It was the day after their little date/impromptu party with Chickalisk. And Anne was feeling pretty good about everything. Her hand had stopped trembling since the dinner party, and now all three of them were officially going out with each other. It was still a weird thing to think about, the fact that she was going out with two of her best friends, at the same time, and all three of them were happy about it. Anne had to admit, she was still worried about what might happen after everything was said and done, and they eventually returned to Earth. However, if they could keep it together here in Amphibia, and through all of these dire straits, then there was no reason to believe that it couldn't continue outside of Amphibia.
But that was neither here nor there at this moment, because today, Mayor Toadstool sent out a notice for a meeting in town square, and everyone was to come. So, naturally, Anne, Marcy, and the Plantars headed to Wartwood proper to see what it was that Toadstool wanted to say.
"Hope it's not another get rich quick scheme using me and you," said Anne.
"Well, you are the local town hero, and a decorated knight of Amphibia. And Marcy's a decorated Chief Ranger of the Newtopian Knight Guard, so I'm not surprised he hasn't plastered the entire valley with merch," said Sprig.
"Yet," Anne remarked. "He hasn't plastered the entire valley yet."
"Fair point," said Polly.
Anne and Marcy stayed in the back so that they could talk privately. Marcy managed to sneak her right hand into Anne's left so that they could hold hands. Anne blushed a little and held Marcy's hand as she smiled at her.
"So, Anne, are you still okay with this?" Marcy asked.
"Strangely…yeah, I am. You'd think being in relationship with you and Sasha would be hella weird, but it feels…right. In a way," said Anne.
"I'm just glad you were willing to at least give this a try."
"Me too."
The walk was uneventful as they arrived at town square, once they had, the group noticed Sasha and Grime sitting on the edge of the fountain. Every frog in Wartwood had their eyes on them, mostly out of an abundance of caution, and suspicion. Anne and Marcy hissed a little, both knowing how hard it was to have Wartwood accept and respect, but at least the two of them never tried to kill anyone. The obvious glares that Sasha and Grime were getting had not gone unnoticed by them, with both of them sporting sour expressions. Despite this, Anne and Marcy walked over to their girlfriend and greeted her.
"Hey, Sash," said Marcy.
Sasha's demeanor changed the moment she heard Marcy's voice, her expression shifting from sour to mirthful as she blushed a little. "Hey, Mar-Mar. Hey, Anne."
"You guys doing okay, Sasha?" Anne asked.
The blonde looked around at the frogs and sighed, "As okay as we can be with the entire town giving us the stink eye. Do you even know why this meeting was called?"
"That's a mystery to us, too," said Marcy. "Oh, look, the Mayor!"
Mayor Toadstool stood upon an erected stage, and once he was at his podium, he spoke to the crowd. "Alright, simmer down, now. Simmer down. Ahem. Now, Ah know we've all been a little on edge since Sasha and Captain Grime came to stay in Wartwood."
"Whaaaaat?! Because we invaded the town?!" Sasha asked as she stood up.
"Yeah, it was just one time!" Grime added.
"Yeah, point is, Ah think we can all use some levity. So, let's consult the Wheel of Fun!" Toadstool announced as Toadie rolled in a roulette wheel onto the stage.
On the wheel were four different options, Potluck Dinner, Massage Train, Capture the Flag, and Battle of the Bands. Toadstool stood next to the wheel and gave a strong turn. The wheel spun fast around and around, and after a few seconds the wheel began to slow down.
"C'mon massage train!" Soggy Joe hoped with all his might.
Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed as the wheel stopped on "Battle of the Bands".
"Alright everyone, get yer teams together and start rehearsin'! Wartwood's havin' a Battle of the Bands!" Toadstool announced.
Everyone cheered loudly and immediately dispersed as they all broke into their own individual teams.
"Neat! We haven't had a Battle of the Bands in a while," said Polly.
"Hey, you guys think Wartwood is up for a Sasha and the Sharps reunion?!" Anne asked giddily.
Sprig raised an eyebrow at the name. "The who and the what now?"
"Oh, it was a garage band the three of us had back home. I was on drums, Anne and Sasha were on guitar, and occasionally we'd switch up who was leading the song," Marcy explained.
"We used to SLAY at talent shows!" Sasha stated, somehow conjuring her flames without realizing it.
"Why is everything you say so aggro?!" Hop Pop asked.
"My personality, deal with it," Sasha replied.
Just then Wally came up to them, with accordions strapped to his legs, and carrying Loggle over his head, who himself was carrying an empty glass jug. "Hopediah, Sprig, you guys want to join me and Loggle's jug band?"
"Are you kiddin'?! Yes!" Hop Pop exclaimed.
"Do we ever," said Sprig.
With that, Sprig and Hop Pop ran off with Wally and Loggle, leaving the girls behind.
"C'mon, ladies, we can practice in my room," said Anne.
"Oh, Anne, you're bringing us to your room? Movin' a little fast there, don't ya think?" Sasha teased.
Anne blushed. "C'mon! You know that's not what I meant!"
