Fiddle Me This
"So, Mom taught you some skills to fight dark magicians head-to-head?
"Yes, Sasha!" Ivy nodded, happy about yesterday's sparring session. "She said that she learned techniques when she faced some kind of dark occultist, living in a creepy castle."
"I suppose that was quite an adventure on her days, huh? I'm sure it will be useful the next time we end up facing some kind of dark wizard jerk!"
"Barry was really the one behind it? When I told mom and grandma, they couldn't believe it. He looked so kind!"
"Well, I suppose this is the lesson for that adventure: never judge a book by its cover. At least, we got something useful out of the whole mess."
"Sash!" Ivy gleamed, noticing what the girl was offering to her in her hands "Is that…?"
"After we defeated Barry, we took all his merch. Most of it was taken by Toadstool to be resold, but… I'm sure no one will notice some missing candies. I already have a full secret stash of these in my room, want to share?"
"You're the best sister I ever had!
"Happy you think that, Ivy." The blonde human replied, with a bittersweet smile. I wish I could have said the same with my own sister…
(…)
As the two girls strolled around, in a spot nearby, Hop Pop, Anne, Marcy, Sprig, and Polly were looking for a parking spot for Bessie among many other snails.
"Hey," Sprig said, pointing to a narrow, empty space, "There's an open spot!"
"I don't know, looks a little snug."
"Comparing the spot's width by default with the dimension of Bessie's shell and the optimal space for us to get out safely, I think it's not large enough," Marcy said, sizing the space's dimensions with her fingers. "Maybe we should check elsewhere?"
"Nonsense! I'm an experienced snail driver, I know where to park!" Hop Pop rejected, whipping the reins and making Bessie move in reverse as she chirped, her shell scraping with the other snails' shells as Marcy's calculus once again proved to be correct. The noise drew the attention of Leatherleaf, a sandwich in his hands, who simply shook his head in disapproval, Hop Pop slowly and solemnly nodding in return.
"All right, kids, we'll meet back here in 15 minutes."
"Bog Bath & Beyond, here I come."
"I'm going to the seed store. Anna-Banana, you're coming?"
"Fine, Mar-Mar. But this time, try to not lose yourself in it for hours."
As everyone went their own ways, Hop Pop walked to a store with the sign "Ascots Unlimited" in front of the door. It was a shop he knew very well: not only was he a regular customer, but the owner of the shop was an old friend of his.
"Don't mind if I do." The old frog chuckled, entering the shop and grabbing some ascots, quickly moving to the counter.
"Well, good morning', Hopediah." Wartilda, the owner of the shop, and one of his oldest acquaintances smiled at him. "How's it going with the farm?"
"Quite good. Between the sales of the tomatoes, the renovation of the stand, and everything else, we're better than ever."
"You know, when I heard that you took those six children to your house, I must confess that I was a bit shocked. Yet, seeing how much those kids did for you and your family… Well, I guess it proved me wrong. And it's been a long time since I've ever seen Wartwood become this lively."
"Lively?" Hop Pop raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Wartilda was referring to.
"Come on, Hop Pop. Haven't you seen how things have changed in the last few months? The economy is good, business is blossoming more than ever; Toadstool is working to become a good mayor instead of embezzling our taxes money; people are happier and more willing to spend. Even my shop, which I believed I'd be forced to close, is experiencing a resurgence in customers and sales. I feel like…a miracle had blessed our town."
"You…you think so?" Hop Pop grumbled, a bit uneasy at the notion that it could be related to his new six kids' doing.
"Yes. And it's not just the money! The toads are gone; we can now have some real protectors whom we can entrust with our safety. My only regret is that my daughter is not here to see it with her eyes."
"Why?!" Hop Pop gasped. "Is she…?"
"No, thank frog, she's not dead if that's what you're asking." Wartilda hurried to explain, "Only, she just got accepted to Newtopia University, and she left the Valley a couple of days before the passes were blocked by the snow."
Hop Pop whistled, seeing Wartilda point to a poster behind her, showing a silhouette of the capital city and the words "This Summer, Why Don't You Visit NEWTOPIA?" From what he knew, Newtopia University was the cream of the crop of education in Amphibia, where the brightest and most brilliant young minds received the best education available. Someone able to graduate from such illustrious academia would be set for a life of success and opportunity, no matter what path they would eventually take.
"That's the big leagues right there."
"I know, she's got such a bright future. Why don't you try to enroll some of your kids? I'm quite sure Marcy would be accepted for sure."
"I'm…not going to make arbitrary decisions on their behalf," Hop Pop replied, still feeling nervous about the whole Box issue, "I mean, so far, they intend to find a way back to their world. I'm sure they have good schools and universities there as well."
"I suppose I can't argue with that." Wartilda chuckled, before sighing. "Still, it would be a good idea to have a plan B, regardless of the situation. I'm just saying…what if there is no way for them to go back? Wouldn't it be a good idea to have other options? For them to have a good future regardless of what happens?"
Hop Pop whimpered, as Wartilda's words innocently hit a sore point inside of him. For now, they had him to watch over them, to help them and assist them, but…what would be of them once he was no more in the picture? Who would take care of Sprig and Polly, after he was gone?
He felt a storm form inside of his heart, two powerful hurricanes clashing against each other. He could still remember the angry words of Sasha, Anne, and Marcy's eyes filled with betrayal. Yet, at the same, he couldn't help but worry for them.
Wartilda's daughter was now attending university in Newtopia: that alone was enough to guarantee her a bright future. Was there anything he could do? To do the same with his children?
"I'm…I think I'm going now Wartilda." The old frog grumbled, taking the ascots he had bought with him. "Good luck with your ascots."
"No, good luck to you Hop Pop, the Hero of Wartwood." Wartilda smiled back, as Hop Pop walked out of the store, still caught by his self-inflicted depression.
"Wish I could give my children a better future. But how to do so, without betraying the trust I worked so hard to regain?" He murmured, before realizing he was hearing exclamations of awe, and a small crowd had formed in front of the town message board. At the back of the crowd, he could see Anne, Marcy, Sasha, Sprig, Ivy, and Polly, and hurriedly moved toward them.
"Whoo-hoo!" Sprig said with an excited expression, "Amphibia's Got Talent is coming to Wartwood."
"I can't believe it's happening already!" Ivy nodded. "This is a great occasion!"
"Wait, what is this nonsense?"
"We've got the same thing in our world." Anne started to explain "It's a contest where regular people get on stage and try to prove they're special."
"If they're talented, people cheer for them," Sasha continued. "But if they're not…"
"That sounds potentially humiliating. "
"It is." Sasha grinned, the human and the polliwog exchanging a snicker.
"The auditions are being held…" Marcy began to read the bottom tagline "…this weekend! It's this week?!"
"Hey!" Sprig said, "Could be fun to play my fiddle in front of a crowd. What do you think, Hop Pop? Since I started to practice with Marcy, my fiddling skills have gotten a lot better!"
"Uhm, I don't know…" Hop Pop murmured, the fact that this was said to be potentially humiliating ringing the alarm inside of him.
"What do you think, girls?" Anne turned to her friends "Do you believe Wartwood is ready for a "Sasha and the Sharps" reunion?
