Author's Notes: This episode will be covering elements from the following Episodes: Starsitting, On The Job and Is Mystery Thank you for reading and please review!
(Back with King Hannibal)
[Location: The Nightmare Realm]
It wasn't like him to trust bottom feeders, especially one who use to be so loyal to his brother. However, the king of the Nightmare Realm was desperate, Tad was running around with Bill's power causing who knows how much chaos! Worse still, Toffee, Seth's general and right-hand man was alive and had been all this time.
'Of course he is.' Hannibal thought to himself. He thought back to that day, so many years ago. The truth was he had lied to Stan before, he knew of Toffee worse They actually met on the battle fleid that fate full day. With Seth defeated he left the Pines and drove Seth's armies out of Earth Realm. He hunted down every last one of them, and he ended them…or that's what the history books would have you to believe. The truth was it wasn't that simple, Septarians were the purest breed of demons, and nearly impossible to kill. Doing so had taken a powerful spell that had come with a heavy price.
He clenched his gloved hands at the thought, he knew what happened. Deep down he knew why Toffee had survived.
'A contract with royalty cannot be broken. When the last Septarian falls I shall be free.'
"Darling we're here." Luisa nudges him slightly.
The two had been riding for days with the royal guard with no success and finally they had come to the last place she had ever suspected.
The mud shack was small and shabby, and most likely hand made by its owner. Certainly not the place a pair of royals would show up. Luisa was never one to look down on anyone, but while this individual may have become an ally to their son. In the beginning he caused them great hardship and aided in more than one of Tad's schemes.
It was hard to forgive, it was hard to pretend that nothing ever happened. That this monster at one time did not threaten the child that she held so dear.
Hannibal steadies himself before unmounting his horse, he walks up to the shack and knocks firmly.
"One moment…" A voice exclaims from within.
Buff Frog opens the door slowly and flinches at the sight of them before trying to slam the door shut once more.
Hannibal jams his foot in the way preventing the door from closing.
"Please I want no trouble." Buff Frog pleads. "I don't know where he is, I'm family man now."
"We are aware of your current stance in the matter." Hannibal says bluntly.
"Please, Mr. Bulgolyubov." Luisa takes over.
Buff Frog stops, no one ever bothered to use his real name before. He opens the door just slightly more to face her. "Please, I really don't know where he is."
"That's alright." Luisa assures him. "Perhaps you'd be able to help all the same. From what we've been told you're the best shot we have. And we can pay of course."
"Pay?" Buff Frog asked.
"Uh Yes, I'm sure a first-time father such as yourself could use the help." Luisa pulled out a sack of gold. "Please you'd be doing us a great service."
Buff Frog nods slowly. "I must get sitter for my babies." He informs her.
"We can wait, right Hannibal?" Luisa says, looking to her husband.
"Yes, of course." Hannibal agrees and removes his foot.
"One moment please." Buff Frog excuses himself, he doesn't close the door, but leaves it partly open.
It's a sign of good faith, he is trusting them to be courteous of his privacy. Trusting that they will not treat him like a criminal who plans to run.
Buff Frog pulls out some scissors before cutting open a portal.
(Back with Dipper…)
He was never a fan of board games, but Mabel insisted that they do something fun with a 'zero-danger factor.' At least Bill knew how to make it fun, than again Bill was known for being the King of Fun, a self-proclaimed title no doubt.
"Whoo!" Mabel shouts as she slides down a long blue slide. "Again. Again." She begged happily. Bill had made mini versions of themselves to be the game pieces. And though the real Mabel was sitting on the couch she could still feel everything her little self was doing.
A six-sided dice flies over small Mabel's head as Dipper rolls to start his turn. "Two." He says before the smaller him take two steps forward before climbing up some staircase.
"What a bore. Pine Tree that's like the eighth time you've got the stairs. Stairs are boring." Bill boos as he rolls. "Six. One, two, three fourrr." He counts out his steps until he reaches his destination. "Five. SIX!" He slides down a slide located at the sixth block. "YES!"
Dipper huffs. "Okay this game is definitely rigged somehow." Suddenly a pair of dimensional scissors opens up a portal beside them.
They all freeze as an old friend enters.
"Buff Frog?" Mabel gasped. "You're okay we were so worried."
