Work Text:
There she went, drifting around the turn in her go-cart, passing the other drivers racing against her. Anne flashed them a cheeky grin as she passed them and then set her eyes on the finish line, second only to Sprig. She could see the alarm and realization in his eyes as he glanced back at her. That’s right, Anne might actually win!
“See you at the finish!” She said with a laugh as she passed her best friend.
The racers were just behind her, but Anne was in first place. Just a little farther and she would finally win a race. The anticipation and excitement flowed through her as the cart neared the finish line, but it was cut short when another racer accidentally bumped into her, spinning both of them out.
Anne’s elation quickly turned to dread as the racers began to pass her. She tried to get back onto the track before she lost too much of her lead, but it was too late. Sprig passed her, and then the other racers. Anne passed the finish line at a meager eighth place.
“NO!” Anne groaned. She threw her hands into the air and flopped backward onto her bed, her game controller flying out of her hand and landing next to her on the soft mattress.
Sprig Plantar laughed and hopped into the air, doing a backflip in midair before landing back onto the bed. Things like that come easily to talking anthropomorphic frogs, especially young ones like Sprig. “So, what, that’s 14-0, right?”
Anne Boonchuy and Sprig, her wonderful young friend from another dimension, were taking a day off from looking for a way back to Amphibia, and they were making the most of that day by playing a newly downloaded (possibly illegally downloaded) racing game on Anne’s computer the entire day, a game known as Marco Go-Carts 17. Unfortunately, Anne was somehow losing every single game. And not just losing to Sprig, no, but ending up in last place every match. Sprig didn't win every game either, but he could still rub beating Anne into her face.
Anne grumbled. “I don't understand, how are you so good at this? And how am I so bad at it? Marcy made it look so easy!” Marcy, another one of Anne’s best friends, had played this game for many hours, whereas Anne had only been playing for a day, but that didn't stop her from complaining. Sprig was quick to point this out, though.
“Well, you're not exactly Marcy, are you?”
Anne paused for a second, playfully considering this. “Alright, fair.” She said with a chuckle. She shuffled back to the computer. “Come on, let's play again.”
“If you're wanting to lose again, sure,” Sprig said with a shrug, springing to Anne’s side.
Sometime during the game, Anne heard the doorbell ring downstairs, and a moment later she heard her mom call for her in her native Thai tongue.
“I'll be down in a sec!” She yelled back before she pulled her power move on her car and raced past the other players to the finish line. Maybe she would actually win this time!
Mrs. Boonchuy suddenly opened her bedroom door. “Anne, please, I need you to come downstairs.” Her voice portrayed both urgency and dismay, but Anne was heedless to it.
“Mom, please, after this game! I’m just about to win this!”
“Yeah, right!” Sprig bit back, launching a bomb at her car and making her spin out, but Anne still managed to keep her lead. “Darn it!” He said. “That was my last one!”
Anne’s mother took a deep breath before speaking again. “Anne... it’s the Wu’s.”
Her controller slipped out of her hands and dropped to the floor, the batteries falling out the back, and Sprig raced past her racer and won once more.
“Yes!” He exclaimed, jumping up. “Man, that was a close one! You actually almost beat—” But Sprig’s mind finally caught up to the conversation, and his smile dropped. “Wait, did she say the Wu’s? But... that’s—”
“—Marcy’s family.” Anne finished for him, her voice laced with disbelief. Marcy’s parents were here, in her living room, and they were looking for their daughter. Well, of course they were, but so long after Anne’s return? She slowly turned to look at her mom. Her expression seemed to say so much. She didn't even know about Marcy, that she might even be—
Mrs. Boonchuy sighed, cutting off her train of thought. “I know it's not something I should ask of you, Anne, but I need something to tell them. They need to know Marcy’s okay, don't they?”
Marcy’s okay.
The words bounced around her eardrums as the memories resurfaced once again, just as they did every time she went to bed, every time she stopped and fell silent for even a moment.
