Somehow the entire battle at Blight Industries had been kept hush-hush, no one seemed to know about the Phantom that attacked last night, but that was not the most pressing matter right now. Luz was currently in her room, just gazing out through the window. Her brow was a little bit furrowed, as if she was trying to decide whether or not be angry or understanding, because light night, she found out that Amity Blight, the girl who was her bully, then rival, and now, apparently, her crush. The green haired witch was harboring feelings for Luz as well, and last night that all came out, for both of them. However, it came with yet another surprise. Both girls found out that they were Kamen Riders, and Amity asked something of Luz that made her a little angry, even now she replayed that moment from last night in her head…
"You…You want me to stop being Witch? Why?" Luz asked.
"Because I don't want you putting yourself in any more danger, Luz, that's why," Amity stated. "There's no need for you to do it anymore, I can take on that burden for you."
Luz shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean? It's not a burden, I like being a Kamen Rider. I like helping everyone and protecting them from the Phantoms."
"Luz, I get it, you love these Kamen Riders, and after spending some time in the club, I get your admiration of them. But seriously, you don't have to fight. I can do it for you instead. I mean…" Amity began rubbing the back of her head as she blushed. "That's the whole reason why I became Heka…I wanted to protect you."
Luz had to pace a bit to get her thoughts together, there was a whirlwind of emotions in her right now. First was annoyance that Amity thought that Luz saw being a Kamen Rider as a burden. Second, was anger because this whole thing sounded like Eda when she first found out that she was Witch. Third, giddiness that Amity became a Rider just to keep her safe. And fourth, worry, since she just found out that Amity does like her, and of course, Luz likes Amity, so she did not want to damage their possible budding relationship before it got the chance to blossom into something.
The Latina stopped her pacing and took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts to essentially thread the needle here. "Amity, I am very, very appreciative that you became a Kamen Rider in order to protect me. But…a-and don't take this the wrong way! – You're kind of…green."
Amity blinked her eyes and said, "Green? You mean my hair?"
"No, no, I mean…ugh…" Luz sucked wind for a second and then explained, "You're a rookie."
The youngest Blight child rested her hands against her hips as she raised an eyebrow at Luz. "Uh, not to call the kettle black, but you are, too."
"Well, I mean, I have defeated a few Phantoms already. And I do have another mentor who gives me advise on this kind of stuff. Plus, I got the information on how to fight downloaded into my brain on the first day, so I'm technically not a rookie."
Amity was even more confused now. "What do you mean 'another mentor'? Are you saying that there's another Rider on the Isles?!"
Luz sighed heavily, it was time to reveal the truth about that night of the Sabbath, and the day that she became Witch. The human sat down in the dirt while Amity sat on the rock again. Afterwards, Luz began her story, telling Amity what had happened to her during the Sabbath ritual, how she was almost thrust into deep despair, but managed to conquer the darkness with her hope, allowing her to seal La Lechuza inside of herself. Then Luz told Amity about the day Witch was born, how Haruto Souma, Kamen Rider Wizard, saved her and granted her both the knowledge and the tools needed to fight against the Phantoms.
"You see, Amity? It's not as if this was thrust onto me, I chose to be Witch," said Luz.
Amity, who had been quiet for most of the story, closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as she thought. After a few seconds of contemplation, Amity opened her eyes and looked directly at Luz. "That's hardly a choice."
"What?"
"This Wizard said you were the only one and saved you at a time where there was a lot happening. Eda, Gus, Willow, me, and my siblings were in danger, and the only choice you had was to either save us or let us die. He basically corralled you into choosing to become a Rider," Amity explained. "If the situation wasn't so dire, I don't think you would have chosen this route."
Luz was slightly offended by that. "Why wouldn't I have chosen this? I have magic now, just like you and Eda, and everybody else on this island. I'm using it to protect innocent people from becoming Phantoms and from getting harmed by them!"
"At the risk of your own life!" Amity shot back. "Luz, you're a human, not a witch like me! Yes, this power makes you stronger, but at the end of the day, you're still only human! You can be hurt more easily by the normal things in our world, much less these Phantoms!"
