Familiar and forgotten
After the call with Anne and Sasha, Marcy had no more words left. She had just learned that Anne came into the possession of a cursed artifact from Amphibia's past, and that it was slowly killing her. It was hard enough moving away from Anne. At least they could video chat, and even visit in the summer holidays for a week or two. But this was too much. Marcy was faced with the real prospect of Anne's death, and that was not something she was ready to see a second time, having watched her die on Amphibia after the battle with the Core. Marcy was grateful to this 'Guardian' Anne told them had revived her from that death. Before she could think on it any further, a voice came from the laptop that was still active on Marcy's lap.
"So, that was quite the interesting conversation," Dipper remarked.
"How long were you listening?" Marcy asked.
"With that Sasha girl screaming bloody murder, it was hard not to. Are you OK?" Dipper inquired.
"Of course I'm not OK. My best friend is dying and there's nothing I can do!" Marcy answered, her tone getting more distressed by the minute.
"Then maybe it's time you told her," Dipper suggested.
"Told her what?" Marcy queried. Dipper rolled his eyes in response.
"How you feel about her, obviously," Dipper clarified. Marcy didn't expect Dipper to bring that up. Their friendship was at a level where Marcy could trust Dipper with anything, so she told him that had harboured feelings, romantic ones, for Anne, and that moving away was the hardest thing she ever did. She had hoped that the distance would make those feelings go away, but it was how the old saying goes, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'.
"What would it matter now? She's dying, and we're so far away. It would never work. Besides, I don't know what her preference is. She might be totally straight, or she may not have crushes on anyone for all I know," Marcy argued.
"Don't you think she should know, regardless?" Dipper reasoned. Marcy pondered this question for a moment. There was no way Marcy could gauge Anne's reaction if she confessed her feelings. Unlike in a video game, you couldn't hit reload if the game wasn't going your way. If Marcy did confess, Anne would know how she felt about her, true, but Anne might reject her, or worse, their friendship could be jeopardised. However, if Marcy didn't tell Anne, then she would die never having known, and the guilt would eat Marcy up for the rest of her life. Marcy sighed heavily as she processed her thoughts.
"You're right, Dipper, she should know. Telling her might be the scariest thing I've ever done, and I've fought a moon," Marcy resolved.
"You can do it, Marcy. Just speak from the heart. If she is your friend, she'll understand," Dipper counselled.
"Thanks, Dipper. You always did know what to say. It's getting late, give Paz my love," Marcy replied.
"Hey, us Ravenclaws have to stick together. Let me know how it goes," Dipper responded, and the call was terminated. However, Marcy found herself too tired to have this hard conversation now, so she decided to turn in for the night. Marcy always did do her best thinking in her sleep. She could use this time to mull over what to say to Anne.
Despite feeling both overwhelming dread about Anne's predicament and an abundance of nerves about confessing her attraction, Marcy found sleep easier than usual, almost as if she were in a dungeon and the enemy had cast a sleep spell on her. During her slumber, Marcy was having one of the strangest dreams she ever had, and this was coming from someone who once dreamt about a world of dragons, portals to other worlds, and people with wings (she had a really hard time explaining that one to Anne and Sasha). This time, the setting for this particular dream production was Principal Murphy's office, back at Saint James Middle School.
"Oh no, what did I do now?" Marcy wondered aloud, but Principal Murphy was nowhere in sight.
"That's what I wanna know," came a voice from behind her. Marcy turned around sharply to see Sasha, of all people, in the office with her. "This whole thing is, like, super-freaky," Sasha commented.
"What do you mean? Aren't you a figment of my subconscious mind?" Marcy quizzed.
"If that's nerd-speak for 'dream Sasha' then the answer is no. Last thing I remember was getting all mad at what we just spoke about, then I turned off the laptop, fell asleep and ended up here," Sasha recalled. Marcy didn't know what to make of this situation. Everything she had read about human psychology had told her that it was impossible for two people to have the same dream, let alone share one.
"No way, me too. What is happening here? What brought us here?" Marcy probed.
"I brought you two here," came a voice from the principal's desk, but all the two girls could see was a cat sitting atop the desk wagging its tail. The cat stared at the two girls intensely before the voice spoke again. "I never thought I'd meet the other brave souls that defeated the Core, but today has been full of surprises. No doubt you have many questions. Sit down, children. I shall tell you everything," the cat stated. Two chairs in front of the desk moved towards the girls seemingly by themselves. Marcy and Sasha, curious to see where this was going, took the seats, waiting to hear the cat's words.
Meanwhile, Anne was coming around from being transported to Amphibia. What helped her back into the world of the living was a familiar voice calling her name. As Anne opened her eyes, she saw, through a distorted view, a pink face. As the view came back into focus, she saw Sprig looking over her, calling her name.
