After another trip to the archives, one that wasn't hindered by Sprig deliberately putting the family in danger, Frank, Anne, and the Plantars were on the road back home. However, their visit to the underground library was more or less a disappointment.
"Well, that was a waste of time," said the patriarch of the family, Hop Pop. As the kids sat back on the saddle, he was driving Bessie down the road.
"Ugh, you said it. Can't believe there was nothing in the archives about my music box," Frank said, looking over the box from his grandparents' thrift shop. He and Anne rarely, if ever, allowed the box to leave their room whenever they weren't around. It was the only place to keep it safe from thieves and people wanting to take or break it. On their second trip to the archives, they decided to bring it along to see if any book in the underground library had information about it.
"So, you really think this is your key to getting home?" Sprig asked as he and Polly looked at their reflections in the box
"Well, it zapped us here, so, yeah. It's pretty much our only lead," Anne said, taking the box from Frank. She then repeatedly opened the music box's lid to see if it did anything. "I'm really looking forward to finding someone who can help me fix this thing."
"Don't worry, Anne. We'll figure it out eventually," Hop Pop said. Then all of a sudden, Bessie came to a screeching halt on the road. "Whoa!"
Frank looked down at what was blocking their path. When he saw it, he had to rub his eyes to ensure he wasn't hallucinating. What was walking across the road in front of Bessie were very strange and—ironically—cartoonishly looking, tiny creatures. They mainly consisted of fruits or fuzzballs that had legs and eyes.
"Hey, get outta the way, you... Whatever the heck you are!" Hop Pop shook his fists at the creatures.
"Oh, hey. What are they? These things are cute." Sprig said as he watched the creatures.
Frank looked in the direction the little beings came from and saw them hopping out of a hole in a tree. "Hmm?" He hummed to himself before jumping off Bessie's saddle and walking towards the hole in the tree.
"Frank! Frank!" Anne called out to him on the saddle. "Don't put your hand in there."
"Oh, please. What's the worst that can happen?" Frank said, looking into the hole. "Although…I do see something…" he trailed off before slowly reaching his hand inside the tree. The others watched nervously as his fingers went in before his palm disappeared into the hole. Frank continued to reach inside before…
"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!" He yelled in pain.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" The others yelled in fear and horror.
However, when Frank pulled his hand out of the hole, he showed them that it was completely fine and unharmed. Then he started laughing uncontrollably. Realizing that he was messing with them, the others glared at him, with Anne picking up a rock and throwing it at him. Hitting him in the chest. "NOT COOL, DUDE!"
"OW! Hey, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it," Frank said, still laughing. "But seriously, there's something in the hole."
He reached back in and pulled out what looked to be an egg. But it wasn't just an egg. It was a reddish black egg that appeared to have been decorated with painted lines, and there was even a strange hourglass symbol on it that resembled the one on a black window.
"What is that?" Anne asked as Frank brought over the egg.
"Don't know." He held it to his ear and shook it to determine if it contained anything. "It looks like a cascarón," Frank said.
But as Sprig stared at the egg, his eyes suddenly widened as his face lit up. "Guys, I think it's an entry ticket for the Bizarre Bazaar!" He exclaimed with excitement.
"The what now?" Anne asked as Frank continued to hold the egg.
"The Bizarre Bazaar. I've never been, but I've heard stories," Sprig said before explaining about the bazaar. "It's a mysterious night market that passes through once a year. Exotic foods, games, mysterious treasures ."
"Really? Maybe someone there will know how the music box works." Anne said with a new sense of hope in her heart. Going to the bazaar could be their ticket home.
But, of course, the moment was ruined by Hop Pop stepping in. "Hold up! From what I've heard, that bazaar is full of greedy degenerates. Wave that thing around, and it'll get stolen for sure."
"And yet it could be the only way to learn about getting home," Frank said, climbing back onto the saddle. "You know, the entire reason we went to the archives in the first place. And the reason we're planning to leave the valley!"
Hop Pop paused for a moment before sighing. "Tell you what. I'll reach out to some frogs I know and see if they know a thing about your music chest."
"Box." Anne corrected him.
"That, too."
Frustrated, Frank sighed and leaned back in the seat. "All right, fine. We'll play it your way," he said with a frown.
When the little beings finally finished crossing the road, Hop Pop smiled happily. "Finally. Let's go. Hyah! Hyah!"
As Bessie drove forward, Sprig sat with Frank and Anne silently for a moment. Polly was just reading a book, not paying any attention. The three friends sat silently for a moment before Sprig asked, "We're going to the Bizarre Bazaar tonight, aren't we?"
"Duh."
"Obvi."
