Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Lost Among the Stars

Space stretched endlessly, an ocean of infinite and starlight. Stars bloomed like slow-moving fireworks, swirls of pink, violet, and gold that pulsed with silent electricity. Far below the drifting veil of stars, a ring of distant planets spun around their suns, each one glimmering like forgotten jewels. Some burned with the heat of molten cores; others lay cold and blue, sleeping under layers of ice. Between them all was silence — a silence so complete, it felt like time had stopped.

Inside the orbit station odyssey( or “new wartwood” as what others say), the hum of machinery broke that silence. The steady thrum-thrum-thrum of the engines filled the air, heartbeats echoing through metal halls. And then, breaking that silence, came a single hum.
A soft vibration, shocked steady — the rhythm of engines.

A silver station hovered in orbit above a pale green planet. Lights blinked across its surface like constellations in miniature. Inside, the control room looked out across the stars — a wide glass window stretching from floor to ceiling, reflecting it.

Anne Boonchuy stood there, hands pressed lightly against the glass.

Her dark brown hair was flowed down that brushed the collar of her uniform, The navy-blue space uniform she wore looked a size too big for her, the sleeves rolled up, the name patch “A. BOONCHUY” stitched in crooked silver letters. A small lily pad pin sat on her chest ,her own little badge of Amphibia, the world that had once been home. Her brown eyes were fixed on the stars, her breath fogging the glass slightly.

Anne’s expression dimmed, and she looked back out at the stars, not until her stargazing was interrupted by behind her came the creak of boots on the metal floor. An elderly anthropomorphic frog of small stature came in. The frog had mostly reddish-orange skin with a light underbelly.

“Hey Hoppop..”

“What are you doing out here Anne?”HopPop said, his gravelly voice warm and familiar. He waddled up beside her, arms crossed behind his back. His vest had been replaced with a tiny blue jacket, full of little patches — one shaped like a frog, one like a rocket, and another that just said “Plantar Pride!”

He squinted out the window. “Still feels strange. Bein’ up here, floatin’ ‘round the stars instead of tendin’ the farm. Back then, I was worried about gophers. Now I’m worried about… space debris!”

Anne giggled a little. “Yeah… space gophers sound way scarier.”

Hop Pop smirked. “Don’t give the universe ideas.”

They stood quietly for a moment, watching the light from a nearby nebula spill across the glass.

Then Anne spoke again, her voice smaller this time.
“Hop Pop… do you think my parents would even recognize me now?”

He blinked. “What kinda question is that, sugar?”

“I mean…” She fiddled with the end of her sleeve. “I was just a baby when you found me. And now I’m… I dunno. Still a kid, but… not really the same, y’know? I’ve seen things, done stuff. If we ever make it back home, I don’t know if I’ll ever find them again and they might  look at me and see me.”

Hop Pop frowned gently. “Anne, that’s—”

But before he could finish, she sighed and looked away.
“Never mind. It’s dumb.”

Hop Pop placed a small hand on her arm. “Ain’t dumb at all. But we got bigger things to worry ‘bout right now, don’t we? Like makin’ sure this ship doesn’t run outta fuel again.”

Anne grinned faintly. “Yeah… the to-do list. Don’t remind me.”

Hop Pop pulled a crumpled digital pad from his pocket and squinted at it. “Let’s see here: clean the dang old solar panels, fix the cool system, fix the main thrusters, and…” He frowned harder. “…figure out why the food printer keeps spittin’ out mashed potatoes instead of anything else.”

Anne snorted. “Hey, at least it’s better than space grubs.”

“Barely,” Hop Pop muttered.

She turned back to the window. “We’ve been out here a long time, huh?”

He nodded slowly. “Sure have. Ever since since then . King Andrias said he’d send out scouts, but—”

Anne groaned. “Yeah, but King Andrias is always busy. Last week he was off dealing with some asteroid treaty, and the week before that it was robot pirates!.”

Hop Pop’s eyes narrowed. “Robot pirates, my foot. Feller’s got too many ‘important’ missions and not enough time for the ones that matter.”

Anne leaned her chin on her hand. “He probably forgot about us.”

“Bah,” Hop Pop said, waving it off. “He may be a big ol’ royal pain sometimes, but I don’t reckon he forgot. He’s just stretched thin. Being king of a multiverse alliance will do that to ya.”

“Still…” Anne whispered, looking out at the stars again. “I wish we could find Amphibia ourselves. I miss Sprig and Polly, I wish they could come”

Hop Pop’s expression softened. “I do too, kiddo. Every single day.”

They both fell silent. The stars shimmered outside, endless and untouchable.

Then Hop Pop clapped his hands together, breaking the mood. “Alright! No more mopin’. We got work to do. I’ll check the engine core; you handle the communications panel. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll pick up a signal today.”Anne smiled faintly, her hope flickering like starlight.

“Yeah… maybe we will.”As she turned back toward the glowing console, a faint pulse blinked on one of the monitors ,a green light. Small. Weak. But steady.

The soft hum of the ship filled the room again — that steady, mechanical heartbeat that never truly stopped. The glow from the window painted the walls in pale blue light as Anne and Hop Pop began their morning checklist, the same routine they’d done every day since they’d ended up here.

Anne pulled her hair back with a clip shaped like a tiny frog and grabbed a tablet from the control desk. “Okay! Let’s see what we’ve got today.”

Hop Pop, perched on a short stool, leaned over her shoulder with a small grunt. “Right then. Let’s do this properly. First on the list: solar panel maintenance. That means you goin’ into the observation bay to adjust the mirrors.”

Anne nodded, flipping a few switches on the console. “Got it hops! , easy.” She made a little pew-pew sound as the holographic panel popped up.

Hop Pop raised a brow. “Are you makin’ sound effects again?”

“Maybe,” Anne said, grinning. “Makes it more fun.”

“Hmmph,” Hop Pop said, but his mouth twitched with a tiny smile. “Fine, fine. Long as it gets done.”

Anne focused the screen’s controls, moving the ship’s external mirrors with slow, careful motions. The reflection of the nearby star brightened, bouncing its energy toward the solar collectors that powered the station. Numbers on the side of the screen climbed steadily — 40%, 65%, 100%.

“Solar panels at full charge!” she said proudly.

“Good work, Space Cadet,” Hop Pop said, jotting something down on his datapad with a stylus far too big for his little froggy hands. “Next: clean out the coolant filter. You’ll need to run the scrubbers for at least twenty minutes this time — that gunk keeps buildin’ up faster than we can clear it.”

“Yuck,” Anne said, wrinkling her nose.”Why do I always get the gross jobs?”

“Because you got longer arms,” Hop Pop said simply.

Anne laughed, shaking her head. “Fair.”

As she bent over the control panel to start the cleaning cycle, her eyes wandered to one of the pictures taped to the wall — a small, crumpled drawing of three girls standing side by side, wearing makeshift space helmets. It was old, from back before any of this was real. Her smile softened.

“I still can’t believe  Sasha and Marcy are going to official work with us .”

Hop Pop looked up. “They’re joinin’ the mission soon, right?”

“Mm-hm,” Anne said, her voice brightening. “Sasha’s leading the recon squad, and Marcy’s gonna help with the ship’s navigation. Can you imagine? The three of us actually doing space stuff together?” She giggled. “Marcy’s probably already memorized every button on the ship, and Sasha’s gonna act like she’s the captain even though she’s not.”

Hop Pop chuckled. “Sounds about right. That girl’s got enough bossy energy to fuel a rocket on her own.”

Anne nodded quietly. “Yeah… I know”

She glanced back out the window, her reflection overlapping with the galaxy beyond. “Sometimes I wonder what my parents are doing right now. If they still set the table for three. If they ever stopped leaving the porch light on.”

Hop Pop didn’t say anything for a long moment. He just let her words sit there, soft and sad in the cold air of the control room.

Then he finally said, “we will never know kiddo, they sound like good people, Anne.”

Anne glanced at the tablet again. “Uh, yeah where was I-, oh right yeah I think we need to replace-“

Hop Pop groaned. “Oh please tell me not that thruster cap again? I swear, whoever built this hunk of metal forgot that parts are supposed to stay attached.”

Anne laughed. “C’mon, it’s not that bad.”

“Easy for you to say. You ain’t the one who has to hold the flashlight while hangin’ upside down in zero gravity.”

Anne snorted. “That’s why you’re the boss, Hop Pop.”

He puffed his chest a little. “Darn right. Somebody’s gotta keep this ship from fallin’ apart — and make sure you don’t go floatin’ off into the void.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she teased. “I got my lesson last time.”

“Barely,” he grumbled.
Just then the lights blinked rhythmically, bathing the room in soft blue and white hues. Outside the window, a comet passed by a streak of silver cutting through the darkness. For a moment, both of them stopped and watched it, wordless. Anne whispered, “Hey, Hop Pop?”

“Yeah, kiddo?”

“You think Amphibia ever looked up at our sky like this?”

He looked at her, eyes shining softly. “Maybe. Maybe they’re lookin’ right back at us.”

And for the first time in a while, Anne let herself believe it.
————————————————————

The hum of the ship softened into a low, steady buzz. The room glowed with a faint blue light from the control panels as Anne leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms with a loud yawn.

“Okay,” she said, tapping the side of her tablet. “Reactor thingy is stable, the loopy caps are installed, and that food printer is still broken.”

Hop Pop squinted at her over his notes. “You sure it’s broken and not just refusin’ to make anything but mashed potatoes again?”

Anne tilted her head. “Pretty sure both?”

“Well I just-“

Before Hop Pop could reply, the door hissed open behind them ; followed by the faint sound of someone muttering to themselves

“Checklist number forty-eight… no, forty-nine,” a voice said softly, lilting and precise. “Fuel-to-magic ratio cross-check completed. Hull density: stable. Temperature readings… hmm. Still not sure if I trust that sensor.”

Anne turned in her chair.

Standing in the doorway was a young woman about her height,  maybe a little taller. Her skin was a warm light tan, her long indigo hair pulled into a neat ponytail streaked with a single pink stripe that shimmered faintly in the ship’s light. Her eyes were sharp but kind, framed by round glasses that sat slightly crooked on her nose. Like Anne, she wore the same navy-blue uniform — only hers looked perfectly pressed, the Amphibia mission patch gleaming like it had just been polished. A faint purple aura shimmered around her notebook as it floated in front of her, pages flipping on their own as a quill scribbled lines of text at lightning speed.

Hop Pop blinked. “Well, I’ll be, every time you walk in, I feel like I just stepped into a fancy magic show.”

The girl smiled sheepishly, her quill still moving on its own. “Sorry! I’m almost done. I just finished double-checking the outer shields. Everything’s in order… I think. These instruments are so complicated! You have to press all these little buttons and—”

She poked at a nearby monitor, which let out a loud, irritated beep.

Anne flinched. “That one’s the emergency exit!”

“Oh! Oh no!” The girl quickly waved her hand, and the button unpressed itself with a soft purple glow. “Sorry! I keep forgetting how sensitive these things are. In my world, we never had to deal with— well, any of this.”

Anne giggled. “Electronics?”

