Part 1
Christmas…tree?
Christmas time: Anne was busy pulling the few decorations out of the garage in her and Sasha's house, and was looking forward to celebrating it with not only her 2 best friends, but also her Parents', and the rest of their extended family in Team H.A.C.K.E.R.S. She grabbed her Motorcycle, pulled it off its stand, and moved it over to the other side of the Garage to access the tall metal cabinet where the Christmas Tree and Sasha's few decorations were kept. She looked disappointed as she opened it up and saw a rather rough-looking artificial tree sitting in there, looking like it should have been replaced years ago
"Really Sasha?" Anne went to herself, as she stared at the remains of the tree, with its bent arms, barren artificial foliage, and a few tangled sets of lights and tinsel.
"This is NOT good enough…" She went, pulled it out, carried it over to the bin, and disposed of it all…
With that, Anne grabbed her Leather Motorcycle Jacket and open-face helmet and opened the garage door. She got on her bike and fired it up. The Harley Davidson 883 Superlow roared to life as she started it up…
"I don't get to ride you often enough, except back and forth to work…" She went to the Bike as she sat astride it, kicked its side stand in, then clunked the bike into gear and pulled off out of the garage, down the short drive onto the roads, and headed towards the Malls…
A short time later, she pulled up in the car park of The Row DTLA, a large, up-and-coming Mall, with outdoor shops, pop-up market stalls, and dining. She parked her bike, and got off, shaking her hair back into shape after removing her helmet and putting it on the bike's handlebar. Anne started walking towards the outdoor market and looked at all the pop-up shops as she went by. She stopped by an outdoor Christmas tree seller, with fresh trees everywhere, ready for wrapping. She stood next to an 8-foot-tall Conifer and felt its foliage.
"You have a good eye for trees," a salesman said as he approached her. "That is one of our premium trees, guaranteed to last the entire Christmas period, and give very little needle drop"
"Mmm, very nice…" Anne said, "But I want a tree to last for more than one Christmas…do you sell any nice, realistic-looking artificial trees?" she asked
"Madame, I specialize in real trees, but I do keep a few 'fake' trees in stock…" he went, sounding offended as he said it, then directed her towards a cabin. He opened the door, and Anne saw boxes of artificial trees.
"Please, have a look, let me know if you find one you like" he went, then left her to go and see someone else who was looking at his real trees…
Anne started checking the boxed trees and found a 6-foot artificial Canadian Pine, which she liked, so she picked the box up and approached the salesman again
"How much?" She asked. The salesman looked at the tree in her arms, and went "$30…"
"How much for delivery? I'm on a motorbike" she added
"$5 delivery" he went "I can get it to you by this afternoon"
"Done and Done…" Anne went, as she put the tree down, and pulled her purse out from inside her Jacket… opened it and pulled out 3 $10 and $5. The salesman nodded and took the box off her, and the money. She then pulled a business card out of her purse and gave it to the salesman. On the front, it said:
Dr Anne Boonchuy
Herpetologist
She then turned the card over and wrote the house address on the back for him. He smiled, and went "I'll get it sent to you this afternoon, Dr. Boonchuy"
"Please…I'm Anne…" she went "I'm not one for titles" then asked, "Anywhere around here sell decorations you recommend?"
"Around the corner…tell them Marv sent you for a discount" the salesman now identified as Marv went. Anne nodded, and went "Thanks…" and left the tree lot and headed for the shop that was recommended.
Part 2
Emergency run
A few hours…and a few hundred dollars later, Anne pulls her bike back up in the Garage. As she pulls up, the door to the Garage opens, and Marcy comes out of the house through the adjoining kitchen door.
"ANNE!" Marcy went as Anne switched the bike off, kicked the stand down, and parked it
"Hey Mar-mar…" Anne went as she pulled the helmet off and shook her hair again.
"I thought you were setting the tree up?" She asked "I came down from my room to see you, and you weren't here"
"I had to go out and get us new decorations, Mar…" Anne replied "Sash's tree has seen better days" and pointed towards the trash can with the tree and decorations sticking out…
"Oh?" Marcy went, looking confused…just as a pick-up truck swung up the driveway. It stopped, and a young man got out and said "Delivery for Anne Boonchuy"
"That's me…" Anne went, as she got off her bike and walked toward him. He grabbed a big box from the back of the truck, and Anne grabbed a long box from the back
"Where'd you want it, miss?" the young man asked
"Just leave it here, thank you…" She went, and then pulled her purse out again, grabbed a $10 bill, and gave it to him "For your troubles" she added as he graciously accepted it
Marcy looked at the huge box, and the long box containing the Tree
"I hope you haven't gone crazy…" She went, as she eyed the big box up
"You're lucky my Parents' aren't decorating…my Dad would cover the outside of the house in Lights and animatronics…" Anne replied "And my Mum would cover every single inch of the inside of the house in decorations"
"Yeah…" Marcy went, "But it does look festive when done" She added, then went "Anyway…I came to see you, ask you for a favor"
"Sure, what's up?" Anne asked as she looked at Marcy
"I…normally don't ask you for a lift, as I'm not a fan of Motorbikes, but…" She started "I've had a call from the games company that's producing my latest RPG Game…it seems they are having trouble with some game pieces, and have asked me to come and view them…you know…for my approval"
"Do you need a lift?" Anne went "Sure, you know it's no problem, Mar-mar," she said, as she brought the boxes into the garage
"Normally I'd ask Sash…but she's not here…I can't believe how busy she is at this time of year" Marcy went
"You know Sasha…she's not busy…she's just not been a fan of Christmas for years…it reminds her of her broken past," Anne said solemnly "She uses work as an excuse to avoid remembering"
"You sure it's no biggie?" Marcy asked again, "I mean…I can always get a taxi"
Anne sat back astride her motorbike and pulled her helmet on "Get on, Marcy…grab the spare helmet and jump on" she went
"OK," Marcy went, as she quickly ran back inside the house, grabbed her Jacket and the spare helmet, pulled the kitchen door shut, and walked over to Anne's bike. Anne pulled the bike off its stand and fired the engine up again… Marcy climbed gingerly on the back and grabbed Anne tightly around her waist.