That night, the kids waited for Hop Pop to fall asleep. It didn't take long for them to hear his loud snoring echoing throughout the house. Frank slowly opened the basement door before climbing out with Anne. They saw Sprig waiting for them at the door. He opened it for them, allowing the humans out before closing the door behind him. The three snickered as they tip-toed away from the house.
Anne pulled out the music box from her backpack to ensure it was still on her. "Yeah-uh! Bizarre Bazaar, here we come," she said, stuffing it back into the backpack before throwing it on her back. "Okay, which way?"
"I don't know." Sprig said.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Frank asked.
"I've never been to the market, remember?" Sprig then pointed at the egg that Frank was holding. "I think the egg is supposed to show us."
Frank held the egg close to his face and looked over it. "How?" He asked. However, he was startled when the egg started shaking in his hand. "Whoa, whoa, something's happening!"
"Dude, what's going on?" Anne panicked.
"I think it's hacking." Sprig exclaimed.
Just as Sprig said, the egg started forming a crack that went all around the egg's body. And then, the top part of it popped right off. Inside was another one of the tiny creatures that they had seen earlier in the day. It had fussy purple hair covering its body with a leaf sticking out of the top and two long, thin legs.
Frank, Anne, and Sprig looked at it for a moment. "Does that make me the momma?" The boy asked. However, the little creature started chirping as it jumped to the ground and ran off down the road. "Follow it!"
The three kids ran after the purple fuzzy creature as it ran into the forest. This didn't stop the little creature, who turned a corner at a tree and ran down another path. Frank followed after it, with Anne and Sprig running behind him. "Where's it going?" asked the little pink frog.
Seemingly reaching a dead end, the creature jumped into a small hole in the ground and started crawling into it. "Oh no, you don't!" Frank yelled, leaping at it. Landing and sliding across the muddy ground, he reached down into the hole to try and grab it. "You're taking us to the—OW!" He yelled, pulled his hand back out, and held it with his other one. Looking at his hand, Frank saw a bite mark on his finger. "He bit me!"
Anne pushed him aside and looked into the hole. However, the thing was gone. Dismayed, she threw her head back and grabbed her hair. "No!" She cried, falling on her arms and knees. "We were so close!"
Frank sighed and looked down at the ground sadly. There goes their only chance of finding someone that could give them the directions they needed to get home. He stood up and was about to try and comfort Anne when a mushroom near him suddenly lit up like a light bulb.
"Huh?" Frank, Anne, and Sprig looked at it in confusion before another one lit up too. And then another one.
"What's going on?" Sprig asked as Frank saw more mushrooms light up. He saw they lit up one at a time, in a way that would lead one down a path.
"Come on," he said, walking towards the next mushroom that turned on. Leading him down a dirt path.
The three friends continued following the mushrooms as they turned on until they entered a misty area. However, the dust fog did not stay for long. As it parted, the kids looked down to see two rolls of mushrooms lighting on both sides of the dirt path. As they continued turning on, the mushrooms started appearing on an arched pathway formed by a giant tree. They stopped when the same symbol for the Bizarre Bazaar flashed on at the top of the arch.
"Whoa." The trio said together and glanced at one another.
Walking towards the archway, Frank and Anne pulled back the foliage covering the way through. And it was then that they laid their eyes on the mystical Bizarre Bazaar.
The night market was much larger than the kids were expecting, filled with stands and shops, and was bustling with many amphibians and furball-like creatures they saw on the road. Orange lanterns hanging from ropes across the bazaar lit up the area. Several artifacts, like pottery, ancient calendars and clocks, beads, metals, minerals, plants, some creatures, and other strange objects were being sold across the many stands, including many odd foods. It also had games and other activities for participants to join in on.
"Whoa," Anne said as she and the two boys started walking through the market together. She stepped over a blackout-drunk frog. "Hop Pop was right. This place is intense."
A frog suddenly bumped into her with long legs and a short body. "Hey, watch it, string bean!" The frog snapped at her.
"Oh, sorry." Anne said.
"Look where you're going, legs!" Frank snapped back, scaring the guy off. He then turned to Anne and winked, making her blush a little. "I've got your back, Anne."
"Hey guys, look! Check it out!" Sprig called out to the two humans as he stood in front of a stand.
Frank and Anne glanced at one another before walking over to their friend. When they arrived, they saw he was leading them to a stand that was covered by a blue curtain. Inside the stand was a shelf that carried many treasures and trinkets. And in front was a table filled with many more.
As Frank looked over the items on the table, he noticed one that had a familiar image. It was a golden shield that was forged with the image of a frog holding up his arms as four gemstones shined brightly.
"Wait a minute..." Frank quickly walked behind Anne and unzipped her backpack. He pulled out the music box and held it up in front of him. Looking at the design on the box lid, he lowered it and saw it was the same one on the shield. "This is it! This person must know the music box."
