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On a cold and wintry evening, snow trickled down from the sky on the streets of Downtown Denver, Colorado. There were lights and decorations hanged up on every corner of each building and within the center, lied a bright and tall Christmas tree, illuminating the patrons that surround it.
However, there were two figures that stand out from the rest of crowd. Two newts, to be exact.
A few years had passed ever since the fall of Andrias's reign. Olivia, now queen of Amphibia, had taken the responsibility of restructuring the land from the ground up. She made many sweeping changes that would end up working in her favor amongst the public. One of her most popular decisions was creating a committee where elected officials get a chance to sit at the table and express their concerns to improving the infrastructure of their respective towns. They are known as the Amphibia Infrastructure Initiative, or A.I.I., for short.
Yunan, on the other hand, had taken on the role as Olivia's personal "escort". Or at least that's what the public thinks. In reality, they had been dating for quite a while, but they only got a lot more closer after the frobot occupation. To the scourge of the sand wars, defeater of Ragnar the Wretched, and former general of the Newtopian army, being an "escort" was the best thing to ever happen to her. Not only do they have the chance to work together, but they finally get to BE together without any barrier to keep them apart.
But while being together can have its benefits, the constant workload had been pretty stressful, at least to Olivia. The only free time they have is either in the morning or night whenever things are slowing down for the time being, unless if it's an emergency. Other than that, it's work, work, work, all the way through. Olivia never took a true break since the end of Andrias's reign and how could she? The revelation not withstanding, she had to make up for all those years from standing beside Andrias while he ignored the issues that were brought to his attention. It's also a way to fulfill her promise to her mother, who burdened her to take on the responsibility. Not that she can really complain. She got what she signed up for. But to Yunan, Olivia's stress tells a different story.
Seeing her like this had made her a little bit concerned. Yunan can recall the times when Olivia would stay up all night going over each proclamation or proposal that's given to her. Even when the both of them have some free time, every conversation Yunan had with her was something related to her work and the exhaust she experienced from that. Though she never fully expressed it, Yunan could tell from her body language alone.
That was when Yunan decided to make an important decision. They needed a vacation.
But she had to decide quickly because December was just around the corner. Ever since Marcy Wu introduced Christmas to the citizens of Amphibia, many would come around to celebrate this holiday in exchange of Swamp Hallows Eve, due to the fact that it seemed like a safer alternative. Though it never fully replaced it, it was the reason why the amount of sacrifices had decreased over time. Normally, Yunan and Olivia are all the more busy during this time of year, but not this year. Yunan was going to put all the stops to that.
But what would be the perfect vacation spot?
Despite all the changes, Amphibia isn’t the most ideal place for comfort. The red newt had to think outside the box. Why not have a vacation on planet earth? The only person with that kind of knowledge was Marcy, but nobody was able to keep in contact with her after the invasion. Even Anne and Sasha’s contact with her is now spotty at best, especially since she’s now homeschooled and is still dealing with those…”physical” changes. Sasha is likely not interested in helping out, at least according to Yunan, so now that only leaves the Boonchuy girl herself.
It’s worth noting that humans had gotten used to seeing amphibians coming in and out of each dimension, so when she arrived, nobody was fazed by her appearance. The same can’t be said for those who were intimidated by her demeanor. Given how this was her second time in LA, navigating herself around the city wasn’t easy. But upon hearing where Anne worked at, she made her way over to Thai Go. Apparently Mrs. Boonchuy came down with the seasonal flu, so the Plantars decided to pitch in with Anne for the week until she recovers. Upon arriving to the restaurant, Anne was surprised to see her since it's been so long. Then again, it wouldn't be so important if it was somebody else. But when she found out that reason why she was here, she was relived to find out that it wasn't anything serious. At first, Anne recommended LA as the perfect vacation spot because not only is it one of the few states that doesn't snow, but they also have a fair climate that's suitable for both of them since they're a cold-blooded species. However, Yunan rejected the recommendation. To her, she needed to find a vacation spot that can "fulfill the spirit of your 'holiday' that even a queen could marvel at." After going over a few options, Yunan finally found what she'd been looking for, which just so happened to be Denver, Colorado. Anne was troubled by the idea, but she would rather not get into an argument with the queen's "escort", so she gave her seal of approval, a.k.a. a thumbs up, and Yunan was on her way back to Amphibia.