The girl nodded, a bit embarrassed. “Yes! I’m used to magic-based, not this… circuitry stuff!, It’s fascinating, but—” she made a face “—also so much...”

Hop Pop chuckled. “Heh! Magic or no magic, you’re doin’ fine, twilight , Long as this place don’t blow up, you’re acin’ it in my book.”

“Thank you, sir-“she said earnestly.

Before she could finish, the intercom above them crackled to life with a burst of static and a loud crash in the background.

“ATTENTION ALL CREW!” a panicked voice shouted on the upper intercom. “Uh… there’s a situation in the cafeteria! Again!”

The girl sighed, rubbing her temple. “Oh no. Don’t tell me—”

“Yes..,” Twilight continued. “It’s that child from the other dimension! The one with the magic long hair! In assuming, he’s uh… breaking the vending machine. Again.”

Anne blinked. “Wait— you mean T.K.O.?”

Twilight nodded , looking weary. “Yes. Him.”

Hop Pop threw his hands up. “That boy’s got more anger than a bullfrog on chili night! What’s he mad about this time?”

“I think…” she hesitated, flipping her notebook open again, “…he was upset that the weird food portal last time ran out of the strawberry protein bars. I told him we’d restock, but he said the thingy “disrespected his power.’”

Anne snorted, covering her mouth. “Oh my frog. Classic T.K.O.”

Twilight let out a small laugh too, despite herself. “I can’t decide if he’s brave or just reckless.”

Hop Pop sighed heavily. “Well, reckless or not, we can’t have him tearin’ up the ship every time he gets a sugar craving. Last thing we need is another hull breach.”

Anne stood up, grabbing her jacket. “Then we better go check it out. C’mon!”

Hop Pop groaned, hopping off his stool. “Fine, fine, but if he punches another hole in the wall, he’s the one patchin’ it this time!”

As they headed for the door, twilight gently closed her floating notebook. The magic around it shimmered, folding into a neat burst of purple light before vanishing into her uniform pocket.

Anne looked over her shoulder.

“You comin’, uh…?”

The girl smiled softly, pushing her glasses up with a spark of pride. “Yes!, I’m coming!”

Hop Pop glanced back. “Right. Guess we should’ve known. Twilight Sparkle never misses a crisis.”

Anne grinned. “Well, if she’s leading, we’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Twilight smiled, her cheeks tinting pink. “Let’s hope you’re right. Because if T.K.O. keeps this up, we might not have a cafeteria left.”

The three of them stepped out into the corridor, the door sliding shut behind them. The glow from the control room dimmed, replaced by the rhythmic pulse of the hallway lights as the sound of shouting ,and one very angry teenager with glowing hair ,echoed faintly in the distance.

Anne couldn’t help but grin. “Just another normal day in space .”

Hop Pop muttered, “Normal? You got a mighty funny definition of that.”

Twilight straightened her clipboard with a flick of magic, already taking notes. “Alright, team. Let’s handle this carefully, and try not to startle him this time.”

“‘Im hoping he doesn’t explode my face off ,” Anne said, smirking as they turned the corner toward the chaos-

The corridor pulsed with red warning lights, each flash echoing down the metal halls.
Anne, Hop Pop, and Twilight sprinted through the narrow passage, their footsteps clanking against the grated floor. Somewhere ahead, the low rumble of shouting echoed, mixed with the hiss of a busted vent.

“Sounds like we’re late to the party,” Hop Pop puffed, trying to keep up.

Anne adjusted her jacket, her brow furrowed. “Yeah, and it doesn’t sound like a fun one, but not compared to Polly’s outburst”

“Now don’t go shaming Polly like that!, she’s-, well she can have temper when she gets no candy..”

“Yeah I can totally agree with that”

As the trio rounded the final corner, the cafeteria doors hissed open — revealing chaos.

Tables were knocked sideways. Trays floated in zero gravity, clattering into the air. A vending machine sat half-crushed against the wall, sparks flying from its panel. And in the center of it all, a glowing figure floated a few feet above the floor — fists clenched, eyes blazing magenta. His hair flickered like purple fire.

T.K.O.

And just a few feet in front of him stood K.O. shorter, gentler, his hands raised in a calm but shaky gesture.

“It’s okay Tko! ,” K.O. said, his voice cracking just a little. “We’ve been through this before. The machine’s not rigged, it’s just… out of snacks, like the in the bodega when mr gar-“

“It’s always out of snacks!” T.K.O. snapped, there voice vibrating the air. “First the energy bars, then the soda! This whole ship’s a joke! At least back home at the Plaza, things worked when I punched them!”

“You blew up the juice dispenser at the Plaza!” K.O. shouted back. “Mom made you mop for three days!”

Anne, Twilight, and Hop Pop exchanged glances.

“Yeesh,” Hop Pop muttered. “And I thought Polly had temper tantrums.”

Twilight stepped forward carefully, her voice gentle but firm. “Alright, let’s all take a breath—”

T.K.O. spun toward her, eyes flaring more brighter purplish color. “Don’t tell me to calm down! You don’t know what it’s like, being stuck in a metal box with people who—” He caught sight of Anne and froze mid-sentence, his glare softening slightly. “…kids who stare at me like I’m some kind of weirdo .”
The group all paused, and continued with silence

“Besides losers!, I know what I’m doing!”

Anne blinked, taking a small step forward. “Hey, whoa dude, no one thinks you’re a weirdo. You just, a lot of anger issues my guy”

Hop Pop leaned in. “And me.”

Twilight sighed softly but smiled, lifting her hand. A faint violet shimmer filled the air, gently lowering the floating trays back to the tables. “We’re not here to scold you, T.K.O. We just want to talk, okay?”

T.K.O.’s aura flickered, uncertain. “Talk? What’s you losers think there to talk about? Everything was better at home!, At least at Gar’s Plaza, people got me. Professor Venomous might’ve been tough, but he understood power.”

K.O. frowned, stepping closer to him. “No, he used your power. Don’t you remember when-“ Ko frozen upon last sentence, and took a deep breath in, before continuing.

“Well, sorry, I won’t get to deep into that”

T.K.O.’s fists tightened. His voice cracked with frustration. “He believed in me more than anyone else!”

“That’s not true,” K.O. said firmly. “I believe in you. You’re me, literally!”

For a moment, the room went quiet except for the soft hum of Twilight’s magic still settling the mess.

Anne took a breath, trying to sound calm. “Yeah dude, we all miss our homes. I miss mine, too. Our family is in Amphibia, and I miss them too so I can relate to why your get angry a lot”

Hop Pop nodded, his tone serious but kind. “She’s right, son. You ain’t the only one feelin’ lost. But breakin’ stuff ain’t gonna fill that hold in yah, It just makes a bigger mess.”

T.K.O. looked away, his energy dimming just a little. “Well-, yeah whatever ill guess I’ll try to fix myself or whatever...”Tko said, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Twilight stepped closer, her tone softer now. “Then start small;Anger is energy ,raw magic, almost. You can’t destroy it, but you can redirect it. Trust me, I used to let mine get the better of me too. Magic and emotion are dangerous when mixed.”

T.K.O. blinked, his fiery eyes flickering. “You? You don’t look like someone who gets angry, I see you more as a scaredy cat-“

“Hey! That’s not nice Tko!” Ko spoke, using his left hands to make a no gesture to him.

Twilight smiled faintly. “You haven’t seen me when a friendship report goes missing, I tend to go all out, but I mostly try to retain myself or my friend spike back at home helps me out a lot with that!”

Anne giggled, earning a small grin from Hop Pop. Even K.O. snorted under his breath.

The tension finally started to melt. T.K.O. floated down slowly until his boots touched the floor. The glow around him faded, though his hair still flickered faintly at the tips.

“I just…” he started, his voice quieter now, “I hate feeling weak. Out here, I don’t know who I am. I’m not a hero, I’m not the bad guy. I’m just… nothing, it’s like what professor ven-
Before Tko spoke, K.O stepped up beside them and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re us. You don’t have to be one or the other anymore. We can figure it out together ,like we always do.”

For a second, T.K.O. just stared at him then slowly, he nodded. “Gosh you sound like Mom.”

“Good,” K.O. said with a small grin. “Because mommy was right about everything”

Hop Pop crossed his arms with a satisfied nod. “Well, ain’t that somethin’. Looks like we just had ourselves a good ol’ fashioned heart-to-heart space edition.”
Anne smiled at T.K.O. “You know, maybe next time you’re mad, try talking instead of punching. Or, like… scream into a pillow, that’s what I do when hippo makes me clean out the gutter back at home!”

“Now hold on young lady that’s an important chore to do!”

“Hoppop!, the last time I cleaned the gutter in almost died by those giant grasshoppers!”
“Well maybe if you weren’t distracted by that dang old phone or your’s you would have paired more attention!” Hoppop said, giving Anne a glared looked.

Twilight waved her hand, using her magic to repair the vending machine panel with a quiet hum. The lights flickered back on, and a single protein bar dropped into the tray with a clunk.

She turned with a little grin. “Problem solved.”

T.K.O. blinked. “…You fixed it?”

Twilight shrugged modestly. “I may not understand this sort of machinery , but I know how to realign energy fields, so hopefully guy am I might not get mad, I know it’s his invention after all”

“Well then” K.O. reached into the slot and held up the bar. “Here, no more smashing things, okay?” placing the bar onto TKO hand, T.K.O hesitated, then took it. “Yeah… okay.”

As the cafeteria settled, the hum of the ship returned to normal. The tension that had filled the air moments ago faded into an easy silence. Anne leaned back against a table, letting out a breath.

“Man,” she said with a half-laugh, “I’m starting to think space is just one big group therapy session.”

Hop Pop grinned. “If that’s the case, we oughta start charg—”

The faint hum of the repaired vending machine still filled the air when the cafeteria doors suddenly burst open again.

“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MACHINE!?”

The group turned as a tall, thin man in a green suit came storming in, tall man covered in orange fur with a patch of yellowish-beige around his neck, wearing a a tall brown hat, ears resemble like “dog ears”; hands were full of scattered blueprints, one of which promptly fell to the floor as he stomped in with exaggerated panic.

“Is that..” Anne blinked. “Guy-Am-I?”

Hop Pop groaned under his breath. “Aw, frog legs. Here we go.”

Guy held up a crumpled schematic, pointing dramatically at the sparking corner of the vending machine. “Do you realize how delicate these circuits are? I designed that machine to handle normal snack requests not full-blown superpowered meltdowns!”

“Don’t your machines like all ways blow up?” Tko added, giving off a sly smirk. Guy not impressed. “Oh, I know about that!” Guy interrupted, pacing in circles. “I heard the commotion halfway across the ship! You think emergency alarms don’t travel through ventilation ducts? Because they do! And they echo!”

Twilight stepped forward diplomatically. “Guy, we already handled it. The machine’s fine, and no one’s hurt.”

Guy threw his arms up dramatically. “Fine? Fine!? That machine was supposed to be the future of automated snack delivery — the crown jewel of cafeteria engineering! Do you have any idea how much testing went into that prototype?”

