Over the next couple days Gus and Willow kept a close eye on their friends Amity and Luz. More so Luz since they usually spent a lot of time together between going to and from school and the classes they shared. It didn't take long for them to notice that while Luz still gave every new experience her full and undivided attention, seeming to look at everything with childlike wonder, she wasn't as boisterous about it. There was one time about two days after the flier derby incident where Boscha started mocking the 'Luzers' about something or other. These days they usually just tried to ignore her, but for some reason Willow thought she saw Luz start to shake and a glint of molten amber though her hair for a moment but everyone's attention was immediately drawn away when Amity took the opportunity to shut her ex-friend down quickly and elegantly leaving everyone agape and stunned. Boscha just stormed off after that, and when Willow looked back she saw Amity holding Luz's hand in a reassuring way but everything else looked normal.
Later that night Willow couldn't seem to get what she thought she saw earlier out of her head. Eventually she decided to send Amity a message on her scroll.
(Hello_Willow) Hey Amity.
(WITCHCHICK128) Hey Willow. Whats up?
(Hello_Willow) Is there something going on that your not telling me and Gus?
(WITCHCHICK128) No. What makes you think that?
(Hello_Willow) I've just noticed Luz acting odd and I thought I saw something earlier but it's impossible.
(WITCHCHICK128) What did you see?
(WITCHCHICK128) Willow?
(Hello_Willow) When Boscha was being Boscha I thought I saw Luz's eyes glow and change color but that's impossible. Right?
(Hello_Willow) Amity?
(Hello_Willow) It is right?
(WITCHCHICK128) Ya Willow. Thats impossible. Its getting late we can talk about it tomorrow. Ok?
(Hello_Willow) Ya sure Amity.
Willow put aside her scroll but after a few minutes she picked it up again.
(Hello_Willow) Gus. Something is up with Luz and Amity knows what it is.
(HumanFan89) What do you mean?
(Hello_Willow) I asked her about what I saw and she reacted all cagey.
(HumanFan89) Are you sure? As I said earlier it could have just been a trick of the light.
(Hello_Willow) No something is up. After school tomorrow I'm going to confront Luz.
(HumanFan89) Are you sure thats a good idea?
(Hello_Willow) After the portal incident I'm not taking any chances.
(Hello_Willow) We almost lost her.
(Hello_Willow) I can't go through that again Gus.
(HumanFan89) Ok Willow. I'll be there.
(Hello_Willow) Thanks Gus.
With that Willow dismissed her scroll. She really hoped she was making the right decision.
Amity sent Luz a message. Luz we have a problem.
The next day was tense. Amity and Luz seemed even more inseparable then normal. Between every class Amity was there to walk Luz to her next one and they never seemed to get to class early enough to talk. At lunch they were joined by Edric and Emeria which was odd but not unwelcomed, and after school Amity and Luz rushed off on Amity's staff, almost like they were avoiding them. It continued to happen for the next two days but on Friday Willow had finally had enough.
"That's it. I'm done playing this game. Something is seriously wrong, and for some reason they refuse to let us in," huffed Willow.
"Willow. I know you're worried. I am too, but you're not acting like yourself," worried Gus.
Willow looked at Gus's concerned face and he sighed. Willow then walked over to a tree, rested her back against it, and slid down as she began to lightly cry. "I just don't understand Gus. I thought we were friends. I thought that we didn't keep these kinds of things from each other and always would have each other's backs. Don't they trust me? Am… am I about to lose them? Am I being abandoned again? Am I not strong enough?" Willow asked as she spiraled into her old depression.
Gus didn't know what to do. He came over to hug her, but she didn't seem to notice. He tried to get her to try the breathing trick she taught him, but she didn't even seem to remember he was there anymore. Until Willow's eyes started to glow green and she was consumed by the tree behind her.
"Willow! Willow! Where did you go? Oh Titan this is bad. Where would she go… I don't think she's headed home… THE OWL HOUSE," Gus yelled as he jumped on his palisman and hurried to try and beat her there.
Unaware of what was coming their way, Amity and Luz were flying back to the Owl House. "Luz we need to tell them," whispered Amity.
"No, Ami… I can't yet. I love Willow and Gus, but not the way I do you. They are my best friends, but I don't know if that would be enough to keep them safe. I still don't even know if you're safe. If it was only my demon form, that would be fine, but it's not. If I black out and change into that demon beast again… and I hurt any of you again… I'd never be able to forgive myself. After our date day I thought I had it under control but… after the last time… I'm scared, me amor," Luz hugged Amity's back tighter as they got close to the Owl House.
