Chapter Text
“Heey!” Yelled Anne
“Hm oh Heeeey!” Marcy yells back looking up from her journal
Sasha shook her head fondly “I can’t believe I missed you two.”
“You love us” Anne teased smiling
“How ya been?” Marcy asked
Sasha scoffed to herself “Me? Same old same old, endlessly miserable with one of the few bright spots being you two dorks”
“Ehh” Anne cheered
“Aww” Marcy cooed
“Yeah yeah I’m a big sap, so what” Sasha complained with a smile “but enough about me what about you Marcy? You haven’t gone vampire pale yet without the Californian sun?”
“Nope! I’ve actually been sketching some of the local Massachusetts flora and fauna for my blog, I even got up close with an eastern spadefoot”
Sasha and Anne tilted their heads until Marcy turned around her sketchbook to reveal a lifelike portrait of a Massachusetts toad
“Ooh you mean a toad” Sasha said
“You ever meet any toads like that in amphibia?” Anne asked
Sasha thought for a moment “Oh yeah, Timoth, he had the craziest eyes that just stared into your soul, Grime had him do interrogations” Sasha smiled fondly
“Do you miss them?” Anne asked solemnly
“Of course! I’m not heartless ya know” Sasha said
Marcy stayed quiet
Anne sighed “I wish I could see the Plantars again, they’re family ya know”
“Ya I wish I could see Grime too, I’ve definitely gotten rusty without him to spar with” Sasha said thinking of what he’d say
“I miss Lady Olivia and General Yunan too, I wish we could go back to talking and learning about the mysteries of Amphibia again.” She sighed
“I can’t believe it’s been a year already” Anne said already feeling dower
“And your scientists friend hasn’t had any luck with making a new portal?” Sasha asked
“Terri hasn’t have much luck but I’m sure they’ll figure it out... eventually”
Marcy seemed to resolve herself “we’re going to go back to Amphibia someday” she smiled defiant of fate
“Yeah we are” Sasha said “pound it!”
The calamity trio went in for a fist bump
But static seemed to burst from their hands, blue, red, green
“Ow” Anne yelped “was that?”
“It kinda looked like the calamity power” Sasha looked disturbed
Marcy was already jotting notes down in her journal
“I’m not sure if you is a good or bad omen” Anne said frowning “let’s just pretend it was static electricity
Sasha smirked “I’m gonna call this a good omen and go buy a lottery ticket”
“Sasha”
Sasha held up her hands “Hey I’m just joking, ya know gambling will get you put in the stocks in the toad military, wouldn’t want to let Grime down.”
“Oh I actually didn’t know that?” Marcy said starting up a new note in her book
Anne’s phone pinged and she looked towards the setting sun “oh shoot, sorry guys I gotta get home before my parents start to worry”
“See ya Boonchuy” Sasha waved as Anne ran off
“Lets get coffee tomorrow” Marcy called having finished with her notes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne collapsed into bed, her life was good, it could be better in some ways but she had loving parents and friendships literally forged in the fires of war.
But…
She yawned turning off her lamp
But it’s hard not to miss, to mourn her friends in Amphibia, they were family too.
I hope Sprig, Polly and Hop Pop are doing ok.
She closes her eyes, no use resisting sleep, she’ll see Marcy and Sasha tomorrow.
Gonna start counting sheepbugs.
z
z
Z
Z
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne startles awake, Sun piercing her eyes, something felt off.
She looked around, mangrove trees as far as the eye could see covered in glowing mushrooms, she was back! Back in Amphibia!! “I’m back!!!” She swooned
Anne rustled her hair, leaves and twigs falling free “and I already have stuff in my hair, how?”
The forest didn’t answer her.
Something still wasn’t right, she pulled her hands out of her hair, her skin a dull purple, hands missing fingers
Did I? No I couldn’t have… there’s only one way to know for sure
She stuck out her tongue, a dozen feet later it hits a tree “yub das wah ark tas like” she tries to say tongue sticking Way out
Anne retracts the sticky appendage the momentum throwing her back
“I can’t believe it, I’m a frog!”
Something tickled at the back of her mind
“I’m.. I’m asleep… this is just a dream… a really Awesome one!”
Anne got up dusting off her inexplicably frog sized school uniform and skirt
“Well if this is a dream, I’m not gonna waste it!”
