Anne was getting tired of waking up in strange places. The first time was in the woods of Frog Valley. The second was on the hood of a random car in Los Angeles. The third time was in Amphibia, again, but in its polluted state. Fourth was on a little island floating out in the cosmos where she met the god of the multiverse. And now…on a dirt mound in the shallows of the shores of Newtopia. The Thai teen rose to her feet, spotting the Resistance army who had their heads bowed in silent prayer as they allowed her friends and lovers to mourn her passing. It was surreal for Anne. She knew it happened; she remembered fading away at that very spot where they were all gathered. But now she was back…but was she?
What the Guardian said was going to be nagging her for the rest of her life, but for now, she needed to bring comfort to her saddened friends. Anne walked towards the group, some of the crowd raised their heads and gasped when they saw Anne approaching. Many others started to raise their heads and they too were struck speechless as they saw her walking up to Sasha, Marcy, Grime, Yunan, Olivia, the Plantars, and Frobo. Anne stopped just a couple of feet from them and cleared her throat.
"So, what's everyone all sad about?" Anne asked.
"Not now, Anne. We're mournin' the loss of a true hero…And the greatest kid to have ever–!"
"ANNNE!" Sprig screamed joyfully.
"Say what?!" Hop Pop watched as Sprig bolted from his side and ran towards…Anne. "ANNE!"
Anne held out her arms as Sprig leapt into them. The pink frog child hugged his adopted big sister tight as Anne did the same to him.
"You're alive! You're alive!" Sprig shouted.
"I am, dude. I'm back."
"ANNE!" Sasha and Marcy screamed as they, too, ran and tackle hugged her to the ground, splashing water everywhere.
Polly and Hop Pop cried out with joy as they joined the group hug, Grime jumped in as well, happy to see the brave human girl returned to them, along with Frobo wrapping his extendable arms around them all, happy as the rest of them to see Anne had returned.
"I…I don't understand! Anne, you…you just broke down completely, so…how are you here?!" Marcy asked.
"Does it matter?! She's back, that's all that matters! But where did you go?! Did you really die? Or…?" Sasha questioned.
"Oh, man. I don't even know where to begin. Honestly, all of it feels like a dream," said Anne.
"Uh, question: why is your pocket glowing?" Sprig asked.
Anne looked down at her left skirt pocket and saw that it really was glowing. The Thai teen reached into it and pulled out something. It was a piece of paper, and wrapped in it were three shards of the Calamity gems, and letters with an emoji that read, "TTYL O.o"
So, it really wasn't a dream.
That thought made Anne both relieved and sad at the same time.
Anne put the shards away before grabbing Sprig and tossing him into the air as they all laughed happily. The rest of the Resistance army joined the group, with some coming to the center and lifting Anne as they tossed her into the air, celebrating not only her return to life, but also her heroic sacrifice to save them all.
Andrias watched the celebration from his spot on a dirt mound. The former King of Amphibia let himself slowly lay on his back as he looked up at the moonless night sky. For the first time in his life, there was no more scheming, no more thinking of the next plot. The shadow of his father and The Core were gone, and the girl who gave her life to bring it all about had been brought back to them. A true miracle had occurred.
"It's over…Argus…Leif…Barrel…all of it. It's finally all over. Rest in peace my dear friends."
It was decided that everyone would camp at the beach of Newtopia. The city was still not safe to reenter after all the quakes from the earlier incident. So, for now, everyone would have to make do with sleeping in tents. Andrias had been moved to an area where he was in full view of everyone, guarded by a few of their Resistance Army fighters. Marcy said that it wasn't necessary, given his current state, there wasn't really anything Andrias could do to fight or move on his own. Andrias told the young genius that it was fine, he didn't expect any less considering all he had done.
Everyone managed to get some food, with Marcy, Sasha, and Anne scarfing down huge helpings of anything and everything Stumpy managed to cook up. Fighting out in space, and the battle before that had burned off a lot of calories and their stomachs were craving sustenance. After everyone had their meals, they all went bed, Sasha, Marcy, and the Plantars were given a big tent so that they could all sleep together. Understandable considering that they had all watched Anne die right in front of them and were reluctant to be parted from her for fear of losing her again.
However, Anne couldn't sleep. Her mind was still too preoccupied with everything she learned from the Guardian. She had spent most of the night telling everyone what she remembered, retelling her conversation with the cosmic deity who gave her a second chance at life. She did omit two things from her story. The first was that the stones were created by the Guardian as a test to find their successor. She wasn't sure how everyone would take the idea that Anne was chosen to succeed a cosmic god. And the second…well…the fact that she was a copy.
That word rang out in her head again and again. The Guardian could've used any other word to describe her. But they said she was a "copy" a "backup". Which meant, she wasn't the original Anne Boonchuy, she was just a copy, a clone of her. But she felt real, she felt the same, but were these feelings her own? Were these thoughts her own? Anne let out a frustrated sigh as she managed to wriggle her way out of the pile of friends and family around her and took a walk outside. She kept walking until she was at the hill that overlooked Newtopia and sat at the edge. She opened her right hand and concentrated, she tried to feel the energy that was once there, but it was gone.
"Can't sleep?"
Anne turned around and saw Sasha and Marcy standing there.
"You too?" Anne asked.
"Kind of, but we were a little worried when you weren't there," said Marcy.
"Sorry, I just kind of wanted to be alone for a sec," said Anne.
"Oh, uh…sorry, we'll go back to the tent," Sasha remarked.
"Actually…can you guys sit with me?"
Sasha and Marcy glanced at each other and nodded. Sasha sat down on Anne's right, while Marcy sat on Anne's left. She was fixated on her hand, and it didn't take them long to figure out why.
"You can't feel your powers anymore, right?" Sasha questioned.
"No, I can't. I feel hollow inside. We've had these powers for a while, but now that they're gone…it's like a part of me is missing, y'know?"
Marcy sighed as she twiddled her thumbs.
"I understand. Even when we gave our full powers back to the gems when we did the temple challenges – even though we didn't know that was happening to us – I still felt the embers of that power inside of me. Now, I don't feel anything."
"I used all of the Calamity power. Every last drop of it. In order to destroy The Core. I guess I was expecting that maybe we'd still have some of it left in us, but…"
"We're not Kamen Riders anymore," said Sasha. "Without our powers, we can't transform. We can't summon our Drivers. We're just back to being three normal girls."
Anne chuckled upon hearing the word "normal".
"Dude, we are seriously anything but normal," Anne retorted. "We fought as Riders; we saved this world. We may not be able to transform ever again, but we're still extraordinary in our own ways."
Marcy leaned her head and rested it against Anne's shoulder.
"I'm so happy you're back…I…I didn't know how I was going to keep going on in a world without you in it, Anne," Marcy confessed.
"Marcy…"
"Same for me." Sasha admitted. "After everything we've been through. To not get the chance to make up for all the things I did…to start over and make a fresh start with you and Marcy…I…"
Tears began to fall from Sasha's eyes at the same time as Marcy's. Anne reached out and grasped both Sasha's and Marcy's hands as she gave them a squeeze.
"I'm right here, girls. And I'm not going anywhere," said Anne.
