Arc 4: Gem Journey
Chapter 31: The First Temple
On most mornings, breakfast at the Plantar table was a regular affair. This morning, however, saw a bit more excitement than usual for two reasons. The first was that Luz Noceda, Anne's final friend who had been transported to Amphibia with her, was with them. The other was a reason that Anne was particularly glad for as she bit into her pancakes.
"Who knew there was a bug that tasted just like chocolate?!" exclaimed Anne in delight. "Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?!"
"So I take it you've had to adopt some of the local cuisines into your diet?" asked Luz playfully.
"Yes," replied Anne in a deadpan voice. "How about you?"
"Well, for the first few days, after I got taken in by Uodeela, I tried to stick to eating only vegetables and bread," said Luz, "but it turns out the human body needs protein, and here… Well, there's only one real way to get it. I think I've become partial to crickets."
"Oh yeah, me too," said Anne. "Think I even have one stuck between my teeth from last night."
"The first time I tried bugs was when Lilly and I shared a Cricket Pie," recounted Luz. "We bought it from a stall in town one night and decided to share it. It actually wasn't that bad. I think the veggies and the crust help to complement the cricket taste. These pancakes are bomb, though!"
"Hop Pop, you never let us have choco-pede pancakes. What's going on?" asked Polly.
"Well, I figure today is a special occasion," said Hop Pop. "What, with Luz staying with us, I figure we all deserve a nice breakfast."
"Ahhh, thanks so much," said Luz. "I really do appreciate it!"
"You're welcome, Luz," said Hop Pop, bringing over another plate of pancakes. "Please make yourself at home."
"So, Luz," began Sprig before asking a series of questions, "can you perform curses like Maddie? What was it like fighting against the toads? Also, what was Uodeela really like?"
"Sprig, she's eating right now. Don't bother her," warned Hop Pop.
"I'm mostly done, so it's no big deal," replied Luz. "Well, I guess I know how to make a curse, though I've never actually tried cursing anyone before. I did learn quite a few potions. Fighting the toads was scary, as they seem to enjoy inflicting pain."
"Tell me about it," added Anne, glancing at her arm, the one that had been broken by Fens months ago.
"As for Uodeela…" Luz paused before answering, "Deep down, she really is a sweetie. She never really told us the full details, but I know something bad happened to her in the past. Despite that, she still tries to do the right thing. She's also a great teacher who was very patient teaching us potions, and she also taught me how to control—"
Luz quickly stopped as she realized she had almost revealed her magic powers. Anne and the Plantars gave her a look but thankfully didn't press her any further about what she had said.
"What did she teach you to control?" asked Sprig.
"Oh, uh, she taught me to control my temper," said Luz unconvincingly. "Yeah, that's what she taught me."
"I don't remember you having a temper problem," said Anne.
"My first few days living here were pretty rough," replied Luz.
Anne was about to respond to that when she heard a sound from outside. It sounded like a bird screeching. With that, Anne, Luz, and the Plantars went outside to investigate.
They were greeted by a strange sight as a bird descended from the sky to land in front of them. It wasn't a normal bird, though, as it had armor and a helm on it. Furthermore, it had what looked to be a saddle for a rider on it, though the saddle was filled with books.
"AHHH!" screamed Hop Pop. "A monster bird ridden by a pile of books! Wait, what?"
At that moment, Marcy Wu popped out from under the books to greet everyone.
"Hiya, Plantar family!" she greeted.
"Marcy!" they all said, Luz in particular stepping forward from the group to take in the sight of Marcy. She was wearing new clothes, boots, and a cloak. She looked just like a character from Creatures and Caverns.
Marcy got off the bird (or rather, fell) and began to talk. "Big news, everyone. I finished my preparations for…" Marcy trailed off as she finally noticed Luz among the group.
"Luz," said Marcy slowly.
"Marcy," replied Luz, staring at her.
"Luz!" yelled Marcy as she ran straight towards Luz, throwing her arms open and tackling her in a hug. Luz and Marcy fell to the ground, but Luz didn't seem to mind.
"Oh, my gosh! It's really you!" exclaimed Marcy in delight as the two got up.
"Hey, Marcy," said Luz, getting emotional. "It's great to see you too! Anne said you were okay, but I'm glad I get to see you in the flesh for real."
"I'm so glad you're okay, Luz!" said Marcy, tears forming in her eyes. "I was so worried about you!" With that, the two friends hugged again, happy to be reunited.
"I have so many questions for you," began Marcy. "But before any of that… How are you doing?" She glanced between Luz and Anne, subtly trying to imply what she meant.
"I'm good, and so is Anne," said Luz.
"We had a nice long talk," added Anne, coming up to join the group, "and a nice, long cry, too. But that was for the best; Luz and I have made up, and we're good now." To emphasize this, Anne put her arm around Luz.
"Oh, that's so good to hear!" squealed Marcy in delight. With that, she wrapped her arms around both Anne and Luz, pulling them into a big hug. "I'm glad we're all friends again!"
"Me too," said Luz, smiling at both Anne and Marcy.
"Oh, and you got some new clothes too!" exclaimed Marcy as she took in the sight of Luz's new outfit. "That cloak suits you well! Makes you look like a wild witch!"
"Ha ha! Thanks! I have to admit this new look has grown on me, but the thing is, it wasn't even my idea," explained Luz. "Lilly, Gustav, and Amara made these for me before I left to go to Wartwood." She twirled around, showing off her new cloak and the various accessories she had.
