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Chapter Text

School was much more hectic than Marcy ever could've imagined.

After being lucky enough to make it to class seconds before the bell rang, the clumsy nerd didn't expect to walk into the absolute dumpster fire of chaos that had everyone shaken in their Converse shoes. First, there was the heavy presence of police patrolling the school grounds. While the former chief ranger had seen this before in the last week, today's was double. Any late student would be run down and given seven hours of detention. Heck, she recalled seeing a student being run down and getting his head shaved outside, only to remove a bandage at the back of his head during her first class. And that was merely two minutes after class began. It was disturbing and somewhat confusing to watch.

There was a sudden disturbance in the air as she sat with her friend group, or what was left of them, during the early minutes of lunchtime. Though it seemed like everything was fine, the clumsy nerd knew by heart that this was anything but ordinary. And with Sasha still in the hospital, the situation was much more dire than she could ever imagine. The only thing that kept the mood from being reduced to long, sullen silence was Gabby's constant babbling over the usual hot gossip of this week. And the ones listening in the group with Maggie and Haddie. The twins were frog knows where. Though she bet, they were probably still getting lunch.

But that didn't even come close to addressing the elephant in the room, which was the sulking image of her best friend, who sat across from her and was as silent as the grave. For what it was worth, Marcy felt worried for her. Since school began, Anne was unusually quiet, though Marcy couldn't blame her since she had lost one of her closest friends and her family's restaurant on the same day. The former chief ranger couldn't even imagine what that must feel like, but she could guess since Anne nearly lost her and Sasha back in Amphibia at the toad tower.

It didn't look too good from what they both told her in Wartwood before the Battle of the Bands. With the fighting and Sasha almost falling to her impending death when the tower collapsed in on itself. Heck, the thought of them two quarreling and Sasha having a near-death experience left Marcy worried for days. Nonetheless, the former chief ranger couldn't help but feel concerned for her with the apparent lack of silence. But she also felt this wasn't a great time to say anything, not while other people were talking.

Naturally, Marcy used this time to look into the Guide she had picked up and started deciphering the language in the portion she had discovered in the library. Admittedly, the clumsy nerd found it more challenging to translate the book than the ones on Amphibia, but she felt she was making more progress than this morning. It was just a matter of discovering the language of the inscriptions. Of course, only a few languages took the form of symbols. It seemed like the symbols strongly resembled old Latin, like Amphibia's. But it couldn't have been that much older based on how the symbols were written. Germanic perhaps? Marcy couldn't say for sure yet.

She was just about to put the first set of symbols together when her train of thought was entirely interrupted by a sudden outburst from the twins, who came barreling at their group without so much as a hello.

"Hey guys!" Twig exclaimed. "You guys check out the latest trending video?"

"Not really," Maggie answered fluidly. "Why?"

"Well, check this out," Molly answered, pulling up her phone to show the video.

The teenagers gathered around to see what the twins were referring to, except for the two heroes. However, curious about the commotion, Marcy decided to pause her study moment and peer behind Haddie to observe the video. When the clip started, the teens could see a guy with a skateboard at the edge of a ramp, overlooking an extensive obstacle course with a geyser right in the middle. Everyone first noticed that the guy wasn't wearing a helmet. Thus, they had an idea of where this video was going, yet continued to watch regardless, just for general amusement.

"What's up, guys!" the guy on the video said. "I'm Johnny Schrock, and this is the geyser jump."

Half a second later, after the introduction, the skater started rolling off the ramp and launched straight into the air. While airborne, the guy performed some of the sickest moves Marcy had seen, at least for a skater. Yet before he could make it to the other side, the geyser erupted just below him. Hence, there was a high-pitched scream following the eruption before there was an immediate ceasefire just seconds later. To his luck, the skater was still alive. But the eruption caused him to have some severe burns.

Moreover, he tumbled down to the other side, rolling across the dirt for a couple of yards before landing headfirst into a cage full of raccoons. There, a moment paused before the raccoons viciously set themselves upon him. All the while, his mate, who held the camera the whole time, stood and watched while still filming the entire thing.

"Hey, Johnny," he said while the skater remained in the cage. "You alright?"

The most subtle reaction to the group was an uplifting roar of laughter. Even Marcy herself couldn't help but snicker in amusement.

"Guess he should've worn a helmet," Gabby commented.

"Nah, I don't think that would've protected him from the sick burns he just got," Maggie replied.

The uproaring laughter lasted for half a second more before it started to die down.

"Man, comedy has truly peaked, hasn't it?" Twig added.

Once everyone settled, Marcy returned her gaze to the field guide, intent on solving the mystery behind the hidden language. As she examined the symbols further, the former chief ranger couldn't figure out what made these inscriptions so familiar. And what language they held reference to. Sure, they screamed Germanic, but they also seemed more Icelandic, given their shape. Or maybe something a lot more recent than the one. It didn't make any sense. However, before Marcy could continue deciphering the first word, she was dramatically interrupted for a second time when she was spooked by the sudden voice of a girl just a few centimeters behind her.

"What's that you got there, Marcy?"

The clumsy squeaked as she mustered whatever strength she had to keep herself from falling over the table. Only to look over her shoulder to see a familiar face.

"Oh, hey, Haddie," she responded. The former chief ranger paused briefly, glancing at the Guide before answering the question.

"It's just a little something I picked up on the way out of the library."

"Anything in particular?" the goth girl asked.

Marcy hesitated. Though she was tempted to share what she'd learned with someone who'd understood her thus far, the clumsy nerd didn't want to give away too much information. Less she risked spilling the secret she swore to keep. However, the more she thought about it, the more she felt no shame in sharing what she knew before the dragons came to this world. Moreover, she didn't even have to mention anything dragon-related if she was careful. So why not humor

"You know, believe it or not," she began. "This was the book where I first learned about the Calamity Box."

And just like clockwork, Haddie's interests had already peaked. She could already see the look on her face as her eyes widened with excitement and the great big smile already developing. From one nerd to another, this was quite amusing to see.

"Really?!" Haddie exclaimed.

"Yeah, " Marcy reaffirmed. "There's a whole bunch of stuff in this book. Most have to do with world traveling and secrets to the universe; there was even a picture of a yellow triangle with one eye. Don't know what that's all about, though."

"That's so cool!" said the goth girl. "That's almost like having the secrets of the multiverse in your hands."

"I know, right?!" Marcy emphasized. "I only just found out about it as I was leaving. This one section I've been catching on to deals with a hidden language. I've tried deciphering the symbols, but it doesn't match any language I know."

"Could they be a key to unlocking something?" asked Haddie.

"I think so," the former chief ranger answered. "But I can't seem to make it out."

The more she thought about it, the more Haddie wanted to take a look for herself. There was just something about the page in the book that she couldn't quite wrap her head around. Hence, curiosity began eating at the gray-haired teenager, finally causing her to say something.