"Sprig? Is….. is that really you?" Anne asked, still groggy and half-asleep.
"I never thought I'd see you again, Anne. How did you get here?" Sprig wondered. Anne was slow to get up, but somehow managed it.
"It is a long story. I'm not sure you'd believe me," Anne replied.
"You can tell it during our tour. Wartwood's changed a bit since you were last here. Come on, I've got loads to show you, and everyone will be glad to see you as well," Sprig urged energetically. Sprig could hardly contain his excitement. He never thought he'd be able to show Anne everything she helped inspire, all the change she helped bring about. He had only just come to terms with the fact that he'd never see her again, yet here she was. The question of how she got here was irrelevant at the present time. All that mattered was that he had his best friend back. While Anne was happy at the prospect of seeing how Wartwood and Amphibia had changed for the better after she, Sasha and Marcy had left, there was a more pressing question Anne had.
"What did you do to my old room?" Anne inquired.
"Oh, I turned it into my personal study. Your phone has been really helpful in my cataloguing efforts," Sprig clarified. To better prepare for the trip to the Forgotten Continent, Sprig had compiled a compendium of all the beasts and creatures that he and Anne had encountered during her time in Amphibia, using the photos Anne took and kept on file.
"You angling on becoming a librarian?" Anne joked.
"Now there's a decent career move," came a voice Anne recognised but had not heard in some time. She turned to see Hop Pop and Polly standing at the entrance to Sprig's study, equally shocked at Anne's arrival.
"Don't hog the sight, Hopediah. Let me have a look," Sylvia said as she emerged from her spot in the house. Anne was surprised to see Sylvia living in the Plantar house.
"Sure thing, dear. Anne, you've met my girlfriend Sylvia, now meet my fiancée, Sylvia," Hop Pop clarified. Anne squealed with delight upon hearing of Hop Pop's engagement.
"That is so cool, HP. Congrats! When's the wedding?" Anne asked.
"We haven't set a date yet. This is a recent development," Sylvia answered.
"We'll be sure to send you an invite once we master inter-dimensional travel," Hop Pop jested.
"That's not all that's new. Come on, we have lots to show you," Sprig urged.
"Actually, I…" but before Anne could finish, Sprig was already dragging her out of the house and towards the town square, where Anne saw a massive statue of herself, carrying a sword in one hand and the music box in the other. Her name was engraved on the base of the statue, along with the message 'We miss you, girl'.
"When was this put up?" Anne wondered.
"About nine months after you left. Mayor Toadie commissioned it," Sprig replied.
"Wait, Mayor Toadie? When did that happen?" Anne probed.
"Since Toadstool decided to move onto bigger things," came Toadie's voice from behind Anne. All of a sudden, the townsfolk all emerged from their homes or businesses to greet Anne enthusiastically. All except Maddie, who could sense something wasn't quite right. Anne found herself shaking hands with Wally, Croaker, Felicia, and everyone else that called Wartwood home.
"Knew you'd find your way back to us sooner or later," Croaker remarked.
"Never thought we'd see you again. I staked my good eye on it," Wally stated.
"Tell us what the human world is like," Rosemary, one of Maddie's tadpole sisters, pressed. Anne was delighted to see them, but then a voice emerged that only Anne could hear.
"Do not let these distractions keep you from our goal. Remember, your time is limited," the Dark Master reminded. Anne could feel a mild tingling sensation in one of her arms and it brought home the fact that she was here on a mission, and failure or delay meant death. She rolled up her sleeve to discover the dark veins on her arm becoming more prominent. After hiding her marks, she returned her attention to Sprig. She opened her mouth to speak, but Sprig had more to say.
"Our world is green again, now. No more factories, refineries or toxic smoke. Surely you've noticed," Sprig highlighted. Now that he mentioned it, Anne did notice that the air smelled significantly cleaner than the last time she was here, when Andrias re-activated the machines of Amphibia's past. Everything looked like it did the first time Anne came to this world. She never thought she would get nostalgic for those days, her and Sprig against the world.
"Yeah, it looks good. I'm glad I could see it one last time," Anne lamented. Now Sprig was confused.
"What do you mean? Didn't you come here via Mr. X's portal machine?" Sprig queried. Anne found a suitable spot where the two could speak alone, away from the ears of the others. She dragged Sprig there, and when she was certain no-one could see or hear them, Anne showed Sprig her darkened arm. Sprig's expression changed from child-like glee upon seeing a friend to fear and disbelief.
"I'm dying, Sprig. I'm not sure how long I have left, but if I don't get something from this world, fairly soon, I won't be 'Anne Boonchuy' anymore," Anne revealed.