“Anne?” Sprig’s voice sounded like he was talking through a pillow, and what was that other sound? It felt like somebody was right next to her, drumming in her ears as loud as they could. It was a slow beat, but it was rapidly quickening. It was only later that she realized it was her own heartbeat.
“Now look what you've made me do.”
The words echoed inside her, shouting like a freight train. Had they ever been so loud, though?
“I just... didn’t want to be alone.”
“That’s the thing about friends, isn't it?”
“Give... him... BACK!”
Anne could see Marcy falling to her knees, sobbing… alone. Sprig was clutched in that giant monster’s grasp, and now he was gone. Gone forever, her best friend, gone forever.
“Anne!” She heard Sprig’s distant voice, but she couldn't tell if she was remembering it, or if she was hearing him call to her from so far away, from the other end of this mental tunnel she felt like she was in.
They were so close to the portal, they were almost all through! Marcy was right there...
Then she wasn’t.
“I’m sorry... for everything...”
It seemed as if a shockwave had shot through the castle, freezing everyone in their place. Everything had fallen silent, save for the crackling of the sword of fire shooting out of her stomach. Her face warped from dread and pain to nothing but sorrow, before her eyes shut and she collapsed, the box slipping out of her hands.
“MARCY!”
“ANNE!”
Anne opened her eyes to see her father looming over her. She was on the floor, her head in her hands and her knees to her chest, though she didn't remember moving an inch. Her heart was still beating like a jackhammer, and her breath was coming through quick and short. Sweat caked her face and her arms and... basically her whole body. Her dad was kneeling in front of her, the Plantars and her mother worriedly examining her from the door.
“Anne, look at me. มองมาที่ฉัน.” Her dad spoke slowly and soothingly, and Anne turned her head away from her family towards her father. “She’s gone...” Anne whispered, closing her eyes, tears starting to pour. “I can’t— she’s gone!”
“Anne, look at me.” Anne opened her eyes. “Do what I do, ตกลง?” Mr. Boonchuy took a deep, slow breath, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. He waved his hand in a ‘go-on’ manner, and Anne tried to follow his example, her breaths stuttering but slowing. Her dad gave her a soothing smile, never breaking eye contact with her.
In, out. In, out. Over and over again until Anne managed to calm down enough to speak. “What– What happened to me?”
“Anne, you had a panic attack.” Hop Pop answered. Anne stared at him with startled eyes.
“I– I did?”
“You just started breathing really fast and then... you fell off the bed.” Sprig said. His voice quavered as he spoke. “You even started glowing blue a little bit. I didn't know what to do.”
“Your father was probably the only one who truly did.” Anne’s mom said. “Having a degree in psychology and all.”
Anne took a moment to process this. “W-wait, you have a psychology degree?”
Mr. Boonchuy chuckled. “Yeah. I thought it sounded pretty cool. But then I tried to be a therapist and I realized I couldn't handle all those secrets. Guess it’s coming in handy right now, though, huh?” He sidled up next to his daughter, Mrs. Boonchuy coming over to fill the vacant spot to Anne’s left. Anne wasn't sure how or why, but her father talking to her was definitely helping her calm down.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Mr. Boonchuy invited.
The last few drops of sweat trickled down her forehead as she considered the question. Of course she wanted to talk about it, about everything, but could she? Could she bring her memories back to the surface without delving into them, losing herself as she just had? The feeling she was experiencing reminded her of the sensation she felt whenever she used her powers. It felt as if everything inside was being drained out of her, and she was left with almost nothing when she was through.
She locked eyes with Hop Pop. His eyes seemed to say so much. Did he understand what she was feeling right now? With a start, she realized that he might. Those eyes staring at her weren’t only filled with sympathy and worry, but empathy. That night in the rain back in Amphibia came flooding back, the story of the night when Sprig and Polly’s parents were attacked echoing through her mind. Hop Pop knew what she was feeling; he had felt it before, and perhaps still feels it. Those feelings of regret, of wishing for a second chance, were something that connected them for that moment, and with a nod and a smile from the old frog, Anne began to talk.
