CHAPTER VIII: REUNION

"Mom, please let me go!" The brown-haired girl pleaded as her eyes started to sting.

"Anne, please… just-" Malai's tone of voice changed, becoming more pleading.

Anne reached the breaking point. She couldn't hold it in any longer. With a powerful motion, she ripped her wrist away from her mom's grasp, and as tears started to stream down her cheeks, she shouted with all the anger, the sadness, the desperation she tried so hard not to show.

"Just what, mom?! Should I just tell you that Sasha betrayed me and almost killed me twice?! Should I just tell you that she remained back in Amphibia and anything could have happened to her at this point?! S-Should I tell you that the day after I realized that I loved Marcy and got together with her she died in front of me?! Did you really want to hear all this?!"

It was out. Everything she didn't tell her mom, everything she had tried to keep hidden… she had said it all, and what she didn't say, she simply showed, as her eyes were now glowing of a bright, light blue color.

"A-Anne…" Her mother sounded horrified.

Malai raised a trembling hand and tried to reach for her daughter, but Anne stepped back. It was then that the messy-haired girl heard a sound coming from the kitchen… and realized her mistake. Her mom wasn't alone.

"Anne… what… what did you just say that happened to our daughter?"

Anne's eyes widened in horror as she saw not only Mr. and Mrs. Wu come out of the kitchen, but also Mrs. Waybright. Marcy's mother was a forty years old woman, thin, with long, black hair tied in a ponytail. Anne had always thought that she looked exactly like an older version of her lost friend. She was approaching her with a desperate look in her eyes, and when she reached her, Mrs. Wu put her hands on Anne's shoulders, squeezing them almost too harshly.

"Anne? Please… please, tell me you're lying…" Marcy's mother pleaded as her voice began to break and tears started to stream down her cheeks.

Anne wanted to take it all back, she wished she had never said those things… but it was too late…

"I'm sorry…" Anne whispered, shaking her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Oh, oh no… my sweet baby…" Mrs. Wu fell to her knees, followed by her husband.

"It can't be… it can't be… it's all our fault… if I just turned down that job offer… she'd still be here…" Mr. Wu cried as his wife threw her arms around him and wept.

"Mrs. Waybright…" Anne turned towards Sasha's mom.

"My daughter tried to kill you?" The blonde crossed her arms.

"Sasha, she… we fought and…" Anne tried to find the words to explain what had happened, but the truth was that there wasn't a way to explain everything that had happened without breaking her friends' parents' hearts.

However, Anne stopped mumbling as a dark chuckle left Mrs. Waybright's lips.

"Of course she'd do something like that… she's always been a rotten apple…" Sasha's mother spoke in an almost disgusted tone of voice. "I shouldn't have had her, everything would be fine now if I just-"

"Jessica! It's your daughter you're talking about!" Malai intervened, puzzlement and disdain dripping from her very word.

"Why are you trying to defend her?! She tried to kill your daughter!"

"Yeah, and I'm starting to realize why she acted like that." Anne's hands balled into fists as she spoke through gritted teeth.

Sasha had betrayed her, twice. She fought her twice… she could have killed her… Anne had told her that she was done being friends with her and yet, as her mother spoke so lowly of her, she couldn't help but to feel the need to defend her… to defend Sasha… even after everything that had happened.

"What the hell are you implying?" Jessica took a step towards Anne.

Not a moment after, the Plantars came out from behind the messy-haired girl, standing between her and Sasha's mother.

"Leave Anne alone!" Sprig yelled angrily as he raised his fists.

"What are those things?!" Jessica cried, horrified as she took a couple of steps back.

Marcy's parents stood up, having noticed the talking frogs too. The couple took a step back too, clearly afraid of them.

"When we opened the music box that Marcy and Sasha got for my birthday, we got transported to Amphibia. These are the Plantars, they kept me safe during these last months." Anne explained.

