Bab 8: Going to California Part 1 Gravesfield
"I'm HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!"
The first words Anne Boonchuy had said upon arriving on earth after being gone for 5 months. Shouted at the top of her lungs where, after taking out her phone, she got two bars.
It was more than she ever got in Amphibia and still she had thousands of notifications to scroll through when things settled down. Plus, the portal had opened to a forest with a path, so any reception was good.
"This is the human world?" Olivier and the frogs all asked together, rather disappointed by what greeted them.
"Doesn't look too different from home." Hop-pop mused.,
"Prepare to be surprised." Eda smirked as she led the group forward. And in a few minutes, they were greeted by a line of houses and a road leading to a sign saying, 'You are now leaving Gravesfield, please come again!'
"It's just a little before school lets out." Anne mused, checking the time and then seeing the time zone she was in. "Wait, what?"
"Something wrong?" Olivier asked.
"N-no, no! No biggie!" Anne weakly tried to assure him as she hurried typed something…before she saw the result. "42 HOURS?!"
Anne suddenly bean to feel weak, getting dizzy. She was so close and yet STILL so far…
"Anne!" Sprig and hurriedl;y caught her mid fall as Maddie pulled out some salts. Anne jumped wide awake, seeing that Eda had grabbed her phone and now saw the problem.
"Wait…Los…Angie…Les?" Eda asked, racking her brain. She remembered going there a few times before Olivier came along; the Dragon-Claw Movie priemeir being her most recent memory. It had taken a few hours to get there by broom. but it was a smooth flight for one, aside from the occasional airplane and flock of stupid but tasty birds…
But she wasn't alone this time. And there were only three brooms to be split among herself, Olivier, Anne, the Plantars and Maddie. Sure, it COULD work like they'd done in the Boiling Isles; Anne with Ollie (always adorable) on Fleetwing, Sprig and Polly with Maddie on Fangora nd Hop-pop with her on OIwlbert. Altouigh, that last one was less than ideal; she didn't blame Hop-Pop for being able to admire a fine lady like herself, but if you weren't Raine that got old real quick.
Last she'd checked, Olivier's longest flight time on Fleetwing, based on what he told her about during the time he was on his own while Anne and the Plantars went back to Wartwood, was somewhere between 4-6 hours. Roughly about the same time it took her to fly to California, but she'd had potions to help.
. "…This is going to be tricker than I thought." Eda sighed. Looks like she had to call….HIM. "Wait here kids…and Hop-Pop."
"Hey!"
"Here's all the human world Cash I could scrounge together." Eda said handing her son a wad of bills. "I gotta call someone."
"You could use my phone if you need." Anne offered, but Eda forced it back.
"Keep it, you might need it. Sides, its better if I do this alone. And frogs? Remember what I said about your glamours: One hit and done."
Wrapping a scarf over her ears along with some sunglasses over her eyes, the Owl lady gave her hatchling a kiss on the forehead.
"I won't be long." She promised.
"Wait, where's King?" Polly asked, suddenly realizing there had not been a 'weh' or declaration of future conquering in the time they'd been here.
"Right here." Eda smirked, revealing King fast asleep in a baby carrier under her cloak. The sight many everyone go 'awww..' "His little body conks out as soon as he's airborne. Watch"
Eda sway and bobbed and weaved. King remained fast asleep.
"Please tell me you recorded that." Sprig begged Anne.
"And you call yourself my best friend?" Anne faked gasped, revealing she had indeed recorded the whole scene.
Eda then departed on her errand, mentally praying this all went well.
BOILING AMPHIBIA
For a full five minutes after Eda left., everyone obeyed her wish to stay. That is until Sprig could wait no longer and dashed into the house the portal had come from…only to be..
"Booooooooored…..!"
"So boring!" Polly followed. She was also annoyed to be glamoured into a toddler; she wanted to uyse her legs, dang it!
"I hate to say it and I know I'll sound like a hypocrite, but I agree." Hop-Pop said. "Anne, Oliver, can't we at least see what's down the path?"
The two teens and Fleetwing were too engrossed in Anne's social media to pay much attention. Maddie had been examining the dead leaves and tyermites all around the area; probably not much magic wise, but hey, they could be gifts or treats for her dad and sisters.
