So hiw about, instead of marcy becoming a puppet, the core manipulates her into helping it, causing marcy to take on a more antagonist/villainous role?
Hmmm I've definitely seen those kinds of AU's floating about. It doesn't resonate with me super strong but I think the trick to making it feel right is to give her the motivations to make Marcy's allegiance make sense.
One way would be if Anne or Sasha had gotten impaled in Marcy's stead in true colors. The tech in the castle would be the only thing capable of saving them, and Marcy's guilt at he being the cause of her friend's near demise.
I think the interesting choice here would be Anne, with Sasha escaping the found the resistance, and the two becoming rivals of a sort. Sasha safeguarding what Anne loved in Amphibia (in the valley) and Marcy safeguarding Anne's actual life. Sasha trying to build up enough of a force to challenge the core while Marcy tries to squash it and capture Sasha before she gets killed in the crossfire.
Man the dynamic between Andrias and Marcy would be so interesting in such an AU. They'd have to be in near constant contact as the only 2 flesh and body servants of the core.
Though I think it stretches the core's general characterization to want Marcy as a servant. It barely tolerates Andrias.
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More on the au where Anne and Sasha fight Darcy earlier
Darcy: did you know sashi? That while you were out fighting a war, Anne was goofing around having the time of her life on earth.
Sasha: she wouldn’t do that!
Anne: yeah, I was trying to get back to amphibia.
Darcy: really now? Because our scouts have been recording you-tiny things, you probably wouldn’t even notice them-and they have quite the story to tell.
Opens a video screen, displays the scene from EtA where Anne laughs off Marcy’s stabbing.
Sasha: what?! You’re lying, Anne Would never! Right Anne?
Anne looks anguished and doses not give and answer. Sasha gives her a disgusted look when she realizes darcy is telling the truth.
Man, I cannot find the original post this is connected to. From what I remember it was one talking about my gripes with how 3b was paced and how Darcy hung in the background for way too long and felt like of wasted imo. My suggested way to fix this is Anne making a mad dash (w/ Sasha along for the ride) to get the box and save Marcy as like the first episode or two after Escape to Amphibia.
Back to the ask. That would be really interesting! It would really put on display the manipulative tendencies we see the core employ on Andrias and no one else. Putting a wedge between Sasha and Anne in the middle of a fight would be a wrinkle in the fight that hammers in that they just aren't ready for this showdown, in more ways than one. It would also be a great contrast with the Beginning of the end fight with Yunan and Olivia, with Sasha and Anne absolutely working in sync after managing to work out their differences.
I had an Amphibia au idea a while back that I shared with a view blogs. Now I'm sharing it with you!
Basically, instead of Leif grabbing the box, Andrias manages to catch before it does. No vision happens, nothing changes between Andrias Leif and Barrel. Nothing changes.
And yet at the same time, everything changes.
I have my own thought-I MEAN NOTES on my little au, but I just wanted to see your interpretation of it first.
Alright, this took a minute, but I really like where it ended up
So here then is the Scorched Earth AU
Part 1: Mercy of a New King
Andrias takes the throne successfully, the invasion goes off. However, as hesitant as he was before to commit to bloodshed, he finds himself truly overwhelmed by the horrors visited upon the Earthlings. After confiding in his lifelong companions, they give him heart and courage to not stand idle. He knows, however, there is little he can do to convince the core to give up the invasion entirely, but believes he can at least avoid the genocidal end for humanity that would otherwise be par the course.
He argues, to the core, that with their stature and strength, the humans would make good laborers for the fields. Stronger certainly than frogs, and argues that they should not let such a resource go to waste. Cheaper to feed than machines would be to maintain. Even knowing this comes from a soft heart, the core can not ignore the logic and acquiesces. Humans are brought over to be labor in the mines and fields.
In turn, as Leif does not turn against him, the "Divorce Trio" remains friends and perhaps even more? The king never takes a spouse but his childhood companions remain closer to him than any newt could dare. Rumors are not helped when one day the king announces an heir. He certainly looks like a Leviathan, blue and grows to be tall as a tower. Only instead of the signature white locks that mark their heritage, he had hair as orange as the setting sun.
Some whispered foul magics or stranger sciences as the cause, but all were wise enough to not say anything where they might be heard.
