With Newtopia in sight, Anne hopes they'll see any sign of Marcy. All the while Leo is conflicted about whether he should tell her about his meeting with Sasha and Marcy's real intentions.
...
...
Riding along the swelting road, the f'wagon drove close to the towering city in the distance. Covered in a marsh of thin water, the castle at the peak of it centered around all that was in sight.
Inside the snail-powered vehicle, Sprig was practically bouncing atop the map Leo and Anne were inspecting. Hop Pop had directed them both to see if there were any possible paths, they should avoid.
Anne wasn't doing much other than staring at the photo of her, Sasha, and Marcy. Even after every town, they'd visited, and how far they'd traveled from Wartwood she thought they'd be some sign of Marcy.
Yet there'd been nothing.
"Anne? How come you're not as excited as I am? We've been traveling for weeks for this!" Sprig cheered, dancing his finger along the map bouncing it atop the center of it.
"No...I am. I don't know, I guess I'm just worried about Marcy. Now that I know Sasha's here, that definitely means Marcy is as well!" She explained, rubbing her eyes, a slew of horrible outcomes running through her mind.
Sprig nodded, although he didn't seem to get what she was saying, "I mean yeah, I'd be worried too. Considering the last friend you reunited with was kind of...totally evil!" He exclaimed, stabbing his finger into the photo.
She quickly swatted him away, denying his claims, "Hey, me and Sashi might be going through a rough patch. But I still care about her okay.."
As she explained Marcy's personality to the frog, emphasizing the fact that she was starkly different from Sasha, Leo was lost in his own thoughts. Sprig had only served to remind him of how the blonde had saved him.
Had she done it on purpose? Or was it incidental that she'd saved him from the situation?
He'd thought that after everything Sasha had done, to Anne, Sprig, Hop Pop, and himself he'd never see her as anything more than a terrible person. Yet she'd still taken him out of a life-threatening battle.
There was no way to even tell whether she'd gotten out safely with Grime, he had no way to know.
The worst of it was he still hadn't told Anne, that he found Sasha and reluctantly fought alongside her. And now he wasn't even sure whether or not she was even alive.
Winding back into that conversation, he spotted Polly atop the roof too stunned for words, "Guys, get out here! There's...you're not gonna believe...just get here!"
Anne followed along with the rest, holding her arm nervously. If Marcy was really out there in Amphibia, a world that was filled to brim with creatures who would kill you with a single glance.
Who was there to keep her safe? Just like she'd always done in school.
Stepping outside, they took in the absolute marvel of Newtopia, the city itself seemed like it was gleaming, a shining monument to all of Amphibia.
"There it is," Hop Pop said proudly, "If anyone can get you home, then it's in there!"
Leo was transfixed for some time, his clear red eyes amazed by the sheer scale and might of the city. He had never been there before, but it felt like Newtopia was calling out to him like he'd spent a hundred lifetimes inside.
"Leo?" Anne pat his back, slightly red for some reason, "You good dude? We finally made it."
"Yeah, sorry. Guess the trip was worth it, I don't think I've seen anything like it...not that I'd remember," He spoke shortly and dryly.
"Let's not waste anytime then!" She yelled triumphantly, all of them racing down to the shoreline, "Whelp...my feet are soaked."
For once, Leo was pleased with the metal boots he owned, no water was able to fit in, keeping his plain white socks perfectly dry.
Whilst approaching the large gate into the city, Polly stared into the multiple holes around them, swearing something stared back.
Sprig was the most eager to knock on the gigantic door, the only response was a small window peeling open way up the gate, "You can't come in. Newtopia is closed."
"Eh.." Was all Leo could say, not comprehending that they'd come all this way only to be stopped by a door, "Should we leave or.."
Anne shot him a quick glance, simmering him down all of a sudden, "Seriously why, we've come all this way!" She shouted up, the newt not seeming to share any kind of sympathy.
