The Plantars, Flossie and Jean pass by several signs reading "Now leaving the Valley" and "May frog help you!"
Sprig jumps up and down excitedly. "Did you see that sign? We've officially left the valley!" He shouts. Jean laughs. "I also read the other sign."
"This is the most exciting thing that's EVER happened to me!" Flossie squeals. Sprig starts shaking her shoulders. "It's the most exciting thing that's ever happened to anyone! Guys! You should be more excited!" The pink frog states, turning to the two humans.
Anne smiles. "I'm excited-"
"We're excited."
"-You know, it's just, there's a lot riding on this trip for us, and I wanna keep my exceptions in….what?" Eyes widening, the two teens eyes sparkle. There in front of them, was the land of Amphibia. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
"Whoa!"
Even Bessie was amazed at the sight.
"It's amazing! It's majestic! It's…hurting me eyes." Anne states, rubbing her eyes. "It's even better than I could've dreamed!" Sprig exclaims, shaking Flossie's shoulders once again. This time, the axolotl didn't care. She was too busy staring out at the land.
The pink frog, finished shaking Flossie, jumps onto Bessie's shell. "Full speed ahead, Hop Pop. Keep driving and never look back!"
"Hold on, Sprig. Look back here for a second." Hop Pop says, and the young frog looks back at his grandfather. Hop Pop continued.
"Now that we're out of the valley, things could get dangerous fast." He explains. Pulling out a book, he guided the group of kids in doors for a moment. He slams the book on the table, revealing it to be titled "Hop Pop's Road Rules". Jean and Anne shared a quick glance, not liking where this was going.
"So….from now on, we're gonna follow Hop Pop's Rules of the Road. By me, Hop Pop." All the kids groan, even Flossie and Jean. "Another huge book? Seriously?" Anne asks. Hop Pop glares at them sternly. "You kids got a problem with books? Why, without books…."
"…our civilisation would crumble to nothingness." The kids droned, copying Hop Pop. The elderly frog nods approvingly. Picking up his book, he clears his throat. "Now, the only way we'll get to Newtopia in one piece is if we follow these rules. Like this one here." He points to a page, where a frog is striking a pose. "Rule number 98: "Never strike a heroic pose on the fwagon." It's a sign of hubris that invites disaster." Looking up, he sees Sprig striking the very same pose. Flossie giggles.
Hop Pop slams down some activity books and pencils. After closing the blinds, he straps Sprig into a baby seat. "That should keep your sense of adventure in check." He states. Opening the fwagon hatch, he climbs into the drivers seat. "Alright, kids, let's stick to the rules, and we should have a safe and completely uneventful trip. Okay, thanks. Byeeee!" He closes the hatch, sealing the kids inside.
Sprig groans. "Man, this stinks!" Using his tongue, he opens the blinds to look out the window. "All those adventures out there, and we're stuck in here with these dumb rules." He grumbles. Polly, who was previously colouring in a page of the activity book, angrily throws the pencil down and crosses her arms, agreeing with her brothers statement.
Flossie looks shocked. "Wait, we're stuck in this fwagon for two whole weeks?! I wanted to go out on adventures too!" She whines, leaning on the window sill and looking out longingly at the scenery. Anne shrugs, leaning against Sprig's seat. "Not much we can do. My dad was the same way back home. One time we drove to the Grand Canyon and didn't stop once." She explains.
Jean was laying back. Flossie turns to her. "Aren't you disappointed too, Jean?" She asks. The older teen shrugs. "Well, he is older. He must know what's best, right? I mean, he can't be totally serious about all the rules." She chuckles. Anne, Sprig, Polly and Flossie stare at her. "Oh, you don't know Hop Pop well enough." Anne says darkly.