Luz stood up and stamped her foot as she rebutted, "I'm not just some fragile thing you and Eda have to protect! I've faced the creatures on this island and survived, I've fought against the Phantoms and lived to fight another day! I've also fought against Belos and defeated a super Phantom in another world that almost–!" Luz clamped up her mouth. She had not told Amity about the adventure in Amphibia, nor had anyone told her about the battle with Belos.
Amity's eyes widened with shock. Luz Noceda, the human, fought the Emperor, one on one, and lived to tell about it? And what was this about going to another world? Wait. "Luz…those days when Witch was not there to fight against Troll, what happened? Since you are Witch, and were out of school, you had to have known there was a Phantom attack. Unless you weren't here on the Boiling Isles during that time, were you?"
"Uh…well…y-yes, you're right I wasn't. I was dragged into another world by a new Phantom that somehow knew my secret identity. It was a freak accident actually, the Phantom didn't cause it to happen, and neither did I. We just ended up in another world…"
Amity slapped her forehead and groaned with frustration. "You're telling me you weren't even here?! You were trapped in another-another world?! You…UGH! See, this is why I need to protect you! Because of things like that!"
"Excuse me, how many times did I save you?" Luz asked rhetorically.
"Not the point!" Amity pinched the bridge of her nose, imitating her mother, but at this point she could care less if it was something her mother did. "I get that I'm a rookie, but I can get better with time and training. I can fight harder and take more punishment than you can, Luz. It's a biological fact, Luz, it's nothing personal."
Luz crossed her arms and frowned. "Well, it sounds like it. You're saying because I'm human I'm just plain weak. I'm stronger than I look, Amity! I've had to get stronger to protect you and my friends!"
"Luz, please, you can teach me instead, is that better? You can teach me all you know about Phantom combat and how to be a Rider. If I agree to it, will you stop?" Amity offered.
"No! Because now that there's TWO of us, we can beat these Phantoms more easily than before. And now that we both know who the other is, coordinating our attacks and response will be that much better! The Phantoms could barely handle me on my own, now that there's two of us, we'll be able to take the rest of them down without much effort!"
"And what about that one time when I'm not there?! I don't want to risk losing you, Luz!" Amity argued.
"Look, I've had this same argument with Eda, and she approved of me being Witch! Even though I am a human! Isn't that good enough reason to see that I can handle this?!" Luz countered.
"You really want me to go off Eda's judgement?"
Luz thought about that for a moment and replied, "Touché. But you know she cares about me and wouldn't let me do this if she didn't think I could."
Silence hung in the air for a moment as the two teens stared each other down.
Amity sighed heavily as she turned around and said, "We've been through a lot tonight. And we dumped a lot of information on each other as well. Let's just both head home, get some sleep, and we'll discuss this further tomorrow."
"Not much to discuss, Amity. I've already said I would continue being Witch."
"We'll see, Blights can be very persuasive."
That's how it ended last night, and it was about ten in the morning, but Luz was not sure if she wanted to see Amity today. One of the very rare times she felt that way. She knew that if they did meet up, it would be a rehash of last night's argument, and Luz did not want to argue with the green haired witch. She finally found someone in this world that liked her, and who she liked back. The last thing Luz wanted was to destroy all that.
"Ugh…what am I going to do…?" Luz whined.
"What's up?"
Luz turned around and saw King standing outside her door. "Oh, hey, King. I just…have an issue I'm working through with Amity."
"Huh, an issue?" King asked.
Luz sighed and said, "Guess I should tell you guys. King, go and a tell Eda and Lilith to meet me in the living room. I need to tell you all something important."
"You got it!" King scurried off and went to do what Luz asked.
Guess I'll have to call up Gus and Willow. They should know, too.
Amity lied in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was already dressed in her spare uniform, the one from last night had some damage from the Abomaton presentation, and the battle with Mad Hatter. She was still trying to make sense of everything that she learned from Luz, how the girl she was crushing on was the hero of the Boiling Isles and was constantly putting herself in harm's way to protect everyone on the island. It was a bit aggravating that she wasn't let in on the secret back when Luz became Witch, but she understood why she did it.
