Chapter Text
It was time for the third temple and everyone landed safely on the side of the volcano where it was located. Frobo had joined them this time and he was dangling his legs happily while in the clutches of Joe Sparrow's talons. They were all set down on a cliff side with an archway and a stone door.
Anne: And, wha-bam! The entrance to the third temple.
They looked up at the archway and a set of red text appeared above it.
Sprig: What's it say, Marcy? What's it say?!
Marcy: Well, this can't be right. Lift to enter, "brah?"
Frobo took one look at the stone door and ripped it open with his large, metal hands.
All: Wow!
Hop Pop: Way to go, Frobo!
Anne: Alright, let's go crush this temple!
All: Yeah!
Hop Pop: Look after Joe Sparrow, Frobo. We'll be back soon.
They entered through the archway and into the innards of the volcano.
Anne: Whoo! It's hot in here!
Marcy: All right, gang! There should be three challenges just like the two other temp-les?
As the three humans looked behind them, they saw that Hop Pop, Sprig and Polly were each shrivelled up and pale.
Y/N: I see our first challenge is to un-raisin our family.
Anne: Whoa. Are you guys okay?
Hop Pop: Just a little dehydrated from the heat. We'll be alright.
They carried on with their journey and came across another archway with more text above it. Next to it there was a box full of war-hammers.
Marcy: "Whoa, there boss. Think you're strong to get across?"
Y/N: I don't like the attitude that this temple's giving me.
Anne: I have a distinct feeling that this temple is about strength.
Their attention was next drawn to the box full of hammers.
Sprig: Wonder what those are for.
As if to answer his question, a monstrous roar came from the next room over. They peered into it and it was a narrow pathway with lakes of lava surrounding it. Anne took the lead, dragging along a hammer weakly. Y/N had his claws unsheathed and ready for whatever the mysterious monster could be.
Anne: Man, this thing weighs a ton!
From behind Anne and Y/N came a scream of Marcy and the Plantars huddled together. Towering over them was the monster, some kind of giant, lava-swimming leech with razor-sharp teeth.
Marcy: All right, guys. It's hammer time!
She weakly dragged her hammer over to the leech and tried to smack it, but she wasn't able to lift it.
Polly: Yeah, this ain't happening.
Y/N: Coming through!
He leapt towards the leech with his mantis claws poised for a slash, but as he came into contact with it he quickly hopped off the beast with red marks along his hand and black burn stains across his claws.
Y/N: Ow, fucking, ow! This thing's still boiling hot from all this lava!
Anne: I'll defend you guys. Don't sweat it.
Anne got infront of them all, weakly holding up her hammer infront of them. The monster lunged for the strike. Y/N readied himself of his demise but there came a heavy thud from infront of them and the monsters head was rolling along the pathway with a blonde haired person wielding a red sword standing infront of them.
Anne: It can't be.
Marcy: Sash! Oh, my gosh! I can't believe-
Sasha: There's no time! Follow me!
They dashed their way through the narrow pathway, Sasha clearing other lava leeches that jumped out at them until they made it to the other side and through the archway. Sasha had her back turned to them and her face was down in a menacing glow.
Anne: Sasha ...
Sasha suddenly turned around with her eyes big and bright with an innocent expression on her face.
Sasha: Hey, girlfriend! Good to see you!
Anne: You too?
Marcy: Aah! Sasha! Sasha! Sasha! Sasha!
Marcy quickly ran over to Sasha and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
Sasha: Hey, Mar-Mar! Whoa! Check out your new threads!
Marcy: Speak for yourself, look at that armor! How did you find us?!
Sasha: Simple. We heard you two were traveling together and tracked you both here.
Anne: Did you say we?
There came a menacing cackle from behind them and in the archway stood the menacing shadow is Captain Grime wielding a giant war-hammer, one that was not available in the box in the other room. As he came into the light, it turned out that he too was shrivelled up and dehydrated.
Grime: Even in this state, those things were no match for me.
Anne and the Plantars grumbled at the presence of the tyrannical toad and looked as if they were ready for a fight.
Sasha: Cancel the red alert. Seriously, we're not here to fight.
Sprig: Oh, no?
Sasha: Nope. The whole reason we were stalking you was... so I could tell Anne that everything that happened at Toad Tower was my fault.
Anne: Really?
Sasha: Yup. It was wrong of me to put your frog friends in danger. And doubly wrong of me to push you around.
Y/N: And, yknow trying to kill me but yeah those other things are important too.
Anne: Oh. Huh. Wasn't expecting that.
Hop Pop: Forgive me for being skeptical, but why the change of heart?
Grime: After Toad Tower, Sasha and I lost everything.
Sasha: We had to go into hiding and I had a lot of time to think about things. But what are you guys doing in a honkin' volcano?
Marcy: Oh, Sasha. It's crazy! The king of Amphibia told us the music box can transport us back home! But the stones need to be charged at four temples first! This is the third temple!
