The Plantars, ignoring the blaring horns coming from the cars, marveled at all the sights the city had to offer. "What the?!" screamed Hop Pop.

Sprig looked up and screamed at the sight of an airplane. "What is that thing?!"

"What is THAT thing?!" Polly pointed to a whacky, inflatable, arm-flailing tube man placed in front of a car dealership across the street.

"I don't believe it... I'm home?!" exclaimed Anne.

"This is your world, Anne, JoJo?" Sprig shouted over the honking. "It's so... loud."

"That's because we're on the freeway, you idiots," shouted Johan as he grabbed Sprig and Polly and Anne grabbed Hop Pop. "Get off the road now!"

They ran until they came to a stop in an alley. The Plantars gasped when they got a better look of the skyscrapers made of silver and glass with lights that shined like the stars. Sprig was so captivated, he fell flat on his back. "Am I dreaming? There's only one way to be sure," said Anne as she took out her phone. The minute she saw the "No Service" turn into 5G's, she let out a cheer. "JOJO! WE'RE HOOOOOOOOME...!" A flock of pigeons, startled by the cheer, awoke from their sleep and took off.

Johan took out his phone and tears started to form as he looked at his phone and saw that he now had cell phone service. Then he realized something, "Would you guys excuse me, I have to make an important phone call."

"What," exclaimed Hop Pop. "My family is in your world and all you can think of is your phone?! Typical teenagers."

"Let him go," said Anne. "I have a lot of phone calls to make too."

Johan turned the corner, made sure no one was listening, then dialed a number. He eased his breath, mentally prepared himself for what he was going to say next. But when the person on the other end answered, the only thing Johan could think to say was, "Ciao, Papà."

Minutes later, Anne was leading everybody with Frobo's head nestled in her backpack. Polly was doing a happy dance with her newfound legs. "Legs! Legs!"

Sprig was trying to take in all the sights at once. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" He stuck his head in a mailbox. "What is this thing?" He took out the envelopes. "What are these?" He gasped when he saw a pedestrian crosswalk button and began pressing it rapidly. "Buttons! Buttons everywhere!" He saw a fly buzzing and tried to catch it, only to get stuck in a manhole. "HELP! This dungeon smells awful!"

Hop Pop pulled him out and said, "Careful, boy. There's no telling what dangers lurk in this world. So what's our next move Anne, JoJo? I mean, so much has happened. Do you think Marcy's-"

"She's alive, Hop Pop," said Anne, before quietly saying, "She's just gotta be."

"Anne, she was burned alive," said Johan. "The chances of her surviving are..." He stopped when he saw Anne shaking. "...highly likely. Besides, one thing's for sure, she and Sasha are still in Amphibia. We've gotta get them back and these guys," he gestured to the Plantars. "Home."

Sprig and Polly cheered while Hop Pop said, "Sounds like a plan."

"Although, the how part is unknown. With the Calamity Box destroyed, and without Marcy and Sasha to help Anne combine powers with her, you guys are stranded."

"We'll figure that out later," said Anne. "But before we do any of that, first things first." She came to a stop in front of a two story blue house with a dark roof, a red door with a Thai design, and a garage.

"Anne, is this...?"

"My house," Anne replied to Sprig, a little afraid. "This is really happening. I'm gonna see my parents."

So... It's too early to call them 'mom' and 'dad', right?" Sprig asked. "Should I call them 'Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy'?" He stuck his tongue out. "Are they tongue-shake people?"

In response, Anne grabbed him and put him in the garbage can. "Okay... you three should probably hide in here for the time being. I wanna ease them into all of this slowly. And when the time is right, I'll signal, 'Caw caw!' DO NOT come out until you hear that. Oh... And I'm not gonna tell them I plan to go back and stop Andrias. Or that Andrias betrayed us. Or that Marcy did. Or that Sasha did. Or that Funny Valentine did. And not A WORD about my Calamity powers. Or anything that has to do with Stands, for that matter." She paused. "Wow... There's a lot going on..."

