Chapter 62 - Chapter 59: A False Truth

Some Time Ago

Luz looked out the window at the houses as they drove past. Most of them had large front lawns, elegant gates, and fancy cars in their driveways. Luz had lived in Los Angeles all her life but hadn't been to Temple City that often.

"Wow, it sure looks nice here," said Luz as she continued to stare at the houses.

"It sure looks expensive," said Camila. "Still, I hear this is nothing compared to Beverly Hills or Palos Verdes Estates."

"I've never been to Marcy's home before, but Anne told me it was almost as nice as Sasha's," said Luz.

"Well, there is an old joke about Temple City and Arcadia being where the Asians with money live," said Camila, "kind of like how North Montebello is where the Latinos with money live."

"Mom," said Luz, glaring at her mother.

"Hey, I didn't say it was true," replied Camila.

"In any case, I think we're almost there," said Luz, glancing at her phone.

Camila turned onto another street, and Marcy's home came into view. There was a red mailbox in the front, and some ceremonial lions stood out on the porch. The roof was covered with green tiles, and the frames of the windows were also green. Right at the front of the driveway was a green lamppost that was already on, despite it still being light out. Camila pulled up to the house and dropped Luz off, who waved goodbye, walked up to the door, and rang the bell.

After a moment, a woman answered the door, and like Marcy, she had black hair, though hers was longer than Marcy's. She wore a pink shirt and black pants.

"Oh, hello," she said in a warm voice. "You must be Luz."

"Hello, Mrs. Wu," said Luz, offering her hand. "Yes, I'm Luz. Is Marcy here?"

"She's upstairs," said Mrs. Wu. Luz took a step towards the stairs until Mrs. Wu made a noise and brought her hand up to her mouth. She looked down at Luz's feet and then over to a shoe rack that was by the front door.

It took Luz a moment to realize what she needed to do, but eventually she took the hint and took off her shoes, placing them on the rack. As she did, Marcy bolted downstairs, swinging on the banister to meet Luz.

"Luz! Glad you could make it!" she said excitedly. She ran toward the door to meet Luz; however, as she was only in her socks, she slipped and almost fell. Luz went over to try to catch her, but seeing as she was just in her tights, Luz almost fell as well. The two girls slipped and managed to grab onto each other, preventing a fall.

"Whoops, careful there," said Marcy, helping her up. "I thought I was supposed to be the clumsy one."

"Marcy, what have I told you about running in the house?" asked her mother.

"I'm sorry," said Marcy. "I was just happy to see Luz since it's her first time here."

"That may be, but that's no excuse for breaking the rules, young lady," said Mrs. Wu in a stern voice.

Marcy's face fell as she heard this, though she quickly perked up again.

"I'm sorry, Mom," said Marcy again. "Can we go and start work on our project now?"

"Yes, go ahead," said her mother. With that, the two girls went upstairs to Marcy's room. Marcy had decorated it with both Azura and Cynthia Coven posters, as well as some video game and movie ones. There were some plushies on her bed and figurines on her desk. Over in one corner of her room was a drum set. The room was neat and organized, with no dirty clothes on the floor and a cleanly made bed.

"Your room looks nice," said Luz as she entered the room.

Marcy checked that the door was closed before replying in a hushed voice, "My parents make me keep it clean. I have to make my bed every day. Plus, they were on my case about making sure my room was 'presentable' since you were coming over."

"Eeesh, sorry to hear that," said Luz as she looked over at the drum set. "You play the drums?"

"Yeah," repeated Marcy as she made sure her door was closed. "It's honestly the only instrument I really like playing."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Luz.

"My parents signed me up for piano and violin classes," said Marcy. "They wanted me to learn to play those instruments, and I did, but I didn't really like it. The piano is a bit more fun, but learning to play the violin is hard, and I just don't jive with the music. The drums are different. With drums, it's all about feeling the rhythm flow through you and then keeping it. There's something much more energetic about playing the drums versus the violin or the piano."

Marcy walked up to the drum set and sat down, placing her foot on the pedal for the bass drums. She picked up her sticks and began to play a bit, making sure not to play too loud. Marcy seemed like a natural and flowed with the beat and rhythm. As she continued to play, she got a bit more energetic, letting herself let loose and really show off her skills. Luz watched, amazed at how good she was, until suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Marcy!" called her father. "You're supposed to be working on the group project!"

"Sorry," said Marcy, as she immediately stopped playing. "I just wanted to show Luz my drum-playing skills."

"She really is great!" called Luz through the door.

"I wish Marcy would practice more on her violin than the drums," said the voice of Mr. Wu. The girls were silent as they heard the sound of the dad walking away. Luz made sure he was far away before saying.

"I think Anne mentioned once that the three of you were in a band, right?"

"Yeah, Sasha and the Sharps," said Marcy. "We used to play all the time at school talent shows. Sasha even wrote an original song or two for us. Last time we performed was during 6th grade, and we haven't done a public performance since then. My parents gave me this drum set as a birthday gift, but only if I promised to keep playing the piano and violin. I practically had to beg them to let me have the drums."

"Your parents seem a little… too harsh," said Luz.

"Yeah, they can be," said Marcy. "I mean, that's why I like hanging around you guys so much. But my parents aren't unreasonable. If I do a good job in school, they usually let me have something in return."

"Still, it feels like they put a lot of pressure on you," said Luz.

"Eh, it's fine," said Marcy, "especially now that you're here. So, do you want to work more on our fanfic?"

"Well, yeah, I'd like that," said Luz, "but don't we have to work on that group project first?"

"Oh, that's right, you're new to this," said Marcy. "It's fine. I already finished it."

Marcy went over to her desk and pulled out a folder, handing it to Luz. The folder had a completed group project in it. Luz quickly skimmed through the pages to make sure.

"You already completed it?!" she said in amazement. "I thought that's why I was coming over to help you."

"Nah, it's all good," replied Marcy. "I've been doing group projects by myself since 5th grade."

Luz looked hard at Marcy as she heard that. "Wait, what?"

"I mean, that sort of stuff comes naturally to me," said Marcy. "It was Sasha's idea; she said that because I was so smart, they should just let me handle the group projects for the three of us, since we always team up together."

Luz hesitated, wanting to say something but unsure how to word it.

"It's fine," said Marcy. "Sasha promised to buy me a new figurine. She's gotten me things in the past as a reward for doing group projects for the three of us."

"What about Anne?" asked Luz.

"Anne's cool with it, too. She goes along with it and is always happy to have my help," said Marcy.

Again, Luz wasn't exactly sure what to say to that, but something about it felt off.

"So it's no big deal. Now that I'm done working on that group project, we have more time to work on the fic," said Marcy.

"Right," began Luz. "It's just... Are you sure you're fine doing all the work by yourself? That seems unfair."

"I mean, it's just how we roll," said Marcy. "I'm the smart one, so I handle the group projects; Sasha's the tough one, so she protects us from bullies and makes sure we're always invited to her parties. Anne is the laid-back one who cares for us and makes sure we're all having a good time."

"Uh, okay… so, what am I?" asked Luz.

Marcy thought for a minute, "Hmmm, well, you're still new to our group, but I'd say you're the adventurous one. You're the one who gets us to try new things."

"Oh, cool, uh, thanks!" said Luz.

"I mean, it's because of you that we're writing this fanfic together. I don't know if I'd ever have the courage to do it on my own," said Marcy. "So yeah, you helped me to try something new."

"Wow, thanks," said Luz.

"Oh, and speaking of something new," Marcy dug through her desk, looking for something. "I'm going to ask my parents about that camp we talked about."

"Oh, the fantasy summer camp?" said Luz, her eyes widening.

"Yep," said Marcy, finally finding the flyer she was looking for and showing it to Luz. The flyer had an image of a group of kids, all in cosplays of various characters. In the background was a dragon and a large, twenty-sided die. At the top, in large letters, were the words, "Summer Fantasy Camp."

"If I'm able to convince my parents to let me go, you think you can ask your mom if she'd let you go?" asked Marcy.

"I certainly will try," said Luz. "When are you going to ask them?"

"Today at dinner, which, by the way, you're invited to," said Marcy. "Mom will want to make sure you get fed."

Later, at the dinner table, the four sat down to eat. Mr. Wu had cooked a wonderful dinner, which Luz was glad to be able to enjoy.

"The food is delicious," said Luz as she finished her plate. "Thank you so much, Mr. Wu."

"I like to cook when I can," said Mr. Wu. "Today, I was lucky to have a day off work."

"We're glad you could join us, Luz," said Mrs. Wu. "Marcy doesn't have many friends aside from Anne and Sasha."

"I'm glad I got the chance to meet her too," said Luz.

"Did the two of you finish that school project, then?" asked Mr. Wu.

Marcy and Luz gave a quick look at each other before Marcy spoke, "Oh, yeah, we did. That school project is all ready to go!"

"Good," said Mrs. Wu in a plain tone. "I hope that despite this being a group project, you'll still get an A on it, Marcy."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Mom," said Marcy. "I have a good feeling about this one."

