Chapter 15: Hop Popular/ Croak and Punishment
AN: A character introduced an episode I didn't cover will appear. Consider those stories to be mostly identical to the original unless it relied heavy on human technology.
Hop Popular
"Hop Pop, we're back with groceries!" Marcy said coming into the house. Anne of course was out looking for Sasha again.
"We couldn't buy much since we barely have any money left." Polly added.
"Feeling any better Hop Pop?" Sprig asked.
"No." Hop Pop said looking like a mess. "Ever since we lost the vegetable stand and Sasha passed, I've just felt… well lost. I tried to be strong for you all the first couple of days but now it's really started to catch up with me." Hop Pop looked at two pictures, one of him and the stand and the other of Sasha when she was a little girl. "Of course, Anne won't hear me."
"We're all worried and I… I don't know one way or another about Sasha. But moping isn't going to change anything." Marcy pulled out a flier. "But this can change one thing."
"The Grub and Go is hiring greeters!" Sprig said. "All you got to do is smile and be friendly!"
"Just another job for me to lose." Hop Pop moaned.
"See you're a natural!"
"Come one Hop Pop! Sasha wouldn't want you to just waste away. Get up and go to that interview!" Marcy said as Sprig was pulling Hop Pop, peeling him away from the sticky couch.
"Let me go! The couch is the only one who understands me!" Hop Pop yelled.
After the kids cleaned him up Hop Pop did go to the Grub and Go but his depression made for a bad interview. "Thank you, Mr. Plantar. Don't call us, we'll call you."
Hop sighed but then he saw a crowd had gathered. "What's this ramble?"
"Signups for the election!" Wally said. "Have you've been living under a rock? Because I've have, and even I knew that."
"Election?"
Mayor Toadstool place his name in the nominations box. "Vote Mayor Toadstool! If re-elected, I'll always lookout for the little guy." He proceeded step on Toadie to get on his fancy snail and rode off leaving a cloud of dust that made children cough.
"Ha! Some Mayor!" Hop Pop said. "That guy keeps raising our taxes! And what do we got to show for it? Our snailways are a mess, our buildings are falling apart! Heck, we have even replaced the schoolhouse since last year's millipede incident! He didn't even try to set up a search party after he got back for Swamp Shire, if he did my Sasha might still be alive today!"
"Am I crazy or is he making sense?" Felicia asked Wally.
"Maybe we need a mayor who looks out for the people he's mayoring! Cause ours… Well, he's only looking out for himself! Anyway, good afternoon, everybody."
Hop Pop turned to go home when Wally shouted. "I nominate Hopediah for mayor!"
"I second that!" Felicia agreed. As she wrote his name other chimed in.
"I third it!"
"Let's hear it for Hopediah!
"Sounds good to me!"
"Hop Pop for mayor everyone!" Felicia cheered after she put his name in the box. Hop Pop couldn't believe what was happening.
When he got back home Anne had come back from today's search. "Hey, Hop Pop. Marcy told me about the interview. How did it go?"
"Did you get the job?!" Sprig asked.
"Nope! I'm running for mayor!" Hop Pop beamed.
"Huh?" Anne, Sprig, and Polly said.
"How do you go from trying to be a greeter to running for mayor?" Marcy asked.
"I just told the truth about how terrible a mayor Toadstool is, and everyone just nominated me." Hop Pop explained. "Don't you see kids? If I win this election, I'll prove once and for all that Hopediah Plantar ain't no loser!"
"This could be bad." Marcy whispered. "If he loses, he'll be even more depressed!"
"And we just got the couch cleaned!" Polly said.
"But if he wins, maybe we'll get the old Hop Pop back!" Sprig argued.
"Not only that, but as mayor he can order a proper search party!" Anne added. "Getting Hop Pop elected maybe the key to bring Sasha home!"
"At the very least we can have closer." Marcy agreed.
"Fair point." Polly conceded.
"Hop Pop we're all in!" Anne said.
