A nightmare run
*** Amity
Everything with the Library felt like a blur, she had only returned that night because she had a sinking feeling her siblings were up to something. To have found out that not only her suspicions were true but that they had dragged Luz into it as well, knowing that she had been causing her nothing but trouble since showing up, hurt more than she expected. However, it paled in comparison when looking at the events of the whole day. Her safe space within the library had been taken from her, her mother had now insisted she wear her amulet everywhere, her only peace was when she was bathing. On top of that, she had to fight demons, save Luz from Pirates after having lost her, and she was caught by Otabin, seeing him in a monstrous state. The day she had was pretty much a personal hellscape of events.
Amity had returned to her room after the events that night, combing through her feelings and trying her best to push the ugly emotions that rose down below the surface. Despite the day having been her own personal hell, she had felt strange and out of place bursts of Joy? Excitement? She questioned the feelings heavily, trying to better understand how it was possible. She sat in her room, patching herself up with a mix of basic healing magic and her first aid kit, once satisfied with the results she let herself relax and lay down, closing her eyes. I couldn't have left her... Sure, she has been nothing but a pain in my ass, she has certainly proven time and time again she couldn't be trusted. Yet, when that demon was in the aisle over, I couldn't help myself... I had to grab her and shush her. As she thought back to that first contact, she felt her heart rate rise and she let out a small groan. She knew that she had done much more than just what needed to be done in that moment, but she couldn't understand why, when she actually dwelled on it for some time, she couldn't grasp her actions for most of the night. Her goal was clear, get them out, but everything in between there was a line she had crossed. She crossed over what was necessary and insisted on going beyond, protecting her as if it she hadn't just spent the last few weeks pissing her off and getting her into trouble. When she couldn't decipher anymore of her motives or feelings on the human she sat up, fixing her hair.
As the witch rose from the bed it felt like an alarm bell was going off in her head, she flinched and grabbed her head with both hands. Suddenly a womans voice called loudly into her head, intruding on her thoughts and feelings. Amity Blight, you are to come home this instant. There is much to discuss... After todays, 'events'. Do not keep me waiting! as suddenly as the intrusion happened it let her go, causing the witch to drop to her knees. Her mother had invaded her thoughts before, had given her instructions before, but this was different. This time it was painful, she could feel her mother's emotions or maybe she projected an emotion onto Amity, either way she was shaken to her core. This amulet looks like mine, but... It can't be, the magic is different, that was... different. Scared of her own thoughts being intruded upon again, she wasted no time in collecting her things and heading home.
As she exited the library she froze, seeing that a 'driver' was waiting for her, something her mother had never really done before, maybe special occasions. A lump in her throat was quickly forming, she politely greeted the man on the staff and proceeded to climb on behind him. The staff had a fitted seat on it for passengers and a small handle for them to hold, rather than touching the driver. The flight home was fast and quiet, which gave little time for Amity to prepare herself for whatever her mother had wanted to discuss. Whatever it is, you've faced it all. No matter what, she is your mother and she does, what she does for the family. The witch kept repeating this sentiment until they landed in front of Blight Manor, Amity gave the man a small bow and he quickly departed. "Hello Dear" The witch jumped slightly at the voice of her mother, having expected she would be waiting inside. "Hello Mother, I was just on my way in." Her voice took on a different, more professional tone with her mother than when she spoke to friends or her siblings. "No need, we won't be staying. I'd rather this discussion be in... Private" The way her mother said those words caused a small pang of worry to form and that lump in her throat was returning. Before she could even reply, the older witch touched the amulet on her chest and Amity's mind went black, it was instant and shocking to the younger witch's body.
Odalia, Amity's mother had her oracle demon carry Amity's limp body over to their large industrial warehouse. Odalia looked much like Amity and Emira, her hair was a natural green, despite her age she didn't have a wrinkle in sight, the twins often claimed that it was because she was emotionless and had a 'resting witch face'. She was a smaller lady, shorter than Amity and just slightly shorter than Emira as well, her body was very curvy. She typically accentuated her figure with appropriately tailored pin suits, vests and skirts or the like. The sign on the archway her mother's monster carried her through read 'Blight Industries' it was where they held all their demos, sales, created and stored their products. The children were seldomly allowed to enter, it was their prized possession and the core to their family fortune and legacy. Odalia didn't use the main doors, rather she side stepped to a small attached building that faced away from their home, once entering they went down a flight of narrow stairs, the temperature dropped considerably as they reached their destination.
