Amp and Gemini eventually settled on a spot to hide away for the time being. The azure Rider dismounted Machine Stormer 2 and sat down on it as she looked across to Gemini. "Thanks, again, for saving me back there."
"Don't mention it," said Dipper.
"Kamen Riders have to help each other out when we can," said Mabel.
"My mind is still blown away right now. I thought I was the only Kamen Rider on Earth, but here you are! I mean…you are from Earth, right?"
Gemini chuckled and nodded their head.
"Yeah, we're from this Earth. Same as you I'm guessing?" Dipper asked.
Amp nodded her affirmation.
"Well, I think we better change back before anyone sees us," said Mabel.
"Good idea," Dipper agreed.
Gemini pulled on the two bars on their Driver, separating them and making the two Gaia Memories pop up. Once ejected, Gemini pulled both of them out. As soon as they did this, Gemini's armor broke down and flaked off their body in the form of pink and blue sparkling shards. When the transformation ended, the motorcycle's coloring shifted to black with red racing stripes on it. Amp was shocked when she saw that there was a woman under the armor. She looked to be in her twenties, with long brown hair, jean shorts, long white socks, black shoes, and a pink tank top with a shooting star on it.
"Wait, Gemini is a girl? But I heard a guy's voice too," said Amp as she looked around.
"Oh, just wait up, he's almost here," said Mabel as she pointed up with her right finger.
Amp looked to where she was pointing and watched as white device that was shaped like a "U", white in color, and had gold wings on the sides hover to Mabel's right. The device released a green light in a straight column, and from that light materialized a young man. He looked about the same age as the woman on the bike. He had a dark blue vest with a blue stripe around it. An orange shirt, gray pants, and black sneakers. He also sported the same brown colored hair as the woman, and they both looked strikingly similar.
"Oh, I get it, you guys are twins, aren't you? Hence the name, 'Gemini'."
"You got it. Name's Mason Pines, you can call me 'Dipper'," he said.
"And I'm Mabel Pines, the cute and hot twin," said Mabel as she smirked.
Amp was not about to answer that. "I have so many questions, but the first one being, why are you called 'Dipper'?"
Dipper moved his bangs up and revealed a birthmark in the shape of the Big Dipper constellation.
"Oookay, that answers that. Anyway…guess it's my turn."
A dome of lightning appeared around Amp and her bike, within seconds the dome disappeared and revealed Anne Boonchuy and her normal bicycle. However, when Dipper and Mabel saw this, they gasped.
"Anne Boonchuy!" they exclaimed in unison.
Anne blinked. "Uh…okay, how do you two know my name?"
"Your parents called us to see if we could help in locating you," said Mabel.
"Yeah, we have a lot to talk about. We have a place here in LA that we can go and talk at, but if you know somewhere else you're more comfortable with, then we can go there too," said Dipper.
Anne glanced back and forth between the twins and said, "Actually, do you mind if we go back to my house? I just explained my whole deal with my parents, and they're probably freaking out right now after everything they saw. And having another Kamen Rider around might help smooth things over."
Mabel smiled and replied, "I don't have any problem with that. We need to talk with them anyway since you're back and all." Mabel patted the back seat of the bike and said, "Hop on, bro!"
"C'mon, Mabel, it's my turn to drive," said Dipper.
"Nope, you drove last time."
"Ugh, fine."
Dipper got on the back and wrapped his arms around Mabel's stomach.
"Lead the way, Anne!" Mabel exclaimed.
Anne got on her bike and looked back at the twins. "Sorry, not old enough to ride a motorcycle."
"Don't worry about it," said Dipper.
Anne rode out of the alleyway and the twins followed right behind her.
Oum, Bee, and the Plantars had watched the entire event with wide eyes and shocked expressions. At first, all of them were almost on the verge of tears as they watched Anne getting beaten by the three monsters, and then the fourth arrived and started hurting her. Oum was on her knees before the TV, begging someone, anyone, to save her daughter.
That's when they saw the comet rushing towards her, and the one who saved her. A Kamen Rider, a second Kamen Rider. However, this one didn't match the descriptions that Anne gave when she told them about Sasha and Marcy's forms. This one was two different colors and was using devices to change their form. Whoever they were, this new Rider came to Anne's aid, and together they defeated the final monster before disappearing.
