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Chapter Text

~~~~Luz~~~~

It had been a 2 months since Luz had followed Owlbert through a magical portal that changed her life. She was laying on her makeshift bed, which was a sleeping bag with extra blankets underneath her. Despite it being 12 am, she couldn't get any sleep. Luz started to look around her room to pass the time.

Her eyes wandered around the room, but eventually landed on one fluffy companion at the foot of her 'bed'. It was almost as if her eyes forced King awake, because he began to shift around until his bright yellow eyes were staring back at Luz's. Luz was sorry for waking him up, and decided it was best to take a walk to clear her head. "Hey King, do you mind getting off of my sleeping bag so I can get up?" She asked in a low whisper, seeing as he just woke up.

"I don't know what this 'sleeping bag' is that you mentioned, but I refuse to move from your bed cocoon," he whispered, almost like he was appalled she asked.

"King please, I need to," Luz thought about her next words. She needed to be careful as to not worry him or Eda about a midnight stroll through the woods, "Check up on Hooty. And unless you want him checking on us instead, I recommend you let me do it first." She hoped that the idea of the bird tube talking to him in the middle of the night would be enough to get King to move.

"Well why didn't you say so!" King said, although a little to loudly.

"King, be quiet! You could wake someone up!" Luz yelled in a whisper, careful to maintain her calm voice.

"The king of demons quiets down for no one!" Despite his statement, he seemed to return to a whisper, earning a sigh of relief from Luz. After he trotted around for a few more seconds, King laid down farther away from Luz.

As Luz wiggles out of her sleeping bag and exited the room, she could've sworn she heard king mumble something about escaping Hooty, but she was quick to dismiss the thought.

She carefully tried to walk down the stairs to the living room, but the creaking of each step made her cringe slightly. At this rate, Luz figured she might as well wake up Eda herself. Shaking away the idea, she reached the last step with a sigh and slowly made her way to the front door. If lucky, she could avoid waking up Hooty as she opened it. But luck wasn't on her side. As she reached for the door handle, it swung open by itself, revealing a very familiar house demon. "Luz! What a nice surprise! What are you doing here?!" Luz was physically startled by the volume and quickly put her hand over the owl's face.

"Hooty! Everyone is asleep, would you please keep the volume at a minimum?" She whispered. Slowly moving her hand away, she began to walk out the door.

"Hoot! What, where are you going? Ohh can I come with you?! I'll get my things!" Luz didn't want to have to deal with this in the middle of the night, so she turned around to say a few sentences before continuing.

"I'm just going for a walk. I will be back soon. And no, you can't come with me." She looked into Hooty's eyes to see visible sadness before turning around, ignoring anymore babbling coming from the bird.

With a few moments alone to clear her head, her thoughts started to wander. She wondered what her mom would think about the world she was in. "Guess my imagination wasn't as wild as you thought," Luz mumbled under her breath. Her thoughts bounced between her mom, her treatment in the human world, and her current predicament. She really liked it in the boiling isles, quirkiness and all. The place was just like her.

She wasn't paying attention to where to she was or to where she was going. Luz was so lost in her thoughts that when she looked around, she noticed she was lost. 'Great job, Luz. Now you have to find your way back to an angry mentor for getting lost.' She thought, although she wasn't sure how mad Eda would be that she got lost wandering in the woods. 

Turning around, Luz felt like she was being watched. The feeling was weird, and she couldn't place it even if she wanted to. She shrugged it off, assuming she was just being paranoid and kept walking.

The further Luz walked, the more of two feelings she felt. A sinking feeling in her gut that told her she was just getting more lost, and another feeling that told her she was still being watched. But this time, she decided to act on her instincts and broke into a run.

As Luz sprinted, she began to hear fast paced footsteps behind her, with leaves crunching under both of their feet. Despite trying her best to run as fast she could, she could hear the gap closing. Weighing her options, Luz released a breath she didn't realize she was holding and turned around.

As she stopped in her tracts to look at what ever was chasing her, so did the creature. A large wolf looked directly at her, with piercing blue eyes that could kill. The wolf was easily larger than any wolf Luz had seen, with a beautiful white coat that she would admire more if she wasn't in this situation. She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself awestruck in the wolf's eyes. There was a shine to them, almost as if she could she a golden glare within its eyes.

The wolf noticed Luz's hesitation, and took it as a moment of weakness. It lunged at her, tackling her to the ground.

"UHHGHH!" Luz screamed, before being bitten on the collar and passing out.

~~~~Willow~~~~

Another long day at school, but at least it was the weekend. Willow's abomination project was due in 2 weeks, and if she didn't think of a way to ace the assignment, she could easily fail the class.

Her thoughts kept her up. She glanced to her right to look at her clock.

12:15 am

Willow ultimately decided that her mind was getting the better of her, and she got out of bed to go for a walk. Not wanting to wake her dads up, she approached her window and opened it. She jumped it the window, landing gracefully, before walking off toward the woods.

She was maybe 20 minutes into her walk and was debating turning around when she heard a gut wrenching scream come from deeper in the woods. She instinctively thought someone could be hurt, so she bolted in the direction of the scream. 

What Willow saw made her stomach flip, and she wanted to run away, but the girl on the ground needed help. Willow ran to her side, and quickly checked for a pulse, or any sign of life. She noticed a fast pulse, but it was weak. Willow was in such a frantic state, she didn't even notice the girl's round ears. The wound on her shoulder did not look good. It appeared as if a large wolf or bear took a bite out of the girl. Now, that is exactly what happened, but Willow was unaware of anything else except the teeth marks. However, she saw a thick, red liquid start to pool underneath the girl and her thoughts stopped. Willow knew she had to get the girl somewhere safe, but where? "Home wouldn't work. The hospital? No, to far away. What about-"

"The Owl House," the girl on the ground mumbled. Her voice took Willow by surprise and she stopped rambling.

"Where's that?" Willow asked. She tried to sound calm and collected, like she totally wasn't freaking out. The shakiness in her voice showed she was clearly unsuccessful.

"I-It's on the e-edge of the w-w-ww," as much as she wanted to say the last word, Luz started to take hitched breaths and was starting to fall back to unconsciousness.

"The Edge of the woods?" Willow asked, trying to speed up as much as she could. All Luz could manage was a nod. "Alright, I know a basic healing spell, but I don't think it will help much with this," Willow said, gesturing to Luz's shoulder. She drew a white circle in the air with a hint of green and hovered it over Luz's injury. Willow tried as much as she could, but the injury was to severe to be healed by a basic healing spell. The best she could do was close a few holes, but there was too many teeth marks. "Argh, it's no use! Alright, I'm going to lift you to The Owl House, try not to move." 

As Willow carefully lifted Luz, she could hear a grunt of pain come from the injured girl. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," Willow said while starting to sprint through the woods. All Luz could do was shake her head to assure the girl she was alright before passing out again.

Willows had been running on pure adrenaline as she charged through the woods carrying the poor injured girl in her arms, bridal style. But when she saw a house in the distance with a owl on the front door, she had assumed it was the owl house. But as she approached, a head grew out of the door. "Oh hey, a new frien- wait why are you carrying Luz? And why is there blood on her?!" The tube screamed, loud enough to shake the house. Before Willow had a chance to explain, she heard foot steps rapidly approaching the door.

"Hooty, what have I told you about screaming at 1:00 am! I need my slee-" She was an older woman, with silvery gray hair and golden eyes. Her eyes seemed fixated on the girl in Willows arms, as if she still didn't fully wrap her head about wait was going on. But as Willow's mind raced on what to say, the woman's eyes widen as she seemed to fully awake. "LUZ?! Set her down on the couch, now!" The older women screamed. Willow didn't need to say anything as she almost ran into the house gently placing the girl, who's name she learned is Luz, on to the couch. It was only then that the toll of running through the woods caught up to her and her legs wanted to give out immediately, so she turned around and sat on a nearby chair.

"What happened?! How did this happen?! Where did you find her?! Wh-why-what..." Eda paced the floor, eyes locked on Luz and deep in thought as she rambled. Willow was unsure if she was supposed to answer, but did any way.

"I heard a scream in the woods, so I ran towards it thinking someone could've been hurt. When I got there, I saw her laying on the forest floor bleeding out, and she said to bring her here," Willow spoke between breaths, still trying to calm down herself. 

Willow speaking seemed to bring Eda out of her trance and walk over to Luz, whose breathing was short and irregular. Eda wrote a circle into the air and began to heal Luz's wound with some advanced healing magic, closing up her injury and hoping that she didn't lose to much blood.

Willow stared at the older witch, almost memorized at the advanced spell, but she shook her head at looked around the room. It was cozy enough, a feeling of belonging in the air. When she turned back towards Luz, she noticed the older woman moved back towards a different chair. Willow inspected Luz's features now that she had a chance to catch her breath, and it was only then that she noticed the girls round ears.

"She's human?" Willow asked. Not that she expected a different answer other than yes. Although if it was yes, that would leave her mind filled with more questions than answers. 

"Yeah, she's a human. But I'm more interested in you telling me who you are," the silver haired lady said.

"My name is Willow. I was just going outside to clear my head when I heard her scream," Willow said. She felt like she was in trouble. "And you're the owl lady, right?"

"The names Eda. And this human has a name, too ya know. It's Luz. Now go home before your parents get upset," Eda said.

"Yeah, you're probably right. It was nice meeting you. Mind if I stop by in a few days to see how she is doing?" Willow asked. She expected to be shot down. She didn't even know these people, but she felt responsible for Luz. Something told her they would be friends.

"Yeah, that's fine. Now scram," With Eda's final sentence, Willow walked out the door and back into the pitch black woods. Her walk back home was filled with nothing but her thoughts. When she crept back into her window, she went back to bed with a more unclear head than when she left.

~~~~1 day later~~~~

~~~~Luz~~~~

Luz woke up with a jolt. The last thing she remembered was feeling a girl carry her back home, but her vision was clouded and she couldn't fully remember who it was. As she got up and looked around she saw Eda in the kitchen making something. As she tried to move, her legs were met with a weight she recognized as the king of demons. But she wanted to move, so she called out to King. "King, do you mind moving?" She asked, groggily.

"Bah! Oh Luz you're awake. Wait. Luz! You're awake!" King screeched, as he jumped onto Luz's chest and hugged her.

"Awwww, we're you worried about me?" Luz playfully asked.

"What? No, the king of demons worries about no one," King said as he jumped off of Luz and headed to the kitchen. Luz tried to get up and follow him, but was met with a hand pushing her gently back on the couch. Luz turned her head to see an unamused Eda looking back at her.

"Mind telling me what you were doing in the middle of the woods alone? At night!?" Eda yelled the las part, making Luz wince. Strange. She never had sensitive ears before.

"I was just going for a walk to clear my thoughts, but I got lost. That's when I met the wolf and he attacked me. No big deal, I'm fine," Luz said as she got off the couch and headed towards her room. A surprises Eda looked at her in shock.

"How are you getting up so easily? I know I'm good with magic, but even my healing spells take a few more hours before you can walk that easily," Eda questioned. Luz just shrugged and kept walking.

"Maybe you are better at magic than you thought. After all, I myself am a pretty powerful witch with my one light spell!" Luz exclaimed.

"Boosting my ego to get out of trouble, eh? Well played. You are off the hook this time. But please, be more careful, Luz," Eda said the last part with more concern laced in her voice, and Luz could tell.

"I promise I will be more careful, Eda," Luz said, as she turned back around and walked up the stairs.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

~~~~Luz~~~~

"Hey Eda!" She yelled while running down the stairs. "I'm going to town, ok?"

"Ok, that's fine. But make sure to stop by my stand to help out later!" Eda yelled.

"Got it! Bye! Love you guys!" Luz said, Waving at King and Eda. As walked out the door, Luz said bye to Hooty and then began to jog to Bonesborough.

Luz got around halfway there when something felt off. She looked around to no one in particular, just at the woods surrounding her. She felt wrong, but wrong in a way that wasn't familiar to her. It shook her up a bit, but she kept walking to try to avoid the lasting feeling in her gut.

Town felt nice. The cool air around her and all of the people bustling through town made her feel safe, but at the same time she felt confined. "Weird. I never noticed this feeling before," Luz mumbled before continuing her walk. As she walked, she met the gaze of a friendly looking blue haired witch. Luz gave a wave before continuing to walk, but the blued haired witch and a short darker skinned witch stopped right in front of her. "Uhhhh, hi...?" She asked, confused as to why they acted like they knew her.

"Augustus, this is the human I told you about! You know, the one I found in the woods!" The blue haired witch said. She turned her focus back on Luz. "Hi! It's nice to finally meet you! I'm Willow Park, and this is Augustus Porter," she said, pointing to the shorter witch by her side.

"Oh, hi! Im Luz. Luz Noceda. Ya know, we had an Augustus back in my world. We just called him Gus," Luz said, happy to meet the person who had saved her life yesterday.

"A nickname! A human nickname?! Gus? Call me it! Call me it now!" Gus screamed, directed at no one in particular.

"Hey, Willow. I never got to thank you for, ya know, saving my life and all," Luz said waving her hand around.

"Oh, it was no Problem, really! I'm just glad I got there in time," Willow said, with a smile spreading across her face.

"Yeah, me too," Luz said, laughing. "Hey Gus, why are you so happy about a human nickname?" Luz asked, turning her attention back towards the small witch.

"Oh, I'm president of the HAS at our school! The human appreciation society! Yeah, I'm kinda a big deal," he said, with confidence and a little sarcasm in his voice.

"Ohhhhh, a magic school! Please, do tell me more!" Luz said, standing on her toes, with her excitement spewing off the edge.

"It's called Hexside. It's where a bunch of kids like us go to study magic," Willow said.

"Oh that's so cool! Tell me more about it," Luz said. She was very interested in the school and it showed, making Gus and Willow chuckle.

"Well, there's 9 tracks in total. Them being Abomination, plant, illusion, potion, healing, beast keeping, construction, Oracle, and bard," Willow said.

"Yeah, and you can only be in one. I'm in the illusion track and Willow here is in the Abomination track. Oh, check this out!" Gus said. As he drew a light blue circle in the air, making a copy of himself appear right next to him. Both of them bowed.

"Wow! That's so cool, Gus!" Luz said while clapping. "What can you do, Willow?" She asked.

"Not very much with abominations. I'm not to great at them, but my parents signed up for it anyway. It is the track to be in to have the most opportunities outside of school," Willow said with a sigh. "What track I really want to be in is the plant tract. I'm really good at plant magic! Watch this!" She said, turning her attention to a weed sprouting through the road. Luz watched in amazement as Willow drew a light green circle in the air and made the weed grow to a massive size before shrinking it back down, scaring some bystanders around her.

"Woah, I wish I could do something like that! All I have is one spell," Luz said, slightly disappointed in herself.

"Wait, you can do magic?" Gus asked, genuinely shocked. After all his time studying humans, he had come to the conclusion that humans just couldn't do magic.

"Yeah, watch this," Luz said as she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and began to write out the light glyph she had memorized. Willow and Gus watched closely, confused to what the human was doing writing on the paper. Their confusion turned to amazement as they watched the human tape the paper and form a light ball in her hand that she guided toward them.

"Woah," Willow and Gus both said at the same time, their eyes darting between the light spell in their hands and Luz.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Luz asked .

"Cool? Cool?! This is astonishing! This changes everything I know humans! I have to do more research..." Gus seemed to mumble the last part as Willow and Luz both laughed at his reaction.

"Seriously, Luz. That was pretty cool. Maybe you could apply to Hexside," Willow said, making Luz's eyes light up like Christmas trees.

"You really think I could get-" Luz was cut short by a voice behind her.

"Wow Willow, I knew you were weak, but hanging out with a human? Now you've reached rock bottom," said the voice from behind Luz. She turned around to see another young witch with pink hair and three eyes and wearing a letterman jacket.

"Boscha. Why can't you leave us alone? It's Sunday,"Willow said with a sigh as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, but Saturday is the day that me and my friends hang out at the treasure shack. Not that you would know what that's like, seeing as you have only two friends," Boscha snickered, and turned around to give her friends high fives before walking away.

"Who was that?" Luz asked, slightly puzzled. "She seemed mean."

"Yeah, that's Boscha. She notorious for that type of thing. Just ignore and let's go hang out somewhere else," Gus said, slightly annoyed. Luz turned back around to see that back of Boscha's head as she walked away. A low growl suddenly surfaced from Luz's making her stop staring. "What the..." she mumbled to herself.

"Well, you coming?" Luz heard Willow ask. She turned back around and ran towards her friends. Friends. She had made more friends on the boiling isles. Today was a good day.

~~~~A few hours later~~~~

~~~~Luz~~~~

"Alright guys. It's been fun, but I gotta go. Eda, my mentor, needs help at her stand," Luz said while turning around and walking away.

"See ya later, Luz," She could her Willow tell.

"Let's do this again sometime!" Gus said.

Smiling, she started waking back over to Eda's stand. Once she reached it, Eda raised an eyebrow at her. "What's got you do giddy?" She asked.

"Oh, I just made some new friends. Their names are Willow and Gus," Luz answered.

"Willow. Willow. Why does that sound familiar? Oh yeah, she was the kid that brought you home Friday night," Eda said. Luz just nodded and turned back towards the stand.

"Yeah, she was. And she was super nice too. I'm gonna sort through some of the trash in the back now," Luz said, walking behind Eda.

"No, you're going to do me a favor and drop off these books to the library," Eda said, turning around to hand Luz a stack of books.

"Oh ok. Well, when I'm done, I am just gonna go back to the owl house, if that's ok?" Luz asked.

"That's fine, kid. Just don't be too late," Eda told her.

"Alright! Thank you, bye!" Luz yelled as she turned around and ran towards the library. She seemed faster than usual, but she played it off. This place had forced her to be more in shape, after all.

When she arrives to the library, she turned her attention back to a man sitting at the desk. "Excuse, I'm here to return some books,"Luz said, smiling and looking around at the shelves all around her.

"These are Edalyn's, aren't they?" The librarian asked. Luz just nodded. "Alright, this might take a while. Look around while I try to find the cards to these books." Luz just happily replied with an ok and bounded towards the books.

There were large shelves filled with books. A nerds dream. But what caught Luz's attention was the kids section. She heard another Witch reading a book to the younger kids. She sat down by a nearby table and listened in on the story.

"So book maker Otabin, surrounded by friends, bound a book of friendship, and that's the end." The kids around the young witch cheered and began to walk out of the room. "Alright everyone, see you next week!" 

One of the kids walked up to the older witch and said, "Thank you, Miss Amity." While hugging her leg. 

"Thank you, Braxus. See you next time," Amity said. As Amity walked out of the kids corner herself, she saw Luz over by a table. She scoffed to herself and walked over to her, knowing about the human Boscha talked about earlier today. 

Luz noticed Amity approaching and began to panic, thinking she got caught eavesdropping. "So, you're the human I've heard so much about. Not that impressed, thought you'd be cooler with all the rumors, but Boscha said you hang out with half a witch Willow," Amity said.

"Hey, don't call her that! She's really nice and powerful, you just don't see it," Luz retorted. She wanted to make more friends, but wasn't sure these were the friends she wanted to make here.

"Yeah, whatever. But I have a feeling you're nothing but trouble, so stay away from me," Amity replied.

"Stay away from you? You're the own that came over here!" Luz yelled, but caught herself before getting to loud, remembering she was in a library.

"Yeah, well you're just-" Amity was cut off by a male voice coming in from the other direction.

"Hey Mittens! Making new friends?" One boy with darker green hair asked.

"Oh no, Edric, she's not that social remember?" A very similar looking female said, with similar dark green hair.

"Emira, Edric, I'm kinda in the middle of something right now..." Amity growled.

"Eh, don't worry. We just came here to give you your lunch. And to tell you to stop being mean to your friend," The boy said, who went by the name Edric.

"She is not my friend. She is a human that apparently was rude to Boscha earlier today, so I was just leaving," Amity said, beginning to walk away.

"Wait Amity I didn't-" Luz began, before being cut off by Emira.

"Hey, don't let her get you down. She's rude like that to everyone. Do you want to hang out with us?" Emira said.

"I'd love to, but I have to get back to my mentor. I told her I'd be back soon," Luz said turning around.

"Oh ok. Well it was nice meeting you!" Edric said.

"You too!" Luz replied.

~~~~Later that Nigh~~~~

~~~~Luz~~~~

Today was interesting for Luz. She made new friends, but she couldn't help but be intrigued by Amity. She did seem rude, but also under the impression that Luz Had been mean to Boscha, which she hadn't. 'Maybe she would try to clear things up with the young witch,' she thought, although it was getting late and Luz had a pretty bad headache, so she decided to call it a day.

She said goodnight to King and Eda and began to sleep, her thoughts still on the mystery that was Amity.

Chapter Text

~~~~Luz~~~~

I awoke with a searing pain that I can only describe as the feeling of my skin being ripped apart. I sat up and began to scream. "ARGHHHH." But when I tried to stand up, I felt my body contort to force me back on my hands and feet. My vision was starting to blur, but I crawled over to the large mirror in my room to see myself as a wolf, maybe 3.5 feet tall (106.7 centimeters). I had brown fur the shade of my skin, with a white chest and underbelly. I panicked briefly before blacking out. The last thought I had before losing control was the feeling of needing to leave and go somewhere familiar. Someone familiar. My mind went to the witch that occupied my thoughts last night, Amity Blight.

~~~~Eda~~~~

Mornings. I wasn't a morning person. And I hated the fact that Luz was. She was always up early in the morning to train or go for walks, but today she slept in. It was around 9 am when I heard her scream. "ARGHHHH." 

"Luz, are you ok?! What happened?!" I frantically screamed. No response. That's when I decided I needed to check on her right away.

Bolting up the stairs, I kicked the door to Luz's room open, only to be meet by a broken window and small drips of blood that I assumed was from the window shards. "Oh kid, what did you get yourself into?"

~~~~Amity~~~~

I sat half awake in my abominations class. I couldn't get any sleep last night, because my mind kept going back to the human I had met in the library. She seemed like she wanted to say something, but Emira cut her off. What was she going to say? "Amity?" I heard the teacher ask, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, what?" I replied in my best 'I totally got the full recommended 8 hours of sleep' voice. 

"I said, can you tell me what is the first rule when forming an abomination?" 

"Oh, it's always make sure that you don't give your abomination to much willpower," I said, although I could tell through my voice that I wasn't at 100 percent, and everyone could probably see it.

"Correct, but please, try to pay more attention next time," the teacher huffed.

"Of course, sir," my reply felt cold, like I had no heart in my words. The teacher seemed like he was about to comment about it, but the bell screamed before he could.

"Alright, that's the bell. Remember, your abomination projects are due in two weeks," the teacher said, but none of the students were listening as they huddled through the door like zombies. Nobody likes mornings in Hexside, I guess.

Outside the class, I met up with Boscha and Skara. As I approached, I listened in on what they were talking about.

"She was so rude, honestly," I heard Boscha say. "I was just giving Willow pointers on how to play grudgby, and she told me to bug off. I mean, who does that?!" 

"Wow, she does sound mean," Skara replied.

"Hey, who are you guys talking about?" I asked, although I felt like I already knew the answer.

"The new human in the boiling isles. I met her yesterday. She was not the nicest person," Boscha grumbled.

"I know. You told me yesterday," I said, although it looked like Boscha changed her story. "I thought you said that you weren't even talking to Willow when the human said that?"

"Oh! I- well I -I talked with her today as well! She was talking with Willow when I came over," Boscha stuttered. I could tell she wasn't telling me the truth, but I shook it off. It's Boscha, and it's best not to make her mad. Especially since it's grudgby season.

"Ok," I shrugged. "We should probably get to class before we are late," I said, trying to forget the conversation. But for some reason, the human was still on my mind.

That's when I heard screams coming from down the hall. Boscha, Skara, and I all looked at each other.

"Nope. Whatever that is, I won't risk getting injured during grudgby season!" Boscha yelped, although I could tell she was just scared.

"Yeah, good idea," Skara said, and the two ran the opposite direction of the screams.

"Cowards," I mumbled, before running in the direction of the screams.

As I turned the corner of the hall, I saw something that took my breath away. A wolf, maybe 3.5 feet tall, was snarling at a student, who I recognized as Amelia. It had brown fur and a white chest. But the eyes. The eyes were glowing silver, as if there was a supernatural force at play. "Hey! Get away from her!" I heard a voice from behind the scene yell. I recognized it almost immediately.

"Willow, get away from that thing!" I yelled, but I didn't get a response. The wolf turned its attention towards Willow, allowing Amelia to run away. As it growled and slowly approached Willow, its demeanor changed almost immediately. Instead of angrily snarling towards Willow, its body softened and it stopped crouching, walking towards Willow.

I looked at her in complete disbelief at the sudden change in attitude. Willow just looked back, her body frozen and her eyes showing complete terror. I took that as my opportunity to strike. I summoned two abominations, one on the right and one on the left. The one on the right grabbed the wolf first, forcing a whimper out of the creature. It growled as it gained its composure and bite the abomination holding on to it and turned around the claw at the other. The wolf now had its attention on me.

"Easy there, wolfy. We just have to get you out of the building," I said, hoping it would stop its advance. It didn't, and continued to snarl until I saw it sniff in my direction.

Once it stopped sniffing, it stopped growling and just stared at me with glowing silver eyes. I felt drawn towards it. Its eyes were memorizing, unlike any force of nature I have ever seen. I reached out my hand to touch its snout, the wolf reciprocating the action. But before I could start to pet it, an older woman came rushing in on an owl staff. I recognized her as the owl lady.

"Eda, what are you doing here?" I heard Willow ask. How was she on a first name basis with the owl lady?

"Dealing with a problem. I intend to enroll my kid here, and I need to clean up unwanted messes," Eda the owl lady said, pointing at the wolf she just put under a sleep spell.

"It looks so peaceful," I said, turning my focus back to the sleeping wolf.

"Yeah well 'it' is a," I saw Eda hesitate her next words, almost like she had to be careful, "A bounty I intend to cash in on. Run along now." With that she pick up the wolf and placed it on her staff and flew away.

Willow and I just stared at each other in disbelief at what just happened. Willow was the first to speak up. "Why wouldn't it attack us? Even after we provoked it? It seemed to hate Amelia..."

"I don't know. But something about that wolf makes me think there is more to it than a bounty," I said. I wanted to hug Willow and say I was glad she was alright, but our friendship was cut off years ago.

"Hmmmm. Maybe we should ask the Owl Lady more questions. Meet me outside after school, we will go visit her to get answers," Willow said. I could basically see the gears turning in her head as she tried to think logically about the situation.

"Right, yeah. Ok I will meet you there," I said. I debated saying goodbye, but settled for a wave instead, which she reciprocated. I turned around as the principal's voice sounded over the intercom.

"No reason to fright, students, we have everything under contro-" he stopped talking for a brief moment, with a muffled voice speaking in the background. "I have just been informed that the attack was nothing more than a bounty that strayed from being caught. Carry on, students."

That was a lie. There was something more to this wolf, and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it.

~~~~Luz~~~~

I woke up on the couch of the owl house. Again. Only this time the last thing I remember was looking in the mirror and seeing a wolf staring back. "Wha—wh- what happened?" I asked Eda, who was sitting right next to me.

"That...would be a long story. Buckle up, because this one's ugly," said said, with a sigh at the end. "Look, I'm not gonna ease you into this, I'm just gonna tell you straight. You're a werewolf, kid."

"WHATTTT?!" 

"Calm down! Or you'll wake up King," she said. She must've taken awhile to compose herself before waking me up. "You must've encountered a werewolf in the woods on Friday, that's what bit you."

"This not good. What am I gonna do?! I can't go home now, I am literally a fairytale. What am I gonna do?!" I yelled, already up and pacing back and forth. I could feel a tail swishing back and forth as I walked, and I had fluffy ears that twitched as I yelled.

"Kid, you need to calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?! Eda, I'm a werewolf! I can't calm down!" I screamed, sitting back on the couch, with my leg bouncing up and down. "Is there any way to get rid of this?" I said, gesturing towards my ears and tail.

"Unfortunately, no. There is no way to reverse this disease," Eda said, sighing while she said it.

"Oh God, how long was I out?" I asked, trying to get my mind on something more familiar.

"Well, it's 4:00 pm right now, why don't yo-," Eda was interrupted by knocking on the door.

"Miss Owl Lady, if you don't mind, can we ask a few questions about what happened?" I heard Willow ask on the other side of the door.

"Quick, go upstairs now and put something on to hide... all of this," Eda said, pointing to my ears and tail.

"Right ok. Does she know?" I asked while getting up.

"No, and we are going to keep it that way. Werewolf hunters are a serious threat to you right now. Now go!" She whispered.

"Right." I responded, Running up the stairs. When I got into my room, I saw that my window was boarded up with some wood. 'That's how I must've reacted to being a werewolf.' I thought. Although the view will be missed.

I searched around my room until I saw my worn out beanie. I put it on to cover my ears, and then I tucked my tail into my jeans. When I walked over to the mirror, I saw I was wearing washed out jeans with a white and purple striped t-shirt with and a flannel. The beanie was red and fraying in a few places, put it would do.

I walked out of the room and put my back against the wall to hear what they were talking about.

"-even though it seemed to not want to attack us. But why?" That voice I recognized as Willow's. But who attacked her?

"Yeah. It seemed really hostile against another student, Amelia. But stopped its assault when it saw us. We just want to know more about what happened." Now that's not a voice I expected to hear. Amity Blight. Why was she here? If something attacked both her and Willow, and they're here together to find out what happened, then it must be serious.

"I told you all I know. A wolf was spotted not far from a bounty hunters camp, so I decided to capture it and turn it in for some extra snails." That was Eda. A wolf? Attacked both Amity and Willow? WAS IT ME?!

"Well, ok. Thank you for your help today. I was frozen in the hallway." Willow was frozen in the hallway? What happened while I was out?

"Yeah yeah. Now run along, I have things to do." I need to ask Eda what happened.

"Ok. Bye." And why was Amity with Willow? She was so mean when talking about her earlier...

I heard the door close and the obnoxious voice that was Hooty talking to Amity and Willow and that's when I decided to go back downstairs and find out what happened.

"Explain." Was all I said.

"Ok, you deserve to know what happened to you," Eda said. She began to explain how I was in a frenzied state, and ran into Hexside as a wolf. I didn't hurt anyone, but Amity and Willow were both there. I didn't show much aggression towards either of them, and according to Amity, I stared at her for a while before Eda came to get me.

"That doesn't make me feel any better," I said, still at disbelief at the fact I am now a werewolf.

"I'd imagine this is tough. But hey, bright side! You should be able to turn in between your two forms at will now!" Eda said. I just glared at her not saying a single word. "Try it."

"How would I try it?! All I did the first time was wake up and then black out! I don't know what I did!" I yelled. That final scream seemed to finally wake King up as he walked down the hall into the living room.

"What's with all the screaming? The king of demons needs his rest, and so does Francois," King mumbled while walking towards the couch. "Woah, Luz, what's with the wardrobe change?" He asked, gesturing to her beanie and flannel.

"Oh, King. I'm a werewolf now..." I growled. I wasn't too excited about this change, and my thoughts kept wandering to my mom. "Lo siento, Mami," I mumbled under my breath.

"Wow, that is cool! Can you transform? Will be a minion in my army of darkness?!" King exclaimed, way more excited about the news than I am.

"Calm down, King. She's still getting used to this," Eda told him. She sounded concerned about how I was taking all of this. "Now, kid. Try to focus on a power inside of you. I'm thinking this might be similar to preforming magic, so focus on your heart listen to the beat."

I did what she told me. I focused and listened to my heartbeat while trying to harness a power I wasn't sure I had.

I focused for what felt like hours until I gave up and opened my eyes. That's when I finally snapped back to reality to notice that I was a wolf, but this time I had full autonomy of what I was doing. "Woah," I heard a collective gasp from me, Eda, and King.

I bolted out the door. I really wanted to test this out. Hooty opened it to say he no longer saw Amity and Willow in the distance to see me bolt out.

"Woah! Hoot hoot! Who are you?" Hooty asked. I ignored him. Not like I could talk in wolf form anyway.

"This is a bad idea, Kid!" I heard Eda yell before I turned into the forest to try and enjoy this curse.

~~~~Amity~~~~

"Willow, are you sure it is a good idea to talk to a wanted criminal?" I asked her. She seemed distracted by her thoughts, but me talking to her brought her back.

"Well, it's not like we have an option. She seems to be the only one with a clue as to what is going on," She said. I nodded in agreement as we approached the door to the owl house. Willow ignored the weird bird tube stretching out of the door to say hello before she knocked on the door. "Miss Owl Lady, if you don't mind, can we ask a few questions about what happened?"

There was silent whispering in the other side of the door before Eda the owl lady opened the door. "I guess so, but I already told you most of everything," she said.

"We know, we just have some questions," Willow said.

"Ok, but who are you?" Eda asked, gesturing towards me.

"Oh, I'm Amity," I said. I decided not to say my last name, unsure if I should trust this strange woman.

"Oh, you're kid Luz talked about. She seemed pretty bummed about the way you treated her," she snorted while laughing. My ears dropped down in thought. If she was that upset, and Boscha story doesn't add up, maybe I was too harsh.

"How is Luz, by the way? I saw her yesterday but I forgot to ask how she was feeling after the Accident," Willow asked. Accident? The human was in an accident? What happened?

"She's fine. Just recovering a little right now," Eda said. "Anyway, what more do you have to add about the wolf situation?"

"Oh, well me and Willow wanted to talk about its behavior and just figure out what it was," I answered.

"What about its behavior?" Eda asked.

"It just stared at me instead of attacking. It didn't even approach," I said.

"Yeah, but it still seemed angry, even though it seemed to not want to attack us. But why?" Willow asked.

"Yeah. It seemed really hostile against another student, Amelia. But stopped its assault when it saw us. We just want to know more about what happened." I said again. I doubted the owl lady would tell us much more, but I wanted to keep pressing.

"I told you all I know. A wolf was spotted not far from a bounty hunters camp, so I decided to capture it and turn it in for some extra snails." Eda said. That seemed like a plausible, and likely answer, but it just didn't sit right with me.

"Well, ok. Thank you for your help today. I was frozen in the hallway." Willow said. I was going to interject, say something about how that answer just didn't seem right, but Eda answered first.

"Yeah yeah. Now run along, I have things to do."

"Ok. Bye." Willow answered before I could even speak, and she pulled me outside with her and the obnoxious bird tube.

"Why did you do that? I wasn't done asking questions!" I said. "Also, since when did the human live with a criminal? And what's this about an accident?"

"How do you know Luz? And if you do know her, she never told you?" Willow replied.

"Well I heard from Boscha that the human was rude to her the other day while you were with her! So I didn't have the chance to ask where she lived," I was fuming at this point. The human wasn't only a jerk, but she lived with a wanted criminal?

"I found Luz bleeding out in the middle of the woods! She told me she lived here. And she never said anything to Boscha. Only I did!" I could see Willow bursting at the seams as she stomped passed me and began to walk home. What she said left me utterly confused. I insulted Willow in front of Luz, and Luz defended her knowing that Willow saved her life. Willow saved her life. I'm such an idiot.

I grumbled off to the right of the owl house, walking through the woods for a short cut to my house. I felt like such a jerk. I flat out insulated the human for hanging out with the person that had saved her life, and called her trouble for it. And Boscha. I don't know whose story to believe, but Willow lines up more with Eda's story that Luz has been home resting. Why can't I just be normal? Have normal friends and not 'future connections' as my mom puts it. That way I could be nicer to peop-

"ARUGGHHH, what in Titan's name?!" I yelled as I dropped down. Someone had given my calf a long, deep cut.

"No screaming. You're a Blight, which means you will be worth a whole lot more money in one piece. Now, get up." A cloaked man said from behind me. How did I not hear him? Was I too lost in my thoughts? "I said get up!" He said again as he hit me on the head.

I tried to draw a circle to form an abomination, but the circle dissolved after being finished. "What the-," I mumbled.

"This is a no magic Zone, missy," the man said as he showed me an amulet underneath his robe.

"How do you have-," I muttered, before he cut me off again.

"GET UP!"

I began to slowly raise my good leg off the ground when I heard a deep growl come from behind me, in the tree line.

"What the..." the man said before he was tackled by a wolf. But not just any wolf. It was the same wolf from the school. The one the owl lady had said she sold for cash. "ARGHHH, GET OFF OF ME YOU LITTLE-," the man screamed before the wolf had made him fall unconscious by blocking his airway.

The wolf got off of the man and turned towards me. What caught me off guard was that its eyes no longer glowed silver, but were blue with a silver tint to them. It walked closer me me, and that's when I took the chance to try another abomination. I drew a circle in the air and formed an abomination to my left. 'Huh. The amulet must only work if the wielder is conscious.' I thought. "Abomination, atta-," I yelled before noticing the wolf's behavior. It had backed up, with its tail between its legs and ears down after seeing the abomination. 'Somethings different. It attacked the abominations immediately before...' I decided to make a decision that could cost my life.

I shook away the abomination, and stuck my hand out. I was on the ground, and in pain with the slash on my leg. 'It's to late to go back now.'

The wolf perked up, before careful approaching  me. I had expected a bite, or a paw, but the wolf put its head underneath my hand and let me pet it.

We sat there for a few moments before I spoke. "What are you?" The wolf sneezed before getting closer and sitting next to me, staring at my injury. 

"Ha ha, bless you. Oh, don't worry. I can help this, it's not to bad, I think," I said. I drew a magenta circle in the air hovered it over my cut. It closed almost instantly, but I still couldn't walk that well.

"So, mind telling me what you were doing at my school earlier?" I asked. I knew the wolf couldn't respond, but it seemed to understand what I said. It looked up at me and shook its head.

"Hmmm, ok then. Then what's your gender?" The wolf looked up at me and tilted its head. "He?" The wolf shook its head. "They?" The wolf remained neutral with that statement, almost like it was unsure. "She?" The nodded then put her head in my lap. "Ha ha she it is then," I said with a smile. "Hey, can you help me get home?" The wolf got up and nodded, gesturing to her back. "You want me to ride you?" The wolf nodded. "Ok...." I said, getting onto the wolf and grabbing her neck. I felt like I was gonna crush her, but she didn't even struggle with the extra weight.

Then she broke into a full sprint. I didn't think I would ever go that fast, but the wolf ran to my house with my directions. When we got there, I turned towards the wolf after getting off.

"Thank you for your help. I misjudged you," I said, petting the wolf's head. The wolf huffed and turned back around, running into the woods. 'What a strange animal...' I thought as I opened the Blight Manor door. And was immediately greeted by two very annoying siblings.

"MITTENS! Where were you?! You were supposed to be back home two hours ago!" They both said. I could see the genuine concern on their faces and opted to tell a half truth to ease their concern.

"I was in the woods and got attacked. I had to fight him off and get away." I left out the part about the wolf, because the twins also went to Hexside and would be worried to hear about the wolf helping me.

"Where is he? I will pummel him for messing with my sister," Edric said, puffing out his chest.

"Don't know, he got away after I recovered. Anyway, I'm tired so I'm going to bed," I responded. As I walked away, I smiled. Those two idiots may be annoying, but I really do love them.

~~~~Luz~~~~

After dropping Amity off at her house, I decided to go back to where the guy was to see if I could bring him back to the owl house. However, when I got there, no one was there, so I ran back home. 

When I got to the door and entered, I was met with a very concerned Eda.

"Where were you? Why did you run off like that? You don't have full control yet!" She screamed. In order to respond, I focused on shifting back, which was a lot easier than before.

"I'm fine, really. I just went for a run to test it out, nothing major," I replied. The fight and carrying Amity was tiring, and I just wanted to sleep. I was surprised I was able to carry Amity to begin with.

"Still, you should've been more careful. Being a werewolf doesn't make you invincible," She said. I could her the concern in her voice, so I softened my expression.

"Really, I'm ok. I am just gonna go to sleep. Goodnight Eda, goodnight King," I said running up the stairs.

"Oh and by the way, you are going into Hexside  in 2 days," Eda said, walking away.

"Wait, really? Yessssssss!" I squealed, continuing to run up the stairs.

As I crawled back into my sleeping bag, I had an idea. I needed to practice it, so I might as well go to bed in wolf form. I got out of the sleeping bag and shifted. I went to sleep curled up like a dog, my thoughts once again drifting to one Amity Blight.

Chapter Text

~~~~Amity~~~~

I was in a room lit only by a single light spell in the corner. As I tried to get up and approach the strange spell, I felt a sharp pain in my side. I tired to open my mouth to scream, but my voice was muffled at best. The pain became more and more intense until I felt something shaking my shoulder and yelling something.

"Mittens? Mittens. Mittens!"

"AMITY!"

I shot out of my bed with the phantom pain in my side pushing me back down. My eyesight was blurry and I couldn't see much around me. I laid there for maybe 5 minutes when my eyes and ears adjusted to where I could see who was next to me. I looked over and saw the worried expressions of my siblings looking back at me. 

"What happened?" I asked, although the nightmare was still fresh in my mind. What was that?

"No idea. We had woken up to the sound of you screaming and came over here to check on you," Edric said, with his hand gently laid on my shoulder.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Emira asked. I looked over at her to see nothing but concern etched into her face.

"Yeah, but this one was different. I don't even know what it was," I mumbled the last part. "What time is it?"

I noticed Emira turn her head to look at my clock. "4 am. School is canceled today, so try and get some more sleep, ok?" She said.

"Ok, I will. Thank you you two," I said, placing my head back on my pillow and facing my head away from them.

"Of course. We will always be here, Mittens," Edric whispered before being ushered out of the room by Emira.

What was that nightmare? It wasn't like the others. My thoughts drifted between those ideas before I fell back asleep.

~~~~The Morning~~~~

~~~~Luz~~~~

"Do we have to go to the Knee? Isn't there anywhere else I can learn a second spell?" I asked, walking into the kitchen with my ears down. I had slept really well last night, probably the best I had slept in the boiling isles.

"Yes, it is where magical energy is at its peak on the boiling isles. Besides, it'll be funnnnnnn~," Eda said. I just crossed my arms and looked at her.

"Well alright. When do we leave?" I asked her. "I had promised Gus and Willow that we could go to the witches convention held today." They really wanted to go because school was out.

"Around 3. And why do you want to join a coven when you can be wild like me?" Eda said, pointing to her chest and chugging some apple blood. She then promptly burped.

"Right..... wild. Well I'm gonna go change and leave for the convention," I said, walking back upstairs.

"Alright kid, but remember, no one can know what you are!" Eda yelled. I know that, but it still was uncomfortable to shove my tail in my jeans and hide my more sensitive ears under my beanie.

After changing I looked at the mirror. My outfit was very similar to yesterday's but I wore a plain white shirt instead of the striped one.

"Alright Eda, I'm off to town!" I yelled, opening the door.

"Be careful!" Eda replied.

"And get me a new recruit for my army!" King squealed, walking by the front door.

"I'll try my best, adorable," I replied.

"I am not adorable! I am a fierce ruler!" King screamed, marching towards the kitchen.

"Awwwwww..." I replied, turning around and walking to town.

Once I was sure that no one could see me, I shifted to wolf form and sprinted to town. It was so much more exhilarating running on four legs at top speed.

Once the town was in view, I did a quick perimeter check and shifted back to my human form, making sure my tail and ears were still hidden, before jogging to the city.

I walked towards the giant convention center and saw Willow and Gus waiting outside.

"Hey guys!" I said, while waving at them. I was stating to pant. I was sweating with my tail wrapped around my waist. I really hoped they didn't question the beanie, because I wouldn't have a good excuse. Of course, that's exactly what they did.

"Hey Luz! What's with the weird hat?" Gus asked. It was a good thing it was Gus who asked. If I just told him about the human realm item, he would drop the question immediately to ask more about the hat than why I was wearing it.

"Oh this? It's called a beanie. A comfortable hat from the human realm," I said, really hoping he didn't ask to see it.

"Oh! That is so cool! Why would humans wear such a thing? Who makes them? What are the..." Gus continued to add on question after question, never giving me a chance to answer.

"You know, he won't stop that for a while now, right?" Willow whispered, walking slower so that she was keeping pace with me while Gus was ahead of us.

"Yeah, but it's fun to see him so interested in stuff I just grew up knowing and having," I told her. I really was happy to see Gus so happy.

"Fair enough. I get a similar feeling when I see you geek over stuff in the Boiling Isles," Willow said. I figured that made sense. It is a similar experience to what Gus was thinking.

"Ha ha, yeah I guess that makes sense, although I think Gus talks about a lot more than I do."

"You'd be surprised."

We walked into the convention with Gus adding on to the occasional topics me and Willow were talking about. We stopped by the baking coven to grab some free cupcake samples while we continued walking. Gus and I had already finished our cupcakes when I noticed Boscha and Amity along with a few other witches walking over.

"So, still hanging with the human, huh Willow? That's a shame, almost makes me want to-," Boscha said as she grabbed Willow's cupcake and threw it on the floor. "Oops."

"What was that for, Boscha?! She didn't even do anything to you!" I yelled. I felt my blood beginning to boil, but I had to keep it in check. I glanced over at Amity who had an expression on her face that was hard to read.

"Oh, so now you are big and tough, huh? You hear that guys? The human is challenging me?! Pfftttt-," Boscha said, while glancing at the witches around her.

"Boscha, let's leave them alone. They got the message, let's just go back inside and wait for the special guest, ok?" Amity spoke up. She was focusing on Boscha but glanced back at me with the same expression as earlier.

"No. You know what? Me and you, human. A witches duel. Unless you're to afraid to fight me?" Boscha scoffed and stared directly into my soul, waiting for my response.

"I accept!" I said. "What are your terms?" I looked back at Willow and Gus, who were furiously shaking their heads, trying to tell me that was a bad idea, but I was to blinded by my rage. A downside of this curse.

"If I win, you grovel at my feet and acknowledge your lameness," she said.

"But if I win, you will stop picking and me, Gus and Willow," I responded.

"Deal," she said, drawing a circle and putting her hand through it. I grabbed her hand and shook it. "The everlasting oath is sealed. Meet in the main auditorium in one hour." Once she said that she turned around, gesturing for her crew to follow her.

"You guys go ahead, I'll check up." I heard Amity say before I was grabbed and turned around.

"Why did you do that?! You know one spell, Luz. One spell!" Willow said.

"Luz that wasn't a good idea. She will utterly destroy you," Gus sighed.

"Guys, don't worry. I'll be fine. I just have to dance around her and make her mad," I responded.

"THAT IS A TERRIBLE PLAN!" They both yelled in unison.

"Ahem."

All three of us directed our attention to the green haired golden eyed witch in front of us.

"Sorry to bother you guys, but can I steal Luz for a moment?" Amity asked.

"I don't know, Amity," Willow replied. There was a venom in her voice, but I didn't understand why it was there. Sure, Amity wasn't the nicest person around, but Willow just seemed, really mad.

"Sure, Amity! What do you need?" I asked, startling both Willow and Gus, and even Amity herself for a second.

"Oh, uhhh can you follow me for a second?" She asked. 

"Sure," I answered. Even though Amity was rude to me, I didn't want to be rude back. She walked us over to a secluded part of the building. It was a dark corner with some supplies stacked away. "So what do you need?" I asked, but the encounter with Boscha earlier was still in my head, so I sounded a lot more angry than I wanted yo come off as.

"First off, I wanted to apologize for my behavior in the library. I didn't know what I was thinking and I just recently heard about your accident from Willow so I-,"

"Amity."

"I just wanted to get that out of the way. I really just want to start fresh and see if-,"

"Amity."

"We could become friends. If not that's fine I will just-,"

"Amity!" I said a third time, which finally stopped her rambling. "It's ok, I get it. You thought I was rude to Boscha so you thought I was a rude person. You were just defending your friend. I won't blame you for that. No matter how much I dislike Her..." I said the last part with a low growl at the end, but I don't think Amity heard it.

"I- thank you, Luz. Now what's this about only knowing one spell and still accepting the duel?" She asked.

"Hey, my pride was at stakeif I didn't accept it!" I said playfully.

"Your Pride isn't the only thing at stake if you only know one spell!" She replied in an equally playful manner. "What's the spell you know?" She asked.

"Oh, it's a light spell. Look!" I said, pulling out one of my light glyphs and tapping it, forming a light ball with a warm glow, illuminating Amity's face.

"You accepted her challenge, and all you have to fight her with is a light spell?!" Amity yelled.

"Ok, now that you mention it, it may not have been the brightest idea," I muttered. 

"Ya think?!"

"But....., I have a plan. Not that it's a very good one, but it's a plan," I told her.

"And what would that plan be?" Amity asked.

"To avoid everything she throws at me until she gives up," I cheerfully responded.

"That is the stupidest plan I think I have ever heard," Amity mumbled. Now, I will admit, not the best plan.

"It could work!"

"For your sake, I hope it does."

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

Amity, Gus, Willow and I all walked up to the main Auditorium after tweaking my main strategy. The new, revised plan was to try and blind her with a large light glyph I would crave into the sandy pit. I would then attempt to either approach and overpower her, or continue blinding her until she passes out.

My odds are not looking great.

