickly.

"Create a new box?" said the Core in disbelief. "Such a thing is impossible!"

"But if there's a chance we can do it, shouldn't we try?" said Andrias in a pleading voice. "We've waited so long for the old one to return, and I'm tired of waiting! We should take a more proactive approach!"

The Core didn't reply immediately, as it thought about what Andrias had suggested. Finally, it spoke, "Very well. Give her a chance to try to make a new box. But if this fails, you will have her absorbed into the Core!"

"Of course," said Andrias. "I understand… father."

Chapter Text

Uodeela and her students were walking deep into the forest. She had elected to take them on a long walk into a deeper area of the forest in order to show them more of what it had to offer. Many of the plants in this area were much different from the ones that grew closer to her house, as Uodeela pointed out a tall flower that was a mix of red and yellow.

"That's the blood flower, very useful in many potions and a required ingredient in the Elixir of Fire," said Uodeela.

"Fascinating," said Lilly, taking notes. She turned to see that Luz was drawing in her sketchbook. Luz had taken the sketchbook with her on their various outings and had used it to draw pictures of the plants they had come across. Lilly looked at the picture Luz had drawn.

"That's pretty good," said Lilly, commenting on Luz's drawing.

"Thanks!" said Luz. "I hope that even if I do get home, I'll have a record of everything I learned here. Plus, it's nice to be able to keep practicing my art."

"Let me see," said Amara, a little forcefully. She stared at Luz's picture for a few minutes before commenting, "That is actually pretty good. Your use of color blending helps make the colors in your drawing look more authentic. I see you also prefer the technique of wavy lines. That's helpful for a flower, as it tends to not be straight."

Both Lilly and Luz were stunned to hear Amara compliment her.

"What?" said Amara, seeing their faces. "I'm from Newtopia, and I have an appreciation for art. It seems that even though you are from a different world, art is still universal." With that, she walked away.

Uodeela pointed to a bush that had some purple berries on it and said, "These are wartberries. They're very tasty, and you can cook them in a pie if you want, but they also make for a good ingredient in some curses."

"Speaking of which, when will we be learning about curses?" asked Amara.

"Eager to learn about curses, eh?" asked Uodeela.

"Master, I assure you," began Amara with a smile, "I don't wish to learn curses just so I can start curing all my enemies. That being said, if my enemies knew I could potentially curse them, they might be more keen to not anger me."

"I see," said Uodeela, turning to the rest of her students before continuing, "While we're on this tangent, all of you should know curses are not to be placed lightly. Curses are inherently dark magic and should not be used for petty reasons. Once a curse is placed on a target, they will be permanently affected, and only the caster of the curse is able to remove it."

"Wait, you have curses here too?" asked Luz.

"Of course," replied Uodeela. "Curses are the other major form of magic here, aside from potions. Though again, like those, there aren't many around these days who can successfully cast a curse. I will go over those eventually with you, but remember what I said: putting a curse on someone is serious. They should only be used as a last resort of punishment."

The group continued their march through the forest, eventually setting down to take a break. That's when Luz surprised the group by spreading out a blanket for them to sit on and eat their lunch.

"In my world, we call this a picnic," said Luz excitedly. "We tend to have them a lot in the summer when the weather is nice outside."

"Oh, eh, we have those here too, Luz," explained Lilly.

"Oh, really?" said Luz, a little crestfallen.

"But it's nice that you wanted to share something from your world with us," said Gustav, trying to perk her up.

"Yeah, and honestly, it's been a long time since I've had one of these," said Uodeela. "We've been walking awhile now, so let's sit and take a break."

"Great!" said Luz. "Here, I made a little vegetable medley for all of us. I used the last of the tomatoes, so I hope you all like it."

The group sat down and ate their lunch. Even Amara, who was usually distant from the group, decided to join in and eat with them. For a while, they all enjoyed each other's company and the food. Suddenly, there was a huge noise from deep within the forest. A few moments later, a large swarm of cicadas came whizzing by.

"Watch out! Cicadas!" warned Uodeela.

The group quickly flattened themselves against the ground. Luckily, the cicadas seemed to mostly ignore them and continue flying right past them. As quickly as it had started, the swarm had flown right past them and off into the distance.

"Huh, that was weird," said Lilly

"Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like they are running from something?" asked Gustav.

"Cicadas tend to move to different grazing areas when food becomes scarce, but I agree with Gustav," began Uodeela. "It almost felt like they were fleeing from…" Uodeela was cut off as suddenly there was a loud stomp sound, almost as though something large and heavy had stepped close to where they were. The group turned to a nearby puddle and saw the water in it ripple as they heard the sound again. Once more, they saw the water In the puddle ripple, and once more, they heard the sound. All of them began to get nervous.

Uodeela's expression quickly changed to worry as she seemed to have realized what was making that sound. "Everyone, get up slowly and get moving," she said in a nervous voice. It was the first time that any of her students had heard fear in her voice.

"NOW!" she shouted, though all the while she continued to look in the direction that the cicadas had come from.

The group quickly got to their feet, and Luz attempted to pack up her blanket and food. As she was doing this, suddenly, the creatures that were making the noise appeared. The amphibians all had a look of pure terror on their faces as, off in the distance, a pair of herons came into view. They were huge, at least twenty feet tall, with menacing beaks and clawed feet. It didn't seem as though they had noticed Uodeela or her students yet. Even so, all the amphibians were paralyzed in fear as they couldn't take their eyes off the herons.

"Are those giant birds?" asked Luz, before quickly being shushed by the amphibians. All of them gave Luz visual signs to stop talking.

Uodeela motioned with her hands and got her students to follow her. They retreated deep into the forest in an attempt to put some cover between themselves and the herons. As soon as they were out of sight of the birds, Uodeela explained.

"Those aren't just giant birds, kid. Those are herons, some of the deadliest predators here in Amphibia," explained Uodeela.

"You need to be quiet around them, or you'll get us killed for sure," scolded Amara.

"A single heron can go through an entire village of frogs in under an hour," said Gustav nervously. "I hate to imagine what two of them could do."

"That's why, for now, we're staying right here, hidden beneath the trees," said Uodeela. "We'll wait for the herons to leave, then we'll head straight home."

"Are you sure they'll leave?" asked Amara. "For all we know, they'll stay in the area searching for food."

"If they don't find anything to eat, then they'll leave for sure. They'll move onto other feeding grounds," said Uodeela. "We just need to stay quiet and hope they don't find us."

As if on cue, two large beaks came violently down into the area and began trying to snatch up the group. Luz and the Amphibians screamed in terror and turned to run away. They ran out of their hiding place and right past the herons. As they did, Luz could see just how huge they were. It was almost as though they were running from a dinosaur!

"Run! I'll distract them!" called Uodeela as once again she closed her eyes, then opened them to reveal her glowing red eyes. She began fighting with the first heron, throwing fireballs at it. The second heron started chasing her students, snapping at them, and trying to eat them. As the students kept running, Amara tripped and fell, leaving her in a prime position to be eaten.

"Amara!" yelled Lilly. Reaching into her satchel, she found a bottle of fog potion and threw it at the ground near Amara, sending up a thick fog that obscured her from the view of the heron. While the bird was distracted, Lilly reached into the fog and grabbed Amara, pulling her to safety. The bird lunged at the two of them and tried to eat them, but they managed to dodge, and Gustav launched a kick at its eye. That hit staggered the heron and gave the group a chance to put some distance between them and the bird.

"You saved me," said Amara to Lilly in a surprised tone.

"Don't thank me yet," said Lilly as she pointed to the heron, which had recovered and was once again chasing them down.

"We can't keep running," said Amara. "It will just chase us until we get tired and can't run anymore."

"Here, I have an idea," said Luz. She reached into her bag and pulled out a strength potion she had made earlier. In one gulp, she drank the potion. It took a second, but eventually she could feel the increase in strength in her body. The heron lunged at Luz, but she was able to grab its beak with her hands and hold it back. The heron screeched and tried to close its beak on Luz, only for Luz to push back and gain some ground against it. While none of the amphibians noticed, Luz's eyes glowed purple for a brief second as she kept up her battle against the heron.

In an effort to get the bird to back off, Amara, Lilly, and Gustav grabbed some nearby sticks and began hitting the heron. They aimed for its neck and eyes, raining blow after blow on the heron. Eventually, it did leave, though it ran back to where the other heron was.

"It's heading back to where teacher was!" exclaimed Gustav.

"What do we do?" asked Lilly.

"Teach can handle herself. We should do as she said and head back to the house," said Amara.

"We can't just leave her," countered Luz.

Before anything else was said, Uodeela appeared on the path. It was clear that she had not fared well in the fight, as she bore scars and bruises on her body, her clothes looked disheveled, and she bore an expression of fear on her face.

"What are you still doing here?" she asked with worry in her voice.

"We had to fight off one heron," explained Luz.

"But it's okay; you're here now. Let's get going," said Gustav.

"That fight took a lot out of me," said Uodeela, a bit weakly. "I'm not sure I can make it."

Upon hearing that, Luz, still under the effects of her strength potion, went up to Uodeela and grabbed her body. She draped Uodeela over her shoulder in a fireman's carry and motioned for the others to follow. The group kept moving at as quick a pace as they could manage, when suddenly a loud cry came from behind them. Looking to the sky, they saw the pair of herons had regrouped and were flying towards them. Uodeela turned her head to see the herons approaching.

"Kid, stop. Put me down," she said to Luz.

"No, I'm not going to leave you," replied Luz.

"I'm not asking you to, but I have something that could save us. I need to use it," she said pleadingly to Luz. "I promise I can help. I'm not trying to trick you into abandoning me."

At this, Luz acquiesced and lowered Uodeela, who reached into her hair with her tail and pulled out a bottle filled with a potion of some kind. The potion was bright gold with a tint of red in it. Uodeela pulled out the cork and downed the potion in one gulp.

"You all better get back," she warned. "I don't know what may happen, but listen closely, As soon as I transform, get out of here, head home, and don't look back. If I survive, I'll make it back on my own."

"Transform?!" said Luz.

"We can't leave you, master," said Lilly.

"If you have any respect for me, then you'll obey my instructions and do as I say," said Uodeela sternly, who then fell to the ground, clutching her stomach as though she were in pain.

"Master!" exclaimed all the pupils at once.

"GO NOW AND LEAVE ME!" she yelled in a voice that was much deeper than her usual voice.

In the next instant, Uodeela began to glow, and her body began to transform. Feathers appeared all over her body, and her neck stretched to a longer length. A beak grew out of her mouth, and her arms transformed into large wings. Her legs began to grow and stretch, and her feet became clawed. When the transformation was complete, Uodeela had become a giant heron herself! While she looked much like the herons that were pursuing them, one key difference was that her feathers and coloration were still red.

The Uodeela heron let out a screech into the sky! It immediately turned around, flew to the herons that were pursuing them, and began attacking them. Feathers flew everywhere as it used its beak and claws to tear at the herons. The pupils watched this unfold with both alarm and intrigue until Amara snapped them back to reality.

"We have to go!" she said in a hurried tone.

"We can't just leave her," said Lilly pleadingly.

"Listen, you heard what she said," began Amara. "Teach can take care of herself. She drank that potion in order to give us a chance. She asked us to respect her wishes."

Luz, Lilly, and Gustav looked between the fight and Amara, eventually realizing that she was right. They followed Amara along the path. After almost an hour, they made it back to Uodeela's house, though the mood was far from happy. For a while, they stood outside the house and looked back at the path they had come from, hoping to see Uodeela walking along it. They waited until it finally got dark, but there was still no sign of their teacher. As the light began to fade, they debated what to do next.

"We should keep waiting," said Gustav. "Let's light a fire and stay outside until she gets back."

"What purpose would it serve for all of us to wait?" countered Amara. "Here's what I propose. Let's set up a rotating watch. One of us can wait for her outside while the others sleep. If she comes back, then at least one of us will know. If she doesn't come back by morning, then we'll go looking for her."

The group considered this arrangement and decided that it was the best course of action. Amara volunteered to take the first watch and set up a schedule for the rest. Luz would take the next watch at midnight, with Lilly after that. Gustav would take the final watch until dawn. They did agree to light a fire before going to bed, so whoever was on watch duty would have it for warmth and light. Also, it would hopefully serve as a guiding beacon for Uodeela should she come back. Before the other students went to bed, Amara pulled Lilly aside to talk with her.

"Lilly, you saved my life back there. Why?" she asked.

"What do you mean, why?" said Lilly in shock. "Was I supposed to just let you get eaten?"

"I mean, I haven't exactly been nice to you since we came here. You said as much yourself. I've given you no reason to save me, and yet you did," said Amara softly.

"Listen, Amara," began Lilly. "While it's true that I think you can be selfish, stuck-up, and just generally mean, I also don't want you dead. Besides, I think you would have done the same thing for me if the tables were turned, right?"

Amara turned away, her face filled with shame, before responding, "Honestly, I'm not sure I would have. My parents have told me time and time again how the weak were made to lift the strong. They believe in the survival of the fittest. They think if you were too weak to defend yourself from a predator, then you deserve to die." She paused before continuing, "That's what they taught me, and that's what I grew up believing."

"Well, have you ever considered that maybe your parents were wrong?" asked Lilly.

Amara remained silent and didn't respond. Lilly came up to Amara and put her hand on her.

"Listen, Amara," began Lilly. "I know I said you were mean, but you don't have to be. If the only reason you act the way you do is because of what your parents told you, then maybe it's time to start thinking more about yourself. Look at Teach. You've seen how strong she is, but she may have sacrificed herself to save us. Would you call her weak if she turns out to have been eaten by the herons?"

Amara didn't respond immediately but eventually said, "No, of course not."

"That's something to think about, then," said Lilly. Before going inside, she turned to Amara and gave her a hug.

"You looked like you needed that," said Lilly. "Goodnight, Amara."

Amara sat by the fire, occasionally stoking it. Her head was full of many different thoughts. Amara doubted that she would be able to sleep, even if she wasn't currently keeping watch. Lilly had given her a lot to think about. She was having the same thoughts as the day they had gotten the tomatoes. At first, those thoughts had not bothered her, but now, after having her life saved by Lilly, she was unsure of what to think anymore. Eventually, her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a sound come from the forest. She stood up and looked in the direction it had come from, then she saw a figure emerge. As the figure came into the light, Amara sighed in relief as she realized it was Uodeela.

"Master!" she exclaimed, rushing to meet her.

"Hey, kid! I finally made it back," replied Uodeela.

As she came closer to the light, Amara noticed just how disheveled and ragged Uodeela looked. She had even more bruises and scars on her than before, and her clothes were torn. Some of her wounds looked fresh, with dried blood on them. Thankfully, Uodeela looked to at least have all her limbs. Amara also noticed how weak and tired her voice sounded.

"Were you keeping watch for me?" she asked, and Amara nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate that! Let's not wake the others, though. I have a feeling I'm gonna need to sleep in tomorrow in order to—"

At that moment, the front door opened, and Luz came out, yawning.

"Amara, it's about five minutes to midnight, so I'm here to—" began Luz, before stopping as she noticed Uodeela returning.

"UODEELA! YOU'RE OKAY!" screamed Luz as she rushed forward to hug her.

"Okay, easy there, kid," said Uodeela, reeling from the hug. "I'm sore all over."

"Sorry," said Luz, releasing Uodeela from the hug. "I'm just so happy to see you! Let me wake the others."

"No, leave them be," said Uodeela. "We all need a good night's sleep. In my case, I think I could use a good twelve hours, so consider tomorrow's lesson canceled. I need a day to recover."

"Okay, okay," said Luz, still excited

"Here, you two, help me get to my room, please," said Uodeela. With that, Luz and Amara stood on either side of their teacher and draped her arms over their shoulders, helping her walk. Eventually, they got her to her bed In her room.

"So anyway," began Uodeela as she got into bed, "that potion is actually a combination of both a potion and a curse."

"Are you saying you cursed yourself?" asked Amara.

"Kind of," replied Uodeela. "You see, normally, a curse is supposed to be debilitating in some way, but since so many curses revolve around transformation, I thought, well, why not make a curse that you can use on yourself?"

"I guess that makes sense," said Luz, not really sure.

"The problem with a curse, though, is that it can only be removed by the caster," explained Uodeela, "so if I cursed myself to turn into a giant heron, I'd be stuck that way. It took a lot of testing and experimentation for me to come up with a way to make a curse that was temporary. I got around that problem by combining it with a potion."

"So you managed to combine a curse and a potion," said Amara. "Has anyone else done that?"

"To my knowledge, no," replied Uodeela, "and I do my best to try to stay informed about any magical happenings in Amphibia."

"You couldn't just make a potion that transformed you into a heron?" asked Luz.

"Potions can't transform anything that radically," said Uodeela. "There are some transformation potions out there, but the other problem is that potions wear off. My potion curse hybrid is permanent until I choose to turn back, although…"

"What?" asked Luz and Amara together.

Uodeela thought for a second before responding, "It's nothing you need to worry about. Thanks again for helping me. As I said, everyone gets the day off tomorrow. Make sure you tell Lilly and Gustav not to disturb me, as I will need a good twelve hours of beauty sleep."

"Goodnight then," said Luz before leaving the room. Amara had stayed behind, wanting to ask one more question.

"Master," she began, "is that how you were able to fight the king?"

Uodeela's eyes lit up at that question. She looked deeply into Amara's eyes.

"So that rumor is still circulating around," she said, a little bitterly. "Well, since you asked, yes, that is how I was able to fight with King Andrias. But that's all I'll say about that. The reason we fought is personal and something I'd rather not discuss right now."

"Master, I'm sorry, I just wanted to know—" began Amara before being cut off.

"It's alright, I get it. If I'd heard a rumor like that, I'd want to know if it was true as well," said Uodeela. "As I said, I don't want to talk about the details now. Maybe someday, but for now, I need to rest."

"Right, well, goodnight, master," said Amara before leaving the room and closing the door.

Uodeela lay in bed, and while she was tired, sleep didn't come easy. Two thoughts were keeping her up—the first being about her curse-potion.

When I first started using it, I never considered any long-term consequences, thought Uodeela. I've been using it for years now and I wonder… There were a few times today when I was the heron that my mind seemed to go blank, almost as though I had lost myself. It took so long for me to get back because there were times I wasn't sure if I was myself. That may be a warning sign, but honestly, can anything be done about that? I don't know. At the very least, I should try not to use it unless the situation is desperate.

The other thought keeping her awake was what Amara had brought up. Uodeela would occasionally think about the day the fight had happened. It was the same day that she had been banished from Newtopia and moved into the deep wilds of Amphibia. While the king had never formally punished her, she wondered if he had ever found another means to accomplish what he wanted to. Still, she pushed these thoughts out of her mind and fell asleep. As she slept, she began to dream of what had happened all those years ago…

100 Years Ago

Newtopia's Palace

Uodeela was frustrated. She had just overseen another failed attempt to reproduce the box that had once powered Newtopia. The box in question had exploded, nearly killing one scientist involved.

"Well, another failed attempt, Uodeela," said one newt bitterly. "Years of work down the drain!"

"I don't understand… What went wrong this time?" asked Uodeela, puzzled.

"I think at this point, we may have to accept that we simply don't know enough about how this first box was made," suggested a different newt.

"I think another issue is the fact that we don't have a similar power source like the first box had," said a third newt. "I know we've asked about using your gem before, Uodeela. Are you sure you won't reconsider?"

"No, this gem is very precious to me. I simply can't give it up," said Uodeela. "You aren't the first to suggest that, by the way. The King himself has asked about using my gem."

"I do wonder though," asked the first newt, "are we maybe going about this the wrong way?"

"What do you mean?" asked Uodeela.

The first newt spoke again, "Well, it's just that we've been so focused on trying to replicate both functions of the box, the fact that it needs to both power the city and work as some way to transport others to different worlds. I wonder if we might have more success if we simply cut the other function and focused instead on powering the city."

"Hmmm, that does make sense," agreed Uodeela. "I can't believe we didn't think of it before!"

"The traveling to other worlds part has always been the harder part anyway," said the second newt. "Plus, even though Andrias says it's possible, we have no way of really knowing that for sure. I mean, the only other evidence we even have for the existence of these other worlds is the king's word."

"He has been alive longer than any of us," said the third newt. "If he says it's possible, I assume it's true."

"I should go and speak to him about this," said Uodeela.

"Are you sure?" asked one of the newts. "The king has been getting more irritated every time we bring him news of a failure. He really wants us to try to recreate that box."

"I have noticed that," said Uodeela, "but he and I have a personal relationship. If I tell him, I'm sure he'll go easy on me."

Uodeela made her way to the throne room. She was told that the king was busy at the moment, though shortly after that, the attendant at the door was called away and left. While she waited for the King alone, Uodeela thought she heard a voice. Curious, she went up to the door, which had been left slightly ajar, and peeked inside. Andrias was alone and seemed to be talking to himself.

"I assure you, my Lord, progress is being made," he said. He paused, seemingly waiting for a response.

"If Uodeela really is the granddaughter of Sheresade, then she's the best hope we have of recreating the box," said the King. Again, there was a pause as he waited for a response.

"Well, yes, it hasn't worked yet, but I think if we give her enough time, it will. Then I can finish what you started… father," said Andrias.

"But that seems a bit extreme, don't you think?" he asked.

"I see. I know the prophecy says the box will return someday, but it's been 900 years at this point. How much longer do I have to wait?" said Andrias. A much longer pause than usual as he listened.

"But Uodeela is busy working on the box. If I allow you to absorb her consciousness, that will halt whatever progress we've made."

These words caused Uodeela to tense up. Andrias stood still, waiting for a response.

"No, I haven't forgotten the deal we made in regards to her, but… Surely she can be more useful in trying to make a new box than she can as a mind of the Core, right?"

"I know… You want to add her knowledge of magic to the core, and you see her as a replacement for Sheresade."

At this point, Uodeela slowly began to back away from the door. Once she felt she was far enough away, she turned, ready to run, but before she could, the door opened.

"Ah, there you are, Uodeela. Please come in. I need to speak with you," said Andrias in his usual pleasant tone.

In her mind, Uodeela was already considering all her options. She thought about whether she should run away or go along with the King, at least for now, and quickly tried to decide which path to take. After a few moments of hesitation, she turned around and followed the king into the throne room, taking note of how he closed the door behind her.

"So, unfortunately," began Uodeela, trying to start the conversation, "our most recent test was a failure. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but—"

"Oh, let's not worry about that right now," said the King. "We don't always have to talk business here. Tell me, how have you been lately?"

"Oh, I've been okay," said Uodeela nervously. "I just thought you might want to hear more about the latest test."

"Well, honestly, I'm thinking of shelving the entire project," said the king. "There have been too many failures where that is concerned, and hey, if you stopped working on the box, we could spend more time together."

"Oh, of course, your majesty. That would be nice," said Uodeela nervously.

"But before all of that, there is something I want to show you," said Andrias. "It's down in the castle basement."

Internally, Uodeela was screaming, all her alarm bells going off. She knew if she went down into that basement with Andrias, she would not be coming back up.

"Great, I'd love to see it!" said Uodeela. "Just let me go and inform the other newts that we won't be doing any more experiments." Uodeela made her way towards the door, only for the King to step in front of her, blocking her way.

"Ahh, that can wait until later," he said nervously. "I think you'll really want to see what's in the basement."

Uodeela finally decided to be direct. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I must decline. I do not feel comfortable with this arrangement."

At this, Andrias decided to drop the act, saying, "This isn't open for discussion, Uodeela. You're going down there, one way or another!"

Uodeela stood her ground, looking Andrias straight in the eye. "Why don't you tell me what the Core is?"

Andrias was caught off guard by that statement, but only for a moment. "You'll find out soon enough. Now come with me, OR ELSE!" With that, he lunged forward, attempting to grab Uodeela, but she dashed out of his way. Andrias attempted to grab her again, but Uodeela was too fast. She rushed towards the door, frantically trying to open it, but it didn't budge. Andrias ran after her and finally managed to grab her in his hand. Just as he was bringing her up to his face, he heard the sound of glass breaking and looked down to see a broken bottle on the floor. He looked back at Uodeela, who had a huge smile on her face…

The doors of the throne room burst open, and out flew a large Red Heron! The newts guarding the door fled in terror at this sight. Right after the bird, the king followed, trying to grab the heron, but he was no match for this large predator. The heron screeched and slashed at the king with her huge talons. She managed to leave a large scratch on the king's armor on his left side in the shape of an X. King Andrias tried to fight back but was clearly outmatched. The heron kept moving as it ran out of the palace and into the streets of Newtopia, causing panic among the citizens there. However, it seemed more interested in escaping than eating any of the newts. Once it had run to the edge of the city, it spread its enormous wings and took to the sky, flying away into the untamed wilds of Amphibia.

At that moment, Uodeela shot up in her bed, scared awake by that dream that was more of a memory—a memory of a different time in her life. She had spent her years since leaving the palace learning all she could about the Calamity Box, as well as trying to train a new generation of magic users in Amphibia. Now that Luz was here, she was beginning to realize that whatever reason Andrias had wanted the original box would likely be revealed soon…

Chapter Text

Luz woke up in a nervous state. She had spent the previous day working on a new elixir and had tried her hardest to make this one correctly. Now she was awake after having let the elixir brew all night. Part of her wanted to wait a few more minutes before checking on it, but another part of her was ready to check on it now!

Luz went up from the basement and into the living room, where her pot was simmering. She looked closely and saw that her elixir was red, but once again, not the bright red that it needed to be. She had been trying to brew the Elixir of Fire, and the finished elixir was supposed to be a very bright red or crimson, but hers was much darker, more like burgundy. Still, Luz decided to scoop some up in a bottle to see if it might still work. At that moment, Uodeela entered the room.

"Wanted to get an early look at your elixir?" she asked knowingly.

"I… yeah," admitted Luz, "but it looks like another failure. It's not quite the right color."

"Yes, that is true," began Uodeela, "but remember what happened last time?"

"Yeah, that's why I bottled some up," said Luz, showing Uodeela her bottle.

"Here, let's go outside and test it," said Uodeela.

The two went outside to the front of the house, where Luz drank her elixir. After a few moments, Uodeela spoke to her.

"Listen, Luz, I want you to try to envision a ball of fire in your hands."

Luz closed her eyes and concentrated. At first, nothing happened, but eventually, a tiny orb of fire formed in Luz's right hand.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed.

"Good," said Uodeela, "now throw it like you would a ball."

Luz threw the orb and made contact with a small bush a few feet away. The bush instantly caught fire, and Uodeela rushed to put it out.

"Yes, that was great!" said Uodeela.

"Why do you think the elixir is having this effect on me?" asked Luz.

Uodeela hesitated, as she didn't want to answer Luz right away because, while she had an idea, she wasn't sure if she wanted to let Luz know the truth.

If my hunch about the Calamity Box is right, thought Uodeela, then I bet what's happening is that Luz has absorbed power from one gem in the box. I think the elixir might be reacting with her body, and it's helping her harness the powers that the gem bestowed on her. But as of now, Luz is unaware she can even do that, and she can't consciously use the powers on command. Still, should I tell her the truth? Luz is still young and impulsive, and having that kind of power can be tempting.

"I'm not sure," said Uodeela finally, though she looked away from Luz as she said it.

"It's just that I've always dreamed of being a witch and being able to cast magic!" said Luz. "It's something that was impossible in my world, and now I may have a genuine shot at being able to cast magic. It's really exciting!"

"Luz, why did you want to be a witch?" asked Uodeela.

"I mean, a big reason is that I read Good Witch Azura, but it's also because I don't really fit in. Well, I used to feel that way. Actually, for a few months before I came here, I did have a group of friends, but…" Luz trailed off, not really finishing.

"You've talked about your friends before, but you've avoided talking about one in particular. Anne," said Uodeela.

Luz reacted to hearing Anne's name. She turned away from looking at Uodeela and stared off into the sky, not saying anything for a while, but then finally spoke, "Anne and I had a fight before I came here. I… I don't want to say what it was about, but she told me she didn't want to be my friend anymore."

"I see," said Uodeela. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it. I was just wondering because you mentioned that you were all together before coming to this world. I'm still trying to help you get back, but it would help if I knew more about how you got here."

Luz stared into Uodeela's eyes. She had been keeping a detail about how she had arrived from her. Luz wasn't sure why she had done this, but she also decided that it was better for Uodeela to know all the details if it meant a better chance at getting her home.

"Actually, there is one thing," she began. "I don't know if it's important or not, but there is something that happened that I haven't told you yet."

"That's okay. Are you ready to tell me now?" asked Uodeela.

"Right before I was zapped here, Anne opened a box. I wish I could remember more about the box, but I think it had a frog on it. Also, I'm sure it was covered in jewels of some kind," said Luz.

Uodeela hid her reaction and kept her face plain as she continued talking, "Can you remember anything else? Any other details about the box?"

Luz brought her hand to her chin as she struggled to remember anything else about the box. Finally, she spoke, "Oh, I think the box had four jewels on it. I think their colors were red, green, blue, and purple."

"Hmmm, I see," said Uodeela. "You don't happen to have that box with you, do you?"

"No, sorry, I don't," said Luz. "If I did, I would have shown it to you right away."

"Well, I have heard stories about objects like that," said Uodeela. "In fact, I have a friend who deals in magical artifacts, and she might know more. Let me see if I can get in touch with her. Though, based on what you told me, I think it's a safe assumption that opening the box is what transported you here."

"And what about my friends?" asked Luz. "Do you think they're here too?"

"I believe so," said Uodeela, "though there's no way to be certain unless we actually find one of your friends, but I think we should also focus on getting that box. It is likely that, at the very least, we will need it in order to transport you home. But back to my original question, I asked you why you wanted to be a witch. Tell me, Luz, let's say hypothetically that you had a power similar to mine. You had bonded with a gem and could cast spells on the fly like I can. What would you do with that power?"

Luz answered immediately, "I would go on a magical quest of some kind. I'd want to test my powers out and see what I can do with them. I'd probably want to find some great evil to defeat as well."

"I see," said Uodeela. "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself, though? I mean, you didn't even talk about training to harness your power."

"Well, if it came naturally to me like it does to you, then I wouldn't need any training," said Luz. "I would already know what to do."

"Is that what you think?" said Uodeela sternly. "Luz, having magic powers isn't all fun and games. Having powers like that is a serious responsibility. You have to be able to control them, you have to know when to use them, and you have to do your best to use them for the right cause."

"You never went on any sort of quest with your powers or wanted to acquire some sort of magical artifact?" asked Luz.

"When I was younger, I went on a 'quest', so to speak, to get the gem I bonded with," answered Uodeela. "And yes, having the ability to cast magic can be fun, but as I said, it's also serious. You have to exercise control over your powers in order to get them to do what you want. That control takes years of training to master. But the reason I tell you all this is that—" Uodeela hesitated as she realized she had almost told Luz too much.

"I tell you all this because your ability to use magic by drinking elixirs is unique, but it's similar to what I can do with a gem. So if I was going to train you to use that power, then I want you to be responsible with it," said Uodeela.

"Okay, I understand," said Luz. After a bit, she added, "But can you still teach me how I can use fire in different ways?" with a grin on her face.

Uodeela rolled her eyes but did agree to do it. Over the next few hours, she taught Luz different methods for controlling fire. While she herself preferred orbs of fire, she also taught Luz how to make fire rings that encircled targets, as well as a flamethrower from her hand. Luz was having a good time learning all these different methods to control fire—at least she was until the elixir wore off and she could no longer do magic. This slightly saddened her, but Uodeela told her to bottle up the rest of her elixir and save it. She promised that they would practice again. As they headed back inside, they ran into Amara, who had a scowl on her face.

"I saw you out there through the window," she said accusingly. "How are you able to do magic like teacher?"

"Oh, that's right, you weren't there when I did it the first time," said Luz. "It turns out that when I drink certain elixirs, I gain the ability to do magic temporarily."

"What?!" exclaimed Amara in surprise. "But your elixirs aren't even prepared properly. How are they giving you magic powers?"

"Honestly, even I'm not sure about that," said Uodeela. "It was kind of a fluke that Luz even discovered this ability, but I'm not sure why this concerns you, Amara."

"It concerns me because I hate to see cheaters," said Amara as she pointed at Luz. "It's not fair that you, an outsider, are able to do magic like Uodeela just because you got lucky!"

"Hey, I'm not cheating," said Luz.

"The only amphibians who should be allowed to do magic like that are the ones who have bonded to special gems," accused Amara. "You don't have a gem, so you shouldn't be able to do magic. You just got lucky for some reason."

"Listen, Amara," began Uodeela. "As far as I can tell, Luz isn't 'cheating'. Even I can't figure out how she's able to do this, but at the very least, I want to try to help her control these powers."

"I still say it's unfair. Her elixir isn't even properly prepared, and yet she gets to have powers like that," said Amara. With that, she turned in a huff and went back to her room.

"I thought Amara was coming around, but it seems like she still hates me," said Luz.

Uodeela raised her eyebrows as she heard Luz say this, and she went off to the kitchen. After a few minutes, she returned, holding a tray with two drinks on it.

"Eh, I bet she needs some time to cool off," said Uodeela. "Tell you what, why don't you take her some tea? Also, you have some, too."

Luz drank one cup of tea offered. It had a slightly bitter taste to it, and she wondered if Uodeela had sweetened it at all. After finishing her tea, she took the tray with the other cup upstairs to where Amara was staying and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Amara, it's Luz. I know you may not want to talk with me, but I brought you some tea," called Luz through the door.

After a few moments, Amara did open the door and take the offered cup of tea, though she still wore an expression of anger at Luz. Luz went back downstairs with the empty tray, though as she began walking down the stairs, she suddenly became very sleepy. Uodeela was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and helped her to the couch. Luz laid down on the couch and almost immediately fell asleep.

When Luz woke up, she felt something was off. As soon as she began looking around, she noticed she wasn't in the living room anymore, nor was she in the basement. She looked around and saw that she was in a room of some kind. Perhaps Uodeela had taken her to her room? However as Luz tried to stand up, she again noticed something was wrong. She felt a great weight on her body behind her. She looked to see what it was and saw a large, pink tail behind her! Luz gasped at the sight before bringing up her hands in front of her face. They were different. Her hands were pink and only had four fingers. She looked at her feet, and they were a lot smaller and only had two toes, almost like they were the feet of… a newt!

Luz noticed a mirror in her room and rushed over to look at herself. Her suspicions were confirmed as she looked into the mirror, and the image of Amara stared back at her. Somehow, she was in Amara's body! Luz put her hands on her face and tried to figure out how this had happened, though she didn't have long to think before hearing a loud scream from downstairs. She opened the door and headed down the stairs to find her body looking into a mirror.

"What the heck?!" yelled Amara. "What has happened to me?"

"Amara?!" asked Luz, looking at Amara. Amara turned around and stared at her body.

"Luz?" asked Amara, unsure if what she was seeing was real. "Are you in my body, Luz?"

"Yes, it seems that way," answered Luz.

"Well, give me my body back!" demanded Amara as she jumped at Luz, grabbing her and tackling her to the floor.

"Hey, get off!" yelled Luz

"Give me back my body!" yelled Amara.

"Alright, that's enough, you two," said Uodeela, entering the room and separating the two. "I see the potion worked quickly. That was a lot faster than I thought it would be."

"What?!" said both Luz and Amara in unison.

"Oh, yes, I suppose I should explain," began Uodeela. "You see, I slipped a potion in that tea you drank. It's a potion that allows two people to swap bodies."

"You did this?!" said Luz, confused.

"I did," said Uodeela. "I felt like the two of you could stand to switch places and maybe learn a bit about each other."

"Why would you do this, Master?" asked Amara.

"Because I felt that both of you should… How does that old saying go? Ah, 'work in each other's farm'," said Uodeela.

"Oh, you mean to walk a mile in each other's shoes?" said Luz

"What?" said Amara.

"In any case," began Uodeela, "the two of you have switched bodies, and now you can experience what it would be like to be each other. I thought that might teach you both a lesson on how to empathize with each other."

"Well, this lesson is stupid," said Amara.

"Now, now, Amara. If you can't learn the lesson, then maybe I'll keep you in each other's bodies until you do," said Uodeela.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" asked Luz. "How are we supposed to learn the lesson?"

"You can start by going to gather some more ingredients for me," said Uodeela, who gave Luz a list. "My personal stores are starting to run dry, so let's see how you do with that."

"Fine!" grumbled Amara.

"Hey, maybe this won't be so bad," said Luz. "I can't say I've ever wanted to be a newt, but it could be fun seeing what I can do."

"No having fun in my body!" yelled Amara. "I expect you to return it to me in perfect condition."

"You better get going," said Uodeela. "Good luck, you two!"

Luz and Amara wandered into the forest, looking for the various ingredients that Uodeela had asked for. Both of them were not quite comfortable in their new bodies.

"Uggggh, you don't have a tail," complained Amara. "It would be so much easier to grab things if you had a tail."

"Well, I gotta admit, it is kind of cool to be able to climb things so easily," said Luz, as she raced up a tree.

"Yeah, cool, so do you know how to get down?" asked Amara sarcastically.

Amara looked nervously down and realized she might be stuck. She slowly began climbing down, and almost an hour later, she had finally made it.

"We're going to be at this all day if that's how long it takes you to climb a tree," groaned Amara in frustration.

"Sorry, it's just that I didn't realize how high I was," replied Luz.

"You always jump into things without thinking," said Amara "Has that never gotten you in trouble before?"

Luz paused as she heard this. For one moment, she was thinking of that night at the dance when she had listened to her heart and done something impulsive. As she thought about it more, she realized that doing things on a whim didn't always lead to the best outcomes.

"I—Actually, now that you mention it, there was a time when I did something very impulsive and it ended up blowing up in my face," said Luz.

"So have you maybe learned that you shouldn't be doing those types of things?" asked Amara.

"I… Listen, that situation was really complicated, and I don't want to talk about it," said Luz.

"Well, fine, I didn't want to hear about it," said Amara, though at that point, her stomach began to growl. Luz looked around and spotted a large beetle in the distance. She jumped forward and managed to catch it. Amara took a large bite out of the beetle before immediately spitting it out.

"Gaaaah! What's wrong with your taste buds?" asked Amara. "That insect tasted horrible! Why do bugs taste terrible to you?"

"Hmm, here, let me see that bug," asked Luz. Amara passed it to her, and Luz took a bite from it.

"Huh, wow, this actually tastes good," said Luz. "Maybe being a newt isn't so bad."

"Glad you're having fun," grumbled Amara. "Why did I get the short end of the stick with this whole body swap experience?"

"Is being in my body really so terrible?" asked Luz.

"Yes, it is. Tell you what," began Amara, "since you seem to be having so much fun being in my body, why don't you finish gathering up what we need? I'll be over here, stuck in your miserable body."

With that, Amara went off in a huff.

"Amara, wait," called Luz, unsure if she should follow her or not.

Amara kept walking, trying her best to get away from Luz. She didn't watch where she was going and walked right into something. She soon realized she had walked right into a toad.

"Hey! Watch where you're—" began the toad before looking at Amara. He was a large blue toad.

"Hey, wait a sec. Are you a human?" asked the toad.

"No, actually, I'm a newt," said Amara. "I know what it looks like, but trust me, I'm a newt from Newtopia."

Another toad, this one a dark green one, had joined his companion and was looking hard at Luz.

"Hmmm, she don't look like no newt to me," said the other toad. "Didn't Grime say to bring him more humans if we ever find any?"

"He did say that," said the blue toad, advancing on Amara.

"Wait, no, listen, I'm not a human!" pleaded Amara. "I'm a newt!"

"Nice try," said the green toad, "but we ain't that dumb. We know what newts look like. Get her!" With that, the toads seized Amara, though, at that moment, Luz wandered into the area.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Amara demanded.

"Nothing that concerns a newt like you," said the green toad.

"We caught something that Captain Grime will be interested in, and now we're going to deliver it to him," said the blue toad.

"No, you can't. For one, that's not really a human; that's a newt," said Luz. "And for two, that's my body, and I'll need it back, eventually."

"Sorry, lassie. We're taking her, and there's nothing you can do about it," said the blue toad. "Now step off, or we're gonna have to hurt you."

Luz thought for a few seconds before deciding to use her tail to hit the toad that was holding Amara in the face. The hit did cause him to let go of Luz, and the two of them ran back to the house.

"Now your body got me in trouble with some toads," yelled Amara as the two of them ran through the forest.

"Why did they even want you?" asked Luz.

"I don't know. Something about Captain Grime wanting more humans," said Amara.

"Wait, what?!" said Luz in disbelief. "How would he even know what a human is?"

"Who cares about that right now? We need a strategy besides running, or they'll just catch us," said Amara.

"Hey! Get back here!" yelled the toads, as they began closing in.

Amara looked around for something, anything, that could help them. Finally, she looked at Luz and remembered that she had her satchel.

"Luz, give me my bag!" demanded Amara. Luz handed her the bag, and Amara began fishing through it before finding the bottle she was looking for. She quickly threw it at the pursuing toads. As it hit the ground, it let off an explosion!

"Whoa, good one, Amara," said Luz. Though as she turned to look, she saw the toads still running after them, not even phased by the explosion. Luz began trying to think of what they could do.

"Amara, do you have an elixir of fire in there?" asked Luz.

"I think so," answered Amara

Luz rummaged in the bag and pulled one out handing it to Amara.

"What good would it do, though? The elixir of fire is made to help you survive extremely hot temperatures," said Amara.

"Yeah, but you're in my body. If you drink it, you'll be able to control fire," said Luz.

"I've never tried doing that, though," countered Amara

"It's not like we have any other option," said Luz. "Once you drink it, you just have to imagine being able to conjure fire directly in your hands, and you'll be able to do it."

Amara took one last look at the bottle before drinking it. She tried to concentrate and was able to bring orbs of fire into her hands. Immediately, she began tossing them at the toads, causing them to jump back in surprise, trying to avoid the flames. Luz began searching through the bag for something else that could help them. She found another explosive potion, as well as some more Harrid's Bane.

"Hmmm," thought Luz. "Essence of Harrid's Bane is what makes this explosive. If we add a bit more, we should be able to cause quite a stir."

"Luz, what are you doing?" asked Amara as she looked out of the corner of her eye to see Luz adding more of the red liquid to an explosive potion.

"Amara, get back!" called Luz. She waited until Amara had moved a considerable distance away from the toads before tossing the potion straight at them…

Uodeela was outside her house, tending her garden. She was wondering how Luz and Amara were doing with their body swap experience. As she was wondering that, an enormous explosion came from deep in the forest, releasing a large cloud that was visible for miles. Uodeela took one look at the cloud and sighed, somehow knowing that her apprentices were the likely cause of it.

Much later back, at Uodeela's home, Luz and Amara had finished explaining what had happened. Luz was doing her best to try to gloss over the large explosion she had created, trying to act innocent.

"I believe when I taught you that bomb potion, I specifically said that a little Harrid's Bane goes a long way. Did I not say that?" asked Uodeela in frustration.

"Umm, yes, you did say that," said Luz, "but we were in trouble, so I thought a lot would maybe get us out of trouble."

"Well, in any case, you did take care of the trouble, so I suppose I can let it slide," said Uodeela. "I suppose the two of you have learned a lesson about being in each other's body."

"Yes," they both said at the same time.

"Okay, here," said Uodeela, handing them two cups. "Drink these to switch back."

Luz and Amara drank the potion, and after a few minutes, they fell asleep. They woke up almost instantly, though, and were glad to be back in their own bodies.

"Oh, my body, how I missed you," said Luz as she hugged herself.

"It will be great to be able to enjoy bugs again," said Amara. "Boy, I could really go for some gnachos."

"I'm going to bed," said Uodeela. "You two should probably get to bed as well. We have a full day tomorrow." With that, Uodeela went upstairs to her room.

"Hey, Luz," said Amara. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for what I said this morning. Truth is, I'm kind of jealous. I don't know why you're able to wield magic in such a unique way, but it's something I wish I could do. I'd heard stories about magical gems before, and I thought how awesome it would be to have one of those. Seeing you able to do magic, even if it's only temporary, made me jealous."

"It's okay, Amara," said Luz. "Truth is, I have no idea why it works for me like that, but I've always wanted to be a witch. But magic isn't real in my world, so there was no conceivable way I could actually be a witch. But now, I might have a chance at being a real witch. If it's any consolation, you're still a lot better at brewing potions than I am. I'm just lucky that even though I made the elixir wrong, I still got powers out of it."

Amara laughed at that. It was the first time Luz had seen her have a genuine smile.

"Well, I think if you keep practicing and get a handle on using your powers, you just might be able to be a real witch," said Amara. "I've been thinking a lot about things recently. Lilly said something to me that got me thinking about stuff. In any case, we better get to bed." With that, she offered her hand to Luz.

Luz looked at her hand but instead decided to give Amara a hug. Amara was surprised by this gesture but accepted the hug all the same. Afterward, they made their way to their respective rooms.

Up in her room, Uodeela was pacing around, her mind filled with many thoughts.

It is as I feared, she thought to herself. Luz and her friends were transported here by the Calamity Box. I knew that was the most likely explanation, and yet I kept hoping in the back of my mind that it wasn't. But based on what Luz told me this morning, I can confirm it.

Uodeela sat on her bed and began rubbing her temples

Why did this have to happen?! she thought. If that's not bad enough, it's clear that Luz has absorbed the power of one of the gems. When she drinks the elixir, it helps awaken her powers. She could potentially learn to use them on her own, and then she wouldn't need an elixir anymore. But should I tell her the truth?

The question of what she should tell Luz was weighing heavily on Uodeela's mind.

I'll have to tell her eventually, she thought, but Luz is so impulsive and young that I don't think she's ready to know the whole truth of what's happened to her. Not only that, but I have no idea where her friends might be or what kind of people they are. If they've all absorbed a different power from the gems, has one of them figured out how to wield it? Didn't Luz say that she had actually gotten into a fight with one of her friends before coming here? That could spell disaster if they figured out how to use their powers and then got into another fight! Oh no! Did one of her friends wind up in Newtopia? If so, then I bet King Andrias is already aware that the box is back in Amphibia. He could be searching for it at this very moment! And if he finds it… then…

Uodeela leaned forward, putting her face in her hands. All the thoughts she was having felt overwhelming. After a while, she sat up and tried to think of the best course of action for Luz.

"I can't tell her yet," said Uodeela out loud. "For now, I'll keep Luz close to me and keep her safe, but I can't tell her the truth. I need to know more about her friends, and I need to know where the box might be. And then there's that other matter I need to take care of as well, though maybe Luz can prove useful and help me with that too…"

Chapter Text

Luz sat in the living room, reading her Azura book. Today, the students had a day off, so they were enjoying some much-needed free time. Luz was reading her book while Lilly was drawing something on a notepad. Strangely, Gustav and Amara weren't around, but neither Luz nor Lilly noticed at first. Though eventually, Luz did look up from her book.

"Hey, where are Gustav and Amara?" she asked.

Lilly looked up from what she was drawing. "Hmmm, now that you mention it, I haven't seen them since breakfast."

Luz was about to respond when she heard some music being played. "Hey, do you hear that?"

Lilly's ears picked up the music Luz was referring to. "Let's go check it out."

Luz and Lilly followed the sound of the music out of the house and around to the back. There, they saw Amara and Gustav playing together. Amara was playing a small harp, while Gustav was playing an ocarina. The two were deep into playing their instruments and didn't notice Lilly and Luz arrive. Lilly and Luz were captivated by the song they were playing and listened intently. Gustav and Amara kept playing and eventually finished their song. When they did, Luz and Lilly both applauded, finally alerting the other two to their presence there.

"Bravo!" cheered Luz.

"That was very elegant," said Lilly.

"Um, thank you," answered Amara, slightly embarrassed.

"Ah, you weren't supposed to see us," said Gustav, as he tried to hide his ocarina.

"Why not?" asked Luz. "That sounded beautiful! You both sounded great!"

"Yeah, how'd this happen?" asked Lilly.

Gustav and Amara looked at each other before Amara spoke, "Well, I was practicing my harp one day and Gustav happened to find me, kind of like how you guys found us just now, and he showed me how he had an ocarina. We jammed together for a bit and decided to keep at it."

"Amara told me how she'd been required to learn a musical instrument as part of her upbringing," said Gustav. "As for me, well, my dad has had an interest in music for most of his life. In fact, he'd honestly rather perform as a street musician than be a soldier."

"That song you were playing was that from The Opera of the Frog Knight?" asked Lilly.

"Yes. You've heard of it?" asked Amara. "I remember seeing it when I was a kid. I didn't really understand much of it, but I remember loving the music from it."

"Oh, yeah, I've heard about it but never seen it," said Lilly. "I'm honestly surprised they would play it in Newtopia, seeing as it's about, well, a frog."

"Huh, I guess I never thought of that," said Amara.

"In any case," said Gustav, "that particular piece is from near the end, where Sir Glen finally manages to avenge his brother Cyrus. He takes a moment to reflect on everything that's happened to him."

"Have you ever seen it?" asked Lilly.

"Well, no, but Amara gave me a summary of what happened," explained Gustav. "I had managed to get some of the scores from the opera and began practicing the music."

"Actually, now that I think about it," began Amara, "the opera is about a frog, but I doubt many frogs outside of Newtopia have seen it. A full production requires so many technical elements that it just isn't practical to do it outside of a large theater."

The group was silent for a while as they reflected on this. Eventually, Luz spoke up, "Well, what if we put on a production of it?"

"What?!" the others said in unison.

"Well, maybe not an exact reproduction of the opera, but we could do our own take on it in the town square at Tadpole Pond," said Luz.

The others were about to say something, but as the idea played in their heads, it actually started to sound like a great idea.

"You know, there are still a great many traveling troupes in Amphibia," said Gustav. "Many of them put on one kind of show, but some have rotating acts. Maybe we could tell an abridged version of the opera as well as some other stuff. Maybe Amara and I can play some music."

"Hey, maybe I can do a reading of Good Witch Azura!" suggested Luz.

"Oh, is that the book you always have with you?" asked Amara.

"Yes, it is," said Luz, holding it so the others could see.

"Is that a story from your world?" asked Lilly.

"Well, it's a fictional story," clarified Luz. "While it was written in my world, it's not set there. It's set in its own mythical world where magic exists."

"You know, if you're going to read it for the act, maybe you can practice on us," suggested Amara. "I mean, we've all seen how much you like that book, but none of us knows anything about it."

"Yeah, why don't you read us a bit of it so we can know what you're talking about when you make your Azura references?" said Gustav.

"Just so you know," said Luz, "this is actually book five of a series. If I start with this, then you might be a little confused."

"Even so, I'd like to hear it anyway," said Lilly, with the others nodding in agreement.

"Well, in that case, why don't you all get comfortable?" said Luz, opening her book. "Now, let's begin. Chapter 1: A New Journey…"

"And with that, Azura grabbed her staff and set off on a new quest that promised to be much more difficult than any previous quest she had ever embarked on," finished Luz. "End of chapter one."

Luz looked out at her friends' faces, all of which were hanging open with anticipation.

"Well, what happened next?" asked Amara.

"Yeah, that was just the beginning, right?" asked Lilly. "So that means there's a lot more to this, right?"

"I have to know what happens. Please keep going," said Gustav.

"So you guys want me to keep reading?" asked Luz. "I mean, this is a pretty long book."

"Keep reading! Keep reading! Keep reading!" all three amphibians chanted.

"Okay," said Luz. "Here we go. Chapter 2: The Bog of Immediate Regret…"

Luz kept reading until the sun began to set and she had no more natural light to see. At that point, the group had to move inside. Luz was at about the halfway point of the book and decided to stop for the day. Despite only having finished half the book, all three amphibians were completely enthralled by the story.

"That part where Azura challenged Hecate to a duel was awesome!" said Amara. "And she's not even her mother."

"That Arch-mage is shaping up to be a dangerous villain," said Gustav. "Azura should be weary of him."

"No one writes stories like that in Amphibia," said Lilly. "I can guarantee people will want to hear that story."

"Wow, Luz, you definitely have to do a performance from that book for our show," said Gustav. "Have you ever acted before?"

"Well, I tried out for a play one time," said Luz

[Insert scene from the first episode of Owl House with Luz auditioning for "Romeo and Juliet"]

"It didn't really go well," said Luz.

"That's okay," said Lilly. "This time, you'll have weeks to practice, so you should be fine."

"We need to start planning what we're going to do for this show," added Amara. "I know we can do it! And Luz, I think you should be the leader and help organize us."

"Really? You mean it, Amara?" said Luz.

"Yes, I do," said Amara, who was once again smiling a genuine smile.

"Hey, I just thought of something," said Gustav. "If we're going to form an acting troupe of some kind, we'll need a name for it."

The four students all tilted their heads as they tried to think up a name for their troupe. Luz finally spoke up, "How about Azura's Troupe?"

The amphibians nodded their heads and repeated the name, all of them liking it.

"Well then, I guess it's time for Azura's Troupe to start rehearsing," said Luz.

Over the next few weeks, whenever the four had free time, they would meet up and work on their improvised show. Slowly, things started to come together as they started settling on what would be in the show. The decision had been made that they could do a scene or two from the opera in this show, and then, in the future, do another scene to entice viewers to come back. They would also have a duo music act, with Gustav and Amara playing their instruments. Finally, Luz would do a recreation/reading of the first chapter of Good Witch Azura. At present, they were trying to convince Lilly to play the role of the hero Glenn in the Opera.

"It's just that I've never acted before," said Lilly. "Amara, you should play it."

"But I'm not a frog," countered Amara. "The story is about a frog, and it wouldn't be right for me to play one. Actually, I remember when I saw it that they had a newt playing the role of Glenn the Hero. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now, I find it kind of weird that they didn't have a frog play the role of, well… a frog."

"You know, there's a similar thing that happens sometimes in my world," said Luz.

"What do you mean?" asked Lilly.

"See, we have movies in my world. They're kind of similar to plays, but… well, I'll explain the difference later. Point is that sometimes they get actors who aren't right for a certain role to play it. I remember recently, there was controversy over a few films where there was supposed to be a character that was Asian, but instead, they were played by a non-Asian."

"Why would they do that?" asked Gustav.

"It's complicated," said Luz. "Sometimes, the people who make the movies don't feel that there's a popular enough actor of the correct descant to play the role, not that that's an excuse. Sometimes, it's just malicious, and they don't want to acknowledge minorities."

"What are minorities?" asked Lilly.

"Huh… That's kind of a complicated topic," answered Luz. "Let me see… Hey, Amara, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?" said Amara.

"You've mentioned how your parents taught you that they feel that newts are superior to other amphibians. Would you say that is a belief held by a lot of newts?" asked Luz.

Amara thought for a moment. "It's hard to say. I think if you ask most newts who live in Newtopia, they would say the same thing. It's certainly true for both my parents and anyone they associate with."

"Yeah, unfortunately, there's a similar thing in my world," said Luz. "Some humans feel that they are superior to other humans based solely on how they look. Not unlike the whole different amphibian species dynamic you have going on here. In my world, 'minorities' would be frogs and toads. It's kind of funny how some things are true, no matter what dimension/world you are in."

"That's not funny," said Lilly. "That sounds sad."

"Well, sometimes you just have to laugh," said Luz, letting off an uncomfortable laugh.

"Luz, in your world, would you be a minority?" asked Amara.

Luz hesitated before answering, "Yes. In my world, I guess I would be considered a frog. The ones who looked down on me would be newts."

"Oh, I see," said Amara, who looked away sadly.

"But I think all of this illustrates exactly why, Lilly, you need to play the hero, Glenn," said Gustav. "The fact is, in the story, he was a frog hero. If we're going to put on a play about him, then we should have a frog play him as an inspiration to other frogs."

"Okay, you make a good point. I'll do it," said Lilly. "Though one more thing I haven't even thought of yet, was the hero Glenn a real person?"

"Hmmm, well… Maybe?" answered Amara. "The opera was written so long ago, it's hard to say. If he did exist, I wonder how much of what the opera said he did is true."

"We'll probably never know," said Gustav. "You're right. The opera was written so long ago that there's no way to know if it was based on a real person or if it was just made up. In any case, now that that's settled, let's get back to work!"

As the days and weeks went by, the act started coming more and more together. They cobbled together some props from anything they could find lying around. They asked Uodeela for any old clothes she might have that they could use as costumes. Finally, the troupe was ready for their big performance! They set up a small playing area in the town square of Tadpole Pond. Uodeela had agreed to help them run the business portion of their troupe and had taken care of collecting admission from the various amphibians who came to watch.

Gustav had agreed to be M.C. for this performance and came onto the stage to introduce the first act.

"Ladies and gentle-frogs," he began. "Tonight, Azura's Troupe is proud to present you with three amazing acts, the likes of which have never before been seen in this town. Mayhaps not even in the entirety of Amphibia!"

A general murmur came from the assembled crowd, who had come to see the show.

"And now, for our first act, we present a creature who came here from another world and who brings a tale from her world that tells of the struggle between good and evil. A tale of magic, adventure, suspense, and romance. The Tale of The Good Witch Azura!"

Luz stepped forward, wrapped in an old white sheet that had been repurposed into a cape and holding a stick she had found in the woods.

"I am the Good Witch Azura!" exclaimed Luz to the crowd, "and this is my story. When I was a young witch, I was given a quest by the ancient wizard Galifrey, who sent me to obtain the staff of wisdom. I succeeded in that quest, and shortly thereafter, I met another witch, Hecate."

With that, Amara walked onstage dressed in an old robe. "I am the witch Hecate, and I was also on a quest to obtain the staff of wisdom, but Azura beat me to it. From that moment on, I swore I would never let Azura get the better of me again."

"Hecate," growled Luz

"Azura," said Amara, "here you are, once again in my way. You had best clear the path or I will make you."

"Perhaps we should let our magic decide this conflict instead of our words," said Luz.

"If that be your intention, then prepare yourself!"

Luz and Amara got into a mock fight, sending spells at each other.

"I am bested!" said Amara. "How have you mastered so many spells so quickly?"

"I am the hero of my destiny. Your magic will never beat me as long as I believe I can succeed," replied Luz.

"Bah, your success is due to luck, and I will prove it. When next we meet, we shall have combat again, and I promise I will be the better in that encounter," said Amara as she left the stage. The crowd cheered and applauded!

With that, Gustav came back out.

"And with that, the first part of our tale of Azura is at its end. But fear not, for when next Azura's troupe performs, you shall see much more."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves excitedly.

"Now, as our performers prepare for the next spectacle, we present a small musical interlude consisting of myself and the lovely Amara," Gustav said as Amara came back onstage with her lute in hand.

The two began to play together, and they were in perfect sync as their melody echoed through the audience. It was serene and calm. They continued playing for quite a while. When they finally stopped, the crowd cheered again! Gustav and Amara took a bow, and Amara stepped back to allow Gustav to announce the last piece.

"Our final piece of the evening is a section from the beloved opera 'The Frog Knight!'" began Gustav.

Several excited murmurs came from the audience at this announcement!

"Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to present an entire opera here tonight," declared Gustav. "So instead, we have selected a single scene to show you. Now I must tell you what has occurred prior to this so that you may have a better understanding of the scene at present. This part of the tale happens early in the opera. The young squire Glenn has journeyed forthwith his brother and Champion Knight Cyrus! They have engaged the evil dark mage in combat, but alas, it seems that this may yet be a trial that Sir Cyrus will not overcome. And now, let us see what happens."

With that, Gustav turned around and adorned a cape on him, as well as picked up a prop sword, so that he could play the role of Cyrus. Lilly walked onstage already in her costume to play the role of Glenn, and Luz came from the other direction to play the role of the dark mage. Amara also came onstage and used her lute to play music to heighten the scene.

"Foolish Cyrus!" said Luz with an evil laugh. "Didst thou believe thou could challenge my power? This place shall be your grave!"

"I will not yield!" shouted Gustav. "I am the mighty Cyrus, champion of her majesty, and the greatest knight in all of Amphibia! Have at thee!"

Luz and Gustav engaged in mock combat until Luz threw a brightly colored potion at Gustav. It was all for show as it exploded in a bright show of small fireworks. Though it was harmless, Gustav reacted accordingly.

"Ahhh! No!" cried Gustav as he fell to his knees

"Cyrus!" said Lilly, rushing to him.

"Glenn, thou must flee!" said Gustav. "Relay what has occurred here to the Queen! Thou must protect her!"

"No!" said Lilly, "I canst abandon thee!"

"Run, Glenn… I beg of thee…" With that, Gustav slumped over, dead.

"Cyrus! CYRUS!" yelled Lilly to the "dead" Gustav.

"You fiend!" said Lilly to Luz. With that, she ran at Luz, and they engaged in mock combat. Luz eventually threw another potion at Lilly.

"Ahhh!" cried Lilly.

"It would be a trivial matter to end your life here alongside your brother," said Luz, "but it seems crueler to let you live, yes," said Luz with an evil laugh.

"You shall live, Glenn," continued Luz. "You shall live with your failure! You shall live with the knowledge that you couldn't save your master! You shall live with the knowledge that you cannot save your queen! You shall live, knowing that your very kingdom is forfeit! You shall live knowing that against my power, you are as nothing!" With that, Luz laughed one more time before leaving offstage, and it was now time for Lilly's big monologue.

"Sir Cyrus, my liege, my brother, my friend, I have failed you," began Lilly. "And worse yet, the vile dark mage wishes me to live with this failure. How can I live knowing I have failed you? If the dark mage will not grant me death by his hand, then I shall use my own hands to give it to me."

Lilly lifted her sword above her chest, ready to bring it upon herself. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Hark, a small thought enters my mind. If indeed I give up mine own life, then the dark mage's victory is all but assured. Who shall fight to save the kingdom? Who shall defend the queen? Surely there would be others who would take up the fight? Would they not? Yet the dark mage defeated the greatest knight in all the land. If he could so easily triumph over Sir Cyrus, what resistance could even the entire core of knights offer to him? My life is worth nothing, so why should I not end it here and deny the dark mage's wish for me to live in failure? It would be so easy. All I must do is summon the courage necessary and plunge this sword into mine chest."

Lilly began visibly shaking as she thought once more about ending her life.

"Oh, pitiful coward that I am. I cannot bring myself to do it." With that, the sword fell to the floor.

"But what next? How can I make up for this egregious mistake? I cannot live my life as a coward, and yet I lack the strength to end it. Cyrus… taken too soon. What wouldst thou do in my position? Thou wouldst surely fight on! Yes, I know thou wouldst! So I too shall fight on! The dark mage still threatens the kingdom, and he must be stopped! Cyrus told me to relay what occurred here to the Queen. The dark mage is sure to threaten Newtopia next. I shall make my way there with all speed and haste! When next I fight the dark mage, I will make him come to regret sparring my life! With new conviction, I rise!"

Lilly got up on her feet.

"DARK MAGE! Our fight is not over!"

Gustav rose from his "dead" position.

"And with that, the scene is over," he said.

Immediately, the audience cheered! Even louder than they previously had. They clapped and cheered! Gustav stepped forward to take a bow, and then Luz came back onstage and took a bow as well. Amara stepped forward to take her bow. Finally, Lilly stepped forward and took her bow. The four friends joined hands and took one more company bow, all while the audience in the square continued to clap and cheer! All four of them felt a rush of adrenaline at this! All of them were smiling and enjoying the euphoria they felt!

Later, back at Uodeela's house, the four friends sat in the living room, laughing and talking about the performance.

"I gotta say, Luz, you make a real good dark mage!" said Gustav.

"Ah, thanks! But come on, you and Amara were on fire tonight with your musical duet thing going on," said Luz.

"If anyone was on fire, it was Lilly!" said Amara. "You absolutely nailed that monologue! No wonder the crowd cheered so loud!"

"I think you made a good Hecate!" said Lilly. "You and Luz almost feel like you were made to play rivals."

Luz and Amara shared a glance at each other and smiled at this. Luz noticed that ever since the performance ended, Amara had smiled a lot more than she had ever seen her smile in the past.

"I can't believe that went so well," said Gustav. "I mean, I wish my dad could have seen it. I think he would have enjoyed it."

"Are you all ready to celebrate?" asked Uodeela as she entered the room with a tray with four mugs. "I have some cider!"

"Umm, we're kind of young for that, Master," said Lilly nervously.

"Eh, one mug won't kill you," replied Uodeela as she began passing out the drinks.

"I really had fun tonight," said Amara. "Honestly, the most fun I've had in a long time. I've never done anything like that!"

"What, act in a play?" asked Lilly.

"No… had fun with friends," admitted Amara, somewhat sadly.

The others stopped drinking their drinks and looked at Amara, who blushed at seeing the others look at her like that.

"It's just that my upbringing was really strict," she clarified. "I was educated by private tutors and almost never left my house. If I wanted to go anywhere, my parents had to take me, and I had almost no free time. It was all about learning lessons, attending dinner parties, and being educated on how to be a 'proper' newt. I never really had friends. My parents would occasionally let me play with other kids from families they 'approved' of, but I don't think any of them actually cared about me. I think the only thing my parents cared about was that the Light name wasn't disgraced."

"Wait, what name?" asked Luz.

"The Light name," answered Amara. "Did I never tell you my surname?"

The other three shook their heads.

"Oh, well, my full name is Amara Light," said Amara.

"Huh, that's interesting," said Luz. "You know, in Spanish, my name actually means 'light'"

"Really?!" said Amara in surprise. "Huh, what a coincidence."

"I'm sorry to hear about that," said Lilly. "You know, I thought growing up in the capital city would be incredible compared to living in a small town outside the valley. I never thought it could be so confining."

"I mean, don't get me wrong, there are amazing things to see in Newtopia. And on the rare occasions when I did get to see the city, it was beautiful. But I just wish I had someone to share it with, you know," said Amara.

"Well, that's all in the past," said Lilly. "It was great sharing the stage with you tonight, Amara, and I think I speak for all of us when I say you're our friend. Right, guys?"

Luz and Gustav both nodded in approval of Lilly's statement.

"Really? Just like that?" asked Amara, a little surprised. "I mean, I haven't exactly been the nicest newt to you all. Do you really think of me as a friend?"

"Amara, after hearing what you said just now, I think I understand," said Gustav. "I get the whole 'not being what society wants' thing. I was a runt among toads, and I never really took an interest in fighting, weaponry, or other things that toads are 'supposed' to like. I got bullied for being different, and that's part of the reason my dad sent me here. He was trying to get me away from the other toads. So I understand being pressured to be a 'proper newt', as you just said. And in recent weeks, it feels like you really are trying to change, so I say let's let bygones be bygones."

"You and I have already talked," said Lilly. "You don't have to listen to your parents. I think you can be your own person and be better for it, Amara."

"Ditto to what they said," exclaimed Luz. "I get what it's like to be pressured to be normal, so I feel you, Amara. Come here!"

With that, Luz pulled Amara into a hug. She then motioned for the others to join, and soon they were all engaged in a big group hug. Amara once again smiled at this turn of events.

"Thanks, guys!" she said.

Chapter Text

Luz and her friends were outside with Uodeela. Today, she was teaching them an invisibility potion.

"There are a myriad of uses for this potion, as I'm sure you can imagine," began Uodeela. "But in teaching you this potion, I also must point out that you should be ethical in how you use it. Now, the invisibility effect will only last one hour, so you'll need to prepare and drink more if you want to remain invisible longer. I should also point out that it has to be drunk in order for its effects to take hold. This does present a problem in that it can't affect clothes. If you really wanted to be invisible, then you would have to be naked."

"Uhhhh," groaned Luz, thinking about that prospect. "Guess I won't use this one that often."

"Afraid to show some skin?" asked Amara teasingly.

"Not at all," began Luz, before suddenly shifting. "Well, maybe a little. I mean, it would make for a real awkward position to be caught in if you turned visible without your clothes."

"As I said, that's why this potion may not be that useful," explained Uodeela. "But sometimes, in the right circumstances, you never know. Remember, there are two parts to learning potions. The first part is the ingredients required. The second is learning how to best use the potions you brew."

"Thankfully, this one doesn't seem that complicated," said Lilly as she began stirring her ingredients together. After some time of stirring, the potion turned a light sky blue—the exact color it was supposed to be.

Luz looked at her potion and was pleased to see it turning the same color. She glanced over at Amara and Gustav's potions and saw that they had also achieved success, as their potions were sky blue as well.

"Well, since this is just for testing purposes, why don't you all measure out a bottle and try it?" said Uodeela, "Though, please, leave your clothes on. If it works, you'll all still turn invisible with your clothes. Let's see."

The four students scooped up a bottle of their potion and drank it. Luz brought her hands up to her eyes and was a little freaked to see her hands start to fade into nothingness. She glanced over at her friends and saw their skin beginning to fade as well. After a few seconds, the students' physical bodies had all faded away, though their clothes were still floating in the air. It was an odd sight to see, for sure.

"Man, this is weird!" exclaimed an invisible Luz. "I still see all your clothes floating in the air, but no one is wearing them!"

"You're barely invisible at all, Luz," said Gustav, "because of those things on your legs and your shoes."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I'm the only one here wearing shoes, so you can see more of me," said Luz.

"Still, I've gotta admit this feels cool," said Lilly. "I can see using this to sneak around or eavesdrop on a conversation."

"Or maybe sneaking into the boys' locker room," said Luz with a hint of deviousness.

"The what?" asked Amara.

"The boys' locker room," clarified Luz. "It's at school where the boys… You know what? Forget I said anything."

"Anyway," said Uodeela, "looks like you all have successfully prepared this potion. Your invisibility will wear off in an hour, so at that point, bottle up the rest of your potion and keep it. Might prove useful down the line. I think we can call it early for today, so good job, everyone!"

After an hour, the students began to clean up from the day when they heard a noise. It sounded like a carriage of some sort. The group looked out to the path that led to Uodeela's house, and sure enough, a snail pulling a carriage appeared on the road. The carriage was being ridden by a figure in a thick, black cloak. As the carriage approached the house, it finally stopped, and the figure stepped down, the cloak still obscuring her face. Uodeela stepped forward to meet the stranger, though for a second, she thought she recognized her.

"Valeriana?" asked Uodeela. "Is that you?"

The figure removed her hood to reveal another salamander! She was about the same age as Uodeela. She was brown and had yellow spots on her skin. Her eyes were bright red and immediately came to rest on Luz.

"So, is this the strange creature you told me about?" asked Valeriana, taking out a small magnifying glass that extended out and using it to examine Luz.

"Uh, yes, but hang on a sec. What are you doing here?" asked Uodeela.

"Vat do you mean, vat am I doing here?" answered Valeriana. "I got your letter and came over."

"Oh!" began a surprised Uodeela. "It's just that I didn't expect you here so soon."

"Well, it just so happens that there will be an opening for the Bizarre Bazaar in this area in a few days," said Valeriana, "so I figure why not eat two beetles at once?"

"Makes sense," replied Uodeela.

"Um, hey, sorry to chime in here," said Luz, "but what exactly is going on?"

"Ah, forgive me, Luz," said Uodeela. "Let me explain. Valeriana here is an old friend of mine."

"Friend?" said Valeriana in mock outrage. "I'd say ve're more like sisters, considering all ve've been through."

"I suppose that's right," said Uodeela, who finally walked up to Valeriana to give her a hug.

"Anyway," continued Uodeela, "Valeriana here deals in strange and mystical objects. She knows almost as much about magic as I do. She travels around Amphibia, collecting them. She also sets up shop at the Bizarre Bazaar."

"What's the Bizarre Bazaar?" asked Luz.

"It's a traveling night market that sets itself up in a different place each time," explained Uodeela. "At this market, you can find almost anything, and Valeriana here is one of the best when it comes to magical objects. I asked her to come over to pick her brain about how to help you get home, Luz."

"Oh, really?" said Luz. "That's great!"

"What kind of mystical objects do you have?" asked Amara.

"I have traveled all across Amphibia," said Valeriana. "Over the years, I have collected many treasures, all of vhich have strange and mystical powers. Behold!" With that, Valeriana pulled out what looked like a small wooden frog. At first, it was completely still, but after a few seconds, it began to move.

"Wait, is that supposed to be a frog?" asked Lilly. "It looks so tiny."

Luz stared at the wooden frog as it began to hop around on its own accord. For a second, Luz felt a familiar sensation upon seeing that frog, but she couldn't think of where she might have seen one like it before.

"Actually, that's what frogs look like in my world," said Luz. "Well, minus the whole being made of wood part."

"Really?" said Lilly in disbelief. "That's how small we are in your world? That's terrible. Oh, look at its eyes. They're glowing."

Lilly was right. As everyone looked at the frog, its eyes suddenly began glowing bright yellow. It stopped moving when its eyes glowed. They stayed yellow for a few seconds before turning back to their normal color as though nothing had happened.

"It's very strange," said Valeriana. "For some reason, the creature's eyes will turn that color at random for almost no reason. I can't quite figure it out, but that's not even the strangest part. Here, have a look at this." With that, Valeriana took hold of the frog and turned it over so all the kids could see the bottom of its left foot. There was a strange hole in the foot, and it had a weird pattern in the hole, almost as though it were a lock of some kind.

"Where did you get this, Valeriana?" asked Uodeela, intrigued. "I've seen almost as much of Amphibia as you have, and I've never seen anything like this."

"I found it hopping alone in the vilds," answered Valeriana. "I think the creature is somewhat sentient, as it almost looked as though it was lost. Ever since I found him, he's stayed with me. I would never dream of selling him. He and Leander get along okay, but the creature doesn't speak or communicate in any vay that I can understand."

"I wonder if maybe its glowing eyes are how it communicates," suggested Amara.

"I'm more curious about that hole in its foot," said Gustav. "It almost looks as though it's meant to lock into something."

"Unfortunately, I know nothing more about this creature," said Valeriana, "but I do my best to keep him safe. He doesn't seem to require food or vater. Sometimes he stops moving and just stays in one place. Maybe someday I vill know more, but that's just one of the many strange and mystical objects I have in my possession. But enough of that! I came here to help your strange friend, and I believe it is time to discuss some things."

"Indeed it is," said Uodeela. "Though before we get to that, I need to have a word with Valeriana in private. Luz, why don't you head up to my room and wait for me there? The rest of you, get inside, and no eavesdropping!"

The students quickly filed inside the house, and Luz went upstairs to wait in Uodeela's room. She had only been in there one other time, when Uodeela had fared badly against the herons and Luz had helped her into bed. Luz sat down on that bed and waited for Uodeela and Valeriana to return. She didn't have to wait too long, as soon, the two opened the door and entered the room.

"So, young one, vhy don't you tell me about how you got here?" began Valeriana. "Uodeela has filled me in on some of the details, but I'd like to hear more from you."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't remember much more," said Luz. "The last thing I remember before coming here was being in the park with my friends. Anne opened up a box, and suddenly, there was a bright flash of light, and next thing I knew, I was walking through a swamp in this place."

"I see," began Valeriana. "This box that your friend opened. Can you describe it to me?"

"I think it was gold and had a carving of a frog on it," began Luz. "Also, there were four gems on the lid."

Valeriana's eyes lit up at hearing this, and she glanced over to Uodeela, who was shaking her head and using her hand to give a sign to not say whatever she was thinking of saying. Luz did not notice any of this.

"I see," said Valeriana, turning back to look at Luz. "I have heard of some device that fits your description, though I have never seen it before. Much of what I have heard is legend, but I vill tell you vat I know. I have heard of such a box that vas used by the royal family of Newtopia. I believe they knew how it functioned and that it was capable of taking them to strange and new vorlds. But much of vat I have told you is only stories. I have never seen the box myself, and I suspect that it has not been in use by the royal family for many years."

"Why do you think that?" asked Luz.

"Because if it was, then I vould have heard more," answered Uodeela. "I have many contacts all over Amphibia, and I do my best to stay informed of any magical happenings. If it vas real, then I vould know much more about it and how it vorks."

"I see," said Luz, slightly crestfallen.

"Do you have it vith you right now?" asked Valeriana.

"No, sorry, I don't," said Luz. "When I first arrived, I didn't have it with me."

"Hmmm, and you say there vere others vith you?" asked Valeriana.

"Yes, they were there when the box was opened, but when I arrived in Amphibia, they weren't with me," answered Luz.

"I see," said Valeriana. "I suspect that your friends are here. Perhaps they vere put in different parts of this land, but there's no vay to know for sure until ve find them. My guess is that if you don't have the box, then maybe von of your friends does. In all likelihood, ve vill need to find it first. Maybe if Uodeela and I could see it, ve could learn how it vorks and then use it to send you and your friends back."

"I would very much appreciate that," said Luz.

"Listen, Luz," began Uodeela, "we're about halfway through my teaching schedule. When the apprenticeship ends for Gustav, Lilly, and Amara, I'll be free of any commitments. Maybe then we can take a trip to different parts of Amphibia and look for your friends."

"Oh, but what about Gustav, Lilly, and Amara? What happens to them?" asked Luz.

"Well, they'll go back to their families," answered Uodeela.

"You mean they'll leave?" asked Luz, a bit sadly.

"Well, yes, they will eventually leave," clarified Uodeela. "That's how an apprenticeship works. They come and learn from me for a time, then they go home and take the knowledge that they've gained and use it."

"I guess I didn't realize they would leave, eventually. We've actually gotten to be real good friends," said Luz.

"Well, you did want to get home eventually, right, Luz?" asked Uodeela. "That means you would have to say goodbye to them at some point."

"I just didn't think it would be so soon," replied Luz.

"It's not over yet," said Uodeela. "Plus, what about your other friends?"

"I guess I need to find them," said Luz, before shifting uncomfortably. "I'm just not looking forward to seeing Anne again."

"You never said what it was that the two of you fought about," said Uodeela. "I know you may not want to see her again, but if Valeriana is right about your friends being here, we need to send them home with you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," agreed Luz. "Well, I suppose it will be nice to get out there and see other places in this world."

"There is much to see in Amphibia, child," said Valeriana. "I have been traveling around my whole life. I think you vill like it."

"Well, now that that's taken care of, Valeriana and I actually have someplace to be," said Uodeela. "Luz, you stay with the others. Don't wait up for us!"

"Oh? Where are you going?" asked Luz.

"Can't say, unfortunately," replied Uodeela. "But trust me, it's important."

Uodeela and Valeriana got into Valeriana's carriage and headed away from the house. Once they were far enough away, Valeriana spoke to Uodeela.

"So now that ve are alone, are you going to tell me vhy you are lying to that child?"

"I'm not lying," said Uodeela defensively. "I'm just not telling her the whole truth."

"I believe that is called a lie of omission," replied Valeriana.

