What if 4

Amity sat back at her desk and let out a sigh. For the fifth time that hour she found herself needing to restart the chapter she was supposed to be reading in her Demonics textbook. Her mind just wouldn't stay on the task. Her week had started off horribly and she had been depressed ever since. She tried one more time to read the page she had started over, and over again, only to ultimately give up before finishing the first paragraph.

Leaving her book lying open on her desk, Amity got up and ventured down to the pantry for a snack. Normally there'd be only so many things in there that would pass for junk food, but recently Amity had found there was plenty to choose from. Her siblings had been considerate of her need for comfort foods and had avoided ransacking the supply. They even had gone out of their way to be sure there were plenty of Amity's favorites in stock too. Sure, it was most likely out of pity, but Amity wasn't going to complain.

A couple of minutes later, she returned to her room with a box of Hirsch's chocolate covered scarabs. She plopped herself onto her bed and opened the box to grab one of the still living insects from within. It squirmed fiercely in her grasp, thrashing its legs and gnashing its mouthparts. Amity found a trace of satisfaction from biting it in half, enjoying the sweetness of the chocolate and the crunch of the scarab's shell.

She made quick work of the box, chomping down on the scarabs one after the other. One of them got lucky and snagged her finger when she reached into the box. It was bitten several times in return, Amity taking little pieces of it each time.

After emptying the box, Amity tossed it onto the floor and curled up on her mattress. Despite having just devoured and entire box of snacks, she still wanted something to eat. It wasn't that she was hungry, she just wanted more food. Some ice cream would be nice. There was a carton of key slime pie flavor in the ice box that she could enjoy.

With the idea of indulging herself with more sweets motivating her, Amity got up again. She slowly went back downstairs, into the kitchen and got out the ice cream. Next, she got a spoon with intent to just start digging right into the carton, but she stopped. This wasn't enough, she wanted more. Amity got out a large mixing bowl and dropped all the ice cream into it, then fetching a jar of hot sludge for a topping. And not just some of it, oh no, Amity poured it all out. It was followed by a whole jar of lipidberry jam, a bunch of candied eyeballs and she found some Scars brand mini candy bars; 3 Privateers. Those got thrown in as well.

Amity got a larger spoon to use and carried her concoction of sweets into the living room. She grabbed the remote for the crystal ball and switched it on, finding a news broadcast was currently airing. She watched for a moment as Gus's dad talked about some upcoming island-wide competition. Once she had settled onto a cushion which she had crafted from abomination goo, Amity started to flip through the channels in search of anything else she could watch. After skipping over several commercials, a Grudgby game, a cheesy soap opera and a kid's show, Amity found an interesting documentary on palismans.

The entertainment was short lived as a commercial break started. Amity focused more on eating while she heard an advertisement for the local cat café play, followed by a Grey & Lindbeck's ad and then an annoying jingle for a local potion-maker's shop. Mr. Elixir or something; Amity didn't really care. But when the next commercial began, she almost lost her appetite. It was for some new reality show where a young witch, barely old enough to be out of school, went to a resort in Palm Stings to find her soul mate. The crystal ball got hit with a glob of abomination goo, muffling the audio while Amity resisted the urge to also set it on fire.

She shut the crystal ball off, not bothering to clean off the goo still covering it, and laid back on her cushion. The bowl of ice cream was set on the floor and forgotten as Amity dealt with the storm that was her mind. Why did a stupid commercial for a stupid dating show have to come on when she was finally feeling comfortable?! Who even liked watching that garbage?! Probably someone like Boscha, or her brother Edric. Then again, something like that would probably be a show that Luz would…

Amity sat up and shook her head, starting to feel the same awful feeling that had been plaguing her all week. She grabbed the bowl and started eating again with zeal. Her food wasn't as cold anymore, but stuffing it into her face still helped to smother her negative emotions. Soon the bowl was empty and her belly finally felt full. She dropped the bowl to the floor with a clatter and had to try to hold back an air bubble that was working its way up from her stomach. Then Amity decided that she didn't care about minding her manners.

A loud belch escaped her. One which would have brought her mother running to scold her, had she been home at the time. What did happen was that someone started to clap nearby. Amity lazily turned her head and saw Edric standing in the doorway, smiling at her in approval.

"Nice one, baby sis!" He said. "Didn't know you had it in you. Then again, I guess now you don't!" He added, laughing at his joke.

"Edric, take this for me please." Amity mumbled, sliding the bowl a little in in his direction.

"Did you want some more?" He asked as he came over and picked the bowl up.