"Really?" Hop Pop said with tears in his eyes. "Oh kids, I won't let you down! If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom practicing my distinguished expression."
"I really hope we can pull this off. We have no experience in politics." Marcy said.
"True but at least the monster fights will be cool." Polly said.
"The what now?" Anne asked.
The next day the town was gathered at the mouth of a cave. Both Hop Pop and Toadstooll were dressed in spots leotards. "You've made a powerful enemy today Hopediah." Toadstool said. "Toads have run uncontested for decades. This is a disgrace."
"The only disgrace is you as mayor." Hop Pop snapped back.
"Ooh. I like this Hopediah." Mrs. Croaker said.
"Ah I don't know. Toadstool is tried and true!" the frog next to her argued.
Duckweed who was officiating coughed to get everyone's attention. "Welcome to the official mayoral trails, where the candidates try to win your votes. "
"You'd think politics would be more about comparing each candidates positions and records or having them debate each other." Marcy said.
"Don't ruin this for us Marcy." Sprig said wearing a foam frog hand while Poly ate a wormdog and Anne blew into a horn.
"Our first trail is all about strength." Duckweed explained. "The first candidate to mount the beetle wins!" He blew a whistle, and a giant spiked, horned beetle ran out of the cave. "Ready, set, go!" he yelled as the crowd ran.
Toadstool tried to jump on but was knocked away. "Oh, my giblets!"
Hop Pop was also knocked away, but he had a plan. "Hey! Come and get it!" he threw a pebble and taunted the bug. It charged and got it horn stuck in a stump while Hop Pop dodged and jumped on top of the beast. The crowd cheered while Toadstool growled in frustration.
"The second trail is about sensitivity." Duckweed said when they moved to a cliff in front of a giant bird nest. "Can you figure out what these hatchlings need? A good mayor would."
"I know what these dumb birds want, money!" Toadstool said holding up a sack of coins. He approached the nest. "Alright, alright. Here's you handout." Toadstool threw some coins, and the hatchlings began pecking at him.
"There, there sir!" Toadie said trying to comfort his boss.
Hop Pop thought for a moment, lifted a log and pulled out some worms from under it. He then chewed the worms and let the birds eat them from out of his mouth. "That's how he fed us when we were babies!" Sprig said.
"We you two yes." Anne said. "But according to the notebook the three of us weren't keen on eatting from out of someone's mouth." Anne said as a giant pigeon landed on the nest and chased to crowd away.
Now Duckweed took the crowd was in front of the forest. "Being mayor is a lot like being dropped in the woods naked and forced to find your way home. So that's what we did!"
Hop Pop came out of the woods dressed loincloth guided by the beetles he befriended when Sprig took over the farm. "Thanks for showing me the way Jeremy." He handed his bug friend a button before the beetles flew off. "Safe travels brother." The crowd cheered for Hop Pop again.
That night as it rained Sprig asked. "Excited for the final trail tomorrow Hop Pop?"
"Not really." Hop Pop said. "I know I've been doing well but if I mess up tomorrow it'll cost us the election!"
Then there was a knock on the door. They opened it and saw Toadie in a cloak. "Mr. Plantar, anonymous associate would like to speak to you."
"You mean the mayor?" Anne said deadpanned.
"No comment."
"Come on man you like only know one person."
"I said no comment!"
Hop Pop went inside the tent on the fancy snail. "So glad you could join me Plantar." Toadstool said. "I'll give it to you straight. I want you to lose tomorrow's trail."
"Well yeah, I figured." Hop Pop said.
"No, you dimwit! Lose on purpose! In return, I'll give you a new vegetable stand. I'll put it in the center of the market, tax free, you'll make tons of money!"
"That's ahh… hard to say no to."
"Well then don't."
Hop Pop went back inside and sat in his easy chair. "Hey Hop Pop." Anne said.
"So, what did the mayor want?" Marcy asked.
"If I lose on purpose Toadstool will give us the stand back." Hop Pop answered. The children gasped.
"What? No!" You got a real chance to win!" Anne yelled.