She fought against Emperor Belos, the most powerful witch on in their world. She managed to battle him evenly and nearly defeated him, that was not a small feat by any measure, which was a testament to just how much stronger Luz's magic was getting. But she also figured that was why Luz never let her in on the secret. The Emperor pretty much said that the Titan willed it that Eda would not be petrified, and allowed to roam free, but that her curse would forever strip her of magic. However, that was not a guarantee that the Emperor's Coven would not try and come after them, or anyone associated with them.
Amity was becoming a bit more conflicted about wanting to be a part of the Emperor's Coven. But now the bigger issue was, could she convince Luz to stop being Witch?
"Look, I've had this same argument with Eda…"
Amity remembered those words, was this really how Eda felt when she learned Luz was witch? Most likely, considering that she was willing to send Luz back to the Human Realm without compromise. However, Eda did change her mind not long after the battle with the nine-tailed fox Phantom. The circumstances are different now. Luz doesn't have a way to get back to the Human Realm if things go south. At the very least, there was a way for her to still be safe. But now she has nowhere else to go if things get too bad. Amity took one of the pillows out from under her head and placed it over her face and groaned loudly into it.
Just then the door to her room was opened and both of her siblings entered, much to her annoyance and utter lack of permission to do so.
"Hey, Mittens, are you are up yet? You're going to miss breakfast…" Emira spotted her little sister on the bed, with a pillow over her face. "Uh…you, okay?"
"Go away…" Amity ordered, although it came out muffled due to the pillow.
The twins glanced at each other and walked to their little sister's bed, Emira sat on the right, while Edric sat on the left side.
"Okay, what's up, Mittens? We heard about what happened last night from mom and dad, but it sounded like everyone made it out alright, so…what's got you so bummed?" Edric asked.
Amity removed the pillow from her face and sighed. "I told Luz that I like her."
"You did?!" The twins exclaimed.
"And apparently she likes me back."
"That's great!" Edric and Emira cried in unison.
However, the look on their little sister's face was less than excited. Which was confusing as they knew that Amity had a big freaking crush on the human girl, and now that they both were aware of the other's feelings, one would think that said little sister would be swooning and acting all lovey-dovey or something. Yet Amity looked sad for some reason.
"Am, what's up? This is a good thing! You and Luz can start being girlfriends now," said Edric.
"It's more complicated than that…" Amity confessed.
"How is it complicated? You both like each other, so now you just need to ask her out and make it official. Simple." Emira stated.
Amity draped her left arm over her eyes and answered, "I…I got into an argument with Luz when I walked her back home…"
"Oh…was it bad?" Emira asked.
"It's…something I really can't discuss with you two."
"Wait? Why?" Edric questioned.
"It's…" Amity searched for the right word. She did not want to tell them that Luz was Witch, that was not her secret to share. But she knew how nosey her siblings are, and they weren't going to leave this alone. "…Private. It's a private thing between me and Luz, and I'd rather not discuss it with my brother and sister."
That got their gears turning, what was it that they could have talked about that would have made Amity and Luz argue? Sure, both of them were not exactly friends at the start. They were pretty sure that Amity very much disliked Luz in the beginning, but now things were different between them, so why the arguing so soon? Usually that happened a bit later in the relationship. And what was so private about the argument that she could not discuss it with her big brother and sister? A simultaneous thought shot through the twins' heads, and both blushed a little.
"Um…ahem…uh…Am, did Luz ask you to do something that you weren't ready to do?" Emira asked.
"And would that something too private that you definitely would feel embarrassed about talking to mom about?" Edric added.
Amity moved her arm from her eyes and shifted her glance between both her siblings. "What the heck are you two talking about?"
It seemed that both of them were a little embarrassed to say it out loud in front of their little sister. So, like any good, responsible teen older sibling, they decided to approach this subject via a different method. Emira drew a spell circle with her right hand, Amity sat up and watched as her big sister conjured some construct illusions of herself and Luz. After about thirty seconds, Amity's face was turning as red as a goremato up to her pointed ears.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF TITAN!" The youngest Blight child drew her own circle and made an Abomination construct arm to swat the images out of the air, causing them to "poof" out of existence. "What was that?! Why would you show me that stuff?!"
Edric had the good sense to at least cover his eyes and said, "Was that not what you two were arguing about?"
"That should never be a condition of any relationship Amity," said Emira.
