Calamity Returns:
The Emotions in One's Eyes

"...Where was I?" Andrias thought for a moment. "Yes, Darcy had just caught Anne and her friends and was about to reveal her plans."

(SC)

"So wait," Marcy piped in, cocking her head. "You sliced DNA from Sasha and Anne into a clone body of mine in hopes of getting some of the power we had?"

Darcy rolled her eyes and looked at her genetic donor. She walked up to Marcy and roughly grabbed the black-haired girl by the chin.

"I thought that would be clear for someone like you," she asked mockingly.

Marcy growled at her near-double and tried to bite her. Darcy grinned when the tentacle holding her back tightened, and the ex-ranger winced. The core-created entity cackled from the sight.

"Hey!" Anne called. "Leave Marcy alone! I'm the one you have beef with!"

Darcy scowled at the Thai girl. Then, she walked up to Anne and glared at her. The Thai-American returned the glare with defiance. Darcy suddenly grinned and grabbed Anne by the chin.

"...You're right, Anny!" Darcy agreed. "But…I want to take my time tormenting you."

Darcy let go of Anne and walked away from the trio. She turned and faced the girls as she took out something from behind her back.

The item in question was a transparent crystal shaped like a pyramid. In the center of the pyramid was a round gem that crackled with black energy.

"What's that?" Anne asked, eyeing the object warily.

The Core-created entity saw the wariness in the girl's eyes, and her grin grew a little. She got closer to Anne and held the item closer to her. Darcy tipped the pyramid with her thumb, and the energy output increased.

Anne flinched when the energy jumped from the pyramid and ran across her cheek. She frowned when the energy entered her body and suddenly felt re-energized.

"This?" Darcy taunted, "It's the project before the Core."

Anne looked at the item with uncertainty. The Thai-American then looked at her friend's near-double, scowling. Darcy saw the question in Anne's eyes.

"If you're wondering what this does," The Core-created entity answered the unspoken question, "Let's just say I'm about to become a proud mama! Oh, by the way, you're not getting dessert, like ever!"

Darcy walked away from Anne, gaining enough distance to keep all three girls in her sights. She held out the pyramid. She tipped it three times, the energy inside the pyramid building with each tip.

The Core-created entity looked at her captives with a sadistic grin but frowned when she focused on Anne. The Thai girl's head was tilted slightly so her eyes couldn't be seen, and she was saying something under her breath. Anne was also shaking slightly.

Suddenly, a blue aura flared up around Anne, and with a mighty roar, she burst free of her restraints. The girl's hair stuck up and turned blue as she looked at Darcy with piercing, glowing blue eyes.

Anne screamed again and charged. The near-double gasped and quickly pointed the pyramid at the human. She tipped it again as Anne reached Darcy and threw a punch at her.

Anne hit the pyramid with her supercharged fist, and a crack formed on the impact site. An explosion of energy pushed Anne back and caused Darcy to drop the item.

The Core-created entity stared at the pyramid as it sparked wildly. She took a step back when the item released a strong surge of energy. Darcy barely had time to gasp when the energy exploded, covering everyone in the area in a black light.

(SC)

"After the light faded, I approached the area and found all four of them in this state," Andrias finished.

"Hold up!" Sprig exclaimed. "How did Anne get her powers back?"

The former king looked at the young frog with a neutral expression. "Honesty, I don't know."

Sprig's face twisted with skepticism as he looked down at the human in his lap. Anne looked up at her (currently) big brother with a hint of irritation. She then pressed her tiny fists against her chest.

Anne closed her eyes and made cute grunts. The group of frogs, toads, and newts watched as the little girl's body shook slightly, and then, a single blue spark jumped from Anne's body.

The Thai toddler relaxed her body, panting slightly. Anne looked up at Sprig with a smug smile. The young frog was shocked, but only for a moment, then he smiled proudly.

"Good job, Anne!" Sprig exclaimed proudly, hugging his sister. "...Still want to know how you got your powers back."

