Anne had slept for most of that day when she defeated Cloak-Bot, and into the afternoon. When she finally woke up it was ten after one. The Thai teen swung her legs over the edge of her bed as she moaned a bit. She knew what was coming, and she did want to tell them, but once again, it was not on her terms. Granted the first time was Hop Pop accidentally mistaking a real bird call for her bird call signal, but this go around when she was ready to tell her parents the truth, that assassin robot just had to burst in their living room and force her to reveal her powers in front of her mother and father.
"Oh Frog…Dad, he acted like he already knew! Since when did he know?!" Anne questioned. "…No point in delaying the inevitable."
Anne mustered up her courage and opened the door to her room. After descending the stairs, Anne decided to check on the living room to see how much damage was done. Thankfully it seemed as if a work crew was here at some point since there was a tarp draped over the hole that Cloak Bot had made. Most of the debris had been cleaned up, and it looked like the other appliances and furniture were not damaged. There was a hole in the ceiling right where the robot smashed through into the second floor "workout room".
Yeah, I still need to talk to Mom about that, thought Anne.
"Anne!"
The Thai teen watched as the Plantars entered the living room through the kitchen and rushed towards her.
"Are ya alright?" Hop Pop asked.
"I am. I'm still getting used to that form," said Anne. "How're you guys doing?"
"We're fine, but uh…" Sprig trailed off as he glanced over his shoulder towards the kitchen.
Anne looked in that direction and saw her mother and father standing there. She gulped. "Hey, Mom…Dad. Listen–"
"Food first," Oum interrupted. "You've been sleeping since we got home. Never had dinner. You should eat something before anything."
Anne didn't really feel like eating, knowing what was coming, but neither did she feel like arguing with her mother about it. So, she nodded, and headed into the kitchen. The Plantars were following behind her, but that's when Oum turned around.
"We'd like a moment alone with our daughter, please," said Oum.
"Mom, c'mon, they just want to make sure I'm okay," said Anne.
"I know. But after you eat, we have a lot to talk about, and I'd rather discuss this with just the three of us. At least for now."
Bee made a motion with his head, silently telling his daughter to just let it go for now. Reluctantly, Anne obeyed. She understood why, but at the same time, she kind of wanted her adopted frog family at her side when she confessed to everything that really happened in Amphibia. The Boonchuys entered the kitchen, it seemed that Oum had already made enough food in anticipation of Anne's awakening. Once Anne sat down, Oum presented her daughter with a full plate of food. Now that it was in front of her, and with the aroma hitting her nose, Anne's stomach growled like a beast as the hunger hit her all at once.
Wasting little time, Anne began digging into the food with gusto. Bee and Oum were a little surprised by her voracious appetite, but after all the fighting Anne did yesterday, they kind of expected this. Anne always got hungry after an intense tennis match, and battling a killer robot was probably a couple hundred steps above that in terms of exhaustion and hunger inducement.
"I'll get another plate," said Bee as he left the table.
And another plate he did get. After devouring the first one, Anne dug into the next with the same enthusiasm, and then a third. Finally, after the fourth plate, Anne sighed in content with a full belly and with a bit more alertness than she had before.
"I'm glad that you're appetite hasn't been affected," said Bee.
"Heh, yeah, normally I don't need that much. But, after yesterday, I guess I did," said Anne.
"So, you're alright then? We didn't take you to the hospital, at least not yet, since you didn't look like you had any broken anything," said Oum.
Anne shook her head. "No, I'm alright. My powers kind of give me a bit of a healing factor. If there was anything wrong, it's probably fixed by now."
Oum nodded her head. "Okay, that is a relief." The Thai woman slowly inhaled before saying, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Anne Savisa Boonchuy!"
Ooh…middle name…never a good starter.
"Since when could you do all of that?! How can you do all of that?! And why was a robot trying to kill you?!" Oum questioned.
Bee reached out and placed his hand on his wife's as he said. "Oum, let's calm down a little. I'm sure Anne had her reasons."
Oum shot a glare at her husband that made him retract his hand and gulp audibly. "You're not off the hook either, Mister! You seemed to know about what Anne could do before that robot attacked us! You both need to explain yourselves! Starting with you Anne! You've been lying to us about what happened, and we need the truth! Right now!"
Anne winced at the harsh tone in her mother's voice. But it was not as if it was unwarranted, considering that she has been lying to them this whole time. Anne took a deep breath and started her story. "Yes, I haven't been telling you whole truth, only about half of it. I did go to Amphibia, and I did live with the Plantars. We got into a lot of whacky situations, some of them nearly got me killed. I did accidentally almost burn the town down once, and I did become a protector. Things really started to get kind of messed up when I reunited with Sasha…"
Anne spoke of the Toad Tower incident. How Sasha strolled into town with an army of toad warriors, along with their captain, Grime. About how Sasha somehow became the co-leader of the toad army and planned a whole scheme to trick the frogs of Wartwood into coming to the tower for a "party", but in actuality, it turned out to be a trap for Hop Pop.