Set up in the cold room was a chair with multiple straps, a cauldron was a few feet away and beside that looked like a station one would craft a crystal, or amulet. On the wall was a large writing board, it was covered with magic theory, details on oracle magic, the words 'forbidden' and 'high risk' were used far too many times. There were also written letters with the emperor's seal on them, with the way they were dictated and stamped, they looked to be incredibly important. The Oracle monster set her daughter down in the chair and assisted Odalia in strapping her in, there was a small pit in her stomach as she looked at her restrained daughter. You won't remember this... And yet I want you to know it's for the best, the emperor's coven has become increasingly interested in our business and you will need to take over one day. You can't be doing what you have been dear, it simply won't do and you risk all our futures.
Odalia removed her daughter's amulet and started her work tinkering with it, simultaneously working to brew a potion. Hours went by and frustration was evident in Odalia, "This must be right!" She yelled, slamming her fists down on the table, fuming with the multiple failed attempts at both the potion and change in the amulet. She sent word to the twins and Alador she would be away on business, not wanting to pique anyone's suspicion, it will already be out of place that Amity has not returned. She spent the rest of the night redoing her calculations from old tombs, rewriting and working tirelessly to get the correct mix. Finally, in the midafternoon of the next day she got it. "Finally!" She cackled, pushing her messy green hair back into the bun it had fallen out of. She woke Amity for a moment, not even giving the girl enough time to really come into the waking world before she forced her to swallow the potion she had made. Causing her eyes to glow an eerie purple, "That's it..." She whispered, grabbing the new amulet she had made and putting it on around her daughter's neck. "Amity Blight, you will live by these commands, you will heed these words and live to provide for your family. I will guide you." She repeated this one more time before launching into the next steps, "You will be the best in all of your classes, you will stay out of trouble, you will exceed expectations, you will continue to be a part of the grudgby team, working with your team to win as often as possible and you will stay away from that human girl, only associating with the best." She listed the instructions, wondering if it had been too many to commit to at once, she only knew the spell and potion fully worked when her daughter wakes. As Odalia finished the last few touches to the spell and amulet, the spell slowly dissipated and the light In Amity's eyes vanished, her new amulet pulsed with intense energy before settling as well.
The older witch checked the time and sighed, she hadn't slept in almost two days and had an event to attend with Alador the next day. She used her Oracle demon to carry Amity, this time they went through an underground tunnel that connected the home to the warehouse. Once all was quiet in the home, the oracle demon whisked her daughter away to her room, putting her in bed as if nothing had happened. It wouldn't be until the next day Amity woke.
**** Luz
The living room was deathly quiet, both Willow and Luz having passed out a few hours ago now. Eda had felt a strange surge of magic that had forced her awake, however now that she was in the living room it was as if it disappeared without leaving a trace for her to follow. It couldn't just be my worry, I felt something... for sure. You're losing your touch, Owl Lady. she sighed, walking over to Luz and pulling the spare blanket the girl was using up on her more as she appeared to have a slight shiver in her sleep. She slowly walked up the stairs back to her room, hoping she hadn't woken King up when she left, to her relief he was passed out on his back snoring happily in the corner of her nest, like he used to before Luz came. King had agreed earlier, that something felt off and played a part in not sleeping with the girl the last two nights.
Luz was shivering, however, not from the cold but from the intense dream she was having. She had been pulled back in time to the library, it was darker, and the sense of fear she had felt like it was amplified. Amity was with her, holding her tightly to her body as the demon walked by them in the next aisle over. The same moment played out, giving Luz small relief, feeling as though maybe she was just reliving the same moment, even if it was scary, they were okay. "Keep close" Amity insisted, grabbing her hand and leading her forward. That's new... Luz easily complied, hugging closer to the witch as they walked through the library. At the same moment as before, Luz ducked nearly getting sliced to pieces. This time however, the demon that was attacking was huge. "Luz, I need you to run!" she yelled, pushing Luz forcefully out of the way and into the open hall. She was stunned but complied, turning and making a run for the exit, as she neared the last staircase she froze, her body going cold in horror. In front of her were the twins, empty blank stares on their blood splattered faces. "No!" She yelled, her knees buckling, This didn't happen... This isn't real. She swallowed the pain she felt and tried to look away from their mangled bodies, frantically feeling like she needed to find Amity, she couldn't let her see her siblings like this, at least not alone.
