Enchanting Archives
Despite not winning the mayoral run, Hop Pop was quite happy that he got his stand back. Which put the monetary worries away for the time being. And that allowed Randy to spend more time helping Anne and Sprig training whenever they were done with their chores. He had to fully master a new way to apply his fire sword and Anne still tried to unleash her Calamity powers or her Saiyanne form as she called it.
"Alright, I think I got it now!" Anne said as she sat down crosslegged and started meditating.
Or at least she thought she was.
"What's she doing?" Sprig asked.
"I think she's meditating," Randy replied.
Anne breathed in deeply before exhaling. She let out an 'om' with every exhale like a mantra to bring about inner peace. She wasn't sure if it was working.
"So, am I doing it?" Anne asked.
"Doing what?" Sprig asked.
"You know, like floating or something like that," Anne suggested. "Maybe some levitation or my hair is turning blue like that other time-Ow!" Randy bumped her head with his sheathed sword.
"Meditation isn't about talking, Anne. It's about finding inner peace and focus on your present," Randy put his sword back inside. "It's something that takes years of practice to get right. My grandpa said it took him almost ten years to fully clear his mind after his intense training everyday."
"And my fear of staying here for ten years is back." She fell on her back, looking at the sky. "Just what do I need to get this power to kick in again? It feels like I'm not getting anywhere."
"Gramps used to say that nothing worth having ever comes easy," Randy said. "Heck, I still have trouble with what I'm trying to do myself. But that just makes me want to master it all the more. I'm sure you'll get a hang of those powers, Anne." Randy offered her a hand.
Anne blushed slightly as she took his hand and got back to her feet. Despite her frustration, and knowing that that power was dangerous, it helped that Randy was helping her and being patient with her. The easy way was always her to go to, but it seemed that Randy went for the hard path all the time made her want to try that. Part of her wished that all her teachers were as cool as him. It didn't hurt that he was cute.
"Alright, so what are we going to be doing today?" Sprig asked.
"I say we go for some weapons training," Anne suggested. "Maybe I could finally use a real sword?"
"Not until you learn some patience and get used to the katas," Randy gave her a bored expression. "Practice with everything, learn everything, and-Sprig, duck."
Anne and Sprig didn't get that last bit. However, before they got a chance to ask what it was all about, Ivy pounced on Sprig once more. The small pink frog found himself tackled to the ground with the young girl frog standing over him in victory.
"Ha ha! Ivy Sundew gets another perfect ambush to her score!" Ivy hopped off of Sprig. "And this time I didn't yell ambush."
"Hey, that's not fair, Ivy. I bet I could see you coming if you had yelled it," Sprig countered. "That's how I know it isn't some real monster attacking me."
"Meh, I'm sure you would've sensed if it was someone with actual hostile intentions, Spig," Ivy shrugged. "Though it wasn't as fun as when I yelled it. So, what are you up to today?"
"Oh you know, some cool ninja training. Maybe learn how to use a sword." Sprig counted it off as Ivy ate it up.
The two friends exchanged stories about what they'd both do with that kind of training and how cool it would be to face giant yokai or murderous oni. It was the type of chat that friends would have when discussing their favorite topic. Nothing serious, just dreams of doing something cool and not stressing out.
On the sidelines, Anne couldn't help but watch the exchange with gossiping girl-tinted glasses.
"Aw, don't they look adorable?" Anne whispered.
"They're just two friends talking, Anne," Randy pointed out.
"It's the subtext, man. Look here," Anne pulled Randy close as she pulled out a magazine. "According to Hot Teen Topic, friends at a young age are destined to be together if they talk with such energy about any topic."
"That doesn't seem possible," Randy countered. "I mean, what's next? You're about to tell me that friends that like to fight or spar with each other are more likely to get together?"
"Page 14, Randy." Anne flipped the page much to Randy's confusion. "It's basically a waiting game for them to eventually become boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Not sure about that, but I'm currently questioning how an old rival of mine tended to look at me whenever she came for a surprise inspection," Randy muttered. "But they're just talking like kids talk, that doesn't mean it'll happen."
"You're right, we need to help them!" Anne dragged Randy and snatched Sprig before running away. "Bye Ivy! See you later!"
"Bye Anne, Randy, Sprig!" Ivy waved at them. "I'll see you then, but you won't see me!"
"Bye Ivy!" Sprig waved back before turning to Randy. "So, what human Earth shenanigans are we up to this time?"
"Not sure, but if Anne put half this much effort into training and learning, I bet she would be at my level in a few months." Randy couldn't help but shake the feeling that this would be a mess waiting to happen.
Back at the house, Anne sat Randy and Sprig down as she laid out her plan on how to take Sprig and Ivy's relationship to the next level. On the table lay an extensive map filled with different avenues and paths that lead to different outcomes in the road of what she believed was the best romance ever. Though, the doodles made the boys question a few steps of the plan.
"Alright boys, Sprig and Ivy's relationship stands here: The childhood friends route which branches out into three possible paths." Anne pointed to the map like a general pointing to a battle plan. "Route 1: The BFFs to Sweethearts route. Route 2: The Friends that promise to always be together route. And Route 3: The promise to be married route. Each one of these has different hurdles that need to be checked and faced. Out of all of these, the first route is the one that develops most naturally, but it runs the risk of getting interrupted by other crushes or love rivals. We must be ready to move fast and strike while the iron is hot!"
Randy and Sprig looked at her with confusion at the stuff Anne was spouting. It wasn't that they didn't understand the words, they just didn't understand what was so important.
"I take it back, with this much energy, she'd definitely have mastered the sword beyond my level," Randy whispered.
"I'm kinda lost as to what she's saying," Sprig added.
"What's going on here?" Hop Pop asked as he walked into the living room. "I thought you three would be out doing stuff in the swamp."
"And what's with the strange event map?" Polly asked.
"Hop Pop, I am on a mission to ensure Sprig and Ivy's future relationship. I used to help a few friends get dates back in my world so I know what I'm talking about," Anne said.
"Ivy? As in Ivy Sundew daughter of Sylvia Sundew?!" Hop Pop's eyes went wide as his mind got to working. "Sprig, why didn't you tell me?! This is great! The Sundews have some of the best seeds in all of Wartwood and could give us a variety of vegetables and fruits that we hadn't had in ages! I shall go and set up the courting manual!" Hop Pop rushed upstairs, leaving a puff of smoke behind him.
