"Hey. Don't worry, we'll find her!" Sasha said.

Anne smiled. "Yeah! And finally go home!"

Sasha was actually a bit silent during that part, but she kept her smile across her face. She needed to stay that if Anne was gonna listen. "C'mon! There's so much more to this tower I gotta show ya! And you can even stay here for a bit before we keep moving to find Mar-Mar!"

Anne turned to The Plantars. "Can we stay?!"

Sprig wanted to say 'no', since Sasha had left a bad first impression on him. But, he couldn't say no to Anne's puppy eyes.

Hop Pop stared deep into Anne's puppy eyes, how helpless and adorable they made her look before he sighed. "Alright."

Anne squealed, cheering as her hair and eyes turned blue and she hugged Sasha tightly.

Sasha laughed, patting Anne's back. "You're a hugger today!"

Anne laughed with her before they went to go around the tower.

The next day...

Anne's mouth watered as she watched chefs from all across the tower bring in FOOD. Real food! Yes, she had been eating bugs and vegetables for that long.

Sasha snorted. "Do those frogs seriously not have any of this?"

"NO." Anne said as she grabbed a tray from a Toad and ate it all, her mouth and faced covered in whipped cream and ketchup and belched. She then laughed nervously. "Sorry, Toad Chef."

The chef just laughed. "No sorry needed! Anything for a friend of the Queen!"

Anne smiled as she faced Sasha, who started using her cape to clean off her face. "Still can't believe the 'Queen' bit."

Sasha laughed. "It was actually pretty easy. All I did was lift a magic hammer and bam! Everyone kneels to me."

Anne then noticed the hammer right next to Sasha's bed and pointed at it. "That one?"

"The very same." Sasha said with a nod before watching Anne walk over to it. "Uhh, whatcha doin'?"

"Gonna lift it!" Anne said with a smirk.

Sasha was silent...before laughing. "Oh, please TRY."

Anne's eyes glowed blue before she cracked her fingers. She then grabbed the hammer and tried to lift it, but it wouldn't budge. She tried to fly and pick it up, grunting and her blue veins showing from her attempts to lift it. But once again the warhammer wouldn't move.

Sasha started to burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she fell back into a chair as her hair and eyes turned pink.

Anne's cheeks turned a bit red from embarrassment and she stopped trying. "O-Okay! Heh! I get it."

Sasha just kept laughing, to the point where her laughter almost sounded cruel...a little too cruel. Anne could almost hear it echo, as if multiple people were laughing at her.

They say 'just laugh at yourself'...but it's harder than it sounds. You can't laugh at yourself when you feel like the biggest idiot on the planet. You can laugh at yourself when you intentionally do something stupid. Not when you're actually trying to do something you wanna do.

"Sash! I get it!" Anne exclaimed, her hair and eyes turning blue.

Sasha finally stopped, wiping tears from her eyes. "S-Sorry! I just...oh, you are not the first to try that! Only Strength and I can wield it. And Strength's kinda...bleh." She said before seeing her blue hair and eyes. "Girl? You good?"

Anne took a deep breath, calming down and turning back to normal. "Yeah, I'm alright."

Sasha nodded as she turned back to normal. She then stretched a bit. "This armor is kinda sweaty...hang on! I'll get something comfy for us."

Anne smiled, forgetting about what had happened...even though she shouldn't have.

The two eventually got changed into some robes, and just enjoyed having a bit of girl talk and real food.

"Who'd have thought that a box would take us here?" Sasha asked.

Anne laughed...before her eyes softened. "Yeah...I...I hope my parents aren't too worried. I'm not any closer to finding a way back to them...and on my BIRTHDAY! Did they think I ran away from them?!" She cried, her eyes and hair turning blue.

Sasha held up her hand. "Hey, Anne. Anne. Shh, shh...deep breaths. Deep breaths. You're here."

Anne obeyed, taking deep breaths and slowly calming down. "Yeah...yeah, we're getting home!"

Sasha hummed. "Well..."

Anne's eyes went wide a bit and she turned. "Huh...?"

Sasha sighed. "Don't get me wrong, home is nice...but look at us, Anne! Look at this entire place and our powers! We'll be doing things here greater than back home will ever realize."

"S...Sasha...I wanna see my parents. I wanna go back to my life. I-I love it here, and The Plantars are like my second family! But I can't stay here!"

Sasha looked at her, her eyes slightly glowing. "Anne-"

Then, there was a knock on the door. Braddick spoke up. "Sasha- I mean, your highness! Hopediah Planter wants to speak to you."

Sasha's eyes narrowed a bit before shrugging. "Oh, well! I'll brb, Anne!" She said before leaving, changing into her armor, and walking back out...and of course, closing the door behind her.

Hop Pop looked up at Sasha before sighing. "Alright now, I just wanna ask ya something."

Sasha hummed. "Alright."

Hop Pop then crossed his arms. "I've been with Anne for a bit, and she talks highly of you and Marcy...but? I get the feeling you aren't being such a good friend."

Sasha felt a bit of anger almost immediately, but she kept a cool head. "Go on..."

"You kinda put a lot of pressure on Anne, and maybe encourage her to do things she doesn't wanna do? I have no doubt that you care for her, but maybe...talk to her about it?"

"That's none of your business, Hopediah."

"Anne's my...sorta adopted granddaughter! It IS my business!"

Sasha leaned in, her eyes and hair going pink. "Not many people talk to me like this and walk away..."

Hop Pop gulped, but continued. "Listen here, your highness. Just...go easy on Anne. She's not your puppet, and you don't have to have control."

Control.

Control.

Control.

Control.

Control.

Control.

Control.

Doesn't have to have it...?

Sasha was silent...before her hair and eyes glowed an even brighter pink and she took out her crimson sword from her scabbard, lifting it above Hop Pop's head.

Hop Pop screamed at the top of his lungs and dodged a sudden swing, but he tripped and fell onto his stomach. He then screamed as the sword came swinging down...but it never hit him.

It hit another sword. A GLOWING blue sword.