Anne's Birthday (Marcanne fanfiction lol)

Chapter 9

Anne's POV

My instincts quickly took over, making me pull out my trusty tennis racket as a weapon. It probably won't be effective against sharp silver swords but its something. The girls stared at each other with wide eyes before peering back at me. Sasha was the first one to speak as always.

"Hey girlfriends!" She grinned cheerfully, contrasting with our last brutal encounter. This was a prank, right?

Her outfit was tattered and beaten, as if she lived out in wilderness for awhile. Her once gleaming bronze armor was dull with age, marks from past battles scratching the surface. That signature blonde ponytail was a tangled mess. Despite that, she didn't look half as bad as me when I lived in that cave for a week.

"Sasha, sasha, sasha!" Marcy leapt into her arms, giving a warm embrace and smile. "It's been so long!".

My ex bestfriend stepped back and scanned her outfit. "I know right? Nice armor girl".

"Thanks, it's custom made from the best blacksmith in Newtopia" blushed Marcy in response. Okay, this has gone on long enough. I cleared my throat shifting the attention to me. Sasha's eyes met mine confidently.

"First of all, how did you find out where I live!?" I asked still defensive in case she pulled a trick.

"Me and the toad army were just passing by Wartwood when we saw you! Crazy, right?".

"An army?!".

Sasha nodded, stepping back to reveal a crowd I didn't notice before. It was as if they appeared out of thin air. Rows upon rows of toads dressed in armor saluted their commander and lieutenant. Grime lead the soldiers with a sinister toothy smile, his blind eye illuminating the thick darkness of the night. The toad weld an ancient hammer with symbols carved into it. They were in another strange language.

"No frogging way" A way too familiar voice commented from behind. Don't tell me the Plantars were awake. Slowly turning around, of course they were, already equipped with weapons. A pitchfork, slingshot and spiky mace clutched tightly in their reptilian hands. Sasha merely chuckled at their petty attempt of intimidation. "Chill Frogs, we aren't doing anything here" she brushed the dust off her hands. I exchanged anxious looks with the Plantars. I could tell they were on edge as well.

Marcy's warm voice interrupted the tense atmosphere. "So where are you headed, Sash?".

"Newtopia. We have business to attend to. Let me fill you in".

"Ooh, lore".

"Wait wait wait-" I reached out to Marcy who wasn't within reach. The blonde took her shoulder and led her into the crowd of chaos. "Marcy!".

It seemed that she was already in 'the zone' listening attentively to whatever Sasha was explaining. The toad army was in Wartwood! This was bad news already. Sasha and Grime must have a trick up their sleeves to take over. That's the only reason they should be here.

"Hop Pop, do you think...?" My eyes gazed to the elderly frog beside me.

"I don't know Anne, I don't know" he answered back honestly, but it wasn't an answer I wanted.

My body twisted and churned relentlessly as I tried to achieve sleep. Curling up into my blanket worked to no avail. Cold sweat poured down my forehead as worries began to flood in.

What if Sasha changed?

No, she wouldn't. But would she?

What if the town explodes tomorrow!?

Is she still manipulative?

I let out a groan, finally resting on my side. Brown curls covered my eyes, blocking out the damp dark stone walls. The smell of moss and earth almost made me more nauseous. My palms ached from holding that racket so hard.

"Anne?" A comforting voice asked from above the open basement door. There in the shadows stood Marcy, wearing seafoam green pajamas. Her hair was ruffled like a birds nest. "You're pulling an all nighter too?".

"Uh-" my throat choked at her sudden appearance. "Yeah. Why aren't you sleeping?".

She tumbled down the wooden ladder, jumping onto the cold floor then walking towards my bed. Well, more like a makeshift mattress with a killerpillar silk blanket. Marcy sat at the edge of my bed, playing with the blanket corner. Now that my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see the aventurine bracelet from the market tied around her wrist.

"You know me, insomnia. What about you?" Marbles flopped beside me. I shifted to the far left so she wouldn't fall of the edge. The bed was barely big enough for the both of us. "You never pull all nighters unless it's at a sleepover".

I deeply sighed. "I just can't sleep".

"You know, I learned a spell from Maddie that forces your eyes closed".

"Thanks Marbles, but that sounds kiiiinda painful" I winced.

"It's not that bad. They've been shut for 30 minutes now".

"Wait- what!?" I studied her face closely to realize her eyes were shut the whole time. "Marcy!".

My hands quickly cupped her soft cheeks, examining the incident. Yep, her eyes were glued shut. Trying not to poke her eyes, I attempted to seperate her lids. However, this of course did not fix anything. "Don't worry Anna banana, I'll be fine...by..." I listened her voice fade out into soft snores. She seemed so peaceful in her sleep, her chest rising and falling with every snore. I twisted to face the wall when suddenly her arms wrapped around my waist. I could feel her head nuzzling into my back, making me melt at her touch. The room reached a comfortable silence, the only noise coming from the giant crickets chirping outside. Faint rushing water from the lake filled as a good background noise. Everything was perfect, and my worries slowly started to wash away.

"Marcy" I whispered to myself. "The magazines make it seem so easy, but it's not".

I paused to take in the still silence once more. "With everything thats happening, I wish I could tell you that I care about you. Like, a lot".

The sound of her snores abruptly stopped.

"There's so much going on. The toads, the box. I promise I'll tell you when we get home. I'll tell you about how I really feel".

My tired eyes grew more wearily as they began to flicker closed, falling into slumber. Before I could, I swore I hear a whisper behind me.