Living in a Frog World (Amphibia AU)

Anne Boonchuy did something bad on her 13th birthday. She did something really bad.

The day was supposed to have gone like it always did. Go to school, sleep through her classes, get out, and have her birthday. But Sasha convinced her to ditch school and go to the arcade. It was a blast playing the dancing game, winning prizes, and playing with her best friend.

But she couldn't leave to go home. It was when Sasha told her not to. There was no discussion when Sasha made a decision. She would follow her lead or lose her forever. End of discussion.

Anne was brought over to a Thrift Store. Marcy had texted them about a cool-looking music box with four gems in it. She knew this store. It belonged to a sweet little old lady named Rachel Ramirez. Ramirez, the name of the boy she'd left behind.

Sasha strong-armed Anne into stealing the box, and Marcy promptly agreed with her. Two of her friends—the people she trusted the most—wanted her to do it, and she couldn't say no to them.

But then she saw him. Frank. He'd been out of juvy for a month, but couldn't go back to school.

When Frank saw her stealing from his grandmother, Anne panicked. She ran out of that store as fast as she could. Sasha and Marcy took off with her.

Together, the three of them ran as fast as they could as Frank chased them down the street like a bloodhound that got their scent. The boy they abandoned was relentless, following the girls down what felt like every twist and turn in LA.

By the time they stopped, they'd run a few miles, and the moon was starting to rise. They ran into the same park that the girls and Frank used to go to after school.

Slowing down, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy walked to the bench near the swings, out of breath. Their legs were burning, and their lungs were electrified, pumping oxygen into them.

Anne turned around and sat on the bench, leaning back on the table while panting heavily. Sasha was the next to arrive, and she leaned on the table, her hair a bit frazzled. Marcy was the last and had just collapsed on the ground, not even bothering to get to the table.

"I…I…I can't…I can't believe…I just did that!" Anne said between pants. She pulled out the box from her backpack and looked at it with horror. "I…I can't believe I…"

"Will you…just relax," Sasha said, panting. "We got away…with it."

"Sasha! I stole something!" Anne exclaimed, fear riddled across her face. "I robbed that sweet little old lady."

Sasha scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Anne, this is your birthday. You deserve something, girlfriend."

"Yeah." Marcy agreed with her secret girlfriend, pushing herself up. "Don't you like it?"

Looking at the box, Anne frowned. It was a lovely little box, if it weren't for the frogs on it. "I…I guess," she said, uncertain. "But what about Frank? He knows that we took it! What if he goes to the police?"

"We'll just tell the police he was lying, and he gave it to us for free. Who's gonna believe who? Three scared girls celebrating their friend's birthday or a criminal like him?" Sasha asked nonchalantly.

Marcy gasped. "Sasha!"

"What? You all heard what he did," Sasha said without a hint of shame. She then placed a hand on Anne's shoulder. "You know the truth, right, Anne? Frank promised to give you that box as a birthday gift, but went back on his word. Right?"

Anne winced when she felt her best friend squeeze her shoulder. Her fingernails were poking her.

"Y-Yeah!" Anne agreed, just as Sasha wanted her to. She was still so scared of Frank going to the police and getting in trouble with her parents. And she still felt so guilty for stealing from Rachel Ramirez, who had been nothing but a sweetheart to her. "B-But why did we have to steal it?"

"Because it's your birthday, Anne!" Sasha snapped, growing tired of Anne's persistent questioning. She's not supposed to argue; she's supposed to follow. "Look, we have the box. You have your birthday present. End. Of. Discussion."

"Nothing is over!"

Gasping, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy stopped talking before turning around, clearly startled.

From the shadows of the night, Frank stepped into the light of the street lamp. Glaring at the three girls who were once his best friends, who had just stolen from his grandmother.

"Not until I say it is," he said in a dangerous growl. His eyes burned with anger.

"Frank!" Anne gasped, jumping up when she saw him.

"Oh great," Sasha muttered, far from pleased to see the boy who'd chased him.

"I…It's…" Anne struggled to find the right words to say. What exactly could she say? "It's…It's so good to see you!" she said with a big nervous smile. "How long has it been? A year?"

"Three years, Boonchuy," Frank said, still glaring at her.

"Yeah, it was nice seeing you again, Ramirez," Sasha retorted with a frown. "Now, about you, run along?"

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere," Frank said, starting to walk towards them.

Anne looked at the box, realizing she was still holding it. She hid it behind her back. "Frank, listen, I-I can explain."

"Oh, I'm sure you can," Frank said, glaring at her. "Explain how, after three years of not seeing each other, you decided to reunite by stealing from my grandmother! The old woman who has been nothing but kind to you since you were all babies!"

Anne flinched when he yelled at her. But before she could explain herself, Sasha stood between her and Frank.

"Whoa, why don't you back the hell off before someone gets hurt?" Sasha threatened while jabbing her finger in his chest, glaring daggers at him. She then smirked at him. "That is, unless you want to get hurt?"

Hearing that, Frank reached for his grandfather's combat knife and pulled it out. Seeing the weapon, Sasha gasped and took a step back. Her brave, challenging act immediately disappeared at the shock that Frank actually pulled out a weapon.

