Disclaimer: I don't own The Worst Witch. The title belongs to Pompeii by Bastille, which was playing in the background as I was typing. Also, how rude of fanfiction not to accept the full title in the upload process. Ugh!

A/N: So I literally woke this morning with this entire thing forming in my head. Cheers to TypicalRAinbow for giving it the once over while I was having a crisis of confidence.

I felt that the park was far too obvious a place for Indigo to go, which is why I have somehow landed on the beach. :D Which, if you think about it, does actually fit in with Mildred's whole seaside version of Joy lol.

While, I am of the opinion that Hecate is physically still confined to Cackle's Academy and its grounds, that obviously wasn't going to work here, so for the sake of this plot, the physical confinement ( past graduation anyway) does not exist.

But If You Close Your Eyes (Does It Almost Feel Like Nothing Changed At All?)

She sniffed as she felt a sudden presence behind her, quickly wiping underneath her eyes in a bid to rid herself of the obvious signs of her crying. Still though, she didn't turn around. 'Just go away, Millie. I don't really want to see you right now.'

'It isn't Mildred Hubble.'

At the sound of the voice, Indigo turned around, her eyes visibly hardening as she stared coldly at the witch who stood awkwardly before her. She scoffed, unable to believe the very nerve of the woman. 'And what makes you think I want to talk to you any more than I would want to talk to her, Joy? You're both liars!'

Hecate opened her mouth to speak, and was partly relieved when Indigo immediately cut her off. She still had no idea what she was even going to say to the girl. Motionless, she just stood and let the teenager unleash her tirade.

'I mean it all makes perfect sense now, doesn't it? No wonder you were so desperate to get me kicked out, Miss Hardbroom! Couldn't risk anyone finding out your dirty little secret!' She practically spat the last word, and Hecate visibly flinched. Never before had Indigo spoken to her with such hatred present in her voice.

'That's not-' Hecate swallowed, blinking back fresh tears as she tried to explain. Her mind spilled out hidden truths; told of how the real reason she had wanted Indigo gone was because she had feared for the girl's safety in a magical environment. The words, however, just wouldn't come. 'It's not as simple as that, Indigo.'

'Well, of course that's easy for you to say. You aren't the one who spent the majority of her life as A BLOODY STATUE!'

There was a long moment of silence.

'No,' Hecate said quietly in agreement, carefully lowering herself onto the sandy beach. 'And I cannot even begin to imagine how awful that must have been for you.'

Indigo just glowered at her.

'If it's any consolation, in many ways, I was just as trapped as you were.'

'Oh, my heart bleeds for you.'

The words were dripping with sarcasm and Hecate wondered if she was fighting what was already a losing battle. Still though, she had to at least try.

'I'm sorry.'

She knew it wasn't enough. Was all too aware that nothing she said was ever going to be enough to mend the broken bonds of trust and erase all the lies.

'Really? Which part are you sorry for exactly? For turning me to stone and then just abandoning me? Or for lying to my face THIS ENTIRE TIME?'

'Yes. Both of them ... All of it. I'm so, so incredibly sorry.' Hecate could feel her level of anxiety and fear beginning to rise, the sea air quickly closing in around her and choking her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her fingers tracing patterns in the sand as she struggled to regain control of her overly emotional state. 'I never abandoned you, you know?'

'Yeah right!'

Hecate shook her head frantically, knowing she needed to make the girl understand. 'I swear on the Witches' Code, that I didn't, Indigo. When I-' She stopped, and then tried again. 'After it first happened, I would spent hours sat in the woods, just chatting away to you about anything and everything. And I would spend any time I had desperately searching through book after book, looking for a spell, a potion, anything that could undo what I did and bring you back to me. Eventually though, I was forced to accept the truth.'

A single tear trailed down her cheek.

'There was nothing I could do to fix it.'

Indigo remained silent as the confession washed over her. As angry as she currently was, she temporarily set her fury to one side, trying to look at it instead from Joy's point of view. Thinking of what she might have done if she had been that scared fourteen year old girl left to bear that kind of burden.

'There came a point where it became too difficult to see you like that,' Hecate continued on, her previously absent words now spilling out freely like water. 'Knowing that I was responsible for taking your life away from you in the way that I had, and-'

'Speaking of life, why did you choose to stay at Cackle's? You were so talented with magic, Joy. You could have gone anywhere! Done anything you wanted!'

Hecate let out a shaky breath. Indigo Moon wasn't the first to wonder such a thing. 'Miss Cackle was kind to me,' she said simply, a small smile appearing on her lips for the witch who had very likely saved her life. 'She was willing to give me a chance that not many others would have-especially given my past history. And because as much as I couldn't bear to see you and what I had done to you any longer, I-I couldn't bear to truly leave you either.'

