Work Text:
The stones were gone, and so was Anne. Her body, it, it crumbled into nothingness. She saved everyone but didn’t even get to benefit from it. Why did she always have to be such a martyr?
Sasha woke up in the broken, but free, city of Newtopia. The sun hadn’t even risen yet, but she just could not sleep after what happened, even if it had been two days since then. In a way, it was more real now than ever.
The day Anne died they had saved two worlds, Amphibia and Earth. Everyone was fatigued and overwhelmed, so while they all cried and mourned for Anne, the greatest hero who had ever lived, the reality of her death had yet to sink in. Sasha’s wound on her back didn’t help either.
The next day, yesterday, wasn’t really real either. They held an impromptu funeral in her honor. Everyone decided to use a mixture of human and Amphibian traditions given that she had saved all of them. Sasha remembers feeling disappointed that neither she nor Marcy knew enough about how to hold a funeral in any human culture, but Thai culture especially, that they could truly do her justice. But other than that, Sasha was so distant from everything emotionally that day, she still couldn’t come to accept it.
Now, however, it hit her with a force more than equal to any physical blow she had been dealt during the battle, someone she loved deeply had died. She was sobbing in the most disgustingly vulnerable state she had ever been. And she was loud enough that she woke the other person in the room.
Marcy’s quiet snoring stopped and she looked up faintly from across the room asking, “Sash?”
Through her tears, Sasha could only mumble out a messy “sor-hy” before being choked out by her sobs.
Marcy got out of her bed. Well, fell out would be more accurate, and sat down next to her friend. Sasha latched onto her the moment she came within reach and cried into her shoulder. They stayed like that, close, until both fell back asleep.
**********
10 Years Later
Newtopia was thriving once more, the combined efforts of Olivia, now President of Amphibia, and Marcy restoring its former glory. Only this time Newtopia’s grandeur wasn’t hoarded to itself, and newts in particular, but shared freely. That was one of many things that had changed for the better in the decade since the defeat of King Andrias and The Core.
And yet, this anniversary could never be a celebration in its entirety, not to Sasha and Marcy, nor to anyone else. It was the day that the BFFs trio lost a third of itself, its heart.
Sasha could never help to think about what they were missing with her absence. Sure, Sasha and Marcy were a couple now, they’d been dating since they were fifteen, but Anne still meant so much to both of them. And what about Anne’s parents, they had thought victory had already been achieved, that Anne was safe. Now she was never coming back. For that matter, nor was Sasha herself or Marcy, there was no way between Earth and Amphibia any more.
“Ya alright there Sash?”
Her thought spiral broken, Sasha responded, “yeah, it’s just, well, y’know.”
Marcy gave her a reassuring smile and wrapped an arm around her, “I know.” They held each other close for but a brief moment, Sasha gently kissing her partner’s forehead, before reluctantly parting.
“Still, we need to get going,” Marcy finally added, “the festival is today and Joe Sparrow isn’t as fast as he used to be.”
Sasha nodded in response and stood up, dressed not in her usual armor, but rather the pink formal dress she had decided to wear instead. The low back of the dress showed the scar she had gained that day, the one that Marcy still apologized over when she doubted herself, and every time Sasha told them that it wasn’t their fault.
Rising next to her, Marcy was wearing a handsome black suit similar to the matching one that Sasha had almost decided upon. They took Sasha’s hand and smiled again.
**********
Flying in on Joe Sparrow, the pair landed beside the Plantar family farm, the three frogs heading out to greet them.
Polly was the first to reach them, calling, “hey, you two!” She was joined thereafter by Sprig, who was helping Hop Pop walk outside.
Even if she was never especially close with them, and had maybe attempted to murder them on occassion, Sasha felt a sense of relief at meeting up with the Plantars. She did share with them the hardship they had endured in defeating Andrias and the sense of loss every year they realized that they couldn’t share it with someone so close to them.
“Hey you three! Happy to see you again, it’s been too long,” Sasha greeted.
“Don’t forget, the two o’ ya are free to stop by anytime,” Hop Pop answered back, his cordial rural affect as welcoming as always.
“We would if we could,” Marcy responded this time, “but President Olivia has been keeping us busy!”
“Speaking of,” Hop Pop asked, “where’re they at?”
“They had some last minute business in Newtopia to get the celebration there started. Besides, Joe here can only carry so many at once in his old age,” Sasha answered, patting the side of the giant bird.
“I can relate to that,” Hop Pop quipped.
From there, the five of them split into smaller groups, each grabbing what they could to take to the big event. Hop Pop had prepared a bunch of Anne’s favorite foods from her time in Amphibia, his annual tradition for the celebration, so Sasha and Sprig volunteered to be the ones to carry them.
Polly took over from Sprig the duty of looking after Hop Pop as while the old frog could fend for himself at home, they wanted to be cautious when heading out to Wartwood.
Marcy was being Marcy, always striving to fix everything around her, but always at her own pace and in her own way.
While they were gathering together everything they needed to carry, Sprig asked, “Sasha, have you heard anything about that new continent?”
“Yeah, a little bit. Ancient Amphibia knew about it, but we don’t have any records about it. The naval reports don’t say that much either, they simply found land where they didn’t expect any, but they didn’t get far beyond the coast. Why you asking little guy?”