"So, would you prefer I tell her that not only has she been summoned to Amphibia for a dangerous purpose, but she also has an incredible power within her?" asked Uodeela sarcastically. "She's a child. She's not ready for that kind of knowledge."

"I hear vat you are saying," said Valeriana, "but assuming the prophecy is correct, then she vill have to find out, eventually."

"How do we know that the prophecy is even right?" asked Uodeela. "For all we know, it could be a bunch of junk that was made to keep amphibians scared. Not only that, but I don't think Luz and her friends fit the description of 'four warriors.' Furthermore, Luz has said how she fought with one of her friends before coming here. If she knew about the power she has inside her, who's to say she wouldn't use it to take revenge on Anne? Then, if Anne can harness her power, the two would get into an epic fight that could cause destruction and CALAMITY throughout the entire kingdom."

"So you think the same thing, then?" asked Valeriana. "That box that Luz described was the Calamity Box. You think that means it has returned to Amphibia?"

"It has to be the Calamity Box," said Uodeela with conviction. "Can you think of anything else that fits Luz's description of the box?"

"No, I can't," said Valeriana, "and ve don't even have the box. It could be anywhere in Amphibia. For all you know, King Andrias may already have it."

"Perhaps our contact can inform us on that matter," said Uodeela. "But in the meantime, I need you to be on the lookout for that box. While I assume whichever girl wound up with it would keep it safe, they may try to take it to the Bizarre Bazaar to try to learn more about it."

"I promise to let you know if I hear anything, even rumors, about the box," said Valeriana. "Though, as for Luz, do you not think you should train her to use her powers? Vat if the prophecy is true? If there is a great evil that threatens Amphibia, Luz vould have a better chance of beating it if she knew how to fight with magic."

"Luz is too impulsive right now, so I don't think it's a good idea to tell her she has magic powers," began Uodeela, "especially because she's obsessed with fantasy. She even told me that she wanted to be a witch, but since magic wasn't real in her world, she never thought she'd get that chance. I started teaching her potions and elixirs because that's how eager she was to learn about magic, but when she drank one of the elixirs, she was able to access the powers her gem gave her, though she can only do it temporarily for short periods of time. The other problem is that Luz thinks having magic powers is all fun and adventure, but the gem gave her power for a reason, and it wasn't for her to have fun…"

"Then that means if there are others like Luz, they likely have powers as well," said Valeriana. "I vould say all these circumstances make it seem as though the prophecy is true. In vich case, ve should be on guard."

Uodeela nodded her head, then looked down sadly. "There's another reason I haven't told Luz the truth yet… I don't want her to have to bear the burden of fighting a great evil. She's young, but she has a good heart. Also, I've grown fond of her. I don't know how to tell her that she was brought here to fight an evil force beyond our comprehension. I keep thinking that in the back of my mind, maybe, just maybe, if we can find the box and reunite Luz's friends, we can send them home and they won't ever have to know about that terrible prophecy. They can go back to living their normal lives."

"Uodeela," said Valeriana seriously, "I understand that you care for her, but knowing that there may be a chance that Luz will have to use those powers in what may vell be a fight for her life, you von't be doing her any favors by keeping her in the dark."

"I know, I know," said Uodeela somberly.

"Vell, in any case, ve've arrived," said Valeriana. She pointed off In the distance, to a small town. It was near twilight as the sunset bathed the town in an orange-red glow. Valeriana whipped the reins on her snail as it continued towards the town. Valeriana stopped the carriage just outside of the town, where she and Uodeela waited for their contact to show up.

After about an hour, a figure approached the carriage wearing a cloak.

"The stars are always beautiful at this time of night," the figure said.

"And the brightest star can give a glimmer of hope," replied Uodeela.

The figure nodded its head, and Uodeela motioned for him to enter the carriage, where Valeriana was already there. The figure removed its cloak to reveal a frog.

"Good to see you, Uodeela," said the frog. "First, before we get to business, how is my daughter doing?"

"Your daughter is doing fine," answered Uodeela, "but I take it you didn't call this meeting just for that. You know you can come by and visit if you want."

"Are you sure it's safe for us to be seen together?" asked the frog.

"Considering I live out in the wilds with no neighbors, I think you'll be fine. Though the only reason I didn't have us meet there was because I didn't want the kids overhearing us," answered Uodeela.

"That's fair," said the frog. "Anyway, the reason I called you both was because of something that recently happened in a small town in Frog Valley. There was an election for mayor there, and while normally the resident toad runs unopposed this year, an elderly frog ran against him."

"Did he win?" asked Uodeela.

"Unfortunately, no," replied the frog, "but I think it's significant that he actually managed to beat the mayor in quite a few of the trials. Not only that, but he managed to beat him in combat in the fighting trial."

"Really?!" exclaimed Valeriana. "That is interesting. A frog managed to beat a toad in a fight."

"I suppose that's interesting, but I fail to see how it helps our cause," said Uodeela.

"I think it's more significant than you realize," said the frog. "For one, this is the first time in years that the mayor of that town has ever faced a significant challenge. Furthermore, I think we can use this to help inspire other frogs elsewhere."

"How do you mean?" asked Uodeela.

"I mean, we can use this story to our advantage," said the frog. "We should start spreading it around to every town, both inside and outside of the valley. We can show frogs everywhere that they don't have to continue to live an oppressed existence under the toads."

"That does sound like a good plan, but what about getting the actual frog on board? What was his name?" asked Uodeela.

"His name was Hopediah Plantar," answered the frog. "And honestly, I don't know. I've thought about asking him to help us, but maybe it would be better if he didn't know. He can't talk about the resistance if he doesn't know about it."

"Still, we should consider bringing him in at some point," said Valeriana.

"Perhaps further down the line," said Uodeela. "In any case, how were you planning on spreading this story?"

"I have several copies of the newspaper from that town," said the frog. "I figure I can start spreading it to other small papers who can re-print the story and get the word out to their own readers. I also have an idea for a poster." The frog reached into his cloak and pulled out a poster depicting Hopediah Plantar in a heroic pose with the words "Freedom Frog' emblazoned on it.

"Uodeela, do you think this vill vork?" asked Valeriana.

"It can't hurt to try," replied Uodeela. "At this point, I'll take any chance I can to bring an end to the oppressive rule of the toads. They've ruined so much and done nothing but cause misery for folks living in their territory. If we can beat the toads and get them off our backs, then maybe things will finally start to change. Here, let me see one of those newspapers. I'll make sure to get this to the local news at Tadpole Pond. Once the story gets printed on that paper, I'll be sure to help spread it to other towns near my location."

"I can't thank you enough for all you've done for us," said the frog, "especially after what happened to my wife…" He trailed off, unable to finish what he was saying, instead hanging his head in sadness.

"Hey, that wasn't your fault," said Uodeela. "We all knew the risks associated with starting a resistance. Your wife was a hero, and honestly, you should be proud of your daughter. I see the same kindness and compassion in Lilly that I saw in her."

The frog raised his head and smiled upon hearing that.

"I should tell you that your daughter's kindness may have had a profound impact on another student. I took in a rather snobbish high-class newt from Newtopia, who at first was very prideful and stuck up, but Lilly was able to change her just by being nice to her. Now she and Lilly are good friends."

"I'm glad to hear that," said the frog.

"Vell, if you'd like me to take a copy of this story, I travel all over the land, and I can certainly help discreetly spread the story of 'Freedom Frog', if that's what we're calling him around," said Valeriana.

"That would be great," said the frog. "Was there anything else you wanted to know about?"

"Actually, yes," said Uodeela, "two things. Firstly, have you heard any news from Newtopia about a strange box being discovered there?"

"Can't say I have," answered the frog, "though I did hear a rumor about a strange creature appearing there."

"Strange in vat vay?" asked Valeriana.

"As in, the creature wasn't a frog, toad, or newt, but it was some kind of never-before-seen species. I hear the king took in that creature, so maybe he's keeping it as a pet," answered the frog.

"Hmm, if you can, I'd like you to get a better description of that creature. Is it perhaps tall and gangly? Does it call itself human? Does the creature talk about coming from another world? This may be important," said Uodeela.

"Oh, I just remembered something," said the frog in excitement. "I heard rumors that the town where 'Freedom Frog' is from also had a strange creature staying there. I think some descriptions of it were, in fact, that it was tall and gangly."

"Which town was this again?" asked Uodeela.

"Wartwood," said the frog. "Oh, I just remembered one more thing. The creature, I believe, calls itself Anne."

Uodeela looked crestfallen at that bit of information. "Are you sure that's what its name is?"

"Pretty sure," said the frog. "I haven't seen the creature myself or been to Wartwood, so most of what I hear is secondhand."

"Then I need you to take a trip to Wartwood and confirm these rumors," said Uodeela.

"Are you sure you want me to spend time doing that?" asked the frog.

"Yes, I'm sure. Trust me, it's important," replied Uodeela. "I need to know anything you can tell me about this creature."

"Very well," answered the frog. "If you say it's important, I'll do it, though it may take me a while, as I have to take care of spreading our story first."

"Yes, by all means, take care of that first," said Uodeela. "But once that's done, make sure you go to Wartwood and follow up on those rumors. Here." Uodeela reached into her hair and pulled out a bag of coins.

"This is all I have left from the tax raid I did on the toads," she said, handing it to the frog. "Use it to help you spread the story and for any expenses you incur traveling to Wartwood."

"Understood," said the frog as he accepted the money. "What was the second thing you wanted to ask me?"

"Actually, it was that," said Uodeela. "I had wanted to know if you'd heard any rumors about strange creatures in Amphibia."

"Oh, well, if that's all settled, then I best be on my way," said the frog. "I promise to report back when I have more information."

With that, the frog opened the door and leaped out into the night.

"You are vorried about Luz and Anne meeting," observed Valeriana.

"I wish Luz would tell me what it was they fought about," said Uodeela. "I don't want them to still be angry at each other when they reunite. If they fought in anger, then they could inadvertently activate their powers, and we all know how bad that would be."

"Considering how dangerous things may get, I suppose ve should be prepared for anything," said Valeriana. "It's a good thing I found this." She rummaged through a trunk next to her and pulled out a broken tablet, handing it to Uodeela.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Read it," said Valeriana

Uodeela began reading the tablet, and it looked as though it contained a list of ingredients. As she read further down the list, her eyes lit up in realization!

"Is this the formula for the Elixir of Life?" asked Uodeela in excitement.

"I think so," replied Valeriana, "but the stone tablet is broken, so it's incomplete. Someone came to my stall looking for some quick cash, and they sold it to me. I don't think they knew vat it vas. Though, to be honest, I'm not sure if it's real or not. And in any case, ve don't have the entire recipe, so ve can't brew it just yet."

"But if we could just imagine!" said Uodeela.

"I don't know," said Valeriana. "The only vay to test the elixir is to… vell, die. And I don't fancy doing that just to see if the stories are true."

"Still, I wouldn't mind brewing it just to prove that I can," said Uodeela.

"You always did like a challenge," laughed Valeriana. "But I think if you do brew it, you should try to keep a bottle of it on you. There are dangerous times ahead, and should the vorst ever happen to you, it vould be vise to keep a bottle of this vith you to recover from death."

"I try not to think about that too often," said Uodeela. "But hey, a little extra insurance never hurts."

"Then take the tablet vith you vhen you return, and I'll keep an eye out for the other half of that tablet. If anyone can brew the Elixir of Life, I have faith that it's you, Uodeela," said Valeriana.

With that, Valeriana took Uodeela home. It was very late at night by the time Uodeela got home. She opened the front door and turned on the lights, only to be surprised to find Luz standing there!

"Luz, what are you doing? I said don't wait up for me," said Uodeela.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I never properly got the chance to thank you for all that you've been doing for me," said Luz.

"Oh, you didn't need to stay up to tell me that, kid," said Uodeela.

"I know, but I wanted to anyway," replied Luz. "Oh, hey, you said that you'd keep a lookout for any news about my human friends."

"Oh, that's right. I did," said Uodeela, a little nervously.

"I was just wondering if you'd heard any news or rumors about them?" asked Luz.

Uodeela slowly turned away from Luz, trying to avoid her eyes. You would ask me that now, wouldn't you, Luz? thought Uodeela. Right after I heard a possible rumor about your friend being in Wartwood… Still, I don't think you're ready to reunite with her just yet…

"Sorry, I haven't heard anything about that," said Uodeela a little too quickly.

"Oh, well, at least we got to talk to your friend about the box," said Luz. "Again, thanks for that. Well, I guess I'll go to bed then. Goodnight, Uodeela!" With that, Luz gave Uodeela a hug before heading down to the basement.

Uodeela stood there, feeling guilt about lying to Luz but trying to convince herself that it was for the better.

"I've seen and heard it all," said Valeriana

"Ack! Seen it all, heard it all," repeated her pet

"Bet you haven't seen anything like me, though," said Anne

Valeriana leaned in close with a special magnifying glass as she examined Anne.

"No, not exactly," said Valeriana. Why do I feel as though I have seen something like her before? thought Valeriana. Uhh, sometimes I hate getting old. Can't remember a darn thing.

"Uh, there's something I'd like you to take a look at," said Anne, reaching down to where her backpack was.

"Uh, are you sure about this?" said Sprig. "Maybe Hop Pop was right."

"You heard her; she's seen it all," said Anne. "If anyone knows anything about the music box…" Anne paused as she realized her backpack was gone!

"My backpack! Where'd it go?!" asked a panicked Anne. As she looked up, she saw the small creature who had stolen her backpack.

"Hey! That's my backpack, you little creep!" exclaimed Anne. "Get back here!" With that, Anne and Sprig chased after the thief, leaving Valeriana alone to muse over what she had just seen.

"Could it be, Leander? Could she be the one we've been searching for?" asked Valeriana.

Why did that creature look so familiar? I could have sworn I'd seen something like her before, thought Valeriana. I'm sure it will come back to me, eventually. I wonder what she wanted to show me.

Chapter Text

Best Fronds

"It's not all that," said Anne. "I miss my home, my stuff, and especially my friends." As Anne said this, she took the picture she had taped to the wall and handed it to Sprig.

"Without them, I just feel kind of lost," continued Anne.

"So these are your friends," said Sprig. "Why don't you tell me about them?"

"Well, the one with the blonde hair is Sasha," said Anne. "I've known her since kindergarten. She's always getting me to try new things and go on adventures with me. The one next to her is Marcy. She's kind of a klutz, but she loves video games and board games. She's the smartest person I know."

"Oh, who's this one?" asked Sprig, pointing to the girl on Anne's left.

Anne realized he was talking about Luz, and a deep pit formed in her stomach as she thought about what to say.

"That's Luz," said Anne, somewhat slowly. "I only met her a few months ago. She was a new girl who came to my school, and it turns out we both liked a lot of the same things. But I haven't known her as long as I've known Sasha and Marcy."

"Still, she seems pretty cool," said Sprig.

"Eh, are you sure about that?" asked Anne. "Thing is, Luz and I have been kind of growing apart. I think maybe it would be best if we stopped hanging out."

"Oh, is there any particular reason for that?" asked Sprig.

"It's just, have you ever had a friend that you thought you knew really well, but then you learned something about them that made you question their motives?" asked Anne. "That's kind of how I feel about Luz right now."

"What was it you learned about her that made you want to stop hanging out with her?" asked Sprig.

"Eh, I'd rather not talk about it," said Anne.

"I understand," said Sprig. "In any case, I was thinking, why don't I be your friend in the meantime?"

"You?!" said Anne in surprise.

"Me," said Sprig, pointing to himself.

"In fact, I'm feeling a little sleepy," said Sprig, as he almost fell over. The adventure at the Lake had taken a lot out of him. Still, Anne was glad that they had managed to avoid suspicion from Hop Pop and were able to convince him that they had spent the whole day inside. Despite the danger, Anne enjoyed herself.

Anne caught the falling Sprig and gently carried him over to her makeshift bed, where she placed him down. As she reflected on the fun she'd had with her new friend, Anne couldn't help feeling a bit sad as she thought of her other friends. She pulled out the picture, the one all of them had taken a few weeks ago, and looked at her other friends, unsure if they were stuck in this world with her but wanting to wish them well just the same.

"Sasha, Marcy, I hope you guys are okay because I am," said Anne. She glanced one more time at the photo, and she saw Luz smiling back at her as she had an arm around Anne.

Luz thought Anne. We were all so happy in that picture… I can't believe that was only a few weeks ago. It feels like so much time has passed since then.

"Luz, I—," began Anne. She wanted to wish Luz well like she had with Sasha and Marcy, but Anne couldn't put into words what exactly she wanted to say. Just seconds before being teleported to Amphibia, she had told Luz she no longer wanted to be friends with her. Now she couldn't help but be a little concerned over the fact that Luz might be trapped in this strange world alone.

"Luz, I—" began Anne again, but she still couldn't think of what she wanted to say. With that, Anne put the picture away and laid down herself, her mind full of thoughts about her friends. Though before she fell asleep, Anne whispered,

"Luz, even if we aren't friends anymore, I hope you're okay."

Taking Charge

"What is this demonic nonsense?" asked Hop Pop

"Hop Pop, this show's got beautiful people doing dumb things while stuff explodes!" claimed Anne. "It's literally perfect. Heck, I managed to get Luz into it!"

"Oh, is that one of your human friends?" asked Sprig.

"Yeah," said Anne. "I remember we had just had lunch at my family's restaurant, and that's when I first showed Luz the trailer I just showed you guys. She loved it! Then we ended up watching it when I invited her over to my house. We had so much fun that day." Anne stared off into space as she remembered that day and the good time she had with Luz.

"Anne, are you alright?" asked Sprig, who noticed the change in Anne's demeanor.

"What? No, I'm fine," lied Anne. "It's just that I was remembering that day. I miss my friends, but hey, I guess that's why I wanna watch this new season with you guys! I had great memories of watching this show with my old friends. I'm sure I can create some great memories by watching it with my new ones!"

"Now, hold on," began Hop Pop. "Instead of that garbage, how about I treat you to some real entertainment?"

"Oh, no," said Sprig and Polly together.

Girl Time

"I love it!" exclaimed Polly as she looked at the small statue. "Hey, sorry girl time was such a bust."

"Nah, don't worry about it," replied Anne. "I mean, the more I think about it, the whole idea of 'girl time' is pretty weird, although I do remember spending a wonderful spa day with Sasha one time. Her parents paid for us to go to a really nice, high-end spa!"

"Ah, man. I wish I could have gone," said Sprig. "I love the spa!"

"Yeah, me too," said Hop Pop. "What was it like?"

"Oh, it was great. We had a great time. They served us cucumber water, we got a mani-pedi, and we got to relax and take a nap afterward," said Anne.

"Anne, I know you miss your friends," said Polly. "Is that why you wanted to have girl time so badly?"

Anne hesitated for a bit before answering, "Yeah, guess you're right. When I had girl time with Sasha, it was always fun, and we would enjoy not just getting pampered but also just being together. I always liked girl time because it meant I got to hang out with Sasha."

"Oh, I understand," said Polly. "You wanted us to share an experience that you had with your friends."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have forced you to do it if you didn't like it," said Anne. "I'm sorry, Polly."

"No, don't worry about it, Anne," answered Polly. "I see how important it is to you now. I'd still like to hang out with you. Maybe next time, we can do things that both of us like."

"Thanks, Polly!" replied Anne.

"You mentioned Sasha, but did you ever have girl time with your other friends?" asked Sprig.

"You know, Marcy was never really into it," said Anne. "I think one time at a sleepover, we had a casual spa night where we put our feet in Epson salt and painted each other's toenails. As for Luz, well, I haven't known her as long as Marcy and Sasha, so we never really had time to set up a day for girl time."

"Huh, maybe when you get back home, you should ask her if she'd like to have some 'girl time,'" suggested Sprig.

"Huh, yeah, maybe I will," said Anne, a little nervously.

Anne vs. Wild

"Guys, now that we've been through a lot, there's something I'd like to share with you," said Anne as she brought out something from her bag. The others couldn't see what it was, as she had wrapped it up in some kind of cloth.

"This is how I got here," said Anne as she removed the cloth to reveal a strange box of some kind.

"Wow! Shiny!" exclaimed Sprig.

"It's some kind of crazy music box or something," said Anne. "My friends and I were standing together in the park, then I opened it to see if there was anything in it, and next thing I knew, there was a huge flash of light, and suddenly, I went from being in the park to being a swamp just outside Wartwood. On the first night when you guys took me in, I tried opening it again to see if it would transport me home, but it didn't work."

"You were with your friends?" asked Hop Pop.

"Yeah, we were all together when I opened the box. I'm not sure if they're here in Amphibia or not," said Anne.

"Well, this is a big place," said Hop Pop, "and Wartwood is only a small town in a much larger world."

"Yeah, exactly," said Anne. "I wish I knew for sure whether they were here in Amphibia with me or if they were back in my own world."

"I wonder if your friends found families of their own to take them in?" asked Polly. "That'd be kinda cool. When we all meet up, we could have a big reunion party!"

"I hope so," said Anne. "I hope that if they are here, then they're all doing well."

"I hope we get to meet Sasha, Marcy, and Luz someday then," said Sprig. "I hope they're all as cool as you, Anne."

"Thanks, dude," said Anne. "So, have you guys seen anything like it before?"

"May I?" asked Hop Pop.

"Sure, I mean, it's busted," said Anne dejectedly.

Hop Pop took the box in his hands and began examining it. He turned it over a few times and looked at it from various angles before declaring, "Nope, never seen anything like it."

"Well, it was worth a shot," said Anne.

"Anne, I promise we're gonna find a way to get you home. And if your friends are here in Amphibia, then we'll find a way to reunite you with them, too," said Sprig.

"Thanks. That means a lot to me. I hope you guys get to meet my friends, eventually. They're all cool," said Anne as she took out the picture of her friends to show Sprig and Polly.

"Well, that's enough excitement for me today," said Hop Pop as he yawned. "I think I'm gonna turn in."

"Goodnight, Hop Pop," called the kids as he left the kitchen.

"Hey, Anne," said Sprig after Hop Pop left.

"Yeah?" replied Anne.

"I was just wondering about your friends. Do you think that if they were brought here, something may have happened to them?" asked Sprig.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Anne.

"Well, it's just that before we found you, you were living out in the wilds, and that can be pretty dangerous. There are all sorts of dangers in Amphibia that we deal with on a daily basis. What if… one of your friends, well—..." said Sprig. He didn't finish the sentence, but his silence implied what he was thinking. Polly glared at him for even suggesting this.

"Ha ha ha!" laughed Polly uncomfortably as she tried to reassure Anne. "Don't listen to Sprig. He says a lot of things without thinking, sometimes. I bet your friends are fine."

"I never thought about that," said Anne. "I mean, you do have a point, especially after tonight, when we almost got eaten by cannibals. Could something have happened to Sasha, Marcy, or Luz?" As she said this, Anne remembered the last thing she had said to Luz before opening the box. Suddenly, she was struck with a deep sense of guilt.

"I need to go," said Anne hurriedly. With that, she made her way down to the basement, quickly saying goodnight to Sprig and Polly.

When she was finally alone, Anne thought about what Sprig had said. It would be bad enough if something had happened to Sasha or Marcy, but if something happened to Luz, that would be even worse, considering how they had parted. Over the past few weeks, Anne had begun to think more about Luz and what happened at the dance. While she wasn't happy with Luz about what she had done, she was also beginning to feel bad about telling her that they were no longer friends. As Anne continued to replay that moment in her brain, she couldn't help but begin to regret it. Finally, she brought her hand to her face and covered it, feeling angry at herself.

Why did I say that to her? thought Anne.

Hop-Pop and Lock

Despite the rest of the town having left and Mayor Toadstool having declared the dance over, Sprig pulled out his violin and continued to play to allow for some music for Hop Pop and Sylvia to dance to. Hop Pop and Sylvia enjoyed many dances together before deciding to take a break. At this point, Hop Pop brought Sylvia over to his family to introduce them.

"Oh, of course, I know you, Sprig," said Sylvia. "You're friends with my granddaughter. And Polly, is it? I saw you a few weeks ago in my daughter's tea shop. I think you were there too, Anne."

"Yeah, I was. I was trying to have girl time with Polly, but it didn't work out," replied Anne. "Still, the tea shop is nice."

"Yes, my daughter has done well for herself with that shop," replied Sylvia. "But tell me more about yourself, Anne. I've heard all kinds of stories about the 'town monster'. I'm curious to see how much of it is true. Honestly, you don't strike me as a monster at all."

"Thanks. I appreciate you saying that," replied Anne. "Truth is, I'm not a monster. I don't eat frogs or any other Amphibians. I'm just a regular young girl."

"Anne was the one who taught me how to dance," said Hop Pop. "She really did a number on me."

"Oh, that's so wonderful to hear!" exclaimed Sylvia. "Also, you look wonderful in that dress, dear."

"Ah, thanks," said Anne. "Actually, the last time I wore this top was at a school dance in my world before I came here."

"Oh, really? Did you have a good time at that dance?" asked Sylvia.

"Yeah, I—," began Anne, before remembering what had happened. But she also didn't want to ruin the evening and decided to stretch the truth a little about what had happened.

"At first, it was just alright, but later in the evening, I got asked to dance by someone special," said Anne.

"Oh, was it your boyfriend?" asked Hop Pop.

"No, it was a friend," replied Anne tersely, "but a friend who might be more important than I thought." After saying that, Anne stared off into the sky as Hop Pop and Sylvia continued to talk with each other. As Anne thought about that night more, she wondered what might have happened had Luz not kissed her. She was honestly having a good time at the dance before that happened, and she wondered if that night could have ended differently.

Extra! Extra!

"Fresh Vegetables! Get your fresh vegetables here!" called Anne as she stood at Hop Pop's stand. Sprig and Polly had left with Hop Pop to bring more vegetables back from the farm. They had sold out of carrots and squash and needed to re-stock. Hop Pop decided to leave Anne at the stand to continue selling what was left. Ever since the people of Wartwood had given Hop Pop a new stand, they had also seemed to want to buy more from him. This was great news for the frog, and Anne was happy to help, as she had come to care for the old frog.

"Ah, is this the stand of Hopediah Plantar?" asked a frog as he came up to the stand. He was blue, dressed in simple clothes, with a hat on his head.

"Yeah, but he's not in right now," said Anne.

"Oh, that's okay. It was actually you who I wanted to talk to," said the frog. "Are you the creature known as Anne?"

"Anne is my name. I'm not a creature; I'm a human," answered Anne.

"Ah, yes, of course," said the frog. "You see, I'm a reporter for the Swampshire Tribune. I had heard stories about a strange creature in Wartwood and decided to try to get the big scoop for my local paper. I'd like to ask you a few questions, Anne."

"So, is this like an interview or something?" asked Anne.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," said the frog as he took out a pen and notepad. "So, question one, why do you call yourself human?"

"Um, because that's what I am," replied Anne. "My species is called human. I'm not a frog, newt, or any kind of amphibian."

"Ah, very well, then," answered the frog. "Next question, do you consider yourself tall and gangly?"

"I guess, especially compared to most frogs. I think most of Wartwood has called me gangly at least once," replied Anne.

"Okay, I see," said the frog, writing this down. "Next question, is it true you come from another world?"

"Huh? How did you hear about that?" asked Anne, a little suspicious.

"Oh, I've heard all kinds of rumors," answered the frog. "I just want to know if it's true or not."

"Well then, yes, I am from another world," said Anne. "Where I'm from, humans like me are a lot more common. We have things like roads, phones, the internet, movies, all kinds of things that don't exist here."

"Oh, very interesting," said the frog as he wrote on his pad. "Last question. Do you know of any other humans that might be here in Amphibia?"

Anne paused upon hearing this question. She stared at the frog before speaking.

"Okay, that question is a little too on the nose," said Anne, glaring at the frog. "Who are you? What do you know about my friends being here?" Anne began to march toward the frog in a threatening manner.

"Uh, well, that's all I needed then. Got to go," said the frog nervously as he began to hop away.

"Hey! Get back here!" demanded Anne as she chased after the frog. The frog began to hop through the market, trying his best to put some distance between himself and Anne. Anne chased after him, trying her best to catch up. Eventually, the frog jumped out onto the main road out of town and kept hopping away. He had underestimated Anne's athleticism, though. Anne kept chasing him, finally closing the gap before jumping and tackling the frog to the ground.

"No more games," said Anne. "What do you know about my friends?"

Before the frog could answer, Anne heard her name called from a distance.

"Anne?!" yelled Hop Pop. "What in the world are you doing to that frog?" Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly rushed over to where Anne was.

"Oooo, Anne's been practicing my pile driver technique," said Polly with glee. "She's gonna break his arm!"

"What? No. This frog was trying to get information out of me," said Anne. "He said he was a reporter, but then he started asking about my friends. My HUMAN friends."

"Please. Please, let me go," pleaded the frog. "You don't understand; there are forces in play here that you can't possibly comprehend."

"What are you talking about?" asked Anne. "Look, if you know anything about my human friends, tell me now!"

"I can't tell you," said the frog. "It's safer for you if you don't know anything."

"What do you mean, safer?" asked Sprig.

"Please believe me when I tell you I'm on your side, but it's too dangerous to tell you the specifics," said the frog.

"Look, mister, if you know anything about Anne's friends, you best get to telling her. She misses them terribly," demanded Hop Pop.

"Are you Hopediah Plantar?" asked the frog.

"Yes, that's me, though I don't think I've ever met you before," said Hop Pop, looking the frog over.

"No, you wouldn't have met me," answered the frog. "Please listen. Let me go, and I'll tell you what I can, but I can't tell you all the details."

Anne looked at her family, and they all nodded their heads. Anne let go of the frog, and he got up.

"Please understand, I can't tell you everything," began the frog. "I know that sounds frustrating, but trust me when I say it's for your own protection. Anne, I don't know if there are other humans here or not, but I will say I was asked to investigate if the rumors of a 'strange creature' in Wartwood were true by someone who I trust. If there are other humans, she might know more, but I can't tell you anything else. Please believe me. I wish I could tell you more, but the less you know, the safer you are. As for you, Hopediah, I wanted to thank you for what you've done."

"Uh, you're welcome, but I can't recall ever meeting you before," said Hop Pop. "I don't even know your name."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you my name," said the frog. "As for you, Anne, I've told you everything I know. Please believe me when I say there are people watching over you who want you to succeed. With that, I must go. Stay strong!"

The frog began hopping down the road, and before long, he was gone completely from sight. Anne and the Plantars stared off into the distance where he had gone, unsure of what to do or even whether to believe what he told them.

Chapter Text

Many Months Ago

Luz's Room

Luz had just gotten home after her first day at school—a day that had gone much better than expected. Against all odds, she had made not just one but three new friends, though it was Anne that she was currently thinking about. That conversation they had over being the first generation in their families formed a connection that she had never felt with anyone before. Luz raced to finish her homework and change her clothes so she could give Anne a call, as she wanted to talk with her some more.

Luz finished her assignments and decided to give Anne a call. After a few rings, she answered.

"What's the sitch?" she said.

"Hey, Anne. It's Luz!" said Luz.

"Oh, hey. Good to hear from you, Luz!" replied Anne. "Hang on a sec. Can I call you back?"

"Oh, sure," said Luz. The phone hung up, and Luz waited for Anne to call back. A few moments later, she did, though Luz noticed she was doing a video call. For a second, she hesitated to answer, wondering if she looked okay, but then decided to take the call.

Anne was smiling as she looked at Luz over their video call. "Hey, Luz. How are ya?"

"I'm great," replied Luz. "Just a little surprised that you wanted to do a video call."

"Oh, well, I figured that this way we could not only talk, but we could give each other a virtual tour of our rooms," said Anne.

"Hmmm, well, to be honest, I've never even given a real tour of my room," began Luz, "on account of never having had any friends over…"

"That's okay," said Anne. "I'll go first if you want."

"Yeah, go ahead. It will give me time to prepare," said Luz.

Anne picked up her phone and moved it around so Luz could see what she had in her room. "So first, over here, I have a poster for The Legend of Korra. I figured you'd like that. Next over here, I have my Gameboy. I have a good collection of games for it, though one of my favorites is Pokemon. Oh, check out my stuffed animals. My two favorites are Flamingo and Gila Monster. Gila Monster secretly has a crush on Flamingo but can't bring himself to tell her. Over here is my desk with my computer, which has my music on it. Oh, hey, what kind of music do you listen to?"

"Eh, I have some really weird tastes," said Luz. "Probably bands you haven't heard of."

"Well, tell me anyway. I want to know," said Anne.

"I like Mana. They're kind of old school, but my mom grew up listening to them. She'd play their songs in the car, so I got into them that way. Alejandra Alberti is another one. She sings in Spanish. Oh, I really like Nightwish, though that was mostly because I watched a lot of AMVs where people used their music."

"Oh, I've heard of them," said Anne. "Yeah, I'd be willing to bet that any anime that has a lot of action and fight scenes in it has had at least one AMV made with a Nightwish song."

"Yeah, and they're AWESOME!" exclaimed Luz.

"Well, some are," countered Anne. "Don't get me wrong, I've seen a lot of great AMVs, but I've also seen some bad ones."

"I've made a few myself," said Luz hesitantly. "They haven't gotten that many views, though."

"Oh, well, you'll have to show me one sometimes," said Anne. "I promise I'll go easy on you."

Luz chuckled at hearing Anne say that. "So, is it my turn?"

"Of course," said Anne. "Show me your room."

Luz picked up her phone in order to give Anne a proper tour. "Okay, so starting off over here is my Good Witch Azura Poster. I got it when I pre-ordered the fifth book. Right under it are my Good Witch Azura figurines. I found those at Spencer's and had to save up a lot of money to get them. Oh, over here, I have another poster for Attack on Titan. I mean, that anime is brutal!"

"No kidding," said Anne.

"Anyhoo, over here, I have my closet. That's where my clothes live, and then I have my bed, where I sleep, and that's about it," said Luz.

"Oh, you changed your clothes," said Anne, noticing Luz's shirt. "That's a cool hoodie!"

"Oh, I haven't even shown you the best part," said Luz excitedly. With that, she flipped up the hood on her head to reveal two cat ears on it. "Meow, meow!"

Anne's eyes practically lit up seeing this, and she let out a squeal of delight. "Ahhhh! You're so cute! Oh, if you like cats, then I have to show you my cat. Wait, a sec." Anne left the frame and went off-screen for a few moments before returning.

"Luz, allow me to introduce you to… Domino!" With that, she held up a black and white cat.

Domino let out a soft meow.

Luz's eyes went wide, and she blushed before exclaiming, "Huuuuuh, aye que lindo! I wish I could reach through that screen and just hug her!"

"I'll just have to invite you over sometime so you can see her in person," said Anne.

"Wow, really?!" asked Luz. "I can't wait!"

"Luz, dinner is ready!" called Luz's mom from downstairs.

"Oh, I have to go, Anne, but it was great seeing your room! And your cat! I can't wait to come over and pet her!" said Luz.

"Yeah, it was great to see your room, too. That's an awesome hoodie you have! You'll have to wear it sometime when we have a free dress day!" said Anne.

"Yeah, for sure! Well, bye! I'll see you tomorrow, Anne!" said Luz. As the two teens hung up their phones, they were each thinking different things.

Luz was so happy to have finally found a friend like Anne. Someone who liked the same things she did, someone who liked her for her. Her first real friend. Luz had been so nervous about attending this new school, and while she had always tried to pretend that having no friends didn't bother her, in the back of her mind, she was secretly sad. She really hoped that her friendship with Anne would continue to grow!

Meanwhile, Anne had gotten off the phone and felt a little weird. There was something about Luz—she couldn't quite explain it—that made her different from Sasha and Marcy. Sasha had stood up for Anne and helped protect her from bullies, but she always seemed a bit distant from Anne. Marcy was always up for playing games and having fun, but she was a klutz, who Anne had to look out for. Luz was different from both of them and talking to her made Anne feel good. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was different from when she talked with Sasha or Marcy. Anne couldn't wait to see Luz again and talk with her some more…

As Luz woke up, she felt awkward. The dream she had the previous night wasn't a dream but more like a memory—a memory of her first day of school at St. James. It was a memory of a conversation she had with Anne over the phone, where the two had given each other a virtual tour of their respective rooms. It had been the first time she had thought about Anne in a long time. Over the past several weeks, Luz had tried her best to avoid thinking about either the dance or the day she had been transported to this strange new world. She wondered why now, of all times, she was having a dream about those events.

Luz pushed these thoughts from her head as she realized that she didn't need Anne. She had made new friends, like Lilly and Gustav. Not only that, but Amara had finally stopped acting like a stuck-up brat and had started acting more friendly towards her. All things considered, despite being lost in a strange world away from her mother, things had turned out okay. Luz had learned quite a few potions over the past weeks and was really coming into her own. Luz got dressed and got ready to head upstairs to see what they would be doing today.

As Luz arrived upstairs, Uodeela and the others were already there, all of them getting ready for a trip. Uodeela had mentioned they were going somewhere special today.

"So let's all get ready to go," called Uodeela. "We're going a bit farther today than we've ever gone. We'll be heading to the Misty Moors. I'm hoping that we will be able to run into the Moss Man."

"Wait, did you say Moss Man?" said Lilly in surprise. "I thought that was a myth!"

"Oh, he's very much real," said Uodeela, "and his moss is an ingredient in a new elixir I'm trying to brew, at least according to this old tablet Valeriana gave me. We have to be cautious in how we approach the Moss Man, and we have to ask nicely if he will give us some of his moss."

"I can't believe it's real," exclaimed Amara. "As a kid, you heard stories about Moss Man, but I never expected that it was real."

"So, what is the Moss Man?" asked Luz.

"If we're lucky, you'll be able to see him for yourself," said Uodeela. "But before we go, I should warn you all that the mist of the moors is enchanted. It has a tendency to conjure up illusions. If you wander alone in the mists, you may see things that aren't really there. We need to make sure and stay together; otherwise, the mist may try to fool you. Get all your supplies ready. We leave in ten minutes."

As Anne tossed and turned in her bed, her thoughts kept shifting between two things. One was the conversation she had with the Plantars about the Moss Man, and the other was a memory she was having. The memory was of the day she met Luz. She remembered the conversation they had over the phone after school was over. Anne woke up in a cold sweat as she recalled her uneasy sleep. Despite the thoughts of the Moss Man being fresh in her mind, it was actually the other dream that had her more worried.

Why am I thinking about Luz? Thought Anne to herself. I've wondered about her every now and then, but I hadn't thought about that day we met in a long time… Anne trailed off, remembering that the last thing she said to Luz before being transported to Amphibia was that she didn't want to be friends with her anymore.

Anne tried to shake these thoughts from her head as she began to wonder. Had it really been her decision to cut Luz out of her life, or was she just listening to what Sasha said? At the time, what Sasha told her made sense, but she couldn't help but wonder if she really didn't want to be friends with Luz anymore. The dream she had reminded her of how much she actually enjoyed Luz's company, but she had other things to worry about. Anne got out of bed, dressed in her clothes, and went to find Wally. He said he had seen the Moss Man, and she was going to make him take her to where it was!

"But the journey will be fraught with peril!" warned Wally. "For instance, Anne, did you know the mist of the moors is enchanted? If you get lost in it, the mist may conjure up illusions in order to trick you. You have to be careful when we get to the moors, so don't wander off alone!"

"Yeah, whatever, Wally," said Anne dismissively. "Let's just get going already."

"Okay. Mind if I play a song while we travel?" asked Wally

"Eh, why not?" said Anne

Wally readied his accordion, "Ohhhhhhhh, the Misty Moors are dark and grey…"

"Huh, hope he doesn't play that thing the whole way," said Anne

It took a good part of the day, but Uodeela and her students eventually reached the Misty Moors. As they looked out over the moors, they could see that they were indeed covered in a deep, dense mist that was hard to see through. There seemed to be a sense of dread in the air.

"Welcome to the Misty Moors!" exclaimed Uodeela. "Now, as I said before, be careful not to get lost in the mist, or you may start seeing things that aren't there. When we're in the mist, stay together and don't wander off. We need to be quiet so as not to spook the Moss Man. If we approach him carefully and cautiously, we can ask him for some of his enchanted moss. Everyone clear?"

"Yes, Master," said all the apprentices.

"We finally made it! The Misty Moors!" said Wally. "Time for the Moss Man summoning ritual."

"Summoning ritual?" asked Anne.

With that, Wally began playing his accordion and dancing around in a weird pattern. He also began speaking some incoherent words. Anne wasn't quite sure if this was an actual ritual or if Wally was just messing around.

"Uh, are you sure this is gonna work?" she asked, not believing that Wally was doing anything of substance until she saw a mystical butterfly, just like the one she had seen when she first saw the Moss Man!"

"Huh, butterflies!" exclaimed Anne before chasing them.

"Oye, where you going? I'm only halfway done," said Wally. After a beat, he realized Anne was wandering off alone into the mist.

"Anne, wait! Come back! Don't go off alone!" yelled Wally, but it was too late. Anne had already disappeared into the mist, and Wally had lost sight of her.

For her part, Anne had followed the butterflies. She was amazed at their appearance and wondered what they were made of. She also wasn't paying attention to where she was walking and walked right into the Moss Man. For a second, Anne tried to get her phone out, but almost immediately dropped it, causing the Moss Man to run away. Anne quickly got up and chased after it.

"Wait! No, wait!" she yelled.

As Uodeela and her apprentices traveled into the mist, it became very difficult to see. As they got deeper and deeper, Luz could barely see five feet in front of her.

"Hmm, if I recall correctly, there is a way to summon the creature," mused Uodeela, "but I can't quite remember how to do it."

"Let me see if I can find one," said Amara, taking out a book and looking through it.

"I think I saw something," said Lilly, pointing off into the distance.

"Shh, listen. Something is out there!" said Gustav.

The group became quiet as they listened. They heard a voice yelling out in the mist.

"Wait! No, wait!" said the voice. Luz's eyes lit up as she recognized that voice.

"Anne?!" she said, unsure if it was her. Luz was filled with many emotions as she heard what she thought was Anne's voice. Her desire to see if it was really her overruled any warnings of the mist as she bolted off in the direction she thought she heard the voice come from.

"Luz, what are you doing?!" said Uodeela. "Come back before you get lost!" But it was too late. Within seconds, Luz disappeared from the group into the mist.

"Anne, is that you?" she called as she ran off.

Anne kept chasing after the Moss Man, but she had lost him in the mist. As she looked around, she realized she had also lost Wally. Anne was starting to feel nervous until she heard a voice in the mist.

"Anne, is that you?" said the voice.

As she heard it, Anne froze. She knew that voice! Unless she was mistaken, it was Luz!

"Luz, is that you?" asked Anne as she headed off in the direction she thought she heard the voice come from.

"Anne, are you out here?" asked Luz.

"Luz, is that you?" asked Anne.

As Luz continued to wander in the mist, she finally saw a figure off in the distance. It was Anne! Luz ran towards the figure of Anne. Eventually, she came up to the figure and saw that it was indeed Anne.

"Anne, is that really you?" asked Luz.

"Of course it's me," said Anne.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" said Luz as she came closer to give Anne a hug.

"I know you are," said Anne. "Come give me a kiss!"

Luz froze for a second as she heard Anne say that. "Uh, what now?!"

"I said, come give me a kiss," said Anne. "I mean, I thought I'd ask this time, since last time, you just kind of came up and kissed me without even asking."

There was a pit forming in Luz's stomach as she heard Anne say that. Luz wasn't sure what to say in response to that.

"I—uh," began Luz.

"I mean, you only did it in front of the entire school, but that's how you are, right, Luz?" asked Anne. "Always impulsive, listening to your heart but never your head."

"I—I'm sorry," said Luz.

"Are you sorry?" asked Anne, "or are you just sorry that it didn't work out for you?"

"I—Why are we even talking about this?" asked Luz in desperation.

"Because we need to talk about it, Luz!" said Anne. "Did you know that you stole my first kiss?"

"I—What?!" said Luz, who now had tears forming in her eyes.

"You stole my first kiss!" said Anne accusingly. "Like every girl, I wanted my first kiss to be special, but instead, it was with you!"

"I'm sorry!" said Luz, who was crying now.

"No, you're not," said Anne. "But you will be…"

Anne ran in the direction she thought she heard Luz's voice come from. Eventually, she saw a figure in the fog and ran towards it. It was Luz! Anne felt relief at seeing the figure.

"Luz, is that really you?" asked Anne.

"Of course it's me!" said Luz. smiling.

"Oh. man. I am so glad to see you!" exclaimed Anne.

"Are you?" asked Luz.

"Of course! I mean, why wouldn't I be?" said Anne.

"Well, because last time we talked, I believe you said that you didn't want to be friends with me anymore," said Luz.

Anne froze upon hearing this. She tried to think of something to say but couldn't. Finally, Luz spoke again.

"I mean, I guess if we aren't friends anymore, then I should just leave you lost in the fog."

"No, wait," said Anne. "Listen, I'm sorry I said that. I didn't mean it."

"If you didn't mean it, then why did you say it?" asked Luz.

"I—I don't know, but—" began Anne.

"You really don't know much, do you, Anne?" asked Luz.

"No, wait. Listen, please," begged Anne.

"Why should I listen to you?" said Luz. "You said it yourself. We aren't friends anymore! You were my first real friend. I'd never had one before, but then you just threw me away. I guess you'd rather stay with your other friends."

Anne was beginning to cry as Luz said this to her. "Please forgive me, Luz! I don't know why I said that, but I really am glad to see you."

"You're only glad to see me because I'm the first familiar face you've seen in months," said Luz. "It's too bad that the last thing you said to me was that you didn't want to be friends, otherwise, I might be glad to see you."

Anne couldn't think of a response to that. She tried to say something, anything, but words failed her. Suddenly, the surrounding mist became much thicker, causing the figure of Luz in front of her to vanish!

In an instant, the mist around Luz took shape. She could see two figures and quickly realized they were herself and Anne. They were dancing together, just like they had been that night.

"No, please don't show me this," pleaded Luz

But it was no use. The two figures began dancing, and suddenly Luz leaned forward and kissed Anne. At the time, Luz had closed her eyes, but now that she was watching the scene, she could see the utter shock on Anne's face. She felt the pain as she saw Anne push her off, and then the worst part that she knew was coming.

"LUZ, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled Anne.

"I'm sorry, I really am," said Luz. At that moment, the figure of Luz faded into the mist, while the figure of Anne came forward to where Luz was.

"Are you actually sorry?" asked the figure of Anne, "or are you just sorry that this didn't work out like one of your high school movies?"

Luz thought for a long time before finally getting down on her knees with her hands on the ground and her head hanging in shame in a show of remorse as she tried to find the words to express to this figment of Anne.

"Anne, I truly am sorry," said Luz, trying to hold back tears. "I really am. It's just that I had a crush on you, and we were dancing. The mood seemed right! All I wanted to do was show you how much I cared about you. We started as friends, and honestly, you're the best friend I've ever had. I want you to know I think you're amazing, and that's why I became attracted to you. You made me feel something I've never felt before, and that night at the dance, I wanted us to be more than friends."

"It was still wrong of you to just kiss me like that," said the figment of Anne.

"I know it was. If there's anything I can do to make up for it, then please tell me, and I will do it," said Luz.

"Even if I said that, because of this, I didn't want to be friends with you," said the figment of Anne. "If I told you that was the price of forgiveness, would you accept it?"

Luz lifted her head up to see the figment of Anne still scowling at her. After a long time of thinking, she finally said, "Yes."

The figure continued to look at Luz. For a while, its expression remained unchanged, then for just a second, it smiled before turning into mist and being blown away into the rest of the mist. After the figure of Anne disappeared, a new figure took its place. It was a tall, imposing figure that looked to be made entirely out of moss, with tree branches coming out of its head! It didn't speak, but instead made a few soft grunts as it got closer.

Luz gasped as she realized this must be the Moss Man that Uodeela had spoken about! The figure came close to where Luz was, but she didn't feel scared upon seeing it. Luz could almost sense that this creature meant her no harm, and indeed, it bent down and offered Luz a hand to help her get up. Luz accepted the offer and stood back up on her feet. She gazed into the Moss Man's eyes and could see how bright and full of kindness they were. The Moss Man smiled at her for a few seconds before turning and walking away into the mist. For a brief second, Luz felt an urge to chase after it but decided not to.

Luz stayed where she was, her mind full of questions and her heart full of emotions.

The mist began to fade, and Anne was able to see the figure of Luz still there, but there was another figure there as well. Anne realized that she was looking at herself. It was a figure of her talking to Luz, and then the figure of Anne spoke.

"Luz, if you came here to apologize, then save your breath. I've had a conversation with Sasha, and she gave me some good advice. I think… I think we shouldn't be friends anymore."

When Anne had said that to Luz, she had purposely tried to avoid looking at her. She hadn't wanted to see Luz's face when she told her she didn't want to be friends, but now there was no avoiding it. Anne could see the tears forming in Luz's eyes. She could see the look of betrayal and heartache on Luz's face as she said those words.

"No, no, no, no," said Anne, beginning to tear up herself. "I'm sorry! It wasn't even my idea to say that. It was Sasha's"

The figure of Anne faded back into the mist, leaving only the figure of Luz, who was once again angry at Anne.

"Oh, so you're just going to blame Sasha for what you did? Is that how it is?" said the figure of Luz.

"No! I mean… It's not her fault either; she just… What she said while we were out partying made a lot of sense at the time," began Anne. She saw Luz look at her, even more upset.

"It made sense at the time, but now that I think about it, it doesn't make sense anymore," pleaded Anne, trying to recover from what she had said.

"I thought you were my friend!" said the figure. "I told you when we first met that I didn't have any friends before you. I felt a real connection with you, Anne. That's why… that's why I had a crush on you. I'd never liked a girl like that before, but with you, I felt something, and you just threw me away like garbage!"

"I—I didn't mean it that way!" pleaded Anne. "I was scared because of what happened at the dance."

"What were you scared of?" asked the figure.

"I was scared of—" Anne paused, unable to complete her sentence.

"Well, what were you scared of?" demanded the figure of Luz.

Anne took a deep breath before shouting, "I WAS SCARED THAT I MIGHT ACTUALLY LIKE YOU MORE THAN A FRIEND!"

There was a long pause between the two as Anne realized what she had said.

"Why should that make you scared?" asked the figure of Luz.

"Because it does!" yelled Anne. After yelling, she tried to regain her composure before continuing, "Luz, maybe you have yourself figured out, but I don't know about me. I mean, I've never had romantic feelings for a girl before. I'd never even thought about something like that before the dance. That night, when you kissed me, I—I—I started having feelings I'd never had before. I had no idea how to process them. I know things are better and that being a lesbian isn't such a taboo anymore, but there are still people who will make fun of you, call you names, and bully you because of that. In school, your reputation means everything, and I was so scared… Because if I did like you, it would mean I would have to risk being called all sorts of ugly names. I was already bullied for being Thai, and I didn't want to be bullied for that too!"

The figure of Luz kept staring at Anne, her expression unchanging. The two looked at each other for a while before Anne continued talking through tears, "The truth is, I was afraid, and I thought if I told you that I didn't want to be friends anymore, that would make everything okay. I wouldn't have to worry about being bullied. I wouldn't have to face any weird feelings I had. Things could go back to normal. I'm sorry, Luz. I really am. If I hadn't been such a coward, then maybe things could have been different."

As she finished talking, the figure of Luz came up to Anne and hugged her, though Anne was surprised at how large and bulky Luz's arms felt. It wasn't until she looked up and saw that it wasn't actually Luz hugging her, but the Moss Man! Even so, Anne had lost any desire to simply snap a photo of it. Instead, she accepted the hug and buried her face in the Moss Man's chest. After a few minutes, the Moss Man released her, using its hand to wipe the tears from Anne's face before wandering back off into the mist, leaving Anne alone to think about what had just happened…

"Luz, where are you?" called Amara through the fog.

"Luz, can you hear us?" called Lilly.

Luz heard the voices but was still too shaken to move. She stayed where she was, still trying to process what had happened to her. Eventually, Uodeela and the others came upon her.

"I believe I was very clear in telling you not to wander off into the mist," said Uodeela, annoyed. Her expression changed as she noticed Luz's hand.

"Hey, what's that on your hand?" asked Uodeela

Luz brought up her hand and saw that the Moss Man had left a large chunk of moss on her hand when he pulled her off. Uodeela grabbed Luz's wrist to inspect the hand herself before pulling the moss off and placing it into a jar.

"Well, I gotta hand it to ya, kid. You certainly do get results, even when you're not trying," laughed Uodeela. "I sure am glad I took you in. You're like the spider that spins golden silk." Uodeela laughed again at her joke but stopped laughing when she saw Luz wasn't joining her.

"Kid, what's going on?" asked Uodeela in a concerned tone.

Luz stayed still, not responding to the questions. Instead, she fell to her knees and began crying. Lilly and Amara knelt down to be beside her. They put their arms around her and gently helped her to her feet. Once Luz was standing up, she embraced her friends and held onto them tightly. The group stayed at the spot and let Luz finish crying before gently guiding her out of the mist.

"Anne! Anne! Are you out there, Anne?" Wally's voice came through the mist.

Anne hadn't responded, but Wally kept looking. He tried relighting the lantern they had but couldn't get it to work. Wally kept up his search until he finally found Anne kneeling on the ground.

"Anne, is that you? Are you okay?" asked Wally nervously, as he got closer. Anne seemed fine physically, but the fact that she didn't respond gave Wally pause for concern.

"Anne, did you see something out there in the mist?" asked Wally

Anne took a while to respond, but she eventually spoke, "Wally, let's get out of here."

"You want to leave? I still want to help you get a picture of the Moss Man," said Wally.

"I saw him, but I don't care about the picture anymore. Please, Wally, I can't stay here," said Anne.

"Alright, love, follow me. I'll get us out of here," said Wally. With that, he guided Anne out of the mist and back outside the moors.

Uodeela and her students made their way away from the misty moors and back to her house. The journey took a while, and the whole time, Luz didn't talk. She seemed to be lost in thought, always looking off into the distance. Her friends were concerned about her but avoided asking her any questions. When they finally arrived back at Uodeela's house, Luz went straight down to her room in the basement. She sat alone in her room for a long time before Lilly finally knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Luz morosely.

"Hey, Luz," said Lilly. "It's been a while. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I—I want to say I'm fine, but… I think we both know that would be a lie," replied Luz.

"Listen, Luz, I don't want to press you," began Lilly, "but I also don't like seeing you like this. I understand if you don't want to talk about what happened out there, but I also want you to know I'm here if you do. Please don't try to face this on your own."

Luz looked at Lilly, and she could see the kindness on her face. As Lilly turned to leave, Luz stopped her. "Wait."

Lilly turned around to look at Luz

"Please come in and close the door. I want to tell you something I haven't told anyone yet," said Luz. "I want to tell you what happened between me and Anne."

Lilly descended the stairs and sat down next to Luz..

"Before I came to this world, Anne and I were friends. I had only just met her a few months ago when I transferred to her school. We found we had a lot in common and became close friends. Then one night, at a school dance…"

Anne and Wally had set up their campsite away from the misty moors. Wally had done most of the work, as Anne was still in a funk after what had happened to her on the moors. As Wally stoked the fire, he turned to look at Anne.

"Listen, Anne," began Wally. "I know that we haven't known each other that long, but I can see that something happened to you out there. I get it if you don't want to say anything, but I also want you to know that I'm here to listen if you want to talk."

At first, Anne didn't say anything. Wally went back to tending the fire before Anne finally spoke.

"Wally, I want to tell you something," began Anne, "but you have to promise not to tell anyone else. This is something I haven't even told Sprig or Hop Pop."

"I give you my word as a gentle frog that I won't tell a soul what you say to me," said Wally, speaking in a sincere voice that Anne had never heard him use before.

"Okay, listen, it's about my friend Luz," said Anne. With that, she took out the picture she had of her and her friends to show Wally. She pointed Luz out to him. "That's her. Unlike Marcy and Sasha, I only met Luz a few months before I came here. Anyway, Luz seemed really cool. We shared a lot of interests, and we became good friends… close friends. But then something happened before I got sent to this world. We were at a school dance one night…"

Here Comes a Thought Animatic

"… and that's the whole story," said Luz to Lilly.

Lilly had listened quietly and intently to Luz tell her what happened between her and Anne. Luz had also told her about what she had seen in the mist and how it had affected her.

"Lilly, is it my fault?" asked Luz. "I mean, I did kiss her without permission, and I realize that was wrong. So is it my fault that Anne said she didn't want to be friends with me anymore?"

Lilly could tell that Luz was being serious and looking for some real advice about what had happened.

"Listen, Luz," said Lilly. "I can certainly understand why you think that, but I don't think it's entirely your fault or Anne's. I understand why you did what you did, even though you now realize it was wrong. Honestly, I think the next time you see Anne, you should give her a sincere and heartfelt apology for what happened. Maybe that's all it will take for her to reconsider being your friend. If she still doesn't want to forgive you after that, then maybe it's for the best that you aren't friends with her anymore."

"Okay, but what if I want to be more than friends with her?" asked Luz. "Do you think I screwed up my chances of that happening forever? Be honest with me."

Lilly thought for a long time before speaking, "I can't really answer that, Luz. I'm sorry. I don't really want to say what might make you feel good, but I also don't want to say that it's impossible. Listen, I think you're going to have to talk with Anne about that. I know that seems scary, but I think you can do it. And like I said with the whole friend thing, if it doesn't work out with Anne, well then, maybe that might end up being for the better."

Luz looked hard at Lilly as she digested these words. She didn't speak for a long time, but she held her gaze with Lilly as they thought about what had been said. After a while, Lilly gave Luz a hug and then left back upstairs, leaving Luz alone to think about what she just said.

"… and that's the whole story," said Anne to Wally.

Wally had stayed silent the entire time that Anne had talked to him, listening to everything she said, which was quite unusual. Though now that Anne had finished telling her tale, she looked at Wally for some sort of advice.

"Wally," began Anne, "when I told Luz that I didn't want to be friends anymore, I was still angry at her. In my mind, I felt I was justified in telling her that because of what she did. Do you think it was too much?"

"Listen, Anne," said Wally. "I understand why you were afraid after what happened at the dance. I even get the whole 'afraid of being made fun of' thing. Believe me, I understand more than you may know. But I also think, in general, we shouldn't say things in anger. It almost always leads to even worse feelings. I think the fact that we're even having this conversation is proof that you regret what happened."

"But it's too late," cried Anne. "I already told Luz I didn't want to be her friend anymore. We've been apart for so long, and I'm sure she hates me."

"I think if you were to explain everything to her the way you just explained it to me and say that you're sorry, then I think she might forgive you," said Wally.

"But what if she doesn't?" said Anne.

"Then you'll have to accept that, Anne, but you won't know unless you ask," answered Wally.

"I mean, I don't even know if Luz is even here in Amphibia with me. And if she is, then, for all I know, something could have happened to her. In which case, the last thing I said to her would be…" Anne trailed off, not able to finish that thought. Her eyes began to tear up. Wally came up to Anne and put his hand on her shoulder to try to reassure her. Anne accepted the gesture and hung her head as she continued crying.

Luz opened the front door of the house and stepped outside. She looked up into the night sky, gazing at the bright red moon and all the stars above. In her mind, she wondered if Anne was out there. Was she somewhere in a different part of this world, looking at the same sky? Was she anywhere close? Would the two of them ever meet up in this world? Luz hoped she was both alive and safe somewhere out there. She also hoped that one day she would see Anne again and be able to apologize to her face. Luz couldn't quite think of what she was going to say but felt as though the right words would come to her when it was the right time. Finally, before heading back inside, she said,

"Anne, I hope wherever you are you're safe, and even though you can't hear me, I want you to know that I'm sorry for kissing you without permission at the dance. Someday, I hope to say that to you in person, and then all I can do is hope that you will accept my apology. But I promise if you're out there, I'll find you!"

Eventually, Anne made her way home, back to Wartwood and the Plantar's house. Anne told her family an abridged version of what happened out in the mist, leaving out most of what happened with the figment of Luz. As night fell, Anne tried to go to sleep but couldn't quite manage it, her mind still full of many things. Anne went upstairs and stepped outside into the night. The ground felt cold against her bare feet, but she also felt a connection to nature, and the feeling of the dirt under her feet helped to calm her down. Anne stared up into the night sky that was lit by a full red moon and hundreds of stars, and wondered whether somewhere out in another part of Amphibia, Luz might be looking at this same sky. That thought gave her some hope that someday she would reunite with Luz and be able to apologize to her. As she thought more about that, she finally said,

"Luz, I wish I could take back what I said to you. I know it might be too late, but I want you to know I'm sorry for saying I didn't want to be your friend anymore. I still want to be your friend. The truth is, I might even like you as more than a friend. But if you don't feel the same because of what I said, then I understand. I will find you, Luz, and I hope when I do, you can accept my apology. Until then, please be safe!"

END OF ARC 2

NEXT TIME….

Arc 3: Trials and Toads

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Chapter Text

Sasha looked carefully around the armory of Toad Tower. The armory was stocked with all manner of weapons, as well as various armor sets for the toad. Grime had brought her here to pick out some new clothes, as he figured if Sasha was going to serve as his second in command, she needed something that spoke to that. Sasha herself was glad for the chance to get some new clothes. Her St. James uniform had been worn ragged from the time she had spent in the toad prison, and it had further been damaged in her recent fight with the herons. As she pulled off her jean jacket, she noticed just how damaged it was, with rips and holes all over it. Sasha pulled out various pieces of armor, giving them a quick look to see if any of them suited her. She tried on a few pieces, but as they were mostly sized for larger toads, they didn't fit her slender frame.

"Sorry, I suppose I should have realized that most of these armor sets are too big for you," said Grime.

"You toads are all short and squat," commented Sasha. "I don't suppose you have any ones that were skinny like me?"

"Hmmm, actually…" began Grime. He moved over to another section of the room and began shifting aside various pieces of armor. Finally, he found what he was looking for a faded bronze breastplate and a matching arm guard. He pulled them out and showed them to Sasha.

"Hmm, this looks about my size. Let me see," began Sasha. "Uh, Grime, could you leave the room, please?"

"Oh, right, sure," said Grime awkwardly before leaving. A few moments later, Sasha emerged from the armory, wearing the breastplate and arm guard. It fit her perfectly!

"Alright, I'm feeling this!" exclaimed Sasha as she moved around in her new armor. "Where did this come from?"

"I think we made it for Percy's son," said Grime.

"What?! Percy has a son?" said Sasha. "Now that's some fresh gossip!"

"Yes, well, his son is a runt who has trouble picking up a sword," said Grime. "He's much smaller and weaker than other toads. Still, every toad is expected to serve some years in the army, so we made this armor for him, only for Percy to tell us that he was sending his son away for some private training."

"Private training?" asked Sasha.

"I'm not quite sure what he meant," began Grime, "though supposedly he sent him away somewhere to learn how to be a better toad. If you ask me, it won't work. The kid can't help being weak, and no amount of training can fix that."

"Lucky for me, he's not here then," said Sasha. "Now I get to use this dope armor instead."

"It does suit you," observed Grime, "though I suppose you could do with some new shoes as well."

Sasha looked down at her feet. Her pointed-heel shoes had seen better days, for sure, and would be impractical in an environment like Amphibia's.

"Yeah, maybe a good pair of boots would be nice," said Sasha. "Oh, you know what else? Do you have a brown cape? I think that would look good on me. It would match my armor."

"I'll see what we can do about that," said Grime. "If you're finished with your new wardrobe, then you need to pick out a weapon as well."

As Sasha and Grime returned to the armory, Sasha looked around, this time at the various weapons available. The toads had a variety of weapons, including swords, axes, spears, crossbows, and even maces.

"Huh, you know what this reminds me of?" said Sasha. "Back in the human world, there was this game that I used to play with Anne, Marcy, and Luz called Creatures and Caverns."

"Oh, what kind of game was it?" asked Grime.

"It was a game where you pretended to be characters in a fantasy world, kind of like this one, and you journeyed through it going on adventures," explained Sasha.

"Oh, I see," said Grime.

"The character I played was called Slash the Warrior," said Sasha. "She was a fearsome barbarian who could wield all kinds of weapons. She was one of the best fighters in the land. It's funny how I used to pretend to be that person, but now I can actually be Slash the Warrior for real."

"Indeed you can," said Grime. "So, any of these weapons catch your eye?"

Sasha picked up a spear and tried it out. She twirled it in her hands a few times before thrusting it in various directions. The spear was light and fast and had good range, but Sasha wasn't happy with how thin the weapon was. Next, she picked up an axe and tried it out. The axe was large and heavy, and it took effort to swing it, even for someone as strong as Sasha. Finally, she looked at the various swords that lay about the armory. One sword, in particular, caught her eye. It was a broadsword that was bright red. Sasha took the sword and pulled it from its scabbard, giving it a few swings to test it out. Sasha liked the feeling of the sword in her hand. As she inspected the handle, she noticed it appeared to be in the shape of a bird.

"Is this supposed to be a heron?" she asked Grime.

"Yes, it is," he replied. "Actually, that sword was made specifically to fight the herons. If I'm not mistaken, it even has a name." Grime mused for a few seconds as he tried to remember what that sword was called before replying, "Ah, I remember! It is called Orcrist the Heron Cleaver!"

"Hmm, well balanced, nice color and it even has a dope name," said Sasha. "I think this will do just fine." With that, Sasha clipped the sword to her belt to complete her look.

"Well, good. Now that that's done, on to business," said Grime. "You heard the report from my tax collectors after they returned from Wartwood, right?"

"Yeah, I did. Do you think that means there's another human there?" asked Sasha.

"Perhaps," replied Grime. "But before we talk about Wartwood, there is another problem that I might need your help with. In fact, this particular problem has been a thorn in my side for quite some time."

"What problem is that?" asked Sasha.

"Out in the east is a small town called Tadpole Pond," explained Grime. "It's one of the only towns that we've never been able to fully subjugate, all because of the blasted witch."

"Witch? You mean you have magic out here too?" asked Sasha.

"Yes, though thankfully, there aren't many who can use it," replied Grime. "The salamanders were the ancient practitioners of magic, but there aren't many left. A few other amphibians have tried to self-teach themselves magic with varying results, but there's at least one true curse wielder still around who protects the town of Tadpole Pond. Her name is Uodeela."

"But she's just one witch, right?" asked Sasha. "She can't possibly be that powerful."

"Don't underestimate her," said Grime. "Not only is she a powerful magic user, but she can transform herself into a heron, and as you saw yourself, herons can cause major damage."

"Still, you said she's only guarding one town, right?" said Sasha. "Is there a reason you want to control that town?"

"It's the principle of the thing," said Grime. "The fact that we can't exert our control over a town in the valley is a testament to our failure."

"Is that all?" asked Sasha dryly.

"Well, there is also the fact that she's been raiding our tax collectors," said Grime. "A few weeks ago, she managed to steal from one of our shipments, and she's been doing that for years now, but there's nothing we can do to stop her. Even if I were to bring my entire army to bear on her, she could likely defeat them all."

"So what do you want me to do about her?" asked Sasha.

"I don't know," answered Grime, "but I wanted to at least bring the problem to your attention. I'm sure your devious little mind can think of some way we can beat her."

Sasha smiled at this. "I bet I can come up with something, but now let's talk about Wartwood. What do you want to do about them?"

"We need to make an example of the frog who stood up to the tax collectors," said Grime. "We should go and invade the town and kill him in front of the townspeople."

"Okay, that's a little on the nose there, Grimesy," began Sasha. "Besides, what did I just show you with your troops and the herons? You need to try using positive reinforcement."

"And how exactly would that work in this scenario?" asked Grime.

"Instead of invading Wartwood, why don't we invite the citizens here?" proposed Sasha. "You wouldn't have to exert any extra energy chasing them. Plus, you would lower their guard. They wouldn't think they were being invited just to be put in their place."

"Hmm, that does sound easier," mused Grime. "It would save us a lot of trouble."

"So let's start formulating a plan for how we're gonna get everyone here," said Sasha.

"Okay, I like how you think," said Grime.

Swords clashed as Sasha and Anne fought each other. Sasha couldn't believe what Anne had done, not only in defending the frogs from her but also in standing up to her and not listening to what she said.

"What's gotten into you, Anne?" asked Sasha. "You were never like this back home."

"Do you ever stop talking?" responded Anne, with venom in her voice.

Sasha pressed her attack against Anne, trying to dissuade her with words.

"You should be lucky that you found me," began Sasha. "You know how rough this world is. For all you know, I'm the only one who survived."

"What?!" exclaimed Anne.

"Oh, please. You think Marcy, who's always tripping over her own feet, can survive in a world like this?" said Sasha.

"I… No... Why are you saying that, Sasha?" said Anne as she guarded against another strike from her friend.

"Come on, Anne, face the facts. You know I'm right," said Sasha, as she attacked Anne again. "Marcy is probably dead, and Luz… Even if she is alive, do you think she wants to see you?"

Those words had an effect on Anne, who for a moment let her guard down. Sasha took advantage and swung her sword right at Anne. The blow struck Anne on her arm, with her arm guard luckily absorbing most of the impact. Still, the strike rattled Anne almost as much as the words.

"No… Why? …No…" said Anne, beginning to falter.

"Anne, don't listen to her!" called Sprig

"So what if your other friends are dead or don't want to see you?" called Polly. "We still care about you, Anne! You still have us!"

"Don't let Sasha mess with you!" called Sprig again.

"Shut up, you two!" yelled Sasha at Sprig and Polly.

"They're right, Anne," called Hop Pop. "You can't let Sasha get inside your head like that! We'll find your friends, and if we don't, then you still have us. You'll always have us!"

Sasha tried again, "After what you said to Luz about not wanting to be friends, I bet she'd do worse to you than me. Face it, Anne, I'm your only hope for getting home!"

"After what I said?" said Anne, realization dawning on her. "You were the one who told me to say that to her! I asked you for advice on what to do about Luz, and you were the one who said I should tell her we weren't friends anymore."

"Hey, I just gave you advice," said Sasha. "It was still you who told her you didn't want to be friends."

"I'd rather be friends with Luz than you!" shouted Anne, putting as much venom as she could into those words.

This time, it was Sasha who was distracted upon hearing those words. She let her guard down, allowing Anne to strike her, though her armor protected her from the blow. Sasha charged again and, hoping to catch her unaware, took off her cape and threw it at Anne, blocking her vision. Sasha then did a leg sweep, tripping her and causing her to fall to the floor. Sasha pointed her sword at Anne as she emerged from the cape.

"They're just slimy little frogs, Anne. They don't matter!" exclaimed Sasha, her blade pointed right at Anne.

"They're not just frogs," began Anne, before finding a reserve of inner strength she didn't know she possessed. "They're my FRIENDS!" In one swift motion, Anne swung her sword against Sasha's, disarming her.

Anne stood up over Sasha, the frogs cheering behind her, as their champion had won!

"It's over, Sash!" exclaimed Anne. "You're not gonna push me around anymore."

Sasha could only stare at Anne, dumbfounded.

"So, how about it, big guy?" said Anne to Grime. "We're free, right?"

"Yeah, I don't think so," replied Grime, who, in one swift motion, opened his mouth and shot out his tongue, grabbing Hop Pop and pulling him over.

"Pretty cool, huh?" said Grime. "This ends now!" Though before he could drop him off the tower into the jaws of the plant, the tower began to shake. After a few seconds of shaking, the tower actually started to collapse. The toads quickly hurried to vacate the collapsing tower, but Grime tried to keep them in check.

"Hold ranks!" he exclaimed. "Where are you going, you cowardssssss?!" His last word extended a bit as the ground came out from under him. Before he fell, Hop Pop was able to jump clear.

"Eh, never liked that guy," said Hop Pop before turning his attention to the frogs. "Everyone, come on! Get off the roof, quick!" He opened the door that led from the roof back down the tower. The frogs from Wartwood quickly obeyed, and within minutes, they had all fled the tower.

In the confusion of the collapse, Anne had lost track of Sasha. It wasn't until Sasha almost fell that Anne saw her. Anne moved to try to grab Sasha, and she managed to stop her from falling, but only barely.

"I've got you, Sash. You're gonna be okay," said Anne as she struggled to pull Sasha back up. But her feet slipped, and Anne slid towards the edge. She planted her feet and tried her best not to slide forward, but she couldn't manage it.

"Can't hold on much longer," said Anne as she slid forward.

"Don't worry, I've got you," said Sprig as he grabbed Anne's feet, trying to prevent her from falling. Sprig, however, wasn't strong enough to pull both Anne and Sasha. Thankfully, at that moment, Hop Pop and Polly joined the human chain in an effort to rescue both Anne and Sasha. But unbeknownst to them, the ledge around where they had gathered began to crack. Polly was far enough back that she noticed and tried to inform the others.

"Uh, guys, I think we have a situation!" said Polly, trying to direct their attention to the crumbling ledge.

"Hey, hey, look at me! Look at me," said Anne to Sasha. "Everything's gonna be totally fine! Just hang on!"

Sasha had noticed the crumbling ledge and realized that Anne and her frog family were putting their own lives in danger to save hers. She had just tried to have Hop Pop killed and tried to kill Anne for standing up to her, yet here they were risking their lives for her. Sasha knew in the back of her mind that if they continued to try to pull her up, it would only result in all of their deaths, so she decided to try to do the right thing for the sake of her friend. Knowing that it might well cost her life, she also thought it was time to confess something before she fell.

"Hey, Anne," began Sasha. "Listen, that night at the dance… I was the one who told Luz to dance with you. I saw how she was looking at you, and I was hoping she'd do something stupid. I was also the one who told Ms. Bryant what had happened. I was trying to cause some drama between you and Luz."

"What?!" said Anne, surprised. "Why are you telling me this? It doesn't matter now!"

"Yes, it does!" said Sasha.

"Why?" asked Anne,

"Because, maybe…" began Sasha, "you're better off without me…"

Anne barely had time to register what Sasha was implying before she felt the grip from Sasha's hand on her own slacken. In one instant, Sasha had let go of her hand and was now plummeting to her death.

"NO!" was all Anne could say as she watched Sasha's body fall towards its inevitable death.

Before she hit the ground, though, she was saved by Grime, who made an incredible leap to catch Sasha. He caught her and used a knife to slide down the wall of the mostly destroyed tower, landing softly with Sasha in tow. She seemed to be alright, but it was clear that she had been injured and would no doubt need some time to recover. Grime glared back at Anne, shooting her a menacing look before departing with the rest of the toads to parts unknown.

For her part, Anne couldn't think of what to say or what to do. She just stood there, staring off in the direction that Sasha had gone, unable to put into words what she was thinking. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sprig came up to check on Anne.

"Anne, are you okay?" asked Sprig nervously.

"Oh yeah," she began. "Never felt…" But she couldn't finish that sentence and finally broke down crying as the emotional weight of everything that had happened to her finally hit her full force! Sprig wrapped his arms around Anne, trying to comfort her, and soon Hop Pop and Polly came over to offer comfort to Anne as well. Anne cried for a very long time, trying to cope with what had happened between her and Sasha, while also trying to absorb the final bit of information Sasha had shared with her before the fall.

It was a long time before she moved from that spot.

"Well, I said I'd believe it when I see it," began Uodeela as she looked at the wreckage of Toad Tower. "I'm seeing it, and it's still hard to believe."

"As soon as I heard the news, I knew I had to pass it on to you and that you had to see it for yourself," said a blue frog standing next to Uodeela.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, but still, to think Toad Tower has fallen and Grime and his forces are gone. How did this come to happen?" asked Uodeela.

"I don't know," answered the frog. "I only know that it happened, and quite suddenly, I might add. But I haven't heard any details as to who did it or how it was done in the first place."

"And the plant monster," began Uodeela. "Is it dead?"

"Yes, I already checked myself," said the frog. "Good riddance!"

"Hmmm, I wonder," began Uodeela. "If the Toads left in a hurry, they may not have had time to take everything with them."

With that, Uodeela closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, they were glowing red. With a wave of her hand, she enveloped many of the rocks and stones around the tower in a red glow, then effortlessly moved them out of the way. Before long, she had revealed an entrance to a lower basement.

"Let's see if there's any good treasure left behind," she said as she descended the stairs.

As Uodeela and the frog went down into the darkened basement, Uodeela used her magic to summon orbs of light. She sent them across the room to every corner to light up the room. As the lights settled in place, they began to reveal various objects. There was a large weapon cache, barrels of various meads and ales, and a few large bags of coins.

"Yes!" exclaimed Uodeela, referring to the bags of coins. "This is what I was hoping to find."

"Looks like the latest collection of taxes," said the frog. "Lucky us! They hadn't sent them off to Newtopia yet. There's plenty here for us to distribute back to the people. Hmm, now what's that over there?"

Uodeela followed where the frog was pointing and noticed what looked like a stone tablet of some kind. She drew closer to the tablet and gasped!

"It can't be," said Uodeela softly.

"What is it?" asked the frog.

Uodeela began carefully reading the tablet to make sure it was what she thought it was.

"It's the other half of the Elixir of Life," said Uodeela. "How on earth did the toads get it?"

"Ah, who cares about that?" said the frog in excitement. "What matters is that you have it now, and I believe you mentioned that you have the other one, yes?"

"I do. Valeriana gave it to me," replied Uodeela.

"So, does this mean you will be able to brew it?" asked the frog.

"I suppose so. If I can get all the ingredients, then it shouldn't be a problem," said Uodeela. "The thing is, there's no way to test it without… well, dying. So I better hope I brew it right."

"So the rumors are true, then," said the frog. "No way to know it works unless you die."

"That's why even among witches, there were few who tried to make it," explained Uodeela. "Most were simply too nervous about preparing it wrong, but I've lived longer than most, and I had some of the best teachers ever. I'm fairly certain I can brew this elixir correctly, then it's just a matter of holding onto it in case the worst ever happens."

"I see," said the frog. "In any event, this is certainly a momentous occasion. Toad Tower has fallen, Grime and his forces are gone, and you've found the other half of the Elixir of Life. Oh, and actually, I have more good news for you."

"More good news?" asked Uodeela.

"Yes, I went to Wartwood to look into that creature as you asked me to," said the frog. "Turns out she is human, and she calls herself Anne."

"I see," said Uodeela seriously.

"I thought you'd be happier about that," said the frog.

"In a way, I am. I needed to know for certain if it was a human and needed to know her name, so thank you for clearing that up," said Uodeela. "But now, I'm going to have to tell Luz the truth. It wouldn't be right to keep this information from her."