All three girls stared up into the moonless sky, it was strange. In the months that they had spent in Amphibia, they had gotten used to seeing the moon there, either tinted red or a shade of pale blue. But now, it was gone. A constant reminder that they all were up there, in space, fighting a monster straight out of some nightmare. Where Anne died defending two worlds and saving all their lives. This sky and land that had helped them to grow in ways not one of them could've ever imagined.
At the crack of dawn, the camp assembled at the hill where the girls were last night. Marcy gave the shards of the Calamity gems a quick look and made her determination.
"Well, based on what Anne told us about what the Calamity gems were. I think these shards are low output versions of the stones," said Marcy.
"So, we can use them to get back home?" Sasha inquired.
"In theory. But we're talking crumbs of energy. Judging by the size and luminosity, I think they're one-time use only," Marcy explained.
"So…if we use these to return home, there's no coming back," Anne remarked.
"Well, not only that. But the glow from these shards, compared to last night, has dimmed some. We're working on a time limit. We could have only a few more hours, or a few more minutes. Either way…we need to decide now, or the choice will be made for us."
The Wartwood residents, Yunan and Olivia, Grime, Frobo, and the Plantars found this to be a tough pill to swallow. These three girls had changed so many things about their world and helped them to grasp a future that was no longer being influenced by an unseen evil that was lurking in the shadows, and just as importantly, they owed these three girls their lives. Despite all they had done, they knew that Anne, Sasha, and Marcy had done enough, their powers were gone, they were just teenage girls now, and that's what they needed to be. They needed to grow up and live their lives.
"Well," said Hop Pop, "we better say our goodbyes. You girls need to go back to your own lives. And Ah think we've kept ya long enough."
It was a sentiment that was shared by everyone, as hard it was to accept. Even the girls couldn't say no. As much as they loved everyone here, they had their families waiting for them, and there was much still left to do back there as well. The Wartwood residents broke off and went to find some flowers, they wanted to send them off properly, so they made flower wreaths for each girl to wear, with an assortment of flowers in the colors of their former Calamity powers. While they did this, the trio decided to leave something behind, although they didn't know how long they would withstand the test of time, they figured it was at least something that everyone could look to once and a while.
Sasha took her heron swords and thrust them into the hill, forming an "X" shape pattern. Funnily enough, Anne's backpack was among the supplies that was carried by Joe Sparrow, and when Anne searched for her own memento to leave behind, she saw a tennis racket buried among the other things that her parents had packed for her. With a chuckle, she leaned the racket against the right side of Sasha's swords, earning a chuckle from her girlfriends. Marcy detached the forearm mounted crossbow she received as part of her standard equipment from the Night Guard, a weapon that helped her when she wasn't in Rider form and placed it to the left of the swords. The girls took a step back, looking at the little alter they made. It wasn't much, and there was a chance these items would rust and wither, but hopefully it would provide their Amphibian friends a little comfort. When their wreath crowns were finished, each of the three girls broke off to say their final goodbyes to the Amphibians who meant the most to them.
Marcy got down on one knee before Olivia and Yunan, allowing the newt general to place the crown of flowers upon her head. Olivia looked particularly sad. Despite Marcy's antics, she had grown fond of the human girl, seeing her as a daughter. Which made the fact that she was never going to see her again hurt all the worse.
The Taiwanese girl rose to her feet and looked upon both newts as she smiled and said, "I came to this world thinking only of myself. Delving into the fantasy that I wanted, without any regard for those around me. I'm sorry I made you all think I was a hero. It was wrong of me."
"Marcy, you are a hero to us, to everyone. No one will ever forget all that you have done to help our world. Even if it was a part of the fantasy life you wished for, you genuinely helped the people of Amphibia, risking your life against the monsters that threatened our lives. And for that, we will be eternally grateful," said Olivia.
"Plus, if it wasn't for you and your friends, we probably wouldn't have discovered something about ourselves as well," said Yunan.
Marcy raised her eyebrow for a second, but then watched as Olivia and Yunan joined hands and moved closer to each other, smiling up at the human girl. It only took a nanosecond for Marcy to understand what they meant, and she was so happy for them. Her gaze then fell upon Andrias. The former ruler of Amphibia had kept silent through the whole exchange, keeping his head down and eyes closed. No doubt feeling unworthy of even gazing upon her right now, he probably wondered why he was even allowed to be this close to her after everything that happened, but Marcy wanted him there. While there were things that she hated that he did, she also knew that Andrias, deep down, was hurting and suffering through it all. It would take a long while before Marcy could say she forgave him but considering that this was the last time they'd see each other, she didn't want to leave the newt king with only sad memories.
"Goodbye, Andrias," said Marcy as she showed him a small smile.
Andrias opened his eyes and slowly turned his head to her and was shocked to see her even showing the smallest smile to him. The old newt king's heart felt both joy and pain upon seeing that smile, and while he felt like he wanted to say more to her, he just didn't have the right words to convey it all.
"Take care, kiddo," he replied.
Marcy walked up to the battered body of Andrias, patted him on his giant right hand. All while Andrias shed a single tear.
At the same time, Grime and Sasha were having their own goodbye. Sasha knelt before the toad warrior in a very militaristic fashion, while Grime stepped forward, and in the same manner, placed the flower crown on Sasha's head. Grime took a step back and saluted Sasha. Both the human and toad had stern expressions on their faces, keeping with the decorum of a military style send off, as informal as the occasion was.
"Lieutenant."
Sasha stood up and saluted back.
"Commander."
Grime offered his right hand to Sasha for a handshake and said, "It was honor serving with you. You were the best lieutenant in my army and have earned the right to call yourself a proud and true toad warrior. I wish you luck in your future endeavors."
Sasha looked down at the offered hand, paused for a moment…and then broke down into a sobbing fit, ugly crying and wailing.
"I'M GONNA MISS YOU SO MUUUU-UH-UH-CCCH!" Sasha cried.
"…WAAAAAAH-HA-HA-AAAAAH! NOT AS MUCH AS-AS I'M GOING TO MISS YOU!" Grime remarked, also ugly crying.
"YOU WERE THE BEST TOAD DAD I EVER HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAAAD!"
"AND YOU WERE THE BEST HUMAN DAUGHTER I COULD'VE EVER ASKED FO-O-O-O-O-ORRRR!
Sasha placed her hands on Grime's shoulders, tears still streaming down her face as she said, "Grime, you find Percy and Braddock! You tell them that I will miss them forever!"
"I will!" Grime assured. "Just as soon as I find the pieces of my heart and put them back togetherrrrr!"
Grime and Sasha hugged each other tightly as they continued to have their ugly cry moment. Everyone decided to give them a little more time.
Anne stood before her found family, Hop Pop, Sprig, Polly, Frobo, and their family snail, Bessie. These individuals before her helped shape Anne into the girl she was now, helping her to become a better person than the girl who just walked through life, taking the easy road whenever it was presented to her. Through their adventures together, she learned the value of hard work, family, and what it means to be a hero. She never sought to be that, but it was what she eventually became without realizing it.
Anne knelt before Polly as she gently rubbed the top of the little tadpole's head and said, "Goodbye, Polly. You're the little sister I never knew I needed. I know you're going to grow into an amazing frog and take over the world with a Gundam army."
Polly sniffled as she threw herself into Anne's arms and hugged her.
"Without you as my moral compass, I definitely will," said Polly.