"I knew something was wrong. I could sense it the moment you stepped foot in town," Maddie's voice came from behind the pair. She examined Anne's arm closely. "Yep, this is dark magic, alright. Stronger than anything I've read about. You come into contact with any dark artifacts?" Maddie added.
"What do you know of the Eye of Gaul?" Anne quizzed. This made Maddie recoil in horror.
"I thought that thing was just a legend?! Tell me you didn't go looking for it!" Maddie exclaimed.
"What's the Eye of Gaul?" Sprig asked.
"Some guy slipped it to me, and when I tried to turn it over, it stuck itself to me, and now it's killing me slowly. As if that wasn't enough, I keep hearing this voice that won't shut up!" Anne explained.
"Anne," Hop Pop's voice emerged from the side, along with Polly, both sporting expressions of grave concern. "Tell us everything," Hop Pop requested.
Back on Earth, Annie had returned to keep watch over the Boonchuy household, when she sensed something was wrong. She could feel traces of dark magic had been used. Since it was the middle of the night and barely anyone was around, Annie deployed her hidden wings and took to the air above the house. She made her way to Anne's bedroom window and peeked through it, only to find that Anne herself was not there.
"Oh no, tell me she hasn't," Annie said desperately, but the inter-dimensional traces she sensed only confirmed her fears. She took out her orb and spoke into it. "The situation has gotten worse. Sanctum, now," Annie ordered. She conjured a portal back to the Sanctum, and sure enough, her sisters were at the meeting table, along with the holographic Court of Ancients, Albert, Moon, and Eclipsa.
"Your message sounded urgent, Annie. What has happened?" Ignitus asked.
"It's Anne, she's been whisked away back to Amphibia," Annie informed. This started hushed discussions amongst all the meeting's participants.
"This is bad. Mr. X. told me about the brief glimpse he got of that place. Something about a giant praying mantis," Albert recalled.
"There are a lot worse things than that in Amphibia. Honestly, I consider it pure luck that Anne survived one month, let alone five," Annie replied.
"You think this has anything to do with the Frozen Army?" Amy wondered.
"I am not ruling it out. One thing I do know is that whenever the Dark Master is involved, it is never good. We need to intercept Anne before he can use her for ancestors-knows-what. Amy, are you and Volteer close to a cure?" Annie queried.
"We think so. We can't hope to extinguish the darkness inside either Anne or the amulet, but we think we can transfer it into another orb," Amy answered.
"The Avalarans may be reluctant to lend us an orb for this 'cure' of yours. Cyril and I tried to assure them that the orbs would be returned, but the lack of results has made them distrustful. There has been talk of dissolving the alliance between Avalar and the Dragon Realms," Morgan exposited.
"Indeed, there are those within Avalar that have reservations of the alliance. These orb thefts have amplified those voices, shouting loudly that this never happened before we came into the picture," Cyril clarified.
"That's gratitude for you. Dragons freed their worlds from the antics of that diminutive pest Ripto. They should be thanking us," Delilah remarked.
"That was one dragon, and we may need him to smoothe things over. I know, I know, we shouldn't rely on our purple ally to come swooping in and save the day as always, but it would help the situation," Annie rebutted.
"I'll send the young one a message informing him of what is happening. What about this 'cure' you say you've found?" Ignitus inquired.
"I must stress that this procedure has never been done before, and could leave Anne very weak, both physically and mentally, for quite some time," Volteer added.
"Better than dead, but is the Court sold on the idea of bring Anne here?" Annie probed.
"The matter is life-or-death, so we will allow it, on the condition that Anne's memory be erased once the procedure has concluded," Ignitus conceded.
"Mewni has healers that can help with Anne's recuperation once the Sentinels have finished. You can bring Anne to us," Moon volunteered.
"Thank you, Senator Moon. We appreciate your assistance. Onto other matters, any other progress to report?" Annie directed.
"I have been monitoring the Ape Clans as you asked, Chief. As predicted, there is increased chatter about Gaul's return, and we have seen re-organisation efforts," Delilah updated.
"This situation is precarious, and neither option is appealing. We either keep watching and risk the Ape Clans uniting under one banner and renewing their war against the dragons, or launch a pre-emptive strike to thin their numbers and start the war ourselves," Terrador summarised.
"Stopping Gaul's return should put that talk to rest. Keep watching them in the meantime," Annie responded.
"Mr. X. and I searched that thrift store from top to bottom. I am pleased to report that there are no more inter-dimensional artifacts in that place. In fact, the owner said they were closing down the store after we left," Sylvia explained.
"However, try as I might, I was unable to track the Order member that slipped Anne the amulet," Zella concluded.
