3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello. For all you Amphibia fans waiting for more chapters for this story, I thank you. For now, I have this chapter ready. And in anticipation for more chapters of "The Owl House: Coven of Rings and Darkness", I will catch up on this story starting with this chapter. :)

Amphibia: Adventures in Wartwood

Chapter 3

Act I: Hop Luck

It all started one day as several dragonflies passed by with one of them carrying a frog away.

"Aah! Help! Somebody help me!", the frog pleaded.

Meanwhile, Anne, Jackie, and Rose showed Sprig and Polly a video on the former's phone.

"And this bad boy is my kitty Domino.", Anne greeted before Domino meowed in the video.

"You guys would like her. Trust me.", Jackie assured.

"Yeah. She may be cute at times, but she's got fire. And I mean FIRE.", Rose added as Anne handed Sprig her phone.

"Ooh!", Sprig said in awe.

"Aw, she's so tiny! I feel HUGE!", Polly shouted before Sprig got an idea.

"Sprig? What are you doing?", Jackie asked.

"I will... set her free!", Sprig shouted as he pulled out a hammer only for Anne to get her phone back.

"Please stop doing that.", Anne pleaded.

"And it's just a video. The real Domino is still back at home.", Jackie responded before smoke came out from nearby, making Anne and Jackie gag and/or dry heave.

"Ugh! What is that?!", Jackie exclaimed, covering her nose.

"Did something crawl under the house and die?", Anne asked before Sprig sniffed.

"Worse, girls. Much worse. Hop Pop is cooking!", Sprig shouted.

"I hesitate to ask, but how bad is his cooking?", Jackie asked.

Later, the group all returned home as if to answer.

"Brace yourselves.", Sprig warned.

"Brace ourselves for what?", Anne puzzled before Sprig opened the door, letting loose a blast of foul air, which blew him away, sending him screaming.

"Oh, yeah. That.", Jackie said nasally.

Meanwhile, inside, Hop Pop hummed to himself as he chopped a few grubs in half before 6 halves walked around only to be scooped up and stirred into the cauldron-like pot before taking a slurp of his dish as Sprig entered.

"What's the plan this year, Hop Pop? Poison the competition?", Sprig asked jokingly before getting bonked on the head with a wooden spoon.

"The plan is to win.", Hop Pop responded.

"Win?", Anne asked.

"What are you trying to win here?", Jackie asked.

"The annual village potluck. Every year we frogs gather for a great contest. The family who brings the best-tasting dish is showered with love and copper coins. The family with the worst-tasting dish spends the night in... the shame cage!", Hop Pop explained in response as he then showed the 1st-place winners in pictures and then the window outside with someone preparing the shame cage by hanging it up as lightning struck in the background.

"Brutal.", Anne commented as Jackie inhaled sharply.

"And guess which family ends up there every year.", Sprig responded before he, Polly, and Hop Pop sighed.

"No! We're not gonna let you get in that cage!", Rose shouted.

"Yeah. If you think we're gonna let our favorite froggy family end up in a cage, you've got another thing coming.", Anne agreed.

"I know we're not technically Plantars, but maybe we can help.", Jackie assured, making the trio beam in hope.

"Girls, we'd sure appreciate it.", Sprig grinned.

"So, what you making over there, Hop Pop? Sock gumbo?", Anne asked.

"No, silly. It's a traditional recipe from my family's cookbook. We've been using this baby since I was a pollywog.", Hop Pop responded.

"All right. Let's see what we're working with here.", Jackie said before she and Anne read the recipe, although only the former actually read it.

"I think we found your problem, guys.", Anne said before the trio gasped in hope.

"Old things are dumb!", Anne said as she closed the book, only to earn a slight punch in the arm from Jackie (who used her tongue to deliver said punch).

"Ah! Jackie...", Anne groaned as she dropped the book due to her reflex from getting a solid hit before Hop Pop caught the book with his tongue.

"Believe it or not, history has an important facet in learning, you know.", Jackie retorted.

"Oh, that makes sense.", Polly responded.

"It's all so clear now.", Sprig agreed.

"You two agree with this?", Jackie puzzled.

"But we Plantars have always cooked these recipes.", Hop Pop responded.

"And how well has that worked out? So far, those recipes have always landed you in the shame cage.", Jackie responded.

"Okay. Point taken. But what would my great-gam-gam say?", Hop Pop asked before Anne and Jackie saw a picture of her knitting a blanket that says "Tradition Means Everything".

"She'd say 'Move on.'", Anne responded.

"No, she wouldn't.", Jackie puzzled.

"You know what I mean!", Anne exclaimed before Hop Pop sighed.

"She was a fierce woman.", Hop Pop stated.

"Like her?", Jackie asked glaringly before Anne gave a light punch back via tongue.

"That was for hitting me earlier. Regardless, if we're gonna win this thing, we need something new, something revolutionary, something no one in the swamp has ever seen before. Something like...", Anne said as she got out her phone, looked up a picture of Pizza, and presented it to Sprig before she finished.

"Pizza!", Anne said.

"Whoa.", Sprig said.

"I don't know what it is, but I love it.", Polly said in amazement.

"You should. Pizza is delicious.", Rose grinned.

"Pizza is the ultimate dish. You haven't lived until you've shared one with your friends at the mall.", Anne responded.