Johan wanted to say, "Anne, they're going to find out sooner or later, it's better to rip the bandage off." But he knew he was being a hypocrite, for he was keeping secrets himself.

His trepidation did not go unnoticed. "JoJo, are you okay," Anne asked. "You look like me whenever I have an important test coming up."

Johan dented his fingers together. "It's just...during my time here, before arriving in Amphibia, I never actually met your parents. Or Marcy and Sasha's parents for that matter. You're right, I am scared. I don't think...hell, I know they won't like the idea that you're friends with a mafioso, let alone a vampire."

Anne nodded, understanding. "I'll keep the whole 'Gang-Star' thing a secret."

"And what about me being a vampire? They're going to be suspicious of me when they see I can't go out in the sun. And there's also the whole 'drinking blood' thing."

Anne thought it over, then said, "Some people are allergic to the sun, right? That's a real thing, right?"

Johan nodded, "It's very rare, but yes. But that's not the case with me. People who are allergic to the sun break out in a rash. If I go out into the sun, I'll explode into a pile of dust!"

"We'll just say it's a severe case," said Anne. "As for the blood..." She thought it over. "I'll see if I can get some raw meat at the grocery store and make sure it's extra bloody."

"I don't know, Anne..."

"Come on, have I ever let you down before?"

"Well, let me see. There was the time where you- Costantemente!"

"I'm going to ignore that. Just wait here. I'll introduce you." Johan did as he was told and stayed with the Plantars.

Inside the trash can, Polly held Frobo's head close. "Don't worry, Frobs. We'll fix you up in no time. Anne's world is full of advanced technology." A broken furby toy suddenly caught fire.

Anne approached the front door, inhaled, and said, "Okay... Here we go." She raised her hand to knock.

Inside the house, Mrs. Boonchuy, a woman who could be described as an older clone of Anne, was busy cooking, one of the many, many, MANY distractions she had to cope with her daughter's disappearance. For five agonizing months, there was no sign of her or her friends. They just ditched school on her birthday, probably to have a party of their own, and they disappeared without a trace. Even after combing the area where they were last seen, the police could not find a trace of them. She'd given up hope at some point.

The sound of the door knocking snapped her out of her thoughts. "I'm coming. I'm coming." Still stirring the bowl, she left the kitchen and opened the front door.

"Hi, Mom."

Mrs. Boonchuy stood still, too stunned to speak. The bowl slipped from her hands and she ran to embrace her daughter. That's when the dam broke and both mother and daughter cried. Mr. Boonchuy, attracted by the commotion, came out of the kitchen to see what was wrong. He was a man who resembled Anne but with short dark hair, and more easy-going and open-minded. "What was that noise? Everything OK?" he asked. He gasped when he saw Anne.

"DAD!"

"ANNE? ANNE, YOU'RE BACK!" Mr. Boonchuy ran over to hug his daughter. "You're safe."

A happy meow was heard and Anne gasped when she saw a black cat nuzzling her legs. "Domino!" She picked up the cat and held her close. "Come here, my precious baby!"

After the Boonchuy family group hug was over, Mrs. Boonchuy asked the most important questions, "Where have you been? Are you OK? Are you hurt? Have you eaten? Your hair is a mess," she said as she pulled a leaf out of Anne's hair.

"It's a really... really long story."

A car, whose horn sounded like a bird's caw, drove by. Hop Pop, mistaking it for Anne's signal, jumped out of the trash can and said, "And we're the Plantars! The lovable frog family Anne's told you all about."

Polly jumped out of the trash can and shouted, "Hop Pop, that was not the signal!"

"Well, it sure sounded like the signal."

Sprig hopped out of the trash can and said enthusiastically, "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Anne's parents. The name's Sprig Plantar, Anne's best friend and walking-talking frog." He saw a fly and caught it with his tongue.