"I'm sorry, but it's under the orders of the king to keep it closed until the barbariants are gone," The newt yelled back, having a hard time closing the window, slamming it with finality.
"Ants? Can't Polly literally drown their homes with her bucket?" Leo spoke up nonchalantly, remembering the tadpole would do so as a pastime.
"You did?" Anne said, somewhat unnerved by the news.
Crossing his arms in a huff, Sprig made his way over to the f'wagon, "Some great city, here we are, and all the newts are scared of a few little ants."
Dropping his gaze, Leo wasn't impressed, Sprig had more or likely triggered a red flag. Right on cue, an ant bigger than both Bessie and the f'wagon emerged from the ground, charging the pink amphibian.
"Nope, big ant! Really big ant!" He yelped, holding back the pincers that were trying to bite into him.
Like an army on the move, they all charged in formation. Hop Pop lifted Anne up into the air, slamming her down onto the ant.
Leo hurled Polly directly at it, the pollywog swiftly gnawing into it without hesitation. He followed after them all, drawing the katana as he left several cuts into it, drawing a green liquid from its bleeding legs.
They all cheered watching the creature scurry away, defeated.
"That's it?" Leo blinked emotionlessly, wiping away the blood with the thin water below, "I can see the problem now."
"I don't know. If we could handle one of them, I doubt they would be that much trouble..." Anne mentioned, shaking her wet hair, drying it as a dog would.
Emerging from the ground was an even larger swarm of ants, clearly acting as reinforcements, Leo readied himself once again, watching as they all slowly began to encircle them. As much as he relied on the strange skills he had, he was vastly outnumbered.
"This is getting a bit antsy.." Leo slowly turned to Anne, his eyes saying all he needed to, "Sorry, I make lame puns when I'm stressed!"
From the sky, a bundle of drawstring bags exploded into a mass of ink swimming around them. Immediately after, a blazing arrow sunk into it, firing up in a burning circle. Every one of the ants retreating like the others.
"What the..?" Anne blinked, slightly shocked by what was transpiring.
Polly was just as starstruck, watching the newt up above sling themselves down from the wire they shot into the f'wagon, "Hop Pop can I get a crossbow! Everyone else has their own weapons!"
"Uhh...we'll talk."
Their amazement was cut short once the string was torn loose, the newt falling short slapping straight into the water, "Oh!" They groaned, slowly lifting themselves up.
Leo winced inwards, it not only looked but sounded like it hurt. Anne pushed past them all, pleading that it was who she thought it was, her eyes lighting up upon the realization.
"Marcy..?" She blinked, timidly inching forward. The hooded figure murmured to herself as she jotted down something about the strength of the rope.
Automatically blurring over to the figure, who was now staring back at Anne just as perplexed she removed her damp blue hood, "Anne?"
Anne's tears were brimming around the corners of her eyes, after all this time Marcy was standing before her, not caught in some deadly trap, not tripping over her own feet, she couldn't help but feel relieved.
"MARCY!" Running full force at her childhood friend, the two collided wrapping around one another and tumbling back into the water.
"You here, I can't believe it!" Marcy was at a loss, tripping over her own words, flailing her arms about.
"I know, I know. I've missed you so much!" Anne grinned, wiping away the tears pouring down her eyes.
Off to the side, Sprig crossed his arms, skeptical of the entire situation. What was he supposed to think? The last one of Anne's friends had tried to kill his grandparent, best friend, and the entire town.
Polly and Hop's Pop seemed to find the scene heart-warming, smiling at the sight. Leo was at ease for once, thankful that Anne had finally reunited with the last of her friends.
Yet he felt something off with the situation as well, it wasn't what Sprig was feeling but it was close. He wanted to be better at trusting other people, from just her appearance Marcy seemed friendly and energetic, bouncing around the shore.
Was there more to her though? And even if there was, did that mean she had completely wrongful intentions? Did Sasha?