"Oh great, one of those," Randy sighed.
"There's a courting manual?" Sprig asked.
"Oh boy, we're going to Route 3 people!" Anne squealed.
"Randy. Explain." Polly looked at the other human.
"Anne thinks Sprig has feelings for Ivy and it seems like Hop Pop jumped on it for an economic deal that could end with Sprig and Ivy hating each other," Randy explained.
"Wanna bet this ends badly?" Polly asked.
Randy took a look at Anne telling Sprig all the known anime and love cliches known, while Hop Pop stuffed him in a costume straight out of the Elizabeth era. It was so stuffy and so old that Sprig couldn't move a single muscle while wearing it. The look of confusion and uncomfortableness that Sprig had on his face told him everything in the span of a few seconds. Yeah, that night things were going to end pretty badly.
"That's a sucker's bet," Randy said.
"Yeah, it was easy money though," Polly sighed.
Randy was very thankful that his grandpa didn't ever try to set him up in an arranged marriage.
The night had arrived and the two families were ready to send their two respective children to the town outdoor dance. It was a calm event in which everyone in Wartwood could cut loose and dance to celebrate the upcoming end of Winter and the arrival of Spring and the opening of the pass that opened to the rest of Amphibia. And it wasn't uncommon for a few people to get engaged during this time. Which is where the courting dance ceremony came into the scene.
Sprig looked like an old Elizabethan noble with a stuffy dress shirt, tight pants, a big white wig and make up on his face that made him look like he was having a stroke.
"Are you sure this dancing should be done in this?" Sprig asked. "I can't even scratch my nose."
"Don't mess up the makeup, Sprig." Hop Pop passed a rolling pin on him to clean the suit. "Now, go out there and dance according to the manual."
Randy winced as he saw Sprig try to scratch his nose. He'd never wear a suit like that if he could help it.
On the other side of the dance floor, Sylvia Sundew and Ivy arrived. Ivy's own costume looked very uncomfortable on her and she found the huge wig of hair very annoying. And the less said about the amount of makeup she was forced to wear, the better.
"Oh this is such a proud moment, my little girl turning into a lady." Sylvia wiped a tear from her eye.
"Mom," Ivy groaned.
"Oh here comes your man, go and dance your heart away." Sylvia pushed Ivy onto the dancefloor with Sprig.
The two kids smiled at each other, fueled by the expectations of their respective families and what they thought the other wanted. They stumbled and bumped into each other, feeling their costumes contorting their bodies in ways they felt unnatural in. But eventually they managed to grab hold of each other's hands.
"Um, may I have this dance?" Sprig asked.
"Um, sure," Ivy replied before they started dancing.
Randy could only roll his eyes at the sight of the two dancing on the floor while Hop Pop and Sylvia agreed on the terms of the marriage.
"Anne, are you sure that you're okay with this?" Randy asked. "Those two look miserable. Anne?"
"Nah, they are just nervous. They'll eventually let all their emotions flow out according to the magazine," Anne said, holding the magazine like it was a bible. "All relationships have their hiccups but the best way to hold it together is to work diligently and make sure they have no dark horrible secrets from each other. As the relationship is all that's important."
"That sounds crazy, right?" Polly asked.
"Oh yeah," Randy agreed. "Also, in terms of secrets, you mean like Sprig already having a fiance?"
"Yeah, exactly-Say what now?"
Randy looked at Anne with a raised eyebrow.
"Did you forget that you basically sold Sprig to get the baker's dough for the pizza?" Randy asked. "He said the price was Sprig being engaged to his eldest daughter, Maddie."
"Yeah, he'll be pissed if he finds out about this second arrangement." Polly commented.
"Hoppedaiha Plantar! Sylvia Sundew! You double-crossing scammers!"
The two frogs turned to see the baker running towards them with a rolling pin and fire in his eyes. The news had gotten to him about the engagement and he was not happy at all. He chased after the two adult frogs, swinging his rolling pin like an angry housewife would their cheating husband. The two adult frogs ran into the dancefloor with Maddie's dad chasing after them with unbridled fury. Everyone ran in fear and panic as Hop Pop and Sylvia avoided the swings of the rolling pin.
One swing hit the snack table, scattering the punch and the snacks into the air. Some slipped and fell on the ground while others ate the chips that fell on their heads. Another swing and the band was almost knocked back. In came another swing and that caused another frog to spit out its punch and teeth, biting someone's butt. Pandemonium erupted on the dance floor much to the entertainment of everyone.
"So, you wanna make a run for it and just hang out like friends?" Sprig asked.
"Oh thank frog, you said it first!" Ivy pulled Sprig as they ran away taking off their costumes.
Randy, Anne and Polly watched everything as the two kids went off on their own. Anne frantically flipped through her magazine's pages as she saw the mess develop before her. Randy was just counting the minutes before he stepped in and tried to keep the parents and guardians from killing each other in the middle of the dance floor. And Polly was just enjoying the chaos with a look that said 'I expected this to happen but I am still unamused.'
"Well, this was bound to happen," Polly said.
"At least Sprig and Ivy decided it was stupid and got away before Maddie's dad tried to turn Sprig into a cake." Randy turned to Anne. "So, you still think it was a good idea to try to get two ten-year-olds to start dating?"
"Ten? They're ten? Oh my gosh! I need to restructure everything to fit this new timeline!" Anne flipped through her magazine like it was about to combust. "This magazine says that our relationships are the only important thing that define us!"
"That's it!" Polly pounced on the magazine and started mauling it like she was a dog eating someone's homework. "This mess happened because you were obsessed with pairing up people, Hop Pop and Sylvia got greedy and Sprig just went along because you made him think it was important. Now, Randy, burn this thing with your firesword!" Polly spat the remains of the magazine like a rain of wet confetti.
"It would've been easier to burn it when it was whole, but okay." Randy shrugged before lighting the magazine remains. "You okay there, Anne?"
Anne's eyes went wide but then she blinked like she had been woken up from a daydream.
"Yeah, I-I think I feel better now. Almost like a weight was lifted from my shoulders," Anne said like she was freer somehow.
Randy was very thankful that he didn't fall under the same spell of that magazine. Though he did wonder if this was a teenage girl thing, a human thing, or more an Anne thing. Either way he couldn't help but snort at how cute Anne looked now that she was free from the magazine's influence.
