Anne Savisa Boonchuy, a fourteen year old Thai-american girl with an afro of brown curls, was sitting in a park with her best friends Sasha Elizabeth Waybright, a long haired blonde caucasian girl, and Marcy Regina Wu, a Taiwanese girl with short raven hair, and sitting with a gold inlay box that they had just gotten from a thrift shop a couple blocks away. Anne knew that her parents would be mad about her being late for her birthday party, but Marcy and Sasha had insisted on meeting up, so she had agreed. Anne was about to open up the box when Marcy suddenly stopped her and began to cry.
"Mar-mar, what's up? Why did you stop her?" asked Sasha, looking concerned.
Marcy just kept crying, so Anne set the box aside, and took Marcy's hand, "Marbles talk to us. You know we'll always be there for you."
Marcy just started to laugh as her tears got worse, "But you won't." This caught the others off guard enough for her to continue, "I found out earlier my Dad is making us move out of state… By the end of the month, I'll be gone, and… I'll be all alone."
"Marcy, we'll talk to him. We'll convince him to let you stay… and if that fails we'll stay in contact. Video messages, and calls everyday. I promise," stated Anne, trying to reassure Marcy despite feeling her own eyes begin to get damp. Sasha just looked on in horror, unable to comprehend what Marcy was saying.
Marcy smiled, but there was no joy in it, only pain, "Anne, I already tried, and my Dad won't budge. He's dead set on dragging us apart, and it's partially my own fault. Sure he got a promotion, but he could have worked remotely… no, the reason we're moving is because he found my secret journal." Anne and Sasha were confused, but before they could ask Marcy reached out, and took one of their hands in her own. "Girls… I let you see every journal I ever wrote, except for one, and it's time I tell you both my truth… because if not now then I will never get the chance." Marcy took a deep breath, and chuckled, "I'm gay. I'm gay, and I've had a crush on both of you for years." Marcy smiled sweetly as she felt a heavy weight disappear from her, "Given the circumstances… it doesn't matter if you feel the same or want to shun me anymore, because it's too late. I missed my chance, but I wanted to be able to say it… just once, before we're torn apart. I love you. I love you both, and I'm so sorry."
Anne was stunned and confused. She didn't know how to feel at Marcy's confession. Yes, she loved Marcy, and she accepted her no matter what, but was she IN love with her. True, Anne had never really felt anything for the boys that flirted with her, but was this why? Was the reason that she only felt a connection to Marcy and Sasha because she was like Marcy, or were they just best friends? Anne didn't know, but hearing Sasha's sad laughter pulled her back to reality.
As her friends looked at her, Sasha's laughter got almost manic and she collapsed to her knees as her friends saw something they hadn't seen in years… Sasha was breaking down. Sasha seemed to be almost whimpering as she cried, "Why? Why, now? Of all the fracking times." Sasha grabbed Anne's other hand, "I'm sorry, girls. I tried so hard to hold us together. To be strong, but all of it… it was for nothing. Marcy, I love you too. Sure I dated a few boys, but that was only a game. Something to help distract me until I got up the nerve to be honest with both of you, and I'll admit watching Anne as she played 'angel of death'... I liked it. I've got a sadistic streak, what can I say." Sasha let out a pained laugh, "Marcy, I'm bi. I've been attracted to some boys, but never as much as I am to you two. I thought if I ever told you, you'd leave me like my parents. Sure they aren't gone, but they're so distant they might as well be. But none of that matters now because I'm going to lose one of you, and I'll never get the chance to show you how much you mean to me."
Anne didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do… how to process all of this. Not only did her two best and only real friends just come out to her, but they apparently had feelings for her. It was too much. She needed time, but that only made her feel guilty. The two most stunning girls she knew wanted to be with her, and she… she couldn't. With a sigh, Anne looked away, "I'm sorry. I just… I don't know. I know that I love you both, but I don't know if it's in the same way. I need time. I've never really thought about… relationships, ya know. I've always felt… unworthy next to you two. Like Sash is beautiful, and I'm… ordinary. Mar's a genius, and I barely pass my tests. I'm sorry girls, but… I don't know if I can be with you. I've let you carry me in everything else, but this… I can't be dead weight this time. I refuse to take advantage of you like that."