These rumors are not helped when Andrias names his two companions the first Archduke and Archduchess of the empire. A gesture, he claims to bring all Amphibians to equal peerage in the realm. Both serve as a check against newt nobles who have gotten too comfortable in their lofty positions. While technically three families, so close were the three that their children were more like cousins, or even siblings.
Part 2: The Young Heir
It's a thousand years later Andrias has long... passed, along with his companions, whose legacy still looms large in Amphibia. While Leif's legacy still looms large in the minds of her descendants, it is not so present today, in the minds of the Archduke Apparent.
Sprig Plantar, and his sister Polly on the former's twelfth birthday. Tragedy struck the two at an early age when court politics took their parents from them, however it did not quell the two's thirst for excitement.
Polly has this day built for her brother a flying machine, as much a favor as a present, For she has not yet tested its capabilities. The two take it to the sky and it soars swifter than any heron. Or... almost any heron. As they fly across the mountains south of Newtopia, a heron rears up and claws at the machine sending it spiraling into the valley below.
They survive the fall, but now are stranded in the wilderness outside the capital. Both siblings are ill equipped for such a scenario; they wander briefly for a day or two, becoming sick on mushrooms they should not have picked, being hunted down by something they had heard but not seen. On their third day of being stranded, the monster finds them, a massive red mantis bearing down on the both of them.
Part 3: The Pauper in the Pond
They scream and shout and are heard. In a flash before being cut in two, the noble siblings are grabbed under an arm each and long strides carry them away. It was one of the human peasants who worked the vast agricultural lands of his family. Hair thick and curly infested with twigs and leaves.
The mantis gives chase but is quickly found victim to a massive snare trap, hung upside down in the air. A second human, black hair with lighter skin covered in light scars, jumped from a hiding place in a bush in triumph- Only to immediately trip over said bush and onto her face.
A third human launched out from hiding, a chipped woodsman's ax at the ready charging and beheading the mantis before it could free itself. This third human had blonde hair and freckles across their arms and face.
After the chaos dies down and the other two humans start stripping the mantis of its carapace and meat, the human who rescued them introduces herself: Anne Boonchuy and asks for their names.
Now, Sprig and Polly give their first names, but are careful to hide their identity as nobility, and ask if there is a way out of the valley as they need to get back to the capital.
Anne informs them that unfortunately they would be out of luck. The valley was cut off from the rest of Amphibia until the ice in the pass thaws. She however brings them back to their town of Old Saint and her family's inn.
How do you think the show would go if Anne stayed with Marcy in Newtopia and followed Marcy’s idea of just having a messager to get the box from the Plantars?
So if it's the messenger, my thought is it goes bad.
Cause I don't think Anne bounces back in a timeframe Marcy comforted by. I think her insecurity over why Anne doesn't consider her enough would give Andrias the leverage he needs to manipulate Marcy.
Then on top of that, its possible the box isn't recovered. It might just be lost in what would have been the events of After the Rain. By the time news reaches Newtopia the box has probably disappeared underground with those magpie bugs. So this would also quickly evolve into a Stuck in Amphibia AU. With searches looking for the box from presumed thieves once it comes to light the box was just buried in the Plantar backyard but of course never finding it. Cause those bugs have like, a ridiculously long incubation cycle iirc?
Anyways. From there I think it just sort of devolves.
I think a similar but interesting tweak on this premise is if Marcy is just a little more vulnerable with Anne at the end of Day at the Aquarium.
M: "I'm sorry Anne, this just made the most sense."
A: "I know, I know... logical thing to do... sniff"
M: "... I..."
A: "?"
M: "Anne I... I'm moving away."
A, confused: "Wha- from Newtopia why-"
M: "No. From LA."
A, eyes widening: "... What?"
M, voice growing hoarse: "My dad got a job back east. I found out back on your birthday, I - I kept it to myself cause I didn't want to spoil it. Once we return to Earth..."
A: "..."
M, insecurity setting in: "I was really looking forward to spending time together since - but I can finish the preparations myself if you want to-"
Anne pulls Marcy in for a tight hug and doesn't let go.
A: "Marcy- sniff - I...I"
Words failing her Anne just pulls Marcy tighter as tears prickle her eyes. Marcy returns the hug, feeling reassured. The two friends keep tight hold on each other gently sobbing as the sun sets around them.