"One thing at a time. First priority is to save Anne. We can deal with the Order member later. If she has been taken to Amphibia, we will need to go there and extract her," Annie resolved.
"Very well, but Sentinel presence there should be kept to a minimum. This should be a solo operation," Terrador suggested.
"Agreed. Amphibia is in a delicate place right now, still recovering from Andrias. The last thing they need is more other-worldly trespassers. Go there, find Anne, bring her here, keep interactions with the locals to an absolute minimum," Ignitus commanded.
"As you wish, councillor," Annie acknowledged.
"Meeting adjourned," Ignitus called, and everyone left to their assigned tasks.
Meanwhile, in Marcy's dream, she, Sasha, and the cat on the principal's desk were having a discussion of their own. The cat chose to start things off. Before their eyes, Sasha and Marcy saw the cat grow in size until it became too big for the desk and pounced onto the floor behind it. Soon, it became big enough to fill half the office, at that point, it had stopped growing. It had sprouted wings from its back, facial hair atypical of a cat, and heterochromatic eyes.
"Introductions are in order. I am the Guardian. I have watched over all the realms of the multiverse for countless millennia, and on a more personal note, I was the one who resurrected Anne. You're welcome," the Guardian stated.
"Oh good, could you do it again? She's in a bit of a state right now," Sasha replied bluntly.
"Yes, I know. That's why I brought the two of you here, to this place, so I can explain what is happening and how Anne can be saved," the Guardian clarified.
"You mean the Eye of Gaul?" Marcy observed.
"That is what the Amphibians call it, yes. No doubt you know of its curse and what it does to people unlucky enough to cross its path. The truth is, this cursed object was one of many such artifacts, though thankfully, this is the last one left. It is a remnant of a war long past, housing the mind of an ancient evil whose name I dare not mention," the Guardian explained.
"I know the legend. The Eye of Gaul was taken as a trophy by King Salamandron from the Ape King Gaul, but lost years later," Marcy summarised.
"The Ape Army was defeated, but not destroyed. What Salamandron did instead was ship the Ape Army, including Gaul, to a far-away continent on Amphibia and let them settle there, on the condition that they not intrude on Newtopia or indeed any other part of Amphibia ever again. Over time, that changed," the Guardian told the true story of Gaul's defeat.
"Let me guess, exile was too much for Gaul?" Sasha speculated.
"No, at first, Gaul accepted his defeat. The continent had a rich bounty, enough to sustain their population for decades, even centuries, but the longer Salamandron had the Eye, the longer it 'spoke' to him. The Sentinels that helped Salamandron achieve victory took note of this and wanted Salamandron to destroy it," the Guardian continued. It then projected a moving image of events long past that depicted a kingly newt, presumably Salamandron, and another being neither frog, toad nor newt. This one looked human, but he had wings growing out of his back.
"I take it that's a 'Sentinel'?" Marcy guessed.
"More on them later. Watch on," the Guardian responded. The Sentinel in question prepared what looked like a potion and motioned Salamandron closer to the cauldron.
"Put the Eye in the concoction," the Sentinel urged. Salamandron's gaze switched from the bubbling, red brew to the Eye of Gaul he had in his hand. As he dangled the amulet over the potion, he heard a voice coming from the Eye. He found himself unable to simply let go and drop the Eye into the potion. Instead, he brought it closer to his chest. "Destroy it!" the Sentinel said desperately. However, Salamandron instead put the Eye around his neck and looked at the Sentinel.
"This King is mine, Sentinel," Salamandron declared in a voice that wasn't his own, but the Sentinel knew all too well. Distraught, the Sentinel drew his sword and attempted to take it by force, only for the possessed Salamandron to resist in kind. His strength amplified by the Eye, the Dark Master, using Salamandron's body, overpowered the Sentinel and fled for Newtopia. Realising that there was no way to get the Eye now, the Sentinel fled to the Sanctum.
"Some context is in order. Salamandron was under the thrall of the 'Dark Master' who shall remain nameless, who was fighting a war with the Sentinels across multiple worlds to establish his empire. Amphibia was just another world caught up in the conflict. The same will happen to Anne unless we get her to the Sentinels in time," the Guardian pressed.
"I've never heard of these 'Sentinels'," Marcy replied.
"Yes, I'm not surprised. At their request, Salamandron erased all record of them from the history books. Sentinels are long-lived, practically immortal beings, with immense magical abilities, and they are dedicated to serving the Court of Ancients, a quartet of dragons, led by a High Justice, that oversee the Dragon Kingdom," the Guardian explained further.
"And this 'Dragon Kingdom' fought these ape things?" Sasha queried.
