Aftermath

Endings don't Exist

A war was won. A villain was defeated. And yet, what was meant to be joyous occasion turned out to be a time for mourning. 

People say good deeds get rewarded. 

That was a lie, for the girl who risked it all to save the ones she loved was given death.

The colourless, cracked body of a teenage girl lay in shallow water surrounded by loved ones. Surprisingly the soul hadn't departed, and stayed to try to provide solace to ones she was leaving.

"My only regret... is that I never got to see... Love Choice... 2," the girl tried to joke.

The lighthearted quip brought out a couple chuckles, but did nothing to brighten the somber mood.  Moments later the young hero dissolved into delicate white leaves which could be reduced to a fine powder with only a touch.  The foliage floated away leaving two shattered human girls and a frog family in its wake. 

A little pink frog stood up from his family and started chasing after the leaves. 

He kept repeating the phrase, "Give her back!" between choked sobs.

As if his despairing pleas had been heard, a leaf gracefully descended low enough for the frog to hop up and catch it. His heart felt just the slightest bit lighter when the leaf came down to him, but that was only temporary, for the moment he touched the leaf it broke into many tiny pieces and faded away into nothingness. It's almost wonderful how something that had once been very much there could just cease to exist.

The others saw the frog boy's heart break as he turned back to them with a defeated expression. He ran to his family and into the arms of his grandfather who hugged him. 

"She can't be gone, Hop Pop!" The boy wept.

"Alas, sometimes that's just how it goes, Sprig," The elderly orange frog did his best to console him.

"When she comes back, I'm gonna tell her that this wasn't a funny prank!" A young purple polliwog with legs growled trying to hide her tears.

"Polly..." Hop Pop trailed off.

Meanwhile a dark haired human girl collapsed into the arms of her blonde companion and sobbed into the crook of her neck.

The few comprehensible words she kept repeating in her tears were, "My fault" and "I'm so sorry."

The blonde simply hugged her tighter and let her silent tears fall. She felt not only despair, but anger at herself. She couldn't help but think she could have saved her some how.

Her friend broke into her thoughts with a quiet whimper, "It should've been me. I deserve to die. Not Anne."

Shocked by what she was hearing she pulled away from her friend and looked into her eyes which were now puffy and red from crying so much.

"Marcy, don't you ever say that again," She warned.

"But Sasha, it's true! I got us stuck here! If anyone should pay a price for that it's me!" Marcy wailed.

Sasha said nothing and simply took the smaller girl into her arms once more. Her thoughts turned protective of Marcy. She had already suffered so much. Sasha silently vowed to do whatever it takes to make Marcy feel loved again. For now though, Sasha let the fresh grief envelope her in its calm yet icy clutches. 

Marcy scooted away from Sasha feeling unworthy of being comforted. The act opened a fresh wound in her heart, but Marcy didn't care. Through her eyes, she was the one who caused her friends all this heartache. Marcy caused Anne's death. If anything, this meant Marcy deserves to die, but as she thought about it, she decided even death is too good a punishment for what she did. She deserves to be tormented by her past choices for as long as she lives.

And so, similar thoughts of blame and grief swam through everyone's mind, lingering along with the despair.

This heavy silence was broken by a voice which was at first ignored, for those who heard it believed it was the raw grief messing with their senses.

"What's everyone looking at?"

Hop Pop absentmindedly scolded her saying, "Not now, Anne. We're mournin' the loss of a true hero, and the greatest kid who ever-"

"Anne?" A young raw voice gasped.

"Hey dude!" The girl laughed as her pink best friend tackled her in a hug which was surprisingly big for such a small frog.

"Anne?" the older frog looked up from his mourning to see the girl he believed to have died standing in front of him looking very much alive.

The others looked up at the sound this time astonished by the sight they saw.

Anne was alive!

The group ran to the girl and they all fell into the water making a splash as they hugged. Their clothes were soggy and soaking wet but no one cared. They had their girl back. Unfortunately, there were greater problems ahead of them, but for now they embraced Anne as the orange sun rose in the brightening eastern sky.