Anne broke the hug and placed Polly back on the ground before facing Hop Pop. He had truly become like a grandfather to her, and it hurt to say goodbye, and not be able to see the old frog or be there for him when he got too old to work on the farm.
"Goodbye, HP. Thanks for taking me in. I'm so lucky to call myself a Plantar," said Anne.
"Ah'm the lucky one, Anne. And Ah'm so blessed to have a granddaughter like you," said Hop Pop as he began to tear up. "I-If you ever need a home-cooked meal or your old room back, just…stop by."
"Like an old wise frog once told me, 'Family always finds each other'."
Anne embraced Hop Pop, both shedding tears. When Anne broke the hug, she turned to the one frog that was taking this hardest. Sprig was standing there, gritting his teeth and twisting his cap into a knot as he tried to keep it together, but it was a to little avail. The Thai teen walked over to him, and gently placed her hands on either side of his head, momentarily making him stop as he looked up at the girl who had become not just his friend, nor just his hero, but a big sister whom he looked up to and loved so much. She brought him close to her chest and pressed Sprig's head against her shoulder, still crying as he held on tight to her.
"G-Goodbye, Anne…I-I'll never forget you," said Sprig.
"And I won't forget you either, Sprig. Which means that we'll never be apart. Not really."
Sprig cried harder as he hugged Anne tighter, making Anne do the same as she felt her heart aching.
"Nothing will ever change how much you mean to me." Anne broke the hug a little and looked into the young frog's eyes as she smiled at him. "Not time or space or being worlds apart."
Sprig rubbed his eyes as he managed a smile and said, "Spranne against the world?"
"Spranne against the world."
The two of them went into their elaborate handshake one last time. When they were done, Anne took out her cellphone and presented it to Sprig.
"Here, I want you to have this. Maybe it'll help you on your future adventures."
Anne hugged her second family, together, one last time. Marcy hugged Olivia and Yunan, and Sasha hugged Grime. Their Amphibian friends and family, the people who changed their lives would never be far from their hearts and would always be with them.
Valeriana stepped up, making Anne look at her as she nodded to them. The three teens ended their hugs as their Amphibia families stepped back to join the others who were assembled to see them off. The three girls turned around and readied themselves for departure. Valeriana placed the shards of the Calamity gems into the three slots on the Calamity Box, once locked in, Valeriana pointed the box towards the hill and opened it. A beam of light shot out of the music box and formed a portal. Their way back home.
Anne, Sasha, and Marcy stepped forward, once more into the breach. One last time crossing between the worlds. The trio glanced at each other, seeming to have come to a silent agreement as they turned around, locked hands, and gave a bow to their Amphibian friends and family. The Wartwood Residents all cheered and clapped for their heroic friends, thankful for all they had done for them. With that last bow, they turned around once more to walk into the portal.
However, Anne felt something wrapped around her lower body. She looked down and saw that Sprig had rushed out of the crowd to hold her one last time. Anne got down on one knee and hugged her little brother for the last time. As they ended the hug, Anne kept ahold of his left hand, her heart torn between going back and staying as she looked into his eyes. Sprig was the same way, he knew Anne had her family back home, her own life, but she was his family too. But…they both knew that Hop Pop was right. The adventure was over, it was time to move forward. Anne kept holding onto Sprig's hand up until the last moment when it slipped from hers. Sasha and Marcy waited for Anne and held out their hands to her. Anne took ahold of their hands, and together, the Calamity Trio walked into the portal, leaving Amphibia as the portal of light closed with a brilliant flash of light.
Valeriana felt something strange. When she looked down, the music box was shaking and rattling. And within seconds, the music box suddenly withered and cracked. And in the next moment, it broke down into ashes, disappearing before their eyes. As if to make it clear that there would be no more traveling between the worlds, that the way was closed forever.
At long last…my sins have been atoned for, thought Valeriana.
"So…what now?" Hop Pop asked aloud.
"Now, we build a better world," said Olivia.
"Together," Grime remarked.
As this conversation was going on, Polly felt something strange happening. And that's when a single strand of orange hair popped out of her head.
"Not to undercut you guys…BUT I JUST GOT MY FIRST HAIR!"
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Xia yelled.
The Waybrights and Wus were brought to a secure facility, which was the SJMS campus. Mr. X put out the call to the Waybrights and Wus, telling them where to meet up. Shoichi and Vee had been retrieved by Tsukasa Kadoya, informing them that the battle was officially over, and that he would return Vee to her home and take Shoichi back to his universe. Thankfully, this all happened in plain view of the Waybrights and Wus to better help their explanation as to what was going on. Dipper and Mabel decided to remain close by, just because they didn't trust Foundation X to not try pull something at the last second.
Bee and Oum informed the Waybrights and Wus about the true happenings and circumstances surrounding all three of their children's disappearance. Although, for the time being, they left out the whole polyamorous relationship part, not being entirely sure how they would take this news, especially the Wus who were not taking it very well to begin with.
"Xia, calm down. They said they would be back," said Oum.
"But when, Oum?! It's been a day since that castle left, so why haven't they come back?!"
"Like we told you, this war was fought on two fronts. Sasha and Anne were leading an army back in Amphibia. There are probably some things there they need to mop up first before coming back. They wouldn't want to leave their friends in a dire situation," said Bee.
"They're teenage girls, Bee!" Ling argued. "They shouldn't be 'mopping up' anything! I get that you're probably as giddy as can be about your daughter being a 'Kamen Rider'. Probably living the dream right now! But I'd think you'd both be a little more worried about their safety, than to just let them travel back to a world they were lost in for months! Right after an invasion!"
Bee pointed a finger in Ling's face as he said, "First off: yes, I am living my boyhood Kamen Rider dream right now, thank you! Second: don't you dare say we aren't still worried for our daughter! For your daughters, too!"
"But…Xia does have a point; shouldn't they have at least sent a message to us?" Amanda asked.
Mr. X fixed his glasses and said, "They now have the means to travel between our world and Amphibia at any time they wish. Given the state of affairs this invasion has left that world, knowing those girls, they probably want to help get things back on track before they return."
"Why would they want to help that world? They just invaded ours," said Ted.
"Mr. Waybright, wars are not always so cut and dry. From my understanding, there was an active resistance force that your daughter was leading against the king of that world. It's not really fair to label an entire race of people as evil based solely on the evil actions of someone who happened to be from that same race. And besides, there were Amphibians who helped us in his fight as well. They had no expectation of helping us, but they fought on their side to keep this invasion from happening. Obviously, something went wrong, and it happened anyway, but some were here, and fought with us all the same," said Mr. X.
Just then, a brilliant flash of light went off in the open walking area of the school. Everyone quickly rushed to where the light was shining, and when they did, the adults gasped. Walking out of the portal, hand-in-hand, were Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. The three girls took a few more steps out of the portal before turning around and watching as the portal closed. The finality of this moment hit them, realizing that they would never see anyone from Amphibia again, it hurt.
"SASHA!" Ted and Amanda yelled.
"MARCY!" Ling and Xia screamed.
The three girls watched as their respective parents broke into sprints and enveloped their children in tight hugs, sobbing tears of joy to have them back. Sasha and Marcy couldn't hold it in and sobbed with them as they hugged them back, not realizing how much they missed their parents, despite their complaints about them, it was still nice to feel their presence.