It was then that the disguised frog girl realized something, her Palisman had wandered off.
"Fangora?" Maddie called out. "Fangora, where are you?"
The slight distress in her voice got Olivier to look away from this new world's scroll and check on his little sister. Fleetwing followed his master, scanning for the spider.
Maddie then saw her Spider Palisman clawing at something; a vial filled with a glowing, purple liquid.
"What the?" Maddie asked; even in the vial, she could tell this ting had magic properties; it pulsated with power and its glow was soothing yet addictive.
"Maddie?" Olivier called out, pulloing her out of her trance. She handed the vial to the half witch boy, who was quickly in awe of it as well, as where the others.
"Any ideas what it is?" Hop-pop asked.
"Never seen something like this before." Anne admitted.
"There's magic in it. All I can say." Maddie said.
"It feels…familiar." Olivier noted, racking his brain trying to figure out what this was…when Fleewing suddenly let out a screec hand flung Fangora away, only for one of his feet and wing to be caught iun snares.
"FLEETWING!" Olivier gasped in terror and worry, which were not helped by his Palisman's worried and pained screams as he tried t rip the snare free. "Easy, easy!"
"I got this!" Sprig said, using the hunting skills Hop-Pop and Ivy had taught him to shush Fleetwing and then carefully undoing the snares., Sadly, the Falcon's wing was bent from struggling and his leg reddened and bruised. Sprig gently handed Fleet to Olivier who tried to comfort his palisman.
Fangora held her head in shame, disappointed in not seeing the snares before Fleetwing. The bird palisman weaklhy screeched, telling the spider she did no wrong, as did Maddie.
"We need a doctor!" Polly gasped, speaking for everyone.
"Got one!" Anne announced. "And its right down this street."
No sooner had she said those words had Olivier raced down the path and into the street, glancing around before racing down
"Whoa, dude! Slow down! Oliver, seriousluy, you don't….OLLIE!" Anne screamed in fear, pulling her boyfriend back just as a car raced by. "ROAD HOG!"
"Ah, so THAT'S an earth Snail." Hop-Pop mused as the frogs caught up.
"Car, and yeah kinda…" Anne realized, sill catching her breath and checking Olivier for injuries.
"Like a dumber Frobo!" Polly mused, only for her, her brother and grandfather to finally see a bhumkan city; a humble one but still new to them. This gave Anne the time she needed to grab Olivier by the face.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS FROGGY AND THE TITAN WHERE YOU THINKING?!" She snapped, only to calm herself. "We'll get Fleet healed, don't worry. But, please…please…don't run off withoit me againm while we're here, okay?"
Olivier, still gasping both from fear of Fleetwing being hurt realizing he'd almost been street pixxa, nodded. Anne smiled and nuzzled her with Olivier's before helping him to his feet and leading him toi the veterinarian.
Maddie meanwhile, had spent the time trying to keep Sprig and Poilly from doing something dumb, along with Hop-pop..
"COME ON!" Maddie groaned as she dragged the Plantars after the two teens.
BOILING AMPHIBA
Finding the one payphone in Gravesfield (yes, they still had one), Eda slipped in a few snails and dialed a number.
RING!
RING!
"Come on, pick up. Pick up…. Stanford, the one time I really nee…!"
CLICK!
Ah, here it was!
"Afternoon, dood! You got the Mystery Shack!"
A smile overtook the Owl Lady's face. Not quite who she was calling, but he was always a joy t6o chat to.
"Hi Soos. Eda here. Can I speak to Stanford?"
"Um…which one?" Soos responded.
"The one I married for about five minutes."
"Sure thing, dood! Gimme a sec." Soos replied knowingly. Eda could make out sounds of a scuffle and argument. Ah, that never got old.
"….Yeah, what do you want?" Stanley Pines groaned.
"Now, is that any way to talk to your ex-wife?" Eda smirked. "I thought we had something...Stanley. By the way, much prefer the real name and glad you're in high spirits."
Stanley chuckled a bit.
"Don't try and butter me up, Eddie."
"Don't call me Eddie." Eda responded. "I need your expertise in getting across state boarders." Eda retorted. "Long story short, need to be in Los Angeles sooner rather than later. Nothing illegal involved, but….?"