Hop Pop crossed his arms. “Well, maybe next time you make it T.K.O.-proof.”

Guy blinked. “T.K.O.-proof?!”

T.K.O. frowned. “Hey, I didn’t mean to blow it up, on accident” Tko said, chuckling underneath his breath. Guy giving a grumpy growl, while oraganizing his papers together in his hand. “Young man, I don’t understand you that well, I would say your even worse then Sam to say the least”.

“Dude I’m sure he likes does the same thing to!”

“Yes, he can be annoying, and loud to say the least, but he’s not the type of person to punch my inventions!” Guy shouted, exhaling hard through his nose. “Young man, you’ve got the kind of energy most inventors only dream of harnessing , but you use it like a wrecking ball! Do you know how many things could run on your power if you just focused it?”

T.K.O. tilted his head. “What, like… a battery?”

Guy wagged a finger. “Exactly! A controlled battery. Not an exploding one!”

K.O. snickered. “T.K.O. the Power Source. I’d watch that show.” T.K.O. rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the small smirk creeping across his face. Anne crossed her arms, grinning. “Guess that means you’ve got fans everywhere, huh?”

Twilight, meanwhile, had her clipboard floating beside her, scribbling notes in glowing purple ink. “Actually, that’s a good idea. If Guy can calibrate a stabilizer to T.K.O.’s energy field, we could channel that power safely ,maybe even boost the ship’s core efficiency.”

Guy blinked, pausing mid-rant. “…Boost the core, you say?”

“Yes,” Twilight said, her tone steady and thoughtful. “We could run a test after lunch, if you like to”

“I don’t know I’ll have to think about-“ not before Guy straightened up, adjusting himself. “Alright then! We’ll discuss this experiment later, for now—” he looked around the messy cafeteria “I assume you’ve all finished your morning tasks?”

Anne shrugged. “I mean we did all our morning tasks,we just haven’t done the post, lunch inventory yet, and I’m hungry so I don’t feel like doing it now”

Guy nodded approvingly, though his expression softened slightly as he turned back to T.K.O. “Just… try not to take out your frustrations on expensive equipment next time, okay? Anger’s a terrible engineer.”

T.K.O. blinked, and scoffed “Yeah, got it old man” Guy sighed, and began walking towards the center of the cafeteria, moving in deeper the smell of something warm drifted through the air, buttery, savory, and faintly sweet. Anne sniffed. “Whoa. What is that smell? It’s like… pancakes but fancy”

Hop Pop perked up immediately. “Food?!”

They turned a corner and entered the ship’s kitchen section, where the sound of sizzling filled the room. There, standing by the counter with calm precision, was a tall white polar bear wearing a light blue apron. His fur shimmered under the kitchen lights, and he flipped a frying pan effortlessly with one paw while stirring a pot with the other.

“Ice Bear is cooking,” he said simply, his deep voice low and even.

Anne’s eyes went wide. “Woah dude, this looks amazing!”

The bear nodded once, his expression stoic. “Ice Bear also washing dishes.” The group was amazed by the polar bears talented skills, they notice on his left paw, ice bear was managing to rinse out the dishes while her other paw cooking and holding the pan firmly.

Hop Pop whistled. “Now that’s what I call multitaskin’.”

Twilight blinked, impressed. “How do you—”

“Ice Bear is efficient,” he said before she could finish, stacking a neat row of freshly cleaned plates.

Guy stepped forward, already inspecting the counters. “Remarkable cleanliness! You could eat off these surfaces — though I suppose that would defeat the purpose.”

“Wow didn’t knew you were a clean freak?” Tko questioned, guy am I once again giving the teen a hard cold glare.
“For the record I’m not a clean freak, I’m just wanting to keep good environment, and me and Michelle sometimes like to clean together so..”

“Ah so it’s a romantic thing I’m getting right?” Tko spoke, giving guy am I a sly smug, he then placed his left hand onto guy’s right shoulder, patting it twice.
“I’m not here to judge, I think your a dweeb to be honest”

“Can we move on the subject please!” Guy shouted, removing tko’s hand off his shoulder, icebear earring his throat. “Ice Bear prefers no crumbs,” Ice Bear said flatly, spooning food onto a tray. “Crumbs cause chaos.”

Anne giggled. “You sound like Hoppop.” Anne said, leaning over the counter, she touched and sniffing one of the pans. “What’s for lunch, chef?”. “Ice Bear made spicy tofu stir-fry and triple-berry pancakes,” Ice Bear replied, placing the tofu down on the plate, he grabbed off the higher shelf counters, and began to sprinkle in salt, pepper and a dashed of ginger, he grabbed onto his left side with his paws, and dashed in a sauce of Tabasco that made a heart shape sign, with a small logo of ice bear’s face next to it .

K.O.’s eyes sparkled. “Yesss! Pancakes and tofu? that’s what mommy makes for us back at home !”

T.K.O. raised a brow. “Wait, Did you say spicy tofu?”

“Ice Bear knows T.K.O. likes “ kick in food,” he replied. The group burst out laughing with the joke, even made T.K.O. cracked a smile. “Touché,” he muttered. “Guess I deserved that one.”

Ice Bear didn’t react, he gently and slowly slid plates of 6 plates across the counter towards the group, the polar bear walked around the counter and began to orangish the chairs, each placing down a napkin cloth from those fancy restaurants, and placing 6 cups each filled with orange juice. The group settled around a table, steam rising from their trays. For a few quiet minutes, all that could be heard was the clinking of utensils and the soft hum of the ship.

Twilight smiled softly., interrupting the silence “You really do take care of everyone here, don’t you?”

“Ice Bear takes care of crew,” he said simply. “Crew keeps ship alive. Ice Bear keeps crew alive.”
Anne sighed happily, resting her chin in her hands. “Man… it’s weird, but this place almost feels like home sometimes.”

Hop Pop nodded, chewing thoughtfully. “Ain’t home, but it’ll do ‘til we find ours again.”

Guy straightened his notes, clearly calmer now. “And with everyone doing their part, perhaps we’ll make progress faster than expected.”

Twilight nodded. “Agreed. After lunch, we’ll
get back to do our to-do lists!”Guy-Am-I stood at the head of the table, adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat with a little too much formality.
“Alright, everyone. Lunch is lovely, thank you, Ice Bear, but let’s return to business. We still have afternoon tasks to discuss.”Hop Pop groaned but reached for the clipboard Twilight had floated toward him. “Oh, goody. My favorite thing. More lists.”

Twilight smiled patiently, flipping her own checklist open. “Structure keeps us organized, Hop Pop. Now, let’s go around. What’s everyone assigned for today?” Twilight questioned

Anne straightened, trying to look official as possible . “I’m on supply inventory duty and whatever Hoppop makes me do, like the storage room”

“Good,” Guy nodded approvingly. “We don’t need another repeat of the marshmallow incident.”

Anne blushed and raised herself tall. “That wasn’t my fault!, Hoppop gave me the wrong tools to fix that hole!”

Hop Pop chuckled, placing his hand onto Anne’s left shoulder “Those sticky walls said otherwise.” The grog began to burst out laughing, making Anne’s cheek grow even more red, she quickly shifted Hoppop hand off her shoulder, and gave a pouted face, with meanwhile Twilight scribbled her notes. “I’ll be checking the stabilizers and scanning for weird sightings near the reactor. Guy, you said the readings were flickering?”

“Yes,” Guy sighed. “Either interference from a passing star, or someone tampered with the calibrator again, on purpose “ Guy slowly turned his head towards Tko giving them a hard look, which in response , the teen gave off a growl sound, tapping his fingers repeatedly onto the table.
T.K.O. raised an eyebrow. “Maybe that big blue frog what’s his name did it”

“Who?, King Andrias?” Hoppop asked, Anne glanced up, her expression tightening slightly. “Andrias? I mean… he’s been quiet for a while.”

“Too quiet,” T.K.O. muttered, tapping the table once again, only this type he’s changed the pace a little.”No one’s seen him in days. You don’t think he’s planning something, do you?”K.O. waved his hand quickly. “Well, He’s probably just doing king stuff!”, Ko added.

Guy frowned thoughtfully. “Still, it’s unusual. He was supposed to monitor the navigation relays with Twilight two cycles ago. Then… nothing.”Twilight’s brow furrowed. “It’s concerning. But until we have data, we shouldn’t assume the worst.”

Anne’s stomach twisted a little. She remembered Andrias, how back in amphibian he would also have a warm and comforting smiled like a teacher, he was almost kinda of like a mentor to him, with never knowing who her original parents are, but he can never be compared to Hoppop, she knew who her true family was and that’s all that matters, but she did questioned that once in awhile the king does cold once often, but it could be too stress, Even if he was gone temporarily for now , the memory of him still clung to her like a shadow.
“Yeah… maybe it’s better if he stays missing.” Anne said in her mind

Ice Bear, quietly stacking clean dishes at the counter, added in his usual calm tone:
“Ice Bear recommends vigilance. Missing kings tend to return dramatically.”That got a small laugh from everyone, lightening the heavy silence.

Guy turned the page on his clipboard, redirecting them. “Right, enough gloom. We all have things to finish. Hop Pop, hydroponics inspection. T.K.O. and K.O., power coupling maintenance. Anne, inventory and log reports. Twilight, reactor diagnostics. I’ll monitor the systems.”

Anne stretched, trying to shake off the nerves. “Got it. We’ll knock this out before dinner.”

Before anyone could stand, the cafeteria doors slammed open with a loud metallic clang.

A familiar voice burst in, full of frantic cheer.
“GUY! GUY! GUY! You won’t believe this! You WON’T believe this!” Just then a short man came bursting in, the man had short stature, a height maybe around 4’8 inches, yellow skin, white fuzz on his face, and a tall red hat on his head,. He stumbled in, hat slightly askew, arms waving in excitement. His eyes sparkled like someone who had just discovered the meaning of life, or at least free samples. The man swiftly stated next to guy, crossing his legs and giving a bright smile across his face. Guy pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh no, let me guess you broke something”

“Nope!, although I did accidentally broke your toothbrush last night!”
“SAM YOU WHAT-!”Before guy could speak, Sam placed his two fingers into guy’s mouth making a shush noise.

“Nope!, it’s even better, there’s these two teens that just arrived on the landing deck! Same age as Anne!” He gasped for air, nearly bouncing on his heels. “They said their names were, wait for it!-“ Sam paused, and closed his mouth, tapping both of his hands onto the table, making a drumroll sound to not so being interrupted by tko’s slamming his fist onto the table, with a snarly growl.

“Just tell us already!”

“They said their names were—wait for it—Marcy Wu and Sasha Waybright!”Anne froze mid-breath, her fork clattered against the plate.

“What did you say?” Anne whispered

Sam blinked, then grinned even wider. “Marcy and Sasha! They’re outside right now! Said something about reconnecting with an ‘old frog pal and a human named Anne Boonchuy!’”

Anne shot to her feet so fast her chair screeched backward. “They’re HERE!? Oh my gosh, they’re actually here!”

Twilight smiled warmly, already sensing the wave of joy radiating off her. “Your friends from Amphibia?”

