8. Chapter 8

A/N: And here is another chapter where only one person contracts Red Leg disease in this chapter this time around. And it may fit some f-Annes harder than expected, if you know what I mean... Also, there are a few early introductions with one of them being voiced by Seth Green. That's all I can say for now. I'll explain later in the end. :)

Amphibia: Adventures in Wartwood

Chapter 8

Act I: Contagi-Anne

It was a stormy day in Wartwood. Anne snuggled in the comfort of the Plantars' basement as did Jackie and Rose.

"Nothing like sleeping to the sound of rain.", Anne grinned, happily laying down.

"Yeah. It looks so nice out here.", Jackie added.

"I just wish I could play outside in it.", Rose sighed.

And then, all of a sudden, the door slammed open.

"Anne, Jackie, Rose! Move! This is the third time I've called you three!", Hop Pop shouted.

"What? No, it isn't.", Anne retorted.

"No? Okay, then. This is the first time I'm calling you three. Let's go! We got work to do.", Hop Pop shouted as he clapped his hands.

Momentarily afterwards, he, Anne, Sprig, and Polly are all gathered in the living room.

"Okay, we got a full day of hard work ahead of us. (He hands rain gear to the kids.) Here ya go, put this on! Polly... there you go, sweetie.", Hop Pop said, handing the rain gear to the kids.

"Rain gear? Hop Pop, we're frogs! We should actually be taking off our clothes. Woo hoo!", Sprig shouted as he took his jacket off.

"Keep your pants on, boy. This here ain't no ordinary rainstorm.", Hop Pop warned as he showed Wally struggling to walk in the worsening rainstorm only to get hit by a wayward tree blowing in the extreme winds, making him scream from outside.

"We gotta cover up the crops before they're destroyed! It'll be hours of back-breaking work in the mud and the muck. Thankless, hard, character-building labor.", Hop Pop said.

As Hop Pop says this, Anne begins to look more and more unsure.

"But what about us?", Rose asked.

"Somebody has to stay and help keep the triplets company.", Hop Pop advised.

"I can help you look after them if you want, Rose.", Jackie assured.

"Really? Thanks, Jackie. That's really nice of you.", Rose grinned before she and Jackie hugged.

"Sorry I couldn't go out to help you and the Plantars, Anne.", Jackie apologized just before Anne interrupts Hop Pop with a forceful cough.

"Whoa, Anne. Everything all right?", Sprig asked.

"No. I think I'm... sick!", Anne fibbed wearily before she fell to the ground in a round of forceful coughing.

"Sorry, Anne. But you're not faking your way out of it this time.", Jackie responded.

"Yeah, you big faker!", Rose added.

"Dang it!", Anne exclaimed.

"How'd you know she was faking it?", Hop Pop asked.

"She used to fake being sick all the time back at home.", Jackie responded before Rose nodded.

"I see.", Hop Pop responded.

"And guys? Be careful.", Jackie warned.

"We will, Jackie.", Sprig assured.

"All right, everyone. Let's do this.", Hop Pop said as he started dragging Anne away.

"Noooooooo!", Anne shouted before the door closed.

"So... what should we do together first?", Jackie asked.

"Oh. They might be hungry.", Rose responded.

Then, a montage of Jackie and Rose taking care of the triplets took place in the Plantar house alone. Jackie firsts drums on the pots and pans on the kitchen while looking for some necessary kitchenware to use to make some dinner... only to have one of the hanging pots be a still live mantis head, which hissed, prompting a shriek from Jackie and Rose before the former whacked it, making it whimper with a growl. Afterwards, the five Boonchuys were eating dinner at the dinner table with Rose making faces at the triplets, making them giggle. Some time later, Jackie enjoys an almost relaxing bath as Rose and the triplets happen to be in the same bath. While the four younger boonchuys played in the bath happily, especially with the only bath bomb used to make said bubbles, Jackie peeped out the window to see Anne, Hop Pop, Sprig and Polly hanging on for dear life as the storm winds worsen, much to her worry. Then, Rose was now trying on Sprig's hat and jacket and giggling as she hopped up and down. Jackie and Rose were now playing hide-and-seek with the triplets while Anne and the Plantars, unbeknownst to them, got swept up in a tornado outside the window. The montage ends with Jackie, Rose, and the triplets slid down the stairs, knocking down some empty barrels and jugs in a game of human bowling.

Soon after, Jackie and Rose were now watching a video on Anne's phone when Anne, Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly came back into the house looking worse for wear.

"Hey, guys. How was w...", Jackie began before noticing how awful they look.

"Whoa! Are you guys okay?", Jackie asked.

"Did you guys catch a cold?", Rose asked as the rain soaked Plantars all looked miserable, especially Anne, Hop Pop, and Polly in particular. Hop Pop looked to be sweating as he sniffed and coughed while Polly sneezed so hard she launched herself in the air and landed in a moaning heap; her eyes are even completely swollen.

But Anne was in far worse shape so far. not only was she slouching, but she was also practically moaning like a zombie, her eyes half awake and her body all wet from the rain outside. Sprig, however, seems normal.

"You...! You two... did this to me...", Anne said woozily before sneezing herself toward a wall.

"Oh, no. How bad is it?", Jackie asked as she then felt Anne's forehead, making her gasp.

"She's burning up...!", Jackie exclaimed.

"Are you sick, too, Sprig?", Rose asked.

"Oh, me? I'm fine.", Sprig assured.

"What happened?", Jackie asked.

"Looks like Anne, Polly, and I have come down with something.", Hop Pop responded.

"Who said that?", Polly asked.

"It was brutal out there, girls. Good thing you two stayed inside with the triplets. I mean, sure, the work would have gone much quicker if you were with us, but you probably just would have gotten sicker.", Sprig responded.