"You got that weird phone…scroll…tube…thing? Ford and I can wire you some money and you can meet with the regular girl…Jana, I think?"
"Last I heard, Jana's sticking to Echo Creek." Eda remarked. "What about your stash of Snails? I can give you and Ford a few vitality potions…"
"I sold it to some museum in Gravesfield." Stan admitted.
"Well, what a coinky-dink! I'm there now!" Eda smirked. "Still, you can expect those potions in a week. Take care Stanley."
"Don't be a stranger, Eda." Stanley responded as they ended the call. Eda then headed to her destination, looking forward to an easy caper.
BOILING AMPHIBIA
"There we go." The vet smiled sweetly as she wrapped up Fleetwing's wing. She then slipped on an arm guard and let the bird climb on before handing him over to Oliver. "Looks like it was just a sprain; he should be okay in a day or two."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Oliver took and gently nuzzled Fleetwing, the falcon returning the gesture in kind.
"Thank you so much…." The Half witch boy said, fighting back tears.
"Its my job, not to worry." The vet smiled before her face turned into a frown. "You say snare did this?"
Olivier nodded.
"We were camping out in the woods behind that abandoned house and…" Olivier started, already not wanting to recall what happened. Probably not a good idea to reveal so much truth, but the nurse didn't seem to care. Did this make him a mother…falcon? Maybe, but Fleetwing was his best friend after Maddie and the Clawthorne boy would be damned if he didn't care.
"Another one?!" The vet snapped. "Dios Mio! ¡Si alguna vez encuentro al cabrón responsable, haré que deseen que los blásters aturdidores fueran reales después de que termine!"{
"Wait, another?" Maddie
"Si, there's been an influx for weeks!" The nurse said before calming herself and then smiling at Olivier. "Never mind that for now. I must say young man, you are one of the mopst caring and close owners I've seen in a while."
"Fleets my best friend." Olivier admitted. "Well, after Annie and Maddie."
"Sweet talking will get you nowhere!" Anne cheered as she enjoyed a gossip magazine. Maddie put down her movie magazine and gave a thumbs up before seeing Sprig and Hop-Pop rach for seconds of coffee.
"No."
The two stopped and wenty back to their seats, Holp-pop reading an old digest and Sprig and Polly some Lego.
The door suddenly wyuing open, revealing a Latina girl with girt hjair i9n a blue and white hood carrying a take out bag,
"Hola mama! Chimichurri sandwiches at the read…Oh, wow! Busy today!"
The vet smiled.
"Gracias mija. I'm just about done."
The woman's daughter then spied Fleetwing's injury and gasped as she made her way over.
"Oh my god! What happened?"
"Snare." Oliver and her mother said together.
"ANOTHER ONE?"
"Apparently/Si." Oliver and her mother said together.
The girl sighed before she spied Polly.
"D'aaw! Aren't you adorable!"
"I will bite you!" Polly snapped, getting sick of all the cooing. Anne and the Plantars gasped, but the girl seemd undeterred.
"What a lil spitfire!" She beamed, patting Polly's head. "What's your name?"
"Polly, be nice!" Hop-Pop ordered. I am so sorry, miss…?"
"Luz Noceda." The girl beamed. "And you are?"
"Oliver Clawthonre." The half witch boy smiled as he shook Luz's hand and began introducing eceryone. "This is Maddie Flour, Hopidaiah, Sprig and Polly Plantar…"
"CAW!"
"And you already know Fleetwing." Anne said making herself well known. "Nice to meet you, Luz. The names Anne Boonchuy. Olivier's girlfriend."
Luz beamed and shook Anne's hand.
"Nice to meet you. And can I say, I' m impressed you can walk with one shoe?"
"Lost in another snare." Anne lied. "But I got used to it."
"Stop me if I'm wrong, but…are you a cosplayer?" Luz asked. "With the armor and all…?"
"Not exactly." Anne confessed. :"Sword's a gift and the armor…well that's stor….. Um, don't panic but…"
Luz spied Fangora crawling up her
"I am so sorry!" Maddie apologized, only for Luz to smirk.
"Oh, she probably smells the leftover spiders and fur from my taxidermy project." Luz waved off. "Here you go, big girl!"
Fangora took the jar of spiders and beagn to naw at it, making Luz giggle.