Marcy paused before continuing, "In fact, while I don't mean to brag, I'm pretty confident that by the end of the school year, I'll have an all-A report card. I know it's still early, but I just wanted to use this opportunity to ask about something."

Marcy winked at Luz before reaching behind her and pulling out a flyer. The flyer had a large D20 as a background object, as well as various images of fantastical beings: knights, fairies, elves, etc.

"It's a flyer for a teen fantasy camp," exclaimed Marcy excitedly. "It's over the summer for three months, and you get to do all sorts of cool stuff. You get to have Creatures and Caverns sessions, dress up in fantasy clothes, watch movies at night, and even create your own campaigns."

Marcy passed the flyer over to her mother, who took it in her hands, giving it a look.

"I told Luz about it, and she's interested, so we'd really like to go together, and I think her mom will say yes. And seeing as I'm on a roll to get another perfect report card, I thought—"

"Yes, this all looks very interesting," said Mrs. Wu in a firm tone, "but I'm afraid we already have some activities planned for you this summer."

Marcy looked crestfallen, "Oh, you do… What kind of activities?"

"Well, Marcy, seeing as you're going to be in eighth grade next year, I think you need to take some classes to get ready for high school," replied her father. "If you test high enough when you start high school, you could be placed in some advanced classes, which would give you a great head start for college. Plus, I've arranged for some more advanced piano and violin sessions for you. In fact, Ms. Angelique says that if you do well enough, she can arrange a recital for you to appear in front of some colleges."

"Already?" said Marcy, a hint of frustration in her voice. "I'm barely going to be starting high school."

"Yes, I know, dear," said her mother. "That's exactly why it's important to start so early. If you need to improve, then it's best we figure that out now."

"So… I can't go then?" asked Marcy, already knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid not, dear," replied her mother. "There are more important things to focus on besides fantasy camp."

Marcy looked over at her dad, hoping that he would say something, but he gave a furtive glance at his wife before saying.

"Your mother and I have already decided on this Marcy, we know what's best for you."

"Gee, uh, Mrs. Wu, if I may," said Luz, speaking up. "Marcy's worked real hard to show you how much she wants to go to this camp. I think you should at least consider—"

"Luz, I'm sure you and Marcy want to go to this camp," interrupted Mrs. Wu. "If your mom lets you, then that's fine, but Marcy needs to focus on her studies."

"But Mom, I am focusing on my studies," pleaded Marcy. "I'm already one of the top students in my class."

"Which is exactly why we need to make sure you're ready for high school," replied Mrs. Wu in a sweet voice. "Your father and I work hard to provide for you. We sent you to a private school so you would get a better education. We had you learn the piano and violin since studies say those instruments help increase brain activity. We even got you that drum set after you asked. Right now, fantasy camp is not a priority for you."

"But mom—" began Marcy.

"注意你自己,瑪西!" (Watch yourself, Marcy!) said Mrs. Wu in a raised voice, giving her daughter a harsh glare.

Marcy immediately backed down, her eyes falling and her expression somber. Luz knew that look, and while she didn't understand what her mother had said to Marcy, she knew from her own experience that when Camila spoke Spanish, she was serious. Mrs. Wu continued to stare harshly at her daughter until Marcy finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I was out of line. I should remember how much you and Dad do for me and how much you both love me."

"That's better, dear," said Mrs. Wu, her tone back to normal. "Now, let's continue with our meal and have no more talk of this."

Later, after dinner, Marcy walked Luz to the front door. Luz put her shoes back on and waited for her mother to come pick her up. As she did, she noticed Marcy's sullen face.

"I'm so sorry your mom didn't agree to let you go to the camp," said Luz in an understanding voice.

"I kinda felt she was going to say that," replied Marcy. "Still, I guess it was worth a shot. You could at least still ask your mom and see if she says yes."

"What? No!" replied Luz. "I wouldn't want to go without you."

"Ah, thanks, Luz. I appreciate that, but I know you'd have fun if you went," said Marcy.

"That camp does sound like a lot of fun, and it lasts the whole summer, so we'd have almost three months to enjoy it," said Luz.

"Yeah, I knew you'd be interested," said Marcy. "I asked Sasha and Anne about going, but neither of them wanted to."

"Maybe we can try again next year," said Luz in an encouraging voice. "Maybe your mom will say yes, then."

"Knowing her, I doubt it," said Marcy with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Listen…" began Luz, quickly checking the front door to make sure Mrs. Wu wasn't there. "Your mom seems a little… too harsh. Is she always like that?"

"Yeah, she is," said Marcy. "It can get overwhelming sometimes, but that's why I'm so glad to have you, Sasha, and Anne. Mom can be tough, but I can tolerate it. That's why I always look forward to hanging out with you guys. Sasha is so cool and encouraging, and Anne is just nice. And you, well, you actually are interested in some of the same things I am."

"Oh, are Sasha and Anne not?" asked Luz.

"Not really," answered Marcy. "Neither of them are into Good Witch Azura, Cynthia Coven, or honestly Creatures and Caverns, but they still play with me when I come up with a good quest. That's why I'm fine doing all the work for a group project. If I finish it faster, then we can hang out together more, so it's a win-win."

"I guess so," said Luz hesitantly. "But if that's the case, then we should do something you like, since you're the one putting in all the work."

"Hmm, I guess I'll have to think up something," said Marcy. "I hope it's something Anne and Sasha want to do, too."

"Whether they want to or not, they should do it to repay you for doing all the work on the project," said Luz. "By the way, do your parents know you're doing this?"

"They don't, though I'm sure if my mom knew, she'd be fine with it. She'd probably be glad I'm 'doing extra work,'" replied Marcy.

"Yeah, it's probably best she not find out," said Luz. At that moment, Camila arrived at the house, and Luz hugged Marcy one more time before heading over to her mother. She waved goodbye to Marcy as they drove away.

The Day the Girls Vanished

"Now listen here, young lady," began Mrs. Wu in a stern tone, "your father needs this opportunity. He's getting a promotion, and that will be good for all of us."

"But, Mom, I don't want to leave!" exclaimed Marcy in distress. She was already imagining the worst-case scenario of being an outcast at her new school.

"Sweetie, I don't want to move either," said her dad, putting a hand on her shoulder, "but my job needs me to."

"But it's not fair!" said Marcy, raising her voice. "I'm going to have to leave all my friends!"

"This move is going to be hard on all of us," said Mrs. Wu, "but we have to do it for our family."

"You don't understand!" said Marcy, raising her voice. "I have such a hard time interacting with people! The only friends I have are Sasha, Anne, and Luz. I can't just move away! I won't be able to make new friends!"

"Marcy, I understand making friends is hard," said her father, trying to empathize with her, "but you're a smart, talented girl. I know you can do it!"

"No, I can't," said Marcy in a desperate voice.

"Marcy!" said her mother in a stern voice. "I know you have issues when it comes to being social, but we need to make this move, as it's what's best for our family. Besides, it's not like you need them as friends, anyway. It will be good for you to get new friends—ones who can help you focus on your grades."

Marcy looked up at her mother, unable to believe she would actually say that. She stared, shocked at her mother, not sure what to say to that. Her mother looked back at Marcy with a weird expression, not able to comprehend why Marcy looked so shocked. Her father seemed to have noticed this as he came over to try to assuage his daughter, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Marcy, you have to understand…" began her father.

"No, you guys are ruining my life!" she yelled while throwing off her father's hand and running out the door.

"Marcy, wait!" called her mother.

"Get back here, young lady!" said her dad in an attempt to sound serious.

Marcy kept running, not listening or caring about what her parents said. For so long, she had done her best to appease them. She had studied hard in school, learned instruments like they wanted her to, and put up with the restrictions on her life they'd given her. But now, after all that, she was going to be taken away from her friends, the only people who she truly cared about, just because her dad had gotten some stupid job so far away.

Marcy's eyes filled with tears as she continued to run, and the only thought on her mind was how she was going to lose her friends. Marcy had always enjoyed spending time with them, as it was a break from having to adhere to the strict standards of her parents. Sasha had always been so adventurous and confident. Being around her would sometimes make Marcy feel that way. Anne was always caring and fun; she had invited Marcy to her family's restaurant on more than one occasion. Anne had a smile and laugh that always felt warm and comforting, and Luz…. Luz had been the only one to really share her interests—the only one who actually looked forward to Creatures and Caverns games. Now Marcy was going to lose her as a friend.

She realized it would be a moot point, though, recalling how Luz and Anne were going through some drama about what happened at the dance. In fact, Marcy remembered that she had offered to try to patch things up between the two friends. But why even bother now that she was going to leave? No, she had to do something. She had to still try! She had to fix Anne and Luz's friendship, then she had to figure out a way to keep them, herself, and Sasha together so that she wouldn't have to say goodbye to them.