"Huh?" Ivy asked with a puzzled expression, Marcy and Sasha smiling as they responded.
"It was a garage band the three of us had back home."
"We used to slay at talent shows!"
"Sasha, why is everything you say so aggressive?"
"I'm not bad, I'm just…animated that way."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"One thing's for sure." Anne said, her eyes already daydreaming, "Winning this kind of event sets you up for a life of endless success and opportunity."
Hop Pop's eyes widened at that statement, the word "opportunity" echoing in his mind as his long-repressed imagination brought him many, many years in the future…
(…)
A large, golden gate with fiddles and music-themed decorations opened, showing the large mansion inside, a giant musical-note-shaped pool in the front yard alongside a volleyball court and a golf flag. Sprig, his hair now greased and combed in a high-style hairdo, walked in front of the pool with a drink in his hands, wearing a green bathrobe, while Polly (now showing brown hair on her head) rested in the pool with sunglasses and a drink of her own. Around the pool, in three expensive-looking deckchairs, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy were suntanning in swimsuits while Amelia, dressed in a light, white dress was doing yoga in the background.
"So, in the end, we couldn't return to Earth," Anne said, almost with an annoyed voice.
"But since we won the talent show, we're rich and successful enough to have a good life here," Sasha replied.
"This is, like, so good." Marcy purred, taking another breath of the air.
"How's life, Polly?"
"Ding-dang delightful." The pollywog replied as Jacob and James (both wearing care assistant's uniforms) pushed a wheelchair with an elderly Hop Pop.
As he saw the opulent life his children now had, the elderly frog realized he would go. "At last, I can rest...forever." He closed his eyes, ready for his dying breath.
Too bad the fantasy, badly imagined and with a lot of plot holes, suddenly became self-aware.
"Wait. If this is the future, why don't I have legs?"
"Why am I wearing a nurse uniform?"
"Why am I talking like a valley bimbo if I'm the smartest?!"
"Hey!" Hop Pop reopened his eyes, "Can't you see I'm trying to pass on?" He sighed, closing his eyes once again, and this time definitively.
(…)
"Hey, Hop Pop?" Anne poked him with no success "Hop Pop?"
"Mr. Plantar?" Ivy tried again, this time using a short stick "Sprig, did your grandpa fall asleep all of a sudden?"
"Old frog, can you hear me?" Sasha attempted as well, snapping her fingers twice. "Did… did he just leave us?"
With an alarmed look, Marcy grabbed the frog's wrist. "There is no pulse…"
"Should we get help?" Sprig yelled, suddenly alarmed "I'll get help!"
"Hold on there, boy!" Hop Pop snapped out of his fantasy, grabbing him before he could run away. "Ok kids, I'm sold! Let's give this talent show nonsense a try!"
"You're thinking of joining the talent show?" Another voice intervened, the group turning to see James and Jacob watching them, the boys with glances full of challenge. "Too late, because James and I already decided to win it."
"To win?" Sasha replied, meeting Jacob's challenge head-on. "Dream on, disaster boy. We are an experienced band, and we have faced talent shows before. To use a term you'll understand, we have the high ground!"
"Then, I guess we will have to get…creative, don't you think Jacob?" James smiled smugly. "If you're so sure of your victory, how about we do a small bet among us?"
"What kind of bet?" Marcy asked, feeling alarmed.
"A simple one: if we don't win, we'll do your laundry for a week, but if you're the one to lose…" Jacob leaned forward, an evil grin blossoming on his lips "…you three will have to make lunch and dinner for a week and serve it to us, dressed in maid outfits."
"What?!" Sasha almost yelled in shock, a couple of frogs turning their heads.
"Dressed in maid uniforms?" Marcy squeaked, her face slowly turning red.
"Victorian uniforms, Marcy!" James quickly added, sensing a misunderstanding coming fast. "They're not the one you're imagining right now!"
"And what kind of bet is that?" Anne frowned, trying to see the logic behind the unexpected challenge.
"A fair one, considering what we're risking. Of course, if you're feeling scared and want to back down…"
"Back down?!" Anne moved forward and grabbed Jacob by his shirt. "Challenge accepted! Be prepared, for after you lose the talent show, you're going to clean our clothes for a whole week, and you'll have to sing an apology song with lyrics written by me! Anne. Savisa. Boonchuy!"
"Whoa ho! You got yourself a deal, missy!"
"No, you got yourself a deal!"
"Deal!"
"Deal!"
"Deal!" A third voice interrupted, both parties turning heads coming to face the unexpected third party.
"Amelia?" Both James and Marcy exclaimed at the same time.
"So, you were planning to have a challenge all of your own, without even bothering to inform me?!" The girl in samurai attire said in a pouting voice, "You left me out of the Dance Craze, and now you're planning to stand me up again?"
"We…we weren't going to stand you up," Jacob replied, obviously trying to come up with a good lie. "Simply…we weren't assuming you were going to participate."
"And yet, I will." Amelia smiled smugly. "I have come up with a number that will leave everyone breathless!"
"You?" James scratched his head. "I don't know, Amelia…are you sure you want to do it? I mean, you remember what happened that time you tried to practice Bon Odori?"
"This time I won't burn half of the farm. And I've got collaborators too!"
"But-"
"Just let her do it," Sasha nodded, whispering something in James' ear. "I'm sure the judges will throw her out in the first five minutes. You should better focus on our little…challenge."
"Kids, Kids!" Hop Pop intervened, attempting to play peacemaker. "Instead of spending your energies in useless quarrels, why don't you focus on your acts for the upcoming auditions? It's a long shot, but with enough determination and teamwork, I'm sure at least one of you will become a star. Now, who wants to eat outside?"
The humans and the Plantars (plus Ivy) cheered at the same time, raising their hands. It was then that Hop Pop noticed that Amelia was holding two large bags full of things.
"Amelia, is that…?"
"The groceries we were supposed to buy."
"And how did you pay for all that junk?" The old frog raised an eyebrow, remembering a crucial memory. "I don't remember that you left the farm with money this morning."
"I may or may not have mortgaged the house." Amelia shrugged.
"SAY WHAT?!" Everyone gasped at once.
"Ok, now that we've managed to redeem the house's mortgage from that slimy dept possessor and avoided being homeless," Sasha said writing on some paper "let's focus on the talent show ahead of us. First, we need the instruments."
"Already taken care of that!" Anne said, with a prideful expression, pushing some unknown items covered with a black blanket. "Check it out, girls!"
As the blanket was removed, Sasha and Marcy's eyes filled with excitation as they recognized the items Anne had somehow managed to gather: a large drum made of wood stumps and with Amphibia's logo on the main drum, a blue-colored guitar with mushrooms as its tuning keys, and in a black box…
"Anne!" Sasha said, feeling herself salivating as she saw the last instrument. "What is that?"
"An ax-beetle made in Toad Tower, bought by some shady seller some time ago. As soon as I saw it, I knew you would've liked it."
"Like it? I adore it!"
"Well, happy that I nailed it. By the way, there is also this" She showed Sasha a small pink coral that the seller gave her alongside the guitar. "Try to put it in there."
