Let's rewind back in time. To a time long before Amphibia, long before the opening of the Calamity Box, before three girls met a boy they call JoJo. When there were just two girls, who were family friends, playing in the park.

Little Anne Boonchuy said as she swung higher, "Look, Mar Mar! I'm an eagle!"

"Cool! Well, I'm a twin engine cemax amphibious aircraft!"

Both girls laughed...until two older girls pushed them off the swings. "Oh, how cute. Now beat it. These swings are ours," one of them said.

They two girls cried, but then another young girl, one with blonde hair, shouted from the top of the slide, "Not so fast, evildoers! Leave those kids alone!" She slid down the slid, and prepared to karate kick the two older kids, only for them to move out of the way, making her land on her face. She tried to punch them, only to be pushed aside and land face first into the sand box. She got back up and said, " I'm not done yet. I'll never give up! No matter what!" She charged at them, only to trip on her feet and land on her face. Again.

"This is getting weird," said one of the older girls.

Her friend said, "Yeah, we're out of here. Enjoy your swings, babies."

The two of them got up and left. Sasha glared at them, only for the glare to become a look of fear when she saw the spirit of the female musketeer that possessed her ready to stab one of the girls in the nose with her sword. "No, no, no! Down, girl!" The spirit obeyed and retreated back into her body. She exhaled in relief and turned to Anne and Marcy. "Swings are all yours!"

Anne stopped her before she could leave and asked, "Hey, you wanna swing with us?"

The girl's eyes widened, like she hadn't been asked that question before. Then she smiled and said, "I-I'd like that."

"I'm Anne, by the way. This is Marcy."

"Hiya!"

The blonde girl introduced herself, "I'm Sasha. Sasha Waybright."

And a friendship was born.

The Sundew family's tea shoppe...

Johan, healed of his wounds, sat at the table with Sasha in front of him. The two of them glared at each other, not saying anything. He saw how Sasha's hair and eyes had turned dark pink, which means she had been training with her own gem powers while she was in hiding.

Sprig whispered to Hop Pop, "They've been sitting there for five minutes. Should we do something? I mean, do you remember what happened the last time she and Grime were here?"

"You know we can hear you, right," said Grime as he sipped his tea. "I must say, this is the best tea I've ever had so far."

"I'm only serving you because JoJo asked me to," said Felicia with suspicion. "Don't think you're an invited guest."

Finally, Johan broke the tension and said to Sasha, "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here. The wounds you gave me may be gone, but every time I think about that day, I can still feel them."

Sasha scoffed. "This is the thanks I get for saving your life? Fine. Be that way."

"Why are you here? And give me a reason why I shouldn't amplify your pain receptors with my Stand."

"Yeah," said Sprig as he readied his sling shot. "Give us a reason."

Sasha made a sincere look. "The whole reason we were stalking you was... so I could tell Anne and JoJo that everything that happened at Toad Tower was my fault."

Johan asked suspiciously, "Really? Sasha Waybright appologizing now? How surprising."

"Yup. It was wrong of me to put your gang in danger. And doubly wrong of me to push Anne around."

Hop Pop cleared his throat and said, "Forgive me for being skeptical, but why the change of heart?"

"After Toad Tower, Sasha and I lost everything," said Grime.

"We had to go into hiding and I had a lot of time to think about things."

"So, why were you and Grime in Swamp Shiro?" Johan asked Sasha.

"The same reason as you. I'm after Funny Valentine."

"How do you know about him?"

"He hired her to bring me to him. Her name's Hot Pants, by the way," Sasha said, gesturing to Hot Pants. The female assassin newt was helping Sylvia and Ivy set the tables for the lunch rush later on. "And apparently, he wanted my friends as well. Which you lost."

"He didn't lose them," snapped Sprig. "Valentine took them! We just don't know where."

"Does she?" Johan gestured to Hot Pants who responded, "No. I do not know where he could have taken your friends. I was only told to bring Sasha to his office."

"There is a question you didn't answer yet," said Sasha. "Why do you want to go after Valentine?"

