It was finally time to go to the next temple. Marcy told us to bring warm clothes. Joe Sparrow flew to this cold climate. "Snow." I groaned. "Why did it have to be snow?" Joe Sparrow landed on some ice, and then he slipped, tossing us in the snow. I swear that bird will be the death of me. "Welcome to the Amphibian Arctic, everyone!" Marcy announced. "I triangulated the tracking beam from the green stone, and..." The beam shone in front of Hop Pop's face. "Hop Pop, move." Polly said. "Oh, sorry." Hop Pop chuckled, falling on his face. "The second temple must be right through there." Anne said. The green beam showed an arch, but no temple was in sight. "Just beyond these snowy gates, a grueling, perilous, temple awaits." Marcy translated. "Uh, no, it doesn't." Polly said. "Huh, that's weird." I wondered. "Could it be invisible?" Sprig asked. "All the ancient texts about this temple were vague, they just mentioned the word heart a lot." Marcy explains. "Okay, are we looking for something heart-shaped?" Hop Pop asked. "Maybe we have to rip someone's heart out." Polly suggested. All of a sudden, a bird flew through the gates, but it looked pretty familiar. "Hey, wait, I know that bird!" Anne exclaimed. The bird flew over to a tent, that also looked familiar. "Valeriana, Anne, Rowena, didn't we meet her at the Bizarre Bazaar?" Sprig asked. "Yeah, wait, if I remember correctly, she said that she's been all over Amphibia." I replied. "Maybe she's seen the temple." When we walked up to her tent, she had a sign that read: Out to Lunch. "Why is she always out to lunch?!" Anne complained. "Because it's the most important meal of the day!" Valeriana shouted behind us. "It's been a while, creatures, what brings you here? Do you, by chance, seek a temple to charge an ancient stone?" "Oh, yes, you know about the stones?" Anne asked. "Indeed, but do you really think you are worthy?" Valeriana asked. "Well, yeah!" I exclaimed. "Totally!" Marcy added. "We shall see." She said. "Oh, I'm Marcy, BT-Dubs." Marcy introduced. "Nice to meet you." Valeriana said. "I'm Hop Pop." Hop Pop replied. "Uh, hi." She greeted. "Polly, here!" Polly announced. "Sure." Valeriana replied.

Valeriana invited us inside her tent to give us some helpful information. "I am the last of an ancient order, our purpose was to study the sacred stones and temples." Valeriana explains. "So, you know where the temple is?" Marcy asked. "Indeed." Valeriana replied. "And you possess the music box?" "Sure do." Anne said, pulling the music box out of her backpack. "After all these years, it has returned." She gasped. "I would very much like to hold it." "Uh, I'd rather hold onto it." Anne explains. "Suit yourself." Valeriana said. "To get to the temple, we must climb the freezing cliffs of Mount Mutu, leave your flimsy jackets and wear these caterpillar wool coats instead." "So fuzzy." Polly comments. "Since this temple is my responsibility, you all must do exactly as I say, or else you can say goodbye to ever finding it, are we clear?" Valeriana asked. "Clear!" We replied. "Clear and comfy." Hop Pop added. "Good, follow me." She said. As Marcy, Hop Pop, and Polly followed her, Anne pulled me and Sprig back. "Something's not right about this lady." Anne explains. "You mean like how she looked at the music box?" I asked. "Because that's pretty sus." "And, she owns a parrot, only bad guys own parrots." Anne added. "That's ridiculous, guys, now, c'mon, or they'll leave us behind." Sprig replied.

We began climbing the mountain. "Quickly!" Valeriana exclaims. "I'd like to reach the temple in this century. How could adventurers so lazy expect to conquer a temple?" Anne groaned. "Don't worry, guys, we're almost there." I said. All of a sudden, a giant bird flew over to the mountain, basically looking like a cardinal. I happen to have a sister who loves photography. Everyone screamed except for Marcy. "Oh, relax, everyone, it's just a cardinal." Marcy explains. "They don't eat frogs, she's just saying hello." The bird grabbed Marcy, about to eat her. "Marcy!" Anne and I shouted. After we grabbed her from it's clutches, the bird flew over to the Plantars. "You said it doesn't eat frogs!" Anne exclaimed. "I was sure, wait, cardinals eat caterpillars, it wants our coats!" Marcy explains. "No, we need these coats to stay warm." Sprig said. "And look good." Polly added. "Marcy, what do we do?" Hop Pop asked. "Let me think, let me think!" Marcy panicked. "There's no time!" I shouted, throwing my coat down the mountain and the bird followed. "Now, let's get outta here!" We continued to climb up the mountain, but I was shivering. "You saved us, Rowena, here, take my coat." Hop Pop offered. "No, you frogs will turn to ice without protection, I'll be okay, as long as we reach the temple soon." I refused, still shaking. "It won't be soon, you think it wise that you abandoned your coat?" Valeriana asked. "I had to do something." I replied. "Impulsive, and defensive, very unworthy qualities, I must say." She said, hitting me with her staff. "Here, we can share my coat." Anne explains as we both covered up with her coat.