"Go ahead. Try it," he said in a threatening voice. It was a stupid idea for him to bring the knife, but he wanted to make sure that his old friends weren't armed.

"Wait! Everyone, just calm down!" Marcy, scared about what was about to happen, quickly stepped in and got between the boy and her best friend. "Frank, I know this looks bad, but I'm so glad that you could come," she said, arms spread out. "Anne, happy birthday!"

"What?" Anne asked, confused.

"What are you talking about, Marcy?" Sasha asked, just as lost as her girlfriend was to what she was doing.

"This is my birthday present to you!" Marcy asked, trying to look happy. "I went to the Thrift Shop a few days ago and ran into Frank. He agreed to a reunion. Now we can fix our friendship!"

Frank, however, didn't buy any of it. "Is that what this is about, Marcy? Or did you really come to Grandma's store to steal from her?!" Frank yelled, making Marcy flinch at his outburst. "Was all that talk about fixing our friendship a lie? Why would you do this?!"

"I…I…" Marcy struggled to speak. "This…wasn't how I wanted it to go, but…"

"But here's what's going to happen," Frank said, interrupting her. "You're going to pay for that music box, or give it back. Then, you're going to leave and stay the fuck away from me!"

Sasha pretended to think for a second. "Interesting proposal," she said before pulling out her phone. "Counterpoint: You walk away and never speak of this again, and I don't call the cops to take you back to jail!"

"Guys, please! Stop fighting! We cannot let this ruin our reunion like this!" Marcy stepped in and begged, clearly upset. This was supposed to be a happy moment for everyone, but her plan was falling apart.

"Stay out of this, Marcy!" Sasha snapped at her girlfriend. "So, what's it going to be, Frank?"

Frank cursed himself for coming here. Now he was trapped in an unwinnable position. He could let the girls go and have their music box. But he couldn't do that. Not after his own experience. Not when it was stolen from his family! However, he didn't want to return to jail. He couldn't handle being back in that place. And with the knife on him, Frank knew the police would immediately arrest him without question.

However, there was still hope for him, and it was the person who was still holding the box.

"Anne…give me back the box," he said, holding out his free hand.

"I…" Anne glanced at Marcy, who looked at her with a pleading look. Whatever was going on inside that brilliant mind of hers, it didn't want her friend to give back the box. Sasha, on the other hand, shot her a glare. Making it clear she better not give it back.

"I…N-No!" Anne said apprehensively, holding the box away from his reach. "It's not yours anymore, so…so get lost!"

Frank was deeply shocked by her response. "What happened to you, Anne?" he asked, his voice a mixture of sadness and anger. "You're better than this. How could you steal from my family's store?"

"I-I didn't have a choice," Anne said back to him with shame all over her face. "This is what friends do for each other. Sasha said so."

"Is that right?" He asked, narrowing his glaring eyes. "Is that truly what you believe?"

"Come, Frank. Can't you just let this go? Friends forgive each other, right?" Anne asked with a nervous smile.

Frank's eyes gained a sad and depressed look when she said that. However, that was only for a moment before he glared coldly at her. Saying something that would echo in the young girl's mind.

"We're not friends! We haven't been friends for a long time!"

That one line hit Anne hard as she stared at him in disbelief, but knew that it was the truth.

"You know what? I think we're done," said Sasha, glaring at Frank and turning around, gesturing to Anne and Marcy to follow her. "Come on, girls! Let's get out of here."

"You're not going anywhere until you give me the box!" Frank said, moving in front of Anne to stop her from leaving. "What's even in that box that you all want so much?"

That gave Anne a moment of pause. There she was, on her birthday, at the old park, having ditched her birthday party to steal a music box that she didn't even want. Taking from the family of her old friend, when she could have been having the best reunion with Frank. They should be crying and hugging each other, apologizing for how their friendship came to an end. Was this box even worth it? Sasha said it was, so it must have been worth it. Right? What if she was wrong?

Deciding to see for herself, Anne opened the box.

Living in a Frog World

Part 2

Chapter 22: The Fourth Temple

That's how this all started, Frank thought to himself. It all started that night. Because of Sasha's selfishness, Anne's inability to stand up for herself, and Marcy's willingness to go along with what her girlfriend wanted. It was because of them that they were teleported away from their friends and family for so long. Tomorrow will mark their fifth month in Amphibia.

They each got to complete their temple and charge their stone.

Frank's temple was all that was left.

The group flew over the mountains outside Frog Valley on Joe Sparrow's back. The full crimson moon lit the sky. Marcy had modified the saddle to be large enough for Sasha and Grime to fit in, but Joe Sparrow had to carry Frobo in his claws still.

Unlike the other three, this temple did not appear in any book. So Marcy's only hope of finding it was following the beam of light given off by Sasha's gem.

The flight took them to a rather familiar-looking mountain range. Once they were past the Ruins of Despair, Frank and Anne realized they were going towards the same mountain range they had to pass to get to Newtopia. The one that held Quarreler's Pass.