"What…just happened?" Oum asked.
"Another Kamen Rider…Another Kamen Rider! Anne didn't mention that there were other ones here!" Sprig exclaimed.
"T-There aren't! A-At least I didn't think so – my whole world view has been shattered," said Bee as he held his head.
Oum snapped out of her stupor and finally asked, "What happened to Anne?! They just disappeared! They could've kidnapped her or–?!"
*knock*
*knock*
The Plantars quickly hid in the kitchen while Bee and Oum rushed to the front door. Upon opening it, they were happy to see Anne standing there, and with two people they didn't expect to see. But first things first.
"ANNE!" Oum and Bee exclaimed as they quickly enveloped their daughter in a hug.
"You are in SO much trouble young lady!" Oum stated.
"I know…I know," Anne sighed, but still hugged them back. Afterwards, Anne separated from them and said, "Mom, Dad, this is Dipper and Mabel Pines, they were the ones who helped me back there."
"Good to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. B!" Mabel exclaimed.
"Wish it wasn't under these kinds of circumstances, though," said Dipper.
Bee nodded his head, "Likewise, but I'm glad you helped my daughter. Why don't you come in, I think there's a lot that needs to be talked about."
"Oh yeah," said Dipper and Mabel in unison.
Once everyone was inside, Anne looked around and asked, "Where are Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly?"
Bee nodded towards the kitchen.
"It's alright guys! Come out! I want you to meet some new friends!" Anne called out.
"Are ya sure?" Hop Pop asked cautiously.
"Yeah, HP, they're cool."
Dipper and Mabel were puzzled for a moment, that is until they watched as Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. The twins' jaws dropped when they saw how three bipedal frogs waltzed into the living room.
"Dipper, Mabel, these are the Plantars, and they're–"
"THE CUTEST THINGS, EVER!"
A gust of wind blew by Anne as Mabel swiftly descended upon the Plantars and grabbed them all into a group hug as she nuzzled each of them.
"ANNE, WHO IS SHE?!" Sprig asked.
"AND TELL ME WHY I SHOULDN'T BITE HER FACE OFF?!" Polly warned.
Mabel kept gushing over the Plantars and hugging them tight, despite hearing the threat from Polly.
"She and her brother saved me from those monsters," Anne answered.
Oum pinched the bridge of her nose again as she said, "Okay, explanations. Now!"
Anne, Dipper and Mabel sat on the couch, with Mabel refusing to end her bear hug on the three frogs. The twins began their story about how they were Kamen Rider Gemini, and had been for at least four years now.
"I became the Avatar of the Earth, which means I have access to knowledge of basically everything and everyone on this planet. Our Driver is the G3M1N1, or as Mabel calls it the 'Gemini Driver', and together we transform into Kamen Rider Gemini. Our souls inhabit one body," said Dipper.
Polly and Sprig picked up on that.
"Wait, you mean you share a body with your brother when you become a Rider?" Polly asked.
"Okay, that must be awkward," said Sprig.
Dipper chuckled as he said, "No weirder than that time when we swapped minds and I ended up her body, and she was in mine. That was an awkward afternoon."
Mabel shivered at the memory. "Ugh, I hated that afternoon. Luckily, transforming into Gemini is waaaaaaay better than swapping minds!"
"So, if you guys have been around LA, why did you only appear now?" Anne asked.
Dipper and Mabel had a serious face as they glanced at each other and nodded. Mabel gently released the Plantars and waited to hear their response.
"Truth is, we were caught up in a trap by Foundation X, and it took us a while to finally break out of it before we could get here," said Mabel.
"And who's Foundation X?" Anne inquired.
Dipper furrowed his brow upon their mention, and his sister's perky demeanor shifted as well. "They're an evil organization, with one objective. To create the best and most lethal weapons and sell them to those willing to pay for them. To that end, they've exploited all kinds of supernatural resources, one of those being the Gaia Memories. Devices with synthesized power from the Earth." The young man reached into his pocket and pulled out his Hero Memory. "The power can be a concept, an animal that has existed or that's even mythological in nature, or an object. Those monsters were fought are called 'Dopants', people who willingly merge their bodies with a Gaia Memory. They're in complete control of their actions, but it sometimes has the unpleasant effect of making someone act out on their worst tendencies if they have a low tolerance, if they have a high compatibility with the Memory, then they don't suffer from those side effects, at least not to the same degree."