“Do you remember that big evil king we talked about a while ago?”
“When that scary robot tried to blow us up?” Mrs. Boonchuy checked. Anne bobbed her head. “Yeah, exactly.” She took a deep breath. “Well, I didn't tell you everything.”
Her mom put an arm around her, and the Plantars came and sat in a semicircle in front of Anne and her parents, ready to help their adopted human share their story.
“I told you the box teleported us back when we put the third stone in. And... you already know that’s a lie, but... you don't actually know what the truth is yet.”
“We ended up delivering the box to King Andrias,” Polly said sadly, cradling Frodo’s head in her lap.
“And that’s when Andrias revealed who he was,” said Hop Pop. “Who he truly was.”
Mr. Boonchuy looked at each of their gloomy faces. “What did Andrias do?”
“He destroyed Frobo,” Polly said, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. Frobo gave a little chirp and Polly smiled. “Didn't stop me though!”
“He threw me out the window of his flying castle.” Sprig spoke. “Thankfully, Marcy caught me before I hit the ground.”
“He almost killed all of us,” Hop Pop said.
“So how did you get back home?” Mrs. Boonchuy asked Anne.
Anne didn't respond immediately. She took another deep breath and glanced at her mother out of the corner of her eye before speaking. “Marcy was able to get the music box and make a portal. The Plantars and I managed to jump through but...” Anne took a shaky breath.
“Marcy didn't.” Sprig finished.
“What happened to her?”
But as the Boonchuys took a look at the forlorn gazes of the Plantars and their daughter, the tragic answer came to them.
“โอ้ไม่.” Mr. Boonchuy muttered. “No, no, no.”
“Oh, Anne,” Her mother wrapped her arms around her. “I’m so sorry.”
They stayed like that for a moment, silent, Anne staring into space as she remembered that day. It seemed like so long ago, but she could still remember every minute detail. And what she did remember wasn’t pleasing.
“It wasn't just Andrias.” grumbled Anne angrily. She stood up, surprising every one there with her sudden ferocity. Anne kept her back to everyone and clenched her fists before whirling around, bitterness prominent in her gaze.
“Do you wanna know what happened right before that? Sasha tried to take over the kingdom. She stabbed me in the back again because she couldn’t stand not being in control of something for FIVE SECONDS!” She picked up a hairbrush on her dresser and threw it at her wall in frustration, a blue glow suddenly surrounding it as it embedded itself in the wall.
“Again?” Mrs. Boonchuy repeated.
“Later,” Hop Pop replied. Anne continued her ranting.
“Marcy knew what that box did! And she still had me steal it because she couldn't stand to be without her friends! Her good-for-nothing horrible friends!”
“Anne... you’re kinda insulting yourself there.”
“I KNOW!” Anne shouted, turning to Sprig. Seeing his frightened gaze, Anne’s eyes softened. “I'm sorry. I'm not mad at any of you. I'm not. But them... When I see Sasha again, I’m gonna– I don’t know what I’ll do but I’ll do something!”
Anne continued like this for some time, until eventually she found no more words to say and stood there glowering.
After a moment of silence, Mr. Boonchuy spoke up. “Anne.”
Anne turned back to her parents’ concerned faces. Her dad gave her a small, hesitant, but encouraging, smile. “ไม่เป็นไรถ้าคุณต้องการร้องไห้.”
Anne stared at her parents for another moment, letting all the emotions she was screaming out just a moment before bottle up inside her, until her eyes welled up with tears and she sobbed, falling to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself as her family enfolded theirs around her.
Sprig tried taking a step forward but Hop Pop put his hand on his shoulder. “Give ‘em some time, kiddo.”
