Here's the final chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter Four: Healing
It was almost noon, the day after Vee had gone over Masha's house. She was alone in the room, wanting to be left alone to her own thoughts, despite everyone else's insistence she come downstairs. Vee just sat on her bunk, looking at the message Masha had left for her.
I thought you liked me.
Vee fell to her side, groaning in frustration. She'd never considered Masha as anything more than a friend, but she liked the way it felt when they kissed her. She'd never experienced anything like it. The fact she was kissing her best friend didn't seem weird at all. If anything, the fact that they WERE her best friend made it all the better.
She thought back to all the television shows she'd watched since coming to the Human Realm, the ones where best friends are always so hesitant to start a relationship with each other. She didn't understand why they wouldn't even try. It seemed like the perfect set-up.
A knock came at the door. "Vee? May I come in?" It was Camila.
"Yeah." Vee shut her phone off and sat up. Camila entered, holding a tray of eggs and bacon.
"You have to eat something, Cariño," Camila said worryingly, holding the tray up for Vee.
"I'm not hungry." Vee's stomach suddenly growled.
"You were saying?" Camila asked with a smile.
"I don't wanna eat!" Vee yelled, taking her blanket and covering herself. "Just leave me alone!"
Camila frowned and let out a small sigh. She put the tray down on the dresser. "I'll leave it here if you want to eat. And if you want to talk, just come to me. Okay?"
Vee didn't respond.
Camila left the room.
Ten minutes passed and Vee sat up. She got off her bunk and looked at the food. It'd gone cold. She felt guilty for snapping at Camila like that. She made her way to Camila's room and knocked on the door.
"Camila?" Vee said. "Can I come in?"
Camila opened the door, gesturing for Vee to come in.
"You feel like talking now?" Camila asked.
"I guess." Vee slithered into the room and sat on Camila's bed. "I'm sorry for yelling earlier. You didn't deserve that."
"It's alright. I know what it's like to get angry, to not want to talk about difficult things."
Camila sat next to Vee.
"It's just... I really like Masha. And that message they left me just made me feel so bad."
"Message?"
"Yeah." Vee showed Camila her phone, showing her the message Masha left her. "I hurt them by running away like that. I just... I feel so bad. Like a Coño."
"WHOA!" Camila said loudly. She looked like she was about to scold the young Basilisk but stopped herself. "Where did you hear that word?"
"From you," Vee said. "When you threw Jacob in the cage you called him a Coño."
"Okay! Please don't use that word again!"
"Luz had the same reaction," Vee told her. "What's it mean?"
"Uh... I'll give you some Spanish lessons later. Just... don't say that word anymore." Camila said under breath, "I have to watch what I say around you kids."
"Okay," Vee laughed. "I promise, I won't use it anymore."
"Good." Camila said. "Now, about the message Masha left. It might not be as bad as you might think."
"How?"
"Well, it doesn't say to never talk to her again."
"Them," Vee corrected. "Masha uses them."
"Yes. My apologies. But as I was saying, they aren't saying to never talk to them again. You should call them."
"And tell them what?" Vee asked. "I can't exactly tell them I'm a Demon. So, what reason do I use for running out on them?"
"That's... a good question. One that I can't think of an answer to."
"Yeah. Me either." Vee's phone started ringing. She looked at it, seeing it was Masha. "It's Masha. They're calling me. Should I answer?"
"Yes!" Camila encouraged. "Tell them you just freaked out or something. Set up a time and place to talk so you can explain it better in person."
"Okay. Here goes nothing." Vee took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Masha?"
"Hello, Vee. This is Rose; Masha's aunt?"
"Oh. Hi, Rose. Is Masha alright? I sort of ran out on them last night. I was... hoping to apologize."
"We can get into that later," Rose said. "I called because I thought you should know; Masha is in the hospital."
"WHAT?!" Vee yelled.
"What's wrong?!" Camila asked, jumping in surprise from Vee's reaction.
"Masha's in the hospital!" Vee told her. She spoke to Rose again. "What happened to them?! Are they okay?!"
"They're alright," Rose said calmly. "Rosie, our dog, bit their hand. They had to get some stitches, but they're alright."
"Oh, Titan." Vee started breathing heavily. "Can I talk to them?"
