She's Feeling Off - orphan

Chapter 1: Joining Together

Chapter Text

It was freakishly hot out in the woods. The sun had been baking the top of both Luz and Eda's heads. Luz found some relief by walking in the shallows of the lazy creek to their side. They had recently landed with Owlbert and had set off on foot, now deep in the forest. Eda scanned the area studiously.

Luz was more smiley than most might be in the harsh shine. It was greatly in part due to being on a real mission for a change. "I don't know how you can stand the heat with all of that hair, Eda," she called forward.

The Owl Lady blew a stray strand of the stuff out of her face. "Magic, Kid." She replied. "The best spells are the ones that undermine mild discomfort. Or cause it."

Luz restlessly kicked up some water, causing a little wave to overtake a lily pad. "What exactly are we looking for? You mentioned something about a crypt?"

"Yeah, Bone Dust Crypt." Eda explained. "Keep your eyes peeled for any odd looking stones. They should be marking the entrance."

" 'Bone Dust Crypt', aye? Spooky. The perfect job for young Luz Noceda: Master of Magic!" Luz struck a silly pose and Eda chuckled.

"Hey Magic Master, less monologuing and more looking."

The two continued on for quite some time. They were deprived of any wind, making the heat even worse. Luz was just beginning to question why they hadn't waited for the day to grow cooler when she spotted two tall stacks of perfectly flat stones. "Eda, over here! These stones look pretty suspicious to me."

Eda approached and looked between the pillars. She tugged on a bush that blocked their view and let loose a jolly 'Ah ha!' when it revealed crumbling stairs. "That's my apprentice!" She ruffled the girl's hair, bringing on some laughter and a playful shove. "Come on," Eda sang. "Momma needs some bone dust!"

Luz followed close behind, a ball of light in hand to break up the shadows of the tunnel. The place was tight and dusted with cobwebs. The walls, floor and ceiling melded together into an indistinguishable mess of grey. She waited for a trip wire or pressure plate to stir the place from its slumber, but nothing materialized as they made their way deeper into the earth. That is until they came across a heavy wooden door.

Eda removed the planks barring the door and forced it open with a loud clatter. Through the barrier was a large room filled with many similar doors. There was a decrepit table, several shelves lined with forgotten bottles, a patch of foul mold in the corner, and many other dungeon-y things that piqued Luz's interest.

"Jack pot!" The witch cackled. "Alright Luz, the first order of business is to march through those doors and loot anything that looks valuable. I'll take the ones on the left, you get the ones on the right."

Luz nodded excitedly. "On it. I'll make you proud!" Eda smiled as Luz passed her a light orb. Luz then tossed an empty sack over her shoulder and made her way to the first door. She paused with her hand hovering just above the handle. "Umm, what if there are traps or something?"

Eda was already mostly gone down the hallway. "Just holler if you come across something you can't handle. You're spry. You've got this!" Just like that, Eda disappeared behind a corner leaving Luz alone. The kid faced the door and took in a deep breath. "Yeah, Luz. You've got this!"

The door swung open with much effort. She began down the hall, taking in the atmosphere. She couldn't help but smile! She always wanted an excuse to explore abandoned places, and now she had one. Everything was just right, if not a bit creepier than expected. She definitely didn't account for the smell, which assaulted her as she plundered old bedrooms and cell blocks.

Many questions shot off in her mind as she wondered about. What was this place used for? Why did it have such a weird name? Who filled these halls when the place was alive?

A sudden noise yanked Luz from her thoughts. It came from far back down the corridor, but was unmistakably the creak of one of the doors she'd passed through. She would ignore the sound anywhere else, but not here. Something felt especially off about it.

{Maybe it's just my nerves}, she thought, but she knew it still didn't make sense. She was facing the origin of the sound when it rang out again, but closer. Luz shivered, but then quickly steeled herself. "Eda? Is that you?"

No response. It was very possible that Eda was just trying to scare her. But Eda knew how special this trip was to her. She wouldn't tease her on such an important outing, would she?

Luz thumbed at an Ice glyph in hand and started creeping toward the end of the hall. She hugged the corner and waited. Time hobbled slowly along as her dread climbed higher and higher. Even if it would upset her, she hoped that it was just Eda. Her ear picked apart every drip of water or puff of air while trying to pinpoint a solid cause for alarm. Eventually she was treated to such a sound, now much, much closer:

Wheezing.

Or, it seemed like wheezing. Deep and sputtering, yet ever so faint. Unable to hold still any longer, Luz rounded the corner and smacked the glyph to the ground. Her eyes were wide and focused, hunting for whatever seemed to be stalking her. But the frost fell forward and coated nothing but the ground. She sighed, not fully relieved, but satisfied by the empty hall.

She turned to go back to work when something warm washed over her back. A mist? It had to be coming from above her, but she didn't look up. She didn't want to see it anymore, not without the element of surprise. She forced herself to crane upwards when she heard the struggling breaths meer inches from her scalp. Whatever was dangling above dropped onto her.

She began to scream in shock, but was suddenly gagged by dry mist pumping into her lungs. She choked out, "E-Eda," before losing her breath again. She swatted around as though swarmed by locusts, ultimately scrambling for her pocket of glyphs when her blows failed to land on anything.

It burned her eyes and sapped her skin. The pain weakened her legs to the point of collapse. She couldn't see. Couldn't breathe. Her pores tingles with countless stinging jolts. If the toxin hadn't already forced her to, the abrupt understanding that she may die here would have brought her to tears. As potentially her last act of defiance, she willed herself to peer through the haze, hoping to make out the shape of some attacker. Something to fight.

Nothing met her gaze except more raging gas. As Luz flattened, she noticed the gas grew thicker near the epicenter. It was originating from a single, floating point, affixed to nothing but the air. It danced around her drooping eyes, jiving merrily. {Is… is this stuff… alive}!? She didn't get an answer. Her thoughts fell into mute blackness.

***

Luz was weightless, but not floating. It was an overwhelming numbness with none of the tingling. She was acutely aware of her position in space, which was still face first on the ground.

{No. No, I'm not dead, am I}?

She put all her focus on wiggling her fingers, but if they moved she didn't feel them. She couldn't even tilt her head to check.

Panic settled in. It was like she was sitting behind her own eyes. She was free to think and feel her fear boil over inside her, but completely disconnected from her own body. The inability to fidget or scream fed into a vicious cycle of rocketing anxiety.

{This- This isn't real}!

Her chest was stiff despite the choking need to hyperventilate. {Please, no! I have to get up, I have to–}

But then she felt her body move on its own. No, it wasn't acting freely. It was utterly puppeted by something else entirely. She could feel some other force right alongside herself somewhere deep within.

When it spoke to her, her body mouthed the words, tasting the air.

"Calm down, Little Wasp. I'm not gonna hurt ya." Her whole body stung as her voice rang out. It was alien. Though it sounded like her, the voice was twisted lower than usual and each syllable was warbling. Whatever was now piloting her picked them each up off the ground.

{What's happening? Why can't I control my body}?

"You're gonna be fine," her body claimed, "I'm just borrowing you for a bit."

Luz shook internally. {What are you? How are you doing this? Let me go}! Her continued fight to take back control was hopeless. "No can do, Wasp. I haven't gotten a ride like this in a hell of a long time. Be quiet in there and let me enjoy it."

{Please, listen to me. I don't know what you are or what you want with me, but I need my body. You have to give it back. I have to find Eda}! Ignoring her, it stretched her limbs and staggered out of the smoke. They weren't choking on it anymore. In fact, it seemed to flow from them as they stumbled down the hall.

{You can't do this. Please, go tell Eda what happened. Maybe she can–} "What did I just tell you, dammit! Be quiet! I'll find your mom or whatever Eda is, but I've got business to attend to first."

{But–} Once again Luz's thought was cut short, this time by a sharp pain in her hand. They were sinking their teeth into their palm hard, letting the blood pool in the bottom of their mouth. Surly the beast felt it too, sharing the same burning nerves, but it clearly didn't mind the agony. Mouth dripping red, they pulled their head away. Her hand throbbed with a dull and lingering pain.

"Maybe you get the gist now." They swallowed, burdening Luz with a need to throw up. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you act up like that I'll have to punish you again. Please don't make me do that."

Luz wanted to cry. She stayed silent and overwhelmed. "There we go. Atta girl." Her body was relaxing as the monster got used to it.

"Now, if you'll be calm, I'll answer a few of those questions you had. Consider it a 'thank you' for the ride."

Okay, that's a little shocking. She didn't expect an invention. Pushing down her frustration and dread, she thought carefully. Though she had many questions, only one demanded to be asked first.

{What are you going to do to me}?

"Geez, don't take it so personally." The thing walked them closer to the main room, trailing a slight trickle of blood and a heap of smog behind them. "I can't experience the world without a host, it's nothing against you. I'm gonna make up for lost time, and you're gonna help me."

Luz's hands fluttered with joy filled excitement. Their voice was pleased. "That doesn't sound so bad, yeah?"

Luz wasn't about to tell the truth. That did, in fact, sound very bad for her, but how would this react? Optimistically, she tried to learn more.

{How long are you gonna parade me around}?

They scratched behind Luz's ears in thought. "Eh. Depends on a lotta things. How much I can get out of your identity, how much damage you can take, when I get bored of the city." The directness of the answers deeply disturbed Luz. Particularly the identity part.

They had just reached the crypts hub. They had straightened out as they grew more familiar with their new body, confidently marching towards the exit. Luz panicked. She begged her legs to stop. No avail.

{Wait! You can't leave Eda without saying anything! She'll be worried sick}. Luz's body simply laughed. It was harsher than any laugh Luz had ever heard, especially coming from herself. "That would only get in the way of all the fun we're about to have. Come on, Little Wasp, live a little!"

{No, wait}!

They already had a foot in the tunnel, but they froze when Eda shouted for them from the doorway. Her voice was angelic to Luz. She seemed concerned, and it only grew more intense when she noticed the clouds of steam orbiting her apprentice. "Luz?" She asked inquisitively. "Great," the demon muttered, "speak of the devil."

Eda jogged over and placed a hand on her warm shoulder. "I heard you shout a second ago and– are you alright? What's with the mystery fog?"

{Eda!} Luz tried to shout, {That's not me! I'm trapped inside this thing}! Her voice never manifested.

The imposter dug unforgiving nails into the bite mark on their palm while hiding it behind their back. They smiled disarmingly at Eda while Luz reeled from the message. Their voice was now a flawless imitation of Luz's, losing its wavering quality.

"Don't worry, I'm alright. I just dropped this weird bottle and it startled the heck out of me! Now I'm covered in… whatever this is."

Eda's expression didn't soften. She gently put her other hand under Luz's chin, tilting her head up. She sucked in a breath when she saw the hole on the side of her neck. It must be where the smoke was still emanating from.

"Luz, you're literally leaking! Now, I *know* humans don't do that. Tell me what really happened. I have to know so I can help you."

Luz's face displayed shock, if only for a split second. {Human}? It was an internal question, directed at the real Luz. {What's a human doing in the demon realm}!?

They quickly recovered on the outside. They quickly shifted to pouting and rubbing an insincere tear off of their cheek.

"Honest, mom! I don't know when that got there, but I think it's the gas. I feel sick." Eda glared down at her, 'Luz' shrinking under her scrutiny. "Okay," she sighed, "let's just take you home to get cleaned up."

Luz's heart broke, but her body smiled when Eda turned away. How could she not tell something was amiss?

"Besides," she continued as they walked, not looking back, "I'd hate to worry your sister. You know how she hates us staying out this long."

Luz lit up with hope, trying desperately not to clue the puppeteer in with her thoughts. She somehow muted her brain.

"Uh, of course!" The demon clasped their hands with a slight giggle. "The sooner, the better!" They had each set foot in the grass, the sun picking up its cruelty where it left off. They stepped into the open and Eda pulled her staff out of thin air. Instead of hopping on and riding home, she took a moment to look over her companion.

With a single fluid motion, Eda kicked the legs out from under the girl and spun a spell circle into existence. Grasping vines bound Luz's body to the ground, tightening painfully around her arms and legs. It hurt, but Luz wished she could cheer. A huge weight was pulled from her shoulders as her mentor spoke.

"Luz doesn't have a sister and she doesn't call me mom. What have you done to her!"

"E-Eda, stop! It hurts! It…" The body ceased thrashing, sighing with defeat. The words faded into unsettling laughter. The laughter persisted for a short while, and then melted back into the warbling voice. "Oh, man. And here I thought I was doing so good!"

Eda's features upturned with disgust. She felt frustrated tears sting her eyes, but she pushed them away. She was determined to look brave for Luz, assuming she was even in there. But it wasn't easy; the poor thing looked like a corpse underneath the weight of the vines. It messed with her head.

"I won't ask again, giggles. What have you done to my Luz?"

"Don't fret. You're looking right at her; I'm not a doppelgänger or anything. The Little Wasp's right here! I'm just moving in, that's all."

"I think the hell you aren't! Release her now or I'll–"

"You'll what, exactly? Pummel me out of her? Feel free to try, I'm sure she'd love a taste as much as I would. Besides, it's not like I can just flick a switch."

"What do you mean? You possessed her! Just… unpossess her!"

"Well I could, but I bet you wouldn't like that. It'd be like taking a critical patient off of life support. I go, her heart stops beating."

{That can't be true,} Luz pleaded. Her other half ignored her, choosing instead to focus on the pain painting Eda's face.

"You're lying! You have to be. I'll rip you out of her if I have to!"

Luz and the demon watched closely as the Owl Lady's breathing quickened. "This shouldn't have happened!" She spat. "Not while I was here, not ever!" In her frenzy, she failed to notice the feathers sprouting from her arms.

{Oh no. Eda, the curse}! Luz tried to choke out a warning, but of course fell short again.

"Curse?" the demon asked curiously. They continued to watch Eda fall into disarray, calculating something at the back of their mind. For the first time, it relayed the message for Luz, whistling to get Eda's attention.

"Hey grandma, cool it! You got something on your arm there." Eda slowed her spastic movements long enough to take in the sight. Her breath hitched. Oh so carefully, she calmed her mind and stilled her body. The feathers slowly retracted.

Luz slowly escaped hysteria and settled into unstable relief. {Thank you. Thank you for telling her}.

She didn't mean to say it to them– she didn't want to– but it just came so naturally to her. The demon responded smoothly. "Don't mention it. This just made things a whole lot more interesting."

Freshly slackened, Eda pressed the end of her staff to the dirt. "I'm taking you home, and I'm gonna save this kid. If you get in the way of that, I'll obliterate you the second I figure out how. Got it?" The vines receded into the earth, allowing Luz's body to sit up.

They chuckled. "Alright, buddy, that'll work for now. I can't wait to see my new place!" Just before they could stand, the ground swallowed them up to the knees. It was an awkward position that hurt Luz's back. The demon rolled its eyes.

"Kid, if you can hear me in there, I want you to know that it's all going to be okay. I promise you." Luz felt warm, finally finding a bit of ease, even with all the pain she was in. {You got this, Eda. I know you do}.

Eda quickly cast a sleep spell on the pair, knocking them out cold. She felt more alone now. The rustling leaves around her moaned in sympathy as she loaded the body onto Owlbert and took off.

High in the air, she rubbed the girls back. She hoped that the comfort would reach her. "I'll fix this, Luz. Only a matter of time." Her voice wavered a bit as she said it, as though she had yet to convince herself it was true. Unsatisfied, she repeated herself in a stronger tone.

"Only a matter of time."

Chapter 2: Entrapment

Summary:

Eda and her new visitor get to know each other through interigation.

Notes:

I feel that the tags already do a decent job of warning people about some troubling content in this fic, but I'd hate for anyone to read something they rather not.
TW: Child endangerment, harsh language, and panic attacks.
Take care and please enjoy!

Chapter Text

It was dark and cold when Luz awoke. Muscle memory teased her into feeling around for her phone, but she quickly found that she couldn't move. She struggled a few seconds longer before realizing what was happening, suddenly recalling her last conscious hour.

Her limbs were numb with absence, unreachable but hypersensitive to every tassel on the blanket tossed over her torso. Even with the thin covering, a chill swept through her again and again. The only real warmth she felt came from gas pouring out of her neck. With nothing she could do but lie paralyzed and let her eyes adjust to the dark, she feared that this moment would never end.

Her new life would be one of silence. She would be stuck as cold, blind stationary that could do nothing but stew in ever darkening thoughts. She felt a tear form and roll across her temple. It trailed a line of extra sensitive skin in its wake.

Wait. A tear!

She was crying! It gave her a sense of release that she has been missing. That one tear made everything real. It framed all that had happened to her and made it all tangible.

The flood gates were open now. It grew so forceful that other parts of her began to shine through. Her chest began to spasm, her voice squeaked meekly in her throat, and her hands were shaking.

It was such a weak display, but it meant so much. She rode the high of her limited expression for a mere four minutes before the unthinkable happened.

Cruelly, mercilessly, her window to autonomy was slammed closed just as quickly as it had cracked open. Her heart sank. Now that her puppeteer was awake, they would no doubt retighten their grip.

They sat up. The movement had no magic anymore. It wasn't hers. It wasn't fair.

"Whoo boy," her distorted voice yawned expressively, "what a nap! You know, I don't think I've ever actually slept? Weird, yeah?"

Luz grew despondent. It didn't go unnoticed. The demon began to examine the room from where they sat as they made conversation.

"Hey Little Wasp, your heart is kinda bumming me out. You good?"

What a stupid question.

{No,} she shot, {nothing about this is good. If I was a little smarter or a bit stronger I could have prevented this. Now it's all on Eda to save me and I'm stuck being helpless! I hate being helpless}.

She was startled by a hand rubbing her back, which pulled her to reality. It was her own hand. She could feel the foreign shape of concern on her face. Were they trying to comfort her?

"Man, you are not taking this well at all! The whole 'I have no mouth and I must scream' thing must be horrible for someone like you. Heh. I've been there. Several times."

They awkwardly held their own hand. It appears that Eda had wiped the blood off and cleaned the wound at some point. "If I let you fidget with somethin', would it help with the panic attacks?"

The sentiment confused her further. Luz responded cautiously. {What does it matter to you? You're the one who did this to me}.

"Well," they admitted, "you're really taking the wind outta my sails here. I can't enjoy my chance at life if you have a breakdown each time we wake up."

{You're horrible}. She wasn't quick enough to stop herself from thinking it. Maybe it was harder to filter yourself when you were linked in weird telepathy.

"Watch it. Do you not want to fidget? ADHD can't be doing you any favors here."

{No, I'm sorry! Please give me my hand back}.

They chuckled at the worry they caused. "That's better. Just promise not to get any ideas or do anything stupid." They parted their hands and pressed one on the floor.

"Remember what I said about your punishment. Neither of us want that. I'll start by breaking these very fingers if I need to."

On that note, the demon focused their attention on the still hand with the bite mark. Some of the smoke in the room gravitated towards their hand. It dried the skin and brought back the initial sting she had felt the first time it nearly killed her.

Once the cloud dispersed, Luz could wiggle her fingers. The arm was still immovable, but everything beyond the wrist was fair game once again.

They placed the corner of a soft pillow in Luz's hand. "I'll breathe, you squeeze if you start feeling distraught." She tested the foam between her fingers. It was soft, but damp with sweat.

"Now then–" they paused to markedly inhale and exhale, "what room is this?" Luz hadn't been paying attention to the room, so she quickly caught herself up to speed.

It was a small space. Muffled light trickled in through a high window centered on the back wall. It was definitely a closet, except all the laundry and knick knacks had been removed to create more room, leaving the place open and bare. There were gallons of sickly smoke flowing overhead. It never seemed to stop spilling from them. The window was slightly ajar for, probably, that very reason.

They were atop a pallet of scratchy blankets below the window. Something heavy and tight hugged their waist and was keeping them close to the wall. Trying to gleam any greater detail proved tricky in the dark.

{This is probably the living room closet. Eda must have locked us in here so you couldn't run off with me}. They nodded. "Smart. That does sound like something I would do. Ah, well. We'll get it all sorted when she visits us later."

Luz clutched the pillow firmly. Being with this creature made her feel alone. Eda couldn't come soon enough.

***

Eda woke up miserably early, right before the sun. She smacked her alarm into submission, dragging herself out of the nest.

She glanced at the doorway. Her mind savored the thought that Luz might step in and greet her, safe and sound and bubbly as ever. Of course, that didn't happen. Eda had chained her up last night. It'd be weird if she came in.

She stuffed her pockets and hair with numerous bottles of elixir before building up the courage to go down stairs. Lord knows she'd need them.

King was fast asleep on the couch, swaddled in layers of blankets. He hadn't taken the news well. Eda couldn't bring herself to task him with keeping watch, so she let him sleep. That left the tiring shifts of watch duty up to her and the only other person she could trust; the only other person in the house.

"Six thousand seven hundred and nine hoots. Six thousand seven hundred and ten hoot– OH! Hey Eda!"

Eda gave a frail smile. "Morning, Hooty. Nothing happened while I was out, right?"

The Bird Tube was propped upside down in a chair next to the closet door. It was hard to tell if he was uncomfortable. He had such a chipper voice. "They picked their bandages off in their sleep again, but I handled it!" Eda grunted. "Hooty! I said to wake me if you needed to go in there!"

"But you were so grumpy! I thought I'd let you sleep a bit longer, hoot." She rubbed her temples to stave off stress. If she turned into the Owl Beast now there would be no hope left. "You're a doll, Hooty, but next time you've gotta let me handle it. We can't risk this thing getting out or hurting Luz."

"Right-o boss. You wanna check on her right now?" Eda nervously straightened out her hair and pushed the wrinkles out of her clothes, taking a deep breath. She nodded. Hooty retreated through the front window and Eda turned the handle.

The room's centerpiece was the Luz. She had golden chains wound around her waist and locked to a loop of steel protruding from the far wall. It was short enough that she couldn't reach the door, but not so short that she couldn't pace around in a tight circle. The girl was still dirty and beaten from the day prior, drawing a soft whine from Eda. She had a glossy pink wrapping around her hand to stanch the bleeding. It was slick with owl spit.

The light from the living room poked Luz in the eyes. She popped with delight when she spotted Eda. Her body gave a toothy smile. The demon must have been excited too.

"There she is," the body snatcher sang crookedly, "did you miss me?"

Eda pulled in a stool and sat in front of them wordlessly. She took a moment to eye them up and down. {That's not my kid,} she reminded herself. {This is all to help her.}.

"I'm not hearing a no." they teased. Eda glared at them.

"What's your deal, giggles? Tell me what this is all about?" The demon sighed dramatically, shifting their borrowed weight between either foot continuously. "You simply refuse to have fun with this, huh?"

"There's nothing fun about what's happening here," she snapped. "You're holding a child hostage. I want to get to the bottom of why."

"It's really quite simple. I need to take over a witch– or I guess humans work too, apparently– in order to experience the world properly."

They ran a finger along the edge of Luz's ear. "Believe me, I wouldn't've picked up a magicless baby had I realized it before jumpin' her. Guess it's a bit late to turn back though, so what the hell. Why not?"

She ached to jump to Luz's defense, but now wasn't the time. "What did you plan to do? What's your actual end game?"

Invigorated, they lifted their hands high in the air, building up emphasis for the next word:

"Stimulation!"

They tugged their hands back to their chest and sprang up in celebration of the idea. "Without a body of my own, I'm cursed to float around in a perpetual state of numbness. Little Wasp is lending me a chance to entertain myself again! I've had a few hosts before, but I go through them pretty fast."

Luz cringed. How many people hadn't made it out of this? Eda hardened at the same thought.

"So, calling a spade a spade, you're a parasite with a little bit of psycho thrown in. What kind of demon doesn't have a real body anyway?"

"A Taken. There's not a lot of us left. Witches started either killing us off or locking us away 'cause they didn't want to share their lives." She scoffed. "Yeah, can't imagine why. Not exactly a sustainable relationship, is it?"

They glared at each other. At least the hateful look on their face helped to distinguish them from Luz. Eda readjusted in her seat and continued casually.

"What's with the smoke? Is that, like, your body?"

They looked up into the cloud above them. "Something like that," they dismissed. "It's called foundation, and it's a side effect of cramming two people into one."

"Gross."

"Yeah, screw you too."

"Come on. It's hot, toxic, and smells like dry oil. How can you not think it's gross?"

"Oh, no, it's foul, but it's useful. Choked out your little one just fine back at the crypt. Hell, I've smothered more people to death than–"

Luz squeezed the pillow tightly. Her disturbance tugged at them in some way, halting their rant. Almost apologetically, they lowered their head. "Never mind that."

"Yeah," Eda agreed. "Tell me how you got into Bone Dust Crypt instead. Did you live there?"

"Dunno. I think my last partner gave out on me about five years ago in that area. I probably drifted in. What were you doin' in there?"

Eda paused for a bit too long. "Robbing the place. I'm asking the questions here, bud."

They snickered. "You lost a child all for some dusty snails? That bites."

She clenched her jaw. Without breaking twitchy eye contact, she pulled out an orange bottle and hammered it back. No taking chances today.

"She's not lost. You are going to tell me how to get her back safely and she'll be fine." She tossed the bottle to the side and leaned forward. "Let's discuss that now, actually. How do we release her?"

They blew a long huff through their teeth, eyes cast up in thought. "Here's the thing: I've never had to do that before. I never learned how."

"You'd better think of something!"

"Well..." They grinned mischievously. "Perhaps a trade is in order?"

No one likes the sound of that, least of all Eda. "Maybe. Choose your next words carefully."

They stood up tall, no longer restless. The leap from bored squirming to a professional posture took a second for Eda to adjust to. They let her catch up before continuing, savoring the attention.