Oum raised an eyebrow when she heard this and looked at the twins. "But you have those devices, too. Doesn't that risk apply to you as well?"
"Nope," said Mabel. "So long as we use our Gemini Driver, we don't have to worry about that. We can use the power of the Memories to their fullest."
"Plus, these versions are more refined, so the side effects lessened even more so," said Dipper.
Anne leaned forward and released a long exhale. "Whoa man this is a lot. So, why the heck is this Foundation X after me? Those monsters keep wanting to capture me."
Dipper and Mabel glanced at each other, as if having a psychic conversation. Finally, Dipper turned to Anne and said, "It's more than likely they want your powers. They want to understand what they are and how they can use them to make a weapon. There's a man, his name's Keisuke, a director in Foundation X, he was poking around the park where you and your friends disappeared from. My guess is your powers and the energy that was used to send you to whatever place you ended up in is something he's after."
"My powers…?" Anne looked at her hands. She remembered that Marcy theorized that they may've gotten their powers during the transition between here and Amphibia. So, perhaps she was right? "If my powers can do just this much, I can't imagine what people like that would do with them."
"Trust me, they can do a lot. They almost resurrected a chaos god that we defeated when we were twelve. Almost cost us losing our Great Uncle's memories forever, but thankfully he got them back," said Mabel.
"Whoa, sounds like you two've been through a lot," said Anne.
"And then some," Dipper replied. "But, enough about us. Why don't you catch us up on what we missed? Maybe we can figure out why Keisuke wants you so bad."
"Oh…uh…" Anne glanced to her parents, they gave her a look that pretty much said, "go ahead". It was not as if Anne was going to reveal anything that she hadn't already told the two of them, so, what was two more people? "Okay, so…"
Anne went and told her life story for the second time today. The whole time she told it, Dipper was listening to her with a serious expression, as if jotting down mental notes about everything she was saying. Mabel was the opposite, she was reacting to each part of Anne's story, gasping, laughing, and gushing whenever Anne got the part about dating Marcy, and then she gushed even more when Anne said she was dating both of her best friends at the same time.
"Anne, you are a chick magnet landing two cuties like that," Mabel praised.
Anne visibly blushed hard and then made a jester that translated to, "Shh! Parents!"
It was easy to see that Oum was still having a hard time trying to wrap her head around that part. While Bee was trying not to look interested in his daughter's relationship. Mabel noticed and changed her expression.
"Anyway…"
Anne continued with the story. The betrayal by Sasha, the fight to free Newtopia. The betrayal by King Andrias, the betrayal by Marcy for getting the three of them trapped in Amphibia. Her fight with Andrias and going Final Form. Sasha's unknown fate, and Marcy's…death. Then she filled them in on what's been going on in Los Angeles ever since she got back, leading up to the most current event.
"And that's it," said Anne.
Dipper, who had been silent throughout the telling, exhaled slowly and said, "Wow, Anne, you've really been through a lot."
Mabel started crying and immediately rushed to Anne and enveloped her in a hug. "Anne! You poor thing! I'm so sorry you had to go through that!"
It was strange, despite not knowing Mabel for more than a few minutes, Anne felt comfortable in her embrace. So much so that she ended up bawling into the brunette's chest, Anne felt that Mabel genuinely felt sorrow and sadness for not only what Anne went through, but also the heartache she was feeling as well.
"Sis why don't you, Anne, and the Plantars, head up to her room. I'll have a talk with Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy," said Dipper.
Mabel nodded and patted Anne on the head, "C'mon, Anne, let's girl talk upstairs!"
Anne nodded and got off the couch as she led Mabel upstairs, along with the Plantars. Once they were out of the room, Dipper turned to Anne's parents and asked, "I can tell you have some thoughts on all this."
