War Among Worlds 1x02: The Hidden Jungle
Amity walks back to the group and looks at Alador.
Alador: Is everything okay Mittens?
Amity: Yeah, I just hope Luz is okay and safe.
Alador: I'm sure she is.
Darius: Alright frogs start talking where are we and how did we get here?
Sprig: Well as I told you we don't know specifically how you got here?
Ivy: But that doesn't mean we can't help them.
Sprig: Your right Ivy that is what Anne would do after all.
Alador: So, then if you don't mind us asking how did you get here?
Sprig: Well, that is a more complicated story in a sense.
Amity: What exactly does that mean?
Polly: Well, it all started a week ago.
Sprig: Back when we got a distress signal from an unknown location.
Ten years after the events of Amphibia Series finale "The Hardest Thing" and Amphibia has been thriving with lots of new technological upgrade's thanks to Polly including the creation of electricity, phones, TV, Cars, and so much more which has really helped modernize Amphibia. That is until a distress signal goes out for help leading Sprig, Ivy, and Polly to go find the cause of what caused the signal in Sprig's car)
Sprig: So, this is going to be a different type of journey then we have done before.
Ivy: Yeah, the distress signal didn't even mention any coordinates to a location for this continent or anything.
Polly: It's almost like wherever we are going is a secret or something.
Sprig: Which could be cool when you think about it helping out some secret society members or saving some secret unknown species could be really important.
Ivy: That is true.
Polly: You know I really wish Frobo could have come on this mission, but after the last couple of missions I think he is just tired and he is also in need of repair which he is in the process of?
Ivy: If you're not fixing Frobo who is?
Polly: There is this new frog Vincent who came to Wortwood a few weeks ago and I have been training him to be a mechanic. He is actually quite good to be honest.
Sprig: And I'm sure you trust this Vincent frog?
Polly: I do
Sprig: It is a shame that we aren't going to get to see Hop Pop's show that's starting tomorrow.
Polly: Yeah, the marvelous adventures of the forgotten frog.
Ivy: Hey,you never know this trip may be short and then we can see Hop Pop's show
Sprig suddenly stops the car surprising both Polly and Ivy as it still looks like there in the middle of nowhere.
Polly: Yo bro why did you stop the car?
Sprig: I thought I heard something.
Ivy: What exactly do you think I heard?
Sprig: I don't know exactly I mean it could be a sign that we are to the place the distress signal came from
Sprig, Ivy, and Polly start to leave the car when suddenly Ivy sees someone in the distance walking towards them.
Ivy: Everyone be prepared I see someone walking towards us
Sprig: Well, let's not just assume they are bad let's give them a shot.
The shadowy figure starts to walk closer until it is revealed to be CHELSEA a 20 year old woman wearing a long and dusty shirt with a torn jacket and a beanie on her head and torn pants as she slowly and cautiously walks towards them. Sprig, Ivy, and Polly cautiously approach Chelsea as well.
Sprig: Who are you exactly?
Chelsea: My name is Chelsea, and my people are in desperate need of your help.
Sprig: See I told you the distress signal was coming from the right place.
Chelsea: I knew Niko would be able to use that weird techno equipment for some good.
Polly: Did you say technology?
Chelsea: Yeah, my younger brother is crazy about that type of stuff along with building things to.
Polly looks at Chelsea excited to meet her younger brother.
Polly: We must meet this person Sprig.
Sprig: Now hold on a minute what exactly is the problem you are facing?
Chelsea: I think it will be better if we talk about it inside.
Ivy: Inside of where?
Chelsea: Oh, right that's my fault sorry.
Chelsea starts to do a strange dance that looks like a combination of the Planter's hunting ritual dance along with some weird exotic dance that you would expect to see from an unknown land. Then once she finishes that she takes out some magical gloves and does some weird movements with her arm and then types in a code. After all that a portal suddenly opens out of nowhere and Chelsea looks at Sprig, Ivy, and Polly.
Chelsea: Come on, the Hidden Forest isn't going to wait for you guys.
Polly: I think you were right Sprig we were here all along.
Sprig: Come on let's go people need our help.
Chelsea walks through the portal with Sprig, Ivy, and Polly following behind her. Then Chelsea, Sprig, Ivy, and Polly step out of the portal and our in one part of the Hidden Jungle called the forgotten land which is basically a swampy marsh full of damaged and poorly constructed house and lots of shacks and shelters around the street for those that our homeless which Sprig, Ivy, and Polly look at with concern.