"In theory, I could just transfer to a different vessel. But, aww, I haven't gotten to see what this one can do yet!"

"You know you can't keep her, get to the point!"

"Fine. Catch me a new host and bring them back here. Preferably one that has a bile sack and isn't, like, ten years old. I'll be out of your hair and living it up on the other side of Bonesborough. It's a win-win."

For a horrible instance, Luz thought she could see consideration on Eda's face. To her relief, she simply shook her head.

"You're insane if you think I'd kidnap and sacrifice someone to you. Besides, Luz would hate me for that."

"You're gonna think I'm insane any way we slice it! I straight up gave you an out. You can take it or leave it."

"There's another way, isn't there? There has to be. I won't let this happen to someone else!"

They laughed, exasperated. "If there was another way, I wouldn't tell you! Take what you can get! I'm trying really hard to be reasonable; I need a body, you need this body, it's an easy fix."

Eda stood up aggressively, towering over them. "Tell me now before I figure it out by myself. If you make this easy for me then I'll let you live."

{Just tell her, dude}!

They shook with agitation, baring feral teeth. Foundation whistled through the air as their temper simmered. They abruptly realized how they looked and took a step back. One sharp breath in. One out. They laughed a wheezy laugh as they regained their cool.

"What am I mad about? I'm still holding the power! Alright, grandma, I'll graciously give you two options: Give me a healthy host or let me romp about with Little Wasp for a while."

Eda almost laughed as well. "Fat chance. Who's chained up in whose house here?"

Luz's body sighed, shaking their head. "Damn. Sorry kid, I've gotta prove a point." Luz and Eda recognized what they were doing far too late.

The beast snatched one of their fingers– the middle one that Luz had been controlling– and snapped it back with a sickening crack, sending her comfort pillow to the floor. Luz couldn't hear the silence of the room through the ringing pain. Her finger was at an odd angle, and looking at it made her nauseous.

Eda quickly had them on their stomach, binding their hands behind their back with a spell. The bonds were shaking from Luz's plight, but also seemed unstable beyond only that. She wasn't gentle, mindlessly putting more pressure on the finger than necessary. The Taken denied Luz a squeal.

"You absolute bastard," Eda hissed, "what's wrong with you?!" They laid unmoving under her weight. They used Luz's real voice, knowing it would hurt more to hear.

" 'Who's chained up in whose house', huh? I don't think it matters. As long as you leave us alive, I can torment this girl until she doesn't even want her body back!"

Eda practically fell off of them. The demon flipped over and leaned against the wall, locking eyes with her. "I can tell you need a minute to mull it over. I promise you, this could be real easy if you give me what I want."

She balled up her fists, twitching. Her raging gaze was replaced with surprise when she felt a feather push its way into her palm. Standing rapidly and skittering back, she chugged another potion.

"Pathetic," They commented plainly. She closed her eyes, hunched over as if catching her breath. When she found the stability she'd need to see them again, she stared disapprovingly. "Just go to sleep." She traced a spell circle in the air to follow through.

It fizzled out.

She tried again, her desperation showing, only for the same thing to happen. "Come on…" she mumbled.

The demon seemed equally caught off guard. "Shoot, you really are sick. Does the curse drain your magic?"

She growled mutely. Of course they would find out. She kicked herself for it. She'd been taking it easy and even then she wore herself out. If she had become so weak that she couldn't use her magic…

She stopped thinking about it, mostly out of self-preservation.

The Taken's expression was filled with pity. They defaulted back to their natural voice as they relaxed their muscles. "Look, none of us want to be here. Take some time to get yourself together. Think about things. I'll give you three days to meet my demands before I up the ante."

Luz watched as Eda flashed between emotion after emotion. Burning anger turned to shame, which in turn melted into denial and settled on fright. It was a new kind of fear for Eda. It dawned on Luz why the look didn't seem it fit her: It was a look of defeat. It stabbed at her heart. Defeat wasn't becoming of the great Owl Lady at all.

"I have three days?" She asked in a hush.

"Yes. You can have three days before I start pushing things along."

Eda backed into the door without looking away, letting it bump open.

"Luz can hear me, right?" They tipped their head. "Yeah, loud and clear."

"Luz," Eda choked, "I'm so sorry this all happened to you." Luz hung to her words like a lifeline. Eda lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. "You know what I have to do. We both know I'd do anything to save you. Even if it means something horrible."

{Eda? Eda, no…}

Eda at last couldn't look at her anymore. "Forgive me, kiddo."

Luz heard her say it again and again long after she had turned away and left. {Eda? Eda, come back}! She tried to thrash free and run after her, but that hadn't worked for quite some time. {Eda! Don't hurt anyone! Please! Demon, call her off! You can't make her do this!}

Luz's body leaned back and weakly smiled. "It won't be that bad, Wasp. Now quit yapping. You're all so sad that you're gonna ruin the victory."

Eda lumbered over to Hooty, who was waiting on standby in uncharacteristic silence.

"Hooty," she said from the side of her mouth, "watch after Luz for me. I need to think for a while." She stalled for a spell before rousing herself to shamble upstairs.

He obliged, stretching into the closet to watch them with a scowl. The day's light filled the room, but no one took notice. It was still gloomy inside. The house was infectiously somber.

***

Eda hadn't been upstairs for long, but she knew she couldn't stay. Something had to be done soon. She completely meant what she said before: She would do anything for Luz.

But if there was another way, she had to find it. The buzzing question that pinged about her mind was how long could she risk searching for an answer? When was it okay to give in? What would Luz want and how much did it matter?

Her conundrum was interrupted by the gentle clacking of claws on the floorboards. She didn't need to look up to know King was in the doorway. He hesitated before knocking twice on the frame.

"Eda, can I sit with you?"

She rolled to the side of the nest and patted the spot next to her. "Of course."

King hoisted himself up and flattened out like a cat. He scooted closer to Eda, inspiring her to run fingers across the top of his head on loop. She forced herself to hum. He could probably use some reassurance as much as her.

They sat like this for sluggish minutes in mutual tension, hoping to relieve some of the stress. Eda opened up first.

"She'll be okay, King. I know it."

"Are you sure? What's your plan?" He sat up and faced the ground. "Are you gonna… give them someone else like they said?"

"So you did hear all that. Honestly, I don't know." She placed a hand on his shoulder, studying the same spot on the floor. She felt tears rise up, but expertly stamped them down. "I need more time to figure something else out. I know if I look for the answer I'll find it, but I don't know if that's a viable option."

King listened without interrupting. He wanted to speak, but decided against it. Instead, Eda rubbed her neck and sighed deeply. "I'm not sure I can do this alone."

"You're not alone," He corrected. He sheepishly gripped his knees. "I know Hooty and I can't do much more than you, but we're all in this together. We're all here for you and Luz."

Eda covered her face with both hands. She dramatically groaned. "When did you get so sappy?" She teasingly pushed him and he giggled. Her face was red, so she looked away.

"You're right though. We'll figure it out and it will all be okay." King paused to absorb what she said, as though it would help it come true. "You promise?"

She turned and smiled warmly. "Promise."

Chapter 3: Old Friends, Current Friends

Summary:

Enter Amity Blight. This causes some complications.

Notes:

I would have liked to post this a bit earlier, but it's an extra-long chapter, so I hope you all enjoy! Also dropping this at ≈4:00am, so please pardon any grammatical errors.
Trigger Warning: So much child endangerment and some harsh language

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Mud puddles and bramble threatened to snag Amity by the boot as she marched through the forest. She snarled curses at the path, readjusting the mess her green hair had become. She had yet to memorize the directions to the Owl House. She'd only been once or twice before, but for some unknowable reason, Luz always renewed her welcome.

She was grateful to be sure, feeling well overdue for some karma-heavy punishment. This could all be an elaborate trap to ruin her life after everything she had put Luz through, but she doubted that would be the case. Luz wasn't like that. She was sweet and compassionate and charmingly dorky and…

Amity covered her glowing face from non-existent onlookers. {Focus, Blight,} she thought. {We're friends now. It's not weird for friends to hang out at each other's houses}. She waited for the affirmation to sink in, but it never did. {So why am I so nervous}?!

Her leg still hurt from the Grudgby accident. Maybe that was it. Yeah, she just didn't want Luz to be weird about it. That adds up.

In all honesty she probably shouldn't be walking on it, but if Luz wanted to see her this weekend, by Titan, Amity would pay her a visit. Plus, it was healing fine enough and she didn't want to be home alone any longer. It only made sense to check in on her new friend.

The early morning sun was at her back, stretching her shadow ahead of her. Would Luz even be awake yet? Amity's old 'friends' definitely wouldn't be. She imagined with an investing curiosity how much their lives differed. It was exciting in a way, learning about Luz.

{I wonder what she's been up to lately}.

***

"Alright, Little Wasp, this is gonna hurt like high hell." Hooty watched carefully, eyes narrowed, ready to jump them at any moment. Luz prepped herself as best she could. The Taken, with their hands hidden behind them, snapped the finger back in place.

With nowhere else to go, Luz's short cry ricocheted around inside her head. Sweat made her shiny, but it was the only physical marker of her aching. At least the pain would start to dull soon.

Hooty stared daggers at them furiously. "That wasn't gentle at all! Demon to demon, you freaking suck!"

They wriggled the fingers to be sure that they all worked properly once again. "What did you expect? I had to set the bone, of course it would hurt!"

"I could have done better, punk."

"Oh, because you know sooo much about having fingers, huh bird?"

"Only my friends can call me bird!"

A drained yet forceful voice broke the two up. "Hooty," Eda barked, "it's not worth it. Just drop it." He pulled away from the enemy and allowed the Owl Lady to step forward. He reeled out the door as she entered, if not reluctantly.

"As for you," she crouched down in front of the beast, "eat." She set a thick, steaming bowl of soup before them. "There's no reason for Luz to go hungry."

"Aww," they droned drily, "that's almost touching. Fine then. Untie my hands."

In truth, she likely didn't have a choice; The binding spell was taking constant focus that she couldn't keep up with. It was doomed to falter sooner or later. The prospect of giving them any more control, however, wasn't very desirable.

Between giving in now and putting her weakness on display later, Eda chose the former.

"If you so much as pinch her–" "Relax," they interjected, "I won't rough up your kid without a good reason."

She picked them apart with her eyes, searching for loopholes or worthy reason to suspect lying. Their face was bland and stern. It would have to suffice. Eda whisked the air with a nail and the bindings crumbled. The physical relief wasn't worth the anxiety it earned her.

"Much obliged," they chimed while rubbing the soreness from their wrists. Eda stuck out a wooden spoon which they plucked from her grasp. She resigned herself to hovering around them, too worried to leave Luz alone. They took surprisingly slow and respectful bites for a violent cryptid. It was clear she'd be with them awhile.

Luz hadn't realized how hungry she was until she was eating. Perhaps the exhausting twenty-four hours since her last meal heightened the experience, but the soup was heavenly even despite that. Of the dozen or so ingredients Luz could digest on the Boiling Isles, Eda knew exactly how to blend them harmoniously. Sometimes she would liken cooking to potion making, which Luz adored.

Between their bites, she focused herself enough to address her warden. {Could you thank Eda for me}?

They paused mid-bite, taken aback. They considered the request carefully in search of ulterior motives, and when they reasoned that there were none they chuckled.

"Little Wasp sends her thanks. She's a real sunny type, yeah?"

Eda tried not to soften, but failed. "She is." She looked directly into Luz's eyes to make it clear who she was addressing. "No problem, Kiddo. Glad you like it." She delayed looking away. She wanted to feel close to her a bit longer, but nevertheless fell back to impersonal side-eyes.

They nearly resumed eating before Eda huffed with distaste. "What's with that weird nickname?"

The Taken co*cked their head. "How do ya mean?"

"You keep calling Luz 'Little Wasp'. Why?"

They shrugged. "I nickname all my pals. It's a tradition."

It didn't occur to Luz that she had simply accepted the title until now. It wasn't that odd compared to everything else going on. She could feel the other's nostalgia flow from the question as they pressed on.

"Yeah," they cooed reflectively, "I named you after good ol' Weeping Wasp! She was the second witch I ever tangoed with. I bet you woulda liked her, human."

"I think that's enough," Eda asserted, "I regret asking."

Try as she might, Luz couldn't move past that. The can of worms was cracked open and she shamefully wanted to let them out. It'd be like peeking under the bed for monsters. She wouldn't rest until she had assessed the threat.

{I'll tell you more later} the demon acknowledged silently. She was hot with embarrassment. Obviously they would notice her curiosity. However, she didn't completely regret thinking about it. She did love backstories after all.

Finishing the soup, they pushed the bowl forward. "Speaking of old friends," they crooned, "I gotta know: Who we're ya planning to pass me off to? My curiosity is killing me!"

Eda locked up while gathering the dish. "No clue." She was gritting her teeth. "Let's not talk about it in front of Luz, okay?" They crossed their arms with a groan. "Lame, but whatever. You can tell me all about it later. I've waited this long."

She found herself glaring once again. She put her energy towards trudging over to the door. As she was leaving, she spoke with as calm a voice she could muster. "Hooty, you're up again. Watch the clown while I–"

"Uhh, Eda?" Hooty's voice was urgent, both he and King looking out the window.

"You might wanna put that on hold."

Eda joined them by the glass. "What's wrong?" Her question was answered with a glance. "Oh, sh*t."

Coming down the way was Amity Blight. She was walking with purpose, maybe twenty seconds away from knocking on the door.

King pulled the curtain close and looked to Eda. "That's not good, is it?"

"Nope," she answered. "The Blight girl's most definitely here to see Luz. We can't let that happen." She peeked through the curtain, upset by how fast time was slipping.

Luz overheard them. {Amity's here? Now}?! The duo sat up. The Taken grinned. "Is that a friend of yours?"

She hesitated. {I invited her over for the weekend a few days ago. She can't see me like this! She won't understand}! They stood and shot a glance to the high window. "Interesting."

Eda was panicking in the living room. "King, go lock the closet! Hooty, go wait in the door and don't say anything! Clear?" A bit clumsily, each did as they were told.

Eda hurriedly tossed the bowl in the sink while straightening out her clothes. She took a deep breath and sipped an elixir. King leaned haphazardly against the couch. Hooty watched Amity knock.

The door nudged open, Eda filling the gap with her body. "Hey there. You're out early."

"Good morning ma'am. Is Luz here?"

"Luz? Oh, no. She's busy running some errands for me. She'll be out for a while."

Amity looked down. "Oh. I was supposed to meet her today. She didn't text me anything about that."

"It's all good," Eda buzzed, "you can come back another time." She began to close the door, but Amity leaned forward and raised her hand in a plea for her to listen. "Actually, may I please wait out here?"

"You shouldn't. It'll take all day."

"I don't mind. I have nowhere to be, anyway."

Eda slid the door open again, now with a more sincere, concerned expression. "Is everything alright, kid?"

"Heh, yeah," she chuckled nervously. "I've just really looked forward to seeing her." Amity hoped her face wasn't red. It was.

"My house is empty with my parents off on business and the twins staying over with friends. I don't mind waiting! I really want to see Luz today, if that's alright with you, ma'am."

"I hear you, but don't you have other friends to hang out with? Now's not a good time."

Amity thought back on the bridges she actively burned without regret. Her silence spoke volumes.

Eda stalled, scrutinizing every next possible step that crossed her mind.

Tell her to go look for Luz? No, she'd just return even more concerned when she inevitably couldn't find her.

Let her stay outside? Not a chance. She's bound to stumble onto the Taken sooner or later. And what happens when Luz never shows?

The girl was waiting. "Umm, tell you what: head on home and as soon as I see Luz, I'll send her your way." She winked and nudged Amity with her elbow, trying to cover her nerves. "I'm sure she's just as excited as you."

It was a temporary solution at best. It was hard to say how much time this would buy, but Eda guessed it wouldn't be much. Luz would continue to miss Amity's texts, and the girl already seemed rather worried. Maybe even suspicious, but that could have been Eda's paranoia.

Amity was visibly deflated, but smiled politely. "Thank you, ma'am. Take care." "Please," the Owl Lady insisted, "don't be so formal. Eda works fine." She nodded, charmed into smiling more sincerely. With that, she walked off, granting Eda great solace.

Inside, the Taken cupped their ear and held it as close to the window as their tiptoes would allow. "Huh. I thought she would've blundered a lot more." Luz took offense. {I'm glad you were wrong. She doesn't deserve this}.

"Lighten up, I'm only poking fun." To their disappointment, she did not lighten up. They looked above into their smog-like foundation and freshened with an idea. "Hey! I bet I'm slick enough to send your friend a quick message. Wanna see her tonight?"

Luz went rigid, completely baffled.

{You're joking, right? That'd be miserable for everyone}.

They placed their hands on their hips, gauging the strength of the chain. "It'll be a delight. Plus, I may be able to get us free early if I play my cards right!" Luz fell into stunned silence until she could get her bearings.

{What, no! You promised you would give Eda three days to help you. You can't betray her. Just be patient}!

The chains were too tough to wrestle out of and too sturdy to whittle down. They were disappointed, but shrugged. "I'll come back after, how about that? I actually do wanna see who she can score. I wouldn't miss that show for the world."

They faced the wall, peering at the window. "We can have a night of fun and be back before she even realises."

She honed her thoughts, making them as clear as possible. {I don't want this}.

Oddly, they tripped up on the idea. They took a deep, sobering breath. "Listen, if your family is clever, I'll never see any of you again. This is our last chance to make a good memory as partners. I'll be damned if I leave without teaching you how to live a little."

She had already come to the realization a few times, but the backwards nature of their intentions firmed her suspicions. {You are insane}.

A second, more glum implication trailed shortly after. This one surprised her.

{You know we're not friends, right}?

The sound of the front door closing marked the fleeting opportunity. With great care, they channeled all their focus on the bright window. The beast raised their hands like a musical conductor, and as they did the smoke of the room funnelled out past the glass.

Amity was cresting the first hill when she stopped to look back over her shoulder. To her surprise she saw an odd, thick fog pouring from a window. Perplexing. She was turning back to warn Eda, but then she noticed the cloud started to shift into letters. One at a time, the shapes blinked rapidly.

S - O - S

Her eyes widened, now completely focused on the spectacle.

R - E - T - U - R - N

T - O - N - I - G - H -T

D - O - N - T

T - R - U - S - T

E - D - A

As quick as it started, the signal ceased. Amity shivered. Her mind ran hot trying to process it. Luz's radio silence. The way Eda ushered her away. It all leads to an unnerving conclusion. Luz was in danger.

She pivoted towards town, proving fleet of foot.

"There we go," the Taken said, "let's hope she saw that."

{What did you do}! She had felt the action play out the same way they felt hers play out. Of course she knew the answer, but she still hadn't fully accepted it.

Before they could respond, they both heard the lock on the closet door click. Eda slid in, pleased that they were still contained. "That was too damn close. But I think I bought us some time. I'm not sure how much."

The demon smirked. "I didn't think you had a smooth-talking bone in your body. Congrats! Now, where were we?"

Eda stooped drearily remembering her schedule for the day. "Damnit. Hooty, could you look after them while I do some research?" Hooty spiraled into the room. "Sure thing! Easy-peasy."

She sighed, but gave a thankful nod. King followed suit as she ventured upstairs, so before long only the three of them remained.

Time flew by for all but Luz. Not even Hooty, bless his endearing heart, cared to make conversation with the thorn in everyone's side. The Taken was occupied by unending games of little consequence, such as watching imagery dots collide and clack off lines in the wall. It was a well practiced skill, and when it failed to amuse them they switched to organizing numbers and letters.

Luz had no such escape. Too disgusted with her 'partner' to speak with them and limited to the motions in her beaten hand, she was back to losing a familiar battle. As the sun scraped across the sky and night became inevitable once again, her anxiety soared. She asked herself again and again, fearing the answer, {Will Amity come}?

The demon had subtly employed a gentle humming into the air, rocking an already tired guardsman closer to sleep. Once the pale moonlight washed in, Hooty dozed off with little resistance. The soothing melody continued until they were certain the slumber had become too thick to stir.

Their voice was kept at a gravelly whisper. "Cute. He's so much more pleasant with his eyes closed."

Predictably, nobody laughed. Luz wanted to curl up into herself and fade away for a while. She felt her hand wipe down her face in frustration. "Can't you even try to get excited?"

{Why should I? You can't expect me to be enjoying this}.

"Don't be like that. You're a decent sort. I want you to get something out of this. You might as well, 'cause it's gonna happen whether you like it or not. Come on, what if I let you pick what we do first?"

{Do you care about me or not}?

They stumbled on impact, then gave it intense thought. "Yeah, enough. I respect your kindness, and you're remarkably brave for your age. Most kids woulda cracked way earlier, but here you are. You still have a fightin' spirit."

They guided her hand to the pillow on the floor. It still was marred by faint blood stains. Luz didn't caress the foam. It wouldn't comfort her anymore.

{If you care, then why do you hurt me? Why are you still doing this to us}? She fiddled with the cuff of her sleeve. {It's all really confusing}.

"Little Wasp, you know it's not personal, yeah? Everything I've done was in our best interest. That was touch love, friend. "

{No,} she rectified, {you only do things for yourself. We are not a team. You just want submission}.

There was a pregnant silence. The Taken shook their head. "Let's hope this friend of yours isn't such a f*cking downer."

Just then, a pebble tinked off the window. They smiled, switching to Luz's normal voice. "Right on queue."

Foundation, bright against the dark of the house's siding, cascaded outside and shaped itself intelligently.

A - M

L - O - C - K - E - D

I - N - S - I - D - E

Seconds ticked by before a small, purple rectangle flew in and landed on their lap. They squinted to make out words indented into the parchment.

'How can I help?'

"Abomination magic," they muttered. "Nice."

N - E - E - D

S - A - W

A momentary delay, but then the soft hiss of magic rang in from right beyond the wall. Slowly, a purple hacksaw was lowered into the room on a splotchy rope.

The gold chain didn't stand a chance. Even so, they were very patient running the blade's teeth across the link. They watched Hooty closely for any sign of waking, but he never so much as turned over. It jangled to the floor, slipping off of their waist.

Their giddiness was palpable, shown through the dancing of the smoke.

G - R - E - A - T

N - O - W

P - U - L - L

M - E

O - U -T

Luz wished that Amity would somehow figure out what was happening before she finished the job. When the light was eclipsed by a large, goopy hand reaching in, she almost cried. Amity would unwittingly put herself in danger. They were both on their own.

The Taken was well and occupied with trying not to giggle madly. They were stepping into the palm of the giant, mesmerized by the opportunity. Luz caught a glimpse of Hooty. If only she could cry out. He might be able to save her.

Her hand was casually placed along the forearm of the abomination. The mass was wet and malleable. Suddenly, she had an idea.

They were almost outside. There was no time for a better plan. She braced herself. In a quick motion, she etched a fire glyph into the clay and flicked it to life.

BOOM

Her body was flung back with a mighty, burning clap of force. The screaming flare drowned the room in an aggressive red light. Amity's surprised yelp followed quickly after.

Luz's arm was roaring with fiery pain, and some of her hair was singed away, but she couldn't be happier. Hooty had snapped awake.

The Taken shook themselves from the daze, eyes popping when they realized what had happened. "NO!"

"HOOOOT?! EDA!" The Bird swung around to absorb the scene. "Get down here, quick!"

She clattered through the house in a mad rush. She made it to the living room, where the front door promptly flew open. It had received a powerful kick from an Abomination. Amity stepped in behind it, hands raised in concentration.

Eda pulled her staff and took a defensive stance. "What do you think you're doing!"

Amity's voice had a venomous edge to it. "I'm saving Luz!"

The Taken staggered to their feet, making wobbly lunges for the exit. Hooty coiled around them like a snake, halting them with a painful grip. "Oh, no you don't!"

They mechanically spliced fear into Luz's voice as they cried out. "Amity! Please help me!"

She looked at them in horror, face drenched in concern. Her friend looked like death. Backlit by the fading red light, each of her cuts and burns called attention to the pain she must have been racked with.

Amity swiveled her head to face Eda. "What have you– How could you do this to her!?"

Eda put her open palms out ahead of her as an attempt at peace. "Just calm down kid. I can explain everything."

The teen's breath was heavy and marked by adrenaline. It steadied just long enough for her to contemplate listening.

It didn't add up. Luz never spoke ill of Eda. Why would she do this without a good reason? But what possible explanation could justify Luz begging for help in secret?

Amity shook her head. "Hand Luz over first. I'm not listening to anything until she's safe with me."

"That's not Luz! She's been possessed! If we let them go, they'll run off and we might lose her forever."

"What? That's impossible. Anything that could possess a person was wiped off the Isles centuries ago!"

"You have to trust me. Please kid, I don't want either of you getting hurt."

False Luz yowled in pain, failing to free themself from Hooty's clutch. It served to bring Amity greater distress, clouding her judgement.

She clenched her jaw in sympathy. "I don't have time for this!" Her eyes grew darker. "Abomination, seize Luz!"

The Abomination lurched forward, its arms outstretched and grasping. Heavy hands landed on Hooty's body and aggressively began to wrestle the girl from his grip. Chaos filled the room. He knocked over tables and bumped into walls in a game of keep-away with the golem.

Eda swirled her staff, but no magic came forth. Rather, patches of feathers sprouted along her spine in retaliation. She stumbled back. The Abomination was raging around the room, thrashing things between it and its target. Eda looked at her staff in thought. Her eyes widened.

She pulled her Palismen from the rod and Owlbert sprung to life. She pointed to the monster and his eyes followed along. "Owlbert, I need you to distract that thing. By me some time!"

He enthusiastically leapt into the air, scratching and pecking in repeated flybys. Eda made a note to reward the brave little guy later. As for now, she blitzed to the other end of the room, ducking a reckless purple arm along the way.