As we walked in, another worry crept its way into my head. 'I can't get hit on the head. I get hit in the head, my beanie falls off and reveals my ears.' The more I thought about it, this was a really bad idea.

"Lady's and gentlemen, demons and monsters, I present to you a witches duel between the Banshee captain Boscha from Hexside!" The announcer exclaimed, as Boscha walked out to the sandy pit and was met with cheers from the stands.

"And the human girl, Luz!" I walked out as I heard the announcer yell my name, but my walk was met with fewer cheers, mostly coming from Willow and Gus.

"Esta fue una muy mala idea..." I mumbled, walking to the middle of the field.

"So human, ready to lose?" Boscha asked, reaching out her hand to shake.

"Are you? And the name is Luz," I said, shaking her hand and walking to the other side of the pit, both doors closed now.

"3......2......1.......GOOOOOOO!" The announcer screamed.

Boscha was first to strike, throwing a potion at my feet. I swiftly moved to the left and ran around her, using my feet to draw a circle in the sand. Boscha threw more potions, but eventually started to hurl fireballs my way. Which I had a much harder time dodging.

"Arrrgghh, stand still and lose already!" She yelled.

"In your dreams, Boscha!" I replied, tauntingly. The next fireball she threw barely skimmed my face, but I could feel a slight burn on my cheek. "Feisty today, aren't we?" I asked her.

"Shut up and die!" She screamed. I could see her getting more and more angry as I danced around her making the glyph on the ground with my feet.

"Has anyone ever told you that you get blinded by your rage?" I said. I knew I sounded hypocritical, but only to me.

She had returned to trying to throw potions at me while chasing me around the pit. "What, that doesn't make any sense?!"

"Well it does to me, miss tea kettle," I replied. I really just wanted to make her mad, but it wasn't necessary with the new plan.

"ARGHHH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" She screamed, and Lunged at me.

As she lunged, I closed my eyes and turned to the side, avoiding her attack as she landed on the ground and activated the completed light glyph in the sand.

"Perfecto," I said, walking up to the blinded girl  and kicking her down, while holding her in place with my foot.

"Pfftttt, you think your puny leg can stop me, I'm gonna-," She stopped talking as she tried to get up, only to be held down by my surprising amount of strength. Sometimes this curse is more of a blessing. "What the..."

"There you have it, folks, the winner of this witches duel! Now back to the special guest from the emperor's coven!" The announcer yelled, signaling me to let Boscha go.

But before I could say something to her, she sprinted out the door she came through, and something told me to chase her.

As I chased Boscha and called her name, I heard loud cheering from behind me.

"Did you see that?! That was my student! Mine! Great job, kid!" Eda? What was Eda doing at the convention?

"Edalyn, when will you ever get rid of your childish ways?" Another voice asked. She seemed to know Eda, but by now I was out of range of their conversation, looking for Boscha.

I rounded the corner into a darker hall where I sass the pink haired witch huddled against the wall.

"Boscha?" I called out.

"Ugghh, what are you doing here? You won, didn't you? I won't bother you and your stupid friends anymore." She muttered.

"I know that, but I wanted to apologize for the way I acted during the duel. I said some mean things I didn't mean and I wanted to clear that up." She turned her head to look at me, and I could've sworn I saw a hint of regret or gratefulness in her eyes.

"Ok fine. Is that all?"

"Also, I came here so you could remove the oath."

"What?" She seemed genuinely confused at my statement, so I had to elaborate.

"You can remove the oath. I trust you to make the right decision," I said, holding out my hand.

"You are one strange human," she said, shaking my hand and removing the oath. As I turned around I heard her say one more thing.

"Thank you..."

I walked away smiling as returned to my friends, with Eda no where to be seen.

"Sooooo, what happened? Is the oath going to prevent Boscha from picking on us?" Gus asked.

"No," I responded.

"WHAT?!" They both asked in unison.

"I let her remove the oath. I trust her to make the right call," I said, Looking into their eyes. The way they looked at me said 'are you serious?'. 

"Hey Willow, what time is it?" I asked.

"It's 2:55, why do you ask?"

"Oh shoot, I gotta go! She you guys tomorrow!" I yelled, running off to the owl house.

"Bye Luz!" They both said.

Once I was sure no one could see me, I shifted back into wolf form. Man, did it feel good to no longer have my ears and tailed confined by modern clothing.

When I got to the owl house, I shifted back and looked at the clock. "3:05, not too late..." I muttered under my breath.

"You're late! And as much as I am proud of you for winning that duel, we gotta go, now!" Eda yelled from the kitchen as she walked back over.

"Right, sorry! I'll go get changed into something warmer," I said, hurrying up the stairs.

My options were limited with my tail and ears, so I kept my beanie on and changed into a thicker coat, then went back downstairs.

"Ready!" I told Eda, while she was telling King that Hooty was in charge.

"What?! That's no fair!" King squealed as he spoke.

"Hoot! We can talk for hours about our feelings! Hoot!" Hooty said, stretching from the door. 

"Oh, by the way King, I wasn't able to get you a stuffed animal today," I said, as I walked out the door.

"This day just keeps getting worse," King mumbled, as me and Eda left for the Knee.

The walk there was met with a comfortable silence, before Eda began talking halfway their.

"So, what made you want to fight that kid, anyway?" She asked.

"Boscha was picking on Willow, and it made me mad," I said, shrugging.

"Oh, that reminds me. As a werewolf, you need to keep your emotions in check. Strong, out of control emotions can make you go berserk mode again," Eda warned, turning her focus towards me.

"Ok, good to know," I replied, as we continued the walk up the mountain.

~~~~Amity~~~~

"But mother, I don't want to be their friend anymore. They're mean and don't know when to stop!" I yelled. My mom and I got locked in a serious debate about the events at the convention today, which spiraled into my friendship with Boscha and crew.

"Amity Blight, that is not your decision to make! Now go to your room and work over time on your homework! I expect your slipping grades to be fixed. Tomorrow," she said.

I heard Edric speak up from behind dad. "But mother, that's impossible, the next grading period isn't until-,"

"Quiet! Was I Talking to you, dear?" She asked, using a sickeningly sweet voice.

"No ma'am," he responded.

"Then please don't interrupt."

"Yes ma'am," Emira spoke this time, trying to hush our brother.

I can't take this anymore. The expectations, the rules, the lies. I wanted it all to stop. I started to run towards the front door, straight passed my dad and siblings.

"Amity! Get back here! Where are you going!?" I could hear my mother yell. I didn't stop. I didn't care.

"Amity!" The twins yelled this time, making me sigh with guilt before continuing my sprint. They might be punished for this, but that didn't stop me. I couldn't take it anymore.

I needed somewhere to go. Somewhere where they wouldn't think to look.

The Knee.

It was perfect. They would never look there. I thought of nothing but the building rage, sorrow, and guilt in my head as I sprinted full force towards the knee.

I was breathing heavily when I reached the top. I was so tired and exhausted from the run, that when I reached the top, I collapsed into the snow, wearing nothing but my normal school outfit.

~~~~Luz~~~~

"Edaaaaaa, are we at the top yet?" I asked, bored from the walk. Eda didn't let me shift to run up saying something like 'walking up helps you become one with nature' or something.

"We're almost there, kid. Keep your tail on," she said. That snarky remark was new, however.

When we finally reached the top, I sat down in the snow, ready to begin my new training.

"So, what's first? What type of magic will I learn up here?" I asked her. 

"You can't rush it, kid. It's a slow process. Now, what we are going to start with is tasting the snow to divide it into groups. So go over there,"  she said, gesturing to a plateau a little ways away, "and taste your snow." 

"Ugggghhhh, okkkkk..." I sighed and hobbled off to the area she had gestured to.

I ate some of the snow before I decided to explore a bit. I let my tail free from the coat and my jeans as I took off my beanie.

"Freedom never felt so good," I muttered, while walking around the mountain to explore. As I walked off, it began to snow.

I maybe walked around for 30 minutes when I noticed a strange lump in the snow. I jumped down onto the hill to investigate it.

As I approached, I pushed some of the snow off to reveal very familiar green hair. 

"AMITY!" I screamed, removing the rest of the snow off of her. She was out like a light, and her skin was cold to the touch. I picked her up and moved her to a cave a little of to the distance, where I propped her up against the wall a little farther in.

I needed a way to warm her up, so I removed my coat and put it around her, hoping that would be enough. It wasn't, and I had run out of options. I shifted into my wolf form and laid down on top of her, hoping to warm her up. However, I also began to fall asleep after my long day.

I muttered a "sorry Amity," as I fell asleep on top of her.

Chapter Text

~~~~Edric~~~~

"Dammit Mittens, where you you..." I mumbled while me and Emira were looking around the manor's property.

"Ed, we looked all around town, and now we are back circling the house. We must've missed something back in Bonesborough. Come on," she said. I could tell she was trying to stay calm, but was failing at it.

"No, Em. We looked everywhere around town. It has been 4 hours! She would've been back by now unless something happened. Did you ask her friends?" I asked. Amity hasn't been back since she bolted out the front door. It's been 4 hours. She should be back by now, right?

"Yes. I messaged Boscha and Skara, but they both said that they haven't seen Amity since the convention. I don't know who else she would trust enough to tell where she went... she didn't tell us," Em said. She was disheartened and upset that Amity just ran off, leaving Em and I to deal with our very upset parents. I had to lighten the mood.

"I'm sure she's ok. Who else does she know? Let's check Boscha and Skara off the list and keep asking other people," I said, trying to get her hopes up. Amity had to be ok. She was- no, is strong.

"Right, that sounds like a good idea. I saw her with Willow, Augustus, and that human Luz at the convention today. Let's start there," she muttered. She didn't believe her own words and it hurt to see her so torn.

"Good idea, let's go."

~~~~Willow~~~~

"Gus, no. We can't go to the owl lady's stand today. You heard what Luz said, they were off to train at the knee," I said, still trying to get Gus to help me with watering my plants.

"But Willowwwwwww, I need to see if she has that thing Luz was wearing," he said with a sigh.

"You mean a beanie?" I asked.

"Yeah, that thing!" He exclaimed, eyes lighting up when he heard the word.

"I'd love to have new customers, but we have a problem," a voice behind us said. I turned around to see Eda the owl lady flying down onto my front lawn. "Luz is missing. We were training at the knee, but she must've wandered off. I was hoping she was with you."

"How long has she been gone?" I asked, a little frightened.

"I haven't seen her in around 3 hours. I spent most of that time looking around the knee until I decided that she must be with her friends, ditching me," Eda said, with a layer of sadness is her voice.

"Luz isn't the type to ditch her friends. Something must be wrong," Gus said, glancing between me and Eda.

"Yeah, but the problem is we have no idea where she could-," I began, but I was cut off by my scroll. I opened it to see a text message from Emira, who I haven't talked with in forever.

"What's it say?" Gus asked, looking over my shoulder.

"It's Emira. She says Amity is missing too, and they can't find her anywhere," I answered, now genuinely concerned for what those two got themselves into. I texted a response saying that I haven't seen Amity, and that Luz is missing, too.

"Alright, well I guess I'm back to looking around for my kid. Thanks for the help," Eda said, waving and hopping back on her staff.

"Wait! We can help you look," Gus said.

"Alright then. Look around town, I am going to check back at the house and then go back to the knee," Eda spoke as she flew off.

"I hope Luz is okay..." I said to Gus.

"I'm sure she is. She's one tough girl."

~~~~Luz~~~~

It had been maybe 2 and a half hours since an avalanche caused the cave's entrance to close in. I was still laying with Amity in wolf form, trying to keep her warm while thinking of a solution. The best idea I could think of is walking further in the cave, but I couldn't do that with an unconscious Amity. I tried to nudge her awake, but the cold must've shut down any nonessential systems, like consciousness. I looked over at her to see that some of her color in her face has returned. She was wearing her normal school out fit, but I had placed my beanie on her head and wrapped her in my jacket. She needed it a lot more than I did. 

My thoughts began to drift from the situation I was in. Eda must be so worried. And Amity's family. What was she doing alone in the knee? But those are all questions for another time. I had to get us out of here first.

"Ughhhh, where am I?" I heard Amity ask. My ears perked up as I turned my head towards her. "What the... what are you doing here? And where is here?" She asked again. I really wish I could answer her questions, but Eda's voice rang in my head.

'No one can know what you are.'

So instead, I made a whimpering sound.

"Oh, Im sorry, was I leaning too much on you?" She said, while starting to get up. I noticed her feel her head and take off the beanie.

"What- wait, this is Luz's hat. I saw her wearing it earlier today. Why do I have it? And where did I get this coat?" She asked looking towards me. I just tilted my head.

"Right, you're a wolf, Albeit an intelligent one, but you can't respond to my questions," she said, laughing at herself. I stood up on all fours and started to rub against her leg. Still ice cold, but not as bad as before.

"Alright, let's figure out how to get out of here, shall we? Where ever here is..." she mumbled, as we walked further into the cave.

We may have been walking for around 10 minutes when Amity decided to fill the silence. "Urgh, I'm such an idiot. Running off like that. What was I thinking?" She said, while looking straight ahead. Amity ran away?

"I should've just kept my mouth shut. No matter how bad Boscha and her gang are, dealing with my mother is worse." Hearing her vent out her built up anger made me upset for her, and I whined while turning my head to look at her. "How did I get in this cave? The last thing I remember was collapsing outside in the snow..." As she asked that, she stopped walking and looked at me.

"Did you save me?" She questioned, looking intently at me. I just nodded my head. "Well then, thank you for saving my life," she said, scratching behind my ear. I relaxed into her palm. I don't know why, but I wanted to stay there like that. With her.

The moment was cut short by a rumbling noise from where we came from.

"We need to keep going," Amity said. She stopped petting me and continued waking into the cave, with me at her heel.

We continued walking for maybe an hour, with Amity occasionally filling the silence by venting her thoughts to me. I listened to every word, and I think she could tell. The topics ranged from why her siblings are annoying to how her parents expect her to be top student. Eventually, the conversation landed on Willow, and my ears perked up when I heard her name.

"Me and Willow used to be best friends. We did everything together, and I loved every minute we shared, but..." She hesitated to continue, looking at me like I would snitch on her, but shrugged and continued. "My parents broke us apart. They said I needed to break my friendship with Willow or they will make sure she can't get into Hexside. And so I did. I convinced myself that it was the right thing to do, but I was lying to myself. I should've done something. Stood up to them! Arrrghh!"

I whined as I watched her become more upset the more she thought about this, and rubbed against her leg for comfort.

"Now she'll never want to be friends again..." As she said that last sentence, a single tear went down her face, and that's when I decided I needed to cheer her up. I walked in front of her and barked.

"What?" Amity asked. I gestured to my back like I did in the forest.

"You want me to ride you again? Are you sure? We've been in here for who knows how long.."

I responded with another bark and the nodding of my head.

"Okkk....." She said, carefully getting into my back and putting her arms around my neck. I broke into a sprint down the cave, moving as fast as I could with the little energy I had left.

"Woah!" Amity yelled, in a much happier tone than before.

I ran for maybe two minutes when my legs started to burn and I couldn't run anymore. I stopped in my tracks and Amity hopped off my back. I was panting heavily, but I didn't want her to notice, so I tried to hide it. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful.

"Hey, are you ok? Was that run too much? See, I told you you should be more careful," She said, scolding me. I just looked at her while heavily panting, and then I collapsed onto the floor.

"Alright, I guess it's my turn to carry you," Amity said, before picking me up and continuing to walk down the cave. I was surprised at her strength, because I should still weigh the same in both forms.

She walked while carrying me for at least 10 minutes, before she too sat down from exhaustion.

"Looks like hypothermia is harder to beat than I thought," she said while gasping for breaths and chuckling. I laid down next to her and put my head in her lap. 

"I guess a little sleep never hurt anyone. But we have to keep going, so wake me up in like, an hour," She said, while dousing off. I huffed a little and tried to sleep with her.

~~~~Edric~~~~

As Willow, Gus, Eda, Emira and I all met back up in the market by Eda's stand to discuss what we found, we all became more and more disheartened hearing each other's news.

"No sign of Amity or Luz in the market," Willow said, while sitting on a chair in Eda's tent.

"And I looked all over the residential area of Bonesborough. No one has seen them since the convention," Augustus spoke up, laying on the ground next to Willow.

"The kids weren't at the owl house and I looked all over the knee. No sign of them," the owl lady said, looking at the floor and frowning.

"Ed and I looked at all the places Amity usually goes to escape mom and dad, but she wasn't there. And we didn't see any sign of Luz at those places either," Emira said. Her voice was breaking. Everyone in the group looked disheartened, especially since there was no sign of them anywhere. I had to lighten up the mood with good news, but I didn't have any. So I stayed quiet.

"Shoot guys, it's 8:37! I have to get back home now. My dads are probably worried sick. Please let me know if you find anything leading to Luz or Amity," Willow said, walking out of the tent.

"Will do, Willow," I said, wanting to add to the conversation.

"We should probably all call it a night. We are no good to Luz or Amity if we don't get some sleep and dinner," the owl lady said, walking out of the tent. "You kids go home, I'll let you know if I get anymore information." 

"Ok, thank you Miss Eda," Augustus said, getting up and walking to his house with his head held low.

Once he left he tent, it was just me and Emira left. "We're not stopping 'till we find Amity, right?" I asked her, glancing over.

"Not a Chance. Now come on, Let's go look back at the knee for any idea where they could be."

~~~~Amity~~~~

I had no idea how long I slept, but when I woke up and looked around, I saw the wolf still in my lap, fast asleep.

"Aww, looks like someone was tired, huh?" I asked, scratching behind the wolf's ear. She seemed to awake at this sudden affection and lean into it. "Ya know, I never did get your name..." I said, chuckling a little at the thought. The wolf looked up at me and tilted her head, confused. "Well? Do you have a name?" I asked. The wolf stopped for a moment, probably thinking, before shaking her head. "Can I give you one?" I asked. A weird question, sure, but the wolf seemed really intelligent, so I wanted to ask first. She did hear me pour my thoughts out, after all.

She thought for a moment, before nodding her head. 

"Okay, how about... brownie?" The wolf just looked at me, unamused.

"What about nutmeg?" The wolf barked, shaking her head.

"Ok, fine. No more food names. How about... Aster?" The wolf seemed to think about that name before barking and nodding.

"Ha ha, ok. Aster it is."

We got up off the ground and started to walk further into the cave, when we entered a large cavern with light coming in from the top.

"Look, there's our exit!" I exclaimed while Aster barked. As we fell down into the bowl like structure of the cavern, the window closed with stone. "What the..." I muttered before drawing a circle in the air, summoning a light spell.

We walked around trying to figure out how to get out when a large demon came into view. They had one large horn in the center of their head, with red skin and a feathery tail.

"BUAH!" Screamed, backing up. Aster began to bark at the large demon when torches all around the cavern began to light up, illuminating the room.

"WHO DARES ENTER MY CHAMBERS!" The demon yelled. Now that the lights were on, I could see more of their features. They had large claws with talons on the end and feet to match. They were also leaning on a lever, which I assumed controlled the hole in the ceiling.

"Uhhh, we... did?" I squeaked. Not my best moment.

"I can see that. Honestly, you witches don't know a rhetorical question when it hits you in the face," they said.

"Hey, now that was-," I began, but the demon cut me off.

"Now that you're here, I will have to dispose of you myself. I had hoped the avalanche would do all the work for me," they said, pointing to the entrance of the cavern we came from. It was completely blocked with snow. 'No going back now' I thought.

"Try me," I said, with as much confidence as I could muster.

"Gladly."

~~~~Luz~~~~

A giant demon? In the middle if a mountain?! Are you serious?! First I get bitten by a werewolf, then challenged to a witches duel, and now I have to fight a giant demon in the knee, all while making sure Amity doesn't notice I'm a werewolf. Great. I was snapped out of my thoughts by Amity talking to the demon.

"Try me." She seemed so confident in her words, but I didn't pay enough attention to know what she was talking about. Then the demon spoke.

"Gladly."

I was still unsure on what they were talking about, but Amity summoned a large abomination to her left while hurling fireballs at the demon. I took that as a sign that we were fighting now.

"Aster!" I heard Amity yell the name she had given me. "The lever! I think it opens the caverns skylight!" She yelled, pointing to a long stick made of wood and stone poking out of the wall behind the demon.

I barked in response and began to run to the lever. However, the demon noticed my advanced and took their attention off of Amity.

"Now just what do you think you're doing, mutt?" They asked, before swinging their claw in my direction. I tried to dodge, but their hand was too large for me to avoid and I ended up getting hit into the wall on the other side of the cavern.

"No!" I heard Amity, before she turned her focus back on the demon, summoning more abominations to replace the ones they had destroyed.

I hit my head against the wall, hearing a loud crack as I hit it. I landed on the ground with a thud, struggling to get back up. Amity could hold her own against this thing, but for how long?

I slowly got up, my vision still blurred, and looked at the wall. No cracks, meaning whatever I heard was a broken bone. 

Adrenaline surged through my body, forcing me to ignore the pain and think of a solution. I needed to get to that lever, but running in head on was not an option.

As I looked around the cavern, gaining my bearings, I noticed a strange symbol craved into the wall next to an alter.

'A glyph' I thought, although in order to use a glyph, I had to be in my human form. Maybe if I was careful, Amity wouldn't see me while preoccupied with the demon.

I started to run on all fours towards the alter, my leg telling me something was wrong. I ignored it. I had to help Amity. Once I reached the alter, I looked back at the fight.

Amity stopped summoning abominations and resorted to throwing as many fireballs as she could while dodging the demons swings.

"Argh, why are you so slippery?!" The demon yelled.

"Ehh, years of practice," Amity responded smugly, before being grabbed by the monster. 'It was now or never' I thought.

I shifted to my human form and took out my pencil and paper. I grabbed two sheets , writing down the glyph on both, before putting my things away, along with one of the unknown glyphs. "Bien, vamos a salvar a Amity..." I muttered.

I shifted back into my wolf form and grabbed the glyph in my mouth. Running over towards the demon, I heard Amity yelling at him.

"Let me go you overgrown apple!" 

"Rude, okay? Now, say your last words!" The demon yelled.

"Screw you!" 

I huffed a little at Amity's comment before sliding underneath the demon and placing the glyph down and activating it before running away.

"Yeah? Well I'm gonna- what the-," was the last thing I heard the demon say before a pillar of ice shot straight threw them, encasing them in it, and dropping Amity in the process. 

"Ow! What in Titan's name?" Amity muttered before noticing me limping over.

"Aster! Are you okay? I was so worried!" She said, running over to hug me. 

The sudden contact made me whimper. Maybe I was more injured than I thought.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! Here, let's get out of here, shall we?" She said, drawing a circle in the area to form an abomination. "Abomination, raise that lever!" She commanded. The abomination did as asked, and raised the lever, revealing the skylight.

"Good, and let's get out of here!" She said, dissolving her abomination and carefully lifting me. She then drew another circle in the air to perform a levitation spell, and flew out of the cavern while carrying me.

We landed in the snow outside with a thud. I whimpered some more, the pain in my legs now hitting me. I wasn't sure the extent of the injuries, but I couldn't actually get them treated until I was with Eda.

"I know, but it's okay because I will-," Amity began, but she fell over into the snow. I wasn't sure what could cause this, but I was scared none the less. 

"Too... much m-magic," she huffed, before passing out. I took that as my opportunity to shift back into human form and grab my beanie to hide my ears. I then tucked my tail into my jeans and tried to stand up.

"ARGHHH!" I screamed, as loud as I could. Too injured to walk. Dammit.

"Mittens? Is that you!?" I heard a voice call from down the mountain. It sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it. "Hang on, we're coming up there!"

'Good. Maybe who ever it is can help us.' I thought, before shifting back into a wolf and passing out myself.

~~~~Edric~~~~

"ARGHHH!" 

"Did you hear that Em?" I asked.

"I heard it. Mittens? Is that you!?" She screamed. No response.

"Hang on, we're coming up there!" I yelled. As me and Emira climbed the mountain to get to where we heard the scream, I had an overwhelming feeling of dread. "Hey Em?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Something feels... wrong. But I don't know what..."

"Of course something feels wrong! We've been on a cold mountain for the past 2 hours, trying to find our younger sister in the dark!" She yelled, before catching herself and covering her mouth. "I'm sorry, Ed. I shouldn't take my anger out on you. I'm just so... upset."

"Hey, I get it. I think we all are a little conflicted right now. Best to get it out before we get home."

"Right. Thank you."

As we approached the peak of the mountain, we saw the bodies of two creatures ahead. One with very familiar green hair.

"AMITY!" Me and Emira both yelled at the same time, rushing to her side. Emira began to check for a pulse.

"It's there. And not too weak," she said, with a huge sigh of relief.

"What's a wolf doing here?" I asked her. "Do you think it's what attacked her?" 

"I don't know what it's doing here, but it isn't what attacked Amity. None of her wounds would indicate that, anyway," she responded.

"Ok. So then what do we do with it? We can't just leave it here..." I asked.

"I have no idea Ed, but-,"

"Can you stop screaming?" A weak voice said In my arms.

"Amity, are you ok? We were so worried!" I said, while hugging her. Emira moved over too, as we all shared a group hug.

"I'm fine, I think I just used too much magic to get us out of there," she said.

"Us?" Emira asked.

"Yeah, us. Me and Aster... oh no! Aster!" She said, turning her attention to the wolf on the ground next to us.

"You named it?" I asked, slightly baffled.

"Yeah, she saved my life. And now I have to save hers," Amity said, starting to get up.

"Oh no you don't. If what you said is true and you did use too much magic, you are not moving a muscle. We'll call someone to help it," Emira said.

"Her," Amity corrected.

"Fine. Her," Emira said.

"Call the Owl Lady," Amity said, surprising me a little.

"What? Why her?" I asked.

"She knows the most about Aster, so she'll help her," Amity said, starting to take deeper breaths.

"Alright, Mittens. We'll call the owl lady and then bring you home, ok?" Emira said.

"Ok," Amity said. She sounded like she was going to pass out again, so I made a quick call to the Owl Lady saying I found Amity and that she was with a very injured wolf that Amity said she would help, and then took her home with me and Emira.

~~~~Luz~~~~

How many times am I going to wake up on the couch? As I slowly got up, I noticed that I was still in wolf form, so shifted to my human form, which seemed to startle the half awake witch next to me.

"Eda, are you ok? You look... exhausted..." I said, looking at her from head to toe.

"Of course I'm ok. It's just... well... healing you took a lot more magic than I intended. How did you even get so damaged?" She asked.

"Well, me and Amity got into a fight with this giant demon thing, and I had to stay in my wolf form, so it was a tough battle," I said, while scratching the back of my neck.

"That tough, huh? You had two broken legs and a concussion, kid. You're lucky your wolf healing helped keep you alive or you'd probably be dead. What even happened? Where were you?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, I was wandering around the knee when I found Amity buried in snow. She was going to die if I didn't pull her into a cave to warm her up. But when I got there, I noticed she was ice cold and lost a lot of color in her skin, so I shifted to try and warm her up and gave her my coat and beanie. I just forgot to shift back before she woke up, so I had to stay a wolf the entire time," I said, hoping I wouldn't be in trouble for the rest of my life.

"That's very noble of you, kid. But remember, you aren't invincible. Things are only going to get harder from here and, if you're not careful, it could be the end," she said, with genuine concern in her eyes.

"Of course I'll be careful, Eda. Thank you for always being here," I said, hugging her. She went stiff, but returned the hug after a few moments. "Now, I need to show you this really cool glyph I found." I pulled out the ice glyph from my pocket and handed it to her.

"You found a glyph down there? I guess it wasn't all a misguided adventure, then," she said as she tapped the glyph to see a small ball of ice form.

"Edaaaaa," I groaned.

"Remember, you have school tomorrow,"

"Oh Yeah! What time is it?" I asked.

Eda turned her head towards the clock. "3 am."

"Oh shoot! Well goodnight! Tell King I'll get him a stuffed animal at the fair next week, ok?"

"Alright, kid. Goodnight."

~~~~The Emperor's Chamber~~~~

(Whenever I mention a place instead of a person, the text here will be in 3rd person)

"My lord, I have urgent news," The cloaked man said, as he walked into the emperor's chamber.

"Speak."

"Do you recall the wolf that had attacked the Highschool earlier this week?" The man said.

"Of course I do. But that is irrelevant. The situation has been dealt with, yes?" The emperor asked, with a very annoyed tone.

"While I did what you requested, capturing the youngest Blight, the same wolf got in the way. The eye witnesses from the high school claimed to had seen its eyes glow."

"WHATTT? Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?! If there is a werewolf alive, I need it extinguished. Now."

"Of course, my lord. But another high ranking officer, the demon of the knee, has reported spotting the young Blight with the werewolf."

"Then I want both to kneel before me. If the youngest Blight is associated with such a low species, there will be consequences..." the emperor said, with a venom in his voice.

"Of course, my lord," The cloaked man said, hurrying out of the room. He was fine with capturing the young child, but what kind of consequences was the emperor talking about? Was the man prepared to lead this child to her death?

Chapter Text

~~~~Amity~~~~

I. Feel. Like. Crap. I laid in my bed, the conversation I had with my mom once I got home still fresh in my head.

———————————

"Amity Blight! Where have you been?! You can't just run off like that, you had us worried sick!" My mom yelled.

"I know that's a lie, mom..." I muttered under my breath. I didn't say it loud enough for my mom to hear, but my siblings behind me heard. They were both looking at me, terror in their eyes at what I had just said.

"What was that, young lady?!" Mom screamed.

"I said, I know that's a lie, MOM!" I yelled. I knew I had just crossed so many boarders. Mom always said to never talk back, always call her mother, and never yell. I just broke 3 rules at once.

"What did you just say to me..." She said, not even wavering, like she had expected this.

"You heard me! If you cared, you would have been out there with Ed and Em! But no, you were more worried about your stupid shows then to care about your own daughter!" I screamed. I knew I had already dug my own grave, but at this point I was livid.

"Sorry, mother. She just got back from her dangerous adventure and drained her magic. She must not be feeling well," Edric said as he moved to stand in front of me. He sad the last sentence while looking at me, begging me to stop.

"Yeah we're sorry mother. We'll make sure she gets some rest," Emira said, moving so that she was standing next to Edric.

"Very well. Amity, we will have this conversation in the morning before school. When you have a more level head," Mom said, nodding at Ed and Em. I said nothing as my siblings dragged me upstairs and into my room.

"Amity, what the hell was that?!" Emira, whisper yelled at me, causing me to flinch.

"I''m tired, ok! Tired of the rules, the expectations, the consequences!" I told her. I was telling the truth, I hated every minute of it.

"Mittens, we get it. Believe me, we do. But you can't just explode on mom like that. Don't you remember the last time?" Edric asked. I did remember the last time I yelled at mom. It wasn't a night I liked to remember.

"I do, and I'm sorry. Maybe I will be better if I get some sleep," I suggested, looking over at my clock.

12:36 AM

"Ok, that sounds good. We do have school tomorrow. Don't hesitate to wake me or Ed up if something is wrong, ok?" Emira said, gesturing for Edric to walk out of the room.

"Ok, thank you," I said, turning around in my bed.

———————————

Now I was awake and would have to talk to mom. I glanced over at my clock to make sure I wouldn't be late.

7:00 Am

Ok, that's good. I could talk to mom and get ready for school in time. I struggled to get out of bed and make it to my wardrobe. 'I must've suffered a more severe reaction from the drain' I thought. I looked through my dresser and grabbed my school uniform and hastily put it on. I walked over to my door and opened it, hearing a light conversation from down the hall.

"I don't know what happened to that wolf. It just was laying there next to Mittens when we got there." That was Edric. Why were they taking about Aster?

"Yeah. Although she did say something about the wolf saving her." Emira. Who were they talking to?

"Interesting. Do you know exactly what Amity went through?" So they were talking to dad. Well, at least it wasn't mom.

"No she hasn't-," Emira began, but then noticed me walking down the stairs into the kitchen. "Oh, hi Mittens!" 

"Good Morning," I said, while gently waving towards her, Ed, and dad. "Why were you talking about me?"

"Why are you so curious?" Ed asked, sliding in from the side and laying on my shoulder.

"Because I just want to know," I grumbled. It hasn't even been a day and they are already back to their annoying selves. That's a good sign.

"Dad was just wondering what happened is all," Emira said, walking past us and ruffling my hair while she did so. "No need to get your head all scrambled."

"I wasn't- ugggh," I said, knocking Ed off and grabbing a griffin egg from the fridge.

"That tired of us already, Mittens? What happened to grateful Mittens? I miss her," Edric said, leaning on the counter to my right while I crack the egg onto a buttered pan and placed it over the stove.

"She left the building. You are stuck regular Amity," I said, grinning as I turned the stove on. 

"Darn. I was just getting to know her, too," Ed said through a smile. "Well, I'm off to school early, see ya Mittens! Dad!"

"Why are you going so early? Is it a specific person you want to meet? Roughly your size, brown hair, happens to be in the plant and abomination tracks~," I asked, with a playful tone.

I saw Edric's face turn red as he turned around and walked out the front door. I laughed quietly before turning off the stove and placing the egg onto a plate.

"Amity, a word please?" Mother said as she came out of her study. 'Of course. Always have to ruin the moment, don't you?' I thought.

"Of course, mother." 

We walked into her study as she closed the door. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?" She asked.

"I'm sorry for running off. I was just upset at my unclear head. Boscha and Skara are still my best friends, I just wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sorry," I said. I was upset at the words coming out of my mouth, but Ed and Em were right. It's for the best.

"It's alright, dear. I expect your slipping grades to be fixed soon, and your relationships repaired. You can't afford to lose those connections," she said. I wanted to leave the room. Every word she said was poison.

"Of course, mother."

"Good. You may leave," she said. I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked out and closed the door, sitting back down at the kitchen table to enjoy my now cold egg.

"Make sure not to be late for school, Bookworm," my dad said, reading the newspaper. I smiled at the nickname. I always liked it more than Mittens.

"I know dad. Thank you," I said, as I picked up my books and walked out the door.

~~~~Luz~~~~

I felt like I had just fallen asleep when my alarm rang. I shifted back to human form and clicked snooze, hoping to get a little more sleep before school. Little did I know, I had already done this 6 times and it was 8:19 AM.

"Kid, wake up! You're gonna be late!" Eda yelled as she opened my door.

"Whaaaa..." I started, still dazed and half asleep. That's when I glanced over at the clock and saw the time. "Oh shoot!" I yelled.

I frantically changed into my school uniform that had a light gray tone and shoved my tail into my pants. I then grabbed my beanie and shoved it on my head.

Running downstairs, I pushed open the door to get outside, slamming Hooty into the side of the house.

"OWWW! What the hoot, Luz?!" Hooty screamed.

"Sorry, Hooty! Gonna be late!" I yelled, before shifting into my wolf form and running to Hexside.

Once I could see Hexside in the distance, I shifted back into my human form and tucked my tail back into my pants. I then approached the building and waved at Willow and Gus, who were waiting outside for me.

"Hey Luz," Gus said, energetically bouncing up and down.

"Hi, Luz," Willow said, amused at Gus's antics.

"Woah, what's got you so excited?" I asked him.

"So, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to the appreciation so-," Gus said, but was cut off by the 15 minute bell.

"Gus, I'd love to, but time waits for no one and I still have to get my track and schedule," I said.

"Ok. Well I can bring you to the principal's office, if you'd like?" Willow asked.

"That'd be great Willow, thanks!" I said, smiling at her.

We walked up to the school and entered the building, immediately turning to the right. I was exhausted, running here didn't help, and I think Willow noticed.

"Hey, are you ok Luz? You seem... out of it," Willow asked, looking directly at me.

"Nah, I'm fine. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," I said, hoping she wouldn't press the question. But she did.

"Oh yeah, I heard what happened. How did you manage to get yourself in that predicament?" She asked.

"Oh, you heard about That?" I responded.

"Yeah, the owl lady told everyone. We were worried sick about you and Amity, so we split up to try and find you. It's a relief that she found you when she did," Willow said. I was really hoping she would elaborate on what apparently 'happened' to me, because I know Eda wouldn't say a word about what actually happened.

"Yeah. It's a good thing she found me." 

The rest of the walk was in an awkward silence until we reached the principal's office. The plaque on the door said 'Principal Bump'.

"Well, this is where I leave you," Willow said, turning around.

"Right, Thanks for the help!" I said, before turning back towards the door and knocking. There was some shuffling on the other side of the door until I heard a older male's voice.

"Come in!"

I opened the door slowly and approached Principal Bump's desk. He seemed to be older, and was wearing a classic school robe. The only odd part about his appearance was the red demon on his head, covering half his face.

"So you must be Luz the human. With your mentor being Edalyn, I'm going to assume that you'll be trouble too. She went through a lot to get the school to allow you in, so don't mess this up," he said, looking directly at me.

I returned his gaze and said, "Of course."

"Good. Now that we are on the same page, what track will you be studying?" He asked, while turning to the side and gesturing to the banners behind him.

"I was kinda hoping I could study all of them..." I told him, half expecting him to shut me down. I heard how hard it was for 3 students to study 2 tracks, so the Chances of studying all 9 were pretty slim. Especially for a human.

"Hmmmm... very well. What spells can you preform so far? You need two," He said. I was bursting with joy as I pulled out two glyphs from my pockets and activated them on the desk, revealing a small ice cube and a light spell.

"Interesting. I've never seen it cast like that. But good enough," Bump said as he drew a circle in the air, creating a piece of paper and handing it to me. "Here is your schedule. Try not to get lost."

"Yes! You won't regret this!" I yelled, running out the door.

"And no running in the halls!" I heard him yell before I closed the door. I did a little happy dance by shoving my fists in front of me when I saw a familiar green haired witch approach me, her head in a book.

"Oh hey, Amity!" I said, shocking her and forcing her to look at me and back up.

"BUAH! Oh, hey, Luz. Since when did you go to Hexside?" She asked.

"Just today. I just got my schedule," I said in a cheerful voice.

"Oh cool. What track are you in?" Amity responded. I felt closer to the witch since the knee incident, but I knew she wouldn't feel closer to me. I was a wolf the entire time.

"Oh, actually I'm studying all of them..." I said, lifting my gaze from the floor to her face.

Her eyes widened at what I said. "All of them? Is that even allowed?" She asked, a surprised tone in her voice.

"I guess so. Anyway, do you mind helping me find my first class? This place is huge," I said. I probably actually didn't need the help, I just wanted Amity to get as close to me as she is to Aster.

"Oh, sure. What's your first class?" She asked, looking down at the piece of paper in my hands.

"It says abominations," I responded. I wasn't sure if I read that correctly, but because I was studying all 9, they were spilt into two halves. On Mondays and Wednesdays I would have abominations, bard, Oracle, and illusions. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I would have  construction, plant, potions, and healing. However, Fridays were special. The entire day was dedicated to miscellaneous classes, with the expectation of beast keeping.

"Oh cool! That's the class I was heading to. Follow me," Amity said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Anything you say, Miss Blight," I responded with a bow. She giggled as we walked off to the abomination wing. It had just occurred to me that in 5 minutes I would have to run between each section of the school every time class ended. Maybe all 9 wasn't such a good idea...

As we approached the end of the hallway, Amity turned to the side and stood next to an open door. 

"Here we are. Abominations 101," she said, with a curtsy to make fun of the bow I did earlier. I played along.

"Why thank you, M'Lady," I said, nodding my head slightly and walking into the classroom.

As I walked into the classroom, all eyes were on me. I went stiff. The attention didn't feel good, and I felt confined. I shoved the feeling down and did a silent wave as Amity walked by me and sat down in her seat, which was against the left wall near a window.

"Right on time! Everyone, this is Luz. She is a new student here. Miss Noceda, you may take the seat by Amity Blight. Amity please make yourself-," the teacher started, but I was already walking over to where Amity was and sitting down next to her. "Oh, I See you are familiar. Excellent. Now, students, please take out your textbooks and flip to page 345."

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

The class went by relatively fast. I was trying to pay attention, but my restless 4 hours of sleep I got last night really didn't help. I cracked the occasional joke to Amity sitting next to me, who told me to shut up and pay attention. But every time I said a joke to her in the middle of class, a smile spread across her face telling me I was making her happy. So I kept doing it. The teacher was talking about one ingredient extremely rare that is used to make powerful abominations. A giraffe's ear or something, I wasn't really paying attention. That's when the bell screamed. 

"Alright, and remember. Your abomination projects are due for everyone except Luz by next week Friday," The teacher said, scanning everyone's faces. 

We all began to hobble out of the room when I noticed that Willow had also had this class.

"Willow, you were in this class? Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I didn't even see you there!" I Exclaimed, looking directly at her with a look that I hoped expressed regret rather than exhaustion.

"It's alright, Luz. Are you sure you're ok? You just seem... different..." She asked scanning me from my beanie to my shoes.

"Yeah, you do seem a little off. Are you sure you're ok?" Amity asked, moving in behind me from the classroom.

Now, I will admit. My legs were killing me. I was trying my best not to show it, but they must've noticed me briefly limp when I got out of my chair. Curse you, broken legs that can't be magically fixed in one night...

But I couldn't tell them that, because they would ask more questions.

"No guys, I'm fine, really. Now, I have to get to..." I said, opening the folded up paper in my pocket. "Bard class, and if I'm correct, that is across the school, so see ya!"

"Okay, bye Luz!" Willow said, before looking at Amity as her expression dropped to one with more sorrow.

'That's right. They used to be best friends. But I can't say anything about it because the only person Amity told was Aster. And Willow never told me' I thought, looking between the two who's gazes returned to the floor.

"Hey, why don't me, you, Amity and Gus all meet up for lunch after the next period?" I asked. I wanted to see if I could get them to be friends again, after what Amity told me.

"What? Are you sure?" Amity asked, looking at Willow then up at me.

"Yeah! That's cool with you, right Willow?" I asked her, still focusing on Amity.

"Yeah, I guess that would be alright," Willow said with a shrug.

"Alright, let's meet here during lun-," I started, but was cut off by the one minute bell. "Oh shoot! Gotta blast!" I yelled, running off in the direction of the bard wing.

~~~~Amity~~~~

What game was Luz playing? Why did she want  me to accompany her and her friends for lunch? I mean, sure she was friendly and nice. And she made jokes with me during class, which I found extremely hard not to laugh at. But one of her friends that she had mentioned was Willow. I doubted she would even want to see me for more time than necessary. But most importantly...

How did Luz get her hat back?

I could've sworn I was wearing it in that cave, but when I woke up in Edric's arms as he carried me home, I was no longer wearing it. What happened?

Something about this all just doesn't add up. I need to ask Luz about it after school.

But that would have to wait. For now, I was off to abomination studies. 

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

The class was boring. It was my least favorite class, but it felt even more boring today. Maybe it was because I didn't have someone cracking jokes next to me every couple of minutes. I sat there in the back of the class waiting for the bell to scream.

"Now, the first abomination was created by-," The teacher started, but was cut off by the bell. "That is all for today. Enjoy your lunch."

"Finally," I heard a few students mutter before we all started flowing out of the room. 

This was it. It was time to have lunch with Willow and her friends. Oh God.

What am I going to say? This is going to be super awkward.

I walked around back to where Luz said to meet, but no one else was there yet. I'm not surprised. Luz said she had bard class next, which was across the school. And I'm not sure what Willow had, but it must not have been in the abomination wing.

I was so lost in thought, I didn't notice Willow walking in from the direction of the offices.

"Hey, Amity..." She said, making me whip my head around to face her.

"Oh, Willow. I'm really sorry about this. If you want me to leave, I can..." I said, tightening my grip on my backpack. I didn't want to ditch Luz, but I also didn't want to make Willow uncomfortable.

"No, it's fine. Luz invited you. But I do have a question..." She asked, keeping her gaze on the floor.

"Ask away," I said, looking at her. She raised her head to look at me and then asked her question.

"Why?"

I knew what she meant. It was the question I dreaded being asked the most. Mainly because I felt like such a coward when I say what I did. It made me feel like an absolute jerk, which I was.

"Willow, it's kinda hard to explain, I don't think I could..." I started. In reality, I just didn't want to breakdown in front of Willow. Especially since Luz will be here soon.

"That's ok, just-," She began, but then I noticed she started to hold her head. "What the-," she mumbled, before passing out.

"OH MY TITAN, WILLOW?!" I screamed, catching her before she hit the ground.

"Is something wrong?" I heard a familiar voice ask as she turned the corner into the hall. "Oh my God, Willow!" 

Luz ran over so that she was sitting right next to me. "What happened?!" She asked.

"I don't know! One moment we were talking, and then she just fell to the ground!" I screamed frantically. I noticed Luz wince in pain at the volume, and I felt a ping of guilt.

"Let's get her to the healers," Luz said, taking Willow from my arms. I was about to protest, saying I could carry Willow, but Luz lifted her like she weighed as much as a feather. "Come on!" 

"Right," I said, getting off the floor and following Luz down the hall and into the administration part of Hexside. That's where the medbay was, with some healing coven members and a few healing track students.

"Help! Our friend needs help!" Luz said, kicking open the door with enough force to shake the room. Everyone just turned around and stared at the human, surprised the door didn't fall off its hinges.

"Well?!" I asked, coming in from behind Luz.

"Right, set her down here," A girl with brown hair and a multicolored outfit said, gesturing towards an open bed.

"Ok. Thanks Viney. Tell us what happens to her, ok? We'll be back after school," Luz said, walking out the door. I couldn't help myself but comment at the girl.

"So you're the girl Emira keeps talking about?" I asked, walking backwards out the door. Viney's face turned beet red before she drew a circle in the air, closing the door in my face. "Rude..."

"You ok, Amity?" Luz asked, turning around to look at me.

"Yeah I'm fine. I just... have a lot in my mind," I sighed. That was an understatement. But now that Luz and I were alone, I could ask her about the hat.

"Ok. Well, do you still want to enjoy lunch together? Although I ran into Gus earlier before walking to you guys. He said he couldn't make it." She said, starting to walk towards the cafeteria. I really wanted to say yes and brush this whole thing off, but there was too many loose pieces.

"Wait, Luz. I have to ask you something," I said, grabbing her wrist.

She want stiff at the contact and glanced back towards me. "What do you want to know?" She asked, a shakiness in her voice that was very unLuz like.

"So, you heard about what happened to me at the knee, right?" I asked, still holding her wrist.

She nodded in response. "Yeah, Eda told everyone..."

"Ok, well I was wondering something. When I woke up in the cave, I was wearing your beanie. But when Edric was carrying me home, I no longer had it. I was wondering how you managed to get it back," I asked, all in one breath. It felt like a relief to get that off my shoulders.

Luz just stood for a few seconds, deep in thought. Almost like she didn't know, either. "To tell you the truth, Amity. I don't know. When I woke up in the owl house after Eda found me, I was already wearing it," She said, turning around so that she was facing me. "But when I passed out at the knee, I had lost it."

Does that mean that Aster found a hat and placed it on my head? Luz wouldn't lie about something like that. That seems like the best answer, but only leaves more holes. How in the world would that animal know to do that? Something is... wrong.

"Ok, I was just curious. Let's go get some lunch," I said in the most cheerful voice I could muster. However, right now, my thoughts were swimming in doubt, unsure of what's real and what's not.

~~~~Luz~~~~

Oh. My. God. I made a complete guess on what lie Eda told my friends. A complete guess. I just assumed it had something to do with the knee, so I said I passed out there. Amity seemed to buy it, although I could tell there is still a lot going on in her mind. I dodged a literal bullet there.

We walked to the cafeteria, making light conversation as we went. Once we made and grabbed our food, we sat down at a table not a lot of people seemed to want to use. I half expected Boscha to come out and annoy me and Amity for hanging out, but she wasn't even here. In fact, I didn't see her or Skara the entire day. I decided to ask Amity about it.

"Hey, Amity," I asked looking over at her.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Have you seen Boscha at all today?"

"Now that you mention it, no. I usually meet up with them at the beginning of school, but they weren't there. I assumed she was late, but she's not even at her regular table. I wonder if-," She was going to continue, but got cut off by her scroll pinging. She summoned and opened it.

"What's it say?" I asked her. I didn't want to cross any boundaries, so I didn't look at the scroll in case it was personal.

"Oh my Titan..." she muttered, just loud enough so I could hear.

"What? What is it?" I asked louder this time, more concerned.

"Both Boscha and Skara are in the hospital. Boscha's mom said they were having a moonlight conjuring last night with Amelia and Cat, but they didn't wake up. They were unconscious when she found them," She said, then looked over at me. "Just like Willow."

"Something's wrong," I said, looking back over in the direction of the medbay. "Let's go back to Willow."

We ran out of the cafeteria and back into the medbay, but this time I actually opened the door instead of kicking it. I still could see the small crack to the left of the door where I smashed the wall.

"Viney, somethings not right," Amity said, starting to pant from the long runs back and forth.

"I know. All of her vitals seem normal, except for her unnatural amount of brain activity," Viney said, activating a spell to show us a scan of her Brain.

"Eso es mucho más fácil aquí..." I muttered, thinking of the large amount of times I had to get an EEG in the human world.

"No, you don't get it. Boscha and Skara are both experiencing the same exact type of thing right now, and we have to fig-," I heard Amity start to say, before my head felt dizzy. I grabbed my temple with one hand as I stabilized myself onto Willow's bed with my other. 

Oh. Not here. Not in front of them. I was going to pass out, too.

I have to get out of here. I can't let them run tests.

'Then they'll know'

~~~~Amity~~~~

I was arguing in a fierce debate with Viney before I noticed Luz behavior. She was grabbing her head, and hanging on the bed.