"Hold on, can I see it?" she asked.

Marcy nodded before moving her head slightly to the left to give Haddie a proper look. The goth girl squinted her eyes briefly, narrowing her vision so that the symbols became more apparent. She hummed to herself for a second, trying to process the imagery of the symbols. For half a second, there was a moment of brief silence. Then, like a light bulb, it finally hit her. And everything started to make sense now.

"Wait a minute," she claimed. "These are written in Old Norse."

This made Marcy pause. Her eyes widened, and the world suddenly started to freeze in place. Marcy had always considered herself the smartest of the trio compared to Sasha and Anne. Back in Amphibia, she prided herself on developing the perfect strategy while uncovering the entire dictionary of Amphibia's language and being so good at tactics that she beat the King of Newtopia in a game of Flipwart. But never once did she find herself beaten by somebody who could devise a particular language she had spent hours juggling with five possible others.

"Wait, Old Norse?!" she questioned. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, that's Old Norse, alright," Haddie confirmed. "I thought I recognized these symbols. This is an entire Norse dictionary."

For once, Marcy had to do a double take. This whole time, she was looking up the many languages that could match the text, and only now is she realizing that one language she had no idea of looking into best matched it from the top of her head. Haddie had to be bluffing.

"How do you know that?" she asked further.

"Can't you tell?" Haddie inquired. "These symbols are part of an ancient rune system used by ancient peoples in the 8th century. It started with 24 letters, but at the beginning of the viking age, it was reduced to 16. Each rune resembled a specific letter in the alphabet. Heck, I think you can find these kinds of inscriptions in Sweden and Norway. My mom's actually from Norway."

Marcy thought of it for a moment but couldn't fathom the thought that Haddie knew so much about this predicament. However, she had no other reason to doubt her since the goth girl could piece it together.

"So, just out of curiosity, how does the system work?" the clumsy nerd asked.

"It's quite simple," Haddie answered. However, when she opened her mouth to speak again, the goth girl stopped herself after coming to a realization. "Well...actually, it's not as simple as you'd think. Some complications existed between the Elder and Younger Furthak systems where the runes were formed."

The teen nerd's face started to darken from the utter disappointment she was about to feel before the goth girl replied, "But once you've mastered that system, it should be more straightforward."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. After that, it should be easy to follow through. For example, " You see this word," the goth girl says while pointing at a particular inscription. "That's referred to as Kyrra. Which means to be calm."

"And this word is called bjóna, which means to serve or pledge one's service. And then this one over here: Læa rífa. Which means lock tear. It's pretty cool when you get the hang of it."

Marcy squinted to look at the word and then observed the translation. For a moment, she started to see through the runic patterns, which began making more and more sense.

"Wow, I never actually thought about that," Marcy admitted. "And that's coming from me. Marcy Wu. The Straight A student and master RTS player."

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything," Haddie said with a chuckle. The two geeky teenagers shared a laugh before an idea popped into the goth girl's head. "If you want, I can teach you all I know about Old Norse."

The clumsy nerd paused once more before looking up at Haddie with surprise.

"Really?"

"Sure, maybe when we study together, I'll show you what I know. Maybe even throw in a little pop quiz if you're up for it."

"Is that a challenge?" Marcy questioned playfully while amused by this sudden challenge to her intelligence.

"Only if you're willing," Haddie clarified. "Though, I'm willing to be that something as simple as a quiz on old languages shouldn't be a problem for someone as smart as the great Marcy Wu. Am I right?"

Marcy smiled, feeling flattered. It was rare when somebody acknowledged how smart she was without something else to say. Not even Anne and Sasha could contend with this without commenting on how clumsy she was—not that she didn't mind.

"Well, that is true," Marcy admitted. "Alright, Haddie. I accept your challenge."

"Cool, I'll add it to the list of things to do," Haddie responded before pulling out a small notebook and jotting down a few notes. Just don't cry too hard if you end up being disappointed."

"You wish," Marcy replied. " I'm willing to wager I'll best it 10 out of 10 on the first try. You can bet on that."

"Oh, I'll take that bet, alright," Haddie responded.

Afterward, the two shared another laugh. Marcy started to like the back-and-forth banter she was having with Haddie. It almost reminded her of that one frog girl who had helped bring a flee to life back in Amphibia. Heck, she even looks like her, too. All in all, it was pretty amusing. And she felt like Haddie was slowly becoming a great friend to her to the point where she could now trust her. Yet before she could open her mouth to say something, the moment was ruined for the third time when Marcy felt a ring in her back pocket where her phone was.

When she pulled it out, she was surprised to see that it was from Sasha, who sent a face-time request. Usually, she would've been peeved by someone trying to FaceTime her during school hours, but this was Sasha, for frog's sake. No way was she going to miss out on this.

"Hey guys," she calls out. "It's from Sasha. I think she wants to FaceTime."

There was a slight pause before everyone instantly dropped what they were doing. Even Anne Boonchuy picked her head up at the very mention of Sasha.

"Really?!" Maggie exclaimed.

"This soon?" Gabby added.

"Has she said anything?" the Boonchuy girl asked, getting up from her seat across the clumsy nerd.

"Not yet," Marcy replied. "I was just about to answer."

"Well, don't just sit there, ya big dork," Anne responded urgently. "Go for it. See how she's doing."

Like moths to a flame, everyone gathered around the former chief ranger as she was seconds away from answering Sasha's call. As she got ready to press the button on her phone, Marcy heard chatter from the others behind her, anxious to see their friend, who was still at the hospital.

"I hope she's okay," Twig inquired. "When we saw her the other day, it didn't seem too good."

"Yeah," Gabby added. "That dragon gave her quite a beating."

"Are you kidding?!" Maggie rebuked. "Sasha's the toughest girl in this school. I'm sure she's fine."

"I'll say," Molly added. "Heck, it took two of them to take her down. That alone should say a lot about her."

"I wonder if she'll put that on her resume," said Haddie. "Assuming she's doing alright."

"Who wouldn't?" Maggie answered quicker than the blink of an eye. "It's one thing to save the world from an army of killer aliens. But to fight not one, but TWO dragons and live to tell about it?"

"Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Twig, trying to keep a more optimistic approach to the situation. "We still have to see how she's doing?"

"Why are you suddenly concerned, Twig?" the boy's half-twin questioned. "Is it because you're jealous you haven't met one yet?"

"I'm just pointing out the facts," Twig retracted, throwing his hands up in defense.

"Yeah, well-"

"Alright, quiet, everyone!" Anne interrupted. "She's about to answer."

The ginger twins grumbled silently while everyone gathered closer around Marcy's phone. The screen was currently on red due to the poor reception. Luckily, after a brief moment of waiting, the screen shifted a bit, and the entire group first saw the slightly patched-up face of Sasha Waybright, who bore a massive smile on her face.