"Here we go…" Anne went, as she clunked the bike into gear and gave it some throttle, and the garage door closed as they rode away…
Anne and Marcy were cruising down the streets of Los Angeles, Anne enjoying riding her bike for a second time today, while Marcy was holding tightly onto Anne, and had her face right against Anne's back. Anne could feel how tense Marcy was, and went "Will you relax…you're cutting off my circulation" She joked
"You know I don't like bikes…" Marcy replied, "Just because you rode scooters when you were younger…"
"Then why'd you ask me to give you a lift?" Anne asked
Marcy said nothing, but instead shifted her body a bit closer, and relaxed her grip around Anne's waist a little. Anne smiled and thought to herself "That's why…"
A short time later, Anne pulled her Harley up outside a building saying Table Gaming Inc. Marcy let go of Anne and got off the bike.
"Thanks for the lift, Anne…" Marcy went as she took off the helmet, held it in her left hand, and rubbed her right hand up and down her left arm while shuffling her feet
"Anytime, Marcy…" Anne replied
"You don't have to wait for me…I've no idea what's in store, or how long I'll be…so I'll get a cab back home" Marcy said as she looked at her. Anne looked at Marcy, and asked "You sure? I mean, I could wait and grab a bubble Tea…"
Marcy nodded "Yeah… I'm sure" she replied, handing Anne the helmet back and turning to face the building. Marcy took a deep breath, closed her eyes, breathed out, and went "Calming breath…let's go fix this…" as she opened her eyes and walked towards the door. Anne put her bike back into gear and pulled off…heading back home.
Part 3
Deck the halls
Anne and her motorbike pulled up the driveway to their shared house. The garage door opened automatically as she approached and rode in slowly. She stopped the bike, kicked the side stand down, and rested the bike on it. She switched it off and pulled her helmet off, shaking her hair back to shape. She dismounted her steed and grabbed the boxes she had delivered earlier and took them inside.
"Right…" Anne went as she put the boxes down and took her jacket off, then her shoes off "Let's get this place looking more Christmassy…"
2 hours later, Anne had the tree up, decorated, lighted, the room done over in Silver and Bronze decorations, and some Christmas cards sent to them from family and friends hung up on a card bunting. Anne stood there in the middle of the room, looking pleased with her work.
"If this doesn't get those two in the Christmas spirit…I don't know what will…" Anne said to herself, just as she heard the garage door open up and a car pulled in. A few moments later, a car door was slammed, and then the Kitchen door was opened.
Sasha shouted, "Honey, I'm home…" as she kicked off her shoes by the door and entered the living room…her face went into one of shock…
"What have you done? Where are my decorations?" Sasha asked as she looked around the room
"What? Those broken decorations and ratty old tree?" Anne replied "Where they belong…in the bin" She added
"But I've had those since College…" Sasha replied to Anne
"I know…I could tell…" Anne went "That tree had seen better days, your lights were all tangled, and half of them didn't work…so I went out and bought us all new ones…"
Sasha couldn't believe her eyes…the house looked nice, but she wasn't going to admit that…instead, Sasha headed towards the stairs, and stomped up them with a pout on her face.
"I'll be in the bath!" she went, as she slammed the door to the bathroom.
Anne had a small smirk on her face…
"She likes it…" she went quietly to herself, as she heard it start to rain outside…
An hour Later, Sasha emerged from the Bathroom, in her fluffy Pink Bathrobe, matching slippers, and her hair wrapped in a large towel to dry it. She stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at the room below that Anne had decorated. Sasha would never admit to liking it, as she had always done the bare minimum of decorating ever since her days at College…where she had that ratty old tree she pulled from a dumpster and the decorations from a Dollar store. It had always been that way since she was old enough to move out and not bother with her parents at Christmas. Her Father had Remarried, and his new wife and he had a son together…so she was a half-sister to Stefan. Her Mother had found a new love as well, but had not remarried…so she was also a Step-sister to her Mother's Partner's kids. Sasha sighed as she looked at the room, then noticed Anne was standing in the doorway to the Kitchen, in a short Satin Pajama set and matching slippers, holding 2 glasses and a pitcher of homemade eggnog.
She slowly descended the stairs, rubbed the hair towel to dry her hair, and sat down on the Sofa. Anne went and put the glasses and pitcher on the table, sat down next to Sasha, and picked up a remote control that activated the fireplace.
"I haven't upset you, have I Sash?" Anne asked as she looked at her.
Sasha shook her head "No…you haven't. It's just that…I don't go all out at Christmas, that's all…" She replied as she looked back at Anne "And…I know you and your parents go all out…but it's not for me. It just reminds me of all the times I was bounced between my Mom's and my Dad's houses…some people would think that you'll get two of everything, but you don't…I just wanted 1 Christmas again…as a family"
Anne smiled at Sasha…"we are having 1 Christmas…together" she replied "And it's going to be the best…since Marcy is also here to celebrate with us"
"Yeah…" Sasha went, then asked, "Where is Marbles anyway?"
"I had to take her to the games company that's making her latest game a reality…said something about the pieces not fitting…?" Anne said
As she said that, a knock at the front door made them look toward it, and they heard Marcy shouting "Can you let me in? I left my key behind!"
Sasha suddenly broke down into a fit of laughter "OH MAR-MAR!" she went, as Anne got up and walked to open the front door for her…
Part 4
A quiet evening, and an unexpected gift
Anne opened the door, and Marcy was standing there, looking wet through, as she didn't have enough taxi fare on her, and the heavens opened whilst she was walking.
"Thank's A-B…" She went, as she slipped her shoes off by the front door, and squelched in…her white socks had become see-through with how wet they were
"Marcy…why didn't you call us?" Anne went as she squelched past her "You know we'd have come to get you…"
"Left my phone behind too…I'm a stupid big-brain idiot…" Marcy replied as she lifted her feet one at a time to pull the wet socks off
Sasha looked over at Marcy as she entered "I hope that's not a swamp monster you're inviting in, Anne?" she joked, as Marcy was stripping off as she walked through
"It could be from the Bay…" Anne replied jokingly, then went "Sash has just run the bath…go have a hot one before you catch a chill…"
"Thank's girls…" she went, as she dropped wet clothing everywhere as she proceeded through the house
"Good job I have laminate and tile floors then…" Sasha went, as Marcy made it to the stairs, with Anne carrying the soaked clothes in her arms to take to the laundry room. Marcy climbed the stairs and headed into the bathroom, closing the door as she entered. The door reopened a crack, and Marcy dropped her underwear outside the door, before reclosing it, and then running the bath taps…
"She has this knack of finding trouble…" Anne went as she reemerged from the laundry room, and headed up the stairs to grab the underwear that had been dropped
"Or trouble goes looking for poor old Mar-mar…" Sasha went, as she got up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen "Better get a third glass then…" she said
"You got that much right, Sash…but we wouldn't change her for the world…" Anne replied as she came back down the stairs and headed back to the laundry room
After an hour, the bathroom door reopened, and Marcy emerged. Wrapped up in Sasha's large spare white Robe, which almost went down to her ankles. She headed to the second bedroom and emerged a few moments later in her Pajamas. She headed downstairs to where the two of them were sitting on the sofa, watching TV.