'Just like Willow'

"Luz is about to pass out!" I yelled, before positioning myself to catch her. Unfortunately, she has other plans.

Luz bolted out the door of the medbay.

"Luz!" I yelled, chasing her out the door. She was deceptively fast as she ran straight threw hordes of students coming from the cafeteria. I was barely able to make it to the front entrance of the school a few moments after she did, but by then it was too late. I had lost her.

"How is she so fast?!" I yelled, panting and looking at the forests surrounding the school. "She could be anywhere right now, passed out on the ground..." I mumbled under my breath. "Why would she do that?" 

"I need to get some help," I said, pulling out my scroll and calling the owl lady.

"Yeah, what do you need, Greenie?" Eda asked. "I'm kinda busy dealing with a few... valued customers." As she said that, I heard a crash in the background of her scroll.

"There's this thing going around school. People are passing out and we don't know why. Me and Luz were with Another kid in the healing track running tests on an unconscious Willow when Luz started having symptoms. But before we could place her on a bed, too, she bolted out the door into the woods," I said, still gasping for air.

There was silence on the other end until Eda dropped her playful tone and asked with a dead serious voice, "Tests? I'm on my way. I'll find the kid and get her cleared up. She'll be ok." After she said that, she hanged up.

What? She seemed scared of the tests... what's going on?

Chapter Text

~~~~Eda~~~~

My heart was pounding. Barely 24 hours ago, I was running around the knee trying to find a lost puppy. Now, I get a call from Amity fricking Blight saying that Luz ran off because of some lightheaded spell. Now, that was the sensible decision, given that they would try to help her and pull off her hat... but it still is a pain in my butt.

I landed on the forest floor next to the school, like the young Blight said. I debated landing next to her, as I noticed her pacing back and forth at the school's entrance. But, if her behavior back at the house was any indication, she would ask to come along and pester me with questions. I wasn't in the mood to deal with that. After all, healing two broken limbs and a concussion takes a lot out of you.

"Alright kid, where are you..." I muttered under my breath before beginning to look around. If this was similar to what happened at the knee, then I would be here for a while.

~~~~Amity~~~~

Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

It wasn't even an hour since Luz disappeared when some older illusion track kids came into the medbay carrying my brother and sister. At this point, I was freaking out and mumbling in the corner, while looking between my twin siblings and Willow.

"Well, I debated bringing them to the actual hospital, but according to some of my friends who work part time there, nothings working for Boscha and Skara either. So we're just going to keep them here," Viney said while walking over and sitting in the chair next to me.

"There has to be a connection. All these people falling unconscious at the same time all have one thing in common. They're close to me," I rambled, not thinking anyone was listening.

"Woah, ok that's crazy talk. Who or whatever did this to them can't have known that all these people are the ones closest to you," She said, rubbing my arm to calm my nerves. "It must be a coincidence."

"No. There has to be a reason. It would be too many coincidences," I mumbled, glancing over at her.

"Ok. If you are so dead set that something else is going on, why don't we take a look around the school to ease your nerves? This all could be a small bug that knocks people unconscious for a little, ok?" Viney asked. I could hear the concern over my current state in her voice, so I just nodded my head and stood up. "Good. It will help us both get our minds off of this." That's right. Most of the people afflicted were her friends too. Except Boscha and Skara. I wondered they were thinking about, with all the brain activity showing up in scanning spells...

~~~~Luz~~~~

Cold.

That was the only thing I felt as I laid down in what felt like an eternal abyss. What happened?

The last thing I remembered was running out of the medbay door, but my memories are clouded after that point. I think I faintly remember hearing someone yell my name?

My thoughts were cut short by the sound of footsteps approaching me. I turned to my right to see Willow and Gus walking towards me.

"Guys! You're here too? Wait-," I was about to run to them, but something seemed off. Where ever I was was pitch black, yet I could see them perfectly. It would really be pushing it if I chalked it up to my enhanced vision. "No, something's wrong..."

Once they reached me, Willow was the first one to speak. "You didn't think we wouldn't find out what you are?"

I felt my heart shatter. Tears started to form in the corner of my eyes as I struggled to form a sentence. "I-I-I didn't-."

Gus was then moving, leaning down so that he was leveled, crouching next to me. I tried to move off the ground, but found my self almost glued to it. Then he spoke. "You're just some mutt. Do you honestly think we will want to stay your friends?"

He just stared at me. Neither of them had any sort of expressions on their faces. I stuttered while speaking. I could feel my throat closing up.

No. This is wrong. This isn't real.

This is all in my head.

It's all in my head.

I refuse to let this break me. I remember now. I passed out in the woods. This won't break me. I won't let it.

"Oh, Mija, what are you?"

No. Not her. Anyone but her.

I have to move.

~~~~Amity~~~~

As Viney and I walked down the hall, our conversation moved from topic to topic. We tried to keep it light, but concern for my friends and siblings was building in my head, preventing from thinking of much else.

"Hey Viney, can we go back to the medbay? I want to see how they're doing..." I sighed, glancing over at her. I tried to go for a smile, but it must've looked more like a grimace when I saw her look of sympathy.

"Sure Amity. Let's round this corner and start walking back," she said, pointing to the corner of the beast keeping wing we were in.

When we rounded the corner, however, I felt my head start to feel like it was in the clouds. I stopped walking to figure out what was happening, grabbing onto my head.

That's when I realized.

'It's happening to me too'

"Amity? Amity, No!" I heard Viney scream, before I blacked out.

~~~~Willow~~~~

My head hurts. It feels like I'm experiencing the worst hangover I've ever had, despite the fact I've never even taken a sip of apple blood before.

"Uggghhh, where am I?" I asked, looking around. I looked to be in the school's medbay, laying in one of the cots.

"One of them's awake!" I heard a female healing track student yelled, gesturing her friends to look at me. My vision was too clouded to see who it was.

"Willow, oh my Titan. You're the first to wake! Unless Viney got any news about Boscha and Skara... how are you feeling?"

"Calm down, child. You'll break the poor kid. Who knows what she went through with what all the scans showed..." That was an older voice. Probably a healing coven member.

It was starting to come back to me now. I was running from my dads, who were disappointed in me for slipping up in the abomination track. Eventually, I just caved in and started to cry. And moments later I woke up. I have no idea what happened, but I'm glad that was over.

It was... hard. To deal with that.

"I- I think I was running from something. In my head. I only woke up once I gave up and broke down. What do you mean I'm the first to wake? What happ-," I was explaining what I had experienced and was about to question what she meant by first to wake up when the door opened. As my vision cleared, I saw that the student next to me was Cat, and Viney walked through the door carrying-

"AMITY! What happened?!" I frantically screamed, almost in sync with Cat.

"The same thing that happened to the rest of them! We were walking through the halls when Amity collapsed Just like the rest! Cat, help Willow out of bed we need more space!" Viney commanded. Cat grabbed my hand and pulled me up, allowing me to lean on her for support as she walked over to some spare chairs in the room and sat me down. The healing coven member helped Viney set Amity in the bed, and that's when I decided to figure out what was going on.

"What is happening right now?! What do you mean I was the first to wake up? How many other people did this happen to?" I asked Cat, who had seated herself next to me.

"Well, excluding you and Amity, the people who have collapsed so far are Edric, Emira, Boscha, Skara, and maybe Luz," Cat said all in one breath, while listing the names off her fingers.

"What do you mean 'maybe Luz'?" I asked her.

"Well, according to Viney, Luz began to have the symptoms everyone else had before collapsing. But she ran out of Hexside before passing out, and no one knows where she is right now." She sighed. I knew Cat didn't know Luz very well, not a lot of people did. But she was still worried about her. That's something I admired about Cat. No wonder she's in the healing track.

"Is anyone looking for her?" I asked. Why would Luz run off like that? The boiling isles is a dangerous place to be somewhere alone. Luz has been here long enough to know that.

"Yeah, Amity said she called the owl lady before this," Cat said while gesturing towards Amity laying on the bed I was just on. "Happened." 

Ok, that's good. Eda cares about Luz. She would never let anything happen to her.

"Guys, I got a message from Boscha's mom. She says that Skara is awake now, and described running from something to the doctors. She said that she only woke up after breaking down,"Viney said, looking down at her scroll and sitting on the seat next to Amity's bed.

"That's similar to what happened to me. I woke up after breaking down..." I told her. I saw Viney squint her eyes in concentration before talking again.

"So obviously all these instances are connected. But how..."

We were all deep in thought when we heard a deep inhale come from a bed further down the room.

"Edric!" Viney yelled, running over. I saw her glance at Emira, probably hoping she would wake up too, but she didn't.

"What was that?!" Edric screamed, shaking his head a few times. He was visibly shaken, and he had tears forming in his eyes. 'What did he see that made him so upset?'

"Edric, I need you to calm down. You just got up and you're probably going to be a bit light headed," Viney said, placing her hand on the boy's shoulder. Viney was in the same grade as Edric and Emira, so she knew them pretty well. It also helped that she had a crush on Emira. Everyone saw their painfully obvious love except each other.

"No. I'm going to find the son of a bitch that made me see that agai-," He started yelling, but caught himself before he finished the last word.  "That made me see That." He said the last word with so much spite and venom, that I couldn't help but be curious as to what he saw. But it was his fears alone to have. Not anyone else's business and I respected that. He glanced over at Emira to his right before looking up at Viney. "What happened?"

She began to explain what she had told everyone up until this point, including how she thought most people are supposed to wake up. "I think you have to let your fear consume you and take hold in order to wake up," She finished.

"Who is asleep and whom has woken up?" Edric asked, looking around the room. He seemed to still have a headache like me, so he didn't turn his head much.

"Well Willow, you and Skara have woken up from their... comas, I guess? But Amity, Emira, Boscha, and most likely Luz haven't woken up yet," Viney explained, with her hand still on Edric's shoulder.

"Mittens is going through the same thing I did? And Emira?" Edric asked, glancing over at Emira and then straining his neck to look at Amity. There was a shakiness in his voice that seemed to display nothing but pure fear for his sisters. 'What did he see?'

"Yeah, afraid so, kid. Although, this one may be in one for a while yet, as she just came in," An older healing coven member said while standing next to Amity's bed.

"Hey, Edric. Not to sound mean or anything, but do you mind getting out of the bed? In case anyone else comes in?" Cat asked, still sitting next to me.

"Oh, yeah sure," He said, slowly getting out of the bed and walking over to Amity's bed. He sat down on the chair Viney was in earlier, and grabbed Amity's hand. He seemed to tighten his grip immensely, like she would disappear if he let go.

~~~~2 hours later~~~~

At this point, my headache had cleared up. I really wanted to go and help find Luz, but the healing coven members wanted me to stay put to ensure there was no side effects as I was the first to wake up. Gus had already ran out the moment he heard about what happened. We all sat in comfortable silence, with Edric now sitting next to Emira with Viney, and me next to Amity. There was a serenity to it, like we were all at a worrisome peace. Of course, someone's scroll had to ruin the moment.

"It's Boscha. Her mom just told me that she woke up finally, and described the same things you guys did," She said, motioning to me and Edric.

"So that leaves Emira, Amity, and Luz..." I muttered, quietly so that no one should be able to hear me unless the room was dead quiet. Which it was.

"Yeah," Was all Edric said, holding on to his twin sister's hand like it was a matter of life or death.

We all sat there in a less comfortable silence than before, staring at the people we had mentioned when a loud gasp was heard next to me.

"No, no, no, no, PLEASE!" Amity yelled, before she looked around and started to act really confused. 

Edric was by her side in an instant, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. "It's ok. Th- wou- no- I won't let Th-," I heard bits and pieces of what he whispered to Amity, but she just relaxed into his shoulders and cried. I could tell she wasn't allowing herself to breakdown. I knew my former best friend well enough to know that she would never breakdown in public.

They sat there for maybe 3 minutes until Amity composed herself enough to talk. "Is that what you guys went through?" Her voice was shaking and full of terror. I couldn't help but feel relived that my worst fear was disappointing my parents, because whatever Amity saw shook her to her core. Or maybe I was just weak and-

No. Stop that thought. Amity needed help right now and it wouldn't help her for me to feel self pity.

"Are you ok, Ami?" I asked. The old nickname rolled off my tongue and it felt good to use it again. I saw her eyes widen when she heard it but smiled.

"I'll be ok. Thanks Willow." As she said that, she looked at me through Edric's embrace and extended her hand. I held it and watched her smile grow wider.

We sat there for a while. 'Maybe I could get used to this. I really do miss our friendship. I should try to talk about again with her. Later.'

"Hey guys?" Viney's voice caught everyone off guard as we all turned to look at here. "Do you think the people taking the longest to wake up have the most emotional walls?"

I haven't even thought about that. Whatever is attacking our minds uses our fears to expose us. If our emotions or feelings are boarded off, it would be harder to reach the true fears.

"I guess that would make sense," Cat said, still sitting in the same chair looking at her scroll.

"What does that tell us about Luz and Emira?" Viney's question startled us all. Edric had wide eyes as he let go of Amity. He looked down at his feet as he sat on the bed, deep in thought. Amity also seemed surprised, and a little taken aback before she too furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

That's when Gus spoke up. He had been quiet this whole time after he came in. Probably paralyzed with fear. "I couldn't find her outside at all."

I needed to lighten the mood. "Well we don't know for sure that Luz is still unconscious so-," I started, but the door opened at the worse time.

"Brainy children, help my kid!" Eda yelled, walking over with Luz in her arms. 'Great. You just threw my chance at lighting the atmosphere of the room.'

Nothing seemed wrong with Luz. She was no longer wearing her beanie and her clothes were ruffled up, but she was otherwise ok.

"Set her down here," A healing coven member said, whose name I learned is Abraham, gesturing to Edric's old bed.

~~~~Eda~~~~

Titan, I hope this illusion spell works. I was running out of options and going into a hospital that was in the middle of a town that was swarming with Emperor's coven guards was out of the question. Healing spells weren't working and she wasn't waking up. So I ran to the only other place I could think of that had smart people that could help.

The preppy school I went to.

It wasn't ideal. There was sure to be a lot of questions, but I had no other options.

I was sitting down next to Luz in a chair when I heard a voice break the silence.

"Luz still hasn't waken up?" She was surprised and sounded shaken. It was Amity Blight.

"No. I found her maybe 30 minutes ago and nothing has worked to wake her up," I said. I didn't even try to hide the worry in my voice.

"Or sister hasn't waken up, either." That was an older male's voice who was sitting with Amity. I looked behind me to the only other bed in the room and saw a teenager with dark green hair laying there. Another Blight. They all look so similar. I know I was with them yesterday saving Luz, but their names just blur together. Luz just talks about her friends too much.

"Hmm. Any ideas on how they wake up?" I asked the kids all sitting around the room. I didn't want to address the adult healing coven member, because I never fully trusted somebody in a coven.

"Yeah. They have to accept their fears and breakdown. Once they do that they wake up." A younger chick spoke this time. She had a multi-colored outfit like Luz.

"The only problem is: these two must be too stubborn to breakdown," Willow said, looking at Luz with concern all over her face.

"I have a solution," I said with a sigh.

"WELL?!" Almost all the kids yelled in unison.

"Geez, ok. I could send in one person into each mind, but they have to face whatever is going on in there with them..." I said. I couldn't go into Luz's mind if I had to cast the spell. That means I have to pick someone out of this room I could trust with knowing she was a werewolf. Her fear would undoubtedly have something to do with that.

"I'll save Emira." That was the older males voice again. Her brother or something.

"Alright. That leaves Luz. I can't go in because I'm casting the spell, so which one of you knows Luz best?" I asked, scanning the crowd.

They all shared awkward glances before a short kid spoke up. I think his name is Greg?

"No one here really knows Luz. She doesn't open up about much. She's both extremely open and closed off at the same time."

"I'll do it."

Everyone was shocked at the voice. But more at who said it than why someone did. Amity.

"I'll save Luz," She said again, getting off her bed.

Everyone was speechless until the older green haired boy spoke up.

"Mittens, you just woke up. Don't you think it would be better if Willow or Gus went in instead?" He sounded genuinely concerned for his sibling. Imagine me and Lily doing that. HA.

"I'm fine. Besides, Luz has made me realize how much of a better person I can be by just forgiving me. She helped me strive to do better with Willow and start breaking ties with Boscha. Now it's my turn to help her," Amity said, walking towards Luz's bed.

"But Mittens I still think-," The green haired boy started, but I cut him off. I really should learn his name.

"No time!" I yelled, drawing a spell circle and grabbing both Amity's and her brother's hands, placing them on my shoulders. "Happy hunting!"

And with that I completely the spell circle and Amity and her brother disappeared.

"So now we just... wait?" Gary said. Or was it Gustavo? It had a G I just know it.

"Yup! By the way, what was that older green haired boy's name? I totally forgot."

~~~~Edric~~~~

That felt weird. It was like all of my skin tingled with electricity at the same time, but only enough to tickle.

When I opened by eyes I saw that I was in a familiar black abyss surrounded by nothing. Time to find Em.

Titan, I knew I was doing the right thing but I was pretty sure I was going to see it again. It scarred all three of us pretty bad when it happened, making me confident it's what all three of us saw. But I had to do this. Em's my sister and if I didn't do it Mittens would've. And I much rather prefer her not reliving these memories.

I don't know how long I aimlessly walked, but eventually I heard a sound I was all to familiar with. It haunted my dreams.

"MOM! What did you do?!" It was Em's voice, from that night. It still haunted me the way I did nothing. Emira was always stronger.

I started running in the direction I heard her voice until I saw the seen I was dreading come into view.

Emira was looking away from it. She was almost bursting with tears, but managed to hold it together. I, on the other hand, broke down immediately when I saw this seen a few hours prior.

I looked at the scene behind her. Amity was on the floor, holding her face in shock. Mom stood there looking at her hand, with a very small smirk that only I noticed that night.

The Emira in the vision was crouching next to Amity, staring at mom.

And there I was. A coward. I was standing by the stairs Emira and I came down after hearing the yelling.

Dad wasn't home that day. He always cared for Amity so much better than mom did. But he wasn't there. We were supposed to protect her. But I just stood there. 

I quietly cried myself to sleep every night for a week after that. I hated myself. I should've done something. Why didn't I do anything?!

That's when the scene replayed.

"No... not again..." I heard a quiet mumble escape from Em, still looking away. I started to approach her while the scene replayed.

"Amity Blight! You better have an excuse for why you're acting this way! You've never been this disobedient before!" Mom screamed.

I continued my approach to notice Em shaking. She really was trying her best to keep it inside...

"I don't have to explain everything to you, MOM!" Amity screamed in response. She was only 13. Em and I were 15.

...she really was the glue that held us together for so long...

"YOUNG LADY! That is no way to talk to your mother! Your room, NOW!" Mom screamed. That's when Em and I started going downstairs.

...how did I never notice it before? She was always stronger than me. She always kept us together.

"NO! I'M TIRED OF THE RULES! I'M TIRED OF EVERYTHING! JUST LET ME-," Amity began to scream, but was cut off by a hard slap to the cheek. She stumbled back and hit the bookshelf behind her. "M-m-mom...?"

Emira began to shake her head. Probably trying her keep her thoughts away. Just hang on, Em. I'm almost there.

Emira and I had been standing at the stairs watching the scene unfold. When mom slapped Amity, she ran over and sat by her. "MOM! What did you do?!" She screamed, hugging our sister and staring up at mom. Mom just smirked.

The scene ended just as I got to Emira and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ed? How are you- I don't- how-?" She stuttered out, before I hugged her. I hugged so tight that someone looking at us might think that the world was ending.

"That's what I saw too, Em. I should've done something that night. You were always the strong one and I always admired you for that. Never change," I told her. I didn't think it was possible to hug tighter than we already were, but she did.

"Thank you, Ed." She began to sob, and that's when we were pulled out of her nightmare.

~~~~Amity~~~~

I really didn't want to be back here. I spent a while staring at the night my mom hit me unfold over and over again until I finally broke. But it was for Luz. No one else was going to save her.

I wandered for a while until I heard a blood curdling scream somewhere in the distance.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

It was loud. Ear piercing.

I ran off in the direction I heard it, hoping to find Luz near the screams.

I wasn't entirely sure what I would see. I knew that they didn't have to be memories, just your worst fear. Like Grom but a lot more lonely and mind breaking. I learned that while talking to Willow. She had seen something that never happened. So that begs the question...

What did Luz fear the most?

Was it seeing her mom again? That was a topic she brought up while we were in class together. That's possible, but I doubt it was her worst fear.

What I had saw shattered my expectations.

Luz was sitting down, staring at the vomit inducing scene before her.

In front of her were 4 bodies. But not just any bodies.

Gus, Willow, Eda, and... me.

I tried to get closer to her and that's when the scene replayed.

"Did you honestly think you can save them? I have them bending to my will and you still came? Pathetic, dirty creature!" A voice that I didn't recognize boomed. Willow, Gus, Eda, and me were all on the ground looking directly at Luz.

Her worst fears are losing those closest to her. Oh my Titan...

"Please don't hurt them! I'll do anything!" Luz said, shaking and sobbing.

...I don't know if I would be able to handle this for as long as she has. I clearly couldn't...

"Pathetic." Was all the Voice said until large blades came out of all four of the our chests, making us fall to the ground.

I could see a single tear fall from Luz's face as the scene unfolded, but she quickly composed herself. What has she endured? But she was still shaking uncontrollably...

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Luz screamed.

I reached Luz as the scene ended and pulled her into a hug. "Amity? How- how are you here? I don't understand-," She muttered, still shaking.

"I'm so sorry Luz. I had no idea what you have gone through after all your time in here," I said, holding her tighter. No one was laying a hand on my- I MEAN this human.

"I-I-," Luz started, but then gripped me with enough force to shatter bones if this wasn't in her head and began to sob into my shoulder. That's when they were pulled out of the nightmare.

~~~~Luz~~~~

I thought my friends finding out I was a werewolf was my greatest fear. Or my mom finding out.

But it was something much. Much. Worse.

When Amity and I were pulled back into reality, I groggily got up from the bed I was in. My vision was blurred at best but I heard multiple voices start to scream at me at once. I reached for my wolf ears which weren't there, for some reason, and then went down to my human ears. Hopefully no one saw that.

"Guys, she just got back from a nightmare, give her some time and space!" It was hard to tell, but that voice was Amity.

After a few minutes of laying down in silence, my vision cleared up enough to where I could see the people around me. Everyone was there, looking at me like I had a terminal illness and was about to die.

I looked to my left to see Amity, Edric, and Emira all silently hugging. 'I wonder what they saw...'

"Hey guys. Long time no see..." I said, getting back up from the bed.

"Hey kid. Glad to see your not dead... seriously. You had me worried," Eda said, punching my arm lightly. She said the last words with the most gentle tone I've heard her use, like, ever.

"Yeah. Why did you run off like that?" That was Viney. She looked at me with more concern than the doctors back home, so I gave her a lopsided smile.

"I was scared and wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry," I said. That was a lie, but only Eda knew that. I really ran off in fear of them taking off my beanie and seeing my ears.

"That's ok, ya big doofus. Just try to be more careful." Amity. I really needed to talk to her.

"Right. I will. Now can I go home, Eda? I am exhausted and have a splitting headacheeeeeeee," I said, dragging the last word on.

"What? The 5 hours you slept not enough for you?" Eda laughed, and so did everyone else in the room.

My nightmare was just that. A nightmare. It would never actually happen, because I would protect them. I'm not losing my family.

~~~~Emperor's Castle~~~~

The cloaked man sighed. He had become an errand boy for the emperor recently and didn't mind it, but despised having to listen to anyone else. Especially Kikimora. She was the worst, and her plan that he carried out made him sick to his stomach. Despite that, he was already knocking on her office door after completing the task. A few shuffles were heard before she opened the door.

"I did what you told me to do," The cloaked man said with a sigh.

Kikimora noticed this behavior, but let it slide. "Well? You know the identity of the werewolf yet?" She asked.

"No. All except two kids eventually gave away to the mind breaking spell. But after using it to read the minds of the kids who did break, none of them knew who the wolf was. Not even Amity Blight. I would've gotten the other two to break, but they had help," The cloaked man said. To be honest, he was glad the spell didn't break all of them. The things he did to those kids will never leave his thoughts.

Kikimora sighed. She knew that is was a stretch that the youngest Blight actually knew the identity of the werewolf, but she was hoping. "Fine. Then for the time being watch the young Blight closely. Any slip up in her behavior should be reported directly to me, understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," The cloaked man said, as he walked away. This job was getting more distasteful the more he did it, but he didn't have a choice...

Chapter Text

~~~~Luz~~~~

I've officially completed one week of school. One full week, anyway.

It has been a week and a half since the nightmare fiasco, and I think Emira and I were the only ones to really have long term effects. The memory of the situation kinda fades after a while, or at least that's what Amity and Willow said. But Emira and I were unconscious for a little over 5 hours, so it's hard to forget something like that.

Eda had been trying to figure out what I saw that day, but I never talked about it. The only person I ever mention anything about it to is Amity, because she saw what happened. I also had to assure Eda that the fear I saw had nothing to do with me being a werewolf, so Amity didn't know. That was something Eda was panicking about when we got home.

Speaking of Amity, her and Willow started talking again. It will be a slow process, but it's progress nonetheless. I'm so happy for those two.

I was sitting in my room reading The Good Witch Azura, volume 5 (The best one in the series) when I heard the crashing downstairs coupled with yelling.

"STOP IT! Stop, you're getting it everywhere!" That was Eda's voice. Something must be wrong.

"I'm trying! I'm trying! But I-," That was King starting to talk, but then a loud crash cut him off.

That was it for me. I got up and ran down the stairs to see what was happening. What I saw was... a sight to behold.

There was mud everywhere. Hooty was wrapped around the house saying things like "you'll never take me alive!" King must've been tossed into a wall, because he was flat on his stomach groaning. Eda had one hand holding her staff and another trying to rub the mud off of Hooty. Owlbert was holding a bucket of water, trying to wash Hooty off.

'Oh. This makes a lot of sense. They're trying to clean Hooty. They're trying to clean Hooty...'

I gotta get out of here before they ask me to help.

I glanced over at the clock on the wall.

12:48 AM

I don't have good memories associated with going outside at midnight, but cleaning Hooty is worse. 

"Hey kid can you-,"

"No time! I have to go for a run! See ya later love you!" I said, turning around any running out the open door. It was only then that I realized I was still carrying my Azura book, so I decided to go to the river not far from the house and read.

~~~~Amity~~~~

It was the same nightmare that woke me up again. I was sitting in a pitch black room when searing pain hits my side. It stays that way until either Ed and Em wake me up, or I shock myself awake. It has been a lot of the latter lately. 'At least it's the weekend.'

I laid in bed for maybe another hour, trying to fall back asleep before I accepted that I wasn't going to be able to. I glanced over at the clock.

12:28 Am

Great. There goes any chance of a good nights sleep for the fair tomorrow.

I got out of bed and hobbled over to my bathroom. The candles flickered on as I entered, making my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. I stared at my sleep deprived face for a few minutes, thinking.

'I wonder how Aster is. I haven't seen her since the knee.'

I got lost in my thoughts for a while, staring at my reflection. I started thinking of the nightmare event at the school, and how Em is still emotionally distraught over the whole thing. Ed and I are trying our best to comfort her, to no avail. I too, still remembered watching that scene over and over again, but I kept my mouth shut.

'Em had it worse. She needs you right now, you can't start wallowing in self pity.'

Despite telling myself that over and over again, I still felt... hallow. 

I need some fresh air. Go for a walk. I should probably tell Ed I'm leaving, just in case.

I walked out of my room and into Ed's. Despite my best attempts at telling him none of what happened that night is his fault, he still blames himself. He always told me how he should've done something, and I think the nightmares we saw brought that back to the surface. I wasn't sure if I wanted to worry him by going out, but I should tell someone. Mom and Dad are out of the question, and Emira is still shaken up, so the only person I could tell was Edric.

I approached his bed, lightly tapping his shoulder.

"Hmm?" He asked, fluttering his eyes open and in my direction.

"I'm going out for a bit. Probably will be back in a few hours, maybe longer," I said, turning around to leave his room.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry? Midnight meeting with a special someone~," Ed said in a singing tone. I knew he was just teasing. I didn't have anyone like that, but I could still feel my face flush.

"Shut up." Was all I said as I walked out of his room and down the stairs.

The Blight Manor was old, and a few steps creaked as I walked down. Luckily, it is also huge and no one should've been able to hear me. 

As I slid out the front door and walked down to the gate, I realized that if I wasn't careful I could lock myself out. Or worse, alert my parents to the fact I snuck out. Very slowly, I pushed open the gate just enough to let me through. If I didn't take too long, I could come back and lock it before anyone noticed I was gone. 

I walked through the streets of Bonesborough with a single light spell in my hands. The air was cool and crisp as it blew through my hair, that wasn't currently in its usual half pony tail. The cloak I hastily grabbed while leaving the manor gently billowed in the wind, and for a second Allowed my imagination to take over.

I saw myself as Hecate, walking through town at night like the super secretive walled off anti hero she was. Like in book 2 when her and Azura had to find common ground to defeat the eater of worlds. Or in book 4 when Hecate finally agreed to a truce and they became friends, only for her to stab Azura in the back. Or in book 3 when-

I stopped my imagination when I realized how far I really traveled. I was at the edge of town, staring into the forest.

'Huh. How long was I thinking about Azura? The walk from the manor to here is usually around 15 minutes...'

I decided to walk further into the woods. This forest was known for being one of the safest in the boiling isles, so I didn't think it would be a problem.

I walked for around 10 more minutes, reminding myself it is well past midnight and I should probably go home constantly, I still walked further in. That's when I saw someone sitting on a log next to a river.

~~~~Luz~~~~

It didn't take long for me to sit down on a log and drive into the world of Azura. That was until I heard rustling in the bushes behind me.

Panic took over my entire body.

'Not again. I can't do this again.'

I looked around me. Anything I could use to defend myself. Of course, if I really needed to I could've shifted but that was risky. My thoughts moved at a million miles a minute until I heard a family voice call out to me.

"Luz? What are you doing here?"

It was Amity. Thank God I grabbed my black hoodie before I walked out, or my ears would've been totally exposed. I had already pulled up the hood and tucked my tail when I left the owl house.

"I could ask you the same question, Miss Blight," I asked, turning my attention towards the girl. She seemed to be wearing normal night wear with boots and a cloak. I think after my first day of school, being so formal with each other was more of an inside joke than politeness.

"Far enough, Miss Noceda. But I asked you first," Of course that was her response. This was Amity we were talking about. Didn't take crap from anyone, but also taking it for everyone. That was something I really admired about her.

"Asombrosa..." I muttered as Amity looked at me with her hand in her hip, awaiting a proper response.

"What? Was that in your weird human language?" She asked.

'Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.'

I just called Amity amazing. Well actually, more like astonishing. Which would be really nice for her to hear, if I didn't say it in Spanish!

"Oh, sorry. I was just saying that I left the house to escape cleaning Hooty," I told, shuddering. Amity seemed to shudder too. She always hated Hooty.

"Good call," She said, walking over to sit next to me.

"So why are you out here?" I asked, looking at her. If I knew Amity, she wasn't going to give me the truth right away, but it always helped to try.

"I was escaping boredom. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall back asleep." A lie. Even though Amity always tried to cover up her feelings, she was never good at lying directly to someone who knew her.

"Amity. If anything's wrong, you know you can tell me, right?" I asked, grabbing her hand and looking into her eyes.

"I know. And I'm alright. I promise." Another lie. But Amity wasn't going to budge the third time, so I decided not to push it.

"You still seem upset. Do you think reading something will take your mind off of whatever it is?" I asked. I really didn't want to overstep any boundaries, but I wanted her to know that I cared.

"Sure. What book do you have?" Her eyes seemed to sparkle when I brought up reading.

"The Good Witch Azura, volume 5."

"WHAT?! You read The Good Witch Azura too?"

"Of course I do! I love the series!"

"How do you have volume 5 already?!"

"It must've come out earlier in the human realm," I laughed. Amity's reaction was hilarious and honestly adorable.

Wait. Did I just call Amity Adorable?

No. No. No I meant to say laughable. Yeah that's what I meant.

We sat there on that log for hours reading the book and doing voices for the characters. When we were on chapter 10, Amity seemed to had totally forgotten what she was upset about.

We eventually both got really tired and fell asleep by that river.

~~~~Amity~~~~

I have no idea how long we slept by that river bed for, but when we woke the sun was rising. I was relatively warm last night, thanks to the cloak, but there was also a warm feeling on my left side.

There, leaning against me, was Luz.

And there was this noise, too. It almost sounded like a-

"Luz, wake up," I said, gently shaking her.

"Whaaaa- oh my gosh Amity I'm so sorry!" She said, jumping off of my side and falling down. "Owww..."

"Hey Luz. Were you... purring?" I asked her. It was a weird question and I swear I saw her face flash pink for a second.

"WHAT?! No, humans don't purr..." She said, rubbing the back of her neck. 

'Great Job, Amity. You made her uncomfortable.'

"Oh ok. I just thought her heard a weird noise." Amazing save.

"Well, I should probably head back to the owl house. From the looks of it, it is around 6:30 and I don't want Eda to be mad," She said walking off.

Oh shoot. The gate. I left it open.

"Oh yeah bye," I said, waving at her. She waved back and ran in the opposite direction I need to go in. I took in the scenery of the trees around me before noticing a book on the ground.

It's Luz's Azura book, but she's already gone. I'll give it to her at the fair today.

Picking it up, I began to run back to town. People were setting up their stands for the fair already, which meant I had little time to lose. Sprinting with all the energy I had, I reached the Blight manor in record time and slipped through the open gate. I made sure it was locked before walking up to the front door.

'Please don't be awake. Please don't be awake. Please don't be-'

"Hey Mittens!"

"BUAH! Oh, it's just you, Edric. Titan, you scared me," I sighed and pushed myself off the floor.

"Sooooooo what were you doing all night? You said a few hours but you only got back now?" Sometimes I really hated that Edric was a morning person.

"I got... distracted," I said, looking away from him.

"Oooooooo, by who?" He said, raising his eyebrows up and down.

"WHAT?! Ed, it's not like that. Now let me get inside."

"No. You have to tell me who first."

"Argghhhh, you and Em are always impossible... fine. It was... Luz..." I don't know why, but as I said her name to Ed I could feel my face heat up slightly, so I looked away.

"Oooooooooooo, that human girl, eh? Geez, Mittens. Going for the big fish, huh?"

"ED!" I screamed and jumped on to him with all my body weight. We came crashing to the ground and all he did was laugh like he had just seen the funniest thing on the boiling isles.

"You should've seen your face, oh my Titan. I wish Em was here to see that, that was actually the funniest thing I've seen," He said in between laughs, struggling to breath. I grumbled some interesting words he couldn't hear and got off of him.

"Oh, come on Mittens. It's just some lighthearted fun~," He said the last part with a teasing tone.

"Ed, really can't deal with you right now," I said, walking my way upstairs to sleep a little more before I went to the fair.

~~~~Luz~~~~

I'm not going to be able to sleep after this. As I ran back to the owl house, there was one thing on my mind...

I can Purr?!

Not only that, but I purred while sleeping on Amity. Oh God.

I walked up to the door and was met with a very tired house demon.

'Great, now I have to wake up Hooty. This morning just couldn't be better.'

"Wake up Hooty!" I screamed at the door.

"WAHHH! Who's there? Oh, it's Luz. Guys! Luz is hom-," Hooty was starting to yell, but then the door swung open to reveal a very displeased owl lady.

"Where have you been? Do you remember the last time you ran off at 12 AM?" She asked, calmly but sternly. That's what I liked about Eda. She was a laidback mother figure that got serious when she needed to.

"I'm sorry. I fell asleep in the safer part of the woods with someone..." I mumbled the last part hoping she didn't hear it, but of course she did.

Eda raised one eyebrow and chuckled. "Ok, I need details. It was that Blight chick, wasn't it?"

"Who it was is not- wait how did you know?" I said as I walked into the house and sat in the couch.

"Because I have a way of knowing. Now, continue." Eda was snickering a little before actually quieting down.

"Ok so I may or may have fallen asleep on her," I said, looking around the room and scratching the back of my neck.

"Ok, bolder than I expected from you," She laughed again.

"EDA! I don't have a crush on Amity!" I yelled.

"Sure, kid," Eda scoffed.

"But that's not even the worst partttt. Apparently, I purred while sleeping on her," I said. The floor suddenly became very interesting to look at.

Eda spit out the apple blood she was drinking onto King, who was sleeping next to me on the couch. "I'm sorry, you can purr?!"

"HEY! The king of demons doesn't appreciate this!" King yelled as he marched up the stairs to take a bubble bath.

"I guess I can. I hope I played it off enough to where it wasn't anything suspicious. I mean, for all she knows it can be a human thing," I said, shrugging. Eda walked over and began to scratch behind my ear. "Eda, what are you doing?!" I scrambled away off the couch.

"I don't know. I wanted to hear you purr. Anyway, I'm going back to bed. Wake me up when you are going to the fair so I can scam helpless people," Eda said, walking back upstairs.

Great. Just great. There's no way I'm getting more sleep now. I have plenty to think about.

~~~~Amity~~~~

I woke up feeling cold. It was weird, given that I was in my blanket and laying in my bed, but I had this feeling of, just, no warmth.

Slowly swinging my legs off of the bed, I looked at the clock.

10:26 AM

Alright, that's not bad. Everyone was going to meet outside the fair at 11 anyway.

I got off my bed and walked to the bathroom to do my daily routine. Brushing my teeth, taking a shower, you know the drill. I eventually settled to wear regular black jeans with a white t-shirt. I then grabbed my purple sweatshirt and walked out my door. I didn't even get 10 feet when I heard Emira.

"Sleep well, Mittens?"

I wanted to be mad at the teasing. I really did. But it was such a relief to hear Em start going back to her normal self that I just responded to her like it was a normal question.

"Really well, actually." She didn't say anything after that, leaving me slightly worried. The twins always wanted to have the last word.

It wasn't until I heard Edric speak up that I knew why she was so quiet.

"Did Mittens Just, ignore our teasing?"

"Did I lose my touch?" I chuckled at Emira's comment as I walked down the stairs. It's a good thing mom leaves for work early most days. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with her.

"Morning Bookworm. By the way, you left one of your books by the door. It is strange, I've never seen you read that one," Dad said while he read the newspaper. Like he did every morning.

"Thanks dad, but it isn't my book. A friend forgot it when we were hanging out, so I am going to give it back to her today," I said, pouring out some cereal for a quick breakfast. I ate fast as I could and rushed out the door, not wanting to be late. Checking the clock right before I reached the door, it said:

10:57 AM

Shoot. I was going to be late.

~~~~Luz~~~~

My mind is still a mess. The fair is going to be so awkward.

The fair. Shoot.

I looked over at my alarm clock.

10:55 AM

This is bad. 

I jumped up from my sleeping bag and grabbed my beanie. I placed it in my head and tucked my tail into my jeans. I was fairly certain I was wearing an Azura shirt, but I didn't have time to change. I ran into the hall, nearly knocking over King as he walked down to his stuffed animals room.

"AHHH! Luz watch it! You almost tripped the king of demons!" He squealed.

"Sorry King! Can you wake up Eda for me? I have to get to the fair!" I yelled, opening the door and running out. I didn't wait for a response but I knew King would wake her up for me.

Why have I been so late to everything recently?! I quickly shifted into wolf form and ran at top speed to town.

Once I could see the town and was certain no one was watching me, I shifted back, tucking my tail back into my jeans and readjusting my beanie. I could see Willow and Gus waiting by the entrance to the fair as I approached them.

"Oh, hey Luz!" Willow said. She sounded extra happy.

"Willow! Gus! Where's Amity?" I was dreading the awkward conversation to come with her, so I bit my tongue before I spoke about why.

"Later than you, I guess," Gus shrugged, looking at the road. "Oh wait, there she is!"

I looked in the direction Gus pointed and, sure enough, there was Amity Blight jogging over. She was also carrying something. Wait, that's my-

"My Azura book! I totally forgot about it. Thank you so much Amity!" I said, the fear I previously had disappearing as she handed me my book.

"It's no problem. You forgot it earlier," Amity said, but I could see the immediate regret in her face as she turned towards Willow and Gus.

"Oh? What did you two do before this?" Willow asked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Nothing! It was nothing! Let's just enjoy the fair!" I said, hoping to avoid the conversation. Willow shot me a knowing glance before talking.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But first, important news!" She seemed so cheerful to say that that I knew it couldn't be bad.

"What is it?" Amity asked, watching Willow practically bounce up and down.

"Because I failed my abomination project, I had to drop the class. But, Bump let me choose a different track and now I'm in the plant track!" Willow was squealing this joy.

"Oh my God Willow, that's amazing!" I screamed, pulling her into a hug. I was careful not to use too much strength. My wolf side is why I don't give a lot of hugs anymore.

"I know! I'm so happy! Now let's go to the fair!" Willow was so happy. And it made me happy, so I gave her a warm smile.

All four of us walked into the fair and were looking around with wide eyes. There was a lot of rides everywhere, and there was at least one concession stand on every corner.

We all shared one glance and than Amity spoke.

"Alright, so I'm pretty sure we all were looking at different things, so let's split up and meet back here for lunch at 12:30." We all nodded our heads and went our separate ways. I was surprised to see Amity go the same way I did.

"Soooooooo about what happened in the forest..." I started to say. God, I could already feel the tension.

"What about it?" Amity asked with a hmm. She had a smile on her face as she looked around. I felt like talking about it would ruin things for her...

"Nevermind. Oh look, they have one of those knock the bottle down games!" I yelled, pointing a booth. I was always decent at those.

"You know those are always rigged, right?" Amity asked with a hesitant look.

"If I'm able to win, I'm getting you the prize of your choosing," I said, walking over to the booth. I grabbed Amity's hand and pulled her with me. "Two tickets, please!"

"That'll be 6 snails," The person behind the booth said with a snarl.

"Oh I don't-," I started to say I couldn't pay when Amity placed 6 snails on the counter. I looked at her dumbfounded.

She noticed my stare and smiled. "What? My family is rich."

I grabbed one of the balls and tossed it at the cans, knocking down none of them.

"See? Rigged," Amity said, shrugging.

I grabbed the second ball and threw it with as much force as I could muster.

I heard it rip through the air until it knocked down all the cans and blew straight threw the back of the tent, never losing its momentum.

I looked at the person behind the counter than Amity. Both were staring, mouths opened wide at the feat I had just accomplished.

"So, which one do you want?" I asked Amity. She said nothing, but pointed to a slitherbeast plushie on the wall.

"I'll take the slitherbeast please. Oh, and can I use my second ticket as well?" I asked the worker. He unclipped the plushie of the wall and handed it to me, then rearranged the cans.

"As promised, M'Lady," I said to Amity, giving her the plushie with a bow.

"I-Thanks." Was all she said as she took the plushie from my hands. I saw her face was tinted red and I got worried.

"Hey, are you ok? Your face is a little red..." I told her.

"Wha- no I'm fine- alls good!" She said with thumbs up.

I then proceeded to do the same exact thing as before, only this time I did it in the first throw.

"I'll take the griffin plushie, please," I said, pointing towards it on the wall. The worker still said nothing as he handed it to me. Probably rethinking his life choices.

"Oh shoot, Luz. It's almost 12:30!" Amity said, pointing towards her scroll.

"Oh yeah! Let's go."

We ran back to the entrance of the fair to see Willow and Gus already there.

"Hey guys! I see you won some prizes!" Gus said, waving in our direction.

"Yeah! I won Amity and King some plushies. Although Amity did pay because I'm broke..." I muttered the part about me having no money.

"Ok... well let's get some lunch!" Willow said before looking at Amity with a smirk.

~~~~7 hours later~~~~

~~~~Amity~~~~

"Wow, I am beat! I'mWe did almost every ride in the fair! Willow and Gus left hours ago," Luz said while giggling. I laughed with her and then spoke.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired, too. One more ride?" I asked her, pointing at a the wheel of frights.

"A Ferris wheel? Let's go!" Luz screamed as she grabbed my hand. She was practically running straight to the line.

It wasn't that long of a wait, and when we reached a cart that's when I noticed we were still holding hands.

'You're friends. Friends hold hands all the time. Right?'

As the cart slowly rises up, I looked over at Luz to see her eyes sparkle in the night sky. She looked all around at the view she had of the sunset and the boiling isles.

"Wow, Amity! This view is amazing!"

"Yeah. It really is," I said, my gaze never leaving Luz.

'She really is adorable.'

Did I just think that? No, that's not right.

Sure she's funny, smart, caring, and cute. Sure, her eyes sparkle whenever she's fascinated and that's really adorable. And she likes Azura, too. And she-

Oh no.

I like her.

I'm in love with Luz Noceda.

Chapter Text

~~~~Amity~~~~

The fair was so much fun. I got to spend time with everyone, go on rides. Figure out my... feelings.

Except now I was in my room on a Sunday night with the twins. Not so fun.

"Come on, Mittens! Tell us why you were grinning like an idiot when you came home yesterday!" Emira yelled. Now, the real reason I was grinning was because Luz walked me home and smiled at me as she left.

Her smile. It'd make everyone in the room fall for her if she smiled genuinely like that everyday. But there was something wrong, something she was hiding.

"I told you two! I just had a good day at the fair, that's all," I really didn't want them to find out about my feelings. The moment they did it would be never ending torture for me.

"Ok... then where did you get the Slitherbeast plushie?" Edric asked. Dang it, I was really hoping they would just think I won it.

"I-I won it?" My voice made it sound more like a question and way less convincing.

"Mittens, we're your siblings. We know you well enough to know that you think most of those booths are scams. So who won it?" Shoot. Em was right. I never actually try at those because every time I do, I don't win.

"You two are never going to drop this, are you?" Titan, I was really hoping they'd leave it alone. At least until I'm ready to tell someone.

"Nope," Edric said, shaking his head and smiling. They were both leaning on my bed while I was at my desk finishing homework.

"Ok, fine. Someone won it for me. I'm just not ready to say who," Please don't take that the wrong way. Please don't take that the wrong way.

"Oooooo, Mittens. I didn't know you had it in you to go behind mom and dad's backs like that. Sneaky~" Em smiled as she said that, bouncing her eyebrows up and down.

"UGGH, it's not like that! Now leave me alone," I said as I pushed my sibling out of the room. Edric looked at me with a pretend hurt face and put his hand on his chest.

"Ouch, I thought this was family bonding night," He said, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

"Just Go!" I yelled, closing the door in their faces.

Titan, sometimes they can be unbearable. I walked back over to my desk and started working on my homework again.

Tomorrow morning is gonna be greattttttt.

~~~~Luz~~~~

I decided to walk home, since I couldn't exactly carry my book and the plushie while in wolf form without a backpack or very large pockets.

I hope Amity is ok. She seemed to be running a fever after we got off the Ferris wheel, so I decided to walk her home.

When the house came into view, I could see Hooty start to stretch his way over to me.

"Hey, Hooty!" I said with a cheerful voice. I was feeling great that day.

"Hoot! Hi Luz! Ooo is that for me?! I love gifts!" Hooty said, while he tried to grab the griffin plushie I was carrying. He extended closer.

"No, Hooty! Stop! It's for King!" I yelled, holding it away from the bird tube.

"HEH, for me?!" King asked while he ran out the door towards me.

"Oh, King! Just the adorable creature I wanted to see! Here you go," I said while handing him the plushie.

"I am not adorable! But this plushie is, acceptable for my army," He said while marching back into the house. I chuckled and followed him inside.

"Hey kid, how was the fair?" Eda asked, drinking more apple blood.