"That is NOT, I repeat: NOT what we were arguing about! That was not even on my mind!" Amity scolded.
"And yet, now it is~"
Shut up, Bast!
"Okay, okay, sorry, we're just looking out for you, Am. We don't want you getting hurt," said Emira. "Ed, you can uncover your eyes now."
Ed did so and added, "We could help you guys out if you told us what the issue is."
"Ugh, just trust me, you two, this is something private that Luz and I have to work through," Amity retorted.
"Amity are you up yet?! Last night's events and the absence of your 'friends' are no excuse for you to not go to school today! You'll see them tomorrow, now hurry up!" Odalia called from downstairs.
Amity sighed and scooted forward until she was at the foot of the bed and hopped off.
"Wait, what is she talking about 'you'll see them tomorrow'?" Emira asked.
"Oh, yeah, well, we managed to convince mom to let Luz, Gus, and Willow back into the school. She's supposed to meet with the PCA to reverse the expulsion," Amity explained.
Edric and Emira sat there, mouths agape. They had never heard of their mother changing her decisions like that, but somehow Amity managed to change it. That was something unbelievable. Amity smiled a little, she understood their surprise and shock, and was happy that, at the very least, that this small victory was a signal of the winds of change.
"It's amazing Viney! I can't believe my mom actually changed her mind like that!" Emira exclaimed happily.
Viney, the dual Beast Keeping and Healing track witch, was sitting on the floor of the Secret Room of Shortcuts. Now that Viney, Jerbo, and Barkus were free to learn from the tracks that they wanted to, there was no need to use the room to spy on the different classrooms in order to learn. But that did not mean that the room did not still have its uses. One of them being a nice little secret getaway for Viney and her girlfriend, Emira. Viney often laid out a picnic blanket on the floor and would make them lunch, Emira loved it, and found it really cute that Viney would do that for them. Also, her food was delicious.
The dual track witch had spent the last couple of minutes listening to her girlfriend gush about how her little sister accomplished such a feat, and Viney had to say, she was impressed, too. She heard from Emira about their mother and had developed a bit of disliking in regard to the older woman, knowing that said mother would not approve of her and Emira's relationship.
Emira had finished her little gush session and sat down next to her girlfriend. "This is great, Viney, it means that there's a slim chance I can convince mom, too!"
Viney giggled and said, "Hey, not that I don't have any confidence in you, but you sure she wasn't just doing that to cut Amity some slack?"
Emira shrugged. "Granted, that might be the case. But again, it's a slim chance, and I'll take slim over none."
The dual track witch sighed happily. "I like that you're seriously thinking of me, and us. I honestly don't feel like I deserve to be with you some days."
Emira furrowed her brow and retorted, "Don't start that, Vi! I decide who I like and don't like. And I decide who I want to go out with and who I don't. And I decided to go out with you."
Viney smiled, she did not mean to put herself down like that, it just slipped out every once in a while. She still could not believe that she was going out with Emira Blight, one of the most popular girls in their school. She and her brother were gifted in the Illusion track, smart, witty, handsome and beautiful, and rich, they were the whole package.
"Well, I'm glad for your little sis, and I'm happy to hear that Luz and her friends are coming back. I mean, the absence of Luz alone made this place so dang boring. Don't get me wrong, I love learning from the different tracks, but you know, Luz's antics are refreshing," said Viney.
Emira chuckled and nodded. "I know what you mean, she's breath of fresh air. It's like, everything we do around here is so normal for us, but for Luz it's all brand new and amazing to her. Kinda puts some things in perspective."
Viney smirked and shoulder bumped her girlfriend. "Look at you, getting all philosophical on me. I thought you were a troublemaker."
Emira smirked back and slid up next to Viney. "If it's trouble you want, I can make it happen."
"That a promise?"
"It's a guarantee."
The two girls lightly kissed each other on the limps, giggling like happy fools the whole time.
"I don't know what I'd do without you, cutie," said Emira.
Viney understood where that was coming from, the night that Phantom attacked her, Emira was depressed and worried for her. While she hated the idea that her girlfriend was in such a state because of her, it also made her a little bit happy to know that Emira cared that much for her.
