I see that many of you have begun thinking of certain realities that you wish to see. In this vast universe, almost any reality you can conceive of is possible. One needs to only look hard enough. There was one by the name of drake wind who was looking for a reality where Luz and Anne arrived in different spots on their journey to Amphibia…
The attributes of the gems are not a perfect match all the time, as some of the lights may display more of one trait than another. In Luz and Anne's case, they are quite similar in their personalities, and both are capable of having great empathy and great courage…
So let us look into a new reality—one where the gems decided that Anne should be given the power of courage and Luz the power of heart. And once again, we will gaze into the vast multiverse and ponder the question…
What if…?
What if… Anne and Luz switched places?
Here we are in the town of Wartwood—a small town in the southern area of Amphibia, set in its ways and slow to change. Other amphibians are not welcomed easily in this place, so an entirely unfamiliar species would be even less welcomed. And unfortunately, this is the situation that thirteen-year-old Luz Noceda currently finds herself in…
The frogs were up in arms over the new creature that had wandered into town after Wally. For a second, it looked as though Wally's claim of a monster that had followed him would be dismissed, and daily normal life would resume. The residents were quickly proven wrong, however, as barely a few minutes had passed before the strange creature Wally had described walked right into town. At first, the frogs screamed at seeing it, but Mayor Toadstool had managed to rally them together, and they had quickly tied the creature up and hauled it to the center of town, staring at it and trying to determine what sort of thing it was.
"It's so tall and gangly," said one frog.
"Its eyes are so big," said another.
"Do you think it eats frogs?" asked a third.
"Um, excuse me, I don't eat frogs," said the creature. The frogs all stopped talking and looked at it. The creature continued to talk.
"Hi, my name is Luz Noceda," said the creature, "and I really am sorry to intrude here. The truth is I'm lost, and when I saw that frog with the one eye run away, I thought he might lead me to somewhere I could find help, so I followed him. I didn't mean to frighten you."
"It can talk!" said one frog in the crowd in surprise.
"Well, of course, I can talk," answered Luz, as though it were the most obvious thing ever.
"It says it won't eat us, but how do we know that?" asked another frog.
While all this commotion was going on, one particular frog stepped up to where the creature was and looked her in the eyes. Luz stared back at the pink frog, unsure of what he wanted. Eventually, he did speak to her.
"Now that I get a good look at you, you don't look so scary," said the pink frog.
"Thanks, I think?" answered Luz.
"My name's Sprig," said the pink frog.
"Pleased to meet you, Sprig," said Luz.
"Sprig, be careful!" called an elderly frog, coming over to Sprig. "We still don't know anything about this creature."
"Yeah," said Mayor Toadstool. "It may sound all nice and pleasant, but that don't mean nothin'."
"Is there something I can do to convince you I'm a good person?" asked Luz.
The crowd went silent, and no one said anything, but right at that moment, a large screech was heard and a terrifying red mantis charged into the town! Toadstool tried to rally the frogs.
"Quick, everyone! Mantis formation!" he called.
The frogs all jumped on top of Toadstool, lining up in some sort of formation in an attempt to scare the mantis away. It hardly mattered though as the red mantis swiped at the frogs, quickly scattering them. The rest of the frogs ran away in terror! The red mantis looked at Luz and swiped at her, but Luz managed to move out of the way at the last second, and thankfully, the mantis only cut the ropes that were binding her. The ropes fell away, and Luz got up, ready to run away. As she did, though, the pink frog who had talked to her shot a rock from his slingshot at the red mantis, catching its attention. The red mantis turned from Luz to the pink frog.
"Uh, oh," said Sprig, as he realized he was in trouble. The red mantis screeched and chased after Sprig.
Luz saw what was happening. She looked at the road that led out of town. She could follow it and get away, but then she looked back at Sprig, as he was being chased by the red mantis. For a second, Luz struggled to decide whether to flee or help him, but in the end, she made her decision and rushed towards the red mantis, and as she did, she picked up a stick. The red mantis had cornered Sprig and was preparing to strike him, but Luz came up to the mantis and began hitting it with her stick. The mantis turned its attention away from Sprig and back to her.
The mantis slashed down its claw at Luz, and in one swipe, it managed to destroy the stick she was holding. Luz looked up as it got ready to slash at her again. As it did, she did the only thing she could think of and desperately tried to hold it back. Sprig looked up at Luz in awe as she held back the mantis.
"I can't hold it forever!" called Luz desperately. "Come on, dude! Do something!"
"Oh, right," said Sprig. He looked around and saw the discarded rope. He quickly grabbed it and began hopping about around, over, and through the mantis, tying it up. Eventually, he succeeded and pulled the rope tight, trying to knock it over. Luz saw what he was trying to do and joined him, and the two finally managed to tie the mantis up and get it to fall.
The townsfolk returned to the site of the defeated mantis and cheered!
"Well done!" said Toadstool. "Now all that's left is to decide what to do with this weird monster."
"She's not a monster!" said Sprig, stepping in front of Luz and raising his hands. "She just helped us stop this mantis."
The townsfolk murmured amongst themselves as they considered what he said. Luz saw them talking and decided to try to plead her case.
"Listen, everyone," she began. "I know I look different from anything here, and I guess in your eyes, I must look like a monster, but I swear I'm not. I'm just a lost girl, and the reason I followed Wally was because I was trying to find some sort of town or city to ask for help. All I want is to figure out where I am and how I can get home. If any of you know how to get me home, I swear I'll leave right away and won't trouble you anymore."
"Well, where in Amphibia are you from?" asked a frog.
"Amphibia?" replied Luz.
"Yeah, what town are you from?" asked another frog. "Unless you're from the capital city of Newtopia. I hear they have all sorts of exotic things there. Did you escape from a zoo?"
"No!" said Luz indignantly. "I guess you don't understand. I'm not from Amphibia, but I'm from a different world where there are more of my kind."
"A different world? Is that even possible?" asked a frog. Again, the town murmured as they discussed this new information. Finally, though, Hop Pop stepped up to where Luz was.