As he sat with Anne, Frank looked down at his hands. His fingers were interlocked in a tight hold. This was it. After the second reunion with Sasha, it wasn't long before the group prepared to face the fourth and final temple. They had no idea what was waiting for them inside the temple, but they knew they had to be ready for anything that might happen.

And that's what scared Frank the most. Everyone was counting on him. The fate of his friends and his girlfriend was all on Frank's shoulders. It was all up to him to get them home.

What was he going to want for him when he entered that temple?

Finally, after what felt like hours, the beam lowered itself, and Marcy's eyes widened with excitement as she gasped. The beam was pointing to the largest mountain in the range.

"Guys, we're here, we're here, we're here, we're here~!" Marcy exclaimed, punching the air. "Alright, Joe, take us in!"

Panting and exhausted, Joe Sparrow lowered himself from the sky. Unable to carry them any further. He landed on a large cliff on the side of the massive mountain.

There was a path marked by ruined flags that had been torn away over the years by the weather. Following the flags, Frank saw the entrance of a cave surrounded by broken pillars. Everyone got off the poor bird, and Marcy let the beam on the box shine, pointing them to go through the cave.

"This is it; the final temple!" Marcy said, looking proudly at the mountain. "It was a long trip, but it'll all be worth it, right, guys?"

"Ugh…."

Marcy glanced at Anne, Frank, Sasha, Grime, and the Plantars from the corner of her eye. While the young ranger was wide awake, the others were so sleepy and exhausted that they felt like they were about to collapse.

Anne yawned and said, "We've been flying, ahh, for seven hours..."

"We probably should've left before noon..." Frank said, rubbing his eyes.

"Ditto," Sasha added, about to doze off. "I'mma a lay down for five minutes."

Her girlfriend wasn't having any of it. Marcy marched up to her friends and slapped Frank across the face. "WAKE UP!"

"OW! Hey!" Frank cried.

"This is no time for sleeping!" Marcy yelled, slapping Anne, the Plantars, and Grime to wake them up, bringing them back to their casual mood. For Sasha, Marcy just kissed her on the lips.

"Huh? I'm up! I'm up!" Sasha said, groggy.

"Come on, you guys! We need clear heads to solve the temple if we're going to get the last stone!" the black-haired girl said.

"We'd better do it quickly," Grime said, pointing to the north. "Look!"

Everyone turned around and gasped. A huge storm was heading their way. And it was approaching fast.

"We need to get to the temple!" Frank told the others. "Let's go!"

Everyone began gathering their supplies from Joe Sparrow. Since the Calamity Box was their top priority, Anne quickly stashed it in her backpack. As before, Frobo was left outside with Joe Sparrow. Both the robot and the bird hurried to take cover behind a large overhang rock to stay dry, while the others moved away.

Frank and the others followed the tattered flags along the path. The first flag was at the beginning of the path. They ran to the second one, which was placed at a left turn. That was when the storm caught up with them. Rain poured down as thunder boomed and lightning streaked across the sky.

"Holy frog!" Sprig yelled, clinging to Polly and her bucket. The winds were so strong they nearly knocked him over.

"Just keep going!" Anne yelled, holding Frank's hand.

They began crossing a naturally formed bridge that was so narrow they had to walk in single file. All the while, they tried to stay strong against the winds and rain that could have knocked them off at any moment.

They breathed a sigh of relief when they made it across and crossed the third flag.

"We're almost there!" Marcy yelled over the roaring storm. She pointed ahead at the next flag, which was right beside a narrow ledge they would need to cross.

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better," Sasha lamented, holding her girlfriend's hand.

Sasha and Marcy went first. Leaning their backs against the wall, they shuffled along the ledge. Grime followed them, then the Plantars, and finally Frank and Anne.

Okay, don't look down," Anne told herself, smiling nervously. "Why not... uh... oh! Let's just look up."

A bolt of lightning struck the side of the mountain a few meters above her head, breaking off a large boulder that falls toward her and Frank.

Frank instinctively pulled Anne in, turned them around, and pressed her against the wall, using his body to shield her.

Luckily, the large rock fell past them, falling toward the ground where it vanished into the mist. About three seconds later, the inevitable crashing sound echoed across the mountain.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked his girlfriend.

"Y-Yeah," Anne said, blushing with a smile. "Thank you, babe."

Frank smiled and kissed her. "No problem, Loco."

"Still not gonna let that name go, huh?"

"No. I like it more."

"Let's go, guys!" Marcy called out to them after making it across the ledge onto a wider one. "We're almost there!"

Frank and Anne looked at each other and nodded. Together, they crossed the ledge and joined the others, finally reaching the cave.

"It's really dark in there," Anne commented, looking into the cave. Like staring into an abyss.

"I can't see a foot in front of me," Grime added.

"Well, one thing I learned from you, kids, is to bring a lantern," Hop Pop said, pulling out a lantern and lighting it up.

"You really thought of everything, huh?" Sasha said, and the old frog nodded, feeling a sense of pride fluttering in his chest.

"Mm-hmm. There you go," Hop Pop said, handing the lantern to the kids.

