Shadows of the Past

As Anne opened the door, she and Olivier walked through the portal

and into a decaying landscape where a ruined structure lay before them.

It was only vaguely familiar to Olivier...but Anne knew it well.

"What is it?" spoke Olivier, puzzled.

"It's the Toad Tower...or, what's left of it." spoke Anne, staring.

"If we're really in Sasha's subconscious, then this must be where we...where I-"

Anne was unable to finish her sentence.

Olivier sensed Anne was troubled, and approached her. "anne?"

Anne quickly hugged her boyfriend, breathing out sharply.

"this is where it happened...where I first stood up to Sasha." began Anne.

"It's where we had out first fight...literally. and, where she...nearly died."

Olivier frowned, and then looked at the ruins of the Tower.

As Olivier arrived in Amphibia roughly Two-in-a-Half Months after Anne did,

he wasn't present when the events of Toad Tower's fall took place.

He only knew of it from what Anne told him (AND, what he once 'accidently' read in her journal.)

So he knew it was a major event in Anne's life that for a time, she had a hard time talking about.

BUT she opened up to him...so he would be more willing to open up to her.

and Olivier was glad she did, as that was when their relationship started improving.

...until they inevitably got to where they are now: Soul Mates.

"it's okay, annie..." spoke Olivier. "It's all in the past now."

No sooner had Olivier said that...shadowy figures began to approach the pair.

Anne and Olivier then pressed their backs together so to avoid being surrounded.

Anne then widened her eyes upon seeing that the figures...WERE ALL SASHA!

And not only were they Sasha, but they were dressed in the same outfit

that Sasha had worn way back during her initial confrontation with her at Toad Tower.

The Sasha's all brandishes swords, and glared at her and Olivier with gleaming red eyes.

"they...They're all Sasha!" spoke Anne, finally. "Which one is the real one?!"

"neither." responded Olivier. "I sense these are all just illusions. Products of Sasha's troubled mind."

Anne looked at the Sasha's, who all glared at her and Olivier aggressively.

"If these are all fake, then how do we find the REAL Sasha?!" spoke Anne.

"I'm not entirely sure." answered Olivier. "but, helping Sasha fight her inner demons might help."

Anne quickly caught onto what Olivier was implying.

...and THAT is when the army of Sasha's attacked.

Olivier quickly conjured a glass-like shield, blocking a sword strike.

Anne reacted quickly, and also blocked an attack using her Dream Tennis Racket.

(("they were just DUMB FROGS, Anne..."))

Anne scowled, knowing full well what this Fake Sasha was doing.

So rather than give a retort, Anne just blocked her out and shoved her away.

Anne then batted a Bliss Bomb at the Fake Sasha...which blasted her into dust.

"no, sash...they are my family." said Anne, finally.

While this was happening, Olivier growled as one of the Sasha's was grasping his throat.

((you belong to ME, magic boy...")) said the Fake Sasha. (("END OF DISCUSSION."))

"I am not your property." spoke Olivier. "Never was, and never WILL be."

Olivier then kicked the Fake Sasha off, knocking her into others.

The Witch Boy then raised a flat palm, aiming it as the Sasha's like Iron Man.

"I...Have...SPOKEN." Olivier fired a Blue Beam, obliterating the Sasha Clones.

Anne then ran back to Olivier, and their backs against each other as more Sasha's approached.

"There are so many of them." spoke Anne. "How many more are there!?"

"difficult to say. there may be no end to them." mused Olivier.

"Then, how do we-"

"Only Sasha can banish them from her mind. all we can do is weaken their strength." said Olivier.

"Okay...so where is Sasha?, the REAL Sasha." said Anne, again.

"not here, obviously." answered Olivier. "and, if we are to find her...we need to delve DEEPER."

Olivier quickly began to charge up his magic, flaring up with blue energy like Anne's.

Anne then watched as Olivier's body flashed, and he changed into his 'Powered-Up Form'

However, instead of being the silver haired one she was used to seeing...Olivier's hair was black as night.

"oh. sh*t." cursed Anne, dreading the worst.