"Now, now, don't worry. You can stay with us for now," he said to Luz, then he turned to the crowd. "I'll take care of this strange creature. You don't have to worry. I'll watch over her and keep an eye on her." The crowd didn't seem reassured by this, though Mayor Toadstool eventually spoke to Hop Pop.
"Alright, if you really want to do this, I suppose that's fine," he said. "But we'll be keeping an eye on you, Hopediah. You best hope this creature doesn't go crazy and start eating frogs."
"I won't," said Luz in a completely serious voice. Toadstool and the crowd flashed her a look before deciding to disperse, making sure to take the tied-up mantis with them.
"These things taste great with butter," said a frog as they dragged it away.
"Wow, this day sure got a lot more exciting than I thought it would," said Polly, joining the group. "Here, I thought we would just be buying things from the store and going home."
"Yeah, I was all set to go into the woods and look for that creature that Wally described," said Sprig, "then it just walked into town."
"Of course, you were, Sprig," said Hop Pop wearily.
"Listen," said Luz to the Plantars, "I don't want to be a burden on you. If you don't know a way to get me home, I'll just leave."
"I'm afraid that's not possible," said Hop Pop, bringing out a piece of paper and unrolling it to reveal a map. "This valley is covered by impenetrable ice that blocks the only way out. You could go to other towns in the valley, but I don't expect you'd get a warm welcome there."
"What? Really?!" said Luz in frustration. "How long will I have to wait?"
"About two months," answered Hop Pop.
Luz looked between Hop Pop and the road leading out of town. Realizing she had no better option, she decided to give it a try.
"Alright, I guess I'll stay with you. Thank you. If there's anything I can do to help you out around the house, then let me know," she said.
"We live on a farm, so I'm sure we can figure something out," said Hop Pop. "Alright, we've all had enough excitement for one day. Let's head home!"
As they arrived back at the Plantar house, Hop Pop showed Luz the basement and gave her a mat, some pillows, and a blanket for a bed. Luz settled into her new surroundings and began thinking about what she was going to do. Her thoughts were interrupted as Sprig came downstairs.
"Hey, just thought I'd bring some toys to keep you company. I'm too old for these," he said. He picked up what looked like a bird. "Oh, except this one." He then grabbed a worm-shaped one. "And this one, too, and also this one." In a few seconds, he had picked up all the toys he'd brought with him.
"So basically all of them," said Luz sarcastically.
"Yeah, I guess so," answered Sprig. The two glanced at each other before they both started laughing. After a few seconds, Sprig handed Luz a toy—one that looked like a bird.
"Here, you can keep this one," he said. "Consider it a welcome gift."
"Thanks. I appreciate it," said Luz.
"Well, goodnight. Don't let the bedbugs bite," said Sprig as he hurried back upstairs. "Seriously, they can drain a body in seconds."
Luz looked around nervously, hoping not to see any bedbugs. She eventually sat down, letting out a heavy sigh.
Well, I suppose it's better than sleeping in the woods, she thought. Still, I have no idea where I am or how I'm going to get home. But I guess, at least for now, I have a place to stay.
Well, not a bad start for Luz, I'd say. Getting accepted by the Plantars just like Anne did. Luz is in a new environment and will have to take on different challenges. I'm sure she'll be able to overcome them. Now as for Anne, well, let's check in with her…
"So you're not gonna eat me, are you?" asked Lilly timidly.
"Uh, no, dude," said Anne flatly. "Though I am hungry."
"Wow, you can talk!" said Lilly in amazement. "That's incredible! Could it be that we've discovered a new species?"
"So then you don't know what a human is?" asked Anne.
"No, I can't say that I do," said Lilly, continuing to stare at Anne. "Is that what you're called then? A human?"
"Well, actually, my name is Anne," said Anne. "Human is my species."
"Oh, I see," said Lilly. She turned to the door and opened it, calling out to the toad and newt who had left. "Gustav, Amara, come back. The creature can talk, and it says it's not going to eat us."
The toad and newt slowly walked back into the house, still looking cautiously at Anne. The toad was green and wearing a sky-blue cloak, while the newt was pink with brown hair and grey clothes. She eyed Anne suspiciously.
"So she said she's not gonna eat us," began the newt, "but how do we know that's true?"
"I swear I don't eat frogs, or toads, or newts," said Anne, though right at that moment, her stomach let out a loud growl.
"So, I know that sounded bad," began Anne, "but, uh, hey, any chance you guys have something to eat around here?"
"Well, if you follow me outside, I'm sure we can find some bugs," offered Lilly.
"Any chance you have something other than bugs?" asked Anne.
"Oh, Teacher has a small garden outside, so I think she might have a few vegetables," said Gustav. With that, he left the living room and went to the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with a carrot and a zucchini. Anne eyed the vegetables greedily and quickly reached out to take them and began eating them. As hungry as she was, Anne chowed down and ate rather messily. In no time, she had consumed both vegetables, leaving the kids staring at her, slightly aghast. Anne let out a loud burp!
"Sorry," she said, "but I haven't eaten in days, and honestly, I'm still hungry."
"So you're a strange creature that can talk like us, you seem to eat vegetables, not bugs, and you have your own name. This truly is astounding!" said Lilly. "Are there more of you out there? We've never seen a creature like you in Amphibia before."
"Amphibia?" asked Anne.
"That's the land we live in," answered Gustav the toad. "All manner of amphibians live here, which is why we were fascinated with you. You don't look like an amphibian of any sort, or really any kind of creature we've seen in the wild before."
"I guess that would be because, like I said, I'm not an amphibian. I'm a human," said Anne. "And also, I'm not from here, but actually from another world."
"Psssh! You expect us to believe that you just came here from another world?" said Amara the newt in disbelief. "How exactly did you get from your world to ours?"
"Well, I…" began Anne before stopping. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she had a feeling that she shouldn't reveal the specifics of how she had arrived here. Partly because she herself wasn't exactly sure how she got here, but also because while these people were friendly to her, she wasn't sure about trusting them one hundred percent yet.
"I don't really know," answered Anne. "One minute, I was in my world, and the next, I was zapped here."
"Hmm, that sounds a little suspicious," said Amara the newt, eying Anne suspiciously. "I don't think you're telling the truth."