She ripped open the drawers of a dresser with frantic hands. Trinkets and junk tumbled out and littered the ground in her haste, but she eventually took hold of a thin, square potion bottle.

Amity found her first. Her hands were engulfed in pink flames, a meer flick of the wrist away from burning Eda. The fire licked the air, desperate to latch on to whatever moved, but she kept it on its chain. "Drop it."

Eda didn't. She was in the process of figuring out who was faster, but Amity flared the flames in warning. "I said drop the bottle!"

Eda almost lowered the weapon. Amity wasn't bluffing. She could see it in her expression. The Owl Lady prepared to surrender.

But then Amity fell.

Like a bolt from the blue, King scurried up her leg, clawing and biting, shoving her to the ground. Eda took advantage of the opportunity, splashing the pewter grey contents of the bottle onto her.

King scrambled off of Amity as she screamed. Her mind felt like static. Her muscles jumped between flexing and shivering and jelly-esque weakness in a numb loop. It wasn't painful as much as it was physically taxing. Without her senses, the Abomination destabilized and melted into the floor.

Eda, Hooty, King and Owlbert took a deep breath.

"Sorry kid," Eda croaked, "that'll wear off in a few minutes. I couldn't let you put her in danger like that."

Amity was tearing up. Her voice reflected the buzzing of her brain. "D-d-don't hu-hurt Luz…"

"Oh, kid," Eda joined her in tears, "I wasn't lying." She swept the hair out of her eyes, revealing just how red they were. She patted her back softly. "I'm not going to hurt either of you. You're safe."

It was quiet and dark. Not even the Taken made a peep. They gave the corner of the room a dirty look, which gave Luz slight satisfaction. They weren't invincible and she wasn't helpless. She felt honored to have such great friends.

In time, Amity's twitching grew more subtle. It soon faded completely, which she celebrated by weakly sitting up. Her gaze was affixed to Luz's face. She looked so bitter, far beyond what Amity thought she was capable of. It was uncanny.

Eda watched, too. "If you're still not convinced, I can prove that isn't her."

"How?"

"Ask it something only the real Luz would know. Like, something personal."

Amity stood and hobbled over to her friend. Hooty watched her with caution, but a look from Eda eased his suspicions. Luz looked so hurt. She was surrounded in the smoke she'd seen earlier and partly scared by fire. Her question was silly, but she knew it was perfect.

"What's my favorite Good Witch Azura book, and why?"

They blinked. Angry, their voice became twisted once again. "I'm not even gonna pretend to understand whatever the hell you just said!"

Amity gasped, unaware that she still even needed convincing. She backpedaled in disgust. "Oh. Oh sh*t."

"Stay calm, kiddo."

She turned back to Eda. "I-I'm so sorry. I attacked you! I shouldn't have– I wasn't–"

"Kid! It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I–"

"But nothing. You did what you thought was best, and you were looking for your friend. Sure, you were hasty, but I'm proud knowing Luz has such strong, brave people she can count on."

Amity wiped away the wetness on her cheeks. Eda hardened her eyes on the imposter. "It's not you I'm mad at."

The Taken groaned.

The Blight girl looked around at the damage. "May I please stay here tonight? I don't want to leave you and Luz alone with… that thing."

Eda pulled back. "I don't think you should. This whole thing is too much of a mess, and I don't want to get you any more involved than you already have."

Notes:

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. We are about halfway through the series and I wanna know how y'all feel about it. Also, they are a pleasure to read!

Chapter 4: Prepare for Anything

Summary:

Everyone gets ready for the next step in saving Luz. Everyone feels things. Enter Willow and Gus.

Notes:

This chapter went through developmental hell. Originally this and the next chapter were supposed to be one, but it was going to be way too long and unfocused. That along side some health issues means this chapter kicked my butt. However, the show must go on, and I'm here to provide!
Pardon the delay and sketchy pacing: Please enjoy!
TW: Mildly implied child abuse, harsh language

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The drowsy sky seemed heavy, burdened with gloomy clouds. They were never a welcome sight, considering the threat of rain, but these ones seemed to have more bark than bite. Good thing too, as Eda was a few minutes away from home.

Her arms were loaded with heavy ropes, clamps and locks. It weighed on her mind as much as her body. What an awful thing to need.

She imagined the sickly feeling that accompanied chaining Luz up the first night. It would be worse this time with the need for heightened security; More in depth, more intimate.

She aggressively shook the thought from her brain. It was a necessary precaution. It would at least give some peace of mind to both her and Amity. The poor girl must have been long worn out from keeping the beast in check.

Eda already liked the kid. She was tenacious and almost polite to a fault. This morning when she had woken up, Eda caught her attempting to fix the entire living room by herself. When she told Amity that it wasn't necessary, that she didn't owe her anything, the girl simply said 'It needed done'.

Eda reached the house and approached the door. It was already wide open so that Hooty could more easily maneuver inside. She slipped under him and found Amity in the kitchen.

"Welcome back, Eda. Did everything go alright?"

Eda gratefully tossed the supplies on the counter, stretching her arms after. "It was fine. Forget that, how are you holding up? Tough night?"

She frowned. "They're not even up yet, so it's been pretty uneventful. But Luz looks really rough. At this rate, I'm worried her wounds are going to get infected."

"Actually," Eda smiled, pulling tiny squares of paper from her hair, "I thought about that, too." Each slip had a peelable back like a sticker, and the emblem of a blue hand on the face.

"Healing patches. Great!" Amity turned one over in her hand. "Wait, do these work on humans?"

"Yeah, she's used one before. For some reason it gave her heartburn, but I think that's it. To be safe, we'll only use one every couple hours or so. I don't want to overload her system."

Amity nodded, pocketing a few stamps for later. While reaching into her pocket she felt the outline of Luz's phone. "Oh," she chirped, "I almost forgot!"

She pulled out the phone and opened it to the lock screen, facing it towards Eda. Luz had a handful of missed massages and three missed calls split between Willow Parks and Gus Porter. "Her phone started buzzing last night. I don't know what to tell them."

"Son of a–" Eda gripped at her hair and began pacing around the table. "We have to say something. They'll come to check on her eventually, and I don't want a repeat of last night!"

"Should I tell them the truth?"

"No. They'll want to get involved."

"Maybe that's a good thing. Someone should stay to help Hooty if he needs it. If we're both going to the library–"

The Owl Lady slammed a fist into the countertop. She spun on her heels. "I can't keep endangering children !"

Amity flinched, squinting her eyes half shut and bracing. Oh.

Eda's face filled with recognition and immediately sank. A mass of feathers sprung out of her calf in response.

She manually opened her hand and brought it down to her side, shrinking. "I'm sorry, kid." Her voice was barely audible, so she spoke up enough to remedy it. "It's not your fault. I didn't mean to yell."

Amity dipped her head submissively. "It's okay, ma'am. Really."

"No, it isn't. Sorry." She pressed her back to the wall and slid down part way. She cupped her face in her hands, trying and failing to rub away the exhaustion.

There was a brief pause, both witches embarrassed into silence. Eda looked down into her cloudy gem and sighed. "The worst part is I think we really do need them."

Amity smiled warmly. "I don't know much about Augustus, but Willow won't need convincing. More eyes and hands could be nice."

"There's more to it than just the extra help." Eda thought carefully, making sure she was certain before finishing her thought. "I have an important job for you."

Amity stood taller. "What is it?"

Hesitantly, Eda lifted the end of her dress enough to show the numerous feathers along her leg. There were dozens of them. Some were speckled with blood. "I'm not doing too hot. How much did Luz already tell you about my curse?"

Amity was a bit stunned. The visual alone made her own leg itch. She quickly refocused. "She told me you had one, but didn't go into detail. I didn't pry. Something about transforming?"

"When I undergo too much stress or overextend with my magic, I turn into the Owl Beast. If that happens again, I don't think I can turn back. It's been getting worse, even before all of this started happening."

Eda turned away. She didn't want to see Amity's pity. She didn't want to acknowledge the severity of things. "I need you to look after Luz while I'm at the library."

"Really?"

"If I stay here I'm not sure I can handle the Taken. They know I'm weakening, and if they taunt me enough…"

"I understand. You don't have to say it."

Eda smiled with appreciation. She picked herself back up, rolling her shoulders and growing more lively. "You tell her friends enough to get them on board and invite them over. If they agree, I'll go with them and you can hold down the fort."

"Besides," Eda added, "I know the most about that thing, so I probably have the best chance of finding a cure."

She looked at Amity in earnest. "Can I count on you to do that?"

She didn't miss a beat. "Of course! I'll take good care of her."

"You're a good kid. I owe you big time." Eda returned to her place at the table and busied her hands with unpacking. "Get back to me when you've heard from them."

Amity mutely excused herself and got to work. She pulled out her scroll and racked her brain with what to say. She was back on speaking terms with Willow, but it was still fresh and untested.

And now she needed to break such terrible news, over text no less. She sucked in. { Willow would want to know, } she reminded herself. { She needs to know. }

----------

Amity_Blight: Hey Willow. Are you available right now?

----------

To Amity's surprise, Willow responded within the minute.

----------

Willow P.: oh hey! you don't have to be so formal haha

Willow P.: whats up?

----------

She glanced out the window, absorbed by some distant notion. { Why is this so scary }?

----------

Amity_Blight: I am sorry that this is so sudden, but it's urgent. It's about Luz.

Willow P.: is everything alright?

Amity_Blight: No. The short of it is that Luz is sick and it's messing with her really badly. I'd prefer to talk in person. Can you come down to her house? I'm already here.

Amity_Blight: Also, invite Gus if you can. He deserves to be in the loop.

Willow P.: i'll be there in ≈30 minutes. Gus will too. we've both been worried about her

Willow P.: thanks for reaching out, hope you're both doing okay

----------

A tear landed on Amity's hand, drawing an indistinct gasp. 'Sick' felt like a deceiving word, so far removed from its intended context, but it fit. Luz was hurting, she was quarantined, and she was at the mercy of a parasite with no guarantee of recovery.

A second warm drop joined the former, and a third decorated her other eye to match. She dried off with her sleeve and peeked to be sure Eda hadn't seen her cry. It wouldn't be fair to her. It was too early to think like that.

Her thoughts were derailed when another voice caught each of them off guard.

"Heeey," Hooty cut in from the closet, "They're waking up."

Eda and Amity shared a look of solidarity. Then, they both turned back towards the demon, Eda giving a thumbs up. "Thanks, we're on it. Go get some rest, Hooty."

He smiled, bags lining his eyes. He was already half asleep by the time he tucked himself into the main door.

Eda pawed through the ropes, selecting a handful of bundles that looked smooth. She landed on braided black and grey nylon. Luz would already have to deal with the soreness that came with immobility, she shouldn't be itchy, too.

Her guilt must have snuck onto her face, because Amity looked empathetic. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

Eda sighed. "I'm ready for this to be over."

Amity nodded again. "We can do this. You just have to hold out for a bit longer. I'm sure of it."

Eda couldn't help but laugh lightly. She'd been thinking the same thing for a while. It was nice hearing someone else say it. "Thanks, kid. I bet you're right."

Shoulder to shoulder, they entered the makeshift cell.

The floor was cast in squares of light broken apart by the purple bars over the window. The entire back half of the closet was converted into a cage of identical interwoven bars. There was no door. Instead, Amity waved her hand and the face of the cage bent out of her way.

The Taken sat cross legged with their hands shackled behind them. The foundation hung over them, but Eda could see well enough to tell they weren't smiling like they normally would.

"How nice of you to show up. And with company, too. It's good to meet you properly, A-dog." Luz, tired and aching, didn't have the energy to reprimand them.

"Shut up," Eda snapped. "You don't get to talk to her. Get against the wall."

They complied, albeit lethargically. "No need to be mean about it. Just getting to know my new best friend is all."

Amity frowned. She sketched a tiny spell circle, and in a mesmerizing instant all the Abomination goo in the room returned to her. It sloshed in dazzling patterns, like water tossed from a pitcher and frozen in flight.

"We are not friends."

The Taken whistled ineptly and stretched their newly free hands. "Damn, you've got some remarkable precision. You're coven material then? I wouldn't mind piloting your green-haired head around one–"

"I said shut the hell up," Eda interrupted. While they shut up, she produced a smooth black box, about the shape and size of a brick, from her hair. She pressed it to the ceiling.

Whirring to life, the block flashed and anchored to the wood. She ran the rope through an opening in the bottom and clamped it in place. She held the rest of the dangling rope and motioned them over.

"You'd sooner take the whole ceiling down then break that lock. Hands. Now."

They rolled their eyes and stuck each wrist forward. "Someone's grouchy."

She snatched their arms and bound them together. There was enough slack for them to walk or sit, but not enough to reach down. She tugged on the rope, confirming its integrity.

"Amity, would you give them a Healing Patch?"

Amity pulled one out and slid closer. "Yes ma'am."

She gently rolled up their sleeve. She was careful not to disturb the injuries, which slowed the process considerably. Even with the stale odor of sweat and the gory sight of Luz's bicep, she was nervous to be this close to her.

She ran her thumb over the patch so it would firmly stick, tucking the sleeve back over it when she finished. She was tomato-red the entire time.

Luz was entirely oblivious to this, absorbed by the cooling numbness spreading across her body. The Taken, however, picked apart her expression with interest. She was avoiding eye contact, hiding her lips in her mouth, and her ears bashfully tilted down and back. They made a metal note for later.

"Now then," Eda said, crossing her arms, "I'll be leaving later today to make good on our arrangement. You'll be with Amity for most of it. Behave yourself and do exactly what she tells you. Am I clear?"

"Clear as crystal." Their smile returned, smug as ever. "Happy hunting. Be sure to bag me a nice one."

Eda feigned irritation, but savored the joy of knowing she wasn't actually going to kidnap anyone. She clomped out of the room to keep up appearances.

Amity delayed a moment to examine them. She wasn't sure what she was searching for, but she didn't find it. She joined Eda in the living room.

The minutes ticked by at a snail's pace, quiet and daunting. The two witches busied themselves with arbitrary tasks. Amity in particular had been so invested in reading and rereading her texts that she jumped when Hooty broke the silence.

"Hoot! Are Luz's friends supposed to be here? Should I scare them off?"

"It's fine," Eda insisted, "we invited them over. It'll just be you and Amity for the night. I'll hopefully be taking them and King to the library."

"Aww, dang it. Amity, you aren't still sworn to destroy me, are you?"

Amity remembered Grom night fondly, only recalling her oath now. "You seem alright. Truce for now."

"Woo-hoo! Friend acquired!"

Amity smiled courteously, but was pulled out of it when she saw the two teens for herself. Obviously they would look worried, but something about it struck her heart. They speed up to join the congregation on the lawn.

Gus was bent over, air-starved and panting. Amity was afraid he was having a panic attack, but calmed after noticing he was just out of breath. Willow stepped forward, in far better condition. "We came as fast as we could!"

Amity's smile turned sad. "Clearly," she chuckled shyly. "Thank you both so much for coming."

"Of course," Willow enunciated, "we're always in Luz's corner. What's going on?"

"Luz is… she…" Eda put her hand on Amity's shoulder, allowing her to drop the difficult words.

She looked forward to the witchlets. "Have either of you ever heard of something called a Taken?"

It was lost on Willow, but Gus lit up. "You mean those old-world demons that got banished, like, four hundred years ago for possessing witches?"

"That's right. Well, apparently not completely right. They aren't extinct. We kinda have one inside… Luz. Right now."

She twisted her face so as not to frown. The two friends exchanged a look of confusion until Amity clarified, "She's been possessed for a few days." She choked up a bit. No one moved.

Willow blinked, then blinked again. "How does that happen!? What happened to her?"

Eda quivered, gripping her own wrist to stabilize herself. "It's my fault. I took her out to explore some ruins and she got–" she closed her eyes tightly, "I let her get ambushed. I only found her after it already happened."

Amity saw the shakiness return to Eda's body and quickly recognized it as guilt. "It's not your fault, Eda. You couldn't have known."

"No, I messed up. I shouldn't have left her alone, or maybe I shouldn't have taken her there at all. She has been so down, and I thought if I could just give her a win and a night of reckless fun that she'd feel better. I'm the reason she's stuck in a closet with some maniac! I hurt Luz."

Everyone shivered. As Amity's mouth hung open in search of what to say, Willow filled in for her. "None of that matters now," she uttered, "All that matters is fixing it."

Gus nodded. "How can we help?"

The Owl Lady sniffled, but when she wiped her face she was smiling. "Actually, I need to head down to the library to find some answers. You're more than welcome to tag along."

Gus pumped his fist. "Finally, a need for my talents! I'm in!" He turned to Willow, taking her hands into his, bouncing in place. "You are too, aren't you?"

Her concern wasn't so easily shaken, but she muscled a smile onto her face. "Heck yeah I am. Ready when you are, Ms.Clawthorne."

Eda faced the unlit house. Apprehension still tightened her shoulders and knotted her stomach, but it's hold was getting weaker. "You're angels, all of you." She turned back to the group with beaming pride. "I'll grab my things and we'll head out. There's no time to waste!"

They funnelled into the home, everyone in a varied state of dread. While Eda and Gus packed upstairs, Willow met Amity on the couch.

Her movements were subdued, but undoubtedly antsy. "How bad is it? I know Eda isn't going to give it to me straight."

Amity admired just how stoic Willow could look. She felt her own eyes betrayed the peril, or at least the uncertainty, of the situation. She knew Willow was clever enough to catch it, so didn't bother hiding the strain in her voice.

"It's ugly. I-I don't know what to do."

She did still feel the need to hide her eyes in her palms. Willow touched her back gently, keeping her grounded. There was an uneasy silence on the verge of being broken by any sob daring enough to rumble out of Amity's chest. They all came close, but never broke through.

She conjured the fortitude needed to speak. "I've never been this worried about anyone else before. Luz is just so… she doesn't deserve this. I don't know how to help her, and that's killing me."

"It's good to see you caring for people again. You were closed off for so long." Willow scooted closer and guided Amity's vision back onto her. Her eyes were warm, but becoming glossy.

"Luz is really special, but that's how I know you can handle this. You truly care about her. I don't think anything can stop you, or Eda, or me, or Gus from doing everything in our power to make her safe. All you have to do is keep it up. You of all people will be ready when and if anything comes."

In a flash, Amity hugged her. She stained her shoulder by blinking away tears. "Thank you, Willow. You always knew what to say. I'm so sorry I let things get so bad between us. You're an amazing friend, and I'm going to make sure we all hang out again soon!"

Willow reciprocated the hug, giggling feebly as she did. "Don't I know it."

She pulled away, readjusting her glasses. "Me and the others will be back A-S-A-P. You got this girl."

As if on cue, Eda, Gus and King emerged from the top of the stairs. Eda was armed with a stack of books, a briefcase and a single bottle of elixir. Gus let King ride on his shoulders, who was evidently sleepy. The little demon clutched his blanket in one claw and Francois in the other.

"Alright kiddo," Eda exhaled, "We'll be back either when we find something or they kick us out. Be smart, keep your cool, and remember to heal her every few hours. You have free reign of the house."

They all gathered at the door, marching out as it opened. Eda fell to the back of the group to shoot a smile Amity's way. "Thanks again kid. You're gonna do fine. Be safe."

She held her head high. "Good luck. See you then."

After one last exchange of glances, and a wink from Eda, the team was gone. Amity hovered near the couch alone. Her eyes naturally drifted to the closet, and her feet edged her closer. "You got this, Blight," she muttered.

"Do it for her."

Notes:

Fingers crossed, the final 3(?) chapters should come out a bit faster. Thanks to everyone who made it this far for sticking with me, it means a lot!

Chapter 5: Catching Up

Summary:

Luz and the Taken strike a deal. Amity and Luz get a chance to talk.

Notes:

I'm gonna stop promising that chapters will drop early, because when it come to guessing how long it takes to write things I'm about as accurate as a blind man pissing in a bucket uphill. From here on just assume that if I haven't posted within ten days than I'm dead, dying, or equally disappointed.
This one was an interesting challenge to write. I hope you all like it. Please enjoy!
Trigger Warning: Harsh language

Chapter Text

Luz faded in and out of consciousness more than once in the short time she was awake. Eda and Amity had just come and gone to heal her, and even then she was loopy.

The Healing Patch on her shoulder did wonders to dull her pain, but had no cure for her prominent weakness and fatigue. With her muscles and mind tired in equal measure, she drifted asleep again.

{Hey}!

The Taken bit the inside of their cheek and Luz snapped awake. {Up and at 'em, Little Wasp. Look alive}.

{I can't help it,} she lamented, {I'm so tired}.

{Oh, poor baby! You know, I'd have a lot more sympathy if you didn't try to blow us up}.

She huffed inside. {I wasn't trying to make a bomb. I wanted a flare. Not that it matters. I wouldn't have done it in the first place if you hadn't tried to run away. You were going to traumatizemy friend}!

They folded their hands together and inhaled sharply. Suddenly aware of how uncomfortable their stance was, they started to pace in a circle, dragging their feet.

{Do you all think I'm some unfeeling monster? I'll be transparent; That's frustrating as hell. But think about that for a moment. What about your hand}?

{What}?

{That hand you chose to attack me with, the very same hand I lent you at your lowest point. You can still move it! Why haven't I taken back my control of it? Because I'm not heartless}.

She tapped on her scorched palm to confirm it was true. She hadn't even considered that they could still take it back. {It's my hand! You aren't doing me a favor, you're showing a small mercy in a sea of indifference}.

{Big words for an infant. But fine. Let me prove it. What can I do to make this partnership more barrable for you? None of that 'give up and let me go' sh*t, either. Give me something I can work with}.

She gave it deep thought. {Anything}?

{Within reason, yeah. You know my boundaries by now. Nothing that interrupts my plans or our life}.

Luz eyed the door. The sounds of people had faded, but there was no way they left her alone. Half of the hurt she felt was seeing how much pressure everyone was under. She missed them. She wished she could comfort them.

{Would you please let me speak? Or at least telephone messages for me? I need to let them know I'm okay}.

A small chuckle pushed past their lips, growing into a laughing fit. Luz deflated. But then, they pat her on the head.

{That's the kind of sensible quality of life improvement I was lookin' for! And such good manners! You've got yourself a deal, kid}.

Though still cautious, she couldn't help but beam. If it wasn't a lie, it was a game changer.

{But,} the Taken stipulated, {I need two things from you first}.

She tensed. {What is it}?

They grinned, rocking back and forth energetically. {First, no more arguing or rebelling or exploding. We'll settle things more or less like equals}.

{And second}?

{Teach me how you cast spells without a bile sack}.

Luz's hand twitched. {I-I can't. You'll use it to escape}.

{Damn, have some faith in me! If you want to chat with your buddies, this is how you do it}.

{Can we please start smaller? Please?}

Their face filled with vexation. The foundation began to rile up around them, but as they slowly calmed, it did too. {You're holding out on me, Little Wasp. This is an exercise of trust.}

{I don't want you to hurt anyone}.

They sighed, dejected. {Tell you what: show me something small and you can talk a little bit. Later, you can teach me about the explosion thing or anything else like that, and I'll give you more freedoms. Do we have a deal}?

She imagined Eda smothered under a mountain ice, or Amity burning away in a fiery blaze. Against every hint she had picked up, each violent impulse she suffered under the beast's hand, somehow she doubted her visions would come to fruition.

It wasn't because of trust. Not even close. Rather, all her captor had expressed interest in was escape. They wouldn't aim for her friends. They'd aim for her. That wasn't so bad in her eyes.

She'd have to cross that bridge later. Now she had a chance to reach out again.

{Deal. I need something to write with, though}.

{Smart call. Here, see if this works}.

The Taken rolled their hands and the smog in the room fell in front of them. The rope restricted their movements, but they managed to bring a puffy square of it to finger level. {I'm all ears, Wasp}.

Luz considered if doing this was worth it. No matter what, if she denied them now they might lash out. Her finger ran through the smoke and empty space trailed behind it. A circle filled with interacting lines and triangles formed in the sheet of gas.

{They're called glyphs,} she explained insecurely, {this one can make lights}.

She pressed her creation, and true to her word, the foundation rolled into a glowing golden ball. It displaced the smoke, casting glistening beige light on the walls as it filtered through.

She felt as her other hand lifted and playfully batted at the light. The orbs spiraled weightlessly away. They chuckled. {Magnificent. This came from nothing but a picture? I suppose that's one more thing to set you apart, human}.

They passionately led long strings of foundation through the air. To the rhythm of their orders, several tiny light glyphs formed throughout the room. In unison, the student struck each with a whipping tendril of smog, and they all collapsed into themselves only to expand to life.

For a moment Luz heard herself in their voice; "Woah."

It didn't crackle, and it was as light as the room itself. The other's joy infectiously spread to the body, expressed through bouncing knees and bobbing arms. For that moment, there was bliss.

{Magnificent,} they repeated.

She sheepishly prodded her other hand, earning half of their attention. {You'll let me speak with them now}?

{Without a doubt. I'll regulate it, obviously, but you've earned it.} They returned a poke with a smile. {I can hardly wait to learn more, teach}.

They opened their mouth and took in a deep gulp of foundation. It wasn't suffocating like it once was, but it tasted wretchedly similar to stale oil. It permeated their lungs and throat for what couldn't have been more than ten seconds, but felt like minutes. When they exhaled it all, Luz felt herself cough.

She spit on the floor to rid the taste from her mouth. It took a moment to realize that she had done it. She bit the air twice to be sure it wasn't a fluke, and rejoiced when it worked. "I can talk!"

Her voice resonated with the same flawed echo as an audio recording, as though it was projected from the smoke rather than her own vocal cords. In fact, it was disembodied and only roughly correlated to the motions of her mouth. It was being projected.

