As Luz flew back towards Bonesborough she checked her scroll as she ran a hand through her hair as she looked at the most recent message from her girlfriend.
How goes your quest for date night supplies, love?
Luz smiled, readjusting the straps on her backpack as she typed out a reply.
Good! Just got a few more things to grab from Ulna Cove and then we'll be all set.
Amity's response was instantaneous.
Yay! What do you wanna do tonight? Games? Dancing? Movies?
Luz has to stop herself from typing
SLEEP and instead entered
Cuddles?
But she never got to hit send.
A golden bolt of energy leaped out from the forest below and struck her in the shoulder, sending her tumbling off her staff and down into the lake she and Owlbert were flying over.
When she broke the surface, she was struggling to tread water with her injured arm only to see a flurry of yellow energy bolts streak through the air, forcing her to take a deep breath before diving below the water's surface.
Remember mija, the worst thing you can do if you're in trouble is panic. You are very smart, so if you're ever in trouble and your mom and I aren't around, don't be afraid to stop and think even if it's just for a second. Your mind is your most powerful ally. Her father had told her one day after she fell in the pool at a family reunion.
Heeding her father's word she scanned the lakebed, noticing the opening of an underwater cave just a few feet away from her. She could even see a faint light coming from it. As she swam, trying to ignore the burning pain in her shoulder, she noticed the strange stonework that lined the cave entrance which she only now realized was the doorway to…somewhere.
Suddenly, the water around her began to churn and Luz realized that whoever or whatever was attacking her was controlling the water around her, trapping her in a localized whirlpool that was spinning her so fast she quickly lost her orientation.
Her chest was beginning to sting as her lungs started to run out of oxygen as the whirlpool finally released her from its grasp but the world was still spinning around her. Despite this, she was able to focus on the light she had spotted from earlier and swam as hard as she could towards it, her lungs burning and her vision fading as she started to ascend towards the dim light.
Then she broke through the surface, greedily gulping in air as she grabbed onto the rocks in front of her and pulling herself onto dry land, and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling of the rocky cave for several minutes as she tried to recover from the ordeal before forcing herself to stand, still stumbling around after being put through the world's deadliest spin cycle.
Luz pulled a potion from her bandolier and chugged it all in seconds before tossing the bottle to the side, feeling a warm sensation spread through her body as the potion took effect. Almost like she was laying under a weighted blanket with her mom, drinking a comically large mug of hot chocolate. Not long after, the searing pain in her shoulder dulled before vanishing completely.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, she dropped down to her knees and inspected the contents of her backpack, sighing with relief when she saw its various contents were still intact and making a mental note to take up Hooty cleaning duty as a way to thank Eda for enchanting it for her. Then pulled out her last remaining glyphs and shouldered the bag before reaching around to see if she still had her sword but groaned when she only felt the scabbard resting on her back.
"Guess I owe Robin a sword." She grumbled as she used a pair of light glyphs to illuminate the cave, noticing more strange stonework covering the walls, she could make out regal faces beneath all the moss and dirt
"What is this place anyway?" She wondered as she spun in place before seeing a short, tubby bald man floating in front of her, holding a large lantern over his head like he was about to smack her with it.
"Who are you?" He demanded as Luz screamed.
…
Amity started in confusion as little dots danced across the screen of her scroll, telling her that Luz was still typing but before she could ask if everything was ok, a groan from the back of the room made her look up and set her scroll down when she saw Mattholomule laying face down on his desk.
"Everything ok Mattholomule?" Amity asked as she walked over.
"You can just call me Matt, you know." He grumbled, not even looking up.
"Ok Matt, are you having trouble with something?" She asked again, sitting down at the desk next to him.
"I'm just not good at this." He told her. "I'm in the construction track. I need clear instructions on what to do. Steps, plain and simple. I don't do well with stuff like this where the rules are up for interpretation." He explained, finally pulling his head up off the desk.
"Well, there are steps to writing an essay." Amity offered only for Matt to shake his head.
"No no I get that, but I don't know what my teacher wants from me! I know the steps but I don't know how to apply them to what I'm trying to do."
Amity took a breath and scooted her desk closer to Matt's, seeing the title of the book he had been assigned to read.
"Ok, I think I know how we can do this."
"This is the one about the engineer on the submarine right and the captain who keeps pushing him to make the submarine dive deeper than it's designed for, right?"
Matt nodded before frowning at the book.
"Ok. So let's try thinking about your assignment in a different way. Imagine that you and I are working together on something. Our covens paired us up and they put me in charge."
Matt nodded, the bored look in his eyes telling Amity he was barely paying attention.
"Alright."
"Now imagine I asked you to make me something with your magic that looks like this." Amity began as she made a quick series of sketches in his notebook.
Matt's eyes narrowed as he watched her draw.
"Also I need it done as fast as possible. I'm thinking by Monday."
"Whoa whoa, this is nuts!" He protested, throwing his arms up in the air.
Amity tilted her head.
"Why?"
"It's too much! Even if I was as skilled as a full-blown coven member this would take weeks unless I had like six other people."
Amity shrugged.
"Sounds like your problem to figure out."
"What?! No, that's ridiculous. If you're in charge you should know what is actually feasible for someone in the Construction Coven." Matt exclaimed.
"You seem frustrated," Amity said flatly.
"Of course I am, you're acting like an idiot! Plus, I know you're smarter than this!"
Amity nodded.
"So now imagine that you've known me for twenty years, and I've pulled you away on a crazy treasure hunting expedition right after your daughter was born. How much angrier would you be?"
Matt's anger fizzled out as she realized what she was trying to tell him.
"You're one of the only students in the construction track in your class, right?" Amity asked, with a nod being his only reply.
"How many of them have asked you to do ridiculous stuff like what the captain asks the engineer to do throughout this book, during, I don't know, a combat exercise?"
The boy sighed wearily.
"All the time."
"I bet reading your paper will give them some insight on how to be better partners for you in the future."
Matt picked up his pencil and started to jot down some notes before sighing.
"I'm sorry for getting frustrated. I'm not good at school stuff, not like you are."
"It's ok Matt. We all learn in different ways. Just don't be afraid to ask for help. The worst thing you can do is give up." She told him as she stood up. "I'll be at my desk if you need me."
"Actually, could you stay here for a few minutes? I have some more questions."
"Of course!" She replied as he opened up his book, flipping to a page he had earmarked while Amity looked over the rest of her class, smiling as she saw them focusing intently on their work.
It was the best she had felt all day.
…
"You're a ghost!" Luz yelled, stumbling back and almost falling into the water.
"What of it?" The man snapped, floating closer towards her.
"I'm just shocked is all. I mean I've seen a lot of weird stuff in the Boiling Isles since I've come here but ghosts are a new one for me." She stammered.
"You still haven't answered my question, who are you?" The ghost demanded.
"My name is Luz. Luz Noceda." She told him quickly.
"Noceda. I haven't heard that name before. I am curious, what is your family known for?"
Luz put her hands on her hips.
"Well, my father was brave enough to fly into storms that flooded entire cities, with winds so strong they toppled buildings that touch the sky and my mom is wise enough to save a thousand different kinds of animals from countless diseases you've never heard of, all without magic. Then there's me, who went from knowing nothing about magic to being proficient with many kinds of magic in the span of only a year."
The ghost seemed impressed, if not a little skeptical.
"Where did you say you were from again?"
"The human realm, I came here after…well, it's a long story," Luz told him
A human? How strange. I haven't seen your kind since…bah, no matter! Tell me Ms. Noceda, what business do you have in the Blight Family Crypt?"