While Marcy was lost in thought, she looked up through the window of a store she was standing in front of. She hadn't realized how far from home she had wandered, but as she looked in the window, something immediately caught her eye. There, up on a shelf, was the box she had been looking for online. It was green and gold with four gems set in the lid. It looked just like the images she had seen online when she had looked for it earlier.

Were the stories true? Thought Marcy to herself. Would that box be able to send her and her friends to another world? Would they go on magical adventures together? Oh! Maybe this could be the perfect way to mend Luz and Anne's friendship. If they went on a magical journey together, then surely they would become friends again! And who knows? Maybe they'd be more than friends, and once that happened, they'd realize that it was me who brought them together, and they'd be so thankful to me!

Marcy continued to stare at the box, entranced by the possibilities, and as she did, she received a message on her phone from Sasha asking where she was. Marcy replied, saying she found the perfect birthday gift for Anne while sending a picture of the box. Once she sent the text, she quickly called Luz to get her to the meeting.

"Hey, Luz, are you there?" asked Marcy.

"Yeah, I'm here," replied Luz.

"Okay, great! Listen, there's a park near downtown. I'll text you the address, so meet us there," instructed Marcy.

"Marcy, are you okay?" asked Luz. "You sound a bit nervous. Is everything alright?"

Marcy took a deep breath before replying, "Everything is going to be just fine, Luz."

Present Day

The Lyft Driver pulled up to the pickup point just outside LAX, as he always preferred picking up customers at the airport as opposed to dropping them off. There was a ride-share area that was much easier to access instead of dealing with the hassle of driving through the airport. He pulled up to the area, hoping his ride was looking for him. A few moments later, an Asian woman walked up to his trunk and put her suitcase in the back, then walked over to his rear door and got in his car.

"Are you Mei Lin Wu?" he asked the woman.

"Yes," answered the woman in a curt tone.

The Lyft Driver checked his phone to see where he was taking her and was surprised at the destination.

"You're heading to Monterrey Park?" he asked.

"Yes," answered the woman again.

The Lyft Driver looked again at the address the woman had asked to be dropped off at. He realized it was the Boonchuys' address.

"Uh, are you a friend of the Boonchuys?" he asked. The woman gave him a look.

"I was," she said in a somber voice. "How do you know them?"

"Oh, I work at their restaurant part-time," replied the Lyft Driver. "They hired me a few months ago."

"I see," said the woman. "Tell me something, is it true their daughter who was missing came back?"

The Lyft Driver hesitated before replying, "Oh, uh, yeah, she did. I'm not aware of all the circumstances surrounding that, but I'm pretty sure she's back."

"Did she come back alone?" asked the woman.

Again, the Lyft Driver hesitated. "I think someone else came back with her."

"I see," said the woman. She didn't say anything else and instead began texting on her phone. The Lyft Driver continued driving, wondering who this woman was and why she was heading to the Boonchuys' house.

As Detective Ventura walked into the station, her eyes glanced over at the missing person's board by the entrance. She noticed a new picture had been added, one that showed an older woman (at least she looked like a woman). Ventura stared at the image and saw the person in it had green hair and glasses. As she observed, she realized that, like the other one of the girl, this image had also been photoshopped, and once again, it seemed as though someone had tried to alter the ears. The name underneath the image identified her as "Raine Whispers." Ventura looked long and hard at the image, wondering why someone was going through this much trouble to alter her appearance when suddenly she got a text on her phone. She looked down and saw who it was, letting out a small gasp. The detective took a moment to gather herself before turning to leave when she heard a voice behind her.

"Everything okay, Katie?" asked the voice.

Ventura turned around and saw Mr. X standing only a few feet away.

"Yes, everything is fine," replied Ventura. "I, uh, just got a lead I need to follow up on."

"Oh, so you won't be able to join us on our investigation today?" asked Mr. X.

"It depends on how long this takes," answered Ventura. "I'll keep you updated."

Before she left, she turned to look at the image of the woman with green hair one more time.

"Say, Mr. X, do you happen to know when that image was added to the board?" asked Katie, pointing at the picture.

"Can't say I do," answered Mr. X. "I've been far too busy with my current assignment to worry about a missing person."

"If you look at the picture, you can tell that the ears have been photoshopped," said Ventura, pointing to the picture. Mr. X glanced at the image.

"So they have," he said in a blunt voice. "I can't fathom as to why someone would do that."

"Nor can I," said the detective, "yet it's not the first time I've seen it. That missing girl, 'Amity Blight', the one with no case opened, had an image that also had photoshopped ears. I wonder why?"

"Well, if you want my opinion, seeing as there was no official case filed on her, my guess is that someone is pranking the police," said Mr. X. "Someone is putting up fake photos of people that don't exist."

"But why would they do that?" asked Ventura.

"Who knows?" answered Mr. X. "These days, people don't seem to need an excuse to do something stupid and pointless."

"I see," said Katie, taking another look at the image of Raine. "Well, if you hear anything about more concrete on either of them, be sure to tell me."

With that, the detective left the station, and as she did, she made sure to text back the person who had texted her. The text read, "I'll meet you there, so don't go into the house until I get there." Once she was out of sight, Mr. X brought out his phone and quickly called someone.

"Jenny, she's on the move," he said into the phone. "Keep an eye on her and let's see where she goes."

"Are you ready for a Boonchuy battle?" asked Bee as he stood in the living room of the house. The furniture had been pushed aside to create some space. Bee stood on one side, wearing a mask and holding a toy laser sword, while Anne, Sprig, Polly, and Luz stood on the other, all of them holding toy swords as well.

"Oh, you know I am," answered Anne, pressing a button on her sword, causing it to light up and make a sound. She nodded to Luz, Sprig, and Polly, who all made the same motion.

"This is your last chance to surrender, Lord Vudor!" called Luz as she pointed her sword at Bee. "Come quietly, or we will defeat you."

"Ha! Defeat me?" said Bee with a cocky smile from behind his mask. "I think not, especially not when I have a surprise for you."

Anne, Luz, Sprig, and Polly all charged at Bee, and right before they got to him, a figure wearing a cloak stepped in front of him, wielding its own sword and blocking their charge.

"Ack! Who is that?" said Sprig in surprise.

The figure threw off its hood, revealing Amara.

"Gasp!" said Sprig in an overly dramatic voice. "Anika, you've turned to the dark side! How could you?!"

"I got tired of living in your shadow, dear brother," said Amara in a scornful voice and turned to Bee. "Lord Vudor offered me a better deal and a chance to finally show you up. I'm tired of being second best. The dark side will make me stronger! Strong enough to beat you!"

"Betrayed by my own sister," said Sprig in mock melodrama.

Amara charged at Sprig with her sword drawn, and the two began fighting. Polly joined the fray to help her brother.

"She was always a worse sister anyway!" called Polly. "You've still got a better one right here."

With that, the three amphibians continued to fight while Anne and Luz teamed up against Bee.

"You may have a new apprentice, but I have a new friend too," said Anne, giving Luz a look.

"Ha! Your friendship won't be able to stop me!" taunted Bee as he fought off the girls.

"Do not underestimate me, Lord Vudor!" said Luz, and with that, she smiled at Anne, who smiled back, and then suddenly the two girls coordinated their efforts. They swerved at just the right time, blocked Bee's next attack, then quickly countered. Then finally, they brought up their swords and struck him, causing him to fall.

"Ow!" he said as he hit the floor. "Hey, go easy on your old man!"

"Oh, sorry," said Anne, stepping and offering a hand to help him.

As that was happening, Oum, who had been watching, finally stepped forward and grabbed Luz, using a toy sword to "stab" her from behind.

"You forgot about me!" said Oum in a triumphant voice.

Anne turned around and just managed to see her mother "stab" Luz, though as she did, in her mind, she saw something else…

In her mind, the living room transformed into Andrias's castle, Luz was replaced by Marcy, and her mother was replaced by Andrias. The scene from right before she escaped played out in her mind, almost as though she was seeing it again in real time.

"I just need to—" was all Marcy said before she was run through with the King's sword, her expression quickly changing to horror.

"MARCY!" screamed Luz, unable to believe what had just happened.

Andrias was indifferent in his response. "Now look what you made me do…"

Marcy looked down at her wound, knowing this was the end. She wanted to at least part on better terms with her friends. She looked them in the eyes and said in a soft tone, "I'm sorry… for… everything…" She fell to the ground, dead.

Anne snapped back to reality, though as she did, she fell to her knees and began to breathe heavily. Oum, Bee, and Luz noticed this and came up to her. Amara, Sprig, and Polly stopped fighting and also came over to her.

"Anne, are you alright?" asked Sprig in a worried voice.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" asked Oum, dropping her sword and placing a hand on Anne.

"Anne, you're sweating," said her father, feeling her forehead and seeing it was drenched in sweat.

Anne didn't reply but kept breathing heavily, not sure what to say or how to respond. She looked into the eyes of her parents, trying to think of what to say, but couldn't find the words. Luz looked into her face and seemed to have guessed what was wrong, but didn't want to say anything.

As all this was happening, the doorbell rang.