The Taken's content faded into solemn realization. {Little Wasp,} they droned, {this could be beautiful}. Their tone was grave and direct.

{Please, please don't make me regret this. If you take advantage of my kindness, I might just go mad}.

This wasn't sustainable. Luz knew it. But she indulged them. {You won't regret this. I promise}.

They went quiet. Luz left them to whatever was playing out in their mind. It seemed to bring each of them some comfort.

***

Not thirty minutes had passed before the odd serenity in the closet was interrupted. They each glanced at the door as it cracked open. Amity pushed in, standing stiffly by the threshold. It was darker now that the lights had faded, but the sunshine was enough to highlight apprehension in her features.

Luz tried to say something, but no sound came out, not even from the low hanging clouds. The Taken noticed this. {Patience,} they thought to her, {you'll get a turn soon. Promise}.

Like flipping a switch, they reverted back to a manic, unrefined demeanor. They took their turn first.

"There she is! My knight in shining armor! Come to check on your two best friends?"

Amity cringed, but nudged herself deeper into the room. "Don't be like that. We are not friends."

"Not yet, maybe. I think I'll grow on you."

"I seriously doubt it."

They sighed dramatically. "Eh, give it time. Well then, what brings you here?"

She crossed her arms and stood upright. "Eda has already left. Since you can't be trusted to stay unsupervised, I'll be watching you all day."

"Are ya excited?"

Amity glared. "This isn't some kind of game. None of us want to be here, but you're forcing our hand. If you wanted to be all buddy-buddy and play around, you shouldn't have hurt my Luz."

She almost instantly realized what she had said, but it was too late to take it back. The Taken was already wearing a self-satisfied grin.

"Called it from a mile away. Does 'your Luz' know yet? Have you told her?"

Her face blazed and flushed, both her ears and her eyebrows tilted up in alarm. "Not another word out of you, smart-ass! You don't know what you're talking about."

{'Do I know' what?} Luz questioned, {what did you say that made her so mad}?

They caught sight of her face again and snickered shrilly, pointing like a child. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. She should figure it out under better circ*mstances. But, holy sh*t, I think this night'll be more fun than you led on."

She pulled some of her hair down so she could hide behind it, keeping her hands busy by rubbing her temples with her thumbs. She groaned without looking up. The Taken frowned.

"Green-Top, I'm just busting your chops. Relax. Say, I'm in good spirits, what if we play a game!"

She lifted her head, curious but wary. "Seriously? What, you wanna braid each other's hair, too?"

"Are you and Eda related or something? You both have the same 'stick-up-my-ass' way of being a total bitch."

{Dude}!

Amity scoffed. "Go to hell."

The Taken closed their eyes and held in their breath before letting it weeze out. "It's not your fault," they reminded themself, "we got off to a bad start. Trust is slow to earn. We'll get there."

They found their smile again, trying to seem agreeable. "Would you feel better if you talked to my partner first?"

Luz eagerly perked up while Amity snapped to attention. She did a double take. "We can do that?!"

They grinned. "It's a new development, actually. Go on. Give it a try!"

She narrowed her eyes as she took her farthest steps into the room yet. She nervously held her hands to her chest. "Luz, are you really still in there?"

Luz's voice broke through like water erupting from cracks in a dam. Whatever strings the puppeteer pulled to make her speech possible evidently also allowed her to cry tears of joy. "Yes," her voice echoed through the smoke, "I can hear you! I'm here now, Amity!"

Amity gasped, spinning around to follow the sound that surrounded her. She settled back on the pair, eyes wide.

"Oh, Titan! Luz! Are you okay?! Is that really you!?"

"Estoy bien! I-I'm okay! It's all okay!" She tried to reach out and get closer to her, but her limbs were still locked. The closest she got was lifting her chin.

"Amity, thank you so much for being here. I miss you and Eda and King so badly. But I can talk for a while! I'm here now."

Amity struggled to hold her excitement, but managed to push it down long enough to speak more clearly. "Luz, listen. I need to know that this isn't some trick. Can you tell me something only the real you would know?"

"Umm," she paused for a moment, then lit up. "Last night you asked me what your favorite Azura book was, right? It's the third one! You said it has the best chapter in the whole series; The one where Hecate and Azura dance for the first time. They're your–and my–favorite couple. We read that chapter three times in our last book club meeting!"

Amity smiled ear to ear. She was thankful she had gotten all her tears out earlier. "Yes! Luz, it's so nice to hear from you. We're all worried sick. I wasn't sure that– that we'd ever–"

"It's nice to be heard," Luz interrupted. She didn't want Amity to dwell on it any longer. At least right now, they could all relax. Who knew when they'd get a chance to do that again.

Luz sighed. "I, uhh, don't actually know how long we can chat for. I'm sort of on a timer, but I'd love to sit together! If you're okay with that, that is. I could use the distraction."

Amity pushed the hair out of her face, still tense, but hopeful. "I'd love nothing more than to sit around with you. Oh! You must be starving. We can talk while I find you something to eat."

"That sounds nice. Thank you, Amity."

The witch turned to head for the kitchen, but stopped. She looked at the rope binding her friend to the ceiling with contempt. The room was filled with sour smoke, cramped, and uncomfortably hot. She naturally shook her head.

"Taken," she blurted, "you want to earn my trust? Then do as I say and don't try anything stupid. Luz is coming with me."

They silently nodded in confirmation. Luz was the only verbal response. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Positive. You deserve a chance to sit on a couch and look at something other than the wall." She drew a spell circle and an Abomination rippled out from the ground, first a puddle and soon a lumbering behemoth with a head that brushed the ceiling. "Besides, there's no chance you wrestle away from this, me, and Hooty in your condition."

With no protest, Amity instructed the goliath to remove the clamp. It made it look easy, but the force required to do so was immense. Next, it took the other end of Luz's rope tightly into its hands, wrapping the length around its arms several times over. This left about six feet of leftover material with which it led Luz.

Amity guided them all to the kitchen. She started by rummaging through the cabinets. Metal mixing bowls rang and glasses clinked as she pulled out any and every container she could ever need. Soon after that she was rooting through the fridge. "Any requests? I'm not entirely sure what all you can eat."

Luz was suddenly a bit embarrassed. "Do you have omelettes in the Demon Realm?"

Amity smiled and retrieved some Griffin eggs from the fridge door. "We actually do. I'm on it. Uh, fair warning though: I haven't made one in a long time."

Luz giggled. "No worries. That just makes it more exciting. Thank you, Amity."

Amity could tell she had a dumb smile on her face, but her heart fluttered too wildly to tame it. Failing to force it away, she turned her back and focused on the pan so that Luz wouldn't notice. With a small delay for recovery, she nodded and passionately got to work.

There was something innately satisfying about the sizzle of the pan and the extraordinary smell. They were perfect complements of each other. Luz flirted with spilling her heart out, but the words were caught in her throat. There was such a comfortable mundanity to cooking. She wouldn't risk spoiling the moment.

"So," Amity's tone was gentle and reassuring, "What on your mind? How are you feeling?"

{Hopeful? Grateful? Anxious}? Mulling it over, none of those felt right. Maybe they were all true, but what if they were disappointing answers? Disappointing the Blight girl would kill her.

"I'm doing okay," she lied. "Never better."

Amity frowned while flipping the eggs. "Somehow I doubt that. I won't press you on it if you don't want me to, but you know you can always talk to me, right? I care about you a lot. If you're hurting, I want to help."

"I-I don't want to… I don't know what to say. There's not a lot we can do about anything, so why bother? I just have to wait it out."

"We talk about things because they matter." Amity thumbed over the handle of the pan. She double and triple checked everything she said. "We don't have to solve anything by talking about it. If it could help you get something off your chest, or even just pad for time, wouldn't that be enough?"

Luz was stiff. She knew if she didn't stay that way she'd start shaking. "I don't have the right words for it."

"That's okay. Just say whatever comes to mind. You don't have to be sure about any of it; Your feelings can change."

Amity tossed the omelette on a plate, sliced an odd pink vegetable over it, and poured a cold glass of water. She had slowed down as she became less and less focused on cooking. By the end, she wasn't even looking at it anymore. Instead, she watched her crush's face for clues on how she really felt.

Her face delivered. It was laced with sadness, more specifically uncertainty. Under any other circ*mstances, she'd hug her tight, the same way Luz had taught her. For now, she settled for extending a meal to her. "Where do you want to eat?"

Luz hoped it wasn't obvious that she was trying to reinforce her voice. It wasn't obvious. Because it didn't work. "The li-living room, please."

Amity carried their dishes and the Abomination dragged them along. She set it down on the wooden table in front of the couch and they each perched on the cushions.

"I hope you like it. I'm out of practice."

Luz waited for her arms to move, but they never did. She tried to take the fork herself to no avail. {Hey, you're up. We have to eat}. No response. She huffed.

"Amity?"

"Yes?"

"I can't move and I don't know how to get them to do it."

"Oh, sorry. I should have thought about that."

"Don't be sorry, I thought they'd help. Just lay my head down next to the plate and I'll figure it out from there."

Amity chuckled bashfully. "Don't be silly. Here." She took the fork and cut off a series of bite-sized pieces. She skewered a sample and brought it up to Luz's lips.

The scent was intoxicating. Had she bit the fork any harder she would have eaten the prongs. By the fourth piece she had come to her senses, but it wasn't soon enough to save her from the embarrassment that quickly followed.

"Sorry, that was rude as hell. Thanks again. It's so good." She still wore a pained look. It made Amity ached, but she didn't show it.

"No problem. I'm glad it came out alright. Are you thirsty?"

Luz nodded and Amity lifted the glass. She practically inhaled the water. It made sense, being the first drink she'd had for more than a day that wasn't soup. Amity felt her forehead with the back of her hand. It was scalding. She stood.

"You're burning up. I'm going to go refill this real quick. You could definitely use some more water." She started walking.

"Wait." She locked up. Her voice was chilling. "Please don't go."

Luz was crying, trying to prevent her chest from quaking. Amity immediately sat back down, unsure of what to do with her hands. "Hey, it's okay. I-I'm not going anywhere. You're safe."

"I'm sorry. I don't want to worry you." She choked on a single sob, which caused her jaw to start shaking. "I just don't want to be alone right now. I'm scared, Amity."

Her face was a mess. Pale, sweaty, and grief stricken, it made Amity want to join her in despair. She fought it off and did not allow herself to cry. She scooched closer, placing a hand on her shoulder and wiping away one of her tears.

"You have every right to be scared. Honestly, I'm terrified. No matter what, I promise that me and Eda aren't going to let anything happen to you."

Luz fell forward and burrowed into her neck. She had stopped resisting the tears. They instantly became loud and heavy, punching out and pumping her chest in rhythm. Her lungs filled rapidly and emptied in spurts.

Amity embraced her; One hand supporting her back and the other running through her tangled hair. She placed her chin on her shoulder. She only wished they could intertwine more.

Minutes passed, each one a bit quieter than the last until Luz was reduced to sniffling. Amity still didn't let go. She'd sit like that all night if it meant Luz would be okay. She rubbed her back until the muscles relaxed.

"I'm sorry," the kid sputtered, "you shouldn't have to be dealing with this."

"Please don't be sorry. I wouldn't be here if I didn't care. You're worth caring for, Luz. You've done nothing wrong."

"I feel useless. I hate not being able to do anything and I hate making people worry. Not doing my part– I feel ashamed." She clenched her good fist. "The least I could do is keep it together. You guys don't deserve to see me like this."

"Oh, Luz." She held her tighter, as though she would otherwise slip away. "Only you could be so selfless and considerate, but I need you to know that you're not a burden. You are the most special thing in my world, and I will never be disappointed or upset at you showing your true emotions."

Amity pulled away so that she could cup Luz's head in her hands. Their faces were close, their eyes locked. "Luz, I think I love–"

She couldn't finish. There was an ever lingering doubt in the back of her mind. It could ruin their friendship. If she didn't feel the same, how would she react? How could she feel the same? And right now, in the midst of all this chaos?

It wasn't entirely her fault she couldn't muster the courage. There was a change in the room and in her Luz. Her body was animated again, bobbing gently in place. There was nothing behind her eyes anymore. Amity's pupils grew in understanding.

Their voice–a twisted mockery of her voice–confirmed her suspicions. The Taken wheezed out a nervous chuckle. "Times up."

Amity pulled her hands from their face like it was a roaring furnace. "No. No, no! Bring her back!"

"I know it's bad timing," they pushed themselves further away with their foot, "but I can't keep that sh*t up any longer. You two can talk later."

"You bastard. Let her go!"

She sliced through them with her eyes as they stood up. "Yeesh. I thought I made it clear that wasn't an option? Even if I did want to go back to juggling control between two people, I need a break. I'm completely zonked out of my mind when I'm like that."

Amity sank into the corner of the couch. The air became thin and hard to breathe. "I need to talk to her! Please, when can I talk to her?!"

They smirked cruelly. "Well, that's the thing, friend." They sat across from her on the table. One of their legs was restlessly springing. "It depends on what you can do for me. I mean, I oughta get something in return for all this hard work, yeah?"

She leaned forward like a wolf in tall grass. She turned cold. "What do you want?"

"We could play that game now. I haven't done anything like that for, damn, going on seven years?"

"If I play with you, you'll let me speak to Luz?"

"Scouts honor. You have my word."

She stood and deeply rubbed her face. Her glance fell to the cold omelette on the table by their side. It only had a few bites taken out of it. Her whole body stiffened.

"Alright. You want a game?" She thought of Luz's weight leaning against her. The feeling of her hair between her fingers. Her heartbeat synchronizing with her own.

"I'll play a game."

Chapter 6: Never Have I Ever

Summary:

Amity and the Taken play a game. Things devolve quickly.

Notes:

Mega chapter we got here. Probably could have split it in two, but didn't feel quite right. If you need to break at any point, I'd recommend the line, "The room choked in dead silence."
Trigger Warning: Lots of harsh language, mentions of child abuse, mental torture, mention of abusive relationships/Stockholm syndrome
If these warnings are too intimidating or you decide you don't want to read this chapter, I WILL LEAVE A LESS DETAILED SUMMER OF IT FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SKIP THIS CHAPTER IN THE END NOTES. The next one will be rough too, but I'll do the same thing there for anyone who stills wants to make it to the ending. Thank you all for sticking with me so far, and sorry for the depravity.
Hope you enjoy, as always ♥️

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The windows of the Owl House have been closed and covered for the last couple of days. It fed into the eerie aura that surrounded the place, and it only grew more potent on the inside. Amity sat on a pallet of blankets in the center of the living room where the table once was. It, alongside the couch, had been pushed aside to create an open area on the floor.

The Taken swayed on happy feet while they finished making arrangements. They ignored Luz until she turned to static in their head. She struggled to stay focused within herself, devoting all of her energy to trying to remember what Amity was telling her. Her internal monologue was rampant.

{Oh, God. What was she going to say? 'Luz, I think I love–' what! Being friends? You? You?! That can't be right. Maybe it was the heat of the moment? Why would she love me}?

The demon left her to stew on it. Right now they had greater plans.

The room was dim, but not for long. They conducted the surplus of foundation throughout the space and grinned at Amity.

"Ready?"

"What are you doing?"

"You're gonna love this." They turned their fingers and the fog shifted into a dozen scattered circles with familiar designs. They all clicked in unison, spiraling into soft lights that flickered across the walls like candle flames. "Mood lighting! What better way to celebrate our blossoming tolerance for each other?"

Amity inspected each light, baffled. No doubt about it: They were light glyphs. "How did you… where did you learn that!"

"Cool it kid, Little Wasp taught me."

"Who the hell is 'Little Wasp'?"

They pointed a thumb to themselves. "It's a nickname. For 'your Luz'."

She blushed, far angrier than she normally would be when reminded of her feelings. She crossed her arms and turned her head. "Forget it. Let's get on with it. What are we playing?"

They found a seat on a throw pillow directly across from her. They kicked their feet out and leaned on the stationary Abomination behind them. "Do kids these days still play Never Have I Ever? It's one of my favorites. Do ya know the rules?"

She blinked. "Oh, I was expecting something more… upsetting. Okay. Yeah, I've played before."

"Perfect," they rubbed their hands together, elated and chuckling. "But first, I have some home rules. Number one, we play a five point game, but the winner doesn't matter. No punishments or anything like that. Just have fun with it."

She nodded. It was the bare minimum, but it was still a pleasant surprise. "Go on."

"Number two, no confessions that have obvious, logical answers. Like, if I said 'never have I ever been born', that'd be super lame. Of course you have. We're trying to learn about each other, not lose brain cells."

Amity considered just how little she knew about them. They had to be old, and they had to have played games like this before, but that's all she could conclude. It made her sad. In another world, one where they weren't so far gone, so unempathetic, they could have been interesting to learn about.

She drew a sheet closer to her, suddenly as uneasy as she had been this morning. "Any more?"

They put up a finger. "One more. The most important one. Number three, no lying. Have some sportsmanship. If I find out you're cheating at all I'll be really upset. If there's no trust, then there's no chatting with Little Wasp. Do you understand?"

She shuddered under the grip of a cold chill. There goes her safety net. It wasn't worth risking. "I understand. The same goes for you then?"

"Pfft. Duh. It's a two way street."

Amity glanced at the table. Luz's leftovers were still there, sitting somberly under a wagging light. "Can I add something?"

They smirked. "Please do."

"You need to eat while we play. Luz never got to finish her food. Drink some water, too."

Per Amity's orders, the Abomination used its free hand to move the dishes to the carpet beside them. The gesture helped to ground Luz. It made her feel warm.

The Taken scanned the plate with interest. "Cute. I can do that. Are we all set?"

Amity took a long breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Score's zero-zero. I'll start." They poked at the omelette and casually chewed through two pieces. After that, they twirled the fork between their fingers, thinking carefully. "Never have I ever had a pet."

That gave her some much needed confidence. What an unassuming question. "Me neither. My mother hates having animals in the house. Always has."

"Rats. Zero-Zero. Your turn."

"You know this game is made for more than two players, right?"

"I'm well aware. We should also be getting boozed up. Today's a day for substitutions. Any more wisdom you'd like to share?"

She rolled her eyes. Then she scratched her head. "Umm, never have I ever stolen anything from a stranger."

"Ooooh, nice stipulation you have there. Now I'm curious. Who's stuff did you jack, if not a stranger's?"

"Everyone has stolen something at least once, even if it was small. For me it was always pencils from my friends or makeup from my brother."

"Damn, that's anticlimactic. sh*t, and I'm down a point. What haven't I stolen?"

Amity nodded. They are a force of chaos. It was an easy guess to make.

They sipped on the water and glanced up in thought. "Let's see here. Ah, never have I ever been grounded."

"Ha, ha. Yeah. One point."

"Yes! I bet it's more like one hundred points. You've got strict, sh*tty parents, don't you? I can smell it on you. You walk like you get barked at for tripping."

She scowled and looked at her lap. One more thing to be nervous about. "Insightful, aren't you?"

It came off a bit more bitter than she intended. If they were trying to analyse her, they definitely caught on to it. They didn't seem to acknowledge it at least.

"It's my superpower. You're up."

"I know I'm up. Never have I ever been arrested."

They laughed. "You'd think I would have by now, but no." They shook their head and tossed bits of egg into their mouth. "No, not arrested. Chased, detained, and shot at a few times, but never arrested."

"Shot at?"

"I've lived my fair share of wild lives. One time I had to duck out into the woods for a few weeks 'cause I owed some real scum bags lots of money." They leaned forward, enraptured with the memory and speaking with their bound hands.

"f*ckers find me one day and nearly take me and my partner down with them. One survived, but that was so long ago. I'm sure age got 'em if an emperor's coven scout didn't first."

Luz was listening just as closely. {Oh. Oh no}. Barring the wilting of their vigor, they continued to ignore her.

Amity didn't dare ask any more questions. She had never heard someone casually confess to murder. She suspected as much, but the shock came from the look on their face. It was bright, almost reminiscing. And here she was, playing a party game with them under vague threat.

They read her discomfort and swiftly moved on. "Hey, you know what? Never have I ever celebrated my birthday. Easy out."

"Uhh. Kind of. Define 'celebrate'."

"sh*t, kid. I guess get gifts, go out to eat, hang out with loved ones, party– any combination of those things."

"Yeah," she whispered with uncertainty. "My siblings always do something for me. That puts me to two points."

They narrowed their eyes. "Interesting. They seem cool at least. How many siblings ya got?"

She narrowed her eyes in return. "Why does it matter? I don't want to share that."

They scoffed. "What, you think I'mma try to get them hooked on drugs or something? Because you told me how many there are? You all need to have some faith."

"Why should we? What have you done to prove that we can trust you now? Because I can think of a few good reasons to keep you as far away from them as possible."

They pinched the brim of their nose. Their signature wheezing picked up again. "Everything I've done I've had a good reason for doing. I still don't get why you're so mad about it."

Amity shot a hand up in frustration. "Oh really? Then how did Luz get that wound on her hand? The bite? What did that solve, huh?"

"It was a teaching moment. If we're disorganized, then we both suffer. It was the quickest way to get it to stick. It was in her best interest."

"No," she shook her head with the slow disappointment of someone who expected to be let down. "It was in your best interest. Either you don't see Luz as a person, or you see people as tools. That's why we're mad. You're self-centered and dangerous."

The foundation rattled, like a warning, making the hairs on Amity's neck stand up. The Taken worked hurriedly to calm themselves and the smog. They mumbled incoherently before refocusing on her. "We got off track. I think it's your turn."

She didn't take her eyes off the clouds. They seemed sharper somehow. Despite that, she persisted. "Fine. Never have I ever taken recreational drugs."

"You sound like a school counselor, goody two-shoes. Ah, but I guess you are a bit young. Yeah, I definitely have. We're tied now, Two-Two."

"Figured."

They brought the glass of water to their lips and hammered it. They set it back down and grunted, unsatisfied. "You know, I really do think all of this could work out. It doesn't have to be me versus–."

"I don't want to hear it. You want to play the game, then just play the game."

They glared. Instead of softening into a smile like it normally did for them, they puffed their chest out and made aggressive eye contact.

"Never have I ever been beaten by my parents."

Dead silence choked the room.

Luz went cold. It took a couple tries of repeating them in her head before she could grasp what they were suggesting. Or maybe her subconscious wanted to spare her the realization.

Amity's face cycled between surprise, shame and then disgust in an instant. "What the hell! Why would you say something like that!"

"You're not saying no."

"Holy–no, of c-course not!"

They studied her. She couldn't hold eye contact. "Rule number three, kid: No lying. I had a hunch before, but damn. You couldn't lie to save your life. That pretty much confirms it."

Luz looked desperately to Amity, hoping beyond hope that she'd deny it again more fervently, and unmistakably prove that it wasn't true. Amity couldn't have been farther from that daydream.

She was fixated on a spot on the floor away from them, mouth slightly agape in search of something to say. It became increasingly apparent that she wouldn't find anything.

They sighed. "Don't have a heart attack on me. That old lady would kill me."

"Do you think this is funny?"

"Not at all. That bites. That really f*cking sucks. I can tell you're a good kid, and no one deserves that kind of sh*t. I'm sorry."

She hid her face in the sheet strewn over her. "No you're not. Why would you care?"

They gestured to the cleaned plate and empty glass on the table. "Because I'm not heartless."

"Oh, bullsh*t. You're a hypocrite. Look at what you've done to Luz. You bite her for disobeying you, you break her fingers to–" She had to shake the awful thoughts from her head. She'd only seen the aftermath. Eda refused to tell her more about what happened. "How are you any different from all the people who 'really f*cking suck'."

"That's not a fair comparison. I don't know what they do to you or why, but you're not a vessel. You're not someone's only chance at living. You can afford mistakes."

She jerked the sheet down, her red eyes digging at them. "What are you still trying to prove?"

"I can be a friend. That I'm capable of more than burdening you people. Hell, give me some names and some directions; I'll put whichever of those bastards wronged you six feet under. My treat. Let me help you out. That's what friends do!"

Amity tittered and shook her head yet again. "You're genuinely, actually deranged. There's nothing I can say to make you understand just how detached you are from real people, is there?"

The Taken looked at her incredulously. Somehow it made her angrier.

They closed their eyes and drew back. "Please, try to help me understand. I'm tired of people being mad at me. I don't know what to do differently."

She lifted her head, uncurling her body. Her voice was strained, but a bit softer and a bit more hopefully. "You honestly want my advice?"

"Couldn't hurt, could it?"

She cupped her hands together to plead. Even that was done gently, as though any sudden movement would spook them out of listening. One chance to make her case.

"It's not too late to give Luz back to us. Cooperate with Eda. Work with her to undo the possession. Make up for putting them through all of this. That's the best thing you can do right now. Let us start healing."

Luz could feel their panic start to surge. They wheezed sharply in and out through their teeth, grumbling and digging their palms into their eyes. The foundation started to buzz with agitation.

"That's. Not. Fair! Why should I give up living! Should I just go back to floating around in that howling-f*cking-wind?! Never moving, never touched! I can't do it again! I–I can't live like that for all eternity!"

Amity matched their volume. "Luz doesn't deserve to suffer through that, either. No one does! That's horrible, but you can't just pass it off to someone! Maybe there's another way."

They laughed maniacally. "There isn't! I guarantee you, I've looked. There is possession, and then there is surrender. That's it!"

"That doesn't justify putting it on people. Putting that weight on a child no less!"

She hadn't realized, but they were both standing now. The Taken wobbled back and forth around the Abomination, like a chained hound stalking around a dog house, driven mad long ago from the constant weathering.