Jean chuckles at their reactions, but deep down, she already knew. No, she didn't want to follow Hop Pop's rules. She didn't like the idea of being stuck in the fwagon for two whole weeks. But after hearing how dangerous Amphibia really was and everything that happened with Sasha and the toads…she didn't want any of her family getting hurt. She had to protect them at all cost, even if it meant they had to suffer a little.
There wasn't going to be a repeat of Toad Tower on her watch.
Like you could change anything.
Sprig grins. "Well, if anyone can figure out how to have fun with these rules, it's us!" He claims. Everyone cheers. "Newtopia, here we come!" They chant together.
"Road rule number 29: "No shouting" Marauders will follow the sound and steal your skin!" Hop Pop said in the drivers seat. They all let out sighs.
—
Sprig and Flossie leaned out of the window, looking out at the spectacular sights with boredom and sadness. They lit up, however, when they spot a couple of beautiful waterfalls, with a rainbow behind them. They gasp, eyes sparkling. "A Rainbow Waterfall?! Oh, we gotta pull over!" Sprig yells, tapping his hands impatiently against the fwagon. Flossie reaches out her hand to it, jaw dropping. "We NEED to go there!" She adds.
"Hub bup bup. Road rule number 243: "All natural phenomena lead to an unnatural death." Hop Pop states, holding the book to show the two young amphibians.
Returning their gaze to the waterfalls, they sadly watch it disappear from their sight. Jean glances over at the two, giving them a sympathetic look.
—
Pulling up to a large sand hill, Sprig looks up at the large sign in front of them. "Zoom Dunes?" He asks excitedly. Jean raises a brow, reading the rest. ""No Speed Limit"?" She says curiously.
Snails rush by them, revving as they speed through the sand dunes. Everyone gasps excitedly, and even Jean leans forward in her seat. "Amphibia you have stolen my heart again!"
Polly grinned. "Alright, Bessie. It's time to show the world how fast you can go!" She yells. Bessie revs up, preparing to take off when Hop Pop cuts her off. "Uh-uh! Rule number 149: "Never drive faster than a June bug can fly." He announces, pointing to a bug flying by very, very slowly. It descends to the ground, letting out a tired yawn, before pulling out a tiny pillow and taking a nap. The elderly frog chuckles. "Good thinking, little guy!" He let out his own yawn, while the grandkids let out groans of disappointment.
Crossing her arms, Jean began tapping her foot impatiently. This was for their safety, after all. Just remember that, Jean.
Keep telling yourself that. It's only a matter of time.
—
Jean's leg bounces up and down, as her gaze flickers between hop pop, the scenery, to bessie, sprig and polly and back again. Not getting to walk at ALL all day made her anxious. Taking a quick peek at Flossie in the fwagon, she knew she felt the same way from her endless pacing inside the cramped space. This was probably taking a much bigger toll on the axolotl after being able to roam freely throughout open woods her whole life.
Anne peeks her head outside the fwagon trap door, catching sight of a building on the side of the road. "Ooh, what's that?" She points excitedly. All the Plantars, Jean and Flossie turn their gaze to the building. Sprig gasps, reading the sign. "Woah! Amphibia's Best Diner? Okay, we HAVE to stop here!"
But once again, their fun was spoiled by Hop Pop. "Rule number 193: "Don't stop anywhere claiming to be 'The Best'." He states. Polly crawls onto his head, pointing to the diner. "But look! They have cricket and cream ice cream!" She exclaims. But the elderly frog shook his head. "Rule number 194 "No ice cream in the fwagon."
All the kids groan, and Jean could hear Flossie bang her head on the table in despair. Hop Pop tried calming the angry kids down, carefully placing Polly in the seat next to him. "Hey, hey. I just enforce the rules. I don't make 'em." He stated, and the older teen stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious?!
"You did make them! They're called Hop Pop's Road Rules!" Anne yelled, calling him out on his slug-crap. Hop Pop simply nods. "Darn straight. And I stand by 'em." He announced one final time. All the kids groan once more, as Anne facepalmed.