It was in that moment that Hop Pop took a step forward.

"Mr and Mrs Wu, I am truly sorry for what happened to your daughter, I want you to know that she fought bravely until the end, and that without her we wouldn't be here… Anne wouldn't be here. Be proud of her."

Despite their initial shock, Marcy's parents seemed to take at heart what the strange talking frog had just said. Then, Hop Pop turned towards Sasha's mother.

"And you should be ashamed of yourself! Sasha may have been a terrible person, but something tells me that she wasn't born like that. How dare you talk like that about your own daughter!"

Jessica let out an audible gasp, anger and disgust written all over her face as she stared down at the small, old frog lecturing her.

"I won't let a… a… a stupid, talking frog speak to me like that!" Jessica yelled in anger.

The blonde took a step forward, Hop Pop took one back and Anne readied herself for what was going to happen, however, everyone stopped as someone knocked on the door. Everyone turned towards house's entrance, remaining silent. After a while, Anne spoke again.

"Okay, I think they may be go-"

Suddenly, the door was smashed to bits, and a metallic figure entered the house.

"Objective: Anne Boonchuy. Target located."

"Not you again!" Anne yelled in exasperation as she ducked under the robot's attack. "Everyone! Get away from this thing!"

"What's going on?! What is this thing?!" Sasha's mother cried in terror.

"Too long to explain! It wants me! Just get a-" Anne explained quickly before the bot's arm hit her in the stomach, sending her flying towards a wall.

"Anne!" Anne's parents cried.

"Ouch…" The messy-haired girl groaned loudly as she rubbed the spot where she had hit her head against the wall.

"Any last words?" The robot towered menacingly over her, his claws raised in the air, ready to strike.

Anne tried to shield herself with her arms, closing her eyes as waited for the robot's claws to tear her apart… but the hit never came. Instead, a heavy thud resonated through the house. The robot turned around, noticing how Anne's father had just thrown a chair at it. The wooden stool broke immediately as soon as it hit the metallic figure without causing damage, but it still had the desired effect to distract the robot, giving Anne the time to crawl away.

"Stay away from our daughter!" Malai cried as she threw a vase at the robot's head.

The machine emitted what sounded like an angered growl and jumped towards Anne's mother. Kiet pushed her out of the way just in time, both of them falling to the ground and the robot's attack missing them by mere inches. Still, the machine didn't relent, it raised its claws over them, ready to destroy whoever had decided to interrupt its mission. The Plantars jumped on it and tried to fight, tried to stop it, but the robot merely shrugged them off.

"Hey!"

Just before the machine could deliver its final blow to Anne's parents, the messy-haired girl's voice caught its attention. When the robot turned around, it only had time to register a high energy signature before half of its head got blown off by a punch. The machine stumbled back, and so did Anne as the light blue aura that had surrounded her moments before vanished. Her parents were at her side almost immediately, holding her up as she felt herself almost faint.

"Anne! Oh my god, are you alright?! W-what was that thing?! A-and what happened to you?!" Malai asked frantically.

"I'm… I'm so sorry… I wanted to tell you… I just didn't want you to worry…" Anne murmured as she began to regain her bearings.

Suddenly, the robot stirred.

"It's not over…" Anne said, taking a deep breath before taking a step towards the machine.

But the machine didn't look at her. A small parable emerged from its hand, seemingly sending a signal. Nothing happened for a few seconds and then… a portal opened.

"Request accepted. Retreat in progress." The robot spoke in a broken, electronic voice.

As the machine started to limp towards the portal, Anne and the Plantars looked at each other. Everything was happening so quickly… but one thing was certain… this could as well be their last chance to return to Amphibia, find Sasha and stop Andrias for good. Hop Pop, Sprig and Polly looked at Anne and nodded, understanding her choice, as their gazes filled with determination. Polly rushed towards the couch and quickly grabbed Frobo's head before she rejoined the group. Anne lifted her face and locked her gaze with her parents'. They were on their knees, and as a few moments went by, staring into their daughter's eyes, they understood what was going to happen.

