Some of this is a repeat of information stated in earlier chapters. Oh well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

September 13, 2100

Los Angeles, California, Earth

Not a day went by these past few years where Marcy Wu wasn't astonished she managed to live into her nineties. Surely someone as clumsy as her should've died young from some sort of accident, right? Yet somehow, despite her repeated falls, the worst injury she sustained from her clumsiness was her broken leg all those years ago when she first arrived in Amphibia.

Things haven't been the same since Anne died a few years ago. In a sense, her power of heart never went away, as she was truly the heart of their family. Although everyone was still happy, Marcy found that everything they did together felt incomplete, and she knew Sasha and their kids felt the same.

(Sometimes, Marcy and Sasha could just swear they could faintly hear Anne's laughter or smell the scent of her shampoo but just assumed that was some grief-induced hallucination.)

Marcy's health had been on a decline for years even before Anne's death. It wasn't anything major, just a consequence of being very old. She used to be so full of energy, but she eventually became a shell of her former self. Now she was on her last legs, laying in a hospital bed feeling her life slipping away just like Anne had two and a half years ago. Marcy had an interesting relationship with hospitals post-Amphibia, with her green sulfurous blood, her regrown organs which are not quite human, and her giant impalement scar across her torso which regularly had doctors asking how she was still alive. Marcy just considered these biological abnormalities to be among the many ways she was a different person than before she went to Amphibia.

"You still awake, Mars?" Sasha sat in the chair next to her bedridden wife.

"I'm awake, Sasha," said Marcy slowly. "Don't think I will be for long, though."

"Alright," said Sasha. "Just remember: if you need anything, I'll get it for you."

"Sashy…" Marcy reached a hand out which Sasha quickly accepted. "You're old, too."

"Hey!" Sasha protested playfully.

Marcy chuckled. "Seriously, if I need something I'll call the hospital staff. All you need to do right now is keep me company."

Sasha smiled. "Okay."

"You know, Sash," Marcy had a bit of a sly grin. "You're the only one who hasn't even died once."

Sasha gave Marcy her "I'm not mad but I'm not happy either" look. "I know that's true but still, you shouldn't say stuff like that."

Marcy sighed. "Yeah…"

A few moments passed before Marcy spoke again. "Can you record me for a couple of minutes, Sash?"

Sasha raised an eyebrow at that. "Why?"

Marcy sighed again. "I really feel like I'm going to die today… and who knows how long I'll even be conscious? I might not get the chance to say goodbye to Sprig and Polly and Dom and the rest in person, but we can still do the next best thing…"

Sasha shed some tears but complied and reached for her high-tech phone. "If that's what you want, then I'll record you." She nodded when she started recording.

"Hey, everyone," said Marcy, looking at the camera. "I don't quite know how long I have left to live, but deep down I think I'm approaching the end. Sprig, you're doing so many amazing things as a tennis player and coach. I can't believe how much you've managed to innovate the sport. Polly, your inventions have changed the word for the better in ways I could have never possibly imagined. I am so incredibly proud of you two angels. Make sure you give Domino 9 extra belly rubs for me. Dom and Julie, I hope your business venture is successful, as well as your attempts to have a child." Marcy lightly coughed. "I love you all. Always remember that Mama will always be looking down at you, smiling and cheering you on." Marcy gave a weak thumbs up, signaling Sasha to stop recording.

Sasha had been silently bawling her eyes out the entire time. "That was beautiful, Marcy."

"Thanks." Marcy seemed to be lips more tired by the second. "I love you so much, Sash." She silently points to her lips. "One last kiss, please."

Sasha quickly complied, giving Marcy one final deep and loving kiss. Marcy smiled and closed her eyes for the last time. Sasha cried over Marcy's sleeping form, and was eventually joined by Sprig and Polly who did the same after watching the video. They stayed together in Marcy's hospital room for hours until she finally passed away in her sleep…

Multiversal Rift Outside of Time and Space

"Marcy?"

