"JoJo! Wake up!"

Johan slowly awoke and muttered, "Altri cinque minuti, papà."

"Mmm..." Ivy grumbled before she hopped into the air. "WAKE UP!"

Johan suddenly felt someone jump on top of his stomach and he let out a loud gurgling noise. He looked up to see Ivy sitting on top of his stomach. "Good morning, JoJo," she said with a smile.

"Edera!"

Johan was still in a bad mood as he helped Felicia grind the tea leaves and put them into their bags. "I'd rather your give me an alarm clock instead. This is the third time this week she's used me as a trampoline!"

"Well, you have been a little lazy recently," said Felicia.

"Sorry, but it's pretty tiresome having to juggle between my plans and working in the Tea Shoppe. It doesn't help that I have little support from the people."

"What are you talking about?" Felicia asked as she put the bags into a crate. "You have some support! You helped destroy Blue Oyster Cult!"

"Yeah, and got little credit for it. It's Ram Bamboo who's got full credit while I'm just a passing footnote. And I know the reason why," Johan said as he placed a lid on the crate. "It's been a month and nothing's changed! People see me and they go 'Aaah! Help! Run! A big, stupid, stinky, smelly, ugly monster! I'm so scared!'" He exhaled in exasperation. "They judge me before they know me. If only they weren't so closed-minded."

Felicia placed a label on the crate. "If it means anything, I don't think you're a big, stupid, ugly monster. And neither does Ivy."

"I do!" Sylvia shouted from the sitting room.

"You're not helping, Mom!"

"I wasn't planning on it! Heh, heh, heh!"

Johan groaned as he flopped into a chair and face palmed. "You see what I have to deal with?!" He slumped into the chair and muttered, "If only they could help me with finding Anne, but so far only Ram Bamboo, Maddie, Sprig, Polly and Ivy are the only ones willing to help. Although, they don't really know what they're doing so they just wander around the forest."

"And their parents are okay with this?" asked Felicia suspiciously.

"What Hop Pop doesn't know won't hurt us, says Polly," replied Johan. "That girl is dark." He placed the crate into the storage unit. "By the way, did that order for the anise, fennel and wormwood come through?"

"You'll have to go to the trading post for that. Oh, and coincidentally, I need you to go there to pick up a delivery of my own. I ordered a whole shipment of emperor's jade tea leaves straight from Newtopia. Hopefully we can actually make some now that BOC is gone."

"On it."

"What do you mean you're all out?!" Johan shouted at the shopkeeper.

"Like I said, we're all out. Come back later."

"But that doesn't make any sense," said Johan, looking at his order. "Mrs. Felicia Sundew just placed that order. It can't have run out already."

"Well, maybe she should have come get it herself. Without you."

"Wait, what?" The door slammed in Johan's face. The boy backed away from it, understanding. It wasn't out. They just didn't want to sell anything to him because he was not a frog. "Great."

As Johan sat on a stump, wondering what he should do next, he heard a snail roll up in front of him and honk. He looked up to see Hopediah and his grandkids riding on the back of their snail Bessie. "JoJo? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, the usual. Kicked out of another store because people can't stand my appearance. If only there was a way to get these people to see I'm trying to help this town."

"Well, maybe if you were seen doing a good deed for one of the more paranoid folk," suggested Sprig. "That might get then to change their mind."

"Oh, yeah, and who do you have in mind?"

"Hop Pop," both Sprig and Polly pointed to Hopediah.

"WHAT?! I'm not paranoid!" Snap! "Gasp! I heard a stick crack!"

"See?" said Polly.

"This doesn't make me feel better," Johan said as he stood up to leave.

"Wait!" Hopediah stopped him. "I'm actually glad I caught you. I have a job for you."

"Can you afford it?" The old frog placed a small bag of money in Johan's hand. "Go on."

"Lately, somebody has been breaking into my store room and stealing my food. Every day a turnip, or some corn or something else will go missing. I found these tracks that go into the forest. I believe that's where the thief is hiding out."

"So why don't you do something about it, by yourself?"

"I have a lot to juggle with! Between watching the kids, tending the crops and planting the herbs for your absinthe, my hands are tied! Besides, I can't trust Sprig to watch Polly if I help you."

