"Have you ever fought with a friend before?"

Anisa stopped peeling some kind of green potato-like vegetable and raised an eyebrow at Luz. "Why are you asking?"

Luz sighed, turning to look at the ceiling from her position lying on the couch. "Did I ever tell you how I got to Amphibia?"

Anisa waved the peeler around as she thought about it. "Uh… vaguely. Bits and pieces, mostly." She then went back to peeling the vegetables.

"Well, long story short, Marcy and I tried to help our friend, Anne, stand up for herself instead of letting our other friend Sasha push her around all the time. Then Anne accidentally told Sasha what we'd said to her, which was understandable, really–" she sighed softly– "and I admit we made a mistake just forcing the information on Anne and expecting her to know what to do with it. And Sasha refused to believe that she made a mistake. We got into a fight and then got teleported here. That's the gist of it."

"That sounds like quite the fight," Anisa said, dropping the last of the peels into a trash can and chopping the veggies into small cubes.

"And it's just– I have a lot of feelings about it, I guess," Luz said. "I feel guilty about how I made Anne feel, but at the same time, I feel angry. I thought I was past the anger, but it resurfaced when I saw Anne again, and it's stubbornly refusing to leave. Ugh." She groaned. "So. Have you ever fought with a friend before? Do you know what to do?"

Anisa slid the diced vegetables into a bowl she'd filled with some kind of liquid and several spoonfuls of spices. She picked it up, stirring with a spoon as she walked over to sit by Luz. "Sounds like you need some advice," she said.

"Yes, please," Luz said, smiling a little. "A lot of advice."

Anisa thought for a moment. "Well, I can't say that I've had a fight quite like the one you had with your friends," she said slowly, "but there was this really bad fight I had when I was in university. A good friend of mine. Not Lena," she added hastily, noticing the shocked look on Luz's face. "Another friend. We shared quite a few classes and got to know each other through several group projects. But he was struggling a lot with school, and before long, he decided to quit. I tried to talk him out of it, but he refused to listen, and in the end, I let him go because I knew it was the right thing for him. What I wanted for him wasn't really what he needed. I suppose it wasn't exactly what he wanted, either."

"Oh, that's really sad," Luz said quietly. "What happened to him?"

"He became a soldier in the Newtopian Army. Happiest I'd ever seen him," Anisa replied. "I suppose the moral of that story is that your friends may know what's best for themselves more than you know what's best for them. That… wasn't your question, was it?" she asked, seeing the confused look on Luz's face.

Luz shook her head. "Sort of? I mean, not really. I feel both angry about what happened and guilty about it at the same time, and I was wondering if you had any advice," she explained.

"Oh, okay, then!" Anisa returned to the kitchen with the bowl, splitting the contents into several smaller bowls, and continued talking. "You know, it makes sense that you feel that way. You know what I think?" Anisa paused, looking at Luz. "I think you did the wrong thing for the right reasons. It makes sense that you think you're wrong, because you didn't make the best choice you could have made. But it also makes sense for you to think you're right, because your intent was good. And I'm sure Anne must feel the same way, right?"

Luz shrugged. "I guess so," she said, tears filling her eyes. "I don't know how to explain it, really. I was being such a horrible friend, and I–"

"No, Luz," Anisa cut Luz off. "You're not a horrible friend. If you were such a horrible friend, would you have tried to help Anne? Would you have apologized, after knowing that you hurt Anne and Sasha? Would you have volunteered to put yourself in harm's way to help Marcy fight the barbariants? Luz, I haven't known you for long, but from what I've seen, I think you're a wonderful friend. And a wonderful person, for that matter. Even wonderful people can make mistakes. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Luz smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I do. Thanks, Anisa."

Anisa nodded. "No problem, Luz," she said. "You know, you're going to feel so much better about yourself and about life when you stop worrying about the past and start to focus on the future."

Luz nodded. "You're saying I should just try to be a better friend going forward instead of worrying about the fight, right?" She nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I can do that. I think."