Sasha: No way! You mean we can almost go home?
Anne: Yup!
Marcy: Each temple has a theme. And this one appears to be strength.
Sasha: Then it's a good thing I showed up.
Y/N: Is it beat the crap out of Y/N day or something?
Sprig: What's that supposed to mean?
Sasha: It means you three are going to slow us down. Go wait outside until we're done.
She made her attempt to shoo the Plantars away but Anne stood protectively infront of them.
Anne: Hey! You can't tell them what to do!
Sasha: Okay, fine. It was just a suggestion. Now, come on. Let's move.
Sasha and Grime carried on ahead followed by Marcy and Y/N, with Anne and the Plantars following behind.
Marcy: Isn't this exciting?! The gang is all back together!
Y/N: Totally exciting. What do you say after this we have everyone meet up for a big dinner at the Plantars' house?
Marcy: Eeeeee! You're the best idea thinker ever!
She gave Y/N a big hug and interlocked their fingers together as she swung her arms and skipped along the corridor up to the next challenge. It was a simple benchpress with heavy, stone weights on the top of it. On the archway above it shone the red text that they had come to expect.
Marcy: "Sup, bro'seph. Do you even lift?"
Anne: It's not even trying anymore.
Y/N: I liked it when the rhymes actually had a meaning. Now this is all just gym chad words.
Sasha: Ha! This is all me!
Anne: Wait, Sash? Marcy and I have done these temples, and there's always some kind of catch. Let's just search the room before we try that thing.
Sasha: Eh, that'll take too long. Besides, this temple's been pretty direct so far.
Anne: No. Wait, Sasha. I really think we should-
Sasha lay on the benchpress and did one benchpress (idk I don't go to the gym) which opened the door between the archway.
Anne: Huh.
Y/N: Who'd have thought that the temple with the simplest rhymes would have the simplest puzzles.
Sasha: This thing's gonna be over before it starts. Let's get going, nerds.
Grime: By nerds, she means you guys.
They entered through the doorway and into a large room that looked as if it would be a boss-battle room in a video game. There came red text again but this time it was laid out on the floor.
Marcy: All right, this should be the final room. "You've definitely got skill, no doubt. But it's time you learn what strength is all about."
In the centre of the arena, a giant toad golem with muscles the size of boulders shone to life and stood up waiting for its challenger while it flexed its muscles.
Y/N: Emotions report: Pissed off, and a bit aroused. Time to kick some stony ass.
Sasha: Stay back, everyone. I got this.
Y/N took to the sky and zoomed towards the golem and Sasha raced to get into the arena. As her foot crossed over the barrier, Y/N felt himself get pulled down rapidly. It was as if the arena's gravity had been doubled. The concrete floor was the last thing he could see before his head came into contact with it and he blacked out.
He woke up seemingly a few minutes later. His arm was slung over Sasha's shoulder and she was standing over a pile of rubble, presumably the sexy golem.
Y/N: Ugh, did I puke?
Sasha: You better not have!
Y/N: You might want to move then.
Y/N found that he could freely move around now, seemingly the gravity had returned to normal after the golem was defeated which caused the sudden jolt in gravity changing to wake his body back up. Y/N found a nice corner to huddle himself in while his cabbage and tomato soup was becoming floor and more floor stew. As he turned around, he was immediately tackled into a hug by Marcy, who landed square in his chest.
Y/N: You're really lucky I only just puked.
Marcy: I'm just glad you're ok. That was a really bad fall you just had.
Y/N: Ah don't worry about it. Remember, its "Beat the crap out of Y/N day" so I was kinda bracing for something like that to happen. Now come on, stand up because I might still have some of my old soup left over.
She stood up but wouldn't let go of the hug. She went to give Y/N a kiss on the lips but he quickly stopped her.
Y/N: You might want to wait until I've washed my mouth out first.
Marcy: Oh, right, sorry.
They both blushed a bit and rubbed the tips of their noses together. It wasn't a real kiss but to Y/N it felt just as good.
They quickly rejoined the group and there lay a writing of red text where the golem had fallen.
Marcy: "Congrats, brah. You finally know what it takes to go the distance. For what is true strength without persistence"
Y/N: Yknow, that one was pretty good, I'll give it that.
A pedestal emerged from the ground with a slot in the top that would charge the third gem.
Anne: Want to do the honors?
Sasha slowly reached out and pulled out the third gem, placing it in the holding slot as it slowly filled with a red glow. She took it out and placed it back into the music box.
Marcy: Look at this! The gang finally back together again! Now, come on. Let's get back to Wartwood and get these frogs some water.
They passed through a new exit in the volcano that lead them back to the entrance with no hazardous troubles to get in the way. As they left, the frogs each began squabbling over the water bottles to rehydrate themselves.
Polly: Give me that.
Sprig: Finally!
Polly: Take me to my bucket.
There was only one more temple left before the music box was complete. His time was running out.