"What?!" exclaimed Sprig. "You think I can't watch Polly?!"

"I don't need watching," Polly insisted. "It's everyone else that needs watching. FROM THIS! KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO KERO!" She screamed as she swung her flail.

Quella ragazza è feroce, thought Johan, a little on edge at the tadpole's ferocity.

"Polly's got more responsibility in her little flipper than you have in your entire body!" Hopediah said to Sprig.

Sprig pouted and folded his arms. "Ridiculous. What makes you think I'm irresponsible?"

"Let me think... Oh, wait! Now I remember," Hopediah said as he counted his fingers. "There was the day of exploding gourds. The afternoon of the indoor cow-worm rodeo. And the night of the giant lightning bugs because a certain SOMEONE left all the lights on!"

Sprig scratched the back of his head. "Okay. So yesterday was a bad day." Hopediah made an irritated croak.

"That all happened in one day?!" exclaimed Johan.

"Polly, make sure Sprig stays in the cart," said Hopediah. Polly made a salute. "I'm gonna help JoJo get ready."

"Ooh! Do you have a kaiser blade I can borrow?" asked Johan.

"A what blade?"

Johan jutted out his jaw and did his best Billy Bob Thorton impersonation. Which wasn't that great on account of his feminine voice. "Some people call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade. It's kindly a long wood handle, kinda like an axe handle, with a long blade on it shaped kindly like a bananer. Mm-hmm. Sharp on one edge, dull on the other. Mm-hmm. It's what the highway boys use to cut down weeds and what not." He suddenly coughed. "That voice always makes my throat itch."

"You sound like my old Gam-Gam when you do that," said Hopediah, a little disturbed.

Meanwhile, Sprig was feeling down in the dumps as he muttered, "Wish there was a way to prove I'm not such a goof-up." As he watched Hopediah and Johan leave, a lightbulb clicked on in his head. "Polly, I just had a great idea. I am going to help JoJo catch the thief and save Hop Pop's crops."

Polly pointed her mace at him and threateningly said, "Stop right there! Hop Pop said that you had to stay in this cart. You know you can't take me!" she shouted as she swung the flail.

In response, Sprig reached into his pocket and took out a small blue bag. "Oh, oh, Polly, look. Candy!"

Polly smiled as she threw the flail away and took the bag from him. "Bribe accepted!"

"Let the thief hunt begin!" Sprig shouted as he chased after Johan and Hopediah.

"Don't die!" Polly called out.

"So, where did you see these footprints?" Johan asked as he took the kaiser blade from Hopediah's tool shed.

"Around here," the old frog pointed to his pumpkin patch. Johan's eyes widened when he saw them. "JoJo? Is something wrong?"

Johan's breath hitched then he chuckled. He wiped a tear from his eyes. "No. Not at all." Whoever these footprints belonged to, their right foot was bare while their left foot was wearing a sneaker. The bare foot had five toes instead of a frog's two toes. Johan knew right away who these footprints belonged to. "I'm coming, Anne," he whispered.

"What's that now?" asked Hopediah.

"Nothing," Johan said, a little too quickly. "Just...stay here." He pulled out the kaiser blade and followed the footprints. "If I'm not back in ten minutes, call Ram Bamboo!"

Johan followed the footprints into the forest and he was on edge. Even though he was armed and his Stand at the ready, he could feel the eyes of animals watching him. Some took off in sudden fright, while others were ready to claw and bite. But Johan didn't pay any heed and followed the footprints until he came to a small cave. There were definitely signs that someone was living in there. There was a bed made of branches and twigs, a fire pit with a spit, graffiti scratched into the stone walls, and... cobwebs?

Yes, there were what looked like cobwebs everywhere. It made Johan wonder if there was a giant spider here and if it ate Anne. But he soon found out what made these when a cat-like screech came out of nowhere and a black blur lunged at him and started scratching his face. "AAAAAAHHH! AAAHHHH! Levatelo! Levatelo! Levatelo! Levatelo! Levatelo! Levatelo!" DARE yanked the creature off him and threw it to the ground.