Anne broke away and walked up to her parents, they didn't really need to say anything. Oum and Bee could see it in Anne's eyes. They had been through something back there, and whatever that something was had delayed them, but at the same time, it seems that same something might've also been the reason why Anne didn't have the Plantars with her. The Thai man and woman brought their daughter into a hug, letting her cry as well as she let out her own sob, taking comfort in their embrace as the reality of never being able to see anyone from Amphibia truly hit them all.
After their return, Mr. X had them moved to a different, "off the books" safehouse where they could be debriefed. As much as the FBI special agent would've liked to send them off with their families and get some much needed, and very well-deserved rest, there were still a lot of things to take care of.
They took turns getting showered, it had been a very long time since Sasha and Marcy had had a nice hot shower, even Anne relished the shower, even though she got to take many when she was back on Earth for a month or so. Anne came out of the shower, wrapped in a robe as she entered a room that was designated to be theirs. There were three cots set up for them, with Marcy sitting in one of them and Sasha right next to her. The Taiwanese girl was busy brushing Sasha's hair, which seemed to sooth the blonde.
"I know we're not feeling good after that, but do you guys feel a little better after a hot shower?" Anne asked.
"Inside, yeah, you're right, not there yet. But outside, damn, it's like all the tension just let go at once," said Sasha.
"Sashy said there was a lot of dirty water in the tub when she was done," Marcy mentioned.
"Marcy! C'mon!"
"Oh, so that's why you took longer in there. Cleaning the tub?" Anne teased.
"Ugh! Yes! Okay! I bathed in Amphibia, but I was very busy! Anne, back me up! You know! I took bathes, tell her!" Sasha remarked.
"Hmm, don't know. I mean there were a few times where I thought you didn't," said Anne.
"Ugh, you're the worst, Boonchuy," Sasha grumbled.
Anne sat in another cot and asked a more important question, "How's your back?"
Sasha had almost forgotten. When she received the power boost from the Strength Calamity gem, the pain in her back had vanished. She wasn't sure if that was due to it being healed completely or just her powers preventing her from feeling pain. Although, there was still a little soreness and tingling, it didn't hurt.
"It's okay, I think," said Sasha.
"You should tell your mom and dad to take you to a doctor just to be safe. My powers kept me from dying right away, but it was thanks to a combination of my powers and the rejuvenation tank that kept any permanent damage from being done." Marcy stopped her brushing and tugged at the collar of her sweatshirt to stare down at the vertical scar in the middle of her chest. "But unfortunately, I'm going to have this nasty scar on me. Heh, guess I'm not wearing any bikini's any time soon."
"Uh, Marce, you didn't even when we went to the beach or pool parties," Anne pointed out.
"Then it's not that much of a loss then. I'm sure my mom and dad are going to probably see about getting me some plastic surgery to get it covered up," said Marcy.
"You don't sound too thrilled about it, though," Sasha noted.
"I don't think it's necessary. It's not like I'm planning on wooing or going out with anyone. The only two people I care about that much are sitting in this room right now, and I don't care if you see it," Marcy confessed.
Sasha and Anne smiled at their girlfriend and nodded at her.
"As for me, I'm not going to cover up my scars."
"Seriously?" Anne questioned. "Your mom's definitely going to be wanting it for you."
"So? I don't care. Each of these scars is a lesson and a reminder. Plus, they make me look badass." Sasha watched as Anne and Marcy rolled their eyes. "But I will get the one on my back looked at."
"Thank Frog for that much," Marcy commented.
The room went silent for a few minutes while Anne dried up and got dressed in her sweats. Sasha and Marcy were kind of to close their eyes while she did. It was embarrassing to know that they were there and could see her, but she was glad they didn't. When she was done with her shower, she looked herself over and found that her body was completely without any blemishes. No scars, no bruises from past battles, no scratches, nothing. It was as if she had gotten a whole new body free of any possible aches or pains, while she was tired, she certainly didn't have any of the same aches and pains her friends did. A fresh new body.
Once Anne was done, she turned around and said, "Okay, I think we need to establish what we do and don't want to tell them before we go out there."
Sasha leaned on her thighs as she sighed heavily.
"The truth, Anne. I'm not going to gloss over all the stupid crap I did in Amphibia. I don't want there to be any kind of idea that I was the golden child in this whole adventure or whatever. My parents deserve to know how crappy I was to you and Marcy, the things I did Amphibia, and why I'm going to be a better person," said Sasha with determination.
Marcy nodded and added, "Same for me. I know that I might make your parents angry when they find out what I did…but I don't want to hide it. And…I don't want to hide what happened to me while I was trapped in my mind."
"Darcy said she trapped you in a fantasy," said Anne.
"It was a dream, a great one too. But also, incredibly cruel." Marcy gripped the loose-fitting sweats hard. "She created a fantasy world where we were altogether. While only days and weeks passed out here, twelve whole years passed for me in that dream world."
"Twelve years?!" Anne and Sasha exclaimed in shock.
"She made it very believable. In that dream…we got married, and lived in Amphibia, hopping into different universes and saving them from destruction and evil." Marcy blushed as she continued. "We…We even had kids. Three of them."
Anne and Sasha blushed hard when they heard that. They, meaning, all three of them, had kids.
"W-W-Wait, you mean, adopted, right?" Sasha inquired.
"No, we gave birth to them. Each of them was from a different combination of us though. I can still remember their names even now…"
Anne walked over and sat on Marcy's left while Sasha gently wrapped an arm over Marcy's shoulders.
"What were they?" Anne asked.
"Astrid, she was conceived by you and Sasha. She was so brave and beautiful. The second was Seth, he had Sasha's charisma, my awesome gamer skills, and was quite smart. And the third, Mana, she was my and Anne's child. She was so cute, and so incredibly brilliant. We lived happy lives together…as a family…" Marcy began to cry as her body shook. "When I found out it was all fake…I had to make a choice…to say goodbye to the family I created in that dream…or fight back against The Core and Darcy. I chose to fight, but…I had to watch our children and you two disappear in front of me…"
Sasha and Anne hugged Marcy tight between them as she sobbed. Both girls damned Darcy's existence, condemning her for what she did to Marcy. What she did to their friend was cruel in every sense of the word. Darcy and The Core made her feel what was like to be a mother, and to experience the strong love and bond that came from it. Only to have it be torn from her.
"I'm sorry…I know it was fake…but still…"
"Don't be sorry, Mar-Mar," said Anne.
"You have every right to be sad." Sasha wiped some of the tears from her girlfriend's eyes and said, "And for what it's worth, I like those names."
"Me too, you know…if we could have kids, I mean." Anne raised an eyebrow. "How did we manage that? I mean…we don't necessarily have the equipment for it."
"Sounding mighty curious there, Anne," Sasha teased.
"What?! There's nothing perverted about it!"
Marcy managed a chuckle and answered, "It was done using some Amphibian tech, artificial insemination and all that."
"Oh…so…does that mean you actually gave birth?" Sasha asked, dreading the answer.
"…Ooooh, yeah. Honestly, could've done without that part."
That's just messed up, Anne and Sasha agreed.
"Well, while we're on this subject. I think we need to address the elephant tick in the room," said Anne. "Do we even tell them about us?"