"Alright, we better finish eating before next class," said Viney as she readied to get up. But before she could, Emira reached out and hugged Viney close to her. "Hey! Emira!"
"Didn't I guarantee you some trouble? How about a tardy? I can hold you here until school is over~"
"Pfft, c'mon, Em, let me go!" Viney whined playfully.
"Never!"
"Don't make me call in Puddles."
"And letting go, now."
The two girls finished their lunch in time to leave the Shortcut Room and walk side-by-side to their next classes. Emira bid her girlfriend goodbye and headed to her Illusions class, along the way she met up with her twin brother, who looked happy to see her. She scoffed internally; it was not as if she hated her twin brother, but Edric seemed to still have it in his head that they were a duo in everything they did and got a little antsy whenever she spent more time with Viney than him. As if they have not spent the last sixteen years of their lives together. And Emira doubted that either of them would ever really be disconnected from each other, still, Emira's need to have her own identity, to be seen as an individual, rather than a pair, was something she did not want to compromise on.
"Hey, what's up?" Edric asked. "Hanging out with Viney?"
"Yes, I was. What about you? Have you found someone yet?" Emira replied.
Edric placed his hands behind his head and smugly stated, "Not yet, but I'm getting a lot of offers. So many, and only one me."
Emira rolled her eyes. "Oh, how tragic for them."
"I mean, I could use magic to make Illusion clones of myself, but, I mean, you can't really beat the real thing."
"Well, Ed, some people are intimidated by those you hang around. Especially when it's your sibling, since sometimes you tend to uphold a standard of beauty to those closest to you. ," said Emira.
"Really?" Ed asked.
Emira nodded. "Yep."
"Well then that doesn't make sense then? 'Cause I'm around you."
Emira halted. "What – are you saying I'm not beautiful?"
Edric made a wavy motion. "Eh, can't really say. You're my sister, twin sister, so by default I have to say so or it's like calling myself not beautiful."
"Oh, gee, thanks."
"Hot, eh…do I really need to say something about that? 'Cause I feel like I'd be stepping into some taboo territory there," Edric warned.
Emira groaned loudly and said, "You know what, forget it. I'm giving you some free advice, Ed. Stop hanging around me so much and maybe you'll actually get a girlfriend or boyfriend, or you'll end up alone!"
Edric stopped and watched as she stormed off. The male Blight child sighed heavily, he knew it was a bit annoying to Emira, but he hated being alone. He had once heard that when twins are born, it is the result of a sole dividing into two halves, both are part of a whole. There was something about that that made Edric happy. It was like knowing that no matter what happens, he and Emira would always be connected. But as the years have gone by, Emira has been trying to distance herself from Ed. Sure, they'll team up to do some pranks, they'll hang out and do other things together, but most of the time, Emira wanted to be alone. Part of Edric was wondering if Emira really meant what she said the night before the Grom Night Dance, that her greatest fear was being stuck with him forever.
Nah, she was just messing with me, thought Edric.
Suddenly, the entire hall went pitch black. Nothing could be seen, not the lockers, the windows, not anyone or anything. Edric's eyes widened with fear at the sudden change in the environment. Was someone pulling a prank on him? Was this a spell? Edric tried to draw a spell circle, but his hands were shaking, something about this felt wrong. He could not see it, but he felt as if the room was spinning, as if he was being pulled deep down into an abyss of some kind.
You'll always be alone…
You'll never be with anyone…
Nobody likes you…
Not even Emira…
Edric twisted about, he could hear a voice he did not recognize, but it was echoing from every direction, making it impossible to find. "W-W-Who's there?! Whoever you are, this isn't funny!"
You will never be loved…
Always shunned…
Your only true companions will be loneliness…
And despair…
Suddenly the darkness lifted, revealing the hallway. The rest of the students were walking by, as if nothing had happened at all.
"What…What was that…?"
Willow Park was a patient girl, she loved her friends, dearly. So, when Luz called them over to the Owl House to discuss something important, of course she would rush right over. When they assembled in the living room later that morning, Luz began telling them about what happened during the battle with Mad Hatter. For Eda and Lilith this was new information, they had no idea that Luz had gone to Blight Industries, or the fact that a Phantom had shown up and attacked. And yet, that was not the most shocking thing of her story. Oh no, what caught everyone off guard was the fact that Amity was in fact Kamen Rider Heka.