"Apparently...", Jackie responded.

"But nobody has to worry, because I'm going to take care of everyone...Ah, ah... A-CHOO!", Sprig shouted as he lost control of his tongue.

"Oh, no!", Sprig exclaimed.

"Oh, no! You, too?!", Jackie exclaimed.

"Yep, it got Sprig, too.", Hop Pop responded.

"You mean you're all sick?", Rose asked.

"Sure looks that way.", Sprig responded as, due to her swollen eyes, she unknowingly hopped into the trash instead of her normal bucket.

"Polly, no!", Sprig groaned as he lost control of his tongue again and tripped over himself.

"Oh, dang. I'm sticky.", Hop Pop groaned as various objects stuck to him.

"Who's gonna take care of us?", Polly asked.

Feeling bad about their predicament, Jackie spoke up.

"Me and Rose. We're gonna take care of you guys. And Anne, too.", Jackie responded as she picked Polly up from the trash.

"Really...?", Anne said weakly.

"But what if you guys get sick, too?", Sprig asked before his tongue knocked him over.

"That's a risk we're willing to take.", Rose responded.

"Yeah. You're all way more important to us. It's the least we could do since we took care of the triplets.", Jackie added.

"Thanks, Jackie...", Anne said weakly before Polly sneezed and started to ping pong off the walls before landing in Rose's arms.

"Kill me.", Polly begged as she bounced.

Later, Jackie and Anne started by each putting on some kitchen gloves and tied their hair back with bandanas. They started by wrapping Hop Pop in a blanket, but caught some of his secretions on their gloves. They tried to shake it off, only for it to splash in Jackie's face while Rose was surprised by the goo on her hand and wiggled it around.

"Ah, it's in my mouth!", Jackie exclaimed.

"Sorry, Jackie.", Hop Pop apologized as Rose giggled at the goo on her gloves.

Later, Jackie and Rose each gave Polly some eye drops, one for each eye.

"Ah, sweet relief. Give me that!", Polly shouted before she grabbed the eye drops and gave herself a bigger dose, which poured out of her eyelids.

Next, the two approached Sprig and his loose hanging tongue.

"Hmm... What if I...?", Jackie began before Jackie tried several times to put Sprig's tongue back in his mouth, only for the tongue to stick back out. A few more quick attempts later, she tied Sprig's head down with a handkerchief, which worked this time.

Afterwards, she and Rose were outside not in the rain, but in the storm, and this time, with added rain gear to go along with the ones the Plantars were wearing as they weren't enough alone.

"There should be some herbs around here we can use for the medicine!", Jackie shouted to Rose.

"But where do we find those?!", Rose added before she found said herbs just in the garden.

"Wait! You mean those herbs?", Rose shouted.

"Yes! Now, let's hurry and pick them so we can help Anne and the others get better!", Jackie urged.

"Got it!", Rose responded before she and Jackie hurried over to the herbs, picked them as best they could, especially with the utmost care, and go back inside.

"Phew! All right, then. Let's get cooking.", Jackie sighed.

Later, at the Plantar kitchen, Jackie has just started cooking.

"Finally, some broccoli kale super soup. Now, with cricket!", Jackie said as she put in a cricket leg, which kicked back.

"That one must be a kicker! Oh, I almost forgot. What about mushrooms?", Rose asked.

"I don't know, Rose. Probably not the best idea.", Rose warned as she mixed in the pot before shouting to Hop Pop.

"Hey, Hop Pop! What's this mushroom for?", Jackie asked, gesturing to the mushroom Rose suggested before Hop Pop walked in.

"You mean the red one near the sink?", Hop Pop asked.

"Yeah. I mean that one.", Jackie responded.

"That mushroom isn't for eating. I use it to scrub the pots and wash the bathroom floors, and clean Bessie's stable.", Hop Pop responded, making Rose gasp.

"See? And that's why we're not gonna use that one.", Jackie responded before she noticed it was ready.

"All right, everyone! Soup's on!", Jackie shouted.

At the dinner table, Anne and the Plantars all ate the soup.

"So... feeling any better?", Jackie asked.

Soon, Sprig found out that his tongue isn't springing out while Polly's eyes were starting to open up and Hop Pop was getting less sticky.

"Well, it isn't springing out.", Sprig grinned.

"I'm starting to see with my eyes again. Hallelujah!", Polly added.

"And I'm getting less stickier by the minute.", Hop Pop grinned.

"The soup's working, Jackie.", Rose grinned.

"Wait. What about Anne?", Jackie asked before Anne only gave a nasty cough, inadvertently spilling the soup on Polly and Hop Pop.

"Anne!", Polly exclaimed.

"My soup!", Hop Pop exclaimed.

"I don't understand. I thought it was supposed to work. How did the soup make her feel worse?", Jackie said.

"Ugh...! And itchy for that matter.", Anne added as she started itching before Rose noticed something about Anne's legs.

"Anne, are your legs supposed to be red?", Rose asked before Anne and the others looked down and saw that his legs have turned red.

"Uh-oh.", Anne said.

"This can't be good.", Hop Pop said.

"What's wrong with Anne?", Jackie asked.

"I'm not sure yet. But we're gonna find out.", Hop Pop responded.

The family all gathered as Hop Pop looked up the condition in one of his books.

"Yep, it's red leg, all right.", Hop Pop responded.

"Is that a bad thing?", Anne asked.

"Uh, yeah, Anne. Once the infection starts, it works its way up your body, and when it finally covers you completely, you... you...", Polly began.

"You depart from this ungrateful world.", Hop Pop responded.

"What?!", Anne, Jackie, and Rose exclaimed.