With light, everyone looked at the cave. Sprig was about to take another step, but hesitated.

"Uh... Do you guys feel like something truly horrific is waiting for us there?" he asked.

"Yeah. So far, the temples have tested us in the most grueling ways possible, and I couldn't find any information about this one at all," Marcy said, a mix of uneasiness and curiosity in her voice. "Wonder what we'll find in there."

"Well, there's only one way to find out. Come on." Frank said, taking the lantern and stepping forward.

Cold and wet, everyone entered the cave.

As they went in, it was as if all the light had been sucked out of their surroundings. Even with the lantern, they could barely see a few yards ahead. After a while, they stopped and listened. There was a strange sound that seemed to echo around them.

"Whoa, do you guys hear that?" Anne asked, her eyes wide.

"I do," Frank said, rubbing his ear with his palm. The sound was like an itch in the mind. "We must be getting closer."

Everyone pressed on. The stone's beam and the passage slowly guided them further into the mountain.

"So, since we have the time, who's this ghost thing Frank keeps talking to? Is she, like, his imaginary friend or something?" Sasha asked Marcy. She'd been wanting to spend more time with her, at least away from the others. However, because Frank and her two best friends wanted to get out of Amphibia quickly, they didn't have all the time in the world to just talk, especially in private.

"Beats me," Marcy said, pretending not to know, even though she knows it's connected to his anime powers. "For all I know, only Frank can see and hear her."

"I find that hard to believe."

"But I do have a drawing of her," Marcy said as she opened her journal to a page. Showing it to her girlfriend, she had a perfectly done drawing of Leif based on how Frank described her. "Frank has one like this in his journal, but he told me what Leif looked like."

"Huh, she kinda looks like that pink frog if he were a girl," Sasha muttered, referring to Sprig. "So, he's imagining if Sprig's a girl…Did he have a frog crush on him?"

"You know I can hear you, right?" Frank asked, looking back at them.

Then they saw something.

"What is that...?" Hop Pop asked. With each step, they could see a dull light at the end of the tunnel.

As the light got brighter, they all started to hear muffled whispers coming from ahead.

"Uh, whose doing that?" Polly asked.

"I don't know... Are you peeing yourself yet?" Sasha chuckled.

Polly replied by laughing sarcastically. "Oh, har, har. Ooh, I'm sooo scared... Bitch!"

"Ugh. Let's go check it out," Grime sighed.

The group moved closer and exited the passage, entering a vast chamber. What they discovered was astonishing. Frank felt a mix of awe and dread.

The large chamber was the very same one he'd found a month ago. The light was the same as the large illuminating mushrooms that were held up by the ruined statues of frogs, toads, and newts. Allowing everyone to see the red currents and, most importantly, the mural of all their adventures.

"Is…that it?" Anne asked, looking at her boyfriend worriedly.

"Yeah," Frank said, grasping her hand. "This is it."

"I'm lost," Sasha said to Marcy. "What is all this?"

"A salamander named Teshin painted all this," Marcy told her. "Apparently, he's chronicled all of our adventures, and Frank found it on the way to Newtopia. He thinks it's some kind of prophecy. About how we could have to fight something evil…and how he'll die because of it."

Sasha's head snapped toward Marcy, eyes wide. "Wait…Frank's going to die?" she asked, sounding surprised and maybe a little worried.

"Yeah...Isn't this awesome?"

"Marcy!" Anne snapped at her.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I just can't help myself. It's like one of my favorite books…"

Tuning out his friend's nerdy talk, Frank was drawn closer to the mural. There was still a significant gap between the last paint job and the one depicting them fighting the Unknown Aggressor. And after that, his supposed death.

However, just as he was halfway to it, something below him began to glow. Looking down, Frank gasped when he saw the ancient, bright red text on the floor.

"Guys, look!" he said, pointing to the ground. Everyone looked down and saw the text.

"Wow. Already?" Sasha added.

"What does it say?" Grime asked Marcy, who pulled out her journal. She secretly hoped this one was more mythical and actually sounded wise, unlike the last temple.

"You've come far to find this place. You've mastered your mind, heart, and strength, but it's not enough. Fear has been your shadow, so it shall be your test. Face the past to face the future. Master the maze...master thyself."

"What does that mean?" Anne asked, becoming fearful.

"Hmm...I'm not sure," Marcy responded, the last thing Anne wanted to hear her say.

Frank looked around, trying to find an entrance, but there was none. He initially thought of the two passages that used to be there, but when he checked, they had vanished as if they had never existed.

"How do we get in?" Frank asked.

"Why don't you call up your little ghost friend?" Sasha said, rolling her eyes.

Frank frowned at her. It was obvious she didn't believe that Leif was real, but she had a valid point. If she were the embodiment of his powers, and this was his temple, she would surely know what to do.

"Leif?" Frank called out to his friend. There was no answer. He looked around, expecting to see the little ghostly frog woman. "Leif, are you there?"

"Tsh, should have known," Sasha said smugly.

"Leif?" Frank asked, his voice tinged with worry. Still, there was no response from his friend. "Leif!"

"So, what now?" asked Polly. "Just go back."

