Special delivery: PAIN!
HELLO EVERYONE! Missed me? I'm so sorry I disappeared all this time, but the last two months have been... a complete and utter nightmare to be honest. I've been having a real bad writer's block, college was (and still is...) kicking my ass and I also had a lot of other, personal stuff going on, but you get the gist. I was a mess and I really needed to get some time off from writing. Also, this chapter, like the last one, was pretty hard and again came out way bigger than I planned, so again some stuff will be moved to the next one. At this point, I might as well change the plan entirely and turn this story into a series (or a duology at least)... Anyway, I believe I rambled enough, so let's get to the story now!
Oh, and just to be sure:
Warnings for this chapter: All the angst (Part 1), physical and emotional abuse, implied self harm, choking (nothing graphic and it's really brief, but better safe than sorry)

Chapter 8: Our demons

Hunter's eyes were wide, staring into the void, just as lost and unfocused as his mind.

Belos was here?! How was he here?! How did he even know where to find him?! Had he been watching him?! If yes, how?! And what was he going to...

No... No!

He made another move to pull away from him, but he quickly regretted it.

Belos immediately pulled him back again, this time tightening his grip even more, making him scream from the pain.

"What's wrong, Hunter? I thought you wanted to see me."

Hunter was about to reply, but no words came out. He was too confused, too uncertain... too scared to find them. But his fear quickly overcame everything else, when he noticed his palisman coming closer.

"Stop! Stay back!" He called out, his hand reaching out, ready to push the bird away, who just stared at him in worry. But also (mostly) in confusion.

Wasn't he seeing what was happening?

"Of course... How could I forget? This is all you care about. This is all that matters. Not the power I offered you. Or the home I gave you."

"No! I never said that! I never-"

"Then why did you leave with it?"

Hunter lowered his head in shame, biting back a wince as the grip got even stronger. "I'm so-"

"You hid an instrument of wild magic. Knowing both how dangerous it is and that I have a need for them. You disobeyed and attacked me, and despite all of that, I was still willing to keep you around. To give you a second chance. All you had to do was hand it over. But you chose to throw it all away. And for what?"

He was trembling as Belos was speaking, now feeling his fingers sharpened around his shoulder, goop spilling from them. He didn't dare to look that way and he didn't dare to try and speak up again. Right now all his energy was focused on keeping himself quiet. The more he spoke up, the more he reacted... the more it hurt.

It always hurt...

I spoke out of turn. It won't happen again.

But it did.

I would never betray you!

But he did...

And for what?

...!

What...?

That soft sound... There it was again. This time a little clearer. And it indeed sounded like a-

His palisman had jumped away from him and he looked terrified.

When did he come so close to him? And why did he just now seem-?

"Well. Looks like it doesn't want to leave you alone. Quite admirable tenacity for such a thing. And yet so very foolish."

Belos' tone was changing. Something darker was in his voice, and as he finished, his hand was moving away from Hunter's shoulder. He was moving towards...!

Hunter felt his stomach drop, his eyes already welling up."No, stop! Don't hurt him! I-I'm right here, I won't run! You can have me! You can hurt me, but leave him alone! Please..." He pleaded, still keeping his head low, his voice raw and intense.

Just as intense as the silence that followed. A silence that seemed to trap him alone, so that he wouldn't hear the cardinal right before him. And a silence that was broken in the worst way.

As a scream tore itself from his throat. So loud and so strong that made it hurt, almost as much as his shoulder, when a sharp goopy grip brought its claws upon it. Tearing apart the bandages and adding a new, larger wound right on top of the first one.

Hunter's hands had moved instictively to the wound, as if they could shield it somehow, even though the damage had already been done. And as he slowly withdrew them, they were trembling, painted red with his own blood, holding pieces of...-

"Do you really not understand, Hunter? Or are you just trying to test me?"

He abruptly raised his head, the terror ever present on his face. While his hands instictively went to clutch his shoulder again. And he tried to brace himself, for he knew from that lingering darkness in Belos' voice and that sharp cold glint in his eyes, that whatever would come next wouldn't be pretty.

"You are in no position to ask for anything. You don't deserve anything... but to suffer."

Amity was sitting alone on the living room's couch. A book an her sleeping palisman keeping her company.

Eda and King were out for quite a while, getting the supplies. The market must've been pretty crowded after two days of rain. And Luz...

