Author's Note / Warning: I've only watched up to S2E5 of The Owl House, so there may be continuity errors. What can I say? When the plot bunnies come, they come with passion.
Luz doesn't leave my side until I'm lying in the school nurse's bed. She doesn't stop chit-chatting during the long walk, either, and in an effort to look anywhere but her eyes, I instead admire her black earrings and her cute, rounded human ears. They look so soft. It's a gentle reminder that Luz isn't a witch, that she's built her magical prowess glyph by glyph, learning and adapting with nobody to guide her. She reminds me more of the good witch Azura each and every time I see her. Purehearted and courageous and determined. Too good for someplace like Boiling Isles. Too good for someone like me.
"At least we won't have to worry about Bosha's friends anymore," says Luz in a chipper voice. "Guess you could say we really vaulted past that thorn in our side, right Amity?" She laughs, and the little fringe atop her hair bobs up and down entrancingly.
"Right Amity?" repeats Luz, and I realize a second too late that I should laugh too. I force the laugh out anyways, and plaster on a bright smile, hoping my cheeks aren't blushing too red.
Luz sighs, and the levity in the air dims a tiny bit. "Are you sure you're okay, Amity? Your leg isn't hurting too much?"
"It's nothing," I reply. "Honestly, I can barely feel it." It's true; I can't feel much of anything over the adrenaline running through me.
"I hope you get better soon," says Luz. "I heard from Eda there's an amusement park—er, sorry, an am-ooze-ment park nearby and I just have to see what carnival games are like over here." She cups a hand to her mouth. "Are they super weird? I bet they're super weird."
Something's wrong, and it takes me a second to puzzle out what, because Luz is so animated it's hard to focus on anything else. But her eyes aren't looking straight towards me, and she's tapping her foot against the bed, and she's wringing her hands together like I do whenever I lie to mom about who I'm spending my time with.
She's feeling… guilty? That can't be right. What does Luz have to feel guilty about? But then I look at her rounded ears and remember she's only a human, not some fairytale character who doesn't have to deal with worry or tiredness or a bad day.
"What's wrong, Luz?" I ask, and I know I've hit the heart of the matter when her eyes look down and her shoulders drop.
"I'm sorry, Amity," she says. "About the thorn vault—I should've cast it better, instead letting you—"
I put a hand to her lips to shush her. "I volunteered to help you guys out, okay? And besides, I'm fine. It's nothing."
Luz rips my hand off her mouth. "But it's not nothing," she shoots back. "You hurt your leg, and it's all my fault." Her voice goes soft. "It's all my fault again."
Oh. So that's it.
I shuffle around nervously. "So you've made a couple mistakes—"
"I pretended to be an abomination and got your top student badge revoked. I challenged you to a magic duel and then cheated against you." Luz ticks up fingers as she counts. "I looked in your diary and led Edric and Emira straight to your secret hideout. I got your brother and sister captured by a Slitherbeast. And worst of all, I couldn't face the Grom and I let everyone see your greatest fear." She hiccups. "I made your star night into a nightmare."
And my response dies on my lips, because how can I possibly explain that Grom wasn't a nightmare, it was a dream come true?
Luz wipes a budding tear from her eye. "I've hurt you again and again and again. All 'cause I'm too stubborn to admit I sometimes need help. Why would you even want someone like me as a friend?"
I put a hand to her heart. The motion feels right. "Luz. When I was younger, I barely knew what friendship was. I was so focused on…being the best, and joining the Emperor's Coven, that I forgot there's more to life than just school. If I never met you, I wouldn't know how fun it is to go on adventures or…or break rules."
Luz lets out a little gasp, her mouth circling into a tiny O. "Amity, wanting to break rules? That can't be right."
A laugh escapes my lips. "I didn't know there was so much more to look for than a faraway dream." My eyes finally meet hers. "I didn't know my dreams were right there in front of me."
Luz looks at me, and I wonder if she understands what I'm trying to say but can't. That it doesn't matter if I get hurt or I stumble or I fall, as long as it's with her. That every time I see her my heart drags me along to help, even if it's stupid, even if I know things will go wrong. Because that's what it's like to love someone.
"So I don't care if you've made mistakes, Luz," I finish. "We all make mistakes. But…you always care enough to try and fix them."
Luz smiles. Then I see the glint in her eyes and I realize what's coming and my face burns a brilliant red. "Wait no no no—"
It's too late. Luz engulfs me into a tight hug, and I pull her in closer—because I don't want her to see my red face. Obviously.
When Luz pulls away, it's the Luz I'm used to seeing: energetic, upbeat, and determined. "You'd better get well soon," she says. "Because I've got a rollercoaster ticket with your name on it."
My face cracks into a smile and I wave goodbye. "See you soon, Luz."
"You betcha!" she laughs back. And then she's gone, and the nurse's room all of a sudden seems so empty.
I try to rest my head on the pillow, but it collides with something solid. "Huh?" I whisper, rubbing my aching head.
Beneath the pillow is a slightly-singed book titled Lianna's Quest with a little sticky note attached, in Luz's handwriting. She must've slipped it under during her surprise hug.
Amity,
I dunno how it works over here, but back on Earth, it's a tradition to read a good book whenever you're supposed to rest. I scrounged this up from Eda's closet—don't worry about the burn marks.
Love,
Luz
My hand pauses over the word 'love'. Luz is so over-the-top with her language sometimes. Unless…no. She's just enthusiastic like that. It doesn't mean anything.
But for the first time ever, I can't focus on the textured pages and fantasy world beneath my fingertips. Instead, my mind keeps drifting to a dark-haired girl with cute, rounded ears.