“Yeah!” Anne said breathlessly, clutching her chest. “They’re my best friends—Sasha, Marcy, and me—we were all stuck in Amphibia together! I thought I’d never see them again!”

K.O. grinned. “That’s awesome! More teammates!”

T.K.O. shrugged, half-smiling. “As long as they don’t mess with the machines, or annoying then it’s fine by me”

Hop Pop’s eyes twinkled. “Well, hot dang!, I need to prepare myself!, Anne make sure I don’t got nothing on my face”. The frog grabbed the teen’s hands, and began to rub them across his face, Anne made an uncomfortable expression.
“Uh yeah pretty sure all I’m touching is your slimey dried face dude” Anne spoke, removing her hands and rubbing them onto her uniform to remove whatever Hoppop had in his face, with Guy trying his best to hide his disgust of that moment, but he cleared his throat and responded. “Hmm, unexpected visitors; This will throw off my scheduling,
though, I suppose exceptions can be made.”

“Ice Bear will prepare extra servings,” Ice Bear added, setting out more dishes onto the table.
“I can’t believe my girlies are here!, We have to go see them right now!”

“Then let’s not keep them waiting!”Twilight said leading the front of the group towards the exit. The group left the cafeteria together, their footsteps echoing down the long metal hallways. The hum of the ship followed them, soft and constant.
—————————————————————-

As they walked, Anne noticed the differences in each door they passed, it was very unique of how each members have decorated there own rooms throughout walking past the hallways, which shows how there creativity shines, or in some other cases there personality, on what room towards the first left side beginning of the hallway, Guy’s door was “neatly labeled” metal door polished to perfection, with little blueprint sketches taped to the frame.Sam-I-Am’s door however beside it was the opposite, covered in stickers, crumbs, and a “DO NOT ENTER (unless you have green eggs)” sign. Hop Pop’s room onto the other side across had tiny potted plants clinging to the walls, earthy smells seeping through the cracks. Towards the next to the right, Twilight’s was lined with glowing runes and softly floating books that drifted in the air, her door had a taped todo list with purple heart stickers taped onto the top. Onto the left of hopop’s room K.O. and T.K.O.’s have a shared room, there door on the other hand had posters of heroes and burn marks from “training mishaps., with a scribble signed that says “TKO RULEZ”, obviously K.O. needed to clean that up later; and finally Anne’s room, her own door had drawings taped across it, scribbles of frogs, stars, and a two picture of her best friends smiling beneath purple skies,and another picture of Hoppop and his grandkids which gave her a reminder of what’s important to her the most.

Once passed exiting the hallways, they reached the ship’s rear entrance, the sound of voices echoed faintly down the corridor, familiar laughters, bright and alive.

Anne’s heart skipped. She ran the last few steps to the gate. There, under the glow of the docking lights, stood two figures in worn space jackets, Sasha Waybright, blonde hair pulled into a messy ponytail, confident smirk already forming, and Marcy Wu, with her short dark black hair, green hair pin, her eyes wide in wonder, in her left hand the teen had a tablet, from Anne’s perspective it looked like she was either playing a video game or messing with the controls, or perhaps both.Before Anne could move closer she was interrupted by Marcy speaking,

“Anne?!” Marcy gasped.
“Omg! , Anne!” Sasha shouted, running forward. Anne broke into a grin so wide it hurt.
“Sasha! Marcy!”

The three collided in a tight hug, spinning once before collapsing into laughter. The sound filled the hall, bright and healing with each other. For the first time in a long time, Anne felt whole again. Her best friends were here., after all this time. Marcy was the first to pull back from the hug, practically bouncing on her heels. “Anne, oh my gosh you look amazing!, hey you look a lot taller the last time we’ve seen each-other ,and your hair—wait, is that a space uniform?”

Anne laughed breathlessly, tugging at her collar. “Yeah! It’s standard issue. Kind of itchy, though.”

Marcy grinned, eyes darting everywhere. Her hands moved fast when she got excited, fluttering near her face as she took in every detail. “This ship is incredible! Oh my gosh, is that a plasma exhaust port?“

“Uh, I guess so?, sorry mar-mar I’m not into this nerdy stuff” Anne said crossing her arms together from embarrassment, not till she noticed from the corner of her left eye to see, Behind them, Sasha crossed her arms, her posture sharp. The smirk she wore didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Wow. You really made yourself at home these past months huh Anne?”

Anne’s grin faltered a bit. “Uh, yeah. It’s… kinda been my home for a while.”

Sasha glanced at the others members of the crew, she noticed twlight adjusting her checklists with glowing magic, Hop Pop chatting with Ice Bear while trying to scrape food stuck on his chin, Guy scribbling notes while Sam bounced in circles, the teen made a chuckle sound, and her nose wrinkled. “Huh. Quite the crew you’ve got here.”

Her tone wasn’t cruel exactly, but it had an edge—like a knife wrapped in a smile.Although Anne’s didn’t notice, not until she was surprised by K.O. placing his left hand on Anne’s right shoulder with a bright smile on his face.

K.O. laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, new people are great! The more the merrier, right?”.

“Right,” T.K.O. added dryly, arms folded. “As long as they don’t start fights over vending machines, am I right K.O?” Tko was trying to get some sort of reaction to Sasha, making a playful smirk across his face, which Sasha didn’t take too kindly, but she knew if she spouted out in front of Anne and the others, she knew her total ego would be broken, instead she gave Tko a smile back.

“Well don’t worry, I know I won’t let myself do that, I mean not that your implying you’ve done it hothead”

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING HOTHEAD?!”Tko shouted,clenching his fists together. Guy cleared his throat loudly, sensing the tension. “We’ll… let you all catch up. Everyone, back to your assigned tasks. Twilight, reactor checks. K.O., engine tuning. Hop Pop—hydroponics. I’ll run diagnostics.”

Hop Pop gave Anne a little wink. “We’ll let you girls have some time. Just holler if ya need me.”

As the group dispersed, Sasha’s gaze lingered on them all, especially Twilight’s glowing hands and Ice Bear’s quiet stare as if she couldn’t decide whether to be impressed or unnerved. It was the same with Tko, before the teen left, he gave sasha a deathly cold glare, and he scoffed; Once they were alone in the corridor, Anne took a breath. “Okay, come on. I’ll show you guys around.”

They started walking down the hallway together, boots clinking against the polished floor.
The ship around them buzzed with soft energy, panels blinking with green and blue lights.

Marcy pressed her face close to every console, fingers twitching like she wanted to take it apart. “This place is unbelievable, Anne! I can’t believe you work here!”

Anne laughed, watching her with affection. “Yeah, it’s kinda awesome. But, like, also boring, and like omg, I swear everything breaks here”

Sasha’s tone cut through, interrupting Anne “And you trust these people to fix it?”

Anne blinked. “What? Of course I do. They’re my friends.”

Sasha shrugged, pretending to study the ceiling lights. “Sure. Just saying, seems weird you made new friends so fast. That’s all.”

Marcy’s brows knit slightly. “Sash…”

Sasha gave a little half-smile. “No, it’s fine! I’m just—y’know, trying to catch up. It’s been a while.”

Anne smiled, but her fingers fidgeted against her uniform sleeve. “Yeah… it has.”

The three moved deeper through the hallway. Each door they passed flickered with different lighting, Marcy gasped softly at every turn. “This is like something straight out of a sci-fi manga! Anne, you have to tell me what the propulsion core runs on, please please please!”

Anne laughed. “Later, promise, if I ever figure out what any of that nerd stuff means..”As they turned the corner, a faint mechanical voice drifted toward them. “Unbelievable. The intellect aboard this vessel diminishes daily.”The girls froze. From behind a crate, a small mouse with fluffy fur that is more off-white color. The small mouse has large ears, a red nose, and pink skin on his paws and crooked tail, as well as matching pink eyes, walking upright, wearing a tiny blue uniform with the ship’s insignia stitched on the sleeve. He was holding a holographic tablet half his size and frowning deeply.

“Ah,” the mouse spoke, noticing them.“Visitors. How splendid.”

Marcy’s jaw dropped. “You’re a talking mouse!, and you’re so cute!” Anne gave a nudge towards Marcy’s left shoulder, signaling and gestures the teen to stay quiet, Anne quickly clearing her throat.

“Sorry brain!, mar-mar didn’t mean that, I mean, just take it as a compliment”

“Well I appreciate your honesty, but currently I’m busy at the moment,” he replied curtly.

Anne grinned. “Oh hey, Brain! Didn’t know you were assigned on this apart of the deck.” Anne questioned.

Brain sighed dramatically. “Yes, I’ve been exiled to the lower wing to recalibrate the power couplings that someone—” he glanced pointedly toward Anne, “overloaded while attempting to cook noodles with a plasma torch.”

Anne scratched her neck sheepishly. “Heh. My bad.”

Brain rubbed his temples. “Do me a favor, Anne. Ensure your friends don’t touch anything. Especially the quantum conduit. It’s fragile, and I prefer not to explode before supper.”

Sasha arched an eyebrow, her arms crossing again. “Relax, little guy. We won’t break your toys.”Sasha gave a chuckle underneath her breath, placing both her arm around her back, Brain however did not find her comment amussing what’s so ever.

Brain’s eyes narrowed. “I assure you, young lady, my ‘toys’ are the foundation of this ship’s functionality. I’d advise against underestimating me.”

Sasha gave him a mocking little smirk. “Sure thing, Einstein.”

Marcy elbowed her lightly, whispering, “Sash!, don’t antagonize the tiny genius mouse”

“Whatever, all this nerdy stuff is making me barf”

Anne snorted behind her hand.

“Anyways Anne why don’t you show us all the cool parts of this ship!” Sasha said, wrapping her arms around Anne’s waist, she then pulled her phone out and began to take pictures.

Brain scowled, turning back to his console. “Humans. Every universe has them. Equal parts ego and chaos.”

Anne bent down slightly, grinning. “He’s actually super smart. Kinda bossy, but, like, in a cute mouse way.”

“I heard that,” Brain muttered without looking up.

Marcy crouched closer, genuinely fascinated. “Do you really run this whole wing’s power systems?”

“Yes, for now” Brain said proudly. “And I would appreciate fewer distractions while doing so.”

Sasha rolled her eyes, stepping back. “Whatever you say , Brainiac.”Anne sighed but smiled anyway, tension easing. “C’mon, you two. The hangar bay’s this way.” As the girl started to head on there way out, Anne herd Brain muttered something under his breath—something about “juvenile energy and doomed missions”—but the girls had already started walking again, and pretended not to care over his comments.

As they moved down the next corridor, the faint hum of engines filled the silence. Anne walked in the middle, Marcy practically glowing with excitement, Sasha trailing a few steps behind.

Anne could feel it Sasha’s distance, the quiet weight of judgment in her footsteps. It wasn’t anger. It was something else. Something uneasy, And though Twilight or Guy would’ve noticed it instantly if they’d been there, only Anne’s heart truly caught the change the faint tension twisting through between her old friends and new ones. But for now, she just smiled over her shoulder.