"He'll also make us rich! We'll be set for life!"
"Oh, in that case take the deal!" Polly said.
"Polly!" The other children scolded.
"We were all thinking it!"
"Polly's right, it's too good to pass up." Hop Pop sighed.
"No, she's not!" Anne shouted. "If you don't become mayor then how will we get the town help us find Sasha?"
"Anne, if I did that right after I'm elected, then it would look like that's the only reason I did this. A search party will only find… what's left of her now. I have to think of all you here."
"I don't believe what I'm hearing! Well, you may have given up, but I haven't!" Anne went to the basement and slammed the door.
"Don't be mad at her Hop Pop." Marcy said.
"I know, she's taking this harder than all of us." Hop Pop sighed.
"Whatever you decided, the rest of us will be behind you."
"All the way." Sprig added.
"Thanks kids. Guess I've got some thinking to do." Hop Pop pulled out the picture of Sasha again. "What would you think I should do?"
"I'm really getting worried for young me guys." Ghost Anne said. "In her drive to find her sister she's starting to push the rest of the family away!"
"I know this is hard, but we can't do anything." Ghost Sasha said as she pointed to another window. "Believe me I wish I could tell young you that I'm in the tower training right now."
The final trail was to take place at City Hollow itself. A ring was set up and Duckweed announced. "Ladies and gentlephibians, you know the candidates you've seen 'em fight monsters, but for the final challenge you'll see them fight each other!"
"I'm glad you decided to come." Marcy said to Anne as the crowd cheered.
"I may mad but, he's still my grandpa." Anne said.
Hop Pop and Toadstool both climbed into the ring and put on mushroom boxing gloves. Duckweed began speaking again. "Now you both know the rules, fight starts as soon as the bell rings."
A sleeping old frog woke up. "What? Ring the bell?" The frog rang it with his tongue.
Toadstool nearly hit Duckweed with the first punch, but Hop Pop jumped back and accidently flung himself into Toadstool. He then did a series of hopping punches and dodged every blow Toadstool threw. Then standing on his opponent's arm Hop Pop unleash a flurry hits. "Okay Plantar, you put on a good show…" Toadstool said in between blows. "…but that's enough!" Toadstool flung Hop Pop into the air.
"This can't be good." Hop Pop said right before Toadstool hit him with a belly bump that sent the old frog down to the mat. The crowd gasped.
"Like we talked about, stay down Plantar."
When Hop Pop opened his eyes time seemed to slow down as he heard the people cheering him on. "Get up!"
"You can do it!"
"Come one Hop Pop!"
Hop Pop also heard Toadstool tell him to stay down again but he pulled himself back up. "What are you crazy?" Toadstool asked. "You could have been rich!" the mayor punched him but him didn't flinch. "You could have had your stand back!" another punch. "All you had to do was give up!" two more punches. "Why?'
"Because this about more than just me!" Hop Pop threw an uppercut sending the toad flying.
"That's a knockout!" Duckweed yelled.
"Uhp! Ring the bell!" The sleeping frog said before ringing the bell twice.
Hop Pop held his arm up in victory. After the crowd disbursed Anne came up to her grandfather. "Hop Pop, I want to apologize."
"For what Anne?" Hop Pop asked.
"When I heard you were running for mayor, I only thought of how it could help Sasha. I didn't realize you were doing this for more than just us. I know I haven't been home much. I am still looking for Sasha, but I think it's also because I'm scared."
"Scared?"
"Of what you and the others would say. It's my fault Sasha isn't here and if she was dead…then her death would also be my fault. I couldn't bear the thought of you guys hating me."
"Hating you?! Anne, I would never hate you! We don't blame you for what happened. These things happen all the time. We still love you."
"Thanks, Hop Pop. I'm still going to keep looking."
"Well, if anyone can prove me wrong it'll be you. And this will be something I would be happy to be wrong about. Now let's go outside the voting has begun."