"Please I don't have much time." Buff Frog says as he pull out a stroller.
"Buff babies!" Mabel grabs the board game and closes it, causing the little teens inside to scream as they are crushed.
"I am needing your help." Buff Frog whines. "My babies. Please be baby-sitting them."
"Uh why?" Bill asked. "I mean don't get me wrong." He added as Mabel gives him a stern look. "We're happy to help, but it's so sudden."
"Your parents have employed me to find your uncle." Buff Frog admitted. "Had they given me earlier notice I would have scheduled sooner."
"Wow, they hired you to catch Tad?" Dipper flinches. "How does that make you feel."
"It hurts to think of him." Buff Frog admitted. "He was like a father to me, it's hard knowing he never saw me that way, but you have showed me true family." He grows more serious. "I want to repay that kindness by doing this for you."
"Well in that case, we would love to." Bill answered.
"YES!" Mabel jumps for joy.
Dipper shrugs. "Sure shouldn't be too bad, Our Grunkles are down in the lab so them being here shouldn't disturb their work."
Buff Frog breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you, your parents are paying me, I could do the same for your troubles."
"No need for cash." Bill assures him. "You just report to me whatever you find."
"Report to you?" Buff Frog asked.
"All the adults are keeping us out of the loop." Bill explained. "They are hiding something, and we don't like not knowing. You get me?"
Buff Frog saluted him. "I understand." He then pulls out a binder "Here is Binder. All of babies schedules and information inside." He explains as he hands it to Mabel.
"We won't let you down." Mabel promised.
"You? Let me down?" Buff Frog laughs. "Impossible, but remember most importantly, Katrina. My most delicate little glassy pearl." He picks up the smallest of his babies and kisses her. "Please be extra careful with her."
"She'll be in good hands." Dipper assured him, taking her as he spoke. "They all will."
Buff Frog seems to relax and gives each of his babies a quick kiss. "Okay. Daddy will get you after. Be good and listen to baby-sitters." He jumps back into the portal then, leaving his babies alone for the first time.
"Oh they're so precious." Mabel coos. She looks close to tearing up, she felt so honored that her friend would trust her with them.
"So what fun and new adventures are we taken them on?" Bill asked.
"A nap." Dipper answers as he reads from the binder.
"What⁉" Bill asked.
"Buff Frog said to follow the instructions." Mabel cut in. "Growing babies need to stick to their schedules."
"Fine." Bill sighed. He could already tell this was going to be boring but tries his best to sound upbeat. Buff Frog was doing them a favor, not only was he hunting down Tad, but he was also going to keep them informed. "Just tell us what to do." He says.
"Boris, Alexi, Anastasia, Nadia, and Sergei sleep on their left sides." Dipper read from the binder.
Mabel and Bill shift the babies as instructed.
"Dimitry, Ana, and Igor prefer their stomachs. While Mikhail, Leo, and Irina sleep on their right sides." Dipper continued.
Mabel and Bill move to situate the rest of the babies.
"Finally, Katrina is delicate and must be held to sleep." Dipper hands Katrina to Mabel.
Mabel coos at the baby in her arms. "Awww. I got you lil' babe." She wraps Katrina in a blanket and holds her close.
"Now what?" Bill asked.
"We take a nap." Dipper said as he stretched out on the couch. "In about an hour or two we'll make them bottles. They eat and then they nap again."
"That's it?" Bill asked.
"Yeah, little ones this small are pretty easy." Mabel says.
"But Where's the fun?" Bill whines quietly. "Kids need fun."
"They do." Mabel agreed. "But these aren't kids, they are babies, and infants this young need lots of sleep."
"Fine." Bill sighs, trying to stay upbeat as he sits down cross legged on the floor. "Well this is going to be a long uneventful day." He joked.
Meanwhile, Buff Frog has returned to the king and queen. "I am ready now."
"Goo, would you, uh like a horse?" Luisa asked unsure.
"I will track from the ground." Buff Frog assured her. "We must pick up the trail, please where did you last caught sight of him?"
"The Nightmare Realm, the Forest of Certain Death." Hannibal answered.
"Not an easy place to track…" Buff Frog admitted.
"It's more than that." Hannibal groaned. "He's left no trace, Why if I didn't know better, I'd say he grew wings and flew away."