"Yes, across many worlds did the armies of apes and the Dragon Kingdom do battle, but it all came to an end when the Dark Master's spirit and power were separated from his body, which was imprisoned in the void of Convexity. The extensions of the Dark Master's mind were all destroyed, save the one in Salamandron's possession, which had remained lost, until now," the Guardian exposited.
"When it was found and passed onto Anne. By whom?" Marcy quizzed.
"Those that seek the Dark Master's return for their own ends. They must be stopped, or history will repeat. Fortunately, I know what the Dark Master seeks in Amphibia. After his defeat, the Dark Master used Salamandron to seal Gaul's army, and Gaul himself, off from the world. Even time couldn't touch them. I believe you humans call it 'cryogenic stasis'," the Guardian concluded.
"That's possible. Given ancient Amphibia's technological prowess, it wouldn't surprise me if they invented such freezing chambers. For such a prison to last this long, it must be powered by the geothermal energy generated from the planet's core," Marcy theorised.
"My goodness, no wonder the Gem of Wit chose you. Yes, that is precisely how the Frozen Army's prison runs, and the Dark Master wants to set them free. Make no mistake, if the Ape Army re-organises under Gaul, nowhere will be safe," the Guardian remarks.
"You want us to go back to Amphibia, don't you?" Sasha guessed.
"Yes, I do, but this time it will be your choice. I won't blame you if you turn this mission down after everything you've been through," the Guardian responded.
"You're wrong, there is no choice. Our friend's in trouble, so we'll move heaven and earth to get her back alive. This isn't a choice, it's a way of life," Sasha resolved. Marcy nodded in agreement.
"Admirable sentiment. A couple things before you go. One, if Sentinels have already made it to Amphibia, they'll likely be magically disguised as locals. Two, you'll need these," the Guardian then gave Sasha and Marcy three gem shards, one pink, one green, and one blue. "Those are your return tickets. Squeeze them to bring yourselves to a place called the Sanctum once you find Anne. That is the Sentinels' home. They won't protest your arrival, trust me," the Guardian added. A portal then appeared below Sasha and Marcy's feet, and they found themselves floating on air. "As you mortals say, good luck!" the Guardian called out, then Sasha and Marcy fell through, losing consciousness during the journey.
Meanwhile, at the Plantar residence, Anne had just finished explaining how the amulet came into her possession and what it was doing to her to the audience comprising of Hop Pop, Sprig, Maddie, Polly, Ivy, and Sylvia Sundew. Their reactions varied, but all had the same look of shock, concern, and despair. Sprig was absolutely beside himself. He always thought that if Anne did find a way back to Amphibia, that it would be like old times, 'Spranne against the world', as they put it. Now, things seemed very dire.
"Can't your human doctors do anything?!" Sprig asked desperately.
"I don't think this is something a physician can fix, Sprig. This is a magical ailment, not a physical one, although it does have physical side-effects. Magic needs to undo magic," Maddie observed.
"Exactly. This 'Annie' girl you mentioned, you said she gave you something that helped, what was it?" Polly recalled.
"I don't know, otherwise I'd tell you. However, there is one way we can fix this for good. Whatever darkness is doing this to me wants something from this 'Forgotten Continent'. Once it has that, it says it will let me go and reverse all this," Anne concluded.
"And you trust this dark, disembodied voice in your head to keep its word?" Hop Pop probed.
"Of course I don't trust him, but what choice do I have? Do what he wants, do nothing and let this thing kill me, or be put on potions that will only delay the inevitable. Besides, he brought me here, and I think he's my only ticket back," Anne summarised.
"Well, when you put it like that, I guess we only have one option. Just so happens, we were planning to go there anyway. You tagged along, we'd be natural allies," Ivy replied.
"Perfect. You and Sprig can take Anne with you to get what she needs. Plus, I'd feel a lot better about you going if you had the saviour of Amphibia with you, even if she is dying," Sylvia Sundew resolved.
"One problem, it'll take us weeks to get to the coast where the boat is set up. Anne doesn't have that time," Sprig stated.
"I can help with that," the Dark Master's voice echoed throughout the Plantar house, this time, for everyone to hear. The amulet on Anne's chest started glowing again. The light engulfed everyone in the room. One second, they were in the living room of the house, the next, they were at a dockyard where a bewildered ship captain was waiting for them.
"What in newt's name just happened? I come out from inspecting the deck to see a flash of purple light, next thing I know, all you were standing on my dock, and who's that? She doesn't look too good," the captain remarked. It was true what the captain said. Anne was clutching her chest, doubled over in intense pain. Crackles of purple lightning were emanating from her body. Sprig and the others rushed over to her.