M: "I-If you want to follow them you'll have to go soon..."
A, conflicted: "I do, but I don't want to leave you here! If our time here is the last we'll be able to spend together... sniff"
M: "... I might have an idea"
A, pulling back, eyes hopeful: "?"
M: "You could stay here, with me, to make the preparations then we could go to Wartwood together. use it as a kind of home base for our quest?"
A, pulling Marcy in for another hug: "Oh! That would be perfect! Mar-Mar, your a genius! I can't wait for you to meet everyone in Wartwood Marcy"
From there with Jo Sparrow and Anne helping they get to Wartwood narrowly in time to recover the box. Marcy gets to see how hurt and betrayed Anne feels about Hop Pop taking it and I think manages to not fall for Andrias's schemes.
Lots of ways you could take it from there, but the scene above was one I was considering as the basis of my longfic back before I started awiw
Hmm, here's my own Owl House AU pitch for you, an Caleb/Philip Swap.
Caleb kills Philip during there final confrontation instead of the other way around. Aside from the immense guilt, this ends up putting the seed in Caleb's mind that peace between the Human and Demon realms is impossible and if his former countrymen where to ever managed to find a way onto the Boiling Isles in force....
This ends up growing into an obsession that alienates him from his wife and children. He has to find a way to save everyone, even if it requires some... regrettable... necessities.
This sounds neat! The way you phrased it makes it sound like Caleb turns evil in your AU but I think I would make him just antagonistic.
I think in a swap AU Caleb ends up kidnapping people. Which may sound extreme, but let me explain.
Witch hunts were prevalent in the Americas obviously in Caleb's day, but they never really... stopped. I think Caleb uses the portal door (maybe doors by the modern day) to just save men women and children who are accused of witchcraft and just yoinks them to the boiling isles before they are killed. Which has the adverse effect of kind of making their accusers look correct but by then the innocent have been ferreted away.
On the other end of the portal we see a boiling isles much changed. Without Phillip there to segregate the witches into the covens or lock up weirdos there's a much more equitable world. I think probably ruled by a council with a seat for witches, demons, and one for displaced humans. The last of which is headed up by caleb, a glyph covered immortal human.
Humans taken in are offered lessons in glyph magic to help adjust to their very scary home.
Which is where Luz comes in, set up near the start of the story is the same. Luz is an outcast, obsessed with magic, and about to be sent to reality check camp. I think after her mom leaves Luz makes an overly dramatic remark about how 'my life is over' and 'what's the point' 'gonna be bored to death' (you know typical teenage whinging) and out of the corner of her eyes she catches sight of a mysterious woman (its eda, obviously its eda though with her original hair color) doing just a little bit of magic.
Luz follows her a bit curious and Eda asks if she would be interested in going to a new magical world. S1 naive head in the clouds Luz obviously says yes (with maybe a belated 'wait, should I really trust some strange woman in a-' and then Eda yoinks her through the portal)
Luz is obviously blown away by this magical world, a shining magical civilization, in many ways a lot more welcoming than the one canon Luz finds herself in canon. Closer to that PG-13 world she always imagined.
Eda shows her around happy for once to not have someone scared out of their wits to save. Everything seems great even gets to meet Eda's great great great grandfather Caleb, one of the most prolific humans on the boiling isles who of course welcomes her.
The shine comes off the apple when Luz mentions that she can't wait to tell her mom about all this. Show her that magic was real that it wasn't an impossible dream. An awkward pall falls over the gathering as Caleb explains that Luz won't be allowed to return to the human world.
After all, there are open minded folks like himself and Luz, who see wonder in this world, in the boiling isles. But there are those who would also irrationally fear it and seek to destroy it. Which was why no one was allowed to return back to Earth.
Luz suddenly very fearful that she'll never see her Mom again says that well its been neat, but she was ready to head back. Caleb regretfully informs her that was impossible, now that she had seen everything that was impossible
[As a note, humans are allowed to leave, but they need to have all of their memories of the Boiling Isles removed and burned. A procedure that could only be consented to once they were an adult. So that wasn't an option for Luz cause that's 4 years of her life that would evaporate. Also the option to bring Luz's mom over, but Luz is hesitant to uproot her mother's life like that]
Trying to move things on, Caleb asks Luz whether she would like to be placed with a foster family for her stay in the dorms, even offering a room in the Clawthorne family home, genuinely apologetic for the misunderstanding. Luz ultimately opts for the dorms (I think her roommate may be Vee? dunno I'd need to think on it.)