With a soft groan and a shake of her head, Amity curled up on her cushion. Edric took a moment to pat her head, giving her a sympathetic look before he left the room. Amity let out a sigh and continued to lay there, starting to feel that unbearable depression returning. She wanted something to do, to distract herself. But there was so little that seemed appealing to her at the time. Even reading 'The Good Witch Azura' was an unpleasant idea, as it would make her think about Luz.

Another groan escaped her as she stood up and dismissed the abomination goo. She left the room, practically dragging her feet all the way to the nearest bathroom. The image that she found in the mirror was pretty much what she expected. Her hair was unkempt, there were bags under her eyes and there was evidence of her recent gorging on the corners of her mouth. But she could at least say that she didn't look nearly as bad as she felt.

She took a few minutes to wash her face and rake her fingers through her hair. It still looked a bit messy, but she considered it good enough for a trip to the library. No one would bother her in her secret study anyways. Especially not with an abomination guarding the door from the inside.

Amity went back to her room to fetch her Demonics textbook. After having stuffed herself with comfort food, she hoped it would be easier to finish her homework. And even if she couldn't, she would have plenty of other options in her little sanctuary to pass the time. If nothing else, she could always start working on some drawing instead.

As Amity returned to the ground floor, her mood was starting to improve. It was nice to have a plan for the day, even if it would only take up an hour or so. That and having an excuse to leave the manor was great too; she had been moping around in her room for most of the weekend.

When she opened the door, she was met with bright sunshine and a gentle breeze. The fresh air was already helping her to feel a bit better and she was even starting to become a bit optimistic. It wasn't enough to put a smile on her face, but it was a welcome change compared to how she had been feeling as of late.

She began down the path which led to the front gates, raising her hand and summoning her staff. Her eyes went to her palisman briefly and she gently patted Ghost's head. Despite being in her inert form, Ghost purred. It was something which only Amity could hear, or rather sense, and that gave her a sense of worth that she needed more than anything else right then. She considered taking a longer route to the library, so she could have a little more time just soaring through the sky before going back indoors. Just her and Ghost, enjoying the scenery and beautiful weather.

That brought a tiny smile to Amity's face. She continued to pat Ghost's head more, the Palisman becoming active and jumping from the staff to her shoulders. Amity let out a giggle as Ghost made herself comfortable, draping herself around Amity's shoulders. Her purring was audible now, the sound further aiding Amity's improving mood. She opted to stroll for a little while before taking flight, enjoying the affection she was getting from Ghost too much to give it up just yet.

Amity reached the gate and unlatched it, but then stopped cold. Her good mood vanished like an illusion being dispelled as she spotted someone approaching the manor. A certain someone who she didn't want to see.

Luz Noceda was running towards her, waving to her, and calling her name.

Without even thinking, Amity slammed the gate shut and backed away. She cast her barrier spell, sealing off the outside of the gate in a semi-circle. It wasn't a permanent solution; Amity knew that Luz could easily get over the fence using her glyphs. The urge to fly off on her staff came to mind, but Amity passed in favor of telling Luz off. Running from her problem wouldn't solve it; Luz needed to understand that Amity didn't want to see her.

"Go away!" Amity demanded. "You aren't welcome here anymore!"

"But…" Luz began.

"No!" Amity yelled. "No excuses, and no more chances! I don't trust you, Luz Noceda!"

"Please, Amity, just let me…"

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say!" Amity shrieked. "Just turn around and go back the way you came! Go back to that… that boyfriend of yours!"

Amity had spat out the last bit so venomously that it had left a bad taste in her mouth. Tears began forming in the corners of her eyes and she felt a tightness inside her chest. She turned away, tempted to run back into the manor and hide away in her room. But she resisted it, not wanting to give into such weakness.

"You're not leaving, are you?" Amity asked, able to sense Luz's eyes still on her. "If you don't go, then I'll have no choice but to get security to make you leave. I shouldn't need to remind you about just how dangerous my dad's inventions can be."

"Don't say that!" Luz replied, sounding upset. "I know that you're angry, but please don't say things you'll regret!"

"That's rich coming from the girl who breaks promises the day after she makes them." Amity coldly countered. "I still can't believe you could lie to me like that."

"I wasn't trying to lie to you!"

"Then explain how you went back on your promise so easily!" Amity barked, turning on her heel to glare at Luz. "You said you'd stop seeing that guy and spend a whole day with me. But what do I see the next morning? You swooning into his arms!"