Chelsea: I know it's not much, but it's home to me.
Sprig: Oh, it's not that although I have been wondering why there is a protective barrier around this Hidden Jungle?
Chelsea: I have no idea.
Sprig: How do you not know?
Chelsea: Well, it's just always been a thing since I have been a child and I have never really questioned it
Ivy: Okay so then why did you guys send out a distress signal to us?
Chelsea: Because we have a huge monkey problem here.
Sprig: And what exactly do these monkeys have against you?
Chelsea: I don't know.
Polly: What do you have against them?
Chelsea: I don't know.
Ivy: So, what exactly do you know?
Chelsea: That you must meet my friends.
Sprig looks at Chelsea who looks at the three of them completely clueless about what is going on.
Sprig: Chelsea do you think you can take me to the person in charge here.
Chelsea: Of course, why didn't you just ask that in the beginning.
Chelsea starts to lead Sprig, Ivy, and Polly in the direction of the leader of the Forgotten Zone as Sprig, Ivy, and Polly look at each other confused by Chelsea and her behavior.
Polly: Are we sure we can trust Chelsea?
Sprig: Sure, she seems a bit off, but when somebody needs help, we help them that's what we do that's why you made the interdimensional communicator after all Polly.
Polly: No, you're right we should see this through to the end of wherever this takes us.
Chelsea: I should let you know before we get to the vine house that the leader here kind of is obsessed with plants.
Ivy: What do you mean kind of?
Sprig: And what's a vine house?
Chelsea: Just follow me.
Sprig, Ivy, and Polly continue to follow Chelsea until they get to a poorly constructed house covered with vines which Chelsea calls the Vine house and Chelsea knocks on the door.
?: Who is it?
Chelsea: It's me, Nalani. I have some friends out here who want to talk to you.
Nalani: Chelsea I am far to busy to do to deal with whatever childish problem you are dealing with.
Chelsea: My friends received the distress call that we sent out.
Nalani: You should have led with that come on in
The door unlocks and as they start to go into the house Polly looks at Chelsea for a minute and stops her before they go into the house.
Polly: This isn't a trap is it.
Chelsea: No look I get it you guys have lots of reasons to not trust me, but Nalani can really help with the problem.
Polly: Okay I will say this for one thing it doesn't sound like she is your friend.
Chelsea: We have a kind of rocky relationship, so let's not keep her waiting.
Polly and Chelsea enter the Vine House. Once Sprig, Ivy, Polly, and Chelsea enter the Vine House they start to walk around until they see Nalani who is the 26 year old fiery leader of the Forgotten zone with red hair, a beanie, red scarf, a shirt that looks like it hasn't been washed in weeks with a logo that says gamers forever, and baggy jeans who revels herself from a spinning chair while reading a book.
Nalani: So, this is really the best you could find me Chelsea we have a serious problem and you bring back frogs?
Chelsea: I did the best I could doesn't that count for something.
Nalani: See, this is why I took you off the scouts because you get to distracted and you lose focus.
Chelsea: Do we really have time to argue about this right now?
Nalani: Look let's get down to why you guys are all here because of the monkeys.
Sprig: So, does this mean you know what has been causing the monkey problem?
Nalani: Well, this has been happening for as long as I can remember, and it seems like things have been getting worse over the years.
Ivy: So, what changed?
Nalani: I don't know I mean I know the monkeys have always hated us, but I have never understood why.
Polly: So, then how can we help?
Nalani: I don't know.
Sprig: And once again we know nothing.
Nalani: Well, hey I didn't say I didn't know anything I became the leader here when I was 19, but this Hidden Jungle has always been full of mysterious things we don't talk about before my mom died there was things that she was to afraid to talk about things that haunted her.
Sprig: Things like what?
Nalani: I don't know, but she was under a lot of stress and pressure and that darkness just consumed her until she became somebody I didn't recognize anymore.
Ivy: So, then how can we help make this problem better?
Nalani: You could join the scouts on a mission tomorrow look all I want to do is keep my people safe and I cant do that while my people are getting hurt my reckless animals like the monkeys.
Sprig: But what exactly is the mission for if you don't know why you hate the monkeys?
Nalani: The mission is mainly recon to learn more about the monkeys and why they hate us, but its also to keep my people safe I wish I could tell you more, but this is the best I can do understand.