"Hey, girlfriends!" she greeted over the phone. "Good to see you!"

"SASHA!" everyone exclaimed.

There was a brief round of applause before the girl was suddenly bombarded with dozens of warm greetings from everyone in the crowd, smiles, and words that clearly expressed how happy they were to see her. From the looks, Sasha seemed to feel better—at least better than the last time they saw her. As for the former lieutenant, she, too, seemed as enthused to see everyone on the screen, which only made the moment even more bittersweet. Yet no one was more delighted to see the blonde warrior's speedy recovery than her two best friends, Anne and Marcy.

"I'm so glad to see you're alright, Sash!" Marcy shouted, wanting to jump into the phone and appear on the other side to hug her.

"Awe, thanks, Marce. You're the best," said Sasha as she teasingly blew a kiss from the other end of the phone. Thus causing the former to blush slightly.

"How are you feeling, girl?" Anne asked, with a wholesome smile on her face.

"To be honest, I've been through worse," Sasha responded. "Aside from these stupid casts that are stuck to my leg and all over my right shoulder! "

"So, that bad, huh?" Anne questioned further.

"Yeah," the blonde warrior replied with a sigh. "Doctor says I have to keep it on for another few weeks. He also recommended this special lotion to help with my burns. I'm starting to question if it's legit."

"If you want, I can always take a look," Marcy offered. "I once took a medical class in Amphibia, and I'm pretty sure I can-"

"Eh, that won't be necessary, Marce," Sasha quickly declined. "It's a tempting offer, but I don't want the doctors thinking I'm suspicious about it."

"Alright, if you say so," the clumsy nerd replied. "So, how long will it be before they decide to let you out?"

"A few more weeks, at best," the former lieutenant answered. "The doctors say my scars are starting to heal, but at a slow pace. And I guess I took a pretty bad hit from all the burns I got in that last fight. I can't tell if I can feel my ribs or not. Otherwise, they don't know how long until I fully recover."

There was a brief silence, most likely as the group took a moment to process what the blonde warrior had just told them. However, Sasha caught on to this and tried to lighten the mood.

"But hey, I'll still be around to bug you, dorks," Sasha said with a grin. Just because I'm tied down to a hospital bed doesn't mean I'm gone. Just wait."

The group chuckled briefly before Anne replied, "We know, girl. Just hang in there, alright?"

"Bet."

That said, Sasha couldn't help but notice Marcy being unusually quiet, which was surprising since she was face-timing from her phone. Also, the former ranger seemed quite sad and had her eyes pinned to the floor. Thus indicating that something was on her mind.

"Everything okay, Mar-Mar?" Sasha questioned. "You're quiet, which isn't like you."

It didn't take that long for Marcy to notice everyone was watching her before she answered.

"I'm good, Sash," the clumsy nerd replied. "I just really wish you were here with us. I miss you."

"Awe, that's so sweet, Marce," the blonde warrior responded with the highest pitch she could muster. "I'll remember that for my welcome home party."

The former chief ranger chuckled before replying, "You're not even out of the hospital yet, and you're already planning on throwing a party?"

Sasha hesitated for a moment. It had become evident to everyone in the room that she hadn't thought this through.

"I'm thinking about it," she answered.

"If you do, sign me up first," Maggie insisted. "You kinda owe me after scaring the crud out of me yesterday."

"Okay, just for that, I think I might not invite you," Sasha noted sarcastically.

The ginger teen responded with a huff before saying, "Alright, alright! I was only playing."

"JK!" Sasha exclaimed over the phone. "Of course, you're invited. Though I think you owe me a solid after your last party."

Though confused, Maggie sighed and shrugged before saying, "Fair enough, Waybright."

"Also, everyone else is invited too!" Sasha declared. "But it's strictly invitation only."

"Since when have you ever not thrown an invitation-only party, Sash?" Anne asked.

"Last month," Sasha answered. "And if I recall, it was just you, me and Marcy."

The Thai hero paused momentarily to think about it, only for her eyes to brighten when it finally hit her.

"Oh yeah," Anne proclaimed. "Wasn't that when we went to see that one movie? About the outdated cars and a desert?"

"You mean Maddy Max: Furious Road?" Marcy recalled.

"Bingo."

"Right," Anne jumped in, just having remembered. "That was a crazy movie. I almost remember jumping out of my seat during that canyon chase."

"Yup, and at that time, it was only a horde of pale-crazed lunatics going around wrecking shops and not a pack of bloodthirsty dragons," Sasha commented. There was a bit of silence, with the added tension stirring up. Yet Sasha was quick to defuse it. "But on the bright side, it was still much fun. You guys would've loved it."

"I don't know about that," Twig said, feeling a little discontent. "That movie kind of gives me the creeps."

"That's only because you used to have a crush on one of the wives," Molly claimed. "Specifically, the redhead."

"Pssh, ah, what?!" Twig explained, on the verge of denial. "No! No, Molly! You're not remembering that! No, I would not do something like that. I didn't find her exceptionally beautiful and had dreams about her for five weeks straight!"

"Oh yeah, sure," Molly claimed, feeling unconvinced. "It's not like you weren't saying her name in your sleep for a month. And remember, we both share the same room, too."

Everyone in the room immediately erupted, save for the ginger twin, who blushed with embarrassment. Even the warrior queen was enjoying herself. However, shortly after, Sasha's facial expressions started to change drastically. The confident smile she was putting up was suddenly replaced with a frown, weighed down with guilt.

"Now that you've mentioned it, I wanted to apologize," she confessed. "To all of you."

"Apologize?!" Anne exclaimed. "For what?"

"For what happened the other day," the blonde warrior explained. "At the mall. I thought I could take them. I thought I could've handled these creatures, whatever they were, and stopped them from hurting anyone else. But they weren't what I expected."

"Well, as someone who's also had a rough experience with those things," Anne expressed from behind Marcy. "I know what you mean."

"I just wish I would've done more to end up like this, you know?" Sasha continued. "I should've been more prepared for this sorta thing. I should've trained more. I should've used the swords I bought weeks ago. I should've

"Hey, Sasha," Marcy was the first to cut her off, right before Anne. "I'm going to be real with you. When I first heard about what happened to you, I didn't know what to do. But whatever happened, know that it's not your fault."

"Yeah," Gabby responded. "Those dragons were a piece of work.

"And you got 2v1'd, too, "Maggie added. "So that wasn't exactly fair game."

"That's cheating!" Molly yelled from the background.

"Yeah!" Twig collaborated. "Those cheaters."

There was a soft pause before Marcy continued, picking up where she left off. Only to be followed up by Anne shortly after.

"The point is, you have nothing to feel sorry for," she explained.

"And we'll always be there for you," Anne added. "Even if you're not exactly here with us."

