Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This was just going to be a normal show. It was supposed to be just another show for some rich amphibians with nothing better to do than listen to a freaky looking creature say knock-knock jokes from a book that was published in 2010 with really outdated humor. That was it. That's how it always had been since Marcy had arrived and joined the little Show Troupe.

She was not supposed to see her (formerly) closest friend sitting on the little throne, looking down at her. Nor was Sasha supposed to scream her name and run down to meet her. And she was definitely not meant to be taken from the show, disappointing hundreds of toads who wanted a day off, and offered a new job.

"Back up, okay, so you want me, me of all people and amphibians, to be your right hand?"

Sasha's catlike eyes widened, cherry red lips pulling into a slight smirk as she responded airily, "That's right. Just think of the possibilities, Marcy, with us side by side, we could rule this dumpster fire of a place. We could be feared, respected, adored, all together. Just like we promised when we were little. Together forever."

"Sasha..." Marcy couldn't believe this, "I don't think I'm fit to be the right hand of a teddy bear, let alone a kingdom! Why not ask Anne when you find her? She'd probably say yes in a heartbeat! I'm not a bully, Sash, I don't want to be that person I was at school anymore."

"I don't want Anne. I want you. I always have."

"Why!? I'm nothing special!"

"You are! You have every single newt in that little wagon fawning over you, bending over backwards until their head feels light, and you still want to say you're not special? You're perfect, Marcy! Everyone can see it except you!"

"I just go around and read unfunny jokes from the jokebook Anne gave me when we were little kids! There's nothing to see!"

"Do you think I've spent restless nights worrying about someone who's nothing!? Whenever I lift my sword to train in this dump, do you think I'm thinking of using that skill to protect someone who's nothing to me!? You're damn near everything to me, Marcy, and I wouldn't take anyone else to rule alongside me."

"You're making this sound way more like you're marrying me than recruiting me..."

"Would you rather marry me? It's legal here, for us, I mean. Marry me and rule beside me; you know I can't stand being alone."

Marcy's cheeks grew warm, and her eyes squinted.

"Sasha, I don't think marriage in another universe will make me want to rule with an iron fist like you do."

"Then marriage here and back in our world, if we go back. I would do anything to stay with you, to keep you by my side."

"...and Anne?"

"Whatever happens with her happens. She wouldn't leave me, I know that. You...you just might. And I don't want that. We've always understood each other, Marcy, more than Anne could understand either of us. From the moment I met you, I knew we would never be able to part. Please, Marcy, don't leave me again."

Sasha had spoken like this before, once. Marcy had been on vacation in another state for a month or so, and she was at a sleepover with Anne and Sasha the night she came back. Sasha had started rambling on about, "we missed you so much, why did you leave, don't you love us, we'll always be together, the three of us, forever." It had been a little choking then, but this? This was suffocating, smothering any and all fight she had left. Her friends were her weak point, the moment they started to hint that she had betrayed them, she just...couldn't fight back anymore.

"Why do you want me to stay so bad?"

"Because I don't want all of this to be for nothing!"

What?

"What?"

"I-I, your mom- she told me, that you were going to leave this school and everything in it behind. I didn't tell Anne; it would break her heart even more than it broke mine. I... I knew that teasing Geraldine would do something. I saw her do magic once. I thought, maybe, if we pushed the right buttons, we would be able to go to a place where we would never have to grow apart, where we could all be together. Forever, like we promised when we were little. You mean everything, the both of you, Anne and you, to me. Without you both, without you, I wouldn't- I wouldn't be able to be the same. This place, this world, it's given us the chance to become what we really want to be; look at you! You're beloved by towns across the land, your troupe would wage wars for you, and you've finally been allowed to practice your lyre, your mom and dad always said it was silly, but look at you now! And look at me, I'm in charge of an entire town! I was able to claw my way to the top, like I was always meant to, like we were all always meant to! That's why I'm offering you this, not just because I love you, or because I need you, but because you deserve to be here. Beside me. Like always. We were such a good team back home because we were meant to be that way, damn it, it was like we were made for each other!"

"Sasha-"

"Marcy, you're not listening to me, you deserve this! Without that damn prank, the teasing, you never would have been able to prove that to anyone but me. I saw you for how you were before, but now? Now everyone sees you like you've always been! Strong, funny, clever, and most of all, my closest...no, not just my closest friend, my wife, if you'd let me be. Marcy, I ask you, on my knee, will you marry me? Stay by my side, in sickness and health, good and bad times, until death do us part, as it was intended?"

Marcy would hardly breathe. She had sometimes dreamed of this, sure, but now? At this age?

But Sasha's eyes were pleading, she looked like she would jump from the high window nearby if she said no, she was on her knee and begging. She had taken off one of her many rings and held it in her hand, a pretty silver with a glittering gem.

It happened so fast, the words were out before she could think.

"Yes."

Chapter Text

Music as soft as a killapillar's fur drifted through the outside facility, smooth and whimsical. White lilies hung from pillars, draping down like waterfalls of clouds, descending from heaven to grace this ceremony with blessings mortal ears couldn't hear. Weeping willows dotted the land, draping leaves shifting lightly in the slight breeze. Fireflies the size of dust fluttered around, as if gold itself had come to life to see such a lovely scene.

Toads, frogs, and newts alike all sat in lovely little chairs, velvety and soft and a soft pink. In little rows, an entire town sat, a space between them lined with a lush pink carpet leading off behind a particularly thick drapery of leaves. The sky was clear, as the clouds had come down to earth in the form of lilies, the air crisp, and the altar was only elevated by a single step.