It was a question that weighed in the back of their minds. It would be one thing if the two of them ended up in a relationship, Marcy wasn't sure how her parents would take it though, same for Sasha, but at least it wasn't as strange as being in a polycule like they were. Sasha and Marcy had little doubt in their minds that Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy would be accepting of their relationship, it might take some time to get used to it, but they would accept that Anne loved both of them. But after everything that's happened, they might be more inclined to keep all three of them separated.
"And…let's not forget. My Dad's job…we're going to be moved soon, and this invasion might've just bumped up the timeline…" Marcy glanced between her lovers and said, "Sasha, Anne, I'm not going to sit here and make you promise to stay together in some kind of long-distance relationship. You two deserve to be together, so don't let that be a reason why you break up."
"We'll cross that bridge when it comes, Mar-Mar, but for now, let's just keep the poly stuff on the downlow. We can talk about it around my Mom and Dad, they've probably haven't told them about it either, so they'll respect whether or not we tell them," said Anne. "Oh, and let's also keep the fact that I died and got resurrected. I don't think my parents would be able to handle that news."
Sasha and Marcy nodded, deciding to let Anne tell that part of the story so as to not contradict her and risk letting that slip.
"Guess we better go out there."
"It's probably going to be a shouting match."
"I'd be surprised if there wasn't one."
The girls spent the next three hours giving Mr. X and their parents a full debrief on everything that happened up until now. Sasha, Anne, and Marcy told them about what happened during their first three months in Amphibia. Understandably, aside from the Boonchuys, the Wus and the Waybrights' had shocked expressions. The next half is where things got complicated. They had to omit or change up certain events that were on the more romantic side so that they didn't cause an uproar but managed to keep in all the gory details that led to Sasha's coup of the Amphibian throne, and her poisoning of Anne and Marcy to keep them from using their powers.
The Boonchuys weren't surprised by this, just opting to sit and listen as this was mostly just a rehashing of what Anne told them, but with a few more details provided by Sasha and Marcy. The Wus had taken to yelling at the Waybrights a couple of times, calling Sasha a "brute" and a "criminal" for what she did to Anne and Marcy.
Marcy glared at them and wanted to yell at them to stop, but Mr. X managed to play the role of mediator very well and prevented any fists fights from breaking out. The threat of getting shot with a stun gun also helped to keep tempers from flaring too much.
Sasha explained her part in what happened after Anne left Amphibia. The moment when she decided to become a better person, someone who was worthy of Anne's friendship (and love) and helped to raise the Resistance against Andrias and The Core.
Of course, Ling and Xia were horrified when Marcy told them that she had gotten stabbed through back by a large laser sword. At first, they didn't believe her, but Marcy had them come closer. She pulled at the collar of her shirt and showed them the scar that was on her chest, and even turned around to show them that there was an identical scar on her back, showing how the sword ran her through. Understandably, Xia gasped and held her daughter closer, crying over the fact that her daughter had suffered through something like that. Her father had a stoic expression, but hugged Marcy all the same. She feared for what came next.
Anne regaled everyone about her exploits as Amp on Earth, making it clear why she didn't say anything to either of the two families, and why Anne's parents couldn't say anything either. If not for this invasion, there was no way they would've believed her. As reluctant as they were, the Waybrights and Wus agreed. If it hadn't been for everything that happened yesterday, they would've thought Anne and her parents were lying and had them investigated or something. Anne left out the part about getting sucked to the Alternate Boiling Isles, she didn't want to take the chance of outing Luz as a Kamen Rider, now knowing that she was from their world.
Marcy's part seemed to break all six of the parental units, and earned a sympathetic look from Mr. X. She told them how she was taken control of by The Core, and how a dark version of herself, Darcy, was born from a combination of The Core's minds and Marcy's mind, and how she called herself Kamen Rider Terminus. Putting into perspective that the one who called themselves "Terminus" during the invasion, and fought Sasha on the castle, was Marcy, but at the same time, not Marcy. She wanted to tell them about the dream world, but that would mean exposing her true feelings about Anne and Sasha, so she just made something up about it being a fantasy world where the three of them went on to do heroic things as Kamen Riders.
Then came the final act, the last and final battle against The Core. Anne, Sasha, and Marcy went into detail about how they merged with the powers of their individual Calamity gems and obtained new levels of power that allowed them to fight in space. It was easy to tell that Mr. Boonchuy was trying to keep his excitement about this hidden, but the giddy expression on his face betrayed him. Then came the part where Anne told them how she decided to take on the power of all three Calamity gems and became one with it. She told them about how she became, for all intents and purposes, a god. Although it was for a short period of time, it was long enough for Anne to destroy The Core and end their threat once and for all. She did leave in the part where she was told doing so might end her life, but she explained that she was saved by the god of the multiverse, or the Guardian.
She lied and said that the deity was impressed by her noble actions, and reversed any damage done to her from taking on the power of the stones and wished her a good life going forward. It wasn't a complete lie, and neither was it the whole truth either. A half-lie? A half-truth?
The girls ended their story by telling their parents and Mr. X that the Guardian gave Anne shards of the Calamity gems with enough power to go back home, but not enough to ever come back. Tears fell from their eyes as they recalled the vivid memory of having to say goodbye to their Amphibian family and friends.
"So, just to be clear. You three no longer have any kind of powers, correct?" Mr. X asked.
"No, none of us do. When Sasha and Marcy gave me their gems, they gave me all their power, down to the last bit inside of them. And when I used all three gems' power and merged with it, I burned it off. There are no more powers, no more transforming, we're just us now," said Anne.
"I see." Mr. X stood up and looked upon all three girls. "First: let me just say that the world owes you three a deep debt of gratitude for all that you have done. You've been through so much, and in the end, managed to save our world and others from an evil that would've consumed many worlds. Now, with that being said, you all should know that the US government is in the process of initiating a massive coverup of this entire event."
Anne, Sasha, and Marcy gave Mr. X a baffled look, even the other adults gave him the same look.
"Uh, yeah, there's no way that's happening. There's a giant gap in the mountain outside of LA, the freakin' Hollywood sign is gone!" Sasha exclaimed.
"Plus, Sasha and I were outed as Kamen Riders to the whole world! About the only one here who can safely go unnoticed is Marcy, since – thankfully – Darcy didn't change back, so no one knows what Terminus looks like," said Anne.
"Not to mention, all the people who weren't able to escape in time when the invasion started! There's lots of people who died! Soldiers and civilians!" Marcy argued.
"Look, girls, believe me. I understand how messed up it sounds. But regardless, it's not up to me. Take your "Ws" where you can. The coverup will downplay your involvement in the invasion and allow you to go back to some semblance of normalcy without being hounded by reporters and the like. Plus, I don't think it would be best for the public's mental health to realize just how close Earth came to getting swallowed up by a planet sized, eldritch monster from hell. Much less have them start thinking of what else is out there that might attack us," Mr. X explained.
After putting it that way, the girls understood why, but still felt wrong.
"Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Wu, Waybright, and Boonchuy, this goes for you and your daughters. You may discuss these events amongst each other. But not in public, and definitely not on social media," said Mr. X.
Bee looked a little disappointed, but said, "We understand, Mr. X."
