Chapter Text
Marcy's legs kicked happily over her as she laid on her bed, writing in her journal. She hummed to herself alongside the music in her earbuds, mostly game songs, as she jotted down stories, notes, and drawings of her most recent adventures.
Her writing time was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. She turned her head back to it, pausing her music and pulling one of the earbuds out.
“Come in!” She said with a smile taking up her whole face.
A servant opened the door with a smile as well.
“Master Marcy! How are you?” She said with a small bow.
“I'm doing good, thank you!” Marcy hopped up and sat cross legged facing her.
“I'm glad to hear. I have a message from the king!” The servant continued.
“Oooo!” Marcy clapped excitedly. “Go on!” They leaned forward.
“He says he has some sort of surprise for you, and requests you meet him in his study.”
His study?! Marcy hadn't been in there before! Her eyes lit up as she shut her journal and leapt from the bed.
“Lemme get dressed!” Marcy said, running for their chestplate, boots, cape, and crossbow all tossed across the room.
“I'm sure you don't need all that to meet the king in his study…” The newt said with a confused but amused smile.
“You never know!” Marcy smiled as she adjusted the tightness of the chestplate and shifted its position. “Plus I just like wearing them,” Marcy bashfully admitted.
The newt nodded in understanding.
“Well I must return to my work. I'll see you later Master Marcy,” She bowed once more.
“Thank you! See you later!” Marcy waved, before returning to squeezing into her boots, nearly falling about 3 times.
She could've loosened the straps but that was too much work. She got them on. She tossed her shoulder bag on, still a bit heavy with supplies from her last little adventure, including some snacks and her pajamas, which she probably should empty after this, before slipping her journal in as well, and throwing her cape around her shoulders, securing the shell clasp. She immediately ran out and navigated the giant halls.
She obviously had never been in this room before, but she had been by it a few times and knew where it was! It wasn't a room she passed often as it was pretty out of the way, likely purposefully for privacy, but still. She knew where to look.
She arrived at the giant door, decorated with engravings of newts and Newtopian flora, alongside ornate curled patterns. The door was cracked open just enough for someone her size to come through, but hearing speech inside, Marcy was respectful and waited just outside…although listening in. Andrias stood on the far side with his back turned, hands clasped together behind him.
“Are you sure it must be done now? I-I mean we still haven't found the others, it hasn't been tested, and-” Andrias almost- pleaded to…something…
A strange extremely faint noise replied, that Marcy could only really describe as static or glitching, although that wasn't even fully accurate. Andrias let out a sigh.
“Of course. It will be done.” He spoke, nearly disappointed.
He began to turn, and Marcy flinched, but he was already looking straight at her by the time she could think of moving.
“Ah! Master Marcy!” He said in his normal friendly tone, arms held open wide as he approached with quake causing footsteps.
This…sudden switch was strange. Something felt…wrong, but Marcy couldn't place it…she just shook it off. Probably excitement nerves.
“Hey Andrias!” She replied with a wave.
“Do come in,” The giant king gestured inside. Opening the door a bit more
Marcy nodded and jogged through the large gap.
Andrias began to walk again, slowly.
“So, you heard of my surprise?” He asked with a grin.
“I-I heard you had one! Not what it is!” Marcy said, basically having to run to keep up.
He smiled, crouching down and placing his hand before her.
“We're gonna be doing a lot of walking,” He teased.
Marcy sighed and climbed on carefully. She was lifted as he stood, before he held his hand beside his shoulder. She quickly dismounted, and found a little seat in one of the ‘small’ dents on his pauldron.
He looked to her for confirmation she was set and a little thumbs up gave him all he needed. He made his way to a statue, before pulling the coral torch in their hand, a secret hallway opening from the bookshelves nearby.
“Woah…” Marcy audibly marveled at the sight.
‘More secret passages?! I thought I knew them all!’ Marcy thought as she looked at the path ahead, flinching from the sound of the door shutting behind him.
‘Weird…” Marcy said, the buried nerves slightly resurfacing, but they shoved it down once again.
“You see, this is actually something from my family you know, knowledge passed down for generations…” Andrias recalled fondly as they navigated the cold, damp, basement.
“Really? Then why are you showing me?” Marcy replied with a chuckle, jotting down things about her surroundings.
“Because you are a very important person, Marcy,” He grinned, almost appearing proud.
Marcy warmly smiled, excitedly awaiting this surprise. After a while, they finally arrived at something. A giant round mural, covered in orange eyes and designs like that of some sort of jumbled technological pattern.
“Are you ready?” He asked.