Gus looked a bit pale in the face as he said, "Oh man…the club members were talking a lot of smack about Heka after her first fight. And Amity was there to hear some of it…" The witch boy gulped. "I need to apologize to her, ASAP!"
Luz chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Gus. I don't think Amity would do anything to you for that."
"This is astounding! How…I just…How is this possible?! Did this 'Wizard' you spoke of come back and bestow this power you have to Amity as well?!" Lilith asked.
Luz sighed. "I don't think so. After seeing her Driver, I'm not sure how she managed to seal her Phantom, much less obtain a Driver that would allow her to use that power. I have so many questions for her…I don't even know where to begin…"
"Well, this is a good thing, right?" Eda asked. "I mean, I don't like the fact that another of you kiddos are fighting these monsters, but two Riders are better than one."
"You would think so," said Luz with a bit of despondency.
Willow picked up on that tone in Luz's voice and asked, "Something else happened last night, didn't it?"
"Amity wants me to stop being Witch and putting myself in danger, and that she would continue defending the Isles as Heka in my stead."
King glanced at Eda and said, "Gee, that sounds familiar."
"Watch it, King. But, yeah, it does sound like what I said a while back."
Luz crossed her arms and huffed. "I get why she's saying that, but I've fought several Phantoms already, it's better to combine our powers than lessen them! Ugh! It's like the rivalry of Kamen Rider Fuze! Where Akria and Amane, otherwise known as Kamen Riders Fuwa and Zenkai respectively, the brother and sister Riders, want the other stop fighting to protect the other, when they are stronger together as Fuze!"
"Why did she say she wanted you to stop being Witch?" Willow asked.
The Latina sighed and replied, "Basically, because I'm a weak human. And compared to you all, I'm not as strong and have a higher risk of getting myself killed."
"Well, she's not wrong on that." Lilith commented.
"Thanks."
"However," Lilith continued, "You have proven multiple times that you have the skill and drive to become stronger. Eda told me how you fought against the Golden Guard without the ability to transform and managed to give him a run for his money. Even if I had my magic now, I don't think a duel between us would go that easily."
Luz smiled at the compliment and said, "Thanks, Lilith. Maybe you could convince her to come off this 'stop being Witch' mess."
Willow was watching Luz for most of this, and something was bothering her. She knew how Amity felt about Luz, she told her so already. Which was probably where this was all coming from, but, as she continued to look at Luz, there seemed to be something else that she was not telling them. "Luz, can we talk upstairs for a minute?"
"Uh…yeah, sure."
Luz began walking towards the stairs with Willow close behind. Gus was starting to move that way as well, but Willow quickly said, "Uh, it's better that you sit this one out, Gus. There are some private girl things that I want to talk to Luz about, stuff not meant for the ears of boys."
Gus scoffed. "C'mon guys, whatever it is, you know I'll be tight lipped about whatever is you talk about."
Eda walked over to Gus and grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. "Okay, Goops, let the girls have their private time."
Willow smiled at the Owl Lady and headed upstairs with Luz. Once inside of her room, Willow gave her best friend a serious look and asked, "Okay, tell me what really happened."
Luz blinked. "W-What do you mean?"
"Amity just suddenly tells you to stop being Witch because she thinks you're a weak human? I get the feeling that's only one half of this whole story, so, tell me, what else did she say to you before that topic came up?" Willow interrogated.
The Latina gulped, she was a bit hesitant to say, but this was Willow, if there was anyone who she could tell this to, it would be her. "Last night…Amity told me she liked me."
Willow's jaw dropped. "She…She did?!"
"Yeah, apparently, she lied about the whole 'liking boys' thing because she was too embarrassed to say how she really felt and blurted that out. I feel so stupid for not seeing all those little panics she went into as being related to me," said Luz, chastising herself.
Thank the Titan that's finally been cleared up! Willow celebrated. "Wait, so, how do you feel about that?"
Luz began to blush wrapped an arm around her stomach. "I…I like her, too."
Willow was squealing in joy on the inside, it was finally over. All the tiptoeing, all the awkward gay panics, all of it was over and now she could finally stop pretending that she did not know anything. "This is great, Luz!" However, the jubilation she expected from Luz was less than what she expected. "It is great, right?"
