High up in the air, one would have to have the eyes of a literal hawk to even faintly see
the two teenagers sitting atop a levitating staff high above the city of Los Angeles.
Anne was leaning against Olivier, a content smile on her face.
while Olivier had his arm around her, an equally content look on his own face.
"just so you know...this date has great so far." spoke Anne.
"I was hoping it was." said Olivier.
"I can't say it enough: I love you, Oliver Clawthorne." said Anne.
Olivier smiled. "and, I love you too, Anne Boonchuy."
"I hope we always stay together." Anne then looked at Olivier. "will we...always be together?"
Olivier knew what Anne was asking. Among his many magical talents, Olivier had some skills in Oracle Magic.
and, Anne knew this.
"Time is always in motion, Anne..." began Olivier.
"Any choice we make can alter it's course, like diverting a river's path."
Olivier looked at Anne. "but...while looking into the future to find a way to defeat King Andrias.
I did look a bit TOO FAR, and saw a possible future for us many years from now."
"HOW far are we talking?" asked Anne, interested.
"About a decade, or more...give or take." answered Olivier.
"So, you saw us as grown up adults." spoke Anne.
"yeah..." said Olivier. "and it was a pleasant future that I hope comes to pass."
"Can I ask what happens to us?" asked Anne.
Olivier looked uncomfortable. "I'm not sure I should...It might alter history, or something."
"But, isn't that the whole point of why you are doing that?" questioned Anne.
"So you could PREVENT any bad futures, and ensure we have a better one."
"well...yeah, but-"
"Then there is no harm in telling me about this Good Future." said Anne.
"If anything, it will help me make better choices so it DOES happen."
Olivier looked at Anne...and finally exhaled. "I guess you are right...Okay. I'll tell you."
"Great!, so...What happens to me in the future?"
"well, for starters: We're married."
"YES!" exclaimed Anne (almost falling off the Magic Staff.)
"Careful, Anne!"
"I'm okay...Sorry. but, DUDE: That's great to hear!" said Anne. "I was afraid we'd be separated,
or slowly drift apart like in those overly dramatic Lifetime movies. So I am glad to hear we stay together."
"I'd never leave your side, Anne." said Olivier. "we've been through too much together."
Anne smiled, and the hugged Olivier "yeah...it's kinda like my grandma would say:
"Friends may come, go and come back again. but love...Love is Forever."
Olivier nuzzled against Anne. "especially ours...I have literally given my life for you."
"yeah...me too. no way anything will tear us apart." said Anne, smiling contently.
"So, anyway...What else happens to us in the future?"
Olivier thought for a moment. "well...We both live in a place called "Long Beach",
and you work at a place called the 'Aquarium of the Pacific' where you are a Herpetologist."
"AWESOME!" exclaimed Anne. "...whaaaat is that?"
"well, you are basically an expert on Lizards, and Frogs." said Olivier. "...but MOSTLY Frogs."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me at all." said Anne.
"in fact, the more I think about...I can't really imagine me doing anything else."
"You DID look like you loved your job." said Olivier. "Kids that visited you called you: "Anne the Frog Lady."
"You know, Five Months ago I would've hate that...BUT THAT TIME HAS PASSED!" exclaimed Anne, laughing.
"So, uhh...what about you? Do YOU have a cool job, or something?"
"I don't know, I only caught a glimpse of this future and didn't focus too much on myself." said Olivier.
"I do recall seeing myself in what looked like a school classroom. So I guess I became a teacher, or something."
"Well, that's cool. I bet you are a COOL teacher, too." said Anne. "So, anything else?"
Olivier paused as he pondered something. "we...We have a daughter."
Anne widened her eyes, her face now pale. "we...d-do?"
"yes." answered Olivier. "she looks like you...but she has my eyes.
She was...with "Me" when we went to see you at your job."
Anne remained silent, stunned at the knowledge that she would one day be someone's mother.
Her mind was then filled with all sorts of questions:
Would she be a good mom?, did her kid even like her?,
was she a 'cool' mom, or a strict one. Did she only have ONE kid, or more?
But, eventually...only ONE question lingered in her mind: "can I see?"
Olivier looked at Anne. "can I see...HER." repeated Anne.
"of course." said Olivier. "just place your head against mine."
Anne leaned forward, her fore head touching Olivier's.
"Now, place your hand on my temple." said Olivier.
Anne did as she was instructed, while Olivier did the same.
"now, close your eyes...empty your mind."
Anne did as she was told, and closed her eyes. She did her best to clear her head,
and not think of anything. Eventually...she felt a power surge within her body.