Sasha nodded, taking the strange coral out of Anne's hands and entering it in the proper slot, before starting to play. The guitar, powered by the gem, released a wave of pink-colored energy as Marcy and Anne joined, the former playing on the drum while the latter used the guitar, all three girls playing rock music together for a few minutes, until Marcy lost the grip on her sticks and accidentally send them flying across the room, hitting Anne and Sasha and make them fall in top of each other.
Then, they started laughing.
"Sasha and the Sharps are back, baby!"
"Maybe it is time to…change the name a little?" Sasha suggested, getting back on her feet. "Maybe it's too sudden, but I don't feel like being in the spotlight. It reminds me of…my past self."
Marcy's hands gripped, as she realized her friend was sad, still feeling the pain and shock of coming to terms with the fact that, less than two months before, she had been a horrible person. Internally, Marcy felt empathy for Sasha's plight, as she herself felt like she was in the same situation.
"I suppose that's understandable." Anne noted, "But, how are we supposed to call each other now?"
"What about simply…the Sharps?" Marcy raised her hand, "This way, it's the same but different at the same time."
"I like it!"
"So, what song should we play at the battle? How about we play Sasha's main song, "Heart Stomper"? Back home, it was always a hit."
"I'm…I'm not much into it, to tell the truth." Sasha looked aside, both of her friends noticing a nervous expression on her face. "I know that it was a hit, and yet…looking back at it now, I feel like we've played it too much. Maybe, it would be a good time to write a new song?"
"A new song?" Anne and Marcy said at the same time.
"But…Sash!" Marcy squeaked, feeling unsure, "How can we write a new song in so little time? And a good one, to boot?"
"Actually…" Anne nodded, taking out some blank sheets of paper and a couple of pencils. "I may have an idea about that…"
(…)
"So, the bet stands?"
"Affirmative, Jacob!" James nodded, showing him the written contract signed with their signature and the girls' "It clearly states that if the girls do not win, they'll have to make meals for us and serve them dressed in Victorian-age maids' uniforms."
"I suppose we are lucky that Anne is too emotional to even read the fine print, huh?" Jacob said, musing over the text "I must admit I was worried that Sasha would spot the loophole, daughter of two lawyers and such. This means that, if they do not end up in first place, they'll have to pay their penalty."
"You do realize that the wording of the contracts could be used against us as well, right? If we don't win-"
"We will! What, James, are you doubting our skills?"
"No, it's just that… I mean, Sasha wasn't wrong in saying that they have more experience than us. They had a garage band already!"
"So?" Jacob smiled, and James realized there was something that he didn't know, but his bro did. "If we were competing against them in a band tournament, you may be right into being worried. Still, this is a talent show, with no limit on what kind of talent you're going to showcase. As long as you're able to impress the judges, you'd win. And, I may have the right kind of show that will manage to capture their hearts and minds."
"I suppose it is something good?"
"Good? I'm talking about one of the best show duos of all history, one that was able to mix music, comedy, awesomeness, and coolness at the same time!"
"Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy?"
"Better: Jake "Joliet" Blues and Elwood Blues."
James stopped, his eyes widening as his mind immediately recognized the names of the Blues Brothers. And his stupor turned into excitement as Jacob continued to explain what they were going to do, and how their own show would outshine every other one.
"First, we need to properly set our roles: I'll be Jake, and you'll be Elwood."
"Why must I be Elwood?"
"Excuse me?" Jacob raised an Eyebrow "Jake Blues, the kind of guy who would order four whole fried chickens and a Cola, and Elwood, the kind of guy who would order white bread, toast, dry, with nothing on it. Which one of them do you resemble the most?"
"Point. I guess I'll be Elwood."
"Good. First, we need to get the costumes, then we must prepare our act. As long as we're able to do it, there is no way the girls are going to surpass us."
"But…what about Amelia?" James raised a question, remembering about the wild card Jacob had not accounted for. "I mean, she competes as well. Shouldn't we watch over her as well?"
"Ah! As Amelia could ever come up with something that could threaten us. Look, if she ever comes close to winning, you can call me a fool for a month."
(…)
"This is the moth!" Hop Pop announced, showing the drawing he had done on the chalkboard, "One of nature's most seductive animals. Inspired by this majestic creature, I've planned an act for Sprig that will guarantee we take home first prize."
"Huh, actually?" Sprig raised his hands, Polly and Amelia lying on the couch as they listened. "I already received an invitation to do this act…with someone."
"Oh, and who would that be?"
"Hello, Sprig!" Ivy announced, opening the door and walking inside. "Mom said she has no issue with us going to the talent show together, so she gave me her approval."
"Ivy!" Amelia gasped with genuine happiness. "You're going to participate too?"
"Yup! I can't play the fiddle, but I have good gymnastic skills, so I was thinking of putting up a dance number to go alongside Sprig's music."
"You, dancing?" Sprig said, his face blushing a little. "I guess…wow, I'd never expect you to try something like that."
"Never I did, until a while ago. I guess since Sasha helped me to get better along with my mom, I'm more open to such possibilities."
"That reminds me…" Hop Pop said, walking up to the basement's trap door and opening it "Girls, come up for a snack. You've been practicing non-stop ever since you returned home."
"Sorry Mr. Plantar," Marcy said, emerging first from the basement with Anne and Sasha behind her. "I guess we are really excited about the competition. Also, hi Ivy! Are you here for the competition?"
"Yes, Sprig and I are going to perform together!"
"That's my little sister!"
"Come on, this is not right!" Polly huffed, "Why can't I participate as well?! I've got talent too!"
"You do?" Anne asked. "What are you good at?"
"I can sing!"
"Really?" Amelia asked, "Let's hear, ace!"
"Here's a little ditty I wrote by myself." Polly took a deep breath before releasing a powerful, sound-shocking, ear-penetrating sound resembling an ultrasound " La-a-a-a-a-a-a... "
As Polly "sang", both Sprig and Ivy's hats were blown away by the sonic blast, the humans' faces contorted in shock, Hop Pop's eyes widened while the pencil on his hand snapped, the whole farm shook as the tadpole-originated soundwave was powerful enough to resemble an earthquake.
"I can't believe it!" Marcy screamed, while covering her ears with both hands "These soundwaves can shatter glass, crack steel, and disrupt magnetic fields."
" La-a-a-A-A-A-A... "
A small cart driven by a frog in an aquamarine dress, pulled by a reddish snail, was passing right in front of the farm just as Polly released his all-destroying soundwave. First, the snail's shell shattered, leaving it exposed. Then, the cart broke apart, and the driver fell to the ground. Then, two large flies dropped dead. Then, a giant bird dropped as well, crushing the frog with its weight.
" LA-A-A-A-A-A-A... "
As Polly finished her ditty, Ivy and Sprig put back their hats, Marcy and the others "daring" removing their hands from their ears.
"Well, I have to admit," Anne said, trying not to hurt her feelings. "You do have a powerful voice."
"Maybe a little too powerful." Amelia quipped before she heard someone knocking on the front door. As she opened the door, she quickly recognized the giant dragonfly and family snail in front of them.
"Akitsu, Bessie! What's going on?"
"Bree-bree!"
