Work Text:
Anne stepped out of the portal and took a breath of the air. The first to reach her was jasmine, coming from somewhere high above in one of the elegant and curving skyscrapers looming overhead, greenery draping down their sides like a silky curtain.
Then she could smell lotus, coming from a nearby park, pedestrians — amphibians, humans, witches, demons, androids, frobots, abomi-golems, and aliens alike walking the glowing mushroom-lined paths between the ponds covered in Lotus flowers.
Third came honeysuckle, from a hovercart following a woman with leaves for hair, offering flowers to those who came close.
Anne smiled. It had been a good few centuries since she had last been in Frog Valley City, or "The Old Valley" as they called it today, but it was good to see that it was just as nature-loving as always. She was currently wearing a sky-blue shirt with short sleeves and some cargo shorts, as with the work she was going to be doing today.
Out of the portal stepped one of her descendants, "Phailin Phra Haruethai Nin Boonchuy", or simply "Phailin of the Phra Hareuthai". She was a teenage girl, roughly the age she had been when she originally arrived in Amphibia, and wore an almost Victorian sapphire dress, while holding an almost regal posture. She looked at her surroundings with almost-arrogant dismissal, as if everything here was beneath her.
She came from the, as mentioned in her name, "Phra Haruethai Clan", a faction with her family that almost worshipped her, treating her as a walking virtue in and of herself, as much as she wished they didn't. There were many factions that at least held respect for their progenitors — Herself, Sasha, and Marcy — to a normal degree, but these were one of the ones that were focused on herself and her culture, and they happened to be rather fanatical about her, even more so than their descendants tended to be. They were quite a regal and strict group, with an almost aristocratic feel to them. They were stricter than she would personally like, but at least they had a code of honor and channeled that strictness into anti-corruption policies and helping people out.
However-
Before she could even finish that thought, another one of her Descendants came tripping out of the portal.
With stunning blue hair and wavy branches and leaves that grew out of her head, she was "Wayu Faa Lom Boonchuy", or "Wayu of the Faa". She was a little Older Than Phailin, and would have been standing a little taller than her had she not tripped. She definitely had some Marcy in her. Compared to the almost royal girl, she was dressed much more casually, wearing a blue t-shirt with a Calico Killamoth Killapiller on it, and a wavy yellow skirt.
She was from the "Faa" Clan, a much more free spirited and casual faction of her family. They were a loose-knit and freedom-loving faction within her descendants, and like the Phra Haruethai, had focused on honoring her. One way they had chosen to honor her was to use genetic engineering to style themselves on her Calamity form, making their hair blue and sometimes even having plants grow out of their heads, like Wayu's mothers had done with her before she was born.
Phailin already looked scandalized by the other girl's fall. "Get up, you lazy mocker! Do you want to embarrass us in front of Phra Mae?!" She whisper-yelled, glaring daggers.
Wayu lifted herself with a grunt. "Oh shut it, you Sapphire-vein." She stood up and dusted herself off, not bothering to even look at the other girl.
Anne sighed.
It was well known that the Phra Haruethai and Faa did NOT get along. The Former saw the latter as "sacrilegious" due to their blue hair, seeing it as a mockery of Anne's "Divine form", as they called it, while the latter viewed the former as overly strict and authoritarian. The two clans were constantly at each other's throats, bickering and fighting as if they were school children. It was honestly embarrassing for her.
She honestly wasn't surprised that the two girls were already throwing insults at each other, even though she was hoping they would be a little more mature about it. She was sure the two could be good friends if they just got over their clans' issues with each other, and she didn't think there were any actual personal issues between the two, just the rhetoric that their two clans shoved down their throats since they were old enough to comprehend words.
She smiled, however. This was the reason she had brought them, after all. She was hoping that if she brought them on this little ritual of hers, that she did again and again across the eons, that perhaps they could learn to get along. It would be nice for them to learn more about the frog that helped shape her into the woman she became.
Sasha then stepped out of the portal, looking beautiful as always. She was holding a black box with one hand, and her two swords were strapped to her back. She was wearing her ancient biker jacket, with an armored vest underneath and some military-grade shorts. She looked to see the two girls glaring at each other and rolled her eyes.
Then Marcy, sweet, clumsy Marcy, tripped out of the portal next to Wayu, causing the girl to jump back in surprise with a yelp and stumble over onto the ground.