“Wait till you guys see the sweet deck. The stars look so cool from there.”

Sasha forced a grin. “Yeah. Can’t wait.”

Marcy beamed, bouncing beside her. “Lead the way!”

The observation deck of the ship was quite a dome of glass and metal perched at the ship’s highest point. The stars outside pulsed and shimmered, scattered across a black ocean that seemed to go on forever. Whole galaxies drifted lazily past, their spirals glowing faint violet and gold. Anne was the first to walk forward. She placed her hand on the smooth glass, her reflection overlapping with the constellations outside. “I come here a lot,” she said softly, her voice echoing slightly. “It’s quiet, kinda feels like Amphibia sometimes… but not really.”

Sasha folded her arms and leaned against the railing near the viewport. Her stance looked casual, but her eyes kept flicking from Anne to the window, sharp and searching. The soft light caught in her hair, outlining it like gold fire. Marcy, meanwhile, was practically pressed against the glass, fogging it with her breath as she whispered, “Whoa… I’ve never seen a nebula this close! Look at that gas formation! It’s like a watercolor painting!”. Her excitement filled the air, but it didn’t quite settle the mood. There was something heavy beneath it all — an invisible thread between Anne and Sasha, stretched tight but unspoken.

Anne smiled faintly. “Yeah. It’s really something, huh?”

She turned her head, studying Sasha’s face. “You okay?”

Sasha gave a small, almost defensive laugh. “Me? Yeah, totally fine girly!”

Anne frowned softly. “You’re doing that thing again.”

“What thing?”

“The thing where you act fine but your eyebrow twitches.” Anne pointed gently, teasing but honest. “You only do that when something’s bugging you.”

“Don’t be such a downer Anne, I’m doing fine honestly, what about you?” Sasha questioned , Anne however didn’t respond back, she try to divert the questioning by whistling.Marcy however had moved to a control panel, fascinated by the shimmering display,she hummed under her breath, muttering softly to herself about star temperatures and light spectrums, lost in her own world. Her joy was real — but her absence in the conversation hung there too, unintentional yet sharp.

Sasha finally spoke, her voice lower now. “It’s just… weird, y’know? Seeing you here. Like this.”

Anne tilted her head. “Like what?”
“You know it feels like your never around in amphibia, like your bored there”

“What no way!, I’m not bored there”

“Are you sure about, sounds like what I’m seeing you aren’t the very popular one around here, I mean you herd what that nerd said earlier” Anne paused and thought to herself for a moment, those words Sasha said put a barrier between herself, she really questioned if what Sasha said was true?, she knew amphibia was not boring at all! there was so much interesting things to do, just as the same as being on the ship

Anne thought to herself in that moment

“Am I really not that popular?” Before Anne could speak, she was interrupted by Sasha once again.
“We get it Anne,you were always the heart, .You pulled us together me and Marcy—we fought, but you were the glue. And now…” Her voice softened. “Now you’ve got other people. It’s not bad, it’s just—”

“Different,” Anne finished for her.

Sasha nodded slowly, jaw tense. “Yeah, girlfriend, different, right Marcy?.”Sasha asked, they both turned their attention to Marcy, which caught her by surprised, and she cleared her throat, rubbing her back with her right arm and said-

“I guess that’s a little true,,” she said gently. “We all change-, but that’s okay!.”

Sasha’s lip twitched — somewhere between a smile and a frown. She didn’t move away, but her voice came out rough. “You don’t get it, Anne. We used to be everything to each other. And now I see you in this new ship, with a crew and a uniform and—” she glanced away, swallowing the words. “You don’t need us like before.”

“No it’s not like that, hey why don’t I show you guys around the ship more?, maybe we can mess around!” Both of the girls faces lid up with excitement, they both squealed, Marcy immediately leaned in first, wrapping her arms around both of them. Sasha hesitated half a second, then pulled them in tight. The three of them stood there, huddled together

“Now that’s what I’m talking about girlfriend!” Sasha added. Then, Marcy’s voice broke the quiet: “Sooo… are we gonna ignore the fact that Sasha almost roasted a genius mouse five minutes ago?”

Sasha groaned. “Mar-Mar, not helping.”

“Oh yeah my bad!”

Anne giggled, wiping her eyes. “Oh my gosh, this feels like old times.”

“Technically you mean a few months” Marcy added

“Yeah,” Sasha muttered with a grin. “Just with more talking animals and space.”

Marcy beamed. “And cosmic anomalies!”

Sasha side-eyed her. “Right. Those too.”

They stood there for a few minutes more, just watching the stars and listening to the hum of the ship. Anne leaned her forehead against the glass, smiling faintly.

“Yeah, but we should probably be headed going, I don’t want to bored you guys anymore!”

Chapter Text

The hallway was long and metallic, its floor illuminated by thin strips of blue light along the edges. The girls’ footsteps echoed softly. Anne walked slightly ahead, her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets, still carrying the emotion from before. Sasha walked beside her, expression calmer now, while Marcy trailed a little behind eyes darting across the glowing panels and strange alien text running along the walls.

For a while, none of them spoke.

Then Marcy, ever the one to fill silence with curiosity, broke it.
“So… speaking of things that are different,” she began, glancing between them, “I talked to King Andrias a couple days ago.”

Anne froze mid-step. Her head snapped around. “Wait—you what?”

Sasha blinked, eyebrows rising. “Hold on mar-mar,you’ve been chatting with him, and you didn’t bother telling us, your girlfriends?” Sasha questioned. Marcy nodded quickly, waving her hands as if to calm them.

“Yeah, I mean, not like in person, he just sent a hologram message! He said he was working on some new ‘peace project’ or something!”

Anne’s expression tightened. The earlier conversation she’d had with the others about Andrias’s absence, and whether they could trust him flickered in her mind. “He didn’t tell me anything about that,” she muttered.

Marcy tilted her head. “Oh. I kinda thought everyone knew?”

Sasha folded her arms, frowning slightly. “We didn’t. And honestly, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

Anne started walking again, but slower this time. “He’s been gone for days, Marcy. No messages to the team, no updates. Just… vanished. And now you’re telling me he’s sending you holo calls?”

Marcy frowned, her voice small. “He said he couldn’t talk to everyone at once, that it’d ‘raise concerns.’ He promised he’d explain later…”

“Yeah, well,” Anne said, her tone sharper than she meant it to be, “that’s what he always says.”

The hallway went quiet again. The hum of the engines seemed louder now.

Sasha glanced between them, sensing the edge in Anne’s tone. “Hey, girlies, Let’s not jump to conclusions, he’s a king after all so he’s probably doing old kings would do”

Anne sighed, rubbing her arm. “Yeah I guess you’re right sash!”

“Yeah, and I’m sure he will-“Before Marcy could respond, a sudden clang echoed from around the corner — followed by a startled yelp. The trio turned just in time to see a tall man tumble out from a maintenance hatch, nearly tripping over his own boots. He was dressed in his usual green cap and overalls, though the once-bright fabric now carried oil stains and a faint shimmer from the ship’s holographic lights. His gloves were dusty from repairs, and his mustache twitched nervously as he steadied himself, eyes wide behind slightly crooked overalls straps.

“Mamma mia!” Luigi gasped, clutching his chest before noticing the three girls. “Ah! Anne! Ladies! I—I didn’t see you there!”

Anne blinked in surprise. “Luigi? Are you okay? You look—uh—kind of like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Luigi gave a shaky laugh, wringing his gloved hands. “Heh, you-a could say that! I, uh… I just got-a some news! My brother—he’s-a coming here, soon in a few days!”

“Wait you mean the photo you showed me,guy who looks and wears exactly like you but short?” Anne added

Luigi nodded quickly, adjusting his cap. “That’s-a him! He’s-a coming for a surprise inspection! Said he wants-a to visit me!.”

Anne smiled, a little unsure. “That sounds… good?”

Luigi’s smile faltered instantly. “Good? Oh no-no-no! Not-a good! It’s-a terrible!”

Sasha tilted her head. “Why’s it terrible? He’s your brother.”

Luigi’s face flushed red, and he began fidgeting. “It’s—uh—it’s-a private! Family stuff, eh-heh!”

Marcy, ever the curious one, leaned closer. “Come on, you can tell us! We won’t say anything!”

Luigi flinched, waving his hands wildly. “No-no! I can’t! It’s too-a complicated!”

Sasha smirked, folding her arms. “You’re acting sus, green bean.”

“Sus?!” Luigi’s voice cracked in horror. “No-no-no, I’m-a not suspicious! I’m-a just…”

Anne stepped forward gently. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell us right now. But… if you need to talk later, I’m around, okay?”

Luigi blinked, visibly softening. “Ah… grazie, Anne. You’re-a too kind.”

The group watched him shuffle off toward the end of the hall, mumbling in Italian under his breath. Once he was gone, Sasha leaned in with a smirk. “Bet it’s something juicy.”

Marcy giggled. “Like, secret agent stuff? Or maybe he broke something, maybe he’s clumsy like me?”

Anne smiled weakly but said nothing. She could tell from the look in Luigi’s eyes — whatever it was, it wasn’t about work.

“Hey you guys go on without me, I need to talk to Luigi for a second “

“But what about our plans Anne?” Sasha added, her expression soon turned to an annoyed look while placing both of her arms on to her hip, it made Anne a bit intimidate.

“Don’t worry girls! I’ll be back soon I promise!” Anne then gave a wave signal, not before heading back towards the hallway towards Luigi, leaving her two friends behind, they both gave a concern look before Sasha spoke up

“Ugh can’t you believe Anne left us alone !”

“Ah don’t worry Sasha!, I’m sure she’ll be back, why don’t we explore the ship around! I want to check out there control panel!”

“Yeah sure, we can definitely do that” Sasha said, giving off a sly smug across her face.

——————————————————-

The door to Luigi’s room slid shut behind Anne with a soft hiss. The lights inside were warm, yellowish — cozy, like an old-fashioned home. A small desk sat in the corner, cluttered with blueprints and little gadget pieces. On the wall hung a framed photo of Luigi and his brother Mario , smiling proudly with a woman with a crown like ontop of her head, the woman in the photo wore a beautiful long pink poofy dress, with blue circle dots between them, Anne looked at the photo, she admired how the woman looked, she looked very pretty…

Luigi stood near the window, hat in his hands, fidgeting.

Anne broke the silence gently. “You wanted to talk man?”

Luigi turned, cheeks pink. “Ah… si. I-a wanted to tell someone before Mario arrives.”
He took a deep breath, twisting his cap nervously. “Anne, I—I’ve-a been keeping a secret, for a while now”

Anne smiled faintly. “It’s okay bro!, you can tell me what’s troubling you”

Luigi inhaled sharply. “It’s-a about Bowser.”

Anne blinked. “…Bowser? The big spiky turtle guy, the one that joined here a few weeks ago?”

Luigi nodded rapidly. “Si, that Bowser!”
He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, but before he could open his mouth, he was interrupted by Anne, her face with a shock look.