We kept walking around to search for the temple. "It's so fortunate that the music box fell into such average hands." Valeriana said. "How exactly did it come into your possession?" "Uh?" Anne wondered, but Marcy didn't want Valeriana to know the truth. "You know, I don't remember how we got it." Suddenly, the ground started shaking. "What was that?" Polly asked. "Nothing much, just an avalanche." Valeriana replied. "What?!" We yelled. "Everybody run!" Sprig cried. "Shush, you loud, little frog baby." Valeriana said. "Whew, looks like it's headed away from us." "Wait a second, look, what about that little hut?" Anne asked. "It looks like someone's inside, we have to save them!" "How?" Valeriana asked. "By running towards an avalanche? They're lost, child, I say we press on." Anne didn't listen. She ran towards the hut to try to save someone, but apparently, no one was inside. We helped Anne up and I gave her the half of the coat she was using. "You okay?" Hop Pop asked. "I'm fine, let's just hurry and get to the temple." Anne replied. "Oh, that won't be happening." Valeriana said, with an angry tone. "I've learned all I need to about you lot, disobedient, foolish, impulsive, none of these qualities are worthy of the sacred stones, you don't deserve my help, good luck finding that temple, on your own." "You are full of such frog abuse!" I shouted. "You barely gave us a chance!" "Not only that, now, you're gonna strand us out here?!" Anne added. "We may be unworthy, but you and your order are even worse, you're nothing but a cruel, judgmental snob!" "Brats! You dare insult the order I've dedicated my entire life to?" Valeriana snapped. "Yeah, what are you gonna do about it?" Anne asked as both of us vanished with her.

Anne and I reappeared at this empty place with Valeriana. "Where are we?" I asked. "What did you do? Just show us and our friends where the temple is already." "Never!" She shouted. "Neither of you are worthy, in fact, none are worthy! And now that I finally have you two alone, I can return the box to it's rightful guardian, me!" Valeriana's bird grabbed the music box from Anne's backpack, delivering the box to her. "Hey, wait!" Anne exclaimed. "No! I need that to get home!" "Aha, see, still thinking of yourself!" She yelled. "You're wrong, we're not, that selfish!" I exclaimed. "Oh no? Didn't Anne lie to the Plantars to get out of a day of work?" Valeriana asked, fighting against us. "How, how do you know that?" Anne asked. "Didn't you both drive the family snail even though you were told not to?" She continued. "Okay, this is getting weird, what else do you know?" I asked. "I know that you sleepwalk and she snores." She replied. "You could've just kept that to yourself." I said. "Didn't you steal Hopediah's wallet for a girls day in town, Anne?" "Okay, that is definitely not how that happened." Anne explains. "But you followed your friend around town on her birthday, and you did steal the music box, did you not?" She asked. "Rowena, is that true?" Anne asked. "Yes, it is true." I sighed. "And it wasn't just your birthday, it started after Sasha pushed me away, I always knew she was a bad influence on you, and if she saw me talking to you, she'd humiliate me, even though I was afraid to talk to you, I wanted to know if you were okay." Anne smiled. "You don't have to be afraid to talk to me anymore." Anne said. "Nothing can separate us now." "I'm sorry." I apologized as Anne hugged me. "You told the truth, now it's my turn." Anne explains. "I did steal it." "So it is. You're a liar and you're a liar and a thief." Valeriana said. "And now the box will be mine!" She tried collecting the box from us, but she almost fell to her death and began to laugh. "Why are you laughing?" Anne asked. "You can't get back down the mountain without me!" She explains. "You have to save me!" "Don't we just wave this thing up and down to get back?" I asked. "Doesn't seem too hard." "You weren't supposed to figure that out!" She shouted as the stone she was holding onto began to crack. Before Valeriana could plummet, Anne and I saved her. "You both risked your lives to save me? But why?" "You were right, both of us lied, if that makes us unworthy, fine." I replied. "These bad choices are our responsibility, and we'll own them." "But making them taught us that it's always better to do the right thing, so that's what we did, regardless of how much we didn't want to." "We have been waiting for someone like you two for such a long time." Valeriana smiled. "Um, excuse me?" Anne asked as Valeriana grabbed her staff and the music box, changing into this beautiful white robe. "Whoa, mama, you clean up nice." I complimented. "Rowena, you have sacrificed your warmth for your friends, Anne, you sacrificed yourself for a stranger in need, and both of you even risked your lives for an enemy." Valeriana explains. "But empathy alone isn't enough, for what is heart without responsibility? In the name of the temple, I declare you both worthy!" "What? No way!" Anne exclaimed. "So, the cardinal, the avalanche, all of this was...?" "A trial, you see, we've been making our way through the "temple" this whole time." Valeriana interrupted. "And I have been testing you, so, what is it you want?" "Oh, to charge the stone and return home." I replied. "So be it." She said, taking the stone from the music box and bringing it closer to her staff. There was this blinding blue light flashing at it recharges the stone, slowly. "It's a lot slower than last time." I said. "Sorry, this thing's pretty old." She apologized. "Oh, no, I get it, no problem." Anne said. "Do you want something to read?" Valeriana suggested. "No, I've got my journal in my bag, thanks anyway." I declined politely when suddenly, we heard screaming coming from the mountain. "Oh, no, they're in trouble!" "What if it's another avalanche?!" Anne asked, turning to the stone. "That looks charged enough." "Are you sure?" I asked, looking at the stone. "Oh, yeah, that's good." "Send us back, send us back!" We shouted, holding onto each other as Valeriana did exactly that.

"Hang on, guys!" Anne exclaimed. "We're coming for you, huh?" "Anne, Rowena, Marcy's showing us ridiculously cute animal videos on her phone." Polly explains. "Are you kidding me, we thought you guys were gonna die." I said. "We looked for you guys, but, now we're taking a break." Sprig explains. "Girls, you're alright!" Marcy cheered. "And that's not all." I said, showing the second charged stone. "But how?" Sprig asked. "We'll explain later." Anne replied. "But for right now, can we get out of this cold?" "I'm with you on that one, Anne." I replied.