"And this staff," began Luz, looking warmly at the staff. "It used to belong to Uodeela. They made some changes to it, but I'm glad they let me have it…" Luz trailed off, getting emotional as she remembered her teacher.
"Amara told us everything," said Marcy, coming up and putting her hands on Luz. "I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to her."
"Thanks, Marcy," said Luz in gratitude.
"Oh, and speaking of Amara," began Marcy, "I have something for you." She reached into her cloak and pulled out a sealed letter, handing it to Luz.
"Huh, a letter?" said a surprised Luz. She examined the letter, noticing it had a wax seal with what looked like a family crest on it.
"Amara wanted me to see how you were doing," said Marcy. "She's been helping me get ready for the journey."
Luz tore open the letter to see what Amara had written.
"Dear Luz,
I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. I hope you made it to Wartwood safely and were able to reunite with your friends. They both miss you terribly and can't wait to see you again.
As for me, I made it back to Newtopia and have been busy combing through the Royal Library, trying to find some way to cure Uodeela. As of the writing of this letter, I haven't yet found a viable cure, but I assure you that my resolve remains steadfast! Though I have had to balance the time I spend doing research with other duties that my mom has me doing. Sometimes, it's hard to find time to research cures with everything else I have to do.
I have managed to make a new friend. Her name is Bella, and she works in a hotel here in Newtopia. She's really fun to be around, and we've been trying to hang out at least once a week. I still miss you, Lilly, and Gustav a lot, but I'm glad I was able to make a new friend. I also recently reconnected with an old friend who just returned from service in the army. I had no idea that in all the time I hadn't seen her, she'd been promoted! She's now a general, or, I should say, the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the great Newtopian Army!
I've also been helping your friend Marcy prepare for her trip to meet with you and hopefully recharge the stones on that box. I hope your trip goes well and you succeed in making the box work again. Marcy has been asking me a lot of questions about magic and how it works, so I've shown her a bit of the basics, but I told her you could teach her too, seeing as you learned a lot in our time with Uodeela. She seemed really excited to hear about that.
Marcy said that once you get the box recharged, you will come back to Newtopia in order for the king to show you how the box works and send you home. I hope that means I'll get to see you one more time. If so, there was something I wanted to ask you, but I'll wait until I see you again, hopefully in person.
With all that said, I wish you well on your quest and hope you are able to brave the dangers of the temples!
Your Friend,
Amara Light"
Luz read through the letter and was filled with a warm feeling in her heart. She was glad to hear Amara had made it back safely, and even more glad that she had thought to write to her to let her know how she was doing.
"Good to know Amara is doing great," said Luz.
"She helped me get ready for the journey and helped me pick out some good books for research," said Marcy. "I like her."
"Hard to believe how different she is now from when I first met her," said Luz, "but that's a story for another time."
"In any case," began Anne, "Marcy, are you here about the box?"
"Yes, of course, the box!" said Marcy, remembering why she had come. "Well, you'll be glad to know I've finished my prep, and we're ready for the first temple!"
"No way! Awesome!" exclaimed Anne.
"I just need to see the music box, then it's go time, gang!" said Marcy. With that, she began to hype herself up. She punched the air while yelling, "Yeah!" The Plantars, Luz, and Anne all stared at her with blank expressions on their faces.
"Sorry," said Marcy, realizing they were watching her. "Long flight, lot of pent-up energy. Anyway, Music Box." She stretched out her hand to receive it.
Anne reached into her backpack and pulled out the music box, handing it to Marcy. Marcy took the music box and began to tap on it in various different places. The key in the box began to turn, and it let out a short melody. After that, the four gems that were housed on the top emerged from where they had been embedded so that they could be removed from the box. Marcy grabbed one gem and handed the box back to Anne.
Marcy spoke to the group, saying, "Well, we've got a big journey ahead, so I'll explain everything on the way. Come on, Joe. … Joe? Ahh! Joe Sparrow!"
The sparrow that Marcy had ridden on to get there had gone off and was now doing a dance for the Plantar's snail, Bessie. It must have been some form of mating dance, as the snail began to blush profusely.
"Leave that snail alone!" ordered Marcy as she ran up to Joe Sparrow. The sparrow relented and allowed Marcy, Luz, and Anne to climb on board.
"Kind of cramped up here," observed Anne as the three girls sat down. "Hey, Sprig, I think you'll have to sit on my lap."
"What about me?" asked Polly.
"You can sit with me," said Luz, placing Polly on her lap.
"Oh, so where do I sit?" asked Hop Pop sheepishly.
Although he was secure in the sparrow's claws, it didn't make the experience any more enjoyable, as Hop Pop screamed as he flew through the air.
"I'm starting to wonder if that was a good idea," asked Luz.
"Don't worry, Joe Sparrow has a very good grip," said Marcy.
"Honestly, it kind of looks like fun," said Sprig. "Let me try it next time."
"Sure, dude, if you say so. Oh, I bet it feels kinda like parasailing," said Anne.
"Anyway," began Marcy, "according to my research, these four ancient temples are filled with difficult challenges to keep out the unworthy. All we have to do is complete the challenges, and then we can recharge the stone."
"Nifty. So what kind of challenges are we talking?" asked Anne.
"This first temple is said to specifically challenge your intelligence, so I'm pretty sure it's full of puzzles." Suddenly, Marcy became very serious. "No frog, toad, or newt in history has been able to survive it."
"That's not very reassuring," said Luz in dismay.