“Woah dude if this guy is bothering you, I bet I can get Sasha to beat him up for you if you want to! Or I can tell hoppop and-“

“Wah! No no Anne!, he is not bothering me!, it’s something deeper then that” Luigi said, his face grew dark red, the plumber was fidgeting with hat, twirling it back and forth around, which made him shake a little, but he managed to call himself down before speaking once again-

“I—eh—how you say—am-a dating him.”
The room went quiet, not one of them spoke a word at that moment, Luigi questioned about Anne’s response, did he pushed it too far, should have he kept his secret to himself, and moved on with life?, was this a mistake, the anxiety grew bigger, his chest felt tight and his shaking began to grew bigger, he truly thought at the moment to just run out of the room and never look back!, was the honesty a big mistake-

Everything came back

Anne’s eyes widened. “Wait—what?! You’re dating Bowser?!”

Luigi covered his face with both hands. “Shhh! Please, don’t shout-a! Mario—he doesn’t-a know yet!”

Anne bit her lip, trying not to laugh out loud. “Oh my gosh, Luigi… that’s—wow. That’s kind of amazing, actually.”

Luigi peeked through his fingers. “You-a mean that?”

“Yeah!” Anne said, sitting on the edge of his desk. “I mean, sure, it’s a little surprising, but if he makes you happy, that’s what matters, right?”

“I suppose” Luigi added
“But one question?” Anne asked
“And what is that?”
“So what about it all the stuff you said about what bowser did in the last and how he treated you and your brother?”

Luigi’s shoulders relaxed, a shy smile forming. “He-a does. Bowser… he’s-a not what people think, not anymore to say the least, it’s been two years, and he’s loud, yes, but also gentle when you get-a to know him. He even-a makes me breakfast sometimes. Mushrooms and-a pancakes!”

Anne giggled. “That’s really sweet, Luigi.”

He sighed. “Si… but Mario, he-a still thinks Bowser’s just-a villain. He’ll-a freak out if he finds out.”

Anne thought for a moment. “Then maybe you should tell him yourself — before he hears it from someone else.”

Luigi nodded slowly, looking out the window toward the glowing nebula beyond. “You-a right. I must be brave. For Bowser… and for myself.”

Anne smiled proudly. “That’s the spirit.”

Luigi then sat on a stool near the window, hunched forward slightly, turning his green cap nervously in his gloved hands. His eyes darted to Anne and then back to the floor, his voice trembling but earnest. Anne sat across from him, perched on a crate beside his desk, legs crossed. She rested her chin on one hand, watching him with quiet empathy.

“So…” she said softly, breaking the silence, “you and Bowser, huh?”

Luigi’s cheeks flushed instantly. He looked up, startled, then laughed awkwardly. “Heh, si… me and-a Bowser. You-a must think I’ve-a lost my mind, eh?”

Anne shook her head, smiling. “No way dude! I think it’s kinda cute. Unexpected, sure — but still sweet.”

He blinked, his eyes wide with surprise. “You… really think so?”

Anne nodded. “Yeah. I mean, you don’t choose who you love, right? Hoppop always told me love’s weird sometimes ,like frogs falling for humans which saying out loud is kind of weird.”

Luigi chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. “Heh, well, at least Bowser doesn’t-a hop away when things get serious.”

Anne laughed, the sound echoed throughout the plumber’s room. “So, how did it even happen? Like, how do you go from fighting him all the time to… dating?”

Luigi looked off toward the window, eyes reflecting the stars outside. His voice softened. “It-a happened after the Mushroom Peace Summit a few years back, Bowser and I, we had-a to work together to fix-a the dimensional rift. I saw how much he cared for his-a people… and he saw that I wasn’t just-a ‘Mario’s brother.’ We started talking more… then-a dinners… and before I knew it—” he blushed again, twirling his cap between his fingers, “—he-a called me his-a sweet mushroom.”

Anne giggled, covering her mouth. “Aww, that’s cute man, but did he really said that?”

Luigi smiled shyly, his shoulders relaxing a bit. “Si. He even-a built me a little garden in his-a castle. For-a my plants. He said it reminded him of peace.”

Anne leaned back slightly, smiling softly. “He sounds… really different from what I thought, maybe cause of how he looks?.”

Luigi nodded. “People-a only see the fire, not the-a warmth behind it.” He looked down at his hands, a small sigh escaping him. “But now Mario’s-a coming… and he doesn’t know. I-a don’t know how he’ll take it.”

Anne tilted her head, thoughtful. “You’re scared he won’t understand.”

Luigi gave a quiet nod. “Mario’s always been the-a brave one. The-a strong one. I… I don’t want him to think I’ve-a gone soft, or betrayed him” Luigi said, his face trembled a with mixed emotions, his eyes began to water a little, but he knew crying in-front of Anne would cause some problems,or that’s what Luigi thought in his head.

Anne’s expression softened. “You’re not soft dude, I guess you’re just honest, There’s a difference.”

Luigi looked up, meeting her eyes. There was something steady in Anne’s tone, a maturity that came from surviving her own strange adventures. For a moment, he smiled, really smiled, the nervousness melting into gratitude.

“Grazie, Anne,” he said quietly. “You remind-a me of myself when I was younger… just-a braver.”

Anne chuckled, embarrassed. “No way, me?, I still act weird talking to people sometimes, Like, what if I say something dumb?”

Luigi grinned. “Ah, then you and-a me, we’re in the same-a boat.”

The two shared a light laugh that soft, comfortable kind that only happens between people who’ve both been through too much. But just as Anne opened her mouth to ask another question, the door slammed open with a sharp metallic hiss. A small shadow darted into the room , Brain stood there, his outfit fluttering as he crossed his stubby arms with dramatic flair. His sharp eyes glared up at Anne, then Luigi.

“Ah, excellent,” Brain said “Just the irresponsible young human I was hoping to find.”

Anne blinked. “Uh… hi, Brain?”

Brain’s expression twitched, his brows knitting tighter. “Do not ‘hi’ me, Ms. Boonchuy! I’ve just come from the control room, where your delightful companions those two human hurricanes you refer to as ‘friends, are currently dismantling half my equipment!”

“What?!” Anne spoke, her tone raised a little

Luigi’s eyes widened. “Mamma mia! What happened now?!”

Brain began pacing, his tail flicking in agitation. “One of them, the blonde one with her attitude insisted she could ‘improve’ the ship’s targeting system, and the other was apparently testing the buttons for fun! Now, the navigation AI is speaking exclusively in riddles, and there’s confetti coming out of the food printer!”

Anne groaned, rubbing her forehead. “Sasha and Marcy…”

“Indeed!” Brain snapped, pointing an accusing finger up at her. “Your ‘friends’ have turned my control hub into a circus!”

Luigi stood quickly, grabbing his cap. “We’d-a better go before the ship starts-a flying backward!”

Brain huffed, his face twitching in barely contained frustration. “Finally, someone with sense! Follow me, at once!”

Anne shot Luigi an apologetic look. “Guess the heart-to-heart will have to wait.”

Luigi nodded, already heading for the door. “Duty calls, eh?”

The three hurried out, Anne and Luigi jogging behind the tiny genius mouse who marched furiously down the corridor, muttering about “incompetent primates and their obsession with buttons.”

The lights of the ship flickered faintly as they passed, and the faint sound of something exploding in the distance echoed down the hall.

Anne winced. “That’s… probably Marcy.”

Luigi sighed. “Or-a Sasha.”

“Or both,” Brain grumbled. “At this rate, I’ll be lucky if this ship doesn’t end up orbiting upside down.”

the doors to the control room sliding open, spilling bright, chaotic light across the hallway.

And there, in the middle of blinking panels and floating holographic screens, stood Sasha and Marcy — surrounded by a colorful mess of confetti, sparking consoles, and a very smug-looking AI voice repeating,
“ERROR: SYSTEM OPTIMISM AT 110%. HAVE A GREAT DAY!”

Anne froze in the doorway. Luigi’s jaw dropped. Brain’s tiny hands clenched into fists.

“Oh, fantastic,” Brain muttered darkly. “They’ve weaponized positivity.”

The control room looked like a party had exploded in a science lab. Glittering bits of confetti floated lazily through the air vents, a rainbow mist still drifting from a burst coolant pipe in the corner. Panels along the wall flickered between red and green, casting the whole room in a pulsing, nervous rhythm of color. The smell was a mix of burnt circuitry and sweet frosting, like someone had tried to bake a cake inside a generator. Anne stood in the doorway with Luigi and Brain, her eyes wide at the chaos. Sasha was crouched by a control console, wrench in hand, a streak of oil across her cheek, while Marcy knelt beside her, clutching a glowing tablet that was projecting dozens of half-solved code windows.

Marcy looked up with a sheepish smile. “Sooo… small update! The ship’s mood AI thinks it’s a birthday party!” The intercom chimed cheerfully in response:
🎉 “WELCOME, HAPPY CREW! YOU’RE DOING AMAZING!” 🎉

Brain’s face twitched. “Marvelous. I’ve always dreamed of running a vessel governed by toxic optimism.”

Anne groaned and stepped forward, hands on her hips. “Sasha, Marcy! What did you do?!”

Sasha stood, wiping her hands on her uniform, looking completely unbothered. “Relax, Anne. We were just trying to fix the thingy—”

“It’s called a stabilizer relay,” Brain interjected coldly.

“Yeah, that!” Sasha said, ignoring him. “We were just testing it. How were we supposed to know the food printer would start spitting out confetti instead of soup?”

Marcy raised her hand hesitantly. “Technically, I might’ve accidentally routed the nutrition data through the celebration subroutine…”

“You what?” Brain squeaked, tail stiff with rage.

Anne pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling sharply. “You guys could’ve just asked for help instead of—”

Sasha turned sharply toward her. “Oh, come on, Anne. Not everyone needs a babysitter.”

Anne’s brow furrowed, her voice rising a little. “That’s not what I meant! I just— you can’t mess around on a spaceship! This isn’t Amphibia, Sasha!”

The air between them grew tense. The low hum of the ship filled the silence like a heartbeat. Marcy looked between them nervously, clutching her tablet closer. Sasha crossed her arms, her smirk faltering for the first time. “You think I don’t know that?” she said, her tone quieter now, more defensive. “I’m just trying to help girly, Like always.”

Anne hesitated. The sharpness in her shoulders softened. She looked down, then sighed. “I know, Sasha. I just—this ship’s the only thing keeping us safe right now. I can’t
make anymore mistakes.”

For a second, Sasha’s eyes flickered with something guilt, but changed quickly to a harsh annoyance.

“Yeah whatever, it was getting boring in here anyways” Sasha said coldly, walking towards next to anne with the tension dying down Marcy gave a small smile, trying to shift the mood. “So, uh, maybe we can fix it together? Teamwork style?”

Luigi nodded quickly, eager to defuse the awkwardness. “Ah, si! Let’s-a fix it before the ship decides to start singing next!”

Anne took a breath and nodded. “Alright. Let’s focus.”

Brain climbed onto a nearby console, tail twitching as he began typing furiously at the holographic keys. “If we reroute the auxiliary power and disable the party mode manually, we might regain—”

He stopped abruptly as the door behind them swished open again.