Johan said, "He has the music box." Sasha gasped. "Yeah. And he destroyed the only way to charge the stones that power it up."

Sasha looked like she was about to lose it. "You mean...we can never go home? We're stuck here forever?"

"Lieutenant!" Grime put a hand on her shoulder. "Now is not the time to lose your confidence. If Valentine has the box, we can get it back."

"It doesn't matter," snapped Sasha. "If JoJo's right and we have no way to get back home..."

"I didn't say that," Johan shouted. "The way he was talking, it implied that the box may not be the only way to get back to Earth." But then he sighed in defeat. "But you're right. It doesn't matter. Valentine has the box and we have no way of knowing where he's keeping Anne and Marcy." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. He felt something in his right pocket and pulled it out. "Train tickets?"

Sasha snatched one of them from his hand. "He wants to meet us on a luxury line train?"

"Only people of the highest class can get on that train," said Grime. "Given the fact that he's the mayor of Swamp Shiro, it's no wonder he can afford it."

"Well what are we waiting for," said Sprig. "We gotta save Anne and Marcy now!"

"Wait, Sprig," said Johan. "We already tried barging in, and we nearly got torn apart by his Stand."

"Wait," said Sasha. "Valentine is a Stand user?"

"Yeah. And it's one of the most powerful Stands yet. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap."

Sasha muttered to herself, "What is it with naming Stands after songs our parents listened to?" She asked out loud, "What does it do?"

"Dimensional travel. It can transport itself and its user to other worlds and other timelines. It can even bring alternate counterparts from those other timelines to coexist. But there's a catch. If the same counterparts meet, they'll die. Trust me, it almost happened to Anne and me. Of course Valentine is the only exception. Trust me, Sasha, this guy is WAY out of our league."

"So, how do we beat him," asked Grime.

Johan's response was not what anyone was expecting. "How should I know?" Everyone gave him a look of confusion. "I don't really know what to do. All those times I've been winging it, and I didn't see the long term consequences of my actions. I wiped out Blue Oyster Cult and created a power vacuum that started a countrywide gang war and I have no idea how to stop it, I got the music box stolen and didn't even realize it until the last minute, and I got my friends kidnapped!"

"And?" asked Sasha.

"And what?"

"And what are you going to do about it?"

Johan didn't know how to respond. "Well...I, uh..."

Sasha scoffed. "That's not the JoJo I know. The JoJo I know would learn from his mistakes, stop whining like a baby and do something about it! I'm going to find my friends, take the music box back, and kick Funny Valentine's butt! And you are going to stop feeling sorry for yourself and help me! I mean, wouldn't your dad do the same if he were in this situation?"

Johan thought it over, then said, "Probably. Yeah. He'd want me to save my friends too."

"You see?"

"But that doesn't mean that I trust you. Not after everything that happened in Toad Tower!"

"Yeah, I kinda had a suspicion you guys wouldn't trust me," Sasha said as she looked out the window to see a mob of frogs armed with torches and pitchforks. She also saw The Rose floating next to Felicia, ready to pierce her with a thorny vine. "But I think I might know of a way for you to trust me."

Johan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah, how?" Sasha reached into her pocket and placed a small ring box on the table. On it was a slightly torn label that read, "Happy birthday, Anne!" Johan gasped. "I dropped this?!" He grabbed it and held it close.

"After what happened at Toad Tower, we went back to see if there was anything salvageable, and I found this," explained Sasha softly. "I would have just ignored it, but I knew how much this is important to you. You're welcome." Johan didn't respond. "What? You still don't trust me? How about this?" She reached under the table and placed the gunblade on it.

Johan said, "It's fixed! How?"

"I had a blacksmith do it. He didn't want to do it but, after explaining that it belonged to you, he was quick to repair it."

Grime chuckled. "Heh. It's still nothing compared to Barrel's Warhammer."

Johan gave the hammer that was leaning against the wall a look. "Where did you even get that?"

"We had our own adventures," said Sasha proudly. "And we got a legendary weapon to boot!"

