Olivier Clawthorne gritted his teeth, struggling against the mechanical tentacles
that were wrapped tightly around his body, keeping him restrained.
His eyes darted around the red lit room.
Beside him were some familiar faces, ALSO restrained by tentacles.
The Plantars, Maddie, Sasha, Grime, Olivia and Yunan...and Anne.
Anne was being held forward as their captor approached.
Olivier saw King Andrias standing afar, but he wasn't the one in charge.
no. the dark, horned figure clad in black armor was.
With three golden/red eyes and a cape that billowed from their shoulders,
they approached Anne...holding a dagger with a heated plasma blade.
(("Let's make this quick...")) spoke the tri-eyed devil, their voice distorted.
Olivier grimaced, feel dread overtake him as the blade neared the girl he loved.
"WAIT!" exclaimed Anne.
(("Amusing. You wish to beg?"))
"Just a quick question." spoke Anne. "What if killing me somehow extinguishes the box's power altogether? Poof!"
"Don't be ridiculous." spoke False King. "You think the Core hasn't considered-
(("Shut up, Andrias!")) yelled Tri-Eyed Devil at the False King.
The Tri-Eyed Devil then closes its eyes to find a perfect answer to what Anne says.
Their eyes then opened up again...and, then-
"-ERK!"
Time seemed to stop as the unthinkable took place.
Anne gasped, expelling bloody saliva as the knife was plunged into her neck.
Everyone stared in horror, their mouths gaping and tears forming in their eyes.
For Olivier...he could almost feel his heart stop.
As the Tri-Eyed Devil pulled the knife out, Anne turned to look at her loved ones.
She knew...THEY knew, that she was going to die. DEATH was inevitable.
and, yet...Anne forced herself to smile. She was dying, yet not a trace of fear was on her face.
Anne looked at Olivier (who could no longer hold back his tears.)
In her hazel eyes that were flickering blue was nothing but love.
The blade had taken her ability to speak...but she tried to anyway.
She mouth three inaudible words (but, Olivier knew exactly what they were.)
finally...Anne could no longer hold back the reaper. she slumped down, all life having finally left her body.
Olivier wanted to scream...but still, he was silent.
He was in disbelief. this couldn't be real...this COULD NOT be happening!
The Tri-Eyed Devil grinned like a demon as a blue energy wisp left Anne's lifeless body.
They then held the Calamity Box, awaiting the energy to return to it's blue gem.
BUT, it didn't.
Instead, the Calamity Power of Heart entered a new vessel: Olivier Clawthorne.
(("What!?, NOO!")) exclaimed the Tri-Eyed Devil
Tears still streaming down his face, Olivier felt Anne's power combine with his own magic.
It gave him a surge of power...which was more than his restraints could handle.
"WHAT IN-!?"
"AAAAHH!" Olivier screamed, unleashing a burst of energy.
One so powerful, it destroyed the mechanical tentacles. Freeing it's captive.
Friend and Foe alike were knocked back by the shockwave, momentarily stunning them.
Olivier ignored everyone and rushed over to Anne. He knelt down, and held her limp body in his arms.
"anne...Anne, PLEASE." begged Olivier, his tears flowing uncontrollably.
"please don't do this to me...PLEASE come back. please...I love you."
Anne didn't respond...she couldn't. Her eyes were wide open, but they stared right through Olivier.
Olivier looked into her eyes. Eyes that once looked at him with love.
NOW, they were cold, DEAD eyes. no more would they give him comfort.
no more would he hear her sweet voice whisper those three words that gave him strength.
The Guardian of Heart was gone...and she took his own heart with her.
Olivier hugged Anne's lifeless body, and broke down crying.
There were no words in any language that could describe the anguish he was feeling.
It was like all the joy, all the love he was capable of feeling was dead inside.
That warm feeling once in his heart slowly became cold as his sorrow...became something else.
a new feeling began to hold...a DARKER feeling.
One he had before tried to repress, but no longer had the strength to.
As blue energy pulsed within him like lightning, his hair shifted between auburn to black.
His sadness remained, but new feelings joined it: Rage...and HATRED.
His power only grew as he allowed his dark feelings to take hold.
Until finally...he couldn't hold it back anymore.
So, he let it all out.
(("AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"))
Olivier screamed at the top of his lungs, his body flaring with blue, fire-like energy.
His hair and eyes turn black as the darkest night, and the room shook like a violent earthquake.
Anne Boonchuy was dead...
...and so too was Olivier Clawthorne.
"AAH!, NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Olivier shot up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily.