Anne pulled away from her brother and smiled a teasing smile.

(SC)

Anne struggled to free herself as she watched Darcy hold out the pyramid and tap it. She watched the energy build and tried harder to free herself.

"Oh," Anne swore defiantly and under her breath, "If I had my powers, I would so beat into the ground."

"That can be arranged."

Anne blinked and suddenly found herself looking at the starry skies. She looked around and saw a familiar, cozy house in front of her. The Thai girl frowned when she saw that the house was average-sized instead of the frog-sized house she visited before.

Frowning, Anne stepped up to the house and stared at the door. After a second, she sighed, opened the door, and stepped into the house.

The inside of the house was as she remembered it; the only difference was that a couch had replaced the table in the center. Lying on the couch was the Three Stone Deity with a book in her hands.

Anne blinked as she realized her line of thought. She got closer and saw that the Deity had taken a humanoid shape. The Deity looked up at Anne and smiled when she noticed she had company.

"Ah, Anne, nice to see you again," the deity said in a booming voice, then frowned. She coughed a few times and then looked at Anne. "Sorry about that. Now, we have something to talk about."

The Deity closed her book, making it disappear, and sat up. She patted the cough, and Anne reluctantly took a seat. The Thai girl couldn't help but fidget as she awkwardly looked at the Deity. The cat-like being looked at the human girl with a mysterious smile.

"...So, Miss," Anne started.

"Please," the Deity gently interrupted, "Call me DeDe."

Anne looked at the Deity, couching awkwardly before replying. "...Right. So, DeDe, why did you bring me here?"

DeDe cocked an eyebrow as she replied dryly, "I thought that would be obvious."

Anne stared at the multiverse guardian, confused. DeDe saw this and sighed. She waved her hand, and three familiar gems appeared over her palm. Anne's eyes widened as she instantly recognized the Calamity gems.

"I want to give you and your friends your powers back," DeDe stated, holding the gem in front of Anne.

Anne stared at the gems, eyes sparkling in wonder. Her expression fell as the words of the Three Stone Deity sunk in.

"I don't get it," Anne said, looking at DeDe in confusion. "Why gave me back my powers?"

DeDe sighed and, with a wave of her hand, made the stones disappear. She waved her hand again, and the book she was reading reappeared. Anne tilted her head when she saw the name on the book's cover.

"...Light of The Broken Destiny?" the Thai girl muttered.

DeDe sighed and opened the book to a random page, scowling sourly as she read what was on the page.

"After a run-in with a sorta friend of mine," DeDe explained, closing the book, "I came to realize a few things."

The Deity looked Anne right in the eyes. The human teen felt a chill go down her spine from the energy she could feel coming off the deity.

"Even if I was to recreate your body after your passing," DeDe continued, "Your body couldn't handle my powers. It would explode after ten years with them."

Anne shuddered at that thought. She recalled feeling something similar happening after she absorbed all three Calamity gems.

"If I return your powers now," DeDe continued, exchanging her book for the gems, "Your body can adapt to my powers."

DeDe held out her hands, and the stones floated over to the Thai girl. Anne brought up her hands, and the three stones floated above her palms. She felt the energy of the blue gem flowing into her.

"Now," DeDe said, bringing Anne's attention to her, "These gems are far weaker than the one I sent out all those years ago. They can't cross realities, and the power you wouldn't be able to gain at first wouldn't only be half of the abilities you had when you were in the human realm."

Anne stared at the deity for a second, then turned her attention to the gems. She zeroed in on the blue gem, feeling more of its energy flowing into her. Soon, the gem disappeared altogether, being absorbed into her body.

The other two gems pulsed and landed on Anne's palms. The Thai girl stared at them for a second, then turned her attention to DeDe.

"Anything else, dude?" Anne asked curiously.

DeDe hung her head and spoke in a low, shame-filled voice. "I know this goes without saying, but…" the deity looked Anne in the eyes, regret shining in her eyes, "I want you to stop Darcy!"