"That's right. And before then, there are 5 stages. First, there's itchy skin like Anne has now. Next up is being weak to the point of not being able to move, followed by dehydration, hot and cold flashes, and finally, the hallucinations. After that, she's done for.", Hop Pop said, worrying Anne, who then suddenly lost her balance and fell to the floor as if fainting.

"No... No, no, NO! There's gotta be something we can do to fix this! There has to be!", Jackie said in a panic before Sprig went to a guide book for answers.

"The guide book says red leg can be cured by wading in a mineral pond high in the mountains.", Sprig responded.

"Mountains? Ha! The journey alone would do me in.", Hop Pop responded.

"I don't care! Anne, I swear, if it's the last thing we do, we are going to make sure you live to see another day! We're taking you to that mineral pond and you! Are going! To live! ON!", Jackie shouted.

Sometime later, the Plantars ride Bessie to the mineral pond. Jackie, Rose, the triplets, and the Plantars rode Bessie while the sick Anne is confined to the wagon, rolling back and forth.

"Are we here yet...? I'm so thirsty...", Anne groaned.

"Relax, Anne. We'll be here soon. (And preferably sooner rather than later.) And when we do, you can drink all the water you can until your thirst is quenched.", Jackie responded.

They soon arrive at the "Peak of Health", where the mineral pond is high atop the tall mountain. Determined, Jackie and Rose forged ahead.

"Hiyah! Come on, Bessie! How you doing back there, Anne?", Jackie asked before Anne only lifted her shirt and noticed the red spreading to her stomach now, making her gasp.

"Not good. The red is up to my stomach, now!", Anne said in fright.

"What?!", Jackie and Rose exclaimed as they pulled Bessie to a complete stop.

"It's spreading quicker than we thought.", Sprig said before he started to play Anne's stomach like a drum.

"Knock it off, boy!", Hop Pop urged.

"We have to get this cart moving faster! Anne's life is at stake!", Jackie urged before she hopped off of Bessie, unhitched the wagon, and started pulling the cart herself as Rose, Danny, Andy, Lily, and the 3 Plantars followed, leaving a chirping Bessie behind.

"We'll be back for you, Bessie!", Rose shouted.

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

"If Bessie can't get you there, then I'll get you there myself!", Jackie responded with a grunt.

While she pulled the cart, though, a crow landed and pecked on her head.

"Ow, ow...", Jackie exclaimed before Danny jumped up near Jackie, scaring the bird off her head.

"Bad. Bad bird.", Danny scolded before turning to Jackie with a grin before she grinned back.

However, that was when a small alligator creature chomped on her leg, although it was more like a nibble at this point. Regardless, she almost lost her balance, before she recovered thanks to Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly and started pushing the cart from behind while other smaller creatures kept biting her. Eventually, they made it to a plateau, where Jackie collapsed in exhaustion while Anne, Rose, the triplets, Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly cheered.

"How... much... further?", Jackie asked.

"And why do I feel so hot...?", Anne groaned, starting to sweat a little.

"We just have to cross this plateau.", Sprig assured, gesturing to the plateau ahead, which is covered with hot geysers, one of which destroyed a passing giant fly.

"Oh. That's why.", Anne said.

"What the...?! We have to cross that?!", Jackie panicked before calming down.

"Okay, you know what? This is fine. We just need to come up with the right timing and we should be able to make it across.", Jackie stated.

"Good plan-", Sprig began before a nearby geyser destroyed the cart, sending Anne tumbling to the back of the cart.

"Well, not now, of course.", Sprig responded.

"Brr! Now, I'm cold, too?", Anne shivered, making Rose gasp in fear.

"Stage 4... We can't give up! Anne needs us!", Rose urged.

"Right!", Jackie urged before she carried Anne and scoped out the gushing geysers.

"Okay, okay. Watch the timing, Jackie...", Jackie said to herself before she and the others all made a mad dash with a yell across the geysers.

Granted, it was very difficult making it past the geysers, but with one final leap, the group all made it across the other side.

"Yeah!", the group shouted.

"I knew you'd get us here. And it's a good thing, too.", Sprig grinned before he raised Anne's arms and revealed that they, too, have turned red just as Anne unfortunately started to hallucinate and see sorts of otherworldly monsters in place of her friends and family.

"Aaaah! Get away from me, you horrible, otherworldly monsters!", Anne exclaimed.

"Well, that's not nice.", Hop Pop commented.

"Oh, no! Stage 5...! It's getting worse! We're running out of time! Come on! Let's get to that spring. Right around the- Wait. What's with these stairs?", Jackie asked as the stairs in question are tiny ledges spread far apart.

"Ain't for walking. They're for hopping.", Hop Pop responded.

"The stairs are made for frogs.", Sprig grinned.

"How lucky for us. Hang on, everyone!", Jackie said before she ran for the ledge with Anne firmly in tow.

"Jackie, what are you doing?", Hop Pop asked before she leapt off the edge with a hop and repeated for every ledge that's higher while Rose and the others followed.

"Aah! Let me go!", Anne exclaimed.

"Just calm down, Anne. You're going to make it.", Jackie urged before she approached the last ledge leading to the pond as everyone else is a ledge behind, one each.

"We gotta hop for it! And Anne? You may want to brace yourself.", Jackie warned.

Then, she then leapt up toward the pond just as Anne freaked out before the two splashed in the pond water with Anne resurfacing and gasping for breath.

"We did it! We made it!", Jackie shouted.

Then, she Rose, Andy, Danny, Lily, Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly all joined in one at a time before they all began to celebrate. By now, though, Anne is completely red.

"Yay, we made it!", Rose shouted.

"You saved her!", Sprig shouted.

"You did it, fellas!", Hop Pop added.

"Thank goodness... Wait. Shouldn't the red be going away?", Jackie puzzled.

"In theory.", Hop Pop responded.

"Wait. Jackie...? Rose...? Is it really you...?", Anne said.

