Skylar's P.O.V

I could feel the Fwagon rolling forward from my place inside it. I was sitting comfortably on the bed, phone in hand when I felt the Fwagon slow down.

'Yo Skylar! We're officially out of the valley! Get out here!' Anne said, poking her head into the Fwagon.

'This is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to anyone!' Sprig says as I hop into the seat next to Anne and Polly. 'Aren't you excited? I'm excited. You should be more excited!'

'We are excited Sprig. Y'know it's just, there's a lot riding on this trip and I just wanna keep my expectations in check- WHOA!'

We all stop and are met with one of the best views any of us have ever seen.

'It's amazing! It's majestic! It's-'

'Hurting my eyes' I finished.

'It's better than I could have ever dreamed!' Sprig said before hopping onto Bessie. 'Full speed ahead Hop Pop! Keep driving and never look back!'

'Hold on Sprig, look back here for a second. Now that we're out of the valley, things can get dangerous fast. Sooooo........' Hop Pop took us all back inside the Fwagon and pulled out a giant book. 'From now on we're gonna follow Hop Pop's Rules of the road. By me, Hop Pop'

'Uuurrrrhggg' all of us groan.

'Another huge book? Seriously?'

'You kids got a problem with books? Why, without books...'

'Our civilisation would crumble into nothingness' the four of us say in sync. I've only been with the Plantars for about a week and I've already memorised all of Hop Pop's mini lectures.

'The only way we'll get to Newtopia in one piece is if we follow these rules. Like this one here. Rule number 98: Never strike a heroic pose on the Fwagon. It's a sign of hubris that invites disaster'

'Nooooooooo, strict rules suck' I complain as I slide down in my chair.

'Rule number 345: no complaining' Hop Pop cut me off.

Hop Pop then pulled out a bunch of colouring in books, closed the blind and found a booster seat for Sprig.

'There that should keep your sense of adventure in check. All right kids, let's stick to the rules, and we should have a safe and completely uneventful trips. Okay thanks bye!'

'Man this stinks! All those adventures out there, and we're stuck in here with these dumb rules!' Sprig complains.

'Not much we can do. My dad was the same way back home. One time we drove to the Grand Canyon and didn't stop once!'

'Well, if anyone can figure out a way to have fun with these rules, it's us!'

'Newtopia here we come!' The four of us yell.

'Road rule number 29: no shouting! Marauders will follow the sound and steal your skin!'

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'A rainbow waterfall! We gotta pull over!' Sprig exclaims.

'Hub bup bup. Road rule number 243: all natural phenomena lead to an unnatural death'

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'Zoom dunes?!' Spring gets excited again.

Three snails come zooming past and around the track.

'AWESOME!'

'C'mon Bessie, time to show the world how fast you can go' Polly says determined.

'Uh-uh. Rule number 149: never drive faster than a June bug can fly'

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'Ooh what's that?' Anne asks.

'Whoa! Amphibia's best diner? Okay we have to stop here'

Rule number 193: don't stop anywhere claiming to be the best'

'But look they have crickets and cream ice cream!'

'Rule number 193: no ice cream in the Fwagon'

'Seriously?'

'You've gotta be kidding me!'

'Oh come one!'

'This is a scam!'

'Hey, hey. I just enforce the rules, I don't make em'

'You did make them!' Anne yells.

'They're literally called Hop Pop's rules!' I add on.

'Darn straight! And I stand by em!'

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We were all now sitting inside the Fwagon. Anne was sitting to the couch, I was laying on the bed and Sprig was pacing around.

'I can't take it! All of these once in a lifetime opportunities are literally passing us by!' Sprig complains.

'I know, and I really wanna complain but rule 345: no complaining takes care of that!'

'I swear to frog if one more once in a lifetime opportunity passes us by-'

'Red alert kids. We're coming up on the ruins of despair!' Hop Pop calls out, catching our attention.

We all poke our heads out the side of the Fwagon and stand in awe of the cool structures.

'Whoa! What are those weird structures?' I ask.

'No one knows Skylar. They've been here long before any written history. Just a mystery better left unsolved as far as I'm concerned'

We close the window and go back into the Fwagon.

'This place is the coolest thing I've ever seen! If I don't get out and at least touch something. I'll regret it for the rest of my life'

'Relax dude, we've got a plan' I say as Anne and I share a knowing smile.

'Hey HP. We've never ridden in a wagon for this long and we're definitely gonna hurl' Anne explained

'Yeah, can we stop for a minute?' I ask.

'Dang it girls. How do you humans cope with such unreliable innards? Let me know when we can start moving again'

As soon as Hop Pop stopped the Fwagon me, Anne and Sprig ran out of the Fwagon.

'Go, go, go, go!'

'Hey! Get back here you three!' I hear Hop pop call from behind us.

'This was your plan? You've done it again!' Sprig praises.

We all laugh as we get to the entrance to one of the structures.

'Okay, pretty sure Hop Pop's onto us. So let's take some quick selfies and get out of here' Anne says.

Anne pulls me into the selfie as we all pose. As we pose, Sprig leans back on the door and causes it to open and him to fall in.

'SPRIG!'

We call after him before sliding down ourselves.

'Look out' I call as we reach the end of the tunnel.

'Buddy, are you ok?' Anne asks Sprig.

'Whoa!' I whisper as I gaze across the room of flashing lights and strange pipes.

'What the heck? Are those computers? I though you guys were like pastoral or whatever'

'I'm... GONNA TOUCH EVERYTHING!' Sprig yells before running around and indeed touching everything.

'We did a good thing' Anne comments.

'Aarhg!' Hop Pop's cry gains our attention. 'Do you three realise how many rules you just broke?! 17, 29, 36, 55!'