Anne stared at the multiverse guardian with a blank expression. DeDe saw this and sighed.

"In a way," the Deity explained bitterly, "I was indirectly responsible for Darcy's creation."

DeDe looked at the human girl with her eyes and saw the confusion growing in Anne's eyes. She sighed and looked away, shame reflecting in her eyes.

"...After sending gems to different realities, I only acted when something really disastrous happened," DeDe continued and looked at Anne with a hollow smile. "Let's just say if I had a nickel for every time the Multiverse was in danger, I would have two nickels."

The multiverse guardian laughed an empty laugh at the inside joke. DeDe's laughter soon gave way to a deep sigh, and she looked at the fireplace.

"When Darcy was made, a ripple went through the entire multiverse," DeDe explained remorsefully. "I realized then that her creation went against every single rule set up by my bosses."

"Hold up, dude!" Anne suddenly screamed. "You have bosses?"

DeDe chuckled and looked at Anne. "Believe it or not, there are others higher up than me."

Anne just stared at the guardian, slowly processing the information that the creature responsible for the multiverse had beings higher than her.

DeDe saw the look she was getting and chuckled again. Her good mood didn't last long, and she sighed deeply.

"If you and your friends didn't stop her," the Three Stone Guardian said remorsefully, "She could have brought untold disaster to the multiverse. So, thank you, Anne Boonchuy."

DeDe looked at Anne with a grateful smile. Anne smiled softly, a faint blush working its way to her cheek due to the praise. She suddenly gasped and jumped to her feet, panic shooting through her.

"My friends!" Anne screamed. "They back with Darcy! And I feel like I have been sitting here for hours!"

The Thai girl turned to leave when DeDe gently grabbed her hand.

"Anne," DeDe said calmly. "This realm's time passed much differently than in other realities. It feels like hours for you, but barely a second has passed back in your universe."

"I don't care, dude!" Anne exclaimed frantically. "I need to get back to them! Tell me how, now!"

DeDe was slightly shocked when Anne grabbed her and shook her.

"J-Just go through the door, and your consciousness will return to your body," the deity stammered.

Anne stopped shaking DeDe and muttered a quick thanks. Then, without a second thought, she jumped over the couch and bolted out the door.

DeDe took a second to collect herself, then looked at the door. She felt Anne's consciousness slip back to reality and smiled.

"Yes, you will make a fine Guardian one day, Anne Boonchuy."

(SC)

"...Not terring, dude!" the Thai toddler said teasingly.

"C'mon, Anne!" Sprig moaned. "I'm just dying to know!"

Still wearing a teasing grin, Anne seemed to think it over for a second. She looked at her frog brother, her grin turning mischievous.

"Otay," she replied.

Sprig grinned ear to ear at this. Suddenly, Anne jumped off Hop-Pop and took off running, much to the young male frog's confusion.

"Catch me!" Anne suddenly called over her shoulder, giggling.

Sprig blinked three times as he watched Anne run in a random direction. It took him a second to realize what Anne wanted, and he smiled playfully.

"Get back here, you!" Sprig called after Anne, giving chase.

Hop Pop and Polly wore nostalgic smiles as they watched Sprig chase after Anne. The frogs laughed when the young male frog jumped into the air, planning on pouncing the Thai toddler, only for Anne to dart to the right, resulting in Sprig face-planting.

Olivia watched all of this with a small smile before she turned serious. She looked at the ex-king with a curious expression.

"I am curious about the item Darcy used on Master Marcy and her friends," the High-society newt inquired.

Andrias looked at Olivia for a second, sighed, and turned his attention to the Core-created entity. Darcy was still trying to free herself from Yunan, but her small body lacked the strength for such a task.

"The pyramid was one of the numerous experiments done by my ancestors to conquer death," Andria said regretfully.

