21. S1: Musical Memoire

Happy 2nd Anniversary of this fic! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. I'm happy to know that my work managed to last this long and provide some enjoyment in your lives. I've seen your fanarts, had discussions with you and even read the fanfics inspired by this. Each one is a treasure and I'm glad to be there alongside you. You've all been so wonderful!

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Without further ado, please enjoy the show :)

Sasha Waybright was the captain of the cheerleaders. This statement alone implied many things; she was attractive for her age, she was extremely fit and flexible, and that she was a skilled performer. Now, outside of the attractive part, the other two parts referred to her physical abilities, honed over years of practice and repeats.

And when it came to physical activity, it also came with physical risks, mainly in the form of torn muscles and broken bones. She was no stranger to injury but it wasn't like she enjoyed it.

"Now remember: rub this salve on the cast once every day at exactly sunrise. Your leg should heal in about the time it takes for this to run out." Maddie Flour, the local hex practitioner and apprentice baker, stated. She also pointed at the large jar behind her, roughly two-thirds the size of her entire body and completely filled with a chalky white jelly. The said jelly also covered her hands and subsequently, Sasha's healing leg.

Normally, Sasha would be sceptical regarding such stuff. But at this point, she's learned to just accept it.

Sasha raised a brow questioningly. "That's a vague amount of time. Also, 'on the cast'?"

"You heard what I said."

And that's pretty much how Maddie and Sasha's relationship went. She'd have a problem, Maddie then fixes the problem, refuses to elaborate further and leaves. This happened twice and from the looks of it, this wouldn't be the last either.

Oh, and Sprig was there, acting as the mediator between them. Not that she needed any but he really cut off any awkwardness within the group.

"Wow, nice!" Sprig lamented, staring at the hard white cast with a cheeky smile. He then turned to the female frog. "Thanks a lot for doing this, Maddie. You're a bone-fixing master!"

"And for free at that." Sasha added.

Maddie looked at her lazily. "Who said it was for free?"

"O-oh, uh, I j-just assumed—"

"I don't do anything for free. When it comes to the mystical arts, the No. 1 rule is that nothing is free. That's the law of equivalent exchange." She said with determination. "However, you did help get back my dad's prized apron so that's payment enough."

Maddie would never admit it but her family had a special place in her gooey messed-up of an eldritch abomination they'd call a 'heart'. So seeing her father looking so helpless after a bunch of bandits barged in and steal their stuff, she was quite tempted to chase after them and turn them into chickens. Luckily for them, Sasha finished them off first. Well, not literally. But she did show the whole town who's boss. Maddie couldn't help but have some sliver of respect for her.

"Even though you did help perpetuate it but I'm willing to overlook that."

Again, just a sliver.

"Hehe..." Sasha laughed sheepishly, a small blush across her face. She then coughed in her hand. "A-hem, sorry."

Maddie shrugged. "Eh, it's no problem. Things happen." Not usually these things but things nonetheless. Though now done with her visit, Maddie pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her hands clean. "Anyway, I have to go. I've got babysitting duty. See ya."

"Bye, Maddie!" Sprig said with a wave. And with that, she's gone.

Sasha breathed out a small sigh before laying her head onto the couch's cushions. A lot has happened in the past few days and just like Maddie implied, she might have had made it worse. As a consequence, she was now under house arrest. Well, not literally. It's just that her broken leg pretty forced her to be in one.

"Well, guess I'm not going anywhere. Not with this, at least." Sasha said, glancing at the cast.

"Don't worry, Sasha! We'll keep you company. Also, you're not stuck. In fact, you can just use Hop Pop's wheelchair." Sprig replied.

When Hop Pop ran for mayor a few weeks ago, he got himself a wheelchair. It wasn't sure whether that was a runner-up's prize or they just stole it, but he got a wheelchair. And despite his advancing age, Hop Pop never needed it, not as long as he had his cane.

There, by the corner, were the remains of the said wheelchair. Bent wheels, torn seats and a twisted frame; it's as if it went through hell and met the devil. And to be fair, it did if the so-called hell was actually a place Sprig named 'The Hill of Death' and the devil being 3 bored kids.

Sasha cringed at the sight. Much like a car wreck, it was hard to look away. And she even remembered how it went like it was yesterday; The Plantar kids climbed up a hill to fetch a pail of water. They then raced down and broke the chair, and Sprig came tumbling after.