Sprig: Understood.
Polly: I do have to ask before we leave what's with all the vines and flowers in this place?
Chelsea: Nalani you don't have to.
Nalani thinks for a minute and then walks up to Polly.
Nalani: No, it's okay before my mother did I was 16 and she had this love for gardening her favorite flower were lilies and I guess you can say I developed a love for flowers and gardening like she did it's a wat for me to stay connected with her after all of these years.
Polly: So, does that mean you love lilies as well
Nalani: Look I understand that you guys have reasons to doubt me and what I am saying, but I can assure you once we have some more information on the monkeys and why they have been so aggressive against us lately we can finally start making things safe around here again. You can at least trust that can't you?
Sprig: Yes, we can.
Nalani: Cool so you guys can stay with Chelsea tonight and we will get you ready to meet the members of the scouts tomorrow morning.
Chelsea: WHAT you can't just
Nalani: Unless you have a problem with an order, I am giving it to you Chelsea.
Chelsea almost wants to get mad at Nalani but knows she can't cause a scene right now with everything going on so reluctantly agrees with Nalani.
Chelsea: You are right they can stay with me for the night.
Nalani: I will have my second in command Varnick take you guys to the compound tomorrow well aside from Chelsea of course.
Chelsea: Yes, I know I have been banned.
Nalani: I hope you guys have a successful mission with the scouts tomorrow.
After Chelsea, Sprig, Ivy, and Polly leave Nalani turns around to a mysterious person hiding in the corner and looks at him.
Nalani: You don't have to hide anymore there gone.
The shadow reveals himself as Nalani's lieutenant and second in command Varnick who is a 21-year-old strong black man with a hoodie and backpack holding a journal in his hands which he gives to Nalani.
Varnick: You know you could just tell them the truth it would make things a lot easier that way.
Nalani: You know why I can't this situation has already gotten more complex than it needed to be the less people that know what's going on the better.
Varnick: So, then why did you tell me?
Nalani: Because if everybody knew what I knew including Chelsea it would cause panic and distrust everything that I have done to rebuild trust within the community of the forgotten zone after my mom screwed everything up would be for nothing.
Varnick: Yes, but weren't you the one who said you don't even know what the true motivations of the monkeys are?
Nalani: I know more than you think I do Varnick for now just do a simple recon mission with the scouts tomorrow and I will keep the rest of this community safe like I have always done.
Varnick: People will start asking questions and then what?
Nalani: We figure this out one day at a time you can trust me Varnick just like you always have.
Varnick: I will and always have, but I am just trying to warn you we can't continue to get by on blind luck we need to be playing the long game here while also working on making the forgotten zone continue to thrive.
Nalani: And getting rid of the monkeys and learning where they are coming from is a good first step. You can't tell me that you don't feel our success and victory coming soon, I feel it just within our grasp.
Nalani reaches out to shake Varnick's hand which Varnick thinks about for a minute and then looks at Nalani and smiles and shakes her hand.
Varnick: I will take them to the compound tomorrow and we will go from there.
Nalani: Thank you, don't forget to let me know how it goes.
Varnick leaves Nalani in her house by herself to think about things.
Nalani: Let's hope they never find out the truth.
Chelsea is walking with Sprig, Ivy, and Polly from the main community in the Forgotten Zone known as the Swamplands which is an old bayou like community full of broken homes and poor people begging for crumbs to get by which worries Sprig, Ivy, and Polly.
Sprig: Is this where you live Chelsea?
Chelsea: I know it doesn't seem like much, but this is where I have called home for the last 20 years.
Ivy: What made the community and the people get use to life like this?
Chelsea: It all has to do with the monkey's that why Nalani has been helping us and why this recon mission is going to be important, so we can find out where those monkeys live, and we can start living a better life.
Sprig: See that's the thing that confuses me you say you guys hate the monkey's, but nobody has been able to tell me why you hate the monkeys and why you keep attacking them?
Chelsea: Let's just get you to my house and we can talk more about this in the morning, but first you guys have to meet my younger brother.
Polly: Okay.
Chelsea keeps walking with Sprig, Ivy, and Polly until they get to her home which looks more like a poor fisherman's house then a safe house to live in, but with the condition of the rest of the town it's not that much of a surprise that Chelsea's home looks damaged and broken. Chelsea gets to the door and knocks on it and Nico her 16 year old younger brother wearing a red beanie in a blue and red hoodie with some shredded jeans opens the door and looks at Chelsea, Sprig, Ivy, and Polly.
