Gone

Anne stares at Marcy in disbelief. She tries to deny the fact that Marcy's memories are gone, but the evidence is right in front of her. An emotionless version of her best friend is staring at her with a cold and distant gaze. Marcy's gone and this breaks Anne's heart.

"Marcy, it's me, Anne. Your friend. You have to remember." Anne said desperately.

Marcy just stares back at Anne blankly while feeling this deep confusion inside. No recollection of who she is or her past memories. In an attempt to hurt Anne and Sasha, Darcy erased Marcy's memories. They knew this was the ultimate pain they could inflict on Marcy and her friends after Marcy escaped her control back in Amphibia.

Suddenly, Sasha comes back into the living room with Anne's parents, all relieved to see Marcy's awake, but Sasha can tell something's wrong right away. She walks up to Marcy and is saddened by her distant expression.

"Marcy, are you alright?" Sasha asked.

Marcy doesn't reply. She feels this overwhelming sense of deep sadness that drowns her in her own dark thoughts and emotions. Not knowing who she is and having lost her sense of self and connections is a pain too intense to feel or comprehend, so her mind goes numb.

"Sasha, Marcy doesn't remember who she is. I think she lost her memories." Anne said.

Sasha looks at Anne shocked and then back at Marcy with sadness. She refuses to believe Marcy's gone after everything they've been through together. Sasha hugs Marcy tight, desperate to bring her friend back, but Marcy doesn't react.

"Marcy, it's Sasha, remember? You were strong enough to break free from The Core and fight with us. You can't give up on yourself. Please." Sasha said.

Anne and Sasha look at Marcy who's still in a despondent state. A small part of her is trying to remember, but there's too much darkness. Heavy clouds in her mind that she can't break free from. She's trapped again, but this time with no motivation to fight. Just a hollow mind. She's truly alone.

Anne looks to her parents for help, and they try to be strong for her. It's difficult for everyone, but the Boonchuy's know what it's like to lose someone close to them. They lost Anne for five months when she was in Amphibia and, although it isn't the same situation, they understand.

Mrs. Boonchuy takes Anne's hand while Mr. Boonchuy stands by her side. Anne knows this isn't going to be easy, but with her parents' support, she's hopeful they'll find a way to get through this. Anne takes Marcy's hand and tries to talk to her.

"Marcy, I know this is all very confusing for you, but all of us are here to support you. It's okay if you don't remember anything, we'll take things one step at a time." Anne said.

Marcy looks up from the floor and up at Anne. She tries to remember, but nothing's coming back to her. There's a heavy darkness pulling her down, but a small part of her still wants to fight. Marcy takes a deep breath and holds onto that piece of herself.

"Okay. I'll try." Marcy replied.

Anne smiles. She's not going to give up on Marcy, no matter what. Sasha starts to have hope as well. Even if Marcy's memories are gone, she's still here and that means there's still a chance to get her back.

Anne and Sasha decide they're going to take Marcy for a walk. They want to explore the places they used to go to see if it will jog her memory. Marcy agrees this is a good idea. Even if she doesn't remember anything, she's desperate for some kind of distraction to keep this overwhelming sense of sorrow at bay.

With that, the trio heads out. It's the middle of the day, so they have plenty of time to wander. The first place they go to is the park they used to hang out at when they were kids. Anne and Marcy sit on the swings while Sasha stands next to them.

"This is where we'd all play together when we were kids. Sasha actually saved us from a couple of older girls who were bullying us." Anne said.

"Yeah, even back then I was a fierce warrior ready for battle." Sasha said confidently.

Anne and Sasha laugh, reliving the memory. Marcy looks around and tries to find something that will trigger her memories, but still feels empty. She sighs and looks at the ground, feeling nothing but disappointment. Anne notices this and takes Marcy's hand.

"It's okay Marcy. This is only our first stop. I'm sure we'll find something that jogs your memory eventually." Anne said.

"And even if we don't find anything today, that's okay. We've got your back, Marcy. And we're not giving up on you." Sasha added.

Marcy tries to be strong, but feels a sudden sense of sadness take over her. Tears well up in her eyes as she feels her emotions flooding back. No identity or memories, just this overwhelming feeling of fear that consumes her.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to remember for you both, but I can't. I know this Marcy person means a lot to you, and I wish I could bring her back, but she's gone. We just need to accept that and move on." Marcy said.

Marcy wipes her tears away and becomes despondent again as she pushes her feelings away. She'd rather let go of her emotions than feel that intense pain again, even if it means letting go of who she was.

Anne and Sasha look at each other and then back at Marcy, feeling sad and guilty. They want Marcy to get her memories back, but they don't want to push her. Not if it's causing her so much pain and suffering.

"I'm sorry Marcy, maybe this was too much. Do you want to go back to my house?" Anne asked.

Marcy nods. Sasha helps her up and they all walk back to Anne's house together in silence. Anne and Sasha were hopeful, but now that feeling is slowly starting to fade. They can't help but wonder what they'll do if Marcy's truly gone.

Once they arrive at Anne's house, Marcy heads over to the couch to rest. Feeling defeated, she puts her hood over her head and lies down, facing away from everyone. She wants to escape, run away from these overwhelming feelings, but she has nowhere to go.

Anne and Sasha look at each other concerned. They want to help Marcy, but they're afraid they're only making things worse for her. They decide to let her rest, knowing she might just need time to think things through and process her emotions.

"Marcy, Anne and I are going to be in the kitchen right over there. If you need anything, just let us know." Sasha said.

"Okay." Marcy replied vacantly.

Anne and Sasha head into the kitchen to talk while Marcy lies alone in silence. She's exhausted and wants to sleep, but her mind is keeping her awake. Lost in desperation, she closes her eyes and lets her mind wander, hoping to find some semblance of who she was.

Marcy gives into her exhaustion and falls asleep, leaving reality and falling into a dream. She's back in her mindscape, but this time it's a peaceful meadow, colorful and bright in calming nature.

Suddenly, she sees the memories of her past play in the sky above her. She lies down in the soft green grass to watch them and feels an overwhelming sense of peace. Watching as the happiest moments of her life with Anne and Sasha play out. It's an escapist dream come true, but Marcy knows there's a catch to this.

Marcy sits up and looks around suspiciously. She eventually finds an ominous presence waiting for her in the shadows. She walks towards her with a smirk.

"Welcome back Marcy." Darcy said.