"Now, now, hold on. Before we get carried away, what about this tried-and-true recipe? Swamp mold pot pie!", Hop Pop suggested before Jackie quickly gasped and reacted.

"NO!", Jackie exclaimed, smacking the book away and blowing Hop Pop away, surprising both him and herself.

"Pizza! Pizza!", Sprig and Polly shouted.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh.", Hop Pop said.

"Sorry, Hop Pop. It was a reflex response to that picture of your Swamp mold pot pie. It set me off.", Jackie explained as she picked the book back up and gave it back to Hop Pop.

"She had a bad experience.", Rose responded.

Then, Jackie got an idea.

"Actually, we'll cover our bases. Rose and I'll help figure out what went wrong with those recipes those past few years. Andy, Danny, and Lily can even help out if they want.", Jackie said as the triplets arrived.

"Weally?", the triplets asked.

"Yes, really.", Jackie grinned before turning to Anne.

"And Anne, you go help the Plantars find ingredients for pizza just in case we couldn't fix the recipes.", Jackie said.

"Okay. But so you know, Pizza is gonna guarantee a big win.", Anne grinned.

"We'll win for sure with this, Hop Pop. Now all we gotta do is-", Sprig began before trying to smash the phone again only for Anne to grab it and clear her throat.

"All we gotta do is get four ingredients- dough, cheese, basil, and tomatoes. Are you guys ready to make our pizza dreams a pizza reality?", Anne asked as she showed said key ingredients.

"Pizza dreams!", Sprig, Polly, and Rose shouted excitedly.

"Oh! Oh! Maybe we should put pineapple on it. Seems like a natural fit.", Sprig said before groaning as Anne pinned him to the wall.

"Don't you dare talk about pineapple on my pizza. Ever.", Anne threatened before Sprig blinked.

"Yeah, back home, a lot of people are divided on weather or not pineapple is a good pizza topping and Anne is one of the people that strongly believes that it isn't. I, on the other hand, don't mind it. But I'll never tell her that.", Jackie whispered to Sprig.

"Okay. Let's go get those ingredients. Pizza dreams!", Anne shouted.

"Pizza dreams.", Sprig said weakly.

"Pizza dreams!", Polly and Rose said in unison.

Later, a small fly landed on the table before a big slab of dough landed on it with Stumpy stepping on the dough before jumping off and placing it in the oven.

"If you want the dough, the boy has to marry my daughter.", Stumpy stated before his girl, known as Maddie Flour, appeared with a voodoo doll of Sprig.

"Hiiiii, Spriiiiiiig...", Maddie said creepily before plunging a small stake into the doll's chest, although not enough to pierce it all the way through.

"Ain't she adorable?", Stumpy asked.

"Done.", Anne responded.

"You know, if we used a traditional recipe, we wouldn't have to sell Sprig.", Hop Pop said.

"No! That old book is old. Sprig's eternal happiness is a small price to pay for pizza.", Anne refused.

"Agreed.", Polly conucrred.

"Aw, it's not so bad. Maybe we'll learn to love each other. Aah!", Sprig said as Maddie suddenly popped up behind him.

"I've seen your death in my mind.", Maddie said.

"I was kinda hoping it'd be a surprise.", Sprig chuckled nervously.

"It will be.", Maddie whispered.

"Congratulations on your new son. Now cough up the dough.", Anne said hurriedly.

"Yay!", Stumpy cheered before handing the dough to Anne.

"Pleasure doing business with ya.", Anne said.

"Well, looks like we gotta go. See ya.", Sprig said nervously.

"I wanna be the maid of honor!", Polly shouted as the group left.

"See you soon, hubby...", Maddie said to herself.

Back at the Plantars' home, Jackie, Rose, and the siblings were reading over the recipe for Swamp mold pot pie, with Jackie trying not to look in the picture any more than she has to before she spoke up.

"Okay. I think I see the problem. For real. Apparently, some of those ingredients are outdated, which is why it doesn't taste good. So, maybe some improvising would do the trick with our own ingredients.", Jackie suggested.

"But what ingredients could we use for that?", Rose asked.

"Not sure. Maybe we'll go look for someone in town who knows all things culinary. Like Stumpy. It can't be that hard, can it?", Jackie asked.

"So, you mean...?", Rose asked.

"Yeah. We're gonna go on a little trip outside the home.", Jackie grinned.

Sometime later, the group went into town and arrived at Stumpy's place just as Maddie and Stumpy were just finishing up on baking Blue Moon Berry Pie.

"Hey, Stumpy.", Jackie greeted.

"Heya, Jackie. What can I get for you?", Stumpy asked.

"Actually, we kinda need some advice.", Jackie responded as she opened the book and showed him the recipe.

"We're looking for ways to make some really good improvements for those recipes so they look, and taste, better.", Rose responded.

"You don't say...", Stumpy said before they nodded.

"Well, let's see what we're working with.", Maddie suggested before she noticed the recipe for Swamp mold pot pie.

"Ugh. You weren't kidding about it needing improvements. Luckily, I know where to get the ingredients for those.", Maddie assured.

"Really? Where can we find them?", Jackie asked.

"Well, the pie you guys are making needs 3 more ingredients. The first two, obviously, are the dough and 5 moon berries. Those ingredients can be found in a forest not far from here. We can take you to them.", Maddie grinned.