"I have several thoughts on all of this…" Oum stated. "But, considering it seems that you have more experience in this, let me ask you, do your parents know what you and your sister are doing?"
Dipper chuckled a little and replied, "Honestly, no, they don't. My Great Uncles Stan and Ford do, but one's a super genius, and the other is a bit of a money-grubbing scam artist. But, if there's one thing you can count on, it's that he loves his family and will do anything to protect them. There's also a family friend, and some of our friends from Gravity Falls. But as far as here is concerned, no one."
"I can't imagine they would approve, but seeing as you two are adults, you can make those decisions for yourselves now," said Oum. "My issue is that my daughter is so deep into this that there's no way for her to get out of it. Please, if you know of some way, tell us."
Dipper thought for a moment, but his answer came pretty quick. "Honestly, Mrs. Boonchuy, I don't think there's anything you can do."
"What?!" Oum exclaimed.
Dipper raised his hand in a stopping motion and remarked, "Hold on. What I mean is, becoming a Kamen Rider isn't always something you choose. It chooses you. It's a calling. Not everyone can answer it. Trust me, there was a moment when I thought I couldn't do it anymore. But, for me, I had Mabel and my friends to help me out of that dark moment. I can tell Anne's going through a lot, especially after what she just told us. She needs someone who she can rely on. And right now, her two best friends aren't here, one is…dead, and the other she has no idea about. The only ones she has right now are the Plantars, and you."
"And you two now, I'm hoping?" Bee asked.
"Of course. Riders need to help each other out," said Dipper. "Mrs. Boonchuy, I know you may not be able to fully accept this, but understand that Anne's been through a lot, changed a lot, and has even grown up and become someone different. Like I said, it's a calling. You never know when it's going to happen, and when it does, you have a choice to make. And it's never an easy one to make. So, can I ask that you can respect the fact that Anne has taken on this responsibility?"
Oum looked between Dipper and her husband. It was a lot to consider and think about.
Back in Anne's room, Mabel and Anne were sitting on the latter's bed, crossed legged and sitting across from each other. While the Plantars were sitting next to Anne.
"So, Anne, I don't want to bring up anything too painful, but what was it like being with your two best friends like that?" Mabel asked.
Anne blushed a little and said, "It…It was great, wonderful even. I wasn't sure about the whole thing at first, but it was amazing. I didn't think it was possible to feel that way with two people, and for them to feel that same way about me."
Mabel gushed again, even after all these years, the love lives and stories of others always made her feel giddy inside. "You must've really liked them."
Anne glanced down at the bed as her expression changed. "I honestly did…do? I don't know anymore. I don't even know if they really did like me like that at all. Or if they just wanted to possess me or something."
Sprig grabbed ahold of Anne's left hand with both of his and said, "I'm sorry, Anne. It's all my fault. You helped me realize that I liked Ivy, and I wanted to do the same thing for you with Marcy. If I hadn't, you probably wouldn't have said yes to her. And if I was just a bit more stubborn, I could've stopped you from being with Sasha. Ugh, if only my breakup plan would've worked!"
"Wait, breakup plan?" Anne questioned.
"Eh, forget I mentioned it!" Sprig exclaimed nervously.
Anne chuckled at her adopted little brother and said, "Sprig, you're little gondola ride plan was a bit over-the-top. But if it wasn't then, I think I would've eventually come around to accepting Marcy's feelings."
"But what I did made you accept them sooner…" Sprig lamented.
"Either way, this was going to happen. And Sasha…yeah…maybe I should've listened to you back then. But, at the same time, I think I needed to experience that. What it was like. You know, like that old saying. 'Better to have known love, then to have never loved at all'. Wow, I actually remembered something from English class that applies in real life. Anyway…now…I don't know anymore. I don't know if I even would want to be with anyone after this in future."
Mabel crossed her arms and shook her head at this gloomy atmosphere. "Uh-uh, that's not acceptable. Besides, I don't think your friends were lying, Anne. The way they went about it was…" Mabel made a wavy motion with her hand, "…a bit overboard and bordering on possessive, sure. But that doesn't mean your feelings or the feelings they have towards you were any less true."
Anne looked up at Mabel and asked, "You think so? I mean, maybe my Mom is right, maybe we did I become a throuple just out of shared trauma?"