In front of city hallow the votes was cast and counted. "Well folks, that wraps up the trials, now it's time to tally the votes!" Duckweed said. "With 88 votes, a hundred percent of Wartwood, Hopediah Plantar!"
"What? I won?!" Hop Pop said.
"And with 22000 votes…" duckweed continued. "…the entire rest of the valley, Mayor Toadstool!"
"What?"
"Congratulations sir!" Duckweed put the mayor sash back on Toadstool.
"Thank you! Thank you all!" Mayor Toadstool said. "You're all too kind! Democracy wins again!" Confetti shot out as a disappointed crowd went home. "Well, you certainly gave this toad a run for his money! Good thing you didn't win though huh? A frog beating a toad that would have made headlines! Just be proud the whole town loved ya. I surprised the rest of the valley didn't."
"How was I supposed to know the rest of the valley got a vote?" Hop Pop asked. "I'm a theater major for cricket's sake!"
"Wait, wait now. You didn't campaign outside of Wartwood? Oh son. That's just sad. Really is. Almost takes the joy out of my victory."
"The victory pinata is all set up in the lobby sir!" Toadie said.
"Well, I did say "almost". Waa hoo! Pinata! Gonna hit it!"
Later Hop Pop sat on the steps of City Hollow. "Hey Hop Pop. You okay?" Sprig asked.
"Yep! I never felt better!" Hop Pop said cheerfully.
"Huh? What?"
"You know you lost right?" Anne asked.
"Are you in shock?" Marcy asked.
"I may have lost, but I stood my ground and fought for something important!" Hop Pop explained. "And that feels good."
"Yeah, I get it." Anne said. "Sasha would be so proud if she could see you now."
"You know, those problems you talked about while running, I think I have solutions for some of them we can do ourselves." Marcy said.
"Hopediah." Wally said coming up with other supporters. "Uh, may we have a word?"
The frogs took the family to the farmer market. "We all pitched in and built you a stand!" Felicia explained. "For giving us something better than produce."
"Hope." Wally finished.
"You've made us all proud." Sadie Croker said.
Hop Pop was touched by the stand, especially the sign that read Plantar & Grandson & Granddaughters. "I may have lost the race but I'm back at the market with all of you, and that makes me a winner. This is perfect. I wouldn't have put the root vegetables with the tubers though. It's not important. I'll fix it later."
However, the next day at toad tower, Grime and Sasha were sparing when a guard came up. "Captain Grime! I have important news! For your eye only!"
Sasha pushed Grime back. "Well done my protégé! Take a well-deserved break while I go over this news. Keep this up and I will bring you on an actual mission soon!"
"Of course, captain!" Sasha saluted. She was now wearing toad armor and had replaced her missing pink ribbon with a black one of the toads gave her. "Oh Philp! Have we got any letters yet?"
"Uh no!" the guard said. "Mail is as slow as ever."
In Grimes office Philip showed what he found to Grime and Bog, newspapers and a poster with Hop Pop on it the read Freedom Frog. "This Hopediah Planter is turning that little discontent into a full-on rebellion." Bog said.
"Yes, but we can't move on it now!" Grimes said. "Sasha is at a crucial stage in her training. We'll keep these here for now along with her letters."
"Yeah, it's a good thing that creature is a stickler for rules." Bog laughed. "Since no one is allowed in your office without your permission she never comes in here."
"But how long can we keep this hidden from her? We don't even tell Percy or Braddock about this stuff." Philip asked.
"Once I'm sure Sasha understands our purpose deception may no longer be necessary." Grime said. "In any case once her adoptive grandfather is gone, she and her sisters will have nowhere else to go but to me. I see a glorious future for the four us!"
Croak and Punishment
The sun was rising as Anne took a sip of tea when Sprig came running up. "Anne! Anne! Anne!" Anne held up her finger as she finished her tea. "Anne! Anne! Anne! Look at what I found! A blue moon shell!"
"Pretty." Anne said.
"Yep! And you know who's gonna love it? Ivy! Tomorrow's her birthday and this is the perfect gift!"