"If you need any more advice, just ask me," Anisa said.

"Umm…" Luz thought for a moment. "Do you know what to do about crushes?"

"Crushes?" Anisa sounded startled. "Sorry, I don't. I've never had experience with those. Maybe you could ask Teora instead?"

"I don't really know her," Luz replied. "I know you a lot better. It kinda feels weird to ask her."

"You don't have to ask her, it's up to you," Anisa said, "but I can vouch for Teora's character. She's a good person, and I've known her for years now."

"Okay," Luz relented. "Maybe I'll ask. But don't tell anyone I asked about crushes! Especially not Anne or Marcy, I'd never hear the end of it," she added quickly.

"You have my word," Anisa said, smiling slightly. "By the way, here's food if you're hungry." She set all three bowls on the table. "Teora should be coming back from the market soon."

"Thanks," Luz said, getting up from the couch and walking over to the table. Just as she sat down, the front door swung open, and Teora walked through, clutching several bags of groceries in her hands and tail.

"Lunch is ready, Teora," Anisa said, joining Luz at the table. "Come eat."

"Coming, Anisa," Teora said. "Give me a moment to put these away."

Luz and Anisa ate quietly, joined a moment later by Teora. The newt looked pensive, preoccupied with something. Luz thought about asking, but before she could, Teora spoke.

"I'm worried about Leo," Teora said, picking at her food. "He's been working himself to the bone trying to find copies of all the books the libraries lost thanks to the Order of the Olm. He refuses to take a break."

"Is he working all by himself?" Anisa asked.

Teora nodded. "I wish I could help him, but I've got a lot of patients to meet starting tomorrow. It's whitespot season, so there's no way I can take a break from work; we're going to be flooded, and the hospital needs every doctor there. I also have no idea how to help, anyway," she added as an afterthought.

"Whitespot season?" Luz asked.

"It's an annual disease that causes white spots to appear on newts. It's easy to cure, but it also sets in fast, and just about every newt that catches it has to head to the hospital for treatment."

"Maybe I could help? Not with the whitespots, with the books," Anisa explained at Teora's confused look. "After so many years at the university, I definitely know my way around the stacks."

Teora's expression brightened. "Oh, you're right! You could help! You'd have to ask Leo, but I'm sure he won't say no. Thank you so much, Anisa."

"It's nothing," Anisa said, finishing her meal. "It'll be nice to be back in the library, if only for a few days." She finished the last of her food, then stood up. "If either of you needs me, I'll be reading in my room."

Luz sat awkwardly with Teora at the dining table. "So… how was your day?" Teora asked, clearly trying to fill the silence.

"It was fine," Luz said. "I didn't do much, really." She remembered Anisa's advice from earlier, to ask Teora about crushes. "Uh, how did you and Leo meet?" she asked.

Teora looked surprised at the question. "Well, Leo and I have known each other for a few years now. Both of us attended Newtopia University at the same time, although for different subjects. We became friends because we both shared the same language class. We got to know each other better and eventually fell in love."

"Oh, that's pretty cool," Luz said. "How did you guys start dating?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" Teora said with a laugh.

Luz was quick to deny it. "No, no! Just curious," she said.

"Okay, then. It was really simple. I asked Leo if he wanted to go out with me, he said yes, we went out. That was it."

"Oh. Was it scary?" Luz asked. "Asking him out, I mean?"

"Are you planning on asking someone out?" Teora asked instead of answering.

Luz blushed. "N-no? I'm, uh, asking. For a friend. Yeah."

Teora gave her an unreadable look. "Well, tell your friend it was scary, yeah. But it was worth it in the end."

"Did you ever have a crush on anyone aside from Leo?" Luz asked. "How did you get over them?"

"Yeah, actually," Teora replied. "I had a huge crush on this one newt from my old school around the time I transferred to Newtopia U. But the crush just faded the more I got to know Leo."

"Oh." Luz tried to hide the fact that Teora's words hadn't helped at all. If she ever needed to stop crushing on Marcy, where was she supposed to find another love interest in a world of talking amphibians?