A tall, thin figure stumbled inside, holding a silver tray topped with a slightly lopsided cheesecake. His wide, happy eyes blinked in surprise as he looked around at the confetti and flashing lights.

“Narf! What’s going on here, Brain? Is it someone’s birthday again?” A small taller mouse came in, the mouse wore the same little space outfit as always but his outfit looked a bit ruined, and there were a lot of added patches to it, but the sleeves were rolled up, and a smear of cream cheese clung to the mouse’s whiskers.

Brain turned, his frustration faltering. “Pinky—what are you doing here?” Brain asked

Pinky smiled brightly, holding out his small tray. “I thought you might be hungry! So I made my special low-bake cheesecake! It’s got just the right amount of cream on it!”

He wiggled the tray for emphasis, the dessert trembling like jelly.

Anne blinked, confused but charmed. “Uh… thanks pinky, but it looks small to eat dude”

Luigi took a cautious sniff. “Smells-a surprisingly good.”

Brain sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Pinky, I am in the midst of salvaging what remains of our command systems, not hosting a dessert buffet!”

But his voice lacked its usual edge. The others noticed it that small, unspoken softening that crossed his features the moment Pinky spoke. His tone was still sharp, but his tail stopped flicking so fast, and his shoulders seemed to ease ever so slightly.

Sasha caught it immediately

Her sharp blue eyes narrowed, watching the way Brain’s posture subtly changed — the stiffness melting into exasperated fondness. He turned back to his console, muttering something about “hopeless distractions,” but there was a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Pinky, oblivious to the tension or chaos, wandered over to Marcy. “Would you like some, miss clever human? It’s low-bake!, and taste yummy!”

Marcy giggled. “Oh! Thank you, That’s so sweet of you!”

Sasha leaned over toward Anne and whispered, “You seeing this?”

Anne crossed her arms, smirking slightly. “Yeah. The mouse has a soft spot. Guess even evil geniuses need a little cheese love.”

Sasha chuckled quietly. “You think they’re… together?”

Anne’s smirk deepened, but her tone softened. “Maybe. Or maybe that’s just his way of showing he’s not as cold as he wants everyone to think.”

Their eyes shifted back toward Brain who was now carefully accepting a forkful of cheesecake from Pinky with a muttered, “Fine, one bite, but only for the sake of maintaining blood sugar levels.”

The look Pinky gave him was pure sunshine.

The tension that had filled the control room only minutes before seemed to melt away, replaced by a lighter, gentler energy. Even the flickering lights seemed to dim into a softer hue.

Luigi smiled, leaning towards the two girls and added to the conversation. “You know… I-a think love finds-a funny ways to show up. Even in-a space.”

But just as Brain took another reluctant bite, the intercom crackled again — and a new, different voice broke through.

A cold, echoing, mechanical tone.

“PRIMARY COMMAND SYSTEM: CONNECTION INTERRUPTED. UNAUTHORIZED SIGNAL DETECTED.”

Brain froze mid-bite. The cheesecake fork slipped from his tiny hand.

His eyes widened. “No… that’s not possible.”

The flickering panels glowed red. Outside the window, the distant stars seemed to distort, like something massive was shifting in the void. Anne turned toward the main screen, her stomach tightening. “Brain… what’s happening?”

He didn’t answer right away. His tiny fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up data streams, but his face had gone pale beneath the fur.

“Someone,” he said at last, voice trembling slightly, “is hacking into the ship’s navigation core.”

The room fell silent again. Even Pinky’s cheerful hum stopped. Outside the window, faint blue lights began to appear in the distance lined in perfect, deliberate formation. But before anyone could take a breath, the control room flickered and a massive, holographic shimmer filled the air above the central console.

A tall 30 foot tall newt with bluish skin and a lighter underbelly, with pale yellow eyes, and muscular, with white hair and a full beard, along with crows feet. The glow of his hologram filled every corner of the room. The static faded, and his deep, sonorous voice echoed through the ship’s speakers.

“Ahh… my dear crew of the New Wartwood.”

The sound of his voice instantly quieted everyone. Anne’s breath caught, Sasha’s jaw clenched, and Brain’s eyes narrowed in silent calculation.

Andrias smiled, a kind, practiced smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It is good to see you all once again. My mission to the Eastern Nebula was a success, and I am delighted to return among such capable hands.”

Marcy gasped softly, eyes lighting up. “See” she whispered, relief washing over her face. “I told you he’d be respond to you guys back!”Anne forced a small nod, but her chest felt tight.

Andrias continued, “You’ve all done remarkably well in my absence even amid… technical difficulties.” His gaze flicked toward Brain for just a heartbeat, and Brain muttered something about “competence being a relative concept.”

Andrias’s smile widened slightly. “But now, my friends, I have a new matter to discuss one that concerns the future of this ship. Please make your way to the cafeteria for a formal announcement. I would like every crew member present.”

The hologram blinked out, leaving the control room bathed once more in the soft blue glow of the consoles.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Sasha broke the silence. “…That was weirdly polite.”

Marcy still looked excited, hugging her tablet to her chest. “He probably just wants to thank us or something! Maybe he’s promoting the team!”
Anne frowned, glancing at the fading hologram residue. “Yeah… maybe.” But there was a flicker of uncertainty behind her eyes.

Brain adjusted his outfit , voice dry. “Promotions rarely follow holographic omens and system interference.”

“ English dude ?” Sasha asked.

“It’s probably not good news.” Anne added
———————————————————————

The automatic doors slid open, revealing the the cafeteria a vast, gleaming space filled with the warm hum of chatters from the people and the metallic scent of recycled air mixed with cooking oil. The large curved windows showed endless starlight outside, a breathtaking backdrop to the tables that lined the room in neat rows. Already seated at one corner were several familiar faces:

KO happily munching on a sandwich, trying to stay optimistic, TKO, arms crossed, still glaring at the malfunctioning vending machine,Twilight Sparkle, her clipboard floating beside her as she nervously double-checked her notes, Guy was scribbling something on a napkin while muttering about “design flaws,”Sam meanwhile was sipping green eggs soup with calm manners, and icebear quietly washing dishes in the back, his fur gleaming in the soft cafeteria light. But as the trio entered, Anne noticed the other crew members among them.

At the far table sat a tall, thin man with a green sweater vest like shirt, blue pants and brown shoes had a ruler poking from his breast pocket and sharp, calculating eyes.His bald head gleamed beneath the fluorescent lights, and his expression seemed permanently fixed in a strange blend of stern and cheerful. He tapped the table in rhythm with his ruler, occasionally muttering to himself some equations under his breath. “One… two… three… everyone’s late, but that’s okay! Learning takes time!” His grin as he chuckled to himself.

Next to him sat a large, fiery figure scales a gleaming orange-gold, sharp horns polished to a shine. The scent of smoke and charred steel lingered faintly around him. His massive frame seemed almost too large for the cafeteria’s metal bench. He looked surprisingly relaxed, one clawed hand propping up his chin, the other resting beside a neatly folded napkin. When Luigi entered behind Anne, Bowser’s eyes softened instantly, his gruff demeanor cracking into the tiniest, private smile. Luigi blushed, and smiled back at he creature, quickly looking away.

Across from them sat a creature that seemed to warp reality just by existing a long, serpentine body made of mismatched parts: a lion’s paw, an eagle’s claw, a dragon’s tail.The creature golden eyes glimmered with amusement. He floated above his seat rather than sitting in it, swirling his chocolate milk with one claw while the other snapped randomly, making spoons dance and cups refill themselves.

“Ah, now this is a crew meeting! So much delightful chaos already in the air.”

Lastly, sitting with casual swagger, one leg draped over the other, was a younger man.
A living cartoon with a porcelain head shaped like a teacup, a red straw poking out the top, and expressive eyes that seemed to bounce with energy. He grinned as the group entered, waving his gloved hand.

“Heya, new faces! You guys the troublemakers I keep hearin’ about? Word’s travelin’ fast on this ship!”

Sasha shot him a smirk. “Depends who’s asking.”

Cuphead chuckled, leaning back. “Well I be dammed, hey you know I like ya already, kid, not compared to baldi over there .”

Baldi cleared his throat, tapping his ruler twice. “Now, now, cup head no distractions! Focus on the announcement!”

Discord rolled his eyes, a grin made across his face”Oh, lighten up, pencilhead. We’re all about to be addressed by the giant space king. Might as well enjoy the suspense.”

Bowser grumbled under his breath. “He better make this quick. I got a batch of fire souffle waiting in the oven.”

Twilight looked around nervously. “I-I just hope this is about mission stability. We’ve been behind on energy conversion reports.”

Anne, Sasha, Marcy, and Luigi took their seats at a nearby table. Brain climbed up onto the surface beside a datapad, Pinky sitting cheerfully next to him with a plate of leftover cheesecake.

The chatter grew quiet when the lights dimmed slightly, and the ship’s intercom chimed.

“Attention, crew of the New Wartwood. This is King Andrias.”

His voice echoed warmly through every speaker.

“I thank you all for your patience during my time away. You have each proven your dedication to the mission — and to the dream of peace between worlds. It fills me with great pride.”

There was a pause, the kind of pause that made everyone lean forward just a little.

“But as all journeys must evolve… so too must leadership. Effective immediately, I am announcing my retirement from command of the New odyssey .”

A collective gasp rippled through the cafeteria.

Anne blinked, stunned. “He… never said anything about that.”

Andrias’s voice continued, calm and steady:

“From this day forward, I am passing full authority of the odyssey to one who embodies both wisdom and courage… one who understands the heart of this crew.”

The holographic projection flickered to life above the cafeteria, Andrias’s towering figure reappearing, smiling gently.

“I appoint Hopadiah Plantar as the new captain of this vessel.”

Every head turned at once.
Hoppop, who had been quietly finishing his tea at the far end of the room,nearly choked.
Sasha’s jaw dropped. “Wait, Hoppop?!”

Twilight gasped. “That’s… that’s highly unusual protocol!”

Discord laughed so hard he nearly spilled his drink though it refilled itself instantly midair. “Oh, this just got interesting.”

Baldi scribbled something on his notepad. “Unexpected leadership change! That’s… minus one for transparency!”

Anne stared at Hoppop in stunned silence. Her chest felt tight again,confused, proud, and worried all at once.

Andrias smiled wider, almost serenely.

“I trust you will all support Captain Plantar in the coming days. You have a bright future ahead. Together, you will carry the mission further than I ever could.”

The hologram flickered once more then vanished. The cafeteria erupted into murmurs, voices overlapping in disbelief and confusion. Anne turned to look at Hoppop, who was staring blankly at his teacup, hands trembling slightly.

“Uh… well,” he finally said, trying to sound steady, “guess I, uh… got promoted.”

“Well congratulations old man! You’ve really outdone yourself!” Cuphead added walking towards Hoppop, and patting him against the back, giving him a thumbs up. Hoppop still stood by the end of table, staring down at his empty teacup as though it might offer answers. His hands, old and calloused, trembled slightly. For once, the usually confident, advice-giving frog looked… small.