"Thanks, Maddie. It would mean so much.", Jackie grinned.

Meanwhile, Anne and the others are already at the Croaker Dairy farm as some flies clucked like chickens. Not only that, but they were getting chased by a sort of bullworm (an actual worm with horns).

"Thanks again for helping me out! I know Brutus can be a handful.", Sadie thanked as Brutus bellowed.

"What are we here for again?", Sprig asked with a shout.

"Cheese!", Anne shouted before Polly laughed.

"You know, there's a recipe in here that doesn't need cheese.", Hop Pop assured.

"No old recipes!", Anne refused stubbornly before noticing red leaves, going over to them, and then pulling one off.

"Hey, Brutus! Over here! ¡Toro! ¡Toro!", Anne shouted before Brutus was led into his pen, inadvertently knocking Anne into the compound dirt.

"Oh, come on!", Anne exclaimed before she and Sprig came out and closed the pen door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!", Anne and Sprig shouted excitedly before Brutus roared, scaring them back a few feet.

"Here you go, deary. A hunk of cheese made fresh from the milk of those ca-", Sadie began.

"Please don't tell me where it comes from.", Anne interrupted, not ready to hear where it came from.

As for Jackie, Rose, and the triplets, they went out to the forest with Maddie to help with the collection of ingredients. The first on their list are chocopedes. Of course, it wasn't easy. They failed twice, but after the third, they managed to get one each. Soon after, they collected the next two ingredients, which were equally difficult, but well worth it with the last two being colorful bugs and beetle legs, which would be used the right way. With that, the ingredients were collected and brought to Stumpy, who helped tenderize the dish the only way he knows how. Even Jackie and Rose helped pitch in as did the triplets as they spread the blue moon berries (extras of which were eaten by the triplets), neatly spread the beetle legs, and decorated it all with tasty bugs to go with some chocopedes before closing the top of the pie and placing it in the oven. Soon, the dish was finished a few minutes before the contest even started.

"Wow. Now, that's a pie!", Jackie grinned.

"Wow... It looks so adorable and tasty...", Rose grinned.

"Yummy!", the triplets said before going for it.

"Uh-uh-uh, We're waiting until the judge gets to try our pie.", Jackie said to them, making them groan.

"I wonder how Anne and the Planters are doing.", Rose puzzled.

"Well, they're probably looking for tomatoes right now.", Jackie guessed.

"Tomatoes? That can't be good.", Maddie said in worry.

"But why?", Rose puzzled.

"Yeah. Tomatoes are delicious in our world.", Jackie added.

"Maybe in your world. But in ours, the tomatoes here in Amphibia are flesh-eating monsters.", Stumpy warned.

"What? Then, we'd better go find Anne and the Plantars and fast before they get themselves killed.", Jackie realized before realizing something else.

"Oh, but what about the contest?", Jackie groaned.

"There's still time before the contest starts. If you hurry, you can all catch up on time.", Maddie assured.

"Right. Now, let's get going.", Jackie urged.

Meanwhile, Anne and the Plantars just got their basil, which Anne set down before Sprig picked it up a bit roughly.

"Hey, careful with that basil, dude. We had to fight off like ten giant aphids to get it.", Anne warned.

"Who knew ultimate flavor could be so painful?", Sprig groaned.

"Almost lost my behind to those things.", Hop Pop added, showing that his pants were eaten as his underwear was showing.

"This is the price of progress, Hop Pop.", Sprig responded.

"Exactly. And we've only got one ingredient left. Tomatoes. According to this, they should be up ahead.", Anne responded, showing a map for it.

"Still can't believe I traded my favorite dentures for that map.", Hop Pop said, showing that his teeth were missing.

"You know, I've never actually tasted a tomato. No one in town really sells them.", Sprig said.

"There's a reason for that. They're in the "dangerous vegetables" section. It suggests we go for prunes instead. Can't go wrong with prunes!", Hop Pop suggested.

"Whoa-whoa. 'Dangerous vegetables'? Come on!", Anne said before later, she, Sprig, and Polly saw his point as they and Hop Pop saw the tomato monster roaring before eating a dragonfly.

"Ho...", Polly began.

"ly...", Sprig added.

"...tomato.", Anne finished before the tomato roared again.

"You know, this baby's got some great substitutes, all of which are delightfully harmless.", Hop Pop assured.

Given the circumstances this time, Sprig had to agree.

"Couldn't hurt to hear a few options.", Sprig spoke in fear as he and Hop Pop backed away.

But Anne still wouldn't accept the idea as she ran over to them and stopped them from behind.

"Hold on! Guys, the shame cage isn't just in the town square. It's up here. You're not gonna change the world without taking a few risks. We need to be bold, groundbreaking, brave!", Anne urged, gesturing to her forehead at one point, not knowing that the monster's tentacle vine went over to Hop Pop.

"Anne, there's a big difference between courage and stupidity...!", Hop Pop exclaimed before the tentacle grabbed him and then launched it toward one of the heads, who swallowed him after biting down and roared.

"Hop Pop!", Anne, Sprig, and Polly shouted before running from the tentacles just as Jackie, Rose, Lily, Danny, and Andy arrived.