"Perhaps." Buff Frog said taking the lead. "Tad is very resourceful. He may have hitched a ride on a winged creature to avoid you."
The group makes their way to the Forest in question. "If you take me to the last spot he was detected I can see where he went from there."
"It's this way." A guard instructed him.
Buff Frog allows them to lead him to a large cave with an empty spider's web.
"We found this campsite abandon." Hannibal explained as he pointed to the discard tent. "We've detected hints of our son's magic here, but we can't tell where he has gone."
Buff Frog walks around the camp carefully taking in everything, he sees Tad's footprints, and other prints as well. "Spider." He points to a set of tracks, eight sets of marks that looked like a stick had been stabbed in the snow. He moves forward some more and stops at more tracks. "Bird, judging by the large feet I'd say a Bald Mammoth Eagle, those are very rare." He admitted, sounding slightly impressed.
"It's just as we feared." Hannibal snapped. "We can't track the bird from the air."
"No, can't track the Spider either." Buff Frog looks thoughtful. "Bird will be big enough to carry it as well. MMMM, you say you could sense a trace of your son's magic yes?"
"Yes, a little bit." Luisa admitted, "But it's too faint to follow, Tad must not be using a lot of it."
"Yes, that's a relief." Hannibal seemed to admit.
"I have plan." Buff Frog stated. "Toffee had a device that could track your son's cane."
"He what!" Hannibal shouted.
"Do not ask me how he got such a device, I was kicked out of castle by then, I only know because I spied on him." Buff Frog answered. "My plan is that maybe the device will be able to track Tad the same way."
Luisa looks thoughtful, "In theory it could work, but it may as easily lead us to Bill."
"Yes, but we know where he is." Hannibal says thoughtfully, as he seems to understand what the frog man is saying. "Now that the power is split, there will be two signals, we ignore the one at the Pines residence, and go after the second one."
Buff Frog nods. "It is good plan no?"
"A very good plan." Hannibal admits. "I must admit I miss judged your value in this mission."
"He was my master." Buff Frog admitted, with a shrug. "If there is one thing I know better them myself, it is Tad."
(Back with the Buff Babies…)
Dipper stretched and let out a quiet yawn, the babies had been sleeping for almost two hours and now it was time to start making lunch. "So who wants to make 12 lunches?"
"I'll help." Bill whispered, surprising him. "What it beats sitting and doing nothing." He insisted as they crept into the kitchen.
"I'll watch the lil' bits!" Mabel coos. "Awww! So cuuute! Just. One. Boop…No!" She stops herself. "No booping. Just watch…Just watch…."
Meanwhile in the kitchen Dipper and Bill set to work grinding various bugs and grubs and serving them in bottles.
"This is so gross." Bill gagged.
"So is baby food." Dipper pointed out.
"Speak for yourself, my baby food was so good the poor fought wars over it." Bill admitted.
Dipper rolled his eyes, leave it to a family of royals to have good tasting baby food.
Back in the living room Mable is doing her best to keep it together. "Awww! Precious little babieesss! Especially little Katrina-kins." She coos as Katrina yawns. "You just wanna be boopity-booped." She looks to see if the boys are around. "Okayyy... just one boop. Then I– No!" Mabel stops herself again. "But she's so cuuute! I just gotta..." She pokes Katrina who wakes up and…
"Ribbit!"`
Mabel gasps as one by one the tadpoles around her wake up and croak loudly. "Oh no."
"Mabel, everything okay in there?" Dipper asked as he and Bill came running in with lunch.
"I booped, Dipper. I booped so bad." Mabel exclaimed.
Dipper sighed as Bill snickered. "It's okay. I got Buff Frog's binder!" He pulls it out and reads "To stop croaking, feed babies lunch. Ah, that's easy. We got lunch right here."
Mable makes a face at the slosh swirling around the bottles, but nods and together the three feed the tadpoles the mixture.
Moments later they burp as they finish, all croaking gone.
Mabel sighs in relief. "That could have been a disaster." She admitted. "What next?"
"Bath Time." Bill answered as he looked at the binder. "You know we make pretty good baby siters."
"Yeah it's easy when they're stationary." Dipper admitted as they moved to the bathroom.
Dipper starts a light bubble bath as the buff babies are placed in. After the bath, Dipper dries them one by one and places them together side by side.