"So, how are you feeling now, creature from the lagoon?" Sasha went teasingly
"Better now thanks…" Marcy replied as she sat down and pulled her legs up under her.
Anne passed her a glass of eggnog "Here…it's warm" she went, as Marcy took it off her
"Honestly, I don't know where I'd be without you two in my life…" Marcy said and then took a sip of the warm drink
"Well…our lives certainly would be boring without you, Mar-mar" Sasha replied
"Even after everything I did?" she asked
"ESPECIALLY after everything you did…" Anne replied, "You're our Loveable, Clumsy, Gamer nerd…"
"Yeah…you complete us…" Sasha added
Marcy's face went into one of joy, and her eyes went wide "AW…" she went, then put the drink down on the table and grabbed the two of them "I LOVE you girls…"
Anne and Sasha returned the hug. "And we love you, Marcy…" Anne replied to her
Marcy gently let go of the hug, and sat back up on the sofa…"I know I say it all the time…but I'm sorry for what I caused all those years ago…"
Sasha turned her head to face Marcy and had a slightly stern look on her face
"And how many times do we have to say that it's OK?" she went "If you didn't get us sent to another dimension, living with Frogs, Toads, and everything else…forcing us to do things we never thought we were capable of doing, becoming better people than we were…god knows where we'd be right now…"
Marcy was about to say something but stopped herself. She had seen alternate futures and their outcomes and didn't want to cause any more arguments, so she smiled and said, "Thanks Sashy…"
"Besides…" Anne started "I think that we wouldn't be a part of a secret Government task force meeting and greeting Aliens from other planets and dimensions now without that box…"
Marcy suddenly went "That reminds me…" as she quickly got off the sofa and hot-footed it over to her bag hung on the coat rack. She went in and pulled out something wrapped in brown paper, and tied up with string. She returns to the sofa and places it down between Anne and Sasha
"I know it's still a few days 'til Christmas…but I had this made…and it's been bugging me having to hide it from you two…so…Merry Christmas" Marcy went, and then sat back down next to them. Anne and Sasha looked at the paper-wrapped gift, and Sasha slowly undid the string. So Anne unwrapped the paper…and it revealed a very familiar-looking box.
"Umm…" Anne went nervously
"No…way…" Sasha went, as they both looked at the box and then each other
"Oh, relax, you two…it's not the Calamity box…" Marcy went "I had one of the designers at that game company 3D print it for me at 500% size…I included a miniature as a collectible token in my new game, based on the web Comic, Amphibi-Anne…"
"So…it's not going to send us back there?" Sasha asked
"Not a chance…" Marcy replied, then grabbed the box and opened the lid…Sasha and Anne covered their faces, expecting a flash…but nothing happened. They both lowered their hands and opened their eyes and saw they were still sitting on the sofa, in their shared house in LA…
"I told you…" Marcy went…"I had it made up as a gift for you two, as a thank you for putting up with me"
"Mar-mar…" Sasha went, and put her hands on her hips…Anne also looked at her with narrowed eyes…
"I'M SORRY!" she went quickly and covered her face, expecting something to happen…but nothing
She lowered her hands covering her face and saw both Sasha and Anne standing over her. Anne grabbed her by the Right hand, and Sasha grabbed her Left… they pulled her to her feet, pulled her towards them, and hugged her…
Part 5
Amphibi-Anne
"YOU…are the biggest goofball we know…" Anne went while hugging Marcy
"Damn you, Marcy…" Sasha went "You had us…"
Marcy smiled "I didn't mean to…but I'm glad you like it" She replied as they broke the hug
Sasha picked up the box and carried it over to a sideboard with other trinkets and ornaments on it, placed it down between a Frog and a Toad statue, and added a Newt statue in front of it.
"Perfect…" Sasha went
"Wait a minute…" Anne went "Did you say your new game is based on your webcomic of Amphibi-Anne?"
Marcy nodded "The game's developer is a huge fan, and convinced me to turn it from a comic to a playable board game…we're characters in a game now, not just in my comic!" she went, but added "Well…my characters from the comic are…apart from Amphibi-Anne the main character, I changed our names to other characters names in the comic so we stay anonymous… like anyone would believe us anyway. Sasha is Tasha the Dual-Sword wielding Warrior, and my character is called Mercy the Wise, a Smart but Clumsy Character…the other NPCs are all named after our Amphibian Friends, who either help or hinder you on the journey cards and mission cards, with the ultimate aim of finding the Catastrophe Box to go home…"
Both Anne and Sasha stared at Marcy with blank looks on their faces. Sasha was the first to speak
"I didn't know you were turning Amphibi-Anne into a game…" she said
Marcy had a smile on her face. "Loads of people worldwide love that comic, and I've had countless requests for a playable game version, as people love every one of the characters. There's a whole fandom sprung up around it…they love to read about Amphibi-Anne's, Tasha's, and Mercys' adventures in the Frog Kingdom…now, they get to play a few RPG adventures"
"Wait…it has a FANDOM?" Anne asked, with a hint of surprise in her tone of voice
"Yeah…" Marcy went, then said "Be right back" as she got up off the sofa again, ran to the stairs, and up to her room…
A few moments later, Marcy comes down with her ultra-powerful Gaming Laptop in her hands, which she used to run her design programs, comic design, and editing software. She came carefully down the stairs and placed it on the table in front of them.
"See?" Marcy went, as she clicked a link on her browser, and it brought up a fan-made Wiki detailing the main characters, their bios, adventures, friends, enemies, backstory…
"Oh…my…Frog…" Anne went as she started reading the page…
"And all this was created by the comic's fans…" Marcy went "I lurk in there unseen under a false username…because it would go nuts in there if they knew the creator of it was there amongst them…"
"Lemme see what they say about Tasha…" Sasha went as she clicked Marcy's Bluetooth mouse on a link to that page. The page loaded, and Sasha started reading some of the things on the page. She saw things like "I love Tasha, she's the best" "Tasha's the strongest fighter" and others like "Tasha's overrated…I think Samurai Jack could beat her"
"Of all the cheek!" Sasha went, reading the last comment "Who is this guy?"