The group all looked at the front door. Anne and Luz turned to the amphibians and gave them a look. The amphibians took the cue and ran upstairs. Oum made sure they were out of sight before going to the door and looking through the peephole, and her heart sank as she saw who was there. She didn't immediately open the door and tried to think of what to do when a voice called from the other side.

"Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy, please open the door. I know you're in there. I saw you through the living room window."

Oum and Bee looked nervously at each other, then looked at Anne and Luz.

"Mom, who is it?" asked Anne.

Oum didn't answer, but instead, she let out a sigh before opening the door. Two women stepped into the house. One of them was Detective Ventura, and the other was Mrs. Wu.

Anne let out a small gasp as she saw her. Like Mrs. Waybright, her appearance bore signs of stress. Her hair had streaks of grey running through it, her face was more lined and sad, her eyes showed signs of not sleeping well, and finally, her appearance was more gaunt, as though she hadn't been eating. Her sleep-weary eyes immediately focused on Anne and Luz.

"So you came back," she said in a bitter tone to Anne.

"Mrs. Wu, I—" began Anne.

"Detective Ventura told me what happened," said Mrs. Wu. She turned to look at Luz as she said, "She told me you left Marcy."

Anne and Luz looked at each other as they pondered what to say.

"According to Luz's testimony, they were in a dangerous situation," said Detective Ventura. "They may have had no choice but to leave."

Mrs. Wu paused before speaking, "So you don't know if my daughter is alive?"

As she said that, Anne again in her mind saw the scene of Marcy getting stabbed by Andrias and falling over. Again, she began to sweat and breathe heavily. Mrs. Wu noticed this.

"What happened?" she asked in an aggressive tone to Anne. "What happened to Marcy? Was she really stabbed?!"

While this was happening inside the living room, Jenny was parked outside in a regular car with a pair of binoculars focused on the Boonchuys' house. He moved the binoculars to the upstairs room of the house, trying to see through the curtains. He could see movement through them but couldn't see anything concrete, though he suspected the silhouettes he was seeing were not human. Jenny put the binoculars down and instead came up with another idea. He got out of the car and went to the trunk. He reached into it and pulled out a drone. After taking a few minutes to start it up, he took the remote control and guided the drone toward the Boonchuys' house and its upper floor, hoping to see into it and identify what was causing the movement upstairs.

Inside the house, in the upstairs room, the Plantars and Amara were gathered. They made sure to keep the door closed, though Sprig and Amara kept their ears pressed to it, trying to listen to the conversation that was happening downstairs.

"You guys getting anything?" asked Polly.

"Bits and pieces," said Amara. "They're talking about Marcy."

"What about her?" asked Hop Pop.

"I can't tell," answered Sprig. "I'm getting about every 5th word."

"I think that's her mother who knocked on the door," said Amara. The Plantars gave each other a look.

"Hey, do you guys hear something?" asked Polly.

"Yeah, that's what we're trying to do, Polly," said Sprig.

"No, no, not what's happening downstairs," clarified Polly. "I thought I heard something outside."

The amphibians all listened closely, and as they did, they thought they heard a strange humming sound coming from outside the window. Amara cautiously moved to the window and peeked out over the curtain. Immediately, she pulled away.

"There's a drone outside the window!" she said in a hushed voice.

"A what?" asked Hop Pop.

"It's a human device," explained Amara. "They use them for different purposes, but one of those purposes is to spy on people."

"Why would anybody want to spy on Anne?" asked Sprig.

"I don't know, but if I had to guess, it's probably the FBI again," said Amara.

"But we gave them the slip! Twice!" said Hop Pop.

"That doesn't mean they're going to suddenly stop," said Amara.

"Isn't that policewoman down there?" asked Hop Pop. "Do you think she's part of this?"

"I don't know, maybe," said Sprig. "Maybe she brought Marcy's mom to distract Anne while she tries to spy on us."

Amara thought about refuting that but decided not to.

"Well, let's not worry about who's spying on us, and just focus on destroying that drone," said Polly, smacking her hands together for emphasis.

"We need to be careful," said Amara. "If that drone gets a picture of us, it could get Anne, Luz, and their families in trouble."

"Hmm, I've got an idea," said Sprig. "And maybe, if we pull this off, we can also get rid of the detective." He motioned for the others to come close so he could explain it to them.

"I heard the story from Detective Ventura," said Mrs. Wu in a curt tone. "Is that really what happened?"

She looked hard into Luz's face, trying to determine if she was telling the truth. Then she looked over at Anne.

"How could you leave her like that?" asked Mrs. Wu in a desperate voice.

Anne didn't know what to say. She had remained silent as Luz told the "story" of what happened when the girls went missing. Luz had told Anne what she had said to try to cover for them to Mrs. Waybright, so she knew the details, and yet now that they were telling this "lie" to Mrs. Wu. Anne couldn't look her in the face. A part of her wanted to stop this whole charade to tell Mrs. Wu the truth, yet Anne knew in her heart that the truth wasn't much better than the "lie" Luz had told. Anne looked up and saw the worry on Mrs. Wu's face. She could see the desperation in her eyes. Anne was feeling so many emotions swirling inside her that she felt as though she would burst.

"How could you leave her like that?" asked Mrs. Wu again. It sounded even worse this time.

Oum and Bee looked at each other before Oum spoke.

"Mei Lin, please try to understand. The children were in danger, and everything happened so fast."

"And yet Anne and Luz are okay, but Marcy isn't?" said Mrs. Wu in a raised voice. She advanced on Oum, glaring at her.

"I never should have let my daughter hang out with yours," she said in a cruel voice to Oum. "Anne was a bad influence on her. I was trying to raise Marcy to be a perfect daughter, and now, because of you, she might be dead!"

Anne winced at that, and Detective Ventura came between Mei Lin and Oum.

"Hey, there's no need for that," she said, trying to intercede. "I agreed to meet you here so that we could discuss what happened, but there's no need to say things like that."

Back outside, Jenners had flown the drone to three different windows on the upstairs level of the Boonchuy's home but couldn't see inside. He moved the drone to focus on the backyard, but still didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He thought he saw movement by one window, but as he turned the drone to look, he only saw the curtain flapping.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, the camera on the drone became obscured by a yellowish object. Something appeared to have stuck onto the drone and blocked its view. Jenny messed with the controls and tried to steer the drone so he could get a better view, but it felt as though something heavy was weighing it down.

Meanwhile, on the roof, Sprig flailed around as he tried desperately to stick to the drone with his tongue. In the air, the drone moved around wildly as it tried to pry him loose. Hop Pop and Amara grabbed hold of Sprig, trying to prevent him from being carried away while Polly got into position.

"Come on, Sprig! Lower… Just a little more!" called Polly.

"'m 'ying! 'ts 'ard!" said Sprig with his tongue still on the drone.

"You've gotta bring it lower!" called Polly again.

Sprig continued to move the drone until he finally got it low enough. Polly jumped onto the drone, grabbing hold of it.

"Yee-haw!" she called as she pulled up a bunch of wires from the drone, causing it to spark and sputter. The drone flew around wildly, dragging Sprig off the roof, and Hop Pop and Amara clung to him. Amara desperately wrapped her tail around a rain gutter, trying to anchor the group to the house. The drone flew further away from the house, stretching out the distance of Sprig's tongue. Polly had grabbed hold of the drone and tried to steer it. Her antics had shorted out the camera, and over at his car, Jenners was trying to figure out what had gone wrong, tapping the screen on the remote. After a few minutes, he gave up and put the remote away, walking over to the Boonchuys' house. He made sure to stay hidden, but brought out his own phone so that he could record whatever was happening. Behind his glasses, his eyes lit up as the house came into view, and he saw what looked like a large pink tadpole riding on his drone while three other amphibians were on the roof, with one of them holding onto the drone with its tongue. He brought out his phone and began recording. Sprig, meanwhile, was still attached to the drone, trying to keep it from moving, though he quickly realized he was running out of space.

"Uh oh," said Sprig.

In an instant, Sprig's tongue released the drone, shooting him back into Hop Pop and Amara. The resulting crash knocked all three of them off the roof, and they fell into some bushes while the drone kept flying wildly with Polly still riding on it. The drone spun in the air for a few seconds before crashing to the ground. Polly jumped off at the last second and landed in the bushes with the other amphibians. Once he saw the drone crash, Jenny looked around, making sure no one was watching before slinking away to go report what he saw to Mr. X.

"Mei Lin, that's not fair!" said Oum defensively. "What happened to Marcy is not Anne's fault."

"If Marcy wasn't friends with Anne, she would still be here!" yelled Mrs. Wu. Anne continued to stay silent, not daring to look Mrs. Wu in the face.

"We don't know that for sure," said Detective Ventura, trying to intervene. "None of us were there. For all we know, it could have happened any number of ways."

"Please, Mrs. Wu," said Luz. "I understand that you're upset. I wish there was more I could have done for Marcy."