She wouldn't stop trying.

Amity should know this better than anyone. Luz cared too much and it would take a lot more to get her to give up on someone. Even if that someone had tried to hurt her and was pushing her away, determined to be left alone and stay that way... so they wouldn't get hurt. So they wouldn't have someone else to judge them, or be disappointed in them, or leave them or... get hurt by them.

Amity inhaled a frustrated breath, her fingers twisting a bit too tightly around her palisman's fur, who meowed in protest.

"Oh, sorry Ghost..." She apologized, as they moved from her side to her lap, their eyes studying her face in concern. "It's nothing. I'm fine. I just..." Her voice trailed off, as she struggled to choose what to say next.

She actually had a lot to choose from... And some of them she had talked about before. She must've gotten tiring by now. But...

Amity was hugging her pillow like her life depended on it. Her face buried inside it, to drown out her cries. While the storm from outside was getting stronger, almost as though it wanted to help her with that. She really would have been grateful, if she wasn't so shaken.

Another nightmare. And one that felt too real...

She tightened her grip on her pillow, her knees pressing against it as she failed to drown a sob.

"Amity?"

...

At the sound of her name she was paralyzed. She didn't say a word, for fear of having a complete breakdown the moment she'd open her mouth. For a short second she wasn't sure if she was even breathing.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Luz's voice sounded closer than before. But it was more than that. It was warm, soft, inviting.

And soon followed by a hand on the young witch's shoulder. After that, the pillow was thrown aside and she threw herself in her human's arms.

"I-I'm sorry, Luz. I didn't want to wake you. I just..." Amity's voice was shaking in tandem with her body. She held onto her tighter, like she was the only thing holding her together.

"It's all right. It's all right now." Luz kept repeating, her hand rubbing circles around her back. "I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay for as long as you need."

For as long as you need...

Amity closed the book with a sigh, as her palisman jumped off her lap.

But just as she made it to the foot of the staircase, Luz came running down. And crashed onto her in the process.

"Huh?! Amity?" Luz sounded probably a little too surprised, as she quickly stood up and started frantically looking around, as though she was searching for something.

The weirdest thing though, was the fact that Amity thought she could hear some strange voice when she crashed onto her.

"Luz? What's wrong?" She asked, almost scared from Luz's mannerisms.

"I can't find her! I... I can hear her, but her voice is fading! I'm losing her!" She rambled, while clutching her head, and she slowly collapsed on the floor. "No! No, no, no, no, no...! I'm trying, please! I promise I'm trying!"

"What are you talking about? Who are you looking for?" Amity kneeled in front of her, now seriously concerned. But before she could touch her, Luz stood up again.

"Don't tell me you can't hear her too!"

"Luz, please calm down-"

"No! I can't! I-" She suddenly stopped, looking at her hands like she just now realized she had them. "The fortune teller! Where's the fortune teller?!" Again she started looking around, this time more frantic and desperate. "Maybe I... I have to use it again!"

"Luz! Back up! What fortune teller? Who are you hearing? What's going on?" This time, Amity managed to hold Luz still for a moment, placing both her hands on her shoulders.

"-ving me...? Luz...?"

"I don't know! I mean... No, I'm not! I just need this fortune teller!" Just as quickly as it came, the moment ended, as the human forcefully pulled herself away from her.

And before Amity could ask her again about what was going on, or about that voice she heard again, she spotted a paper fortune teller with some weird symbols on the side.

She went and carefully picked it up, but as she did, she accidentally moved the sides, her eyes almost immediately getting lost inside the glow that engulfed it. While everything else faded from earshot and from view...

...!

...

Before even opening her eyes, Amity felt something soft against her cheek. And upon opening them, she saw Ghost rubbing themselves against her, in an attempt to wake her up.

...Wait, wake her up?

When did she fell asleep? And why was she on the floor? And where was-

"Tsk-tsk, Mittens. Falling asleep on the floor?"

...!

At the sound of that voice, Amity immediately shot up, shaking off her dizziness.

Was that really...? No, it couldn't be! Maybe she was just... imagining it?

"I mean, it was kind of endearing when you were a toddler, but now it's just ridiculous. And sad."

The voice was getting closer with every word, and she could feel her body filling with dread, as every thought that was trying to convince her this wasn't real, was silenced.