"I'm sorry mom, dad… I love you." Anne said before she started to sprint towards the closing portal, the Plantars immediately behind her.

"Anne, no!" Both Malai and Kiet yelled desperately as their daughter vanished into the portal.

As Anne opened her eyes, she realized she was being pulled through a swirling tunnel of light. The robot was right in front of her and without thinking, the girl grabbed its ankle.

"You're not going to escape! You think you can get away with attacking my parents?!" Anne yelled as she tried to punch the machine again.

The robot turned its head and noticed Anne grabbing its ankle. Emitting some kind of low growl of annoyance, it began to trash around, trying to free itself from the messy-haired girl. Anne realized that her strength was starting to give out, her grasp becoming more and more loose.

"Guys! Hold on to me!" She cried, turning towards the Plantars.

Soon enough, the machine swirled around one last time, sending both Anne and the small frog family crashing against the light tunnel's walls. Everything went dark for a moment, and then… Anne woke up. Groggily, she began to stand up, her vision blurred, her hearing muffled. Soon enough though, she started to hear war cries, metal clanking and explosions all around her. And then… someone grabbed her shoulder harshly and pulled her away from an incoming attack. The robot that had attacked her wasn't the same that had almost killed her parents, it looked more like Frobo, and its claws had missed her by a few inches. Almost immediately after that, a sword came down and cut the machine's head in half. Anne turned around and as her vision became clear again, she finally saw who had just saved her. Toad armor, blonde hair, a smug grin…

"Hey Anne, I thought you wouldn't have come back so soon."

"Sasha?!" Anne yelled in surprise.

A million of thoughts began to swirl inside Anne's mind. What was happening? As she looked around, she realized that she and the Plantars had been teleported to Wartwood. The small village of frogs seemed to be under attack. An entire army of robots had invaded it and was now busy fighting Grime's toads army. Anne and Sasha locked gazes. There was something in the blonde's eyes… some strange mixture of determination, smugness but also… the look she was giving her seemed to be… apologetic. It was something she had rarely seen in all the years she spent being friends with Sasha. Anne was beyond confused. The moment Sasha and Grime decided to take Andrias' throne they, alongside all toads, had become enemies of the crown, so it was obvious that sooner or later they'd have to fight the newt tyrant's robot army… but Sasha wasn't simply fighting those machines… she had just saved her…

"Sasha, what's-" Anne tried to speak but Sasha interrupted her.

"No time! We'll talk later!" Sasha said quickly.

A robot flew down from the sky and landed directly in front of them. As soon as it drew its weapons, Sasha sprinted towards the robot and slipped between its legs. The blonde drew her swords and threw the grey one at Anne.

"Anne, catch!"

Although still confused, Anne caught the sword in middle-air and as soon as Sasha cut through the robot's legs, making it fall to the ground, she stepped forwards and finished it with a single strike to the head. Anne and Sasha looked at each other for a few moments before nodding. They both began to fight alongside the toad's army against Andrias' robots. Together, the two humans, the Plantars and the people of Wartwood, Olivia and Yunnan and Grime with his army fought the machines until there were none left. The two young girls were taking deep breaths, their foreheads damp with sweat. It almost seemed over, but just as the first cheers of victory resonated through the air, a giant frog bot fell from the sky. As soon as it landed on the ground, it stood up, pointing its arms towards Anne and firing two rockets at her.

"Anne! Watch out!"

It all happened in mere seconds. Grime jumped in the air and knocked away one of the missiles… but the second followed its course. Then… just as Anne believed the missile would hit her, she heard Sasha calling out her name, and a moment after she felt a pair of arms locking around her. The blonde had jumped in front of her and had pushed both of them to the ground, shielding Anne's body with her own.

And then…

The explosion came.

And everything went black.