Sprig looked behind him and said, "Uh, guys…"

Everyone turned around and gasped when they saw that the tunnel they had come through was gone. In its place was a solid wall.

"The exit!" Anne yelled as she, Hop Pop, Sasha, and Grime ran towards it. Placing their hands on the wall, they tried to find a way to make the tunnel reappear. But nothing was happening.

"Oh no!" Sprig gasped. "We're trapped forever! We're going to starve and end up eating each other!"

"The only one doing the eating is me, little frog," Grime said, pointing at himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hop Pop asked.

"Oh, you wanna go?!" Polly yelled.

"Guys, don't fight," Marcy pleaded. "Now isn't the time to panic..."

"You've finally come."

Everyone was startled by the familiar voice.

"Teshin," Frank gasped. Just as when he first met him, the tiger salamander was dressed like a robed samurai with a straw hat covering his eyes and a scythe strapped to his back.

"Good day," Teshin said, walking towards them. "You've finally come to test your might."

"Uh, who's this guy?" Sasha asked, pointing at the salamander.

"Never seen him before," said Grime.

"It's okay," Anne said, standing before them and Teshin. "This is Teshin. Teshin, these two are Sasha and Grime."

"They're complete dicks," Polly said.

"HEY!"

Frank smirked at Sasha and Grime's reaction. He turned to Teshin and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Surely Anne told you what was explained, just as I told you in our first meeting," the salamander said. "The Knightingales must guide those worthy of the stone's power."

"Knightingales," Marcy said, already pulling out her journal.

"The order Valeriana and I belong to. One that has existed for thousands of years, waiting for this day to come," Teshin explained. "And just like her, I'm the keeper of this temple."

"Great," Anne groaned. She still remembered how much Valeriana frustrated her, even if she proved to be a good person. Teshin was probably going to be no different. "Ugh. You're not gonna be like how Valeriana was, are you?"

"Do not be mistaken," Teshin replied. "I may be the temple's keeper, but testing you is not my role. The labyrinth will be your challenger, your teacher...and your tomb, should you prove to be too weak."

"L-Labyrinth? As in... a maze?" Frank asked, dread filling him and the others. "An actual maze?"

"Yes," Teshin said, nodding. "One that is very different from all the others. Just like the others, its purpose is to guide you to enlightenment through three tests. You must prove yourself worthy."

Frank gulped. Of all the tests to take, of all the puzzles to solve, or all the tricks and traps that could be for his temple, it has to be a freakin maze.

"Before I tell you more, there's something I must know. To gauge how much you'll learn from the upcoming trials, I have one question: What does bravery mean to you?"

Frank paused for a moment. All the time he spent fighting monsters or pulling off crazy stunts to keep his friends safe, he never thought about what it really meant to be brave. So, he said the first thing that came to mind. "Well, I believe it means to be completely fearless and bold when you face danger."

Teshin went quiet for a moment before exhaling loudly through his nostrils. "As I thought," he said. "The hard way, then."

Frank blinked, surprised and confused by what the salamander told him. "What?"

Teshin pulled out his scythe from his back.

"If you believe that's what courage means, then you were a fool to come here. Now you're trapped inside this place. If you wish to return home, there's only one way out… and the trials have already started," he told the Hispanic boy. "Now, you either become enlightened and pass… or suffer in fear until you die."

He turned around and walked to the mural wall, leaving the group slightly apprehensive.

"D-Die?" Anne shuddered, already fearing for her boyfriend.

She looked at Teshin's final mural as a wave of dread filled her heart. The worst thing the other temples could have done was kick them out forever. But this? Did Teshin seriously imply that Frank, the love of her life, could die here?

Anne took Frank's hand. "Frank, I'm not sure this is a good idea anymore."

The boy looked at his girlfriend, and his expression softened. "I don't like this any more than you do, Anne, but if I don't do this, we will never go home," he said.

But this temple is different from the others. You heard what that samurai wannabe said," Anne said. "If you die, not only will we be stuck in Amphibia for the rest of our lives... but I will lose you forever."

Frank and Anne locked eyes. The boy could see the worry and fear in her eyes as clear as day. He did not doubt how much she loved him. That's why she was so worried. He gently placed his hands on Anne's shoulders and tried to put on the most comforting smile he could.

"You won't. One way or another, we will all get home. I promise," he said, placing his hands on the sides of her head. "I had faith in you the whole time, mi amor. Now I'm asking you to do the same. I've survived pretty much everything Amphibia could throw at me. I can handle whatever comes next."

Anne knew what Frank was doing. Months ago, when he almost died at the hands of Tartarus, he assured her that she would never lose him. And now he was doing it again. Those words always made her feel better. But did it work this time, too?

Yes. Yes, it did.

"How much do you trust me?" the boy asked.

Anne smiled and placed her hand on his face. "With my life."

Frank kept smiling and leaned in to kiss Anne's forehead. The Thai girl smiled, feeling like the fear had never existed.

Turning back to Teshin, who was still sitting on the floor, Frank approached and sat down in front of him.

"I'm ready," Frank said with confidence.