"Exactly," Marcy reaffirmed. "All that matters is that you tried. And in my book, that's enough."

Sasha smiled brightly in response, making everyone else's smile just as bright. She always knew Anne and Marcy had a way with words, the former a lot more than the latter. Nevertheless, knowing her friends would have her back—as she would for them—still warmed her heart.

"Thanks, guys," she said sincerely. "That means a lot to me."

"No prob, Sash," Anne answered with glee. "Just sit tight. And come home when you're ready."

At this point, Sasha was on the verge of tears. The amount of support she was gaining from her friends, even from the other side of her phone, was starting to make her tear up. Of course, the warrior queen never wanted to feel like she failed them by taking the L in that last fight. But this was the icing on the cake for her. However, there was a bit of chattering before she decided to say something.

"Alright, guys, I'm gotta bounce," she declared. "The nurse will take my phone away if I'm on too long."

"She can do that?" Anne asked with a chuckle.

"Supposedly," Sasha said in quotations. "But she'll have to pry it off my cold dead body if she wants it. You can bet on that!"

"Oh, I'll take that bet," the Boonchuy girl says playfully. "Nothing ever gets past you, Waybright."

"You're darn right about that, Boonchuy!" the warrior queen proclaimed with pride. "And when I'm out, we're all gonna laugh about this."

"Get well soon, Sashi," Marcy commented.

"You bet, Mar-Mar," Sasha replied. "Alright, nerds, I'll catch you guys later!"

The warrior queen then held up a peace sign before they all shouted in sync, saying,

"BYEEEEEEE!"

Shortly after, the video call ended, leaving the rest of the group to chat. However, while some in the group were more civil in their conversations, the same could not be said for the twins, who immediately resorted to complete chaos.

"See?!" Molly declared to her twin brother. "What did I tell you?! Of course, she's okay."

"Wait, what?!" said Twig, full of outrage. "I never said she wasn't! I was only implying that-"

"You owe me fifty bucks, bro!" said the female twin. "Pay up!"

"Hey, that's fair, bro!" Twig fired back. "We never even made a bet!"

"Well, I just did."

"That's a camper move!"

"You're a camper move!"

"You pick your nose!"

"Oh, why you little-"

At that point, the constant bickering escalated into an endless round of wrestling. One of which the others were more than happy to watch without anyone being there to break them up. However, the only one who didn't watch was Marcy, who was lost in her thoughts.

Personally, Marcy was glad to see that Sasha was doing better. Her last visit had the former chief ranger worried sick. Heck, she ended up having an anxiety attack just seeing her like that. It was an absolute miracle that she survived, not that she would doubt Sasha. Nevertheless, she was grateful that her best friend was okay. There was no way she would allow what happened in Amphibia to happen again, even if it weren't entirely on her watch. That being said, Marcy's inner turmoil was interrupted when something else came to her attention.

As the others continued gossiping and watching the twins wrestle with one another, Marcy noticed Anne slowly panning away from the group and sitting at the table's edge. For a moment, the clumsy nerd looked at the Guide she had on her end, contemplating whether or not she should continue deciphering the text. But after taking another look at the sullen image of her best friend sulking in the back, she couldn't resist the urge to help. The former chief ranger personally didn't like seeing Anne upset. It hurts to see Anne like this, especially after everything that's happened thus far.

Hence, she set aside whatever thoughts she might have had in the back of her head to check up on her best friend.

"You doing alright, Anne?" Marcy asked.

"Sure, dude," Anne replied in the most subtle manner the clumsy nerd had ever seen. "What else is new?!"

This threw Marcy off a bit, as she wasn't expecting such a reaction from Anne. However, she did not let it get to her and could compose herself long enough to take a full breath.

"Listen, Anne, I-"

However, before she could continue with what she was about to say, the former chief ranger was suddenly stopped by the flurry of chattering from a distance. When the two teenagers turned their heads, they felt a shiver go down their spines when they saw it coming from no other than Tracy Chandler. And with her was the volatile gang that followed her. Marcy couldn't help but cringe at the sight of the girl who kept on picking on her. That girl won't keep to herself, won't she?

Fortunately, she wasn't bold enough to come to their spot like always; instead, she was doing something entirely different. The former chief ranger could hear her whisper about Marcy's guess to her posse. Though she wagered, it wasn't anything good. After a moment, there was an uproar of laughter from her gang, and she started making gestures toward her and Anne, knowing that they were watching. Seconds later, the privileged teen started whispering to other people, only to gesture toward them in return. She wasn't sure what pack of lies she was telling them, but Marcy could already know that it was about them. And not in a good way.

Bloody tyrant!

Doesn't she have anything better to do?!

Marcy didn't know what about that girl that made her so cruel, but looking at her made the clumsy nerd's blood boil. She didn't know where she came from or what caused her to be so vile and evil, but this was a bit much, even for her. Usually, she wouldn't mind a bit of false rumors about her. Heck, those were the few things about being a nerd. Yet this was taken into account that Sasha wasn't here, who had the support of most of the school. Indeed, there was going to be trouble in the future. She knew it.

"Ugh, there is something wrong with that girl!" she exclaimed with a hiss. "I swear, whatever's going on in her personal life is starting to kill the vibe, man. I bet it's her-"

However, before she could vent her frustration, her attention was returned to her best friend's sullen form.

"Anne, what's wrong?" she questioned. "Are you okay?"

Anne paused. For a moment, Marcy could hear her starting to sniffle.

"Yeah, it's just-" the Thai hero said, pausing to hold back her tears. "It's just tough to cope with all of this."

Marcy stiffened. She could tell Anne was about to reach her breaking point. Not that she didn't blame her for it.

"I know what you mean," Marcy emphasized.

"First, my family's restaurant gets blown up," Anne presses on. "then, Sasha gets hurt. And now this! Does it get any worse than that?!"

"Anne, why do you think-"

"I don't know, Mar-Mar," Anne cuts off. "I know I'm supposed to be strong for her, but it's not looking good right now."

Now, Marcy was taken aback. Of the three, Anne was the strongest person that she knew. Though she wasn't as physical as Sasha, Anne typically picked everyone else back up when they were down. Heck, back in Amphibia, she was the one who had changed the most and molded into the responsible person that she is now. Yet for her to lash out like this was something she did not see coming. Sure, she had moments when Sasha betrayed her, or she found out she had tricked her into coming to Amphibia. But this was something else.

And somehow, Anne knew it, too. Thus, her eyes widened, and she suddenly realized what she had said before she calmed herself down. She breathed deeply to cool her emotions before opening her mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry, Marcy," she apologized. "I didn't mean to lash out."

"Nah, it's fine, Anne," Marcy retracted, not wanting her best friend to feel guilty.

"I just...I just...I don't know," Anne stammered. "It's a lot easier when Sasha's around."