"How can you be sure?" Sprig asked.
"There's only one way to find out. Where's the vendor?" Anne asked, looking around the stand. But then she looked up and saw a sign that said 'Out to Lunch'. This turn of events made Anne frustrated because of how much she wanted answers now. "Grrr! Are you kidding me?"
Anne sighed in dismay as Sprig placed a hand on her arm. "Hey, hey. It's fine. They'll be back." He said, trying to cheer her up. However, the little pink frog was then distracted when he saw a chair with what appeared to be fresh hot Xiaolongbaos on it. "And in the meantime, might as well check out the rest of the bazaar." He said, excitedly laughing as he ran off to grab some.
Frank sighed and placed the box back into Anne's backpack. "Might as well see what this place has to offer. We may never get another chance." He said, zipping up the bag.
"Okay. But we gotta come right back here. I don't wanna mess this up." She said, pointing to the ground in front of the stand.
Sprig walked up to the cart and held up three fingers. "Three, please." He asked the seller. The frog took the money and handed Sprig three sizzling hot xiaolongbaos in his hands. "Ooh! Hot, hot. Here you go." He handed them each one of the treats.
"Hey, this actually looks pretty good," Anne said. She and Frank were about to take a bite when Sprig did. He eats a piece of his treat, only to reveal bugs and insects inside the xiaolongbao.
"Or not," Frank said as he and Anne threw theirs away. "Alright, let's enjoy ourselves!"
And so it was. Frank, Anne, and Sprig trekked around the market and explored everything it had to offer. First up was trying out the food, and the humans had to admit, the way they cooked the food was terrific, and they enjoyed it. Even though they had to be careful with biting into the food, or else it'll bite their tongue, which is something Sprig learned when he tried to eat a fried beetle on a stick.
The three kids even joined in on games and activities to pass the time, like a simple game of poker. However, they were beaten by another frog. "Ooh! Yes! I win!" He cheered, grabbing the money and shoving it into his pocket. "Now I can buy my house back. Hooray!" He cheered, not noticing a small masked frog reaching into his pocket and stealing the money.
There was even a bronc riding game with a large blue beetle with horns like a bull. Seeing this, Frank grinned as he cracked his knuckles. Climbing onto the fence, the young boy jumped onto the back of the beetle. The beast let out a roar and jumped up and down, trying to buck Frank off its back. Anne and Sprig cheered him on as Frank laughed and held on as hard as he could.
Later on, Frank, Anne, and Sprig laughed together as they walked back to the stand. "Wow. It's amazing how far removed this place is from Wartwood," the Thai girl said with a smile.
"I'll say. There's absolutely nothing familiar here." Frank said, spreading his arms out.
"Oh, hey, there's Wally." Sprig said, pointing in another direction. Frank and Anne looked to see that it was indeed Wally. The town loony was at a table and playing a game of dice.
"Come on. Wally needs a new pair of shoes." Wally said, rolling the dice in his hands. He then threw them on the table and landed on frog feet for both of them. "Whoo-hoo!"
However, one of the little fuzzy creatures, likely the same one the trio chased, ran onto the table. It ran over to one of the frog's dice and kicked it, making it land on a yellow eyeball.
One that we all know and fear.
"What? This is larceny! I want my money back!" Wally yelled at the other players, before he was grabbed from behind by two robbed newts. Both had cloaks with hoods covering their faces, with their eyes glowing. Keeping their cloaks up were pins symbolizing the Bizarre Bazaar, and the same mark was on their backs.
"You know the rules. No refunds at the Bizarre Bazaar." One newt said in a threatening voice.
"You're coming with us." The other one said before pulling Wally out of his chair and dragging him away.
"Ah! Get your hands off me. Help!" Wally pleaded, but no one came to his rescue. Not even the kids. If they intervened, it would mean they too would be taken out of the bazaar. So, they just walked off.
The trio sat at a table in front of the stand with the shield and waited. However, Frank looked at the giant hourglass inside a tree's hole. He saw they only had half the time left to get their answers. Frank sighed and looked back at the stand, wishing it would finally open. They've been there for what felt like hours. Where the hell was the vendor?
Well, as it turned out, they had just arrived. A hand reached out from inside the vendor stand and turned the sign to open.
Frank gasped when he saw the sign. "Anne, it's open. Come on!" He exclaimed, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. Sprig saw them and quickly followed them. The three of them ran to the front of the vendor. However, seeing they were still holding hands, Frank and Anne promptly pulled away, blushing brightly. Secretly liking the feeling of their hands touching.
Inside the vendor, hidden in the shadows, they could see a figure rummaging through their supplies. "Now, where did I put my incense burner?" She said in a Romanian accent.
