"What! Your Dad?" gapped Amity.
Lucia started scratching the back of her head with her free hand, "Yes, but also no. Technically he's King's Dad, but he's the only Dad I've ever known, and he calls me his daughter…" Lucia blushes, "We claim each other so isn't that enough? What was that quote again… Oh, "Family is the people we bleed for, not the people we share blood with."
Amity smirked, "Kind of an ironic thing to say to your vampire girlfriend, but I think I get what you're talking about." They walked outside of the tower, and into an odd new dimension. The floor sounded like they were walking through water, but it never splashed or acted like normal water, and occasionally a faintly glowing cube would rise out of it, and start to float away into the surrounding blackness. "What is this place?"
A new voice answered, "This is the In-between. It's the space between places. Waking and dreaming, life and death, and sometimes here and there. I've also heard of it being called Puritory, but I like my name for it better." As Amity turned to face the voice she saw a large King-like figure with one visible yellow eye, tattered bat wings, and an odd worm thing coming out of the other eye socket. It was wearing a 'Bad Girls Coven' shirt and comfy fluffy pajama pants covered in arcane markings like the ones Lucia drew sometimes. The figure didn't move from his seat on a half submerged large cube, but they did shift to give Amity a smile, and attempt to extend a hand. "You must be Amity. My Lucia has told me a lot about…"
He was cut off by Lucia tackle hugging him, and it didn't occur to Amity until then just how large he was, eight feet and half as wide. "Papa, see I told you she was gorgeous. She's really smart too. You always said to save that potion for a special occasion, and they don't get more special than my Amity." Amity watched as her usually composed girlfriend turned into a happy child as she hugged her Papa, and blushed at her praise."
Amity stammered out a quiet, "I-I-It's n-n-n-nice to m-m-meet you."
Papa gave Amity a small nod, "Don't be nervous young Amity." He then sighed, "Sadly we don't have time for much. Appearing to you drains me, and I don't have much left in me at the moment." Papa gave Lucia a warm hug before poking her in the chest causing a flash of black and gold light, and making Lucia yelp.
Lucia rubbed her chest, "Ow, what was that for?"
Papa let out another sad sigh, "I'm sorry, but I needed to give you that. We have a lot to talk about, and not a lot of time to say it before I start to fade. I'll be fine, but I won't be able to see you for a while so just let me bask in your glow while I can, my powerful daughter." Lucia nodded, and hugged him gently while sitting on his lap like a child. "Lucia, I'm sorry, but I must ask you to help me." Lucia looked puzzled, and Amity listened intently. "In all of existence I only have five living children. My family is much larger than that, given that my first generation of children spread wide, and helped birth entire realms, but I don't count them as my children. After all, most wouldn't recognize me even if they were standing right in front of me." Papa gave Amity an odd look. "I only count five beings as my children. King, my heir and child of my blood. Zebub, last of the first, wherever he may be. And the children of my spirit, Lucia and your two siblings."
"I have other siblings?" asked Lucia in surprise. "Papa, why didn't you say anything before? I would have looked for them."
Papa's eye flashed, "Exactly, and you weren't ready. The same way King isn't prepared to know about what we are, and the same way your conscious mind wasn't ready to know all the things we talked about until now. If I had told you before, it would have manifested as an itch in your mind slowly driving you mad, but we are out of time, so I'm going to unlock everything I've hidden. Lucia, my Hellhound, my beautiful princess of the wilds, I need you to find your siblings. The gift I gave you will help guide you to them, and allow you to unlock their hidden potential. I can't tell you where they are, since a powerful spell hides them from even my vision, but they are on the Isles."
Amity's eyes went wide as her gears finally finished processing the being in front of her, and she fell to her knees in awe, "You're the Titan."
Papa snickered, "You're right, Lucia. She is smart. Yes, I am, but you can tell no one of me. Until the time that King gains his voice our secret must remain, for his safety. I have a request for you as well Amity Allison Blight, and should you agree, you will have my blessing to be with my Lucia…"
Lucia elbows him in the side, "Stop that Papa, I'm not a prize you can give away." Lucia pouted.
Papa chuckled, "Ok, ok, but in all seriousness I would really appreciate it if you could do me this favor. My daughter is going to have a rough road ahead of her, and I expect you to help her as best you can. Amity, I need you to help her master her magic. I never expected it to grow this quickly, and as a result she became disconnected, and afraid of it. Help her overcome her fear." Papa's form began to waver. "Me dammit, I thought I had more time. Amity, I give you this warning. I know of your rituals, and what you must do for your mother to accept Lucia. It's the only way, but be prepared, the experience will change you into something not seen in millenia. Once done it can not be undone so tread carefully." With tears in her eyes Lucia gave him one last hug before he dissipated like smoke.