Mabel put her hands on her hips and said, "Okay, then tell me something. Did you ever grow jealous whenever your friends dated someone?"
"Oh, well…I mean, I wasn't exactly looking at them like that back then. But whenever Sasha went out on a date and it didn't go well, she would ask me to break up with the guy for her. Which is how I earned my nickname, 'The Breakup Queen', also 'Angel of Death'!" Anne stated proudly.
"Huh, and did Marcy ever get asked out?" Mabel asked.
Anne blew a raspberry. "Nope. And not for a lack of trying either. She was either too wrapped up in her games, or whatever was holding her interest at the time, that she completely ignored everyone. Although, considering she's had a crush on me ever since we were little, I guess it also had a factor in her ability to ignore any boy who tried to get close to her."
"Uh-huh, and how did you feel whenever you went to break up for Sasha?" Mabel asked.
"Uh, strangely, a bit relieved. I mean, most of the guys Sasha went out with were popular boys, and some of them were obnoxious jerks or just after Sasha for the status. Some of the others I did feel bad for 'cause they weren't popular, and Sasha was at least nice enough to give them a shot, but even then, I still felt relieved," Anne answered.
Mabel raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I see, and why did you feel relieved?"
Anne rubbed the back of her head as she said, "I don't know…maybe because I was afraid that my best friend was going to be taken from me? That she wasn't going to spend as much time with us anymore…with me."
"You could say you were jealous, huh?"
Anne thought about it for a moment. Was she jealous? She did feel relieved every time Sasha asked her to break up with the guys she dated, and Anne did feel a sense of satisfaction in seeing the faces of the jerky ones morph into fear whenever she approached them after a date with Sasha, knowing full well what Anne's appearance meant for them. Some even tried to jump through a window to avoid the inevitable news. But Anne, in a cartoony, comical fashion, would always manage to find them and deliver the bad news, and watch them bawl afterwards.
"Now you tell me. Since you've known them for your whole life. Were they faking any of their smiles when they were around you? Did you feel a connection in here?" Mabel pointed at her heart.
Anne thought back to all their moments together. The smiles and blushes, the kisses, and the hugs. The warm feeling in Anne's heart whenever she was around Marcy and Sasha as lovers and best friends. And when she remembered their faces, out of everything that had happened, there was one thing Anne was certain of. Those beautiful, quirky smiles, they weren't fake.
"No, they weren't fake smiles, I can tell they were genuine. And I did – do – feel something here," Anne placed her right hand over her heart, "but at this point, it's too late. Marcy is probably dead, and Sasha…I don't even know."
Mabel reached out and placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Don't lose hope, Anne. If there's one thing being a Kamen Rider and dealing with Gravity Falls weirdness has taught me, it's to never give up hope even when everything seems to go wrong, and even when facing down the near apocalypse, twice, don't ever stop believing that things will get better! Believe in that love, Anne. Yeah, it hurts right now, yeah, you'll probably have some problems making up with one or both of them. But in the end, you will find that light."
Anne smiled as she looked at the serious yet smiling face of Mabel. "You kind of sound like my friend, Luz. Her whole power is based on hope."
"Sounds like my kind of girl, wish I could meet her," said Mabel.
Anne thought for a moment. "Hey, Mabel, do you think I could ask you and your brother for a favor?"
*knock*
*knock*
"Hey, sis, you guys good in there? I finished up talking to Anne's parents," said Dipper.
"Kind of, what did ya need, bro-bro?" Mabel asked.
"Oh, I just wanted to ask the Plantars some questions."
"Oh, well, Ah don't see the harm in –"
"GREAT!" Dipper quickly opened the door and broke out his cellphone as he readied to type. "First: is your diet consistent with that of a normal Earth frog? Second: does being bipedal in anyway limit your jumping ability? Third: what type of society do you have back there? Fourth: What would you say is your main–?"
Sprig glanced to his little sister and said, "Getting major Marcy vibes from this guy."
"Ditto."
After all was said, the Pines twins mounted their bike, this time with Dipper in the driver's seat. The Boonchuys were outside as well, bidding them farewell.