"Brum-brum-bra!"
"Huh, what are they saying?"
"Just giving some feedback about Polly's…ditty," Amelia said, the dragonfly and the snail quickly moving to the stable and moving hay bales to soundproof it. I guess I won't translate that.
"Fine," The tadpole grumbled, with a disgruntled look. "You cannot appreciate the beauty of my art."
"Back to us," Hop Pop said, turning to look at Anne. "Sprig and Ivy could use some stage costumes; can you help with that?"
"Sure, HP!" Anne nodded, taking a sheet of paper and starting to sketch an image of two amphibians, the male holding an electric violin and wearing a glam, moth-like rock attire, the female instead dressed in clothes reminiscent of a lily pad flower and doing a ballet pose. "I'm thinking cosmic, ethereal, interdimensional. Oh, of course, Sasha, Marcy, and I need to work on our costumes as well."
"Maybe I could ask mom and grandma for help?" Ivy suggested. "If you can provide the drawing, they can help us make them."
"That would be quite timesaving." Marcy nodded, "Every minute we can use for practice, the better. Amelia, do you need a costume as well?!"
"Huh…actually," the girl with the cone hat shuttered, as she walked toward the door. "I think I can provide for myself. I think it is time for me to go practice…somewhere. See ya for dinner!" She quipped, before rushing outside.
(…)
As Amelia left the farm, she kept looking around suspiciously, looking out for anyone who might be spying on her. Then, she walked to the stable, mounted Akitsu (the white dragonfly still feeling traumatized by Polly's voice), the two of them flying away until they reached a small clearing, not far enough from Wartwood, but far enough for no one to be able to find it, even by complete accident.
"Ok, girls," Amelia said with a hushed tone. "We're here. Anytime you want to show up."
At first, no one replied, Akitsu looked around with a puzzled look as she tried to understand who her rider and partner was talking to. But then, she saw three pairs of eyes looking at them, and three spirited tadpole triplets emerged from the bushes.
"Master!" Ginger squeaked, the triplets jumping around Amelia "You've come."
"Of course!" Amelia smirked. "I did tell you that I would be here, didn't I?"
"You surely did," Rosemary added, before her attention shifted again. "Akitsu! Is that you? How much time has passed?"
"You've grown so much!"
"She can fly now?"
"Bri-bri!"
"Yes, she can fly now."
"Master, one day…" Lavender asked with a hopeful look "…would you bring us with you when you're flying?"
Amelia beamed internally, as the small tadpole asked the question she was hoping for. "Actually, I could do better. Girls, would you like to fly on Akitsu during my exhibition at Amphibia's Got Talent? I may use your support during the event."
"Master! All three tadpoles squeaked at once "Are you talking for real?"
"Yes. As you may know, both Marcy and my cousin are already planning to participate in the talent show, Marcy with her friends, Jacob with James, and both sides believe each other is the only serious contestant they will face. But being seen as weak is as much a blessing as it is a curse, for the enemy who believes you to be weak will ignore you, giving you time and chance to grow stronger before showing all your might in one strike. And this is what we'll do. For when Amphibia's Got Talent comes to Wartwood, we will show them a performance that will go beyond what they ever thought was possible. A masterful combination of gracefulness and beauty that will conquer their hearts and mind in a single stroke, ending the contest in one go."
As they listened to her words and started to imagine it, the tadpoles' eyes filled with sparkles as the excitement inside of them began to rise. They knew that Amelia's words were not empty: if she was imagining it, she could surely achieve it.
"I…I suppose this is the reason why you told us to meet here?"
"Indeed, Ginger. This small clearing is where Marcy and Maddie often come to do their magical experiments together, but since Marcy is going to be busy with Sasha and Anne, we've got free hands to use it. We will exercise here, to protect our…secret."
"Secret?"
"Yes. This way, if no one knows what our performance will be about, the final effect will be enhanced, and our victory guaranteed for no one will have anything to upstage us. Of course, that is as long as no loose lips will betray us."
"Don't worry, master!" Rosemary nodded, "We won't tell anyone."
"Not even Maddie!"
"No, your sister can know, she is trustworthy. And besides, we will need her help to gather the items that we need."
"What kind of items?"
"First of all, we will need a white blanket, and some straps…"
(…)
"Ok so, for the song we're writing for the event, how about adding some New Age influences?"
"Marcy, we can't add New Age influences in rock music!" Anne recalled, internally sighing for it was the ninth time today they had hit the same snag over and over "Sasha, what do you say?"
Sitting in her corner, almost without raising her head, Sasha replied "I…I think we cannot discharge any idea."
Come on, Sasha! Anne grimaced, unnerved by her friend's unnatural extreme tolerance. Sure, being open to other ideas was good, but…so far Sasha hadn't proposed anything of hers, just simply nodding every time she or Marcy suggested something. Which was aggravated since Marcy had many ideas but couldn't set for anything.
Meanwhile, the blonde girl kept grumbling, unable to elaborate on the painful feeling she was experiencing right now, as she quietly listened to what Marcy kept proposing.
"Or maybe, how about some Pacific Wave?"
Pacific Wave? Marcy, are you serious?! Sasha commented in her head, Pacific Wave is a good style of music on its own but trying to combine it with rock music is like trying to make a bitter dessert, or a pizza with pineapple! They're good on their own but mixing them is a recipe for a disaster!
Yet, she said nothing, suppressing her own irritation and refusing to share her thoughts with anyone but herself. Because the Sasha that would take charge of the situation and proclaim herself the leader was not here. She had killed her, the day she realized how awful and cruel her previous persona was, the day her manipulative control ended up turning Anne against her, even pushing the girl whom she considered her friend to grab a sword and attempt to kill her.
She knew what would happen if she decided to intervene: first, she would propose her own ideas, then she would start to dismantle her friend's ones, once again using words and emotions to blackmail out of their own mindsets, using their friendship as a leash. Power corrupts, as many times her birth parents stated in court on their respective cases, and in Sasha's own case, power was a drug that corrupted, that twisted, that she knew she had to stay as far as she could to avoid being influenced by it once more.
The girls needed leadership, that was as clear as day. Yet, it wasn't her leadership.
"I…I don't think we can add that too…"
"Come on, Anna-Banana!" Marcy replied, a bit of annoyance in her voice "Why can't you accept my awesome ideas?"
"Sasha, what about you?" Anne asked, looking at her with a dry smile. "Do you have any suggestions? How do you think we should set up our performance?"
"No, actually, I think your ideas are good," Sasha replied, once again giving up without even trying to fight, too fearful of relapsing in her old habits to dare say anything.
She couldn't hear, in Anne's mind, her scream for help…
(…)
Just outside of the farm, Sprig was now playing a music piece with his fiddle, his eyes closed as he focused on his hearing, his hand moving fast as he played the classical piece he would use on the day of the exhibition, while Ivy, just a meter in front of her, moved with the gracefulness of a leaf caught by the wind, moving according to the music, finally finishing with a bow as Sprig's music was over.
"Whoo-hoo!" The small public composed of Polly, Felicia, Sylvia, and Maddie said, applauding the duo.
"Well," Sprig asked, tired but also happy with his own progressions. "How did we do?"