Marcy and Sasha shared a look, but then they smiled and just got close so they could hug. After a couple minutes Sasha spoke up, "We understand, and I… when you figure it out. I'll be here." Sasha sniffed, "What a terrible gift to give you on your birthday, but… maybe it will end up being a good thing later. At least we finally got our feelings out there. So, how about we open that box now?"
But Marcy grabbed it away, "Wait! I have to tell you something first." Sasha gave her a slightly frustrated look, but sighed and gestured for her to get on with it. Marcy got sheepish, "So I was reading earlier, and… I saw a depiction of the box. The book said that the box could take you to other worlds, and that it held unbelievable power. I wrote it off as a fairytale, but… then the stuff with my Dad happened… and I actually found it." A tear rolled down her cheek, "I thought I found a way that we could be together, but… that was just me being selfish. I have no idea if it works, but… it should be your decision. I don't want to leave you. You girls are my whole world, and if you open the box… there is a chance we will be swept away to some far away place. I'm willing to run away… as long as you're by my side, but we should all get a vote, and there's no guarantee it will even work."
Sasha steadied herself before speaking, "I vote we open it. I seriously just think it's a box, but if I'm wrong… I don't have anyone waiting for me. My parents just see me as a bargaining chip, so I'm in. You two are all I need, so if this is the only way I can keep you close and… kissable" Sasha blushes, "Then I agree to give it a shot."
Once again Anne was left with a heavy feeling in her gut, but looking into the faces of her best friends Anne smiled, "Ok… I'll agree to give it a shot. If it works, nothing says I can't use it to visit my folks, but I say we wait until after my party. That way we can get supplies and junk. Also it will give me time to think a bit on how I feel about 'us', ya know, and if it's going to be a while before I get to see my parents again… I'd at least like to tell them I love them first."
With a shared nod the trio got on their bikes, and headed to Anne's house. When they arrived Anne's parents were relieved, but understandably angry. To Anne's surprise though, Sasha tried to take the blame until Marcy explained what was going on with her parents. Neither girl revealed the real reason Marcy was being ripped away, but it didn't prove necessary since the Boonchuy parents were crushed to hear that Marcy would be leaving. Afterwards, it was decided that there wouldn't be any punishment this time, but Anne's parents wanted Anne to promise she wouldn't just disappear again without any explanation. Something that instantly made Anne nervous as she remembered the box.
Anne's party was a blast, and all three girls found that they felt different after the confessions. Sasha and Marcy felt more free to express themselves, and the subtle flirting that Sasha would do when she thought the adults weren't looking made both of her friends blush. Anne still felt conflicted, but the more she thought about it the more giving it a shot appealed to her. Sasha and Marcy were her best friends, and if at any point she felt uncomfortable, she trusted them to respect her feelings. If it worked out she would be ecstatic, and if it didn't they would still be her best friends, so with a smile Anne made her decision, but at the same time she decided to wait to tell them until they were alone.
After hearing about Marcy's situation, Anne's parents surprised the girls with good news. Anne's mom, Oum, 'convinced' the Wu's to let Marcy stay the night so they could get to enjoy at least one more sleepover. Somehow the thought of a sleepover felt like it had a deeper meaning to the girls now, but they all hugged the Boonchuy's in thanks, while using them as a way to hide their blushes.
After the official party ended, and her parents went to bed, Anne had the others sit on the couch, and like they had, Anne held one of their hands in each of hers. "So, I thought about it, and I'm still not sure what I am, or if 'us' could work," Anne stated calmly, making her girls deflate slightly, but they were ready to accept her decision until they saw her smile. "But… I'm willing to give it a try. Like Sash said, 'you two are my whole world', and I don't want to ever let either of you go. I just hope that we will try to be respectful of each other's boundaries, and if it doesn't work out… I hope you'll still be my best friends." Anne started to blush, and she smirked, "It is still my birthday though, so… it's only fair that I give this a try." Anne leaned forward and gave each of her new girlfriends a kiss on the cheek. Marcy immediately short circuited and Sasha turned into a bright pink statue, but after a minute they both grabbed Anne to get their revenge. Together they kissed each of Anne's cheeks, and Anne only had one thought, "Welp… I'm gay," as she felt like her skin was on fire.