She turned around, struggling to walk forward at first but as she found her footing and she wasn't staring at the twins haunting eyes, she was able to pick up her pace. "Amity!" She yelled against her better judgement, knowing that it may cause more problems but she was in a panicked state, just wanting to find the green haired witch. After a few more steps forward the giant monster from before came leaping out between shelves, its shrieking roar causing Luz's heart to drop into her stomach. As it came down upon her, she scrambled backwards, throwing whatever was close to her hands at it, books, crystal balls, anything. As it landed and stalked forward, she could see blood dripping from its large talons and some splattered across its disgusting head. "Amity?" Luz whispered again; eyes wide. As the demon lifted its massive arms, talons at the ready, she closed her eyes preparing for her eventual demise. However, it never came, all she felt was a warm liquid cascading down on her face and shoulder. She snapped her eyes open and looked up, stunned and cold at what she saw, Amity was above her, facing her as she shielded Luz from the attack. A purple shield on her back that had attempted to stop the demon, it had failed and a large claw was poking through Amity's chest, dripping blood on the human below. "It's okay, I just... Need you. To run, Luz." The words came out slow, painful and muddled with blood dripping from her lips. "No!" Luz screamed shutting her eyes again, praying to Titan she would just wake up.
Thankfully, Luz got exactly what she wanted, when she opened her eyes next, she was laying in the living room, staring at the dark ceiling, barely able to make out the beautiful mural on it. Her heart was racing and she could feel an intense heat in her chest, as well as a terrible hole in her stomach. It didn't happen Luz, It's okay... You're here, and so is she... Somewhere. Luz swallowed the bile that had had made its way up her throat. She sighed debating if she should wake Willow, she was having a hard time coming down from the terror she felt. that's why she came.. It's alright. she reassured herself and pushed herself up, standing she went to walk over to where her friend was asleep near her. Willow? Her mouth couldn't open, the sight before her was the stuff of her nightmares and she couldn't comprehend it, she was awake. In front of her laid Willow, on her back, her face would have looked peaceful if not for being half covered in blood. Her hands were petrified into place, holding what looked to be a large tooth in her chest, blood still spilling from the girl onto the floor. As Luz went to move, a whisper floated into her ear, "You don't belong here... Look what you being here has done." The voice suddenly flashed the deaths of the Twins and Amity in front of her eyes, "Thats... not real." She struggled to get the words out, and once they left her lips the voice in her head started to cackle. "More proof? Fine..." rather than Luz moving through the house, the house seemed to shift around her, taking her to Eda's bedroom next. In the dark corner of the room the Owl Beast sat, blood covering its face and its black eyes staring at the small pinned demon in her claws. "You drove her to this... sucking resources from this house, no more elixir for the Owl Lady... " The voice taunted relentlessly, the sight was too much for Luz, this was her family, this was where she felt like she had always belonged. Seeing them like this was horrifying, Luz could feel in every part of her body a burning regret, mixed with rage and powerful sorrow.
Having had enough of the sight before her, she whipped around and ran back downstairs, yelping as her mother suddenly appeared before her, causing her to skid to a stop. The scene warping to her being back home, "Mija... What have you done to these people?" The womans voice sounded so sad, so confused. "Mami, este no era yo" (This wasn't me!) she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "You killed people Mija... I knew you were different but never... never this" At the sight of her own mothers tears she made another break for it, running as fast as she could out the door. "There is no running away from this Luz, this Is what you do to the people you love." the whisper stayed just as close to her despite how fast she ran, not picking any direction as she made her way through the dark forest. "No! I love them... I'd... I would never let anything happen to them!" She screamed, holding her head as she ran, trying to cover her ears but the whispers didn't stop. "You don't deserve to live if they're dead Luz... You don't deserve to be here and enjoy magic or life without them, had you only left when everything started to go wrong." the voice tormented her, burning deep into Luz's mind, feeding her feelings of intense sorrow, regret and self-loathing. "You're right!" She finally yelled, gasping as she tripped and went skidding across the ground. Cutting her knee and wounding her palms, "This is nothing, you don't know pain yet" the whisper hissed into her ear, pushing her to get up and run into the cave just ahead. As soon as she entered, she fell to her knees, sobbing, the moments of her friend's deaths were now playing on loop in her mind.
