33. Newtopian Life

Chapter 32 - Newtopian Life

After solving the puzzlegram sent by the King of Amphibia, Anne, Marcy, Darrel, the Plantars, and the Salamanders enter the Great Hall. Darrel's staff kept sparking small fireworks with every step Darrel took getting closer to the king. Darrel's face locked an excited grin, and Tint was happy to see him smile as well.

The group gazed with magnificence as they walked down the hall. "Dang, girl," said Anne. "This is where you've been hanging out this whole time?" "I wouldn't say I 'hang out' here," replied Marcy. "But Yes! Staying at the castle has been awesome!"

Tint gazes in amazement then turns to Cronaxx, who is supporting his head with his hand. The moment Cronaxx stepped foot into the great hall, something in his mind felt odd. The more he thought about it, the more tense his head got.

"Are you okay Uncle?" Tint asked. "Of course I am, Tint," replied Cronaxx. "It's just that this place feels familiar to me. Like I've been here before." "It could be a deja vu kind of scenario," said Darrel. "Deja vu?" Tint said in a confused tone. "It's an expression humans say when a sentence or an action is repeated many times over."

"Sounds like a fun expression," said Tint. "It's only fun when it's not used often," said Anne.

"Wow, I can't believe we're here," said Sprig. "And that we're about to meet the king of Amphibia," said Polly. Her words made Hop pop grow anxious and worried about making his first appearance to the king. "Wow, just look at this place," he said. "Am I dressed okay? Should I have worn my silk ascot? I'll go back and get it."

He turns around to change his appearance, but Marcy stops him. "Hey, hey don't stress guys. This is no big deal."

"Are you kidding me Marcy?!" Darrel exclaimed. "This is the King of Amphibia we're talking about. A real live King! I have always dreamed of meeting one in person. This is definitely a big deal to me!"

Just then, the doors open revealing Lady Olivia. "Okay, frog family, salamander family," she began. "You are about to meet King Andrias. This is a big deal." Anne and the Plantars gulped while Darrel grinned with excitement. Then, he takes a deep breath, clears his throat and follows Lady Olivia in the king's throne room.

While entering the throne room, the group gaze at the glass windows and the knights standing guard until they reach the other end of the room.

"May I present to you Andrias Leviathan, Lord of Amphibia. Peacekeeper of a thousand years and the first of his name." Lady Olivia introduced.

The group looks above to see the mighty King Andrias. "Now that's king sized," said Anne. Darrel's legs quivered with excitement. What stood before them was a giant figure covering the light that shines in the throne room.

King Andrias is revealed to be a giant salamander, white bearded, with light blue skin and a lighter underbelly and wears a metal suit of armor. He wears a crown on his head and has shoulder pauldrons shaped like snail shells. He also wears a cape over his armor with a gold snake belt and a purple and yellow tunic.

"Hello Plantar Family!" he bellowed. At first he looked serious, but then revealed a joyful personality as he smiled down upon them. "And, Cronaxx?! Oh joy! Bring it in you guys. Bring it in." The king gets up from his throne to give the Plantars and the salamanders a hug.

"Quick kids, bow," said Hop pop. The Plantars bow along with Cronaxx and Tint. King Andrias scooped up the amphibians and squeezed them. "It's so good to finally meet you! And it's good to see you again Cronaxx!"

"You know my great uncle?" Tint asked. "Sure did, he and I were such good friends," replied King Andrias. Despite his old age, and his deprived memory loss, Cronaxx started to feel a sense of familiarity with Andrias. "My memory is still very fuzzy," said Cronaxx. "But, I think it's hard to forget dear old friends. Good to see you again, Andrias."

King Andrias lets go of the amphibians and they regain their ability to breathe. "I love this guy!" Polly cried.

King Andrias laughed until Lady Olivia stepped in, "Dear King Andrias, just once it would be nice if you followed proper castle etiquette," King Andrias simply shrugged it off, "Oh etiquette smetiquette!"

King Andrias turns his head to the humans. "Ooh, and what do we have here?" Anne and Darrel grinned with nervousness and excitement. Marcy stood proudly seeing her friend's reactions.

"You two must be Anne and Darrel," said King Andrias. "Sup? Um, am I saying that right? Sup?" Marcy gives him the thumbs up of approval. "You got it!"

King Andrias laughed, "The thumb of approval. And here's a thumb for you two." King Andrias gives the two humans a thumbs up.

Then, Darrel drops to a knee, bowing to the king. "My liege, I have always dreamt of this moment," he said. "I have always seen kings in books and documentaries. But never in person. I have my friend, Marcy to thank for making my dream come true."

Marcy smiled, "Aw, thanks Darrel. I'm always glad to help my friends." Anne gives King Andrias a fist bump, much to his delight. He jumps up and down shaking the room and knocking Anne over to Darrel's side.