Suddenly, a tap at the kitchen window distracted Teora and Luz from their conversation. A messenger mosquito tapped the window again, and Teora walked over to open it. "It's a letter for you, Luz," she said, taking the message from the mosquito and reading the name printed on it.

"Really?" Luz asked. She walked over to where Teora stood and took the scroll. "It's a message from Marcy," she said after scanning it. "It says to head to the palace. Apparently, King Andrias wants to talk to us."

"Again?" Teora asked, surprised.

Luz shrugged. "To be fair, last time we did kind of drop in on him without warning. Can you take me?"

"I can't, sorry," Teora said. "Maybe you can ask Anisa?"

"I'll go do that right now!" Luz said, spinning on her heel and walking out of the kitchen. She went to Anisa's room, knocking on the door before pushing it open. "Hello?" she asked. "Anisa, can you take me to the castle?"

Anisa looked up from her book, giving Luz a confused glance. "Why?" she asked.

"Apparently the king summoned Marcy, me, and our other friend, Anne. At least, that's what Marcy said in the letter she just sent. So–" She shrugged.

"Okay," Anisa said. "Let's go, then. It's best to not keep the king of Amphibia waiting for long."

They headed out of the apartment, Teora closing up behind them, and started walking towards the palace again. "By the way," Luz started, "remember when you said you would teach me magic? I tried doing what you said and I couldn't get it. Could you try explaining again?"

Anisa sighed. "Look, if you can't do my brand of magic, it's not your fault. I'm the only one who can, at least as far as I know. So don't feel upset."

"What if that means I can't do magic, though?" Luz asked.

Anisa shook her head. "That doesn't mean you can't do magic, Luz. There are lots of forms of magic out there. I already mentioned dark magic, and anyone can do that. It doesn't require a special ability, just the following of directions and the memorizing of formulas."

"That's cool, I guess," Luz said, still disappointed. Before she could add anything else, though, she spotted Marcy, Anne, and the Plantars waiting for her at the castle gates. "Hey, guys!" she yelled, waving.

Marcy waved back enthusiastically. "Hi, Luz!" Anne called out. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, yeah! You've never met Anisa, have you?" Luz said. "Guys, this is Anisa. Anisa, this is Marcy, Anne, and the Plantars."

"I'm Sprig, and this is Hop Pop and Polly," Sprig said, doing his best to look cheerful.

Anisa nodded. "Nice to meet you all."

"What's happening?" Luz asked.

"Let's go inside! Andrias wanted to talk to all of us. The message he sent was 'Bring me your friends'," Marcy explained. "That's you, Anne, Sprig, Polly, Hop Pop, and Anisa."

Once they had all filed inside, Marcy led them to the entrance hall before the Throne Room, where they were supposed to wait. "Dang, girl. This is where you've been hanging out this whole time?" Anne's words were full of awe.

Marcy shrugged. "I wouldn't say I 'hang out' here, but yes! Staying at the castle has been awesome!"

"Wow, I can't believe we're here!" Sprig said.

"And that we're about to meet the king of Amphibia," Polly added from her perch atop his head.

Hop Pop studied the opulence of the room. "Wow, just look at this place," he said in awe. Then he glanced down at his outfit. "Am I dressed okay? Should I have worn my silk ascot? I'll go back and get it!" He turned and tried to flee the room, his nerves getting the better of him, but bumped straight into Anisa, who had been standing behind him while studying one of the windows in wonder.

"Hey, hey. Don't stress, guys. This is no big deal," Marcy said, walking over and crouching down beside Hop Pop.

"Yeah," Luz added, "the king was really chill when I met him."

"You met the king?" Anne, Sprig, and Polly all chorused.

Before Luz could answer, Lady Olivia stepped out of the throne room and marched over to them. "Okay, frog family and axolotl," she said regally. "You're about to meet King Andrias. This is a big deal."

Everyone in the room except Luz, Marcy, and Lady Olivia gulped nervously.