"That is so cute." Mabel gasps "Oh my gosh! We gotta send Buff Frog a photo." She pulls out her phone. "Say Ribbit!"
"Ribbit!" The boys say as they pose next to the babies.
Mabel laughed and took the picture before sending it to Buff Frog with a quick text. We miss you Daddy. We're counting on you. "And send!"
"Alright let's get them back in the living room before we check for the next thing." Dipper instructed.
"You know Pine Tree, you're pretty good at this!" Bill praised as he picks up Katrina carefully.
"Thanks. I just used the old trusty binder." Dipper boasted.
"Yeah, you always could follow directions to a T." Mabel joked.
Dipper laughs but stops in surprise as the tadpole he's holding jumps out of his hand and sprouts...LEGS!
Mabel gasps. "Leeegss! Legs, legs, legs, le-hegs!"
"Please tell me there is a chapter about legs!" Bill exclaimed.
"Nothing!" Dipper screams in panic as he flips through the binder. "We're in uncharted waters!"
Suddenly the other buff babies grow legs too, they hop around before escaping to explore. All but Katrina that is who still has no legs.
"Aww, little Katrina. She feels left out." Mabel said.
"Never mind Katrina." Bill exclaimed. "We got to do something!"
Mabel sighs. "Okay." She places Katrina down on the couch in the living room. "Stay put, little buttercup." She ordered. "We got legged babies to round up!"
(Back with Buff Frog…)
It hadn't taken long to find the tracker; in fact, it hadn't taken long at all. Now that Tad was on the run his castle was empty and long forgotten. Buff Frog turned on the tracker as they returned to the cave with the campsite.
"Is it working?" Luisa asked almost fearful.
"Yes." Buff Frog answered as he views the screen. "Getting two signals, one faint, but there is a stronger one."
"It must be Tad, hurry lead the way!" Hannibal orders.
Buff Frog obeys and soon the terrain changes from a winter wonderland to a rich green forest. "Signal getting stronger." Buff Frog warned.
"We must be close." Hannibal pondered out loud.
A flash of movement catches Luisa's eye. "Darling did you see that?"
"See what?" Hannibal asked.
Buff Frog froze. "We are not alone." He warned.
It comes too late, just than an army of rats swarm out and attack!
"Disgusting vermin!" Luisa screams as she shoots beams of ice at their attackers.
"This is a set up." Buff Frog said, he had to shout to be heard over the rats. "He left campsite to lure us to him."
Hannibal searches the trees around them desperately, but Tad never appears. "No this isn't an ambush." He realizes. "It's a diversion, we must be very close."
"Even if that's true, there's toomany of them." Luisa screamed as she shoot more down. "We have to back off Hannibal."
Hannibal's eyes narrowed. "We may never get this close again, Frog get me through them, NOW!"
Buff Frog nods bares his fist and charges!
"Wait no!" Lusia warns but it is too late.
Buff Frog holds his own for two seconds, before he's overwhelmed by them.
"Yvgeny!" Luisa shouts. "Hannibal do something!"
Hannibal moves to manipulate the surrounding shadows but realizes it's useless, with the overcast sun the rats have none to control. Changing tactics, he decides to cast a spell, but still, he knows it won't do much good. The enemy's numbers are just too great, he's left with only one option, he uses a tracking spell incantation and fires.
"No! Yvgeny!" Luisa screams as he is dragged away.
"Tell my babies I love them!" Buff Frog yells and then he's gone!
Luisa tries to give chase, but her husband stops her. "Hannibal..." She asked fearfully.
"He's already gone, the frog was right this was a set up, and it looks like Tad got what he wanted."
"Then what do we do?" Luisa asked. "We can't just let Tad have him! He sacrificed for us, he risked everything to help us, he has children who need him."
"I know, I have a plan." Hannibal assured her. "We regroup with reinforcements, and we use my spell to track the rat. I promise my dear we will find him alive!"
Yes, they would find their lost friend and once they did, they would make Tad pay for all the pain he had caused.
(Back with the Buff Babies…)
She couldn't believe things had gotten so out of hand, and yet she shouldn't be surprised. All she had wanted was one quiet day. With a family like her's it wasn't like she ever had a normal life, but it had been less chaotic.