Even in Amity's shocked state her first thought was still Lucia, so when she saw her crying, Amity immediately went to comfort her as best she could. After a couple minutes, or hours it was hard to tell here, they returned to the dream of Lucia's tower, and sat down together. After a while Amity asked, "So your Dad's the Titan? Does that make you a Demi-Titan, or…?"
Lucia snorted, "Kinda, I guess. It's still weird to think about though. I think I'm content with just being Lucia, girlfriend of Amity Blight though." Lucia gave Amity a suggestive wink, "For now, anyway." Amity blushed like a goremato, making Lucia remember her Papa's warning. "What did Papa mean when he was talking about a ritual?"
Amity sighed, "So according to tradition, in order for our partnership to be 'official' I would have to give you the Kiss. I'd bite you, and drink some of your blood. There are a lot of effects the 'kiss' can have, but primarily it would bind us together until one of us dies. In most cases the vampire gives some of their power to their partner so that they may 'stand as equals', or something like that. If you were only a witch or human it would make you a vampire, but since you're apparently stronger than me… I have no idea what would happen. I love you, but I'm not itching to find out right now either. The Kiss in some ways acts like turning does for you. It's the only other way for my species to grow, beyond child rearing, and excluding the odd small polycule of three it is never done twice. To love someone enough to sacrifice your own power for them is an intimate act, and it's been thousands of years since a deviant existed. Such debauchery is usually punished with death.
Lucia ponders that thought for a while before saying, "Ok, I'll admit that's a bit odd, but I'm a Demi-Titian wolf demon, so odd is fine. Let me know if and when you decide it's time, and we'll figure it out then. Until then, I'll just enjoy the normal kind of kisses." Lucia leaned over, and much to Amity's surprise kissed her tenderly on the lips. When Lucia finally pulled away she saw Amity locked up as her mind tried to process what just happened, and she laughed, "Sorry my love, but this is still a dream, so at least one of us should get to have ours come true." Once Amity recovered from her small case of brain lock Lucia said, "I think it's time we get this out of the way. I know I can't, but I want to scream to the world that I'm yours… Who should we tell? Who can we tell? I don't want to cause you trouble."
Amity sat up, and once more Lucia was reminded that her girlfriend was a princess, with all the pose and training that came with it… unlike whatever she was. "Well… I have to tell Skara. As my left hand her job is to help me 'spin' situations, and she won't say anything. Everybody else on my side might be problematic. Amilia could know in theory. She's quiet, but Cat can't. She's terrible with secrets. Boscha is my right hand, and telling her would make things so much easier, but I'm not sure who she's more loyal to, me or my Mom. Best not to for now, and then there's the twins…"
"No. I like Ed and Em, but they might be worse than Cat," sighed Lucia.
"Agreed," sagged Amity, "What do you think?"
Lucia thought for a second, "Skara's, fine. She already told me she has our backs, and… is it odd that I trust her? It's going to suck, but my Mom has to know. If she finds out I kept something like this from her…" Lucia's ears drooped. "She might never forgive me." Lucia's ears flick as she gets a thought, and a smile spreads across her face. "I think we have time on the Boscha front. I don't know if you noticed, but her and Willow have their own situation to deal with."
Amity sighed, "Great, are they fighting again? That's getting old really fast."
Lucia chuckled, "If they are, it's probably with their tongues." Amity cocked her head making Lucia laugh harder. "Oh sweetie, I really do distract you, don't I?" Amity blushed. "Willow has a crush on Boscha. The whole 'forcing her to spend the day with her' thing was a ploy to get to know her. If I know my beta, she'd never give up the chase." Lucia smiled until she noticed Amity had gone pale. "What's wrong, Ami?"
"Lu, this could be really bad. Don't get me wrong, they would be super cute together, but… Boscha's complicated. Even I don't know the whole story, and what I do… it's just not my story to tell. I'm guessing you never told Willow why my Mom made me cut ties with her either. You know I tried to keep people off her back, and Boscha was the only exception I had to make." Amity's eyes watered, "I never wanted to see Will get hurt again, but if she goes after Boscha… she might break her heart."
Lucia pulled Amity close, and whispered, "I'll take care of it. Just follow my lead at training in the morning, ok?" Amity nodded, and they just enjoyed each other's presence until they woke up.
It was early when Boscha woke up the next morning, and everything just felt wrong to her. First she was scared and confused because she didn't know where she was. Then she remembered she was with Willow, she was safe, but where was Willow? Had she ruined whatever this was already? Boscha just sat there with her knees to her chest as she spiraled into her fears, and insecurities until she heard her come down the stairs, and suddenly Willow's strong arms were around her again.
