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It’s a hot, sweaty day in Wartwood the day Anne returns to Amphibia. Her hands are linked in Sasha and Marcy’s, matching rings on their fingers. Her feet, now clad in brown hiking boots, follow a familiar path she’s kept in her mind for a decade and a half. “Hope I don’t lose a shoe again,” Anne jokes, drawing a snort out of Sasha and a light giggle out of Marcy.
“If you do, time will be a flat circle. Maybe I’ll end up leading a nother toad rebellion!” Sasha returns, voice colored in mirth.
“Nah, you had too much character development,” Marcy hums. Then, they stumble, an all-too familiar yelp sounding from them as Anne and Sasha swoop to catch them. Marcy smiles apologetically. “Now I got mud on my pants.”
“It’ll wash out!” Anne assures, smiling wide as the familiar scent of Stumpy’s fills her nose. “Oh, man, I forgot how good Stumpy’s smelled.”
“It’s bugs, Anne,” Sasha groans.
“Hey! I’ll have you know that there’s plenty of cultures that regularly consume bugs! And they’re better than you think,” Anne retorts. She stops once they reach the edge of town. Hesitating.
“What’s up?” Marcy asks.
“I dunno,” Anne replies. “I just…feel nervous.”
“Afraid things have changed more than you think?” Sasha asks, squeezing her hand gently.
“I guess. Can we circle around to the Plantars’ farm, first?”
“Of course. It’s your family.”
Anne squeezes her fiancés’ hands, and starts to circle around the town. She takes quick glances at the town as they circle, noting Maddie’s potion stand with delight. It doesn’t take long to reach the Plantar residence.
Nothing has changed. Well, the house looks cleaner, less destroyed, and the farm is fruitful. But the structure, the stone wall, Bessie’s barn…it’s all the same. Tears spring up in Anne’s eyes. She smiles wide, despite the tears. Her eyes zero in on the figure sitting on the stone wall, facing away from the girls. That too-familiar hat makes her want to bolt to them, but she holds herself back. Instead, she turns to her partners. “Is it okay if I go by myself?” she asks.
“Of course,” Sasha hums, releasing her hand. He bends down ever-so-slightly and presses a chaste kiss to her cheek. Wordlessly, Marcy nods and wraps Anne in a hug. “Go get em’, tiger.”
With that, Anne shifts into stealth mode. It’s broad daylight, and she’s, well, her , so it does little to disguise herself. However, she continues slowly, trodding along the familiar path to the stone wall. Then, she crouches down beside her brother. He’s frowning, webbed fingers clutching a journal with all-too familiar handwriting. “You doin’ alright there, little buddy?” she asks. Sprig waves her off dismissively.
“Just miss a friend,” he replies, flipping the page.
“Y’know, an old friend once told me that it’s stupid to miss someone sitting right next to you,” Anne hums. She knows the exact moment it hits him. He straightens up, journal falling to the dry earth. Then, he whirls around, freezing once he takes her in.
“Anne?” he whispers, tears welling up in his eyes.
“Hi,” is all she manages before he tackles her, the unfamiliar weight on Anne sending the two tumbling to the ground. Anne wraps her arms around him, laughing delightedly.
She squeezes him as Sprig starts sobbing, fingers curling around the fabric of her shirt. “Are you real?” he sobs out, “Please don’t be a dream.”
“I’m real, I promise,” Anne replies, gently.
“I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.”
Sprig pulls away, eyes flickering behind Anne. “Marcy! Sasha!” he calls, just as jovial. The two approach the siblings, twin smiles on their faces. Sprig lets go of Anne for just a second, springing over to Anne’s partners to pull them into hugs. Anne stands up, walking the short distance to the new reunion.
“How did you even get here?” Sprig asks, standing before the trio. He’s so much taller than Anne remembers, but he’s still short.
“We finally got X to grant us the equipment and money to travel back to Amphibia!” Marcy hums.
“Technically we’re here to offer ourselves to be Ambassadors for Amphibia and Earth, but we wanted to see you guys first!” Anne cuts in, grinning.