After talking over the idea with Olivia, she was strongly hesitant of going through with it. She didn't want to take time off during the holiday season because to her, anything could go wrong the moment she's not sitting on that throne. That, and there's a likely chance that the expenses were paid in Amphibia's currency, which is considered foreign in the human world. But after a bit of persuasion and correcting her over the money and everything else, Olivia reluctantly accepted. They even commissioned their technology department to create some special made clothing for the climate.
And so, here they are, standing with the Coloradans as they watch the tree illuminate the center of downtown.
Today is the last day before they have to go back for Christmas week, so Yunan wanted to make sure her and Olivia got to do everything that this city had to offer. From ice skating to sleigh riding to snow sculpting, all of it was accomplished in just a few days. All they have to do now is take in all the scenery of this city. And what no better way than to look at the ornaments and lights of the giant green-covered piece of lumber.
However, there's only one problem. Compared to every human that's present, Olivia is the shortest out of all of them, so she could only see the top half of the tree. It's not helped by the fact there were a ton of people in downtown, so it kind've felt a little bit claustrophobic. Yunan began to noticed her discomfort.
"My lady," said Yunan, "are you okay?"
Olivia responded, "Huh, oh I'm fine. It's nothing worthy of caution."
"Doooo you want me to hoist you up on my back?"
"That won't be necessary," she said with a sternly manner.
"Oh come on, my lady. You can at least get to see the entire tree from this height."
"I am a newt, not a tadpole. I am doing fine in this exact spot."
"But what about those humans?" Yunan asked, "Don't you feel just a little uncomfortable?"
"I told you I am fine."
"But my lady-"
"No."
The two newts stood there in silence, going to back to focusing on the beauty of the tree. Upon having that disagreement with Olivia, Yunan started to notice a pattern when it comes to sort of stuff.
That's when she reflected a bit on their trip. While Yunan enjoyed doing everything they did up to this point, she couldn't help but feel like this vacation was constrained. Anytime the red newt wanted to do something unconventional, Olivia wouldn't allow it because it would be embarrassing. Even Yunan is still using formalities when trying to address her. It's almost like they're still operating as they were back on Amphibia. But they're not ON Amphibia, they're in the human world. A dimension where not everybody knows somebody; a place where everything isn't a constant life or death situation. Yunan thought that this vacation would be a chance for Olivia to loosen up, but it feels like she's either not interested or something is actively preventing her from enjoying it to the fullest extent. Not only that, but for the past few days, Yunan would always see this lingering expression on Olivia's face. It's the kind of expression that a person would show when they worry about whether or not they forgot to lock the front door. All she ever wanted was for Olivia to be happy. After all, she's just trying to keep up her end of the promise they made to each other back in Wartwood during the frobot occupation.
Then again, that was a few years ago.
A lot had changed since then and now Olivia has to fulfill her duty for the sake of peace. She didn't want another situation like with Andrias ever again. That same fear can also apply to Marcy. Having to see a girl taken under their wing and being full of hope, optimism, and wonder to be fully transformed, mentally and physically, from the events that transpired...well..it's something that she tries not to think about. Yunan thinks the same way too, but she understood why Marcy wouldn't want to come back. Not after everything that happened. But there's no point in having to linger on the past. This is NOW. And Yunan was going to make things right.
She grabbed Olivia by the arm and with all her athletic might, Yunan spring jumped her way out of the crowd. It was a long leap, but it was enough to get the people's attention. However, Yunan wasn't in the mood for showboating. She needed to find a spot where nobody else could see them. There was one building that managed to catch her eye. It stood across from the center of where the tree was standing. It's the perfect view. And so, she sprinted her way over to the building. Olivia, however, was furious with her "escort". For once, she didn't want to deal with anything chaotic and all Yunan ever did was proved her suspicions correct. Or so she thought.
