Amphibia © Matt Braley/Disney
The Owl House © Dana Terrace/Disney
Not far from the Wartwood Village, a Giant Beetle was walking down a path with an old, grizzled Toad riding atop of it on a saddle.
The Toad was Grimes, once a Captain of Toad Tower. He was now retired, happily spending his golden years training his successor.
...who was currently sitting behind him at the rear of the Beetle.
"you have been awfully quiet, Sasha." spoke Grimes. "anything you wish to discuss?"
Sasha was silent as she stared at the departing path. "no."
Grimes breathed out, and whipped the reins of the Goliath Beetle. "we are nearly at the Plantar Farm."
"good." said Sasha, who started to rub her left eye.
Grime was no fool. He knew Sasha well enough to know that she was indeed troubled.
and the old toad had a pretty good inkling on what was on the blonde woman's mind.
But, he decided not to to press the issue any further.
The pair eventually climbed up a grassy hill where they could see the Plantar Farm before them.
and with another whip of the reins, Grime and Sasha approached the old farmstead.
As Sasha dismounted the Beetle...the front door opened, and out ran a blue haired girl.
"AUNT SASHA!, AUNT SASHA!"
Sasha smiled, and knelt down as Anne's five year old daughter rushed over.
She opened her arms, and caught the child in a warm embrace.
"Hey there, Blueberry Muffin"" spoke Sasha. "and how are you doing today?"
"Great!" exclaimed Amity. "I've been practicing Cartwheels for you!"
"Have you now?"
"Uh-Huh!...Wanna see!?"
"Now, AMITY..." spoke a voice.
Sasha looked to see Anne walk out the door with a pink male frog, and a yellow female frog.
she froze upon see Anne's pregnant belly (already imagining 'another' Amity running around.)
"Sasha has had a long journey. I think she needs to rest first." finished Anne.
"Oh...Okay, Mama." said Amity, disappointed...yet, understanding.
The yellow frog then walked up, and approached Amity.
"Let's give your mom and Sasha some time alone." spoke the Frogette.
"You want to help me and your Uncle Sprig make some Cookies?"
Amity smiled. "SURE, AUNT IVY!"
As Amity walked back into the house with the Plantars.
Sasha rose up, and then approached her lifelong friend. "hey...Anne."
Anne smiled. "hey, Sash...you're looking good today."
Sasha rubbed her eye again. "not really...But, I'm trying to do better."
Anne took Sasha's hand, and smiled. "come...sit with me."
Sasha shuddered as she eyed Anne's prosthetic arm harness.
But, she walked with her friend regardless to some chairs at the front porch.
As they sat down, and stared at the grassy hills of the Frog Valley...Anne spoke again. "So...how is your eye?"
Sasha didn't answer. she just touched her left eye...and, POPPED it right out of her now empty socket.
"I need a new one of these." said Sasha, as she polished her false eye. "What about you, and your..."
Anne flexed her prosthetic arm. "gears stick sometimes...But, I'm fine."
Sasha and Anne fell silent for a few minutes.
"I'm sorry." said Sasha, finally.
Anne looked at Sasha. "For what?"
"Everything." answered Sasha. "everything bad that happened to us BECAUSE of me."
Anne sighed. "how long will you keep blaming yourself?!, It's been so long sinc-"
"Exactly: We've been trapped her nearly all our lives now." explained Sasha.
"Maybe I didn't have much of a home back then, but I ripped you from a far better family than mine."
Anne sighed softly. "I've already forgiven you, Sash...It's past time you forgave yourself."
Sasha frowned as she breathed out sharply.
"You know, you're starting to remind me of mu husband, Oliver." continued Anne.
"He's also been acting pretty mopey, no matter how hard I try to cheer him up."
"Where IS Ol' Ollie, anyway?" asked Sasha.
Anne shrugged. "He went out to get some air earlier this morning." spoke Anne.
"He said he'd meet us later...Gosh, I hope he's doing okay."
Sasha smirked. "I'm sure he is."