He couldn't tell right now, all he could do was do his best to trust someone, and be better than someone who couldn't.
Glancing back upwards, Leo came face-to-face with a crossbow, staggering back at the sight of it, "Oh, sorry! Was I too forward?" Marcy murmured, turning to Anne for help.
"Usually I'd say no, but maybe don't swing it near people's faces," Anne said eerily, pulling it back down to her side.
It didn't halt the girl's enthusiasm, jumping over to Leo and the Plantars, observing them with practical stars in her eyes, "Oh my! Is this your surrogate frog family, did they all take you in? Yes, I love the found family trope!" She said fiercely clenching her fists together.
"It's just like my favorite game Vagabondia Chronicles! Do you wanna play it? I can lend it to you, trust me it will change your lives!"
As concerned as he still was, even he couldn't deny that someone as lively and sporadic as her didn't seem to have a hostile bone in her body.
She ran between each of the Plantars, first measuring Hop Pop's skull, leaving the wiser frog in awe. Polly was amazed to hear she'd been growing feet in just a couple of months. Sprig was still suspicious, begrudgingly shaking her hand.
"And you!" In a flash, Marcy blipped over to Leo, now only a few millimeters away from him. Leo sighed internally dropping his shoulders, he was prepared for any manner of description Marcy would label him with.
"You're incredible! You've got such white hair, it's amazing, I don't know how you would've even got it like that. Not to mention those eyes..." Out of nowhere, Marcy pulled out a small flashlight, watching Leo's people dilate repeatedly.
"Now if I could get a look at your chest, I'm wondering what else is different about you," With almost no hesitation Leo went to remove his shirt, seeing almost no problem with her query.
"That's enough!" Anne stepped in, swatting both their hands away, "Why would you agree to that, you can't just take your shirt off in front of a girl!"
"Why not-" Leo was quick on the uptake, as dull as he was to things like this. Not even able to understand the awkwardness between relationships. He flipped his dull grey shirt back down, not slightly red.
Although strangely he wasn't embarrassed with the fact that Marcy had seen him, she was still a stranger to him after all.
Anne coughed, deciding it would be best to derail the conversation, "So, Mar Mar can you get us into the city? We tried and they wouldn't let us in."
"No can do I'm afraid, at least not until the barbariants are dealt with," Marcy explained, leaning herself onto Anne, pausing for some kind of dramatic effect, "Luckily, we have a plan?"
"We?" Leo questioned lowly, his voice going unheard as Marcy shot her crossbow out into something, swinging away.
"Leo! Will you get me a crossbow?" Polly asked sweetly, tilting her whole body over to him.
"Is there not a lot in that secret tunnel under the house you live in?" Leo said dryly, remembering back to the time they'd shown it off to him.
Polly paused, slowly cursing herself, "For the love of frog.."
Arriving inside the small tent camped outside the outer city walls, the group was met with a trio of newts, snobbish ones at that. Outwardly voicing their fears over Leo, getting him to frown slightly as well as insulting Hop Pop for his farmer ways.
Anne was too bubbly to pay any attention to Marcy's plan, poking and patting her just to make sure she was real and standing there in front of her.
"Anne, quit it," Marcy giggled lightly, waving her away softly.
"Alright, sorry. Just keep doing what you're doing," She replied, swaying from side to side as she did. Leo glazed his eyes over to Sprig, who was practically throwing daggers at Marcy, his eyes piercing straight through her.
"Why are you so against Marcy? I mean I know why, but I made assumptions about you, Polly, and Hop Pop and they were wrong. Maybe you are too," Leo spoke soundly, trying his best to give some advice.
Sprig was someone who he'd begun wanting to look out for, and at least try to keep him on the right track. Well, the best he could do anyway. Anne was closer to him after all.
"I don't know, I just don't want Anne getting hurt again. You remember Sasha, she was so happy to see her again and then it all came crumbling down. Aren't you worried?"