They finally approached the building and were now far away from the crowd.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALL THI-", Olivia was cut off by Yunan's finger over her mouth.
Yunan was checking her surroundings of the alley way. The coast was clear. All she needed to find was the backdoor, and so she did. Upon approaching the door, she first noticed that it was locked from the outside. Fortunately, the door had a perfectly squared view window. At first, Olivia had no idea what she's going to do, but it took a split second reaction for her figure it out. Before she could say anything, Yunan immediately punched through the glass and used her arm to unlock the door from the inside. Once they got inside, Yunan saw the rows of stairs that led up to the roof. It turns out that this is the emergency exit way and that the door is, in fact, an emergency door. How she never tipped off the alarm was a mystery to Olivia, but she couldn't think about that now. She wanted to scold Yunan for being this close to getting themselves in trouble. Had they'd been caught by the authorities for breaking and entering, she couldn't use her royal privileges. She may be a queen on Amphibia, but everywhere else, she's nothing more than a common citizen. Except with very smooth skin.
After viewing her surroundings, Yunan figured out the fastest way to get to the top balcony. In response, she gave Olivia a wide grin. For Olivia, whenever Yunan smiles at her like that, it's usually not a good sign.
"If you're planning on doing what I think you're doing, I swear to the olms, I will-HEY!"
Olivia was hoisted up and tucked into Yunan's arm as she prepared to jump. Rail to rail, she jumped across from each side of the building. Because of her strong reflexes, she was able to clear every rail without any error. It's like the equivalent of a Zapapede trying to escape from their natural predator. After all that, they finally approached the door to the roof. Surprisingly, no physical force was necessary. One simple twist of the knob was all that was needed. After opening the door, Yunan was relieved, albeit exhausted, that this spot was the perfect viewing for the Christmas tree. For Olivia however...
"PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!" Olivia shouted.
Yunan immediately put her down to the ground.
"Yunan, you got 30 seconds to explain yourself right now! I had told you not once but FIVE times already that I didn't need any help! And now here you are, resorting to nothing but causing property damage, just so you can bring me up here for no reason whatsoever! This is why I wanted the vacation to be under control! The moment I make an exception, you end up doing...something...so.....rash."
Olivia stopped her tangent as she saw the colorful lights that were illuminating Yunan's shadow. Slowly, she turned her head over to the source and took each minimal step towards the path. Looking over the balcony, Olivia finally saw the entire view of the Christmas tree. From its lavishly green pine needles that stick out in multiple directions to the colored ornaments that compliment the green to the silver garland that hugged around the tree and shined bright like the morning star. Coincidentally, there's even a giant star on top to complete the entire picture. Some of it wasn't anything that she could've seen on the ground.
"So," said Yunan, "What do you think, my lady? I think this was the perfect spot for viewing, wouldn't you agree?"
Olivia didn't respond.
In fact, she hadn't said anything ever since she focused all her attention on the tree. Normally, this kind of response wouldn't bother Yunan, but this was one of those rare moments where she really needed an answer from her. Especially when Olivia lambasted her just a few minutes ago. Had it been up to Yunan, she likely wouldn't had done that stuff earlier, but this was a desperate act. Olivia is stressed out, that much is clear. And whatever is causing it might be the reason why she's acting this way. Yunan doesn't exactly know how to break this to Olivia, but it's now apparent that she needed to come clean.
"Look Olivia," said Yunan, dropping the formality "I know...you're not obligated to be grateful but...
Yunan paused for a moment, trying to find the best way to articulate her words.