She hops up to the top of a tree spotting Wartwood from its branches
“Plantars here I come!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne walked into Wartwood like she had a dozen times before, this time however no one stared, she wasn’t a strange untrustworthy creature just another frog in the crowd.
Conversely no one greeted her warmly, no one thanked her for her help with this or that task that she took up to help out.
No only the occasional side eye reserved for outsiders, strangers and nomads.
Passing through the main square Anne saw herself or more specifically a statue of herself, music box in one hand Sword in the other and a smile on her face
It’s a bit vain for my dream, statue of herself in the middle of town
“Oh nice Anne costume stranger” Wally said as he played his concertina for the townsfolk
“Thanks Wally” Anne said
This is all too weird, I wanna see Hop Pop before I have to wake up
She rushed along towards the Plantar farm leaving Wally frozen in confusion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hopediah Plantar surveyed his kingdom, his empire of avocados… or soon to be, the fields filled with a dozen saplings cut from his pride and joy quickly grown from his final avocado from earth
In a few more years this field was bound to produce a bounty that will make him and his family rich.
Yes the custom sign may be a bit premature but Loggel was having a survived the apocalypse sale.
And all of it thanks to Anne Plantar Boonchuy his long lost granddaughter that he’ll never see again!
Hold in those tears Hopediah, can’t show weakness in front of the weeds
Hop Pop patted his dirt incrusted hands together and then pulled with all his might
And pulled
And pulled
And pulled
And Pull… uh oh
“I think I pulled something” Hop Pop wheezed
“Oh HP! Let me help you with that.” Offered Anne, sweet girl that she is…
…
“Anne!!!” Hop Hop turns on his heel catching sight of…
A purple frog stands before him, leaves and twigs in her brown hair and that same outfit Anne spent months on end wearing, except much smaller.
Hopediah deflated, this young hero worshiping frog sounds just like her
He wiped a tear away “sorry it’s just, for a minute there I thought you were the real Anne”
“I am the real Anne though!” it certainly sounded like her
“Ok fine! If you are the real Anne then who won Suspicion Island 3?”
“Bradly did and I still can’t believe it!” Anne yelled and stomped her foot “I’m mean he totally should have been voted out the round before, everyone hated him but he had the totem”
“But he has that stealthy charisma” Hop Pop argued “and Chelsey trusts him after the boating challenge”
“Yeah but the week after that he betrayed her and got her voted off!” Anne was huffing at this point
“No, I don’t believe it, Anne give me your phone I didn’t get a chance to finish watching season 3 before the portal was finished and I gotta see this for myself!”
Anne pat her pockets “nope just the clothes on my back.”
“Anne”
“Yes Hop Pop?”
“Why are you a frog?”
“I know right! This is one crazy dream!”
“Hm,,, your offer still standing?”
“Oh of course, oh hug first though” Anne and Hop Pop embrace
“I’ll help you with the weeds, together we’ll get this done quick!” Anne began tugging at the stubborn greenery “..a lot.. easier when I’m.. human!” The weed finally gives way
Revealing a venomous fieldbiter
“Run for it!” Hop Pop yells
It took a few hits with a broom but the flying menace fled to infest someone else’s crop
“Wow” Anne gestures to the rest of the weeds “are all of those fieldbiters?”
“No no western fieldbiters are highly territorial, there won’t be any more”
“That’s good”
“Eastern fieldbiters however are social creatures that have a strong sense of communal vengeance”
“And that was a western one?”
“Probably”
Anne looks at the field again “uuuuuuggggggg”
In the end no more pests with a taste for frog were found so Hop Pop and Anne got to talking
“So where’s everyone else, Sprig, Polly, Frobo and Bessie?”
“They’re all off selling the first avocado harvest before the pass freezes over again, they should be back late tonight actually.” HP explained
“Wow Sprig and Polly all on their own? And you’re not worried, I’m proud of you HP”
Hop Pop’s thousands yard stare said otherwise
“Ha Ha Yeah not worried at all”
“Relax, those two have really grown up over.. ya know the invasion / near apocalypse and with Frobo by their sides I don’t think anyone is gonna try anything”
”I know I shouldn’t worry, especially about Polly, she’s even more dangerous now that she’s grown”
“Wait Polly more dangerous, now I know this is a dream” Anne said
“Oh right you haven’t seen Polly now that she has her hair.”
“Polly has Hair!? Since when?”
