Leilani was ecstatic. More than just that! Luce had said this was the last mission and this meant she would be heading home. Even better, the mission wasn't even something criminal, instead they were just supposed to retrieve an item from a mountain.
She didn't even notice the pitying glances from the rest of the group.
The arcobalenos weren't happy with Luce and one evening they had even started to try to question her why she did this to Skull but the sky had only asked them if it wasn't better now? If they weren't happy that Skull finally stopped sabotaging them and running and weren't they happy now?
Naturally none of them were but they couldn't refuse the statement. They did decide to help Skull afterwards though. If Luce was fine with deceiving a civilian as naive as Skull was they could remedy it. Especially as no one could refuse that it was refreshing to have someone wholeheartedly good with them.
The mafia life was normally cutthroat and everyone fought for themself and someone like Skull? A breeze of fresh air and no one could really refuse that the cloud had grown on them.
Their planning didn't progress much though as Luce had no answer to where Skulls home was or why he wasn't able to make it on his own. She just stated that she saw it in a vision that Skull desperately was searching for a way to get home, nothing more.
Their best bet now was to wait until the mission was over and then take Skull aside to really get into the matter. They were the world greatest after all… how hard could it be? Especially as everyone was on board with helping, even Viper.
Sure, they hadn't revealed Luce's lie to Skull but they would make it up to the cloud and in all honesty? If Skull was mad at them for it it would be better for him. It was clear as glass that Skull didn't belong in the mafia and would do best to keep away from them and the whole situation.
At least that's what they thought until they stared at their toddler sized hands. Way too much in a state of shook to actually really understand what was going on.
Leilani looked up, desperately staring at Luce's apologetic face "You… home?" she stammered out.
Her friends could reverse this. She knew! She could reverse this if she had a wand. She just needed to get home!
She tried to push down the dread that all of it was a lie. It couldn't be. Luce had promised. Leilani was supposed to finally get home. It was promised!
The sky shook her head "I'm sorry Skull."
"But you promised! I don't understand. What…?"
"It wouldn't have worked without you"
"No no! You said you get me home! You knew about home! You have to get me home! You promised! You know a way! Tell me! Let me get home! Please! You promised!" The tears were already slipping out, flooding down her face as she stumbled forwards.
She needed to get home!
"It was for the greater good. I'm sorry."
"I don't understand! Luce! You promised! You knew!"
Reborns hand trembled, rage was taking over him, cold harsh rage. This? This happened to him? Luce and Checkerface had tricked him into this? It wouldn't have worked without Skull?
He could feel bile rising up, blinded from his piercing anger. He needed to lash out. He felt hurt, angry and the worst; guilt.
He was at fault. He was one of the reasons this happened. He captured Skull. He kept the lie secret. He had messed up. No one should have ever been able to trick him like that!
The weird mixture between numbing shock and rage blended and he spoke out without even wanting to, just wanting to lash out, to harm "She lied to you! She lied to you from the first second! She has no clue at all! So stop with your fucking pathetic begging for home! She has no clue! There are bigger problems and you just bawl like this! We have bigger problems!" he spat out, not even realising what he was saying just letting the words fall out. He couldn't think. He was panicking.
Skull shook her head "No! No! No! No! No!"
"Face the truth lackey! She lied! Everyone could see it! How stupid were you to even believe it! She's fake! She lied! There is no way to get home! You won't get home! She lied!"
Skull was trembling, sobs racking her body.
She had hoped. She had wished so desperately for any chance of getting home. She had trusted them. She had relied on them. She had been stupid.
She couldn't do anything anymore, just stare at the ground. Her vision vanished in front of her by the sheer mass of tears. Static running through her ears, not able to listen to how everyone argued around her. How they threw insults around, yelling at Luce.
Leilani had trusted them. She had relied on Luce. She had been so certain she finally had found a way.
She always had known that her friends wouldn't be able to get her. That no one would even know where she was and with the time that passed she had known there was no chance that her friends would save her. She hadn't wanted to admit it. She had wanted to claw into the hope and not let it escape. She had been so desperate to make it home, to find a way and then Luce had promised her one.
She had latched onto it quicker than anything, blending out any sign of deception, practising denial. Leilani had wanted it to be true so badly. She wanted to get home with every fibre of her being. She needed to get back.
But there was no way. The only person that she had ever encountered that knew had lied. The strongest of this world's magic users and there was not one that knew. She was lost. She had no way to make it or get out of here.
She didn't even care for the curse right now. The sparks that had burned in her, stubbornly holding onto any kind of hope to see the wizarding world again were running out, getting suffocated with every tear that dropped and there was nothing Leilani could do to stop it.
She was caged here. There was no way she would make it out again. She was imprisoned in this world. She would never see her friends again. She would never see Sirius again. She would never hold a wand again. Never able to learn magic again. Never get back to Hogwarts. Never visit Diagon alley again. She would never get to pet Hedwig or fly a broom again. She would never get back home.
Leilani weeped for it, she mourned, sobs racking her body as the despair took over, stamping down on anything she had clinged on before.
She felt numb, cold hands crushing her heart, squishing it until she couldn't bear the pain anymore and for a moment she felt nothing… until rage took over.
The anger, the despair at getting betrayed, lied to and used took over. The hate at getting her hope stolen, for getting turned into a toddler for being treated as a sacrifice.
She wanted Luce to suffer.
Leilanis magic had always been sentient, especially since she came to this world. Almost impossible to control but bidding to her wishes.
Her need to make Luce feel the same exact feelings she was going through took over and her magic reacted, aided by the flames that could help her do her bidding.
Cloud flames grew in proportion, larping out of her body, grewing fiercer and stronger, emerald electric flames mingling and sparking in between, only kindling the flame.
Leilani looked up, completely focused on the sky, not even sparing any thought on her surroundings "I wish you suffer. I want you to suffer the same fate I do. I want your home to be unreachable. I wish you despair. I want you to be cold and lonely and no one can reach your home. I want you to be abandoned and no one can hear you. I want you stranded, alone and suffering. I want you to be poisoned by despair and I want you to know that there is no way out of it. I want you to be utterly hopeless.
I curse you Luce. I curse you for lying to me. I curse you for betraying me. I curse you for cursing me. I curse you to reveal your true colours. I curse you to never be trusted again.
As long as I don't receive happiness you shall never either."
Her flames lashed out, an armageddon of purple, streaked by green. Burning with such an intensity, so ridiculously pure and suffocating that no one could keep standing, getting their air stolen from the heavy swallowing feel of the flames.
None of the arcobalenos even realised when Luce collapsed, just trying to get away, to get away from the all consuming cloud rage.
The flames bore into Luce, not physically harming but diving in deeper, propagating the already disharmony she felt in her heart, the underlying disharmony every sky had, even while it never affected them. Hardening the barrier and border between her and her bonds, petrifying her connection to be heard and understood.
Flames and magic worked in unison to fulfil their mistress' wishes and to go above and beyond when they destroyed every last bond Luce had ever formed. Paying her back for her misdeeds sevenfolds.
But no one heard Luce scream.