Afterward, Anne hunched over the table and planted her vision on it. Marcy almost wanted to tear up at the sight of her best friend's now rendered lifeless, sulking form. Marcy hated seeing her like this. She seemed so broken and empty, almost like a spiritless husk. It wasn't like Anne to be like this, even back in Amphibia. She was always there to carry the vibe, even when Sasha wasn't around. But, of course, this situation has turned her world upside down. Just as she feared it would.

Marcy opened her mouth to try to say something to her, anything, but nothing came out. It was all too much for her. Half a second later, the school bell rang, meaning lunchtime was over. With it, the group slowly said their goodbyes and started to disperse. At this moment, Anne pushed herself up to collect her backpack. However, before Anne could get even an arm's length away from Marcy, the former chief ranger stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Hey, do you wanna do something after school?"

Anne had to do a double-take.

"What?" she questioned.

"I don't know, just a little something," Marcy elaborated. "Like, go to the mall or go get ice cream. Just something to pass the time."

For once, Anne seemed to be genuinely surprised. Not at the fact that Marcy was asking to hang out, but she was willingly offering her to do something outside of school for the first time in a while. Though she will admit that it wouldn't be the first time Marcy offered to do something like this, it was a rare occurrence. Even in Amphibia, Anne could only recall her best friend calling the shots once or twice whenever she offered to do something with her. Maybe it was because she and Sasha called the shots more often.

Surprisingly, Marcy didn't mind it. Though deciphering the book and finding the other dragons was her top priority, the clumsy nerd had to put her friends above everything else. There was no other way of putting it. Seeing Anne so sad and depressed was visibly hurting the poor girl. She has to do something about this. It was her sole responsibility to make sure her friends were happy.

Besides, the clumsy nerd wagered that he had plenty of time. The dragons weren't exactly going anywhere. And she hasn't even found the first one yet.

"Ummm...I don't know, Mar-Mar," she said with uncertainty. "I think I need to."

"Anne, we're going through a rough time," Marcy explained. "You're going through a rough time. We need a healthy distraction to forget all the bad stuff happening."

For a moment, Marcy could see the temptation in her friend's eyes. She could tell Anne needed a distraction. But it was slightly overlooked by hesitation.

"Oh, come on, Anne," Marcy said, trying to encourage her best friend. "It'll be fun. It'll be like the old days when it was just you and me."

"It's a school night."

"So? You didn't seem to have a problem when you and Sasha went out ditching class."

"Hey, that was different," Anne redacted. "We were different people then. This time, it's more-"

Marcy marches up to Anne and places her hands on both her shoulders. She stares at her directly so the Boonchuy girl has her undivided attention.

"Anne, do you remember when we first met?" the clumsy nerd asked.

"Yeah, I remember it like it was days ago," Anne answered, slightly puzzled that Marcy was standing only a few centimeters away from her face. "Why?"

"Do you remember when we were on that beach?" Marcy also asked. "And I built that sand castle?"

"Also, yes," Anne replied. "What are you getting at, Mar-Mar?"

"You made a promise to me that day," Marcy reminded. "Do you remember what it was?"

"Marcy, what does that have to-"

"Anne, this is important," Marcy cuts off. "Do you remember what you promised me about the sand castle?"

The Thai hero would lie to herself if she didn't admit how scary Marcy was when she was serious, mainly because Marcy was never really serious. It was an infrequent occurrence. And all the times she was serious, it was for a good reason.

"Anne!" she shouts. "This is important!"

"Okay, okay, jeez," Anne retracted. She hesitated momentarily; her cheeks started to glow red as she started muttering, "I promised we'd defend your castle till the bitter end."

"Exactly!" Marcy exclaimed. "When I was on the beach, you made a promise to me and personally saw to it that it was kept. Even if we lost it in the end."

"Yeah, what a losing battle that was," Anne joked. "If I remember correctly, we were on that beach for hours."

"But the point is, you made me that promise, as any friend would, " Marcy explained. "And now, here is my promise to you: We're going out after school! And I will not rest until we go to every last place on the block to make you feel better if it's the last thing we do!"

Anne held her breath to avoid laughing at Marcy's cheesy declaration. Nevertheless, the Thai hero started to take the bait, as a smile began creeping up on her face, ultimately increasing the former chief ranger's confidence.

"Come on, Anne, what do you say?" the clumsy nerd asked. "Remember when it was just the two of us? Two shrimpy dorks knockin' about in the streets? Wouldn't want to do something like that again?"

Marcy could tell Anne was thinking about it. As the Thai teen contemplated this proposal, the subtle look in her eyes was a dead giveaway. However, the more she thought about it, the more Anne felt it wasn't a bad idea. And she trusted Marcy enough to know she was on to something. And it didn't help her case as Marcy started giving her the typical puppy dog eyes. The big brown puppy dog eyes made the clumsy nerd look cute and innocent. At this point, how could Anne say no to that?

"You know what, Mar-Mar," she said. "You've won me over. Let's do it!"

Marcy's initial reaction was an overarching squeal before she reached over to envelop her best friend in a bear hug. The latter barely managed to avoid getting knocked on her back and staggered to meet the shrimpy dork's embrace.

"Great!" Marcy proclaimed, wrapping her arms tighter around the smaller girl. "I swear, Anna-Bananna, you won't regret this!"

"I'll take your word for it, Mar-Mar," Anne admitted

"Then it's settled!" Marcy replied while releasing her grip on Anne. "Meet me outside after school. It's going to be awesome!"

Anne chuckled.

Marcy was cute when she was excited. That was the one thing she liked about her, along with her eyelashes.

"I don't doubt it, dude," she agreed. "Now, we should probably get to class before the principal gives us a first-class seat to detention."

The clumsy nerd froze for a second.

"Oh, shoot, that's right!" she exclaimed before grabbing her stuff. The former chief ranger was about to bolt to class when she gave Anne one last look. "But don't forget Anna-Bananna! Me, you, after school, lots of fun!"

"Already looking forward to it, Mar-Mar," Anne replies as she drapes the straps of her backpack across her shoulders.

And with that, both girls gave each other a quick hug before departing to their separate classes. Henceforth, Marcy is already anticipating the fun she'll have with her best friend.

Thai Temple, 2:30 p.m...

There are few occasions when communities actively celebrate their culture daily. Moreover, there aren't that many communities that have entire temples dedicated to them. And none was more dedicated to their culture than the Thai community, especially that of the residential Thai Temple, enriched with good food, intricate dance rituals, and abundant customs and traditional practices that make the Thai community what it is.

Nobody was more proud than the Boonchuy family, which is well respected throughout the community. However, recent events have made it clear how deeply the family is in despair. The destruction of their prize restaurant will surely bring dark times in the long run. Nevertheless, here they are, trying to do whatever they can to repair the damages that have been done. Perhaps there was still hope to save that which they had already lost.