"Yeah, maybe racing it down The Hill of Death — trademark pending — wasn't a good idea..." Sprig remarked. "We'll get that fixed later. But hey, at least we can help you around!"

Sasha smiled. "Thanks, Sprig. You're a cool frog, you know that?"

"Am I the coolest frog?"

"I dunno... You're kinda tied with Hop Pop."

"HOP POP?!" Sprig yelled in shock. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Meanwhile from the study room, the patriarch of the family Hop Pop walked out. "I didn't hear what you two just said but I have a feeling that it's about me. Quit it!"

Sasha and Sprig shared glances and then, began laughing. Neither had any reason to laugh; it was just a simple fun drama between friends. Friends often joked amongst themselves and so, this was no different. Although, a short sight of her injury soured Sasha's mood a tad.

Sasha groaned. "Still, being stuck in a cast is gonna suuuck. At least I get to have a Sasha Day."

Sprig turned to her quizzically. "Sasha Day? You have a whole day named after you?"

She laughed. "Ha! I wish. Like, can you imagine what a day for me would be like? I'm thinking cakes, partying and some good tunes. You know, the kinds that make you dance."

Oh, how she loved to party. Back on Earth, Sasha used to plan the biggest and best parties in the neighbourhood. With how her parents were rarely home and her having quite the wallet, she spared no expense on making sure each party was better than the last. If she could dance right now, she'd definitely show the Plantars some of her sick moves.

"Speaking of tunes, I've got some news for ya, Sasha." Hop Pop said, joining in. "Y'see, I've been going through a few contacts of mine and I found a couple that could help with that music box of yours. You mind if I give it to them to inspect for a while?"

Sasha blinked and sharply breathed in. She honestly forgot about the music box for a bit with all the chaos recently. It's a good thing she placed it under her bed or else it would've been moved around all over the place.

But back to the matter at hand...

"Sorry, Hop Pop but… m-maybe not… The music box is kinda the only ticket I have to get home and it not being in my person is a bit… risky…" She explained in the nicest way possible. No way was she trusting it to a bunch of strangers. "I think I'll just hold onto it for now."

Hop Pop nodded understandingly. "Well, if you say so. The offer's open by the way, so you can just call me if you ever change your mind." He said before turning to the other Plantars. "Come on, kids! Now that we're crippling poor again, we got to be in our best shape at the market! I want our cart to be sold out by this evening!"

"You got it, Hop Pop!" "Right-eo!"

Hop Pop huffed confidently. They were going to make it work.

"Sorry for leaving you home, Sasha. You sure you can handle yourself with that cast?" Hop Pop asked.

"Pfft—! Please, this isn't my first broken bone. I'll be fine." She assured him.

Hop Pop was still nervous about it but accepted the response. "Alright, I trust ya… Oh, and keep in mind that you can hand over the music box to me any time. My contacts are trustworthy folk, so no need to rush!"

And with a bit of farewell, Sasha watched the Plantars and Bessie leave the farm for another hopefully fruitful day at the market. It'll be a lot of work but the Plantars weren't pushovers; they'd earn their coin no matter what. Sasha could vouch for that after living here for so long.

Trustworthy, honest and reliable folks. The ideal example of farmers.

...

...

... And she was already bored.

"And there goes the rise and fall of Atlanphibia. Weird they even tried to make a city in the middle of the ocean." She noted, closing the book with a slam.

The Plantar home, also known as Sasha's current residence. This decrepit building was built over a thousand years ago in the stump of a giant tree and despite the age, it looked fairly well-maintained thanks to the owners' good work ethic. In addition, it had a bunch of rooms, including the underground dungeons. And since Sasha had a lot of free time, it was normal for a girl like her to wander around from time to time.

One place she frequented was Hop Pop's study — a room she technically wasn't allowed in but entered anyway. Cast or not, it wasn't like he could argue.

Then again, out of pure respect, she never dallied too long. She'd been in the room countless times and usually, she'd just take a random book and leave. Hop Pop had a bunch of those and so far, most of her free time had been spent just scrounging through all the parchment. Plus, he had quite the collection. She finally figured out where Sprig got his hoarding habit from. For a while, reading books and touching stuff pretty much worked but nothing good ever lasted.