"The Blight family?" Luz asked.
"Yes, perhaps you've heard of us?"
The young witch nodded.
"I definitely have. I know Amity Blight. She's my girlfriend."
The ghost gasped in delight.
"A suitor?! Could you be here to ask her ancestors for her hand in marriage? After approaching the parents, its customary to speak with at least two prior generations, and if you really want to go the extra mile-"
"Ew no, I don't believe in the whole: may I have your son and or daughter's hand in marriage thing," Luz said, shaking her head, her eyes locked on the floor as she put her hands behind her back as the image of Amity in a wedding gown burrowed its way into her brain for the second time that day.
The ghost frowned.
"Ah, well then what are you doing here?"
"Someone is trying to kill me and I needed a place to hide. Also, that someone was more than likely hired by Odalia Blight. You're probably familiar with her as well."
"Ah yes, Odalia." The ghost said the same way someone might say cockroaches.
"You don't like her?" Luz asked.
"No, not only did she let the crypt fall to the lakebed for one, and she has been quick to distance her children from the other living members of our family. There are people alive today who don't even know Amity exists."
Luz frowned at that thought. If Amity had known the other Blights, would her mother have ever had a chance to treat her the way she does now? Would she, Edric, and Em have had the chance to be kids?
"I'm sorry, I promise I'll take good care of her. Maybe one day, I can help her find them." Luz offered.
The ghost's accusatory gaze softened a little, looking more concerned.
"You said someone was trying to kill you?"
Luz nodded.
"Someone shot me off my staff." She said pointing to her shoulder.
The ghost floated over to examine her wound.
"This is…old magic. Evil and twisted. Belonging to a minion of Emperor Belos."
"They are probably up on the lakeshore waiting for me to come up for air," Luz told him, a worried look in her eye.
"Fear not. You are welcome to take shelter in the crypt, for now, come with me." The ghost said before floating up a set of stone stairs.
"Hey what's your name?" Luz asked as she followed.
"Dampe." He replied after a brief moment of hesitation.
"So are you trapped here or is there some kind of unfinished business you have to attend to or what?"
"When I died, Elinor Blight tasked me with guarding these hallowed grounds until the end of time." He explained as they came to a halt in front of a stone door with the Blight Family insignia carved into it, which Luz recognized as a much older, more traditional form of the Blight Industries logo.
"I also keep tabs on all the living members of the Blight Family. Although Odalia has been trying her hardest to keep me away as of late, and I don't know why. We're family…I haven't seen Amity in almost a year."
He extended an arm and the door groaned before it slowly lifted open, revealing a hallway bathed in blue torchlight with walls covered in rectangular panels with rusted metal plaques on each one that identified the remains of the person inside, as well as their accomplishments.
Sybil Blight: Skilled Plant Magic Practitioner
Phoebe Blight: Most Powerful Witch of Her Age
Mychaell Blight: Headmaster of Hexside School for Magic and Demonics
Roland Blight: Master Blacksmith
As Luz walked, she felt the stones beneath her shift and lifted her shoe to see a cracked brick with the word Dampe on it.
No fancy plaque. No description of what he did for them.
Just a broken piece of rock covered in moss.
Luz looked up sadly at her companion before she started walking again, stepping around a large puddle in the middle of the corridor.
"Hey Dampe, when you were alive, what did you do for the Blights?"
"Many things, I looked after the little ones, cooked, cleaned, I even sparred with them when needed. I've been a part of this family for as long as I can remember." He explained.
"Letting strangers into our home is a new one." A new voice sneered as Luz turned around to see a little boy in a fine suit strolling up to her.
"Hello, Rafe," Dampe said, hardly turning around.
"Who is your friend Dampe?"
"This is Luz, she's seeking shelter with us at the moment."
"Is she a Blight?" Rafe asked, his eyes scanning Luz up and down.
"She doesn't look like a Blight."
"Though nowadays, most of our relatives seem to be a bit of a disappointment."
Luz scowled at the young boy as a woman in a Victorian ball gown pulled herself out of the wall and floated down to the floor like a leaf on a fall day.
"Hello, cousin, who's this you're talking to?"
The young witch waved shyly at her.
"Hi, my name's Luz. I'm dating Amity. She's one of your descendants."
"Ah, I see." The woman said, sounding thoroughly unimpressed.
"Tell me, Luz, what kind of magic do you specialize in?"
"Well, all kinds! I managed to convince the principal of Hexside to let me study all the tracks of magic at school."
"All kinds?" Rafe asked as Dampe floated over. "Did you hear that Katherine?"
The woman in the ball gown chuckled and nodded.
"My husband always says that a jack of all trades is a master of none. You should make up your mind dear."
Luz rubbed the back of her head as she started walking again.
"Thanks for the advice but-"
"Perhaps you are the reason why Dampe has been kept from Amity and the twins." A man in full plate mail said as he floated up through the ground, the staff in his hand was topped by a creature that looked like a dragon crossed with a centipede. "If Amity isn't living up to the family name, Odalia might be embarrassed of her."
"That's true Rycharde!" Katherine said. "We all know how much of a dead-end the twins ended up being. Amity may be the only hope this family has left."
Luz growled, her blood starting to boil as Dampe tried to cut in and lead her away from the Blights while an old woman looked on from the far end of the hallway, her cloak hood pulled up.
"We should send Dampe to talk to Odalia and relay our concerns. We may need to have her push Amity even harder than before." An old man said, pulling himself out the wall and almost falling on top of Rafe. He too was in a fine suit and held a cane in his hand.
"We should also have her look for a proper suitor. The last time we invited a commoner into the family it did not go well." Rafe suggested.
Luz scowled at him.
"Hey!"
"If she's here to ask for young Amity's hand, she could have brought us better gifts," Katherine said as she opened up Luz's backpack and peeked inside.
"Well, those aren't for you!" Luz snapped, shooing the ghost away.
"Who are they for then?" Katherine asked as Dampe tried to divert attention away from Luz.
"Ms. Noceda and I should be taking our leave." He offered before Rycharde held up a hand.
"Well wait a minute why is she here anyway?"
"That's an excellent question, Dampe, and why haven't the plaques been cleaned? They look awful! What do you do all day?" Rafe asked.
"Now hang on, I need to know who those gifts are for? Are you seriously going to try and give those to our Amity? These simply will not do!" Katherine huffed.
"Kids these days, no respect for tradition." Rycharde groaned.
"Perhaps Amity would find them charming in some way. The way she turned out, I can't say I would be surprised." Katherine offered. "She's rather dim as far as I am aware."
"The only reason she has seen any success in life is because of Odalia and her teachings. If that girl didn't have our blood in her veins, she'd be nothing." Rafe said flatly.
"All of you, SHUT UP!" Luz shouted, stunning the ghosts into silence.
"Amity is not stupid! Don't you ever call her stupid! She is one of the smartest people I know! She worked so hard to make her family proud, to make all of you proud!" She continued, pointing at Katherine. "If she heard all of you talking about her like this, she'd be heartbroken."
"Her mom didn't make her great, and neither did you or your whole lousy family, you little twerp!" She was glaring daggers at Rafe, who stepped back and gasped.
"Watch your tone girl…do not forget where you stand!" Rycharde growled.
"I know exactly where I stand!" Luz told the man, walking right up to him. "I stand in a shrine dedicated solely to your family's arrogance! All of you are terrible! You think that just because you were rich and powerful witches in life, you're better than everyone? You're not! You were so preoccupied with preserving your own glory, you forgot about the people you stepped on to get here! Dampe raised your kids, he helped you learn magic, he cooked your meals and cleaned your rooms! You didn't even give him a proper grave to say thank you! You just gave him a brick and slapped it in the ground and called it a day!" Luz told him, a tear streaking down her face.
