AN: Okay, typos and grammatical issues fixed. Hope you enjoy.
"While the angels, all pallid and wan,/Uprising, unveiling, affirm/That the play is the tragedy, 'Man,'/And its hero, the Conqueror Worm!" — Edgar Allan Poe
Luz walked down the darkened stone roads, the streetlamps being her only guide towards her ultimate goal. Yet, they weren't oppressive or overly bright enough to stop her from looking up towards the heavens and seeing the gorgeous night sky, a bright blanket of constellations, complete with a bright crescent moon. Still, the objects around the sidewalks cast eerie shadows around the small huts and buildings to which Luz could only imagine what could be lurking there. This world was still alien to her, and she was slowly but surely learning to expect the unexpected. Nothing was what it seemed here.
She looked back down at her messenger scroll at the 'text' Amity had sent her earlier that morning. Amity had expressed that she had found more information in regards to their collective dreams and requested Luz to meet her at the street corner near the Bonesborough Library. The memory of the night before still lingered in her mind, the battle with Grom and the fun magical dance the two of them had together. It was an exciting but indeed harrowing experience that shook Luz to her core, having to face the illusion of her mother's disappointment. Still, she couldn't help but wonder at Amity's fear of rejection; if whoever it was actually did reject her, Luz could imagine nothing but the worst about them.
At length, Luz and found her friend standing on the street corner near one of the street lamps, wearing a pretty purple and black dress, arms crossed and appearing to be lost in her thoughts again.
"Amity!" Luz shouted and ran towards her, "I was worried I wasn't going to find you. Still getting used to the area."
"Oh...hey, Luz," Amity answered, surprised, "Just keep it down. I don't know if people are trying to sleep...or if any of the nightstalkers are around."
"Nightstalkers?"
"Never mind," Amity shook her head, "Let's just get to the library."
They then proceeded a bit further down the cobbled street and turned the corner. Eventually, they saw the visage of the library, its immensity casting a shadow on the starry tapestry that Luz had been admiring earlier. The two walked up the steps to the massive front door.
"Sooo, gonna tell me what you found?" Luz asked, "And are we going to sneak in like last time?"
"Actually," Amity answered, "I have permission from one of the librarians to be here after hours. They gave me a spare key after my parents convinced them I would need to come here to study as often as I do. What I found, though, was something Bump had told me about yesterday. I've been having a difficult time finding anything legitimate on collective dreaming; a lot of it was pure bunk and didn't come from credible sources, or those sources would contradict other sources, and it was just a mess trying to find anything on why collective dreams could happen. I mean, I would think there would be a spell or something similar to the one Eda cast on us to enter Willow's mind, but I don't think that's quite the same thing that's happening to us." They stopped at the door, and Amity fumbled in the pockets of her dress until she found her jangling key ring.
"And I'm guessing Bump told you about some ancient, secret tomb resting in the forbidden part of the library," Luz smirked.
"Uh, yeah," Amity turned up an eyebrow, "How did you guess?"
"That's always how these stories go," Luz sighed, and the two laughed together.
"Yeah, this is a pretty cliched setup," Amity rolled her eyes but still chuckled, all the while inserting the key into the lock and twisting. The heavy clunk of the tumblers echoed through the archway, and the grating of the massive door along the ground resonated through the empty halls. The girls walked into the darkened library and found that the moon gave enough illumination from the stained glass window at the top of the entryway, various colors sprawling across the floor and shelves.
"Definitely not going to turn down another chance to be here," Luz grinned while looking at all the books, "But should we really still be concerned about those dreams? I mean, we haven't had another incident in over a week, the last one being about that clock opening and closing doors in your house. I just figured they went away; one less thing to worry about in my book."
"Well, what if they come back?" Amity grumbled, "Those dreams were too vivid and realistic for me to ignore! Plus, you, me, and Willow all shared them at once; that doesn't just happen!" She then sighed. "Look I want to be with you on this one. I want to count it as a win. But I don't think they were completely meaningless. Plus, I'm still having trouble sleeping. While my dreams aren't quite that...horrendous, I keep hearing this voice calling out to me...some hushed, raspy voice calling to me in the darkness of my own room, as well as a name I'm still not entirely sure how to pronounce." She then grew silent and looked down at the floor.
"Hey," Luz broke the pause and gently put a hand on her shoulder, "It'll be okay. We're here for you, Amity. And we won't let anything bad happen to you." Amity then looked up and could see Luz giving her a warm smile, and all the dread she had been feeling, from the past few restless night's sleep, from diving into Willow's painful memories, and from facing Grom, all melted away.
"Thanks, Luz," Amity took a deep breath, reached up, and held Luz's hand against her shoulder, "I appreciate you coming out here tonight. But let's get going; the entrance to the basement can't be too far...I hope." And the girls proceeded to walk through the dimly lit library.
All the while, something was welling up inside Amity, something deep in her gut that she couldn't shake. She was more than happy to have Luz with her, but there was a nervousness that grew while she was in close proximity to her.
"Umm, Luz," she finally managed to mutter, "could I ask you a personal question?"