"It was great! I had so much fun! Now I'm gonna go to bed to avoid almost being late, again," I said turning towards the stairs.

~~~~The Morning~~~~

Ah Mondays. Always the worst in the human world, but the best here. I mean, I go to a school about magic!

I moved my hand over to the alarm clock to stop its beeping and looked at it.

7:05 AM

That's a lot better than usual.

Sitting up and grabbing my beanie, I walked over to my small cabinet I had for clothes and pulled out my uniform.

I slipped it in and walked to the mirror, tucking my tail in and putting my beanie on my head. I then walked out of my room and down the hall to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

Running downstairs, I jumped off the second to last step and walked to the kitchen. That's when I heard small steps coming towards me.

"Morning, King!" I said cheerfully, grabbing some pancake batter.

"Why are you such a morning person? Don't you get any sleep?" The little demon groaned as he sat down in a chair.

"Of course I do, I just-," I hesitated to finish that sentence. I think King noticed. I didn't want to explain my reasons. "Have my alarm set every day."

"Ok, but you're so happy, like, always," He said, grabbing one of the pancakes I placed on the table. I grabbed some myself and sat down. I didn't want to continue the conversation, so I said nothing. He seemed to forget it entirely when he bit into the pancake.

"Mmmm, this is good! Who did you kill to make this?" He asked, scarfing the rest down.

I chuckled at his behavior and smiled. "I guess my Mamí just made me cook a lot, so I got pretty good at it," I responded.

"No way. This is too good to be 'I'm pretty good'," He said, grabbing another pancake.

"Well I'm glad you like them. Tell Eda I'm off to school," I said, getting up and walking out the door.

I debated shifting to my wolf form, but decided against it. The walk was nice, and I did actually leave on time this time.

I hated being reminded of why I was always wide awake in the morning. Not that King knew that, though. I never talked about my life in the human realm. Apart from stories about my mom.

I regretted taking a longer walk. It just left me with my thoughts. I could already see Hexside in distance, though, preventing any chance of speeding up the walk. I still sprinted the rest of the way there anyway.

Approaching the steps, I expected to see Willow and Gus to meet me there like usual, but Amity was there instead.

"Oh, hey Amity! Watcha doing here? Don't you normally hang out with Boscha in the morning?" I asked as I ran towards her. I seemed to pull her out of her thoughts when she heard me.

"Oh, Luz. You're here. I mean, obviously you're here, this is school. And you go here now. With, uh, me.... I've been talking for too long." I swear I could see a light shade of pink on her cheeks, but I brushed it off. She did seem sick Saturday.

"Hey, are you ok? You looked pretty red on Saturday. You sure you're not sick?" I asked with a warm smile and genuine concern in my voice.

"Yeah, I'm ok. And to answer your question, Boscha is practicing for the upcoming Grudgby game with Glandus. She's also extra unbearable today, for some reason." Amity looked away as she said that last sentence. Probably towards the Grudgby field.

"Weird. Boscha has been quiet all week. What's with the change?" I asked. I was genuinely puzzled.

"Apparently, whatever she saw shook her up pretty bad. At least that's what Skara said. She probably had the worst case apart you and Emira," Amity spoke with a small hint of sadness. They have been friends since childhood.

"And now that she's gotten over, she's back to her usual self?" I questioned. I was actually baffled but played it off. I thought she was improving since our wizard duel.

"Guess so," Amity said with a shrug. That's when the 5 minute bell screamed. How did we miss the 15 minute bell?

"We should probably head to class," I said while standing next to her. "After you, M'Lady."

~~~~Amity~~~~

This girl is going to be the death of me. I know that Luz and I play around with overly formal words, but this time felt different.

I blushed slightly but managed to maintain my cool to respond. "Why thank you, Madam."

As we walked to abominations 101, we didn't talk. It was a comfortable silence. After all, the conversation with Boscha kinda left me surprised. Didn't Luz say that she talked some sense into her?

We walked through the door and took our seats just as the bell rang. Since Willow was no longer in this class, I only really knew Luz. In other words, this class would be boring without her.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

As usual, Luz said multiple jokes during class, only this time, I found it harder and harder not to laugh. I could tell she found that assuming and wouldn't stop until I laughed.

"Amity."

I tried to ignore her but it didn't work. I could already feel a smile forming on my face.

"Amity." She asked again.

"What?" I whispered. It was work time right now, but the class was relatively quiet.

"What do you call a fake noodle?" Luz asked, smiling through her giggles.

"What, Luz?" I asked, looking up from my worksheet.

"An Im-Pasta," She said through a laugh that she quickly stifled.

I found it hard to focus on my worksheet with my giggles. But I couldn't laugh. I refuse to give her the satisfaction.

"Oh come on, that was funny!" She whisper yelled.

"You're gonna need to do better than that, Noceda," I said, smiling at her. She smiled one of her rare genuine smiles back and started working again. I could feel a small blush rising to my cheeks.

'Dammit. Stop smiling like that or I will melt over here.'

We sat in silence for the next few minutes until the bell screamed.

"Alright students. Remember, Grom is in a week, so make sure to attend. Definitely not saying that because I'm forced by the school. Goodbye," He said, sitting down at his desk.

"Meet here for lunch?" Luz asked while we walked out the door.

"Like every other day," I said smiling at her. She smiled back, with her genuine smile that could make the world fall.

Damn. Grom is on Saturday. Do I want to ask her? I mean, what if she says no and hates me? What if she says yes thinking we're going as friends?! What if-

"Boiling Isles to Amity, you there?" Someone asked, pulling me out of my rapid thoughts.

"Wha- yeah? What do you need?" I asked. It was the teacher. He had a look of genuine concern on his face.

"You just stood still looking directly at me... I was going to ask you the same question," He said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was lost in my thoughts," I said, shaking my head. 

"Oh. Ok. Have a good day, Amity."

And now it was time for the most boring class of the day. Abomination studies.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

I wanted to bang my head into the desk. I really couldn't care less about why abominations are the way they are. Why did this class have to be mandatory in the abomination track? Uggggh.

The bell screamed when the teacher was talking about where abomination magic originated. It could be interesting if he wasn't so monotone.

Walking through the door, I made my way back to abominations 101. That's where Luz, Gus, Willow and I always met for lunch. And of course, I was the first there. Abomination studies was right around the corner.

After about 1 minute, I saw Willow walking towards me talking to Gus. 

"Hey, guys," I said, giving a small wave.

"Hey Amity!" They both said at around the same time. I'm surprised Gus was here. His illusion class almost always makes him stay through lunch.

"Surprised to see you here, Gus," I told him with a small smile.

"Me too, honestly. It's finally one of the days I don't have to stay longer," Gus said while pumping his fist in the air. I chuckled at his antics. "When does Luz get here?"

"Oh, she has class across the school. Takes her a few more minutes," Willow said.

We stood there making light conversation until Luz appeared from around the corner. "Hey guys, I was wondering if we could meet somewhere more centered in the school? The run here is a little redundant," Luz said, panting. The breaths seemed more forced then anything, but I didn't question it. Maybe it sounded that way because she was really tired.

"Sure. Any ideas?" I asked. I didn't know where we would meet.

"I guess we could all meet at our table anyway. We only meet here so we can walk together, but it would be easier for each of us to go there directly," Willow said with a shrug.

"Sounds good to me," Gus said, looking at a student struggling to open their locker. "Actually, I'm going to go help that person. I'll meet you guys there!"

"Alright then. Starting tomorrow let's meet at the table. And see ya there, Augustus!" I said as we asked towards the cafeteria.

We were walking for maybe a minute and half making light conversation when we heard 3 pairs of footsteps behind us.

"Amity. Amity. Amity. Why do you insist on hanging out with these losers?"

Boscha. Luz tensed, and Willow sighed as we all continued to walk. Saying nothing.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, nitwits!" Boscha yelled, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me back. 

"Hey! Boscha, what the hell?!" I yelled as she pushed me back. I looked over to see Luz fuming but maintaining her cool. Willow was just glaring at Boscha.

"I said, why are you hanging around with the human and half a witch Willow?!" Boscha yelled. That's seemed to be what made Luz snap.

Luz grabbed Boscha and slammed her into the nearest locker. Her demeanor completely changed. The lighthearted, fun loving Luz seemed to be no where in sight as she yelled at Boscha.

"What the hell, Boscha?! What happened?! You were improving after our duel, so tell me, why did you do that?!" She yelled. There was a anger in her voice that was so unLuz like it was scary.

"I-," Boscha stammered. Her and Luz locked eyes, and I don't think I've ever seen Boscha so terrified.

"¡Te destrozaré!" Luz screamed, maintaining her grip on Boscha's shoulders and slamming her into the locker again. I don't know what she said, but the anger and venom in her voice told me everything I need to know.

"I-I didn't-," Boscha's voice was shaky and her body matched it. She cowered and tried to move, but Luz's grip was too strong. Boscha just stared into her eyes, still shaking.

It was maybe 10 seconds later when Luz seemed to almost revert back to the fun loving Luz. She dropped Boscha's shoulders and her and her crew ran off, Boscha still looking terrified.

"Tengo que ir..." Luz said, running off to the bathrooms. Willow and I stayed completely silent through the whole thing, which only lasted maybe a minute. We looked at each other, the shocked expression Willow had probably matching mine.

"What. Just. Happened." I said, mouth wide opened.

"I-I don't know. She's never done anything like that before. Not even at the convention," Willow said. She sounded terrified, which was reasonable. Neither of us have ever seen Luz so... scary. She was always so cheerful and happy. Never let anyone put her down as she lived out her dreams. Whoever attacked Boscha wasn't Luz. "You go meet up with Gus and fill him in. I'll follow Luz."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? She didn't seem... stable," I said, with a shakiness in my voice near the end.

"She may be upset, but she wouldn't hurt us. I know that for a fact," Willow said with a smile.

"Ok. Be careful. Me and Augustus will be in the cafeteria if you need us," I said, beginning the walk to the cafeteria alone.

~~~~Luz~~~~

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Why did I think Boscha was going to keep an unbound oath? She would never do that. What was I thinking?!

I took my beanie off and ran my hands through my hair, letting my thoughts run wild.

I also let the wolf show too much. God, Willow and Amity looked scaried. So did Amelia and Skara. But Boscha looked terrified. What did she see? It's not like my words and expressions alone is enough to scare someone that much.

I looked into the mirror in the the bathroom, and that's when I saw it.

My normal hazel-brown eyes had a small hint of silver.

'So that's what she saw. My eyes must've been glowing a lot brighter when I was really angry if they're still glowing right now. Crap."

"Luz?" A voice asked as she approached the bathroom.

'Crap, I took my beanie off! Where is it?!'

I grabbed my beanie and threw it on as Willow entered the bathroom. To her, it'll look like I was just adjusting it.

"Heyyyyy, Willow! How are you- I mean what are you doing here?" I asked with a small chuckle as I leaned on the sink.

"Looking for you! What was that back there?!" She screamed. She didn't seem mad, more scared.

"I-," I started, but I really didn't have an excuse. My emotions almost never get the better of me, but seeing Boscha pick on Willow after what I did made me really mad. "I just let my emotions take over. I'm sorry," That was the truth, but I don't plan on telling her why they are that hard to control.

"That's ok, Luz. It's just... well you really scared me and Amity. You don't have to fight for me, ok?" Willow said in a comforting voice.

The thing is, I do have to fight for them. If I don't, then they will-

No. Stop that train of thought. Willow's strong. She can handle herself.

"Right. I'm sorry Willow," I said. I won't talk about the main reason I did that. I only really want to tell Emira right now. She's the only one who understands still dealing with the... effects.

"Good. Now let's go eat some lunch," Willow said, grabbing my arm with a very surprising amount of strength and pulling me to the cafeteria.

When we got there, Gus and Amity bombarded me with questions that I mostly shot down. If I gave Willow an answer, I would tell them it. I really hope the glow in my eyes is gone.

After the questions, we ate in relative silence. It was uncomfortable. I made them uncomfortable and scared. God, I'm such an idiot.

When the lunch bell screamed, we all waved goodbye and walked out separate ways, me going to oracle class.

Now they're suspicious of me. That wasn't my normal behavior, and if they heard what I said in Spanish I'd probably be in a mental institution right now. I really need to talk to Emira. Luckily, my last class is illusions, so she should be in the same wing.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

Oracle class was a little boring today. Not like looking into the future isn't fun, but doing something like that every other day is a little repetitive. But that's ok. It's still a fun class.

The walk to the illusion wing wasn't long, just a slightly faster walk if I want to make it there on time. I really should try to learn more than two glyphs. Maybe something to do with illusion magic!

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

The class went about the same as Oracle. Nothing new but always interesting. But as the bell screamed signaling the end of the day, I practically bounced out of my seat. I know that the twins hang out near the entrance of the illusion wing with Viney and Jerbo, so I just have to make it there.

Turning the last corner, I saw Emira and Edric talking there waiting for their unofficial partners. They were deep in conversation and didn't seem to notice me.

"-and she won't even tell us who?! I mean, come on. We're trust worthy, right?" Emira said, not yelling at Edric, but more like complaining with him.

"Yeah. But she'll tell us eventually. Or we will just blackmail her into it. I still have that picture of her smiling like a- oh heh Luz!" Edric noticed me as I was approaching.

"Hey cutie!" Emira said. I could feel a small blush forming on my face from the nickname, but shook it away quickly.

"Hey guys. Emira, can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked.

"Sure," She said, her face looking like she was amused at the request.

"Alone," I said, gesturing towards Edric.

"Oh, hey come on. Whatever it is I can help!" Edric whined.

I looked into Emira's eyes to try and communicate what I needed to talk about. I don't know if she knew what, but the seriousness in my look must've given her a hint.

"Sure. Follow me. Ed, don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," Emira said, waving her hand for me to follow her.

"Do you really think that low of me, sister dearest?" Edric asked in a joking manner, bating his eyelashes.

Emira looked over her shoulder to respond, because we were already turning the corner. "Yes."

We walked to a storage closet and went in. Emira closed it and turned around. "Alright, what do you need to talk about?" She asked. There was a concern in her voice that I was grateful for.

"Do you still get the symptoms?" Was all I asked. I knew she would understand. We have had this conversation for the past few days, checking in with each other. We both didn't wake up until someone came to get us, so we understood each other in a way not a lot of others did.

"All the time. Not going into details on what I saw, but I'm still super protective of Ed and Mittens. Way more than usual. Why?" She responded. I was relieved to hear her say that. That's how it was when we talked. We never told each what we saw and yet still were able to communicate efficiently.

"I was super protective of Amity and Willow today. Boscha was picking on them, and I slammed her into a locker and said an... interesting sentence," I said, looking back up to meet her gaze. Her eyes widen when I told her and she seemed surprised.

"That's so... not Luz like. Even I haven't gone outside my personality that much. Are you feeling ok?" Great. So it is the wolf's fault. I was really hoping I could pin it on the nightmare.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Thanks for the talk," I said, giving her a forced smile. The smile I usually gave everyone. The one I've been giving for two years. I could tell she didn't believe me, but we weren't close enough for her to push it.

"Ok. Anytime." Was all she said as she walked back to her brother and 'friends'.

'Fantastic. I need to get my emotions under control if I'm going to keep protecting them.'

I walked back around to the entrance of the school. The talk must've taken too long for Gus and Willow, because only Amity was there. Probably waiting for her siblings.

"Hey Amity," I said giving her a forced smile and a wave. She could immediately tell something was up. Dammit.

"Hey Lu- what's wrong?" She asked, eying me up and down.

"What? Nothings wrong. What are you talking about?" I told her. She could see right through me. I was usually an open book, apart from a few sensitive topics most people knew about.

"You only give that fake, forced smile when something's wrong. What happened? Apart from earlier today," She asked. How could she read me so well?

I pretended to be hurt fron her comment to lighten the mood. "Ouch, okay. Calling my award winning smile fake. Is that what it's come to?" I asked with a more genuine smile across my face.

"Wha- no I just- I can tell when your smile is genuine or not. Right now, while you greeted me, it wasn't," She stammered.

"Hmm," I responded.

'Please don't ask again. Please don't ask again. Please don't ask-'

"So I'll ask again. What's wrong?" Dammit. I can't even resist telling her. Something about her golden gaze makes me want to spill out ever mistake I've ever made.

"It's just- what I saw. It makes me have those types of... reactions... to protect you guys." It was a partial lie, but also partly the truth so...

Her eyes softened immediately and her mouth turned into a lopsided frown, like she was sympathizing with me. Makes sense. She did see what I saw, just not as many times.

"Luz, you know you don't have to protect us. That was just a nightmare. I won't happen. Ever," She said, pulling me into a hug. I tensed at the contact. She didn't pull away.

"Promise?" I asked, a slight whimper in my voice I really hope she didn't hear.

"Promise."

That's when I hugged back, careful not to use too much strength.

~~~~Emperor's castle~~~~

The cloaked man walked through the halls of the castle looking around. Anything to distract himself from the unavoidable meeting with a displeased emperor. The walls were lined with a sickening amount of gold trims, and it split off into multiple long and dark hallways. Kikimora was right beside him, probably as nervous as he was. Despite working under the emperor for 10 years, the feeling of inevitable death always followed him whenever he has to meet the emperor.

They reached the door and sighed before pushing it open. The beating of the bile sac above him still made him want to vomit. He'll never get used to that. They bowed before the emperor waiting for permission to report.

"What is it?" He asked. His voice boomed across the room.

"We watched the youngest Blight very carefully for the past week and a half, like instructed. She hasn't met the werewolf once," The cloaked man said while shaking.

"We initially tried a mind breaking spell on her and her friends, to no avail," Kikimora said, less shaky but still very much scared.

"Hmmm. This is a problem. If the werewolf hasn't been found yet, then perhaps we need to rope in the child's parents. Do not tell them of the child's affliction with the mutt, only that there is one loose. And that it is their duty to find the wolf and bring it to its knees before me," The emperor said with confidence in his voice.

"Yes sir," Both the cloaked man and Kikimora said at the same time.

"Good. Now leave."

The cloaked man and Kikimora quickly walked out of the room and walked away, the beating bile sac fading.

The man hated intervening on other's lives, but it's his only option. How else will he get back to his family?

Chapter Text

~~~~Amity~~~~

I woke up back in the same dark room. I slowly got up and approached the single light spell that illuminated nothing.

'Let's get this over with.'

Before I could reach it, a very familiar sharp pain in my side erupted. I continued my muffled screams, only this time something was different. When I removed my hands from my side, they were stained with blood.

"Mittens."

I heard my siblings, but that didn't matter. I had blood on my hands. My blood.

"Mittens!" 

I looked at my side. It was covered in blood from on entry point, almost like a small hole.

"AMTIY!"

I bolted awake. I could feel the sweat drip down from my forehead as I looked around my room. Both of my siblings were sitting on my bed with concern in their faces.

"Amity, you have to tell us what this nightmare is. You never told us before, but this is the worst case. What happens in the nightmare?" Em said, pulling me into a hug. I was confused at first until I felt tears roll down my cheeks.

'I was crying?'

"I-I," I stuttered, my voice cracking. I could feel my ears drop down as I relaxed into the embrace.

"It's ok, take your time," Ed said, wrapping his arms around us.

I tried to stay as composed as possible, but I eventually caved.

"I-I sit in a dark room-m and-and there's this light-t-t spell," I heaved between shaky breaths and sobs. 

"It's alright. You're safe here. Take your time to calm down, Mittens," Em said, rubbing circles on my back.

We sat there on my bed for what felt like hours. My sobs became less frequent, and that's when I started talking.

"So I-I sit in this dark room, and there is a single-e light spell. I start to approach it-t and then I feel overwhelming-g-g pain. That's what normally happens." As I talked I pulled away from their arms to look at them. Their expressions were hard to read.

"That's what usually happens?" Emira asked. There was a level of concern in her voice that I couldn't describe, but both her and Edric's ears were completely down, showing immense concern.

"Yeah. But this time was different..." I started to trail away from the conversation. Did I want to tell them? I know I can trust them, but it seems so... insignificant.

"Mittens, you can tell us. We're here to help, no matter how much we-," Edric began with comforting words, but Em elbowed him when he started his second part. He chuckled for a few seconds.

"Not. Helping," Em said, directing her attention at Ed for a second before looking back at me. "You can tell us, Amity."

Alright. Here it goes.

"This time there was blood coming out of my side. Like I was stabbed or something," I said while avoiding her gaze. I knew it would be filled with nothing but worry.

"Amity..." Edric said, his snickering from earlier dying down.

"It's just a dream. It's not real. I'll be fine," I said, looking over at my alarm clock.

1:37 AM

Great. It's now officially Tuesday and I'm gonna barely get enough sleep. Fantastic.

"I'm gonna go back to sleep. I'm fine, really." I gave them the best reassuring smile I could muster before turning around.

"Ok. Goodnight, Mittens," Em said, moving toward the door and dragging Ed by the ear.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow..." I heard Edric say mutter. They become quieter and muffled when Em shoved him in his room.

'It's just a dream. It's not real.'

~~~~The Morning~~~~

Not feeling the best. But that won't stop me from going to school. I stopped my alarm clock and stared at it.

7:02 AM

I slowly sat up and got off of my bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Going through my morning routine, I walk into the bathroom and take a shower and brush my teeth, then putting my school uniform on. 

I went through my bedroom door and down into the kitchen to she two siblings chatting, or rather, arguing, at the table.

"I don't care what you say, the best cereal is General Munch!" Ed yelled while shoving a spoonful of said cereal into his mouth.

"No! The best is obviously Cursed Pendants!" Em yelled while eating her own cereal.

"Hey guys what are you-," I started, but they both cut me off with a yell, making my ears droop down.

"MITTENS! What's the best cereal?!" They both yelled at the same time, staring at me.

"I-uh," I was taken aback by their screaming, but they continued.

"It's General Munch, right?" Ed said, glaring at Em.

"No! It's Cursed Pendants! Right, Mittens?"

She retaliated, staring back at our brother.

They both stopped saying anything, waiting for my response. "My favorite is actually Griffin O's," I said with a shrug. They stopped their staring contest and looked at me, then back at each other.

"She has the worst taste?" Em said, holding out her hand.

"Definitely," Ed said, shaking her hand. I just groaned and grabbed my cereal.

As I sat down, Ed spoke up. "Sooooo, Mittens. Ready to tell us who won you that plushie?" As he said that, he ruffled my hair. I could feel a light blush extend from my face to the tips of my ears.

"Shut up, Ed. You know that it wasn't anything like that," I said, glaring at him.

"Do we though? I don't recall that conversation. You'll just have to say it again," Em said, lightly patting my shoulder in a joking manner. As if to say: so sorry, but we don't remember at all.

"Uggggghhh. Why are you two so-," I started, but then mom's study door opened. She walked out with dad in tow. And they were looking directly at us.

'Shoot. What did we do this time?'

"Children. Your mother and I need to tell you something," Dad said. He had a look of partial fear on his face. That's never a good sign.

"Recently, the emperor contacted me saying that a werewolf has been spotted around Bonesborough. This is very sensitive information, and we are telling you for your own safety. Do not tell anyone about this. Understood?" Mom said. It was hard to tell, but there sounded like there might be fear in her voice as well...

A werewolf? Those haven't been seen in centuries. So little is known about them, and yet the emperor tells my parents about it? Something doesn't add up here...

But one thing's for sure...

If that's true, then the entirety of Bonesborough is in danger.

I need to warn Luz.

"Yes, mother." The twins and I said in unison as we walked towards the front door.

~~~~Luz~~~~

I used to dread mornings. Especially school mornings. But now, I go to a magic school with actual friends, so I don't have to worry about that anymore.

Shifting into my human form, I shut off my alarm and looked at the time.

6:30 AM

Not even King would be awake at this time. 

I got up out of bed and walked down the hall into the bathroom. I decided to take a shower and let my thoughts wander. They mainly landed on yesterday.

'What's Boscha gonna think during potions class today? Why did I overreact like that? Why is Amity so cut-'

That's enough thinking for now. I turned off the shower and threw a towel on to dry myself off. After being sufficiently dried, I grabbed my school uniform off the counter and put it on. Tucking my tail in and hiding my ears with the beanie, I started to walk out the bathroom door only to trip on something.

'What the-'

Back at the door, I tripped on a piece of human junk that Eda must've placed there.

"Oh, sorry about That Luz. I was sorting junk late last night. Probably dropped something," Eda said as she walked downstairs. I tripped on a werewolf toy.

'Ironic.'

I followed Eda down into the kitchen.

"What are you doing up so earlier, anyway?" I asked her.

"I'm opening the stand early so I can close sooner," She said while grabbing some cereal from the cabinet. I followed suit and grabbed some lucky charms she had in the same drawer.

We made light conversation while I ate my cereal. It was peaceful, but school must come eventually. "Alright, Eda. I'm going to go to school. She you later," I said walking out the door. "Bye Hooty."

I shifted almost immediately and ran to the building, not wanting to let my thoughts roam this time. I probably reached the school in record time.

Doing a quick check on my surroundings, I saw no one nearby and shifted back. I tucked my tail in and adjusted my beanie, then walked to school to meet Willow and Gus.

"Hey guys!" I yelled as I ran up the steps to Hexside.

"Luz, hey!" Gus said, waving at me. "So, I found this thing and I was wondering what human treasure it is."

He was waving around a small plastic gun. "That's a nerf gun! Let me see that!" I said, extending my hand. He gave it to me and I looked at how many bullets it had. One.

Perfect.

I aimed at Gus and shot him.

"AHHHH! I'm gonna die! Tell my family I love them!" He screamed dramatically, then fell to the floor.

"Luz!" Willow yelled, crouching by Gus.

"I'm not dead yet... why aren't I dead yet? What is that?" Gus questioned, looking back at the plastic toy in my hand.

"It's a toy that humans play with all the time. It won't kill you," I said, laughing.

"Ohhhh... give that to me," Gus said. I gave it to him and he pushed the bullet back into the chamber. "This is totally unrelated, but did you see mattholomule anywhere you two?

"I think I saw him heading towards the construction-," I started, but Gus shot up and ran into Hexside. Willow seemed to pick up what he was doing.

"Gus, no. We could get in trouble!" Willow yelled, chasing after him. I laughed slightly before entering Hexside myself, heading towards the same wing for class.

As I walked pass the abominations wing, someone bumped into me.

"Watch it, nitwit! Oh, hi, Luz," Amity said, getting up and extending her had to me to help me up, which I took.

"Sorry about that, Amity. Here, let me help," I said as we picked up her fallen books. "So, where you off to in such a hurry?"

"I was actually heading towards the construction wing, thinking you were in class. I need to talk with you," She said. There was an urgency and fear in her voice that was very unAmity like.

"Sure. Shoot," I said, pointing finger guns at her.

"What? Why would I do that?" She asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Oh wait you wouldn't- never mind what do you need?" I asked. I can't believe I forgot most human phrases wouldn't make sense.

"We can't talk in the open like this. Follow me," She said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me into an empty classroom. There was abomination goop all over the walls.

"Woah... what happened in here?" I asked her, looking around the room.

"Some kid's abomination project didn't end well. Bump closed the room for renovations," She explained, also looking around before her gaze landed back on me. "Alright Luz. I need you to not freak out, ok? When I tell you this? I know you like mythical creatures, but this is... a problem."

"No promises, Miss Blight. But I shall try my best," I said, bending down to kiss her hand. Her face seemed to flush with red. Shoot, I shouldn't have done that. "I-I'm sorry I di-,"

"It's ok, Luz. Now look. My mom told me that there is a werewolf loose in Bonesborough. Those things are dangerous, and almost nothing is known about them. Be careful, ok?"

My heart stopped.

'How? How did people find out about me? What do I do? If Amity's mom knows, then what if werewolf hunters know? What if the emperor knows?! What if he knows it's me?! What do I-'

"Luz? Are you ok?" Amity asked, waving her hand in front of my face.

Then it dawned on me.

'Amity's scared of me.'

"Luz?"

'I mean I would never hurt her. So it should be ok...'

"Luz!"

"AH! Sorry. I was lost in thought," I said with a shrug and a forced smile. The smile she could she right through. She didn't ask about it, though.

"Ok. Don't tell anyone I told you this. My parents would kill me," She said with a small chuckle.

"My lips are sealed," I said with a smile.

"Good. Now let's get to class. See you at lunch!" Amity said as she walked out into the hallway. That's when the 5 minute bell screamed.

I'll think into this later. I have to get to construction class.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

I'll confess it here, I really wasn't paying attention to class. My mind was way too focused on what Amity said.

'As far as I know, there are two werewolves in the boiling isles. What if the one she knows about is the one that bit me? That would be some nice karma... but it would still be wrong. Maybe they weren't good at controlling their emotions? I wonder if Willow knows anything... plant class is next-'

My thoughts were cut short by the bell screaming and Mattholomule groaning next to me.

The walk to the plant wing wasn't too long, but I still barely made it in time.

"I'm here!" I yelled as I ran I to the room just as the bell screamed. I took my seat next to Willow.

"What held ya up?" Willow asked while writing down some notes.

"Walking from the construction wing to here. Not fun," I said. 

'Should I ask about what Amity said? She did say not to tell anyone... would I be betraying her trust?'

I decided not to ask about it and pay attention to class, occasionally asking Willow for help.

The teacher continued on about how plants were very powerful sources of magical energy. I tried my best to pay attention, but I found my eyes wandering around the room until I heard the teacher say something that required movement.

"Now we are going to check on our plants. Please exit your seats and go to the greenhouse, students. Return here 10 minutes before class ends."

This was my favorite part of the plant track. Especially since I found a glyph in the middle of one of the plants that I had tried to get to work all Thursday, to no avail. This was the day. I could feel it.

The walk down to the greenhouse was short. It was in the plant wing for convenience. Willow and I made light conversation, mostly talking about how Gus shot Mattholomule with a nerf gun. That was, until I noticed Amelia glancing at me every few seconds. It became frequent enough where I started talking to her once we reached the greenhouse.

"Hey. Amelia, right?" I asked her. She was startled at my approach. Her eyes were filled with an emotion I recognized immediately.

Fear.

How could I forget yesterday?

"U-um yeah-h that's me..." She said hesitantly while tending to a plant that looked like a rose.

"So, I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I didn't mean to... be that angry. Boscha was just- I thought she was getting better," I said, looking at her with my best apologetic look.

Her demeanor visibly soften and she met my gaze. "That's the thing. She was." 

I was taken aback by her comment.

'If she was, then what was that?'

"Ok, now I'm confused," I said, scratching my head.

"Up until yesterday morning, she was getting a lot better. No snarky remarks to anyone. She didn't do any bullying. But when she showed up on Monday, she was completely different..." Amelia said, with a confused and saddened look. I shifted my gaze to the counter in thought.

'Something happened that morning or the night before. And I need to find out what.'

"Alright. Thanks for the help," I said, waving and walking back to my plants. She waved back, much calmer now.

'I have potions class after lunch, and we have it together. Maybe I'll ask her then. But for now, I need to get this glyph down.'

Writing the glyph down onto a piece of paper, I tapped it. A small spark of green flew off the paper before it disintegrated.

'This might take awhile.'

~~~~20 attempts later~~~~

Alright. There is only 15 minutes until the bell rings, so this is probably my last chance.

'Two circles. Small, upside down triangle at the top. Line dividing the triangle in two. Long line extending from the bottom of the triangle. Circle at the end of the line. Dot in the middle. Two lines extending from the circle at the top.'

Deep breaths. Here goes nothing.

*Tap*

As I tapped it, a small vine extended from the paper.

"YESSSS! I did it! I did plant magic!" I screamed to no one in particular. Willow was right next to me and started to clap.

"Great Job Luz!" She exclaimed, looking at the small vine.

Willow summoned her scroll and looked at it.

"It's 10 minutes before class ends. We should head back," She said, already placing some of her plants back in the sun.

"Right."

We walked back to the classroom and sat down. Willow was looking at her scroll while I was mass producing plant glyphs onto pieces of paper.

When the bell screamed, Willow and I got up and walked over to the door before I noticed Amelia drop something in the hall. That gave me an idea.

"Hey Willow, I'm going to help Amelia out. I'll meet up with you guys in the cafeteria," I said, jogging over to Amelia.

"Ok. See ya later, Luz!" She said before walking to the lunch room.

I helped Amelia pick up a few of her things while I decided to ask her a question.

"Do you meet up with Boscha for lunch?" I asked. Lunch period was my only free period. Which makes it the only time to talk to Boscha outside of class.

"Ummm.... Yeah. Why do you ask?" She questioned while standing up with her books in hand.

"I need to talk to her..." I said as we walked down the hall into the potions wing.

"Amelia! There you-," Boscha started, but stopped when she saw me. A flash of confusion mixed with sadness went across her face before returning to a neutral look. Skara had a look of fear in her eyes after seeing me. "What is she doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," I said, in the calmest voice I could muster.

"N-no I have better things to do," Boscha stated, but her voice wavered. Time to keep pushing.

"Sorry, but this can not wait," I said with a stern and more menacing tone. That's when Skara and Amelia noticed the tension.

"H-hey Skar, let's go early?" Amelia whimpered. The confrontation was getting to her, and I felt bad.

"Good idea..." Skara said, running off with the plant track witch.

"Wha... wait don't leave me!" Boscha yelled, but it was too late. They already ran past the plant wing to the cafeteria.

"Just you and me, now. Tell me what happened," I said, in a calmer voice than earlier. If I wanted to help her, intimation was not the way to go.

"I-I don't have to explain anything-g to you..." She stammered, backing away slowly.

"Boscha, I want to help you. I know you saw something when I... interrogated... you yesterday. I also know something happened that made you loss your progress. Let me help," I said, reaching out my hand and touching her shoulder.

She tensed in my grip and mumbled something about traitorous fiends before speaking. "Not a word of this gets out, ok?"

"I won't say anything if you won't," I said with a warm smile.

"It's my parents... I... I saw them," She muttered with her head down. She put her right hand on her left arm as she spoke.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I have a feeling I know the answer, but I needed to know for sure.

"I saw them in my nightmare. The coma thing. And I voiced my opinion about my behavior towards others the following morning but..." She didn't want to complete the sentence. I could tell. Without thinking, I pulled her into a hug. She tensed even more, but eventually collapsed into the embrace. "I don't understand... how can you forgive me so easily?"

"I have made my mistakes. I didn't mean to do that to you yesterday. I'm sorry," I said, pulling out of the hug and smiling.

"Speaking of yesterday, I saw something concerning... in your eyes. I wanted to ask if it was a human thing..." Crap. I knew she would've saw something yesterday. Dammit.

"What did you see?" I questioned, trying to sound completely oblivious.

"Your eyes... glowed. Like half your eyes were engulfed in this... silvery glow... is that a human thing?" Boscha asked, tilting her head.

'Shoot. Should I tell her? If she manages to figure out that glowing eyes is a sign of being a werewolf and I lie, this could end badly...'

"No. It's..." I hesitated to say anything. What I said now would have an impact that I couldn't take back. Ever. 

You know what they say.

'Actions speak louder than words...'

I looked around the hallway to make sure no one was there. When I was sure there was no one there, I ripped off my beanie.

Boscha just stared at my ears, her eyes not moving like she was trying to process what just happened. Then they widen to a size I didn't think they could.

"OH MY TITAN! You're a-," She started to scream, but I put my hand over her mouth.

"Yeah. Why don't you tell the whole school while you're at it?!" I whisper screamed. I slowly removed my hand from her mouth to see it wide open in shock.

"You're a werewolf?" She asked in a much calmer voice.

"Yes. I am. The glow symbolizes the wolf taking over when I have strong emotions," I said, scratching my ears that have been stuck in a beanie all day.

"Ok... this is... a lot. Ooooo, can I see your wolf form?" She asked, balancing on the balls of her feet like a kid.

"That's your question? Not 'aren't you dangerous' or something like 'who knows'?" I asked, face palming.

"Yep."

"Ugggh... fine," I said. I shifted into my wolf form and Boscha immediately started to pet my head. 

"Oh my Titan, you are soooo cute!" She said, scratching my head. I transformed back and glared at her, tucking my tail in.

"No one else knows. And we are going to keep it that way, ok?" I told her, placing my beanie back on my head.

"As long as you keep my secret, I'll keep yours. And I'll stop... you know. I really did change for the better after the duel, I swear... but my parents..." She said, looking me in the eyes.

"All is forgiven. I don't hold grudges," I said with a smile as we walked to the cafeteria.

Once we got there, we separated to our own tables. I walked over to Amity, Willow, and Gus.

"What took you so long, Luz? Lunch is almost over!" Gus said, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

"Sorry, I was..." I started as I looked over at Boscha, who smiled at me. "Tying up loose ends."

I sat down at the table and talked for 5 minutes until the bell screamed. We all got up and walked to class, with Boscha and I heading over to the potions wing. We walked in a more awkward silence, neither of us really haven completely forgiven the other yet.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

I tried to pay attention as much as I could, but thoughts about Amity kept creeping into my head.

'If you told her, she would hate you. Fear you. Despise you.'

No matter how much I wanted to think these were wrong, that Amity would never hate me off of something I couldn't control, I still believed them. She said that werewolves are dangerous. She'll hate me.

When the bell screamed, we all got up and walked out the door, but someone grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. 

"Why do you have that face?" Boscha asked. I really didn't expect her to be the one to check on me, but I'll take it.

"I was just thinking. If anyone else knew about... ya know... what they would think of me," I told her with a sigh. "I've been one for a while."

"I'm sure those dorks would still love you," She assured me with a smirk.

"Right.... Thanks Boscha," I said, walking to the healing wing.

The walk felt longer than before. My head was filled with never ending thoughts about the consequences of telling Boscha.

'At least now I have someone other than Eda and King. Someone my age who understands trying to hide who you are. What do I do? Do I tell Amity? She seemed to trust me with sensitive information...

I walked into healing class and took my seat next to Bo. We never talked that much, but she decided to speak up.

"Hey, did you talk to Boscha? Her entire mood was different at lunch but she refused to say anything..." She said while looking down at her note pad.

'Good. She's keeping her promise. That's good.'

"No, I didn't," I told her. I didn't want Boscha to be in a tight spot if they asked what we talked about.

"Oh, ok," Bo said, directing her attention back to the teacher.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

The teacher was describing a really advanced spell as we all watched.

"So, the spell takes years of mastery and practice, but it can almost instantly heal broken bones," The teacher said, demonstrating with a diagram.

'So that's how Eda did it.'

The bell screamed right as he was pointing out key areas in the body. We all shuffled out of the classroom and I made my way to the front of the school to meet Gus, Willow and Amity.

"Hey guys!" I said as I walked over to the group.

"Luz! We were all going to head to the park, wanna come?" Willow asked with a warm smile.

'This is enough.'

"I would love to!" I exclaimed as we began to walk together.

'They don't need to know what I am.'

"Race you there, Luz!" Gus said, starting to sprint.

'If they don't know, everyone is happy.'

"You're on!" I yelled, running after him.

'I'm happy.'

~~~~Forest~~~~

"Madam Lilith, with all do respect, why are we in the forest?" The emperor's coven member said as a small group of coven members walked through a dense forest.

"We are going to catch my sister, Steve," Lilith said with an annoyed tone. She was wondering how they could miss that important detail during the briefing.

The group of 10 soldiers and Lilith walked through the woods in silence, observing their surroundings.

"What was that?!" Another member asked, spinning around on his heels.

"What was what, Ronald?" Steve asked, also starting to spin around. One of the senior officers spoke up.

"Will you two stop it? We are trying to- AHHH!" The officer was pinned to the ground by a large wolf, with bright white fur.

Lilith acted fast and casted a energy blast, pushing the wolf off of the officer and blasting it into a tree.

It recovered quickly and got up, looking straight into Lilith's eyes.

"What are you doing, crea-," Lilith started, but then noticed it's eyes. They were glowing gold.

"It's a werewolf! Capture it, now!" Lilith yelled to the remaining 9 guards. They all casted ropes and prepared tie the creature, and Lilith blasted it with another energy bolt. The wolf wasted no time dodging the attack and clawing at the closest emperor's guard.

"AHHH!" The member yelled before being thrown into a tree by the wolf.

Steve approached the wolf form behind and threw his rope into the beast, but the wolf noticed him coming.

He spun around and bit the rope, using it to throw Steve to the ground with a thud, knocking him out instantly.

The wolf turned his attention to Ronald, who casted a protection spell as the wolf rammed his side into the bubble. Lilith took the opportunity to cast a sleep spell on the wolf, making it fall to its side.

She looked around at her beaten forces and started to speak. 

"Someone grab each fallen guard. I'll carry the wolf." She casted a levitation spell and began to walk back to the castle, her tattered squad behind her.

~~~~Emperor's Castle~~~~

Lilith walked through the door of the emperor's camber, with a levitating wolf in tow.

"What is the meaning of this?! You did not have an audience with me today," The emperor was on edge, and it shook Lilith to her core.

"Yes sir. But I found something important," She said, presenting the wolf.

"What is that?" The emperor questioned, his voice filled with spite.

"A werewolf," Lilith said, placing it in the ground before the Emperor.

The emperor said nothing as he casted a spell with his staff, causing the werewolf to shift back into a man. He was wearing a tattered emperor's coven robe with blonde hair and purpleish crimson eyes.

"Golden guard... I was wondering where you went..." Emperor said, looking down at the defeated former prodigy of the coven. The Golden guard said nothing.

"Excellent work, Lilith. Although, this mutt does not match the description of the one we are looking for..." The emperor said, looking up from the guard to look at Lilith.

"I see. If you let me interrogate my young stud-," She started, but was cut off.

"No. Let the child's parents sort this out. They will find the creature," The emperor said. "But perhaps this mutt will tell us where to find the other one..."

Chapter Text

~~~~Amity~~~~

Tomorrow is Friday. It would be a normal day, but they are announcing the grom queen tomorrow.

Grom.

'How am I going to ask Luz? I could just ask her, but what if she says no? What if she hates me and I lose her as a friend? Should I take that risk?'

My mind started to race through all of the possible outcomes. I looked over at my bed to my slitherbeast plushie and smiled.

'She isn't the type of person to do that. She wouldn't cut someone off because of how they feel.'

I continued to think about ways to ask her, eventually settling on writing a note. I glanced over at my clock to see how much time I had.

10:47 PM

Not terrible. If I write the note right now, I could still get enough sleep for tomorrow.

"Luz, will you go to grom with me? -Amity..." I mumbled as I wrote, folding the note once I finished and placing it on my books for later. That's when my door opened.

"Heyyyy, Mittens~" Emira said with an exaggerated sigh. I also sighed and turned around to look at her. She was leaning on my door frame. The strange thing was that Ed was no where in sight.

"Where's Ed?" I asked, tilting my head and raising an eyebrow. Most of their pranks start like this. One of them distracts me while the other sets up the trap.

"Ok so I know this looks bad, but I'm here for something other than teasing you..." She mumbled, lowering her head.

"Oh really? And what would that be?" I asked. I find it really hard to believe that she is here for something else.

"I need... advice..." She muttered while sitting down on my bed. Her expression was one of deep thought, so I softened my own look. She was serious.

"About what?" I questioned in a softer, calmer tone. She actually needed help, and I wasn't going to turn her away. No matter how much they annoy me, the twins are always there for me, so I'll do the same.

"Well, this is my last year at Hexside, and grom is coming up. So I think... I might actually ask her," She finished her sentence and looked up at me to read my response. I knew that Em has had a crush on Viney for forever, but I didn't think she'd ever act on it.

"Are you serious? You're going to finally ask her?!" I whisper yelled, careful not to awake the probably sleeping Edric in the next room.

"Yeah! I just don't know how..." She trailed off, looking around my room before her eyes landed on the note on top of my books. "Are you asking someone too?"

Crap.

'I shouldn't lie. She came to me with sensitive information, so I'll tell her the truth.'

"Yeah, I guess I am," I told her, grabbing the note so that she couldn't.

"Oooooo, who is it? Is it the person that gave you the plushie?" She asked, picking up said plushie that was next to her. I felt my face heat up, so I turned around and put my head down onto my desk to hide it. But it was too late.

"Ohhhh, it is~ who is it, Mittens~ promise I won't tell Ed," She said. I looked up at her to see her with one hand on her heart and the other in the air.

"That's a lie. You two share everything," I told her. She pretended to look shocked and hurt, lowering her hand.

"I am hurt that you think I would ever do that. I told you that I was asking Viney out, didn't I?" She told me, wriggling her eyebrows up and down.

"You did, but the love between you two is so obvious everyone in the school knows about your crush," I said while laughing.

"Not. True!" She yelled, turning her head away from me. "Wait... stop changing the subject! Who is it?!"

"You'll never drop this, will you?" I asked, hanging my head low.

"Nope," She stated while shaking her head.

"Ugggh... fine. It may or may not be... Luz..." I mumbled the last part hoping she didn't hear it. But of course, she did.

She just stared at me with her mouth wide open. She had a look on her face that conveyed shock, confusion, and sadness all at the same time. "Amity..." Was all she said, maintaining her expression.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you!" I yelled while shoving my face into my arms. "You'll just tease me like always."

"Amity, no that's not it. What about mom and dad?" She asked.

My stomach dropped.

'I didn't even think about that. If I go out with Luz, what will they think? I doubt they would approve of me dating a human...'

"I-," I started, but couldn't think of anything to say. "I'll figure something out..." I had no confidence in my words at this point.

"Whatever you decide, Ed and I will be right behind you, Mittens," She with a smile while patting my back.

"Thanks," I said. My lips started to curl into a smile when I spoke again. "Now, on to more pressing matters. How should you ask Viney?"

"Oh, Right... I have... no idea..." Em said, shaking her head. 

"I think you should just ask her. You were always good with those types of things," I said with a smile. "Also why are you still holding my plushie?"

"It brings me comfort! And I think I'll try that... thanks Mittens!" She said, placing the plushie down and walking out of my room.

"Of course!" I yelled. I turned back around to focus on some last minute homework before bed.

~~~~Luz~~~~

I was sitting with Eda and King watching some trash tv on the crystal ball. It was comfortable, and helped me forget what I'm constantly thinking about. That was, until King paused the show to use the bathroom. Time to make conversation.

"Hey Eda?" I asked, looking over at the woman sitting in the chair to my left.

"Yup?" She answered, taking a drink of her apple blood.

"Ok, first of all, it's 10 o'clock, don't you think it's too late for apple blood?" I said with a smirk.

"What?! It's never too late for alcohol! What kinda rock do you live under?" She yelled. I winced at the volume. Cruse my super sensitive ears.

"The rock I live under is your house, in case you forgot," I said while laughing.

"Oh-oh yeah... well what else do you need, Luz?" She said with a snicker.

"I was wondering... if I'm a werewolf, how would I go home? ...Should I go home?" I said looking down. It's something I've been thinking about ever since I became a werewolf and I needed to talk to someone about it.

Eda's eyes softened and her smile turned into a frown almost instantly. "That's a good question. As far as I know, werewolves are myths in your realm. I guess you'll have to have a long chat with your mom..."

"Yeah, I guess so..." I said with a sigh. "¿Debería decirle a mi mamá?" I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" Eda asked, looking up from her apple blood cup.

"Nothing..." I said. I need to lighten the mood. "What is grom? Some teachers were talking about it."

"Grom is this school dance thing. And then there's the grom royal, who fights Grometheus," She said, waving her hand around.

I was about to say it was like prom in the human world until she mentioned a fight of some kind. "What's Grometheus?"

"A monster who lives under the school. One student is selected to fight it, and Bump holds a dance in celebration," She said, rolling her eyes. "Ya know, I was Grom queen one year?"

"Wait, really?!" I yelled.

"Yeah! And I defeated it, too! Although it was the year I dropped out, but who needs school?! Who knows where I'd be right now if I didn't drop out," She said standing up and swirling her apple blood.

"Right... what if I went?" I asked standing up. That's when King walked back down the steps.

"That's a no. It's formal, which means you couldn't wear your hat thing. That's a bad idea," She said shaking her head.

"Oh come on! You could go as a chaperone and maintain an illusion spell on my ears and tail!" I said jumping up and down.

"I don't know... alright fine. But if you get caught, there will be bloodshed..." She said shaking her fist.

"Now I just need to figure out what to wear..." I said, tapping my chin in thought.

"Oh Luz, do you remember the year you went wearing a suit with a tutu?!" King screamed, jumping onto my head.

"King! You said you'd never mention that to anyone! That was 2 years ago!" I yelled, picking him up.

"Ngghh, put me down!" He said as he wiggled out of my grasp and onto the couch.

"I'm sure you'll find something in this house. Now I'm going to my nest. Don't do anything stupid," Eda said, placing her apple blood down and walking upstairs.

"Goodnight! Love you!" I yelled, walking just behind her into my own room. I sat down on my sleeping bag and picked up the picture of my mom.

