Common Ground

Anne and Sasha stared at the strange figure that only Olivier seemed to know.

She dark pink hair tied in a topknot with blade-like bangs framing her face,

pointed ears...and THREE eyes. Two normal ones, and a single third one upon her forehead.

"Who's the Triclops?" asked Sasha.

"Boscha." spoke Olivier, bitterly. "a classmate from my old school of witchcraft.

Captain of the Grudgby Team, she is considered an Elite Student. but she is also a BULLY.

one who delights in belittling those she deems weaker than her...which is almost everyone."

"Sooo...she's pretty much Draca Malfoyd if she were a mutant freak." spoke Sasha.

Anne stared at Sasha.

"I had a book assignment once, and Marcy picked Cynthia Coven." explained Sasha. "I DON'T READ THEM!"

'Boscha' smiled wickedly as she rushed forward, and attacked Olivier.

Olivier reacted quickly and threw up a shield construct, holding off the deranged witch.

"I can TASTE your fear..." spoke 'Boscha'

"Even after everything that has happened...you are STILL afraid of me."

Olivier glared at the illusion of his bully. "No. I don't fear you...I just *HATE* you."

'Boscha's' smile grew wider as her body energized, gradually becoming more demonic looking.

The Demon Boscha then threw a punch, shattering Olivier's shield into broken fragments.

(("If that is true...")) spoke Demon Boscha, her voice overlapping with a deeper, more distorted one

(("Then...Whose FEAR am I feeding on?, whose TERROR is fueling my power?"))

Olivier glared as the Demon Boscha rose up, and loomed over him.

Though he loathed to admit it...He was indeed trembling right now.

Despite trying to show courage, he really was scared.

Memories he had long tried to bury had now resurfaced.

And with them, his old fears.

He remembered all the pain he had endured, the Trauma...of what had been done to him so long ago.

It was like he was back to being that scared little boy again, and everything he had done in Amphibia...

...had all just been a DREAM.

As the Demon Boscha lunged at Olivier...he froze like a deer in the headlights.

But the Demonic Witch was then sideswiped by a swift energized kick from Anne.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM, YOU BITCH!" snapped Anne, her eyes burning blue.

Anne then knelt down to Olivier, and hugged him. "it's okay, ollie...I'm here."

Olivier tried in vain to stop himself from shaking like a leaf.

He knew he had to repress his fears, but they were proving too much to handle.

Sasha looked down as her oldest friend tried to comfort her boyfriend.

She then looked on as the Demon Boscha recovered (momentarily taking on the appearance of Sasha herself.)

as the Demon Boscha advanced forward, Sasha then acted quickly, summoning illusions of her duel swords into existence

a reddish-pink energy then surged through the blades, sending out an energy wave as she swiped at her foe.

"Sasha!?" exclaimed Anne.

Sasha glanced back at Anne and Olivier.

"I think I get it now...This Boscha chick. She's suppose to be like me, right?" spoke Sasha.

"This may be Oliver's fear, but we are still in MY NIGHTMARE...and she's as much my inner demon as she is his."

As Sasha said that, the Demon Boscha changed form yet again.

Now resembling a twisted fusion of Boscha and Sasha herself.

'Boasha'

(("You know...she's RIGHT.")) spoke Boasha. (("We really are two sides of the same coin.

a couple of control freaks who will stoop to ANY low to achieve what we desire."))

Sasha glared at the twisted fusion. "I am so going to enjoy planting my foot up your scrawny ass."

It was at this moment that Olivier stood up...and joined Sasha.

"not alone you can't. That 'thing' is made up of BOTH our inner demons." explained Olivier.

"Neither one of us can defeat it on our own...But we have to do more than work together."

Sasha looked at Olivier...and finally lowered her swords. "I'm listening."

"Me and Anne...we learned how to combine our powers to become stronger than we ever were before." continued Olivier.

"And whether you realize it or not, you still have a remnant of your Calamity powers within you."