"You say that," the Knightingale said. "But the tests of the maze will draw from the memories and fears of those who enter. In there, you're an open book... and it will make you suffer. More than you can imagine."

If Frank wasn't already scared of what he might find, he was now. But there was no turning back. They were there, and they needed the last stone charged. Everyone relied on him to get them home, and he'd promised to do just that.

"W-What are the trials?"

Teshin turned his scythe around and pointed the bottom towards Frank's chest.

"Fear thy Enemies. Fear thy Loved Ones. Fear thyself."

The scythe jabbed into Frank's heart, and it was lights out for him.

Frank gasped when he woke up. He quickly got to his feet and looked around, angry that Teshin had knocked him out. But as Frank scanned the chamber, he saw that not only was the salamander gone, but also his friends and girlfriend. He was now all alone.

"Guys? Anne? Sprig? Hop Pop? Polly? Where are you, guys?" he called out, desperately searching for them before noticing something about himself. "Where the hell am I? ... Wait, where's my stuff?!"

The boy stood up, shocked to realize his shield and Hellcat's Claw were gone. His poncho and armor disappeared too. All he had left was what was in his pocket and his grandfather's knife. But without everything else. Frank felt exposed, alone, and defenseless.

It was while he was looking around that Frank noticed the wall where the mural was painted had undergone drastic changes. Now it had split open, forming an entrance into a tunnel of complete blackness. A thick red fog poured out of it, floating close to the ground.

"Anne?" Frank called out to his girlfriend, hoping to get a response.

"They're there."

"Teshin?" Frank looked around for the tiger salamander. He was nowhere to be seen. "Where are you? Where are my friends?"

"They're safe—for now. They're at the center of the maze, waiting for you. There, you will take your final trial."

Frank breathed a sigh of relief. At least they were safe.

"But to reach them, you must go through the labyrinth, just as you must pass the trials to charge the gemstone. It is in the maze where you will suffer, and you will learn the meaning of true courage."

"Bring it on!" Frank said. "I'm not afraid."

"...You will be. You will be…"

'Okay, Yoda.' Frank thought to himself.

But looking at the entrance of the maze made him pause. Brave, as he might believe himself to be, the thought of his temple being a maze was not something he expected or wanted. The idea of being alone in the labyrinth made him hesitant to go in, especially without his weapon and armor.

What Teshin also said, however, made him hesitate. This maze would read him like a book and make him suffer. It scared Frank what he implied by that, as well as the things he said about the tests. Fear thy Enemies. Fear thy Loved Ones. Fear thyself. What did it all mean?

"Leif? If you're still there, please give me a clue as to what I'm supposed to do," he said.

There was no response.

"Okay," Frank said, pulling out his knife. "I'm actually going to do this…alone."

Steeling his nerves, determined to pass the tests and find the others, Frank entered the maze.

The moment he walked in, it was as if all the light had been drawn out of his surroundings. The farther from the entrance he went, the more the light from the mural chamber faded, until there was nothing left.

That's when the maze finally showed itself to him.

A light appeared from above. Now that he could see, Frank looked around and noticed he was in a long hallway. The floor was made of greenish-gray stone, while the walls consisted of bluish-gray bricks set at an angle.

Looking up, Frank saw that there was no ceiling attached to the wall of the hallway. The labyrinth was built inside a massive stone dome, with its ceiling rising more than a mile into the air. The only outside light source was at the top. The beam of light that descended projected farther into the maze. Although Frank couldn't see exactly where it landed, based on its origin and how it shone straight down, he guessed it was at the center—where Anne and the others were.

As he walked down the hall, he came across his first T fork in the road. First, Frank looked down the left path and saw that the path and walls curved slightly to the right. Then, he looked to the right and saw that it curved to the left. This suggested that the labyrinth might be circular.

Looking down the left path, he chose to try it. So, he went on. But something about this maze felt off. It was as if someone or something was watching him. But there was no one there. He was completely alone.

Frank couldn't bear the overwhelming loneliness, so he called out to anyone who might hear him. "Hello?! Can anyone hear me?! Where is everyone?"

No response.

After walking nonstop, Frank could only hear the sound of his breathing. The feeling of loneliness only grew.

He turned left and stopped. It was a dead end. Walking up to the wall, Frank pressed his hands against it. He didn't know why. Maybe he thought it would open a secret passage or something.

His heart almost stopped when the wall cracked. It gave way, and Frank fell through.

Thinking quickly, the Hispanic boy leaned back, his arms twirling as he tried to regain his balance on the edge. Falling on his back, Frank sighed in relief.

Standing up, Frank saw that the wall opened itself to someplace outside of the labyrinth. He felt the wind blowing harshly against his face, but he still had no idea what was going on.

Looking down over the edge, he gasped.

Frank was thousands of feet above the ground. The labyrinth's path had somehow opened above a waterfall cascading into an ocean with nothing else in sight. The sky was filled with dark clouds as a lightning storm approached. Looking down, he saw a small rock formation at the bottom. Frank had always hated heights, but the strangest part was that he had no idea how this fear had developed. Still, it didn't matter.