"I helped the frogs escape, but we ended up getting recaptured. They took us to the top of the tower where Grime was waiting for us. Sasha…Sasha didn't care about what happened to the frogs or Hop Pop. She was willing to sacrifice him just so we could find a way back home." Anne's hands balled up into fists as she struck the table, startling her parents a bit. "She was about to kill the only parent that Sprig and Polly had left, and what's worse…I almost let her…"
"What?" Oum asked.
Anne glanced up at her mother and sighed. "Look…I don't know if you've noticed, and I don't blame you if you haven't since I never really addressed it myself. But…Sasha's kind of a manipulator. She's always managed to keep me and Marcy in line. I just found it easier to do what Sasha said, she never did anything to intentionally hurt us. She did care about us, which was why she went that far to try and get us home."
"What did you do, Anne?" Bee asked.
"I almost didn't do anything. It was Sprig who reminded me of how much I changed since coming to Amphibia, and that I wasn't the person I once was. After hearing that, I fought Sasha sword to sword," said Anne.
"Wait a minute! You fought Sasha, your best friend, with a real sword?!" Oum asked in shock.
"The toad captain made a deal with us. Trial by combat. If I won, he'd let us go free, but if Sasha won…well…needless to say, she didn't win. But that's when things went sideways. Grime lied and was about to throw Hop Pop off the tower and to the monster plant waiting for him down below…but…" Anne's right hand began to shake. The memory was still raw in her mind, and given everything that has happened thus far, it would probably take a while for that tick to go away altogether.
"Anne? What's wrong?" Oum asked as she saw her daughter's hand shaking.
"It's fine…It…It happens sometimes when I think about this part. The tower began to crumble, thanks to some explosives that were set off that I had no idea about. Sasha was on the ledge, and it fell out from under her. I reached out to grab her and managed to get her, but the tower was still falling apart, and some of it fell from underneath me. That's when the Plantars came and held onto me, forming a chain to keep me and Sasha from falling to our deaths."
Oum and Bee briefly glanced towards the living room where the Plantars were waiting. They did say they owed them a lot for taking care of their daughter, but to hear that they saved her life, that hit differently.
"What happened to Sasha, Anne?" Bee asked worriedly.
"Sasha saw that the spot where the Plantars were holding onto us was crumbling fast because of our combined weight. That's when…when she said, 'Anne, maybe you're better off without me.' Sasha…Sasha let go of my hand…she…she sacrificed herself to make sure I lived. Even after everything, she was still willing to protect me…"
Oum got out of her seat as she said, "Oh, Anne, I'm so–"
"No, no." Anne raised her left hand in a stopping motion. "Before Sasha could hit the ground, Grime came out of nowhere and saved her life. Grime took her and they disappeared into the forest. We didn't hear much from them after that, since they were on the run. For a couple more weeks I waited until the pass was unfrozen so we could leave for Newtopia, and that's when things really started to get serious."
Anne moved into the next part of the story, about how her powers awakened after visiting the Ruins of Disaster and meeting the Azure Spirit. How she started to have terrible pains in her stomach and released electrical discharges when the pain reached its peak. She explained how a monster, the Fallen, came to attack her. And that's when she first transformed into Kamen Rider Amp. From there, they had been travelling to Newtopia, and the whole way, Anne had been fighting more and more Fallen, and eventually gained control of her transformation so that she could be in control when she changed and fight consciously instead of unconsciously.
"I really need to thank you, Mom," said Anne.
"What for?"
"For signing me up for those Muay Thai lessons. They really came in handy when I had to fight against the Fallen," said Anne.
Oum rubbed the back of her head. She wasn't sure how she should feel about that. Her reasons for signing her daughter up for Muay Thai was to get Anne out of her kitchen for an hour, burn off her excess energy, and so that Anne could have a means of protecting herself in the future. She never imagined her daughter would be using the traditional martial art of Thailand to fight against monsters.
"Anyway, we eventually made it to Newtopia, and that's when I finally found Marcy," said Anne with a bittersweet smile. "And of course, in typical Marcy fashion, she showed me that she was a Kamen Rider, too."
Bee's jaw dropped. "Hold on! You're saying Marcy's a Kamen Rider, too?!"
Anne chuckled a little. "Yeah, she's Kamen Rider Ranger. She uses a crossbow weapon when she transforms and can use wind powers. Apparently, she was the first of us to gain her powers and had adapted to them quick. She became the city's hero and celebrity, but also, it's famous architect. It was honestly amazing. Marcy was always a genius, but in Newtopia she was flourishing, she…she was really happy there."
Oum sighed as she raised her hand. "Okay, let's take break…I need a minute to process this much."
"Yeah…let's," said Anne.
The Thai teen got up and headed towards the living room to sit with the Plantars while Oum and Bee remained in the kitchen.
"No wonder Anne's different…she's been through so much," said Bee.
"More than a girl her age should've gone through…" Oum sighed again. "I can't believe she was doing something so dangerous. Putting herself on the line like that."