"Don't worry, Luz," said Marcy, "none of them were Marcy Wu! Head of the Chess Club, master RTS player, straight-A student (except for gym, but only because I was reading in class, which only proves my point!)"
"That's all great, Marcy," began Anne, "but be careful. When you get this into something, you tend to tune everything else out."
"Oh, are you talking about the snake incident?" asked Luz.
"YES! The snake incident!" confirmed Anne in terror.
"Snake incident? That sounds bad," said Sprig. "What exactly happened?"
"You don't want to know!" said both Luz and Anne at the same time. "It was the worst Saturday of our lives!"
"In my defense, I was about to beat the new Flame Emblem game on Lunatic+ mode," answered Marcy, though Luz and Anne both glared at her to show they weren't amused.
Marcy let out a weak laugh to try to recover, "Guys, it's called being in the zone. It's pretty much my superpower."
Anne let out a sigh at this before continuing, "Okay, okay, just don't forget about us. This place is going to be dangerous, and we're here to help."
"Oh, please. Like I could forget about you," Marcy gestured towards Sprig and Polly, trying to remember their names. "Penny, sprout… Right?"
"Polly," said Polly
"Sprig," said Sprig.
"Oh… uh, the point is, I'm not gonna let you guys down," said Marcy.
"You know I wouldn't mind being let doooowwwwnnnn!" yelled Hop Pop as the sparrow suddenly dove to the ground.
When the sparrow was only a few feet from the ground, it threw Hop Pop out of its claws and into some trees and bushes that were scattered around. Hop Pop bounced around a few times before finally getting stuck in a tree. After that, the sparrow landed and allowed the rest of its occupants to disembark.
"Welcome to Amygdala Woods, everyone! Home to the first temple," said Marcy as she got off the sparrow.
As Luz looked around, she could see various trees that all looked like brains. At first, it was a bit unsettling, but as she got used to the sight, it became intriguing.
"Little help here?" called Hop Pop from where he was in the tree.
"Whoa! What are these things?" asked Sprig as he approached the tree where Hop Pop was, poking it with his finger.
"Gyromitra esculenta, also known as brain mushrooms," explained Marcy as she helped to free Hop Pop.
"Man, you really did learn a lot for this, didn't you, Marcy?" observed Luz. "With that brain of yours, we'll be back home in no time."
"Well, let's not rush things," said Marcy nervously. "I mean, since we have to go on a quest to recharge the stones, we may as well have fun, right?"
"Oh, for sure," said Luz. "You are right. I mean, when's the next time we'll all get to go on an adventure like this?"
"That's the spirit, Luz!" said Marcy, coming up and putting her arm around her.
"It does feel kind of on the nose that this forest is all full of brains for the intelligence temple," said Anne as she looked around.
"Speaking of temples, I think you way overhyped this place," said Polly as she pointed to what looked to be an outhouse.
"No, no, no, that's the temple," said Marcy, directing the group's attention to a rather impressive building.
The group let out a gasp as they took in the sight of the temple. It was a large stone structure that towered into the sky. Some mushrooms from the surrounding forest had grown on the temple itself. In the front was a large staircase that led up to the entrance. The staircase was flanked by two large waterfalls that dumped water into a sort of moat around the temple.
"Wow!" exclaimed Luz. "Feels like I'm really playing Legend of Hilda in real life."
"I know! Isn't this amazing?!" exclaimed Marcy as the group made their way up the stairs and towards the entrance.
"Alright, guys!" exclaimed Marcy as they reached the entrance. "Let's do this thing!"
Anne and Hop Pop came up to the doors, which they opened, allowing the group to enter.
They eased into the temple. There was no light inside, so they stepped lightly until Polly happened to step on a switch that lit up some mushrooms along the walls. The mushrooms brought light to the inside of the temple and a carving inside it. Marcy looked hard at the carving.
"Did I learn an entire dead language just for today?" asked Marcy slyly. "You better believe I did. Now let's see." Marcy looked into her book to decipher the meaning of the ruins, walked up to the wall, and began speaking.
"Keeper of the box, one strong of mind. Three trials await, that will return the stones shine." Marcy turned back to the others and said, "Heh, looks like there are three trials, guys."
With that, another set of doors opened, leading further into the temple, though the room it opened into was very small, with seemingly no way to proceed.
"A dead end," declared Sprig. "Well, we tried our best, and that's what counts."
"Hey, we can't give up that easily. We just got here," said Luz.
"Exactly. There's a puzzle here somewhere. Everyone, look for clues," said Marcy.
The group began to explore the room they were in, trying to find any sort of clue to advance. They looked all over the walls and floor, hoping to find something. Anne eventually noticed a small cube by her feet. She picked it up to show the others.
"Hey, guess who found the puzzle?" declared Anne, holding the cube up in the air. No sooner had she finished speaking that a green orb appeared around Anne, enveloping her and raising her into the air. Anne let out a small yell as she ascended.
"Whoa! How are you doing that?" asked Luz.
"Frog, help us! A cursed cube possessed by evil magic!" yelled Hop Pop.
"No, it's the puzzle," said Marcy. "Also, I'm pretty sure that's a magnetic field holding her up."
"Isn't that what I said?" asked Hop Pop.
"Well, whatever it is, all yours, Marbles," said Anne as she tossed the box to Marcy. Though as soon as she did, the green field enveloping her faded and dropped her hard to the ground.
Marcy managed to catch the box, and soon the green orb encircled her, causing her to rise into the air.
