As I look into different realities, I see that one reality has come to an end. The story for it is over, but that is how it works. Stories come and go, and at one point, they end. I feel many of you were excited to see how that reality ended, so I hope its conclusion was satisfactory to you all.
But now we move on, and we continue our journey and look instead at another reality. This particular reality is a combination of suggestions from one Z-king and one Owlphibia Fan. Sometimes, certain realities can answer two questions instead of one, so here we will look into a universe that can answer both questions. One of those questions being…
What if…?
What if… Sasha had left Toad Tower?
Sasha Waybright—a young girl full of confidence, optimism, personality, and, of course, strength. She got dealt a bad hand when she arrived in Amphibia, being immediately captured by the toads and locked in prison. Such conditions would break a person of lesser strength than her, but despite these rough circumstances, she was able to turn her situation around and help the toads drive out a pair of herons when their tower was under attack. Before this, though, she had made a deal with Grime to be allowed to leave after this was done. Part of Grime did not want to honor this deal, as he had just begun to realize just how powerful and influential Sasha could be. He had begun to see her as a potential ally and hoped to be able to convince her to stay and help him lead the toads. In the story you know, he succeeded and thus set in motion a series of events that set Sasha on a path of anger and destruction. But all of that was only possible because of the choice Sasha made to stay, so what would happen if she instead chose to leave?
"But we both know I can't stop you," said Grime, sheathing his sword. "So go ahead, be a vagabond, wandering alone in the wilderness."
As he said this, Sasha looked out to where the herons were flying away. She had to admit, it didn't look very inviting. She turned to look back at Grime.
"Or?" she said with a hint of curiosity.
"Or stay here and help rebuild the tower," began Grime. "Perhaps serve as my second in command. And when we're done here, you, me, and the entire garrison will march on the valley, restore order, and find your friends. Now, how does that sound?"
Sasha thought about what Grime was saying, and it did indeed sound like a good offer. She was about to say yes but hesitated. Grime had not exactly been welcoming of her when he'd first found her, and it was only now when Sasha had already proven how much stronger she was than him that he was now willing to work with her. All those times she'd told him the same thing about how she got here, and he still kept her locked in the dungeon. Because of that, she'd lost so much time in trying to find her friends and a way home that she didn't think it wise to trust him.
I can't count on anyone but myself thought Sasha to herself. I need to find Marcy, Anne, and Luz on my own. I know I can do it.
"Sorry, Grime," said Sasha firmly, "but I work alone. So let's get those supplies, and now that I think about it, I need some new clothes as well. Then I'll be out of your hair."
"Are you certain, Sasha?" asked Grime in a pleading voice. "You and I could accomplish much together. We could lead the toads in this area to victory."
"Yeah, I don't care about that," answered Sasha. "I just care about finding my friends. I showed you how to earn your soldiers' respect, so you figure out how you're going to use that. Good luck!"
Grime let out a growl at this but knew he couldn't stop Sasha. He snapped his fingers, and two toads appeared near him.
"Get Sasha here outfitted for her journey. She needs new clothes and rations," said Grime.
"Yes, sire!" replied the toads.
An hour later, Sasha was ready to depart, and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to admit she liked this new look. She had donned a set of brown armor that offered her both flexibility and protection. Included in this armor was a set of armored brown boots that would be much more practical than the pointed shoes she had been wearing. She also had a bag that held travel supplies, mainly water and rations for her, but it also had a map to help guide her to some place she could get help hopefully. Finally, she had a red sword attached to her belt since she had requested a weapon, guessing that there were other fierce predators like the herons she had just fought out in Amphibia. Sasha checked through her supplies once more and felt she was ready to depart as she made her way to the road and saw someone standing there.
"You're sure you won't reconsider?" asked Grime, his arms folded together, looking down at the ground.
"I'm sure," said Sasha. "Maybe if you hadn't kept me locked up in a cell for weeks, I might have said yes. Perhaps you should think about that the next time you find an unknown creature outside your tower."
Grime let out a huff but didn't respond. Sasha kept walking down the path that led away from Toad Tower. When she was almost out of sight, she heard Grime call to her.
"You may be tough, but the amphibian wilds are tough, too. I hope you don't come to regret your decision!" he said to Sasha, as she disappeared into the forest.
"You'll be fine on your own," said a voice in Sasha's head. She nodded in agreement.
For the next few days, Sasha kept up a simple routine. She would travel during the day, taking breaks to make sure she didn't tire herself out, and at night, she would light a fire and rest wherever she was, using her cape as a blanket to wrap herself up in. She would also examine her map to make sure she was heading in the right direction, though it wasn't always reliable, as so much of Amphibia looked the same. Still, the map had shown her that there were many towns in this valley, so she figured all she had to do was find one of them. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd even find one of her friends in that town.
After a few days, she started to get a bit worried when her rations began to run low. Freshwater had been easy enough to find in the many rivers and streams across the land. As her food stores lowered, she thought about trying to hunt some creatures that were here. Thankfully, she still had enough food to not worry about that yet, but knew she'd have to do something soon. Sasha kept traveling, using her sword to cut through any obstructions that blocked her path. She pressed forward, eventually coming to a large flat area that seemed covered in a strange mist.