—
Anne and Sprig had returned into the fwagon, having enough of listening to Hop Pop's rules. Flossie sat at the table, trying to occupy her energetic mind with pointless pollywog puzzles. Obviously it wasn't working.
Anne lay on the couch, playing on her phone while it was now Sprig's turn to pace around the fwagon. "Ugh I can't take it! All of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences are literally passing us by!" He whined. Anne nodded in agreement. "I know! And I REALLY wanna complain about it. But road rule 345: "No complaining," takes care of that!" She grumbled. The pencil Flossie was holding snaps, and she slams it angrily onto the table. "This is the worst! I wanted to come and experience all these new things with you guys, and we're STUCK in this STUPID fwagon, for the ENTIRE TRIP!" She shrieks. Grabbing a nearby pillow, she lets out a muffled scream of rage.
"I swear to frog, if one more cool and exciting thing passes us by…" Sprig started, but is interrupted by none other than Hop Pop. "Red alert, kids. We're coming up on the "Ruins of Despair"." He announces.
Flossie, Anne and Sprig lean out the window, gasping. In front of them, were many, weird looking buildings in the shape of frogs. "Woah ho ho!"
"Coooool!"
"Whoa! What are those weird structures?" Anne questions. Hop Pop shrugs. "No one knows, Anne. They've been here long before any written history. Just a mystery better left unsolved as far as I'm concerned." He grumbles, giving the structures a wary glance. The trio looking out the window look at each other, closing the window as they re-enter the fwagon. Sprig whimpers, looking out the window. "Ugh! This place is the coolest thing I've ever seen! If I don't get out and at least touch something, I'll regret it for the rest of my life." He flops onto the couch, eyes wide with sadness. Flossie was flapping her hands up and down. "I can't take it anymore! I need to SEE what those are up close! RIGHT NOW!" Grabbing onto her tail, she starts wringing it. "Or I'm gonna lose my mind!"
Anne grins. "Don't sweat it, dudes. I have a plan."
Anne opens the hatch that leads to the drivers seat. Polly and Jean sat next to Hop Pop quietly, hoping not to set off another road rule. The brunette coughs, grabbing their attention. "Hey, HP. I've never ridden in a wagon for this long, and I'm definitely gonna hurl." She pretends to gag. "Can we stop for a second?"
Hop Pop groans. "Dang it, Anne. How do humans cope with such unreliable innards? Let me know when we can start moving again." He brings Bessie to a stop, and the young teen grins. "Okay, thanks."
Closing the hatch, she waits until Bessie's stopped completely before dragging Flossie and Sprig out the back door. They trip, gaining Hop Pop's attention. "Go, go, go, go, go!" Anne hisses, as the trio jump over the fence.
"Hey! Get back here you three!"
Sprig looks over his shoulder at his angry grandfather. "This was your plan?" He asks worriedly. The two share a quiet glance. "Anne, you're done it again!"
They all grin. "Yes! Freedom!"
Hop Pop grabs his book, hopping off the fwagon. "Dang kids never listen to a thing I say." He grumbles. "Polly, Jean, stay here and don't do ANYTHING till I get back!" He orders. Jean leans over the side. "But-"
"STAY!"
With that, the elderly frog chased after the runaway trio. Jean anxiously drums her hands on the seat, watching him disappear. Polly watches her. "You're gonna-"
"HANG ON, GUYS!" The older teen screams, leaping right off the fwagon and chasing after the others. Polly rolls her eyes. "Aaaaand she's gone."
The runaway trio chuckle as they run up to one of the structures. Anne brings out her phone. "Okay, pretty sure Hop Pop's onto us. So, let's take some quick selfies and get out of here." She says. Flossie and Sprig agree. Sprig leans against the door, while Anne holds up the phone to take some pictures. Flossie leans on Sprig's head.