Amity could tell this was really tearing her up inside. Luz might not have noticed yet but Amity had. Not only was the back of Amity's uniform getting wet with tears, but she could feel the pressure of Luz's horns too and the sharpness of her claws on her sides as Luz held her close. None of these physical changes were painful for Amity, at least not when compared to the anguish she could hear in her loves voice. Despite everything that had happened Amity still felt safe in her arms, but she knew she couldn't take Luz home in her current state. So about a minute or two before they would have made it to the Owl House Amity stopped her palisman at the cave they had found a few nights before and as soon as she did Luz ran inside still crying.
"Poor Luz. I… I just wish I knew how to help her. We were doing so well, but now it's all falling apart again," Amity sighed to herself, and she began to turn to join Luz in the cave. But then she heard a voice.
"A secret cave. Why am I not surprised? Nowhere to run this time Blight. I'm sick of these games. I know something is up," Willow yelled from out of the trees.
Amity looked around but couldn't see her friend. "Willow? Is that you? Oh Titan, this is bad. Willow please, I know you have questions, and you deserve answers but now isn't a great time. I promise I'll tell you as soon as I can but-" Amity tried to warn Willow.
But Willow was too angry and too full of fear. "Oh you promise. That's great to hear. Why not start now. Tell me what's going on?" Willow continued to yell. Out of the ground appeared Willow with vines wrapped around her arms and from her chest down. Willow's eyes still glowed full of green light and Amity all of sudden felt surrounded. In the back of Amity's mind she felt like all of nature's fury was directed at her in this moment, but at the same time she felt her arm burn and she could still feel where her uniform clung to her back from Luz's tears. Amity just looked away from her one time best friend in shame.
"That's what I thought. Once again Amity Blight turns her back on her friends. I should have never accepted you back. All you know how to do is hurt people. You abandoned me when we were kids. You helped bully me for years. Not that you were satisfied with abandoning me, you abandoned Boscha and her crew too. When I finally found someone who wanted to help me, you try to have them vivisected. I let you worm your way into Luz's heart, but what's next? Are you going to break Luz's heart, get me and Gus expelled again, or what? Do we mean nothing to you? I really thought after Luz ended up in that coma we had finally opened up to each other. I thought we were finally on the same page again, but I guess you'll always just be a little Odalia," Willow screamed and sent a wave of thorns at Amity.
On reflex Amity summoned a wall of abomination goo to protect herself, but then roots and vines started shooting out of the ground at her feet. Amity was almost too stunned at what Willow said to react, but just before she was bound up she managed to free herself. "Willow, is that really how you feel? I'm so sorry. I know I hurt you in the past. I was a terrible person, but I promise you that's not what's going on. But right now you need to run. If you keep this up, I don't know what will happen," begged Amity on the verge of tears.
But Willow wasn't listening. She freed one of her hands from her vines and gestured to the trees around them. As she did the leaves began to glow and fly at Amity from all around her with all the weight and cutting power of knives. Amity tried to throw up another goo wall, but she wasn't fast enough and she ended up getting nicked. And that's when the worst thing that could happen, did happen. From in the cave a pair of molten amber eyes appeared and at the sight of Amity getting nicked and beginning to bleed in a few places, the beast emerged. Willow didn't even notice it at first. She was so focused on Amity she didn't hear the growling. It wasn't until she felt her control over the forest around her snap and turn against her did she see it as it slowly stocked up to where she and Amity had been fighting. Willow felt herself forced down to the ground and the vines that once protected her and tied her to the forest, now bound her on her knees before the beast. The beast never stopped its slow angry stride until Willow felt its breath on her face and she felt a primal fear grip her heart as she stared into a face she recognized, but that recognition only made the fear squeeze her heart tighter and her breath catch in her chest.
By some miracle that's when Gus arrived. But when he saw the scene he was gripped by that same fear but he managed to squeak out a single word, "Luz?"
As if recognizing her name the beast turned her head at Gus, but just as quickly it jerked its head back to Willow and released a sonic roar tearing Willow free and throwing them both back against some trees hard. Seeming content at its show of power the beast turned and began walking back to the cave, but on its way it stopped to pick up Amity by the back of her uniform and carried her away with it.
Willow and Gus just stared after the beast for five minutes. They couldn't move. They couldn't process what had just happened. That beast had Luz's face, but that couldn't be right.
Once their fear had mostly passed Gus looked at Willow and asked in a quiet voice, "Was that Luz? Oh Titan, what happened to her? What happened before I got here? Willow answer me, please."