"Delightful," said the king. "But now, let's get down to business shall we? Getting you kids back home, safe and sound." The three humans smiled knowing that with the King on their side, they can have all the resources needed to get home.

"Hmm... Alas," said King Andrias. "Without the music box, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. Marcy doesn't have it, and I assume you two don't have it either."

"Oh, uh, actually, I do have the box," said Anne. "What? Are you serious?" Marcy asked. "She's not lying," replied Darrel. "I can vouch for that, your majesty. She had the box when we first got to Amphibia."

"Why this is marvelous news," said King Andrias. "Come, come, let's see it." "Well I don't "have it" have it," said Anne. "Hop pop left it with some contacts to see what they could learn about it." Hop pop stood nervously chuckling, while Tint sighed with a hint of disgrace.

"But I do have a photo of it," said Anne holding her phone. "Actually, I have a better idea," said Darrel. "I can create a visual illusion of the box so everyone could see. Even the great King Andrias himself."

"Strange," said King Andrias. "I thought Marcy said that humans can't do magic." "It wasn't until Darrel found the Eternal Staff," said Cronaxx. "Now Darrel can harness its powers. Observe."

Darrel gets in position and waves his staff. The gem glows a bright blue aura and creates a large visual representation of the music box. "Here it is," said Darrel. "One music box, for everyone to see."

"Very impressive," said King Andrias. He takes a closer look at Darrel's illusion. "Hmm, how peculiar. Marcy, didn't you say the gems were colored? Look here. They're... they're gray."

"Hey, you're right," said Anne. Her cheeks then give an embarrassing blush. "I never actually noticed that." Darrel was surprised. "Wow, I thought you knew that when you showed it to us," he said.

"This will require further study in the deepest of our archives," said King Andrias. "Give me a few days to work with this information. At that time, we shall reconvene and set a glorious plan in motion."

"Great!" cheered Anne and Darrel, "Mar Mar, what can we do to help?" "Can you translate ancient Amphibian runes?" Marcy asked. "I think I can," replied Darrel. "With more proper training, I can use a spell to translate the runes in the English language. Then it's all a matter of working together like on our group projects."

"Splendid plan, Darrel," said King Andrias. "Until then, my dear amphibious friends, go forth and enjoy the sights of Newtopia. We've booked you a suite at the Hemisphere Hotel, my treat. And here…"

King Andrias takes out his fists, giving the group a gust of wind. "Pick a hand!" Anne walks over to choose, until Andrias instructs her to choose his right hand. She does so, revealing nothing. "Psyche!" laughed the King. "But wait, what's this?"

Up his sleeve, King Andrias reveals a golden credit card. "The Royal Credit Card! It can grant you access to do anything in Newtopia." He gives the card to the Plantars, "Be safe with it now. Wars have been waged for less."

"Whoa ho ho ho!" Sprig cried. "We get to explore Newtopia with unlimited money? This is a dream come true! Onward, family! Time to see Newtopia!"

But when the group checked into the hotel, they were all ready to rest up after a long journey. "What are you guys going to do?" Sprig asked. "Kill time," Darrel replied. "How can you kill time?" Polly asked.

Just then, Darrel and Tint were already in a deep sleep while Cronaxx was reading an entertaining novel.

As Darrel slept, he dreamed about flying in the air. With the staff in hand, he brought his friends alongside him. Including Lady Olivia, King Andrias, Captain Grime, and Sasha. The group forms a V formation like a flock of geese, flying over the lands of Amphibia.

Darrel looks back at his flock and they all give him a smile. Then out of nowhere, Darrel hears a voice. "Darrel," Darrel turns to the voice and flies directly to it.

Darrel flies down through a thick cloud as fast as he could, only to reach a hospital from his hometown. The moment he touches down, he reaches to the voice as it grows louder and louder.

He comes to a pair of doors that lead to the emergency room. He opens the doors revealing a bright light and two silhouettes.

"Darrel," said one of the silhouettes. "We miss you. Please come home." Darrel immediately recognized the voice. "Mom? Dad?" "She needs us more than ever," said his father's voice. "Hurry back, please."

The bright light engulfs the silhouettes then engulfs Darrel. Darrel wakes up from his dream, and looks around his room. Darrel sighs, "I gotta get home, I just gotta. I can't be away if…"

Darrel remembered his dream and clenched the bed as he produced tears from his eyes. "…when it happens," he finished. He takes a deep breath and steps out of the hotel room.

As he journeys down the corridor of the hotel, he finds Sprig causing a ruckus down below. "Typical Sprig," he said. He takes the elevator down to the lobby floor and regroups with him. "I hope you weren't causing a lot of trouble while we were sleeping, Sprig."