"Hey, give her a break, Amara," said Lilly the frog, sticking up for Anne. "I mean, even you said you've never seen anything like her before, so for all we know, her story is real. Hey, I just thought of something. Maybe some magic spell brought her here."
"I've never heard of any sort of spell that could pull a being from another world here," countered Amara the newt. "Plus, what purpose would such a spell serve except to potentially bring more dangerous creatures here?"
"Hold up a sec," said Anne. "Did you say magic? Are you telling me magic is real here?"
The three apprentices looked at Anne, surprised that she was even asking that.
"Well, of course, magic is real," said Lilly. "The three of us are actually studying with one of the best magic teachers in the land."
"In fact, let me go get her," said Gustav. "She can have a look at you and maybe answer more of your questions."
"Don't bother, Gustav," said a voice from upstairs. "I've heard enough of the conversation to guess at what's going on."
All eyes turned to the stairs as a new figure came down them. The figure was old, though how old wasn't clear. From her appearance, Anne guessed she was a salamander of some sort. Her skin was bright red with black spots all over. She had a huge mane of long, bushy white hair flowing out of her head and was carrying a staff that helped to give her the look of a witch. Though she didn't carry the staff in her hands, instead, she used her tail to hold on to it until she got to the bottom of the stairs and then transferred the staff from her tail to her hand. She stared straight at Anne and gazed at her for a long time before speaking.
"So, you're the creature my apprentices found," she said, continuing to look at Anne.
"Hi," said Anne, waving sheepishly at her. "Are you a wizard or something, then?"
"My name is Uodeela," said the red Salamander. "I'm also known as the Witch of the Wilds! I've spent years living out in Amphibia's wild lands, learning all I can about magic."
"Wow, that's great!" said Anne, relieved. "So, does that mean you can just wave your hands and send me back home?"
Uodeela looked at Anne a bit indignantly. "No, it's not that simple, child, and furthermore, even if I could, it's quite rude of you to ask me for help for nothing."
"Oh, well, uh…" said Anne. "I don't have any money, but is there something else you want?"
"Actually, I need your help with something," said Uodeela. "Help me with this task, and then we'll talk about sending you home."
"That was crazy!" said Anne as she, Uodeela, and Lilly arrived back at her house. "We almost died!"
"Ah, relax," said Uodeela in a casual tone. "You were never in any real danger. I had things perfectly under control."
"Did you?" asked Anne, looking down at Uodeela's cut-off hand.
"I mean, yeah, that one toad got the drop on me, but hey, losing a hand is no problem for me. Just have to wait a few weeks and I'll regrow another one," said Uodeela.
"Well, at least we got some taxes back," added Lilly.
"Right, now that that's taken care of, you're gonna help me get home?" asked Anne.
"Yeah, of course," answered Uodeela. "Until I can figure out how to get you home, you can stay with me, though it would help speed up the process if you told me how exactly you got here."
Anne hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should tell this salamander about the box, as she had a strong feeling that the box was why she was here, but at the same time, she didn't fully trust her, at least not yet.
"Sorry, I told you everything I know," said Anne. "One minute, me and my friends were in the park, and the next, I was standing in a swamp, and I guess that swamp mud is pretty thick. Looks like I lost one of my shoes." Anne looked down at her right foot, which had only a sock on it that was covered in mud. She rubbed her foot against her leg, trying to get some of the mud off.
"You said you were with friends. How many friends?" asked Uodeela.
"Well, it was me, Sasha, Marcy, and… Luz… But she's not really… I mean, never mind," said Anne, her face falling.
"So four of you then?" asked Uodeela, looking hard at Anne's eyes.
"Yeah, four of us. Does that mean anything?" asked Anne hopefully. Uodeela looked back at her, wondering if she should tell Anne her theory. She sensed Anne was hiding something from her, so for the moment, she decided not to.
"Not sure. It may be nothing, but I'll have to look into it some more," answered Uodeela. "For now, let's get you set up in my basement. My other rooms are full right now."
Anne settled down in the basement, lying down on her blanket. She tried to relax, but was still feeling very nervous about how the day had gone. She couldn't believe she had been transported to another world—one full of talking amphibians. While she was feeling hopeful that Uodeela would be able to help find her a way home, she also knew there might be another way. Anne was about to reach into her backpack when suddenly, the door to the basement opened, and Lilly came down.
"Hey, Anne," she greeted.
"Hey," replied Anne, quickly putting her bag down and closing it.
"I was just checking on you and wanted to see how you were settling into your new room," she said.
"Oh, I'm fine," said Anne. "It's a lot better than that cave I found on my first night here."
"Wow, that sounds rough," said Lilly. "I'm sorry to hear about that, but it's good to see you doing better. Also, I wanted to say that if you ever want to talk about anything, then I'm happy to listen. I know you miss your friends, so I was thinking that maybe until you get back to your world, I could be your friend while you're here."
"Ha, really? You'd do that for me?" said Anne, a little surprised.
"Truth is, I've been a bit lonely since coming out here. Gustav is nice, but Amara's been mean to me, so I thought I'd ask you if you wanted to be friends," said Lilly.
Anne hesitated. Part of her wanted to accept the frog's invitation, but another was hoping that the box would work and send her home immediately. Still, she decided to be nice.
"I mean, yeah, sure, if you want. I'd like that," said Anne.
"Cool! Well, glad to hear it. I'll see you in the morning then," said Lilly, going back upstairs.
Once Anne was sure she was gone, she reached back into her bag and pulled out the box. Anne held it in front of her and nervously whispered, "Come on, come on…" She opened the lid like she had in the park, but nothing happened. Anne let out a sigh before saying.
"Looks like I'm gonna be here for a while."
Well, now that you've seen how Anne and Luz got started in their new environments, let's quickly jump through some scenes from the future and see how things went for them. Let's start with Luz.
"And so, I hereby present this prize for the potluck to the Plantar family and their delectable dish of, uh… What is it called again, Noceda?" asked Toadstool.
"It's called 'Pastelon de Platano Maduro'," answered Luz confidently, "a traditional Dominican food made of plantains, beef, and cheese."