"Uh, excuse me?" Frank asked.
"Huh?" The female amphibia turned her head to look over her shoulder at Frank and his two friends. Her eyes and teeth glowed in the dark until she stepped into the light, revealing herself to be a salamander with dark brown skin, a yellow underbelly, and yellow spots along her tail. She had light red eyes, slit, dark-shaded red pupils, and medium-length grayish-blonde hair. One of her eyes appeared slightly out of shape and possibly damaged. Her tongue was a somewhat light tone of teal, and her mouth was lined with short teeth. She had reddish-brown "crests" over her eyes, which resembled eyelashes similar to a gecko's. She wore a stitched black cloak over her body, with beige armbands. She also had a hanging black pendant with a red hourglass symbol and gold rings on her neck.
And for some reason, the salamander had a glove on her tail.
"Ah, velcome. Velcome to Valeriana's Antiques." She said, moving her left hand and tall together, making the fingers of the glove touch. Frank looked closer and realized she was missing her right arm but used her prehensile tail to replace it.
Frank didn't say anything about it, but Sprig did. "Guys, I think she's missing an arm." He murmured under his breath.
"I heard that," Valeriana said, deadpanning.
"Oh!" Sprig laughed nervously before picking up a small cauldron from the vendor. "Hey. What is this thing?"
"Just one of my many treasures collected from my years of travel," Valeriana said as her tail grabbed a tea kettle and poured a liquid into the cauldron. The kids watched in amazement as two mini tree trucks emerged and spiraled with one another before forming leaves at the top. "I've seen and heard it all."
Her parrot-like pet fly squawked. "Seen it all. Heard it all."
"Betcha haven't seen anything like us, though," Anne said, pulling Frank close to her.
Squinting her eyes, Valeriana leaned over and pulled out a mechanical magnifying glass. "No, not exactly." She said as the magnifying glass changed leans and zoomed in on Anne, making her lean back. The salamander then glanced at Frank before noticing the hook end of his new scythe. The moment she saw the weapon, she gasped. "Vait! You! That scythe…"
"Huh?" Frank was confused, before reaching behind and pulling out the scythe. "You like it? Awesome right? I haven't really given it a name."
"May I?" Valeriana asked, holding out her tail.
"Uh, sure." Frank placed the weapon in her tail, and she pulled it over to look it over.
Holding her breath, she hoped the scythe was what she believed it to be. Zooming in with her magnifying glass, Valeriana examined the blade's edge. And when she saw what she was looking at, the salamander gasped. Running down the length of the sharp blade were runes and marks of Amphibia's old language. A language that no one longer speaks anymore.
Pulling away from the scythe, Valeriana looked at it as if it was a lost piece of treasure. "It can't be."
Frank, Anne, and Sprig glanced at one another. "You know it is?"
"That I do," Valeriana said. "It is the Hellcat's Claw, the personal weapon of the Frog King, and a symbol of the first dynasty of Amphibia."
This information shocked and surprised the kids as Valeriana handed the scythe back to Frank. And for some reason, it felt heavier than the last time he held it. And it should. He was practically holding Amphibia's version of Excalibur. "I didn't know this world had kings."
"Of course. And it all started with the Frog Kings of Old. Legend says Hellcat's Claw was created over 2 thousand years ago, by the first Frog King, who united the world as one. After his passing, the scythe would continue to be passed down to the next generation. That is until the Newt Revolution came and overthrew the old monarchy. They took over the kingdom and established the new order and the caste system we live under today. However, the scythe was taken away and hidden, waiting for the day when it'll be found and returned to the hands of the true king's descendant."
"Whoa…" Frank, Anne, and Sprig said, absolutely amazed.
"I'm more than certain it's not you, but if the king's scythe made its way into your hands, it must be for a reason," Valeriana said, looking at Frank with a hopeful smile. "Perhaps you will find the true heir to the throne and…."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Frank quickly stopped her, placing the scythe on his back. "No one is going to be looking for some lost heir. If we find him, he can have it, but until then, this puppy's mine. However, we'd like you to take a look at something."
He looked at Anne and nodded. She nodded, knelt down on the floor, took off her backpack, and unzipped it. "Uh, you sure about this? Maybe Hop Pop was right." Sprig said, unsure about the creepy-looking salamander.
"You heard her. She's seen it all. If anyone knows anything about the music box–" Anne looked back at her backpack, only to gasp in horror when she saw it was gone! "My backpack! Where'd it go?"
She looked up to see the thief that stole the backpack. He turned his head towards her and let out a creepy cackling behind the mask covering his face. Then the thief ran off.
"Hey! That's my backpack, you little creep!" Anne yelled, pointing in the direction the thief ran off in. She, Frank, and Sprig quickly gave chase, leaving Valeriana at her vendor. "Get back here!"