"Weird," said Sasha out loud. "What is this place? The mist is so thick, I can't see in front of me."
Sasha walked forward slowly, trying to see where she was going. After a while, she heard a voice call out to her.
"Hey, Sasha," said the voice. Sasha froze as she recognized it.
It can't be, she thought to herself. She moved closer to where she thought the voice was coming from, and as she got closer, she finally saw the figure of Luz Noceda.
"Luz, is that really you?!" exclaimed Sasha. "I can't believe it!"
"Hey, Sasha," said the figure of Luz. "Are you glad to see me?"
"Of course I am," said Sasha, coming up to Luz.
"Huh, it's weird that you say that," said Luz, her voice suddenly turning serious. "I know what you've done, Sasha…"
Sasha froze as she heard that. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Sasha," said Luz, her eyes narrowing on the blonde, her face contorted into anger. "I know what you did at the dance."
Sasha was caught off guard by that but tried to deny it. "I… I… I don't know what you're talking about."
"Wow, I confront you about it, and you still try to deny it," said Luz. "Do you really think I'm stupid, or do you just not care?"
"What? No, I…" began Sasha.
Before Sasha could say anything else, the surrounding mist began to grow thicker. It blocked out everything from view, and as it did, the scene around Sasha changed. Suddenly, she was back in the school gym. She looked around her and realized it was the night of the dance. In front of her, she saw Luz and Anne dancing together, and then Luz leaned in and kissed Anne. Immediately, Anne pulled away before shouting.
"Luz, what are you doing?!"
Then the whole scene with Ms. Bryant unfolded, and Sasha watched as Luz ran from the gym and into the restroom. Then the scene changed again, and now Sasha saw Luz in the restroom, looking at herself in the mirror—something she hadn't seen that night. Sasha stared at Luz as she kept crying, eventually letting out a yell of rage and slamming her fist into the mirror, causing Sasha to jump back in surprise. The full ramifications of what she had done to Luz now finally hit her.
"No," she said in barely a whisper. "No, I… I didn't mean for this to happen."
"Didn't you?" said the figure of Luz, appearing behind her with anger on her face. Sasha turned around to face her.
"You talked me into dancing with Anne, knowing how I felt about her, then you got a teacher to yell at me, and if that weren't enough, you then convinced Anne to end her friendship with me," said Luz to Sasha.
"I didn't realize I hurt you that much," said Sasha with a whimper.
"Luz isn't the only one you hurt Sasha," said a voice that Sasha instantly recognized. Sasha turned around and saw a figure of Anne appear in this mist.
"Anne?!" said Sasha surprised, "you're here too?"
"Yes I am Sasha," said the figure of Anne in a cold voice, "and I know what you've done Sasha."
"What, what are you talking about?" she asked in a nervous voice.
"Don't give me that Sasha," said the figure of Anne angrily, "you think I don't know that you've been manipulating me my whole life!"
"I… I… have no idea what you're talking about," said Sasha backing away from the figure of Anne.
"You always take control of everything!" yelled the figure of Anne to Sasha, "you always force me to do whatever it is you want. Whether it's where we hang out, what we eat, or how you want my things."
As the figure of Anne spoke Sasha began to recall in her mind moments from throughout her life how whenever Anne wanted to do something that she didn't want to she would shoot her idea down. Sasha remembered moments when if Anne wanted to do something that she didn't she would force her. Even though at the time Sasha hadn't noticed it, now she recalled how Anne looked whenever Sasha forced her to do something.
"Oh and remember this?" asked the figure of Anne.
The mist in front of Sasha changed and showed a scene from a year ago, just before Luz had joined the group. As the scene took shape Sasha remembered what had happened.
"Come on Anne, your new shoes are awesome! I want to walk home with them so I can try them out," said Sasha holding out her hand for Anne's shoes.
"But Sasha what will I wear?" asked Anne.
"You're not far from home and you're on your bike," said Sasha, "I'll return your shoes to you later, but right now I want them."
"I don't know Sasha," said Anne not wanting to give up her shoes.
"Anne I'm your friend, remember this is what friends do. They help you get what you want." said Sasha in a forceful tone, "I've defended you from bullies and practiced tennis with you, I've helped you get what you want so it's time for you to return the favor."
Sasha made a motion with her hand again asking for the shoes, Anne let out a sigh before finally reaching down and taking them off her feet. She handed them over to Sasha who quickly put them on, she smiled at Anne before turning to head home. Anne let out a sigh looking down at her socks and went over to her bike. As Anne put her feet on the pedals she could feel them digging into her, her socks not offering much protection from the hard bike pedals. Anne struggled to pedal the bike but eventually managed to get it up to speed though she clearly was in pain doing it. Sasha looked at the scene in front of her and for the first time the realization of what she had done hit her.
"I… I had no idea…" said Sasha in barely a whisper to the figure of Anne.
"Yes, you did," replied the figure.
"No I swear I didn't!" pleaded Sasha.
"You really are oblivious aren't you Sasha?" asked the figure of Anne, "you're so oblivious you didn't realize your actions hurt Luz too."
"I hate you, Sasha," said the figure of Luz coldly to Sasha.