Lady Olivia led the group to the massive throne room doors. They stepped into a long room lined with stained-glass windows, through which tinted sunlight filtered. During the long walk to the front, everyone admired the amazing architecture of the room.

Finally, Lady Olivia stepped to the side and made a sweeping gesture. "May I present to you King Andrias Leviathan, Lord of Amphibia. Peacekeeper of a thousand years and the first of his name."

Everyone gasped. "Now that's king-sized," Anne said, echoing everyone's thoughts.

The king himself was seated imposingly on his throne, his massive frame blocking the sunlight from the giant window before him. Then he leaned forward, a brilliant smile on his face. "Hello, Plantar family! And you are?" he added, glancing at Anisa.

"I am Anisa Greenwood, Your Majesty," she said, bowing. "I have come here with Luz."

"Ah, yes. Sorry I never sent you that message, Luz," King Andrias said. "The matter of the barbariants took precedence at the time. I hear you helped with that?"

"Yep!" Luz said. "It's perfectly fine."

"Moving on," the king said. "Bring it in, you guys!"

"Quick, kids, bow!" Hop Pop and Sprig bowed, with Polly face-planting on the floor in an imitation of a bow.

King Andrias stood up, his footsteps shaking the ground, and scooped up Hop Pop, Polly, Sprig, and Anisa. He pressed them to his chest in a hug. "It's so good to finally meet you!" he said, grinning. Anne and Luz's mouths fell open at the sight.

A moment later, King Andrias dropped them back on the ground. "I love this guy!" Polly said, gesturing at the king. King Andrias laughed happily.

"Dear King Andrias, just once, it would be nice if you followed proper castle etiquette," Lady Olivia said, walking up to him with an irritated expression on her face.

Andrias blew a raspberry. "Oh, etiquette shmetiquette! Oooh, and what do we have here?" he asked, turning to look at Anne. "A third friend returns!"

"Hey," Anne said nervously.

The king walked over and knelt in front of her. "You must be Anne. 'Sup?" Then he paused and glanced at Marcy. "Am I saying it right? 'Sup?"

"You got it!" Marcy replied, giving him a thumbs-up."

"Oh-ho, the thumb of approval!" King Andrias made his own hands into thumbs-ups. "And here's a thumb for you, Anne. And for you, Luz, as well!" He moved his hands so fast that the wind blew their hair back.

"Oh, uh… right back at ya!" Anne gave him a fist bump, and Luz followed her example.

Andrias held his hands up and looked between them, chucking. He giggled exuberantly, using his tail to help him get back to his feet. "Delightful!" The impact of his feet hitting the floor shook the room so much that Luz stumbled and Anne fell. Marcy leaned down and helped her back to her feet.

"But now, let's get down to business, shall we?" Andrias said, clapping. "Getting you girls back home, safe and sound. Hmm... Alas, without the music box, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do." He gestured. "Marcy doesn't have it, and, well, I assume neither of you has it either."

Luz shook her head, but Anne grinned sheepishly. "Oh! Uh, actually, I do have the box."

"What? Are you serious?" Marcy asked.

"No way," Luz said.

Andrias clapped in excitement, sitting back on his throne. "Why, this is marvelous news! Come, come, let's see it."

Anne made a face. "Well, I don't 'have it', have it. Hop Pop left it with some contacts to see what they could learn about it."

Hop Pop chuckled, and Luz glanced at him. The old frog seemed oddly nervous.

"But, I do have a photo of it," Anne added, digging her phone out of her pocket.

Andrias grinned. "Yes, yes, a pho-to," he said, sounding out the word. He pulled a pair of glasses out of his pocket and put them on. "Let's see here." He squinted at the image on the tiny screen. "Hmm, how peculiar. Marcy, didn't you say the gems were colored? Look here. They're... They're gray."

Anne turned the phone and looked at it herself. "Hey, you're right. I… never actually noticed that."

Andrias took off his glasses. "Huh. I actually think I know why."