"Say, what happened to Percy and Braddock," asked Sprig. "I kinda liked those guys. You'd think they'd want to help us out."

Sasha made an uncomfortable look. "Uh...they...uh..."

"They couldn't make it," said Grime a little too quickly. "But they send their best wishes." Hot Pants gave him a disapproving look.

Johan noticed this, but chose not to press further. "I still don't know how we can beat Valentine's Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Although, I can think of two ways."

"Really? I'm all ears," said Sasha.

"One, it only has an average range, maybe two meters. Second, it may be incredibly strong and fast, and has the ability to cross over other dimensions, but it still has the same weakness as other Stands: if the Stand is hurt, so will the user. DARE was able to affect Valentine's senses by touching D4C. The same can't be said for his army of alternate counterparts, though. However, I think I might know of a way to stop him from using that dimension crossover power of his. It requires Valeriana's Stand Back In Time."

"Who?" asked Sasha.

"A one armed newt who says she's the guardian of the box. She has a Stand that can reverse time for about a few seconds."

"Uh, about that," said Hop Pop. "She said she had to go."

"Huh?" said Johan, confused.

"Something about 'I will meet you when the time is right, when you need me the most.' Or something like that," said Sprig. "She left this." He held up a sign that read "Out To Lunch".

Johan's eye twitched, then said, "COWARD!"

"Oh, she asked me to do this if you ever said that," said Polly before she slapped Johan hard in the face. "She also says, 'I AM NO COWARD! I AM GOING TO FIND YOU LATER!'"

"So, you just lost your secret weapon," said Grime. "And the only clue we have are some train tickets."

"As much as I hate to say it," said Johan, who rubbed his sore cheek. "It's the only clue we've got. So, we better get ready. We've got a train to catch."

"Really? That's your witty punchline," asked Sasha dryly.

"Hey, if you've got a better one, I'm all ears," Johan snarked.

Hot Pants said, "I'll get ready if you are."

Johan gave her a suspicious look. "And why should we trust you? You're the one who tried to deliver Sasha to Valentine in the first place!"

"Let's just say I see a little bit of me in her and I want to help."

Johan stared, then nodded. "Well, a dumb excuse is better than none. What can your Stand do?" Hot Pants gave a demonstration of Cream Starter, explaining how she can use it as a weapon, as a way of disguise, and a way to heal wounds. "Impressive," Johan said. "But I don't know if will be enough to stop Valentine's D4C."

"I don't either," said Hot Pants. "But we're out of time."

Johan stood up and said, "Where's Joan Jett? I'd like her to join us."

"She's at her house," said Hop Pop. "But...I don't think she's in a talking mood."

"I don't care," said Johan. "She still needs closure for what Valentine did to Suave Rico. Or maybe revenge." He stood up and was about to leave with the Plantars to fetch Joan Jett when he stopped. "Oh, and Sasha?" Sasha looked at him and swore his eyes briefly turned red when he glared at her and said in a low voice, "Se mai ci tradirai di nuovo, ti paralizzerò. Avrai difficoltà a fare la cheerleader su una sedia a rotelle."

Grime leaned in and said, "I don't know what he said, but I think he means it, Sasha."

"I think so too," said Hot Pants.

Sasha scoffed as she, Grime and Hot Pants as they left the tea shoppe to return to the empty house Johan let them use. "I gotta admit," Sasha said as they went inside. "Valentine may be the bad guy, but he's actually playing the role of distraction quite well. With everyone focused on rescuing Anne, they have no idea about our plan to invade Newtopia."

"Are you sure about this," Hot Pants asked.

"Of course," said Grime. "It's perfect. Kind of."

"What do you mean, kind of," asked Sasha. "We rescue Anne and Marcy while the three captains lead the charge of the invasion of Newtopia. Then we'll put an end to the gang wars by force. And when all is said and done, we'll have total control of all of Amphibia. And best of all, we'll have Passione under our thumb."

"And you think JoJo, Anne, and Marcy are going to go along with this," Hot Pants asked. "You don't think these things through!"