All of a sudden, she collapsed into the pond water, although floating back up.

"Oh, no...! Are we too late?", Jackie asked worriedly.

"Sprig, what does the book say?", Rose asked before Sprig read the book.

"The pond should cure her instantly. It's... not working.", Sprig responded.

"You mean..., the book was wrong?", Rose asked.

"Books are wrong all the time. A lot more than you'd think.", Hop Pop responded.

"No... It can't be wrong...! It can't be...! No! NO! We've come too far to fail! After all that, you can't die here, Anne! You can't!", Jackie shouted, smashing her hand against the water at one point.

"This is all our fault... If we hadn't given you that soup with the bad herb in it..., you wouldn't be in this mess...! You wouldn't be dying...!", Rose said sadly.

"No, Rose... You did more than anyone could've asked of you. And considering that you babysat the triplets..., that's saying something. My point is..., you and Jackie are the best sisters I could ever ask for...", Anne responded before Jackie started to sob.

"No... If we had just rushed outside to help you..., then you wouldn't...", Jackie began, too sad to finish.

"Don't be ridiculous, kiddo. You two might've just gotten sick with her.", Hop Pop responded, getting just as sad for Anne as well.

"Anne, please. Don't go. I don't know what I'll do without you. You're my everything. You... changed my life.", Sprig sobbed before Anne held his hand.

"And you've changed mine...", Anne replied, tears starting to form as Rose's eyes got bigger from sadness before Anne turned to Jackie as Sprig sobbed.

"Don't cry, Sprig. It's okay. My only regret is that... I never... got to see Love Choice 2...", Anne said weakly, making everyone chuckle a bit, sad as they are.

"Anne... No matter what happens to you..., you'll always be our sister. We all love you...!", Jackie said, sobbing slightly.

"Yeah... You're the best sister we ever had...!", Rose added as she and the others all hugged Anne with the sun beginning to set.

"Guess this is it, guys...", Anne said weakly.

"No...!", Jackie sobbed lightly.

"Goodbye, everyone... And goodbye, Sprig...", Anne said weakly as she closed her eyes before her arms went limp and she floated on her back with the triplets starting to get sad as well.

"No! Anne!", Jackie sobbed before three giant flies screeched overhead.

Play Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 6 Music: "I Will Never Give Up On You" (5:13/8:41)

A few short moments later, Rose sadly spoke up.

"No...! Anne...! Come back...! Come back!", Rose said sadly.

And then, all of a sudden, both her eyes and Jackie's each glowed blue before the hexagonal marks flashed a few times with slight beeps and then started to expand with the same marks on their arms from before returning and glowing just as the pond started bubbling, coincidentally beneath Hop Pop.

"Ugh. Way to ruin the moment, Hop Pop.", Sprig commented.

"That wasn't me.", Hop Pop said.

Then, more bubbles appeared beneath Sprig and Polly, puzzling them as more and more appeared around the pond, although more prominently around Jackie, Rose, and their now-departed sister, the former 2 of which were starting to get brighter by the second as their marks flashed quickly.

"No...! Anne...! Anne! Please...!", Jackie sobbed as her mark flashed the fastest it can with Rose's mark flashing as well before both their eyes each turned blank white with the hue of each different color.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!", Jackie and Rose shouted with distorted voices.

In sorrow and anguish, the marks finally gave off an eruption of light with two pillars of blue light, covering the whole pond to a point that the Plantars were blinded by the bright light so as to not see their calamity forms.

"What's happening?!", Hop Pop exclaimed.

Meanwhile, in a tower of sorts, Sasha and her own 5 siblings, 3 of which were little triplets, looked out in awe at the bright light while in a sort of fancy utopia in a castle, a girl with a cloak and hood named Marcy, along with her own set of siblings, looked out in awe with one of them being surprised.

"What the heck is that?", Marcy asked.

"What the heck is going on?!", Marcy's brother asked.

"I don't know, Max. But it looks beautiful...", Marcy responded.

"What is it?", a giant, blue newt king asked as he stepped forward.

"I don't know. Some kind of bright light coming from the mountains", Marcy responded, astonishing said newt king as he widened his eyes.

"Could that be...?", the newt king puzzled before laughing slightly in a rising pitch of excitement.

"What a glorious day! Now, I can get my master plan started. Effective immediately.", the newt king said to himself.

In the sky, though, the small floating kitten was flying around in the air with a cute squeal when it saw a massive pillar of blue light.

"Rew-re? Me-ew!", the kitten said a bit excitedly before it decided to go toward it, although not too close as the pillar of light then died out.

Back in the pond, just as the small, floating kitten arrived and peeped behind a rock, even starting to feel bad from the sight, Jackie and Rose were weeping over the loss of Anne.

"Reeww...", the palisman said sadly before Anne actually started to wake back up, albeit slowly before groaning as she sat up.

"Hey... What's everyone looking at?", Anne asked before Jackie and Rose opened their eyes and then saw the most miraculous sight: Anne Boonchuy is alive!

"Anne! You're alive!", Jackie shouted as she hugged Anne tightly.

"You're gonna live! Liiive! Liiive!", Rose sobbed happily.

"Well, hallelujah!", Hop Pop exclaimed.

"She made it!", Sprig shouted.

"She's alive!", Polly shouted.

"Oh, Anne...! You're okay...! I thought we'd lost you...!", Jackie sobbed happily.

"You're back!", Rose said, sniffling a bit.

"Yeah. I guess I am...", Anne grinned.

"But I don't get it. How did Anne get Red Leg disease in the first place?", Sprig asked.

"That's odd. Unless... Sprig, get over here and show me that book.", Hop Pop said before Sprig opened the book and took it to him.

"Hmm, it says here red leg is caused by a bad herb that gets eaten.", Hop Pop read.