"I know, I know, let's do it." Sasha turned to look over her shoulder. "See ya, Grimesy, I'm gonna go and rehearse with the girls. You alright going solo?"
"Oh yes. All shall tremble at my performance," said Grime with a foreboding tone to his voice.
Then he got up scurried away while giggling.
"Oookay."
Sasha returned to her girlfriends' side as they all headed to the Plantar farm.
Meanwhile, Toadie somehow managed to break out a strap on drum, with a bugle taped to the top. "Alright, Sir, I'm ready for rehearsal!"
"Are you kiddin' me, Toadie? Ah just bought myself a twelve-hour nap," said Toadstool. "Why don't you take a little time for yourself."
As Toadstool walked away, Toadie's expression turned from one of eager anticipation, to one of shock and dread. "T-T-Time for…myself…?"
The girls managed to scrounge up some instruments, a full drum set, and a guitar. Sasha headed back to her rented out room and came back to the Plantar farm to find Anne and Marcy setting up in the former's room. Sasha took a moment to scan Anne's makeshift room. She remembered her girlfriend saying that she lived in the basement of the Plantar home, and while she did manage to turn it into a livable space, it still annoyed her that she was living in such a space.
Ugh, they could've at least cleaned it up a bit more than this. Seriously, I'm surprised Anne hasn't gotten sick, thought Sasha.
She thought about venting that aloud, but Anne seemed content with her room, so she decided to let it be.
I'm definitely going to upgrade you when we have control over everything. A freakin' presidential suite. I'll give Marcy a lab space where she can do all kinds of sciency stuff. I mean, if there's anybody who can figure out how to invent Wi-Fi and modernize this place, it'll be her. Oh, and maybe I'll commission a tennis court to be made? I'm sure Anne's itching to play again. We'll even create a stage for all three of us to hold concerts, too! Mandatory attendance, of course.
"Sasha!" Anne called out.
The blonde teen was snapped out of her daydreaming by Anne's voice, making her blush as she replied, "Y-Yeah?"
"You were kinda spacing out there, you okay?"
"All good, just thinking how cute you two are, and how hot you'd guy's look in some punk rock gear," Sasha half-lied.
Marcy and Anne immediately went red in the face upon hearing Sasha's words. Anne was still getting used to be flustered by her additional girlfriend, and on some level, she was thinking that this was some form of cosmic karma for all the times she teased Marcy. Only Sasha could manage to make them both flustered at the same time.
"A-A-Anyway, what do ya got there, Sash?" Anne asked as she looked at the case she had slung over her shoulder.
Sasha chuckled as she put the case down and opened it, revealing a guitar that was made of some beetle parts. "Oh this? Just a dope axe beetle from Toad Tower." Sasha slung the guitar over her shoulder and took out a magenta-colored crystal. "Check this out!"
As soon as Sasha inserted the crystal, she began playing the guitar, and with each chord struck, the crystal resonated with the soundwaves and released them in the form of magenta light, while amplifying the force of the soundwaves to create a gust of wind. Marcy bobbed her head as and began playing the drums to Sasha's beat, and right after, Anne strummed her guitar. The three girls jammed out, just enjoying the fact that they were making music together. However, in typical Marcy clumsiness fashion, she managed to let her drumsticks slip out of her hands and ricochet around the room, making Sasha and Anne duck. Of course, this was just like old times and all of them couldn't help but laugh about it.
"Ah yeah, Sasha and the Sharps are back baby!" Anne exclaimed.
"So, what song should be play at the battle?" Marcy asked.
"We should totally play my song, 'Heart Stomper'. It was always a hit back home," Sasha suggested.
"Ooh, I'm inta that. Anne, what do you think?" Marcy and Sasha looked at Anne, but she gave no immediate reply. "Anne? What's up?"
"Uh…well…"
"Anne, babe, just tell us," said Sasha.
She just called me "babe", thought Anne.
I just called her babe! God, it feels so good to call her that, thought Sasha.
"I…Well, I actually wrote a song about Amphibia. And I was hoping we could play it together," said Anne.
Marcy gasped. "Anne, you never told me you were writing a song! Let's do it!" Then Marcy paused. "Oh, if that's alright with you, Sasha."
Personally, it was not alright. She was a bit annoyed by the suggestion, but hey, these were her girls, and Anne was a talented person, so, why not, right?
"Totally! Teach it to us Anne," said Sasha.
Anne was honestly surprised to hear that. She thought for sure that Sasha would railroad her and say "no" right off the bat like she used to. Perhaps being in a relationship has helped her to be more accepting of their opinions.
"Thanks, Sash! Okay so…"
It took some time to get it altogether, but as it turned out, Anne had figured out the melody as well. Once she had taught Sasha and Marcy their parts, and gave them the lyrics, they started the song. Polly and Frobo were down in the basement as they went through a practice run of the song, with Frobo acting as their smoke machine and Polly waving some mushroom lights around.
"Riding snails
But it's no big deal!
Eating flies
But it's no big deal!
Finally me,
And it's no big deal~"
"And here's where Sasha plays a killer guitar solo. We sing the refrain one more time, and then we're done," said Anne as she whipped out her journal.
