Back at the illusion of the Plantar Homestead...
Sasha was sitting with Anne and Olivier against the stone fence,
all silent as they looked up at the starry sky that was surprisingly authentic.
"Sooo...what now?" spoke Anne.
"Guess we wait to see which one of us wakes up first." spoke Olivier.
"Did all that actually happen!?" spoke Sasha (after being silent for a whole minute.)
"Yeah, it did." said Anne.
"And...you're just "OKAY" with all of that." inquired Sasha.
"Sash, my world hasn't gotten any less crazier since I got back home." said Anne.
"I have a killer robot hunting me down, and Ollie planted some magic trees.
And, yes: there is the whole fusing into one being thing that I've done enough times to be used to it."
Sasha groaned. "when did our lives suddenly turn into one of Marcy's Fanfics?!"
Olivier looked at the two girls. "I envy how you both are so amazed by this kind of thing.
Where I come from, this would be just another Tuesday."
Anne shrugged. "WELL, it's like my parents always say: "The grass is always greener on the other side."
Olivier pondered this. "I suppose that makes sense."
Sasha became still, staring blankly as she became deep in thought.
Despite separating from Olivier, she still maintained two sets of memories in her head.
One was her own memories...the other obviously belonged to Olivier.
And her eyes grew moist as she *remembered* Edalyn Clawthorne, Olivier's mother.
...and just how different of a mother she was compared to her own.
Sasha found herself wishing she had a mother like Olivier did.
Part of her wanted to meet this 'Owl Lady'...But knew that if she ever learned of all she did to Olivier,
then she would DESPISE her, and probably put a curse on her (not that she would really blame her.)
"So, Sasha..." spoke Anne.
Sasha looked at Anne. "We noticed how we couldn't get into the Plantar's House."
"Almost as if the interior of the home doesn't even exist." added Olivier.
Sasha looked away. "I...I have difficulty being in that house.
I tend to stay in the Catacombs underneath the house, but NEVER in the house itself."
Anne frowned. "still feel unworthy?"
Sasha closed her eyes, shedding a tear. "I don't deserve to be in *YOUR* home."
Anne scooted over, and gave Sasha a tight hug. "yes, you do...NOW."
For whatever reason, Olivier also scooted near Sasha and also gave her a hug as well.
Sasha blushed, liking the affection she was getting from both of them.
Eventually, the hug ended and Anne looked at Sasha once more.
"Sasha...While I know you are going through some things, you really do need put them aside for now.
Me and Ollie...we STILL haven't found a way back to Amphibia yet. and Andrias intends to invade our world."
Sasha exhaled, scowling. "I know..."
"Well, here is something you probably don't: GRUNGE is in the Human Realm, too." said Olivier.
"WHAT!?" exclaimed Sasha, shocked.
"Grunge...is in YOUR world." repeated Olivier. "And he aims to dominate it,
CLAIMING it is the "only way" to defend the Human World from Andrias' invasion force."
"good god..." spoke Sasha, still stunned.
Olivier nodded, though exhaled deeply.
"Needless to say, Me and Anne have our hands full dealing with that Toad's machinations.
So, YOU are our only hope to keep Andrias occupied and slow down whatever progress he is making."
Sasha frowned, feeling a little overwhelmed.
"We know we are asking A LOT from you, Sash." spoke Anne.
"But we really do need you to buy us all the time you can...we're counting on you, girl."
Sasha looked at Anne and Olivier. Then...after a brief moment, she put on a more stern expression and nodded.
"I'll do all I can to slow him down...I'll rob his food deliveries, if I have to."
Anne smiled, and hugged Sasha. "THANKS!"
"You won't face this alone." spoke Olivier. "Now that I have the means to communicate with you directly,
I'll try and teach you how to control your own Calamity Powers.
Although your energy was drained into the gem, traces lie dormant within you.
I can help you regain your lost strength, and use it against Andrias."
Sasha smiled weakly. "I don't deserve your help...but thank you."
Olivier hugged Sasha. "we're all in this together, Waybright. Holding Grudges won't save everyone."
Anne silently nodded, mentally repressing any anger she still felt for Sasha...AND Marcy.
There would be plenty of time later to talk about things.
For now, they were much bigger things that they needed to focus on.
((*SHING!*))
Suddenly, a blinding flash illuminated the area.
The teens all looked...and saw a tall, giant Axolotl draped in a robe towering over them.
"BOB?!" spoke Anne.
Sasha eyed Anne. "Bob?"
"He's a Cosmic Axolotl that is the guardian of Dreams." explained Olivier.
"oh...KAY." responded Sasha.
"He also helped us find you." added Anne.
"oh."
Olivier approached the Axolotl. "I'm surprised to see you here...what's up?"
(("Well, I was concerned over your safety and came to check on you.")) began Bob.
(("BUT, it is good to see that I was worried over nothing. You seem to have had everything under control."))
"Yes, well...It sure wasn't easy." said Olivier.
Sasha eyed the Witch Boy. "Were we REALLY at the same fight?!
From my perspective, we mopped the floor with those monsters."
Olivier looked back at Sasha...and the shrugged. "OKAY. maybe it was a little easier than I thought it'd be."
"But, to be fair...Getting those inner demons to stay down was the tricky part." commented Anne.
(("Yes...Well, you two had better say your goodbyes. You will both awaken soon.")) said Bob.
Sasha frowned at this. "You're leaving?"
Anne looked to Sasha, and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Sasha...but we have to."
Sasha hugged Anne back. "I'm gonna miss you, girl."
"We'll see each other again...IN OUR DREAMS." said Anne.
Sasha snorted as she tried to hold in a laugh. "That has got to be the corniest thing I have ever heard."
(("Yes, that was rather corny.")) commented Bob. (("BUT technically true, all the same."))