"Believe me," they wheezed, "Little Wasp hasn't even tasted that–that–that plain of nothing. I pray nobody ever has to again."

They planted themself in place and offered Amity shaky eyes. "I give my partners fair, fulfilling lives. Maybe not the lives they expected, but they all had exciting ones nonetheless. I'm not about to let you tell me that it's the same hellish existence that I'll be bound to. You've never lived it."

Amity covered her mouth with a hand. She nodded. She has accepted something, that much the demon could tell, but they couldn't pin what it was.

"How many…?"

They leaned awkwardly to one side, permanently off balance. "What?"

"How many people's lives did you uproot? How many 'partners' have you had?!"

Luz was equally dying to know, but couldn't help wishing that she hadn't asked.

The Taken took a step closer, hunching over slightly and raising their chin to compensate. "Is that something you want to know?"

"Just tell me."

They giggled. "Okay then. Little Wasp is my ninth. She is the ninth in a long line of heroes. Perfect, angelic, selfless heroes. She will be no different than them. She'll come around. They always do."

Amity shut her eyes and drew in a shaky breath. Still she pushed deeper. "So they came around, huh? Give me an example. What happened to them? How did they feel?"

They squinted at her. She has at some point become unreadable. They took the risk of playing into her hand and indulged her, as well as themself. "Let me tell you about Weeping Wasp."

Luz tried in vain to cover her ears. When it sank in that she couldn't hide from the story, she resigned to listen with sickened curiosity.

The Taken lowered all the foundation in the room the same way someone might take off their hat at a funeral. "I can't keep track of time for sh*t when I'm stranded without a host, but this was probably decades after my first partner passed. Decades of wind and grey, blobby shapes drifting past me. All of the sudden, I see this splotch of color–I always do when someone passes by me–and I'm mesmerized."

They continued with a reserved smile. "I learned how to use the foundation in my last life, so I try to signal to them that I'm there. It doesn't work, so I try to shake them. They run. I smother them. And when I smothered this beautiful splash of color, I gravitated towards it."

"Turns out I had been half-a-mile from a summer camp for the past few weeks, and I just caught a camp counsellor on her break. Enter Madison Chaka, I think her name was. She's confused and scared. I explained what I knew, which wasn't a lot, and I can't get her to calm down until I let her summon her Palismen. This adorable f*ckin' thing, Osmock, the tiniest little hornet Palismen you'd ever see, eases her in a snap. We talked for a long time. She's distraught. Angry. I spent the next few weeks helping her come to terms with it."

"One day there's some change in her. She had become more talkative, she cooperated with me, and she didn't make escape attempts so damn often. She accepted it."

They stopped for a moment to catch their breath. The foundation rose again, encountered by their high spirit. "From then on we were a near perfect team. She taught me so much about myself. She started to find things to smile at. She thought I was funny. We enjoyed each other's company. Sure, she and I had outbursts now and again, but all in all we had become friends."

The Taken's smile faded, replaced by anguish. "But there was a hiccup on the road to friendship. You see, with all that trust we had built up over about half-a-year, I started giving her more and more autonomy. I would share our limbs, and I even taught her how to use the foundation after a while. She abused that trust. When my guard was down, she poisoned me with some kind of berry that knocks people out. Weeping Wasp was a real wilderness expert. She knew she'd wake up first because she had built a tolerance for sh*t like that, but I'd never been unconscious a day in my life. She was right."

"I wake up and find her sending Osmock, that adorable little wasp of hers, to get help. Apparently she still thought she needed to be rescued. I woke up earlier than she thought I would though, and I caught her in the act. I was so angry and torn up over it that I panicked."

They looked Amity directly in her horrified eyes as if confessing a sin. "I crushed that poor f*cking wasp beneath our heel. It exploded into that yellow-green energy that Palismen do. That was the first time I'd ever seen it. Scared the sh*t out of me."

Amity and Luz shared a miserable revulsion. Though Luz physically couldn't throw up, Amity wasn't so lucky. She gagged drily and leaned into her elbow. The monster paused so she could recover, but they weren't done.

"It wasn't all bad," they dared to claim. "This is actually where the beauty of it all comes in. She wasn't ever really the same, neither of us were, but she learned. She forgave me. And I forgave her. After all that, we carved out twenty, maybe twenty-five more quiet years together. Eventually she found her humor again. We played games and kept giving each other reasons to live."

"And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Because I knew that it was genuine that time. We never took a serious stance against the other again. When her life came to an end, I was terrified. I knew it meant I'd be alone again. She was scared too, of course. So we comforted each other."

They laughed raggedly and woefully. "You–you know what her last words to me were? She says to me–she said, 'I hope you find peace.'"

They stumbled closer to Amity, only kept feet away from her thanks to the leash. She staggered back in response and they laughed again.

"Kid, they always come around. Always. My perfect angels. My life-givers. My heros. My partners. I think that's what love is made of. Forgiving, devoted, friend-birthing love."

The thought of battering them with her Abomination crossed her mind. It hung in her head for longer than she was comfortable with, only disillusioned by remembering Luz would suffer the wrath. She stepped closer, just out of their reach.

"That wasn't love. It was abuse. You made them out to be heroes, and they were, but only because they suffered your torment. They were victims. You hurt them. I promise they hated you."

They didn't take her seriously at first. But Amity didn't relent. Her face was dead serious, so much so that it forced them to revisit her otherwise weightless words. They could feel Luz's hand shaking.

"No," they tested. "No, we grew to need each other. We respected each other. Of course they–"

"They didn't respect you! They feared you! You ruined their lives! That is textbook Stockholm syndrome. No one could ever love you."

"Don't you talk about them like that! They were everything to me!"

They seemed meeker. Amity savored their expression. "They had no choice but to follow you. You're a monster. You were too stupid to realize how much you made them suffer!"

The Taken backed into the Abomination, almost startled by the impact. They took in wheezing gasps when they weren't stammering. "Y-you're lying! Shut the hell up! I'm warning you!"

"I'd rather die than live like that! It's your fault they were miserable. You deserve to be alone."

A tear slipped out of their eye and landed between the floorboards. They growled and bared their teeth. They looked like they might lunge at her, but something changed.

Cooley and calmly, they played into the hurt, tragic look that Luz's body supported so well in its wounded state. They stole her voice yet again, cowering away and faking frightened tears.

"A-Amity? Why would you say that to me? I thought you cared about me?"

And just like that, it was her Luz. She was smart enough to know it was an act, but that didn't lessen the gash it left in her sanity. Any sense of control she had earned by upsetting them was instantly stripped away. They could always hide behind Luz. They could always gain the upper hand. They would undoubtedly use that to torment her now.

Amity let out a whine she didn't know was in her. "Don't f*cking do that."

The real Luz felt as she was dragged down far under the surface of her body. She couldn't move her hand anymore. They had taken it back.

{Hey, hey, this doesn't have to go any further! Stop fighting}.

Her appeal didn't reach them. She was buried too deep and they were consumed with a new malicious conviction. They sobbed loudly and crumpled into themselves. Amity shivered at the sight.

They let their lips tremble and hair fall over their eyes. "Amity. Amity it hurts so badly. Why did you let this happen? Do you hate me that much?"

"I said cut that sh*t out! You're not Luz! I know you're not!"

They both knew that it didn't matter. The imposter wailed on. "Amity. I'm sorry if I made you mad. Please don't leave me like this. I'm so, so sorry! Amity, please. I need you. It hurts. It hurts!"

She turned and covered her ears.

"You want me to die, don't you? Amity, please forgive me! Amity? Are you still there? Please, please help me!"

***

Amity sat against the wall next to the door, clutching her head and crying noiselessly. Luz's voice still taunted her even through the wall. Hooty had finally woken up and was kind enough to watch them from the closet door, but neither he nor Amity could get them to shut up.

Eight hours. Morning has turned to evening and they hadn't broken from the mental torture once. Each time Amity got used to one demoralizing howl they would switch it up and shake her to the core with a new lament.

For eight hours straight.

"A-Amity? I think they want to hurt me. Please. Please don't let them hurt me! Amity? I'll do anything! Just please help me!"

Hooty peeked out of the closet to see how she was handling it. She was just as disheveled as the Luz that was mocking her. Ghostly pale, teeth near chattering, and rocking to and fro.

"Heeey, Amity? Are you, uh, are you doing okay?"

She tilted her head, but didn't move her eyes. "No."

"Ah. Is there any way I can–"

A shrill cry cut through his offer and Amity flinched: "Amity!"

They choked wetly before resuming. "I miss you all so much! Please, please, please talk to me!"

Amity clambered to her feet, tripping and catching herself as she stomped over to the closet. Hooty barely blocked the doorway with his body before she could get in.

"Shut up! Shut the hell up! I'll break your neck!"

She tried to claw past him with feral fervor, but he didn't budge. That didn't stop her from trying. "Hey hey hey! Calm down! I won't let you do anything stupid. I know you don't want to. Try and cool off."

She fatigued as she made no progress, slowly growing less determined. She collapsed to her knees and leaned into him. Her face wasn't angry any more, almost replaced by someone else entirely. She looked lost and scared.

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't going to do it. I wouldn't hurt her."

"I know you wouldn't. You were just lashing out. It was all hot air. It's okay"

The weeping continued deeper into the closet. Amity clung to Hooty. "Please make them stop. I can't take it anymore."

He hooted lowly to himself. "I would if I could. Sorry, Amity."

She almost laughed. Who would have thought the Owl was so strangely emotionally available? She pulled away from his torso and wiped her face with her sleeve. "It's not your fault, Hooty. Thank you for all the help."

They both sat listening to the demon for several draining minutes. It took a moment for Amity to notice once they had abruptly stopped. Their voice returned, immediately recognizable by its warbling dips and peaks.

"I'm about tired out," they wheezed coldly. "I think we're even. Never bring up my partners again, kid. I'll make you regret it. It'd be a horrible shame if Little Wasp had to suffer for your next lesson."

She sat in stunned silence. There was no point in saying anything. Anything she could say would be lost on them. It worked out for her, because she was too tired to hunt for a response anyways. Hooty glared at the beast one more time before stretching down to Amity.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep while you can? I'll keep an eye on them for you, hoot."

She nodded gratefully and dragged herself over to the couch, which was now against the wall by the stairs. Her body was lead. She dropped her head on the arm rest and held a spare pillow tightly. She could feel her heart beating on her hands even through the layers of cotton. In no time, sleep took her.

***

Amity snapped awake when the front door flew open. Two things were immediately apparent: A few hours had passed, allowing night to fall over the house, and Eda was home. She looked excited and hopefully. It was such a harsh clash to how she had been earlier that it helped stir Amity to her feet.

She quickly turned to the closet to be sure it was secure, and sure enough Hooty was where she had left him. Once that was out of the way, she felt safe enough to address Eda.

"Is everything okay? Where are Willow and Gus?"

"They had to head home. They said they'd be back the first chance they got. But look what we found:"

The Owl Lady smiled from ear to ear, presenting a large, well-worn tome. The cover, though hard to make out through all the smudges and stains, featured art of a sword clashing against a monstrous egg.

"This is better than okay kid," she pushed the book forward and opened it to a page in the middle. It was some long and wordy description of potions that went over Amity's head. Eda leaned down and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I think we found a cure."

King rushed in and jumped on the couch, equally excited. He shook her arm. "She found a potion that can force the Taken out of Luz! Amity, we can get Luz back!"

The girl blinked rapidly as she processed the news. "Really? You're sure!?"

"I swear on my heart, kiddo! This thing's the real deal. The only snag is that I have to go get the ingredients, but that'll take me maybe a day–tops."

"That's fantastic! When do we head out?"

"I won't be here long. I just need to catch a short wink and gather some supplies, then I'll be out again before sunrise. Some of the things on this list are pretty hazardous though, so I need you and King to stay here."

Amity looked down in thought before returning to her lively eyes. "What about you? Can you handle that by yourself? All things considered…"

Eda shrugged it off. "Don't worry about me, kid. I feel better now than I have for the last few months. Hell, it might do me some good to get back to basics. Besides, I'm the only one familiar enough with potions to understand any of this gobbledygook."

She took a deep breath, still invigorated and focused, but a bit softer spoken. "I know I've already asked a lot of you, but are you okay with staying here till I get back? It'd mean the world to me."

Amity finally smiled. "Of course. I'll do my best, ma'am. No way I'd back out now."

"Titan, you're a good kid, kiddo! I'm so proud of you. Thank you." Eda facepalmed and chuckled. "Oh, I was so caught up in the potion business that I forgot to ask: How'd it go on your guys' end? Did they give either of you any trouble?"

She bit her lip and unintentionally turned away. Eda frowned. "What happened?"

"Can we talk about it later? I just want to focus on helping Luz."

She wasn't content with it, but Eda didn't push her. She rose from the couch and tossed a thumb toward the stairs. "We'll talk about it plenty whenever you're ready. If you need something, don't hesitate to wake me. I'll see you in a few hours, kiddo."

Amity shot up and hugged her, much to Eda's surprise. The older witch rubbed her hair and smiled, letting her hold on as long as she needed. Before letting go, the youngest Blight gave one more tight squeeze. "Thank you, Eda. For everything."

She didn't question it. She patted her shoulder. "You're real easy to please, you know that kid? Now, try and get some shut-eye. We're gonna need it."

Before long, everyone retired for another hard earned night. Amity and King shared opposite ends of the sofa, Eda borrowed into her nest, and Hooty laid in a pile of himself by the closet.

Everyone slept except the Taken and Luz.

Brutal, overwhelming emotions still looped through her head, but she found the will to put them aside and celebrate. {It's almost over! They're going to save me}.

They didn't respond. They stared at the wall, shaking. "No. No no no," they barely whispered, "she wasn't supposed to figure something out. There shouldn't be any–they all have to be wrong."

Their demeanor surprised her. They had been so aggressive mere hours ago. {What is it? You aren't scared, are you}?

"She's going to take you away from me! Then she's going to kill me. If I only had more time. I could–maybe if I–"

{Stop it. It's over. It's best for everyone, even you, if you expect it now. If you cooperate with her, we can convince her to spare you}.

They chuckled darkly. "Why would you, of everyone here, vouch for me? I don't believe that for a millisecond."

{You're sick. You need help. I never want to think about you again, let alone be near you, but I don't think you should die. I don't see how killing you fixes anything.}

"That's charming, but you're too naive for your own good, Little Wasp. My death is a precaution, not a cure-all. I'm not holding my breath; Eda won't agree with you. If I stay, I'm dead."

{Well you're stuck here anyway, so you might as well do what you can to amend things. It's your best bet. It's your only bet}.

They shook their head defiantly, hyperventilating and twitching. They tugged uselessly on the rope, dangling as they put all their weight on it. They muttered weakly, but urgently. "I can't stay here! I can't–"

They stopped in place. They waded through the foundation, almost in a trance, swirling a finger to make it dance. They repeated the motion many times over, crafting more and more intricate shapes and curbing any imperfections.

{What are you doing}, Luz demanded.

"There's only one way out of this for me, Little Wasp. I think I'll need some practice."

Notes:

For those who skipped the chapter:
- Amity plays Never Have I Ever with the Taken in order to convince them to let her talk with Luz again
- After heated (verbal) fighting, the Taken explains more about their old partners, Weeping Wasp. In short, she was a camp councilor they abducted, and after she almost escapes them, they destroy her beloved Palismen. It was a hornet named Osmock, which may come up later.
- Amity offends the Taken by talking about their partners, so they pretend to be Luz to torment her
- Eda returns later at night with a book that will help her make a potion to draw the Taken out of Luz. She offers Amity an out, which she doesn't take. Eda = Better mom by a lot, so there is hugging.
- While everyone prepares for their roles in either getting the potion ingredients or guarding Luz, the Taken ominously begins to train their foundation control to aid in whatever they plan to do next.
Summer end.
For everyone:
We're getting really close to the end. How is everyone feeling? Though most the details are worked out in my head and just need written more extensively, I'd love to hear what you all think will come or ever suggestions for loose ends you'd like tied up.
Thanks again for reading, see y'all soon!

Chapter 7: The Cornered Rat

Summary:

While Eda is gone to find ingredients, both Amity and the Taken have plans for one another.

Notes:

Posting this uber late when I gotta wake up in five to six hours, so please forgive Grammer and spelling errors.
Also, I mentioned last time that this chapter would be equally rough, but that's not the case. My planned chapter actually split again, so the NEXT one should have all the horrible, horrible things. But that's not to say this chapter isn't rough.
No matter, please enjoy!
TW: Harsh language, Blood and violence, lots of child endangerment,

Chapter Text

Amity tossed, turned and jerked around on the couch. She rocketed upright and gasped, vaguely aware that she had a nightmare, but unable to grasp what it was about.

She had picked up a habit of studying every room she found herself in to search for threats. All she saw this time was King curled up by her feet, Owlbert staring at her from the coffee table, and Eda packing books and blades into a leather bag.

The Owl Lady didn't jump at the disturbance, but shot her a melancholy glance. "Hey kiddo. I was just about to wake you. Bad dream?"

Amity placed a hand on her forehead and swallowed. Her tongue was dry. "Yeah. I think so. Did you sleep okay?"

"Like a rock," she lied convincingly, "but don't be too jealous. I had some nightmares myself. We're in the end game, though. I'm telling ya, First thing we'll do after Luz is safe is go out for some eye-scream and sleep a good sixteen hours. How's that sound?"

"Almost too good to be true. We're all overdue for something like that. I want to get her the biggest, most human-friendly one she can handle. I'll pay for us."

Eda snickered. "Don't be silly, kid. I'll put it on my tab."

"My family's rich, Ma'am. They wouldn't notice if I bought the whole store, so long as I didn't go home covered in syrup."

She laughed again. "I would love to rob your mom, but I'll do that on my own time. You can trust that I'll have everything covered. You kids can just relax. It'll be great."

She threw the bag over her shoulder and sat between her and King. Her hand drifted onto his back, stroking gently down his fur to ease him awake.

"Yeah," she continued, "that day will come soon. Like, tomorrow soon, hopefully. I Promise."

King's eyes lit, groggily squinting at Eda. "Weh?"

"Hey sleepyhead. You can go back to bed if you want, but I wanted to let you know I'm heading out. I should be back by dusk, maybe tomorrow morning at the latest. Listen to Amity and don't draw on the walls. Got it?"

He rolled over, barely conscious. "What if I draw something super funny on the wall?"

"It better be the funniest thing on the Boiling Isles, buster." She transferred a kiss from her finger to his skull. "Be good. I'll be back."

She got up and put her hand down near the table, letting Owlbert climb into her hold. She flicked her arm out to the side and he shifted into his staff form. Eda stood by the door and gave one last glance back.

"Anything you need from me before I'm gone, kiddo?"

She hesitated, hands folded awkwardly near her stomach. "I'll be okay. Good luck."

Eda looked her up and down. The kid seemed smaller than she was. Her face was stiff and filled with unease. If she had more to say, Eda knew she wouldn't share it so easily.

She walked back over and kneeled in front of Amity, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay if you're scared. Do you wanna talk for a minute?"

She lowered her head. It took her a moment to find her voice. "I don't know if I can help her. It feels like I'm making things worse. I want her to feel safe, but they proved that they're in control. I don't know what else to do."

Eda squeezed her shoulder. "Hey, look at me." Amity did. The woman's eyes were fiery, but not aggressive.

"That thing has put a lot of doubt in your mind, hasn't it? They want you to feel hopeless because that's where they get all their power. Kiddo, if you weren't here I guarantee Luz would be twice as scared. I know I would. You've been immeasurably helpful."

"But when they hide behind her…"

"They are not insurmountable. We're both scared of losing her, but that's a good thing. You gotta use that feeling! Don't think about how bad things are right now, let it inspire you to make things better. You already have. You just have to keep it up a bit longer."

Amity leaned into her hand, soaking in its warmth. Eda guided her head onto her shoulder. The girl stuck to her. She let her lay on her as she spoke.

"No giving into despair, kid. Be angry, be sad, be scared, but don't let it stop you. You're tough as nails. Keep your wits about you, stand up to them, and you'll be okay. Have I mentioned how proud of you I am yet?"

Amity giggled and pulled away. "You have. Thank you, Eda. I'm ready to keep going."

"That's what I like to hear." She ruffled her hair, exactly how she would for Luz. "Kick some ass for me, kiddo. I'll be back in a flash."

The Owl Lady walked to the front door and pulled it open. "Be safe."

"Eda?"

"Yes, kid?"

"You're the best. Please be careful."

She smiled. "I guess I can do that. And thanks. You're pretty darn cool yourself. See you soon."

Amity nodded. Eda disappeared into the windy dark. The house grew quieter, but the warmth was still there.

Amity straightened out as she turned to face the closet door. She looked over her shoulder to see King was still asleep. Once she was sturdy, she opened the door.

The Taken kneeled with their arms drawn above them by the rope. Their eyes were closed, but they were bouncing their foot. Luz wanted to smile, but her face remained expressionless. Amity stepped in.

"Get up."

"If it's not a pillow for my knees or an apology, then I don't want to hear it."

Thin pillars of abomination goop towered up under their shins and hoisted them into a standing position. They snarled, but their eyes stayed lazily sealed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Healing Patch.

{Thank goodness,} Luz thought.

"You're getting healed. You were supposed to get a few more of these yesterday, but that didn't work out, did it?"

"What, were you busy or something?."

"Yeah, keep joking. See where it gets you."

She peeled the back of the patch and lifted Luz's pant leg to her calf. She stuck it behind her inner knee, just how her sister did for her a few days back. According to the twin, it was a vital area for this sort of thing. She rolled the fabric back down and stood up. She smiled at Luz, for Luz.

"I hope that feels better, Noceda."

{Much}.

The Taken giggled humorlessly. "She says she hates it and that you have disgusting eyes."

Amity glared. She backed away and pushed the door wider to step out. "Hang in there, Luz. We're through the worst of it."

She locked the room behind her and tugged at her face. "You got this, Blight. What next?"

{Food,} she reasoned, {Everyone needs to eat. Even me}.

She entered the kitchen. She grabbed a pan. She placed it on the burner. She added eggs. She waited.

It was lacking the artistic touch from the day before without Luz next to her, but it wasn't without passion. What was meant to be an omelette was fumbled into scrambled eggs. She tossed in extra cheese and finely sliced a veggie, almost as an apology.

She set the fresh plate aside and began to repeat the whole process. She was in the middle of slicing another pink vegetable when a knock at the door surprised her.

A purple shield bubbled into her hand as she approached the window. She peeked through the blinds, relieved. Willow and Gus stood on the porch, completely windswept and carrying a care package of some kind. She dispelled the buckler and rushed to let them in, still mindful not to wake King.

"Hey guys. Thank you both for coming. It's hardly even morning yet. I didn't think I'd see you so early."

They each stepped in and set their items on the dresser. Willow fixed her hair and smiled faintly. "You're up pretty early yourself. We figured you would be." She leaned to glance past her at the closet, frowning as she did. "Has everything been okay?"

The other day hit her like a shovel. "This morning, yes." She picked at her neck, eager to focus on anything else. "Oh," she diverted, "what's with all this stuff?"

Willow brightened again as she rummaged through the assortment of things both witches had brought. "Just some comfort items. Some candies, a couple of books, a change of clothes for both of you; We thought you guys could use it."

Amity looked over a pair of button-up, star-covered pajamas that Willow handed off to her. They served to point out how sweaty and stale her current outfit has become. She immediately thought of how much worse Luz was fairing. Some soft pajamas would be perfect for the poor girl.

"That's so thoughtful! Thank you. I want to make this the safest, most comfortable recovery we can. Luz deserves nothing less."

Gus slid over. "I bet these will help!" He produced two small blue flags from his pockets and waved them gleefully. He gave her an expectant, open-mouthed smile.

Amity raised an eyebrow. "Okay. I mean they're pretty cool, I guess."

He shrugged. "We aren't super well acquainted yet, huh? I'm saying you two have our full support."

She grinned. "Then thank you. Both of you. I don't know what I'd do without your help."

Willow bumped her with an elbow. "Always. No questions asked."

Amity's grin deepened. She was caught off guard by the sizzling back in the kitchen, each of her ears twitching in response. "Oh! Are you hungry? I was in the middle of making breakfast."

"I could eat. Do you need any help?"

"I'd like that."

***

After Amity left, the Taken opened their eyes again.

Luz watched the foundation resume its precise spirals around the room. It was a web of gorgeous patterns one moment, and a gnashing cluster of teeth-like spikes the next. It'd be easier to appreciate how pretty the storm was if not for the terrible implications that came with it.

{I really wish you wouldn't do that anymore. It's freaking me out}.

{I could've guessed as much, Little Wasp. Ask me to stop one more time and I'll lose my mind}.

It didn't phase her. {What's your plan here? How is this going to help you}?

The demon swung a clump of smoke into the floor, frustrated with the results. {You know, once upon a time, this stuff was as versatile and threatening as abomination goo; Even better when it was in my hands. But I'm sixty, maybe eighty years out of practice. I want my edge back. I needn't spoil the surprise any further}.

She watched more foundation make more dull chops through the air. {You better not use that against Amity. If you so much as–}

{'Ask me to stop one more time' I said! You never learn! How much do I have to take from you before you understand!}

They kicked her foot up as high as it could go and balanced by gripping her ankle. They worked the pant leg down. A wisp of foundation hooked under the Healing Patch and pried it off.

She immediately felt even more lethargic and ill. She hadn't realised how much the patch was doing until her burns flared up. The spot where it was unceremoniously removed stung like it had been tased. It couldn't be healthy to snatch them off like that.

She fought to make do with the air in her lungs. {D-do you feel better now? Does hurting me really h-h-help you somehow}?

{Oh, don't act like all high and mighty, Little Wasp. You know–}

{That's not my name}!