"Anne! Say something!" Sprig urged. But words were failing Anne, as she was panting furiously, the pain too much for her to speak. Eventually, Anne was so fatigued by the experience that she passed out right there.
"Get her onboard, quick!" the captain ordered. Everyone made their way onto the ship and found an empty bed to lay Anne on below deck. Maddie examined her, as well as the amulet, which gave off a sort of static electricity as she tried to touch it. She then got out her potions kit and whipped up a concoction which she then poured down Anne's throat.
"That'll weaken the dark energy coursing through her body and mind, but we cannot have that thing go off again. Next time, she won't be so lucky," Maddie stated.
"Then we'd better step on it to the Forgotten Continent. No telling how much time she has now," Hop Pop concluded.
"Will someone please tell me what's going on here?!" the ship captain demanded.
"We will explain on the way to the Forgotten Continent. Raise anchor, captain. It's a long story," Sprig replied.
At Newtopia, in Amphibia's first ever Parliament building, Lady Olivia was getting ready for the weekly parliamentary meeting. Since the deposition of King Andrias, it was decided that the monarchy was irrelevant, thus did Amphibia evolve from an absolute monarchy to an emerging democratic power. Frogs, toads, and newts all elected members of the new Amphibian Parliament to represent their area, with a Prime Minister to oversee the day-to-day. Lady Olivia won the first election to take up this post with a landslide majority. The members of this new parliament took up residence at Newtopia, but still oversaw their respective constituencies. Lady Olivia was going room to room, ushering them all into the meeting hall. First on the list was Toadstool, former mayor of Wartwood turned MP.
"Meeting in fifteen minutes. Take your place, Minister Toadstool," Olivia urged.
"I'll be there, don't worry. Mayor Toadie has been bugging me non-stop about extensions to the farming quotas. He's concerned they're too small," Toadstool responded.
"Oh, I agree, though everyone has to vote on it. You know the rules," Olivia reminded.
"I know, I know, and no buying votes, either. I remember that anti-bribery law you brought in," Toadstool recollected.
"Splendid," Olivia remarked. She left to summon the others, but then Yunan, former General turned Parliamentary Guard, and on a more personal note, Olivia's loving wife, approached her in a hurry.
"Prime Minister Olivia, something, or should I say, someone, has come up that requires your urgent attention," Yunan notified.
"So formal, dear. It must be serious. Please show me," Olivia requested. Without another word, Yunan ushered Olivia to one particular room of the castle. Indeed, the room Yunan was in a hurry to get Olivia to was Marcy's old room. Olivia left it exactly as Marcy did, neat and ordered, she even kept her plants watered. Olivia even noted that Marcy was sleeping on her old bed. Wait a minute, that can't be right, Olivia thought. Marcy was supposed to be long gone, never to return to this world. What was she doing here, asleep in her old bed?
"When did you find her?" Olivia asked.
"Just a few minutes ago. I haven't told anyone else, save you, Prime Minister," Yunan answered.
"Good call. Go to the meeting chamber and tell the Ministers the meeting will be delayed. Offer apologies, but do not give specifics. I don't want to cause any alarm," Olivia instructed.
"Yes, Prime Minister," Yunan acknowledged and left to carry out her assigned instructions, while Yunan sat by Marcy's side, waiting for her to wake up. In another part of the Parliament, Grime, former captain of the Toad Army turned MP was getting ready for the weekly meeting when he was approached by Percy and Braddock, two Parliamentary Guards.
"Minister Grime, something requires your urgent attention," Percy notified. Grime turned around and sighed heavily.
"You know, considering the circumstances of which we left things, I'm surprised you two took on this job. In many ways, I'm glad you did, because it allows me to show you how far I've come. If only Sasha could see all this. She'd crack a smile," Grime lamented.
"Yeah, about her. You're gonna wanna come and see this," Braddock pressed.
"Alright, I'm coming. Lead the way, but I can't be late," Grime conceded. Percy and Braddock then led Grime to an empty bedroom which was supposed to house one of the members residing in Newtopia, but to Grime's surprise, he found a human girl lying unconscious on the bed. Not just any human girl, but Sasha Waybright herself. Grime then turned quickly back to Percy and Braddock. "Who else have you told about this?!" Grime probed.
"Just you, Minister," Percy answered.
"Good. Keep this quiet. I don't want anyone gossiping," Grime instructed. Just then, Yunan showed up, hearing the commotion. She took a peek inside, then addressed Grime.
"She's here, too?" Yunan observed.
"Yes, she- what do you mean, 'too'? Who else is here?" Grime queried.
"Marcy is in her old room. Prime Minister Olivia is tending to her. For obvious reasons, this week's meeting will be delayed," Yunan informed.