"I hate to say it," said Grime. "But she does have a point. What are you going to do if what happened at Toad Tower repeats itself?"

Sasha's hair and eyes glowed a little brighter in response to her anger. "It. Won't." Hot Pants and Grime weren't so sure.

In a room in an unknown location, Valentine looked over Anne and Marcy, who were lying in coffin-like beds. They tried to get up, but they couldn't. Neither could they speak. In fact, the only thing they could do was move their eyes. "Remarkable, isn't it? How quickly the venom of the chickalisk penetrates the body," he said. "Do not worry. I used only the tiniest dosage so that it won't kill you, but it will leave you paralyzed for several hours." He walked over to them and poked a finger on their noses. "You're probably wondering, 'Why am I doing this?' I'm doing this to save Amphibia, to save it from repeating its own dark history. A history that I'm sure you were never told about, weren't you, Marcy?" Marcy just glared at him. "Which is why I will prepare my own trials of Wit, Heart, and Strength, to make you see things my way. Assuming Sasha gets here in time." He gestured to the empty bed on Anne's left.

"And I'm bet you're wondering, 'If my plan requires the stones, why don't you use your Stand to bring another Calamity Box from another dimension to this one?'" Valentine exhaled. "The truth is, I did try. But someone is preventing me from reaching those specific dimensions. I don't know what it is, I only caught a glimpse of it, but it made me aware that I wouldn't try to reach another dimension's Calamity Box. I guess I was lucky I was born in a dimension."

His eyes wandered onto Anne and Marcy and he said to himself, "I wonder, if I were to breed that JoJo boy with the two of you, will your offspring inherit those powers?" Anne and Marcy's eyes widened with fear and disgust.

Scarlet entered the room. "I found them," she said. "The Stand users who are willing to work for you."

"Excellent. The trial of Wit will begin shortly. Keep an eye on them, Scarlet. I'll supervise the start of the trial of Wit."

"Yes, beloved," said Scarlet as she watched Valentine go. She then turned to Anne and Marcy and sat between them. "Now that we're alone, how about some girl talk? Tell me, do you have boyfriends?" Anne and Marcy couldn't respond and instead looked at her with incredulous expressions. "No? Oh, you are missing out. When you have a boy, you get to know so many secrets normal friends never know. For example, did you know that my husband takes afternoon naps, for about twenty to thirty minutes? No?"

Scarlet sighed as she reminisced, "I still remember the first time we met. We met fifteen years ago. I was a student and he was from my hometown. We danced together at a party, but the strange thing was I could never hear his footsteps...no matter where we walked, he didn't make a sound. And that made me fall for him." She smiled. "He can walk without making footsteps! No matter what kind of floor it is... He can still do it now, too. It's sexy. No matter where he is."

She squirmed in her seat as she continued to reminisce, "On the day of the party, he found a mandolin lying in the corner of the dance hall, and suddenly jumped on it... He can play the mandolin with his feet, you know. He hops around o the strings, even with all that weight. He played me 'Flight of the Moth'...or at least that's what it sounded like. And two years ago, he became mayor of Swamp Shiro. He's an extraordinary decision-maker, and precise, too. He also has a warmth about him...he's sharp, but also warm-hearted. I fell in love with that...and for fifteen years, that characteristic about him hasn't changed."

She sighed as she finished her story. She glanced at Anne and Marcy. "Those faces you're making. The way you're just quietly sitting...so, so, so cute!" She poked them both on the nose. "Let me me fiddle with your nose," she said, doing so. "And you," she said to Marcy. "Can I play with your lips?" She traced a finger along Marcy's lips. "Can I use two fingers?"

Marcy was unable to answer, but the look she was making was screaming, "No! No! No! No! No!" Scarlet did so anyway, slowly making circles on her lips and accidentally slipped them into her mouth.