"Samurai Jack, or the comment poster?" Marcy asked
"I KNOW who Samurai Jack is…" Sasha retorted, "And I could probably take him too…if he were real"
"Oh…" Marcy went "You meant that poster? He's an internet troll…" She added "He tries to wind people up on there"
"And you LET HIM?" Sasha asked
"Hey, Sash…if I revealed who I am on there it would open the floodgates…I just do what everyone else does, report him to Modmins" Marcy replied
"How can you let them do that…I mean, make a fan page?" Sasha asked,
"Because I have enough trouble running my dedicated web page, the comic site, and my RPG Builder site…not to mention sorting out diary appearances at Comic cons, Artists conventions, Gaming meetups…" Marcy went
"I had no idea you were that busy…" Anne said
"That's why I'm always up late at night, and get up late every day…my best ideas come at night. Speaking of cons…" Marcy went, then clicked on her online diary "There's one coming up in January, and I have free passes that I can claim for friends…up to 3 of them. I'd like you guys to come with me…"
"I don't know…" Anne went
"Aww, c'mon Anne…Sash…you guys would love it…we could even dress up as our characters and freak people out, you know…Cosplay" Marcy added
"Dress up? what do our characters wear?" Anne asked. With that, Marcy clicked another link on the wiki page, and brought up Character reference images…Anne and Sasha were shocked
"THAT'S WHAT WE WORE!" Sasha went, looking at Tasha, who was wearing a similar outfit to the Toad Warrior outfit, but Tasha had long Dark Brown hair. Anne's version had her wearing a School-type uniform, with an armored chest piece covering the top, metal armor boots, carrying a Sword on her back, and light brown hair with bits of twigs and leaves everywhere. Mercy had an outfit very similar to what Marcy herself wore but had a Bow and Arrow, instead of a wrist-mounted bow, a book hanging from her belt, and Black hair.
Anne looked at Sasha, who looked back at Anne, and then they both turned to look at Marcy, who was going a scarlet color on her face.
"I'M SORRY…" Marcy went again "But didn't we have the coolest outfits?" she asked
"What…the…heck, Mar-mar…" Sasha went, as she clicked on the various fan drawings of her character…
Marcy was looking a little sheepish as Sasha looked at the pictures. "The fandom loves to draw our characters in different outfits…just beware of some of them" she went, as Sasha clicked the browser closed
"I don't want to know…" Sasha said as she slumped back onto the sofa.
Part 6
A Few Nights Later
Sasha, Anne, and Marcy were getting ready to go out. It was the evening of the Team H.A.C.K.E.R.S Christmas party, being held at the warehouse. The Girls all chose smart, yet sensible, outfits to wear. Anne wore a Red dress and small Red heels, paired with a small red Handbag. Sasha wore a smart Ladies' two-piece Trouser suit and white Blouse paired with black Dolly shoes, and her Leather jacket with her patch on. Marcy wore a casual Cream Top, Leather trousers, and her favorite Yellow sneakers.
As Anne came down from the bedroom, Sasha commented "Nice Legs…" as she stepped down the stairs
"You see these most days in my Museum uniform…" Anne replied.
Marcy came down behind Anne "You two stop flirting…" she said, then added "But Sash does have a point"
"Will you quit it…the pair of you…" Anne replied, as she opened the kitchen door that led to the Garage, where her Motorcycle and Sasha's BMW were parked. The 3 Girls headed to the car, Sasha got in first and started it up, Anne folded her front seat forward so Marcy could climb in the back, then pushed her seat down and got in herself. Sasha pressed the button for the roof on the car, and it folded out and locked in place… the Garage door opened up, and Sasha switched the headlights on and drove out.
After 25 minutes of cruising, Sasha's car pulled up outside the nondescript Warehouse housing the secret Headquarters of H.A.C.K.E.R.S. The roller shutter door rose enough for Sasha to drive in and close as they entered behind them. She parked the car in a parking spot next to the Armordillo, switched it off, and got out. Anne stepped out and folded the seat so Marcy could climb through. As the girls made their way through the building to the large Briefing room, where the party was being held…the Girls thought they heard voices that they recognized. Anne pushed the Briefing room door open and had a surprise.
"HEY ANNE!" went Sprig, waving at her as she entered
"OH MY FROG! SPRIG!" Anne went as the two of them headed towards each other and then hugged. Sasha and Marcy entered the room behind Anne and were also surprised to see the rest of the Plantars, Grime, Yunan, and Lady Olivia there.
"You're looking different, Lieutenant" Grime went to Sasha…she walked over, and hugged him
"And you don't look any different from the last time I saw you" Sasha replied, stepping back
Marcy ran towards her two Newtopian Friends "Yunan! Lady O!" she went as she embraced them each in turn "This is a surprise" Marcy went
"You can thank your gracious Boss Mr.X for us being here…" Lady Olivia went. "He sent us a transmission a few weeks ago informing us of this festive holiday, and invited us to attend as guests"
Marcy looked over at Mr.X, who was in conversation with Hop Pop, and went "Yeah…he's a nice guy when you get to know him…"
Over the other side of the room, Ally, Jess, and Polly were all gathered in the corner, talking about the latest tech, and things they'd built. Experiments and Robots were their hot topic, to which Ally and Jess sneaked off with Polly to their Workshop…to show off their latest gadgets.
Anne and Sprig were both laughing and chatting away like they hadn't been apart for ages.
"So, how's life in Amphibia?" Anne asked
"Couldn't be better, Anne…I've mapped about 50 % of Amphibia's land masses, and met loads of new species of Frog, Ivy is soon to have another Tadpole to go with the two Pollywogs we've already got…"
"Wow, Sprig…you've been busy" Anne went "Very busy"
"What about you, Anne? You got any Tadpoles of your own?" Sprig asked curiously
"WHAT? ME?" Anne went with surprise in her voice, as it wasn't a question she was ready to be asked "SPRIG!" she went as she started to turn as red as her dress
Maggie was talking to the Boonchuy's. James and Dr. Jan were talking and flirting. Terri was chatting to Jenny, who was still very softly spoken when she replied.
Sasha and Grime were talking over by the Christmas Tree.
"So…" Grime went "this…Christmas…do you conquer your enemies over this period? Because I was told you deck the halls with the bowels of someone called Holly?"
"Nah" Sasha went "this time of year is for seeing friends old and new, giving and receiving gifts, eating too much food until you feel like you're going to explode, and drinking…"
"I feel like this…Christmas…could be a worthwhile investment in the Amphibian Calendar. Maybe I will bring this to Lady Olivia at a council meeting and suggest this…" Grime went
"Well, I'm glad I got to see you, you old Toad, you…" Sasha went and kissed Grime on his cheek. Grime suddenly croaked unexpectedly, and went "Apologies…it must be this beverage…" Sasha started laughing, and Grime joined in.