... She DEFINITELY had some Marcy in her.
Anne helped Wayu up while Sasha helped up Marcy.
"Heheh, sorry about that, Wayu, didn't mean to scare you." Marcy said as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"It's okay, Grandma!" Wayu said with a gleeful smile, unbothered.
"Oh, you're such a kind, young girl!" Marcy said as she pulled her into a hug, which Wayu gladly returned.
She soon pulls back and ruffles her hair, before looking to Anne and Sasha, and shares a kiss with each of them. "Alright, you four have fun! Tell them I said Hi! I'll be waiting for you once I'm done with my shopping!"
"Alright, Mar-Mar, we will! and have fun with your shopping! We won't be too long!" Anne said with a wave as Marcy ran off.
"Think she's going to cause another mess we'll have to clean up?" Sasha asked with her arms crossed, half-teasing, half-fond.
Anne chuckled. "Knowing her? Probably."
With that, they head off, Anne enjoying all the new sights and changes since she was last here. She could see that a variety of new restaurants had popped up, including more Thai-Amphibian Fusion restaurants! She always enjoyed seeing more of those pop up.
Wayu tilted her head in curiosity. "What's with the look, Grand-"
Phailin scoffed.
Wayu continued, looking annoyed. "-ma? You look like you're actually surprised by all this stuff. Didn't you already check up on things before arriving here?" She asked with curiosity.
Anne only chuckled. "And spoil the surprise? Now, why would I do that?"
It was Phailin's turn to tilt her head, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "... So you can keep up with everything?"
Anne rolled her eyes. "Kids, kids. When you get to be my age, it's nice to savor the novelty of things, to let things... Surprise you a little. You don't need to keep track of every little thing, and it's nice to have things surprise you in person. It's a nice joy I like to have in life." While she was far from bored of life — not yet, not for ages yet, it was nice to intentionally not keep track of some things, even if she easily could keep track of a LOT of things with all the neural augments she had gotten since those had become commonplace, just to let things surprise her.
Wayu tilted her head in thought while Phailin hummed, taking in the information.
They soon arrived outside the elevator, a metallic, reflective, cylindrical structure with a domed top. She connected to it via her neural link, and after a few moments, it opened, revealing an internal glass structure with a semi-circular couch at its ends. The group walked in and sat down, making sure to buckle themselves in. The Elevator then closed and suddenly descended downwards at a rapid pace.
The Panel at the top, which originally displayed "Old Valley - Upper City - Top Level", was now winding through the floors as they made through them; "Lvl 173... Lvl 123... Lvl 96...". Some of the floors were lit by artificial skies, some with the midday sun, some with a midnight sky that shone as if there was no light pollution, some at twilight or dawn. Some had simple artificial lighting, some were less intentionally lit with only pockets of light to light up the roads and building entrances, and were left mostly dark, while others were mixes of both. Each level was built according to the different preferences of its inhabitants, and lighting was just one out of many variables. Both Wayu and Phailin, who had yet to visit many places in their short-so-far lives, were awed by the variety of it, with Wayu openly gawking while Phailin tried to be more reserved in her own awe.
It was only when they left the Upper City, and the panel displayed "The Prime Valley Reserve", that their awe truly reached its peak. All around them stretched a truly massive artificial sky, stretching for miles far and wide, unobstructed by the towers of the Upper City, minus several marble white towers that struck downwards from the ceiling, shining like cloudy columns against the massive ball of light that drifted just below the artificial sky, accompanied by arcing clouds that drifted around it.
Below stretched miles of greenery as far as the eye could see, ending at mountains at the edge of their view, tipped with snow and ice. dragonflies, birds, drones, and more flew around them like streams of water, all on their own journeys to and from. Various small cities dotted the landscape, notable, but nothing to the rest of the reserve. Anne noted that some had grown, like Lily Paddington, while others had shrunk, like Wartwood, the latter ones surrendering their cityscapes to the wild.
Wayu had her face pressed to the glass in the sheer magnitude of her awe, while Phailin's mouth was genuinely gaping in wonder, her eyes wide. Anne chuckled. "Enjoying the view, girls?" She asks fondly with a smile. Phailin quickly tried to compose herself. "E-Erm... Y-Yes, it's quite..." Only to get cut off by Wayu's yell. "AMAZING! It's absolutely AMAZING!" Wayu shouted, causing Phailin to glare at her while Anne and Sasha only chuckled.