"Is that really so bad?" asked the frog.

"I'm worried about how she'll react," said Uodeela. "Luz has come a long way, so I hope that she'll take it in stride."

"I suppose that's all you can hope for," said the frog. "But getting back to Grime, what's our next move to deal with him?"

"Our next move is to figure out where Grime and his forces went," said Uodeela. "I didn't see Grime's body anywhere, and there are too few corpses around the tower for his entire army to have died in its destruction, so it begs the question, where did they go?"

When Sasha awoke, she found herself in a tent of some kind. The first thing she realized was that she was in pain. Although she had survived her fall, the fight had taken a toll on her body. Not only that but as she felt her cheek, she noticed the scar Anne had given her during the fight was still there. Sasha tried to push it out of her mind and stood up from the bed. Her muscles were sore, and she felt the pain in her body as she tried to move. Nonetheless, she forced herself to walk outside, where she saw Grime talking to the toads.

"Now, let's not be hasty here," he said. "I know things look bad, but we can recover from this minor setback."

"Minor setback?" growled Bog. "We've lost the tower! And all thanks to your stupid lieutenant."

"It was a bad idea to invite the frogs over," agreed Fens. "We could have saved time by attacking Wartwood ourselves. Sasha's plan was terrible."

"Her plan almost worked," said Grime, "and I assure you that once she's recovered, we'll come up with a new and even better plan."

"Yeah, he's right," said Sasha, walking into the group of toads, causing all of them, including Grime, to turn their attention to her.

"Ah, lieutenant," said Grime. "Are you sure you should be up and about? It's okay if you need more time to recover. I was just discussing our next move with the troops."

"No, it's fine, Grime," said Sasha. "In fact, I already know what our next plan is."

"Uh, you do?" said Grime with hesitancy. He hadn't talked about forming any new plans with Sasha.

"Yes, I do. Remember when you told me about that witch who was causing you problems?" said Sasha.

"Oh, you mean Uodeela?" replied Grime. "What about her?"

"Our next move is going to be to take her down and set up a new base at Tadpole Pond!" exclaimed Sasha.

All the toads gathered had a look of pure confusion on their faces upon hearing this. Bog once again spoke up.

"Okay, maybe I didn't hear you correctly," he said, "but did you just say you want us to fight Uodeela and take over Tadpole Pond? I assume this is a joke of some kind. We just lost our tower, and you want us to go and pick a fight with one of the most powerful witches in all the land? Don't you think if we could beat Uodeela, we would have done so years ago?"

"Uh, yes, my lieutenant is clearly suffering some form of brain damage," said Grime, trying to cover for Sasha.

"No, I'm not," said Sasha forcefully. "I've thought about it, and I think this is the right move to make."

The toads began murmuring amongst themselves, clearly not convinced that they could hope to triumph over the witch of the wilds.

"Lieutenant," growled Grime through gritted teeth, "may I see you in the tent, please?" Sasha stood still in defiance, not moving into the tent. Grime made another growl, and she finally acquiesced.

"Okay, let me have the medic take another look at you," began Grime, "because you clearly are not fully recovered. What the hell are you saying?"

"Look, we just lost the tower," began Sasha. "Obviously, we need a new base of operations. You told me Tadpole Pond is one of the only areas not under your control."

"Yes, and the reason for that is that Uodeela serves as its unofficial protector," said Grime. "Bog is right; we are in a weakened position after losing the tower. It makes no sense for us to attack a stronger adversary."

"Listen, Grime," began Sasha, "I heard what was going on out there. The toads are beginning to doubt our ability to lead. This is exactly why we need to attack Tadpole Pond. Firstly, it will get rid of an enemy that you said has been stealing from you for years. Secondly, it will let us establish a new base where we can recover and maybe eventually exert control over the valley again. Finally, it proves to the toads that we are still a force to be reckoned with."

"All good points," said Grime, "but it still doesn't solve the actual problem of HOW we conquer Tadpole Pond. Trust me when I say Uodeela can fight off a whole army. If we are seriously going to consider taking that town over, we need a way to deal with her."

"We can work out the details later," said Sasha. "All we need for now is for the Toads to believe we can win! If we present the plan to them the way I just presented it to you, then we can rally them to this cause. As for how we deal with Uodeela, we can work that out as we get closer to the town. You can tell me everything you know about her and how her magic works, and I can figure out a plan for dealing with her."

"I don't like this," said Grime. "We're risking a lot by attacking her. If this goes bad, it could cost us everything."

"Do you have any better ideas?" asked Sasha.

Grime paused for a long time, unable to come up with anything.

"Then this is the plan we go with. Let's go tell the toads," said Sasha.

Chapter Text

Luz Noceda stood still with her eyes closed. She wasn't wearing her normal clothes. Uodeela had given her a white robe to put on in preparation for her training. She stood barefoot in the dirt, doing her best to concentrate. She did her best to try to use her other senses to read the surrounding environment, just like Uodeela had asked.

"Now listen, kid," said Uodeela, "you can still hear my voice, so pay attention and absorb what I'm telling you."

"Yes, Master," replied Luz.

"Good, now keep your eyes closed. I want you to use your other senses and tell me about the place we're in," instructed Uodeela. She had taken Luz to a deep part of the forest that was unfamiliar to her in order to try to get her to focus.

Luz kept her eyes closed and focused on her other senses. She could hear the birds chirping in one area of the forest. She could smell the flowers that were near her. She could feel the breeze brushing past her, and she could feel the ground under her feet.

"I hear birds chirping," she said.

"Good. From which direction?" asked Uodeela.

Luz focused on the sound. "From the north."

"Good. What about the ground?" asked Uodeela.

Luz felt the dirt under her feet and between her toes. "The ground is moist and a little muddy. I think it rained here recently."

"Yes, that's right. What do you smell?" asked Uodeela.

"I smell some flowers," said Luz.

"What kind?" asked Uodeela.

Luz sniffed the air. "Midnight orchids, which are also used for sleeping potions."

"Good. Magic flows through all living things, so you need to be able to feel this connection," said Uodeela. "You are the conduit for magic. Through you, it can flow as well, and then you can have it do what you want it to do. In order to have the best chance, you have to clear your mind and focus only on what you want to do with magic. Now breathe!"

"Yes, Master," said Luz, who began to take long, slow breaths.

"As you breathe, clear your mind. Don't think about anything except what I'm about to tell you," said Uodeela.

Luz slowly continued to breathe but stopped for a moment.

"Ah, I'm sorry," she said. "I got a random thought in my head, and now I've lost my focus."

"You have a lot of these random thoughts, don't you?" asked Uodeela.

"Sorry, it's just… My mind is weird," said Luz. "Most people can concentrate on a single task or block things out, but I can't do that. My mind is constantly racing, and I sometimes feel that if I don't keep thinking about things, I'll explode. That's part of why people think I'm a weirdo. My mind works differently. My mom says that my mind just works differently than others. She said that's what helps me be creative, but it also makes it really hard to concentrate on things."

"I see," said Uodeela. "I can understand what you're telling me, but magic takes both creativity and focus. Imagination isn't enough. You have to be able to focus on what you want to accomplish. I know this might be hard for you, but that's why we're training. So, Luz, I'm going to ask you to try to concentrate again. If you can do that, we'll move on to the creative part, and then you can let your mind expand and explore. But before that, you have to empty it."

"I don't know if I can," said Luz despondently.

"That's why I asked you to close your eyes," said Uodeela. "It will help you to better focus and block out distractions. Now, let's try again!"

Luz closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind again. She breathed deeply and slowly, letting air in and out of her lungs.

"Now, as you continue to focus on your breathing, think about how air flows," said Uodeela. "Imagine in your mind a gust of wind. What does it do? How does it move? When you are hit by a strong wind, what happens to you?"

Luz conjured up an image of a strong gust of wind in her mind while listening to Uodeela and how it behaved.

"In a moment, I'm going to have you drink the Elixir of Air," said Uodeela. "Normally, this elixir makes one light as a feather. With you, I think it will allow you to control the wind. So, let's see if you can make the air around you behave as you want." With that, Uodeela handed Luz a bottle filled with a white liquid. Luz took the offered bottle and drank it in one gulp.

"Keep your eyes closed," commanded Uodeela, "but feel the air around you. The breeze against your face, and now imagine in your mind you controlling the air and bending it to your will."

Luz chuckled at this. "You mean like an air-bender?"

"A—what?" asked Uodeela.

"An air-bender," said Luz. "It's from a show I used to watch in the human world about people who can bend various elements, one of those being air—"

"Concentrate!" yelled Uodeela, slamming her staff against the ground for emphasis.

"Right, concentrating," repeated Luz, trying to focus again.

"Now, when you're ready, use your hand and let air flow out of you," said Uodeela.

Luz raised her hand and pushed it forward, letting out a gust of wind. She could see the effect it had on the grass and flowers as it burst out of her hand!

"Good. Again!" said Uodeela.

Luz turned around and fired off another gust with her other hand.

"Again!" called Uodeela.

Once more, Luz repeated the action. This time, the gust was much more powerful!

"Again!" said Uodeela.

This time, Luz used both her hands and aimed at a small bush in front of her. She used so much force that she blew the bush out of the ground!

"Now, air is much more than just a means to blow things around," said Uodeela. "There is so much more you can do with it. Watch me!" With that, Uodeela closed her eyes, powering up her magic form.

When she was ready, she put her hands to the ground and jumped high into the sky, using the wind to help her reach an incredible height! Then, at the top of her jump, she continued to manipulate the air and use it to slow her descent. She landed back down with barely a sound.

"Now, let's see what you can do!" challenged Uodeela.

Luz concentrated. She closed her eyes and knelt down. Then, summoning all the strength she could muster, she pushed herself off the ground and high into the sky. As Luz rose above the treetops, her heart skipped a beat at seeing the vastness of Amphibia below her. It was an amazing sight to behold, and the feeling of being so high in the sky was incredible! Almost like she was a bird! As she began to fall back to the ground, she used the wind to steady herself and slow her fall. She landed a bit harder than Uodeela, but still not hard enough to hurt anything.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" screamed Luz in delight. "When I was up there, I could see so much. Plus, it was such a rush being up so high!"

"Okay, calm down there, kid," said Uodeela, though she smiled as she said this. "Remember, I said magic isn't just fun and games. It's very serious."

"I know, I know, but still, that feeling of being up in the sky," said Luz dreamily. "I've never felt anything like that before!"

"Alright, alright," said Uodeela, continuing to smile. "I'm glad to see you enjoyed yourself! Magic does have its perks, so long as you remember to focus." She playfully used her staff to tap Luz on the head, hoping to ingrain that lesson in her.

"So what's next?" asked Luz.

"As I said, magic takes imagination," said Uodeela. "So what can you imagine air to do?"

Luz stood still, pondering the question.

"Here, let me show you," said Uodeela, who closed her eyes, activating her magic mode. When she opened her eyes, she began gathering air in her hands and spinning it around. After a few seconds, she released a small tornado from her hands. Next, she moved her arm in a slicing motion, sending a blade of air at a small tree that managed to slice off a branch.

"The air blade can be made as sharp as you like," said Uodeela. "Less power and it will leave some small cuts and nicks on your opponent. More power and you may very well cut them in two."

"That is pretty impressive," said Luz.

"This is where imagination comes into the mix," lectured Uodeela. "What you can do with not just wind but with any element of magic. How you use it will depend on how creative you can be with it."

Next, Uodeela summoned a fireball to her hands, but instead of throwing it, she had it circle around her. She summoned three more fireballs and also had them circle around her. After a bit, she sent them off and summoned a pillar of ice under her that raised her up. She began using pieces of the ice pillar and threw them out in front of her. Finally, she created several orbs of light in front of her and sent one directly to Luz's face.

"Ahh!" cried Luz in surprise as the orb hit her, temporarily blinding her.

"Light orbs can be a great source of light, but they can also serve as a handy way to stun your opponent," said Uodeela. "A handy trick I came up with."

"Wow, this is all a little overwhelming," admitted Luz, "and I mean, I can only use one element at a time, not like you."

Uodeela had to stop herself from talking and instead think about what she wanted to say. Maybe you can only use one element now, Luz, but if you can learn how to unlock your gem's power, then there's no limit to what you can do.

"Which is why you need training in how to use the various elements," said Uodeela. "Now let's see what you can do!"

Over the next few hours, Uodeela instructed Luz on various uses of air and wind. She showed her a few techniques that she herself used. Luz became familiar with some of the basic moves like air blasts and air slashes, as well as some more advanced moves like the mini tornado. After a while, they ended the session.

"I think that's enough hands-on training for today," said Uodeela. "Though now that I've shown you the basics, I expect you to set aside time to meditate in order to keep practicing your focus and coordination. It is essential that you learn these fundamentals. It will make it easier for you to use magic in the future."

"Okay, I promise I will," replied Luz.

"Though if you'd like a little more practice," began Uodeela, "we can try jumping home."

"Yes, I would very much like that," said Luz excitedly.

"Okay, kid, follow me." Uodeela knelt on the ground and closed her eyes. She pushed off, using the winds to help lift her into the air. Luz followed suit, staying behind Uodeela and making sure to concentrate. Luz's jumps weren't as graceful as Uodeela's, but she did start to get the hang of it. Luz made sure to concentrate and use the wind to help push her off the ground. As she got better, her jumps and landings became more graceful. Before long, they had arrived back at Uodeela's house, though they were in for a surprise as they saw Amara outside doing some training of her own. She seemed to be practicing a set of fighting moves with various punches and kicks. She turned as she saw Uodeela and Luz come towards her.

"Oh, hey, didn't think you would be back so soon," said Amara, stopping her training.

"The wind can make travel happen in the blink of an eye," said Uodeela. "Was that Newt-jitsu you were doing?"

"Yes, it was," replied Amara. "I've been practicing on my own whenever I have free time."

"Huh, I see," said Uodeela. "That fighting style is usually used by members of the Newtopian Royal Army. Where did you learn it?"

"A friend of the family who is an officer in the army taught it to me," said Amara. "She was one of the few friends my parents let me have, and my parents said that a 'proper newt' should know how to fight. How did your training go, Luz?"

"Oh, it was wonderful!" exclaimed Luz. "I got to soar into the sky and see the view. It was probably the closest I'll get to flying!"

"Ah, using wind magic then," said Amara, before suddenly coming up with an idea. "Hey, Luz, is that elixir still working on you?"

Luz raised her hand and fired a blast of wind.

"Perfect," said Amara. "I've been practicing the forms and positions of Newt-jitsu, but it's not the same as trying them against an actual opponent. What would you say to a friendly sparring match?"

"Huh? You want to spar?" said Luz. "I'm not really much of a fighter, though."

"I think it's a good idea," said Uodeela. "This will give you another chance to practice controlling the air. You don't need to be a good fighter to spar. You just need to use your wind powers to help you better move around the battlefield. I think this will be some good practical experience."

"Are you sure it won't be unfair since I can control the wind right now?" asked Luz.

"Nah, that just gives me more of a challenge," said Amara. "I like a challenge, so let's see what you've got." Luz nodded her head in agreement.

A few minutes later, Amara and Luz stood aside from each other in a small clearing in the forest. Uodeela had agreed to be the referee for this match.

"Alright, let's have a good, clean fight now," she said. "We'll have this be a three-round fight. Knock your opponent down to win the round. Fighters ready?"

Both Luz and Amara nodded.

"Begin!" said Uodeela.

Amara charged straight at Luz and attempted to hit her with various punches. Luz blocked or dodged the attacks, and when she saw an opening, she used her hands to blow wind at Amara. The gust was strong enough to blow her away, but Amara didn't let that stop her and came right back at Luz. The human again dodged the attacks and moved her arm in a slicing motion, sending a blade of air at Amata. Amara got down on all fours to dodge the blade and crawled towards Luz, standing back up when she was near her and throwing punches at her again. Luz continued to block the punches but was caught unawares as Amara swung her tail at Luz's feet, managing to trip her up and knock her to the ground.

"Amara takes the first point!" called Uodeela. "Got to watch that tail, kid. Any newt or salamander worth their salt knows how to use their tail as an extra appendage. Aiming at the feet and trying to trip up your opponent is an especially useful tactic."

Amara offered Luz a hand, which she accepted. The two returned to their starting positions.

"Okay, now for round two," said Uodeela. "Fighters ready?"

Both Luz and Amara nodded.

"Begin!" said Uodeela.

Once again, Amara charged at Luz. This time, Luz focused and used her wind powers to jump high into the air, avoiding Amara completely. From up in the sky, Luz began launching air blasts at Amara, trying to catch her unawares. Amara managed to dodge them and wait for Luz to descend. Once she was back on the ground, Amara charged at Luz again, who managed to jump right over her and land behind her, quickly launching an air blast at her that blew her away. Still, Amara didn't fall down from the attack and renewed her effort to get at Luz. As she got close, she started throwing punches, hoping to distract Luz. When she felt she had an opening, she once again used her tail to try to trip Luz up, but this time, Luz saw the attack coming and jumped back out of range. She then began spinning her hands, making a small tornado in them and sent it right at Amara. The tornado caught her and spun her around for a few seconds before dissipating, at which point Luz came up to her and kicked her in the chest, causing her to fall to the ground.

"And Luz gets the point for round two!" declared Uodeela. "Nice work there, kid! So that means we go to the final round for the tie-breaker!"

This time, Luz offered Amara a hand up, which she accepted. They both returned to their starting positions.

"Final round," said Uodeela. "Fighters ready?"

Both Luz and Amara nodded.

"Begin!" said Uodeela.

Luz took the offensive, this time charging right at Amara and blasting wind at her. Amara jumped back to dodge these attacks and wasn't able to get close to Luz to counter her. Luz pressed her advantage, trying to catch Amara in one of her air attacks. Amara got down on all fours and crawled at Luz, avoiding her air attacks, before getting right up next to her. Once again, she threw punches at Luz and tried to distract her before using her tail to swipe at her feet. Luz got tripped by the tail but didn't fall down. She tried sending another mini tornado at Amara, but Amara managed to dodge the attack. As Amara got closer to Luz, the human used the air to jump over Amara and land behind her. Luz tried to throw a punch at Amara, but Amara grabbed her arm and placed her feet in front of Luz, then used her other arm to push Luz, who tripped and fell face first in the mud.

"And with that, the match is over," said Uodeela. "Amara wins! Nice job, Amara. Do you feel that helped your training?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Amara. "Hey, Luz, are you okay?"

Luz got up and wiped the mud from her face. Surprisingly, she was smiling!

"Yeah, I'm great!" she said warmly. "You really are tough, Amara, but I had fun!"

"I'll admit you didn't make it easy," said Amara. "I underestimated you. You seem to be doing well with those powers. If you keep practicing, I think you could become a fine witch."

"Awww, thanks, Amara," said Luz. "It means a lot to hear you say that."

"Hey, if you want, maybe I could teach you a few moves too," offered Amara. "You were a good opponent today, and I'd love the chance to spar again. If I taught you some moves, that would make you even tougher."

"I'd like that. Thanks, Amara," said Luz. With that, the two friends walked back into Uodeela's house. Uodeela smiled at seeing the connection between them.

Later, Uodeela came down into the basement to talk with Luz.

"Hey, Luz, there's something I want to talk to you about," said Uodeela.

"Oh, what is it?" asked Luz.

"I may have a lead on the location of one of your friends," answered Uodeela.

"Really?!" said Luz. "Who?"

"Anne," said Uodeela. "Listen, I know you might not exactly be thrilled to see her, but—"

"No, wait," interrupted Luz. "I actually do want to see her."

"You do?" said Uodeela, surprised.

"Listen, I've thought a lot about what happened between Anne and me," began Luz, "and the truth is, part of it was my fault. I did something I shouldn't have done, so I need to find Anne, and I need to apologize to her face-to-face for what I did. I don't know if she'll accept my apology, and maybe she still won't want to be friends with me, but I need to at least try. I need to tell her I'm sorry.

Uodeela stood in shocked silence at hearing Luz say this. "I'm honestly surprised to hear you say that."

"As I said, I've been thinking a lot about it," said Luz. "I want to make things right between me and Anne, so that means I have to apologize to her. And it also means… I have to accept that she may not forgive me, but I have to try."

"Very well, then," said Uodeela. With that, she pulled out a map and laid it out in front of Luz.

"This is Tadpole Pond, where we are," she said, indicating the town. "The news I heard about your friend is that she's in the small town of Wartwood, over here," said Uodeela, indicating the town on the map. It was far to the west.

"Seems kind of far," observed Luz.

"It's about a week's travel by snail," replied Uodeela. "Though, with good timing, we might make it there faster. I've been to Wartwood before. My last apprentice was from there. It will be good to see her again and maybe see if she's progressed in studying magic."

"So, when can we leave?" asked Luz.

"A few more weeks," answered Uodeela. "The only major lesson I have left for you all is curses, and even then, we won't be studying that much, only the basics. Curses, as I've said before, are inherently dark magic. We will only be covering basic curses and how to detect them. Advanced curses are too difficult and time-consuming to learn in a short amount of time. And they can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

"So in a few weeks, I might finally be reunited with Anne," said Luz a bit absently. She kept staring off into the distance as she pondered this outcome.

"It will give you time to think of what you want to say to her," advised Uodeela.

"Yeah, I suppose it will," agreed Luz. "I'm kind of nervous about meeting her again, but I know it has to be done. So I'll think about what to say to her and hopefully be ready when the time comes."

Far away at the toad camp, Sasha had just finished up training for the day. The toads were exhausted. Sasha had cracked the whip on them to get them ready for the upcoming invasion. The toads grumbled a bit as they headed back to their tents, but they did seem to at least feel as though the training was working.

"Good job, troops," complimented Sasha. "That's enough for today. Go rest up. Tomorrow, we'll do Tai Chi to help relax you a bit."

"Man, I feel tired," said Fens.

"Yeah, me too," said Bog, "but I feel sore in a good way."

"Sasha really is training us hard," said Percy.

"Yeah, but I think she's onto something with having us get a new base," said Braddock.

"I have to admit when Sasha first came up with this plan to invade Tadpole Pond, I thought she was crazy," said Bog. "But now, I think we might actually have a chance at it."

"I must say, your new regiment is quite intensive," said Grime, "though I can't argue with the results."

"Trust me, this will all be worth it once we take Tadpole Pond," said Sasha

"Yeah, about that," began Grime, "we still don't really have a plan for dealing with Uodeela."

"Oh, I'm glad you brought that up, Grimesy," said Sasha. "The next step in dealing with her is learning her weaknesses. So think carefully. Does Uodeela have any weaknesses that you can think of?"

"If I knew her weakness, I would have exploited it years ago," said Grime.

"Okay, next question, then," began Sasha. "How does she use magic?"

"Well, she's great at brewing up potions and elixirs," said Grime. "She makes them in advance and uses them when needed, but she also has a magic gem."

"Magic Gem?" asked Sasha.

"They are quite rare," explained Grime, "but Uodeela has one. It allows her to perform all manner of magic, from fire to wind to ice to really anything she can think of."

"How does this magic gem work?" asked Sasha.

"I don't know all the details, but I'm pretty sure it has some sort of bond with Uodeela," said Grime. "I think she and the gem are connected."

"And where is this gem?" asked Sasha.

"She has it embedded in her staff," said Grime. "You can tell when she's activated its powers because her eyes will glow red."

"So, does she carry this staff with her then?" asked Sasha.

"Yes. Why?" asked Grime.

"Well, duh!" exclaimed Sasha. "Then it seems to me that the solution is simple. Get her staff away from her and destroy that gem, then she won't be able to use her magic."

"Hmm, I never really thought of that before," admitted Grime. "Still, getting the staff away from her is a tall order. And that's not all. In addition to everything I just told you, she also has this strange potion. When she drinks it, she can transform into a heron. That's what earned her the nickname 'The Red Heron!'"

"Well, you and I can deal with herons," began Sasha. "And with the right training, the rest of the toads can handle one heron."

"She's not a mindless beast, though," said Grime. "She has full control of her mind when in that heron form. That's what makes her so dangerous! She has the power of a heron and can think and strategize."

"Hmmm, okay, I don't really have a plan for that yet," admitted Sasha, "but I'm pretty sure I can think of one. At any rate, forcing her to transform into the heron will give us a larger target to hit, and getting rid of her staff will take away the one big advantage she has over us."

"I think this could work then," said Grime. "Let's start forming a plan for how we accomplish this."

Chapter Text

Uodeela and her students were outside in front of the house. They had cauldrons ready to learn curses finally.

"So, I know I've mentioned this before," began Uodeela, "but curses are inherently dark magic. The effect of the curse varies depending on what effect you wish to cause on the target, but all of them require intention. A curse won't work if you don't have a strong enough intention to cause harm. That is the main reason curses are so dark. You need to want to cause harm to the target, so you have to want your target to suffer."

Luz, Amara, Lilly, and Gustav looked at each other gravely.

"This desire to cause suffering is why you need to be careful," continued Uodeela. "If you give in to these feelings too often and begin using curses too frequently, it is only a matter of time before these dark thoughts turn you into a sadist. It is very easy for a curse user to become addicted to this feeling of inflicting pain and getting joy or pleasure from it. That is why curses are a severe form of magic and should only be used on those who are truly deserving of them."

The students continued to listen as Uodeela continued talking.

"The other thing that makes curses dangerous is that once inflicted, they can only be removed by the caster. So once you've put a curse on someone, they are essentially at your mercy until you decide to cure them."

"There really is no other way to get rid of a curse?" asked Amara.

"As far as I am aware, no," replied Uodeela. "And If I don't know of another way, then it likely doesn't exist."

"This seems like a really bad idea," said Luz. "Why would they make it so that curses can only be removed by the caster? What if the caster doesn't want to remove the curse?"

"You have to remember that magic users tend to be a bit more physically weak than others," said Uodeela. "Curses were a way for us to even the playing field. You might think twice about attacking a magic user if you knew they could put a curse on you. Curses were meant as a deterrent, though these days, there are so few curse users left that you'd be hard-pressed to find one."

"Master, what happened to all the magic users in Amphibia?" asked Lilly.

"According to various historical sources, it almost seems as though one day, they just vanished," said Amara.

"I honestly don't know," answered Uodeela. "It's as much a mystery to me as it is to you. The salamanders were the ancient keepers of magic. We were the ones who taught it to other amphibians and tried to keep the traditions alive. Over time, it seems they just gradually disappeared. Even when I was young, the only other salamanders I knew were my parents and my grandmother. I've tried to do my own research, but haven't been able to find much."

"What about Valeriana?" asked Lilly.

"She is the only other salamander I know," said Uodeela. "I've asked her about what she thinks happened. She has a few theories, but again, no real concrete answer. Anyway, enough of that. Back to our lesson. As I was saying, curses can only be removed by the caster. And since I am your teacher, I must say that if you ever curse someone, you should also be prepared to remove it. Curses should only be a last resort against those who really deserve it. If they learn whatever lesson you were trying to teach them and show remorse for their actions, then you should remove the curse for them."

Uodeela continued, "Now, there are two ways to inflict a curse: the direct way and the indirect way. The direct way requires you to be in close proximity to your intended target and also requires that you have the curse already prepared. In this method, all you have to do is throw the curse at your target (with the required intent), and then it will take effect." Uodeela pulled out a small bag to show her students.

"Now, there is another way," said Uodeela, "the indirect method. It is a bit safer since you can cast this curse without being next to your victim, though you still have to be relatively close for it to work. You can't be here and curse someone in Newtopia, as that is a little too far away. This method requires that you mix together a special brew in your cauldron. When the brew is ready, you can place it in the final ingredient to cause the desired effect on the victim. The one downside to this method is that it takes several hours for the curse to take effect."

"Luz, you and Lilly pair off," said Uodeela. "And Amara and Gustav, same thing. I'm going to give each of you the ingredients to make a very minor curse. It's not that debilitating, so all it will do is grow extra hair on you. You're going to try to use the direct method to inflict this curse on each other. Now remember what I said, you have to have the right intention. I know you're all friends now, but if you don't have the desire to do harm, your curse will be ineffective. Are you all ready?"

"Yes," replied the students.

"Good, then pair off and prepare a few bags of curses, and we'll see what happens," said Uodeela.

As the lesson went on, it became clear that the intention part of the curse would be hard to do correctly. Already, Luz had thrown three curse bags at Lilly but had been unable to curse her. Same with Gustav and Amara. They had thrown the curse bags at each other but had not caused the desired curse.

"See what I mean about intention?" said Uodeela. "I thought we might have an issue here since you've all become good friends, but there's nothing wrong with that."

"I just can't bring myself to want to cause suffering to Lilly," said Luz. "She's my friend."

"Yeah, same here," said Lilly. "I don't want to hurt Luz."

"Why does the curse require an intent to hurt, Master?" asked Gustav.

"It has to do with the background magic in Amphibia," replied Uodeela. "You see… well, to be honest, even I'm not entirely sure how it works, but my mother and grandmother both taught me that they believed that there is some kind of force, spirit, and power in Amphibia. They believed it was what powered magic in this land."

"But what exactly is it?" asked Luz.

"That's the thing we don't really know," said Uodeela. "Even my grandmother, who was one of the best witches ever, didn't even know if it was real or not. Still, she theorized that it is what allows potion ingredients to grow in this place. It's what allowed the magic gems to be made, and it gives curses their power. The thing is, this force, whatever it is, has a dark side. And if you invoke its power to use a curse, then it wants to cause suffering."

"It wants to see people suffer?!" said Luz, horrified

"Mind you, I'm not sure if it's real or not," answered Uodeela. "It was only a theory my grandmother had. But seeing as curses won't work without this intent, I feel she was at least on the right track."

"Maybe we'd better stop for today then," suggested Amara.

"That's fine," said Uodeela. "I think as long as you understand the concept and the theories behind curses, you should be fine. If there ever arose a situation where you needed to curse an enemy, I would hope it would be someone who was deserving of your hatred. It's honestly very nice to see that you've all grown so close that you can't imagine wanting to cause a friend to suffer. You've all grown a lot since coming here. Especially you, Amara."

Luz, Lilly, and Gustav all turned and smiled at Amara, causing her to blush.

"If I have grown, then it's thanks to all of you," said Amara, smiling back at her friends.

This moment was broken up, though, as a frog came running to find Uodeela.

"Uodeela, there you are!" said the frog in a panic. "We need your help!"

"What's going on?" asked Uodeela.

"Some toads from the east showed up in town," said the frog. "They're being led by Captain Bufo."

Uodeela looked visibly worried at this. "You three, stay here. I'll check this out."

Uodeela followed the frog back to the town. As soon as she entered, she noticed the large battalion of troops in the town square. Captain Bufo was already there, speaking to the town.

"Citizens of Tadpole Pond," exclaimed Bufo, "I have heard about the collapse of the Southern Tower. With Grime and his soldiers removed from the area, I figure it is time to expand my own territory. This town happens to sit on the border between the Southern and Eastern regions of Amphibia, so I claim it as my own. You now have the honor of paying taxes to me instead of Grime!"

"But we already paid taxes to Grime for the year," said an elderly frog in protest.

"Well, Grime isn't in charge anymore. I am!" declared Bufo. "And if you don't want me and my toad army here to decimate your town, then you will cough up more money or else!"

Uodeela calmly marched towards the captain. "Bufo, I should have known you wouldn't waste any time taking advantage of a power vacuum."

"Ah, is this the famous Uodeela I've heard so much about?" said Bufo mockingly. "Is this who Grime was afraid of? Hard to believe that you could cause Grime so much trouble."

"Keep talking, and you'll see just how much trouble I can cause you," threatened Uodeela. "You have enough towns under your control as it is; there is no need to get greedy. How about you take your army and go back to your tower before I make you?"

Bufo laughed at Uodeela. "Pssh! Unlike Grime, I'm not afraid of you."

"Well, that just makes you stupider than Grime," snapped Uodeela.

"You're stupid if you think you can beat me," challenged Bufo, drawing his sword. "How's about we see how tough you really are? I challenge you to a one-on-one fight! If you win, then me and the toads will leave. If I win, we take over the town."

"As if you'd actually keep your word," said Uodeela. "But fine, I'll humor you, Bufo. Maybe once I thrash you in front of your troops, they'll think twice about how strong their leader is."

With that, the toads spread around, encircling Bufo and Uodeela and forming a tight wall to keep the combatants together. Bufo waved his sword in the air, trying to intimidate Uodeela.

"Don't let him scare you, Master," called a voice from the crowd.

Uodeela sighed and turned to find her apprentices in the crowd watching the fight. They gave her a guilty smile but also waved to encourage her.

"I suppose I should be angry that you didn't listen to me and stay at the house, but at the same time, I'm glad you're here. Now, don't worry. This won't take long," bragged Uodeela, closing her eyes.

Bufo charged straight at her with his sword drawn. Uodeela opened her eyes and jumped straight over him. Once she was on the other side of Bufo, she wasted no time using wind magic to blow him straight into the toad wall. Bufo collided with the wall but managed to recover and charge right back at Uodeela. Uodeela summoned a large orb of light and threw it straight at Bufo. He held up his hand to try to shield him from the blast, and Uodeela took the opportunity to swing her tail at his feet in an attempt to trip him. Bufo fell down but got up almost immediately and began slashing wildly at Uodeela. Uodeela gracefully dodged his strikes, then summoned a sword made of ice to her hand, where she began using it to block and counter him.

"Aw, what's wrong, Bufo?" mocked Uodeela. "Thought you'd be stronger than Grime."

Bufo merely growled in response and continued his attack, trying to find an opening. Uodeela had finally had enough and decided it was time to end this. She threw her ice sword away and placed her hand on the ground. A moment later, a large group of vines rose from the ground under where Bufo was standing and entangled him in them. He tried to free himself, but couldn't move.

"And with that, I think our little duel is over," said Uodeela casually. "So, are you going to leave, Bufo?"

"Um, no! Toad soldiers, attack!" commanded Bufo. "You may have beaten me, but you can't take down an entire army!"

"You sure about that, Bufo?" asked Uodeela. With that, she used her tail to reach into her hair and pull out a bottle. She passed it to one of her hands, uncorked it, and drank down its contents.

"I think you and your army are about to have a bad time," said Uodeela with a smile, and in a few seconds, she began to glow and transform into her Red Heron form. Bufo's eyes lit up as he saw the massive beast emerge. He was clearly not prepared for this. One of his soldiers came up and cut him free from the vines.

"Retreat! All soldiers retreat!" yelled Bufo. He and the soldiers started fleeing the town as Uodeela snapped and clawed at them in her heron form. It wasn't long before all the toads had left the town, retreating to the safety of their tower.

"Whoo-hoo! Nice one, teach!" called Luz.

"Way to go!" cheered Lilly.

"That showed them," said Amara.

"Looks like the toads are gone," called Luz. "You can change back now."

The Red Heron stopped moving and turned its head towards where her students were. She eyed them for a few seconds before heading towards them and trying to eat them! Luz jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being eaten!

"Uodeela, what are you doing?!" cried Luz.

"Master, stop!" yelled Gustav.

"Teach, what's going on?" asked Lilly. "You don't need to be a heron anymore! Turn back into a salamander!"

The pleas of the students fell on deaf ears as the Red Heron lunged at them again.

"What's happened to Uodeela?" cried out a random frog.

"Why isn't she turning back?" asked another.

"She's lost control of the heron form!" exclaimed another frog. "Everybody, run!"

The panicked citizens began fleeing in all directions, trying to avoid the deadly rampage of the Red Heron. Luz and the others took refuge behind a house as they tried to think of what to do.

"Why isn't she turning back?" asked Amara.

"I don't know, but we have to do something!" exclaimed Lilly.

"We need to get her away from the town," said Amara. "I have an idea. Gather round,"

The students gathered around as Amara explained the plan to them.

"Everyone understand?" asked Amara. The others nodded their heads.

"Okay," said Amara, "let's head back to the house and get ready. Luz, it will be up to you to get her back there." Luz nodded her head in agreement.

The Red Heron continued to terrorize the town, shrieking and causing destruction in its wake, though it became distracted as a fireball flew into its face. The heron looked to where the fireball had come from and saw Luz.

"Hey, Uodeela! Over here!" called Luz, trying to get the heron's attention. The heron let out a shriek before turning and chasing Luz. Luz managed to use her fire magic to move a bit faster, jumping into the air and creating mini jets from her hands to propel her forward. She began leaping away from the town, back to where the house was in the forest, with the heron chasing her in hot pursuit.

As Luz got close to the house, she looked back to make sure the heron was still chasing her. The heron was still behind her and was gaining, but Luz almost had her where they needed her.

"Now!" she yelled as she got into position.

In an instant, Lilly and Gustav jumped over Uodeela, holding ropes In their hands. Amara climbed up to Uodeela's head and attempted to subdue her (having taken a strength potion first to give her an edge). Lilly and Gustav continued jumping over and across Uodeela in an attempt to tie her down. When they finally had enough ropes on her, Amara climbed up to the Heron's beak and forced a sleeping potion down her throat. Though the heron's large constitution prevented it from fully falling asleep, it did seem to calm it down. The students walked up cautiously to the heron.

"What's going on?" asked Luz. "Why didn't she change back?"

"I have no idea," said Lilly.

"What are we going to do?" asked Gustav. "I don't know if we can keep her tied up like that forever."

"We need to figure out a way to change her back!" declared Amara.

"But how?" asked Lilly.

The four students stood there, looking from each other to their teacher, not quite sure what to do.

"Amara, you've read up on magic before coming here," said Gustav. "Can you think of anything?"

Amara put her hand to her head as she tried to come up with something, anything. Finally, she spoke, "I can't think of anything. Even if I could, I have no idea how Uodeela's unique curse/potion works. If she really came up with it herself, then I don't think there would be any books on the subject. Plus, you heard her. Curses can only be removed by the caster."

"But she's in no state to remove the curse herself," said Luz.

"Something has obviously happened with her potion," said Gustav. "It's done something to her mind. Maybe we can try to get through to her."

Gustav walked closer to the heron, who had calmed down after ingesting the sleep potion. But as she saw Gustav approach, she began to thrash around and tried to move her beak to eat him.

"Teach, it's me, Gustav," began the toad. "You agreed to take me in because you thought I was different from the other toads. Please remember me." The heron stopped thrashing but didn't change back.

"Master, it's me, Lilly," said Lilly as she walked up to where Gustav was. "You've known my dad for years. You promised after what happened to my mom that you would train me in magic so I could defend myself. Please remember." The heron continued to stare at the frog.

"My father told me that he paid you a great amount to train me in magic," said Amara. "He said it would help the Light name and would bring honor and prestige. I wanted to learn, and I tried to be a good student, but I've also grown to care for not just you, but Lilly, Gustav, and Luz. You were part of the reason for that, Master. Please remember!" The heron closed its eyes, as though struggling with itself.

"You took me in when I was a stranger," began Luz. "You taught me how to brew potions and use magic, and you even said you'd help reunite me with my friends. You've done so much for me, so please hear my voice and come back to us."

With that, the four friends joined hands and kept repeating, "Please come back, Uodeela."

The heron had its eyes closed and began shaking its head as it heard what the kids were saying. After a while, the heron finally began to glow and change its form back to a salamander.

"UODEELA, YOU'RE OKAY!" screamed all the students as they rushed towards her to give her a hug.

"Hey, easy there," said Uodeela. "I'm not feeling so good."

"We thought we might have lost you," said Luz. "You didn't turn back after you chased the toads away."

"It's good to see you again, Master," said Amara.

"Why don't we back up a bit?" said Uodeela. "What exactly happened after my duel with Bufo? I can't seem to remember a thing."

Luz launched into an explanation of what happened after Bufo had been defeated.

"Ha, I knew he wouldn't surrender," said Uodeela. "So, I transformed into the heron and chased his army away, but then you say I didn't turn back."

"Exactly, Master," said Lilly. "We were trying to figure out what happened to you. We had to get you away from the town and tie you up to get you to calm down, then we started talking to you, and that seemed to do the trick. Why didn't you turn back?"

"I'm not exactly sure," said Uodeela, "though I have a theory. I've been using this potion/curse for many years. When I first started using it, I wasn't aware that there would be any long-term consequences, but the last few times I used it, I swear there were times when I blacked out and couldn't remember what I'd done. I wasn't always able to retain control of my mind. Today, after I drank the potion, I completely blacked out. I couldn't control the heron at all."

"And you think it's somehow related to how long you've been using this potion?" asked Amara.

"It's the best guess I have," said Uodeela. "I developed it over 100 years ago and have been using it off and on ever since."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Luz. "Did you say 100 years ago? You're over 100 years old?!"

"Well, yeah. Salamanders have a long life span," answered Uodeela. "My grandmother lived well into her late 600s."

"Wow, that's… Wow!" exclaimed Luz, unable to say anything else.

"They're the only species in Amphibia that has such a long life span," said Lilly.

"Well, newts are a little bit long," added Amara. "Most newts can live into their 200s, and I think the oldest newt ever lived to be 300 years old."

"In any case," said Uodeela, "the only theory I have is that I've used the curse potion for so long that it's had some nasty long-term effects on me since I need to be in control of the heron form in order to change back and remove the curse. If I'm not in control, then I can't change back. In essence, I would be stuck like that forever. When you all started talking to me somehow, it drew me back. I was able to take control of the heron again, but it was very hard. I'm not sure if I could do that again."

"Master, you have to get rid of the curse potion then," said Lilly. "You can't risk using it if you would be stuck as a heron forever."

"I suppose I'll have to," said a weary Uodeela. "In any case, let me get back to my room. I need some rest, and it looks like you need some, too. Thank you to all of you for helping bring me back. Let's take tomorrow off and rest a bit."

Later, up in her room, once Uodeela was alone, she opened a wardrobe in her room to reveal a single bottle of her curse potion.

I should get rid of this, thought Uodeela, but it's so useful. What if I'm in a situation where I need it? Is it really worth the risk? I can't just get rid of something I've used my whole life. What if the toads come back and I need to scare them away? I know the kids would get nervous if they knew I still had a bottle around, but even so…

She continued to stare at the bottle, unsure of what to do…

Chapter Text

Luz woke up to the sounds of bubbling. She cast her sleepy gaze around and saw the cauldron that Uodeela had brought into the basement a few weeks ago. Uodeela had been hard at work gathering up the ingredients she needed for a rare elixir. This particular elixir also needed to stew for two weeks, so Uodeela had moved a cauldron into the basement to keep it out of the way. Today was the day she added the final ingredient to the elixir.

Yawning as she stumbled out of bed, Luz quickly got changed and was getting ready to go upstairs when the basement door opened and Uodeela, Amara, Gustav, and Lilly came down, almost bumping into Luz.

"Oh, sorry there, Luz," said Lilly

"Watch it there, kid," said Uodeela. "We were all just coming down to check the elixir. After I add the last ingredient, it won't be long before it's ready."

The amphibians and Luz gathered around the cauldron and watched as it continued to bubble. Uodeela had been silent about this particular elixir but had promised to talk more about it as it drew nearer to being ready.

"So, I know I haven't even told you all what this elixir is," began Uodeela.

"I know," said Amara. "It must be really complicated with all the different and rare ingredients you've been getting."

"Not only that, but you've been brewing it for so long," added Gustav, "much longer than any elixir we've ever attempted."

"Yes, that's because this is a very special elixir," said Uodeela. "What you are looking at is the Elixir of Life!"

All eyes went from the cauldron to Uodeela and then back again.

"Are you serious, Master?" asked Amara. "The Elixir of Life?! As in the one that can bring you back from the dead?"

"Well, more like it can save you from death," clarified Uodeela. "To be clear, the elixir only works to save you from an early or untimely death. It can't do much against dying of natural causes or disease. If you were mortally wounded, drowned, or something like that and made sure to take the elixir quickly after that, you would live! The elixir will cure your wounds and patch you up good as new."

"Wow, that's incredible!" exclaimed Luz.

"Indeed it is," said Uodeela. "That's why it takes so many rare ingredients and so long to brew. As of right now, there's only one more thing it needs." With that, Uodeela drew a knife, causing the others to jump in fright.

"A bit of salamander blood," she said as she casually made a cut on her hand, letting several drops of blood fall into the cauldron. With that, the elixir turned a bright shade of gold and continued to bubble excitedly.

"It will still need to stew for three more days," said Uodeela. "But after that, it should be ready."

"You could've warned us that you were going to do that," said Luz in shock.

"I could have, but where's the fun in that?" answered Uodeela sarcastically.

"So what are you going to do with it, Master?" asked Lilly.

"Well, for sure, I'll keep a few bottles of it. You know, in case of an emergency that my normal regeneration can't handle," began Uodeela. "But I'll probably sell some of it too, try to bring in some extra money. Maybe on our way to Wartwood, we can stop in Ribbitvale. Lot of wealthy elites up there. I'm sure they'd be interested in an elixir that lets you survive death."

"Oh, that's right, you're going to be leaving soon, right, Luz?" asked Lilly a little sadly.

"Yeah," replied Luz, also a little sad. "Uodeela said she heard that one of my friends was in Wartwood and said she'd take me there once our lessons here were over."

"Oh, you'll be crossing the whole valley," said Lilly. "Wartwood is literally on the other side of it. I've never been there, but I hear it's a nice small town made up of mostly farmers."

"Gosh, I can't believe our time together will be coming to an end so soon," mused Gustav. "It feels like the weeks just flew by!"

"Yeah, that's how it works sometimes," replied Uodeela. "Things are always changing, and you never know how much time you have left with someone. Best enjoy the remaining time you have with each other."

Later, after the lesson, the four friends made their way up to Uodeela's living room, where Gustav came up with an idea.

"Hey, so it looks like we might be saying goodbye soon. How about we go out in style?"

"What do you mean?" asked Lilly.

"Before we all go our separate ways, let's put on one more show of Azura's Troupe!" said Gustav.

Luz, Amara, and Lilly looked at each other before looking back at Gustav.

"Hmm, I guess I wouldn't mind another chance to act as Azura again," said Luz.

"You know, I really liked playing Glen the Frog Knight," said Lilly.

"I suppose it would be fun to put on one more performance before we all have to leave," said Amara.

"That's the spirit!" said Gustav with excitement as he hugged his friends. "Glad to hear you guys are on board. Let's start thinking of what we want to do!"

Over the next few days, Azura's Troupe came together and rehearsed. They were able to reuse many of the props and costumes that they used the first time, and they did their best to try to come up with a show on short notice. They decided to follow a similar format to what they did last time. Luz hurriedly tried to come up with a script from her book, while Lilly began studying the next scene from The Frog Knight. The group rushed to try to get things ready as quickly as possible, and before long, the night of their performance arrived!

A large crowd had gathered, and almost the entirety of the town was there. Uodeela was once again handling tickets as, backstage, the actors rushed to get ready. They decided to have a small get-together before the show to psych themselves up.

"Okay, gang, are we ready to put on an incredible show?" asked Gustav.

"YEAH!" replied the others.

"Luz, as the leader of Azura's Troupe, you should say a few words," suggested Lilly.

"Well, let me just say I'm glad we're all together here," began Luz. "Even if we may part ways soon, I'm glad I got to know you all. You know, before I met Anne, Marcy, and Sasha, I didn't have any friends in the human world. Then things kind of got complicated with Anne, but then I met you all here and got to make more friends!"

The amphibians all smiled upon hearing Luz say that.

"Lilly, you're very kind and compassionate. You offered to be my friend when you barely knew me, and I'm glad I got to spend time with you and that I was able to talk with you about difficult things," said Luz, grinning towards Lilly.

"Gustav, I know you've had it rough being made fun of by the toads, but I like you just the way you are. I think being different was a good thing. Brains always win over brawn, and I think you're a great musician!" said Luz to Gustav.

"Amara, I know we may have had a rough start, but I think it's amazing that you've grown so much. I like how confident you are. Thank you for teaching me some of those fighting moves and having a sparring session with me," said Luz.

"You're welcome," said Amara.

"Ahora! Vamos a tener un gran noche! Now, what do you say we get out there and give them a show?!" said Luz excitedly.

Everyone cheered in agreement, and the four friends came together in a large group hug as they got ready for the show.

Lights flashed on the stage as Gustav stepped forward. He would once again be the host for the night and introduce the acts. Gustav made his way to center stage and spoke to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentle frogs, welcome once again to an amazing performance by Azura's Troupe," began Gustav. "Tonight promises to be an amazing display of talent and acting, the likes of which have never before been seen in all of Amphibia!"

A loud murmur broke out among the crowd as they heard this.

"Firstly, we continue our story of 'The Good Witch Azura', starring that wonder from another world, 'Luz the Human!'" said Gustav, clearing the stage as Luz and Amara approached, dressed in their Azura costumes.

"Azura," said Amara as Hecate, "our paths have crossed only in battle, but today, I stand before you, seeking an ally!"

"Oh, why this sudden change of heart?" asked Luz as Azura.

"Thou hast heard of the Arch-mage?" asked Amara.

"For certain, I have," replied Luz. "But what is your concern with him?"

"The Arch-mage has begun collecting magical artifacts, even attacking other witches to obtain them," said Amara.

"Doth thou think he will turn his attention to us, then?" asked Luz.

"It is only a matter of time. We would not be able to face his power alone, but together, we may stand a chance," said Amara.

"How do I know that this is not some elaborate plan to trick me?" said Luz. "Perhaps thou hast already made a contract with the Arch-mage, and this offer of friendship is a trick to get me to lower my guard."

"Azura, doth thou think me so foul as to attempt that?" asked Amara.

"We have long been enemies," answered Luz. "I think thou wouldst attempt it if the opportunity were to arise."

"Enemies we may have been, but I always respected you," said Amara. "Thou dost remember when you challenged me to a duel at the Bog of Immediate Regret?"

Luz nodded her head.

"Thou didst lose, and it was within my power to end your life, but I spared you," said Amara. "I have never liked how thou performed magic, and I thought that thou was impatient and naïve. But I never doubted your abilities. There are a great many other witches I couldst ask for help, but I know thou is brave and determined. We may have had our differences in the past, but thou knowst the power of the Arch-mage. If he were to obtain enough artifacts, he would become more powerful than any witch in the land."

"I hear what you say," said Luz. "I too have begun to fear the Arch-mage's power. Dost thou think we can prevail over him in battle?"

"We shall know soon enough," answered Amara. "So wilst thou join my cause?" With that, Amara stretched out her hand.

"Indeed, I shall," said Luz, taking the offered hand. "Let us put our skills to the test against him."

Luz and Amara ran offstage. Gustav came on, dressed up as the Arch-mage.

"Soon, I shall acquire all the magical relics in this land," began Gustav as the Arch-mage. "When I finally have the Sapphire Staff, I shall be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!"

"Hold, Arch-mage!" exclaimed Amara and Luz as they entered. "Your villainy ends here!"

"Ah, the Good Witch Azura, and what is this? Hecate?!" said Gustav, surprised. "How didst this happen? I thought you were both mortal enemies."

"We may have been foes in the past," began Luz.

"But we see you as a far bigger threat," finished Amara.

"Ha! Thou art more foolish than I thought if you think to challenge my power," laughed Gustav. "But if you wish to throw your lives away so easily, then so be it!"

With that, Gustav engaged in a mock battle with Amara and Luz. They spun around each other and threw potions that released brightly colored sparkles to signify magic.

"You are truly more powerful than I thought!" exclaimed Gustav, "but I know that Hecate is the stronger of you two. So if I can get rid of her, then Azura is sure to fall." With that, Gustav threw a potion directly at Amara, but Luz stepped in front of her and took the hit!"

"Ahhh!" cried Luz as she fell to the floor.

"Azura!" yelled Amara as she came to Luz's side.

"Hecate, I think this may be the end for me. Hurry and finish the fight," said Luz weakly.

Amara and Gustav continued fighting, and eventually, Gustav spoke.

"Curses! It seems you were stronger than I thought, so I shall flee for now, but don't think you've seen the last of me, Hecate!" said Gustav, and with that, he fled offstage.

"Azura!" said Amara, coming to Luz's side. "Speak to me, Azura!"

"Hecate," said Luz weakly.

"You took that spell for me, Azura. Why?" asked Amara.

"He was right; you are the stronger of the two of us, and I had to protect you. I'm sorry for mistrusting you, Hecate," said Luz. "Go and chase after the Arch-mage."

"No," said Amara. "No, I must tend to your wounds. Come, let us leave this place." With that, Amara bent down to pick Luz up and carry her offstage.

Gustav came back onstage. "And scene!"

With that, the crowd cheered as Gustav, Luz, and Amara came onstage to take their bows! Luz exited offstage as Gustav and Amara stayed on.

"And now, while our performers prepare the next piece, we present you a brief interlude as myself and the lovely Amara play some music. As an extra special treat, this song is an original composition that the two of us worked on together," said Gustav. With that, he brought out his ocarina, and Amara brought out her harp, and the two began playing.

[Play "Corridors of Time" from Chrono Trigger. I recommend an orchestrated version. Though the original is still quite good.]

As soon as Amara and Gustav began playing, the mood both in the audience and backstage began to shift. Luz was backstage, listening to the music, and something about it drew her in, almost as though she were hypnotized. The song was beautiful yet sad, almost melancholic. Luz looked over at Lilly and saw that she too was being drawn into the intoxicating melody. They looked at each other but didn't speak. Slowly, they closed their eyes.

As Luz closed her eyes, she began to see things in her mind. She had a vision of a grand, beautiful city in the clouds. The city was amazing—some kind of technical wonder! She saw grand spires and large houses throughout the city. Next, she saw a girl. The girl was barely older than her and dressed in beautiful purple robes, but she was crying. Luz didn't know why this girl was crying, but it made her sad to see the girl in pain.

Luz opened her eyes and realized that not only was she crying, but Lilly was, too.

"Luz," said Lilly, tears still in her eyes.

Luz sniffled a bit before replying, "I don't know why, but I'm sad."

"Did you see the city and the girl?" asked Lilly.

Luz nodded.

"What was that place?" asked Lilly. "And why is hearing this song making us sad?"

"Look," said Luz, directing Lilly to the stage. Amara and Gustav continued to play, but their instruments were glowing. They had both noticed, but still kept playing. Eventually, the song ended, and the show continued. Amara left offstage, leaving Gustav to introduce the final act.

"Ladies and gentle frogs!" exclaimed Gustav, "we once again have another performance from the epic opera 'The Frog Knight!' When we last left our hero, Glenn, he had suffered defeat at the hands of the Dark Mage. But finding a new resolve, Glenn rushes to meet the Dark Mage at Newtopia and stop whatever evil machinations he has planned, though he knows that, armed as he is, he has no chance to defeat him. But Glenn has heard tales of a sacred blade—a magical sword that can pierce through the Dark Mage's defenses. This sword of legend is called 'The Masamune', and rumors say it is held in an ancient temple. It is said that one must overcome many trials in order to obtain the Masamune. Now we join our hero Glenn as he arrives at the temple!"

With that, Lilly walked onstage in her costume and looked around a bit before speaking.

"Is this the Temple of Courage?" began Lilly. "I have heard many stories that claim there is a special sword here. A magic sword that may help in my fight against the Dark Mage."

Suddenly, Luz walked onstage, dressed in an ethereal costume.

"What is this?" exclaimed Lilly. "Some spirit appears before me."

"Greetings, young Glenn," said Luz in a spooky voice. "I am the spirit Masamune, guardian of the temple. I guide those who come here to seek the sacred blade. Think yourself worthy of wielding this sword?"

"In truth, I do not know," said Lilly, "but I am here to find out!"

"Inside this temple are trials that will test your courage," said Luz. "Is thou ready to attempt them?"

Lilly paused before replying, "Yes, I am ready. I must do whatever it takes to stop the Dark Mage and save the kingdom."

"Very well, then let us enter," said Luz. With that, Lilly and Luz walked offstage before running around the back and entering from the other side.

"Hark! What is this?!" exclaimed Lilly. "I see a great pit before me. There is a door on the other side, but it seems impossible to cross."

"Thou must figure out how to cross this pit," said Luz. "That is the first trial."

Lilly mused out loud, "This distance seems too great. Even with my best leap, I doubt I could make it. And yet, I see no way or mechanism with which to cross, and I see no rope or chain, though there is nothing on the other side I could fasten it to, even if there was some." Lilly put her hand to her chin as she tried to think of some way to cross the deep pit.

"If this challenge be too much for thee, then you may flee now," said Luz.

"No, I must succeed," replied Lilly. "Hmmm, if there be no way that I can see, then perhaps I shall chance a jump." With that, Lilly got into a crouch, preparing to jump across the pit. Hoping she would make it, she crouched down and got her legs ready before finally taking off in a mighty jump! But she didn't clear the pit and landed right on top of it.

"Ahhh!" she exclaimed. "Wait, there is an invisible floor here."

"So there is," said Luz. "Thou needed courage to take the leap. Sometimes, the danger we see ahead of us is but an illusion."

With that, Lilly got up and leaped the rest of the way across the pit, making it to the other side.

"Thou hast completed the first trial," said Luz. "Now, let us see what awaits you next."

Lilly and Luz again ran offstage and around the back before entering onstage again. As they did, Gustav and Amara wheeled on a set of spikes and a cardboard cutout of fire.

"What is this, then?" asked Lilly. "It looks like some sort of obstacle course. Indeed, I see swinging blades, jets of fire, spike traps, and all manner of dangerous traps!"

"It will take a heart full of courage to get through these dangers," said Luz.

"Very well, then forward, I go!" said Lilly. With that, Lilly charged through, jumping at various points and pretending to weave her way through obstacles (that, unfortunately, weren't actually there onstage) and danced her way to the other side of the stage.

"I have won the second trial!" exclaimed Lilly.

"Indeed you have," said Luz. "Only one more trial awaits you in the next room. Is thou prepared for it?"

Lilly marched offstage, ready to face the final trial. Once more, she ran around to emerge from the other side of the stage.

"I see some deep pit here, though, unlike the first one, I can actually see the bottom," said Lilly. "Me thinks there is some form or creature down there." As she said this, Gustav came onstage, clothed in a black cloak.

"There is, indeed, a creature down there," confirmed Luz, "one that can transform into your greatest fear! For this final trial, you must face this creature and also your greatest fear!"

Lilly walked across the stage and drew her sword. As she did, Gustav threw off the cloak and began speaking.

"Ha ha ha! Look at Glenn! He's so stupid and weak!" he said to Lilly.

"I know that frog," said Lilly. "You teased and bullied me in my youth. Cyrus protected me from you, but I fear you not!" Lilly lunged forward with her sword, striking Gustav. He fled offstage, and Amara came on, dressed as the Dark Mage.

"Oh, Glenn," said Amara, "thou has no hope of defeating me. Cyrus was the best knight in all Amphibia, and he fell before my power. You were barely worthy to polish Cyrus's boots, so what makes you think you can beat me?"

"I know I can win against you, Dark Mage!" declared Lilly. "I must win against you, both to avenge Cyrus and also to put an end to your evil! That is enough to let me know that I can triumph over you!" Glenn charged forward with his sword and struck down Amara, who fled offstage. At that point, Gustav came back on, dressed as Cyrus.

"Glenn," said Gustav in a somber tone, "you abandoned me."

"No," said Lilly, taking in the sight of Cyrus and dropping her sword. "Cyrus, I'm sorry!"

"I needed your help! We could have defeated the Dark Mage together, but because of your cowardice, I am dead. How could you let me die?!" demanded Gustav in an angry tone.

"Cyrus…." said Lilly, dropping to her knees and beginning to cry. "I'm so sorry!"

"I never should have wasted my time on you," said Gustav. "I thought when we joined the knighthood together, we would be brothers on a journey! We would have adventures together. But because of you, I am dead!"

"NO!" screamed Lilly. "Please, Cyrus, I tried to stop the Dark Mage after you were slain!"

"But you failed!" said Gustav. "Even after the Dark Mage defeated you in battle, you didn't even have the courage to take your own life. You could have joined me in death."

"Cyrus, please," begged Lilly. "I am here to try to finish what you started."

"It should have been me who killed the Dark Mage," said Gustav, advancing on Lilly and drawing his sword. "With you out of the way, I can defeat the Dark Mage and claim my rightful glory." With that, he brought the sword down on Lilly, only to be surprised as, in one quick motion, she grabbed her sword from the floor and brought it up to block his.

"The real Cyrus would never say something like that!" said Lilly, now with fire in her eyes as she rose to her feet. "He never cared about fame or glory, and even after he became the best knight in the land, he always had a humble heart. YOU'RE NOT CYRUS!"

Gustav and Lilly engaged again in a mock battle of swords, clashing against each other. After several minutes of fighting, Lilly finally landed a blow on Gustav. With that, Gustav fled offstage. Lilly stood alone for a few seconds, taking in her encounter with Cyrus and how it had affected her. Soon Luz came to her side.

"The next chamber awaits," she said to Lilly. For the final time, the two of them exited offstage, ran around behind, and came onto the stage one last time. Again, Gustav and Amara wheeled out a prop sword that was inserted into a stone onto the stage.

"Here it is then," observed Lilly. "The blade of legend. The Masamune…" She stared at the blade in the stone before her.

"You've accomplished quite a lot to get here," said Luz, "but that alone is not enough. If you are truly worthy to wield it, then go and pull the Masamune from its resting place."

For a second, Lilly hesitated, unsure if she was indeed worthy to take it, but then she stepped forward to where the sword was and took hold of the hilt. And in one swift motion, pulled it from its stone! She stared at the blade that was now in her hands, seeing her own reflection in the polished metal. As she stared at the sword in amazement, the realization that she was worthy of it finally dawned on her, and all traces of doubt vanished from her eyes. Lilly, now full of confidence, raised the sword up into the air and, in a loud and powerful voice, exclaimed,

"My name is Glenn! Long have I carried Cyrus's hopes and dreams, and now I bear the Masamune as well! Henceforth, I claim them as my own! I shall slay the Dark Mage and restore our honor!"

No one needed to say that the scene had ended because the entire crowd seated before them rose up and cheered! They tossed flowers onto the stage and began cheering and clapping louder and louder. Eventually, Luz, Gustav, and Amara came onstage to take their bows before all four of the friends held hands and took a final company bow.

It had been hard to get away after the performance, as many of the citizens personally wanted to thank and compliment each of the performers. All of them seemed to love Lilly's dramatic performance as Glenn the Frog Knight, giving her compliments and praise. It was a long time before they were able to meet up with Uodeela, who was looking especially hard at Gustav and Amara.

"That song you played," she asked. "How did you come to write it?"

Gustav and Amara looked at each other before replying.

"Well, it's actually the strangest thing," said Amara. "One day, Gustav and I were out jamming like we normally do, but suddenly, we had the urge to write a new song."

"To be honest, it almost felt like I could hear the notes in my mind," explained Gustav, "and I felt I just had to get them out."

"Master, did you see it too, then?" asked Luz. "That city in the sky and that girl."

"Yes, I did," said Uodeela, "and I think I know what that was. Did you notice that your instruments were glowing?"

"Yeah, we did," said Amara. "It was a little distracting, but we kept on playing. Do you know why?"

"I think so," began Uodeela. "All those who are attuned to magic know that music has a magic all of its own. It's amazing what the right melody or combination of notes can achieve, and when played by one who is attuned to magic, it can have different effects."

"Wow, that's amazing," said Amara.

"I think you may have subconsciously been picking up some magic energy," she said to Gustav and Amara. "When you were playing that song, I could see a city in the clouds in my mind."

"We saw it too!" said Lilly and Luz. "We also saw a girl dressed in purple. What does this mean?"

Uodeela paused before continuing, "I think that city was a real place. I don't think it ever existed here in Amphibia, so maybe it was in another world. Luz was able to come here from another world, so maybe that city we saw was from somewhere beyond the world of Amphibia. When I heard the music, I felt very sad. I think something terrible happened to that city and the girl. I think, in some way, the city itself was reaching out to the two of you. I think it wanted us to know that it existed and that something bad had happened there. Maybe it wanted its story told. I think the city may have once been a center for magic itself, but though it no longer exists, the residual magic cries out and leaks into other worlds, trying to find a way to tell its story."

"Why us, though?" asked Gustav.

"Music has a magic all of its own," explained Uodeela, "and you two are well versed in it. That's why you were receptive to it. As I said, if that city was real, I think it was using whatever power it could to try to reach out to anyone it could find. For whatever reason, the two of you were able to feel the magical energy of the city and transform it into music, music that then implanted an image of that city in those who heard it, as well as the feelings of loss and sadness that the city and girl may have experienced. This is interesting. It may be an entirely new way to use magic in Amphibia. It will obviously require more research, but who knows what this could lead to?"

Gustav and Amara were intrigued and looked from Uodeela to each other.

"But enough about all that," said Uodeela, "it's time we celebrate your wonderful performance! I have two full bottles of cider at home, so let's crack those open and have ourselves a party!"

The four friends cheered at that suggestion and followed Uodeela back home.

Chapter Text

Luz was busy in the basement. Uodeela had given her a few extra sets of clothes that she had lying around, as well as a bag to put them in. Luz began looking around the basement and putting her meager possessions into the bag. She had already put a few things in her backpack and was trying to decide what she might need for her journey to Wartwood. Uodeela had told her that she would take care of the major necessities (food, water, etc.) so as not to cause Luz to worry about what she should bring. Uodeela mentioned that there was a small chance that the information she had about her friend being in this town was wrong, but that they would worry about that if it came up. Luz was more worried about what would happen if she found Anne, who was still angry at her. The thought had been gnawing at her in anticipation of her trip to Wartwood, but she tried not to focus on it. Instead, she tried to think about what she would say to Anne upon seeing her again.

"So, Anne," began Luz, practicing out loud, "it's great to see you again! You look great! Not that you didn't look great before, but… Nah, that doesn't sound right."

Luz thought for a few minutes before speaking again, "I realized that it was wrong to kiss you without permission, but let me explain why I did it. You see, we were dancing, and the music was perfect, and you looked so beautiful and… Ugggh! No, that's not it either."

Once more, Luz thought for a bit before speaking, "Anne, I realize what I did was wrong. I'm sorry for kissing you without permission, and you have every right to hate me for it. If you really don't want to be friends anymore, then… then… that's okay. I won't bother you anymore… and I'll accept…" Luz paused before continuing, "I'll accept your decision… Why was that so hard to say?"

Deciding to take a break from packing and her speech to Anne, Luz went back upstairs. The living room was empty until Uodeela came in.

"How's the packing going?" she asked.

"It's going okay," replied Luz. "What's harder is trying to figure out what I'm going to say to Anne when I see her. That part is proving particularly tough."

"Well, even once we hit the road, we'll still have about a week of travel for you to think more about what you want to say. Speaking of which, I need to figure out where I can get a snail for us. One that comes with a travel wagon would be nice," said Uodeela.

"Still hard to believe that snails are the mode of transportation out here," said Luz. "In my world, snails are so slow. No one would ever think of using them as mounts."

"They aren't the only method, but they are the most dependable," said Uodeela. "Spiders are better at handling tough terrain. They can also spin silk, which is helpful, but they can be temperamental. Sparrows are the best mode, as they can simply fly you wherever you need to go, but they are so expensive to keep and maintain, so only the elites can afford them."

"I suppose it will be nice to get out of Tadpole Pond for a bit and see the rest of this world," said Luz. "And who knows? Maybe while we're out traveling, we'll run into Sasha or Marcy."

"Those are your other friends, right?" asked Uodeela.

"Yeah," replied Luz. "Marcy is really smart and really kind. As smart as she is, I bet she's doing well out here. Probably thinks this whole experience is like a video game. Meanwhile, Sasha is really strong and tough. I bet she'd try taming a heron as a pet."

"Huh, interesting," said Uodeela. "Well, we certainly will keep an eye out for your friends while we're traveling. Maybe you'll end up reuniting with more than one."

At that moment, there was a knock on Uodeela's door. She was puzzled for a second, as she wasn't expecting anyone, but moved to open the door. When she did, there was a toad standing there—a green toad wearing what looked to be a jester's cap.

"Percy?" said Uodeela, somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey, Uodeela," began Percy. "I'm here to pick up Gustav."

"Oh, well, I'll get him then," said Uodeela, leaving upstairs. Percy's eyes fell on Luz.

"Hello, my name is Percy. I'm Gustav's dad," he said in a friendly voice.

"I'm Luz," said Luz, introducing herself. Though, as she did, she realized Percy wasn't the least bit surprised to see her. "Huh, I thought you might be weirded out seeing me. I'm kind of a 'creature' in your world, as it were."

"Oh, right. What is it you're called again?" said Percy, thinking to himself before answering. "Oh, right, human. Right! Isn't that what you're called?"

Luz was stunned to hear that. "Yes, that is my species, but how did you know that?"

Before Percy could answer, Gustav and Uodeela came back downstairs.

"Dad!" exclaimed Gustav, running up and giving his dad a hug.

"Hey there, sport," said Percy playfully. "Good to see you again! How was your time with Uodeela?"

"Oh, it was great!" replied Gustav. "I'll tell you all about it on our way home. Though honestly, it was nice to get away from the tower for a bit."

"Hey, I heard you guys put on a show while you were out here. Is that true?" asked Percy.

"We sure did!" said Gustav. "Hey, maybe we can add some of your music into the act if we do it again."

"Aww, really, that would be swell," said Percy.

"Oh, by the way, let me introduce you to Luz," said Gustav, indicating Luz. "She's a creature from another world, but she's not a monster. She's actually really nice."

"I just met her," said Percy. "She's a human, right?"

This time, Gustav and Uodeela both paused, having noticed what Percy said.

"How did you know she's a human?" asked Gustav, intrigued.

"Oh, well, it just so happens we have a human back at Toad Tower," answered Percy.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Luz.

"Yeah, her name is Sasha," said Percy. "She's Grime's new lieutenant."

"Hold on a second, Percy," said Uodeela, coming close to Percy and looking him straight in the eyes. "Did you just say you have a human… at the tower?"

Percy's eyes darted around nervously before replying, "Yeah. One day, she appeared at the tower, and Grime took her in."

"And she's still currently at the tower?" asked Uodeela. "Is that where you're headed right now… back to Toad Tower?"

"Yep," said Percy nervously, "back to Toad Tower. Though speaking of which, Uodeela, is there any chance that you were going to take a vacation or travel anytime soon?"

Uodeela glared at Percy before saying, "Gustav, Luz, go downstairs. I need to speak with Percy in private."

"Wait!" said Luz. "I want to know more about Sasha! If she's really at the tower, then maybe we should go there instead of Wartwood."

"Luz!" said Uodeela in a firm voice, "go downstairs now!"

Luz was shocked to hear Uodeela speak this way, but she and Gustav quickly went down into the basement and closed the door.

"What do you think that was about?" asked Gustav.

"I don't know. Why won't Uodeela let me ask him about Sasha?" asked Luz.

"Shh, listen," said Gustav. From upstairs, they heard a door slam. Gustav and Luz peeked out the hatch and saw the living room was empty. Slowly getting out of the basement, the two went to the front door and pressed their ears against it. They could now hear Uodeela and Percy talking.

"Percy, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but I know for a fact that Toad Tower was destroyed," said Uodeela in a firm voice. "Care to tell me why you lied to me about that?"

"Umm, well, I thought you wouldn't find out about that," he replied sheepishly.

"Percy, I make it my business to know about what happens around the valley, though there is one thing that I don't know," said Uodeela.

"And what is that?" asked Percy.

"Where the devil is Grime and his army?" asked Uodeela. "I know he's not dead, as I didn't see his corpse at the tower, and if you were lying to me, then I have reason to believe you know where his forces are."

"Listen, Uodeela," began Percy, "I can't tell you where his forces are. What I can tell you is that it might be a good idea for you to leave for a few days."

"Why exactly should I leave?" asked Uodeela. Percy didn't respond immediately. After a while, Uodeela spoke again.

"You know, Percy, when I first met you, I thought you were different from other toads," said Uodeela. "I could tell your son was different, and I agreed to train him for you."

"You wanted something first, though," said Percy, a bit angrily. "Well, I fulfilled my end of the bargain. I gave you the tax collection schedule you wanted. I assume that's how you've been so efficient with robbing Grime. But I risked a lot by helping you. If Grime knew what I did, he'd have my head for sure!"

"Oh, please. It's not like you actually liked working for Grime. If anything, I was helping you stand up to him. But you still haven't answered my question," said Uodeela. "Why did you lie about going back to the tower? And where are you really going?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," said Percy defiantly. "But out of respect for you helping my son, all I will say is this. You should probably leave for a week or so and not come back."

"Is that a threat, Percy?" said Uodeela seriously. "I can't believe you, of all people, would be stupid enough to threaten me!"

"I'm not trying to threaten you!" yelled Percy before becoming deadly serious. "I'm trying to help you."

Uodeela stopped talking and looked Percy straight in the eye. "What? What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, I can't say anymore. I've said too much as it is," said Percy in a somber tone. "Uodeela, I'm trying to give you some advice. Take it or leave it, but please, believe me when I say it would be best if you left for about a week or so."

"Percy…" said Uodeela, now calmly and seriously, "what are you not telling me?"

"Enough," said Percy, in a tone that indicated the conversation was over. "I'm taking my son, and we're leaving." He marched back to the door and opened it, causing Luz and Gustav to fall back in surprise. Uodeela put her hand on her face as she realized what was going on.

"I shouldn't be surprised," she began, "and yet, I have to admire your rascally spirit. How much did you hear?"

"All of it," confessed Luz.

"Dad, what's going on?" asked Gustav, a little worried.

"Look, I'll tell you when we get back to the camp," said Percy.

"So you do know where Grime is!" said Uodeela. Percy looked at her for a brief second, but then turned and began leading Gustav away.

"Wait!" called Luz, running up to Percy and Gustav, "you said Sasha was with you. Take me with you. Let me see if it's really her."

"Luz, are you crazy?!" said Uodeela. "You can't just go up to the toads and ask to see Sasha."

"Well, actually, she's second-in-command right now," clarified Percy, "so maybe she would want to see you."

"Wait, what?!" said Uodeela. "Did you say she's Grime's second in command?"

"Yeah, she's been great," said Percy. "She's really nice to us, plus she convinced Grime to stop insulting us every time we mess up. Right now, we're training really hard so that we can—" Percy trailed off, not finishing that sentence before continuing, "-so we can build a new tower in the southern region. We haven't quite picked out a spot yet, but I think it's going to be great."

Uodeela tilted her head at hearing this, not quite believing what Percy was saying.

"You see, Uodeela?" began Luz. "It seems like Sasha's managed to work her way into a position of power. I should have known she'd do that. I need to see if it's really her!"

"Luz, can I talk to you for a moment?" said Uodeela, ushering her back into the house. She made sure the door was closed and that Percy and Gustav were not anywhere close to the door before continuing.

"Okay, Luz," she began, "I know you wanted to find your other friends, but I have serious doubts about everything concerning both your friend and the toads. If you overheard our conversation, then you know Percy is lying about something. I can't put my finger on what exactly, but I know there's something he's not telling me."

"I understand that," said Luz.

"Furthermore, if what he said about Sasha being Grime's lieutenant is true, that doesn't give me a good feeling," said Uodeela. "Grime is a ruthless and fearsome leader. He was once the fiercest fighter in the coliseum."

"Coliseum?" said Luz. "Like in ancient Rome? With gladiators and such?"

"I don't know what 'ancient Rome' is," replied Uodeela, "but yes. It was an arena where warriors fought each other to the death, and Grime was one of the fiercest there. He wouldn't appoint someone as his lieutenant unless they were as fierce and ruthless as he was. If he really has made Sasha his second, then I have a bad feeling about what she did in order to prove her strength to Grime."

"But Sasha is my friend," pleaded Luz. "Maybe she had to act tough in order to survive Amphibia, but I need to at least check on her to see if she's okay. And maybe we can take her with us to Wartwood. Please, I have to go back with them."

"Luz, maybe you aren't understanding," said Uodeela, "but I don't think it would be safe for you to go and meet your friend."

"If I go with Gustav and his dad, I think they will keep me safe. Plus, you said you think Percy is hiding something from you," said Luz. "If you let me go, then maybe I can find out where the toads are. You've been wanting to know what happened to Grime. Well, let me go and find out."

Uodeela paused at hearing this. While it was true that she wanted more information on Grime, she wasn't sure that sending Luz to obtain it was the best course of action. Yet she also knew that she needed to find out what happened to Grime, and Luz might be her best chance at learning that.

"Alright," said Uodeela. "Go back with them and say you want to meet Sasha; find out if she's really there. After that, come back."

"Thank you!" said Luz, giving Uodeela a hug.

"Luz, listen very carefully," said Uodeela, bending down and looking Luz in the eyes. "Don't let your guard down around the toads and be careful around your friend. She may not be the person you remember."

"I'll be careful. I promise!" said Luz, who raced back outside to join Percy and Gustav. Uodeela followed her.

"So listen, you two," called Uodeela, "Luz is going to go back with you and see if her friend is really there. I'd like to ask the both of you to watch over her, please."

"No worries, teach," said Gustav. "I hope Luz gets to reunite with her friend."

"I'll do my best, Uodeela," said Percy.

With that, the three of them walked off into the distance. Gustav began talking to his dad, telling him about some of the adventures he'd had while studying magic. He also made sure to tell him about putting on a show.

"Wow! You guys really put on a show!" said Percy in amazement.

"Yeah!" replied Gustav. "We had different acts in it. Amara and I played our instruments for one of the acts!"

"Ah man, that's great!" said Percy. "I'm glad to hear you've been practicing your ocarina! You know, for a second, I almost quit serving Grime and was going to come get you, then the two of us could go on tour performing in different towns."

"What? You almost quit working for Grime?" said Gustav in surprise.

"Yeah, it was actually Sasha who convinced me that my talents were being wasted serving Grime," said Percy. "I would have quit then and there, but then we got attacked by herons."

"Oh, no," said Gustav. "We had to deal with some herons, too. Was everyone okay?"

"Yeah, we were fine," said Percy. "Actually…" He trailed off, looking into the distance and smiling. "It was a good stroke of luck that the herons attacked because… You know, I'll wait until we get back to tell you."

"Ohh, this sounds mysterious," said Gustav, intrigued.

As day turned to twilight, the three finally made their way back to the toad camp. Luz noticed large tents everywhere, with the toads sharpening various weapons outside them. The toads that weren't sharpening their weapons were sparring with each other in the open areas of the camp. Two large toads who were standing guard spoke to Percy as he approached.

"Percy, 'bout time you got back," said one of them. "How's your son? Has he gotten any stronger?"