Anne face palmed. Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy stared in shocked silence, then Mr. Boonchuy fainted. Johan stepped out of the shadows and said, "Santo cielo, can't you guys do anything...right..." He stopped talking when he realized Mrs. Boonchuy was looking at him. "Uh...ciao, Mrs. Boonchuy."

"Anne, who's this boy," Mrs. Boonchuy asked suspiciously.

"Uh, Mom, this is JoJo, a friend I met before...you know, disappearing along with Sasha and Marcy."

Mrs. Boonchuy glared at him. "Did you have a hand in my daughter's disappearance?" Johan, knowing this was going to happen, backed off. "Because my daughter already has enough bad influences at school thank you very much! The last thing she needs is a boy to-"

"Hold it," said Anne, coming to Johan's defense. "JoJo is a good influence. In fact, he wanted me to not steal the music box that led us to Amphibia! Only, I was too stupid to listen."

"Music box, what?"

Johan sighed. "Can we come inside and explain everything?"

Mrs. Boonchuy continued to look at him suspiciously. "Okay, JoJo. Tell me everything."

Later, in the living room, Johan, Anne, and the Plantars told them everything that happened with the help of some illustrations. Well, not everything. They left out certain details like Sasha's betrayal, Marcy's involvement to steal the music box in the first place, Funny Valentine's conspiracy, and Andrias' invasion plan. "OK... Where was I?" asked Anne.

"The Third Temple," replied Sprig.

"Right. So, as soon as we charged the last stone, the music box opened a portal that took me and JoJo back to Earth. Before anything else could happen..." she said through gritted teeth. Then she resumed normally, "But, the Plantars got sucked into the portal too and now they're stuck here until we find a way to get them home. So yeah... You're pretty much caught up."

Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy looked horrified and nonplussed, Mr. Boonchuy more so. "Hold on. Back up," he said. "You're telling us there's a whole world of talking frogs called 'Amphibiland'?"

"It's actually called 'Amphibia'," corrected Sprig.

"You made Larb with maggots? Was it good?" asked Mrs. Boonchuy.

"And you learned a technique called Ripple that gives you the power of the sun? This is a lot to take in," said Mr. Boonchuy. "I wish we could've been eased into it."

Anne gave Hop Pop the stink eye who chuckled nervously. "Don't blame him," said Johan. "Hopediah is as subtle as a brick being thrown at a wall."

"Anyway... Can the Plantars stay with us until we find them a way home?" asked Anne.

Mrs. Boonchuy laughed until she realized, "Wait... you're serious?"

"Oh, Mom! Dad, say something."

"Anne, all of this is crazy. I wouldn't believe a word of it if the small frog wasn't kicking me right now."

Polly smiled as she kicked him. "New legs. You know how it is."

Mrs. Boonchuy got up from the couch and approached Anne. "Your adventure is over, Anne. You're home now. The authorities will take care of your friends."

"Yeah, that's not going to be a good idea," said Johan. "Not only will they be taken in and probed, you guys..." he gestured to the Boonchuys. "...will be taken in for questioning."

"What's that now," asked Sprig.

"Can you elaborate on the probing part?" asked Hop Pop.

Polly grabbed onto Anne's legs and shouted, "Anne, JoJo, don't let them take us! DON'T LET THEM TAKES US!"

Anne held the Plantars close. "Don't worry, guys. I'll keep you safe. I was living in a cave when you found me. The least I can do is return the favor."

"Same with me," said Johan. "You and the Sundews were the first people to take me in when no one else would when I arrived in Amphibia. I'll do anything for you."

Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy thought it over and after a long pause, the latter said, "Okay. They can stay... For now."

Anne hugged her mother tight. "Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"But what about him," Mr. Boonchuy asked, pointing to Johan. "Didn't you say you were only here in America on vacation?" Another lie.

"Right," said Johan as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, the hotel I'm staying at probably cancelled my reservation after being gone for several months." He exhaled. "So, the whole housing arrangement will be a problem. If the Plantars are staying in the guest room, where will I sleep?"

