Everyone managed to dress into their usual attire and entered the throne room, still plumb tired after the events last night. Well, everyone except for Hop Pop, who slept like a baby. Olivia was still crabby and covered in marker. A guard handed her a napkin.

"Wonderful to see you all again," Andrias said in his usual booming jovial voice. Everyone greeted him back. Everyone except for Johan, but no one noticed. "So ask me if I found out anything about the box," said Andrias as he hopped on his heels.

"Did you..."

"BINGO!" Andrias interrupted Anne, knocking everyone off their feet. He laughed, then brought out a book as large as his foot. "Ta-da! Take a gander." He opened it and placed it in front of the group. The page had illustrations of temples, of a blue heart, a red fist and a green brain, and of the music box.

"It's the music box!" exclaimed Sprig.

"According to this book, it's a magical artifact that is thousands of years old," explained Andrias. "Apparently, my ancestors used it to visit entirely different worlds. They were peaceful explorers, scientists, if you will."

Almost immediately, Johan's danger sense activated again. This, combined with what Diego Brando told him in the hospital, along with the stone mask he found in the tomb, told him one thing. He's not to be trusted.

Andrias pointed to the illustration of gems on the music box. "These three stones are the key to getting it working again. They need to be recharged."

"Recharged?" Anne asked as Marcy wrote down some notes. "How?"

"The book mentions three different temples, each channeling a different kind of energy. And once the stones are recharged..."

"We'll have a way home?!"

"Steal my thunder, why don't you? But yes! Boom!" Andrias turned the page, revealing an illustration of the music box with all three gems colored. "Eh, eh?"

Johan smiled. "So, we can go home if we pull this off, right?"

"Yes!" shouted Marcy. "Now let's get out there and conquer these bad boys!"

Anne cheered, "Woo-hoo!"

"Whoa-ho. Let's rein those snails in for a sec," said Andrias as he held up his hand. "The book only gives the location of one temple. Besides, you still have a lot of preparing to do before you set off."

"Good point. Gotta get equipped for a mega-quest like this," said Marcy. "Armor to buy, maps to study, weapons to forge. This is gonna take a few days."

"Few days, huh," said Hop Pop. "Well, I hate to say it, but we really need to get back to Wartwood. The harvest is coming up and we can't miss it."

"I should head back too," said Johan. "I have to check up on Passione, make sure they haven't done anything to burn Wartwood to the ground."

"Okay, Marce," said Anne. "Me, JoJo, and the Plantars will head back to Wartwood, and when you're ready, we can just meet up."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. It doesn't really make sense for you and JoJo to go back to Wartwood," said Marcy, earning her looks of confusion. "The last thing we should do is separate again, now that we're so close to finding our way home."

"Hold on," said Johan. "I have to get back to Wartwood. I have responsibility as the boss."

"And I need to go to Wartwood to get the music box. Right, H.P.?" asked Anne.

The old frog said, "Technically, yes."

"Nonsense. Once Hop Pop gets the box back, we'll just send a servant to pick it up. More efficient that way," said Marcy. "Besides, JoJo, you did say you've got someone looking out for Passione down at Wartwood. I'm sure they can handle it."

"Yeah, but..." Anne looked at the Plantars, and they looked back at her, all of them wearing uncertain expressions.

Marcy put a hand on Anne's shoulder and said, "Anne, right now you have to follow your head, not your heart. The Plantars got you and JoJo here, to me. It's time to let them get back to their lives. Why don't you guys take the day to say goodbye?"

Anne and the Plantars' faces collapsed into sadness. Andrias saw this and said, "You folks want a giant tissue? Seriously, you would not believe the size of these tissues." He chuckled, but no one chuckled back. "I'll get you one."

"Wait, before we go, I've gotta ask," said Johan. "Does your groom of the stool have nightmares doing his job or is that not a thing around here?"

"What's a groom of the stool?" asked Andrias.

"A nobleman who's in charge of wiping the king's butt after he poops. It's an antiquated job back on Earth."

There was a moment's silence. Everyone stared and their cheeks turned pink. "I...I am perfectly capable of wiping my own butt, thank you very much," said Andrias, clearly flustered.

Marcy pinched Johan in the arm and hissed, "JoJo, you're embarrassing me! Why did you ask that?!"

The sound of Polly, then eventually Sprig, Polly and Anne laughing soon filled the throne room. "That," said Johan. "If we're going to leave, I want them to be happy, even for a little while."