"Nice work, Anna-banana. Fun to play, too." And that's when Marcy lost her drumsticks by twirling them. There was a glass shattered somewhere.
"Sasha, what do you think?" Anne asked with a hopeful look on her face.
"It's good…I just have a few tiny notes that I think could make it even better," Sasha suggested.
"Oh, okay."
"Great!" Sasha quickly took hold of Anne's journal as she broke out a pencil and started going through it. "These lyrics are all over the place. They'll have to change." Sasha flipped through the journal and found a drawing of herself, Anne, and Marcy wearing a moth, dragonfly, and butterfly suit, respectively. "Uh, are these bug suits? Oh, no, no, no."
Anne was feeling a bit crestfallen with each thing that Sasha was changing. She thought the bug suits were cute at least.
Sasha moved to Marcy and began stripping down the drum set, "Mar-Mar, the drumming is a little dense. Let's strip some of this down." In this case, Sasha only left Marcy with a single cymbal.
Then the blonde moved to Polly, who was looking up at her with an eager, yet smiling face as she awaited Sasha's instruction. "And you, we definitely need more lights." Sasha then proceeded to dump a bunch of mushroom lights until Polly was buried, all while the tadpole still smiled.
I will end you, Sasha, thought Polly.
"Frobo! Too much fog, and yet not enough fog. You feel me?"
Frobo was confused, as evident by the question mark symbols in his eyes.
Sasha slid on her knees and struck a dramatic pose as she proclaimed, "Whoo! Fixed it!"
Marcy felt a bit uneasy about this but tried to sound positive about it. "It does seem simpler."
"Yeah, these are solid ideas. But it's just not my song anymore. The lyrics are different, the melody is different. It's just different," said Anne.
Sasha sighed as she placed her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. "That's called collaboration, Anne."
Anne furrowed her brow a little and retorted, "This isn't collaboration. It's a hostile takeover. Why do things always have to be your way?"
Sasha furrowed her brow next, leading to the two girls to staring each other down. The cheerleading captain removed her hand and crossed her arms as she sighed dejectedly, "So now, once again, I'm forcing you to do things my way. You know what? Maybe I should leave and join a different band?"
"What?!" Marcy exclaimed.
"Sasha, wait, c'mon! It'll be more fun if you're with us," said Anne as she tried to remedy the situation.
Sasha packed up her guitar, walked up to Anne, and gave her a pick on the cheek. "Hey, it's alright. These things happen. We can't expect to get along one hundred percent of the time, this is just one of those not 'couple' things…"
"Throuple?" Marcy asked.
"Not a word, but sure. It's just one of those things where people in a relationship butt heads. And I don't want to ruin what we have over a little fight. So, I'll leave. That way, you guys can have all the fun you want, and I can have all the control I want. And we can all get what we want," Sasha explained.
"Well…I guess that makes sense," Anne replied as she rubbed her left arm.
"Yeah." Sasha walked over to Marcy and gave her a peck on the cheek before ascending the stairs. "And don't worry, I'll still be rooting for you guys! This is just how things go sometimes. We're not breaking up, and I still love you two. I'll see you tonight."
Sasha said those words, but she was saddened a little that she was not going to be playing with her girlfriends.
Anne and Marcy watched as Sasha left the room, both saddened themselves to see their girlfriend leave. The Thai teen sighed miserably as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Dang it…I…I messed up, didn't I?"
Marcy got up and placed her hands, comfortingly, on Anne's shoulders as she assured her, "No, it's okay. Sasha's right, this is the best thing for us. We're in a complicated relationship, and sometimes we just have to make compromises. And when we can't, sometimes it best to take a step back and give the other some room. Besides…it's just a talent show. Nothing worth blowing up about, right?"
"Yeah, I know you're right. Still…I wish she would've stayed and at least saw it through with us."
Marcy couldn't help but agree with that. She knew that their relationship was going to have its fair share of trials and tribulations. Normal couples had a lot of those, and each one tests their mettle on whether or not they want to stay in a relationship at all. But with them, they had twice the amount, and twice as much to lose.
"So much for Sasha and the Sharps. Who's going to do the guitar solo now?" Anne asked.
"Well, you still could," said Marcy.
"Yeah, I could, but Sasha's guitar skills are way better than mine."
"I'm sure we'll be fine…probably."
Meanwhile, Polly and Frobo were just standing in the corner watching this little soap opera.
"You guys done moping? 'Cause Frobes and I charge by the hour."
Frobo's eyes changed to money signs, just to emphasize the point.
Sasha made her way back to Wartwood, she was disappointed to say the least. "Jeez, girls, can't you see I was just trying to do what was best for us? Whatever…just one more thing I'll need to work on with them later."
She eventually made it back to Felecia's Tea Shop and headed upstairs where she suspected Grime was working on his act. She knocked on the door, and waited for him to answer, but jumped when the door cracked open.
"Who is it?! What do you want?!" Grime inquired suspiciously.
"Grimesy! How would you like to be in a band with me?" Sasha asked.
"Yeah, no, I'm a solo act."