"I know," said Anne. "You can sleep in the attic!"

"The attic?" Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy questioned at once.

"Anne, I'm not sleeping in-"

"It's the only room in the house that has no windows. Which means, no sunlight!"

Johan blinked a few times, then realized, "Oh. Right." He turned to Anne's parents and said, "This is embarrassing, but I have something personal to tell you."

"Oh, what is it?" asked Mr. Boonchuy.

Johan dented his fingers. "I...I'm allergic to the sun." You better be right about this, Anne, he thought.

"Allergic to the sun," Mr. Boonchuy asked suspiciously. "That can't be real." He looked it up on her phone. "Oh. It is."

"My case is a rare and extreme variant," said Johan. "I can't go out in the sun or else I'll die."

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that," said Mrs. Boonchuy. "We'll try to accommodate you for as long as you're here."

"Grazie, signora Boonchuy," replied Johan, only to have Mrs. Boonchuy poke him in the nose and say sternly, "But don't you think of trying any funny business with my daughter!"

"I won't! I promise! She's not my type anyway!"

Anne made an offended look. "That hurt, man."

"First things first," said Mr. Boonchuy. "If we're doing this, we gotta be extra careful." He bolted the front door. "No one out there can know you frog people exist. You're all on lockdown!"

"You heard the man," Hop Pop said to his grandkids. "You're all on lockdown, got it?" Mr. Boonchuy gave him a weird look. "What?"

"Come on guys," said Anne. "Let's give JoJo these last few days here with us the funnest he's had! Quarantine style!"

"Ahem, first things first," said Johan. "I need some new clothes. I can't go around looking like this." He gestured to the rags that were once his Amphibian garbs.

Anne grabbed him by the arm and said, "You've come to the right place!"

"Why do I feel nervous?"

In the Boonchuy residence's attic, Johan laid down a sleeping bag as he looked around, taking note of all the boxes that housed various things such as holiday decorations, old clothes, heirlooms, and miscellaneous knick-knacks. "This place is kinda snug, but I'll try to make it work."

"Oh, JoJo!" Anne climbed up the attic ladder, holding something in her arms. "I got your new clothes!"

Johan looked at them. "Aren't those girl's clothes?"

"Sorry, they're all I got."

"Oh, fine. Just look away." He took the clothes and went behind a pile of boxes. A minute later, he stepped out from behind the boxes. He wore a Los Angeles Angels t-shirt, a green sweater around his waist, a red baseball cap with a hand symbol on the front, dark teal jeans, and purple sneakers. "How do I look?"

"You look great," said Anne. Then she asked, "Hey, who were you talking to on the phone?"

Oh, boy, thought Johan. "Anne, there's something I have to tell you that I couldn't say in front of your parents. You might need to sit down for this one." Anne sat on one of the boxes. Johan said, "Sprig, I know you're listening in, so you might as well too." Sprig poked his head into the attic and hopped into Anne's lap. "The person I was talking to was my dad."

Anne and Sprig gasped. "The Boss..." whispered the latter.

"Yeah, well, it gets better. He's coming here from Italy. He wants to have a word with you and the Plantars, Anne, regarding Amphibia."

Anne asked, "When did he say exactly?"

"He didn't. He said I'll know when he's here."

Sprig gasped again. "No. Way! Your dad is coming! Oh, man, I'm so excited I could pee myself!"

"Please, don't."

Then Anne realized what Johan said and asked, "JoJo, how much of this did you tell him?"

"Everything," he replied.

"Everything?! Including Marcy, Sasha, Funny Valentine, and Andrias?! JoJo, we came up with a complex lie to my parents on the spot but you couldn't do the same with your own dad?!"

"Hey, I tried! But it's not easy to lie to when your father not only is a powerful Stand user, but is able to tell when a person is lying to his face! He's been able to read people ever since he was a kid. Anyway, he wanted me to come to Italia right away, but when I told him about everything that happened in Amphibia, and that the Plantars are here, he decided to have a meeting with you guys."