Mrs. Wu glared at Luz. "It's your fault, too! I should have known you'd be a bad influence on her when you wanted to help her write those stupid fanfictions."

Luz winced at that. Bee stepped up to Mrs. Wu.

"Mei Lin!" he said, raising his voice. "I understand that you are upset and angry, but you have no right to blame the kids for this. They're not responsible for what happened to Marcy."

"They ran away!" yelled Mrs. Wu. Anne and Luz shared a look as they realized how their lie had managed to make Mrs. Wu angry. Luz and Anne looked at each other, not sure what to say. Though finally, Anne spoke.

"It was Sasha's idea to run away, but we went along with it. Marcy—" Anne stopped, trying to think of what to say next.

"Marcy didn't want to go initially," finished Luz. "She thought it was a bad idea, but we… we pressured her to come with us. I'm sorry, Mrs. Wu." Luz hung her head as she finished.

Anne cast a glance at Luz. She knew Luz was trying to spare Mei Lin's feelings, yet even so, lying to her like this while she was so upset made Anne feel terrible. Anne looked up into Mei Lin's face and saw her eyes beginning to water.

"So it is your fault!" she said in a barely contained voice.

"Wait, no, listen—" began Luz before being interrupted.

"MARCY IS GONE!" yelled Mrs. Wu in a rage, looking straight at Anne and Luz. "AND IT'S ALL THEIR FAULT!"

As Mrs. Wu screamed, Anne, in her mind again, saw Marcy getting stabbed and let out a loud scream herself before saying in a frantic voice.

"I'M SORRY!"

Everyone else became silent, even Mrs. Wu. Anne came up to her, looking her in the face for the first time, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," repeated Anne. "You're right. It is my fault."

"Anne," said Oum, coming up to her daughter. Anne held up a hand.

"I… We… Sasha and I… we… we took Marcy for granted," said Anne, tears still streaming down her face. "We never really shared a lot of her interests and always thought that she was fine, but she wasn't really fine. I should have been there to protect her. I should have been a better friend to her. I should have tried harder to bring her back to you. Mrs. Wu, please forgive me."

Anne fell to her knees in front of Mrs. Wu, who was left speechless.

Right as this happened, a loud crash was heard outside the house. Everyone looked to the front door, and Detective Ventura moved to open it until Bee stepped in front of her.

"Oh, um, that's probably our sprinkler system," he said nervously. "No need to check that."

"Mr. Boonchuy, that was a very loud sound," said Ventura. "It sounded like a crash of some kind. I need to see what it is."

"No, uh, that's not necessary," said Oum. "Lot of loud noises in this neighborhood."

Detective Ventura gave Oum a look before moving past Bee and opening the front door. She closed it behind her instantly noticing the crashed drone, from where it had crashed she saw a trail of broken pieces that led to some bushes right by the house, Ventura thought she saw movement in the bushes and went over to check them. As she looked into them she saw the newt girl she had seen at the movie studio as well as three other what looked like frog people. Two were pink and looked like kids while the third was orange and looked quite old. The four let out a gasp as they locked eyes with Ventrua. The detective starred intently at them.

"Is everything okay?" asked Mei Lin from inside the house.

Ventura looked from the amphibians to the house, after taking a pause she replied.

"Looks like someone crashed their drone, thankfully it doesn't seem as though the house has been damaged."

Ventura gave the amphibians a wink before going back inside the house.

"Well, in any case, I think it's time for us to leave," said Ventura to Mrs. Wu.

"What?" asked Mrs. Wu defensively.

"When we spoke on the phone, I agreed to meet you at the Boonchuys' so that you could ask about Marcy," said Detective Ventura to Mei Lin. "I understand that you are going through a lot of emotions about your missing daughter, but I don't think that right now, in your current state, it's going to be helpful for us to continue this meeting. I think we should leave.

"No," said Mrs. Wu forcefully. "No, I need to ask more questions!"

"Mrs. Wu," said Detective Ventura calmly, "I don't think we're going to learn anything more about what happened to Marcy right now."

"No!" said Mrs. Wu, louder this time. "I have to know what happened to my daughter. I have to know where Marcy is. I have to—" As she spoke, she began to shake and lose her composure.

"Mei Lin," said Ventura, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"NO!" screamed Mrs. Wu before falling to her knees and crying. Oum and Bee came up to her and hugged her, trying to calm her down. After a bit, she finally spoke in almost a whisper.

"Marcy… I'm sorry, I just wanted what was best for you. I just wanted…"

She trailed off, not able to say anything else.

After some time, Mrs. Wu regained her composure and stood back up. Oum, Bee, and Ventura all spoke to her, checking to see if she was okay. Mrs. Wu assured them she was, or at least she was, in as good a state as she could be given the circumstances. Right as she turned to leave, Anne came up to her.

"Mrs. Wu… I'm sorry," said Anne in a sincere voice.

Mrs. Wu looked hard at her but didn't reply. Anne continued.

"What happened to Marcy is at least a bit my fault, but please believe me when I tell you that I never wanted anything bad to happen to her. I've always tried to look out for Marcy, and so did Sasha. She was our friend. I'm sorry I wasn't able to bring her home, but please believe me when I tell you I am trying to figure out a way to bring her back."

"What do you mean? How will you bring her back?" asked Mrs. Wu.

Anne hesitated, as she knew she couldn't say more without revealing the truth.

"We're trying to find out where Marcy is," said Luz.

"And you think you'll do better than the police?" asked Mrs. Wu.

"We… we just want to help," said Luz in a sincere tone.

"Mrs. Wu…. We will do our best to try to bring Marcy home," said Anne. "Please believe me."

Mrs. Wu looked hard at Anne. She took a long pause before saying, "Anne, I'm sorry I got mad at you, but please, you don't need to lie to me to try to make me feel better. If that's why you're saying this, then please stop."

With that, Mrs. Wu turned and walked away, and after a moment, Detective Ventura followed her, and the two walked down the block out of sight, leaving the Boonchuys alone. All of them were shaken up by what had just happened…

Anne jolted out of bed with a start, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she reached out her hands as if almost hoping Marcy was there. It took her a few moments to realize that she wasn't. Anne began to breathe heavily from the dream she had just had. She wasn't sure where she was. It was somewhere dark, but she thought she heard a laugh somewhere in the dark—a cruel, sinister laugh, and yet that laugh had sounded like it was Marcy. She couldn't see whoever was laughing, but she would never forget the cruel and sadistic voice. This nightmare… She had had it before; it was always the same thing every time. Some figure laughed in the shadows, saying how great it was to have a body in a cruel robotic voice. Anne remembered the first time she had this nightmare, as it was the night after she had first read Marcy's journal. While reading, it had helped her to better understand her friend; it also made Anne feel guilty at seeing how lonely Marcy felt. Ever since that night, she would occasionally have the same dream. Anne didn't know why, but for some reason, she felt as though this nightmare had some connection to Marcy.

Slowly, Anne got out of bed. The Plantars were sleeping close by, and Anne stepped carefully, not wanting to wake them up. She made her way to her door before opening it and heading downstairs. She went outside into the backyard, where the grass felt cold against her bare feet, but she also felt a sense of calm as her feet touched the ground, the connection to nature helping relax her. She looked up into the night sky and let out a long, heavy sigh. Anne had sometimes come out to the backyard to unwind and destress, and tonight she was feeling so many pent-up emotions that she wasn't sure how to handle them. The confrontation with Mrs. Wu had left her so emotionally drained, and after it had ended, her parents, the Plantars, and Luz had all talked together with her. Despite coming to a resolution and everyone being supportive of her, Anne couldn't shake the feeling of guilt about Marcy. There was one thing Anne hadn't mentioned during the long talk, and that was how she had reacted to Luz being "stabbed." It had been such a long time since that fateful day that Anne thought she had put it all behind her, and yet, in that moment, it had all come rushing back to her like a nightmare. All the feelings, all the emotions, everything she had felt when she saw Marcy get stabbed had rushed back to her brain and made Anne feel as though she were reliving that terrible moment again.

Anne walked over to one of the lawn chairs and sat down in it, burying her face in her hands as she tried to make sense of everything. After a few minutes, she heard the door open and looked to see who was there. Sprig had followed her out and was holding a mug of hot cocoa.

"Hey," he said, handing the mug to Anne.

"Hey," replied Anne, accepting the cup. She looked down at it before taking a sip. She smiled as she drank the cocoa.

"Wow, you managed to not burn the house down making this," she said sarcastically to Sprig.

"Ah, come on, Anne, I've been on Earth for months now. I know how to work your microwave device," replied Sprig.

"Ha! I remember how you microwaved my shoe that one time," said Anne, "and how you almost put my phone in there."

"If it caught on fire like your shoe did, I'm sure it would have been spectacular to look at," said Sprig.

"Oh, I'm sure it would have," said Anne. "Then I'd be grounded for a month, and Mom would never buy me a new phone ever again."

They both laughed at that. Anne sipped some more of her cocoa while looking up into the night sky. They stayed silent for some time before Sprig spoke.