"Uh, yes, well, your Pastel de Pantelon was amazing," said Toadstool, causing Luz to roll her eyes. "Who would have guessed the Plantars would actually win the potluck this year?" With that, he presented the trophy to the family, causing the Plantars' eyes to widen in surprise!
"I can't believe it! We actually won!" said Hop Pop in disbelief.
"Yeah! No more shame cage for us!" said Polly triumphantly.
Sprig jumped up onto Luz's head, giving her a big hug. "Woo-hoo! That was a great idea, Luz! I knew you could come up with a winning dish."
"Hey, I'm just lucky you guys have plantains here," replied Luz. "My mom's made this for dinner so many times that I figured it would be the perfect entry for this potluck."
"Well, you were right, Luz," said Hop Pop, lifting the trophy.
"Over here!" called a frog with a camera. "Let's get a picture for posterity!"
Luz and the Plantars all turned to the camera, smiling and holding up their trophy.
"You sure you don't want to try to learn how to drive Bessie?" asked Luz to Sprig.
"You see how big that book is?" answered Sprig. "Do you know how long it would take to read it all?"
"I mean, have you ever actually tried to read it?" asked Luz.
"Eh, page five is as far as I got," answered Sprig nonchalantly.
"Well, I think it would be great to learn how to drive her, and it's not like I have much else to do here," said Luz, though as she said this, she also got an idea.
"So, hey, Sprig, are there any kind of books you do like reading?"
"Oh, yeah, lots," answered Sprig. "I mean, I love adventure and fantasy stories, especially ones that involve lots of big battles."
"Hmmm, maybe I can interest you in a new series—a human series," said Luz. Sprig looked at Luz curiously. Luz got her bag and pulled out a book.
"Maybe while I get to work on reading Bessie's manual, you can take a look at this," she said, handing him the book.
"Good Witch Azura," said Sprig, reading the title. "So, what's this book about?"
"It's about magic, adventure, romance, and believing in yourself!" said Luz in excitement. "Actually, I was about your age when I first read it."
"Huh, really?" said Sprig, gazing at the book.
"So, hey, how about while I read Bessie's manual, you read my Good Witch Azura Book?" suggested Luz. "Then you can let me know what you think!"
"Okay, sounds like a deal!" said Sprig.
Luz carefully dipped her feet into the bucket of hot water and wrapped the blanket around her tightly, letting out a few coughs as she did. She adjusted the blanket as she tried to make herself feel better, despite being sick. Around the living room, the Plantars had done the same, all of them sick after working during the storm.
"Well, at least we saved the crops," said Luz in a hoarse voice.
"Yeah, I mean, it was hours of backbreaking work, but in the end, it was worth it," said Hop Pop, letting out a cough.
"Was it?!" asked Polly, not entirely convinced, letting out a sneeze.
"Luz and I almost got blown away by that large tornado!" declared Sprig.
"You know, if you don't focus on the fact that we almost died, it was actually kinda fun," said Luz. "I mean, I felt like I was flying."
"Only you would find being blown around by a tornado fun, Luz," said Polly, shooting her a look.
"Eh, looking back, I can see Luz's point," said Sprig. "And I mean, it's not like we were having a lot of other fun out there."
Luz let out a large sneeze. She blew her nose, trying to get the snot off her.
"Ugghh, I hope this is just a simple cold," she said after she recovered. "I have no idea what kind of germs you have here, but I hope nothing here reacts badly to me as a human."
"I'm sorry, Luz," began Hop Pop. "We had to save the crops, and I knew working in the rain and mud would be difficult. I knew there was a chance one of us might get sick, but I didn't think we all would. I'm sorry for making you help us."
"Aww, don't worry about that, Hop Pop," replied Luz. "You took me in and gave me a place to stay. I'm happy to help around the house even if—" She was cut off as she once again let out a loud series of coughs. After she recovered, she spoke again.
"Hey, after we've rested a bit, let's make some soup. In the human world, hot soup is just the thing to help when you're sick like this."
"Sounds good to me," said Hop Pop.
"You'll have to miss the fair, of course, but it's for a good cause," said Hop Pop. "Come on, boy! Do it for the family. What do you say?"
Sprig hesitated as he looked hard at Hop Pop. He wanted to accept, but he also wanted to go to the fair and have a good time with Luz. Before he could respond, though, Luz spoke up.
"Hey, uh, just a minute, Hop Pop. This whole Grubhog thing… It doesn't have to be Sprig, right? You just need someone to watch him, right?"
"Well, yes, but the point is the family that does gets showered with love and praise!" said Hop Pop. "And ever since we won the potluck, the Plantars have been making a comeback! If we can pull this off successfully, then who knows where we'll be? That's why Sprig has to do this!"
"What if I did it?" asked Luz.
"Wait, what?!" said both Sprig and Polly at the same time.
"Yeah, what if I did it?" asked Luz again. "Sprig was so excited to check out the fair. I wouldn't want him to miss it, so how about I watch the Grubhog?"
Hop Pop scratched his chin as he considered this. Finally, he replied. "I suppose that could work. I mean, everyone in town already thinks you're a Plantar, Luz, so why not? Now, of course, you will have to wear the traditional costume."
"Costume?" said Luz in a worried tone.
As Luz stepped out from behind the dressing wall, she gave a smile to the Plantars, though Polly didn't hesitate to start laughing at her immediately.
"Oh, man, you look ridiculous!" laughed Polly, causing Luz to roll her eyes.
"Thanks, Polly," she said sarcastically.
"Oh, don't mind her," said Hop Pop reassuringly. "You look fine. Now all you have to do is watch over the Grubhog until the big moment at the end of the fair."
"Well, alright then. I should be able to handle that," said Luz.
"One quick word of advice, Luz: he spits acid," said Hop Pop, at which point the Grubhog did indeed spit acid from his mouth, forming a hole in the floor. Luz looked over at it with a deadpan expression.
"I'll remember to watch for that," she said.
"Hey, thanks for doing this, Luz!" said Sprig, coming up to her. "But I'm bummed that we won't get to hang out at the fair together. I wanted to show you all the cool rides!"