"Still looks like a runt to me," said the other.

"Hey, can we please not do this right now?" said Percy. "Do you know where Sasha is? I have someone here who wants to see her." He indicated to Luz.

"Another human, eh?" said one guard. "I don't know. After the last one destroyed our tower, Sasha may not be in the mood to see you right now."

"Wait, what?!" said Luz in surprise.

"Oh, you didn't know?" replied the guard. "Sasha's last human friend, what was her name? Uh, Anne, I think, ended up destroying Toad Tower. And after how nice Sasha was to Anne, inviting her up to her private quarters and giving her frogs a feast."

"That doesn't sound like Anne," began Luz. "You must be mistaken."

"Okay, ask Percy if you don't believe me," said the guard. "Isn't that what happened, Percy?"

"Well, I mean, I don't remember all the details, but yeah, that is mostly what happened," replied Percy. "But hey, I'm sure Sasha has forgotten all that. In any case, where is she?"

"She's over in her tent," said the guard, pointing to the correct tent. "I think Grime is with her, discussing battle plans."

"I'll go talk with Sasha then," said Luz to Percy and Gustav. "I'll find you after, okay?" Percy and Gustav nodded and left Luz to go talk with her friend. As Luz approached the tent, she found herself getting a bit nervous. Was Sasha really here? Was she about to be reunited with one of her few friends? She had been so nervous thinking about what she would say to Anne that she hadn't even thought about what she might say to Sasha. Still, Luz eventually found her courage and pulled the flap to enter the tent.

The inside of the tent was well-lit. There was a sleeping space near one corner of it and a large table in the center. This was the table that Sasha and Grime were currently standing over, looking at what appeared to be a map of some kind.

"And this is where the second battalion will attack from," said Sasha. "This way, we'll be able to surround—" she stopped as she heard the tent open. "Ugh, what is it now? We're kind of busy," she said, turning around only to gasp in surprise as she saw Luz.

"Luz?!" exclaimed Sasha.

"Sasha, is that really you?" asked Luz. Sasha walked slowly up to Luz and put her hand on her face to see if the Luz that stood before her was real. Finally, she pulled Luz into a hug.

"It's good to see you, Luz," said Sasha warmly, "but I have to ask you… What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's actually lucky I found you," began Luz. "I only just found out you were here, thanks to Gustav's dad. He mentioned there was a human with the toads."

"Gustav's dad?" said Sasha, a little confused before realizing, "Oh, Percy, right? Yeah, I know Percy. He's been working on his music act. You should hear it sometime."

"Yeah, of course," began Luz. "Anyway, it's great to see you, Sasha! Listen, I don't know what you've been up to, but I have great news to tell you! I think I may have a lead on where Anne is!"

Sasha's face immediately fell, and she turned away from Luz before responding, "Oh, you do, and where have you heard she is?"

"In a small town called Wartwood," answered Luz. "I was just getting ready to go with Uodeela to see if Anne was really there."

"Wait, Uodeela?!" said Sasha in surprise. "You know Uodeela?"

"Yeah, she's the one who took me in when I arrived in this world," said Luz. "Not only that but she's been teaching me magic."

"Oh, I see…." said Sasha, trailing off a bit. "So you've grown close to her."

"Well, yeah, of course," said Luz. "Honestly, she's kind of been like a second mother…" Luz stopped mid-sentence as she realized what she had said. "We've been gone a real long time. I hope my mother is okay… I really miss her. Ojala que estas bien, mama."

"I see…." said Sasha, folding her arms and suddenly looking displeased. "You're just like Anne."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Luz, who now noticed Sasha seemed to have a scowl on her face.

"You've grown sentimental over these frogs," said Sasha, "or, I guess, salamanders, in Uodeela's case, but all that's going to do is hold us back. Anne got too attached to her frog family, and now she prefers them over me."

Something about the way Sasha said that line immediately put Luz on her guard. She kept her eyes on Sasha, suddenly realizing that she wasn't smiling anymore. Luz thought carefully before speaking, trying to think of what would be best to say to Sasha.

"I'm not sure I understand," began Luz. "Did you say that you met Anne?"

Sasha paused a bit before answering, "Yeah, I met her and brought her to Toad Tower to have a private dinner and a shower. Did you know she'd been living in a basement all this time? But even after all that I'd done for her, she still turned on me. You see this scar on my cheek?" said Sasha, indicating the scar.

Luz looked closely, and, for the first time, noticed it. "Wait, you can't be serious! Are you saying Anne gave you that?!"

"I am serious, Luz," said Sasha in a louder voice. "We ended up fighting on the top of Toad Tower. Anne not only gave me this scar but also blew up Toad Tower, and that's why the toads are here now. And the reason Anne did all this was because she'd grown attached to some stupid frog family. If she had just stepped aside and let the toads kill one of them, then we might have found a way home by now. We could have gone to look for you or Marcy, but no, she had to defend the frogs. And now here you are, having grown attached to Uodeela when right now she's an obstacle to what the toads want."

"What exactly do the toads want?" asked Luz nervously.

"They want Uodeela gone!" shouted Sasha. "And they want to build a new tower in Tadpole Pond. And having already dealt with Anne and her feelings about this, I'm guessing you're going to have a problem with that!"

"Well, obviously!" said Luz, now raising her own voice. "Sasha, what's gotten into you? Why this urge to invade and destroy a town?"

"It needs to be done!" said Sasha emphatically. "If I help the toads, then they'll help me figure out a way to get back home. You could help me, but I don't think you will."

Luz thought for a long time before replying, "You're right, I'm not going to help you invade Tadpole Pond, but I'm not going to leave you. Sasha, come with me. You don't have to work with the toads. Uodeela and I are going to travel to Wartwood, and you could come with us. We'll find another way to get home. You don't have to help the toads."

For one brief second, it looked like Sasha might take the offer, but she turned her face away from Luz and stared off into space.

"You don't understand, Luz," said Sasha. "Anne and I fought, and she said she doesn't want to be my friend anymore. I can't go back to Anne."

"You can if you say you're sorry," said Luz. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"You're so quick to help me, Luz. Why?" asked Sasha.

"What do you mean, why?" replied Luz, as though it were obvious. "We're friends, that's why! Whatever happened between you and Anne, I'm sure we can talk about it. Honestly, I'm a little nervous to meet Anne, I know the last thing she said to me was that she didn't want to be friends anymore because of what happened at the dance—" At that moment, Sasha started laughing, catching Luz off guard.

"Oh right, the dance," said Sasha. "See, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Here you are trying to help me, and you have no clue."

"No clue about what?" asked Luz, not understanding what Sasha was talking about.

"You're too nice, Luz, saying we're friends and all," said Sasha, catching Luz off guard.

"We are friends!" insisted Luz, though she added, "Aren't we?"

"I don't know, Luz," began Sasha. "I wonder if you would still want to be my friend if you knew the truth?"

"The truth about what?!" asked Luz, clearly not understanding what Sasha was getting at.

"No way!" exclaimed Gustav. "So Braddock, you and my dad are together now?"

"Yeah, we were about to be eaten by herons when your dad confessed his feelings of love for me," said Braddock, remembering the incident with fondness.

"Ahh, that's good to hear," said Gustav, offering his encouragement. "So anyway, Dad, what's going on with this encampment? I thought you said the toads wanted to build a new tower."

"Oh, right," answered Percy. "Well, you see… The thing is… I'm not quite sure how to put this…"

"Wait, Percy, you haven't told him yet?" asked Braddock, concern in her voice. "I thought you were going to tell him on your way back from Uodeela's?"

"Well, something came up," said Percy. "We had to bring along another human, and I thought it just didn't seem like the right time."

"What are you talking about, Dad?" asked Gustav, concern in his voice.

"So, Gustav," began Percy, "you know how toads are expected to serve so many years in the army?"

Gustav nodded.

"Well, a big part of that army's job is to collect the taxes that are owed by the towns in our territory," explained Percy. "We collect the taxes and deliver them to Newtopia. Of course, we get to keep some of it for ourselves."

"Yeah, okay," said Gustav.

"Well, you see, the problem is that Uodeela has been stealing the taxes from Grime and his soldiers," began Percy, before being interrupted by Gustav.

"But Dad, Uodeela said that you helped her by giving her the collection schedule."

Percy quickly moved to "Shhh!" Gustav.

"What?!" exclaimed Braddock. "Percy, you gave Uodeela the tax collection schedule?! Do you know what Grime would do to you if he knew?"

"Look, son," explained Percy, trying to get back on track, "Uodeela offered to train you if I helped her with that, and I figured it was a chance to get you away from the tower, so it seemed like a win-win scenario. But Grime has had enough of Uodeela stealing from him. Not only that but since we lost the tower, he and Sasha have made plans to build a new one… in Tadpole Pond."

"What?" said Gustav, not sure he quite understood what was happening. "Dad, there isn't room to build a tower in Tadpole Pond. You'd have to tear down all the houses and buildings there."

"Well, yes, you would have to, and that's what Grime intends to do," said Braddock.

"Does he really think Uodeela is just going to let him do that?" asked Gustav. But as he said that, his mind was slowly starting to put everything together. "Wait, a second… Is that why we're camped out here? I thought it was odd that it didn't take long to get from Uodeela's house to here, but that's because Grime is planning on attacking Uodeela!"

"Listen, son," said Percy, trying to calm Gustav down. "I tried not to tell you about the more unpleasant aspects of what we do, but you're getting older now. At some point, Grime is going to expect you to serve in the army, and you'll have to do what he tells you."

"Why?" yelled Gustav. "You obviously hate it, Dad! Is that why so many others hate us? Because we're just muscle for the Newtopian elites?! Helping them get rich and keeping everyone else poor?! Do those taxes we collect actually do anything to help the people who pay them?"

Percy didn't respond, but his silence was enough of an answer for Gustav.

"Listen, Gustav," said Braddock, putting a hand on him, "I know you've had it rough with the other toads, but hey, you learned how to make potions, right? Maybe you can use your brains to help us out with the invasion."

"Are you serious?" said Gustav, removing her hand from his shoulder. "I just spent four months with Uodeela and, by extension, the people of Tadpole Pond, and you want me to help you conquer them?"

"Gustav, we're toads," said Percy. "This is what we do."

"Is this what you want to do, Dad?" asked Gustav.

Percy again hesitated, not answering his son, though Braddock spoke up.

"It's what Grime wants us to do," she said in a loud voice. "Well, actually, now that I think about it, Grime didn't actually want to fight Uodeela. It was Sasha who convinced him that it would be a good idea."

"Wait, a minute! Sasha is the one who came up with this plan?" said Gustav in shock. "As in Luz's friend, Sasha?"

"Well, that is the only Sasha we know," said Percy. "But yeah, it was her."

"Luz is in trouble then. I have to find her," said Gustav, rushing off to find Luz.

"Gustav, wait! Come back!" called Percy.

Luz couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sasha had just confessed what she had done to her the night of that dance.

"No! It's not true! Why?" she exclaimed as she absorbed this information.

"Because I saw how you were looking at Anne," said Sasha. "I saw how you were crushing on her. You were going to take Anne away from me!"

"Take her away from you? Are you insane, Sasha?!" asked Luz, anger beginning to build up in her.

"If you and Anne ended up together, well, what would happen to me?" asked Sasha. "I wouldn't be Anne's best friend anymore."

"And that made it okay for you to traumatize me?!" asked Luz indignantly. "I spent the rest of that night crying in the bathroom!"

"Hey, let's be real here! What happened at the dance was partly your fault, too!" yelled Sasha. "All I did was suggest that you dance with Anne, and it's your own fault you acted the way you did."

"I—" began Luz, but her words got caught in her throat. She paused before continuing, "Actually, you're right. It was my fault."

Sasha was surprised to hear Luz say that.

"I messed up," continued Luz. "It was wrong to kiss Anne without permission, and I understand that now. The whole reason I'm nervous about meeting her is that I don't know if she'll forgive me, but I have to try to make things right with her."

"And what if she says she still doesn't want to be friends with you?" asked Sasha.

"Then I'll accept that," said Luz firmly, "but I have to at least apologize." Luz paused and looked at Sasha, who seemed to be holding back tears.

"Sasha, please come with me!" begged Luz one more time. "If you say you're sorry, I'll forgive you for what you did to me, and we can be friends again. We can go find Anne together."

At that moment, Gustav burst back into the tent. "Luz, we have to get out of here! The toads are planning to attack Tadpole Pond!"

Luz looked at Gustav.

"Oh, you knew that already?" he said sheepishly. At that point, though, he was suddenly grabbed by a large female toad.

"Little Gustav, still weak after all this time," said a rough female voice. "Guess whatever training your dad sent you off on has made you even softer."

"Fens!" said Gustav, identifying the toad. "Nice to see you," he said sarcastically. Behind her, two other toads entered the tent. Luz recognized Grime but didn't know the other one, a burly red toad.

"Seems like we have a problem here, lieutenant," observed Grime.

"No, there's no problem here," said Percy, running into the tent out of breath. "My son was just joking. He doesn't know what he's saying."

"He was going to go back and warn Uodeela about our invasion," bellowed Grime, "and the human was going to go with him." He suddenly pointed at Luz. The red toad moved to where she was and grabbed ahold of her.

"Hey, let me go!" screamed Luz.

"No, I don't think so, Luz," said Sasha, advancing on Luz. "We can't have you going back to warn anyone. Bog, Fens, take them to the prison tent. I'll deal with them later," commanded Sasha.

"We could save some trouble if we just ended 'em here," suggested Fens, raising her club above Luz's head.

"No!" declared Percy, rushing forward to try to place himself between Fens and his son. "Gustav, please just say you didn't mean any of it! Grime, please don't hurt my son! I'm sure he didn't mean any of it."

"Yes, I did!" said Gustav defiantly. "Let me go, and I'll go and warn Uodeela about your invasion plan."

"Well, that seems like enough of a reason to not let you go then," said Grime. "I am a bit curious about why you seem so concerned about that witch." Grime shifted his focus from Gustav to Percy. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, Percy?"

"Uhhh, no, I… don't know what you're talking about," said Percy nervously.

Grime turned his attention back to Gustav. "As for you, well, you've always been a disappointment, Gustav, but maybe we can find a use for you. An army needs pawns, after all. Let's see how much defiance you have left when you're on the front lines. Fens here is taking point in the battle tomorrow, and she has very effective ways to discipline unruly soldiers."

Fens glared at Gustav and raised her club.

"So we have another human here," said Grime, looking at Luz. "I take it you know this one too?"

"Yeah, I do," confirmed Sasha. "She and I used to be friends, but I won't make the same mistake I made with Anne. Take her away!"

With that, the red toad led Luz and Gustav out of the tent and to another, where he tied them up against a post.

"I'm impressed, lieutenant," declared Grime. "It's good that you've taken care of the problem now instead of trying to win her over."

"Yeah, I knew it would be a lost cause," answered Sasha. "Luz is too nice, so there's no way she'll support our invasion. But enough of that. Let's finalize our battle plan!"

Meanwhile, in Sasha's tent, Gustav and Luz were tied together against a post and struggling to break free.

"I can't believe what Sasha's doing," said Luz.

"I can't believe my dad's going along with this. I thought he was different," said Gustav.

"Guess we both had a rude awakening today," said Luz bitterly.

"Still, we have to get out of here. We have to warn Uodeela!" said Gustav. With that, he began struggling against his bonds, but to no avail. Luz began squirming, trying to wriggle free, but couldn't manage it.

"Sure could use a knife right about now," said Luz.

"I might be able to help with that," said a voice. Luz turned and saw Sasha entering the tent with a small knife in her hands.

"What are you doing here?" asked Luz.

"What does it look like?" replied Sasha. "I'm helping you escape."

"Are you serious right now?" asked Luz indignantly.

Sasha used the knife to cut through the ropes, freeing both Gustav and Luz. "Yeah, actually, I am. Now follow me. I'll lead you out of the camp."

Luz and Gustav followed Sasha, and before long, they had left the camp behind. Suddenly, though, Sasha stopped.

"This is as far as I go," she said. "I have to go back to the camp."

"What?!" exclaimed Luz and Gustav at the same time.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't abandon the toads. I was the one who came up with the idea to invade Tadpole Pond and build a new base there, and the toads want to punish Uodeela for stealing from them. I have to see it through but listen, you don't have to get hurt for that."

She came up to Luz and took her hands in her own, staring directly into her eyes.

"Listen, Luz, you were planning on leaving with Uodeela. Just go."

"What?!" said Luz, not sure how to respond to this.

"Just leave. If you leave tonight before we invade the town, you can be out of harm's way. Here, I can give you a map to show you the way. You don't need Uodeela to guide you there. Go to Wartwood and find Anne. You'll be safe there. And listen, Luz… For what it's worth, I am sorry about what happened at the dance. I know that might not mean much now, but…" said Sasha, struggling to hold back tears.

"Sasha," began Luz slowly, not sure what else to say to her.

"You don't have to get hurt, please! I'm begging you! Just go to Wartwood and forget about Uodeela and the town," said Sasha.

"Sasha, I can't do that!" said Luz firmly. "I can't just abandon someone who has basically become a second mother to me."

"Do you think she's a better mother than your real one?" asked Sasha.

"You can't honestly expect me to compare them!" said Luz.

"I can understand how you feel, though," began Sasha. "Grime has been a much better father figure than my real dad. That's why I can't abandon him! Luz, Gustav, just go!" With that, Sasha turned away from them, almost as though she was trying to turn a blind eye. Sasha was feeling a plethora of emotions after her conversation with Luz, and it felt so overwhelming, almost as though she would burst.

Luz wasn't sure what to do. She reached out her hand and attempted to put it on Sasha's shoulder to comfort her, but before she could, Sasha ran back towards the camp, and although Luz couldn't see it, there were tears streaming down her face. Not sure of what else she could do, Luz and Gustav fled, and they kept running until they were far enough away from the camp that they could no longer see it. As the darkness surrounded them, Luz drank one of her elixirs and summoned a large orb to light their way. She and Gustav kept running until they made it back to Uodeela's house.

"So, your son and the human have escaped," said Grime, staring hard at Percy.

"Um, well, maybe they went for a walk and will be back soon," said Percy innocently.

Grime put his hand to his face and shook his head.

"It's no matter," said Sasha, coming into view. "Even if they warn Uodeela, we should have more than enough toads to deal with her."

"I hope you're right, lieutenant," growled Grime. "Our attack was supposed to be a surprise, though I doubt the town can put up much of a defense. Still, the fact that your son is causing us trouble means you need to be punished, Percy."

"Hey, it's not his fault," said Braddock, jumping to Percy's defense. "You shouldn't punish Percy for something his son did."

"I'm the one in charge, Braddock!" yelled Grime. "I'll decide how things work, but since you seem so eager to defend your boyfriend, you can share in the pain."

Braddock thought about responding but decided to bite her tongue.

"In any case," continued Grime, "the two of you are on latrine duty. It will be long, grueling, unpleasant work that you'll likely be up all night doing, so the one upside is you won't be part of the battle tomorrow. Once you're done with latrine duty, you can stay here and guard the camp."

"We do need a rear guard for the camp anyway, Grime, so good call there," said Sasha. "And trust me, the fact that Gustav got away won't help much. If anything, I bet it will make Uodeela overconfident if she thinks she can beat us."

"I hope you're right. I'm still curious as to how they escaped, though. I thought you were going to go check on them," said Grime to Sasha.

"I was," responded Sasha, "but by the time I got there, they were already gone."

"Hmmm, I wonder," mused Grime.

"What is it?" asked Sasha.

"Nothing," said Grime. "We should probably get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day."

"For sure," said Sasha, as she made her way back to her tent. "See you in the morning, Grimesy!"

Once Sasha was alone in her tent, she finally sighed, mentally trying to unpack everything that had happened. She sat down on her bed, rubbing her face with her hands. She was feeling so many different emotions that she eventually began talking to herself.

You shouldn't have let them go, she said to herself

I didn't want Luz to get hurt, she replied

You know she won't take your advice, said her thoughts. She'll probably stay and try to fight you.

If she does, then I'll deal with her then.

Will you?

Yes! I said I would!

Somehow, I doubt you'll be able to.

After arriving at the house, Luz and Gustav gathered Uodeela, Lily, and Amara into the living room and told them everything they had learned. All of them had grim expressions on their face as the tale came to an end.

"So that's why Percy wanted me to leave," said Uodeela. "He wanted me out of the way so Grime and his army could march into Tadpole Pond unopposed."

"I want to think that my dad actually cared about your safety," said Gustav, "but I'm not so sure."

Uodeela looked at Gustav. "I'm sure in his own way, he was trying to help me."

"I don't know," said Gustav, "but I learned some things tonight… Uodeela, is it true that the toads act as enforcers for Newtopia? That they collect taxes from the various towns for the elites? Is that what my father… Is that what my whole species does?"

Uodeela paused for a long time before answering, "So, your father told you the truth?"

Gustav nodded his head.

"Unfortunately, yes, it's true. All of it," answered Uodeela solemnly.

"When you say they gather taxes for the elites, do you mean… the newts?" asked Amara hesitantly.

"Not all the newts," said Uodeela, "just the ones who have connections. It's a very small exclusive club that gets to essentially live a life of luxury at the expense of everyone else, I'm afraid. But don't worry, Amara, your parents are most certainly part of it."

Amara hung her head in shame, not sure how to handle this revelation.

"Uodeela, why didn't you tell us?" asked Amara angrily.

"What did you want me to say?" asked Uodeela. "That your parents are part of the reason Amphibia is such a mess? That it would be better if they weren't alive?"

"Why do the toads do this?" asked Gustav, almost desperately looking for an answer. "It's not like we're any better off for being enforcers for the newts. It feels like we're getting the short end of the stick. We don't get to live a life of luxury like the newts, and we're hated by the frogs because of what we do."

"I'm afraid there is no simple answer to that, Gustav," said Uodeela. "Your statement is very logical and yet not many toads see it that way. To most of them, getting the chance to push around the frogs makes them feel that they are 'better.' Plus, since most toads like violence anyway, being enforcers gives them a chance to act out their aggression against the frogs."

"But how can they not see how they're being taken advantage of?" asked Gustav.

"Look, Gustav," said Uodeela, "when I first started living out in the wilds, I tried to reason with some toads. I tried pointing out many of the same things you're saying, but very few of them would listen. The thing is, for them to realize there's a problem, they'd have to admit that they've been wrong and that's hard for a lot of them to do."

"So that's how my parents have the life they have?" asked Amara.

"Listen, you two," said Uodeela to Gustav and Amara, "this doesn't mean anything. So now you know the truth about what your parents do, but you are not your parents. Or rather, you don't have to be like your parents if you don't want to be. And Gustav, for what it's worth, your dad did try to get me to leave, so I'll give him points for that."

Gustav and Amara perked up on hearing this.

"What matters now is getting you all out of here as soon as possible," said Uodeela. "Amara, if you take Gustav and Lilly with you, you should be able to make your way back to Newtopia within a few days. Luz, I think you'll have to go alone to Wartwood, and you'll have to start tonight—"

"No!" said Luz firmly. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Luz, this isn't open for discussion," said Uodeela firmly. "I can't just let you stay when there might be a very real possibility of you getting killed."

"I'd rather be killed than abandon you," said Luz fiercely. "Listen, Uodeela, you took me in when I was a lost child wandering alone in Amphibia. You cared for me, taught me magic, and are even helping me get home. What kind of person would I be if I abandoned you? I couldn't live with myself knowing I wasn't there when you needed me."

Before Uodeela could respond, Lilly jumped in, "Listen, Master, I know what you've been doing in trying to stop the toads. I know you and my dad are working together in some sort of rebellion. I know my dad didn't want me to know about it to try to keep me safe, but now I have a chance to help you. I know it's what my dad would do and… I know it's what my mom would do too." Lilly trailed off the last bit, remembering what had happened to her mom.

"I promised your dad I would keep you safe," said Uodeela to Lilly. "What do you think he would do to me if he found out I let you participate in a battle?"

"I know what you promised my dad," said Lilly, "but I also know that this is my chance to do something that will help. You and my dad are risking so much in fighting the toads, so it's time for me to help, too."

As Lilly finished speaking, Gustav came up to join her, "I don't care what my dad or any other toads think. What they're doing is wrong. If you are going to fight against Grime and his army, then I am with you."

"Gustav, you realize your father may well be part of the army?" asked Uodeela. "Are you certain you're prepared to face him on a battlefield?"

Gustav thought for a moment before replying, "Yes, I am."

Finally, Amara stepped forward. "Luz, Lilly, Gustav, the three of you have become the first real friends I've ever had. Over these past few weeks, I see what I was missing in my life. And if you all will stand with Uodeela against the toads, then I will stand with you!"

"We aren't leaving you, Master," said Luz. "So what's the plan?"

Uodeela looked over at her apprentices and smiled. While logic told her that she should still refuse their help and send them somewhere safe, she was secretly glad that they had decided to stay of their own volition. She couldn't be prouder of them!

"Alright then," began Uodeela. "If you're determined to stay, then we need to come up with a plan of attack, or rather a defense since defending the town will be the smarter and safer course of action. But before any of that, let me give you all something!" With that, Uodeela ran down to the basement. A few minutes later, she returned with four bottles of elixir.

"Each of you take a bottle of the Elixir of Life," she said, handing it to all four students. "I swear on my mother that I followed the instructions and brewed it correctly. If the worst should happen, then this elixir will save you from death. Keep an eye on each other out there tomorrow, and if something happens… well, you know what to do."

The students each took a bottle and stared at it, the implication of what it was for leaning heavily on their minds.

"Next, let's head into town and get everyone up," began Uodeela. "We need to spend as much time as we have building traps and defense to keep the town safe. The townspeople may not be soldiers, but you'd be surprised at how effective a group of angry citizens can be when pushed to the limit. Alright, troops. Move out!"

As they were leaving, Uodeela pulled Luz aside.

"Listen, Luz," she began, "I don't know what may happen tomorrow, but are you sure you want to stay? At the end of the day, this whole fight with the toads is an amphibian problem and not something you as a being from another world need to concern yourself with. Last chance to change your mind."

Luz listened to what Uodeela was saying but didn't change her mind. "I hear what you're saying, but Sasha is a part of my world, and it was her idea to invade the town. So, in a way, it is my fault. Maybe not directly, but indirectly, so it isn't just an amphibian problem."

"Alright then," said Uodeela. "If that's your decision, then let's go and prepare. We have a long day ahead of us…"

Chapter Text

This chapter has some intense scenes! It may be scary for younger readers...

Three Years Ago

Toad Tower

At the highest point of Toad Tower, Grime had gathered a large group of frogs from the town of Swampshire, though his focus was on one particular frog.

"Citizens of Swampshire," began Grime in a loud and grandiose voice, "you have all been summoned here today to learn a very hard and valuable lesson. Now, of course, you know that as citizens of his majesty, King Andrias Leviathan, you are all required to pay taxes to the crown. And we, the toads of the Southern Tower, are tasked with collecting these taxes, but it seems there is one among you who believes this should not continue."

The toads closed in around a green female frog who had been separated from her husband and daughter. The toad soldiers manhandled her and pushed her to the ground in front of Grime.

"Ah, here we are," began Grime. "This traitorous journalist, who writes for the Swampshire Tribune, wrote an article in the newspaper about how unfair this system is. She thinks that these taxes are nothing more than extortion and that frogs shouldn't have to pay them. Her article goes on to say how foolish toads are for agreeing to this. Now this sounds like traitorous talk to me."

"It's not treason; it's the truth," said the green frog defiantly.

"Silence!" said Grime, smacking her across the face.

"Mommy!" exclaimed a young blue frog from the crowd. She rushed forward to try to be with her mother, but the toad soldiers stood in her way, preventing her.

"Back in line, frog!" yelled Grime to the girl. "Your mother is about to learn why you don't spread lies and treasonous talk." With that, Grime snapped his fingers, and the soldiers grabbed the frog and marched her towards the edge of the tower. A fall from that height would surely have killed her, but, unfortunately, that wasn't the fate Grime had in store for her.

At the bottom of the tower was a large carnivorous plant. Some toads at the bottom were using ropes attached to the plant to keep it steady. Its jaws smashed open and closed, resisting the ropes. It continued to struggle but eventually stopped, as it seemed to have noticed that the toads were preparing to feed it a fresh victim.

"Let this be a lesson for all of you. This is what happens to troublemakers who step out of line and start questioning how things work around here," said Grime.

"NO! Please! I'm begging you, don't hurt my mom!" said the small blue frog, rushing forward to try to rescue her mother. This time, though, her father held her back.

"It's okay, Lilly," said her mother. "I'll always be with you. Be strong. I love you."

"Mom, no!" cried Lilly as her mother was led to the edge of the tower.

"Any last words?" asked Grime mockingly.

The frog looked straight at her daughter. "Lilly, you have to be strong! Everything I've done has been to try to make a better life for you! I love you! And—"

"Blah, blah, blah," interrupted a rough-looking female toad. "You've talked long enough, traitor. Time to meet your end!"

The female toad pulled out a deadly-looking spiked club and swung it at the frog. It hit her, causing her to stumble and fall over the edge.

Lilly broke free of her father's grip and rushed forward to see her mother fall. This time, the toads didn't stop her and allowed her to get close to the edge. Lilly got to the edge, just in time to see her mother fall directly into the jaws of the fearsome plant and be eaten alive!

Lilly fell to her knees and cried as her father came up to her to try to comfort her.

"I hope the point has been well made," said Grime. "Know your place, and don't try to challenge us, or the same thing will happen to you!" With that, the toad soldiers began leading the frogs back down the tower.

"No, please! Not my mom!" screamed Lilly as she thrashed around in her sleep. She was lying on the ground in a makeshift sleeping bag just outside Tadpole Pond. A crude barricade had been constructed around the western edge of the town out of furniture. Stones, logs, and whatever else the citizens had been able to cobble together. The sun was just starting to rise, casting its pink-orange glow over the uneasy defenders. Lilly was sleeping near the center of the barricade, where she had been keeping watch before trying to get some rest.

"Lilly!" called Amara, running to where Lilly was sleeping and trying to wake her up.

"NO! MOM!" screamed Lilly again.

"Lilly, wake up!" called Amara.

"Huh?" said Lilly, finally opening her eyes and waking up. "What happened?"

"You were yelling in your sleep," said Amara. "You were saying something about your mom."

"Oh, right… My mom…" said Lilly, trailing off. "I was having a dream about her."

"You've never talked about your mother," said Amara. "I've heard you occasionally talk about your dad, but not your mom. Did something happen to her?"

"No, forget I said anything," replied Lilly quickly. "Where are the others?"

"Luz and Uodeela went back to the house to gather up a few things," said Amara. "Gustav is trying to show the townspeople some tactics that the toads are known for using, so we might have a chance to counter them. As for me, I've been up trying to make as many explosive potions as I can," Amara said, pointing to a small pile of potions that she had prepared. "They don't have the Herrid's Bane in them yet, but I figured I'd keep that separate like Uodeela taught us."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," agreed Lilly. "Did you get any sleep?"

"No, not really," answered Amara. "And honestly, I don't think I could sleep tonight, even if I wanted to. I have a stamina potion that I'll take later if I need to."

"I just don't want you falling over due to fatigue during the battle," said Lilly. "We have no idea when the toads may attack, and once the battle starts, who knows when we may get another chance to sleep?"

"I'll be fine," assured Amara. "I'm just nervous more than anything else." She opened her bag and began double-checking all the potions she had in there. She was trying to think of which ones might be more useful in the battle ahead.

"Was I out for long?" asked Lilly.

"I think only three hours," answered Amara. "I forgot when you fell asleep. We were all so busy building the barricade and getting the traps ready that we were lucky to get any sleep. Gustav took a small nap before waking up to do his training, and Luz slept a bit longer before heading off with Uodeela. I don't think Teach got any sleep at all. Do you feel rested?"

"Honestly, no," replied Lilly, getting up from the ground. "I'm nervous too. Did Uodeela hear back from my dad?"

"I don't know," said Amara. "Your dad is still all the way in Swampshire, right? Even if he managed to get a small force together, I don't think they could make it here in time. Swampshire is almost as far away as Wartwood."

"It would take a few days by snail at least," agreed Lilly. "Still, we need any resource we can get, and I know that my dad's been busy trying to organize the frogs into a resistance army. I just didn't think we'd need them so soon."

"If only we had the Newtopian Army," mused Amara. "Did I tell you I know someone who's an officer in the army?"

"No, you didn't," said Lilly. "I thought we were your first friends?"

"She kind of was a friend of the family when I was growing up, and she was a few years older than me," answered Amara, remembering her old friend. "She was one of the few newts of high status that my parents let me hang out with. Honestly, she was more like a big sister to me, but the thing is, I haven't really seen her in years. Once she enlisted in the Military Academy, she was so busy with training and studying that I never got to see her. Since it's been so long, I was afraid that maybe we'd grown apart, so I'm not even sure if we're still friends. Last I heard, she was a captain in the army. I bet she could really help us out."

"Well, that's assuming the newts even care about what's happening out here," countered Lilly. "And well, you heard what Uodeela said about the elites, so I doubt it."

"Yeah, I remember," said Amara, trailing off. "Lilly, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"You don't have to apologize," said Lilly, "you didn't know. And even before you knew the truth about your parents, you were already becoming a better person. If anything, you surprised me with how much you changed. Maybe if more newts could see how we actually lived, they too could be moved to want to change things."

"Maybe…" agreed Amara, staring off into space and thinking about what Lilly said. "But before we do that, we have a battle to win, and unfortunately, nap time is over. Time for us to get back to patrol!"

Lilly nodded in agreement and joined her friend on patrol.

Uodeela's eyes were glowing, as was her basement door. She was muttering a strange incantation as she waved her hands over the door. After a while, the glowing stopped, and her eyes returned to normal.

"That should hold it," she said. "I've used my magic to seal my basement shut. I stored all my old books and potion ingredients and anything else that I felt was important, as well as the rest of the Elixir of Life."

"You're sure the toads won't be able to get in?" asked Luz.

"I'm sure, though there's nothing I can do about my house, I'm afraid," said Uodeela, looking around at her house. "The toads will surely destroy it, if for nothing else but spite."

"You can't seal the house in some way?" asked Luz.

"I could seal an individual door or window," answered Uodeela, "but that wouldn't stop them from simply knocking down the walls. Last time I fought Grime, he tried bringing an army to fight me at my house, but I managed to hold them off, mostly thanks to my heron form. At the time, Grime didn't know about my ace up my sleeve, so as soon as I transformed into the heron, the toads broke ranks and fled. He hasn't tried to attack me since."

"Yeah, and you can't use the heron potion this time," said Luz. "You did get rid of it, right?"

"Oh, yeah, I got rid of all of them," replied Uodeela a little quickly. "But Grime doesn't know what happened, so I have no idea why he thinks he can win against me this time."

"It probably had something to do with Sasha, yet I also have no idea what she could have possibly said to him to make him think he could win against you," said Luz.

"Well, my guess is we'll find out soon," said Uodeela. "Luz, go ahead and head back to the town. I'm gonna stay at the house. Grime will have to pass through here on his way to Tadpole Pond, so I can harass his troops and whittle them down a bit before returning."

"No, I don't want to leave you," pleaded Luz. "Please let me stay. I have some elixirs, so I can help you out."

Uodeela looked carefully into Luz's pleading eyes before relenting. "Okay, you can stay and help me, but be careful. And when I say it's time to retreat, then we retreat back to the town. Is that clear?"

"Yes, crystal clear," said Luz. She began rummaging through her bag, trying to decide which elixir to use.

"Ahh, so hard to choose," grumbled Luz. "I wish I could use all these different magics at once."

As Luz said that, Uodeela turned to her. She looked at Luz and realized that there was still so much she hadn't told her yet. A worrying thought crept into Uodeela's mind as she wondered if something happened to her in the battle today. She wouldn't be able to tell Luz things that she should know.

"Luz," began Uodeela seriously, "there's something I want to tell you, about how you came here."

Luz looked at Uodeela, puzzled.

"I haven't told you the whole truth," began Uodeela. "That box your friend had is what brought you to this world, but it's more complicated than that."

"What do you mean?" asked Luz.

"The box is an ancient device called the Calamity Box," said Uodeela. "I don't know exactly how it works, but I know it has the power to allow travel to other worlds, but that's not all. It can also grant power to those it deems worthy. Luz… The magic spells you've been using… They don't come from the elixirs. The elixirs are only helping you unlock the power. The magic comes from one gem on the box."

Luz looked hard at Uodeela's face, and she could see a look of guilt on it.

"How long have you known this?" asked Luz seriously.

Uodeela swallowed hard before replying, "I suspected it as soon as you told me about how you got here, but I wasn't sure until you described the box to me."

"You've been keeping this from me?" asked Luz, starting to get angry. "Was there a way to send me home this whole time?"

"No, there wasn't, at least not without the box," said Uodeela, "and I was sincerely trying to help you, but we need the box and we also need all your friends in order to make it work properly. But that's not all."

Luz stared into Uodeela's eyes, her anger having somewhat abated. She could see a sad and serious expression on Uodeela's face. After a few moments, Uodeela spoke.

"I didn't tell you the truth because I felt you were too impulsive at first. You thought having magic powers was all fun and games. I wanted you to be more serious first, and I wanted you to have control over your powers. I was going to tell you eventually, but now, with this battle hanging over our heads, I felt I should tell you now… in case something happens to me."

Luz didn't speak as she processed everything Uodeela had told her. She was getting ready to respond before Uodeela continued.

"There's more," she said somberly. "I don't think that you and your friends were brought here by accident. I think you were brought here for a reason." At that moment, an arrow whizzed by her and stuck into the side of the house. Luz and Uodeela turned around to see the toad army slowly emerge from the trees around Uodeela's house, with Grime and Sasha leading them.

"Ah, Uodeela. So nice to see you again," growled Grime in mock praise. "How long has it been since our last encounter?"

"Not long enough, Grime," spat Uodeela back at him.

"I don't suppose you'd simply be willing to surrender," asked Grime. "It would save us all a bunch of trouble."

"No, I don't think I will, Grime," answered Uodeela defiantly, "though I am curious about your human companion." Uodeela glared at Sasha.

"What did she say to you to make you think that attacking me would be a good idea?" asked Uodeela.

"I'm not afraid of you!" yelled Sasha, drawing her sword. "And getting rid of you accomplishes two goals. We get rid of someone who's been stealing taxes from us, and we get to teach these frogs a lesson." As she was speaking, she cast a side glance at Luz, seeing her out of the corner of her eye but not saying anything.

"If you're so confident you can beat us, then why don't you transform into a heron and send us scurrying?" challenged Grime.

Uodeela caught the intent in Grime's voice. He wants me to be a heron, she thought, but why? Still, perhaps it's best that I can't do that right now. No sense in playing right into his hands.

"Beating you without the heron will be more fun," bragged Uodeela. With that, she closed her eyes and opened them to reveal her glowing red eyes.

"Enough pleasantries, then," said Grime, raising his sword and pointing it straight at Uodeela. "ATTACK!"

The toads began charging at Uodeela and Luz. Luz quickly looked in her bag and brought out an elixir of air, which she drank in one gulp. Right before a toad came up to her, Luz concentrated and blasted a stream of air at the toad, blowing him back into a tree. Luz quickly focused and used the air to jump away from the other toads, preventing them from encircling her, and onto the roof of Uodeela's house. From there, she watched as Uodeela fought another group on the ground.

Uodeela waved her hands and caused a large patch of ice to appear in front of some toads, causing them to slip and fall as they tried to cross it. She then used her magic to summon a group of vines to ensnare some more. Sasha came up to her with her sword drawn, and Uodeela brought up her staff to block her attacks. The two exchanged blows.

"Is that all you've got?" taunted Uodeela.

"Pssh, I've hardly broken a sweat," replied Sasha. As she said this, her eyes turned to the gem embedded in Uodeela's staff. Sasha grinned maliciously. Suddenly, she reached behind her back, and, with her other hand, pulled out a whip! She began using the whip to strike at Uodeela's staff, trying to grab it and yank it away from her. Uodeela saw what she was trying to do and quickly transferred the staff to her tail to keep it away from Sasha. She summoned a gust of wind and blew it straight at Sasha, though Sasha's armor provided her with some protection against the wind. Uodeela instead switched to a fire spell and threw a fireball straight at Sasha. Her armor took the hit, but instantly became hot. Sasha struggled to remove the armor quickly as Uodeela fled, calling to Luz.

"Time to go, kid! Fall back to the town!"

Luz jumped from the roof of Uodeela's house and landed in the middle of a group of toads. But as she landed, she let out a burst of wind in all directions that knocked them all back. Luz followed Uodeela through the forest and back to Tadpole Pond.

Sasha looked hard at Uodeela as she disappeared into the trees. She began to chase after her, but Grime held her back.

"What is it?" asked Sasha, annoyed by Grime.

"Before we go, let's give Uodeela a small taste of her punishment," said Grime, holding up a torch and pointing to her house. Sasha grinned as she understood what Grime meant. She grabbed the torch and tossed it on the roof of Uodeela's house. Other toads joined in with their own torches, and some helped to fan the flames.

"If nothing else, at least we can get rid of her house," growled Bog.

"Yeah, it will be nice to burn it down," agreed Fens, "but it looks like Sasha wasn't quick enough on the draw."

"So I didn't get the staff yet," said Sasha. "I'll get it away from her, just you wait!"

"Hope so, Sasha," said Fens, "because the whole success of this invasion depends on you taking her powers away."

"Either that, or we force her to transform and go with plan B," said Bog. "Wonder why she didn't break out the heron form right away?"

"Who cares?!" yelled Grime. "Once we're done with her house, we march on Tadpole Pond!" As he spoke, the flames that were consuming Uodeela's house danced in his eyes.

Uodeela and Luz jumped through the forest, and it wasn't long before they returned to the town. For a second, the townspeople jumped as they saw them approach, but they relaxed when they realized who it was.

"Battle positions, everyone!" called Uodeela, jumping over the barricade with Luz following her.

"Wait, Master," said Luz, "what was it you were saying back at your house about my power?"

"Not now, Luz," chided Uodeela. "I promise I'll tell you when the battle is over. Get ready!"

"Right, sorry," said Luz. She got behind the barricade, joining Lilly, Amara, and Gustav. The three friends shared a look at each other as they got ready for the fight. All along the barricade, the villagers had gathered, many holding improvised weapons such as pitchforks, scythes, shovels, and clubs. A few had gathered a pile of small stones and made improvised slingshots. There was a sense of dread in the air as they waited for the toads to attack them. The minutes went by slowly as the defenders looked to the forest where the toads would emerge.

Before long, the toads emerged from the forest, weapons drawn and ready for battle. They paused to look at the barricade, but it didn't appear to deter them from attacking, as they gave a loud battle cry and charged straight at the barricade! Right as they approached it, Uodeela laid down another layer of ice in front of the barricade to trip them up. Many toads fell as they lost their footing. Luz took the opportunity to help and used her wind magic to blow them away on the ice. Uodeela climbed to the top of the barricade and began tossing fireballs at the toads to keep them at bay. The defenders used their weapons to repel any toads who managed to get close to overrunning them. Before long, some toads began to retreat, and it looked as though the town would be safe.

But right at that moment, a loud noise caught the attention of everyone, and they all looked at where it had come from. On the other side of town, another group of toads led by Sasha and Grime came charging up towards the barricade. They were being flanked!

Luz stopped what she was doing and immediately ran forward to face Sasha. She blew a strong gust of wind at her, but Sasha powered through it and slashed at Luz with her sword. Out of the corner of her eye, Luz could see her friends had joined the fray, but she quickly lost track of them.

"Luz, why are you still here?!" growled Sasha in anger. "I tried to be nice by giving you a chance to leave."

"You think that was nice?" asked Luz. "Letting me leave but still attacking an innocent town?"

"I had no choice," said Sasha in exasperation as she sliced at Luz with her sword.

"You always have a choice, Sasha. You didn't have to do this," said Luz, dodging Sasha's attacks and firing back with her own air blasts.

"I need to help the toads, and they wanted Uodeela gone. I'm trying to help us all get home," said Sasha.

"Are you trying to help us?" asked Luz. "Or are you only doing this for yourself?"

Sasha didn't respond. Instead, she kept swinging at Luz, trying to hit her with her sword. Luz used her wind magic to fight back but also to dance out of Sasha's strikes. Luz soon realized that her air blasts weren't doing much to hurt Sasha and tried to think of a new strategy.

"Why are you helping the toads?" asked Luz in frustration. "You don't have to do this, Sasha!"

"Yes, I do!" yelled Sasha. "You don't understand! Grime's been like a father to me. He encourages me and pays attention to me. He even let me lead the toads and train them. He's been a better father than my real one, who's always off on business trips and thinks I'm too dumb to understand what he does."

Luz actually faltered at hearing this. "I had no idea, Sash. I'm sorry you were having problems at home; I really am, but that doesn't give you the right to hurt others! Please stop this!" pleaded Luz, putting up her hands. As she looked into Sasha's face, she could see tears starting to form in her eyes.

Luz tried to think of what else she could possibly say to get Sasha to stop. "Sasha, I forgive you for what you did at the dance!" yelled Luz, so Sasha could hear her.

"What?!" said Sasha, clearly surprised. She stopped attacking Luz.

"I said I forgive you," pleaded Luz. "Now that you told me about your issues with your dad, I understand what you were feeling. I understand why you were scared that I'd 'take Anne away from you.' I understand why you want to control things so much. It feels like everything is out of your control, but it doesn't have to be. I wish you had told us about what was happening with your dad. We would have been there for you! We still can! I'm still your friend, and I think Anne would still be your friend too if you apologized to her as well. Stop this!"

Sasha didn't respond, as tears were clearly streaming down her face now. She turned away so that Luz wouldn't see her cry. A large part of Sasha now wanted to end this, to lay down her sword and run up and throw herself into Luz's arms and cry, and let Luz tell her everything would be okay. But a voice in her head began speaking to her.

You can't give up now! said the voice.

Why not? said Sasha to her thoughts

Do you really think Anne will forgive you after what you've done? said the voice.

Sasha had to think a bit before responding, No… she won't.

Exactly, said the voice. If you quit now, then the fight with Anne, the mental suffering—all of it will have been for nothing. It's too late to quit, Sasha. You've put your lot in with the toads, and now you have to see it through to the end!

Sasha wiped the tears from her eyes before turning back around and pointing her sword at Luz. "I'm sorry, Luz. I've come too far to turn back."

Luz's face fell at hearing this. Sasha continued to speak while keeping her sword pointed at Luz. "This is your last chance, Luz. Leave, and I'll let you go. Don't make me hurt you!"

Luz got into a fighting stance, her face now looking firm as she stared Sasha down. "I'm not abandoning my friends."

"Then so be it," said Sasha, accepting Luz's decision and charging at her with her sword.

Luz dodged out of Sasha's way and threw wind at her to keep her at bay. Sasha began striking wildly at Luz, but Luz managed to stay out of Sasha's range. She found an opening, created a small tornado in her hands, and launched it at Sasha. The tornado caught Sasha and spun her around a bit before dropping her on the ground. Luz came up to her and kicked her sword away.

"Call off the attack, Sasha!" demanded Luz.

Sasha instead pulled a knife out and slashed at Luz, causing her to jump back. Sasha quickly got up from the floor and began slashing at Luz some more. Luz used her wind magic to keep Sasha at bay. After a while, though, Luz attempted to use her power, only to realize it had run out. Realizing that she no longer had magic, Sasha jumped forward and tackled Luz to the ground, pinning her so she couldn't move. She brought the knife up and prepared to stab Luz with it, though she hesitated after looking at Luz's face. The second of distraction was all it took, as Sasha was suddenly enveloped in vines and pulled away. Luz looked in the direction Sasha had been pulled and saw Uodeela. Vines had sprouted from her hand and pulled Sasha off of Luz.

Sasha quickly used her knife to cut herself free, then ran to pick up her sword, turning to face Uodeela.

"Go, Luz!" commanded Uodeela. "Check on the others. I can handle Sasha." Luz didn't protest and ran off to see how her friends were doing.

"You're the one I want to fight anyway," bragged Sasha.

"Yes, I know," answered Uodeela. "I noticed you trying to take my staff away earlier."

"I'll get it this time for sure!" grinned Sasha, bringing out her whip.

"You are welcome to try," said Uodeela calmly, before her eyes began to glow.

The battle had become chaotic, as the toads had finally managed to break through the barricade on one side and were beginning to overwhelm the defenders on the other. Gustav had picked up a shovel and was doing his best to defend himself against Bog, who had singled him out for combat. Gustav brought his shovel up to try to defend himself from Bog's blows, but it was clear he wouldn't last much longer.

"It will be great to get rid of you, Gustav," said Bog as he swung at Gustav with his hammer. "We'll have one less traitor among us."

"So I'm a traitor now?" asked Gustav indignantly

"You turned against your own kind," snarled Bog. "That's the worst offense you can commit, and I love executing traitors!"

"Turned against my own kind?" said Gustav, as he once again blocked a blow from Bog's hammer. "You, Fens, and all the other toads spent all your time bullying and belittling me, saying I wasn't a real toad. Now you want to accuse me of treason?"

"If you're fighting against us, then I guess you really aren't a real toad," said Bog as he swung his hammer at Gustav. "Makes killing you even easier!"

Gustav and Bog kept exchanging blows with their weapons until Bog managed to knock the shovel out of Gustav's hands.

"Bah, still weak as always," said Bog, raising his hammer, about to strike. "Did that private training teach you anything useful?"

Gustav reached into his bag and grabbed hold of a bomb potion. "Actually, it did!" he replied before throwing the potion at Bog. The potion exploded right in his face.

"Ahh, my eye!" growled Bog, clutching at his right eye. "What have you done, you little brat?!"

Gustav was able to use the distraction to get away, leaving Bog to tend to his wounds.

Across the battlefield, Amara was locked in combat with a toad. She had grabbed a simple wooden staff and used it in combination with her training to hold her own. The toad slashed at her with a sword, but Amara was able to block the blows with her staff. While the toad kept up her attack, Amara used her tail and wrapped it around one of the toad's legs, tripping her up and knocking her to the ground.

Amara looked out on the battlefield and saw just how overrun they were. The toads that weren't fighting had started setting fire to the houses and buildings around the town. She ran to engage a group that had just started a new fire.

"Burn it all down!" screeched a toad in delight.

Amara reached into her bag and threw a potion at the fire. The potion exploded and released a layer of snow, instantly smothering the fire. The toad who started it glanced at Amara.

"Little Miss Newt is gonna regret that!" he cackled, charging at Amara with a torch in his hand. He waved the torch wildly, trying to hit Amara with it. She managed to dodge his blows and hit him back a few times with her staff before finally knocking the torch from his hand. Then she struck him once more on the head to knock him out. Amara raced her way to the other fires, trying her best to put them all out.

As the battle had started, Lilly had taken a strength potion to give her an edge in fighting, though currently, she was fighting Fens, who towered over her and negated any advantage the potion had given her. Lilly was using a pitchfork to try to keep Fens at bay. Fens attacked with vigor with her spiked club, causing Lilly to fall back.

"Ha! Is that all you got, girlie?" taunted Fens. "No way you'll beat me, being so weak."

"I can try!" said Lilly, raising her pitchfork to ward off one of Fens's attacks. The two continued to exchange blows, with Fens easily blocking everything that Lilly threw at her.

"Pathetic!" sneered Fens. "You have no chance against me, and yet you still keep fighting. How stupid are you?"

Lilly didn't respond to that, as the hopelessness of the situation was finally starting to dawn on her. Instead, she charged at Fens, though her attack was easily blocked.

"Hey, I think I remember you!" said Fens, pulling out a knife in her other hand. "We executed your mother for publishing some treasonous propaganda!"

"Shut up!" yelled Lilly, the remark from Fens clearly upsetting her.

"Ahh, did I touch a nerve there, lassie?" taunted Fens. "I was the one who pushed your mother to her death. Come and avenge her if you have the strength!"

The words had an effect on Lilly as rage began to overtake her. She stepped up her attacks on Fens, trying to get an opening against her. Even with her increased rage, it wasn't enough. Lilly kept up her assaults on Fens but was slowly starting to get tired.

"Come on, is that really the best you can do?" mocked Fens. "Your mother would be so ashamed to see how weak you are."

Lilly didn't respond and kept up her attack, but Fens kept blocking her strikes and was now waiting for Lilly to get tired.

"But I guess it runs in the family, then," sneered Fens. "Weak mother, weak daughter."

"MY MOTHER WAS NOT WEAK!" yelled Lilly.

"Yes, she was!" said Fens, trying to rattle Lilly into making a mistake.

Lilly didn't answer and tried to attack Fens. But this time, Fens managed to knock the pitchfork out of Lilly's hands and, in one swift motion, used her knife to stab Lilly in the chest!

Time seemed to stop as Lilly looked at the wound in her chest. Fens cackled as she pulled the knife out and stabbed Lilly again. Lilly slumped forward against the knife, going into shock as she saw a large amount of blood leaking out of her. Fens brought up her foot and roughly kicked Lilly off the knife, away from her. Lilly crashed into the ground, landing hard on her bag that held the potions she was using. A loud smash was heard as the bottles broke. Fens walked up to Lilly and stabbed her once more for good measure.

"Looks like I reunited a mother and daughter," said Fens casually. "My good deed for the day." With that, she walked off, looking for other victims, leaving Lilly's lifeless body on the floor.

Uodeela launched a large flame at Sasha, who dodged it. Next, she tried slamming her hand into the ground to trap Sasha with some vines. While some vines did ensnare her, Sasha managed to cut herself free quickly and charged forward at Uodeela, who used wind to jump out of the way.

"I'll admit you are a lot tougher than I thought you'd be," said Uodeela to Sasha.

"You thought because you have magic that I'd be a cakewalk?" said Sasha, launching her whip at Uodeela.

"Honestly, yes," admitted Uodeela. "But no matter, I'll get you, eventually."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Sasha, as she once again charged at Uodeela.

Uodeela used her magic to create a sword out of fire and brought it up to block Sasha's blow. Next, she went on the offensive, trying to get Sasha to back off. The two locked swords, with Uodeela doing her best to keep her sword against Sasha's. After a while, it became apparent why, as Sasha's sword suddenly began to heat up. It got so hot that she was no longer able to hold on to it, and it fell from her hands.

Uodeela threw her flame sword at Sasha, who couldn't dodge it in time. The sword hit her armor, knocking her down. Sasha tried to sweep at Uodeela's feet to knock her down, but she jumped back out of the way. Finally, Uodeela slammed her hand into the ground and made some vines to entangle Sasha. It looked as though the battle was finally over.

As Uodeela walked up to Sasha, she felt a powerful pull from behind her. She had moved her staff to her tail to keep it away from Sasha and her whip, but once the battle was over, she relaxed her grip on it. Now, though, she could feel it being forcefully pulled away from her tail. Uodeela glanced back in horror and saw that Grime had used his powerful tongue to snatch her staff away from her and bring it to his hand. Wasting no time, Grime smashed the top of the staff into the ground, shattering the gem!

As she saw her gem get shattered, Uodeela could only stare in shock. She'd had that gem for so many years. She had found it right before losing her parents. She had learned to use its powers while she lived in the palace in Newtopia. It had helped to protect her so many times when she first lived out in the wilds, and now, in an instant, it was gone. As soon as the gem was shattered, the red glow in Uodeela's eyes faded, and a deep sense of despair surged through her. For the first time in a long time, she was genuinely scared. In the next instant, several toads emerged from the trees and began surrounding her, all of them with evil smiles on their faces.

"Uodeela's got no powers anymore!" they yelled in triumph. "Time to make her pay for all she's done to us!"

One toad knocked Uodeela to the ground, and the others began to kick and beat her. Uodeela tried to defend herself, but the blows were too numerous. None of the toads showed any hesitancy in beating Uodeela. They let out shouts and yells to encourage the savagery, wanting to inflict as much pain as possible. Grime and Sasha walked up to enjoy the fun.

"So what are you going to do with her?" asked Sasha, smiling at the carnage.

"Oh, I'll make her suffer for defying us," said Grime, pulling out his sword. "Make it nice and slow." With that, he motioned for the other toads to step back, and in one swift motion, he cut off Uodeela's tail.

Uodeela let out a raw, agonized scream that even managed to unnerve Sasha. The toads continued to whoop and yell at seeing Uodeela humiliated. Grime raised his sword and prepared to cut off another limb, but before he could, a large, powerful stream of fire blasted him out of the way.

Sasha and the toads turned to see Luz approaching them, but she looked different. Her face was contorted in rage, and her eyes were glowing a deep purple. As Luz got closer, she spoke, but in a much deeper voice than her normal one.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" she shouted in rage, launching another stream of fire from her hands at the toads, causing them to scatter in fear. Luz continued to launch flames at the retreating toads, catching some of them on fire. Luz kept up her attack, even as the toads ran away from her in terror.

"What's going on?!" yelled Grime in terror upon seeing Luz easily defeat his troops. "How is your friend able to do that?!" Sasha didn't answer Grime, as she was in shock herself at seeing Luz unlash this kind of power.

Luz continued her rampage against the toads, causing all but Grime and Sasha to flee. Luz shot a vine out of her hand at Grime, trying to ensnare him, but Grime managed to use his sword to cut the vine. Luz tried again, but Grime once again cut the vines before they could reach him. Luz changed tactics and summoned a large orb of light into her hand. She launched the orb straight at Grime's face, blinding him for a second and finally making him vulnerable.

Luz used the distraction to shoot a vine out of her hand that grabbed Grime, lifted him high into the air, and then slammed him down hard, leaving him lying in pain on the ground. Finally, she focused on Sasha and made a motion with her hand, causing a tornado to form around her. Sasha tried to flee, but the windstorm was too powerful and lifted her off the ground. Luz again motioned with her hand and brought Sasha, trapped in the vortex, close to her so she could stare directly at her.

Sasha felt fear for the first time in her life as she looked into Luz's eyes, which were still glowing a deep and unnatural purple. She tried to think of what she could possibly say to make Luz put her down, but she was too scared and couldn't form words. Desperately, she said the only thing she could think of.

"Luz, please," begged Sasha. "I'm your friend."

Luz looked directly into Sasha's face and said in the same deep, unnatural voice,

"You're not my friend anymore!"

With a wave of her hand, Luz launched Sasha far away, not particularly caring what happened to her. As Luz approached Uodeela, the glow in her eyes began to fade. Suddenly, Luz felt very tired and almost collapsed next to her mentor. Luz powered through the fatigue and knelt down next to Uodeela. She could see just how badly beaten she was. Her eyes were both black, and blood was coming out of her mouth and tail where Grime had cut it. She also had a large collection of bruises all over her body.

"Master, are you okay?" Luz asked weakly.

"Luz…" said Uodeela, almost in a whisper, "thank you for rescuing me, but Grime destroyed my staff. My powers are gone."

"I know. I'm sorry," replied Luz.

"It's not your fault," said Uodeela, before coughing up a large amount of blood.

"We have to get you some help," said Luz. "Can you move?"

Uodeela began to stand up. It took her a while because of her injuries, but she managed to get to her feet. Uodeela was unsteady and almost fell back down, but Luz caught her and helped her walk. As they made their way to the center of town, it was clear that the battle was not going well. Even though Grime and Sasha were out of the picture, the rest of the toads were still attacking. All the houses were on fire, and the defenders had all but been defeated. Uodeela looked at the carnage before her and knew there was only one way to end it.

"Hang on a second, Luz. I have a potion that can heal me," said Uodeela, reaching into her hair.

"Oh, that's great, Master," said Luz, relieved. "Heal up and then we can—" She stopped as she turned and saw the potion that Uodeela was drinking. It was red and gold.

"Master, what are you doing?!" screamed Luz.

"I'm going to make these toads regret attacking this town," replied Uodeela. "But right now, everything hurts, so I may as well try to take out as many of them as I can before something happens to me. Plus, you know I lost my gem, so I'm feeling a little suicidal." She tried to laugh to show she was kidding, but it sounded unconvincing. As she finished speaking, Uodeela fell to the ground and clutched her stomach in pain.

"No, no, no, no!" sobbed Luz. "You said if you turned into the heron again, there was a chance you wouldn't be able to turn back."

"It's my life, kid," said Uodeela. "I've lived a long time and done my best to try to fight the system of oppression here in Amphibia, so I am more than willing to die for the cause!" Again, Uodeela wretched in pain as the transformation began.

"Alright, kid, listen to me," began Uodeela. "I'm going away, and I don't know if I can bounce back this time. Look after the others, continue your training, make your way to Wartwood, find your friend, and find a way home."

"Please no," begged Luz.

"And Luz…. Thank you for being in my life," said Uodeela somberly. It was the last thing she said before screaming in pain as the transformation took hold. Bright red feathers began to emerge all over her body, and her arms and legs became elongated. Wings sprouted out of her arms, and claws emerged from her feet. The large shape of the red heron screeched as it came to life and began charging toward the remaining toads.

"Uh, guys," said one toad, "the Red Heron is here! Where are Grime and Sasha? They were supposed to have a plan for this."

"I haven't seen Grime in ages," answered another toad.

"Sasha was fighting Uodeela," said a third. "If Uodeela turned into a heron, then shouldn't she be executing the plan?"

"What's going on?!" said Bog in desperation as he noticed the heron. "Where are Grime and Sasha?! They're supposed to be handling the heron!"

Just as Bog finished talking, the heron snatched up one toad close to him, consuming him in one gulp. With Grime and Sasha nowhere in sight, the rest of the toads began to panic as the heron got closer. They decided that the best course of action was to retreat. The toads began running, some knocking over others to get out of the way, and many fell to the heron's hungry maw.

On the other side of town, Amara had met up with Gustav. The two of them had stuck together, fighting off the toads and trying to put out the fires they had started before they spread too far. They had also been tending to the wounded, using their potions to try to heal them. Though, in all their time, they hadn't found Lilly and were now desperately looking for her. The two kept up their search before turning a corner and making a horrifying discovery.

"LILLY!" screamed Amara, finally seeing her body.

"Lilly! Oh god, no!" sobbed Gustav.

The two approached her body. She wasn't moving, and it was clear from the stab wounds why she wasn't. Gustav scrambled to Lilly's bag and opened it, only to find that all her potion bottles were broken. Their contents had spilled out. Gustav glanced quickly at Amara and showed her the broken bottles. Amara wasted no time opening her own bag and looking for her Elixir of Life. Finding it, she quickly uncorked the bottle and brought it over to Lilly. Gustav had propped her body up against him and opened her mouth. Amara poured the entire bottle into her mouth, making sure she swallowed it.

At first, nothing happened, making both Gustav and Amara nervous, but then a golden glow began to envelop Lilly. The glow spread throughout her entire body, covering the stab wounds and making them disappear. After a few minutes, the glow shot out of her eyes and mouth in a blinding flash, after which Lilly shot up, gasping for air as though she had been revived from drowning. Lilly immediately felt her chest and felt that the stab wounds were gone! There wasn't even any scarring, and it was as though the wounds had never existed.

"LILLY!" yelled both Gustav and Amara, throwing themselves at her and hugging her. "Oh, god, you're okay!"

"Lilly, who did this to you?" asked Amara.

"It was Fens," said Lilly, pointing to a green toad in the distance.

"I should have known," growled Gustav angrily. "Fens always loves a good fight, and she relishes being cruel."

Lilly breathed heavily before continuing, "Guys, I saw my mom."

"What?!" said Gustav in shock. "Your mom?"

"I never told you, but she died," said Lilly. "Grime killed her for speaking out against them. I saw her… She spoke to me."

"What did she say?" asked Amara.

"She said she was proud of me but didn't want to see me here 'cause it meant I was dead too," answered Lilly. "As I left, she was smiling and told me to go and have a full life…" Lilly was slowly faltering as she spoke, the thoughts of her mother still fresh in her mind. Finally, it became too much, and she broke down, sobbing.

"I WANT MY MOM!" she screamed. Lilly put her face in her hands and cried, releasing her pent-up emotions. Lilly continued crying and calling for her mom—a call she knew would never be answered.

"I want my mom," she repeated in a slow, soft voice that sounded completely defeated.

Gustav didn't know how to react to this, but he tried his best to comfort Lilly. Amara looked from Lilly over to Fens, who was setting fire to another house.

"Gustav, look after Lilly. I'll be right back," said Amara in a firm voice.

"Amara, where are you going?" asked Gustav. Amara didn't answer, instead calmly and resolutely walking towards Fens.

Fens had set fire to another house and was reveling in the destruction she was causing. "Got to make room for the new tower. All these houses are just rubble in the way!"

Suddenly, a potion exploded behind her, knocking her to the ground. Fens got up and looked to see who had thrown it. She saw Amara walking towards her.

"Did you throw that, girlie?" called Fens. "I'll make you regret that."

"You hurt Lilly," said Amara coldly.

"Hurt her? I killed her," bragged Fens. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to hurt you. I'm going to make you suffer!" said Amara coldly. With that, she downed a strength potion and got into a fighting stance against Fens. Fens cackled and pulled out her spiked club, charging at Amara.

Fens swung her club at Amara, and Amara managed to dodge out of the way. Fens continued swinging wildly, trying to hit her, before Amara struck back at her with a punch to the face. Fens barely reacted to this and tried to hit Amara again. This time, Amara blocked the club with her arm and used her tail to strike at Fens's feet, tripping her to the ground. Fens got up and pulled out her knife, still covered in Lilly's blood, and tried to stab Amara. Amara grabbed Fens's arm and used her increased strength to twist her arm and force the knife out of her hand. Again, Fens rushed at Amara, desperately trying to hit her. She finally connected a hit, sending Amara to the ground. Fens raised her club and prepared to strike her, but Amara got on all fours and crawled away. As she was crawling, she became distracted by a noise in the distance. Amara and Fens both turned to see the giant red heron charging towards them.

"What the hell?" said Fens in disbelief. "Grime and Sasha were supposed to take care of the heron if she appeared. What happened? Why aren't they stopping it?"

Amara looked at the heron and tried to block out her emotions, instead focusing on how she could use this to her advantage. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a small pouch that had a curse in it. Amara began to focus on her hatred for Fens, hoping it would work this time. She threw the curse at Fens, and instantly, a large clump of hair grew around Fens's eyes, preventing her from seeing.

"Ahh! What have you done?!" yelled Fens. "I can't see!"

"Hey, heron! Over here! Nice juicy toad here!" yelled Amara, waving her hands and trying to bring the heron to where she and Fens were.

"What are you doing, you fool?" yelled Fens as she stumbled around, unable to see where she was going. "You'll get us eaten!"

"Not us," clarified Amara, "just you." She continued to wave and shout, getting the heron's attention and bringing it to where Fens was, who was still stumbling around and crashing into things.

"No! Please don't do this!" pleaded Fens, her voice now full of fear. "I'm sorry for killing your friend!"

Amara didn't say anything and instead crawled behind some rubble to hide and watch. The heron drew closer to where Fens was and scooped her up in her beak. Fens managed to strike the heron and get it to drop her, but she also lost her club as she fell to the ground. She ran away but wasn't fast enough. The heron grabbed one of her legs and began to pull her towards it.

"Please! I'm sorry!" begged Fens pathetically as she dug her hands into the ground, trying to prevent herself from being dragged. "I promise I won't ever—-AHHHHH!" Fens screamed as the heron tore off her leg, blood gushing from it as it brought the torn leg to its mouth and swallowed it in one gulp. The heron then leaned toward Fens to attack again.

"NO! STAY AWAY!" yelled Fens as she futilely tried using her other leg to kick the heron away. The heron simply grabbed her other leg and tore it off, causing Fens to once again scream in agony. She lay on the ground, helpless, as the heron came at her a third time.

"PLEASE HELP ME!" screamed Fens to Amara. "I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

Amara glanced up from her hiding place, looking Fens directly in the face before coldly proclaiming, "You… deserve… this…"

In the next instant, the heron picked up the still-screaming Fens and deposited her into its mouth, consuming her. Amara smiled in dark satisfaction.

Having finished its meal, the heron directed its attention to Amara, pulling her back to reality. At that point, Luz, Gustav, and Lilly had run up to join her, calling out to Uodeela and trying to get through to her.

"Master, it's us!" called Lilly.

"Teach, the town is safe! The toads are gone! You can turn back now!" said Gustav.

"Please listen to us! We need you!" said Luz tearfully. "I need you. You still have to take me to Wartwood."

The heron stared down at its former pupils. For a brief second, it looked as though they might get through to her, but their hopes were dashed as the heron opened its beak and reached toward them, trying to snatch them up. The pupils moved out of the way, but Amara wasn't fast enough. The heron snatched her up by her tail and began to drag her away. Luz, Lilly, and Gustav rushed up and grabbed hold of Amara, struggling to pull her back. They eventually succeeded in pulling her away, but Amara let out a scream as they did. Once they pulled Amara free, Luz threw down a fog potion to allow the group to escape. Looking for new prey, the heron made its way toward the retreating toads.

As Grime got up, his head was still woozy. He had to take a minute to collect himself, but as he did, he saw the Red Heron off in the distance. She was chasing the toads out of town and back into the forest.

"No," he growled, the plan clearly having gone off the rails. Grime looked around but didn't see Sasha anywhere.

"Lieutenant!" he called, "where are you?" Grime continued searching but couldn't find Sasha anywhere, so he decided to follow the toads and see if she had fled with them, though he did his best to keep his distance from the heron.

Sasha opened her eyes, slowly trying to get her bearings. Her head was pounding, and her whole body was sore from having been thrown so far. As her view finally became clear, she realized that she was stuck in a tree. For a second, Sasha thought about lying there and just falling asleep, but a loud screech made her focus. She looked and saw a terrifying Red Heron off in the distance, charging through the forest. While the heron hadn't noticed her, Sasha still felt the need to put some distance between her and it. She carefully extracted herself from the branches and slowly made her way down the tree. As she got to the ground, she heard a voice calling her name.

"Sasha! Sasha! Lieutenant, where are you?!" called a voice.

"Grime, is that you?" asked Sasha.

"Yes, it's me!" said Grime, coming into view. "Are you alright?"

"My head is killing me," said Sasha, rubbing her head, "but otherwise, I think I'm fine."

"We need to regroup and find the others," said Grime. As he spoke, another shriek from the Red Heron echoed across the forest. Grime and Sasha looked in the direction of the heron and saw that it had taken flight and was no longer pursuing the toads. The heron flew majestically into the sky.

"Well, that's a small relief," said Grime. "Come on, let's go!"

As they made their way back to camp, Grime spoke to Sasha, "So, what was the deal with your human friend? Why didn't you tell us she could do that thing with her eyes?"

"I had no idea," exclaimed Sasha. "That's new. I'd never seen Luz do something like that before."

"So it's not a human thing, then?" asked Grime.

"No, I swear," replied Sasha. "If I knew Luz could do that, I would have told you."

"We lost the battle," said Grime. "The other toads are not going to like this."

"Let's worry about that later," advised Sasha. "First, let's get back to the camp."

It took a while, but eventually, Sasha, Grime, and the toads all met up back at their camp. Many of the toads were tired and out of breath from fleeing the red heron.

"Alright, let's settle down," said Grime. "This has been a minor setback, but—"

Grime didn't get to say anymore as Bog came up to him and punched him in the face.

"This wasn't a minor setback! This was a disaster!" growled Bog, as he pointed his swords at Sasha. "This was your bad idea! We were in no position to attack Uodeela, but you convinced us it was a good idea, and now look what happened!" Several of the other toads pulled out their weapons and pointed them at Sasha and Grime, agreeing with Bog.

"Hang on a sec," said Sasha, trying to appease the crowd. "The only reason we lost was because of an unforeseen problem. Also, Bog, what happened to your eye?" asked Sasha, finally noticing Bog's eye.

"Gustav happened to my eye," said Bog. "The runt threw an explosive potion at me!"

"Your friend almost burned us alive!" yelled one toad. "Why didn't you tell us she had magic powers?"

"I didn't know Luz had powers!" said Sasha defensively.

"You expect us to believe that?" said another toad.

"You said you had a plan to take care of the heron if she showed up," said Bog.

"Your idea was terrible!" growled a toad

"We've lost so many troops in that battle," said another.

"I saw Fens get eaten!" said a third.

"What? Fens is dead?" asked Bog, who actually seemed saddened by that news.

"It's all Sasha's fault!" said another.

The toads all looked angrily at Sasha, all of them expressing their hatred of her plan. Bog stepped forward as the leader of the group.

"It was your bad idea to invite the frogs from Wartwood over, and because of that, we lost the tower," began Bog. "And now, because of this battle that we never should have fought in the first place, we've lost even more troops! We're tired of taking orders from you, Grime. We're leaving!"

The other toads nodded in agreement, fed up with Grime and Sasha's leadership. They all began gathering their supplies and leaving the camp, departing for parts unknown. Sasha and Grime didn't do or say anything to dissuade them, as they themselves were tired both physically and emotionally from the battle. All they could do was watch as the remnants of Grime's army packed up and fled, leaving Sasha and Grime to try to contemplate their next course of action.

Once the group was far enough away from the heron, they tended to Amara. It was then that they noticed her tail had been ripped off!

"Oh my God! Amara, are you okay?" asked Luz, seeing the blood dripping from her tail stump.

"Ahh! It hurts," cried Amara weakly. "I'll be alright, though. I can regenerate a new tail, but it will take time."

"That wound looks bad," said Lilly. "Gustav, hand me a salve. Does anyone have any bandages?"

Luz looked around for anything that could be used to wrap the wound and managed to find a torn cloak lying a few feet away. As she moved it, she saw a dead frog underneath. Luz let out a yelp at seeing this. As her eyes moved from the body, she began to look out over the town and, for the first time, saw just how much of a toll the fight had taken on it.

Bodies of both frogs and toads were strewn everywhere, fires raged about, buildings were destroyed, and cries from survivors filled the air. Luz spaced out, looking at the grisly sight before her. She was so distracted that she didn't hear Lilly calling her.

"Luz? Hello? Luz?" called Lilly, finally moving towards her and shaking her.

"What?" replied Luz in shock.

"Hand me the cloak so I can wrap Amara's wound, please," said Lilly.

"Oh, right," said Luz, handing the cloak to Lilly. "I just… Look at all this." She indicated all the destruction and suffering around them.

"I know," said Lilly. "It's a lot to take in right now. After I finish with Amara, we'll go around and look for survivors and try to help them, too."

After Lilly was done wrapping Amara's wound, the group took a moment to compare notes and see what had happened during the battle. They asked Luz what happened to Uodeela, who told them what happened, leaving out the part where her eyes had glowed purple and she had managed to save Uodeela single-handedly. In truth, Luz was still in shock about how she had managed to fight off the toads and wasn't sure she should tell her friends about her new apparent powers.

"They destroyed her staff?" said Amara in disbelief.

"Yeah," said Luz quietly. "Sasha distracted her, and Grime was able to get it away from Uodeela and smash it. I think that was a big reason Uodeela wanted to drink the potion. She even joked about being suicidal." Luz tried to laugh but couldn't manage it.

"She didn't recognize us," said Gustav sadly.

"After we escaped, the heron kept chasing the toads, but I didn't see where it went," said Lilly.

"So we have no idea where she might be?" asked Amara.

"Do you think…" began Luz. She paused before continuing, "Do you think there's a chance she could turn back on her own?"

All four friends looked at each other, not sure what to say.

"I… I… don't know," said Amara.

"There has to be another way to cure her," said Gustav. "I know what she said about curses, but even so, are we sure there's not another way?"

"Uodeela's one of the best magic users in the whole land," said Lilly. "If she doesn't know another way, then there isn't one."

"So is that it, then?" asked Luz bitterly. "Is she gone? Trapped in the body of a heron forever?"

None of the others answered her, most likely because they themselves didn't want to admit it. Luz sniffled for a bit before breaking down and crying. Lilly put her arm around her to try to comfort her but ended up crying herself. Amara and Gustav joined in, also beginning to cry. The four friends sat there in a large group hug, their arms wrapped around each other, desperately wanting to both give and receive some sort of comfort as the large physical and mental toll the battle had taken on their bodies and minds finally hit them full force.

Chapter Text

Luz looked over her cauldron, making sure that her potion was brewing correctly. She was trying to brew a healing potion to help mend broken bones. Over on the other side of town, Gustav was helping to rebuild a house, while Amara and Lilly were taking care of a wounded frog. Luz wasn't sure how much time had passed since the battle, but it felt like ages. For the first few nights, Luz and the others kept a rotating watch, just in case Uodeela managed to come back. As the nights went on, though, it became clear that she wasn't going to return, and the group had stopped keeping watches. Instead, they spent their days doing their best to help the villagers recover from the battle. Initially, that had involved gathering up and burring the bodies of the fallen, a task none of them had looked forward to, and trying to assess what to do next. After that, the students had begun brewing up potions to help the wounded, and they also rebuilt some houses and gathered food for the people of Tadpole Pond. Right now, Luz was watching over a healing potion as the sun began to set. Lilly came over to check on her.

"Hey, Luz. How's the potion looking?" asked Lilly.

"Looks fine," replied Luz as she glanced at the potion. "How is Mrs. Hopper?"

"She's fine; she's a lot tougher than she looks," answered Lilly. "Still getting over the loss of her husband, but she opened up a bit to Amara. Said that maybe she should consider moving to Newtopia to get a fresh start."

"Huh, I wonder if it really would be safer in the city?" thought Luz.

"I imagine it's as safe a place as can be in Amphibia," said Lilly. "But considering what Uodeela said about the newts, well, who knows? Maybe it's only safe for newts?"

Luz didn't respond; instead, she glanced out at the forest, looking at the trees, her eyes ready for any glimpse of movement. Lilly noticed what she was doing.

"You still think there's a chance?" she asked.

Luz paused for a long time before replying, "Honestly, no, but a part of me refuses to give up hope." She clenched her fist as she said this. "I have to think that even if Uodeela can't turn back on her own, maybe there's still a way, and all we have to do is find it!"

"Well, if there is a way, the best place to look would probably be Newtopia," said Amara, walking up to where Luz and Lilly were and catching their attention. "It has the largest library in all of Amphibia, as well as the only real University in the land. If we want to find a way to cure Uodeela, then it's our best bet."

Lilly and Luz looked at each other. Amara had suggested the gang relocate to Newtopia a few nights ago, but at the time, they were unsure. Lilly had wanted to wait and see if her father showed up, while Luz was thinking about heading out to Wartwood. Uodeela was going to take her, but now that she was gone, Luz was trying to decide if it was better to make the journey by herself or stay with her friends here.