"Not as if she was given much choice, Oum. Either she used her powers and fought, or she didn't, and everyone would've died. She was put in a situation where she couldn't really not fight," Bee pointed out.
"I know…I know…" Oum pinched the bridge of her nose and went silent as she thought over everything that Anne said.
"So…how did things go?" Polly asked.
Anne rested her forearms on her thighs as she leaned forward and sighed. "Well, so far so good. Mom's freaking a little after what I told about the Fallen and the fights leading up to Newtopia."
Sprig winced. "Are you going to tell her about…you know?"
"That Marcy and me started going out in Newtopia. That I'm apparently, to quote Marcy, 'Demisexual', and that I ended up entering into a three-way relationship with her and Sasha?…Yes, I am."
"Ya don't have ta if you don't want to, Anne. That's really personal, and a bit of sore spot right now. Everythin' else is one thing, but Ah remember how ya said you were worried about how they'd react," said Hop Pop with concern.
Anne smiled at the old frog and said, "Thanks, HP. But this is me. This is something I discovered about myself while I was in Amphibia. Even after everything that's happened, that's one part of me that I won't lie or deny. And if they can't accept that then…Well, I'll at least always have you guys."
Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop moved closer and got into a group hug around Anne. Trying to offer their adopted family member all the reassurance they had that they were with her no matter what happened in there.
"Anne, let's continue," Bee called out.
The Plantars ended the group hug and let Anne return to the kitchen.
Anne sat back down in her chair as she glanced at both her parents, trying to read their expressions to gauge where she was at with them. So far, they were still calm, and both of them seemed to have gotten some tea in that time. But Anne could sense their trepidation about what else she was about to tell them. And this next part was not going to be easy, for either of them.
"Okay. So, Mom, Dad, for this next half, I need you to hold your questions until after I'm done. Because this next part is…personal," she said.
Oum and Bee were a bit worried about how she phrased that but decided to nod and allow their daughter to speak uninterrupted.
"So, as I said, I finally found Marcy after three whole months. It wasn't long after I arrived that we had another crisis emerge."
Anne explained the incident of Lich and Luz Noceda, aka Kamen Rider Witch. The Thai teen smiled when she spoke about Luz, with everything that had been going on lately, Anne almost forgot about the Hispanic girl who was trapped in the Demon Realm. I really need to look her up and see if she's here in our world. She explained what happened after the battles with Lich were over, and how another Kamen Rider from a different universe took Luz back to the Demon Realm but left the girls behind.
"WHAT?!" Oum shouted as she stood up out of her seat.
"Mom, calm down," said Anne.
"You mean to tell me there was someone there who could've brought you girls home, but he didn't! That's…That's completely irresponsible!"
"Mom, if we were brought back then, who knows what would've happened to Amphibia…" Anne trailed off as she looked down at table. "I mean…It's not good right now either. If he had, it probably would've only resulted in a delay." After shaking her head of the gloom, Anne got back on topic. "Anyway, can I continue?"
Oum huffed and sat back down, she shot a glare at her husband who was doing his best to contain himself. His own daughter just confirmed a boyhood theory that the Kamen Riders were real heroes in another dimension, the multiverse was real, and there were Riders somewhere out there fighting to protect the world, possibly the universe. And one of them visited his daughter. The nerd in Bee wanted to get up and jump around with glee, but given the serious nature of this discussion, and his wife's warning glare, he kept his geek outs under wraps.
"After Luz left, things got a little quiet. Then came the night of the ball. Marcy was invited to some rich newt's fancy party at his mansion since she was a celeb and all. Marcy invited me as her plus one, and Lady Olivia, a newt woman of the royal court, taught us how to dance. It took a bit since Marcy's, like, hella uncoordinated, but she got it, and we went to the ball. It was…nice. Really fancy and all that stuff. Then came the actual dancing part. It was a waltz or something, but during the dance…"
Anne began to wring her hands noticeably on the table, prompting both parents to raise an eyebrow of curiosity. The young girl sighed and continued.
"The party turned out to be a trap. The host and some of the guests were actually members of a cult that worshipped The Night, the very thing me and the girls were fighting against, the master of the Fallen. I managed to free the guests who were being held hostage and found out that they were going to sacrifice Marcy to The Night in some messed up ritual. I transformed and busted in on their ceremony and managed to save her before they could do anything to her. But, when I did save her, Marcy…"
"Go on, Anne. You tell us, whatever it is," said Bee.
"Marcy confessed to me!"
"PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTT!"
"PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTT!"
Both Bee and Oum spat out their tea, thankfully in different directions from each other and from Anne.
"She…She said she's had a crush on me ever since we were little." Anne rubbed the back of her head as she blushed at the memory. "After she confessed, she transformed too and we beat up most of the cultists, but not before their leader was transformed into a Fallen right in front of us. We fought hard and eventually took him down. After that, I decided to take some time to figure things out, figure myself out." Anne chuckled as she remembered the botanical garden incident. "Sprig over there set me and Marcy up, tricking us into going to a botanical garden and taking a gondola ride. We ended up in this romantic spot, with a full ensemble playing and a newt singing to us."