"And I'm bored again. Also, I'm talking to myself. Again. Here I thought I grew out of that habit." Sasha said out loud to no one in particular as she laid on her bed. "Really wish I could walk right now."

It's only been a few days and she already missed the joys of easy movement.

"Oh, and keep in mind that you can hand over the music box to me any time. My contacts are trustworthy folk, so no need to rush!"

At that moment, Hop Pop's words rang through her head. The music box! She almost forgot about it again! For something so important, it sure slipped her mind a lot. Sitting back upright, Sasha reached her hand out and looked for the relic underneath her bed. After a few false positives, she finally found it once more, all wrapped up in cloth like how she left it.

Sasha lifted the box to her face and began whispering. "Hello, instrument of my despair. What secrets do you hold?" She said, only to halt in horror. "Oh god, I sound like Marcy…"

Speaking of Marcy, she wondered what became of her. So far, the only person she'd been worried about was Anne. That Thai-American teenager has, like, zero survival skills. She apparently went to summer camp once and had to pack up after a week. Sasha wasn't there personally but she heard it involved almost causing a divorce between the camp counsellor and her wife. Yeesh…

And although Marcy was the least athletic of the three, she was the smartest and by a fair margin at that. Clumsy or not, if there's anyone that could survive anywhere, it'd pretty much be Marcy. That girl also had crazy luck, so Sasha was never worried about the Chinese-American. It'd take a lot more than giant bugs to make her kick the bucket.

Sasha started tapping her chin. "Actually, what would Marcy do? She's always been good at this stuff. Hmm…"

Marcy and Anne both loved puzzles, the former being an absolute pro at it. This music box was no ordinary box and if she was Marcy, she'd pretty much try to figure out what made it tick. It being 'magic' wasn't a good enough excuse to just handwave it off.

Out of curiosity, Sasha began inspecting the box in the same way Marcy would. For the first few minutes, she hadn't noticed anything off about it. It is, after all, just a box. But after a few minutes more, that's when she noticed.

Were those buttons always there?

"That's different…" Sasha muttered. Looking around some more, she noticed even more buttons, all hidden in plain view. It was almost impossible to tell because it seamlessly fitted it. That's quite the woodwork.

Taking note of all the buttons, Sasha began pressing them at random. There's no way to tell if anything was going to happen but considering nothing happened before, she had a pretty good bet. Plus, she had nothing better to do so clicking and clacking she went!

After a few hours of mindless button pressing, she was starting to get bored again. The box had a lot of buttons and she meant a lot. She was pretty sure the whole thing was just made of wooden buttons. And it wasn't like there was a guide or anything; she couldn't tell whether her combinations were right or wrong. She's just forcing her way through like an ape.

But this time, however, she finally hit the jackpot. In just a few buttons, the music box began to shake and to her surprise, the three gems embedded into the case slowly came loose, revealing their crystalline glory with a short melancholic tune.

"Woah… and you actually play music! That's genuinely the biggest shock right now!" Sasha said to herself, again.

Grabbing one of the gems, the other two slowly slid back into the case, fitting perfectly into their slots. Sasha put the box down and peered into the gem in her hand. It was grey and dull, a far cry over how she remembered. It didn't even shine, no matter how she turned and twisted. It's as if the gem lost something and was now just a worthless rock.

Sasha scoffed. "Hmph, you used to be pink…" She said with full distaste. The box might be important but that didn't mean she liked having it in her possession. It was the cause of this whole ordeal after all. Sometimes, she wished she never even found it. Stealing it was a mistake.

For a brief moment, her eyes turned to shades of pink. She didn't notice it and never will but unbeknownst to the teenager, those bubbling emotions of hers sparked those colours to life. And, like static, an instantaneous strand of light linked her to the gem.

Before she could even blink, her world turned dark.

It was dark. So very dark. It took a moment to process it but her eyes immediately widened, now conscious of the change in scenery. To just say it was dark wasn't doing it justice. She could tell where the darkness began or ended, nor whether it even had a horizon. And yet, despite how pitch black it was, she could see clearly, just that there was nothing to see.

Her heart raced and the gears in her brain spun uncontrollably. Out of habit, she muttered to herself 'What the heck?' but for some reason, the words failed to materialize. That's when she realized that her human body was non-existent, replaced by a gentle flame roughly forming her shape. With no mouth, she could not scream, let alone speak.

