The Harveston's and Jean had arrived in Wartwood, and were currently trying to find a place to park Boris. "Hey there's a spot!" Flossie pointed out.
Pebbs glanced skeptically at the small space. "Uh...it may be a bit small for Boris, sweetie." She answered. "Let's try another place."
Jean leaned against the seat, resting her hands behind her head as she let herself relax. "Alright, so we're here to sell Pebbs dishes, buy some groceries, and-wait is that the Plantars?"
Everyone glanced to where she was pointing. Hop Pop was backing Bessie into the tiny space Flossie had pointed out, giving a determined glare to the deputy as Bessie's shell scraped against the other snails. Flossie covered her ears at the horrific sounds. Even Pebbs clenched her teeth uncomfortably. "Frog dangit Hop Pop, we're all desperate for a parking spot, but I don't think anyone's that desperate. Sheesh." Jean chuckled.
The Plantar's hopped down from Bessie, and made their way into different shops.
Pebbs finally found a parking spot big enough for Boris, and after parking hopped off the snail. "Alright, kids. You can go find the Plantar's while I make these deliveries." Pebbs stated. The kid cheered, rushing off to find their friends.
Pebbs chuckled, and walked over to a shop.
Flossie ran ahead of Jean, before coming to a halt, staring up at a poster. Jean came up beside her. "Oi, what's up?" She asks. Flossie smiles brightly, pointing at the poster. "It's Amphibia's Got Talent! They're coming to Wartwood!" She said. Jean glanced up at the poster, inspecting it. Unbeknownst to the Anne, Sprig and Polly had wandered up behind them. "Amphibia's Got Talent?! Woohoo!" Sprig yelled, startling the axolotl. "Sprig! Don't do that!"
Anne smiled. "Huh, another thing our worlds has in common." She remarked, to which Jean nodded.
Hop Pop wandered up behind them, squinting at the sign. "Wait, what is this nonsense?" He asked critically. Anne picked up Polly. "We've got the same thing in our world." Anne explained. "It's a contest where regular people get on stage and try to prove they're special."
"That sounds potentially humiliating." Polly piped up. "Yeah, you get it."
"Yeah, I get it." The two chuckled, making Flossie step away out of fear they were planning something.
Sprig continued to read the sign. "'Auditions are being held this weekend!' Hey. Could be fun to play my fiddle in front of a crowd." Pulling out his fiddle, he played a little tune to demonstrate. "Eh? Eh?"
Hop Pop was a little skeptical about the whole thing. "I don't know Sprig-"
"One thing's for sure." Jean interrupted. "Winning this kinda thing sets you up for a life of success and opportunity."
Hop Pop's eyes widened at that statement, and he began to imagine the kids future.
A large golden gate with a fiddle on it stood in front of a mansion. In the front yard, a large fiddle-shaped pool sat. Sprig had his a drink in hand, taking in a long sip. "How's life, Polly?" He asked his sister. Polly rested in a pool, wearing sun glasses with her own drink. "Ding dang delightful." She sighed blissfully.
Flossie did a backstroke through the pool, the camera panning to Jean and Pebbs suntanning in the background. Anne pushed an old and shrivelled Hop Pop out in a wheelchair. "At last, I can rest...forever." He uttered, closing his eyes.
Polly took her sunnies off as a thought struck her. "Wait. If this is the future, why don't I have legs?" She questioned.
"Why are we still here?" Anne shouted, gesturing toward herself and Jean. Jean sat up, staring down at her hands. "Why am I caring about my appearance!? And what are the Harveston's doing here?!"
Hop Pop scowled at the commotion. "Hey. Can't you see I'm trying to pass on?" He sighed, closing his eyes once again.
Meanwhile in the real world, Anne was poking the elderly frog, snapping her fingers to bring him out of his trance. "Hey, Hop Pop. Did Hop Pop just leave us?"