"You can visit if you want," Rose replied. "I came outside with their phone to call their friends; we don't have good service in the hospital. I don't have your number saved, so I used Masha's phone to call you."
"Vee, what happened to Masha?" Camila asked. The door to Camila's room burst open, the other teens led by Luz charging in.
"Mom, what's going on?" Luz asked. "We heard you two yelling!"
Vee stood outside Masha's hospital room, back in her human form, too scared to go in. She wanted to see her friend in their time of need, but she was still afraid to see them after what had happened the night before. Camila escorted her to their room, the other kids staying home. She held a box of chocolates for Vee to give to Masha.
Marco and Darko exited the room, bumping into Vee.
"Hey, guys," Vee said, giving them a small wave.
"Hey, Vee," Marco said. "Didn't know Masha called you."
"Their aunt called me," Vee replied. "They told me what happened. How're they doing?"
"Their dog got sick and bit their hand," Darko said. "They're devastated."
"Did they say what they're gonna do with Rosie?" Vee asked.
"She ran away," Marco replied. "After she got out of the house, she ran into the woods. If they ever catch her, she'd probably be put to sleep."
"That's horrible!" Vee exclaimed. She looked behind them, into Masha's room. "I'm gonna check on them. See you later."
"Yeah," Darko said. "See you later."
Vee took a deep breath and walked into the room. She saw Masha sitting in their hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown, two IV drips connected to their right arm, one a pain killer, the other an antibiotic. Their usual make-up was washed off, with traces of mascara stains dotted across their cheeks. Their chest was flat, their breast pad gone. They were right; they looked like a completely different person without their make-up.
"Hey, Vee," Masha said sadly. "Nice to see you."
"How're you feeling?" Vee asked.
"Bad." Masha sank into their bed and sighed.
Camila handed Vee the chocolates and nudged her towards Masha. Vee cleared her throat and held up the chocolates. "We got you some chocolates."
"No thanks," Masha said. "Maybe later."
Vee sat down next to Masha.
"I saw the boys," Vee said.
"Yeah." Masha was clearly too upset to talk. Vee wondered if they even talked to Marco and Darko. "I'm glad you got home safe."
"What?" Vee asked.
"After you ran off. I was worried you might not have gotten home safe."
"Oh. I did. Ca- Uh, Mom, picked me up a few blocks away."
"That's good."
The room was silent for a while. Camila gestured to Rose that they should leave, and Rose agreed.
"Kids, we're gonna get some coffee," Camila told them.
"We'll be back soon," Rose said. She followed Camila out the door. "The coffee here sucks; there's a diner across the street that has some great joe."
The adults left, leaving the teens alone.
"So..." Vee said. "I... I'm sorry... I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," Masha said. It was then Vee noticed that they're voice didn't sound like it normally does. It was deeper, more masculine, a sign of how upset they were. "Just the fact that you're here is good enough."
"Why is that good?"
"Cause it means you're a good friend."
Vee looked at Masha's bandaged wrist. "How bad is it?" she asked, pointing at their hand.
"Pretty bad. My wrist bone is broken, so are a few of my fingers, and they said something about ligament damage. I don't know what that last one is, but they said I might have trouble using my hand after it heals. Might affect my drawing."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Vee said. "What about Rosie? Did they find her?"
"No. I'm not sure I want them to, either."
"Why?"
"Cause if they did, they'd put her down. And even if they didn't, my Auntie's not gonna want her around anymore, not after what happened."
"I'm really sorry to hear that."
"Stop saying you're sorry. It's not like it's your fault."
"Sorry. No, I mean-!"
"It's alright!" Masha said with a small laugh. "I know what you mean. I'm just getting tired of hearing people saying they're sorry for me. It gets kinda annoying."
A few minutes of silence passed before Vee started talking. "Listen, I... I wanted to talk to you about last night," she said. She squeezed her legs as she built up the courage to talk. "About us kissing? I wanted to explain to you why I ran away like I did."
"My dog bit me and you wanna talk about our failed make-out session?" Masha asked.
"I know, it's a little... I don't, callous? But I feel we should clear the air."
"You don't have to explain," Masha said. "I get it. You don't like that I'm trans. I understand."