Nico: It's about time that you got home who are your friends?
Chelsea: They are the ones who answered the distress signal that we sent out.
Nico: Well, come on get in here it's already late enough.
Chelsea: Okay.
Chelsea, Sprig, Ivy, and Polly enter Chelsea's house and Sprig, Ivy, and Polly start looking around the house.
Nico: So, let me guess you are the one who got the distress signal I'm glad somebody was finally able to hear it.
Polly: I was wondering what type of technology do you use to make all your gadgets here?
Nico: Well, I use all different types of technology that I can share with you for another time, mostly it's to learn about the world and how we can help the animals in the hidden jungle, so we can figure out where all this hate comes from.
Chelsea: Except when it comes to monkeys, they have always hated us.
Nico: We don't even know why were supposed to hate them all we have ever done is trust that Nalani is going to have the answers, or that Nalani is going to be able to stop them and find where they live. Here is the thing that nobody talks about, how we can hate an enemy that we don't even know. I have no reason to hate the monkeys because there is not enough evidence to prove that they did anything wrong. Hell, you should know this better than anyone Chelsea you use to be part of the scouts, but you got kicked off because you were too impulsive and reckless and never thought things through and you have never questioned her decision on that have you?
Chelsea: You know it was because I got distracted and besides Nalani knows what she is doing she is a great leader.
Nico: Is she because lately I have started to think about things that a lot of you have been blind to!
Chelsea: Look I get you are upset Nico, but it has been a long day and my friends are going to be staying here for the night if that's okay.
Nico: You don't have to ask if this is your home of course they can stay here, but I am going to guess this wasn't your choice and Nalani made it for you because she makes every one's choices, right?
Chelsea: Well, yes but we are free to do what we want you know that.
Nico: Look I got to go to bed, and I promise I will share some of my gadgetry with you at another time it is stuff that's going to help the Hidden Jungle for the better.
Nico storm off to his room and then Chelsea looks at Sprig, Ivy, and Polly with a mixture of both being embarrassed, upset and concerned.
Sprig: I feel like that is something we should talk about.
Chelsea: You know my brother lately has just had very strong opinions on Nalani and the Hidden Jungle and one mention of the monkeys often turns into a lecture sometimes I forget that. The sad thing is it wasn't always like this, I just wish it could be like it was before. Anyway, let me show you to your rooms and I promise everything will be better in the morning.
Chelsea guides Sprig, Ivy, and Polly to their rooms, which aren't great especially since they weren't expecting visitors but given the condition of the house it's better then it could have been.
Chelsea: I will see you guys in the morning goodnight.
Chelsea leaves Sprig, Ivy, and Polly to get comfortable for the night and when Chelsea leaves Sprig, Ivy, and Polly look at each other and then look around the room.
Polly: Okay so I'm not the only one who thinks something weird is going on right.
Ivy: I mean the fact that all of these people don't know why they hate monkeys except this Nico kid who seems to know more than he probably should is a sign that something is up here.What do you think we should do Sprig?
Sprig: Well obviously we need to help them I mean it's what Anne would do and it's what we have done with so many other worlds out there.
Ivy: Look Sprig you know that I love you, but what if we find out is more dangerous than anything we have come across before?
Sprig: And what if it's not what if the Monkey's are like Andrias and there is an unfair power dynamic going on here in the Hidden Jungle we can help make things better?
Polly: He is right about that Ivy.
Suddenly a cold breeze comes into their room followed by a huge fog and then a voice.
Voice: Please if anybody can hear this, I am sending out this signal for help from any heroes in any dimension. Things have gotten a lot worse than I could have ever imagined. We are doing the best we can, but this rebellion is failing, and we need your help please!
Suddenly the voice disappears, and Sprig, Ivy, and Polly look at each other worried.
Polly: Great as if things couldn't get worse.
Ivy: Now what do we do we have to help these people right I mean we can't just leave this rebellion when they need help?
Sprig: Yes, but what do we do about Chelsea and the people here we can't ignore there is a problem going on that needs help.
Ivy: That we know nothing about.
Sprig: Yes, but we also know nothing about what this rebellion is and who this person is that needs help
Polly: So, then what do we do?
To Be Continued