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She was tired from running.
Weapons and gunshots rang out as the robot-filled sky turned red. The smoke was so thick that it was hard to breathe. The battle cries of soldiers still fighting, the moans of the wounded ones, the last cries of the dying... The little pollywog was trying to comprehend the situation she was in, running with legs that hadn't even been out for a year and trying to see ahead with eyes that were constantly watering.
She was at war. She was fighting. Just like her mom and dad. She was crushing all the robots in her path. Anne and Sprig flew away on Domino 2. Frobo was defending Hop Pop, who couldn't move much. The asphalt was covered in red. The tiny tears that fell were spreading in small circles in the pool of blood.
Everything was too much.
The robot after her was a little bigger than the others. Its function was a bit more advanced and unlike all those black robots, this one was dark green. It was definitely one of the higher-ranking robots flying from the castle. Polly turned into the first street she came across and narrowly avoided the laser. She wiped her eyes angrily and turned around to face the robot. But it was gone.
There was a huge heron in front of her. And jumped on her.
She screamed.
Polly Petunia Plantar rose from her bed, panting. Her eyes were wide open, her breath was ragged. Her hands locked on her chest. It wasn't only in the dream that her eyes filled with tears.
She looked around. There was no war. No explosions. No robots.
No herons.
"You 'kay?"
Lavender Flour put the book she was reading on her lap and squinted at her roommate. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, her lips were lined. Polly turned her gaze to the fallen blanket. It was quite a mess.
"Yeah. Just nightmare."
"It didn't seem like just nightmare. I haven't seen you wrapped up like this in a long time."
"I'm..."
Her body still hadn't stopped shaking. She shook her head from side to side and reached down to pick up the blanket.
"Anniversary is just around the corner, huh?"
"Polly..."
There was nothing to explain.
Polly was no stranger to nightmares. They came occasionally, but especially when the anniversary approached. They were taking her back to that day. That day when the moonlight went out for the first time.
When they left.
"If it bothers you that much, you can talk to Mr. Espada. They can find another candida—"
"No, I'll do it. I really want it. And..." She picked up the clothes she was going to wear and stood in front of the bathroom.
"I'm sure they'd want me to do this too."
The atmosphere in Newtopia was much more cheerful than usual. Reflecting the lights, Newtopia Palace shone in its normal splendor, while the city beneath it had risen much earlier. The voices of the stand vendors sounded loud and sweet. The sound of baby newts, toads and frogs laughing filled the air. It was one of the most peaceful moments befitting the buildings.
Compared to the nightmare, she was at peace.
"I can't be sure that in times like these here's one of the busiest cities in Amphibia."
Polly leaned on the railing of the cliff on the right side of the palace and turned to the frog, who spoke sarcastically.
"It's good at hiding its bad face in white architectures, isn't it?"
"I see we're in high spirits today. The speech will go well, then?"
"Liam."
"What? You started it."
She turned her head and fixed her eyes on the weapon statues. Her brow furrowed, even though she didn't realize it.
"I can't believe it's been 10 years."
Since the 3 heroes landed on Amphibia, resulting in a war and the destruction of the moon. It was too complicated for her. Long and short. Long because she could feel the change and progression around her and in herself. She didn't want to accept it when she was little, but now she knew it couldn't be stopped.
Short because she didn't have as many memories as her brother.
This was perhaps one of the things Polly was most upset about. They were fragmented. Nothing more than pieces. If there were no photo albums or statues, there wouldn't even be faces.
She remembered the racket, for example. She always carried it with her. She remembered their name: Anne, Sasha and Marcy. She remembered how old they was: 13. She remembered the party and Toad Tower. She remembered her first time in Newtopia. And that terrible day when everyone was exposed for who they were. She also remembered the Rebellion and the War. Most of her nightmares were about the day she first lost Frobo and the days of the war. At the time she didn't realize how heavy things those were. It was a time that most people wouldn't want to remember most of the time.
But not today.
Today, on the anniversary of the winning of the war, everyone remembered in honor of those who sacrificed themselves that day. On each anniversary, a different amphibian who had lived through that time was nominated to give a speech. And Polly, who had met all 3 heroes that year and witnessed almost all of the events, was chosen by Olivia.
"It's an honor." She flinched when she felt a touch on her arm. "To be personally chosen by the Queen. A huge honour. I met at least a dozen amphibians who would love to be in your shoes."
"Yeah but..."
Liam tilted his head to make eye contact with the frog. He startled. Her eyes were red. Her cheeks were wet. The way she looked back at him, it seemed like it was too late for something.
"I don't know." She was whispering. Normally she would never accept a situation about herself that would weaken her. But she was tired. The nightmares were draining her energy, even if she wouldn't admit it. The more she wanted to keep them in her brain, the more she felt like they were slipping away. At the same time, she wanted to throw them in the first trash can she found.
"You've dealt with much worse." His tone was very gentle. He pushed the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes behind her ear and put his hands on her shoulders.
