Camping, Jealousy and Gunpowder

"Who'd have thought it?" Sprig said, taking another bite, "Love Doves tastes nice. Tastes great, actually!"

"Anne, remind me, which recipe did you use?"

"Just a small recipe my parents taught me back home, James," the Thai-American girl stopped for a second, to fill her nose with the amazing smell of the finished food, "We usually use it for chicken."

"What about the mushroom sauce?"

"We garnish the chicken with sauce at home, too, Jacob. We may not have the ingredients we have at home, but I was able to create a sauce with local mushrooms and some spices."

"It's superb! Will you write down the recipe for me, later?"

"For us, too!" intervened Polly hungrily, "Eating your own predators has never tasted so good."

"I must admit it's a strange feeling, having Love Doves for lunch," Hop Pop admitted. "To my recollection, no one in the valley has ever even dared to think they could catch and cook such predators."

"Maybe not here, but where we come from, there are many recipes for such creatures! Roasted, stewed, baked with a side of potatoes, in lemon, in broth, in a pan..."

"Sasha, in the world you come from is cooking such monsters a common thing?"

"Absolutely, HP. Of course, in our world birds are not so big, nor do they have toothed beaks-"

"Wow, it must be nice to live without having to worry about being attacked by such creatures."

"Speaking of which," Amelia leaned forward, "I have a question I'd like to ask…"

"What kind of question do you have, Amelia?" Marcy asked, suddenly alert

"I wanted to ask if there are other species of birds of a similar size and ferocity?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Marcy started to talk, "Many bird species in Amphibia are ferocious predators that love the taste of meat, for example, herons-"

"Herons?" the word passed quickly through all the present human lips.

"Oh yes! I learned about them in the book about dangerous creatures of Amphibia: they can be taller than buildings, and are nearly invulnerable to any existing weapon in Amphibia. Whenever herons appear over a city like Wartwood, many citizens end up-"

Yet, Marcy suddenly stopped as her eyes met the Plantar's and noticed the veiled sadness and nervousness behind their eyes. Sprig remained silent, Polly looked aside and Hop Pop sighed, as memories he tried desperately to not think of resurfaced in his mind.

"Something wrong?" Anne asked, noticing the issue

"Everything's fine, Anne," they all replied, with a fake smile that made clear their desperate desire to change the subject.

"So...can I have another portion?"

"Of course you can, Sprig! It's true that they had a lot of meat on them, but if we don't finish them by tomorrow, we'll have to throw it away."

"Throw it away? Why?"

"Amelia," Sasha spoke with a knowing look, "Did you forget? In this world, there are no refrigerators yet!"

"Refrigerators?" Hop Pop asked upon hearing the word, "What are they?"

"They are a technology from our world," Marcy replied promptly, "They are for storing food for very long periods of time. You know how food, no matter in what form, tends to spoil and rot after a while?"

"Huh-uh, and then?" Hop Pop asked with an interested air.

"Well, with a refrigerator, leftovers can be stored for days and fresh food for weeks! Month even! All of that without worrying about it going bad. Pretty useful for not being forced to throw it away."

"Oh, don't worry," Hop Pop spoke, returning to his classic good-natured look, "We won't throw it away. Sprig, Polly, how about taking what's left over with us tomorrow, to Camp Phlegmington?"

"Yes!"

"Great idea!"

"Wait, Camp Phlegmington?" Anne asked curiously. "What's that?"

"It's a place where we go once a year to camp, tell scary stories, breathe fresh air, clear our minds..."

"And you go there tomorrow? Why didn't you tell us? I would have had more time to prepare."

"Well, guys, actually ... we didn't want to take you there with us."

"What?" said Anne in a voice full of shock, "Why?"

"Yeah!" Sasha intervened in her support, "Haven't we proved that we are trustworthy? I thought you got over your fear of us attempting to eat you!"

"We know, we know!" Hop Pop retorted, "The reason we decided not to bring you is that-when we Plantars camp, we camp hard. There is no sense in you coming with us and being miserable."

"Ah," Sasha stopped all of a sudden, as she realized the issue "That actually makes sense-"

"Plus," Hop Pop continued, "You have your own things to do now, and I have faith you can take care of the farm in our absence."

"Nonsense!" Anne retorted firmly, "I'm not afraid of harshness in camping."

"Anne, I don't mean to offend you, but neither you nor the rest of you are...as hardened as we are."

"You're soft, like babies."

"Really, you should be glad you're not coming with us."

Anne heard them and looked aside, feeling a little miserable. Yeah, she didn't like camping that much, but… that hurt. Being glad to be disqualified from a family event? No way!

"That's ridiculous. Me, soft? Please! Just because we are not Plantars by birth, doesn't mean we can't have a good time together. Isn't that right, guys?"

She turned around, hoping for an enthusiastic approval, only to meet Sasha and Jacob's unsure looks, Amelia looking aside, Marcy being "in the zone" (probably not having heard her sentence) and James standing there, silently.

"Guys?"

"Sorry, Anne, but I think I'll pass this time," Sasha said, in a diplomatic tone. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Hop Pop is right: I don't like having to deal with bugs, dirt, and filth. Plus, I have work tomorrow. Felicia told me there was going to be a large event, and she asked me to bring more Brownies." And we will train later, together.

"I think I'll have to refuse too," Jacob leaned on the side, "We already live every day between mud and dirt and bugs: I don't think I ever want to be even less comfortable than this."

"I have Rosemary, Ginger and Lavender to take care of," Amelia quickly sniped, "Tomorrow we start with some practical exercises that I already tested with Polly."

"Wait, you're teaching them?" Sasha chuckled, amused by the thought alone.

"What's that with that tone of voice? I'm going to train them with everything I know."

"Well, that shouldn't take too long."

"Hey!"

"Anna-Banana, I can come with you if you want. I admit I'm not very good at camping, but we could see new creatures and plant life I can write about-"

"Huh, Marbles?" Sasha interjected, "You have work tomorrow too. You remember Maddie's father? The bakery? Plus, I don't know if Anne can watch you all the time on her own."

"Oh, come on, Sasha, I can take care of myself quite fine."

"Huh, Mar-mar?" Anne raised her hands, "Your hair is on fire. Again."

"What?" She shouted, realizing it was true. "Oh no! Put it out, put it out!"

"Stand still and let me help you!"

"Amelia?" Jacob looked at his cousin, "Just to keep track, how many times had Marcy caught fire on her own, with no logical explanation, so far?"

"Three times… just this week." The young ronin replied in a neutral tone.

A silent exchange took place between Jacob, Sasha and Anne: they knew Marcy would have loved to go to Camp Phlegmington with Anne and the Plantars, but they also knew how clumsy she was. Moreover, considering that in this world there were no hospitals for her to receive medical treatment…

"Come on, Marbles," Jacob walked in as Anne breathed after putting out the fire, "I am quite sure you can still find many animals here: you can go with me, if you want."

"But Anna-Banana…"

"It's fine, Mar-Mar" she sighed, "Well I suppose I can go alone for this-"

"I'm going with you."

"What?"

"James?"

"I have a good experience of camping and sleeping outside," the silver-haired boy replied, "so I guess I'm the most apt to go with you. Plus, I'd like to go star gazing with you too. What do you think of that, Anne?"

"Huh, I guess?"

"Then it's settled! Anne and I will go with you, and the others can stay here."

"Don't worry, HP," Sasha smirked. "We will take care of your home while you are away."