"Whoa, this thing's got like a zillion permutations," began Marcy, "but if this temple thinks it can beat me, it's got another thing coming." She began to turn and twist different parts of the cube in an effort to get certain images in the correct order. What Marcy didn't notice was that as she moved the cube around, sections of the room she was in began to move as well.
"Uh, guys," said Polly as she saw the ground beneath her begin to move. Suddenly, the ground moved violently and dragged everyone toward the wall. The Plantars managed to grab onto the wall and prevent themselves from falling, and Anne managed to grab onto them. Luz wasn't so lucky and began to fall to the floor.
"Luz!" screamed Anne as she saw her friend fall.
Luz saw the floor quickly approaching and made a motion with her hand to produce a cushion of air that she could land on to soften her fall. She thankfully landed without injury, and Anne noticed this but didn't say anything. She directed her attention back to Marcy.
"Marcy!" she yelled. "Could you at least let us know what you're going to move BEFORE you move it?!"
This plea seemed to fall on deaf ears as Marcy continued to move various pieces in the cube. Each time she moved a section, either the floor moved in some way or a column shot out from the wall, almost crushing one of her friends. Anne, Luz, and the Plantars all had to dodge various pillars to avoid getting crushed.
Eventually, Marcy did manage to figure out the correct pattern on the box, and the door to the next chamber opened. At that moment, Anne and the Plantars were on the ceiling of the chamber and began to fall to the ground. Luz noticed this and once again used her magic to create a soft cushion of air for them to land on. The Plantars were all distracted and didn't notice Luz doing this, but Anne had again seen her.
"We did it!" exclaimed Marcy. "One down, two to go!"
"Huh, that landing didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would," observed Sprig.
"Yeah, almost felt like we were slowed down at the end there," said Polly.
Anne didn't say anything, though she did cast a glance at Luz as she hurried after Marcy into the next chamber.
"Hey, Marcy, wait up!" called Luz.
"Oh, hey. What's up?" asked Marcy.
"Hey, you need to calm down a bit," said Luz. "You were in your 'zone' again, and I think you may have zoned out too much."
"What do you mean?" asked Marcy.
"Maybe you didn't notice, but every time you moved something on that box, it caused something to move in the room," explained Luz. "We almost got crushed several times, and the Plantars and Anne fell from the ceiling. I had to use—" Luz again cut herself off as she realized she had almost said something.
"What did you have to use?" asked Marcy inquisitively.
"I had to use quick thinking to try to help them," answered Luz quickly. "The point is, you need to be more aware of your actions, Marcy. Maybe you don't intend it, but you might accidentally hurt people if you don't think about how they feel when you do something."
At that statement, Marcy's face fell, if only for a moment, but she quickly perked up again. Luz noticed this.
"Right, uh, sorry," said Marcy rather quickly. "In any case, let's have a look at the next challenge." She and Luz looked down onto the floor of the next room. The floor had tiles of three different colors on it, though it mostly consisted of blue, red, and purple tiles. Among the different tiles were three green ones. The green tiles were all in separate areas of the room, with none of them next to each other. At this point, Anne and the Plantars came into the room.
"Oh, hey! A dance floor!" exclaimed Anne upon seeing the multi-colored floor.
"Not quite. Watch," said Marcy. She grabbed a small rock and tossed it onto the floor, which skipped a bit, before landing on a red tile. A second after it landed, a jet of flame shot up from the tile, consuming the rock.
"Whoa! Not getting good vibes from this room," said Sprig.
"Well, time to turn back. Thanks for playing, everyone," said Polly, clearly ready to give up.
"Hold on, gang. Look," said Hop Pop. Around the room, various walls lit up with text—the same text there was at the beginning of the temple. Marcy took out her journal to decipher the writing.
"A dangerous room, what to do? Don't be jealous of my hue," said Marcy, translating the writing.
"Hmmm, I wonder what that means," said Luz. "Hue generally refers to colors, and all the tiles in this room have a different color."
"I wonder…" said Marcy. With that, she grabbed another rock, this time making sure to toss it onto a blue tile. The moment it landed on the blue tile, a large, spiked crusher came down, smashing the rock into oblivion.
"What about the purple one?" asked Luz. She took a small stone and tossed it toward one of the purple tiles, it landed on the square, and a second later the tile opened, the stone falling into a deep bottomless pit.
"Okay, so pink is death by flame, blue is death by crushing, and purple is death by falling," observed Anne. "I'm still not following… Marcy!" As Anne continued talking, Marcy ran past her and jumped into the air. She then used her arm-mounted crossbow to launch a line into the ceiling, allowing her to swing further. Everyone was tense as Marcy swung through the air, heading towards the floor. Thankfully, she managed to land on one of the green tiles and was neither burned nor crushed. Anne breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ha! Solved it!" exclaimed Marcy. "Okay, guys, listen up. Green is the safe color. Got it?"
"MARCY, THAT WAS SO DANGEROUS! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" yelled Luz, getting everyone's attention.
"I was in the zone!" replied Marcy. "I had a good feeling about the green tile."
"Still, we should have discussed it or tested it with another rock before you did that!" said Luz.
"I just want us to get through the temple, that's all," answered Marcy.
"Arrgg, well, alright. It seems you're right about the green tile, then," said Luz. "I bet we have to step on all of them at the same time, then, in order to open the door." She pointed to the other two green tiles on opposite ends of the room.
"Yeah, exactly what I was thinking. Looks like a three-person job then," said Marcy. "We need to hit those other two tiles."