Once they all got over their fit of giggles at what they just did, Marcy and Sasha got to work starting to pack a couple bags for themselves in case the box worked, and Anne started writing a note so her parents wouldn't worry. After about an hour they were all set, and prepared, but before they continued Marcy had an idea, "So this might be the last time we will be back here for a little bit… Want to enjoy one last slice of cake before we give this a try? You know, just in case." Her girlfriends smiled and nodded, and as they enjoyed one last slice of home they each thought about how beautiful and terrifying the day had been. Each one trying to figure out what they would do when the box didn't work, because there was no way it would, and now that they had each decided to be together… They were determined to be together from now on, no matter what.
After letting her girls read over her note to make sure they were ok with what she wrote, and them recovering from more blushing, Anne stuck it to the fridge and they moved to Anne's backyard. As Anne prepared to open the box, Sasha and Marcy held on to each other and Anne as tightly as they could…
Then there was a flash and a thundercrack, and the girls were gone.
The Boonchuy's looked all over for the girls, but they only found the note, and in the morning a scorch mark that was the only evidence that they had been there. As they both started to cry, Oum reread the note for what felt like the hundredth time.
Hey Mom and Dad. If you're reading this then the box worked. Firstly, OMG magic box this is so cool, but I promised you I wouldn't disappear again without some kind of explanation so here it is. The real reason Marcy is being dragged away is because her dad is a homophobic jerk. He found out that Marcy had a crush on Sasha and I, so he decided to pack her up and tear up apart. WELL SCREW YOU BUDDY. All it did was force Marcy to confess, and that gave Sasha the courage to do the same.
I wish I could do this better, but ya… I'm some flavor of gay, and we talked it over. We refuse to be separated. We love each other, but we know that we will never be accepted by everyone else. We want to believe that you would love us anyway and accept us, but we can't take that chance. I love you, but I love them too.
I might live in a loving home with parents that love me with all their hearts, but my loves don't. Sasha's parents are too busy fighting and using her as a bargaining chip to ever give her the attention she needs, and Marcy is fed up with the homophobia and pressure put on her, so we're taking a chance. We found a box that is supposed to take whoever opens it to new worlds, and we opened it. I'm going to miss you, but hopefully we'll figure out a way to come back eventually. Until then, thank you for always being there for us. Sasha and Marcy could never admit it to your faces, but you've always been their safe place, and the parents they would choose. I guess someday since we're together you could be, but that's wishful thinking.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that us running away, it's not your fault. We might not have always seen eye to eye, but if there was any other option we would have taken it. Sadly there isn't so just in case we never see you again. We love you, and we'll miss you. -Your Daughters, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy
Even after all of the times reading Anne's note, Oum was still filled with so many conflicting emotions. Anger at the Waybright's and Wu's for making the girls think this was their only choice, sadness at losing not only the daughter of their flesh but the two girls they loved as daughters if only in spirit, joy at hearing that they had figured out who they were and found comfort in each other, confusion at all of this magic box stuff, pride in Anne choosing to stand up and not abandon the girls she loved, hope that they will look out for each other, guilt that there was ever a doubt that they would have accepted them, and finally emptiness at the thought that she might never see her girls again. It was all too much, and when the police came to investigate the 'explosion' that happened on their property, Oum could do nothing, but weep.
Almost as soon as they were blinded by the light they felt themselves torn away from each other, and when Anne could see again she was standing on some kind of pillar made of blue cathedral glass. The pillar had a depiction of herself laid on one edge as if reclining, and she saw multiple blue crystal gems scattered throughout, but at its center were two windows showing her girlfriends faces smiling back at her. Seeing them, Anne didn't feel so afraid, but then she noticed the door nestled between them, and her nerves returned. With another smaller flash three plinths rose from the ground, and above each was a floating object: a sword, shield, and staff. Anne suddenly felt words appear in her head, but it wasn't like they were spoken. They just appeared from out of nowhere.