"Aww, I appreciate that, Sprig," said Luz. "But this way, you still get to go and have a good time."
Sprig hopped over to Luz and hugged her. "I promise to bring you some web candy." He hopped out of the tent and back to the fair.
"Well, another year, another loss," said Hop Pop morosely as he and the rest of the farmers sat down, wearing the uncomfortable turkey-like costumes.
"These really are itchy," said Luz, scratching herself.
"Why do I get the feeling they haven't washed them since last year?" said Sprig
"Hey, sorry, guys," said Luz to the rest of the team. "I thought I could help you win that game, but I'm just not that good athletically."
"Well, it's nothing we aren't already used to, Luz," said Ms. Croaker.
"You did your best, Luz," said Hop Pop reassuringly. "I mean, even offering to join our team was nice of you. You're a bit taller than most of the other townies, so I thought that might have given us an edge."
"I still didn't get a chance to score a goal," said Sprig. "Well, I guess there's always next year."
"You know, I wonder if Anne…" began Luz before trailing off.
"Huh?" said Polly.
"Oh, I was just thinking of my friends," said Luz again. She had started thinking about Anne more after her recent trip to the Misty Moors with Wally. "I was thinking if Anne could have done a bit better if she had been on the team. You know, she's really good at sports."
"Oh, she is?" asked Sprig.
"Yeah, she's amazing at tennis, and she's pretty quick on her feet. I don't know if she's ever played basketball before, but I think she'd be good at it," said Luz.
"Wow, that's the first time I've heard you talk about Anne," said Polly. "Every time in the past when she's been mentioned, you're always quick to talk about something else. You never want to talk about her."
Luz thought for a second before responding. "My feelings for Anne in the past were… complicated, but recently, I've been thinking about it some more, and, well, I need to make things right with Anne when I find her. I hope she's not too mad at me."
So as you can see, some things changed from Luz being involved with the Plantars. Always interesting to see how a new person in a new environment can cause these sorts of changes. But now that we've seen what happened with Luz, let's check in on Anne…
"That was too close!" said Anne as she stood up and brushed herself off. "I cannot believe I almost became plant food!"
"Aye ai ai, I send you to do a simple delivery mission, and you almost wind up getting killed?" said Uodeela, shaking her head. "What the heck happened?"
Anne launched into an explanation of what happened, telling Uodeela all the details.
"Well, I guess I can't be too mad," said Uodeela. "I'm sorry about the town being cold to you. I should have figured, but I didn't think their reaction would be that bad. Still, you showed some real moxie by trying to get some tomatoes." With that, Uodeela turned to the now unguarded tomato bush.
"I guess this day wasn't a total loss," said Uodeela, grinning. "I just managed to score a bunch of tomatoes, and seeing how rare these puppies are, I bet I could make some good coin selling them."
"Hey, before you sell them, can I have a few?" asked Anne.
"Sure. What do you want them for?" asked Uodeela.
"I have an idea for something I want to make…" said Anne.
"Okay, I just got it out of the oven, so let's let it cool a bit," said Anne, carefully putting the pizza on the counter.
"Wow, it smells great!" said Lilly.
"I can only imagine how it's going to taste," said Gustav.
After a few minutes, Anne cut two slices in the pizza and handed one each to Lilly and Gustav. They both took a bite and were instantly impressed!
"THAT IS AMAZING!" they both said at the same time, their eyes going wide and tears streaming down their faces.
"The tomatoes and the cheese mixing together really complement each other," said Lilly.
"The crust is perfectly baked, and the basil adds just a hint of flavor to this masterpiece of a meal!" said Gustav.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANNE! YOU'RE THE BEST!" said both Gustav and Lilly, coming over to Anne and giving her a hug that almost knocked her over.
"No prob, dudes!" said Anne, happy to see her friends enjoying the pizza. "I'm glad we got to share this meal together."
At that moment, Amara came down the stairs and went into the kitchen to get some water.
"Hey, Amara, you've got to try this," said Lilly, coming up to her and offering her a slice.
"Isn't that human food?" asked Amara, staring suspiciously at the slice of pizza.
"Yeah, but it's really good. Plus, Anne says that on Earth, this is the kind of food you share with friends," said Gustav.
"Well, then why are you offering me this?" asked Amara coldly. "I thought it was pretty obvious I'm not your friend." Amara turned her head and headed back upstairs. Anne, Lilly, and Gustav watched her go, crestfallen.
"Hey, don't worry about her," said Anne. "We all got to share a pizza together, and that's what matters!"
"So then, does this mean we're friends?" asked Gustav nervously.
"Yeah, I suppose it does," said Anne, "which means we have to take a group photo." Anne got out her phone and turned it around, getting all her friends in the shot. They all smiled at the camera, and Anne took the picture.
"Are you sure, Anne?" asked Uodeela. "I mean, you're already staying here, so you might as well make the most of your time."
"The thing is, making potions sounds really complicated," replied Anne. "I'm not really cut out for that kind of thing."
"Well, the point of the lessons is to learn how to make them," replied Uodeela.
"Yeah, but why even bother? There's no magic in the world I'm from, so it's not like I'll be able to use them when I get back," said Anne.
"I suppose not," said Uodeela.
"You know, I bet Marcy would love this, though. She'd probably be all into making potions," said Anne. "Heck, I bet even Luz…" Anne trailed off, not saying anything else.
"Yes, what about Luz?" asked Uodeela.
"Nothing," said Anne, hanging her head. "Forget I said anything."
Uodeela looked hard at Anne, noticing how her face fell when she mentioned Luz. She had noticed it before and kept it to herself, but now she wondered if she should press Anne further about this.
"You know, Anne, I've been around the block," began Uodeela. "You don't get to be my age without having learned a lot. Is there something bothering you?"
"What? No! Nothing is wrong," replied Anne rather quickly.
"Uh huh, you said that pretty fast," observed Uodeela. Anne didn't reply to that and simply turned her head away.
"Look, Anne, I know it's none of my business, but I am genuinely trying to help you here," began Uodeela. "If there's something you want to talk about, then I'm here for you if you want to talk about it."
