This chapter has been in progress for many months already and I've been trying my best to finish it, so sorry for the long wait but here it is at last! I hope you all enjoy the chapters so far! I have the future chapters outline made so I hope it will come in handy when I'm writing the next chapters to come. Don't forget to expect some usual hugging or angst throughout this fic!
Sprig yawned loudly and rubbed his sleepy eyes with his arms. Sprig climbed out of his bed and walked downstairs, he then saw Hop Pop, already awake, reading the newspaper on the couch. Hop Pop's head perked up from the newspaper he was reading when he heard Sprig's footsteps.
"Oh, good morning, Sprig, up early I see," said Hop Pop as he flipped through the pages in his newspaper.
"Morning, Hop Pop. Yeah, I slept well last night," said Sprig with his sleepy voice as he fetched some water from the sink and drank. Sprig then glanced around the room and then at the basement door, "hm, where's Anne?"
"She's still asleep down there, boy, don't wake her up, she looks really exhausted."
"Aww man, what should I do in the meantime then?"
"Weren't you going to go out with Ivy today to help Felicia?"
Sprig puts both of his hands on his head as he suddenly remembers, "oh my frog, you're right! I'm gonna prepare really quick! Be right back!" said Sprig as he zoomed towards his room again. Although at that exact moment, someone was knocking at the front door.
"Who is it?" asked Hop Pop, getting up from the couch and approached the door.
"It's me, Mr. Plantar," a young girl's voice responded to Hop Pop, which Hop Pop recognizes. Hop Pop then opened the door to see Ivy there.
"Oh, hello, Ivy! You're here early!" exclaimed Hop Pop at Felicia's daughter who seems to be carrying a basket for berry-collecting on her back and a net.
"My mom woke me up early so we can get the job done by noon." explained Ivy, "Is... Sprig awake already? I hope I'm not too early."
"Oh, how coincident! My boy is actually already up! He said he woke up early today because he said he was excited to hang out with you! Isn't that sweet?" Hop Pop lied just to tease her.
Ivy tried her best not to blush and pretended to be surprised, "oh, wow... is that so?"
"Yep! Why don't you come inside while you wait? Can't let my future grand-daughter in law wait outside for too long!" said Hop Pop, winking at her which only makes Ivy slightly more uncomfortable but she just laughed along awkwardly. She walked inside the Plantars' home and sat on the right side of the couch in the living room. Hop Pop closed the door and then sat on the other side of the couch on the couch.
"So... Ivy, what do you think of my boy, Sprig?" asked Hop Pop suddenly with a big grin on his face.
The question made Ivy sweat even though frogs have no sweat glands, "oh, um... well he's... nice. And... he's also cute- WAIT I MEAN COOL!" Ivy facepalmed herself and covered her face with her hat, Hop Pop only laughed at her reaction.
"You two are so adorable together, you know that?"
"Y-you think so?" Ivy's face only flushed redder.
"Yep! You two are like a match made in frog heaven! I'm so lucky that you two are a thing now, and not to mention how the fortune I will soon get..." Hop Pop mumbled that last part quietly so Ivy couldn't hear him. Just before the situation gets any weirder, Sprig comes down from his room. He stopped halfway at the stairs when he saw Ivy waiting for her and grinned excitedly.
"Ivy! Oh, my frog! You're here!" said Sprig as he immediately hopped from the stairs and into the floor to approach her.
"Uh, yeah, sorry, I was told to come earlier by my mom."
"Oh, that's alright. We'll manage it!"
"Well, then, what are you two still waiting for then? Get your butts off this house and go do your work!" said Hop Pop as he pulled Ivy and Sprig outside the house quickly, "AND REMEMBER, DON'T GET IN TROUBLE, UNDERSTAND? KAY, THANKS, BYE!" Hop Pop then slammed the door on their faces really hard. He sighed as his eyes got watery, "my grandson is growing up... it feels like yesterday that he just got his legs..."
Outside, Ivy and Sprig stared at each other for a while, processing what just happened before Ivy cut the silence, "well... that was awkward. I wonder how you could stand being teased around like that."
"Meh, that's Hop Pop, he likes doing that a lot but never mind that!" Sprig wrapped his arms around Ivy and swung her around, which made her laugh happily, "finally we get to hangout again!" said Sprig out loud with his usual energy.
"Ah, shut up you, I missed sparring with you too, it's been a while" responded Ivy with a giggle.
"We can do that after our task is over, are you ready for some adventure?" Sprig lets go of his tight embrace and held out his hand for Ivy to hold.
"Heck yea! Oh, and by the way my mom also wanted us to get some berries as well for her scones, which is why I brought this basket.
"Ah! I know a place where we can find a lot of berries, let's go!" Sprig and Ivy, hand in hand, both left the Plantar's farm and quickly headed towards the forest to get the berries and dung beetles.
Anne woke up with a slight sore on her back because she might have slept in the wrong position last night but at least her mind is more relaxed thanks to Hop Pop's company. Anne tidied her bed before going out of her basement room. To her surprise, she found Hop Pop humming to himself in the kitchen, who seems to be cooking something. As Anne entered the Kitchen, she greeted her adoptive grandfather.
"Good morning, HP!" greeted Anne with her morning voice.
Hop Pop was a bit startled by Anne's sudden presence but he returned his greetings anyway with a smile.
"Ah, good morning, Anne, did you sleep well?" asked Hop Pop to her adopted granddaughter.
"Yeah, thanks for accompanying me last night,"
"Don't mention it, kiddo, always here when you need me,"
"Thanks, HP."