"I hope so," the old frog replied, getting up and walking inside, "Anyway, I guess I'll still have to ask Felicia to take care of you."

"Wha- you don't trust me to stay alone even for a day?" Sasha spoke back, irritated.

"You're still not an adult," Hop Pop replied, "And you need a responsible eye to keep you out of trouble."

"Oh, come on!"

(The next day)

"Anne, James, are you sure you want to come with us ? I wasn't kidding when I said "rough."

"And I wasn't kidding when I said you were soft."

"And I wasn't kidding about the dirt, bugs, rocks..."

"Guys, guys, I understand, and I'm Super-sure I can manage it. I may look soft, but I'm much sturdier than it look."

"And you, James? I don't know what kind of camping experience you had, but I guarantee you that the Plantar camping experience is no joke."

"I guess I won't know until I actually try it, right? Plus, from what you told us, is not very far from the farm: if I grow tired of it and I cannot stand the wilderness anymore, I can simply hop back on Bessie and return to the farm, then have Marcy come and get you."

"James, you learned to drive Bessie?" Anne asked, a little puzzled.

"I read the book, if that's what you're asking." The boy smirked nervously, "I just need some practice, but that's a no-brainer: from what Marcy told me, Bessie's very kind and easy to manage, if you treat her right."

He patted the snail, making her purr.

"Anyway, I guess we should go now," Sprig intervened, "If they say they can handle it, they can handle it."

"Well, all right, kids. Hop on!"

"Whoo, whoo! Camping!"

"And disturbance-free stargazing!"

"Bye, guys!" Marcy, Amelia and Jacob walked to greet them before departure, "Have fun at Camp Phlegmington!"

"Thank you kids!"

"Are you sure no one else wants to join?" Anne pouted, "It'll be fun."

"Thank you, but I do not want to fight another world war with mosquitoes at night, Anne," Jacob grumbled, "Don't worry about me: I'll find something to do to keep myself busy."

"And we should get going soon," Marcy hummed, "By the way, Amelia, about your training with Maddie's sisters-"

"I cannot promise I'll go easy on them, Mar-Mar." The chocolate-haired girl spoke back in a serious tone, "They may be your teacher's little sister, but I can't allow emotions to subside on their training. They've got spitfire in their eyes, thus they need to learn how to flow their emotions and fight in harmony rather than let themselves be driven by their inner sensations. Even if they might get hurt a bit."

"Actually, Maddie told me you do not have to worry about their training: you can go hard and rigid as much as you wish."

"What."

"Well, they did ask for your training, didn't they? Also, Maddie is happy that someone is taking care of them."

"Does she realize that they could get hurt, or worse?"

"I told her. Luckily, here on Amphibia they have resurrection spells for that."

"No kidding"

"Ok, kids, stay well and stay safe!" Hop Pop said one more time, as Bessie began to move forward, "And tell Sasha that, even if I'm not here, I expect her to behave!"

"Don't worry about that, HP," Jacob laughed, "I guess her employer will be too happy to remind her about that-"

(…)

Frog, Felicia wasn't kidding when she said today would have been a challenging day, the blonde-haired girl thought, as she walked out of the kitchen with a platter of fresh, tasteful-smelling Brownies.

When she had started her daily work (after taking a new hot shower, and putting on what was now her official everyday uniform), she had not imagined that the tearoom would be so crowded today. Nor, indeed, that her work would become, as a result, so hectic.

"Here is a new tray of Brownies, all for you kind customers."

"Thank you, Sasha!" An old green-skinned frog, whom the human had now learned was a regular customer of the tearoom, said with a smile, "These new sweets are really delicious: if only there were some bugs in them..."

Bugs in the Brownies? Disgusting!

"They're a recipe from the world I come from," Sasha replied with a smile, "They're called Brownies here. They are not only a good recipe, but also quite simple to cook. Are they to your liking?"

"Absolutely yes," replied the frog with a gentle smile, completely devoid of the suspicion and revulsion that Sasha had faced in her early days on the job. "I must admit that this good flavor was a real surprise-I would love to take some home for my grandchildren, but they always run out so quickly."

A light of opportunity shone in Sasha's eyes, "Well, kind lady, maybe not today, but if you like, I can make more and reserve some for you to take home. If you reserve them, I can also know exactly how many to make." And, how much more I could earn from the percentage that Felicia granted me.

"Here's the tea," the yellow frog, teapot enthusiast, owner of the store and Sasha's employer, said with a steaming teapot, "Sasha, did you rearrange the tables by the window, like I told you?"

"Yes, Miss Sundew," replied Sasha automatically, as Felicia moved to check her work with a careful glance at the smallest details.

Check as much as you want, Sasha thought defiantly, I've made and remade tables every day, memorized the rules of etiquette and perfect tea and cup arrangement, only to see you backslide. If there is one thing wrong…

"Not Bad."

Not Bad? Seriously, I spilled blood, sweat and tears on those tablecloths and all you can say is "Not Bad?"

"You have clearly improved since you started: the tablecloth is still a little too tight in places, and the spoon of the sugar is not properly facing away from the teapot, but I must admit I am very proud of the progress you have made. You are a very good student."

"I've only had one good teacher," Sasha replied, forgetting her irritation from just before and feeling genuinely happy about the compliment. Of course, the fact that her work had not yet been judged "perfect" irritated her, but if Felicia had told the truth, she had in fact almost achieved perfection. Another day's work or two, and it would be good.

"Ivy, how is it going for you? Have you finished folding those napkins?"

"I did, I did!" Replied the young frog in a tired, pained voice. Sasha quickly noticed that the swan-shaped napkins were not well-made, and many of them were misshapen: it was unlikely that Felicia would pass them off as good.

And indeed, they didn't.

"Ivy!" Felicia said, in a voice full of reproach, "What did I tell you? You can't make the napkins too fast, or they get undone. Look how sad and depressed they look."

"But Mom, they're just napkins! What does it matter if they're a little unraveled?"

"Ivy Sundew, what did I tell you? A job done wrong will have to be redone until it's done right."

"I beg your pardon," Sasha said interjecting, her hands moving on their own on the napkins, "If you please, I'll take care of it."

Folding the napkins wasn't really difficult to do. You just need patience and finesse to do them. And the fact that the movement required to fold them were an actual martial move to free one's hands from an enemy clutch, made the effort less taxing and more enjoyable. Plus, if she could earn extra points with Ivy and her mother, she would gladly do so.

"There, you see how Sasha does it?" said Felicia with a smile as Ivy frowned in frustration, "The right time for everything, with patience."

"Miss Sundew, I just wanted to-"

But before Sasha could finish her own sentence, as Ivy walked briskly back into the kitchen without saying a word, steam of anger pouring from her ears.

"Oh, shoot, did I leave a kettle on?"

"No, I think that was her." Sasha said, drawing her employer's ears closer, "Maybe I'm wrong, but I think your daughter has a right to know ... why you're so pushy with the tea formality."

"Sasha, I appreciate your sentiment," Felicia replied under her breath, "But Ivy is too impulsive for her own good. I know she's not happy, but she's still learning, like you."

"Aren't you worried that she might do something drastic?" If I was her, without what you told me, I'd probably hate you.

"Sasha, relax: I know my daughter. And she's not going to get upset and run away from home just because I reprimanded her a little bit."