"A meeting," asked Sprig. "Why couldn't he do it using those...video chat things Anne's always talking about?"

"I asked the same thing, but he said he wanted to be there in person."

"Why," asked Anne.

Johan felt a tear drip down his face as he said, "Is it wrong for a father to hug his son after being gone for so long?"

Anne and Sprig made a sympathetic look. After the moment passed, Sprig asked, "So, how did he take the news of you becoming a vampire?"

"Not well at all," Johan joked. "He said that was one of the stupidest things I could ever have done. Can't say I blame him."

Anne asked, "And what about my parents? You said it yourself, they're not going to like the idea of me being involved in the mafia. And I know my mom will flip when she finds out. She'll probably send me to boarding school just to get me away from all the 'negative influences' in my life."

"My dad says to not get them involved, but if it can't be helped, he'll explain things as calmly as he can."

"Wait. What about the arrow," asked Sprig. "I thought the whole point was to get it back and return it to your dad."

"They already got it," said Johan. "What, did you think they were just going to wait for me to come back and continue the mission?" He shook his head. "I screwed up big time. They got it back, but there were repercussions."

Let's do a flashback here. Three days after Anne, Sasha, Marcy, and Johan's disappearance, a strange phenomenon happened. All around the world, an app appeared on people's phones, but nobody downloaded it. Most simply assumed it was spam and deleted it. But for those curious enough to open it, they were in for a surprise. A laser popped out and froze whoever touched the app in place. Then a golden arrow shaped like a frog's head popped out of the app and pointed directly at the person. In most cases, the arrow slid back into the phone, and the app deleted itself. But there were a few that the arrow pierced, and when it did, the arrow disappeared back into the phone and the app deleted itself. They were the ones who gained the power of the Stand.

Anne and Sprig stared open mouthed when Johan finished his story. "It seems that the thief who took the arrow was already a Stand user, and it gave him the power to become data and transport himself all across the internet. Apparently, he wanted to find all those who were compatible with the arrow and give them the power of the Stand, give evolution a jumpstart. When his task was done, he knew either Passione or the Speedwagon Foundation would be after him, so he hid the arrow and committed suicide to prevent anyone from finding it. Apparently, he didn't do a good enough job of hiding it, as a Passione agent found it under the floorboards of his apartment. It's currently in my dad's vault in Italy."

"Speedwagon Foundation," asked Anne. "Isn't that the name of that oil company?"

"That's just a front. It's actually government agency that specializes in the supernatural."

"So, hold on, if what you're saying is true, then does that mean what I think it means," asked Sprig.

"Yeah," said Johan grimly. "During our time in Amphibia, the Stand user population just increased by about twenty percent worldwide. It's not much, but it's enough to make the Speedwagon Foundation very busy. And in the age of social media, nothing is private anymore, so any Tom, Dick, and Harry can know who's a Stand user now. Even if they can't see the Stands themselves, they can certainly see their effects. Dad warned me to keep a very, VERY close eye on anything strange until he gets here. There's no telling what kind of Stand users are in Los Angeles alone. We don't know if they'll be good or evil."

Anne said with worry, "I can't see Stands, neither can the Plantars, nor Mom and Dad. If anything happens to them and I can't do a thing about it..."

"That's why I'll be making sure nothing happens."

"But how can you do that if you can't walk out in daylight?"

Sprig put a thumb under his chin in thought, looked around, then had an idea. "What if you didn't?" He hopped over to a corner in the attic and pulled out an old umbrella. "You stay under something like this, and the sun won't touch you!"

Johan and Anne gave him a skeptical look. "I don't know. It's too risky."

"Hey, we've taken plenty of life and death situations before," said Sprig. "What's one more?"

Johan sighed. "Fine. But can you give me one that doesn't have holes in it?"

Anne let out a yawn. "Well, I'm going to bed. It's been a very, very long and hectic night."