Hop Pop gave her an assuring smile before resuming his cooking. Curious about what Hop Pop's preparing, Anne approached him with an intrigued look, "Hey, whatcha cookin' there, HP? It smells really good too"
"Some omelets and beetle fries!" replied Hop Pop as he sauteed the eggs.
Anne gasped in amazement, "Wow, you really be revvin' up those cooking skills, huh, HP?"
"I learned from the best," Hop Pop winked at Anne which made her chuckle. Anne still kind of doubted Hop Pop's cooking skills but she decided to just trust him this one time.
"Do you need some help?"
"Sure, Anne. You can help prepare 3 plates and chop some vegetables for these omelets,"
"Wait, why 3? Is someone not gonna eat with us?"
"Sprig's already out there with Ivy."
Letting a sigh that she lost another chance of teasing him again, she decided to just give that up for now, "Ah, woof. Okay then," Anne swiftly walked to take the plates from the cabinet and placed them at the dining table. Anne then fetched some onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and herbs and cut them all like a professional, which never fails to impress Hop Pop.
"Here ya go, HP," Anne handed Hop Pop everything she had cut and Hop Pop carefully filled the omelets with them. Hop Pop then cooked the omelets again for a few minutes before folding it in half and finished. He cut the omelets for 3 people and placed them on the plates. He also poured the beetle fries he fried right next to the omelets.
Anne has to admit she's impressed at how delectable Hop Pop's creation looks, even the smell smells really good. Anne and Hop Pop both sat down to eat their breakfast. As Anne took the first bite, she was amazed at how good it tasted, not undercooked nor overcooked. Hop Pop has really leveled up his cooking skills.
"Wow, this is really good, HP!" complimented Anne as she chews down her meal.
"Hehe, thanks, Anne."
A few minutes later, a sleepy Polly came down the stair and entered the kitchen with a yawn.
"Morning, fam, whatcha' eating? I smelled something good, which is why I woke up." said Polly to her family.
"Hey, Polly! Hop Pop cooked some omelets and fries for breakfast and it tasted so good! Here, this one is for you" said Anne with her mouth full and pointing at Polly's plate.
Polly gasped loudly, "OMELETS!"
In just a second, Polly quickly rushed into the dining table and gobbled the omelets into her mouth. Polly enjoyed the food as well which made Hop Pop smirk in pride.
The Plantars ate their breakfasts in silence before Polly speaks up in the middle of her meal, "so Anne, where did you go yesterday?"
"Just hanging out with Wally yesterday at Grub N' Go and Felicia's tea shop, we were trying to find Sprig but he went home already," responded Anne.
"Wally? Huh, I thought you're mad at him or something,"
Anne scoffed, "mad at him? Why?"
"Um... I don't know, maybe 'cuz he caused the whole tower to blow up and now you have separated from your other human friend again?" said Polly nonchalantly
Sensing a possible tension, Hop Pop interrupted, "Polly, let's not-"
Anne raised her hand, "no, no, it's okay, HP," assured Anne to Hop Pop with a smile before turning back to Polly, "no, Polly, I'm not mad at him. Wally actually did the right thing. I shouldn't have trusted the toads... or even Sasha for that matter. I guess I was just constantly being controlled by her for so long that I didn't realize I was being used. But after I stood up against her, I think me and Sasha will need some space. I don't think things would be the same from now on," Anne sighed deeply.
"It's okay, kiddo, I'm sure things will get better between you two soon," said Hop Pop, patting her arm.
"Thanks, HP," she turned towards Polly again, "But... yeah, as I was saying, I don't hate Wally just because he blew up the tower. If he had followed my warning, Hop Pop would've been fed to that monster plant."
"Mhm," hummed Hop Pop in agreement.
Polly nodded, "eh, that's true. I still wonder where he got those boom-shrooms, I want really want some for my collection."
Anne laughed softly, "oh, Polly."
"What? I could've helped in thrashing the tower until it turns to nothing! That's what they get for trying to kill our Hop Pop!"
"We would've died there, y'know?" said Anne.
"Oh, that's... true. But I still REALLY wanna get back at them for almost killing our Hop Pop!"
Hop Pop chuckled nervously, "that's very much appreciated, Polly, but I don't think we should provoke them any further for now. They might be planning for vengeance and we should all be careful."
"Then I'll just attack them back!" raged Polly fiercely before grabbing the table knife and swinging it in the air, "nobody messes with my family but me! I'll get back on those toads!"
Anne and Hop Pop shifted their seat backward slightly to avoid Polly's knife, "okay, calm down, Polly, just finish your breakfast before you accidentally hurt anyone here with that table knife,"
Polly huffed before continuing to eat her breakfast. Anne and Hop Pop looked at each other and laughed. Some things never change.
Sprig and Ivy arrived at the forest that Sprig visited when he was collecting berries with his family and where he thinks that Anne lost her mind when she thought that a Mossman was real. Surely, there's a lot of different berries on the bushes, both edible and those that would kill you instantly.
"Wow, there are sure more berries here than the place I went to yesterday, why didn't you tell me about this place sooner, huh?" Ivy nudged Sprig's shoulder playfully.
"Well, I thought you knew already. Plus it's not that there are more edible berries than poisonous ones. You have to be careful." warned Sprig, stroking his net.
"Yeah, of course, I know which one is good and which one is bad."
"You do?"
"Well, duh, Sprig, I collect berries for my mom for errands all the time, so I'm basically an expert at differentiating it. Okay, just try finding the green and red ones over there," Ivy points at the nearest bush.