The music swelled, a traditional Amphibian marriage tune, and a girl with blond hair wearing a pristine white suit with a pink rose on her right breast stepped onto the altar. A friest was standing atop a stool behind the, in this world, abnormally tall altar.

The curtain of leaves parted, and Marcy stepped out from behind it. Her gown was black, with draping translucent sleeves embroidered with little vines, cold shoulder to an intricate design of flowers on the chest. The back was low, down to the middle, and the dress trailed behind for five feet. The skirt was similarly designed to the sleeves, with vines and flowers across the fabric, but it rose sharply toward the center, where pink pearls on chains draped down to her knees in place of the front part of the skirt.

She felt out of place in this perfect scene. She wanted her cloak, but the seamstresses had tutted and refused to let her have it because it didn't go with the design.

At least she was learning about the wedding culture, like how here the dress was black for good fortune and the suit was white as a symbol of their god, smiling down from the heavens upon them. And Marcy felt like it was a good comparison.

She needed good luck right now, and Sasha stared her down like a god their subjects; so caring and loving, and yet distant, like she was a million miles away inside her mind.

Lily petals rained from baskets that sparrows held, many falling into her hair, and one even rested precariously upon her nose. She knew the tail of her dress was covered by now, to represent ascension from the mortal plane, into the kingdom of their god. She rose up the step and the petals fell from her dress, left behind, like her body would be the moment she died. She gazed into Sasha's eyes, and the other girl seemed to see something she wanted within her gaze, smiling so gently.

The friest began to recite his lines, but all Marcy could do is fade into the background. Oh, how she wished she was the one in place of that newt on the lyre in the orchestra, dragging her fingers so carefully across the strings, small, soft twangs erupting from such a lovely little instrument. She wished she was anywhere except on the altar, staring into Sasha's eyes and having to keep a smile on her face because, if she didn't, then this ceremony would be ruined.

"Marcy Wu, do you take Sasha Waybright as your lawfully wedded wife?"

No, she thought, I don't, I still have so many years, not today...

"I do," she said with a large smile.

"Sasha Waybright, do you take Marcy Wu as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

Sasha had no hesitation, she spoke with such conviction that, for just a moment, Marcy almost felt like she had meant her own vow the same. That she wanted this day, she had been waiting for it.

Then, the illusion broke.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Sasha's hands were too soft, like she had been raised in a mansion run by angels instead of fending for herself in a world unkind to her, as they cupped her cheek. When their lips met, Marcy felt every wave of adoration flow into her, and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around Sasha's neck and pull herself closer. It was such a soft feeling, so warm and safe and real. She nearly whined when their lips parted, but she simply buried her face in Sasha's neck.

Croaks and cheers erupted from the toads of the area Sasha ruled, frogs politely clapped, and newts scoffed lightly (except the ones in the orchestra, her troopmates, the lights of her life; they burst into cheers similarly to the toads).

Sasha swayed from side to side gently, and Marcy yawned.

"They must have had you up before dawn to get ready, hm?"

They hadn't just had her before dawn; they didn't let her sleep at all yesterday. When she was about to retire to her room, they snatched her and started to check their measurements five times before getting her dressed and then the makeup, but they didn't have any in colors natural for humans, so they had to make some, and she was allergic to three of the results, the last one was difficult to put on, and then they spent hours combing her short hair and trying to do something special with it, failing and instead just making it fluffier in hopes it would look okay, and then-

"Mhm..." she murmured instead, shifting her head around slightly to get more comfortable. She wanted desperately to fall asleep right there, but she had to perform her duties. Frog Customs were so intricate already, adding the Toad and Newt versions into the mix made them both quite busy.

Every single one of her actions was thought out with the tradition in mind; she couldn't afford to offend any of the people here. Sasha, on the other hand, seemed to do whatever she pleased without anyone batting an eye. She wondered, for a second, if she could do the same, but decided against it. Sasha had taken over as queen; Marcy was just the one who married her. If she wanted respect, then she would have to earn it; being the wife wasn't enough.

Well, she shouldn't have been the wife in the first place, but oh well. It was too late for that.

"May I have this dance?"

Marcy smiled and held out her hand to the waiting Sasha, intertwining her fingers with hers and allowing herself to be pulled close. As they spun and swayed across the mossy dancefloor, the pearls on her dress clattered and chimed like wedding bells. It was hardly traditional by standards, and yet, it was almost...nice. Simply swaying with Sasha, her wife- she would never get used to that-, and being held so gently was making her head spin.

"I love you," Sasha murmured, and Marcy almost believed it.

Marcy smiled softly, dazed with fatigue, and whispered back, "Me too."

~~~

Anne's scythe slammed into the dirt as Weed made a mad dash toward her, big eyes wide and large mouth in a grin.

"Anne! Guess what!?"

"What, Weed?"

"Okay, so, this town area a bit north of here recently got taken over by someone who claimed to be able to rule as a queen, right? I think I told you this?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, she had been just a princess for a while now because, in order for a woman to be a queen, she must be wed."

"Okay?"

"So, she just got married! She's now the queen with her partner being the princess-consort."

"Why does this matter, I'm pretty sure that this queen and her consort have nothing to do with my friends..."

"It's really big for this valley, Anne. There hasn't been a queen of any kind in years now, only Andrias has rested at the top. This person could maybe overthrow the monarchy!"

"Huh...maybe this queen could help find me a way home..."

"Maybe!"

Weed hopped onto Anne's shoulders, and she continued working at the field, hacking wheat down with learned precision.