"Listen, I know you're both unsure of what to do," said Amara, "but I think going to Newtopia is our best course of action. You can stay with me, and we can use the vast resources the city has to offer in trying to find a cure for Uodeela."

"Amara, are you sure we would be welcomed there?" asked Lilly seriously. "You told us what your parents think of other species, and I doubt they'd be happy to have a frog, a toad, and a completely unknown human show up on their doorstep."

"I'll figure something out," said Amara, though not with much conviction. "Maybe I can convince my parents to let you stay, or maybe I can arrange for hotel rooms for you. Or I could challenge my mother for control of the family money."

"Amara, that's a huge risk!" exclaimed Lilly. "If you were to lose, then not only would we have no place to stay, but your mother could very well disinherit you."

"I know… I know… It's just that I feel so useless here," said Amara, sitting down on the ground. As she did, though, she injured her tail stump. "Ahhh!"

"Oh, be careful, Amara," said Lilly, rushing over to check her bandages. "It still hurts, then?"

"Yeah, though not as much as before. Wish my new tail would hurry up and start growing," exclaimed Amara in a huff. "But, like I was saying, am I the only one who feels like we're spinning our wheels here?"

Lilly and Luz looked at each other and then back at Amara.

"I know you want to help Uodeela," began Luz. "It's just before all this happened, I was getting ready to go to Wartwood to see if Anne was there. But honestly, with Uodeela gone, I'm not sure what to do."

"The thing is, I honestly don't feel comfortable going to Newtopia," said Lilly. "Even if you were there to protect us and were able to talk your parents into letting us stay, I don't want to be in a place where, as a frog, I'm a minority."

Amara sighed. "I get it. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm pushing you guys. I just want to do something to help Uodeela."

"Amara, there's no reason you can't go to Newtopia yourself," said Lilly.

"But then I'd be alone," said Amara, looking sad. "I only just got to be friends with you, plus, I'd only be one person looking for a cure. I just know that if all of us worked on it together, then we would for sure find a way to cure Uodeela. The four of us are an unstoppable team!"

"If we were an unstoppable team, then we would have won the battle without losing Uodeela," said Gustav bitterly as we walked over to join the conversation. Luz, Lilly, and Amara turned toward him.

"We can recover from this," assured Amara. "If we stay together, I know we can. We just need to find a way to cure Uodeela, then we can figure out what else to do."

"That's if she can be cured," said Gustav. He looked at the faces of his friends before continuing, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but everything feels so hopeless right now."

Lilly came up to him and put her arm on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "I know. Everything is so messed up right now, and it feels like we have no control over the situation."

"It really does," answered Gustav. "Sometimes, I just don't know what to do. Even though we've tried to help get this town back to normal, it seems like we aren't making any progress. There's still so much to do, and it all feels overwhelming sometimes. Maybe that's what you're really feeling, Amara?"

"Yeah, kind of," agreed Amara, "but I think helping the town is important. I just wish I could do more."

"I know a lot has happened," began Luz, trying to inspire her friends, "and maybe we don't know what to do right now, but Amara, you are right about one thing. We'll figure it out together, whatever that means. At this point, I don't know, but I'm sure we can come up with something." The others smiled at hearing Luz say this.

"Oh, looks like the potion is ready!" said Luz, seeing that it had changed color. "Let's get this distributed to whoever needs it."

Later, as night blanketed the village, Luz and her friends settled down for bed. They had managed to obtain two tents and set them up near the center of town. Amara and Gustav were sharing one, while Lilly and Luz shared another, though before she lay down, Luz told Lilly she was going to go for a walk.

"I just want to be alone for a bit," said Luz to Lilly as she left the tent.

Luz walked far away, making sure she wasn't seen by anyone. She walked into the forest along a path she had discovered a few nights ago. The path led into a small clearing. She double-checked to make sure she was alone, then closed her eyes and began to concentrate. She imagined a small orb of light forming in her hand. It took a few minutes, but eventually, the orb materialized in her hand. Luz smiled as she raised up the orb and let it drift upward into the sky to join the billions of stars that shone down on her.

Every night since the battle, Luz had made sure to take some time to train and hone her powers, just as Uodeela had taught her. She had also decided to keep her powers a secret, at least for now. Learning that she didn't need to drink an elixir to fully use her powers had been both exciting and sad. All her life, Luz had wanted nothing more than to live out a fantasy life as a powerful witch, and now she actually was one! And yet, the fact that she had only just started to unlock her power at the same time as losing her mentor was sad. She wanted Uodeela to be here to help guide her, to see if she was doing it right, and to tell her she was proud of her.

Uodeela said that my powers come from one gem on the box that Anne had, thought Luz. How did I get those powers? She also said that she thought there was a reason I had been given them. She thought Anne, Marcy, Sasha, and I were brought here for a reason, but she didn't say more after that. If only she were still here, I could ask her more questions.

Luz pushed these thoughts from her head as she continued to experiment with her powers. Looking in the distance, she saw a tree branch. Luz concentrated and imagined a vine shooting out of her hand. A few seconds later, it did and wrapped itself around the branch, allowing her to climb the tree. As she got to the top, she looked down at the ground. After closing her eyes and concentrating, she jumped out of the tree! As she fell, though, she began to concentrate and was able to use the wind to slow her fall. She managed to land softly on the ground without injury. Finally, she concentrated and summoned a flame from her hand. Luz moved her face closer to the fire and could feel the warmth it provided, yet it didn't burn her hand. Luz closed her eyes and focused on making the flame larger, increasing its intensity, and expelling it from her hand in a straight, continuous stream. She took care so as not to burn anything accidentally, and when she was done, she focused on extinguishing the flame and managed to make it disappear. Luz kept practicing for a little while longer but didn't want to stay out too late. Eventually, she finished her training and returned to her tent to go to sleep.

As soon as Luz left, Lilly walked over to the other tent to check in with Gustav and Amara.

"Luz went to go walking again, so we have some time to work on the present for her," she said to the others.

"I wonder where she's been going off to?" asked Gustav.

"She says she wants to be alone," replied Lilly. "I think she's still taking Uodeela's loss real hard. Remember, magic doesn't exist in her world."

"I hope she's okay," said Amara.

"She will be once she sees the gift we've been working on for her," said Gustav, as he used a knife to carve a large staff.

"I hope she likes this," said Lilly, working on a necklace and some gloves.

"I'm sure she will," said Amara as she continued knitting a large purple cloth, "but part of me hopes she doesn't end up leaving."

The other two looked at Amara, causing her to continue speaking, "It's just, I hope this doesn't sound stupid, but I want the four of us to stay together. It's why I don't want to go back to Newtopia by myself. I don't really have any friends there, and I'd be stuck with my parents."

"I get where you're coming from," said Gustav, "but you knew that Luz was going to leave sooner or later, right? She's not from here and wants to go home."

"I know, but that was before we lost Uodeela," answered Amara. "Now that she's gone, I really wish that Luz could stay."

"I understand how you feel, Amara," said Lilly. "I'll miss Luz when she leaves too, but you'll still have us. And hey, you managed to make friends with us after you opened up more and allowed yourself to have fun. I bet if you did that back in Newtopia, you could make more friends."

Amara considered this. "I guess you're right."

"We still don't know what's going to happen, but I think if Luz wants to leave, we should encourage her to make the journey to Wartwood," said Lilly.

The next morning, the group had breakfast together before starting on their chores around town. The mood was a bit better since their talk yesterday, though as they began to get to work, they heard a sound come from the forest. At first, they were afraid, thinking perhaps the toads had returned, but those fears were put to rest as instead a large group of frogs emerged. They were being led by a blue frog driving a brown snail—a blue frog that Lilly instantly recognized.

"DAD!" she exclaimed happily as she ran forward to meet her father. He got down from his chair and embraced his daughter.

"Lilly! Oh, thank heavens, you're okay," he said. "It took so long to organize the resistance army. I knew we wouldn't make it in time, but it's good to see you!"

"I'm so glad you're here," said Lilly.

"The town looks like it's in rough shape, but still, you managed to beat back Grime and his army. That's great!" said Lilly's dad. "Where's Uodeela?"

At the mention of Uodeela, Lilly's face fell. The brief happiness she had experienced at seeing her father gone came with the reminder that he was unaware of what happened.

"There's a lot I need to tell you," said Lilly. "Let's talk about it, but first, let me introduce you to my friends." Lilly led her father away to where the others were.

"This is Gustav and Amara," said Lilly, indicating the toad and newt. They waved back to him.

"And this is Luz," said Lilly. "You've probably never seen something like her before, but she's called a human."

"Actually, I have seen another human," said the blue frog.

"You have?!" said Luz in surprise. "Where?"

"Why, in Wartwood," answered the frog. "Uodeela sent me there to investigate if there was another human there. Her name was Anne."

"So she really is in Wartwood then," said Luz hopefully. "Please, you have to tell me more."

"I will, of course," said the frog. "Oh, by the way, my name's Emmanuel. I'll tell you more about the other human, but I think you all have a lot to tell me about what happened here."

"Yes, we do," said Lilly. "Let's fill you in on what happened."

"And that's the whole story," said Lilly as she finished explaining what had happened. Luz, Gustav, and Amara had chimed in, occasionally giving details about the battle and Uodeela's fate.

"So she's gone then," said Emmanuel solemnly. "I am sorry to hear that, but you should know that Uodeela had contingency plans in case something ever happened to her. I hoped I'd never have to implement them, but Uodeela trusted me to follow her wishes."

"What were these contingency plans, Dad?" asked Lilly.

"Well, the last time Uodeela and I talked, we figured that with the Southern Tower destroyed, that would be what we could use as a rallying cry to get more frogs to join our cause. In fact, that's what I was doing when I got Uodeela's letter," said Emmanuel.

"How has that gone?" asked Lilly.

"Mostly well," said Emmanuel. "I've been all over the valley, and we've managed to recruit frogs from every town. All of them are tired of the toads' oppressive rule and want to drive them out for good. Uodeela had talked about using Tadpole Pond as a staging area and launching an attack on the Eastern area. If we started recruiting from the villages in the east, then we might have a force strong enough to challenge Bufo."

"Look, I don't mean to rain on your parade," interrupted Gustav, "but challenging the toads is serious business. Trust me, I'd like nothing more than for you to succeed, but we barely managed to win the fight with Grime. Heck, the only reason the toads retreated was because of Uodeela's heron form."

"Yes, you have a point," said Emmanuel. "In fact, most of our long-term plans counted on Uodeela being there to help us. With her gone, I'm not sure how feasible the plan will be."

"Sorry to interrupt," said Luz, "but you were also going to talk about the human you met in Wartwood."

"Oh, right," began Emmanuel. "Yes, Uodeela sent me to investigate rumors of a strange creature in that town. She wanted to be sure that it was one of your friends before making the trip out there. I can say with certainty that there was indeed another human in that town. Her name was Anne, and I think she even had the same skin as you."

"Yeah, that's Anne, alright," said Luz. "So now I know for sure that she's there." She stared off into the distance as she absorbed this new information.

They were interrupted, however, by another frog coming over to where they were.

"Emmanuel," began the frog, "we've captured some toads trying to sneak into town."

The group's eyes lit up at this information, and they rushed over to see the captured toads. Gustav recognized them immediately.

"Dad?" he said, "and Braddock?"

"Gustav, you're okay," sighed Percy in relief.

"What are you doing here?" asked Gustav.

"We came to check on you," answered Braddock. "A lot happened when Grime came back to camp, and we snuck away. Your dad wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I heard a giant heron had chased the toads out of Tadpole Pond," said Percy. "I was afraid you'd been eaten."

"How did you get away from Grime?" asked Gustav.

Percy didn't answer at first, looking at the frogs holding weapons on him and Braddock.

"Uh, hey, who's in charge here?" he asked.

"That would be me," said Emmanuel, walking up to Percy.

"Listen, I'd formally like to surrender to you," said Percy, raising his hands to the sky. "I'll tell you anything you want to know about Grime, but please let me see my son. Braddock also surrenders."

"Oh, yes," said Braddock, who also raised her hands. "Please, I don't want to fight. Until yesterday, the two of us were soldiers in Grime's army, but if there's anything you want to know, we'll tell you."

Emmanuel scratched his chin, considering this development. "Very well. If the two of you really want to help, I'll talk to you alone." He motioned for them to follow him, and they began talking.

After about an hour of talking, Emmanuel came back over to the group to fill them in on what he had learned.

"Well, assuming they're telling the truth, we may have some good news," said Emmanuel.

"What did they say?" asked Gustav.

"According to them, all of Grime's soldiers abandoned him after the battle," said Emmanuel.

"What?!" exclaimed Luz, Lilly, Gustav, and Amara, all at the same time.

"Yeah, and that's not all. Apparently, the plan to conquer the village wasn't even his; it was Sasha's," said Emmanuel.

"I shouldn't be surprised by that," said Luz bitterly, "and yet, it still hurts to know… Sasha, what happened to you out here?"

"According to them, they didn't participate in the battle," continued Emmanuel. "Said they were on something called latrine duty at the toad camp. Wanted to hear from you three if that was true."

Luz and the others looked at each other, trying to recall if they had seen Braddock or Percy during the battle.

"Actually, I think that's right," said Amara. "I don't remember seeing either of them."

"Me neither," added Luz.

"I was actually looking for my dad on the battlefield, but I don't remember seeing him," said Gustav. "I was wondering if I could talk to them."

"Be my guest," said Emmanuel. "Your father wanted to talk to you, anyway. In the meantime, I'll direct my soldiers to help in any way they can."

Gustav walked up to where his father and Braddock were. They hadn't been restrained in any way. Percy was ecstatic to see his son again.

"Gustav, thank goodness you're alright!" said Percy as Gustav approached. "I was so worried about you. Bog said you were at the battle, and I got scared that something may have happened to you."

"I'm okay, Dad," replied Gustav, a little stiffly.

"Wow, they really did a number on this place, didn't they?" said Percy, looking around at all the damage to the town. That statement turned out to be too much for Gustav, though, as he fired back at his dad.

"Is that all you have to say?" he said in anger. "Dad, the toads practically destroyed the town! They killed a lot of people! And it sounds to me like it was just pure luck that you and Braddock weren't involved in this!"

"It was kind of your fault," began Braddock, though she tried to recover upon seeing the expression on Gustav's face. "I mean, your dad got in trouble for you escaping from the camp that night, and then after I spoke for him, Grime punished me too. We got put on latrine duty… Ugh, but because of that, we didn't fight in the battle."

"But if you hadn't been put on latrine duty, you would have fought?" asked Gustav.

"I… Well… I… guess," stuttered Percy.

"I mean, that's what we're expected to do," said Braddock.

"IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO?!" yelled Gustav, his anger rising and tears in his eyes as he tried to make his father and Braddock see reason. "This town has been destroyed, and Uodeela is gone! Fens almost killed Lilly! So many people lost their lives, their homes, and everything they cared about because the toads decided on a whim to attack them! Uodeela gave her life to try to help these people!"

Gustav paused to let his words have an effect. Braddock and Percy looked around, seeing all the destroyed homes and burned vegetation. It finally seemed to sink in how terrible the battle had been.

"STOP BEING IGNORANT AND OPEN YOUR EYES!" he continued, yelling. "We're being used! The newts want us to act as enforcers and keep the frogs in line, but we're nothing but bullies! Why do we bother doing this when there's clearly no benefit to us? All we do is cause misery and suffering for no reason! Grime only invaded this town because Sasha suggested it. Is that a good enough reason to have caused all this suffering?"

Percy and Braddock grappled with the question, again looking over the ruined town. Finally, Percy answered.

"Son, I never wanted to be a soldier. Toads are required to serve a certain number of years, and some quit when their service is over, but most don't. The reason is that once you're out there on your own, without an army backing you up, the people you've helped oppress treat you with disdain. Toads who go to live on their own are almost never welcomed in the towns they settle down in because of what they've done. And so, most return to their respective tower and continue serving in the army."

After Percy was done speaking, Braddock continued, "In all the time I've served under Grime, we'd never invaded a town before. It was always just about collecting taxes. Grime said as long as the frogs didn't get out of line, we wouldn't have to hurt them. I never realized this is what we'd do if it ever came to an invasion."

"Gustav, I'm sorry," said Percy, hanging his head. "I don't know what I can do to make it up to you, but please let me try." Gustav eyed his father for a second before running up and hugging him, glad that he was at least trying to do better.

Throughout the rest of the day, Emmanuel and his frogs assisted in the reconstruction effort. Percy and Braddock helped as well, doing their best to try to be better. When they finally had some downtime, Percy and Gustav offered to play some music for the townspeople in an effort to lighten their spirits. Percy even put on his jester's cap and would occasionally tell a joke.

"Why did the chickalisk cross the road?" asked Percy to Gustav.

"I don't know. Why, Dad?" said Gustav.

"To eat the offerings on the other side!" answered Percy. The crowd remained silent.

"Hey, how about a father-son juggling act?" asked Percy, trying to change the mood. With that, he and his son began tossing balls between them. Meanwhile, Emmanuel spoke to Luz, Lilly, and Amara.

"Uodeela first started the idea of an organized rebellion about ten years ago," he explained. "That's about the time I first met her. At the time, my wife and I worked as reporters for the Swampshire Tribute, and Uodeela slowly used our position to start to write letters to the editor about how bad the toads were for us. We felt that we needed to convince a large portion of the frogs that our views were right."

"I overheard you one night," said Lilly. "I didn't quite understand what you were doing, but after many more nights, I realized what you were up to."

"I'm sorry, Lilly," said Emmanuel. "I wanted to keep you out of it in order to keep you safe. I wish I could have done a better job protecting your mother." Emmanuel hung his head in shame at the thought of his wife.

"I don't blame you for what happened to her dad. It wasn't your fault; it was Grime and Fens who did that to her," said Lilly.

"Thank you, dear," said Emmanuel, embracing his daughter.

Emmanuel continued to talk, explaining more about Uodeela and the rebellion, but Luz had tuned him out. Hearing Lilly bring up her mother, as well as Gustav and Percy playing music and laughing together, suddenly reminded Luz of how much she missed her own mother. Luz excused herself from the group and went to be alone. She looked up at the sky and the millions of stars in it as she thought about the last time she had talked with her mother. She couldn't help but feel a sense of shame as she realized the last thing she had told her had been a lie.

Luz let out a sigh at that thought and continued looking up at the sky. She wasn't sure for how long until she heard a voice call her name.

"Luz?" asked Lilly, coming up to her. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Hey Lilly, I'm fine… I think. I was just thinking of my mother," said Luz. "Seeing you and your dad bond, then seeing Percy and Gustav singing and telling jokes together made me think of her."

Lilly didn't say anything, but she came up to where Luz was standing and stood by her.

"You miss her, don't you?" asked Lilly tenderly.

"Yeah, I do," answered Luz. "About a year ago, I got expelled from my old school. I remember my mom being mad and disappointed in me at first, but after she cooled down, she told me not to be worried about it. She said I shouldn't let one mistake take over my life. Even though I had been expelled, my mom still tried to comfort me and help me get over it. You know, there's a saying in Spanish, 'No hay mal que por bien no venga.'"

"What does that mean?" asked Lilly.

"It basically means that if something bad happens to you, then something good will eventually happen too," answered Luz. "Mom said that to me when I was expelled, and it turned out to be true. After that, at my new school, I got to meet Anne and Marcy. I've been thinking about that saying because it ended up coming true again when I got transported here to Amphibia. It was something bad that happened to me, but I ended up getting to meet you, Gustav, Amara, and… Uodeela." Luz's eyes teared up when she said Uodeela's name.

"And well, thinking of how that saying turned out to be true twice got me thinking of my mom and how much I really miss her," said Luz. "I also felt guilty because… the last thing I told her before I went missing was a lie. I didn't want to lie to her, but I was so scared… Thinking about it, I should have been honest with her. Then maybe things would have been different…"

As Luz trailed off, the tears began flowing again from her eyes. She sat down and allowed herself to cry. She felt Lilly put her arm around her and comfort her.

"It's okay, Luz," said Lilly softly. "I understand better than anyone what you're going through. I still haven't gotten over my mom's death, and I don't think I ever will. Sometimes, thinking about her makes me sad." Tears began streaming from Lilly's eyes too.

"But I honestly hope that your separation from your mother is only temporary," continued Lilly. "As painful as it was for me to lose her forever, I hope you get to see your mom again."

For a long time, Luz said nothing, but eventually, she spoke, "Lilly, I've decided. I'm going to make the journey to Wartwood. Before Uodeela transformed, she told me the box Anne has is needed to get me home, so it's the only clue I have for how to do that. I have no idea what's happened to Anne in all the time we've been separated, but it's possible she's learned something too. And I still need to make things right with her."

"If that's your decision, then I support you, Luz," said Lilly. "It would take you too long to go on foot, though. Tomorrow, I'll ask my dad if he can help."

"Thanks, Lilly. I appreciate that!" said Luz, gazing back up at the stars.

The two sat there in silence, watching the sky and thinking about their mothers.

The next morning, Emmanuel gathered Percy, Braddock, and Gustav together.

"Listen, there's something I want to ask you," he said. The toads all looked at him.

"With Uodeela gone, we've lost one of the main advantages against Grime and the toads," said Emmanuel, "but I feel perhaps that the two of you could help give us a new advantage, though I should warn you it will be dangerous."

Percy and Braddock looked at each other and then at Gustav before speaking.

"If there's anything I can do to help, then I want to do it," said Percy.

"All I wanted to do after my time in the army was up was go take care of my garden," said Braddock. "I never wanted to hurt others."

"What would you ask of us?" said Percy.

"I'd like you two to go back to Grime and spy on him for us," said Emmanuel.

"Wait, what?!" asked Gustav. "Do you know what would happen if they got caught?"

"We would most likely be tortured and executed," replied Braddock plainly, "but that doesn't matter. We'll do it." Percy nodded his head in agreement.

"Why do you even want to spy on Grime?" asked Gustav. "His army deserted him. He's not a threat anymore."

"According to what they told me, it's not Grime that's the issue," said Emmanuel. "It's Sasha!"

"Wait, really?!" asked Gustav.

"Sasha was the one who got Toad Tower running well again," began Braddock. "She was the one who helped organize us to fight off a heron attack. Plus, it was her idea to attack Tadpole Pond. She and Grime had practiced a series of maneuvers to fight Uodeela in her heron form, and said she learned it from some human show where the characters fight these things called 'titans.' Grime was always rough and cruel, but he was never an effective leader. Sasha changed all that. She got the toads to listen to him. Honestly, even if the other toads did abandon Grime, I think Sasha will still come up with another idea. It's pretty clear that she hates losing."

"I gather this Sasha character is pretty dangerous," said Emmanuel. "I think it prudent that we keep an eye on her. Can the two of you do that?"

"Of course we can!" said Percy. "Though, how could we get any information we find back to you?"

"I was hoping that Gustav could help with that," said Emmanuel.

"Me?" said Gustav in confusion.

"I think I can trust you to relay messages between your father and me," said Emmanuel.

"Grime thinks I'm a traitor, though," protested Gustav, "and I doubt Sasha would be thrilled to see me."

"His army's gone, though," said Percy. "Bog won't be around to say anything, and I think I can convince Grime to leave you alone."

Gustav thought for a bit, considering the danger, but finally, he replied, "Okay, I'll do it. You're trying to help, so I'd like to do my part."

"Hey, Dad! There you are!" said Lilly, coming over to where her dad was. "I've been looking for you."

"I'm just about finished with these three. What do you need?" asked Emmanuel.

"I wanted to ask if you and I could do Luz a favor…"

Amara stirred the pot of stew as it simmered over the fire. Luz sat nearby, cutting up some vegetables to add to the stew. Luz sniffed the air.

"It smells good," she said.

"Yeah, should be ready soon," answered Amara. "I'm glad that Lilly's dad brought some food with him. We have more now and can feed more people."

"Not only that, but all the frogs that came with him have made rebuilding the town a lot easier. Feels like we might actually do it," said Luz.

"Hey, Luz, there you are!" exclaimed Lilly, running towards her.

"Hey Lilly," replied Luz. "What's up?"

"I have some great news! I just talked to my dad, and he agreed to take you to Wartwood!" said Lilly.

Luz was a bit stunned by this news and didn't know how to react.

"Wait, really? I mean that's…" Luz trailed off, not knowing what to say. "I hope it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all," said Lilly. "I know how important it is for you to find your friends and go home, so I want to help you do just that."

"I… Wow… Thank you, Lilly… I don't know what to say," said Luz.

"We'll work out the details. He has a few things he needs to take care of, but I think we should be good to go in the next few days," said Lilly. "Also, you aren't the only one leaving. Gustav is heading out on his own journey."

"What?" said Luz in surprise. Lilly explained the situation.

"Oh my, that sounds dangerous," said Luz. "Spying on Grime..."

"Gustav wants to do it to help," said Lilly.

"What about you?" asked Luz.

"I'll go with you to Wartwood," began Lilly, "but after that, my dad and I have other things to do. I'm going to stay with my dad and train in the resistance. I think after that battle, I need to get stronger."

"So then this is goodbye," said Amara solemnly. She had been listening to the conversation but hadn't commented yet. Lilly and Luz turned to her.

"I guess it is," replied Luz.

"I didn't want this to happen!" cried Amara. "I only just got to know you all, and now you all have to leave! It's not fair!" Lilly and Luz came up to Amara.

"I know it feels that way," said Lilly, "but we all have important things to do, and we need to be on our own to do them."

"Amara, have you thought about going back to Newtopia?" asked Luz. "You said they have the best library in the land. You had said it was our best shot at finding a way to help Uodeela, so I think you should do it."

"Plus, I bet you could use your family's status and resources to help even more," said Lilly. "You have access to things the rest of us don't. If anyone can find a cure, I know it's you!"

Amara seemed encouraged by these words. "You do have a point. I… just wish I didn't have to go back to being alone. I don't like the idea of going back to my parents and not having you guys around."

"I know," said Lilly, "but remember what I said. You made friends with us when you opened yourself up. If you find the right people, I know you can make new friends, and Gustav and I will for sure see you again."

Amara smiled at hearing Lilly say this.

"Plus, you've said how your family has their own private library," began Luz. "You have access to resources the rest of us don't. I think you might be the best chance we have at curing Uodeela. We need you, Amara!"

Amara thought for a moment, looking hard into Lilly's and Luz's faces before deciding, "Alright, I'll do it! After you leave for Wartwood, I'll make my way back to Newtopia and do what I can to find a cure!"

After a few more days, it was finally time for Luz to leave. She was slightly comforted by the fact that Lilly would be coming with her, so she wouldn't have to say goodbye to her just yet. She was a bit sad to leave Amara and Gustav, as she honestly didn't know if she'd see them again. Still, she got herself ready on the morning of their departure and prepared herself to say goodbye.

The sun was barely in the sky as Luz, Lilly, Emmanuel, Amara, and Gustav all met on the edge of town near a trail that led away. There was a large enclosed wagon hooked up to a brown snail. This would be their transportation to Wartwood. Emmanuel had jokingly called it the "fwagon", which he said was short for family wagon. While Luz wasn't sold on the name, its interior was very impressive! It had sleeping accommodations for three and a large central table, as well as various cupboards to store provisions in. It reminded Luz of those RV campers back in the human world. Emmanuel excused himself to prepare a few last-minute things and allow Luz and Lilly to say goodbye to their friends.

"So I guess this is it then," said Amara sadly.

"I suppose it is," added Lilly. "Luz, once you find Anne, you may find a way home, so we honestly don't know if this is the last time we'll see you."

Luz hung her head as she acknowledged that possibility. "I know. I think that's why this is so hard. I hope I get to see you all one more time before I leave this world entirely, but in case I don't."

Luz turned to Gustav. "Gustav, I enjoyed listening to your music, and it was great getting to know you. As someone who got made fun of and bullied myself, I understand how you feel, but I think it's great that you're not like other toads and you want to do your own thing. Never lose your weirdness and keep being unique."

"Thank you, Luz," said Gustav. "It was great meeting you and learning potions alongside you. That Azura story you told us was amazing! It was great to put on a show with you, too. If you've never considered being an actor, I think you should! You certainly are talented!"

Luz turned to Amara. "Amara, I know we might have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I'm glad you turned out to be a good person. When I fought Sasha, she told me about how her father ignored her and how it affected her. I know you were negatively influenced by your parents as well, but you've shown that you can rise above it! I loved sharing the stage with you, and I hope you continue growing!"

"Thank you, Luz!" said Amara. "And to all of you, when I get back to Newtopia, I promise I will do my best to find a way to cure Uodeela."

"We know you will!" said Lilly, giving her a smile. "But before we forget, I think it's time we get that present we made for Luz. Right, guys?" Amara nodded and ran away to grab something.

"Huh?" said Luz, surprised.

"Well, Luz," began Lilly, "we thought you could use some new traveling clothes, and once it became obvious that you'd be leaving on a journey to hopefully reunite with your human friend, we thought it would make a great going away present!" Amara returned, holding a set of clothes in her hands and presenting them to Luz.

"You guys!" said Luz in an emotional tone, tears forming in her eyes. "You didn't have to do that! Oh, I feel so bad now. I don't have anything for you."

"Ah, don't worry about that," said Gustav.

"We thought it would be nice for you to have something we made, so it could feel like we were still with you," said Amara.

"Come on, try them on!" said Lilly

Luz took the clothes and entered the fwagon. A few moments later, she emerged in the new gear.

While her St. James uniform was still visible under the new clothes, Luz now wore a purple cloak. It hung down behind her like a cape and formed a hood around her head that she could pull up or leave down. Around her neck was a colorful necklace made of various beads and teeth. Gustav said they were from a giant snake. On her hands, she had some new fingerless gloves that offered her hands and arms some protection. On her left arm was a bangle also made of beads. Around her waist, she had a belt, but not an ordinary belt. It had bags attached to it that were for storing potion ingredients, as well as two slots where she could hold potion bottles to use on the go. She also wore a new pair of blueish boots that matched her tights quite nicely. Finally, she held a staff—a staff adorned with different colored ribbons tied up on the top. The staff's bottom was also sharpened to a point, potentially making it an effective weapon. As Luz looked at the staff, she realized something.

"Hey, wait a minute. Is this Uodeela's staff?" she asked.

"It is, or was, I suppose," said Gustav. "I've made a few changes to it. We found it a few days ago. The only thing that was damaged was the gem that used to be held at the top, but the rest of the staff was still intact."

"I recommended that we sharpen the bottom," said Amara. "Thought it could maybe help you in combat, in case you get into any scrapes out there."

"We thought you should have it," said Lilly. "This way, if you make it home, you'll have something to remember Uodeela by."

Luz gripped the staff tighter, looking at it with reverence and resolving to treat it with dignity. After that, Luz looked over her new outfit one more time and towards her friends who had given it to her.

"You guys… You're the best!" exclaimed Luz, rushing forward to envelop all her friends in one last group hug. The hug lasted a while, as they knew this might be the last time they saw Luz. Eventually, though, the friends separated, with Luz, Lilly, and Emmanuel boarding the fwagon and departing along the road. Luz and Lilly turned back and waved at Gustav and Amara until they were out of sight.

Chapter Text

A Last Jam Session

A few days after Luz and Lilly left on their journey, Amara's tail finally began to regrow. Amara was glad to be able to remove the bandages and see the beginnings of her new tail. She took this as a sign that it was time to start her journey back to Newtopia. After a day of preparation, she was ready to leave.

"I guess this is it for you then," said Gustav to her on the night before her departure.

"I'm nervous about seeing my parents again," confessed Amara to Gustav. "I used to believe everything they said without question, but now I don't know how I can even talk to them knowing what I know."

"I can't say it will be easy," admitted Gustav, "and I wish I could say that maybe your parents will be convinced to change their ways like my dad was, but somehow, I doubt that will happen."

"Yeah, I don't see that happening," said Amara with a laugh.

"I know that whatever happens, you'll find a way to handle it," said Gustav. "I figure you can use the excuse of going to the library a lot to stay away from them."

"I plan to do that when I can," said Amara, "but my parents will likely want me to go back to the schedule I had before. I don't know, but I'll figure something out. As I said before, I'll use my time to find a cure for Uodeela."

"Don't focus too much on that, Amara," said Gustav. "It's great that you want to find one, but we also have to accept the fact that one might not exist, in which case I don't want you getting too obsessed over it."

"I know, I know," replied Amara. "But even so, I'm going to do my best to find one!"

"Hey, since this is our last night together, do you want to have one more jam session?" asked Gustav.

"For sure. You know, I really will miss these," said Amara as she pulled out her harp.

"Me too," said Gustav, pulling out his ocarina.

With that, the two friends began playing together, mostly improvising new melodies and doing their best to stay in sync with one another. Over the course of the night, they played for a long time and almost didn't notice how late it was getting.

"One more, and then I have to call it a night," said Amara.

"Oh, let's do that one we played for our performance!" suggested Gustav. "I wonder if what Uodeela said was true, and that there was some form of magic in that music?"

"Well, let's play it again and find out!" said Amara.

With that, the two began to play the song from their performance. It was a beautiful, haunting melody that wound itself into the minds and hearts of both Amara and Gustav. As they focused on playing the song, they both felt strong emotions from hearing the music, but neither of their instruments glowed as they had during the performance. After they finished, they said goodnight to each other and went to bed.

Amara woke to the sound of music. As she heard it, she recognized it as the song that she and Gustav had played! She quickly got out of bed, only to realize that her bed was gone! As were her tent and the forest!

Amara took a second to look around and realized she wasn't in the forest! She seemed to be standing in the sky! There were stars all around her, but no ground under her feet. The stars glowed all around her with such wonder and beauty that there was no way they could be regular stars. It was as though she had been transported to another world! The melody that she and Gustav had played began to fade and was instead replaced with a new melody—a song that Amara didn't recognize.

Amara realized that she must be dreaming, yet she had never had a dream like this. The area she found herself in was surreal, and it seemed to stretch on forever. Amara wondered what sort of dream she was having when her ears began to focus, and she thought she heard a voice! Amara began to walk in the direction she thought she heard the voice. It seemed foolish as the horizon stretched on forever with no end in sight and no view of anyone else, but she pressed on.

As she continued walking, she thought she saw a figure up ahead. The figure was wearing a red cloak that covered its face and seemed to be holding a violin. Amara couldn't make out anything else about the figure, and then she heard it speak.

"Hello? Is someone there?" asked the figure in a strange voice.

"Who are you?" asked Amara.

"Someone is there!" said the figure. "Are we in the Dream Realm, then? Did my experiment work? Do you come from another world?"

Before Amara could answer, she suddenly shot out of bed. She immediately recognized her surroundings, her sleeping bag, and her tent. She got up and looked outside, where the sun was just beginning to shine in the sky and the ground was still there. Amara wasn't sure what kind of dream she had, but it seemed so real. That space she found herself in—what was it? And who was that figure who had called to her? Amara pushed these thoughts from her mind and got ready to leave.

Amara and Gustav walked together toward the edge of town. Before they said goodbye, Amara decided to tell Gustav about her dream.

"That's… a very intriguing dream," said Gustav. "You say you heard the music we were playing before you went to sleep, and also that you met someone there?"

"I'm not sure," replied Amara. "For all I know, it could have just been a weird dream, but something about it seemed so real. It wasn't just our song that I heard, though. There was another song that started playing, too. Hmmm… Let me see if I can remember it." Amara pulled out her harp and tried to concentrate.

"I think it went like this," she said as she began playing. The song was beautiful and calming. As she played, Gustav felt a sense of peace. He listened to the song and tried to follow along on his ocarina, though it didn't sound as good. Wanting to remember the song, he pulled out some paper and wrote down the notes. He handed a copy to Amara.

"It feels like that song is better suited to a stringed instrument," said Gustav. "It sounded a lot better on your harp."

"Thanks," said Amara

"I don't know why, but I feel we should remember that song. I can't explain it, but somehow, I just think it might be important," said Gustav. "Tell me about the figure you saw."

"I didn't get a good look at it, but I think it had a musical instrument," replied Amara.

"Hmmm, okay. Well, either it was a really weird dream, or you went on a journey of some kind," said Gustav.

"I wonder if I'll have that dream again?" asked Amara.

"If you meet that figure again, maybe you can ask them some questions," suggested Gustav.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Amara. "Well, guess this is it then." She looked between Gustav and the road as she said this.

"Goodbye, Amara," said Gustav. "Good luck in finding a way to cure Uodeela, and I hope you find a way to make peace with your parents."

"Farewell, Gustav. Stay safe out there," said Amara. The two friends shared a long hug before Amara departed along the road that would lead her back to Newtopia.

Friends at a Fountain

"So you haven't found a way home either?" asked Marcy to Anne as the two sat by the fountain in Newtopia.

"Nerp," said Anne, casually skipping a stone across the water. "It's funny. I'd been hoping to find you for so long, but now that I have, I have no idea what to do next."

Marcy gave a small laugh at this before replying, "I know what you mean. First things first, though, we have to find Sasha and Luz!"

Hearing both of those names hit Anne hard as she recounted her battle with Sasha and her reunion with the mist Luz.

"Oh, actually, I did find Sasha," said Anne, addressing the first name. "We, uh… We had a fight."

"No! Was it bad?" asked Marcy.

"Errr, there were maybe some swords, minor explosions. Anyway, I don't know where she is now," replied Anne, sighing as she brought her face to her knees.

"And Luz?" asked Marcy with some hesitation. When Anne didn't reply right away, Marcy waited a bit before pressing the subject.

"Listen, I know things got weird between you two right before we got here, but we need to find her too—"

"Marcy, how can I face her?" asked Anne, interrupting Marcy.

"Huh?!" said Marcy.

"How can I face Luz after what I said to her? Do you remember what the last thing I said to her before we got zapped here was?" asked Anne.

Marcy did, in fact, remember Anne's words, but wasn't sure if she should repeat them. "Uh, it's been a long time. I guess I forgot."

"I told her I didn't want to be friends with her anymore," said Anne, still hiding her face behind her knees. "Oh, and you want to know what the kicker is? It's not entirely her fault!"

"What?!" asked Marcy in surprise. Anne then proceeded to tell her what Sasha had revealed to her just before her fall from the tower.

"Whoa, that's… I don't even know what to say, Anne. I'm so sorry," said Marcy.

"You know, I almost found Luz," began Anne. "I thought I saw her when I went out to the Misty Moors."

"Oh, I've heard of that place. They say if you get lost in the mist, you may see things that aren't really there…" Marcy trailed off as she realized what Anne was going to say.

"I thought I saw Luz, but it was just a figment of the mist," began Anne. "But the figment still chewed me out for what I said to the real Luz… I talked to the figment like she was the real thing. I tried my best to apologize to her."

"And how did that go?" asked Marcy.

"The mist Luz seemed to forgive me, and I was able to find my way out of the mist, but it's still not the same as talking to the real Luz," said Anne. "I have no idea where Luz is either."

"You know, Anne, before we all got trapped here, I spoke to Luz," said Marcy. "From what I gathered, she wanted to apologize to you. I think she was genuinely sorry for what she did, and I think if you gave her the chance, then she would tell you that."

"I didn't even give her the chance to apologize! Ugggghh!" growled Anne. "Why did I ever listen to Sasha's advice on how to handle that? Uhhh… In hindsight, it seems so obvious how manipulative she was. Why didn't I see it then?"

"Well, let's not worry about that right now. What's past is past, and what we need to focus on is finding a way home and finding Sasha and Luz," said Marcy.

"You're right," said Anne. "And hey, you and I found each other, so I'm sure we can find Luz."

"Yeah! Come on, stand up!" Marcy called to Anne.

"Uh, okay," said Anne, halfheartedly standing up.

"Come on, Anne. Let me see that power pose!" said Marcy.

Anne puffed up her cheeks and put her chest out. "This good?"

"Good enough," replied Marcy, clearing her throat before continuing. "I'm Macy Wu!"

"And, uh… I'm Anne Boonchuy!" declared Anne.

"And together, we're going to find Sasha and Luz and find a way home!" they finished together while trying to hold a heroic pose, only for them to almost fall over after a few seconds, though they shared a laugh at this. Afterward, Marcy asked Anne a question.

"Oh my gosh, okay, so I want to know everything that's happened to you since you got here. You got any photos?"

"Do I?" said Anne excitedly as she showed Marcy her phone and the many pictures on it. The two teens were having such a great time reminiscing and catching up that they didn't notice they were being watched. Far away in Newtopia's palace, a large figure was watching their reunion with his own intentions.

"The pieces are starting to fall into place," he said in an ominous voice, "though there is one piece that is unaccounted for." As he said this, he moved a figure on a chessboard—a figure that looked a lot like Luz.

"Still, no matter. That piece has its own part to play, and once the board is complete, it will be time for the game to begin…"

Spa Day with a Friend

After a few days of travel, Amara finally reached the great city of Newtopia. She was a bit tired and disheveled from days of travel in the wilds and wanted to freshen up a bit. Plus, she was looking for an excuse to not return home immediately. Amara decided to stop at the Hemisphere Hotel first and unwind there. Despite having a large mansion in the city, her family had occasionally stayed at this hotel and even set up a personal account there. Amara remembered coming here and taking advantage of the various amenities the hotel had to offer. Those were some of the few times her parents let her have fun.

Amara walked through the doors of the large hotel and straight up to the concierge desk, where she was recognized immediately.

"Miss Light!" exclaimed the concierge, a grey newt. "So lovely to see you again!"

"Hello," replied Amara. "I was wondering if I could schedule a massage. I really feel I need one."

"Why, of course!" replied the newt. "Anything for one of the noblest families in Newtopia!"

"I don't have any money with me right now, but you can, uh… put it on our family's tab, right?" asked Amara hesitantly.

"Oh, of course. No trouble at all," said the concierge. "If you make your way to the spa, I'll see to it that you get seen right away."

Amara turned to leave and wasn't looking where she was going. She bumped right into someone. After recovering, she saw it was another newt. Before Amara could say anything, the concierge had already rushed over to berate the other newt.

"Bella! For goodness' sake, watch where you're going! You just bumped into one of our high-profile guests!"

"I'm sorry," said the other newt, getting up quickly and trying to dust off Amara. "I didn't mean to!"

"It's alright!" said Amara. "It was my fault I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"No, no, it was definitely my fault," said the other newt, looking nervously at the concierge.

"I know you just clocked out Bella," said the grey newt, "but you still represent this hotel, even off the clock. Don't make me regret giving you a raise!" With that, the newt walked away, leaving Bella to sulk over her mistake.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Light," said Bella again. "Please don't make a complaint against me. I really need this job!"

"It's alright," replied Amara. "I won't say anything, and it really was my fault, not yours."

"Yes, but you're a VIP. They have a picture of you and your family up in the staff room," began Bella, "along with pictures of all the other elite newts that we're supposed to take extra special care of."

"Wait, really? They have a picture of us?" asked Amara.

"Yeah, they do. They really want to make sure that we pay extra special attention to the VIPs," said Bella. "Though, to be honest, some of the staff throw knives and other sharp objects at the pictures when no one's looking."

Amara let out a small laugh at that. "Ha! Really?"

"You're not mad?" asked Bella.

"No, that's actually kind of funny! And I can understand why you might do that," replied Amara.

"Huh, well, thank you for not getting mad, Miss Light," said Bella in surprise.

"You don't have to call me Miss Light," said Amara. "I think you and I are about the same age. My name is Amara."

"Okay… Amara," said Bella slowly. "Though if I see you on the clock, they'll probably make me call you Miss Light. And I should probably get going."

"Hang on a second," said Amara, who had enjoyed talking to this newt. "I was just going to the spa, but I'd hate to go alone. It would be great to have someone to go with. Would you like to enjoy a massage with me? My treat."

"Whoa, really? Man, that's the second free offer I've gotten today," mused Bella. "Um, okay, sure, if you're alright with it."

"Yeah, it will be fun!" said Amara as she and Bella headed off to the hotel's spa.

Much later, after their massage, Bella and Amara were relaxing, wrapped in silk robes, and enjoying a cool drink.

"Ahhhh, that was just what I needed!" said Amara, stretching out her hands and feet. "After a few rough nights on the road, I feel refreshed! How about you, Bella?"

"Ah, man, that was incredible! I've worked here so long and never tried getting a massage here, though I also could never afford to get one. Thanks a bunch, Amara," said Bella.

"You're welcome," said Amara.

"This really has been an interesting day," said Bella. "First, some frog kid treated me to ice cream, and now I get a massage as well. Man, I'd been feeling so down lately, too."

"Why were you feeling down?" asked Amara.

"Well, a lot of stuff, really. I guess the main thing is that I graduated from Newtopia University a year ago, and yet here I am working as a bellhop in a hotel," said Bella.

"Wait a sec, you went to Newtopia University?" exclaimed Amara in surprise. "What are you doing working here?"

Bella didn't answer right away. "You might not understand being an elite, but it's one thing to get a degree; it's another to know the right people to get a job."

"I, uh… Guess I don't understand," said Amara.

Bella sighed before explaining, "Look, here's the thing a lot of the elite families know each other. Because of that, they tend to give any job opportunities to those same people. It's all about that old expression. It's not what you know; it's who you know, and well… I'm not an elite newt with connections. Also, because I'm not an elite newt, I had to take out loans to pay for my education. I racked up a lot of debt just to get that degree, and it's going to take a long time to pay it back."

As she finished talking, Amara stared hard at Bella, feeling guilty. She wasn't sure why, but the way Bella had said that last sentence made her feel bad. She struggled to come up with a response.

"I… I… I'm sorry. I don't know what to say…" said Amara in a soft voice.

"It's not your fault," said Bella tenderly, seeing that she had upset Amara. "It's just something you weren't aware of. I didn't mean to upset you. I… I just wanted you to know. Honestly, you seem like a nice person, Amara."

"Thank you for telling me your story," said Amara. "You've given me more to think about."

The girls continued to relax before eventually deciding it was time to leave. Before Bella took off, Amara called to her.

"Hey, Bella," said Amara. "You'll still be here, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be working here for the foreseeable future," replied Bella.

"Um, I was wondering," said Amara, nervously reaching her arm behind her head. "If we could hang out again?"

"Oh," said Bella, somewhat surprised. "Yeah, sure… I'd like that."

"Okay, great! I'll see you around then," said Amara.

"Okay, bye!" said Bella as she left. Amara waved goodbye to Bella, glad to have had a chance to talk with her. Realizing that she could not put it off any longer, Amara gathered herself and made her way to her house.

Tea Time

In the living room of Light Manor, two newts were seated. Lady Odalys Light, a proper pink newt, and Lady Patricia Zamorra, a blue newt, were seated in the living room, drinking tea and discussing the latest gossip.

"Can you believe it, Lady Light?" asked Lady Zamorra, sitting across from her drinking tea. "Newtopia University is actually allowing commoners in."

"Oh, that's old news, Lady Zamorra," answered Lady Light. "It's been going on for years now, though I assure you need not worry about it."

"Not worry about allowing commoners to attend the most prestigious University in all the land? How so?" asked Lady Zamorra.

"My dear, you forget that attending University is not cheap," said Lady Light. "It's unlikely the commoners have the money to pay for its expense. Yet in the event that they still wish to attend, myself and some of the other elites have come up with a rather ingenious plan."

"Oh! And what would that be?" asked Lady Zamorra.

"Why, we offer to lend them the money to attend," explained Lady Light. "You see, we draw up a contract wherein we pay the tuition for the common amphibian who wishes to attend Newtopia University, with the agreement that they will pay us back… With interest, of course."

"Oh, that is clever," agreed Lady Zamorra.

"Oh, it's much more clever than you know," said Lady Light. "You see, the contract that we make them sign has all sorts of clauses and language about how we can charge them extra for late payments, how we can increase the interest we charge them, and other such ways we can extort more money from them. By the time they are done with school, a mere five thousand can easily turn into twenty-five or even fifty thousand owed. This way, we can ensure that those commoners are never able to advance beyond their station."

"Quite right!" said Lady Zamorra. "Those commoners must be kept in their place."

At that moment, the butler, a green frog dressed in an impeccable suit, entered the living room to make an announcement.

"Announcing the return of Miss Amara Light," said the frog butler. Amara entered after him, a bit embarrassed at the formal introduction.

"Ah, thank you, Jamack," said Odalys Light, rising to greet her daughter. "Well, well, it's about time you got back, Amara. We were expecting you back weeks ago. What took so long? And what happened to your tail?"

"I was busy, and my tail got ripped off by a heron," said Amara, barely paying attention to her mother

"What?! ripped off by a heron!" exclaimed her mother. "Amara, how could you allow yourself to be seen with no tail? It's not proper for a newt to be seen in such a state. We might be thought of as weak."

"Well, in that case, I guess I'll go to my room so I won't be seen as weak until I regrow my tail," grumbled Amara as she tried to walk to her room.

"Ehhum," said her mother, gesturing to Lady Zamorra.

Amara sighed as she realized she had forgotten to greet Lady Zamorra. "Good day, Lady Zamorra! How fare you today?"

"Oh, quite well, Amara. Your mother and I were discussing the latest news," replied Lady Zamorra.

"In that case, I'll leave you two to continue—" began Amara.

"Absolutely not," said her mother. "You've been gone for so many months. I am eager to hear if the training you received was worth the rather large sum of money your father insisted we pay."

"Where is Dad?" asked Amara.

"Lord Alister Light is playing a game of beast polo with Sir Ribbiton of Ribbitvale. He is expected to return on the 'morrow," said the butler.

"Ugggh, the Ribbitons," said Odalys, with disdain in her voice. "I've told your father to stop associating with them. Just because they're old money like us doesn't change the fact that they're frogs. Why, I've heard some rather troubling rumors about their son. But enough about that. Amara, you will join us for tea and tell us about your training."

"Do we have to talk about this now?" asked Amara in frustration. "I'm kind of tired from all that traveling."

"Well, why didn't you write home about wanting to leave?" asked her mother. "We could have sent you a sparrow to get you home."

"I forgot," said Amara. "Can I please go to my room?"

"No, young lady," said her mother firmly. "You will sit with Lady Zamorra and me and have a proper conversation. You haven't forgotten how to do that in the time you've been gone, have you?"

"No, I haven't," said Amara bitterly, moving to the table to sit down, with the butler coming over to pour her a cup of tea. Amara grabbed a scone and began eating it, even though she wasn't hungry.

"Very good," said Odalys Light, taking her seat again. "Now, why don't you tell us about what you learned out there?"

"I learned how to brew a great many potions and elixirs," began Amara. "I also learned a great deal about the many plants throughout our land and what they can be used for."

"Ah, very good," said Lady Zamorra. "Tell me more about the witch Uodeela. I've heard so many stories."

"She's very nice and knowledgeable," began Amara. "She's one of the best teachers I've ever had."

"Even better than your tutors?" asked her mother.

"Yes, even better than them," replied Amara, making sure to emphasize that point.

"It's a real shame she lives out in the wilds like a savage," said Lady Zamorra. "I heard a rumor that she once lived at the royal palace and worked directly with the King."

"Yes, it truly is shameful to see a salamander sully her name and live with the riff-raff," said Odalys. "A pity she threw her life inside the palace away to go and teach lesser amphibians."

"I think it's nice of her to try to teach magic to anyone who wants to learn it, and those other amphibians aren't lesser than us," said Amara firmly. Her mother glared at her, causing a pause in the conversation and creating some visible tension in the room.

"Ah, uh, anyway, speaking of the palace," said Lady Zamorra, trying to break the tension, "have you heard that the king has taken in a strange creature?"

"I had not heard of this," said Odalys, continuing to glare at Amara. "Why don't you tell us more?"

"Well, if my source is correct, one day, shortly after you left, Amara, a strange creature appeared in Newtopia. It was unlike anything ever seen before!" said Lady Zamorra. "And they say the king took a liking to it. I hear he made it one of his advisors."

"How outrageous!" exclaimed Odalys, "that an unknown and completely foreign visitor should earn the King's favor so quickly and easily."

"Lady Zamorra," asked Amara, "is there anything else you could tell me about this creature? Do you, by chance, know its name?"

"I'm afraid that's all I know at this time," said Lady Zamorra. "I'm sure if you make your way to the palace, you will see the creature I speak of. It's always around there."

"Perhaps I will do that and then be able to provide more information about this creature to you, Mother," said Amara in the nicest tone she could manage.

The conversation continued on for a while, and eventually, Amara was permitted to leave and made her way to her room, glad to be away from her mother. Amara closed the door and slumped onto her bed, letting out a sigh of frustration.

Research at the Library

The next day, Amara was more than grateful for a chance to escape to the library. She told her mom that she was going to be studying for her entrance exams at Newtopia University, which her mother was happy to hear. It wasn't a complete lie, as she would try to work in some study time, but was more focused on trying to find a cure for Uodeela.

The Royal Library was the largest repository of knowledge in all of Amphibia. It was housed in the palace and only open to select newts. Luckily, Amara's family was influential enough to have access. Amara loved reading and had asked for a library card when she was younger to be able to come and go as she pleased. She entered the library, glad to take in its sights. There were bookshelves piled high with every kind of book imaginable. The ceiling stood high and was decorated with star constellations and beautiful stained glass windows depicting sea life.

"Can you direct me towards the books you have on curses?" Amara asked the librarian.

"Right this way," said the librarian, leading her to a small section and pulling a few books. "Most of what we have on curses was written long ago. There haven't been many new books written in the last five hundred or so years."

"Okay, thank you for your help," said Amara, taking the books and finding a table to sit and read them at. She had brought along a blank notebook to take notes on anything she found.

"Alright then, let's get researching!" exclaimed Amara.

A few hours later, the stack of books had all been combed over, and Amara had not found anything in them that was helpful in regards to Uodeela.

"No, no, no," sighed Amara in defeat. "There hasn't been anything in these books about how to cure a curse when you aren't the caster. Well, there was that one book, 'So You've Been Cursed', but something about the cure feels wrong. I'm pretty sure beetle oil, garlic, and vinegar are not potion ingredients, and even if they were, if this cure really did work, Uodeela would have told us."

Amara picked up another book and began reading it again. She opened it to both the table of contents and the index, hoping to find something about curing curses, but found nothing. Amara rubbed her temples, trying not to get frustrated, and tried to think up a different solution.

There must be something I'm missing, she thought. If there isn't anything about curing curses directly, maybe I need to try something else. But what?

As Amara mused, lost in thought, she heard a noise and went to check it out. She let out an audible gasp as she saw the king and what looked like another human emerge from a chamber in the library.

"Now, now, Marcy," began the King, "I want to make a nice big show for your friend and the Plantars. You have to promise to keep what we found a secret from Anne until we're ready. Remember, I'm keeping a secret for you…"

"Okay, I promise," said Marcy excitedly.

"That's the spirit!" said the king, holding up a rather large book. "Now, we just… Oh, Amara Light, is that you?" The king finally noticed Amara.

"Your Majesty!" exclaimed Amara in surprise, quickly straightening herself and bowing.

"Good to see you again! I heard you had gone off to study magic. Was it by chance with Uodeela?" asked the King.

"Yes, it was. In fact, that's the reason I'm here now," replied Amara.

"What do you mean?" asked the King.

"Uodeela's curse potion, the one she uses to transform into a heron, overtook her. She got stuck in the heron form, and I'm trying to figure out a way to cure her," said Amara.

The King's expression changed as he heard this news. "Tell me more."

"I will, of course," began Amara. "But first, is that a human?" She pointed at Marcy.

"Yes, I am! How did you know that?" asked Marcy.

"Do you know another human named Luz Noceda?" asked Amara

Macy's jaw fell open upon hearing that name.

"YES! Do you know Luz? Is she okay? Do you know where she is?" asked Marcy excitedly.

"I don't know where exactly she is right now," said Amara, "but I do know where she's headed. She went to look for her other friend Anne in a town called Wartwood."

"Oh, no, Anne's not in Wartwood. Now she's here," said Marcy.

"Oh, this Luz person is that other friend you've told me about. Right, Marcy?" asked the King.

"Yes, Anne told me how she didn't know where Luz was, but now we know! We have to tell her!" said Marcy.

"Whoa-ho! Slow down there, Marcy," said the King. "We already agreed on waiting to tell Anne what we learned about the box during her next audience with me. I think we can add this new information to that as well."

"But this is important!" exclaimed Marcy.

"Now, Marcy, you and I have an understanding. Trust me, this will be for the best," said the King.

Marcy hesitated before replying, "Well… If you say it's better that way, then… okay."

"That's a good girl," said the King. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to have a word with Amara in private."

"Oh, sure! Of course!" said Marcy, excusing herself.

A Sleepy Realization

"Huh, I just wish I didn't have to add my name to the book of losers," sighed Sprig as he grabbed the book and wrote his name in it.

"Me either," said Polly, as she also wrote her name in the book.

"Hand me that pen," said Anne. "You're not the only losers. I was scared out of my mind."

"Me too," said Marcy. "It's not the first time either."

"For real?" asked Polly.

"Have a look," said Marcy, inviting her to turn the pages in the book of losers.

"Whoa," said Sprig, turning the page. "Your names are in here a bunch of times."

"Yup, the only one brave enough to never get in the book was Sasha," said Marcy. Though right as she said that, Sprig turned to another page.

"Hang on a second. Sasha's name is right here!" declared Sprig. Anne and Marcy's eyes shot open as they saw her name in the book. They had completely forgotten that there was indeed one time when Sasha lost a Scare Dare.

"Oh man, that's right! How did I forget?" exclaimed Anne. "The last sleepover we had at her house before we came here!"

"The one where Sasha wanted us to spend time in that scary house!" said Marcy.

"The one that Luz won…" they both said at the same time.

"That was the first sleepover we had with Luz," said Anne.

"It was the only sleepover we had with her," added Marcy.

Anne sighed as she thought about that sleepover. "Yeah, we had a good time with Luz… before things got complicated."

"You know, we've met both Sasha and Marcy now," said Polly. "We still haven't met this other friend of yours, Anne."

"Yeah, you haven't really talked that much about Luz," observed Sprig. Anne didn't respond, but it looked as though she wanted to say something.

"Anne, do they know what happened between you and Luz?" asked Marcy.

"No, they don't. I haven't told them," replied Anne. "Not because I don't trust you guys; it's just kind of personal and also… I know that part of what happened between me and Luz is my fault."

"So, what did happen?" asked Sprig. "If you don't mind sharing with us."

Anne thought for a bit and decided it was finally time to tell Sprig and Polly the truth.

"Well, you see, it all started—" began Anne before the doors to the bedroom opened and she was interrupted by Lady Olivia entering.

"Rise and shine, kids!" she shouted. "Because of you, I barely slept a wink last night! Ugh, well, whatever. It's go time! Your audience with King Andrias is about to begin. GET READY!" With that, Lady Olivia slammed the doors shut.

"I guess we'll put a pin in that," said Anne. "I promise I'll tell you guys some other time. Guess we should get ready."

The kids started to get ready. As they were leaving out the door, Marcy pulled Anne aside.

"Don't worry about Luz. I think you might hear some good news about that in our meeting with the King."

"Really? I hope so," said Anne. "I really regret what I said to her, Marcy. I wish I could take it back."

New Resolve

"These four stones are the keys to getting it working again. They need to be recharged," said the King, pointing to the stones on the Music Box.

"Recharged? How?" asked Anne.

"The book mentions four different temples, each channeling a different kind of energy," said the King, pointing to the illustrations in the book. There were symbols above each of the four gems. A brain above the green gem, a heart above the blue gem, a fist above the red gem, and a star above the purple gem.

"And once the stones are recharged," continued the king.

"We'll have a way home!" exclaimed Anne.

"Steal my thunder, why don't you?" began the king in mock annoyance. "But yes!"

"I don't believe it… A real chance to get home!" said Anne.

"Right, now, let's get out there and conquer these bad boys!" declared Marcy.

"Whoa-ho, let's reign those snails in for a sec," said the king, raising his hand. "The book only gives the location of one temple. Besides, you still have a lot of preparing to do before you set off. Oh, and I might add, you still need another party member."

"Uh, what now?" asked Anne, confused.

"It just so happens I have some information about your other friend," said the king, clapping his hands. The door into the hall opened, and a pink newt walked through, coming up to meet the group.

"Hello!" she said, greeting the group, her eyes turning to Anne.

"You must be Anne, right?" asked the newt.

"Yeah, that's me," answered Anne, still not sure what this had to do with anything.

"My name is Amara," began the newt. "I knew your other human friend, Luz."

Anne's eyes widened at hearing that name, and she immediately began asking other questions.

"You knew Luz? Is she safe? Is she okay? Where is she? Is she here right now?" asked Anne in excitement.

"Whoa, slow down. Luz is okay… Or at least she was the last time I saw her," replied Amara.

"What do you mean the last time you saw her?" asked Anne.

"Well, it's a little complicated, so I'll give you the short version," said Amara. "Basically, she found out that you were in Wartwood and decided to journey there in hopes of finding you."

"But I'm not in Wartwood. I'm here!" declared Anne, and realization suddenly dawned on her. "I have to get back to Wartwood!"

"I'm so sorry," replied Amara. "I even said that we should come here. If we had, the two of you would already be reunited."

"Marcy, I have to go back!" said Anne to Marcy. "Luz might already be there!"

Marcy looked hard at Anne before replying. She wanted to make an argument against Anne leaving, but she honestly couldn't think of a good one to make. Anne had just told her how she missed Luz and regretted what she had said to her, and now there was finally a chance for Anne to find Luz. Marcy knew it wouldn't be right to stand in the way of that.

Finally, she spoke, "I guess that makes sense, but are you sure, Anne? I mean, I know you and Luz parted on bad terms, so if you wanted, I could go back with the Plantars and meet Luz, then bring her here. If I met her first, I could have a chance to explain things to her and make sure she's okay with seeing you first."

Anne thought about Macy's proposal before responding, "Marcy, that's very sweet of you, and I appreciate the offer, but this is something I have to do. I have to make things right with Luz. I… I… I've been avoiding it for so long, but I have to see her and tell her I'm sorry to her face."

"Well, if that's what you think is best, Anne, then I support you," said Marcy. She then turned to the Plantars. "Were you going to head back soon?"

"We were actually," said Hop Pop. "The harvest is coming up soon and we can't miss it. In fact, I was hoping we could head back today if that's alright."

"Yes, that's great!" said Anne. "The sooner, the better, if it means finding Luz again."

"Well, we do still need to get our stuff from the hotel packed up," said Hop Pop.

"Hey, Amara, you said you told us the short version. Does that mean there's more? How long were you with Luz?" asked Marcy.

"Oh, a few months. We studied magic together under Uodeela," said Amara.

"Uodeela…" said the King softly. All eyes turned to him as, for the first time, he seemed to be more serious and sad. "I appreciate you telling me what happened to her, Amara." He then turned to Anne. "You know, I understand how you feel, parting on bad terms with a friend. When she was a lot younger, Uodeela used to live here in the palace. She was like a daughter to me."

"What happened, your Majesty?" asked Amara.

The King's eye's shifted a bit before responding, "Uodeela and I had a fight. I honestly don't remember what it was even about anymore, but she left the palace and went to live on her own in the Wilds of Amphibia. I think she misunderstood and thought she had been banished, but I always regretted how we parted. I kept hoping one day she would come back and apologize, but now it seems I won't get that chance." The King's eyes began to water as he grabbed a giant tissue to wipe his eyes and blow his nose.

"Farewell, Uodeela," proclaimed the King before turning to Anne. "Don't make the same mistake I did, Anne. Find your friend and make peace with her. You never know when the last time you might see her is."

"Thank you, your Majesty," said Anne respectfully. "For everything."

Anne then turned to her frog family. "Well, let's go get packed up and get ready to go."

"Hey, uh, Anne," said Amara. "I know you have to leave, but if you have some time, I could tell you more about what Luz was up to before you go."

"Yeah, I'd like that. Marcy, why don't you come with us? We can grab a coffee at the hotel," said Anne.

"Sounds good!" replied Marcy.

Later, Amara, Marcy, and Anne were sitting in the hotel lobby, enjoying some drinks and listening to Amara tell them what she and Luz had been up to.

"And that's the whole story," concluded Amara.

"Sasha…" said Anne slowly. "I can't believe she hurt Luz, too."

Marcy sighed. "I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to your teacher. Magic users are very rare in Amphibia, and Uodeela sounded like she was very kind and knowledgeable."

"She was incredible," said Amara. "I didn't realize it at the time, but in addition to teaching me magic, she was also trying to help me become a better person. Honestly, Luz also helped me be a better person. I can see why the two of you value her friendship."

Anne shifted uncomfortably in her chair before replying, "Yeah, Luz has a way of making you feel good about yourself."

"She was always so full of energy!" said Marcy. "I can't believe she got to study magic out here. That's so cool! I'm honestly a little jealous. Oh, you think Luz could teach me some of what she's learned when I see her again?"

"I mean, I could teach you a few things if you want," offered Amara.

"Oh, that would be great! But right now, I have to focus on getting things ready for our journey to the temples," said Marcy.

"Hey, Amara… Did Luz ever talk about me?" asked Anne.

Amara thought for a bit before answering, "She never told me what happened between the two of you. At first, she didn't want to talk about you, but as time went on, she seemed to talk about her past more. I know she said that one reason she wanted to find you again was so that she could make things right with you."

Anne took in this statement and felt hope in her heart at hearing it.

"Okay, Anne, we're all packed and ready to go," called Hop Pop as he, Sprig, and Polly came over to get Anne.

The friends had gathered outside the hotel, ready to say their goodbyes. Anne wanted to start with Amara.

"Hey, Amara, I just wanted to say thank you for being a friend to Luz. I wasn't there and honestly, at the time, I was a bad friend to her. So thank you for being there for her."

"You're welcome," said Amara, giving a hug to Anne.

Anne then turned to Marcy. "Thank you for understanding that I have to find Luz, and thank you for getting things ready here."

"No problem, Anne," said Marcy. "I'll contact you once I have everything ready, then I'll meet you in Wartwood."

"Can't wait," said Anne. "I hope the next time I see you, I'll have Luz with me… Hey, Marcy, one last thing."

"What is it?" asked Marcy.

"Do you have any advice on what I should say to Luz? I have a few ideas in my head, but I'm still nervous about what exactly I should say." asked Anne.

Marcy took Anne's hands into her own and looked her in the face. "Whatever you say, let it come from the heart. Be sincere. You've grown in your time here, and I bet Luz has, too. Give her a chance to explain herself and listen. That's the best advice I can give you."

"Thanks, Mar-Mar," said Anne. The two shared a long hug before finally separating as Anne boarded the fwagon. Hop Pop took the reins and guided Bessie towards the city gate and then out onto the road. Their journey home had begun.

"So, Anne," asked Sprig as they left Newtopia, "you never did tell us what happened between you and Luz."

"Oh, right," said Anne. "Well, I think it is finally time, and Hop Pop is here so I can tell him too. So Luz was a friend I met about a year ago. She was a new student at my school. We discovered we had a lot in common and became good friends. Then one night at a dance…"

Marcy watched the fwagon fade away into the distance, standing there, hoping that Anne's eventual reunion with Luz would go well. Even though she knew there was a good reason for Anne to leave, she couldn't help but feel a bit sad at seeing her go. Amara had stayed to watch Anne leave too and came up to Marcy, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. As she did this, the two heard a voice behind them.

"Always sad to see someone go, isn't it?"

With that, the King came up behind Marcy and Amara, catching them by surprise.

"Amara, can you give Marcy and me a few moments alone, please?" asked the King. "I'd like to talk to you after."

"Oh, of course, your Majesty," said Amara, excusing herself. She moved away a distance. She could see the king talking to Marcy, but couldn't hear what he was saying. After a few minutes, Marcy left, heading back to the palace, and the King came to talk with Amara.

"So, you made a new friend with this Luz person," he said.

"Yes, and not just with her, but I made other friends too," said Amara.

"Ah, I see. It always feels great when you make new friends… at least, it does at first," said the King ominously.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Amara.

"Do you know what the problem with friends is, Amara?" asked the King. "The more you love them, the more it hurts when they go."

Amara thought about the king's words.

"Luz is going to leave our world eventually, and I guarantee you won't like it when she does," said the King.

"Well… maybe," began Amara, "but I still have other friends. I will miss Luz though…"

"Perhaps she doesn't have to leave," suggested the King.

"What?" asked Amara in surprise.

"I have a proposition for you, Amara," began the King, "and I think you'll find it very interesting…"

Chapter Text

"Hola, Mama!" said Luz in a cheerful tone to her phone. She had brought it up to try to get both her and Lilly in the shot.

"I know it's been a long time since I sent you a video, though you haven't really been getting them, so maybe it's all relative… Ha ha!" Luz let out a nervous laugh.

"Anyway, a lot has happened since the last video I sent you—too much to really talk about now, but I will say things are finally looking up for me! Oh, and here's Lilly. You remember Lilly, right?" She moved the camera so Lilly could say hi.

"Hi, Ms. Noceda," said Lilly into the camera. "I hope you're doing well. Luz and I are on our way to Wartwood, where we hope to meet up with Anne."

"I suppose I should elaborate a bit, though," said Luz, looking somber. "So, a few weeks ago, Uodeela, the salamander who took me in and cared for me, transformed into a heron. She did it to try to save us from the toads who were attacking the town… and were being led by Sasha… Huh, wow, that's a lot to tell you at once, isn't it…" Luz paused as she tried to consider what to say next.

"Anyway, Uodeela transformed into a heron to drive the toads away, but she got stuck in the heron form and now she doesn't remember me or her students… She's gone, and I don't know where she is. Amara said she was going to try to find a way to cure her, but honestly, we don't know if she can be cured. In any case, before the battle happened, Uodeela told me that she heard that Anne was in Wartwood, which is where we're heading now," finished Luz.

"And that's about it for now. I hope you're doing well, Mama. I want you to know that even though being stuck in this world has been hard, I've made some new friends, and despite the dangers I've faced, there have been fun parts, too. It's like you used to tell me, 'No hay mal que por bien no venga, te quiero. Adios!'" With that, Luz ended the video and sent it to her mother. Of course, the video wasn't able to be sent without service and showed an error next to it, along with all the other previous videos Luz had attempted to send to her mother.

Luz sighed as she looked between her phone and the trail ahead of her. They had been on the road for two days now, and everything looked the same. Luz decided to talk to Lilly to pass the time.

"So, tell me more about how snails work?" she asked. "In my world, snails are really slow and would never be thought of as a mode of transportation."

"Well, in order to use a snail properly, you have to know its history," explained Lilly. "Hey, Dad, can I show Luz the book for Hooty?"

"Yes, of course," answered Emmanuel. "In fact, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to read it too, Lilly. It's time you learned how to drive him."

"Your snail's name is Hooty?" asked Luz, a bit confused. "How did he get that name?"

"It's all explained in Chapter 3," replied Emmanuel.

"And so, that night, a huge owl came out of nowhere and tried to eat me," read Lilly to Luz. "I would most assuredly have died if it hadn't been for the unique sound that the snail made. It hooted just like an owl, which distracted the real owl and allowed me to escape. Because of that sound, I decided to name the snail Hooty. It was the beginning of a long friendship as Hooty became a good and trusted steed. He still makes that distinctive sound whenever danger is near."

"Huh, that's an interesting story," said Luz.

"Yeah, that's still at the beginning, though," said Lilly. "There's still a lot to get through after that."

Luz and Lilly took turns reading the book of Hooty's history. The book was large and took them almost the entire day to finish. By the time they did, Emmanuel had stopped the carriage for the night and was ready to get to bed.

"So, did you get through the whole book?" he asked.

"Yes," they both replied.

"We took turns reading it to each other," said Lilly.

"That part where Hooty got you away from that dangerous snake was incredible!" said Luz.

"Oh, and the part where you managed to outrun a group of toads chasing you with spiders," added Lilly. "I had no idea Hooty was so incredible!"

"Yeah, Hooty may seem like he's not paying attention sometimes, but I honestly doubt I could find a more loyal steed," said Emmanuel.

"I never realized what a deep history he has," said Lilly. "I'm glad I finally read his book."

"Well, now that you've read his story, all you need now is some practical experience. Maybe tomorrow you can try taking the reins and guiding him yourself," said Emmanuel.

"Yeah, I'd like that," said Lilly.

As the trio stopped for the night, Luz went up to the top of the carriage with her sketchbook to get a good picture of the sky. She took out her pencils and began sketching the night sky. Luz had gotten used to the red moon and abundance of stars, something she'd never really seen growing up in a city, so it was a view that she wanted to capture in her sketches. Plus, it had been a while since she'd done a new sketch, so she thought the night sky would be a good image to capture. As Luz continued to draw, her mind wandered. She thought about everything that had happened to her since coming to this strange new world—about the new friends she had made, the experiences she had, and the good and bad times. Luz felt calm looking out at the night sky, as it made her feel that, despite the bad things that had happened to her in Amphibia, she overall had a good experience and one that she felt had helped her grow.

The next day, the group continued their travels. They stopped to rest at a field, and Lilly asked Luz if they could spar. Luz used her staff, and Lilly picked up a stick to use as a sword. Lilly rushed forward to attack Luz, but Luz brought up her staff to block her. Lilly kept up her assault, trying to find an opening. After one attack, Luz managed to push her back, knocking her to the ground.

"Aww, dang it!" exclaimed Lilly.

"Don't beat yourself up, dear," said Emmanuel. "Fighting is both a skill and an art. It takes time to get good at, and it takes practice to perfect."

"But I'm so weak," said Lilly. "I don't know if I can win."

"You're not weak, Lilly," said Emmanuel. "You just don't know enough about fighting yet, but that's okay. Listen, the stronger warrior does not necessarily win all the time. There's a reason they say brains over brawn. What you have to learn is how to fight more effectively."

Emmanuel whispered something into Lilly's ear, then told Luz to get ready for another round. Luz and Lilly got into a fighting stance and began to spar again. This time, after a few blows, Lilly launched her tongue at Luz's staff and managed to yank it away from her. Then she hopped into the air and landed on Luz, knocking her to the ground. Lilly aimed the pointed end of the staff at Luz, who put up her hands in surrender.

"You see, it's all about being more clever than your opponent," said Emmanuel, walking over to where the girls were and helping Luz up. "As a frog, you can use your tongue and your jumping prowess to get the edge over an opponent."

"That is actually pretty clever," agreed Luz. "Good job, Lilly."

The two continued to spar for a while. As Emmanuel showed Lilly some new moves to help her best utilize her advantages as a frog, Lilly and Luz continued to spar and practice their fighting techniques. Emmanuel would occasionally cut in with some advice to help the girls.

"Another move you can try, Lilly, is if you wrap your tongue around an object, you can launch yourself at the person holding it and crash right into them." He demonstrated what he meant by having Luz hold out her staff while he wrapped his tongue around it and then launched right at her. Luz let go at the last minute, not wanting to take the full brunt of the attack.

"As I said, it's all about catching your opponent off guard," said Emmanuel. "Sometimes, if you can surprise an enemy, that will help you get the upper hand."

"How long have you been fighting in the rebellion?" asked Luz.

"I've been training for about five years now," replied Emmanuel. "Once we realized what we were up against, Uodeela thought it prudent that we train. The toads are stronger than us, so learning how to fight them effectively was a top priority. Uodeela was the one who taught me how to better use the advantages we had as frogs. Even still, she didn't want us to fight the toads until she thought we were ready. One of the first rules of combat is that you don't pick a fight with an enemy unless you're sure you can win."

"So do you think you can win against the toads now?" asked Lilly.

Emmanuel paused before answering, "Without Uodeela, I'm not sure, but I think we've gathered enough support that we have a good shot at taking over another area. Uodeela recommended we go after Captain Bufo next. She laid out a plan for invading from Tadpole Pond and gathering support as we liberated villages leading up to his tower."

"You said the toads each control a different area of Amphibia, right?" asked Luz.

"Yes, that's correct," answered Emmanuel.

"Do they just stick to their own area, then?" asked Luz. "Wouldn't they be a much bigger threat if they came together and united their army?"

"That is a possibility, but it's unlikely," answered Emmanuel. "For that to happen, all four Toad Lords would need to agree to it, and there are at least two reasons why that won't happen. Number one, the Toad Lords are mostly content to exert control over their own territory. A long time ago, they were given leave to rule over the four areas of Amphibia, and it kept them satisfied. Because of that, they are reluctant to get involved in affairs in another territory for lazy and selfish reasons. Number two, any news of an alliance between the Toad Lords would cause King Andrias to get nervous and probably begin to bolster his own forces in Newtopia. An alliance of the toads could be a threat to his power, and they know it. If they formed an alliance, it would only be a matter of time before the King sent his armies to stop them."

"So even if you invade the Eastern Territory, you don't think any of the other Toad Lords would help Bufo?" asked Luz.

"That's what we're hoping for, yes," said Emmanuel. "But even if the others didn't interfere, Bufo and his army alone are still a tough challenge. That's why it's essential we pick up more recruits in his territory before facing him directly."

"I can't believe we might actually have a shot at overthrowing the toads," said Lilly.

"And that's why you need to keep up your training, Lilly," said Emmanuel. "When you're in a fight for your life, every move you make counts. I'm just glad nothing happened to you at the battle in Tadpole Pond."

Luz turned towards Lilly in confusion and was about to say something, but Lilly made a gesture to stop her from talking. Luz decided not to say anything, but she knew she would have to talk to Lilly later alone.

Afterward, the three continued to train for a few hours before deciding to move on. As the day began to fade, the group stopped for the night and got ready for bed.

The next day, they continued their journey, taking a break every now and then to spar. Luz and Lilly both improved as they continued to practice, becoming better as the days went on. When she had the time, Luz would take out her sketchbook and draw the night sky or the Amphibia countryside. She was slowly starting to find joy in drawing again, something she hadn't done much of since the battle. One night, as they began to get ready for bed, Lilly came up to the top of the fwagon to find Luz sketching the night sky.

"That looks beautiful," she said, commenting on Luz's drawing.

"Thanks," replied Luz. "I've been adding more detail to it every night. I still can't get over how cool your moon is!"

"Ha, yeah. The red glow adds a nice tint to the night sky," commented Lilly. "I'd say you captured it pretty well in your drawing."

"I'm so glad I had my sketchbook with me when I came to this world," said Luz. "There's so much to draw here. I hope when I get back, I'll have a nice full album."

"Huh, yeah," said Lilly, slowly trailing off. A beat of silence passed before Lilly spoke again, "Listen, about what my dad said…"

"No, it's fine. I get it," said Luz. "You didn't tell him. You didn't want him to worry."