Sprig turns to see Darrel with a disappointed look on his face. "Unfortunately," admitted Sprig. "Don't worry, I won't tell them what happened," said Darrel. He looked at the bellhop and said, "I hope he didn't cause you too much trouble."

"It's okay," said the bellhop. "It's people like him that make me ever so slightly positive about the future." "Didn't you bring our bags to our room?" Darrel asked. "I sure did," she replied. "Bella the Bellhop, at your service."

Darrel gives her a small sack of coppers from his pocket. "I've been saving these for something else. But after what Sprig put you through, I think you deserve it." Bella smiled, "Thank you so much, sir. This'll help me get one step closer to paying off my college debt."

After the three get ant sundaes, Darrel and Sprig return to the room. "So, what's next for our adventurous amphibian?" Darrel asked. Sprig just yawned and went to bed.

Then, Anne's alarm goes off, and the group wakes up refreshed and hyped. "Nothing like a nap to feel rejuvenated and full of energy," said Hop pop. "You guys want to check out the hotel?"

Darrel smiled, "Why not? Let's get a move on. But I think we should let Sprig sit this out. He got a head start on us at the hotel."

The group heads out to explore the hotel as Sprig stays in to sleep. Tint and Cronaxx head to the information booth to purchase a map of Newtopia. Polly and Hop pop went to one of the Hotel's restaurants to enjoy their cuisine.

Anne and Darrel took the time to enjoy the Hotel's indoor Ferris Wheel. The two climb into one of the seats and the two enjoy the ride. "This is actually the first time I've been on a Ferris wheel," said Darrel. "Well there's always a first time for everything," said Anne.

The two reached the top as the Ferris Wheel stopped. They looked outside the dome with amazement, unaware that the two were holding hands again. "This is amazing," said Darrel. "I wish we could stay up here a little longer," said Anne. Just then, the Ferris wheel started moving down again, and the two got off when they made it back down.

Later on, the group grew tired and had dinner before they went to sleep. "So what's on the agenda for tomorrow Cronaxx?" Darrel asked. "The three of us are going to go to the spiral tower on the other side of town to learn more advanced spells to help aid on our journey," said Cronaxx. Darrel and Tint nod and the two prepare for tomorrow.

The next day, while the Plantars went on a tour of the town, Darrel and the salamanders made their way to the spiral tower at the edge of town. The tower inside contained a spiral staircase, enchanted to keep moving so that newts could grab specific books. The walls inside were built in shelves containing books, scrolls, blank parchment paper, and alchemy tools.

"Wow," said Tint. "This place is amazing. It's like the archives near Wartwood, only more above ground." "I'm glad you like it, Tint," said Cronaxx. "Cause we're going to be here for the whole morning."

"We're going to find as many books as we can with ancient Amphibian languages," instructed Cronaxx. "Then, we're going to find a spell book that will help Darrel translate the writing in his language."

Darrel and Tint nod, and go straight to finding books. They walk up to the front desk to find a Newt reading a book. Cronaxx walks up to ask for help. "We'd like five books that contain ancient Amphibian tongue, please."

The newt points them to the stairs without making a sound. The three step on the first stair and the trio were zoomed up to the section where their books are located. Tint grabbed the books, then the three went back down.

"Okay Tint, now you wait here until we get the spell book we need," said Cronaxx. Darrel approaches the newt and says, "We're also looking for a spell book that can help translate Amphibia writing into other languages."

The Newt points to the staircase again, and Darrel steps on. He zooms up to the spell book section, and the book blinks for Darrel to pick up.

Outside the tower, Darrel opens the spellbook, then it comes to life and bites down on his tongue. "Ow!" Darrel screamed. The spell book turns to the staff and licks the gemstone. The staff glows bright green and points a beam of light back to the book.

"Is it working?" Tint asked. Cronaxx nodded, "Now Darrel just needs to recite the command to translate words in his tongue." Darrel looks in the book carefully to see the command spell. "Etalsnart."

Darrel opens one of the books they borrowed and the staff decrypts the amphibian language into English words for Darrel to read. "Hey! It worked!" Tint exclaimed. Cronaxx smiled, "Now all we have to do is practice these new spells and we'll be prepared for what's next."

Darrel smiled and looked at his enchantment lesson. He perks up, and comes up with an idea. "We should go to the marketplace," he said. "I know what we should get for my enchantment practice."

The two salamanders nod and make their way to the marketplace. Darrel looks across the stands to find his item to enchant. Cutting across the merchants in the street made him feel like he's close to home.

"This marketplace reminds me so much about the farmer's markets at Wartwood and back home," he said. "What were they like in your world?" Tint asked. "Only that they were much more crowded than these streets," said Darrel. "There were times that my family and I were stuck in traffic and had to wait until the streets cleared up."