Anne didn't respond, though she did look back at Uodeela. After a few moments, she simply said, "Thanks."
"This is so cool!" said Anne. "I get to be a newt! Now I'm no longer an outsider in this world."
"Well, I'm glad you like this," said Amara in a huff as she looked over at Anne, who was enjoying herself in her newt body. Amara let out a sigh as she looked in the mirror at her now human body.
"I hope this will help you two to learn how to appreciate each other," said Uodeela as she looked over at them.
"I'm sure we'll learn a lot from this," said Anne. "Plus, now I get to feel what it's like to be a newt."
"I mean, your body is so light and frail," said Amara as she again looked at her new body. "You can't climb up anything, you can't quickly move on all fours, and I'll bet you can't even swim well."
"Hey, I can swim okay," said Anne in a huff. "Although that does remind me, ever since first coming to this world, I've wanted to go for a swim. Are there any lakes around here that you know of, Amara?"
"Uh, I think there's one just south of here," answered Amara.
"Oh, cool! Now that I'm a newt, I want to check it out. Hey, you wanna come and go for a swim with me?" said Anne.
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Amara, her face in shock, staring at Anne. Anne looked back, not understanding why Amara looked so flustered. She also looked over at Uodeela, whose face had also gone wide at hearing Anne's offer. She seemed to be trying her best not to laugh.
"Uh, is everything okay? I just asked if you wanted to go swim with me," said Anne, but Amara's face remained in shock and was now a deep pink. Finally, Uodeela burst out laughing.
"Sorry," said Uodeela, trying to regain her composure, "but that was just too perfect! Oh, Anne, you have no idea what you just said, do you?"
Anne now looked extremely puzzled. "I'm gonna assume I'm missing something here because all I asked was if Amara wanted to go for a swim with me."
"Right, I forget sometimes that you're a completely different species who has no idea how things work here," said Amara, finally calming down. In the background, Uodeela continued to laugh and snort, almost falling over to the ground.
"So, uh, do you want to tell her or should I?" said Uodeela, still holding back laughs.
"Okay…" began Amara, letting out a long sigh. "Does your species have some sort of… romantic courtship?"
"I think you mean dating," said Anne. "It's when you ask someone you like if they'd like to hang out with you and do romantic things."
"Right, well, newts and salamanders have something similar to that," said Amara, trying to keep her composure. "The difference is that, well, asking another newt or salamander to swim with you is a big deal!"
"Okay, how big of a deal are we talking?" asked Anne.
"Well… it's… I mean," stuttered Amara, not sure what to say.
Eventually, Uodeela came up to Anne and whispered something into her ear, causing Anne's face to go bright red.
"Oh… OH!" said Anne. "I see… Um, yeah, no, I didn't mean it like that… I… In my world, it doesn't mean that."
"I didn't think so," said Amara. "Still, the fact that you're a newt right now and that you asked it so casually, well, I felt you should know."
Anne and Amara stared at each other for a few seconds before both burst out laughing.
"That was funny then, wasn't it?" asked Anne.
"Yeah, it was. You should've seen your face when Teach told you what 'going for a swim' means to newts and salamanders," said Amara. The two came up to each other and hugged as they continued laughing, with Uodeela eventually joining them.
"You know, I think you two have worked out your differences, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes," said both Anne and Amara at the same time.
"Please switch us back," said Amara.
"So, uh, what is this again?" asked Lilly.
"It's called girl time," said Anne. "It's when us girls get together and do girly things."
Lilly and Amara looked at each other, not sure they fully understood.
"So, why are we doing this now?" asked Amara
"I thought it would be a great way to celebrate!" said Anne. "It's awesome that Amara has come around and isn't a jerk anymore."
"Um, thanks, I think?" said Amara.
"Sorry, that came out wrong," said Anne. "What I meant was, I'm so happy that you're our friend now! So I want us to have girl time together." Anne came up and enveloped both her friends in a hug.
"So, what sort of activities does girl time entail, then?" asked Lilly.
"Oh, lots of things," began Anne. "Going to the mall to hang out together, getting some tea, maybe a massage, buying some new fancy clothes, getting our toes painted…"
Both Amara and Lilly looked at each other, then back at Anne.
"Why would we want to get our toes painted?" asked Amara, not understanding it all.
"Because it's girl time!" said Anne proudly, again causing Lily and Amara to look at Anne in confusion.
"You know, this sounds great and all," said Amara, "but I think if we're going to have this 'girl time', we should do it properly, so here are my suggestions. How about we put this on hold until later? In Newtopia, there's this very luxurious hotel, and my parents have an account there. It's definitely got a place where we can get a massage and get some clothes, and I'm pretty sure it has a fancy restaurant, too. So why don't we put 'girl time' on hold until we get a chance to go to Newtopia, then we'll do it together? My treat."
"Ooooo, that sounds amazing!" said Anne. "Okay, I like that plan!"
"Maybe when we're done with our apprenticeship, we can head to Newtopia with you, Amara," said Lilly. "Who knows? Maybe one of your friends is there, Anne."
"Yeah, maybe…" said Anne wistfully.
"So, listen, Uodeela, there's something I haven't told you yet about how I got here," said Anne. As she said this, she reached into her bag and pulled out an object that was wrapped in a cloth of some sort. Anne pulled back the cloth, causing Uodeela to let out a gasp.
"You know what this is, then?" asked Anne, having heard Uodeela's gasp.
For a second, Uodeela thought about lying but realized it would be pointless to do so. She let out a sigh before finally saying, "Yes, I do indeed know what that is."
"Okay, great. So, do you know how to get me home, then?" asked Anne.
Again, Uodeela hesitated, and in her mind, she quickly tried to go through what she should say to Anne. Part of her wanted to tell her the whole truth, but the other part wondered whether she should. Still, she knew at this point she needed to tell Anne something, so she quickly weighed her options before speaking.
"Anne…" began Uodeela somberly. "I do indeed know how that box works, and I think I might be able to use it to get you home, but…"
"But what?" asked Anne.
"The gems on that box need to be recharged," said Uodeela. "It won't work in its current state, and in order to recharge the gems, we'll need to go across Amphibia and find certain temples."