Luz felt like she was being choked to death, her chest was tight with incredible pressure being applied to it, breathing became labored and difficult to control, her sobbing only making it worse. As she felt her life slipping away and her consciousness fading to black, the whisper hissed loudly "Nooo! She is … Almost gone!" suddenly the pressure was lifted, her throat felt tight but not so much so that she couldn't breathe. She was on all fours, gasping for air as tears continued to stream down her face. "Little Owl?" A voice called to her, in her daze of coming back to reality she struggled to look up, seeing a mix of black spots and stars in her vision. "Hmm... No good." The voice said again and lifted Luz up in what left like a giant clawed foot. Unable to protest, Luz hung in the claws limply as she was carried away, further into the dark cave.
**** The Owl House
Willow had woken up when Luz screamed "I'd never let anything happen to them", not having her glasses on she could barely see what was happening but she knew for sure that her brunette friend had bolted out the front door. The cold air that burst into the living room causing Willow to shiver as she reached frantically for her glasses, looking around to understand what had been happening but she saw nothing was amiss at all. She quickly stood, needing to go after Luz, She can't have gotten far, I had no idea it was this bad, she never said anything abo-about sleep walking? The witch could only assume what was happening as she pulled a sweater on over her pajamas. Before she could get to the door Eda appeared at the entrance to the living room, eyes wide with worry, King scrambling to catch up. "Where's Luz?" King demanded, scampering toward her bedding in a frenzy. "I don't know, I woke up when she screamed and before I could react, she was out the door... Can you track her?" She wondered, seeing that King was sniffling the girls bedding hard. "Eda... I can smell Luz, but... there's something else." His large yellow eyes peered up at the woman in fear, confused he held the girl's beanie tightly in his paws, having grabbed it from the table.
Eda put a hand on her head for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, "Nightmares... Awareness issues, the weird traces of magic... the smell." Eda was muttering and repeating the problems, with Willow and King staring at her waiting for some kind of grand explanation. "King, lead flowers here to where Luz is. I have a feeling I know what this is." the two didn't bother to question the older witch and Willow seemed to ignore the nickname she had given her. "This way!" King commanded and started to run, Willow quickly following behind him. Eda waited for the two to be well on their way before calling for Hooty, who quickly slide from the door toward her. "Whats happening!?Hoot!?" He questioned having only been awake for the same amount of time as Willow; his voice as shrill as ever. "Hooty, I need you to lock the house down. I think we're dealing with a powerful curse and I can't let it escape." She pat the side of the bird tube's head and turned towards the stairs. Without a question Hooty put the house on lock down, shuttering all the doors and windows, putting a magical barrier around the house that they only used in emergency cases. Once everything was completed, he yelled to the Owl Lady, letting her know that she was good to go.
As soon as she received the okay from Hooty she entered her apprentice's room, I don't mean to invade your privacy kid but something isn't right... She had felt it since the night of the library incident, the whole time she thought it was something to do with Luz directly and although it did affect her it wasn't coming from her. Eda started with the closet, trying to look for things that seemed particularly out of place, jewels, strange articles of clothing, potentially a book, after some time she finished rifling through her things and moved on to the next target. Opening the chest beside her makeshift bed she paused, Luz had been keeping a sketch book and it looked to have pictures of all the Owl House residents as well as her friends. She didn't intend to snoop but she admired the way Luz had carefully drawn Eda and King together, Snap out of it! She won't be able to do adorable shit like this is she dies Eda chastised herself and continued her search, pausing as she suddenly felt a pulse of magic hit the room and try to escape, as if bouncing back. Not wanting to lose this chance she whipped around and let her instincts take over as she dove for the source. She landed on Luz's makeshift bed, holding the pillow down with force. Woah don't tell me I've lost my touch that much... She lifted the pillow, nothing was there, but the pillow felt heavier. Without a second thought Eda ripped the casing off and there it was, a palm-sized purple stone fell to the ground. As Eda reached for it the light from inside suddenly was blindingly bright, this didn't stop Eda however, knowing what was about to happen she snatched the stone up.
