Chapter 39: The Fourth Temple

As the group arrived at the mountain location, Joe Sparrow practically collapsed on the ground. Considering he was carrying the combined weight of the Plantars, the humans, and Frobo, it wasn't that much of a surprise. As Joe Sparrow lay on the ground, panting heavily, Anne pulled out the box to point the group in the right direction.

"And whapam!" she exclaimed as she held up the music box at the side of a mountain, causing an arch to appear on it.

"The entrance to the fourth temple," said Anne, causing the Plantars to gasp.

Sprig ran up to Marcy, eagerly wanting to know what the writing on the archway said. "What's it say, Marcy? What's it say?"

Marcy stared at the archway before looking at her book and saying, "Well, this can't be right. Lift to enter brawh?"

Deciding that it was worth a shot, Frobo marched forward and simply lifted the door. The Plantars and the humans all applauded his effort.

"Wow! Way to go, Frobo!" cheered Hop Pop.

"You guys think we should take him in there with us?" asked Luz.

Marcy looked between Joe and Frobo before replying, "We've been handling the temples by ourselves so far. Let's leave him out here to look after Joe Sparrow." With that, Marcy motioned for Frobo to go and look after the Sparrow, who was still collapsed on the ground.

"Sounds like a good idea," agreed Anne. "Now let's go crush this temple!" She raised her fist and charged straight into the entryway.

As the group entered the temple and Frobo went to look after Joe, two other figures entered the temple behind them. Neither Joe nor Frobo noticed them following the group in.

As soon as they entered the first chamber, they immediately noticed how hot it was, with Anne wiping some sweat off her forehead.

"Whooo! It's hot in here," she declared. "Hey, Luz, do you have anything for this?"

"I do, actually," said Luz, reaching into her belt and pulling out a sky-blue potion. "This potion is meant to help keep you cool in hot environments just like this one."

"You should probably give it to them," said Marcy, pointing at the Plantars. Luz glanced over to where they were and almost gasped at how they looked.

The Plantars were all parched. Their skin had shriveled and made them all look thin and sickly.

"Whoa! Are you guys okay?" asked Anne.

"Just a little dehydrated from the heat," said Hop Pop, his voice sounding incredibly dry.

"Here, let me help you," said Luz, coming over to the Plantars. "I've only got one of these, so you'll have to share, but it should help."

Luz handed the bottle to Hop Pop, who took a small drink from it before passing it to Sprig. Sprig took a drink and then passed it to Polly. After a few seconds, their skin returned to its normal consistency, and Sprig let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, that feels so much better," he said, speaking in his normal voice.

"Thank you, Luz!" said Hop Pop, also in his normal voice. "I feel great!"

"We should probably keep moving," advised Polly. "We had to share that potion, so it probably won't last long."

"Right, there should be three challenges just like the other temples," said Marcy, pointing forward. "Let's get going!"

As the group moved ahead, Anne hung back to talk to Luz.

"Hey, thanks for that," she said. "I really appreciate how you and Marcy have been so friendly and kind to the Plantars."

"Aww, it's nothing," replied Luz.

"No, it's not nothing," said Anne firmly. "You really have no idea how much it means to me, especially after that whole incident with Sasha." She paused before continuing, "After what happened with Sasha, I was worried about how the Plantars might react to my other friends. I was worried that if Sasha was willing to hurt them, maybe you and Marcy had changed, too. I was more worried about you because… because of how we parted. But again, thank you for being nice to the Plantars." Anne reached down to grab Luz's hands as she said this.

"You're welcome, Anne. I'm glad you found a family to look after you, just like I did," said Luz.

For a moment, the two looked into each other's faces, only to both quickly turn away as they realized just how close they were, and as they turned away, both of their faces turned bright red.

"We, uh, should probably get going," said Anne rather quickly.

"Yeah, for sure!" agreed Luz also rather quickly as she hurried to rejoin the group. Anne followed behind her.

As they entered the next room, they could see a narrow pathway leading across, with lava on both sides of it. A pink glow lit up from one side of the room above a chest, and Marcy read the words that had formed above it.

"Whoa there, boss. Think you're strong enough to get across?"

"I have a distinct feeling this temple is about strength," said Anne flatly. As she finished speaking, the chest under the words opened up, revealing a set of heavy-looking hammers.