Yet again, he flashed to Toad Tower and then to the mineshaft. Sasha was vulnerable in both of those states, risking her life to save both him and Anne. Was that who she really was, underneath all of that?
Marcy could be the exact same or the opposite, all they could do was wait and see, "Yeah, I am. But I'm going to at least try and see more than what I think."
All Sprig did was mumble something incoherent in response.
"Alright guys, no need to worry. I think I've got a plan, Anne do you remember when we learned about insect migrations in school?" Marcy asked.
"Nope!" Anne answered unapologetically.
Marcy continued onwards, acting as if she hadn't even gotten a reply, "Well, a good way to devolve a group of insects that are moving in hoards is a strong smell there against. Which is why I have these babies!"
Unraveling the belt around her shoulder, Marcy showed off several shrunken orange mushrooms, "Are those boom shrooms!" Polly squealed with delight, suddenly very intrigued.
"Close. There actually stink shrooms, with a smell as strong as these we'll be able to drive the queen away...at least after fighting off a group of bloodthirsty ants," The black-haired girl sounded much less confident all of a sudden.
Raising his sword. Leo turned to Hop Pop, getting a confident nod from the frog. Polly grinned back at him, holding up a single blue mushroom, Leo shook his head swiftly.
Somewhat unsure, Anne watched Marcy fumble around her own desk, almost toppling it over in seconds, "Flimsy thing..."
It was hard for her to believe that Marcy had changed to the point where she could safely lead them to face an army of ants, even now... her cape was currently on fire in front of them, "Wah how did that happen!" Marcy began flinging the cape about, trying desperately to put it out.
"Marbles, maybe it would be best if you leave me, Leo, and the Plantars to do this. We've dealt with tones of stuff before, and with what Leo can remember he has this weird set of skills that'll deal with them."
"Remember?" Marcy queried. They all realized that they hadn't filled her in on his situation.
"That's right. Um, Leo kinda forgot everything, all he knows is his name and these weird hunting skills.."
"Fascinating, so you don't know anything? Like manners or.."
"No, I know the basics, well I did have to learn a few things back in Wartwood. It's mainly everything about myself that I've forgotten.."
Marcy documented that information for later, trying not to burst at the seams, it was something she just had to go into further detail for.
She had only just now taken in what Anne had said, "Wait, what do you mean? I told you I'm not the same clumsy Marcy I used to be; I can do this. Besides, I'm the one with the plan, so it'll be fine."
Anne could no longer argue, Marcy was already out of the tent running back out to the ant's nest. Leo, Hop Pop, and Polly followed behind.
Sprig mulled over Leo's words, questioning whether he was right or not. Maybe he just had to try.
The nest was deep, they'd only trailed after Marcy, and they hadn't such a thorough and in-depth tunnel system, "Just a far have these ants dug?" Leo asked aloud, glancing around the practical maze.
"I'd say it up to a month, they start out on the forest a few miles out, and now there right at our doorstep," Marcy explained, lighting up every tunnel and trying to find the correct way through, "Alright, I was just making sure they hadn't dug through anywhere else. Trust me I know these tunnels better than any-"
Not keeping track of her footing, Marcy dropped below one of the craters, her only saving grace being Anne latching desperately onto her cape, dragging her back up, "Okay, not to self-do not step in holes."
Continuing on as if it was nothing, Marcy jotted down whatever came to mind in her journal. Anne was only growing even more concerned, "Seriously Marcy just let us handle this."
"Is she always like this? How is Marcy going to lead us to the ants?" Leo asked, now only skeptical whether or not they'd even make it out of the nest alive.
"Maybe that's just what she wants you to think," Sprig whispered under his breath. Polly rolled her eyes atop Leo's shoulder, not wanting to play into it in any form.
The pollywog was gently handed to Hop Pop, as Leo lunged at Sprig his sword raised back, "Go now!" He ordered, no emotion following after.
