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The frogs of Wartwood gathered at the center of the town, it was time for the yearly celebration, the Frog of the Year party. Once the Planters arrived, minus Anne who was relaxing after the curse incident, Mayor Toadstool stood on the stage overlooking the townsfolk. “Thank you everyone for coming on this lovely day, it's time to announce the Frog of the Year winner.” Toadie came up with a box as Toadstool reached into the box, pulling out a piece of paper. “We are honored to name this year’s Frog of the Year is.. Anne!” The crowd cheered as Hop Pop looked shocked, Anne wasn't even a frog or a citizen of Wartwood. Yet she did enough for the town to be given this honor? “Hopediah, where is Anne? She has a party to plan,” Toadstool asked as Hop Pop cleared his throat. “She's resting right now, but I think we should host the party this time.” The crowd gasped as Sprig jumped for the stage. “Think about it, Anne has helped us so much; we should do this for her. A way of saying thanks for everything!”
“And celebrate her accomplishments with her memory!” Polly jumped to join her brother as Stumpy nodded, “I can agree, that girl was making steady progress with her memory. She always looks so happy and right at home helping at my restaurant.” Some of the frogs nod, even Duckweed nods, at the comment. Everytime Anne was at Stumpy's as a hostess and waitress, she behaved like someone who had done it before. “Stumpy, can you be in charge of food for this party?” Sprig asked as the frog chef nodded, “it will be an honor to cook for this party. I can use the recipes Anne recently gave me.” Some of the frogs were buzzing with excitement for this party, while Sprig pulled Maddie aside. “If you don't mind Maddie, can you help make sure Anne doesn't find out about this? It's going to be a surprise!” Maddie nods, pulling out her notebook. “Of course, I do still have questions for her after all.” Hop Pop walked up, “Just make sure Anne stays in the sun, the party is in the evening and we need her fully energized for this.” Maddie nods and hops off to the Planters' farmhouse. Showing a smile as she would get some answers behind their fungus girl.
Maddie walked to the window for the basement and looked inside to confirm if Anne was there and she was. The fungi girl was laying on her chest with her arms folded under her head and eyes closed in bliss. Her mushrooms were beating at a steady pace before spiking when Maddie was seen. Causing Anne to open her eyes and look at Maddie. “Oh, morning Maddie; are you looking for Sprig?”
“Good morning Anne, I hope I am not interrupting anything,” Maddie said as Anne sat up and looked confused. “You won't, I was just making sure that curse was not affecting us.” Maddie nods before asking if she could help with that and maybe have some questions answered. “We can do it in the sun if you want to be somewhere other than your room.” Anne nods and walks out of the room, meeting Maddie outside, and leading the blue frog to the wall she likes relaxing at. Once Maddie was sat with the girl, Anne waited for the questions to begin. “Alright.. I noticed your mushrooms’ glow started to dim last night, do you make them do that?” Anne sighs, running a hand over one of her mushrooms, “apparently they do that whenever I get low on energy. Since this is a dead body, it doesn't need nutrients to support itself. We can accept drinks, and remedies work; but we haven't tried food yet.” So the fungi are supporting the body on their own? “So that's why they beat like a heart?” Anne nods, “yes; because we are supporting it. So we need more sunlight energy to properly support this vessel.” Maddie wrote this fact down before going to another page, marking down a guide for later. Anne just smiles at the attention, she never told others about her true situation outside of the Planters. Maddie was the first one she told the truth to. “Why don't you tell others about yourself?”
“Because of something I don't fully understand.. We think it's another emotion that we have never encountered yet.” Maddie looked up, noticing how Anne's mushrooms, despite being in the bright sun, were dim and still beating at that steady pace. Marking this change down, Maddie thought about something mentioned. “Emotion?”
“We, fungi, aren't supposed to have real emotions. We can learn how to mimic emotions from watching others, but we can't feel those emotions. But for some reason, we can not just mimic emotions, but they linger. These emotions have been partly why we don't infect others, because we feel some strange feelings about the frogs of Wartwood.” Maddie snapped her fingers, “You have grown attracted to us.” Anne stared at Maddie before tilting her head in confusion as Maddie giggled at the reaction. “The emotions you are feeling are attractive and that earlier one, the one your mushrooms are showing, is fear.”