"This kinda reminds me of that night at the hotel. Remember, Anne?"

"I could never forget," replied Anne.

"So, hey, if you don't mind me asking, how are you feeling?" asked Sprig.

Anne took a long pause and let out a heavy sigh before replying, "I feel so many things. Right now, I honestly don't know what to feel. And the crazy part is… I've been trying to keep a lid on things for so long that sometimes I feel like I'm gonna burst."

"Earlier today, when we were playing in the living room, something happened. We kinda forgot about it because of what happened after, but I know something was bothering you, right, Anne?" asked Sprig in a tender voice.

"When my mom attacked Luz, I… I remembered Marcy," said Anne. "It was like we were back in the palace, and I was reliving the events of that day in my head again."

Sprig looked at Anne but didn't say anything. After a bit, Anne continued.

"The truth is, ever since we got back, I've tried my best to not think about what happened. I've tried to focus on looking after you and the others, on trying to be there for Luz. I just kept telling myself that all I had to do was get us back to Amphibia and that somehow, everything would be fine if I could do that. But I don't know if everything will be fine! Hell, I don't even know if Marcy is alive!"

Anne stopped talking and began to cry. Sprig wrapped his arm around her.

"I just… It's been so hard trying to keep it together," Anne continued through tears. "Marcy might be dead, Sasha was stuck in the palace, and who knows what's happened to Wartwood? Lilly was with us in the throne room, but is she okay? And even if we manage to get back, how are we going to stop Andrias from invading Earth?"

"Anne, listen, I know you feel as though you have to fix all of this, but remember, you don't have to do it alone," said Sprig as he rubbed Anne's back. "Your parents are helping you, Luz and her mom are helping you, and Amara and us are here for you. You don't have to pretend to be alright if you honestly don't feel you are."

Anne looked into Sprig's face, and after a moment, she leaned forward and pulled him into a hug and began to cry. Her crying started slow, but soon she began to sob uncontrollably while she continued to hug Sprig. The whole time, Sprig held onto her, gently patting her back but not saying anything. Anne kept crying for a long time, letting the pain flow out of her, letting go of the hurt that was swelling up inside her, and letting go of the façade she had worn to convince herself that everything was alright. After a long time, she finally stopped crying, wiped her face, and took a drink of her cocoa. As the warm drink splashed down her throat and into her stomach, she finally said in a weary voice.

"This is really good cocoa."

Sprig smiled and held onto Anne. The two looked at each other before looking up at the sky together.

"Luz…" said a mysterious voice.

"Marcy, is that you?" asked Luz.

"Luz…" repeated the voice.

Luz looked around, and she noticed she was in some sort of void that seemed to stretch on forever. Stars were shining down in this void, which gave it a quiet, melancholic beauty. Luz looked up in the sky, amazed by what she saw, until she once again heard her name.

"Luz… help me," called a voice from the void—a voice that sounded like Marcy's.

"Marcy, are you there? Where are you?" called Luz as she began to run around the void, looking for her.

"Luz… help me!" said the voice again. This time, Luz turned and began walking in the direction she thought she heard the voice coming from. After a few feet, she finally saw Marcy, though she was standing with her back turned to her.

"Marcy!" called Luz excitedly. She noticed Marcy wasn't alone; there was another girl with green hair standing next to her also with her back turned.

"Marcy, is that really you?" asked Luz as she came up to her. "Who's your friend here?"

Luz reached out and put her hand on Marcy's shoulder, turning her around so she could face her, but when she did, Luz let out a horrible scream!

Marcy's face wasn't there! Her body and everything else about her were normal, but instead of a face, there was only an empty area of nothing. A moment later, the green-haired girl turned around, also revealing she had no face, causing Luz to let out another gasp.

Right at that moment, she shot straight up in her bed, letting out another scream.

It took Luz a moment to realize she was back in her own room. She took a moment to gather herself and calm down. She got out of bed and quickly checked on Amara, and fortunately, the newt was still asleep. Luz's scream had not woken her up. Luz let out a long sigh as she walked over to her desk and grabbed her laptop. She quietly walked over to the kitchen and turned it on. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do, but felt she needed some sort of distraction to take her mind off the dream she just had. After a moment, she decided she may as well make a video. Luz turned her camera on and began speaking into it.

"Dear Diary,

Today started so great! Anne, me, and her family were all going to act out some Cosmic Wars fights. Anne's parents are both huge fans of that series. I wish my mom was into that kind of stuff… But anyway, while we were playing, something happened to Anne. I think she got triggered about Marcy. And, of course, right after that, Mrs. Wu showed up at our door. I had to lie again, this time right to her face. It felt so wrong and so… messed up. Mrs. Wu was angry at us and blamed Anne and me for what happened to Marcy, and honestly, I can't help but feel she's right. I've thought about that day so much that I've replayed what happened so many times in my head and asked myself… Was there anything I could have done to save Marcy?"

Luz took a long pause as she once again thought about what happened. Her eyes began to water.

"I know Marcy may have made a mistake, but I made mistakes too, and so did Anne and Sasha. It was wrong of Marcy to trap us in Amphibia, but because she did… Anne and I were able to fix our friendship and became even closer. Anne got to meet Sprig and the Plantars, and Sprig has become like a brother to her. I got to meet Uodeela, Amara, Gustav, and Lilly, and I got to learn magic, even if only for a little while. Anne and I never would have gotten those experiences if not for Marcy, so even though what she did was wrong, if I'm being honest, I'm at least glad that some good things came from it. And Marcy…. Marcy saved Sprig and me when Andrias dropped us out of the castle. She rode in on Joe Sparrow and rescued us. Even after having her secret exposed, Marcy still tried to do the right thing.

Luz took another pause, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Whatever you did, you didn't deserve to be hurt like that, Marcy. I understand why you didn't want to move. I understand it better than you could possibly know. I wish I knew for certain if you were okay. I think Anne and I have been trying to stay optimistic, but it's been hard…"

Luz let out another long sigh as she pressed the stop button on the video recorder, not sure what else she wanted to say. Despite making the video, she still felt emotionally drained yet also wide awake. She didn't think she'd be able to fall asleep anytime soon. Luz opened up Discord, curious if anyone was still on at this time of night. Her eyes immediately saw that at least one of her friends was online—the author of the fic.

Luzura: Hey

ChampionElCid: Hey, guess I'm not the only one still up at this hour.

Luzura: I woke up and had a bad dream.

ChampionElCid: What kind of dream?

Luzura: A nightmare. Don't really want to talk about it.

ChampionElCid: Okay, I understand.

Luzura: But now that I'm up, I'm having trouble falling back asleep.

ChampionElCid: Yeah, I hate that, especially when you feel really tired but can't sleep.

Luzura: I had a really long day, and I think that's part of the reason it's so hard for me to fall asleep.

ChampionElCid: I understand. I've had my share of those kinds of days too, more than I'd like to admit.

Luzura: So how do you deal with them?

ChampionElCid: I try some of the traditional ways, like taking a nice hot shower, listening to music, playing video games, drinking hot cocoa, and stuff like that. Though I'll be honest, it doesn't always work. Sometimes, the problem you're dealing with is still there and doesn't go away just because you listened to some relaxing music.

Luzura: Yeah, I get you. I've been dealing with a lot lately, and sometimes I'm not sure what to do. Hey, can I ask you a question?

ChampionElCid: Of course.

Luzura: Have you ever felt you were responsible for something really bad? Like someone blamed you for something bad that happened, and you weren't sure whether or not it was your fault?

ChampionElCid: I mean, I've been blamed for stuff that wasn't my fault before, but it was mostly when I was younger. My mom would sometimes punish both me and my brothers when something happened and she couldn't figure out who did it, or when none of us would "confess." But I get the sense that's not what you're talking about.

Luzura: No, I mean…. Something happened, something bad, and someone got hurt because of it. And I was there, and I didn't do anything. I'm not sure if there was anything I could have done, but I still… I still feel responsible for it.

ChampionElCid: Okay, I think I get you. Was this some kind of emergency situation then? Maybe you were present and something happened, someone got hurt, and you were there but you didn't do anything, but now you're looking back and wishing you had?

Luzura: Something like that, yeah.

ChampionElCid: Hmmm, I can't say I've been through something like that personally, but I do understand the feeling of regret. I definitely feel you on that. It's natural for us to feel that way about bad things that happened in the past, mostly because we wish we could change it.

Luzura: I really wish I could change what happened.

ChampionElCid: I feel you; believe me, I have my own regrets about things in the past that I wish I could change. I know it's not healthy to think about what you could've done differently, but I still find myself doing it from time to time. I try to focus more on the future, but it's hard to do when you feel you made mistakes in the past that still haunt you. I might not be the best person to give advice on this subject, but it is important not to be too hard on yourself. Maybe you made a mistake, or maybe there was more you could have done at that moment, but don't obsess about it. If you truly have regret about what happened, then channel that feeling into "I'll do better next time." And if you're faced with a situation like that in the future, try to do better. That's really all any of us can do.