"Yeah, me too," said Sprig. He hopped down the attic stairs and Anne was about to follow him when Johan stopped her. "Wait. Anne, there's something you should know."

"Yeah?"

Johan hesitated, then he reached into his pocket. "I forgot to give you your birthday present." He held up the ring box. Anne gasped and took it from him. She opened it and gasped even louder. Inside was a gold ladybird beetle brooch with diamonds for the spots. "JoJo, this is...is this..." she asked as she held it up.

"It's real. When you're the son of a mafia boss, you're rich enough to buy certain things." Johan leaned in. "Truth be told, I originally wanted to buy you a car, but after seeing the way you drive Bessie, I'm glad I didn't."

"Yeah, I think that might be for the best," agreed Anne. "I'll probably crash it into the nearest fire hydrant." She and Johan laughed. She put the brooch on and said, "Well, goodnight, JoJo."

"Goodnight," said Johan. As soon as Anne left, Johan closed the attic door and got down in his sleeping bag. Then he choked a sob. "Why couldn't I tell her? The real reason I took up the mission? I don't want to be like Marcy and keep secrets from her! Am I really afraid of what she'll say to me?" He wiped a tear and said, "Is this how you felt, Marcy?"

The next morning, after Anne put on her new clothes (a pink and white shirt with a flame on the front, blue denim shorts, and yellow sneakers), things kicked off to an annoying start. For starters, Mrs. Boonchuy was always following Anne around, staying within arm's length. She never gave her any moment's privacy and it was starting to bug her. Anne knew her mother was only doing this out of the fear she might disappear again, but this was too much.

At the same time, the Plantars were wreaking havoc in the house. They turned the bathroom into their own personal swamp, Sprig played with the microwave and almost blew it up, Polly rode on Domino like a horse, and Hop Pop wanted to open the windows for some fresh air.

As for Johan, he would spend most of his time in the attic, but whenever he wanted to come down, he would knock on the door, alerting everyone to close all the curtains so the sun wouldn't come in. He would help around the house (mostly to help Anne stop the Plantars from destroying it), and Mr. Boonchuy appreciated it. Mrs. Boonchuy, on the other hand? She would give him these ugly looks, as if she was itching to knife him in the back. Maybe she was being overprotective of Anne being in the presence of an unfamiliar boy. It gave Johan an uneasy feeling.

It was becoming clear to Anne that everyone was going stir crazy.

The last straw came when Mrs. Boonchuy tried to brush Anne's teeth for her. "THAT'S IT!" Anne shouted.

"But it's safer to get in pairs," Mrs. Boonchuy insisted.

"Emergency family meeting! Major boundary violation," Anne shouted. "JoJo, this includes you," she said to the attic door.

"Family? Should we come too?" asked Sprig. "Also, do you have any more of these candy bars?" He held up a half-eaten lipstick.

The Boonchuys and the Plantars gathered in the living room, only to realize someone was missing. "Where's JoJo," asked Sprig.

Johan poked his head from behind a corner. "Close the curtains," he hissed.

"Oh! Right." Anne quickly shut the curtains close, making sure no sunlight entered the living room. Johan fully revealed himself and sat down on the couch along with the Boonchuys and Plantars. He saw Domino and tried to pet her, but she hissed and tried to scratch his hand. "I think I just had a Domino 2 flashback," he said as he pulled his hand back.

Anne got to the task at hand, "Mom, Dad, I'm really happy to be home. I know it's a big deal I was gone for so long and I get that it's scary to think about losing me again." She paused. "But I need a little bit of space or I'm gonna lose my mind," she said with an unhinged grin. "You guys are being way too overprotective."

"She's right," said Johan. "Mrs. Boonchuy, you walked right into the bathroom just to make sure Anne wouldn't jump out the window." Mrs. Boonchuy gave him the stink eye.

"Anne, JoJo, I think you're exaggerating," said Mr. Boonchuy. "This is a big house. We all have plenty of space to breathe."