As Grime went to shut the door, Sasha quickly stamped her foot between the door and the frame, keeping Grime from shutting it. She hurriedly grabbed ahold of the door, trying to push it open the rest of the way, while Grime was doing his best to shut it.
"What the heck is wrong with you?! You know this isn't a real battle!" Sasha argued.
"Be that as it may! I still intend to win!" Grime gasped. "Look behind you!"
Sasha stopped her struggling and turned her head to see who or what was behind her, but there was nothing. That hesitation bought Grime enough time to push Sasha back as he let forth a triumphant laugh before slamming the door in her face.
"You know I can just break this door down with one punch, right?!" Sasha threatened.
"Not so long as you're under my roof you're not!" Felecia's voice stated.
Sasha groaned in annoyance but relented and left the shop. She walked towards the center of town and sat down on the edge of the fountain, disappointed that she was now alone. Part of her urged Sasha to go back, apologize to the girls, and just play the song as Anne wanted. But then there was the more domineering part of her that kept telling her that her suggestions were the right ones, and that if she let them do it as is, they were going to lose.
"Well, looks like I'm a solo act. Unless I can find someone wants to do everything I say?" Sasha spoke aloud.
Just then, Sasha heard the sounds of someone else sighing. She turned around and saw that it was Toadstool's little toady, Toadie. It seemed as if the little frog was just as downtrodden as she was.
"The mayor's napping. Everyone is already in a band. Who am I supposed to play music with who will also boss me around?" Toadie asked.
Jackpot.
Sasha walked from around the fountain and stood before Toadie, her shadow eclipsing the sun and casting it upon Toadie. "You, tiny sad frog. You're coming with me!"
Toadie blinked. "Okay."
Sasha had Toadie follow her out into a clearing in the woods where they could practice away from the eyes of everyone. Once she as sure they were alone, Sasha began to play.
"I'm a heart stomper!
Stompin' on hearts!
If you want to get away
You're gonna need a head start~!"
Sasha continued to shred on her guitar as she looked over at her bandmate. "Take it Toadie!"
Toadie put a serious face as he began to beat the drum, hard.
"Yes, that's what I'm talkin' about!"
"I can keep this up forever!
If you trying to feel better!
Take it up with someone else~!
You can call it too cutthroat!
I'll stomp a heart like a roach!
I'm just lookin' out for myself~!
I'm a heart breaker!
Breaking those hearts!
You can tell me that's not me
But I'm perfect for the part~!"
I can keep this up forever!
If you trying to feel better!
Take it up with someone else~!
You can call it too cutthroat!
I'll stomp a heart like a roach!
I'm just lookin' out for myself~!"
Sasha continued to shred on her guitar releasing waves of light and sound with each chord she struck, her brow slick with sweat as her ponytail whipped back and forth from her exaggerated movements. Meanwhile, Toadie was playing that drum like his life depended on it, so much so that you could see his veins popping out around his head.
"I can keep this up forever!
If you trying to feel better!
Take it up with someone else~!
You can call it too cutthroat!
I'LL STOMP A HEART LIKE A ROACH!
I'm just lookin' out for myself~!"
Sasha looked back at Toadie and told him, "Play that drum! Blow the horn!"
"I'M A HEART STOMPER~!"
"NOW, STRIKE THE FINAL POSE!"
Toadie flipped through the air as Sasha called on her power to make flames erupt around them as Toadie struck his pose along with Sasha. Once they were done, Toadie collapsed onto his back, panting from the effort.
Sasha wiped her brow, satisfied by the rehearsal, but not quite. "Not bad. Not bad. But what if the bridge was an F-sharp instead of C-sharp?"
"Love it!" Toadie answered.
"Oh, and maybe at the end, we can do the splits!"
"No problem!
Sasha began to deadpan as Toadie kept agreeing with everything she said. "And how about we shoot you out of a cannon, through a flaming hoop, over a tank filled with frog eating river lampreys?"
"Totally here for it!"
Sasha groaned in annoyance. "C'mon, don't just agree with everything I say. What's your actual opinion?!"
Toadie sat up and looked at Sasha. "Oh, I stopped having opinions years ago. I'm just one hundred percent here to support you!"
Sasha had to take a moment to let that sink in. This little frog didn't have any opinions on anything, and just went along with whatever anyone told him, or in this case, what she told him and what the mayor told him. "Okay, how do you even live like that? I have opinions about everything. And if I'm not in control at all times, I'll go crazy!"
The blonde teen took a moment to think about that and realized, "Wow, no wonder I'm exhausted half the time."
Toadie removed his equipment and decided to share some of his wisdom with the young teen. "Maybe you should try letting go a little? Let someone else take the reins. Pass the baton. Hand over the keys–"
"Thanks, I get it." Sasha leaned against a nearby tree and sighed a bit. "Look, I do get where you're coming from. But at the same time, I have my reasons for why I need to have control. Exhausting as it is, if I don't keep control…I may end up losing what I hold most dear to me. There was nothing I could do to stop two people I love from separating…I can't have that happen with my girls."