Just as Anne takes the photo, the door Sprig was leaning on opens, causing he and the axolotl to fall through. But instead of flat ground like they thought it'd be, they kept tumbling down a slope. Both let out screams as they descended into the darkness.
"Sprig! Floss!" Anne calls, before chasing after them.
Sprig lands at the bottom first, soon followed by Flossie, who lands on top of him. Finally, Anne slides down on her feet. She bends down to her two amphibian friends. "Guys, are you okay?" She asks, concerned. Flossie lifts a dizzy thumbs up, before letting it flop back to the ground.
Anne gets distracted. Looking around the room, she lets out a gasp. "Whoa…."
Shaking her head, Flossie follows her gaze. They were surrounded by some sort of ancient, foreign technology. A giant centipede skitters behind something, while other critters jump out of another. Anne stands up, watching them. "What the heck? Are those computers? I thought you guys were like pastoral or whatever." She hums to herself.
"I'm….gonna touch everything!" Sprig exclaims, shoving Flossie off of himself as he stood up. The axolotl lets out an "oof!", before standing up herself.
Sprig walks up to many of the robotic structures, touching everything. He lets out sounds of wonder as he jumps back and forth. Meanwhile, Flossie wandered up to a machine. She looks down at it, tempted to press the buttons on it.
Anne looks up at Sprig and Flossie. "I did a good thing." She grins.
Their escapade was short lived, however, when a familiar scream filled the area. Hop Pop slides down the entrance, clutching his rule book close. He gets up angrily, walking up to Anne. ""Do you three realise how many rules you just broke? 17, 29, 36, 55!" He shrieks. Anne flinches as he comes and stands beside her, and Flossie grins nervously as he turns his angry gaze toward her.
Hearing a yelp, Flossie and Anne turn to see Jean coming down the entrance too, tripping over at the last minute and landing on her face. Flossie rushes over, helping her to her feet. "Are you okay?" She asks.
Jean gets up, rubbing her nose. "Am I okay? Am I OKAY?! You three just ran off into an unknown area WITHOUT me! What if something happened to you guys and I wasn't there?!" She yells. Flossie, startled, lets go of her arm, backing away. Even Anne was surprised. It wasn't like Jean to lose her cool at all. They've done things just like this back on earth, and she's usually unfazed.
Jean, feeling her anger subside temporarily, looks around the strange room. A sense of unease and…familiarity settles in her gut. Has she been here before?
We shouldn't be here…this wasn't part of the plan…
The older human starts backing toward the exit. "Guys…I think we should leave this stuff alone. I'm getting really weird vibes from this place…" she mutters.
Hop Pop nods in agreement. "See? Even Jean knows it's dangerous! This is why you should follow the rules!" He cries.
Sprig glares down at his grandfather, sliding down the structure he had been previously climbing. "Forget the rules! Look at this place, Hop Pop. It has everything! Cool atmosphere, implied historical significance." He glances up, catching sight of a lever. It shines, tempting him. He grins, turning back to Hop Pop. "Levers."
Hop Pop gasps. "Don't you dare! Rule number 68: "Never, ever pull a lever"."
The two have a stare off, before Sprig hops on top of the lever, pushing it down. Anne, Hop Pop and Jean gasp, preparing themselves for chaos or even death. Realising nothing happen, they peek back up at Sprig, who has a wide grin on his face. "Well, look at that. I broke rule number 68, and we're all still alive."
Not even a second later, the lever disappears from under him, causing the pink frog to fall. The room lights up, and the sounds of machinery whirring to life fills the empty silence. A giant, frog like computer rises behind Sprig. "Start-up engaged." It says in a robotic voice. Sprig gasps, as Flossie runs up to her pink frog friend. "Whoa! The building can talk! Not sure how I feel about that." Sprig says uneasily, glancing around the room.
Flossie has a wide grin on her face. "This is AMAZING! Can it answer questions? Does it know the secrets of the universe? WHAT NUMBER AM I THINKING OF!" She shouts at the computer. Jean goes pale, the feeling in her gut getting stronger.