Valeriana placed her tail on her chin in a thinking pose. "So Teshin, that boy is the one you told me about. The one that holds the scythe." She said to another person.
Behind the curtain of the vendor was another salamander. This one looked much like a tiger salamander with light yellow skin with black stripes all around its body. His tongue was a slightly more delicate color of pink, and his mouth was lined with short teeth. His clothes made him have the appearance of a samurai or a ronin, with a navy blue kimono and brown shimo. On his head was a sandogasa straw hat, which covered his bail head. However, instead of a katana, he had a scythe for a weapon.
"He is. And both carry the box." Teshin said in a severe tone. His hat covered his eyes.
"So, is he the one we've been searching for?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.
"Unknown. But the boy and the girl are not ready for what is to come." Teshin explains. "When the time comes, they will need to be tested."
The parrot fly squawked before it started coughing up. This made Valeriana panic. "No, Leander! Not on the carpet!"
"Stop that tiny thief!" Anne yelled as she and the two boys chased the frog that stole her backpack. However, this thief wasn't stopping for anything and started hopping across the heads of the people.
Frank pulled out Hellcat's Claw from his back as he glared at the thief's back. He then saw that he was heading for a vendor stand stationed at a dead end in the bazaar. "You've got nowhere left to run, you piece of shit!" He yelled at the frog and threw the scythe at the frog.
However, the thief quickly ducked behind the stand, before the scythe stabbed into it. Frank, Anne, and Sprig approached the vendor, and the human boy yanked the weapon out of the wood. He and Anne glared down inside the vendor stand, as the thief removed his disguise and placed the backpack on a nail on a wall with many prizes.
Panting heavily, the frog looked back and flinched in fright when he saw the murderous glare in Frank and Anne's eyes. He was a light green frog with a lighter green underbelly and chest, and moss-green spots on his cheeks. He had tiny black pupils and two small front teeth. He wears a brown suit with a green bow and green half gloves.
Gulping, the vendor quickly tried to play innocent, despite knowing that these kids would have killed him. "Greetings. Come to try your luck at my fun and exciting game?"
"Absolutely not! Give me my backpack!" Anne yelled, raising a fist.
"Backpack?" The vendor asked, trying to play it stupid.
"The one on your prize wall!" Anne snapped, pointing to her stolen backpack.
"Oh, you mean the magical pouch of mystery. Who can say where it came from? Or how?" The vendor exclaimed, still trying to pull the actor.
The three kids glared at him. "Let's just beat this guy up," Frank said, tired of the BS the frog was pulling with them. They were just about to jump over the counter when the bazaar guards came up behind them.
The guards grabbed Anne and Sprig first. "Ha!" She yelled, getting Frank's attention.
"Let her go!" Frank yelled, ready to fight the guards as they held up his friends.
"Ah-ah-ah!" The thief vendor, Marnie, said, wagging his finger at Frank. "Once something is on the prize wall, the only way to get it back is to win it. Sorry, bubby, Bizarre Bazaar rules." He said smugly as he winked and stuck out his tongue at him.
"Yeah? And what's to stop me from killing you and taking the backpack?" Frank pointed the scythe at him, glaring daggers at Marnie.
"If you do, then you all die." One of the Guards said. Both he and his colleague drew daggers and placed them against Anne and Sprig's throats. The two stopped struggling as the blades pressed against their skin.
Frank gasped when he saw this as Marnie said, "So what's it going to be?"
That was the big question. What would Frank do next? He couldn't let the frog take the box and let another person take it away. It was his and Anne's only way home. As much as he hated the vendor and wanted to slice him up, Frank knew he didn't have any other options. Giving his friends an apologetic look, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sack of coins before throwing it on the counter. "All right, we'll play your game, you little bastard."
Hearing this, the guards released their grip on Anne and Sprig. The two of them dropped to the ground as the guards walked away. "Frank, what the hell, man?" Anne exclaimed.
"We don't have any choice, Anne. We'll have to play the game to get the box back." Frank didn't like it either, as it was the same as admitting defeat. But he'll be damned if he allowed the scumbag to take away their key home. So, they were going to beat him at his own game. "So what's the game, huh? Dunk tank? Whack-a-mole? Whack-a-tank-a-dunk-a-mole?"
"...What?" Anne asked.
"I don't know. I'm tired, okay?!"
Marnie chuckled as he took the bag of money. "Oh, it's a little more involved than that." He said as the wall behind him split open like a pair of doors. Frank, Anne, and Sprig watched as he stepped through the doorway and got a good look at what was on the other side. To say they were shocked would be an understatement. "Behold!"