(…)

"Feu!" shouted the gunner, as his men lit the fuse. Jacob watched the movie on his phone with excitement, as the fuse burned, until the cannon fired its hard cast-iron ball against the castle walls, opening a large gash. A few minutes later, the other cannons opened fire as well, breaking the stone behind which their enemies were hiding and opening a breach in the wall, allowing the ground soldiers to rush inside.

"I love this scene," the boy said with a note of excitement. His fingers barely scrolled across the screen, making reappear for a moment the title of the film "Formigny", a low-budget historical film that few knew about, despite its decent plot and accurate costumes.

Jacob had discovered it years ago, only through a clip he found online, and which had quickly become his favorite scene: French cannons destroying the imposing stone fortifications of the British strongholds.

Gunpowder. It was the watershed that had made the difference: a basic substance, at times easy to make, but whose contribution had made the stone fortifications of the Middle Ages suddenly obsolete: the castles that survived, gave up all their defensive purpose, rendered useless by the cannon shells that could reduce their walls to crumbs.

"Sometimes I wish we had cannons here," the boy said, thinking aloud. It was a nice thought, considering the adventures he and his friends had had so far: cannons, even one of the rudimentary models from the movie he was watching, muzzle-loading and slow to reload, could have been an excellent defense against the giant insects and other monsters that often threatened Wartwood. Considering the meager defenses the locals usually had, it would have been a major improvement.

Yet, as they say in these cases, there was a small detail.

"The people of Amphibia don't know about gunpowder," Jacob grumbled, "And to say it doesn't take a genius: you only need three ingredients. Saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal! I could make it myself if I wanted to-"

Wait a minute, thought the boy, impressed with his realization, why don't I do? I know the ingredients to make it, and where to get them: the saltpeter can be found in caves or other wet environments; the sulfur in thermal areas or with geothermal activity; the charcoal is obtained by tumbling wood…

An ambitious smile bloomed on his lips: it looked like he had another quest in front of him. This time, however, he was both the adventurer and the employer.

"Let's get my quarterstaff and my backpack. First, the saltpeter: I know exactly where to find it…"

Meanwhile, the Plantars, alongside Anne and James, had arrived at Camp Phlegmington: at first sight, it didn't look too bad. There was a large sign of welcome, and various frogs intent on different activities such as riding carnivorous fishes as jet skis, fishing on a small boat, roasting live worms on a campfire, or throwing axes for fun.

"Ahh, we have arrived." Sprig exclaimed, jumping down from Bessie with a blanket, and using it as a scary cloak, "I can't wait to tell scary stories. The more teen frogs running from deranged psychopaths, the better. Ha-ha!"

"I'm just happy to get off the farm," Polly nodded with a greedy expression, "So much fresh air, and it's all mine!

The pollywog inhaled a large amount of air, inflating and deflating like a balloon before ending in James' hands.

"Be careful, Polly," the boy smirked.

"Ugh…" Anne murmured, waving a butterfly away. Then, a horned beetle ran past her feet, causing a small shock in her.

"You sure you want to stay, Anne?" Hop Pop questioned her, "You can take Bessie and go home right now, if you prefer."

"Yeah, Anne," James nodded, "Camping is not made for everyone. I may have grown into it, but you-"

"Hey, hey, hey!" She poked James accusingly, "Here's an idea: how about we stop questioning my experience and get to camping together already? Who's with me?"

She would regret those words soon enough.

(…)

For the rest of the day and the following night, the Plantars went on with their outdoor activities, with James and Anne participating in each one of them. While James managed to hold his own, Anne, however, found herself at the bottom end of a never-ending sequence of suffering and humiliations.

First, there was fishing. Each Plantar managed to catch a fish, Polly's one easily being the largest of the bunch. James caught nothing and Anne hooked an oversized fish, which first dragged her into the water and then chased her, necessitating a rescue.

Then it was the turn to put up the tents: Sprig fared excellently, James managed to put up his own, but Anne fared worse of all, and her tent caught fire for no apparent reason (just like Marcy).

Moreover, that was without considering the giant insects that seemed to be targeting her.

Anne soon came to regret her decision, and wished there was some way for this nightmare of camping to end, but she wouldn't say it out loud. She had to endure it, for the sake of her new family.

Yet, there was something more irritating than the bugs, the stings, and the never-ending humiliations she was suffering every second since she had arrived.

She looked at James, and she could feel her own glare filling with jealousy and bitterness: how did he manage so much better than she could? Didn't the bugs harass him as they did with her? Did he not feel the stings, the bites, the overwhelming crushing weight of the surrounding wilderness?

Clenching her fists, Anne felt her own resolve strengthening: she could not reveal her difficulties and the fact that she felt discomfort, at least not until James did it first...

"Ok, girls!" Amelia yelled, looking at the three excited tadpoles in front of her. She was still wearing her classic cone-hat, but she was now dressed in lighter clothes (actually, just a shirt and some spare pants she "borrowed" from Marcy) and she was barefooted. "Are you ready?"

"Ready!"

"Huh-uh!"

"Let's bring this out!"

"Good!" The human girl shouted, walking in the middle of the prepared arena: a giant lily pad , surrounded by reeds, with a small trunk that could serve as a bench for possible spectators. It was James, who had told her about this place (apparently, he and Jacob had competed here before) and Amelia had promptly decided to convert it into her training arena.

She had her skill, her dojo and even her first disciples: now, it was time to start.

"Before we start, I want to see where everyone's fighting skills are at now: Rosemary?"

"Yes?"

"Attack me for fi-"

"Yah!" The pollywog shouted, launching herself on attack before Amelia even finished up her sentence. Immediately, the cone-hatted girl raised her hand, repelling Rosemary back on the lily pad.

"Hey!"

"You're too impatient and hot-blooded!" Amelia said, her voice more and more sounding like a classic martial arts teacher from one of her favorite movies, "Rushing into attack is the worst mistake any warrior can do!"

"What? Why?"

"Because," Amelia spoke, repeating verbatim the movie sentence she listened to so many times that she ended up learning it by heart, "Rushing into attack is letting your emotions dominate you. By keeping your inner emotion and turmoil in check, as well as exploiting your adversary's errors, you can actually lead the battle from the very beginning. And win against your enemy, using his strength against yours."

"What, are we not supposed to attack?"

"Not in the way you think: your offensive must be swift, unexpected, and unable to-"

"Attack!" Ginger and Lavender attacked at the same time, trying to take Amelia by surprise, only to crash into each other midair, their attack failed before Amelia could even react.

"What was I just trying to tell you?" The girl shouted, visibly irritated, "Kids, I know you're very enthusiastic about the idea of being able to fight on your own, but rushing into an attack without-"

"Charge!" All three attacked, but this time they clearly misjudged the jump, because they ended up falling off of the lily pad, into the mud.

"Girls, are you here to learn how to do martial arts, or to have fun in the mud?"

"Can we do both?"

Ugh, why are they not listening to me? the girl thought, unaware of the comedic irony.

(…)

Ivy Sundew had always longed for an older sister.

From the day she was born, she had often imagined having an older sister who could accompany her on hunts for rare insects, on adventures in the woods, on fun and mischief together.

And one day, her wish had been granted. When strange creatures from another world had arrived in Wartwood, and Ivy met Sasha. A "human" girl who looked grotesque and sometimes frightening, but had a personality like her own: rebellious, intolerant of rules and stupid labels, interested in getting the most out of life.