From within a large purple spirit like creature emerged, it had bandages over its eyes, and mouth. However, on it's out stretched hands were a single eye and a mouth, "You will never get her back!" It screamed and made a Bline for the window, yowling in pain as it was blocked by the magical barrier. "You have no idea who you are messing with" She growled, casting a small spell circle causing the stone in her hand to slowly be encased in ice, causing the creature to try and charge at Eda to protect itself. The witch easily side stepped the enraged creature and doubled down her magic to encase the stone in ice, it was difficult. There were powerful words to stop this sort of thing on the stone itself, being essentially the soul of the attached demon. "You'll never have her, now tell me, who sent you?" Eda snarled, the anger in her chest and stress she felt was starting to awaken the Owl Beast. The creature started to laugh manically, only shaking its bandaged head in response. The response pushed Eda over the edge, without another thought she crushed the stone in her hand causing a deafening scream to be released by the creature as it was ripped from this world into the next. "Hooty! Drop the barrier... and I need an elixir ASAP!" She dropped the shards from her hand onto the floor, staring at them, she felt regret knowing having that stone intact meant she could have easily tracked the caster down. Within a few moments the barrier was dropped and Hooty had crashed through Luz's window, spitting an elixir at Edas feet. "Here you go Hoot! … Err Eda... You don't look so Hooting good!" The witch hadn't realized but she had feathers pluming from her neck and wrist, the stone on her chest almost completely black, she dropped to the ground and quickly guzzled the yellow liquid. Sighing gratefully as the feathers fell, "Thanks, now to find those kids... Also, get that dang window fixed, it was open you know." Hooty helped Eda to her feet, as she made her way downstairs, she summoned her staff. Owlbert was quick to get to her and transform for them to leave, sensing the urgency.
****Luz
The human girl very slowly opened her eyes as she was placed down by whatever was carrying her, the tears had still not stopped and her heart was angerly beating into her ears. She was struggling to comprehend the last few hours of her life, "Little Owl, do you know where you are?" the voice inquired, "No... I don't... I don't even know if this is real" She whispered, struggling severely to speak through her tears. As she laid on the ground, letting the world come back to her, her eyes slowly cleared. She was no longer seeing black spots and stars; she was deeper into the cave and looked to be in someone's makeshift home. As things came back into focus, Luz could see three little faces staring at her from a few feet away, with little bat wings on either side of them. "Batqueen." She mumbled, her tears slowing. "Yi yi" The womans voice agreed, "There was a very dangerous oracle demon attached to you when you fell into my cave Little Owl, someone put a dangerous curse on you." It took Luz longer than normal to understand what the BatQueen said, when there was no answer, she continued. "It looked to have been attached to you, deeply, had you not stumbled here. There is no question, you would have soon been dead." The human wasn't prepared for that reality, who would want to kill her. "Thank you Batqueen, I don't know what to say... You saved me." She forced the words out of her tight throat and slowly sat herself up, her head spinning in protest. "No need, you are The Owl Ladys ward and the Owl Lady is a friend." Luz nodded, still incredibly grateful to the great palisman. "You must be on your way; friends are on their way to find you. I will not endanger my babies or wards by having strangers know where we are." She said this with finality, there was no changing her mind, or reasoning with her.
Luz understood, despite her condition she didn't want to risk being on her bad side, as she finally stood on wobbly legs, she bowed slightly to the BatQueen. "Thank you again, I'll always protect this place. I promise." With that she turned and started her walk to the mouth of the cave and out into the forest. Listening intently for the sound of people moving through the bush, as she made her way, she could feel what energy she had left was starting to waver. I can do it... Just a little farther, I think I hear something. She almost felt delusional as King and Willow came into view, their dead bodies flashing into her mind again, causing streams of tears to flow. "Guys" she said weakly, unable to hold herself up any longer she started to fall to her knees, thankfully being caught by Willow before she hit the ground. "You're real right?" Her voice was small and hard to hear, but both King and Willow answered and held her tight. "We're real Luz..." they said in unison. Willow turned around and knelt, pulling Luz onto her back to carry home. "Ahh... Willow you're so strong." She mused, hugging the witch's neck very loosely while they all walked. Her friend couldn't help but giggle a bit, not caring why she had run or what was happening as long as she was here now and okay. They could get the details later. King was leading them back the way they came, making sure they stayed on course, occasionally turning to look at Luz, as if he was scared, she might vanish.
They only walked for a few minutes before Eda came streaming through the trees, having to drift to a stop behind them a little way and catch back up due to her speed. "Oh, thank the titan" She sighed, landing beside Willow, touching her apprentices back. "Lets get her back home. Come on Flowers." Eda and Willow gently hoisted Luz onto the staff, situating themselves in front and behind her to keep her passed out body stable. King sat in front of Eda, holding tight just wishing they were home already as they took off. Some Demon king I am... He scolded himself, thinking about the possibility of this not happening if he had kept sleeping with Luz, protecting her as she slept. Seeing the sadness in King's eyes, Eda put a hand on his head, "We did the best we could King, we didn't know..." As if able to read his mind she tried to reassure his potential woes.