"So, Hopediah…" Mr X went to Hop Pop "How's the family business going?"
"Great…" Hop Pop went "Ever since we started growing those 'avocados' from here…business is booming. It's such a versatile fruit…Frogs everywhere love to discover something new to do with it"
"I like to make a smash out of it and put it on toast…" Mr X went
"What is…Toast?" Hop Pop asked, as Mr.X put his hand on Hop Pop's shoulder, and asked "Do you mean you don't Toast your bread in Amphibia?"
"We have bread…but I have never heard of Toast…" Hop Pop replied. Mr.X went "I'll have to show you how to make your Bread into Toast…"
After an hour of socializing, everyone was ready for the main food course…Which had been cooked by the Boonchuy's and James in the Kitchen. The table was laid with all the festive trimmings, and Bee and James carried in a Massive Turkey on a Silver platter. Everyone took their seats at the Briefing Room Table. Mr. X stood at the head of the table as everyone sat down.
"Friends, Guests, Welcome…" He went, then continued "This is the first time that I have done this…and I hope it will not be the last. Over 10 years ago, two worlds were inexplicably changed…brought together under an unexpected event. 3 Human Girls were flung through a Dimensional Gateway via a musical box that opened up a Harmonic Resonance Pathway, and that same box was used to open a return pathway to Earth, but for very different reasons…originally, every one of us at this table didn't know that the other existed. One side was constantly fighting amongst themselves, while the other believed that we were the only other Life forms out there in a huge cosmos. When 2 worlds met, friendships were formed…exchanges made, and lessons learned. Now… I'll be the first to admit that when I first encountered our friends the Plantars, my job was to capture and contain them for the Government…however, through Anne, I learned that not every Alien was dangerous and that the real threats come from outside our boundaries of Knowledge. Today, we are coming together with our first Offworld Friends to celebrate 12 months of our successful Dimensional Exploration program, and to thank them for expanding our horizons"
With that, Mr X picked up and raised his glass and went "To our Amphibian Friends"
Everyone raised their glasses and went "CHEERS!"
Part 7
Stay a while
The evening was drawing to a close, and both parties were feeling full. Mr X was looking at everyone gathered there, and smiled
"I have an announcement to make…" He started "Instead of sending our friends from Amphibia back straight away, I have a little surprise…" he went, as Jenny left the room, then returned holding a metal briefcase. Mr X took the case off Jenny, put it down on the table, opened it, and turned it around to show everyone.
"This is a little gift from our other friends, the Y'Rots. They have given us a few of their cloaks to try out. This way, our friends can walk and mingle amongst Humans and not be noticed at all…" He stated, as he then pulled them out one at a time and passed them to each of the Amphibia Party. Sprig looked at the device, and asked "So…what do we do with it?"
"You wear it on your wrist. When activated, it will give you the outward appearance of a Normal, Human person" Mr X Answered.
"Cool!" Polly went as she quickly put hers on her wrist, and turned the dial. A quick flash, and instead of a large, Ginger-haired Purple frog wearing dungarees, a Ginger-haired Girl wearing Dungarees stood, but looking like any other normal Human Girl.
"OH WOW!" Polly went as she looked at her arms and the pink skin she now had. She turned around and used the large flatscreen as a mirror to see the rest of herself. She looked like any other Girl you would see on the street, apart from being barefoot
"What do you girls think?" Polly asked as she went over to Ally and Jess
"Very cool" Jess went
"Now we can go electronics shopping together!" Ally went excitedly
Sprig put his one on and pressed the button. Where a Pink Frog once stood, a young Orange-haired man now stood, wearing Sprig's clothes
"This is crazy…" Sprig went as he looked at himself. Mr.X smiled
"I see that they work well…" he went, as Hop Pop, Grime, Yunan, and Olivia put theirs on and activated them. Hop Pop looked like a 60-year-old man, Grime became a slightly overweight, short, Middle-aged man, Yunan looked like a tall, athletic Woman in her 30s, and Olivia was also Tall, for a Woman, yet more evenly proportioned. Yunan started to flex her muscles "I LIKE this look" she went, but then asked, "Where's my tail?"
"It is still there, Miss Yunan" X went "It is being hidden by the personal cloak"
"GENERAL Yunan…scourge of the…" Yunan started but was interrupted by Lady Olivia
"You look lovely, Yunan" Olivia went to her. Yunan smiled back at her "Thank you, your Ladyship" she replied
Grime was looking at the image portrayed "Does this Beard make Human me look older, Lieutenant?" He asked Sasha.
"I think it suits you, Grime…" Sasha replied,
"Thank you…" Grime replied as he stroked his greying Beard with his one hand
"Now…everyone…" Mr. X started " As you can see, your cloaks can disguise you as a Human…but don't forget to make sure they are on when in public, or people will see the real you…and I don't think I'm ready to have to deal with the potential fallout from another set of 'sightings' of Aliens on the streets of Los Angeles. Oum and Bee have graciously agreed to host the Plantar's, as they have stayed with them before. Jenny is willing to Host both Yunan and Olivia, as she has space at her house. Sasha, do you still have a spare room at your place for Grime?"
"I have a spare room, but it's not the biggest" Sasha replied
"A room is a room. I would be most grateful for it, Sasha…" Grime went
"It's not as confined as the dungeon at Toad Tower…" Sasha jokingly replied to him…
—-
20 minutes later, everyone was splitting up into their assigned parties. The Boonchuy's and the Plantars got into the Thai GO MPV, Jenny, Lady Olivia, and Yunan got into Jenny's Honda Accord, and Sasha led the way to her BMW.
Grime looked around as they entered the loading bay containing the various vehicles.
"Do you all have these…Automobiles?" he asked
"Not everyone drives, Grime" Sasha replied as she opened the door to her car and got in. Anne opened the passenger door, folded the seat, and climbed in the back with Marcy, who then pulled the seat back to its driving position. Grime was looking at the seat.
"Get in, you old Toad…" Sasha went, as Grime finally climbed in and pulled the door closed
"Where are the snails to pull it?" he asked. Sasha shook her head "No Snails…we have engines…and engines make Horsepower" she said, as she turned the key and the engine fired up. Grime looked surprised.
"This is…unsettling" he went, as Sasha reversed out of the space and swung the car around
"I have never been in an unpowered carriage before," Grime said, as Sasha moved the car forward and the roller door opened as they approached.