"I just figured that since the elixir saved me, there was no need to bring up the fact that I… you know, died," said Lilly.

"Do you think you'll ever tell him?" asked Luz.

Lilly paused for a long time before answering, "I don't really see a need to. I may tell him about the extra elixir stored under Uodeela's house when we get back, but I can't see what telling him would accomplish except to make him worry about me. When my mom died…" Lilly stopped talking and looked away for a bit. "We both took her death hard. In the days and weeks right after it happened, neither of us talked about anything. Oftentimes, we'd just start crying as we thought of her. Eventually, we were able to move on, but it was a hard road for sure, so that's why I haven't told him. Luz, do you still have your elixir?"

Luz rummaged around in her bag for a few seconds before pulling it out.

"Keep it safe with you," said Lilly. "Once you find Anne and Marcy, you may want to tell them about it. Now that we know it works, you may want your friends to know about it in case something happens to one of you."

Luz nodded but didn't respond. She looked hard at her bottle of elixir, trying not to imagine a scenario where Anne or Marcy had died and would need to be saved. Still, Lilly's words made sense. Luz put the bottle back into her bag and looked up, enjoying the brilliant night sky.

Over the next several days, the group continued on their journey to Wartwood, occasionally taking a break to spar or just enjoy the sights. The journey was very relaxed, and although it took a bit longer to get there, the group did enjoy their time together. One day, as they were getting ready to leave, Emmanuel brought out a map to consult.

"Hmm, if my calculations are correct, we should be pretty close to Wartwood," he said, looking at the map. "I think we might only be a day's travel from the town."

Luz took in that information and breathed heavily before exhaling heavily.

"All set to reunite with your friend?" asked Emmanuel playfully.

"I think so," said Luz slowly. "It's been so long since I've seen Anne, and I have so much to tell her about what's happened to me. But in the back of my mind, I'm so nervous about what to say to her and what she might say to me."

"Well, we aren't there yet, so you still have time to think," said Emmanuel. "Would you and Lilly like to take the reins for today? There's something I'd like to work on in the fwagon."

"Yeah, sure," answered Luz.

Luz and Lilly took control of Hooty, driving him along the road and taking turns controlling him. Eventually, they stopped for a rest and went to check on Emmanuel. He was busy reading something in an old book.

"We stopped for a break," said Lilly. "Maybe we can do some more sparring."

"Oh, great," replied Emmanuel.

"What are you looking up, Dad?" asked Lilly. Emmanuel opened his book and showed Lilly and Luz a picture of what looked like a sword in a stone.

"I was trying to find out more information about this sword. Masamune," he said.

"Wait, the Masamune?" asked Lilly. "The one that Glenn, the legendary knight, supposedly used?"

"Yes, that's the one!" exclaimed Emmanuel.

"I thought it was just a myth," said Lilly.

"Well, that's the thing. I'm trying to find out if there's a chance it was real. Unfortunately, the information I have is inconclusive," said Emmanuel.

"Why are you interested in the sword? Even if it's real, it's just a sword, right?" asked Luz.

"It's not just any sword," replied Emmanuel. "It's a magic sword. Not only is it strong, but it also acts as a conduit for magic. It allows whoever wields it to use magic the way Uodeela did."

"What makes you think it's real?" asked Lilly.

"Bits and pieces of information I've found," replied Emmanuel. "According to legend, Glenn found the sword in a temple, and from what I've been researching, that temple may have had another purpose, in addition to housing the sword. Supposedly, there are other temples, like the one in which Glenn found the sword throughout Amphibia. If those other temples exist, then maybe there's a chance the one Glenn found the sword in is real."

"If it is real, then I suppose it would be a great weapon to have," said Luz.

"Exactly!" exclaimed Emmanuel. "If the rebellion had access to a sword like that, it would be a great boon. I don't want to get my hopes up in case it does turn out to be fake, but I felt it was an avenue worth exploring. But enough about that. For now, let's do some training!"

After the group finished training, they continued on their way. By mid-afternoon, they had reached the end of their journey. Lilly stopped the fwagon on an outcropping that overlooked a path that led into the town of Wartwood. Luz looked down at the path and towards the town it led to.

"So that's Wartwood," she said.

"Yep, that's it," said Emmanuel. "I wish we could stay, but we have to get back, so I'm afraid we'll have to drop you off here, Luz. It won't take you long to walk there. You should make it before nightfall."

"Oh, you're leaving already?" said Luz.

"Unfortunately, yes," answered Emmanuel. "We have to get back and work on our plans for the rebellion. There's so much to do, so it would be best for Lilly and me to start back now."

"I understand. You've done so much for me already. Thank you so much for bringing me this far," said Luz.

"Thank you for being a friend to my daughter and for fighting off the toads," said Emmanuel kindly. "You've got the heart of a rebel in you, Luz. I hope you keep that spirit in you when you get back to your world."

"Thanks, I promise I will!" replied Luz.

"I'll give you and Lilly a chance to say goodbye," said Emmanuel. He entered the fwagon, leaving the two alone.

"I'm glad I got some extra time with you, but I think it's just gonna make me miss you even more," said Luz to Lilly.

"Yeah… I feel the same, but I did enjoy the time we had. I liked sparring with you, reading Hooty's book, and honestly, just sitting out under the night sky and talking," said Lilly.

"Hey, wait, before you go… Just in case I don't see you again, let's take a selfie together," said Luz, bringing out her camera. "I have a few pictures of the others, but I want to make sure and get a good one with you."

"Sure," said Lilly. The two moved in close so they would both be in the frame, and Luz snapped the photo. Afterward, they both shared a long hug.

"I'll miss you so much," said Luz to Lilly as they hugged.

"I hope we get to see each other one more time, but if not, I hope you still remember me when you get home," said Lilly to Luz.

"I could never forget you," said Luz. As the two separated, Lilly got back onto the fwagon and got ready to guide Hooty back to Tadpole Pond. Lilly and Luz waved goodbye to each other until the fwagon was out of sight. Luz then turned towards the path and began walking toward the small town of Wartwood.

It was twilight by the time she got to the town, and many of the shops were closing up for the night. A few of the frogs noticed Luz but didn't say anything, though one young frog with what looked like pink hair came up to her.

"Are you Anne's friend?" she asked plainly.

"Yes, I am. My name is Luz," said Luz to the frog. "How did you know I was Anne's friend?"

"As soon as she got back from Newtopia, she started asking if you were here. Ever since then, she's been asking all the townsfolk to keep an eye out for you and to tell you where she was if you asked," answered the frog.

"She knew I was coming?" asked Luz.

"I think she found out while she was in Newtopia. Talked to someone else who knew you were on your way here," said the frog.

"It must have been Amara," said Luz. "Well, yes, I am Anne's friend. Do you know where I can find her?"

"Yeah, I can guide you to the Plantars, where she's staying, but first, I have a question for you," said the frog, pointing to Luz's staff. "Where did you get that staff?"

"Oh, well, it's kind of a long story," said Luz.

"It's been altered. The ribbons and the pointed end are new, but I recognize that staff. That's Uodeela's staff. How did you get it?" asked the frog firmly.

"Listen, it's not what you think. I was a student of Uodeela's, but something happened to her," said Luz.

The frog seemed to relax upon hearing this. "I had a dream a few nights ago where I saw Uodeela. She transformed into the Red Heron, but she was screaming in pain the whole time, and then she tried to eat me. I wasn't sure at the time, but I had a bad feeling something terrible had happened to her. Please tell me what happened."

Luz told a quick version of the story regarding Uodeela. She also told her how she had come into possession of the staff and why it had been altered. After hearing the story, the frog hung her head in sadness and spoke, "Thank you for telling me this. It must have been terrible to see her in such a state. I can't believe her gem got destroyed."

"I take it you were a student of hers too, then?" asked Luz.

"Yes, last spring," answered the frog. "She taught me so much and really helped my talent with magic flourish. I can't believe she's gone."

"Do you think it's possible she could be cured?" asked Luz.

"I don't know. I'm still just a novice with magic," said the frog. "If there is a way to cure her, then I wouldn't know, but you're here and you studied under her. Who knows? Maybe we can work together and figure something out. I take it you'll be staying here for a bit with Anne, right?"

"Yes, well, I hope so. I still don't know if Anne wants to see me or not," said Luz.

"Well, let's find out," said the frog. "Follow me, and I'll lead you to where she is. By the way, my name is Maddie."

"Nice to meet you, Maddie. I'm Luz," said Luz. With that, the two walked down the road toward the Plantars' house.

"And that's all my contacts could find," said Hop Pop, showing Anne a picture of the box in a book. "Turns out I had a book about it this whole time, but didn't know."

"Calamity Box," said Anne, seriously looking at the image in the book. "Yeesh, that does sound bad. But seriously, that's all your contacts could find out about it?"

"Sorry, I wish they could have told us more. In any case, it looks like Marcy and the King learned enough about it to send you home," said Hop Pop.

"Well, at least we have the box back now," said Anne, holding up the box, "although I saw a bunch of dirt in it. Did your contacts use it as a flower box?"

Hop Pop looked around nervously before answering, "Maybe they just accidentally dropped it in the dirt?"

"I guess," said Anne, eyeing the box. At that moment, Sprig came into the study.

"Anne… Someone's here to see you," he said slowly.

"Oh, who is it?" asked Anne.

Sprig paused a second before saying, "Luz."

Anne's eyes went wide at hearing that name. "Sprig, are you sure? Is she here right now?"

"She's at the front door waiting for you," said Sprig tenderly.

Anne took a deep breath in, then slowly exhaled, then another, then another.

"You okay there, Anne?" asked Hop Pop.

"Just…. just give me a second… please," said Anne, clearly nervous. "Oh boy, this is really happening…"

"You got this, Anne," said Sprig, coming up to Anne and giving her an encouraging punch. "If Luz didn't want to see you, she wouldn't be here right now."

"Yeah, I guess you have a point," said Anne. "Still, I can't believe how nervous I am right now. After all this time, I'm finally gonna see Luz."

"We'll give you some privacy, Anne," said Hop Pop. "Leave them alone, Sprig. Anne probably needs a lot of time with Luz."

"Okay, but I'll be here if you need me," said Sprig.

"Thanks, Sprig!" said Anne, kneeling down to give him a hug. "You're an awesome friend."

"Good luck, Anne!" said Sprig.

With that, Anne gathered her courage and marched to the front door. Luz was indeed there, still wearing her St. James uniform, though over that, she wore a purple cloak and was holding a strange staff.

"Luz…" said Anne slowly

"Anne…" said Luz, looking deep into Anne's eyes.

Chapter Text

Better Side of Me (Song to play in the background)

"Luz…" said Anne slowly

"Anne…" said Luz, looking deep into Anne's eyes.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Anne broke the silence with, "Would you mind if we talked outside?"

"Yeah, sure. That'd be great," said Luz. With that, Anne motioned for Luz to follow her away from the house and out towards a familiar spot where she and Sprig had spent nights outside reading. It was a small hill on the edge of the Plantar's property that had a small section of an old stone wall.

"It's good to finally see you again," began Anne.

"You too. How long has it been?" asked Luz.

"A few months at least. So much has happened in that time," answered Anne.

"I'd love to hear what you've been up to in that time," said Luz.

"I've got so many stories, and I'm sure you do too," answered Anne.

"Right… But first… there's something I have to say to you, Anne," said Luz, suddenly becoming very serious. Anne looked into Luz's face and could see her struggling to keep her composure. Surprisingly, Luz knelt down on the ground in front of Anne.

"Anne…" began Luz, taking a deep breath before finally saying, "I'm so sorry for kissing you at the dance! It was wrong of me to do that. It was a violation of your boundaries, and it made you uncomfortable. I know what I did was inexcusable, and I understand if, because of that, you don't want to be my friend anymore." Luz paused before continuing, "You have every right to be angry at me, but I hope that even if you don't want to be friends, you will at least accept my apology."

Anne took in everything Luz said, feeling many emotions. She hadn't expected Luz to say what she said. After a few minutes of silence, Anne responded by getting down on her knees as well.

"Luz…" began Anne, also taking a deep breath, "I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't give you a chance to explain. I should have listened to what you wanted to say at the park. I realize now how much I hurt you by saying I didn't want to be your friend anymore. I don't hate you for kissing me… I still want to be your friend, if you can forgive me."

"But Anne, it was wrong of me to just kiss you like that," said Luz, getting up from the ground.

"Well, it was wrong of me to not give you a chance to explain yourself. We'd been friends for months at that point. You came to the park to apologize, and I should have given you a chance. Besides… I don't know if you're aware, but it wasn't entirely your fault," countered Anne, also rising from the ground.

"What do you mean?" asked Luz.

Anne paused before continuing, "A lot has happened since I saw you last, but I met Sasha—"

"Oh, you did? Yeah, me too," said Luz. "She told me something about that night."

"Wait, did she confess to you about what she did at the dance?" asked Anne in surprise.

"Yes, she did," said Luz, "but that's still no excuse. All she did was make a suggestion to me, but she didn't force my actions."

"Sasha basically tried to entrap you!" exclaimed Anne. "She's partially to blame here."

"But Anne… I should have controlled myself," said Luz.

"And I should have just talked to you after the kiss," said Anne. "You know, that night, I wanted to talk to you then and there, but Sasha convinced me not to… If only I had, things could have been different. The point is… we both did things we shouldn't have."

Anne and Luz looked at each other for a long time, neither of them speaking. Finally, Luz broke the silence.

"Anne…" she said.

"Yes?" replied Anne.

"… Can I hug you?" asked Luz. almost in a whisper.

"YES!" yelled Anne. immediately rushing towards Luz and practically throwing herself into her arms. As soon as the two began hugging, they also began sobbing. Tears flowed from both girls' eyes as they were overcome with emotion at their reunion. Anne finally spoke between outbursts of tears.

"Luz… I'm so sorry for saying I didn't want to be your friend!" Anne wailed while crying. "I still want to be your friend!"

"Anne… I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable!" sobbed Luz. "I should have found a better way to express my feelings for you!"

"All this time, I kept thinking, What if something happened to you out here?" began Anne, still crying. "If you died and the last thing I ever said to you was how we weren't friends… I'm so glad I got the chance to apologize. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Only if you can forgive me for placing you in that situation in the first place," countered Luz. "If I hadn't forced myself on you, then you wouldn't have said you didn't want to be my friend."

The two continued to cry and hold on to each other tightly, almost afraid that if they let go, they would be lost forever. The hug lasted quite a while, as both Anne and Luz continued to cry and let their tears run their natural course until they were finished. As they finally separated, they each looked at the other's faces and began laughing.

"Ha! Anne, your face is all red and poufy," observed Luz. "You've got snot coming out of your nose."

Anne wiped her face with her hand before replying, "Yeah, you too. You've got snot and tears all over you. You're a mess."

"I look terrible, but I feel a whole lot better now. I needed a nice, good cry!" said Luz, wiping her face and laughing.

"Me too," replied Anne. "You have no idea how good I feel right now. I don't care if I'm a mess. I feel amazing! Much better than I've felt in a long time!"

With that, the two hugged again, letting time pass by and not caring about anything else at the moment except each other. The minutes ticked by, but the two continued to hug as the red moon continued to shine down on them. The feeling of being near each other was such a relief. Anne and Luz felt safe in each other's arms. A long time had passed before Anne finally spoke.

"Luz… Can we stay like this forever?" asked Anne wistfully.

"As much as I'd love to, we have to separate eventually," replied Luz in a teasing manner.

"I know, I know. Can we stay like this for just a little bit longer, then?" asked Anne.

"Of course," answered Luz. As the two continued to hug, they felt a sort of energy between them. Neither of them could describe exactly how it felt, but this feeling of energy gave comfort to both of them as they hugged each other. It was a feeling of immense calm and joy, and it also felt like reassurance that even when they separated, they would still be together.

Eventually, they did separate and went to sit down on the hill next to each other, their backs against the stone wall, and looked up at the star-filled sky. After a few minutes, they began talking, telling each other all the stories of what they had been through on their journey through Amphibia.

"So yeah, that's how I met Sasha," said Luz, having just told Anne about the fight with Sasha. "I was so angry when I saw her cheer on Grime as he hurt Uodeela. She's changed, Anne."

"The thing is, I don't think she really has changed," answered Anne. "I think she's always been like that, but we never really noticed. Considering what she did to us at the dance, I think she's always had a mean streak about her."

"Did Sasha tell you why she did what she did?" asked Luz.

"No, actually," said Anne. "Did she say something to you?"

Luz paused before responding, "She said she was worried I'd steal you away from her."

"What?! Really?!" exclaimed Anne. "Uhhh, Luz, I'm so sorry. When Sasha was convincing me to end my friendship with you, one thing she kept saying was how much better it would be if things went back to the way they were. She said how awesome it was when she, me, and Marcy were a trio and how we didn't need another person. I should have seen it then. It all makes sense now."

"I guess it does. That's… Wow," said Luz.

"I mean, it's not like if we had started dating, I would have just abandoned Sasha and Marcy. We all still would have been friends," said Anne.

"Hmmm, I wonder…" began Luz before deciding to stop. "Actually, never mind."

"Huh? No, what were you going to say?" asked Anne.

"It's nothing," replied Luz, though in her mind she wondered. Was Sasha's interest in Anne purely platonic?

"Hey, I'm sorry about your teacher," said Anne, starting a new conversation. "Amara told us what happened in Newtopia, and I can't even begin to imagine if something like that happened to Hop Pop."

"Thank you," said Luz. "So you met both Marcy and Amara in Newtopia, then?"

"Yeah, I did. Amara was the one who told us about you coming to Wartwood. She's the reason the Plantars, and I raced back," said Anne. "Heck, you should have seen Hop Pop and me a few nights ago. We were so desperate to make it back that we drove non-stop for over 20 hours!"

"What?!" exclaimed Luz. "Anne, that's not safe!"

"I know, I know," said Anne. "I was SOOOO tired, and I had a really crazy dream too… but I wanted to make it back so I could see you! I… I… I've wanted to apologize to you for so long. I didn't want to miss my chance."

Luz took in Anne's words and smiled at her before speaking, "I guess that's also why I wanted to come to Wartwood once I knew you were here. I wanted to apologize to you as well."

"Now, here we are…" said Anne as the two looked at each other and then out at the sky once again.

"So, Amara made it back to Newtopia. That's good to know," said Luz. "It's good to know that Marcy is okay too. So tell me more about what you found for us to get home."

"Right, so Marcy and the king found out some information about the music box—the one I opened when we were at the park. It turns out that the gems on the front had been drained somehow." Anne fished in her pocket for her phone before bringing it out to show Luz a picture of the box. Luz could see that the four gems on it were a dull, gray color.

"Yeah, didn't those used to be colored?" observed Luz. "I only saw the box briefly, but I could have sworn the gems had different colors in them."

"They did," said Anne. "I'm guessing when I opened the box and it transported us here, it must have used the powers of the gems or something. I tried opening it again the first night I got here, but it didn't do anything. Marcy and the king discovered that the gems needed to be recharged in order to make the box work properly. Once the gems have power again, we'll be able to use the box to go home!"

As Luz heard this, she glanced down at her hands and wondered, "Hey, Anne, did Marcy and the king say anything about the gems having powers?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Anne.

Luz paused, thinking how to ask her question. "Well, did they say anything about the gems, say… granting any sort of powers to people?"

"Ummmm, I don't think so," said Anne. "I'm pretty sure I would remember something like that. Why do you ask?"

"Well, Uodeela mentioned something about the gems being able to give powers, but I'm not quite sure about all the details," said Luz. "You know, she had a gem of her own that allowed her to do magic, but Sasha and Grime destroyed it."

"I haven't been able to use any strange sort of powers in my time here," said Anne, "nor has Marcy. You know she would have told me if she had. And I'm pretty sure if Sasha had powers, she would have used them in our fight."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," agreed Luz, staring down at her hands once again. Was it possible that Uodeela was mistaken about what had given Luz her powers?

"In any case, we learned a lot in Newtopia about the box, and soon we'll have it working again," said Anne.

"Wow, we may have actually found a way home!" said Luz in excitement.

"Yeah, I know!" said Anne. "As we speak, Marcy is getting things ready for our journey to the first temple. She sent me a mail fly message saying she should be ready in a few days."

"So, in a few weeks, we might go home and finally see our parents again!" exclaimed Luz.

"Yes!" replied Anne.

Luz stared off into the distance, the prospect of seeing her mom again giving her hope. "Espera un poco tiempo mas mama, regressare. I can't even imagine what my mom must be going through right now."

"I thought about my mom recently. I really miss her, Luz…" Anne began to tear up unconsciously, thinking about that night in Newtopia. Luz saw it and put her arm around Anne to comfort her.

"I got her something while I was in Newtopia. Hope she likes it," continued Anne.

"Anne, she'll be happy just to see you back home safe and sound," said Luz in a comforting voice. Anne turned to her and smiled.

"Hey, why don't you come inside and meet the Plantars? It's getting cold out here," said Anne.

"Yeah, sure, um… There's one more thing I want to talk about before we go inside," said Luz.

Anne looked at Luz, not being able to guess what it was she wanted to discuss, though realization slowly dawned on her.

"Is it about… us?" asked Anne.

"…Yeah," said Luz. "Look, I don't want to put pressure on you or make things awkward, but…"

"It's fine, Luz," replied Anne. "I get it… You're right. Let's talk about us. Can I ask you a question, Luz?"

"Sure," said Luz.

"How did you know you… liked girls?" asked Anne with some hesitancy.

"I… just knew," answered Luz. "It started at the sleepover. Remember when we were dancing?"

"Yeah… Oh, wait a minute! Is that why your cheeks were so red?" asked Anne as she finally put it together.

"Yes," said Luz, causing her cheeks to become red again. "That's when I first started to feel something, and then I knew for sure when you leaned up against me—"

"-and used you as a pillow," finished Anne.

"Yeah. By the way, I'm sorry if you felt uncomfortable because of that," said Luz.

"What? No, you are a very comfortable pillow, Luz," teased Anne.

"You know what I meant," said Luz.

"And that's it?" asked Anne. "After that, you just knew you liked girls?"

"I mean, I did a bit of research," said Luz, "and I came to the conclusion that I like both boys and girls."

Anne laughed a bit before continuing, "So, listen, I have a confession to make. That night at the dance, after you kissed me… I was shocked for sure… but I also felt something for the first time. I think that's why I was so eager to accept Sasha's advice. I didn't want to admit that a part of me… enjoyed that kiss."

Luz didn't say anything, though she looked deep into Anne's eyes.

"Luz, I told you how I was bullied growing up, right?" asked Anne.

"Yeah, I remember you telling me," said Luz.

"That's why I was so scared of those new feelings," said Anne. "I'm sorry for being a coward, but I just thought if people thought I was gay, that would be something else for them to make fun of me for. I hated being bullied, and I didn't want to go through that again for being gay. So I just ignored those feelings and tried to pretend that nothing happened."

"I understand. I really do, Anne. As someone who was ignored and bullied too, I get that fear. I'm sorry you felt that way," said Luz.

Luz paused a bit before asking, "So, how do you feel now?"

"I think… I might like girls too, but to be completely honest, I don't know for sure. I guess it wasn't an instant click for me like it was for you. I have thought a lot about that night. Now I'm not afraid of my feelings, but I'm also confused. I feel I need more time to know for sure whether I really like girls, but like I said, I can't deny… I liked your kiss."

"So… what happens now?" asked Luz, a little afraid of the potential answer but also a little hopeful.

Anne took a deep breath before replying, "I feel I'd like to start over with you as friends… for now."

"Okay," said Luz stoically.

"Listen," began Anne, "we've both been through so much out here; a lot has happened, and right now, we need to focus on getting home… But when we get home… maybe we can see what happens. I know that I'm essentially saying maybe to you, but I feel that's the best thing right now, I really do want time to think, but Luz, I promise that when we get home, we'll talk about this again… and see how we feel, then maybe we can give 'us' a try. What do you think?"

"That's fine, Anne. You take all the time you need," agreed Luz. "So then… for now… Friends?"

"Yes," said Anne, pulling Luz into another hug. "Are you ready to go inside? I can get you some blankets, and you can crash on the couch. I did for a few nights when the basement got flooded."

"Huh, you stayed in a basement too," said Luz. "What are the odds?"

Anne stood back up and stretched out her hand, offering Luz help to get up. As Luz grabbed Anne's hand, she felt something, if only for a brief second, warmth and tenderness in Luz's hand that caused Anne's heart to skip a beat. Anne and Luz went inside, where the Plantars were waiting in the living room.

"Sooooo, how did everything go, Anne?" asked Sprig. "Did you work out all your awkward emotions?"

Anne glared at Sprig before replying, "Actually, we did. It was a little rough, and there was a lot of crying, but now I'm glad I can actually introduce you all to Luz."

"Hi!" said Luz, a little awkwardly, to the Plantars.

"So this is Hopediah Plantar, though we usually call him Hop Pop," began Anne, indicating the elderly orange frog. "Next, we have Sprig, and finally, Polly."

"Hello, Luz," said Sprig, coming up to Luz and shaking her hand. "We've heard so much about you, most of it recently, but it's great to finally meet you!"

"So that's all of your friends then, right?" asked Polly. "I wonder what this one will be like? Though I must say I'm liking that staff. Really feels like you could stab someone with that pointed end."

"Good to meet you all!" said Luz. "So, this is the family you've been staying with?"

"Yep," said Anne. "We've really become close in the time I've been here."

"So, Luz," asked Hop Pop, "where in Amphibia did you get sent?"

"I appeared somewhere out in the wilds," answered Luz. "For the first few days, I just tried to survive, but I was lucky and got taken in by Uodeela. She's a witch."

"Oh, I've heard of her," said Hop Pop. "Not much, mind you, but rumors and such. What's she really like?"

"She's very nice," said Luz. "She took me in, gave me a place to stay, and taught me how to brew potions."

"Hey, wasn't that the teacher that Maddie had?" asked Sprig.

"Yeah, she was. In fact, I met Maddie, and she showed me how to get to your place," said Luz. "I hope if I have some free time later, I can do some collaboration with Maddie and see if we can come up with a cure for Uodeela."

"A cure?" questioned Hop Pop. "What's wrong with her?" Luz's face fell as she heard this, realizing she would have to explain again what had happened to her mentor. Anne saw this and decided to end the conversation.

"Hey, it's getting late. I think it's time for bed, everyone," said Anne.

"Oh, but where will Luz sleep?" asked Polly.

"I'll get some blankets and make up the couch for her," said Anne.

"Thanks, Anne," said Luz.

"Aww, but I wanted to ask Luz more questions," complained Sprig.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later," said Hop Pop. "Come on, kids. Get to bed."

With that, the frogs left the living room, leaving Luz and Anne alone. Anne went to a closet and returned with some blankets for Luz. The two made up the couch so Luz could sleep there for the night.

"It's not much, but you should be comfortable for tonight. We may have to think of something else when Marcy gets here," said Anne.

"It's fine," said Luz. "I've been sleeping on the floor in a basement for most of my time here, so the couch should be no problem."

"Speaking of which, I'm gonna head down to the basement myself. Good night, Luz," said Anne.

"Good night, Anne," said Luz, and the two exchanged one final hug. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Yeah, I've missed you so much," said Anne to Luz. "I'm glad we've worked things out."

With that, Anne went down to her basement to go to sleep. Luz got on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. As she lay down on the couch, she took a moment to relax and take in all that had just happened to her. She had finally reconciled with Anne, and not only that, but Anne didn't hate her. The two had come to an understanding and were friends once more. Also, Anne and Marcy had discovered a way to fix the box, meaning that for the first time since coming here, Luz had hope that she would be able to go home and see her mother again. The night had been a plethora of emotions, and while it had been a bit overwhelming, it was also relieving. Luz was excited as she lay on the couch and thought about what the future might hold, so at first, it was hard for her to fall asleep, but eventually, she did manage to drift off into a calm and comforting sleep.

END OF ARC 3

NEXT TIME…

Arc 4: Gem Journey

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Chapter Text

A girl all alone, or soon she will be
She's moving away with her family you see

She wants to continue to have so much fun!
With all of her friends, united as one!

Will she still have adventures, forevermore?
Or will her friends learn the truth? Here in Arc four

Arc 4: Gem Journey

Chapter 31: The First Temple

On most mornings, breakfast at the Plantar table was a regular affair. This morning, however, saw a bit more excitement than usual for two reasons. The first was that Luz Noceda, Anne's final friend who had been transported to Amphibia with her, was with them. The other was a reason that Anne was particularly glad for as she bit into her pancakes.

"Who knew there was a bug that tasted just like chocolate?!" exclaimed Anne in delight. "Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?!"

"So I take it you've had to adopt some of the local cuisines into your diet?" asked Luz playfully.

"Yes," replied Anne in a deadpan voice. "How about you?"

"Well, for the first few days, after I got taken in by Uodeela, I tried to stick to eating only vegetables and bread," said Luz, "but it turns out the human body needs protein, and here… Well, there's only one real way to get it. I think I've become partial to crickets."

"Oh yeah, me too," said Anne. "Think I even have one stuck between my teeth from last night."

"The first time I tried bugs was when Lilly and I shared a Cricket Pie," recounted Luz. "We bought it from a stall in town one night and decided to share it. It actually wasn't that bad. I think the veggies and the crust help to complement the cricket taste. These pancakes are bomb, though!"

"Hop Pop, you never let us have choco-pede pancakes. What's going on?" asked Polly.

"Well, I figure today is a special occasion," said Hop Pop. "What, with Luz staying with us, I figure we all deserve a nice breakfast."

"Ahhh, thanks so much," said Luz. "I really do appreciate it!"

"You're welcome, Luz," said Hop Pop, bringing over another plate of pancakes. "Please make yourself at home."

"So, Luz," began Sprig before asking a series of questions, "can you perform curses like Maddie? What was it like fighting against the toads? Also, what was Uodeela really like?"

"Sprig, she's eating right now. Don't bother her," warned Hop Pop.

"I'm mostly done, so it's no big deal," replied Luz. "Well, I guess I know how to make a curse, though I've never actually tried cursing anyone before. I did learn quite a few potions. Fighting the toads was scary, as they seem to enjoy inflicting pain."

"Tell me about it," added Anne, glancing at her arm, the one that had been broken by Fens months ago.

"As for Uodeela…" Luz paused before answering, "Deep down, she really is a sweetie. She never really told us the full details, but I know something bad happened to her in the past. Despite that, she still tries to do the right thing. She's also a great teacher who was very patient teaching us potions, and she also taught me how to control—"

Luz quickly stopped as she realized she had almost revealed her magic powers. Anne and the Plantars gave her a look but thankfully didn't press her any further about what she had said.

"What did she teach you to control?" asked Sprig.

"Oh, uh, she taught me to control my temper," said Luz unconvincingly. "Yeah, that's what she taught me."

"I don't remember you having a temper problem," said Anne.

"My first few days living here were pretty rough," replied Luz.

Anne was about to respond to that when she heard a sound from outside. It sounded like a bird screeching. With that, Anne, Luz, and the Plantars went outside to investigate.

They were greeted by a strange sight as a bird descended from the sky to land in front of them. It wasn't a normal bird, though, as it had armor and a helm on it. Furthermore, it had what looked to be a saddle for a rider on it, though the saddle was filled with books.

"AHHH!" screamed Hop Pop. "A monster bird ridden by a pile of books! Wait, what?"

At that moment, Marcy Wu popped out from under the books to greet everyone.

"Hiya, Plantar family!" she greeted.

"Marcy!" they all said, Luz in particular stepping forward from the group to take in the sight of Marcy. She was wearing new clothes, boots, and a cloak. She looked just like a character from Creatures and Caverns.

Marcy got off the bird (or rather, fell) and began to talk. "Big news, everyone. I finished my preparations for…" Marcy trailed off as she finally noticed Luz among the group.

"Luz," said Marcy slowly.

"Marcy," replied Luz, staring at her.

"Luz!" yelled Marcy as she ran straight towards Luz, throwing her arms open and tackling her in a hug. Luz and Marcy fell to the ground, but Luz didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, my gosh! It's really you!" exclaimed Marcy in delight as the two got up.

"Hey, Marcy," said Luz, getting emotional. "It's great to see you too! Anne said you were okay, but I'm glad I get to see you in the flesh for real."

"I'm so glad you're okay, Luz!" said Marcy, tears forming in her eyes. "I was so worried about you!" With that, the two friends hugged again, happy to be reunited.

"I have so many questions for you," began Marcy. "But before any of that… How are you doing?" She glanced between Luz and Anne, subtly trying to imply what she meant.

"I'm good, and so is Anne," said Luz.

"We had a nice long talk," added Anne, coming up to join the group, "and a nice, long cry, too. But that was for the best; Luz and I have made up, and we're good now." To emphasize this, Anne put her arm around Luz.

"Oh, that's so good to hear!" squealed Marcy in delight. With that, she wrapped her arms around both Anne and Luz, pulling them into a big hug. "I'm glad we're all friends again!"

"Me too," said Luz, smiling at both Anne and Marcy.

"Oh, and you got some new clothes too!" exclaimed Marcy as she took in the sight of Luz's new outfit. "That cloak suits you well! Makes you look like a wild witch!"

"Ha ha! Thanks! I have to admit this new look has grown on me, but the thing is, it wasn't even my idea," explained Luz. "Lilly, Gustav, and Amara made these for me before I left to go to Wartwood." She twirled around, showing off her new cloak and the various accessories she had.

"And this staff," began Luz, looking warmly at the staff. "It used to belong to Uodeela. They made some changes to it, but I'm glad they let me have it…" Luz trailed off, getting emotional as she remembered her teacher.

"Amara told us everything," said Marcy, coming up and putting her hands on Luz. "I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to her."

"Thanks, Marcy," said Luz in gratitude.

"Oh, and speaking of Amara," began Marcy, "I have something for you." She reached into her cloak and pulled out a sealed letter, handing it to Luz.

"Huh, a letter?" said a surprised Luz. She examined the letter, noticing it had a wax seal with what looked like a family crest on it.

"Amara wanted me to see how you were doing," said Marcy. "She's been helping me get ready for the journey."

Luz tore open the letter to see what Amara had written.

"Dear Luz,

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. I hope you made it to Wartwood safely and were able to reunite with your friends. They both miss you terribly and can't wait to see you again.

As for me, I made it back to Newtopia and have been busy combing through the Royal Library, trying to find some way to cure Uodeela. As of the writing of this letter, I haven't yet found a viable cure, but I assure you that my resolve remains steadfast! Though I have had to balance the time I spend doing research with other duties that my mom has me doing. Sometimes, it's hard to find time to research cures with everything else I have to do.

I have managed to make a new friend. Her name is Bella, and she works in a hotel here in Newtopia. She's really fun to be around, and we've been trying to hang out at least once a week. I still miss you, Lilly, and Gustav a lot, but I'm glad I was able to make a new friend. I also recently reconnected with an old friend who just returned from service in the army. I had no idea that in all the time I hadn't seen her, she'd been promoted! She's now a general, or, I should say, the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the great Newtopian Army!

I've also been helping your friend Marcy prepare for her trip to meet with you and hopefully recharge the stones on that box. I hope your trip goes well and you succeed in making the box work again. Marcy has been asking me a lot of questions about magic and how it works, so I've shown her a bit of the basics, but I told her you could teach her too, seeing as you learned a lot in our time with Uodeela. She seemed really excited to hear about that.

Marcy said that once you get the box recharged, you will come back to Newtopia in order for the king to show you how the box works and send you home. I hope that means I'll get to see you one more time. If so, there was something I wanted to ask you, but I'll wait until I see you again, hopefully in person.

With all that said, I wish you well on your quest and hope you are able to brave the dangers of the temples!

Your Friend,

Amara Light"

Luz read through the letter and was filled with a warm feeling in her heart. She was glad to hear Amara had made it back safely, and even more glad that she had thought to write to her to let her know how she was doing.

"Good to know Amara is doing great," said Luz.

"She helped me get ready for the journey and helped me pick out some good books for research," said Marcy. "I like her."

"Hard to believe how different she is now from when I first met her," said Luz, "but that's a story for another time."

"In any case," began Anne, "Marcy, are you here about the box?"

"Yes, of course, the box!" said Marcy, remembering why she had come. "Well, you'll be glad to know I've finished my prep, and we're ready for the first temple!"

"No way! Awesome!" exclaimed Anne.

"I just need to see the music box, then it's go time, gang!" said Marcy. With that, she began to hype herself up. She punched the air while yelling, "Yeah!" The Plantars, Luz, and Anne all stared at her with blank expressions on their faces.

"Sorry," said Marcy, realizing they were watching her. "Long flight, lot of pent-up energy. Anyway, Music Box." She stretched out her hand to receive it.

Anne reached into her backpack and pulled out the music box, handing it to Marcy. Marcy took the music box and began to tap on it in various different places. The key in the box began to turn, and it let out a short melody. After that, the four gems that were housed on the top emerged from where they had been embedded so that they could be removed from the box. Marcy grabbed one gem and handed the box back to Anne.

Marcy spoke to the group, saying, "Well, we've got a big journey ahead, so I'll explain everything on the way. Come on, Joe. … Joe? Ahh! Joe Sparrow!"

The sparrow that Marcy had ridden on to get there had gone off and was now doing a dance for the Plantar's snail, Bessie. It must have been some form of mating dance, as the snail began to blush profusely.

"Leave that snail alone!" ordered Marcy as she ran up to Joe Sparrow. The sparrow relented and allowed Marcy, Luz, and Anne to climb on board.

"Kind of cramped up here," observed Anne as the three girls sat down. "Hey, Sprig, I think you'll have to sit on my lap."

"What about me?" asked Polly.

"You can sit with me," said Luz, placing Polly on her lap.

"Oh, so where do I sit?" asked Hop Pop sheepishly.

Although he was secure in the sparrow's claws, it didn't make the experience any more enjoyable, as Hop Pop screamed as he flew through the air.

"I'm starting to wonder if that was a good idea," asked Luz.

"Don't worry, Joe Sparrow has a very good grip," said Marcy.

"Honestly, it kind of looks like fun," said Sprig. "Let me try it next time."

"Sure, dude, if you say so. Oh, I bet it feels kinda like parasailing," said Anne.

"Anyway," began Marcy, "according to my research, these four ancient temples are filled with difficult challenges to keep out the unworthy. All we have to do is complete the challenges, and then we can recharge the stone."

"Nifty. So what kind of challenges are we talking?" asked Anne.

"This first temple is said to specifically challenge your intelligence, so I'm pretty sure it's full of puzzles." Suddenly, Marcy became very serious. "No frog, toad, or newt in history has been able to survive it."

"That's not very reassuring," said Luz in dismay.

"Don't worry, Luz," said Marcy, "none of them were Marcy Wu! Head of the Chess Club, master RTS player, straight-A student (except for gym, but only because I was reading in class, which only proves my point!)"

"That's all great, Marcy," began Anne, "but be careful. When you get this into something, you tend to tune everything else out."

"Oh, are you talking about the snake incident?" asked Luz.

"YES! The snake incident!" confirmed Anne in terror.

"Snake incident? That sounds bad," said Sprig. "What exactly happened?"

"You don't want to know!" said both Luz and Anne at the same time. "It was the worst Saturday of our lives!"

"In my defense, I was about to beat the new Flame Emblem game on Lunatic+ mode," answered Marcy, though Luz and Anne both glared at her to show they weren't amused.

Marcy let out a weak laugh to try to recover, "Guys, it's called being in the zone. It's pretty much my superpower."

Anne let out a sigh at this before continuing, "Okay, okay, just don't forget about us. This place is going to be dangerous, and we're here to help."

"Oh, please. Like I could forget about you," Marcy gestured towards Sprig and Polly, trying to remember their names. "Penny, sprout… Right?"

"Polly," said Polly

"Sprig," said Sprig.

"Oh… uh, the point is, I'm not gonna let you guys down," said Marcy.

"You know I wouldn't mind being let doooowwwwnnnn!" yelled Hop Pop as the sparrow suddenly dove to the ground.

When the sparrow was only a few feet from the ground, it threw Hop Pop out of its claws and into some trees and bushes that were scattered around. Hop Pop bounced around a few times before finally getting stuck in a tree. After that, the sparrow landed and allowed the rest of its occupants to disembark.

"Welcome to Amygdala Woods, everyone! Home to the first temple," said Marcy as she got off the sparrow.

As Luz looked around, she could see various trees that all looked like brains. At first, it was a bit unsettling, but as she got used to the sight, it became intriguing.

"Little help here?" called Hop Pop from where he was in the tree.

"Whoa! What are these things?" asked Sprig as he approached the tree where Hop Pop was, poking it with his finger.

"Gyromitra esculenta, also known as brain mushrooms," explained Marcy as she helped to free Hop Pop.

"Man, you really did learn a lot for this, didn't you, Marcy?" observed Luz. "With that brain of yours, we'll be back home in no time."

"Well, let's not rush things," said Marcy nervously. "I mean, since we have to go on a quest to recharge the stones, we may as well have fun, right?"

"Oh, for sure," said Luz. "You are right. I mean, when's the next time we'll all get to go on an adventure like this?"

"That's the spirit, Luz!" said Marcy, coming up and putting her arm around her.

"It does feel kind of on the nose that this forest is all full of brains for the intelligence temple," said Anne as she looked around.

"Speaking of temples, I think you way overhyped this place," said Polly as she pointed to what looked to be an outhouse.

"No, no, no, that's the temple," said Marcy, directing the group's attention to a rather impressive building.

The group let out a gasp as they took in the sight of the temple. It was a large stone structure that towered into the sky. Some mushrooms from the surrounding forest had grown on the temple itself. In the front was a large staircase that led up to the entrance. The staircase was flanked by two large waterfalls that dumped water into a sort of moat around the temple.

"Wow!" exclaimed Luz. "Feels like I'm really playing Legend of Hilda in real life."

"I know! Isn't this amazing?!" exclaimed Marcy as the group made their way up the stairs and towards the entrance.

"Alright, guys!" exclaimed Marcy as they reached the entrance. "Let's do this thing!"

Anne and Hop Pop came up to the doors, which they opened, allowing the group to enter.

They eased into the temple. There was no light inside, so they stepped lightly until Polly happened to step on a switch that lit up some mushrooms along the walls. The mushrooms brought light to the inside of the temple and a carving inside it. Marcy looked hard at the carving.

"Did I learn an entire dead language just for today?" asked Marcy slyly. "You better believe I did. Now let's see." Marcy looked into her book to decipher the meaning of the ruins, walked up to the wall, and began speaking.

"Keeper of the box, one strong of mind. Three trials await, that will return the stones shine." Marcy turned back to the others and said, "Heh, looks like there are three trials, guys."

With that, another set of doors opened, leading further into the temple, though the room it opened into was very small, with seemingly no way to proceed.

"A dead end," declared Sprig. "Well, we tried our best, and that's what counts."

"Hey, we can't give up that easily. We just got here," said Luz.

"Exactly. There's a puzzle here somewhere. Everyone, look for clues," said Marcy.

The group began to explore the room they were in, trying to find any sort of clue to advance. They looked all over the walls and floor, hoping to find something. Anne eventually noticed a small cube by her feet. She picked it up to show the others.

"Hey, guess who found the puzzle?" declared Anne, holding the cube up in the air. No sooner had she finished speaking that a green orb appeared around Anne, enveloping her and raising her into the air. Anne let out a small yell as she ascended.

"Whoa! How are you doing that?" asked Luz.

"Frog, help us! A cursed cube possessed by evil magic!" yelled Hop Pop.

"No, it's the puzzle," said Marcy. "Also, I'm pretty sure that's a magnetic field holding her up."

"Isn't that what I said?" asked Hop Pop.

"Well, whatever it is, all yours, Marbles," said Anne as she tossed the box to Marcy. Though as soon as she did, the green field enveloping her faded and dropped her hard to the ground.

Marcy managed to catch the box, and soon the green orb encircled her, causing her to rise into the air.

"Whoa, this thing's got like a zillion permutations," began Marcy, "but if this temple thinks it can beat me, it's got another thing coming." She began to turn and twist different parts of the cube in an effort to get certain images in the correct order. What Marcy didn't notice was that as she moved the cube around, sections of the room she was in began to move as well.

"Uh, guys," said Polly as she saw the ground beneath her begin to move. Suddenly, the ground moved violently and dragged everyone toward the wall. The Plantars managed to grab onto the wall and prevent themselves from falling, and Anne managed to grab onto them. Luz wasn't so lucky and began to fall to the floor.

"Luz!" screamed Anne as she saw her friend fall.

Luz saw the floor quickly approaching and made a motion with her hand to produce a cushion of air that she could land on to soften her fall. She thankfully landed without injury, and Anne noticed this but didn't say anything. She directed her attention back to Marcy.

"Marcy!" she yelled. "Could you at least let us know what you're going to move BEFORE you move it?!"

This plea seemed to fall on deaf ears as Marcy continued to move various pieces in the cube. Each time she moved a section, either the floor moved in some way or a column shot out from the wall, almost crushing one of her friends. Anne, Luz, and the Plantars all had to dodge various pillars to avoid getting crushed.

Eventually, Marcy did manage to figure out the correct pattern on the box, and the door to the next chamber opened. At that moment, Anne and the Plantars were on the ceiling of the chamber and began to fall to the ground. Luz noticed this and once again used her magic to create a soft cushion of air for them to land on. The Plantars were all distracted and didn't notice Luz doing this, but Anne had again seen her.

"We did it!" exclaimed Marcy. "One down, two to go!"

"Huh, that landing didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would," observed Sprig.

"Yeah, almost felt like we were slowed down at the end there," said Polly.

Anne didn't say anything, though she did cast a glance at Luz as she hurried after Marcy into the next chamber.

"Hey, Marcy, wait up!" called Luz.

"Oh, hey. What's up?" asked Marcy.

"Hey, you need to calm down a bit," said Luz. "You were in your 'zone' again, and I think you may have zoned out too much."

"What do you mean?" asked Marcy.

"Maybe you didn't notice, but every time you moved something on that box, it caused something to move in the room," explained Luz. "We almost got crushed several times, and the Plantars and Anne fell from the ceiling. I had to use—" Luz again cut herself off as she realized she had almost said something.

"What did you have to use?" asked Marcy inquisitively.

"I had to use quick thinking to try to help them," answered Luz quickly. "The point is, you need to be more aware of your actions, Marcy. Maybe you don't intend it, but you might accidentally hurt people if you don't think about how they feel when you do something."

At that statement, Marcy's face fell, if only for a moment, but she quickly perked up again. Luz noticed this.

"Right, uh, sorry," said Marcy rather quickly. "In any case, let's have a look at the next challenge." She and Luz looked down onto the floor of the next room. The floor had tiles of three different colors on it, though it mostly consisted of blue, red, and purple tiles. Among the different tiles were three green ones. The green tiles were all in separate areas of the room, with none of them next to each other. At this point, Anne and the Plantars came into the room.

"Oh, hey! A dance floor!" exclaimed Anne upon seeing the multi-colored floor.

"Not quite. Watch," said Marcy. She grabbed a small rock and tossed it onto the floor, which skipped a bit, before landing on a red tile. A second after it landed, a jet of flame shot up from the tile, consuming the rock.

"Whoa! Not getting good vibes from this room," said Sprig.

"Well, time to turn back. Thanks for playing, everyone," said Polly, clearly ready to give up.

"Hold on, gang. Look," said Hop Pop. Around the room, various walls lit up with text—the same text there was at the beginning of the temple. Marcy took out her journal to decipher the writing.

"A dangerous room, what to do? Don't be jealous of my hue," said Marcy, translating the writing.

"Hmmm, I wonder what that means," said Luz. "Hue generally refers to colors, and all the tiles in this room have a different color."

"I wonder…" said Marcy. With that, she grabbed another rock, this time making sure to toss it onto a blue tile. The moment it landed on the blue tile, a large, spiked crusher came down, smashing the rock into oblivion.

"What about the purple one?" asked Luz. She took a small stone and tossed it toward one of the purple tiles, it landed on the square, and a second later the tile opened, the stone falling into a deep bottomless pit.

"Okay, so pink is death by flame, blue is death by crushing, and purple is death by falling," observed Anne. "I'm still not following… Marcy!" As Anne continued talking, Marcy ran past her and jumped into the air. She then used her arm-mounted crossbow to launch a line into the ceiling, allowing her to swing further. Everyone was tense as Marcy swung through the air, heading towards the floor. Thankfully, she managed to land on one of the green tiles and was neither burned nor crushed. Anne breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ha! Solved it!" exclaimed Marcy. "Okay, guys, listen up. Green is the safe color. Got it?"

"MARCY, THAT WAS SO DANGEROUS! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" yelled Luz, getting everyone's attention.

"I was in the zone!" replied Marcy. "I had a good feeling about the green tile."

"Still, we should have discussed it or tested it with another rock before you did that!" said Luz.

"I just want us to get through the temple, that's all," answered Marcy.

"Arrgg, well, alright. It seems you're right about the green tile, then," said Luz. "I bet we have to step on all of them at the same time, then, in order to open the door." She pointed to the other two green tiles on opposite ends of the room.

"Yeah, exactly what I was thinking. Looks like a three-person job then," said Marcy. "We need to hit those other two tiles."

"Mar-Mar, are you sure?" asked Anne with some hesitancy.

"Yeah! How do we know those other tiles are safe?" asked Sprig. "One of them could be a trapdoor like the purple tile."

"With spikes in it!" added Polly.

"Not helping," said Hop Pop.

"Guys, I've done the research," said Marcy. "Plus, it's me, remember? I said I wouldn't let you down, and I meant it. Now come on! We need two of you to hit those other tiles."

Luz, Anne, and the Plantars looked nervously at each other. While they trusted Marcy, it was still somewhat of a leap of faith to reach the green tiles. A single missed jump could likely end in disaster. After a few moments, though, Hop Pop spoke.

"I'll do it. Seems like this was meant for a frog, what with our leaps and all."

"Hop Pop, you sure?" asked Anne. "It looks really far."

"Well, I'm a really good jumper, so it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, I feel I need to make it up to you, Anne," said Hop Pop.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Anne.

"Oh, well… uh… I just meant I care about you, Anne. The whole point of this journey is to get you home," said Hop Pop as he crouched down, getting into position. "And well, if anything happens to me, I've had a good life!"

"Hop Pop, you don't have to do this," said Anne.

"Trust me! I know I can make this," said Hop Pop as he began to breathe in and out a few times, getting himself ready.

"Okay, here goes. A one… and a two… and a three," said Hop Pop. With that, he leaped off the platform and toward one of the green tiles. It was close, but he managed to make it without hitting any of the other tiles. He breathed a sigh of relief as he steadied himself on the tile.

"Okay, just one more!" said Marcy, pointing to the last tile.

Sprig looked nervously at both Anne and Luz. Being the only other frog left, he could feel the implication that he should be the one to jump, but he wasn't quite sure he could manage it.

"The thing is, I'm still young," began Sprig nervously. "I'm not sure I can reach the apex of my jumping ability."

"I can do it!" said Luz suddenly, causing everyone to look at her. She walked over to the edge of the platform and crouched down, getting ready to jump.

"Luz, that looks too far. I don't think you can make it," warned Marcy, as Luz prepared to jump.

"No worries, I got this," said Luz. She jumped and secretly used her wind powers to help increase her jump, landing on the green tile in one leap. As soon as she did, the rest of the tiles in the room suddenly began changing color to green, making the floor safe to walk on. The door to the next room also opened, letting them progress to the final trial.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Polly, Sprig, and Anne simultaneously.

"Dang, Anne, your friend is a great jumper!" exclaimed Polly.

"I swear she's part frog," added Sprig.

"That was amazing, Luz!" said Marcy, coming over to give her a high five. "How did you do that?"

"Oh, you know… I've been practicing how to jump like a frog out here," explained Luz. "Guess I've gotten really good at it."

"I'll say," said Marcy. "Looks like this temple is toast!"

As the group made their way to the next trial, Anne pulled Luz aside.

"Luz, that was pretty cool how you jumped like that," said Anne.

"Thanks! Glad to be able to help," replied Luz.

"Maybe I was seeing things, but I could have sworn it looked like you were almost flying," said Anne.

"Oh, I'm sure it looked that way," said Luz nervously, "but no, I was just jumping." She moved to walk ahead of Anne, not wanting to say anymore, causing Anne to look after her and wonder if Luz was not telling her something.

"Ah!" Marcy suddenly declared. "Here we are, the final puzzle! Oh, I'm so excited!"

Ahead of them was an arch that led into the final room of the temple. There was an engraving above it in the same writing as the other two trials. Marcy paused to read it.

"Few have the brains to make it to this door, but are you wise enough to solve what's in store?" Marcy paused for a second before declaring. "Yep! Let's go!"

As the group entered the room for the final trial, Marcy observed a small table in it.

"Huh, I don't believe it. It's Flipwart!" she exclaimed.

"What's Flipwart?" asked Anne.

"It's a strategy game I learned to play in Newtopia," said Marcy. "It's like chess, but to the max! I got so good at it, I even beat King Andrias!"

"Impressive," said Hop Pop. "They say King Andrias is one of the best Flipwart players around."

"Amara tried to teach me how to play once," said Luz. "I got the basics down, but I was never able to win against her."

Marcy moved up to the table, on which was laid a Flipwart set. She opened a drawer to reveal the pieces.

"So both sides have a wart, and they're trying to flip it." She held up the piece she was talking about, which looked like a large toad with a crown sitting on top of a pedestal. Marcy pulled out more pieces. "Each piece has a different set of abilities. These archers can only attack in a straight line. Ah! I love this game!"

As Marcy continued setting up the board, Hop Pop walked over to an inscription on the wall.

"Hey, Marcy, what does this say?" asked Hop Pop.

Marcy glanced at the writing before replying, "Any commander whose wart falls may never again set foot inside these temple walls. Looks like you only get one shot at this. One shot is all I need! But first, to set up the board."

"Well, I guess we'll just sit back quietly and watch," declared Sprig

Polly agreed with him. "Yeah, it will be nice to sit this one out because these flippers be tired."

As soon as Marcy put the first piece on the board, a trapdoor opened up under Polly, dropping her out of the room. The others quickly went to the spot where the door had appeared to try to find out what had happened to her. Suddenly, a light came on to reveal a large Flipwart board.

"A giant Flipwart board?!" said Marcy in surprise. As she said this, the piece that she had placed on the small board suddenly appeared on the larger one, with Polly on it somehow.

"Polly, are you okay?" asked Sprig

"Okay? I got a sword, baby!" replied Polly. "I'm doing better than all of you!"

"Marcy, do you think we should stop?" asked Anne. "This could get dangerous!"

"We don't have a choice, Anne," replied Marcy. "You want to get home, right? Then we've got to play, or we'll never recharge the stone."

"No arguing with that then," said Luz with a sigh

"Trust me, okay?" said Marcy.

Anne and Luz looked at each other for a moment before deciding to trust Marcy.

"Okay, I hope you know what you're doing," said Anne.

With that, Marcy began assembling other pieces on the board. As she did, trap doors opened up under Sprig, Hop Pop, and Luz, transferring them onto the board.

"Oh cool, I get a specter," proclaimed Hop Pop as he appeared on the board.

Sprig was, however, dismayed to see that he was in front of the board. Polly noticed his position.

"Ha ha! You're a pawn," she laughed

"Aw man," sighed Sprig in defeat.

Luz, meanwhile, appeared as one of the ostrich knights on the white side.

"Nice, I get to ride a bird, just like in Final Adventure," she said.

Marcy looked from the board at a worried Anne. "Get ready, Anne. There's a good chance you're next."

Anne braced herself as Marcy put the rest of the pieces on the small board, causing them to materialize on the large board, though Anne was not placed on any of them. Thinking she was safe, Anne let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, looks like I'm not in the game. Well, you guys have fun, I guess." No sooner had she said this, a trapdoor suddenly appeared under her, transferring her to the board, but on the other side. She took the place of one of the black ostrich knights.

"Wait what?!" exclaimed Hop Pop

"Anne, no!" said Sprig.

"Traitor!" yelled Polly.

"No, this is good," began Anne. "I'll just play badly and sabotage the other team. Didn't think of that, did ya, temple?" With that, Anne raised her weapon and prepared to strike down her mount.

"Ha! Here we go! Sabotage!" Before Anne could deliver the blow, her wrists were enveloped in green rings. They stopped her from moving and put her arms back in their natural position.

"Okay, I can't move," she said.

"Anne?" asked Luz from across the board, only for green rings to appear on both her and the rest of the group's wrists.

"What's going on?" asked Sprig

"Our hands are tied, literally," said Hop Pop.

"Don't worry, everyone," said Marcy. "I'll just play well enough so that none of you gets hurt. It'll be like playing in hard mode. Fun!"

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were the pawn," said Sprig in a huff.

"Okay, white goes first, so it's our move. Let's flip this wart!" declared Marcy. She moved one of the white pawns forward and into position.

"You got this, buddy," said Sprig as the white pawn moved into position.

"Now, let's see how they respond," said Marcy.

In response, the black side moved its large toad soldier to a position to counter the pawn, raising its large club and destroying it in a single swipe. Sprig's face fell in terror as the head of the destroyed pawn landed near him.

"I don't like this game!" he cried.

"Such a basic response," said Marcy. "This is going to be easy." With that, she moved one of her archers into position to destroy the toad soldier.

With that, the game of Flipwart began. Marcy did her best to win the game without either harming Anne or using the pieces that her friends were controlling as a sacrifice. The game was very intense, and with these restrictions, the game became harder. Even so, Marcy continued, undaunted. As the game went on, the board became more empty as the pieces that were lost were destroyed entirely. Eventually, though, Marcy did manage to get in a position to win the game.

"Gotta admit, this temple's good, but not good enough," said Marcy, as she moved her archer into a position where it could defeat the opposing Wart.

"Gotcha! We win!" declared Marcy as the archer attacked. However, as it attacked, the enemy Wart simply jumped out of the way, avoiding the attack entirely. It taunted Marcy as it landed back down, laughing at her and slapping its butt.

Marcy was flabbergasted. "What?! No! Guys, this thing cheats!"

Sprig, Polly, Hop Pop, Luz, and Anne were all unnerved to hear that.

"What?! How are we supposed to beat this challenge, then?" asked Luz with worry.

"I'll think of something," said Marcy. On her next turn, she realized Luz was in a position to attack the Wart and moved her piece.

"Okay, Luz! Show 'em what you've got," said Marcy.

Luz used her spear and tried to stab the Wart, only for it to dodge every attempt Luz made against it. Again, it taunted her.

"No!" said Marcy in a defeated tone, unable to see a way to win.

On its next turn, the black side moved Anne into a position to attack Luz. Anne struggled against the bonds, trying to resist the attempt.

"No, no, no!" declared Anne, but she wasn't able to stop as she raised her spear above her head and brought it down on Luz. Luz was able to use her own spear to block the attack, but it shattered in the process.

"Okay, so what if it cheats? I still have way more pieces," said Marcy, beginning to sweat profusely. "I just need to attack from a different angle, and I'll be fine."

Marcy moved Luz's piece out of range of Anne, but the opponent followed. Every time Marcy moved Luz out of danger, the opponent chased after her piece so it could attack on the next turn.

"No, this isn't working!" said Marcy desperately.

"Uh, Mar-Mar, I don't think you can win this game," called Luz.

"Let me try one more time," said Marcy. With that, she moved Sprig to a position where he could attack the Wart. "Go, Sprig!"

Sprig used his spear to stab at the Wart, but once again, it dodged all attempts to hit it, and once again, it laughed and taunted Marcy.

"There must be something I'm not thinking of," said Marcy as she tried to think of what she could possibly do to get out of this.

"Luz, I'm so sorry," said Anne as she once again raised her spear to attack her. This time, the spear connected, causing Luz to yell in pain.

"It's alright, Anne. I know it's not you," said Luz as she recovered from the blow.

"I don't want to hurt you," said Anne. She then turned to Marcy. "Uh, Mar-Mar, is there any way you can think of to get us out of this?'

Marcy hesitated, unsure of what to do, but as she was thinking, Anne again raised her spear and began to attack Luz again.

"Luz…" Anne began. "If there's anything you think you can do to get us out of this, now would be a great time to do it."

For a second, Luz hesitated. She had not wanted to reveal her powers just yet but realized that they could help get the group out of this jam. Deciding that she had no choice, Luz closed her eyes. When she opened them, for a brief second, they glowed purple, but then almost as quickly, Luz felt a jolt of electricity run through her entire body, shocking her and causing the glow to leave her eyes.

"Ahhhhh!" Luz cried out in pain.

"LUZ!" yelled everyone together.

"I'm okay," said Luz weakly. As she raised her head back up, the black Wart turned toward her. It looked straight at her and began to wag its finger while shaking its head in a "no" movement, and making a sound to show its disapproval.

Guess that means I can't use my powers, thought Luz bitterly.

"Luz, are you okay?" asked Anne.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Luz. Though it was clear from her voice, the shock had hurt her a lot.

"This isn't right!" yelled Anne. "I don't want to hurt you! We just made up, and I don't want to hurt you again!"

"I'm the one who started it though," said Luz. "It's my fault we even had a fight in the first place, though."

"If I had just let you apologize, maybe… maybe we wouldn't even be here," said Anne, tearing up. "Maybe I would have forgotten about that stupid box. We could have all gone home that night, and we could have made up without having to go through all this other pain. We wouldn't have to go through this trial if I had just given you a chance to speak."

"Anne…" said Luz, starting to tear up herself. "It's not your fault. And honestly, maybe we needed this. Maybe we needed time to cool off and learn new things about ourselves and each other. We'll get through this trial. I know we will!"

Marcy listened to the conversation, suddenly realizing her friends were getting hurt for no reason.

"What am I doing?" she said out loud. As she said this, Anne was forced into another attack against Luz.

"No, no, no!" said Anne. Luz braced herself to be hit again.

"Luz, Anne, who cares about this stupid game?! I forfeit!" said Marcy as she knocked her Wart off its pedestal, though the action was not repeated on the large board.

"Uggh! It's not working," said Marcy in frustration. "Maybe I have to flip the big wart, too." With that, Marcy jumped down to the large board and made her way to where the large wart was. Though as she stepped onto the large board, there was a flash of red light, and her own Wart and archers turned on her. The archers began firing lasers at Marcy to try to keep her off the board. Marcy dodged the lasers and ran behind Sprig for cover.

"What the heck's going on?!" yelled Sprig, as he used his shield to block one laser.

"I'm trying to throw this game, but it won't let me!" said Marcy. "I need your help."

"Help you? How?" asked Sprig. In response, Marcy picked up Sprig and threw him toward her own Wart. She hit him directly, managing to knock him off his pedestal, onto his back, and successfully forfeiting the game.

As soon as the Wart fell on its back, the game ended. The pieces melted away, almost like sand, and the green restraints around Anne, Luz and the Plantars faded, allowing them to move again freely. As soon as she was free, Anne went to go check on Luz.

"Luz, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Luz, standing up and brushing herself off.

"I'm just glad you're okay," said Anne, pulling Luz into a hug. "I wonder why the game shocked you like that?"

Luz didn't respond right away. She looked over at Marcy, who was still on the ground with her hands covering her eyes. Anne followed her gaze, and the two went over to check on her with the Plantars joining in.

"Marcy, I don't understand," said Anne.

"Yeah, why'd you throw the game?" asked Hop Pop.

"Because it wasn't worth you guys getting hurt!" said Marcy. "I got so caught up in trying to prove how smart I was to win that I couldn't see what I was about to lose."

"Well, in your defense," said Sprig, "that game was a ding dang cheat!"

"Yeah, I still think you're pretty smart," agreed Polly. "Little obsessive though." Marcy smiled at this.

"Don't feel bad, Marcy," added Luz. "What's the point of going home if it gets us killed? You made the right choice."

"Thanks, Sprig, Polly, Luz," said Marcy. As she said this, a path of green arrows lit up, pointing to the outside of the temple.

"I got it, temple. I wasn't smart enough to win, but I can find the exit, okay?" said Marcy in frustration. With that, Marcy got up off the floor and made her way to the exit, the rest of the group following her.

As they arrived back outside, the group tried to stay positive, even though they had failed their mission.

"Guess we won't be charging the stone today," said Anne.

"No, and since I lost, I'm not allowed back in the temple," said Marcy dispiritedly. "You guys will have to try it all again without me."

"We'll manage, dude. Somehow," said Anne as she put a reassuring hand on Marcy's shoulder.

"You did your best, Marcy!" added Luz, putting her hand on Marcy's other shoulder. "When we try again, we'll make sure your effort was worth it."

"Hey, guys, the failure arrows want us to keep going this way," said Polly, indicating the arrows that were still pointing toward a path.

"Huh, well, if we're going to lose, might as well lose all the way," said Marcy dejectedly. She and the others continued along the path. Eventually, they came to the outhouse they had seen earlier.

"Wait, the outhouses?" declared Sprig

"Wait a second," said Marcy, stepping forward to open the door. Instead of the outhouse, it had been earlier, the chamber was now full of several carvings that were glowing a bright green. In the center of the back wall was an image of a frog. They all took in the sight, unsure exactly what it was.

"No, it can't be!" exclaimed Marcy. "Guys, this is where we charge the stone!" She walked forward to where a small opening in the floor stood. She brushed away some dirt, and a pillar rose out of the floor. As it did, more of that ancient writing from the temple appeared, and Marcy read it for the group.

"Only the worthy will have the wisdom to choose

Whether it's more important to win, or have the humility to lose

A choice is made to save thy friends,

And honestly, doesn't that make you a winner in the end?"

"That last bit was oddly casual," said Anne.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of it sooner?" exclaimed Marcy. "The temple wasn't just testing for intelligence; it was also testing for humility."

"I see," said Luz. "If you think about it, knowing when to cut your losses is part of wisdom too, and that's something that people may not always realize."

"Well, don't give the temple a chance to change its mind," said Polly. "Charge that bad boy."

Marcy pulled out the stone and put it into a slot in the center of the pillar. The stone gave off a bright green flash. As it did, Marcy's eyes changed color to green, and then the green color quickly drained from her eyes as though it were emptying from her…

When the flash ended, the stone was no longer gray. It was its natural green color.

"We did it?" said Anne, unsure.

"We did it!" exclaimed Marcy in excitement. Just then, the stone let out a bright green laser that pointed out of the temple and off into the distance. Marcy picked up the stone and turned it a few times.

"Guys, it's leading us to the next temple," she said. "I should be able to triangulate its location with a bit of work. This just keeps getting better!"

"Wow, we actually did it!" said Luz. "That means we're one step closer to getting home!"

"Yeah! One down, three to go!" said Anne. With that, the group left the chamber in a feeling of triumph, confident they could face whatever else the other temples threw at them!

"Hey, Luz," called Anne as they left.

"What's up?" asked Luz.

"I just want to say that jump you made back there was pretty amazing. I honestly didn't think you'd make it. I remember how much you used to hate sports," said Anne.

"Eh, what can I say? I've picked up a few tricks out here," said Luz.

"You sure have," said Anne, smiling. For a moment, she thought about pressing further. She wanted to ask Luz if she was keeping something from her but decided against it.

It almost looked like Luz was able to control the wind, like an Airbender from that show we like, thought Anne. Maybe I was seeing things, but it sure looked that way to me. Was there some magic Luz learned about that let her do that? If so, I wonder why she's keeping it a secret.

Meanwhile, in her mind, Luz was having her own thoughts. Is it stupid that I haven't told Marcy or Anne about my powers? A big part of it is that Anne said she and Marcy never used any powers like mine while they were out here. Was Uodeela wrong about where my powers came from, or was I the only one who got them from the box? I just don't want Anne or Marcy to get their hopes up that they'll be able to do cool things like me, only for it to not be true.

"Hey, you guys wanna go straight to the next temple tonight?" asked Marcy. "Or take a break first?"

"Break, please," said the entire group at once. They were tired from today's adventure and needed to take some time to regroup and relax. Before long, they had boarded Joe Sparrow and made their way back to Wartwood.

Far away in the Newtopian Palace, King Andrias was listening to a report from one of his top generals, though he seemed all but disinterested in what she had to say.

"The political situation is worsening, Your Highness," began the pink Newt. "What started as a small valley riot is quickly becoming something more. Our latest intelligence says that this group of frogs is amassing near the remains of Tadpole Pond. This small force was once no cause for concern, but reports show that this 'rebellion' is not a disorganized rabble. They are better equipped and organized than we thought. Their numbers have swelled in recent weeks as they have been able to recruit from towns all over the Southern Area of Amphibia. With no Toad to enforce order in the South, the frogs have been emboldened. They may only have a grievance against the toads for now, but how soon until that grievance spreads to us?"

"Oh, whatever shall we do?" said the king in a tone that indicated he was only barely paying attention.

"Not only that, but the Toad Lords have agreed to meet," continued the Newt. "This could spell disaster! Newtopia may well withstand an attack from an army of frogs, but if the Toad Lords are meeting and decide to unite, it could well present another organized threat against us!"

"How disappointing," said the King in the same uninterested tone.

"And the traitor Grime is still at large and currently being aided by a—" The general was cut off as a messenger wasp flew in through the window, delivering a message to the king. The king seemed excited to receive this message, as he quickly put on his glasses and began to read it.

"Why, it's from Marcy!" exclaimed the king. "Looks like they're making progress! That's enough for now, Yunan. I'll handle the rest." With that, the king got up from his throne and made his way out of the throne room, leaving a very confused Yunan.

As soon as he left the throne room, the king turned to head towards the basement. He pulled a lever to reveal a secret staircase that descended into the dark depths of the ancient castle. As he made his way down, strange creatures appeared in the stairwell. Their bodies were not corporeal, making them look like ghosts of some kind, but their forms were neither human nor amphibian. As the king walked down the stairs, they scattered out of his way, as though they were afraid of him.

Once the king had reached the bottom, he knelt down, took off his crown, and began speaking to an unknown figure.

"The prophecy is being undone as we speak, my lord. Soon, we will have our revenge."

As Andrias finished speaking, the room began to shake as whatever he was talking to began to stir. Then the dark room was suddenly filled with light as a set of thirteen eyes, each with hellish red pupils, opened in front of the king!

Chapter Text

"Sir, are you certain about the decision to reduce stall rents by 10%?" asked Toadie to the Mayor as he prepared himself for bed.

"I thought we was done talking about the major business of today," replied Mayor Toadstool. "Besides, it's nearly time for bed. I need my 12 hours of beauty sleep, Toadie."

"It's just, well, the whole reason we raised rents in the first place was for… well, embezzlement," said Toadie, "and then you ended up using that money to fix the potholes on 6th Street."

"Yeah, well…" the Mayor trailed off as he thought for a long time. "It's just that ever since I saved some lives back at Toad Tower, I've been feeling something. I can't quite describe it, Toadie, but I feel like I genuinely want to help the people of Wartwood, and well… A reduction in stall rent would help them all a lot."

"Certainly, sir," said Toadie. "It's just, you know, the toads put you in charge to keep the frogs in line. I doubt Grime would appreciate you going easy on them."

"Toadie, did you miss the part where Grime is gone? Toad Tower is destroyed, and there is no way Grime is coming after me for anything," said the Mayor with confidence.

"True, sir. It's just that I would hate to see anything bad happen to you. If something happened to you, I don't think I could go on!" said Toadie, dramatically throwing himself to the floor.

"Now stop that, Toadie. Everything will be alright!" said the Mayor. "Besides, it's time for bed."

"Of course, sir. Do you need me to tuck you in?" asked Toadie.

"No, I can handle that, but what I do need is my cuddly, squishy spider," said the mayor, his eyes going wide as he said that.

Toadie handed him the stuffed animal, and the mayor squealed with delight at receiving it.

"Alright, that will be all, Toadie," said the Mayor. clapping his hands. "See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, sir! Sweet dreams," said Toadie, going out the door and closing it.

With that, the Mayor got into bed, holding his squishable spider tightly. The mayor was just starting to fall asleep when he thought he heard a sound. He looked up but didn't see anything and started to fall asleep again. Once again, he heard a sound, this time looking at the door. He almost thought he heard it open, then quickly close.

"Toadie, is that you?" he asked, a little nervous, though there was no response.

This time, he scanned the room again, but once again didn't see anything. As he lay down a third time, though, a pair of hands took hold of him, muffled his mouth so he couldn't scream, and dragged him away.

The sun was just starting to come out as Luz Noceda exited the fwagon. It was decided that Marcy and Luz would share accommodations in the fwagon. It was, after all, made to house a whole family, so Luz and Marcy had taken to sharing it. It would at least ensure they had a place to rest and change in privacy. Luz stepped out of the fwagon and onto the grass, taking a deep breath of air as she did. Luz stretched her arms, still a little sleepy, though as she rubbed her eyes, she began to notice that something wasn't right. Luz looked out over the Plantar farm and saw signs of destruction. Several vegetables were plucked, wagons and farm equipment were broken, and the fence around the farm was smashed. She went back inside to rouse Marcy.

"Marcy, wake up!" said Luz, shaking her sleeping form.

"Huh, what?" said Marcy, still asleep.

"Something trashed the farm!" said Luz urgently. Marcy got dressed, and a few moments later, the two were staring at the destruction.

"Holy cow! What the heck happened?" asked Marcy in disbelief.

"I dunno, but we should probably wake the Plantars and Anne and let them know about this," said Luz.

"Here, I'll do it," said Marcy. "You were still going to go on your morning walk, yeah?"

"Are you sure?" asked Luz.

"Yeah, it's fine," said Marcy. "Go enjoy your walk, and when you come back, maybe we'll have a plan ready."

"Okay, thanks, Marcy. Be right back," said Luz as she began walking towards the forest.

Luz continued her walk towards the forest. She made her way deeper into the forest, finally stopping near a tall tree. Luz closed her eyes and concentrated, and finally, she opened them, and as she did, she used her wind powers to jump up onto a high tree branch. Then she shot a vine out of her hand, latching onto another tree branch and pulling tight to make sure the vine was secured. Letting out a small breath, Luz jumped out of the tree, swinging on the vine!

As she reached the apex of her swing, she reached out her hand and shot another vine at another tree, latching on and continuing the process. Again, she swung, and again, as the swing ended, she shot another vine, grabbing onto another branch. Luz yelled in delight as she made the next swing, having the time of her life! After a few more swings, she let go of the vine as it swung upward, spinning herself into a somersault and landing on her feet on the ground.

That feels so amazing! she thought to herself. I never in a million years imagined I would be able to do something like that! I know there have been some rough parts to being trapped in another world, and I know my mom is probably worried sick about me, but even so, I'm glad I at least got the chance to do magic like I always wanted! Huh, I wonder if these powers will still work back home.

Luz continued walking back towards the Plantar house, and as she got closer, she realized Marcy, Anne, and the Plantars were already outside. They were all looking at the destruction around the farm and trying to figure out what could have caused it.

"Oh, Luz, there you are," called Anne, coming up to her. "Back from your walk already?"

"Yeah, did you guys find any new clues?" asked Luz, seeing the destruction.

"Nothing," said Hop Pop. "Looks like someone came through here and stole a lot of our crops."

"Hey, take a look at this!" called Marcy, bringing the group's attention over to a giant footprint in the dirt.

"Huh, that looks like a frog footprint," said Sprig. "But I've never seen a frog that big."

"The tracks go off towards the forest," observed Marcy, noting where the tracks led. "Luz, did you see anything while you were out there?"

"No, nothing unusual," said Luz.

"Guess we should head out and see if we can find whatever it was that made those," said Anne. Just as she said this, though, a loud, shrill voice came ringing towards them.

"Plantar family, I need your help!" shrieked Toadie as he approached.

"We're kinda busy with something here," said Hop Pop, annoyed. "Something tore through our farm last night, and we're trying to figure out what it was and where it went."

Toadie stopped in his tracks, looking at the destruction of the farm, his eyes lighting up. "Well, perhaps we can help each other. Maybe whatever destroyed your farm is the same thing that took the Mayor."

"What?!" said Anne in surprise. "Mayor Toadstool is missing?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" said Toadie in annoyance.

"Why should we help you out?" asked Polly smugly. "You had to resort to cheating in order to win against Hop Pop."

"It wasn't cheating," clarified Toadie. "It's not my fault that Hopediah didn't know the rules about who gets a vote in the election. But fine, whatever, help me find the mayor, and I'm sure we can do something for you." He trailed off for a minute before continuing, "Oh, I know. What if we give you a 10% decrease on your stall rent?"

"Alright, done!" said Hop Pop, quickly shaking Toadie's hand. "We'll help you find the Mayor."

"Well, guess we have two things to take care of," said Marcy.

"Unless it turns out they are both related," said Sprig.

"Still, we should probably split up just in case," said Luz. "I can go investigate the forest. I was just there, so I know my way around."

"Oh, Polly and I will go with you," said Sprig.

"Yeah, we'll get to take Anne's other friend out for a test drive and see if we like her," said Polly.

"Oh, I mean, I can probably handle it on my own," said Luz, not wanting to have to worry about watching over Sprig and Polly.

"Nah, dude, let them go," said Anne. "This way, you can have a chance to bond."

"Oh, well… Uh, okay," said Luz.

"Is something wrong?" asked Anne. "Do you not want to go with Sprig and Polly?"

"No, it's not that. It's just…" stammered Luz. She didn't want to admit that the real reason was that she felt she could move faster on her own with her powers. Having Sprig and Polly around would mean that she couldn't use them.

"It's fine," said Luz, deciding to just acquiesce. "You're right; we can have a chance to get to know each other."

"Alright, well, you guys head out to the forest then," said Marcy. "The rest of us will head into town and see if we can't find more info on what happened to the Mayor."

"Good luck!" called Sprig as Anne, Marcy, and Hop Pop headed into town, while Sprig, Polly, and Luz made their way to the forest.

Once they were far enough away, Sprig and Polly grinned mischievously at each other before looking at Luz.

"So, Luz," began Sprig, "Anne's stayed with us for a while, and we've gotten to know her quite well."

"Uh-huh," replied Luz.

"So if you wanted to know any secrets about her, well… twenty coppers and I'll tell you everything," said Polly.

"Wait, what?" asked Luz, confused.

"Polly!" chastised Sprig. "This is true love we're talking about! You can't put a price on that."

"Says you!" countered Polly, "though if it will make you pay I'll lower the price to fifteen."

"Hold on a sec. What are you guys talking about?" asked Luz.