Until she could hear it right inside her ear. A soft, cold whisper.

"Just like this little dollhouse you now call home."

Amity immediately pulled away, before she could freeze. And with her eyes wide in horror, she turned around to face her Mother, who was staring at her with a smug, dark smile.

"How... How can you be here?!" Amity demanded, as she summoned her staff and pointed it at her defensively, trying to muster up a brave face.

"Oh, don't be so surprised. Nothing could keep me away from my precious Mittens."

She was coming closer as she was speaking, reaching out a hand towards her hair, her face.

Amity moved backwards, almost shying away while trying to keep her position (and her expression). "Stop! Stay away from me!"

"Why? Haven't you played enough? It's time to go now, dear. I'm here to take you home."

"I already am home! Leave me alone!"

"Leave you alone? But I thought that was your specialty."

Her staff was lowered a little at this, her facade cracking."...What?"

She saw her Mother's smirk widening, as she started walking towards her again. But this time she didn't move.

"Willow. Your posse. And now your own family. The only thing you know is how to cast the people in your life away. One way or another. At this point, it's only a matter of time before you do it again... or someone finally does it to you."

Amity felt her breathing hitch, her hands trembling, struggling to hold the staff.

She wanted... She could say countless things to defend herself. How she was right to want to leave her posse and the Manor. How she only left Willow because she was forced to. But...

"By the way... where's your human?"

Hearing this, abruptly snapped her out of her thoughts and not only reaffirmed her grip, but it also prompted her to fire. However, when she did, her Mother's figure disappeared.

And just two seconds later appeared right behind her. She felt her fingers passing through her hair.

"What did you do with her?!" Again she moved away, while her eyes flared a little, just like the staff in her hands, already preparing to fire again.

"I was the one to ask you. Why would I do that if it was I who did something?"

"Don't play games with me! Where is Luz?!"

Her Mother only gave an amused laugh and a shrug.

"Shouldn't you know that?"

Amity growled, about to fire, when she noticed something off about her. Something that made her widen her eyes again, as they lost their flare and her staff was lowered. This time that her Mother spoke... her mouth wasn't moving.

She suddenly dropped to her knees, feeling a weight on her. Specifically on the back of her neck. And soon she realized why. When she saw that terrifyingly familiar purple stone hanging from her neck, glowing more and more intensely.

She helplessly pulled at the necklace to take it off, while trying to call for help (for Luz). But, the more she tried, the tighter the necklace was closing around her, turning her cries for help to gasps for air. All while her Mother's scornful voice kept echoing in her mind.

"Look at you... Why are you struggling so much? Who are you even calling for? No one is here. No one will hear you, Mittens. You are all alone. Just like you were always meant to be."

Having given up on trying to take the necklace off, Amity just lowered her head and tried to breathe, blinking away tears. While her hands were covering her ears, in some vain attempt to shut her out. She hated those words, she hated hearing all the condescension and the contempt and the satisfaction in her Mother's voice... She hated the fact that they felt... the possibility that they were...

"No... NO!" Amity shook her head, as if it would somehow get her out of it, along with those poisonous thoughts. And with (almost too) much effort, she stood up and started running away.

She wasn't even sure if she knew where she was going. All she cared about was getting away from her Mother. And finding Luz.

"Why are you running, Mittens? Where will you

even go? There's no place for you anywhere. Not anymore."

Hunter was lying on the floor, clutching his stomach, and he only barely managed to sit up again. At this point, actually, he could barely even breathe in between quiet sobs and spasms of pain.

He had tried again to get away, to follow that strange voice. Which despite the fact that it was right beside him, it felt so very far away.

But right now it couldn't reach him at all. And its owner was stuck with this terrible sight of his witch trapped in a haze of agony, while he himself was unable to help, no matter how much he had tried.

Please... no more... I'm sorry. Hunter was barely holding those words in. He was desperate to yell them out loud, to at least try to get all this pain to stop, but... but he wasn't in position to do that. And it wouldn't even do him any good. They would only make Belos angrier. Or even worse, make him turn his attention elsewhere.

"Hmph. Still standing I see. Though, I don't understand

the reason. She won't answer you. No one will. You have no reason to be here."

Amity stopped for a moment and held onto the small table in the hallway to catch her breath, wiping furiously her eyes.