Marcy nodded her whole head hard with a massive grin. She wanted to see this secret! Whatever is going on, she wanted to know!
With something Andrias did just outside of Marcy’s view, the patterns ignited with an orange hue, rings twisting the carvings into a more coherent design.
Her eyes lit up, journal ready in hand as the door slid open. Andrias lifted his hand, allowing Marcy to climb on and be returned to the ground to freely explore. She just wandered a while before finally speaking.
“What is this place?” Marcy looked and jogged towards the center of the room.
“This is the home of the Core.” Andrias said in a sort of presentation voice, gesturing ahead.
There was movement in the dark, as sounds of shifting mechanics echoed out. A strange, giant ball robot supported by many long limbs stepped out, before almost a dozen glowing orange eyes opened on it.
“What- is that thing?” Marcy spoke in a combo of fear and awe, mostly the awe, but this thing was frightening.
“The Core is a collection of Amphibia’s greatest minds in all our history, all together in one place. Many of my ancestors included,” He described, walking next to her.
“It's a hivemind?!” Marcy yelled out, slamming her journal shut and stuffing it away, she ran forward.
Andrias almost seemed to wince, then relax at the lack of movement.
“Does it talk?! I have so many questions!” Marcy excitedly examined it.
“It does not, no. Not yet. But that's where you come in…” He finally began to get to the point.
“Oh? How so?” Marcy slightly glanced back.
“You see, the Core’s current form isn't exactly…adequate,” Andrias chose his words carefully.
Marcy gasped in excitement.
“Do I get to help make it a new body?! Ah, I've always had an interest in robotics but could never find a way to use it!” Marcy cheerfully explained, her hands flapping as she bounced excitedly.
“Not quite. You see, the Core did want the next greatest mind. A genius above all else. The only person that could beat me at Flipwart…” His playful voice suddenly gained a sinister undertone.
“Huh…kinda weird criteria but- oh! That's me right?” Marcy raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms teasingly.
“Unfortunately…yes.”
He snapped his fingers and suddenly, something cold grabbed a hold of Marcy’s limbs and pulled her into the air.
“Wah! Wh- What's happening?!” The girl tried to fight, finding very little success.
A chair began to rise from the ground between her and the Core, before she was thrown into it and restrained down.
“W-What's going on?!” Marcy yelled out as something began to descend over her, more attempts to fight showing no success.
“My lord needs a host, Marcy. I really wish things could've been different but…they've made their choice.”
He looked down on her as a helmet slowly lowered towards her head.
No…this can't happen- no! Sasha...Anne! Sh-She still hadn't found them! She had to find them!
Her heart raced and her mind ran. What could she do, what could she do?! All she could think about was her friends. She needed to find her friends…her breathing began to slow a little.
Memories of her friends replayed in her mind, a strange green tint to them. They were still out there. It was like she could feel them out there…the knowledge of what she did almost made that feeling sting.
She had to find them. To make things right.
Their hands balled into fists, and they grit their teeth, tensing their whole body before letting out a scream, forcing against the restraints that shattered as she was flung forward, tumbling down the support of the chair.
She lifted her head and shook it, looking at her shaking hands. Her gloves were torn to shreds and deep gashes remained where the restraining bands had been. They both were illuminated by a soft green light, one, coming from her own eyes.
She turned back to see Andrias in shock, as this Core somehow managed to look furious. Suddenly, all she could think was one thing.
Run.
She scrambled to her feet and took off towards the door, before metal limbs chased after her. She made it a decent distance before one flung around, grabbing her by the face.
“Gah!” They exclaimed, kicking their legs as they were lifted in the air, pulling at the claws that just tried to tighten.
As she continued to fight, a sensation filled her limbs before a shock of green electrical energy escaped her hands, shocking the claw, weakening its grip enough for her to pull.
Unfortunately, not enough to fully deactivate it. As she pulled it off, it grew tighter, trying to close, digging into her skin. She screamed out in struggle and pain as it tore at her face before finally, she dropped to the ground once again, crimson dripping down from above, but she didn't look back.
She raced as Andrias's voice and the glitch-like nose from before echoed out around her, now muffled by her own heartbeat. She escaped into the basement, then the study, then the halls before she was cornered by guards. She looked, and saw an opportunity.
An open window.
She leapt out immediately before letting out a loud whistle.
And to her luck, who she hoped for heard, as something swooped from below and she landed on a soft bed of Joe's feathers.
“G-Get us away!” Marcy asked, her voice echoing but weak as she crawled higher onto his back.
She lasted just long enough to hear chirps of affirmation before her eyes closed, and the world went dark as she slipped out of consciousness.