She continued, "...I can't stand seeing you like this. Day in and day out, we never get the chance to spend so much time with each other. I have to pray to the olms every single night that you can rest easily without having all this royalty business junk breathing down your neck. That also doesn't account for the fact that whenever I ask if you needed any help, you always seem to turn away and say I can do this by myself. And yet, when I ask for some assistance, you help me out no problem. So...why can't I do the same thing for you? Olivia, back in Wartwood, we both promised that we would look out for each other, no matter what. I swear, I didn't want to force my hand like this, it's just....I'm just doing everything that I can to satisfy you because....you deserve to be happ-"
"It's wonderful."
"....Huh?"
"I said it looks wonderful."
Yunan finally gotten a response from Olivia, but she wasn't sure of what to think of it. Sure, it was positive, but was Olivia saying all of this just to make her feel better? Like the blue newt, she walked her way over to the balcony. And just like her, she got to see the entire tree in all its glory.
"Wow," she thought, "She wasn't kidding about what she said."
For 10 minutes, her and Olivia silently looked over the balcony.
Until Olivia spoke up.
"About...," Olivia paused with a somber tone, "what you said to me earlier, I had come off strong for a while, haven't I? I'd like to apologize for my rude behavior, Yunan. These past few years had been very....hard on me. So many responsibilities, so little time. The citizens of Amphibia expect so much of me as a queen and yet I'm unintentionally keeping up appearances to a bunch of people who aren't even aware of our status. The truth as to why I've been so hard on myself is because I don't want to end up like him. Neglectful. Manipulative. Ruthless. Every one of those traits I try so much to avoid. Because no matter how long I can live with him being dead, his 'shadow' always seems to linger over me wherever I go. And I don't want to be that way.
"Olivia, I can tell you right now that you're not Andria-"
"Yunan please," Olivia interrupted, "let me finish."
"But then I realized something after looking at all of this. I've been neglecting the simple things that matter the most. Yunan, I....I...I've been very neglectful to you."
"Olivia.."
"I've been neglecting you in our relationship. I even shouted at you for something so foolish."
"Well, I don't know I did punched through the windo-"
"And to make matters worse, this doesn't feel like a vacation. It's an obligation. Like everything else on Amphibia. And I'M the one who's causing it!"
"Olivia."
"I-I-I don't know how and when I should stop acting like a queen outside of my life. How do I know if something isn't going to go horribly wrong when I'm away? I-I can't afford to do that! We've come so far with our progress that I don't want to see it disappear in an instant! Because w-what would that make me, Yunan!? What would that make me?! W-would that make me him? Please dear frog, tell me that wouldn't make me him!"
"Olivia, are you acting hysterica-"
"And y-yet when I'm so focused on of all that....I've been forgetting about us and the progress we've made too. There were times where I wondered i-if......if this is as far as we'll go?"
"Olivia, it's alrig-."
"NO IT ISN'T YUNAN!!"
Yunan was taken back by Olivia's reaction.
"N-none of this is alright! I-I....I...I..."
Tears were starting to form around Olivia's eyes. A feeling she tries so hard to keep to herself.
".....Is that what you think?" questioned Yunan.
Olivia could only turn her head and look down in shame.
Yunan turned her back away for a couple of minutes, figuring out the best way to reassure her. She then turned her attention back to Olivia.
"Olivia, look at me," Yunan said calmly as she puts her hands on the newt's shoulders.
"You're not him. And you'll never BE him. Do you wanna know why? It's because despite these past few years, you still managed to be upfront and honest with me. Compared to him, it took a few centuries. You think he could've done something like that in few years tops? No, he couldn't. But that's the point I'm trying to get at. If there's anything, ANYTHING that you need, you can talk to me about it. I'm willing to work out our relationship between us. Do you honestly believe that I would've left you over something like this. No. Because that is not what couples are supposed to do. I think? I don't know, I haven't been able to keep up with certain customs an-whatever! The point is, you were able to help me out in times when I needed you, I can do the same thing too. I love you, and if that means I have to scale mountains high and low, or even a building for that matter, just to see you happy again, then I'll do it. And not for nothing Olivia,......it's something that Marcy would've wanted."
