The family rolled into the next town with a new excitement for adventure and mystery.
All: New town! New town! New town!
Polly: Food. Shops.
Sprig: This place is so cool.
Y/N: What should we do first?
Hop Pop: Let's see.
He opens his wallet and a single moth flies out as they all look down sadly.
Y/N: Oh, hey Lysander.
Hop Pop: Nothing. All we can afford is window-shopping, kids.
All: Aww
Anne: Man, it's hot.
She pulls down her hood and reveals her human face.
Anne: Better.
The frogs in the town all gasp as they see her face.
Anne: Right. Sometimes I forget about the whole "I'm a freak in this world!!" thing.
A baby tadpole began crying and Anne attempts to calm it down.
Anne: Whoa, whoa. Don't cry. I'm not a monster. I'm just weird. See?
She wiggles her nose and ears and strikes a pose.
Anne: Ta-da!
Townsfolk: Ooh.
Tadpole: Mommy, Mommy! Give the freak money!
Mother: It was a lovely performance. Here!
She gives Anne some coppers while the townsfolk clap at Anne's performance.
Tadpole: Do it again! Do it again!
Anne looks back at the others and Polly gives a thumbs up.
Polly: Milk it!
Townsfolk: Ooh. Amazing. Incredible. Take my money. All of it. This is so much better than that creepy oddities museum.
Anne: Oddities museum? What the heck is an oddity in Amphibia? Am I right?
A cricket chirped as none of the frogs laughed at Anne's joke.
Cricket: Dude, was that supposed to be funny?
Y/N: Cricket Dude! I haven't seen you since chapter three! How've you been?
Cricket: Yeah pretty good. I got married last winter and we're expecting kids soon.
Y/N: Awww, that's nice.
Anne: Stick to physical comedy. Got it.
She began punching herself in the face continuously as the crowd laughed at her. A few hours later, in the time of dusk, the crowd had dispersed and they were left with a bucket full of money.
Sprig: Wow, Anne. You made a bucket of money! Literally! Whoo-hoo!
Polly: Now, how are we gonna spend all of this cay-esh?
Anne: Hmm.
She looked around and saw what looked to be the oddity museum that the townsfolk were talking about earlier.
Anne: Ooh. That oddity place is still open! How about it?
Hop Pop: Well, you made the money. But only if you keep your hood up. don't like you drawing so much attention to yourself.
Anne: Deal. Let's do it.
She put her hood back up and they all walked towards the oddity museum. They opened the door and found a dimly lit corridor with wax figures along the walls.
Y/N: This place feels weird. Like a familiar sort of weird.
Polly: Uh, I think this place is closed! So let's leave and never come back!!
Anne: Are you kidding? Come on.
They shudder as they continue down the hallway, the torches by the walls barely lighting up each figure.
Anne: Guys, it's all fake! They're trying to scare you! Whoa. Look at this hot mess! It's actually pretty lifelike!
She stands next to a frog figure who had a cane and a fez ontop of his head.
Polly: Yeah, it even smells real.
The Curator: Hands off the merchandise!
The figure slapped away Anne's hand as the family screamed in terror at the seemingly alive wax figure as it starts laughing.
The Curator: The ol' "mistaken for a grotesque lifeless being!" Works every time! Welcome to my Museum of Oddities. I go by many names, but you can call me "The Curator."
Polly: Little on the nose, but okay.
The Curator: And if you chuck some of that cash into this here sack, I'll give you a tour of the greatest museum these parts have to offer!
Anne puts some coppers into his sack and The Curator tried to get a look at Anne's face.
The Curator: Hmm. What's the matter, honey? Face too ugly for public? Ha!
Anne: Wouldn't you like to know.
The Curator: Oh. A mystery. I love it!
Y/N hung at the back of the pack, not wanting to attract The Curator's attention.
The Curator: But enough chitchat. Walk with me. I've traveled all over Amphibia, collecting its most rare and frightening creatures.
He took them on a tour of his museum, showing off his strange looking attractions.
The Curator: Feel free to look around. But keep in mind, breathing in the dust will be extra.
He throws down a smoke bomb and hides behind one of his statues before making his obvious getaway. Meanwhile, Polly was staring at a wax monster. The eyes sudden looked at her and she screamed and jumped into Hop Pops arms.
Polly: Its eyes! They're watching me!
Hop PopWell, I had enough.
Sprig: Yep, me too.
Y/N: Anne, this place is freaking us out. We're gonna wait outside.
Anne: Okay, cool. See you guys...later?