"That's why your crypt is a mess! Even your own family forgot about you! Dampe told me you have relatives out there who have never even met Amity because Odalia won't let them! If they haven't met her then what makes you think Odalia even told them about this place. She was supposed to take care of it, of you but you're sitting at the bottom of a lake! The tomb of the most powerful and influential family in the Boling Isles is three feet away from becoming a swimming pool and no one cares!"
Luz took a deep shaky breath.
"You can hate me all you want for being a human, or being a commoner, or not following your stupid traditions but I'm not going anywhere because I couldn't care less what you think of me. There's nothing any of you, living or dead, can do to scare me away from the girl I love and when the time is right, I'm going to ask her to become a part of my family and we will love her more than any of you ever did! Mark my words when I tell you that she will become more powerful than any of you ever were and the only reason anyone will ever care about the name Blight again is because you are related to her! Not because she was related to you, a bunch of pompous, arrogant, self-centered, insufferable JERKS!"
Luz was panting as she finished her rant, her hands balled up into fists and her body shaking with anger. The Blights stared daggers at her before vanishing one by one until only she and Dampe remained, as well as the old woman in the corner, who hadn't moved.
"Come here, child." She said softly,
Luz looked at Dampe as if asking for permission to go, and he nodded in turn.
As Luz walked up to the old woman, she noticed there was a smile on her face.
"That was quite the speech." She said with a snicker.
"Uh…thanks?" Luz replied as Dampe floated over.
"Is everything ok Lady Elinor?"
"I'm fine." She assured him. "I just wanted to talk to this young woman. It's been a long time since I've met someone with such fire in their heart."
"You said you were dating Amity?"
Luz nodded before speaking, her voice still hoarse.
"That's right."
"I'm glad that she has someone who loves her so much by her side. I know her life has been difficult. Dampe tells me what he can. Somedays, I worry this family has forgotten what it means to be, well, a family."
"Money and power changes people. Almost always for the worst." Luz replied with a frown.
"Indeed. I feel that the only way for this family to continue to grow is for it to be humbled. Though they will hate you for it, they now know why the crypt is in ruins. They know why Dampe brings so little news back when he goes out. Deep down they are all nothing but children, fearful of being alone and forgotten. Tragic how that has already come to pass, yet they refuse to accept it."
Luz shuttered when she thought of what it must have been like to be trapped in this crypt for all eternity, with no visitors, watching as the water slowly flooded your grave, the last thing that was left of you and everything you were and being powerless to stop it.
"It is really sad." She said, looking down at the small puddle she was standing in while water dripped down onto her head from the ceiling.
"Even after all they said, you still feel sorry for them?"
Luz nodded.
"Yeah, I do. Everyone deserves a place to belong. Even the worst of us."
"Where is it that you belong?" The old woman pressed.
"T-the human realm. I guess."
"You sound uncertain."
"I am," Luz replied.
"You are young, and you are filled with potential, brought forth by your own strength of spirit. I can see it in your eyes. I think you are the one I have been waiting for." The old woman said before turning to Dampe.
"It is time, open the chamber."
Dampe nodded and floated to a nearby door with the family crest, extending an arm and willing it to open, revealing a small circular room with a sword sitting atop a stone altar. It had a purple cross guard that resembled the wings of a bird and engraved into the guard was the Blight family crest. In its center was a glass chamber shaped like a large triangle with gold detailing.
"What is it?" Luz asked as she walked up to the altar.
"The Prism Sword. Forged by my husband during the Savage Ages. It can trap wild magic in its very core, allowing the blade to possess the properties of the spell you cast…I want you to have it."
"Why me?" Luz asked.
"It will humble my family and remind them that like you, we were once masters of nothing, it was only our perseverance and grit that made us who we are. We seem to have forgotten that, but you and Amity, you both represent the future of this family. It is only right that you take it from this place. It will do us no good here, sitting in the dark, waiting for things to change." Elinor explained.
"The only thing left to prove is that you are strong enough to carry it."
Luz looked at the sword and wrapped her hands around its grip as she started to pull it upward. At first, the blade refused to budge, so she pulled even harder, feeling her muscles strain and her heart race as she struggled to free the blade from its place.
Then the color started to fade from her vision and her heart started to beat to an abnormal rhythm as she felt her legs shake before a voice cut through the air like thunder.
"Stop!" Elinor shouted. Luz let go of the sword and fell onto her butt, her forehead drenched in sweat, her heart throbbing as the color slowly returned to her vision.
"You doubt yourself," Elinor said as she sat down next to Luz. "If you continued, the effort would have killed you."
"You must come to terms with the conflict inside you or the sword will split your spirit in two and this place will be your grave." She continued.
"I'm sorry." Luz panted.
"What troubles you?" Elinor asked gently.
"I-I made a promise to my mom that when I found a way back to the human realm, I would stay with her," Luz admitted, putting her head in her hands.
"How will you keep this promise to your mother?" Elinor wondered.
Luz shut her eyes and found her mother staring up at her, tears in her eyes as she stood in the headlights of her car while rain poured down around her.
Baby no no no, when you come home, promise you'll stay here. I didn't mean to push you away!
Mom no, it's not you! it never was!
Promise me Luz please!
Okay, mom, I promise…
"I don't know." Luz finally admitted.
"I love my mom so so much, but, but my life is here. Amity is here. Eda is here. King is here. All my friends are here. My school is here. If I went back to Earth, I wouldn't be happy." She began, letting the tears flow.
"A year ago I thought it would be impossible for me to learn magic. A year ago I didn't think I would ever have a girlfriend who loves every bit of me, even the parts of me that I secretly hated. The parts of me that I wanted to erase. I didn't think I'd have friends who would sit in boiling rain so they could cheer when I won the grudgby ball match for our school. I didn't think I'd be taken in by a grumpy old owl lady, her house, and the cute little demon she adopted."
"Keeping all that may mean I have to leave my mom sooner than I thought I would, or it may mean that Amity and I will need to find a way to make our relationship work across two different worlds. I may even find a way to make everyone happy. I mean it's a longshot, but so was me leaning magic." Luz sighed as her scroll chirped at her.
"Hey listen!" It demanded.
She pulled it out of her bag to see a message from Amity.
Hey! I know you're still running around trying to get things for us tonight but in case you needed a reminder, I love you so much!
Luz sniffled as she pocketed the scroll and stood up, taking a deep breath.
"No matter what happens, I won't let all the things I've accomplished here become a memory. I'm going to forge my own path, to the future I want, and no matter where that leads, I am not giving up."
Luz turned around and grasped the sword and grunted as she started to pull on it again as memories of the past year came rushing back.
We can fix this together!
That's my girl.
We can be boo-boo buddies!
Your progress through the school's various tracks exceeds our highest expectations Ms. Noceda. Keep up the good work.
Your dedication to your study of magic, your bravery in the face of Grom, and your kindness and compassion towards everyone you meet. We are so incredibly lucky to know you.
You have a way of sneaking into people's hearts.
I have no idea of what my future holds but it would be so great if you were in it.
Steel ground against stone before a burst of air rushed out across the ground, Luz's heart slowed to a strong steady pace and despite all that she had been through today, she felt like she had lightning in her veins. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she had pulled the sword up from its altar.
"Luz Noceda, with a heart full of courage, a sharp mind, and a soul brimming with power, this sword has chosen you as its master, use it well," Elinor said proudly.