"Anne, you can't get the tomatoes! They're...", Jackie began before gasping as she and the others ran up in time to see Anne, Sprig, and Polly running from the tentacles, which grabbed Anne first before then grabbing Polly and Sprig (albeit by the tongue for him).

"Anne!", Jackie shouted.

"Sprig!", Rose added.

"Powwy!", the triplets exclaimed before the tomato monster ate Anne and Polly.

"My fiancée was right!", Sprig shouted before he, too was eaten.

"No!", Jackie and Rose shouted before they turned and saw the triplets getting sad over the group being eaten as they cried, which started to make Jackie and Rose angry as their eyes each glowed blue before blue markings appeared and worked themselves all the way up form their arms to their heads with the markings going over their eyes as they growled angrily, astonishing the triplets enough for them to stop crying.

As for the victims, they got stuck in the throat of the monster.

"Holy smokes! Acid!", Hop Pop said.

"Well, at least the ingredients are safe.", Anne said before the ingredients, much to her horror, started to fall.

"No!", Anne shouted before getting the ingredients back with her tongue in the nick of time.

"Phew. That was close. I guess I'd better make sure they have some insurance.", Anne said as she then put them back in and closed the backpack.

"At least it'll be a quick, painless death.", Sprig said.

"Why would this be painless?", Polly asked.

"Just let me have this lie!", Sprig exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Jackie angrily stomped toward the tomato monster.

"Take your stinking vines off my sister, you darned, dirty vegetable!", Jackie shouted, her voice distorted and loud with Anne overhearing said voice, although she couldn't hear the distortion.

"Jackie...?", Anne puzzled in surprise.

Back outside, the tomato monster tried to go for Jackie next only for her to dodge it and cut right through them, making it roar in pain while Rose ran toward it with a high jump and punched it with her fists rapidly, shaking the creature and disorienting it.

"Wh-whaaaat's gooooiiiing oooon?", Sprig asked, shaken by the rapid punches dealt to the creature from outside.

Meanwhile, Jackie growled angrily as her left arm became coated in blue energy and got comparatively bigger as that energy hardened into armor with the same happening to Rose before they leapt forward and thrusted their arms toward the monster, not only punching a hole through it, but also causing blue branches to pierce it and stick out from behind, surprising Anne and the others.

"Whoa! What the heck is goin on out there?", Hop Pop exclaimed.

"Dude, I have no idea!", Anne responded before the sisters moved their arms back and moved their other hands toward the beast.

"This is for our sister.", Jackie said before she and Rose both created a massive energy ball that destroyed the monster as well as knock Anne, Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly out of the creature's throat and soaring in the air before falling down just as Jackie and Rose got exhausted with their marks moving downward back to where they formed, although a hexagon symbol appeared on each of the back of their hands with Anne and the Plantars popping up with the triplets now happy again.

"Know your place, plant!", Polly shouted.

"Anne?! You're... you're all okay. Thank goodness...!", Jackie grinned in relief.

"Yeah... How'd you find that big tree trunk?", Anne asked.

"And blast it away like [imitates explosion].", Sprig added.

"Well, uh... we found a big tree trunk nearby.", Jackie fibbed.

"And used some boom shrooms, too.", Rose added.

"Rrrrrawr. I like you already, Rose. You're cool in my book.", Polly grinned.

"Really?", Rose asked.

"I still can't believe this. My revolutionary ideas were supposed to save you guys, not get you killed. I shouldn't have been so stubborn. I just really wanted to share a pizza with you guys.", Anne groaned.

"Ah, I didn't care about that pizza stuff anyway. But you were really trying to help this family out, and that's worth something in my book.", Hop Pop grinned with Anne grinning back as Jackie and the triplets smile while Rose giggled before the bell tolled.

"There isn't much time. Let's go home and make one of your old recipes, Hop Pop.", Anne said.

"Actually, you can make your pizza. We got one of the recipes covered.", Jackie grinned.

"And it's gonna be a surprise.", Rose added before Jackie grew puzzled about what just happened while looking to her arm.

"But what just happened...?", Jackie puzzled to herself.

Meanwhile, the dragonflies passed by again.

"Yup. Still up here. Still need help.", the frog from earlier said.

Down below, a potluck was about to start.

"Put it right over here.", Frog 1 said, setting his dish and his wife onto the judging table.

"Just a little touch of goodness.", Frog 2 said to said to his child as his wife looked on happily.

"A few more bug legs should do it.", Frog 3 suggested.

"Is that fly gonna say up there?", Frog 4 asked.

"Perfect.", Anne, Jackie, and Hop Pop, looking at both the Pizza and the new pie, grinned.

"Hey, that's my son-in-law!", Stumpy waved with Maddie waving as well, making Sprig nervous as he waved back.

"It's okay. They helped us make this improved pie.", Jackie assured.

"They did?", Sprig asked.

"Yep.", Rose responded before giggling.

Then, a fanfare played before a sort of toad burst in, knocking him aside.

"All right! Let the annual potluck begin! Let's get to tastin' those dishes. Mmm! That is 'scrumptuous.' Oh! Ooh! What have we here?", Mayor Toadstool said as he taste tested the first 3 dishes.

"Oh, that is delicious! Yeah! Excellent effort! And last, but not least- the Plantars. What filth have you cooked up this ti-", Mayor Toadstool began before noticing Pizza and a new pie.

"Oh, my. That's a new one. And is this pie?", Mayor Toadstool asked.