Was this a dream? Did she fall asleep?

Before she could answer those questions herself, that's when she noticed; Far in front of her, a small frog stood with its back turned to her. Their amphibious skin was as pink as Sprig's and underneath their hood, she could even see scruffs of hair with the same shade of orange. Sasha was 99% sure that was just Sprig but wearing some weird cape and hoodie.

It was only when they turned did Sasha find out that no, it wasn't Sprig. It was a girl and in her hands, she held a familiar music box.

"Hah… hah…" The girl huffed heavily, running towards Sasha in an exhausted panic. Thinking she was going to crash into her, Sasha tried to move away but was restrained. With no other choice, she raised her arms to protect herself, only for the frog girl to run through her unbothered. It was as if she didn't exist.

Sasha tried to voice another 'What the heck?' but like last time, nothing came out.

Without warning, thick clouds of mist began pouring towards her, twisting into a vortex with her at the centre. From the mists, Sasha could hear voices all over, overlapping one another in a confusing frenzy. Some were full of anguish, others were genuine laughter. No matter the voice, they all shouted on top of one another, creating a horrible mess of loud noises and screams.

It was too much!

Sasha cupped her hands over her ears and closed her eyes but it didn't work.

It was too much!

She tried to make some sense of it but she just couldn't understand.

It was too much!

The voices grew louder and louder until all she could hear was a sharp ringing sound.

It was… too…

…

…

All of the sudden, it stopped.

Sasha opened her eyes and the dark world she was once in was no more. Instead, surrounding her was nothing but pure empty white. The sole exception being the pink frog from before, the box still within her possession. She then tapped one of the gems, causing it to light up with a faint pink glow.

"I don't know if you can hear me," she said with a shaky voice. "But if you can, please listen to my words. No matter what happens…"

"Don't let him get the box! Bury it or lock it away! It doesn't matter! Just don't let him get the box! And if all else fails…"

The pink frog paused, biting her lower lips in frustration. "Hide the box in another world where it cannot be reached, and pray that no one finds it and dooms their own."

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Sasha opened her eyes, this time for real. She wasn't in some black-or-white sensory deprivation world anymore. Instead, she's back in her basement room, still sitting on her bed and still holding onto the faded gem. Although her time in that other world was brief, it felt like hours. A glance at a nearby clock proved otherwise; it was only a few minutes.

She stared at the gem in her hand and with that, only one thing crossed her mind.

What the heck was that?

In a blink of an eye, evening arrived. The day passed as quickly as it always did but for today, it felt… off…

It was hard to explain what she meant but with her mind wracking about the vision, the entire period of daylight felt too slow and yet, too fast. She had been left alone with her thoughts for hours and occasionally, tried to ignore them. But it always called back to her and in a snap, the Plantars returned and began prepping up for the night.

"So… the music box is eating dinner with us now, huh?" Polly asked, pointing at it with her spoon.

There, on the table beside Sasha, was the aforementioned music box, all three gems back in place. Sasha blinked when Polly pointed it out and to her surprise, it really was there, minding its own business.

"Guh? O-oh, sorry. I must've brought it with me. I'll just put it back later…" Sasha muttered, grabbing the box and pulling it closer.

Polly hummed. "Right…" she said before gouging down on her meal.

The music box — why did she bring it here? Ever since she had those visions, she felt the need to keep it close to her at all times. She wasn't sure why and had no reason to do so. After all, there was no one here that'd steal it. Other than her, only the Plantars knew about it.

Her head ached and throbbed. She might go to sleep early tonight once her plate was cleaned.

Meanwhile, finished with his own, Sprig coughed lightly, breaking the silence. "I'm gonna go out. There's something I have to pick up from town. Bee-arr-bee!" He said, dropping the plate into the sink and grabbing Polly before she could finish hers. "It's pirate talk for 'leaving the hive'. Y'know, because bees."

"Hey, I wasn't done yet!" Polly yelled.

Sprig ignored her and before Sasha could ask what it was, the two were already out the door, leaving in a hurry. Whatever it was, it was probably important if he had to pick it up this late at night. Not sure why he brought Polly with him though, especially in such a frantic way.

But without the kids around, the silence returned just as fast as it left. Hop Pop and Sasha may be conversationalists but not to each other. Never to each other.