“Fear?” Maddie softly smiled at the confused girl, “you are afraid of their reactions to the truth. I mean, how was it when you told the Planters?” Anne blinked as she recalled the memory of that night. “I must have been afraid Hop Pop would kick me out for being a dead body. He didn't trust my mushrooms when we met, it made sense that if he knew the truth; it might kick me out. I am glad I was wrong.” Maddie added to the previous note of “dim with steady beat is fear,” as she kept an eye on the time. Knowing she would need a way to get Anne to where the party was going to be.
Hop Pop looked over the progress for the party; Stumpy was cooking with a smile proudly on his face, Sprig was practicing with his fiddle, and Loggle was working hard on a wooden statue of Anne. “We keep this going, we will be ready for tonight. I hope Anne loves this.” One of Sprig's friends, Ivy, walked to Hop Pop. “Why would she not like this?”
“Well, this might be her first party; one she can remember at least.” Hop Pop had to remember barely anyone knew what Anne really was. To the town, Anne was a confused creature with no memory of her life and just happened to have the mind controlling mushrooms in her hair. But due to the school being closed down, none of the citizens would have known that the mushrooms were supposed to be dangerous. Hop Pop knew as he is a farmer, hence why he was not trustworthy of Anne at first. “Her first party? She doesn't even remember birthday parties?” Birthday? What would be Anne's birthday? “I don't know, Ivy. She never talks about one.” This sparked something in Ivy, “Then we’ll make this one she’ll never forget!” Hop Pop smiled as Ivy ran to where her mother was setting up lights shaped like Anne's mushrooms.
Maddie had half of her notebook filled by the time Sprig ran up to the two of them. “Guys, there's a town meeting happening. Mayor Toadstool says we need everyone.” A wink from Sprig told Maddie that was the symbol that the party was ready. “Right, you should join us, Anne.” Anne hesitantly nods, looking at the setting sun, “alright, I just hope this doesn't go for too long.” So the two frog kids and fungi girl walked to the center of town as Anne stared at the decorations. “Surprize!”
Anne jumped as the entire town jumped out as the mushroom lights lit up as Mayor Toadstool walked forward. “What? What is this?”
“This Miss Anne, is a Frog of the Year party. The frogs of Wartwood chose one member to be honored every year and they chose you this year.” Anne was speechless before Stumpy walked up, “you have been very helpful to us since arriving. So this is a way to say thanks for everything.”
“But I’m not a frog..” Wally walked up, accordion in hand. “Nope, but you are one of us. Especially after standing up to those toads.” Anne looked at Maddie, “Would you in on this too?” Maddie nods, “they needed you busy while they made this party for you. After everything you have done, you deserve it.”
‘But I don't deserve this..’ Anne thought, but hid her doubts with a smile. “Thanks everyone.” The frogs cheered as the party was buzzing with excitement. Sprig played his fiddle with Wally on his accordion, Stumpy served the food Anne noticed were the recipes she had delivered recently, noticing even Duckweed was enjoying the food, as the fungi girl kept to herself. Where she was glad for this party, the fact she was keeping the truth about herself from these frogs; it was making her feel like she didn't deserve this. She was just a pile of mind controlling mushrooms using a corpse to interact with them. So while no one was looking, Anne snuck away from the party to the fountain as she didn't know Hop Pop had noticed and followed her.
The elder frog found the fungi girl staring at her reflection in the water with a frown on her face. “Who am I kidding? They need to know what I am..” Running a hand on her mushrooms as she sighs, not knowing Hop Pop overheard and raced back to the party. He was on a mission now, when he saw the Mayor asking where Anne was. “She needs a second, and I think I would like to make an announcement.” Toadstool nods, as he gets the frogs’ attention, directing them to Hop Pop. “Look, I am certain Anne is happy for this party. But a part of her does feel guilty about it.”
“Whatever would make her feel guilty?” Wally asked as Hop Pop took a deep breath before answering. “Because Anne's not the human girl we see.” Walking to the stage and sitting on the edge, he continued. “She's the mushrooms glowing in her hair.” The crowd grew silent, “did you know this?”
“Technically I knew as I was the first one she told the truth to. If you want to do something about this, let me try to change your mind. She was terrified about others learning about the truth. Maddie, can you confirm this?” The curse wielding frog nods, “Indeed, she wanted to tell us; but ultimately was too afraid of rejection or being kicked out. And keep in mind, fear is a new thing for her. So she's confused about why she feels afraid on top of that fear.” Stumpy stepped forward, “but her memory?”
