Chapter Text
Chapter One: The Crying Child
The room, surrounded by her favourite things and lighted up by the glow in the dark stars decorated on the wall is a safe haven. This scene used to be terrifying whenever her imagination got their own consciousness and brought themselves to life, but it was never real- promised her mother. Now she appreciates the night's silence that is often accompanied by her father's gentle voice lulling her into sleep. Mr. Boonchuy smiled, founding himself free of the burden his shoulder carries just at the sight of his beautiful daughter. Anne makes their life happier, no matter how difficult life treated them, and if that is all his life is going to be, he would never trade it for anything else.
"Sleep tight, Anne," his fingers carefully traced the curve of her cheek, exhaling slowly when she shifted closer to the warmth of his hand. "Mom and dad will still be here tomorrow," he placed a loving kiss on her forehead. A quiet chuckle escape his lips as Anne scrunched her nose in disgust, as if she could sense her father's presence and the way he would embarass her with kisses even in her sleep. Mr. Boonchuy reluctantly stepped away from her bed, bringing the fluffy blue blanket over her body to protect her from all harm and danger.
Giving his daughter a final glance, he secretly wished he had stayed a little longer. Wished he was next to her when she needed him the most. Wished there was an entity out there that could reverse the time and bring her back to the safety of his own arms. Wished he knew, that it was the last he saw of his baby, before she went missing without a trace. Without saying goodbye, without warning. Without returning his goodnights.
Three lights, three stars. Three little girls went missing at sixth of June, 2010.
꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋ ࣭ ⭑. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ๋ ࣭ ⭑︶꒦꒷︶꒦꒷
Sprinkle of stars embroidered the surface of the silky skies and cotton clouds that embraced Amphibia. Misty and warm was the air accompanying the journey of young Walliam, who- after a series of visits to Wartwood for business- had grown to love the simple town and the life it carries. Never had the young man reach closer to happiness from the life he had back in Ribbitvale, and the dull, dull fate of a Ribbiton. So he would lie, he figured, as long as he could to selfishly taste the joyful life he could have as One-Eyed Wally.
He could sing and play his concertina as his heart desires. With nobody to disappoint, especially not his dear old dad. If anybody would look at him so differently here, then it doesn't differ much from his time back at Ribbitvale. Only this time, it is not him, but One-Eyed Wally! Who cared of what people would think of him!
As Wally danced through the green swamp, a rustle behind the bushes caught his attention. He stopped the bubbling of his cheery tune when he acknowledges the eerie nature of Wartwood during the late of night, one he might not get used to. A sudden cry from the deep forest earned a startled yelp out of the frog, as he hopped a step backward. "A- a monster!" Wally shrieks once he noticed a shadow forming a giant mantis loomed over him, although not quite. He scrambled to his feet when he realized that he was not the prey, thanking his single strand luck.
But the cry, he guessed it belonged to a child, continued. It rang horrifyingly in his ears, until a lump of guilt settled in his gut. He stopped himself from running any further, taking another glance even if the fear consumes him. Wally hesitated, until he could not anymore. He could not decide of what is best, of what is important to him, whether it would cost his life right there and then. A sharp betrayal of his eyes directed him to a puddle beneath his feet. It reflected back at him: an image of a frog in cowardice. Hiding, and never confronting- not once, his fears.
But such fears was the past he left behind. The sob story of Walliam Ribbiton does not concern the crazed bard. Not here in the land of Wartwood. So he stepped forward with gritted teeth and nervous eye, to shadow his fear.
The giant red mantis screeched and bared it's fangs, larger than a toad he ever saw. Wally hid behind a large tree stump, before adjusting his eyes with the darkness. He gasped at the sight. The child was like nothing he had ever seen! It's limbs stretched out on the muddied ground, dragging it's ankle while screaming for help. Poor thing was injured and scared, heavy tears dripping from it's eyes. Wally hold a nervous breath while comprehending a way to save the child- or whatever that is. It doesn't matter what they are, he could not accept himself if he were to hide away again.
As the mantis pounced closer to the child, Wally throw a large bolder at the red beast. "Oi- you! Pick someone your own size!" He bravely declared, although if any frogs were near, the tremble of his voice could they notice. The mantis turned it's head briefly before screeching and charging at him. "Oh frog-" Wally quips, jumping away to dodge it's attack.