The flight took a little bit longer than normal, having an additional passenger. As they arrived Willow was quick to jump off and pick Luz back up, this time carrying her bridal style into the Owl House, Hooty was surprisingly silent, only giving Luz a look of intense worry with those big eyes of his. "She'll be alright Hooty." Eda assured, carrying King in her arms and letting Hooty close the door behind them. "Let's get her upstairs" The older witch said softly, leading Willow up to Luz's room and giving her a hand laying the human down. With how peaceful the girl looked; you would have never suspected that she had probably one of the hardest nights of her life. "I think I know what was happening" Eda told the dark-haired witch as they sat for a moment at Luz's side. "Let's let her rest" she said gently and rose, walking out behind Willow. "I-I think I'm going to stay here..." King replied quietly, placing Luz's beanie beside her, having held onto it the whole time. He climbed up onto Luz's stomach and curled up, facing her. "Say no more. Good night, King" Eda nodded, smiling at the protective little demon he had become.
Once the two witches were settled and sitting at the kitchen table, Eda took in a deep breath "Luz was cursed, someone left a demonic stone with a nightmare demon attached to it, and not a normal one an incredibly powerful one." She said slowly, watching as the girl's face went from neutral to horrified, "Who would do that? She hasn't bothered anyone!" Willow began to argue, angry and confused as to what would drive someone to curse a human who had only been in the isles a short while. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to figure that out... And, while I was a little heated, I destroyed the stone." Eda had grumbled out the last part, still upset with herself for not being in better control. "I might have gotten more information from the stone, but something happened in that forest to temporarily banish it back to the stone. We don't have the resources right now to do any further digging, but I thought it best if you were in the loop and could keep an eye out." Willow nodded, sitting in silence for a few moments as she took in what the older witch said and what she could potentially do about it.
After Willow had made all the necessary connections in her mind on the situation, she trained her eyes on the Owl Lady who was sitting across from her, seemingly lost in her own pool of thoughts. "You know... If Luz attended Hexside, she would be surrounded by powerful witches, close to myself and Gus, plus she'd be actively learning to defend herself." I know this is probably the last conversation Eda wants to have... But I know I'm right, she has more protection at the school and for titans' sake she wants to go. Willow could see different emotions flash across the womans face as she took in what was said. "You know, Flowers, you are sly." Eda hummed, thumping her finger tips on the table as she thought. "I'll tell you what, if she can learn another spell and willing to do a boot camp with me at the knee, she can attend the exam." Who am I kidding, the moment I set these conditions that kid is going to jump all over it. A huge smile appeared on Willows face at the potential victory. "I think we both know she'll agree to that." She chuckled slightly, which resulting in Eda doing the same, enjoying the fact they both knew Luz so well. "You should get some rest; I'm going to check on Luz and do the same." The older witch nodded to the time by her cauldron, it read just a little before 5Am. "Right." The young witch quicky agreed, stretching her body as she got up and retreated to the living room couch. Removing her sweater and glasses, she climbed into the blankets, willing herself to sleep.
Upstairs Luz was sleeping peacefully, her first nightmare less sleep in three days. The slight pressure from King on her stomach only giving her more comfort as she slept.
**** Amity
The next day had been one of confusion for Amity, she could barely remember the events after speaking to Luz. The green-haired girl was still lying in bed kept closing her tired eyes and focusing as hard as she could to replay that day and how it came to a close. I... I told Luz we couldn't be friends and it was better that way... I went to my room. she thought slowly, trying to picture herself doing these things. Her thoughts lingered for a moment on the look Luz had given her when she turned to walk away, pushing the odd pang on guilt away quickly to refocus on her task, attributing the sensation of aching pain in her chest to the guilt she felt. I healed myself, what I could anyways and patched my shoulder... Mother! As the realization struck her, it felt like her heart dropped into her stomach, she felt cold sweat start to appear as she sat up in her bed. She couldn't remember details but there was a sudden lingering feeling of pain, desperation and vast desolation. The feeling of hollowness was almost enough to choke her, the feeling was so intense, to feel like suddenly nothing was her own, she couldn't even truly grasp it. Breathe, Count to ten... her thoughts were erratic but she managed to convince herself to count, letting in and out steady breaths, there had to be a valid reason for feeling like this. The witch just wished she could remember the details of the conversation with her mother, how she got here, anything that could eliminate this horrid feeling in brewing in her chest and gut.