"What the hell was that?!" There, standing in a defensive position was what looked like a black caterpillar with a cat-like face. A literal caterpillar. Johan tilted his head in confusion. "Okaaay... Do you know where Anne is?" The caterpillar hissed at him. "Yikes. Well, aren't you friendly," he said sarcastically. "Well, Anne was definitely here." He pointed to the drawings of chibi versions of Anne, Sasha and Marcy's faces. "Now if only I can find her..."

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. It was a scream Johan was familiar with. "Dannazione, Rametto."

A few minutes earlier, Sprig was following Johan, armed with nothing but his slingshot. "Seems like the thief roams these parts. Probably a good place for a tra-aaAAAAHHH!" He let out a scream as a rope suddenly wrapped around his left ankle and hoisted him up in the air. Suddenly, something stepped out from behind some bushes, and it wass revealed to be... a disheveled human girl.

The girl had a slender build, and had light brown skin and messy auburn hair with leaves and sticks sticking out. She wore a gray t-shirt with a purple collar and a shield with the letters SJMS embroidered on it, a short purple skirt, a single yellow sneaker with a white lining and a gray sock while the other foot was completely bare and covered in mud. She was panting and holding a pointed stick like a spear. "Caught ya! Thought you got the best of ol' Anne, eh? Well, you didn't!"

Sprig recognized that name. "Anne? As in Anne Boonchuy?"

Anne pointed the spear at him and demanded, "How do you know my name, frog person?"

"JoJo's looking for you!"

She lowered the spear when she heard that name. "JoJo? Like, Johan Shiobana? That JoJo? Blonde hair, pale skin, has a star-shaped birthmark on his left shoulder?"

"Mm-hmm!" Sprig whimpered and nodded his head.

Anne looked a little nervous. "JoJo's looking for me?" she whispered. "Why now?"

"You're the thief!" Sprig pointed an accusing finger at her.

"What?!" Anne exclaimed. "You've got the wrong girl! I didn't steal anything!"

"Don't lie! JoJo tracked your footprints all the way from my family's farm!"

"YOUR family's farm? Oh, boy," said Anne, realizing her mistake. Suddenly, a loud screech made the two look in the direction of the forest. "It's coming back!"

"What is?" But Anne didn't answer and she took off running. "Where are you going?!" The monster screeched again. Sprig flailed about, screaming. He started to gnaw on the rope to free himself, but no avail. At that moment, Anne returned and sliced the rope with the spear and grabbed Sprig. "Whoop, here we go."

Anne and Sprig ducked under a log. The monster- a giant red mantis- passed by. Sprig and Anne gasp and fell to the ground in relief. "You... you saved me! You're not a beast at all! You're a hero! An ugly, ugly, ugly hero! Like JoJo!"

Anne held up her hand. "Call me ugly again and maybe I WILL eat you. Speaking of JoJo, obviously he told you my name, but I don't know yours."

"I'm Sprig Plantar! Put 'er there!" He held out his hand to shake hers.

"Uhh... okay..." They shook hands and Anne's hand got covered in mucus. "So... your hand just barfed on my hand," she said as she wiped her hand on her skirt. At the sound of her stomach growling (God, when did she last eat any real food?), she asked, "Okay, 'Sprig'. You got anything to eat?"

"Sure do!" He tore off a section of the log, revealing a bunch of grubs and bugs and handed them to her.

The sight of them made Anne turn slightly green. "Things that aren't bugs...?"

"No bugs, eh?" Sprig asked as he ate them. "We'll have to hunt around a bit until JoJo finds us."

"Uh, yeah, about that, maybe we can just hide until JoJo goes away," Anne asked nervously.

"Why?" Sprig asked as he raised an eyebrow. "You don't have anything to hide, do you? I mean, other than the fact that you stole from my farm."

"What, no!" Anne said with a nervous chuckle. "I can't think of...I mean, maybe I did, I don't know, I just don't wanna..."

"Hey, if you don't wanna talk about it, fine. Take it up with JoJo."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Anne whispered.