Luz swung the sword around gently, surprised by how light it was and how balanced the blade felt in her hands before she sheathed it.
"I don't think there's anyone I've met quite like you Ms. Noceda. Perhaps it is for the best you are here in the Isles. Change can be awkward and even painful, but it's necessary for growth." Dampe said as a warm breeze rushed through the cavern.
"Thank you for-" Luz smiled and turned around to face him and Elionr, only to find that they were no longer there. "-everything." She finished as she looked around in confusion before starting the long walk back to the crypt entrance with her head held high, carefully stepping around Dampe's gravestone as she sifted through her remaining glyphs to see what she had, a plan forming in her head as she pocketed the cards and pulled her scroll back out and sent a quick reply to Amity.
Sorry, today has been crazy. I'm hoping for a nice long cuddle session later!
See you soon! Love you more!
…
Luz Noceda burst out the water wrapped in a water spout and as she flew through the air she threw out a construction glyph which created a small flat island in the middle of the lake, which she landed on as a cloaked figure leaped out from the tree line and landed across from her, pulling a long curved golden blade out from their cloak while Luz drew the Prism Sword which glowed a brilliant yellow, just like the morning sun before she raised her glass surface shield.
"So good to finally meet you face to face, human." The figure hissed as they started pacing in front of Luz, slashing at the ground, their face obscured by a black mask with a yellow crescent the only identifying feature on their face while Owlbert flew in, landing on Luz's shoulder and scowling at her foe.
"Who are you?" Luz demanded.
"Well, I'd tell you what my friends call me but unfortunately for you, you're just another target. So, you can just call me The Collector." The figure began.
"Why did you attack me?"
The Collector shrugged.
"Someone wanted you dead. I don't ask many questions beyond what their preferred payment method is. Plus you come with some fun bonuses! You know where Eda the owl lady is! The only target that ever got away from me. Once I rip her location out of that pretty little head of yours, I'll finally be able to correct that."
"I'm not letting you hurt Eda!" Luz replied.
"It's cute how you think you have a chance against me. Let's make this quick!" The collector said before performing a flourish with their sword and pointing it at Luz before surging forward with a thrust.
Luz was barely able to raise her shield in time as her foe's sword struck the glass surface, before they vanished, reappearing behind her and slashing at her back. Luz yelped as the blade connected, and she turned to swing at The Collector with her sword, only for it to connect with nothing but air.
"So slow. Tired human?" Her opponent chided. "I can't say I blame you, I put you through a lot today!" They appeared to Luz's left and the young witch was able to block a pair of strikes before batting the last one away, forcing The Collector back.
"You helped the Stilta Spiders get into the botanical garden, didn't you?" Luz asked, attacking with a thrust only for the Collector to sidestep the attack.
"That's right. I also slipped a potion into poor Kiri's morning tea. After that, she transformed into her other self almost right away. I knew when you heard Malon's sob story, you wouldn't be able to resist running off to play hero." They sneered as effortlessly kicking Luz in the chest and sending her tumbling backward onto the ground.
"Although I'm sure I could take you in a stand-up fight, I didn't want to take any chances. Needed to wear you down, just to be safe." They continued as Luz hauled herself to her feet.
"There's one drawback to this method though, killing you is not going to be as satisfying as I hoped it would be. Especially because you're the prodigal student of the owl lady and all. I was hoping for more of a challenge!"
The Collector jumped forward to deliver a killing blow while Luz recovered but she was ready, as the sword fell she rolled to one side positioning herself behind her opponent before springing out of the roll and slicing up the length of her back with her sword.
They howled as black mist escaped from the tear in their cloak and flipped around as Luz backstepped, fainting a stab before lashing out with a cut, the tip of the blade running up the length of Luz's forearm and cutting straight through her bracer, forcing her to drop her shield.
The Collector snarled and charged forward to run the witch through only for Luz to pull out a wind glyph and launch herself into the air, and as she sailed overhead she landed a strike on The Collector's head, shattering their mask as the tip of her sword raked its surface.
As Luz landed, she brought her sword back into a ready position while the Collector pulled out a second sword and slowly turned to face her, their face still obstructed by shadow. Luz could see two little pinpricks of red lights where their eyes should have been and with the mask gone, The Collector had a feminine voice.
"You know I may not seem like the type, but I do love being proved wrong." She hissed before a barbed tongue, six feet in length, shot out from her face like a cannonball, barely missing Luz's shoulder, who hopped to the side and pulled a potion off her bandolier, throwing it at The Collector's feet and sending up a smokescreen that quickly covered the whole island.
"Oh very clever!" She growled, slowly spinning in place searching for her foe before a long tendril of thorn-covered vines ripped into her shoulder from behind, and pulled her through the air towards Luz who threw down an ice glyph, creating a pillar of ice that The Collector slammed into.
Before Luz could press her advantage, they were up on their feet, throwing out a series of quick slashes that Luz was just barely able to deflect or block, the bones in her arms and hands ringing as she defended against the onslaught before she manages to create an opening, stepping forward and throwing an elbow against the side of her opponent's head, stunning her long enough for her to step back into the thick mist and fish an invisibility glyph out of her pocket and slam it against her chest.
"This game of hide and seek is growing tiresome, human!" She snapped, sidestepping a stab from Luz and grabbing her by the hair before throwing her across the battlefield as the smokescreen began to dissipate.
"I thought you wanted a challenge?" Luz asked as she pulled out her last glyph, pressing it against the glass chamber in the hilt and grinning as electricity crackled up and down the length of the blade as The Collector created four replicas of herself.
"Feeling lucky human?" She asked as they all slowly encircled Luz, who recalled what Gus had told her when they were sparring.
Remember, no matter how skilled an illusionist is, they can't anticipate every possible distraction.
Luz saw a light flickering in the corner of her eye and noticed that her shield was lying nearby, the sun glimmering off its mirrored surface, and slowly turned her body to place the shield in line of sight of three of the duplicates.
"Luck has nothing to do with it," Luz replied when she saw The Collector squint as the light struck her eyes.
Luz rose with a battle cry, bringing her sword up to slice off one of her opponents' arms before her free hand found its place on the sword's grip as she leaped into the air and brought her sword to cut right down the middle of The Collector's chest, making her stumble back with a scream as more black mist sprayed out of her wound while her duplicates vanished in the puff of smoke.
"This isn't over, human!" She spat before she dissolved into a shadow that scurried across the ground, leaving her cloak and weapons behind.
Luz let out a weary sigh as she fell onto her back, looking up at the sky as her chest heaved from the intensity of the battle while Owlbert hopped up onto her forehead and looked down at her with concern.
"Hoot?"
"Yeah, I'm ok. I just…I just need a second." She told the palismen before she took out her scroll and sent a message to Ed and Em.
I'll be over in a few minutes…could you help me with something?
…
"Ow ow ow ow…" Luz grumbled as she limped up to the front door of Blight Manor, pulling out the spare key Amity had made for her after one night when she was trying to sneak in and accidentally launched herself through Emira's closed window rather than Amity's open one.
"Hey, guys it's me!" Luz said as she walked in, making a point of walking through the living room when she saw that Odalia was sitting on the couch reading a book, relishing the confused look in her eyes when she saw that Luz was wearing a backpack and was completely free from any signs of injury.
"Oh…hello Luz." She said, looking up from her book. Sounding more than a little disappointed.
The pair had a working relationship in which Luz didn't bother her and she didn't bother Luz. Although after the events of today, Luz considered it might have been time to change the status quo as she set her backpack down.