Feeling her hair sticking to her face from her sudden cold sweat she slowly got out of her bed, wincing and giving an audible gasp as she felt the days previous actions coming back to haunt her. I guess I really was still running on adrenaline... A hot shower will help. she gathered some clothes thoughtfully from her large walk-in closet, picking something comfortable for the day, how she felt was too intense and judging by the voices echoing the halls, her parents were away meaning it would be no issue to stay inside. She picked out dark purple track shorts, matching it up with a plain black t-shirt with a slight V-neck. She entered her private bathroom and started to remove her clothes from the library, flinching as she struggled with bruises on her arms and legs. Reaching for her amulet to take off she felt a sudden and odd twinge, causing her to pause on taking off her amulet. That's … new. trying not to dwell on it she pulled the amulet off, immediately gasping as agonizing pain slammed into her chest where the amulet usually sat. The force in which it hit her caused her to drop the amulet on her pile of clothes and drop to her knees, causing further damage. The pain had knocked the wind out of her and she was reeling from the effects, very slowly, the pain seemed to subside as she was able to catch her breath. Tears were starting to form in the corners of her eyes as she stared at the amulet, She's changed... something. Why? Why did she do it and why wouldn't she warn me! tears streamed down her face, a mix of pain and confused anger fueling them. After a few minutes the pain was nothing more than a small ache, as if she had bumped into something or like when she fell asleep with a book and it dropped from her extended hands. Finally feeling semi stable she finished removing her underwear and bandages, quickly entering her shower to bask in the hot water. Her wild green hair extending well into the middle of her back as she washed up, doing what she could to avoid angering her semi closed wounds. For the first time since she woke up, she felt herself, able to breathe easy, only a small annoying ache in her chest. I … I need to know why... why I can't remember, why she changed the amulet, why I can't have my own space. her frustration was increasing the more she thought about her situation, this was the only time she could allow herself these feelings, knowing the moment that amulet was back on her body. Her thoughts, feelings and actions could be intensely scrutinized at any moment.
When her fingers started to get wrinkled and the water was getting colder and colder, she called it quits, quickly getting herself dressed in her comfy clothes and hesitantly putting her amulet back on, immediately releasing that ache she felt in her chest. She looked in the mirror and sighed, her cheek wasn't as swollen as she would have thought, but a black eye was starting to form from the impact. Is Emira here... she wondered as she put her long green hair up into a bun, having used magic to mostly dry it. Doing her best to walk normally she made her way out of her room and down the hallway that led to the twin's rooms, they were next to each other with a conjoined door. They had specifically requested when they were little and finally had to get separate rooms. She finally reached her sister's room and gave a gentle knock to the door; she heard some slight scrambling from within but the door was thick enough not to give too much detail away.
In a few moments Emira was at the door, pulling it open, a shocked look on her face. "Mittens?" she asked, her face falling into a deep frown as she approached her little sister, pulling her forcefully into a hug. The action confused Amity, having just seen her essentially the night/early morning prior. "Whats this for? I saw you yesterday, you know when you stole my diary?" Despite her chosen words, there was no venom in her voice. Emira pulled away from the hug, again with a confused and frowning face, "You've been gone for two days, almost three if you weren't here by this afternoon!... I even asked Luz if she had seen you!" The mention of the brunette caused that same small pain in her chest she felt earlier that morning, again she pushed it off, trying to address her sister's words. "I... Don't understand." Seeing her little sister's confusion, Emira pulled her into her bedroom and made her sit with her on her large bed. "I don't know, and it doesn't matter right now, let me look at your face... What happened when we left?" It … Can't hurt to tell her, right? Mother has already seen the whole night... Amity debated for a short time before she nodded, bringing her other leg up onto her sister's bed to get comfortable.
"You talk, I'll see what I can do about … this. Do you have anything else?" Her sister had gestured towards Amity's marked face, and then awkwardly to the rest of her little sister's body, scared of the answer. "My face and shoulder are the worst of it, the rest is just... bruises." She tried to offer her older sister a smile bit flinched at the pain it caused. "Just bruises... Alright, whatever, get talking." She casted a small spell circle and allowed her hand to be enveloped in a light blue glow. She got situated closer to her sister and began to hover over the mark on her face. "Well... Once you two had left, I guess there we're other books left open farther into the library, I can only assume they must have been demonology books, or maybe Boiling Isles – Demons of History book series. Luz had-" Amity paused, flinching at that pain again as it poked into her chest, thankfully her sister ignored it and thought it was due to the odd feeling the healing spell causes. "Uhm... sorry, she had gone to leave, but there was a large demon stalking the next aisle, I barely noticed in time, so I grabbed her and covered her mouth." As the sentence left her mouth, she could feel a strange heat rising to her face as the moment flashed through her mind. Any other time Emira would have started to relentlessly tease Amity, however, right now there was just too much wrong and she couldn't bring herself to joke, she let out a polite 'mhm' to encourage her sister to continue.