"We thought we'd improvise on that one.", Jackie explained.

"Mm-hmm. It has some really sweet stuff in there.", Rose added.

"Well, I'll be the judge of that.", Toadstool said before he then tried out a slice of pizza and took a bite of the new pie before chuckling with a drumroll taking place.

After a moment, he broke the silence.

"Why, I do declare! These are the best dishes the Plantar family has ever brought to a potluck!", Toadstool shouted.

"What?", Hop Pop exclaimed before the participants gasped.

"What? Did we do it? Did we actually win?", Sprig exclaimed.

"Surprisingly, for the first time, yes! The Plantars are now in 1st place!", Toadstool shouted in joy as he placed the first place ribbon in-between the two dishes.

"Hallelujah! No more shame cage!", Polly shouted.

"You know, thanks to Anne and Jackie's new ideas and Hop Pop's old ones, we've done the best we've ever done.", Sprig grinned.

"You know, he's right.", Hop Pop grinned.

"Yeah!", Polly concurred.

"We did, didn't we?", Anne grinned before Rose and the triplets had their own slices of the pie they made.

"Mmm. Crunchy.", Rose grinned.

Act II: Stakeout

It all started one day at the Plantar house as Sprig and Polly were doing dishes, although Polly was licking a fork, until they heard Anne calling Hop Pop out.

"Look, dude, all I'm saying is that where we're from, you could get arrested for having a couch this firm.", Anne warned.

"Yeah. True story.", Jackie responded.

"Back in my day we didn't have furniture. We sat on rocks. Sharp ones.", Hop Pop responded.

"Okay. But if we get butt blisters, we're blaming you.", Anne responded.

"Back in my day, we called those 'character'.", Hop Pop exclaimed.

"What part of any of this pain is character?! Blisters like that shouldn't even happen in the first place!", Jackie exclaimed.

The fights didn't get any better outside of the Plantar house either as Anne and Jackie were carrying a crate of Shallots.

"So... heavy.", Anne groaned.

"Mind the flagstone.", Hop Pop warned.

"Wait, what?", Jackie puzzled before she tripped and fell backwards with Anne falling forwards and the box being flung out into the air.

"Back in my day, kids spent less time complainin' and more time watching their step.", Hop Pop advised as he picked up some shallots.

"Yeah? Well, where we're from, people fixed their crummy houses.", Anne commented, making Hop Pop gasp.

"This house is like family! You apologize!", Hop Pop exclaimed.

"To a house?", Anne exclaimed.

"What is there to apologize to it for?", Jackie added.

Polly was playing solitaire in the living room while Sprig was reading before a loud thud was heard.

"Where we're from, we didn't rush people in the bathroom!", Anne shouted before another thud was heard.

"Well, back in my day, we didn't have a bathroom!", Hop Pop shouted before another thud was heard.

"Where we're from, we didn't have big battering rams, either!", Jackie shouted.

"Yeah, so stop hitting the door with a battering ram!", Anne shouted.

"It's been two hours!", Hop Pop shouted as the triplets cried from the arguing before Sprig and Rose yelled.

"I can't take this anymore!", Sprig shouted.

"Neither can I!", Rose shouted.

"They're just getting used to each other. It's not a big deal.", Polly assured.

"Not a big deal? Do you remember the Henderson's next door? They used to argue all the time, and look what happened to them.", Sprig shouted before it then showed the Henderson's house, which appears abandoned.

"Nothing like scavenging the remains of a broken frog family.", Wally said, scooping some plates and silverware before dragging the cart away.

"Oh, no...! If it happens to them, then that means... we might be forced to move back in the cave!", Rose gasped.

"That's right. And if we don't do something now, it won't be long before their bickering tears this family apart.", Sprig responded.

"We can't go back to that cave! You can't make us, Anne!", Rose shouted, starting to cry while holding the triplets.

"I still think we should just give them time. Not like we have a lot of options. You can't force people to get along.", Polly said before Sprig got an idea.

"Of course not, Polly. Of course not... Of course-", Sprig began as he closed his book moved back and went behind the wall, although peeping out from it a bit, before Polly interrupted.

"Just go already!", Polly interrupted.

Later, Anne, Jackie, Rose, Andy, Dany, Lily (the triplets of which were now sleeping), and Hop Pop were now at the back of the Plantar house as Hop Pop sighed as a flock of flies honking like geese flew past.

"It's kinda weird how those flies honked like geese, isn't it? Which is a good thing. Where I'm from, the flies I knew only zipped around and bu...", Jackie began before Sprig jumped up in front of Hop Pop.

"We've been robbed!", Sprig shouted.

"Say whaaaaat?", Hop Pop shouted in surprise with a gasp before Anne laughed.

"Sorry. Sorry. It's just that Hop Pop delivered the perfect sitcom catch phrase.", Anne said.

"Must be painful to make so little sense all the time.", Hop Pop sighed.

"What's the problem?", Jackie asked to Sprig.

Later, she soon found out as the carnage wrought on the corn fields became evident.

"My prize-winnin' corn!", Hop Pop shouted.

"You've won prizes?", Anne asked.

"That's actually an expression, Anne. They must've been really good if the thief stole them.", Jackie guessed.

"Yeah. What are you, the fact police?", Hop Pop said in retortion to Anne, only for Jackie to glare at Hop Pop.