"Okay, well, I'll go stop Maddie's dad from killing Sylvia and Hop Pop," Randy said. "You two go get Sprig and Ivy and explain that there doesn't need to be a courting or marriage for a long, long time."
"You got it." Polly hopped on top of Anne's head as she led the girl after the two young frogs.
Randy sheathed his sword as he walked up to the dance floor before Maddie's dad could commit homicide. At least he didn't have to deal with those love birds, he was very thankful that his grandpa took care of them when he was little.
Sprig and Ivy had finally ditched their courting getups and just laid down near the river watching the fireflies flying around them. They both agreed that they were way too young to start dating and that they were better as friends. Which made Sprig think he would have to break that arrangement he had with Maddie at some point. She did give him that scary ring though.
"Man, what a beautiful sight," Sprig said. "I wonder why some of these have blue lights. Could they have eaten something off?"
"Those are babies, Sprig. They're blue to help their parents find them," Ivy explained with great wisdom of the natural world.
"Wow, I wish I knew that kind of stuff," Sprig said. "I bet that if I knew all that, going out on an adventure would be super cool."
"Dude, you hang out with Randy and Anne all the time, I bet they teach you some stuff that my mom would never let me get close to," Ivy said. "Man, the adventures I could have if I was allowed to go out into the world. Kinda jealous of Randy being allowed. Bet his gramps taught him a lot of awesome stuff."
"Oh yeah, half the stuff he does still amazes me. And he's still working hard to keep things safe," Spring said. "He once told me that to leave Wartwood, old man Nobu trained him so hard that he could cut a large boulder with a regular sword. And only when he did that, he could go out into Amphibia."
Ivy whistled at the idea of being able to do that. She really wanted to go out but to imagine that trial to only go out, now that was wild.
Sprig smiled. He enjoyed this time with Ivy very much. Maybe that was what was important instead.
"Faster Anne, faster!"
They turned to see Polly pulling on Anne's hair like she was controlling Bessie's reins.
"Ow, ow! Okay, you made your point, Polly," Anne said. "Hey, Sprig, hey Ivy. Um, listen I-"
"No Anne, listen. I appreciate you wanting to get us together, but Ivy and I aren't ready for that," Sprig said.
"Yeah, we're much better as friends right now," Ivy added. "We don't want to date each other."
"Yeah, I was actually going to apologise for trying to force you on this," Anne said, scratching the back of her head, feeling guilty. "You guys just seemed adorable together. But I will respect your choices. But never say never."
Sprig was about to say something when Ivy got a mischievous smile on her face.
"That's funny, I thought you'd be more focused on getting with Randy than me and Sprig getting together," Ivy said, making Anne's face light up like a Christmas tree.
"What?! Me and Randy?! No, no, we're not-"
"I mean, I didn't want to assume, but I just got that vibe from you guys," Ivy teased.
"I thought the same thing. All the blushing, calling him pet names, the drooling whenever he gets his shirt off, that one time you said his name in your sleep," Sprig counted off causing Anne to blush even more.
"Okay, time to go and clear this up with everyone!" Anne took off, leaving Sprig and Ivy behind.
The two friends bursted laughing at Anne's face before hoping after her.
Randy held back Maddie's father as Sprig and Ivy explained things to Hop Pop and Sylvia. After having to hold back the baker and stopping him from murdering both Hop Pop and Sylvia, he was just happy that the two kids found a way to clear things out. Though he couldn't help but wonder why Anne kept avoiding his gaze. Probably something to ask later on.
"And that's why we just want to stay friends," Ivy explained.
"Well, I suppose we did get blinded by the business possibilities and financial security," Hop Pop said. "I'm sorry Sprig, I shouldn't have pushed you to this."
"Ahem," Mr. Baker cleared his throat.
"And we probably should've broken the other arrangement first, too." Hop Pop laughed sheepishly.
"Yeah, sorry, Mr. Baker, but I do not feel ready for such a commitment with Maddie," Sprig apologised.
"I suppose you're right, kid," Mr. Baker said. "But you are still apologising to my little girl face to face about ending the engagement. She deserves that much."
"S-Sure," Sprig shrunk in fear of the frog before he left.
"I'm sorry too, Ivy. You're still too young to think about this stuff." Sylvia took Ivy and headed back to their home. "I'll make it up to you back home."
"Thanks mom." Ivy turned around, waving goodbye to Sprig and the others. "Bye Sprig!"
"Bye Ivy!" He waved back with a color on his cheeks.
"You like her now, don't you?" Anne asked.
"Yeah, I kinda do," Sprig replied.
Randy sighed at the development. He inwardly thanked his lucky stars that tomorrow they would be out of Wartwood and away from any romantic subplots.
The group saddled up on top of Bessie and made their way out of Wartwood. Randy spent the time catching up on some lessons on the Ninjanomicon but he kept an eye open for anything regarding the Calamity Box as well as the powers that Anne had obtained. But so far there was very little on either subject. It didn't help that Anne and Sprig were groaning all the way to the archives.
"What is it, you two?" Randy asked.
"Why are we going to a library of all things?" Sprig asked. "Doesn't Randy know everything we need to know about the outside world?"
"Yeah, besides I'm more of a magazine girl than a book girl. Can't Randy just tell us what to expect from the outside?" Anne asked.
Hop Pop rolled his eyes at the laziness of the two kids.
"Because, the pass clears up in about two weeks and we need to be prepared. What would you do if Randy wasn't around?" Hop Pop asked. "We need to be ready for all the dangers outside the valley. Come on gang, how are we gonna get Anne home if we don't know what we're up against. We need to know what to do if we run into a poisonous critter like a venomous snake fly. Or bitten to death by a camouflaged sod skink. Or crushed to death by a sand liger." Hop Pop counted off as the creatures he spoke off were taken out one by one.
"Okay, okay, enough death talk already," Anne said. "Sometimes I think you guys are obsessed."
"Not to mention that these archives could tell us more about the Calamity Box and your powers, Anne," Randy mentioned. "Unless you wanna keep trying different stunts to get them to work?"
"Okay, so the giant boulder wasn't my best idea," Anne groaned as they arrived at the town archives.