Marcy's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah." Andrias pulled a thin book from beside him. It looked laughably tiny in his massive hands, despite being regular-sized. "Yesterday, I stopped by the palace library to search for a book, and I accidentally found this book hidden behind another. I opened it, seeing as I was curious, and suffice it to say I was shocked when I saw an illustration of the Calamity Box inside." He put his glasses on again and peered at the book, flipping through the pages quickly. "Here," he said finally, turning the book to show a picture of a music box. Anne held her phone next to it and confirmed that it was, in fact, the same box.

"Can I take a look?" Marcy asked. Anne stepped aside to let her see, and Luz caught a glimpse over her shoulder. There was a diagram of the box on one side, and an illustration of the three gems on top of the box on the other side.

"Strength, Heart, Wit," Marcy read aloud from the book. "What does that mean?"

"The book says that is what each gem represents," Andrias replied. "The green gem is Wit, the blue gem is Heart, and the reddish gem is Strength. It also mentions that the power inside the gem can be drained by consistent use. There's no mention of a way to recharge it, but it does mention that each gem usually connects to someone with the traits it represents."

"Is that all it said?" Luz asked doubtfully. "The book seems thicker than that."

Andrias chuckled. "There were also mentions of it enhancing those characteristics in its host, but there are no examples in the book as far as I'm aware. As for the rest of the pages," he continued, "the book is actually about cursed Amphibian artifacts. The music box is just a brief mention." He flipped the page, showing a picture of a cauldron with a bonsai-like tree in it. "Like this cauldron, which grows plant life from ambient magic without the materials usually used in similar dark magic. And there's a necklace that apparently turns the wearer invisible, oh! And a cup that compels the person who drinks from it to tell the truth for as long as the liquid they drank remains in their body, which actually takes a good, long while. Fascinating, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" Marcy exclaimed. "That's so cool!"

"So who did the power go into?" Sprig asked, changing the subject.

Andrias gestured grandly at Anne, Marcy, and Luz. "In you three, of course. And your other friend."

Marcy raised her hand. "Uh, there's a problem," she said. "You said there were three powers to match the three gems, but there are four of us. Not three."

Andrias sat back. "Huh, it seems you're right. Maybe the power skipped over one of you?"

"But who?" Polly asked. "All three of them seem plenty smart, strong, and, uh– heart-filled? To me."

"If I may propose a solution to this problem?" Andrias asked cheerfully. "Perhaps you could think of which of you most fits each trait."

"Wit has to be you, Marcy," Luz immediately said, Anne nodding in agreement. "There's literally nobody else it could be. You're the smartest of us by a long shot."

Marcy blushed. "Aww, thanks!"

"Who's Strength then?" Anne asked. "It has to be either me, Sasha, or you, Luz."

"We all do sports," Luz said. "I do mixed martial arts, you do tennis and Muay Thai, and Sasha does cheerleading."

"I think it's Sasha," Marcy said. "If you go by the common definition of strength as the amount of muscle, it could be any of you three. But there's another definition: perseverance. And Sash has that in spades. She's the one of us that never gives up."

Luz opened her mouth, then closed it. "You're right," she finally said. "It has to be Sash."

"Then that leaves Heart," Sprig said, hopping over to them.

Anne and Luz looked at each other. "And that leaves us," Anne said quietly.

Luz shifted awkwardly. "Yeah." She couldn't describe the feelings running through her mind right now; part of her desperately wanted to be Heart, but another part of her felt bad for thinking that when Anne wanted to be Heart, too. After all, Anne, Marcy, and Sasha were the first real friends she had– the only friends she had, really. And now that they were stuck in a fantasy world with the power to have a truly incredible adventure, Luz could be left out again. In fact, who was to say that this would be the last time she was left out? After all, if an ancient magical artifact said that she wasn't meant to be with her best friends, why would Anne, Marcy, and Sasha disagree? She'd be trapped in Amphibia forever as Luz, ordinary Luz, friends with three smart, talented girls chosen by the ancient magic of Amphibia itself, while Luz still couldn't do basic magic. She'd have a crush on a girl who was so absolutely perfect, out of her league in every way. In some ways, it was worse than the fear of being alone, worse than the idea that she might never be able to return to Earth.