"Lo siento mama. No sé qué hacer. Soy un monstruo que pertenece a otro reino," I mumbled, placing the photo down and laying in my sleeping bag. And thats when I let the tears fall.

~~~~The Morning~~~~

I slowly sat up from my 'bed' and turned off my alarm. I looked over at it to read the time.

6:35 AM

I really should let myself sleep in more.

Standing up and grabbing my school uniform, I walked into the bathroom to take a shower. The water was cold, I didn't even bother to let it warm up.

I stepped out of the shower and dried off. Glancing at the mirror, I saw the scar that the werewolf left.

'That would be hard to explain in a dress. Suit it is.'

I put my uniform on and tucked my tail in. I looked at my ears for a while before throwing my beanie on and walking downstairs. As I turned towards the kitchen, I saw King standing on the counter and reaching for the top cabinet. He knew that's where Eda kept the sugar so he couldn't get it.

"King?" I asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow. He was startled by my sudden approach and fell off the counter. I quickly dove down to catch him. "Now. What has Eda told you about standing with only one foot down?"

"You'll fall. You always do..." He muttered, looking away.

"And what did you do?" I asked with a snicker.

"Hmph... fall..." He mumbled, jumping out of my hold. "I simply misplaced my foot. I demand snacks!" He jumped onto a chair.

"No sweets at 7 in the morning, King," I said with a laugh.

"What?! This is anarchy! Obey your demon king!" He said with a squeal.

"Pfft- how about some waffles?" I countered with a giggle.

"...waffles sound nice..." He muttered, looking away from me.

"Ok, almighty King. How many do you want?" I asked, grabbing a waffle maker from a cabinet. I'm really glad we were able to find one in the trash Eda brings from the human realm.

"4!" He said while jumping up and down.

I continued to giggle at his antics while mixing the batter. I poured it into the waffle maker, which luckily used batteries instead of a cord, and pressed down. I continued to do this until I had 4 waffles stacked on top of each other.

"Do you want syrup, King?" I asked him, grabbing some from the fridge.

"You mean the liquid sugar? Yes!" He squealed, glancing at me with a look that said 'duh'.

I smiled and poured some on top before handing him the plate. He didn't even say anything before he dug straight in, getting syrup all over his face. I laughed a little before making 3 more waffles with the rest of the batter. I placed 2 on one plate and the last one on a napkin. I grabbed the ones on a plate and put it down on the other side of the table, then looked at King.

"These are for Eda, ok?" I told him with a smirk.

"No promises!" He said with a mouthful full.

"Ok then. Let Eda know I left for school, ok?" I told him, grabbing my backpack. I opened the door and looked at Hooty. "Hey Hooty, I left one waffle on the counter for you ok? Have a good day!" I said waving and then shifting into my wolf form.

This time my thoughts were filled with ideas about grom.

'I wonder if Amity is going with anyone... N-NOT THAT IM NOT CURIOUS ABOUT ALL MY FRIENDS HAHA'

Once I saw the school in the distance I shifted back and tucked my tail in. I readjusted my beanie before running towards the entrance. I saw Willow and Gus talking with... Boscha. This outta be interesting.

"-and that's why I acted that way. Not a word of this gets out, ok?!" Boscha yelled at the both of them once she finished her sentence. Willow and Gus violently nodded their heads before they saw me.

"Luz, hey!" Gus said, shooting me finger guns. He's been using them everyday ever since I taught it to him. I laughed before responding.

"Hey, Gus! What are you guys talking about?" I asked, running up so I was next to them. Both Gus and Willow looked over at Boscha, who only laughed.

"We were talking about why I acted the way I did. You know, what we talked about?" She said, slightly shaking her head when she looked my way. 

'I'm going to hope that meant she didn't say anything about me. I doubt she would.'

Both Willow and Gus sighed before Willow spoke. "You do know this doesn't make up for everything, Boscha..."

" I know. I'm sorry..." She apologized while looking at the ground and kicking the dirt.

"...but it's a start." Willow said with a small smile, which Boscha returned.

"Hey, did you guys see Amity anywhe-," I started, but someone bumped into me knocking both of us to the ground. "Ooff-,"

"Hey, wat- I mean- I'm sorry- oh, hey Luz. And co." Amity said, while looking up at me.

"It's all good, Amity," I said with a warm smile. "Here, let me help you."

I helped pick up her books and a pink note, handing the books to her first. "Here you go. And here, Your Note," I said while dusting myself off with my other hand. She swiped it out of my hand immediately. "Man, You got some quick grabbers!" I made some crab hands to emphasize my point.

"It's just- it's- private," She said, lowering her head.

"Oh. Sorry," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. 

I turned back around to face the rest of my friends. "Hey, are you ok Luz?" Gus asked, looking at me up and down with concern.

"Yeah? Why wouldn't I be?" I questioned, tilting my head.

"Your face is a little red... but not like blush red or anything," He reasoned. 

'Crap. It's probably the fact I cried almost all night last night. Play it off. They can't know the reason.'

"M-Must be the heat?" My voice wavered as I talked, making it sound really unconvincing. Gus seemed to want to push on, but the 15 minute bell screamed while we were talking.

"We should get inside," Boscha said, gesturing towards the entrance.

"Alright Luz. Tell us if something's wrong ok? Now, I have to get to my Illusion class 10 minutes early to set up my illusion! Let's go!" Gus said, jogging inside. Amity and I chuckled before walking in ourselves. She turned to the left towards abomination 101 while I turned right to beast keeping. 

"See you in abomination studies!" I said, waving at her. She smiled back and did a small wave.

'Time for the most insulting yet weirdly comforting class in this school for me...'

~~~~Amity~~~~

I am sitting in abomination 101, not really paying attention to the teacher. I am trying to think of ideas on how to ask Luz to grom, but I keep coming up blank. Sure, I have a note, but how will I give that to her?

'I have to ask her before school ends. Grom is tomorrow...'

As I continued to think, the teacher talked about our upcoming semester exams. I tuned in to the conversation mid sentence.

"-and make sure that you come prepared next week Friday for your exams."

I'm going to hope he said nothing important before that. I pulled out my worksheet and started to write, but my thoughts were still completely occupied.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

I made up my mind. I'll ask her after abomination studies before we go to lunch. That way, I'll have plenty of time and no audience. I just finished up my worksheet when the bell screamed. We all walked out of the room, with me basically running towards abomination studies. Not surprisingly, I was the first one there.

"Wow Miss Blight. I don't think I've ever seen someone that excited for this class. Way to be top student," The teacher said with a smile. I waved back and made my way to my seat. Luckily, the teacher gave Luz the option to choose where to sit on her first Friday, and she sat next to me. Probably to make more jokes, but it still made me happy.

Luz came into the room a few minutes after I did, and walked up to sit next to me. "Hey Amity, I have a question," She said.

"What is it?" I said, turning towards her. I almost immediately frowned when I saw her face again. Gus was right, her face was a bad type of red. Her eyes seemed duller than before, like she has been thinking about something that has been weighing her down.

"Have you ever me-," She started, but stopped herself. She hesitated. Something is wrong. "Are you going to grom?"

Normally, that question would've made me stumble over my words and give out, but she was upset, so my giant crush was the least of my worries.

"Yes, I am. But what's wrong?" I questioned her, placing my hand on her shoulder. She tensed almost immediately at my contact, but relaxed before I pulled away.

"It's nothing. I'm okay," She chuckled a little before giving a forced smile. I was about to question her further, but the bell screamed before I could. 

'Perfect. Just Great. I can't ask her when she's like this, she'll be too stressed.'

We sat in silence as the teacher talked, which was new. I have never been in a class with Luz where she doesn't make a joke every 2 minutes. We made it half way through before she spoke.

"Hey Amity, how does the ocean say hello?"

"How, Luz?" I asked, looking over at her. Her eyes had more spark than before, and she was smiling. Seeing her feel better made me smile, but I was still going to ask what was wrong after class.

"It waves," She said through stifled laughter. I, on the other hand, giggled a few times before laughing out loud, getting a nasty look from the teacher. He shrugged after seeing who it was. Ah, the perks of being top student. I looked back at Luz who still had some red on her face, but it was brighter than before.

"Hey, you ok?" I asked, waving my hand in front of her face.

"Oh-oh ye-yeah I'm all good," She stammered before placing her head onto the desk.

We sat like that for the rest of the class, neither of us talking. It was more comfortable than before, and it was good to know Luz is feeling better. The bell screamed just as the teacher was talking about exams.

"-and that's the bell! Have a great day, students," He said, walking back to his desk. Luz and I stood up and walked out the door. She started to walk towards the cafeteria, but I pulled her into a different hallway.

"Hey! What the- Amity? What are you doing?" She asked. She didn't try to struggle out of my grasp as I pulled her into a storage closet filled with abomination cauldrons. I turned around to look at her before speaking.

"Something is wrong. I can tell. Spill it," I told her, crossing my arms. She opened her mouth for a second, before looking down.

"Am I that easy to read?" She said with a chuckle. I softened slightly and grabbed her shoulders.

"It's ok to be vulnerable. You taught me that. Now, what's wrong?" I asked her. She brought her head up and asked a question that I really didn't expect.

"Have you ever met a werewolf?"

My first instinct was to say no. Obviously, I hadn't, right? I probably wouldn't be standing her today if I had.

"I don't think so..." I told her. "I have a feeling I wouldn't be here with you if I have."

"How much is known about them?" She asked, looking around the room.

"Well, they are known as dangerous, lesser beings. At least, that's what Emperor Belos says. I, personally, know nothing about them. I just assume they're dangerous to be safe," I said with a shrug. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh- I," she stumbled on her words, looking for the right ones. "What you said had me thinking for a while. I was just curious, I guess."

I hummed I response before talking. "Well, we should get to lunch. Willow and Gus must be worried sick."

"Yeah," Luz said as we walked out of the closet. We continued for maybe 2 minutes before the speaker turned on with Bump's voice.

"Attention Hexside students! This is your principal speaking." I knew immediately why he was talking, but Luz looked confused.

"He's announcing the grom royal, Luz," I told her with excitement laced in my voice.

"This year, I have the privilege to bestow our highest grom honor to...Amity Blight!"

I backed away in shock and in fear. Luz gasped as she looked in my direction. I kept my attention on the speaker.

"Our Grom Queen!" 

"Amity, I-," Luz started, but I ran off before she could continue. This ruins everything! And my fear is... oh no.

~~~~Luz~~~~

"Amity, wait!" I yelled after her, but she already turned the corner. I was going to try and catch up, but the bell screamed, signaling the end of lunch.

'I'll catch up to her later. After school.'

I turned around and started walking towards my Mythical creatures class. The walk back towards the beast keeping wing wasn't far. As I walked, I felt more and more guilty.

'I should've said something. To comfort her. Eda said Grometheus is pretty bad, but why did she run off?'

When I reached the classroom, I took my seat next to Viney as the class started. She looked over at me and started talking.

"Hey, Willow asked me about you. Said you weren't at lunch. What happened?"

"Oh, I was with Amity when she heard the news," I said, gesturing towards the speaker in the classroom. She nodded and turned back towards the teacher, and I did the same.

The teacher talked on and on about different types of creatures, but they said something that caught my attention.

"Dangerous creatures such as werewolves, vampires, sirens, and Manticores were seen as lesser species. As such, Emperor Belos demanded that they be hunted. As a result, these species are extinct. While most didn't agree with the judgment, all agreed that they were dangerous."

'EXTINCT?! I don't think I'm extinct?! That means if I'm exposed, Belos will have my head!'

I practically felt my face grow pale as I raised my hand.

"Yes, Miss Noceda?" The teacher asked with a sigh.

"May I use the restroom?" I asked with a quiet voice. I saw Boscha staring at me from across the classroom, with a similar grim expression.

"Yes. Be fast," They said. I bolted out of the room and straight towards the bathrooms. Once I reached them and made sure no one was here, I entered a stale and took off my beanie.

"¡¿Extinta?!" I yelled, running my hands through my hair.

'This is bad. This is really bad. If I'm exposed, I'm basically dead! I might as well start writing my will. My phone will go to my mom, my Azura collection will go to Amity, my signature chicken Quesadilla recipe will go to-'

"Luz? Are you in here?" A familiar voice asked, knocking on my stall.

"Boscha, I'm kind of panicking right now," I said in a shaky voice.

"I get it. I heard it too. Look, everyone thinks your species is extinct. How did you turn into a werewolf, anyway?" She asked, leaning on the stall.

"I was bit by one. In the Woods," I told her. I wasn't sure if I was sharing too much information, but she already knows I'm a werewolf, so what's the worst that can happen.

"Huh." Was all she said, before we both stopped talking. She was the first to fill the silence.

"Look, take all the time you need, but you don't want to miss too much class," She said as she walked out of the bathroom.

I stayed in that stall until I had composed myself enough to come out, placing my beanie back on my head.

Apparently, I misjudged just how much class I missed in the bathroom, because the end of school bell screamed as I walked out.

'Crap. I missed boiling Isles history class. That's one of my favorites...'

I silently pouted as I walked out through the front gate. I was immediately tackled by a very worried Gus.

"Where were you?! You never miss history!" He  screamed.

"I'm sorry! I was just held up with something," I told him. I looked behind him to see Willow standing with... Boscha. That was fast. "Has anyone seen Amity?" 

"No. No one here shares a class with her after lunch," Boscha said, looking away from Willow to look at me. I was starting to get concerned for Amity.

"We were just about to go to the Owl Lady's tent. Do you want to come with?" Willow said, offering her hand to pull Gus off of me. I got up after he did.

"No, thanks. I'm going to look for Amity," I said, shrugging.

"Suit yourself. Human treasures await!" Gus yelled, pointing a finger to the sky. I laughed as I walked toward the words in the direction of the owl house. I think I know where to start looking.

~~~~Amity~~~~

I didn't know where to go. I needed somewhere to think, and I guess I just subconsciously went here.

I was sitting on the log Luz and I read Azura on together, then subsequently fell asleep on.

'The only way to avoid showing the entire school my fear is to ask Luz out. But she already has so much on her mind I can't just-'

"Amity? Is that you?" Someone asked as they emerged from the trees.

"Hey, Luz," I said, looking over at her and giving a weak smile.

"Are you ok?" She asked, looking really concerned as she took a seat next to me.

"Yeah. I just... have a lot on my mind," I said with a sigh, looking back towards the river.

"About being Grom Queen?" She asked, touching my shoulder. I felt a slight blush rise, but I pushed it down as fast as it came up. It wasn't time for that.

"I guess so... it's just... Grometheus brings out your worst fears, and mine is... really embarrassing..." I said, looking away with a small blush on my cheeks.

"Did you try to ask Bump to change?" Luz asked, with a small but genuine smile.

"This can't change. Not unless I can find a replacement. But who'd want to switch with me?" I asked sarcastically, looking away. My odds were low I would find anyone, and-

"I would."

"What?" I asked, shocked and confused. Did I hear her right?

'There's no way this girl just said that, right?'

"Amity Blight, I'll do it! I'll take your place, and face Grom in the arena! I'll be your Fearless Champion!" Luz said, standing up. She stood tall until a spider crawled onto her face, making her face plant into the mud.

"F-fearless... c-champion..."

I laughed at her antics before helping her get up.

"Thank you, Luz."

~~~~Emperor's Castle~~~~

"Uncle, please! I told you everything! I've bitten hundreds of people, most of them while I was frenzied! Why are you doing this?!" Hunter screamed. Belos continued to force him to drink truth spells, but continuously ending up with the same results. Half truths.

The young guard looked at his uncle with pleading eyes. His arms, legs and tail are chained to a wall in the dungeons. He had no idea how the emperor could take so much joy in what he was doing to him.

"All I need is for you to tell me which one gained the wolves blood! I'm not foolish, I know becoming a werewolf from a bite is unheard of, so tell me what really happened!" Belos demanded. He was sick of his nephew being so... disobedient. He was lucky that he wasn't on death row already.

"I swear, I don't know! Please!" Hunter screamed, before swinging his head down, collapsing as much as he could from exhaustion.

"Hmm... I didn't want to have to do this, but you left me no choice," Belos said, casting a mind breaking spell on Hunter. He was going to find every single witch he has bitten and have them brought before him, one way or another.

Chapter Text

~~~~Luz~~~~

Was taking Amity's place the best idea? No. In fact, it was probably far from it. Showing the entire school my fear will probably expose me as an 'extinct' species. Fantastic.

But seeing her relaxed with that huge amount of stress off her shoulders is worth it.

I was sitting on my sleeping bag just after waking up. Amity was supposed to be here around 12 to eat lunch and then help me train. She also said her siblings will probably tag along, which I didn't mind. I looked over at my alarm clock.

7:27 AM

I really should let myself sleep in. But I've never been able to. I got up off my 'bed' and headed towards the kitchen, where Eda was arguing about something with King.

"Both Luz and I will be at Grom, so you have to stay here!" Eda yelled while cooking eggs.

"I get that, but why is Hooty in charge?!" King screamed, flailing his arms around. He jumped onto the counter next to the stove, so that he was at eye level with Eda.

"That's just the way it is, and get off the counter you furball," Eda said, pushing the tiny demon off of the kitchen counter. King just squealed in rage before running off into the living room.

"What was that about?" I asked her, sitting down at the table. Eda finished her eggs and handed me one while eating the other.

"King wanted to go out while we are gone. I said no, and that Hooty will be in charge. He got angry," Eda said while eating, occasionally laughing between bites. I laughed a little myself before eating my food.

We ate in silence until I finished. I got up and put the plate in the sink before turning to face Eda.

"I need a suit," I told her with a smile. She choked on the apple blood she was drinking and faced me.

"What made up your mind?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. I said nothing and removed my shirt, revealing my sports bra and an ugly scar. "Ahhhh, that would do it. Alright, go into the spare rooms to look for one." She shooed me away.

I put my shirt back on and walked over to the hallway. I turned right into the first room. It was filled with nothing but toys and other household items Eda declared as toys, so I left the room. I opened the next door and saw a sign that said 'human magic?' I chuckled before walking in. This room had a bunch of electronics and a few dangerous cleaning supplies. I laughed and left the room, turning to the last one in the hall. As I opened it, I was met with a truck load of clothes. Most of them were ripped, given that Eda collects it from the trash, but if you looked hard enough there was some good clothes.

I began to grab fancier outfits to try on. One was a white dress shirt with ruffles at the wrists. Another was suit pants with a blue tint. I threw them outside of the room before continuing my search.

"There's gotta be a suit jacket or something..." I mumbled as I searched through piles of clothes. I grabbed a gold cummerbund and a purple vest, throwing them with the rest of my clothes. I also found a pair of black suit pants with golden trims.

20 minutes of searching later, I found a black suit jacket along with a purple bow tie. I placed everything I collected in a pile and began to decide what to wear.

"Everything I have wouldn't match with these..." I muttered, throwing the blue tinted suit pants away.

I decided on the white dress shirt with the purple vest, black suit jacket, black suit pants, golden cummerbund and the purple bow tie. I set it aside to go for a quick run.

"Eda! I'm going for a run real quick!" I yelled down the hall. I shifted into my wolf form and waited for a response.

"Ok! Just make sure to be back by 11!" Eda yelled. I barked in acknowledgment before running off into the woods. I ignored Hooty's comments as I ran.

~~~~Amity~~~~

Maybe I left early. I decided to take the really long route to the owl house, but when I reached the river, it was only 9:30 AM. So I decided to sit on our log and read. I had brought along The Good Witch Azura volume 3 (The best one in the series) to read with Luz, but I'm a little early. So I'll read it now.

I was half way through chapter 4 when I heard rustling in the bushes. I quickly shut the book and casted a spell circle, ready to fight whatever revealed itself.

I was quick to shake the circle away when I saw a familiar face.

"Aster!" I yelled, jumping up from the log and hugging the wolf. "It's been awhile, how're you feeling?"

The wolf barked as she laid down, and I sat next to her. I grabbed my book and continued reading, but I couldn't focus. Something was wrong.

Then I remembered what Luz said.

'Have you ever met a werewolf?'

I was certain I hadn't. I was- no- I am positive I haven't. But what if-

"Aster, Are you a... werewolf?" I asked her, looking in her piercing blue eyes. So many things would make sense if she was.

'Her insane intelligence, the blue eyes, the glowing silver eyes when we first met, and the larger appearance. None of those traits are normal wolf traits.'

She just stayed where she was, looking away. Silence filled the area, and it made me more and more suspicious. Eventually Aster looked at me, and nodded.

"W-wha-what?" I stuttered. I stood up and backed away from the wolf, who was looking down. "I- I need to go-o." I ran away from the woods and to the owl house. I heard a whimper escape from the wolf before she made a rustling sound. I didn't look back as I approached the annoying bird tube.

'She was a werewolf the entire time?! How am I not dead? How- why?!'

As I walked up to the door, the bird tube extended towards me.

"Hoot hoot! It's always nice to make friends! I seen you before though, hoot!" He said. I groaned and knocked on the door. "Sheesh, I'm just being polite. The other two green ones were nicer..."

"My siblings are already-," I started, but the door swung open and I was met with two familiar faces.

"There you are, Mittens. We were wondering when you would show," Edric said as he leaned on the door frame. I walked in without saying anything and looked towards the kitchen. Eda was in there, cooking food.

"Didn't Luz say she'd be the one cooking?" I asked the twins, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. But according to Eda, she's a little... upset right now," Em said as she leaned onto Ed.

"Where is she?" I asked Eda. She was trying to make food I've never seen before.

"In her room. She really is upset. She almost never misses the chance to show off her cooking skills..." Eda mumbled while cooking what looked like a bird.

"Im going to go check on her," I said, walking towards the stairs.

"Not a Good idea!" Eda yelled. "When she is like this, she's a little... unstable!"

"That won't stop me!" I yelled back as I ran up the stairs.

~~~~Luz~~~~

'What was I thinking? That Amity would actually accept me as a werewolf? I'm an idiot...'

I laid on my sleeping curled up. Even though I was trying to get tears to fall, nothing would happen. I just laid there, in total silence. That was, until I heard set of knocks on the door. I didn't even wait to see who it was before responding.

"Go away..." I mumbled, Just loud enough for whoever it was to hear me.

"Luz, please unlock the door. Tell me what's wrong."

Amity.

I totally forgot that she was stopping by today. How am I going to pretend that everything's ok?

"I don't really feel like talking..." I muttered. I haven't moved from my spot. The moment I got back to the owl house, I ran upstairs. I already had this conversation with Eda and King.

"Well, too bad. Because I'm here. So, what's wrong?" Amity asked. I could hear her slide onto the door. I decided to do the same. We sat there, back to back with a door between us. I can't tell her the truth, so it's time to make something up.

"It's just... I'm thinking about what my fear will be..." I told her. I laid my head against the door.

"Hey, it's ok. You got this. Grom's fears are a little different than whatever that nightmare was. It is going to be more... personal. I don't know if that helps, but..." She started to trial off, and talked about different things that she was thinking about. I decided to cut her off.

"Amity."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what we talked about yesterday?" As I said that, there was silence. She didn't say anything. She probably already knew what I was talking about.

She waited maybe 2 minutes before responding.

"Yeah."

"If you ever met a werewolf, what do you think they would act like?" I asked her. I wanted to hear it from her as Luz.

"I-," She was going to say something, but decided against it. "Can you open the door?" I reached for the handle, but looked down and saw my tail. 

"Uhhh- yeah just give me a second," I said as I tucked my tail in and put my beanie on. Then I opened the door for Amity. She walked in and sat down on my sleeping bag.

"Don't you have an actual bed?" She asked. I laughed as I replied.

"Nope. Been sleeping on the floor for about two months now," I said with a smile. She laughed before looking away.

Her laugh.

'I need to get that laugh again. Wait, what?!'

I could feel a blush rise to my face. As I internally panicked, Amity looked up at me and patted the space next to her. I sat down and that's when she started talking.

"I have met a werewolf," She sighed and looked at me, for a reaction. I have to act surprised.

"What?!" I screamed. She put her hand over my mouth to get me to stop yelling. She kept it there for a few seconds. "Uhhh, Amity? I'm gonna need to be able to talk." She removed her hand almost immediately with a flustered expression on her face.

"Oh! Im sorry I-,"

"Amity, it's ok. You've met a werewolf?" I asked her. I tried to sound as shocked as possible, but it was difficult.

"Yeah. But the weird thing is, they were nice. They saved me at the Knee, and from an attacker one time, and I'm just so... conflicted," She said, placing her face in her hands.

I pulled her into a hug. She stiffened at the contact, but eventually relaxed. "Hey, it's ok. You don't have to make a decision right away," I told her with a warm smile. I pulled away to see her smiling too.

"Thanks, Luz."

"Hey, Lovebirds! Lunch is ready!" Eda yelled. Both Amity and I blushed profusely and ran downstairs.

"EDA!" We both yelled at the same time once we reached the kitchen floor. She just laughed and set the poorly cooked chicken down.

"Ha! That was hilarious! Anyway, eat up!" Eda said with a smirk. I walked over to the stove and grabbed more chicken from the fridge. "Hey, what are you doing? Foods right here."

"I'm not eating that," I said with giggle. Edric, Emira, and Amity all looked at the food and pushed it away as well.

"Ouch. Rude. But... fair point. I wouldn't eat it either," Eda said with a shrug.

"It smells like something died in here," King said as he walked into the room.

"I get it! Human food is hard to cook! Cut me some slack!" Eda yelled, throwing her hands in the air. Everyone except King laughed, and I looked over at him.

"Eda tried to cook human food," I said, still chuckling while cooking the chicken.

"Oh..." King muttered as he walks up to his high chair.

I tuned out the rest of their conversations as I grabbed the ingredients to make chicken quesadilla. I grabbed what looked like a jalapeño, and some cheese. I took the flour from the top shelf as well and started to mumble what my mom would always sing while cooking.

"Si pudiera decirte, decirte todo lo que veo. Si pudiera decirle que ella lo es todo para mí. Pero estamos a un millón de mundos de distancia ... y no sé cómo empezaría ... si pudiera decirte ..." I was in my own world while I sang. That was, until I finished cooking and turned around. All eyes in the room were on me, and I shifted uncomfortably.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked, tilting my head.

"No, it's just... where did you learn to sing like that?" Amity asked. She had an unreadable expression on her face, but she did have a red tint on her face.

"Oh, I- my mamí and I would always sing while cooking. I guess it was just a force of habit," I said with a shrug. I handed everyone half a quesadilla.

We all made light conversation while we ate. I got a few complements about my cooking. Edric kept asking for the recipe, and every time he did I would say that it was a secret. He would just pout and keep eating.

When I finished, I looked over at the clock.

4:00 PM

"Grom's in 3 hours!" I screamed, startling everyone in the room.

"Wait, what?!" Amity yelled, looking over at the clock. Her eyes widened when she saw the time, and then she turned towards her siblings. "We gotta go!"

"Yeah. Good luck being Grom Queen, Cutie!" Em yelled as the three walked out. I tensed at the comment and blushed at the nickname before turning around.

"Grom Queen?" Eda asked.

"Uhhhh... maybe?" I said with a nervous laugh. She looked like she was about to blow a fuse.

"You better know what you are doing..." She said with a sigh. "Now, let's go get ready." I nodded my head as I went upstairs to take a shower.

~~~~2 hours and 30 minutes later~~~~

Was I ready? Physically, yes. Mentally, no. I had no idea what my fear was, and I have a feeling I'm gonna regret this. But there's no backing down now.

I walked downstairs in my suit and looked at Eda. She was wearing a brown suit jacket with a yellow bow tie. I went with the outfit I choose earlier today.

"Looking sharp, kid. One more thing," Eda said, as she created a spell circle. The spell casted an illusion over my ears and tail, so that I no longer had them. "Perfect."

I smiled widely and turned towards the mirror.

(The picture doesn’t load on Ao3. If y’all want it, look up my story on Wattpad instead. That’s where this is originally posited and will most likely have more chapters added at the moment.)

Eda and I walked out the door and got on Owlbert as we flew to Hexside. Once there, she walked to a separate area to sign in as a chaperone.

"Be careful. Don't do drugs. Yada yada. I'll see you when they are announcing the fight with Grom," Eda said as she walked off. I turned towards the gym and saw Gus, Willow and Boscha all grouped up.

"Hey guys!" I yelled in there direction as I jogged over. Gus was wearing a light blue suit with dark blue bow tie. Willow was wearing a dark green dress with light green highlights. I couldn't really see Boscha as I approached.

"Luz! Hey! We heard about what you did for Amity... are you sure about this?" Willow asked me. Her face screamed worry but I brushed it off.

"I'll be fine. I'm a fearless champion!" I said, striking a heroic pose.

"You sure clean up nice, Luz," Gus said with a smile. He was adjusting his bow tie and had a microphone in one hand.

"So do you, Augustus~," I said in a teasing voice. "What's with the mic?"

"This? It's for my performance! I'm announcing you on stage," He said with a huge smile.

"Oh. That's cool. Have any of you seen Amity?" I asked. That's when Boscha moved out from behind Willow and spoke up. She was wearing a dark purple dress.

"She was talking with her siblings about something, last I saw."

"Oh, ok thank-," I was cut off by two familiar siblings approaching our group.

"Hiya, Luz. You look nice," Edric said as he put his arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah... oh wait!" Emira yelled as she turned around. "Mittens! Come over here!"

There was a loud groan until I heard another set of footsteps coming this way. "Can you try not to call me that in publ-," Amity began to say, but the siblings spun me around and pushed me into her.

"Hey what the- Ahhh!" I yelled as we collided, me on top of Amity. "Oh gosh. I'm so sorry, Amity!"

She didn't say anything as I got off of her and helped her up. Her face was beat red.

'Damn. I must've made her mad. Dang it.'

She turned her attention towards the twins and growled. 

"I'm going to kill you two!" She yelled as she chased after them. Willow, Gus, Boscha and I all started to laugh as she chased the siblings around the entrance of the gym. I heard another female voice yell after Amity.

"Amity, try not to kill our dates!" Viney hollered at her. I looked over to see her and Jerbo standing by a table, throwing very amused expressions our way. I laughed and walked back towards my friends.

"I'm going into the hallway to get ready. I'll see you guys later!" I said, walking away. When I reached the hallway, I took a right turn and sat down by some lockers.

'So. What is everyone going to see? The basement isn't visible by most of the spectators, but I should still be careful. They can probably hear what Grom says while I fight him. That means-,'

"Hey Luz, you ok?" A familiar green haired witch asked as she approached. I looked over at Amity. I obviously didn't get a good look at what she was wearing earlier, so I took the sight in. She was wearing a pink dress with a dark purple over piece. She looked... really pretty.

"Hermosa..." I muttered. The moment I said it I felt a warm blush rising to my face as she looked at me in confusion.

"What?" Was all she said. I covered my face and made a terrible excuse.

"Uhhh- I said you look really nice," I mumbled. I peaked out between my fingers to see her face. She had a light pink tint on her face as she came closer to me. I stood up as she spoke again.

"I'll ask again. Are you ok?" She questioned, tilting her head. I noticed a pink note in her hands, but I decided to ignore it.

"I'm not sure if it's my nerves, or if I accidentally drank some milk, but something's making my stomach squirm," I said with a uncomfortable expression, while holding my abdomen. It was then that Amity really looked at me for the first time that night.

~~~~Amity~~~~

I felt butterflies soar in my stomach as I looked at Luz. She looked really handsome in her suit, and I was struggling to maintain a small smile as I looked at her. Time to try and compliment her.

"You look... nice. Strange, but... nice." 

'Oh come on, you can do better than that, Blight!'

"And, thank you, Luz. Honestly, I'm kinda amazed with how fearless you are. You've done things I could never do," I looked down as I spoke they last part.

'I can't even face my fear of asking my crush out...'

Luz chuckled before responding. "Yeah right! Going soft on me, Blight?" She smirked and crossed her arms, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

I laughed at her comment before talking. "In your dreams."

'If only she knew how soft I've gone... this is it. The perfect moment to ask her!'

"Luz I-," I started to say, but was cut off by Gus announcing the Grom Queen.

"Now introducing our Grom Queen! You know her. You love her! You've at least heard of her... Luz the human!"

'Why now?!'

"Wish me luck," Luz said to me, looking back one more time as she ran over to the stage.

"Luck..." I mumbled as I watched her walk towards the weapons.

'Shoot! What did I do?! She's not ready!'

But it's too late. Luz is already marching towards the basement to face Grom. Alone.

~~~~Luz~~~~

This is it. The moment where everyone sees what I'm scared of. More like terrified of.

I grabbed a mace off of the wall and started to walk down the ramp. 

"Tienes esto, Luz," I muttered as I walked. Once I reached the bottom, I placed an ice glyph on my weapon and waited for Grom to appear.

"Mija? Is this where you've been?" My mo- No. Grom said.

"You're not real!" I yelled as I slammed my mace into the ground, causing an ice spike to impale the vision of my mom. I looked away as it did. I had prepared myself to fight my mom and friends reactions to what I am.

"Luz! Did you honestly think we would still be your friends?" Willow and Gus laughed as they approached. I started to shake but kept my ground. Despite my attempts to hide it, I could feel tears form around my eyes.

"No I- no you aren't real..." I said, with a lot less confidence than before. I fell to the floor. They continued to laugh as Gus spoke up.

"Did you think we would want to be friends with a-," He started, but I cut him off.

"No!" I threw the mace at my friends, causing them to fall and disintegrate into black muck. I was shaking and felt tears slowly fall, but I got up off the ground. Turning around, I was met with the final form of Grom, who looked like someone very familiar.

"Amity..." I mumbled. I started to pull a glyph from my pocket, but Grom placed a long tentacle on my head, reading it. Both of our eyes turned blue as Grom shifted into a different form.

Me.

"What...?" I asked in a soft voice, but the fake me got closer. It had my wolf ears and tail, and its eyes were glowing silver. Our faces were maybe a foot apart when it spoke.

"You are a monster. Unsafe. You can't go back home, but everyone here hates you. Where will you go?" It asked and started to laugh. I fell to the floor again and turned around, covering my ears.

"No... you're not real..." I mumbled, forcing my eyes shut.

"I'm as real as you are, you mutt..." It whispered the last part into my ear, and I shivered.

Tears stung the brim of my eyes. That's when I couldn't take it anymore. I could feel the wolf starting to take over, so I ran out of the basement into the hallway. Anything to get out. Anywhere.

~~~~Amity~~~~

As we all watched Grom take the form of Luz's greatest fear, it morphed into something humanoid looking. But it had wolves ears and a tail.

'Her greatest fear must be of werewolves...'

I couldn't help but feel responsible for giving her this fear. I wasn't close enough to hear what Grom was saying, but eventually Luz fell to the floor and looked away.

'Get up. Get up, Luz!'

She was shaking, and tears were falling. That's when she started to bolt through the gym and out of hexside, into the woods. I immediately began to follow, and I met up with the owl lady.

"What do we do?!" I screamed at her. I knew I sounded frantic, and I was.

"We? No, me. You stay here, greenie," She said as she got on her staff and flew away.

'No. This is my fault. My fight.'

I ran through the woods, eventually making it to the clearing that Luz was on. It was a cliff, and she was right at the edge. Grom was also there, still in the form of the werewolf. I could clearly hear what they were saying.

"Stop! Get away from me!" Luz screamed, looking back at the monster. She was slowly getting closer to the edge.

"What do you mean? That's rich coming from you..." The monster said as it slowly went closer to Luz. What did it mean by that? I saw someone on a flying staff come closer. It was Eda. She casted a fire spell at Grom, but it caught it and redirected it towards Eda, who casted a shield. "This is between the-," Grom started, but wasn't able to finish its sentence.

Without warning, Luz sprang up from her spot while Grom was distracted and grabbed it, pulling it down the cliff. With her.

"LUZ!" Eda and I both screamed.

I acted first, running towards the cliff and jumping off as well. I saw Luz and Grom hurtle towards the ground. I had to think fast. I summoned a giant abomination hand to catch Luz. She landed on the hand and I landed on top of her. She groaned when I landed, I looked at her with an apologetic smile. We both watched as Grom fell to its demise, landing in the boiling sea.

I got off of Luz and felt for my note in my pocket, but there was nothing there. I frantically looked around, only to see it floating down into the water.

'There will be another time to tell her...'

"Uhhh, Amity?" Luz asked, waving her hand into front of my face. I snapped around to look at her. She had a light silver tint in her eyes, but it looked like the reflection of the moon. I was lost in her hazel eyes, but she did it again. "Amity, are you ok?"

It was only when I felt her breath on my face, did I realize how close we were. I jumped back in surprise, but didn't notice that I had very little abomination hand left, and slipped off.

"Amity!" Luz yelled as she grabbed my hand, preventing me from suffering the same fate as Grom. She pulled me up with a surprising amount of strength and sat me back on the hand. I casted a levitation spell, and we floated back up to the cliff's edge. Once we landed, I decided to scold Luz.

"What were you thinking?! You can't just jump off of a cliff like that, Luz!" I screamed, and she flinched at my aggression.

"I- oh- I wouldn't-," I started, and reached out to her. I grabbed her shoulder in comfort, but she pulled me into a hug with strength that knocked the wind out off my lungs.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you guys getting hurt," She said, still holding me. My face was red, but not because I was blushing. I couldn't breathe.

"Uhh-L-Luz I c-can't brea-," I heaved out, before she immediately pulled away. I missed the contact, but was able to take a deep breath. She had her hands on my shoulders as she started to apologize.

"Oh gosh! I'm so so sorry Amity! I don't know my own strength sometimes..." She mumbled the last part with a look of sadness on her face.

"As touching as this is, why don't we get back to the party," Eda said, separating us. I was slightly irritated at the action.

"Hang on Eda. You head back. We'll be there soon," Luz said with a smile as she hugged the older witch.

"If you say so. Don't die," Eda said, hopping back on her staff. As I watched the witch fly away, I saw Luz looking down over the cliff. I reached out and shook her shoulder.

"You did pretty well, though," I said with a smile. She returned one of her heart melting, genuine smiles and I felt my stomach do backflips.

"I guess it was pretty cool," She said with a laugh. She grabbed my hand as we started walking back, but then we heard a laugh. 

"Did you honestly think boiling water was enough to defeat me?" A raspy voice chuckled as we turned around. Grom had taken the form of the werewolf again, and it pointed to me. I was about to tell Luz to run away, but a long tentacle made contact with my forehead.

"Amity, no! Your fear!" Luz screamed as she tried to pull me away, but it was too late. Grom had taken the form of Luz, and it started to pull me in.

"Who is that?" Luz asked in a puzzled voice. She must've not have been able to see the details.

All Grom did was pull out the pink note that I thought had burned in the sea, and ripped it apart. Right in front of me. And backed away. I grabbed on of the note's pieces and held it close. Luz approached from behind and grabbed the other half.

"You were afraid of being rejected... Amity, it's ok. What if I went to Grom with you instead?" She asked, holding out her hand.

'WAIT WHAT?!'

"Really?" I asked, reaching out my hand as well.

"Of course! That's what friends do!" As she said that, I sighed and closed my eyes. Too good to be true. Although, she did say that last part with a slight hint of shakiness...

I turned my attention towards the monster Grom turned into, then looked back at Luz. 

"Well, if that's settled..." I said as I pocketed the note I was holding, "May I have this dance?" I held my hand out to her. She smiled and placed her hand in mine.

Then we danced.

I pulled her close as she did the same, and pointed our hands towards Grom. We jumped towards the monster, and flew our hands out as Luz grabbed both of my hands and twirled me around, lifting me in the air. I smiled as I flew, and placed my arms around her shoulders as she did the same around my waist.

I followed her lead when she placed me down. I formed a large spell circle with my feet, and finished it with a twirl. I grabbed Luz's hands and pulled her into the center of the circle, as an abomination formed. We were on its head. 

She smirked and held out plant glyphs. I dipped her down as she swiped a glyph on the abomination's head, and we jumped off as it lunged towards Grom. It flew into the monster's mouth, and caused plants to sprout out from within. Luz was the first one to land and caught me. She twirled around before placing me down, and we separated out, holding our hands.

Behind us, a large pink tree sprouted, and pink petals fell all around us. Two crowns formed on our heads as I looked at Luz.

"Sooo, who'd you want to ask out?" She asked. I blushed and threw away the paper in my pocket.

"It's not important."

She grabbed my hand and we walked back towards Hexside, me staring at our hands the entire time.

~~~~Luz~~~~

~~~~After Grom~~~~

I sat on my window sill, even though I wasn't able to look far outside the wooden boards. My thoughts went to the dance Amity and I shared, and I could feel heat rising to my face.

'No, that can't be right... it was just a long night...'

The longer I thought about Amity, the hotter my face felt.

Oh no.

I'm in love with Amity Blight.

But I can't ever be with her...

~~~~The Emperor's Castle~~~~

Emperor Belos sat on his throne as he thought about the current problems at hand.

'I need the Wolves and wild witches out of the way before the day of unity...' He thought. His thoughts were interrupted by the door to his chamber slamming open.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He screamed at the small half demon witch that entered the room. She was trembling slightly.

"My lord, the Golden Guard has finally broken at the hands of your spell. We have the knowledge of everyone he has ever bitten," Kikimora said as she kneeled on the ground.

"Rise. Do you take me for a fool?" Belos said in a sickeningly calm voice. Kikimora stood up and shook her head.

"Of c-course n-not, sir..." As she spoke, her voice shook with the same emotion that her body conveyed.

Fear.

"Werewolves can not be formed by a simple bite. They must receive the blood of the wolf directly!" Belos screamed at his assistant. She flinched and nodded.

"Of course, sir. We will scan these memories, and figure out which one underwent this process," She said. She wanted to maintain her composure, but the emperor's increasing level of outbursts are making it difficult. It only got worse after his nephew was revealed to be a werewolf.

"Excellent. You are dismissed," Belos waved his hand and Kikimora ran out of the room. As she walked towards the laboratory to supervise the memory analysis, she could hear the bile sac beating become more and more faded. She shivered, but continued walking.

Chapter Text

~~~~Luz~~~~

Ah, Sundays.

The day after Grom...

No school...

Just a day to relax and enjoy my time on the Boiling Isles...

If...

...I didn't have a headache.

"Oh course I get sick on my one day of relaxation..." I mumbled as I tossed around in my sleeping bag. I tried to turn my neck up to view my alarm clock, but a sharp pain kept me from turning it high enough. So, instead, I grabbed my phone laying next to me and looked at the time.

12:49 PM

'That's the first time I slept in in... forever...'

I shook my head clear of thoughts and saw a text message from my mom.

Mamí<3: ¡Hola Mija! How is camp? Did you make some friends since last we talked?

I hated lying to my mom. It made me feel sick to my stomach, and it's even worse now that I'm a werewolf. I don't know if I'll ever be able to come home...

But for now, I have to keep lying.

Me: Si mamá. I made some friends! But I have to go for now. Te quiero.

The headache only got worse as I laid in bed, so I decided to slowly drag myself out to the kitchen. When I got to the stairs, I heard King and Hooty yelling at each other.

My head was pounding, and I couldn't even hear a word of what they were saying. I just leaned on the rail at the bottom steps, mumbling at them.

"...stop..." I said it so soft and quietly, even I could barely hear it. They continued their argument, and now Eda was walking into the room with an amused expression. She didn't notice me yet.

"Stop." I said it louder this time, but they still couldn't hear me. I shifted my weight onto my feet and stepped into the living room. It was then that Eda noticed me, but it was too late.

"I said, STOP!" I screamed at them this time. That immediately shut them up as they looked over at me. It became deafeningly quiet, and I was holding onto my head as the pain increased. 

"Hey kiddo, are you ok?" I couldn't tell whose voice it was, but the word choice told me Eda. I couldn't speak, not even a mumble, so I shook my head.

I could hear someone saying something, but I couldn't even make out the words now. The pain drowned out everything else, and I could feel myself starting to fall. 

I opened my eyes and scanned the area, trying to find somewhere to land. Eda was on my left, so that'll have to do. 

I leaned to my left, and fell into Eda's arms, barely conscious.

She laid me down on the couch and yelled something at King before looking back at me. My vision had blurred significantly and I could barely tell that Eda was next to me.

I just laid in pain before fully passing out.

~~~~Amity~~~~

The twins and I all sat in silence as we ate our food. Mom and dad left for work, saying something about the emperor needing every last mind focused on finding the werewolf. I decided to keep quiet on my extra knowledge.

'Werewolves are dangerous, Unstable creatures... so why does it feel like I betrayed Aster so much? I'm not going against mom and dad... I'm just... getting more intel... yeah...'

"Yo Mittens, you good?" Edric asked while he loudly chomped on his food.

"Yeah? I'm fine..." I mumbled and I continued to think about what to do. I couldn't even think on the fact I danced with Luz I was so worried.

'I danced with Luz...'

I could feel heat rushing to my face by the second, and Em took notice.

"Leave her alone, Ed. She's busy thinking about a special someone~" She wiggled her eyebrows while she said it, and I gave her a death stare.

"Ooooooo~ is it Luz~" Edric teased while getting up from his seat and walking over to me. I changed my gaze on Emira from a death stare to a more hurt expression. She noticed almost immediately and shook her head.

"Mittens, I would never do that to you," She said. She got up too and grabbed Edric's arm. "We... are having a talk about pointing out the obvious." She walked off with Ed upstairs, leaving me with my thoughts once again.

'Maybe I should try to find her again... she did save me multiple times...'

I had barely touched my food when an alarm went off on my scroll. I summoned it and saw what it was for.

"THE LIBRARY!" I yelled as I got up from my chair and ran towards the front door, ignoring Ed and Em's confused screams as I ran.

I burst through the door and looked back at the time on my scroll.

1:21 PM

'If I go fast I won't be late...'

I sprinted down the sidewalk as fast as I could, the library becoming larger as it came into view. The run took around 10 minutes, and I pushed the doors open and ran to the receptionist's desk.

"Amity! I was beginning to think you skipped, you're always here early," He said while typing something on a crystal ball.

"Sorry, I got held up..." I said between breaths. I was panting. It wasn't a total lie, but it also wasn't the whole truth.

"That's fine. Head on over to the kids corner. They are all already there," He said, pointing in the general direction.

I thanked him and started to walk over to the kids section. There were 4 kids there, all waiting somewhat patiently. They heard my footsteps and turned around, their faces lighting up once they saw me.

"Miss Amity!" They all exclaimed at roughly the same time. I laughed before responding.

"Hey guys! Ready to continue where we left off?" I asked while sitting down on the stool.

They all aggressively nodded their heads as I grabbed the book we were reading. It was called a witch in the dark, and they seemed to enjoy it. I took out the bookmark that was placed on page 12, and started reading.

"Our witch turned around to face the creature that had entered the area. It had huge eyes with slits for pupils, and large sharp teeth. 'Woah...' the witch muttered, as she stepped back from the monster. It roared as she moved, but the witch made an observation on the creature's appearance. It had its tail tucked in, and its ears were pinned against its head..."

I stopped reading briefly, thinking about what I just read. It reminded me of a similar creature...

'Aster...'

"Miss Amity, are you ok?" A small girl asked. She stood up and placed her hand on mine, which shocked me out of my trance.

"Wha- oh, I'm ok. Just thinking," I said with a small smile before looking back down at the book to continue reading.

"The witch took a step forward. 'I really hope I didn't read the body language wrong' she thought, as she reached her hand out. The monster growled momentarily, before stopping and tilting its head at the witch's action. It's pupils grew slightly, showing its curiosity. As the witch became more and more relaxed the more her hand was outstretched, so did the monster. It was glad the witch appeared to be harmless. It reciprocated her action, and the witch placed her hand on the monster's snout. Her shaking body calmed, and she started to pet the beast, who in turn sat down as its tailed wagged against the floor."

I stopped reading to view their reactions. Three of them were deeply invested in the story. They were leaning forward and listening to every word. The forth one was more laidback, but their eyes were almost glistening. I don't blame them, it is a good story. I started reading again.

"The witch continued to pet the beast, who was now laying down next to the witch. She had to stand to match its height laying down. 'You're just a big softie, aren't you?' The witch asked while she scratched behind the animals ears, resulting in a purr. The witch laughed before asking another question. 'Can you help me get home?' The creature turned its head in her direction, before standing up and taking the witch with it. She squeaked a yell before grabbing onto its back. 'Are you sure this is a good idea?!' She yelled, which was met with a short and faint roar. Almost like a bark. The witch sighed, accepting her new position and grabbing onto the fur with a tighter grip. The beast began to sprint through the dark, avoiding any obstacles as it weaved through the never ending smog. The animal moved fast, and eventually made it to the end of the dark fog and sat down while panting. 'Thank you, big guy,' the witch said as she scratched under its chin. The monster purred again before turning around, walking back into the fog. 'Not everything is deadly, if you just give them a chance,' the witch thought, as she began her walk back home."

I closed the book, satisfied with the end. The young kids all cheered. "That's all for today. See you guys next week!" I said cheerfully as they all walked out of the room. I put the book back on the shelf before making my way out of the kids corner and towards a table to the left.

I sat down on one of the chairs while thinking.

'That story had so many parallels to my situation. Why did it have to be that book that I read?'

The more I thought on Aster and how I reacted to her secret, the more I felt guilty. She didn't do anything to me, but I ran away anyway. 

'I'm gonna apologize. That is if I ever she her again... I doubt she would want to after seeing how I reacted...'

"Hey Blight, you ok?" A voice asked, waving their hand in front of my face.

"Oh, hey Boscha. I was just thinking on some things," I said with a shrug. She seemed to accept this answer as she sat down across from me. "What are you doing here anyway? Don't you hate reading and libraries?"

"I was looking for you. Figured you would be here. Skara and I were gonna go out to the market, and I wanted to see if you were gonna come," She said while picking at her nails. One of her bad habits.

"Yeah, I guess I'll come. Any one else going to be there?" I asked while getting up and pulling out my scroll. She did the same. 

"I was going to ask Willow, Augustus, and the human if they wanted to come," She said, typing on Penstagram.

"The human has a name, you know," I said while glaring at her. She detected the venom in my voice and looked up at me.

"Yeah, I know. But she doesn't care that I call her that. It's an endearing nickname~" She said in a teasing voice. I looked at her with an eyebrow raised before shaking my head. 

"Well, are you gonna text them or should I?" I asked. I knew Luz would be harder to reach, since she doesn't have a scroll. She does have a crystal ball, though. With everyone's numbers.

"I already got flowers and shorty on board, but the human hasn't-," She started, but her scroll started to ring before she could finish. She groaned, until she saw the contact and her eyes went wide.

"What? What is it?" I asked. I didn't even try to hide the worry in my voice.

"Hang on. I have to take this..." She muttered as she put the scroll up to her ear. There was frantic talking on the other end, and I couldn't hear anything. The only hint I got was Boscha's facial expression. She went from confused to worried in a matter of seconds, which only made me more concerned. Boscha's almost never worried for anyone.

"Boscha?! What is it?!" I almost screamed this time before remembering we were in a library. The worry in my voice tripled, and she said that she'll be there to the person on the scroll before ending the call.

"It was something important. I have to go. You can go hang out with them if you want," Boscha said as she started to speed walk away. I grabbed her wrist before she could make it far.

"Boscha, who was on the other end of that call? And don't lie to me." My voice was shaking as I looked directly at her. She just looked away before responding.

"I- it was the Owl Lady. Something is wrong with Luz," She said, which caused me to gasp and let go of her wrist.  "She asked me to come over and help. So that's where im going. I'll see you later." Boscha started to walk away again, and turned the first corner she got to.

I just stood there, thinking on everything that just happened.

'Why would Miss Eda call Boscha of all people? She hardly knows her...'

I looked down at my scroll to see the time.

5:28 PM

'I guess the questions can wait until tomorrow. I don't want to leave Skara, Willow, and Augustus without company.'

