Dreaming of a Blight Christmas
Disclaimer: I do not own the Owl House and make no profit of any kind from this story.
Luz Noceda simply loved the holiday season. She loved everything about the holidays. The beautiful decorations, both indoors and out were easily her favorite part of the season. But the songs, traditional foods and getting to see her family were all very close behind. And the presents too, of course. Presents were always, always something she'd like. Even if it were just a new pair of socks, she'd be happy with them.
This year was different however. Despite all of the things that made her love the holidays, she just couldn't get into the spirit like she usually did. She had actually been feeling a bit depressed. And for very good reason too.
It had been almost four months since Luz had managed to return from the Boiling Isles to the human realm. But it had not been so easy to pull off. By sheer chance Lilith learned that Emperor Belos had built a second portal. She, Eda and Luz had risked life and limb to find it in order to make sure that Belos couldn't use it, for whatever he had in mind.
At that moment, Luz was faced with a choice. It was an opportunity to go home. To return to her mother and leave behind the demon realm. And with it all the friends she had made. Luz had been more hesitant right then and there than she had ever been since she had been born. She didn't want to give up the amazing life she had started in Bonesborough. But the thought of losing the only chance to see her mother again made her feel frightened beyond comprehension.
Eda and Lilith had coaxed her to go. The portal needed to be destroyed. It had been heart-wrenching, but Luz knew she may not get another chance. There had been just enough time to say goodbye and then she left, the Clawthorne sisters finishing the job once she was through.
At first it hadn't fully dawned on Luz that some of the best weeks of her life were behind her. But as she trekked through the woods back to her neighborhood, she began to feel the full weight of the situation. When she got back to her house, she was in tears. Her mother still had no idea what had happened or how her daughter had gotten back from 'summer camp', but the phone call she had made only raised further questions. She never got the answers she wanted and Luz had been grounded for constantly avoiding the subject.
Things only got worse when school started up again. Luz hadn't even made it through one semester at Hexside and now she had to start a new year of school. One without magic, or witches, or all the other cool things that she had discovered in her time away from home. Getting used to classes again had been frustrating. Everything was just so boring compared to the classes at Hexside. Except for math, that was still just as boring, but at least the teacher had been interesting. It was easier to pay attention when the person writing equations on the chalkboard had six arms, even if she still couldn't follow the lesson to save her life.
The months had dragged by, the seasons changing. It was now winter, the last weekend before Christmas. There was a school dance that Friday night and even though Luz had no interest in going, her mother had insisted that she try and socialize. She had even gone through the trouble of getting her a nice new outfit to wear. So Luz had given in and let herself be dropped off for what her mother promised to be a fun evening.
She had gotten out of her mother's car hesitantly. This was the first time she had been to a school social event since she had started attending human school again. Her outfit was a red corduroy overall dress with a white long sleeve shirt with pink stripes. She had matching leggings and a pair of black, sensible shoes. Her mother had been quick to comment on how cute she looked, and from what Luz could tell that must have been the case. She had gotten a few of the other students to look her way as she entered the gymnasium where the dance was taking place. But odds were that they were all just surprised she hadn't come dressed as a narwhal or something like that.
The dance wasn't as uncomfortable as Luz had been expecting. The decorations were nice and the music was good. But all the same, she stood off in the corner of the gymnasium, alone. She was on the opposite side of the room from the DJ station as well as away from the crowd of teens dancing like it was all they knew. The food and drinks weren't too far off, but there were far too many people at the moment. Closest to her was the door that led into the hallways of the school, and if she were honest with herself, it was more tempting that either the food or the music. Wandering the dark halls couldn't possibly make her feel as lonely as she did while in that huge room full of people.
The current song that had been playing ended and another started up, just as lively as the last. Luz watched the happy couples on the dance floor, feeling some jealousy rising up through her loneliness. She was really starting to wish that her mother hadn't talked her into coming to the dance. All she could think of now was how much she missed her friends from Bonesborough. Especially one in particular who had given her quite a big surprise.
Amity Blight, the witch who had started off more of an enemy than a friend, had admitted to liking her. As in liking her, liking her. Luz had been stunned, but then overjoyed to learn about Amity's feelings.