When Sasha had asked Ivy if her mother would be interested in having her work with them, in the tea store that was also their home, Ivy had been amazed, but also excited, at the idea that Sasha would spend more time with her. In addition, her presence would perhaps help her cope better with the constant scolding from her mother, who was very strict and always ready to point out her every shortcoming, dirty plate, badly made napkin, and less than perfect table.

Felicia was tough, very tough: she did not settle for good results, she demanded perfection.

Yet, how was it that it had taken Sasha so little to gain her interest?

On the first day, Sasha had managed to get an "Acceptable" from Felicia, shocking Ivy, who before then, had never received similar comments from her mother, under any condition. Not only that, in a short time, she had earned the sympathy and trust of many regulars, achieving something Ivy had never thought of before.

For the first time in her life, Ivy felt jealousy in her heart about how Sasha was rapidly taking over her mother's heart.

Of course, what was going on around her did not help her to ignore that feeling.

"Ivy," Felicia's peremptory voice rang out, causing her to have a new twinge of irritation, "Take the dirty dishes and wash them well. Be sure to clean them well."

"I cleaned them well, Mom."

"No, you didn't. And don't use that tone with me, young lady: why don't you try to be more like Sasha?"

Sasha, Sasha, Sasha, what does Sasha have that I don't have?

"Oh, come on: what's the difference between me and Sasha?"

"For starters, Sasha doesn't do her chores in a hurry like you do. She takes her time to do chores, and that means she is doing it well. You, on the other hand, keep doing things in a hurry to such a degree that you have to do them again and again."

"I have to redo them again and again because you always force me to redo them for your liking!"

"Miss Sundew," a voice called out, as Sasha re-entered the kitchen, "It's- am I interrupting something?"

"Nothing at all, Sasha," Felicia said, her face returning to happy in a span of a few seconds, "So how are the customers doing? Are they satisfied with the service?"

I would say they are. Some of them have asked if in the future we can also make Brownie treats to go, for their children and grandchildren."

"Who knew those treats you brought would become so popular?" Felicia giggled, positively impressed.

"In any case, I have to give them an answer. After all, you are the owner of the store."

"Sasha, Sasha, Sasha, you don't need to ask my permission for such things. Just tell them that if they want some, we can prepare more for tomorrow. That's doable, right?"

"I think so," Sasha replied with a smile, now that having the approval to do what she had already done, she no longer had to either confess or ask for forgiveness, "Speaking of which, I also have a new idea."

"What kind of idea?"

"You see, brownies are not the only recipe from my world that I remember. There are a couple of desserts I might bring to your attention - I suppose you've never heard of...strudel in Amphibia, have you?"

"Huh, no?

(…)

"Whelp, today was exhausting," Marcy said, as she and Maddie walked out of her family's bakery, carrying a small cauldron and some ingredients needed for today's magic lesson.

"Don't tell me" the azure-skinned frog replied, a neural smirk on her face, "Dad said the bakery never got so many clients before."

"Oh, is that because something happened recently?"

Not something, someone, Maddie though as she mused over Marcy, who was once again in her "Zone." She was going to reply, before she noticed a tall figure, with a horned hat on his head and a large backpack on his shoulders, walking toward them.

"Marbles."

"Jacob!" The girl said, walking to her friend, "Are you ok?" She asked, noticing that the boy's clothes were dirty, he had leaves over his shoulders and on his hat, and strands of grass on his pants.

"I'm fine, Mar-Mar. I just…went to gather some ingredients for an experiment of mine."

"Experiment?" Both Marcy & Maddie asked at the same time. From what we both knew about Jacob, he was not the kind of person for doing experiments.

The boy smirked, maybe too smug to even try to hide what he was planning to do, "I'm going to make gunpowder to protect Wartwood from the bugs and other menaces."

"Gunpowder?!" Marcy almost yelled, generating a confused expression in Maddie, "You know how to make it?"

"Yup," he smirked, opening the backpack and showing three bags full of the ingredients he gathered, "First, I went back to the cave where we…used to live, to gather saltpeter. Then, I went south to gather Sulphur from the swamp, and some burned-up wood for the coal. Now, I have everything I need to make gunpowder on my own."

"And why would you ever want to make that?"

"Because, Mar-Mar, have you forgotten that we live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a forest where giant, dangerous predator bugs roam? Even if we had managed to survive until now, there is no guarantee we will be safe if some of those large critters come to Wartwood! We need something powerful to defend ourselves if that happens."

"He's almost got a point," Maddie nodded.

"And you thought gunpowder was the solution?"

"Well, if it was able to breach the stone walls, it would also be useful against the exoskeleton of giant bugs? And it was quite easy to make: I fetched all the ingredients already."

"Ok, and the next step is?"

Jacob started to respond, before grimacing as he hit an invisible wall he had not seen until then: he didn't know the procedure to make gunpowder. Sure, he remembered the main ingredients, but after that? He had no idea.

"Frog," he muttered, as he saw his own plan fall into pieces, while Marcy and Maddie chuckled together.

"You went forward without checking, didn't you?" The Taiwanese-American girl said with a smirk, "Like the time you dropped effervescent powder in the school fountain."

"I have no idea what you mean!"

"Jacob."

"Ok, fine: it was me! How did I know that the pipe would break, and the school entrance would flood?"

"That's the problem with your pranks, Jacob: they're creative, they're courageous, but you never think over a certain point. Most of the time, how to avoid being caught."

"Instead of making fun of me, why don't you try to make me feel a little better? My whole dream has just crashed, and I'd need some comfort."

"Why? Because you don't know what to do with the saltpeter, sulfur and coal you gathered? I know the recipe you need."

"You know it?" Jacob looked at her, dumbfolded.

"I learned it once, for one of my roleplays, "Marcy smiled, "Plus, Maddie and I have just the right items you'd need to work on it."

"You would help me? Why?"

"First, because you clearly cannot do it on your own; and second, you do realize that stuff is dangerous? What if you blow yourself up?"

By response, Jacob glanced at the spell bags she and Maddie were carrying, some of them he knew were much more dangerous than some explosives.

"Maddie?"

"I'm helping you too, Jacob," the frog immediately replied, "I know the risk of dangerous undesired effect. Plus, I'm curious what this gunpowder is…"

(…)

"Ow! Ah! James, be careful! I'm pretty sure those ticks caused internal damage."

"I know, it's not a pretty sight." The boy replied, "By Golly, this must have hurt!"

It did hurt, you star-obsessed masochist: how is it that you're not feeling any worse than me?

"So, awkward question," Sprig said, walking toward Anne with Polly and Hop Pop, "but are you sure you wouldn't be happier back home?

"Seriously, Anne, no need to torture yourself!" The old frog added, with a worried expression, "Just take Bessie and go home with your friends. Don't you worry about us: we'll be just fine without you."

Anne stood silently, with a thousand-yard stare, as the words "without you" echoed in her mind, stinging more than any ticks or bug bite she ever received until now.

"No!" She yelled, rebelling at the very notion, "Look, I know it seems like I'm miserable, okay? But I'm not. It's just..."

"Anne," James said, a strange expression on his eyes, "We are not accusing you of anything: Hop Pop and Sprig are just worried about you. Why you're acting like that?"

"James, keep out of this! I'm simply not used to such easy camping!"

"Easy?" The Plantar said at the same time in shock,

"So," a voice called behind them, making James turn around just in time to see a large bearded toad with an Aussie accent emerge from a shrub and walk toward them, "this place ain't extreme enough for ya?