Sasha looked at Olivier with wide eyes. "you mean...even after everything I did, you-"

"You're not a bad person...I see that now." said Olivier. "Yes, you have been horrible...

but unlike Boscha, you acknowledge what you did was wrong and you WANT to be better."

Olivier grasped Sasha's hands. "I am...willing to give you another chance."

Sasha looked at Anne. "I'm sorry...for everything."

"Don't be sorry, Sash." said Anne. "...BE BETTER."

Sasha looked back at Olivier. "okay...how do we do this thing?"

"Something that is going to be hard...for you." said Olivier.

"I need you to let your guard down, and open your heart and mind to me."

Sasha breathed out sharply. All her life, she had put up walls around herself.

Always putting on a 'mask' of confidence, and never letting anyone see her vulnerable.

So, it was indeed VERY hard to let anyone see the REAL her.

But she breathed out, closed her eyes...and let herself feel.

She then dropped her swords to the ground, and grasped Olivier's hands.

Sasha then felt Olivier use his magic on her...Linking their minds together.

In a whole moment, Olivier's memories flowed into her head while her own flowed into his.

In a span of one moment, they experienced each other's lives (for better, or worse.)

Tears streamed down their faces as they shared each other's private pains.

and, then...their bodies glowed and became a blinding white light.

Anne had to shield her eyes from the light's intensity. She then looked, and (as expected)

saw a single person standing where Olivier and Sasha once stood.

The figure resembled Olivier...though their hair was a 'dirty blonde' color.

They had a scar over their cheek, as well as over their non-existent ears,

And they wore a combination of both Olivier's and Sasha's outfits.

The figure then opened their eyes...which were both Light Pink and Dark Pink in color.

They looked at their hands, gazing in awe at what just transpired.

"holy shit." spoke the figure. "I'm...WE. This is so weird."

Anne smiled as she approached the fusion. "yeah...it was surreal for me as well.

But, let's cut to the part where we decide on a name for you. I'm thinking..."Olivasha"

The newly dubbed Olivasha looked at Anne...and then huffed. "It'll do."

Just then, several fireballs are lobbed at Anne and Olivasha.

(("I...Will NOT...BE IGNORED!")) snapped Boasha, fire surging from her fists.

Boasha then threw a flaming punch at Olivasha...who suddenly caught it mid-swing.

As a dark pink aura cast over their body, Anne felt a familiar power surge coming from the fusion.

With a burst of powerful energy, Olivasha's blonde hair was now dark pink and glow like heated magma.

Their eyes were black, glowed like hot coals with the same intensity as their hair.

Dark Olivasha then raised a balled fist, which surged with dark pink energy that crackled and sparkled.

They finally threw a powerful punch, the blow creating a burst of energy like 4th of July Fireworks.

Boasha staggered, their arm completely gone as their body now resemble a damaged sculpture.

The Evil Fusion looked and saw Dark Olivasha opened their palm and charge of a ball of pink energy.

The orb grew bigger, crackling with pink lightning volts.

"You...are NOT...ME." spoke Olivasha, darkly. "and you have no more power over me ANYMORE."

Boasha shrieked, and charged at the fusion...who finally unleashed their attack.

"go to hell...and stay there."

Olivasha shot a tremendous beam of pink energy that hit Boasha point blank.

The demoness shrieked in agony as their body shattered into fragments that burned away into ash.

Once it is all over...Olivasha reverted back into their base form.

Olivasha turned...and saw Anne frozen in stunned silence, her mouth gaping open.

"Holy Crap!" exclaimed Anne. "That was...WOW."

Before Olivasha could say anything...the ground began to rumble.

The pair looked to see a thick, black smoke rise up and begin to take an unusual form.

The smoke then slowly materialized into a giant, mutated variation of Boscha and Sasha.

One that shared the same body, BUT had two heads and two sets of arms that made them resemble a spider.

With FIVE eyes glowing solid red, they laughed in a booming voice that echoed.