"So Sasha..." Hop Pop started. "How was your day?"

Sasha shrugged. "Pretty good, I guess. I was mostly bored."

"I see… Y'know, you could visit my study from time to time and read from my collection. I'm sure that'd ease it up!" Hop Pop suggested.

"Already doing it."

"But I haven't even gave you permission yet…" He weakly responded. Before that awkward quietness could creep in again, Hop Pop shook his head. "No, that ain't the point; Sasha, are you okay?"

That… was a weird question. Sasha raised a brow, confused. "Yeah, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I?"

"It's just that you've been a bit… off lately. Maybe it's got something to do with that box." He said, glancing at the item nearby. Hop Pop sighed. "Look, Sasha, I understand that you're worried but I assure you that my contacts are some of the most reliable amphibians I know! They won't harm even a single crevice on that box!"

Sasha thought about it. She really did and much like this morning, her answer stood unchanged. "Sorry, Hop Pop but no. I'm grateful you're trying to help but this is a 'me' thing. I'll handle it."

"Leaving it under your bed is hardly 'handling it'. It's best to at least give it a try."

Sasha frowned. The old frog was being far too insistent to her liking. "Look, can we just drop it? I don't want to talk about the box anymore."

Hop Pop wiggled his eyebrows. "Well, you could lend it to me. Then, you wouldn't have to talk about it anymore."

"Hop Pop…"

Hearing the venom in her voice, Hop Pop frowned, placing his hands on his hips. "Fine. I won't talk about it no more. At least for tonight."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Well, it's a start."

Unbeknownst to her, her words carried more meaning than she realized. This truly was just the start.

As usual, the days went by as normal. Sprig returned that night carrying a wooden box and stuffing it in the cabinets. He also forbade anyone from opening it, saying that 'it was for a special occasion'. In the meantime, Sasha continued to recuperate, waking up just before sunrise and plastering her cast with the salve. It was gooey and gross, and she didn't like touching it, prompting her to wear gloves.

She briefly wondered what the salve actually was since it permeated through her cast in an instant but she shrugged it off. She also wondered what was in Sprig's box as it was starting to smell. Though, some questions were just not meant to be answered.

However, two things did change in their everyday lives: 1. Sasha was still bringing the box with her everywhere and 2. Hop Pop wouldn't stop pestering her about it. Their daily interactions could be summarised as so;

"Hello, my adopted granddaughter! How are you today?"

"Cool."

"Cool! I'm glad you're feeling well. Say, can I have the box?"

"No."

"Okay! Do call if you change your mind. See you later then!"

This exchange occurred every day with variations. Sometimes — and by that, she meant every day — it even happened several times a day. Those were the worst. By the end of the week, Sasha was really done with it.

"Morning, Sasha! How are you toda—?"

"I swear to God, if you're going to ask me about the box again, I am going to lose it."

Hop Pop smiled. "Lose it? Well, that ain't good. Why not lend me the box for the time being? That way, it'll stay nice and safe."

"RAAAAAAH!" She screamed in rage, slamming her fists onto the table. "Why are you so obsessed with the box?! In any other context, a 'no' is a 'no', Hop Pop!"

She huffed and puffed, waiting for some irksome response from the old man. Instead, all she got was a look of concern, his hands clasped and fingers crossed. "Guess there's no point in keeping it vague." He said, sighing loudly. "Sasha, I'm not the one obsessed with the box. You are."

Sasha blinked. She raised a brow in confusion, followed by both and finally, furrowing both in an offended expression. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"For several days now, you haven't let the box out of your sight. It's honestly worrying." Hop Pop explained. "Maybe you should let go of that box for a bit. Get some fresh air. You know, clear your head."

"Why? So you could take it?" Sasha hissed.

Hop Pop raised his arms defensively. "I didn't mean it like that!" He then looked at her sadly. "Sasha, be reasonable…"

Wasn't she? Was it really unreasonable of her to not allow a very important artefact out of her eyesight? Sasha didn't think so. Why couldn't the contacts come here instead? Or maybe, she and Hop Pop could visit them. She had all the time in the world. She wasn't in any hurry.

There were too many risks, too many factors. Why was it that Hop Pop couldn't understand?

"Don't let him get the box!"