However, that had been the day before Luz had returned to the human realm. Everything had happened so suddenly that she didn't even get a chance to tell Amity that she was going, let alone say goodbye. That was something that had bothered her deeply for weeks and now remained as a dull ache in her chest. It was scary how badly you could miss somebody when you only just learned how much they meant to you.
Luz noticed a group of girls heading in her direction. She started to move over to the food table, not wanting to take the chance they'd choose to talk to her. Or rather, poke fun at her for standing alone like a loser. She just wasn't up to dealing with that sort of thing. But as she walked, she caught a bit of what the other girls were saying.
"I don't think that I've seen her around school before. Did she just move here?"
"I dunno. But did you see those pointy ears and that green hair? What, is she supposed to be a Christmas elf?"
"Well whoever she was, she was cute. And I don't usually check out other girls."
Luz stopped and turned a little. The description that she had heard had definitely caught her attention. She looked in the direction from which the other girls had walked, trying to spot whoever they were talking about. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe she actually knew the girl. It seemed like a shot in the dark, but she didn't care. If there was even just a one in a million chance it was who she hoped it was, she'd take it without hesitation.
Slowly, she began to head over to the doors that led outside. Her eyes scanned through the immense number of teens that were there, focusing on their hair in particular. There was a roughly even mix of black and brown, a fair number of blondes and even a natural red head or two. Plus a few of them had highlights of varying colors, but none of them had an almost full head of springtime green that she was seeking.
"Looking for someone?" Asked a very familiar voice from right behind her.
Luz turned and found… no one. Or rather, not anyone she had been expecting. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around again. This time, she found herself meeting a pair of golden eyes staring right back at her. The owner of said eyes also happened to have a head of green hair, tied back into an adorable little ponytail.
"AMITY!" Luz exclaimed excitedly, gaining the attention of many others nearby. "I can't believe you're here!"
She threw her arms around Amity, pulling her in for a big hug. Amity blushed, starting to feel very warm and fuzzy from the affectionate gesture. It felt like she needed all her strength just to return the hug. Amity let out a happy sigh and savored every second the contact lasted.
"How did you get here?" Luz asked. "I never thought I would get to see you again."
"That is a rather long story and I'd be happy to share it with you. But right now, I just want to spend time with you. I've missed you so much."
"Same. More than you could know. I am so, so, so sorry that I just left without saying anything. I…"
Amity leaned away from Luz and put a finger to her lips. "I know. Eda told me about what happened. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset. But if I were in the same situation, I would have done the same thing. Don't let it worry you. Okay?"
Luz nodded and gently took hold of Amity's hand. She moved it so she could rest her cheek in Amity's palm, nuzzling it just a bit. Amity giggled and took a moment to admire how cute Luz was being. Luz was enjoying the attention and stared back at the young witch. While she did so, she took notice of a very interesting change in Amity's appearance.
"Hey, did you do something different with your hair?" She asked. "It's all green now, your roots aren't showing anymore!"
"Oh, right. Yes, it was getting to the point where I had to touch it up. Emira helped me and she picked out a different shade than I used the last time."
Upon closer inspection, Luz realized that Amity's hair was more of an evergreen now, but only about halfway. The rest of it was the same shade to which she had become accustomed. It was then that Luz also noticed that Amity was also wearing a rather festively colored outfit as well. She had on a green dress with red leggings and green shoes which had the toes curved up a bit.
"You really do look like a Christmas elf." Luz giggled. "Any reason you're dressed like this?"
Amity blushed. "I… well… when I was planning to come, Gus brought up that a major human holiday was going on and showed me some pictures of this sort of attire. I thought it was customary, so I just went along with it… but I can change if you think it looks weird."
"You brought a change of clothes?" Luz asked.
"Not quite." Amity answered, leaning in to whisper. "I've been practicing some basic illusion magic. I'm really wearing my school uniform right now. It just looks like it's something else."
"That is so cool!" Luz gushed. "Don't get me wrong, I like the outfit. I just wasn't expecting you to look so Christmasy. But you definitely look cute."
"Thanks." Amity said. "You look really cute too. Although the look seems just a little childish."
"Hey!" Luz replied, blushing a bit. "I'll have you know that's part of my charm!"