However, even in their darkest hour, the Boonchuys were in luck. Once again, it was market day at the Thai Temple. As per tradition, the Thai community gathers at the temple monthly to celebrate this special occasion. It is a day of good food, music, fun sports, and a particular Thai language school for youngsters in the community. As would have it, the Boonchuys just happened to have enough provisions and delicious treats stored in their house to bring to the event.

Since early morning, Oum and Bee have been at the temple, supporting the community as usual. When they first arrived, they were consistently showered with condolences by the other members of the community, and some even offered to give them the necessary supplies they needed to repair the damages to their restaurant. It was a generous and benevolent gesture that made their hearts melt like glass. Since then, the community has done its very best to show its support, as they have done during the many months when their daughter went missing.

Towards the end of the day, the two parents decided to call it a day so they could start repairing the restaurant. Additionally, Ned was there to help them load some of the supplies in his new truck (which was surprisingly undamaged, given what happened that night).

"Alright, Mrs. Boonchuy," he declared with pride. "That's everything."

"Thanks for the help, Ned," Oum said, giving the food truck driver's shoulder a little chat. "Why don't you go ahead and get this stuff to the restaurant? We'll be with you shortly."

"On it, boss," Ned saluted.

As she watched her recently added employee scramble inside his fully loaded truck, the Thai mother took a moment to admire their work. Initially, she wasn't expecting so much support from the community, not that she would expect anything from them. Nevertheless, she and her husband have been faithful to the temple since they moved to Los Angeles many years ago. And will continue to be loyal for as long as possible.

That being said, Oum would lie to herself if she didn't admit how fortunate she was to have so much support from many people around her. It meant so much for her and her family after the recent tragedies inflicted upon them. It almost reminded her of the time Anne went missing, and the entire community helped them through those dark times without asking for anything in return.

At the same time, while she felt highly grateful, it also reminded her of how sad she was. How lost and confused she felt when she thought her daughter had perished, or worse. This time, instead of her daughter, it was the foundation of her family's work. She was starting to wonder if fate, mere coincidence, or a not-so-subtle misfortune brought these unfortunate events to her front door. But one thing that she was sure of was that a drastic change was coming, and now the future was a complete mystery. And with nothing else she could do, Oum only prayed that whatever changes would come will be for the better. For the sake of her family. Yet recent events have made it abundantly clear that this may not be true.

However, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't see her husband coming up from behind her shoulder. The latter was so still that he could be mistaken as a manikin at the mall.

"Everything alright, dear?" he asked his wife, initially startling her.

"Don't do that!" she scolded, shoving Bee. "But yes, everything's fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked again. "You look a little tense."

Though she wouldn't admit it, Bee was right. Oum felt a lot of tension in her muscles without even knowing it.

"Well, can you blame me?" she questioned in her defense. "Our lives and work were almost destroyed. We're lucky we don't have to rebuild it from scratch. And who knows how long that would've taken."

Bee was at a loss for words. Though not as confident as his spouse, he was the most open-minded of the two, and whenever things went south, he was more optimistic about the future.

"I know it seems bad right now," Bee reassured. "But we'll get through this. We always do. Right?"

Oum paused for a moment, carefully considering her husband's words. As always, the Thai mother was never one to doubt her husband's optimism. It was a natural trait that she admired greatly. And given what history has shown, she had no reason to hold any judgment against it.

"Well, I guess you're not wrong," she admitted.

"Trust me on this one, honey," he said confidently. "We can get through this. Just like when we fought that robot."

"Oh yeah," Oum said with a chuckle. "That was such a fun time. We were so amped up after that."

"Heck yeah, we were," Bee replied with enthusiasm. "Remember, I was all like: Whapow! And you were all like-"

"Alright, alright," she tried to soothe, not trying to go too deep down memory lane. "Let's not get too carried away. Even if it was pretty awesome."

"But the point is, if we can handle that," Bee explained. "That we can handle anything."

Though it was hard to believe, Oum couldn't help but smile. Bee always had a good knack for lifting spirits. Especially when it comes to bringing up victories of past battles, specifically battles that didn't involve flying fire-spitting lizards. Which reminds her:

"Speaking of which, do you still have our old armor?" she asked curiously.

"Sure, it's in the back of the van," he answered. "I brought it with us in case we ever need it."

"Good," the Thai mother said with a nod. "Let's try to keep it with us just to be safe."

"Agreed," he responded.

Alas, the armor they were loaned by Mr. X during the frog invasion two months ago. The parents considered their suits useless for the last few months since the war with King Andrias had been long gone. And with no other threats from Amphibia, they kept it at home. Yet now that circumstances have changed, and the danger of fire-breathing monsters from another world is at their front door, they both agreed that keeping the armor with them was necessary.

While they didn't need it at the time, anything was possible. You never knew when such advanced technology could come in handy in challenging situations. Oum wagered that she'd gain much satisfaction using it on the beast that nearly put her life's work to the torch. That story would be worth telling her grandkids and their grandkids if she lived long enough.

However, as they watched Ned depart in haste, Oum caught a glimpse of two community members, Papu and Ba-Med, approaching them from the back of the temple. As a gesture of goodwill, they carried a few boxes filled with goods from the market.

"Hold up, you two," Ba-Med said with haste. "We've got something for you."

"Oh, hey guys," Oum greeted. "What's all this?"

"Just a little something we've packed for you two for the road," Papu answered.

Then, as quickly as a flash, the two parents found themselves holding the boxes of goods, only for Oum to pass them all on to Bee just seconds later—not that he didn't mind.

"Oh, that's so kind of you," said Bee. "Thank you."

"Of course, my dead," Papu replied. We're sorry to hear about what happened to your restaurant."

"Yeah, nasty business," Ba-Med added. "That beast had no business being there and making a mess of things. This loss deeply hurts the community."

"We appreciate that, Bad-Med," Oum responded. "I must admit, it was a grim day for all of us, even Anne."

There was a brief moment of silence as the four Thai adults reflected on their loss. Of course, there was no surprise in that. The worst part about the restaurant's loss was that some members, including Papu and Ba-Med, spent some time inside the restaurant, helping the Boonchuys with whatever they could. Some may say they even helped open the restaurant with them, too. And it pains them just as much as it does for the Boonchuys, knowing that the restaurant will never be the same again.

"Well, hopefully, this will help for the days to come, along with everything else," Papu said with a spark of optimism. "And know that whatever happens, the community has your full support. Whatever you need, we've got your back."

Oum smiled. Once again, she never fully intended to ask the community for anything since they do so much for it. But all these consistent gestures of goodwill have made the Thai mother more hopeful for the future.

"Thank you," she replied. "Both of you. And know that we'll always help the community whenever possible. You can count on that."