~~~~Luz~~~~

My head still hurt like hell, but after Eda used a numbing spell I felt a little better. I was laying on the couch holding my head while King played with my phone next to me. My thoughts were foggy, and the only clear memory I had of today was waking up and texting my mom. Everything after that became a blur.

"Ok, so I called the girl you asked me to, Luz. She said she'll be over in a few," Eda said, walking over and sitting down on a chair a few feet away.

"Who was that again?" I asked. I genuinely don't remember who I told her to call, and I wanted to know if I had to hide my tails and ears.

"I don't fully remember her name, but I think it was Bossa? Something like that," She said while sipping on her apple blood. When she said the name, my memory clicked.

"Boscha..." I mumbled while squirming around on the couch, trying to get comfortable. It made sense that's who I would call for. She was the only person besides Eda and King who knew my secret.

"Yeah! That was it. I was close!" Eda yelled while snorting a little. The volume made me wince and I covered my head with a pillow.

"Oops, sorry," Eda said while moving her hand onto my shoulder. "That's weird. Normally that volume doesn't bother you..." Eda retracted her hand in thought, and I turned around to look at her.

"Maybe we've been going about this all wrong... we have been looking at human illnesses when this could have something to do with you being a werewolf!" Eda yelled as she jumped off her chair and ran down the hall. I heard a door open and then slam shut.

I sighed and glanced back to King, who was no longer watching YouTube on my phone. He fell asleep, and decided that my legs were the best sleeping spot. I chuckled a bit before Hooty came over to me.

"Hoot! Luz, you have a guesssstttttt," He said as the door opened, revealing a very annoyed looking Boscha.

"That bird tube's days are numbered," Boscha said as she slammed the door shut, forcing Hooty out of the room.

"Hey Boscha. Thanks for coming," I said in a low voice.

"Hey. So, tell me what's wrong. I could barely hear what The Owl Lady was saying because of how frantic she sounded," She said as she walked over. She sat down on the chair Eda was on early and started to pick at her nails.

"I'm not sure. I woke up with a headache, but that headache turned into a migraine but ten times worse," I said. I put my face into my pillow and sighed.

"I'll pretend I know what a migraine is. So, no idea what could've caused this?" She asked, gesturing towards my current state.

"Not a clue. Eda thinks it has something to do with me being a werewolf. I think it is some serious human disease," I said. As we sat in silence, I started to think of what it could be.

'This isn't some normal sickness. The only symptoms I have are body pain and a severe headache. I can't think of anything...'

Boscha stopped picking at her nails and summoned her scroll. This was normal for her, so I ignored her behavior and kept thinking. That was, until I heard her audibly gasp at something she saw.

"What is it?" I asked. I pulled my head off of my pillow and looked at her again. She said nothing, but showed me her scroll. There was a few posts on penstagram she was showing me, and I mumbled it out loud as I read.

"So nervous for the potions test coming up! Can anyone help me?" I read the top one, from a user named crazyoneeyegal109. That didn't seem to be the focus of what Boscha wanted me to see, although I totally forgot that we had a potions test coming up.

The next post was from Amity's account. It was a picture of her, Willow, Gus, and Skara all hanging out at the market. They were outside a potions tent. I read the caption. "Hanging out at the market! Wish Boscha and Luz could be here!" I blushed slightly at her comment, but continued down the feed.

The last post was what made me realize what had shocked her so much. I read it louder than the other two. 

"Excited for the full moon tonight! Gonna look under the stars with my girls!" The post was from an account named Catatttack67, and had a picture of a picnic area on a cliff side.

I looked up at Boscha, who seemed to have a similar expression as me.

"Go get Eda!" I yelled at her, ignoring how much my volume made my ears hurt. "She went down the hall!" I once again ignored my pain and pointed down the hall, and Boscha took off.

I looked around the room until my eyes landed on the clock.

6:57 PM

It's almost sunset.

~~~~Amity~~~~

Willow, Skara, Augustus, and I all began to walk home once the sun started to set.

We had already dropped Willow off, seeing as she lives the closest to the market. Skara, Augustus, and I are walking on the dirt path that leads to Augustus' home. It was relatively quiet until Skara broke the silence.

"Soooo, anybody got plans for tonight?" She asked while kicking a rock on the ground. I thought about the question while Augustus spoke up.

"My dad wants me to study for exams. He says that if I stay on course I could graduate at 16!" He said it with so much enthusiasm and spunk that I thought about how supportive his home must be.

'Sounds nice...'

"What about you, Amity?" Skara asked Just as we reached Augustus' house. He said goodbye and walked up to the door, leaving her and me alone.

"What? Oh, no I don't have any plans. But my parents will probably want me home soon," I said with a shrug.

"Oh, that's a shame. I got invited to a picnic tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come..." She said, with her head hanging low and aggressively kicking the dirt as we walked.

"Sorry," I said with an apologetic smile. We walked in silence as we made it to the entrance of our neighborhood.

I prepared myself to push open the metal gate, but a rustling in the bushes to my right caught my attention.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Skara, turning around and looking in the direction of the sound.

"Hear what?" She asked, looking up from her scroll.

'I'm just paranoid... I could've sworn there was something there.'

"Nevermind. I'll ask my parents if I can hang out with you tonight," I said as I opened the gate.

"Really? Sweet!" She yelled, causing a few birds to flutter in surprise, despite the fact that they should be asleep.

'Weird...'

We walked along the sidewalk until we reached my home. I turned back towards Skara.

"I'm just gonna head inside and ask them. Then I'll either text you or come back out, depending on their answer," I told her, turning back around and walking up the path.

She said nothing, but nodded in understanding. I reached the front door and opened it with my key. Both Mother and father were hunched over the kitchen counter, distracted. I listened in on what they were saying.

"Do you think he was telling the truth? I find it hard to believe she would-," Dad asked, but was cut off by mom.

"Of course he's telling the truth! Do you not trust your emperor?!" Mother yelled, which caused dad to flinch before looking back down at the table. There was papers all over the counter.

"It's just hard to believe that she would do such a thing. Amity is-," Dad started again, but I toned out everything they were saying after I heard my name. I gasped slightly before turning around and heading for the door again. Skara was still there, looking down at her scroll.

'I need a distraction...'

"They said yes," I told her in a hushed voice. She looked at me, confused, but shrugged.

"M'kay. Follow me," She pointed in a random direction before walking off. I trailed not far behind. We were walking in a similar direction of the Owl House, and that line of thinking lead me to Luz.

A good distraction.

We walked for around 20 minutes until I saw a group of girls all huddled on a blanket. "Hey girls! I brought Amity along, if that's ok," Skara said as she sat down on a different blanket. They all made noises of acknowledgment as they looked towards the sky. The full moon was shining near the horizon, and it did look beautiful.

Aside from Skara and I, there was Amelia, Cat, Bo, and a person I didn't recognize. They were suspiciously close to Amelia, but I didn't question it. We all made some small talk as the night went on before I pulled out my scroll and read the time.

9:28 PM

I scrolled there Penstagram before I got a text from Boscha. I grew more confused as I read the message.

Probably Simping for Willow: Amity, this is very important. Where are you right now?

I don't know if this makes sense, but the tone of her text just said 'serious' so I didn't mess around.

Me: Hanging out with some friends. Why?

She responded almost immediately, which was very unlike Boscha.

Probably Simping for Willow: Where?

I wasted no time responding. This was important.

Me: At a cliff not far from the Owl House. What is this about?

'Is about Luz?! Shoot, I knew I should've went to the Owl House with her. I could probably go now actually-'

My thoughts were cut short as I read the next text.

Probably Simping for Willow: You and who ever is with you needs to get as far away from the Owl House as possible. Now.

I started to text back, but I heard another rustling noise. This one was louder, meaning closer. I looked up from my scroll and at my friends.

"Guys, we should go," I said. I tried to keep the shakiness in my voice down, and they were talking over me enough that they didn't hear my tone.

"Why is that? It isn't even midnight yet..." Cat said as she brought her attention from the moon to me.

I didn't want them to panic, so I choose a small lie. "I know a better spot to watch the moon a little ways from here." That Part wasn't a lie, I did know a good spot.

"Why can't we just-," Skara started, but got cut off by a low growl coming from the tree line. 

That's when I realized what was happening.

'Full Moon...'

'Werewolves...'

I gasped and looked back at the trees, and saw a very familiar pair of glowing silver eyes staring back.

"WE NEED TO GO, NOW!" I screamed, and everyone frantically began to get up and run towards me. That's when she leaped out of the bush. 

There was a feral look in her eyes. They were bright. Really bright. Almost as if she wasn't even there anymore. The usual warm blue was replaced with an unrecognizable silver, and I slowly started to back away. My friends, on the other hand, had different plans.

"Get away from us, you monster!" Bo yelled. My heart stung with guilt as she said that. That was me not too long ago. Aster will never forgive me. Amelia was already summoning plants as Skara took out her harp, and Aster's body language changed almost immediately. She was calm enough, almost studying us, but that changed right after the threat became apparent. She crouched down and formed a snarl, showing decent sized fangs. Her ears folded against her head and a low growl could be heard.

I wanted to say something. Anything to stop the impending doom of the situation, but my eyes remained glued on Aster.

It was as if my stare caused her to attack, because that's exactly what she did.

Aster lunged at the unnamed person of the group. Just as she was about to scratch their face, Amelia used her vines to pull Aster closer to the cliff, away from us. Amelia started to become weak in the knees, and bent down, showing the obvious amount of strength and concentration it took to contain her. She looked over at me expectantly, and I could feel Skara's eyes look in my direction as well, but I remained still.

Taking the hint, Skara turned back around and strung her harp, taking some of the pressure off of Amelia. They began to push Aster closer and closer to the cliff, and she seemed to notice. She suddenly gained a burst of energy and tore through the vines and broke the musical hold Skara had on her. The action caused both Amelia and Skara to collapse to their knees again.

Bo crouched down to Amelia while Cat sat next to Skara, helping with the exhaustion.

It was then that I realized I should be doing something to help. 

My hands ignited with magic, and I formed some abomination goop out of the dirt surrounding us. Aster charged forward, and I took the opportunity to trap her in some goop. I focused on holding her, but she was incredibly strong. 

The mysterious sixth person stepped forward and summoned a crystal ball.

'Oracle? Huh.'

They drew a dark purple circle, and a spirit surged forward and embedded itself within my abomination goop. That strengthened its hold, and took some of the pressure off of my shoulders.

I gave a thankful look in their direction, and they gave me back a look that said 'pleasantries after near death experience.' Can't say I don't agree.

The moment swiftly ended as the goop exploded, along with the spirit inside, to reveal a very upset looking wolf.

The explosion caught me off guard and I flew into the person standing next to me as we collided into the ground. I stammered an apology and looked over at Aster again.

She was running full speed.

Towards me.

I stood up as quickly as I could to draw a spell circle, but someone behind the wolf beat me to it. I glanced over to see Skara holding a fire ball in her hand, throwing some at the wolf. Amelia seemed to be doing something similar, but with a type of plant.

Aster howled in pain before turning around, her eyes now set on her aggressors.

It happened fast. Really fast.

The wolf ran at full speed directly for Skara and Amelia, colliding with them.

The collision sent the two girls flying.

Right off the cliff.

"NO!" I heard the person next to me yell, and Bo seemed to be in just as much distress.

There was a subtle thump noise, followed by nothing. Distress was written in all of our faces.

Especially Aster. Despite not being in control, a look of remorse and immense guilt washed over her features, and the silver glow toned down.

Both Bo and the person standing next to me-

'I should really get their name.'

-took that as weakness and attacked. Bo ran towards Aster and used a sleeping spell, catching the wolf off guard. The spell wasn't strong enough, and it only slightly weakened her.

The attack forced her out of her stupor, and she retaliated with a swing, knocking Bo back. But not off the cliff.

The unnamed person created a spell circle in a brown hue, summoning dual stone swords in their hands.

'A dual tracker?! That's surprising. I thought there was only 4...'

They steamed forward, swings their swords with a war cry. I decided I should help them.

I drew a spell circle, and a decent sized abomination came out of the ground. "Abomination, attack!" I yelled.

The gooey monster responded by taking off its own head and taking aim.

Aster turned around to face the person running at full speed towards her. She crouched down, ready to pounce, but was hit by my abomination's projectile. The attack caught her off guard, and she recoiled. It also occupied her long enough for the unnamed person to reach her and slash across her stomach.

There was a deafening howl. It almost sounded witch-like, and that's when I remembered that it should. Because this wolf is a witch.

Aster fell to her side, and looked around, almost dazed. Her eyes had returned to their usual, almost inviting blue. 

Her attacker just stood there, looking directly at their swords, as if regretting what they had just done. 

It was quiet after Aster's howl, and I dispersed my abomination and the unnamed person backed away slowly. I looked over at Cat, who was tending to the large claw mark across Bo's chest. It didn't look deep, and she'd probably be ok.

The same could not be said for Aster.

Or Skara and Amelia.

Speaking of the witches, a large vine popped out from over the cliff, carrying two exhausted looking witches.

"What did we-," Skara started, but then noticed the wolf in distress on the floor. It was silent again, and the only sounds that could be heard were Bo's mumbling and Aster's quiet whimpers. Everyone remained still, until I took a step forward.

I kept waking towards Aster, looking between the deep cut in her stomach and her eyes. Aster looked in my direction, and her eyes widened with what looked almost like-

'Fear? Regret? Anger? I have no idea...'

I was almost next to Aster, but the wolf decided on a different plan. She pushed herself up, and sprinted into the forest at top speed. And knowing her top speed, she made it pretty far into the forest before another deafening howl could be heard.

"ASTER! WAIT!" I screamed after her, but then noticed my fatal flaw.

"You named that thing?!" Amelia yelled, her face blown up with fury. "That monster almost kills everyone here, and you named it?!"

I turned around, my face red with anger and gave Amelia a look that could kill. She shrank under my glare. "That Monster' is my friend! She saved me twice, and now it's time for me to return the favor." I ran straight into the forest, ignoring Skara's pleas for me to stop.

No way in the Titan's name I was going to let her die on me now.

Chapter Text

~~~~Amity~~~~

Dammit.

I have no way of knowing where Aster is.

Running in the direction I heard the howl in isn't working, and I'm too far into the woods to find my way back.

After running for what felt like hours, I had to sit down and collect my thoughts. Or to at least let my legs have a break.

'It's weird that I got a text from Boscha right before this. The only way for that to make sense is that she knew about Aster, but then why would she say to stay away from the owl house? Did something happen to Luz?!'

My thoughts kept running as I sat on a rock in the middle of a clearing.

'I knew I should've gone to the owl house with her. Dammit!'

Around 30 seconds pass until I heard an ear piecing howl, much louder than before.

I sprang up from my rock and ran in the direction of the noise, carelessly snapping twigs and crunching leaves as only one thought ran in my head.

'Please be ok. Please be ok. Please be ok. Please be ok.'

Eventually, I reached another cliff side with a sight to behold at the edge.

In front of me was a manticore, facing away from me as it slowly approached Aster, who was backing up towards the cliffs edge. The wound across Aster's side was still bleeding, gushing out blood as she moved. It looked like it was causing her immense pain as she stared at the manticore. Her eyes were still their normal blue, the usual color for werewolves.

Her eyes flickered from the beast to me, and they widened before she took an offensive stance. I tensed as I moved closer behind the manticore, avoiding it's swishing dual-snake headed tail.

I was maybe 3 meters away from the monster, arm raised and ready to summon a spell circle to fight this thing. But that's not what happened.

The manticore took a swing at Aster, who sloppily dodged the attack to the side before running full speed at me. Her eyes looked almost feral, and they returned to a partial silver as she approached. I braced for impact, ready to accept my fate and my choices. I closed my eyes and stepped back slightly, arms thrown in front of me as I waited for the inevitable. But it never came.

I waited 2 seconds. 3. 4. Eventually I opened my eyes to see what had stopped her attack, but I had it all wrong.

Aster's back was facing me as she stared at the manticore, crouching as she snarled. Her stance was defensive, and any attempt to move on the manticore's part was met with an equal retaliation from Aster.

She was protecting me.

After everything.

She still cared.

But now...

It's my turn.

~~~~Luz~~~~

I slowly backed further towards the cliff as the manticore approached me. My side stung and my vision started to blur due to several snake bites. And loss of blood.

Its tail swished as it approached, and my eyes flickered down to the moving appendage. But I saw something I didn't expect to see. Or rather, someone.

Amity.

She was crouched behind the manticore, and it looked like she just came out of the brush.

'She came looking for me? After everything?'

I immediately took an offensive stance, waiting for an opportunity to get to her side.

The opportunity presented itself as an attack, as the manticore swung its arm at my head. I dived to the left, ignoring the flaming pain in my side as I got up and ran at full speed towards Amity. The pain in my body being completely ignored now, I ran faster. I could feel the wolf taking over as I speed towards the girl I loved, and she looked to be bracing for an attack.

Right before we collided, I turned on my heel and looked right back at the manticore, barring my teeth. It looked right back, arming its tail for another attack. I tensed as I waited for it to swing.

'Whatever happens next, Amity is not getting hurt.'

Its tail finally swung, and I was about to pounce onto its body until something stopped the tail. 

I looked to my right and saw a large abomination hand jarring out of the dirt, holding the tail in place. My eyebrows went up slightly in surprise.

'Why would Amity want to protect me? She has no way of knowing that's it's me... to her I'm just Aster...'

I couldn't finish my thoughts as Amity yelled at the manticore from behind me.

"Get away from my friend!"

As she yelled that, she summoned more abomination goop over my head and formed it into a point, then flung it at the beast's shoulder. It screeched out in pain and backed away towards the cliff, but I was still too stunned to pay attention to that.

'Friend? We're still friends? She doesn't hate me?!'

I could feel my tail wag and my wolf side diminish, and that's when all of my pain hit me like a truck.

My vision significantly blurred, and my side burned with a sensation I could only assume was like fire melting my skin. My neck felt extremely numb, and I knew that that's where the snake tail bit me. The wolf in my system was working hard to fight it off, but I only had so long.

Slowly looking up, I could see how battered the manticore was. Multiple bite wounds from our fight before Amity got here were present, as well as the large shoulder wound it had just received. It seemed to acknowledge its defeat, and turned towards the cliff as it began to fly away, its wing slightly tattered from one of my attacks.

I finally felt safe enough to lie down, but I practically collapsed onto the grass as my legs gave out.

"Oh my Titan, Aster!" Amity yelled as she skidded to my side and knelt down. She looked over my blood-stained coat and her eyes began to fill with tears.

"I'm- I'm sorry! I didn't- I- I'm so sorry!" She yelled. I whined and placed my head on her lap.

'It's ok. I understand.'

"Why are you forgiving me so easily?! You're just like Luz..." Amity grumbled. I chuckled internally.

'You don't even know the half of it.'

Her eyes were still filled with tears as she looked over my body again, and raised her arm.

"I'm going to fix this. You're gonna be ok," She said, but her voice wavered. I whined in her lap again and felt my eyes start to close. I struggled to keep them open.

"No! You got to hang on! Please!" She screamed, and started to draw a spell circle. She completed it, but it only sparked and then died. I knew enough about magic to know that that meant that any healing spells Amity knew weren't strong enough for this. I whined again and felt a stronger pull to fall asleep.

"No! No. No. No no no no..." Her voice slowly faded as she talked, and my eyes closed. My mind slowly blanked, and I could only think of one sentence.

'I'm sorry Amity.'

~~~~Amity~~~~

"No! No. No. No no no no no. Please Aster. Get up." I pleaded, lightly banging on her chest as I repeated the same word over and over again.

"Please. Please. P-please. P-p-p-," My words broke into sobs as I cried into Aster's coat. The only thing I could feel being guilt and regret.

"Eda! I think I heard her over here!" A voice yelled through the woods, and I hurriedly climbed around Aster as I shakily stood, ready to defend Aster from this unknown voice.

"Eda! Come on! Let's check over-," The voice got louder until a figure emerged from the tree line and I started a partial spell circle as tears streamed down my face. My inconsistent breathes stopped as Boscha came into the moons light.

"Amity? What are you-," She started, but stopped immediately when she saw Aster on the ground.

Her mouth hanged open for a second before twisting into anger. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" She screamed.

"YOU THINK I DID THIS?! IT WAS A MANTICORE, DAMMIT! AND I WASN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO-," I started to yell at her, but I broke into another set of sobs and fell to the floor again. "I wasn't strong enough- I didn't get here in time..." I could hear my voice become smaller as I spoke, and I stopped trying to speak at all. Boscha understood that immediately, and a frantic Eda pushed through the tree line and barreled over towards Aster. I briefly considered trying to stop her, but I knew The Owl Lady was much too powerful a witch for me to try to stop.

"No, no no no no no no," She started to mumble as she picked up Aster's limp body. I thought nothing of it until I heard her next sentence.

"Kid, what did you do to yourself?"

She said it in a whisper, and if it wasn't dead quiet at night in the boiling isles, I wouldn't have heard it.

'Kid? Eda doesn't call anyone kid. Except...'

And then it all clicked. The texts from Boscha, Eda covering for the mysterious wolf attacks at Hexside, Luz getting extremely overprotective, the call Boscha got at the library, Luz always wearing her hat, Luz's almost complete coldness after I told her about a werewolf...

...her nightmare...

——————

"Did you honestly think you can save them? I have them bending to my will and you still came? Pathetic, dirty creature!"

——————

I started to shake in my knees again as I looked back at Ast-Luz.

"Is she-she-," I started, and Boscha seemed to understand what I was asking. She nodded her head, and I felt my world crumble around me.

~~~~Boscha~~~~

As I slowly nodded my head to Amity's question, I could see any hope she had crack. We all knew about Amity's huge crush on Luz at this point. She was practically in love. I expected some cries, maybe harder sobbing from her.

What I didn't expect was the most anguish-filled howl that I have ever heard. Any painful cries I have heard paled in comparison, and I could fell myself tear up at her gut wrenching scream.

As her screams slowly filtered out into sobs, she crawled over to Luz's unmoving wolf form. Eda was there, except now she was looking at Luz with a focused face. Probably trying to figure out a way to heal her fading apprentice.

A few seconds of unnerving silence filled the area, as we all looked at Luz just laying there. Amity and Eda both were sitting next to her, tears spilling out freely. I wanted to give them space, since they were so much closer to her than I was. I remained a few feet away, but that didn't stop a few tears escaping my eyes as well.

Eda kept that look on her face, and eventually seemed to come to a conclusion.

"I-," Her voice broke as she spoke, but she moved on. "I think I can patch up the wound and remove the venom, but she's lost too much blood... I don't know how humans work," She said it softly, but her voice was filled with pain. I decided to bring to light the obvious.

"But she's not human. She's a werewolf. How her body works could've completely changed, and I don't know where you plan to get werewolf blood!" I ended up unintentionally screaming at the end, my anger pouring out in droves.

Amity said nothing, but she kept her hand on Luz's chest, no doubt feeling for a heartbeat. We all knew that Luz's heartbeat wasn't a triple rhythm like ours, but a constant and stable beat. Her face remained somewhat calm after her outburst, suggesting she still felt Luz's heart beating.

So when she spoke, it was completely unexpected.

"How did she become a werewolf?"

I heard her loud and clear, but Eda's mind must've been clouded when she asked.

"What?" Eda said.

"How did she become a werewolf?" Amity said it louder this time, but I was still confused.

"I don't get how that's relevant to-," I started, but was immediately cut off by Eda.

"No, she's on to something..." That shut my mouth quickly as I listened to what The Owl Lady was saying. "She got bit in the woods around a month ago. Maybe whatever werewolf bit her is still around!" Her voice got more hopeful as she talked, but it was obvious she wasn't letting herself get her hopes too high.

"We don't have enough time to find some random wolf that could be anywhere in the isles by now," I said. We needed a fallback, because we weren't getting anywhere.

"Well do you have any other ideas, three eyes?" Eda spat. She looked back down at Luz and started to draw a spell circle. It was medium size, and I could see the look of concentration on The Owl Lady's face as she hovered her glowing hand over Luz's body. Amity looked up from her spot on the wolf's chest to see what she was doing.

First, the large slash in her side closed up. It turned into a scar across her fur, and it looked like it would never go away. 

Next, venom began to slowly pour out of the small prick wounds on Luz's neck, and it drizzled down into the grass below. Killing the weeds. The wounds slowly closed as well, and her chest began to visibly rise and lower, indicating a major improvement.

I looked over at Amity, who was staring at the wolf just like Eda. She had more tears in her eyes, but I would guess these were more out of relief than anything.

Eda was heaving. It was obvious that spell took a lot out if her, which shows just how wounded Luz was. If we got here a second later-

"That should hold her over for a day, maybe. But we need a better solution to her blood problem. If we can't find another werewolf in one day, she won't...," I could tell Eda wanted to continue her sentence, but she just couldn't say the words. I had a feeling none of us could.

"We will," Amity said, with enough resolution that I almost believed we can.

Almost.

But werewolves are extinct, and the chances of finding one wolf in the entirety of the isles is slim, if any.

And werewolves are extremely hated under the emperor's reign.

This werewolf might not even be around anymore.

~~~~Amity~~~~

Eda picked up Luz as we walked to the owl house, any idea of going home completely abandoned. Not to mention whatever mom and dad were talking about before I left.

'It didn't sound good. And if it involved the emperor, then this is serious. Not just some grade slip up.'

The walk was completely silent, except for the occasional snapping of a twig and the crunching of leaves. Eda walked staring at the wolf in her hands the entire time, and Boscha just looked distant. I alternated from looking at Luz to the moon.

We were walking for around 20 minutes when we heard rapid footsteps coming in our direction. Eda tensed and Held Luz closer while Boscha and I turned around and readied our spell casting hands.

"Amity! There you are! Where have you-," I immediately recognized the voice, but remained on edge. Skara could still be mad about earlier. She noticed Boscha and I with our arms ready and stopped running towards us.

"Boscha? Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you said something came up," Skara said. Her eyes darted between Boscha and I, and it was clear she didn't see the infamous Owl Lady holding an incapacitated wolf behind us yet. I needed to do something.

"Hey, Skara. What happened once I left?" I knew once I mentioned the events of earlier that night, it was a mistake. She visibly deflated, and her smile dropped slightly.

"Everyone argued for a long time. We couldn't decide what to do. I think Marshe felt really bad about the whole thing, they didn't seem ok once they went home..." I wanted her to keep going, but I had a question that needed answering.

"Marshe? Whose that?"

"Oh! They were the Oracle student that was chilling with us. I thought you knew them, since they're Amelia's-," Skara threw her hand over her mouth the moment she started saying the second phrase, and Boscha's eyes narrowed at the new found information.

"Keep going..." Boscha said with a cheery tone. Her interest has been piqued.

"I've said too much," Skara said, way too fast. Boscha wickedly smiled and took a guess at what she meant.

"Hmmm, are they perhaps Amelia's partner? Significant other if you will?" Boscha continued to tease Skara about her slip up, and she groaned.

"ANYWAY, After you left, Bo tried to convince me to get checked out by some healer after I got tossed off the cliff, but I said not without you. So they all left to the healers office and I started looking around. When I heard you scream, I got an idea of where you were. And here you are," Boscha's eyes widened after each word Skara said, and once she was done, her head snapped in my direction.

"We are SO talking about what happened once we get back," She sneered. She spoke with some tease but a little bit of worry, which warmed my heart slightly.

"Ahem. In case you two didn't know, we are on a time crunch and we should really get going," Eda said from behind us, making all of us look in her direction. Skara gasped, and both Boscha and I closed our eyes and waited for the inevitable questions. However, that's not what she did.

"Oh my Titan! Are you the Owl Lady?!" Skara exclaimed with way to much enthusiasm for around 2 am.

I opened my eyes and looked at Eda in confusion, but she wasn't even holding Luz. At first, I got mad.

'Did she just throw my injured crush on the ground?!'

But then I considered the obvious. An illusion. Eda cared for Luz, although she would never say it out loud, and wouldn't just place her on the ground in this state.

"Yep! That's me! Now we should REALLY be going..." She said the last sentence through clenched teeth, and looked directly and Boscha and me.

"Ok... Just be careful you two, ok? There's no telling where that wolf is now," Skara said as she ran back the way she came. I froze and I could feel Boscha and Eda staring at me.

"We are definitely having a conversation when we get home," Eda said.

~~~~1 hour later~~~~

"-And that's how Luz and I ended up the way we did when you found us." I ended my retelling of the story, deciding to leave out the internal turmoil and issues Luz and I have to work out once she wakes up.

Boscha and Eda were sitting on the two other chairs in the owl house, staring at me with dumbfounded expressions and slightly a gap mouths. I stood there waiting for a response, awkwardly swaying back and forth. I couldn't sit down, because the only other useable furniture was currently taken by a comatose wolf.

"You're telling me that Luz threw Skara and Amelia off of a cliff?" Boscha asked with a snort. I wouldn't believe that sentence either if I didn't see it with my own eyes.

"Yeah, but it was a lot worse to-," I was going to keep on going about tonight, but Eda cut me off.

"Alright, you two are the only other ones who know about Luz's... condition. You are staying here for a few hours of sleep, then we find a solution." I took a double take on what she said. Once it registered, I glared at her.

"Not that I don't want to help Luz, but... my parents..." I started to mumble about whatever punishment already waited for me at home, and eventually stopped talking altogether.

"No buts. I knew your parents. A bunch of sticks in the mud, like Lily. But you are helping with this, end of story," She spoke with enough conviction to bring the house down, and it might've had it not been a living demon.

"I guess it is my faul-,"

"No, it wasn't Amity," Boscha cut me out fast, and I was starting to get annoyed at how often I couldn't finish my sentences around them. "None of us knew this would happen. We weren't paying attention to the moon cycles."

"Alright. I do have one question though. Why did Luz seek out me out of all the witches, and why is this house a mess?" I asked, finally questioning the state the owl house was in. The couch Luz was laying on was torn up and hastily patched up. Frames of different wanted posters laid all over the floor, and the walls all had claw marks on them.

"Well, when Luz first turned due to the moon, she had no control whatsoever. She was in a total frenzied state. She tore up everything, and it was only after we got her to calm down that she went after you. Why, I have no idea," Eda said with a shrug. It looked like she was trying hard not to snicker, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Then why did you message me, Boscha?" I asked, turning my head towards the witch. She shrunk under my gaze before coughing and regaining her composure.

"I just figured she would go after her friends. That's all, a lucky guess," There was a look in her eyes as she spoke that I couldn't place, but I took her word for it.

"Alright, fine. Where are we sleeping?" I asked Eda.

"Three eyes, you'll sleep down here. Just grab some pillows or something. Greenie, you'll sleep in Luz's room." As she said that, my face burned and I looked down. Eda seemed to catch on. "She won't care at all. First door on the left, upstairs."

I nodded slowly and walked towards the stairs, taking one last look at Luz before walking up. I reached the top and turned left, stopping at the door I found. It had messy scribbles on it that vaguely resembled the letters L U Z with a small doodle of the Good Witch Azura attached to the door. I chuckled lowly and turned the handle and opened the door.

The room was VERY Luzlike, and I mean that in the best way possible. It had a poster of Azura on the wall, with stacks of papers with glyphs on them in the corner. To the right wall, there was a wardrobe with some clothes, the most distinctive one being her Grom suit. In the center of the room was a comfy looking sleeve thing, with wolf hair all over it, and a sleeping king inside. I shook my head and walked over.

I grabbed King and yanked him out of the sleeping nest.

"WEHHH?!" He screamed, scrambling to his feet. His eyes adjusted to the rooms light and landed on me. "What are you doing her, blade of grass!?"

"Excuse me?" I asked him, only slightly offended.

"You Heard me, explain yourself!" He yelled, pointing a claw at me.

"I'm sleeping here tonight, and I needed you to move. Go sleep with Luz tonight," I said with a somber tone. King didn't pick up on it.

"Did they find Luz?" He sounded way too happy, and I didn't want to be the one to tell him the bad news.

"Go ask Eda about it," I said, snuggling into the bag like bedding.

"And I am off!" King exclaimed, running out of the room and slamming the door with a loud thud.

Now, finally with some peace and quiet, I had time to gather my thoughts.

'How much did I hurt Luz in the span of a week? She learned that I was scared of werewolves, which explains why she never told me anything, but... what about...'

I paused my train of thought and debated on opening this can of worms in my head. If I do, I'll never get sleep. Screw it.

'What about her Grom fear?'

'It was a werewolf, and one that had very similar body structure...'

'Was she scared of herself? And...'

'Is it my fault?'

~~~~Belos' Castle~~~~

Lilith walked down the hallways of the castle, ready to make it on time to her meeting with Emperor Belos. She wasn't ever going to be late again. Not after what happened last time.

As the large golden doors came into view, she spotted the cloaked man waiting for her by the door.

"There you are. I was worried you were going to be late," He said with a small wave. Lilith nodded in return. 

"I'm always punctual," Lilith said with a smile. It was as forced as it could be, and the cloaked man didn't say a word. No one ever did.

"Shall we?" He asked. He didn't wait for a response as he opened the door. They both walked in, bowing before the emperor and listening to the bile sac above beat.

"Rise." Was all Belos said, and they did just that. "What?"

"We Just have a few questions about your more recent... decisions... our lord," Lilith said.

"What?" Belos repeated again.

'Another bad day.' The cloaked man thought.

"Why did you inform Amity's parents about her association with the werewolf?" Lilith asked. The cloaked man looked at her with a bewildered expression. She's never been one to question the emperor's decisions before.

"I found it necessary. Now we can apprehend the girl without any... issues," The Emperor spoke with volume, and it once more shook the room. "Why, is that a problem, Lilith?"

"Of-of course not, sir. I wouldn't-," Lilith's thoughts were spiraling, and she was struggling to come up with an excuse for her sudden outburst. Fortunately, she was saved by a guard bursting into the room.

"My lord!" The guard yelled, screeching to a halt as he reached the throne.

"What is it?! I'm in the middle of important.. matters... right now!" Belos screamed at the offending intruder, and the guard shuttered slightly before continuing.

"The Blights have reported in. Amity is nowhere to be seen. She's not at her home, the library, or with any known friends," The guard panted, but shrunk immediately as the emperor's eye began to glow an ice blue.

"WHAT?!"

Chapter Text

~~~~Amity~~~~

5:01 AM

19 hours left

It's Cold.

Unnaturally cold.

The room I am in is pitch black. As I looked around the darkness, I saw a dull light spell. It wasn't nearly as bright as it should've been, and it looked ready to give out. 

'That's weird. If this is my usual nightmare, something's wrong...'

I started to walk towards the orb of light, and fully expected the usual never ending pain.

But it didn't come.

I reached the ball and held it, guiding it towards my face. I looked into the spell, and saw my reflection. There were tears in my eyes, and it was a never ending stream of salty water.

In shock, I dropped the ball and fell backwards, hitting the nonexistent floor of the room I was in. I wiped at my checks to see water on my fingers mixed with a red substance.

'Blood.'

I woke up and tried to push my covers off of me, but I was unsuccessful.

'Where are Ed and Em? Where am I?'

I took a look at my surroundings and started to remember yesterday.

'That's right. I'm at the owl house.'

That's when I started to hear music playing. It was in a weird language I didn't know, and was coming from a rectangle next to Luz's sleep bag.

I picked up the rectangle and saw what said on the screen.

5:07 AM

Alarm

Snooze

Stop

I clicked the stop button, hoping to end the music, and it did.

'Luz explained to me what this thing is once. A pfone, I think is what she called it. Huh.'

It was also extremely early. So either Luz casually wakes up at 5 AM on a Monday, or Eda set an alarm. I quickly got my answer as the door to the room was kicked open.

"Rise and shine, Amit- awwww man, you're already awake..." A very energetic Boscha yelled as she entered the room.

"Boscha, what...?" I was still half asleep and only partially aware of the new source of sound that entered the area.

"The Owl Lady said to wake you up, just in case the alarm she think she set didn't. We are apparently needed in the living room," She said, already turning around. "Hurry up and get ready!"

As I removed my self from the sleep bag and got ready, I thought about what could await me downstairs.

'Wonder what they need me for. Luz is probably down there still not awake. Eda and Boscha are down there, but probably not King. Hooty's down there.'

I involuntarily shivered at the thought of the bird tube, but continued getting ready.

Once I got dressed and, despite my better judgment, brushed my teeth using a toothbrush Eda found, I made my way down the stairs.

Eda was there, looking directly at the wolf that was Luz with the most somber expression I think I've seen on her face. Boscha's expression wasn't much better, and the energy from before seemed completely zapped out of her system.

There was no King in the room, as I suspected. He was probably to upset to stay with Luz while she's like this. I don't blame him.

Hooty seemed upset, with his face somehow emoting sadness, which I didn't even think he could do.

Boscha was the first to notice me, with Eda still staring directly at Luz.

"Hey, Amity," Her tone was so much duller than before.

'She tried to put on a front...'

I frowned ever so slightly but responded to her nontheless.

"Hey Boscha."

My voice is what made Eda look up from her fallen apprentice to the others in the room.

"Good, we're all awake," Eda started, rising from her seat on a chair and making her way towards the window sill, where Boscha was sitting. I did the same. "We need a plan."

"Right. Because us three can make a plan that in a day that will save Luz. Ok," Boscha said with a snarky tone. I knew that when she was backed in a corner, she fought back with sarcasm, but we all looked down. She wasn't wrong that the situation was hopeless.

"Just because our odds aren't great doesn't mean I'm not going to try to save her," Eda said, glaring at Boscha. They were going to go at each, and there was nothing I could do to stop it in my current state.

"Sure, Let's give it our best shot. One problem. Where do you plan on getting blood that's an exact match to Luz, huh? She's a werewolf, in case you forgot!" Boscha started screaming at the end, with 2 of her 3 eyes appearing glossy.

The silence that followed spoke volumes, and both Eda and I looked at each for guidance. Boscha scoffed and looked to the side, out the window.

"Why don't we just collect a small amount of blood now, or from last night, and preform a duplication spell?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Firstly, I am flattered you think my magic is THAT good, and while I am the most powerful witch on the boiling isles, I can't get all the venom out her blood right away. We need to let her body handle some of it. Unfortunately, we're on a time crunch here, so that's not an option. Secondly, any blood we find from last night will be crusted over and not viable. To dirty." Eda clarified, and then looked back at Luz. "I just don't know where else we can get some..."

"Well clearly last night you had a plan, Miss Owl Lady," Boscha sneered. "Why don't we just give the half human some of that mystery wolf's blood, since obviously you think it'd be a perfect match."

Eda's eyes filled with rage and started to water, and she exploded.

"Watch it! You do not get to call my kid a 'half human', and that plan was made in the heat of the moment! I don't see you giving any helpful ideas, so unless you come up with any... back off," Eda yelled at Boscha, and she visibly shrunk under the hatred filled gaze.

Eda backed down after seeing Boscha's reaction, and moved away from us over to Luz. She started to mumble something, but I was too far away to hear it.

'Arguing is getting us no where. We need something to do, to get somewhere with this...'

I walked back to the staircase, away from both Boscha and Eda, and started to think.

'We need blood not contaminated by venom but infused with her werewolf DNA. It's physically impossible to accomplish the first one right now, and any process that involves cleaning the blood would take too long. That's leaves our only option as...'

"Time travel..." I mumbled. I wasn't expecting anyone to hear me, but the living room was dead quiet, so of course they did.

Boscha looked away from the window to me. "Hate to break it to you, Amity, but time travel magic has been outlawed for decades." Boscha snarled her lips and looked away again as she spoke. "Besides, who do you know that knows how to perform that spell?"

I looked to Eda to see her reaction, but she seemed lost in thought, starting at Luz.

"Well, no one. But we need to do something, even if we have to go outside the law," I said, my voice wavering slightly. I was prepared to break small rules to save Luz, but time travel?

"Look at that, little miss perfect's going outside her comfort zone," Boscha huffed, half joking. I started to feel smoke coming out my ears, but maintained my cool. 

'Going back to arguing won't help Luz. Boscha's attitude can be dealt with later.'

"Greenie's right. If we are going to save Luz, it's by any means necessary," Eda said. "The only questions now are how we plan on traveling back, and when are we going?" Eda started to stand up, looking slightly more hopeful.

I gave a small smile before continuing. "In the forbidden section of the library there's a book on time travel. I've heard Malphas talk about it before. All we need to do is get in and grab it, then get out."

"M'kay. Easy as that. All we have to do is break into the most secure section of the library, find a book on forbidden magic, perform said ancient spells, and find some of Luz's blood without alerting anyone in the past. Great." Boscha said sarcastically. I glared at her and Eda sighed. I knew she was feeling at her lowest, and therefore vulnerable, but it was a little annoying.

"Look 3 eyes, we have NO other alternatives. I'd love to hear better suggestions, but it sounds like you don't have any and we have very little time. Now, why don't you and Greenie go to the library and find that book," Eda said, sitting down on one of her arm chairs.

"Why aren't you coming?" I asked, although I probably already knew the answer.

"Someone needs to watch the kid while you are out. And I don't know if I trust Hooty with this one," Eda shrugged. It was then that I noticed the uncharacteristically quiet that Hooty was being right now. I looked at the bird tube, who was currently laying on the ground, looking defeated.

"Fine. Let's go," Boscha said, jumping off the windowsill and opening the door, exiting the owl house. I followed right behind her.

~~~~30 minutes Later~~~~

6:33 AM

17.5 Hours Left

We remained silent the entire walk. It was only when we were on the outskirts of Bonesborough that I decided to strike up a conversation.

"So," I said, not entirely sure on how to start this talk.

"So," Was all Boscha said, looking anywhere but me at the moment.

"Want to share what's on your mind?" I asked. There was clearly something wrong, and I intended on getting to the bottom of it. Luz said to try and 'step into their shoes', whatever that means. Not entirely sure why I'd want to use Boscha's shoes, but whatever.

"Not particularly," She said, ignoring my attempts to calm the situation.

"Oh," I wasn't entirely sure how to approach her response. I was never good at feelings.

'Luz would know what to do if she was here.'

But she's not. 

When we reached the main road where the marketplace and downtown join, Boscha pulled me into a side street and covered my mouth.

"Mgmp-" I tried to struggle out of her hold, but she wouldn't let me. Damn her and her grudgby strength.

"Hang on!" She whisper yelled, and I stopped moving to hear my surroundings. "There's a guard approaching the area. I didn't think anything of it, but they're carrying a photo of you."

That was new.

'A photo of me? Why would an emperor's coven guard be looking for me?'

As my mind raced, I listened closer to what people were talking about, specifically this guard.

"-if you see this witch, contact the closest guard to you immediately. Thank you."

My breath hitched as I realized what that meant.

'Why are they looking for me? That doesn't make any sense, I haven't done anything.'

"Damn. This is going to make everything ten times harder," Boscha said as she released her hold on me. I nodded my head and we started to walk down the street, taking the alternative route to the library.

We dodged the line of sight of any guards as the giant building came into view. I pulled my employee card out of my pocket and guided Boscha towards the back entrance.

"Do you just casually carry your staff card on you at all times?" She asked with a smirk.

"Never leave home without it," I replied with a smile and a small laugh. She chuckled a little as I opened the door. I took a quick look at my scroll once we were inside.

6:46 AM

"Alright, the library opens in a little more than an hour, let's be quick," I said, walking in between isles to get to the large twin doors that lead to the forbidden stacks. Boscha wasn't far behind.

Once we reached the doors, I turned around to lay down some ground rules.

"Alright, once we're inside, you have to listen to everything I say. If we're caught, it looks like I could be arrested." I shook slightly at the thought.

"Yeah, well, I will probably be too given what we are trying to find," Boscha said with a shrug. I hesitated, but nodded my head in agreement.

I scanned my card and the doors opened, and grabbed Boscha's wrist to lead her in the right direction.

~~~~Edric~~~~

7:09 AM

17 Hours Left

"Where is your sister?!" Mom yelled for the fifth time that day. She woke us up at 6 in the morning, demanding to know where Amity went. Em and I's answer were the same each time.

"We don't know, mother! She disappeared! We saw her at the library, but then we went to hang with some friends," Em said, throwing her hands in the air. We were both getting frustrated, especially since Mittens was missing.

"Your sister's Penstagram account says she was with that one weakling, Willow, was her name? But according to the authorities, this Willow knows nothing of Amity's whereabouts. She wouldn't have gone anywhere without telling one of you, so where is she?!" Mom screamed again. Dad was standing off to the side, looking down.

I looked over at Em, who looked at me at the same time. We both knew that Amity usually tells one of us if she's going somewhere mom would say no to, but she didn't this time.

'Something must really be wrong...'

"She didn't tell us anything, mother. Now, if you'll excuse us, we would like to look for our little sister," I said, glaring at my mother, who I towered over by 3 inches now.

Mom starting fuming. I could almost see the smoke coming from her ears, and it would've been funny if Amity wasn't missing. Em and I started to walk towards the door without waiting for a response.

"I'm not done talking, you two! Get back here!" Mom screamed. From the sound I heard, it sounded like she started a spell circle, too.

"Odalia! Stop that!" Dad said, blocking her spell with an abomination. "Don't cast spells at our childr-" was the last thing we heard as the front door slammed shut.

"Where do we start?" Em asked, looking over at me.

"Let's Go to the Owl House. Maybe we can get our answers from Luz," I said, waking down the pavement.

"I don't like this. She's gone missing twice in the past month," Em said, walking along side me.

"I know. But Mittens is strong. If anyone knows what they're doing, it's her," I said with confidence.

'Amity's brilliant. She always has a plan.'

~~~~Amity~~~~

7:16 AM

16.7 Hours Left

We reached the outlawed section in record time, and I looked up at the sheer amount of books and spells the emperor banned.

"Geez, this dude's paranoid," Boscha said with a chuckle. There was a time when I would've berated her for talking bad about the emperor, but now I just nodded. He definitely had some trust issues.

At the bottom of the shelf were books that he just deamed 'inappropriate'. Stories about wild witch heroes and anything criticizing him were in this area. At the top, extremely illegal spells and anything about wild magic or mixing covens. Naturally, we needed the books at the top.

I started a levitation spell to get us to the top, but spotted Malphas as he was about to turn the corner. I stopped the spell immediately and tackled Boscha to the ground, behind a large stack of books.

"Hey, what the-," Boscha began, but I covered her mouth with my hand.

'Payback.'

I chuckled at the familiarity of the situation. We stayed like that as Malphas floated by us. I could see Boscha's eyes widen significantly when she saw him pass, and we both sighed when he was out of view.

I let her go and walked back to the oversized bookcase. 

"Thanks for that," Boscha said with a great full smile that I returned.

"Eh, consider it returning the favor," I said. Boscha laughed quietly as I started the levitation spell again. This time, I completed it and we slowly rose to the top of the shelf.

We floated around, scanning the books. I spotted a few interesting titles, such as:

"So you want to raise the dead?"

"Put that portal down and raise your hand!"

"Make 'em all love you"

"Wild Magic 101"

While some of them seemed useful, I wasn't  keen on getting spotted carrying the entire forbidden library. So I kept looking. Maybe 10 minutes passed when I heard Boscha behind me.

"Hey Amity! I think I found it," She whispered, and I turned around to see what she was carrying.

"Your guide on how to travel time"

"Boscha, that's it! Let's get out of here," I said, lowering the spell keeping us afloat.