(("HA!, HA!, HA!, HAH! DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE...")) laughed The Phantom Boscha

(("IT ISN'T OVER YET.")) added the Phantom Sasha.

Both Anne and Olivasha gazed up at the monstrosity that literally towered over them.

"DANG!, How on earth do you beat that thing!?" exclaimed Anne.

"You don't." answered Olivasha. "This abomination is the representation of our trauma...our Inner Demon.

And just like Trauma, it can never truly be destroyed...only repelled and suppressed."

Olivasha then changed into their Dark Form again...but this time, they weren't alone.

Blue Energy then flared up from Anne's body as she changed into her Calamity Form.

It was easier to do as a Dream Walker, and she and Dark Olivasha quickly flew up

and power punched The Two-Headed Monster in BOTH their heads.

The colossus staggered, reacting as if it had genuinely been hurt.

With Light and Darkness working together, Super Anne and Dark Olivasha flew at tremendous speed

becoming little more than blue and pink streaks that swarmed all over the composite Boscha/Sasha.

The Nightmare Monster furiously flailed it's many arms in a vain attempt

at swatting the teenaged "Super Sai-Yans" that relentlessly attacked like hornets.

The two-headed monster eventually keeled down on one knee.

They looked up...to see Super Anne and Dark Olivasha speeding towards them together in a pair.

With one final blow to both their heads, both Boscha and Sasha wailed in agony

as once again, their bodys broke down and burned away into nothing.

However, THIS TIME The dark forest melted away, fading back into the Plantar farm.

With the danger passed, Anne and Olivasha reverted back to their normal selves.

"Glad that's over." said Anne, as she breathed out in relief.

Olivasha, however. took the moment of respite to really look at themselves now.

Anne watched as the fusion walked over to a bucket of water, and looked down at their reflection.

Widened their eyes, Olivasha knelt down to get a closer look...and touched their face.

"It's...ME. and yet...not me." spoke Olivasha.

Anne approached the fusion of Olivier and Sasha.

She took some time to really look at them...and blushed a little.

Anne didn't know why, but there was something about Olivasha that she found...'attractive.'

Anne eventually snapped out of it, and patted Olivasha on the back.

"ye-yeah...It was really surreal when WE did it, too." said Anne.

Olivasha then touched the scars where their ears would be.

"this is so weird...It's like I am both Olivier and Sasha, and yet...NEITHER.

And I remember...two sets of memories. It's like I lived two different lives all at once!"

Anne nodded. "yeah...I know. That was weird at first, but we kinda got used to it."

Olivasha looked at Anne...and welled up in tears.

"What's wrong?!"

Olivasha cried. "I can feel...how much 'HE' loves you.

And it just makes the guilt that I feel from 'HER' even worse."

Without thinking, Anne embraced Olivasha. "hey, Hey...It's okay."

Olivasha looked at Anne. "I am so, SO Sorry...I never should've hurt you, Annie. I love you...SO MUCH."

Anne blushed as she listened to these words.

While one half of Olivasha was her boyfriend, the other half was still Sasha.

(And she was starting to wonder where Olivier Ends, and Sasha Begins.)

But Anne shrugged, and decided to roll with it.

"It's okay. I forgive you...for everything." said Anne. "I might still be mad at you...but I can never hate you."

Anne cupped Olivasha's faced. "I love you...and I always will."

After a moment, Olivasha smiled...and then kissed Anne.

Anne widened her eyes in shock, not expecting this.

But she soon relaxed and deepened the kiss with the fusion.

And then, there was a FLASH.

Anne opened her eyes upon noticing that her lips wasn't touching anyone else's.

She then blushed as red as a tomato upon seeing both Olivier and Sasha standing side-by-side...

...kissing both her cheeks at the same time.

"Uhhhhh..."

Olivier and Sasha finally opened their eyes...and realized they weren't fused together anymore.

Sasha blushed as red as Anne was, exclaiming as she backed away and fell backwards.

Olivier chortled, finding this hilarious (despite also feeling awkward at the present situation.)

[End of Part Thirty-Nine]