Luz sat down on her sleeping bag as she hugged her legs close to her. "It is…but what Amity asked me to do is something I can't do. No matter what, Willow, I can't stop being Witch. At least not until the last Phantom has been defeated, oh, and not until I can figure out what Belos wanted with the portal door in the first place. Until those two things are done, I'm not hanging up my Driver or putting away my rings."
Willow sat down on her knees in front of Luz and said, "Luz, I get it. Even though we've only known each other for just a few months, I know you're not the kind of person who will stop helping people if you have the power to do so. That's just who you are."
"Yeah…but for Amity, it's something that she wants me to stop."
Dang it, Amity, why do you have to make things so difficult, thought Willow. "Okay, well, then, why don't I talk to her?"
Luz shook her head and waved her hands. "No, no, it's alright. I'll figure something out; I know I will."
Oh no, we're not beating around the bush! Willow thought. "Nope, we're going to talk about this! We're going to march our way over to Hexside and talk to Amity when she gets out!"
"But–"
"No buts!" Willow insisted as her eyes shined green.
"Eep!"
Amity sighed as she walked out of school. Hours had passed, and Amity still did not know how to properly address the issue. She had thought a few lessons at school would help her to clear her head but was not the case. The knowledge that Luz was Witch, and that she had been fighting and putting herself in danger this whole time was just a lot to process. Honestly, she wished she could have stayed home to think these things over, but there was no way in heck her mother was going to allow that. Especially since she managed to reverse the expulsion, she did not want to press her luck.
"So sad, you worked so hard to seal me and gain my power in order to protect the human. Only to find out that she's in actuality the hero of the Boiling Isles, and quite skilled in combat. Kind of leaves a sour taste your mouth doesn't?"
I'll admit, it's not ideal. But Luz has done enough for everyone. She's protected all of us from the Phantoms up 'til now, and that's fine. But as it stands, sooner or later, that won't be the case. And I can't let that day come.
"By that logic, then she's the one who needs to protect you. Since your time limit is ten minutes per day, you're in more danger than she is."
Which is also why I've asked her to train me. If I can become more efficient in defeating the Phantoms, then ten minutes will be more than what is needed to defeat them.
"Heh, we'll see."
By the way, how long did you know that Luz was Witch?
"Ooooh, the day the human came back to school, yesterday. I sensed Laly in her and we came to an agreement not to tell either of you and just let this all play out."
You are a such a pain.
Amity walked down the steps but paused.
"I thought you'd like to know; I sense one of my kind nearby. Back inside the school as a matter of fact…"
Amity's eyes widened with fear as she turned around and looked at the school. Seriously?! You waited until now to tell me?!
"I wasn't sure before. I thought I felt something, but then it was gone as quickly as it appeared. But I'm sure of it now. That's mildly annoying."
Amity rushed back into the school, there were still several students in the school. A Phantom showing up now would put them all in danger. The young Blight girl stopped in the hall, looking back and forth, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary. Can you feel it better now?! Which direction is it in?!
Bast was quiet for a moment. "Down the east hallway. Something strange is occurring down there."
Amity ran for that hallway and stopped short when something happened. The entire hallway was blacked out, as if something had taken a paintbrush and painted the entire hallway and everything inside it blacker than the night. "What in the world is this?!"
"Nothing that I like."
Amity looked around and ducked into the first empty classroom she could find. After making sure that she was the only one inside the room, Amity quickly took out her rings and held Driver ring over her waist.
[Driver On!]
Amity raised her left hand into the air as she widened her stance.
"Henshin!"
[Ready, Open!]
[Roar of the Heavens!]
[The Goddess Descends!]
A purple magic circle appeared under Amity, the circle rose and transformed her into Kamen Rider Heka. Now transformed, Heka went to the black void that was in the hallway. Something was not right about this, but regardless, if there was a Phantom in that void, then she needed to do something about it now. Heka ran into the darkness, and the moment she did her golden armor shined, illuminating the darkness from within. It created a limited field of light, about ten feet in each direction, but it was better than nothing.
"Show yourself, Phantom! I know you're there!" Heka called out.