"Wonder what those are for?" asked Sprig.

His question was soon answered as a worm of some kind emerged from the lake behind him. Anne saw Sprig was in trouble and immediately grabbed a hammer to use on the worm, though it was so heavy that she had to drag it along the ground before she got close enough to hit the worm with it. She managed to knock it back into the lava, but the effort of wielding the hammer had left her tired.

"Man, this thing weighs a ton!" exclaimed Anne, feeling tired after only one swing. As she looked across the path, she saw several more of the armored worms in the lava and realized just how difficult it would be for her and the Plantars to cross.

The group let out a scream as they also seemed to realize just how hard this first trial would be. Marcy tried to regroup as she looked at the hammers.

"Alright, guys, it's hammer time," she said as she reached in to grab a hammer. Marcy tried passing a hammer to Polly, who couldn't even lift it.

"Yeah, this ain't happening," she said.

Luz tried picking up a hammer herself but struggled to get it out of the box.

"Ugggh, if only I had a strength potion with me right now," she said in vain.

"I'll defend you guys. Don't sweat it!" said Anne, picking up her hammer and rushing forward across the path. She found another armored worm and managed to knock it back into the lava, but as she did, the rest of the group struggled to cross the pathway and were besieged by another worm. Marcy and Luz struggled in vain to lift their hammers to defend themselves, but it was obvious they wouldn't make it.

"Luz!" yelled Anne, reaching out her hand in a futile attempt to save her other friends. The worm reared up and opened its mouth, ready to attack!

But before the worm could strike, it was suddenly sliced in half!

A figure appeared from behind the severed worm, and the red sword of Sasha gleamed as she landed gracefully in front of the group.

"It can't be," Anne whispered in disbelief.

"Sash! Oh my gosh! I can't believe—" Marcy started, but was quickly cut off as Sasha rushed forward.

"There's no time. Follow me," Sasha instructed with urgency, quickly grabbing Marcy's hammer and leading the group into the next room. The others followed, but Luz stood frozen in shock, unable to move or speak.

"Luz, come on!" Anne called, but Luz remained immobile. Anne rushed over, grabbed her hand, and pulled her along, while Sasha continued to lead the way, effortlessly using both her sword and hammer to fend off any worms in their path. Once they reached the next room, they paused to catch their breath.

The tension in the air was thick as everyone processed the appearance of Sasha, none more so than Anne and Luz.

"Sasha…" Anne said, her voice laced with confusion as she slowly turned to face her former friend.

Sasha didn't respond immediately, but eventually she smiled and said, "Hey, girlfriend! Good to see you!"

Anne stared at her, baffled. "You too?" she replied, unsure of what to say next.

Meanwhile, Marcy ran up to Sasha, excitement in her voice. "Ahh! Sasha, Sasha, Sasha, Sasha!" she exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

"Hey, Mar-Mar!" Sasha greeted warmly, accepting the hug. "Whoa, check out your new threads."

"Speak for yourself," Marcy replied with a grin. "Look at that armor! How did you even find us?"

Sasha gave a shrug. "Simple, we heard you three were traveling together and tracked you both here."

Anne blinked at her in surprise. "Did you say 'we'?"

Just then, the door to the room opened, and none other than Grime entered, laughing triumphantly.

"Even in this state, those things were no match for me," Grime declared with pride. "Say, why aren't you three dried out?" He asked, noticing the Plantars still looking somewhat dry.

The Plantars didn't respond, instead taking a defensive stance, with Anne standing behind them. Sasha stepped up to Grime.

"Whoa-ho, cancel the Red Alert. We're not here to fight!" she announced.

"No, the whole reason we were stalking you was…" Sasha paused, gathering her words. "So I could tell Anne that everything that happened at Toad Tower was my fault."

Anne blinked, her guard lowering as she processed what Sasha said. "Really?" she asked, a mix of surprise and skepticism in her voice.

"Yep," Sasha affirmed, stepping closer. "It was wrong of me to put your frog friends in danger, and doubly wrong of me to push you around." She looked at Anne earnestly.

Anne didn't reply right away, her mind racing as she processed Sasha's words. Before she could respond, Sasha turned to Luz.

"And Luz," Sasha began, her tone softer. "I wanted to apologize for what happened at Tadpole Pond. I am so sorry for what happened to Uodeela, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Luz didn't respond immediately. Instead, she turned her back to Sasha, her body stiffening as a mix of emotions bubbled inside her. After a long, tense silence, Luz finally spoke, her voice cold and measured.

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked, the bitterness palpable.

Sasha's brow furrowed in confusion. "Beg pardon?"

"I said… Is that all you have to say?" Luz repeated, her voice tinged with anger.

"I mean, yeah," Sasha said nonchalantly. "I want to apologize for what happened, and I'd like for us to try to put it behind us."

Luz, still facing away from Sasha, remained silent for a long moment, before she turned to face her, her rage boiling over.

"I saw you stand there, Sasha," Luz spat, her voice trembling with fury. "You stood there with a smile on your face as the toads beat Uodeela. You did nothing as they tortured her. You watched as she screamed in agony… DO YOU THINK I FORGOT?!" Her words echoed through the room, each syllable sharp and full of pain.

Anne and Marcy flinched at the intensity in Luz's voice, exchanging worried glances. Luz's eyes now burned with an intensity that shook the room.

"AND YOU!" Luz shouted, her gaze shifting to Grime. "You cut off her tail and wanted to do even worse! I haven't forgotten what you did either, Grime!"

Grime flinched at the accusation but stayed silent, his eyes filled with guilt. He moved closer to Sasha, fear flickering in his gaze.

"I thought you said she'd forgive you," he whispered, his voice tinged with worry. "We really don't want to make her mad."

Luz stood still, shaking with rage as she glared at both of them. "You hurt Uodeela, and now you just want to act like it didn't happen? Do you really think I'd forgive that?"

"I said I was sorry," Sasha repeated, her tone unconvincing.

"Is that all you can say?" Luz shouted again, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Well, in my defense," Grime began, trying to shift the blame, "she did steal taxes from us! Isn't stealing a crime in your world?"

That was the breaking point. Luz's hand shot out, and she tried to unleash her magic, her fists glowing with energy.

But nothing happened.

"What?!" Luz cried, staring at her hand in disbelief. She tried again, but no fire, no magic came forth. Panic welled inside her as she made several more attempts, each one failing. "Why isn't it working?" she asked, her voice laced with fear.

Marcy and Anne exchanged a confused look, then turned to Luz. Marcy stepped forward, concerned. "Luz, are you feeling okay? Maybe the heat of this place is messing with your powers."

"No, no, no," Luz muttered desperately, fear creeping into her voice. "Why can't I do anything? What's happening?"

Sasha raised an eyebrow, almost with amusement. "Oh, so you told them about that?" she asked casually. "Thought you might keep that little tidbit to yourself."

Luz, ignoring Sasha's comment, tried again—she slammed her hand into the ground, attempting to summon vines, but nothing appeared. She tried jumping into the air for wind support, but the air felt thick and unyielding. She tried calling forth ice to help with the heat, but the air stayed warm and oppressive. Each failed attempt made her more frantic.

As she realized she couldn't even do the simplest spell, the weight of her vulnerability began to hit her. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and tears welled up in her eyes. Finally, unable to bear the intensity of the group's gazes, she bolted from the room, running back to the previous chamber.

"Luz!" Anne and Marcy cried in unison, watching her retreat.

"We have to go after her!" Anne shouted, her concern for her friend outweighing everything else.

"But what about the temple?" Marcy asked, looking back at the challenges that lay ahead.

Sasha's voice interrupted. "Yeah, why exactly are you guys here? What's so important about this temple?"

Anne hesitated, her eyes flickering between Marcy, Sasha, and the door that Luz had just run through. The decision weighed heavily on her, but after a long pause, she made up her mind.

"Listen, Marcy, Sasha, can the two of you finish the temple, please?" she asked, her voice determined. "Marcy will explain everything to you. I have to go find Luz."

"Anne, we… might need your help in the temple," Sasha tried to argue, but Anne was firm.

"No," she said, her voice resolute. "I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

With that, Anne grabbed her backpack and handed it to Marcy. "Here, Marcy, hold on to the box!"

"No prob, Anna-banana," Marcy responded, taking the bag with a smile.

"I'll wait for you outside," Anne said, her tone softening as she turned toward the door.

Sprig hopped onto Anne's head. "I'll go with you too, Anne. Luz looked really upset."

"Thanks, dude," Anne replied with a smile. Then, turning back to the others, she said, "I'll be back soon. You finish the temple. See you when you're done."

Sasha frowned as she watched Anne leave. I can't believe it. She chose Luz over me again, Sasha thought bitterly.

Patience, a voice in her mind urged. You won't have to put up with Luz for much longer. Soon, she'll be out of your way, and you can have Anne all to yourself..

As Anne ran outside the temple, she and Sprig looked around for Luz. Eventually, they saw that she had run a good distance ahead of them and was still thrusting her arms in the air in vain, trying to use her powers.

"Come on! Work!" she yelled as she once again tried to shoot something out of her hand. When it again failed, she let out a growl of frustration, "Urrgggh! Why isn't it working?"

"Luz!" called Anne as she approached. Luz turned to see Anne and Sprig coming towards her, and part of her wanted to run away, but another part of her decided to wait.

"Hey…" she said sheepishly as Anne and Sprig approached.

"Luz… Are you alright?" asked Anne. "I know that might sound stupid, given the circumstances, but I'm being serious when I ask."

"I… I… don't know what happened," said Luz. "I can't seem to use my powers anymore." Once again, she tried using her fist to shoot something out but couldn't manage to do so.

"What's happened to me?" she said as she sank to the ground. "I thought maybe it was something in the temple that was preventing me from using them, but then I got outside and got as far away from the temple as I could, and I still can't use them."

Sprig and Anne looked at each other and then back at Luz, not sure what they could say to comfort her. Finally, they both came up to Luz and sat beside her, with Anne putting her arm around her.

"I don't want to just say that everything will be alright, and I know you probably don't want to hear that right now," began Anne, "but hey, I just want you to know I think you're awesome, even without your powers!"

"Of course you are!" agreed Sprig. "Even when you didn't know you had powers, you still stood up to Sasha just like Anne did at Toad Tower, and you helped me and my family overcome our fears in the last temple. You're amazing, Luz Noceda!" He jumped up onto Luz's head and wrapped his arms around her, causing Luz to smile.

"Thanks, guys," said Luz. "I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but…" She stopped and let out a sigh, looking down at her hands as she did. "It still feels weird to not have them anymore, and I don't even know what happened. It's like suddenly they just stopped working, and I have no idea why!"

"I wish I had an answer for you, Luz," said Anne. "I know how much having those powers meant to you. Maybe you're just tired or something. Who knows? You could still have them, but you just can't use them right now."

"Maybe…" said Luz, though she sounded unconvinced. "And of course, this would happen right when Sasha shows back up." She glanced over at the entrance of the temple.

"Well, if you ask me, she's untrustworthy," chimed in Sprig. "I think she and Grime are up to something."

"I don't think it's that," said Luz. "I think this has to do with them getting kicked out of the Toad Army. Sasha literally has nowhere else to go, so she crawled back to us, claiming to be sorry."

"I don't really know what to feel about her," said Anne. "She sounded sincere in there, and yet I know she hurt you even more than she hurt me."

"It wasn't just me she hurt," said Luz, hanging her head and starting to get emotional. "It was Uodeela. If it wasn't for Sasha and Grime, Uodeela would still be here. She could probably tell me why my powers aren't working…" Luz trailed off as she thought of her mentor and began crying. Sprig and Anne looked at each other before wrapping their arms around her, hugging her as she continued to cry.

Luz finished crying, but Anne and Sprig stayed with her, continuing to hug her and try to comfort her. A long time passed, but eventually, Anne, Luz, and Sprig heard a whistle from near the temple entrance. They turned to see Marcy and the Plantars standing at the entrance, with Marcy waving at them. They were soon joined by Grime and Sasha, who made their way out of the temple. Anne, Luz, and Sprig stood up and walked back to where the group was gathered. Marcy pulled out the box from Anne's backpack, showing them four fully charged gems. Anne and Luz walked up to the group, though Luz still wore a frown on her face and didn't say anything as she approached.

"Wow! You guys did it!" said Anne. "I knew you could."

"Aww, I didn't do much," said Marcy. "That last challenge was all Sasha. You should have seen her, Anne. She was so determined. She fought a giant creature without her armor."

"Hey, you helped with that, Mar-Mar," said Sasha, grinning at Marcy. "You reminded me of all the times I've been strong in the past and how I always protected you."

"I know you're a good person, Sash," said Marcy. "Maybe you lost your way out here, but I'm glad to see you again, and I hope now that you're here, things can finally go back to normal!"

Sasha was a bit taken aback by that statement but smiled all the same. "I'd like that."

"Look at this. The gang's back together again," said Marcy excitedly as she put her arms around Sasha, Anne, and Luz in an attempt to unite them. It was at this point that Luz finally spoke as she pulled Marcy's arm off her.

"Are you serious right now?!" she asked, causing Marcy to flinch in surprise.

"Luz… I… I just thought…" stammered Marcy.

"You just thought that everything would go back to normal now that Sasha's back?" asked Luz in anger.

"Well, she did apologize," said Marcy, "and you should have seen her conquer the final challenge in the temple. It's because of Sasha that we have the box fully charged now!"

"It's because of Sasha that Uodeela is stuck as a giant heron!" countered Luz.

"Hey, we didn't force her to drink that potion," said Grime, coming to Sasha's defense.

"No, you just beat her within an inch of her life and would have killed her if not for me stepping in!" said Luz, glaring at Grime. "You were going to cut off all her limbs just to make her suffer, so maybe I should cut something off of you!" She raised her staff, pointing it at Grime.

"No, don't!" yelled Sasha, stepping in front of Grime. "Grime and I have grown close. He's like a father to me."

"Uodeela was like a mother to me!" yelled Luz, tears in her eyes, as she continued to try to stab Grime. "AND YOU HURT HER!"

"Whoa, hey!" said Anne, coming up to Luz and trying to restore order. "Luz, listen to me." She put her hands on Luz's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Out of my way!" yelled Luz. "I'm going to teach Grime a lesson!"

"Listen, I know you're angry right now, and you have every right to be angry," began Anne, "but please don't do something in anger that you'll regret later. Please listen to me, Luz." Anne continued looking deep into Luz's eyes, trying to calm her down. When she felt calmer, Anne pulled Luz into a hug. Anne's hug slowly worked its magic and finally succeeded in causing Luz's anger to abate. Luz stepped forward to look at Grime..

"I can't forgive what you did to Uodeela, Grime, and you don't seem even remotely sorry for it, either. But for Sasha's sake, I will let you be, but that's it." She turned to face Sasha.

"As for you, I know the real reason you're here," began Luz, causing Sasha to sweat nervously. "You're only here because the toads kicked you out of the army! Bog tried to attack Wartwood, and he told me what happened. You and Grime are only here because you have nowhere else to go!"

Sasha was relieved to hear Luz say that and quickly played along, "Uh, yes… Okay, you caught me, Luz. Grime and I did get kicked out by the other toads, but it did give me time to reflect on my actions. I really am sorry for what happened at Tadpole Pond, and I'd like for us to start over as friends."

"I… I don't know if I want to be your friend anymore, Sasha," replied Luz coldly. Sasha actually seemed hurt by that statement, and she turned to look at Anne.

"What about you, Anne? Surely, you forgive me for what went down at Toad Tower, right?" asked Sasha in the sweetest voice she could muster. Anne looked hard into Sasha's eyes before replying.

"Listen, Sash," began Anne in a serious voice, "it's not just Toad Tower. Looking back, I can see how controlling you were even before that. If you're asking me if I can forgive you for what happened at Toad Tower, then the answer is yes."

"I knew it. I'm so glad we're friends—" began Sasha before Anne interrupted.

"I can forgive you, but…" continued Anne. "In order for us to be friends again, well, that's going to take time. Friendship requires trust, and rebuilding that is going to be hard. While you did apologize for Toad Tower, I know what you did at Tadpole Pond and how much your actions there hurt Luz. Also, you haven't brought up what you did to me and Luz at the dance."

Sasha was caught off guard by that as she looked between Anne and Luz. She began to get nervous, realizing she hadn't thought up something to say about that. Grime nudged her to say something.

"Oh, right… So, listen. Obviously, I'm sorry about that too," said Sasha. "It's just, I thought…" She couldn't finish her sentence as she realized she didn't want to admit why she had tried to break up Anne and Luz.

"I just thought… well, it doesn't matter what I thought," said Sasha, "but you're right, Anne. It was wrong of me to do that. And Luz, I'm sorry for setting you up like that."

"Sasha," began Luz seriously. "Why did you do that?"

"Does it matter?" asked Sasha nervously.

"I mean, if you're really sorry about it, then I'd like to at least know why you did it," said Luz. "Setting up your friend like that isn't something that people just do for kicks… unless that is why you did it." She put some venom into that last part.

"Alright, alright, the truth is… I was still mad at you about the otter costume thing," lied Sasha. "I did it to get back at you for embarrassing me with the otter costume."

Anne and Luz looked at each other, then back at Sasha. Luz was not sure if she bought that explanation. For a while, no one spoke before Marcy finally came over and tried to break up the tension.

"So, listen, I know things aren't exactly chill with everyone right now, but hey, we did finally get the box charged! So we should at least be happy about that." Marcy held up the box again to remind them.

"I guess you're right about that," said Anne. "Should we go ahead and open it?"

"No, no, no," said Marcy rather quickly. "If we turn that thing on, who knows where we'll end up? We should bring it to King Andrias so he can tell us how to use it correctly so we can get home."

"Yeah, that makes sense," agreed Luz. "The last thing we need is to get sent to some new location and get split up again. Good call, Marcy!"

Marcy handed both the box and the backpack to Anne, who put the box away. After that, the group contemplated what to do and how they were going to get everyone home. Sasha revealed that she wanted to join them in Wartwood but knew that she might not be welcomed there. Anne decided that it would be best if she, Marcy, and Luz went back first to prepare the citizens and see if they could find accommodations for them.

"Here, we'll leave Frobo with you," said Marcy. "I promise I'll come back to get you. Just give us a chance to get things ready for you."

"Yeah, that's fine," said Sasha. "Grime and I will wait here. Hey, Marcy, thanks again for giving me a chance."

"Well, to be fair, you and I are okay," answered Marcy. "Whatever happened out here, I know we can move past it, and I think in time, Luz and Anne will forgive you, too."

As it so happened, Anne came up to Sasha to talk to her before getting on Joe Sparrow and heading back to Wartwood.

"So, hey, Sasha," began Anne, "I meant what I said. I do want to try to be friends with you again, but I think it's going to take time. I am willing to start over with you and see how things go, and I think once we get home and back to our regular lives, it will hopefully be easier."

"That's great to hear, Anne! I'm glad—" began Sasha.

"But I've also grown closer with Luz, too, and I know she feels differently. I… I don't want to lose her friendship, so I hope that in addition to trying to fix things with me, you'll try to fix things with her too, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, I will," said Sasha.

"Great, then I'll see you back at Wartwood," Anne said as she turned to get on Joe Sparrow. After a few minutes, the group boarded Joe and took off into the sky, flying towards Wartwood. Once they were far enough away, Sprig finally spoke up..

"So we are in agreement that we're not coming back for Sasha and Grime, right?" he asked.

"Sprig!" chastised Anne. "Of course, we're coming back for them."

"Do we have to?" asked Sprig.

"Yes, of course. Listen, Sasha has done some bad things, but she seemed genuine when she said she was sorry," said Anne.

"So you really think Sasha isn't up to something?" asked Sprig.

"I don't know," said Luz. "I mean, what could she possibly be up to? I think if she and Grime wanted to attack us, then they would have done so in the temple."

"You know, Sasha did save us from getting killed by those lava worms," said Anne encouragingly.

"I guess she did," admitted Luz begrudgingly.

"How do we know that wasn't part of some big plan to get closer to us?" asked Sprig. "Remember, she thinks I stole Anne away from her, so for all we know, she just wants to get close to us in order to get me alone so she can take me out!"

"That is what Sprig was afraid of in the last temple," agreed Luz. "I can't say I don't disagree entirely with him."

"She did help us recharge the last stone," said Marcy. "I wish you guys could have seen her when she fought that rock monster. She was incredible!" As she finished speaking, she turned to Luz, hesitating for a bit before saying, "So, uh, Luz, what's going on with you and your powers?"

"I don't know," answered Luz, looking down at her hands. "They just aren't working anymore for some reason. At first, I thought maybe it was something in the temple that was keeping them from working, but even when I got outside and tried to use them, they wouldn't work."

"Hmmm," said Marcy, scratching her chin. "I mean, it could just be temporary. Maybe you're tired, need to eat more, or something like that. Let's not assume this is a permanent thing. Didn't you say that using them tires you out?"

"Yeah, if I use them for long periods of time, I get tired. I think using them takes a toll on my body," admitted Luz.

"Maybe you need to recharge them somehow," suggested Marcy. "When we get home, let's get you a nice meal and maybe get to bed a bit early, and we'll see how you're feeling in the morning."

"Yeah, okay," said Luz, now a little more hopeful. "I'd like that. Maybe it's like you said. I just need a good night's sleep. Oh, and Marcy, I'm sorry for snapping at you about Sasha."

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Marcy. "I understand how you feel."

"Still, it was wrong of me to take out my anger on you," said Luz. "I forget sometimes that you and Sasha have been friends longer than I have. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Marcy thought for a bit, her face slowly turning into a smile, before replying, "So, Luz, have you ever seen War of the Warlocks: The Crystal Crown of Tantamor?"

"Oh, I so wanted to see that when it was in theaters! The trailer looked awesome!" said Luz, letting out a groan. "But I didn't have any friends to go with, and my mom was too busy to take me. I thought about buying the DVD, but there was so much Azura and anime stuff I wanted to get first. Crystal Crown just kind of slipped on my list."

"Oh, well, good news. I happen to have it on my phone," said Marcy in excitement. "Maybe we could watch it sometime?"

"Yeah, sure, why not?" said Luz.

"Great!" said Marcy. "I hope you'll like it!".

As Joe Sparrow took off into the sky and disappeared from view, Grime turned from the retreating bird to look at Sasha. "Well, that could have gone better."

"I mean, yeah, I guess so, but it doesn't matter. We got Anne to accept us and agree to take us to Newtopia," said Sasha. "That means the plan is on!"

"Still, Luz is suspicious of us," said Grime. "We may want to be careful around her."

"I can't believe Luz didn't accept my apology. She's always been so sweet and accepting," said Sasha. "I figured all I needed to do was turn on the charm, and she'd welcome me back with open arms."

"Perhaps you don't know your friends as well as you think you do?" suggested Grime.

"Pssh, please, Grime. I got this!" replied Sasha. "Plus, we won't have to keep up this act for long, just until we get into Newtopia."

"Well, on the bright side, it looks like our plan just got a lot easier," said Grime.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Sasha.

"I mean, Luz seems to not have her powers anymore," said Grime. "That means Beatrix will have no problem subduing her."

As soon as he said this, Sasha felt a stirring unease in her stomach. She realized that without her powers, Luz stood no chance against Beatrix.

"Right… so… uh, I guess now that we know Luz doesn't seem to have those powers anymore, we don't have to worry about her ruining our plans," said Sasha. "That means we don't need Beatrix to distract her anymore."

"It's too late for us to change the plan now, Sasha," said Grime sternly. "And even if it wasn't, how do we know Luz isn't putting on some kind of act? For all we know, she's only pretending to not have her powers."

"What?! I mean, why would she do that? She looked pretty serious in there when she wanted to attack us after your comment," said Sasha.

"Hey, I was trying to make a point," countered Grime.

"In any case, it looked like she wanted to attack us. I doubt she was pretending," said Sasha.

"Even so, we can't change the plan," said Grime. "But hey, if she really is powerless, then Beatrix will probably get bored with her. I know my sister. She likes a good fight. If Luz can't give her one, then Beatrix will leave her alone."

"Oh… uh… right. You sure about that?" asked Sasha uneasily.

"Lieutenant," began Grime seriously, "the things we've set into motion cannot be stopped. The plan will proceed as originally outlined, including getting Luz away from the group to make sure she doesn't interfere."

As Grime spoke, Sasha looked out towards the sky and then back to Grime, for the first time feeling uncertain about the plan.

Don't worry, Luz will be fine, her thoughts whispered. Besides, I thought you wanted her out of the way so you could have Anne all to yourself.

…That is what I want, Sasha thought to herself, but now I'm not so sure…

Well, once you get control of the box and Beatrix softens her up a bit, you can send Luz to another world, said the voice. Then she'll be out of your way for good, and you'll never have to worry about her trying to steal Anne away from you.

Sasha perked up at the thought. Yeah, you're right. With Luz gone, Anne and I can finally be together!