Sprig freaked out. "Should we get help? I'll get help!" He was about to run off, but Hop Pop snapped out of his trance, grabbing him. "Hold on there, boy. Let's give this talent show nonsense a try." He said, pulling Sprig closer. "It's a long shot, but with enough dedication and teamwork, I'm sure we can make you a star. Who's with me?" The Plantar's and Anne cheered, Anne holding up bags of things. Hop Pop noticed them. "Anne, how'd you pay for all that junk?" He questioned. Anne shrugged. "I may or may not have mortgaged the house."
"WHAT?!"
The Plantar's had left to prepare for Amphibia's Got Talent. Flossie and Jean were back on Boris, the axolotl excited for the upcoming talent show. "I wanna give it a shot! I think it'd be fun." She said. Jean shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, what're ya gonna do? Show off your water powers?" She asked with a small smile. Flossie went quiet. Glancing over, Jean realised she was thinking. "I...don't know what I'm gonna do...I don't want to do the water thing because 1. I can't do it on command and 2. I don't want to show THAT off." she mumbled. Jean sat up properly, turning to face the axolotl. "Well, can you sing? If you want, I can play the guitar for you. We just gotta find one." She chuckled. Flossie beamed up at her friend. "I'd appreciate it a lot. Thank you, Jean."
"No problem, Floss."
"Alright, kids. Be back home before dark. Ok?" Pebbs said, dropping the kids off in front of the Plantar's home. Flossie and Jean gave her a salute. "Yes ma'am!" They said in unison, bursting out laughing right afterwards. Pebbs drove Boris off, leaving the children on the doorstep.
They could hear Polly from inside, complaining about something. The two glanced at each other, and were about to knock on the door when a loud wail-like sound travelled throughout the home. Flossie and Jean covered their ears, watching as birds fell out of the sky, landing on the front lawn.
When it was over, Jean knocked on the door. "Hop Pop? Anne? Sprig? Polly? Everything alright in there?" She asked. The door opened to Anne. "Oh, hey Jean. Come on in!"
The two entered, met with the sight of Hop Pop asking Sprig if he wanted to end up like a worm. Jean leaned toward Anne. "Is...Hop Pop alright?" She asked. Anne only shrugged, holding up a piece of paper. "I don't know, but look what he assigned me to! Designing and making Sprig's costume! This is gonna be great!" She squealed, disappearing into the basement. Watching her go, Jean shrugged, walking over to Hop Pop.
Hop Pop was now making Sprig do pushups. Jean was confused why that had to do with playing the fiddle, but she didn't question it. "Hop Pop, do you have a guitar somewhere? Flossie and I are gonna try out Amphibia's Got Talent, and I was gonna play the guitar for her." She asked. Hop Pop jumped onto Sprig's back, making him struggle even more. "C'MON, BOY! IF YOU WANT TO WIN THAT TALENT SHOW YA GOTTA BE STRONGER THAN THAT!"
Clearing his throat, he turned to Jean. "Oh, why yes I think I have one in the basement somewhere. You might have to go look for it."
With that, he returned to yelling at poor Sprig, leaving Jean to walk away, concerned.
Walking down the stairs of the basement with Flossie right behind. They found Anne already sewing bits of cloth together. "Hey, Anne. Hop Pop said there might be a guitar down here. You seen one?" She asked. Without looking up, Anne pointed toward the stairs. "Under the stairs, there was one there. Have fun!" She waved. Thanking her, Jean and Flossie left the busy human.
"So...where are we gonna practise?" Flossie asked. Jean glanced around. Hop Pop was urging Sprig on in the lounge room, Anne was still in the basement, and Polly...was no where to be found.
"Well....I guess we could practise outside?" Jean suggested. Flossie nodded in agreement.
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Hop Pop blew a whistle, coaching Sprig to run faster and faster.
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Jean strummed a tune on the guitar, as Flossie sung some lyrics they made. As they played together, a bird flew by, swooping them. The girls screamed, rushing indoors to escape it.
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Cracking a birds egg over a cup, Hop Pop slid the raw egg drink over to Sprig. Staring at it in disgust, he picked it up, taking a sip. He almost gagged at the taste. Hop Pop walked over, forcing Sprig to drink. "Come on, boy. Chug it!" He ordered.