Dark Olivier grabbed Anne, and had her grasped onto his back.

He then shot high up into the air, hovering over the hundreds of Sasha clones.

Dark Olivier's black eyes glared down as he raised his hands up and conjured a blue orb.

The orb then grew bigger, sparking with lightning as the Witch Boy kept charging it.

Anne stared with wide eyes as the energy ball grew to a massive size.

She was so close to it, that she could feel the heat of the dark energy.

Dark Olivier then let out a yell as he flung the dark orb down.

As it collided into the ground, it detonated into a massive explosion.

Once the dust settled, there was a HUGE hole in the ground...and the Sasha's were all gone.

"holy frog..." spoke Anne, her mouth gaping.

As Dark Olivier descended down, Anne clung onto his tightly. The pair floated down a deep, pit

that was nearly pitch black, if not for Dark Olivier's faint blue aura that illuminated them both.

Eventually, Olivier touched ground and quickly reverted back into his base form.

He then groaned as he felt his legs give out, prompting Anne to get off and catch him before he fell.

"are you okay?" asked Anne, concerned.

Olivier breathed out sharply, then conjured a gold light orb to illuminate the area.

"I'm okay...changing back from that form sometimes leaves me feeling drained." explained Olivier.

"just give me...give me a moment to breathe. I-I should be...oh-okay."

Anne did hesitate to place her hand against Olivier's chest,

and began to channel the energy of her Calamity Powers into him.

Olivier breathed out, feeling his strength start to return.

Anne smiled as she helped her boyfriend back onto his feet.

"th-thank you..."

"you would do the same for me." said Anne, smiling. "In fact, I recall you have a few times before."

Olivier smiled in response.

The pair then looked around, finding themselves in the interior of a house.

However, the interior was split apart as if the house had been cleaved by a massive blade.

In fact, the two halves didn't even match. resembling two different houses side-by-side.

"Anne...what are we looking at?" asked Olivier.

"I...don't know." spoke Anne. "but, whatever it is...It has to have something to do with Sasha."

The pair began to inspect the two different halves of the house interior.

They took note of various photographs hanging on the walls.

The first photos they saw bore the image of Sasha as a child with two adults that resembled her.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that these adults had to be Sasha's parents.

Though one of each of them were scribbled out at each wall.

And, as Anne and Olivier walked down the hall, Different photos started to appear.

One side of the wall showed Sasha's mother with a man who WAS NOT Sasha's father,

with other children of various ages that looked nothing like her, or Sasha.

The other side show Sasha's father with a woman who certainly wasn't Sasha's mother.

Anne's expression then softened. "I think I know what this is all about."

Olivier looked at his girlfriend. "okay...what are we seeing here?"

"The people in the photographs are Sasha's parents." explained Anne.

"but they have since split up, and started their own families. both kinda leaving Sasha behind."

Olivier's expression became just as soft as Anne's. "How young was Sasha when this happened?"

"As long as I can remember...Sasha was always private about her personal life beyond me and Marcy." said Anne.

"but, I do remember that she did start to act..."differently", once we all turned Ten."

"You mean, she started acting like a bully." said Olivier.

Anne shuddered. part of her wanted to defend Sasha...but in her heart, she knew that she couldn't.

"yeah...she started rebelling, and made Me and Marcy join in with her." continued Anne.

"At first, it was only harmless fun...but then she got meaner, even started stealing things.

I wanted to stop, but every time I tried...she'd use her three favorite words against me."

Olivier scowled, knowing full well what those words were.

He and Anne then noticed a lone photograph hanging at the end of the hallway.

Approaching it, they inspected the photograph. It was the same family photo...only now ALTERED.

In it, Sasha' mother had been torn out completely. while the face of Sasha's father was obscured,

covered up instead by a picture of Toad Captain Grime's own face, while Sasha herself remained untouched.

Below the framed picture was scribbled writing that read: [Me & My REAL Dad.]

Anne frowned. "guess it makes sense now why Sasha didn't want to go back home as much as I did."