"Hey, Mrs. Blight. Is Amity back from work yet?"
"Uh no, I think she's running late today."
Luz nodded in understanding, scratching the back of her head.
"Oh ok, sorry for barging in like this. Amity told me you guys were going on a trip this weekend, so I wasn't expecting anyone to be home."
Odalia closed her book and looked at the clock on the wall.
"That's quite alright. We actually should have left by now but my dear husband said he needed a few minutes to jot down some ideas before we left, which usually translates to us leaving up to an hour late which should be right about…"
Amity's father walked into the room with a suitcase in hand and a sheepish grin.
"Sorry dear, I'm all packed now."
Odalia looked back to Luz and wordlessly mouthed: now
Then she stood up and called out to the twins who came jogging down the stairs.
"Yes, mom?" Emira asked.
"Come keep Amity's friend company until she gets home, please! Your father and I have to leave."
"You got it!" Ed said as he rounded the corner with his sister in tow.
"We'll be back in a few days," Odalia said curtly to the pair before turning to Luz.
"Have a good rest of your weekend Ms. Noceda."
"You too Mrs. Blight." She replied as Alador gave a halfhearted wave goodbye before he followed his wife out the front door, letting Ed and Em breathe a sigh of relief as they let their illusion fade away to reveal a very heavily armed and very tired-looking Luz.
Her hair and clothes were sopping wet, and she wreaked of sulfur. Her leather bracers were coated in dried yellow film and her shoes were and socks were coated in dirt and mud. Her face and arms were covered in cuts and bruises, and she was missing an earring.
"Holy Titan Luz," Emira said. "I know you said you were kind of a mess but I didn't think it was this bad."
"Are you ok?" Ed asked to which Luz nodded.
"Yeah, I just didn't want your mom to see me like this. Have to keep up appearances."
Emira chuckled.
"I wouldn't bother. She hates your guts."
"Oh, I know the feeling is mutual. Especially after today."
"What happened today? Did she have something to do with this?" Ed asked, taking a step forward as Luz visibly winced.
"Well, today I found out-" She began, before stopping herself. Realizing that telling Ed and Em about her fight with The Collector would lead to her already burnt-out girlfriend hearing that her family was trying to kill her by proxy and elected to save that revelation for another day.
"I found out that your mom has been giving Amity a hard time about wanting to go into teaching."
Ed huffed.
"A hard time is an understatement. They were screaming at each other for almost an hour a few nights ago. Amity even said she isn't even going to join the Emperor's Coven anymore."
Luz's eyes went wide.
"She didn't tell you?" Ed asked before his sister elbowed him in the ribs.
Luz sighed and shook her head.
"No, she didn't."
"That's why we texted you this morning. She was so upset about it she couldn't keep her breakfast down. They haven't talked to one another or been in the same room for the past three days."
Luz felt a pit form in her stomach. Before she came here, she couldn't imagine not talking to her mom every night before bed, much less for three days in a row. Of course, that wasn't possible for obvious reasons, but she still had Eda.
"Oh Am…" Luz said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Ed let's go get her the first aid kit."
"Good thinking." Her brother replied as the front door opened.
"I'm home!" Amity called, her shoes clicking against the hardwood before they abruptly stopped.
"L-luz?" She asked nervously, taking a few tentative steps forward.
"Heeeeey." The young witch said weakly, turning around and smiling at her girlfriend.
Her eyes flashed with anger.
"Who did this to you?"
"Amity-"
"Who?" She asked as she walked over, tears in her eyes.
"We need to talk," Luz said in a hushed tone.
Amity's nostrils flared as her hands balled up into fists.
"It was her wasn't it."
"Let's go to your room." Luz insisted, picking her backpack
Amity nodded as she grabbed Luz's hand before snatching the first aid kit from her siblings and leading her up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door with a huff.
"When she gets back I'm gonna-"
She was so angry she threw the first aid kit onto the floor, letting its contents spill out onto the carpet.
"Why didn't you tell me about the fight with your mom?" Luz asked sharply, shocking Amity out of anger.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Ed and Em were telling me you guys had a really bad fight a few days ago." Luz continued.
Amity shook her head and crossed her arms, looking away from her.
"I didn't want to burden you with that!"
"What do you think - that I'm just going to call it quits on us because on occasion you need to call me and tell me you need to talk?" Luz asked.
"I don't know what you'll do. I never know what you'll do. Look at you, you're a mess! You almost got killed just trying to get here because my parents will never accept us." Amity said, tears rolling down her cheeks as her voice broke. "I can't keep asking you to do this for me. I just can't!"
"You don't have to ask because I want to do this!" Luz pleaded. "Your family didn't do this to me, I did this to me because I was trying to get you flowers!"
An array of emotions crossed Amity's face. Confusion, anger, and worry principal among them.
"F-flowers?
"Yes," Luz said, sniffling and running her hands through her hair in frustration. "Flowers, and candles and a bath bomb but to get the flowers I had to go the botanical gardens because the store was out of flowers because the caravans are getting attacked by bandits which meant that for candles I had to go to Titan's Maw and yeah…today was just one big crazy mess."
Amity was stunned.
"You went through all that for me?"
"Yes! I would walk through fire for you Am!" Luz said exasperated, realizing she had technically done that today already.
"You couldn't keep food down this morning, that's not good Am. That's scary. Really scary."
"I know." She replied, turning away from her girlfriend. "I know I-I just-I don't-
Amity took a shaky breath as she forced herself to confess, the words falling out of her mouth.
"I'm scared ok?! I'm scared that eventually even your big heart is gonna run out of patience with me and my problems and when you go back to the human realm, you're going to find someone better for you and I will be alone because I ruined the best thing that ever happened to me."
The words hung in the air for what felt like an eternity before Luz spoke, emotion filling her voice.
"Someone better for me than you? You're kidding right?" She began as she walked over and hugged her from behind, resting her head on her back.
"Amity, there is no one in any realm that I would rather be with. Believe me, I'm scared too. I really really do not want to screw this up but I swear that as long as I am with you, I will always choose you over anyone else. I will always fight for you. For us. I am not going anywhere. Even when that portal is working again, I will still be yours because all I want to be is yours." Luz squeezed her, gripping the fabric of her clothes like she was afraid she would disappear. "Now, please, let me love you."
Amity turned around to finally return her embrace, and all the tension that had been building in the room faded in an instant.
"I love you so much." Luz kept telling her. "Nothing will ever change that and if I need to remind you every day for the rest of our lives, I will, ok?"
Amity nodded, her tears of anger frustration changing to ones of relief and happiness.
They held each other as tightly as they could even as they both gently lowered themselves onto the ground.
"I'm sorry if I upset you by shouting," Luz said softly.
"It's ok, I was just as bad." Amity managed.
"It's just." Luz sighed. "When you don't open up and tell me this stuff it makes me feel like I'm not doing a good job of being available to you and it freaks me and I get frustrated because I don't want you to feel like all this is your fault because it's not. That's on me though, I need to be better about that because otherwise, it creates the situation I'm trying to avoid."
"It's ok," Amity told her. "I should have told you everything that was going on with me earlier. I just feel guilty when you have to support me like that because it feels like I'm being such a drag. You're so full of happiness and life it just makes me feel bad when I'm the one putting a damper on it. I know that our relationship isn't always going to be smooth sailing but I just feel this want…this need to keep the good times going for you. I think tonight has taught me why that's bad for both of us."
Luz nodded in understanding.
"Well, I think we both have some things to work on, but to be honest it feels really good to clear the air."
"Yeah, it really does."
"Was that our first fight?" Luz said with a dry chuckle.