Frank turned around and started walking away from the dead end.

He didn't get far, however. His eyes widened when he heard the sound of rushing water. In a flash, a massive flood rushed down the path he had come from.

He closed his eyes and braced himself. But when the water came crashing into him, it sent him through the portal.

Frank screamed as he fell. The wind whooshed past him, and he was filled with terror. The boy knew there was no escape from this. He was going to crash into those rocks and die. No one could possibly survive that.

The Hispanic boy had convinced himself that this was the end.

He closed his eyes and waited...

...And then it stopped.

He wasn't falling anymore, but he never hit the ground. He opened his eyes and looked around. Everything was dark and cold, and he seemed to be floating. At first, he thought he was dead. But when he tried to speak in disbelief, he choked and brought a hand to his nose and mouth.

He wasn't sure where he was, but he saw a small school of fish swimming nearby, confirming his suspicions.

Frank was underwater.

But that was impossible. Just a few seconds ago, he was falling toward a cluster of sharp rocks and didn't hear a splash.

Frank looked up and started swimming. However, the surface was still far away, and his lungs were nearly out of oxygen. The boy then caught something moving out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to look, but all he saw was darkness.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt nearby illuminated the area. For a moment, he saw the silhouettes of snakes swimming close to him. The same snakes that he and Anne saw in the river during their first moments in Amphibia.

And they were getting closer.

The fear he felt at the time returned in full force.

Frank panicked and swam faster. He was getting tired, only getting closer to the surface slower than he should've been.

The boy felt a snake wrap itself around his arm, startling him. He killed the snake with the knife and tried to continue swimming, but more of them wrapped themselves around his limbs.

The boy could feel them slither all over his body as he froze in fear and anticipation of the inevitable bite. He knew that at any moment, they could sink their fangs into him and inject their poison. But they didn't. Instead, they pressed down on him so hard that he felt his bones cracking from their sheer strength.

It hurt so badly. Everything was overwhelming. He tried to scream, but he only ended up choking again.

Frank couldn't move or continue. He was destined to die, drown, and be surrounded by snakes. Feeling the last of the oxygen leaving his lungs and his chest being crushed, Frank raised his arm, the surface now less than a foot away. But that didn't matter. The water began to fill his lungs, and he started to lose consciousness...

...And then it stopped.

When Frank could breathe again, he rolled onto his hands and knees. He quickly started coughing up water from his lungs and gasping for precious air. His chest burned, but the pain eased once his breath steadied. The boy wanted to cry, but he stopped himself from doing so when he looked at himself.

The snakes were gone. His bones had reset. He was no longer underwater. Sitting on his knees and opening his eyes, Frank looked around to find his bearings. When he finally focused, he saw that he was back in the mural room.

"How is this possible?" he asked. "Was…Was it all just a dream?"

Looking back at the entrance of the maze, Frank glared at it and stood up. He didn't understand what he had just experienced, but he knew now he couldn't go that way again. This time, he'll go right.

Going right must have been the correct way to go because he didn't experience anything like he did last time. Frank, with his knife out, walked further into the maze. It was still a maze, though, and he still made a wrong turn once, having to turn back to get on the right path.

He didn't know how long he'd been walking when Frank saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Stopping, the Hispanic boy looked toward the corner from which it had come.

It was from that corner that a giant mantis crawled out. Its head snapped toward Frank, roaring at him.

Frank gasped in fear as he backed into an intersection of the Labyrinth. The mantis crawled toward him, but to his left, another one, taller and more intimidating than the first, appeared. Both saw Frank and began crawling toward him, completely ignoring each other.

Too scared to speak, Frank immediately recognized the two giant monsters. They were the same mantises he had killed when he first met Sprig.

"Fear thy Enemies," he whispered. That was when Frank finally understood the meaning of this test.

The temple was forcing him to fight every enemy he'd faced in Amphibia.

The thought was surreal. It was as if the temple was mocking him with a cruel, ironic joke. Especially when it took all of his weapons and armor, knowing he only had a small knife to defend himself this time.

Suddenly, the red mantis darted toward Frank at a blinding speed, catching him with its front legs and suspending him. The Hispanic boy struggled futilely to escape. He gasped in shock as he saw the green mantis move toward him. It raised the same front leg Frank had used as a scythe and slashed its sharp claw across his neck.

He didn't scream. All Frank could do was watch the world around him as his head fell to the ground and rolled over. He then saw his headless body being held by the mantises before everything went dark.

"GAH!" Frank bolted upright quickly and gasped. He'd returned to the mural chamber, again.

He placed his hand on his neck and confirmed it was still there. The horror finally hit him as he understood what had happened.

"I just died...!" he said breathlessly, terror and disbelief in his voice. "I…I think I understand how this works. This is like a response. Every time I die in the maze, I just come back here. No matter how much pain..."

Frank's thoughts drifted as he reflected on the pain from the last two deaths. This didn't feel right. If the temple wanted him to confront all his deadliest foes, he should know how to defeat these enemies. Why was he so frightened now? He could defeat them with the combat knife. He had faced impossible odds and always come out on top.