"Very good. Now, in exchange. The government is prepared to fund all three of you for any and all medical care the girls will require. We've also set up some of the best child psychiatrists to speak to the girls one-on-one." Mr. X turned to the trio to address them directly. "And everything you tell them will be kept confidential. They're on my payroll, so you needn't fear that they'll go blabbing to some other government agent. You and your families are under my supervision, and I plan to help you out as much as I can."
"Thank you, Mr. X," said Anne.
"I guess, the only big question to answer is what happens now?" Mr. X spoke aloud, letting that question hang in the air.
"Mr. X, these psychiatrists, can they do over-the-phone or online consultations?" Ling asked.
"Of course, why?"
"Because, we're going to leave this city, as soon as possible," Ling stated.
"Ling, c'mon, man," Bee groaned in annoyance. "They just got back, let them stay together for awhile."
Xia let out a "humph" as she retorted, "We had planned on moving due to Ling's job. But after everything that's happened, I think it's better for Marcy if she's far away from everything here, and…certain people in this room."
Amanda and Oum picked up on that last part.
"Excuse me? What does that mean, Xia?" Amanda asked.
"If you got something to say, say it," Oum stated.
"Alright, fine, I will. I think none of this would've happened if Marcy wasn't hanging around your daughters. Especially yours, Amanda, Ted. You heard it from your own daughter's mouth. She's great at manipulating others. Why would we purposefully keep my daughter around such a person?" Xia retorted.
And there's the yelling I was expecting, Anne thought.
"Uh, did you completely gloss over how she also said that she's changed! And how she led an army to fight against that evil king?! Or how she fought to save your daughter?!" Ted remarked. "Yes, she admitted to that, and while I can't say I'm proud of that behavior…"
Sasha winced.
"I am proud of her for admitting her faults and wanting to work towards being someone better. Plus, don't forget, it was your daughter who led them to that music box in the first place. If she hadn't, none of this would've happened!" Ted exclaimed.
"Oh, please! Look who's talking about 'glossing over'. She also said that she didn't even know that it would work! It was in a book about myths and legends for God's sake, what expectation did she have that it would work at all?! None! It was a desperate act that she felt she had no choice but to do something drastic, even if it was nonsense…at the time. And that's still on Sasha and Anne! Anne didn't have to steal the box. All she had to do was say 'no', but she did it anyway like Sasha's little yes girl."
"HEY!" Oum and Bee exclaimed as they turned towards the other arguing parents.
"Anne wasn't perfect, no one's perfect, but after she came back, she had changed for the better," said Oum.
"If you want to put blame, then they all had a part in it. Sasha pushed Anne into stealing the box. Anne should've said no. And you two should've spoken to Marcy beforehand to at least gauge her feelings about moving instead of dropping it all on her like that!"
The girls looked like they wanted to comfort each other but were afraid of making it look too intimate if they tried, but the whole time they were listening, they were getting angry.
"Ugh, this is pointless. Like Ling said, we're going to move as soon as humanly possible, we'll rent an apartment if we have to. But I don't want Marcy having to stay here any–!"
"STOP IT!" Marcy yelled.
The adults stopped their arguing and looked back to see Marcy, who was now standing as she glared at her parents.
"I know we have to move. Fine, I made my peace with that still being something that was going to happen no matter what, even with this invasion and everything that's happened. But can you at least keep to the original timeline?" Marcy asked.
"Original?" Ling asked.
"You said you wanted me to finish out this year in SJMS and that we would move when summer vacation started. There are still a few months until that happens. So…please, can you at least let me have that time together with Anne and Sasha?" Marcy asked.
"Marcy, that was only on the table because you were still in school. But after this invasion and your disappearance, even with your grades, you'll have to repeat the year. So, bearing that in mind, there's no need for us to stay here, considering that the cleanup is going to take months, the school will remain closed – possibly – until the end of summer," said Ling.
"Well, there's no point in rushing out of the city either! You don't have any housing set up in New York right now, you planned everything for over the summer, so accelerating it now would just mess up everything for you, wouldn't it?" Marcy glanced between her two parents as she put on a stern expression. "I've been through so much over these last few months, Mom, Dad. I'm only asking you for time. Time to spend with my friends without the threat of a monster attack. Time spent hanging out, having fun, and not having to worry about saving the world. Time for the three of us to heal. Is that really too much to ask?"
Xia and Ling glanced at each other, wondering if it really was best to let their daughter continue spending time with Anne and Sasha, considering everything that had happened.
"Look, Mr. Wu, Mrs. Wu, I'm not expecting forgiveness straight out. But we've been through a lot together, and we really don't want to be separated after so long," said Sasha as she stood next to Marcy.
Anne stood up next, taking her spot at Marcy's left, and added, "We know you'll be moving away. And we're not asking you to stop. We just…want to spend as much time as we can together before that happens."
Ted and Amanda, along with Oum and Bee, looked at the Wus.
"Give 'em this much, Ling," said Ted.
"They've obviously grown closer through all this, and grown, too," said Amanda.
"…Fine," said Ling.
"Dad…?"
"Ling?"
"The schedule for our going to New York will remain the same. Plus, I'm sure we're going to be monitored for a bit before we're allowed to even try and move anywhere, right Mr. X?" Ling asked.
Mr. X pushed his glasses up and smirked, "Indeed. A few months of surveillance, and so long as you don't violate the rules regarding any talk about the invasion, then you'll be free to move anywhere you want. I'd say the start of summer vacation is a good amount time."
"Ugh, fine." Xia relented. "But you aren't allowed to be alone with either of them without an adult present!"
"Uh…Xia, what are you expecting them to do?" Oum asked.
"Look, I'm not stupid. Traumatic and life-threatening situations have a tendency to alter your thinking, and make people draw closer than. I just don't want…this," Xia waved to the three of them, "to turn into something that might become unsavory later."
Considering that Amanda and Ted knew, albeit very recently, that their daughter was bisexual and did in fact have a thing for Anne and Marcy, they found the way Xia phrased that offensive. As opposed to Oum and Bee, who knew the girls were more than just friends, definitely found that insulting towards all three of the girls. Although, they weren't really sure if Xia was against Marcy being with Anne and Sasha specifically, or other girls in general. But that was a whole can of worms that no one wanted to open right now, they got their "W", so it was better to just walk away with it.
"Thank you, Mom…I think," said Marcy, a little ticked at how her mother worded her sentence.
"…Okay, well, with all that settled. You all will stay the night. Tomorrow the girls will go see some agency appointed doctors to give them all checkups and to make sure nothing is physically wrong with them. After that, you're all free to go back home and sleep in your own beds, you've certainly earned it."
Bee raised his hand like a child in school.
"Yes, Mr. Boonchuy?"
"Can Oum and I keep the GX armor?" Bee asked.
"That's proprietary government property, Mr. B."
"…Soooo, that's a maybe?"
Everyone facepalmed."
(3 Months Later…)
Time flew by all too quickly. As expected, Amanda Waybright and Theodore Waybright had petitioned Sasha to get plastic surgery to cover up her scars. And as expected, the former commander of the Resistance declined. She gave them her reasons, and she stuck by them. If someone didn't like how they made her look, well, that was their problem, Sasha would wear them as a badge of honor. They did look deeper into the wound on her back. Her powers did heal the wound and closed it, and from what they could see there wasn't any nerve damage to her spinal cord, which was a miracle considering how deep it was. The tingling and tenderness would most likely persist, and should fade away with time, but they cautioned her to be careful as to not have anything put direct pressure on the wound until her body fully recovered from it.