Polly kicked him in the face. "Oops! Sorry! Just practicing my jump kick." She kicked him again, only to lose balance and fall on her back.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"We're tired of being shut up inside," said Anne. "Let me, JoJo, and the Plantars out. Just for an hour. I'll take care of them and we won't go far." The Plantars made pleading faces.

"Absolutely not," said Mrs. Boonchuy.

"Oh, c'mon! I can't go out alone for an hour?" asked Anne.

Mr. Boonchuy pointed out, "Last time you went out alone, you got trapped in another world for five months."

"That is a pretty good point," said Sprig.

"And she turned out fine," said Johan. "She handled herself very well. Trust me, I've seen it."

"Coming from you, that does not give me any confidence," said Mrs. Boonchuy. She got up and said, "Look, your father and I have to go to the market, Anne. We'll talk later." She walked to the front door, only to be intercepted by Anne and the Plantars.

"That's perfect! Let us come." Mrs. Boonchuy gave her a look of disagreement. "I know what you're gonna say: 'We can't take the Plantars out in public'. But the market's always empty except for a few old people. Plus, I'll make them disguises and take full responsibility for their safety."

"What about me," asked Johan. "Did you forget that I'm allergic to the sun?" Anne handed him a black umbrella. "Non puoi essere serio."

"Hehe. You think you can take care of the whole family?" Mrs. Boonchuy asked skeptically.

"No offense, Anne, but you're the literal poster child for hating responsibility. Just look at what you drew as a kid." Mr. Boonchuy pointed to a crude drawing of a six-year-old Anne saying "I HATE responsibility!"

Johan gave the drawing a strange look. "And you kept that because?"

"She wouldn't let us get rid of it," said Mr. Boonchuy. "Also because we needed a reminder of her when she disappeared."

"OK, yes, but I've changed," insisted Anne.

"Look, I'm a parent too, and I know what Anne used to be like," said Hop Pop. "So trust me, I get it."

"Not helping," growled Anne.

"But she grew into a town protector. A hero, voted "Frog of the Year" by frogs that used to HATE her! Were there bumps in the road? Sure. Did she burn the town down once? Yeah. Did she almost get us eaten by a large creature numerous times? Also yes. Did she-? Erm... What was I saying?"

"That even though she's done a lot of screw ups, she takes responsibility for them and fixes them," said Johan. "Of course, that's after she causes us physical pain or emotional distress. Oh, don't look at me like that, Anne. You know I'm right."

"JoJo and the old one are right," said Mr. Boonchuy. "Ever since she got back, she has seemed... a little more mature."

"She used to beg me NOT to take her to the market," Mrs. Boonchuy said, seeing his point.

"Okay, Anne," said Mr. Boonchuy. "We're willing to give it a try."

Anne and the Plantars made looks of excitement.

"But you stay with us at all times," said Mrs. Boonchuy. "And if anything goes wrong, it's back to lockdown."

Anne ran to hug them. "Thank you so much! I promise you won't regret it."

Anne and the Plantars ran up to the latter's room. Johan stood in the doorway. "Close the curtains, Anne."

"Oops! Sorry." She closed the curtain, blocking out the sunlight. "Okay. This is gonna be a cinch. Earth is a cakewalk compared to Amphibia."

Sprig, who was spinning around in Anne's computer desk chair, asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, dude. The bugs are tiny, the birds are small, and best of all, nothing's gonna be trying to kill us for a change."

"Except for the Stand users that we mentioned last night," said Johan.

"Stand users?!" exclaimed Hop Pop. "How come I wasn't informed about this?"

"I didn't want to worry you," said Anne. "Besides, we've got Johan to defend us."

"I still think this is a bad idea, Anne," said Johan. "Can't we do this at night?"

"Sorry, dude, the mall doesn't stay open at night."

Johan grabbed her by the collar and growled, "If I get turned into a pile of ashes because of your cabin fever, my dad will make mincemeat out of you when he gets here!"