On the other side was a full-size race track! Complete with obstacles, jumps, and turns. And racing on the track with a frog riding on their backs were two giant cockroaches, one blue and one red, respectively. There were two stands on both sides of the track, where frogs were seen cheering on the racers.
"That's right, folks. Thrills! Chills! Spills!" Marnie announced to the people as he hopped onto the body of a dead green beetle and pulled out a cane with a spider at the end. Frank, Anne, and Sprig stood near him and watched the racing. "The best cockroach racing this bazaar has to offer!" The two cockroaches bolted past them as the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Giant cockroaches. Of course." Anne said exasperatedly. It was honestly amazing that she hadn't seen them until now.
"Now then, who has the guts to challenge this strange-looking biped couple, and their little pink son?" Marnie said, pointing his cane to Frank and Anne.
Hearing this, the two humans immediately blushed together, before Anne quickly raised her fist at the scumbag frog. "WOAH! WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!!!"
"Yeah, trust me, they're way in the friend-zone." Sprig said with a knowing smirk and rolled his eyes.
"Exactly!—the fuck did you say?" Frank asked, narrowing his eyes at Sprig.
"I will take this challenge." Said an amphibian with a deep voice. Everyone turned to the source and gasped when they saw who it was.
Standing at the top of the stands was a large burly frog. The frog had an eyepatch over one eye and scars all over his face. He wore gambeson armor, gloves, brown pants with green stains on them, black boots on his feet with spikes on the bottom, and a dark sage green cloak covering most of his body. He had an eyepatch over one eye and scars all over his face.
The frog glared down at the two humans and the pink frog boy before walking down the stands. He stopped and stood on the other side of Marnie.
"The Wrecker!" One of the frog bystanders exclaimed.
"He hasn't been seen in years." Another one said, equally shocked.
The two racers on the track stopped when they saw the Wrecker. Both were equally scared. "The Wrecker? The legend says he'll wreck yourself if you don't check yourself." One said.
"Let's get outta here!" Both frogs hopped off the cockroaches and bounced away.
"Oh, boy." Anne said, staring up at the Wrecker.
"This can end in two ways. One, you forfeit the race. Two, this race ends in violence and horror." The Wrecker said in a growling voice. Trying to intimidate the three kids. However, Frank has had experience with intimidation tactics back in juvy and was not impressed.
"Are you as good a driver as you are talking?" Frank asked. "So shut up, and let's race."
"The race is on!" Marnie announced to the crowd.
A large bell clung, and three racers climbed into their roaches. Taking the blue one, Anne sat in the middle and grabbed the antennas to drive. Sprig sat in front of her while Frank sat behind her. Luckily the roach could hold their combined weight, just as the red one could hold up the Wrecker.
"You sure you've got this, Anne?" Frank asked worriedly. Sure they'd driven Bessie, but these bugs weren't like her, being racing roaches.
"Don't worry, man. It's just like go-carts…except with cockroaches." Anne said, disturbed by that last fact. As a girl that grew up in a restaurant, her parents feared roaches, rats, critics, and health inspectors the most. And ironically, she would be riding one of them to win a race.
Life is strange like that.
The drivers revved the roaches as they waited at the checkered line. "On your marks," Marnie said, holding up the starting flag. The kids turned to look to their left and glared at the Wrecker. The Wrecker glared back at them. "Get set…GO!"
The Wreckers and the kids were off, neck and neck, as they raced down the track towards the first turn. The roaches turned at the first turn, which was a wide U-shaped turn. Sprig saw something in front of them as they straightened out, and his eyes widened.
"Cowapillars!" He yelled, pointing ahead. Anne and Frank looked to see a few cowapillars just standing in the middle of the next turn. They cried in terror as Anne maneuvered the roach to avoid the animals.
However, the Wrecker then bumped his roach into the side of theirs, sending the kids spinning around until they hit one of the cowapillars. The animal just looked at them, before continuing its grazing. The Wrecker drove off.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Anne shouted at him while shaking her fist.
"Anything goes in the Bizarre Bazaar!" said the crowd in the stands, even showing off signs with those exact words painted on them.
As they laughed, Sprig gasped. "Oh, no. They have signs. It must be true!"
"Come on, let's go!" Frank said frantically.
Anne quickly drove the roach back on the track and chased after the Wreck. She moved through the turns and avoided the cows as best as she could, before they came across an open area with small grassy mounds with a ramp at the first one that split the path in different ways. Anne avoided the mounds and continued on until the track became narrow again. The Wrecker was the first one to cross the finish line of the first lap, making Anne angry as she spurred the roach. Making it go faster and crossing the line.
However, that's when she realized something. "Wait, I think I get it! This is just like Moo Moo Meadows!" She exclaimed.
"What?" Sprig asked.