Mabel felt sick to her stomach having these thoughts, because it felt like she was betraying Bill for having them.
"Whoa, Gotcha! Whoa! Whoa! Ow!" Dipper grabs a tadpole only to slip on the slick tile floor. The tadpole takes the opportunity to jump out of his arms as he falls backwards. "This isn't working."
"Hey, don't play too rough!" Bill races after a few of the rowdy pollywigs. Now that the little ones could move on their own, they were little balls of energy. "I take it back I won't this adventure to be over now."
"Little ones." Mabel tries to round them up, but they have other ideas. They gather around Bill, pick him up and carry him away.
"Ah this is nice." Bill relaxed. "See we're having fun."
The tadpoles run him over to the front door where they opened it and throw him outside.
"hey?" Bill yells, getting up and banging on the door. "What gives?"
"Guess they thought your bossiness wasn't fun." Dipper said as he watched one of the tadpoles use their feet to impressivly lock the door.
"Excuse me? I am the King of Fun. THE KING!" Bill yells banging on the door. "Let me in!"
The tadpoles run up the stairs and Mabel pursues them as Dipper lets Bill back in.
The Tadpoles then slide down the railing, before running into the family room. The three teens are hot on their heels as they continue to race around the house.
"We have to do something." Dipper yelled. "Sooner or later Grunkle Stan and Ford are going to come up and see this."
"Or worse." Mabel seizes up with panic. "What if Buff Frog comes back? If he sees this, he'll never trust me with the babies again."
"Relax Mabes." Dipper instructed her. "We can do this, okay?"
Mabel nods and takes a deep shaken breath.
"Good, Bill you and I will handle the ones with legs, and you take care of-"
Mabel gasps. "Katrina!" She races over to the couch and screams. "She's gone!?"
(Back with Buff Frog…)
He had stopped trying to fight the current of vermin long ago, it was useless after all. There numbers where too many, and they moved just as quickly as a body of water. Finally, the flow began to slow, and Buff Frog tries to take in his surroundings.
He grunted as he was tossed into a large ditch. The rats serch him taking the tracker and his phone before leaving. He looks around at the retreating rats. "Hey rat!" He asked. "What is this place?"
The rat squeaks angrily at him, then walks away. Buff Frog grunts and gest to his feet, the ditch is only a few feet over his head, he could climb out. He jumps up the wall, but it is so smooth he struggles to find a foot hold. He slides back down...
a warthog-like monster with a fork for a right-hand approaches "There's only one way outta here, and it's through me!"
Buff Frog tenses, ready to bulldozer his way through, but stops. He can't think carelessly right now, he had children now. It was obvious Tad wanted him here, and he was not dead so he must have a plan. Yes, he would lay low until his old boss revealed himself. "Uh, okay, but I did not ask to leave" He pointed out.
The creature, who Buff Frog started calling Meat Fork in his mind flexed "NICE TRY PAL! NGGH! BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA TALK YOU'RE WAY OUTTA HERE! NRRG! 'CAUSE THE ONLY WAY! HRRN! OUTTA HERE! HMMM! ISSS! IS! THROUGH MEEEE! MMRR!"
Buff Frog tries not to lose his temper, this was getting him nowhere. "Look I want no trouble. I just want to know where I am."
Meat Fork flexes more, then whistles. In response two rats come and pick Buff Frog up and follow Meat Fork through an off-branch tunnel, which is filled with-
"Corn?" Buff Frog asked.
"This is a Corn Mill." Meat Fork explained. "It feeds many of the common folk of the Nightmare Realm."
Buff Frog nodded, at least he was getting some information, he decide to try his luck and press for more. "And your boss has he been in the mill business long?"
"He was, but we just came under new management." Meat Fork answered openly.
"Is that where you are taking me to see him?" Buff Frog asked, tensing.
"No, I am to take you to the grinder." Meat Fork takes Buff Frog down an elevator and to the grinder, a large machine which is being pushed around by various monsters. He smiles as he notices his prisoner looks disappointed by the news. "You want to see him?"
"He had his rats steal me from right under the King's nose, just to make me work in his Mill?" Buff Frog shook his head. "No he wants me for something."
Meat Fork smiles grows. "You are a lot smarter then he gives you credit for."
"Nothing new." Buff Frog tries not to feel the sting those words bring.