"I didn't know what happened," pleaded Sasha falling to her knees. "I… I… didn't, I just… I just wanted to get you away from Anne. I didn't want you stealing her from me."
"So that makes it alright?" asked the figure of Luz.
"I'M SORRY!" yelled Sasha desperately.
Sasha's yell echoed around the moors, and at that moment, Anne and Luz heard it, not only them but their companions as well. All of them turned towards the source of where they thought they heard the sound come from.
"Was that another illusion?" asked Luz to Uodeela. Uodeela turned her head to where the voice had come from.
"I don't think so," she said. "I think that might be someone else seeing their own vision."
"It sounded like Sasha, could it be her?" Luz looked out toward the moors, wanting to go see them but not moving. She glanced over at Uodeela for permission.
"Follow me," said Uodeela to Luz and her apprentices. "Stay close and don't wander off."
With that, the group went to explore the source of that sound.
"Wally, did you hear that?" asked Anne.
"I did love," said Wally. "Sounds like someone shouting!"
"It sounded familiar," said Anne, "but I wonder if it's just another trick of the mist."
"From what I hear, the visions of the moors only affect one person," said Wally, "and I heard that voice, too."
Anne's eyes lit up as she realized this meant that Sasha might be there for real. She brought her hands to her mouth and called out, "Sasha, is that you? It's me, Anne!"
Anne waited, listening intently, before she heard a response.
"Is someone there?" called back a voice, another voice that Anne recognized. She got up and made her way toward the sound of that voice.
"Luz?" called Anne, wondering if it was the real Luz this time.
"Anne?" called back the voice.
"Wally, did you hear that?" asked Anne hopefully.
"I did love," replied Wally. "Someone is calling out for ya!"
Anne raced towards the sound of the voice, continuing to call out to it. After a few moments, she saw a figure in the distance.
"Luz, is that really you?" asked Anne hopefully.
"It's me," replied Luz, emerging from the mist. "Is that you, Anne?"
Anne was about to respond when the two of them heard another yell, and they both turned their heads toward the sound the yell had come from. Both also recognized the voice.
"Hold that thought," said Anne. "Let's see if we're not the only ones here. I promise we'll catch up in a bit."
"Right," said Luz.
With that, the two made their way to the other voice.
"I'M SORRY! I HONESTLY DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT YOU!" yelled Sasha again to the figures of Luz and Anne, tears streaming down her face.
"Yes, you did!" snapped the figure of Luz. "You wanted me out of the way so that you could have Anne all to yourself, isn't that right?
"I… I… I…" began Sasha. She was still facing the mist figure of Luz and Anne and didn't notice that both the real Luz and Anne had come up behind her. Anne was going to call out to her, but Luz put a hand on her to stop her while bringing her other finger to her lips to give Anne the hint.
"Okay, yes, it's true," said Sasha, still unaware that Anne and Luz were behind her. "The reason I set you up at the dance was because I was jealous of you. You won the Scare Dare at the sleepover, and it made me think that you were better than me, that Marcy and Anne would think you were a lot cooler than me. But that's not all. I was also jealous of you regarding Anne." The real Luz looked hard at Sasha as she heard her confession.
"Yes, go on," said the figure of Luz, looking at Sasha, the real Luz, and Anne, who were also watching with interest.
"I was jealous, because…" began Sasha before turning to the figure of Anne, "because I have a crush on Anne, too!"
The real Anne's face lit up at hearing that, and she almost let out a gasp but brought her hand up to her mouth to stop herself.
"I've liked Anne for a long time," said Sasha, "She made me realize that I… that I liked girls as well as boys."
Luz's eyes lit up at that statement.
"You have a crush on me?" said the figure of Anne indignantly did you have that crush on me when you asked me for my shoes and made me bike home in my socks? Did you think that I would like you back for making me do something like that?!"
"Well no I guess not," admitted Sasha, "I should have thought about how you felt, I'm sorry Anne."
The real Anne and Luz heard this and weren't sure what to think.
"So, yeah, I'm sorry. That's why I had to get you out of the way," said Sasha to the misty Luz. "I was afraid you'd take Anne away from me and I didn't want to lose her … it's only fair that I get to date her."
"Is that what you think?" asked the mist Luz. "Do you think Anne feels the same way?"
"I… I… I don't know… I think so," answered Sasha.
"Well, why don't you ask her then?" said the misty version of Luz. It gazed past Sasha, finally causing her to turn around and see Luz and Anne standing behind her, with the mist Luz and Anne fading away.
Sasha's face lit up like a tomato as she saw Luz and Anne, and she was left speechless at the site and tried to think of what to say. She walked over and poked both Anne and Luz with her finger to make sure they were real.
Finally, after a few moments, she spoke.
"So, uh… How much of that did you guys hear?" she asked nervously.
Anne and Luz looked at each other before replying, "We heard enough." The two walked up to Sasha. For a long time, they both simply looked at Sasha, not sure what to say. To try to ease the tension, Sasha spoke again.
"Luz, please, I'm sorry," said Sasha, turning to Luz. "I know… Maybe that doesn't mean much right now, but… I really am sorry. I just…" Sasha turned to Anne, "I was so afraid that I was going to lose you. I had to do something about Luz. I'm sorry."