The entrance was only a small door with a few steps going down to the archives. It was hidden from sight as per the specifications of the owner and curator of the building, thus ensuring their safety.
"Urg, the town archives." Sprig groaned as he fell down to the seat in the front of Bessie. "This place is dustier than Dusty's Dustbin."
"Who?" Polly asked.
"A friendly guy, always smiling, sells a lot of dust," Randy replied.
"Oh right, right," Polly nodded even though she had no idea who that was.
"Enough chatter, you four." Hop Pop opened the way into the archives.
Anne secretly hoped that there were some zoobooks and manga that she could read. But that was wishful thinking in Amphibia. Unless there were some frog versions of Dragon Ball Z, Demon Slayer or My Hero Academia. Then again, she did want to learn more about her powers and how she could summon them at will. If only just so she could help out Randy more in defending the town from dangers and threats.
There was no going around it, she wanted to help him and maybe get some more time with him. Ivy's tease had gotten to her and she was probably looking for some more quality time with him over some books.
"Urgh, come on, Hop Pop, we don't need some dumb research," Sprig said. "We should be jumping into danger and facing whatever comes our way. Go in and figure things out. You know, learn to swim by jumping into the river? Now that's where I thrive."
Randy pulled Sprig's hat over his head, in a playful manner. He understood the desire to explore and head out into the unknown while thinking he knew best. But his grandpa made sure to beat that mentality out of him for the most part.
And Hop Pop looked like he was about to do the same.
"Oh really? Tell me, how has jumping into danger been working out for you as of late?" Hop Pop asked.
The group remembered their last four off screen adventures quite vividly.
Anne and Sprig jumped behind a large boulder as Randy battled a giant mole yokai. The large beast blasted fire through its nose with a roar of defiance. Randy held up his sword, blocking the blames but he was still pushed back by the intensity of the flames. One of the beast's massive paws swatted him back at the rock Anne and Sprig were hiding behind. It fired another blast of fire at him, just as Anne and Sprig pulled him behind the giant rock.
"We're gonna die!" Anne cried out.
The ground clung to the edge of a cliff trying to reach Hop Pop and Anne's phone. With the battery dead, there was no way for her to recover her pictures or all that she knew. The marathon of Suspicion Island had drained her battery and the revelation that Hop Pop had watched the whole series was too much to handle. And now the old frog was getting electrocuted by the Zappapeeds.
We gotta pull him up as soon as you grab him!" Randy called.
"Why-?!" Anne didn't get a chance to ask.
A powerful electric current passed through all of them like a living cable.
"A phone can't be worth this much?!" Polly screamed.
"It is!" Anne and Hop Pop both screamed while being electrocuted.
Bessie slid down the muddy mountain as a pack of rabid hedgehogs chased after them. The idea of a joy ride had gotten them lost and surrounded by a large back of vicious beasts they now had to get away from. Randy kicked and punched at the hedgehogs as Anne and Sprig tried to maintain Bessie on the right side. They approached the road below but thanks to the mud, they slid on it without control.
"Please tell me you found something in Bessie's book!" Randy landed a backflip kick on a black hedgehog beast, sending it back.
"Yes, I found something!" Anne pulled on the reins. "Bessie, things are getting messy!"
Bessie sped up, moving faster than a locomotive with the aid of the mud and her slime.
The boost in speed knocked Randy and Sprig off of the snail. Randy swung his scarf at Bessie, grabbing hold of her shell before they were left behind to fight off the pack of beasts.
"Did you get to the part about the breaks?!" Randy held on for dear life.
"I can't feel my face!" Sprig called out.
"Ha, amateurs!" Mrs. Croaker passed them on her ladybug with a mocking laugh.
"How did we end up like this?!" Randy looked up in horror.
Randy, Anne, Sprig, Polly and Hop Pop were all tied up in the middle of a field as a massive skunk approached them. They could only scream at the sight of the beast and how it was raising its tail at them.
"No, no, no!"
Their eyes were wide as they did their damndest to forget the rest of that adventure in particular.
"I can still smell the skunk." Polly shivered.
"So many tomato juice baths and my scarf still reeked for a week," Randy groaned at the memory.
"Research it is." Anne pulled Randy and Polly to the archives.
Sprig wasn't all that convinced. Sure those adventures were messy, but at least they found ways to get better for the future. It was crazy, but that was what all adventures should be. Research was just a waste.
"Come on, guys, some adventure never killed anyone," Sprig argued.
"Sprig, this isn't just leaving the valley, this is to find a way to help Anne get home, see if we can learn about the Calamity Box and stop the Sorcerer from ever using them," Randy explained. "Plus, remember when I told you about the stone I had to cut? At least we don't have to do that this time."
"Come on, Sprig, this is going to be dangerous and we need to be prepared for anything." Anne turned only to hit her head on the entrance. "Ow."
Sprig rolled his eyes like any ten-year-old that was told that he needed to read books. The tales Hop Pop and Randy had told him were too exciting for him to ignore.
The group walked down the stone steps all the way down. They easily walked down two flights of stairs until they came across a big open oak door with a golden sign that read 'Town Archives'. They went inside, finding themselves in what could only be described as a massive library with mushroom lanterns giving it a mystical feel to it.
But above all else, there were lots of books. Lots and lots of books from all manner of subjects and possible topics across Amphibia. There were enough books to fill two floors of a huge library. The floor was hardwood with a few dusty sofas where anyone could sit and read to their heart's content. The tables nearby were old but very much well taken care off to fully sell the old study look the archives had going for it. There was a painting of an old green newt hanging by the room's fireplace.
"Whoa, look at this place," Anne gasped in shock.
"Welcome to the old town archives, Anne," Randy said.
"This place is full of lots of books and knowledge about the outside world. Some say that this place is seconded only by the libraries in Newtopia," Hop Pop said as they went deeper into the archives. "And look over there, the sun dial." He pointed to a strange contraption with different mirrors bouncing the light of the sun. "The light hits the crystal on top of the door activating the mechanism that keeps the door open for any visitors. We should be good for at least a few more hours."
"Why just a few hours?" Anne asked.
"Because once there's no more sunlight, the mechanism will close the door and lock it," Hop Pop explained. "That's how this beauty has remained intact for so many years."
Sprig noticed an inscription under the portrait of the old green newt. He blew the dust off of it before reading it out loud.