Olivier approached the two girls, and touched Anne's shoulder.
He then whispered something into Anne's ear...and she blushed, and smiled.
Sasha raised an eyebrow. "what are you two up to?"
Anne and Olivier didn't answer. They simply embraced each other...
...and glowed bright as their bodied became light, merging and forming something else.
Sasha stared with wide eyes as a figure then materialized before her.
a biracial individual with Anne's frizzy hair, but Olivier's heterochromia eyes.
Sasha's heart pounded in her chest, Immediately smittened
by this fusion of the two people she had strong feelings for.
"l-lemme guess...Olivanne?"
Olivanne nodded. "Yep. So, whadda think? Pretty awesome, huh?"
Sasha could only nod, her face still frozen with a stunned expression. ("god, they look so HOT.")
Olivanne approached, and gave Sasha a tight hug (which made the blonde girl blush redder than a tomato.)
("m-muscles...") muttered Sasha, internally.
After some time passed, Olivanne finally released Sasha. The Fusion then winked, and shot a 'finger gun' at the girl.
"Bye, Sash. We'll keep in touch." spoke Olivanne. "Just hold the fort until we get back."
Sasha nodded. "oh-okay...I will."
Olivanne smiled, and then walked away towards Bob, the Axolotl.
(("You ready to go back?"))
Olivanne nodded. "Yes...we're ready."
Sasha looked on at the fused form of Anne Boonchuy and Olivier Clawthorne.
Olivanne looked back at her, smiled and waved goodbye to her.
Sasha waved back...and then shielded her eyes from a blinding light.
Sasha suddenly shot up, sweat covering her scalp.
She gasped, and looked around. Finding herself back in her room...
...In the Plantar's Underground Catacombs.
Sasha rubbed her face, pinching her brow.
"Sasha?"
Sasha looked to see a a certain Male Toad sitting on a chair beside her bed.
"Grimesy?" spoke Sasha. "what are you doing here?"
Grime looked awkward as he cleared his throat.
"you, uhh...you were making concerning noises in your sleep." spoke Grime.
"So I thought it necessary to monitor you...just in case something happened."
Sasha smiled. she then sat at the edge of her bed, and hugged the Toad.
"oh-kaaay..." spoke Grime, unsure what to make of this.
"thanks, Grime." said Sasha. "I really do appreciate you."
"You feeling alright?, you're not coming down with a Fever, are you?"
"I'm FINE, Grime.' said Sasha. "I...I got to see Anne again."
Grime looked puzzled.
"She and Olivier...they spoke to me in my dreams." continued Sasha.
"They're in my world, and are trying to find a way back to Amphibia to help us."
"Are you SURE that wasn't all just a dream?" asked Grime.
Sasha nodded. "YES. I'm sure of what I saw...it was them."
Grime stared, still not sure if he believed this.
BUT, he then remembered his brother once speaking of something called 'Dream Walking',
and decided that even if he didn't understand it...it didn't mean what Sasha said was wrong.
The world had gotten quite stranger recently...So. it was perhaps best to keep an open mind.
"well...if you say it's them, then I believe you." said Grime, finally.
Sasha looked at Grime, her expression now more serious. "there is...one other thing."
"what?"
"Grunge is ALSO in my world, too."
This statement made Grime widen his one good eye in astonishment.
The last he saw of his dark brother, he had been sucked into an unstable vortex
courtesy of the Calamity Box, along with that blue, charm-casting frog girl.
And despite his betrayal of his trust, Grime was still a little sad to see his brother
seemingly disappear into oblivion (although when asked, he'd feign concern over the frog child instead.)
SOME believed Grunge to be dead...but Grime had an odd feeling that wasn't the case.
Although not a warrior, he was still a fighter like him and their sister.
It would take a great deal to finally vanquish a Toad like Grunge.
"and...what news did you learn of him?" asked Grime, his tone steady.
"Not much...Other than he's planning on taking over my world
like some lame-ass, Saturday Morning Cartoon Villain." said Sasha.
"And, he CLAIMS to be doing it to "protect" my world from Andrias' invading army."
"That does sound like something he would try to do." mused Grime.
"They're counting on me to stop him...or, at least slow him down long enough until they return." continued Sasha.
"I can't let Anne down...not again. I don't know HOW, but...we HAVE to buy them as much time as we can."
Grime nodded. "so...We are the blockade defending the rebellion until reinforcements arrive."
Sasha shrugged. "pretty much, yeah."
Grime made a hearty chuckle. "I love a good challenge! I'm in if you are."
Sasha smiled, glad that despite it all...She could ALWAYS count in Grime to back he up.
"And, Grunge?" asked Sasha.
"Sounds like he is Clawthorne's problem, so we'll leave him to it." said Grime.
"I mean...It's not like we can do anything about it, right?"
Sasha nodded. "yeah...you're right."
Sasha then yawned loudly.
"You should perhaps get some more rest, lieutenant." said Grime.
"ye-yeah...i-i guess...soooo..." droned Sasha, as she laid back down.
Grime got up off his chair, and pulled the covers over the girl.
As Sasha went back to sleep, the old Toad actually cracked a smile.
Satisfied, Grime turned and began to walk away.
Although he frowned as his mind became plagued with thoughts of Grunge.
He recalled the moment when Grunge revealed his true intentions to him.
How he desired to rule over ALL of Amphibia, with Toads as the dominate race replacing the Newts.
Grunge had ACTUALLY offered Grime a place in his regime.
To rule alongside him in the new Toad Kingdom, sharing equal power.
And for a moment...Grime HAD considered his brother's offer.
But he didn't regret turning him down in favor of standing by Sasha,
Who by NOW...meant more to him than any Crown, or Throne.
[End of Part Forty]