Anne and Luz didn't say anything, but instead, they looked at each other and then at Sasha. After a moment, they both came forward and enveloped Sasha in a hug, surprising her. The two began to cry as they hugged Sasha, and after a moment, Sasha joined them. They all felt pain from what had happened between them, yet they also felt relief at their reunion. As this happened, Uodeela, the apprentices, and Wally all approached the girls, though none of them said anything, deciding to let the girls have their moment.
Much later, the large group had gathered away from the moors and made camp there, with the three girls exchanging stories of what happened with Wally and Uodeela, adding their own bits here and there. It took a long time, but eventually, the girls were all caught up with each other.
"Are you really Uodeela the Salamander?" asked Wally with interest. "I've heard all sorts of stories 'bout you."
"I should hope my reputation precedes me if even half of them are true," answered Uodeela in a smug voice.
"They say you're a hero to the frogs," said Wally. "Why, I've even been working on a song about your exploits!"
"I'd love to hear it when you're done," said Uodeela.
"I can't believe it. You were held prisoner by the toads," said Lilly, looking at Sasha. "That must have been horrible."
"Eh, it was no picnic," said Sasha, "but I managed to talk quite a few of Grimes's guards into leaving."
"Wait, really? That's amazing!" said Anne.
"What can I say? I have a silver tongue," said Sasha. As she said that, she turned to look at Gustav. "So, hey, are you Percy's kid? He talks about you all the time."
"Yeah, that's me," answered Gustav. "Wait, really? He talks about me?"
"All the time," said Sasha with a smile. "You and the act that you two have. He told me how the two of you are going to take that act to every town in the valley."
Gustav smiled at that.
"Wow, I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Sasha," said Anne.
"Maybe… maybe I deserved it," said Sasha in a low voice. "I… well, you both know now about what I did, so maybe getting stuck at Toad Tower was punishment."
"Sasha…" began Anne before Luz interrupted her.
"If you feel it was a punishment for your actions, then… I think you've suffered enough," said Luz in a firm voice. "I won't lie, it hurts knowing you deliberately set me up… but at the same time, I still went through with it, so it's my fault, too."
"Luz…" said Sasha.
"I should have given you a chance to apologize, Luz," said Anne. "Regardless of what Sasha said, it was still my choice to tell you we weren't friends anymore, and I shouldn't have done that."
The three girls looked at each other as they considered this. Uodeela finally came over to talk to them.
"From what I'm hearing, you all did things you aren't proud of," she began, "but that's life. You make mistakes, you screw up, and you keep going. The three of you are fortunate that you got a chance to sit down and talk about your problems before any of them got worse. Now you're together again, and we still need to figure out how to get you home."
Anne's eyes lit up at that, and she reached into her backpack and pulled out a box. The other girls and Uodeela all gasped as they saw it.
"Speaking of which," said Anne, "this box is how we got here." She turned to Uodeela. "Do you know what it is and how we can use it to get back?"
Uodeela did her best to remain calm. She had suspected for a while that the Calamity Box had been what brought Luz and her friends here, and now that she saw it, any doubt in her mind was erased. She looked between the box and Anne, considering what she would say.
"Yes, I know what that is," said Uodeela, causing the girls' faces to light up. "But I also know that you can't go home just yet."
"Why not?" asked Anne.
Uodeela hesitated, but eventually, she realized she wouldn't be able to hide the truth from them anymore.
"There is much you need to know both about the box and Amphibia's past," she said with a heavy sigh. "Sit down and get comfortable. There is a lot I must tell you…"
"… And that's the whole story," finished Uodeela, her head hung in sadness. All three girls stared back at her, absorbing everything that she had said to them.
"So we were supposed to come here?" asked Sasha, intrigued.
"It was prophesied that you would," said Uodeela, "and that you would fight against a great evil in our land. I wasn't sure I believed the prophecy, but seeing three of you here, plus the fact that the gems are drained of power, is all the proof I need. The power of those gems is inside you now, and you need to learn how to harness it if you're to save Amphibia."
Anne, Luz, and Sasha all looked at each other, and they raised their hands, looking at them.
"I can teach you how to utilize that power, but first, we need to find your fourth friend. Do you have any idea where she might be?" asked Uodeela.
The girls all shook their heads.
"I see. Well, I have some contacts I can use to try to find her, but what's important is that you stay hidden for now. The valley is probably the safest place for you since it's far enough away from Newtopia that the king is unlikely to hear about you."
"So the king knows about the prophecy?" asked Anne.
"Yes, and if he knows that you're here, he'll do everything in his power to stop you. But thankfully, the box won't work in its current state, so even if he gets it back, he can't use it to conquer other worlds," said Uodeela.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Sasha.
Uodeela thought for a moment before replying, "For now, I think all three of you should go with Anne back to Wartwood. You'll be safe there for the moment. When I finish my current teaching session, I'll join you, and we can start work on unlocking your powers. From now until then, I'll use my contacts to try to find your other friend. What was her name again?"
"Marcy," said Luz.