The voice — it appeared again. Sasha clenched her forehead in pain, unable to provide herself relief. Hop Pop noticed her pained expression and went to help but before he could get close, she took a step back and away from him.

"I said it once… and I'll say it again… N-O-no." She growled, pulling the box back with a tight grip. "End. Of. Discussion." She then ran back to her room, the box close to her chest. Hop Pop's watched as she disappeared from view as if his heart was stabbed by her hand.

Unlike the city or the suburban neighbourhood she once called home, the Plantar household was dead quiet at night. In fact, it was so quiet that the house's residents could hear every creak, step and wisp around them. When she first got here, she had a hard time adjusting to the deathly silence. One could say she even missed the sounds of cars passing through or loud music being played by her neighbours. It may sound asinine but she was a city girl at heart, even though she grew up in the suburbs and frequently visited the countryside. Nonetheless, she still managed to get some quality shuteye.

Tonight, however, was not one of those nights.

Sometime between midnight and morning, Hopadiah Plantar, wearing a ski mask and a pair of socks, opened the door to the basement. Why he was dressed this way was a difficult question and he'd rather not answer. With the socks masking his steps, he slowly and carefully strolled down the stairs and towards the bed where Sasha Waybright slept. Usually, the music box was placed underneath her bed but tonight, it was right next to her pillow. Nonetheless, Hop Pop crept to her side and with an unnatural carefulness, he swiped the box and hurriedly went back upstairs.

It hurt his old heart to do this but he had to. There was no way Sasha would give the box to him willingly. She didn't know just what she was holding onto and so long as it was around, his family would never be safe.

As he climbed up the wooden stairs, Hop Pop made one glaring error: he took a step a tad heavier than before, creating a small but otherwise audible creaking noise. And Sasha, who was so unused by the silence, was far more aware of any noise that bumped in the night.

Creak…

"Bwah! I don't want to play Vagabondia Chronicles! You yelled at me for killing Lucille!" Sasha blurted half-awake, her head rocketing off the pillow. She rubbed her tired eyes instinctively, her mind still drowsy and unaware, only to notice the mysterious and shadowy masked figure in the basement entrance.

Sasha sleepily stared at Hop Pop, her exhaustion unable to properly form a clear image.

Hop Pop, in his ski mask, in turn, stared back, sweating nervously.

For exactly five seconds, no one made a move. But the more time passed, the more awake Sasha became and slowly, that blurry image of his became more focused. Hop Pop, who looked like a house burglar wearing socks, also did not make it any better. She might not be able to tell who he was at first glance but given time, that'd change quickly. Thus, Hopadiah Plantar did the unthinkable.

"… Woop woop woop woop woop woop!" He gurgled out, running away without remorse.

An instant later, Sasha finally got her head straight and realize what was going on. "What the—HEY! W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET BACK HERE, YOU THIEF!"

With the strength and determination of a tween girl, Sasha leapt out of bed and charged up the stairs.

"Ow! Ow! OW!"

It was a bad idea but she was too hopped up on adrenaline to care.

Now, let's look at the facts. The ski mask-wearing old man obviously had the starting advantage. He was fully awake, mostly healthy and was already up the stairs. Unfortunately, that was all he had. He was expecting the whole 'super-secret mission' to go smoothly, allowing him to hide the box in a secure location. But with the owner now chasing after him, he figured out quickly that he couldn't really go anywhere. He was stealing from his own house! They'd more likely trip over the box on their way out than actually finding it through thorough searching.

Stuck in his own home, that gave Sasha an advantage. So long as Hop Pop stayed indoors, she could catch up to him. She was both younger and more athletic. Sure, she might be a bit groggy at the moment and has a broken leg but that hadn't stopped her before. With enough willpower, she'd be able to do anything, even break another leg. And over time, the chances of her success exponentially increases.

Back in the living room, Hop Pop shifted left and right, looking for an escape. He then noticed the front entrance and remembering Sasha's debilitated state, he quickly deduced that she wouldn't follow him out. Thus, he rushed to the door and pulled the handle. To his horror, the door ended up being locked, even though he was the one that locked it. Hop Pop frantically searched his pockets for the keys, patting his body all over.

But it was too late. By the time he jingled the keys in his hand, Sasha was already within pouncing distance.