Spewing green saliva, the ant came face to face with the metal, splitting its face in two and slumping it over without a second thought, "Why do the horrifying creatures always go for me.."
"It's your face boy, creatures always see the loveable persona and crave it," Hop Pop answered nonchalantly, dropping Sprig's gaze slightly.
Anne and Leo dealt with the biggest grunts, either batting one aside or cutting them up. Marcy wasn't bothering to pay attention, lost in her world as she inspected and curated the strange ingredients that had been growing below the ground.
"Marcy what are you doing!" Anne bellowed, trying to catch her attention as she mixed whatever liquids together.
An ant scuttled from atop the roof, about to drop down on the hooded girl, Anne stared in horror as it began to drop down on her, "MARCY!"
Arriving in the moment, Leo spun his sword through the air driving both the weapon and ant away from her, "Woah! That was a close one, thanks Leo, you really are sharp!"
"Is she...just unaware of everything?" Leo asked, running over to pick up his sword. Anne nodded with a sigh, swinging her tennis racket to remove the insect's spit, "This is what I was worried about, once Marcy's get in her own world she forgets about other people."
"Guys through here!" Marcy called over, the group all following over. A moment later she tossed down another bottle, sprouting purple vines over the small hole she'd created, "Insta-vines bread em' myself."
Polly tapped the vines from the other side, growing concerned, "Little help here.."
"NOT THE BABY!" Everyone but Leo and Marcy screamed although he was still worried.
Quickly tearing away at the infestation, they freed Polly backing away from the reeling ants, throwing the potion back over, and scurrying them away once more, "How did you not notice her!?" Leo exclaimed.
"Sorry, sorry. It all worked out though."
"Mm, I don't know. She could've done that on purpose.." Sprig rubbed his chin, starting to doubt her even more.
Leo turned to him, shaking his head, "He's right, I'm sure it was a simple mistake," Polly stated. Sprig wasn't buying into it; whatever words Leo had given him now falling under deaf ears.
"Marcy you gotta start paying attention, you almost got us killed back there," Anne scolded, Marcy nodded, now somewhat saddened.
"Let's...just get going, we're getting close right?" Leo mumbled; Marcy nodded in return opting to show off the vegetation of her vines, Hop Pop being the only one actually interested in what she had to say.
Upon arrival at the heart of the ant queen's nest, Marcy gave firm and simple instructions and what they'd have to do. Passing each of them a handful of stink shrooms, Anne went with Marcy, Hop Pop was keeping an eye on Polly and Leo stuck close behind Sprig.
"I'm telling you, something's up with her, too many things have been happening on accident."
"Pretty sure Anne did tell us she was clumsy before we even knew she was in Newtopia. And even if she is, we won't let her do anything, we're here to support Anne."
If that was supposed to be true, then why hadn't he told her about Sasha? Maybe it was because it was something he didn't want her to hear, at least not right now – or he was too scared to admit that he thought she could change and wasn't exactly like she'd been that night at Toad Tower.
"Marcy, look out!" On the other side of the cave, Anne yelped out shoving her childhood friend out of the way of the incoming stalactite. The queen whirred her head around, her eyes not able to hear much, listening out for any sign of life.
"Anne what are you doing, I was handling it!" Marcy shouted back, the two of them now hidden behind the fallen piece of the ceiling.
"No, you weren't! I had to protect you like I always had to back home!" Anne insisted, she didn't want to see her friends get hurt again, especially not after being so far away from them for so long, not again.
Shaking her head in disagreement, showing off her new outfit, "Yeah, but clearly we're not back home anymore, are we!?"
Listening to the two of them argue, Sprig watched in horror as a small ant burst out from one of the several eggs laid all around them, "You gotta be kidding me-"
It lunged at both him and Leo wriggling at their faces and legs, whilst he was distracted the queen's tongue latched all around him, swallowing him whole, "Sprig!" He yelled out, throwing the small-sized ant to the ground.