"Okay, I'll try to find Marcy, then I'll meet up with you in Wartwood," said Uodeela. "For now, do your best to lie low and not draw any attention to yourselves. Also, keep that box with you and keep it safe. Don't tell anyone about it either. It's imperative that Andrias not find out that you're here. Understand?"
The girls nodded their heads.
"Good, then with that, let's get ready to go," said Uodeela.
As Luz went over to say goodbye to her amphibian friends, Uodeela pulled Sasha aside.
"You are lucky that you got away from Grime," she said to her. "He can be cruel to his prisoners. I'm honestly surprised you got away as unscathed as you did."
"You know, before I left, he offered to have me stay and be his lieutenant," said Sasha.
"You were right to refuse his offer," began Uodeela. "I know Grime. He tends to stab people in the back, especially if he thinks it would get him more power. What made you decide to leave?"
"I guess the fact that he kept me as a prisoner for so long instead of listening to me when I told him that I had no idea how I got here," said Sasha. "I'm glad I left, because otherwise, I wouldn't have found Luz and Anne. Not only that, but if I hadn't gotten lost in the mist, then…" Sasha trailed off as she thought about her experience in the mist.
"You saw something in the mist, didn't you?" asked Uodeela. Sasha nodded her head.
"The visions of the mist. They prey on our regrets and failures," said Uodeela. "The ones who see visions here all have some burden in their hearts that they never resolved. Luz and Anne had their own burdens to face, and I sense you did too."
Sasha didn't respond to that but instead hung her head.
"Whatever you saw was something you probably needed to make peace with," said Uodeela. "Don't dwell on it too much, but I hope you remember the lesson you learned here for the future."
"I will," said Sasha.
"Good," said Uodeela.
Uodeela got ready to leave, but before she did, Anne called Luz and Sasha over, wanting to talk with them before they arrived at Wartwood.
"So, listen," she said in a serious voice. "Before we head to Wartwood, there's something we need to talk about." She looked at both Luz and Sasha, taking a deep breath before she continued, "So, you both have a crush on me?"
Luz and Sasha both awkwardly nodded their heads while also trying to avoid looking at Anne.
"I have to admit, I never thought I would become a real-life Constance," said Anne, letting out a small laugh.
"Oh, yeah, this is just like Love Choice!" said Sasha excitedly. "You're like Constance, I'm Hunter, and Luz is Alister."
"Why am I Alister?" asked Luz with a bit of a huff.
"I mean, you are a lot more sensitive and artistic than me," said Sasha. "But I mean that as a compliment."
Luz glared at Sasha, not sure she bought that, but Sasha smiled back at her, trying to be encouraging.
"Wow, when did my life end up being like a movie?" said Anne. "But the point is…" She took Sasha's hand in one of hers and Luz's in the other.
"Right now, we need to focus on finding Marcy and getting home," continued Anne. "So for now, I'd like to just be friends with both of you." Anne looked deep into both Sasha and Luz's eyes. "When we get home, maybe we can talk more about this, but for now, let's not be distracted by any romantic drama, okay?"
Luz and Sasha looked at each other, then back at Anne before replying, "Okay."
As the girls got ready to journey with Anne to Wartwood, Sasha heard a voice speak to her.
"Good, pretend that you are willing to wait," said the voice. "When the time is right, we'll get Luz out of the way."
Sasha hesitated. Part of her thought the voice made sense, though another part wasn't sure.
Well, three of the four friends have reunited, and it looks like Sasha has a head start on dealing with her controlling nature. Not bad, all things considered. The three friends returned to Wartwood, and Anne introduced Sasha and Luz to the Plantars. They were, of course, a little hesitant about welcoming the humans, but eventually, they warmed up to them. Sasha, having gotten away from Grime, gone through her experience in the mist, and having a chance to spend time with the Plantars, has slowly started changing and allowing her to become a new person. She even got a chance to help the Farmers in their annual bugball game against the townies. (Shows an image of Sasha scoring the winning basket, followed by an image of the Farmers hugging her in celebration, then pouring the large drink barrel on her.)
Luz met up with Maddie, and the two became friends, especially after Luz told her she was a former student of Uodeela's. The two kept up studying magic while also growing close (Shows image of Luz and Maddie brewing a potion together, followed by an image of the two fighting Barry, then an image of the two discovering the wind glyph).
All in all, things seemed to be going well for the three friends. Then came the night of the Wartwood Frog of the Year! (Image of Luz, Anne, and Sasha all dressed up, about to enjoy the party).
But sometimes, even in other universes, things don't change that much. Even with Luz and Sasha helping her, the party that evening was still a little… rough. (Image of things going wrong at the party and Luz, Anne, and Sasha trying desperately to help fix them).
I'd say for the most part, things worked out, and the three friends had a great laugh and a great time! Until…
"Wanna dance?" Sprig asked Ivy.
"Heck, yeah!" said Ivy. With that, the two rushed off to the dance floor. Anne, Luz, and Sasha all smiled.
"Awww!" they said together.
"So cute!" said Luz, practically squealing at the sight.
"I have to admit, those two really are cute together," said Sasha.
"Aren't they?" said Luz. "This is why I love shipping so much!"
"Well, I'm just glad we were still able to salvage this night," said Anne, looking out towards the town and the frogs, who were eating, dancing, and playing music.