The elevator then arrived in Wartwood, and the door opened to reveal a cityscape of mossy-green skyscrapers covered in plants. Giant flies and moths flew there and from, and frogs made there ways up and down the street. Anne smiled, breathing in the floral and mossy air. Ah, it was good to be back. She still remembered when Wartwood was a backwards, and relatively isolated village in the middle of the swampy valley. Now, it was a bustling city that grew and shrank repeatedly in cycles of growth and intentional decay, letting nature reclaim some of their city before eventually reclaiming it themselves, and doing so over and over again.
It was a beautiful cycle.
Anne led them through the city as the two girls looked around in curiosity and awe, with Phailin masking most of it with a reserved look while Wayu's expression was more open and free. The pristine cityscape would slowly give way to erosion and decay as they entered the part of the city that was reclaimed by nature, deerflies roaming to and from buildings and alleyways, with most being skittish, fleeing as they got close, while others were curious but cautious, keeping their distance.
They then made their way out of the city and into the blooming and lush forests of the valley. Crickets chirped, and bees hummed, the wind blowing through the canopy above. Sunlight shone through the branches like slanting pillars of gold, dressing moss-covered paths in a brilliant shine. Vines as thick as her arm draped against the trees like silk dresses, heavy with blue blossoms. The air was warm and humid like a sauna, the smell of moss and dandelions drifting through the air. The forest as a whole seemed to hum and move the same way it always had. Some things, the universe seemed to have decided, were worth keeping.
Anne knew this path; it was her favorite path to walk down, after all — she had walked it since she was as old as Phailin and Wayu, and no matter how much had changed, there were things that remained the same.
They would then arrive outside an abandoned, overgrown village, moss and vines covering decrepit and decaying buildings like the creeping claws of nature reclaiming what was once its own. Butterflies flew to and from windows, giant Mushrooms circled homes, and trees rested against walls. The Streets were cracked and brittle, flowers growing through the surface.
"Whoa! What is this place?!" Wayu asked as she raced around like a hummingbird on sugar, dancing and spinning about.
Anne chuckled. "It's a place, a part of a cycle. Some of the village folk here like to build a new village or town, live in it for a few centuries, before abandoning it to let nature reclaim it and build a new settlement somewhere else to start the cycle anew." She said, bending down to pick a flower and smell its essence, breathing in the floral air.
"Oh! That's so cool!" Wayu said as she jumped up and down like a little girl, Phailin glaring daggers at her behavior.
Anne rolled her eyes before looking at Phailin directly. "What do you think, dear?" She said with a loving smile.
Phailin blinked, looking caught off guard for a second before speaking, stuttering a little. "U-Um... I-It's... Quaint... Yeah, quaint..." She muttered, not looking entirely convinced of her wording, or if she meant it.
Sasha put a hand on her shoulder. "Oh yeah? Is that what you really think?" Sasha said, looking at her with a soft smile.
Phailin almost jumped at the sudden contact, blinking as she looked up at Sasha. "O-Oh, Uh... Yeah?"
Sasha raised an eyebrow.
Phailin sighed, letting up. "Fine... I... I just get the appeal... Why bother? Why not just stay in one place? I don't see the need to do... this?" She said as she gestured with an unsure look.
Anne chuckled. "It's a part of a ritual. While nature doesn't exactly need it, nor do we exactly need to do it, it helps remind us that we 'civilized folk', and nature aren't all that separate as some of us like to think. In the end, we're a part of nature, whether we like to admit it or not, so it's good practice to mentally reinforce that into our heads. It's not something we should be forgetting, after all."
Phailin looked at her for a moment before looking at the ground in thought. "Hm..."
"Merp?"
The group turned, and Wayu positively squealed in delight.
In a broken-down wall up on the second story of a building, a Killamoth Killapiller cutely tilted its head at them. Several more came peaking their heads out when Wayu Sequealed. Soon after, a fully grown Killamoth with amber wings walks up to the hole in the wall and looks over at them with a curious gaze.
Wayu was jumping up and down in delight while Phailin looked with reserved interest.
Anne smiled at the girls before looking back at the Killamoths with an idea in her head. Using her artificial bile sac, she spun her finger in the air, creating an orange spell circle. The Killamoth's eyes glowed the same color, and it nodded before it scooped up its killapillers onto its back and glided down. It then let its Killapillers slide down its wings, with a majority of them instantly tackling Wayu to the ground, who squealed and laughed with delight.