"Mar-Mar, are you sure?" asked Anne with some hesitancy.
"Yeah! How do we know those other tiles are safe?" asked Sprig. "One of them could be a trapdoor like the purple tile."
"With spikes in it!" added Polly.
"Not helping," said Hop Pop.
"Guys, I've done the research," said Marcy. "Plus, it's me, remember? I said I wouldn't let you down, and I meant it. Now come on! We need two of you to hit those other tiles."
Luz, Anne, and the Plantars looked nervously at each other. While they trusted Marcy, it was still somewhat of a leap of faith to reach the green tiles. A single missed jump could likely end in disaster. After a few moments, though, Hop Pop spoke.
"I'll do it. Seems like this was meant for a frog, what with our leaps and all."
"Hop Pop, you sure?" asked Anne. "It looks really far."
"Well, I'm a really good jumper, so it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, I feel I need to make it up to you, Anne," said Hop Pop.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Anne.
"Oh, well… uh… I just meant I care about you, Anne. The whole point of this journey is to get you home," said Hop Pop as he crouched down, getting into position. "And well, if anything happens to me, I've had a good life!"
"Hop Pop, you don't have to do this," said Anne.
"Trust me! I know I can make this," said Hop Pop as he began to breathe in and out a few times, getting himself ready.
"Okay, here goes. A one… and a two… and a three," said Hop Pop. With that, he leaped off the platform and toward one of the green tiles. It was close, but he managed to make it without hitting any of the other tiles. He breathed a sigh of relief as he steadied himself on the tile.
"Okay, just one more!" said Marcy, pointing to the last tile.
Sprig looked nervously at both Anne and Luz. Being the only other frog left, he could feel the implication that he should be the one to jump, but he wasn't quite sure he could manage it.
"The thing is, I'm still young," began Sprig nervously. "I'm not sure I can reach the apex of my jumping ability."
"I can do it!" said Luz suddenly, causing everyone to look at her. She walked over to the edge of the platform and crouched down, getting ready to jump.
"Luz, that looks too far. I don't think you can make it," warned Marcy, as Luz prepared to jump.
"No worries, I got this," said Luz. She jumped and secretly used her wind powers to help increase her jump, landing on the green tile in one leap. As soon as she did, the rest of the tiles in the room suddenly began changing color to green, making the floor safe to walk on. The door to the next room also opened, letting them progress to the final trial.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Polly, Sprig, and Anne simultaneously.
"Dang, Anne, your friend is a great jumper!" exclaimed Polly.
"I swear she's part frog," added Sprig.
"That was amazing, Luz!" said Marcy, coming over to give her a high five. "How did you do that?"
"Oh, you know… I've been practicing how to jump like a frog out here," explained Luz. "Guess I've gotten really good at it."
"I'll say," said Marcy. "Looks like this temple is toast!"
As the group made their way to the next trial, Anne pulled Luz aside.
"Luz, that was pretty cool how you jumped like that," said Anne.
"Thanks! Glad to be able to help," replied Luz.
"Maybe I was seeing things, but I could have sworn it looked like you were almost flying," said Anne.
"Oh, I'm sure it looked that way," said Luz nervously, "but no, I was just jumping." She moved to walk ahead of Anne, not wanting to say anymore, causing Anne to look after her and wonder if Luz was not telling her something.
"Ah!" Marcy suddenly declared. "Here we are, the final puzzle! Oh, I'm so excited!"
Ahead of them was an arch that led into the final room of the temple. There was an engraving above it in the same writing as the other two trials. Marcy paused to read it.
"Few have the brains to make it to this door, but are you wise enough to solve what's in store?" Marcy paused for a second before declaring. "Yep! Let's go!"
As the group entered the room for the final trial, Marcy observed a small table in it.
"Huh, I don't believe it. It's Flipwart!" she exclaimed.
"What's Flipwart?" asked Anne.
"It's a strategy game I learned to play in Newtopia," said Marcy. "It's like chess, but to the max! I got so good at it, I even beat King Andrias!"
"Impressive," said Hop Pop. "They say King Andrias is one of the best Flipwart players around."
"Amara tried to teach me how to play once," said Luz. "I got the basics down, but I was never able to win against her."
Marcy moved up to the table, on which was laid a Flipwart set. She opened a drawer to reveal the pieces.
"So both sides have a wart, and they're trying to flip it." She held up the piece she was talking about, which looked like a large toad with a crown sitting on top of a pedestal. Marcy pulled out more pieces. "Each piece has a different set of abilities. These archers can only attack in a straight line. Ah! I love this game!"
As Marcy continued setting up the board, Hop Pop walked over to an inscription on the wall.
"Hey, Marcy, what does this say?" asked Hop Pop.
Marcy glanced at the writing before replying, "Any commander whose wart falls may never again set foot inside these temple walls. Looks like you only get one shot at this. One shot is all I need! But first, to set up the board."
"Well, I guess we'll just sit back quietly and watch," declared Sprig
Polly agreed with him. "Yeah, it will be nice to sit this one out because these flippers be tired."
As soon as Marcy put the first piece on the board, a trapdoor opened up under Polly, dropping her out of the room. The others quickly went to the spot where the door had appeared to try to find out what had happened to her. Suddenly, a light came on to reveal a large Flipwart board.
"A giant Flipwart board?!" said Marcy in surprise. As she said this, the piece that she had placed on the small board suddenly appeared on the larger one, with Polly on it somehow.