Boscha heard Willow gently try to reassure and comfort her as she asked, "Bosh, what's wrong? You're ok. You're safe here, I promise. Did you have a nightmare?"
Boscha just gripped Willow tightly, "I woke up, and you weren't here. Willow… What are we doing? What are we? I… I need you to tell me, because I'm scared, and I-I can't lose you. I can't…"
But Willow just gave her another squeeze, and kissed her head, "Oh Boscha, we can be whatever you need us to be. We can be rivals, friends... girlfriends. Any and all are fine with me, but regardless of what we are, I promise I will always be there when you need me, ok?"
Boscha looked up into Willow's eyes pleading, "Even after all the things I've done, and mistakes I've made… Why would you even want me?" Boscha tries to laugh, "I'm kind of a bitch." Her tears won't stop falling, and Boscha just couldn't find it in herself to try and fight them.
Willow just gave Boscha a kiss on her eye, and smiled sweetly, "Ya, you're a bitch, but nobody's perfect. Boscha, you're also determined, and driven to keep moving forward, even when everything around you started falling apart, you stood strong, and kept moving. I love that about you… I… love you. Even at our most antagonist we always fought fair. It was always just you versus me, and while we might grumble when we lost, we respected each other's strength. Boscha, I don't want to pressure you into anything, but can we be…"
Willow was cut off by Boscha kissing her, "Yes, Park. Let's give 'us' a try… Oh Titan, what is everyone going to say?" Boscha felt a spike of worry, but as quickly as it came, it was gone, and Boscha realized she didn't really care. She had Willow now, and that was all that mattered. They could figure out the rest later. That's when Willow's scroll pinged, and Boscha saw her… girlfriend's… face change into a confused position making her ask, "What's wrong, Willow? Did something happen?"
Willow just shrugged, "I don't know. Lucia just sent me a message asking if we could have a light day today. Apparently she wants to talk to me about something. Viney sent a message earlier saying that she couldn't make it because she has to help prepare for the start of the new semester. This might be our chance to tell her about us, so she can help give us backup if anyone gives us trouble."
Boscha looked at Willow wide eyed, "You think she'd really do that? What if she thinks I'm not good enough for you?"
Willow giggled, "Boscha, my precious flask, she's been in our corner since I told her I might have a crush on you. She's my best friend. She would move mountains to see me happy, and you… make me happy." Suddenly Boscha's scroll pings, and they see a message from Amity asking Boscha to meet her at Lucia's training spot, making both girls look at each other in confusion.
Lucia had come to pick up Amity as soon as she woke up. They had a lot of planning to do, and the sooner they got it over with the better she'd feel. As they started running to the training spot Lucia heard Amity ask, "Are you feeling ok, love? You're running a lot faster than you did yesterday." Lucia hadn't noticed, but as soon as Amity mentioned it she noticed her magic subtly supporting her. In this case, she felt construction magic flowing through her legs giving her extra strength, and lengthening each stride as she nearly glided momentarily after each stride. Lucia ignored it for now, and pushed herself even harder causing her magic to respond as it stopped being subtle. Soon Amity felt a shift in the world around her as she felt Lucia's magic wrap around them, and Amity marveled as she no longer felt the wind whip around her, but she could have sworn she saw a streak of purple lightning following them like a comet tail.
When they got close to the cave Amity realized they weren't slowing down, and for a moment she worried they might slam right into it, but instead Lucia jumped and used the outside of the cave as a springboard to cut her momentum, and bring them to a slightly rough, but safe stop with an audible thunderclap. As Amity slid off of Lucia's back she saw Willow and Boscha already waiting for them with gaping expressions. Amity chuckled as she realized they hadn't been the only ones who thought to try arriving early, but when she looked for Lucia she saw her a split second before she disappeared into the cave, oddly she appeared to be struggling between her witch and hybrid forms.
Before Amity could find out what was wrong, she was suddenly confronted by Boscha and Willow as they rapidly fired questions. "What was that? Are they ok? When did Lucia get that fast? Why were they running so fast?" Those and a thousand more were fired at her, but Amity just pushed her way through them to check on Lucia. The confused couple just following as they continued undaunted.