"Remind me not to let you go on the homecoming committee when we get to high school," joked Sasha, nudging Anne with her elbow. Anne glared at her for a second, but then relaxed her face into a smile.
"You know, it really is a lovely night," said Anne, looking up at the stars. She then put her arms around both Luz and Sasha. "Thank you both for helping me with the party, even if I was a little demanding."
Luz and Sasha smiled back at her. Just then, the party was broken up as some toads jumped into the town, surprising the frogs and brandishing their weapons. Many there let out a gasp as they tried to flee, only for their escape to be cut off.
"What's going on?" asked Anne, looking around. After a few moments, a large toad stepped out of the shadows, and Sasha instantly recognized him.
"That's Grime," she said to Anne and Luz, "the toad who imprisoned me!"
"Citizens of Wartwood," began Grime, spreading his arms wide, "sorry to interrupt your celebration, but we toads of the South Tower have business here to attend to."
The frogs murmured to each other as they wondered why the toads were there.
"Mayor Toadstool, where are you?!" called out Grime.
"What the devil do you want, Grime?" asked Toadstool, coming up to him. "Tax season is over."
"This isn't about taxes," said Grime, "though I did learn about how you tried to embezzle this year's taxes from us. Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out?"
Toadstool panicked as he heard this
"But if you help me out right now, perhaps I can show mercy for your little slip-up," continued Grime. "I'm not here about the taxes; I'm here on another matter." With that, Grime took out a poster—a familiar blue and red poster with the image of Hop Pop emblazoned on it. The caption of "Freedom Frog" was at the top and bottom. Anne, Luz and Sasha all gasped as they saw it.
"We heard about this frog who stood up to the tax collectors and ran against you for mayor!" growled Grime. "This frog has been inspiring others in towns across the valley. Bring him to us now, so we can teach him a lesson!"
"What? Now, there's no need for that," protested Toadstool. "He didn't win the campaign against me. He's just a simple farmer, hardly worth getting worked up about."
"You never should have allowed it to get that far!" sneered Grime, leaning into Toadstool and brandishing his sword. Toadstool gulped in fear.
"So where is this 'freedom frog?'" bellowed Grime. "Give him to us now, or we'll burn this insignificant town to the ground."
Grime snapped his fingers, and Bog and Fens stepped forward, holding torches and smiling menacingly at the frogs. The frogs of Wartwood all nervously looked at each other as they contemplated what to do.
"It's Hopediah Plantar!" said Toadstool, pointing his finger at the old frog. "He's the one you want."
"Toadstool!" yelled Anne, frowning at the toad.
"You snake!" said Sasha, stepping forward to join Anne in her outrage, but it was then that Grime noticed her.
"Well, well, Sasha, how lovely to see you again," said Grime to the blonde.
"Wish I could say the same," said Sasha sarcastically.
"It really is too bad you didn't stay at the Tower," said Grime. "You could have been here with me instead of on the losing side."
Sasha looked back at the frogs of Wartwood, as well as Anne and Luz. "You know what? I like being on the side with my friends." Anne and Luz smiled as they heard that.
"We're not letting you take Hop Pop!" said Anne, stepping forward to join Sasha and pulling out her sword.
"I'm with you too!" said Luz, joining her friends and getting into a battle-ready stance.
"Don't forget about us!" said Sprig and Polly, joining the girls.
The frogs of Wartwood hesitated for a moment, but then they joined the girls as well, ready to defend Hop Pop.
"How quaint," snarled Grime. "You actually think you have a chance against me. Alright, if that's the way you want it!" Grime pointed his sword, and the toads charged forward. Bog and Fens threw their torches at two buildings in the town, catching them on fire. Luz, Anne, and Sasha charged forward, followed by the Plantars and the frogs. The two sides engaged each other in battle.
From the start, it was obvious the frogs were outnumbered. Although they fought valiantly, they were no match for the much tougher and battle-hardened toads. If that wasn't enough, many toads had broken off from the fight to light fires all over Wartwood. The fires spread quickly, creating a danger for both the attackers and defenders.
"Ha! Didn't I break your arm last time?" taunted Fens as she locked weapons with Anne. Anne didn't respond and simply tried to force her back. Meanwhile, Luz was locked in battle with Bog, using her wind glyphs to force him back.
"Nice try, girlie," taunted Bog as he fought against the force of the wind, "but you'll need more than that to stop me!"
Sasha locked swords with Grime, with the toad taunting her.
"Bet you wish you'd stayed at the tower now, don't you, Sasha?" sneered Grime as he swung at Sasha again.
"Not a chance," replied Sasha, as she blocked Grime's strike. "You have no chance against us!"
"Are you sure about that?" asked Grime.
Right at that moment, Sasha heard a loud scream, and she turned to see that Anne had fallen to the ground, clutching her arm.
"No, not again!" said Anne weakly.
As that was going on, Sasha heard another scream. She looked over and saw Luz on the ground, clutching her foot. Bog stood over her with his hammer, having just used it to crush her foot. This distraction was enough for Grime to knock Sasha's sword out of her hand.
"Why are you defending these peasants, anyway? They're just slimy little frogs!" exclaimed Grime.