“How will you get back?”
Anne shyly glances between her partners. Then, with a measured breath, she shows him her ring. Nestled in between a lotus made of diamonds was her blue Calamity Gem. Sasha then shows his ring, the pink gem rested in the center of the dual-sword-shaped band. Finally, Marcy displays their ring, the green gem sitting on a leaf-crown-shaped band. “They’re used as two things,” Anne says, noting the confused expression on her brother’s face.
Then, Sprig’s face melts into one of joy. He pumps one fist, exclaiming, “Finally, oh my Frog!! You were so obvious!”
Anne’s face flushes. “Wh–what is that supposed to mean?!”
“Your journal,” Sprig hums, “Has things from you and Sasha. Also, Sasha wasn’t very subtle.”
“Hey!” Sasha exclaims, a rosy blush flooding her cheeks.
“It’s not an insult, Anne is just very oblivious,” Sprig replies cheekily.
“ Anyways! ” Anne cuts in, puffing her cheeks out. “Where’s Polly n Hop Pop?”
“They’re inside! C’mon, they’ll love to see that I won the bet!” Sprig starts running towards the house.
“You had a bet?! ” “You little twerp!” Anne and Sasha’s voices overlap one another as Anne takes off after her brother, Sasha and Marcy on her heels.
They stutter to a halt after the short run, Sprig waiting for them at the door. Then, in typical Sprig fashion, he kicks open the door, shouting for Hop Pop and Polly. Frog , Anne thinks, Even the living room is the same.
“Dangit, boy!” Hop Pop exclaims, glancing back at the kitchen, “There better be an actual emergency with all that holler–Anne?!” He stops dead in his tracks, taking in the sight of his adopted granddaughter.
“Hi, Hop-Pop!” Anne greets, offering a small wave. The old frog, still looking like he did the day Anne met him, hobbles over to her. She crouches down, accepting the tight embrace.
After a long moment, Hop Pop pulls back. “But–how?! Why?”
“Geez, if you wanted me gone you should have just said,” Anne teases. “But, to summarize: government! For both question.” Then, she adds, “And Marcy, Sash, and I are engaged.”
“Oh, thank Frog for that,” her adopted grandfather replies, “I was worried y’all wouldn’t get the memo until you were dead!”
“And,” Sprig cuts in, “You and Polly owe me twenty coppers!”
“ WHAT?! ” a new, shrill voice shouts from upstairs. There’s a loud clatter, and even louder footsteps, and Polly is at the top of the staircase, arms crossed. Her hair is tied back by her bow, and a wrench is clutched in one of her hands. Then, noticing Anne, the wrench drops, just missing her foot. Without waiting, Polly bolts down the stairs and jumps straight into Anne’s arms, who catches her with ease. “ Anne! ”
“Ohmygosh you’ve grown!” Anne exclaims, setting Polly down. Now, she’s just slightly taller than Hop Pop. “It’s been a while!”
“Yup,” Polly agrees. She flexes her arms. “I have proper arms n’ legs now! I took the Polly out of pollywog!”
“You did! And, before you ask how we got here, Earth government stuff. We’re here to see if y’all want us as Ambassadors between Earth and Amphibia,” Anne explains. “Also, you owe Sprig twenty coppers, apparently.” She holds up her ring.
“I tooooold you,” Sprig jests, smirking. “Anne is oblivious, Sasha is too determined, and Marcy is observant when they’re not distracted!”
Anne glances between her partners, who shrug. “Sprig, I was the one who asked them both out.”
“What?!” Marcy and Sasha exclaim in unison.
“That is a fat lie, Boonchuy!” Sasha continues.
“You didn’t even ask me out!” Marcy huffs.
“Okay, okay, pause!” Polly cuts in, grinning sharply. “I need the details.”
“It’s a long story,” Anne admits, rubbing her arm.
“We have all the time in the world!” Sprig protests.
“Alright, alright!” Anne pauses, then continues, “It was my twenty-third birthday, a decade after we arrived in Amphibia.”