65. Tale as Olm as Time

Chapter 63 - Tale as Olm as Time

Sasha, Anne, Darrel, Tint, and the Plantars continue their journey to find Mother Olm in the underground city of Proteus. Their journey delves deeper underground, slowly and carefully. The hill was so steep that one false move could cause the group to tumble down at a fast pace. Cronaxx however, didn't have to worry considering he's a ghost.

"Mother Olm's chamber is at the end of this tunnel," said one of the guards. "Be careful, especially if you're frail and weak." "It'll be alright," said Cronaxx. "I've been down here before." "You have?" Tint asked. "During my quest to travel to other worlds," replied Cronaxx. "I needed to find the location of the stones."

While Cronaxx was talking, Hop pop was having trouble keeping his joints together and sliding down carefully. "How's it going back there old timer?" asked the guards. "Who are you calling old?" replied Hop pop. As he did, his leg slipped and his joint snapped. He screamed in agony and fell forward. "Oh help me, frog."

Hop pop's fumble caused the group to fall over and start tumbling down the steep hill. Luckily, the group landed in front of the archway to Mother Olm's chambers. "Sorry kids," said Hop pop. "My ding dang knee's been acting up again. Forty years of farming will do that to ya." "Good going,'' said the guards. "At this rate, you'll get everyone killed." They laughed and laughed, until Darrel decided to magically remove their mouths.

The group gets back up and looks around Mother Olm's chambers. Their mouths hang open at the sight of glowing crystals, glowing flowers, an outer space looking wall in front of them. A couple of stairways to nowhere, and a gong in the center of the room. Sprig and Tint look at the gong with curiosity.

"Wow, what does this do?" Sprig asked. "I think that's the way to summon Mother Olm," replied Tint. Sprig starts banging on the gong repeatedly, causing Hop pop's spine to go out. He knocks the group down again and pushes them closer to the gong. Tint stops Sprig from banging, only for him to swing a power punch to the gong.

The gong's echo reached the depths of the caverns, and something awoke from below. The ground began to shake, causing Hop pop to fall on his knees. Then, another Olm came rushing from below the cliff behind the gong. It was ten times as large as the average olm in Amphibia. It was Mother Olm, an old olm with pale purple colored skin, light blue and green glowing fins and a mark on her forehead.

"Who is it that summons me?" Mother Olm asked. The group was astonished by her presence. "Greetings Mother Olm," said Anne. "I'm Anne Boonchuy, this is Sasha Waybright…" "Hey," said Sasha. "This is Darrel Loyalitat," said Anne. "Hello there," said Darrel. "And Tint, Cronaxx, and the Plantars," said Anne. The Plantars, Tint, and Cronaxx waved hello.

"Cronaxx?" Mother Olm asked. "I haven't seen you in so long." "Wait, you've met with Mother Olm, Uncle?" Tint asked. "I did," replied Cronaxx. "During my ambitions to explore new worlds, I went to her to find the locations of the stones." "And because he trusted the wrong person, his dream cost him his life," said Mother Olm. "Because his heart was pure, I believed he wanted to explore new worlds. So I gave him the locations of the stones."

"And now, he returns with frogs. There hasn't been one in a thousand years. And as for you three. How exotic." Mother Olm's fins reach the humans and touch them. Sasha was uncomfortable, but Darrel and Anne weren't affected.

"We need your help," said Anne. "Because Cronaxx trusted the wrong person," began Darrel. "King Andrias is about to destroy Amphibia, and-" "Wait," said Mother Olm. "Hold on, do you hear a flapping sound, like a million tiny little wings? No? Just me? Must be in my head. Continue."

"Anyway," said Darrel. "Me, Anne, Sasha, and our other friend Marcy got sent here by the music box." "Music box?" Mother Olm asked. She gets into a dominant position. "I am the keeper of the prophecy, and the stones," she announced. "Upon which the shoppingmode fate of all worlds rests."

The guards start to pound their drums to the rhythm of the dramatic effect. "And that prophecy is…" The group waits for the answer. The prophecy that could save their friend, their home, and countless others. The tension builds up in Darrel, Anne, and Sasha, until….

"Wait, how'd it go again?" Mother Olm asked. "Hold on, it'll come back to me." Then her fins started glowing light purple. "Okay, here we go." The guards bang on the drums again. The group huddles together. Until, "The Prophecy is…"

"Gone. It's gone." "WHAT?!" the group gasped. "Gone! What do you mean gone?" Tint asked. "Listen kids," said Mother Olm. "When you get to a certain age, things like your memory and body just stop working and abandon you like bad friends."