"Alright," said Hopediah as he walked with Ram Bamboo. "I talked to JoJo and he said to call you in the next ten minutes. Well, it's been nine and a half, so I think it counts." He walked over to the cart. "Come on kids, time to- What the?!"

A bloated Polly with candy smeared all over her lips shouted, "I don't have a candy problem! YOU have a candy problem!"

"Polly, where's Sprig?!"

"Uh... something-something thief, something-something woods."

"Sounds like your boy's gone and going to get himself killed," said Ram Bamboo. "Don't worry. I'll track him down. By the way, Polly..." She slapped the little pollywog a ticket. "Too much candy consumption."

"YOU CAN TAKE THIS TICKET AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR...!"

"Green Onions."

Ram Bamboo's Stand appeared and sprayed a gas in Polly's face, making her woozy. "No fair," she mumbled. "You used your Stand...can't see it..." She fell flat on her face and was out like a light.

"Now where was I? Oh yes," remembered Ram Bamboo. "I was gonna go after your boy, dead or alive!"

"No, no, alive," said Hopediah. "I want him alive!"

"Okay, fine. Killjoy," she muttered as she followed Johan's footprints into the forest.

Sprig placed a bag of herbs and edible mushrooms in front of Anne. She took one and ate it. "Hey, this is pretty good."

"Mm-hmm. So, first question. Are you from another world, like JoJo?"

Anne was about to open her mouth only to frown and say, "Darn it, I was about to dramatically say 'I'm a human being and I come from... another world!'" she shouted, creating an echo. "But with JoJo already here, it kind of seems pointless."

"Woooow... do you know how you got here?"

"Nope. One minute, I was in my world and the next thing I knew I was here. I don't know how to get home or if I even can go home. So, yup, that's my story. How 'bout you? What were you doing in the woods?"

"Proving that I'm responsible!"

"Oh, yeah? How?"

Sprig's eyes widened. Well, this was awkward. "Uhhhhh..."

"STOP, THIEF!" Anne grunted as she was tackled to the ground, pinned and cuffed by Ram Bamboo. "You're under arrest for stealing private property!"

Anne turned to Sprig with a look of betrayal written on her face. "Dude, what the heck? You set me up? I thought we were connecting!"

"N-no, no, no! This wasn't my plan," Sprig insisted.

Suddenly, something burst out from the trees. It was a giant green praying mantis. It looked at the frogs and human and hissed hungrily at them. Ram Bamboo threw Anne to the side and approached it. "Green Onions," she muttered, summoning her Stand.

Anne couldn't see it, but she knew at once the frog was a Stand user. "Wait, Stands exist in this world too?!"

"Duh. Now stay down and shut up. I'll take care of this. And Sprig! Hopediah has a couple of words with you when we get back!"

"Aw, man!"

Just before Ram Bamboo could use Green Onions on the mantis, it suddenly turned tail and fled, much to her confusion. "What the-? I know it didn't see my Stand. Why did it run away from me?" Suddenly, something huge landed behind her. She turned around to see another mantis, this one larger than the first one and was red. "Oh, it was running away from that guy. That makes sense."

Before Ram Bamboo could attack, the red mantis grabbed her with her claws. Quickly, she summoned Green Onions and it produced a green vapor that stung the mantis' sensitive eyes, making it let go of her. She ran up to Sprig and Anne and shouted, "Get out here, both of you!"

"No way! We're not leaving you, you're hurt," Sprig shouted.

"What's this 'we' stuff?" asked Anne.

"Gimme that!" Sprig said as she swiped the keys off Ram Bamboo.

"Hey! That's police property!"

Sprig ignored her and unlocked Anne's cuffs. "What, is this a test?"

"Nope! This is me being responsible." He pulled out his slingshot and flung a stone at the red mantis' head, injuring it. "Get out of here, Anne! I got this!" The red mantis grabbed him. "Or not. AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"No!" For a moment, Anne considered running, but foolish bravery overcame fear and she ran up to the mantis and grabbed it by the antennae as her eyes flashed blue for a brief moment. "LET HIM GO!"

"MUDA!" A kaiser blade suddenly cut the mantis' left claw off, and it shrieked in pain. Everyone turned to see Johan with a look of determination on his face.