"That was amazing, Sprig." Maddie nodded "And your dance, Ivy, was quite coordinated with his music."
"I know! I trained hard for that, but I think it was worth it!"
"I guess all those lessons were useful in the end, huh?" Felicia replied with a chuckle, appreciating all the time she had spent with her daughter this week.
"It's been so long since I felt enthusiastic about something" Sylvia quipped.
"You're going to slay the audience, brother."
"Huh…I'm not sure about that." Hop Pop commented, "Not going to say anything about your performance, but…I counted at least three mistakes."
"It doesn't have to be perfect, Hoppy." Sylvia said "Come on, your grandson and my granddaughter are doing good, their preparation is already optimal, and they're having fun too. Besides, mistakes are just part of us: we cannot avoid them, but we can use them to learn and to become better persons…"
"But…what if they do not win?"
"Why? Is winning this desirable?" Sylvia looked at him, Hop Pop's tongue stopping as his nervousness took over. "They didn't join to win, they joined because they wanted to have fun and do something together. If they win, good, if they don't, it doesn't matter. After all, Monroe did beat you at the Dance Craze competition, but I didn't choose him. I choose you."
Hop Pop laughed nervously, as he remembered that day when he thought everything was lost only for Sylvia to surprise him at the last minute. True, Sprig and Ivy's performance wasn't perfect, but they had trained hard, much harder than anyone else in Wartwood could have done, and to impress the judges, they didn't have to be perfect, just a little better than the others.
Plus, they weren't the only contestants in his family.
"Huh…maybe it would be better if I go check the girls." Hop Pop said, feeling more relaxed now "I'm curious to see how Anne, Marcy, and Sasha are doing."
"I'm a little more curious about the boys." Sylvia rolled her eyes "I wonder what kind of performance they're working on…"
(…)
"Ok, now the act is good, and the singing too." Jacob nodded, he and James dressed in the black-and-white Blues Brothers costumes they had managed to realize for themselves. "We just need to choose a song for the main act. First, I'd suggest cutting off the Bismarck one: context aside, I doubt it would fit in our performance."
"Agreed. Also, I suggest not using the Peter Gunn Theme: it's cool music, but that's all. There is no song part, so we can use it to precede or conclude our act, nothing more."
"I see our best choices are between Everybody Needs Somebody to Love, Rawhide, and Jailhouse Rock."
"If so, then I vote to use Everybody Needs Somebody to Love. That's the movie's climax song, it offers ample time for the quips and it will be a sure hit."
"But I've already got the whip for Rawhide!" Jacob lamented.
"Ja-cob!"
"Fine!" The naturalized Californian replied, taking the whip off his waist, and dropping it into the ground.
"And the other one."
Jacob grumbled, taking the other whip he had hidden on his armor and dropping in onto the ground as well.
(…)
"We are ready, master!" Rosemary and her sister said at once, the triplets covered in white powder resembling grease paint.
"Perfect," Amelia said, herself wearing her…ahem, "stage clothes" "We are already at optimal training, if we manage to ace the dress rehearsal tomorrow, we're guaranteed to win the competition. Has Maddie finished the spells I requested of her?"
"Not yet," Ginger murmured. "Yet, she promised they'll be ready by tomorrow."
"As long as we have them in time for our exhibition, it doesn't make a difference to us. What matters is that she can keep her mouth shut."
"She won't, she reassured us!" Lavender added, "Actually, she looked quite eager to prove that she wouldn't betray our secret. What did you tell her?"
"Nothing much. I simply told her that, if she ever was to break my trust, there would be…consequences."
"Master?" The three tadpoles asked with a worried expression. What could she have menaced Maddie with, to scare her that much?
"I simply told her that loose lips tend to be contagious. And that I already know the ending for book two of the Cynthia Coven Saga…"
Master can be quite cruel when she wants to be, the triplets' eyes widened in horror.
Finally, after hard-working and continuous days of training, cross-training, and artistic elaboration, it came the night when Amphibia's Got Talent came to Wartwood. To host the event, an empty space among two old-looking columns, both with an effigy of singing frog on the top and covered by climbing ivy, had been reconverted as temporary theater, a wooden floor (with an ejecting pad for eliminated contestants) and curtain had been added, the area behind it designated for the participants to rehearse their acts while they waited for their turn to exhibit, the large opening in front of it filled almost completely with inhabitants of Wartwood, frogs living in the immediate region and travelers, all here to assist to the event and cheer their favorite contenders.
Yet, the final say on who'd have pulled through and who would be eliminated instead, was to the judges.
Peeking from behind the curtain, Anne looked at them. They were two, both newts, one having light purple skin and long white hair, dressed in a light red dress with a spider motif; the other showing blue hair and yellow-green skin, wearing an expensive-looking dark dress. And both looked quite bored, in contrast to the crowd just behind them.
Considering the number of participants in the event, and the fact they had to judge all of them, one by one, was expected to some extent. Some numbers were nice, all considered: the tadpole choir was quite well-tuned, and sang well, earning a few points. Others… Well, there was a reason why the floor had an ejecting pad installed.
And the current exhibition of Toadstool and Toadie, the latter pedaling on a unicycle while the former sat on him and juggled, may have been the worst number so far.
"I'm thinking, launch him." The male newt judge said, apparently thinking what Anne had been thinking as well.
"Yeah, way ahead of you." His partner replied, activating the lever to her right, Toadstool and Toadie flung away as the crowd cheered at their elimination.
"Well, I hope they get a smooth landing." The girl said, walking away from the curtain and returning to her friends. All three girls were now dressed in their stage costumes: Marcy was wearing a green dress with a butterfly theme and an antenna headband; Sasha's dress was a read jacked with a short, checkered ("Scottish, as James has commented earlier) skirt, and a drag-postmodern hairstyle, while herself showed a light purple-blue dress, resembling a dragonfly, and glowing makeup on her cheeks.
Her creations and she was very proud of them.
"So…" Sasha asked, scratching her head as she checked the sound of her guitar, looking aside at the many other contestants rehearsing their acts "Does anyone know in which order we will have to perform?"
"That kind assistant gave me a list," Felicia said, walking in with a long paper in her hands. "According to this, first will be Sprig and Ivy, then it will be Jacob & James, and then it's your turn."
"This is your last chance to back down, princesses," Jacob smugly smiled, he and James wearing near-identical black clothes and hats. "I don't think that after today, you'd need to be further humiliated by making us dinner in maid clothes."
"Ah!" Anne jerked up, irritated by the boy's overconfidence. "No chance! You and James should better save your energy for the laundry work: I already wrote the apology song you'll have to sing and dance!"
"As you wish. I'd say may the best contestants win, but we'd be the best for sure."
"Huh, Jacob?" Polly asked, noticing what the boy was holding in his hand "Why did you guys bring sunglasses? It's late evening!"
"Why?" Jacob replied rhetorically, he and James chuckled in amusement. "Look at me. Cool." He put the glasses on. "Extremely cool!"
"Sasha, what do you think? How do I look?"
Sasha raised her glance, looking at Ivy dressed in a light-yellow dress resembling a lily pad flower, while Sprig was dressed in a dazzling moth outfit. Both were made by the collaboration between Anne, Felicia, and Sylvia."