The three head to a stand where the merchant sold carpets. Darrel pointed to one with a shade of blue and Cronaxx paid for it. "So you're going to enchant a carpet first?" Cronaxx asked. "You bet," said Darrel. "It'll be just like the Arabian Nights."

"What are the Arabian Nights?" Tint asked. "It's a popular story book back in my world," replied Darrel. "Technically, it's called One Thousand and One Nights. This novel is based on a collection of Middle Eastern Folk Tales. Some of the stories that are considered favorable are Aladdin and the Cave of Wonders, and Ali baba and the Forty Thieves."

As the three return to the hotel, they hear a ruckus from across the street. "What's that?" Cronaxx asked. "Sounds like an angry mob," said Tint.

And he was right. They see Anne and Polly running through the streets from an angry mob. Darrel sighed, "What have these two gotten themselves into this time?" "Probably interrupted the parade," said Cronaxx. "There's a local parade that happens every year in this town."

"We gotta save them," said Tint. Darrel rolled his eyes, "Again." Darrel gives Cronaxx the carpet and tells him to meet up with the Plantars on the city tour bus that they've taken. Darrel taps his staff twice and the two magically transport themselves to the chase.

The two wizards went ahead of the crowd and caught up with the two victims. "I leave you alone for one morning, and you manage to cause trouble in the city?" Darrel asked. "Hey, it's not my fault that the tourism of this city is boring!" Anne cried. "Less talking, more running!" Polly screamed.

"I've got a plan," said Darrel. "Follow me! Tint, see if you can pick up half of the crowd." "You got it!" said Tint. Tint waves his hands and causes a bunch of rocks and crates to block the crowd. The kids reach a Y intersection and Tint takes Polly to the left while Anne and Darrel take the right.

"Any ideas, Darrel?" Anne asked. "Just one," replied Darrel. "Stay on your toes and try not to fall behind." Anne smirked at what he's planning, "You're not the kind of guy who causes trouble." "Only because I never got caught," said Darrel with a smirk. He takes her hand and the two run as the guards follow them close behind.

(One Jump Ahead - Aladdin)

The guards give chase to the two humans through the marketplace. Anne and Darrel jump carts, tumble through crowds, and create difficult obstacles for the guards to get through.

Gotta keep one jump ahead of the breadline

One swing ahead of the sword

I steal only what I can't afford

And that's everything

One jump ahead of the lawmen

That's all, and that's no joke

These guys don't appreciate I'm broke

Tint and Polly regroup with the humans and create an illusion of fireworks, scaring the crowd, but aweing the children.

Riff raff!

Street rat!

Scoundrel!

Take that!

Try a different tac', guys

Darrel points the three to the alleyway while he gets the guards' attention with his surprised pole vaulting. He reaches the second floor, taunting the guards with his agility.

Rip him open

'Round the back lines

I can take a hint, gotta face the facts

Could really use a friend or two

Darrel suddenly slips into a dance studio where ballet newts were practicing for a performance. The instructor did not like his sudden appearance.

(huh?)

Oh, it's sad, this creature's hit the bottom

He's become a one-man rise in crime

I'd blame parents, 'cept he hasn't got 'em

Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat

Tell you all about it when I got the time

Darrel jumps out the window as the guards enter the classroom to apprehend him. Darrel lands on the awnings for a safe landing. Anne, Tint, and Polly wait for him at the bottom. "You know there are stairs," said Anne. "Where's the fun in that?" Darrel asked.

One jump ahead of the slowpokes

One skip ahead of my doom

Next time gonna use a nom de plume

One jump ahead of the hitmen

One hit ahead of the flock

I think I'll take a stroll around the block

Stop, thief!

Vandal!

Hey Tint!

Scandal!

As the guards close in on them again, the four climb up to the rooftops. Darrel takes his staff and enchants a small love spell on one of the newts. She blocks off the guards for a few minutes.

Let's not be too hasty

Still I think he's rather tasty

Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat

Otherwise we'd get along (wrong!)

The four make haste on the rooftops. They even use large poles to vault across large gaps. Tint gets a glimpse of the tour bus. "Guys! It's over there. I can see Cronaxx with the boys." Darrel looks back to see the guards are still behind them. Then he gets an idea, "Tint, take the girls and go straight to the bus. I'll get the guards off your back." "You gonna be okay Darrel?" Polly asked. "They haven't caught me yet," replied Darrel.

One jump ahead of the hoofbeats

One hop ahead of the hump

One trick ahead of disaster

They're quick, but I'm much faster

Here goes

Better throw my hand in, wish me happy landin'

All I gotta do is jump!

Darrel takes a large lump sack and some rope. He jumps off the roof of a building and drops the sack down below. The guards look down to see the sack fall, mistaking it for Darrel. At the same time, Darrel used the rope to swing into the window and hide from the guards.