A Great power sleeps within you…
It is time you give it form…
Choose one to gain…
And one to lose…
Anne took a few steps forward, drawn to them by a feeling deep within her. With a trembling hand Anne moved to take the shield, but her hand suddenly stopped, and she grasped the sword's hilt. "I choose the sword, and lose the staff. I have shielded people for long enough, and I'm tired. I want the strength to stand beside the girls that I love, I have always been their shield, but now I want the power to be their sword, and stand on my own two feet."
The Strength of the Warrior…
Stalwart and True…
Destruction when used for oneself…
Salvation when used for others…
Go forth…
And never forget…
Your heart is your greatest weapon…
Anne was shocked when the sword dissipated into light, and the pillar shattered like glass as she began to fall into the void below.
When Anne awoke she was face down in the mud of some kind of forest or swamp, but even more strange was the blade that stood sticking out of the mud in front of her face… almost like a watchful guardian. As Anne got up she took hold of the blade, and to her surprise it felt like it was made just for her. As Anne took a closer look, the grip was simple wrapped white cloth, and a chain with a pink tennis racket dangled free. Around it was a circular green guard that looked like her pink tennis racket with the netting removed, and a blue gem sat comfortably in its neck. The shaft was pink and shaped like the shaft and grip of her tennis racket. At the end of it, where the grip and butt cap would usually be was two silver forked branches acting as teeth on the odd key-like blade, and at the center of each was a gem: one green and the other pink. A name suddenly came to her หัวใจผู้พิทักษ์, or Guardian Heart, and she instantly knew that was its name.
With a faint blue flash the blade disappeared leaving a calming warmth behind, but Anne had a feeling that it wasn't really gone. After releasing a sigh, Anne began to look for her girls, but she quickly determined they were nowhere to be found. After a number of hours, and a few near misses involving insects that, in Anne's opinion, had no right to be as big as they were, she found a cave to rest in. Once again, Anne was thankful for Marcy's forethought as she pulled out a book of matches and a couple snack bars. As she ate her meager snack, Anne took the chance to look around, and she had to admit, despite being a dirty swamp, the stars were beautiful, and… she couldn't wait to find Marcy and Sasha. Without them, Anne just felt so alone.
The next few days were a challenge for Anne. She continued her search, but she had no luck finding her girls. She did discover that her new blade would come to her whenever she called to it though, after a small run in with a green mantis that was the size of a grown adult, and a mole/bear thing that attacked her only to be driven off after a short 'duel'. After that Anne made it a point to train a bit when she could to get more used to wielding her new companion. During the fourth night though, Anne heard a shriek for help and when she arrived to help she found a small blue anthropomorphic frog with a single swollen eye cowering as a group of four dark blue monkey creatures with right yellow eyes and an odd symbol on their chests seemed to dance and take swipes at him.
Suddenly her Guardian Heart appeared on its own, almost like it was trying to tell her to help. With a sigh Anne sprang into action taking one of the monkey's by surprise, and making it dissipate into dark vaper, releasing a heart that disappeared a moment later, but before she could think too much about it the other three jumped towards her to attack. Anne felt herself being pressed, but also her blade seemed to pulse in her hands like a heartbeat, each beat feeding her more strength and pushing her to fight harder. The frog watched in awe as this gangly monster fought against the others, and slowly began to force them back until a second fell, then a third, and finally the last was fading into dark vapers.
The frog might not have been bright, but he knew a potentially dangerous situation when it cropped up, so while the bush headed creature with the shining blue eyes caught its breath he ran away as fast as he could. Anne wasn't surprised, but she still felt annoyed that it had run since she had wanted to talk, and see if it knew where they were or had seen her girlfriends. With a resigned sigh Anne returned to her search. While elsewhere Wally, the blue frog, was running as fast as he could back to Wartwood to warn everyone of the odd monsters he just ran into, but all he got was a pan thrown at him for caterwauling while people were trying to sleep. When Wally woke up the next day, he took his new pan and concussion, and continued to try to warn people about the monsters in the woods.
Not too far away four frogs were walking into town carrying a few bags full of vegetables to be sold in the market. They were Hopediah Planter, an elderly orange frog, Sprig Planter, a young pink frog with orange hair and a googled cap, Polly Planter, another pink frog with orange hair but also sporting a polka dot yellow bow, and Ivy Sundew, a yellow frog with a wild bush of orange hair. When they arrived at the Planter family stand, Hopediah turned to Ivy, "Thanks again Ivy. Ever since Bessie got taken by the tower, getting produce has gotten harder and harder, and I hate to admit it, but I'm not as spry as I once was."