She then saw white...which slowly faded into an image.
"Anne." spoke Olivier
Anne looked...and found herself and Olivier in another location.
She felt weightless, almost as if she were a ghost. The world also looked blurry,
almost like a dream that was hard to remember. "Where are we?" spoke Anne.
"We're in my mindscape." spoke Olivier. "Particularly my memory of my future vision.
Sorry if everything is 'out-of-focus', but...this IS just a memory."
"Ah..I get it. So, it's like a recording of a movie." spoke Anne.
"umm...I guess so." said Olivier (not sure what Anne meant.)
Anne begins to survey the environment.
It indeed looked like the classroom of a school...but the students all looked strange.
While some resembled normal people (with elven ears), others looked like mutants, and monsters.
Anne then saw a door open...and watched as a man walked into the room.
The various students all stopped, Indicating the man was their teacher.
(("good work, students...")) spoke the man, as he approached a desk.
(("but, I must end class early, as I have an appointment that I cannot be late for."))
(("YES, MISTER CLAWTHORNE!")) spoke the students, in unison.
Anne and Olivier looked at the man...who was indeed an older version of Olivier.
they took noticed that Olivier had a 'strong' physique (Anne wouldn't call him "muscular", but skinny he was not.)
His hair was longer, and tied in a ponytail. with a trimmed beard that grew below his lower lip.
Olivier's future self looked like a man who Anne could easily see
as the protagonist of one of those JRPG's that her dad (and, Marcy) would play.
(All he was missing was an absurdly huge sword...and perhaps spikier hair.)
As the students all left...Future Olivier's tough expression softened as one remained: a little girl.
(("DAWDY!")) exclaimed a young girl with a tiny voice
Anne's mouth gaped as she watched the little girl jump into the arms of Future Olivier.
She indeed looked like she did when she was around that young age.
However, her skin had a much lighter color tone...AND, her frizzy hair was colored bright blue
(in fact, it was the very SAME blue color her own hair had turned
when she first went "Super Anne", and one-punched King Andrias in the jaw.)
AND, true to Olivier's word: She had her father's heterochromia eyes: One Gold, One Blue.
(("Are we gonna go see Mama, Dawdy!?")) spoke Anne and Olivier's future daughter.
(("Yes, Ami**. we are.")) spoke Future Olivier, (his voice fuzzy when he spoke his daughter's name)
(("Can I do the thing this time, Dawdy?!")) asked Ami**.
(("well...Okay. But, just this once."))
Future Olivier then brought out a suitcase with a large, golden eye upon it.
He then gave Ami** the suitcase. (("Now, you know what to do."))
Ami** nodded. (("Mm-hm!"))
Ami** then unlocked the case...which transformed into a door.
Future Olivier picked his daughter up, holding her to the doorknob.
Ami** removed a lanyard that she was wearing with held a strange looking key.
She inserted the key into the keyhole, and turned it...triggering an energy surge.
The door then opened...and inside the door frame was surreal negative space,
which then faded into an image of the interior of some type of building.
"What is that?!" asked Anne.
"My mother's magic portal." answered Olivier. "or...some replica of it, I don't know.
As you know, my mother used it to travel between her world, and yours. Guess I'm using it, now."
Anne quickly recalled how when she first met Olivier in Amphibia,
He had indeed told her that his mother had her own magic portal to the 'Human Realm'.
Olivier had then promised to use it to send her, and her friends home
if they had used the Calamity Box to help return Olivier back to his own world in the Demon Realm.
While things didn't turn out that way, It was interesting to finally see that magic portal door now.
...the very thing that MIGHT'VE helped Anne return to her own world, had things not gone wrong.
As Olivier's future self entered the portal with his (or, THEIR) daughter,
The door then closed and appeared to implode itself before disappearing.
There was then another white flash that obscured Anne & Olivier's vision.
When their vision returned, the pair were in a new location...one that looked more familiar to Anne.
Just as Olivier had spoken of prior, they were in the Amphibian exhibit of an Aquarium.
However THIS exhibit was modeled to look almost exactly like Amphibia.
Every enclosure resembling places from Amphibia that Anne seen before.
Newtopia...Toad Tower...Wartwood.
Anne even saw a frog enclosure with a model of the Plantar homestead.
And, above the two was a large banner. and it read: [GET LOST IN AMPHIBIA.]
Anne's eyes grew moist as tears threatened to fall. Being in this place made her feel 'homesick.'
(a strange feeling indeed, considering how much she tried to leave that Frog World in the first place.)