"I know, aren't I the best?" Boscha teased, and I laughed before we began walking out of the forbidden stacks.

~~~~Emira~~~~

7:48 AM

16.3 Hours Left

As we walked to the owl house, Ed looked at me with a solemn face.

"Titan, I really hope she's ok," He said, kicking the dirt on the trail.

"Me too. Luz has got to know something," I said with conviction. "That's why we are taking the fast route through town."

"I know. It's just, I can't help but worry. I mean, we tease her relentlessly. What if we never see her again and the last thing we said to her was a joke, or a prank?" Ed was sounding more and more desperate as we went on. I needed to stop it.

"Hey! Don't think like that. Amity is the toughest person I know. If anyone's getting through, whatever this is, it's Amity. We both know that."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Em." 

"No problem, little brother," I said, trying to hold back my laughter.

"Hey!"

Once Edric and I reached town, we saw a bunch of emperor's coven guards walking around carrying pictures of Amity.

"You wouldn't suppose they are looking for her because she's missing, right?" Ed asked, looking at me with a worried face.

"I wouldn't bet on it," I replied, pulling him into an alleyway.

"So what do we do now? They clearly don't have her, but I find it hard to believe Amity would've done anything illegal. I expected our faces plastered around town way quicker than her's," Ed said with an unreadable expression. He was trying to mask his extreme worry with humor.

"We have to keep going to the owl house. What if that's where she is? She would've ran there if no where else was safe. Not even home," I said, gesturing in the direction of Blight manor.

Edric started hyperventilating halfway through my sentences, and I stopped talking to take him into account. He put his hands over his ears and started to wobble on his legs. I recognized his behavior immediately.

'Another panic attack.'

This was a usual occurrence for Ed. He has panic disorder, and usually has an episode when something bad happens to people he's close to. He had one after the first time Mittens talked back. He had one when Mittens went missing the first time. He had one when Jerbo was put in the detention track. And he's having one now.

I knew how to respond. We've talked about this.

I very gently moved him to the wall of a nearby house so that he could slide down to the ground. 

(Quick PSA: Never touch someone having a panic attack unless you have been told by that person that you can. It can increase their level of panic. Everyone's responses are different, so be accommodating.)

"Hey, hey look at me. It's ok. I'm right here," I said. I was careful to leave enough distance for Ed to move around slightly. We stayed like that for a while, with Ed slowly moving less and less.

"Hey Ed, name 5 things you can see for me."

His eyes slowly fell and me, then went around the alley we were in.

"The g-ground. That water puddl-le. The b-bricks of the buil-lding. That garbage bag. And you," He finished, slowly removing his hands from the side of his head.

"Good. How about 4 things you can feel?"

"The wall. The ground. My legs. Nails in my palms," He was shaking less and less, and his hands started to relax, showing the blood from his nails.

"Great Job. Now try 3 things you can hear."

"Water dripping. The market. You," He was looking more and more relaxed, and I released a tiny sigh of relief.

"Good job, Ed. Now do 2 things you can smell."

"Garbage and your terrible perfume," He said with the smallest hint of a laugh.

'That's a really good sign.'

"One thing you can taste."

"Blood," He said. That wasn't unusual. He usually clamps down on his teeth really hard, and sometimes his tongue. It's not uncalled for for him to start bleeding in the mouth, especially with our fangs.

Still, it wasn't any easier to hear.

I opened my arms for him, and he slowly came closer before crushing me in a hug. I returned it and could feel his tears staining my shirt.

'Damn mom and her refusal to let him see a therapist. He's asked for one so many times. Damn her and her 'A blight is always in perfect health' bullshit.'

We were in that alley for far longer than I predicted, and once Ed was okay with leaving, we walked out and I checked my scroll.

8:04 AM

We walked through town, struggling to avoid getting caught by any guards. Of course, luck was not on our side.

"Hey! You two, have you seen-," A guard started, but stopped once we turned around. He saw the faces of two of the most influential people on the Isles. And the sister of a wanted criminal.

"Yeah?" Ed said with a snarky tone. I looked worriedly over at him before looking back at the guard.

"Have you seen your sister by any chance?" He said.

"Why no, we have not," I said with a sickly sweet tone.

"Alright, carry o-," The guard was about to send us away, but was cut off by his crow cawing. "On second please."

Ed and I stood there awkwardly while he answered the call.

"Yes, ma'am? What?! But- are you- okay, okay. Understood." The call didn't even last 2 minutes, but when it was over his entire demeanor changed. He looked at us with hesitation and pride.

"Change of plans. You too are coming with me," He said.

"WHAT?!" Ed and I yelled at the same time.

"We didn't do anything!" I yelled at the guard.

"We are taking you in for questioning on your sister. This shouldn't take long," He said with a shrug, starting a spell circle.

I looked over at Ed, and he looked at me. There was hesitation in our eyes, but both knew that if we fought back, that would put more heat on Mittens.

We let the guards take us in.

~~~~Amity~~~~

8:17 AM

15.7 Hours Left

It took significantly more time to get out of the library than it did to get in, since it was now open.

There was plenty of people everywhere, and Boscha and I had to weave our way through them to get to the back door. Once we reached it, we ran back to the alley we came from. Only, we made one fatal flaw.

We didn't check if there was anyone one there.

We collided with a guard, and all 3 of us were knocked to the ground.

"Oh, careful there li-," the guard stood up and offered us a hand, but immediately noticed who I was.

"AMTIY BLIGHT!" He yelled, starting a spell circle. Boscha and I sprung up and started to run into the forest, hearing more guards come our way.

"Great! Just Great! Now I'm an outlaw too!" Boscha yelled at me while we ran.

"Can it, Boscha! We have to get back!" I yelled back, starting to breath heavily.

We ran for what felt like hours, but was probably only around 7 minutes, when I heard a guard yell amongst the trees.

"Dammit! Where did they go?!" 

Boscha and I look at each with small grins as we ran. The owl house was coming into view, as was Hooty.

" 'bout time you guys got here!" He said, worming his way between us.

"Not now, Hooty! We ran into some trouble, literally," I said, and Boscha snicked. I pushed open the door and Boscha and I ran in before I slammed it shut. I could hear quiet mumbles about me being 'the mean green one', but dismissed it.

"There you two are! Almost thought you got caught for a minute there. Did you get it?" Eda said from her position on the chair, 

"Yep," Boscha said, lifting the book over her head, then placing it on the coffee table. "But we might want to hurry with this, since Amity's apparently a wanted criminal and we may have alerted a few guards to where we are."

"That's putting even more pressure on this whole thing, but whatever," Eda said while getting and standing next to us. "Alright, where we dropping, boys?"

Boscha and I looked at each other with equally confused looks before looking at Eda.

"What?" I asked.

"Eh, something I heard Luz say. Anyway, where are we going in time? Or rather, when?" She spoke with a dramatic voice, and I cracked a smile before looking back at the wolf on the couch. The smile lowered into a frown.

"Well, we need a time when Luz was a werewolf, and preferably when she was already bleeding to avoid suspicion," Boscha said.

'When has Luz bled before, that we know of? Last night doesn't count. She's never bled at Hexside. What about-'

"The Knee!" I said.

"Huh?" Boscha was very confused, but Eda seemed to catch on.

"Wait, you're right! You and her were trapped in the cave system under the knee, right?" Eda asked. I nodded. "She came back pretty roughed up that night. If we could go there and get some fresh blood from the fight, that should do it."

I nodded and walked over to the book on the table, before Eda stepped in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I asked her. She was in my way of saving Luz.

"It'd be best if me and 3 eyes handle this one. You were there that night, and someone needs to watch Luz and the house," She said. I opened my mouth to argue, but closed it right after. She was right.

"I guess you're right..." I said, sounding defeated.

"Hey, don't sweat it. We'll be back soon," Eda walked over to the book and opened it to the spell page. Most of it was background information.

"Wait, won't we be back in, like, a second? Isn't that how time travel works?" Boscha asked, walking over so that she was standing next to Eda.

"Not exactly. Time travel is finicky. While, yes, time is technically not passing for us, we still need to come back after roughly the amount of time we were gone has passed," Eda responded, readying her hand for the spell.

"That's stupid," Boscha said.

"Most advanced magic has its drawbacks," Eda said, then she completed the spell.

There was a flash, and then the house shook with a lightning strike and some thunder before they were gone, leaving Luz, King, Hooty, and me alone.

I glanced at the clock, ready to count the seconds.

8:49 AM

~~~~Willow~~~~

9:28 AM 

14.5 Hours Left

"GUSSSSS!" I yelled, banging on his front door. I heard some scuffling on the other side along with a crash, then the door opened, revealing a frantic looking Gus.

"What?! What happened?!" He screamed, not waiting for answer. "Did someone die?! Should I call the healing coven?!"

"What? No, no one's dead. I'm just worried. Some guards came to my house at 2 in the morning asking for the, and I quote, 'whereabouts of Miss Amity Blight'" I said with a small chuckle at his over reaction. "I thought about going to Skara's house to ask, but you live closer."

"Ask what exactly?" He said with an eyebrow raised.

"Do you know where Amity would've been last night?" I asked him.

"Well, no. But, I overheard Skara ask her about going out last night. Maybe she knows something," He said with a shrug.

"Alright then, there's no time to waste!" I said, taking a page out of Luz's book and pulling Gus along.

"Adventure!" Gus yelled.

We walked along the path to the fancy neighborhood, filled with houses that looked worth about as much as both our families life saving combined. Before we reached Skara's house, we saw an emperor's coven guard come up to us.

"Excuse me, have you seen this witch?" She asked, showing us a picture of Amity.

I looked over at Gus, who was staring at the picture with wide eyes.

"No, we have not seen the person in that photo," I said with the most innocent voice I could muster.

"Hmph. Very well, carry on," The guard said, and Gus and I looked at each other.

"What could Amity have done to start a search for her?" Gus asked. I shrugged and looked over at Skara's house. I looked at the window to her room.

There she was, sitting in the windowsill. She was staring at the guards walking around until her eyes landed on us. They widened and she jumped up and ran back into the house.

"Welp, so much for that idea," I said. I started to turn around until I heard the front door open.

"Gus! Willow! Have you guys seen Amity?" She asked, running down to us.

I turned back around and looked at her. "No, but we were really hoping you have. What happened after we left last night?" I asked her.

"I'm not really sure, it all happened so fast. I can take you to where I saw her last, though," She said with a lopsided smile. Something in her eyes told me she was hiding something, but I dismissed it.

"Sure! That be great!" Gus said, and we started walking to the woods.

The walk was short, maybe 30 minutes. It lead us to the path leading to the Owl House, which I found very suspicious.

"Here we are. This is where I last saw Amity," Skara said. She sounded nervous. I didn't want to push her, but I needed to help Amity.

"What was she doing all the way out here?" I asked her. Skara's nervous aura grew, and she didn't look like she handled the pressure well. She refused to respond. "Skara?"

Now Gus was looking at her, too. We both were worried about the situation, which seemed to be getting worse by the second.

That's when Skara broke.

"She was with Boscha and The Owl Lady! I don't know what they were doing last night, but they seemed pressed for time and sad. That's all I know!"

'What? Why were Amity and Boscha with Eda that late at night?'

"I guess it's time to pay Eda a visit," I said with a shrug. Skara stood confused. I forgot she didn't know that Luz lived with Eda.

"Luz lives with Eda," I said, just to help clarify.

"What?! That's so cool! I got to ask her questions!" She exclaimed with newly found vigor, the nervousness all but lost.

"When we get there, Skara," I said with a laugh.

"More Adventure!" Gus yelled, and we continued down the path to the Owl House.

Chapter Text

~~~~Boscha~~~~

15.2 Hours Left

The feeling of time travel is weird. That's the only way I can think of to describe it with one word.

It felt like pins and needles, but almost alive, like fire warping your skin. But it doesn't hurt.

See? Hard to explain.

When the blinding white light ended, what I didn't expect to see was to still be in the owl house. I looked over at the owl lady to see if she did the spell wrong, but she wasn't there.

"Uh oh." I said. There was a loud crash noise followed by King entering the room.

"Halt intruder! What business do you have with the king of demons! Also, how did you get past Hooty?!" The furball yelled. I ignored him for a moment and looked at the clock on the wall.

5:29 PM

That time didn't help at all, as I knew nothing about the timeline of that days event. I don't even know if I landed at the correct day.

"What day is it?" I asked King.

"Wha- it's Tuesday, why?" He said, tilting his head. He seemed to completely forget I was a stranger in this time and I chuckled a little at the thought.

"Where are Luz and the Owl Lady?" I asked, trying to sound as calm as possible, as to not give away the fact that I could be stranded in time.

"They went to the- waitttt why would I tell you?! For all I know you're some assassin trying to kill them!" He screamed. That seemed to awaken the house as the door slammed open and Hooty wormed his way in.

"Assassins?! Where?!" He screamed, running into both King and me and knocking us to the ground.

"Ow! What the-,"

"HOOTY!"

King and I tumbled into the furniture, with King in my lap.

"WHERES THE- oh hey mean spirited red head," Hooty said. 

Both King and I stayed dumbstruck, for two different reasons.

"HOW DO YOU REMEMBER ME?!"

"You know her?!" 

King and I both yelled different questions at Hooty, and he recoiled before responding.

"I am never truly here. I am an amalgamation of those who came before and after. I transcend space and ti-," He started before King cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard this all before. 'A never ending tube of infinite wisdom.' Cut the crap. How do you know her?"

I just sat, dumbfounded at this new revelation before Hooty explained.

"I met her. She came over when Luz was about to transform under the full moon, but that hasn't happened yet. She's from when Luz suffers a fatal injury and she and Eda travel back in time to try and save her." I cringed more and more as he went on with his explanation. Glancing over at King, I saw the most confused yet understanding face staring off into the abyss.

"Except, Luz ends up not waking u-," Hooty continued telling the future, and that's when I realized that both King and I haven't lived through this yet. I shut him up by throwing my hand over his beak, which he promptly licked.

"EW! You little-," I was writhing with anger, but cooled down knowing Luz's life is on the line. "Look, Let's refrain from telling the future, ok? Especially to those who haven't lived through it yet.'" I said the last part through closed teeth, and Hooty nodded and slid back into the door and closed it.

I looked back at King, who was now looking at me with surprised eyes.

"Wha- who- wh- YOU'RE FROM THE FUTURE?!" He screamed, and I flinched but nodded my head.

"Yes! Now would you please stop yelling and tell me where Luz and Eda are?! I whisper yelled, and King seemed to consider it before shaking his head.

"No! We are going to talk about the fact that Luz almost dies?! Full moon transformation?! Wha-," He kept yelling, but I cut him off.

"If you tell me where Luz and Eda are, then I'll tell you about the future," I said. "Deal?"

"Deal! They went to the Knee to train about 2 hours and a half ago. Now, tell me-," I stopped his sentence by performing a mild sleep spell, and with any luck, he won't remember any of this. I knew everything I needed to know. This is the right day.

Now to find Eda.

The Eda from my time, any way.

~~~~Emira~~~~

8:42 AM

15.2 Hours Left

The ride to the conformatorium was long and boring. Ed and I just stayed quiet while the transport slowly edged closer to the looming structure. We shared worried glances, mostly about Amity or what we just got ourselves into, but I tried to think positive. Maybe Amity's actually at the Owl House, considering it's almost impossible to find without permission from the Owl Lady, and we never even made it there.

Once the carriage halted, the guards banged on the bars to get our attention. We were sitting on the floor with magical binds on our hands and feet, restricting movement and spell casting.

"We are heading into the conformatorium. Don't fight us while we transport you two to a holding cell to await interrogation, understood?"

Ed and I both mumbled responses, but that wasn't good enough for the guard.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He yelled, opening the barred door and grabbing Edric by his wrist restraints and pulling him out of the carriage.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" I yelled, standing up and jumping out of the transport.

"I said, understood?!" The guard yelled again, Looking between Ed and I. We both said yes louder than before, and that seemed to satisfy the guard as he uncasted the leg binds and waved his hand. "Follow me."

We wasted no time on following right behind him. I looked around us and saw 4 guards. One to our right, one to the left, the one we were following, and one right behind us.

It was looking more and more like we were prisoners. I wiggled my hands slightly to the point where I would be able to trace a small spell circle, just in case. Ed saw what I was doing and followed suit. 

"The Blight twins. Here for interrogation." The front guard said to the large door keeping demon.

"Hmph," was all the demon said as the front doors opened.

We continued down winding halls and spiral staircases, and I saw some people I recognized. We eventually stopped at one of the cells, and the guards turned towards us after opening it.

"Get in. We'll be back in a few hours for interrogation," One of them said, and they proceeded to push Ed and I into the cell.

"Hey, what the-," Ed started, before they slammed the cell shut and walked away. "I think we're not just here for a short talk."

"Me too." I said with a sigh. I leaned against the wall of the cell with my hands uncomfortably smashed against it. "What exactly do they plan on doing here?"

"No clue, but I really don't want to stick around to find out," Ed said. "Also, I'm pretty sure these binds prevent magic casting."

"What?!" I said, probably a little but too loud. "How do you know?"

"I tried casting a spell to swipe the guards key, but nothing happened. It was a simple levitation spell, it should've worked," Ed said, shrugging.

"Uggh dammit!" I yelled, pushing myself off the wall and stomping my foot on the floor. "Now what?!" My frustration was getting the better of me, but I really didn't want to let it out on Ed.

"We have no options except wait. We'll see what happens," Ed said, sitting down.

"I guess you're right," I followed suit, and we sat next to each against the cell wall.

~~~~Eda~~~~

14.7 Hours Left

Landing in the middle of a field is not what I expected to happen, but I should've guessed using long since forbidden magic would've had some... complications. Like losing whoever you came into the past with.

After flying to town on Owlbert, I looked around for any indication that I landed on the right date, but nothing came up. I guess I'll have to do my least favorite activity.

Asking for help.

I looked for the nearest gullible soul and asked him for the time.

"Excuse me, weird looking elf man, what day and time is it?" I even batted my eyelashes for extra effect.

"Wha- are you taking to me?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, I'm talking to you! Who else would I be talking to?! That tree?!" I yelled, pointing at the tree for extra emphasis.

"Oh, well- Um, 6:17 PM. It's Tuesday, the day of the covention. Although, that already happened...," He continued to explain the day in explicit detail, including what he ate for breakfast.

I dragged a hand down my face and sighed. Bouncing up, I grabbed Owlbert and hopped on before flying away.

"Thanks for the somewhat helpful information! See you never!" I yelled as I flew away.

Now to find three eyes.

Where I didn't expect to see her was right at the base of the knee.

"Hey, three eyes, is that you?!" I yelled.

"EDA! YEAH IT'S ME! I WAS HOPING I WOULD FIND YOU HERE!" She yelled back, and I began to descend down to the foot of the mountain.

"Shuuush, be a little quiet. Past me would still be looking around the Knee for Luz at this time," I said, pointing at Boscha. "Honestly, it's mostly luck that I saw you here. I didn't really plan on going to the mountain until I found you."

"Awwwww, you care about me?" Boscha asked, placing a hand over her heart.

"What? No, it's just that Luz would kill me if I left you in the past," As I said that, 3 eyes' smile faded and I chuckled before continuing. "Anyway, on to more pressing matters. Luz told me awhile ago that her memory of the time frame of this night is foggy, but right now she and Greenie should've woken up and started walking through the caves. We have to wait until they reach the main cavern, and make sure they don't see us when they get there, got it?"

Boscha nodded and tilted her head. "Ok, but what do we do right now?" She asked.

"Right now, we wait for the clock to strike around 10, as that's when Luz thinks she and Boots started the fight," I answered, laying on the ground. "Set a timer for 10, mamas taking a nap."

"Wha- you can't just- ugggghhh!" Boscha groaned, but pulled out her scroll and set a timer anyway.

~~~~Amity~~~~

9:27 AM

14.5 Hours left

I don't remember the time exactly, but it was around 8:55 AM when I got bored of staring at the clock.

I decided around 20 minutes ago to pet King while sitting on the floor next to Luz. King was visibly upset about the condition of his boo-boo buddy, and I didn't blame him. I'm pretty upset, too.

No, upset doesn't even begin to cover it.

I am livid.

'How dare they think that Luz is a monster?! How dare they think that they can hurt her?! How dare they think that they are still worthy of her friendship after calling her dangerous?!'

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"It's my fault..." I said, looking away from Luz to the ground.

"Wha...," King sleepily said, gazing towards me.

"If I hadn't called werewolves dangerous in the first place and turned her away, she wouldn't have ran away from me last night," I said, tears starting to brim the corners of my eyes.

"You know she wouldn't want you to blame yourself, right?" King said, with a surprising amount of wisdom.

"But it's my fault! If I wasn't so... so... prejudicial then Luz wouldn't have gotten this hurt!" I yelled, tears now falling onto the floor.

"She wouldn't want you to think like that," King said again, but I ignored him.

"It's my fault!" I said as I grabbed my head with both hands and closed my eyes, trying to stop the tears.

'Mittens, Blights don't cry. Stop that nonsense.'

My mothers voice rang in my head from my 8th birthday party. Right after I turned away Willow.

'Another thing that's my fault.'

"Are you serious right now?!" King yelled. I let go of my head and places my hands in my lap. King jumped down from his spot on the arm rest of the couch to be in front of me. I just looked down.

"You know she wouldn't think that way!" King said again. I slowly looked up at him.

"I know. She's too nice to do that. But it's true. It's my fault," I said. My voice cracked as I spoke with raw emotion.

"No, it's not. What you said to her about werewolves was the snobby wanna be emperor talking," King said. I chuckled lightly and lifted my head all the way.

"Maybe. But I still said it," I shook my head and looked at Luz. She looked so peaceful, almost like she wasn't going to be dead the next day if Eda and Boscha fail.

"Yes, you did. But blaming yourself isn't going to help Luz right now. You can do that after she wakes up," King says with conviction, and I nodded at him.

'Luz now. Feeling the crushing guilt of my situation later.'

That's when there was knocking on the door. 

My breath hitched and Kings head snapped in that direction.

I listened closely, trying to hear what Hooty was saying to the new guests.

"Oh, hey, I recognize you guys! Expect you though, you are new..." Hooty sounded suspicious. "What're you guys doing here?"

"We're looking for Amity. We were wondering if she is with Luz?"

Willow.

Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot.

King and I looked at each other, and I made an executive decision.

I stood up and grabbed Luz, holding her like a newborn witch, and proceeded to walk upstairs. As I walked, I heard more of what Hooty was saying.

"Ah, well, the mean one isn't here right now, and Luz isn't feeling well, sorry!" He squeaked.

"Can we at least see Luz?" 

That was Gus. That was the last I heard of their conversation, since I was already half way up the stairs. I decided to hide in Eda's room, since Willow and Gus would look in Luz's room first.

Once I reached her door, I opened it and walked inside, placing Luz in Eda's nest and sitting next to her on the ground. The suspense was killing me, so I casted a spell in order to be able to hear what they we're talking about. Willow spoke first.

"I'm sorry Hooty, but I'm too worried about my friends to listen to your stories of friendship with bugs. Open this door or I will-,"

The sound of the door slamming open followed.

"Heyyyyy! L-Luz's friends, hi! What can I do for ya?" King spoke next, and he was surprisingly terrible at lying. Well, it wasn't that surprising, but still.

"King! Hi, we Just were wondering if Luz and Amity are here," Gus said with a chipper voice.

"Ah, well, no one's here, so why don't you impressionable youths go home and rethink your life choices?" King said with a nervous voice that anyone could read.

"Sureeee, we'll just-," Willow started, before I heard scuffling and King shout.

"HEY! Wait, NO you can't go up there!" There was a clear wave of panic in his voice, and that's when I connected the dots.

'Willow's coming upstairs.'

'WILLOW'S COMING UPSTAIRS.'

I disconnected the spell and panicked. I grabbed a nearby blanket and threw it over Luz, then ran into the nearest closest, closing the door lightly.

I listened closely for any noises, and I heard the creaky door to Luz's room open first.

"Hey Luz! You in here?" Willow asked. Her voice was faint and I could barely hear her, but I heard King loud and clear.

"SeE?! No OnE's HeRe you can go home NoW!" His voice cracked a ton and sounded squeaky, which would've been funny in any other circumstances.

"Just let me look around a little more," Willow said. King said something right after, but I couldn't hear him over the sounds at the front door.

"Just let us in, Hooty!" Gus yelled, followed by the telltale sound of a spell circle being casted.

"I'm sorry, but I can't! Want to have a tea party instead?!" Hooty screeched. This was followed by many loud bangs and a few screams. Hooty then spoke again. "We can just stay here and wait!"

Loud footsteps rapidly approached Eda's room, and I started to panic.

'Crap. What do I do? What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO?!'

The door slammed open, and a frantic Willow called out into the room.

"Luz! You in here?!" 

She stepped around the room, and I looked at her through the holes in the closet door.

As she approached the nest, my anxiety on the situation spiked.

'This is it. This is how I die.'

"Luz? Is that you?" Willow asked, as she grabbed the blanket. My eyes widened and I pushed opened the closest door right as she teared the blanket off of Luz.

"Luz- AHHHHHH!" Willowed screamed, and she started a spell circle.

'Shoot, I'm not gonna reach her in time. I'm really sorry about this, Willow.'

I drew a spell circle in the air, summoning abomination goo and pushing Willow into the wall, restraining her.

"Hey, what the- AMITY?!" Willow yelled once she saw me. "Amity, what are you doing?! That wolf is in Eda's nest, we gotta-,"

"I know," I said, looking at Luz.

"What do you mean, you know?! That thing tried to kill us!" Willow yelled again, and I debated releasing her, but decided against it. She's too unstable right now.

"Willow, you don't understand-," I tried to explain myself, but Willow cut me off.

"You're damn right I don't understand! Why are there guards looking for you everywhere?! Where have you been?! Where's Luz?! Why is there a wolf in-," 

"THAT WOLF IS LUZ!" 

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Silence.

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"WHAT?!"

"You heard me! That wolf is Luz!" I yelled, taking a step towards Willow.

"What are you saying?! That Luz is a werewolf?!" Willow responded, leaning forward against the abomination goo restraining her.

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying! Luz is a werewolf!" I screamed at her, releasing some pent up anger in the process.

"That's impossible! She's a human!" She yelled, angry tears already forming. I imagined my face looked similar.

"Think, Willow! What did it look like attacked her the night you first saw Luz? It was no fire bee swarm, it was a werewolf!"

Willow opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by screams coming from downstairs.

"By the orders of the emperor, we are here to apprehend the criminal known as the Owl Lady and the werewolf human!" An emperor's coven guard yelled. There were clashing noises and loud spells being casted, and what sounded like a battalion of emperor's guards outside.

Willow and I looked in each other's eyes, and nodded. I released her from the wall and we both ran downstairs to see what was happening.

What I saw was terrifying.

As I approached the last step of the stairs, with Willow right on my tail, Gus saw us and ran over.

"Amity, hey! We have a problem!" Gus yelled as Hooty tried his best to fend off the troops as much as he could.

"I figured with all the screaming," I said, looking at the fight. At least 50 guards were outside, from what I could see. 

Try as he might, Hooty will not be able to take out all of them.

"Yeah, well, problem is putting it lightly," Another voice said to my left. I looked over and saw Skara, carrying her harp.

"Skara?! What are you doing here?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Amity, hey! I lead them to where I saw you guys last night. We were really worried about you. There are guards all over town looking for you," She said with a relieved yet still stressed face, somehow.

"Also, is Luz a werewolf?!" Gus yelled over the fighting, with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"We'll talk about that later. We should focus on what's happening right now!" I responded, pointing at the front door where an exhausted Hooty was trying his best to keep guards away from then house.

"Right, Let's Go help!" Skara said, and we all nodded and ran to the door. As we left the owl house, Gus casted a shield to protect us from some stray fireballs, then we all separated into different areas. I ran forward, sliding underneath a guard and covering him in abomination goo. He screamed and tried to wipe it off, but I controlled it on him and flung him into a tree.

The next guard tried to swing at me with a stone sword, but I caught the attack with an abomination hand and twisted his wrist. He screamed out in pain and dropped his sword, and I summoned an abomination to my left. While the guard tried to remove his hand from my grip, the abomination punched him in the chest, flinging him backwards.

I heard frantic footsteps behind me, and I turned around to see a guard almost next to me holding a crystal ball. I ready my hands for a blow, when the guard stopped moving all together. I looked to my right and saw Skara, holding them with her harp. I smiled in her direction, and she nodded, before swinging them into the air.

As the amount of guards still standing started to dwindle, I surveyed the fight.

Willow was protecting an injured Gus, who seems to have taken a fireball to the arm.

Skara was next to Hooty, fending off the attackers with everything they got.

I was standing right in the middle of it all, and there seemed to only be around 7 guards left.

"Guys! I'm gonna go check on Luz!" I yelled to them. I got a few responses, and I figured that was good enough as I ran inside the owl house.

I practically sprinted up the stairs and down the hall, to Eda's room.

As I opened the door, I immediately readied spells. 

Someone was standing over Luz.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY LUZ!" I screamed. The assailant jumped, before grabbing Luz.

I responded by running towards them, beginning to grab the intruder with a magic hold. Instead, they summoned a staff and casted a blue magic bolt, pushing me to the wall.

I looked up to see who was attacking me, and I looked in disbelief.

"Lilith?! Let her go!" I yelled. My voice was shaking and thick with emotion, but I tried to sound intimidating.

"I can't do that, Amity," She said, before securing Luz on her staff and getting on herself. 

"This has to be done," She said, taking one more look at me, then flying out a broken window.

I looked at the window, then to the nest. 

I failed.

~~~~Willow~~~~

1:02 PM

11 Hours Left

As we cleared out the rest of the emperor's guards and secured them with magic bindings, I started to look for Amity. I remembered her saying she was going to check on Luz, so I walked into the owl house and started up the stairs.

Whether or not Luz was a werewolf, we were going to help her. And I have to apologize to Amity for my outburst.

'I didn't mean to get that upset. My worry had turned into frustration, and I let it out on her.'

Once I reached Eda's door, I grabbed the handle and opened it. When I first walked in, I couldn't see anyone. But when I noticed the nest was empty, I felt a pit start to grow in my stomach.

'Something's wrong.'

I was snapped out of my thought process when I heard quiet sobs coming from my left. I turned to see Amity, huddled against the wall, shaking slightly.

The crying was coming from her.

"Amity? What's wrong?" I asked her. She didn't respond, so I got closer and sat down next to her. "Amity?"

"I-I failed. They-y-y took her-r," She said between broken sobs, and then she slowly pointed to the nest.

The empty nest.

They took Luz.

My fist began to shake as I stared at the nest. 

'They are going to pay. No one can get away with this. I will make sure-'

I was pulled out of my thoughts again by another sob coming from Amity. She needed comfort right now, not vengeance.

I engulfed her in a hug, which she immediately sunk into. She started to cry on my shoulder, and I could feel the tears soak into my shirt. I ignored it, and we sat in silence. The only noise that could be heard was Amity.

I don't know how long we sat like that, but eventually Amity pulled away.

"Thank you," She said in a raw and hoarse voice. She looked broken, and I didn't blame her.

"Of course. We'll get her back, I promise," I said. She didn't seem to believe me, and she shook her head.

"She doesn't have that long. She lost a lot of blood last night, so Eda and Boscha went to try to get more, b-but who knows how long they'll take! And without Luz here, t-they..." Her tears had stopped flowing, but her eyes were still watering. It looked like she lost all hope.

"Hey, we'll figure this out. I'm not sure how, but we will, ok?" I told her. I hoped it sounded like I believed what I was saying, but I didn't.

Luz didn't sound like she would make it.

~~~~Boscha~~~~

11 Hours Left

While Eda and I sat next to the base of the knee, I found entertainment in burning my signature into multiple trees around the area. It was fun, and passed the time. 

Eventually, the timer I had set on my scroll went off, telling me to wake up the infamous Owl Lady.

I walked over to where she was sleeping and shook her.

"Wakkeeeeeee uppp," I said with an annoying voice. Eda responded after a few minutes.

"Five more minutes." 

"We don't have five more minutes if we want to save Luz," I said. That woke her up almost instantly, and she had Owlbert summoned within the second.

"Well then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" She yelled. I sighed and hopped on her staff, which she already was hovering on. "To the top of the mountain!"

"Well, actually the main cavern of the Knee tunnels isn't at the top, it is more like around the top at an-,"

"Can it. You sound like Boots when you do that."

We raced to the alcove where the small skylight is that leads into the tunnels. It was open, and from what Eda told me about that night, that means that Amity and Luz have yet to make it to the main chamber.

We dismounted the staff and peered into the cavern. It was dark, and large. It looked like a round bowl like room, with rounded walls that cause the entrance from the tunnels to be inaccessible once inside.

"Alright, so we have to be really quiet and careful, or the Knee demon will see us. I'm going to a cast an invisibility spell. Any spells casted will break it, so don't have a trigger finger no matter what you see," Eda said. I looked over at her, then at her gem. It was starting to turn black, and I knew enough about how magic worked to know that she is losing hers.

"How about I take this one? Look at your gem," I said.

"I can handle this perfectly fine," Eda said sternly. I shrugged and went along with it, making a reminder in my head to ask Luz about that later. Once she wakes up.

I casted a levitation spell into the cavern. Once we reached the bottom, we stood in almost complete darkness, with the only light coming from the sky light. Eda then casted the invisibility spell.

I looked over at Eda, who had a shimmer effect all over her body. I had something similar, and it's so that we can see each other, and no one else can. We stood in silence, until we heard footsteps approaching the area.

My head snapped in that direction, and eventually Amity and Luz came into view.

"Look, there's our exit!" Amity exclaimed, and Luz barked. I suppressed a snort at Luz's actions, amused at the body she was confined to at the moment.

Once they slid down into the cavern, the skylight closed and the room was casted in complete darkness. Amity muttered a few words and summoned a light spell. She and Luz began to walk around, until her spell illuminated the demon of the Knee. They had one large horn in the center of their head, with red skin and a feathery tail.

Amity screamed and fell back as torches all around the room ignited, illuminating the cavern.

"WHO DARES ENTER MY CHAMBERS!" The demon yelled. The lights showed more of their features, revealing talons on their claws and feet. They towered over Luz and Amity.

"Uhhh, we... did?" Amity spoke in a high pitch voice. I stifled another laugh.

"I can see that. Honestly, you witches don't know a rhetorical question when it hits you in the face," They said. I took mild offense at their quip, but didn't say anything. That would reveal our cover fast.

"Hey, now that was-," Amity started, but the demon cut her off.

"Now that you're here, I will have to dispose of you myself. I had hoped the avalanche would do all the work for me," They said, pointing at the entrance to the area. It was completely covered in snow.

"Try me," Amity said, with a lot more confidence then before.

"Gladly."

Once the light banter was done, the fight began.

Amity summoned a large abomination as she began to hurl fireballs in the demons direction. Luz seemed surprised at the sudden fighting, but regained ground quickly. She crouched down and was ready to pounce, when Amity called out.

"Aster! The lever! I think it opens the caverns skylight!" She yelled, pointing to a long stick made of wood and stone poking out of the wall behind the demon. At that, I almost burst out laughing. I really have to tease Amity about her obliviousness.

Luz barked in response and started to sprint to the lever that Amity pointed out, but the demon caught wind of their plan.

"Now just what do you think you're doing, mutt?" They asked in a commanding voice, losing all Lighthearted tone it had before. They swung their clawed hand at Luz, who was unable to avoid the attack. It sent her flying, straight into the wall on the opposite side of the cave.

"No!" I heard Amity, before she turned her focus back on the demon, summoning more abominations to replace the ones they had destroyed.

A loud crack could be heard as Luz connected with the wall. I flinched when it made contact. That had got to hurt. She struggled to get up and looked in Amity's direction, worriedly. She looked behind her, noticing no cracks, but some blood on the wall.

She stayed there for a little, probably trying to come up with a solution, before noticing the glyph craved into the wall, next to an alter. She sprinted towards it fast, mildly limping as she ran.

Once she reached the alter on the other side, I looked over at Eda's shimmering form.

"So, are you ready to collect that blood?" I whispered, pointing towards the wall Luz hit. Eda jumped, and her voice wavering slightly.

"Uh, yeah, sure, let's go." I looked at her questioningly, worried.

I shrugged and looked back at the wall. I was never good with feelings.

'Another thing to ask Luz to do once she wakes up.'

 We started to run towards the wall, and that's when the demon began to talk.

"Argh, why are you so slippery?!" They yelled.

"Ehh, years of practice," Amity responded smugly, before being grabbed by the monster. She struggled to get out, and I started to turn my head back to the wall, before seeing something in my peripheral vision.

Luz had shifted into her human form. She grabbed two sheets, writing down something on both, probably the glyph. She then hastily put them away, except for one of the papers.

I looked back at the wall Eda and I just reached. Eda pulled out a scrapper and a glass bottle. I was about to ask why she wasn't using a spell, but then I remembered the drawback to invisibility spells.

'Can't cast anything right now.'

As she did that, I looked back at the fight. Amity was still struggling in the demons hold, and she was yelling at him.

"Let me go you overgrown apple!" 

"Rude, okay? Now, say your last words!" The demon yelled.

"Screw you!" 

I chuckled lowly at Amity, confident that they wouldn't be able to hear me. That's when I saw Luz running towards the demon. She was back in her wolf form, and carrying the piece of paper from earlier in her mouth. Amity's banter with the demon continued.

"Yeah? Well I'm gonna- what the-," was the last thing I heard the demon say before a pillar of ice shot straight threw them, encasing them in it, and dropping Amity in the process. 

Amity hit the floor, and started to mutter a few words, before noticing a limping Luz approaching her. I was so engrossed in the seen, I didn't feel Eda poking me.

"Hey, pink head, I'm done, let's go," She said in a stern voice. I raised an eyebrow at her sudden mood change, but nodded. We had to wait until Luz and Amity open the caverns skylight, though.

"Aster! Are you okay? I was so worried!" Amity said, running over to hug Luz. Luz whimpered when Amity made contact, and Amity recoiled immediately.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! Here, let's get out of here, shall we?" She said, drawing a circle in the air to form an abomination. "Abomination, raise that lever!" She commanded. The abomination did as asked, and raised the lever, revealing the skylight.

Eda and I got ready to go, with my hand raised to cast the spell once Luz and Amity were out of the cave.

"Good, now let's get out of here!" Amity said, dissolving her abomination and starting a levitation spell. They floated out of the area through the skylight, and I started to cast my spell, before Eda lowered my hand, dissolving the spell.

"Hey, what the-," I began to whisper, but Eda went on to explain.

"Luz told me that they both pass out soon. Just wait," She said, and I nodded and lowered my hand entirely.

I could hear faint muttering above us, but the only noise I could make out was Luz screaming at the top of her lungs. She sounded like she was in extreme pain, and I flinched. The voices that followed were very faint, and I tried to listen closely.

"Mitt- Is at- you!?" The voice yelled. It was too quiet to make out the owner, and I clicked my tongue. It sounded like it was down the mountain.

Another voice then started to speak, and I listened closely just like before. "H-g on, re- co th-!" It sounded deeper than the previous one, telling me that there could be two people. I should really ask Amity about the exact events of this night some day, it's seems like it'd be a good story.

Eda and I waited until we heard a small thump, letting us know that Luz has passed out.

"Ok, now," Eda said, and I casted the levitation spell, breaking the invisibility. Once we reached the top, I saw Amity and Luz in her wolf form knocked out on the snow. Luz had extensive injuries, but if I had to guess, Amity just passed out from using too much magic.

Eda summoned her staff, and I hopped on as we flew away from the mountain. I looked behind us to find the owners of the voices I heard before. 

They were Edric and Emira, Amity's older siblings. They were climbing the mountain to reach her, and were probably out looking for her. I smiled slightly and turned back around.

Eventually, Eda landed in a small clearing in the forest and looked at me.

"Alright, we have the blood, but it's contaminated with a bunch of dirt and grime. Luckily, it's fresh so the cleaning process should be simple. I'll cast us back to the future, and we'll do it there," She said with her signature smirk. For once, everything was going our way.

"Here's to hoping I don't end up in the middle of no where when we return," I said with a chuckle, half joking.

"HA, yeah I guess you're right!" Eda said, before creating a spell circle and bringing us back to the future. 

There's that feeling again. The fire and needles. If I ever do this again, I'll never get used to that.

Once the white light ended, both Eda and I were standing in her room in the Owl house. I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Eda, who was pumping her fist.

"Yes yes yes! It worked! I-," She stopped celebrating when she saw Amity, curled up against the wall.

"Hey, Amity! We got the blood!" I said with a chipper voice, but she just barley raised her ahead and shook it.

Eda was the first to try and figure things out. "Hey boots, what's wrong?"

"It's over. They took her," Amity said, pointing behind us.

Neither Eda or me needed clarification. There was only one person she could be talking about, and only one group that would want to take her.

I saw Eda's soul snap, and her hand began to shake. She blinked away anger tears, and looked over at the broken window, where Amity was pointing.

There, sat a white and gold staff with glowing blue eyes. 

~~~~Edric~~~~

3:08 PM

9 Hours Left

After a long, excruciatingly boring 6 hours in this cell, 3 guards finally approached us and stopped at our cell.

"It is time for your interrogation," One of them said. Em clicked her tongue and frowned, but I was much more vocal about our situation.

"About time! You said a few hours, it's been 6!" I yelled. Em's head snapped in my direction and she shook her head, and I looked back with furrowed eyebrows.

Her message was clear.

'Don't make them too mad.'

I got my explanation when the cell door opened and the guard slapped my face. I recoiled and looked at him, trying to maintain a stone cold look.

"You will not question when and where we decide to deal with you, understood?!" He yelled, and I looked back at Em, then sighed.

"Yes," I said. The guard nodded and the one behind him spoke up.

"Let's get going to the emperor's palace, then. He wants to interrogate you, personally." She said, and Em and I looked at each other. 

Her face screamed terror, and I imagined mine looked very similar.

The guards commanded us out of the cell, and we followed, walking in between two of the guards.

Whatever the emperor wants us for, it can't be good.

Chapter Text

~~~~Amity~~~~

3:45 PM

8.3 Hours Left 

"She's not getting away with this," Eda said with vengeance in her eyes. 

Eda, Boscha, Willow, Gus, Skara, and I were all in the living room deciding on how to get Luz back. Small ideas have been thrown around, but I remained completely silent.

I'm gonna kill her.

She can't take Luz and get out alive. I'm gonna kill her.

"So we all agree that we have to get Luz back, but how exactly do we plan on doing that?" Gus asked, with emphasis on the end of his sentence.

I knew we didn't have much time. Eda initially wanted to go alone to get Luz back, but they eventually convinced her to make a plan before running to the emperor's palace head first. I didn't contribute in the convincing.

Willow then snapped her fingers and spoke. 

"We could approach the castle through one of the back windows."

Skara nodded to that. "Ok, that's something. We need a way to distract the guard towers, though," She said.

"What if we-," Gus started, but was cut off by loud knocking on the front door. Whoever was on the other side was completely ignoring Hooty, and that's never a good sign.

"AMITY! LUZ! THE OWL LADY! SOMEONE!" The person screamed as they banged on the door. They were yelling too loud and sounded too frantic to make out the owner.

"Hooty! Open the door!" Eda said, looking at the bird tube. He followed the request and Viney and Jerbo came stumbling into the owl house.

"Hey! I know you guys! You hang out with the twins on occasion, right?" Gus asked, lightning the mood.

"Yes, we do. Amity, we have bad news. Like, really bad news," Viney said, heavily breathing.

I didn't trust myself to speak, so I just nodded, telling her to continue.

"So Jerbo and I were walking through town, trying to avoid the absurd amount of guards everywhere, when we saw a prisoner transport," Viney said. I maintained a neutral face. Jerbo looked at me worryingly, but continued where Viney left off.

"We got a brief glance into the cart, and we saw Edric and Emira," He finished.

...

'No.'

...

'Not them too.'

...

I felt any hope I had break, but I had no more tears.

...

No more emotion.

...

'Turn. It. Off.'

...

Mother's voice echoed in my head.

...

I stood up, and turned to look at everyone. I spoke coldly, with no emotion, but everyone in that room could feel the venom in my voice.

"We leave now."

"Amity don't you think we should-," Skara started to say, but my head snapped in her direction and I glared at her with death in my eyes.

"I don't care. We. Leave. Now."

I turned towards the door, and could feel everyone's eyes on me. I didn't care. 

"Eda, did you finish cleaning and duplicating the blood?"

I didn't even turn around, I only waited for her to respond.

"Yeah, it's the first thing I did, but Amity-," I didn't react to her actually using my name, only nodding my head to her confirmation.

"Good. Let's Go. Viney, Jerbo, you guys have staffs, right?"

I looked over at them, and they looked even more worried. I had spent time with them before, usually when the twins are there too, but it didn't matter now.

"Yeah, Leon's ready if that's what we're doing," Viney said, albeit hesitantly. She summoned her staff next to her, with her manticore palisman Leon on top. I glared at it for a moment before looking at Jerbo.

"I want to save Eddie and the rest, too. Amare and I can fly you guys," He said, summoning his own staff, with his black and gray rabbit palisman on top.

"Here's what we're doing," I said, motioning for all of them to gather around and listen. "I have a feeling that Lilith will be with Luz, so Eda will be with whoever's going for her."

"We need a distraction, in order to get in undetected. Skara and Gus, you two will provide the distraction. With your music and illusion, it should be easy."

I looked over at them to gage their reaction to being the bait, and they were taking it well. Skara was nodding her head, probably understanding that was the logical answer. Gus was pumping his fists.

"Yes! I get to knock heads and sing songs!" He said while celebrating. I had no reaction.

"Next, we need two teams. One that will find Luz, and another that will find my siblings. Jerbo, Viney, and Boscha, you three will find Edric and Emira."

Looking at them, their reactions were more mixed. Jerbo and Viney were nodding their heads, as if they expected this, but Boscha had a different reaction.

"Problem. What if Illusion Boy and Skara can't hold the distraction long enough or get caught?" She asked. There was an offended gasp from Gus in her direction, but Skara rolled her eyes.

"If things become too much, we'll bounce. The only thing is, we'll need someone with a staff to do that," Skara said, shrugging. I looked forward in thought, considering this new information.

"New plan. Viney, can you call puddles?" I asked her with no emotion. My voice sounded empty.

She nodded and brought her fingers to her mouth, whistling.

A few minutes passed in silence, and then a loud landing noise could be heard outside the owl house.

"Yep!" She said happily.

"Good. Puddles will go with Gus and Skara to help in the escape. Also, with the griffin there, they'll be less likely to fail."

Viney nodded along to what I was saying, then turned to Skara and Gus.

"If there is even a scratch on my griffin, I'll know who to blame," She said. Both Gus and Skara shrank under her glare, and a few tense seconds passed before Viney spoke again.

"Kidding! But seriously, be careful." They nodded vigorously to her. Boscha snickered. I had no reaction.

"Eda and Willow, you're with me. We're finding Luz," I said, turning back to the front door. "Let's Go."

They all stopped trying to convince me to consider the weight of what I'm doing. That doesn't matter. What matters is Lilith and the rest of the damn emperor's coven pay for messing with my family.

We walked out to the front lawn of the house. Everyone else said goodbye to Hooty and King, who just was released from his room since 'adult talk' was over. At least, that's what Eda said. I just waited for them to be done.

Once they finished, Willow and I boarded Eda's staff. Gus and Skara climbed onto Puddles. Jerbo and Boscha climbed onto Amare, Jerbo's palisman. Viney was riding solo.

"I don't plan on coming back without them," I whispered. My voice was not as empty as before, and it surprised me. I didn't plan on or want anyone hearing me, but Willow turned around to face me.

"Amity, we're all coming back. Don't think about what will happen if we don't get them. We will," She said. She offered me a small smile, which I didn't return. 

Her smile faded after she noticed my behavior, and turned back around.

Nothing is stopping from getting my family back.

Not some guards.

Not Lilith.

I'm going to kill the damn emperor if I have to.

Nothing will stop me.

~~~~Emira~~~~

4:23 PM

7.5 Hours Left

Ed and I barely even looked at each other once we reached the emperor's castle. It was massive, and the large spike moat did not make it seem more appealing.

The guards had barely spoken at all, either. Maybe the looming structure ahead of us is getting to them, too.

Once we reached the main gates, one of the guards looked up and to the right, at the ledge on top of the giant metal doors.

"Open the gates! We have the Blight twins, as ordered!" She yelled. On the ledge, another guard wearing the same exact uniform proceeded to nod and walk away. After a few seconds, the large, sickeningly gold doors creaked open.

Once the doors fully opened, the guards started to walk inside. Guards were on all sides of Ed and I, so, left with no options, we followed.

The white walls with gold trims that lined the hallways were endless, and appeared to be identical. How anyone found their way around here is a mystery.

We passed multiple guards on our way to... actually where are we going?

I was about to ask, when Ed beat me to it.

"Hey, where exactly are we going? I know you said the emperor wants to interrogate us, but is that where we're going first or...," He said. It was the first time we've said anything since the conformatorium, and he sounded tired.

Initially, I thought the guards would yell again, telling Ed to stop asking questions or something, but they just remained silent. Only one guard, the one that initially brought us in, if I recall, spoke up. He spoke in a heavy whisper, though.

"I don't think I'm supposed to tell you this, but the emperor's been on edge ever since-," He was going to continue, but was cut off.

"Hey, Steve! Watch it, he can hear us, remember?" Another one of the guards harshly whispered. The one speaking, Steve, shut his mouth and moved back to his spot to our left.