"Believe me, Grimey, this has PLENTY of power…" Sasha replied, as she swung out onto the road and pushed her foot down…
—-
The late evening traffic was quiet, so it took less time to return to their shared house than it did to get to HQ. As Sasha was driving, Grime was looking out of the window at the city going by.
"I never got to see this city properly the last time I was here…it seems so…different," Grime said
"It had bits that needed rebuilding after the Core's attack, but not much…" Sasha replied "I think you'll like it here"
"I do intend to do a bit of…how do you say it? Sightseeing?" he went
"I can take you anywhere you'd like to go, Grimey" Sasha replied "My office is closed for around 2 weeks, so I have plenty of time to show you around"
"Since when do you close your office?" Anne asked,
"Since our friends came into town…" Sashe retorted "It's not like you can show them anything, seeing as you still have to go in nearly every day to feed your Animals"
"True…but I'm not having them starving over the Christmas and New Year period" Anne replied
"And we're here…" Sasha went, as she swung the car up the driveway of their house, and the garage door opened automatically as they approached and drove in. Sasha switched the car off and parked it.
"This is your house?" Grime went "I thought it would be bigger"
"This is just the garage…like a barn, where you house your vehicles instead of Snails" Sasha replied, as she opened the car's Driver door, and folded the seat so that Marcy and Anne could get out, whilst Grime was sat there, looking around. He finally opened the door and got out. He looked at Anne's Motorcycle and asked "What is this strange metal steed?"
"That's my Bike…" Anne went "My Harley Davidson 883 Superlow…"
"Does it also have…an engine?" Grime went out of curiosity as he looked at the bike
"You're looking at it now…" Anne said "That v-shaped thing is the engine"
"Truly your world is full of curiosities," Grime said as he turned to look at the three girls, then went "Please, lead the way"
Part 8
The next day…
Grime came down the stairs from the Spare bedroom the next morning in Sasha's house. "Your World is so different, Sasha," Grime said as he entered the Kitchen, as his normal Toad self. Sasha was busy making a Coffee when he entered. She glanced over at him.
"Grime, what was our routine back in Toad Tower?" she asked him
"That No-one disturbs you before your first drink…" he went, then noticed that Sasha was holding onto a Mug that said I'D RATHER BE LARP'ING on it "Oh…" he went
"It's OK, Captain…" Sasha said "It's just hard to start the day without Coffee anymore"
"I'm sorry we didn't have 'coffee' back there…but we did do the best we could" Grime replied,
"That Boiled Mushroom and Moss stuff was quite potent…" Sasha said "Too bad we don't have the ingredients for it here"
"Quite…" Grime went, then asked, "So…what is the itinerary for the day, Lieutenant?"
"Well, first off, don't call me Lieutenant in public…" Sasha started "It would just be weird, and I'm not 'officially' an enlisted Military Officer outside of H.A.C.K.E.R.S, so just call me Sasha. Secondly…I have no idea. This was a bit of a surprise for me…but I have shut the office for a few days to show you around, it's not like I'm inundated, I just don't like the fuss of Christmas"
"I must admit that I was taken by surprise as well…but I won't waste an opportunity for reconnaissance of a New World" Grime replies
Just then, Anne walked into the Kitchen "Morning you two…" she went as she walked over to the fridge, pulled out the Milk, and put it down on the counter. She then grabbed a carton of Orange Juice and closed the door. She carried the two things over to the Island where Grime and Sasha sat and chatted. She then bent down, grabbed a Glass, a Bowl, and a box of Cereal from the Island cupboard, and poured herself the glass of Juice and the Cereal, before drowning it in Milk.
"No wonder we go through so much Milk…" Sasha went and then took a slurp of Coffee.
"Unlike you and the number of coffees you drink a day, Sash…" Anne replied between mouthfuls, as she looked at her. Anne was there in her Museum Uniform, but had long Trousers on instead of shorts, as it was cold.
"How many days have you got left?" Sasha asked
"Until Friday, then I'm off for a few days before going back in to check on and feed everyone" Anne answered "So I'm going to make sure they all have enough food for a few days"
"So, where do you work, Anne?" Grime asked
"The Aquarium of the Pacific" Anne replied "I'm a Herpetologist"
"Posh name for a zookeeper" Sasha whispered to Grime
"I see…" Grime went quietly
"I'll be showing Grimey around LA for a bit" Sasha went, then asked, "Any signs of movement from Mar-mar's room?"
"I doubt it…she was up late again last night. I woke up to go to the bathroom at 3 am, and I could still see a light on in her room" Anne went
"And I thought she'd want to spend time with Olivia and Yunan…" Sasha replied, then went "Hey, Google, send a Message to Marcy's room" she went. "What's the message?" an unidentified disembodied voice answered. Grime looked around for the source of the voice, but couldn't see anyone else
"Mar-mar. Myself and Grime are going out for the day soon. If you want to come with and see Yunan and Olivia…get up NOW!" Sasha went
"Sending message now" the voice went again. Grime was still looking for the source of the unidentified voice.
"Who is that other lady, and where is she?" Grime asked
Sasha just laughed, and went "Sorry Grime…I forgot you aren't from here for a moment. That's our Google assistant that spoke" Sasha answered, just as a loud THUD! Was heard from upstairs, followed by a loud "I'M AWAKE!" from Marcy
"Sounds like Marcy fell out of bed again…" Anne went
"Honestly, I think we should either tie her to the bed to stop her falling off it or buy a baby bumper for the bed" Sasha jokes
"I somehow doubt she'd allow either of them…" Anne replied to Sasha, as they heard the bedroom door open, and a slow set of footsteps headed along the upstairs hallway and down the stairs. Marcy enters the Kitchen barefoot in an oversized T-shirt nightdress with a D20 printed on the front and the words cleric's healing spells were so good, they were divine interventions on it, hair a mess, yawning and stretching
"Who summoned Cthulu?" Anne went as she looked at Marcy. Sasha and Anne started laughing, as Marcy glared at them…
Marcy headed for the fridge, opened it, and grabbed a can of Energy Drink from it, before slamming the door and trudging over to the Kitchen Island.
Marcy opened the can and took a big gulp of Energy Drink.
"Up late again?" Sasha asked as she downed the can
"I had another inspiration…I had to write it down before I forgot it" Marcy went, as she then finished the can off, crushed it in her hand, and threw it at the recycling bin. It went in…
"BOOYAH!" Marcy went "3 points!"
"Anyway…I best be off" Anne went, as she hugged Sasha first, then Marcy, and finally Grime.