“She sprouted her first one just after you left, she’s grown into a fine young frog” Hop Pop smiled proudly
“Awww”
“With a taste for machines and weaponry”
“Yup same old Polly” Anne said “I really hope this dream last long enough that I can see them”
“Anne..” this isn’t a dream he needs to say “you’ll always have a place here Anne, you’re a Plantar after all.”
She smiled “thanks Hop Pop”
I really hope I can find a way to turn her back and get here home this time… a message maybe… I don’t want the Boonchuys to worry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Ok Anne we’re just picking up a few things, can you hold the shopping list?”
“Sure thing Hop Pop!… there’s cake on the list, why is there cake? We never have cake”
“Well it’s a special occasion, all my kids under one roof”
“Ooh ya old softy” Anne patted him
“Don’t call me old” Hop Pop tried
“You are literally a grandfather Hop Pop”
“Just means that I’m grand, not necessarily that I’m old” Hop Pop used his impeccable logic
The shop bell rings
“Anne why don’t you pick out which cake you want” he hands her some coppers
“Oooh you have given me too much power HP, I won’t let you down!”
Hopediah turned to the newest arrival to the store “Mayor Toadie.”
“Hop Pop I’ve heard some disturbing rumors that you have been Talking with the newcomer to Wartwood”
“Now wait just a minute” Hopediah tries to defend himself
“I know you miss Anne, we all do but you can’t just replace her with the first frog that looks like her and wears the exact same clothes as her”
“Hi Toadie” Anne greets carrying a cake
“And sounds like her…” Toadie narrows his eyes “Anne why are you a frog?”
“I’m dreaming” she says like it’s some great truth
“Hopediah why is she a frog?”
Hop Pop shrugs
“… I guess this is fine, welcome back Anne” Toadie says
“Thanks Toadie” she studies him “wait! You’re Mayor now!”
“Yes indeed” Toadie said adjusting his vest
“Congrats dude I didn’t even know you were running.”
“Well what can I say, that mission we went on together was a real conference booster”
“I’ll say, hey we gotta go, we’re throwing a party once Sprig and Polly get back” Anne starts to drag Hop Pop along
“Have fun!” Toadie well wishes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun had long since set and it wasn’t long now before everyone was home… still Hopediah had questions for Anne
“Kiddo.. what’s bothering you”
Anne stewed for a while “I was on TV”
“Well congratulations! Now we’ve both become stars!”
“I was on TV during the invasion”
“Oh”
“Everyone heard Adrias say my name, I didn’t even think about it at the time because I had to save the earth… but now everyone knows me as the girl who the frogbots were after, for months just non stop questions at school and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
“Oh Anne” he rubbed her back
“Things have quieted down now but… we saved Amphibia too… and then we left… that statue in Wartwood”
“It’s a bit much huh” Hop Pop said
“Yeah”
”Honestly I was hoping for a more life sized version, ya know I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.”
“I like the smile” she said
“Yeah I do too” Hop Pop scratched his chin “ya know maybe I should commission Loggle to make a statue of you for the farm, life sized this time and with that mischievous grin you all ways get with you’re planning something”
“I do not have” Anne yawns “a mischievous grin.”
“Anne why don’t you get comfortable and I’ll wake you when they get home”
She yawns again sitting down on the couch crossing her arms “but I’m not even tired”
“It’s been a while since you helped me with farm work, makes sense you’re tuckered” he hands her a blanket
Anne pulls the blanket up close “ok Pop just a little nap
Hop Pop settles into his rocking chair
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hop Pop awakens with a startle as he hears wagon wheels coming up the road, he gets up to greet his returning children
“Hop Pop sorry we’re so late” Sprig apologize as he hops off Bessie’s shell “there was this thing with a dam and the road got washed out and”
“It’s ok Boy I’m just glad everyone is home safe” he pulls his grandchild into a hug
Polly speaks up “I am too tired for anything else, Frobo please carry me to bed”
Frobo holds out his arms to catch her as she falls off Bessie “ow, I’m gonna add padding to your arms for next time”
Frobo starts carrying the young frog inside
“How’d the selling go?” Hop Pop asks
“Great! Every last avocado sold and many future return customers acquired” Sprig said practically preening
“That’s my boy!” hop Pop beamed with pride
“Uh guys” Polly said from the doorway “there’s a stranger sleeping on our couch”
“Ah right, we’ve had an interesting day here too.” Hop Pop said