He looked around, and saw he was in bed in his basement room at the Boonchuy home.
The Witch Boy groaned as he gripped his damp scalp.
"a dream...it was just a *horrible* dream." spoke Olivier. "...I hope."
Olivier tried to lay back down, but was unable to relax. The memory of his nightmare was still fresh in his mind.
He finally turned on a light, and got out of bed. Looking at his hand, he saw that it was shaking violently.
He then grasped his face, grimacing as he tried in vain as he tried to block out the gruesome images in his mind.
Finally, Olivier made his way across the room and up the stairs.
...he HAD to make sure she was okay.
Carefully opening the door, Olivier stepped softly out of the basement.
It was late into the night, and most everyone was already asleep.
So Olivier did his best to tread silently in the direction of Anne's room.
Entering the hallway, Olivier held his breath as he walked past the door to Anne's Parents bedroom.
He edged closer, and closer to the door at the end of the hall where Anne's room was.
He then carefully grasped the doorknob, and slowly turned it.
Despite his best attempt to stay silent, the door still made a loud squeaking sound.
Inside, the Plantars were fast asleep in the drawer beds.
Olivier continued to step silently into the room and approached Anne in her bed.
He froze as he looked down upon his girlfriend's sleeping form.
Still shaken from his nightmare, he leaned closer to check her.
Of course, there was no knife wound in Anne's neck.
And she was breathing softly (confirming that she was still alive.)
Olivier gently stroked her frizzy brown hair (though, his hand still trembled.)
The only other thing he wanted was to see her still living, loving eyes look at him.
But, he didn't want to wake her from her sweet slumber. So he resisted that urge.
For now...it was enough to know that Anne was still alive,
and what he saw in his nightmare was only a bad dream, and wasn't real.
...and he hoped that was all it would be: JUST a horrible, bad dream.
Olivier finally kissed Anne softly on her cheek.
*i love you...so much.* whispered Olivier, silently.
Anne moved a little, but continued to sleep soundly.
Olivier gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand.
He managed to smile, feeling a little content...but not fully.
Olivier finally turned and silently walked back to the door.
Leaving the room, he gently shut the door. doing his best to remain quiet.
...but as he turned, he was suddenly met with both of Anne's parents.
"Oliver...what were you doing in Anne's room?" spoke Oum. Calm, yet stern.
Olivier didn't say anything...he just stood frozen, shaking like a leaf.
Initially, Anne's parents were about to order Olivier to return to his room.
BUT they both noticed that Olivier's body language wasn't a boy having be caught doing something bad.
...he looked traumatized.
"oliver...are you okay?" asked Bee.
Olivier couldn't answer...he was still trembling.
While they didn't know what was wrong, the Boonchuys DID know something was wrong.
Oum did acted first, and gently pulled Olivier into a hug.
"it's okay...whatever it is, it will be okay." spoke Oum, softly.
Olivier continued to tremble...but he welcomed Oum's motherly embrace.
It was situations like this that he REALLY missed his own mother.
Thankfully, Anne's mother was here to fill that void.
"I...I had a nightmare." spoke Olivier, finally.
"about Anne?" spoke Bee.
Olivier nodded. "yes."
Anne's parents looked at each other for a moment.
"do you want to talk about it?" asked Oum.
"I...I don't know." stuttered Olivier.
"You might feel better if you do." said Bee.
Olivier was silent for a moment...but he finally relented and nodded to the adults.
Anne's parents then walked Olivier down the hall, and back into the main interior of the house.
Olivier was sitting on the couch in the family room [Author Note: Why does Drama keep happening in THIS room!?]
Anne's father was sitting beside Oliver, while his wife was in the kitchen.
Eventually, she approached the two with a cup of hot chocolate and sat at Olivier other side.
"here...drink this." spoke Oum. "You will feel better."
Olivier did his best to steady his shaky hands as he took the hot cup.
He drank the contents (which indeed felt very soothing in his throat.)
"this does taste good." said Olivier.
"I added mint for flavor." said Oum.
"thanks." said Olivier, taking another sip.
There was a brief silence.
"I'm very sorry about this." spoke Olivier, breaking the silence.
"It's OKAY, Oliver." said Oum, placing a comforting hand upon Olivier's shoulder.
"We're Parents. We understand how hard it is trying relax after a bad dream."
"And, we know it isn't something you should deal with alone." said Bee.
Olivier trembled a bit more. "being alone...is what I am afraid of. Not that I always thought so."
"what do you mean by that?"
Olivier looked to each side at each of Anne's parents.
He then looked down at the cup of hot chocolate in his hands...and started to speak.