"Bad herb?", Jackie asked.

"You know, a green plant thing with red splotches on it?", Hop Pop explained, making Jackie and Rose gasp in horror.

"Oh, no! That means... the herb we found and put in the soup...! That was the bad herb?!", Jackie realized to herself before hugging Anne tightly.

"I am so sorry for ever feeding you that soup, Anne! If we hadn't given it to you, you wouldn't have died!", Jackie sobbed.

"We're sorry, Anne! We didn't try to kill you! It was an accident!", Rose sobbed.

"Hey, don't sweat it, girls. It's okay. I know you didn't mean it.", Anne assured.

"R-r-r-really?", Rose sniffled.

"Yeah.", Anne responded before she suddenly gave a yawn.

"Boy, am I so tired...", Anne said with a slight yawn before falling limp again.

"Anne!", Jackie and Rose exclaimed.

"Is she...?", Rose said sadly before Jackie checked her arms and, luckily, found a pulse, much to her relief.

"No. She's just sleeping this time.", Jackie assured, relieving Rose as she sighed before Jackie picked Anne up bridal style.

"Get a good rest, Anne. You deserve it.", Jackie said with a sad grin as Anne snored.

"Mushrooms...", Anne said in her sleep as the little floating kitten watched.

"Rewee... Mrreeewee.", the little kitten mewed before moving closer to where it can see a close-up of Anne, Jackie, and Rose as they decided to head back home.

"Well. That was surprisingly eventful.", Sprig commented.

"Yeah. Too bad we never saw what happened under all that bright light, huh.", Polly responded as she and Sprig went on ahead and followed after them as Rose carried the triplets.

Hop Pop, however, clearly had some things to think about.

"I don't know why, but... ever since Anne and her siblings showed up here, things haven't been the same. And I have to wonder... Is it for better...? Or for worse...?", Hop Pop pondered to himself as Jackie and Rose went down the mountain via lodges one at a time, neither one knowing that the little, floating kitten was watching.

"Re-we. Mrew...", the little kitten spoke before it then floated out of the pond without being spotted altogether.

End Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 6 Music: "I Will Never Give Up On You"

Act II: Family Shrub

A day after a death/resurrection event at the Peak of Health, while Anne was in the couch, Jackie, Rose, the triplets, Hop Pop, and Sprig were helping with making a sort of family shrub.

"You know, Hop Pop, back home, we call this a family tree.", Jackie responded.

"That's 'cause everyone in your world is crazy.", Hop Pop exclaimed.

"Hey! We call it a family tree for a reason. We have a very, very, very long line of ancestors.", Jackie retorted.

"Well, so do we, but you don't see me calling it a family tree, do ya?", Hop Pop retorted, making Jackie grumble.

"Now, where was I? Oh, yes, Great Aunt Gertrude. She was a masterful dirt tiller. I mean, how cool is that?", Hop Pop asked.

"Eh.", the group said.

"Oh, and you can't forget second cousin Alfred. He was the king!", Hop Pop added.

"A king?", the group asked in surprise.

"Yeah! The king of single-tiered irrigation systems.", Hop Pop responded, making the group, mainly Rose and the others.

"Oh.", Jackie said.

"Yep, you lost me.", Rose said.

"Our ancestors were boring!", Polly exclaimed.

"Were they really all just farm frogs? Where are the artists? The poets? The dreamers?", Sprig asked.

"Just farm frogs? Kids, the point of the shrub is to give you an appreciation for your past. The Plantar family has layers. You just have to know where to look.", Hop Pop responded.

"Layers...? Okay, then. What's her story?", Jackie asked.

"Polli Anna? Oh, brace yourselves. She wasn't just any farmer. She was a turnip farmer!", Hop Pop responded as the group got excited only to be disappointed when Hop Pop finished.

"Welp, as much as I'd love to help, not gonna find any of my ancestors on your shrub, so...", Anne began as she then played Slacker Stackers on her phone.

"Don't have to be blood to be a Plantar, Anne.", Hop Pop assured.

"No, but you do have to be a master stacker to get to level 46. If I can just...", Anne said as she struggled to complete the sudden death round only to fail.

"Curse you, sudden death round! Why you so hard?", Anne groaned.

"Anne, I don't think you shouldn't be playing this.", Jackie said as she grabbed the phone.

"Anne, this is based on nothing at all, but I'm almost certain that game will rot your brain!", Hop Pop added.

"Well, there's that. But more importantly, after what happened back at the Peak of Health, you need to rest.", Jackie added in worry.

"Aw...", Anne groaned.

"Uh-oh, looks like we're out of glue!", Hop Pop said as he ran out of glue.

"Does that mean we have to stop?", Sprig asked.

"Can we do something fun now?", Polly asked.

"No fun till the shrub's done. Just gonna run to the store real quick and get more glue. Be back in a jiffy.", Hop Pop said as he started to leave with a hum.

"Don't go anywhere!", Hop Pop said before closing the door behind him.

"Ah! You girls're lucky you're outsiders, Jackie. Our family history is weak!", Polly commented.

"They didn't do anything weird. Or different. Or fun. I mean, look at this. Even this painting's making me feel depressed.", Sprig agreed before inadvertently pressing an apparent panel on the painting, causing the painting to turn 45 degrees to the right.

"What the... Whoa!", Sprig exclaimed as the mantelpiece then tilted down, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Sprig! You broke the house.", Polly accused before Jackie gasped.

"Wait a minute. I think I read about something like this. That was a secret panel!", Jackie realized.

At that moment, the wall of the fireplace opened up while the log split in half.

"Whoa.", Rose said in awe.

"This looks unsafe. Any reason we have to go down there?", Jackie asked nervously.

"There could be treasure.", Sprig responded.

"Or dead bodies! Let's do it!", Polly exclaimed.