Marcy looked at the happy, laughing faces of Anne and the Plantars and before long, she started laughing as well. Even Andrias started laughing too.

Alas, it didn't last. "Now I'm sad again," said Polly.

Anne, Johan, and the Plantars returned to their hotel room, depressed as ever. "Hey, guys, come on. It's not like this is goodbye forever," said Anne, trying to be a bit more cheerful.

"You know what, gang? Anne's right," said Hop Pop. "The least we can do is have a fun last day together." He unfolded a map of the city on the table. "Now come on, let's pick an activity. There's the opera house, the coliseum, the aquarium."

Anne pointed to the aquarium. "There's an aquarium? That's perfect. Anytime I was feeling gloomy back home, the aquarium would always make me feel better. There's nothing more peaceful than being surrounded by water and sea creatures."

"Oh, good thinking, Anne," said Hop Pop.

"Works for me," said Polly.

"Yeah! Let's go have fun and not think about our crippling sadness," said Sprig.

Everyone got gloomy again. "Nice one," snarked Polly.

The Newtopia Aquarium reminded Johan of the one in Tampa Bay, Florida. It had skeletons of giant fish hanging from the ceiling, large tanks for all sorts of fish both familiar and alien, a touch tank for the kids to enjoy, a tidal pool, and a river room, which was where he, Anne and the Plantars were at. They were watching a group of beaver bugs making a dam.

"Look at the beaver bugs," said Polly. "They're so cute."

"What'd I tell you?" said Anne. "The perfect place to relax and take our minds off..."

Everyone screamed as a giant eel suddenly burst out of the water. "MUDA!" Johan summoned DARE, who gave it a single punch, scaring it off. "Oh, hey. Check it out. It's the same kinda eel that attacked you kids when the basement flooded, remember?" asked Hop Pop.

"Wait, where was I when that happened?" asked Johan.

"I think you were staying with the Sundews at the time. Our whole house got flooded so we had to stay with you. Remember, kids?" Hop Pop was met with silence. "Kids?" He and Johan turned to see Anne and Sprig looking at photos on the latter's phone with depressed looks on their faces.

"Those were good times, weren't they?" said Anne with a sigh.

"Yeah, it's too bad that they're over." Sprig's lips started to warble.

"No! No, Sprig. Fight the sadness. Fight it. Come on, buddy. Come here." Sprig hopped into Anne's arms and gave her a hug. "It's gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine." Her voice started crack and her lips began to quiver.

Seeing this, Johan quickly pushed them out of the room. "You know what? This room is boring, let's go to the next one," he said rapidly.

The group walked down the giant shark tank tunnel, trying to get their minds off the depression. "Okay, if we're gonna have a sadness-free day, we need to avoid anything that might trigger our very delicate emotional states," said Hop Pop.

They looked around, marveling at the giant jellyfish. "Actually, this is pretty peaceful," said Anne.

"Yeah," said Sprig.

"So soothing," said Polly.

They stopped in front of one tank and watched a giant squid swim by. "Oh, look. It's a squid," said Johan.

"Actually, it's a kraken," corrected Sprig. "Like the one Anne tried to cook up at Stumpy's."

"Oh, yeah. But then it turned out to still be alive and tried to eat everyone..." Johan slowly stopped talking in realization.

Everyone started to cry as Hop Pop whimpered, "Who knew fish sauce and fear of death went so well together?"

Anne quickly snapped out of it and dragged everyone out. "Okay, that's enough. Time to change rooms, everybody."

They next came to a room full of corals of different species. "Oh, cool. A marine geology exhibit," said Anne. "Nothing to remind us of our adventures in here."

"Wow, this coral is so neat," said Sprig. "Oh, look, that stalk looks exactly like..."

Everyone gasped. "Hop Pop's cane!"

"My cane!"

Anne looked at another coral. "Oh, no. That one looks like..."

"Domino 2!"

And it just got worse from there.

"That cannibal couple from the inn!"

"Mud Men!"

"Grubhog!"

"Zapapedes!"

"Veggie-robo!"

"ENOUGH!" shouted Johan with tears in his eyes. "Everything in this stupid aquarium reminds us of Wartwood! Oh, just face the music, Anne! Once we get the music box charged up, you, me, Marcy, and Sasha will back to Earth and we'll never see Amphibia and our froggy families ever again!"

There was a moment's silence, then everyone started bawling like babies. A security guard came by and said, "Excuse me, folks, but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. Your misery is scaring the efts."