Marcy ran into the same issue with both of her parents, repeatedly trying to convince her to get her scar removed. They stated their reasons, both for her mental health, and for her future should she ever decide to go out with anyone. "Not everyone can just overlook such a thing" her mother told her, "Some are very superficial" she also added. In which case, Marcy told them that if there were people like that, and if she met them, then she surely wouldn't want to have anything to do with them. The scar on her chest was her way of remembering, no matter how old she got, although it would fade with time, it would still be there, staring back at her in the mirror every time she looked at herself. And that's how it should be. Marcy never wanted to make the same mistakes she made, and this served as that reminder.
Anne…well…she was doing alright. But she was still grappling with the information that she was a copy, a clone of the Anne who died. Most of the time she let herself forget this, and just enjoyed all the little things she did with her parents, and the time she spent with Sasha and Marcy. But then, when she least expected it, it would come at her like a thunderbolt from the heavens. She would remember the fact that she was not the real Anne Boonchuy, she died a hero to save the multiverse, and her? She was just here to keep everyone from being sad that she was gone.
That's what she felt anyway, at her lowest. It was something that she wanted to talk to her therapist about, but how was she going to explain that she was a clone of Anne without the therapist giving her a strange look? Of course, all three of the girls' therapists were very aware of their Rider escapades, and knew the girls were involved with – what was being called – Frog-vasion. But being told by a cosmic god that you were not only a candidate for that position, but also a copy of the girl who died saving everyone? Yeah, that wasn't going to go over too well.
Despite that, Anne managed to push that to the side for these three months as she spent it laughing and hanging out with Marcy and Sasha. And per Xia Wu's mandate, the girls were to be in the presence of an adult at all times, said adult didn't have to be sitting right next to them, so long as they were in clear view of said adult, that was acceptable. Well, it wasn't at first, but some negotiation managed to chip away at Xia.
Sasha came out to both her parents, officially. Yes, they knew due to Amanda Waybright going through Sasha's journal, but it still meant a lot that Sasha was at least willing to make it official that she was bisexual. And to that end, she also confessed that she did indeed have a crush on her two friends, again, not something new to them since they read her journal, but it still meant a lot that she felt safe enough to tell them. Obviously, they didn't tell this to Ling and Xia, not needing to give either of the Wus a reason to keep the girls apart, not with the time they had left.
Hanging out was rotated between houses. They would start at the Wu residence, which was the most restrictive since neither Ling nor Xia would leave the girls alone for more than a couple of minutes. To be frank, they felt like prisoners and the Wus were their prison guards.
Since Ted and Amanda Waybright were divorced, it gave them an extra place to hang out. Amanda had worked on herself, trying to be more of the mother that Sasha needed rather than the best friend she was trying to be. Although, she did slip into BF mode when she would slip out of the room for a couple of hours or more at a time. It was the same for Ted, with the clean up still happening, and Anne having wrecked his office building, he was spending more time at home and with Sasha when she came over but managed to have sudden "business calls" when he had to leave the room for an hour, sometimes an hour and a half.
Oum and Bee? Yeah, they honestly couldn't give two flips about Xia's rule and just let the girls do whatever they wanted in the house. Within reason of course.
It wasn't like they spent their alone time making out or doing anything scandalous. It was just normal stuff and making up for some lost time. They managed to get through a campaign of Creatures & Caverns, and watched Marcy's favorite movie all the way through, and Sasha and Anne really did enjoy it, both the movie and the game. And, okay, yes, they did share a few kisses between each other here and there, but they made sure to only do that at either Sasha's parents' house, or at Anne's house.
But all good things must come to an end.
The Wu family home was pretty much vacant now. The movers had come to take the last bits of furniture and were already in the process of having it moved to their New York home. There was no putting it off now. It was time to go. She was sad that Anne and Sasha didn't come to see her off, they didn't even respond to her texts or calls.
I understand. It's hard for me, too, thought Marcy.
They arrived at LAX with plenty of time to spare before they boarded their flight, but when they did, Marcy was shocked to see Sasha and Anne waiting for them, but not just them, she also saw the Pines twins with them. Ling and Xia were not exactly pleased.
"Girls! You're here?! How did you know which gate we'd be at?" Marcy asked.
Dipper crossed his arms and smirked as he said, "I have my ways. An ace paranormal investigator, and an overall ace investigator."
Totally used the Gaia Library, Sasha, Anne, and Marcy thought.
"Who might you two be?" Ling asked.
"Hi there! My name's Mabel, and this is my twin brother, Mason. We're here to chaperone Anne and Sasha while they say goodbye," Mabel explained.
"I see…" Xia gave them a dubious look; she wouldn't put it past them to try and keep Marcy here.
"Mom, Dad, go on ahead, I'll meet up with you."
"…Please be there, Marcy," said Xia as her and Ling walked on ahead.
Marcy nodded to parents as they took the check-in luggage to the baggage area. The Taiwanese girl and her friends followed several steps behind her parents, with the Pines twins keeping a modest distance from the girls to allow them some time to say their final goodbyes. Marcy took a moment to look her lovers up and down. Sasha was wearing a pink dress with a white jacket that was just meant to cover her shoulders. Anne was wearing a pair of jean pants, and a blue shirt that had the words, "Have A Ribbitin' Good Time," which earned a chuckle out of Marcy when she saw it.
"Shut up," Anne remarked with a smile.
"It's cute," said Marcy.
"It's corny is what it is," Sasha commented.
"Don't hate because you couldn't find a good toad pun shirt," Anne retorted.
Marcy glanced at Sasha and saw that the blonde was blushing and grumbling under her breath.
"I did…but it wouldn't arrive until next weekend."
"You both look good either way," Marcy admitted.
Anne looked in Marcy's hands and noticed that she was holding a very familiar book.
"Looks like you're still writing in 'Jo', huh?" Anne asked.
"Yeah, it's been helping a lot along with the therapy. I don't know how much more I'll write in this though. I'm thinking about starting a whole new journal and keeping this one safe. Since it contains all my observations and stories about what happened when I was in Amphibia, and of course, the things you went through when you wrote in it too, Anne," Marcy explained.
Sasha placed a hand on Marcy's shoulder and said, "I think that's a good idea. A new journal, for a fresh start. Fill it with new experiences."
"I will…" Marcy stopped walking and looked down at the floor as her eyes began to water. "It's a little scary…you know. Going to a new place, meeting completely new people. It was different with Amphibia, there was no expectations or preconceived assumptions of me, well, aside the usual considering I was practically an alien to them."
"Tell us about it," Anne and Sasha said at the same time.
Marcy chuckled, understanding that they went through their own bouts of xenophobia among the toads and frogs, but were eventually accepted, just like Marcy was when she was in Newtopia. Although, being a Rider and helping build up their infrastructure accelerated their approval of her.
"But that was them."
"Hey, Mar-Mar, you'll do great. Compared to all we've been through, making some new friends in another state is going to be a cakewalk. And we're not too far away," said Anne. "We'll video call, text, whatever we can. We'll stay in contact with each other."