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Anne was almost finished sewing the costume. Holding up for inspection, she cringed. "Well, this is horrible." She grumbled. Scrunching the cloth up, she threw it into the fire.
Hop Pop was in the corner of the room with Sprig, facing a mirror. "Now to work on your stage faces. Happy cute! Sad cute! Jealous cute! I said jealous cute!"
Sprig stared up at his grandfather. "I don't even know what that looks like." He stuttered. The young frog let out a yelp when Hop Pop blew the whistle loudly.
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Flossie and Jean were now practising in Polly's room. They had come a long way already, with Flossie memorising the lyrics and Jean playing the chords.
Pausing in her practise, Jean glanced down at her fingers. They were red with a few cuts, but nothing major. "Sheesh, I'm outa practise." She mumbled.
At that moment, Polly burst through the door. "You know you're getting charged by the hour, right? So pay up!" She hollered. Jean chuckled, reaching into her pocket and fished out some candy. "Good thing I saved these." She said.
Polly took them, and left the two alone.
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Sprig is playing the fiddle, a rope tied around his waste. Hop Pop gave a thumbs up to Polly. Without hesitation, she kicked a ladybug, which had the other end of Sprig's rope attached to it. Rearing up, it took off into the sky, dragging a screaming Sprig behind it.
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Hop Pop rode on Sprig's shoulders as the young frog played the fiddle, guiding him over logs to escape an angry beaver.
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Dancing and playing the fiddle at the same time, Sprig performed in front of Anne and Polly. When he was finished, the two girls clapped.
Panting for breath, he grinned. "Well, how was that?" He asked. Anne grinned at the frog. "It was amazing, dude."
"You're gonna slay, brother!" Polly piped up. Hop Pop threw his clipboard down in anger. "You call that an act?" He cried. "I counted three whole mistakes, Sprig. Three!" He demonstrated by holding up three fingers. Sprig's shoulders sunk. "I mean, it doesn't have to be perfect, right?"
Hop Pop scoffed, crossing his arms. "It does if you wanna win. Now give me 50 laps!" He ordered.
Sprig stood his ground. "Hop Pop, this is crazy. I just want to have fun up there."
"Fun? Can you eat fun? Can you make a fun deposit into your fun savings? Is fun a beautiful mansion with a front gate shaped like a giant fiddle?" Before Sprig could question him, he blew his whistle. "Okay, okay. Fine, geez." Sprig gave in, picking up his fiddle and running around the giant tree. Hop Pop continued to blow his whistle.
Anne and Polly frowned, glancing to each other.
It was the night of Amphibia's Got Talent show. Flossie peeked through the curtain, dressed in a short, purple and black dress. She held in her breath when she realised how big the crowd was. "I-i don't think I can do this." She whispered, sitting down on the floor and covering her head in fear.
Jean pulled at her tie. She was dressed in a dark blue tux, which made her extremely uncomfortable. She glanced down at the small figure on the floor. Sitting down next to the axolotl, she wrapped a hand on her shoulder. "Stage fright?" She asked softly. Flossie nodded her head. "I didn't know that it would be this terrifying." She whispered.
Jean smiled at her, giving her a hug. "Hey, it's alright. Everybody gets stage fright every now and again. It's normal. All that matters is that you have fun out there."
Flossie was silent for a moment. Jean's smile faltered. "If it makes you feel any better, we can call this whole thing off. I know how terrifying it is to sing in front of a crowd."
Flossie lifting her head from her knees, she looked up at the human. "No! We've worked too hard on this, we can't just abandon it and forget about it!" She cried. Jean chuckled. "Alright, if that's what you want. The Plantar's are next, so you'll have plenty of time to prepare yourself." She said, standing up and reaching for the guitar.
Hop Pop peeked around the curtain on the other side of the stage, chuckling as he watched Mayor Toadstool get launched into the air. "Alright gang, this is ours to lose. Sprig, you ready?"
Anne was getting Sprig ready, and after powdering his face, Sprig shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be." He said. Hop Pop was ecstatic. "Then get out there and win, win, win!"