"JoJo!" exclaimed Ram Bamboo.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size," Johan asked the red mantis who just shrieked in rage and pain before it flung itself toward him and raised its remaining claw at him. It was in that moment that DARE appeared and proceeded to pummel it.

"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA! MUUUUUUDAAAAA!"

With that final "MUDA!" the mantis was sent flying up into the sky and over the trees.

"We did it!" Sprig and Anne cheered.

"Up top," Anne shouted. Sprig high fived her with his tongue. "Oh, boy that's gross." Click! Once again, Anne found herself in cuffs. "What the heck?!"

"As I was saying," said Ram Bamboo. "You're under arrest!"

"What?!" exclaimed Sprig. "That's not fair!"

"Quiet, or I'll have YOU arrested for obstruction of justice!"

"Anne?" Johan slowly walked toward her. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah," said Anne as she looked away. "What's it to you?" He pinched her cheek. "Ow! What the heck?!"

"Just making sure this isn't a Stand-induced hallucination." Anne flicked him on the forehead. "Ow!"

"Did that feel real to you? Yes? NOW GET ME OUT OF THESE CUFFS!" POW! "Oof!" Anne felt the wind knocked out of her as Ram Bamboo punched her in the gut.

"Let's go, looter!" she said as she dragged her off.

"My backpack!" screamed Anne as she struggled to break free. "It's still in the cave! It has the music box in it! Please! I can't go without it!"

Sprig suddenly stood in front of Ram Bamboo and shouted, "Stop right there! She may be a thief but she also saved my life. She's just lost and needs our help just like JoJo was when he first arrived. We should take care of her."

"Oh, you will," said Ram Bamboo. "AFTER she's served her sentence! Let's go, girl!"

"No! I won't let you take her!" Sprig held Anne close.

Ram Bamboo shrugged her shoulders. "Very well, then." Click! "You're under arrest too."

"Aw, man!"

"Fine way to start the day, huh?" asked Anne as she sat in a holding cell with Sprig.

"Eh, it's not my first arrest," said Sprig with a shrug. "One time I got caught joyriding Bessie and crashed into the mayor's house. Hoo boy, community service was a nightmare!"

Anne sighed sadly. "Well, this is my first arrest."

Ram Bamboo appeared and unlocked the door. "Well, JoJo paid your bail. Your Hop Pop is here too, Sprig."

"Oh, boy." Hopediah Plantar arrived with Polly and Johan. He did not look happy. "Looks like I'm back to causing trouble for the family again, huh?"

To the young frog's surprise, Hopediah smiled. "Trouble? Sprig, standing up to Ram Bamboo to help this creature out was... Some of the bravest and most responsible stuff I've ever seen!"

"That was pretty cool, Sprig," said Polly. "It was also really dumb!"

"Yes. Really, really dumb."

Sprig made a gasp of amazement. "You think I'm responsible?"

Hopediah didn't really mean it like that. "Well, yeah, I mean, just this one time..."

Sprig didn't hear him. He cheered "Yes! Woo hoo!" and did a little victory dance.

"Well, don't get carried away..."

"Big win!"

Then Hopediah turned his attention to Anne. "So, JoJo told me a lot about you and..." Anne winced, ready for whatever punishment he was going to dish out. "I think you deserve a nice, warm bed and a roof over your head."

"Wha-what? Really?"

"Sure! Because come tomorrow, you're going to be working your butt off to pay for all those crops you stole!"

"WHAT?!"

"Anne," said Johan as he dug into Anne's backpack and took out the music box. "Isn't stealing what got us into this mess to begin with?" Anne looked away in shame. "You knew I was here all along, did you? If you knew, why didn't you come to me?"

"Because...because...because I was afraid you'd hate me for getting you and our friends stuck in this world in the first place," Anne confessed as she rubbed her left arm.

Johan put the box back in the backpack and said calmly, "I don't hate you. I'm just a little disappointed is all. But I'm glad you're safe. Honestly, there were times I thought you were dead or maybe that I was stuck here alone with no way home. But, seeing you here, that's given me enough hope." Then he started cursing, "Questa è la cosa più banale che abbia mai detto!"