"M'kay," said Sprig as he walked over to the bush Ivy pointed at.
The two kids then begin their berry hunt, they each collected berries and put them in the basket. By 15 minutes, Ivy's basket has already been filled with berries which hopefully will suffice Felicia's needs. Ivy breathed a sigh of relief, "phew, I'm tired..."
Sprig nodded in agreement, "me too... but we still gotta find some dung beetles too."
Ivy looked back at the basket that is full of berries and then back at Sprig, "I don't think we have a place to keep those dung beetles."
"Hmm..." Sprig thinks for a minute before coming up with an idea, "ah! How about this, you can go home and give the berries to your mom first, then you can come back here again with some empty jars to put those in!"
"That's a good idea… but why don't you just come along with me to my house?"
"Nah, I can just look around here for some dung beetles while I wait for you so we could get this done faster They shouldn't be too hard to find around here... I hope."
Ivy was hesitant at first but decides to trust Sprig on this one, "okay then. I'll head back as fast as I can! I promise!" Ivy carries the basket with her strong little hands and kissed Sprig's cheek before bolting off back to Wartwood, Sprig blushed as red as his skin and giggled to himself.
After brushing off his romantic fantasy with Ivy, he began hunting around for dung beetles. He searched around the area such as the bushes, nearby grass, or the trees. Unfortunately, he seems to have trouble finding those dung-rolling bugs, which is odd because they are usually roaming around gathering dungs of creatures that live around here. That can only mean there are no creatures around the area, which concerns Sprig so he went to search deeper in the forest, unaware of the danger that is lurking and watching every single movement of his.
"Dung beetles, dung beetles, where could you be?" Sprig sang to himself as he went deeper and deeper in the forest while examining the ground around him.
It took him quite some time before he finally found some dung beetles surrounding massive dung, like one of the biggest dung Sprig has ever seen.
"Aha, these should be enough," said Sprig, feeling proud of himself for finding them. However, a thought suddenly hit Sprig's head. He's never seen dung like this before, especially in this forest. There must be a big beast that lives around here.
Wait... a beast? Sprig froze in his spot as he suddenly heard something passing him by through the bushes. The next second, Sprig finds himself covered by a shadow of a giant creature. Sprig turns his head around to find a giant fox monster with a tail like a whip, gnawing his teeth as he looked down on a tasty frog flesh.
"AAAAAAH!"
Sprig screams out in terror as he flees from the predator that is chasing him in the forest. He tries to distract it by throwing sticks, stones, and some fruits at it but its focus seems to be locked on Sprig.
Sprig's legs begin to betray him as he almost used up all of his strength to run away from this creature. When he was about to lose hope he sees a familiar house right a mile ahead. Sprig remembers how far this resident lives from Wartwood's main town, he felt bad getting him involved in his chase but he feels like he has no other choice. Sprig uses all his strength left to rush onto the front door of this resident's house and knock several times on the door.
"WALLY! WALLY! LET ME IN!" cried Sprig as he heard the beast coming in closer and closer. The one-eyed frog opens the door a few seconds later with a confused expression as he saw the pink frog child.
"Oh, hello, kid. What can I do for ya?" asked Wally calmly, unaware of the danger.
"NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! WE HAVE TO HIDE!" Sprig pushes himself in and yanked Wally's arms as they both entered the house and hid under one of the broken tables in his house. Wally didn't seem to bother to clean up his house as there were so many items lying on the floor and vines growing through the walls but Sprig is too panicked to care about that.
"What did'cha do, kid? What are we hiding from?" asked Wally.
"I ran into this fox beast when I was collecting dung beetles and then it started chasing me all the way here!"
"Oh, for frog's sake, kid! Why did you have to lead it to my house out of all place?"
"I had no choice, dude! It's not my fault you live here."
Wally groaned and rolled his eyes, "kid, that's not an excuse to-"
Before Wally finishes his sentence, the beast burst into the house by breaking the front door. The beast seems to have a very good hearing and smell because it can track Sprig's scent from far. Its body is much bigger than Wally's house which ended up destroying the house.
"AAAAAAH" screamed both of the frogs as they huddled on each other.
The beast barked loudly at the two frogs, ready to pound on them. Sprig scanned his surrounding quickly to find something he can use to fend off against the beast. He luckily found a cymbal and mandolin close to him.
"Uhhh, oh! I have an idea!" Sprig quickly grabbed the cymbal and handed Wally the mandolin.
"What are ya doin' with these?"
"I will try to stun it with this cymbal and you can hit 'em as hard as you can with this,"
"What? Are you crazy-"
"JUST DO IT ALREADY!" scolded Sprig which made Wally agree immediately. Sprig then stood up in front of the beast.
"HEY! UGLY BEAST, GET A LOAD OF THIS!" Sprig taunted the beast to get its attention before he threw the cymbals right at its face, and just as expected, it stunned it for a moment as it whimpered softly.
"Do it now!" commanded Sprig which Wally followed. He hopped onto the fox's body and raises the mandolin high before swinging it down very hard on its face, the mandolin broke in half as a result. The fox beast roared loudly and ended up flinging Wally across the room before running away from the scene and left the ruined house. Sprig was unharmed but unfortunately, Wally took a lot of damage from being thrown across the house. Wally's right arm and legs were bruised badly from the impact.
"WALLY!" Sprig quickly approached the injured frog, "are you okay?!"
"N... Not really.." said Wally weakly.