Amity's eyes flicked down towards the floor before she shrugged.
"I-I don't really know. We're we even disagreeing on anything? Like fundamentally?"
Luz shook her head.
"I don't think so…but even then can we try not to have any more of…whatever that was?"
Amity chuckled dryly.
"Luz I don't think that'd be possible."
"Well I know that, but I still think it's a worthy goal ya know?"
"Ok, I see your point." Amity conceded as they finally released one another, wiping her eyes as she looked at the things Luz had brought as they lay strewn across the floor and moved to pick up the bouquet, holding them close to her chest.
"You like 'em?" Luz asked.
Her girlfriend smiled softly at her.
"I do, although having you here with me tonight would have been more than enough."
"Oh, now you tell me." Her girlfriend teased making her snort.
"I really do appreciate it though," Amity said quickly.
"I'm glad," Luz replied, scooting over leaning against her girlfriend.
"Just promise that the next time you plan on making some grand romantic gesture, you'll be a little more careful. I want to have a Luz to come home to." Amity asked, fiddling with her girlfriend's messy hair.
"Of course." Luz hummed.
"Say the words please," Amity said gently, but firmly.
"I promise I'll always be here for you to come home to," Luz told her, turning her head and kissing her shoulder.
"Thank you," Amity said, putting an arm around her and gently squeezing her only for her girlfriend to audibly wince.
"Ow ow." She muttered, sitting back up.
"Oh sorry!" Amity said before grabbing the first aid kit and gathering up its scattered contents.
"Here, lift the back of your shirt."
Luz complied, pulling up her shirt so her lower back and her sides were exposed. Amity eyes scanned her battered and bruised skin, wincing when she saw cuts and burns of varying sizes and severity.
"Titan Luz…" She muttered before going to work, starting by cleaning the bright red cuts that were peppered across her girlfriend's back before applying bandages. "Let me know if it hurts too much and we can take a break, ok?"
Luz gave her a thumbs-up as her girlfriend carefully tended to her wounds, her brow furrowed as she went about the delicate work while she worked on patching up the injuries on her arms.
"What attacked you anyway?"
"Pretty sure that one is from the assassin," Luz said after hesitating while she wrapped some gauze around her forearm.
"Assassin?"
"Yeah, Hunter tried to warn me about them. He said…he said that your family hired her. Not sure how he knew that but she attacked me when I was coming over here so he might not be wrong. Then again it's Hunter we're talking about so-" Luz shrugged, letting the thought linger.
"So, some of these are because of me," Amity said sadly.
"No." Her girlfriend said firmly. "None of these are because of you."
Amity shut her eyes, trying to assure herself of that before she went back to helping Luz.
"Still, I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"It's ok Am. You're worth it. We're worth it."
Amity's cheeks turned red as she applied the last of the bandages.
"Once I have these sealed with the waterproof salve, you can go shower."
Luz shook her head.
"Am I can wait-"
"I know you're willing to wait, but I want you to go first."
Her girlfriend opened her mouth to protest before silently deciding to concede.
"Then after we're both cleaned up. we can go downstairs, make dinner and decide what we're going to do for the rest of the weekend." Amity said as she pulled her shirt down and put her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders, planting a pair of long but gentle kisses on her neck.
"Monday too. We don't have school." Luz reminded her as she placed a small bandage on the bridge of her nose and a large square one on her cheek.
"Even better," Amity said as her girlfriend got up and walked over to the bathroom, shaking her head as she watched her go.
"What?" Luz asked
"You look like a walking billboard for the healing coven." She said with a grin before grabbing Luz's backpack and scooching across the floor towards the bathroom door.
"It's simply the latest fashion my lady. Gauze is the new black or something."
Luz said with a posh accent before her shoulders visibly sagged.
"I don't know how fashion works." She said, walking into the bathroom. "What I do know is that I am hoping for a midnight dance party later."
"Oh yeah?" Amity asked as she parked herself by the doorway, reaching into Luz's bag and pulling out a small candle and lighting it with her magic before setting it on her dresser before resting her head against the wall as she heard the shower turn on.
"Well, I suppose I can reward my fearless champion with a dance or two," Amity said as Luz stuck her head out of the door.
"Hey, can you throw my spare pajamas in here?"
"Sure!" Amity replied, opening the bottom drawer of her dresser and pulling out a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a pair of mismatched socks before reaching her arm into the bathroom and depositing them on the floor.
"Care to tell me more about your day?" She asked, turning her head so her voice would carry into the bathroom.
"Sure! So things got crazy after I left the library because the botanical gardens were infested by like one hundred Stilta spiders and I saved this guy named Dr. Arbor who was super sweet, he was telling me how his family has run the gardens for generations until these spiders popped out of the ground like demented moles and then when I went to Titan's Maw, I found Hunter in a dark alley because of course, I did and then I found out-"
As Luz summarized her quest for her, Amity pulled one of the smaller flowers from the bouquet, recalling what Willow had taught her about plant magic as she started to bend the stem into a specific shape.
"Then I got stuck in this crypt for a little but honestly I've been talking for so long I'm a little lightheaded so I'm gonna take a break. What about you, how did tutoring the Hexside kids go?"
"It was actually a lot of fun, the day really flew by. Guess who one of my students was?"
"Who?"
"Guess!"
"Uhhh, Boscha!"
"Close, it was Malcolm!"
"No way!"
"Yup!"
"How'd that go?"
"Honestly he's a really good writer. I got him to relate how he asked Boscha to Grom to courage which was one of the main themes of his book."
"Oh yeah, didn't he write a poem for her?"
"Yup! He asked me to help him with the rhyme scheme."
"Well, there you go that's probably why it was so good," Luz said as the shower shut off.
"No no he's honestly really good. I just gave him a blueprint to follow but just because you have that doesn't mean you're a master poet. What he came up with is way better than anything I could ever write."
"Whoa whoa wait," Luz said as she stuck her head out of the bathroom again, looking right at her girlfriend. "You write poems?"
Amity blushed and nodded.
"Can I read them?" Luz asked as she disappeared back into the bathroom to get dressed.
"Sure. I'd have to find my writing notebook. I have a bunch of 'em in there." Her girlfriend said as her favorite walked out and flopped onto the floor before rolling over and placing her head in Amity's lap.
"I want love." She said earnestly, her warm brown eyes shining with adoration. Amity smiled and cupped her face in her hands before leaning down and planting kisses on her forehead before kissing the bandages on her nose and cheek and finishing with a long tender kiss on the lips before pulling away. Leaving Luz's face bright red, unable to wipe the goofy grin off her face.
"Here, turn your head. I have something for you." She instructed as she left one hand on Luz's cheek, running her thumb against the surface of the bandages while she used her other hand to pick up a brilliant yellow flower she had fashioned into an earring.
"Am…" Luz said softly as her girlfriend placed the improvised piece of jewelry on her ear.
"To replace the one you lost, hopefully, it doesn't feel weird," Amity said as Luz sat up, striking a series of animated poses.
"I can hardly feel it at all, how does it look?"
"Very pretty, just like you." Her girlfriend replied before she reached over and grabbed a bath bomb from Malon's gift box.
"Oh don't forget the spring water!" Luz said, picking up one of the glass jars and handing it to her.
"Ok, Be right out, love."
"Take your time," Luz said as she took her girlfriend's spot by the door.
"Tell me about the rest of your day!" Amity said as she poured the spring water into the tub before depositing the bath bomb, a sweet scent filling the air, making the entire room smell like a candy shop.