"This is just like a race track in Mario Karts! Meaning that we can use the same shortcuts it has!" Anne explained to the boys.
It was then that Marnie pulled a lever near where he was standing. A line of five holes opened in the middle of the track, before wooden pedestals popped out, each holding up a small crate.
The Wrecker held out his hand and grabbed one. Seeing this, Frank did the same and snatched one. He opened it up and pulled out a red pepper from it. "I see what you're getting at, Anne." He said with a grin.
The Wrecker opened his box and pulled out three bananas. He started peeling and eating them, before throwing the skins away towards Anne.
She gasped and quickly swerved and turned out of the way of them and the cowapillars. Growling in frustration, Anne knew they had to close the distance between them and the Wrecker. And she got a plan when they came across the ramp again.
"Sprig, use the pepper!"
Sprig handed the pepper to the roach, who ate it. Suddenly it got a burst of speed and rocketed towards the ramp. Running off it and sending it and the three kids into the air. They all screamed and cheered, before landing again, only a few feet away from the Wrecker. He was shocked about this, but remained focused on the race.
They crossed the finish line again. Now it was time for the final lap. Just like before, the two roaches followed the track as their drivers turned with it.
Again, they grabbed gift boxes from the track when they popped out. However, when Frank reached into it, he pulled out bananas. "Uh oh." He said, throwing them away. "Guys, we've got to think of something and fast!"
"I have a plan!" Anne shouted, speeding up to get behind the Wrecker as they made it through the herd of Cowapillars. "All right, Sprig. Tongue him!"
Sprig looked at her as if she was crazy. "'Tongue him?' I hardly know him."
"Just do it, please!"
Not wanting to invoke Anne's wrath, the little pink frog shot out his tongue at the Wrecker and wrapped it around his body. He was surprised by this. But he was even more shocked when Sprig used his tongue to throw himself and the others over the Wrecker. Luckily their roach landed on its feet, and now they were in the lead!
"Whoo-hoo!" Frank and Sprig cheered together.
"Oh, cool, it worked," Anne said, not knowing if her crazy plan would've worked in the first place.
"Huh?" Seeing this, the Wrecker was astonished but was undeterred. The legendary racer wasn't about to give up and let some strange-looking kids beat him after all these years without a fight. So, he pulled out the item in his gift box and chuckled menacingly when it was revealed to be a turtle bug with a shell with spikes on the back. He threw it, and the bug opened its wings and flew for the lead roach.
"We're gonna win! We're gonna win! We're gonna win!" Frank, Anne, and Sprig chanted together as they raced toward the finish line. However, the young boy heard something behind him and looked back.
"Blue shell!" Frank yelled, pointing his finger at the incoming bug. Anne looked back, and she too freaked out, knowing what the blue shell was going to do.
The three kids yelled in terror as the blue-shelled turtle bug flew over their heads, did a flip, and then divebombed on the roach. Creating an explosion that killed the riding bug instantly and blew up its entire body in a bloody mess. Frank, Anne, and Sprig were sent flying off and landed on their back, covered in ashes. However, that was only until bits of the roach's exoskeleton, blood, and guts rained down on them, much to their disgust.
The Wrecker passed the finish line and skidded to a stop. The horns tooted as Marnie waved the winning flag. "Winner, winner, cricket dinner!" he said, pointing to the Wrecker as he stood on his roach's back.
The losers coughed out smoke and spat out the roach blood that got in their mouths. "Well, that didn't feel balanced." Sprig said, while Frank and Anne seriously wanted to wash their mouths out for hours.
"Our reigning champion will now pick his prize," Marnie said, gesturing to the wall of prizes.
It was then that the Wrecker pointed to Anne's backpack. "I claim that backpack!"
Frank and Anne gasped in horror. "NOOOOOOOOOO!" They screamed, with the Thai girl reaching out for it. However, it was too late, as Marnie pulled it off the wall.
"Here you are." He handed the backpack to the Wrecker, who slipped it on. "You look fantastic."
"Wait!" Frank called out, quickly standing to his feet. "We want a rematch!" However, it was then that a gong clanging was heard. Everyone looked at the giant hourglass and saw that the sand had run out.
"Oh, no. The bazaar's closing!" Anne exclaimed in horror. Their time was up.
The moment everyone saw that it was over, the people wasted no time. The guests to the bazaar left as quickly as they came while the shops were broken down. Some collapsed in on themselves before they were carried off, while others were more technologically elaborate and moved away independently. Either even by drilling themselves into the ground or flying away on the backs of large animals. When it was all over, Frank, Anne, and Sprig were all alone on the deserted race track. There wasn't even a cowapillar left.
Frank collapsed on his knees and sat on the ground with Anne. This couldn't be happening. They just lost the box, their ticket off this world. And just lost it in a carnal game. "It's gone…it's really gone." He whispered.