"Polly, are you okay?" asked Sprig
"Okay? I got a sword, baby!" replied Polly. "I'm doing better than all of you!"
"Marcy, do you think we should stop?" asked Anne. "This could get dangerous!"
"We don't have a choice, Anne," replied Marcy. "You want to get home, right? Then we've got to play, or we'll never recharge the stone."
"No arguing with that then," said Luz with a sigh
"Trust me, okay?" said Marcy.
Anne and Luz looked at each other for a moment before deciding to trust Marcy.
"Okay, I hope you know what you're doing," said Anne.
With that, Marcy began assembling other pieces on the board. As she did, trap doors opened up under Sprig, Hop Pop, and Luz, transferring them onto the board.
"Oh cool, I get a specter," proclaimed Hop Pop as he appeared on the board.
Sprig was, however, dismayed to see that he was in front of the board. Polly noticed his position.
"Ha ha! You're a pawn," she laughed
"Aw man," sighed Sprig in defeat.
Luz, meanwhile, appeared as one of the ostrich knights on the white side.
"Nice, I get to ride a bird, just like in Final Adventure," she said.
Marcy looked from the board at a worried Anne. "Get ready, Anne. There's a good chance you're next."
Anne braced herself as Marcy put the rest of the pieces on the small board, causing them to materialize on the large board, though Anne was not placed on any of them. Thinking she was safe, Anne let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, looks like I'm not in the game. Well, you guys have fun, I guess." No sooner had she said this, a trapdoor suddenly appeared under her, transferring her to the board, but on the other side. She took the place of one of the black ostrich knights.
"Wait what?!" exclaimed Hop Pop
"Anne, no!" said Sprig.
"Traitor!" yelled Polly.
"No, this is good," began Anne. "I'll just play badly and sabotage the other team. Didn't think of that, did ya, temple?" With that, Anne raised her weapon and prepared to strike down her mount.
"Ha! Here we go! Sabotage!" Before Anne could deliver the blow, her wrists were enveloped in green rings. They stopped her from moving and put her arms back in their natural position.
"Okay, I can't move," she said.
"Anne?" asked Luz from across the board, only for green rings to appear on both her and the rest of the group's wrists.
"What's going on?" asked Sprig
"Our hands are tied, literally," said Hop Pop.
"Don't worry, everyone," said Marcy. "I'll just play well enough so that none of you gets hurt. It'll be like playing in hard mode. Fun!"
"You wouldn't be saying that if you were the pawn," said Sprig in a huff.
"Okay, white goes first, so it's our move. Let's flip this wart!" declared Marcy. She moved one of the white pawns forward and into position.
"You got this, buddy," said Sprig as the white pawn moved into position.
"Now, let's see how they respond," said Marcy.
In response, the black side moved its large toad soldier to a position to counter the pawn, raising its large club and destroying it in a single swipe. Sprig's face fell in terror as the head of the destroyed pawn landed near him.
"I don't like this game!" he cried.
"Such a basic response," said Marcy. "This is going to be easy." With that, she moved one of her archers into position to destroy the toad soldier.
With that, the game of Flipwart began. Marcy did her best to win the game without either harming Anne or using the pieces that her friends were controlling as a sacrifice. The game was very intense, and with these restrictions, the game became harder. Even so, Marcy continued, undaunted. As the game went on, the board became more empty as the pieces that were lost were destroyed entirely. Eventually, though, Marcy did manage to get in a position to win the game.
"Gotta admit, this temple's good, but not good enough," said Marcy, as she moved her archer into a position where it could defeat the opposing Wart.
"Gotcha! We win!" declared Marcy as the archer attacked. However, as it attacked, the enemy Wart simply jumped out of the way, avoiding the attack entirely. It taunted Marcy as it landed back down, laughing at her and slapping its butt.
Marcy was flabbergasted. "What?! No! Guys, this thing cheats!"
Sprig, Polly, Hop Pop, Luz, and Anne were all unnerved to hear that.
"What?! How are we supposed to beat this challenge, then?" asked Luz with worry.
"I'll think of something," said Marcy. On her next turn, she realized Luz was in a position to attack the Wart and moved her piece.
"Okay, Luz! Show 'em what you've got," said Marcy.
Luz used her spear and tried to stab the Wart, only for it to dodge every attempt Luz made against it. Again, it taunted her.
"No!" said Marcy in a defeated tone, unable to see a way to win.
On its next turn, the black side moved Anne into a position to attack Luz. Anne struggled against the bonds, trying to resist the attempt.
"No, no, no!" declared Anne, but she wasn't able to stop as she raised her spear above her head and brought it down on Luz. Luz was able to use her own spear to block the attack, but it shattered in the process.
"Okay, so what if it cheats? I still have way more pieces," said Marcy, beginning to sweat profusely. "I just need to attack from a different angle, and I'll be fine."
Marcy moved Luz's piece out of range of Anne, but the opponent followed. Every time Marcy moved Luz out of danger, the opponent chased after her piece so it could attack on the next turn.
"No, this isn't working!" said Marcy desperately.
"Uh, Mar-Mar, I don't think you can win this game," called Luz.
"Let me try one more time," said Marcy. With that, she moved Sprig to a position where he could attack the Wart. "Go, Sprig!"
Sprig used his spear to stab at the Wart, but once again, it dodged all attempts to hit it, and once again, it laughed and taunted Marcy.
"There must be something I'm not thinking of," said Marcy as she tried to think of what she could possibly do to get out of this.