A trio of young efts started to cry, only for their mother to snap at them, "No emotion!"

Anne sighed sadly. "Sorry, guys. Looks like my grand plan for a sadness-free day at the aquarium is a total bust."

"Well, If you folks are feeling blue, you could try the Stingray Stage Show," said the security guard. "Always cheers me up."

"Ooh, a stage show? Those are the best," said Anne before realizing something. "Wait. Did we have any run-ins with stingrays? Anything even slightly resembling a stingray?" Everyone said a variation of "No way". "Then let's go!"

They cheered and left the room. "Show's that way, folks," the security guard said, pointing in the opposite of where they were going.

The Stingray Stage Show reminded Johan of the Shamu shows at SeaWorld and it was packed with people. He, Anne and the Plantars watched as a performer surfed across the water along with a trio of stingrays the size of a minivan. The performer jumped out of the pool and onto the stage. "All right, give it up for our stingrays, Sugar Ray and Billy Ray. And now for the main event, I'll need a volunteer."

Sprig immediately raised his hand. "Oh, oh, me, me!"

"You, the pink frog over there! Come on down." Sprig gleefully ran onto the stage. "What's your name, and where are you from?"

"Sprig Plantar from Wartwood."

"Wartwood, represent!" shouted Polly as Anne recorded the moment with her phone.

"Well, Sprig Plantar, all you gotta do is put this fish in your hands and hold it out over the tank," said the performer as she led Sprig to the edge of the stage and toward the pool.

"And the stingray will jump out and eat it?" asked Sprig as he held out the fish.

"Usually, but we have a very special guest today. Everyone, put your hands together for Wanda the Water Snake!" A large snake jumped out of the pool, did a trick spin and dove back down.

Johan face palmed. "Oh, mi stai prendendo in giro."

Anne and Sprig gasped with awe and tears started to form in their eyes.

"Well, that's pretty cool... Wait, what's wrong?" asked Hop Pop when he noticed Anne's tears.

"It looks exactly like the water snake that almost ate me and Sprig," she said as he showed him the photo of said snake.

"WHAT?! WHEN?!"

"You weren't there," said Johan.

"That was the day you tried to lock us in the house!" said Anne. "It was also the day I learned I could do Ripple!"

"I KNEW IT!" snapped the old frog. "You two always..." His anger gave way to sadness and he started crying. "...disobeying and causing trouble!"

"That was the day I realized you weren't going to eat us!" cried Polly before she, Anne and Hop Pop pulled each other into a group hug and bawled like babies.

Johan noticed the uncomfortable looks people were giving them and shouted, "This is a stingray show, not a freak show! Look away!"

The performer said, "Now, Wanda will leap up and eat the fish right out of this lucky kiddo's hand. And so long as he doesn't do anything to surprise her, this should be perfectly safe."

Anne and the other stopped crying immediately when they saw Sprig about to break down. "Oh, no! Sprig's about to..."

The snake jumped into the air and dove toward the fish. It was too much for Sprig and he let out a loud wail, startling the snake and causing it to destroy the platform Sprig was on, knocking him into the water. Anne, Johan, Hop Pop and Polly ran onto the stage as Anne said, "We've gotta get Sprig away from that snake!"

"Oh, you've got nothing to fear from ol' Wanda," said the performer. "The gal's afraid of her own shadow."

"Huh. That's a first," said Johan.

"Oh, no, no, no. It's the rays you should be worried about. Yeah, they love the taste of frog flesh."

Everyone turned to see a sobbing Sprig surrounded by the two stingrays. Johan's eye twitched. "And you have those here WHY?!" He dove into the water and swam toward Sprig. The two stingrays saw him and swam toward him. He summoned DARE, who proceeded to punch the two of them. "MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA!" The two stingrays were sent flying into the sky and into a twinkle of light. "Yes! Sprig, this way!" A growling sound made him turn around and he saw two more stingrays coming for him. "Uh-oh."

"Sprig!" Anne grabbed two surfboards and rushed over to Sprig. "Hey, buddy!" She tossed one of the surfboards over to him. "You set 'em up..."

Sprig smiled and grabbed it. "I'll knock 'em down!" Anne scooped up one stingray, sending it flying to Sprig who knocked it away. The second sting ray then swam after Johan, who grabbed Sprig and swam for the platform. "Over here, Hop Pop!" shouted Anne. She grabbed him by the tongue and threw him at the stingray.

"ZOOM PUNCH!"

His arm stretched out and punched the stingray in the face.