But Willow just stared and then almost robotically she slowly shuffled to the mouth of the cave and looked inside with Gus slowly following a few steps behind. The cave wasn't particularly deep, but it was just deep enough that it was difficult to see the back wall very well. The cave was mostly bare except for a slight rise, almost a natural step, that formed a semicircular space against the back wall, and on it sitting protectively with Amity between its crossed front claws/paws sat the beast.
As Amity saw her friends she quickly gestured for them to stay outside the cave. "So… can you guys hear me alright from there?" Amity asked, seeming nervous but not uncomfortable where she was. When they nodded, she gestured for them to sit. "I guess I have a lot of explaining to do," she sighed and reassuringly stroked the side of the beast's face, and it nuzzled back while never taking its eyes off the perceived dangers. "This isn't the way we wanted you to find out. Firstly I guess I should make this clear, do not come in the cave till I tell you it's safe for you to do so. While I'm perfectly safe where I am, but we have no idea how she will respond if you do. Although it is a good sign that she only tried to scare you away and not actually hurt you," Amity said with a smile.
Gus and Willow just shared a look before Gus asked, "Is… is that really Luz? What happened? Is she cursed?"
Amity sighed, " Yes this is Luz, and it's complicated. It's kind of like a curse but not at the same time. We are still figuring it out. If this is anything like last time she should regain control of herself in another ten to fifteen minutes as long as nothing sets her off again, but in the meantime I'll fill you in on some of it. The rest you will have to wait for her for." The two just shared a look again and nodded to tell Amity to continue. "Oh Titan, where to start… ok. Before I tell you anything you have to agree this stays between us. No one else knows and for Luz's safety that's the way it's going to have to stay for now."
Gus and Willow nodded again, but Willow asked, "Are you saying Ms. Clawthorne does know yet?"
"No, she doesn't. I've tried to get Luz to tell you guys and Eda since Wednesday, but she's not ready. I'm sorry you guys were kept out this long, but after what happened Wednesday after I warned her you saw something that all went out the window," Amity sighed again.
"What happened?" Asked Gus.
"Later Gus. For now I have to warn you. Even after she calms down out of this form she still might look different, but as long as she doesn't get overwhelmed again she shouldn't turn back into this lovable beast," Amity said, staring up at it. It did not escape either friends notice when Amity looked up into the beast's eyes lovingly.
"Ok… going to have different questions now for later, but you still haven't really explained anything," said Willow.
"Ya, I'm sorry. I guess a part of me just doesn't feel comfortable telling you guy's any of this without Luz fully here. I just don't want to share anything she's not comfortable with… sigh… if you guys could please wait there for a few more minutes, I'd really appreciate it." Amity begged.
Gus and Willow sighed but accepted that they didn't really have much of a chose if they wanted to get answers, and after another six minutes they watched as Beast Luz started to shrink and take on a new form. Once Luz was apparently done changing, Amity shifted and put Luz's head in her lap and started stroking her forehead and hair with one hand while directing Gus and Willow to come in with the other. It didn't take them long to see what Amity had been warning them about, but they decided to trust that Amity knew what she was saying and sat down only a foot or two away.
After another minute of awkward silence Luz began to stir. "Here there, hermosa. I'll say it again, I'm never going to get tired of waking up here," Luz said lovingly, not noticing Gus and Willow yet.
Amity blushed, "Stop that, botata. I need you to stay calm now, ok?" Luz nodded. "You turned into the beast again. Nobody got seriously hurt, but Gus and Willow are here. I know this isn't how you wanted this to happen but they saw you, and they deserve answers," Amity whispered sweetly, as she continued to calmingly stroke Luz's head and horns.
At those words Luz looked around and finally noticed them sitting close by, and her eyes grew as big as saucers as she smoothly and apparently effortlessly sprang up and over Amity to hide behind her as much as possible. "Uh, hey guys… I guess it's too late to try to convince you this is all a dream," Luz asked hopefully, but at Gus and Willow's deadpan look she wilted. "I guess I don't have a choice now," sighed Luz.
"Please Luz. Come out from behind Amity and tell us what's going on. We are really worried about you? We need to know if you're ok," begged Willow, starting to tearing up.
"Willow please don't cry, I'm fine for the most part," said Luz as she came out from behind Amity. Sigh. "I guess if we are doing this it would be better to go all in." As she said that she raised her right claw and out of it sprang three orbs of light.
Once Gus and Willow got over the shock of Luz just casually doing magic without glyphs or circles they finally took in her new appearance.
Gus was the first one to recover and asked, "Ok. I'm sure if this was normal for humans I would have heard about it by now. So please, just tell us what happened. Is this permanent?"