Oum was trying to process everything her daughter was saying right now, but she was having a hard time doing so. Her daughter just told her that Marcy Wu had a crush, and that crush was on Anne. So far, from what she was hearing, Anne didn't outright reject the confession, she was contemplating it, and now she found out that Sprig helped this along. Pink frog is gonna get an earful after this.
Bee just blinked.
"Then a Fallen smashed through the roof and interrupted the whole thing," said Anne with a deadpan tone. "Marcy straight up curb stomped that monster for interrupting us, it wasn't even a fight. But later, after everything was done. I made my decision. I managed to get that band and singer back together, and we had a little dance in one of the castle's ballrooms. We danced a bit and…and…" Anne blushed harder as she lowered her gaze, embarrassed about what she was about to say. "…We kissed. I kissed Marcy, on the lips."
Bee's jaw dropped.
Oum was just stunned.
"So, yeah…surprise, I'm Demisexual," said Anne. "Which, according to Marcy, is an orientation where I can't develop romantic feelings or, ahem, other stuff, unless I've developed an emotional connection with them. And, well, you know, I've known Mar-Mar for years so, emotional connection established. This doesn't necessarily mean I'm exclusively into girls, but neither does it mean I'm exclusively into guys either. Okay, so, I think we can break here for…questions."
Oum pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to collect her thoughts, which was not easy considering the massive info dump Anne just unloaded on them. She thought she had prepared herself mentally for all manner of potential discussions with her daughter, they even had "the talk" not too long before she turned thirteen. All this time she thought she had to worry about Anne bringing boys over, it never occurred to Oum that she had to worry about Anne's two best friends. How many times did she leave them alone up in Anne's room? Door closed. With no supervision. All kinds of things could've happened, and she would've never known about it. And now that she knew that Marcy had feelings for Anne…did something happen?
No, no, don't think that way. She said Marcy just confessed to her while they were in that world. Which means Anne had no idea.
"Anne…please tell me you didn't accept her feelings because it was the easier thing to do than reject her?" Oum asked.
Anne sighed in annoyance. "Somehow, I figured that was what you were going to say. And I can't really blame you for thinking that way of me. Easy was my motto not too long ago. But no, Mom, I didn't accept Marcy's feelings because it was the easier thing to do. I genuinely care about Marcy, I…I…" Anne sighed again as she placed her hand against her head. "It's hard to explain right now without finishing the story."
"Then finish it," said Oum as she crossed her arms and waited.
Anne glanced at her father and asked, "Dad…you haven't said much."
"Uh…yeah, just processing it." This is aaawwwesome!
"Right…right. Anyway, so, Marcy and I became girlfriends. It was sweet, and I was happy. Really happy. Like, I didn't know I could feel that happy. Anyway…"
Anne continued the story of how Marcy and King Andrias discovered the method of how to charge the stones to make the music box work again. She lightly touched on this as she did tell them about the temple quests, but this time around, she added in what else happened, how Marcy got her Super Form after completing the Temple of Mind. The date that she and Marcy had that almost ended up with the town getting burned to the ground, again. Bee couldn't help but chuckle at that. Anne added onto the Temple of Heart portion, and how she got her Super Form after completing the temple's trials. Now came the harder part of the story.
"The Temple of Strength was the last temple like I told you. And I told you how Sasha returned. But what I didn't tell you, was what else happened."
Oh no, thought Oum.
Anne took a deep breath and exhaled. "Sasha is a Kamen Rider, too. She's called Kamen Rider Bellona and has fire powers. So, she was a good fit for that volcano and its heat. And what Mrs. Waybright said about Sasha. That was true. She is bisexual. And she does have a crush on me. It came out during the last trial at the temple. And just like me and Marcy, Sasha got her Super Form and we all fought together to defeat the Fallen that confronted us outside the temple. So, after all that was done, we headed back to Wartwood. Had a bit of an impromptu dance party, Loggins."
"Oooh," Bee and Oum winced.
They were well aware of Anne's playlist, and the occasion of which she would play that song.
"Yeah, I was stressed having Sasha back. I was confused. I wanted to forgive her, but I was also mad at her for what she did, but I was also…" Anne's right hand shook again, prompting Oum and Bee to look at it and give her a silent look that voiced an unspoken question. "This…It didn't start until after what Sasha did at Toad Tower. It started up again when she came back. I couldn't get what she did out of my head. She was willing to sacrifice herself, her life, just to save me. And…it just confused me as to what she really felt and wanted. Sasha heard the music and that's when Marcy, Sasha, and I had a little dance party like we used to. After that I invited her over for a dinner party with the Plantars, me, and Marcy."
Anne started to turn red.
Oum was getting a bit more anxious about what she was about to hear. Everything Anne told them was already a lot. Marcy and Anne dating and being a couple, Sasha's crush on Anne being real. It was all…so much.
The story continued about the fiasco that was the dinner party, the revelations that Sasha was actually there to help them fight back against Lich, the awkward reminders of how they were back on Earth, and of course the wasps that came out of the vol-cake-no.