Just then, something exploded in a flash of light before the Plantar Farmstead.
Anne and Sasha immediately got up, expecting this to be an attack from and as yet unknown enemy.
But, when the dust settled...they saw a very tired Olivier Clawthorne
kneeling on the ground, looking as if he just ran TWO Marathons in a row.
"OLIVER!" exclaimed Anne, who ran over to her husband.
(Sasha also ran over, and helped Anne to pull Olivier back onto his feet.)
"Are you okay!?" exclaimed Anne, again.
"yeah...Peachy." replied Olivier, his tone sounding similar to Sasha.
"oh god...Oliver, YOUR EYES!" exclaimed Anne, alarmed.
"What about them?" spoke Olivier.
"Their different colors again!" said Anne.
"Not only that, but the colors are even mixed together." added Sasha.
Indeed, Olivier's eyes had changed from their normal coloration.
But rather than have one eye be one color, and the other be a different one.
BOTH eyes had Golden Yellow and Cyan Blue combined in a most uneven way.
"NGGHHH!" Olivier groaned as he fell to one knee, clutching his waist in pain.
He'd felt this pain before...back when he first came to Amphiba Ten years ago.
Back when his magic caused him physical pain...which felt even WORSE, now.
He had long since learned this cause of that pain, and overcame it.
BUT, it appeared that his old weakness was returning in full force.
"Oliver...Baby, are you okay!?" spoke Anne, using her body to support her husband.
"i...i'm not...sure." spoke Olivier. "I think I need to...sit down."
Anne and Sasha helped Olivier over to a chair, and lowered him into it.
Olivier breathed out deeply, leaning back into the wooden chair.
As Olivier opened his eyes...the two women noted their colors were slowly alternating.
Almost as if they were mood rings responding to Olivier's shifting emotions.
"Oliver...something IS wrong with you." said Anne. "Tell me...PLEASE."
Olivier sighed as he looked at his wife, and Sasha. "I've been thinking about Maddie..." spoke Olivier, finally.
"...and everything else that happened all those years ago when we fought King Andrias."
"That explains a lot." said Sasha, crossing her arms.
Olivier breathed out as he stared out at the clear, blue sky.
"I know it all happened years ago...but for Me, it feels like only Yesterday." began Olivier.
"The same sequence of events keep replaying in my mind...over, and Over again."
Anne and Sasha frowned. "yeah...I sometimes still think about it too." said Sasha.
"It's worse whenever I try to sleep." continued Olivier.
"In my dreams...I see the same things happening, only Differently."
Anne and Sasha stare at Olivier. "Different, HOW?"
"I make different choices...and see different outcomes." said Olivier.
"It makes me wonder...what if I HAD done things differently?"
Olivier then looked the two women in the eyes. "what if...What if all of this was my fault?"
"don't say that, hon...King Andrias is to blame, NOT YOU." said Anne.
"You did everything you could to save everyone...we ALL did!"
Olivier looked away. "yeah...that's what I kept telling myself. But, I can't help but wonder if I could've done MORE."
Olivier then rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I saw Grunge today...OR, an Illusion of him."
"Grunge!?" exclaimed Sasha, recognizing the name of Grime's rogue brother.
"He said some things to me. Hurtful things...meant to tear me down." continued Olivier.
"but, that doesn't change the fact that his poisonous words held truth to them."
Sasha glared. "what did he say to you?..."
Olivier breathed out, keeping his eyes closed. "He threw my mistakes in my face.
How I trusted King Andrias. And, unlike everyone else...I should've known better.
And he was right. See, in the world I came from. The Boiling Isles in the Demon Realm,
there is this Emperor who CLAIMS to speak for is essentially our living God.
Everyone trusted him, Believed in his promises of a Paradise for everyone.
Everyone...EXCEPT my mother. She always believed there was more to what he was telling.
That he was a Liar, a Deceiver...and warned me to NEVER trust him, or people LIKE him."
Olivier then scowled, his eyes turning not only Blue...but a DARK Blue.