"I like this one!" Sprig and Maddie said together, blushing and then looking away.
"Anyways, how much do we owe you?" Oliver asked Camilla., reqaching into into money his mother gave him.
"Wait, Ollie." Anne cooed as she took out her phone. "Lemme try something."
She then made her way over to the til and…
PING!
Payment accepted.
Her cards and banking apps still worked! Sure, she was now down a couple hundred bucks, but Fleetwing was worth it.
Camilla smiled at Anne's act; memories of her own late husband filling her as Luz regaled thye younge4r kids with her griffin taxidermy project.
Suddenly sirens filled the air and Eda slammed the door open, grabbing Maddie and Fangora as she did so.
"Come on kids and old guy! We got to skedaddle on out!" She called out.,
"Okay, guess we got to go now, thanks for everything, BYEEEEEEEEE!" The Clawthorns, Anne and frogs waved.
BOILING AMPHIBIA
"Now you see why I didn't wany you venture off." Eda remarked a few minutes later. "The human world is dangerous in its own ways."
"Debatable." The Plantars responded.
"Regardless, we can't fly with Fleetwing all banged up." Eda said, grateful her son's Palisman was okay, If she ever saw those two humans again, she'd owe them. That still didn't solve the transport problem though; while Eda had gotten her stash back from that idiot caretaker, she'd also been told of a certain…event…that made air travel more difficult and there were no buses to Los Angeles for two days…..
Fleetwing hung his head in shame, only for Oliver nuzzle his forehead with his own before casting a spell he'd heard his mother and aunt say…although he changed a word or two:
"With this spell I do decree, let all your pain flow into me."
An aura overlapped the two and Olivier grimaced as one of his arms suddenly dangled, popped from its socket red from the snare. But Fleetwing? He was all better, so it was worth it.
"Ollie!" Anne, Eda and Maddie called out, waking up King, who first saw the boy's arm.
"WHO DO I HAVE TO BURY ALIVE?!"
"Its my bad arm, don't worry, I can still fly." Olivier assured them., chuckling as Fleetwing flew and nuzzled him in thanks…as ANOTHER glow overcame them. One that Eda, King and the Frogs recognized.
"Ollie!" Anne called out in worry, only for Eda to hold her back.
"Just wait a second." She cooed as the light dimmed and now in Olivier's place was…well. Olivier, only not just the half witch boy:
He now had Fleetwing's wings, clawed hands and the outline of bird talons on his boots, along with the outline of a beak over his nose. Fleetwing's eyes were on his shoulders and moved as his own did, even moving upwards like they were smiling.
"Oh, I like this!" Olivier mused, admiring his wings and claws. "I REALLY like this….Altough I'm not so sure about the craving for rodents….Um, guys?"
"Coolest. Moment. Of. My life." Maddie beamed, Fangora clicking in agreement.
"….I want one." Polly and Sprig both said.
Eda just beamed again before adding a snarky:
"L:ucky boiy! You get the cool fusion!"
"I am so confused right now." Hop-Pop said.
"Annie?" Olivier asked his girlfriend, who had been silent the whole time. All eyes turned to a starstcuk Anne, who managed a:
"..Hubba, hubba, hubba."
With a smirk on his face, Olivier opened his wings and took Anne into his arms before racing to the sky, delighting at her shock turning into a giggle as she nestled minto his arms and chest,
"You reallyu are enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Well, what's the point in having wings if you can't give a pretty girl a ride?" Olivier smirked flirtaously, only to grimace. "That sounded better in my head."
"Hey, I am not complaining!" Anne said, snuggling up into… "Um, what do we call you? Fleetver? Oli-Wing?"
"Just Olivier, Annie." Her boyfriend said. "Fleet's stuill here, guiding me…if that makes any sense."
"KING DEMANDS A RIDE!" King roared, hoping onto his brother's shoulder. Ollie just smiled and called out.
"Hey come on, mom! Guys! Los Angeles ain;t getting any closer!"
Eda smirked as Owlbert took staff form along with Fangora.
"Please don't…" Hop-Pop begged.
"LETS FLY!" Maddie declared the second Sprig and Polly where on Fangora. And with that, they zoomed off, Hop[-Pop screaming as they did so.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone