2. New Arrival

I think for the rest of the story, I'll have a little synopsis for what the chapter will be about just because I think it'll be a cool way to briefly go over it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the second part of my original chapter before we get moving over to some from the actual show. I hope you enjoy.

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Dispersing the flames with a few rough stomps of his foot, Leo didn't pay too much attention to Anne on the other side of the campfire, who was still staring right at him her eyes intently glossing over every single detail of his face.

It wasn't that she was surprised by how he looked, but it was more the fact that she was glad to see another human standing right in front of her. Sure, it wasn't Marcy or even Sasha, seeing them again and knowing they were ok was all Anne wanted right now.

But even she couldn't deny that it was nice to just be able to talk to someone. Sprig, Hop Pop and Polly were all great, really, they were, she was thrilled to be excepted by the small frog family, but maybe Leo could fill the homesick void she'd been feeling lately.

Although, it seemed that he was just the tiniest, smallest, microscopic bit...dense.

"A phone? Never heard of it to be honest, is it something from where you're from, Earth is what you called it I.."

'Is he serious? How does he not know what a phone is? He said he didn't remember anything, but I didn't think his memory was this bad..'

She wouldn't dwell on it for too long, deciding to help clean up the same camp he'd made and then take him back to Wartwood.

They hadn't reacted all that well to her, so she was sure how they'd react to such a vastly different looking character. Maybe dense wasn't the right word, he was more ignorant of Earth if anything, Leo seemed smart and had basic common sense from what she'd gathered from their lengthy conversation.

All Anne could do for now was keep him around and help with his memory the best she could.

Interrupting her inner monologue was Leo, not paying a single speck to personal space standing a mere 2 centimeters from her face, Anne's tennis racket in hand.

"You brought this with you, right? Not much of a weapon, I could've snapped this easily to be honest, I think a toddler could've.."

"I get it, I wasn't going to attack anyone in the first place. I've learnt too many times not to go into this forest unprepared.." The teen shivered a little, remembering a few unwanted past mistakes.

Leo nodded in understanding, after traversing through it for the good half of a week he'd also learnt the absolute horrors and treacherous area that laid here, "You lead the way then, I guess."

"ANNE!" Echoing throughout the forest was a squeaky, high-pitched squeal that got Leo to stop in his tracks.

"Must be one of those shrill creatures, they can burst eardrums," Leo said with a deadpanned voice, picking up his sharpened stick at a moment's notice.

Anne halted him from possibly skewering her new best friend, "Woah, woah stop! That's just Sprig!" She let out hurriedly, getting the ghostly faced boy to lower his 'weapon'.

Approaching from the same entrance Anne had, was a little pink frog, wearing a green shirt that did the exact opposite of what a shirt was supposed to, exposing his chest entirely.

He had a trademark green hat that supported his head the same way a beanie would, with an extra feature of goggles being attached.

All and all, at least to Leo. It was just a frog.

"Sprig! Buddy, I didn't think you'd follow me," Anne smiled back at the smaller frog, lightly patting his cap.

"I mean you just ran off like that so how could I not, anyway did you find Sasha or Marcy-"

Answering the question for himself, Sprig flinched back at the sight of Leo. Compared to Anne, his outward appearance looked nothing like any other humans he'd been told about.

He was gangly for sure, and still had those blindly limbs and weird face bump but he looked starkly different from her.

"That's a no," said Leo, eyeing him down, doing his best to not seem intimidating.

That was failing horrible.

'Red eyes, white hair. He looks so freaky...'

"SPRIG!" Anne scolded flailing her arms about all of sudden. Reacting to his name, he quickly realized that he'd spoken allowed, smacking his hands over his mouth despite having already said it.

When they looked back to Leo's expression, they were surprised to see he looked...confused. As if he hadn't completely registered the insult, "Oh.." He suddenly exhaled.

"Look, Leo, he didn't mean it. They reacted the same way to me, honest. I did tell you that they weren't used to seeing people like us," Anne tried to muster out an explanation, making it sound as best she could.

"But I look different to you, not in that kind of sense. But because of my face, you don't usually have people with red eyes, that's why he reacted that way," Twisting his face into all manners of emotions, "I'm not normal, am I?"

Anne sagged her arms and silently admit defeat, she'd wanted to be nice at first but now that he was blatantly asking her, there was no reason to lie.

"It's pretty rare to have red eyes back home, not uncommon but still pretty unusual. As for the white hair, to naturally have that...I don't think I've seen anyone with it."

"Ok, I think I get it. Now I'm just even more confused as to where I'm from, was I sent here like you and did I just lose my memory or...something else?"

"Something else?" Sprig queried raising a brow.

Leo didn't answer, not sure what the 'else' would be.

Ignoring the seemingly tense atmosphere, the white-haired boy walked forward with an outstretched hand, contrasting his demeanor though was his low, robotic voice, "Off to Wartwood then."

Anne – still feeling a little guilty couldn't help but snicker at his actions, 'He really is dense.'

"Wrong way.." Anne said.

Turning around with no shame whatsoever, Leo retreated back the other way, "Off to Wartwood then!"

"He said he's good in the wilderness, but I'm worried he'll fall of a cliff if we don't help him.." Anne commented, Sprig being the only one to hear her.

"Nah, if he survived this long in Amphibia by himself, I'm sure he'll be fine," Sprig brushed it over, not having any kind of worry for the boy.

"Hey, Anne is Wartwood in the direction of the black vines?"

"Yep, he's going to die..."

After a few mishaps and confrontations with some beasts. Leo had eventually been the one to lead them safely back to Wartwood.

"This is it, pretty rundown if you ask me.."

'And he was shocked by Sprig speaking out loud..'

"We better find Hop Pop; I asked Ivy to cover for us but she can only do it for so long," Informed Sprig, leaping on all fours to the nearest shop.

Leo took the time to truly take in the entire town, rundown was still the definite word he'd be sticking with for now. But if he had to use any other one then quaint was something that came to mind, there weren't many frogs strolling through the streets, if any.

Even so, the design of the market stalls and titles did give him a small sense of safety. Sure, they were frogs, yet they were still a community.

A small statue was in the center of it all, mixed with an even smaller fountain. Frog designed architecture practically breathed throughout the village.

"Not too bad, right?" Anne intersected in front of him, now meeting his walking pace, "It's a little dingy sure, but I don't think it's that bad."

"No, it's bad, there's no denying it," Leo admitted truthfully, getting himself a flabbergasted look from Anne, "But for a town in another world, it's better than nothing."

"Could've just started with that dude, no need to be so cryptic.." She rolled her eyes, jokingly shoving him forward getting them to wagon quicker.

Once they'd turned the corner, Leo watched an interaction taking place between Sprig, and older looking orange frog and a yellow frog who looked about the same age as the former pink one.

"Hop Pop, Anne just went to the bathroom she said it was...human related problems," Sprig whispered out his own lie a little too seriously, staring straight into his grandparent soul.

Anne reacted angrily, storming over with a red blush on her face, "Dang it, I told her not to run off. Oh well, when you gotta go you gotta go," Hopediah grunted scratching his withered head with great reluctance.

"I wasn't using the bathroom!" Anne hurried over to the three, doing her best to hide her growing embarrassment, pulling Sprig to the side, "You seriously couldn't come up with a better lie!?"

"What was I supposed to say? I'm not a very avid in lying about humans Anne!"

Hop Pop ignored their bickering, smacking his reins forward to catch the two's attention, "I don't care what you two have to say. Get your cabooses moving and help get the stand ready!" He ordered, already halfway done with the process.

"Um...Actually Hop Pop there's something I kind of need to talk to you about," Anne made sure to choose her words very carefully.

"What now? You didn't go cause another outbreak in the town again did yah?" He guessed, already preparing for the worst.

"That was one time! Are you ever gonna let that go!?" She yelled back, almost on instinct, "Sorry I got a little off track, what I'm saying is there might be, just the tiniest chance that...I found another human."

Before either of them could get another word out a fellow farmer met eyes with Leo's emotionless ones, earning him a heart-wrenching screech, "ANOTHER MONSTER! THERE'S ANOTHER ONE!"

"That's not really the response I wanted," Leo sighed, walking over to the frog. He'd tried to seem friendly but had only come off as a hitman attempting to finish off their target.

"I'm Leo it's nice to-"

An incoming fruit with the resemblance of a pumpkin came flying at him, only narrowly grazing his head as Leo ducked to avoid it.

"-Meet you. Look I'm not trying to hurt you, I'm friendly like Anne," The crimson eyed boy gestured once again.

Unfortunately, the screaming didn't cease, only increasing in quantity and pitch. Coming to aid, was Hop Pop banging together a pot and pan giving everyone a moment to collect themselves, "Now can everybody just calm down! Screaming will get us nowhere!"

When it stopped, the orange amphibian made its way over to Leo; a skeptical look on its face, "Are you a friend of Anne's?" Was the first question to come out his mouth.

"Not exactly, I met her just today. Not sure that equates to friendship."

With his eyes still sharp, Hop Pop handed the boy a hammer and nail, "How well can you fix a stand?" He questioned, handing them to him.

"Wha- You're really gonna accept him that quickly Hop Pop!?" Polly, a tadpole Leo had only just noticed hopped over to the rest of them, looking unsure.

"Yeah, you didn't even like me that quickly, little offended to be honest," Anne mentioned crossing her arms in a huff.

"I'm not accepting him! No offence youngin' but do you trust him Anne, what about you Sprig?"

Anne pondered the question for a moment, saying she trust him was a big ask. She hadn't even known him for more than an hour, and all they'd done for their first meeting was talk to each other about a random assortment of conversation points that had popped into their heads.

One thing she did know, is that after she'd spent a few weeks out alone in the unfair habitat of Amphibia. She sure was glad to have the Plantar family take her in, when they had no real need to.

"I can't say I trust him; I don't even know him that well. What I do know is that he doesn't have any memory of who he was and...I want to help him no matter what, so could you do me a solid just this once HP, I know we're already going through a lot but, please."

Crouching down to Hop Pop's level, Anne looked back at Leo and then to the frog a warm smile on her face, one that he couldn't deny, "Oh alright. But! I expect not only you but-what did you say your name was boy?"

"Leo."

"Right, Leo. I expect you to pull your weight around here, and don't go thinking that we're friends or anything like that, not yet at least. You gotta prove yourself just like Anne has...well sort of."

"Not needed Hop Pop," She spat back.

Staring at Anne, Sprig and then Hop Pop. Leo smiled for the first time in a while, at least it might've been a while, without his memory he didn't know.

He bowed to Hop Pop, much akin to a Samurai, "Thank you, I'll do the best I can to help," Leo stated simply.

"That's all I ask.." The older Plantar finished, walking over to the broken and falling apart wheelbarrow, in all seriousness, this had been the stand he was referring to.

Thanks to a few lies and the mayor raising the price of the stand, Hop Pop had ended up losing it and had now been forced to sell his farmed food from a wheelbarrow.

"We'll be building this stand from scratch you lot! So, let's get working, if we fix it, we can get busy on making enough money to pay for it!"

Leo twirled the rusted wooden hammer in his hand, banging the nail into the wood provided to him, growing a little annoyed when it kept wobbling.

"Need some help?" Anne asked, now opposite him. Keeping the board steady.

"Sure, two heads are better than one," Leo replied in his normal tone, beginning to push the nail in.

He didn't know whether or not he'd ever figure out who he was, and what had led him in here in the first place. It was probably something he'd figure out down the road, whenever that should be.

But for now, until he could leave the valley, he'd found himself in. Leo was just fine with staying around here for a while.

Maybe here he'd learn something about himself without knowing it, he could make friends and enemies in the strangest of places.

Nevertheless, Leo wasn't expecting, at least in this froggy world. To end up finding himself.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter, one thing that I want to briefly go over. This story begins around the end of the episode, 'Plantars Last Stand' and begins before 'Toad Tax' which'll be the next chapter. I dunno when it'll be out since I'm choosing to upload this whenever I want to instead of on a schedule like I usually do, so until then, see yah!