Anne looks over to another attraction as the others leave the museum. They all wait outside for her.
Y/N: That place has bad vibes written all over it. Should I start making a plan incase we have to save Anne somehow?
Sprig: I'm sure it's nothing, Y/N. Besides, Anne can handle herself.
Y/N: I guess. It just feels weird though. This place reminds me of somewhere I don't think I've ever been before.
Suddenly, a mystical sound appeared besides Y/N as a glowing white circle showed next to him. Inside was someone who looked exactly like him, yet smaller and without his insect parts. He looked up to Y/N and studied him carefully, then smiled a wide grin.
Gekko: Found you.
The circle closed again and Y/N stared at the spot where it had just been.
Y/N: I'm sure that's not going to be a problem. Not at all.
A few minutes later, Anne came rushing out the museum looking very excited.
Anne: You guys! You won't believe what I found in there. A Skip Man!
All: Uh...
Anne: Trust me. It's big. And that Curator guy's gonna give it to me. All I have to do is be the museum's main attraction for a day.
Sprig: Are you crazy?
Hop Pop: Anne, you cannot, by any means, do this.
Anne: But thie is the first time I've found something from my world! It could explain so much.
Hop Pop: I understand that, Anne. But that Curator guy is... Well, just look at him!
They look through the window where The Curator is laughing at them menacingly.
Hop Pop: Tell you what, let's sleep on it, come back in the morning, and see if we can get some answers, okay?
Anne: Okay, you're right. I can wait. ..Until you fall asleep.
Y/N: What did you say?
Anne: Nothin'.
They were all sleeping soundly in the fwagon when they were awoken by Hop Pop who was being kicked by Sprig.
Hop Pop: Dang it, boy. Wait. Kids, where's Anne?
Sprig: Oh, no. She went back to the museum.
Y/N: We got to save her.
Polly: Back to the museum? At night? You know what, I'll stay here and hold down the fort.
Hop Pop: Oh, no, you don't. Come on.
He took them all to the museum and busted through the door. Polly stopped to stare suspiciously at the monster she was looking at earlier.
Polly: Stop staring at me!
While she was looking at the monster Y/N, Sprig and Hop Pop were making a plan to help Anne, who The Curator had strapped in a waxing machine, planning to turn her into one of his wax creations.
Hop Pop: Okay, boy. Here's the plan. First, I'll go in with a distraction. Then you come in behind...
The Curator: I think I got it. Now we're cooking with gas, or whatever it is we frogs use.
Sprig: There's no time! Come on!
They rushed towards The Curator as he turned around and pointed his cane at them.
The Curator: Who are you? A cop? I ain't going back to frog prison! Oh, just a couple of common frogs. Ooh. I can stick 'em in the same mold. Call 'em the Two-headed Frog of Froglantis. It's genius!
He looked towards Y/N and smiled widely.
The Curator: Woa-ho! Another one! I'll be making bank with these creatures!
Anne: Guys, get out of here! Save yourselves!
The Curator went to attack them, while Polly was still looking at the monster. As she continued to stare at it, all of its eyes stared at her directly as she screamed and held a torch to it.
Polly: I knew it! Enjoy being mush, you wax demon!
The wax melted away but revealed underneath was a real monster that was freed from the wax.
Polly: This is worse.
The Curator had the others cornered and held his cane up to them imposingly.
The Curator: Looks like the end of the line for you three. What the...
He looked to the side and saw the monster, freed from the wax.
The Curator: No! My beautiful creations!
Hop Pop: Kids, melt the rest of 'em, quick!
They each grab a torch and began melting the wax sculptures, freeing the creatures underneath.
Frog Gnome 1: Whoo-hoo.
Frog Gnome 2: Whoo-hoo.
Frog Gnome 3: Shmebulock!
Y/N held his torch up to a praying mantis with a basketball in his hands and a basketball shirt on.
Y/N: Uncle James, is that you?
James: Yo yo my nincada.
The creatures that were once encased in wax began advancing on The Curator as he tried to run.
The Curator: Stay back, you filthy animals! You'll never catch me!
They quickly caught up to him and began dragging him into a room.
The Curator: You definitely caught me! Wait, wait! Hear me out! I'll cut you all in on the profits. 10%. Okay, 11%. 11.5%. I'm not coming to 12. So you might as well just...
He screams as the monsters drag him into a room and close the door behind him. Red liquid begins pouring out from underneath the door.
The Curator: Calm down, everyone. It's just wax.
Sprig: Anne. Anne!