"Wait, what?" Vee asked, confused by their words. "What does you being trans have to do with us kissing?"
"Isn't that why you freaked out?" Masha asked. "You said, 'I'm not, I'm not' before you left. I assumed you meant gay. Or straight. Whichever one that wasn't compatible with me."
"No! That's crazy! I don't care that you're trans at all!" Vee hung her head, afraid to look Masha in the eye. "It's not something to do with you, it's something to do with me."
"What is it?" Masha asked.
"It's... something personal. Something I can't talk about." Vee picked her head up and looked Masha in the eye. "But I promise you, it has nothing to do with you being trans."
"Something personal?" Masha mentally slapped themself when they realized what it was. Vee wasn't HUMAN! THAT'S what she trying to say last night! She felt guilty for kissing them without telling them first! Masha started laughing. "That's... That's great!"
"Why is that great?" Vee asked. She was very confused by Masha's reaction.
"Cause it means you like me!" they replied. Their voice had returned to their normal tone. "You REALLY LIKE ME!"
"Of course, I really like you!" Vee said with a deep blush. "Your cool, we have a lot in common, you're beautiful, you're hot-!" Vee stopped as her blush became even darker. She didn't mean to say that last one, even if it WAS true.
"Well, I think you're cool and hot, too," Masha said with a small giggle. "Can I kiss you?"
Vee looked at them. She wanted to say yes, but she wasn't sure if she should. "I don't know."
"Good." Masha grabbed Vee by her collar (which actually hurt a little, since that was her actual skin), and pulled her into a kiss. Vee closed her eyes after a couple seconds, just enjoying the moment. When they stopped, Masha kept eye contact with her. Both were blush, but Vee's was far darker.
"I said I didn't know," Vee laughed.
"You said the same thing last night. Figured that meant it was okay." Masha sat back and sighed. "I don't know what it is that makes you so hesitant to kiss me, but I want you to know that I don't care what it is. If you ever want to hang out, maybe MAKE-OUT a little, all you have to do is ask. I'd be more than happy to."
"I... I'd like that." Vee rubbed her collar; Masha pulled so hard she could feel little dig marks on her skin. "Ow."
"I'm sorry, did I pull too hard?" Masha asked. "I was trying to romantic."
"It's fine. Next time, though, maybe just tell me to lean in."
"Lean in."
"Yeah, like that."
"No, I was telling you that time. Lean in."
Vee leaned in a little, then stopped. "Masha, I really like you. I want to kiss you, but-"
"You can't over your issue?" Masha interrupted. Vee took a breath then nodded. "Listen, whatever your issue is, I want you to know that I'm okay with it, whatever it is."
"You might hate me if you knew," Vee said. She felt like crying but fought back the tears. "My secret... it's big."
"You can tell me when you're ready," Masha said. They wanted to tell her they already knew about her secret, but felt it was something SHE should tell them. "But for now... lean in."
Masha closed their eyes and puckered. Vee blushed again. She closed her eyes and leaned in, kissing Masha on the lips.
"I like kissing," Vee said with a smile as she pulled back. "It feels nice."
"It does, doesn't it?" Masha asked. They noticed their gown falling down a little, exposing some of their chest, and pulled it up. "Can't wait to go back home, get some real clothes on. I feel so exposed with just a gown on."
"Does it really feel that weird?" Vee asked.
"I know I don't have anything up here," Masha said, gesturing to their chest, "but I've grown used to covering up. It's kinda like practice for when I DO get something to hide."
"Practice makes perfect."
"It does." Masha then remembered lending Vee their clothes. "By the way, where the clothes I lent you?"
"OH!" Vee exclaimed. She'd forgotten about them. The clothes were torn to shreds when she returned to her original form in the car, so Camila ended up throwing them out! "I, um, well... I... Uuuhhh..."
"Let me guess," Masha said. "You looked so good in them you want to keep them?"
"Uuhh..."
"Sure, go ahead," Masha said.
"Wait, really?" Vee asked. She wanted to decline, but it would've been rude to do so. Not to mention the fact she couldn't return destroyed clothing that were put in the trash.
"Yeah. You looked good in them. Besides, I kinda lost your clothes anyways, so consider it a trade."