"Tell me about it," said Hop pop. "Darrel," said Anne. "Do you think there's a certain memory charm that can help her remember it?" "I don't think there is," replied Darrel. "Most of those charms are used to erase specific memories." "He's right," said Cronaxx. "Take it from me."

"Is there anything we can do?" Sprig asked. "Perhaps, there is one chance," said Mother Olm. "What is it?" Tint asked. Mother Olm pulls out her tail showing a batch of what looks like cream. "Dr Yohann's incredible brain cream. Dr Yohann himself used to apply it, but he went missing some years back. And ever since then, I've had memory problems and intense migraines."

"Okay, so we rub this gunk on your forehead?" Anne asked. "Not her forehead," said Cronaxx. "You mean…" said Darrel. "It only works if you put it directly on my brain," said Mother Olm. She places her head next to the stairs and opens access to her brain through her eardrum.

"We're going inside your head?" Sprig asked. "Cool." "Uhh, Darrel," said Sasha in an uncomfortable tone. "Can't you levitate that stuff through the brain?" "I could," replied Darrel. "But I have to be in plain sight in order for this to work. So we have to go in there." "I kinda have a thinking for ears," said Sasha. Polly jumps onto Sasha's shoulder and pulls her ear. "Suck it up, Sash!" Polly exclaimed.

"It's incredibly dangerous in there," said Mother Olm. "So be careful." "Got it," said Darrel. He looks down at Hop pop, who feels very concerned about this part of the journey. "Hop pop, are you okay?" "Actually, I think I'm going to sit this one out," said Hop pop.

"Are you sure?" Tint asked. "Is it because of what those jerk guards said?" Anne asked. "I don't think so," said Cronaxx. "Some of us eventually can't keep up with our usual pace. Hop pop is at that first stage." "Okay, Cronaxx can you watch him until we get back?" Darrel asked. "With pleasure," said Cronaxx. "Will you be okay here Hop pop?" Anne asked. "Absolutely," replied Hop pop. "You go on ahead."

The kids arrive at the entrance of Mother Olm's brain, up the stairs. "I am all ears, baby!" said Sprig as they entered the doorway. Sasha, however, stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Sasha," said Anne and Darrel. "But it's gross and I don't wanna!" Sasha cried. "Ugh," groaned Darrel. He slams his staff and levitates Sasha from the ground. The three humans enter the ear cave.

Hop pop and Cronaxx sit next to the gong while Mother Olm offers them some tea. "Oh, thank you," said Hop pop. "No thank you," said Cronaxx. "I'm not thirsty, nor do I have any taste buds. Besides, the tea will just pour out of my ectoplasm."

Inside Mother Olm's ear, the kids hike through the ear passage covered with earwax. Sasha wasn't having a great time on this mission. The gang make their way to the eardrum, where Tint opens the makeshift door in front of them. "Big wad of POO!" Polly cried. Her echoes bounced through the ear, and Mother Olm heard every word. "Language, lady," she said.

Sasha walks past her with the brain cream in her hands. "Real mature Polly," she said. "Sasha, look out!" Anne cried. Sasha turned her head to Anne, not knowing what she was walking into. Just then, Darrel blasts her with a paralysis spell to stop her in her tracks. She almost walked into a pile of earwax.

Tint takes the wax out of her way, then Darrel unfreezes Sasha. "What just happened?" she asked. "You almost walked into a pile of earwax," replied Darrel. "Anne tried to tell you. Thankfully, I saved your hygiene." Despite being saved, Sasha cringed at the thought of almost being covered in earwax. "Worst mission ever!"

"Best mission ever," said Hop pop. He was resting inside the teacup Mother Olm offered before. "This hot tea is just what my joints needed, guys. Thank you." "Oh you're welcome," said Mother Olm. "You know it took me two hundred years to perfect that recipe."

"Curse these joints of mine," said Hop pop looking to his elbow. "Getting old is the worst." He dunks himself into the tea, until Cronaxx pulls him out. "It's not all bad," he said. "Age comes valuable wisdom. After all, did you think I wouldn't have taught Tint how to do those stances if my hips were fragile?" "Cronaxx is right," said Mother Olm. "Sure you can't do the stuff you usually do, but that doesn't stop you from telling everyone what you know."

"I might know a thing or two about a thing or two," said Hop pop. "Good," said Cronaxx. "What have you learned based on your farming experience?" "I've got decades of horticultural experience," replied Hop pop. "Now you're talking," said Mother Olm. Suddenly, she jolted out of nowhere, surprising the two amphibians. "What's happening?" Hop pop asked. "If that was a jolt reaction," said Cronaxx. "Then the kids must've reached her nervous system."