"What are they doing here? And how long before Anne shows up?" Grime asked.
"To the first question, we'll know once they wake up. As to the second, Anne hasn't been seen yet, as far as we know, but we can guess it's only a matter of time until she shows up," Yunan summarised. As if on cue, Olivia showed up, with Marcy in tow.
"Minister Grime, Percy, Braddock. I take it you know of our 'guests'?" Olivia surmised.
"Sasha's here as well," Grime informed. Speaking of Sasha, she just woke up, and was walking slowly out the door. She noticed Grime in his minister's outfit and immediately smiled with relief.
"Grimes! How have you been, old friend? What's with the outfit?" Sasha queried.
"Sasha, nice to see you up and moving. Yes, things have…. changed. A lot, since you left. I'm a minister now, can you believe it?" Grime greeted.
"Yes, yes, yes, it's all very touching, but we don't have time to waste. Marcy has just filled me in on the situation and it is….. very dire," Olivia updated. The mood changed from joyful reunion to tense situation.
"How dire, Prime Minister?" Yunan asked.
"The Eye of Gaul has returned to Amphibia," Olivia clarified. This sparked hushed murmurs among the group.
"The children's story? But that's just a legend," Braddock dismissed.
"It's no legend. It is one of the Amphibian monarchy's best kept secrets, and now it endangers us all. We need to get these two to the Forgotten Continent as fast as we can. Everything we've rebuilt depends on it," Olivia stated.
"Preferably before Anne gets there. If she's under the Eye's control, she could unleash this 'Frozen Army' that's kept there," Sasha added.
"Frozen Army?! Of what?!" Grime interrogated, finding this story a little difficult to take in.
"Apes. Other-worldly invaders that ravaged Amphibia in our ancient past. They and their king were banished to the Forgotten Continent upon their defeat and later imprisoned in ice. A significant number remain trapped, an army of 10,000 strong at least, enough to lay siege to Newtopia," Olivia explained.
"Then we must ready our fastest vessel," Yunan resolved.
"It won't get there in time. I only know one person that can get us the transport we need. Be warned, you won't like it," Olivia braced them for bad news.
"Please, Prime Minister Olivia, this is Anne we're talking about. We can handle it," Marcy assured. Olivia sighed heavily.
"Very well, all of you come with me," Olivia directed. She then led Marcy, Sasha, Grime, Yunan, Percy, and Braddock down to the dungeons. She led them to a particularly large cell housing a very specific inmate. Judging by the size of the room, Sasha and Marcy could instantly guess who this cell was intended to keep.
"You're right, I don't like this," Sasha agreed, for sitting in the cell was none other than Andrias, former ruler of Amphibia, now an incarcerated, deposed tyrant, still carrying the wounds of his defeat, both physically and mentally.
"Who's there? My eyes may have failed long ago, but I can hear you still," Andrias responded to the aural stimuli of Sasha's voice. Marcy stepped up to greet her former friend.
"Andrias, it's me," Marcy responded. Andrias perked up upon hearing Marcy's voice.
"Mar-mar? Is that your voice, or are my ears playing tricks on me? Is this another phantom tormenting me? I know I can't take back what I did to you, but I am making amends," Andrias said remorsefully.
"It's me, old friend. Remember when I used the False Eel gambit to beat you in Flipwart?" Marcy recalled. Andrias chuckled slightly.
"Big mistake teaching you that. I should've seen through it," Andrias replied.
"Ahem, Mars, we have a situation. Could you maybe pause your trip down memory lane?" Sasha urged.
"Right. We need a way to get to the Forgotten Continent fast enough to intercept Anne before she gets there. The Eye of Gaul has her, and it's using her to free the Frozen Army," Marcy summarised. Andrias started panicking again.
"Gaul?! Olms have mercy, she's going to free Gaul?! How did it come into her possession?! Never mind that, there's no time left. I do have one vehicle that can get you there. The keys are in a drawer in my old quarters. The harbour where it is docked can be accessed via a secret lift behind the bookcase. I should stress, though, that my ancestors made that place taboo to all Amphibians, punishable by death. However, I think they would allow it, given the circumstances. No-one has set foot there in centuries, so I can't tell you what you'll face. Go expecting danger, for you will surely find it," Andrias briefed.
"Thanks. Maybe, when this is all over, and if we have time, I'd like one more game of Flipwart, for old time's sake," Marcy pined.
"Always eager to get another win out of me. I missed that," Andrias lamented. The group left Andrias to his confinement, but unbeknownst to all of them, another newt, blue in colour, and wearing typical guard attire, was following them, taking great care not to be noticed. Soon enough, Sasha and Marcy found the keys where Andrias said they would be, and also the secret entrance to the harbour. They were just about to board the lift when Olivia stopped them.