Meat Fork grunts. "Hey, stop the thing!" He yells, ordering for the monsters to stop pushing.
They do and Buff frog allows himself to be pushed over to the large wheel that is being pushed.
"Hands!" Meat Fork orders.
Buff Frog gives him his hands and he is soon cuffed to the grinder.
"For now, you Work." Meat Fork explained. "But don't worry frog man you'll get your talk with the boss." He looks to the rest of the monsters. "Waddaya waitin' for, GET MOVIN'!"
The Monsters begin to move and with no choice Buff Frog is once again apart of Tad's master plan. This time however, it is not by choice, he turns to the bat creature chained next to him.
"So, tell me: where does all this corn go after we grind it?"
"It goes in the hole." The bat monster answers.
"Do you think it still goes to families of the realm?" Buff Frog asked. He knew he needed to gather as many clues as he could for the King and Queen. Plus, if Tad was starting a food shortage his own family would also be effected.
"I do not know." The Bat Monster whispers looking around nervously.
"What can you tell me?" Buff Frog asked.
"Nothing." Was the answer.
"Why?"
"We do not talk; we do nothing but turn the wheel. 'Cause if we don't, we get thrown down that hole." He gestures to another hole. "The waste hole."
Buff Frog winces. "Sorry I did not mean to cause trouble, it's just...I am so..."
"Yeah, it is a lot, don't worry we get to eat dinner soon. "Your first day will be shorter than most, so count your lucky stars."
Buff Frog nods, "Thanks for risking your own skin to help me. Means a lot, if there is a way I can make it up to-."
"Yeah, stop talking." The Bat Creature snaps, but a smile plays on his lips.
Buff Frog smiles too and continues to grind in silence.
(Back with the Buff Babies…)
We gotta find her!" Mabel shouts throwing everything aside on the couch.
"Okay new plan! Find Katrina!" Dipper exclaimed.
The three tear apart the living room and find nothing.
"Quick the Kitchen!" Bill suggests.
They bolt over and the room soon becomes a hurricane of thrown pots and flying mixing bowls.
"No. Nothing!"
Dipper races upstairs and tears apart his own room. "No!" He runs out in defeat before going for Mabel's.
Meanwhile Mabel checks the bathroom. "Nothing! Where is she!?"
"Don't panic." Bill emerges from Stan's room. "Also, I've been scarred for life."
"Yeah, I could have warned you about that...sorry." Dipper admitted.
"Guys she is not here!" Mabel screamed.
"Okay let's think this through." Dipper said. "With no legs or hands, she can't put the code in the vending machine and get downstairs. So, Ford's room, the study and the lab is off the table."
"That only leaves one room in the house." Mabel exclaimed.
They run back upstairs, and Bill blasts down his bedroom door. It's huge.
"We need an army to search your room!" Dipper declared.
"Great idea, if only we had one." Bill joked.
"Guys we do!" Mabel exclaimed. "The babies."
"Mabes we've been trying to get them under control for almost an hour." Dipper reminded her.
"No, we've been adding more chaos to the mix." Mabel said. "We need to change tactics."
"We'll we're all ears." Dipper urged her to hurry up.
"Hey Babies! I hope them legs came with buunnnss!" Mabel yelled and pulled out her phone which begins to play "Space Unicorn".
Space Unicorn! Soaring through the stars! Delivering the rainbows all around the world! Space Unicorn. Shining in the night!
The tadpoles race into Bill's room dancing to the beat.
"It's working!" Dipper shouted. "Now what?"
"Give them their marching orders." Mabel told him as the music continues.
Smiles and hugs forever all around the world!
"Alright babies. Line up..." Dipper ordered.
"Dip, make it fun." Mabel whispered.
"Fun?" Bill smiled and took over. "I got this. Hey babies, wanna learn a new dance?"
The tadpoles nod franticly!
"First, shimmy your leg like this." He begins to do a silly dance and Dipper has to stop himself from laughing, "Ah! Ah! Alright. Now-ow-ow! Pose!"
They all Pose dramatically.
"Oh please tell me you are getting this on video." Mabel cries. "My phone won't let me play music and film."
"Way ahead of you." Dipper pulls out his phone.