"Uhh, suuuure, I guess…" Luz had some apprehension her voice, raising an eyebrow in bewilderment. Most people are bothered by personal questions, but they are necessary for close friends to grow closer and learn about each other. "Every question's a personal question if you're a person!" And that broke the tension, allowing both girls to laugh again.
"But seriously," Amity got back on track, "Did you...have anyone special back in the human realm?"
"Ha, yeah right," Luz shrugged, "There were a few girls and guys I thought were cute, but I think I scared them off. But really, the way I started to see it wasn't that I was too weird for them; they were just too normal for me!"
"Well, I guess that's one way of looking at it," Amity smirked, "That's a good trait to have, confidence and recognition of who you are. Really, they were fools to run away from someone as great as you."
"Yeah, yeah," Luz rolled her eyes, "you're just flattering me at this point. Now, let me throw the question back at you. Surely the great Miss Blight has some romantic secrets she's hiding from even her closest of friends!"
"Uhh, not really," Amity stammered nervously, blushing and shrugging, "It's pretty much the same as yours. I found a few girls here and there that were attractive...but really…" With that, her tone grew softer and slower. Her voice was twinged with melancholy. "I've never allowed myself to grow close to anyone. I could never afford to make time for that. Being a Blight, I need to bring honor to the family name, and that means studying to enter the Emperor's Coven and reaching a high prestigious rank therein. Even the people my parents want me to befriend, I can't get close to them either...not really. I recognize their superficiality and cruelty. Skara's not so bad, but she's definitely spoiled. Boscha on the other hand…"
"I could tell you've been under pressure for awhile," Luz replied.
"You could say that," Amity responded coldly and clinched her fist. She could feel herself getting angry again, but it wasn't at Luz; she hadn't done anything offensive. Why was she getting mad all of a sudden?
"Well, you know," Luz ran around in front of her and put her hands on Amity's shoulders, "Heeeeey, look at meeeee. Come on now." Amity then looked up, and her amber eyes met with Luz's light brown eyes. "I've been here long enough to see that, despite our cultural or biological differences, Witchlings still need and desire the same thing as humans: basic amenities, success, recognition, and of course companionship. No one's an island, and that includes you and me. You're wonderful, mi hermosa amiga, and I'm so glad I met you on this crazy otherworldly journey."
Amity couldn't hold back anymore; her eyes began to well up and water. She then wrapped her arms around Luz and hugged her tight.
"Thank you, Luz," Amity made a light sob before regaining her composure and loosening her grip around Luz's waist, "And I'm glad to have met you, too, in this crucial time in my life."
"Likewise," Luz replied cheerfully before letting go, "Alright, the time for teen angst has passed. We must continue our quest for that ancient tome in the secret basement! Onward, my ever studious witch!"
"Yeah," Amity sighed but was still smiling, "Let's go find some answers about those dreams."
The two then proceeded down the darkened rows of books, trying to keep their eyes peeled for any sign of a hidden door. They passed by the sign reading fiction and non-fiction, and Amity had a momentary thought.
"What if," she began, "since there's a hidden door in the romance section, maybe there's one in non-fiction as well?"
"Worth a look," Luz chimed, "Maybe it'll have a clever title for a fake book like that one did." The two then came to a wide array of shelved books lined against the wall. They then proceeded to begin pulling books at random, knowing full well this was a needle in a haystack hunt. Finally, Luz spotted something: a book titled "The Hidden Cellar Motif."
"I think I might have found it!" she beamed in a sing-song tone. She then pulled the book but to her disappointment, the shelf didn't move. Luz sighed, but as she was putting the book back on the shelf, her hand brushed the top of another book and accidentally pulled it down. The book was titled "Human Realm History: Comparing the Egyptian and Mesoamerican Pyramids," and as soon as it was halfway off the shelf, it stopped, as though held in place by something else. There was a click, and the shelf slid sideways to reveal a long dark stone staircase below.
"Huh," Luz gasped, "I guess it was the less obvious choice, then?"
"Better security means they really didn't want anyone down there," Amity stated, "Luz, before we go down there, Bump told me the place is crawling with bookworms."
"Eh," Luz shrugged, "Worms don't bother me."
"These ones will," Amity replied coldly, "They're enormous and probably will eat you if given the chance. The problem is they dwell in the shadows and surprisingly good at hiding given their size."
"Well, that sounds...unpleasant."
"Fortunately," Amity continued and cast a small fire spell which she maintained about a foot and a half above her palm, "they're also sensitive to light. I would have suggested one of your light spells, but I don't know that it will emit enough radiance."
"Fair point," Luz nodded but then looked down the stairs and shivered, "Well,I guess we have to go down there."
The girls proceeded down the cold stone stairs until they came to an iron door. Amity was the first to drag it open after turning the key in the lock, the iron grating across the floor. Pitch blackness greeted them beyond the portal, along with a sharp hissing sound that faded off into the chamber. The girls looked at each other nervously, but Luz decided to break the tension.