Sprig was panicked, he didn't think that plan through but now the damage is done, "oh, frog, I shouldn't have told you to do that,"
At that moment, Ivy was running towards Wally's house and quickly rushed into the scene. She was petrified by the damage done to the house.
"Sprig! Are you okay? I saw you dropped your net and heard your voice coming from here and- OH MY FROG," Ivy gasped in shock as she looked at the poor frog, "WALLY! ARE YOU OKAY?"
Wally looked up to see the yellow frog and coughed for a second, "ah... kid, do you any chance have that thing that you used for my foot yesterday?" asked Wally, trying to sit up straight.
Ivy shook her head, "uh... no, sorry turns out I ran out of it. Plus even if I do, I don't think it would be enough to heal that."
"Oh..."
Ivy turned to Sprig, "Sprig, what happened? Why were you two suddenly attacked by that beast?"
"I'll explain it later! We gotta take him to my house!"
"Your house? Shouldn't we get him checked up by a doctor or something?"
Sprig shook his head, "no, Ivy, that's too complicated. Besides, Hop Pop always knows what to do so let's just leave this to him!
"Okay, okay," Sprig and Ivy raised Wally's arms and placed them around their shoulders for support. "jeez, you should've just come with me to my house," said Ivy frustratingly.
Then the three frogs quickly run out of the destroyed house to get Wally treated.
…
"We're almost there, Wally!" said Sprig as he and Ivy approached his house. Sprig and Ivy then slammed the front door open loudly. Hop Pop, Anne, and Polly were in the kitchen chatting amongst themselves but as soon as they heard the door opening they quickly rushed into the living room. Anne gasped as soon as she saw Wally with them, "Wally! What the heck? Sprig! What happened to him, dude?"
"Okay so... I was chased by this fox beast when I was finding some dung beetles for Ivy and.. and then I found Wally's house so I took my chance to go hide in there but it ended up wrecking Wally's home... we tried fending it off, and we did but then Wally got hurt..." explained Sprig to his family with guilt.
"Dang it, boy! I told you to not get yourself in trouble," Hop Pop groaned before ordering Ivy and Sprig to place Wally on the couch. Ivy and Sprig nodded and did what he said. Hop Pop then came closer to Wally to examine his injuries, which doesn't look too good.
"Hmm.." Hop Pop lifted Wally's arm and leg gently, "you've got a lot of bruises here and there, I might need to get my medical kit and some bandages to prevent infection. Sprig, hand me my medical kit in my room."
"Alright," Sprig quickly marched towards Hop Pop's room and came out with some kind of box. He handed Hop Pop the box and sat down on the floor next to Ivy. Hop Pop opened the box and searched for his ointment.
"Found it!" Hop Pop took out a beetle-shaped bottle. It is an antiseptic used to treat bruises. Hop Pop opened the bottle and took Wally's arm before dropping some of the antiseptics on his bruises.
"AAH!" Wally winced out of the burning sensation on his wounds and tried pulling back his arm but Hop Pop's grip kept him from doing so. Hop Pop then moved to his leg and applied the ointment there too, unfortunately, Wally's reflex caused him to kick Hop Pop's face.
"Wally!" said Hop Pop, slightly annoyed.
"S- sorry Hopadiah."
Hop Pop rubbed his face that was kicked by Wally to soothe it before applying the antiseptic on his skin again. Wally used all his power to not kick Hop Pop this time and the process thankfully took no more than 2 minutes but it felt like a full hour to Wally.
After Hop Pop finished, the scar seems to have finally dried. Hop Pop then took out bandages from his medical box and wrapped Wally's arm and legs to let the wound heal.
"There," said Hop Pop, finishing his treatment.
"Th-thanks, Hopediah."
"No problem, Wally, just don't move around so much, alright?" advised Hop Pop as he puts the bottle and bandage to his box, "these will heal your scar in a few days, until then you better not touch or scratch it, alright?" Wally nodded.
Ivy then nudged Sprig's side and whispered to him, "Sprig, I think you should apologize to him."
"Huh? Oh," Sprig sighed and walked over to Wally and rubbed his arm, "Uhm, hey, Wally. I just wanna say er... sorry for involving you with my beast chase... I shouldn't have done that."
"Eh, it's alright, kid. Although I don't think I'll be able to live in my house now since it got destroyed by that beast."
"Oh no! Where are you gonna stay with your condition like this then?" asked Anne worriedly.
"Well. I can just sleep by the fountain or hen coops tonight, those places are-"
Anne closed Wally's mouth before he finished his sentence, "not happening, bud," said Anne, "how about... you stay here instead?"
"What?!" everyone else said in the room.
"Ah, come on guys, he's hurt and his house was just destroyed, are you guys seriously gonna let him sleep out there on his own? What if it rains or what if the beast found him again out there?"
"Well... you're not wrong there, Anne," said Hop Pop before trailing off to think of a decision. This wasn't expected at all for him and he doesn't really want to deal with guests because he already has to take care of Anne too. But he understands Anne's point, it is not right to let him out there when he is hurt. "well, I guess we can let you stay here... for a while."
Anne looked visibly happy. Polly doesn't seem to mind this decision since she and Wally are on good terms with each other, while Sprig got no comment but he's not against it either. After all, he was the one that caused this.
"Are you alright with it, Wally?" asked Hop Pop to the one-eyed frog for reconfirmation.
Personally, Wally does not really mind staying with the Plantars since he knows his friend will be there to accompany him.
"I'm okay with it," said Wally.