"Yes and no, Gus. Yes I can turn back to my original human form mostly whenever I want and back again. Heck I can even choose to only change partially if I really focus, but ya this is me now," Luz answered.
"Botata, they have been patient while you got control. It's time you told them everything from the start," advised Amity.
With another sigh Luz began telling them about everything that had happened up to their date day. When Luz got to the wraiths she tried to downplay it, but Amity flicked her horn and told them the truth.
"So that's what I saw when Boscha was being Boscha, it really was your eyes," Willow said, finally vindicated.
"Ya, we were actually working on a plan as to how to tell you guys and Eda. I thought I finally got this whole thing under control, but then Wednesday happened," Luz said sadly, while looking back at Amity clearly ashamed.
"It's not your fault Luz. It's fine. I already told you, it's not even going to scar," reassured Amity.
At Willow's fearful look Luz filled them in. "So after you confronted Amity over your scroll, she sent me a message to warn me. And like the idiot I am, I started to have a panic attack. Luckily I managed to slip out the window before anyone saw me, but that's how I found this place…" Luz admitted.
"You're not an idiot Luz," Amity said, slightly annoyed with her and pulling on Luz's horn and using her new position to kiss Luz's forehead. "Apparently palisman have some kind of sense for her because that was the second time Ghost led me right to her, and when I did she was in the middle of turning into her beast form. That's how I got this," Amity said while revealing a deep scratch mark on her arm that looked only half healed. "It was my fault. If I had just waited till you either finished shifting or changed back I would have been fine. I know neither of you would have hurt me intentionally."
So after that info dump they all just kind of sat there feeling awkward. Till Gus chimed in, "It doesn't hurt does it?"
"Nope. No pain. Actually, turning into this form sometimes makes me feel energized like I just had a hot cup of coffee and I more or less just black out for beast. As a matter of fact according to P.T. once I get total control of his powers I shouldn't need to turn into the beast at all… unless I really want to," Luz said, flirtingly giving Amity a side eye.
"I make one comment about finding your beast cute and cuddly and now your never going to let me live it down are you," Amity said in mock exasperation.
"Nope. Eventually you'll just have to be satisfied with this furry form, me amor," Luz laughed.
"I don't know it didn't seem very cuddly when it dominated my magic," Willow huffed.
"Excuse me. What!? I dominated your magic in that form? That's never happened before. I knew it was possible for one witch to do to another during a fight, but it never occurred to me that it could do that," Luz sputtered.
"Honestly, given how powerful you are, how easily you can affect magic, and that your beast is all instinct it's not all that surprising," stated Amity.
"Speaking of which, how powerful are you," asked Gus with a gleam in his eye.
"Ok Gus. I'll give you a little demonstration. You saw how I summoned those light balls without anything. Well if I use say, an ice glyph…" says Luz as she pulls out a small glyph out of seemingly nowhere. "... I can do stuff like this." Luz proceeds to activate the glyph and make a blizzard shoot out of the cave, or this as she draws back all the ice and snow and from it forms a staff which she proceeds to slam it on the ground three times and create a dazzling ice pillar each time. After her show, Luz guestered and all of the ice melted away again.
"And you can do that with any of your glyphs?" Gus asked.
"I've only really tested the core four, but yep. I can't just summon magic though unless I'm in my demon form though and trying to use my glyph constructs outside it is really exhausting after a while. To be honest I haven't actually found my limit yet for magic, but I also have to be really careful when I practice or someone might see me. So I really haven't had the chance to try," Luz said as she changed back to her human form. After everyone sat back down Luz looked at her two friends seriously, "So guys haven't run away screaming yet. Does that mean you guys still accept me? I won't blame you if you don't though," Luz asked sheepishly.
"As long as you're still the Luz you've always been I can accept this, I think," said Gus.
When Willow remained silent, everyone got a bit worried, but after a minute she sighed, "Luz, you have to understand if you had just come out and told us earlier I'm sure I could have accepted it. But instead you had Amity lie to me. You actively hide from me. All the new stuff you can do is really cool and I've never really cared about looks, but I feel hurt by how you handled it. I think I'm going to need some time. I won't say anything to anyone but I'm going to need some time to process all of this. I'll see you all Monday." And with that Willow turned around and left leaving everyone stunned.
After Willow left, Gus shook his head, "It's ok guys. I'll talk to her…"
"No Gus, I'll do it," interrupted Amity. "I think I have an idea what's going on, and if I'm right, this is something only I can help her with. Everyone just give her space for tonight. I'll go talk to her tomorrow," she sighed.