"Well, Anne told us about what happened between you and her," began Polly.

"Oh, she did…" said Luz, her face becoming bright red.

"And I just figure I can tell you whatever you want to know about her, for a price," said Polly. "That way, if you wanted to write her a romantic poem, you would know exactly what to put into it."

"I was going to offer to help for free," said Sprig, acting noble. "I can be that person who helps get people together. What do you humans call it? Ah, your birdman!"

"It's wingman," replied Luz. "And listen, I don't need either of you to do that."

"Ah, but we wanna help," said Sprig. "You might not know it, but Anne actually helped me get together with this frog I had a crush on. You know what the crazy part is? I didn't even realize I liked her until Anne helped me realize it."

"Oh, what's her name?" asked Luz.

"Ivy," replied Sprig. "She's the best! I still can't believe we're together sometimes, and well… Anne helped me get together with her, so I figure I should help her be with the person she loves."

"My interest is purely financial," said Polly. "My offer still stands, Luz."

"Look, Sprig, that's very sweet of you, and I appreciate it, but right now, Anne and I are just friends," said Luz. "There's a lot going on, and we just want to focus on getting home. I don't want to put any pressure on her right now. We agreed we'd talk about dating after we got back."

"Okay, then I can help you now," said Sprig, "and then you can use my advice after you get back to Earth."

Luz actually laughed at this. "That's… Well, maybe I'll consider that, but right now, we have to find whatever it is that destroyed the farm."

With that, the group walked deeper into the forest, keeping a lookout for anything out of the ordinary. They kept walking until they thought they saw something through the trees.

"Hey, I thought I saw some movement over there," said Polly, pointing to an area off in the distance.

"Well, let's approach carefully and see what it is," advised Luz, bringing up her staff into a defensive position. Sprig followed suit, pulling out his slingshot, while Polly pulled out a chain mace, causing the others to give her a look.

"Hey, you have your weapons, I have mine," she said nonchalantly.

The three continued to advance, and as they got closer, they began to hear a strange noise. Then they noticed some bushes rustling in the distance. As they got closer, Luz nodded to Sprig and Polly. The three crouched down and then quickly moved forward, ready to attack whatever it was that was hiding in the bushes.

"Luz chop!" declared Luz as she brought her staff up and hit the object behind the bushes. She connected with it, and it made a loud metal clanging sound. Luz looked up and saw a large, imposing figure standing in front of her. It was made of metal and had a domed head on top of its large body. There were two eyes in its head that looked down inquisitively at Luz. Luz glanced to the side and saw a large pile of vegetables gathered beside it.

"Whoa! What is that?" asked Polly as she looked up at the towering figure.

"It looks like some kind of robot," said Luz

"What's a robot?" asked Polly.

"Oh, I think Anne told me about robots once," chimed in Sprig. "They're supposed to be these super cool, powerful things that are like humans, but better because their bodies are made of metal! They can do all kinds of things like shoot lasers, fly, punch things real hard, and even do complex math!"

"Huh, that's not quite 100% accurate," said Luz, "but it's close enough. Wait, a second. What the heck is a robot doing here?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" asked Polly.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but Amphibia isn't exactly a technological place, is it?" asked Luz.

"No, not really. That's why we were all so taken when Anne told us stories of her world," said Sprig. "She said you have large metal birds that fly and large metal beasts that roll around on the ground and take you places. Plus, there are all those cool things her magic rectangle can do."

"Yeah, exactly," said Luz. "If you don't know about planes and cars, then how the heck is there a robot here?"

Sprig and Polly looked at each other as they considered this before Sprig spoke up.

"Oh, maybe it came from your world, Luz? Have you ever seen something like this before?"

"I don't think so," said Luz, taking a long look at the robot. "Honestly, this thing seems even more advanced than technology in my world."

"Hey, guys, check this out!" called Polly. She was waving her arms up in the air, and the robot did the same, copying her. She blinked a few times, and once again, the robot mimicked her actions. Finally, she let out a laugh, and the robot did the same, or at least tried to. Its voice sounded horrifying.

"Ha! It's copying me," said Polly. "That means it likes me the most! Hey, do you have a name? My name's Polly."

The robot stared at her, not making any movement. It didn't seem to understand the question, though it looked more closely at Polly.

"My name's Pooolllyyyy," said Polly, stretching out her name and pointing to herself. Again, the robot kept staring at her, though finally, it made a sound.

"Polly," it said in a heavily synthesized voice, pointing to Polly.

"Whoa! It can speak?" said Luz in amazement.

"Yes, that's it!" said Polly in delight. "My name is Polly. What's yours?" she asked, pointing to the robot. The robot didn't answer, and instead, the eyes in its head transformed into question marks.

"Well, if it doesn't have a name, I guess we'll have to give it one ourselves," said Sprig.

"You know, even though this thing is a robot, it still kind of looks like a frog," observed Luz. "I guess that makes it a kind of frog robot."

"Frog robot…" began Polly. "Frog robo… Ooo, how about we call you Frobo?"

The robot's eyes lit up at the name, and it seemed to smile!

"Huh, Frobo. I guess that sounds alright," agreed Luz.

"Well, at the very least, we solved one mystery," said Sprig as he looked between Frobo and the pile of vegetables. "Seems like this is what tore through our farm. We should probably head back and tell Hop Pop we figured it out."

"We could do that," began Polly, "or we could have a bit of fun out here with our new robot friend."

"I don't know," began Luz.

"The responsible thing would be to return home," added Sprig, "and Anne and I are trying to be more responsible."

"Please…" begged Polly, making sure to make her eyes as big and bright as possible.

"No, we need to do the right thing," said Luz and Sprig together.

"Whoaaa-hooo!" exclaimed the trio as they sat on Frobo's shoulders. Frobo was using his extended arms to swing on tree branches through the forest. Luz, Sprig, and Polly were letting out screams of delight as the wind blew in their faces!

"This is awesome!" exclaimed Sprig.

"See? I knew I had the right idea," said Polly.

"This is even better than what I was doing this morning," said Luz.

"Wait, did you go swinging through the trees this morning?" asked Sprig.

"Yeah, exactly," answered Luz, hoping her answer would be taken as a joke.

"Oh, Luz, you're just a kidder," laughed Polly. "I think I might like you more than Marcy, but don't tell her I said that. This is amazing, though! You are the best, Frobo!"

Frobo let out a laugh at this.

"I think you and I are going to get along just fine!" said Polly to Frobo.

"Okay! Hang on, everyone!" yelled Luz as Frobo swung on the last branch. With that, Frobo launched into the air, higher than he had ever gone. In fact, he was so high that Luz, Sprig, and Polly could look out and see the vast world of Amphibia. Sprig was amazed at the sight before his eyes.

"Wow, everything looks so small from up here," he said.

"Yeah, I know," said Luz, remembering the first time she had jumped above the treetops and recalling the sensation she felt at being so high.

"Hey, look over there," said Polly. The three turned to look and saw signs of smoke coming from deep within the forest. There didn't seem to be a fire, but it still looked suspicious.

"Let's go check it out," said Luz. As soon as they landed on the ground, they all went off in the direction they had seen the smoke coming from. As they got closer, they heard voices, and Luz motioned for Polly and Sprig to be quiet. Frobo seemed to have picked up on the intent too, as it walked slower with less noise. Finally, the three peered through some bushes to see a sight that almost made them gasp! The remains of the Toad Army were camped in a forest clearing. Luz recognized some of them immediately as she had seen them at Tadpole Pond, and Sprig and Polly knew them from the tower. As their eyes scanned the camp, they caught sight of Mayor Toadstool tied to a tree. A fierce-looking red toad approached him.

"Well, well, the great Frodrick Toadstool. How far you've fallen," sneered the red toad. Luz, Sprig, and Polly recoiled as they all recognized that voice.

"That's Bog," whispered Sprig to Luz. "He's the one who leads the Tax Collectors."

"Yeah, I've met him before," said Luz with a hint of anger.

"Oh, right, the toads attacked the town you were in, didn't they?" said Sprig.

"Yeah, they did, and he was there," replied Luz. She continued to look around the clearing, hoping to see a sign of Grime or Sasha, but she didn't see them among the other toads.

"Sasha was with them when they attacked my town," said Luz, "but I don't see her here."

"Hey, you're right," said Sprig, also noticing Sasha's absence. "Grime isn't here either."

"Wonder what he wants the Mayor for?" whispered Polly.

"I suppose we're just going to skip the pleasantries then," said Toadstool. "What do you want, Bog?"

"I want the money you've embezzled from the town," replied Bog. "Us Toads have been living like bandits ever since the fall of Toad Tower, while you've been living it up in a cushy Mayor's role. Last time, you tried to hide the money from us, but this time, you'll tell us where it is or else."

"Well, tough for you, Bog," sneered Toadstool defiantly. "I don't have any more embezzled funds. We spent that money fixing potholes on 6th Street."

No sooner had Toadstool said this, than he quickly received a swift punch from Bog in the stomach, then another in his face.

"You think I'm stupid?" growled Bog angrily. "Last time we came to collect taxes, you sold out your own citizens to try to keep money for yourself! Now you want me to believe that you don't have some stash somewhere hidden in the town?"

"I'm telling ya the truth," said Toadstool slowly, still recovering from the blows he had been dealt.

"Either you tell us where the money is, or we hurt you until you do!" yelled Bog.

"Look, there is no more embezzled money," pleaded the mayor. "But how's about this? I have a large collection of silk pajamas. Those have to be worth something, right? You can have 'em. Heck, take anything you want from my house; just leave the town alone."

"Looks like we have to do this the hard way," said Bog. With that, he snapped his fingers, and two toads who were flanking him stepped forward, looking menacingly at the mayor.

"Rough him up until he tells us where the money is." With that, Bog turned around, and Luz and the others saw that he was now wearing an eyepatch over his right eye.

"Huh, that's new," observed Sprig. "Wonder what happened to his eye?"

"I'll tell you later," said Luz. The group slipped back behind the bushes.

"Well, looks like we found the Mayor too," said Polly. "What are we gonna do? We have to rescue the Mayor."

"Mmmmm… Do we have to rescue him now?" began Sprig. "I think he can take a few hits." As he said this, the group could hear the sounds of the Mayor being roughed up from behind the bushes.

"Anne told me all about Toadstool," said Luz. "That stunt he pulled with the taxes got her arm broken, so I kind of agree with Sprig."

"Hey, he did save a lot of the citizens when the tower was collapsing," said Polly, trying to plead a case for him.

"Yeah, but how do we know he didn't have ulterior motives for that?" said Sprig.

"Plus, didn't he cheat Hop Pop out of being Mayor?" added Luz.

"I mean, for all we know, he could be lying about not having any embezzled funds," said Luz.

"Oh, but he did actually fix those potholes on 6th Street," said Polly.

"Huh, really? That is surprising," said Sprig. "Maybe he's not so bad after all. I guess we should think up something."

As the group tried to think of a way to save Toadstool, the sounds suddenly stopped, and the two toads who had been punching him reported back to Bog.

"He really doesn't want to give you the money. Must be tougher than he looks," said one of them.

"He didn't talk," said the other plainly. "What do you want to do, Bog?"

"Fine!" growled Bog in annoyance. "Get the troops ready. We'll march on Wartwood and find the money ourselves. Oh, and since we're going there anyway, we may as well loot the entire town. Those frogs might not have much, but we'll still take everything they have and then burn the town to the ground."

With that, Bog marched back towards where Toadstool was tied up. "Well, looks like you leave us no choice, Toadstool. We're just going to head to Wartwood and find the money ourselves. As for you, I think we'll leave you tied up here. Some hungry predator can come and have you as a snack, and then you'll finally be good for something. Ha ha!" Bog laughed as he motioned for the toads to follow him. Slowly, the toads left the clearing, heading for the town.

Once they were all gone, Luz, Sprig, and Polly entered, coming up to where the Mayor was. As Luz looked into his face, she felt pity for the mayor. His face had been thoroughly beaten, making him look not unlike Uodeela after her encounter with the toads. His eyes were black, and he had bruises all over.

"Mayor Toadstool, are you okay?" asked Sprig.

"I don't know. Do I still have my roughish good looks?" he asked sarcastically, trying to shrug off his beating.

"Here, I have something for you." Luz reached into her belt and pulled out a bottle full of blue liquid. She brought it up to the Mayor's mouth and tipped it into his. The mayor drank the potion, and in an instant, the bruises began to fade. They didn't completely disappear, but there was considerable healing on his face, and the pain seemed to have subsided too.

"Luz… right?" asked the mayor, unsure if that was her name.

"Yes, that's me. I think I only met you once before," replied Luz.

"Oh, well, enough talk. You got to head back to town and warn the people of the invasion…. and, oh my Frog, what is that!?" he asked, having finally noticed Frobo.

"We found him in the woods. He's a robot, long story," said Sprig.

"Well, get going," said the Mayor. "You've got to warn them."

"In a sec. First, we have to get you free." Luz moved to the ropes that were holding the mayor and quickly used the sharp end of her staff to cut through them.

"Here, you guys," began Luz, helping the mayor to his feet. "You guys take Toadstool, find Anne and Marcy, and go warn the town."

"What about you?" asked Polly.

"I'm going after the toads," declared Luz. "Maybe I can slow them down a bit."

"Luz, are you crazy?!" yelled Sprig, quickly jumping in front of her to prevent her from going. "You can't take on the toad army by yourself."

"I'm not going to take them on," lied Luz. "Just going to try to slow them down a bit. Maybe I can buy you enough time to get some defenses up for the town. Don't worry, I've fought the toads before."

"So has Anne, and that resulted in her getting her arm broken. She's lucky it wasn't taken clean off," said Sprig.

"I'll be alright, Sprig. Trust me," said Luz, getting on her knees and looking Sprig in the eyes.

"Luz…" said Sprig.

"Trust me, I'll be fine. And hey, Sprig, look after Marcy and Anne, okay? Promise?" asked Luz.

Sprig hesitated for a bit before finally replying, "Okay, I promise, but Luz, please be careful. The toads aren't pushovers, and they sound like they mean business this time."

"I'll be careful. Now go back to the farm and regroup with the others," said Luz, before turning and heading off in the direction the toads had left.

"That Noceda girl is either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid," began Toadstool. "Which one is it?"

"I guess we'll find out," said Sprig, as he watched Luz leave.

Meanwhile, Bog and the Toads had gathered just outside the village, and they were all checking their weapons and making preparations to attack.

"I'll head to the Mayor's house and look for the stash there," said Bog. "Group one will check the statue and surrounding area in case he hid the money near the same place as last time. Group two will loot the town, grab anything valuable they can, and get out of there. Group three will burn it all down after you're done. Kill anyone who gets in your way!"

"Stop right there, villain! You won't be killing anyone today!" said a voice from somewhere in the trees. The toads looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Who's there?" called Bog. "Show yourself, you fool! You have no hope of defeating the toad army!"

"Do not underestimate me, Bog," said the voice before a figure jumped from the trees, landing on the ground in front of the toads, "for I am the Good Witch Luzura, defender of Wartwood!" Bog looked straight at Luz, recognizing her immediately.

"YOU!" growled Bog, pulling out his sword and pointing it straight at Luz. "You're the reason we lost Tadpole Pond! I'll make you pay for that!"

Luz returned Bog's stare and got into a fighting stance, saying, "Leave this town alone or I'll make you leave."

As she said this, her eyes began to glow purple… Several toads noticed this and began to get very nervous, and some even tried to warn Bog.

"Uh, Bog… I don't think we should mess with her," said a toad, staring deep into Luz's eyes.

"That human has some strange power. I remember her from Tadpole Pond," whispered another toad to Bog. "We better just—"

"Enough talk, you cowards!" growled Bog. "If she wants to throw her life away against us, then I say have at it. Besides, doesn't matter what powers she has. She can't beat all of us!"

Luz let out a small laugh at hearing that, her mouth turning into a smile. "You sure about that, Bog?"

Bog didn't answer; instead, he charged straight at Luz. Luz brought out her staff and stabbed it into the ground, causing a large sheet of ice to spread out from the impact point right toward the toads who were running at her. Many of them slipped on the ice and fell. The few that didn't kept charging at her, only to quickly get entangled by vines as she fired them out of her hands, wrapping the toads up and causing them to fall to the ground.

A few more toads ran towards Luz, but she used her wind powers to blow them back onto the ice, where they quickly fell down. One toad tried sneaking up behind her, but Luz jumped out of the way and launched a flame at him. While in the air, she summoned up a group of fire orbs around her, then launched them at various toads who were still standing, quickly causing them to scatter!

As Luz landed back on the ground, Bog powered through and got close to her, trying to strike her with his sword. Luz brought up her staff in defense and blocked the blow. She and Bog continued to trade blows.

"Where are Grime and Sasha?" asked Luz as she fended off Bog's attacks.

"Hell, if I know," answered Bog, as he tried to find an opening. "We ditched them after the debacle at Tadpole Pond. For all I know, they were eaten or imprisoned. I don't care. All I care about is killing you!"

"I don't see how you're going to do that with only one eye," taunted Luz.

"Oh, you think you're funny, do you?" said Bog. "Well, better let Gustav know he's next! If I ever get my hands on that runt, I'll take both his eyes!"

"You know the problem with having only one eye? No depth perception." With that, Luz launched an orb of light right into Bog's face, temporarily blinding him. With him stunned, she summoned a vine from her hand and wrapped up Bog, taking the pointed end of her staff and pointing it straight at him. By this point, many other toads had fled, leaving Bog by himself. Luz looked down at Bog, her eyes still glowing purple and a smirk on her face.

"Well, I'd say that about does it for—" She suddenly stopped talking and began to close her eyes, the purple glow fading. All at once, she began to feel tired. Luz brought her hand up to her head, and she felt pain coursing through her head and struggled to keep her eyes open.

What's going on? thought Luz. Why do I feel so tired?

Bog noticed this and began to break free from the vines that were wrapped around him. He finally succeeded and came up to where Luz was on the ground.

"What's wrong, human? Can't use that power forever, can you?" he sneered.

Luz looked up and saw Bog approaching her, his sword raised over her.

"Guess you aren't as strong as I thought." With that, he gave a swift kick to Luz, hitting her hard in the stomach. "That was for Fens!"

Luz let out a yelp and looked up to see Bog standing over her, preparing to bring his sword down on her.

Suddenly, it was blasted out of his hands by a laser beam! Bog quickly turned around and saw Anne, Marcy, and the Plantars quickly rushing towards him, along with some strange creature that he had no clue about.

"Get 'em, Frobo!" declared Polly, riding on top of Frobo as it charged into battle. Frobo charged up its eye lasers again and fired them at Bog, who was able to jump out of the way, but just barely as the laser set fire to his cloak. Bog yelped in pain and continued running until he was out of sight.

Anne ran up to Luz to check on her. "Luz, are you okay?"

Luz didn't respond, as she was still lying on the ground, feeling very tired.

"Luz!" called Marcy, running up to her with concern in her voice.

"We better get her back to the house. We can have a better look at her there," said Anne. With that, she bent down and scooped Luz into her arms. Luz was still mostly out of it, but she did smile at feeling Anne pick her up.

A short while later, the group arrived back at the house, where Anne laid Luz down on the couch and sat close by, keeping watch over her. Marcy and the Plantars, meanwhile, were outside, examining Frobo. Anne looked through the window and could see the others talking outside.

"So you just found this thing in the woods?" asked Marcy, looking over the robot with intrigue.

"Yeah, it was apparently the thing that damaged the farm. Luz said it's called a robot," said Sprig.

"Can we keep him, please?" begged Polly, doing her best to make her eyes big. "He said my name, and we had fun playing with him out in the woods. I promise to take care of him!"

"I don't know," began Hop Pop. "I mean, it did trash the farm. Can it do anything useful?"

"Show 'em, Frobo!" said Polly.

With that, Frobo took a look out at the farm it had destroyed. It marched towards the farm and began to repair the fence and fix the damage it had done. It then transformed one of its hands into a hoe and began tilling the soil, then dropped seeds into the ground that it had tilled. Finally, it spread water over the seeds it had planted, instantly causing the vegetables to grow. With that, Frobo spread its arms wide with a flourish!

"Welcome to the family!" said Hop Pop with his eyes wide. "This will make farming so much easier!"

"Wow, this thing looks so advanced," said Marcy, taking notes and writing in her journal. "I wonder what else it can do. Oh, what's this on the back of his head? I think this thing has a serial number. Looks like its number is R66-Y."

"I like Frobo as a name a lot more, though," said Polly. Frobo smiled, indicating he preferred that name as well.

Anne turned back from the window, smiling at the exchange. She focused back on Luz, who was starting to wake up.

"Uhhh," said Luz, sitting up on the couch. "Where am I?"

"You're back in the Plantars' house after that stunt you pulled with the toads," said Anne with a hint of disapproval in her voice.

"Oh yeah… That," said Luz sheepishly.

Anne came up to her and lightly punched her arm. "What the heck were you thinking?! Trying to take on the toads by yourself."

"Listen, I'm sorry," said Luz. "I just wanted to try to buy you guys some time. I guess I got a little carried away. What happened?"

"When we showed up, the toads were mostly gone," explained Anne. "Bog was the only one left, but he was about to kill you. If we hadn't arrived when we did, we would have."

"Oh, Anne, I'm so sorry," said Luz, feeling ashamed.

"After that, you passed out. I had to carry you back here, and then you woke up just now," replied Anne.

"Oh, well, thank you for carrying me, Anne," said Luz, smiling.

"You're welcome," said Anne, sitting down next to Luz and putting a comforting arm around her. "But you can't be doing things like that in the future, okay? When I first reunited with Marcy, I wanted to keep her safe. I told her how I just got her back and didn't want to lose her again. The same is true with you, Luz, especially now that we're so much closer to getting home."

"I know, it's just I…" Luz hesitated, not continuing to talk. For a while, she looked into Anne's eyes, not wanting to tell the whole truth. Eventually, she decided to say something that was mostly true.

"I was still mad at them for what happened to Uodeela. I wanted to stop them and make sure that what happened to Tadpole Pond didn't happen here. I wanted to prove I could do it on my own, but I guess I got carried away," said Luz. "Plus, I was looking for Sasha. She's not with the toads anymore, Anne."

"Yeah, Sprig told me she wasn't there," said Anne.

"Bog said that he and the Toads abandoned them after Tadpole Pond. She could be anywhere," said Luz, slowly letting Anne absorb this new information.

Anne paused for a long time before speaking again, "Luz… Do you think that if she's away from the toads, maybe she's… gotten better?"

"I… I… I really don't know, Anne," said Luz. "From what I heard, it wasn't exactly the toads that were the problem; it was her. Still, maybe you're right, or maybe I'm just hoping that's true because then we could blame everything that happened on the toads…"

"Heh… Yeah, it would be a lot easier if we could do that, wouldn't it?" asked Anne, putting her arm around Luz and leaning her head against hers. The two friends sat in silence as they thought about Sasha and wondered where she could be…

"It shouldn't be much longer until we're at Wartwood, ma'am," said the coachman.

"Splendid!" replied Jacinda. "I had heard there were some bandits in the area, but we haven't encountered any trouble yet." With that, Jacinda looked over the scroll she was reading. It had information on the supposed new candidate for Toad Lord, Mayor Frodrick Toadstool. He certainly seemed capable enough on paper, but she wasn't entirely convinced that he would be the right person for the job.

She didn't have long to think about this, though, as suddenly the coach she was traveling in was violently shaking. She heard sounds of fighting for a few minutes before the door to her coach opened and a red toad with a patch over his right eye looked in.

"Give me all your money!" he demanded.

This toad's ferocity initially shocked but also intrigued Jacinda. "You must be that group of bandits I heard about. Tell me, what would you do if I didn't give you my money?"

"I'd start killing your guards. We already got 'em subdued outside," replied Bog. "After that, I'd cut off your tail. I know you newts can grow it back. See if that persuades ya!"

"My, my, how fearsome!" said Jacinda. "Why are you robbing people? It sounds to me like you would be great as a tax collector!"

"Yeah, I was one," bragged Bog. "Least, until the Tower collapsed. I was one of the best, too. If people didn't pay their taxes, I'd make sure and hurt 'em!"

"I can see that," said Jacinda. "Here you are threatening me for my money and doing a dang good job if I do say so myself!"

"Oh, well, thank you," said Bog. "Now give me the money!"

"All in good time," said Jacinda, "though I wonder if perhaps you might see a much bigger picture here?"

"Huh?" said Bog.

"As it so happens, I was on my way to the town of Wartwood to appoint a new Toad Lord for the Southern Area," explained Jacinda. "There's been a lot of lawless rebels running about in the area ever since the Tower fell, and we've been meaning to not only appoint a new Lord but also rebuild the Tower. I was supposed to meet with a Frodrick Toadstool, mayor of Wartwood—"

"That guy?" said Bog in disgust. "He's not cut out for it. He's way too soft."

"I see," said Jacinda. "Now you, on the other hand, seem much more, shall we say… determined. Why, you attacked a Newtopian coach without any fear of consequence to get what you wanted, and you threatened my life! I think if we can turn that threat around, and put it to good use against the frogs, then we can make an arrangement of sorts."

With that, Jacinda opened the chest she had with her, showing Bog the enormous amount of treasure it contained. His eyes lit up at the sight of it.

"How about it? Think you have what it takes to be the new Lord of the South… Captain Bog?" asked Jacinda.

"Hehehe… Captain Bog… I like the sound of that," sneered Bog.

Chapter Text

So, I'd like to give a few shout-outs to some people who made fan art for this fic. You can find all these images on DeviantArt; I have them favorited on my page in a collection if you want to find them easier.

Firstly, to R-Doll, he drew two images. One of Luz in the St. James uniform and another with her in the BFF picture. Thank you so much!

Next to a user named Szart98pl , he drew an image of Marcy comforting Luz.

Finally, to a user named PeterVanHelsing (though I think the actual person who made it is named Crosshot, not sure) Who made an image of a Luz figurine from the Newtopian News.

To all of you who made this fan art, a HUGE thank you. If you are on DeviantArt and make something, then please feel free to let me know. As I've said before, I can't draw, so I always like seeing things other people draw. And feel free to tag it with "theowlandthefrog" so I can find it easily. Two more things.

#1. I have put the one-shots on Archive of Our Own now. Like the main story, that version will be updated at the same time as the version.

#2. I have a poll up on my DeviantArt page. Nothing major, just vote on who you think Emperor Belos is. Just curious to hear what you think.

Aside from that, here we go!

Chapter 33: Maddie, Marcy, and Luz

1000 Years Ago

The Demon Realm

"You despicable newt!" yelled Phillip Wittebane as he struggled to remove himself from the ice he was currently trapped in. Sheresade had summoned some ice that had trapped his arms and the lower half of his body. "Let me out!"

"Why should I?" growled Sheresade, coming up close to the human, blood dripping from her left arm, which was now a stump. "First, you tricked me into helping you find some rare book, then you tried stealing my notes in my journal, and when that didn't work, you cut off my hand."

"How could you be so selfish, Sheresade?" said Phillip, trying to pivot and turn on the charm. "I thought we were partners—partners who shared research notes."

"Please don't try charming me now. I know what you're really like," growled Sheresade. "I can see your pathetic attempts to try to flatter me to get what you want. By the way, I was never fooled. I only played along because you had something I wanted."

Sheresade advanced forward and picked up Phillip's journal where it had fallen to the ground. She flipped through it, looking for a certain page.

"Ah, the notes you have on glyph magic. Very interesting. I must say, it's actually commendable that you, as a human, managed to discover some way to cast magic here. But you need to draw out the glyphs to use them, and well, that's going to be hard for you to do with your arms trapped, isn't it?"

Phillip only growled in response to that.

"It's curious because, you see, I've theorized that my world has a similar background field to the one that exists here. This makes me wonder if perhaps it's possible that glyphs exist in my world too," remarked Sheresade. "This will require some more research to be sure, but hey, I'm smart enough that I'm sure I can figure it out."

"Give me back my journal!" demanded Phillip.

"You took my hand," said Sheresade menacingly as she advanced towards Phillip, the knife he had used held in her other hand. "Maybe I should take something from you."

Phillip's eyes widened in horror as Sheresade moved closer to him. She raised the knife as though she was going to slash him… then threw it down on the ground, inches away from his hand.

"Lucky for you, I can regenerate limbs. I'm a salamander, not a newt, by the way," she said with an air of haughtiness. "Here, see if you can reach that knife and use it to free yourself. I'll enjoy watching you struggle."

Phillip struggled to reach the knife, but his arms were trapped in the ice, and he couldn't free them. Sheresade laughed at his attempt, causing Phillip to rage once more.

"You may be from a different world, but you're just like all the witches here!" he yelled in frustration. "You think you're better than everyone!"

"I know for a fact that I'm better than you," taunted Sheresade. "You're the one who's currently trapped, and I'm the one who's free, but even more so than that… No, I shouldn't spoil the surprise."

"What surprise?!" asked Phillip.

"I know your species. You're a human from Earth," said Sheresade, glancing down at the still-trapped Phillip. "I knew your species was primitive, but to think you're also vile, too. Aldrich will be doing the universe a favor when he wipes you out."

"What? What do you mean, wipe us out?" asked Phillip.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll see what I mean once you get home. That is, if you get home," laughed Sheresade, turning and getting ready to leave. "Well, this little adventure has been fun, Phillip. Your journal was very helpful in providing me with information about the locals here. In fact, I think I'll help myself to some of those pages."

She again flipped through it, finding the pages she was looking for before casually tearing them out. Once she had what she needed, she threw the journal down next to the knife.

"How dare you?!" protested Phillip, still trapped.

"Really?" asked Sheresade in a sarcastic manner. "How dare I steal something from someone who was trying to kill me? Oh, how unfair that is. You really are the worst, trying to gain the upper hand on me, but then when the tables get turned on you, you're like, 'Oh, stop being mean to me! God, imagine if that's how your leaders acted.'"

With that, Sheresade turned and left Phillip, who was still struggling to break free from the ice.

"And after that, I found the time pool that brought me to that era and used it to return to my own time, then I used the box to get back," explained Sheresade to the group in front of her.

"Wow! I thought for sure you were in trouble when that guy cut off your hand," said Leif in amazement. "By the way, how's my bandage holding up? Do we need to change it?"

"I'm fine," said Sheresade, raising up her stump and showing off her wound. "A few weeks, and I'll get a new hand. I bet at that same time, Phillip will still be struggling to get out of the ice."

The others all laughed at that.

"Man, can't believe he tried to take your journal from you, Sheri," said Barrel. "You sure showed him, though. Maybe I should start coming with you on these scouting missions to protect you."

"Barrel, do you presume then that I am incapable of protecting myself?" asked Sheresade in a serious tone, instantly causing Barrel to tense up.

"Oh, uh, no, not at all," he quickly responded. "You handled that human quite well. I just thought-"

He was interrupted as Sheresade let out a laugh. "I'm just messing with you, Barrel." Barrel joined in on the laughter, relieved.

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind bringing all of you on one of my scouting missions one day," answered Sheresade. "You can only imagine the wonders that I've laid eyes on."

Barrel, Andrias, and Leif all looked excited at this prospect.

"Sometimes I'm jealous of you, Sheri," said Leif. "Getting to go to all those other worlds, getting to see different species, seeing things that the rest of us can only dream of."

"Well, there's work to it as well," answered the Salamander. "Aldrich expects a lot from me in finding out which of these worlds have anything valuable for us to take or which are just ones to be mined for resources. And hey, if it means I get to keep going on adventures and coming back with cool stories to tell you, then I'd say it's worth it."

"That was quite a story," said Andrias, getting up. "I'm glad I got to hear it before you told my dad."

"Yes, speaking of which, I do need to give my report to the King. I'm sure he'll be very interested in what I discovered in that world," said Sheresade.

"Oh, but before that, I want to show you all my surprise," said Andrias, going up to the wrapped package he had. In one move, he tore the wrapping away to reveal a beautifully painted portrait of the four. "Ta-dah!"

Leif, Barrel, and Sheresade stared at the painting, their eyes going wide with surprise!

"Whoa, this is a huge honor! That turned out great," exclaimed Leif.

"I think you captured my best side for sure. It looks just like me," said Barrel.

"Hmm, we look so regal and grand," said Sheresade, gazing at the portrait. She turned to look at Andrias. "I hope you'll use the same artist when it comes time to paint our wedding portrait."

Andrias blushed. "Oh, of course, my dear. If it is to your liking, then yes, I think we can use the same artist."

"Wonderful!" said Sheresade, coming up to Andrias and throwing her arms around him. Leif and Barrel smiled at each other as they saw this.

"Oh, so what's the occasion?" asked Leif. "For the portrait, I mean."

"Dad's appointed me to lead the next invasion!" exclaimed Andrias proudly.

"Say what?" said Leif in surprise.

"Score!" added Barrel.

"Ha, I knew it! About time, my love," said Sheresade.

"Well, I never would have made it this far without you three. Thank you, I mean it!" said Andrias.

"Ah, thank you, Drias," said Leif. "Now, what are we standing around here for? We've got to celebrate!"

"May I suggest running through the hallways screaming at the top of our lungs?" said Barrel with a mischievous grin.

Sheresade laughed at this. "Oh, Barrel, I hope you never change."

"Sounds good to me!" said Andrias. "Let's go!"

With that, the four friends made their way through the palace, running around and having fun. For Andrias, though, the moment was interrupted when his father caught them.

"Ah, there you are, son. And Sheresade, you've returned. You should have come to me immediately with your report," said the King in a stern voice.

Sheresade's face went pale, and the confidence from earlier was gone. "Ah, forgive me, Your Majesty," she said, bowing to try to show contrition. "I was just on my way to find you and give you that report."

The King paused for a long time, looking hard at Sheresade and Andrias, before finally speaking, "Both of you come with me. We have much to discuss…"

Present Day

"And once the potion turns blue like so," said Luz, as the mixture in the cauldron did indeed turn a dark blue, "then the potion is ready. You can bottle it up and keep it with you. This batch we've made should make at least ten bottles."

"Great! We should give some of these to the Plantars and Anne," said Marcy, standing over the cauldron and writing in her book.

"Yeah, having some extra healing potions is always a good idea," agreed Luz. "I've made sure to carry a few with me ever since leaving Tadpole Pond." She indicated her belt to show her spare potions.

"So this is a basic healing potion, then?" said Marcy as she eyed the bottle.

"Yeah, you can think of it like a basic first aid potion," said Luz. "It's good to cure minor cuts and bruises and can even help with pain to a degree. There are more advanced healing potions out there, but this is the only one Uodeela taught us."

"So, what does it taste like?" asked Marcy, intrigued.

"Uh, it kind of tastes like grape juice," answered Luz, "though it has a bitter aftertaste. Potions have weird tastes, though thankfully, not all of them taste bad. But for the ones that do, yeah, you kind of have to get used to that."

"Fascinating," said Marcy as she wrote more in her book. "Thanks again for teaching me this stuff, Luz. Ever since I heard that magic was a thing here in Amphibia, I wanted so much to learn, but magic teachers are so rare."

"Uodeela said the same thing, but she also didn't seem to know why," said Luz. "She told me that the salamanders were once the ancient keepers of the secrets of magic, but they seem to have either died out or gone missing or something."

"I met a few salamanders in Newtopia," said Marcy, "but none of them knew how to do magic."

"I sure wish we knew more," said Luz. "But in any case, let's get cleaned up here so we can go meet Maddie."

"Oooo, I can't wait," said Marcy. "It will be so cool to learn magic under two of Uodeela's former apprentices."

"Yeah, I'm glad she agreed to this. There's so much we could teach you. Oh, how'd you like to learn how to make a bomb potion?" asked Luz.

"Actually, I already know how to make that," replied Marcy.

"What?!" exclaimed Luz. "How'd you learn that?"

"Eh, that's one of the few potion recipes that's survived all this time. It's really useful in demolition," said Marcy. "I guess a few magic secrets from Amphibia's past have survived into the modern day! Even so, I'm excited to see what you and Maddie can teach me!"

"Huh, you know, when I was learning magic, I never thought that one day I might be teaching someone else," said Luz.

"Uodeela must have done a good job if you're able to pass on her lessons then," said Marcy, giving Luz an encouraging smile.

Luz smiled back. "Yeah, I guess so."

Luz and Marcy kept walking in the forest on their way to the meeting spot with Maddie. As they got closer, they realized that she was already there, as they could hear her arguing with someone.

"But, sis, you promised to play with us," said a voice.

"I have important witch business right now," replied Maddie. "Anne's friends are coming, and we were going to put our heads together and try to find a cure for Uodeela. I'll play with you tomorrow."

"Awwww, but that's what you said yesterday," said another voice.

"Look, finding a cure for Uodeela is really advanced. She only ever taught me basic level-one spells. In order to help her, I'm going to need to use more advanced magic," said Maddie.

"Booo!" said one tadpole. "Magic is boring."

"And creepy," added another. "Let's play instead."

"Juggle us! Juggle Us!" they all chanted.

"Aw, come on, knock it off," called Maddie. She glanced at where Luz and Marcy were coming from. "Speaking of which, Luz and Marcy are here, so I don't have time to play!"

"Hang on a sec," said Luz. "Maybe we do have time."

"Huh?" said Maddie, surprised as both she and her siblings looked at Luz.

"I mean, it's just for a little while, right?" asked Luz. "I don't see why we all can't play for a bit before we do magic."

Luz walked up to the three Tadpoles, kneeling down to look at them. "Hi, my name's Luz. What are your names?"

"I'm Ginger," said one tadpole.

"I'm Rosemary," said another,

"And I'm Lavender," said the last one.

"We're Maddie's sisters," they all said together.

"Aww, don't you all look cute together?" said Luz. "So, what did you want to play?"

"We want to play the juggling game," they all said at once.

"It's where Maddie juggles us!" said Lavender.

"Oh, that sounds fun. Here, I have an idea," said Luz, picking up Lavender. "Hey, Marcy, why don't you grab another one? And Maddie, take the last one."

Marcy and Maddie complied, though Maddie wore a confused expression on her face. Luz made a motion for the three of them to stand in a triangle.

"Okay, now when I say go, we all pass one of the kids to the right. Got it?" said Luz. Maddie and Marcy nodded.

"Okay, then… Here… we… go!" With that, the girls all passed the tadpoles to each other at the same time. They stopped for a second, then did it again, then again, and kept it up, with Luz encouraging them to go faster. Then, at certain points, they would switch sides and pass the tadpoles the other way. All the while, the little tadpoles cheered at being thrown around.

"Yay!" they all said.

After a while, they stopped, the three tadpoles cheering at the fact that they were being played with.

"Wow, that was so fun!" said Rosemary.

"Yeah, playing is a lot cooler when there are three of you," said Ginger.

"Thank you for playing with us," said Lavender to Marcy and Luz.

"No problem," said Luz. "Now, is it okay if we borrow your sister for a bit? We have something really important to talk with her about."

"Okay, we'll go back to the shop. Thanks again!" they all said. With that, they began hopping back to the bakery.

"Huh, wow! That worked," said Luz, a little surprised.

"That was nice of you, Luz, and honestly, that was kind of fun," said Marcy.

"Yeah…" said Maddie, before trailing off. "You know, I had kinda forgotten what it was like to play with my sisters like that. I've been so busy studying magic, I guess I haven't really had time for that."

"I think your sisters missed you too," said Luz. "You know, I've always wanted a sister. There are advantages to being an only child, but I guess I've wished I had someone like that I could be close to. I bet it's because I didn't have friends for such a long time."

"Hey, thanks, Luz," said Maddie. "I realize I've been brushing my sisters off. I haven't played with them in ages."

"No problem. Glad I could help. And hey, now we have the whole day to study," said Luz.

"Right, we need to help Uodeela, and uh, sorry, what's your name?" asked Maddie, turning to Marcy.

"Marcy," said Marcy, holding out her hand. "I've heard the whole story regarding Uodeela, and I told Luz I wanted to help. Also, I wanted to see about learning magic. I learned a few things from Amara in Newtopia, and Luz just started teaching me a few basic potions."

"Oh, you're interested in Magic too?" said Maddie.

"Yeah, I mean, I've read every Cynthia Coven book, and I tried asking around Newtopia, but magic users are so rare," said Marcy.

"Wait, you read Cynthia Coven too?" asked Luz.

"Yeah, did I never tell you that?" said Marcy. "I thought you mentioned you used to read those books, too."

"Well… yeah, I used to read them," began Luz. "Cynthia is different from Azura, especially seeing as she's a human who learned how to do magic."

"Exactly. I thought you would have liked her more because of that," said Marcy.

"No, it's not that. I actually do like the series," said Luz. "It's just… kind of hard to enjoy it after that whole scandal with the author…"

"Oh, yeah…" said Marcy. "I know what you're talking about, and I mean…. Yeah, I don't really like what the author said either… That really was hurtful, but I still try to enjoy the books."

"For me, it's just hard," said Luz, hanging her head. "I just can't enjoy the books anymore, knowing what I know about the person who wrote them. Maybe that's part of the reason I turned to Azura so hard. I wanted a new series to love."

"Uh, I must be missing a lot of context here, because I have no idea what you guys are talking about," chimed in Maddie.

"Right, sorry, we went off on a tangent," said Marcy. "The point is, I am so psyched to be here. I can't wait to see what you and Luz can teach me! Although technically, Luz has already started teaching me some things. We brewed a basic healing potion this morning." Marcy brought out a bottle filled with blue liquid to show her.

Maddie took the bottle and examined it. "Hmmm, looks the right color." She then dabbed some potion on her finger and tasted it. "Tastes right. Not bad for a novice," she said, shooting Marcy a smile. Marcy let out a squeal of delight at being complimented.

"Oh, Marcy, why don't you show her that book you were working on?" said Luz.

"Oh, right," began Marcy. She reached into her bag and brought out a large hardback book. "I started compiling a plant encyclopedia of the various flora in Amphibia. I know that some of these are used as potion and elixir ingredients, but I had no idea which ones. Luz has been helping me try to sort that out. Oh, Luz, why don't you show her your drawings?"

"Sure," said Luz, reaching into her own bag and pulling out her sketchbook. "When Uodeela took us on walks to show us the different plants used in potions, I made drawings of them."

Maddie took a look at both Luz's sketchbook and Marcy's encyclopedia. After a bit, she turned to the girls. "I have to say, that's impressive what you guys have done. As far as I'm aware, no one's ever tried compiling a list of plants like that besides Uodeela, but I'm pretty sure she had the only copy. Hey, Marcy, maybe before you head back to your world, you could publish that book. It would be a nice way to leave your mark on Amphibia."

Marcy's eyes went wide at hearing that. "I guess that would be neat. Oh, and Luz, we can include some of your sketches in it, too."

"Yeah, that sounds great," agreed Luz. "Okay, so let's get started with today's lesson. I figure we could walk around Wartwood and Maddie, and I can show you some ingredients for potions that are native to the area."

"Great idea," said Marcy excitedly.

Over the next few hours, the girls walked not only around Wartwood, but also in the surrounding forests. Maddie and Luz showed Marcy different plants as well as a few animals that were vital ingredients in potions. Marcy made sure to take notes and record the information in her book. As they got to the end of their journey, they noticed a particular bird, which they showed Marcy.

"Ugh, that's a vomit bird," said Luz in disgust. "As its name suggests, it's prone to just randomly throwing up, and unfortunately, its bile is an ingredient used in many potions."

"Hey, this is a great opportunity," said Maddie, opening an empty bottle. "We can get a lot of bile right now."

"Please tell me you're joking," said Luz. "Collecting it is nasty."

"Hey, no one said making potions was pretty," countered Maddie. With that, she handed an empty bottle to Luz and Marcy and motioned for them to follow her. They got close to the bird just as it was about to hurl. They held up their bottles and did indeed manage to gather a lot of the bile, only to also get covered in it themselves. Luz was not amused.

"Ahhh! It's all over me," she said, trying desperately to wipe it off. Marcy couldn't help but laugh a little at seeing Luz's misfortune before coming over to help clean her.

"On the bright side, we got two full bottles of bile," said Maddie, holding them up in triumph. "Should last us quite some time. And hey, Marcy got some hands-on experience getting potion ingredients."

"I guess that makes it worth it," said Luz as she continued cleaning herself.

"It totally does," said Marcy. "I learned a lot and made some good notes in my journal. I can't wait to learn more. What should we do tomorrow?"

"I was thinking we take a trip to the archives," said Maddie. "There's bound to be some books about magic there we can take a look at. And who knows? Maybe we'll find out something new about curses."

"That sounds amazing!" said Luz. "Anything we can learn about curses could potentially help Uodeela."

"Exactly," said Maddie.

The next day, the three friends took Joe Sparrow out to the site of the Archives. They landed near a hole in the ground, Anne having informed Marcy and Luz about their previous misadventure there.

"I can't believe Sprig almost trapped them down in here," said Luz as the group approached the hole.

"Still, they did manage to get out, so I'd say it all worked out," said Marcy.

"Aw, man, they really did trash this place, though, didn't they?" said Maddie as she peered down into the hole.

"You know, I have to admit that maybe that sunlight timer wasn't the best idea either," said Luz. "I mean, is there a reason the archives can't just be open all the time?"

"I think the original idea was to keep out large bugs and night predators," said Marcy. "They didn't want those things just walking into the archives."

"Yeesh. Considering all the damage here, it will probably be ages until Wartwood spends the money to fix this place," sighed Maddie. "It sure will make looking through the books harder."

"Well, that just means looking through here will be more of an adventure!" said Marcy.

"Alright then, here we go!" declared Luz as she jumped into the hole. It was a bit farther down than she thought, but luckily, she landed on a pile of books. Marcy and Maddie followed soon after, and as they got up to look around, it became apparent how dark it was inside.

"Can't see very well in here," said Marcy as she fumbled around in the dark.

"Oh, no worries. I have something," said Luz, reaching into her belt and pulling out a bottle of golden liquid.

"Oh, good idea," said Maddie. "An Elixir of Light is just what we need."

"Here, Marcy," said Luz, offering her the bottle. "Now you can have a taste of a real elixir."

Marcy was ecstatic at this and took the bottle from Luz. She downed the elixir slowly and wiped her mouth when she was done.

"Mmmm, tastes kind of peachy," said Marcy. A moment later, her vision changed, and suddenly she could see in the dark.

"WOW! This is so AWESOME!" she yelled. "It's like my eyes are night vision goggles." Marcy began to look around frantically, taking in her new power. She glanced all over the underground archives, testing out her new power.

"This should last a few hours," began Luz before suddenly getting an idea. "Hey, Marcy, can you try something for me?"

"Yeah, sure," answered Marcy.

"So this may sound weird, but why don't you try to imagine a ball of light forming in your hand?" said Luz.

"Oh, okay," answered Marcy. She closed her eyes and held out her hand. She did her best to imagine a ball of light forming in her hand, but as the minutes went by, nothing happened.

"I don't think it's working," said Marcy. "Is there something I'm supposed to be doing?"

"No… I was just curious. I thought maybe… It's nothing," said Luz.

"Okay, well, in that case, let's get looking for books on magic!" said Marcy, moving to a pile of books.

Over the next few hours, the three friends went through as many different books on magic and curses as they could find. While they didn't have success in finding a cure, Marcy enjoyed using her night vision to explore the archives. At one point, as she was making her way back from putting a book away, she tripped and slammed into one pillar by the stairs. As she hit the pillar, she noticed that it sounded hollow. After recovering, Marcy knocked on the pillar and confirmed that it was indeed hollow. Placing her hands on the pillar, she finally managed to find some groves in it where she could put her hands. Marcy slid that section of the pillar aside and looked inside. There, she found an old leather-bound book. She carefully removed it from its resting place and opened the cover to the first page. There was an entry there that she began to read.

"It finally happened! We were able to get the box working. With this box, we will not only bring about a new age for Amphibia, but it will also allow us to explore other worlds! I have decided to chronicle the adventures I have had in those other worlds in this journal. Who knows what fascinating secrets we may discover or what new lands and creatures we will meet along the way? As someone who has dedicated myself to studying Amphibian Magic, it will be interesting to see if any of these other worlds have magic in them, and if so, I wonder if that magic might work in Amphibia."

"Hey, guys, I found something!" called Marcy, getting the attention of Maddie and Luz. She went to find her friends, and the three of them met up.

"What you got there, Marbles?" asked Luz.

"I think it's a journal of some kind," said Marcy, holding out the book so the others could see, "but what's interesting is that whoever wrote this talks about a box and traveling to other worlds. I think they might be talking about the music box."

Marcy showed the entry to Maddie and Luz, and both of them skimmed through it, intrigued.

"I have to admit that sounds amazing!" said Luz.

"Huh, other worlds…" said Maddie. "So there are other worlds besides the one you guys came from?"

"According to what I found out about the box, yeah!" said Marcy. "The box not only connects to Earth, but to other worlds as well. Wouldn't it be so cool to explore some of those places?" She looked at Luz as she said this.

"You know, if we were a bit better prepared and knew what we were getting into, then yeah, I suppose it would be cool," answered Luz. Marcy's eyes lit up at hearing this.

"Hey, if the author of this journal did visit other worlds, then maybe there's a chance they discovered other ways to do magic," said Maddie. "Maybe they know of a way to remove curses." The three friends all glanced at each other as they realized what this could potentially mean.

"Here, let's get back outside so we can read this clearly. I think my elixir is starting to fade," said Marcy. With that, the group climbed out of the hole and back outside the archives.

"So what else does this person say about these worlds?" asked Luz once the girls were settled back outside.

Marcy flipped through the book, quickly scanning the entries, trying to find one that talked about magic. "Oh, I found one," she said, landing on a particular entry. She began to read aloud to the others.

"I just returned from a most wonderful place, a world where witches and demons live. The locals call it the Boiling Isles. From what I've been able to gather, they live on what they call a 'Titan', an enormous creature that is dead but whose bones are still able to provide land to live on. That is not all. This creature, whatever it was, apparently contained great power, and even though it is dead, its mere presence acts as a sort of background field that provides the witches here with a way to cast magic. This field is similar to the one I theorized exists in Amphibia—the one that allows for curses to be cast. The one that delights in causing pain if you so invoke its power."

Maddie and Luz looked at Marcy, intrigued by what she was saying. "Go on," they said together.

Marcy was about to continue, but suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew the journal out of her hands. She chased after it, worried that she might lose the journal. As she did, the wind picked up a bunch of small pebbles along with the journal. Marcy finally managed to catch the journal, but as she did, she stared down at the ground.

"Guys, come check this out," she called to Luz and Maddie. The two approached where Marcy was and looked down at the ground where she was staring. The pebbles that had been swept up in the wind seemed to have fallen in a formation. The pebbles had landed to form what looked like a symbol of some kind.

Marcy, Maddie, and Luz were staring at the strange symbol, unsure of what to make of it.

"What is that?" asked Marcy curiously.

"I don't know. It looks like some kind of ruin or glyph," said Maddie, "but I've never seen anything like it before."

As Luz continued to stare at the symbol, she realized it had formed as the pebbles were blown in the wind.

"I wonder… Do you think it's related to how Uodeela was able to use magic?" asked Luz. As she said this, she got an idea.

"Marcy, can I see some paper and a pen?" asked Luz. Marcy obliged, handing them to her.

Luz took the paper and drew the symbol onto it, and as she finished drawing, she tapped the symbol with her pen. Suddenly, the symbol turned white, and a gust of wind blew out of it. Luz jumped back in surprise!

"Do that again!" yelled Maddie, wanting to make sure what she had just seen was real.

Luz again drew out the symbol on the paper and again tapped it with her pen. Again, it produced a gust of wind that blew out from the symbol. Maddie and Marcy both looked at Luz and then at each other, all of them with smiles on their faces.

"That… was… AMAZING!" yelled Marcy in delight.

"Whoa! I can't believe it!" exclaimed Maddie. "Could this be a new way to use magic without a gem? Let me try."

Luz handed Maddie the paper pad and pen. She described how to draw the symbol to Maddie, who wrote it out on paper. Instead of tapping it with the pen, Maddie hit it with her hand. Again, the wind blew out of the symbol, with Maddie feeling incredible at being able to cast magic in this manner.

"Oh, I have an idea," said Marcy as she asked for the pen and paper. She drew out the symbol and tore out the paper it was on, then put it on her hand so that the symbol was facing out. She quickly tapped it with her other hand, and this time, the blast of wind went away from her.

"Oh, that is more pragmatic," said Maddie. "Good idea, Marcy!"

"Have we really just discovered a new way to do magic?" asked Marcy excitedly to the others

"It sure feels that way," said Luz, still in disbelief over what had just happened.

"Well, there's only one thing to do," began Maddie. "We have to keep experimenting!"

"Hang on a second," said Marcy as she reached for the journal. "There's more."

Maddie and Luz came over to where Marcy was sitting down next to her. Marcy continued to read from the journal.

"The locals of this place refer to this type of magic as 'wild magic'. I believe this term is meant to denote that it comes from nature. I have observed other types of magic (for instance, they are able to brew potions much like we can in Amphibia), but this magic that they refer to is unique. The witches cast it by drawing a symbol in a circle and then activating the effect. They refer to these symbols as glyphs. For reference, I have drawn these glyphs in the back of my journal."

At that, Marcy quickly turned to the back of the journal to find the aforementioned glyph. She did and turned the journal to show both Luz and Maddie, though as they looked at the page, they noticed something strange. There were three black stains on the page, as though someone had drawn over symbols that were already there.

"Hey, it looks like there were more glyphs," observed Maddie.

"You're right," agreed Luz. "It looks like there were four on this page, but it seems like someone crossed out what the others were."

Marcy moved the book around and tried to put it in various positions to see if she could glimpse what the glyphs were. "Uggh, no good. I can't see anything under these ink stains. Whatever they were, they're lost."

"Well, at least we still have one," said Luz.

Marcy took out her notepad again. Luz and Maddie gathered close to Marcy as she drew the symbol on a piece of paper and then hit it with her hand. When she did, it caused an orb of light to consume the paper and rise to rest in Marcy's face. Maddie and Luz observed in awe!

"Wow, I know it doesn't seem like much, but that's amazing that we can form that ball of light on command," said Marcy.

Luz, meanwhile, was thinking in her head, That looks just like when I first formed light after trying the elixir. It's unreal how similar it looks. I wonder… Does that mean anything?

Maddie used the notepad to try her hand at this new glyph; she had already summoned a few orbs that hung low on the ground. After she was done, Marcy continued to summon more orbs of light. The small orbs hung above the ground. The sun had begun to set, bringing twilight to the area. In the dim light, the orbs looked just like little stars.

"I guess it's a good thing we learned a light spell," said Maddie as she sent up another orb. "It is starting to get dark, so we should probably head back."

"Ah, but we just unlocked a new method of magic!" said Marcy excitedly. "We have to keep experimenting!"

"And we will," said Maddie resolutely, "but we should at least get back to Wartwood. It's never good to be out in the wilds after dark."

"Okay, okay," said Marcy, "but I want to keep practicing these glyphs when I get back. Oooh, I can't wait to show Anne!"

"I wonder who wrote that journal?" pondered Luz aloud. "Whoever it was must have known how to work the music box. It's crazy to think that besides Amphibia, there might be even more worlds out there!"

"Yeah, I bet it has some cool information in it," said Marcy. Though as she said this, she looked at Maddie. "Which is why I think you should have it, Maddie." With that, Marcy offered the book to her.

"Huh, really?" said Maddie, smiling brightly.

"Yeah, I mean, Luz and I are going to leave this world at some point, but the information in this journal is probably a lot more useful to you since you'll still live here," said Marcy.

"Marcy's right," agreed Luz. "It makes sense that you should hang onto this journal, Maddie. Plus, I'd feel better knowing a former student of Uodeela's had it."

"Wow, that's… I really don't know what to say," said Maddie as she accepted the journal. "Thank you both! I promise to take care of it!"

Maddie looked hard at the journal before continuing, "I'll admit I'm curious myself who wrote it," said Maddie, "but at the end of the day, it probably doesn't mean that much. No point getting obsessed over it."

"Obsessed?!" said Marcy and Luz at the same time.

"Yeah, obsessed," repeated Maddie. "Like, I'm curious who wrote the journal, but I'm not so curious that I'd do ANYTHING to find out who. I mean, hypothetically, say a demon came up to me and offered to make a deal with me in order to maybe (and I stress MAYBE) find out who the author of the journal was. Oh, and let's also say this wasn't the first time I met this particular demon. I had, in fact, met him before and knew he wasn't trustworthy, but then he comes offering me a 'deal' to maybe learn the identity of the author of this journal. Now you have to admit that making any sort of 'deal' with a demon is usually a bad idea, but to make a deal in order to MAYBE learn the name of who wrote a journal (like, come on, REALLY?! That's what you're going to make a deal with a dark entity for?). You've gotta admit that would be REALLY STUPID!"

Luz and Marcy considered everything Maddie had said before replying.

"I mean, yeah, that is stupid!" said Marcy. "You'd have to be an IDIOT to do something like that."

"I'm not sure I'd still want you to succeed if I saw you do something that stupid," said Luz. "Like, I think I'd root for the demon to win if you fell for something like that!"

"Exactly!" said Maddie. "Glad you girls can see just how idiotic that would be. I mean, the only way it could be worse is if you (the person making the deal) were supposed to be 'the smart one', and yet I have a feeling that most people would give this guy a pass and either not realize just how stupid that was or say 'whatever he needed to know.'" As she said this, Maddie, Marcy, and Luz made a glance forward, looking straight ahead…

With that, the three friends walked towards Joe Sparrow and flew back to Wartwood.

A few days later, Maddie decided to head to the Plantars' house. She had just finished brewing up a potion she thought would prove useful to her friends. As she got closer to the Plantar house, she saw Marcy hovering a bit off the ground, using a small tornado to keep her afloat. Anne and Luz were close by, watching.

"Ah, there you guys are," said Maddie. "Enjoying using that new glyph?"

"For sure," replied Marcy as she moved over to where Maddie was. "As you can see, I've just come up with a way to use a tornado to hover."

No sooner had Marcy said this, though, than the tornado faded away, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Ooof!" said Marcy, as she picked herself up and dusted herself off. "Obviously, there are still a few kinks to work out."

"Marcy's been having a blast using those new glyphs," said Anne. "She and Luz have been testing them to see how they work. I have to admit, it's really cool to see."

"We started drawing them out on paper and carrying them with us," said Luz, showing Maddie the pre-drawn glyphs. "I told Anne she should carry some too. Who knows when they might be useful?"

"Eh, magic's not really my thing," said Anne. "Chalk it up to the negative experience I had when I got cursed. But hey, you guys go ahead and knock yourself out."

"Oh, that's a good idea," said Maddie. "Drawing the glyphs out takes time, so having some ready to go would be smart."

"I bet they'll be helpful when we go to the next temple," said Anne. "In fact, we're just getting things ready. We're heading to the second temple tomorrow."

"Oh, perfect. Glad I caught you before you left," said Maddie. "Thought I could give you a peek into the future."

"Oh, how so?" asked Luz.

"Well, in my efforts to try to become a better curse user, I've been trying some more advanced potions," said Maddie. "There was a potion Uodeela showed me that she said I wasn't ready for at the time, but… Ta-dah!" She pulled out a bottle filled with purple liquid in it.

"Ooooh What's that?" asked Marcy, intrigued.

"This is a prophecy potion," said Maddie. "It's a lot tougher than any potion I've tried making before, but if I did it right, then I can drink it and have a look into the future. I figure it would help you out, considering all the temples you still have to go to."

"That would be helpful. Thanks, Maddie," said Luz.

"So, how does it work?" asked Anne.

"It's simple. I drink the potion and then I make a prophecy," explained Maddie. "Thing is, I won't remember it, so someone needs to be close by to hear it. And don't worry. When I drink this potion, I go into a sort of trance, but I'll be alright."

"How likely is the prophecy you make to happen?" asked Marcy.

"If I did it right, it should be a for sure thing," answered Maddie. "So you gals ready to learn something about your future?"

"Yeah, why not?" said Anne. "This could be fun." Marcy and Luz nodded their heads in agreement.

With that, Maddie uncorked the bottle and drank its contents in one gulp. For a moment, nothing happened. Then she closed her eyes and began to clutch her stomach as though she were in pain.

"Maddie, you alright?" asked all three girls, coming up to her, concerned. Just as they got close, Maddie suddenly stood straight up and opened her eyes. They were glowing a deep purple. She looked straight at all three girls before speaking in a deep, unnatural voice.

"The black wind howls… One among you… will shortly perish…"

And with that, Maddie fell facedown in the dirt. The girls didn't immediately rush over as they were still in shock at what she had said. Maddie opened her eyes and got up, noticing the expression on all three girls.

"Uh, hey, what happened?" she asked. None of the girls replied.

"What's with that look on your face?" asked Maddie, now concerned. "What did I say?"

Anne, Marcy, and Luz looked at each other, then at Maddie, not sure what to say to her or if they should even say anything…

1000 Years Ago

Newtopia

"Interesting…" said King Aldrich, rubbing his chin. "These time pools are fascinating. Do you think such a phenomenon exists in Amphibia?"

"I doubt it, sire," answered Sheresade. "From what I learned about the pools, they are created by a substance called Titan's Blood. I think these pools are unique to the Boiling Isles. Still, what they allowed me to learn has given me an idea for how to approach that world."

"Go on," said the King, intrigued. Sheresade continued.

"When I initially arrived in the Demon Realm, it was a very primitive location. There were only feral beasts about with no sign of any intelligent species, but when I happened upon a time pool, I was able to travel to the future of that realm when witches had colonized it and turned it into a thriving city. Not only that, but these witches could do magic naturally."

The King looked hard at Sheresade. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, they could cast spells naturally, not like here where it is required to be attached to a gem, or where we must brew potions or cast curses. They could do it by merely waving their hands."

Andrias and his father looked at each other. "This is most fascinating!" exclaimed Andrias.

"Indeed, my son. A way to cast magic naturally. Why, if we were able to add that ability to our species, we would be even more formidable" He turned back to the salamander. "So what is your recommendation, Sheresade?"

"I say we keep an eye on this world and wait," began the salamander. "The species that live in that world now are too primitive. As I understand it, the way they are able to cast spells is through the use of an organ called a 'bile sac.' But this species did not always have this organ. They had to evolve it. So if we were to wait, say, oh, about 1000 years or so, then we could return and harvest the species. We could dissect them and figure out how their bile sac works, then perhaps we amphibians could learn how to develop such a skill."

Aldrich looked hard at Sheresade before speaking, "It would be a rather long time to wait. Still, the reward would be well worth it. Very well, Sheresade. I concur with your assessment. Now let us speak of another matter. Andrias, Sheresade, come with me. There is something I must show the both of you."

The King stood up and led the two of them down a hallway into the basement of the castle. As they walked, he turned to his son. "Don't you think it's time to say goodbye to those childhood friends of yours?"

"What? Why?" answered Andrias.

"Because you're about to become King. It won't be long before those two start asking for favors, using you," said Aldrich.

Andrias was going to say something, but Sheresade spoke up first, "If I may say so, sire, I don't think that is likely to happen. Barrel is a distinguished soldier who has more than earned his position as captain of the guards. He is a toad of good character. And Leif, why, her family has served as gardeners for generations. They have always helped us to maintain and cultivate the flora we discover in other worlds. Leif is one of the most honorable frogs you will ever meet!"

"Yeah, they're the best, Dad," said Andrias. "In fact, I was going to ask Barrel to be my best man for the wedding!"

The King stopped walking and turned around, glaring at his son and raising his voice, "You told them about the wedding?! I told you we weren't going to make that public until after you succeeded in the next mission!" The King slammed his staff on the ground, causing Andrias to shrink in fear.

"But, Dad, I thought that only applied to the court and the general public. I didn't think it also applied to my friends," said Andrias sheepishly.

"You see, already, you are making them privy to things that don't concern them," said the king. "I thought that after I found you a wife, you would cease needing these so-called friends."

"Your majesty, they are my friends too," said Sheresade, trying her best to assert herself. "If we were not supposed to tell them of the wedding, then I apologize, but I assure you that they have not told anyone else. If I may be so bold, I think you speak too harshly regarding them."

The King looked at Sheresade before replying, "As much as I like your adventurous spirit in the field, sometimes, I think you are too stubborn for your own good." He stared hard at her before continuing, "Yet, I suppose I should be glad for that same spirit. I hope it means you will produce a strong heir."

Sheresade and Andrias looked at each other before awkwardly turning away, their faces bright red. The King finally arrived at the place he had wanted to show both Andrias and Sheresade, and the wall in front of him slid open to reveal a new chamber. Aldrich stepped into it and spread his arms wide.

"As strong as you may think bonds can last, everything in this world is fleeting. The body decays, the flesh is weakened, and time takes us all in the end, except for those of the Royal Family. Behold, the Core!"

As he said this, four large robotic arms stretched down from the ceiling, landing on the ground. This was followed by a terrible screech as a large metal object with many hellish eyes came down from the ceiling, landing in front of both Andrias and Sheresade. They both let out a small gasp at seeing it and held onto each other, momentarily afraid. The King continued to speak as the Core moved forward toward Andrias and Sheresade.

"It contains the combined memories of our greatest minds, including your ancestors." The Core came right up to Andrias and looked him in the face.

"Uh, hello," said Andrias nervously.

"As for you, Sheresade," began the King. "Once you are married to my son, you will be granted one of the greatest honors of all. When you reach the end of your life, your great mind will be preserved in the Core." The Core then came up to Sheresade, looking her in her face, causing the salamander to shrink in fear.

"Ah, well, that is, uh… I must say I'm speechless, Your Majesty. I had no idea such a thing ever existed," said Sheresade.

"Yes, well, it is a secret that is only known to the Royal Family. You and my son have been engaged for long enough. With your marriage approaching, it is time to tell you of certain things, for soon, you will be Queen of Amphibia."

"It's just this seems rather… extreme, does it not?" began Sheresade. "There are surely other methods for recording and preserving one's history and accomplishments. I love the idea of passing on knowledge and was even thinking of writing a few books about everything I learned about magic. Perhaps I can even record a few holo-tapes too—"

"Sheresade, you would refuse an honor that is only granted to a select few?" asked Aldrich firmly. "This is one of the great perks of being a member of the Royal Family. You are being offered a chance at immortality."

Sheresade looked between the Core and Aldrich. Part of her wanted to continue to protest being "preserved", but another part of her realized how foolish that would be, so she said nothing. The King continued speaking.

"Now, about your mission, we'll be invading a medieval world called Earth. You must exterminate the savages there so we can mine the planet for its resources."

"What? Wipe out a whole race?!" exclaimed Andrias. "Doesn't that seem a little… extreme?"

"Pssh. Trust me, Drias, you'll be doing us all a favor getting rid of them," said Sheresade. "I had an encounter with one of those savages in the Demon Realm, remember?" She held up her left arm, showing off her stump.

"Ah, yes, Sheresade had already scouted out this world for us," said Aldrich. "She determined that there is nothing of value worth harvesting, so instead, we will simply mine this world. Remember, son, invading other worlds is expensive and we need all the resources we can get. For our way of life to continue, this kind of work needs to be done. Sheresade, do you still have the key?"

"Ah, yes, of course, Your Majesty," said Sheresade, reaching into her cloak and pulling out the key to the music box. She was going to hand it back to the King before he held up a hand to stop her.

"No, no, give it to Andrias," said the King.

"Wait, really?" said Andrias, his eyes lighting up. "Does that mean I'm—"

"Officially in charge," said Aldrich, managing a smile, as he put his hand on Andrias's shoulder. "Now make me proud, son!"

"Yes, Father," said Andrias.

"Remember, do a good job on the Earth invasion, and when you get back, we'll have a grand wedding! You can make it as lavish as you wish! It will be a time for celebrating the continued legacy of the Royal Family."

"Is that all for now, Dad?" asked Andrias.

"Yes, that is all. You are both dismissed," said Aldrich.

Andrias and Sheresade left the room, with Sheresade glad to get away. As they left, they looked into each other's faces and held hands, smiling.

Twilight had fallen over the kingdom, and Andrias and Sheresade had escaped up to the top of the walls of Newtopia, looking out at the beautiful sunset and enjoying each other's company.

"Remember when we first met?" asked Sheresade as she leaned up against Andrias. "After all the formal introductions were over and your dad let us go… How you brought me up here to show me the sunset?"

"How could I forget?" answered Andrias. "I remember being so nervous. Arranged marriages are always a bit awkward, and I can't imagine it was any easier for you."

"I was nervous," said Sheresade. "My parents told me that our family was being honored by the Royal family and that I was to be married to the young prince. I know that our engagement was more our parents' decision than our own, but I'm glad it seems to have worked out."

"My father said your family was some of the best witches in the land, and that bringing that line into ours would make us even stronger," said Andrias. "But all I was worried about was whether the two of us get along. I'd come up here to the top of the walls a lot. It was a nice place to escape whenever I wanted to be alone, and I guess me bringing you here was my attempt at trying to be romantic."

"Well, it worked wonderfully, my dear! From here, you could see everything. The wonderous sunset and the streets of Newtopia. You could see so many things. I can see why you liked this spot so much. I remember your dad wanted us married immediately," said Sheresade, "but my parents were able to convince him that we should have an engagement period to get to know each other better. I'm glad they did because I think giving us time helped us form a real bond."

"Plus, I got to introduce you to my friends, and you got to know them as well," added Andrias.

"Yes, I am glad I got to meet them," said Sheresade. "Seeing you and your friends happy together is what helped me to realize you were a nice guy, Drias, someone who I could see spending the rest of my life with." She leaned in and gave Andrias a kiss on the cheek.

"It won't be much longer now," said Andrias. "I'll make sure I do a good job on the Earth invasion. We'll have the best, most wonderful wedding ever. Barrel will be my best man, and Leif can be your maid of honor. I don't care what my dad says, I'll make sure that they are sat at our table. You know, since our celebration today was cut short, maybe tomorrow, I'll show Leif and Barrel the box. You know they've never seen it before."

"Oh, that's a lovely idea, Andrias," said Sheresade. "I think tomorrow I will ask the royal tailor to start work on my wedding dress!"

"Ah, you will look splendid in it for sure," Andrias looked from his fiancé out to the sunset and then back to the streets of Newtopia. He saw a group of children playing together. They were all different species, two frogs, a toad, and three newts. They all had smiles on their faces as they played a game together.

"I love what we've done here," said Andrias to Sheresade. "This city, it's great that now that we've advanced so far, we don't have to worry about competing with each other. I'm glad there's no more fighting between the different species of Amphibia."

"Yes. Me too, my love," said Sheresade. "The world we've helped create has brought prosperity to all the species, and soon, you and I will be the ones who lead Amphibia into a new age."

"I can't wait," said Andrias, holding Sheresade close to him and looking out again over the sunset. The two continued sitting there, enjoying each other's company. As it started to shift to night, Sheresade got up and looked around.

"Remind me, Drias. Where is the deep part of the water?" she asked.

"Oh, it's over there," replied Andrias. He pointed to a section of water near the back of the city. "My dad told me we built the main gate near the shallow part, and the back of the city near the deep end of the lake. Why?"

"Oh, I was thinking of going for a swim," said Sheresade seductively.

"Well, enjoy yourself. I hope it's not too cold," said Andrias.

"And I was hoping you would join me…" said Sheresade, turning towards him and fluttering her eyes.

Andrias's face turned bright red as she said this. While he was still a young newt, he knew what it meant when a newt or salamander asked to "go for a swim" with you. Her request had left him stunned.

"Oh, I… uh… well… We've never gone for a swim together…" he said nervously. "I… uh, are you sure you want to do that now?"

Sheresade came up to Andrias, reaching down, grabbing his hand with hers, and pulling him up. "Yes, I'm sure."

With that, she made her way to the deep end of the water, giving Andrias one more seductive look before jumping off the wall and doing a dramatic dive into the water! She surfaced and once again beckoned Andrias to follow her. Andrias let out a deep breath, trying to overcome his nervousness, before deciding to dive in after her…

Chapter Text

The Amphibian Arctic was a wild and beautiful place. Snow covered the mountains and plains as far as the eye could see. As Joe Sparrow glided over this wintery scene, the Plantars, and the girls looked out over the area in awe and wonder.

"Hey, look, Woolly Mantises," said Sprig.

Joe Sparrow touched down, ready to let his passengers off. Unfortunately, he landed on a patch of ice and immediately began sliding around before crashing into a snowbank.

As the group dug themselves out of the snow, Marcy explained where they were.

"Welcome to the Amphibian Arctic, everyone!" she said, popping out of the snow. "I triangulated the tacking beam from the green stone, and…" She pulled the stone out of her pencil bag to show the group where it was pointing. Unfortunately, Hop Pop was standing in the way.

"Hop Pop, move!" commanded Marcy.

"Oh, sorry," he said, getting down on the floor and out of the way.

"The second temple must be right through there," said Anne, pointing to where the beam was shining. The group followed the beam to an archway that had a blue stone in it. As Marcy shone the beam on that blue stone, writing appeared on the archway, which she read.

"Just beyond these snowy gates, a grueling, perilous temple awaits."

"Uh, you sure about that, Marbles?" asked Luz, coming up to where she was standing. The group looked past the archway and didn't see anything other than a vast field of snow.

"Could it be invisible?" suggested Sprig as he put out his hands, trying to see if there was something there, only to fall over.

"Hmmm, weird," observed Marcy. "All the ancient texts about this temple were super vague. They just mentioned the word 'heart' a lot."

"Are we looking for something heart-shaped?" suggested Hop Pop.

"Maybe we have to rip someone's heart out," said Polly.

Just as she finished speaking, the group heard a loud squawk, and a bird flew overhead. It flew low, almost hitting their heads, then flew away towards the arch. Luz and Anne looked up and got a good look at the bird, both realizing they had seen it before.

"Hey, wait! I know that crazy bird," they said together at the same time. Luz and Anne did a double take and then looked at each other.

"Wait, you've seen that bird before?" asked Anne, surprised.

"Yeah, I have," replied Luz. "Come on! After it."

With that, the group followed the bird until it came to rest in a tent, a tent that looked very familiar to Anne. Luz glanced at the name on the tent and let out a gasp as she remembered who it was.

"Valeriana. Anne, didn't we meet her at the Bizarre Bazaar?" asked Sprig.

"Yeah," said Anne.

"So you know Valeriana, too?" asked Luz. Anne nodded her head before Luz continued, "She was a friend of Uodeela's. I met her when she came by to ask me about how I got to this world."

"Whoa, that's neat," said Anne. "I wonder if that was before I met her?"

"It was," said a voice from behind the group. They all turned around in shock to see Valeriana emerge from behind a tree, eating something off a stick.

"Pardon me. I was just enjoying my lunch. It is the most important meal of the day," she said as she tossed the stick in the air, and it transformed into a hooked staff.

"Valeriana, it's so good to see you again," said Luz, running up to hug her. Valeriana was a bit caught off guard by the hug, but she accepted it just the same.

"Hello, Luz. How have you been? I imagine things are quite different for you now," said Valeriana. As she said this, she gave Luz a wink.

"Oh, uh, things are fine," said Luz quickly. "Actually, they're not fine. I don't know if you know, but Uodeela got stuck in her heron form. If anyone can help her, I assume you can."

"Ah, yes, I am aware of what happened to Uodeela." Valeriana turned her head sadly. "But that is not the only reason you are here, is it? Are you perhaps also here seeking a temple to charge an ancient stone?"

Luz, Anne, and Marcy shared a look at each other before Anne replied, "Oh, yes, you know about the stones?"

"Indeed," said Valeriana, "but do you really think you are worthy?"

"Well, yeah," said Anne nervously.

"Totally," said Marcy.

"I'd like to think so," said Luz.

Valeriana looked hard at the three girls before responding, "We shall see."

"Oh, I'm Marcy. BT dubs," said Marcy, extending her hand to shake Valeriana's tail.

"Uh, nice to meet you," said Valeriana.

"And I'm Hop Pop," said Hop Pop.

"Polly," said Polly.

The group relocated inside Valeriana's tent. They gathered around a table where Valeriana had placed a scroll.

"I am the last of an ancient order," began Valeriana. "Our purpose was to study the sacred stones and temples."

"Oh, so you know where the temple is?" asked Marcy.

"Indeed, and you possess the Music Box?" asked Valeriana.

"Sure do," said Anne, pulling it out of her bag.

Valeriana's eyes lit up at the sight of the music box. "After all these years, it has returned. I would very much like to hold it."

Anne noticed the look in her eyes and moved to put the box away. "Uh, I'd rather hold on to it."

"Suit yourself," said Valeriana, "though I am curious as to how exactly it came into your possession."

Anne and Marcy gave each other a look before Marcy made a motion with her hand to not say anything. Valeriana's question had intrigued Luz.

"Hey, that's a good point," said Luz suddenly. "Where did you guys get that box? I'm pretty sure Marcy had shown me a picture of it at lunch that day, and when I met you in the park, you already had it, Anne."

Marcy and Anne seemed to become uncomfortable at this statement and motioned for Luz to stop talking. Luz saw the motion, but it only made her more curious.

"Is something wrong? Is there a reason you can't say?" asked Luz, unsure why neither Anne nor Marcy could just say where they had gotten it from.

Deciding to try to deflect a bit, Anne finally spoke up, "You know, I don't remember how we got it."

Luz gave Anne a look that showed she clearly didn't believe her. Anne and Marcy both looked away.

"Well, in any case, here," said Valeriana as she moved over to a dresser and began pulling out some fur coats. "To get to the temple, we must climb the freezing cliffs of Mount Mutu. Leave your flimsy jackets and wear these caterpillar coats instead."

Everyone started putting their coats on, though as they were, Luz commented.

"Good thing I stocked up on some fire potions, just in case these coats aren't enough."

Valeriana heard Luz and made a look toward her, but continued talking, "Since this temple is my responsibility, you must do as I say, or you can say goodbye to finding it. Are we clear?"

"Clear!" replied everyone.

Valeriana walked up to Luz. "Before we begin, I'd like to have a word with Luz in private."

"Oh, sure," said Luz.

"Very good. Follow me outside. The rest of you wait here; I'll be right back," said Valeriana.

Luz and Valeriana walked outside the tent, and when they were alone, Valeriana took out her staff and waved it at Luz, causing the two of them to vanish. Luz let out a yell of surprise!

When she opened her eyes, Luz could see stars all around her. As she looked down at the ground, she could see she was standing on some kind of stone structure that seemed to poke above the clouds. Luz was so amazed by the sight that she didn't hear Valeriana talking to her.