"And you," she said to Anne. "I want to feel your cheeks." She rubbed and pinched her cheeks. "Aahh," she sighed. "It's a shame you can't talk. I want to hear you two say my name. I want to hear your voices. So cute. I love my husband, but humans have such wonderful features. Such smooth skin. I want to go to Earth one day and keep one of my own. To wrap my arms around, and snoodle with and hug to bits." She said, "I want you to do me a favor. When the poison wears off, I want you to sit on me."

Anne wanted to scream. To punch Scarlet in the face and run away with Marcy. "Like this," said Scarlet as she straddled on Anne. She leaned in and sniffed her hair. "You smell like dirt. I love it. Something about it reminds me of Wartwood. I once went there to attend a banquet. That fat toad they have for a mayor tried to flirt with me, but my husband set him straight. Will you do that to me? Will you...defend my virtue? Be my hero?" She licked her cheek.

Marcy let out a whimper. Scarlet turned her to face her. "Oh. Are you feeling neglected? Don't worry. I'll give you the same attention, Marcy." She got off Anne and crawled on top of Marcy, who let out another whimper as she leaned in close and sniffed her hair. "You smell of the sea. So nostalgic. I was born in Newtopia and spent my childhood there. I remember buying my favorite dress and my first pet micro snail. From what I hear, you've been making a lot of changes to that city. I can show you my home, take you to my chambers...my husband doesn't have to know." She slowly licked Marcy's cheek and she made another, more louder whimper.

"Get...off...her..."

Scarlet snapped her head to Anne, who was glaring at her with pure hatred. "You can talk?" she asked Anne, shocked. But then shock gave way to anger. She walked over to Anne and slapped her in the face. "How dare you talk back to me? I'm trying to form a bond and you dare to reject me?!" Scarlet raised her hand to strike Anne, only to stop. She lowered her hand and reached to grab Anne by the cheeks and made her look at her. "You're lucky you're so cute. And you have a role to play in my husband's goal and it's the only reason you're alive. However, I have ways of persuading him into making your current living conditions VERY uncomfortable. Is that clear?"

Anne kept glaring at her while Marcy trembled in fear.

"Good. Marcy's test will begin shortly. I have to go to the bathroom. Now you stay here, be good, and think about what I said. I hope the next time we meet, you'll be more cooperative."

With that, Scarlet left, leaving the two girls alone, feeling frightened, angry, and humiliated. She'll get what's coming to her, they both vowed.

Valentine, unaware of what was going on in the passenger compartment, checked his watch. "They should be arriving soon."

Meanwhile, Johan, Sasha, Grime, the Plantars, and Hot Pants were waiting on a bench by the train station. Johan checked his watch. "According to the tickets, the train should be arriving...now."

As if on cue, the train pulled up to the station. It was a monstrous thing to say the least. "That's no train," said Sasha. "It's a church on wheels!"

The exterior architecture of the train was extremely intricate and delicate, engulfed by dark color and roaring flames. The train itself resembled a large series of cathedrals aligned together following the same track. It was black and bellowed dark smoke from its engine and was covered in large stained glass windows that leaked scarlet and crimson through the transparent glass. The general architecture featured curves, spikes, turrets, and many windows of varying sizes.

"Valentine has Anne and Marcy inside that thing," exclaimed Sprig.

"And no doubt there are Stand users inside as well," said Johan. "Well, let's go."

They approached the train, only to be stopped by the conductor, a red newt wearing a green suit. "Tickets, please," he said, holding out his hand.

Johan handed him the tickets. "There's enough for all of us."

The conductor looked the tickets over and nodded. "Step right in." The group entered the train. The interior of the train was also dark and intricate. It contained many seats similar to pews and beautifully crafted curtains with clean and fresh carpets. The basic interior of the train was similar to the exterior with its detailed lining. The interior also had a black and white checkered pathway leading its way through the coaches, and it was dimly lit by candlelight.

"All aboard!" the conductor shouted...and vanished. Yep. Definitely a Stand user.

The group heard the train's whistle, then felt the train lurch forward. "This is surprisingly easy," said Sprig. "Maybe we'll find Anne and Marcy in no time!"

"It's never easy," said Sasha.

To be continued ➟