"Do you know where they are?" asked Anne.
"I know the location of one of the temples, and finding the others will be difficult," explained Uodeela, "but I think we can do it. Also, we'll need to find your other friends, too."
"Well, yeah, of course," said Anne. "I wouldn't want to leave them behind."
"Even Luz?" asked Uodeela.
Anne hesitated before replying, "Yeah, even Luz. I've thought about her a lot ever since going to the moors, and I realize I need to apologize to her."
As Anne spoke, her eyes glowed purple for a brief second. Uodeela noticed this, looking intently at Anne.
"Listen, once I finish my teaching session with the others, I promise we can go look for your friends or start looking for the temples too," said Uodeela. "Whatever happens, I'll help you find your friends and get you home."
"Thank you so much. You've done so much for me, Uodeela," said Anne. She got up and left Uodeela's room, closing the door behind her. As she left, Uodeela sat down on her bed, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Anne, you're so young, and you shouldn't have the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's not right that you should be forced to fight a battle you had no knowledge of. I don't care what the prophecy says! I'll help send you home so you'll never have to worry about it!"
Uodeela knows a lot more than she's telling Anne, but as you can see, she also cares for her. It is hard when you know that someone you care about may have to face unknown danger. Uodeela wants to spare Anne and her friends from having to fight a deadly battle, but that may not be the best course of action. Oh, and remember what I said about knowing when something bad is going to happen to someone? Well, unfortunately, we aren't done looking at this reality…
In one swift motion, Sasha had disarmed Luz, flinging the sword away from her and sending it over the tower's wall. Luz watched the sword fall, a deep sinking feeling in her stomach. The rest of the Wartwood citizens watched as well, their hearts sinking.
"Well done, Sasha. I knew you could do it!" exclaimed Grime.
"I knew beating Luz would be a cinch. I was always the physically stronger one," bragged Sasha. "If it wasn't for me, Luz wouldn't have ever passed PE."
Luz turned, glaring at Sasha. She wanted to say something to her but couldn't find the words.
"It's over, Luz!" said Sasha, pointing her sword at her. Sasha nodded to Grime, who, in one motion, shot out his tongue at Hop Pop, grabbing him and pulling him back towards Grime.
"Ahhh!" screamed Hop Pop as he was dragged over to Grime.
"Please, no! Don't do this!" said Luz, having fallen to her knees, practically begging Sasha.
"Sorry, Luz. You lost," said Grime. "We gave you the option of combat, but Sasha won, which means we get to execute Freedom Frog!"
"No!" pleaded Polly. "You can't!"
"He's all we have left!" said Sprig. "Please!"
"It's alright, kids. Don't worry about me," said Hop Pop, having accepted his fate. "I know you'll be alright."
He turned to Luz. "Luz, please look after Sprig and Polly, will you?"
Luz didn't respond to that, but instead, she turned to Sasha, desperately pleading, "Sasha… STOP THIS! PLEASE! I'll do anything! Anything you want, but please don't hurt Hop Pop!"
Sasha paused before saying. "You know, for a second, I thought about asking you to stay away from Anne, but I realize I don't need that. You already screwed up your chances with Anne so much that she'll never want to see you again, which is fine by me, as that means I can have her all to myself. So sorry, Luz. There's nothing you have that I want."
Luz only had a second to process what Sasha had just said before Sasha turned again to Grime, giving him a nod. Grime held Hop Pop over the edge of the tower… and dropped him to his death.
For Luz, Sprig, and Polly, time seemed to slow as they watched him fall. All three ran over to the edge of the tower, none of the other toads stopping them. They looked over just in time to see Hop Pop fall into the jaws of the Venus flytrap plant and be consumed.
Sprig and Polly both began sobbing, and Luz went numb as she fell to her knees, unable to believe what had just happened. Tears streaked down her face as she thought about all the old frog had done for her and how he'd become almost like a father to her. She had failed him by not being able to defeat Sasha. Right now, she'd give anything to have him back.
As she continued to cry, she looked over at Sasha and Grime, and her grief began slowly transforming into rage. As this happened, something clicked, and she began to feel an immense power welling up inside her…
It started as her eyes changed color, and suddenly, they began to glow bright blue. As that happened, a blue aura formed around her. Sasha, Grime, and the others, finally noticing this, turned towards Luz in amazement. The blue aura continued to form around Luz until it had changed her hair to a deep blue color as well. She stood up, a look of pure rage on her face as her eyes focused on Grime and Sasha. Finally, she spoke in a deep, unnatural voice.
"Give him back… Give… him… BACK!"
"You're certain that's what happened?" asked Uodeela to Emmanuel.
"All the witnesses I talked to said that this human creature began glowing blue. After that happened, she became incredibly powerful and destroyed Toad Tower with one punch," replied Emmanuel.
Uodeela looked over at the ruins of Toad Tower as she processed what Emmanuel had told her.
"I'm afraid I don't know what happened after that," continued Emmanuel. "Grime hasn't been seen since that happened, but I think the frogs that were there managed to escape. From what I understand, they were all from Wartwood, and that human is too, so it's most likely that she's back in the town."
"I see… Thank you," said Uodeela to Emmanuel. "If what those witnesses said is true, then I have to speed up my plans. I need to get Anne to reunite with her friend immediately, and I need to start teaching her certain things."
"Do you know what's going on with that human, then?" asked Emmanuel.
"I do, but… well, I need to think about this," said Uodeela quickly.
"Well, I mean, is there any chance she could use those powers to help us?" asked Emmanuel.
"I don't know. We'll see," answered Uodeela quickly. "I never expected one of them would be able to activate their powers. A lot is changing right now, and I need to figure out what I'm going to tell Anne."
"Could Valeriana help at all?" asked Emmanuel.
"She could. Maybe I'll seek her out, but I have a feeling I know what she's going to say," said Uodeela.
"Listen, I get the sense that a lot is going on that you're not telling me," began Emmanuel. "I understand if there's a reason for that, but just remember, I'm here if you need me."