"I know, but…I also know life happens. One day, we'll stop keeping up. Texts, calls, and video chats that were once a week will turn to once a month. Then every so often, and then every once in a while."
"You're right, that might happen. Life does happen." Anne agreed. "But even if that does happen. Things will more than likely change. But how we feel about each other won't."
Marcy, Sasha, and Anne came together in a group hug, tears falling onto the floor as the people around them were respectful enough to give them a wide berth.
"I don't want to stop loving you two…"
"You don't have to, Marcy."
"But don't let that stop you from finding someone else."
Marcy doubted she'd find anyone as good as Anne or Sasha. Sure, she might find some people who remind her of them, but they would never be a substitute for the real thing. Still, they made an agreement to end their relationship amicably. It was Anne's suggestion that they do this, believing that they needed this distance. It would help to make sure that their love and affection for each other wasn't just forged from the fires of trauma and battle but came from a genuine place. Although Marcy and Sasha believed it did, they understood why Anne wanted to do this, and decided to follow her lead on this once again.
"I love you girls."
"We love you, too, Marcy."
"We'll always be here for you."
The girls broke their hug and stared into each other's eyes. They all felt like giving each other a kiss, but this was not the place for it. At least not now.
"Oh, uh…" Anne sniffled a little. "Dipper and Mabel said they wanted to talk to us before you left. Guys, you can come on over."
Dipper and Mabel stepped closer, with Mabel bending down to give Marcy a hug.
"I wish we could've had more time to hang out, I would've loved to hear how you two became a Rider," said Marcy.
Mabel ended their hug, smiled, and said, "Same. But we thought it was better to let you guys have this time for yourselves."
"Guess this will be the last time we see you guys, huh? With us not being Riders anymore, you don't really need to look after us," said Sasha.
Dipper chuckled as he remarked, "You never stop being a Rider. Powers or no. Plus, there's still Foundation X to be concerned about."
"Ugh, I literally forgot about them these last three months," Anne complained. "Are they seriously going to come after us?"
"We don't think so," said Dipper.
"At least they shouldn't," added Mabel.
"But just in case we're wrong, and you need a way to fight back…well…"
Dipper opened his duffle back and took out something, three somethings to be exact. They were black and silver, with two pincer-like attachments in the center that were colored magenta, azure, and emerald. And between those pincers was something like a slot that was pushed upwards as the pincers were in an open position. Anne, Sasha, and Marcy took the devices that matched their individual Calamity gem colors. They thought they knew what they were but had to ask anyway.
"Are these…?" Anne began.
"Drivers?" Marcy finished.
"Those are S-O-1-0 Drivers," Dipper explained.
"Or just Solo Drivers for short," Mabel clarified.
"I don't get it, why give us Drivers? We don't have our powers anymore," said Sasha.
"Yeah, your Calamity powers are gone. But there's other ways to transform."
Mabel reached into her pocket and presented each of the girls with a Gaia Memory. One was colored blue and had a stylized "F" in the center, the second was red and had a stylized "H", and lastly, the third was green and had a stylized "N".
"I present to you the Frog, Heron, and Newt Memories," Mabel announced.
"It'll be a whole new set of powers, you won't be able to use super strength, or superspeed, or super agility outside of your transformations like you used to. But you'll still be strong enough to fight against any monster that comes your way," said Dipper.
"Just don't tell your folks we gave you this, 'kay Marce?" Mabel asked.
"Are you kidding? Of course, I won't! Thanks, you two," said Marcy.
"Seriously, this is badass. Guess Amp, Ranger, and Bellona aren't out of the game just yet," said Sasha.
"Mind you, this is just for self-defense. We're not expecting you to go out and start fighting crime or go picking a fight with Foundation X. So long as they leave you alone, that is. Only use them to practice, for self-defense, or to protect others. If Foundation X decides to come calling, well, show them that you guys aren't retired. And definitely give us a call," said Dipper.
"We will, dude. Thanks, again."
Dipper and Mabel glanced at each other and then back to the trio as they said, "We'll wait for you two outside."
The girls watched as Dipper and Mabel left. Marcy placed her new Driver and Newt Memory in her bag and prayed that airport security didn't flag it as suspicious.
"Well, that's a load off my mind," said Anne. "Try not to go after criminals in New York."
"Jeez, I'm not that eager to get back in the fight. But I promise." Marcy then grabbed onto both girls, hugged, them, and said, "I'll miss you."
She then gave Sasha a kiss on her left cheek, and one on Anne's right cheek within a second of each other before releasing them and running towards where the security checkpoint was.
Both girls were blushing and found their hands unconsciously touching the cheek that Marcy kissed them on. They both sighed and left the airport. Once outside, they stopped and listened as the various airplanes flew overhead, and that soon Marcy would be on one of them heading towards the other side of the country.
"Hey, Anne?"
"Yeah?"
"Are…Are you sure you don't want to stay together?" Sasha asked. "I…I know what you said, and I understand. But Marcy said she wanted us to be happy even if she's not here."
"I know, but can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't feel just a bit guilty if she wasn't here?"
Sasha rubbed the back of her head and nodded.
"I would…I know I would. And it wouldn't be the same without her."
Anne walked up to Sasha clasped her shoulder.
"Trust me, Sasha. This'll be good for all of us."
Sasha smiled and replied, "Alright, I'll follow your lead, Boonchuy."
As they walked to the car where Mabel and Dipper were waiting, Anne's smile turned to a slight frown.
This…This is for the best…I'm not the girl they loved. I'm just a replacement. I'll live your life the best I can, Anne. I'll make sure Mom and Dad aren't sad. And I'll make sure Sasha and Marcy find someone they can love. I'll honor your sacrifice…
Principal Murphy of Saint James Middle School yawned as she walked out to her mailbox and collected her mail. She had heard from the administrators that the school would be back in working order by the end of summer, much to her students' dismay who were probably hoping to have an extended summer break.
Pfft, as if.
The older woman walked back into her home and sat at the table as she went through her mail. It was junk mail for the most part, but there was one letter that made her raise an eyebrow. It was a letter addressed to her from Anne. Curious, she opened the letter and unfolded a piece of stationary paper. When she did, Mrs. Murphy smiled as she read the letter.
Who Am I?
by Anne Boonchuy
First, let me say sorry for this essay taking so long, Mrs. Murphy. I mean, besides the obvious things that happened, I've been doing a lot of…reflecting.
And you were right. I did want to take the easy road. I thought coasting through life was better than failing at something.
But after everything that's happened, I realized that I want to do more.
You, my parents, you all saw potential in me, even though I didn't see it. And I guess it took a near end of the world event for me to finally see what I'm capable of. Go figure.
I wish I could tell you what I wanted to do with my life, what my dream job or career is. But to be honest, I still don't know.
However, I want to find it. I want to try different things and hopefully do something that will make me proud of myself.
I know it's not going to be an easy road to take, but I'm willing to walk down it.
Sorry, this isn't the long essay you were hoping for, but I didn't feel like not responding to you after you took the time to tell me that you were worried about me.
Thanks for caring, Mrs. Murphy. And I look forward to finding out what my future holds now.
Your student,
Anne Savisa Boonchuy
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(The End)