"No way! We are not going in that secret dungeon! Who knows what's in there?", Jackie refused.

"Come on. Can't we just go in there?", Rose asked, making cute eyes as her way of begging, making Jackie wince and groan.

"With the face and the eyes and the... AH! All right. But we can't bring the triplets with us. They don't know how dangerous it is. And neither do we. So, they're staying up here with Anne. This way they wouldn't get hurt.", Jackie responded, gesturing to Lily, Danny, and Andy.

"Oh, boo...", Anne groaned.

"Okay.", Rose responded.

After that, the group walked down the stairs with Jackie holding a lantern. But when they did, the secret panel closed on them from behind.

"Uh, did we just get locked in here?", Sprig asked.

"Yep.", Jackie responded.

"What do we do now?", Rose asked.

"Come on, let's just find another way out, you babies.", Polly retorted, making Polly groan.

"Well, at least we know the triplets are gonna be okay with Anne.", Jackie sighed in relief before going down.

Speaking of the triplets, they were waddling around when they noticed something in the bag and pulled it out, revealing a bouncy ball that they learned she had brought before Andy tossed the ball to the wall, making it ricochet off the walls before landing on the couch, prompting Andy to give a sort of giggle.

Meanwhile, the group walked down a sort of hallway. It wasn't long, though, before they reached an unfamiliar room, which resembles a laboratory.

"Whoa.", the group spoke in awe.

After that, Jackie then walked over to the bookshelf, amazed at the books and notes inside, never mind the chemicals on the table.

"All this was under your house?", Jackie said in amazement.

However, she wound up accidentally brushing off some dust, which flew in the air, making Rose cough.

"Oh, there's dust everywhere.", Rose groaned.

"Oops. Sorry, Rose. Didn't mean to do that.", Jackie apologized.

"This place is amazing.", Sprig said before he checked the shelves for specimens in jars and a wooden table with a rope on it.

"Whoa! Oh, what this?", Sprig asked.

Then, he pulled the lever, causing the table to go up, launching him up in the air before he landed back down on the ground before laughing and then reading a sign that says, "Science" on it.

"Wow!", Sprig said in awe.

"Unless I miss my guess, this must be the laboratory.", Jackie guessed.

"Wow...", Rose said.

"Hey, why do you think the entrance was hidden like that?", Polly asked.

"To keep it a secret, obviously. Who wouldn't want to steal this stuff?", Sprig asked.

Then, as if to answer, Jackie and Rose both found a sort of creepy, live turnip in a jar, making the two shudder.

"Uh, us. We don't wanna steal this stuff.", Jackie replied before noticing a sort of chemical.

"Huh? What's this?", Jackie asked before noticing a note below the chemical and reading it aloud.

"'This Rage Booster Potion increases one's physical attributes to put them on the same level as those of a Southern Tusk Frog's. However, after further testing, said increase can only be attained via extreme levels of duress or anger.' Wow. that sounds like strong stuff. Okay, I'll take that. But only this, and nothing else.", Jackie decided.

Then, she grabbed said chemical from the table.

"It says here this place belonged to Great Uncle Skip Plantar. He was a farmer and a brilliant scientist! He experimented with all kinds of stuff. This is wild. I wanna know more! Like, what does this do?", Sprig asked.

"Sprig, no! Don't pull that...!", Jackie shouted.

However, it fell on deaf ears as he pulled the lever anyway.

"...lever.", Jackie finished too late.

Not long after, the gate was opened and out came a giant white pumpkin monster.

"Whoa...", Rose said in awe.

"Whoa, mama.", Polly added.

"Maybe it's harmless.", Sprig guessed.

But his guess seemed to be wrong as the monster roared, spewing out seeds at the group, most of which were scared as they screamed.

"Or not!", Jackie squeaked.

Meanwhile, Hop Pop was at a shop named Grub & Go, looking around for some glue.

"My, my, so many glues to choose from.", Hop Pop said in awe before humming.

"This is gonna be a little difficult."

Just then, Loggle popped up as soon as Hop Pop picked up some glue labelled Yolk of the Maggot.

"Hey, Hopadiah! What brings you here?", Loggle asked.

Now, Hop Pop was quite surprised, so he fell backwards before sitting up.

"Oh, hey, Loggle. Just trying to find some glue to put my family shrub together.", Hop Pop explained.

"Oh, Hop Pop. All you need for that is this.", Loggle assured, putting his hand over his heart.

"Dang it, you're right. In the end, it's all about love.", Hop Pop said, tearing up.

"What? No, I meant you need this.", Loggle responded.

He then quickly pulled glue out of his chest pocket.

"Nothing stronger. This stuff will fix your shrub. Heck, it'll fix your house!", Loggle explained, giving him Wart Slug Glue.

"Hmm. Intriguing. Yet another choice. Looks like my day just got a lot more challenging.", Hop Pop responded.

Meanwhile, the monster screeched before giving a low growl as the jar with the turnip fell and shattered to the ground.

"What do we do?", Jackie asked.

"This abomination must be destroyed.", Polly urged.

"Wait! What if there's another way?", Rose exclaimed.

"She's right. There IS. Wanna go with me, Rose?", Sprig asked before Rose nodded.

"Rose, what are you two doing?", Jackie asked.

"Yeah, that pumpkin will squash you guys!", Polly added.

"There, there. Easy does it.", Rose said as she and Sprig went over to it and managed to calm it down.

"There, there, you beautiful, disgusting thing.", Sprig said before the creature sighed.

"What is happening?", Jackie puzzled.

"That's right, Mama Rose is here.", Rose grinned to it before the beast chuckled.

"Oh, you horrible, horrible, sweet boy. Forgive me.", Sprig whispered, puzzling Rose before he then spun the monster and kicked it into the cave before slamming the gate shut, trapping the pumpkin.