"Thanks for the save, you guys, seriously," said Anne.
"No problem, we'll stick around LA in case Foundation X tries something," said Dipper.
"Keisuke may be a big shot, but when it comes to us, he's waaaaay more cautious. So, you probably won't see much of him from here," said Mabel.
"But if you suspect that Foundation X might be involved in anything, don't hesitate to contact us at all, day or night, got it?" Dipper asked.
"No problem, guys. I got your number now," said Anne as she pulled up her cellphone and showed Mabel and Dipper's phone numbers.
Bee reached out with his right hand and shook both Dipper and Mabel's hands. "I can't thank you enough for saving our daughter's life like that. And for looking out for her."
Oum reached out and did the same. "Thank you for your advice, young man. I will think on it."
Dipper nodded to her.
"Oh, and Anne, we'll look into Luz for you. I'm curious to know if she's from our universe, too," said Mabel.
"Same here," said Dipper. "Anyway, we'll be heading to our Grunkle Ford's house. The address is in the texts I sent you. Feel free do drop by in case you need help or anything. Now we need to get some shut eye and a shower."
"You more than me, bro," Mabel teased.
"You aren't smelling like daisies either, sis," Dipper retorted.
Dipper twisted the throttle, and within seconds, the Pines twins drove down the road and out of sight, leaving the Boonchuy family alone. All three entered the house and let out a long sigh. This day was a long one, and they were all exhausted.
"Anne, why don't you go take a nap, you're probably exhausted from everything," said Bee.
"Yeah, that sounds good," said Anne.
Anne headed up the stairs without any hesitation, more than likely mentally, emotionally, and physically spent.
Bee turned to the Plantars. "Sorry to ask, but could you guys help us clean up the living room a bit more?"
"No problem, Mr. B," said Sprig.
"On it," said Hop Pop.
Bee and the Plantars went to help Bee, while Oum looked upstairs and said, "I'll take care of my 'Workout Room'."
Oum headed upstairs and was about to go into the "Workout Room" but paused when she saw the door open. The older Thai woman walked in and saw that Anne was standing inside of it, looking about the various things that Oum had made in her daughter's likeness.
"Anne?"
The Thai teen turned around, "Oh, sorry, Mom. I…"
"It's okay. I was just going to clean up a bit in here," said Oum.
"Oh, uh, do you need a hand?" Anne asked.
Oum walked past her daughter and began picking up some things from the floor. "You should really rest, honey. You've had a really long day."
Anne put her hands in her pockets, she stared at her mother's back as she clenched her fists and asked, "Mom…am…am I a disappointment to you?"
Oum dropped the things in her hands and let them clatter against the floor when she heard her daughter say that. "What?! Anne, why would you say such a thing?!"
Anne sighed as he gestured to the things in the room. "Mom, c'mon. Look at all this. There are pictures of me graduating valedictorian, ones of me being President, a lawyer, scientist, and even the mannequin that that robot beat up had me dressed up as a doctor. Mom, just tell me, are you disappointed in me?"
Oum sighed as she pulled out a chair from the desk and sat down on it. "Anne, sweetie, I'm not disappointed in you. Before you left, I was just…a bit frustrated with you at times. I can see so much potential in you, you're so gifted."
"C'mon, Mom, don't exaggerate," said Anne.
"But you are!" Oum retorted. "I've seen it, your dad sees it, even your teachers. You're the only one who doesn't! If you applied yourself with the same fervor as you do your athletics, there's no limit to what you can do!"
Anne unclenched her fists as she said, "You know what's funny, it took getting thrown into another world for me to finally figure that out about myself. About just how much I can do when I applied myself." Anne leaned up against the wall and continued. "But, Mom, I don't know if I can be any of these things. Honestly, I'm just trying to figure out how to stop the invasion, figuring out what I want to be or who I want to be in the future, well, if I don't stop Andrias and The Night, then none of us will have a future."
Oum chuckled as she said, "Of all the things I imagined you'd become, 'superhero' wasn't one of them." The older Thai woman began to shed some tears. "I thought you ran away from us…I…I thought I was part of the reason why. Coming in here helped me to deal with that sadness, but it never fully erased the guilt I felt thinking that I pushed you away…and it seems like I did."