"After all that was cleaned up, Sasha and I had a moment alone outside. I kind of confronted her about everything. And…one thing led to another…"
"Anne, you didn't?" Oum asked.
"Did you?" Bee asked as well.
"…I kissed Sasha. It was in the heat of the moment, but then she kissed me back…and well…" Anne put her face into her hands, this was more embarrassing than she thought it would be. "Marcy saw us. She kissed me and then kissed Sasha the same way as me. Then she…she proposed that the three of us become a throuple."
Oum blinked. "Uh, a 'throuple'? What's that?"
Anne was dying, this was one of the parts she knew she was going to have to explain in detail. "Basically…it's when three people decide to go out…with each other…"
"Wait, so, that means that you, Sasha, and Marcy, are each other's girlfriends – no space in the middle? Like romantically?" Bee asked.
Anne nodded sheepishly.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Bee raised his hand like a child wanting to ask a question in school. "So, how does that work exactly? Do you switch or…?"
"BEE!" Oum exclaimed.
"What?! I'm genuinely curious! This is my first time actually meeting someone in one of those relationships. I'm just trying to clarify," said Bee.
"Our daughter just told you that she's dating both of her friends! One of whom has been manipulating her!" The Thai woman shot back. "Anne, you can't be serious right now, right? Khuṇ t̂xng l̂x lèn (You have to be joking)!"
Anne shook her head. "No, Mom, I'm not joking. I…we…were a throuple. We became girlfriends. We really liked each other…I…I liked them a lot, both of them."
Oum slumped in her seat, she really couldn't believe what she was hearing. First, she finds out her daughter was lying, then she finds out Anne is a Kamen Rider, and then she learns that her daughter is Demisexual (she made a mental note to look that up later), and now, as if to put the cherry on top of this whole thing, Anne was dating both Sasha and Marcy, at the same time, and they were all okay with that.
"Phraphuthṭhcêā ch̀wy mị̀rū̂ ẁā ca dị̂yin cud nī̂ māk n̂xy khæ̀ h̄ịn (Buddha help me I don't know how much more I can hear at this point)," Oum moaned.
"Well, strap in Mom. I haven't even gotten to the worst part of this story. The reason why that robot was after me in the first place," said Anne.
Oum sat back up, she noticed the tone shift in her daughter's voice. Bee heard it too, which made him lean in a little bit. Both parents tried to mentally prepare themselves for whatever Anne had to tell them next.
Anne continued her tale about the Battle of the Bands, and their journey back to Newtopia. The Thai teen's brow furrowed when she recalled the coup against Andrias that was led by both Sasha and Grime, and how Sasha poisoned them so that neither Anne nor Marcy could focus and use their powers. Anne spoke of the words she said to Sasha before being hauled away and placed in a dungeon.
Oum looked about ready to cross over into Amphibia herself and slap Sasha for what she did. Bee was getting ready in case his wife suddenly developed a way to do just, getting into position to restrain her.
"We managed to get out of the dungeon and outside the castle. Yunan and Olivia brought in an expert to see what kind of poison it was. He couldn't really do much, but he told us we'd be fine by morning. So, we hunkered down and Marcy and I slept off the poison. By morning we were back to one hundred percent, and ready to retake the city. We enacted my plan and…eventually…Sasha appeared in front of me as I was kicking out a bunch of the toad soldiers. She kept saying that King Andrias was working with The Night, that he was evil."
Anne slammed her fists against the table, startling her parents and the Plantars in the living.
"I was so blinded by my anger and…heartbreak…that I completely wrote off everything she was trying to warn me about! We fought each other, no holding back, eventually we ended up outside the city walls. Both of us went for our Rider Kicks and for a few seconds it looked like it was either going to end up in a draw or Sasha was going to overpower me. She didn't get the chance…Marcy used her bow and shot Sasha with one of her wind arrows. Giving me a chance to overpower her and land the final blow. I beat her, I won. But at that time…I didn't realize that I won a battle but lost the war."
"Anne?" Bee whispered as he reached out and gently took hold of his daughter's fist.
Anne flinched a bit but allowed her father's strong hand to comfort her as she smiled appreciatively at him.
"We all returned to the throne room. Our plan initially was to come back home, tell you guys what was going on, and that we were alright, and then head back to Amphibia," Anne explained.
"You were just going to come and go. Just like that?" Oum asked.
"Mom, we had to fight against The Night. We figured its goal was to come after the music box and use it conquer other worlds. How long would it be before it eventually found a way to Earth? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Our thinking at the time was that we had to stop it in Amphibia before that could happen. And so long as we had a way to hop back and forth whenever we wanted to, we agreed it was for the best. But that never happened…"
Anne's brow furrowed as she recalled Andrias' revelations of what his goal was.