"You look amazing, Ivy." Sasha said, her woes momentarily forgotten "Go get them, tiger!"
"Alright, the previous contestant has been eliminated as well!" Hop Pop hurried in, as they heard the launching pad activating once more "It's showtime! Sprig, you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be!" Sprig nodded, raising his thumb.
"Let's follow them," Jacob suggested, earning a look of approval from James. "We are after them, and it would be good to see how well the judges rate them."
"All right," The female judge said, reading aloud, "Next up are Sprig Plantar and Ivy Sundew, performing…" "The Dance of the Moth and the Flower." The other judge groaned in boredom.
Yet, their boredom turned into surprise as the curtains opened, revealing both Sprig and Ivy in their clothes, the crowd gasping at once.
"Well, hello there."
"I know. Right?"
Without wasting time, Sprig began to play a piece of fast, intense music, full of energy and passion while Ivy immediately started to dance, her movements coordinated with the notes of Sprig's fiddle, his hands moving fast and yet precisely, the long and repetitive training had paid off in the end. And then, the cheers of the crowd only increased as Hop Pop added "the final touch", pulling a rope attached to the back of Sprig and Ivy's costumes, allowing them to take off from the floor in long, elegant jumps reminding of a real moth's flying or the leaves of a flower, carried out by the wind.
"They're good, aren't they Jacob?"
"Yep, this is quite amazing. Even if they do not win, they'll end up close by, maybe on the podium with us."
Yet, just as the two young frogs' performance was reaching its peak…
"SQUIII!" The giant, dark shadow of an Amphibian bat flew above the stage, grabbing both of them with his mouth, the judges and everyone else gasping in horror at the sudden twist.
"Whoa!"
"Sprig! Ivy!
"What do we do?" James yelled, realizing the danger of the situation.
"I know!" Jacob snapped, his hand moving to his hat and pulling out a long, elastic whip from under it, the lash hissing through the air as it hit the bat's wing, the large flying mammal realizing it was under attack and dropping its would-be prey before flying away, the quick strikes of the human's whip rapidly convincing him to look for food somewhere else.
Meanwhile, Sprig and Polly, freed by the misguided animal, landed back on the stage, holding on to each other as the dresses they were wearing acted like parachutes, slowing down their descent.
"Huh…olè!" Sprig said, chuckling nervously as he realized the eyes were all on them.
And then, both the judges and the crowd cheered.
"Absolutely mesmerizing performances, an emotional rollercoaster of the whole spectrum, and how did you ever train that bat?" One of the judges said, weeping tears of excitement. "Or those… creatures for that matter?!"
"Creatures?" Jacob raised an eyebrow "We're the next contestant group."
"Two numbers connected?" The other judge quipped "That's even more amazing!"
"And they can speak as well?"
"Jacob," James pointed to what his bro was holding in his hand. "You still had a whip with you this whole time?"
"Hey, in the end, we needed it, didn't we?"
(…)
Sprig and Ivy's exhibition was one of the most liked, both by the judges and from the crowd, and they earned a very high mark, the judges deciding not to assign them the prize immediately only for the many contestants still waiting for their own turn. Of course, as soon as the two of them were back to safety backstage, they were quickly joined by their families and loved ones, happy about the good result but above all that they were still alive.
"I'm so glad you're unhurt!" Felicia said, weeping tears of joy. "If I had a sword with me, or a bow…"
"Mom, I'm fine!" Ivy hurried to tranquilize her. "And the judges gave us a high mark, thinking it was all planned."
"This is good, I suppose." Hop Pop said, internally shaming himself for being more concerned with them doing a successful performance than for their safety. "Still, I don't think that matters anymore."
"Wait," Sprig asked, noticing a strange absence "Where are Anne, Marcy, and Sasha?"
"They…went to get some fresh air." Sylvia bit her lips, unhappy about having to hide the truth from her granddaughter and future grandson-in-law. "It was just as you two were starting your show, so they didn't know about that. I'm sure they will be back soon…"
Meanwhile, on the side of the improvised theater, the three human girls were assisting the performance of Jacob and James, their number full of music, quips, and comedy quickly conquering the crowd and the judges' hearts and minds, as they discussed the issue that had been plaguing them ever since they decided to participate to the talent show.
"We're screwed," Marcy murmured, seeing how well the boys' performance was going. "They have barely started, and everyone has been mesmerized by them already!"
"I know, that's unbearable!" Anne commented, remembering how much time they had wasted discussing what kind of music to play, ideas that only ended up making their songs unnecessarily elaborate, all their good work so far being ruined by the complete disorganization they were in. "Come on Sasha, what do we do?"
"Huh, whatever you think is best. You've got this!"
"We've got nothing!" Anne replied, no longer able to repress her irritation for the loads of responsibility she had been burdened with. "We don't even know what we're supposed to do! I can't make such decisions: this is not time for niceties, we need leadership, real leadership. Sasha…we need you!"
"Please, Sasha!" Marcy, finding herself agreeing with Anne "Come back to be our leader!"
"I... I can't!" Sasha replied, tears filling her eyes.
"Why not?!"
"Because the last time I took charge, I betrayed our friendship!" Sasha yelled; the other girls were stunned by her sudden outburst. "I turned into the same thing I wanted to protect you from because I couldn't tolerate something not going according to what I wanted! I didn't treat you as my friends but as my servants!"
Anne felt a knot forming in her throat, as she finally glimpsed the reason why Sasha had been so strangely dormant and extremely tolerant. Why she refused to propose any of her own ideas and instead, she gave full unconditional support to everything she and Marcy proposed.
"B-but…" Marcy said, trembling as she looked like her body was about to shatter. "You said you wanted to be the best version of yourself."
"And that's the reason why I cannot afford to have a leadership role ever again!" Sasha vented, revealing how her repressed emotions had been much more volatile than Marcy and Anne's combined. "Power corrupts and I know what would happen if I ever get entrusted with a leading role. Sooner or later, I would start to abuse my authority, like I already did several times in the past, and by that point…she would return."
She didn't say who she was referring to, but Anne and Marcy already knew that she was talking about her former self. Sasha Waybright, the Queen Bee of Saint James Middle School; the socialite chairman who ruled on the popular kids with an iron fist; whose words could make everyone a social outcast. The girl with icy cold eyes, who took what she wanted. The girl that even her closest friend Anne Boonchuy was too afraid to contest.
Until I snapped and attempted to kill her, Anne thought in horror. Until now, she had her own theories on why Sasha kept refusing authority in every form while, just a while ago, she would have eagerly taken it and used it to the fullest, ranging from tiredness to anger, up to and including some new kind of manipulation.
But the truth turned out to be far simpler…and scarier.
Sasha was afraid. Afraid of her past self, of what she did. Of what she feared she would do again if given the possibility.
"Sasha…" Marcy said, the first of the two to approach her, "Your fear is logical. But your way to prevent it is... a little bit foolish."