"Great. Great. Now back it up. Back it up and spin!" Bill and the tadpoles continue to dance. "Then look for your sister under the nearest object!"
Everyone picks something up and looks for Katrina under it as the song continues.
Space Unicorn. Soaring through the stars delivering the rainbows-
The dance continues until suddenly a tadpole gestures to the back of the room.
"I think they found something!" Dipper exclaimed. They ran over and found...
"Katrina!" Mabel exclaimed, relief washing over her until she notices...
Katrina is sleeping in an areas surrounded by bear traps.
"Bill Why do you have so many bear traps?" Mabel whispered.
"Why do you have any at all?" Dipper added.
"Toffee came in and kidnapped you; forgive me for thinking about added security." Bill whispered. "And why is this just on me? She has no legs! How did she even get up here?"
"Okay the whys aren't important right now." Mabel said taking charge. "We need a how."
"How are we gonna get to her?" Dipper asked.
Bill spots the Binder that he is still holding, he takes it from Dipper. "We do as instructed." He holds it up dramatically. "We use the binder."
"What⁈" The twins asked in unison. "NO!"
It's too late the Binder is airborne, and Mabel can only watch in horror!
(Back with Buff Frog…)
He had been grinding for over an hour when they came for him.
Three monster guards stopped the wheel and grab him before forcing him back to the elevator.
They ride it down, deeper into the belly of this beast.
"Where are you taking me?" He asked.
"The Boss will see you now." One of them said.
"But where is the guy who brought me to the grinder?" Buff Frog asked.
"No more questions, another said as the elevator doors opened. He was led down a long poorly lit hall with cells on either side. One cell to their right is open and he is led in.
"No I will ask one more time, why did you leave your post?"
Buff Frog's mouth falls open, there is Tad, standing over Meat Fork you is being held down by Spider. Her venom drips on the monster below her.
"Please I was napping, I am sorry it won't happen again." Meat Fork cried.
Tad nods. "Get him up." He orders.
Spider and Bird pull the monster to his feet.
Tad raises a hand to the monster. "You are lying you were trying to escape, to tell the royals what's really going on."
"No I would never." Meat Fork was shaking. "Please you have to believe me, I have a family-" Just then Meat Fork is blasted through a wall by a green beam of energy. Buff Frog gasps The energy came from Tad's hand.
Tad is gawking at his glowing hand." Did you see that Girls? I didn't even have to get mad that time." He laughed.
"TAD!" Buff Frog couldn't help the rage that boiled inside of him. He had not known Meat Fork long but he was kind to him.
Tad frowns. "Hello Buff Frog. It's been a while…old friend."
"Friend?" Buff Frog spat. "Is this how you treat your friends? Put them in chains."
"Can you blame me? All my monsters betrayed me for Toffee!" Tad snapped.
"Not me." Buff Frog reminded him. "You trusted him over me!"
Tad sighed and shooed the other guards away; they leave, and he continues. "I know I have messed up okay. I was desperate to finally win. I let him form a wedge between us."
"And then you thought you could buy me back with babies." Buff Frog snapped.
I know that you idiot, I just…" He forces himself to get his anger in check. "Look nothing has been going right since I lost you, I'm asking you to work for me again. No bribes no threats, You can even have that guys old job." He points to Meat Fork's motionless body.
Buff frog was stunned, how many times had he wanted to hear this? How many times had he dreamed for an apology?
"So what do you say?" Tad approaches Buff Frog, holding out a hand "Are we gettin' the band back together or what?"
He looks down at the hand and sees it, his phone. It's sitting on a near by tabel along with the tacker, he realizes the rats must have brought it here after they searched him. He picks it up and see a text from Mabel.
We miss you, Daddy. We're counting on you.
"Well?" Tad asked.
Buff Frog puts his phone away. "No I am done with you; you've lost your mind Tad."
Tad smiles wickedly. "You've gone soft, oh well I have plenty of hench man I don't need you-" His hand glows green once more as he aims.
Buff Frog braces for impact.
"Freeze in the name of the king!" Suddenly several royal guards come filling in the room followed by the King and Queen.
"You! How did you find me?" Tad yelled at his brother.
"Tracer spell." Hannibal answered honestly.
Luisa rushes over to Buff Frog. "Are you alright? We came as fast as we could."