What they found was a very odd sight as Lucia's form seemed to be sporadically shifting back and forth between her witch and wolf forms causing an odd chimera of features to appear and disappear at random. Fur would sprout and recede, her claws would lengthen and shrink, and her height seemed to constantly fluctuate, but worst of all was Lucia's breathing. As soon as they heard it they knew what was going on. Lucia was having a meltdown, a panic attack. As Willow and Amity tried to get closer to calm her down they saw her pivot, and stare at them with crazed black eyes as she whined painfully, "No! Stay back! I-I-I'm not in control of it. My magic is acting on it's own. Please, I don't want to hurt you." They saw tears in Lucia's eyes.
Willow stopped in fear, but Amity just kept walking until she could finally wrap her arms around her Lucia. Slowly Amity calmed Lucia down as she tenderly guided her down to the floor, her spasmodic shifting slowly coming back under control as Lucia cried into Amity's neck. Amity just cooed sweetly, and rubbed her back, "I know. It's ok. I promised I would be there to help you, and I will be." Whether Amity forgot they weren't alone or didn't care in that moment nobody could tell, but nobody missed the small kiss Amity gave Lucia as she calmingly rocked the larger girl.
For the next ten minutes the two couples just sat against opposite walls of the cave, and observed each other, moreso on Bascha and Willow's side, but Amity caught glaces of the other two occasionally that gave her hope until finally Boscha asked quietly, slightly afraid of the answer, "How long?"
Amity looked at Boscha, but after seeing the look in Amity's eyes Boscha looked uncomfortable. With a soothing whisper as she continued to calm her love, Amity asked, "How long what, Bosh?"
"How long have you two been…?" pressed Willow.
Amity smiled, "Together? We talked after Lucia's Party. Decided to see if there was something there. By the looks of it, you two spent yesterday doing the same. I'm happy for both of you by the way. If you're asking when I fell for this adorable mutt, I don't know. About two years ago, Luz found me on death's door after one of mom's punishments. She healed me, and I started talking to her. I didn't learn Lucia was Luz until everyone else did, but she made sure I knew first. She told me that if I wanted her to keep being my silent confidant, she would do that, but I didn't want that. I fell in love with a beast, but the Titan made her more. Of all the gifts he gave me, I value her the most… even more than the life he gave me." Neither Willow or Boscha had ever seen Amity so warm or content. It unnerved them, and made them realize neither of them knew the girl in front of them. This wasn't Amity Blight, vampire princess, and infamous Ice Queen of Hexside. It was just Amity, the teeager, and the loving girlfriend.
"I'm sorry, but what punishments? What is she talking about Bosh?" asked Willow, confused and a bit concerned.
Boscha looked from Willow to Amity with pleading eyes, and asked, "Please Am? Can I tell her everything? I want her to understand." Amity nodded, and turned her focus back to Lucia so she wouldn't have to hear what came next. "It's a complicated situation, so I'll start from the beginning. Amity never wanted to cut ties with you. Her Mom saw how close you two were, and wrongfully assumed you'd never blossom. She made Amity cut ties so that no one would get in the way of Amity's training, or our responsibilities as her hands. Willow, one of the main reasons I started picking fights with you was to force a wedge between you. Neither of you could reconcile if I always stood in the way. Yes, it developed into a rivalry that ended up bringing us here, but now you know. It's not an excuse for me being a pain, but it was a part of the problem."
Willow thought about that for a second, before saying, "Ok, but that doesn't answer my question."
Boscha sighed, and looked away, "Mrs. Blight's methods didn't start off too extreme. Time outs or small reproachful comments, you probably remember those, but after having to go so far in order to separate you two… her methods got… out of hand. Mrs. Blight had to threaten to destroy both yours and your fathers lives before Amity finally gave in. I think she only mentioned making sure you never attended Hexside if Amity didn't agree, but she is a powerful woman. Making all of you simply disappear wouldn't be beyond her." Willow tried to get Boscha to look at her, but she stubbornly refused. "It wasn't often, but on a few occasions Skara and I saw Mrs. Blight beat Amity, and she hasn't allowed us that much in years. Will, you know why I couldn't interfere, but I'm still disgusted with myself that I didn't. I knew my best friend was being beaten to a pulp on a regular basis, and I let it happen." Boscha finally looked at Willow with her eyes full of shame, and tears running like rivers, "I'd understand if you wanted to walk away now. This is just more evidence that I'm not good enough for you."
Willow sighed, and flicked Boscha's eye, "Your a moron." She then pulled Boscha in so she could kiss her eye. "Yes, we now have a lot to talk about because Holy Hells Bosh, thats messed up, but you are my Flask, you just told me that my first friend never hated me, and I will always love you."
Boscha chuckled, "I'm never going to be worthy of you Will, but why do you keep calling me your flask?"
Willow held Boscha close as she said, "Because right now you are an empty flask, and I intend to fill you up with so much love and care you will eventually overflow. It's going to take time, but until that day comes, I will never leave you.