"Foolish? But what if-"
"A very wise man once said, 'If you stretch the string too much, it will break; but if you leave it too slack, it won't sound'. This is a lesson of the Middle Way: the right path is the one that stands between all opposite extremes. So, being too driven and obsessed with power is not good, for it makes you tyrannical to the ones around you; but refusing to lead …is also bad, because you end up denying your friends the leadership they need."
"But-"
"Marcy has a great mind," Anne interjected, "and I have great passion, but neither brain nor emotions are needed at this moment," Anne said, moving to Sasha and looking at her, right in the eyes. "What we need now is leadership. And neither of us is a good leader. This is why we need you."
"Remember, Sash." Marcy quipped. "The Sharps need their leader."
There was something, in Marcy and Anne's eyes, that caught Sasha's attention. Maybe a bit of glitter, a sparkle, something shimmering in their eyes for a second, but enough for Sasha to feel a strong resurgence of emotions growing inside of her. A fire burning once again in her body, growing more and more powerful with every second, the strength she had tried to avoid so hard naturally returning to her as soon as she was accepting it again.
Forget the maid uniforms, forget the humiliation. They were going to beat the boys; they were going to make them regret ever challenging them in the first place. They were going to win.
At that moment, the crowd cheered again, informing them that Jacob and James had finished their performance. And judging by the public's reaction, they had plenty of reasons to assume they had won already.
Fools.
"Sasha?" Anne and Marcy said, recognizing the fire burning in her eyes, as they realized their leader was back.
"Come on, girls," Sasha said, hurrying toward the stage. "Let's show those testosterone brain-donors what it means to mess with us. Let's get that trophy!"
"And that's Jacob and James, the Blues Brothers!" One of the judges said, with an approving look, the crowd cheering one last time as the two boys returned backstage, quickly welcomed by Hop Pop, Felicia, and the others.
"Boys, you were amazing!" Hop Pop exclaimed, the crowd still cheering on the outside
"You two really know how to work a crowd."
"Sylvia, if I could play the guitar, I'd have them eating out of my hand." Jacob nodded, prompting James to explain.
"That's just a figure of speech, he doesn't mean that literally."
"So, where are the girls?" Jacob said, noticing that he and James were the only ones in there. "Did they realize they had no chance, and accepted to surrender already-"
"And now, from the city of Los Angeles," the judges said, the sudden voice and the crowd's gasp shutting the boy as he realizes the girls were already on the stage. "Sasha and the Sharps!"
The stage lights turned on all at once, the crowd reacting in surprise as they saw the girls wearing their insect-themed dresses, Sasha and Anne started to play their guitars while Marcy started to play the drums.
"Took a leap through a box super weird to a swamp where frogs talk. Ooh-Ohh! Now I'm stuck, got no plans just my luck I'll do the best that I can. Woah-Oh!" The girls started to sing, the crowd immediately began to cheer at them, the boys and their frog families peeking from behind curtains.
"Did they…write a song about us?" James gasped, recognizing the lyrics. "About what happened to us?"
"Anne wrote this song?" Sprig said with an amazed expression, her adoptive human sister looking livelier and happier than she ever was.
"Making friends and enemies, it's weird but hey it's grown on me. Bugs,Frogs, Newts, and Toads! Gonna' be a bumpy road. Flies for snacks, worms for lunch, I think I actually love this swamp! It's no big deal, yeah no big deal!"
When we arrived here for the first time, Anne thought as she looked at the crowd, I was scared and disgusted. But now, I feel like Wartwood has grown to me. And as long as Sasha and Marcy are with me, every issue we will face will not stop us.
The girls didn't notice, but as they played the song, sparkles lightened up in their eyes. Green, blue, and pink lights lightening up, unnoticed by the judges (who assumed it was part of the performance), the bond of friendship connecting them tapping into the limitless powers their bodies now hosted.
Anne, Marcy, Sasha thought as they sang, looking at her two best friends. No matter what happens from now on, I'm never letting you down ever again. And as long as we'll be together…I'll protect you, from any kind of hardships we will face. My controlling days are over, but if you'll want me as your leader…I will be the leader you deserve.
"Find a way to start again, brush off the dirt and make some friends! It's no big deal, yeah no big deal! I feel at home in a place that shouldn't be real; Crazy strange but it's no big deal!"
"Frog," Jacob said with widened eyes, his previous smugness and self-assurance crumbling as he realized the trio's performance was clearly better than theirs. "They are…amazing!"
"That's my big sister!" Ivy smirked, looking at Sasha.
When I found that Box that day, Marcy thought in turn, looking at Anne and Sasha playing their guitars, and then at the crowd in front of them, I thought it would bring us into a world of never-ending adventure, where we would have been able to stay together forever, no matter what. Instead, we ended up in a world where tomatoes have teeth, where herons can wipe out entire cities, and where injustice run rampart. But…I got to learn from my mistakes. I was able to make new friends, I learned things I always wanted to know. I did good and helped people in need. And I have never felt so loved before. I feared that, once my family would have moved, you'd have quickly forgotten about me, but after the time we have spent together…I know you would never forget about me, and neither will I of you.
"Oooooh! It's no big deal, yeah no big deal! I feel at home in a place that shouldn't be real."
I can't change what I've done, but I can try to fix up my mistakes.
"Killer birds... But it's no big deal!"
I will translate the book.
"Riding snails... But it's no big deal!"
I will find out how the Box works.
"Eating flies... But it's no big deal!"
And I will bring us home, Marcy's thoughts concluded together with the song, the crowd erupting into a cheer louder and even more enthusiastic than Jacob and James' act ever got.
"Wow, that was awesome!" The male judge said, "I see these creatures are quite good in their acts, don't you think?"
"Agreed!" His female partner replied. "I'm still undecided on which of them should be our winner."
"And yet, we still have one performance to see…"
"Anne!" Sprig jumped on her, as soon as the girls returned to the backstage, the crowd cheering and demanding an encore. "That was…incredible!"
"The song you played…" Sylvia asked with a puzzled yet knowing expression. "Did you write it?"
"Yeah, we decided to do an original song for our performance. And, well…I wanted to write a song about our whole experience in Amphibia."
"Girls," A voice called, and the trio turned their heads to see James and Jacob, still dressed in their Blues Brothers clothes, walking toward them.
"What do you want, Jacob?" Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Are you here to ruin the moment?"
"No, actually…I think I should apologize for what I've said and done before. I let the competition spirit go to my head, and I said things I shouldn't have even thought of in the first place. But, after seeing your performance, and realizing how hard you worked it out, I suppose at least I should give you respect for it."
"Wow, it takes quite courage to admit your own mistakes." Felicia prompted.
"I suppose we'll accept that," Anne said, before her smile turned into a smirk. "But that doesn't mean the bet is off: if you lose, you'll have to wash our laundry."
"Granted, and if you lose, you'll have to wear maid uniforms and cook for us!"
"Huh, guys?" Marcy raised her hand, looking around. "Has anyone seen Amelia? Her performance is the one after ours."
"Actually, we haven't seen her in a while." Sylvia prompted, "She just said that she had her own show ready, and she was going to get in her outfit."
"Outfit?" James asked. "What kind of outfit would require her to…"
A sudden blast of music, coming from the stage, captured their attention, the humans and frogs alike running to check, as they heard the crowd in front of the stage gasp in wonder as the stomping music continued.
