Chapter Text
“This is unfortunate,” intoned the gravelly voice of Grime, “but highly expected, given your past…two hundred and twenty-second attempts of escape.”
Sasha huffed but finally stopped struggling against the guards’ hold. “Yeah, well you know me.” She glared at the glowing green chest piece contrasting the black armor of her former captain. Better that than the soulless eyes she hated when she first laid eyes on them. “Stubborn to a fault.”
“Indeed.” He would usually utter a sarcastic remark after that, but he didn’t. Another thing that Lord Wu got wrong when attempting to gift her with brainwashed former allies. “Now come along. You are late for your anniversary celebration.”
“The day humanity got enslaved and got me hitched to an evil tyrant, whoopee,” Sasha grunted while the guards – her previously divorced parents – escorted her to the palace. The enemy knew she would never try to hurt – that much anyway – the people she still cared about. “Hey, you skipped the part where my parents would spout how happy they are for me and junk.”
Grime explained, “We have no time for the usual games, I am afraid. We still must get you fitted. Your betrothed has a surprise for you.”
“And by surprise, you mean the latest batch of captured humans serving at the party.” Sasha would not break nor dare lose hope. Especially after all these years, not one of them looked like a familiar Thai-American woman or her allies. Hope remained. It just had to.
Her heart grew heavy at the sight of her former classmates listlessly attending to noble amphibians allied with their ‘Savior’. Sasha heard the phrase ‘Be careful who you bullied in high school’ but this took things to the extreme. Sasha was led from the lower courtyard to the steps. With Earth’s technology repurposed, an escalator was established that would lead to the topmost echelons of New Amphibia.
It was also a way to slowly decrease Sasha’s rebellion, as the screens above featured live footage of the state of her former home. Hundreds of humans were being marched and paraded by robotic amphibians. The wealthy of Old Amphibia managed to return power and prestige once they decided to side with the bearer of Wit and the host of all of Amphibia’s greatest minds. The ‘Savior’ of Old Amphibia.
Sasha glared at the tenth screen featuring the same thing before turning away. The fire in her chest dimmed, pink energy losing its hue until Sasha’s hair returned to its natural blonde. Strength was persistence as its essence, yet Wit still managed to find out it was not entirely bottomless.
She was patiently waiting for Sasha to reach her limit again.
The group arrived, approaching the upper-class district. Sasha gritted her teeth and bore the looks of awe, pity, and indifference while she was paraded towards the palace. The only human who had her mind intact. Wit’s Strength.
When one of the sycophants dared to approach, they left with a black eye. When one of the curious wanted to look, they quickly averted their gaze at the glare. When one of the humans was ordered to give gifts, however, the fight in Sasha abated once more.
It was a process, a long and repeated process that Sasha despised. Because it eventually worked. By the time Sasha would find herself beyond the gates of Castle Wu, she was drained. She allowed the staff to whisk her away to be fitted with a selection of outfits approved by the enemy. An illusion of choice.
Her eyes scanned lazily until Grime – brainwashed Grime – was about to order her parents to fight each other again when she took too long.
Sasha remembered the first time it happened and vowed that there would not be a second attempt. She picked a simple black suit, one like what Grime wore at the dinner…before everything.
When he showed no reaction, Sasha sighed but didn’t change her mind. Her parents at least were safe once more. She dressed and gazed tiredly at the woman in the mirror. She had her twenty-third birthday already, and spent the whole day in Paris with her brainwashed parents and evil maniac of a best friend who took the Eiffel tower ‘home’ as her gift for Sasha.
“We’re here,” Grime’s announcement brought her out of her thoughts. Sasha didn’t even know how they got here, and her unease doubled. Her mind being intact was the only solace she could count on, though the days seeing it as a blessing grew fewer each day.
She took a breath, clenching her fists and steeling her nerves. Focus. She needed to focus, especially as what lies behind these double doors was her greatest obstacle.
“Presenting Her Royal Highness, Queen Sasha Elizabeth Waybright-Wu of New Amphibia!” The herald cried as the doors opened, presenting the infamous bearer of Strength. The amphibians in attendance clapped politely as Sasha stared impassively at the guests. Her eyes refused to look at the new ‘staff’ before she gave herself a mental shaking. She owed it to Anne and her family.