"Grime and Yunan are going with you, to help in this quest. They are just getting their old military garb on," Olivia notified. Grime and Yunan appeared in the doorway, sporting their old armour, and carrying some useful items.
"You know, it's a good thing I saved these," Grime presented Sasha with her old twin swords. Sasha took them into her hands and gave them a twirl.
"Just like old times," Sasha remarked. Yunan then handed Marcy her old wrist-mounted crossbow. Marcy clipped it on with vigour.
"Still fits like a glove," Marcy observed. The four then got onto the lift, along with the blue newt from before, that none of them noticed. They rode the lift down until it stopped at the harbour, which housed a vehicle that looked like a human speedboat, but much bigger. Obviously, Andrias was meant to be the pilot.
"How are we meant to operate that behemoth?" Grime probed. Sasha took the initiative, as well as the keys.
"Driver's ed, don't fail me now," Sasha wished. Once everyone got aboard, Sasha found the wheel, along with the ignition. Tentatively, she started the boat. It didn't give her too much trouble. The onboard computer came to life.
"Welcome, King Andrias. Please select a destination," the computer requested.
"Errrrr, the Forgotten Continent," Sasha stated.
"Stated destination is forbidden. Additional authorisation is required," the computer replied.
"Oh, come on! I should be able to hack this thing," Marcy was about to dig into the computer's insides when it spoke again.
"Authorisation code transmitted. Auto-pilot engaged. Estimated time to arrival: 3.3 hours," the computer informed. The engines then came to life and the boat started its journey without any input from Sasha. Grime, Yunan, Sasha, and Marcy could only look on as the open sea greeted them, while their blue stowaway found a hidden room in which to hide. She took a deep breath to collect her thoughts.
"Find Anne, bring her to the Sanctum, prevent Gaul's escape, easy," the newt muttered to herself. Elsewhere, in Andrias' cell, he had just deactivated the transmitter in what remains of his cyborg body that had released the authorisation codes.
"Good luck, Mar-mar," Andrias wished.
On the ship with Anne on board, she had just woken up from the amulet's latest activity. She found herself on a bed, with Sprig resting his head next to where she lay. She noted that the air smelled salty and that she was rocking slightly from side-to-side. It became clear to Anne that she was on a boat of some kind, and that if she didn't find a paper bag soon, she would hurl chunks on deck. She shook Sprig awake gently. Sprig stirred from his slumber.
"Anne, you're awake! It's been hours!" Sprig said with great relief.
"I'll say. He never left your side the entire time," Maddie teased from the doorway.
"Never mind that, are we at sea? Because I get…." Anne had to hold in the urge to throw up. "….. seasick," Anne finished.
"I should have something for that in here, let me see…" Maddie started rummaging through her medicine pouch. She took out various items one by one. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Ah, here we are. Just what you need," Maddie took out a rather vile-looking potion, the smell of which only served to trigger Anne's gag reflex. Instead of drinking it, Anne rushed out on deck, leaned over the side and threw up into the ocean.
"Not a seafarer, I take it?" Hop Pop guessed.
"Gee, what gave that away?" Anne responded sarcastically.
"It's a good thing you were out for the majority of the trip. The captain says we should be arriving in a few minutes," Sylvia assured. Anne could almost see a landmass coming up on the horizon.
"Although he wasn't too pleased when we told him about the Eye of Gaul. He said such a cursed object had no place on his ship, and that if it wasn't you, the Saviour of Amphibia, he'd toss you overboard," Ivy added.
"I'm starting to wish he had," Anne groaned as her seasickness picked up again. Hop Pop rubbed Anne's back gently to soothe her sickness.
"At least I can help with this. I wish I could get that thing off you, though," Hop Pop calmed Anne's nerves.
"I know, Hop Pop. It means a lot that you're here," Anne replied. Polly then approached the group.
"We're just about to make landfall. Captain wants us all ready to disembark ASAP," Polly updated.
"Good, the sooner I'm on land, the better," Anne remarked.
"Even I don't know what we'll find, so be ready for anything," Hop Pop advised.
"Don't worry, HP. Whatever's there, I'm sure we've faced worse," Anne said confidently. As both vessels drew close to the Forgotten Continent, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy all steeled themselves for whatever lay ahead.
Author's note: I have been dealing with motivational issues when it came to writing this chapter. There have been days where I didn't contribute a single word to it. Other days, I was lost on how I wanted to communicate my ideas. It didn't help that Marcy's Journal put a few spanners in the works. I started this story before that book came out, before it was revealed that the thrift store closed down, so some re-writing had to take place to make that fit. Still, I should pull through. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.