We need to leave. Now!
"Assembly line activated. Routine protocols engaged." The machine states. Anne tilts her head. "Assembly line?" Hearing machines start up behind them, the brunette watches as a platform set behind glass starts moving, working on pieces of scrap metal. "Guys, I think this is a factory. But what the heck is it making?" She wonders. Jean grabs Anne's hand. "Don't know, don't care. We need to get out of here. Now!" With that, she tries dragging the younger teen toward the exit. Anne pulls back, causing Jean to let her go. "Dude, what is up with you today? You've been off all day." She points out.
"Additional materials required. Please place them on the glowing access point." The machine says. Everyone looks up at it in confusion. "Glowing what now?" Hop Pop asks. The ground glows underneath him, answering his question. Without warning, something grabs his feet, and the ground opens up beneath him. He lets out a yelp. "Help! It's got me!" He shrieks.
"HOP POP!"
Hop Pop's laughter could be heard moving underneath the floor. "And it tickles!"
Hop Pop reappears on the moving platform. He crosses his arms angrily. "See this right here, kids? This is why we follow the rules!" He glares at them. The kids all rush up to the glass, pressing their hands against it.
The elderly frog comes up to lasers across the platform. He yelps, flinching. Seeing he's unharmed, he lets out a relieved sigh. "That wasn't so bad." He chuckles. His clothes fall off, leaving him only in his underwear. The frog screams. "I'm not beach-ready!" He shrieks.
"Hop Pop!"
"Alright, guys. You try and shut this madhouse down. I'm gonna get him out of there." Anne orders. She runs off, and Jean lets out a frustrated growl. "Not by yourself, you're not!" She mutters, chasing after the younger teen.
Anne grabs a piece of scrap metal, throwing it at the glass and breaking it. Jumping through the hole, she runs after Hop Pop, Jean close behind. "I'm coming, Hop Pop!"
Hop Pop was being washed down. He held his hands above his head. "Take your time, kids! Ooh, this ain't half bad!" He chuckles.
Sprig and Flossie rush over to the talking machine. Looking down at the buttons, they give each other a confused glance. "Uh…"
"Um…"
The buttons flash, almost invitingly as the machine speaks. "If you wish to cancel the operation, please insert new disk." It announces. A small hatch opens. Sprig cracks his knuckles. "Piece of cake."
With a terrified scream and senseless babbling, he starts slamming his fists onto the brightly lit keyboard. Pressing one button in particular, the once blue machine turns red, and an alarm goes off.
"Security violation detected."
Robotic arms lift above the two amphibians, and Flossie and Sprig scream at the scary looking machine. The arms slam down, almost crushing them. The amphibians let out laughs of victory. That is, until a saw comes from the machine's forehead.
"You gotta be kidding me."
Sprig pushes Flossie off the platform, and they both land on the hard ground. Sitting up and rubbing her head, Flossie spots Hop Pop's book beside them. "Hop Pop's book!"
Grabbing it, the two run back to the machine.
"Seriously! Take your time, kids." Hop Pop tries to calm them down. A part of the platform slams into his back, clamping metal bands onto his wrist before spinning him around. Laying back down, Hop Pop lifts his head to see he was approaching a machine made to crush materials.
"I TAKE IT BACK! I WAS A FOOL!"
"I'm coming Hop Pop!" Anne shouts, using another piece of leftover metal to launch herself over the lasers. Running through the water, she trips over a stray arm. It lodges itself between Anne, Hop Pop and the machine, causing the machine and platform to stop. Anne and Hop Pop were stuck.
Jean rushes up to the two, soaking wet, as the machine tries crushing the younger teen and elderly frog. Seeing the danger, she places herself between the machine and the helpless human and frog. Holding it up with all her strength, she could feel the machine pressing down on her.
What are you doing?! You're going to get yourself killed, you idiot!