"Luz, I'm so sorry," said Anne as she once again raised her spear to attack her. This time, the spear connected, causing Luz to yell in pain.
"It's alright, Anne. I know it's not you," said Luz as she recovered from the blow.
"I don't want to hurt you," said Anne. She then turned to Marcy. "Uh, Mar-Mar, is there any way you can think of to get us out of this?'
Marcy hesitated, unsure of what to do, but as she was thinking, Anne again raised her spear and began to attack Luz again.
"Luz…" Anne began. "If there's anything you think you can do to get us out of this, now would be a great time to do it."
For a second, Luz hesitated. She had not wanted to reveal her powers just yet but realized that they could help get the group out of this jam. Deciding that she had no choice, Luz closed her eyes. When she opened them, for a brief second, they glowed purple, but then almost as quickly, Luz felt a jolt of electricity run through her entire body, shocking her and causing the glow to leave her eyes.
"Ahhhhh!" Luz cried out in pain.
"LUZ!" yelled everyone together.
"I'm okay," said Luz weakly. As she raised her head back up, the black Wart turned toward her. It looked straight at her and began to wag its finger while shaking its head in a "no" movement, and making a sound to show its disapproval.
Guess that means I can't use my powers, thought Luz bitterly.
"Luz, are you okay?" asked Anne.
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Luz. Though it was clear from her voice, the shock had hurt her a lot.
"This isn't right!" yelled Anne. "I don't want to hurt you! We just made up, and I don't want to hurt you again!"
"I'm the one who started it though," said Luz. "It's my fault we even had a fight in the first place, though."
"If I had just let you apologize, maybe… maybe we wouldn't even be here," said Anne, tearing up. "Maybe I would have forgotten about that stupid box. We could have all gone home that night, and we could have made up without having to go through all this other pain. We wouldn't have to go through this trial if I had just given you a chance to speak."
"Anne…" said Luz, starting to tear up herself. "It's not your fault. And honestly, maybe we needed this. Maybe we needed time to cool off and learn new things about ourselves and each other. We'll get through this trial. I know we will!"
Marcy listened to the conversation, suddenly realizing her friends were getting hurt for no reason.
"What am I doing?" she said out loud. As she said this, Anne was forced into another attack against Luz.
"No, no, no!" said Anne. Luz braced herself to be hit again.
"Luz, Anne, who cares about this stupid game?! I forfeit!" said Marcy as she knocked her Wart off its pedestal, though the action was not repeated on the large board.
"Uggh! It's not working," said Marcy in frustration. "Maybe I have to flip the big wart, too." With that, Marcy jumped down to the large board and made her way to where the large wart was. Though as she stepped onto the large board, there was a flash of red light, and her own Wart and archers turned on her. The archers began firing lasers at Marcy to try to keep her off the board. Marcy dodged the lasers and ran behind Sprig for cover.
"What the heck's going on?!" yelled Sprig, as he used his shield to block one laser.
"I'm trying to throw this game, but it won't let me!" said Marcy. "I need your help."
"Help you? How?" asked Sprig. In response, Marcy picked up Sprig and threw him toward her own Wart. She hit him directly, managing to knock him off his pedestal, onto his back, and successfully forfeiting the game.
As soon as the Wart fell on its back, the game ended. The pieces melted away, almost like sand, and the green restraints around Anne, Luz and the Plantars faded, allowing them to move again freely. As soon as she was free, Anne went to go check on Luz.
"Luz, are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Luz, standing up and brushing herself off.
"I'm just glad you're okay," said Anne, pulling Luz into a hug. "I wonder why the game shocked you like that?"
Luz didn't respond right away. She looked over at Marcy, who was still on the ground with her hands covering her eyes. Anne followed her gaze, and the two went over to check on her with the Plantars joining in.
"Marcy, I don't understand," said Anne.
"Yeah, why'd you throw the game?" asked Hop Pop.
"Because it wasn't worth you guys getting hurt!" said Marcy. "I got so caught up in trying to prove how smart I was to win that I couldn't see what I was about to lose."
"Well, in your defense," said Sprig, "that game was a ding dang cheat!"
"Yeah, I still think you're pretty smart," agreed Polly. "Little obsessive though." Marcy smiled at this.
"Don't feel bad, Marcy," added Luz. "What's the point of going home if it gets us killed? You made the right choice."
"Thanks, Sprig, Polly, Luz," said Marcy. As she said this, a path of green arrows lit up, pointing to the outside of the temple.
"I got it, temple. I wasn't smart enough to win, but I can find the exit, okay?" said Marcy in frustration. With that, Marcy got up off the floor and made her way to the exit, the rest of the group following her.
As they arrived back outside, the group tried to stay positive, even though they had failed their mission.
"Guess we won't be charging the stone today," said Anne.
"No, and since I lost, I'm not allowed back in the temple," said Marcy dispiritedly. "You guys will have to try it all again without me."
"We'll manage, dude. Somehow," said Anne as she put a reassuring hand on Marcy's shoulder.
"You did your best, Marcy!" added Luz, putting her hand on Marcy's other shoulder. "When we try again, we'll make sure your effort was worth it."
"Hey, guys, the failure arrows want us to keep going this way," said Polly, indicating the arrows that were still pointing toward a path.
"Huh, well, if we're going to lose, might as well lose all the way," said Marcy dejectedly. She and the others continued along the path. Eventually, they came to the outhouse they had seen earlier.