Everyone looked at the former king with bitterness at the mention of Andrias's ancestors, who turned their ancestors into heartless conquers. Olivia frowned as she looked down at the toddler in her arms. Marcy looked up at her with a curious, innocent expression. The high-society newt looked back at the former king, silently urging him to continue.

Andrias sighed and continued, "The idea was to bathe in the energy of the pyramid every few years to keep someone young. However, the project had two major flaws."

The former king paused when he heard a noise and looked to his right. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Sprig had caught Anne. The Thai girl squirmed in the frog boy's hands but smiled playfully.

Andrias sighed and looked back at the others.

"As you can see, the power of the pyramid is too strong, making those bathed in it much too young," Andrias explained. "The other flaw is the energy is unstable and-"

"Hold up!" Polly exclaimed, panicking somewhat. "Is Anne in trouble?"

Andrias looked at the young female frog with a hollow smile. "Don't worry, kiddo. What I meant is that energy in a person's body will eventually burn out, and the person will return to normal."

"So Sasha wouldn't stay like this?" Grime asked uncertainly.

Andria nodded at the ex-told captain, and Grime frowned. He looked down at his former lieutenant. Sasha looked up at the toad, whose she (secretly) considered a father figure, scowling cutely. Grime thought the look was cute and smiled slightly before turning serious.

"Doesn't seem much like torment," the former captain quipped, underwhelmed.

Olivia glared at the toad but decided not to say anything. Instead, she looked at Andrias with a curious frown.

"Did you have any idea when Master Marcy and her friends will return to normal?" Olivia asked.

Andria sighed and looked at Darcy. The Core-created entity had finally stopped her struggling, mainly because she had tired herself out.

"I can't say," Andria replied. "The project was abandoned long before my birth, and we don't know if Darcy made any changes before she used it."

Olivia frowned as she looked at Marcy. The ex-ranger looked back at the newt, blinking. Olivia smiled slightly at the sight and gently brushed a string of hair out of the human's eyes.

The newt looked back at the former king. Before Olivia could ask another question, a scream suddenly filled the air. The group looked in the direction of the scream.

At some point, Anne got free from Sprig and ran away from him again. Unfortunately, the toddler must have tripped on something because she was on the ground, crying her eyes out. Sprig was by his best friend's side, trying to comfort her.

Immediately, Hop Pop and Polly were on their feet and making their way over to their family members. Olivia watched as the elder frog took his human granddaughter into his arms and rocked Anne to calm her.

The newt sighed when she noticed the dirt covering the Thai girl's shirt and looked at the former king.

"I believe it's best we continue this conversation at a later time," Olivia stated, "We really should be returning to Wartwood so we can get Master Marcy and the others properly dressed."

Andrias nodded at the female newt. He stood up, groaning from the effect, and leaned on the Warhammer he used as a cane.

"Then I will be on my way," the ex-king said politely. "Good day to you all."

Marcy watched as the ex-king was about to leave and squirmed in Olivia's arms. The high-society newt released the human toddler, and Marcy rushed over to Andrias. The ex-ranger lightly tugged on the ex-king's cloak end to get his attention.

"Yeah, Kiddo?" Andrias asked curiously, looking down at Marcy.

The ex-ranger looked up at the salamander newt with large, pleading eyes as she said, "Come with us, PWWEASSE!"

Andrias stared at the current toddler. He wanted to decline as the shame he felt for all he did to the human was still heavy on his mind. But it didn't take long for Marcy's pleading eyes to wear him down. So, with a reluctant sigh, Andrias nodded.

Marcy smiled brightly at this and threw her hands as she cheered, "Yay! Dwrias coming!"

Olivia smiled as she watched the black-hair toddler begin dancing in front of the former king. She frowned as a thought crossed her mind and looked at the Plantar's "Fwagon."

(G Corner)

So, this is a fun fact for all readers of this on AO3: the book that DeDe was reading is an Owl House Fanfic I post solely on . Also, since Polly works with machines, I figured she would understand the dangers of unstable power sources.