“But I’m part of her family too!” He urgently whispered. “I should be there.”
“I won't deny that you’re family, Sprig, but look.” Sprig turned to see Anne’s drying face in the crook of her parents’ arms. Her eyes were closed and a smile had formed on her face. Sprig looked at them for a moment before smiling himself. Maybe he could sit this hug out.
“Come on, let’s give them some space.” Hop Pop said, and he left the room with his grandchildren in tow.
“What did Mr. Boonchuy say?” Sprig softly asked Polly.
The froglet smiled. “He said: ‘It's okay if you want to cry.’”
“That’s sweet.” Hop Pop said.
“Hop Pop?” The elderly frog turned to Sprig. “Do you know if Anne is gonna be alright?”
As they made it to the living room and sat up on the couch, Hop Pop smiled. “You know Anne, Sprig. She’s as tough as they come. She’ll be ok. It might take a little while, but she’ll get through this. We all will.”
“Are you ok, Hop Pop?”
He seemed surprised by Polly’s question, but shook it off with a smile. “I'm alright, Polly.”
But as Sprig and Polly turned on the tv and sifted through the different channels, he gazed off toward the staircase, toward Anne’s bedroom, and he ended up asking his grandchildren: “Do you ever wish for that?”
“Wish for what?” Sprig asked as he settled on Suspicion Island before Polly swiped the remote away from him and instead picked a show called Little Blue Country.
“Hey! There was a new season!” Sprig made a grab for the remote, but Polly wasn't so eager to let it go.
“There’s always a new season!”
“Well, it’s the same for this!”
“I mean, do you miss your parents?” Hop Pop said.
The remote slipped out of the siblings’ warring grasps as they turned to Hop Pop. They shared an uneasy glance with each other before speaking.
“Hop Pop...”
But the old frog continued speaking before they could finish. “I mean, those little moments right there, hugs and bedtime stories and home-cooked meals that taste good... Do you wish you had that? I know I've raised you alright, you've said so plenty of times, but still...”
Sprig laughed. “Hop Pop, we have you for all of that. You know that, don't you? We couldn't ask for a better dad than you.”
Polly hopped up to sit on Hop Pop’s lap. “Yeah, you're the best. Don't beat yourself up too much.”
Hop Pop smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “Thanks, kids. You’re right.”
“Come on, you pick the show.” Sprig said, passing the remote to Hop Pop, Polly raising no objections.
Hop Pop settled on a different show, one called The Sparrow Shack, which they were all happy with.
Eventually, Anne’s parents exited their daughter’s room and came to join them on the couch.
“How is she?” Hop Pop asked.
“She’s resting right now.” Mr. Boonchuy answered. “Things like that take a lot out of a person. But she’ll be ok.”
“What are you going to do to help her? You can't say she doesn't need help.” Polly said.
“We’ll help her through this.” Mrs. Boonchuy assured her. “However we can.”
“So will we!” Hop Pop declared, jumping up on the couch. “We’ll help any way we can, just tell us what she needs!”
“Right now, she needs sleep.” Mr. Boonchuy said, his eyebrows raising. “Which means quiet.”
“Ah. Right.” Hop Pop sheepishly sat back down.
“All we can do right now is wait until she wakes up,” Mrs. Boonchuy said. “We’ll figure it out from there.”
Polly frowned. “Wait, whatever happened to the Wu family?”
“We just asked them to come back later when Anne had her attack.”
“She’ll have to face them eventually, won’t she?”
“Yes... she will.”
“Oh. You want to watch some TV with us?”
“Oh, is this The Sparrow Shack?” Mr. Boonchuy clamored, hurriedly claiming a spot on the sofa. “ฉันรักรายการนี้!”
“Hey, me too!” Polly said.
And so, the Plantars and the Boonchuys sat together and watched the show, enjoying this brief pleasant moment in their hectic day.
Man, it’s a heck of a way to spend a day off, isn’t it?