"King Andrias, the guy who helped us, who acted like this jolly ol', fun loving, king. Was actually a twofaced liar! He was using us, the whole time, like pieces on a flipwart board!" Anne looked up and noticed the confusion on her parents' faces. "It's the equivalent of chess on Amphibia." Bee and Oum nodded in understanding. "Apparently his ancestors were conquerors. They used the Calamity Box to travel from world to world and invaded them. They were going to conquer Earth next, but someone close to Andrias betrayed him and hid the box on Earth almost a thousand years ago. Until…"
"Until that night when you went missing," said Oum.
"Yeah, we brought the box back to Amphibia. Something that that person went through great lengths to keep out of his hands, and we practically served it up to him on a silver platter! Needless to say, we fought back. But it turns out he had a robot army, taking back the box allowed him to power up the old super tech of Amphibia, making the castle fly and restarting old factories to start making robots. His army came to back him up, but Sasha, Grime, the Plantars, and I fought back against him. But not before he…he revealed something about Marcy."
"What did he say?" Bee asked.
"You know by now that Marcy's family was going to move. At the time, Sasha and I didn't. But as it turns out, Marcy knew about the Calamity Box before I ever…stole it from the thrift shop."
"WHAT?!" Oum exclaimed. "She already knew?!"
Anne sighed. "In her defense, she saw it in a book before her dad told her they were moving. She was…desperate…sad…She was in love with me, and Sasha. She didn't want to leave us. That's when she saw the music box in the store. It was out of desperation. She didn't know it was going to work, but it did."
Oum got up out her chair and went to the counter as she leaned on it, facing away from Anne and Bee.
"She wanted it to bring us to a place where we could stay together and have adventures together, forever. It was a desperate wish, but one that got twisted by a mad king. He transformed into a Fallen right in front of us and that's when the three of us fought against him. But he overpowered all three of us. That's when he destroyed Frobo, and nearly killed Polly. He used Sprig as a hostage when we managed to get the box back and threatened to throw him out a window, from a castle that was flying a thousand plus feet in the air. We gave him back the box…but he didn't hold up his end. He let Sprig go, out the window, and…that's when I snapped."
Anne raised her right hand up a little, and from it she let blue lightning dance on her fingertips. Bee was entranced by the sight, while Oum turned around hearing the sound of crackling electricity. Her eyes widened as she saw the electricity harmlessly surge around Anne's fingers. Even her eyes were glowing.
"I awakened something inside myself. I don't know what to call it, but whatever it was, it allowed me to access my Final Form. The one you saw me turn into when I tossed that assassin robot into the stratosphere. I used that power to beat the hell out of Andrias. He literally stood no chance against, me. I was throwing him into mountains and using his face to carve my name into the mountain side. Unfortunately, when we got back to the throne room, my power faded away. I couldn't hold onto it any longer. Thankfully, Marcy managed to save Sprig. And Andrias was about to attack me, but right before he did, Marcy got the Calamity Box and opened a portal back here."
Anne's heart began to race, the memories were still very vivid, and it pained her to recall them. But she had to persevere, she had to get it all out there so that her parents could understand why she needs to go back and continue the fight. Anne dismissed her powers as she began to wrap up her tale.
"Sasha told me and the Plantars to leave with Marcy, and that she and Grime would hold Andrias off and buy us enough time to escape. All three of us were exhausted by this point. We just got through getting rid of the toad army and having a brawl. Then we had to go right into that fight with Andrias. We were spent. So, all that Sasha could do was use what little of her fire powers she had left to push Andrias back. We eventually made to the portal, and the Plantars and I got halfway through, waiting for Marcy."
Tears started to stream down Anne's face, prompting Oum to return to the table and take hold of her daughter's other hand.
"Andrias managed to break through…Marcy was trying to do something else with the box…But before she could…he…he…he stabbed her through the chest with his sword. And Andrias is as tall as this house, and his sword is a something out of 'Star Battles'. I saw it go right through her…" Anne gripped her parent's hands hard as she spoke of the trauma of that moment. The Plantars heard Anne's crying and were peeking behind the corner, wondering if they should come in.
"Anne…I'm so sorry," said Oum as tried to keep her own voice from cracking.
"After that…we got sent back…I don't even know if Sasha's alright or not. I don't know how anyone is doing back on Amphibia! I don't…I don't want to think that Marcy's dead, but I can't stop seeing that moment!"
Oum bit her bottom lip for a moment and then asked, "Is that why I heard you screaming at night?"
Anne looked up at her mother, and Bee glanced over at her as well.
"Screaming? What screaming?" Bee asked.
"I heard her scream one night when I got up. It was late, and you were knocked out. But I heard her. I was about to go in until I heard the Plantars comforting her. I knew something was up then, but…I never imagined you went through something as horrible as that." Oum got up from her seat and went around to hug Anne close to her.
Bee hated to be the one to ask the obvious question, but it needed to be asked. "Anne, what happens now? You defeated that assassin. But doesn't that mean he'll send another one? Are those monsters you fought connected to him?"
Oum released Anne so that she could address her father.