"So, Luz, are you enjoying your new powers?" asked Valeriana.

Luz snapped back to reality on hearing that and turned to face the salamander.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you know about that," she said sheepishly, "but where are we?"

"We are at the top of the temple," explained Valeriana. "I can warp us here if need be, and I thought it was far enough away so that we could truly talk in private. The journey here won't be so easy. Anne will have to prove her worthiness."

"Oh, okay," said Luz.

"You will have to prove your worthiness too at your own temple, Luz," said Valeriana. "I wonder if you are ready?"

"I'd like to think I am," said Luz, unsure of herself.

"Even though you hide the gift the box gave you?" asked Valeriana.

The question caught Luz off guard, but after a few seconds, she answered, "The thing is, I haven't told Anne or Marcy about my powers yet because…"

"Because you don't want them to be jealous of you," finished Valeriana. Luz was taken aback at this, but only for a moment. It didn't surprise her that Valeriana seemed to know more than she let on.

"Yeah, exactly. Listen, Uodeela told me that my powers come from the music box, and you seem to know a lot about the box, so I was wondering if there was more you could tell me?" asked Luz.

"I do, indeed, know much about the box," began Valeriana, "but I am afraid I cannot tell you everything about it. There is much you must learn on your own."

"Oh… I guess I understand," said Luz dejectedly. "Still, I was wondering…"

"If I knew anything that could help Uodeela," finished Valeriana.

"Yes, so, do you?" asked Luz.

"No," answered Valeriana flatly.

"Wait, what?" said Luz in surprise. "Are you saying you can't think of anything that could help her? I thought you were a magic user, too."

"I am, but even so, I know of nothing in Amphibia that could help her," said Valeriana.

Luz got down on her knees. "Please. Don't you care about Uodeela?" begged Luz to Valeriana. "Isn't there something you can do to help her?"

"I am sorry, child, but there is no cure for Uodeela in this world," answered Valeriana as she hung her head in sadness.

"No! It can't end like this! Are you saying that's it, then?" asked Luz in frustration. "She's doomed to spend the rest of her days wandering around, stuck in the mind of a heron."

"What did I say, Luz?" asked Valeriana.

"You said there's no cure for Uodeela," said Luz bitterly.

"Wrong!" said Valeriana, hitting Luz with her tail. "Pay attention! What I said was, 'There is no cure for her in THIS world.'"

It took Luz a second to realize what Valeriana was implying, but as she did, it slowly dawned on her.

"I think you already know this, but if not, I can tell you. The music box can go to places other than your world and Amphibia," explained Valeriana.

"Other worlds," said Luz slowly.

"Indeed! Other worlds with their own systems of magic, other worlds with medicines and cures we can only dream of… Perhaps even another world filled with witches, demons, and a mysterious masked man," said Valeriana coyly.

"Huh, that sure sounds like an interesting world," said Luz. "And hey, once the music box is charged, that means we could use it to go to those other worlds, right?"

Valeriana nodded her head.

"Oh, wow! So maybe there's a chance Uodeela could be cured by some magic from another world!" said Luz excitedly.

"Perhaps, but you have been journeying to go home to your world," said Valeriana. "You have someone that misses you there, don't you?"

"Yeah, my mom," said Luz sadly. "I want to see her again, but I also want to help Uodeela."

"Luz, you don't have to do everything alone," said Valeriana. "You have friends. They can help you accomplish both tasks. In fact, they are helping you right now, are they not?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess they are," said Luz.

"You should be lucky to have such good friends helping you," said Valeriana, "especially Anne."

"I am lucky to have them. You know, for a long time, I didn't have friends, but that changed after I met Anne and Marcy," said Luz.

"We should get back to your friends," said Valeriana. "… But first, tell me about those potions you have."

"Oh, these?" said Luz, pulling out a bottle of red-orange liquid. "Yeah. After Marcy said we'd be going to a colder climate, I thought I should make some fire potions. Now, even if those caterpillar cloaks aren't warm enough, these can provide extra warmth."

"Hmmm, good idea," said Valeriana. "And as for your powers, you've been practicing with them, yes?"

"Oh, of course. Uodeela told me to keep practicing, and I want to be able to get better at them," said Luz.

"Good. I bet you could stop an avalanche with those powers if you tried," said Valeriana.

"Well, I don't know about that, but I'd love the chance to try," answered Luz.

"I'm sure you would, but unfortunately, Anne has to face her trials herself," said Valeriana.

"Huh?" said Luz, confused. Suddenly, Valeriana waved her staff, and Luz was encapsulated in a bright blue sphere.

"Hey! What gives? Let me out of here!" demanded Luz, hitting her fists against the sphere.

"Sorry, Luz," said Valeriana as she walked away. "Can't have you interfering in the trials." As she looked back at Luz, still in the bubble, a thought occurred to her, But maybe you can provide me with an alternative to a test I had planned for Anne.

With that, Valeriana waved her staff, causing her to disappear from the top of the temple, leaving Luz stranded.

Luz continued to bang her hands against the sides of the bubble, trying her best to get out. After a few minutes of trying, she gave up and sat down, sulking.

Dang it! What's going on? she thought. What did Valeriana mean when she said Anne has to face her trials alone?

Luz sat in silence, wondering how long before Valeriana would return or if she would return at all. She didn't have to wait long, though, as she eventually saw two figures reappear on the top of the temple. One of them was Valeriana, and the other was Anne, though Anne hadn't yet noticed Luz.

"Huh? Where are we? What did you do?" asked Anne as she looked around her. "Just show me and my friends where the temple is already!"

"Never! You are not worthy," exclaimed Valeriana. "In fact, none are worthy! And now that I finally have you alone, I can return the box to its rightful guardian! ME!"

"Huh?" said Anne, confused. In the next instant, her parrot emerged from Anne's backpack, holding the music box. Anne was quicker, though, and grabbed it out of the bird's talons, bringing it close to her chest.

"No! I need that to get home!" she exclaimed.

"Is that so?" asked Valeriana. "In that case, I wonder if you would trade it… for your friend's life!" With that, Valeriana waved her staff, and Luz shot over to where she was still trapped in her bubble.

"Luz!" yelled Anne in terror.

"Anne!" shouted Luz, though the bubble muffled her voice.

"Well, Anne?" asked Valeriana impatiently.

"Let her go!" demanded Anne. With that, Anne lunged forward, bringing out her tennis racket and trying to destroy the bubble Luz was trapped in. In her attempt, though, she dropped the music box. Valeriana and Anne both glanced at where the box had fallen and made a move to recover it.

"Aha! See? Still only thinking of yourself," yelled Valeriana as she managed to use her staff to recover the box.

"You're wrong!" countered Anne as she managed to get the box away. "I'm not… that selfish."

"Oh, no? Didn't you lie to the Plantars to get out of a day of work?" accused Valeriana.

"How do you know that?" asked Anne.

"Didn't you drive the family snail even though you were told not to?" asked Valeriana as she tried to take the box away from Anne.

"Okay, this is getting weird," said Anne. "What else do you know?"

"I know that you snore!" said Valeriana.

"You could have kept that to yourself," mumbled Anne. Valeriana quickly moved her staff to Anne's foot and tripped her, causing the box to fly out of her hands. Valeriana managed to catch it with her tail. Anne dove to try to recover the box, but before she could get close, Valeriana used her staff to move Luz in front of her. Anne stopped her attack, not wanting to hurt Luz.

"Stop hiding behind Luz, you coward!" called Anne desperately.

"Why?" asked Valeriana. "It's not like you really care about her. You told her you didn't want to be her friend anymore, right?"

That comment upset Anne, causing her to falter in her resolve. "No… I… I…"

"Anne, don't listen!" yelled Luz, trying to get her attention. "She's trying to rattle you!"

"Though I wouldn't blame you for that, considering what she did to you at the dance. Is her life worth your only way home?" called Valeriana, moving the bubble away to the far side of the platform. Anne realized she had an opening and managed to swipe the box away from Valeriana. As soon as she had it, she ran towards Luz, finally catching up to where she was. She took out her tennis racket and began banging on the bubble, trying desperately to break it open.

"Why bother saving your friend? You haven't told her the truth about how you even got that box, have you?" taunted Valeriana. Anne froze at that comment, looking into Luz's eyes, which were now full of questions.

"Luz… I…" began Anne.

"But if it's any consolation, she's keeping a secret from you too," continued Valeriana. Luz looked away, feeling immense guilt. She quickly turned back, trying to explain herself.

"Anne, I was going to tell you…" began Luz.

"Enough games!" declared Valeriana. With that, she moved the bubble away from Anne and over the edge of the platform they were standing on. As Luz looked down, she saw clouds and a steep drop. She let out a gasp!

"No!" yelled Anne, reaching out her hand toward Luz.

"Last chance!" said Valeriana. "Give me the Music Box or I drop your friend to her death."

Anne looked between the box she was holding and Luz in the bubble. As much as she wanted to go home, she knew it wasn't worth her friend's life.

"Okay… Stop," said Anne to Valeriana, tears forming in her eyes. "Please don't hurt her. I'll give you the box."

"Anne, NO!" yelled Luz from inside the bubble. "Don't do it."

"The box isn't worth your life," said Anne solemnly as she walked over to the salamander, holding the box outstretched in her hands.

"Is that your final decision then, Anne?" asked Valeriana. "You will trade this box, which is the only way you know of to get home, for your friend? You will risk being trapped here forever."

Anne hesitated for a moment but finally said one word, "Yes."

"Why?" asked Valeriana, looking hard at Anne's face.

"Because Luz is one of my best friends, and I'd do anything for her." With that, Anne handed the box over to Valeriana.

Luz watched from inside the bubble, touched by what Anne had said about her. She knew she couldn't let Anne hand over the box, especially when her life wasn't in any real danger. Deciding that now she really had no choice, Luz closed her eyes, and when she opened them, not only were her eyes glowing purple, but her hair was too! She punched the side of the bubble, instantly causing it to shatter and drawing both Anne's and Valeriana's attention. Anne gasped in shock at seeing Luz in this powered-up state!

Once freed from the bubble, Luz shot out a vine from her hand, wrapping it around the box and pulling it back towards her hand. She then dove between Valeriana and Anne, causing the salamander to jump back in surprise, though she also grinned.

"Okay, Luz," said Valeriana with a smile on her face. "Let's see how much you've been practicing."

With that, Valeriana charged forward at Luz. Luz briefly turned around and wordlessly handed the box to Anne before charging at Valeriana herself. Valeriana held up her staff to stop Luz's charge, which surprisingly worked, but Luz attempted to break through the force of her punch, sending Valeriana back. She recovered quickly, though, and charged again at Luz, hitting her with her staff and managing to send her flying back. Luz recovered, and this time fired a blast of wind at Valeriana, blowing her toward the edge of the platform. Valeriana dug her staff into the ground to try to stop her, then swung around and fired a blast of energy from her staff at Luz. Luz brought up a wall of ice to protect her from the blast, and after the blast hit, she began firing chunks of ice at Valeriana. The salamander managed to dodge every one of them, then began twirling her own staff, creating a gust of wind that blew towards Anne and Luz. Anne tried to fight against the wind but was eventually blown off the edge of the platform, dropping the box as she did. Luz quickly realized Anne was in trouble and moved to the edge of the platform. Time seemed to slow as she could see Anne being blown off the platform into the sky in one eye, but she also saw the music box fall straight down in her other eye.

Luz quickly launched two vines, one from each hand. One towards Anne, and the other down where she thought the box was. She managed to grab Anne with one of her vines and began pulling her back to safety, but as Luz pulled on the other vine, she slowly realized she had missed the box. Luz pulled a little too hard on Anne's vine, causing her to crash into Luz, and then both of them hit the ground. As she did, the purple glow in Luz's eyes and hair faded. Luz and Anne both got up, and Anne looked hard into Luz's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Anne," began Luz quickly. "I was going to tell you eventually about my powers, but then you said how you and Marcy never got any. Uodeela told me how they came from the box and I was worried that if I told you that, you'd be hurt that you didn't get any powers of your own, and I…"

Luz was interrupted from her explanation as Anne threw her arms around Luz, hugging her tightly and causing her to stop talking.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Luz," said Anne into her ear, tears forming in her eyes. As the two separated, Anne looked deep into Luz's eyes and decided that it was time to confess something herself.

"You want to know how I got the music box?" asked Anne. She hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "I stole it."

Luz was shocked to hear Anne say that, but before she could ask her anything else, Valeriana interrupted.

"You see? You are a liar and a thief!" she yelled, pointing her staff at Anne. "You don't deserve the box." With that, Valeriana held up the box in her tail, surprising both Luz and Anne.

"Hey, how did you get that? Never mind; it doesn't matter. Give that back!" demanded Luz. She moved forward to try to get it from the salamander, but Anne stopped her.

"No, I traded it with her for you. It's hers now," Anne said morosely.

"Anne, no! You can't just let her keep it," protested Luz.

"You heard what she said," exclaimed Valeriana. "The box is mine, and your friend just admitted her thievery. She is not worthy."

Anne got up slowly and looked up at the stars before speaking in a calm yet firm tone, "If stealing the box makes me unworthy, then so be it. I know I've made mistakes in the past. I did lie to get out of work, I did take the family snail, even though I was told not to, and I did…" She hesitated as she looked into Luz's face. She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears that were forming.

"… I did tell Luz I didn't want to be her friend anymore," Anne finished, her voice heavy with regret. "I am trying to be a better person, and I'd like to think that those mistakes taught me things I wouldn't have learned if I hadn't made them. I agreed to give you the box in exchange for Luz, so keep it."

As Anne finished talking, she looked over at Valeriana, who was smiling. "We have been waiting for someone like you for such a long time."

"Uh, excuse me?" said Anne, puzzled.

Valeriana made a motion with her hand, and suddenly she was surrounded by smoke. An instant later, her clothes had become pure white.

"Whoa, Mama, you clean up nice!" exclaimed Anne.

"You have sacrificed your warmth for your friends," began Valeriana, walking towards Anne, "your safety for a stranger in need, and you were even willing to give up the box in order to save one who had wronged you." She looked at Luz as she said this.

"Empathy alone isn't enough, for what is heart without… responsibility?" Valeriana slammed her staff into the ground for emphasis as she spoke that last line. "In the name of the temple, I declare you worthy!"

"Wait! No way!" said Anne. "So the cardinal, the avalanche, all this was—"

"A trial," confirmed Valeriana. "You see, we've been making our way through the temple this whole time, and I have been testing you."

Valeriana's parrot returned, perched itself on her shoulder, and repeated, "Testing you."

"Oh, and Luz, good job on using your powers," said Valeriana, turning to her. "You have been practicing. I see a lot of potential in you."

"Oh, uh, thanks," she said, a bit uneasy at being complimented.

"Let me give you some advice, though," began Valeriana. "Don't become over-reliant on your powers. They are a great tool, but tools can break. There may come a time when you must use other forms of magic and your own wits to survive. You must be ready to adapt, but I sense that you have the resolve in you to change with the times."

Luz considered what Valeriana had said. "Is there anything else you can tell me about these powers?"

"I'm afraid not," answered Valeriana. "There are events already in motion for you, others in Amphibia, and perhaps even in another world… What happens in the future you will have to face on your own, but remember what I have said. And don't forget, Luz, trust in your friends."

"Okay," said Luz, accepting Valeriana's answer.

"So, Anne, what is it that you want?" asked Valeriana.

"Oh, right. To charge the stone and go home!" declared Anne.

"So be it," said Valeriana. With that, she pulled one of the gray stones out of the box and put it in the space of the hook of her cane. As she did, there was a bright flash of light. Anne closed one of her eyes as this happened, though the eye that remained open glowed blue. As it did, the blue glow began to drain from her eye… Though it did not drain completely.

Valeriana's cane lit up, and slowly, the stone began to charge, though at a much slower rate than last time. Anne was quick to notice this.

"Huh, it's a lot slower than last time," she observed.

"Sorry, this thing is pretty old," replied Valeriana.

"Oh, I get it. No problem," said Anne.

"Do you want something to read?" asked Valeriana.

"Seriously, it's fine," answered Anne, though no sooner had she said this than suddenly they heard a scream from back at the bottom.

"That sounded bad," said Luz.

"Oh, no! They're in trouble! What if it's another avalanche?" said Anne. She glanced at where the gem was and how charged it looked. To Anne, it seemed as though it was finished.

"Uh, that looks charged enough," said Anne, grabbing the gem and the box.

"Hurry! Send us back to the others, please!" said Luz.

Valeriana waved her staff, and Anne and Luz disappeared. A moment later, they reappeared on the side of the mountain. A moment after that, they heard the screams again.

"Hang on! We're coming!" yelled Luz as she and Anne charged through the trees toward the sound of the screams. As they emerged into the clearing, though, they saw that their friends were unharmed, gathered around Marcy's phone.

"Anne!" said Polly. "Marcy is showing us ridiculously cute animal videos on her phone."

"We looked for you, but now we're taking a break," added Sprig.

"Oh, Luz, there you are." said Marcy. "Valeriana said she had taken you to the top of the temple to talk with you. She said we'd meet you up there once we got to the temple."

"Yeah, I guess that's mostly true," said Luz.

"So, did you manage to charge the stone?" asked Sprig.

"Yep," said Anne, pulling the box out of her backpack and showing it to the group.

The group cheered and clapped at Anne's success, and Sprig himself was curious. "But how?"

"I'll explain later. For now, can we please get out of this cold?" asked Anne, shivering.

"Oh, hey, wait, I have something for that," said Luz, reaching into her belt and pulling out a bottle filled with reddish-orange liquid and handing it to Anne. Anne drank the potion and immediately felt warm.

"Ahhh, that does feel better," said Anne, as she felt the warmth course through her body from her head to her toes.

"Sure is a good thing you came prepared, Luz," said Polly. "It's great that we have a magic user with us."

As Polly said that, Luz's face fell. She recovered, though, and decided to speak.

"Listen, guys, there's something I have to tell you."

Anne saw this. "Hey, uh, wait, why don't we get home first? That potion was great, but I'd still rather get out of the cold for real."

"You sure?" asked Luz.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Plus, then you can show us too," said Anne.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Marcy.

"You'll see when we get home," said Anne. "This way, it can be a surprise."

"Alright then, let's head home," said Hop Pop. "Maybe Frobo can make us a nice cup of cocoa."

"That sounds nice," said Anne. With that, the group made their way back to Joe Sparrow and then Wartwood, none of them noticing that the blue stone in the box had flickered a few times…

Luz summoned four orbs of fire that rotated around her. She sent them off into the sky, where they exploded like fireworks. Next, she summoned the same number of light orbs and sent them up to hang in front of the group like little stars. Finally, she put her hands on the ground and summoned up two small ice pillars. As she did, the glow in her eyes faded, and she took a bow.

The Plantars and Marcy all had their mouths open in disbelief at this display. They simply stood there in shocked silence as Luz emerged from her bow, with Anne the only one clapping. Luz looked at their expressions, trying to think of what to say.

"So… yeah, that's what I wanted to show you guys," said Luz, a bit embarrassed.

"That was amazing!" yelled Polly. "It must be so cool to have powers like that."

"Wow! I mean, I've never heard of anything like that in Amphibia in all my life here," said Hop Pop. "You live a long time and you think you've seen it all, then something new surprises you!"

"You've been holding out on us, Luz!" said Sprig in a playful, accusing manner.

"I mean, I guess I kinda have," admitted Luz. "But listen, the reason I didn't tell you all sooner is because I wasn't sure if either of you…" she indicated Anne and Marcy, "... got powers too. Uodeela told me that the powers I have come from the music box. I didn't know I had them until I fought Sasha and Grime. I thought maybe the two of you had developed the same powers, but when I realized you hadn't, I… I didn't want you to be hurt that you didn't get your own…"

Luz trailed off as she kept talking, looking hard into Anne and Marcy's faces. The two shared a look at each other and then back at Luz.

"Hey, hey, it's fine, Luz," began Marcy. "I'm not mad at you, though if I am being honest… I am a little jealous, but hey, don't take that the wrong way. I'm proud of you, Luz." Marcy came up to Luz and took her hands into her own, looking her straight in the face. Luz smiled at the gesture.

"I thought something was up," said Anne. "Ever since the first temple, I could have sworn I saw you using those powers, and I guess this explains how you were able to defeat Bog and his army by yourself. But honestly, I'm not jealous, and I'm not hurt. If anything, it's awesome having a superpowered friend."

"Looks like you really are the Good Witch Luzura," said Marcy. "So hey, you said Uodeela said the powers came from the box. Did she say anything else about them?"

"Unfortunately, no," replied Luz. "The thing is, she didn't tell me about the powers until right before we fought the toads. The only thing she said was that they came from the box, but she didn't elaborate much beyond that." Luz thought for a moment before adding, "Actually, there was something else I just remembered. I think she said something about the four of us being brought here for a reason."

"The four of us? So Sasha too, then?" asked Anne.

"Maybe… I don't know," said Luz. "If Sasha was supposed to come here for a reason, I can't imagine that reason was to help the toads fight Uodeela."

"Even so, we do have to find her at some point," said Marcy.

"Do we?" asked Luz. "If Sasha hadn't done what she did, then Uodeela would still be here. She could probably tell us anything we wanted to know about the box."

"I mean, we can't just leave her here," said Marcy.

"You know, you do have a point," said Sprig, joining the conversation. "Feels like Sasha should go back to your world and be safe there. Plus, then she'd be away from us." The girls all gave him a look.

"Hey, Marcy, when you were researching the box with the King, did that book say anything about it granting powers?" asked Polly.

"No, it didn't," said Marcy. "Maybe whoever wrote that book didn't know about the powers?" She put her hand to her chin, scratching it for a few seconds before continuing, "Oh, I have an idea! Since Luz was the only one who got powers, maybe the box only gave them to one of the four people who opened it. And honestly… considering what Sasha and I did, it makes sense that Luz would be the one to get them."

"You mean how we stole it?" said Anne morosely. Marcy looked at her, her smile fading.

"Yeah… Exactly," admitted Marcy. "Luz, you were the only one who wasn't involved in that, so I'm guessing that's why you got the powers."

"I guess that makes sense," said Luz as she considered what Marcy said.

"Well, enough depressing talk," said Hop Pop, trying to lift the girls' spirits. "It's time for dinner, so let's go inside and get something to eat; maybe even get some hot cocoa"

With that, the group made their way inside, except for Anne and Luz, who hung back until they were alone.

"Hey, just wanted to say sorry again for keeping this from you," said Luz.

"Well, I didn't tell you about stealing the box, so I'd say we're even," replied Anne. She turned to go inside, but Luz called to her.

"Hey, Anne, Sprig told me that you always seem to get leaves in your hair," said Luz, pointing to Anne's hair.

"Oh, yeah. You know, for a while, I didn't even notice. Then I started cleaning my hair at night, but I still manage to get leaves in it no matter what I do. Man, I really miss showers," said Anne.

Luz laughed at this, saying, "Yeah, me too, but I thought maybe your hair could use a touch of color if you don't mind." With that, she put her hand toward the ground and concentrated, causing a beautiful blue flower to emerge. Luz picked the flower and put it in Anne's hair.

"There, now you have a little color to go with your leaves," said Luz playfully.

Anne looked up at the flower and then at Luz, smiling. "Aw, thanks, Luz. Here's hoping this stays in my hair."

"It suits you," said Luz, looking into Anne's face, causing Anne's cheeks to blush at the statement. She returned Luz's smile, and the two of them joined the rest of their friends inside.

Chapter Text

In the halls of the North Tower deep in the Northern Territory of Amphibia whispers and murmurs echoed around the room. For the first time in many generations, the Toad Lords had agreed to a meeting. A meeting that Grime and Sasha had called for weeks ago. There were representatives from every major area of Amphibia with the Toad Lords themselves seated on the high seats near the center of the chamber. No one seemed to know why or for what purpose this meeting had been called, so there was much speculation as to why.

"So the disgraced Captain Grime called this council meeting," said Captain Bufo, "does anyone have any idea why?"

"Maybe he wants to be surrounded by friends when he gets arrested," speculated Beatrix, "what do you think Aldo?"

The toad identified as Aldo didn't move, a bug crawled across his face giving the appearance that he was dead.

"Uh is he asleep or dead?" asked Bufo.

"Definitely smells dead," replied Beatrix, causing Bufo to laugh at her comment. The two continued laughing as a face peaked through the curtain from the stage. Braddock came back behind the curtain, worried by what she saw.

"Not exactly a welcoming crowd," she said to her associates.

Sasha wasn't perturbed by this news, "Don't worry once they see our idea they'll be begging to be a part of it."

"Are you sure this idea is going to go over well?" asked Gustav, "I've studied Toad History, the Toads haven't united in centuries, we know that uniting like this would send a clear message to Andrias. If he hears that we've united he's going to start preparing for war."

"Yeah, well I doubt he could actually beat us," said Sasha, "besides, toads like ruling things, why hasn't anyone ever thought about just taking over Amphibia and kicking that old newt out?"

"The Toad Lords were given dominion to collect taxes over the four areas of Amphibia," explained Grime, "that was done to satiate us, Newtopia gave us permission to rule over the frogs and take what we wanted so long as Newtopia got their cut. All in all that system wasn't so bad, and for a long time we were satisfied."

"And none of the Toad Lords ever thought that was just small potatoes?" asked Sasaha indignantly.

"I guess not," said Grime, he turned to look at Gustav, "Didn't realize you actually knew your history boy."

"I like reading," answered Gustav, "though I will say, one other reason why the Toads never attempted to overthrow Newtopia is that you only get one shot to overthrow the king. If it failed, well let's just say the Toads would have it a lot worse. Just want to remind you Sasha that you're asking the Toads to risk a lot for your plan. And I'm not sure that T-shirts are going to convince anyone." Gustav held up one of the custom T-shirts Sasaha had made that said "Toads Rule" on it.

"Well it's a good thing I have a last touch for our outfits then," said Percy running to his bag and grabbing some paint. He ran back and painted a single eye on each one of their cloaks.

"Now we really are a team," he said in triumph.

"One eye, I see what you did there," said Grime.

"Nice one Perce," added Sasha, she motioned for all of them to put their hands together, "Now come on everyone, let's get out there and impress some Toads, or we die!"

"Hey before we go out there, I have one more piece of information that might help your cause if Bufo gives you trouble," said Gustav.

"Dang it Beatrix what's your brother waiting for?" asked Bufo annoyed. Just as he finished talking the stage went dark and the curtain opened. Percy, Gustav, and Sasha appeared on stage, and Percy began to dance. Then Grime swung on a rope onto the stage and landed on a plank in the stage launching Gustav up in the air. As he was up he fired the T-shirt cannon he was holding firing T-shirts into the crowd, a few managing to be worn by some of the Toads. Finally, Grime began to speak.

"My fellow toads, for years we have kept the kingdom's servants in line, but are we not servants ourselves? I propose a future where toads overthrow King Andrias and take our rightful place as rulers of all Amphibia!"

Sasha came up to where Grime was standing, "Psss drop the mic," she whispered into his ear. Grime complied causing a fair bit of feedback.

If Sasha expected a response from the toads she didn't get one. The entire hall was silent, finally, Bufo stood up and spoke.

"You all took a huge risk in coming here to gain support for your rebellion," he began.

"And it paid off," finished Beatrix, "we frogging love it, nicely done Grimothy!"

Sasha, Braddock, Percy, and Gustav all turned to face Grime whose face had turned bright red.

"No way," began Sasaha in a playful teasing manner, "is your real name?"

"We're not talking about this," interrupted Grime putting his hands up.

"So tell us who's leading this revolution?" asked Bufo.

"I was thinking us?" said Grime motioning to those gathered on the stage. Bufo and Beatrix whispered to each other before replying.

"Yeah I don't think so," said Bufo, "if anyone is leading this it should be me!" he said proudly standing up. Gustav came up to Grime and whispered something into his ear.

"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you Bufo," said Grime in an accusing manner, "because from what I hear you tried to take over a town in my territory!"

The entire hall let out a collective gasp at this. All eyes turned to Bufo.

"What how could you possibly-" he began before his eyes fell on Gustav, "oh please you're not really going to take the word of a runt are you?" he said to the other toads gathered in the hall.

"I was there!" said Gustav, "and I know there are other toads in this room who were there too as part of Bufo's army!" his eyes moving around the room, "the toads have a set of ancient laws governing the division of territory. Bufo has broken those laws by attempting to add more towns into his own fiefdom."

"Well seeing as you're here calling for rebellion against the king, I'd say whatever laws I broke by invading Tadpole Pond are moot," answered Bufo smugly, he realized only a second too late though that he had just outed himself. Bufo looked around the room nervously suddenly aware of how many eyes were on him. Worst of all Aldo, the Lord of the North finally moved from where he was seated and spoke. His form moved slowly and he spoke in a slow, strained voice.

"Bufo…." he said, "you…know….the….rules. No Toad Lord.…is supposed….to invade….another's territory!"

"In my defense," said Bufo quickly and desperately, "I didn't invade Grime's territory. Invading implies that I took my army and fought Grime for control of Tadpole Pond, but that's not what happened at all. I heard about the Southern Tower falling and that Grime had fled to parts unknown. I thought he was gone, so I decided to simply take a new town that was on my border anyway. I wouldn't call it an invasion so much as an….annexation.

"Bufo," said Beatrix in a rather serious tone, "you know that Newtopia would have eventually appointed a new Lord to rule over the South. In fact, if I'm not mistaken they have done that, from what I hear Bog is now the new Captain of the Southern Territory."

"Bog!" yelled Grime in disgust, "ugghh of all possible Toads why him?"

"Well as long we're bringing everyone's sins into the open can we talk about how Grime and his hummus have unleashed Uodeela on the Toads," yelled Bufo.

"Sorry, what?" asked Sasha not sure about what she had heard.

"Oh don't play dumb," accused Bufo, "thanks to you two Uodeela is wandering around Amphibia stuck in her Red Heron form. She attacked my Tower last week, we only barely managed to drive her off."

"She's attacked my tower too," added Beatrix, "seems that when she's stuck In that form she only runs on instinct, my guess is her hatred for us is the only thing driving her."

"You should be thanking us then," replied Grime, "Uodeela's been a thorn in all our sides for too long, but we were the ones who took care of her. The rest of you were too cowardly to do anything, at least now she isn't actively leading a rebellion against us."

"Oh yeah having her wandering around as a mindless beast is so much better Grimothy," sneered Beatrix sarcastically.

"Hey can we focus here," said Sasha trying to get everyone's attention, "Let's stop slinging blame for Uodeela around, and let's also forget about whatever laws Bufo broke and get back to the task at hand. In fact Grime here is willing to forgive Bufo for trying to take one of his towns if you let us lead this rebellion!"

"I am?" said Grime looking at Sasha in confusion. Sasha nudged him in the stomach.

"Uh I mean yes I am willing to drop the matter if you let us lead," said Grime through gritted teeth.

"Look we like your vision," said Bufo, "but no Toad is going to follow the command of a fugitive and his hummus."

"Humans," corrected Sasha, "we're called humans."

"Bufo's right," added Beatrix, "just because King Andrias is working with a couple of hummuses doesn't mean us toads will go for it."

"Wait other humans?" said Sasha realization dawning on her, "they must be talking about Anne, Luz, and Marcy. I don't believe it, they're working together, without me!"

"And apparently aiding the crown," added Grime.

"In fact this whole thing is beginning to sound too risky," said Bufo, "guards arrest them!"

Two toad guards moved in to arrest Sasha and her entourage, but Sasha made an enraged yell and moved forward against them, quickly disarming them. Sasha stood up on the body of one of the defeated guards pointing at Bufo and Beatrix.

"Listen here you buffoons," she said angrily, "what's it going to take to prove that you should follow us?"

Again Aldo moved from where he was seated, again he spoke in a slow strained voice, "Barrel's Warhammer."

"Barrel's hammer?" asked Bufo in confusion, "you've finally gone senile Aldo."

"Yeah that's a suicide mission," agreed Beatrix.

Aldo continued speaking, "It is said that the one who wields the hammer is the true leader of all toads. It is the one thing, the only thing that will prove we should follow you."

"Great done!" exclaimed Sasha, "you'll have it in your crypt-keeper hands by morning."

Both Bufo and Beatrix laughed at this, Bufo finally speaking, "No toad has ever gone after the hammer and made it back alive. This I've got to see!"

A few hours later Sasha and her group had left the tower and were sailing on an old raft out into the swamp. Sasha adjusted the sail on the raft before casually jumping down.

"So what's this hammer and why are ya'll so scared of it?" she asked.

"A little late to be asking don't you think," said Grime looking up from the map he was reading.

"Yeah Sasha," added Gustav, "I mean you already volunteered us to go and get the hammer without even asking if that's what we wanted."

"I mean isn't this what you want?" asked Sasha, "we want to be able to get the other towers to support our rebellion, and the only way for us to do that is to get this hammer."

"Yeah but still you agreed to it without asking us," said Gustav, "we could have talked about it amongst ourselves first."

"If you don't want to come then no one's stopping you," sneered Grime, "in case you've forgotten runt! I don't particularly like you being here."

"Hey, hey that's enough of that," said Sasha coming to Gustav's defense, "remember, all of your soldiers abandoned us. We're lucky these three decided to stay."

"Almost feels a little too lucky if you ask me," said Grime giving Gustav the stink eye, "one minute you're fighting against Bog at Tadpole Pond, and the next suddenly you're with us saying you actually want to try and be a real Toad?"

"If you have something you want to say to me then say it," challenged Gustav.

Grime paused for a bit before saying, "Well I can't deny I do like this new attitude of yours. Even so, I find it suspicious that you suddenly wanted to change your tune when as far as I can remember you've always hated being a toad."

"I never hated being a toad," said Gustav emphatically, "and even now I still don't. I just wondered if us having to rule over and oppress the frogs was really necessary, that's all."

"Well to answer your question, yes, yes it is necessary," said Grime, "we're stronger than they are and the strong are meant to rule over the weak. Once we have control over all of Amphibia we'll be able to rule over not only the frogs but the newts too. We can collect taxes from both species, and we won't have to give Newtopia their cut anymore so that will mean more wealth for us."

"I see," said Gustav in a sad somber tone.

"See it's a good thing you decided to join up with us Gus," said Sasha, "now you'll get to be on the winning side."

"Wait what did you call me?" asked Gustav.

"Gus," answered Sasha, "in my world, it's short for Gustav, it's a nickname, oh I made a rhyme, us and Gus."

"Huh….Gus, I kind of like it," said Gustav.

"Then Gus it is," said Sasha putting a hand on his shoulder, "so hey Gus seeing as you read so much why don't you tell me about this hammer?"

"Oh right," said Gustav, "So the hammer is the weapon of the legendary toad warrior Barrel the Brave."

"Barrel gave his life defending a helpless village from a terrifying beast," added Braddock.

"Legend has it that this same beast guards his hammer to this very day," Percy grabbed onto Braddock and his son while talking.

"Enough whimpering," yelled Grime coming through where the three toads were gathered and pushing them aside, "we don't even know if this tadpole tale is real."

"We know Barrel is real," said Gustav, "he's talked about in many books and has stories, and songs written about him. What we don't know is how much of his exploits are true, the story about him saving this village is one of those stories that's been passed down for ages. But there are always small details that seem to change each time the story is told, so I doubt anyone alive today knows what really happened."

"Aldo seems to think it's real," said Sasha, "and considering how old he looks I'd say he might have known Barrel, or at least heard the original story."

"That or he knows for a fact the hammer isn't real and is just sending us on a wild goose chase to get rid of us," said Gustav.

"But if it is real, then that means the terrifying monster is real too," said Percy shivering with fright.

"And it probably won't let us just take the hammer away from it," added Braddock also shaking. Sasha noticed how both Percy and Braddock were.

"Listen if things get too wild out here, just give me a signal and I'll call the whole thing off," she said to a still-shaking Percy and Braddock

"A signal, what kind of signal?" asked Percy.

"Hmm, how about this? Do your best kawaii pose," said Sasha, "it's something we do for photos in my world, like this." Sasha demonstrated the pose giving a turn and winking towards the toads.

"Oh I remember Luz doing something like that when she had us take a group picture after one of our performances," said Gustav.

"What's a photo?" asked Braddock.

"Just try it," said Sasha, "and hey Gus why don't you give it a try too?"

Braddock, Percy, and Gustav looked at each other for a second before giving the kawaii pose a try. They both spun around and managed to strike the pose. They held it for a second before realizing how they looked and all of them began to laugh.

"Huh that was actually kind of fun," said Gustav.

"No giggling!" yelled Grime, "we're here."

The group looked around the swamp they had sailed into. The water was dark red, almost like blood and there were a great many strange and terrible looking creatures. Grime tied their raft to a spot near some land and the group got off heading deeper into the swamp.

"Hey Sasha thanks for that," said Gustav, "you know forgive me for saying this, but I like you more when you're nice like this. I think it suits you better than being super aggressive all the time."

Gustav's comment caught Sasha off guard, but only for a moment, "Hey…uh thanks Gus, but let's get back to the task at hand."

"I mean I appreciate you giving us an out," said Braddock.

"Me too," said Percy, "I feel better already!"

For a moment Sasha felt a warm feeling in her heart at hearing Percy say that, though right after that she heard a voice in her head.

Your aggression gives you strength, it said, it would be foolish not to tap into it when you need it most, and I think you may need your strength to retrieve this weapon.

Sasha didn't say anything in response to her thoughts, trying instead to focus on getting the hammer. She looked back at the map she was holding

"According to the map Aldo gave us, we should be close to where the hammer was last seen."

"This is insane!" exclaimed Grime, "even if it exists we'll never find it."

"Found it!" said Percy pointing to a clearing just up ahead.

Grime ran up to where the hammer was, "I don't believe it, it's real! Our ticket to revolution!"

"If this hammer is real then….I wonder could other legendary weapons be real too?" thought Gustav, "could the Masamune exist?"

"The sword that was used by Glenn," said Grime, "hmmm maybe we should consider looking for it as well, it would go great with this hammer."

"Best part is there's no beast in sight," said Percy, "could life actually be this easy for a change?"

"Quick Grimesy, yank that thing out already," said Sasha.

Grime moved towards the hammer placing his hands on it, he tried to pull it out a few times, only for it not to work.

"Uh little help here," he asked.

"Okay gang on three," began Sasha as Percy, Gustav, and Braddock joined Grime in attempting to pull out the hammer, "One, two, three." The group managed to budge the hammer ever so slightly, though as they did they heard a rumbling sound around them.

"The b-b-beast," stuttered Percy.

"Look alive," said Grime drawing his sword, "Who knows where it could come from." though right as he said this the ground under them began to move violently the ground seemed to rise up out of the water. Sasha and the toads fell into the swamp and quickly swam over to the raft. As the group climbed up onto the raft they looked back and saw the beast rise up from the swamp. When it had fully risen out of the swamp they could see that it was a giant snake! It began to let out a terrible hiss that caused Sasha and Gustav to cover their ears."

"He, he, what a great way to go!" exclaimed Grime looking at the snake.

Sasha looked over to Percy and Braddock and saw that they were both desperately trying to do the kawaii pose, signaling that they wanted out. Sasha looked between Percy and Braddock and the hammer, still stuck in the giant snake, she was about to say something when Gustav spoke.

"Hey Sasha go ahead, I'll get my dad and Braddock out of here."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah no worries," said Gustav coming up to where Percy and Braddock were, "come on guys! We're getting out of here!"

With that Percy and Braddock grabbed onto Gustav, and Gustav used his tongue to latch onto a tree pulling the three of them off the raft. As soon as they were gone Sasha motioned for Grime to steer the raft closer to the snake.

"We need to get it to attack us," said Sasha.

"Well I doubt that will be a problem," answered Grime, "also you were fine just letting Percy and Braddock leave?"

"Gus is with them, they'll be fine," answered Sasha.

"But will we be fine?" asked Grime as he looked up once more at the giant snake.

"I'm sorry son, but I just got scared," said Percy to Gustav.

"It's okay I get it, it's a good thing I was there. If I wasn't who knows maybe Sasha would have forced you to keep going on her quest to get the hammer," said Gustav.

"Thanks for helping us get away," said Braddock, "I don't know what we would have done without you."

At that moment a roar was heard from behind them, the three looked back to see Grime and Sasha atop the giant snake still struggling to pull out the hammer.

"You think they have that under control?" asked Braddock.

"I sure hope so," said Gustav, "but I'm starting to get the impression that Sasha is someone who won't give up no matter what. You saw how she was trying to get support from the other towers."

"She really is something," said Braddock, "I can see why Emmanuel considers her the bigger threat. Even so, I almost feel bad that we're spying on her, I actually kind of like her."

"She was the first one to really appreciate my act," said Percy.

"I know what you mean, honestly Sasha can be nice when she isn't trying to burn a town to the ground. But we all know that if Sasha helps the toads take over Newtopia things will only get worse for the other species. We almost know everything we need to know," said Gustav, "once we figure out the plan for how they're going to invade Newtopia I can head back and let the resistance army know."

"Hey Gustav, you think maybe there's a chance that if Sasha and Grime took over Newtopia maybe we could convince them to be nicer to the other species?" asked Braddock.

"Somehow I doubt it," answered Gustav, "as nice as Sasha can be, I don't think she could be made to listen to reason. And maybe it's my imagination but I could have sworn I've heard her talk to herself a few times."

"Guys look!" exclaimed Percy pointing, Gustav and Braddock turned to see Sasha and Grime controlling the beast. It seemed as though they were steering it right towards the tower.

"Whoa Sasha is crazy, but I think it might work," said Gustav, "come on let's head back to the tower."

By the time Gustav, Percy, and Braddock had arrived at the tower the other toads were cheering Sasha's success! She noticed the trio return and ran up to greet them.

"Hey guys!" she said hugging all three toads, "we did it! Aldo here just pledged the support of all the towers for our revolution!"

"Way to go Sasha!" said Gustav giving her a thumbs up, "so what's the plan?"

At this point Sasha's face fell as she looked into Gustav's eyes, she turned from him to the other Toad Lords who marched over to the group, Aldo in particular staring hard at Gustav.

"I'm afraid….you won't be….a part of this…..Gustav," he said again in his slow manner of speech.

"Yeah did ya think we were all stupid then runt?" asked Beatrix.

"What?! What are you talking about?" asked Gustav in surprise.

"She's talking about your insubordination at Tadpole Pond," said Bufo seriously, "what did you think we wouldn't find out about the fact that you took up arms against your fellow toads?"

"Grime let me join up with him knowing about that," said Gustav in a firm voice.

"Yeah, well I never fully trusted you either," said Grime, "I always thought it was a little suspicious how you suddenly wanted to become a real toad after that business at Tadpole Pond. And I only let you and the others join because I literally had no other soldiers, but now I have the support of all the towers so I really don't need you."

"Wait what about us Grime?" asked Percy.

"Same thing, Percy, neither you nor Braddock are what we would call "elite warriors," said Grime, "I think we both know that the two of you are not cut out for this."

"I told you about what Bufo did," protested Gustav.

"And that was very helpful," said Grime, "but this isn't my decision, Bufo, Aldo, and Beatrix all think you're too much of a liability. And honestly, you should be grateful they aren't asking for a more severe punishment."

Aldo moved forward as Grime said that last bit, looking straight into Gustav's eyes, "Toads who turn traitor….are normally…..executed." His statement causing Gustav to flinch.

"But we're feeling generous today," said Beatrix, "so instead we'll just banish you. Now you can be a disgrace wherever you want!"

"Wait this isn't fair," said Percy finally speaking up, "we stuck with Grime when the rest of his army abandoned him, plus we helped get the hammer-"

"Did you really?" asked Bufo, "because I heard the three of you jumped ship once things got too intense. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised though. Guess it runs in the family."

"Sasha please say something," said Gustav in a pleading voice to Sasha. Sasha looked into his eyes, thinking hard before responding.

You don't need them, said a voice in her head, they'll only slow you down.

Yeah, she thought, Percy and Braddock aren't really the best fighters.

You'll need only the strongest toads with you in order to stop that fool's plans, said the voice.

"Sorry Gus," said Sasha, turning away so she wouldn't have to look Gustav in the eye, "there's nothing I can do. The other Toad Lords have already decided."

"You heard the lass," said Beatrix, "best be on your way boy before we change our minds, traitor." That comment was enough to finally set off Gustav.

"You know what," he began marching towards the Toad Lords and speaking right in their faces, "all my life whether it was you, or Bog or Fens, all my life you and all the other toads in charge did nothing but belittle and insult me. Always it was the same thing, "Gustav you're not a real toad," then Bog accuses me of being a "traitor" but I don't see how I can be a traitor when all my life you've done nothing but make me feel ashamed of who I am. You want to tell me I'm not a real toad but then you want to label me a "traitor" for fighting against you? I don't see how I can be a "traitor" to the Toads when you've done nothing but make me feel ashamed and unwelcomed my whole life. So fine! I guess I'll never be a "real toad" in your eyes and honestly….that's fine by me!"

With that Gustav turned and ran out of the tower, he was feeling a mess of emotions at that moment. On the one hand, he never thought of himself as a real toad, but it still hurt to hear others keep saying it. On another hand, he also knew that he was only with Sasha and Grime to spy on them, but even so, he had come to genuinely like Sasha in the time he'd spent with her. And while a part of him had felt guilty for deceiving her, Gustav had tried to justify it, knowing that she was going to make things worse for other species if she and the Toads got control of Amphibia. His thoughts were interrupted as his father and Braddock ran over.

"Hey son you okay?" asked Percy.

Gustav hesitated before answering, "No, not really. I know what they said in there was nothing new, and yet it still hurt."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out," said Percy, "I know we were supposed to stay and learn the plan, but now we have nothing."

"We don't have nothing," countered Braddock, "we still know enough information to be useful, we know they're going to attack Newtopia, we should get back to Emmanuel and tell him."

"Yeah I guess you're right," said Gustav.

"You know even though we were supposed to be spying on her, I grew to like Sasha," said Braddock, "I wish she had stood up for us back there."

"Well what's done is done, let's go find Emmanuel and tell him what we know," said Percy, though before heading off he put his hand on his son and looked him in the eye, "Don't worry Gustav, maybe neither of us are real toads, but heck that doesn't matter. You're still my son."

"Thanks, Dad!" said Gustav hugging his father, "now let's go!"

"You can't be serious!?" gasped Emmanuel in horror, "the Toad Lords have agreed to unite?"

"I'm afraid so," said Percy, "they're going to attack the capital."

"We were there," added Gustav, "Sasha managed to find Barrel's Warhammer and convince the toads to follow her."

"The Toad Lords haven't united like this in centuries," said Braddock, "if they mean to take Newtopia, they could very well do it with these numbers."

"We have no choice then," said Emmanuel stoically, "we have to march the resistance army to Newtopia and meet them in battle."

"Do you really think you can beat them?" asked Percy.

"Honestly I don't know, but if we let them take over Newtopia things will be a lot worse than they already are, so we have to stop them before that happens," said Emmanuel.

"Perhaps I can offer you some help," said a voice. The figure stepped forward to reveal Valeriana.

"Valeriana!" exclaimed Emmanuel running forward to greet her, "so good to see you. You came at just the right time. We are going to have to fight the toad army and we could really use your help."

"Yes I know, but sorry to say I cannot offer any direct assistance," said Valeriana.

"What?" said Emmanuel in surprise, "but you helped Uodeela and I start this rebellion, now you say you can't help."

"No what I said was I cannot offer any DIRECT assistance, but I can help you in other ways," said Valeriana, with that she pulled a rolled paper out of her cloak and handed it to Emmanuel, "this map will lead you to the temple where the Masamune is housed. I know you've been looking for that legendary sword and I feel you will soon need it."

"Wait the Masamune is real?" asked Percy.

"You just found out Barrel's Hammer was real," said Valeriana turning to the toads, "is It that hard to believe that the sword wielded by Glenn the Frog Knight is real?"

"Hmmm I guess when you put it that way no," said Braddock.

"If Grime and Sasha have the hammer on their side then I think having the sword on your side will even things out," said Valeriana.

"But it's said the sword can only be wielded by one who is worthy," said Gustav.

"Don't worry about that," answered Valeriana, "I have a feeling that someone you know is worthy of the blade and will be able to retrieve it from the temple."

"Can you tell us who?" asked Emmanuel.

"No I'm sorry that would be saying too much, there is only so much I can tell you in order to set things in motion," said Valeriana, "though that does remind me, Gustav I have something for you."

Gustav came up to where Valeriana was. The salamander reached into her cloak and pulled out a bottle of blue liquid, handing it to the toad.

"What is this?" asked Gustav intrigued at the substance.

"It's called Titian's Blood," said Valeriana, "it has many uses, though its main one is to amplify magic. I think you will have need of it in the future."

"When should I use it?" asked Gustav.

"Unfortunately I cannot say," answered Valeriana, "what I can say is to trust in yourself, and then I think you will know when the right time to use it will be."

As Valeriana spoke to Gustav Emmanuel eyed her carefully, when she was done, he asked to speak to her alone. All the others left leaving Emmanuel alone with Valeriana.

"Valeriana…." he began slowly, "you're not just an antique dealer are you?"

Valeriana stared at the frog for several seconds before replying, "No I am not."

"I didn't think so, in fact, I've wondered for a while now if you knew more than you let on, did Uodeela know about you?" he asked.

"She knew some things, but even she didn't know everything about me," answered Valeriana.

"I don't know what exactly you are, but I can tell that you are much more powerful than you appear to be, and so that's why I have to ask, why can't you help us directly?"

Valeriana paused before replying, "Listen, there are forces at work here beyond your comprehension. Did you think that you starting a rebellion was only for your sake? No there is something much larger going on, something beyond you, me, or even Uodeela. I had foreseen that she would lose herself in her heron form, but I could not tell her of this nor act to prevent it, for then it would cause events to change."

"Are we really better off for not having her?" asked Emmanuel in an annoyed tone, "can you really say that it's better that she's not with us now when we need her most?"

"Emmanuel listen to me," said Valeriana in her most serious tone, "there is much you do not know about Amphibia's past, nor about what was foretold would happen for Amphibia's future. It may be hard to hear this but trust me when I tell you I am on your side. There are however laws that prevent me from helping you directly. What is allowed is that I may help guide you in the right direction. That is why I helped you form the rebellion, that is why I am giving you the map to find the Masamune, and that is why right now I am trying to explain things to you without telling you too much. I can guide you in the right direction, but I cannot fight your battles for you."

"So then we are destined to fight the toads at Newtopia," said Emmanuel.

"Yes you are, and that battle….I have foreseen many ways in which that battle can end," began Valeriana, "the future does not have one set path, it is like a river that breaks up into many different streams, thus many different futures are possible. But this battle that you will fight with the toads will not only determine your future but other futures as well, not just here but in other worlds. And there are many ways it could end. This may not even be the last battle you have, there may be more in your future as well."

Emmanuel didn't say anything as he instead processed what Valeriana had told him.

"There is one more thing," she began, "this may be hard for you to hear, but I need you to trust me and listen to what I am about to tell you. I don't know what will happen after your battle in Newtopia, it is possible that you, Grime, or both will die in that battle. But if you should survive and if Grime survives too then when you next meet him you need to trust Grime, and work together with him."

"Valeriana, that….you ask too much," replied Emmanuel, "trust Grime, he killed my wife, I have nothing but hate for him. You would honestly ask me to work with him!?"

"As I said, if you both survive the battle at Newtopia, then yes I would ask you to work with him, I know that is hard, but trust me. If you truly want a future where the frogs are no longer oppressed by the toads then you have to trust Grime if you should meet him after the battle at Newtopia," said Valeriana.

"I will take what you have said into consideration," began Emmanuel, "but I make no promises."

"All I can ask is that you listen to what I say, if that is all then I must be off. I wish you luck in the battles ahead, know that I will pray for your success," said Valeriana, with that she walked away into the darkness.

Sasha was sitting alone lost in thought she was still a little bothered by what had happened to Percy, Braddock, and Gustav. She had honestly wanted them to still be a part of their plan, especially Gustav as he had a personal connection to Luz, so she figured he would be the best bet in convincing Luz that she had changed. Still, she tried not to think too much about it as she let her mind wander. She was interrupted from her thoughts by Grime calling to her.

"Ah there you are lieutenant, he said.

"So I'm kinda hoping when this thing is done and we have control over all of Newtopia I'll get a better title," said Sasha.

"Oh sure that can be arranged, what title would you like?" asked Grime.

"Eh not sure yet," said Sasha, "but seeing as I was Captain of the Cheer Squad I think something similar to Captain should be sufficient."

"Hmm very well, but before that, we have to actually conquer the capital, and that's what I wanted to talk with you about," said Grime.

"I wanted a word with you too," said Beatrix stepping forward.

"Oh Beatrix, don't worry Grime and I will come up with a great plan. All we have to do is find Anne, Marcy, and Luz and convince them that I've turned over a new leaf, and they'll let me be a part of the group again. Then once Grime and I sneak into Newtopia we can gain access to the gate letting your armies inside," said Sasha outlining the plan.

"That's all well and good Sasha," began Beatrix, "but there's one thing you've forgotten about, your friend with the magic powers."

"Right Luz," said Sasha, having genuinely forgotten about her, "well….I think we can figure something out for her."

"We NEED to figure out how to handle her," said Beatrix emphatically, "from what I hear you would have successfully defeated Uodeela if it wasn't for her interference."

"Well….yeah I suppose you're right," admitted Sasha, "the thing is I have no idea where those powers she had came from."

"Me neither," said Grime, "but that's where Beatrix here comes in."

"Uh not sure I follow," said Sasha.

"Doesn't matter if we know the source of her powers or not, what matters is that we take care of her," said Beatrix, "and that's where I come in."

"Beatrix is the only one of the Toad Lords who was ever able to beat Uodeela in a fight," explained Grime.

"That's right, I cut off both her legs leaving her helpless, and I would've finished her off if she hadn't blinded me," said Beatrix, "I've come closest to beating her so I think your human friend should be no problem."

"So when you say take care of…." said Sasha in a very hesitant voice, "do you mean?"

Beatrix made a throat-silting gesture to indicate what she meant.

Sasha's face fell at seeing this, "Uh I mean is that really necessary? I uh I think that might be a little extreme."

"Sasha you do realize that if we don't take care of Luz she could ruin our plans with those powers of hers," said Grime.

"Right….I hear what you're saying…." said Sasha, continuing to speak in a hesitant tone, "it's just….well maybe there's another way?"

"What's wrong lassie?" asked Beatrix in a mocking manner, "you're already gonna deceive your friends, is killing one of them too much for ya?

"I mean maybe I can think of some way to get rid of Luz so she won't be there when we spring out trap against the King?" pleaded Sasha.

"Uh-huh and what happens when Luz discovers your betrayal? The minute she sees the Toads taking over the city she's going to know something is up," countered Beatrix, "though actually I do like part of your plan. Once you get to Newtopia let's figure out a way to get Luz away from you, we'll have her taken to the Arena where I'll be waiting for her. That way I can focus on taking her out while you and Grime move forward with the rest of the plan."

Sasha began to sweat as she considered what might happen to Luz, as she was thinking it over a voice began to speak to her,

It's for the best this way, it said, Luz beat you last time, if you don't have a way to stop her then she'll beat you again and ruin the plan.

But…but….I….just don't know, said Sasha to her thoughts.

Look at it this way, with Luz out of the picture you can have Anne all to yourself, said the voice.

I….yeah….I suppose, but even still I didn't want to hurt Anne, Marcy, or Luz, I just want them to submit to me, and do what I say, said Sasha.

Luz already defied you at the dance, now she has powers and is the one thing that could ruin your takeover of Newtopia. If you don't deal with her the plan will fail for sure, and I need you to succeed, said the voice.

Wait! What do you mean YOU need me to succeed? Thought Sasha, I'm talking to myself!

"Lieutenant? Hello? Are you still there?" asked Grime snapping Sasha back to reality.

"What? Yeah I'm still here," said Sasha.

"You zoned out there for a while," said Beatrix, "everything okay?"

Sasha hesitated before responding, for the longest time she was sure that when she had her little conversations in her mind she was merely talking to her inner-self. She couldn't be the only person who did that right? Yet recently she was starting to become concerned that something was wrong. Was someone else talking to her? Sasha brushed this concern aside realizing that if she admitted it, it would make her sound crazy.

"No uh, everything's fine!" she said, "we'll figure out a way to get Luz to you Beatrix, but hey listen….I bet if you beat her up enough she'll stop fighting and hey maybe those powers she has don't last forever."

Beatrix looked hard into Sasha's eyes.

"Just….give her a chance to surrender," said Sasha in a pleading voice, "if she gives up after you've hurt her enough then please…."

Beatrix let out a sigh before finally saying, "No promises."

Chapter Text

Hopes and Dreams: Part 1

Amara threw the book she was reading against the wall in frustration.

Another dead end, she thought, uggh is there really nothing that can be done? Why can't I find anything about how to cure a curse?

As she lay down in her bed Amara rubbed her temples trying to calm herself down and think clearly. For several minutes she simply lay there staring at the ceiling, trying to decompress. Though after a while she sat back up not any more relaxed. Finally, she pulled out her harp and began to play music in an attempt to calm herself down.

Playing music always helped me, thought Amara, and this song, in particular, helps clear my mind, which is what I feel I need right now.

Amara continued to play guiding herself into a more relaxed state. She didn't even realize how tired she was, and after a few minutes put down her harp and fell asleep.

When Amara woke up she recognized the world she was in. She had been here before, the area felt like a void of some kind, though it wasn't black or empty it was filled with stars as far as the eye could see. Amara remembered the last time she had come here and she could hear that magical song that she and Gustav had played before. She could hear it playing around her seemingly coming from everywhere. Though eventually the song became more focused and seemed to be coming from one specific point. Amara walked towards that point, which was admittedly hard as everything looked the same, but she pressed on. As she continued walking she started to hear a different song, she had heard this song before in her first trip to this strange place and suddenly remembered meeting a figure when she had first come here. As the music kept playing a new figure emerged, seemingly from out of the air, in front of Amara. She recognized the figure immediately for it was wearing a red cloak that hid its identity. The figure was also playing what looked like a violin, the song she was playing was the one that Amara had been hearing as she walked to this place. Finally, the figure turned around and noticed Amara stopping her song and giving a light gasp.

"You, I've seen you before," said the cloaked figure.

"Yes, I thought I was dreaming, maybe I still am," said Amara.

"If you're dreaming then so am I," said the figure, "in fact, I think we both are. I remember playing some music before I went to bed. I had theorized for a while now that there was some sort of "dream realm" as it were. My mentor had a theory that the world I live in, was only one of many worlds that existed and that there may be some way for those from other worlds to commune with one another. I think this might be it!"

"If this is a dream then….is any of this real?" asked Amara.

The figure didn't reply right away, "I think it is real, not everyone who goes to sleep can come to this place. It takes focus and concentration, I think playing and listening to music is what helped me to come here."

"But what exactly is here?" asked Amara.

The figure looked around taking in the site of the dream realm, observing the numerous stars, and the endless void.

"I think here is someplace beyond our worlds," as she said this she finally looked at Amara and realized she wasn't human or a witch, "You….your form is interesting are you a newt of some kind? You're not a demon are you?"

"Yes I am a newt," said Amara, "I come from a world inhabited by newts, frogs, toads, all manner of Amphibians, it's called Amphibia, I'm not a demon."

"Fascinating, it seems this place is a realm where our astral forms can move freely," said the figure in the red cloak again looking around and taking in their surroundings, "here peoples from any dimension or world can share ideas and come together, remarkable!"

"Are you from another world then? Like Luz?" asked Amara, "Who are you? Where are you from?"

The figure didn't answer, it continued staring at Amara before finally removing its hood to reveal its face. Amara looked into the face of the stranger they were a bit on the old side. They had green hair, matching green eyes, and an earring on their right ear.

"My name is Raine, Raine Whispers I'm a witch from the Boiling Isles."

Training with Friends

Marcy and Anne stood barefoot in the dirt with their eyes closed, Luz was close by using her phone to play some music to try and help them relax. They were both trying their hardest to concentrate as they listened to Luz talk.

"So this is how Uodeela first helped me to unlock my powers," she said to Anne and Marcy, "and I figure we should at least test and see if maybe this method helps you."

"So how long do we have to stand here?" asked Anne.

"Well you shouldn't just be standing there," said Luz, "you should be listening to the sounds around you with your ears, feeling the wind against your face, the ground beneath your feet."

"Ow!" said Marcy snapping out of her relaxed state, "I think I just stepped on a stick." Marcy lifted up her foot to try and brush off the debris of the stick, Luz coming over to steady her as she began hopping around.

"Hmm breathe in breathe out," said Anne out loud as she continued to breathe though she began to smell a rather pungent smell.

"Oh I think Joe Sparrow just left a present somewhere nearby," said Anne opening her eyes and pinching her nose, "Ah that smells terrible I'm out."

"Wait no don't leave yet, we aren't done with the training," said Luz.

"Okay I'm all better," said Marcy having recovered from stepping on the stick, "I'm ready to try again."

"Great so let's get you back to focus and see if it helps you unleash any hidden powers," said Luz.

"It's just-" began Anne, "I don't think this is working."

"Can we try one more time just to be sure?" asked Luz.

Marcy and Anne looked at each other before looking at Luz.

"Okay," they said at the same time. With that, the girls again closed their eyes and began to focus and concentrate on the area around them. They tried to listen to the sounds around them and feel the sun and wind on their faces.

"So when you feel you're focused enough I want the two of you to try and imagine how a gust of wind behaves. See if you can imagine it coming out of your hand," began Luz, "when you're ready try moving your hand straight forward and letting that wind out. Just like that show, we all like."

Anne and Marcy kept their eyes closed and continued breathing, finally, they brought up their arms and at the same time thrust it forward in a punch, only for nothing to happen."

Marcy and Anne opened their eyes and each gave out a sigh.

"Doesn't look like it's working," said Marcy.

"Well let's keep trying just to make sure," said Luz a hint of desperation in her voice.

A few hours later the girls were still trying to activate their powers with no success. Neither of them had been able to do anything even with Luz trying to help. Anne was a little too distracted to focus properly and Marcy had managed to cut her foot on a rock requiring them to stop and bandage it. By that time frustration was starting to take its toll on the group.

"Listen I appreciate that you're trying to help us Luz, but I think we need to stop," added Anne.

"Yeah it's a bit hard for me to stand up with that cut on my foot," added Marcy.

For a second Luz was going to protest but then decided not to, instead she said, "It's just I thought maybe there was a chance we had all gained powers of some kind. It would be SO COOL if all of us had powers, then we could be like a superhero team!"

"That does sound cool," said Anne, "I mean it would be awesome if the three of us had powers like you Luz, we'd be an even more unstoppable team."

"But hey we're already an unstoppable team!" said Marcy raising her fist in the air for emphasis, "we've already conquered two temples, we only have two more to go. We can do anything!"

Anne and Luz looked at Marcy before nodding their heads in agreement.

"Yeah we are an unbeatable team!" said Anne, "the three of us can conquer any challenge!"

"I mean just imagine if we tried this again but in another world," said Marcy, "do you think if we used the music box and went somewhere else we could have another great adventure?"

"Huh what are you talking about Marbles?" asked Luz.

"I mean hypothetically if we used the music box to travel to another world I bet the three of us could conquer whatever challenges that world threw at us right?" asked Marcy.

Anne and Luz didn't reply right away, but after a while, Anne said, "I'm sure we could Mar-Mar, but I've honestly had enough adventure for now. As fun as it was getting to explore Amphibia and facing all its challenges I am more than ready for a nice hot bath and a bug-free meal when I get home. Oooo you know what I'm really craving now, some good Ramen!"

"Mmmm good Ramen," said Luz, "we have so got to go to Noodle World when we get back!"

"You guys are already thinking of going home?" asked Marcy in a somewhat sad tone, "I mean neither of you even want to think about maybe keeping the adventure train running?"

"I mean I wouldn't mind going on another adventure," said Luz, "especially now that I have magic anime powers. But I also miss my mom, she must be worried sick about me, as much as I'd like to go on another adventure I think I'd also like a break first."

"Despite everything that's happened, the good and the bad, I am actually glad for the time I spent in Amphibia," said Anne, "but I agree with Luz I'd like a break too. Not sure if I'd ever want to go to another world, but certainly not right away."

"Don't you miss your parents too Marcy?" asked Luz.

"Oh I….I mean yeah I guess so…." said Marcy, "I just thought….I mean how cool would it be if we went to another world and had more adventures like this one? Except this time we could be together we wouldn't get separated and we'd have the time of our lives."

"I think someone liked their time here a little too much," said Anne playfully pushing Marcy, "but hey you were the only one who got sent to an actual city and managed to become a local celebrity so I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"I mean yeah that is true, while I was in Newtopia I got to sail on a warship, I stopped a creepy cult, and battled a killer cobra! But all the time I was doing it I thought how much more fun it would be if you guys….and Sasha, I know we all feel differently about her, but if you guys were all with me," said Marcy.

"Well I'm just glad we're together now," said Luz coming up to Marcy and putting her arm around her, "and hey we got to have adventures with the temples, and we still have two more to go. So don't worry Mar-Mar we still have time to have fun together."

"Yeah," said Anne also coming up to Marcy and putting her arm around her, "and it's not like once we get home we'll stop hanging out. I mean yeah Creatures and Caverns Campaigns may not seem like an adventure compared to what we've been through here, but we'll still be friends. We'll still see each other all the time!"

Marcy did her best to remain stoic as Anne spoke, she didn't want her face to betray her feelings. So instead she simply nodded in agreement.

"Oh hey," she said quickly trying to change the subject, "while we may not have powers like Luz does, we do still have these." Marcy pulled out some pre-drawn glyphs.

"That's true," said Luz, "Hey Anne I know you kind of don't like magic, but do you want to at least try and use one of these glyphs just to see what it feels like?"

Anne paused, looking between Luz and Marcy's faces before finally acquiescing, "Alright, here give me that paper, and let me have a go at it."

Anne took the paper and listened as Luz described how to draw out the symbol for the light glyph. When she was done Anne tapped it with her finger causing the paper to morph into a small ball of glowing light, as it rose up Anne held it in her hands mesmerized by it.

"You know it kind of looks like a little star," she said staring at the orb.

"Huh, yeah it does," said Luz.

"I never thought about it like that," said Marcy, "but yeah you're right."

The three girls continued looking at the orb before Anne eventually sent it up. The sky had started to darken and now showed a brilliant array of colors. The girls kept looking at the spot where Anne had sent up the orb, not saying anything but enjoying each other's company.

Hopes and Dreams: Part 2

"So the world you're from is one filled with witches and demons," said Amara, "and it's ruled by this Emperor Belos person."

"Yes exactly, and your world is inhabited by talking amphibians, ruled by King Andrias," said Raine, "but what's most interesting is you say that magic exists in your world?"

"It does," said Amara, "but it's not like how you described it. We basically only have two forms of magic: potions and curses."

"No bard magic then?" asked Raine.

"No," began Amara, "although, there was an incident that happened a few months ago with me and a friend. We were playing music and were able to conjure up a vision in the minds of some of the people who heard our song."

"Go on," said Raine intrigued by this story.

"Our instruments began to glow when we played," said Amara.

"Hmmm I wonder, could it be that other forms of magic do exist in your world, but you simply don't know how to tap into them?" asked Raine.

"What do you mean?" said Amara.

"Well in my world all witches and the bi-pedal demons have the innate ability to do magic," explained Raine, "we all have an organ called a bile sack that produces the bile we need to cast magic, but your species doesn't have something like that do you?"

"No we don't," said Amara.

"I see, then perhaps that's why magic is more limited in your world," said Raine.

"The thing is music is still a thing here," said Amara, "there are a lot of people who can play music and we have concerts and operas here. So why hasn't any form of magic related to music been discovered?"

"Well it takes more than just the ability to play an instrument to make bard magic work," answered Raine, "anyone can learn to play a musical instrument, but not everyone can learn how to play it with passion! If I had to guess it's because your species doesn't have an innate way to cast magic so therefore only certain individuals are able to truly do it. Maybe you are one of those few who can utilize magic."

"Huh, wow that's, if that were true it would be amazing!" said Amara.

"I heard that song you were playing," said Raine, "when I first came to this place myself I had never heard a song like that before. Would you play it again for me please?"

Amara complied and took out her harp she began to play the song, and as she did she could hear it amplified throughout the void. She looked into Raine's eyes and could see her staring intently at her as she played. After a few moments though Raine closed her eyes and perked up her ears listening intently to the song Amara was playing.

"That song is very beautiful, but also very sad," said Raine, Amara stopped playing as Raine began to speak. Raine took out a violin from their cloak.

"May I?" she asked, Amara nodded her head

With that, Raine began to play the song on her violin, after a few moments a blue aura emerged from her instrument and spread out in a circle away from her. The aura engulfed Amara who instantly fell to her knees and began crying. It was as though her mind was filled with nothing but sad memories and they all became overwhelming all at once. Raine noticed this and stopped playing.

"Are you alright?" she asked coming up to where Amara was and helping her up.

"I'm fine, I think," said Amara as she stood up, "I….what did you do? That's never happened before when I played that song."

"I added some of my magic to that song," said Raine, "I tapped into my feelings of loss and pain and put those emotions in this song. There must be powerful magic in that song to have an effect like that, what happened to you? When the aura hit you what did you feel?"

"I felt….I felt all the worst experiences of my life just overwhelm me, it was too much and it made me sad," began Amara, "but it wasn't like I could just feel sad no, it felt like I was compelled to cry, I think whatever you did with that song caused that effect."

"Remarkable," said Raine as they stared down at their violin, "This will certainly require further study." She looked back at Amara.

"Listen I'm sorry for doing that to you, I didn't mean to. As a way of an apology why don't I teach you a song?" proposed Raine.

"Oh sure I'd love to learn a new song," said Amara.

"Alright, this song is called Raine's Rhapsody," said Raine.

"Oh did you compose it then?" asked Amara

"Actually, no I didn't, it was written for me by a friend….a very dear friend, a long time ago," Raine looked off into the void their face smiling as they recalled that memory, "someone I haven't seen in years but maybe I should."

With that, Raine got their instrument ready checking to see that Amara was ready too. Then they began to play

[Begin Playing Raine's Rhapsody]

Amara listened as Raine started playing her song, she let herself be immersed in its essence. As Raine continued to play Amara noticed a white aura emerging from her violin. The aura spread out in much the same way as the blue one had though when it hit Amara instead of feeling sad she felt joyful, more than she had ever felt in her life. The aura seemed to be filled with such positive energy that she felt as though she could do anything! Amara listened to the song many times trying to learn it in her head, when she was finally ready she closed her eyes, pulled out her harp, and began to join Raine in a duet. The two played together for a few minutes, though Amara's song didn't produce an aura.

"Hmm, is there something I'm doing wrong?" asked Amara.

"When you play music to cause an effect you have to put emotion and passion into it," said Raine, "this song is meant to cause an area of good feelings and positive energy. You need to put a feeling of happiness and contentment into your music when you play it. Do you have a strong memory of you being happy that you can draw upon when you play the song?"

"Hmm, I think so, I'd have to think about that for a bit," as Amara spoke she noticed that Raine seemed to be disappearing.

"Hey you're fading away," said Amara.

"I must be waking up," said Raine, "it's alright though, now that I know that you're here I'll try and come back in the future. You too try and come back when you sleep. I feel there's a lot more we can talk about!"

"Okay," replied Amara, "see you soon!"

With that Amara opened her eyes and shot straight up from her bed. She looked around realizing she was back in her own room. She looked around and saw her harp sitting next to her bed where she had left it. Picking it up she stood in her room and let out a long deep breath, trying to clear her head. As she did she tried to think of a happy memory she could focus on. After thinking for a long time she settled on using the memory from the night of the first performance of Azura's Troop. When she had talked with Gustav, Lilly, and Luz she truly became friends with them.

When she was finally ready she closed her eyes and began to play the song Raine had taught her on her harp. After playing for a few minutes she opened her eyes and was taken aback by what she saw. A white aura just like the one Raine had made was filling her entire room causing the objects in it to shine and sparkle, and filling her with a wonderful feeling.

"Incredible!" said Amara to herself.

Training and Growing

Wooden swords clashed as Lilly and Gustav sparred with each other, her father close by. Gustav swung at Lilly attempting to hit her but Lilly ducked under the blow. Gustav tried again and Lilly blocked the blow and then quickly stuck back at Gustav. The Toad brought up his sword blocking the blow but only barely. Lilly switched positions and managed to strike Gustav in his chest. The blow staggered him but he quickly regained his balance. Gustav shot out his tongue trying to ensnare Lilly, he managed to catch he and pulled her back towards him, but as he did she brought up her sword and stuck him forcing him to drop her. Gustav again charged at Lilly with his sword and swung around wildly. Lilly jumped into the air to avoid his attacks. While she was in the air she shot out her tongue at Gustav's sword wrapping around it and pulling it away from him. As Lilly landed she pointed both swords at Gustav causing him to put up his hands in surrender.

"Well done Lilly," said her father coming up to where she was, "I see you've been taking those lessons to heart."

"I'll say," said Gustav looking at her with awe, "I mean I know I'm not the best fighter but still, that was impressive."

"Aw shucks it wasn't much," said Lilly putting her arm behind her head.

"Don't sell yourself short dear," said her father, "you've been practicing as hard as any of the others, you've come a long way. I see how well you handle a sword now."

"Any progress I've made is due to you being a great teacher Dad," replied Lilly.

"Hey I can't take all the credit," said Emmanuel, after a beat, he looked out to the other soldiers who were paired off sparring with each other, "though I am worried about how the resistance is doing as a whole."

"What do you mean?" asked Gustav.

"I mean I'm worried about us facing the Toad Army," he said, "when Uodeela and I first started the rebellion, our goal was recruitment. We knew that in order to stand a chance we needed to get large numbers of frogs to join. Uodeela kept saying that we needed to bide our time and slowly recruit more frogs until we had enough numbers. There were times when we thought about taking our forces and trying to overthrow one of the towers but Uodeela said we weren't ready for open war against them. Now here we are forced to fight a united Toad Army in what may be the most important battle yet, and I'm not sure if we truly can win." Emmanuel hung his head as he finished talking.

"Don't worry Dad," said Lilly coming up to him and putting her arm around him, "we'll be fine."

"I hope so," sighed Emmanuel.

"Hey Valeriana gave you that map to that temple right," added Gustav, "the one with the ancient sword. Are going to get that soon? It might give a boost in morale to the troops."

"Yeah, I'm almost done preparing for our journey," said Emmanuel, "we have to make sure the sword is there, if it is then I hope Valeriana was right when she said that someone in our army will be able to wield it."

"Well there's only one way to know for sure," said Lilly putting her training sword to the ground, "we'll have to find it ourselves. Now before it gets too late let me have a go at the obstacle course!"

Lilly darted from tree branch to tree branch carefully jumping between them as she continued moving forward, finally, she landed on the ground and then ran forward to a lake and jumped straight into it. Lilly began to swim as fast as she could she made sure to move around some lilypads that had been placed there as markers. Near the center of the lake, Lilly held her breath and dove down beneath the water, the lake was deep and the bottom murky, Lilly looked around for a golden ball at the bottom of the lake. With how dim and murky the water was it was hard to find, but she eventually succeeded, grabbing the ball and returning to the surface. Lilly swam to the edge of the lake and got out, then she ran over to a cliff and began jumping from ledge to ledge, taking care not to fall. When she reached the top of the cliff she saw a raised stage with a pedestal for the gold ball she was carrying. Lilly ran over and quickly put the ball on the pedestal.

"And time," said Gustav standing next to the pedestal, "wow you shaved five seconds off your last attempt Lilly, nice!"

"I knew you could do it," said Emmanuel encouragingly.

"Whoa," said Lilly a little winded from her attempt, "I admit finding the gold ball is always the hard part. That lake is so dark, plus you always drop it in a random place, though I've found it's best to dive near the center of the lake and look for it there."

"Your agility really has improved," said Emmanuel.

"If you want to complete the course fast you have to just keep jumping and not be afraid of falling," said Lilly, "there's definitely a rhythm with finding the right speed to move through the trees and not fall. Finding that rhythm is what lets me get through the course so fast."

They were interrupted however by another frog coming over to Emmanuel to deliver a report, "Emmanuel, our scouts have reported back, they have the location of the Toad Army." Emmanuel, Lilly, and Gustav let out a gasp!

"They've begun assembling their forces and will likely be ready to move into position around Newtopia in a few weeks," continued the Frog, "Bufo is leading the main force, but the scouts had no word on Grime, Sasha, or Beatrix."

"That is troubling," said Emmanuel, "why wouldn't they be with the army?"

"Maybe Sasha wants to find another weapon," said Gustav aloud, before realization dawned on him, "Oh, after finding Barrel's Hammer, Grime had said he wanted to get Glenn's sword too."

"Do you think they could actually find it?" asked Lilly with concern in her voice.

"I don't know," answered Gustav, "but we shouldn't wait to find out, we should make plans to head to that temple soon just in case."

"I don't think they would go after the sword," said Emmanuel, "and even if they did, I'm not too worried about them if they were to find it. Legend says that only a worthy frog will be able to wield it, still, I wonder where Sasha, Grime, and Beatrix are? Why wouldn't they be with the main army?"

"Well we can wonder about that later," said Lilly, "Dad what do you want to do with the army?"

Emmanuel thought for a moment before replying, "Tell the soldiers we march at dawn. Let's figure out the best way to approach the Toads. As of now, they don't know we're even a thing so we still have the element of surprise on our side. Tell the scouts to meet me in my tent later and we can discuss strategy," he turned to Lilly and Gustav

"As for you two, you're coming with me, we'll go check out the temple Valeriana told us about, then regroup with the main army near Newtopia."

Hopes and Dreams: Part 3

"That's amazing to hear Amara!" said Raine as the two conversed in the Dream Realm, "I thought you might be able to do it! This is wonderful! To think there is another world where Bard magic might flourish, and you aren't forced to be in a coven."

"A coven?" asked Amara.

"It's something from my world," said Raine, "that Emperor I told you about, one of his rules is that in order to practice magic you must join a Coven. Covens are groups of witches who all use the same kind of magic." With that, Raine brought up their arm and showed Amara their coven tattoo.

"This is the mark of the Bard Coven," they said, "it marks me as a member of the coven, but it also restricts my magic. I'm only able to perform magic related to Bards."