Hop Pop scratched his head, "but... let me just say this beforehand, Wally, if ya wanna stay here, you better help us with chores and our farm work once those injuries get better.
Well, shoot. This was not what he expected.
"Wait Hop Pop, I don't think it's right for you to ask a guest to suddenly do our chores when he was just staying here for some time," complained Anne.
"Anne, you were a guest too when you first came here and I already made you do some work on the first few weeks," argued Hop Pop, "I know this is not something a guest would wanna do but I want everyone that lives under this roof to be a hard worker, no matter if they are just a guest or not." Hop Pop stated clearly. Anne cannot argue back since he has a point.
Wally looked at his bandaged arm, he has mixed feelings on his mind about this whole situation.
Well, having company and living under a roof is better than being alone, I guess. I just hope I can get out of here soon. I don't think I can stand working on a job.
"I guess I can try... I've never done this farming business before though."
"I'll show you the ropes like I did with Anne."
Wally sighed, "okay fine. I'll help ya folks. But can I at least play my accordion here please?"
Hop Pop rolled his eyes and sighed, "okay, you can play your accordion as long as you don't annoy us with your silly tune, understood?" warned Hop Pop sternly, "I'll be ready to dispose them away if you do."
Wally sighed in relief although he felt a little threatened by Hop Pop's warning.
Ivy, who has been watching the whole situation unravel, looked out the window and see that it is getting late. She stood up, "well, I guess I should go now since my mom is probably wondering where I am."
Sprig stood up following her, "wait, what about those dung beetles that your mom asked? We haven't caught any!"
"I can just get them myself. You've been in enough trouble today so I wouldn't wanna trouble you more," Ivy kissed Sprig's cheek, "take care of Wally, okay?"
Sprig nodded lightly and smiled weakly, "okay. I will. Be careful out there, Ivy."
"I will! Bye, everyone!" Ivy stormed out of the house and Sprig closed the door after waving back at her. Wally is now surrounded by the Plantars, being the only guest in the room. The room was suddenly filled with the sound of an empty stomach growl.
"Oops, I guess I may have not eaten much since I left this morning, heh," told Sprig.
"Hmm, well, we may as well have dinner together. I don't feel like cooking tonight so who wants some Stumpy's?"
"Me!" said the children enthusiastically. Anne then turned to Wally, "Hey dude, do you wanna join us?"
"Oh, um, sure! If you Plantars don't mind of course. I can use some dinner tonight,"
"Can you walk?" asked Hop Pop.
"Hmm.. let me try," Wally slowly put his feet on the ground and lifted his body up slowly but he immediately dropped back to the sofa as the bruise on his legs prevented him from standing up straight, "nope, these limbs aren't working right now,"
"Oh hey, I can just carry you on my back, that'll be easier," offered Anne.
"You can carry me?"
Anne snickered, "of course dude. I know how light you guys are, now come on," Anne lowered herself and lifted Wally on her back. As expected, Wally is very light, although Anne ended up accidentally touching Wally's bandaged leg, which caused him to wince.
"Ow!"
"Oh, sorry! That was an accident!"
Wally laughed softly, "it's alright, Love."
"Come on, kids, let's get dinner before it's late," said Hop Pop before going out of his house with the rest of his family and Wally.
...
The Plantars and Wally arrived at Stumpy's restaurant after walking from their home. Anne gladly recalls her time being a part-time chef here, she was part of the reason why Stumpy's restaurant is still running to this day. Time has surely passed since then. As they entered the restaurant, they can see only a few frogs there eating dinner, so the seats are mostly empty. Stumpy seems to be in the kitchen washing some plates so Anne decides to ring the bell next to her to call him out of there.
Ring!
"Coming!" responded a gruff voice coming from inside the kitchen. The old cook then comes out of the kitchen and immediately gave out a smile as soon as he sees Anne.
"Anne! It's so great to see you again, kid!" greeted Stumpy excitedly after not seeing her around for some time.
"Yo, Stumpy! It's great to see you too," replied Anne before rubbing her elbows timidly, "also uh.. thanks for giving me food to eat when I was feeling horrible... they did make me feel a lot better."
"Not to worry, Anne. I was just quite worried about you since that tower incident I could not see you around here. So I made sure you are well fed in your home, hope it's enough for ya, kid."
Anne was touched by Stumpy's sincerity. The old cook must've had a soft spot on the human girl who helped him gain more confidence in his restaurant.
"Anyway, take a seat, Plantars... and Wally," Stumpy didn't really comment on Wally who is being carried by Anne.
The Plantars and Wally took a seat near the door so they can exit faster later. Hop Pop sits right in between Polly and Sprig while Anne and Wally sat across from them.
"So what do you folks want on this fine night?" said Stumly as he brings out the menu books to them.
The Plantars and Wally looked at the menu but couldn't decide on a dish, so Anne took this opportunity to offer her service to Stumpy,"
"Hey, Stumpy, I think I can try cooking for us all tonight, is that okay?" asked Anne.
"Err.. are ya sure, Anne? I'm fine with cookin' by myself."
"It's fine, dude. I just want to try cooking some of the dishes my mom usually makes for my family dinner."
"Well, if that's what you want, then okay, Anne, the kitchen's yours," said Stumpy while adjusting the crab leg in his mouth.
"Heck yeah! Let's get down to business, shall we?" cheered Anne before she pulled Stumpy with her to the kitchen to prepare her special dinner.
"Woah, slow down, Anne! Or you will end up detaching me hand-tools!" cried Stumpy.