Ed and I exchanged glances. He looked terrified, and I didn't blame him.

We continued walking through the halls, with no noises except the clinking of boots against the floor, And the ever present beating of the Titan's bile sac. Which seemed to be getting louder.

Multiple members of the emperor's coven were scrambling, with papers falling out of their hands. Something was happening. Something big. And it involved Amity.

When we reached a set of large double doors, the guards stopped. The one ahead of us turned around to face us.

"You are about to meet Emperor Belos, supreme ruler of the Boiling Isles. Show more respect than you have been showing me, or you'll lose your head," He said. The other three guards left, leaving us with him. Our hands were still bound, and we still couldn't cast any magic.

Ed and I nodded to the guard. He took a deep breath and turned back to the door, opening it.

As we walked inside, I looked around the room.

Tapestries lined the walls, depicting ancient battles and golden designs. The Titan's bile sac kept beating, a constant reminder of the body we live on. Then there's the Emperor himself.

There's always been propaganda showing him. Posters, crystal ball shows, advertisements on every corner, but none of them captured the aura he carried himself with.

He radiated power. The golden mask hid his face, making him seem hollow. His armor covering every inch of his body, hiding any skin.

It was terrifying.

I maintained my unaffected demeanor as best as I could, but Ed wasn't so lucky. I could feel him shaking next to me, but I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't talk, I couldn't move my hands. The only thing I could do was move closer to him, and I touched our shoulders together. He looked over at me, with a thankful look in his eye, but it was short lived as we stood in front of the throne.

The guard got on one knee, waiting for permission to speak. Ed and I didn't follow suit.

We stayed standing, and I stared directly at Belos.

The man who wants to punish my sister for some unknown crime.

The man that wants to hurt Eda.

The ruler of the Boiling Isles.

"Bow," Belos said. I could feel Ed looking at me, silently asking if we should. I gave him my answer.

"No."

The guard on the floor immediately looked in my direction, shaking his head frantically. I smirked at his reaction.

"What do you mean, no? You are a citizen of my empire, you will do as I say," Belos' voiced seem agitated at best, and I opened my mouth to oppose him again, when a hand landed on my shoulder.

They pushed me down, and from the sound of it, someone had done the same to Edric. They forced us to our knees, but I didn't bow my head.

That made the guard behind me even more angry.

They grabbed my head and pushed it down as far as they could, and I bit my tongue to prevent a gasp of pain.

"There, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Belos taunted, and the guard let go of my head, allowing me to stare at him again.

He was now standing up, appearing taller then everyone in the room.

"Rise."

The guard in front rose, and looked up at the Emperor. The guards holding Ed and I let go, allowing us to get up as well.

"You are all dismissed," Belos said, waving his hand. "I wish to speak to these two alone."

The guards in the room didn't question it, and they all began to file out of the throne room.

Once the room was empty, expect for Belos, Edric and I, he spoke again.

"Your sister has caused me a great deal of trouble."

I flinched at that. I'm not sure why, I expected this. But something about the way he said it made it seem worse. Ed didn't say anything, he didn't even move.

"She can not be saved. However, you two have a choice to make," He continued. My eyes widened at his first statement.

What does he mean she can't be saved? What did she even do?!

I held my tongue to hear what else he had to say. Edric, did not.

"What do you mean she 'can't be saved'?! Bullshit! She didn't even do anything-," He continued ranting, but Belos cut him off.

In more ways then one.

A large, green spike protruded from his arm, straight towards Edric. I watch, almost in slow motion, as it cut straight through my brother's left ear, making a small chip in it. As he did it, he spoke.

"I'm speaking. You listen."

Edric gasped in pain, stumbling back. With our hands still bound, he couldn't stop the bleeding, so blood started to flow freely down the side of his head.

I turned my head to glare at the Emperor, closing my fists where they were behind my back.

"As I was saying. You have a choice. Your parents made a deal with me. Allow Amity to be taken in, and stand by while we capture the Owl Lady and her mutt, and you will be spared," He said.

What?

I started to chuckle before full on laughing, and Ed started to follow suit. The emperor remained silent, and I was unable to read his reaction, but his grip on his staff started to tighten.

Once I finished laughing, I spoke.

"Sorry, sorry. But do you honestly think we'll let you hurt Amity?" I said, losing all of the joyous tone I had a second ago.

"Or the Owl Lady and Luz," Ed said, in the same serious tone I had. The blood on his face started to dry, but the ear cut was still open.

Instead of lashing out, Belos tilted his head slightly.

"You don't know, do you?" He asked. I looked at him in confusion.

"Know what?" Ed asked, beating me to it.

"The Owl Lady's pet. Who she is. What she is."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion once again.

"That she's human? Just because that bothers you doesn't mean-," I started to say, but he only grew in frustration as I spoke.

"No. She's a mutt. A dog. A werewolf."

...

No.

...

That's impossible.

...

"Yeah, right! Werewolves have been extinct for decades, do you honestly think we'll believe you?!" Edric said, leaning forward with a smirk on his face. I remained silent, thinking.

"I thought you might not believe me, so I brought proof," Belos said, pushing a button on his chair.

A few seconds passed, then a platform began to lower beneath our feet. I noticed it first and nudged Ed, and we both scrambled off the plate.

As it lowered, Belos continued.

"I can't afford to show you your friend, or you might retaliate. So, I'll show you the one that made her what she is."

Once he finished talking, a cage breached the surface of the floor, through the hole. Inside, was a young teenager.

He looked our age.

He had messy, blonde hair. He was wearing a tattered emperor's coven uniform, with a gold tunic and a hood pulled over his head.

He had his eyes closed, head held low, and was in the fetal position.

And one fluffy blond tail curled around his body.

Ed's eyes widened and I gasped quietly. The figure in the cage turned his body away from everyone in the room.

"Meet the former golden guard, Hunter. It is a shame, truly, that I have to make another one. But I'll do what I must to ensure the day of unity occurs, for it is the Titan's will."

The golden guard, Hunter's, eyes opened at this new information, and he spoke up. 

"Make another one? What?" His voice sounded broken, and he could barely stand as he moved to look at the emperor. "Uncle, what do you mean?" As he moved his legs away from his chest to stand, he revealed a large cut on his chest. It wasn't deep, and was clearly inflicted only to make him hurt.

'Even if he's a werewolf, this is wrong. This is all wrong.'

I clenched my hands again, but I couldn't do anything.

"Nephew, I wasn't lying. the Titan has big plans for you. But you've always been replaceable," Belos said, his eyes glowing blue at the end of his sentence.

He raised his hand and and a red glow started to cover it. "I'll give you some time to consider the offer. Goodbye," Belos said, then everything went black.

~~~~

I have no way of knowing how much time passed while I was out, but eventually I woke up to the sound of pacing feet.

I opened my eyes to see where I was, and I appeared to be in some sort of cell. It had the same wall design as the rest of the castle, but one wall was made of iron bars. Other cells were in the area, telling me I was on a cell block of some sort.

I looked towards the noise that woke me, and I saw Edric walking back and forth. The blood on the side of his head had completely dried up, and the cut on his ear turned into a clot.

"Ed...?" I asked hazily. My mind felt fogged and I struggled remembering why we were here.

"Em?! Oh, thank the Titan!" He said, running over to me and crouching down to my level.

As he looked over me worryingly, more and more came back to me. Our hands were no longer bound. I looked behind Ed's face and saw a figure curled in the corner, and it became obvious who it was once I saw the tail.

"Hunter...?" I asked him. He slowly looked up and opened his eyes. They were a crimson magenta, and they were filled with sadness. There was something else there, too.

The look of someone who has lost everything.

He didn't say anything, only looked at me. I got up and approached him, and he shook his head. I stopped for a moment, to see if that meant he didn't want me closer.

He didn't do anything.

I tilted my head, looking at him, but he just put his head back against his knees.

That's when it clicked.

'He's given up.'

"Hey, can I see your wound?" I asked him as I came closer. His head snapped up at that, but he did it too fast. He held his head with one hand to quell the nausea and started to talk.

"I'm fine," He said. His voice was raw, and barely a whisper. He sounded so tired.

"You're not fine. I know some healing spells from a friend, I can help you," I said, sitting down right in front of him.

He shrugged and lowered his legs, wincing. "It's not like I have a choice. It doesn't matter, anyway."

While we were talking, Ed moved so that he was next to us. Hunter was now laid down flat on his back, allowing me to see the full mark across his chest.

"What do you mean?" Ed asked, sitting across from me with Hunter in between us. 

"You heard my uncle. I'm a clone, or something like that. Completely replaceable," He said. His voice was strained, and it was obvious he was in pain.

"Can I remove your tunic and undershirt? I need access to the skin for this to work," I asked him. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated.

He seemed to be thinking about it, and I let him.

After around a minute, he responded.

"Ok," He said.

As I started removing his golden tunic, Ed kept talking to him.

"I don't know you, well, at all, but you are more than 'the Titan's plans'. Even though that part of your life was set from the start, you are your own person. Unique in a way only you can be."

Hunter slowly looked over to Edric, surveying his face and body language. I could've sworn I saw a small amount of red reach Ed's face, and I snickered.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Hunter said with a small smile. 

Once I removed Hunter's undershirt, I placed down the shreds of what I cut off and looked at the cut.

Apart from the fresh wound, there are multiple scars across his body, showing various battles and injuries. Some more faded then others.

I briefly looked up at Ed, who was even more red in the face.

I drew a circle into the air,  starting to close the mark. If he saw someone better than me at healing magic, it probably wouldn't have scarred, but Viney only taught me so much.

Ed decided to talk some more while I worked.

"If we now have our magic, why don't we use it to break out? Or you use your cool wolf-y powers to break us out?" He asked, his full attention on Hunter.

"First, the walls of the cell are enchanted. Magic won't do anything on them. Second, unc- Belos placed a silver anklet on my leg that is also enchanted, so I can't transform. Now you have your answer," Hunter said with a small amount of bite. Ed shrunk a little and Hunters gaze softened. He looked like he regretted lashing out.

Once the wound was closed, he looked over from the ceiling to me, and offered a grateful smile, which I returned.

"Thank you," He said, starting to sit up.

"No problem," I said. Ed, Hunter and I all sat up against the wall. I would try to heal Ed's wound, but it's too close to the head to possibly mess up the spell. We sat in silence for a while, before Ed broke it.

"Hunter?" He said.

"Yeah?" Hunter responded, flicking around some of the dirt on the floor.

"What did Belos mean by you made Luz what she is?" Ed asked. Hunter immediately tensed and closed his eyes.

"I-I guess there's no harm in telling you. Its not like I have anything left to lose." His tail curled in and rapped around himself as he told the story.

————————————

"I told you to stop it with this wild magic nonsense, Hunter! When will you learn?!" My uncle screamed at me. I was crouched in front of his throne. My ears and tail were hidden well, I knew he would hate me if he found out what I had become.

"If you just told me how wild magic did this to you, I might-," I started to explain myself, but he cut me off.

"Enough!"

As he yelled, a long green spike extended from his arm, and struck me on the cheek.

I gasped in pain, falling back on my backside before sitting up.

"Out! Now!"

I looked at my uncle in fear before standing and sprinting out of the throne room. Kikimora was there, talking to some of the guards. She saw me run out, and laughed.

I think I remember seeing sympathetic eyes from Lilith, too. But that might've been wishful thinking.

I kept running, the mark on my cheek making blood run down my face and some land in my mouth. I hated the taste of it.

I ran past the doors that lead outside the castle. None of the guards questioned me. I was the golden guard. Where I was going was none of their business. I was pissed, and I could feel the wolf starting to take over.

I don't know how long I was running for, but I eventually made it to the forests around the right arm. Half way through the run, I turned into my wolf form, angrily sprinting through the trees and trying to find somewhere to take my anger out.

That's when I saw her.

She was just walking through the woods in the middle of the night, without a care in the world. I started following her for a while, and soon enough she started to sprint away.

I pursued, gaining ground fast in my wolf form. I knew the wolf hadn't taken over yet, but I didn't care.

I was around 2 meters from her when she stopped and turned to look at me. I stopped in shock at the sudden movement, and we stared at each other.

I looked at her ears, in particular.

They were round.

After a few seconds, I noticed she wasn't moving, so I lunged. I bit straight into her collar. 

When she screamed in agony, that's when I realized what I had just done.

'Why did I just do that?! This person did nothing wrong, I...'

Panic took over, and without any better options, I ran into the woods.

What I forgot was the cut on my cheek forced some of my blood into my mouth.

Spreading it onto the wound I just gave that girl.

And turning her into a werewolf.

————————————

"Damn..." Ed said, looking at the floor with furrowed eyebrows.

"The worst part is that I wanted to hurt something. I was so upset, I wanted something to feel my pain," Hunter said. His eyes were brimming with tears, but he blinked them away.

"We'll figure this out. I know we will," I said, trying to look determined.

Whether or not I believed what I said was up for debate.

~~~~Viney~~~~

4:58 PM

7 Hours Left

With the home of the Emperor appearing closer each passing second, I just realized something. I brought it up to Jerbo and Boscha, who were right next to me.

"Hey guys, did we just all skip school or what?" I asked with a smirk. Boscha shook her head before responding.

"Nah, after a manhunt went out for Amity, Bump decided to cancel school today. The sheer amount of guards in town was overwhelming. It was all over Penstagram."

I clicked my tongue and looked back ahead of me, smiling softly. But it disappeared quickly.

'Titan, I hope Em is ok. She and Ed looked terrified in that transport. I never even got to ask her...'

Once we were close enough to smell the vile stench of the Emperor's palace, we landed. It was in a small forest clearing not far from the castle. 

Amity was quick to take charge.

"Skara and Gus, you two take Puddles and cause the distraction. But before that, is everyone clear on the plan?"

Most of us nodded or said something along the lines of yes, except Willow.

"Quick question. What if one of the teams are in trouble? How will we let the others know?" She asked. I nodded my head to that. It was a valid question.

"Easy. Eda, give each team one of these," Amity said, holding up some kind of crow phone. It was black with a few buttons on the front and side. "Luz showed it to me. It's human technology. It will allow us to communicate without magic, so that we don't risk Belos hearing us."

Eda drew a spell circle into the air, and soon enough both Gus and Boscha were holding one of those devices.

"Hold down this button to talk. They should all already be on the same channels," She continued. Gus seemed to be bursting with excitement as he held down his button, then spoke into it.

"This is papa bear, anyone read?" He said. It then repeated through the other two devices, and created a loud screeching noise.

"AH! Don't do that, Goops!" Eda yelled, covering her ears.

"He he, sorry," He responded, scratching his neck.

"Yeah, and what do you mean by 'papa bear'? That sounds stupid," Boscha said, scoffing.

"It's something that Luz said once. I'm not entirely sure what it means," Gus answered, shrugging.

"If everyone's done, we need to go," Amity said, glaring at Gus. He shrank under her glare and Willow looked worryingly between them.

Jerbo just stood there, watching the scene unfold. I gently touched his shoulder, and he looked over at me.

"Hey, you good?" I asked. His features visibly relaxed and he offered a small smile.

"Yeah, I am. I'm just worried about Ed," He said. I gave him a sympathetic smile and a quick hug.

"We'll find them. I know we will," I told him. He nodded, and then we boarded our staffs, in the same groups as before.

As we flew, Puddles, Gus and Skara went down to the bridge, landing right in front of it. We waited in the tree line for them to begin.

First, Gus drew a spell circle that made words to spell out a few sentences. I read them and chuckled.

'THE EMPEROR STINKS! :P'

'I THINK BEING A WILD WITCH IS COOL!'

'SCREW THE COVENS! I'M PURSUING MY DREAM TO BE AN ARTIST!'

Skara followed by playing her harp, adding funny sound effects to whatever Gus was making in words.

Some guards noticed the two teenagers and a griffin badmouthing the emperor at the foot of the bridge, and started belting commands to apprehend them.

Soon enough, a large group of guards started to file out of the castle, with the intent to attack Gus and gang.

Gus noticed them too, and sent up a magic flare to do two things:

1. Distract more guards and make them think that it is only then trying to infiltrate the castle.

2. Let us know that we should be able to sneak by undetected, as the guard towers are now all focused on them.

Once Eda saw the flare, she flew off, staying as low to the spike moat as possible. Jerbo and I followed, maintaining the same speed and position. We raced along the wall, waiting to see a window mostly out of view of any guards.

Eda found one first, flying vertically up and floating right next to the window. Jerbo and I flew up across from her, and we all waited by the window.

"Give me a second to look inside," Boscha said, before downing a potion of an unknown substance.

We all waited in suspense for an explanation, and one eventually came.

"If we go now, there will be no guards. Two just exited the hallway to the right," Boscha continued. Eda nodded and drew a spell circle, making the windowpane and bars disappear.

We flew into the hole, with Eda, Amity and Willow going first, followed by Jerbo and Boscha, then me. Once we all dismounted our staffs, Boscha explained more of what she saw with her X-ray potion.

"It's starting to fog up, but I think I see cell bars in that direction," She said, pointing down the hall. 

"Alright. I have a feeling Luz won't be in a normal cell, so we'll go that way," Amity said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"Meet back here once we found our friends, alright?" Jerbo said. He was eyeing Amity nervously. She was still radiating that terrifying aura.

The aura of someone whose lost it all.

Who doesn't care about the cost to get. It. back.

I didn't want to leave Amity her own mind, so while everyone was getting ready to go, I pulled Eda aside.

"Make sure she stays level headed. I'm worried about her," I said with a concerned expression, the worry in my voice clear as day.

"Don't worry about it, Doc. I'll make sure Boots here stays on track," Eda said with a smirk, her golden tooth shining. I smiled at the nicknames. She gave one to everyone:

Luz is usually Kid, or just her name.

Gus is Goops because of the misunderstanding about his name when they first met.

Willow is plant girl, mainly because Eda almost always refuses to call us by our actual names. She's also sometimes 'the responsible one'.

Amity has a lot of nicknames. She's called Greenie, Boots, or Green Top. Eda even calls her a nerd on occasion.

She hasn't spent a lot of time with Skara, so I highly doubt she has a nickname. Eda probably doesn't even know her actual name anyway.

Boscha is three eyes. I have a feeling she would be red head, but I found an old photo of Eda in the owl house once. She was a ginger! I enjoyed revealing that little secret to Amity so she could fire back.

Jerbo is Cory, because Edric was trying to flirt once, but was failing miserably. He was trying to say caring, and said Cory instead. Eda didn't stop laughing about it for 3 days.

I'm Doc, since whenever Eda gets roughed up when I'm around, she purposely seeks me out instead of healing herself to taunt me.

Edric is exclusively 'the brother', since she can almost never remember his name. He does call him Ed on occasion, which makes me think she does it on purpose to piss him off.

Em is braid, because of how she normally styles her hair. I personally think it's hilarious how upset Em gets when she uses it.

Most of the time she'll just group Ed and Em into 'the Green Twins', though.

She'll use these nicknames exclusively, unless something heavier is being discussed. Or if the mood of the room is not right for comedy.

Once Eda walked away from me and back to Willow and Amity, I went over to Jerbo and Boscha.

"Ok guys. Are we ready?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go," Boscha said, readjusting the potion sash she had on. She put away her scroll, but not before telling everyone the time.

5:57 PM

6 Hours Left

"Yep. Let's go find the twins," Jerbo said, smiling.

We started to walk down the hallway that Boscha pointed to earlier, trying our best to avoid any footsteps. The ever present beating of the Titan's heart could be heard throughout the castle, and it sounded distant but loomed over our heads nonetheless. It reminded us of the man we were up against.

The most powerful witch in history.

The ruler of the boiling isles.

Emperor Belos.

Most news that reaches the public eye paints him as a kind and gentle soul, but willing to crush any rebellion. They sell him out to be the savior of the isles, acting upon the Titan's will.

A sickening amount of people buy into it, the idea that he's a good man.

"What do you guys think will happen when we find Ed and Em?" Jerbo asked, looking at his staff. Both him and I were carrying our staffs, but I had Leon on my shoulders. Amare was on 

Jerbo's staff, motionless.

"We'll bust them out and get out of here," Boscha said, clenching her fists. "I don't like how this place makes me feel. It's like there's someone always... watching."

"I agree. This place kinda gives off a weird vibe. Like you're stripped of your walls and put on display for the world to see," I said. I didn't like this feeling. It felt unsafe.

"Yeah, I-," Jerbo started to explain how he felt as we turned the corner, but stopped at the sight in front of him.

A guard, and, from the look of their armor, an elite member of the emperors guard. Leon quickly scrambled onto my staff at the sight of them.

"Who are you kids? The emperor isn't taking school trips right now," They said, walking over.

"Us? ... We're... the inspectors! Uh, We're here to... inspect... all the things," Jerbo said with a smile.

Boscha and I nodded frantically, trying to go along with it.

"Inspector..." The guard said in a low voice. I was practically sweating by now, really hoping they'd go along with it.

The guard squinted more before their mood did a complete turn around.

"Inspector! Oh, of course! I must have forgotten you were coming. We're long over due for an inspection, I do have to admit it, but I can assure you, we are up to code!" The guard said, gesturing to the building around us.

"Well, you Emperor types run a tight ship, I must say," Boscha said, walking over to one of the pipes that run along the wall. "Everything seems to be up to code."

As she said that, she leaned on the pipe, causing part of it to fall to the floor. She immediately bent down to pick it up and place it back, so I picked up where she left off.

"Yes, indeed, entirely up to code. You passed with flying colors. Now, unless you have something else for us to inspect, we should get back home to our inspector children."

"You know, you look familiar," The guard, raising a hand to their chin.

Jerbo, Boscha and I all snapped our heads toward the guard, panicking. In a Fake confident voice, Boscha spoke up.

"Perhaps you've seen me, in your dreams?" She said, batting her eyes and moving her hair for extra effect.

"No, that's not it," The guard said, still thinking.

We all looked at each other, wondering what to do.

The guard snapped his fingers before talking again. 

"The night market! That's where I know you from, I knew it would come to me! You were there with that Blight twin!" Near the end of his sentences, he pointed at Jerbo.

My eyes widened in surprise as Jerbo broke character.

"Arg, He has a name you know- I mean- no that wasn't meeeee," He said, leaning forward with his hands behind his back.

"You're with the enemies of the empire," The guard said, readying a spell circle.

We started to back up as they approached us, and Jerbo kept trying to keep up the act.

"Now, as scrupulous inspectors, threats normally wouldn't work on us. But, in this case, ah- uh- perhaps we can reach a compromise?" He said, now against the wall.

"I don't think so," The guard said, sending a fireball straight for Boscha's head. Jerbo reacted first, summoning an abomination in front of her to take the hit. As soon as it was summoned it was destroyed, spraying some goop onto Boscha.

I began to engage the guard by summoning a small desert bear.

"Ugh, seriously?! This takes forever to wash out!" She yelled, pointing to her jacket.

"Less complaining more fighting please!" I yelled, controlling the bear to distract the elite guard.

Jerbo casted a vine to constrict the guard, but they spun their staff around and broke the plant, along with hitting the bear away. They held their staff along their arm, preparing to attack.

Boscha threw a potion at them, which they knocked out of the air, shattering it. A fog started to develop around them, and they also began to cough.

"What was that?" Jerbo asked, jogging up so that he was next to me. Boscha followed and stood next to him.

"Sleeping dust. Special concoction of my own design," She said, holding up a potion and shaking it back and forth before placing it back along the sash.

When the dust cleared, the guard was out cold on the floor, and it looked like they won't get up for a while. I looked over at Boscha, who just shrugged. I smirked and looked back at them.

"You know, it would truly be a shame if someone took their armor to sneak into the prison block undetected, wouldn't it?" I asked.

"Truly unfortunate," Jerbo said, nodding his head.

Boscha walked forward and began to remove their cape, followed by their helmet. When she removed it, it revealed a younger looking person, with red skin and short white hair. There were spikes on their shoulders, and that created holes in the cape. Boscha stared at it before putting it on.

"Let's Just hope no one looks too closely," She said, chucking the helmet onto her head. "I'll take the lead. Once we reach the block, I'll find the twins, and then come and get you again."

As we started walking again, the crow like device Amity had given us activated.

"So, guys, I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to keep this going for. Skara's out cold, and Puddles and I are barely keeping it up," Gus said. There were loud crash noises in the background, and the obvious screams of people being mauled by a griffin.

Another person responded on the other line first, but it wasn't Amity. It was Willow.

"How much longer do you think you can hold? We're kinda in a tough spot right now," She said. There were fighting noises in the background of the call, and what sounded like someone panting.

There was a short pause before he started taking again.

"Sorry, someone tried to attack me. I'm thinking maybe 10 more minutes, but I'm running out of magic and Puddles is looking tired," He said, panting.

Willow responded again, taking command to keep things running.

"Jerbo, Boscha, and Viney. Can one of you go and help Gus?" She sounded out of breath, and Boscha paused, debating, before answering.

"Yeah, we got it Flowers," She said, ending the call entirely.

Boscha clicked her tongue and looked at Jerbo and I. 

"One of us needs to go help. Preferably one of you, since you have staffs," She said. My eye twitched, and I opened my mouth to retaliate when Jerbo beat me to it.

"What?! That's not fair! We're closer to the twins and you know it!" He yelled, ignoring the fact we were in the emperor's palace. Even if the distraction is working, he'll most likely notice obnoxious noises.

"Quiet! Fine, what do you suggest? I can't get there in time without a staff," Boscha said, throwing her hands up. I thought about what she said for a moment before extending Leon to her.

"Take Leon and help them. Jerbo and I will stay on track to get the twins. Also, give me the guards uniform," I said, opening my other hand.

Boscha opened her mouth to oppose me, but shrugged instead. I guess she thought it wasn't worth fighting it. She removed the cape and helmet, placing them in my other hand, then grabbed Leon. As she began to run back the way we came, she tossed Jerbo the human device before nodding. He fumbled it before securing a grip.

"Good luck," She said, then began sprinting the other way.

"Just you and me now, Viney," Jerbo said. He sounded genuinely sad, I looked over at him in faux offense.

"Ouch. Do you think we can't handle it without a third?" I asked while I put on the guard's armor.

"What? No that's not what I- I just want as many people as possible focused on saving Eddie, ok?" He rushed out. I chuckled and shook my head. His face flamed with embarrassment, and I snorted.

We began to walk down the hall again, and found a corridor leading to the right.

"Do you think that's it?" Jerbo asked. I shrugged before answering.

"Only one way to find out. You stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes." I told him before turning around and waking down the hallway. It wasn't that long, and it lead into a large open space. There were cells on either side, with an upstairs level with even more cells. Guards were posted at each corner, as well as a few along the catwalk above me.

'The cell block. Good. Now to find Em.'

I walked along the cells, seeing multiple well know criminals that Belos didn't hesitate in throwing inside these jail cells. The ones that committed major crimes like murder were even televised, helping Belos' image.

Once I looked at all of the cells in the lower level, I started to climb the stairs to the upper area. Up there were larger cells, designed to contain 2 or 3 prisoners comfortably.

The guards up there eyed me warily, looking at the holes in the cape for a long time. I ignored them, looking at the rest of the cells.

'Fish Lady and Minotaur.'

No.

'Half witch half unicorn man bunked with an actual unicorn.'

No.

'Green haired- GREEN HAIR?!'

I did a double take on the cell I just passed, to see Emira, Edric, and some mystery third person lined up against the wall.

I was about to walk up to the cell, when one of the guards called out to me.

"I knew that cape and helmet looked familiar! That's Scorpion's armor! You're not them! Guards, get that impostor!"

My eyes widened as I turned away from the cell containing my friends to look at the amount of guards now coming my way. Around 3 from the catwalk and 5 from downstairs.

"Halt, in the name of the emperor!" One of them yelled. They were beginning to circle me now, and I was running out of options. Without Leon, I won't be able to fight off this many at once.

"Fuck that guy!" I yelled. There was some footsteps behind me and I turned around to see Em pressed up against the bars. Her haired was pretty ruffled and falling out of its braid, and she had a few scraps and bruises, but other than that she looked ok.

"VIN?!" She screamed, eyes wide. Her voice was full of surprise, and she seemed both very relieved and suddenly very stressed.

"EM! Hey, it's me! Sorry we're late!" I said, before turning back to face my opponents.

"Whose we?" One of the guards asked, tilting their head. There was a loud whoosh noise before vines began to cover the floor.

"She was talking about me," Jerbo said with a cold tone, floating just next to the catwalk on Amare. The guards all yelped in surprise, with a few of them falling to the ground. I took it as my opportunity to strike.

I casted a spell circle, summoning 3 leopard snakes. They slithered through the guards, biting and stinging a few of them. Once they cleared the snakes and vines, only 4 were left standing. They all summoned staffs and got into fighting positions. Jerbo was now on the upper floor just behind them, holding his staff along his arm.

Two of the guards started to attack me, and I ducked underneath the first ones staff swing. The second one summoned an ice spike that he flung at me. I casted two spell circles on my hands, allowing me to grab the spike. I grabbed it, twirling around and redirecting its momentum to its owner. It pierced his shoulder, and he was pushed back off the railing of the second floor.

The first guard looked over to where her colleague once stood, then back to me, with a surprised face, or at least what I think was surprise, since I can't see much through the mask they all wore. I smirked, summoning a fireball and tossing it at her. She ducked, crouching low before swinging her staff into my side. I got the wind knocked out of me, and I stumbled to the right. She raised her staff, creating a spell circle. It summoned a large abomination, and I looked over at it before glaring at its owner.

"Abomination, exterminate!" She commanded, and it started to lumber towards my direction. I twirled my fingers, summoning a magic hold and tried to hold the abomination in place. We both grunted with effort, the war on who could over power the other demanding all of our attention. As she began to push the abomination farther and farther towards me, she was knocked out by a swift hit to the head, revealing a slightly frazzled Jerbo behind her. Her abomination fizzed out and died, leaving nothing but a small pile of goo.

"Good timing," I said, panting.

"See, this is why you shouldn't have given your staff to Boscha. I knew it was a bad idea!" Jerbo said, throwing his hands up.

"Oh yeah?! Well you didn't say anything!" I fired back.

"Ahem. Sorry to break this sibling battle, or whatever this is, but we're still in here!" The third person in the cell said, crossing his arms.

"ED!"

"EM!"

Jerbo and I both yelled a different twin's name at the same time, respectively. Jerbo sprinted to the release level, trying to raise it. He pushed as hard as he could, but the level wouldn't budge.

I rolled my eyes and walked over, raising the level with relative ease.

Under normal circumstances, Jerbo would've been irritated, but he had more important things to do.

He raced back to the cell, tackling Edric to the ground.

They remained like that for only a second, because Jerbo pulled away only to kiss Edric, holding his face tenderly.

'KISS EDRIC?!'

Em and I both stared in disbelief at the scene before us. I spoke first.

"WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH! HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN A THING?!" I yelled, gesturing between Edric and Jerbo.

"YEAH!" Emira yelled. Whether it was reaffirming my question or cheering on Ed was unknown.

They both ignored our statements. The kiss ended when Jerbo pulled away, again, and started to barrage Edric with questions.

"Oh my Titan I was so worried! Are you ok?! How did you get caught?! Whose that guy? Whose the son of a bitch that hurt you?!" He franticly went from holding Ed to pointing to the mysterious person in the room, to looking at his ear. It was dried up with blood clots and there was a long stream of dried blood running down the left side of his face.

"I'm fine, we were looking for Mittens, this is Hunter, and Belos did this to me," Ed said, going back to hugging Jerbo.

Now that I knew his name, I looked over at this 'Hunter'. He looked around our age, with messy blonde hair and a torn emperor's uniform. He looked like a normal kid.

Except for the fluffy blonde tail and wolf ears.

There was only one logical conclusion to make.

One so obvious, it would physically hurt not to point out.

"Are you a werewolf?" I asked him. He looked over at me, shocked.

"How did you figure that out so quickly?" Hunter asked. He had a small amount of fear in his voice and eyes. It was a genuine question.

"Most people wouldn't be able to tell right away without guidance, but Viney is an expert. She is in the beast keeping track," Em said, smiling at me. I chuckled before making a short joke.

"And the healing track. Don't sell my skills short, darling," I said. Em's face flushed red, and I snickered.

Once our playful banter ended, we all looked to Jerbo and Edric again. They finished their heartfelt reunion, and now Ed was berating Jerbo.

"How can you be so reckless? You need to be careful, I can't lose you too," He said, holding Jerbo's face lightly.

"I can't lose you, either," Jerbo said, holding Edric's hand. He said it with a smile, that Ed returned.

"Ok, as much as I love that you too are now a thing, we gotta get going. Like, right now," I said, waving my hand for them to follow me. "Hunter, any idea where they would be keeping Luz? We gotta meet up with the rest of them to get out of here."

"I have a few ideas."

~~~~Amity~~~~

5:54 PM

6 Hours Left

Once we split up into our separate groups, Viney pulled Eda aside for a moment. I had no idea what they talked about, but once they were done, Eda came back on over. I decided to take charge.

I handed Willow the Walkie-Talkie, at least that's what I think Luz called it, since I was tired of talking. Then I addressed to both of them shortly.

"Let's go. If we make good time we should be able to reach Luz before the distraction is over," I said, waving my hand for them to follow me. Neither Willow or Eda said anything, and I liked it that way. I didn't need them trying to help me right now. The only thing that will help me is Lilith's head on a platter.

We walked in silence for around 20 minutes. It was deafening, and I could tell it was starting to get to Eda. It only took her a few more minutes before she started to talk.

"Hey Boots, want to talk about what's wrong?" She said. I tensed up and clenched my teeth.

'Amity, showing your emotions are for the weak. Blights are strong.'

"I'm fine," Was all I said. Eda sighed softly, before muttering some words to Willow. She nodded, then Eda fell behind us by a few meters.

Willow walked up closer to me, and I prepared to have no reaction to what ever she had to say.

"Hey Amity, are you okay?" She asked, gently touching my shoulder. I flinched, and she immediately pulled away.

'Amity, to have or show any fear is to have a flaw. Be flawless, Mittens.'

"I said I'm fine," I told her with a sharp tone. Willow recoiled even more, and I swear I felt a sliver of regret, but extinguished it quickly.

Willow looked over at Eda, who clicked her tongue before walking over to me again.

"Is it about Luz?" She said, and that's when I snapped. I whipped my head around, staring her down.

"I'M FINE! EVERYTHING IS FINE!" I yelled. My head felt like it was about to explode, and I hated the feeling.

"Amity, you got to calm down, th-," I don't even know who started talking, I was so blinded by my rage.

"Why?! Why should I be calm?! Why am I the one who has to control their emotions, when everything around me is FALLING APART!"

As I finished yelled, loud footsteps started to approach us from the way we came. and I looked behind Eda to see at least 20 guards, all preparing spell circles or holding staffs. I gasped and started to back up, so Eda and Willow took the front.

They started to engage the guards, and with how powerful witches Eda and Willow are it wasn't surprising that they were winning.

Willow had her eyes glowing green, controlling vines to push the guards back. Some of the vines even rapped around the guards, throwing them around.

Eda was zooming around the hall. She looked like a blur of yellow electricity, and guards just couldn't keep up. The only problem was, the gem on her chest turned more and more black the more she used her magic, so I knew we had to go.

Once they had cleared the first wave of guards, a second one was already making their way down the hall. This group had roughly the same amount, but they were wearing the armor of an elite member of the Emperor's guard, showing higher combat skills.

"Guys! We should go, now!" I said. For the first time since we left the owl house, my voice was thick with emotion, and that was enough to make both Eda and Willow nod and start to run with me through the hallways of the palace.

That's when the "Walkie-Talkie" got a call.

"So, guys, I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to keep this going for. Skara's out cold, and Puddles and I are barely keeping it up," Gus said, exhausted. There were obvious sounds of battle and screams in the background. It wasn't pleasant to hear.

Willow responded almost immediately, holding down the talk button.

"How much longer do you think you can hold? We're kinda in a tough spot right now," She said. As she spoke her breathed heavily, and it could be heard by anyone that we were running.

There was a short pause before he started taking again.

"Sorry, someone tried to attack me. I'm thinking maybe 10 more minutes, but I'm running out of magic and Puddles is looking tired," He said, panting. Guess he was out of breath too.

Willow thought for only a moment before speaking into the device.

"Jerbo, Boscha, and Viney. Can one of you go and help Gus?" She still sounded tired, and I didn't blame her. We kept running, waiting for who ever was on the other side to answer.

"Yeah, we got it flowers," Boscha said. The call ended after that, and I looked over at Willow to see how she was handling the leadership.

Instead, she was red with blush, and I immediately picked up on what, but I was too focused on not dying to tease her about it.

As we rounded the corner, we ran into a large double door. We all came to a screeching stop, realizing that we just reached a dead end.

That was, until the doors closely creaked open to reveal a pitch black room.

With the guards closing in fast, and left with no other options, we ran inside. 

Once we all crossed the threshold of the doorframe, it slammed shut.

"What the-," Willow said, before the torches in the area ignited all at once, revealing an arena style room. It had spikes to the left and right, with a large door in the middle wall.

In the center was her.

Lilith.

Any progress with my emotions I made earlier vanished, and I could already feel my blood start to boil.

On top of a balcony over seeing the area was him, Emperor Belos.

While he did give off an aura of immense power, it was nothing I haven't seen before. Mother always gives off the same feeling.

"Sister, I see that you got my invitation to a witches duel," Lilith said, opening her arms in a fake friendly gesture.

Eda spent no time talking, and immediately started to blast her with magic bolts, and she sprinted into the arena area. As she reached the sand pit, a large metal gate descended upon the entrance, sealing it off. All Willow and I could do was watch the fight unfold from the other side.

Lilith eyes widened as she summoned her staff to her side, creating a shield to protect herself.

Eda started to fly around Lilith, with a magical aura surrounding her as she casted bolts in her direction.

"Where is she?" Eda said, still on her staff. There was a clear anger in her voice, and it shook me to my core. She went straight for Lilith on a collision course.

"Easy now," Lilith said, holding out her hand. Eda stopped her attack as Lilith spun her staff. "The mutt is safe." Once she slammed her staff on the ground, torches just above the arena ignited, revealing a hanging cage.

Inside, was Luz.

She was in her human form now, and her signature cat hoodie was extremely shredded, to the point where you could see the scar she got the night the manticore attacked. She had a long, brown fluffy tail and brown ears. Her hat was torn to bits, and barely clinging to her matted hair. Her skin was pale, and it was scary to see.

In short, she didn't look ok. 

My grip on the bars of the metal gate only tightened as I heard Eda's next words.

"You forced her back to her human form?! Who knows how long she has now! SHE COULD BE GONE!" Eda screamed, slamming her staff against the sand. She summoned a huge owl aura, and dashed straight for Lilith. She collided with her, sending Lilith flying backwards.

Just before she hit the wall she caught herself, just as Eda made it over. They began to fly around the arena, blue and yellow lightning dancing around the room.

Seeing an opportunity, Lilith targeted the chain holding Luz's cage up. It started to fall, and Eda panicked.

"Luz!" She yelled, creating a small wind gust to soften the fall of the cage.

Eda landed into the sand, only having a moment to catch her breath before Lilith came crashing down from above. Eda just barely rolled out of the way, pointing Owlbert at Lilith.

3 Hooty like beings strangled Lilith, preventing her from moving. Eda spun her staff around before creating a spell circle in the spin. She pointed it at Lilith, and a huge magical bolt of energy came cascading out of it.

Lilith saw the energy coming straight towards her, and made a last minute decision. She casted a small spell circle with her partially free hand, moving Luz's cage between them. Eda noticed just in time, shifting her attack to avoid hitting Luz.

"Stop hiding behind Luz you coward!" Eda yelled, panting heavily. The tubes around Lilith fell, then she responded.

"It's sad to see you slowing down, sister. Tell me, is it the curse?!" Lilith said in a loud voice. 

Eda looked up, the black in her gem almost completely engulfing the yellow.

"Maybe it is the curse, but then how pathetic are you, that you can't best me at my worst!" Eda yelled, spinning her staff once more. She summoned multiple magical bolts, all aiming for Lilith.

Lilith quickly moved Luz's cage out of the way before shielding herself for the attack.

My grip on the bars was iron tight at this point, and I could feel heat start to take a hold on my arms. It was a weird feeling.

"Maybe you are stronger than me, but that made me work smarter. I became sharp. Crafty!" Lilith said, holding her arms up to maintain the shield.

"A lap dog for a tyrant!" Eda yelled, continuing her onslaught.

"Hey, what's... oh my Titan is this what I think it is?!" Willow asked. I looked over to see her carrying a blood bag, that she seemed to pick up from the ground.

"That's the blood! Eda must've dropped it for us!" I said excitedly. Willow nodded, then casted a spell.

"I'm going to try and transfer it magically. Luz is running out of time," Willow said. I nodded, and watched as the blood slowly disappeared out of the bag.

"You always thought you were better than me. That I could never beat you in anything!" Lilith retaliated, crouching down due to the stress put on the shield.

"I am better than you!" Eda said with a small chuckle, but complete seriousness.

That's when Lilith seemed to reach her breaking point. She snapped her head to Eda.

"Then why we're you so easy to curse?!" She screamed. She immediately put her hand over her mouth, but the damage had been done.

Eda stopped her attack, looking at Lilith with wide eyes.

Willow gasped and I stood there, shocked.

"A-and I have the power to remove it, if you would just let me explain," Lilith said, holding out her hand.

Eda looked away, before tightening her grip on her staff and sprinting straight for Lilith. She screamed as she ran, crashing into Lilith"s shield and shattering it. Lilith collided with the wall, and didn't get up. She only looked at Eda, before smirking.

She drew a spell circle, breaking apart Luz's cage.

Then she lifted Luz.

And tossed her towards the spikes on the left of the arena. 

"NO!" I screamed. There was something behind my voice, but Lilith payed no attention to it. Willow went completely silent.

"Luz!" Eda said, creating a spell circle and catching her limp body before it collided with the spikes. Eda grunted with effort to hold her, and Willow called out to her.

"Eda! You have to stop, you'll run out of magic!" She yelled. I stopped talking, focusing on the battle before me, my hands maintaining that feeling of heat.

"It's my power, Willow. And before she showed up, I spent my whole life wasting it," Eda said, giving a small smile to Luz.

Lilith noticed Eda's struggle, and casted a spell. A blue hand started to push Luz farther to the spikes, and I only watched in fear.

The color in Luz's face almost entirely returned, and she began to stir in Eda's magic hold.

Eda gasped, before noticing that her gem was almost completely full.

"Eda... wha... what's... WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Luz screamed, noticing the position she was in. She looked down at Eda's gem, then at Lilith.

"Wait, Eda, no no no no!" She franticly said as she slowly got closer to the spikes.

"Alright kid, listen to me. I'm going away, and I don't know if I can bounce back this time. Watch over King, remember to feed Hooty," Eda spoke with heavy emotion, and her eyes started to slowly turn black. 

"Wait, please, no..." Luz said, trying to reach out for Eda. She only made it halfway. Her voice was quavering, and it was obvious she was holding back tears.

"And Luz, thank you, For being in my life."

As the last of Eda's magic died, she screamed in pain. Owlbert flew over and caught Luz, but Lilith noticed.

"Oh no you don't," She said. She drew a spell circle, grabbing both Luz and Owlbert.

As Eda turned into her cursed form, I might as well been bending the gate I was gripping it so tight.

"Come along sister. Now we can let the healing begin," Lilith said. She looked up at Belos, who nodded then walked away. She seemed uncertain, but still began to walk towards the door when Luz cried out to her while being magically floated closer to Lilith.

"You monster!" She screamed. Her voice was raw and full of pain, and it made me furious. Lilith looked almost remorseful, but not for the reasons I thought.

"Sorry about this. I really am. But the emperor wants no loose ends, and I serve his will," Lilith said. She dropped Luz to her feet, and pointed the staff straight at her head. The palisman began to glow, signifying an attack.

I felt the heat grow tenfold.

Then she fired.

Time stopped.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

It felt like I had nothing left.

I could feel fire start to grow, but I didn't know from where.

I felt tears form, anger boiling to the surface.

She can't be gone. Not after everything.

————————————

"Ok, fine. No more food names. How about... Aster?" The wolf seemed to think about that name before barking and nodding.

"Ha ha, ok. Aster it is."

————————————

"Amity Blight, I'll do it! I'll take your place, and face Grom in the arena! I'll be your Fearless Champion!"

————————————

"And, thank you, Luz. Honestly, I'm kinda amazed with how fearless you are. You've done things I could never do."

Luz chuckled before responding. "Yeah right! Going soft on me, Blight?"

"In your dreams."

————————————

"Hey Amity, how does the ocean say hello?"

"How, Luz?" I asked, looking over at her. Her eyes had more spark than before, and she was smiling. 

"It waves," She said through stifled laughter.

————————————

"It's just- what I saw. It makes me have those types of... reactions... to protect you guys."

"Luz, you know you don't have to protect us. That was just a nightmare. It won't happen. Ever."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

————————————

I refuse.

"NO!"

As I screamed, the bars I was holding onto collapsed. Fire started to spread throughout the room, and it was coming from me.

My flames broke the bars.

Anger. That was all that was left.

I felt it in my bones, the fact that Lilith was trying to take away my family, my home.

I focused on my anger, letting it fuel my power. I was mad, mad at Lilith. Mad at Belos. But most of all, I was mad at myself.

Mad for letting it get this bad, mad for letting my family fall through my hands like sand, for not holding on tighter. Mad for not being able to stop it.

I sprinted through the bars, with the intent to kill Lilith.

Once I was closer I leaped into the air, smashing against the ground.

The flames extended from my body, spreading throughout the sandpit. Lilith panicked, spinning her staff and creating a shield around herself.

People were talking. Or screaming, I couldn't tell. They were all muffled, and I could vaguely hear some familiar voices call out into the room.  I didn't care. I didn't even turn around. I only focused on the flames. They were all centered around once person, Me.

They didn't hurt. They only burned in a way I knew that emotion magic felt. Magic casted in the heat of the moment, reacting to your thoughts and feelings.

I think people were calling my name behind me, but I didn't care. I focused on my blinding rage.

It didn't feel good, at all.

In fact...

...

...

...

It made me feel like a monster.

Worse then any witch. Someone who doesn't deserve friendship, or family. Someone who had that privilege taken away long ago.

It made tears threaten to fall, but I didn't know the reason. There were too many possible causes.

'Blights don't cry Amity, it makes you seem fragile. You are the opposite of weak, you are a Blight.'

I blinked them away, refusing to appear weak. I tried to control the flames, to use them to attack Lilith. My thoughts moving to the only person to tell me I'm wrong about how I perceive myself.

Luz.

Em and Ed tried to, they did. They told me I am more then what mom says. They said that I was my own person, not just a Blight.

But Luz was the only one whose words really made me believe she didn't see what I saw in myself.

————————————

It was like any other day in Hexside. A Thursday, the day before the Grom royal is announced.

I was walking through the hallways, on my way out from abomination studies. It was a boring day, especially since I didn't even have abominations 101 with Luz today. It was lunch, and I had just made it outside the door to said class before I saw Luz turn the corner. She was wearing her signature hat and multitrack uniform. She looked cheerful, but there was that sad glint in her eyes that she's had ever since the nightmare incident.

"Hey Amity!" She said, skipping over to me. I smiled and she smiled back, one of those rare smiles that make you feel like you're the only girl in the world.

It made me want to melt right then and there, but I managed to gain my breath back to respond.

"Why hello, Miss Noceda," I said, nodding my head. I heard her mutter a quick 'oh right' before talking again.

"Well, the pleasure is all mine, Miss Blight," She said, bowing. I chuckled as she got back up, and she smiled sheepishly. "So, any idea where Gus and Willow are?"

"No. But I think they might be late again. I saw Willow running down the hall, chasing someone. I'm not sure who, but I feel sorry for them," I said, shaking my head.

"That's true. Willow's an unstoppable force," Luz said, laughing. I could feel my checks burning at her laugh, but I kept my cool.

"What about Gus?" She asked. I just shrugged.

"Who knows what he's doing. If I was to guess, illusion class his holding him up. Again," I said in a sarcastic tone. Luz seemed to lighten up at the knowledge neither of our friends would be joining us, so I gave her a confused look.

"Yes!" Luz said, before realizing how that sounded and throwing her hand out. "No- no I meant- it's good that- now we can- urgggh!" She face palm, and I giggled at her antics.

"Use your words, Noceda," I said through laughs. She stammered for a moment before regaining her composure, recovering from the rambling.

"I meant now we can read in the library. If you want that is! I'm not pressuring you into anything, it's just that we never finished the fifth book and I think it would be really cool if we went to the school library together-,"

"Sure," I said, stopping her speech. She looked at me for a moment, before doing a mini celebration.

"Yes! Come on, let's go!" She said excitedly, grabbing my hand. She ran through the halls, practically carrying me with her. She was fast, and zoomed around the building like it was nothing.

Once we reached the school library, Luz wasted no time barreling through the doors, racing to the corner of the room.

She immediately dropped her bag and went through it, excitement coming off of her in waves.