Anne, would you like some salt with your foot?, James thought with fear.

Why must Sasha be so good? Ivy thought with irritation, she's good-looking, hard-working, she always gets good praises from the clients, she manages to do good with the tea, and she always has such good ideas! Meanwhile, how can I even hope to compete with her?

The young yellow frog was in her room, lying on her bed while trying to "digest" her own inner turmoil. Maybe, if she just managed to calm down for a few minutes and not think about how unfair she felt her mother was acting with Sasha and her, she could find a way to calm herself.

Sadly, someone was not of the same opinion.

"Ivy," Felicia's voice called her from the main floor, "Come down immediately!"

"Ugh!" Ivy groaned, jerking up on her feet and coming down, "What happened?"

"What happened is that you still haven't changed the tablecloths as I told you. Ivy Sundew, listen carefully..."

As Felicia scolded her, Ivy's internal anger continued to grow, her irritation swelling exponentially. All those repressed feelings were just one spark away from exploding.

And as often happened in such cases, the spark came just a few moments later.

"I expect from my daughter a minimum of constancy: if Sasha-"

"That does it!" growled Ivy suddenly, "I don't want to do this boring, frilly garbage anymore! I want to become an adventurer and travel the world, to have my own adventures! I'm tired of dishes to wash, napkins to fold, and tablecloths to change!"

"The only thing that's garbage here is your attitude, young lady. A nice cup of oolong will cure that right up!"

"Do you even care about anything other than tea?!" Ivy shouted angrily, before walking toward the kitchen and the back door. Outside at the back of the store, Sasha was throwing away some trash when she saw Ivy coming out of the house with a choleric expression.

"Ivy, are you okay?" Asked the blond girl with a worried look.

"Don't say anything! Why do you always have to be so perfect?"

"What?" asked Sasha, taken back. Her, perfect? Even if Felicia's comments only reminded her what she did wrong?

Before she could ask more, Ivy began to run, prompting Sasha to drop everything and follow her.

"Ivy, what the frog happened?"

"I'm running away from home. No more tea, no more swan napkins..."

"You're leaving your home?" Sasha asked, grimacing, "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm serious! I'm leaving Wartwood, and the Valley!"

"But the mountain pass is still blocked! Plus-"

"Ivy Hibiscus Matcha Sundew!" Felicia's thunderous voice resounded from some…weird bee-like insects with speakers in place of their mouths, "You come home this instant! You're in big trouble, young lady!"

"Oh, yeah, Mom?" Ivy grabbed one of the bugs, "Well, I am running away and leaving Wartwood, for good! Find someone else for your swan napkins to fold! So there!"

Ivy stopped running as she released the strange speaker-bee, which Sasha saw flying…right into a nearby shrub?

Then, Felicia emerged from the same shrub, the insect on her right arm, and an angry expression on her face.

"You girls are in big trouble!"

"Hey!" Sasha protested, "I don't even know what's happening-"

Ivy resumed her escape, leading to Sasha following her and Felicia running behind both.

(…)

"Maybe we should add more water during the mixing stage," Marcy said, raising her head again cautiously, "And reduce the percentage of sulfur."

With a groan of pain, Jacob pulled himself upright, his hair still smelling burnt, his face dirty. "You told me the percentages: three-quarters saltpeter, the rest sulfur and charcoal."

"Yes, but perhaps it must be more charcoal than sulfur. This is the third time the mortar exploded in your face."

"Here's another mortar," Maddie said as she approached cautiously, "be careful, I don't have many left."

"How come someone like you brings a dozen spare mortars and pestles?"

"Simple foresight, Jacob," the little frog smiled, "It is not uncommon for a spell in the making to lead to unexpected consequences, especially if Boom Shrooms are involved. Although even I didn't end up exploding ingredients three times in a row in the same day."

"Laugh, laugh," replied the boy in a voice full of determination, "I will be the one to sing victory once I manage to stabilize the mixture. Now, go back and hide behind the rock with Marbles: this time, if there are no shakers-"

Famous last words, as Jacob would soon learn, when something small and at great speed struck him from behind, startling him and throwing into the air (unintentionally) the mortar full of saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal with added water, mixed together to form gunpowder. Jacob barely had time to realize it and beat himself to the ground before the mortar fell back to the ground several meters away, exploding thunderously for the fourth time in a row.

"Jacob, what the heck was that?"

"Sasha? Ivy? What are you guys doing here?"

"I should say that!"

"Felicia?" Said Marcy as she looked up, "What's going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know too!" Sasha stood up again, imitated by Ivy, "I saw Ivy running away, I asked her if something was wrong, she didn't listen, I chased after her..."

"Ivy Sundew," Felicia spoke again, approaching with a straight face, "I've had it with your disobedience!"

"Well, I've had it with your nitpicking, your rules, and your tea lessons! But mostly, I've had it with the fact that you never find anything good in what I do!"

"I can't believe I have raised such an ungrateful and disrespectful daughter!"

"Oh, yeah?" Growled Ivy with tears running from her eyes, "Then, why don't you make Sasha your daughter? You clearly love her much more than me!"

"What?" Jacob, Marcy, and Maddie gasped at the same instant.

Sasha could not even speak, for what she had just heard. Felicia loves me more than Ivy? Is Ivy…jealous of my relationship with her mom? Is this the reason for Ivy's recent hostility?

"Felicia," said the blonde girl in shock, "Is she telling the truth? You...you were ignoring her...in favor of me?"

"Sasha, this is not the time-"

"Oh yes, it is!" Ivy said again, her tone of voice full of pain, "Don't you try to deny it: Sasha started working in the store just over a week ago, yet she managed to get an 'acceptable' on her very first day, while I never did. You always listen to her ideas, you always compliment her on how she works, and you treat her better than you treat me! I wanted an older sister too, but not one who would take my place in your heart."

Sasha felt a stirring in her heart, as if something had been jettisoned: she could see the pain in Ivy's eyes, the tears streaming from her eyes, the frustration from always being second to her own big sister, the perfectionist, the one who earned all the praise and left her with only the reproaches.

A feeling that Sasha knew too well, because she experienced it from the other side…

The conflict between her former parents flared up again when Amanda found that her former husband cheated on the settlement after remarrying, invalidating the premises of the divorce agreement, and leading both parties into another legal battle, even more vicious than before. Mom's new boyfriend pressed up on modifying the divorce clauses, and soon lawyers were re-hired, and the weekly squabbles became daily scenes of shouting, yelling on the phone, and unresolved conflicts. Plus, since Esther was always away from home now, whenever her mom and her boyfriend needed to vent they picked on Sasha, exacerbating her alienation.

"Continue the investigation!" Amanda said by phone to the private investigator she hired, "I don't care what it costs: keep an eye on my former husband, day and night. I want evidence to nail him, and leave him penniless!"

Sasha, from the top of the stairs, listened in silence. She knew where this was leading on: mom and dad quarrel about everything they used to possess together: the money, the house, the cars, but they never, never quarreled, not even once, for her. The only time she heard her talking about Esther and herself, her father laughed in Amanda's face.

"Your daughters? Fine, you can keep them for all that I care: you already got half of my money and possessions, so never expect me to want to see them in my life, ever again! They're your responsibility, not mine!"

A responsibility, was that all her father considered her to be? Something you have to take care off, like a pet or a memento?