Hop Pop said, "Your dad is coming?! Oh, frog, I think I'm going to have a heart attack!"

"Guys! Relax! Nothing is going to happen!"

Back in Amphibia, Newtopia had taken a very dark turn. It had become a foreboding fortress made of black metal and in the center of it was a tall tower with red eye banners hanging from its windows and at the top of the tower was a large hologram of a glaring orange eye. The area around the fortress had become a wasteland devoid of life. Guarding the castle was an army of black frobots with glowing red eyes.

Deep inside the castle's basement, Andrias said, "My plans are in motion, even though progress has been very slow. The slaves are building our forces by hand, Newtopia Castle has been rebuilt, and soon the invasion will be ready. If only we didn't have a couple of MAJOR SETBACKS!" He pointed to the remains of the Calamity Box sitting on a pedestal.

"You mean how the Joestar boy destroyed the box, the only thing keeping the castle afloat, which you promptly replaced with this eyesore of a fortress after it lost all its power," asked Diego as he leaned his back against the wall. "Or how you lost that hand?"

Andrias' new metal hand clenched into a fist. "Don't you dare remind me, Captain. YOU'RE the one who let them escape!"

"And YOU'RE the one who could have damaged the green gem's power when you thoughtlessly burnt Marcy to a crisp," Diego countered as he pointed to Marcy, whose scarred, semi-naked body was floating in a pod full of a green liquid and had various wires and tubes connected to her.

Suddenly, what sounded like multiple voices speaking in unison shouted, "ENOUGH! IT'S BOTH YOUR FAULTS!"

Andrias froze in fear while Diego cursed, "Damn. They're here."

A figure stepped out of the darkness. It was a tall, very well-built man with elegant, relatively feminine facial features, and a light complex. He had long, curly purple hair that reached down to his waist, magenta eyes, and three conical horns on his forehead; the one in the middle was bigger. He was wearing a black armored bodysuit, and a helmet with horns that resembled an axolotl's gills and a visor with thirteen glowing orange eyes.

"So, you succeeded in assimilating your mind to Kars' body," asked Diego.

"No," said the thing that was controlling Kars. "Despite being a braindead invalid, the Ultimate Life Form's body still refused to accept Our will. So We had to take drastic measures and force his body to wear this suit to control him. Anyway, you're both at fault! We've expected you to make such a huge blunder, Andrias, but not you, Captain Diego!" The thing's voice echoed with his rage. "You have no one to blame but yourselves!"

"But...my lord..."

"SILENCE, ANDRIAS!" Andrias immediately stopped talking. The thing approached the box and picked it up. "Repairing the box is not a problem for us. Not with the power of the Stand We bestowed upon Kars' body beforehand. A Stand of creation." Electricity surged from "Kars'" hand and into the box and in a flash, it was restored to its original state. He placed it back down and said, "It's getting its powers back that is the real problem. They still inhabit the bodies of those girls."

"It won't be a problem," said Diego.

"How can you be so sure," asked Andrias skeptically.

"Because Sasha and Marcy are still here in Amphibia, and we already have one of them." Diego gestured to Marcy again. "As for Anne..." He chuckled. "Anne'll be back. She has to come back for her friends."

"And why, pray tell, should We not kill Marcy and take her power now?!" shouted "Kars".

"Because, even if you bunch of fossils claim to be the smartest minds in all of Amphibia," Diego responded as he tapped "Kars'" helmet. "You still don't know how the power works! It's better to play the waiting game."

"Kars" grabbed Diego by the throat. "You better be right," he growled as his free hand turned into a crocodile and snapped its jaws at him. "Because you know that patience is one of the many virtues We lack." He threw Diego to the side. "Must return to the chair. The body is starting to fight back again. And you two, return to your duties!"

Diego rubbed his throat as he got back up and said, "Who spat in their bean curd?"

Andrias looked at Marcy. "Well, Marcy, your friends are about to be eliminated from the equation. And as for you, my dear... your part is just beginning."

⬅ To be continued...