And Cronaxx wasn't wrong. Inside Mother Olm's head, the kids find themselves blocked by nerve cords. The group take their time trying to get by, until they start getting hit by electrical jolts. Despite getting electrocuted every second, the group continues to the exit that leads to the brain.

"What the heck is this?" Sprig asked. "This must be Mother Olm's brain," replied Tint. "Finally, race you to the other side," said Sprig. However, before he could run, he was caught in Darrel's levitation spell. "Guys, listen to me," he said. "This is now fragile territory. We need to step lightly and carefully, any slip up can cause major damages to Mother Olm."

He puts Sprig down, and Sprig accidentally bumps into an old skeleton of an Olm. The kids look to see it wearing glasses and a doctor's coat. "I think we just found Dr Yohann," said Sasha. "Let's move it along," said Polly.

The group gets out the brain cream and starts spreading it all over Mother Olm's brain. The smell was too much, but the work was quick. "Whew," said Anne. "Balm applied. Mission accomplished." "Thank goodness," said Sasha. "Can we please get out of here already?!"

Suddenly, Polly hears a strange noise. "Hey do you guys hear something, almost like flapping?" "Yeah," said Tint. "I hear it too." Anne gets out her phone and turns on her flashlight. Darrel casts a light spell and holds it up in the air. They all look up to find hybrids of bats and mosquitoes hanging from above Mother Olm's cranium.

"What are those things?" Darrel asked. One of the bat/mosquito hybrids wakes up, causing Sprig and Polly to panic. "BATSQUITOES!" "RUN!" The batsquitoes swoop down, attacking the kids, and draining the brain juice from Mother Olm's brain. "Well that explains the migraines," said Anne.

"Come on!" said Darrel. "We have to get them out of Mother Olm's head before we lose that prophecy!" Darrel fires a small ice blast at the batsquitoes. But the blast only shivers a few of them. They retaliate by chasing the kids out of the brain and somewhere else inside Mother Olm's head. The chase ends when the kids slip and fall into a holefilled with green goo.

"Ew," said Anne. "What is this stuff," said Sasha. "It's like quicksand!" The group slowly sinks into the goo hearing Sasha's description. "If my hunch is correct," said Tint. with all the hairs sticking out, plus the green goo, I think this is Mother Olm's nose." The group was even more shocked. Sprig was about to say, "Does that mean we're-" "TMI! TMI!" Darrel shouted. "We don't need to hear that!"

"Oh, my ears popped," said Mother Olm. Suddenly the swarm of batsquitoes evacuate from Mother Olm's head. "Where are the kids?" Hop pop asked. They immediately hear muffled screaming after that. "Kids!" Hop pop cried. "Kids, can you hear me?!"

"Hop pop! Cronaxx!" Darrel cried. "We're trapped in Mother Olm's nose!" "Gross gross gross!" Sasha complained. "Quick Mother Olm, sneeze!" Hop pop cried. "I can't sneeze on command," said Mother Olm.

Then Cronaxx came up with an idea. "Then how about we use some herbs that will help you sneeze," he said. "Exactly," said Hop pop. He searches the cave and finds the proper ingredients. "A wild variable of Wartsabi, Liverwart, Ragweed, and mold from this wood. Mother Olm, put your nose near those stairs."

Mother Olm does what she was told, and waits for Hop pop to arrive at the top of the stairs. Hop pop was having trouble, but Cronaxx helped him push on. "Remember, it's your only chance to save the kids," he said. That was enough to get Hop pop to push, despite his joint pains.

"What is that smell?" Mother Olm asked. "A mixture of the most pungent allergy inducing plants in Amphibia," replied Hop pop. "Take a big whiff!" Mother Olm takes a whiff, causing the scent of the herbs to go into her nostrils. The next thing she knew was that her nose started to twitch. Inside the nose, the kids felt a gust of wind from the inside. Then, they were shot out of Mother Olm's nostrils when she sneezed, "AH CHOO!"

The kids and Hop pop slid down a stairway of green snot. At the end, Anne said, "Bless you!" Darrel and Sasha got up, feeling disgusted that they're covered in earwax and snot. "Worst mission ever!" Sasha shouted.

Sprig and Polly rush up to hug Hop pop. "Hop pop, you saved us!" Sprig cried. "You're the best Hop pop," said Polly. Hop pop felt a sense of greatness, despite his old age. Cronaxx looks at him, smiling in approval.

"Guess you're not so useless after all," said Mother Olm. "Thanks Mother Olm," said Hop pop. Then, out of nowhere, his back suddenly throws out. "Perhaps, it's best to take it easy now," said Cronaxx.