The Plantars are then left with Wally at the table. They all were silent and ended up just tapping their fingers as they wait. This silence was broken when Wally finally spoke up, "wow, sometimes I forgot how good Anne is at cookin'."
"Oh, dude, she can literally chop vegetables in a few seconds! She's like.. a master chef of Wartwood, only cooler!" said Polly, admiring Anne.
Hop Pop nodded, "heh, leave it to Anne to surprise ya. Y'know, Anne's cooked for us at home sometimes and I have to say every meal that she makes never cease to surprise me, let alone this one I suppose, heh. I sure am lucky to have her with us," Hop Pop glanced at the kitchen with a smile, then he looked back at Wally.
Hop Pop scratched his white hair, "Hey, Wally, I'd like to apologize for not allowing ya from seeing Anne a while ago. I was just really worried for her and I thought I was protecting her by keeping her away from you... I should've known better," apologized Hop Pop.
"it's quite alright, Hopediah."
"I'm just wondering how you and Anne became friends. It almost seems like she's pretty attached to you from what I've seen."
"Well... we have been close for quite a while, we bonded when we were hunting down the Mossman, remember that? I must say she's a great kid. Yeah, I know, she's not perfect but nobody is. I'm just proud of how far she's come now, y'know?"
"Mhm," Hop Pop nodded, agreeing with Wally's statement.
Wally sighed, "I still regret treating her like rubbish in the past. She was nice to me even if I was being a jerk to her so I want to make it up for her by being there for her. She's going through a lot and I'm sure it's taking a huge toll on her. I'm worried about that."
"I'm worried as well but I guess we can see she's trying her best to move on. Thank you for looking after her though, Wally."
"Of course, you can count on me! I'll keep an 'eye' out for her' if I have to."
Hop Pop and Wally laughed together while Sprig was silently glaring at Wally from across the table. He never thought he would see the town loon so caring towards the human girl, he's supposed to be a loony, moronic frog that lives under the bridges, why is he acting nice like this? Is he planning something? Is he planning to take away his best friend?
"I have to keep an eye on him, I don't want him to make Anne hurt like Sasha did. I must protect Anne as Anne's best friend," Sprig thought to himself.
After a long awkward chattering of Hop Pop and Wally, Anne and Stumpy finally came out of the kitchen with a trolley carrying the food which was closed by a lid.
"Hey guys, whaddya' guys' think?" asked Anne eagerly as she opened the lid revealing the dishes. The Plantars and Wally gasped.
"Oh my frog, these look fantastic, Anne!" said Wally as he glanced around the food in front of him with his jaw dropped.
"Dang, you are still killing this cooking business, girl!" added Polly.
"Hehe, thanks." Anne blushed at the compliment.
There were Pad Thai, Larb, Beetle Satay, and Anne's favorite, Tom Yum with some bugs in it because Anne knows that the frogs love bugs in their meal. The dishes were all prepared in big plates for all the Plantars and Wally to share.
Stumpy wiped the sweat from his head, "phew, these dishes really be tiring me out. It's a good thing Anne's magic box got the recipes to help us out."
"Great job as usual, Anne. I'm sure yer mom would be proud seeing you able to prep these up." complimented Hop Pop.
"Thanks, HP!" She took out her phone and took a picture of her creation so that she can show it to her mom when she gets home later.
"Well, let's eat before it gets cold guys!" cheered Anne, and soon everyone on the table began eating their dinner.
"Hey, Stumpy, come eat with us! We have plenty to share y'know!" offered Anne as she tapped the empty space twice beside her.
Stumpy raised his right arm and shook his head, "I'll pass, Anne, even just smelling them is enough to make me stuffed."
"Aww, alright then." Anne scooted back to retrieve the seat space.
"But I can serve you folks some drinks, how 'bout that?"
"Fly iced tea please!" Hop Pop, Sprig and Polly said in unison while Anne asked for a regular iced tea. Stumpy finally turned towards Wally, his expression changed
"So what would yours be this time, Wally?" asked Stumpy with an annoyed look because he knows that Wally is going to order the same drink.
Wally smirked at him, "beetle grog, the usual of course."
Stumpy groaned in annoyance, "ah, come on, Wally, you finished all my beetle grog stock for this week. Can't you just order anything other than a rum or a grog?"
"Ugh, fine." Wally groaned, he then took a few seconds to think about an alternative drink, "I guess some orange juice would be nice this time."
"That's better," Stumpy then returned to his kitchen to prepare the drinks. He then came out a few minutes later with the iced tea drinks along with Wally's orange juice and placed them all on their table, "here are yer drinks folks, enjoy."
"Thanks, Stumpy!" said everyone on the table as they sip their drinks.
"Anytime, folks," Stumpy went back inside the kitchen again to wash the cooking utensils.
Sprig was the first one to finish his meal before the rest of the family because he was really starved compared to the others. After finishing dinner, the family got up from their chairs to pay for the meals before they go home, however, Stumpy refused since Anne was the one that cooked most of it. So the Plantars said their goodbyes to Stumpy and headed home.
It was already dark outside and it seemed that it was going to rain soon so the Plantars ran as fast as they could before it started raining.
Luckily, the rain started pouring as soon as they reached the Plantars home. The Plantars all yawned as a signal for them to tuck into bed while Anne helps carry Wally back into the couch.
"So am I sleeping on the couch tonight?" asked Wally to his human friend while looking over his bandages on his arm and legs.
"Yep, it's fine right?" asked Anne, "oh, and Hop Pop, do you have some pillow and a blanket?"