"I know, and it suits you." Amity said with a giggle. "I've really missed that about you. Things have been, a bit dull without you around."
Luz felt her face getting warmer as her blush grew. She looked down at her feet, starting to fidget a little. The music changed again, a slow song starting up. The couples on the dance floor began to sway to the more romantic music. Luz held out her hand for Amity to take, glancing up at her in an uncharacteristically shy moment. Amity took her hand and guided her out onto the dance floor. She placed her other hand onto Luz's shoulder and pulled her closer, their eyes meeting as they joined the many others in a special moment in their young lives.
A short while later, after a bit more dancing and a few too many snacks from the food table, Amity and Luz stepped outside into the cold night air. Luz had gotten her winter coat, but noticed that Amity didn't have one of her own. She opened her own coat up, offering to share it with Amity, who blushed heavily at the idea. Amity insisted it would not be necessary as she did in fact have something warm to wear.
Amity reached into her pocket and took out a very tiny winter coat. She checked around to make sure that no one else was nearby and then drew a magic circle over the coat. It grew in size, becoming something just right for her to wear. As she put it on, Luz's jaw dropped and she stared with wide eyes.
"Magic is so cool! I've missed it so much! What else have you learned to do?"
"Plenty of interesting and practical spells." Amity answered proudly. "I'd love to show you more, but I don't want to take any chances."
"Aw, please?" Luz asked, giving Amity puppy eyes.
"I promise that I will show you more." Amity said, having trouble resisting the display. "But only when we don't have to worry about any other humans seeing me use magic. To be honest, I'm really interested in learning more about this holiday. It seems like a big deal. Could you tell me about it a little?"
Luz did not tell Amity about it a little. She told her a lot, focusing heavily on the story behind a magical toy maker and how he traveled around the world in but a single night each year. More importantly she told Amity of a baby who had been born a very long time ago and of his importance to the faith which her own family followed. From there she moved onto the cultural differences of the people who celebrated the holiday in their own ways, including some of the traditions for her family.
"And every year my grandpa comes over and we all craft a white tree called a Charamico to use as a decoration. We take a dry tree branch and paint in white. Then it gets decorated with ornaments, ribbons, balls, and lights."
"I thought humans used actual trees for decoration for this holiday." Amity said.
"Normally yes. But pine trees aren't something that grow in the Dominican Republic and it doesn't snow there either. So they make Charamicos instead as one of their traditions to make things more wintery. And my family makes one every year and then sells it so someone else can use it in the following years."
"That's nice." Amity commented. "Are there other traditions to this holiday?"
"Yup, plenty of them. Exchanging gifts is one that pretty much everyone does. Same with sending holiday cards and decorating your home. Having a nice, big meal with your family. Oh, and another tradition from the Dominican Republic is giving Flores de Pascua to family and friends. Spoiler alert, you'll be getting a whole bouquet from me."
Amity blushed. "Thank you. Um, is there anything I can get for you in return? As a gift, that is."
"Hmmm. Well I wouldn't mind if you stood under the mistletoe with me."
"What's a mistletoe?"
"A type of plant we use as a decoration this time of year. You hang it up somewhere and if someone stands under it with you, then you have to kiss."
"Um…. I… well, if it's tradition…" Amity began, trailing off and fidgeting with her hands a little.
Luz giggled. "You are so cute! I bet you're looking forward to having a reason to give me a smooch."
"No!" Amity blurted out, suddenly kicking herself for the slip up. "I… I mean, it wouldn't mind… that is.. you… you're the cute one!"
The awkward little outburst made Luz giggle again. After she finished, she took out her phone and texted her mother to let her know she was ready to head home. She made sure to mention that she had a 'friend' with her as a way to simultaneously invite Amity over and ask permission to do so. At first, Amity was not too sure about the sudden plan to go to Luz's house, but a second round of puppy eyes from Luz sealed the deal.
While they waited for their ride, Luz began to ask Amity more about things back in Bonesborough. There wasn't really much to tell. Eda and Lilith had been laying low for the most part since they destroyed the portal. Classes had been fine, albeit nowhere near as eventful as when Luz was attending Hexside. The mention of magic classes made Luz long to return to them, even if only for one day.