"Hey, Amity," she began, "You have...to go...inside!" She was doing her best to imitate the voice of the creepy doll from their last dream.
"Doooon't do that!" Amity laughed nervously, pointing at her with her free hand, "That thing freaked me out last time; I still think I see it in my room at night sometimes. But seriously, we should head in." With that, the girls stepped into the void beyond the ancient aperture. Amity held the flame aloft, giving rough light for them to see in a ten foot radius, at least enough to make out the shadows of old books.
As they proceeded onward, Luz thought she could hear a strange hissing, or slithering, sound coming from around and about them. In a few instances, she perceived that she saw what looked like large, tendril-like shadows that darted out of sight as they walked. She felt very nervous and darted to Amity's side, clutching onto her arm.
Amity was a little shocked but didn't protest. Instead, she lifted her arm and wrapped it around Luz's waist, holding her close as they proceeded.
They looked around and about them at the different shelves of ancient books. There were signs above each row, each named a different realm from where the books had come. Luz read each name to herself: Mewni, Amphibia, Edenia, Oddworld, Dominaria, Faerün, Innistrad, Ravnica, Ebberon.
At length, they found the shelf for which they had searched, one that read Earth.
"That's it!" Luz yelped softly before Amity shushed her, followed by her whispering, "Sorry." They gingerly walked down the aisle, examining the titles as they went; among them were "The Golden Bough" by Sir James George Frazer, "Wonders of the Invisible World" by Cotton Mather, "De Vermis Mysteriis" by Ludwig Prinn, and what Luz thought might have been a copy of the infamous Necronomicon. Finally, they came upon a title, "The Dreamlands: Chronicled Journeys of The Dream Travelers and The Pilgrimage to Nighted Kadath," by Randolph Carter.
Luz hurried to pull down the book when Amity began looking distressed. No sooner did Luz hit the floor with the book than she noticed Amity's flame begin to dissipate, all the while dark shapes began to slither down the aisle towards them. She then began to try and increase the flame with more circular motions from her finger but to no avail.
"Grr why isn't this working?" Amity groaned softly in frustration, "I can't concentrate! Can't focus!" It was then that they began to notice the form and aspect of one of the shapes that neared them. It was none other than what looked like a large, onyx colored earthworm, but Luz's study of the creature was short lived as its mouth flared open like that of a large flower with teeth. A loud hiss came from it as it began to move closer.
Suddenly, there flashed upon Luz's mind an idea, and she had but an instant to enact it.
"Trust me," she told Amity, "I've got this." She then fumbled in her pocket for one of her pre-drawn glyphs and fumbled around to try and find one for light. The worm was now about five feet away, it's siblings likewise getting closer, before Luz found the right glyph, touched it, and quickly levitated a light spell into Amity's flame.
The combined spells set off a chain reaction that caused a burst of fiery purple light that caused the worms to hiss and slither away back to the shadows. This combined light gave off an even larger radius of light. That allowed the girls safe passage back to the doorway. Who knew that combining similar spells would have caused them to become more powerful?
"Feel free to light one of my fires again like that any time," Amity laughed as they ran for the door.
"Anytime," Luz agreed and winked. They then closed the door of iron behind them with a loud clang.
It wasn't long before they found themselves in Amity's secret hideaway.
"Why don't we make this room our base of operations?" Luz suggested, dropping the large, heavy book onto the table before sitting next to Amity and opening the first few pages, "Maybe if this continues, we can compare and contrast dream experiences."
"I guess that's not a bad idea," Amity blushed and tried to focus on the volume in front of her. She then got a message on her scroll. "Ugh! It's Boscha! She's ranting about Grudgby Season starting next week."
"Do you need to reply to her?"
"Nah!" Amity shook her head, "Let's just focus on the book shall we?"
The two then looked at the book further, reading on, sometimes marveling at what they found, sometimes laughing.
"And then there's a place called Ulthar, full of cats," Luz beamed, "that must be a cute land, provided they don't steal human souls."
"I think that's only if you kill a cat that that happens," Amity then yawned, "I'm kinda tired, but I don't want to leave yet. Can I...just lay my head on your shoulder?"
"Ha, of course," Luz chuckled, and Amity gently laid her head on Luz's shoulder, looking down at the book but then back up at Luz as she read on.
Some time passed, and Luz was still reading, focusing on every bizarre detailed description and word she didn't recognize.
"And then there's this ice-covered plateau of Leng," Luz muttered, "It seems it's full of freaky giant purple spiders and..." She then looked over to see that Amity was now fully asleep, her soft hair still resting on Luz's now sore shoulder. But she didn't mind. She then leaned over and kissed her friend on the top of her head. "Goodnight, mi encantadora." She then rested her head next to Amity's and began to relax, still focusing on the words of the book before succumbing to sleep herself.
Thankfully, neither experienced any terrible dreams that night but were merely awakened with the soft, warm morning sunlight streaming down through the high windows of the antediluvian library. Luz was the first to awaken, and her mind turned to the slow chords of an acoustic guitar she had heard from some old song back on Earth. She missed home but wouldn't trade this moment with Amity for the world.