"Don't forget to USE THE CLOAK, Grime…" Anne went as she hugged him "We're used to seeing you like this…no one else is"
"Of course, Commander…" Grime replied. Anne raised her hands in frustration "Didn't you tell him not to do that, Sash?" Sasha nodded, then took another slurp of Coffee. Anne turned around and went out of the Kitchen door to the garage, grabbed her jacket as she exited, fired her Bike up, and left.
Part 9
Amphibian's Day out
Sasha and Marcy went and got dressed, whilst Grime, who was already dressed, looked around Sasha's living room at her various ornaments, and Anne's Christmas decorations. He looked at the pictures in frames and smiled as he saw the ones of Sasha graduating from College with her Valedictorian diploma, and her Doctorate of psychology proudly displayed on her wall. A small tear formed in the corner of his one good eye.
"You have made me proud…" He went as he picked it up and held it, before putting it back on the wall. He wiped the tear away, as he heard the girls coming down the stairs.
"Are we ready, Grime?" Sasha asked as she stepped down off the last step and onto the ground floor.
"Yes, I'm ready" he replied, and then followed Sasha out through the kitchen door and into the garage, whilst Marcy followed behind, closing the kitchen door behind her. Sasha got in her car, started it up, and pressed the roof button. The roof retracted as Grime watched with surprise on his face.
"It's like magic…" he went as it disappeared inside the boot, and a cover went over where it hid
"Nah, Mechanics…not Magic" Sasha went, as Marcy jumped over the back of the car and landed in the rear seat, stretching herself out
"Can we stop for breakfast somewhere, Sash?" Marcy asked, as Grime opened the door and got in
"If you would, please Sasha…I would like to sample some of your…delicacies here on Earth" He went
Sasha rolled her eyes out loud "Ugh!...FINE!" she went "We'll go through a Drive-in…", but then looked at Grime "Disguise…" she went, looking at him.
"Sorry…" Grime went and pressed the button on the cloak with his chin, and his outward appearance became that of a Middle-aged bearded man "Am I…presentable?" he asked
"Perfectly" Sasha replied, and the car drove out of the garage…
—-
Sasha pulled into a drive-through order lane "Hi…what can I get you?" the girl's voice on the end of the speaker went. Once again, Grime was shocked
"Is that another assistant?" he asked "Again, I don't see anyone"
"No, that's the cashier…they take our order." Sasha added, "1 fully loaded Breakfast roll, with Ketchup, and a Large Coffee, 1 Breakfast Bagel, Ketchup, with Orange Juice…and what do you want to try, Grime?" Sasha asked after ordering for her and Marcy
"Umm, I don't know…what do you recommend?" He asked
"1 Egg Roll, no sauce, and a cup of Tea as well" Sasha went
"That'll be $12. Please drive to the next window" the girl's voice went, as Sasha moved the car up
She pulled up at the next window, which opened and a Girl leaned out "$12 please…" she said, holding the card machine. Grime looked at her "So they do have bodies…" He went. The Girl looked surprised, so Sasha quickly said "Pay no attention to my Uncle…he's never been to a drive-through before…" as she tapped her card on the payment machine. The Girl pulled the machine back in and closed the window quickly, so Sasha moved the car forward again to the next window. It opened up, and a Boy was serving at his window. He passed a large bag over, and Marcy popped up from the back and grabbed it off him "Thank you!" she went, as he then passed a drinks holder to Sasha with 2 hot drinks and a bottle of OJ.
"Have a nice day…" Sasha went, as she moved the car out of the drive-through and into a parking space, where Marcy opened the bag and started to pass out the food.
"1 Fully loaded, and hash brown for Sash…1 Breakfast bagel for me, and my hash brown…and 1 Egg roll for Grimey, and his hash brown" she went, giving them the food. Sasha took her Coffee from the holder and put it in her cup holder in the car, passed the OJ to Marcy, and gave Grime the cup of Tea, which he put in the cup holder on his side
Grime unwrapped the roll and the hash brown on his lap "So what is it?" He asked Sasha
"You know what Eggs are, and bread… and a hash brown is like a fried potato. I'd stick the hash brown in the roll and eat it together" Sasha went
Grime opened the roll up and saw the egg. He placed the hash brown on top and closed the roll up again. With that done, he opened his mouth, grabbed it with his long tongue, and ate it in one movement. Sasha and Marcy were looking at him.
"Hmm, not bad…" Grime went
"How could you tell?" Sasha asked "You wolfed that down"
"You do know that us Toads only have one tooth, and we swallow our food whole?" Grime asked as he looked at Sasha
"Yeah…sorry Grime" Sasha went "I kinda forgot about that"
"I must say, that egg was an unusual flavor, what is it? A Heron egg?" he asked
"It's from a Chicken…" Marcy went, as she finished off a mouthful of bagel "You don't have chickens in Amphibia"
"Well, it was...alright" Grime went "I guess I'd have to eat a few more to like it"
Sasha said "I guess we'd better head to HQ to see what's happening…" as she restarted the car, put it into reverse, and pulled out, before engaging Drive and heading back to the streets.
—-
Sasha's BMW pulled up to the roller shutter doors outside the secret Headquarters of H.A.C.K.E.R.S… they opened automatically and she pulled the car in and parked. The car's occupants got out and headed towards the lounge, where voices were coming from inside. Marcy pushes the door open, and inside the Planters, the Boonchuys, Mr. X, Jenny, Lady Olivia, Yunan, James, Dr. Jan, Ally, and Jess are already there.
"HEY EVERYONE!" Marcy went as she entered, then headed to Olivia and Yunan and hugged them.
"Good Morning, Master Marcy," Yunan said as they broke the hug
"I'm not in the Night Guard anymore, Yunan…" Marcy replied as she looked at her
"You'll always be an honored member of the Night Guard, Marcy" Lady Olivia went "You earned that"
Marcy looked down at her feet and shuffled them "I guess…" she replied
James approached Yunan "General" he went, as he saluted her. Yunan looked at him and went "Finally…someone who recognises rank"
"Yes sir, Ma'am" James went as he lowered his left hand "I'm only a Flight Lieutenant, so I always salute my superiors"
"Flight Lieutenant?" Yunan asked, "What is that?"