"Oh man, I'm so hungry," Luz muttered before she realized Amity was waiting on her. "Right my story, ok uh, where did I leave off…"
"You were stuck in a crypt."
Luz snapped her fingers.
"Oh yeah, the crypt filled with ghosts!" She exclaimed as Amity lowered herself into the bathtub, shaking her head as she listened to Luz's story, folding her arms on the edge of the tubs and resting her chin on them as she closed her eyes, softly chuckling every time one of Luz's elaborate hand gestures that she made during her info dumps led to one of her limbs appearing in the doorway.
"Then he goes and tells me that the crypt belonged to you guys! The Blight Family!"
Amity's eyes snapped open.
"Wait seriously?"
"Yeah! I met a whole bunch of Blights."
"What were they like?"
"Uhhhhh…"
"That bad huh?"
Luz laughed uneasily.
"Let's just say that you really are one of a kind Am."
…
After Amity had finished her bath, she threw on an oversized sweater Luz had loaned her one night they went stargazing, a sweater she has since refused to give back, and her old grudgby shorts before heading downstairs with her girlfriend, smiling at her socks. One of which was bright green and the other yellow with white polka dots.
"I was in a rush this morning, ok?" Luz said, sensing her gaze.
Amity shrugged.
"I don't mind, I think it adds to your overall…" Amity paused, searching for the right word –"adorkableness."
"I can't believe you think I'm a dork!" Luz grumbled, feigning offense as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
"I think you're a massive dork." Amity corrected, shooting a teasing glance at Luz as if daring her to challenge the notion.
Luz flashed a mischievous smile, making Amity's eyes go wide as if to say: Uh oh
"Oh, that is it! C'mere you!"
Amity yelped as her girlfriend picked her up and carried her to the living room, her fingers running up and down her sides.
"No Luz! Noooo!" She laughed, trying to wiggle free as Luz dropped them both on the couch and pinning her to the cushions as she continued to tickle her.
"Surrender!" Luz demanded.
"Never!" Amity exclaimed between fits of laughter as her girlfriend pulled up her shirt, exposing her stomach to the cool air.
Amity's eyes went wide, even as she tried not to laugh at Luz as she opened her mouth and took a comically large breath.
"Luz, do not! I swear if you-"
Luz's head fell like a hammer and she blew a massive raspberry on Amity's stomach making her scream.
"No no no!" She laughed, tears in her eyes as she tried to wiggle free.
"You won't survive another one, Blight! Give up while you can." Luz warned her, rearing back as she prepared to attack again.
Suddenly a tendril of goo pulled Luz off of Amity long enough for her to get up and yank her shirt down before she playfully narrowed her eyes at her girlfriend.
"Hey, no magic! That's against the laws of tickle war! You're a dirty criminal!" Luz giggled as the lilac-haired girl tackled her and snaked her arms up her sides to the space just above the top of her ribs.
Luz gasped as she realized what her girlfriend was doing and tried to break free of her iron grasp.
"Amity! Amity! AH Please no! That's my weak spot, I told you this in confidence!" She yelped before the attack commenced and she was reduced to a squeaking and giggling mess.
"All's fair in love and war, human!" Amity said, hardly able to contain her own laughter.
"Ok! Ok you win, I'm a dork, I'm the world's biggest dork! I'm sorry!" Luz pleaded, kicking her legs as Amity dug her fingers deep into her side and making her scream before pulling her hands away and placing them on her hips, and leaning in.
"Don't you forget it either." She said before kissing Luz on the cheek. "Because you're my dork."
Her girlfriend blushed as she sat up, wrapping her arms around her waist to keep the golden-eyed girl in her lap as she chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Luz asked with a snicker
"I'm just glad I don't have neighbors," Amity replied, stifling a laugh. "You screamed so loud someone might have thought you were being murdered."
"I'm really ticklish, ok?" Luz said, clearly embarrassed as Amity rested her forehead against her own.
"It's ok love." She said softly. "I really needed this."
"A tickle war?" Luz asked, clearly confused.
"No." Her girlfriend chuckled. "Alone time with you."
"Oh, that makes more sense," Luz replied before her stomach growled.
"Are you hungry?" Amity snickered.
"Starving." Her girlfriend replied before slowly getting up, intent on carrying Amity to the kitchen.
"You can play Zelda while I make us dinner." She said as she set Amity down on the counter before she fished her 3DS out of her pocket and handed it to her.
"Will I be in your way?" Amity asked as she flipped the device open and powered it on.
"Not at all and even if you were, Chef Luz is in the house and as long as I'm here, cute girls stay on the counter." Luz declared as she laid out her ingredients. "I'm about to prepare us one of the human realm's most beloved and time-honored culinary delights: sushi!"
"My mom and I took a class last summer from the local sushi chef! It's one of our favorite places to eat. Thanks to him I can make a mean Azura Roll, a recipe of my invention, but he's on a whole other level." She explained as Amity tilted her head in confusion.
"Azura roll?"
Luz nodded, not even looking away from her prep work.
"Yup! If I was at home, I'd be able to make it with tempura lobster, avocado, crab mix, white tuna, and my secret sauce but I had to improvise since most of those things don't exist here but I think it'll still be really good."
"If you are cooking, I know it'll be good," Amity replied as she looked down at the 3DS while idly swinging her legs.
"Hey, there's no save file. Should I make a new one?"
"Yeah, we're playing through this one together," Luz told her with a smile before she got back to preparing their dinner. "You can pick the name for our character."
Amity smirked as she typed 'Azura' and hit start, a musical chime symbolizing the beginning of her journey. It didn't take long for the young witch to feel out the controls and thanks to occasional hints from her girlfriend, she was powering through the Great Deku Tree with ease as Luz walked over with what appeared to be a disc of food clutched between two skinny sticks.
"Open." She said as Amity strafed around Queen Gohma, a giant spider creature. Her girlfriend complied, opening her mouth, and letting Luz deposit the roll into her mouth. As she chewed her eyes went wide and a smile appeared on her face.
"Cutie like?" Luz asked as her girlfriend nodded, making her jump for joy.
"Chef Luz does it again!" She exclaimed as Amity landed the killing blow on the boss, who burst in ethereal blue flames and triumphant music began to play.
"Good job! You just completed your first Legend of Zelda dungeon!" Luz said, putting an arm around her girlfriend.
"That was it?" Amity asked.
"Yeah, it's pretty short but the dungeons get longer as the game goes on. They get tougher too." Luz explained as she picked up the plate full of sushi while Amity hopped off the counter and followed her to the living room where they both flopped down onto the couch with Amity laying between Luz's leg and laying back against her chest.
"You wanna play?" She asked, looking up at her girlfriend as she placed the sushi platter on the nearby table.
"Sure, I was thinking we could switch every dungeon," Luz suggested as she took the 3DS from her while Amity pulled the sushi platter into her lap and picked up the two sticks Luz had been using, holding one in each hand.
"What are these?"
"Chopsticks," Luz said simply.
"Huh," Amity said as she tried to mimic how she had seen her girlfriend hold them earlier before trying to grab herself a piece of sushi only to drop it back on the plate.
"Chopsticks are hard." Her girlfriend said gently as she slouched down further in her seat while Amity managed to pick up a piece of sushi and bring it up to her mouth only to drop in on her chest.
"Noooo." She groaned as she picked up the disintegrating roll and placed it in her mouth.
"Just keep practicing," Luz told her as she led Azura across Hyrule Field as Amity impaled one of the rolls on the end of her chopstick.
"Or you could do that." Her girlfriend said with a chuckle. "Hey, pass me that one."