"Jean! What are you doing?!" Anne yells. Jean, who had her eyes closed, opens them briefly to glare at her. "What are YOU doing?! Get Hop Pop!" She shouts back. Anne does so, trying to pry the metal bands off the elderly frog. Glancing over her shoulder, she turnsangrily to where Sprig and Flossie were working. "How's it going over there guys!?"
Sprig and Flossie hurriedly flip through the pages of the book. Seeing the robotic hand coming back down on them once again, Flossie brings up her arms above her head, blocking it as well as she could with what looks like an arm made of water.
"Maybe there's something in the book that can help! That kind of thing's worked before!" Sprig explains.
Jean is being pushed into the ground, and she struggles to hold it up by herself. Anne helps her as she shouts back. "THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT!"
The machine keeps repeating one phrase. "Insert disk." Sprig and Flossie look up at it in confusion. "Anne! Jean! What the heck is a disk!" The pink frog asks.
The older teen lets out a yelp as she collapses, leaving Anne to hold it up lying on her back. "I don't know! We're from another dimension, not the 90's!" Jean snaps back, once again joining Anne in holding up the machine. Hop Pop screams in terror, struggling to get himself free.
Sprig lets out a frustrated scream. "Will you shut UP!?" He shouts, shoving the book into the small, still open compartment meant for the disk.
The red lights turn blue once more, before the machine's screen is covered in error signs. Smoke comes out of the machine, and the robotic arms go limp. Flossie and Sprig back up from the machine.
Hop Pop gets up. "I'm free!" He cries gleefully. Anne and Jean get up. "Gotta go!" Anne shouts. The machine crushes the arm, as the entire building starts collapsing.
Running toward the exit, Jean grabs Flossie's and Sprig's arms. Sprig grins. "Whoo-hoo! We did it, fam!" He cheers. Jean glares back at him. "More running, less talking!" She shouts.
They make it outside, and Jean lets go of the two amphibians, letting out a relieved sigh. Her back ached, but she could deal with that later.
Flossie, Anne and Sprig cheer, until Hop Pop cuts them off. "Road rule number 2: "Don't celebrate till you're completely out of danger"." He scolds. Sprig waves him off. "Come on, Hop Pop. The dangers clearly-"
A loud explosion sends all five of them flying in the air, landing a fair distance away from the flaming building. All are quiet, until Sprig awkwardly nudges Hop Pop. "Levers! Am I right?"
Hop Pop's face scrunches up in anger, glaring at his grandson.
Flossie turns to Jean, who blankly glared at the trio. She gives her a nervous grin, shrugging her shoulders, before letting out a sigh, turning away from the angry teen.
"I know. I know. We should've followed the rules…" Sprig mutters. Hop Pop stands up, towering over the four. "You think?! You know, you three should be more like Polly! And you know what? Not even Jean didn't complained about the rules!" He shouts.
Hearing a chuckle erupt from the older teen, all turn to look at Jean in confusion.
Jean had her face covered with one hand, her whole body shaking from her unnerving laughter. Leaning on her knee, she lifts herself from the ground. "Oh, you thought I was okay with the rules? You thought I didn't want to go out and see the world too?! Are you kidding?! Those rules were the worst! I was this close-" she pinches her fingers together. "THIS CLOSE, to burning that darn book and throwing Hop Pop off the fwagon! I was going insane!" She turns away from the group, her laughter finally subsiding. Everyone stares at her in disbelief.
"Whaaat?!" Hop Pop gasps. "Then why did you agree to them?!" Anne asks, standing up and walking toward the teen. Jean lets out a frustrated sigh.
"I agreed to them because… it thought, no matter how ridiculous the rules are, they would keep everyone out of harms way. After what happened at Toad Tower, I had to make sure there wasn't a repeat. Hop Pop, Sprig and Flossie were almost killed, Anne was almost hurt badly…I failed to protect you then. How am I going to protect you on this trip?" He voice went quiet, looking up at one of the ruins.