"Hey Mother Olm," said Anne. "Think you can remember that prophecy now?" With the whole head fiasco at a close, it was finally time to learn about the prophecy Mother Olm spoke of. "Oh yeah, the prophecy," said Mother Olm. She gets back into a dramatic position and her fins glow bright purple again. "The great prophecy of the music box that plays the songs between worlds is…" The Plantars and the salamanders gasp in amazement. Darrel, Anne, and Sasha joined hands, waiting for this moment in excitement.

"Nope, still can't remember," said Mother Olm. "OH MY FROGGING FROG!" Darrel shouted. "We went through that whole ordeal for nothing!?" Sasha shouted. "Hey," said Sprig. "Did anyone notice the label on this brain balm says it expired seventy years ago?" Anne facepalmed in response, forgetting to check the expiration date.

Darrel looks up in defeat, only to find more Amphibia writing on the ceiling. "Wait," he said. "Mother Olm, did you happen to write the prophecy in case you forgot it?" "I mean, that's what I would do if I were to forget something," said Hop pop. Mother Olm smiled, "You're right. That is the prophecy!"

The group gaze with magnificence at the writing and the drawings above their heads. "What does it say?" Anne asked. "Quick, before you forget how to read," said Sasha. Mother Olm glows her fins and begins to tell the prophecy of the music box.

"Four stars burning bright. Come from beyond to expel the Night. Should they fight or embrace the fall. Their choice shall determine the shoppingmode fate of all." As Mother Olm talked, the blue crystals started glowing brighter. Pink and red flowers bloomed and glowed as well. Anne, Sasha, and Darrel gasped in amazement, hearing the prophecy, trying to put pieces together.

"Four stars," said Sasha. "Is that us?" "It has to be," said Darrel. "We came to Amphibia from a distant planet like stars in the sky. It can't be a coincidence." "Do you burn bright with the power of the stones?" Mother Olm asked.

"I believe me and Anne do," replied Darrel. "When we were charging the stones, I charged mine halfway, that must mean I hold a fraction of my powers." "Yeah, I have my powers," said Anne. "Wait, do Marcy and I get cool anime powers too?" Sasha asked.

"Yes, honey," replied Mother Olm. "You should all get cool anime powers." "But me and Darrel can't control our powers," said Anne. "When King Andrias stole the music box from us, we couldn't-" "Stole it?" Mother Olm asked. "Huh, then King Andrias has stolen the powers which are rightfully yours."

"The stones gave us the powers," said Darrel. Mother Olm nodded, "But so long as one of you retains a piece of that power," said Mother Olm. "you can restore it to your friends." "We can?" Darrel asked. "Mother Olm," said Anne. "What's this prophecy for? What are the stones?" Mother Olm continued to explain the stones.

"The Olms believed they serve a greater purpose, and should be left alone. While others believed their powers should be used for conquest. These conquerors with their arrogance and greed, created an unnatural thing that does not sleep, and will not die. The prophecy is our one shot at salvation. And we believe that your four were summoned to save us from what we've become: The worst version of ourselves."

The three humans look up to see four stones, the same colors as the music box. And above it were the eyes of the unnatural being. Darrel recognized them right away. Then, they looked over to see four figures fighting against an amphibious beast. Holding a flame in the palm of its hand. The figures look like humans, each with their color of representation. Darrel smiled, 'We might have a chance to get her back," he thought. Two figures, one pink and one blue, were wielding swords. The red figure was holding a staff and casting a spell. And the green figure was drawing its bow at the monster. All working together to stop the unnatural being.

"Unnatural thing?" Anne asked. "The Core," replied Darrel. "What's the Core?" Sasha asked. "It's a machine that consists of the greatest minds in all of Amphibia," said Darrel. "It must be the unnatural being that does not sleep, and will not die. These minds are conquerors, the worst of the worst, and we have to stop them." The three humans nodded in agreement.

"Thanks Mother Olm," said Anne. "You've given us a huge piece of the puzzle." "Now all we need are showers," said Sasha. She looks at her uniform, all covered in gunk and goo, and cringes at the sight of it. "Happen to have one of those?" Darrel smiles, "Allow me, Sasha."

He raises his staff and inflates a large soap bubble, surrounding Sasha. "Hold your breath unless you want suds in your lungs," said Darrel. Sasha holds her breath, and all the gunk is instantly washed off. Darrel pops the bubble with his staff, finishing Sasha's wash cycle. "Thanks Darrel, I appreciate it," said Sasha. "Anytime," said Darrel. "So, who's next?"