Toadie could hear the heavy emotions in Sasha's voice, this girl has gone through some things. He walked up to Sasha and patted her on her knee as he said, "My point is, most people don't realize just how much fun it can be to support someone you really care about." As he said this, Toadie took out a button with Mayor Toadstool's face on it from his campaign run.
Did Toadie have a point? Sure, she understood what he meant. But everything she did, she did for her crushes. She wanted them all to bask in her glory, she brought them with her to every party thrown by the popular crowd that she could. She did not want them to feel left out, and neither did she want to be left out of their lives. Success together was better than failure alone. But, again, she understood Toadie's point.
"Well, thanks for the perspective, you weird, little butler frog," said Sasha, sincerely. "I'll think about what you said."
"Happy to help, ma'am," Toadie replied.
"Now come on! We've got a lot of practicing to do if we're going to win!"
Toadie saluted Sasha and got his equipment back on.
"A one and a tow and a twenty times through!"
"This is gonna hurt!"
He is definitely a masochist. But that works for me in this case!
Anne was busy putting the finishing touches on her costume, having rehearsed with Marcy long enough that they were confident that they could pull off this song without a hitch. Except for the guitar solo. Again, Anne's guitar skills were good, but Sasha was the best. She didn't feel as if she could deliver the same killer riffs a Sasha could. Anne wished Sasha would've stayed with them to talk it out a bit more.
Maybe I should've talked it out more instead of making it sound like I was accusing her of being a control freak…
Were they fighting? Was this their first fight as a "throuple"?
Nice Boonchuy, the three of you haven't even been together a whole week and you're already fighting. Ugh, Sasha can be so…Sasha sometimes!
She wrote that song from the bottom of her heart, it encapsulated everything she felt throughout her journey in Amphibia. Was her song writing really that bad that she had to change the entire thing? Anne double checked her journal. She didn't think so, at least. Marcy liked the song, too. Although now that she thought about it, Marcy seemed to be trying to play the role of moderator, wanting to keep harmony between them. Not that she blamed her. In a relationship as unconventional as theirs, they needed someone who was levelheaded to keep two passionate people like herself and Sasha from going overboard. Of course, it didn't work out as well this go around.
Marcy's probably blaming herself, too. It'll be okay, it's not like Sasha said we're breaking up. We're each just doing our own thing.
Marcy, on the day they planned out their dates, also told the girls that sometimes it's important for each of them to do their own things. While it was good to be together, it should not get to the point that they were dependent on each other. So, maybe this was one of those times when they needed to do their own things and feel independent?
Frog, relationships are hard.
Still, that didn't mean that Anne couldn't at least do a little something for Sasha, even if she was no longer going to be playing with them, she could at least do something for her. So, bearing that in mind, Anne headed out of the house, using her superspeed to rush to Wartwood and hit up the local fabric store. She recalled that Sasha often liked dressing in the style of a punk rocker when performing, so, Anne found some things that she could fashion into such clothes. Including an old leather jacket and some boots that were just Sasha's size.
With her items obtained, Anne ran back to the house and began her work, still utilizing her speed to work extra fast. She used some of the material from the costume that would've been Sasha's to make a shirt with a black heart that was cracked down the middle. A plaid skirt, and some tights. Anne added some metal studs to the collar of the jacket and found some spike earrings that were on sale as well. It wasn't a lot, but hopefully it showed that she was at least still thinking of her despite their little spat earlier.
Anne went back out with the outfit tucked under her arm, unfortunately, she didn't know where Sasha was, so she headed to the middle of town nearby Felicia's place. The stage was already erected, and the judge's table was setup as well. Anne smiled figuring this was going to be fun, but, not as much as it probably could've been if Sasha–
"Anne?"
The Thai teen turned her head to the left and saw Sasha walking towards her, with Toadie right behind her. "Hey, Sash. Um, why's Toadie following you?"
"Oh, well, he didn't have anyone, so we teamed up," said Sasha.
"Wow, no offense, dude, but I thought you'd be with the Mayor," said Anne.
A disappointed sigh came from Toadie as he said, "Well, Mayor Toadstool wanted to take a nap, so, I didn't really know what else to do. But I'm happy to be supporting Sasha!"
Anne rubbed the back of her head as she said, "Huh, well, wish I'd known. I could've made you something, too."
Sasha did a double take when she heard that. "Wait, 'too'? You made me something?"
Anne stood up and approached Sasha, blushing the whole time, Anne held out the outfit, complete with the boots she found. "I know you're not going to be with us on stage, as much as I want you to. But though you aren't, a good girlfriend would support her GF. So, I made these for you. I know you like the punk rock look."
Sasha's eyes widened with surprise as she carefully took the offered clothes and boots. "Anne…you did this for me?"
"Like I said, I wanted to support you. Even though we won't be together on stage, at least I can do this much for you."
The blonde teen had a blush on her face to accompany Anne's, finding herself at a complete loss for words. The air became a little awkward between them, with neither one knowing what to say now. Or even there was anything else to say.
"Okay, well, I'm going to head back home and finish up mine and Marcy's costumes for tonight…Um, see ya at the Battle," said Anne as she used her superspeed to dash away.