"Sprig, what did you do?!", Rose shouted.

"Dude... that was ice cold.", Polly commented.

"Love is the cruelest weapon.", Sprig responded.

"Agreed. Now let's get out of here quick before anything else happens.", Jackie said.

But then, all of a sudden, the floor collapsed, causing the group to fall down, all except for Rose.

"Sorry about putting you back in the cage, Stumpy! I'll be back for you soon!", Rose shouted before she grabbed her lantern and then jumped down through the hole and then landed on the ground before she helped Jackie up.

"Jackie, are you okay?", Rose asked.

"Ugh...! I'll live. What about you guys?", Jackie asked.

"More or less.", Polly responded.

"Yeah... ow.", Sprig groaned before Polly noticed the lantern nearby.

"Oh, cool, our lantern.", Polly said before noticing something very crucial that really grabbed her attention as well as the others'.

"Whoa.", the group spoke in awe from the sight of what they saw.

They saw Polli Anna as a warrior according to the portrait.

"This is heaven.", Polly said before gasping at quite the sight!

"This is the same Polliana from Hop Pop's shrub. She wasn't just a turnip farmer. She was a turnt up warrior!", Polly exclaimed

"Hey, check it out. I found her diary.", Sprig said.

Then, Jackie opened the diary and read it.

"The Bogwater Wars of '48. The Western Toad invasion of '53. She must've been in a lot of battles.", Jackie guessed.

"She was the coolest, most terrifying Plantar ever. Like me!", Polly grinned.

"Wow, we sure are learning a lot. I'd like to learn more. Like, hey, what does this do?", Sprig asked before pulling a lever, triggering a sort of suit of armor, which then attacked Sprig with a swing, missing him and making the group gasp upon seeing multiple suits swinging, ceiling spears, two hammers, and buzzsaws on the ground.

"Have you learned nothing, man?!", Jackie shouted dramatically.

"Levers are for pulling, Jackie!", Sprig retorted.

"Yeah?! Well, not all of them should be pulled, especially when they are deaths traps!", Jackie shouted before she and Sprig dodged one of the incoming traps.

"Why is there a death trap here, anyways?", Sprig asked, making Jackie growl.

After that, she consulted the book and found out something else.

"Wait a minute. This wasn't a death trap. This is Polliana's training simulator.", Jackie realized.

"Look out!", Sprig shouted before pushing her down to avoid the darts.

"How do we turn it off?", Rose asked.

Jackie then noticed that the on and off switch is on the wall on the other side just near the exit.

"The shut off switch is by the exit on the other side.", Jackie said.

"Okay, we can do this. We just gotta go very slowly-", Sprig said before Polly burst in while shouting.

"Polly!", Jackie, Rose, and Sprig shouted.

But when she charged in, she smashed every suit of armor and pushed the lever down, turning the machine off.

"Or we could just charge in with a mace and then improvise.", Jackie responded.

"That was intense.", Rose grinned.

"So, you guys wanna do it again?", Polly asked.

"NO!", Jackie and Rose shouted before pushing her away through the exit.

Meanwhile, Hop Pop, unable to make a decision, decided to buy all the glue available.

"You know what? I'll just buy all of them. You can never have too much glue, I always say.", Hop Pop said as he carried the glue bottles.

"Good choice!", Loggle responded, popping up and inadvertently scaring Hop Pop to a point that the glue landed on him in the process.

"Glue! Everywhere! Need water!", Hop Pop screamed, blinded by the glue as they landed on his body.

He tried to find some water only to wind up in Slug saliva glue, which stuck to him as well and made it worse.

"Hop Pop, no! That's more glue.", Loggle warned before Hop Pop tripped and fell.

As a result, a the rest of the glue fell off the shelves and landed on Hop Pop, practically turning him into a sort of gooey glue monster.

"Loggle! Help me!", Hop Pop pleaded.

"No. NOOOOOOOOOOO!", Loggle shouted.

Meanwhile, Jackie, Rose, Sprig, and Polly walked into a sort of room with games and life-sized chess pieces.

"Whoa.", Jackie, Rose, and Sprig said.

"Oh, wow. Can you believe it? Another mysterious hidden chamber.", Polly said, filled with no surprise.

"Oh, cool! This place is filled with games and puzzles.", Rose grinned as she noticed a game board box tack.

"Let's see if we can find which Plantar this stuff belonged to.", Jackie said before she opened a book and found out a surprising fact: a newt named Emma had previously settled into the Plantars' home at one point.

"No way. Emma the Newt? Honorary Plantar? Hey, check this out. She travelled all over the place, collected all this cool stuff, and settled with the Plantars. She wasn't even a frog!", Jackie shouted as she turned the pages.

"Wow, so cool.", Sprig said.

"That's awesome!", Rose grinned.

"I guess even outsiders like me, Anne, and Rose can be Plantars.", Jackie said, starting to tear up.

"Oh, Jackie. Looks like you've solved the puzzle...of your own heart.", Sprig said touchingly.

"Wow, thanks buddy.", Rose grinned touchingly.

"No, thank you, buddy.", Sprig responded as he and Rose hugged one another.

"Hey! How about we solve the puzzle of getting the heck out of here!", Polly shouted.

"Actually, we think the exit is that way.", Jackie said, pointing to the door just up ahead.

"Oh.", Polly said.

Then, Sprig tried to open the door, but it was no use.

"Well, it's locked.", Sprig said.

"Maybe I can smash it.", Polly guessed.

Then, she tried to smash the door with her mace, only to find that ineffective.

"Well, that didn't work.", Polly said.

"We're gonna die down here!", Sprig exclaimed in panic before Jackie gasped.