Both stingrays were done playing around and dove under Johan and Sprig before launching them into the air. "You're up, Polly!" shouted Polly. The little pollywog swallowed some water then spat it out with the velocity of a cannonball. "RIPPLE CUTTER!" The Ripple infused water slammed into the stingrays, launching them out of the aquarium and into the ocean.

The audience watching this were impressed. "Yes, be free!"

Anne, Johan, and the Plantars got out of the water and gave a high five.

"AND STAY OUT!" shouted the security guard as he kicked them out.

"Well, that's one more place we're banned from," said Johan as he brushed himself off.

"It was worth it," exclaimed Sprig. "A classic Anne, JoJo, and Plantar family moment!"

"We stung those stingrays!" cheered Polly.

"Well, we didn't have a relaxing day at the aquarium," said Anne.

"But now, we've got another perfectly us-memory to cherish," said Hop Pop.

Everyone smiled and laughed, this time, longer than the one they had earlier.

It was the early evening when Anne and Johan finished helping the Plantars pack up their bags and place them in the fwagon. Marcy gave them a friendly wave. "Have a safe trip back, Plantars. Let us know when you get the music box, and we'll send someone to come get it."

"Thank you kindly, Marcy."

Marcy stepped away from Anne, who started tearing up and rushed over to the Plantars. She knelt down and hugged them. Then Johan joined them in the hug while Marcy looked unsure about this.

"No more tears, y'all," said Hop Pop. "We'll see each other again."

"But...JoJo said we'll probably..."

"Forget what JoJo said! We're family, and family always finds each other."

"Familia," said Johan. "We're a familia. Both as a gang...kinda, and in the more literal sense."

"Spranne against the world!" Sprig and Anne shouted and did their secret handshake. Then they laughed before they gave each other a hug.

And with that, Anne and Johan sadly had to watch the Plantar family go. Marcy noticed their sad looks and said, "I'm sorry, Anne. This just made the most sense."

"I know, I know," said Anne with a sniff. "Logical thing to do."

"Just because it's the most logical thing, doesn't mean it's the right one," said Johan.

Marcy thought it over and then said, "You know, the more I think about it, maybe sending a servant to get the music box isn't such a good idea. We need someone looking after that thing the second Hop Pop gets it back. Someone we trust."

Anne and Johan turned to look at her. "Wait," said the latter. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I'm sure I can handle the preparations here by myself. I'll just come pick you up on the way to the first..." Marcy let out a yelp as the two of them hug tackled her. "...temple."

"Thanks, Marcy," said Anne.

"What she said," said Johan.

"Now go. Follow your heart," said Marcy, letting them go.

The two of them ran down the streets, passing Doris the old lady newt, who was sitting at her usual bench, feeding the pigeon flies. "You go get 'em, girl!"

"See you, Doris!" called out Anne.

They ran across a manhole cover and the sewer gator popped his head out to give them a friendly bellow. Then they ran across the street, stopping traffic. "Oh, so safety doesn't matter now?" an angry driver shouted.

"Wanna try my new gnatchos, Anne? What about you, JoJo?" Gertie asked as the two of them ran past her stand.

"Some other time, Gertie!"

They ran by and waved to Priscilla and Pearl, and then Billie. "Hey, JoJo! I'm gonna keep an eye on things here in Newtopia!"

"Make me proud!"

The fwagon slowly made its way through the city gates, its riders still sad with seeing Anne and Johan go. That is until the aforementioned humans suddenly jumped in front of Bessie. "What in the... Anne?! JoJo?!" exclaimed Hop Pop.

"We're coming with you to Wartwood!" shouted Anne with excitement.

"Glad to have you back, kids," said the old frog.

"Hop on up here, sister and brother!" Polly said as Anne and Johan took their place in the seat.

"Now let's go home," said Anne.

Sprig noticed Johan holding onto his bag tightly. "Watcha got there?"

"A souvenir," he said, patting it.

"Ooh, can I see it?"

"Ah, ah!" Johan held it away. "No way! Knowing you, you'll break it! Besides, I want it to be a surprise." He patted the bag, feeling the stone mask inside.

Marcy still hadn't left her spot, when suddenly she heard someone approach her. She was surprised to see that it was Andrias. "Always sad to see someone go, isn't it? I have a proposition for you, Marcy, and I think you'll find it very interesting."

Meanwhile, Diego Brando listened in on their conversation from behind an alley. "She took the bait."

To be continued ➟