Anne for the first time since she got here, Anne started laughing. "Dude, you know I can't understand that Italian gibberish."

Johan's eye twitched. Then he recomposed himself and said, "Hopediah, how about this? She gets to work on the farm and she gets to learn Ripple in return."

"Ripple?" asked Anne.

"A...cool anime sun power involving breathing," Johan tried to explain the best he could. "They got more than Stands here."

Anne grabbed Johan by the cheeks and said, "You better not be lying."

"Let go of my face."

"You want me to teach her Ripple?!" Hopediah exclaimed incredulously. "A troublemaker like her?!"

"She's a hard worker and is one to follow orders if you give her the right motivation," Johan explained. "Besides, ever since she found out me and Sasha are Stand users, she's been a little jealous of not having 'cool anime superpowers' in real life. Also, I think Sprig could cull her troublemaking tendencies what with him being a troublemaker himself. Two negatives make a positive after all."

"That makes no sense!"

Anne dropped down to her hands and knees and begged, "Please, please, please, please, please teach me, weird old frog! I'll fix the roof! I'll paint the house, I'll do anything! Just teach me your frog anime powers!"

Hopediah raised an eyebrow. Anne's eyes turned big and her lip quivered. "Alright, I'll teach her! Just stop looking at me like that! You look like that creepy porcelain doll I keep in the attic."

A doll of a red-haired frog girl sat in the corner of the attic, staring intently.

"But I expect you to make good on your word on the hard work!"

"You have my word."

Hopediah narrowed his eyes at her. "Very well."

"Yes!" But before she could celebrate, Anne realized something. "Wait. Where am I going to stay?"

"It's not fair!" Anne complained as she placed her backpack down. "You get to live in a big fancy tea shoppe while I'm stuck in the Plantars' dank, dingy cellar!"

"Technically I live AND work at the Sundews' tea shoppe," said Johan as he sharpened the kaiser blade. "It's not a boarding home. I have to earn my keep."

"Well, I'd say you earned more than that," said Anne. "Killing a whole gang and all." She placed her sleeping bag down and laid down on it.

"Yeah and I still don't have respect for it. People still think I'm a freak. And I saw the way the people looked at you when Ram Bamboo dragged you into jail. Now we're both in the same boat."

"I hope that won't be the case for long..." Anne whispered.

There was a moment's silence, save for the sound of Johan sharpening the kaiser blade. "So," he finally said. "Is that music box working?"

Anne held it up. It depicted a frog in the tropical woods, praising three gems behind an engraved sun design. The last time Johan saw it, the gems were colored green, blue and pink, but now they were clear. On the lid were words neither he nor Anne couldn't quite make out. When she opened it, nothing happened. "I tried," she said. "It's busted. And if what you say about that ice wall is true, we're stuck here for a couple of months."

"Yep. Here's your shoe back, by the way." Johan tossed the missing sneaker to her before he picked up the kaiser blade and slung it over his shoulder. "Well, see ya in the morning, Anne. I've gotta return to the tea shoppe."

"Wait." He stopped. "Would you mind staying here with me? It's been a long time since I've had human company."

He was about to tell her that she can sleep by herself, but then remembered how lonely she was in that forest. He placed the kaiser blade down and sat next to Anne. "I'll inform Felicia Sundew why I was late. Hmm, come to think of it, was there something I had to do for her today?"

"Hello? JoJo?! Where's my damn tea?!"

"Eh, I'll make up for it somehow. Still, quite the exciting day this has been, huh, Anne?" Silence. "Anne?" The girl was already fast asleep, resting her head on the pillow. Johan smiled and leaned his back against the wall. Not exactly the most comfortable position he's ever slept in, but knowing Anne was next to him was worth it.

Meanwhile, out at the edge of the forest, a black caterpillar followed the scent of the occupant it shared in the cave until it came across the house Anne and Johan were staying in. It sat next to the door to the cellar and meowed loudly. Anne opened the door instantly and gasped in delight at the sight of Domino 2 before she quickly covered her mouth, looked around, then took the little caterpillar inside before closing the door. Anne slept more peacefully that night.

To Be Continued...