"I got it," Hop Pop said before coming to his room to find an extra pillow and blanket. He then gave Wally the pillow and blanket before wishing everyone goodnight and going into his room. Sprig and Polly have also gone up the stairs to their respective rooms after cleaning up, leaving Wally and Anne downstairs.
Anne then sat on the other end of the couch right next to Wally who was already lying down with his shoes and hat off. Wally fixed his long hair so that he can rest his head comfortably. He was also glancing around the living room because he didn't have the chance to look around the Plantarrs home earlier. It's true he's seen their house but he has never actually gone inside. He has to admit it does feel more comfortable than his own house.
"Feeling comfortable yet?" asked Anne as she sat on the floor below Wally.
"Mhm," the couch is at least more comfortable to sleep on right now than being outside in the rain.
"How're your scars by the way?"
"Well, it still hurts but lesser than before."
"That's good," said Anne, "I didn't really expect you to actually stay with us, but I'm glad you do! We can have so much fun together, I can show things around tomorrow if you'd like."
"Yeah… sure," said Wally, failing to sound as enthusiastic as Anne.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Anne noticed the change in his tone of voice, "you don't wanna?"
"No, no, Anne, it's not that. This is just something I'm not really used to. That is… sleeping in someone else's house."
"What? You mean you've never done sleepovers before?"
Wally shook his head, "I'm more used to sleeping under bridges, trees, or by the fountain, but never have I ever slept on someone else's roof."
"Hm… I'm kinda curious, Wally. I know you said you are happy being yourself as the town vagrant but... do you ever feel lonely living or anything living like that?"
Wally took a little time to think of something to respond to, it is something he sometimes asks himself about.
"Well, living as the town vagrant is great. You can do whatever you want without anyone telling you what you can and cannot do, it's the freedom I wanted for so long but... I suppose it's quite a lonely life, Anne. No one around to wish you good morning after you wake up, no one to ask me how I'm doin' and all that, no one to look after me when I'm sick..."
"If I may ask, where is your family at? Are they still around?"
Wally bit his lip. He felt hesitant to tell Anne about his past. Usually, when someone asks about his family, he makes up stories to cover up the truth about his family, but after recalling the last incident about the moss man, he can't afford to lie to Anne again because he doesn't want to upset her, so he decided to tell her some of the truth.
"My dad's still around, my mother passed away when I was still a child." Wally does not really remember her since he was still too young to understand about death.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, dude."
"It's alright."
"...So where does your dad live?"
"He lives in a town outside the valley and it's quite far. Not sure you'd know the place though."
"I guess... but why don't you live with him there?"
Wally averted his gaze from Anne, "I don't... I don't know if I can."
"Why?"
Wally did not respond at first, but he gathered all his courage to finally speak up, "allow me to tell ya a little about my family, Anne. Just... don't tell anyone about this, even the Plantars, alright?"
"Okay..." said Anne although she was about to ask why but she knows this is one of those times where Wally is actually being serious and not fooling around, so she does not ask questions.
"The truth is I've never told anyone about my family before, especially about my dad. Before I lived in Wartwood it always has been me and him. He's a savvy businessman who is well-known out there and he's also quite an athlete. But he is really, really strict on me. He expects everything to be done without fault and wants me to be perfect in every way. He sets up high expectations for me and it's driving me nuts! I couldn't stand living in my home because it's hard to express myself there. It is why I ended up here in Wartwood."
Anne visibly grimaced, "dang… I wouldn't have thought you would have a dad like that. But… he still cares about you though, right?"
Wally shrugged his shoulders, "I don't really know. I guess he does but he usually never listens to what I have to say... He always wants me to work hard all the time and be the best, just like him. But I can't just do that, I wanna be myself!"
"I see…"
"Anne, do you remember when I told you not to care about what others feel about you?"
Anne nodded.
"I started adopting that mindset once I started living here. I felt like I can express myself more here so I often act like a complete lunatic here most of the time to make up for the lack of freedom in my own home."
"Why don't you try telling him how you feel?"
"I can't just tell my dad... he will definitely disown me if he ever sees me living like a bum here."
"Wait... he doesn't know?"
"I lied to him... I told him I was going on a business trip to Wartwood."
"But then you would have to come back sooner or later though, right?"
Wally nodded, "I know. But the road back to my hometown is still closed because of the ice blocking the way so my stay here is extended."
"Ah, right," Anne remembered the ice blocking the path out of the valley, which is why she cannot travel outside the valley as well.
"Do you still miss them?" asked Anne.
"Hm?"
"Your family… or your dad I mean."
"Ah… well," Wally called back to the times where he actually had fun with his dad, "I can't say I don't miss him because we did make some memories in the past together like playing beast polo or when we went camping. I wouldn't want to leave all my pasts behind because they mean so much to me. I just don't know what else I can do to make him understand what I want right now… that is to be able to be myself wherever I am."
Anne then places her hand on his shoulder to provide him some comfort, "I'm sure one day your family will accept you for who you are. If my parents do, I'm sure your family can too."
"I… I suppose, I just don't know how I can even bring it up to them..."
"I'll help you when that time comes, okay?"
"Well.. thanks, Anne."
Anne nods and released her hand from Wally's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her legs.
"So… why didn't you want to tell anyone about this, and why only me?"
"My family is not something that I really want to talk about most of the time. I don't need people in Wartwood bugging me about my past, so I often act like a crazy vagrant that has no family and make up stories. Works every time but I guess I have no reason in hiding this to you because… well, I know you'll understand me."