Luz read through the author's advice, absorbing what he said, before finally replying.

Luzura: Thanks. I'll try to keep that in mind.

ChampionElCid: Well, maybe we should both try to get some sleep. It's never easy to get through a day without enough sleep. I know from experience, since I used to work late nights as a bartender.

Luzura: I'll try to fall back asleep. Here's hoping I can. I hate how my mind fills with so many thoughts all the time and makes it hard to focus and concentrate.

ChampionElCid: Oh I feel ya, I'm ADD so I know what that feels like.

Luzura: Yeah me too, well ADHD, it makes it hard for me to focus and concentrate in school.

ChampionElCid: They say ADD people tend to be more creative and while it has helped me in that regard, I do sometimes feel it's more a curse than a blessing.

Luzura: I feel that too, I like how I'm able to easily think about cool ideas when I write, but then there are times like now, when my mind is full of all sorts of thoughts and I can't fall asleep.

ChampionElCid: Wish I could say my creative side has helped me in life, but aside from writing my fanfiction that's all I feel it's been good for. For most of my life it's been a struggle.

Luzura: Am I doomed to a life of always struggling too?

ChampionElCid: I hope not. I mean the condition is more understood nowadays so there's better treatments for it, my parents were content to just give me pills growing up and thought that was going to fix everything. Medicine can be helpful, but so can therapy, excerise and just walking outside in nature. At least get to grow up in an age of smart phones, which make it a lot easier to remember and keep track of things. Having a calendar that reminds you of things has been a godsend for me and helped me to keep track of events and schedules better.

Luzura: Well that's good to hear, but yeah it is getting late so I should at least try to get some sleep.

ChampionElCid: Goodnight.

Luzura: Goodnight.

As the door to Thai Go opened, Camila looked up from her seat. Oum and Mei Lin walked through the door, their eyes immediately falling on Camila. They both walked over to the table she was at and sat down. Mei Lin gave Camila a look before saying.

"I'm sorry for how I yelled at your daughter. I know it was wrong, but I've been so stressed and so worried about Marcy that I was desperate for any sort of information to find her. I hope you can understand."

Camila took a beat before responding, "When I heard about what happened, my first thought was that I was going to march over there and teach you a lesson with La Chancla."

Mei Lin looked confused, not knowing what a "chancla" was.

"It means 'shoe' in Spanish," clarified Camila. She reached into her purse, pulling out the green sandal she carried.

"You carry it with you?" asked Mei Lin in a confused voice.

"Hey, you never know when you might need it," said Camila. "But anyway, I'll admit I was pretty mad at you for how you acted, and I was going to give you a piece of my mind… but then I remembered, you are still missing your daughter. I know how that feels, and Oum knows how that feels. So yeah, while I still cannot completely forgive you, I understand what you're going through and how hard that can be."

"儘管如此,對不起." (Even so, I'm sorry) Mei Lin replied. Camila was a bit taken aback by her speaking Chinese. While she didn't know exactly what she was saying, she assumed it was an apology and so replied in kind.

"Esta bien," said Camila.

Camila reached over and grabbed Mei Lin's hand while also looking into her face. Despite being from different cultures and speaking different languages, the two shared a moment of understanding. For a second, Mei Lin smiled. Oum came up next to her and sat down.

"Remember the first time you and your husband came here?" asked Oum.

"Of course. It was a few days after Anne and Marcy met at the beach," replied Mei Lin. "I have to admit the first time I tried your food, it was delicious."

"Our daughters were so young then, weren't they?" said Oum.

"Yes, they were," said Mei Lin.

"I first met Oum here at this restaurant too," said Camila. "I decided to have lunch here instead of Chimichurri sandwiches. We talked, and she told me about the school her daughter attended, and the rest, as they say, is history."

"I suppose it was good for Marcy too that your daughter ended up attending St. James," said Mei Lin. "She came home that day excited that she made a new friend. She wouldn't stop talking about Luz and how she was into some of the same fantasy books that Marcy was."

"Luz was really happy after her first day at St. James. She was a lot happier than I'd seen her in a long time," said Camila. "She'd never really had any friends at her old school."

"Has Luz had a hard time making friends?" asked Mei Lin.

"Yes, she has," answered Camila.

"Marcy has too," said Mei Lin. "It was lucky that she met Anne and Sasha when she was so young. I've seen how Marcy behaves, and I know she has problems interacting with kids her age."

Camila and Oum both looked at her as she said that.

Mei Lin took a beat before continuing, "As Marcy got older, I began to notice things about her that started to become more obvious. When she turned ten, Henry and I took her to a psychiatrist, and she was diagnosed with ASD."

"You've never told me this before," said Oum, looking intently at Mei Lin.

"It was something neither of us wanted to talk about," said Mei Lin. "At the time, I had no idea how to even comprehend it or what it really even meant."

"It means Marcy has a hard time with social interactions, so she may also display some strange behavior regarding certain things," explained Camila.

"Yes, that's what the psychiatrist told us too," said Mei Lin. "When I first heard that, I had no idea what to do. I asked him, 'How can Marcy have a mental problem when she's so smart in school? Her grades are the highest in her class, so she can't be stupid.' The doctor tried to explain it to me, but I never really understood."

"ASD doesn't mean your child is stupid," said Camila. "It just means Marcy's brain is wired a bit differently. I bet part of the reason she's so smart academically is that she's able to hyper-focus on something. Did the doctor recommend any treatment to you?"

"He did, but… we never really tried them," said Mei Lin. Both Camila and Oum looked at her. Mei Lin continued.

"All I wanted was for the doctor to give us something that would cure Marcy and make her normal, but he said he couldn't do that. I asked him if her condition would have any effect on her grades, and he couldn't give me an answer to that either. So my husband and I thought…. Maybe it was just better to ignore it. We never told Marcy about her mental condition and just pretended everything was okay. Marcy kept doing well in school, and when we had her start violin and piano lessons, she did great with those as well. We thought that if Marcy was able to keep doing well in school and other academic activities, then we didn't need to worry about her condition. She would just be a smart girl who took advanced courses and went to a prestigious school. If she did all that, then whatever mental problem she had wouldn't matter. She'd have a successful career, then everything would be perfect… Everything would be perfect…"

Mrs. Wu trailed off, and her eyes began filling with tears. She brought her hands up to her face and covered them while crying. Oum placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. After a few minutes, she stopped and wiped her face.

"Luz was diagnosed with ADHD," said Camila. "It explains a lot about her personality and why she acts the way she does. I wasn't surprised when we learned about it, and the doctor gave us some material to look over. Manny and I did our best to adjust to how to interact with Luz. Unfortunately, shortly after that, Manny got sick, and with everything that happened after, I kind of forgot about Luz's condition. It's been hard seeing her struggle in school and socially, but it was also rewarding to see her creative side."

Mei Lin looked intently at Camila while she spoke, and after she was done, Oum turned to her.

"Mei Lin, I understand that you were worried about Marcy. You were concerned about her future and wanted to make sure that she could stand on her own, but you can't ignore things and expect that they'll get better. I understand, as a parent, you want the best for your child. I was the same way. I thought that only meant a successful career. When Anne disappeared, I spent my time making up dolls of her, and I always made them as doctors, lawyers, getting an all-A report card, or having won scholarships to prestigious schools. I thought that Anne needed to have a great career to have a great life, but I've slowly realized that was wrong. Anne felt a lot of pressure from me putting all these expectations on her, and in the long run, that just made our relationship worse."

Mei Lin absorbed what Oum had said.

"My grandparents immigrated to the U.S.," began Mrs. Wu. "Well, first, they fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War, as I'm sure you know how brutal that was. After about a decade, they still didn't feel safe, so they decided to leave Taiwan for the U.S. with my mom. They always told stories of how hard things were in China and Taiwan and how tough it was. They put a lot of pressure on my mother to succeed in life. They told her she had to have an important job after all that they sacrificed to give her a chance. She was raised in a very strict environment, so she raised me the same way. I remember how hard it was, but my mother drilled it into me that she needed to be strict with me and that I needed to be strict with my children if I wanted them to grow up and be successful. When I found out that Marcy had some kind of mental disease, my first thought was, 'Will she be able to take care of herself?' I guess that's why my husband and I were hard on Marcy. We thought that if we were hard on her, it would toughen her up and make her strong."

Oum and Camila listened intently as Mei Lin spoke.

"There was a time when all I wanted was for Luz to be normal," began Camila. "I saw how much Luz struggled in school and thought if she was normal, maybe things would be easier for her. Maybe she wouldn't feel like an outcast. I struggled a lot growing up, and I remember how hard it was. I got bullied a lot in school, and I hated seeing Luz go through the same thing. I was so happy to hear that she had made some new friends after she started at St. James. Luz finally seemed to be doing better, and it was so nice to see things improve for her, especially after all that we'd been through. Did you know that she and Marcy worked together to write a story?"