Hordes of ants were beginning to circle in around them, crawling out of each and every hole in the nest, "What do we do, what do we do!" Anne spun around in a panic, losing her cool, her eyes shuddering blue.
"I'll cut it open, if I hurry then he won't make it all the way through," Leo readjusted his grasp, about to charge ahead without a second thought.
"No, you can't, if you stimulate the stomach from the outside the queen's stomach sets out her acid early. They take a while to digest, the only way to get him out is from the inside!"
"Then I'll go, it'll be quicker," Anne but in, snatching away at Leo's sword.
"I'm the only one who's studied barbariant biology it has to be me! Why won't you just let me go!"
Anne reached her boiling point, grasping onto Marcy's shoulders, pleading for her to stay, "Because I just got you back. I lost one of my friends once, I can't do it again!"
"What happened...with Sasha?"
"That doesn't matter now, I just don't wanna lose my other friend, not again..."
Marcy smiled, patting Anne gently on the back, "You won't, I promise."
Leo stood by idly, not moving or saying a word, he didn't have a say in this situation, he had trust that Marcy would stand her ground as she'd said.
Jumping atop every one of the insects, Marcy bounded higher and higher as she climbed closer to the queen, "Who knew those ants were so bouncy?"
"I did," Marcy grinned, "Because I studied themselves."
Leaping back with open arms, Marcy accepted the bowels of the beast, falling right into the queen's jaws.
They waited with nervous anticipation, hearing a mixture of squirming, punches, and grunts. All until the queen couldn't hold them in any more, spewing out bones as well as Marcy and Sprig, who were confidently riding the waves of its spit, swinging over the nest.
"Trustworthy!" Sprig had practical sparkles in his eyes as if he'd had some sort of epiphany. Never minding his actions beforehand.
Until the rope was cut short, dropping them on their faces, "What now?" Leo spoke strictly, wanting a better alternative.
Marcy held up her phone, waiting for the timer out, "Three, two, one," In seconds a chain reaction set off all across the cave, an orange explosion shot at each of the ants driving them away and out of the nest.
"It worked.." said Leo, holding his nose from the smell.
"Yeah. We should hurry though this will liquify your lungs if you breathe too much of it in," Marcy relayed nonchalantly.
Anne grabbed most of the by the neck, hurrying them along, "Okay let's go!" As they made their way back, Anne flipped Marcy's hood back down running to her side, "Hey, sorry I didn't believe in you. You really have changed."
"Don't worry, thanks for having my back," Marcy smiled, the smell of smoke wafting up into her nose, "Wait is my-"
The bottom of her blue cape had somehow been set alight, "Oh come on! There wasn't even any fire this time!"
Once they clambered out from the hole, Sprig wiped off a good amount of the ant's spit, some of it flinging over onto Hop Pop's shirt, burning it to cinders.
"Hey, Leo."
"Mm?" The white-haired boy turned to him.
"You were right, I should've tried being more open. I can't let one bad experience get the best of me," Sprig explained, Leo just smiled back, feeling slightly guilty. He was glad his soft-level advice had gotten through to him.
Yet he was holding onto so many conflicting thoughts and feelings about Sasha and even Marcy. He still was, even if she'd saved their lives just a moment ago.
"Marcy," He approached the already writing girl, lost in her journal, "You really saved us. I look forward to getting to know you."
Pausing, Marcy grinned back reciprocating his handshake, "I do too. But you will let me perform some tests on you, right? Right!?" She pushed back a little more eager this time.
"I...I guess?" Leo blinked a response, not entirely sure what he was agreeing to.
Behind them, the gates to Newtopia slowly drew open, a bell ringing along with it, Anne was helping Hop Pop fit on a new jumper, one that was much tighter than his old clothes.
Leo entered the walls as if he was returning to a memory. If there even was some memory of Newtopia that he might've had, maybe it was just the grandness of it all, sweeping him away, like the film Anne showed back in Wartwood had.