Ivy laughed, "It's not a problem Mr. Planter, but if that's all ya need, Sprig and I are going to go explore the woods."
"Ya Hop-pop, we're going to see if we can find anything unique out there," interjected Sprig.
Hop-pop sighed, "Fine, but don't be gone too long. We still have a lot of work to do today."
With that the duo ran off into the trees and Hop-pop gave a slight smile as they disappeared. Seeing his grandson so excited to explore still gave him a feeling of contentment as he remembered his own youth, but that was quickly washed away as Wally came running up to him and yelling about the monsters he saw the night before. Spotting a mob already forming, Hop-pop sighed and closed up his stand to make sure things didn't get too crazy.
About fifteen minutes later, Anne came across an odd sight. Two frogs tied back to back and slowly rotated as they hung in the air from what was clearly supposed to be a rope trap. The yellow one was smiling sheepishly while the pink one looked slightly annoyed. Anne just leaned against the tree that served as the trap's anchor, and let out a snort, "Having a bit of trouble there?"
Spotting her the two frogs gasped, and Spig asked, "Can you let us down, Ms. Monster? I promise that we don't taste good."
Anne snorted, "Ya, sure little dude, but don't worry I'm not a fan of frog anyway. That's more of a Sasha thing anyway. Before I do though, I have some questions."
Ivy pressed, "Sure, but could you let us down first? We might pass out from the blood rushing to our heads if you don't."
They hear Anne scoff, followed by a flash, and then they started to fall only to be caught by her before they could hit the ground. After setting them down gently, Anne askes, "So where exactly are we? I've been searching around for days, and you two are the third people I've run into in this god awful swamp. Don't get me wrong it's pretty at night, but I've lost a shoe and the wildlife keeps trying to eat me, so not exactly a fan right now."
"Well Ms. Monster-" started Sprig.
"Anne. My name is Anne," interrupted Anne.
"Oh I'm Sprig and this is Ivy. You're just outside of Wartwood. What even are you?" answered Sprig with a bit of awe.
Anne scoffed, "Yup, new world. Marcy was right." Anne blushed, "I guess I lost the bet. I guess I owe Marcy that private date." Noticing that she wasn't alone, and Ivy was giving her a knowing smirk, Anne recomposed herself, "I'm a human from another world. You wouldn't happen to have run into any others have you? My… friends, Sasha and Marcy, should be around somewhere, and I'd really like to find them."
Ivy went to give a coy response, but Sprig beat her to it, "Nope, never seen anything like you before. You said you came from another world… How?"
Anne shook her head, "Nope, that's my secret, but if you help me find my girls you'll get to see first hand." Anne carefully finished untying Sprig and Ivy, and took a few steps back to give them space, but before they could get too comfortable they heard a rustling and a red mantis, bigger than its green counterpart, stepped out. Anne gave a frustrated groan, "Come on. I thought I lost you. Great, you two get out of here. I'll distract it for a bit, and then make my escape. That should give you time to be anywhere but here." The two were about to argue, but then they saw another flash and a large key appear in Anne's hands as she charges the mantis.
Begrudgingly they started to take Anne's advice, but before they could get more than a few feet a dozen shadowy creatures with yellow eyes and antenna appeared to block their way. Sprig tried to use his slingshot but his shots didn't seem to do any damage. Without another option, they were forced back toward where Anne was fighting the mantis, and to their surprise Anne seemed to be winning. Shouting out to her, Ivy said, "We've got another problem. I don't know what these shadowy things are, but they don't seem to be affected by our attacks."
Zzz
Luckily, Anne managed to get a solid strike to the mantis's head, causing it to be knocked out. Pivoting to deal with whatever this new problem was, Anne noticed that these new creatures had the same eyes as the monkey's she fought, but they didn't have the red symbol on them… Weird. Deciding to worry about it later Anne charged toward them and yelled, "Get behind me. If they're anything like the others I've found then I can take them."