"Yes, although I didn't like how Marcy was wasting her time with that," said Mei Lin. "To be honest… I never approved of Marcy's creative projects. I always thought they distracted her from school." She hung her head as she said that.

At that moment, the door to Thai Go opened, and another woman walked in, her eyes falling on Mei Lin. Oum waved her over to the table. As she approached the table, Mei Lin stood up.

"Melissa," she greeted.

"Hello, Mei Lin. It's been some time," answered Melissa. "Oum told me that you were back in town and invited me over."

"I'm glad you could make it, Melissa," said Oum, giving the woman a hug. "Hey, now that we're all here, let me go help Bee in the kitchen. I'll make us some great food."

Oum made her way to the kitchen, leaving Mei Lin, Melissa, and Camila at the table.

"I heard briefly about what happened the other day," said Melissa to Mei Lin. "Let me assure you, I wasn't much better when I came over to their house. I've been so worried about Sasha."

"I understand," said Mei Lin. "I heard about what happened between you and Chris, and I'm so sorry. As hard as losing your child is, I can't imagine how it must feel to have to go through a divorce at the same time."

"Speaking of which, how is Henry?" asked Melissa.

"As fine as can be, given the circumstances," replied Mrs. Wu. "He's thrown himself into work as a way to try to cope with what happened. He doesn't talk much anymore and is very despondent. He spends a lot of his free time online trying to do his own work in finding Marcy. He posts on internet forums, asking questions, and looks into any leads on missing Asian girls. He tries to find anything he can, but it's all been one dead end after another. Detective Ventura contacted us a few months ago and said she might have a new lead. We asked for more details, but she was hesitant to tell us. Eventually, she did share the statement that Luz had made but said that there weren't any new clues or leads regarding Marcy's whereabouts. That's when we decided that I should come back. He was busy with his job and asked me to fly back to LA to meet with Venutra and Oum to find out more."

"It doesn't seem there is much more to find out," said Melissa.

"No, it doesn't," said Mrs. Wu. "Anne and Luz said something about still trying to find Sasha and Marcy."

"Yes, they said that to me at Christmas too," said Melissa. "Maybe we just need to hope that they will be able to."

"I suppose you're right," answered Mrs. Wu. "So, how did things work out between you and Chris?"

"It was hard," said Melissa. "I got to keep the house at least. I told myself I wanted to be able to provide a warm, comforting home for Sasha to come back to."

"Do you think she will come back?" asked Mei Lin.

"I do," answered Melissa. "Maybe that sounds naïve and unrealistic, but I need to at least try to hold out hope. I have to believe Sasha will come back because… Because I also need the chance to apologize to Sasha for all that I did. In all the time she's been gone, I've been doing some self-reflection, and I realize I should have been a better mom and not taught her how to manipulate people."

"When you were growing up, did your parents ever apologize to you when they were wrong?" asked Mei Lin.

"No," said Melissa plainly. "My mom once slapped me in the face for talking back to her. She harshly reminded me of how a child should know their place. As I got older, she started making me help a lot more with the housework, saying I needed to know this for when I got married so I could 'keep a good home for my husband.'"

Camila rolled her eyes at that statement.

"Latino culture has a strong emphasis on respecting your elders," said Camila. "You're taught from a young age not to question anything they tell you and to obey them all the time. I was raised in that kind of environment."

"Me too," said Mei Lin. "It's the same in many Asian families—not all, but still. I'm starting to think that sort of approach is wrong. At the end of the day, parents are still humans, and they can make mistakes just like everyone else."

Camila and Melissa nodded their heads.

"It's not right to make your kids think that you're perfect and know all the answers," said Melissa. "But all of us were so indoctrinated into that belief that when we became parents, we just accepted it was true."

"Well, I guess we need to be more aware of that in the future, so our kids don't carry the same feelings of shame that we had," said Camila.

"You said you hope that Sasha will return so you can apologize?" said Mei Lin to Melissa, who nodded her head.

"Henry and I have had our own discussions about what happened, but I think it's only now that I realize we were too hard on her. Henry has made mention of it a few times, but I never wanted to admit it. I hope I will get to see Marcy again, I need to apologize for things that I've said and done too," said Mei Lin. As she spoke, her eyes began to water. Melissa put her arm around her and hugged her. Camila came up to the other side and hugged Mei Lin.

"謝謝你們." (Thank you, guys) Mei Lin whispered.

Jenners finished showing the video he had managed to take of the amphibians to Mr. X, who looked absolutely pleased.

"Well done, Jenny. I knew you could do it," said Mr. X. "Have you already forwarded this to our bosses in Washington?"

Jenners nodded his head.

"Good, I suspect we'll get authorization for a lot more once they see that. And you're sure this was at the Boonchuys' house?"

Again, Jenners nodded his head.

"Hmm, I suppose we could just get a warrant and charge in there, but given how they've managed to give me the slip before, perhaps it would be better to try to apprehend them when they're out of the house."

Jenners whispered something into Mr. X's ear.

"Yes, that is a good point, Jenny," said Mr. X. "We have no idea what we're dealing with here, aside from the fact that they're aliens. It would be helpful to have an expert, but where could we find one that would be willing to do what needs to be done?"

Jenners pulled out a paper and gave it to Mr. X. He took it and briefly skimmed it, his face forming into a smile.

"Oh, that's brilliant, Jenny! I could just kiss you!"

Jenner's face blushed at that comment.

"Make the call, Jenny," commanded Mr. X. "I'll head over to the jail and be ready to meet our guest. Hopefully, the paperwork will be done by the time I get there."

"Is everything in order?" asked Mr. X to the prison guard.

"Yeah, everything checks out," answered the guard, looking over the paper. "We just got off the phone with your superiors. Your prisoner is on the way."

"Splendid," said Mr. X. At that moment, Detective Ventura entered the room.

"Ah, glad to see you, Detective," said Mr. X in a smug tone. "Did you finish following up that lead?"

"I did," answered Ventura, "and I was told that you were here requesting a release for a prisoner?"

"That's right," said Mr. X. "My bosses in Washington just approved my request, so I should be out of here shortly."

"Who is it?" asked the detective. Mr. X handed her the paper, and Ventura's eyes widened as she read the name.

"If I may," began Ventura, "why exactly are you releasing this prisoner?"

"I'm afraid that's not your concern, honey," said Mr. X dismissively.

"I feel it wise to warn you that this prisoner attacked a group of children at a museum," replied Ventura. "She was swinging around a dangerous saw with no regard to life and put several kids in danger."

"Yes, yes, I'm aware of her little hissy fit," said Mr. X nonchalantly.

"She was ranting about "'frog aliens'," continued Ventura. "She's clearly deranged and shouldn't be trusted."

"Detective, we all know the difference between genius and madness is but a thin line," said Mr. X.

As he spoke, the door opened, and the guards escorted a short woman with glasses and wild, frizzy hair tied up in two directions.

"Is it true? Am I being released?" asked the woman with a smile.

"Well, technically, you're being released into my custody," said Mr. X.

"Hooray!" exclaimed the woman. "Time to get back to my lab! I have so much research to catch up on."

"Yeah, that's not happening," said Mr. X in a blunt tone.

"Excuse me?" asked the woman.

"Here's the deal," said Mr. X. "I made arrangements to release you into the custody of the FBI, so you have to come with me."

"The Feds!" exclaimed the woman. "Forget it! I'm not going with you! I wrote several letters to the FBI about wanting to sell you some of my marvelous inventions and never received a reply."

"I see. In that case, I'll have you taken back to your cell, and you can serve out the rest of your sentence," said Mr. X.

"On second thought," said the woman quickly, "maybe it would be beneficial to work with the Feds, but I'll require a lab so I can continue doing research."

"The FBI will provide you with adequate facilities," said Mr. X. "In fact, that's part of the reason we bothered releasing you."

The woman gave Mr. X a quizzical look. Mr. X brought up the woman's release paper, briefly reading it.

"Dr. Frakes," began Mr. X, "reports say you were ranting about some so-called 'frog aliens'. Is that correct?"

"Yes, I swear they were real!" said Frakes excitedly. Detective Ventura looked between Frakes and Mr. X.

"They were at the museum," continued Frakes. "They came asking questions about a portal. I think they wanted it to allow for more of their species to invade us. They were real, I swear it! No one would believe me, but they were real!"

"You shouldn't encourage her," said Ventura sternly. "This woman has no idea what she's talking about."

"I saw them!" exclaimed Dr. Frakes. "There were four of them! Three frogs and one newt. They pretended to be humans. I tried to dissect them so I could find out more about them, but they escaped."

"Yes, yes, of course they did," said Mr. X, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Rest assured, the FBI believes your story, which is why we went to the trouble of releasing you. We feel we need a brilliant mind like yours to help us better understand these aliens. We've prepared a facility for you to use and will most certainly need your help to perform a vivisection on these creatures once we have them in custody, which will hopefully be soon."

Frakes flashed a cruel smile at Mr. X while Detective Ventura winced.