"Morning kids, time to start the chores." Hop Pop said coming out with Marcy and Polly. "Woah! Is that a blue moon shell? Beautiful! You know some frogs die never having seen one."
"Amazing!" Marcy gasped.
"Ha, ha, suckers!" Polly laughed.
"Anyway, enough dilly dallying. Chore time. Bessie's waste isn't going to shovel itself." Hop Pop said putting on a gas mask.
"Well, don't want to get this thing dirty." Sprig said placing the shell on the fence.
"Woah, woah, woah! You're just going to leave it there?" Anne asked. "Someone's gonna steal it!"
"No, they won't!" Sprig dismissed. "This is Wartwood Anne, not some den of thieves."
"But Sprig, Anne is right." Marcy said. "You should at least cover it up or better yet take it back inside." Marcy reached for the shell.
"I will do no such thing!" Sprig slapped Marcy's hand. "I trust our community, and frankly guys I'm disappointed in you for not doing the same."
"Okay, okay sheesh!" Anne said.
"Kids! Get your butts over here!" Hop Pop called.
"Coming Hop Pop!" the children said putting on their own masks, leaving the shell.
"This should be much better for Sprig." Ghost Anne said. "I never seen a cop show in this timeline Sprig will just learn his lesson about being more careful with his belongings without getting everyone mad by playing bad cop."
"Glad that's over." Sprig said after they were done.
"Terrible as always." Anne said. "But now I can follow up on that lead of a gold haired creature near Bog Bottom.
"Do you really think it's Sasha?" Marcy asked.
"I hope it is." Sprig said. "But in any case here is the blue moon shell right where I left it. Wait, wibbity what?" Sprig looked around for the missing shell. "The shell! The shell's not here! I've been robbed!"
"Well, I hate to say I told you so…" Anne began but stopped when she saw her brother crying.
"Ivy's birthday is tomorrow, and I got nothing!"
"Okay calm down." Anne hand him a pitcher plant bag. "I'm sorry Sprig but I don't know what to do."
"I do!" Marcy said. "First we look for clues!" Marcy found a string. "Our first piece of the puzzle."
"That?" Sprig asked. "That's wax yarn. They sell it at the grub and go."
"Then that is our first destination! I can't believe I'm going to investigate a real mystery like Tabitha Tomes!"
"Who's Tabitha Tomes?" Ghost Anne and ghost Sasha asked.
"The great newt detective." Ghost Marcy answered as teen Marcy ran into the house and back out wearing a deer cap and cloak and holding a magnifying glass. "She's pretty much Amphibia's Sherlock Homes. I read some of the books while my leg healed but it looks like she is a big fan."
"Since you knew about the yarn Sprig you are perfect to be my assistant Wartson." Teen Marcy said putting a bowler hat on her brother's head.
"Marcy please tell me Wartson never went bad cop." Ghost Anne begged.
"No, of course not Anne." Ghost Marcy said. "Tabitha's method is a slow, meticulous examination of the physical evidence. Wartson mostly served as a narrator in the books."
"If it gets Ivy's shell back then sure!" Sprig said.
"Good you two solve that mystery while I investigate this lead at Bog Bottom." Anne said Hopping on Bessie.
"Well, we know that has to be something else." Ghost Sasha said. "Right now, young me is studying tactics."
"Then to the grub and go! The chase is on!" Marcy yelled quoting a catch phrase of Tabitha Tomes.
Later in the grub and go Marcy went over everything in the sore with her magnifying glass. "Uh Marcy, shouldn't we question the clerk? Also, everyone is staring." Sprig said.
"Oh, my dear Wartson, we can't question suspects until we've gone over every detail of the area." Marcy explained. "We must arm ourselves with the sword of facts to cut through the lies of the guilty." Marcy looked at something. "There! Now we are ready." Marcy went up to the counter. "Good day to you sir. I have some questions regarding this yarn in relation to the theft of a shell, whom may I ask purchased it recently?"
"Uh, no accept the baker really." The clerk said.