"As long as you're the one who'll do it, I have no doubts."
Polly felt the blood rush to her face. His gaze was intense. He was more sure of her than even she was sure of herself.
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm not. I know Polly Plantar from the rebuilding of Amphibia is still there. She just needs to calm down a bit and be confident."
Her heart was pounding. Her mouth was dry. Her shoulders were tingling. Her eyes were locked on his. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, but no sound came out.
They stayed locked together as the sound of the change bell echoed through the air.
"How do I look?"
While the sun disappeared behind the buildings, Polly stepped into the room and turned to her roommate. Lavender stopped playing with her purple hair and turned to her. A pink dress with straps that end at the knee, red hair in a bun, a purple ribbon that is smaller than the one she always wears. She whistled.
"This is so good! You didn't even dress up like this for the college commencement. Are we looking for someone special?"
Remembering the gentle green eyes, she put her hands to her pink ears and shook her head.
"Don't be silly."
"Puh-lease!" She approached her and adjusted the ribbon. She had a weary look in her eyes. "I saw the way you looked at the Stumpson boy."
"Liam? No way!"
"Yes way. Oh, come on Polly, your cheeks are all red!"
She was right and it was getting on Polly's nerves. With blushing, she picked up her bag hanging on the side and headed for the door.
"Let's go."
Grabbed by the shoulder, she turned around. "Dance with him."
"Lav—"
"At least talk. You'll thank me later."
For a while they listened to the hustle and bustle against the walls and the announcement. Polly had survived the Earth. Survived the war. Survived almost everything. It shouldn't have been too difficult to make a speech and have a little dialog with a frog, right? With these thoughts in mind, she opened the door and Lavender went down the right staircase into the garden while she went to the balcony to the queen who make the announcement.
While the layout of the palace hadn't changed much, it had been improved under the queen's watch, and the positive aspects of the improvements were becoming more and more apparent as time went on. Polly had always respected Olivia's opinion and decisions. She still remembered the determined look in the eyes of many, including Mrs. Croaker, when it was time to vote and they threw their hats into the space symbolizing her.
"Welcome to the 10th anniversary of the Amphibia War!"
Polly could hear the buzzing and cheering outside as she walked across the corridor.
"Today is both a happiness and a sadness for us, unfortunately. We have lost many lives, but we have also gained many either. Thanks to the heroes, we were given another chance. Today is the day to remember this chance and what it all means."
As the applause and whistles rose, the purple frog stood by the door to the balcony and beamed. Heroes. She wonder what they were doing right now. Did they miss her? Did they even remember her? Her smile faded and she fidgeted slightly. Startled by the movement, Olivia turned around and, finding the speaker dressed, slowly approached her.
"You ready?" She whispered.
She wasn't. But how much longer could she wait? Everyone was waiting for her, right? She should've stood by her decision to the end. This wasn't the time or place for cowardice. So she put her hand on her chest, exhaled and nodded.
The blue newt put her hand on her back and pushed her lightly. A way of encouragement. Polly took a deep breath and took her first step onto the balcony.
Everyone was there. Hop Pop and Sylvia, Sprig and Ivy, little Belle, students and teachers from universities, night guards, residents of Newtopia, even amphibians from outside... Hundreds of curious and waiting eyes were watching her.
She swallowed.
Polly wasn’t afraid of public speaking. When she wanted to, she could address people even better than her brother. She was personally involved in announcing many of the technological infrastructure upgrades at Amphibia. She had led the campaigns in the valley for the coronation before she started university.
The problem for her wasn't the crowd. She wasn't sure what it was, but before she could think about it, her gaze met the green. Even in that big crowd, they had no trouble finding it. He smiled slightly and gave two thumbs up. As long as you're the one who'll do it, I have no doubts. Polly felt that warm sensation envelop her body again.
She cleared her throat.
"Umm... hello."
What a good start.
"I... I really thank everyone who came. I think only those who've experienced it can understand how much it means. Even one year seems unbelievable, yet it's been 10 years."
She adjusted the microphone in front of her to a more comfortable position and placed her trembling hands on the extension. She didn't need to hold it in anymore.
"It actually started long before the war. With my grandfather and brother, I lived an ordinary farmer's life in Wartwood, a tiny town in Frog Valley that hadn't even made a name for itself at the time. I was very young, a bloodthirsty, mischievous pollywog, and I hadn't even gotten out of the bucket yet. But by the end of that year, I would've had more adventures than even frogs much bigger than me."
The tension of the beginning of the conversation had disappeared, replaced by a bittersweet ache.
"It all started when my brother escaped from the snail while my grandfather was shopping. He wanted to prove that he was responsible, so he went to the forest to hunt a monster. He failed though."
"Hey!" Chuckles erupted when the said brother called out from the crowd.
"But thanks to him, we had the honor of meeting and bonding one of the heroes who would change everything that day. Anne Boonchuy, the Heart."
The name was repeated several times.