Unknown to them, the mob was watching from nearby as the gangly monster first fought off a red mantis, a deadly threat, and then seemed to try to defend a pair of kids. The whole mob seemed to turn to Wally with looks of annoyance making him sweat, but they just watched on to see what would happen next. Anne was almost thankful for all the times she had been attacked over the last couple days because by comparison fighting these little creatures was much easier. After a few swings, and a couple shots from Sprig that distracted the shadows, most of them were fading into mist. Unfortunately one of the shadows saw an easier target and rushed to the unconscious mantis without being seen until it was too late. The last pair of shadows sunk back into the gloom, but a shadowy scythe-like arm racked across Anne's back.
When Anne finally stopped rolling from the power of the hit to her back she saw a horrifying sight. The mantis was back, bigger and stronger than before. Most of its body had turned black with only a few places remaining red, and looking like armor. It now had four scythe-like arms and its eyes had become yellow spotlights like every other monster that bore the odd symbol that now appeared on its chest. Looking at the monster before her, Anne was afraid, but then she saw the frogs, and as much as she wanted to run away she knew she had to defeat this thing to protect them. As she rushed forward to take the creature down, she didn't notice the blue glow in her eyes or around her blade.
As the two clashed, Anne tried to use every trick she learned during her Sangha classes that she had taken during her Muay Thai training with the training Daab, and to her surprise she was doing well. She even managed to remove the two arms on the beast's right side with a particularly nice upward slice along its right side, but then the creature seemed to change tactics. It tried to bat her away so it could run, but with the last of her strength Anne managed to cut the mantis in two horizontally before she passed out from exhaustion, and her perception went dark.
When she woke up, Anne was in an unfamiliar room with a pair of yellow frogs. One was Ivy, and the other was a nervous looking older frog that Anne assumed was her mother. Anne wanted to sit up, but her body felt too sore and exhausted to comply so she just let out a groan that made the older frog back away in fear.
With a small laugh Ivy said, "Morning Anne. Sprig wanted me to make sure we thanked you for protecting us, so thanks. I know you're probably still a bit out of it, but you're safe. You're in one of the rentable rooms above our tea shop in Wartwood right now. The lady behind me is my mom Felicia. If you don't mind, we need to get to your back to check on the wound that mantis monster gave you. Is that ok?" Anne sighed, but gave a small nod, so the frog duo carefully rolled her over to check it out. "It didn't manage to cut deep, but it will probably scar a little. Don't worry though, you should be up and looking for Sasha and Marcy again in a few days. Until then, you must be hungry. We weren't sure what you ate, so we decided to wait until you woke up."
Anne swallowed a few times before she spoke, much to Felicia's surprise, "I have a few bars left in my bag, but beyond that mostly vegetables and mushrooms. No offense, but most of the wildlife I've seen have been bugs, and they're not really my thing. Don't worry though, once I can move I'll get out of your hair. I'm sorry you had to deal with me this long. I promise I'll find a way to repay you for helping me out."
Felicia snorted, slightly offended, "You saved my daughter's life. The least I can do is give you shelter until you're healed up. For now just rest young warrior, and regain your strength. Just give me a few minutes and I'll have some vegetable soup made up for you." With a kind smile Felicia left to get started on that.
Once she was gone, Ivy sat down next to Anne, and asked, "So while you're out of commission, Sprig and I can keep looking for your friends, but is there any way you can give us a better description?"
Anne thinks about it before smiling faintly, and closing her eyes, "Inside my bag, on the right hand side there's a small pocket. There's a picture of us there, but please be careful. That picture is all I have of them right now… It's my most prized possession."
Following Anne's instructions she found the picture with 'BFF' written along one side. After looking at it for a minute Ivy smiled, "You all seem happy here."
"Ya, that was a good day. I can't wait till I can see them again," Anne whole body seemed to relax at the thought.
"You must really love them," pressed Ivy a bit while having a teasing smirk.
"Ya, I love them more then…" Anne's eyes flew open and she instantly got tense which made her back ache worse, "I mean we're just friends. Completely platonic friends," Anne tried to cover her slip with a forced laugh, but Ivy wasn't fooled.
"Calm down Anne, I'll admit we don't see many poly-couples around here, but they aren't that unusual. If I might ask, is this kinda thing common among humans?" asked Ivy, with a non-judgemental smile.