"'This here is the old home of Mycroft Newtback, keeper of the archives and seeker of knowledge far and wide. His home became the official Historical Wartwood Town Archives after his death as he left for a visit to his old home of Newtopia. He died due to being unprepared as he left the valley.'" Sprig finished reading.
The irony did not escape the gang. If someone so knowledgeable as Mycroft was killed by the dangers outside the valley, then they really had to get their head in the game.
"I'm gonna go look at some books," Anne said.
"I'll check some stuff on some healing plants," Hop Pop said.
"I'm not dying without taking a few things with me." Polly hopped after some books.
"I'll start looking for stuff on the box upstairs." Randy jumped to the upper floor.
"Yeah, I'll do that too," Sprig said, following behind him.
It wasn't long before everyone had grabbed at least one book in hand and were deep in research. The archives had a vast collection of books on different subjects, from history to weapons, from architecture to the life of kings, from plants to yokai species, from wars to historical taxes. That last one was particularly thick for one topic. Hop Pop got his hands on some books on the older than the old ways and interesting topics about old methods. Polly got her hands on a book that delved into the long history of weapons and weapons usage. Anne was looking over all the different dangerous yokai that had been recorded over the course of Amphibia's known history. Sprig aimlessly flipped page after page in search of something interesting, but he wasn't even paying attention to it. Randy searched for any book that had information on mystic weapons and items using the Ninjanomicon as a source of ancient knowledge comparison.
Randy flipped through the pages of his ancient family book. He read everything that the Norushi ancestors had written about cursed weapons and mystical items. The drawings in the Ninjanomicon showed the pictures of ancient yokai implanting their energy into weapons to grant them some of their powers. Whole others showed ancient rituals in which Mystic Warriors forged weapons using their own power to give the weapons a greater power. It made him wonder how many of his grandfather's ancestors imbued their power into the sword he carried with him.
But going back to the book he was looking at, it didn't go too deeply into the methods of the weapon creation. But there were several tales on some legendary weapons.
"Hey, Randy, found anything?" Sprig asked.
"More or less," Randy replied. "There are a lot of legendary weapons, some mystical in nature but nothing to do with the box. Some of them are impressive, this one the spear, was called "The Water Ghost." Randy showed Sprig the picture. "The newt that wielded it was a general of the Newtopian Army around 600 years ago named Mitsuki. According to the book, it allowed Mitsuki to teleport in what can only be described as watery bursts wherever he threw his spear." Randy pointed to the drawn pictures that showed a newt turning into water and appearing right where the spear had been thrown.
"Awesome! Is it here?" Sprig asked. "Is it stronger than your fire sword? Let's test it out!"
"The spear was actually destroyed back when Mitsuki was attempting to flee an enemy ambush 580 years ago," Randy finished the page that showed Mitsuki being struck down in combat.
"Aw man!" Sprig groaned, going away. "What's the point of hearing about awesome weapons and warriors only to see that they're long gone."
Sprig spotted Anne reading another book. He got an idea and rushed to her side to get her attention.
Anne flipped another page, flinching at the sight of a frog figure getting bitten in the eye by a plant.
"Definitely going to keep an eye out for that thing," Anne said only for Sprig's hand plopped on the page.
Sprig had drawn two goofy eyes on his hand, making it talk.
"Hey Anne, what'cha doing?" Sprig made a funny acute voice as his hand moved like a pair of lips.
"Dude, get off the book. This is important," Anne chuckled. "Got to be ready to know what to do with a viper plant."
Sprig groaned.
"You won't know what to do against a plant from a book," Sprig said. "We need to jump at the deep end and find a way to fight back. You know, learn through experience."
"I would love that if we were in a videogame and not risking our own lives," Anne said. "And that's a lot coming from a girl that has a very bad relationship with most teachers. Here, try looking for a way to avoid a liger attack." Anne handed Sprog a book, much to his reluctance.
Anne honestly couldn't help but feel for the young frog. She could count on both her hands the amount of times her own teachers scolded her for slacking off and 'not living up to her full potential'. It bugged her to always have to work hard and do the extra steps that everyone either ignored or did because they knew they could. She liked the easy way out and that was cool as far as she knew, right?
Her mind drifted to all the training and practicing that Randy had helped her do and how she often had him telling her to get better. To try harder. To be the Anne he knew she could be. It was an off topic thought but the more she looked at how Sprig acted, all bored and uninterested, it made her remember the same attitude she had with her own teachers. It was a strange feeling that she needed to confront. Or at least discuss with the only other human that was around.
"Hey, mind if I sit here?" Anne asked.
"Oh sure, not having much luck on my own anyway," Randy said. "Learning from books was never my strong suit. How are you with your research?"
"About as terrifying as you might guess for a C to B average student," Anne shrugged. "So, not great. Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, I could use it for a break from the books." Randy closed the book he was reading before rubbing his eyes. "What's up?"
"Okay, so, you ever had strict teachers or teachers in general that told you that you need to start doing the work you don't want to?" Anne asked. "Like paying attention in class, doing your homework or that sort of junk?"
Randy blinked thinking about it a little. His grandpa had been thorough at teaching him the basics of history, paying attention, math and proper writing. But he never thought of it as junk. If anything, he found it a bit annoying but his grandpa always told him it was worth it. Sarutobi was strict as they came and often punished slackers. But he didn't think it was what Anne was saying.
"Is this one of those Earth things that I would get if I lived there longer?" Randy asked.
"Well, yes and no, that depends on the kind of student you would be," Anne shrugged. "It's just, I was never a good student. It didn't help that my teachers didn't like me and always told me to do boring stuff. I bet your teachers weren't that demanding."
"...Anne, I ran deadly obstacle courses for breakfast and trained under a military culture for three years. My training was fiercer than any angry teacher." Randy shot Anne a look that broke her argument completely. "Heck, there were days I couldn't even get up from the pain of the training."
"Yeah, but that's to become a Mystic Warrior, not to go to college or keep up grades and all that stuff." Anne looked away. "I bet your teachers would be no different than mine if you knew what I was talking about."
Randy looked down in thought. His education had been less than ideal for what Anne had told him. But it didn't change how he had to push himself to become what he wanted to be and what his grandfather and Sarutobi believed he could be. Heck, even Howard-
A thought crossed his mind.