Marcy glanced between them. "I… I've got nothing. I don't know which one of you two it could be."

"It has to be you, Luz," Anne said. "I betrayed your trust back home, remember? And Marcy's as well. I'm sure that's not something a person with Heart would do."

Andrias opened his mouth to say something from his throne, but Luz beat him to the punch. "No way, Anne. It was a mistake. You could definitely be Heart. Even good people make mistakes sometimes!"

"But I betrayed you guys!" Anne argued.

"If we're going by mistakes, it could just as easily not be me," Luz said. "Because of how I reacted when you made your mistake. That wasn't very Heart-like of me, I'm sure. You have the most heart out of anyone I know, Anne."

"Are they arguing with each other to deny that they're connected to a powerful magical energy?" Polly whispered to Sprig.

The frog boy nodded. "Sure seems that way."

Polly groaned. "Who does that?"

Anne cast a long glance at the pollywog, then finally nodded. "Okay."

"Good. I guess we'll see later, then?" Luz asked.

"Yeah," Anne replied.

Anne turned to say something to Marcy, and Luz took the moment to let herself have one moment of fear. If Luz was right, and Anne's mistakes didn't stop her from being the remaining third of the trio, that was amazing. And yet, it also meant that Luz would be alone. But bringing up her own fears would hurt Anne even more, and Luz decided she'd already done enough of that, so she relegated herself to bottling her feelings up inside.

"Well then, Plantar family!" Andrias boomed, startling everyone in the room as he stood up again and walked over to right in front of the Plantars. "You should go and explore the wonderful city of Newtopia. Who knows what you might find?" He held out two fists, causing a gust of wind to blow everyone's hair back. "Here, pick a hand!"

Anne stepped up and peered at the two hands. She glanced between them, then up at Andrias, who motioned to one with his head. "Uh, this one?" she asked, tapping it.

Andrias uncurled the fist to reveal– nothing. "Psych!" he said delightfully. Anne glanced back, an annoyed look on her face. Andrias laughed, then gasped. "But wait, what's this?" he said in mock surprise, pulling a gold card out of his sleeve. "The Royal Credit Card! It'll grant you access to do anything in Newtopia!" He handed the card gently to Hop Pop. "Be safe with this, now. Wars have been waged for less." As Sprig examined the card, he turned to Anisa. "I apologize for not having anything for you, as I wasn't expecting you," he admitted.

"That's perfectly fine, Your Majesty," Anisa said. "Last time Luz came to meet you, she went with my nephew's fiancé, Teora."

"Oh, you're the royal archivist's aunt?" Andrias said. "Now I have to give you something! Olivia, withdraw a thousand gold farthings from the palace treasury and get them delivered to Anisa's current residence. Where are you staying?" he asked, turning back to Anisa.

Anisa rattled off an address. "I don't actually live here in Newtopia anymore, that address is my nephew's address. I live up north in the mountains. And thank you so much, Your Majesty. You really didn't have to."

"That's perfect! And nonsense, of course I had to!" Andrias said dismissively. "Olivia, did you write down the address?"

"Yes, King Andrias," Lady Olivia said, holding a small notepad. "I'll contact the treasury at once. Everyone, follow me," she added to the rest of the room. "I'll see you all out."

The Plantars and Anne left not long after the group walked out of the castle. Anne, Polly, and Hop Pop all looked exhausted, but Sprig was practically bouncing, excited to explore Newtopia. Luz felt kind of bad for him; it was clear his family wasn't willing to do more than check into the hotel and crash.

Once they were gone, Luz and Anisa waved and turned to leave as well, but Marcy tapped Luz on the shoulder. "Hey, Luz, can I, uh, go with you?" she asked nervously. "I don't really want to be alone right now. The castle is beautiful, but it can be lonely. I kinda got used to sleeping in the barracks, and it feels weird to be on my own."