"Titan, and I thought we were sappy," they heard Lucia laugh. "I might not understand why you continue to follow her lead, but I trust Willow. If it wasn't a good reason, she wouldn't stay with you. If you ever feel comfortable enough to tell me, I promise to be there for you…" Lucia sat up, and everyone saw that her eyes were still black, and in the distance the sound of the spring bubbling could be heard, "We do need to make one thing clear though. If I hear about Odalia hurting my Amity again. I'm going to tear off her arms, and beat her with them. For Amity's sake I won't kill her, but the only reason she still breathes is because I love Amity more than I hate her, and I'm sorry Will, but if I find out Boscha knew about it and did nothing…" They all felt the pressure of Lucia's magic pressing down on them, and nearly crushing them as Lucia whispered, "You will wish I just killed you." Suddenly the pressure disappeared, and Lucia realized what happened, and started melting down again only to have Amity start rocking her again.
Boscha looked pale as she said, "Ok. That's not normal. What in the name of Tartarus is wrong with her?"
Willow caught her breath, and admitted, "Ya, I've seen her lose her cool before, but this is different."
Amity sighed, "How much do you know about Lucia's magic, Will?"
Willow sighed, "Not much. I've seen her do small light spells, but not anything more intense than that. When I'd ask, she'd just avoid the question, or tell me to drop it. After a while I just accepted that she'd show me when she was ready, but she never was. I kind of just assumed that her magic was weak, and she was embarrassed, or that she used her glyphs for a similar reason. Clearly I was wrong. Just how strong is she?"
Amity looked conflicted before saying, "Franky I don't know, and worse neither does she." If they could go paler Willow and Boscha did at that comment. "She's terrified to hurt someone accidently, but I can tell you this much. We ran into Lilith yesterday, and she didn't recognize me so she batted me aside into a tree. Lucia beat her in less than five spells, and drove her off with serious injuries. Willow, I haven't seen anyone use plant magic that strong since that time you overloaded, and I'm almost sure she was still holding back so she didn't outright kill her Aunt."
Boscha stammered, "How is that possible? Nobody should be that strong besides the Emperor."
Amity smiled, and held Lucia close, "What can I say, my girlfriend is one of a kind." Amity giggled, "I still get giddy every time I say it. Lucia Clawthorne is my girlfriend." Amity sighed, "Even if I can only tell you guys, it just feels so good to say out loud."
Willow groaned, "Well it's safe to say training is canceled for today. With Lucia in this state, I can't exactly get much done, so everyone come with me. We only have a few hours to get her well enough for school, and I think I know where to start. Everyone get close to me, and try not to squirm." After preparing herself, Willow drew a circle, and they were all eaten by a large bulb. Seconds later they were outside Lucia's tower. With a wink at Boscha, Willow kneeled in front of Lucia, and smiled sweetly, "Hey Bestie. We're back at your tower, but you're still looking kinda rough so I'll go make us all some breakfast."
They practically heard Lucia' s neck crack her head rose so fast as she snarled, "staythefuckoutofmykitchenPark," and they could have sworn they saw Lucia's lip twitch a bit as if she was preparing to bite Willow at a moment's notice. After a moment Lucia groaned, "If people are hungry then I'LL cook. So help me Park, if you put one toe into my kitchen I'll cut it off." With that Lucia stomped inside leaving a confused Amity, a beaming Willow, and Boscha desperately trying not to laugh behind.
Before Amity could ask, Boscha said, "We made dinner together last night… Will set the water on fire."
Willow punched Boscha on her way inside. "And just for that… no couch cuddles for you."
Amity saw Boscha's ears droop as she dragged herself inside pouting, "But I like couch cuddles. Please Will. I promise I'll be good." With a sigh Amity followed behind, and closed the door.
By the time breakfast was ready Lucia seemed nearly back to normal. Amity hadn't expected much since this was a last minute breakfast, but once more she was proven wrong. Lucia made everyone their own personal breakfast bowl. Willow got griffin eggs, spiced sausage, fried hash browns, and cheese with quilboar bacon crumbled on top. Boscha's also had the hash browns, cheese, bacon, and eggs, but instead of the other meats she had pain peppers, and spotted mushrooms. Amity ate on the other side of the room with Lucia since her bowl had blood fried eggs, raw liver, blood sausage, and was covered in some kind of blood gravy. Because Lucia is sweet, she also gave Amity a dark red smoothie that made Boscha almost retch at the smell, and even made Willow worried . Finally they saw Lucia come out with something the size of a small mixing bowl that had 'leftovers' from everyone else's bowls, except the cheese.