Sasha just looked in the direction of the blue lightning streak, still unable to find the right words to say. She made this for me…even after all that back there…
"Sasha, are you alright?" Toadie asked.
"Uh, y-yeah. Yeah! Let's, um, let's find you something to match my outfit for tonight."
Tonight, was the night, everyone who was not participating was already seated, ready to watch the night's festivities. The stage had been decorated with lights, some flowers, and a sword and ax symbol that were stylized like guitars was plastered on the stage itself, along with the backdrop curtain. At the judge's booth was Toadstool, and his co-judge, Albus Duckweed.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Battle of the Bands!" Toadstool announced. "Goose-lily and I will be your judges for this evening. So, what do you say we get things started?!"
"Uh, my name is Duckweed," Duckweed corrected.
"Don't sass me, Goose-lily. Hit the lights!"
"You got it!" Polly, who was apparently in charge of the lightning, broke out her trusty rolling pin, Doris, and literally hit the lights on.
With that the first act was brought on. Chuck rolled in a large plant pot with two huge yellow and pink tulips growing from them. He took out a small stick and began waving it around like a conductor as the two giant tulips started to sing, or what constituted as singing for these plant creatures.
"I grow singin' tulips," said Chuck.
Toadstool rolled his eyes as he said to Duckweed, "Oh boy, this is going to be a long night."
"Agreed."
The performance got a "4" and "5" for a total of nine. From there the act kept coming. Maddie and her sisters created a death metal band, and somehow, Ginger was able to belt out the most guttural, roaring lines anyone had ever heard. To say everyone in the crowd was stunned, and a little terrified, would be an understatement. So, their score was "5" and "3" for a total of eight.
Next came Mrs. Croaker and Archie. A table was put on the stage where Mrs. Croaker placed Archie on a pillow and a three-foot-high pole. Archie released a single thread of his spider silk and attached it to the pole. Afterwards, Mrs. Croaker began pulling on the thread, making Archie release warbling sounds that were very much akin to that of a theremin. Toadstool was visibly confused and gave it a "2", Duckweed was loving it and gave it a perfect "10", combining to twelve which was so far the highest score of the night.
Sprig, Loggle, Hopediah, and Wally were up next as they played on their assorted instruments. Sprig on his fiddle, Hop Pop blowing into a jug, Wally with his accordion, and Loggle was slapping spoons on his knees. While it had a nice folksy charm to it, about halfway through, Loggle lost his balance on the rocking chair he was in and fell backwards, ending the song. Toadstool gave it "6" for effort, and Duckweed gave it a "5.5", for a total of eleven and a half, which was the second highest of the night.
While all this was going on, Sasha was backstage, watching each of the performances as they went on, one after the other, as Toadie put the finishing touches on his costume for their act. Sasha took a moment to admire the outfit that Anne made for her. The jacket fit just right, and the black cracked heart on the shirt and plaid skirt were perfect, classic punk rock. To pull the look together, Sasha mussed up her hair a little and tied back more of her hair into a ponytail, and for the finishing touch she put black eyeliner on.
She had been keeping track of the scores so far, and she was certain that she could beat out the old lady and that jug band that Sprig was on. Sasha was going to take deep satisfaction in burying that kid with her song.
"That's good enough for me," said Hop Pop as he walked off stage.
"Mediocrity is comforting," Sprig added as he followed.
Tch, dorks, thought Sasha.
"Hey, Sasha!" Anne called out.
Sasha looked up and paused when she saw her two girls. Anne had tied her hair into two pigtails and was wearing the outfit she saw in the journal. The Thai teen had two painted on dragonflies on her cheeks that sparkled in the light. With the exception of her shirt and skirt, everything else was covered in sparkling glitter. From the purple gloves on her hands, to the violet scarf around her neck, the navy-blue boots on her feet, and the four dragonfly wings that had different hues of blue. Her shirt was a lavender color with two lightning bolts painted on that were orange and yellow, and her skirt, which was blue, had scales like a dragon. Anne even had a gold dragonfly barrette to pull the whole look together.
Marcy's outfit was in different shades of green, that had a metallic sheen to them. The green metallic parts of the costume looked kind of like layered armor, but with the butterfly theme that Sasha remembered from the journal, she was almost certain the green scales were meant to represent the cocoon of a butterfly before it metamorphosized into a butterfly. She had purple glitter on her cheeks, and a hairband that had curling antennae on it. There was something else that Sasha noticed as well, an emerald butterfly barrette that went really well with the costume.
Oh, holy crap they look so damn cute! Sasha thought.
She had to hold back on the need to gush over her incredibly cute girlfriends, so she tried to play it off. "Oh, hey, guys. Those costumes are…" Way cuter than those drawings made you two look! "…something else!"
"I'm a Drag-Anne-Fly," Anne proudly proclaimed.
"And I'm the personification of metamorphoses!" Marcy stated.
"Totally…Say, I never did ask, when did you get a new barrette?" Sasha asked.
Marcy blushed. "Oh, it was a gift from Anne back in Newtopia. I keep needing to get her a gift, too."