"Good, thank you for your cooperation, sir."
"That's it?" Sprig asked. "You've gone over the whole store for ten minutes only to ask a single question?"
"Patience my dear Wartson." Marcy said as she bought some doughnuts. "It is a long road to justice, and we have our first suspect. Now to the bakery!"
Meanwhile, Anne got off of Bessie next to another snail with a green shell with orange flowers painted on it. She went into the forest near some Bog Bottom homes with for sale signs. "Sasha! Sasha are you out here?" Anne looked around for little bit until she found herself flung up into the air in a net.
"We got'em!" A blue newt boy with blonde hair said.
"Jinkies, Franky!" an orange frog girl with brown hair and glasses shouted. "That not the golden ghoul!"
"You mean we caught the wrong monster?" a purple newt girl with red hair asked.
"I'm not a monster!" Anne yelled. "I may look strange, but I don't eat people!"
"What do we do Franky?" a green frog boy with long brown hair asked, a big brown spider shaking behind him.
"Well, we better let it go gang." Franky said.
Anne was lowered. "So, Franky, right? My name is Anne from Wartwood." Anne pulled out a picture of Sasha. "Is this the golden ghoul your friend was talking about? This is my sister Sasha; she's been missing for almost a month."
Franky shook his head. "Sorry but no. The monster we're investigating has hair all over its body and long horns. It's been terrifying the locals for weeks."
Anne sighed. "Another dead end." The Spider stopped shaking and nuzzled Anne before going back to the boy frog.
The newt girl looked sorry for Anne. "Hey, even if your sister isn't here you don't have feel like you wasted your time here. Maybe you can help us solve this mystery, my name Dana." She then pointed to the frog girl. "This is Valerie." She the pointed to the frog boy and the spider. "That's Harry and the spider is Wooby Roo."
"Well, I may as well do something useful for once. Speaking of mysteries, I wonder how Marcy and Sprig are doing?"
Marcy had been looking over the bakery for a good bit. "So uh, Can I get you kids something?" Mr. Flour asked.
Marcy continued until she came upon a basket of bread. "Buggets. Mr. Flour have you sold buggets to anyone recently?"
"I sell them to plenty of people, but I can't tell you. It would go against the bakers' oath!"
"But we need those names to find out who stole my shell!" Sprig said.
"You must have a list of clients." Marcy said.
"I still can't tell you." Mr. Flour said.
"Ah ha!"
"What?" the two frogs asked.
"When confronted about the list you looked away from me, indicating you're trying to hide something. At the same time, you placed your hand in your left pocket!" Marcy reached in the man's pocket and pulled out the list.
"Hey!" Mr. Flour yelled.
"You'll have it back in a moment." Marcy said as she used her powers. "There the list is memorized. One of these names is our culprit! Come Wartson! The chase continues!"
"Fine…" Sprig said annoyed.
So, like we have to look for the ghoul in that creepy abandoned lumberyard?" Harry asked he and Wooby shaking. The lumber yard was covered in fog.
"Other than the local homes this is the only place the ghoul has been seen." Valerie said.
"This is a big place." Anne noted. "Could take a while to search."
"Then let's split up gang!" Franky said. "Dana, Valeria and I will look in the sawmill. Harry, you, Wooby, and Anne search at the far side of the yard."
"Sounds good to me." Anne said.
Wooby however wouldn't budge. "Oh, would you go for a Wooby treat?" Dana asked. The spider did a 180.
"I can hardly see in front of me with this fog!" Anne complained.
"Yeah, and with all these stacks of boards the ghoul could be around any corner…" Harry said as he and Wooby turned a corner to find a furry yellow beast with to long orange horns. It raised it claws and made a horrifying roar. "Zoinks!" Harry and Wooby ran, the monster chasing after them with glee until…
"Hey! Leave them alone!" Anne yelled getting between her new friends and the ghoul. The ghoul screamed, turned and ran into the fog. "Great even monsters think I'm ugly!"