Phailin observed with wide eyes as Wayu cooed and nuzzled the killapillers, but didn't move to do anything else, instead keeping her distance. She was looking quite intently at the little critters, though.
One step ahead of her, Sasha walked up, picked up a killapiller who wasn't quite as interested in what was going on, instead standing on its own, and held it over to Phailin, the killapiller looking at her with a curious chirp. The girl blinked, looking at the killapiller, then up at Sasha, then at the killapiller, before looking back up and pointing at herself. Sasha chuckled. "Of course, you don't have to keep yourself out of things you know."
She looked down at the Killamoth again and hummed. "I don't know..." She said, trying to cross her arms and assume an uninterested posture, but she wouldn't stop looking at the Killapillar.
"You don't need to keep yourselves out of things. No one's going to judge you for interacting with a killapiller." Sasha says with a reassuring smile.
Phailin looked at Anne, whom gave her a small nod, before taking the Killapiller and holding it in her arms. The Killapiller looked up at her curiously. Phailin began to nervously pet it in slow and gentle strokes. It soon began to purr, causing the girl's eyes to widen in wonder before she began to put it at a more eager pace.
Anne smiled, happy to see the girl enjoy herself and relax.
It wasn't long before they headed off as Wayu eagerly waved the killamoth family goodbye, and Phailin simply looked back at the Killapiller she petted.
They soon arrived at the planter farm.
What had once been a large stump for a house had been artificially grown, both through technological and magical means, into a full tree, its upper trunk and branches adorned with windows and bridges that connected various parts of the tree. Several drones flew about, tending to cracks, weathering structures, and decaying parts of the tree. Larger Drones and various Frobots tended the fields around it, several sunlamps placed here and there to give more light in the shadow of the colossal three. The tree had housed a large family over the eons, and cycled between being full with family and being largely vacant, only maintained by drones and a trusted overseer.
"Hi, Chuck."
"I grow tulips!"
It was currently in a vacant phase, but no matter if it was full or vacant, there was always enough room for her, Sprig, Polly, and any guests they had with them. As they walked by and waved to Chuck, Anne led them down a much more overgrown path full of tall grass and flowers, Phailin having to lift her skirt with a grunt whenever it snagged onto something, which caused Wayu to snicker. Phailin glared at her, but said nothing.
They then arrived in a small clearing with four graves, though it was only two of them that they were here for. They read: "Hopediah Planter - Augst 22, 1950 - September 22, 2041 - A Kind and Wise Frog, May he be remembered for as long life draws breath on this world." and "Grime Barrelson - October 18, 1971 - May 27, 2045 - Redeamed and Wise Warrior. Helped to fight the Core and save Amphibia from Evil."
However, while Grime's grave and the other two graves were properly maintained...
"Why is Hop Pop's grave overgrown?" Wayu asked curiously as she walked over to it.
The Grave itself was overgrown with vines, weeds, tall grass, and flowers, almost as if it were one of the abandoned structures they had seen before.
Anne smiled sadly. "Because it's a part of my ritual." She said as she walked over to the grave, brushing off some dirt.
"Ritual?" Phailin asked as she walked over with Sasha.
"Yes. After every visit, I let nature reclaim it somewhat over the centuries, before cleaning it up myself. Now, let's get to it." She said as Sasha put down the black box she was holding. She opened it and pulled out two trowels... before handing it to them.
The two girls blinked.
Anne smiled.
"You two ready to get working or what?" She asked with a mischievous grin.
Phailin looked agast. "You expect me to work in this muck?! With a primitive tool?!" She looked as if she were offended by the mere thought of it.
Wayu just groaned. "No way! I didn't come all this way just to do work!" She whined, acting as if the very concept of doing work was going to kill her.
Anne laughed. Ah, they reminded her so much of herself when she was their age.
"Come on, you two, it doesn't hurt to get your hands dirty once and while." She said as she handed them a trowel each, before pulling one out herself and getting to work.
Wayu groaned again, but got to work nonetheless. "This sucks!"
Her complaints went on ignored.
Phailin just stood there, just staring at her trowel as if it were offensive to her very being.
Sasha chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. I'll help you out." She said with an assuring smile.