"You stay out of this.", Jackie responded.

"The injustice! The outrage! We've gotta catch this thief!", Rose exclaimed a bit dramatically.

"Agreed. And it's nice to see you and Sprig so passionate about produce, Rose.", Hop Pop grinned.

"Yes. Very odd.", Polly puzzled.

"Yeah, why are you so passionate about those, anyway? Normally, you're this passionate about frogs. Unless... Oh, yeah. That makes sense, considering their culture here.", Jackie responded.

"If the thief stole once, it'll steal again. The only way to catch this monster is a stakeout.", Sprig said.

"I like steak.", Polly said.

"Good idea.", Hop Pop grinned.

"Okay.", Anne agreed.

"Anything to make sure their culture is safe.", Jackie concurred.

"And the only ones who can do it are... Anne, Jackie, and Hop Pop!", Rose announced.

"What the...?!", Jackie exclaimed.

"Say what?", Anne puzzled.

"Huh?", Hop Pop puzzled.

"Well, I obviously can't... because I have the attention span of a... Oh, look at that.", Sprig said, looking at a butterfly.

"Okay. That checks out.", Jackie said.

"Why not Hop Pop and Polly? Seems like a winning combo to me.", Anne asked.

"Polly's a baby, Anne.", Hop Pop responded.

"Just asking, Hop Pop. Ugh.", Anne groaned before Hop Pop sighed.

"Very well. Let's be honest though. Either Jackie or Anne'll probably fall asleep and it'll just be me.", Hop Pop responded as he went through the fields again.

"Why would we fall asleep first?", Anne asked.

"I'll have you know we once stayed up past curfew. Twice! And that was for a really important project at school.", Jackie responded as she went through the fields next.

"And aren't you like 100 years old?", Anne asked as she went through them last.

"I'm a crisp 68!", Hop Pop argued.

Then, Polly realized something as soon as the volunteers are out of earshot.

"You stole the corn, didn't you?", Polly asked.

"Oh, absolutely. But now those two have to spend the whole night together and bond! And Rose, you just make sure you're up for the role of the thief in case they start to suspect.", Sprig responded.

"Right. Onward, my merry triplets!", Rose agreed before she left while the triplets followed her, giggling with hops.

"Yeah... I like her moxie.", Sprig sighed.

"Sprig, you can't manipulate people like this!", Polly said.

"I can, and I did. And it's going to save this family.", Sprig said with a squint.

Later, at sunset, Sprig was getting some things as Rose and the triplets arrived, now dressed as Robin Hood and his merry men, or in her case, her merry triplets.

"Ta-da! How do I look, Sprig?", Rose asked.

"Wow! You look amazing, Rose.", Sprig grinned.

"Thanks, Sprig. Gotta get ready for the part. Wish me luck.", Rose said as she then hopped out with the triplets following her.

"Just look at 'em. And now to watch the flowers of friendship bloom.", Sprig grinned as he watched form his binoculars before Polly grumbled.

Meanwhile, at night, Anne, Jackie, and Hop Pop were standing guard.

"For goodness' sakes, you two, put that lamp out. We're trying to catch the thief, not scare it away.", Hop Pop said before Anne blew on the lamp as Rose and the triplets snuck behind a stump and gave a quite shush before Anne yawned, earning Hop Pop's chuckle.

"Anne...!", Jackie groaned as Rose and the triplets peeped out from the stump.

"Had a feeling you wouldn't last.", Hop Pop smirked.

"Worry about yourself. I'll be fine. I just need a little boost is all.", Anne assured before she pulled out a sort of red energy drink.

"Wait. Is that...?", Jackie puzzled.

"Yup.", Anne smirked.

"'Blam Berry Blitz. The drink that punches you in the face and doesn't stop.'" Hah! That silly drink won't keep you up! Now, this will keep you up.", Hop Pop said before getting out a sort of tankard shaped vessel, that resembles the face of a green grimacing frog with many warts and a tin cover.

"Aah! What is that?", Jackie exclaimed from the sight of the container before Anne sniffed it.

"Ugh! Is that poison?", Anne asked.

"Mama's old gourd tea recipe. I'm not surprised you don't like the smell. It's way too strong for you.", Hop Pop asked.

"And how do you know it isn't too strong for you? We are frogs now, just like you, you know.", Jackie retorted.

"Ha! No way it's stronger than my Berry Blitz.", Anne said.

"All right, hear me out. How about we each try those? Then we'll see which drink keeps us up the most.", Jackie suggested.

"Hey. Not bad. All in favor of Gourd tea first, say, 'Aye.' Aye!", Hop Pop said a bit excitedly while Anne and Jackie refrained from doing so.

"Okay. All in favor of Blam Berry Blitz first, say, 'Aye.'", Jackie responded.

"Aye.", Jackie and Anne said in unison before Hop Pop sighed in defeat.

"Well, I suppose I don't have much choice.", Hop Pop sighed before the trio each drank the Berry Blam Blitz drink only for all three frogs to puff up their chins, which turned green, with gasps and ribbiting croaks before gagging and coughing.

"What the heck?! Since when did it taste like that?! It wasn't that bad when we were human...", Jackie groaned before realizing something.

"Oh. Right. It must be because we're frogs now.", Jackie guessed.