“That's likely a lie she made up to cover the truth. Her vessel's name was Anne, everything else she learned about herself wasn't about her.” Some of the frogs' eyes widen at the placement of “was”.
“Was?” Maddie held her notebook as she spilled this part. “Yes, because the original Anne is dead.” Only the crickets in the distance answered that drop. Soon, some of the frogs started whispering with each other before Wally asked where Anne was. “She's at the fountain, but if you are going to approach her. Remember she's just afraid of your reactions.” Wally nods before hopping to the fountain with several other frogs following behind the one eyed frog.
Wally saw Anne's glowing mushrooms before seeing her staring at her reflection. She looked alive from his one eye, but with what Hop Pop and Maddie said. So after collecting his thoughts, Wally walked up to Anne. “There ya are love, we were looking for you.” Anne snapped her head up at Wally, the one eyed frog seeing the fear in full display. “Oh, sorry; I just needed some time to myself.” Wally sat across from the girl, “that's quite alright, are you okay?” Anne looked down at her reflection, seeing her glowing eyes stare back at her. “I don't know..” Wally almost wanted to ask why, but Anne beat him to that. “Don't get me wrong, I am glad you guys did that for me. But I feel I don't deserve it.”
“Why on Amphibia would you think that?” Wally noticed the other frogs watching from the distance, putting a finger to his lips to silent them. Turning his attention back to Anne as she looked up to face him. “Cause I was hiding something..” Anne slumped forward as she put her hands over her face, shaking as her mushrooms started beating at a rate never seemed by Wally before. Wally tried running a hand down Anne's back, ignoring how he couldn't feel a heartbeat when over her chest. “What have you been hiding? It can't be as bad as you think it is.”
“But it is! For months, I was lying to you guys..” Anne removed one hand to show one of her glowing eyes to Wally. “Because I feared being sent back into the wild..”
“Why on Amphibia would we do that?!” Anne snapped up at the crowd of frogs standing in front of her with a deer in the headlights look. “Because I’m not Anne.. never was her.. you had been talking with these reanimating her body.” Anne placed her hand to her rapidly flickering mushrooms before standing. “I know what happens next, do I have time to pack before leaving?”
“Oh, I don't think so,” Stumpy said, walking up and putting a spatula on her shoulder. “You are not going anywhere, young lady.”
“What?” Wally jumped up, “yeah, you are staying here.” Anne stammered for a sec before Hop Pop stepped forward. “Where yes, we normally would send you packing Anne. But overtime, we got to see who you really are. I was doubtful about your fungi due to my knowledge of plants and recognizing your shrooms; that's not what I see here.” Hop Pop lowered Anne to his level, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. “I see someone lost and scared and needs others to lean on. The town here didn't choose you for Frog of the Year because you helped us. It was also our suggestion to celebrate your accomplishments.” Hop Pop looked at the frogs, “now what are we doing, Wartwood frogs.. And Toadstool?” the frogs nod as Wally pulls out his accordion, “we are continuing this party! That's what we are doing, and it's not complete without our fungi girl.” Anne looked at Wally before her mushrooms went from rapidly flickering to glowing bright as she smiled, grabbing the one eyed frog in a hug. “Thank you..” Anne looks at the townfrogs, “Thank you everyone!” All the frogs gathered around Anne, holding the girl in a massive group hug as they made it back to the party.
Anne watched over the party with a smile on her face, watching the frogs enjoying themselves, Sprig was even with Ivy, as he asked his childhood friend to dance as Anne felt relieved about her situation. The energy stopped as Toadie ran to Anne, jumping for her arms as she caught the tiny frog. “Anne, someone who says they are a friend of yours is at the entrance of town.” The party went silent as this information sunk in. “Someone who knew Anne is here?!” Anne asked as Toadie nodded, “yes, she is asking for you; Anne.” Anne looked at the gathering frogs in fear, “but.. I'm not who she is looking for..” Hop Pop stepped forward, “no, but she could have answers for you. Do you want us to see who it is first?” At Anne's nod, Hop Pop asked for the town to walk to the entrance. All the while, Hop Pop felt Anne grab for his hand as he squeezed back. “Don't worry, if all goes bad; remember you are welcomed here.”
“I know, I am just scared of what they will think..” Hop Pop smiles, “Then this can be a town secret until you are ready, until then; let's stay behind and out of sight, kiddo.” So Anne and Hop Pop walked to the entrance as the silhouette of a bipedal creature appeared in Anne's vision.