It took a minute for Olivia to fully let the words sink in. Not only was Yunan trying to reaffirm their love for one another, but she also realized just how much she had matured since the occupation. This wasn't the old Yunan anymore, the same arrogant general that would constantly shout out their introductory monologue wherever she goes. This is the NEW Yunan, someone who's not only a soldier, but a protector and a lover. If she's truly standing by with her convictions, then she's likely telling the truth.
Not only that, but Olivia tried to factor what Yunan said about Marcy. They may have not been close, but she's probably the entire reason why the two newts are together.
But that only left Olivia with even more questions. Was their relationship nothing but circumstantial? Was it out of the need of trying to comfort each other over someone who they once thought to be dead? Did they ever had a genuine bond with one another? These kind of questions only increased Olivia's skepticism.
"I...I don't know what to do," said Olivia, "I just don't know what to do."
"Do what, Olivia?" Yunan asked confusingly.
Olivia took a deep breath in an attempt to compose herself. Like Yunan, there has been something that she's been keeping to herself.
"I never had the confidence to tell you this," said Olivia, "because I was worried that if this didn't work out, then there wouldn't be a future between us. So much of my work had tied me down from ever getting that chance. We've known each other for so long, I never thought of the possibility that we would get here. But after what you said to me, I realized that I need someone like you in my life. Someone who can care for me whenever I'm in distressed. Someone who can be opened about how they feel. Someone....someone who can defend others from danger, no matter what. I'm not quite sure how I can put this into words, Yunan, but...."
Olivia caressed Yunan's hands.
"Will you marry me?"
Slowly, Yunan kneeled down to the newt's level and like Olivia, she caresses her two hands. Then she directed her sights back to her.
"Forever and always," responded Yunan.
Olivia let out a slight audible gasp from Yunan's answer and placed her hand onto her mouth. She wasn't expecting things to go the way it did, even with all the skepticism. But what Yunan said to her was not a simple yes or no. It had meaning; it had conviction; it had....heart. That thought alone was enough to drive her to tears. Not from sadness, but joy and relief.
Back on the ground, the Coloradans were preparing to lit off the traditional Christmas fireworks. What they had to do now was wait for the countdown.
"5 4 3 2 1!!" the people shouted.
The fireworks immediately shot up into the air, leaving behind a trail of fiery sparks in each direction. Then BAM! BOOM! Thunderous sounds of these mini rockets exploded into the sky. Each firework contain every festive color of red, green, and white, a representation of the exciting, yet heartwarming way to close out the week as the hands of clock hit the dot of midnight.
Christmas week had finally begun.
But back on the balcony, Yunan and Olivia only had their sights locked on each other the whole time. Slowly, but surely, their faces only got closer and closer. Olivia took her hand and placed it on Yunan's cheek, while Yunan placed hers on Olivia's, wiping away the tears that remained.
They embraced.
The spark they have had finally been renewed once more.
Afterwards, Yunan noticed the fireworks that were flying above their heads.
"Heh, these humans sure know how to make a spectacle!" said Yunan.
"They do indeed,” Olivia responded.
"Let's go home.”
"Right behind you.”
Olivia walked her way over to the door, until she noticed that Yunan wasn’t exactly following her. She turned her head and instead, saw her jumping for joy and clicking her heels in excitement at the prospect of being a married newt. However, when Olivia caught wind of her reaction, Yunan recomposed herself.
"Ahem, umm," blushed Yunan, "I'm coming."
Olivia chuckled at Yunan's way of expressing her happiness. But for Yunan, it was nice having to see Olivia smile again. To her, it meant that things are probably going to be alright. And so, she caught up to Olivia as they approached the door.
"Soooo, how are we going to break this to everyone else?"
"Maybe it's best if we keep it as a surprise. After all, it's only 5 days 'til Christmas.”
Whatever makes you happy
Whatever gets you through
Whatever lets you know that-
I am feeling this with you
If you believe it's special
Then that's what makes it special
It's a special, It's a special
It's our special time of year