Seeing this Willow poked, "I appreciate the fact that you keep cheese around, but why do you? You're lactose intolerant, you literally can't eat it without upsetting your stomach."
"A good host has the best on hand Will. Just because I can't enjoy it doesn't mean I don't acknowledge it tastes good, and you're one to talk, Ms. Carnivore. I don't see you complaining that I put vegetables in your bowl."
Willow groaned, "Potatoes are only a vegetable because they don't fit anywhere else. As the 'weirdo' of the vegetable group, they are always welcome with me. Also it's the only food item I've seen you can cook in every possible way. It's impossible not to enjoy them. Matter of fact I bet if you served them with liver and blood gravy, even Amity would love them."
Lucia tilted her head before noting, "Next time."
Once everyone was done, and Boscha finished helping clean up, much to Lucia's surprise. Lucia seemed a bit wobbly when she went to get dressed, so Amity tried to follow her to make sure she would be ok, but Willow grabbed her by the ear. "Bad bat, I know for a fact Lucia doesn't want you on the third floor yet?"
Amity blushed slightly, "What's the big deal Will? After seeing you two in 'spandex' yesterday, there isn't really much I haven't seen."
Willow smirked, "Not happening Blight. You'll just have to be content waiting for your wedding night to see Lucia's bed."
Amity froze, and went completely red, "Lucia's bedroom is on the third floor!?"
"Yup," chirped Willow with a wicked grin, before whispering, "Too bad you can't actually turn into a bat like those human stories. There's a window that might be just big enough for you to squeeze through if you could."
Amity spun on her heel and hissed, "How would you know that?"
Willow laughed, "Calm down Ams, I helped Eda set it up for her. Nothing suspicious here." Amity just sat, and pouted after that until Lucia came back dressed for school. Amity positively beamed seeing Lucia in her official Beast Keepers Hexside uniform. True to her word Lucia only kept her spiked collar, and wristbands from her original look. Not feeling particularly fancy that day Lucia just had her hair braided in a three part french style, and because there wasn't a rule against it, she kept her boots.
Boscha scoffed, "Sorry Clawthorne. Rules say only two personalized items. You want to push it to three, steal Viney's spot."
"Really? I already gave up my beanie. I'm not giving anything else up," Lucia growled.
"Calm down. The bands count as two, and the collar a third so just take it off, and you're fine," groaned Boscha as she started reaching for it before Willow could stop her.
The room grew incredibly cold as Lucia growled, "Touch my collar, and die triclops." Boscha shrank back in primal fear. The room returned to normal as Lucia removed her left bracelet, and handed it to Amity. "Can you hold on to this for me, Hun?" After a pause Lucia smiled, "Actually keep it. I can't tell anyone we're together, so having a little piece of me with you will have to be good enough for now. Now hop on. I'll take you home so you can get ready too."
Once they were gone Boscha asked slightly annoyed, "The hells was her problem?"
Willow sighed, "That collar is the first thing her Mom ever gave her. She has literally only taken it off once since the day Eda found her, and that was the five minutes it took for Eda to enchant it so it would expand with her, and never be too small again. It is her most prized possession, and she wasn't joking. It almost got damaged once, and that was the only time I saw Lucia go feral." Willow shuddered, and then gave Boscha a kiss on the cheek, "I keep a spare uniform behind the desk upstairs just in case. Feel free to change here if you want, and no peeking." Willow winked before running to change.
Boscha shuddered, "They're all crazy… why'd I fall for crazy?" She let out a long sigh, and got changed.
Gus had no idea how to handle what was going on when Willow showed up holding Boscha's hand, or when Lucia showed up with Skara, Amity, and the twins on her back, but he was a consummate professional in his own opinion so he made due with confused groans, and hand gestures until Boscha finally snapped at him, "Willow and I are together. There, are you happy now, twerp."
Willow slapped Boscha upside the head, "Be nice." Turning to Gus, Willow smiled, "Yesterday was a long day. Sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but we've had a lot on our minds." When Lucia had to change into her witch form, Gus was kind enough to help Skara down since it was her first time in that situation. Amity got down next, having gotten used to doing so after the first couple times. The twin's weren't so lucky. They tried to refuse to move, so Lucia dumped them on the ground.
For the second time in less then a week Lucia made a grand entrance onto Hexside, and it was no less grand then the first time. Sure Lucia was now in dress code, but now everyone knew her on sight, and walking up shoulder to shoulder with the Queen Bee of Hexside, Amity Blight, only made it worse. It wasn't until they reached halfway to the main doors of the school did someone notice Amity was wearing a familiar spiked wristband, and if people were whispering why Boscha was hand in hand with Willow, the uproar the band caused was deafening. Skara, noticing Lucia's slow boil getting ready to boil over, started to whistle a tune without anyone noticing, and wrapped their group in a sphere of silence much to Lucia's relief.