"Hey gang!" Dana said coming out of a hole. "We found a series of tunnels coming out of the sawmill."
"We heard screaming. Are you okay?" Valerie asked.
"Thanks to Anne." Harry said. "One look at her and the golden ghoul turned tail. Who'd have thought a monster would be scared of another monster?"
"Harry Anne isn't a monster." Franky said. "And I'm beginning to think the ghoul isn't one either. If he's scared of Anne, then I think we can use that to catch this phony phantom."
Back in Wartwood Sprig was fed up. Ghost Marcy was wrong; the Tabitha Tomes method had only put Sprig's anger on a slow boil as his frustration with his sister grew. "Marcy! We've been searching for the thief all day and so far, all we've done is to get the town thinking you're a weirdo because you're rummage through everything!"
"Calm down Wartson, we are peeling away the…"
"Stop calling me Wartson! This isn't a game, Marcy!" Sprig yelled throwing down the boulder hat. "The thief took my present to Ivy! The frog of my dreams!"
"I… I'm sorry Sprig." Marcy said. "I was so excited to solve a mystery I forgot why this was important to you. But don't worry! There is only one name left on the list, someone named Gunther."
"Gunther… Yeah, he just moved to Wartwood. Lives out in the woods. Seems nice… a little too nice."
They went to Gunther's house. "Sprig, I'm think that maybe we should go the authorities now. He could be… Sprig wait!" Marcy chased after her brother who ignored her.
"Gunther! Open up!" Sprig yelled and banged on the door.
"Sprig!"
"Come on! Help me break the door down!" Sprig held up a rock.
"No Sprig!" Marcy grabbed him bet he struggled and broke free as the door opened.
"Oh! Can I help you children?" Gunther asked.
"We'll be the ones asking questions!" Sprig said.
"Sorry about him sir." Marcy said. "He had too much sugar today. We just came to welcome you to town."
"Oh, well isn't that nice." Gunther smiled.
"So, what brings you to Wartwood?"
"Well, I'm from down south, but I had to leave due to an unfortunate misunderstanding."
"Oh, was it because… You're a criminal!" Sprig accused.
"Excuse me?"
"Don't play dumb with us! We know that shell is in here somewhere!" Sprig went inside the house.
"Shell?"
"Is it here?" Sprig broke a figurine.
"Hey!"
"Or maybe here!" he broke a clock next.
"Stop that!"
"Where are you hiding it?!" Sprig tore open a pillow.
"Get OuT oF My HoUse!" Gunther's voice changed and was changing colors.
"Sprig, Stop!" Marcy warned. "I think he's a southern tusk frog!"
"But Gunther doesn't have any tusks." Sprig said as a pair of tusks popped out of his mouth. "Oh, there they are." Gunther grew and broke his ceiling. "Think we've touched a nerve there."
"I KILL YOU!" Gunther yelled.
"Run!" Marcy ordered as the hulking frog hopped after them. Everywhere they went for help they were turned away because of how Marcy turned their homes or businesses upside down. "This is my fault! Why didn't I just ask questions?"
Gunther landed behind them. "No Marcy, I took it too far, and I'm the one who needs to make it right!" Sprig hopped in front of the massive frog. "Gunther wait! I shouldn't have accused you like that. I don't really know you, and you've never given me a reason not to trust you. I guess I just… hopped to conclusions."
"HEHE. HOPPED." Gunther laughed.
"Ha, ha, yeah, cause I'm a frog. Anyway, I want you to have these. We ate most of them but there's like three left." Sprig gave Gunther the bag of doughnuts.
Gunther shrunk back to normal. "Thank you, child. Rage problems. You know how it is. People misjudge me all the time because I can turn into a HULKING BEAST! It's super annoying."
"Hey, I promise I won't judge you anymore."
"Yes sorry." Marcy said. "I hopped to my own conclusions too. Now that I think about it this yarn could just be a piece of trash that blew into our yard. Not a clue at all."
Gunther didn't listen to Marcy's explanation as he took a bite out of a doughnut. "Ooh, chocolate."