Runic statues and towering structures stuck all around them, it felt so open and yet so full at the same time, "Newtopia does not disappoint!" Sprig cheered, both him and Polly quickly resorting to touching whatever was nearest.
Marching towards them was a legion of newts, all standing in sequence stabbing their spears into the ground. They parted ways as a newt adorning royal clothes approached them all, "Well met Lady Olivia," Marcy greeted warmly, bowing before her.
"The king sends his regards. I trust you've dealt with the situation Master Marcy," The newt said courtly, watching Leo toss one of the ants bleeding heads over to her, another frog begrudgingly picked it up, holding it above him.
"Who might these folk be?" Olvia questioned, slightly on edge. Leo swore he felt her gaze stuck on him a little longer, although it wasn't like she was horrified by his appearance like most frogs...more intrigued.
"This is Anne, one of the friends I was talking about. She ended up getting transported to frog valley, in a little town called Wartwood.."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Anne," Olvia greeted kindly, Anne returned the gesture, albeit a little awkwardly, "This is an old city, but one rich with history and splendor. You may find more than you've bargained for here."
Again, Leo felt goosebumps creep down his neck, something about her words resonated with him – and he wasn't sure if he should feel threatened or not.
"I swear to you that statue was broken when we got here. Old city I tell yah," Sprig shook his head in disappointment, faking innocence.
Olvia's eye twitched, "Enjoy your stay."
Once she'd left, Marcy was pestered with questions about Anne. Sprig bounced around wanting a whole slew of questions answered.
"Now, Sprig don't you think we should leave Marcy and Anne alone, they have a lot to talk about after all," Hop Pop suggested, dragging along the reluctant pink frog.
Anne turned to Leo as if gesturing if he wanted to come along, "No, I think I'll leave you two alone to talk. But when you're finished, I was wondering if we could talk...it's about Sasha."
"O-Okay. Just let me know, I trust you, Leo," Anne was a tad worried about what it could be about, but if Leo was willing to tell her then she was willing to listen, "We'll talk later."
Despite the eerie calmness of the conversation, Leo still felt completely on edge, like his heart was beating a mile a minute and he had no idea why.
Would he explain his now mixed feelings on Sasha and express his possible doubts about Marcy? As long as it wasn't about himself. He had enough of his own thoughts on his journey alone.
"Leo got your butt over here. Before Hop Pop's back gives in lifting these boxes," Polly declared, while doing absolutely nothing to help unpack.
What none of them realized as they all moved about the small plaza was the figure watching them from above. Cooped up in a tower, they reveled in all of the pieces slowly coming together, already starting to fit.
"Soon enough, we can finally begin."
...
Not entirely sure why I wanted this chapter to come out so early, but I had the urge to introduce Marcy and get them into Newtopia. The next chapter will be 'Scavenger Hunt' and I have my own idea for how that can go, the next one won't be out for a while considering how early this one has come out.
I do just want to quickly explain myself when it comes to Leo's reaction to love. He understands why people fall in love, and that they can. He just can't understand how they do, like with Hop Pop and Sylvia and Sprig and Ivy. Leo doesn't get how there awkward around each other, how they like each other. Just wanted to clear that up because I wasn't too good at explaining it in earlier chapters.
Finally, regarding Leo's emotions, as in when he shows some form of it. A lot of it is just him growing as a person, and trying to change from who he was at the beginning of the story. But for the times when it does seem widely out of character, one it'll be because I was finding my footing at the start of everything and had to learn Leo's character, and even if it feels like a cop-out, I am actually planning something for it. The best I can describe it is like he's glitching, or malfunctioning. Of course, not in reality that isn't the root I'm going with Leo, it's too obvious, even for me.
But that's all I really wanted to say, sorry for such a long note at the end of the chapter just wanted to clear myself up and explain some problems with the story. In the future, I'll be doing my best to keep some form of continuity and progression so until then, see ya!