Sunshine and Shadows (An Amphibia AU Fanfiction)

Chapter 7: Healing

The waiting room was quiet, but Anne couldn't even tell with all the thoughts going through her mind.

"I know what's been going on. I know how much both of you are struggling and I just wanted to tell you guys it's ok to not be ok and I want you guys to not be scared to get help."

She stared down at the carpet and allowed the swirling pattern to hypnotize her.

"You deserve to be happy and I don't want what happened to me or anything else to get in the way of that."

She finally blinked after a while and looked back up.

"I'm happy and you guys should be too. Just... remember that."

She rubbed her eyes and sighed.

That's when Sasha's voice pulled her back to the real world.

"Hey, Anne! Look!"

Sasha was over by the receptionist desk, where she had found a Newton's cradle.

Anne walked over to her and away from her mother, who she had been sitting next to. She watched as Sasha pulled back one of the medal balls, let it go, and the ball on the other side started swinging back and forth along with it.

Anne glared at Sasha suspiciously.

"What!?"

"Sasha, you've never cared about anything sciencey like this before," Anne signaled to the Newton's cradle, "Why do you suddenly care now?"

"Because this isn't like the science we do at school! This is actually cool because we don't have to analyze or take notes on it!" Sasha laughed as she started messing with the Newton's cradle again in awe.

Anne rolled her eyes, "Alright. Whatever."

"What's wrong?" Sasha asked, finally leaving the Newton's cradle alone.

"Oh, I don't know!" Anne responded sarcastically, "My best friend got murdered in front of my face, I've almost died multiple times myself, and now I'm here, supposed to get therapy because I can't take care of my problems on my own!"

"Woah, Anne, calm down," Sasha tried comforting.

"And it doesn't help that you're over here all sunshine, rainbows, and Newton's cradles!" Anne exclaimed in response.

"I'M SORRY!" Sasha yelled.

The two suddenly grew quiet as they realized people were staring at them for breaking the quiet of the waiting room.

"You know me, Anne!" Sasha started again, a bit quieter, "You know being here is difficult for me too! That's why I'm distracting myself with Newton's cradles! I mean, me, Sasha Waybright, getting therapy," Sasha chuckled.

Anne just glared at her again.

"Sorry. But... Marcy wanted us to get help... The least we can do for her is that, right?" Sasha finished.

"That's the only reason I'm here," Anne responded quietly. "I just... don't understand why that's what she wanted us to do. I mean, we're fine, right? We were able to go on that road trip with the Plantars ok, weren't we?" Anne continued as they walked back over to their seats.

"Well... I wouldn't exactly say 'ok,'" Sasha responded, "There was that whole situation with Andrias, our conversation in the hotel room..."

Sasha suddenly grabbed Anne's shoulder and stopped her from walking any further.

"...Anne...?" Sasha asked.

Anne looked over to her.

"...Has it ever crossed your mind that... we're not fine...? That we actually do need help...?"

"But... But Sasha," Anne cried, "We've saved the world! How can we be strong enough to do that, but at the same time be so weak we need help with our emotional problems...?"

"Since when have you cared about being strong? That's my whole thing! Coming here today was really hard for me because that's my fear!" Sasha responded angrily.

"You are strong, Sasha! You came here to get help even though you were really scared to! That's brave!"

"Well, you're here too! You claim you're weak because you can't deal with your own problems and had to come here, but then you go around and say I'm strong for coming here! So what is it, then!?" Sasha asked.

Anne was quiet, taken aback, for a moment before Sasha smirked, "It sounds to me like admitting you need help and facing your fears to get it is strong and brave."

Anne continued standing there in silence. "Yeah... It sounds to me like that too..." she finally responded.

The two girls smiled at each other a moment before Mrs. Boonchuy hurried over to them.

"Oh my goodness! What's going on!? Are you two ok!?"

Anne hesitated a moment before tearing up, "No, mom. No, I'm not ok."

She let herself cry and hugged her mom tightly, who hugged her back.

"I know, honey. I know." She whispered.

They separated and Anne rubbed her eyes.

Sasha walked up to her, "Don't worry, I'm not either," she chuckled.

"...And it's ok... We're getting help... so we will be." Anne realized the truth of those words as she said them.

Mrs. Boonchuy smiled at the two girls, "And I'll be here to help every step of the way."

Anne chuckled, "Thanks, mom."

Then it was finally time for them to go talk to the therapist.

As they headed back, Sasha finally acknowledged everyone else in the waiting room, "Yes! We have issues! That's why we're here! Stop staring!"

Anne grabbed Sasha's arm and pulled her out of the waiting room.

Anne felt extremely nervous as they walked. But as they did, she suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling of peace.

She stopped for a minute in confusion at the sudden feeling.

But then it hit her:

Marcy.

Sasha smiled over at Anne. She was feeling the same thing.

They continued to walk.

"She knew that we needed help," Sasha finally said, "That's why she wanted us to get it. She was being a good friend. And... of course she's here to support us now..."

"...Yeah..." Anne responded, "Thank you, Mar Mar..." She whispered.

The calm feeling stayed all the while talking to the therapist.

Her name was Isabelle and Anne felt an immediate connection to her. She felt safe and like she could tell her anything...

so, she did.

And it helped. It helped a lot.

As they left the therapist office, Anne took a deep breath, focusing on the air filling and leaving her lungs.

She looked over to Sasha, who wore a big smile like Anne did. It had been a while since either of them had been that happy.

Sasha understood what Anne was going through and would be by her side as they both healed from it.

She then looked to her mom. She and her dad would, and had been, by the two girls' side through all this too. Anne was incredibly grateful for them, especially knowing how Sasha's parents were in comparison now.

And she could still feel Marcy with them. Even though Anne couldn't see her, she knew her best friend would always be by her side too.

Anne wasn't magically healed. She still had a long way to go, but now things were looking up. She had so many amazing people in her life helping her and...

she was finally ok.