"Hang on a second." Luz said, something crossing her mind. "I'm still technically a student there, right?"
"Well, yes, of course you are." Amity replied. "I know that Principal Bump wouldn't be against you coming back if you could."
"So….. if I happened to drop by for a day or two just to sit in any old class… that would be okay?" Luz asked.
"It would be, except that classes have ended for the year. Until winter break has ended, Hexside is closed."
Luz gasped. "That's even better! I'm starting a break from school too! I have all week off starting on Monday!"
"You only get one week?" Amity questioned. "We always get the last month of the year off."
"What the WHAT?!" Luz exclaimed. "A whole month?! What holiday gets you that kind of vacation?!"
"We don't really have any holidays this time of year. There is a winter festival, but that's more of an end of the year event. Plus the schools are required to let students have some time off."
"Now that you mention it, it would make sense since you have classes during the summer." Luz noted. "But let's get back to the important details. You and I both have time off from school for a while. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Amity let out an excited gasp. "We have plenty of free time to spend with each other! You could come and enjoy the festival with the rest of us back in Bonesborough!"
"Aaaand you can spend Christmas day with me!" Luz added, practically bouncing in place with excitement. "Ooh! Maybe you could even come over on Christmas Eve and spend the night! I'm sure my mom won't mind."
"T-that's alright." Amity replied, blushing again. "I wouldn't want to impose. And besides, it wouldn't be appropriate now that we've… you know… started dating."
"Ah, but is it?" Luz countered. "We haven't gone out on a date yet, so we technically haven't started dating."
"Excuse you, Miss Noceda." Amity said, sounding a bit annoyed. "But what do you call that nice time we just shared at your school's dance?"
Luz went silent, quickly realizing her mistake. She smiled sheepishly at her girlfriend, who was giving her a mildly condescending look. Amity began tapping her foot, clearly waiting for Luz to say something. Luz did better and stepped closer to Amity, pulling her in for a tender hug.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." She told her. "And to answer your question, I'd call it the best thing that's happened since I had to start going to school in the human realm again."
"That's what I thought." Amity said, sounding satisfied. "Now, let's talk more about our plans. When does this Christmas take place again?"
"Friday next week." Luz told her. "And I understand if you don't think the sleepover idea is a good one. I just thought it would be nice to spend as much time together as we can."
"I know, and trust me when I say I'd love to do that. But even if your mother had no reason to be against me spending the night, my mother would not allow me to go. What would I even tell her? That I'll be going to the human realm to be stay overnight with my girlfriend, who she hasn't met yet?"
"I guess not." Luz sulked, stepping out of the hug. "It just would have been nice, that's all. Do you think you can at least visit on Friday?"
Amity smiled. "I can manage that much. It's only fair since one of the things I was planning to ask of you was to come back to the Owl House."
Luz's eyes lit up. "Ohmygosh! That's right! I can see Eda and King and Hooty and… and… do you think I could even start going back to Hexside for when the next semester starts?!"
"If you can find a way to explain the situation to your mother, I think that can be arranged. I can't make promises, but maybe, just maybe I could see if Principal Bump can do something to make so you're officially transferred instead of just being an exchange student."
Unable to contain herself, Luz let out a happy squeal and hugged Amity again. She held her so tightly that Amity had a little trouble breathing. When Luz finally let go and she could breathe properly again, Amity felt a pair of soft, warm lips against her cheek. The contact lasted for just a moment, but it made her face glow with how intensely she began to blush.
"Okay, now you look really Christmasy." Luz noted with a giggle.
Before she could say anything in response, Amity found herself being dragged along without warning. Luz's mother had arrived and was waiting by the curb. Amity became very nervous when Luz suddenly brought up the idea of showing magic to her mother. She wasn't exactly against the idea since it would be the more direct way of addressing the matter, but she was fearful of what sort of reaction she'd get in return.
Luz shared in Amity's concern. She wasn't sure just how things would go when they tried to explain everything to her mother. It was going to be a lot to throw at her out of the blue and she had no idea what to expect. But there was one thing that she could absolutely say for certain. That this was going to be the best holiday of her young life. Because it was the first that she got to share with the cute, young witch who already meant the world to her.
The End.