Hop Pop: Out of the way, kids!
Polly: She's frozen!
Hop Pop: Take her to go!
Y/N picks up the giant hunk of wax and takes it with them into the woods as they light a fire to free her.
Anne: I'll never get that Skip Man now.
Y/N: You mean this Skip Man?
He pulls out the Skip Man from behind his back and gives it to Anne.
Anne: No way! Dude, you're the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh. And the Curator said he got this from Newtopia. Which means we're on the right track.
Hop Pop: You know what else is on the right track? You keeping a low profile and not jumping into things without us.
Polly: I'm tired of facing my fears, Anne.
Anne: I know, I know. I shouldn't have gone off on my own. It was reckless. And besides, we work better as a team.
Hop Pop: Well, the important thing is, we're all okay. Except for that Curator. He's dead.
Y/N: I mean, does he bleed wax?
Sprig: Mm-hmm. Onward family! To Newtopia!
Anne: Hey, guys. Wanna see something cool? Did you know that this thing has a laser? Wha-bam!
She opens the laser and it hits Hop Pops eye as he screams in agony.
Meanwhile
He was desperate. He needed to find those coordinates. But without magical powers or any proper way to track them he was done for and Gekko would find it first.
Spider: Come on! It's only a matter of days before that dumb kid beats me to finding this world's coordinates.
He lay down against a tree, exhausted and near defeat. Over the past months he had been dedicated to finding the coordinates and feasting on any creatures that came in his way. He closed his eyes for a moment and in the next he was in a pitch black room.
Spider: Oh no.
Writer: Oh yes.
Lights suddenly popped into view as the room illuminated and Gimmick: Spider bowed to the floor and gritted his teeth.
Writer: So, how's the hunt going? Found the coordinates yet?
Spider: No, my lord, but I'm close! I can feel it.
Writer: Good, good. So let me ask you a question. Do you know how much infinite is?
Spider was about to answer but four black pillars surrounded him and enclosed around him into a tight, cube shaped area.
Writer: Do you know how long it feels like to sift through an endless amount of universes, draining energy from yourself and boring yourself until you get to the one you are looking for.
Spider: My lord! What are you talking about?
From the darkness emerged a kid, also thirteen except much shorter and surrounded by four creatures. One, a blue axolotl creature with an armordillo shell named Dizzy. The next a green, slime-like ball named Mosh. A small humanoid creature named Wingman. And finally a larger fish shaped creature named Thrash. Spider muttered curses under his breath.
Writer: You know Gimmick: Gekko, correct? He's the one with the powers of (spoiler spoiler spoiler) and Gekko from Valorant essentially crammed into one chaotic ball of charmingness and mass destruction.
Gekko: Hello!
Writer: Not only was he able to locate the realm coordinates, he was also able to find the anomaly himself!
Spider: What? So, what now? You're going to invade him now I'm guessing?
Writer: Oh good heavens no! I am quite fascinated about his story actually. So, I'll let him finish and have his peace and then ...
He clicked his fingers and the pillars crumbled into dust.
Writer: You may leave now Spider. Know I am not disappointed, just that I an unsurprised of this outcome.
Spider turned around, ready to be transported back to his dimension as he muttered under his breath.
Spider: Stupid Gekko opening portals in my realm with the stupid writer making favourites. The coward.
The room dimmed again as The Writer sat up from his throne.
Writer: I'm sorry, I did not hear that. Shall we repeat what you said?
The room was filled with millions of screens, each playing the same video of Spider saying "The coward" on loop.
Writer: A coward? So, you want to talk cowardice? How about yourself for a new topic? The Y/N that eats others for pure strength alone. The Y/N who picks every fight he can, just so he can reassure himself he's strong enough. The Y/N who ripped apart the spider who raised you out of fear for your own death. And I'm the coward?
The volume of the videos was gradually increasing to louder decibels, ringing in Spider's ears and pounding inside his head.
Spider: Make it stop! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!
The sound suddenly stopped as The Writer dusted off his hands.
Writer: My apologies. It appears BOTH of us forgot our place in this world. Why don't you stay a while? We can watch the anomaly together?
A giant black hand came from under Spider as he was lifted into the air next to The Writer who smirked at him.
Writer: Actually, lets let the whole Voltzyverse watch this! Ooh how exciting!
With a wave of his hand, the outside world came into view. A bustling metropolis with giant buildings and portals filling the area. Each person was unique in some way. Some were cyborgs, some had animal features. But one thing was the same for all of them: they were all a Y/N.