Sprig groans at Hop Pop's anger. 'Forget the rules. Look at this place Hop Pop. It has everything! Cool atmosphere, implied historical significance...' he pauses as he looks up at something. 'Levers...'

'Don't you dare! Rule number 68: Never ever pull a lever!'

Surprise, surprise, Sprig ignored Hop Pop and pulled the lever. It was tense for a moment as we all waited for something terrible to happen but it seemed to be all clear.

'Well look at that. I broke rule number 68 and we're all still alive- Whoa!' Sprig fell off the lever.

The whole room started to glow blue, lights flashing and the main screen turning on.

'Start up engaged!' A robotic voice said.

'Whoa! The building can talk... not sure how I feel about that'

'Assembly line activated. Routine protocols engaged' the voice said again.

'Assembly line?' I mumbled to myself. 'Guys I think this is some kind of factory! Not a clue what it's making though...' I say as we all look around.

'It is mighty impressive' Hop Pop comments.

'Additional materials required. Please place them on the glowing access point' the voice spoke again.

'Glowing what now?' Hop POP asks right before the ground below him started to glow brighter and then grabbed him by the feet. 'Help! It's got me!...'

'Hop Pop!' We all yell!'

'...and it tickles' we hear Hop Pops voice from somewhere in the building.

Hop Pop then pops up on the assembly line and did not look happy. We all run over to him as he starts talking.

'See this here kids? This is why we follow the rules!'

Hop Pop started heading towards some lasers and thankfully they didn't dice him. Although his clothes were definitely destroyed.

'Aarhg! I'm not beach ready!'

'Hop Pop!'

'Sprig! You and me are gonna find a way to shut this madhouse down! Anne, you get him out of there' I order.

'On it. I'm coming Hop Pop!' Anne yells, breaking the glass of the assembly line and running for Hop Pop.

'Take you time kids, this ain't half bad'

Sprig and I run over to the computer and then realised we had no idea how to work it.

'Uuhhhhh' Sprig stressed.

'If you wish to cancel the operation, please insert new disk'

'Where are we supposed to get a disk?' I wonder aloud.

'Piece of cake' Sprig said before smashing every button randomly.

'Wait no Sprig-' I tried to stop him but it was too late.

'Security violation detected'

The computer started to rumble as two large mechanical arms rise up and attack us. The two of us dived out of the way of the crushing arms.

'Ha ha!' We laugh in triumph. As we said that a saw blade appeared and came for us.

'You gotta be kidding me'

'Move!' I call to Sprig as he barely dodges it.

'I TAKE IT BACK I WAS A FOOL!' I hear Hop Pop yell from across the room.

I look over and see Anne running after Hop Pop and just getting to him in time to stop him from being crushed.

'Maybe something in the book can help. That kind of thing's worked before' Sprig stresses besides me.

'THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT!'

'Insert disk! Insert disk! Insert disk!'

'C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!' Sprig continues to flick through the books pages.

'Forget about the book Sprig!'

'Insert disk! Insert disk! Insert disk!'

'Just shut up!' I yell at the machine as I grab the book off of Sprig and shove it into the disk slot.

'What the heck?! What the heck?! What the heck?!'

The computer and factory started to malfunction, giving enough time for Hop Pop and Anne to move out of danger. The four of us then started running out of the building.

'Whoo-hoo! We did it fam!' Sprig cheered.

'No talking till the running is done!' Anne says.

We all manage to get out of the factory mostly unharmed.

'Yeah!' Sprig, Anne and I cheer.

'Road rule number 2: don't celebrate until your completely out of danger' Hop Pop explains.

'C'mon Hop Pop, the danger's clearly over-'

And another explosion. And now my hair is full of smoke.

'Levers... am I right?' Sprig jokes. Although Hop Pop wasn't too impressed by the comment. 'I know, I know, we should have followed the rules...'

'YOU THINK!' We all cringe at Hop Pops voice. 'Y'know you two should be more like Polly. I told her to stay put and look where she is! ...Where's Polly?'

We all turn to see Polly driving Bessie around like a madman before they perfectly land beside us.

'Bessie made me do it' Polly lies. 'Alright I'm sorry. That's the last time I break a rule, I swear'

'Yeah, us too HP' Anne mumbles.

'For the rest of the trip, we'll follow all the rules...' I sigh as I stand up.

'Yeah, we just, won't experience anything special I guess' Sprig says.

'Hang on a sec kids' Hop Pop says, gaining our attention. 'Maybe this only happened cause I was being too strict with ya. We've never taken a trip like this and I just wanted it to go smoothly. So what'd ya say we set aside the rules for a bit and make a stop or two'

We all gasp in happiness.

'Really!?' We all ask.

'Oh oh oh, can we stop at the hills of impalement? I've heard it'll traumatise you for liiifeee!'

'Why would you want that?' I think to myself.

'Nope, I've got something else in mind'

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'How's the crickets and cream ice cream kids?' Hop Pop asks.

'Amazing!'

'So good!'

'Y'know there was a time I'd pick out all the bug bits, that time has past!' Anne said as she took a bite from her ice cream.

'I'm still on the fence about the bugs...' I mumble.

'C'mon Sky, just try it' Anne encourages while trying to make me eat the ice cream.

'I think I'll pass' I chuckle.

'Oh, can I have yours then?' Polly asks eagerly.

'Go got it dude'

'Thanks' she says before swallowing it whole.

'Glad you like it' Hop Pop laughs.

'Thanks Hop Pop' Sprig says as he gives him a hug.

'Man, I'm kinda bummed we didn't find what that factory was making' Anne comments.

'Imagine if it was making some kind of robot army' I laugh.

'Don't know what a robot is but I guess we'll never know. Guess we'll never know'

...

'Guess-'

'Yup got it'

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