She cursed as another tear trickled down her cheek, and quickly raised a hand to wipe underneath her eyes, inadvertently mirroring Indigo's actions from earlier on. As she did so, Indigo caught a sudden flash of something pink. Before either could stop her, she grabbed for Hecate's wrist, rolling up her sleeve more to get a better look. For the first time since Hecate had tracked her down to the beach, Indigo's eyes softened ever so slightly. Her small fingers gently traced the strings of the friendship bracelet she had gifted a-then-teenage-Joy almost thirty years ago. She looked from Hecate to the bracelet and then back again.

'You kept it.'

Hecate nodded. 'Despite what you may think of me now, I never stopped caring. When I found your bracelet on the floor earlier today, I-I knew that I couldn't live that lie any longer. You deserved to know the truth.'

Indigo's brow furrowed in confusion. 'Wait, so you were actually going to tell me?'

'You probably won't believe me, but I was actually on my way over to see you when Ethel appeared with-' Hecate cleared her throat, not wanting to remind either of them how Ethel Hallow had gleefully wrecked a moment that had been thirty years in the making. 'My old file.'

'Millie must have found it when I was looking for it in Miss Cackle's office.'

Hecate raised an eyebrow. The strict teacher in her was obviously unimpressed with their blatant disregard for the rules of boundaries and for breaking and entering. (Honestly, Ada Cackle really did need to think about investing in some better security measures for her office!) The small part of her that was still Joy though couldn't help but be touched with just how deeply Indigo had gone looking for her dearest friend.

'She's been a good friend to you, hasn't she? Mildred, I mean?'

'If you don't count the lying to me, then I guess she has. She took a chance on me. Actually, she kind of reminds me of you.'

Hecate stiffened at the words.

'Mildred Hubble reminds you of me?'

Indigo couldn't help but snigger at the horrified look currently present on the older woman's face. 'Well,' she corrected herself, 'she reminds me of Joy.'

There was a beat, and then Hecate smiled. 'She reminds me of Joy too. I think it's largely why I've come down so hard on her. Because I didn't want her messing up as badly as I did. Irony is she went and did exactly the same thing. Despite what she might believe though, I do think that one day she will become a great witch. You could too, you know? With some proper guidance.' Stalling for time, she fidgeted with the end strands of her bracelet. 'Do you think? ... Well, what I mean to say is, will you be staying on at Cackle's?' After all, you've earned your place now.'

At the question, Indigo hesitated. 'I honestly don't know. There's a lot of things I need to think about before I decide what to do. Thank you for finally telling me the truth though.'

Hecate nodded in understanding. 'I'm only sorry I never told you sooner.'

Checking her timepiece, she suddenly noted the lateness of the hour. 'Anyway, the tide will soon be coming in, and I should probably be heading back to check the school is still standing.' She got to her feet and brushed the sand granules off her dress. She had only been half-joking about her previous comment regarding Cackle's, knowing as she did its inhabitants' penchant for finding chaos and disaster. 'Are you wanting to be alone for a while longer or do you want to come back with me?'

'Actually, there's something I need to do first of all. Can you meet me by the car park in ten minutes?'

Curiosity piqued, Hecate agreed, knowing she at least owed the girl that much.

Hecate stood waiting at their designated meeting point, finally feeling more at ease than she had done in years. It was if something had lifted, the weight no longer a tight noose wrapped around her neck. She closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh sea air, reminded of the time her and Indigo had spent her birthday on the beach; building sandcastles, laughing until they cried, and of course eating-

'I hope mint chocolate chip is still your favourite!'

She whipped round, seeing Indigo was now holding two slightly melting ice cream cones.

'You remembered?'

'You were my best friend.' Indigo stated as she handed over a cone to the older woman. 'Of course I remember. I remember everything. Even that thing you told me about that blonde witch in your year.'

At the comment, Hecate flushed, nearly choking to death on her first mouthful of ice cream in over three decades. 'Ah, yes ... well-'

'Don't worry, Joyee,' Indigo teased, the old nickname slipping out with surprising ease. 'I won't say anything to embarrass you.'

'That would be ... most appreciated.' She caught Indigo's eye and the two of them actually laughed a little, as if sharing in some secret joke from way back when. Laughter finally abating, a silence descended once more. Indigo was the one to break it.

'I think I will come back to Cackle's ... for now at least. Maybe we can talk some more there?'

Hecate smiled. 'I'd like that, Indie.'

At the familiar term of endearment, Indigo smiled too. 'So would I.'