"They are not just frogs!" said Sasha. "They're my friends!"
As she said this, she charged straight at Grime, tackling him to the ground and knocking his sword out of his hands. The two began fighting, punching each other, trying to look for some kind of opening. Right at that moment, there was a loud screech, and the frogs and toads turned to see a giant red heron approaching. The toads knew who that was and immediately broke ranks and fled. The Red Heron wasn't alone, as she charged into the town and began scattering the toads while a troop of frogs rushed in to help as well. Luz recognized one of them.
"Lilly!" she said in relief as the blue frog came up to her.
"Oh, my frog! What happened to you?" said Lilly, looking down at Luz's smashed foot.
"A toad smashed my foot," said Luz with a small laugh, trying to play it off as nothing. Lilly made a motion for some other frogs to come over and help her.
"Anne needs help too," said Luz, pointing to Anne, who was still clutching her broken arm. Lilly motioned for some frogs to go help Anne.
All around them was chaos as the fires the toads had set continued to burn. The toads ran about, being driven off by the heron, while frogs rushed about, trying to help the villagers and put out the raging fires. Grime looked in the distance and saw Lilly helping Luz. He kicked Sasha, finally getting her off him. He picked up his sword and charged at Lilly, who saw him coming and quickly jumped out of the way. Some other frogs who were with her tried to stop Grime, but he quickly cut them down. Luz was still helpless, unable to move on the ground, and she tried desperately to crawl away, but Grime jumped in front of her, blocking her path.
"You're one of Sasha's friends," he said, looking down at Luz. "Killing you would hurt her a lot." Grime raised his sword above his head, about to bring it down on Luz. Luz braced herself, preparing to die.
Right at that moment, a sword pierced right through his chest from behind, causing him to cough up blood. A second later, he slumped over, revealing Sasha standing behind him, having picked up Anne's sword and used it to run him through. As the adrenaline wore off, Sasha looked down at her hand and saw it shaking. She began breathing heavily as she realized what she had just done. She fell to her knees, trying to calm herself down. Luz looked up at the tears forming in her eyes.
"Sasha…" said Luz slowly as she tried to think of what to say to comfort her.
Sasha didn't say anything, continuing to look down at her hand, feeling so many emotions all running through her. While this was going on, a voice spoke to her in her head.
"You did what was necessary," said the voice. "Sometimes, you need to kill to save a life. Don't feel bad. Let yourself get used to it."
"Sasha!" called Anne, running over to her friend. She saw Grime's body and Sasha on her knees and knew immediately what happened.
"Anne, Sasha!" called Sprig, coming up to them. Polly and Hop Pop were close behind him.
Sasha looked down once more at Grime's body before looking up at Anne, Luz, and the Plantars. Finally, she could hold it back no longer and loudly began to sob.
Sasha cried, bringing her hands to her face as she tried to let the pain she was feeling out. Anne immediately came up to her and used her good arm to hug her. Sprig and the Plantars joined her, and Luz eventually crawled over and joined in on the hug too. None of them said anything, letting Sasha cry for as long as she wanted…
I suppose that while you might say things worked out better for Sasha here, you could make the argument that things are worse, too. Even if you kill in self-defense, it takes a toll on you—a toll that is hard enough for any normal person to bear. It would be even harder for a thirteen-year-old girl to have to bear it, but as I said before, Sasha is a tough person, and at least here she has her friends to help her through this rough point in her life.
It took some time, but Sasha would eventually recover, and thankfully, Uodeela had heard about the toads' plan and assembled the rebellion to help defend Wartwood. Looks like she arrived just in time, too. After Anne and Luz recovered from their injuries (and Sasha from her emotional ones), the three began training with her and would eventually unlock their powers! (Image of Anne, Luz, and Sasha all unlocking their Calamity powers for the first time. All three are glowing with their respective colors).
But even with all these changes, things haven't worked out for everyone…
Marcy let out a loud scream as the helmet came down on her, with Andrias turning away so he wouldn't see the moment. A few seconds later, her body moved again, but now the Core was in control of her. The Core turned to Andrias.
"You imbecilic!" it yelled at him. "Your stupid plan failed!"
"How was I supposed to know the girls would find each other and Uodeela on their own?" protested Andrias.
"I told you to kill the girl immediately and take her power," said the Core. "Now three of them have unlocked their powers, and our backs are up against a wall. If that weren't bad enough, the box hasn't been recharged. Even if we obtain it, it would be useless in its current form!"
"But that's why I sped up the plan to have you possess Marcy," said Andrias. "She still has her power within her, so maybe you can use her body to activate it."
The Core actually paused as it considered that. "Hmmm, perhaps you're not so useless after all. Still, we only have one gem, while Uodeela has three on her side."
"Surely you can think up a plan with all the knowledge you possess," said Andrias. "They might not be robots, but I still have command of the armies of Newtopia. We could even press the toads into service for us if we need to."
"The problem with living armies is there's always a chance they'll betray you," sneered the Core. "I thought you already learned that lesson… son."
Andrias flinched as he remembered how Leif had betrayed him.
"If we use newts and toads, it will only be a matter of time before they question us and turn traitorous. We might be able to use them to defend the capital, but no doubt Uodeela will bring the girls here when she thinks they're ready. What do we do after that?" asked the Core.