Anne sighed, "No, it's not common, and it's one of the reasons we ran away. Marcy's dad was… well he wasn't a great guy, and he wanted to separate us, so we ran away to be together." Anne snorts, "I don't know why I'm telling you any of this. After all I'll be gone in a few days, but I guess I just feel like I owe you some answers for looking after me. By the way, is your boyfriend ok?"
Ivy blushed, "Y-you mean Sprig. Ya he's fine, but he's not… not that I'd be against… *sigh* What makes you think we're together?"
Anne smiled, "He seems a bit dense, but I saw how he tried to protect you. Maybe before I head on my way, I can help you out. If you want."
Ivy's blush got worse as she shot up, "I think I heard my Mom calling me to help. Nice talking to ya letstalkmoreaboutthisnever. Bye." With that Ivy rushed away, leaving Anne quietly laughing to herself.
Author Notes: So I'll admit, this side might be a bit rougher than the Owl House side at the moment in terms of quality, but I'm working on it, and that's mostly due to my attachment to each series' first season. I haven't sat down and put a number to the OH side, but I think I'm only going to use about 9 of the 20 episodes for chapters in this Au for Amphibia season one due to a couple things like Anne being taken in by the Sundew's instead of the Planter's, and the fact that everyone is one year older. As a result Polly is an actual frog, and there are a few 'ripples' that have already happened. Also this won't just be 'Anne's story' I intend to give Sasha and Marcy just as much time, but probably more Sasha… for reasons.
On to this chapter specifically. I decided to have Marcy have a moment of conscious because having the betrayal angle in this Au would have caused way too much distrust and friction for any future team building, and frankly I think this is just as likely to have occurred given the way I've angled their perspectives. So, I've noticed that most fan's fall into one off two camps when it comes to the Wu's so I'm going to be transparent about where I stand. As a person, the Wu's were probably fine in the show. If I remember correctly Marcy's journal says as much (A serious mistake in my opinion, but we'll get to that in a minute), but as a writer I will almost always demonize them, because I have to. In order to write 'Marcy and the box' there are really only two options. Either you made Marcy a spoiled, or over emotional child (a hard sell since we are supposed to like and bond with her) who runs away from a loving home, or you give her a good reason to run from bad parents, and I almost always pick option two because otherwise it just ends up making Marcy unlikable and I like Marcy. Having her run from bigotry or abuse is relatable, and that's kind of her greatest attribute from a narrative standpoint.
As for the confessions, once Marcy did it… it just felt natural for Sasha to do the same, and between them being more honest about their feelings and the clarity afterwards it will majorly change all three arcs. Marcy isn't guilty, Anne has a 'growth' epiphany earlier, and Sasha's toxicity will change. If anyone has questions, ask and I'll talk out my thoughts. For the record I tried to allow one scene that showcased how hard 'coming out' can be especially into an environment where you're not sure if you'll be accepted, and one one that's fun and shows how freeing it can be when that fear isn't there. In short, I gave you cake and frosting so please don't yell at me too much. Also writing that letter was worth any blowback I might get because catharsis is worth it. I love writing 'Screw you buddy' scenes so much.
I hope everyone enjoyed our first true 'dive' and I'll warn you that each will have significance, so pay close attention. Also since I have a whole wiki of images I can use aka the khwiki, I'll try to include images of heartless, or other enemy's where I can because 'If I have it, I might as well use it'. And if I use anything not from there I'll continue to note them and give credit as best I can.
For the record the 'Sasha thing' joke was only that. Sasha doesn't eat frogs, but since she is supposed to be Germanic or roughly European in origin she has the closest link to those that would, aka France, and it's a not so subtle jab at her relationship with Sprig in the show.
Ftr Muay Thai Sangha, to my limited understanding, is the 'armed' side of the martial art, and a real thing. I encourage people to look into it because it seems super interesting, and I love getting to explore different cultures as part of writing cuz it's always such a cool way to learn new things, and I'm thankful for the great friend I've made who helps me with my Thai. (Let me know if you are comfortable with me shouting you out by name, cuz you're awesome, and you deserve it for putting up with me lol.) So that's it for this entry. Shine on beautiful readers, Shine on.