"Always," Papu responded before bowing her head in respect. Now, take care of yourself, too. We'll see you next month."

Henceforth, the two Boonchuys smiled with hope as they watched the two Thai elders head back into the temple, comforted by the knowledge that whatever happened in the future, they had people around them to give them their full support. That was until a familiar shadow passed over them—a shadow that belonged to a beast whose hunger had yet to be satisfied.

The two parents noticed it when they heard the sound of leathered wings coming from a distance. At first, it seemed like it was passing by as it flew overhead of them. But then, just when they thought it was on its way, their eyes widened in horror as it made a perfect U-turn before descending toward the temple. And as the shadow got closer and closer, only one thing stood in Oum's mind, which could be uttered in a single phrase.

"Oh no."

Meanwhile...One hour later...

In all their years together, Marcy couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun with Anne, even during their time back in Amphibia, where she had initially planned to spend more time actively with her. But it was all starting to come back to her as they walked on the side of the street after getting ice cream. And even then, that was after spending the entire afternoon at the arcade she and Sasha used to go to when they used to ditch class.

At first, Marcy saw this as just spending time with her best friend after they both suffered the grief of losing their second. But now, it was all starting to add up for the clumsy nerd. For whatever reason, Marcy was very grateful for every moment. The only thing that made this incomplete was the absence of Sasha (for self-explanatory reasons). It was quite a pity since she imagined herself with her two best friends like this, spending countless hours with each other for days.

But now, the former chief ranger was enjoying every second of this. As they were striding down the street, two ice cream cones in hand, the teen girls were having the time of their lives. Hence, a roar of laughter escaped them as they were knee-deep into their most recent conversation.

"Okay, okay, I got one," said Anne. "If you had a choice between spending one full hour playing a tennis match or one full day playing a match at chess, what would it be?"

"Hmmm," Marcy hummed while scratching the base of her chin. "I'm gonna go with chess."

"What?!" Anne shouts in surprise. "Why?"

Marcy shrugged modestly, though she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit how obvious the answer was.

"I have an unfair advantage," she replied. "I'm like an expert at playing chess. And with my recent experience playing Flipwart, I can proudly say that I'm a pro at it."

"So I've heard," Anne responded playfully. "But I'll admit, I don't know how you do it Mar-Mar. You've defeated the King of all Amphibia in a single match. Meanwhile, I don't think I would've lasted a single round without messing it up."

Marcy shrugged again as a response.

"That's just it with chess," she explained. "It's not as dull as people say it is. "It requires a lot of focus and pattern recognition. Intelligence is just a milestone."

As Marcy waited for Anne to respond, the clumsy nerd saw an opportunity for a little playful banter as she added:

"I'm quite surprised you haven't given it a go yet, Anne. You're already starting to get good on those games on that Game Boy I lent you."

Anne responded with a shove to Marcy's shoulder before giggling.

"Don't try to bait me, Mar-Mar," she replied. "You just wanna play a round to beat me again."

"Hey, I'm just being honest," the clumsy nerd responded, raising her hands in defense.

The Thai hero rolled her eyes and looked to the side to think. However, after about half a second later, Anne returned with a malicious grin on her face before saying:

"Well, I'll tell you what, Marbles. I'll start playing chess when you start trying out for the tennis team."

Marcy gasped, taking complete offense to Anne's bold proposal.

"How could you, Anne?!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "I'm completely wounded."

"Why not Marce?" Anne asked teasingly. "With your brains and my skill on the court, nothing would stop us."

"Anne, you know how terrible I am at sports," Marcy explained. "Heck, gym class was the only class where I didn't get straight A's."

"Well, wasn't that because you kept reading while the teacher was having us do drills?" the Thai hero recalled.

Marcy paused. Despite the boldness of Anne's proposal, she was essentially right about that.

"Touché, Boonchuy," she remarked. "But even if I wanted to, tennis is a terrible sport for shrimpy dorks with no style."

"Hmm. Then it sounds to me like you'd fit right in. Dork," Anne replied while poking Marcy in the side before giggling. At this point, Marcy blushed madly, making Anne giggle even more. "Besides, you already admitted tennis is your favorite sport in last month's assignment. Face it, Marbles, you love tennis!"

"Nope," Marcy fired back playfully. "I've already changed my mind. You ruined it for me, Anna-Bannana."

By then, the two girls started trading faces and sticking their tongues at each other before erupting in another glorious laugh. Though, to be frank, despite her claims of being terrible at sports, Marcy always found tennis quite interesting, right next to basketball and lacrosse. Of course, this all started when she was five years old. After she and Anne went to a tennis match, they watched a famous tennis player play her match. Though that was a long day, Anne had the most fun being there.

What was more interesting was that it inspired Anne to get into the sport in the first place. That, along with the dozens of tennis videos she would have her and Sasha sit and watch with her before the latter took direction, was a primary motivation for the Thai hero. That idol's sheer confidence and skill were a primary motivation that set the standard for the Thai hero. And as it turned out, all those years of practice and building up her proficiency had paid off, as she became exceptionally good at it. Who would've thought it would transform her best friend into the kind-hearted, fearless person she is today?

However, Marcy is so lost in her thoughts that she can't comprehend what Anne says next, which completely surprises her.

"You know, if you want, Marbles," Anne said. "I could always train you."

Hence, Marcy could feel her entire face going red as the visions of Anne physically teaching her the basic principles of how to play the sport started to take form. Visions involving her best friend teaching her how to hold a rack, swing a ball, and swivel her hips to give her arms such powerful momentum all came to her mind in a single frame. It had now started to become seriously overstimulating for her.

"I'm not sure if that'd work,' she responded. "Besides, I probably won't go five seconds without tripping over nothing and looking back to see what I tripped over. In this case, it'll likely be over the racket itself."

"What's that supposed to mean, Mar-Mar?" Anne asked with a giggle.

The need to explain herself further only made Marcy blush harder with embarrassment.

'Oh frog, why did I have to open my big mouth?'

"You know, she said, gesturing as she vaguely stumbled over her words as she pathetically tried to explain herself. "Because of how clumsy I am. I wouldn't consider myself the most elegant and graceful person."

"Like when you fell down a flight of stairs when you first arrived in Newtopia?" Anne asked teasingly, much to the former chief ranger's dismay.

"Hey! I didn't see those stairs coming!" Marcy exclaimed before grumbling shortly after.

"Still happened, though."

Marcy shoved Anne's shoulder in response as the latter let out an undignified laugh. The clumsy nerd was so close to smacking her with her ice cream cone when Anne forfeited.

"Okay, okay," Anne finally surrendered. "It was just a thought. I won't talk you into it if you don't want to."

There was another moment of silence as they started running out of things to discuss. However, one thing came into mind that surprised Marcy. At least in the aspect of making her confused.

"Though, you would make a good cheerleader," Anne commented.