Phailin looked up at her before groaning, giving in.
They all got to work, cutting grass, removing vines, picking flowers, and scrubbing the gravestone. Sasha had moved behind the gravestone and paused, staring at something behind it. She then smiled and got to work.
"Hey Grandma?" Wayu asked as she was picking a weed.
Before she could reply, however, Phailin erupted.
"Phra Mae! It's Phra Mae! You call her Phra Mae!" Phailin almost shouted, glaring at Wayu.
Wayu frowned and glared back. "I don't care what you stiff puppets call her, I call her Grandma!"
Phailin grit her teeth, almost grinding them together. "Do you have no respect?! She is the mother of culture! The reason we exist! She can be referred to as nothing less than Phra Mae! and I'm tired of you referring to her as something as basic as 'Grandma'!"
Anne groaned as the girls argued, pinching the ridge of her nose. Sasha placed a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to her, the blonde tilting her head in question. Anne Shook her head. She then looked to the girls and her eyes glowed blue. "ENOUGH!"
The girls froze and instantly turned to her, frightened.
She sighed and let herself relax, her eyes fading back to their natural brown. "I don't care what you two call me, whether it's 'Phra Mae', or 'Grandma', to two don't need to argue over it."
"B-But-" Phailin tried to speak up, only for Anne to glare, and she backed down.
Wayu gave her a smug look, but Anne glared at her two, causing her to back down and hold her hand sheepishly.
"... Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes Phra Mae/Grandma"
She let out a sigh of relief. "... Good."
They then got back to work.
Once it was all done and Hop Pop's grave was as good as new, Anne sat down in front of it, with Sasha motioning the girls to be quiet while she herself walked over to stand in front of Grime's grave, saluting it.
As Anne looked at Hop Pop's grave, she let a sorrowful, quiet ache fill her chest. She thought back to the times she spent with Hop Pop, when she was trapped in another world, Amphibia, and he had taken her in, to him, a strange, Alien girl from another world, despite being old and already taking care of his two grandchildren. He had looked after her, took care of her, and been there when she had needed him. Even after his mistake of trying to hide the Calamity Box, he had done everything to make it up to her, and continued to be the Grandfather she had needed it. Then there was the brief decade she had be separated from him and Amphibia, back on Earth and without the Calamity powers at the time to open back up a portal. Then, they had met Luz and her Witch friends, and with her and the Collector's help, they had made a portal back to Amphibia, she was able to reunite with her Frog Family once more, including Hop Pop, who had managed to do well that decade despite aging... though it would be only be another decade before he passed of old age... just several years before the advent of Life Extension technology.
It was then that frustration overtook her sorrow. Why. Why couldn't it have come sooner? Why only a few years after the death of Hop Pop?! Had it been a few years, or possibly a decade, earlier, perhaps it could have been enough. Perhaps he could still have been here. Still breathing. Still talking to her. Still being here for her... But he wasn't... Only those who had been around when it was invented and available to the public got the chance to live far beyond what nature had allowed.
Frustration would then give way to longing. She wished Hop Pop could be here now. Just so she could see him again. Just so she could hear his voice. just so she could spend a little longer with him. Just so she could see the woman she had become... She could replay any memory she had of him in perfect quality, seeing and hearing everything perfectly... and she had, for countless eons she had... but it would always be a memory... and a Memory couldn't think... It couldn't act... Not truly see her for the woman she was. It couldn't tell her what Hop pop would think of her as she was now... and that was what ached...
It eventually all quieted down, and she was filled with acceptance once more. Hop pop had lived a long life for his Era, the one he was born into. He, for the most part, got what he wanted out of life and then some. She, Sprig, and Polly had and are living lives far beyond anything the kind, old frog could ever imagine. They were beyond successful, they were secure, and they were happy. In the end, that was what mattered, they would carry him on in their hearts and minds... and she was sure he was living a very content afterlife...
She smiled and then gestured for her descendants to come over and sit next to her. Wayu did so eagerly, while Phailin was more reluctant, but did so anyway.
"Hey, Hop Pop." She began with a soft smile that was both happy and sad. "It's good to see again... Hope you've been doing well up there. I've brought two guests with me this time, two descendants of mine." She then turned to Wayu. "This is Wayu, from the Faa. I think you'd like her. She's so kind and sweet... as well as clumsy..."