"You know, you kinda remind me of my buddy Howard," Randy said. "He also got a bad experience with teachers. Told me that they always called him weakling and a coward for not doing what they told him. That he wouldn't get anywhere."
"Same here! That's what I've been through!" Anne pointed. "Always with those disappointed looks that make you feel bad and all you can do is push them away with other stuff." She pouted.
"You didn't let me finish. Yeah, he was called that. But when he got to the tower, Sarutobi noticed his skills and potential," Randy explained. "Howard's mind for strategy, knowledge and the way others thought were his biggest asset. Sarutobi often challenged him to figure out different problems and come up with strategies on the fly. Those weren't acts of someone that didn't believe in him, he knew he was talented and helped him reach his true potential. Same with me. He saw that I had everything to prove, so he put challenges on my path to rise above them. Even when I lost, he still helped me learn the lesson."
Anne looked at Randy with wonder, not knowing what he was getting to but enthralled all the same.
"So what are you saying?"
"Maybe your teachers were trying to help. Maybe they believed you could do great things if you set your mind to it," Randy clarified. "Look at all you've done so far. Where you are. Don't tell me it isn't much more intense than something like high school."
Anne did recount all the crazy adventures she'd had up until that point, how she had to learn quickly and adapt to survive. Heck, she was never a physical slacker but now she could do any PE exercise with ease. It was a bit of an eye opener.
"You're kinda right." Anne felt better about herself.
"You don't lack strength or drive Anne, all you need is some more focus," Randy said. "Trust me, you can do great things if you put your mind to it." He gave her a thumbs up and a smile.
Her face blushed as she looked at his smiling face. Even with all the fierce training and life he had to live, he was still just a kid like her. She didn't know how far she would've made it if Randy wasn't by her side. Driven, strong, kind and pretty funny. Hell, Anne bet her parents would approve of him the second they met him.
…Why did she think that?
She shook her head before giving Randy a thumbs up of her own.
"You really are one of a kind, Randy," Anne said.
"So they've told me," Randy replied. "Come on, let's see if we can find something in these archives." Randy handed her another book.
"And here I thought you were only supposed to give chocolates and flowers to girls you like," Anne joked. "But I guess since we're not dating, I can look past it."
Now it was Randy's turn to blush as she took the book from his hand. Maybe there was something about being more human.
Sprig was so bored. Researching and reading books for information was not the way of an adventurer like him. He wanted to jump into danger and face off against the unknown. He wanted to go and save the day like all those adventures he'd heard about. If only his family could understand what he was saying. These books were okay but they weren't going to prepare them for the true action that was out there. What surprised him more was that Randy wasn't helping him get his point across.
If only there was a chance to show that jumping in and solving things at the moment was the way to go. Danger didn't wait for you to learn things. It attacked you and you were either fight or flight.
He was so bored out of his mind that he didn't notice a statue in front of him.
"Ow, what the?" Sprig looked up to see a strange wooden statue of a furry creature.
It was about as tall as Randy, with a body like a hamster with a demonic snarling face. Its fangs were long and sharp like daggers that could puncture and tear apart flesh like it was nothing. It had long feathers coming out from its forehead with two narrow eyes right under them. Its paws were covered in scales and with sharp claws meant for quick sprints and climbs up any surface.
"Man, that's one ugly pet," Sprig said before noticing a scripture and symbols by the base of the statue. "'Ancestral guardian of the archives and the Newtback home. Commanded to protect the archives against any and all intruders.' Meh, what's a dumb statue gonna protect?" Sprig turned away, spotting the crystal by the entrance. "Hm, idea."
It was almost thirty minutes later, but the gang had decided to call it a day.
"So, did you kids find anything interesting?" Hop Pop asked.
"Sadly nothing about a music box," Randy groaned. "The Nomicon had even more stuff than most of the books."
"I learned that there are three variants in the morningstar family," Polly hopped with a smile.
"I really want to sleep after all that reading," Anne said before she crashed with the closed door. "What the? Hey, why is the door closed?"
"What?" Randy pulled on the door but to no avail. "That's impossible. The sun's still up."
"Look!" Hop Pop pointed to the top of the door. "The glass for the sun timer is gone!"
Everyone looked up and it was true. The mirror glass was missing and sunlight was passing through to the gears, which meant that nothing was keeping the door open. The gang was now trapped inside the archives without any way of leaving.
"What happened to the glass?" Polly asked. "Did anyone touch it?!"
"No, none of us were near it," Anne said. "But then who?"
Someone cleared their throat. Though they had a good idea who it was.
Sprig was sitting suspiciously on top of a shelf.
"Maybe someone wants to prove that learning by jumping into action is the best way to test us," Sprig said in a mysterious tone before going back to his usual self. "It was me. I did it."
"Sprig!" Everyone snapped at the young frog and with good reason.
"Give us the glass now!" Polly snapped.
"Why would you do that?" Randy asked.
"Because, these books aren't gonna prepare us for the real world." Sprig hopped down to the group. "The danger is gonna come at us when we least expect it and we will have to use our wits and skills to get out of these situations. Like how would we survive in a situation like this one."
"Sprig, you wanna know how back at the tower we would deal with someone that locked us in a room and then told us while being in the same room?" Randy asked with a serious voice.
"Not sure I want to with that tone-"
Randy throttled Sprig with his hands. He shook the little frog like a squeaky toy with ease. Sprig's eyes and tongue popped out with each shake. It was almost like seeing an elephant shaking an ant with little effort.
"No, Randy!" Polly hopped in before strangling Sprig herself. "You're being too gentle!"
"Guys, enough!" Anne pulled Sprig out of their reach before glaring at the little frog. "Sprig, hand over the glass. NOW!"
"Okay, okay, experience met and bested." Anne dropped Sprig before he stuffed his hand in his pocket. "Now, it should be here. Oh uh." Sprig's hand went through his pocket.
There was a hole in the pocket.
"Sprig!" Everyone snapped with Hop Pop barely holding Polly back from strangling her brother.
"Okay, okay, it's bound to be here. Just give me a minute to look for-" Sprig walked around searching for the glass.
Until he heard a crack under his foot. He looked down and saw the glass broken under his foot.
"It-It's fine, look." Sprig carefully picked up the shards of glass between his hands. "There, there, there we go." Sprig picked it up to his face… before sneezing at the pieces.