She returned to her room, closing the door and slumping down on the bed. On the wall opposite to her, were prizes and memorabilia of all her personal achievements. The orange and red belts she had earned at her tai-chi class; her cheerleading captain's awards; her gymnastic prizes; her accolades as class queen and social secretary; the scores she had made at Super Dance Fusion … a life full of successes, as she strived every day to be the best at everything she partook in.

Yet nothing, nothing of this ever prompted her mother to give her a little more attention. In her heart, she had only one daughter, and that was Esther. There was no praise for what Sasha did: just reproaches, asking her why she didn't do better (no matter how good Sasha was in first place) and comparison to her always perfect, flawless, spotless older sister Esther.

Esther, Esther, Esther, Sasha thought with anger: no matter what they did, Esther was always perfect in her eyes, while Sasha was the scapegoat. Even during the divorce proceedings, when they could not bear to stay in a room with each other without lawyers, they still treated Esther with kindness and thoughtfulness, while pouring all their resentment on Sasha.

It seemed like the only thing they could see in their youngest daughter were her failures, her flaws, and how she was not as "perfect" as her sister.

Sasha bowed her head: what was the point of being good and obeying rules, if she would be punished regardless? If all the good she did was going to be ignored, and only her flaws and failures were going to be remembered, why even bother trying to fit in? She should just give up on impressing her parents, and be one of those arrogant, uncaring types who always got their way.

Wait…

Actually…now that she thought about it, that was not such a bad idea.

Sasha staggered upright, feeling energized, as an unfriendly smirk spread on her face. Her parents were never going to give her attention, so…why not take advantage of the situation to have some fun?

She already had a commanding reputation at school: all she had to do was to stop adhering to the boundaries she followed until now...and enjoy her life more sharply.

Sasha was already daydreaming about it, when her sight lingered on a nearby mirror, on a picture she knew well, depicting Sasha with her best friends Anne and Marcy.

Anne was a goody-two-shoes, and Marcy was too study-focused: they too deserved to experience life in a more fun and direct way…

Frog, I became my own sister, Sasha thought in horror.

"Ivy-" Felicia started to speak, but Sasha walked between her and Ivy, a scowl on her face.

"No, Felicia: I'll speak to her."

"Sasha,"

"You did enough already." The blonde girl glared, before turning to Ivy, her features growing gentler and kinder.

"Ivy, you seriously think she was complimenting me?"

"What do you mean? Of course she was!"

"Nope, she wasn't," Sasha said in her gentlest voice possible, "If I have to tell you the truth, I was as irritated as you every time she commented on my work, because every time I strived to do a perfect work, but she always found something to nag me about."

"What? But she kept telling me to look at you and-"

"If I have to guess," The human girl said with a smirk, "Your mother was trying to use my own perfectionism to get me to work better, and she compared me to you in order to make you improve as well. Basically, she set us up against each other."

"Mom!" Ivy called out to her, "Is that true?"

Felicia looked aside for a minute, clearly ashamed, "Well, I just wanted you to take your work more seriously-"

"The reason why she doesn't take the job seriously is because you never told her the truth behind it. I would be even less sympathetic to it, if you hadn't told me the truth!"

"The truth?" Ivy, Maddie and Marcy asked at the same time.

"Ivy," the blonde teen continued, "Grab my hands."

"Uh, like this?"

Sasha nodded, before using the movement of the swan napkin folding to get herself free.

"Wait!" Ivy gasped, recognizing the movement, "but those are-"

"Now, let me…sift... the tea!"

"What-what's happening, Marbles? What are those moves Sasha is doing?"

"Can't say, Jacob: too busy ogling."

"Wait a minute," Ivy gasped, as she realized the truth Sasha was showing to her, "You mean-"

"Yes! Those boring tea lessons are in truth a secret martial art course: your mother was so strict because she was actually teaching you martial arts all along!"

"What?" All those present, minus Sasha and Felicia, gasped at the same time.

"Felicia," Sasha asked with a smile, "Can I…tell them the rest?"

"I guess there is no more reason to keep that hidden, Sash," Felicia replied, with a small smirk, "You can do what I should've done a long time ago: tell her…who I was."

"Who you were?"

"Ivy, would you believe me if I told you your mother used to be a top adventurer in her youth, called Felis the Red?"

"Felis the Red?" Ivy gasped, and so did Maddie, "I thought she was a legend, that people made up!"

"Well," Felicia replied, "Some bits were made up. Nevertheless, yes Ivy. The whole point of my tea lessons was to teach you some martial art and fighting styles I learned, for you to use when we will go."

"When will we go? You mean…"

"I never expected the daughter of adventurers to not hear the call to adventure, Ivy. Why do you think I took Liptea all of a sudden? She is not mine, she's yours."

"No way!" Maddie gasped, "She got Ivy a personal snail too?"

"I guess I should have told you earlier, but I wanted to be sure before telling you the truth. Plus, I was positively impressed that Sasha kept up her word, and didn't tell you anything due to her promise."

"Promise? Sasha, you knew!"

"Yes, I did! Why do you think I stopped whining after the first day? Why do you think I spent so much time with your mother, even after closing time? Why do you think I kept giving your mother so many ideas? For every idea, I got a percentage of the earnings… and she would teach me some badass martial art moves."

"Wow, Sasha: you really are a cool older sister!"

"I guess I can't argue on the cool part," Sasha replied, before kneeling to be closer to Ivy. "However, I never wanted to take your place in your mother's heart, nor have I ever wanted to steal all her good words. I know how you feel, Ivy, because that's what I experienced every day, on Earth."

Ivy looked at Sasha, her eyes widened, while Felicia covered her mouth.

"That's a nice drama, don't you think, Jacob?"

"I wish you could summon some popcorn, Maddie."

"Sasha, you mean-"

"I had an older sister too, Ivy: her name was Esther," The blonde girl said, fighting on her impulse to cry, "And she was always perfect in her eyes: my mother kept giving her all the attention, while seeing only my flaws and failures. I strived every day to do better and better, to become someone like her, to be able to gain some recognition from her…but she never did. I hated her, I hated my sister, because she could get praises so easily while I never did. And then, one day I snapped: if my mother and her new boyfriend could only see my failures, my errors, what was the point of ever - of ever trying to be good."

She looked down; trying to suppress and contain her own emotions, Marcy and Jacob feeling pain in their chest as well. Jacob, however, came closer than anyone else to a realization: was this the reason why Sasha became so toxic with her friends? Why she had started to emotionally blackmail them, to control-freak them, to stop listening to any opinion but her own?

Gosh, it looks like I am not the only one with a difficult liaison with my parents.

"Sasha," Ivy said, hugging her strongly, "I was wrong to think that about you. I didn't- I didn't know you experienced this."

"That's ok, Ivy. I'm too though to break over this."

"That does not make what you experienced less painful, young lady!" Felicia said, walking behind them and joining the hug. "Sasha, I don't know how long you and your friends will have to stay here, but as long as you will, you'll always be welcome at my shop. No matter what you need, we will help you."

"Sure thing! I'm not leaving my cool adoptive older sister!"

"Well, that's nice…little sis." Sasha shrugged, Marcy gleaming to the heartwarming scene, while Jacob and Maddie bumped fists.

"Now that I think about it, why did you say I was the daughter of adventurers, plural?" Ivy asked, looking at her mom. "Don't tell me that grandma Sylvia…"

"Oh, honey. Where do you think I met your father?"

"Mom, please!"

"I guess we were wrong to doubt you, Anne." Hop Pop said, with an expression of approval, "You really are used to extreme camping."