Soon after, he joins the group on the tour bus. "Hey, Hop pop. What did I miss on the tour?" Darrel asked. "Not so much, Darrel," replied Hop pop. "But we're about to head to our next stop: The Cheese Museum." Darrel smiled, "Cool! I have a lot of questions on how you guys make cheese here."

The next day, Darrel and the salamanders were outside the alleyway of the hotel. They surrounded the carpet Darrel selected the other day, preparing to enchant it. "Alright Darrel, are you ready to enchant your first item?" Cronaxx asked. "More than ever," replied Darrel.

Darrel takes his staff and gives off a glowing blue aura from the gemstone. The carpet was surrounded by the same aura and floats above Darrel's head. Darrel slams his staff to the ground and finishes the enchantment.

Darrel opens his eyes and takes a glance at his creation. "Wow, a magic carpet," he said. "This is truly amazing." The carpet looks to Darrel and reaches his tassel out for a handshake. "Pleasure to meet you, Carpet," said Darrel. "Let's see what you can do."

Darrel takes a seat on his carpet and the two take to the skies of Newtopia. Cronaxx and Tint watch in amazement. "That was amazing," said Tint. "Indeed," said Cronaxx. "I think you two are going to be a great team of wizards." "What about you?" Tint asked. "I'm not as young as I used to be," replied Cronaxx. "But I know that I have faith in you two."

Later that day, back at the hotel room, Darrel prepares to surprise Anne with what he has done. "You ready for your big unveiling, Carpet?" Carpet gives a ready signal, and waits outside.

Anne and Sprig walk back in the hotel room after their brush with Newtopia University. "Hey Darrel," said Anne. "How was training today?" "It's all going swell," replied Darrel. He slowly backs up to the balcony of the hotel. "In fact, I did something fascinating that I want to share with you guys."

Darrel climbs on the railing and takes a step off. Anne was scared to watch, "NO!" Just then, Darrel's head poked up from the railing. "What?" "How are you doing that?" Sprig asked.

Darrel smiled and revealed how he's floating. "It's a magic carpet. I enchanted it myself, and he's developed a personality. It may not be the same as Clipper, but it's nice to have a riding companion."

Carpet shakes hands with Sprig and Anne. "Wow, that's really cool," said Sprig. "Anyone want to go for a ride?" Darrel asked. "We can get a bird's eye view of Newtopia with this thing."

Sprig yawned, "I'd like to, but I've just gotten back from a very long day of learning from Newtopia University." Sprig returns inside and drops face flat on the bed. Anne, however, was anticipated. "Is it safe?"

"Sure it is," said Darrel. He reaches his hand out for her. "Do you trust me?" Anne nodded, "Of course I do." She takes his hand and climbs on his magic carpet. "Hold on," said Darrel, and the carpet takes off into the skies of Newtopia.

Anne and Darrel look down at the streets of Newtopia with delight. "Been a long time since I've taken flight," said Darrel. Anne smiles and rests her head on his shoulder.

(A Whole New World - Aladdin)

Darrel:

I can show you the world

Shining, shimmering, splendid

Tell me, Boonchuy

Now, when did you last let your heart decide?

I can open your eyes

Take you wonder by wonder

Over, sideways and under

On a magic carpet ride

A whole new world

A new fantastic point of view

No one to tell us, "No"

Or where to go

Or say we're only dreaming

Anne:

A whole new world

A dazzling place I never knew

But when I'm way up here

It's crystal clear

That now I'm in a whole new world with you

Darrel: (Now I'm in a whole new world with you)

Unbelievable sights

Indescribable feeling

Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling

Through an endless diamond sky

A whole new world

Darrel: (Don't you dare close your eyes)

A hundred thousand things to see

Darrel: (Hold your breath, it gets better)

I'm like a shooting star

I've come so far

I can't go back to where I used to be

Darrel:

A whole new world

Anne: (Every turn, a surprise)

With new horizons to pursue

Anne: (Every moment, red-letter)

Both:

I'll chase them anywhere

There's time to spare

Let me share this whole new world with you

A whole new world

A whole new world

That's where we'll be

That's where we'll be

A thrilling chase

A wondrous place

For you and me

Darrel's carpet returns the two humans back to the balcony after an exciting ride around. "Thanks for the ride Darrel. I had a fun time," said Anne. "Anytime," said Darrel. Anne gives him a peck on the cheek and returns to her hotel room. Darrel remains outside looking at the rooftops of Newtopia.

The next day, the group entered the Newtopian markets, a place completely different from the farmer's market. "Woah," said Anne. "Look at this place, it's just like the outdoor megamall from back home." "I can see a resemblance," said Darrel.