"Yes, I know. Thank you for that," answered Uodeela. "I'll make sure and stay in contact, but right now, the most important thing will be finding that human and also reuniting her and Anne. After that, I'm not sure, but… I promise to let you know. Actually, why don't you see if you can contact Valeriana and tell her to meet me in Wartwood? I'll need her advice on this for sure."
"Done," said Emmanuel.
We're just about at the end of this timeline, or rather, the end of what I'm going to show you. Like many things, time stretches on and continues indefinitely, but I think we are near the end of what is relevant here. So before we end our story for today, let's take a few glimpses into the future.
We see a scene of Anne and Uodeela talking, and it's evident from the conversation that Uodeela will be taking her to Wartwood right away.
Next, we see a scene of Anne saying goodbye to Lilly, Gustav, and Amara. They are all a bit sad, but all of them give a hug to Anne. Uodeela talks to the apprentices and tells them to head to Newtopia, hoping they'll be safe there.
Next is a scene of Uodeela and Anne with a snail, slowly making their way towards Wartwood.
Next, a scene of Uodeela and Anne arriving outside the Plantar house in Wartwood. Anne and Luz look at each other, and after a few seconds, they both rush toward each other, hugging and crying, happy to have finally reunited! They're seen talking, and it can be inferred that they're forgiving each other, much like in canon. As they head back to the house, Luz introduces Sprig and Polly to Anne. At first, they're happy to meet her, and they talk for a bit, though eventually, the conversation turns to Hop Pop, and both hang their heads with Luz joining them and explaining what happened to Anne. As she hears what happened, Anne puts her hand to her mouth, horrified at what Sasha did, finally crying herself and hugging Luz, Sprig, and Polly.
Next, we see Valeriana talking with Uodeela. The two are deep in conversation, trying to decide what to do. For a moment, Uodeela shakes her head, not wanting Anne and Luz to have to fight a terrible battle, but eventually, she realizes there is no choice. Uodeela and Valeriana turn and begin speaking to Anne and Luz, telling them everything about the prophecy and the box.
Next, we see Anne standing barefoot with her eyes closed as Uodeela tries to help her unlock her power, with Luz standing close by. Anne breathes deeply and slowly, concentrating and trying her hardest to listen to Uodeela. Eventually, she succeeds and summons two fireballs in her hands, her eyes glowing purple. Anne tosses the fireballs into the air, where they explode like fireworks. She's excited by the success and tries to concentrate harder. After a few minutes, a purple aura surrounds her, with her eyes glowing purple as well. There's a big smile on her face, and Luz runs forward, throwing her arms around Anne, happy that she could activate her powers too! As the two hug, they look into each other's faces before turning away, both their faces blushing.
Next, we cut to Newtopia, where Lilly, Gustav, and Amara are walking through the street before bumping right into Marcy. As soon as they see her, they begin talking, telling her they know where Anne is.
Next, Marcy is talking to the King, asking if she can use a sparrow to go to Wartwood and find Anne. The king agrees, unaware that at least two of the girls now know the truth about the box.
Finally, the last scene we see is of Marcy arriving in Wartwood on Joe Sparrow and looking around for her friends. She finally sees them, and Luz and Anne run up to her, all three of them hugging, happy to see her again. Uodeela and Valeriana look on, glad to have found the third girl, though they both wonder what became of Sasha…
"Captain Sasha, are we ready?" asked Bog.
"Yes, we are," said Sasha firmly. "Today, we march into Newtopia and take it over for the toads!"
As Sasha said this, she began to glow a deep red, her eyes lighting up almost as though on fire! She looked out over the city of Newtopia.
"That city may have its walls, but I'm willing to bet they ain't ever seen anything like you," said Fens, laughing with delight.
Sasha brought up her hand, closing it into a fist, and as she did, it glowed with a red aura. "No, they haven't." Sasha paused as she remembered how she'd first activated her powers. It had been strenuous digging through the ruins of Toad Tower, but after hours, they finally managed to locate Grime's body. Sasha couldn't believe he was gone. He'd done so much for her and been like a father to her. The sight of Grime's dead body had awakened something in Sasha—something that caused her to begin to glow red. As Sasha recalled that memory, she turned to face the troops.
"Alright, listen up, everyone!" she began. "Today's the day we become the new rulers of Amphibia! Today, we avenge Captain Grime! Once we take over the capital, we'll make the frogs pay for daring to defy us and for what they did to Grime!"
The toads cheered, raising their weapons and letting out a yell. All of them got ready for battle, and Sasha again looked out at the city, and as she did, a voice began to speak to her.
Good… Good, Sasha, said the voice. That power you have in you means you can take whatever you want, and no one can stop you! Give in to your anger and let it give you strength!
Sasha smiled as the voice finished talking, once more bringing up her hand and clenching it into a fist, and once more seeing it glow red with power! She then brought her hand to her cheek where Luz had cut her during their battle. As she brought her hand back down, she noticed some green sludge on her hand. She stared at it, wondering how it had gotten there, but as she did, her eyes began to glow blue, her face twisting into a cruel smile…
I'm sorry to end it here, but perhaps we should stop before anything else happens. I take it that many of you may want to see more of this timeline, but sometimes things are better left unanswered. At the very least, Anne, Luz, and Marcy have reunited. Knowing what you know about Andrias, perhaps it's better that Sasha is poised to take over Newtopia for real this time, though I can't say whether that will be better or worse in the long run. Sasha may get rid of Andrias, but will her lust for power cause her to simply take over his place and begin a campaign to take over all the other worlds? One thing is certain though… Belos now has influence and possibly control over a Calamity-powered Sasha…
Things do seem to have worked out better for Luz and Uodeela, but not for Hop Pop, Sprig, or Polly. It just goes to show that changing one thing in a timeline has other changes farther down the line that you can't even imagine. To think that one small change can have such a large effect on things is astounding. Every time I peer into a different timeline, I'm always amazed at what I see—how things ended up changing, whether it was for good or bad, and how it affected certain people in it.
But there are always other timelines to explore—other realms where small changes have larger impacts down the line. So which of these timelines do you wish to see? What happens when one decision changes? And of course, keep asking the eternal question of…
What if….?