The air was still. The Taken became a statue. {What did you just say to me}?

{Stop calling me Little Wasp. I'm not part of you and I will never be part of you. You're not teaching me anything by hurting me. You're just cruel}.

{I know you don't understand right now, but eventually–}

{No, you don't understand!} She paused as pain jolted up her leg, but she pushed on.

{Please. Just give up. Listen to Eda and Amity, then maybe we can figure something out. But living like this isn't going to work for you anymore. We're both miserable, aren't we}?

The demon held their breath as their shoulders curled up. Foundation rolled across the floor, gentle as mist. They looked to the window high out of reach and lowered their hands.

{You're right. I'd rather be anywhere but here. I'd rather do anything than keep this up}. They eyed the distant clouds that were filled with silver, glimmering light. {But I have no choice}.

{Yes you do. You can choose to turn things around. You can help us}.

{There is no place for me in a world where I let you go. You're asking me to die for you, Little–} They stumbled and closed their jaw tightly. {Human. I won't die for you. Not after this long. Not after all my other partners showed me what life can be}.

{I promise you won't die. We can figure something out. Even if it's temporary}.

{You're thinking too small. Three things could happen: Your mom lady kills me, I drift in the grey sea forever, or the cycle starts all over again with equally distraught people.}

They pointed to the sky beyond the glass with hostility. {I know what will make me happy! It's out there waiting for me! I'm sorry, but I would sooner turn this world to nothing but ashes then give that up. You're coming with me. If it means anything, I'll do what I can to make you content. Even if it takes a lifetime}.

Luz hid her disgust for a bit longer, but it was quickly seeping into her thoughts. {Please,} she begged, {don't do this. You'll never be safe or happy like this. It's clearly hurting you. It's hurting everyone. I'll help you find a way out, but I need you to work with me}.

The Taken shook their head. {I wish you didn't have such a kind heart. It makes this all the harder for me}.

They formed a new blade of smog and hacked it into the ceiling, ready to resume. To both of their surprise, it stuck into the wood with a solid thunk! The demon wriggled the smoke free and admired the cut left above.

They stifled a chuckle. {There it is! There's that edge I needed. Imagine a river of those shards flowing over a person}.

Her imagination was precise and deadly. Her heart plummeted into her stomach. {Don't you dare hurt anyone}!

{Shut up. I'll do what I must. No more, no less.}

She felt herself start to panic. {Please don't do this}.

They channeled all the foundation into deceptively normal masses around the room. It was like nothing had happened, but Luz could still feel the pointed linings of each bundle patiently standing by, threatening to tear into passerbys. The Taken kneeled in the center of the room with a smile.

{And now we wait}.

***

Gus took a harty bite of egg and grunted with delight. He covered his mouth with a hand. "Dang, Amity! Where did you learn to cook? This rocks!"

"It's nothing, really. You should try the twin's food. They taught me everything I know."

Willow waved around a piece of her omelette on the end of a fork. "You'll have to ask them to hook us up if it's as good as this."

Amity blushed, a bit mousy. "Maybe I will. That would be nice. Just don't flatter them too much; Their heads are big enough as it is."

"Sounds like a plan. For now, we should get King in on this."

"Yeah. Do you think it's too early to wake him up though? Maybe I should wait until–"

She stopped as all eyes turned to the footfall in the doorway. King bumbled in, his blanket dragging behind him and his nose held high. "I smelled food," he slurred, "I want in."

Amity chuckled and poured the breakfast onto a tray. "Well that answers that." She passed it off to him and he joined the others by the stove. "Good morning, tiny."

"Pfft. Tiny." He grumbled, but took a bite and seemed to calm down. "I'll let it slide this time, cupcake-crusher."

His self-satisfaction didn't last long. He held his wrist gracelessly. "So, uh, is Luz doing okay? Eda won't let me talk to her right now. Umm, h-how bad is it?"

King nervously peered at the ground. They all recognized the fearful worry. Amity shared a knowing look with the others. She forced a smile.

"Luz is going to be okay. She's a bit roughed up right now, but when Eda gets back she'll make a full recovery! All we have to do is take care of her until then."

"Really?"

"Of course, buddy. In fact," she served up the last of the meal and grabbed a plastic fork, "It's time to take care of her right now."

She started into the living room. "Willow, Gus: you're with me. King: stay away from the closet and stick close to one of us while we're talking to the Taken. Okay?"

Everyone tensed up. It registered with Amity that she was the only one here who had interacted with them. She silently built herself up to appear more brave. "We've got this, guys. One more lousy day and we'll be home free."

Willow overturned her hesitation first. She nodded resolutely. "Let's do it. Gus?"

He pulled out one of his flags, holding it close. "Ready."

King followed on Amity's heels as she led them all to the holding room. She took one more composing breath before opening the door. The Taken was where she left them.

They lifted their head and startled. New disturbed faces met theirs, clearly upset by what they saw. {Son of a bitch. When did those two sneak in?}

Luz wrestled within herself, fighting for her limbs. {Don't attack them! Don't you do it}!

They discreetly gnawed on their cheek to stun her. The taste of iron colored her tongue. {Chill out, you little sh*t. I need to think! I definitely don't wanna take them all on at once. sh*t. Change of plans}.

They refocused on the leader, smiling nonchalantly. "Are you finally here to break my neck? I really thought you'd've made good on that by now."

"Very funny. I brought Luz some food. You need to eat it."

They looked at the offering and thought carefully. "Huh. You know, I don't think I will eat that. 'Your Luz' can eat after you all obliterate me."

"Don't be a prick. Use your head. You might want to stay in our favor. Eat."

They leaned forward. "f*ck. You. You can shove it; You, the old lady, and all of your little friends back there."

They called out Gus by locking eyes with him. They smiled in a way they knew would unsettle him, and by proxy everyone. It worked, making the little witch shiver.

Amity's knuckles were subtly whitening with tension. "Leave them out of this! Look, if you want to curse me out and demean me, fine. You've got plenty of time to do that. But if you actually respect Luz like you've said, you will eat this."

"You're really friendly with this girl, aren't you? sh*t. Alright. I'll eat the–"

Everyone jumped out of their skin. Upstairs, a thunderous crash! and then shattering glass boomed throughout the house.

The Taken hid a smile underneath mock confusion. They were good at it. "What the hell was that? Do you people have, like, a cat or something?"

Amity looked over them in search of guilt. "What did you do!?"

"Me! I'm down here with you, dumbass! How in the hell could I wreck whatever's up there?"

Willow faced the stairs, standing in cautious opposition to them. "Whatever that was, it sounded bad. Someone needs to check it out. Want me to go?"

Amity rubbed her temples. "Uhh. Damnit. I'll go if you'll watch them. If it's something serious, I don't want you getting hurt."

She almost argued against it, but simply gave a disappointed sigh. "Me and Gus will keep a good eye on them. Be careful."

"Amity," King interjected, "Can I stay with you?"

She also fought off an argument. He would be safest with her. Luz's ill-tempered body couldn't be doing his psyche any good, either. "If it makes you feel better, okay. Just stay close behind me. Got it?"

He nodded. The group paired off, half guarding the prisoner and the other two marching to the next floor. Amity returned the abomination shield to her hand as they entered the main hall.

The source of the clatter wasn't immediately obvious. Each door was closed and any of the rooms could have held the sound. One at a time, she forced each of them open, ready to ensnare an intruder or protect King and herself if necessary.

The last door belonged to Eda. Her skin crawled. It sparked images of the monstrous Owl Beast that Luz had only brought up in a dire tone. Or perhaps it was something less familiar, and less prone to mercy.

She quickly checked to see that King was still behind her. Then, bracing herself, she bashed the door open.

Empty. The hall light and her shadow fell over Eda's wardrobe, knocked face-down to the floor, surrounded by shards of a mirror it had crushed. The thing didn't fall on its own. That was an impossibility. It easily weighed at least two hundred pounds. In spite of this, there was no clear sign of life.

Unsatisfied with the conclusion, she reached for the light switch. The window was no help, being situated on the dark side of the house and its curtains drawn shut. The bulb flicked to life and dispelled the dark. Fear swaddled Amity.

A ghostly tube of thick, beige fog was creeping through the window and under its covers, streaming along the length of the wall as if blindly feeling its way to where the grand wardrobe once stood. There it gathered in mass, the clear cause of the outburst. As if killed in by the light, the foundation lost its eerie life-like structure and dispersed across the floor like a normal gas. Indisputably in rhythm with this death, Willow's scream bellowed in from below.

Without a second though Amity snatched King up in her mad dash towards the violent commotion. "I'm coming," she hollard, "Hang on, I'm almost there!"

She reached the foot of the stairs and was assailed by how quickly things went wrong.

Gus laid clutching at his bleeding arm, ducking away from swarming, screaming toxins that promised to choke him. Willow was still on her feet, battling a similar cloud in an attempt to see her target. She drew a spell circle and grasping vines bound towards the Taken, only to be sliced apart by a guillotine of haze.

The rope previously binding their hands dangled freely from one of their wrists, frayed at its end by an unclean cut. They loomed in the doorway, the door itself torn from one of its hinges and leaning hazardous inward. Hooty, dazed, surprised, and suffocating, worked to untangle himself from the mess of wood.

Amity shared one last look with the Taken. Though fearful, their eyes sparkled with hellish delight, reveling in the chaos. They tossed a hand up and slammed it forward. A spear of foundation mimicked the movement and launched forth like a missile.

"NO!"

Her shield wouldn't be tough enough. In a flash, she caught the tip of the projectile in a wave of goo, but the wave was imperfect and thin. It didn't stop it. It managed to save her from disembowelment, but still the mark was met. She tumbled onto her backside, feeling no pain, but entirely winded.

She was up in not but a second. She lurched forward, but was overtaken by stinging smoke. Still she charged on sightlessly. She covered enough ground to fall to the grass outside, where the harsh and howling wind freed her eyes from the smoke, but licked at her skin with sharp whips of her hair.

She watched as her friend leaped closer to the treeline. Disoriented globs of purple sprang from the earth to tackle them, but every one of them were evaded with panicked dips and slides.

"No! No! Stop!"

Just like that, they vanished beyond the green. They were gone. Luz was gone.

Amity was left kneeling with nothing but the cry of the wind and the groans at her back. She was stiff for a minute, then stumbled inside, bewildered.

All the smoke was dispersing, but it didn't help stabilize anybody. Hooty extended out from the door, half immobile, fully coated in splitters, and retching. Willow was at Gus's side, checking the wound on his arm. She had a nasty gash across her forehead that trickled red down her brow and cheek.

Amity, hollow and her face empty, groggily found King among the ruins of the living room. He looked back at her, utterly petrified. She followed his gaze to her stomach.

A small hole. It didn't seem deep, but it was impossible to see through the rapidly darkening cloth. She felt it with her finger tips and winced. She shook. She slumped over. Willow caught her.

Breath shaky, head pounding, she watched the distant gaps between the trees forlornly.

"Hey," Willow ordered, "H-hey, eyes on me, Amity! You got i-injured pretty badly. I need to fix this. I need you to sit still and focus on breathing. Do you understand?"

"L-Luz."

Willow's eyes watered. "I-I know. I know. We'll get her back soon, but I need to help you and Gus first, Okay?"

She didn't respond. She was glaring at the woods. Already plotting. Already elsewhere. She made a vow in red-hot outrage.

Before Eda returned, either Luz would be back safely, or she would die trying.

Chapter 8: War

Summary:

Amity, Willow, and Gus head out to collect Luz. It's sink or swim.

Notes:

No fanfare this time. This is a long, upsetting chapter. If you need to pause, I recommend the second scene break (marked by the ***).
Trigger Warnings: Extreme violence, blood, torture, child endangerment/violence against children, physical/mental abuse, harsh language
Like before, I have left a less graphic summery for those who wish to skip the chapter in the end notes.
Please enjoy.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Luz saw nothing as her body barreled through the woods at top speed. The dark was impenetrable. All drops of moonlight were caught in the canopy, which blanketed the forest floor in inky black.

As was inevitable, their foot snagged on an invisible root and they tumbled twenty paces down a slope. Like a spooked rabbit, they scrambled onto their tangled feet in a half-kicking, half-twisting jerk. Then they kept on running.

{Go back,} Luz growled, {this is insane. Go back right now Goddammit}!

The Taken's chirps were pure energy, somewhere between terror and ecstasy. "We're out! Haha! Holy sh*t, holy sh*t. That shouldn't have worked. But we're out!"

{Go. Back}.

"Oh man. We aren't safe. Do you think they can track us? How long do you think they'll stay down? Holy sh*t, we're out!"

{Listen to me! You almost killed them. You've gone way too far. You have to go back right now. Please}!

They exhaled through a laugh. They slowed to a brisk walk, making more distance between themself and Luz's life. The shift was enough for them to acknowledge her.

"We have plenty of time to talk this all out, human. If begging for something that won't happen brings you comfort, then by all means beg away. You'll feel better later."

Luz was surprised that her tears manifested in her eyes, but apparently they both needed to cry. She ignored it the best she could.

{What are you going to do now? You'll never be safe again. Everyone will hunt us till their dying days}.

They swiped their fingers along the trunks of trees they passed, savoring the texture. It left blood behind. "sh*t, sh*t, you're right. That is actually a big issue. I can't let them catch me without a fight. But, hey, baby steps. We'll make more ground and find some shelter before I handle that."

She must have been adding to the tears. Why else would they be so heavy?

{I hate you}.

"Aww, none of that. You're mad, obviously, but that's okay. Take your time. We'll get through this. Me and you."

Luz began to suffer the tightening throat and creeping dread that came with her panic attacks. She became unresponsive, drawing further away from her skin. They frowned and dabbed their shared face.

"You sort yourself out, partner. I'll take care of everything. Hey, you don't like the dark, yeah? I'll build a fire when we settle down! Yeah, that's the ticket! Maybe we can make you feel a bit safer."

They chugged along for another grueling two hours. The time was divided between weaving around trees, rambling, and crouching low to the mud everytime an odd sound was heard. They reluctantly stopped running only because the wind cut at them more furiously the longer they stayed out.

Settling near a particularly dense thicket that would swallow light and sound, the Taken covered all sides but one with shrubbery and fallen branches. An armload of wood was brought into the tiny masked fort, tossed aside to be burned as promised. Giddily, they squatted and carved a light glyph into the soft earth.

A single dim orb floated between their legs. "Beautiful. Beau-ti-ful. I'd make a million of these if I knew how to pop 'em. We kind of need a killable light."

They were met with only wind. It rocked the hideout.

"Still on the silent treatment, huh? That's fair."

Luz listened to the angry air, heart heavy, mind numb, and her spirit in a darkening whirlwind of feelings. A fire was struck without her. They built it in a small hole they had dug to suppress the output. The removed dirt sat piled high next to the flames, ready to smother them. They kicked back and curled around the blaze.

"I can't give you your hand back after what happened last time, but I'll let you cry if that helps. We can speed through this whole grieving thing and be ship-shape in no time."

Nothing.

They sighed. "Alright. You know how to ask for sh*t. Guess I'll talk to you then."

{I have a mom}.

It caught them off guard. "What?"

Luz gave her attention entirely to the fire. It made thinking easier. {I have a beautiful, loving mother back in the human realm. I have a home there. I have a home here, too. I love Eda, and King, and Hooty, and all my friends so much. They make my life so much better.}

"Kid?"

{But then you showed up. You. You're taking all of that away from me. I pitied you at first, but now I don't think I can forgive you. That scares me}.

"You'll forgive me in time."

{And you'll live with yourself just fine then, huh? Does nothing before that point matter? I think I figured it out. You know this is wrong, so you're showing me all these little kindnesses to justify it to yourself. It was always about you. About making yourself feel better. I'm right, aren't I}?

They sat up and dirty looked above themself. "That's not fair and you know it. I care! I do everything I can for my partners. That'll go for you too."

{Do me as many favors as you want. From now on, I'll live silently behind my eyes, never interacting with you. If you're going to live my life, I will have as little to do with it as possible. You'll do everything alone.}

"You don't mean that."

{I do. Maybe then, when you're begging for my forgiveness and I don't give it to you, you'll understand just how terrible this is}.

That sat in stunned silence. Only the popping of the wood and the whistle of the wind filled the space. They wheezed out a fearful, nervous chuckle, instantly haggard.

"I'm all you've got now, pal! Don't be stupid. Don't go quiet on me. We can make this work!"

The fire didn't warm either of them. Luz watched the flames longingly.

{You're not worth talking to. You'll never be more than an animal. You're nothing like my real friends}.

Luz's gaze was abruptly torn from the fire as her body bucked. The Taken tugged violently at her hair as they grunted and shrieked. The foundation formed rattling barbs in the air that hissed louder than the wind. Her fear was back in full swing.

"You think you can just talk to me like that!? Like I'm some f*cked up little monster!? Do you think you can leave me like the others!?"

{That hurts! Stop it}!

They pulled out a clump of hair and seized a new fistful. They twisted it. "I will never, never ever let you go. You are my light, Little Wasp! My only light! I won't stand any more of this petty rebellion sh*t!"

They stumbled into the night, yanking her by the scalp, until they found a large, flat stone. They dragged it back into the hideaway and, without giving her enough time to think of bracing, slammed their left arm onto it.

Her scream stayed solely within, but it was deafeningly real to her. Then they slammed down again.

Their fit went on for two minutes before they tired themselves out.

Her arm was in shambles. It felt broken, but she wasn't sure. The only mercy was that she didn't have to look at it because they didn't want to either. All she caught were the crimson gashes from her elbow to her wrist. It painted the grass, as well as her dirty shoes.

"Now," they wheezed, "about these 'real friends' of yours. They will be coming for me. Soon. Someone's gonna try to cut me down and take you away. I can't have that! I need you to do your part right now."

Even internally her voice cracked. {W-what part? What are you talking about}?

They smiled lovelessly. "I seem to remember you promising to teach me about the explosion glyph. There's no time like the present."

Luz cringed, trying desperately to stay focused. Even with the pain radiating through her system, she choked out a refusal. {Go to hell. I'd die before helping you hurt the people I love}.

They giggled and pinched the brim of their nose. They sucked in sharply. "Tsk-Tsk. An angel to the end. I'm almost inspired, Little Wasp. But you will help me no matter what. The only thing you have a say in is how badly I need to hurt you before you come to your senses."

Her face was hot and soaked with tears. The tension in her skin was already unbearable. Her muscles begged her to rest. A single sob broke through into her chest. She couldn't shake her head, but the Taken knew she tried to.

They sighed. They guided the bloody stone into the fire, almost smothering it. The coals burned away at it hungrily.

"Lemme give you a fair warning before you make up your mind. In five, maybe ten minutes or so, that rock is going to be hotter than anything you want to be touchin'. You have that long to teach me the glyph. If not, I'll burn every inch of your body. That's a lot of unnecessary suffering. And, trust me, I can get more creative if that doesn't work. Last chance, partner. Tick tock."

Her lips managed to quiver. {P-please don't do this. You know I can't}.

"Is that your final answer?"

She sobbed. Her silence spoke for her. They stoked the fire, sighing again.

"Well f*ck me. Alright then. Have it your way."

***

"Amity!" Willow reprimanded, "Sit back down! Your Healing Patch has barely been on for ten minutes. You are in no condition to run off!"

Amity glared as she worked. She continued to stuff a spare bag with various gear. It hurt when she took a step, but that wouldn't stop her. "Every second that passes puts Luz in more danger! They hardly even struck me, I'll be fine!"

Gus, Hooty, and King watched them tensely from the couch, each ghastly in their own way. Willow walked up and grabbed her shoulder.

"You'll be no use to her if you're dead, Amity. I know you're tough, but I don't think you can fight like this. You saw how fierce they were."

She tossed the bag down. "We can't just let them get away!"

"We won't. Just give your body fifty more minutes to heal and we'll both go. Right now, we don't stand a chance. We just need to play this smart."

Amity tucked her arms in and grabbed her own head in frustration. Gradually, to Willow's relief, she settled shakily onto the floor. She bore angry holes into the wood with her puffy eyes.

"You're right. I know you're right. But we have to do something!"

"And we will. We all need to recover, but we can prepare while we wait. Let's talk strategy."

Amity looked up at her. She felt a bit more calm. "Alright. Who all is coming?"

Willow looked back to the couch, reminding herself of each person's condition. "I'll be fine and you clearly can't be stopped, so we'll go for sure. Even if Hooty could follow us, he shouldn't. He got messed up really badly. He can watch King: There's no reason for him to go either."

She turned to the youngest witch. "That leaves you, Gus. Do you think you'll be good for it?"

He chuckled, trying to stay bright. "You know it! But we've gotta be ready this time. What should we bring?"

Amity rooted through the bag she was packing. "We definitely need rope. The plan should be to restrain them and get her back here as quickly as possible. We also have one Healing Patch left, that and some bandages. Our scrolls have lights, and some water couldn't hurt; I don't know how long we'll be searching."

Gus nodded. "That's pretty manageable. Oh! Maybe masks if Eda has them? That could help with the smoke."

Amity grinned. "That's genius! Good thinking. Now all we need is something to knock them out, or put them to sleep, or–"

She snapped her fingers and pointed to King. "King, do you know if Eda has any more of that grey stuff she poured on me when I first arrived? The thing that turned my muscles off?"

He perked up. "Uhh, maybe. I think it's called Nerve-Lock. It's super illegal and super expensive, so I'm not sure where she keeps it."

"I'll search for more of that while we wait. Willow, get us some masks or even goggles if you can." She was antsy as she eyes the door. "We can still do this."

Willow smirked lightheartedly. "Told you so."

Amity looked down, blushing with embarrassment. "What would I do without you?"

"Let's hope we never have to find out," she teased. "Now, let's get to it!"

Even with the work to distract them, fifty minutes felt like wading through molasses. Everyone was quiet as they went around the house, which brought the eerie wind to the foreground.

The hardest part for Amity was taking it easy. She knew If she didn't, then she wouldn't heal properly, but that only made it harder. Luckily, King made the unavoidable stress and strain a little softer. Together they unpacked bags and the like in the upstairs closet.

They had been at it for a long time when King suddenly gasped. "Oh!" He conjured a little square bottle from a dusty suitcase. "This is it! Right?"

Amity took the bottle excitedly and smiled. "Yes! Excellent job, King! This will be invaluable."

She twisted around to add it to her sack, but flinched from the pressure it put on her gut. She shook it off, but noticed King seemed concerned. She placed her sack to the side.

"You're really worried about Luz, aren't you?"

"Of course I'm worried about her. But I'm also worried about you guys. You're all hurt. I've seen fights before, like with Eda and stuff, but they didn't fight like that. This thing was so… I was scared they might actually kill us."

Amity looked away and bit her lip. She opened her arms and waved him over. It was all she could think to do. He leaned into her and they hugged each other.

She patted the back of his skull. "I won't let it come to that, buddy. You're right to be worried; The Taken isn't someone you want to mess around with–" she tightened her hold on him, thinking of her talk with Eda. "–but neither are we."

He sniffled. "How are you going to catch her without hurting her? Aren't they going to try and kill you?"

"Ideally, we'll get the drop on them this time. I'll cage them before they even know we're there. If that doesn't work, I'll play defensively. No one else is getting hurt. Me, Willow and Gus will figure it out. We will bring Luz home safe."

She set him down and wiped away his quiet teardrops. He smiled with his eyes. "Thanks, Amity. I'm glad you're here."

"No problem. I'm glad to be here. Now what do you say we go find the others? It's about time for us to leave."

He held her hand as she guided him out of the closet and into the living room.

Hooty laid in poor but stable condition across the couch. Gus sat by his head, comforting the owl. Amity stepped in front of him. "Hey, how's your arm?"

"Tingly, but no worse for wear. What about your stomach?"

"Good as it's going to get. Do you think you're ready to head out?"

"Yep. I've got my bag right here. I think we're just waiting on Willow now."

Right on cue, Willow entered from the side room. Her pack was slung over her shoulder, but she also held three green masks and a pair of goggles in her free hand. Her forehead seemed better, too.

"I couldn't find any masks, so I had to make my own. They won't be perfect, but they should stop them from choking us."

Amity took one as she passed them out, inspecting it with amazement. "Willow, did you knit these out of grass? And they work? That's so impressive!"

"Grass and roots. They don't actually filter air all that well, but they'll keep the poison out."

Amity took a proud look around the room. "That's everything then. We should get moving. Are you both with me?"

They each nodded, tense but determined.

She opened the door. "Let's do it."

The demons watched them trudge outside. Before they got too far, King called out one last time, waving frantically. "Good luck!"

"Come back safe!" Hooty added.

The trio disappeared into the windy woods, leaving the safety of the owl house behind them.

***

The search was nerve-wracking and slow. As night shifted into morning over the next five or so hours, they gained more daylight to work with, but the trees were so thick in most places that someone always had a scroll out, beaming light ahead.

Behind any blindspot, an ambush could lie in waiting. Although Amity dispelled the idea from her mind some time ago–assuming the Taken would likely have prioritized hiding or running over conflict–it didn't make things less stressful.

With little to go off of, every decision felt blind and burdensome. Still, they collectively managed to deduce three things:

First, they had to be somewhere in the forest. It was entirely surrounded by towns, and it wouldn't make sense for them to risk getting spotted in their current state.

Second, It wasn't a huge area, but it was too large to thoroughly sweep. They made a beeline for the deepest portion of the woods and fanned out from there. That was the most likely spot for them to go. It'd be the hardest to search.

Lastly, the wind would make them harder to track. Not only was it disorienting, washing leaves over the land and overshadowing important sounds, it also destroyed the trail of foundation they usually left behind them. It was a double edged sword though, as her team didn't need to be silent, just low profile.