A quick sigh of relief escaped his lips before he slammed flat onto a trunk of a tree. Wally cried to himself while pulling away from the wood, causing him to fall on the ground and reveal an imprint of the wood left on his face. He groaned, turning his head when he noticed the quiet movement next to him. At first he was startled by her presence, but the look in her eyes told him she's nothing but afraid, just as him.
"What are you?" He asked, taking the form of the tiny figure. But a loud roar reminded him that the danger is still within his territory. The turquoise frog grab onto one of her upper limb, "Come on, kid!" But she barely moved an inch. She cried loudly as the wound on her legs frictioned on the rough surface. Wally briefly apologized to the girl before bringing the child into his arms, running with all his might to escape the beast's field of vision.
The kid clinged onto his scarf, almost choking him in the process. "Ahk- be careful there!" He muttered painfully as the mantis' legs reached desperately towards the them. Wally barely noticed how far he had ran before he spotted a rocky cave, big enough for the both of them. Sliding into the cave, they managed to confuse the giant mantis before it stomped away elsewhere.
"Phew! Wasn't that an adventure!" he laughed, his heart is way lighter now that he had done good. "Ain't that right?" he glanced down at the kid in his arms. Right, kid.
Carefully, Wally placed the girl on the ground. The mud is less of her concern now that she's in his presence. But she choose to hide herself away from his eye (she noticed) by bringing her knees closer to the soggy shirt clinging on irritatingly. Wally knew it would be rude to ask what she could possibly be, especially with the condition she is in now. So he lowered himself on the ground as well, avoiding coming off as scary to her eyes.
"Er, nice to meer you! Name's Wally!"
He hardly knew whether the kid could speak, as all he did hear was her cries. Her eyes hidden behind that bushes of hair messy with a branch and leaves were painfully red, matching the blood leaking from the wound on her leg.
She shook her head, hiding behind the cross of her arms to muffle her sob and sniffles.
He sighed, sitting down infront of her as he could only watch in pity. He is not good at confrontation as we so much declared, not to his father and definitely not to a kid-creature he just rescued. But what he did when he is running away from the truth? Sing!
"Righty-o! You're getting a special performance from the infamous One-Eyed Wally!" He cleared his throat, magically pulling out his concertina from his back before singing a poem he wrote in the midst of time. It gained her attention, and soon she is no longer crying or hiding in fear. A smile broke from her cries and Wally found himself to sing a little louder.
By the next morning, he didn't even realize he'd spend the night out. The rush of adrenaline from trying to escape his possible death left him tired and brought him to sleep without him noticing. The kid had also slept after an amazing concert he had on, the best one he did in his opinion. She were yet to talk that night, but her eyes did looked better than before.
Now, Wally does not know where to proceed from here. The kid could not be left behind, not when dangers lurks from every corner of the swamp. It is simply irresponsible, and he is trying not to be. But where could she possibly stay at? Never back to Ribbitvale, no. He would just dig a grave for himself, especially if his father knew of his activities back in Wartwood.
Wartwood!
"You'll like it there," he said whilst carrying the kid on his back after she woke up. Her leg is still not healing, perhaps one of the frogs there could help her back to a better condition. But atleast she seemed to be listening and thankfully no longer choking him with his scarf. "The frogs there are the nicest ones I met! Except the weekly mobs, but you know how it is!" He laughed at something he had no idea of, but had pretended long enough so nobody questioned him.
The kid only blinked. If anyone called him crazy for talking to a creature that doesn't speak, it surely does lives up to his name.
"Is everyone here a frog?"
He almost screamed at the new voice behind him only to realize it belonged to the kid. "Ah, you do talk!" He nervously chuckled, before adjusting her on his back. "Weird one you are! But so am I!"
She shake her head, denying whatever nonsense her four year old ears had been forced to listen. "No I'm not weird! I'm Anne!" Her hand shaped a fist, ready to punch him, only for it to land softly on his hat.
Wally chortle at her behaviour, somehow already getting used to her presence, despite their obvious differences. "Well, Anne, you'll fit right in Wartwood! That's where us weird folks are!"
"I said I'm not weird!"
The pair made their way on the path leading to Wartwood. There began the first star's adventure in the land of Amphibia, where she will continue to grow healthy and strong, with a heart of a poet, a strength of a king but a fate of a soldier.