"Hey!"
Anne chuckled, ruffling her hair. "I think she'd remind you a lot of Marcy; she certainly does to me. She has a good heart and loves nature, so she has a good head on her shoulders."
She then puts a hand on Phailin's shoulder and brings her a little closer. "This is Phailin, from the Phra Haruethai. She's stubborn, but still noble, and I know she has a good heart underneath all that ice." She says as she ruffles Phailin's hair.
"Phra Mae!" She whined as she tried to push Anne's hand away and protect her hair, but she couldn't help but laugh.
Anne then turns back to the Grave stone. "They're both good kids, need to stop being at each other's throats, but good kids nonetheless."
She would then fill in Hop Pop on other news and events that she felt were worthy enough to update him on, from notable wars that had happened, treaties, advances in agriculture, new Planter settlements on other worlds, updates on family, and the like.
It was only when she was done that Wayu would speak up. "Grandma? What was Hop Pop like?" She asks curiously and with the innocence of a small child.
Anne smiled sadly. "He was a kind and wise frog... quite stubborn and resistant to change, but a kind and wise frog nonetheless... He was a grandfather to me... He was there when I needed him... and he helped shape me into the person I am now... I wouldn't have gotten this far without him..."
Wayu hummed in thought while Phailin silently stared at the grave stone.
Anne then smiled as she thought of something. "You know... He and Grime used to be enemies once..."
"Wait... Really?!" Wayu asked in surprised shock while Phailin stared at her with wide eyes.
Anne chuckles. "Yes. Back before the War, when Amphibia was under the Andrian Caste System, Grime was one of it's enforcers, the Captain of the Southern Toad Tower. Suffice to say, when Hop Pop tried to run for Mayor, a toad-only position at the time, that ended up inspiring a lot of other rebellious frogs in the valley... and painted a target on Hop Pop's back, and Grime almost executed him for it." Wayu and Phailin gasped. "Yeah, it wasn't great, and they hated each other for a while, but once the war started, and Grime slowly came to realize the errors of his ways, they slowly became closer over time, and even became good friends, despite their past and differences... It really goes to show just because of who you are, and the group you were born into... It doesn't mean you can't be friends with someone." Anne finished, smiling at them both.
Wayu and Phailin looked at each other, before looking away in thought.
It was then Sasha would sit down next to them. "Yeah... and due to my own issues at the time, Anne and I got into our own quarrels to... but we both reconciled and ended up becoming closer than ever." She said as she pulled Anne into a hug, who smiled and pecked her on the cheek.
Wayu and Phailin blushed a little before shaking their heads of the thought.
Anne and Sasha chuckled. They enjoyed teasing the two, though only a little. Anne thought about it some, and she could see it happening. The families that would become the Phra Haruethai and Faa diverged hundreds of thousands of years ago, and rarely intermarried, so they wouldn't have to worry about that, and due to the animosity between the two families, they weren't really raised together either, so if they grew close and were willing, she could see them becoming a good couple. She was a shipper at heart, after all.
"Anne. No." Sasha communicated with her telepathically.
"Anne, Yes." Anne telepathically replied back with a mischievous grin, with Sasha rolling her eyes at her.
They would slowly begin to wrap things up, and while Sasha was talking to the girls, Anne walked behind the Grave to check if everything was cleaned properly and gasped.
Sunrise Dandelions.
They were flowers that Hop Pop sometimes liked to plant in his garden when he was still around... but she had thought they had gone extinct in the wild a long time ago!
They were still blooming, after all these Eons... Right at Hop Pop's grave.
"Knew you'd love to see that."
Anne turned to Sasha with wide eyes.
Sasha smiles at her. "Yeah, I saw those growing there, so I decided not to pick them and have you be surprised by them."
Anne teared up a little. "Oh Sasha..." She said before pulling her wife into a kiss.
Phailin smiled while Wayu gagged, the former elbowing the latter without looking at her.
Anne smiled at them and shook her head. She'd pull out a watering can from the black box and water the flowers a little, before packing it back in. They'd pack everything and leave, with Anne taking one last look at the Flowers and Hop Pop's grave, smiling fondly. "Goodbye Hop Pop, see you in the next few centuries."
As she turned to leave, the Sunrise Dandelions flew in the breeze, and an old voice could almost be heard, as cheerful as she was.
"Goodbye Anne, see you next time."