Ultimately after half a season of Luz looking for ways back home and being stonewalled by every organization and path, she's almost ready to give up. Only to get a new offer. Someone who tells her that they could get her home, if she was willing to help them out. After all, they knew all too well it could be trapped someplace against their will :)
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Say, what do you think would've happened if Anne was the only one transported to Amphibia while Marcy and Sasha were left behind on Earth?
Probably pretty bad overall.
Amphibia Side
So, I think it goes badly probably. Assuming she has all the calamity powers in her to charge the box. If she doesn't she just gets stuck.
Anne definitely stays longer unless she can befriend evolved Domino 2 earlier on, she's going to be hoofing it across Amphibia.
Definitely tricked by Andrias. He'd probably just straight up offer all the info on the temples.
There's some divergence points. If Val ends up giving Anne a heads up, then she might be able to fix the problem (Andrias) before heading home.
True Colors: No toad rebellion, so Anne probably just makes it back to Newtopia, delivers the box, and either dies or escapes into the wilderness(assuming she has half a gem power left to empower herself, and uses it to save everyone instead of blindly lash out). Andrias either way has the box and plots his invasion.
If Anne survives, we'll get her trying to gather a resistance.
Earth Side
Marcy's definitely long gone moved with her family. Left on bad terms with Sasha after Anne disappears. Wracked with guilt over for the same reason. Probably in therapy.
Sasha is probably feeling pretty awful. Her two favorite people taken from her, the first by her manipulation, and the second from her own anger. She has plenty of shallow friendships to try and fill the void, but its just not the same.
Either way without any forewarning of invasion, Earth is pretty badly blind sighted when Andrias shows up. War becomes a pretty one sided affair (with again the assumption that the empire wasn't as ill equipped as All In made it seem)
Oh, how about a Doctor Who AU? Marcy encounters the tardis while running away after when learning that they're moving and she becomes one of the doctors companions. She goes on a couple adventures and comes back and to Anne, Sasha and everyone she just went missing several months ago
This follows solidly under the type of AU of "This would be a great time for Marcy!" Without the baggage of kidnapping her friends weighing her down and the possibility of just slipping back into her place and time without anyone noticing she'd be able to just geek out with the doctor and having fun time travel adventures where she learns and grows and probably suffer some time related trauma that will make it very hard for her to return to a normal life (a Companion staple)
I think it would be an interesting change of pace for a companion, though I think it stretches belief a bit that the Doctor would put a child at risk on his adventures, Marcy would probably have to be some kind of seasonal macguffin he has to keep safe from time eaters or something.
I think the 'She's been missing for a couple months' stuff is actually somewhere in the middle of her tenure with the doctor. She runs into Sasha and Anne while on one of her weekly adventures and is kind of floored by how relieved they are to see her safe (relatively some alien problem is about). Marcy is touched as we kind of get hints all season that she isn't confident Anne and Sasha would miss her when she moved away.
I don't really have a overarching arc for such an AU, since as a Doctor Who crossover, the main plot would be some fun but convoluted nonsense.
How would you imagine an AU where young Eda ends up being teleported to Amphibia that would change the story so much and how much chaos do you think she would cause?
So much chaos.
Lilith and Raine are there with her as well, as Wit and Heart respectively. Eda is 100% Stength. It happens the day before the duel for a spot in the Emperor's Coven. Lilith has the curse but hasn't used it yet.
Honestly even odds that even soft locks the three of them into Amphibia by way of collateral damage.
Lilith: "Okay down there should be the first temple- Oh no! It's completely destroyed. All that history!"
Raine and Eda: ...
Lilith: uh... I mean, Oh no! Our way home.
Raine: ... right, still man what could have done this, so much of it is missing...
Eda: ... alright, sorry, my bad.
Lilith: What do you mean your bad?
Eda: Well, one day when I was killing time before we all reunited I was testing out some new potions using the local ingredients and this place looked super abandoned.