“Hey, I’m only two years younger than you! And Ivy and I have been talking about going on an adventure together. She mentioned the undiscovered continent and thought it sounded exciting,” he said more bashfully than he intended.
Sasha smirked and teased, “aww, how romantic! You two, a long lost continent, and no one else around.”
“Nope, not talking about that,” Sprig cut her off before she could further embarrass him. Sasha found it adorable how he could date Ivy for over a decade and yet still found himself getting flustered whenever she was brought up. Even Marcy wasn’t that easy to tease.
Nonetheless she spared the pink frog and continued, “well, as a military advisor, I will be sure to recommend you two for the spot. You have plenty of experience after all.” Her smile softened, reassuring him that she wished him the best.
Sprig nodded, “thanks Sash.”
**********
After loading everything onto Bessie, the five of them headed into Wartwood proper. The townsfolk had already finished most of the preparations and the community small talk before the main event had begun.
Being from out of town, and obvious as the only two humans present, Sasha and Marcy were immediately swarmed by the familiar faces they had fought alongside. Everyone had wanted to know how the couple were fairing and to share their own personal anecdotes. It was comfortable even if neither Sasha nor Marcy could remember everything being shared with them, that was an area they had always relied upon Anne for.
As the President and First Lady arrived, some of the attention Sasha and Marcy had been subject to finally relented. They gave Olivia and Yunan a wave as thanks and, having seen them earlier that day, went to go take part in the large spread of food that everyone was sharing. Each of the frogs of Wartwood had gone all out to prepare their signature dishes. Most of them Sasha would have found revolting a decade ago, but she had slowly developed a taste for many of them. She was still going to pass on the maggot stew though.
The festival helped ease some of the lingering sorrow she felt this time each year, the friendship and camaraderie they all shared binding them together tightly enough that it felt as if nothing was wrong. Together, it was as if Anne was still there with them, for everyone here still held a small piece of her with them.
In another way she was too, the large statue that stood at the center of Wartwood, made in her honor and to remind everyone who had saved them. There was a larger, shinier statue of Anne in Newtopia, but Sasha had always felt that this was the real one.
The celebration continued as usual, an event more of community than spectacle, another difference from its equivalent in the capital. Everyone shared their most personal memories from the rebellion, whether heroic or tragic, and they all talked about their fond memories of Anne.
And yet, everyone avoided talking about her death, the agonizing way in which she died, for that was not the way they wished to remember her. No one wanted to talk about her crumbling into dust, even if they were all present, watching and mourning.
As night fell and the townsfolk began heading home, Sasha, Marcy, and Sprig stayed until they were the last three left in the town square. They always were.
“I miss her,” Sprig was the one to break the silence.
Marcy was the next to speak, “she was a great friend, she did so much for us.” Tears were beginning to bubble up at the corners of her eyes.
Sasha didn’t say anything, talking about her feelings had always been a challenge, so she wrapped an arm around Marcy instead.
“I need to help Hop Pop clean up from cooking once I get home, so can I go first.” Sasha and Marcy nodded. It was their yearly tradition to tell Anne about what had happened to them each year one on one, to share the adventures and successes they had. Sure, they were really talking to a statue, but it felt right for some reason.
Sasha was the one to start it, by accident, when Sprig had found her talking to the statue after she had thought everyone else had left the festival for the first anniversary. He didn’t judge her for it and took his own turn afterwards, Marcy joined in the next year. And so they had been doing this ever since.
Sasha didn’t know what Sprig had said to her, part of the tradition was that they didn’t pry into what the others were saying. Whatever it was, it was between them and Anne.
Once he was finished, Sprig gave the pair his goodbyes and headed back to the Plantar farm. Marcy went next.
The cool night breeze that flew through Wartwood caused the skirt of Sasha’s dress to sway. The streets had emptied out and Sasha watched as the last few lights in the houses of the townsfolk went out.
When Marcy came back, it was obvious she had been crying. Sasha gave her a kiss and walked down the square.
She rested a hand against the base of the statue.
“Hey there Boonchuy. Last year was pretty good, Marcy and I are planning on getting married, so you’ll have to look forward to the two of us telling you all about it come next year.”
She paused as if she were listening to some sort of response, the soft fluttering of leaves the only one she got.
“Yeah, crazy right? Who would’ve thought? Still, I wish it wasn’t just the two of us, I wish we could marry you too. No slight against Mar-mar, but you already knew that. I just, well Marcy and I love you Anne… Fuck.” The final word stated as Sasha noticed the tears now falling from her eyes. She didn’t say anything else, even if she had so much to say. Rather, Sasha leaned against the stone pedestal and wept.
She cried and cried for several minutes, once the dam that held her emotions in check, she couldn’t stop the wave that ensued. Sasha was better at being honest to her feelings now, true, but that simply meant that she could open the floodgates of her own volition, rather than having them explode from holding back too much.
Once Sasha was finished, she said a final, “see you soon, Boonchuy,” before meeting back with Marcy.
The two of them, tired and emotionally spent, walked hand in hand back to the Plantar farm. They always spent the anniversary evenings with Anne’s family in Amphibia.