Once they all entered Hexside they had to separate, but before Amity walked away Lucia whispered, "I miss you already." Which caused Amity to blush hard as she walked away. Skara on the other hand reached up and smacked Lucia upside the head making her whine, "The heck Skarsbar, what did I do?"
"Lu, you can't do stuff like that yet. I couldn't talk Amity out of wearing the band, but so help me if you can't control yourself I'll stop helping you, and chances are Odalia will put you on an even shorter leash. I swear the two of you are going to be the death of me." Lucia grumbled as she walked away, but Skara distinctly heard 'kill joy' in there.
The first half of the day proved mostly uneventful. Since a large part of the class would center around wild beasts, they spent most of it going over safety procedures, and the instructor's expectations going forward. There was a small bit of excitement when the professor asked Lucia to give a small demonstration of her talents, and everyone looked at her in awe as she showed off her claws, tail, and ears without anyone realizing the truth of what she was. The first real surprise for Lucia didn't happen until she was heading toward lunch, and ran into Principle Bump. In typical Clawthorne fashion, Lucia smiled when she saw him, and greeted him with a polite, "Afternoon Princy B. Is there something I can help you with?"
Bump sighed, "Afternoon to you to Lucia. Actually you can, but not now. Come to my office after classes, and we will have a discussion." Lucia saluted, and walked off toward the cafeteria wondering if Lily outed her yet, but decided she didn't care. Hexside was an established safe zone, so the Emperor and his goons wouldn't dare interfere here unless they wanted a major black eye, and after her fight with her Aunt Lucia was fairly sure she could take anyone he would send after her. Not to mention it would be a bad move to make her a hero in the eyes of the public, Protector of Hexside.
When Lucia reached her table she found it crowded for once since the two friend groups were now existing as a single unit. A fact that did go unnoticed by the population at large. Lucia had prepared for this though. After she sat down Lucia started pulling out sealed containers from her hair saying, "Ok, this will be the last time for a while, but I brought presents." Lucia handed a small container with two slices of raw liver to Ed and Em, mostly to get them to go away. After that was Skara and Amilia who got a small container of various sashimi, and a crisp salad with a few carrots and cucumbers making both girls squeal in delight. Willow got a surprise when she was handed a larger container that had two divisions with one side having rare steak, and the other a few roasted slices of Knee Hen which were apparently for Boscha since she was still adjusting to the red meat diet that Willow lived on. Finally Lucia pulled out a scarlet water bottle, and a sizable box that was probably two to three times bigger than the others.
With a small bow Lucia presented her 'tribute' to Amity, the water bottle. Amity couldn't help but giggle at Lucia's antics, but proceeded to happily drink her smoothie. As soon as Lucia opened her box the crowd that had been slowly inching closer shot back from the smell alone. After giving Cat a bit of her liver since the twins ran away with the rest, Lucia proceeded to pull out a raw heart the size of her fist and start eating before moving on to some grilled lung which she let Amity and Cat try when they started giving her questioning eyes.
Suffice it to say there were no complaints from her table, and after a while most people just left to eat their own lunch if they could. Towards the end of lunch Amity subtly made a spell circle and made an illusion of them still eating before she reached over and gave Lucia a hug, "I missed you too, love. Apparently Ms. Lilith wants to talk to me after school. I'll let you know what's up after." Flashing her a smile, Lucia enjoyed the moment while it lasted before Amity saw Ed and Em returning to give back their container, and pulled away, ending the illusion.
The second half of the day proved much more interesting for Lucia since the first thing they did after lunch was a pop quiz to determine the preliminary line-up for the class, and help determine who needed help and who could give it. To Viney's dismay she got second place behind Lucia making the instructor cackle, and remind her that if she wanted to keep her star she would need to score higher on the next one at the end of the week. It didn't bother Viney as much as it usually did since she lost to Lucia, her friend, but it still stung to lose to someone two years her junior. In typical Lucia fashion she insisted Viney was just having an off day, but reminded her that an alpha needs to be challenged from time to time or they will get slow and lose their place, so that is what they were going to do, and force each other to work harder to earn the position.
When the end of the day rolled around Lucia was feeling kinda drained, but made her way over to Bump's office to get it over with. After pleasantries Lucia asked, "Ok, so how can I help? If it's reminding the local wildlife to stay back, I'm already on it. The change of seasons caused some minor migration issues. It's not a big deal. Probably have it dealt with by the end of the week."