That night at the Emperor's Castle. Raine was sitting on a ledge, and looking into the distance when Terra interrupted them and they turned around.
Terra cooed while holding Raine's drinking horn with tea in it, "Ah! There, you are sprout. You know, I was just heartbroken when I found out it was you, of all people, causing trouble for the covens. But look how well you're doing now."
Raine groaned, "I just wish these headaches would go away."
"Keep drinking your tea, and you'll forget all about the pain," assured Terra.
Raine blew (covertly whistling) into the tea lightly, and they drank it. Terra watched them with a look of satisfaction. After they finish, Raine hands her back the drinking horn.
After that Terra walked away saying, "Have a good night, Raine."
As soon as Terra disappeared, Raine immediately stood up with a look of determination on their face. After cracking their neck, they knocked on a brick on the wall beside them, and the brick slowly disappeared as a small abomination appeared and handed them a letter, which they opened.
Raine gasped, "A draining spell? This is worse than we thought. Any way to counter?"
The abomination passes them a small note. It read, "OWL LADY?".
Raine sighed, "I told you, I'm not putting her in danger again. We'll figure something else out." Afterwards they whistled into the letter as it slowly dissolved into ashes and the abomination retreated back inside the brick. Raine let the wind carry the ashes as they looked up into the sky with a hopeful expression on their face and said, "I'll keep you safe, Eda. I promise
Willow woke up on Saturday and just laid in bed remembering everything that had happened recently. She just felt so confused and weighed down by all the emotions she was feeling about everything, but after ten minutes of feeling down she reached up and slapped her cheeks. With that done she started her usual morning routine, but about twenty minutes after her morning exercises and subsequent shower she heard a knock at the door. "Come in," she said, figuring that one of her dads needed something. She was surprised when Amity walked in.
"Hey Willow. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you. I just feel like we should talk," Amity said sheepishly. "Can I come in?"
Willow stepped aside to let Amity in, and she sat on Willow's bed. Then there was an awkward pause where both girls didn't know what to say until Willow asked sadly, "Amity, what do you want?"
Amity hugged her knees. "Did you mean what you said yesterday? Is that really how you feel?" Amity never looked up from the floor as she spoke, but there were tears forming at the corner of her eyes.
"Amity… its complicated. For the most part no, but also yes. I felt hurt, and scared. I… I took it out on you, and that's not right. Especially after how much you've tried to change, but there's still a part of me that can't trust you. We have had such a complicated relationship. You were my best friend and then my worst bully for years. Ya, boscha bullied me too, but as much as her words hurt… yours cut deeper. Those scars haven't healed, and I don't know if they ever will," Willow admitted.
"I'm so sorry Willow. I know I was a monster… I never deserved you as a friend in the first place. So what made me think I could be one now. I'll leave you and Gus alone from now on. You won't have to see me ever again," Amity said and tried to get up but Willow stopped her.
"Amity stop," Willow said firmly as she pushed her back onto the bed. "That's not what I want, and I'm sorry too. I said a lot of hurtful things. Things I didn't mean, and that you didn't deserve." Willow used her right hand to lift Amity's chin and make her look her in the eyes. "Yes, you did abandon Boscha's group, but that's a good thing. You needed to seperate yourself from her toxic attitude in order to become someone better. I'm happy that you and Luz got together because you deserve someone who can help you grow into the person I know you can be, and the Odalia comment… I'm so sorry. You're nothing like her and I'm ashamed of myself that I ever went there. The same way there's that part that can't trust you yet, there's another that just missed my best friend, and with every day I get to see you and watch you as you continue to grow next to Luz that part grows," Willow said giving Amity a hug. "But I do need you to answer one question for me."
"I'm an open book," Amity said worriedly.
"Do you still know how to braid hair," Willow asked as she flipped around and sat in front of her.
Amity snickered, "I might be a bit rusty, but ya. I missed my best friend too." Amity smiled while she got to work.
"By the way, I never really took you as someone who enjoyed the feeling of fur… what's that like," Willow asked and Amity blushed.
Another chapter for everyone to enjoy. No shout out this week. Between this and Exile I'm kinda tired lol. Don't worry I'm not burning out, but there was alot of emotions this week. Hope everyone enjoyed my take on Willow's rage. It always struck me as weird that it was never really dealt with in canon (probably Disney's fault). Anyway I'm making it a point to show these when possible, so have fun with that. Just a reminder next week's chapter has a TRIGGER WARNING. So come Wednesday, the most emotional episode I have ever written will drop. I cried, and made myself sick writing it. I take alot of pride in how it came out. Can't wait to share… see you next time for 'Traumatic Truth'.