"Alright. Next up is "Sprig Plantar", performing "Flight of the Moth". One of the judges read out in boredom, while the other let out a loud groan.
The curtains opened to reveal Sprig, dressed in a dazzling moth outfit. The crowd let out a gasp, and even the judges were impressed.
Taking in a breath, Sprig began to play a classical, fast tune. The crowd gasped in amazement, and began to cheer the young frog.
Flossie and Jean watched, jaws dropping in shock and admiration. "That's Sprig?" Jean asked, as Flossie could only nod.
Hop Pop watched, a wide grin on his face. "It's working. It's working! Now, Anne, the final touch!" Anne pulled the rope. "On it!"
Sprig was hauled into the air, swinging back and forth and playing the fiddle as the crowd went wild.
Flossie's eyes sparkled at the sight, taken in by the dazzling performance. Jean watched with a grin on her face. "Well done, Plantar's. Well done." She said.
Sprig was pulled higher and higher, his fiddle playing the tune faster and faster. "It's perfection, everything I could've hoped for!" Hop Pop cried.
A bat squeals, diving down and snagging Sprig in the air. Everyone gasped in shock, not expecting such a thing. Jean and Flossie yelped. "SPRIG!"
Sprig's screams filled the night air, as the bat swooped down once again.
Hop Pop rushed to the centre of the stage, where the launchpad was. With Anne and Polly's help, he flew through the air, knocking into the bat.
Flying dangerously through the air, Jean gasped. "He's not gonna make it!" She yelled.
Flossie glanced out to the crowd, the nervous look in her eyes replaced by one of determination. Running onstage, she stood in the centre. "Flossie!"
Flossie took in a deep breath, zoning out the noise of the crowd, and ignoring the eyes of thousands of frogs watching her every move. "Come on Floss, you can do this." She whispered to herself. She slowly raised her arms, concentrating hard. "Think of nature, the gentle streams, the rushing rivers..."
The crowd let out another gasp, and even Jean was astonished. Flossie was standing in the middle of the stage, eyes tightly shut as her hands slowly raised, bringing with it droplets of water in all shapes and sizes. The water bubbles floated towards Flossie, circling her as they awaited her command.
Opening her eyes, Flossie kept her gaze on the bat. With one swift motion, she shot her arms forward, forming a jet of water to shoot towards Hop Pop, Sprig and the bat.
The water struck its target. With a squeal the bat lowered closer to the ground, throwing the two Plantar's onto the stage. Anne rushed to them, catching them and softening their fall. But she tripped over the curtain, causing it to be ripped down and ruining the stage.
Flossie stood in the centre of the stage for a moment, panting for breath. Stumbling a little, she fainted, falling onto the stage. Rushing over to the unconscious axolotl, Jean held her head. "Hey, hey, Flossie! Oi! Floss! Wake up!"
The axolotl's eyes peered at her as she slowly came to. "Wha-did I-" Jean hushed her, smiling. "You saved Hop Pop and Sprig! On command too! Guess you used a little too much concentration though, am I right?" She chuckled.
Flossie giggled, but the two glanced over to the Plantar's when they heard Sprig yell in frustration.
"Gah! All I wanted to do was have fun!" He screamed, ripping the tattered wings of his costume off. "And play my fiddle onstage! Why'd you have to push me so hard?" Hop Pop was at a loss for words as he stuttered to reply. "Well, I just...I ran into Wartilda, and she said-and ascots are-" he took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Vegetables are just not doing well anymore. And heck, in a couple of years, I don't even know if the stand will be around. I just wanted to give you a better life than the one I can give you now." He sighed.
Sprig smiled at his grandfather, placing a hand over his heart. "Hop Pop, my life is perfect the way it is. And as long as you're in it, my future will be pretty cool too." He comforted.
Hop Pop sniffled, crying loudly as he embraced his grandson into a hug. Sprig just chuckled, returning the gesture.