They found themselves at a low point in the terrain, like the flat bottom of a bowl, surrounded by plentiful rocks and cracked earth. The encircling hills made it mildly claustrophobic, but beyond that they served as partial shelter from the wind. Willow was the first to stop dead in her tracks.

"Guys," she broke the silence, "look." She pointed to a shrivelled old tree that had two of its limbs twisted off.

Amity looked at it curiously. "What is it–"

She noticed mid-remark. There was a fresh red streak of blood along the bark. She exchanged a disturbed look with each of them and took a deep breath. "We're close. Keep your lights off, stay quiet, and look for anything suspicious."

Everyone collectively bobbed their heads, stalking through the trees again. The air was thick. Nervousness filled each of them. Amity gripped her bags strap tightly, bouncing between anger and anxiety. They weren't left wandering for long, however. She noticed a hastily thrown together shelter of branches and leaves about a hundred-fifty feet across the grass.

That was it. It had to be. She waved her allies over.

Gus led with a low whisper. "What's the plan again?"

Amity slipped her mask onto her ears and held it down to talk. "I'm going to sneak closer and see if I can knock them out before anything bad happens. If something goes wrong, I need you guys to join in. Just don't let them see you until then."

"If you're up front," Willow muttered, "take the goggles. You probably need them the most."

Amity took them gratefully. Before slipping them on, she paused. She gave a heavy sigh. "Hey, this is going to go just fine and all, but in case it doesn't I want to apologize."

"What for?"

"I–" she took another breath. "I treated you really badly for a long time, Willow. I was stupid and selfish and I wish I could take it all back. I really hope you know that you're not half-a-witch and you never were. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Hey," she gently shook her arm, "that's all behind us. You've grown a lot, girl. I think we all have. I'm glad we can be friends again. I missed it."

Willow shyly rubbed behind her pigtails. "But also, thanks. I think I needed to hear that." She took a deep breath too, as if it were contagious. "We can talk more later. Go get her, Amity. We'll be on standby. Good luck."

She put on her gear and stood. "Thank you. I'll be back with Luz." And she crept away, her friends ducking into the bushes and behind the trees.

She approached the wooden cave at a crawl. Each step was planned well in advance all the way up to the entrance. The opening was pitch black, even compared to the grey shade overcasting everything around her. She clenched the Nerve-Lock tightly in her fist and slinked closer.

She froze when she saw their silhouette. It took a moment of picking it apart from the shadows, but she realized they were laying down and facing away from her. She suppressed her joy, as it might get in the way. She tiptoed into the structure and unscrewed the bottle.

She whipped her arm forward and splashed the toxin over them. Then, in a single instant, clasped them to the ground with long and thick arms of abomination material. She grinned widely and dashed over to their side, ready to bind their arms and legs. Her heart sank.

There was nothing held under the arms. The vague outline of a person scattered the ground. It was foundation. It was a trick.

A red light caught her eye. She looked up to see one of Luz's fire glyphs made from enough smoke to level the hideout. Then more lights filled the room.

She fell to her knees and braced her neck with her interlocked fingers. "Oh sh*t–"

BOOM

She narrowly guarded against the blast as sludge bubbled up around her and sealed her in. The sound was deafening. Even the air inside her protective sphere was cooking her. The walls violently rippled and threatened to fall apart. They would leave her a charred corpse if they did.

But the onslaught lasted a mere moment. The shield held strong. She waited a few seconds longer to survey the damages. Her bubble sank to the ground, a buckler forming on her arm, and she looked around.

The ground was leaking steam that seemed distorted in the heat waves. It was torn apart leaving only a several foot wide crater around her. One of the main trees that was supporting the camp had tipped over. The structure was completely gone.

As she rose to gape at her surroundings, she felt a stinging pain across her legs. Her bubble must not have been quick enough. She received horrible burns across the back of her shins.

"Oh sh*t! Holy hell!" She grabbed at her forehead. "That was too damn close."

"Well son of a bitch."

She shuddered at the wretched voice. Wheezing and warbling, the Taken emerged. "Romeo lives. I was really, really hoping that would be the end of it."

She snapped around with grinding teeth to face them. Then she fully took in the sight of them. She choked back a scream.

Luz had been brutalized. Her left arm bled profusely, and so did her hands and scalp. Her clothes were torn and disheveled, revealing blacked skin on her lower legs, stomach, back, and sides. Bite marks littered every part of her that her mouth could reach, growing particularly vicious on her right forearm, as if to make it match the other in grotesqueness.

There was so much blood. On her face, on her limbs, down her shirt; she was heavy with it. It made her pale and ghostly, hardly held together. By the way they carried themself, a few bones were probably fractured at best. They smelled unmistakably of burnt hair and rust. It was miraculous that she could be alive, let alone stand. Amity gasped, utterly aghast, crying mutely.

"What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Their demeanour was completely different. They were resolved and sturdy, as though this were the first time she'd seen them genuinely serious. They didn't bounce in place or smile cruelly at her traumatised eyes. This was a new person.

"I never wanted it to go this far. But she wouldn't help me. I wouldn't have the firepower to handle you if I didn't. She just would not give in."

They sucked in a rattling puff of the boiling air. It was hard to see, but they were definitely crying, too.

"I counted: She lasted ninety-five minutes. Never have I met someone who cared so deeply about their friends. To endure all that to protect them. I don't think she was even conscious when she told me about the damn glyph. No, it wasn't Little Wasp that sold you out. She wouldn't do that."

Amity morphed the air around her into globs of deep purple ammo. They swirled and orbited her sides as much as her head spun. "I'm taking her home. Right now. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

They shook their head soulfully. "I'm sorry, kid. But there was only ever one way this could end. I was a f*cking moron to think this time would be any different."

They brought up a dripping hand, forming a floating javelin overhead. "You and I died the moment I caught this poor girl."

The first two blows were so quick that Amity hardly registered herself blocking them. Clank, Clank! against her shield, thundering the impact down her arm. They were forceful and aggressive. Two more hateful needles made an attempt on her chest. She parried those, too, purely on instinct.

She rolled behind a dark tree and pressed her stiff back against it. {I already wasted half of my Nerve-Lock,} she realized, {I only have one shot at this. I need to get closer}.

A glyph blazed into existence a step to her right. She fell back and ducked behind another tree as it spewed fire and ash. It scarcely whiffed her. Getting close would be easier said than done.

She had an idea. Amity balled up some goo in her hand and boomeranged it through the trees on their blindside. It looped around with screaming velocity, nailing them in the leg. They buckled and she rushed them.

Her hands formed gloves of abomination material as she leaped. She nearly seized their arm, but she smashed into a newly constructed wall. The foundation puffed up and out, carrying her away from them. As she grounded herself, everything was overcome in a blinding smokescreen. Her face coverings proved life saving, but nevertheless she lost sight of them.

A sharp glow from above filtered through the haze, igniting the world in red. Amity skittered forward, but lost balance. A flamethrower scorched the grass behind her as she tripped. She tried to rise, but the toes of Luz's shoe pounded into her stomach.

She keeled over, hammered with another kick before she could see them throw it. They towered over her. A razor of foundation formed and cleaved down.

She caught it on her shield. Then, death gripping the grass, slicked the ground underneath them with slosh. She pulled this sheet out from under them and they crumbled to her level. She forced herself to her knees and secured her canister, trying to pop the cap back off.

It was smacked from her hand by a tendril that cut deep into her thumb. It landed far off to the sidelines. She looked over to it in panic. "NO!"

The distraction was all they needed to pin her beneath them. They crushed her wrists to the dirt with their hands and stabbed her legs in place with sharp knees. Blood dropped from their nose onto the edge of her lip. She struggled animalistically under their hold. There was no victory in their expression; It was truly grave.

"If it means anything," they wheezed somberly, a crown of screw-like points encircling her head, "you didn't deserve this."

Before they could extinguish her, they were both launched apart. Amity landed in a mound of flowers. A massive plant bulb had boomed in between them. Willow and Gus darted through the terrain.

"It's over!" Willow shouted, "stop this at once!"

They reeled from the impact, locking eyes onto the invaders. They were still fast approaching, but would take a few seconds to arrive. The Taken looked at them in rage.

Amity got to one foot, her legs flaring with fiery pain. Adrenalin muffled most of it, but it was imperfect. Her breath hitched. She watched her saviors come near.

As the Taken roared, so did the foundation. "Of course! There's always more, isn't there!? There's always another fight!"

They flattened their hands and sliced them across each other. A large cloud of blades materialized above the two. Willow grabbed Gus and a wooden truck erupted from the earth, curving itself to protect them.

The torrent of blades pierced through the cover. Willow, Gus and their guard dissipated. All that was left were the telltale blue sparkles of an illusion.

It took Amity a moment to acknowledge what was happening. But she was still faster than the Taken. A far more terrified looking Willow jumped out from behind the fallen tree, weaving a spell circle that overtook the beast in creepers and roots.

She looked over to Amity. "Get the bottle! Now!"

She didn't hesitate. She cleared a vast distance in a few bounds, pumping her damaged legs as hard as they would allow her. The Taken struggled against their restraints, hacking them apart in a fury of mist as she snatched the flask.

She was rushing back when yet more glyphs dotted the air. It was becoming a minefield. She dipped and dodged around them on erratic feet. One more stood in her way, already glowing.

She shifted her shield into a lance which split down the middle. The two strips spiraled in slashing circles like a propeller, blending and disarming the hazard before it could go off. She tackled them. Hard.

On top of them, she fumbled with the cap of the Nerve-Lock. She split it over them. Their neck and collar were soaked. Some of the liquid slashed back onto her hands, instantly shocking her body. They both locked up. But not before a beige pike rammed through her side.

Each of them howled. Amity in pain, the Taken in unchecked madness. They thrashed enough to kick her off of them, but like the foundation falling from the sky, their body was reduced to jittering in the weeds.

Amity wasn't completely paralyzed. She pulled enough strength to sit up, supporting her weight with a palm planted firmly down beside her. She was hyperventilating as she prodded her split side. It reopened her stomach wound, too.

Gus appeared from the branches of another tree when the coast was clear, visibly worried. "Amity! Are you–"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, wincing at her own voice. "That stuff isn't going to-to last forever. Tie them up. Tightly. W-we have to get–we have to get out of here."

Willow nodded at Gus, who was looking to her for guidance. While he reluctantly and cautiously began to bind the Taken, she hobbled over to her friend. She was wounded from the fighting, but was considerably healthy by comparison.

"Here, can you stand?"

Amity took the girl's hand and wobbled back onto her feet, only to collapse with a guttural whine. Her breathing picked up again. "I need a second. I-I just need a second."

"I can probably make a sled out of bark if I have enough time. Maybe you or Luz could ride in it. I'll carry one of you if I have to."

"Luz can ride. You aren't going near that thing. Just let me lean on you. Oh, sh*t!"

Amity reached down into her pocket and pulled out a Healing Patch. It excited Willow until she noticed that there was only one.

"That's our last one, isn't it?"

"We used the others after we got ambushed the first time." She stuck it out to her with a trembling red hand. "Give it to Luz. She needs it more than I do."

Willow looked her over. A dark pool was shaping along the ground. "I can't just let you bleed out."

"I know you want to help both of us," she stuck it out further, more insistent, "but look at her. It's not even close. Heal. Luz."

Willow took the sticker. She slowly edged backwards, hesitant to look away from her. "I'll bandage you up as well as I can. Hold out for me, okay? I'm getting you both home safely. Okay?"

"Okay," Amity answered tiredly. "Just start with Luz. Please."

Gus chimed in meekly. "These knots should hold. What else can I do? Just tell me what to do."

Willow glanced at him sadly. "You're doing great. I need you to pull the cart when I make it. Right now I need you to look after Amity. Put pressure on her cuts. Keep her company."

"I can do that," he stuttered. "I can do that."

They remained there for twenty more minutes. Each second was miserable. Willow put together a ramshackle sled and hooked it up to some spare rope. They laid Luz down on it, plastering the patch to the base of her neck. They were frozen and eerily silent throughout the whole process. The idea of using abominations to help pull the sled was scrapped as Amity grew fainter and fainter.

Willow half carried her as they followed the sled. Neither her nor Gus dared to give into exhaustion. Inch by hard-fought inch, they dragged themselves through the forest.

Eventually, still an hour from home, the youngest Blight's legs gave out. Her friend lifted her up, crying behind her glasses.

Her heart beat slowly, teetering on the brink of sleep.

Notes:

Summary for those who skipped the chapter:
- The Taken hides out in the woods. Scared of facing Amity and crew, they force Luz to teach them the fire glyphs through violence.
- Amity and crew pack up, grab some Nerve-Lock (the thing Eda had that paralyzed Amity in an earlier chapter), and head out. They leave Hooty and King behind. Her and King had a bonding moment where she comforted him and pledged to bring Luz back safely.
- Amity officially apologizes to Willow for her past actions. She is forgiven.
- Amity is tricked into entering the Taken's hide out that had been rigged to blow up. She narrowly survives with quick use of abomination magic.
- Amity sees how bad Luz is doing. Rage.
- Amity and Taken cinematic fight.
- Willow and Gus come to the rescue and help Amity secure a partial victory against the Taken, where they paralyze them and start heading home. Amity was severely wounded in the conflict, and Luz is horrendously injured. It is unclear if either of them will survive until the next and final chapter.
End summary.
For everyone:
One last chapter to rap everything up coming soon. I hope to see you there!

Chapter 9: Promises

Summary:

Everything comes to an end.

Notes:

Massive chapter, and the finale. Take a break when they meet downstairs if you need to take a break at all. Here we go.
Trigger Warnings: Harsh language, mild gore and vomiting, major character death

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Amity's senses came back to her one by one. First was the low and dull burning in her legs, along with the soreness of her body and the lightheadedness that clouded her thoughts. She was on top of a scratchy towel that made her feel even more overheated. Someone held her hand for a short while, but it didn't last. Each time she blinked, time leapt forward.

The smell of stale body odor mingled unpleasantly with a cheap lemon scented candle. Combined with the lingering taste of blood, she felt queasy. She couldn't pinpoint any one sound. Instead, a choir of footsteps, door hinges, wind, garbled speech, and buzzing distorted into a single long-drawn note. She reasoned that very few of the sounds occurred together, they simply blended until they held no meaning.

Finally, her eyes shaved away the blurry world layer by layer until she could tell she was in the living room of the owl house. The darkening curtains told her that it must already be late in the day. She had been unconscious for the later half of it. With this new understanding came clarity. With clarity came her first developed thought:

Luz.

She fell from the couch with a start and scrapped herself from the floor. She wobbled to the center of the room to get a look at all the exits, unsure of where to begin. Her heart jumped at the sound of another person.

"Uh, Willow," King called worriedly, "get in here!"

Willow appeared in the kitchen doorway, concerned but tangibly irritated. "Oh, come on, Amity."

Amity approached her near-drunkenly, still pale as a ghost. "Where's Luz?"

"You know that you're mortal and I'm not a real doctor, right? You need to sit down before you hurt yourself."

"Please, Willow! I need to see that she's okay."

She relaxed a little, but stayed on guard. She supported the dreary girl with a hand. She might fall over otherwise.

"Luz is still out cold. She's upstairs with Gus and Hooty. I'll guide you up there, just quit straining yourself."

Amity nodded as enthusiastically as she could. "Thank you. Hey, You made it out alright, didn't you?"

"I got a few cuts and bruises, but I'll definitely be fine. It's you I'm worried about. I bandaged you up, but you've lost a lot of blood."

She felt down her side for proof. Yep. Several repetitions of fluffy white cloth held her together. She didn't have to look to know how deeply they were stained. Still, it was an improvement. "I'm already starting to feel better. You rock, Willow."

She smiled. "Alrighty then. Hold onto me and don't fall."

The two of them challenged each stair step, eventually finding their way to the top. The door to Luz's room was already open. Gus, eyes stuck wide and haunted, watched from a rickety chair by the window. A concerned and injured Hooty snaked in from that very window to curl around his seat supportively. They each glanced up to the doorway as the ladies, plus King, entered.

The bird demon lit up. "Hoot! You're alive!" He swept forth and encircled all of them with caring nuzzles. It sent a painful shock up Amity's side. She immediately fell into a coughing fit, causing him to pull back with alarm.

Willow patted her back, looking politely at him. "I love that energy, Hooty, but you've gotta stop hugging us without warning."

"Sorry."

Amity collected herself. "It's alright. Good to see you too, bird."

Her smile faded when she finally spotted Luz, only her burned and stained face peeking out from the brown sheet that covered her. She was human, Amity didn't expect the Healing Patch to work a miracle, but it didn't seem to do hardly anything at all. Even in sleep she seemed anguished.

Willow followed her gaze. "It's not great," she admitted, "but she's not beyond fixing. When Eda gets back we'll find more things to heal her. Well, to heal all of us. All we can really do right now is watch her like a hawk and wait."

Always with the waiting. Amity cupped her eyes and whimpered. "This shouldn't have happened. Maybe if I was faster she wouldn't have been hurt like this. I could have followed them. I could have prevented–"

"Don't start that," Willow said firmly. "This isn't your fault. You're not the one who hurt Luz. We all did everything we could."

Another look at Luz exacerbated her unravelling. "Eda trusted me to keep her safe. I thought I could do more than this. My best wasn't good enough."

"You're putting too much blame on yourself. We are a team, and none of us could have predicted that things would go this way. You know Eda wouldn't hold you to that, either. Why would she? Amity, you fought to bring her back! You've done more than your fair share."

Willow watched her friend's knees start to wobble again. She sighed. It would take a lot more to shake her doubts. More than she could give right now.

"You should probably lay back down. You need all the rest you can get."

At least she took that pretty well. "Alright. Thank you. I'd like to stay in here, if that's okay."

She chuckled. She found it funny that she had become a sort of group leader out of the blue. "Of course it's okay. I'll grab some more blankets. We can all stay together."

Amity brightened, unable to take her eyes off of Luz. "Perfect."

***

Luz's memory was spotty at best, and painfully segmented at worst.

She remembered a red rock. There was a dying fire somewhere out in the woods. Something tore away at her arms and feet with their teeth. A dog maybe?

Her mind didn't budge. It tried to obscure the details of the morning for as long as possible. She didn't give up. She picked through the vague images and sensations all over again, almost in third person, until she pieced it all together.

It was them.

That nameless thing who had broken her body. Who had tormented her for days. The Taken. Worst of all, they were still here with her. She felt them surface.

{Don't move,} they urged. {I need to talk to you}.

She tried to cry out, but nothing happened. Suddenly, she was real again. She was on the floor, racked with fiery pain, and fully blind. Her tears fell freely, but she couldn't open her eyes. They held them shut.

{Please calm down. I'm not going to hurt you any more. Just listen to me for a moment}.

Luz couldn't focus on anything other than her burning limbs. She struggled to even understand what they were asking. How could they sound so calm? Were they not still fighting? Where were they? Where was Amity?

She was so desperate to take back control of her thoughts that she tried to hit herself. Maybe that would distract her. Luckily, her body stayed locked. They didn't let her.

{Please don't hurt yourself. You can move in a little while, but calm down first. I need to speak to someone}.

Luz figured out quickly that she had no other choice, so she prepared for the worst. She slowly eased to an unstable stop, still in fight or flight. {What}?

It'd have to do. They gave her a moment to adjust, then whispered in her brain.

{I'll catch you up real quick. I was taken down. You're in your room. All of your friends are here. They're gonna keep you safe.}

There was a brief pause. They nodded, accepting something. {I've got no fight left in me. I'll be dead in a few hours. I think I've embraced it. Before I let you go, I need to compose my thoughts one final time}.

She didn't believe any part of it. Who was she talking to? Certainly not the same monster who tried to butcher her friends. Or were they so laughably unstable that such a drastic change should be expected? No matter the answer, she swelled with anger.

{What are you talking about,} she snapped, {where was all of this when I begged you to spare my friends?! Or when you swore to keep me from my home forever}?!

{I f*cked up. Royally}.

An understatement if ever there was one.

{You and Amity were right: I tricked myself into thinking I was doing the right thing, and that my partners loved me back. I was wrong about a lot of sh*t. I just didn't want to see it. I've lived nine lives like that}.

{But something changed these past few days,} they said tenderly. {It was you. You have this air of empathy and understanding. It's in the way you connect with others. It's your love; They are better than mine. Clean, and healthy, and warm, and welcomed. It's exemplary. I think that's what made me understand. I realized my love wasn't like that. I would do anything to have accepted it sooner, before I hurt everyone. It's far too late for that}.

They did it again. They got into her head and confused her. She genuinely could not tell if they meant to, or if this was some final attempt to get her pity, or maybe just to make her feel worse for what they both knew needed to happen. She hated it. Deeply.

{Is this some kind of apology? Because I don't want it. Just leave me alone. I never want to hear from you ever again}.

{I understand. I'll let you go now. I will need to whine at you about one more thing, but it can wait. For now, here: this is yours}.

She felt weightless in an instant, but only for a split second. Then, miraculously, her body lost the foul tingle that had enveloped her since day one. The only foundation she could feel anymore was from the fumes, now calm and thin, that poured from her neck.

She started by opening and closing her hand, then tilting her head, then rolling her shoulders. To her disbelief, she really had her body back. She felt the need to say something, anything, to them, but they had vanished. They turned to static in her head like the night they let her speak to Amity.

Her mind clicked. Amity.

She finally opened her eyes, wet from emotional overload, and began to look for her. It was still dark, but she could make out shapes around her. Hooty was an unmoving sentry and seems to be the only one fully awake. Gus was out like a light, leaning against a drowsy Willow in the corner. King snored faintly by the door.

Luz's face flooded with crimson when she found Amity nestled close by her side. She had her arms hooked around her waist and her forehead pressed into her shoulder. Her mouth hung partially open, with a face completely pale and drained. She could have passed off as dead, but her gentle heartbeat and steady breathing gave her away.

Flustered, she tried to move her arm. It failed, as she was still bound, which she felt stupid for not assuming.

The movement jostled Amity, causing her to cling tighter. Even subconsciously, she avoided putting pressure on her injuries. Somehow, after everything she had been through, her hands and cheek were still pleasantly soft, almost protective. Luz melted into her touch.

"Amity?" she mouthed near silently. It was her real voice, too. Not distorted by a smokey filter or used as a cruel weapon, just her scratchy, natural voice. It made her shudder, but she continued. "Amity, are you awake?"

The girl's eyes fluttered open. She scanned herself. And her arms. It sank in that she was holding Luz. She rolled away in abject horror, face matching the other's flush.

"I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to-that was weird of me to-I didn't know I was–"

"I would have never guessed you were the cuddly type," Luz whispered lightheartedly.

"Titan, I'm so sorry."

"Hey, It's okay! It was really nice. It's really soothing. We can hug some more. I mean, I-If you want to, that is."

Amity abruptly remembered the context of the situation. She continued to scream quietly. "Wait, Luz! That's really you, isn't it?! How?!"

"I don't fully understand it," she confessed, "but I think I'll be here for a while."

Context came flooding back to her as well, just as hard. "Is everyone okay? I remember we were fighting, and I–" she choked up. Vivid explosions and beige pikes crossed her eyes again. "I almost killed–"

Amity pulled her in close. Her body was cold. Both of theirs were.

"That wasn't you, Luz. Do you understand? It wasn't your fault. It's okay. I'm okay. Everyone's safe now."

Luz snuggled into her collar, shaking uncontrollably. Amity's blood was electrified. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Are you okay?"

That was a tricky question she didn't have an answer for. If she wasn't okay, then it was too difficult to admit to herself. She defaulted to whatever would be nice to hear, as she so often did.

"Y-yes."

"Hey," Amity's voice was light as a cloud and caring as could be. There was no trace of judgement or expectation, only heartfelt sincerity. "You can be honest with me."

A pang of sadness struck her. Then it was out matched by a second wave, which was then crushed by a third. Shattering her, It drew more teardrops as the truth spilled forth.

"I'm in a lot of pain. I'm still really scared. I think I'll be okay, but–" she choked again, digging deeper into Amity. "I don't want to be alone. Not right now."

"Oh, Luz," she squeezed her, "I'm not going anywhere. We can lay here as long as you like, and I'll still be here after that. We all will. We'll fix you up. It's going to be okay now. I've got you."

Luz's voice was fractured, but fully appreciative. "Thank you. Truly, thank you." She chuckled weakly. "I'll hug you back sooo much when my arms are free. Please. Keep holding me."

Amity's brain was on fire. She short-circuited. "O-okay. With pleasure."

She eventually remembered how to work her arms and shifted Luz's head off the floor and onto her chest. She tucked the sheet tightly around her, careful not to pinch her. Then she continued playing with her hair. It was quickly becoming her new favorite thing to do.

Things were blissful. It was unlike anything Amity had ever felt before. There was nowhere else she could find a moment like this one. There was no one else she wanted to share a moment like this with. The closest people that came to mind were her siblings, but it became apparent that this wasn't the same kind of support they traded on occasion.

Each time she thought she'd be tired of it, or panicked that she might be forced away by some obligation, she was giddy to realize that it wasn't over. She could keep indulging without paying any mind to the world at large. This timeless safe haven gave her something she didn't know she needed. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

For Luz, she basked in the pure security and respite. It was invaluable, long needed peace. She found it in her mother at the darkest of times, or in more recent days, Eda and her friends. The ability to find support in the people closest to her never went unappreciated. It was a reminder of the love they all shared with one another.

It came up innocently, but once the word was in her head she couldn't get it out. Love. She used it very loosely and very often, though never dishonestly. It brought up an important question. {In what way do I love Amity}?