"RAAAAAH!" Sasha yelled, jumping onto him like a wild animal. Hop Pop toppled down with a shriek, being overpowered almost instantly. "Gotcha!"

Desperate times called for desperate measures. In a panic, he involuntarily shot his tongue in her face, pushing her off with a smack. "AH!"

"S-sorry!" Hop Pop exclaimed loudly. He stepped forward to check but it proved to be the wrong move; Sasha quickly recovered and, angrier than ever, charged towards him with a face only a mother could love.

Hop Pop screamed.

Meanwhile, with all the commotion going on, it's inevitable that the rest of the household would wake up, especially since the walls had no soundproofing. Hearing the banging and crashes below, Sprig groaned annoyedly, having been unceremoniously woken up from his beauty sleep. Getting out of bed, he found Polly also doing the same, looking just as bad as he was.

"Ugh, it's the middle of the night…" Sprig complained, rubbing his eyes.

"Some of us are TRYING TO SLEEP!" Polly furiously shouted.

Sprig flipped a switch, turning the living room lights on. To his surprise, he found Sasha and a masked figure wrestling on the floor, the music box in the latter's arms. "W-what's going on?!"

Before anyone could answer, Sasha got hold of the mask and ripped it off of the old frog's head, revealing his face. Sprig, Polly and Sasha collectively gasped, even though it was obvious. "HOP POP?!" Sasha yelled.

"Hop Pop?!" Sprig added.

"Oh my frog, Hop Pop! You had a burglar mask and you never told anyone! Ugh, I can't believe you!" Polly yelled in disbelief, although for the wrong reasons.

Hop Pop began sweating nervously. What started as a covert quest, now only ended up being a cascade of disaster. And now, everyone was awake and there he was, looking like the guilty party he was. "N-now, kids! T-this might look bad but trust me, I have a g-good explanation!" He stammered.

Sasha growled. "Well, you better start explaining or else I'll be serving orange frog legs for breakfast, Hopadiah!"

Sasha never once used his real name before. Was this how Sprig and Polly felt whenever he used their full names? If so, he now has a greater appreciation for it. Having someone yell out your full name was the scariest thing ever.

Sprig raised his arm. "Explain to me first! I don't know what's going on!"

"I'll tell you what's going on! What's going on is that Hop Pop just tried to steal the music box while I was asleep!"

Sprig gasped. "I-is that true, Hop Pop?"

Hop Pop's lips puckered. He was never good at stressful situations and would often just explode when startled. But now, with all three kids waiting for an answer, he felt the gravity of their stares pushing him to the ground. Like, literally. He actually felt heavy somewhat. And were Sasha's eyes always pink?

But in the end, the truth had to come out anyway. That was the Plantar way.

Hop Pop sighed. "It's true. I did try to steal the music box from Sasha."

Sprig gasped again. "B-but why?"

"Because I was worried!"

Sasha raised a brow, unconvinced. "Worried? For what?"

"Not for what! For who! You, specifically!" Hop Pop replied. "You've been so obsessed with that box that it's taking a toll on you! You've been carrying it around everywhere! Heck, I saw you bring it into the shower!"

Sasha frowned. "That was one time! And so what? It's none of your business!"

"It is my business when one of my family is on the receiving end. Each time I try to help, you just flat out refuse! And it's getting worse every day!" He continued, raising his arms high up in a hubbub. "Do you have any idea what it's like to watch someone close to you slowly break down and there's nothing you can do about it? It ain't pleasant!"

"Well, I—You—!"

Sasha tried to argue, thinking of all the possible ways she could hit back. However, all she was given was a blank page. So frustrated, she couldn't think straight, ultimately causing her brain to come crashing to a halt. All she had was pointless, empty anger at a frog who, despite his excessive actions, had the best of intentions.

Hop Pop closed his eyes, handing over the box to her. "I know what I did was wrong and I don't expect you to forgive me but if it meant protecting my family, then I'll do anything."

At that very moment, Sasha stopped.

Hop Pop was a frog of many faces. He was a hardworking farmer, an honest seller, a terrible cook and an actual dinosaur. But above all else, he was a family man; if given the opportunity, he'd laze, cheat, fry, and even fossilize his way to protect his family. He'd throw away his principles if it meant that the Plantars would be safe.

She always assumed this was the case. She just never saw it in action before.