"Aren't I already?" she asked. "I come to every single match. Except for Wednesdays when there is a chess meeting. And so does Sasha."

"That's what makes it special," Anne replied. "You, cheering me on when I'm in a match. It's the highlight of the whole thing...Well, that and kicking the snot out of that one guy a few years back. What a total douchebag he was!"

The clumsy nerd felt a little flushed hearing that from Anne, mainly because of how flattered she felt by Anne's remarks about her being at her matches. Of course, she didn't mind it. That was until Anne gazed up at her with the most malicious smile she mustered.

"Though now that I think about it," Anne grinned. "You would look pretty cute in the uniform, Mar-Mar."

Marcy again turned red as the thought of her in a cheerleading uniform, running around the sidelines, cheering her best friend on, came into view. Hence, it made her feel twice as embarrassed as before.

"Please stop," she begged silently. "Right now."

"Nah, I don't think I will."

Thus, at that moment, Marcy decided to drop her cone and pounced on the side of Anne's shoulder, wrapping her arms around Anne's neck from behind. Not that it would do anything, considering her weak nerd arms. Yet somehow, the move startled Anne and nearly threw her off balance—only enough time to stagger herself before grabbing Marcy's hands to release her hold.

The two girls wrestled with each other for a few more steps before the weight pressing down on them threw off their momentum, causing them to trip and fall over themselves across the concrete sidewalk. They paused momentarily to process what had just happened, being equally flushed and embarrassed before they started laughing about it again. It stuck for a whole minute before Marcy was the first to pick herself up before pulling up Anne.

However, once they were both up, the clumsy nerd was caught off guard by how close she stood to Anne—only a few inches away from her face. The former chief ranger felt her cheeks getting hotter and hotter before she breathed deeply. And she then exhaled before pinning her vision to the ground in exhaustion.

"I wish Sasha were here with us," Marcy laughed. "She would've loved this."

"Me too," Anne added. "We should do this more often."

There was a swift pause before the Thai hero asked, "Do you think she'll be alright, Mar-Mar?"

Marcy looked up, feeling distraught. "What kind of question is that, Anne? She's the toughest person we both know."

"Yeah, I know that," Anne agreed, pausing momentarily to look at the ground before continuing. "But, if whatever these things are can best her in a fight, what does that say about us? What chance do we have against something like that?"

Honestly, Marcy didn't even think about that. The dragons are likely to be the most mysterious of all the things they have faced thus far. Though she had yet to see what the others were capable of, from what she heard about Anne and Sasha's experiences and what she had learned during her time with Toothless, they were much more than she could have imagined. Nevertheless, she would do everything she could to keep them safe, even if it meant honoring the pact she had made with the dragon himself.

Still, her heart yearns to reassure her dear friend about her devotion to her. That will never change, even with the deal.

"Anne," Marcy said, placing her hands on her cheeks. "I don't know what the future has for us. But I can promise you this: I will never let anything happen to you or her."

"You both mean the world to me," she continued, rubbing Anne's cheek with her thumb without realizing it. "You have me, no matter what. Whatever happens or challenges come our way, I am with you till the end. Otherwise, I can't imagine a world without you."

Anne was at a loss of words. She was so astounded by Marcy's words that she didn't know what to say.

"Marcy, I..."

At that moment, Marcy realized how much she was rubbing Anne's cheek with her thumb. And it didn't take that much longer for the Thai girl to notice, too. This caused Marcy to panic as she lowered her hand off her face. However, before removing it, Anne stopped one of her hands by holding one of them. Specifically, the one she kept running her thumb.

Without saying anything, Anne could already tell how comfortable she felt with Marcy doing this. A simple smile assured the former chief ranger that she wasn't doing anything wrong. Henceforth, they both stood in silence for a moment. However, they didn't mind it. Being around each other was comforting, even if mere inches from their faces. However, Marcy flustered even more when Anne leaned into Marcy's hand more, silently humming.

The clumsy nerd felt her entire face go hot red with each passing second. Yet, this tiny voice in her head told her she wanted this. This feeling she was developing with her best friend was something she had yearned for all her life. It wasn't entirely wrong. There were plenty of times when she got flustered every time Anne did something that would be considered eye-opening. And she always found Anne cute on most occasions, even if it was over the slightest thing. However, the more seconds passed, the more she realized that this was something else entirely—something she hadn't expected.

It only grew further as Anne met Marcy's gaze for the seventh time. The Thai hero's eyes gleamed into hers, giving off a mysterious euphoria that Marcy had never felt. The clumsy nerd was unsure what this feeling was, but it was so intoxicating that every urge that told her to pull back was completely blocked off. Thus, Marcy started leaning closer to Anne, with the latter's eyes being soft and comforting, and her gaze was as loving as ever. Such a look made Marcy feel like her heart would burst into oblivion.

The next thing they knew, the two girls were perfectly synched. Their eyes were completely shut, and their foreheads softly touched one another. A slight breeze was in the air, causing Anne's hair to dance in the wind. And Marcy hummed a small breath, feeling quite content with the position she found herself in with her best friend.

However, the moment was ruined when a cry for help from a distance came in. What was more surprising was that the cries called out their names from afar. At that moment, Anne decided to spin her head in the other direction, with Marcy taking a step to put up some distance. Too flustered and embarrassed to look at each other, the two girls could only focus on the direction pointing to the other side of the street. On the other hand, it was more surprising that the person was calling their names from a distance.

It was the twins.

They were running towards them rapidly and uncoordinatedly as if they were scrambling for some reason they knew nothing about. Their shouts echoed across the street.

"Anne! Marcy!"

Though unexpected, both girls seemed just as surprised, if not more curious, about their urgency. Hence, they rushed to meet them halfway. By then, the two identical teens were half-gassed and exhausted from running for so long.

"Twig, Molly?" Anne proclaimed.

"What are you guys doing here?" Marcy asked.

Given how winded they were, there was no initial response at first. However, between breaths, at least one attempted to get the words out, only to say absolute gibberish.

"Temple...dragon...urgent," Molly blabbered.

"What? Be more specific," Anne said, asking for more clarification.

Finally, a second later, one of them managed to catch their breath, which happened to be Twig.

"Okay, what is with these blocks, man?!" Twig shouted. "Seriously! A train system should be put in place so we don't have to run so many blocks! It's exhausting!"

"Again with this?!" Anne exclaimed frustratingly. "Why do you keep doing that?!"

It was only a split second before Twig focused back up.

"Oh, sorry," he said before getting to the point. "But that's not why we're here?"

"What's going on?" Marcy questioned. "Is it about Sasha?"

"Worse, a dragon was just spotted by the Thai Temple," Molly declared, looking at Anne. "And Anne, your parents are there right now."

Horror and shock filled the girls's hearts, and a single word can sum up their reactions:

"WHAT?!"