Amity choked back a sob. Hot tears were starting to stream down her cheeks and she turned her back to Luz again, hoping that would get her message across. As she did, she was relieved to see her brother and sister heading down the front path with Ghost leading the way. It was only then that Amity realized her palisman had been absent since Luz had arrived and she gave a tiny, appreciative smile to Ghost.

Edric and Emira joined her and stood firmly by her side. Edric pulled her into his arms and Amity sank into the hug, realizing how desperate she was for the comfort. The twins cast icy glares at Luz, who backed a step away from the barrier surrounding the front gate. A shaky smile came to her face and she raised her hand to wave to them awkwardly.

"Um… hi guys…"

"Don't you 'um, hi guys' us." Emira sharply replied. "You're not welcome here. Leave now!"

"But I only want to talk to Amity." Luz explained.

"Does she want to talk to you?" Edric asked tersely.

Luz hesitated. "Not really… but…"

"If she doesn't want to talk to you, then that's it!" Emira cut in.

"Yeah!" Edric added. "Leave or else… uh… or else we'll…"

"Edric, let me handle this." Emira told him frankly. "You are not good at making threats."

"I was going to get an abomiton out here if she didn't leave." Amity mumbled.

Emira smiled wickedly. "Now that is a good threat. You heard her, didn't you, Luz? You've got until I could to three. Leave or you'll be getting escorted out by an abomiton. One…"

"Okay! Okay, I'll go!" Luz said, backing away. "Just… just know that I'm sorry. For everything."

Amity pulled away from her brother and gave Luz a sad look. "I wish I could believe you, Luz. I really do."

The twins started to take Amity back inside. Emira checked over her shoulder to ensure that Luz was leaving. She was pleased to see that Luz was slowly walking away, her form growing smaller and smaller until she was gone. They stepped into the manor and brought Amity up to her room where she plopped onto her bed, starting to mope again.

"Is there anything we can get you?" Edric offered.

"No." Amity softly replied. "I just want to be alone for a while."

"Alright, but let us know if you change your mind." Emira told her. "I'll check in on you again in a little bit, okay?"

"Okay…" Amity mumbled.

Emira and Edric left, closing the door behind them. Amity rolled onto her back and let out a heavy sigh. She stared up at the ceiling, still enduring the emotional turmoil created by Luz's visit. It was completely draining her desire to do anything anymore. In her mind she kept seeing the look on Luz's face before she finally left, kept hearing the way she had apologized. It had sounded sincere, and sad…

Amity started to sniffle, her tears returning. It wasn't fair and she hated it all. She hated that it was happening, hated how she couldn't do anything about it and hated that she didn't even understand why it was happening. But more than anything else, she hated him.

It was all his fault to begin with in the first place. That no-good, silver tongued pretty boy. If he hadn't come along, this whole horrible ordeal would never have happened. She wished she could take out her frustrations on him and steal back her Luz

She let out another sigh and wiped the tears from her face. Then she took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. Her emotions were starting to get the better of her and she knew she had to get them under control. As much as she disliked it all, she knew she couldn't just go and take Luz away. It was more than obvious to Amity how Luz truly felt about… him. And Amity still cared enough about Luz's happiness that she didn't want to ruin Luz's new relationship, even if it did make her feel miserable.

It made her feel sick and angry. Deep down she wished things could go back to the way they were before; to forget about the unpleasantness of the past week. She wanted to just be selfish and go win back her girlfriend. But Luz wasn't a prize to fight over, no matter how badly she wanted to put that angsty jerk in his place.

A soft meow sounded beside her and Amity saw Ghost sitting on the edge of the mattress. The feline palisman approached her cautiously, concern in her eyes. Amity reached out and welcomed her beloved familiar, gently hugging her close.

Ghost meowed again, offering her comforting words shared by their bond. Amity felt her tears flowing again and she let it all out. She let out her sorrow and her anger through her crying, all the while silently cursing Luz's new boyfriend, Nevareth.

What if Luz and Amity broke up?

Title: The Return of Nevareth

Outline: Not yet started

Synopsis: Luz and Amity's relationship takes a turn for the worse when Luz encounters an old acquaintance who she never thought she'd see again. Amity is put through an emotional molar coaster ride as she gains a rival for Luz's affections in Nevareth Bladestrife, Teen Prince of Angstmore

Ships: Luz Noceda and Amity Blight, Luz Noceda and Nevareth Bladestrife, plus one more to be revealed in the story.

The above notes will remain in place until the next 'What if?' chapter is posted. After which they will be transferred to the author's profile page. The synopsis and ships are subject to change prior to the polls in which the story may be voted on in the future.