Anne, however, had a laugh about it.

"You should have seen the look on your face.", Anne grinned before Hop Pop laughed back.

"And what about you? I didn't even know you could turn that color. What, you got chameleon in your blood?", Hop Pop asked before laughing with Jackie giggling a bit herself.

"Okay. Now, we try some of your Gourd Tea.", Jackie said before they each took a sip.

This time, Anne and Jackie found the taste a bit more pleasant than they expected.

"Huh. That actually, wasn't bad.", Jackie said.

"Yeah. It's actually...good.", Anne agreed.

"Who knew we'd start like stuff like that as frogs?", Jackie asked before she giggled again, making Rose and the triplets giggle a bit themselves, before Anne sighed.

"You know, we may like being frogs now, but sometimes, I wonder if we'll ever get home.", Anne said.

"Yeah. The thought about home... it's enough to make me homesick.", Jackie agreed.

"I know what it's like to miss something, you two. I find myself pining after the good old days way too much.", Hop Pop responded.

"Yeah. We're kinda similar that way. You're always going on about the old days, we're always going on about back home.", Jackie said.

"Yeah, deep down we're just a couple of softies, ain't we?", Hop Pop asked.

"It's working. They're... connecting.", Sprig grinned.

As for Rose and the triplets, they cooed in awe.

"Of course, our situation is way worse than yours.", Anne said before Hop Pop gave a frowning glare.

"Always gotta make it about you, don't you? 'I'm Anne, and my life is worse than everyone else's.'", Hop Pop imitated in retortion.

"Oh, yeah? Well, at least my head isn't a teakettle.", Anne retorted.

"Yeah. We should start calling you Elder Kettle. Wait. What?", Jackie puzzled as she and Anne noticed it actually was the case as she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, yeah? Well, at least my hair isn't rainbow stardust.", Hop Pop retorted before noticing tea pouring from his apparent nose while Anne and Jackie noticed their own changes.

"What the-", Anne puzzled in surprise.

Before anyone knew it, the background turned negative for the ground while the sky was replaced with the very cosmos with stars.

"What's happening to us?", Hop Pop asked.

"How should I know-", Anne began before she suddenly realized something.

"Oh. The drink! Our body chemistry must be so different that we're having crazy reactions to my Blam Berry Blitz. Okay, that was the smartest-sounding thing I've ever said.", Anne realized as both drinks floated past them.

"Yeah. Never thought I'd hear you say something that smart.", Jackie concurred.

"This is terrible! I never shoulda let you two trick me into trying something new!", Hop Pop shouted as his teakettle head whistled.

"How were we supposed to know this would happen? And how do we even know that it wasn't the Gourd's Tea that did this?", Jackie retorted, making Hop Pop give an exaggerated gasp.

"Oh, no...! ESCAPE!", Rose shouted before she picked up the triplets and hopped away from the stump and back home very quickly like 3 little pigs going wee-wee-wee all the way home.

At the same time, however, Sprig saw the fighting starting up again.

"No, no! This can't be! They're fighting again.", Sprig worried.

"Oh, no. What a surprise.", Polly spoke in a slight deadpan tone before Sprig grunted as he pushed the telescope to the ground.

"Okay, okay. No problem. We'll just have to take matters into our own hands.", Sprig said before Polly gasped.

"Wait. You don't mean...", Polly began.

"Oh, that's right, Polly. I'm going to steal more corn right under their noses. They'll have to do this again tomorrow, and the next night, and the next night, until they're the bestest friends who were ever friends, and then the family will be saved!", Sprig shouted before giving a sinister chuckle as he put on a cape and a hat.

"You're mad!", Polly shouted.

"Try and stop me! Ha-ha!", Sprig retorted as he left by jumping backwards through a window.

"Oh, boy.", Polly said in worry before Rose and the triplets burst in.

"Don't go out there! They went crazy!", Rose shouted.

"What else is new?", Polly asked.

"No! I meant they started hallucinating after drinking the berry blitz!", Rose responded.

"They did?", Polly puzzled before she realized what it could mean.

"Oh, no.", Polly said in worry.

Meanwhile, Anne, Jackie, and Hop Pop were still arguing.

"It was a majority rule.", Jackie said.

"Well, you should've went for my tea first.", Hop Pop exclaimed.

"Then what? We'd still wind up in this situation anyway.", Jackie responded.

"This wasn't our fault.", Anne added.

"Well, it sure wasn't mine.", Hop Pop shouted before the trio heard rustling.

"Huh?", the trio puzzled before all noticing the thief sneaking in along the pumpkins and gasping.

"The corn thief!", Anne, Jackie, and Hop Pop said before turning to each other with smoke puffing out of Hop Pop's kettle nose.

"Watch where you're pointing that thing.", Anne said as Jackie coughed.

"Sorry.", Hop Pop apologized.

Meanwhile, Sprig was about to steal some corn with a sickle only for Polly to tackle him.

"Bad! Bad Spwig!", Andy said.

"Stop this madness!", Polly shouted.

"Let go!", Sprig shouted.

"You've lost your mind!", Polly shouted.

"A small price for saving this family!", Sprig shouted before Hop Pop, Jackie, and Anne cornered them.

"Hey!", Hop Pop shouted.