"Actually, that's licorice." Sprig corrected.
Gunther changed again. "I HATE LICORICE!" He began chasing the kids again.
In the lumber yard Franky went over the plan. "Okay, Harry, Wooby, you lead the ghoul to Anne. When he runs Anne will chase him to the trap we've laid out."
"You guys up for this?" Anne asked.
"Like sure, we're used to being bait. Right Woob?" Harry said. A few minutes later Harry yelled. "Yoohoo! Mr. Ghoul!" The golden ghoul snuck up from behind and gave a roar. The frog and spider ran until they got to an intersection.
"Boo!" Anne yelled. The ghoul turned and ran, and Anne gave chase.
"Almost… now!" Franky ordered as they dropped a net on the monster. The gang gathered together when the ghoul cut the net with its claw.
"Oh no!" Anne said when she heard Wooby bark. "Wooby?" The spider was pulling at the rope holding the boards behind the ghoul together. "I got it!" The rope became undone, and Anne used her powers to push the boards over. "We did it!"
"I have to wonder; in my timeline did they make it out okay?" Ghost Anne asked.
"No need to worry." The guardian said. "The spider just had to give a few pushes."
"Wooby wooby Roooo!" the spider howled.
"Get me out of this!" the ghoul demanded, its head sticking out of the pile of boards.
"Now let's see who you really are!" Franky said pulling on the ghoul's horns taking the mask off revealing a green newt with a black handle bar moustache.
"Winston Waterlily!" The gang said.
"Excuse me who?" Anne asked.
After the police arrived Dana began to explain. "Winston Waterlily is a land developer who came to Bog Bottom to build a fancy resort but when people wouldn't sell him their homes, he decided to scare them out."
"Disguised as the golden ghoul and using the tunnels the lumberyard built so their workers can escape predators, he would enter people's homes to enact his plan." Valerie continued.
"He hoped they would sell the land for cheap." Franky finished.
"And I would have gotten away with it too, if it were for you meddling kids, your spider, and that monster!" Winston yelled as the police lead him away.
"Not a monster!" The gang said.
The group of teens got back to their snails. "Well, I did some good, but it didn't bring Sasha back." Anne sighed.
"Hey Anne." Harry said. "How about you leave that picture with us? If we find Sasha during another mystery, well get her on Missy bring her right to Wartwood."
"Really? Thanks!" Anne gave her new friends the picture. "Come on Bessie, let's go home." When Anne got back to Wartwood she found her siblings walking home. "Hey guys."
"Anne. Still no Sasha huh?" Marcy said depressed.
"No, but I made some new friends that said they'd keep an eye out for her."
"Well, you did better than we did. I failed as a detective. Tabitha Tomes would be disappointed."
"I don't believe it! We went through all that we still haven't found the… shell!" Sprig pointed to the shell that was laying next to their front door.
"Hey Sprig!" Ivy said leaping down from the roof.
"Ivy?"
"I came by earlier, but I couldn't find you. But I did find this sweet blue moon shell."
"And you took it?"
"Yeah, it was a little dirty, so I took it home and polished it up. Here's it back."
"Uh thanks."
"Go get her!" Anne and Marcy whispered.
"Oh right! Happy early birthday Ivy!"
"Woah thanks Sprig." Ivy said. "It's beautiful, but I kinda like here." Ivy hung the shell next to the door. "When I see it sparkle, I know I'm close to your place."
"Bbbbbb. Wooow. Pffft, Okay." Sprig was flustered.
"Awwwww!" Anne and Marcy swooned.
"Cut it out!" Sprig whispered.
"Well, see you dorks later!" Ivy said kindly as she hoped away.
"See you Ivy!" Anne said.
"Well looks like we found our thief after all." Marcy said feeling better.
"Yes Marcy, but she didn't just steal the shell. She stole my heart." Sprig said wide eyed. Anne and Marcy deadpanned. "Too much?"
"A little bit yeah." Anne said.
"Got it."