Anne, sitting beside him, blinked up with wide blue eyes. “Hoppop? Are you… okay?”

He inhaled deeply, forcing a wobbly smile.

“Oh, don’t you fret about me, Sprout. I, uh, just need a little air. This ol’ amphibian’s been through worse surprises.” He gave a small, unconvincing chuckle before setting down his cup, the porcelain clinking against the metal tabletop.

“Gonna clear my head, is all.”With a weary sigh, he gave a polite nod to the group, and walked out of the cafeteria — his boots echoing against the steel floor. The automatic doors slid shut behind him with a soft hiss.

For a few seconds, silence ruled the room.

Then Discord broke it.

He floated lazily above his chair, sipping from a chocolate milk glass that refilled itself with a pop. “Well,” he said, snapping his fingers and making a tiny captain’s hat appear on his head, “that was certainly a plot twist I didn’t see coming.”

Cuphead leaned back with a whistle, his gloved hands behind his head. “A frog runnin’ the ship? Not what I expected, pal.”

Twilight frowned, adjusting her glasses as her clipboard floated beside her. “I—I don’t mean to sound doubtful, but Hoppop’s experience has been mostly agricultural, not interstellar! The command systems here require familiarity with cosmic navigation, propulsion matrices, and—”

“—and he’s a good frog,” Anne interrupted suddenly, louder than she meant to.
Her fists tightened in her lap. “He’s smart, he’s kind, and he’s the reason this whole crew even works together.”

“Woah there girlfriend, no need to get hotheaded” Sasha added

Twilight blinked, taken aback. “Oh! N-no, I didn’t mean—”

Sasha leaned against the wall, crossing her arms, her voice sharp but calm. “C’mon, Anne, she’s got a point. Leading a space crew isn’t the same as running a farm. This isn’t Wartwood, one bad call, and we’re dust.”

Anne’s expression faltered. “But Hoppop always figures things out.”

Marcy chimed in softly, tapping her fingers against her data tablet. “Statistically speaking, Twilight is right about the technical part, but… I think leadership’s more than just skill. It’s trust. And Hoppop’s earned that.”

Across the room, Baldi tapped his ruler sharply against the table, his smile fixed but his tone oddly cold. “Leadership must be earned through knowledge, not trust! You can’t solve intergalactic equations with kindness, class!”

Guy rubbed his eyes, exhausted. “Okay, okay, everyone relax. Maybe we just… see how he does? Give the frog a chance? I mean, I’ve seen worse leadership under tighter deadlines.”

Sam I Am, sitting quietly beside him, took a sip of his tea and smiled softly. “I like him. He listens. That’s what makes a good captain.”

“Exactly!” Anne said, her voice brightening for a moment.

But T.K.O., sitting further down, slammed his hand on the table hard enough to rattle the silverware. “This is stupid!” he shouted.
“We’re supposed to take orders from some old frog who grows vegetables?! How’s that supposed to make sense?!”

K.O. winced beside him. “T.K.O He’s… he’s trying his best!”

“Trying doesn’t keep us from crashing into asteroids!” T.K.O. growled, his eyes flashing red before K.O. placed a firm hand on his arm.

“T.K.O.… you remember what mom said about keeping control.”

That seemed to defuse him slightly, but he still glared toward the empty doorway where Hoppop had left.

In the corner, Bowser crossed his massive arms, his shell plates creaking softly. “Eh. Could be worse,” he rumbled, half under his breath. “At least he ain’t Andrias.”

Discord tilted his head, suddenly serious for once. “Curious sentiment from you, shell-face.”

Bowser gave a faint, toothy grin. “You’ve never seen Andrias lose his temper, have ya? Let’s just say the last ‘captain’ had a bad habit of forgetting who his crew was.”

That statement sent a chill through the group. Twilight’s pen stopped mid-air.

Marcy’s smile flickered. “Wait, what do you mean by that?”

Bowser only shrugged. “Ask him yourself next time. Assuming he’s still ‘retired.’”

Anne looked down at her lap. Her reflection shimmered faintly in the polished metal of the table, small, unsure, but determined as usual, Discord’s grin softened as he floated upside-down above her. “You really do believe in him, don’t you, dear Anne?”

She looked up, chin trembling just slightly. “He’s family.”

That word — family — hung in the air.

Ice Bear, who had been quietly drying dishes in the background, finally spoke up, his deep monotone voice cutting through the silence.

“Ice Bear believes in family too.”

Everyone turned. The polar bear’s calm, steady tone seemed to settle the chaos just a little. He continued, folding a towel neatly. “But Ice Bear also believes in preparation. Crew must help captain.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “He’s right. Maybe instead of doubting him… we can help him succeed.”

Cuphead grinned, kicking his feet up on the table again. “Heh, now that’s teamwork I can get behind. I’ll even teach the old guy how to play cards after hours.”

Baldi sighed, marking something in his notebook. “Fine. Team project: assist Captain Hoppop. Grade pending.”

T.K.O. groaned, leaning back. “Ugh, great. Group work.”

K.O. smiled gently. “Hey, it’s not that bad.”

Marcy leaned her chin on her hand, smiling softly at Anne. “Looks like your mentor’s got a whole crew behind him now.”

Anne’s lips curled into a small, hopeful smile. “Yeah… I think he’ll be okay.”
———————————————————

The debate slowly faded into low chatter. The air no longer buzzed with anger, but something calmer resolve.

Outside the cafeteria windows, the stars shimmered like dust over ink, and the endless dark of space seemed to breathe with them. Discord floated above his seat, as usual absentmindedly tracing constellations in the air with his claw. Twilight reviewed her task notes, balancing logic and faith in her expression. Bowser stole a quiet glance toward Luigi, who gave him a small, reassuring nod. T.K.O. sulked quietly but stayed seated beside K.O., fidgeting with his gloves, And Anne, uncertain watched the empty doorway, wondering if Hoppop was out there somewhere staring at the same stars and questioning if he was really ready for this.

In the observation deck, the world felt still.

The wide, glass-paneled windows stretched from floor to ceiling, opening up to infinity. Stars floated beyond like glitter scattered on black silk. And there, silhouetted against that cosmic ocean, stood Hopadiah Plantar.

He leaned against the railing, his hat clutched tightly in his hands. The faint glow of the dashboard lights painted soft reflections across his tired eyes. His breath fogged faintly on the glass—one small sign of life in the endless quiet.

For a long while, he said nothing.

Then, in a low, gravelly voice: “Captain Hoppop Plantar,” he muttered, almost testing how it sounded. He huffed. “Don’t sound right, does it?”

He let out a long sigh, the kind that came from deep in the chest, old and worn. His shoulders slumped. “What in frog’s name was Andrias thinkin’? A farmer like me… leadin’ a ship full o’ geniuses and heroes?”

The hum of the ship filled the silence. Then, without warning, the air shimmered faintly, and a soft blue light formed beside him.

King Andrias’s hologram flickered into shape, his imposing figure half-transparent in the starlight.

“Hopadiah,” the deep voice rumbled, calm but not unkind. “I had a feeling I might find you here.”

Hoppop didn’t turn around. He just adjusted his hat and said, “You always did have a way of appearin’ when a frog’s tryin’ to think, Your Highness.”Andrias smiled gently, wings folding behind his back. “Old habits die hard, my friend. Especially for those who care too deeply.”

The frog frowned. “Care’s one thing, but leadin’? That’s a whole different kettle o’ tadpoles. I ain’t built for this kind o’ thing. All I know is farmin’, family, and keepin’ kids outta trouble.”

Andrias’s holographic eyes glimmered, reflecting faintly off the glass. “Those are precisely the reasons I chose you, Hopadiah. Leadership is not measured in command… but in compassion. The crew respects you because you see them—not as soldiers, or workers, but as people.”

Hoppop’s throat tightened. He looked down at his wrinkled hands. “Still don’t feel right. Sprig’d probably be laughin’ his fool head off if he saw me like this. And Polly would’ve been braggin’ to every new recruit before I even finished my first sentence.”

He chuckled softly, the sound breaking halfway between fondness and ache. “Heh. I miss those two… Every time I look out them stars, I wonder if they’re lookin’ back.”

Andrias’s expression softened. “I know that feeling, old friend.” He paused, his tone quieter. “But they are safe. You raised them to be strong—to survive without you. Now it’s your turn to show them that you can do the same.”

Hoppop’s jaw tightened. “That’s easy for a king to say.”

Andrias smiled sadly. “Even kings have doubts, Hopadiah.”

The frog finally turned, his gaze meeting Andrias’s shimmering blue form. “Why’d ya really pick me? You could’ve chosen anyone—Twilight, Marcy, even that little genius mouse who never stops talkin’. Why me?”

For the first time, Andrias’s tone became almost human. “Because… you remind me of what I lost. You lead not through power, but through heart. This ship, these people—they need that more than ever.”

There was a long silence. The stars outside seemed to pulse gently, like they were breathing with him.

Hoppop swallowed hard, his throat thick. “Guess that means… I can’t quit now, huh?”

Andrias’s smile widened faintly. “No, my friend. You were never one to quit.”

The hologram shimmered once more, light fading into the dark until only the stars remained.Hoppop stood alone again, pressed to his chest. His eyes glistened, but no tears fell—just that deep ache that comes from missing what you love most. Then, from behind, the door slid open with a soft hiss.

Anne’s voice broke the silence. “Hoppop?”

He turned slowly, and there she was—still in her blue uniform, her brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail. She looked small in the doorway, but her eyes were bright, steady, and warm.

Hoppop wiped at his face quickly. “Oh, hey there, Sprout. You should be gettin’ some rest. Big day tomorrow.”

She walked closer, her boots echoing lightly on the floor. “I couldn’t sleep.”

He smiled faintly. “Yeah… me neither.”

Anne stood beside him, gazing out the window. The stars reflected in her eyes. “So… you’re the new captain, huh?”

He gave a weak chuckle. “So they tell me. Still feels strange. I ain’t no hero, Anne. I just… plant seeds and hope they grow.”

Anne turned to him, voice soft but certain. “You planted me, didn’t you?”

Hoppop blinked, startled. “What now?”

She smiled—sad, proud, and genuine. “You taught me everything. How to care about people. How to keep going when everything feels impossible. You made me who I am, Hoppop. If that’s not what a captain does, I don’t know what is.”

Hoppop’s mouth opened, but no words came. The silence between them was thick with feeling, unspoken love, respect, and that bittersweet ache of time passing.

Finally, he gave a small, trembling laugh. “You always did know just what to say, didn’t ya?”

Anne shrugged playfully. “Guess it’s payback for all your old-frog advice.”

That made him chuckle again—really chuckle this time. The kind that loosened his chest.

They stood there side by side, watching the stars. The ship drifted gently through the cosmic sea, a small, fragile thing in an infinite universe—but in that moment, it felt alive.

Anne looked at him again, voice soft. “You’ll be fine, Hoppop. You always are.”

He smiled down at her, eyes glistening again but full of warmth this time. “Maybe so,
Kiddo, But I sure am glad I ain’t alone in this.”

Anne nodded, leaning against the railing beside him. “Neither am I.”