LAST LOOK
”LAST LOOK”
The morning before their departure, Anne was picking up a few boxes they had carefully configured of items that would help with the third temple. Marcy had decided they needed more utilities as she had come up with a hypothesis. She had been what the first temple tested, then Anne in the second. It was most likely Sasha’s temple then she had resolved, but since they didn’t know where she was, they’d have to work together to beat it.
Marcy looked like she had high hopes of finding Sasha, though Anne wasn’t sure why. She also wasn’t sure she was ready to face Sasha yet, because of the circumstances of their last encounter.
Sighing, she leaned up against the too-small fence. Anne could tell it could barely support her weight as she watched she grass-lands her and Marcy had been 2 nights ago. That seemed like forever-ago to her though.
“Heeeeey Anne, whatcha thinking about?” Sprig bounced over as he spoke.
“Oh uh-“ Anne fumbled to think of a response, “uhhhhh well me and Marcy kinda maybe snuck out a few nights ago”
Sprig’s eyes didn’t seem to widen strangely.
Anne continued anyways. “Don’t tell HP though!”
“If I were to tell Hoppop I would have done it by now” he replied simply.
“Oh thank frog i thought- hey! What do you mean by that!”
Anne waited as Sprig started laughing, looking for an explanation.
“Oh- oh! Yeah me and Polly watched! We’ve known you snuck out for a little while now” his laugher slowly dying out as he spoke.
Anne’s face flushed. What did he mean we watched? She thought the grass was tall enough that no-one would see!
“W-what did you see?” She asked nervously.
“Oh, that you and Marcy left in the general area of the grass-lands. Why? Did something else happen?”
“Nope! Nothing at all!” Anne said a little too quickly.
Sprig’s gaze suddenly looked serious. “Hey Anne, what will you do once we’ve charged the last stone?”
She stared at him. “I.. don’t actually know. I didn’t think that far. I mean, we’ve gotta find Sasha anyways”
“But I mean.. will you just go home? Once the box is charged you could, couldn’t you? That’s what Marcy said at least”
And for this, Anne didn’t have a response. It had always been at the back of her mind, what would she do once the box was fully charged? That had been the original plan, to find her friends, charge the box, and go home. The Plantar’s residence had only ment to be temporary, she never expected them to become her “found family” as Marcy called it.
“I have no idea, maybe, if you want, you could come to my world?”
“You think Hoppop would allow that?” He asked sceptically.
“Probably not, but it’s worth a try”
“Hey are you two just going to stand around? We have a third temple to go to!” An older voice called out to them, grabbing both of their attentions.
“Yeah, we’re ready to leave when you are” Marcy chimed in. Polly and Hoppop were already sitting in the saddle, with Marcy waiting on the ground.
The two rushed over, Marcy helping Sprig into the seat. Marcy held out a hand for Anne to grab, and she grabbed it willfully, only looking back once at the plantar’s home before hoisting herself beside Sprig, Marcy sitting beside her. Their hands never let go.
It’s not like we won’t come back, this is just like any other temple. Anne re-assured herself, nodding to Marcy that they were all ready to go.
With the snap of her fingers, Joe flapped his wings once, twice, until the house was far below them. alright, now what will this temple throw at us?
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A large Sparrow-shape formed in the distance, approaching the volcano.
“They’ll be here soon” a Lieutenant spoke from her rocky outcropping near the third temple.
“Good” the Captain replied, a sickly smile that showed his crooked teeth inching up his face. “Right on time”