"I honestly don't know. Those monsters are way different from the Fallen I fought in Amphibia. For one thing, these monsters don't just blow up when I finish them off. They turn back into humans, but every time I do defeat them, there's this strange device that pops out of their skin. It shatters a few seconds after, so I can't really tell what it is. But I don't think they're connected to Andrias or The Night. Which is something else I need to worry about. There's a third party here on Earth, and they seem interested in Amp. And as far as what I'm going to do next, it's the same as before. Figure out a way to create a portal and return to Amphibia. Rescue Sasha and Marcy. And finally, take down Andrias and The Night before they can invade Earth!"
"WHAT?!" Oum exclaimed as she backed away from her daughter. "You're not serious, are you?!"
"I am, Mom. One way or another, I have to get back there and stop it all. Otherwise, Earth is going to be overrun by a robot army and a monster army," said Anne.
"Anne, all of this…this…this is too much! You're a thirteen-year-old girl! Let someone else do this!" Oum retorted.
Anne scoffed at the idea. "Oh yeah? Then who, Mom? Who's more equipped to handle an invading army from another world better than someone with powers like me?"
"Law enforcement? The military? The world's military? They have soldiers and weapons to fight against these kinds of things, Anne!"
Anne stood up from her chair as she said, "There's not an army on this planet that's prepared to fight back against what's coming, Mom! Sasha, Marcy, and me are the only ones with the power to fight back against The Night! Besides, I'm the one with the belt."
Oum crossed her arms over her chest. "Then make it appear and give it to me. And we'll give it to someone who is a soldier or an officer. Someone whose job it is to put their lives on the line for the people!"
Anne chuckled dryly. "Okay, first, it doesn't work like that. I can't just take off the belt and give it to someone."
"Have you tried?" Oum asked.
"No but –!"
"Then you don't know for sure!"
"I DO know for sure, Mom! It's not just the belt! I feel something inside me. I don't need the belt to make this," Anne raised her right hand and made lightning dance on her fingertips again, "happen! Even if I could give the belt to someone else, my powers aren't going to just automatically transfer to that person!"
"C̄hạn mị̀ xyāk cheụ̄̀x s̄ìng nī̂! Nī̀ kæ ca klạb pị doy mị̀ bxk reā rex a!? Klạb pị thī̀ lok nận læa t̀xs̄ū̂ kạb kxngthạph thī̀ mī pheīyng tạw khuṇ xeng kb s̄ām tạw læa khuṇ...K̄hxng khuṇ... C̄hạn mị̀rū̂ ẁā ca reīyk Sasha læa Marcy ẁā xarị nı txn nī̂ (I can't believe this! So, you were just going to go back without telling us?! Go back to that world and fight against an army with only yourself, three frogs, and your…your…I don't even know what to call Sasha and Marcy at this point)!" Oum fumed.
Join the club, Mom, thought Anne.
"Look, I know it's not ideal. But it's the only way. I'm doing this to protect you and save Sasha and Marcy," said Anne as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Anne, be honest with us. Did you three do what you did because it helped you?" Oum asked.
Anne raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What?"
"Look, I read that people can develop relationships during stressful and sometimes life-threatening situations. It's a coping mechanism. Do you really believe your 'demisexual'?"
"Wow, Mom, just wow. I discover something new about myself, and your first reaction is to write it off as psychological trauma?" Anne asked curtly.
"I'm just saying, with everything that's happened to you, and them. You three might've been looking for a way to help you come to terms with everything happening around you," Oum explained.
"Okay, I'm just going to stop you right there. I know what I feel…felt? Ugh, I don't know what I feel for them right now! All I know is, I need to go back to Amphibia and save them and save that world and ours," said Anne.
"No, you're not," Oum retorted.
"Oh yes I am!" Anne shot back.
"Oum, Anne, let's calm down a little," Bee suggested.
"If you think I'm going to let you go back there, or continue to fight against these dangerous creatures, then you're wrong Anne Savisa Boonchuy!" Oum stamped her foot and pointed towards the stairs. "You are grounded! Go to your room! Right now!"
"AAAAAUUGGGHHH! I totally expected this, BTdubs, and yet, somehow, I'm still disappointed that it happened!" Anne shouted as she stomped past the Plantars and up the stairs.
Everyone stayed where they were as they heard the door to Anne's room slam shut.
Hop Pop, cautiously, entered the kitchen. "Mrs. Boonchuy…Ah–"
"Please, Mr. Plantar, go to Anne. My husband and I have a lot to talk about," said Oum.
Hop Pop didn't argue with the woman. He headed back to the living room and shepherd his grandchildren up the stairs to Anne's room.
Oum sat back down in her chair as she placed her hand against her head, mentally exhausted about everything that their daughter just told them. But there was one more thing that needed to be addressed. "Okay, Bee. How long did you know that Anne was a 'Kamen Rider'. That is still so strange to say."
Bee rubbed the back of his head and said, "Since the attack at the Thai temple. I went to look for Anne, and I saw her change back. I overheard her talking to those two kids from her school that were taking pictures of her. She had an argument with them and ended up telling them a bit of what was happening. I didn't get the full story like we just did; she only gave them the important parts. Before you ask, they agreed to keep her secret."