She couldn't keep doing that. She could feel her legs trembling, ready to fall apart any second. And no matter how much she was trying to ignore it, the things her Mother was saying... they...

No. She couldn't let her get to her! She couldn't afford it.

But...

...!

Amity's head jerked up at a soft sensation on her...

Her hair!

She looked in the mirror on the wall beside her and saw herself with her hair caught in its small ponytail. With the same shade of green as her Mother's, without even her roots seen.

No... No, that's... It can't be-it's not...

"Ah... There we go. That's much better."

Her Mother suddenly came beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder with a proud look on her face.

At this point, she just wanted everything to disappear. The mirror, her Mother, herself...

No, that... That wasn't herself. It couldn't be.

The purple glowing stone. The green hair in a small ponytail. That snobbish, scornful look on her face...!

Amity pulled away and nearly stumbled as she began again running away, her eyes on the floor, away from anything that could show her that image again.

"Oh, Mittens... You could've been perfect. I prepared

you for greatness. I had such high hopes for you."

"But you had to throw it all away..."

"Your future."

"Your potential."

"Your whole life."

"I only was and still am trying to do what's best for you."

"And even though this may seem cruel, it's necessary."

"You should know. It's only happening so you will understand and return your true place. You saw it for yourself."
"You should know. It's only happening so you will understand and pay for your mistakes. You said it yourself."

"I am your family. You are mine."

"LUZ!"

...

...

...

...

Amity slammed the door behind her and leaned against it, before her legs gave out and she sank on the floor. She was taking in breath after breath, relishing the sweet silence around her... for only about two seconds before a series of fearful, urgent chirps got her attention.

The little cardinal seemed about as frantic as two days ago and even though it was hard to tell, he seemed to be dirty with...-

Her gaze followed him as he ran to the other side of the room, towards the Golden Guard.

He stared back at her, his eyes red from crying and so very scared. A near perfect reflection of her own. He was covered in scratches, his clothes dirty with blood and most of his bandages torn.

"What happened to you? Did she get to you first? Where's Luz?!" She asked worriedly, making her way to him with fast steps. But-

"NO! Don't get any closer!" He yelled, reaching out his hand in a 'stop' gesture. And almost immediately after he looked away.

Amity eyed him in confusion, noticing his other hand. It was holding his injured shoulder, and it was holding it too hard. "We have a crisis right now, so just tell me what happened! Did my Mother do this to you? What did she do with Luz?!"

"What are you talking about?! Your-? Are you blind?!" A cry of pain escaped him as he finished, his grip tightening around his shoulder.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I said don't get-!"

...!

...

Just as she touched his hand a little, Amity instantly pulled away from him, gasping in shock.

Right behind him... Did she just hear...? Did she just see...?!

"Just get out of here! And... take him with you. Keep him safe." He suddenly yelled at her again, but this time his voice quickly changed. Turning despondent and resigned. And she noticed his grip tightening again.

"Didn't you hear me?! I said go!"
"Didn't you hear him? He said go. What else do you want to understand that there's nothing for you here? Come now, Mittens. Come home with me."

Amity clenched her fists to her sides, as she heard her Mother's voice from behind again, feeling her hand on her shoulder, while she offered her the other one. She quickly pulled away, but before she started to run back out, she felt something pulling away from her as well.

She looked down and saw the Golden Guard's palisman close to her foot, looking at her intensely, before turning for a moment to his witch and then to her again.

Amity's gaze, once again, followed the bird's movements, a realization forming."...Did you see him too?" She asked, after kneeling down.

He nodded.

All right. First, there was Luz with that voice... now the Golden Guard... Does that mean...? "Now do you see... anyone behind me?" She asked again, and this time he shook his head.

"What are you doing...?! Why are you still here? Why can't you just do as you're told...?!"

This time she tried to ignore it, but suddenly her Mother's voice started to change. All this time it was so smug, so contempuous, but now it was actually getting more intense, angrier... more distorted.

The bird's feathers fluffed a little, his expression changing to a glare fixed behind Amity, after she scooped him up in her hands.

And the realization set in."I'm guessing that now you do...!"

And there you have it! Again, I'm sorry it took so long, and I'm sorry I changed the plans again. This time, I don't know when the next update will be, but hopefully I'll have more time and energy at the holidays, and it won't be that long. Bye for now! I really hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review and stay safe everyone. :)