(("MAMA!")) called a familiar voice.
Anne and Olivier saw the Future Olivier entered the Exhibit with little Ami**.
They then looked at the only other person in the room...and Anne lost her breath upon looking at her.
(("MAMA!, MAMA!")) called Ami**, jumping at her mother.
(("hey there, my sweet sun and stars...")) spoke Future Anne, as she picked up Ami**.
(("how was your day at Hexside?, Did you make any new friends?"))
Ami** frowned. (("not really...everyone thinks I'm weird."))
(("oh, they don't think you're weird.")) said Future Anne, softly.
(("they're just...'intimidated' by your bubbly personality. give them time."))
(("Okay, Mama!"))
Anne couldn't stop staring at her future self.
As expected, she was wearing an outfit befitting an employee of her job.
a dark green collared shirt that has the logo of the Aquarium, alongside a lanyard
that has her I.D badge attached to it (which read as: 'ANNE P.B. CLAWTHORNE.')
She was also wearing shorts and boots that make her appear like a hiker,
and her hair tied with a Thai-styled scrunchie with a Leaves pattern embroidered upon it.
Anne also took note the tender, loving expression on her future self's face.
It was the same kind face that her own mother often made when she was a child.
"she's...I'm...so cool." spoke Anne, struggling to find the right words.
Future Olivier then approached, a smile one his face as he embraced his wife and their daughter.
The two parents then nuzzled their noses together, before kissing softly.
(("MAMA!, DAWDY!, you're SQUISHING me!")) exclaimed Ami**.
(("sorry, dear.")) said Future Anne, as she set Ami** down.
As the young girl looked at the frog enclosures, Future Anne and Olivier embraced again.
(("have I told you how much that I love you?")) spoke Future Olivier.
Future Anne smiled. (("almost every single day since I first said: "I Do."))
(("then, I'll say it again: "I love you.")) said Future Olivier.
Olivier stared at his future self with a dumbfounded expression. "I don't REALLY sound that cheesy, do I?"
Anne said nothing (but did make a 'So-So' gesture with her hand.)
(("so, how are you feeling?")) asked Future Olivier.
(("I'm FINE, Oliver. don't worry."))
Future Anne then rubbed her belly...which had a distinct 'bump' to it.
(("Ollie, Jr." still has some more growing to do."))
Anne blushed beet red upon realizing that her future self was pregnant
(and while this shouldn't be THAT surprising, considering 'she' was already a mom...
...it was still quite a shock to see herself pregnant.)
(("well if you DO start to feeling ill, don't be too proud to take a maternity leave.")) spoke Future Olivier.
(("You, and our baby's health is more important than your job."))
(("yes, "DAD.")) said Future Anne, sarcastically.
(("Speaking of, we should get going: We're due to meet your parents in five minutes."))
(("Okay, then...")) The two parents walked to their daughter.
(("let's go, Ami**. We're going to go see your grandma and grandpa."))
(("OKAY!")) said Ami**, as she held both her parents hands.
The Future versions of Anne and Olivier both had warm smiles
as their walked with their daughter, occasionally lifting her up in a playful manner.
~Let it go, Let it roll right off your shoulder. Don't you know?, The hardest part is over.
Let it in, Let your clarity define you. In the end...We will only just remember how it feels
Our lives are made, In these small hours. These little wonders,
These twists and turns of fate. Time falls away, But these small hours...
These small hours, still remain.
Let it slide. Let your troubles fall behind you,
Let it shine. Until you feel it all around you,
And I don't mind, If it's me you need to turn to, We'll get by...
It's the heart that really matters in the end.
Our lives are made, In these small hours. These little wonders,
These twists and turns of fate. Time falls away, But these small hours...
These small hours, still remain.
All of my regret, Will wash away some how.
But I can not forget, The way I feel right now
In these small hours, These little wonders. These twists and turns of fate...
Time falls away. but these small hours, These small hours, still remain.
These little wonders, These twists and turns of fate. Time falls away, But these small hours...
These little wonders...still remain.~
Anne and Olivier watched their literally future walk away...
...and then, the vision ended.
Anne and Olivier opened their eyes. They were back in the present,
still floating high above Los Angeles upon Olivier's magic staff.
The two locked eyes, both unable to look away.
with the memory of their future still burned in their minds...they embraced each other.
Neither said a word...and they didn't need to.
Somehow the love they already had for each other felt even stronger,
Now that their once uncertain future had replaced any dread they had...
...with Hope.
[End of Part Nineteen]