"Alright kids," said Hop pop. "Since we only have a couple more days left in the city, I figured we can spend the afternoon shopping for souvenirs." The kids were happy to hear his announcement. "Get out there and buy anything you like!"

Suddenly, Darrel got a hunch that there's a catch to his statement. "Wait a minute," he said. "What's the catch?" Hop pop smiled, "You're a clever boy, Darrel I'll give you that." He reaches into his pocket and gives the group five small sacks. "You can buy anything with two coppers or less."

The kids were shocked by his statement. "What?! This ain't even enough for a candy bar!" Polly cried. "Yeah what gives?" Anne asked. "Let's just use that sweet bling bling from the king king." "Oh yeah, the royal credit card," said Sprig.

"Actually guys, I have to agree with Hop pop," said Tint. "Really?" Sprig asked. "He has a point," said Cronaxx. "Souvenirs are only meaningful when you purchase them yourselves."

"He's right," said Hop pop. "However you could always haggle with the shopkeepers." "What's that?" Darrel asked. "It is basically bargaining with shopkeepers until they lower their prices," explained Hop pop.

Polly was super excited, which made Hop pop scared. "Guess we better start looking, Uncle," said Tint. "Indeed," said Cronaxx. The two salamanders walk away to buy something.

"So Sprig, what are you gonna get for two coppers?" Darrel asked. "I don't know," said Sprig. "I'll probably get something for Ivy. Since we are an item. Who are you guys going to shop for?"

"My mom," replied Anne. Darrel was surprised. "You're going to shop for your mom too?" "Yeah," she said. "I figured if I'm gonna go missing in a different dimension, the least I could do is bring back a gift right?"

"Seems reasonable to me," said Sprig, carrying a stick with a price of two coppers. He swings it around, unintentionally breaking easily breakable pots. "Sorry sir!" Darrel cried out. "Put it on the Majesty's tab!"

Later in a souvenir shop, Anne, Darrel, and Sprig were looking for a perfect gift for their moms. "We got to find our gifts that are one of a kind," said Anne. "Something they'll truly remember," said Darrel.

"What do your mom's like, guys?" Sprig asked. "My mom likes antiques, butterflies, and making tea," said Anne. "My mom also likes making tea, she even likes flowers, and dogs. But mostly she loves our family more than anything," said Darrel in a melancholic tone.

Anne starts to notice Darrel's small change in his behavior. "Are you okay, Darrel?" she asked. Darrel perked up when she grabbed his attention. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just get what we came here for," he said.

The three keep looking for the perfect gift for Anne and Darrel's mother. Some of the gifts are either too ordinary, too creepy, or too expensive for two coppers. Then, Anne spots something from the other side of the store. "Hey, look over there!"

The three look at a poster of an antique butterfly tea pot made by a revered Newtopian artist. "That looks amazing," said Darrel. "Guys, it's perfect," said Anne. Considering that Anne saw the poster first, Darrel decided to let her have it.

He goes over to the store clerk in hopes of purchasing it. "Excuse me, how much is that antique teapot?" "Sorry, it's not for sale," said the store clerk. "What!?" Anne gasped. "No, 200 coppers. 600 coppers! I will pay 90,000 coppers!"

"Anne! Relax!" Darrel cried. "Now then, how come this item is not for sale, sir?" The store clerk reveals a flier of a derby, "It's not for sale because it's the grand prize for the market's annual Smash & Mash derby. If you want the teapot, you should sign up."

Anne wasted no breath and signed up for the derby. "You sure about this?" Sprig asked. "He may have a point," said Darrel. "We don't know what this competition is." "Guys, it's the perfect gift," said Anne. "This is the only way to get it. Nothing can stand in our way!"

Just then, a giant buff newt enters the shop. "Heh, that's what you think." Darrel stood behind staring up at the newt. "Wow, you're strong," he said. "Names Priscilla the Killa. Champion of the Smash and Mash Derby, 20 years running." Then she reveals a small blue newt sitting on her shoulder. "This is my daughter Pearl." Darrel and Pearl wave hello.

"So, I guess it's no secret that you're signing up for the derby?" Darrel asked. "You betcha!" Priscilla roared. "That teapot is mine." Priscilla proceeds to sign up.

Darrel turns away from the strong newt and proceeds to find a perfect gift for his mother. Unable to find the right gift, Darrel takes out his phone and goes over photos of him and his family. Darrel smiled when he saw a family vacation photo that consists of him, his parents, and his sisters.

He looks back to that photo and recalls it to be the best day of his life. He and his family went to a very popular theme park. He and his father went on their favorite haunted house ride, singing the theme song the whole way. His sisters enjoyed the food at the local restaurants. At one time, he was chasing his youngest sister across the park simply because she was on a sugar rush. And finally, he and his mother were enjoying the parades and the firework shows.