"before I met Anne...I was a different person." began Olivier.
"Growing up, I was a happier child. One who with 'ridiculous optimism' who never saw a stranger.
"a Stranger is just a Friend you haven't met yet", I used to think."
Olivier then squeezed the cup in his hand.
"I had a best friend once..." continued Olivier. "I did everything with her. I was happy then.
But one day, she just turned her back on me out of the blue. And she didn't just stop talking to me...she HURT me."
Oum and Bee looked at Olivier with empathy. "is...that how your ears got the way they are?" asked Oum.
"kind of..." answered Olivier. "Point is, I was hurt...Hurt by the one I trusted the most.
From then on, I closed my heart to everything. Only sharing tenderness to my family, and NOTHING ELSE."
a tear drop landed in Olivier's cup of hot chocolate.
"I was alone...and I hated it. But, I had convinced myself: "It is better this way."
Anne's parents wanted to say something comforting...but decided to let Olivier speak.
"Then...I ended up in Amphibia." continued Olivier.
"And, all because I made the mistake of trusting someone I shouldn't had...AGAIN.
I eventually met Maddie Flour. And not long after...I met Anne, and made a home in Wartwood Village.
But it wasn't 'Love at First Sight' like in those movies I've watched with her.
No. my heart was still closed off, and while I did socialize with others...I kept my distance from them.
At that time, I didn't believe in Friendship, or even Love. they were only feelings to me.
Feelings that feel so good at first, but will only lead to more heartache in the end.
But Anne...she was relentless. I was technically the only "human" besides her living in Wartwood.
She had already met up with Sasha, but they had a falling out. and Marcy was still missing at the time.
Anne was...Desperate to form a bond with me. She hated being alone, too.
I tried to just keep us as 'friendly acquaintances', but Anne wanted more than that.
And, I won't lie...I did enjoy her company. I liked her...but I was afraid to let her get too close.
I was afraid to let myself trust, that even SHE might end up hurting me...like 'SHE' did."
Olivier exhaled softly. "but, I DID let her in...I let her get to my heart.
And when I realized how much I loved her, how Happy she made me feel after so long...
the only thing I now feared...was losing her."
Olivier drank the rest of the hot chocolate in one gulp...and then dropped the empty cup.
"I know Anne is your daughter, and there is no question that you love her..." continued Olivier.
"But for me...Anne is my whole world, my...other half. Losing her would be like losing part of my soul.
And I am just...SO SCARED of losing her. That one day, I will fail to protect her...and I'll be alone, again."
Olivier put his arms around himself, shaking.
"I don't want to be alone." trembled Olivier "I don't want to live in a world...without HER in it."
Anne's parents finally put their arms around Olivier, and hugged him.
Olivier let himself cry, letting out the emotions he was trying to hold in.
"it's okay...we understand." said Oum, her voice soothing.
"yeah, little man. I get it." spoke Bee. "I would be devastated too if anything ever happened to my Oum."
Oum briefly looked at her husband, and smiled.
"I just don't know what to do..." spoke Olivier.
Oum looked at Olivier. "Do your BEST...it has gotten you this far."
Olivier looked up at the woman. "but, what if my best isn't good enough?"
"Keep believing that...and it won't be." said Oum. "Because I believe in you, Oliver.
and even if you do...fail. I won't blame you for any of it. And you won't have to be alone."
Olivier paused, and then spoke again. "I won't let what I saw in my dream happen."
"Oliver..." spoke Oum.
Olivier looked at the Thai woman. "yes?"
"Me and my husband...we have been talking, and we have come to a decision." began Oum.
"We would like to give you a job working with us at our family's restaurant."
Olivier looked surprised. "Me?"
"You have proven to be GREAT at making good tasting food." said Bee.
"And it might also help take your mind off of things,"
"well-"
"PLUS, you will be close to Anne." said Oum. "You both work pretty well together."
The Witch Boy thought about this. "we do...and I would feel better being near her."
Olivier looked at Anne's parents, again. "okay...I accept the job. I'll...try not to disappoint you."
Oum smiled, and ruffled Olivier's auburn hair. "alright then, get to bed. You start first thing in the morning."
"okay." said Olivier, picking up the discarded cup and setting it down on a table. "good night, Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy."
"Good night, Oliver...have sweet dreams."
Olivier smiled weakly. "I hope so."
Olivier proceeded to walk back to the basement where his room was.
He was so lost in his own thought, however...that he didn't notice Anne hiding in the shadows.
She had awoken not long after he left her room...and she had heard EVERYTHING.
[End of Part Twenty-Three]