The judges walked on stage, congratulating the young frog. "Absolutely mesmerising performances. I'm quaking with emotion." The guy judge said. The other judge put down a trophy in front of Hop Pop and Sprig. "And how did you ever train that bat?" She asked. The guy pointed back to Anne, who was beside Polly in the wreckage. "Or this thing for that matter?"
Anne yelled indignantly, but the judges walked over to Flossie. "And you, young lady. That was outstanding what you did with the water thing. How were you able to do it? What technology did you use?"
Flossie and Jean glanced to each other, unsure how to answer.
The judges moved on, turning to face the crowd. "We hereby declare this family the winning act of Wartwood's Got Talent!" They announced. The crowd cheered for the winners.
The judges turned back to the Plantar's. "You simply must come tour with us."
"Yes. And share your vision with the rest of the valley."
Hop Pop glanced at Sprig, wrapping an arm around him. "Thanks, but we like things the way they are. We don't gotta be stars." He explained. Anne walked over toward the trophy, leaning on it. "We will keep the trophy. It's gonna help us buy our house back." She stated, dragging it off with the chuckling Plantar's.
Jean and Flossie followed, hearing the screams of the judges as Mayor Toadstool launched them up into the air fade behind them.
Flossie let out a sigh. "I guess we didn't get to perform anyway." She said. Jean hugged her as they walked. "Hey, it's alright. At least we know we were better than everyone else." She comforted. Flossie only shrugged in response.
Hop Pop, who had been eavesdropping, thought for a minute. "Maybe..."
"So, what was the emergency?" Flossie asked as she and Jean walked toward the Plantar's home. The two kids had been asked to the Plantar's house. Jean shrugged. "I don't know, Hop Pop just said it's urgent." She said. Lifting her fist, she was about to open the door when it burst open. In the doorway was Hop Pop. "Oh, thank goodness you're here. everyone's gone nuts." he complained. Grabbing the two girls, he dragged them inside.
Jean and Flossie were confused. "What do you mean? What happened?" Jean asked. Hop Pop lead the girls out the back. "They've gone nuts...on feeling guilty about missing your performance!" He said, opening the back door.
There was Polly, Anne, Sprig, and even Sylvia and Pebbs all sitting on stumps in front of a makeshift stage. Jean's and Flossie's eyes widened. "Hop Pop..."
"Yeah, we heard that you didn't get to play the song you two wrote, so we all came together to build you girls a stage, so you could at least perform for us. We hope you girls don't mind...." He explained.
Flossie's eyes sparkled, tears threatening to fall as she rushed to Hop Pop, embracing him in a hug. "Thank you Hop Pop! You guys are the best!" She squealed. Hop Pop chuckled, and shooed her back inside. "Now go on, go get yourselves ready. Your mother brought your outfits just for today." He ushered. With a bright smile, Flossie ran inside. Jean turned to Hop Pop, "Thanks, Hop Pop." She smiled, following the axolotl. Hop Pop chuckled once more, and went to join his family as he waited.
Flossie breathed in, nodding at Jean to begin. Starting the intro, the axolotl counted the beat, waiting for the right moment.
"They may call you names, call you names, call you names.
It's all the same, all the same, all the same."
Jean nodded along to the beat, humming the tune herself as she continued to strum.
"But just remember this, remember this."
Pebbs clasped a hand over her heart as she proudly listened to her daughter sing.
"No body's better than you, than you, than you.
Oh, it is true, it is true, it is true."
Wally, who was passing, heard the children performing. He halted in his walk, listening for a moment. "Ay, is that the lil axolotl lass?" He wondered, humming to the tune as the children kept playing.
"You're the best thing there is, the best thing there is."
Finishing her strumming, Jean counted the beat. As she struck the final chord, everyone clapped. "WHOO! Go Flossean! Jessie!" Anne cheered. The two girls glanced to each other, confused about the new nickname.
They shrug it off, bowing down for the two families as they laughed.
A/N: 1. Yes, that is my song. It's an original song. It's probably like 2 years old but idc. I still love it to this day. And 2. What should their nickname be? Put suggestions in the comments XD please (btw the video above is on my OLD account. please don't follow it's dead and forgotten)