Oum sighed in relief. "But the fact is you did know. Why didn't you tell me that night?!"
"Because after I heard how Anne sounded, I knew that whatever she wasn't telling us was something that was weighing down on her. And as it turns out, I was right. That's so much she's carrying on her shoulders, more than anyone her age should be," said Bee.
"Then you agree with me that she needs to give up that belt and give it to someone who is trained to handle dangerous situations," Oum remarked.
Bee didn't say anything. Instead, he leaned on his thighs as he brought his hands together. For minute there was silence, but then Bee raised his head to look his wife in the eyes. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but I don't think there is anyone else who can do what Anne can."
Oum gave her husband an incredulous glare as she stood up and retorted, "Are you saying that you want our daughter to put herself in danger! She could die! She nearly did yesterday! This isn't some TV show, Bee, this is our daughter!"
"I know that! Khuṇ khid ẁā c̄hạn chxb khwām khid k̄hxng lūks̄āw khn deīyw k̄hxng c̄hạn thī̀ ca xxk pị t̀xs̄ū̂ kạb s̄ạtw̒ prah̄lād thī̀ t̂xngkār ḳh̀ā ṭhex h̄rụ̄x mị̀! Mị̀! Næ̀nxn ẁā mị̀! Chı̀. Khwām neir̒d nı tạw c̄hạn kảlạng kĥnh̄ā s̄ìng thī̀ ǹā tụ̄̀ntên læa cěng s̄ud «thậngh̄md nī̂! Tæ̀ c̄hạn rū̂ dī ẁā mạn xạntrāy s̄ảh̄rạb ṭhex khæ̀ h̄ịn! H̄ùn ynt̒ tạw nận thī̀ phùng k̄hêā mā nı b̂ān k̄hxng reā k̆ mī h̄lạkṭ̄hān pheīyngphxlæ̂w (Do you think I like the idea of my only daughter going off to fight against monsters that want to KILL her?! No! Of course not! Yes. The nerd in me is finding all of this super exciting and cool! But I'm well aware of how dangerous this is to her! That robot smashing its way into our home was proof enough of that)!"
Bee took a calming breath before this devolved into a shouting match between him and wife.
"Tæ̀ dū s̄ìng thī̀ keid k̄hụ̂n c̄hạn mị̀ khid ẁā ca mī khır cạdkār kạb s̄ìng h̄el̀ā nī̂ dị̂ nxk cāk xæn nı txn nī̂ læa d̂wy s̄ìng thī̀ rx reā xyū̀ h̄āk ṭhex mị̀ phyāyām thả s̄ìng dı s̄ìng h̄nụ̀ng p̣hạy khukkhām kảlạng mā t̄hụng t̄ĥā ṭhex l̂m h̄elw... (But look at what's happened. I don't think there's anyone who can handle these things other than Anne right now. And with what's waiting for us if she doesn't try and do something, either way, the threat is coming. If she fails…)" Bee clenched his fists at the idea of his daughter dying in Amphibia. "Cāk nận reā thuk khn ca tāy h̄āk reā kĕb ṭhex wị̂ thī̀ nī̀ ṭhex ca t̂xng p̄hechiỵ kạb khwām chạ̀w r̂āy meụ̄̀x mạn mā t̄hụng mị̀ ẁā ca d̂wy wiṭhī dı xạntrāy kảlạng mā t̄hụng lūks̄āw k̄hxng reā læa t̄hụng mæ̂ c̄hạn mị̀ chxb mạn reā k̆ mị̀ s̄āmārt̄h thả xarị pheụ̄̀x h̄yud mạn dị̂ (Then we're all going to die. If we keep her here, then she'll have to face that evil when it does arrive. Either way, danger is coming for our daughter, and as much as I don't like it, we can't do anything to stop it.)"
Oum hated to admit it, but she knew her husband was right. After everything they've seen so far, they were powerless against the monsters and enemies that sought to come after Anne. The Thai woman sat back down as tears began to flow down her face. "C̄hạn khæ̀ xyāk h̄ı̂ lūks̄āw k̄hxng reā plxdp̣hạy…c̄hạn khæ̀ xyāk h̄ı̂ ṭhex to k̄hụ̂n læa trah̄nạk t̄hụng ṣ̄ạkyp̣hāph k̄hxng ṭhex…læ̂w thảmị ṭhex t̄hụng t̂xng tk xyū̀ nı s̄t̄hānkārṇ̒ chèn nī̂! (I just want to keep our daughter safe…I just wanted her to grow up and realize her potential…So why does she have to be in such a situation?!)"
Bee moved closer to Oum and drew her into a hug, trying to offer as much comfort as he could in this situation. Which wasn't easy considering he, too, was coming to grips with the fact that he, as a father, as a husband, did not possess the power or strength to keep his only child safe from harm. That he had been reduced to a mere bystander. And he knew it was the same of Oum, she was feeling the same powerlessness as he was. But, unlike Oum, Bee understood that Anne was quite possibly the only person capable enough and powerful enough to stop the threat that was coming for their world.