Amity sighed, glancing down at her lap as she continued "I lead her through the library, hoping we could easily exit after that initial demon but that was wishful thinking. Had Luz-" Again, she flinched this time grasping her chest. "Had she not noticed that I saw something and reacted, she would be... she would have been hurt. I guess with it being from a book it took a lot more effort than I initially thought to kill it, and even then, it healed, it was … messed up." she muttered the last bit, realizing just how terrifying that really was, even if she didn't feel it in the moment. "As we continued there was another one, same as the first but bigger and more developed, while I was distracted this … god, this stupid pirate ship of all things!" the green haired girl groaned, hating that she had lost her companion to some insipid fairy tale crew. Emira couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her sister's retelling, finding it amusing she was so worked up about that detail, "They took her, it felt like it took forever to catch up to them. After fighting that demon, I was exhausted, and honestly, chasing her was stupid but I just... Couldn't let it go." She knew that her action surprised her sister, as there was a small pause in the usual 'mhm's. "Way to go Mittens, saving a damsel in distress!" The tease earned a small push from Amity, who just let a small smile sit on her lips for a moment before recounting the next part of the night. She tried to graze over the details of her injuries, not wanting to worry her sibling, after all she was here and she was okay. "Ahh... then I have Ed to thank for this." Amity groaned, touching her cheek as her sister finished working on it, surprised at how normal it felt. "You're really good at this..." the compliment came out mumbled, kind words between them were an oddity even if they always felt like they could come to the other for help. "Anyways" she quickly cut off any thanks Emira could give, "Writing in that Otabin book... Lu- Ah we needed to go back for it, turns out it was open and I had my ass handed to me by my favourite childhood book. Thankfully we were able to close the book up and clean." She struggled to avoid the humans' name, or descriptors, finding the pain in her chest was starting to really irritate her. "That explains a lot of these bruises..." Emira muttered, frowning as she her little sister showed the marks on her arms, shoulder, torso and legs, she wouldn't be able to heal them all but she was going to do her best.
Should I … ask her about the end? Why it was so hard. Amity debated heavily with herself before continuing to the full end of what she remembered, "I told her that we couldn't be friends... You know how mother is, I can't be associating with people like her. That's why I had to drop Willow." The green haired witch froze at the mention of her ex-best friend's name, not having brought that moment up for some time. "Oh Mittens..." I know she wants to make mother proud, but … shes losing the best years of her life to some, some business venture! Emira sighed, trying to articulate her thoughts before she said things she may regret. "You deserve to be happy..." she said very slowly, trying not to touch a nerve, knowing her sister was very sensitive about the topic of family and expectations. "I will be, just … later." Her reply was out of character but her older sister didn't press. "I don't remember how I got here though... and I-I" You can't tell her about the change with the amulet, you don't even understand it yourself and there is obviously a reason you were left in the dark. Right? Amity had her jaw clenched tight as she tried to reason with herself, "It's okay Mittens... I'm just glad you're here, you should relax and maybe it will come to you." Her sister tried to reassure her, and she appreciated it, this was the kindest her sister had been to her in a while. "I also need you to know, Amity, Ed and I, are really sorry about the diary incident... and knowing what happened afterwards, I'm sorry we weren't there. But all that's changed, we're here for you and we are ready to make it up to you." At first the younger sister hesitated to believe any part of what was being said, however, the genuine look Emira was giving her helped. "It's alright, none of that was your fault, none of this is your fault." she clarified feeling as though maybe there was some guilt over the incident now.
Emira smiled at the response and let out a small sigh of relief, feeling good to have gotten it off her chest. I'll message Luz on Penstagram about Amity being home... Judging by her reaction yesterday she's probably worried. I know mittens said they aren't friends but... some reactions just can't be helped The older Blight sibling was humming in her head, thinking about how her sister had reacted while talking about the night and how different her actions were to the usual 'perfect Blight Industries heir'. "Come on, I'll help you relax today, it's my mission!" Emira declared and helped Amity off her bed, starting to chat with her about some simple and fun things to do around their mansion, plus potentially pulling a prank on Ed who had left early for a date day. Although Amity was haunted by the last few days and her memory laps, she let her sister distract her, she could only get answers the next time she spoke with her mother.