The Thai-American girl looked aside, feeling guilty. She wanted to fit in, true, but she never planned to put her adoptive family in danger. Certainly, she never wanted them to risk to being eaten alive by mud-covered, cannibalistic frogs.

"Guys, I have…a confession to make: this extreme camping stuff is nonsense. I really was miserable back then; I simply refused to admit it, and I kept trying to cover it up."

"Huh?" James asked, jerking back on his feet, his clothes still dirty with mud, "You were…pretending?"

"So you dragged us to this horror show for no reason at all?" Polly summarized, before smirking. "Twisted. I love it."

"I don't understand: why did you lie about it?" Hop Pop asked, genuinely worried, "There was no reason for you to keep it secret. Why did you want to be miserable?"

"She didn't want to be miserable," Sprig intervened, "Anne simply lied to all of you because James was so good at camping that he made her feel dumb and inept."

"Sprig!"

"What?" The British boy asked, his eyes widened, "Anne, is that true? You were hiding your own discomfort…because of me?"

Anne sighed, as there was no more hope to keep the secret, "Yes. I mean, you did tell me you were used to camping, but I didn't expect you to be so good at it. Ever since we have arrived here, I fell into water and was attacked by a large fish; my attempt to build a tent ended up burning with no reason; I was attacked by large bugs all the time, I ended up in a giant thorn bush. At first, I assumed you would have faced something like that, but all day along, you kept acting like normal. And I didn't want to look like a crybaby who can't stand a little nature." Then, she looked at the Plantars before continuing, "I already felt left out when you told me you were going here, and you didn't include any of us. I'm not a frog, I'm not a born Plantar, I wasn't even invited on this trip. I really like you guys and wanted to be with you, no matter if I was going to be miserable or not."

Anne expected some scolding, maybe for James to be angry with her. She surely didn't expect for him to put his hand on her shoulder.

"Anne, you think I didn't face difficulties all day?"

"What do you mean?"

In response, the boy raised his own shirt, showing the girl his bare back, revealing he was covered with insect bites, scratches and small cuts in turn.

"Anne, I was actually waiting for you to ask to go back home!"

"What? But you already went camping before…"

"Yes, but not like this!" The boy replied, "All the other times I went "camping" before, I did with my mother, and we never slept outside: we went in our car, we had blanket to lay on the grass, we always stayed with a group of other people helping each other, and we mostly just went stargazing! Frog, some of those camping were just nighttime field trips, we stayed out for some hours at most! I have never gone on a camping trip like this before!"

"But then-why didn't you say anything?"

"You kept repeating how happy you were to be here, Anne," The boy scratched his head, looking embarrassed, "And I didn't want to be the party pooper. I figured out that, if someone like you had nothing to complain about, I shouldn't have as well."

"Wait, you mean I was waiting for you to say something, and you were waiting for me in reverse?"

"Frog, I feel stupid now."

"Yep. Me too."

James moved forward, he and Anne hugging as the long-hidden truth flourished between them, realizing that if they tried to talk with each other instead of assuming and pretending, the whole situation might have been fixed a long time ago. Even the Plantars joined in.

Soggy Joe might have joined too, if he wasn't dead with an axe on his back, as James thought with sadness.

"I don't know if it's the overwhelming rush of emotions," Sprig said in tears, "or the sweet-smelling toxins of this place, but…dang it, I'm a mess!"

"Kids, next time we organize something, I promise we'll ask you all if you want to be included. Even if it's something we know you'll hate. Even Sasha."

"Well," James chuckled, "Maybe we can make an exception for Sash-Ahh!" He yelled, his scream quickly spreading to the others, as he saw Soggy Joe's body raise from the ground, his eyes glowing, like a zombie.

"AAAAH!"

"Ooh-wee!" Soggy Joe laughed, his eyes returning to normal as the axe in his back dropped to the ground.

"Soggy Joe!" James smiled, "You're alive!"

"Yes: good thing I wore my axe-proof vest, eh? So, what did I miss?"

"Oh, pretty much…everything."

"Really?"

"Yep," Sprig spoke up, "Well, there were these crazy cannibals, and they were all covered in mud, and they tried to eat us, and James fought them with torches, and then they jumped on him, and then Anne saved us with a bath spell."

"Bath spell?" Joe asked, puzzled.

"Just something Marcy made for me a bit ago," Anne shrugged, "Useful to get clean… in a blast."

"That was a terrible pun, you know, Boonchuy?"

"Blow it out your Union Jack, Blueingham."

"So," Soggy Joe asked, "I suppose now you'll be leaving."

"Right."

"I want to go somewhere else. Where there are no cannibals."

"If we leave now, we might return in time to make dinner."

"Ok, so…you want to get pancakes early?

"Oh, yeah, that sounds great."

"I've always been more of a waffle girl, myself."

(…)

How the frog did we got here?, Amelia thought with a sigh as she looked at Rosemary, Ginger and Lavender, having completely forgotten about the martial art lesson and more focused now on fighting each other with mud.

"Take this, lavender!"

"Hah! Too slow, Rosemary!

"Ginger, now you're done!"

"Girls!" Amelia spoke again, once more trying to regain their attention, "This is not-"

Yet, before she could proceed with her own reprimand, she noticed something odd, that she never expected to see.

That is, Rosemary avoid Ginger's attack, and with a swift movement on the die, attack her on the flank. It was a movement that Amelia saw once in an anime, a movement that, while she thought it looked cool, she was never able to reply.

Yet, the three Flour sisters had no legs yet.

Wait, why this looks more graceful than I thought? The girl wondered, looking excitedly at the impromptu battle, did they end up learning something?

"Ginger, watch out!" Amelia shouted, noticing Lavender coming from her back, "Never lose sight of the battle!"

"Oh? Ah!" The tadpole shouted, avoiding her sister's attack all by that little, "Thank you, senpai!"

Amelia smiled, hearing the little pollywog calling her with the Japanese word for "master". Before she could even realize it, she was now looking at the fight with a new, interested look, shouting suggestions.

"Rosemary, you keep your flank too open; try to control your defense; Ginger, your attack is impetuous, but you're missing a lot of hits. Lavender, again, you're still too aggressive: look to your side!"

The girls kept on their pretext war, and Amelia smirked. For the first time since she took them under her wings, she felt like she was now on the road to become a martial arts master for real…

That evening, a large outdoor dinner was taking place in the garden of the Plantars' farm. In order to avoid annoyances caused by the usual insects (attracted by the light and the smell of the food), the boys had arranged large coils, made by Marcy from hemp and local herbs, which, as they burned, emitted a very intense odor that would keep any "unwanted guests" away.

The table consisted of three tables, arranged in a U-shape, around which the various participants were seated: Hop Pop, Polly and Sprig were in the recess and were merrily chatting about their misadventures at Camp Phlegmington, with Anne unable to help but blush as she went back and forth from the kitchen to bring out the dishes. Sitting in front of the Plantars were Felicia, Ivy, and Sasha, who, having gotten over the family drama of that day, were now happy again, each for their own reasons: Felicia, for saving her relationship with her daughter, and to have finally accepted Sasha into the family; Ivy, to have discovered the truth about her mother, that those tedious and repetitive tea procedures were hidden martial arts, and to be on good terms with Sasha again, now that she finally understood her own "adopted sister. Sasha, for her part, could not help but feel an unfamiliar warmth: was this what it meant to have a family that cared about you, and loved you?