"You have Marcy's body, and she still has her powers. I'm sure you can make use of that somehow," said Andrias.
"Hmmm, I will need time to think on this," said the Core. "For now, you had best prepare for an invasion. It won't be long before the girls attack us, and we need to be ready when that happens. Go prepare our defenses while we consider what to do!"
Andrias left the basement to carry out the Core's orders.
As Luz, Anne, and Sasha stepped over the hill, they took in the site of Newtopia.
"So this is where the king has our friend?" asked Luz.
"Yes, it is," answered Uodeela. "I'm afraid he's holding her prisoner. He found out about you three, and now he's not taking any chances."
"The place looks locked up tight," said Anne.
"Shouldn't be a problem," said Sasha, stretching out her arms and warming herself up. "Come on, Anne. You've seen what we can do with these powers. We'll bust in no prob!"
"I guess so," said Anne, looking down at her hands. "You really think we're ready, Uodeela?"
"Yes, I do," replied the salamander. "You've all done well in learning to use your powers, and not only that, but you have the full strength of them, and you've all had a chance to let your bodies adjust to them, so you should be able to use them for a long period."
"So we bust in, rescue Marcy, get out, then save Amphibia somehow, right?" asked Luz.
"We actually might be able to accomplish both goals today," said Uodeela. "That great evil I told you about is somewhere in the palace. I don't know everything about it, but once we break-in, we should do our best to find it."
"Got it!" said the girls together.
"Andrias probably has guards inside the palace, but that won't matter to you three," continued Uodeela. "They won't be able to touch you. Are you ready?"
The girls looked at each other and nodded, though Luz spoke up.
"Uh, actually, can I talk to you real quick, Sasha?" asked Luz. Sasha was surprised but accepted, and the two went off to talk alone.
"So, hey, we have this big fight on our hands coming up, and I just thought… I thought I should tell you something beforehand," said Luz. Sasha looked at her curiously, wondering what it was she wanted to talk about.
"Just in case anything happens," began Luz, "I wanted to let you know that when we get back home…" Luz took a pause, "I won't get in your way."
"Wait, what?" said Sasha, confused.
Luz took a breath before saying. "For Anne, I won't… I won't compete with you for her."
Sasha's face lit up as she heard that, but she immediately protested. "Wait, no, Luz, you don't—"
"It's okay. I thought about this," said Luz stoically. "You know how much I love shipping, and well, I also happen to love the childhood friend romance trope, too. You… you have known Anne a lot longer than me, and plus, you've grown so much since we found you in the mist. You saved my life when Grime attacked Wartwood. You really have changed, Sasha."
"Luz…" said Sasha. "Are you sure about this?"
Luz paused before saying, "I'm sure, but just promise me… Promise me you'll make her happy, okay?"
Sasha looked into Luz's eyes before putting her hand on her shoulders. "I promise."
She then pulled Luz into a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around her. "You really are the best, Luz. I… I don't know what to say."
"Hey, is everything alright, you two?" asked Anne.
"Yeah, we're fine!" they both said at the same time. "Now let's go rescue our friend!"
"What are you doing?" asked the voice in Sasha's head. "Luz is obviously trying to trick you. You need to get her out of your way."
"Did you not just hear what she said?" said Sasha to the voice. "She's letting me have Anne."
"It's obviously a trick of some sort!" said the voice desperately. "Don't believe her!"
"Why am I even listening to you?" said Sasha. "I thought you were just my inner voice, but it's starting to sound like you're someone else. I'm not going crazy, am I?"
The voice didn't respond.
"I don't know who you are, but I know this," said Sasha to herself, "I am not listening to you anymore!"
"No, you need me," pleaded the voice. Sasha ignored the voice and went back to her friends.
They were able to rescue Marcy and defeat Andrias and the Core. The Core may have had Marcy's power, but it had no connection at all to Amphibia, no heart to care for its inhabitants, and no wisdom, only intellect, so it wasn't able to activate Marcy's powers. Because Anne, Luz, and Sasha had time to get used to the powers, they were able to do it without having to sacrifice anyone. That means in this universe, I didn't even get to meet any of them, but ah well, that's how things go sometimes. Furthermore, because Sasha stopped talking with Belos, he was never able to gain influence over her, and that meant she avoided the original fate of when she tried to cure Uodeela…
… Oh, that's right, you haven't seen that yet, have you? Good thing I caught myself, or else I might have accidentally spoiled something. Yes, that will be quite a moment in that universe when it happens. But back to this one!
It's ironic, isn't it? Sasha got everything she wanted by simply making a different choice. Perhaps a little sad to know that things could have worked out better for her in the end if only she had left like she originally wanted to, but that is the point of these stories, isn't it? Seeing the path not taken, the story not told, the choice not made…
If nothing else, I hope that hearing these stories will cause you to consider the choices you make in life. Think carefully, because all choices have consequences, and while you are not omniscient, I know that for the most part, you are an intelligent species (despite certain stupid things you do). But that's the end of this particular story, so what will be the next one? What other universes do you wish to see? What other questions do you want answered? And finally, most importantly…
What if…?