That photo made him drop a few tears on his phone. He touches his mother's face on the screen and says, "I'll find you the perfect gift, mom. I promise." He puts away his phone and prepares to leave the shop. He turns around to see that Anne and Sprig are preparing to participate in the derby. But he chooses to follow through with finding his gift for her.

As the day progressed, he stumbled on finding the right one. He went to the ceramic gift shop, but there wasn't anything that related to his mother. He went to the pet shop to find something dog related, but realized that the pets the amphibians have are spiders and caterpillars. And finally, we went to the Newtopian greenhouse for a special flower for his mom. But, most of the wildflowers were close to eating him, so he escaped freezing the carnivorous plants.

Darrel is then sitting on a bench overlooking the water outside of town. The salamanders find Darrel just sitting there all alone. "Hey Darrel," said Tint. Darrel turns his head and finds Tint with his souvenir, a jar of fresh algae. "Hey Tint," said Darrel. "Any luck finding your souvenir?" Cronaxx asked.

Darrel shook his head, "I was hoping I could find the perfect gift for my mom." Tint suddenly felt his heart drop when Darrel mentioned his mother. He slowly walks up to him and places his hand on his. "It's not too late," he said. "We can help you find one. Right Uncle?" Cronaxx nodded, "Of course we can."

"I don't know what to tell you," said Darrel. "I've tried every place that could have the perfect gift for my mother." Then, out of nowhere, the trio of wizards hear crowds roaring not far from them.

"Sounds like the derby is getting interesting," said Tint. "Let's go check it out," said Darrel. "Maybe I'll find the perfect gift along the way." Darrel, Tint, and Cronaxx set off to watch the Smash and Mash Derby.

The three make it just in time for Anne and Priscilla to go head to head in the finals. Darrel was cheering Anne on, until the two brawled outside the arena. "Is that even legal?" Darrel asked. "It's a derby," said Cronaxx. "Anything goes as long as they try to knock each other out."

Before they knew it, Priscilla was knocked out when she stopped for Polly. Anne was declared the winner, and the crowd cheered. Darrel created a light show that said, 'Congratulations Winners!'

Anne and Sprig cheered when they got the teapot. Anne was given a victory hug by Darrel. "That was amazing Anne," he said "Sorry I didn't see the whole thing." Anne returned the hug, "It's okay Darrel, cause I finally got the teapot for my mom."

"Hey Mop Top," said Priscilla. She walks over to Anne and Sprig and offers her a handshake. "Congratulations, you won fair and square," Anne accepts the handshake, "Oh, uh, thanks." "Just make sure you take care of that thing, okay?" Priscilla asked. "The newt who made it was special."

Looking back at the poster, Darrel started putting the pieces together. "That teapot really means that much to you doesn't it?" "It's one of a kind," said Priscilla. "And your last name happens to be Paddock?" Darrel asked. "Yeah," said Priscilla.

Anne started to put the pieces together as well. "Was the artist who made the teapot your mother?" she asked. "Yeah," said Priscilla. "I was going to give this to my mom when I got home," said Anne. Then, out of generosity, she gives Priscilla her rightful heirloom. "But I think she would want you to have it."

Priscilla didn't know what to say about her generosity. But she gracefully accepted her teapot back. "Thank you," she said. "This means so much to us. You're not half bad, Mop Top." "Anne," corrected Darrel. "Her name is Anne."

Thanks to her kindness, Pearl decided to give Anne something in return. She gives Anne her crafted butterfly sculpture, and the three hug it out. "That's what I call a perfect gift," said Darrel. "Now all that's left for me is to find a gift for my mom."

Tint approaches Darrel and says, "Hey Darrel. I think I found the perfect gift for your mother." Darrel turned around and said, "Lead the way buddy. Anne we'll meet you and the Plantars back at the hotel." Anne nodded and reconvened to where Hop pop was.

Back with Darrel and the Salamanders, the three approach a craft shop and find a glittering red rose on the display window. Darrel gazed in its glory, then suddenly recalled another memory from the amusement park.

Darrel and his mother were watching one of the scheduled parades from the parks they were visiting. They looked toa float that had a beautiful woman, with a strange creature dressed formally, standing behind a red rose. "They're my favorite couple, Darrel. Because they taught me never to be deceived by appearances, that beauty is found within." Darrel smiled and watched as the float passed the crowd.

"It's perfect," said Darrel. "I'll take it." Darrel enters the store and gives the clerk his two coppers as a purchase for the crafted rose. The clerk was pleased with the purchase.

Later that night, the amphibians were asleep in their hotel room. Suddenly, Sprig woke up from a bad dream, waking Tint up in the process. The two look outside to see Anne and Darrel on the balcony looking at their gifts for their mothers.