Olivier nodded. "She did seem happier when she was with that old toad." mused Olivier.

"I almost couldn't see the Sasha that you described when I first met and had to travel with her."

Anne looked at Olivier. "travelled with her?"

Olivier looked at Anne. "yeah...Remember?, when we got separated after we left Newtopia.

I made the not-so-brilliant decision to find my own way back to Wartwood, and got lost in the swamplands.

I literally bumped into Sasha, Grime and those two other Toads (I think 'Percy and Braddock' were their names.)

I had to travel with them because of a storm, and some bandits (*pauses*) and I eventually met Grunge soon after."

Anne recalled the event Olivier was referring to.

It was when they first visited Newtopia, and was reunited with Marcy.

And when it came time for the Plantars to leave for Wartwood,

Anne was torn between staying with Marcy in Newtopia, or returning with the Plantars.

Her decision was made worse with Olivier in the equation.

As despite Marcy insisting he stay in Newtopia with them...he couldn't.

Olivier had promised to tutor Maddie Flour in magic, and Maddie's family couldn't just move to Newtopia.

Afterall, Wartwood NEEDED the Flours, and their bakery. So Maddie (and Olivier) had to stay in Wartwood.

Meaning if Anne chose to stay with her then 'only trusted friend',

then she would have to leave not only her adoptive family behind, but her one and only boyfriend as well.

And to her shame...Anne DID choose to stay with Marcy initially.

But at the last minute, she changed her mind and raced to catch up to the Plantars.

And while she had gotten to them in time...Olivier was already gone,

having went on ahead (no doubt unable to ride in the Fwagon with Anne apparently gone.)

That was the longest trip back to Wartwood that Anne ever had to experience.

with each passing day and night, her thoughts were on Olivier. HOPING to frog that he was okay.

She still remembered that 'hurt' look in Olivier's eyes when she decided to stay with Marcy.

That look would forever haunt her, as even after helping to heal his broken heart...Anne broke it all over again.

All she wanted to do since then was find Olivier wherever he had went,

and tell him just how sorry she was for making that choice to abandon him.

And hope that he would forgive her for breaking her promise.

Her promise...to NEVER hurt him like that 'Amity Blight' girl apparently had.

"Anne?" Anne was broken from her inner thoughts by Olivier. "you okay?, you zoned out on me there."

"oh, ss-sorry. I was just...thinking about something else." stammered Anne.

Olivier looked at Anne with a knowing look. "...anne."

Anne exhaled, realizing there was no avoiding this. "why didn't you ask me?"

"huh?" spoke Olivier, not understanding the question.

"That day in Newtopia...when Marcy asked me to stay with her." continued Anne.

"Why didn't you ask me to leave with you, and the Plantars back then?"

Olivier breathed out, looking at Anne solemnly. "because I knew you would say 'yes' if I did."

Anne stared at Olivier, her eyes wide. "what?...Why?!, We both know you didn't want me to stay behind!"

"no...I didn't." said Olivier. "I loved you so much, that I hated the thought of being without you.

But I also didn't want to be like Sasha was, and make you do what *I* wanted you to do.

As much as I wanted you to stay with me...I also didn't want to force you to leave Marcy.

So, even if I didn't like whatever choice you made, it still had to be *yours* to make."

Anne's eyes became moist. "yeah...I did make a choice: The WRONG one.

and I'll never forgive myself for hurting you when I chose to stay in Newtopia."

Olivier pulled Anne into a hug. "it's okay...I already forgave you."

"were you angry with me back then?" asked Anne, in Olivier's embrace. "did you, for a moment..."hate me?"

"no...NEVER. I could never hate you, Annie." spoke Olivier, softly.

"I did miss you...greatly. but if you were happy with Marcy, then that was good enough for me."

"I'm sorry...I'll never hurt you like that ever again." said Anne, hugging Olivier.

"The past is passed, annie...lets put it all behind us." said Olivier, finally releasing Anne.

Anne smiled at Olivier. The pair then turned...and gaped at what they saw next.

[End of Part Thirty-Five]