Anne smiled at Marcy and said, "And I told you, you're not obligated to get me something, too. I just did it because I wanted to."
Sasha's expression turned slightly sad. Because she wanted to. She wanted to make me this costume even though she knew I wasn't going to rejoin the band…damn, Anne, why are you such…such a good person.
"Hey, Sash, you alright?" Anne asked. "Is the costume not good?"
Sasha snapped herself out of her little funk and replied, "What? Oh, no, no, it's so my style!"
"I'll say," said Marcy as she blushed.
"Heh, you can get an eyeful when I'm on stage. You two better head out," the blonde teen suggested. "And have fun out there."
"Thanks, Sash!" Anne replied.
"You, too!" Marcy added.
The two girls headed on stage with Sasha watching them the whole time. She gave another sigh, but Toadie drew her back as he asked, "Hey, should we be worried about them?"
"Nah, I've seen their performance and," Sasha drew back the curtain a little as she watched her girlfriends setup, "it's a'ight. But nowhere near as good as it could've been with me in control."
The cheerleading captain released another disappointed sigh, at this point she wasn't sure who she was disappointed in. Herself for not sticking with them, or them for not listening to her.
"I just wanted us all to succeed. To win together. I was just trying to be a good friend, a good girlfriend. Why can't they see that…?" Sasha asked.
Toadie chuckled in understanding. "Oh, I know the feeling. But no matter how badly you want someone to succeed, you can't force it. Because sometimes, just being a good friend, just means being there for them when they need it the most."
Before Sasha could think of a response, or even bother to. Toadstool announced her girlfriends
"Ladies and gentlefrogs, I give you…The Sharps!"
The stage was darkened for a moment before the lights kicked on and revealed Marcy on her drums and Anne on guitar. Frobo, who was at stage left, used his arms to release the smoke onto the stage.
"Took a leap through a box, super weird
To a swamp where frogs talk
(ooh)
Now I'm stuck, got no plans
Just my luck, I'll do the best that I can
(woah)
Making friends and enemies
It's weird, but hey, it's grown on me
(ooh)"
Anne got closer to Marcy as they duetted.
"Bugs, frogs, newts, and toads
Gonna be a bumpy road
Flies for snacks, worms for lunch
(I think I actually love this swamp!)
It's no big deal, yeah, no big deal~"
The crowd was clapping along to their song as they listened, while Hop Pop and Sprig were getting emotional. They could feel Anne's emotions in the song, remembering how far she has come since she first arrived in Amphibia, and watching her blossom into a girl who could be proud of herself, and into a hero.
"Find a way to start again, brush off the dirt and make some friends~"
Sasha, meanwhile, was feeling her own emotions. Watching Anne sing with all her heart out there on the stage, hearing how she and Marcy were singing with such passion and happiness, just having fun. She could've been a part of that, she could've been up there on stage, singing with her girlfriends, the two girls she had a crush on for the longest time, and was now with them.
"It's no big deal, yeah, no big deal
I feel at home in a place that shouldn't be real
Crazy strange, but it's no big deal~"
What am doing…? What was thinking…? Did I really need to change anything about that song? No…I didn't. Anne, Marcy, I'm so sorry.
Toadstool bobbed his head to the song, and said, "Well, it's certainly charming I just hope there's a very cool guitar solo about to drop."
Anne was a little more worried now that they were on stage, but she was not about to give up. "Here goes nothing…"
Just before Anne could begin, Sasha came bursting out from behind the curtains, shredding on her guitar as her eyes glowed, releasing flaming embers as the ax-beetle guitar blasted waves of magenta light into the crowd. Anne and Marcy smiled broadly when they saw Sasha join them, and together, their energies resonated, making Marcy's emerald wind spiral around them as Anne's lightning sparked through that wind, joining Sasha's embers, and creating a sick pyrotechnic effect.
"Ooooooohhh!
It's no big deal, yeah, no big deal
I feel at home in a place that shouldn't be real~
Killer birds,
But it's no big deal!
Riding snails,
But it's no big deal!
Eating flies,
But it's no big deal!
Finally me,
And it's no big deal~!"
When the song ended, their combined elemental energies released a burst that showered the stage in glittering light made up of azure, emerald, and magenta. The crowd cheered loudly for the three girls, not only was it a beautiful song, but their little power combination seemed to have helped in their scoring as Toadstool and Duckweed gave them a "9" for a total of eighteen, easily beating Mrs. Croaker and the jug band.
Anne couldn't contain herself as she rushed towards Sasha and threw her arms around her, giving her girlfriend a big hug. "Sasha! I'm so psyched that you joined us!"
Sasha hugged Anne back, tight, as if trying to convey just how sorry she was through contact alone. But then she broke the hug a little and said, "I am, too. I'm just sorry it took me so long to finally realize it. Can you forgive me?"
"Of course," said Anne as she kissed Sasha on the cheek.
Marcy sniffled, happy to see that her two lovers had resolved their earlier issue.
Toadie, who witnessed all this, smiled, and headed to the judge's table. He whispered into Toadstool's ear who nodded.