"Ok," Amity said, lifting her arm up and back.
Luz, still playing her game, leaned forward to try and pull the roll of the chopstick with her teeth only to come up short.
"Reach!" She groaned, making Amity put her arm farther back.
"I'm reaching."
"Reeeeeaach!" Her girlfriend insisted, making her snort.
"I can only put my arm so far back!"
"I'm going for it, hup!" Luz exclaimed, throwing her upper body forward, snatching up the roll before she fell back to her original position as Amity shook her head and laughed.
"Thanks, ok now it's time to save the world! Nothing can stop us!"
…
Except for Lord Jabu Jabu's Belly.
"This is impossible! Everything looks the same!" Amity huffed.
"Here, let me try," Luz said, taking the 3DS from her.
"Go for it," Amity replied as she repositioned herself, so she was sitting in Luz's lap.
"Maybe if I go this way?" Her girlfriend muttered as she rested her chin on Amity's shoulder.
"Oh man, I think I'm lost."
"Maybe we should take a break?" Amity wondered before quickly adding. "I like the game and I wanna finish it with you, but we always have tomorrow.
Luz nodded.
"Yeah, maybe it's time to let our brains rest." She said, closing the 3DS and placing it on the table next to the decimated plate of sushi.
"I know what we can do instead," Amity said, getting up off the couch and extending her arms.
"Dance with me?"
Luz smiled and grabbed her girlfriend's hands, letting Amity pull her onto her feet.
"We need music!" She exclaimed as she grabbed a nearby ceramic bowl and turned it on its side before using the doorstopper-sized book Odalia was reading earlier that evening to prop it up. Then she placed her phone inside it and opened the playlist she and Amity had made on their third date.
"What are we feeling like? Slow dance?" Luz asked.
"Sure!" Amity said. "Can I lead?"
Luz nodded as she started the song and walked over and put her arms around Amity's shoulders as they started to sway to the beat of the music as her golden eyes scanned her girlfriend's forearm which was covered in gauze.
"Remind me to help you put more of that healing salve on before we go to bed ok?" Amity asked.
Luz sighed and nodded, looking at the floor with a frown on her face.
"Yeah, ok."
Her girlfriend asked as she led them under the skylight in the atrium.
"What's the matter?"
Luz sighed.
"I just feel bad, I was supposed to take care of you tonight."
"I thought we were supposed to take care of each other?" Amity replied with a knowing smirk.
Luz smiled and shook her head.
"Ok, you got me there."
"Plus, you did take care of me tonight. You brought me a bath bomb and candles, flowers, you even made me dinner and taught me how to use chopsticks." Amity reminded her.
"I'm sorry you had such a rough day, though."
Luz just shrugged.
"Ah, it's ok. It wasn't too bad all things considered. I helped a bunch of people, I got a magic sword, and I got to dance with a beautiful girl. I think I can chalk today up as a win."
Amity's heart skipped a beat as they came to a stop in a moonbeam and her girlfriend's words echoed in her head.
Her mind didn't fixate on the compliment she had snuck in at the end, and it didn't return to the more fantastical elements of her story, instead, she found herself enraptured by the simple sentiment that Luz had expressed.
She had gotten to help people.
Amity raised her hand and ran her fingers through Luz's damp hair before letting her hand run down the side of her girlfriend's head and caressed her face.
"You ok?" Luz asked gently, the small smile on her face revealing she knew the answer.
"More than ok. You just never cease to amaze me, love." She replied as she pulled her girlfriend in a deep passionate kiss as the song they were dancing to came to close.
…
The next morning, Amity felt the sun on her face as she stirred from her sleep. She groaned and reached out to grab onto Luz and bury her face in her chest, but after feeling around for her girlfriend she was forced to slowly open her eyes which only confirmed what she had suspected.
Her bed was empty.
She frowned as she sat up, still groggy, as she looked around for any sign of her girlfriend.
She saw her backpack and sword propped in the corner of the room, grinning when she saw her family crest on the hilt. Her mother would have a conniption if she saw that her Great Grandmother Elionr had given that sword to Luz.
She decided she would definitely have to find a way to work that into casual conversation at the next family dinner as the door to her bedroom slowly creaked open and her girlfriend shuffled into her room, holding a plain white mug with both hands.
"Oh hey, you're awake," Luz said with a smile as she walked over and set the mug down on her nightstand before sitting down on the edge of the bed and kissing her girlfriend on the cheek.
"Good morning."
"You got up without me." Amity pouted.
"Sorry hermosa, I wanted to make you breakfast in bed." Her girlfriend said with an apologetic smile.
"That's very sweet Luz, but to be honest, I'd prefer to wake up with you next to me rather than a plate of waffles."
Luz's shoulders sagged and her brow furrowed in annoyance.
"Ah, I should have said waffles. I'm craving waffles now." She grumbled as Amity chuckled at her expression.
"We can make waffles tomorrow morning. Together." Amity told her, smiling as her face lit up.
"Oh yeah! I keep forgetting we have the whole weekend together."
"That's right, so I better get my morning cuddles tomorrow." Amity chided, making Luz grin.
"Well, we might as well make up for lost time now." She said, throwing her arms around her girlfriend and gently pushing her back down onto the bed, and tracing her collarbone with kisses before making her way up her neck.
"Apology accepted." Amity teased, trying to calm her racing heart as Luz laid her head down on her chest.
"Can we stay like this forever?" She asked as Amity sniffed the air, taking in the smell of lavender shampoo that Luz had used the night before and…something else.
Her heart told her to say yes a thousand times to the proposal of doing anything with Luz forever but a nagging voice pulled her back to reality.
"I'm afraid not."
"Whyyyy." Her girlfriend whined.
Amity sniffed the air again.
"I think breakfast is burning."
Luz gasped and practically fell off the bed as she bolted towards the door.
"Ow, ow, no no no no nononono!" She said as she ran downstairs. There was a brief suspenseful silence after the oven door was thrown open before her girlfriend called out to her: "Saved it! I wouldn't eat the edges though!"
Amity laughed and rolled her eyes as she threw off the covers, grabbing her tea before she made her way downstairs.
"My hero." She said, already daydreaming about what the next year of her life had in store for her and Luz.
…
A.N-Wowie another long one. Well, I hope you guys like this one! It's pretty different from my last one but I hope quality wise its just as good if not better! I felt bad for all I put Luz through this time around, but the ending of this story gave me a nice sense of catharsis.
I think I'm going to keep working in this little continuity I've built for myself to bring you guys more of these kinds of stories. I broke this one up into sections to make it easier to read but I plan on either making future installments one chapter or breaking up the finished chapter into chunks and publishing them all at once or perhaps on a weekly schedule.
They will be loosely interconnected but my hope is they will stand on their own if you haven't read the other ones (like 3DS Quest).
Some ideas that came to me while I was working on this one was what Eda and Raine's wedding because, I mean, who wouldn't want to see that? As well as a detailed account of Hunter finally escaping the Emperor's Coven and a look into his love life. Im not sure which one I'll do first but I'm excited to get started on both.
I also want to give Gus and Willow the spotlight as some point because I think that would be fun and I would love to come back and do another Zelda inspired story, maybe one referencing the back half of Ocaina Time (a bad future, seven dungeons, etc) and even throw in some elements of Twilight Princess (my personal fave) and maybe even Majora's Mask.
I do want to thank you all for taking the time to read this monster, hopefully it brought all the thrills and warm fuzzies that I felt writing it and a big thank you for my friend Mad Dog (not on this site I don't think but that's what I call her) for beta reading this for me.
Until next time,
See yah!