"Much better now, thank you." Buff Frog says even though he is shaking. "Bit close though." He admitted.
"This has gone on long enough brother." Hannibal cut right to the point. "You will give back the magic you have stollen from my son. Then you will help me track down your accomplice Toffee."
"Accomplice?" Tad snapped. "I'd rather scoop my eyes out than-"
He stops as scissors cut into the space beside him and a portal opens.
"Coming…partner?" Toffee asked sinisterly.
"Well girls when destiny gives you lemons…" Tad shrugs and grabs the tracking device before diving for the portal.
"Tad NO!" Buff Frog yells but it is too late, Tad jumps in the portal followed by the Bird and the Spider.
"NO!" Hannibal yells as the portal closes. "We were so close."
"I am sorry, I Froze I-." Buff Frog starts to take the blame, it is after all always his fault when plans go wrong.
"No you are just a monster." Hannibal said surprising him. "He had my son's magic, a source of pure chaos. Nothing you could have done would stop him."
"He's right." Luisa agreed. "You did your part, now go home to your children."
Buff Frog is so baffled he almost forgets how to respond. "Will you call on me again? Won't you I could use the steady income."
Hannibal nods. "You tracked us to him, if you think you can do it again than yes I will take all the help I can get."
"I can, I will." Buff Frog vows. "Toffee is not to be taken lightly. And for Tad to be stupid enough to trust him again, it won't end well."
"That is what we are afraid of." Luisa admitted. "Do you need us to take you anywhere?"
"No I can managed." He opens a portal with his own scissors.
"Thank you again." Hannibal says as he goes to leave. "For everything, today and everything you've done to protect my son." He offers him a hand.
" The Pines are my family now; I look after them." Buff Frog shakes it.
"We will look after all of them together." Luisa assured him.
"I look forwards to it." Buff Frog answered honestly before stepping into the portal.
Leaving the King and Queen alone once again without their prey.
He reappears on the other side of the portal in the Mystery Shack. Bill, Mabel, and Dipper, and the tadpoles are nicely arranged in the living room.
"Babies!" He cried and goes to hug them, only to stop as they all get up and hop to him. "Awww." He sobs as he embraces them.
"Hey, are you okay?" Dipper asked.
"I miss baby tadpole grow legs! Most important developmental stage of child development." Buff Frog croaked. "And worse we failed to catch Tad."
Mabel holds up Katrina. "Well, little Katrina hasn't grown her legs yet."
Buff Frog takes her in his arms and smiles. "My little late bloomer."
Katrina giggles and grows legs.
"Oh my baby!" Buff Frog loses it all together as all the other tadpoles stand on his shoulders.
"I hope they were not too much trouble." He managed to say after a moment.
"We did have a few hiccups." Mabel admitted sheepishly. "I'm sorry Buff Frog I wanted things to go off without a hitch, but…"
Buff Frog shakes his head. "Babies is messy, and new hoppers are even messier. Secret is, parents get it wrong sometimes too." He admitted. "But they try, just like you did today." He looks to Bill as he says this. "And that is what matters."
"Yeah I get it, give my dad a break for a bit." Bill said, catching on.
"What actually happened?" Dipper dared to ask.
"We cornered him, victory looked assured." Buff Frog explained. "And then Toffee opened portal and they get away."
"So they are working together again!?" Mabel exclaimed.
"That can't be good." Bill admitted.
"NO, not good." Buff Frog spoke clearly. "Hear me my Prince, you be careful around him. That one reeks of old evil, nothing good will come of this."
Dipper's breath caught. "Old evil, he thought I could raise Seth, but now maybe…"
"Maybe he thinks Tad has enough of my magic to do it!" Bill concluded.
"This is bad you must tell your parents." Buff Frog insisted.
"Why so they can keep us in the dark again?" Bill snapped. "No We are going to handle this, and I am going to prove to my father that I can handle this."
"Bill?" Dipper is stunned.
"I'm tired of being the screw up Pine Tree. My magic has messed you up, and now Toffee and Tad have it because I was dumb enough to leave a portal open. Toffee would have never taken you; we would have never been at Tad's castle; my power would have never escaped. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!"
"We will figure this out." Buff Frog promised him. "Together."
"Together." The teens agreed, none of them knowing just how far into the darkness their quest would lead.
-To Be Continued