"Of course!" Luz said. "Anisa, is that okay?"

Anisa shrugged. "It's not my house," she said, "but I doubt Teora and Leo would mind."

"Great!" Luz said. "Let's go!"

After a few minutes of walking, Anisa knocked on the door to the apartment. Teora opened it. "You're back!" Then she saw Marcy standing a little bit behind Luz. "And you are?"

"This is Marcy," Luz said. "The friend we went to ask King Andrias about."

"Oh, you found her then!" Teora said, clapping. "Come in, come in! We just finished making dinner. Are you hungry?"

Anisa nodded. "For sure!"

Luz and Marcy followed Anisa inside, taking a seat at the dining table. There was a steaming bowl of stew set on the table. Leo emerged from the kitchen with four smaller bowls, but at the sight of their guest went back in to grab a fifth.

When everyone had been served, Teora spoke. "So, what happened at the meeting with the king?"

Luz uncomfortably stirred her soup, and Marcy answered instead. "He was just meeting our other friend Anne and the family that took her in. And he told us some information about how we got here to Amphibia."

"Yeah, that," Luz said halfheartedly.

"That's interesting," Leo said. "By the way, Anisa, Teora told me you were interested in helping me sort out which books were lost so we can finish finding copies faster. I'd really appreciate it if you could come."

"You're the palace archivist, right?" Marcy asked before Anisa could answer. "Andrias mentioned it."

"Yeah, I am," Leo said. "Anisa?"

"Of course, Leo. It'll be good to be back in the library again, even if it's just for a little while."

"Wait, again?" Marcy asked. "Were you an archivist or a librarian too? Also, can I come?"

"I was a historian and professor at Newtopia University," Anisa replied. "I retired a while ago, though. And sure, why not," she added, looking amused.

Marcy's eyes widened as she realized she was sitting at a table with a (former) college professor. "No way, you worked at Newtopia University?" she asked excitedly. She began asking question after question, but Luz soon zoned out. She was feeling really tired after the events of earlier, and she just wanted to go to sleep and end the day.

After a while of picking at her food, she slid the bowl over to Marcy. "You want this?" she asked. "I'm not too hungry. I'm actually going to sleep now if you guys are fine with that."

"Sure! The stew tastes really good," Marcy said, pouring Luz's leftover soup into her own bowl. "Thanks!"

"Good night," Luz mumbled, then walked over to the couch and lay down, closing her eyes.

She drifted off to sleep listening to the sounds of talking and laughter.

Andrias sat at his desk, looking at the paper lying on top of the desk. He sighed and picked up his pen. This was why he had Olivia write everything for him; if he wrote as he normally did, it would be much too big to fit on the paper, and if he somehow managed to write small enough, the average-sized frog, toad, or newt would struggle to read it.

Write already! the Core complained in his head. We're getting impatient.

He groaned. "I'm trying, okay?"

He set the pen to the paper and slowly began forming each letter. When he finally finished writing and glanced out of the window, the moon was almost halfway through its nightly cycle. "Wow," he said. "Time passes fast."

Andrias squinted and scanned his work again and, deeming it passable, folded and tucked it into an envelope. Opening the window, he flagged down a messenger mosquito. Once he'd told the mosquito who to deliver it to, it flew off, wings buzzing.

"The plan is in motion," he told the Core. "Now all we have to do is trigger it and wait."

Excellent job, Andrias. We're almost… impressed.

Author's Note

Sorry this chapter is so late, I really struggled with it and if it wasn't for √i, I definitely wouldn't have been able to finish (sorta?) on time. Thanks so much, √i! I really appreciate it.

-Reviews-

OMAC001: You're absolutely right! While Luz and Marcy both love fantasy, Luz is more perceptive and less oblivious than Marcy.

Thirteen-Seven: Glad it was worth the wait! Everyone's got something going on underneath the surface.

-Final Notes-

This week I've got a lot going on, so I might have to delay next week's chapter. It also currently doesn't have a title. But for now, I tentatively hope there'll be a chapter next week.