Bump quirked an eyebrow before asking, "That's actually not why I asked you here, but now I have to ask. How long have you been 'managing' our woods?"
"Couple years. You used to have a serious Eber Bear situation on the rise. It took forever to get them moved to the Knee," groaned Lucia tiredly, before perking up, "What do you need then?"
Bump sighed, "Apparently your Aunt and the PCA liked your idea for an 'Emperor's track' so I'm getting pressure to give it a test run, and since it's your fault… I mean Idea. You have till the end of the week to pick five other students to join you, and figure out which tracks their joining. For once a project doesn't have my name on it so best of luck, and choose well. With that done, you look exhausted. Go on, get home, and take a nap. You can't learn through tired eyes." Bump laughed, and Lucia gave him a smile and a wave on her way out.
Elsewhere Lilith was having a discussion with Amity while she trains, but Lilith noticed Amity was more distant than usual. When she met Amity at the doors to Hexside as she usually did she thought she saw a scowl for a fraction of a second which was weird because usually Amity loved their training sessions. The session started as they normally did, Amity using her ability to 'disappear' and sneak through shadows while Lilith used a light spell to 'tag' and reveal her, but Amity seemed even more focused then normal, and after four minutes of avoiding Liliths light the older witch called an end to the exercise. To her surprise she felt Amity lightly make contact on her left side, the side still sore after her fight with Lucia. When Lilith let out an audible groan of pain Amity acted the concerned student. "I'm sorry Ms. Clawthorne. Are you alright?" she asked in faux concern.
"No, no, I'm fine Amity. I just managed to injure myself on my last mission. Why don't you show me how much your Abomination magic has grown while I catch my breath," sweetly responded Lilith. With a nod Amity started summoning golem's of varying sizes and purposes, then multiple different weapons and shields before smirking, and forming abominations doubles of different people. They weren't perfect, but they were easily discernible. Lilith saw herself, Odalia, the twins, Skara and Boscha, and then a surprise, Lucia. With a slight voice crack Lilith asked, "Was that last one my Niece?" Amity knew where to look so she didn't miss the worry in Lilith's expression.
Amity gave her an unconcerned nod, "Well Mother insists that I always prove myself the best, and truthfully I haven't had much competition for a while, but Lucia has proven a worthy rival since she appeared, no doubt due to your own influence I assume."
Lilith shook her head, "No, I'm afraid Edalyn was unusually adept at making sure we never met. In truth we have only spoken once, but I must urge you to be careful around her. I have no idea what idea's, and wild magic's my sister has filled her head with." Lilith paused to consider her words carefully before she said, "Amity, I might not always show it, but I'm very proud of the witch you are becoming, and our training sessions are honestly the best part of my job these days. That's why I must ask you to tread carefully, not as the Emperor's right hand, but as your mentor, and… someone who cares a great deal about your well being." Lilith whispered the next part, but Amity barely heard her say, "I couldn't stand to see you end up like Allison."
For a moment Amity felt a spike of regret for what she had to do next, but it was for her Lucia. She would persevere. With a nod, and the faintest smile Amity said, "As you wish Ms. Lilith, but I do need to ask a favor. There are a few history books that I was in the process of taking notes on, but they were recently moved to the Forbidden Stacks due to their age. Could you write up a small pass for me so that I may finish my notes at least? You do always tell me 'A half completed task isn't complet at all' after all."
Lilith smiled, "Of course. Just give me a bit to make it official, and Amity… It's good to see you looking into history again. I've so missed our talks." With a sigh Lilith said, "Well we've rested enough. Why not show me what else you've been working on?" The rest of that training session went as usual, and to both of their surprise they shared a small half hug before they separated both of their heads heavy with regrets and concerns.
Author Notes: Not gonna lie this chapter was daunting for me, and it begins the first real arc of this story. Yes, I pulled a Full Metal Alchemist, and had the Titan just be called Papa, unoriginal but thematic. For clarification a 'Deviant' is your typical harem vampire. Lucia's plan, since it never saw the light of day for multiple reasons, was to figure out how bad they hurt each other, and then gently nudge Boscha into a neutral position before basically allowing Willow to bled her emotions by sparing with Lucia as hard as she needed to until she got all the pain out. For the record potatoes and rice are always my answer when I don't know what to eat strictly because they can be cooked in any possible way, the only reason potatoes edge out rice is because, you shouldn't, you can technically eat them raw. If anyone is wondering why Boscha isn't giving Lucia lip it's because she respects and is slightly afraid of her. Until next chapter, Shine on beautiful readers. Shine on.