The two come outside and keep their humans company. "Those are really pretty," said Sprig. "I'm sure your moms are going to love it." The humans remained quiet. "So, what are your mothers like?" Tint asked.

Anne broke the silence and gave her answer, "Kind, in her own way. But strict too. She wanted me to study more, she thought I goofed off too much. We didn't always see eye to eye. She annoyed me sometimes too. Like, in the kitchen, she'd always sing these goofy Thai love songs, and, man, was her singing bad. Woof! That woman was beyond tone-deaf." She started laughing, until her friends could see tears in her eyes. "You know, the funny thing is, right now I would give anything just to hear her singing."

"What about you Darrel?" Sprig asked. "What's your mother like?" Darrel stared down at his gift and took a deep breath. "My mom is the most amazing person in my life. She's always there for me whenever I'm scared or upset. There were times when she wouldn't want me to do things for myself. Like this one time I wanted to sit by myself on a train ride, but she wanted to sit next to me because she wanted to share every moment with me. She was like a leech, always wanting to let me know that she loves me."

The next part was when Darrel's lips started to shake. "That was before…." He couldn't finish his sentence when he started crying. Tint and Sprig were very concerned with him bottling his emotions. Anne placed a hand on her shoulder before Darrel could speak up. "...before she grew sick."

The three friends were surprised. "I never told this to anyone, especially you Anne. I didn't want you to worry. It was a couple years ago. Before we started the sixth grade, My mother started feeling under the weather for a while. Dad had to take her to the hospital to run some tests. When she came back, she kept smiling for all of us. She told us not to worry about what's going on."

"However, one night, I couldn't sleep. I could overhear mom on the phone with the doctors. I carefully kept myself in earshot to find out what's going on. And then my worst fears have been realized. My mom was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer."

Anne was most upset with Darrel's situation, "I'm so sorry about your mom, Darrel." Anne now realizes that Darrel has his own reasons why he has to get back home. To be there for his family. "She's been fighting it like a warrior," said Darrel. "When she discovered that I found out, she told me she was going to fight it to the best she can. And she told me that no matter how hard life gets, she'll be there to catch me."

The three remained silent as he kept talking, "But I was no fool, I knew that one day she was going to leave us. Just like my grandfather. Now that I'm here, I'm scared out of my life. Because I don't know what's happening to my family, my sisters, my dad, and…" Darrel's eyes continue to water. "If anything happens to my mom and I wasn't there, I will never forgive myself."

Looking over his shoulder, realizing who he had been talking to, Darrel tries to regain his composure. "I'm sorry guys, I get really deep in these situations." Darrel suddenly feels a tight grip, revealing Anne was hugging him. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you," she said.

"You're lucky you got to know your moms," said Tint. "I lost mine before I was even hatched." Now it was Darrel's turn to hear Tint's mother. "She always looked up to Uncle Cronaxx, which made him smile. Cronaxx told me she died protecting me, then took me in when my father went to war. It was only when I hatched from my egg that Cronaxx realized my father wasn't coming back."

Darrel was upset with his story, "I'm so sorry Tint." Darrel proceeds to hug his salamander friend, and Tint embraces it. "Thank you, Darrel Loyalitat." Sprig looks down at his hat and knows that it's his turn to tell his story.

"My mom passed away when me and Polly were young," he said. "I don't even remember what she looked like, much less the sound of her voice." "When did this conversation get so sad?" Tint asked. "You know, I've always wondered," continued Sprig. "Can you miss someone you never actually knew?"

Sprig soon lets out a small chuckle, "That's silly. I mean of course you can't." Suddenly, Sprig was ambushed by Anne, Darrel, and Tint, hugging the poor frog who immediately started crying. "Of course you can, Sprig," said Darrel. "It just shows how much good you have in your heart," said Tint.

Before the group goes back to sleep, Darrel creates a light illusion, showing his mother and Anne's mother. They look up at the sky pattern and smile tearfully. Then, Darrel begins to sing.

(My Mother - The Chipettes)

Darrel:

It's hard to remember

Summer or winter

When she hasn't been there for me

A friend and companion

I can always depend on

My mother, that's who I mean

Anne:

I've taken for granted

Seeds that she's planted

She's always behind everything

A teacher, a seeker

A both-arms-outreacher

My mother, that's who I mean

Darrel:

Wish I could slow down the hands of time

Keep things the way they are

Anne:

If she said so, I would give her the world

If I could, I would

Darrel:

My love and my laughter

From here ever after

Is all that she says that she needs

Darrel & Anne:

A friend and companion

I can always depend on

My mother, that's who I mean

My mother, that's who I mean

That's who I mean

The four watch as the light illusion fades away, and then return inside the hotel room to sleep for the rest of the night.

This is by far one of the longest chapters I have written for this fanfiction so far.