"Hold it right there, you... thief?", Jackie puzzled before the "thief" turned into a sort of Corn Monster, which roared with laughter, making them scream in fright before the monster then breathing green fire around the trio, creating a green ring of fire.

"The corn thief! And it's the scariest thing I've ever seen!", Hop Pop shouted.

"Finally something we agree on.", Anne said.

"We've got to take this thing down. Are you with me?", Hop Pop asked.

"Till the end!", Jackie and Anne said in unison.

"Then let's do this!", Hop Pop shouted before all three jumped up in the air, avoiding another fire breath.

"Teakettle beam, fire!", Hop Pop shouted as he prepared an Aura Sphere-like attack and fired it as a beam while Anne created two energy orbs, one for each hand, and then fired them as beams.

"Rainbow magic!", Anne shouted before it then showed Jackie preparing a purple energy orb with her right hand.

"Stardust Blast!", Jackie shouted as she fired the blast before both blasts combined, taking the "monster" by surprise before it hit. But when the smoke cleared, the monster was still present and laughing sinisterly at that.

"What the hop?", Jackie asked in surprise.

"Our attacks aren't working.", Anne said.

"But we can't give up so easily.", Hop Pop responded.

"Right!", Anne shouted before she, Jackie and Hop Pop tried again.

Little did they know that they were not firing any blasts at the "monster" which were actually Sprig and Polly.

"Well, they're broken.", Polly said as all three were imitating lasers firing.

"It must be immune to magic.", Hop Pop guessed.

"Okay. Maybe magic doesn't work. But what about a little boost?", Jackie asked with a smirk to Anne.

"Oh, yeah. Quick! Grab those power-ups!", Anne urged before the trio ran off.

"Power-ups?", Sprig puzzled before Anne, Jackie, and Hop Pop grabbed a pitchfork, a sickle, and a scythe, which frightened Sprig and Polly enough to scream with the former running.

"Run, run, run!", Polly urged before the two ran as Anne, Jackie, and Hop Pop gave chase after the two up until Sprig tripped on a husk of corn, causing him and Polly to roll toward the door with Polly rolling off him just as Sprig noticed Anne, Jackie, and Hop Pop roaring as they got closer to Sprig and cornered him with Jackie placing her scythe at Sprig's neck.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!", Sprig shouted after gasping.

"Stop it!", Rose shouted before Jackie, Anne, and Hop Pop turned to see her.

"What...? Rose?", Jackie puzzled before she then decided to be firm, but fair with the "monster".

"All right, corn thief. Listen up. The corn fields are off-limits as of now. And you are not to steal another husk of corn in this farm, got it?", Jackie asked.

"Yes! Yes, I get it! I've learned my lesson. I promise.", Sprig pleaded before it showed the "monster" pleading in a distorted voice.

"I'll never manipulate people-", the monster pleaded.

"Uh, does the corn thief kinda sound like Sprig to you?", Anne asked.

"Now that you mention it...", Hop Pop began.

"He does.", Jackie added before the "monster" turned back into Sprig, who sobbed.

"Don't kill me! Please!", Sprig pleaded.

"Sprig?!", Jackie exclaimed before setting the scythe down.

"I am so sorry for scaring you like this. I had no idea it was you.", Jackie apologized as the distorted landscape turned back to normal while she hugged him tightly before Rose sighed in relief.

"Uh, wai- Wha- None of that was real? But it was so terrifying!", Hop Pop exclaimed.

"Don't kill me! Please!", Sprig shouted.

"Shh. It's okay, Sprig. It's okay. The hallucination wore off.", Jackie assured.

"I thought we were goners.", Hop Pop said.

"Me too. And you... defended us.", Anne grinned.

"And you two stood by my side.", Hop Pop grinned.

"Well, we may fight a lot, but that doesn't change the fact that you, are a good, kind, and wise frog.", Jackie grinned, making Rose nod with a grunt and a grin.

"You know, Hop Pop, back home, we call that having a friend's back.", Anne's grin.

"Well, back in my day we called it "pulling a Stinky McGuire." But if you don't know Stinky, the saying don't mean much, so let's just stick with yours.", Hop Pop grinned before he, Anne, and Jackie both laughed.

"Boy, I'm tir-", Hop Pop began before he and Anne fell asleep.

"Well, speaking of tired, I feel like I could use some rest. But first...", Jackie said before picking Anne and Hop Pop up by the hands.

"Good night, Sprig.", Jackie grinned as she walked in before closing the door, not knowing that Rose snuck outside.

"Wow, Sprig, I owe you an apology. Your dumb ol' plan actually kinda worked.", Polly said in genuine surprise.

"Thanks, Polly, but maybe next time we do it your way.", Sprig said before sighing as he fainted.

"Guess we should drag him inside. But first, I'm parched.", Polly sighed before rolling over to the Blam Berry Blitz drink.

"Can I drink it?", Rose asked.

"Be my guest.", Polly responded before Rose drank it and handed it to Polly, allowing her to drink the rest of the Blam Berry Blitz and smack it to the ground just as the background became distorted again while Rose suddenly grew taller and stretchy.

"All right, Boulder-tron, you ready to roll?", Rose asked before Bolder-tron apparently rose up from the soil and turned to her and Polly.

"Always, my queen.", Boulder-tron responded.

"Good man, Boulder-tron. Good man.", Polly said in a cool tone in response.