To their left, Marcy and Maddie were telling Amelia about Jacob's attempts with gunpowder, and the disastrous results so far, to the boy's visible embarrassment; his hair still smelled of sulfur, but he was alive and intact. A good result, considering the day's events.

Amelia, for her part, was seeking advice from Marcy regarding her sisters' training, and although she tried to inflate the results, it was clear that it would be a long road before Rosemary, Ginger, and Lavender could learn anything about martial arts from her.

James was standing still in the doorway, watching the scene in front of him with a satisfied air, when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

"Anne?"

"James," replied the girl, "Can I ask you a question?"

"If it's about what happened at the campsite today-"

"No, it's not about that. It's just that...I think it's time."

"It's time? Time for what?"

In response, the Thai-American girl raised her arm, showing the British boy something wrapped in a white cloth. Something that, because of its shape and size, James knew very well.

"Anne?"

"I think we can trust HP and the others, and I don't want to keep any more secrets with them. Plus, who knows? Maybe they can help us find out how to make this box work again and return home."

"Ok, Anne," he shrugged, "I guess you're right."

The two walked out, each holding on to the box. Sprig was the first on the table to notice and call for them.

"Anne, James, you didn't tell us there was also dessert."

"This is not the dessert, Sprig," James replied. From where they were sitting, Sasha, Marcy, Jacob & Amelia suddenly noticed the box in the cloth, and immediately became aware of it, with worried expressions on their faces.

"Guys," Anne continued, putting the box in the middle of the table, for everyone to see, "We've been through a lot until today, and now that we've learned to trust each other, and we know we can count on you, there is… something I think we ought to share with you."

Her hands moved over the cloth, opening it, and revealing the box inside of it, "This is how we got here."

From where they were sitting, all the frogs on the table looked at the box in amazement. Even Felicia and Maddie looked at it with wide eyes, unable to contain their emotions.

"Wow!"

"Shiny."

"Oh!"

"Amazing!

"Weird."

"Oh my!"

"It's some kind of music box that we found in our world," James immediately took off explaining. "The first time we opened it, there was an explosion of lights and colors, and the next thing we know, we were here, in Amphibia!"

"Sasha," Ivy asked, tugging on her adoptive older sister's arm, "How does it work?"

"We have no idea," The blonde-haired girl replied. "We only know that it worked once, because ever since we arrived it, we tried to use it again, but to no avail."

"So far, we only have a couple of clues," Marcy added, "You see the gems on the box, the main three on the lid, and the other three on the side?"

"Huh-huh?" Ivy said, looking at them. "They are transparent, and gray in color."

"Yes, but they weren't when we found it: at least, the gems on the lid were colored and glowing in bright shades. I guess their colorlessness is connected with the fact that it doesn't seem to work anymore."

"And there were only three!" Amelia grumbled, "We do not know where the other three came off, just that they were already there when we found ourselves stuck here."

"Mom, you were an adventurer: did you ever see something like this in one of your travels?"

"I don't know: can I see?"

Felicia took the Box in her hands and looked at it with a wondering look: sure, there was something strange in this box, something dangerous and yet familiar at the same time. Yet, what could it be?

"Felicia, do you know what this box is? How does it work?" Sasha asked hopeful.

"I'm sorry, but I've never seen something like this. Though I must admit, the design of this box looks marvelous: amazing craftsmanship, I would say! I explored lost sanctuaries and hidden palaces, all over Amphibia, and yet, I have never seen something like this. And you say it brought you here?"

"Yeah: we suspect it may be magic, or something like that. Maddie, maybe you can be more helpful?"

"Let me check," The azure-skinned frog murmured, taking the books and studying it with a focused smile. Much time had passed since she started learning about magic, and while she never considered herself an expert, Maddie by now had learned much about how magic worked, and could be done with it.

Yet, the more she looked at the Box, the more Maddie felt like a newbie on her first day, who has yet to grasp the vast knowledge available. This box was magic, she could tell it, and yet, the leftover traces of energy she felt… Why didn't it look like anything she had ever seen before?

"Maddie," the frog felt Marcy's hand touching her on the shoulder, "Everything ok?"

"I'm fine, Marcy" she hurried to reply, "It's just…I can feel the leftover traces of the energy: whatever it was, it couldn't be magic, at least not like the magic I know. Rather, I'd say it was something much more powerful…and unknown, something I never felt before."

"Maddie, are you serious?" Ivy looked at her contemporary with shock, "You can't identify it? I thought you were Wartwood's major expert on magic available."

"I thought so too, but this energy…I have never felt something like it. It doesn't look like regular magic at all!"

"What about you, Hop Pop?" James asked in turn, "Do you have any idea?"

The old frog looked at the box for a few seconds, inside and outside, before replying, "Nope. Never seen anything like it."

"Well, I guess it means there goes all our hope to find out how to recharge it in short times, I guess." Jacob sighed, "We have no better plan right now than find out more, especially what we need to power it back and where we can find it."

"Well, it was worth a shot."

"Don't worry, guys," Sprig announced, "We're going to find a way to get you home."

"Yeah!" Ivy jumped in, approving, "We'll look everywhere and find out what you need to go back to your world."

"My magic experience is at your service," Maddie smiled, "You helped me and my family, Marcy: I guess it's time to return the favor."

"Thanks, guys." Anne smiled weakly, "That means a lot to us."

"At least, we are all in this together. Right Mar-mar?"

"Yes, Sash! This is our quest!"

"All for one, and one for all!"

"Banzai, Zattenayo!"

"Tally ho!"

The humans hugged together, united in their decision to find a way to recharge the box and go back home, for a minute or two, forgetting about their own issues and bonding like childhood friends.

Then, Hop Pop yawned.

"Well, that's enough excitement for me today." The old frog said, walking back inside, "I think I'm going to turn in."

"Good night, Hop Pop."

"Sleep well, HP."

"Good night, Mr. Plantar."

(…)

However, Hop Pop was not sleepy, nor did he head for his own bed. On the contrary, once he was sure that no one could see him, he headed quickly to his study, locked the door behind him, and after lighting a candle to illuminate, began to leaf through his own volumes.

Earlier, when they had shown the box, Hop Pop had been surprised, but for a different reason than the others. Felicia may have never seen such a box before, but Hop Pop had.

That was why he was now flipping through a large family volume; passed down from generation to generation in the Plantar family for far longer than anyone could remember. He remembered seeing, inside said volume, something that looked like that box.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm remembering wrong, thought the elderly frog with hope, Maybe there is nothing dangerous in that box, maybe-.

"Oh no!" Hop Pop gasped as he found the page he was looking for, and his fears began to materialize. "It's just as I feared."

There it was, the music box that Anne and James had shown them earlier, the same design of the frog adoring the three gems on the lid. On the left, a more detailed drawing of the three gems, each imbued with a particular color: blue, green and pink. Below the box, three more gems, yellow, white and purple, with arrows pointing to precise spots along the box (the same spots where these gems were now).

The page was full of text, written in a language Hop Pop could not read, nor had he ever seen before: but some of the words were understandable, and so were the sketches of skulls and warning signs on the page.

CALAMITY BOX

DANGER!

DESTROYED!

BEWARE!

DESTROY AT ONCE!

"Calamity Box" read Hop Pop in a voice trembling with fear as memories of Sally and his past came flooding back to him. Oh, Anne, guys, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourselves into?