"Wait, the outhouses?" declared Sprig
"Wait a second," said Marcy, stepping forward to open the door. Instead of the outhouse, it had been earlier, the chamber was now full of several carvings that were glowing a bright green. In the center of the back wall was an image of a frog. They all took in the sight, unsure exactly what it was.
"No, it can't be!" exclaimed Marcy. "Guys, this is where we charge the stone!" She walked forward to where a small opening in the floor stood. She brushed away some dirt, and a pillar rose out of the floor. As it did, more of that ancient writing from the temple appeared, and Marcy read it for the group.
"Only the worthy will have the wisdom to choose
Whether it's more important to win, or have the humility to lose
A choice is made to save thy friends,
And honestly, doesn't that make you a winner in the end?"
"That last bit was oddly casual," said Anne.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of it sooner?" exclaimed Marcy. "The temple wasn't just testing for intelligence; it was also testing for humility."
"I see," said Luz. "If you think about it, knowing when to cut your losses is part of wisdom too, and that's something that people may not always realize."
"Well, don't give the temple a chance to change its mind," said Polly. "Charge that bad boy."
Marcy pulled out the stone and put it into a slot in the center of the pillar. The stone gave off a bright green flash. As it did, Marcy's eyes changed color to green, and then the green color quickly drained from her eyes as though it were emptying from her…
When the flash ended, the stone was no longer gray. It was its natural green color.
"We did it?" said Anne, unsure.
"We did it!" exclaimed Marcy in excitement. Just then, the stone let out a bright green laser that pointed out of the temple and off into the distance. Marcy picked up the stone and turned it a few times.
"Guys, it's leading us to the next temple," she said. "I should be able to triangulate its location with a bit of work. This just keeps getting better!"
"Wow, we actually did it!" said Luz. "That means we're one step closer to getting home!"
"Yeah! One down, three to go!" said Anne. With that, the group left the chamber in a feeling of triumph, confident they could face whatever else the other temples threw at them!
"Hey, Luz," called Anne as they left.
"What's up?" asked Luz.
"I just want to say that jump you made back there was pretty amazing. I honestly didn't think you'd make it. I remember how much you used to hate sports," said Anne.
"Eh, what can I say? I've picked up a few tricks out here," said Luz.
"You sure have," said Anne, smiling. For a moment, she thought about pressing further. She wanted to ask Luz if she was keeping something from her but decided against it.
It almost looked like Luz was able to control the wind, like an Airbender from that show we like, thought Anne. Maybe I was seeing things, but it sure looked that way to me. Was there some magic Luz learned about that let her do that? If so, I wonder why she's keeping it a secret.
Meanwhile, in her mind, Luz was having her own thoughts. Is it stupid that I haven't told Marcy or Anne about my powers? A big part of it is that Anne said she and Marcy never used any powers like mine while they were out here. Was Uodeela wrong about where my powers came from, or was I the only one who got them from the box? I just don't want Anne or Marcy to get their hopes up that they'll be able to do cool things like me, only for it to not be true.
"Hey, you guys wanna go straight to the next temple tonight?" asked Marcy. "Or take a break first?"
"Break, please," said the entire group at once. They were tired from today's adventure and needed to take some time to regroup and relax. Before long, they had boarded Joe Sparrow and made their way back to Wartwood.
Far away in the Newtopian Palace, King Andrias was listening to a report from one of his top generals, though he seemed all but disinterested in what she had to say.
"The political situation is worsening, Your Highness," began the pink Newt. "What started as a small valley riot is quickly becoming something more. Our latest intelligence says that this group of frogs is amassing near the remains of Tadpole Pond. This small force was once no cause for concern, but reports show that this 'rebellion' is not a disorganized rabble. They are better equipped and organized than we thought. Their numbers have swelled in recent weeks as they have been able to recruit from towns all over the Southern Area of Amphibia. With no Toad to enforce order in the South, the frogs have been emboldened. They may only have a grievance against the toads for now, but how soon until that grievance spreads to us?"
"Oh, whatever shall we do?" said the king in a tone that indicated he was only barely paying attention.
"Not only that, but the Toad Lords have agreed to meet," continued the Newt. "This could spell disaster! Newtopia may well withstand an attack from an army of frogs, but if the Toad Lords are meeting and decide to unite, it could well present another organized threat against us!"
"How disappointing," said the King in the same uninterested tone.
"And the traitor Grime is still at large and currently being aided by a—" The general was cut off as a messenger wasp flew in through the window, delivering a message to the king. The king seemed excited to receive this message, as he quickly put on his glasses and began to read it.
"Why, it's from Marcy!" exclaimed the king. "Looks like they're making progress! That's enough for now, Yunan. I'll handle the rest." With that, the king got up from his throne and made his way out of the throne room, leaving a very confused Yunan.
As soon as he left the throne room, the king turned to head towards the basement. He pulled a lever to reveal a secret staircase that descended into the dark depths of the ancient castle. As he made his way down, strange creatures appeared in the stairwell. Their bodies were not corporeal, making them look like ghosts of some kind, but their forms were neither human nor amphibian. As the king walked down the stairs, they scattered out of his way, as though they were afraid of him.
Once the king had reached the bottom, he knelt down, took off his crown, and began speaking to an unknown figure.
"The prophecy is being undone as we speak, my lord. Soon, we will have our revenge."
As Andrias finished speaking, the room began to shake as whatever he was talking to began to stir. Then the dark room was suddenly filled with light as a set of thirteen eyes, each with hellish red pupils, opened in front of the king!