But... most of those times, it was with Anne.

"Courage!" Frank said, slapping his face. "Courage! What's wrong with me? Stop acting so afraid. You've beaten them before; you can do so again!"

'What could be learned from all this suffering?' That was the very question Frank asked himself as he ran back toward the entrance of the maze. Panic was clearly etched all over his face.

He made more attempts to enter the maze. Each time, he encountered those he had previously killed. Each time he experienced death, each. Each time was more brutal and sadistic than the last. Each response made him feel more scared and traumatized than before. It was as if the temple was punishing him for killing so many.

After the two mantises, the giant python from the river was the next threat he faced. It burst from the ground and lunged at him, leaving Frank no time to react. It swallowed him whole in a single, fluid motion. The boy grunted as he slid down its tight gullet. The tightness ended when he reached the stomach, where he fell into a pool of acid and screamed in pure agony as it seared his flesh.

Further into the maze, he came to a dead end. Waiting for him was the Doom Tree. It caught the boy with its claws, using them to flay him alive.

The Carnivorous Tomato Plant grabbed him by the leg with its tendrils and slammed him repeatedly against the ground until all of his bones broke. Smashed. And finally, shattered.

The elder Elephant Beetle surprised him and trampled him. Then it swept him off the ground with its horn and sent him flying. When he fell, the beetle impaled him.

Domino 2 lunged at him and bit off a huge chunk from the front of his throat.

The Love Doves picked him with their beaks from each end and pulled, ripping him in half.

The Mega Spider threw him around with its legs before restraining him with webs, leaving him vulnerable to a horde of Blood Bats that ate him alive.

The Kraken from Stumpy's restaurant grabbed him by the neck with its tentacles and squeezed. Frank choked and twitched as he got lifted off the ground. After some excruciatingly long seconds, the Kraken snapped his neck.

And now came this attempt.

Frank didn't know how far he had gone into the maze, and he didn't care. By that point, he was trembling with total fear. Each step forward took an immense amount of willpower. His grandfathers held tightly in both hands, extended in front of him.

Any possible sense of bravery within him had vanished. The moment he saw Tartarus, the cruel toad who nearly killed him, emerging from the red fog with his blood-stained hammer, his face lit up with that same sadistic grin as he saw the boy who had murdered him. With no courage left, Frank turned and ran like a chicken. Without a shield or sword, the boy stood no chance. He had to escape. He didn't want to die again.

But the maze wouldn't allow it.

Just as Frank was about to make a move, Tartarus appeared from a corner in front of him. Grabbing him by his neck, the giant toad lifted Frank and slammed him into the wall. His grip was so strong that it cut off the air to the scared boy.

"What's the matter, boy?" Tartarus asked, grinning cruelly. "So much bravado last time. So defiant. But this is what could have happened. It should have happened!"

"P-Please…" Frank said, tears rolling down his face. "S-S-Stop…I…beg you…"

"Stop? Why would I?" Tartarus asked, lifting his hammer. "I told you, my face will be the last thing you'll ever see."

He brought the hammer down on the boy's head.

Frank opened his eyes again, lying on his back in the mural room. The pain in his head diminished as he took deep, panicked breaths. But he didn't calm down; he began hyperventilating as more tears welled up.

Finally, he broke.

"When will this fucking end?!"

After screaming, Frank curled into a fetal position, gasping and sobbing uncontrollably. He cried so hard—more than when he spent his first night in juvy, when his grandfather died, or when he finally revealed the truth to Anne.

"Please! Stop! Just stop! Please! No more! No more..." was all he could say, reverting to the scared, broken boy he'd once been. Tartarus wasn't even halfway to all of the enemies he'd fought and killed in Amphibia. What he'd fought just now was only a quarter.

But Frank didn't want to experience what the other deaths could be like. He didn't want to.

"Is that the end, then?"

Frank didn't answer Teshin.

"Is this where you'll die?"

"Why are you making me go through this?!" Frank asked angrily. "This…This isn't how it's supposed to be…"

"Did you expect this temple to be easy? True courage doesn't come so easily."

"I… I don't understand how I could be dying so much," Frank said, shaking his head on the ground. "I won those battles…"

"And why did you?"

"I… I don't know!" Frank admitted, crying more. "I thought it was because I was brave and a better fighter, but… I just don't know anymore!"

"So let me ask you this: Why did you have to face your enemies? Don't think about how you won, but why you chose to fight."

Frank stopped sobbing and tried to remember all the battles and enemies he'd fought. He fought both mantises because they were about to kill and eat Sprig and Anne. The python swallowed Anne and consumed her. The more he thought about why he fought, the more Frank saw a pattern.

"It was…It was because I was protecting Anne. Because I was protecting my friends."

"Because you're afraid to lose them."

Frank nodded. "I fought... because I was afraid of not just dying… but because I didn't want to lose anyone. I fought… because I had to… for them."

Reaching out, he grabbed his knife.

"Just like I have to keep going for them," Frank said, feeling a new fire lighting itself in his chest. He rubbed his eyes as he stood up. "No matter… how scared I am."

"Then go back in, and face your enemies again."