After staying awake all night, the children got ready for the meeting with the king. The hall was filled with heavily armed guards. King Andrias stood there, still incredibly cheerful.
"Wonderful to see you all again." King Andrias greeted.
The group consisting of Marcy, Drake, Anne, Sprig, Polly and Hop Pop collectively greeted him. Unfortunately, their voices blended together, and it was hard to make out their exact words.
"So, ask me if I found out anything about the box." King Andrias said while standing on one leg in excitement.
Anne spoke up "Did you-"
"Bingo!" King Andrias yelled, his voice causing a shockwave that knocked everyone down except Marcy. King Andrias pulled out a giant book. "Ta-da! Take a gander."
Everyone stepped forward to see the page King Andrias presented them with. Drake's eyes were drawn to the left side where he could see an illustration of the music box and its four gems.
Everyone gasped. "It's the music box." Sprig commented. This was their first major breakthrough regarding the true nature of the box.
"According to this book, it's a magical artifact that is thousands of years old. Apparently, my ancestors used it to visit entirely different worlds. They were peaceful explorers, scientists, if you will." King Andrias explained.
"Could this artifact be linked to the ancient ruins all over Amphibia?" Drake asked.
"That may be the case but there are more pressing matters." King Andrias gestured back to the book. "These four stones are the key to getting it working again. They need to be recharged."
"Recharged? How?" Anne asked while Marcy was writing down notes.
King Andrias held up his fingers. "The book mentions four different temples, each channeling a different kind of energy. And once the stones are recharged..."
"We'll have a way home?" Anne interrupted.
"Steal my thunder, why don't you? But yes." King Andrias turned the page, revealing the same illustration but the gems were glowing. "Boom! Eh? Eh?" he started flipping the same page back and forth.
"I don't believe it. A real chance to get home." Anne said hopefully.
"Right? Now let's get out there and conquer these bad boys." Marcy announced.
King Andrias held up his hand. "Whoa, let's rein those snails in for a sec. The book only gives the location for one temple. Besides, you still have a lot of preparing to do before you set off."
"Good point, got to get equipped for a mega quest like this. Armor to buy, maps to study, weapons to forge. This is going to take a few days." Marcy said.
"Few days, huh? Well, I hate to say it, but we really need to get back to Wartwood. The harvest is coming up and we can't miss it." Hop Pop explained.
Anne piped up. "Okay, Marce. Me, Drake, and the Plantars will head back to Wartwood. When you're ready, we can just meet up."
"Uh, don't I get a say in this?" Drake objected; he didn't want to leave Newtopia yet.
Everyone ignored him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. It doesn't really make sense for you two to go back to Wartwood." Marcy said.
This surprised everyone, including Drake.
"The last thing we should do is separate again, now that we're so close to finding our way home." Marcy explained.
"I guess that's true, but, uh, I, uh..." Anne was trying to come up with an excuse. "Need to go to Wartwood to get the music box. Right, HP?"
"Technically, yes."
YOU ARE READING
Another Friend in Amphibia
Fanfiction"So... what do you think is in the box?" Drake asked. "Probably nothing, they're usually empty when the store sells them." Marcy answered. "I'm more interested in the music it's going to play. I hope the music is relaxing." Sasha replied...