"Don't let him get the box!" The vision yelled out. Although this time, she ignored it.

"... You sound like you're speaking from experience."

"Well, I am old. You don't live this long without losing a few things on the way."

She didn't need to verify his statement. She could see the honesty all over his face.

Sasha sighed, her eyes turning back to normal. "Alright, fine… I'll stop carrying the box all over the place. But you have to promise to never do anything like this ever again! Understand, Hop Pop?"

Hop Pop bowed his head, thankful. "I do. I'm sorry for what I did. Could you ever forgive me?"

"Maybe but… not now. You crossed a line, Hop Pop."

Hop Pop's smile drooped slightly. Still, he accepted her declaration.

"I know and again, I'm sorry for that."

Frankly, he was thankful she even gave him another chance. Sasha was the kind of person to hold grudges and she always made sure they were paid in full. To show this kind of mercy was rare for her back on Earth. Maybe she's gotten soft? She couldn't tell. All in all, he was lucky that she liked him.

"But in all fairness, I'm... sorry that I made you worry." Sasha exclaimed on her side. "That doesn't pay for what you did but... I kinda get why you did it."

For the past few days, the box had ended up being quite a troublemaker. She still had no idea what those visions were about or who the person in them was but she can rest easy, knowing that nothing was going to happen to the box for the time being. Hopefully, the mystery frog thought the same way, if she was even still alive.

With all of that out of the way, Sprig clapped his hands and smiled. "Well, this was some morning. Time to go to bed—" He said, raising a finger. "—is what I would say on any normal day! But I bought something really special and since everyone is awake right now so…"

Promptly, Sprig hopped his way to the kitchen without another curious. Curious, the rest of the household followed him there where he pulled out the foul-smelling box from the cupboard and placing it onto the table. Sasha, Hop Pop and Polly all took their seats, though Sasha was the only one bothered by the smell.

Sprig lifted the cover of the box with full celebrations. "TA-DA!"

What was in the bow was… unexpected.

"A cake?" Sasha asked, surprised.

"Yeah! I was also planning on putting up a party but I think right now is a pretty good time." Sprig explained before cheering with a pocket of confetti. "Happy Sasha Day!"

Sasha blinked. "Wha—?" That's when it hit her; Sasha Day. It was a small remark she made days ago about taking some time off. It wasn't at all serious and she said it offhandedly. To think that Sprig actually remembered and took it seriously, it just made her laugh. "Pfft—hahahahaha! Heh, Sasha Day's not a thing!"

Sprig shrugged. "Why not? Holidays are made up anyways."

Sasha experienced a small revelation at those words, causing her to smile even wider. "You know what? That's fair. Happy Sasha Day!"

As the kids all celebrated their made-up holiday at 2 am, Hop Pop sighed. He really messed up today and he knew it. Had it been anyone else, who knew what the consequences could've been. Sasha had been lenient with him and he appreciated that but he knew there was no other chance for him to get the box.

Ashamed and defeated, Hop Pop silently walked away, letting the younglings enjoy their time without him.

That was until Sasha called him out.

"Yo, Hop Pop? You sitting or what?" Sasha asked, a plate of the cake in her hands.

Hop Pop turned to her with a surprised expression. "You want me to sit with you? You're not mad at me?"

"Oh no, I'm still pretty mad at you." She answered bluntly. "But… it just wouldn't sit right to eat this without you. So here, have some cake."

Sasha handed over the plate to him, fork included. He was thankful when Sasha decided to give him a chance but now, he was utterly grateful. Using the fork, he took a small bite of Sprig's cake and raised both brows, astonished. It was actually really good! It was white and creamy in the centre with a nice dark crust at the bottom. He must've bought it from Felicia's Tea Shoppe. She sold quite a selection of cakes.

Sasha, too, was about to enjoy her own plate of the dessert. That was until she saw some unwanted movement in the filling. Then, the said movement revealed itself, its translucent pulsating body just rolling in her slice.

"… Why are there maggots in this cake? Why are they still wriggling?!"

Sprig shoved his slice into this mouth and swallowed. "Delicious! Oh, and it's a botfly cheesecake! When you bake one, you got to let it age, just to get the right flavours. Too early and the maggots aren't fully grown yet. Too late and you'd just end up with flies the size of pumpkins."

It did not need to be said but Sasha turned green that day.