Anne places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Jean…you don't have to protect everyone by yourself." She explains, forcing the older teen to face everyone else. Hop Pop nods. "We're all here to protect each other. You have to remember that, okay?"
Flossie hugs Jean. "We'll always have each others back. Just remember it's NOT your responsibility for everyones safety. We can look after ourselves." Everyone brings the older teen into a hug.
Jean lets out a sniff, hugging them back. "Thanks guys…"
How well did that go last time?
Jean pauses. Was that her? She didn't feel sad or angry, she actually felt much more relaxed after a whole day of stress. Where did that thought come from?
"Alright, kids. Let's get back to-" Hop Pop lets out a groan, face-palming. "Where's Polly?" He asks. Everyone looks up to see Polly and the fwagon were gone.
Soon afterward, Polly zooms back, driving Bessie and bringing her to a halt. Seeing she was caught red-handed, she looks down at her family awkwardly.
"…Bessie made me do it."
Hop Pop gives her the stink eye. Polly groans. "Alright! I'm sorry, okay? That's the last time I break a rule, I swear." She grumbles. Anne, Flossie and Sprig sigh. "Yeah, us too, HP. For the rest of the trip, we'll follow all the rules." Anne says, walking back toward the fwagon. Sprig and Flossie nod, following her with Jean not too far behind.
"Sorry for that, Hop Pop."
"Yeah. We just won't experience anything special, I guess."
Hop Pop watches them for a moment. He felt guilty, realising they were just being curious kids. With a sigh, he calls out to them. "Hang on a sec, kids."
They all turn to him curiously. Hop Pop walks over to them, rubbing his arm. "Maybe this only happened because I was being too strict with you. We've never taken a trip like this, and I just wanted it to go smoothly. So what do you say we set aside the rules for a bit and make a stop or two?"
Everyone gasps, and even Jean seemed a little relieved. Sprig waves his hand around excitedly. "Oh, oh, oh! Can we stop at the Hills of Impalement? I've heard it will traumatise you for life!" Flossie grins. "Or the famous Haunted Cemetery of Amphibia?! I wanna see a ghost!" She squeals.
Jean chuckles, ruffling their hair. "Not gonna happen." She states. Hop Pop nods. "Jean's right. But I've got something else in mind."
—
All the kids happily ate their crickets and cream ice-cream. They had to sit outside all squished in the one seat, but they didn't mind.
"How's the crickets and cream ice cream, kids?" Hop Pop asks. Sprig turns to his grandfather. "Amazing!"
"So good!" Polly adds, eating her whole ice cream. Flossie digs further into her ice cream, letting out a "MHM!"
Anne eyes her ice cream. "You know, there was a time I'd pick out the bug bits." She points out. Jean nods, eating her own ice cream. "Same. But that time has passed!" Anne grins, giving her a high-five. "Yeah, baby!"
Hop Pop chuckles. "Glad you like it." Sprig moves closer to the elderly frog. "Thanks, Hop Pop." He says, hugging him. Jean smile falls, remembering how she'd treated everyone back in the ancient ruin. "Hey, I'm sorry for getting mad at you. I had no right to yell at you all." She says quietly. Anne places a hand on her shoulder. "Don't sweat it, dude. That's water under the bridge. But I'm kinda bummed we didn't find out what the factory was making." She adds, looking behind them in thought.
Sprig nods. "Yeah, me too. Guess we'll never know." The pink frog places a hand on Anne's arm, giving her an awkward stare. "Guess we'll never know."
"…Guess-"
"Yep, got it."
As they disappeared on the horizon, no one noticed a pile of rocks shift. From underneath the rubble, a robotic figure emerges, staring after the small family.
—
Frog darn it! Curse that positive family!
Calm down _, they're only here to help with the plan. Once this is all over, they'll be the first to go.