Everyone looked in shock at what Sprig had done. The glass that was going to get them out was now gone and they were trapped.
"So, we're killing him now, right?" Polly asked. "I get first dibs."
"No." Randy, Anne and Hop Pop all said.
Sprig was starting to think that his plan wasn't the best idea.
"Okay, so what do we do now?" Anne asked.
"Don't worry, we just need to wait for someone else to come here and open the door," Hop Pop said. "Look, all we need to do is keep calm. According to the log, the last person to come over to the archives was… three months ago."
The revelation made everyone feel like the room had dropped in temperature.
"Okay, I'll be chopping the door off now." Randy unsheathed his fire sword quickly.
Randy approached the door, taking a deep breath as the sword ignited. It wasn't what the sword was meant to do but they weren't going to stay there a moment longer. He aimed his sword at the door before thrusting forwards. But the sword never touched the wood of the door.
It happened so fast, but something blocked Randy's sword, pushing him back with a powerful kick.
Randy was sent back, catching himself before he landed on his back.
"Randy!" Anne called out as whatever attacked Randy charged at him from the shadows.
Randy heard the claws on the wooden floor running towards him. He spun on his heel, swinging his sword to meet the claws before they struck him. The attacker tried once more to slash at Randy, but the blade blocked the attack. Randy didn't know what was attacking him but they were fast and weren't holding back. He barely caught the sight of a pair of glowing red eyes before he got a kick to the stomach once more.
He slammed into Anne, knocking her back.
"Everyone up!" Hop Pop grabbed both Polly and Sprig and jumped to the second floor.
Anne helped Randy to his feet before running with the frogs as the mysterious creature snarled at them from the shadows. They jumped on to one of the shelves as the Plantars helped them up.
"What is that thing?" Polly asked.
"I don't know. But whatever it is, it ain't friendly!" Anne searched the area for any signs of movement. "Did a wild animal sneak in?"
"No, there aren't any normal animals that fight like that," Randy said, hearing the creature scurrying from side to side, circling them around like a shark. "It has scaly hands and legs. But the size and ferocity don't match any reptiles. It has to be a yokai of some kind."
"But why show up now?" Hop Pop asked. "These things only show up when someone or something disturbs them."
"There!" Polly snapped as the creature jumped out of the shadows.
It was big, covered in white fur with glowing red eyes, a big mouth full of teeth and purple feathers coming out from above its eyes. It lunged right at Randy, its jaws biting down on the sword, pinning him down to the top of the shelf. The yokai's glowing eyes peered into his soul, but Randy held strong.
Anne swung her racket at the yokai, hitting it hard just in time for the Plantars to knock it off of Randy.
"What the heck is that?!" Anne snapped as the yokai hissed at them from the shadows.
"It looks like that ugly statue I saw," Sprig said.
"What ugly statue?" Randy asked.
"That one right-" Sprig's words died down as he pointed to where he saw the statue, only to see it gone. "It was right there."
Randy connected the dots.
"It's a guardian yokai." Randy's eyes narrowed as the yokai scurried in the shadows.
"Like the one in your old home?" Anne asked. "But it looks nothing like it."
"Guardians don't all look the same. But they all have the same goal." Randy looked for a way out. "This one must be tasked with protecting the archives and it woke up when I tried to cut down the door."
"Oh so we can thank Sprig for locking us inside an enclosed location with a rabid monster?!" Polly wanted to strangle her brother a lot more now.
"We need to get out of here," Randy said. "Guardians are bound to a location."
"Like a wild animal's territory." Hop Pop connected. "But how are we gonna get out? The door is a no go and there's no way we could dig our way out!"
"Wait, the mechanism needed sunlight to work!" Sprig remembered.
"Yeah, we know genius!" Polly snapped.
"Which means there's a spot where the sun comes in from!" Sprig pointed to where the skylight was.
It was a longshot but that was the only way out that the gang had. The only issue was how high the skylight was from them and the guardian keeping them pinned down.
"Someone needs to get that thing distracted while someone goes through the skylight." Randy kept his eyes on the guardian as it growled at him
"And given you are the Mystic Warrior in training you'll do that, right?" Anne sighed as Randy jumped at the guardian yokai. "Why does doing the heroic thing look so hot?"
"No time to answer that, let's get to the skylight!" Hop Pop and the rest of the group ran down the shelf.
Randy took in a deep breath as his sword clashed with the guardian yokai's claws. The blow was so strong that it almost knocked him off balance. But Randy landed down on the ground with a skid. The yokai turned and growled back at him before scurrying after him like a hungry rat chasing after a piece of cheese.
Randy ran through the archives, sliding between the shelves of books to keep the yokai guessing. Every step he took was fast and a testament to the years of ninja training that were under his belt. But the guardian yokai knew these halls way better than him. As soon as Randy took a sharp turn, the yokai was already upon him.
Randy grabbed hold of an edge of a bookshelf, turning his body as the yokai's claws swung at him. He narrowly dodged the attack. Sliding down on the hardwood floor, Randy spun back to his feet before wrapping his scarf around the yokai's body. The guardian struggled against Randy's restraints while he planted his feet on the floor. The small yokai might've been small and furry but it was as strong as it was hard to control. Randy held on to his scarf tightly as the yokai tried to make a run for it.
The strength of the yokai was enough to drag Randy behind it like a crazy giant dog pulling a little kid behind.
"How are we doing?!" Randy bounced on the floor as the guardian dragged him along.
"Almost there!" Hop Pop called out from on top of a makeshift tower made up of all the random stuff lying around the archives. "Anne, can you reach it?!"
"Almost got it!" Anne reached up to the skylight, grabbing hold of the entrance. "I got it!"
Anne's words were heard by the yokai. It turned to look at Anne, who gave it a sheepish smile. Letting out a roar fit for a tiger, the yokai charged at the tower. Randy dug his feet on the floor trying to stop it. But the yokai stopped all on its own. It turned its body, flinging Randy straight at Anne.
They collided hard, bringing down the whole tower with the strength of the blow. The two humans crashed back down to the floor with Randy landing under Anne with a groan. However, Randy's face was met with a very soft surface.
"Ow, that little guy packs a punch," Anne groaned before hearing a muffle sound under her.
She looked down and saw Randy's face between her breasts. Not that she minded that much.
"Really? Now?" Anne asked herself.