"No, we're not. Because that door is like a puzzle! Like that Slacker Stackers game that Anne plays all the time.", Jackie responded before she picked up Rose and placed her on her shoulders.

"Ready, Rose?", Jackie asked.

"Yep.", Rose giggled before the two then moved all the pieces to a point that they stacked as bricks.

"Think we did it?", Rose asked.

But when they did, the ground shook with a spiked ceiling appeared and started to lower itself slowly.

"Jackie, what did you do?!", Polly exclaimed.

"Oh, no! I know what it is. It must be the sudden death round.", Jackie said before breathing deeply.

"Let's do this, Jackie.", Rose said to her before grunting as she and Jackie started moving the additional pieces to the new slots above the current pieces.

However, at the same time, the lowering spiked ceiling caused the boxes to crumble and land near Sprig and Polly, who dodged them.

"Guys, no pressure, but we're gonna die.", Sprig said.

Thankfully, Jackie and Rose had nearly finished the puzzle.

"Almost... there.", Jackie and Rose said in unison before they had completed the door.

"There! Now, let's go!", Jackie urged before she, Rose, Sprig, and Polly all got out before the door closed.

"Woo hoo! We did it!", Rose shouted.

"Huh. I guess we had your family history all wrong, guys. The Plantars weren't just farmers.", Jackie said.

"Nope, they were twisted.", Sprig responded.

"Yeah, they were pretty cool. Now, can we finally find a way out of here?", Polly asked.

"Yeah, and I think I know how.", Sprig said, reaching for the lever.

"Nerp!", Jackie and Rose said at the same time as they pushed Sprig away.

"I wonder how the triplets are doing?", Rose pondered.

Later, the triplets were passing the ball to each other when Hop Pop arrived back home, albeit covered with glue. But no sooner had he arrived that Jackie, Rose, Sprig, and Polly suddenly burst out from the wall as the grandfather clock suddenly turned by itself before turning back to its normal position while Anne started to wake up a bit.

"Huh...? What's going on?", Anne asked.

"Hop Pop! We found those Plantar family layers you were talking about.", Jackie stated.

"Eh? Found them?", Hop Pop puzzled.

"Yep. And, yes, I know you weren't being literal.", Jackie responded.

"Oh, Hop Pop!", Sprig began.

"There was a moving fireplace.", Rose said.

"Secret rooms!", Polly added.

"Crazy science lab.", Sprig said.

"Family heirlooms!", Polly added with a jump.

"Turnip with a face.", Rose added.

"Family's amazing!", Sprig grinned.

"Actually proud to be a Plantar.", Polly shouted.

"What?! You mean I missed all this resting?! Boo!", Anne shouted.

"Secret rooms? Full of Plantar family heirlooms? Why, this is incredible!", Hop Pop grinned.

"I know. I even brought this potion up here to prove it!", Jackie replied, showing said potion to Hop Pop.

He, however, gasped at the sight.

"Where'd you get that?", Hop Pop asked.

"I found it at the lab. Why?", Jackie asked.

"Be careful with that. We don't know what side effects this thing could have.", Hop Pop warned.

"Okay. I'll try to be less careless with this.", Jackie responded.

After that, she then put it in the fridge and closed the fridge door.

"There. That should be safe. For now.", Jackie grinned.

"So, you won't use that thing?", Rose asked.

"Not until later, at least.", Jackie responded, making Rose groan.

"Well, most importantly, once again, I was right.", Hop Pop grinned.

Then, it showed, Jackie, Rose, Sprig, and Polly writing on the family shrub.

"Yeah. Our ancestors were the most amazing scientist, warrior, farmers ever!", Polly smiled.

"Everyone needs to know.", Sprig responded.

"Well I want to see these rooms, too!", Hop Pop grinned before Jackie and Rose stopped him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on there, Hop Pop. They're full or traps and puzzles.", Jackie warned.

"Oh, and there was a pumpkin abomination! A real affront to nature. Rose and I loved it! And then, I betrayed it.", Sprig responded.

"No offense, but I'm not sure you could handle it.", Polly retorted.

Hop Pop only laughed in response, though.

"You have no idea what I can or can't handle. What do you say, Loggle? Up for another adventure?", Hop Pop asked before turning around to reveal Loggle glued to his back.

"Absolutely...not!", Loggle screamed.

"Hop Pop, no!", Rose shouted.

"Should we go help them?", Sprig sighed before ominous noises, as well as screaming, was heard from down below.

"Help!", Hop Pop screamed.

"Yeah, probably.", Polly responded before getting out a mace.

With that, the group ran off to help Hop Pop and the others.

"Oh, oh, oh! Let's adopt that pumpkin monster.", Sprig suggested.

"Guys... Take me with you...!", Anne groaned.

"Sorry, Anne! Still need to rest!", Jackie responded.

Later, at night, while everyone was asleep, Rose snuck off to the fireplace and then quietly pressed a button that opened the secret panel like before before she went down the stairs as the panel closed behind her. Afterwards, she arrived back at the lab.

"Hello?", Rose asked as she looked around, holding some dirt, plant food, and water.

And then, all of a sudden, the pumpkin monster from before jumped upon the cage bars, surprising Rose.

"Oh. There you are. I told you I'd be back. And I brought some late night snacks for ya.", Rose grinned, sliding said provisions through the empty spaces in the bars, allowing it to eat some dirt and plant food before then absorbing the water and sighing.

"Glad you like them..., Stumpy.", Rose grinned.

A/N: Surprise! Rose got a pet of her own in this one. :) Oh, and as for the cast, while Haley Tju voices Marcy and Keith David voices the comical villain we all love to hate, King Andrias himself, Seth Green voices Marcy's 12-year-old brother, Max. Pretty cool voice, huh? After all, he did voice Leonardo in Nickelodeon's TMNT series. :)