What they saw left them speechless and unable to do anything, but watch.
A powerful blast of white-colored smoke erupted all over the stage's border, the judges looking with their mouth agape as Amelia's figure materialized in the middle of the floorboard. The girl was dressed in a white blanket, with straps covering her chest, arms, and legs, and she was barefoot.
What the-, Jacob thought, as he saw what Amelia was wearing. Is that even a dress?
As the music continued to play, Amelia jumped upward, and another figure in white, bigger than her, flew from behind the theater, grabbing the human girl and flying upward for a few seconds.
The crowd gasped in horror as Akitsu flew in a loop, Amelia falling for several seconds before landing back on the dragonfly's back. As the music began to play faster and faster, Amelia continued to move, jumping out of Akitsu and doing several poses mid-air, before being grabbed back by the white dragonfly at every turn. And every time the music went a bit louder, or the crowd gasped at once every time it looked like Amelia was falling to her demise, new explosions of white smog popped from Akitsu, sometimes taking shapes and moving alongside the giant butterfly.
Both the boys' and trio's performances were amazing, but Amelia's… It was something else altogether. Ethereal, ghostly, the small white silhouette of the human girl dancing in the air before reconnecting with the larger white dragonfly resembling the movement of a spirit, of a flower's petal dancing in the wind, a sparkle in the air.
But the greatest success that Amelia managed to achieve, was that except for the parts when the public genuinely feared for her, no one said anything. The judges, the crowd, even Jacob and the others peeking from the backstage couldn't say anything but stand still, their mouths opened, completely focused on the performance of the girl.
Only in the end, when the music slowed down once more, and Akitsu landed on the stage, Amelia taking a couple of steps back before bowing, the crowd and the judges cheered at once.
"That was… poetic!" The judges began to say to each other.
"Dancing in the air! Something I've never seen anyone else do before!"
"It was magical!"
"It was new!"
"It was wonderful!"
"It wins!" Both judges said together, the crowd cheering as they saw Amelia getting full points, "We present you, the winning act of Wartwood's Got Talent!"
Amelia smiled, Akitsu buzzing happily while Lavender, Ginger, and Rosemary (all painted in black paint) cheered from its back, the two judges delivering the trophy, resembling a dragonfly statue in gold with the acronym "A.G.T." on it.
"You simply must come on tour with us."
"And share your marvelous art with the rest of Amphibia!"
"I appreciate the invitation, but I have to refuse." Amelia simply replied. "I already have a path in front of me. And I don't like fame. Still keeping the trophy, though. Let's go, girls!"
"Yes, master!" The three tadpoles said, Akitsu grabbing the trophy and crawling backstage.
"Amelia!" Jacob asked as soon as he could speak with her cousin. "That was your performance?"
"I told you I was going to participate, didn't I?"
"But…you refused?" Felicia asked. "You could have been a star!"
"I don't want to be a star, Felicia." The human girl replied, almost uncaring of the huge opportunity she had rejected. "I joined this talent show to prove what I could do, and to do something fun together with my disciples."
"Girls, you here too?" Polly asked.
"Yup!" Rosemary smirked. "We painted ourselves with black ink to be invisible in the night."
"I…I can't believe it. A Plantar, winner of Amphibia's Got Talent!" Hop Pop said, looking at the huge golden trophy. "And you got an amazing prize as well!"
"Sorry that we lost, Sash."
"Don't worry about that, Mar-Mar." The blonde replied. "As much as it pains me to lose, it was worth it to have so much fun with you girls up there."
"Hey, having fun is the most important thing." Amelia commented, "Plus, didn't you have a bet ongoing?"
"And?" Jacob asked. "You won, so neither of us has to do that wager."
"Don't you try that, Jacob!" Amelia smiled evilly, showing him the piece of paper with the terms of the bet "You clearly wrote here, the groups who don't win."
"B-but-but neither of us-" Anne started to say, before realizing what Amelia was implying. "You can't do that!"
"Hey, you were the one that accepted the bet in the first place." Amelia snickered, all the humans except her paling at the unforeseen consequence. "Also, didn't your agreement say something about the boys having to sing and dance some kind of apology song written by you?"
"N-no. No, it didn't!" James panicked.
"Actually, it did." Sprig started to chuckle. "I was there, I can witness."
"No!" Jacob shuttered "That never happened!"
"Ha-ha!" Sasha snickered, the humiliation for having to wear a maid's clothing reduced by the worse humiliations the boys were going to get "I'm so going to record that!"
"This can't be happening!" Jacob yelled in panic. "I refuse to believe it! It can't be!"
"You fool." James shook his head, somehow knowing it was going to come to this.
The next day, Amelia was relaxing in the garden, suntanning with sunglasses covering her eyes, Akitsu and Bessie resting behind her, a wooden table to her right with Hop Pop, Polly, Sprig, Ivy, Sylvia, Felicia, Maddie, and the triplets sitting around, the giant golden trophy lying nearby.
"Come on, girls!" Ginger called, "Let's see what you have cooked."
Grumbling, Anne, Marcy, and Sasha came out of the farm, all three dressed in very conservative maid uniforms and holding a plate covered with a lid. The clothes weren't bad, but the whole situation was quite humiliating.
"Here!" Anne moaned, placing the dishes on the table. "Cricket en Croûte, Cheminée of Amphibian Crab and Khao Pad with Rice and Steamed Mantis Meat. Hope that you like them."
"Is there anything else you want?" Sasha grumbled, albeit a bit happy to see that Ivy and the rest of her family were going to enjoy the fruits of their hard labor.
"Just one small thing. Can you please take out your phone and record it? And you, boys, aren't you forgetting something?!"
Jacob and James, both showing sweaty, tired expressions, raised their heads from the laundry work they were currently stuck with.
"Look, Amelia," Jacob tried to protest "We're not going to-"
"Do it!" Amelia quickly yelled, prompting both boys to sigh and resume their toil.
"We're boys, and we were wrong, we're singing the Boys Wrong Song. We shouldn't have taken that chance, now here's our remorseful dance. We shouldn't make fun of girls, and now we must do this toil…"
"Do the kicks!" Ivy called out, as Sasha recorded the boy's humiliating dance.
"Jazzier!" Maddie added.
"What do you think?" Amelia raised her sunglasses, looking at Akitsu, Bessie, and Polly.
"Bru-bre!"
"Mep!"
"Nuh-huh!" The sunglasses-wearing pollywog shook her head.
"I agree, not good enough. Take fifty!" Amelia said, both guys whimpering in response.
Hello everyone, my amazing readers!
I am writing this message to inform you all that, starting tomorrow, I'll be with my family on a road-trip among Europe, between museums and historical landmarks. The trip itself should be 2 weeks long, but I will be unable to keep writing my fic on that period since I have no guarantee I'll have time and chance to write.
For this reason, I'm informing you that "Our Second Chance is Called Amphibia" is taking a two/three weeks break, starting today. I'll try to resume writing the next chapter as soon as I have a chance, but I can't promise any fixed date yet.
That said, I wish everyone a happy summer and look forward to seeing you again with my next chapter, an AU version of "The Big Bugball Game".