"My clothes? RIGHT! MY clothes! I... totally forgot about them!" Vee said with a nervous laugh. She thanked Titan Masha thought they were lost since it gave her an out. "It's fine, they were kind of old anyway!"
"Still, I feel kinda bad," Masha said. "How about I give you another kiss to make it even?"
"I... would like that," Vee said with a little guilt; they didn't lose her clothes, she destroyed theirs, and she gets a kiss? It seemed a little unfair, but, once again, she couldn't exactly decline.
Vee leaned in and kissed Masha again. She wasn't sure if they were doing too much kissing or not enough; she would have to ask Luz and Amity how much was the right amount.
"Oh, so sweet!" The pair stopped kissing and looked at the doorway. Camila and Rose had returned, both of them holding two cups.
"Sorry to interrupt, kids, but I think Masha needs some rest," Rose said.
"She's right, Mija," Camila said. "We should get home, tell the others Masha's okay."
"Yeah, I suppose." Vee stood up, blushing all the while. She couldn't believe she was caught kissing Masha. Now she knew why Luz and Amity were insistent on kissing in private. "Bye, Masha. I'll see you later."
"See you later, Vee," Masha replied, waving them goodbye. "Thanks for coming to check on me."
"Any time."
Vee and Camila left, leaving Masha with their aunt.
"That went well," Rose said, sitting next to Masha. She placed one of the cups on the end table. "I got you a hot chocolate. Though it seems you already had something hot."
"Auntie!" Masha said with a high pitch. "You're so bad!"
"Only a little." Rose took a sip of her coffee. She was glad to hear Masha's usual tone back in their voice. "I'm glad to see you got another kiss. Does that mean she's okay with the whole trans thing?"
"She was okay with it from the start," Masha said, taking the hot chocolate and taking a sip. "It wasn't anything to do with me. It was something on her end."
"What was it?"
"She's... I.. can't tell you that. It's not my secret to tell. Vee doesn't even know I know."
"Then how'd you find out?" Rose asked.
"By chance. It is a biggie, I'll tell you that. But I don't care about it. I like her for who she is. If anything, it makes her better."
"Does that mean you can see yourselves becoming more than friends?"
"I do," Masha said with a smile. They took another sip of their hot chocolate. "But I can only wait so long. If she doesn't tell me her secret by the end of the summer, I'll just tell her I already know. I'm not gonna let the opportunity to have a girlfriend like her slip from my fingers."
"Taking charge," Rose said, a big smile appearing on her face. "I like it!"
Rosie sat at the edge of forest surrounding the Portal House, hidden by the trees as it watched the teens continue fixing it up. It hated the fact the Witches and the human traitor were using its former home, but it could do nothing to stop them. Not yet, at least.
Rosie walked away. Green sludge was escaping from her eyes and mouth, as well as her nose and ears. As she walked, her flesh started falling off, the green sludge enveloping it. The green sludge took form as the dog was reduced to a skeleton, which collapsed to the ground.
The green sludge stood on two legs, taller than it was before. It was Belos again, alive and well. He had taken over the dog, Rosie, when he found the teen who had blasted him with the wand. He waited for an opportunity for their friends to leave before hopping over to the dog. He'd hoped to find the training wand, but failed to do so.
His anger, like the bear from last time, transferred over to the dog, resulting in it biting the teen in a feral rage. He had no desire to harm a fellow human, but it was unfortunately inevitable. Taking over the animals wasn't an exact science, after all.
He'd gotten stronger since the bear incident, but still nowhere near his full power. As much as he wanted kill the Witches and Luz, he had need of them. Unlike him, they could traverse the human town with near impunity. Unlike him, they could gather the proper, or rather subtitute, resources to build another portal.
Belos, in truth, had never completed his portal. He had tried several times to do so, but he always lacked Titan's blood, the most important ingredient. That was why he so intent on retrieving the Owl Lady's portal; he couldn't build his own.
However Luz Noceda, even if she was a traitor to her own species, was highly intelligent. She managed to figure out how to combine Glyphs in a few short weeks, comparted his years. He'd seen her create a prototype portal with substitute materials, and was genuinely impressed with the results, even IF the portal did end up exploding. Loathe as he was to admit it, he believed she could surpass even him in understanding magic. She had an innate talent for it.
It was a shame she decided to use for evil.