"She was a child too, even if it wasn't obvious at first because she was taller than most of us. She was lonely, scared, separated from her friends. She had to stay with us for a while because the farmers who could only have snails at that time didn't have the material to clear the snow-covered pass between the mountains. During this time, I had the honor of getting close enough to her to call her 'sister' and although I didn't know it at the time, it means the world to me now."
She blinked her eyes when she tasted salt water in her mouth. She hadn't realized she was crying.
"She lived with us for 3 months. She was a kind and passionate person. Her laughter could infect anyone. She cared a lot about the town and didn't like Amphibia's policy at that time. She and Hop Pop weren't afraid to speak out about it. They had no idea they were setting the stage for something bigger."
Polly's eyes slowly found the green toad with his arms folded across his chest.
"When rebellions broke out in the southern region where the valley is located, this disturbed the southern Toad Lord. He wanted to put an end to it by force with his soldiers, but an unexpected being took control of the situation with a much more logical and insidious plan. Sasha Waybright, the Strength."
The crowd murmured in wonder.
"She was one of the Resistance's two commanders and its first leader. The mighty warrior who built a great army from a small townsfolk. She was the strongest and most courageous person I knew."
And stubborn. Her lips curled.
"Sasha was one of Anne's missing friends. She was taken prisoner by the Southern lord because of her suspicious appearance, but was later released when she offered to help the lord. She and the Lord had devised a simple execution plan to keep the rebellion under control, but the encounter with her friend was a big surprise for her."
She remembered the great abyss dangling beneath her tiny body.
"There's not much to say. So much happened that day. But the first seed of war was sown there. When we arrived in the capital, we already realized that there was not a very balanced hierarchy. But in the last few weeks there had been huge improvements. It didn't take us long to understand why. Marcy Wu, the Wit."
This time her eyes were on Yunan.
"The other missing friend. She was quickly appointed as the king's deputy and still holds the Flipwart record. I don't think I've ever known anyone as smart as her. She's one of the people who inspired me for my current projects. Although she was an incredibly intelligent girl, unfortunately she couldn't escape being deceived either."
The big blue fist that almost landed on her head. The music box in her sweaty, shaky hands. She shook her head.
"All three made mistakes. Big mistakes. But they never gave up. Even though it wasn't where they were born, they protected it like their own home. Maybe because at some point it became their home, I don't know. Their bond with each other was enviable. There were dozens of arguments that I won't go into here, dangers, promises, betrayals, regrets, injuries, deaths... But they went home from that portal as friends. And this bond is actually what has inspired Amphibia's current management the most."
She let out a shaky breath. Her cheeks were soaked.
"There were moments when I thought they were dead." Everything looked blurry because of the tears. She closed her eyes. "There was a moment when I thought I was going to lose my grandfather. There were also moments when I thought my brother was dead. I witnessed the person I called my sister disappear before my eyes. I felt the pain of trying to destroy the enemy in front of me instead of helping those on the ground while I was surrounded by blood. I..."
She pulled the microphone away and tried to calm down. Focus on your breathing. Inhale. 1,2,3,4. Exhale. 5,6,7,8. No, it wasn't working. If she was going to end it, she had to end it now.
"I witnessed the moments when the Moon was in danger of crashing here and its destruction. We really owe a lot to those 3 heroes. It's a great happiness that it is still remembered and will be remembered in the future. Again, I'd like to thank everyone who came here for their importance and support. I'm sure they—"
Her voice cracked.
"T-they would be very proud if they saw this. Thank you so much."
As the applause and shouting filled Newtopia, she gave way to the queen, stepped through the balcony door, put her hand against the wall and let the sobs escape. She didn't care if the guards on the floor heard her. She didn't care about anything as her chest tightened with each minute. Every memory she recounted haunted her. The concept of time was blurred. She didn't even realize that she was shaking her head from side to side in response to Olivia's question. She thought it was about party. She didn't care about that, like everything else.
For a while nothing but her own voice broke the silence. She was alone with painful memories. Those damn memories that haunted her nightmares and wouldn't leave her alone.
Just like that fire.
"Polly—" That voice. Her legs let go. She couldn't help it. Exhaustion took over. Determined hands grabbed her waist and pulled her to hug.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. You're okay."
She could now hear her surroundings and Liam's worried words, although she was still trembling. She crawled into the hug.
"You're safe. Don't worry. I know you don't feel that way right now, but you're totally safe."
I can feel it now. The lump in her throat had loosened. She could breathe freely. Her chest didn't hurt. She was still shaking and her heart was beating fast, but now she could think. She rested her forehead on his shoulder. Her voice was hoarse.
"T-thanks. Sorry for the party."
"The last thing you should be thinking about right now is the party."
She sighed when the frog's hand found her hair. It was funny. After all that effort to calm down herself...
"You were great."
How did you do it?
She closed her eyes and put her arms around him. Her fingers gripped his cloak tightly.
Why is it so easy to calm down with your voice in my ear and your hands on me?