"What do we do? Now we'll never get home." Anne asked her friend while on the verge of tears.
"Hey, it's okay, Anne. Maybe, uh, we can find someone who knows the Wrecker. Track him down, you know?" Sprig tried his best to cheer up his friends.
Frank sighed in defeat and dismay. "It's hopeless, Sprig. The frogs in there said they hadn't seen him in years." He said, curling himself up with his arms around his knees. "This is all my fault. We wouldn't be in this situation if I didn't find that stupid egg. Now the box is going, and the Wrecker's long gone."
"Hey!"
The three kids screamed in terror, and they turned around and were startled to see the Wrecker standing behind them with the backpack. "AAAH! The Wrecker!" They yelled, pointing at him.
Seeing a chance to get her backpack back, Anne approached the giant frog. "Look, I know you won my backpack, but there's something inside I really need. You gotta give it back. I'll do anything." Anne pleaded with him with all the desperation she felt.
However, instead of responding, the Wrecker just grabbed their closes and threw them off. And when it was all off, the kids' minds were blown when they saw none other than Hop Pop standing there with stilts lifting him up off the ground. And he frowned at the kids with a look of disapproval.
"Hop Pop?!" The three kids exclaimed.
"I…I don't…I can't…" Frank tried to form words but failed until the shock settled down. "I'm so confused."
"Isn't it obvious, Frank?" Hop Pop asked, walking around them.
"Uh, no. That's why I'm confused." Frank stated with a frown on his face.
"Oh…Well, I knew you three couldn't resist the Bizarre Bazaar." Hop Pop explained, making the three kids flinch with looks of shame on their faces. "So I decided to keep watch in case you got yourselves in a pickle! Which you did. A big, fat pickle."
Frank and Anne looked at each other and realized that Hop Pop was right. This was all on them, and it was all their fault for losing the box in the first place.
"Anyways, here you go." Hop Pop said, handing Anne back her backpack.
Anne gasped before taking the backpack. "Hop Pop! You're the best. Thanks for having my back... pack." She said sheepishly. "You were right. We were too impatient for answers."
Anne turned to Frank and unzipped her backpack. He reached inside and pulled out the music box. Looking up at the Thai girl, the Hispanic boy gave her a look that silently asked if she was okay with this. Anne smiled and nodded. With the OK, Frank turned back to Hop Pop and held out the box.
"Here. You said that you knew people, right? Well, go through your trusted channels. We're okay with waiting a little longer."
Hop Pop hesitantly took the box from Frank's hand. Yet he did, and he stared at his reflection in it. In his hands was a box that had destructive capabilities. But how, he wasn't sure. Hop Pop just knew what he had the box, and knew what he had to do with it.
"I'll do my best, Frank." He said with an expression of guilt. "I know how important this is to you."
"Okay, back up! You're The Wrecker, Hop Pop!?" Sprig exclaimed, jumping on his grandfather's back. "How many games have you beaten? Did it ever get dangerous, Hop Pop? Have you killed a man, Hop Pop?"
Hop Pop laughed. "Whatever happens in the Bizarre Bazaar stays in the Bizarre Bazaar."
"Aw, man!" Sprig whined as Frank and Anne chuckled.
Hop Pop would hate himself for what he was about to do. After three months, Frank and Anne have come to trust him fully. Enough to give him the Calamity Box, the only device that can get them home. But Hop Pop couldn't allow them to have it anymore. The idea of the box being around Sprig and Polly was too much for him to handle.
So, he lied about everything he told the kids.
There were no contacts, no one he knew that could take the box and figure out what it was. When Hop Pop learned of the Calamity Box and that it was dangerous, he knew he had to get it away from the kids. So he lied about having contacts to get the box away from Frank and Anne. However, when they nearly lost the box at the bazaar, he stepped in to get it back. But now, after having been trusted with the box by the two humans, his guilt grew tremendously.
Hop Pop was betraying their trust. What would they think of him if they found out? These were questions he couldn't think about right now.
The moment the kids turned in and went to sleep, Hop Pop opened the door of the house and walked out into the night. Closing the door behind himself, he walked over to a nearby dead tree a few meters away from the house. He pulled out a shovel and started digging a hole at the base of the tree.
Once it was deep enough, he stabbed the shovel into the ground. Hop Pop then pulled out the music box. With a heavy heart, he sighed. "Sorry, kids, but I can't have you showing this thing around. Too dangerous for all of us."
And so, he placed it at the bottom of the hole.
"Now it's where it belongs. Where no one can find it." He said, before grabbing the shovel and began piling dirt on top of it. Hoping never to have to see the Calamity Box ever again.
But fate will have other plans.