The yokai pounced at them with its jaws open to bite her head off.
Randy grabbed Anne and rolled her out of the way. The yokai missed Anne's head by an inch, but it was close enough for Anne to feel its warm breath close to her neck.
Randy was now on top of Anne as the yokai crashed against the wall.
"You okay?" Randy asked.
"With you? Always." Anne blushed.
"Um, Anne, we're kind of in the middle of something," Randy said. "Could you get your hand off?"
Anne looked down, noticing that her hand was on his butt. Her face lit up at the feeling she had just experienced.
"Sorry." Anne let out before the yokai lunged at them once more.
Randy pulled Anne out of the way just in time for her to kick the yokai in the face. But it felt like hitting a car. The kick sent them back and away from the guardian. Randy pulled out his sword, aiming it at the yokai as it growled at them.
"We can't keep this up. This thing is too strong and fast." Randy and Anne stuck together as they kept their eyes focused on the yokai.
"We can't get back to the skylight with it around." Anne kept her eyes on the monster as it stalked them like a big jungle cat. "Why couldn't Mycroft's house not have been up on the surface with windows to jump out of?!"
Sprig's eyes went wide as he heard Anne say those words.
"Wait, if this was someone's house, then there must be plumbing!" Sprig had an eureka moment. "If there was plumbing then there must be pipes!"
Sprig snatched one of the books on plumbing. He quickly flipped through the pages as Hop Pop and Polly tossed things at the yokai guardian as it growled like a tiger trying to fight off its prey.
Sprig looked over the blueprints of the house and ran to where the bathroom was. It was disgusting but it was the only thing he could think of to get them out of there. He jumped into the toilet and swam through the pipes that connected the house to the rest of the Wartwood plumbing.
While Sprig swam through sewage and nasty stuff, Randy and Anne kept their stance to keep the beast back. It lunged at them, but Anne tossed a large book at the yokai. The book hit it in the face, giving them a chance to jump out of the way.
The yokai turned around and tried again once more, only this time Randy ran to match him.
"Norushi Style Fire Breathing! Flowing Fire River!" Randy's fire sword lit up with flames trailing behind his moves.
He moved like a river, striking at the yokai's fangs and claws. The sword cut right through them like a knife through butter. The yokai fell to the floor, growling in pain and rage at the damage.
"I don't want to hurt you. I know you're only doing your job," Randy said. "But I will defend myself and my friends!" Randy got ready to attack once more.
The yokai growled as its fangs and claws regrew before Randy's eyes.
"Okay that's just cheating!" Anne snapped as she held up a chair to fight back.
The beast attacked once more with Randy attacking him once more. Using the speed of his breathing, he matched the guardian's moves.
Randy sliced off the yokai's arm combining the speed of the Norushi Style and the flames of his sword. But the arm reattached itself almost as fast. Anne slammed the chair on top of the yokai's head, but it wasn't even phased.
The yokai growled at the young girl, who chuckled sheepishly.
The door to the archives was slammed open.
"Guys! Time to go!" Sprig called from the other side of the door, dripping water from his body.
Randy grabbed Anne, running at top speed towards the door as the yokai charged after them. He grabbed Srpig and made for the stairs. They climbed up the stairs with the yokai clawing after them. The door to the outside world was in front of them and with one final jump, they made it through.
They turned to see the guardian yokai about to reach for them when Hop Pop slammed the door in its face.
"And that concludes our visit to the archives!" Hop Pop gasped, covered in water.
"Hop Pop, how did you get out of here first?" Anne asked.
"We followed Sprig through the pipes," Polly replied, dripping water.
"I've seen things," Hop Pop looked traumatized.
Everyone let out a breath of relief after getting out of that ordeal.
"Well, that was an awesome adventure wasn't it?" Sprig asked.
…And then everyone remembered what Sprig had done.
Randy smacked Sprig in the head.
"Ow! What was that for?" Sprig asked. "Doesn't this prove that jumping in is the best way to learn things?"
"We didn't jump, dude, you pushed us!" Anne snapped. "You locked us in an underground building with a rabid monster!"
"I didn't know that was going to happen, I just thought-" Sprig tried to make up an excuse.
"Sprig, I get that you want to go and explore, but what you did was beyond stupid!" Randy snapped. "You put everyone at risk, that's not something any warrior or protector should ever do!"
Sprig looked down in shame. His little exercise almost got them killed and now everyone was angry. And they had every right to be.
Hop Pop grabbed his shoulder to calm him down.
"This journey out of the valley is important to all of us, Sprig," Hop Pop said. "But we need to take this carefully. There's a lot at stake here. Not just the normal threats but with the Sorcerer still on the loose and what we don't know about the box. We can't take any chances."
Anne decided it was time to add her own two cents.
"Sprig, look, I get it, I'm not the biggest studying fan out there. I love adventures as much as you," Anne said, kneeling to him. "But this is bigger than me. It could also affect my friends and it could be the only way I can see my folks again. So, even if I don't like it, I will do things I don't like to get there."
"Alright, I promise not to pull those stunts again," Sprig said. "I'm sorry for pushing you to that mess."
"As nice as all this is, we should get home," Polly said. "I need a long bath here."
The group made their way to Bessie only for Anne to pull Randy back for a sec, far away from the ears of the Plantars.
"Hey Randy, about what happened inside the archives…" Anne blushed as she remembered what happened.
Randy instantly blushed.
"Oh, sorry about that. You can punch me if you want to." Randy scratched the back of his head, preparing for the punch.
"No, no, no, I mean, I grabbed your toned ass so I think that makes us even!" Anne frantically shook her hands with a bright red blush on her face. "I meant the pep talk. I guess when faced with a lot of stereotypes of teachers from movies and cartoons and shows, and my attitude, I guess I didn't think some of them wanted to help me. Sure would've loved having someone like your grandpa and Sarutobi to help me like they did you."
"Eh, don't think they were all bruce all the time," Randy said. "They made it hard for me whenever I was acting like a shoob."
Anne couldn't help but laugh at Randy's own made up lingo. It was so juvenile and so crazy and yet it was all him. She loved how he was so unapologetically himself and still was willing to go over 100 percent on whatever he did, be it becoming a mystic warrior or helping others. She really loved that about him. Didn't hurt he was hot.
She froze on the spot.
Did she have feelings for Randy Cunningham?