Anne felt her eyes water as she walked over and hugged her mother. "Mom, you kind of got on my nerves, too. But I never hated you, never wanted to run away from you. I love you, and Dad. I'm sorry that I worried you so much. But there wasn't a day that I spent there that I wasn't thinking about you two. How I messed helping you in the kitchen, listening to your tone-deaf Thai love songs. Playing 'Star Battles' with Dad and you, working at the restaurant. There's nothing about you two I would ever change. You're the best parents I could ask for, and…I'm sorry I wasn't the best daughter."
Oum hugged Anne tighter and said, "No! You are the best daughter we could ask for. There are lot of kids who could easily dismiss the morals and values that their parents taught them. But you didn't. You remembered to be kind to others, remembered to help when you can, and you even did more than either of us could imagine. You fought to save a whole other world, and even now you're still fighting, but to protect two worlds. I know your father is proud of you." Oum separated a bit from Anne to look her in the eyes. "Læa...C̄hạn p̣hūmicı nı tạw ṭhex xæ nn̒ c̄hạn klạw ṭhex khæ̀ h̄ịn c̄hạn p̣hūmicı kạb thuk s̄ìng thī̀ khuṇ thả lng pị læa c̄hạn k̄hxthos̄ʹ thī̀ mị̀ s̄āmārt̄h ch̀wyh̄elụ̄x khuṇ p̄h̀ān ch̀wng welā thī̀ yāk lảbāk h̄el̀ā nận dị̂ (And…I am proud of you Anne, as scared as I am for you, I am so proud of everything you've done. And I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help you through all those difficult times)."
Anne smiled at her mother and hugged her again, trying to convey all the love she had for her mother with just this hug alone. Oum returned the hug, trying to do the same, to show her daughter that she was going to stand by her side in this difficult time, no matter what else came next. Once the Boonchuy women were done hugging, they chuckled and went back to cleaning up the "Workout Room".
Oum glanced over at her daughter and asked, "So, Anne. You really did date Sasha and Marcy over there?"
"Yeah, yeah I did."
"I see. So…do you still love them?" Oum asked.
Anne stopped and sighed heavily. "I talked to Mabel about this. And…yeah…I do. But my feelings are still a little…confused. Marcy's more than likely…dead. And Sasha, I'm pretty sure she found a way to escape, there's no way Andrias would've been able to pin her and Grime down. I just don't know what I'm going to say or do when I see her. Part of me wants to punch her the eff out for doing what she did, and for playing with my feelings like that. And the other half wants to hold her tight and never let her go…"
Oum smiled and replied, "Love is strange like that, Anne. There are times when the person you love will frustrate you to no end or get you so angry you want to put them into a headlock until they cry for mercy."
Anne glanced at her mother and asked, "Are you…speaking from experience?"
"Anne, no relationship is perfect, and neither is any marriage. Your father and I have certainly had our disagreements, and our share of fights, but through it all, we never forget how much we love each other, or let any fight come between us. What you and Sasha have right now…is a bit unconventional, in the way that you mentioned how manipulative she's been towards you," said Oum.
"Yeah, only now do I realize how toxic our friendship was. But in spite of all that, there's a part of me that still wants to hope that Sasha will eventually become someone better than she is now," said Anne. "Someone–"
"Someone worthy of your love?" Oum finished in a teasing tone.
"Mooooom!" Anne groaned as she blushed.
"I'm just saying, it sounds like your heart is made up about how you truly feel about her, regardless of what has happened in your past. Still…" Oum reached out and placed her hand gently on Anne's left shoulder. "Don't let yourself get wrapped into something unhealthy. I don't want to see you hurt, especially by someone you love. Understand?"
"I do, Mom, thanks."
It would be an adjustment for sure, but Oum was sure she could come to accept this all given a bit more time. Even if the older Thai woman didn't like it, she was not going to enforce her will on her daughter. Because, for the first time in a while, Oum felt as if she and her daughter had made a true connection.
"…becoming a Kamen Rider isn't always something you choose. It chooses you. It's a calling…"
Oum looked at her daughter, and her heart was steadily swelling with pride. My daughter, a hero.