She loved all her friends, just as she loved her mother and Owl Family. When she applied the word to Amity, however, it brought a tingly, bashful smile to her face. Infectiously, the thought evolved into an all consuming series of daydreams and hypotheticals. How beautiful would it be if she felt the same way? Whatever it meant.

Eventually the sky darkened completely. The already dwindling light only lasted them a bit less than an hour. It was criminally short, but it was perfect while it lasted.

Amity's eyes had drifted shut. On a whim, she felt the need to open them. Hooty hovered a few inches above her face. "I didn't want to interrupt, but–"

She yelled and punched him, everyone in the room snapping awake in a collective panic. He rolled in the air. "Ow! Why always me?! Hoot?!"

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

King stood on all fours with his back arched. Gus almost had a heart attack. Willow had been ready to kill. "What the hell happened?"

Hooty calmed rather quickly. "I got decked, but it's cool."

Luz had bolted upright too, now with a look of sympathy. "Are you good?"

Everyone looked at her. Gus's eyes popped. "Luz? Real Luz?"

She smiled shyly. "Hey guys."

Willow leapt forward and hugged her. "Luz! Welcome back!" She squished her face in between her hands. "Are you feeling alright? What happened to the Taken?"

King attached himself to her leg, doing a bad job of acting aloof. She pet him with a content smile as she spoke.

"It's so nice to see you all. Thank you for being here. I'll be okay, but I'm not sure what's up with the Taken. They're being weirdly reflective and mournful. I don't know what to make of it yet."

"It can't be good," Amity snarled.

Luz faced the floor. "Let's talk about that later. Hooty, what were you saying?"

"Oh yeah!" he cleared his throat, "I heard Eda on the edge of the woods. She's almost here!"

The group's spirit fluctuated in unison, everyone unsure of how to feel. King was easily the least conflicted.

"That's a good thing, right?"

"It is," Willow acknowledged, "we just have a lot of explaining to do." She gestured to Luz and Amity, each bloodied and holding on by a thread.

Amity looked Luz and herself over. She frowned. "Do you two know about Eda's curse? Has Luz mentioned it?"

Her friends nodded.

"She's been struggling with it recently, for obvious reasons. I think it gets worse under stress. I'm worried that if she sees me or Luz like this…"

They both tensed. She didn't need to finish for them to understand. Then, Gus smiled. "Alright then. We won't let her see you like this."

He drew a spell circle and everyone received an instant makeover. Damaged skin was replaced to seem smooth and clean. Bandages and bloodstains were hidden. Torn clothes mended themselves flawlessly. Even the smell that followed everyone faded away.

Amity grinned. "You really are a master illusionist, aren't you?"

He flicked his hand flamboyantly. "I'm flattered. Do you think it will help?"

"It's absolutely perfect."

"I hate to ask," Willow inserted, looking towards Luz, "but what about the Taken. Aren't they going to be a problem?"

Luz thought of them, but was still met with absent static. It was as unnerving as it was disheartening. "Keep my hands and feet tied in case they show up again. I'd rather not risk it."

They were interrupted when the creak of the front door echoed into the room. They all looked at each other. Luz took a deep breath. "Here we go."

The party made their way down the steps. They paired together and traveled slowly to keep each other balanced. Once they reached the foot of the stairs, Luz found herself excited at the sight of Eda's back. She was unpacking her bag which had filled up with a bit of everything since she left. Hooty had beat them there by retracting back to his spot in the door. They all moved forward, but collectively stopped when they took a closer look at her.

Innumerable grey feathers, speckled with red, peeked out from every opening in her outfit. She would flinch at nothing only to casually return to her sack a second later. She had a hunch in her back. Her movements were thoughtless and twitchy. She hadn't even turned to greet them, even though they had not been quite in the slightest.

"Eda?" King engaged softly, "Are you in there?"

She didn't face them. They couldn't help but assume it was intentional. She growled lightly.

"Stay back, kids. I'm on my last legs."

Willow nudged King back behind her. He resisted at first, but another harsh twitch scared him into obedience. Amity stepped forward, her face heavy.

"Ma'am, we need to get you help. Is there something we can do?"

"You can listen to me. I got everything you'll need for the ritual, the potion, and the book to tell you how to do it. It's not exactly entry level stuff, but you're smart. I left some extra notes to help you in case I turned before I could get it done myself. I'm sorry. It looks like that might happen."

"Eda, no! We can postpone the ritual, we need to help you. If you turn then you'll–"

"Amity." Her fingers sharpened. She hid them in her sleeves, pressing her arms against her chest. "There's nothing we can do. I'm out of elixir and I won't get any better without some peace of mind. I won't get any peace of mind until Luz is safe."

"But–"

"No time to argue. Get Luz out here and get started. I-I can't be here when it happens." She took heavy strides towards the door. "I have to leave. Now."

Luz couldn't fight it. She hopped forward. Amity caught her before she got too close, but she called out anyway.

"I'm here Eda! It's actually me! Don't go! We'd lose you!"

The Owl Lady spun around in shock. It was clear why she had waited so long to turn around. Her face was like a paper mask that had been slashed with three large and evenly spaced claws. Looking through the bloodless cuts revealed a second layer to her face, one with black, bird-like eyes, and razors for teeth. The front layer was still the animated one. Her sharp lips, though they were split down the middle, parted uncannily when she spoke.

"Oh my baby."

She crumbled to the floor. Her clothes melded into her skin. She grew to almost twice her size with a sickening pop of her bones. Everyone watched her flatten and lift herself up on curled claws. Wings covered her back. Her face fell away.

The Owl Beast stood before them, its malevolent fangs bared. There was no warning outside of a screech; It raked at Luz with its talons.

Amity caught the attack in a purple wave. It was pulverized. She covered Luz with her body and they were both launched into the wall. She felt new stinging cuts along her arm, but most of the blow was absorbed. If it hadn't been she would be in pieces. The reality of that sank in. She looked up at the thing as it prepared another swing.

Its swipe fell short as Willow dragged it backwards with vines. The beast almost immediately brute forced itself free, shrieking as it did. She looked at the shaken girl.

"What do we do?!"

Amity stood up, bringing Luz with her. "We need to knock her out!"

As if enraged at the idea, the creature bit at Willow, only for her to narrowly slip away. Gus ran over to help her stabilize, but was batted away with a heavy slam of its wing. It threw itself forward again, ready to clamp its maw around her shoulder.

Hooty rammed it off course. The Owl Beast stumbled through the room and into a wall. It realigned, focusing on Luz. Before it could start up again, it was ensnared by Amity's goopy chains.

"Luz, how do we knock her out?!"

She thought in a rush, on edge as they thrashed around clipping furniture and floorboards. Memories of her first encounter with it flashed through her mind.

"We need to stun her! Lights! We need bright lights!"

It nearly tore the chains, but more vines reinforced them. Then Hooty coiled around it as it kicked up. Between the three of them they had a firm but uneasy hold. Gus picked himself up and drew a new spell circle.

Half a dozen spotlights, like searchlights combing the dense cluster of its feathery mane, beamed over the beast. Still it rocked the house.

"It's not enough and I can't make them brighter! Now what?!"

Luz watched them with a tightening chest. The screams made it hard to think. If it muscled itself free, it would eviscerate Hooty. They couldn't dodge forever. Eventually, it would rip apart her and her friends, and Eda would be none the wiser.

She desperately copied the motions she had watched her captor perform when writing glyphs. Her trembling hands had no effect on the foundation. Hooty yelped as a claw pierced his side, but he held on. She mumbled hysterically to herself as she continued to flail.

"Please work. Please work. Please work!"

She felt her arms seize up. They eased. Then they shifted smoothly ahead of her, like puppets on a string. The leak in her neck ramped up again and the foundation began to swirl along the ceiling. It took on the shape of a light glyph, as large as the room itself.

It wasn't her who made it.

The entire living room erupted in a cascade of blinding light. When the flash fizzled out, the children recovered first. The Owl Beast tossed around in a weakened daze. Amity, stumbling through a still flickering white world, formed her buckler and found Luz.

"Luz! Ice! Now!"

She snapped from her trance and scratched an ice glyph into the soft surface of the shield. It solidified into an unwieldy brick of force. She helped keep her companion upright as they both staggered over to the monster. Amity looked into its angry, rapidly blinking eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Together they bashed at the side of its head. It slumped over in a tangled mess of netting. It was knocked out cold. Hooty released his hold and slid back. It fell silent.

Even then, no one took a breath. Luz and Amity let go of the bludgeon at the same time. They fell away from the body, no longer scared of it lashing out, but petrified by the sight of it. Luz hid her face in her shoulder, but Amity couldn't look away.

King scurried out from behind the gutted couch unnoticed until he whimpered. "Is Eda going to be okay? What do we do?"

Luz reluctantly but urgently wiggled away from Amity to meet him. "It's going to be okay, buddy. It has to be. W-we just have to do what she said. We'll do the ritual when she wakes up, she'll see that I'm okay, and she'll change back. She has to."

"Do you think that will really work?"

Her eyes shimmered. "It's our best bet."

Amity swallowed and blinked the tears from her eyes. "We might not have a lot of time. We better get started."

Willow offered her a hand. She took it and was pulled to her feet. "We'll get it done. Come on. Let's work fast."

Ignoring the aching of their bodies and the buzzing of their minds, everyone pitched in for the ceremony. The set up took place in the front lawn under the shine of fifty scattered light orbs.

The occult book was hard to read and Eda's chicken scratch notes were harder, but when deciphered they explained the ritual in two parts; First was the execution net, a large geometric shape drawn out on the ground in pink sand with an empty space in the center for the afflicted to stand in. Second was the potion itself, a concoction of many unique ingredients that could hardly be pronounced, that was to be drank by the afflicted. Together, they promised to remove and conceal a Taken.

They split into teams for each task. Amity, Luz and Hooty, the most critically injured of the group, poured the complex pattern of the execution net into existence and set dark wax candles around its edge. Apparently any wrong move when blending the potion, a job for Willow and Gus with King on the sidelines, could result in an explosion. They insisted on keeping the others away.

Forty minutes of preparation brought everyone to a sweat. Each minute that passed increased the odds of Eda waking early. To their relief, it never happened. Once they all finished, they dragged the Owl Beast outside. They held their breath as they reconvened in the slowly dancing lights.

Willow presented the vibrant, wine-purple potion with both hands. "Careful with this. It's our only one."

Luz grasped it tightly. It was three times heavier than she expected, which made her even more nervous when she thought about drinking it. Amity cupped her hands around hers and shook her ever so gently.

"Hey, do you want me to hold it until we begin? I don't want them to get any ideas."

She thought of the foggy light glyph, filled with guilt. "I… don't think it will be a problem. But could you stand with me when we do it? I'm pretty anxious."

She smiled lightly. "Gladly."

Gus glanced over his shoulder at the Owl Beast. "So we're just waiting for her to wake up and watch us, right?"

Luz nodded. "She'll be dazed when she wakes up, and Hooty said he'd hold her down, but we should all be ready in case something goes wrong."

One of her teardrops mixed with the dusty pathway, catching her off guard. Then a few more. She felt their eyes on her, so she didn't look up. She was instantly embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry. It's just been a really long day. Thank you all for being here. I'm so lucky to have friends like you."

She felt three pairs of arms, a set of harmless claws, and a tube of feathers all wrap around her in a warm, firm hug. She sniffled and leaned into it.

Willow pat her back. "What kind of friends would we be if we weren't here for you?"

"Not great ones," Gus chuckled. "We'll always be here for you."

Hooty squeezed. "For the good and the bad."

King hung onto her leg. "You're an awesome person, Luz."

"You mean the world to us," Amity added. She held her free hand, caressing it with her thumb. "Honestly. The world and more."

Luz giggled feebly. "I love you all."

They all heard the groan of the monster. It stirred on the ground in a groggy stupor. They all turned back towards her expectantly.

"This is it. Everyone into position." She cast her eyes on the bottle, holding it close. "We finish this tonight."

Gus held King. Hooty overtook the Owl Beast. Willow lined their vision onto Luz and knotted them down with greenery. Amity, with a great effort, formed an abomination by its side before joining Luz in the circle. The human watched it closely. It would only be a minute longer.

She took in a heavy breath. She couldn't do it just yet. Not without a few last words. She focused her mind.

{Are you still there}?

{I am,} they answered, {is it time}?

{It is}.

There was a short pause. {I would have thought you'd be at least a little excited. What is it}?

She struggled to breathe normally. {You were a monster. You did horrible things. I don't forgive you, b-but–}

{But you're not the killing type. This doesn't make you a murderer, human. This has to happen. The cycle needs to end. I'm tired. I'm sick of dragging people down with me}.

{I don't understand,} she sputtered. {How could you change so quickly? Why did you hurt those people if you actually cared about them? Did you actually care}?

{There was nothing quick about it. I've known better for a long time, I just didn't accept it until you came along. I wronged everyone because I thought there was no other way to live. I was selfish to the very end. My love was real, but it was wrong. It prioritized me, and manipulation, and excuses. The cost of that sh*tty life is too high for me now. I'm disappointed that it ever wasn't}.

{I don't want you to die. I want you to fix everything! I never want to see you again, but there has to be some way for you to pay for what you did meaningfully. To get better}. She looked at the poison in her hand. {If you die, then I can never move on. I'll be stuck remembering you forever}.

They paused again. {I'm sorry. I think you'd remember me no matter what}.

That shook her in the depth of her heart. Every time she would sit near the campfire with her friends, or listen to the booming pop of her favorite firework, or so much as smell the foul smoke of a cigarette, she'd come back to today. She physically shook already because she knew it was true.

She flinched as Amity touched her shoulder from far, far away. "Hey. It's time."

Luz followed along as she pointed to a half-awake beast. She robotically uncorked the bottle in preparation, loyal to her mission but utterly elsewhere. Amity rubbed her hand again until she made eye contact and pulled her back to the world.

"You can do it. It's going to work."

She hoped as much. She squeezed her hand for support, and she reciprocated. Then she was called back in her mind.

{I'm sorry, but I have one last thing I needed to ask}.

{You can ask me}.

{I can never amend the things I've done. I can't actually fix it,} their tears seeped into her eyes, {but I want to end things off with something better. In some way, maybe it can help you, too}.

{I'm listening}.

They whispered it to her. The wind swept through her. She inhaled sharply, then nodded with her eyes closed.

{I will}.

{Thank you, Luz}.

She hung onto her own name for a long time. After a moment she realized it was the first time they directly addressed her by it. It was odd coming from them, but welcomed.

The Owl Beast started to hiss. Hooty constricted it. She had it's attention, and hopefully Eda's. She brought the potion to her lips.

{Luz,} they repeated, {I hope you find peace}.

She shivered.

{You too}.

And she swallowed. It immediately burned her chest. The first gulp was boiling and unbearably thick, and the second was worse. She pounded back the last one and was assaulted by a new aftertaste like burnt plastic. Amity placed a hand on her back as she threw up in the grass.

Hacking and choking, she continued until suddenly she coughed out something dense and slick. Hovering before her blurry eyes was something familiar. A single, floating point, affixed to nothing but the air, spewing beige mist.

The Taken's core was drawn into the newly empty glass bottle by an invisible force. As the sand outline around her glowed, the end of the bottle melted into itself, completely sealing the point inside. Her fingers pinched it tighter, scared of dropping it. It was over. They were trapped.

"Luz," Amity started, "are you okay?!"

"C-cut my ropes. I have to show E-Eda."

Amity formed a dripping blade in her clutch and follow her orders. The blindings gave way quickly. She helped Luz to her feet. The girl took the glass ball in her hand and wobbled towards the snapping jaw.

"It's me, Eda! It's over! Everyone's safe now. Please calm down. Please."

There was the faintest hint of recognition in its dark eyes. Enough for Luz to grasp onto.

"That's it. See this? See this ball? The Taken's in here. I'm safe, Eda. Easy now. You're going to be okay. Stay with us."

It lowered its talons and sniffed at her. A low growl rumbled within it. It tilted its head with narrowed eyes.

Luz kneeled barely a foot away from it. The abomination stood on standby, ready to pull her out of harm's way. She leaned forward slowly, hugging the creature's mane.

"Please stay with us. We need you. I need you, Eda."

A second passed. Then a dozen. Then two dozen. Then a hundred. Luz buried her face into the feathers and weeped. Everyone watched her with woe in their frowns and tears on their cheeks. Another minute passed without a word. Then, almost unheard, there was a gasp.

Luz felt kind hands on her back as her hug was returned. She looked up to see she was now clinging to a red dress. She was held so closely that grey hair flowed over her arms and back. Eda's lungs rattled, then she emptied with a dusty chuckle.

"You made it, Luz. I promised you would. And you saved me, too! Thank you."

Luz laughed brightly as she grappled her mentor like a snake. King tackled his way into the hug and from there everyone trickled in. The crew practically laid in a pile of themselves for as long as Eda could bear it. Eventually she cleared enough space to get a good look at everyone.

"Is everyone okay? I didn't hurt any of you, did I?"

Amity felt the tear in her bicep. She looked down to inspect it, but was shocked to remember Gus was hiding all their injuries. She took the opportunity that was given to her.

"No. But we all need to be checked out sooner than later. Especially you and Luz."

"They'll arrest me at the healing coven, but I can sneak some stuff from them soon. The rest of you can get treated early if you want."

"Oh no," Willow affirmed, "you can't get rid of us that easily."

"Good. I'll get it all sorted. We'll be healthy by morning. You can all stay another night."

Luz passed over Amity, who smiled at the mention. Her heart sank with a painful reminder. She leaned into Eda, disguised as another hug, and whispered to her.

"Eda, I… learned some things. About Amity's home life." She squeezed her tightly. "We have to get her out of that house. She's not going back there."

The Owl Lady nodded subtly and whispered back. "I think I know what you mean. I was already working on a plan to kidnap her. If I workshop it with my sister, then I'm sure we can make it more legal. Don't worry. She and the twins are with us."

"Uh, guys," Gus pointed, "what about that?"

They all looked at the Taken bottle. The point hung low inside, muted by the tinted glass. Eda scooped it up with a glare. She huffed.

"It's time to kill 'em."

Luz stiffened. She agreed with a heavy heart. "How?"

"I have a special powder we need to sprinkle on them. They'll be gone in an instant. I'll go get it–"

"No," Luz pleaded a bit louder than she intended. "I think I should do it."

Amity looked at her in astonishment. "You don't have to do that. Why would you?"

"I-I have to see them out."

"Luz," Eda pressed, "you don't respect them, do you?!"

"Not quite." She remembered their last request and gained a little confidence in what she was saying. "I want to respect everyone that came before them. The ones who didn't make it. I have to end it for them. Also, maybe a little bit for myself."

Eda stood. With one glace, Hooty brought her the bag. She reached in and pulled out a clear container, like a tiny salt shaker, filled with red and white flakes. She stuck it out to her. "Alright, kiddo. I trust your judgement. Go for it. Just sprinkle it on the glass."

Luz took the Taken in one hand and the shaker in the other. She could almost hear them wheezing through her palms. The wind carried her hair out of her face. She sat watching them for a long moment. Her eyelids were heavy.

She did it. The flakes phased through the glass like there was nothing there. They fell onto the Taken like snow building up on someone's shoulders. The point shook. It unwound into a long string of light. The foundation stopped forming. The line broke apart. The glow faded. They finally died.

King's hand found her shoulder. She noticed it was shaking, but it took a second to recognize it was because she was shaking. She held his hand in place with her own and smiled caringly. Amity and Eda's hands joined in.

Amity kneeled next to her. "It'll be okay, Luz. We'll help you through it. At least it's over, right?"

"Actually," she sniffled, "there's one last thing I have to do."

***

It was still dark. Maybe an hour had passed. No one kept track, least of all Luz and Amity. They sat alone near the peak of a cliff overlooking the sea. The waves swept against the rock far below, more calm than normal. Luz made her last etch into the stone plate and handed Amity back her purple tools.

"It looks nice," Amity complimented. "I think it's really sweet of you to do it."

"It was their idea," she admitted. "Their last request, actually. I had to fill it." She blushed when she looked at her. "Thank you for helping me."

"Don't mention it. I'm not going to make you carve a rock by yourself."

"Not just this, Amity. Everything. From the very beginning you were here for me. You comforted me when I was scared. You stood up for me when I was being hurt. You made me feel safe. I can't ever thank you enough for that."

"You don't have to. I only wish I could have done better. You still got hurt. I could have–"

"You're the reason I'm still here. I couldn't ask for a more perfect person to watch over me." She opened her arms and smiled with a vague tremble. "You're my hero."

Amity hugged her, turning red. "You're mine, too."

They stayed intertwined for a minute. Each of them slowly grew warmer. It was comforting to think one day they'd both be back in full spirits. While they were embracing, that future was easy to imagine. Luz pulled away, shocking Amity with just how puffy her eyes still were.

"Amity?"

"Yes?"

"I know this is horrible timing, and I-I don't want you to say anything you don't mean because it's the heat of the moment or you feel obligated or something, but–" she fell into hard to understand stammering.

"What is it? You can tell me, Luz."

"Amity, I think I like you. A lot. I'm sorry. I know it's weird for me to–"

Amity pulled her in for yet another solid hug, shaking with a laugh that was broken up by more tears. "I like you, too! I didn't want it to be weird either. I never thought you'd felt the same."

"Well I do." Luz pushed Amity's green hair out of her face. "I can prove it. Amity Blight, may I please give you a kiss? If-if you're on board with it!"

She couldn't speak, so she bobbed her head as clearly as her paralyzed body would allow. The ghost of a terrified smile formed on her face when she pulled the motion off. She wrapped her hands around Luz.

Luz gave a quick, equally terrified peck to her forehead. They both melted. Each of them looked like they had been boiled. Amity didn't let go. They hugged more.

A sharp whistle pulled them apart. Eda and King, followed shortly by Willow, Gus, and of course Hooty, arrived through the trees with plastic bags in their hands. "We're back!"

Amity patted at her face to get it to look right before they arrived. She smiled when they got closer and she could see their luggage.

"Eye-scream?"

"Hey, a promise is a promise, kiddo. I grabbed medicine, too! Like, I didn't forget the medicine!"

"She totally forgot," King disclosed, "Willow had to remind her."

"King! Betrayal much!?"

He snickered.

"So," Willow cut in, "did you two finish working on the stone?"

Luz found the cold slab on the ground again. "We did." She looked up to the horizon. "I think making it helped. At least a little."

"That's great," Gus commended, "do you need help setting it up?"

"That'd be great."

"ON IT!" Hooty used his beak as a lever to lean the stone onto the tip of his head, then nudged it onto its base before anyone could stop him. Being a four-by-five foot chunk of rock, he did a remarkable job. It stood between everyone and the vast ocean, sturdy and bound to last many lifetimes.

With Willow's help, Luz lined the base with a multitude of simple, prismatic flowers. She thumbed at the engraving to remove a chip in the stone. She stepped back to admire it, holding Amity's hand as she did. With each name she could picture a face, even though she had never seen them herself. They looked content in her secondhand memories.

"It's beautiful, Luz."

"I think so, too."

She held up a light orb so that she, and everyone else, could read through it one last time.

----------

In honor of the souls that were lost in a senseless tragedy:

-Trevor Redbone-

-Madison Chaka & Osmock-

-Harvey Cooper-

-Bella Hoxie-

-Dimitri Orlov-

-Percy Chime-

-Pedro 'The Peacekeeper' Padberg-

-Logan Jones-

Rest now. You will not be forgotten by those who still walk these Isles.

- Luz Noceda

----------

Notes:

The following notes are comprised of my final thoughts, some credits, and a general meditation on this story. Please be sure that you have digested the story and are content before reading on.
-----------------
You made it. You crazy, beautiful person, you made it to the end of my story! I am genuinely touched that you came all the way to the end. I hope it was enjoyable! I certainly loved writing it, and will hopefully write more things soon. Thank you, wholeheartedly, kind reader!
I would like to give a special shout out to everyone who left comments. It is without exaggeration when I say I couldn't have finished this without you. You're all so nice, and reading what you had to say about my story made writing not only rewarding, but I think it was good for my mental health. Like, seriously, fanfiction > therapy.
All jokes aside, I want to commemorate everyone of you. At the time of writing this, these are you lovely folks who helped me through this:
BataBlightBoy
Bruh (guest user)
DrafteeDragon
Meg gator/PetiteChatte (same person)
MrSilvers
Poob
Spicy_Saint
Stahmia
The_Franninator
Thisismyfanficaccount
All of you: ♥️
I started this as goofy haha thinking, "wouldn't it be funny if I was an AO3 user?" Two and a half months later, writen Entirely on my phone, this baby was born. It's so, so deeply flawed. I could revise and edit and scrutinize it into infinity, but right now I am so happy that I got through it. I've never completed a project like this one. I learned so much and literally renewed some passion. This story, as all over the place (and at times super edge and dramatic lol) as it is, I'll still look at it fondly for quite some time.
Another thanks is owed to Dana Terrace and her crew, the creators of The Owl House and certified chads. I am so sorry for bastardizing your characters, but so glad I did. I will do it again. Thank you for giving this poor soul kindling for his fantasy fire.
Don't hesitate to ask questions, leave criticisms and share your thoughts in the comments. Maybe let me know what you want to see next. I definitely need a break, and will have to do a ton of one shots before trying another huge story like this one again, but outside of that I would love to hear what you have to say.
Pardon my rant. Love to you all. Take care.

She's Feeling Off - orphan_account (2024)

Chapter 1: Joining Together

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Chapter 2: Entrapment

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Chapter 3: Old Friends, Current Friends

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Chapter 4: Prepare for Anything

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Chapter 5: Catching Up

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Chapter 6: Never Have I Ever

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Chapter 7: The Cornered Rat

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Chapter 8: War

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Chapter 9: Promises

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