"Grunge also warned me not to trust King Andrias...He said the same things that my mother said.
But I chose not to listen to him..to HER. I trusted that King, BELIEVED his kind words...and look what happened!"
"He lied to Everyone, honey." said Anne.
"But, I should've known better." repeated Olivier.
"Grunge was right. If I had been more like my mother...King Andrias never would've-"
Olivier stopped short. Unable to finish his sentence. "mother...She must think I'm dead by now." mused Olivier.
Both Anne and Sasha frowned.
"I hate to say it...but, yeah." spoke Sasha "With the exception of my own parents,
All of our old families back home most likely think we are long dead." said Sasha.
Olivier looked down...Feeling overwhelming guilt at the thought of his mother mourning his *death.*
He then looked to Anne...and felt even more guilt as he imagined what Anne's own parents must feel.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't get you home, Anne..." spoke Olivier, sadly. "I'm sorry that I broke my promise."
Anne looked at her husband. She reached out, and gently touched his cheek.
"I don't blame you for being stranded here Oliver...and, I NEVER have." spoke Anne.
"But as much as I miss my mom and dad...I wouldn't trade my new family here for anything."
Olivier tried to turn away...but Anne kept his face looking at her.
She then reached for her old smartphone, and pressed on the touch screen.
Electronic Violin music then began to play...and, Anne began to sing.
[MUSIC: "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit.]
"We're a thousand miles from comfort. We have traveled land and sea.
But as long as you are with me: There's no place I'll rather be.
I would wait forever, Exalted in the scene. As long as I am with you: My heart continues to beat."
Anne then pulled Olivier from his chair, and began to dance with him.
Sasha smirked, while Olivier blushed bright red. Feeling awkward as heck.
"With every step we take, Newtopia to The Bay. Strollin' so casually
We're different and the same, gave you another name. Switch up the batteries..."
Anne leaned closer, gazing into Olivier's eyes that were starting to turn gold again.
Olivier found himself unable to look away from his wife (who he still loved Now, as he did a decade ago.)
"If you gave me a chance, I would take it. It's a shot in the dark, but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shame me. When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be.
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be..."
Olivier finally embraced Anne as the two started to slow dance together.
Anne smiled, and finished her song as she cradled the back of Olivier's head
"We staked out on a mission, To find our inner peace. Make it everlasting. So nothing's incomplete
It's easy being with you. Sacred simplicity. As long as we're together...
...There's no place I'd rather be..."
When the music finally ended, Olivier and Anne remained frozen in place.
Sasha was starting to feel awkward...THEN, a voice rang out: "DADDY, DADDY!"
Olivier broke from his wife to see their five year old daughter rushing over.
Both parents smiled, and Olivier knelt down to catch Amity in a loving embrace.
[End of Part Two]
[Author Notes]
Okay, so...While I intended this to be a Two-Parter, It seems the story will be long than expected, and will continue beyond this Chapter.
Not much here going on, other than more character interaction,
and subtlety revealing what all happened in this alternate future without revealing Everything.
(What I did make clear is that while Anne lost an arm, Sasha lost a whole eye...like many other AU's similar to this one.)
I also reveal that Olivier's magic is affected by his emotional state,
and the 'physical pain' established in my other story is probably triggered by such inner conflicts
(think back to how in Sam Rami's Spider-Man 2, when doubt caused Peter Parker's powers to glitch out.)
I included the song "Rather Be", as I felt it fit the emotional situation here. AND, I wanted to leave an Easter Egg
for Amphibia fans who are aware of the song's use in the original "Amphibiland" pitch pilot.
I also mention more of The Owl House by comparing King Andrias to Emperor Belos
to further emphasize Olivier's guilt over the mistake that may've triggered this bad future: Trusting King Andrias.
(Because let's be real: If Eda were there in Amphibia, she wouldn't buy what King Andrias was selling
and be the first one to suspect that he had more than a couple hundred skeletons stuffed in his closet.)