"Pilot, Ma'am. I fly Aircraft when needed. I'm also the assigned pilot for ground-based vehicles like the Armordillo" James answered "Speaking of which…I am at your disposal. I'm your driver for sightseeing"
"Sightseeing?" Yunan asked
"Yes ma'am" James went "Although it's not my usual form of transport I drive…we have a bus today"
"Well…we look forward to this…sightseeing" Lady Olivia went. James nodded and went "When everyone is ready, we can board"
"So, where are we going, James?" Marcy asked
"That's up to the group, Marcy" James replied…
—-
A few hours later, a large, Grey bus with no markings on it, pulled back into the warehouse. It stops. The air brakes come on, James slides the door lever around and the front doors open up, and the group starts to disembark.
"That was…interesting" Grime went as he got off, with Sasha following him
"Huh..even I learned something I didn't know…" Marcy went as she got off, followed by Yunan and Olivia
"I just wish we could have gotten off and explored your world…" Olivia said, "But I understand that we have to be careful"
"Well…" Hop Pop went as he climbed down the stairs, followed by Polly and Sprig…who had Mr.X and Jenny behind him "That was unusual. I'm more used to walking around LA with the Boonchuy's"
"I understand that Hopediah, but things have changed since you were last here" X went "Security has been upped, and there are a lot more protocols that have been put in place…I have to inform several different departments every time we open our gateway. Your time here had to be coordinated by the Pentagon, the Security Council, and the White House, and authorized by the President"
"Wha…?" Hop pop went "all that…for us?"
"We can't risk the General Public finding out…" X replied "It could be…problematic. Just because you are classed as Friendlies, doesn't mean the public wouldn't jump to a wrong conclusion… it's in Human Nature to assume the worst-case scenario"
The roller shutter door starts to rise, and a Motorcycle rolls in. It pulls up into a space, and its rider kicks the stand down. They then pull the helmet and goggles off and pull down a scarf covering their face…
"ANNE!" Sprig went and ran towards her
"Hey Sprig…" Anne went as she got off her bike and he leapt at her. Anne caught him as he jumped at her, but because he had grown and was much heavier than when they were both younger, he ended up knocking Anne off her feet and onto her backside. They both sat there for a few seconds laughing
"Geez Sprig…" Anne went, as she then got back to her feet. Sprig looked a bit embarrassed
"Sorry Anne…I keep forgetting we are no longer Kids…" he went as he got up off the floor and stood in front of her
"That's OK, bud…" Anne went "If you can't knock Family over, who can you ?" She joked
"We missed you on the tour…" He went. Anne looked at him as she pulled out her new phone.
"I had to go look after your namesake…" She went and brought up pictures of the World of Amphibia Exhibit, and started scrolling through until she found the ones she was looking for,
"Guys…I'd like you to meet…your namesakes" Anne went, and showed Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop the Frog Terrarium…she then scrolled across and showed them the individual frogs.
"They're not quite you guys…but I get to talk to them regularly, I tell them all about what's going on, and it feels like I'm talking to you" She said
Sprig looked at the pictures and said "There are some nights when I swear I can hear you too…like a voice on the wind" he went, and smiled small at her
"Oh Sprig" Anne went and hugged him. He returned the hug and said "I miss my big Sister"
Mr.X coughed, then said "I hate to break this moment up, but the Portal is waiting. We can arrange another visit soon"
—-
The group enters the Gateway Chamber. , Terri, Ally, and Jess were already there at their stations. The gateway was open, and a wormhole was formed, showing the Center of Wartwood, with the statue of Anne standing proudly in the square, holding the Calamity box and her Sword…but it was now joined by another two statues, of Sasha and Marcy. Sasha's Statue had her with a serious look on her face, wearing her Toad Army outfit and wielding her Heron Sword, and Marcy's Statue had her Night Guard outfit on, and holding a Book and a Quill in her hands.
"When did that happen?" Sasha asked as she looked through the portal
"When Lady Olivia ordered it…" Grime went "The same statues are also in Anuran Square, and the Central Marketplace in Newtopia…to remember our Planet's saviors. we also celebrate "Guardian's Day" every year"
"You must join us for the next one…by Royal Command," Lady Olivia said "All of you, for without you, our Guardians would have never returned"
"You have our Dimensional call signal, your Ladyship" Mr.X went "Please let us know"
Lady Olivia nodded, then went, "Come, Yunan…our carriage awaits," she said and stepped towards the wormhole and went through. Yunan turned and looked at everyone gathered, and went and stood to attention, and did her best Salute. Mr.X and James returned the Salute. She then turned and marched toward the wormhole and stepped through. Grime looked up at Sasha and said "It was an honor to spend this time with you in your World, Lieutenant"
"I told you not to call me that, you big goof…" Sasha went and knelt to his height and hugged him "We'll see you soon, Captain" Sasha replied
"And I told you…I'm a Mayor now…" Grime went and chuckled
"Touche'" Sashe went as she let go. Grime backed away and turned to face the wormhole, then walked through.
Anne and the Plantar's were there giving each other hugs and saying their goodbyes, as were Oum and Bee Boonchuy.
"You know you are welcome to stay with us anytime," Oum said as she hugged Hop Pop
"And our home is your home…" He replied as Oum kissed him on the cheek and he let go
"Take care, Hopediah" Bee went and shook his hand. Hop Pop nodded "It is our job as head of the family to look after our families, Bee" he replied "We take care of our families, not just ourselves"
Anne was giving Polly and Sprig a goodbye hug
"We need to come see you guys soon," Anne said, as she was trying not to cry
"We miss you, Anne," Polly said as she hugged her, tears welling up in her eyes "It's not the same without my big Sister around"
"And I miss you guys too…" Anne went, then added "But at least we can see each other now, thanks to the Gateway"
Sprig hugged her next "I miss our adventures…" He went "Every time I go off on an exploration or diplomatic mission for Lady Olivia, I wish you were there to join me"
"Oh Sprig…" Anne went as they broke the hug "I'm always with you…you just can't see me…but I know you can feel me there" she went, as she touched his chest where his heart was…
"Yeah…" he went as he put his hand on the back of his head "I know"
The two Frogs walked slowly over towards Hop Pop, who was standing there holding his walking cane. He looked at Anne as they approached him, and he smiled. They then all turned around and walked toward the open Wormhole and stepped through…
On the other side, everyone in the party was standing together, looking back through the Wormhole. They all started waving as it started to shrink and disappear…
The Calamity Trio and their Friends from H.A.C.K.E.R.S stood there as the Wormhole shut down and disappeared from existence.
"OK Everyone…let me be the one to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…and I don't want to see you all until the New Year…unless a Cataclysmic event happens that brings us in…" Mr. X went "Now go home…and that's an order" he smirked as he said that, and walked slowly towards his office, with Jenny following him…
The end…for now