…

"Marcy!"

"Five more minutes, Anne."

"Wait… Anne!?"

Marcy opened her eyes and was immediately greeted with a field of stars. Normally she would've stopped to admire such a gorgeous view and decide which anime scene it most reminded her of, but she paid no mind to the stars and immediately turned toward the cozy house. There she was, looking as she did in her prime, Anne Savisa Boonchuy.

"Anne!" Marcy shot forward and gave Anne a massive hug. "I missed you so much!" Both women were crying tears of joy.

They had no idea how long they stood there embracing each other. It could've been a few minutes, it could've been days, but what mattered is that they were together.

Eventually Marcy stepped back and took in Anne's appearance. "Damn, girl! You look so good!"

"I look good?" asked Anne. "Please, you look amazing, girl!"

"Amazing?" Marcy looked down at her body and finally realized she wasn't old anymore. "Wow!" She admired her 30-year-old body for a few seconds before turning back to Anne. "So what have you been up to? Did you become a Guardian, or whatever it was you called it?"

Anne nodded. "Yep, a Guardian of the Multiverse." She walked toward the house and gestured for Marcy to follow her. "Come inside and I'll explain more about it."

They entered the house and Marcy saw that although it appeared very homey inside, like a nice log cabin, it was visibly unfinished. One corner was decked out with items indicative of Anne: frogs, K-pop albums, a scale replica of the Thai temple in Los Angeles, etc. The other two corners however, were empty and undecorated. She decided not to comment on this yet.

Anne walked toward the center, where there was a massive ancient-looking book and a futuristic controls console.

"This place is the home base where I can observe other worlds and read up information about them from this book or all these gadgets.

Marcy's eyes were wide with excitement. "This stuff is so cool, Anne!"

"They are," Anne agreed. "But I don't always observe from here. Sometimes I go to different dimensions and just wander, other times I go to Earth to check up on my family. I'm pretty sure you and Sash noticed me."

Marcy gasped loudly, remembering all those moments she and Sasha thought they felt Anne was with them. "That was actually you!?"

Anne blushed a little. "Yep, that was me. Normally no one is able to sense a Guardian when they're incognito but wielding the Calamity Stones' power in the past made you and Sasha specially attuned to that kind of energy." Anne grabbed Marcy's hands and looked into her eyes with a hopeful expression. "Anyway, now that you're here, you can become a Guardian too!"

Marcy stared back at Anne, shocked. "Me? You really want me to be Guardian of the multiverse!? That kind of power shouldn't be in my clumsy hands."

"Mar-Mar," began Anne, "you're more than capable for this job. You've got so much passion and creativity and you love exploration!" Anne began speaking more softly. "Also, I feel incomplete without you and Sasha. Technically I was the only one offered the position but as the current Guardian I have the ability to grant the two of you abilities equal to mine."

Marcy looked uneasy. "I'm still not sure, Anne"

Anne leaned in and gave Marcy a quick kiss on the lips. "Don't you want to be an anime space goddess again?"

"So much," Marcy spoke softly. "Do it."

Anne smiled and placed her hand on Marcy's forehead, granting her untold power. Marcy couldn't believe it. If her brief use of powers in 2020 was a cap gun explosion, then what she was experiencing now was the Tsar Bomba. So much knowledge and power entered her that it should've driven her insane, but she weathered through the sensations until it was over.

Now she felt like she had all the power in the universe, which she supposed is true.

"Whoa… I just saw, felt, and tasted the entire multiverse at once…"

"It's a lot," said Anne. "But you'll get used to it soon. In the meantime I can tell you what happened in Amphibia while we were gone."

Marcy gasped loudly, which somehow caused a small explosion. Marcy and Anne stared at each other for several seconds before either of them said anything.

"Maybe you should teach me how to control these powers first," said Marcy.

"Yeah," agreed Anne. "That sounds like a good idea."