Sasha brought her gaze up, looking at the new faces with determination. Her heart sank and soared with every lack of familiarity, but it was a near thing. She gritted her teeth, refusing to cry as she forced herself to walk to the center.
“Sawasdee kha.”
“Sawasdee khrap.”
Every step Sasha took, she would hear that same monotone greeting in a language she only heard maybe twice or thrice when visiting Thai Go on a whim. She refused to cry though. She will not give the enemy that satisfaction. Sasha broke free of the welcoming committee, breathing deeply before closing her eyes. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry dammit!
Yet no matter what she tried, tears started to gather, and her vision blurred. She still had one last trial, but Sasha was tired. So tired… One more, Sasha. One more. Then you can leave. She was imagining things she was sure of it, but the voice of Anne helped. Her heart burned with renewed energy, and she finally mustered the strength to climb the last steps of the dais.
Where the enemy was idly playing the piano.
Practice keys and notes were done before the enemy, Lord Wu, smiled up at Sasha and nodded. Indifferently, Sasha returned the nod and took a breath before singing. Her parents enrolled her previously in all manner of summer classes and she thought singing opera was a nice challenge she’ll eventually overcome. Now. she didn’t care if she missed a few notes or didn’t reach the soprano part. Never mind if didn’t take the proper warmups. Never mind how the elite of Amphibia witnessed the taming of Strength.
Never mind how painfully familiar Wit’s laugh sounded as the instrument and voice harmonized.
It would eventually end as it had always been. Wit standing and taking Strength’s hand, and then bowing to the applause of amphibians and brainwashed humans. And then Sasha would leave, bolt out the door to heave.
Yet today appeared to be full of surprises as Wit’s grip tightened around Sasha. The enemy twirled in her black dress, green with hints of amber and gold as she smoothly maneuvered them to a slow dance. Tendrils of mechanical arms lowered from the ceiling, ushering in also an orchestra to play a soft rendition of what they had just performed while the machines played the abandoned piano.
“As a fellow control freak, I thought you will appreciate this. One way or another.” The enemy gestures grandiosely to the ballroom, manic smile on full display. “But you have always been hard to please, aren’t you Sashy?”
Sasha said nothing, merely glaring at the conqueror of Earth. “Maybe if you’d give Mar-
A finger was pressed to her lips, their owner offering a condescending smirk. “When will you learn, жизнь моя,” and Sasha despised the nickname chosen for her, more so the next set of words repeated more times than she could count, “that I am Marcy.”
The hand was warm when it touched her cheek, idly tracing the scar while glowing green eyes – all thirteen eyes – bore into Sasha.
“…and I would willingly break worlds for you.”
“I’m not asking you to.” They swayed in tandem while the nobles returned to their own conversations. “Please, stop this.”
Marcy hummed, playfully poking the taller girl’s nose. “And again, I have to decline, sunshine.” Green eyes glowed menacingly. “Heart is still out there. Managed to hide in one of the many dimensions connected to ours.” She giggled when she was spun, resting her head against Sasha’s shoulder at the end of the move. “Heart’s return will only mean the loss of yours,” she sighed, “something that’s rightfully mine.”
“You sound so sure,” Sasha managed to snark, eyes glowing a faint pink.
Marcy smirked. “Because I am.” Her hands raised as if to snap her fingers and give an order and Sasha instinctively recoiled. Because this Marcy was not above punishing other humans for Sasha’s disobedience.
Yet nothing happened.
Marcy giggled while meeting glaring blue eyes. “I am.” She laughed, poking Sasha’s nose again. “Say, ‘Thank you, Skinner.’”
“…I hate you.” It was said quietly but with all the vitriol Sasha had been keeping for the past decade. Hatred continued to pile up until Sasha hoped it would manifest into something stronger. Something that would finally end this nightmare.
Yet this was her reality now, and all Sasha’s response got was a kiss on the lips followed by a delighted murmur of, “I love you too.”