"Ah've just been informed that the next act has been cancelled. So, give it up for your final contestant, Grimetime!"
Everyone watched as Grime, with a toothy grin, walked onto the stage, dragging a huge coffin with spikes behind him. The coffin screeched like nails on a chalkboard as he dragged it behind him, making the crowd, and even Sasha, worry about what it was he was planning to do. Polly, however, seemed to relish the fact that Grime was about to perform as she directed all the lights on him and cried out, "Aw, heck yeah!"
Grime laughed sinisterly as he placed the iron maiden-like coffin upright on the stage, and with one swift motion, he opened it. And when he did, it was not what anyone was expecting. Inside the coffin was a golden harp with a swan head design. The crowd gasped, the girls gasped, but Polly went, "Huh?"
Grime cleared his throat and said, "This piece is dedicated to the serenity of nature."
The former captain of Toad Tower carefully took out his harp and began playing the most beautiful and soulful melody anyone had ever heard. Marcy, Anne, and Sasha's jaws dropped, eyes wide as saucer plates as they couldn't believe what they were seeing and hearing.
[3 HOURS LATER]
Everyone was in tears, touched deeply by Grime's music. The former gladiator plucked the strings one more time, releasing the final notes of his song before stopping and taking a bow. The crowd broke out into roaring cheers, completely blown away by what they just saw and heard.
"Well, Ah've seen enough. GRIME WINS!" Toadstool proclaimed as he and Duckweed held up perfect "10s".
"AH-HA-HA! YES! YES!" Grime exclaimed in triumph.
Marcy hissed a little, knowing that Sasha wasn't one for losing. "Sorry we lost, Sash."
"You know what, as much as it pains me that we lost…" Sasha turned to her girlfriends and smiled at them. "It was worth it to play and have so much fun with you two."
Anne and Marcy hugged Sasha as they both replied, "Us, too."
Toadstool, after giving Grime the trophy, stood at the center of stage and spoke to the audience. "Folks, gather 'round. I got one more announcement to make. Sasha, Anne, Marcy, can you come on stage please?"
The three girls did as they were asked, now standing next to Toadstool.
"Now, as I understand, you three girls will be leaving us soon, is that correct?" he asked.
Anne stepped forward and explained, "Well, with the box charged, we'll be heading to Newtopia tomorrow for the king to send us home. We won't be leaving you guys permanently. We're just going to head back home, let our folks know that we're alright and alive, which I'm sure they're probably worried sick about us. But once we've done that, we'll hop back here. The Night and its Fallen are still a threat to Amphibia, and our world as well, but you don't have to worry, we're going to protect you guys for as long as it takes until The Night is defeated! And, saying that, I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you that Sasha–"
"Is a Kamen Rider, we know, dear," said Mrs. Croaker.
"WHAT?!" the three girls exclaimed.
"It wasn't that hard ta figure out, considerin' what happened with Barry couple a days ago," said Stumpy.
"So, wait a sec, you all knew I had powers this whole time, but you weren't afraid of me? Or trying to run me out of town?" Sasha asked genuinely confused.
"Lassie, if our Anne isn't worried about you bein' here, then we aren't either," said Wally.
"But you guys were giving me the stink eye the whole time Grime and I were here! And the mobs!"
"Didn't ya read the sign?" Toadstool asked as he threw a thumb towards the town gate.
Sasha looked in that direction as the stage lights hit it. "'Slow to accept, and even slower to respect'. Wait, so you two had mobs coming after you, too?"
"Oh yeah," said Anne.
"Same, but now it rarely happens anymore!" Marcy stated.
There were a few frogs who had torches, but there was a glare from some other frogs that was silently telling them, "She's cool now! Put those things away!" making said frogs put out the torches.
"Anyway, while I'm up here, I just wanted to say, thank you. You all have done so much for me in the time I've been here, and I'm glad that I have the power now to repay you for that. And, before we head out, you think we can all take a group photo?" Anne asked
"Heck yeah! Everybody line up!" Toadstool exclaimed.
The townsfolk gathered in the square around the statue of the town founder. Grime with his huge trophy, Duckweed, Ivy, Chuck, Bessie, Micro-Angelo, Fleafy the undead flea, Frobo, Soggy Joe, Elliot Samson, Stumpy, Mr. Flour, Maddie, Lavender, Ginger, Rosemary, Wally, Mrs. Croaker, Loggle, Tutti, Toadstool, Toadie, Hop Pop, Sylvia, Felecia, Polly, and if one looked closely enough, you could see the ghost of old Zachariah Needles peeking over one of the rooftops. Anne, Marcy, and Sasha were centered in the middle of the townsfolk, with Anne being in the middle of her two girlfriends. Sprig was placing Anne's phone on the makeshift tripod, sitting it to go off in a few seconds.
"Sprig, come on!" Anne urged. "Hurry! Hurry!'
Sprig rushed towards them, and laid himself out on his left side on the ground, just in time for the photo to be snapped, capturing everyone in this moment of happiness that they all hoped would last forever…
A/N: Tune in tomorrow for the exciting 2-part season finale!