Anne smiled, "of course."
"I just wanted you to know the reason why I felt apprehensive about staying here. After hearing Hopediah saying that I have to work here made me anxious because it's just reminding me of the days of me living with my family where I have to always work and no time to relax."
"Hey, we'll take it slow, okay? I promise it won't be like your home and I'll make sure you'll feel comfortable here."
Anne's comforting words are enough to calm him down. "I trust you, Anne," said Wally as he smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder with his uninjured arm.
"And I really do understand how you feel though, I miss my parents back home too. Even though we argue and have disagreements sometimes, I know they still love me. You feel that way too, right?"
Wally nodded once, "yeah…"
"I don't know when I can see them again. The reason I even cooked dinner tonight was because I really miss them and I know they must be worried sick about me. But I haven't found any way home… so I guess I will just have to spend as much time as I can with my family here before I leave."
"I understand," said Wally, although he was saddened by the thought that Anne would leave this world soon. He hopes it's not that soon.
"And Wally...?"
"Yeah?"
"This might be a silly question but is it fine if I consider you like… a family too?" asked Anne nervously.
Wally's eye opened wide, even he almost opened his unused eye. To think that a strange creature from another world, in which he despises in the beginning, to consider him a part of her family.
"It's just… I feel sorry you're going through this problem with your family. I wanna help you feel like you have a family here even when you're far from home, just like how I got the Plantars with me. We both might be far away from our home but… it won't be that bad if we all stick together y'know?"
Wally lifted his body up so that he is in a sitting position, "Wow… I'm actually surprised that you think of a loon like me as a family…"
"Come on, dude, you are more than just a loon. You are an amazing friend and you mean as much as my family to me."
Wally's tear fell from his eye and he gave out a big smile that Anne had never seen before, "thanks so much, Anne," Wally sniffled as he almost started crying, "you're really like a family to me too. Thanks for being such a good kid to me."
"That's what good friends are for," said Anne with a beaming smile.
"I would give you a hug right now, but I don't think I can with these limbs," said Wally with a small chuckle.
"Well, here," Anne then gave the one-eyed frog a warm side hug but carefully to not touch the bandaged scar on his right arm and legs. The one-eyed frog gladly returned the hug with one other hand as they leaned on each other's heads.
Living as the town loon had allowed Wally to have the freedom he wanted but in the end, he couldn't help but feel lonely after running away from home because he had no real friends or family that look out for him. So having someone he can actually call a family in Wartwood is the greatest blessing he can ever get in his life. Of course, Anne might have to go home sooner or later but Wally silently hopes that she can visit him again.
"I love you, Wally," whispered Anne softly.
"I know. I love you to the moon and back too, kid." said Wally as he caressed her side soothingly, "you've got a wonderful family and friends here in Amphibia. I'm sure your family back home will be soo proud of ya seeing how far you've come. You'll find a way home soon, Anne, and you'll see your parents again, I promise."
Anne let out a few tears and nodded, "thanks, Wally."
...
After embracing for a while, they slowly let each other go. Anne then got up from the couch and went down to her room in the basement to grab her sleeping bag. She returned to the living room and lay down her cot right in front of the couch before lying down on it.
"Wait, what are you doin'?"
"I'm just gonna keep you company here for tonight if that's alright."
"Err, ya sure? I think you would be better off sleeping in your room, Hopediah wouldn't like you sleeping there."
"Nah, don't worry about it."
"Well… alright. Thanks for the company, Anne."
"Don't mention it, bud," said Anne.
The two friends then went silent for a few minutes, Anne thought that Wally has fallen asleep so she decided to tuck in as well. Although unfortunately, as she was about to shut her eyes off, she heard a loud toot coming from the sofa with a giggle following after.
"Guess I feel at home already, eh?" cackled Wally wickedly.
Anne covered her nose, "ah, come on, Wally, why here?"
Wally laughed at her reaction, "hey, can't a frog let out a fart once in a while? I did warn ya that you would sleep better in your room tonight, ha!"
Anne groaned as she continued holding her nose in disgust, "well, not when you're literally right above me!"
"Hey, we're family now aren't we? You should be getting used to being around me, Love," teased Wally with a smirk.
Anne rolled her eyes but decided to just go along with it. He's Wally after all, "whatever Wally."
"Ahahah," Wally then pats Anne's head under him. It does cheer Anne up after her small episode of homesickness earlier. Anne is really thankful to have such a great family both in Amphibia and back home. Even if she didn't plan to be transported to Amphibia, she is glad she was. She wouldn't have changed into the person she is now and she wouldn't have met her frog family. She promised to find a way for her to be with both her frog family and her family back home if there even is a way.
Finally, the feeling of somnolence hits both Anne and Wally.
"Well, we should really sleep, I'm tired," said Anne after yawning loudly.
"Me too."
"Good night, Wally."
"G'night too, kid, see ya in the morrow."
As Wally was about to sleep, he noticed that Anne, who was already out cold, was not properly covered with her own blanket as she was sleeping in a weird sleeping position. Wally thought this might be how humans usually sleep.
Remembering how Anne draped him over with a blanket during their Mossman hunt a while ago, Wally draped a part of his blanket on Anne so she does not feel cold down there.
"Sleep well, Anne, and thank you," said Wally as he closed his eyes, thinking that maybe staying here won't be that bad. He feels a little conflicted about whether or not he should move out or stay once he gets better.
"Ah. What the heck. Too early to think of that," thought Wally before finally snoring in his sleep and waiting for tomorrow to come.