"Heka? Oh, wow, I wasn't expecting to run into you so soon. But could you come back in a few minutes, I'm kinda busy in here."
The voice of the Phantom echoed within the darkness, making it hard for Heka to determine which direction it was coming from. She knew when she entered that on either side of her were lockers, above her was a ceiling, and below was a floor. However, the lockers should be no less than ten feet from her left, and yet, the light of her armor showed nothing. Heka spun her staff around and swung at her right with Lady Luck. The staff weapon was clearly long enough to do damage to the lockers, but there was nothing there, she felt no resistance whatsoever.
What kind of magic is this? Heka thought. "I'm here to exterminate you! Now quit hiding like a coward and show yourself!"
"Heh-heh, is this annoying to you? Knowing I'm so close, yet so far? Ahahaha! This is great! I'm a little disappointed that it's only the rookie Rider, but I'm sure I'll still get rewarded for killing a Rider one way or the other."
Heka got into a ready stance, she was not sure where the Phantom would attack her from, but she was not going to be caught off guard. She would show Luz that she was more than capable as a Rider, even though she was a rookie.
"Have a taste of my Dark Tide!"
Suddenly, a great force was exerted onto Heka, tossing up into the air. The darkness started to change shape; it was becoming something akin to water. The dark water swished her about, and before she knew it, Heka was slammed against something hard. The light of her armor illuminated the area, granting a moment to see what it was she was thrown into. And to her surprise, it was the lockers.
What?! It felt as if I was being tossed far away, and I just now hit the lockers?!
The swell of dark water rushed around Heka again and threw her up higher and higher until she was slammed against something else. That thing was in fact the roof of Hexside, but again, it felt as if she was tossed much further. Something was definitely wrong, it was as if the space in the hallway had been doubled, no, tripled its original size.
Spacial manipulation?! That kind of magic is high tier, only the Emperor is capable of such magic!
"You forgot, Little Miss Perfect, when it comes to us Phantoms, some things you find to be high tier abilities or spells are sometimes just our natural abilities. And it seems this one has the ability to manipulate space inside a closed area."
Which explains why the lockers and ceiling feel so far away, the Phantom has changed the original distance!
Heka growled in frustration, she quickly took off one of her Arms rings and inserted into the Driver's slot.
[Call to Arms: Griffon Ax!]
Lady Luck disappeared, and in its stead was the Griffon Ax. Heka gripped the mighty battle ax with both hands, she channeled the strength of the weapon, and swung it with all her might. The result created a powerful shockwave that dispersed the churning dark water. Heka flipped in the air a couple of times before landing on her feet on the ground. The golden Rider widened her stance and slashed the air horizontally, creating another shockwave the blew away the remnants of the dark water back even further.
"I may be a novice Rider, but the last Phantom who saw me that way was destroyed by my hand!" Heka twirled the Griffon Ax around for a moment and got into an attack stance. "Do not underestimate me!"
"Willow…have mercy," Luz begged.
"No, Luz, we're going to talk to Amity, you two are going to hash this out, and then we can all move on," said Willow.
The Plant track witch had wrapped Luz up in some vines, the Latina had stubbornly refused to see Amity, but Willow was having none of that. So, she wrapped up Luz, and dragged her out of the Owl House. Eda, Lilith, King, and Gus did nothing but watch and then went about their business.
Luz was not ready to face Amity right now, she was not going to change her mind, she would not stop fighting as Witch. And the last thing she wanted to do was get into a fight with Amity. She figured that Amity would eventually come around like Eda did, the Owl Lady was the same way when Luz's identity was revealed, but then Eda saw that Luz was a capable young girl who knew what she was doing. But mostly, she did not want to end up fighting with Amity. They had just gotten to a point where they were more friends than rivals, and now she found out that Amity like-likes her.
This was the first time that anyone felt that way about her, but there was a part of her that was scared. She knew Amity was not like she used to be, but the ghost of Zoe still haunted her. That day she confessed how she felt about the human cheerleader, she wanted to crawl into a hole and die, especially when found out that Zoe was not like her in that way. And ended up having to do whatever she wanted for a time. No, Amity was not like that, but that part of her heart was still wounded, and feared having to be in that situation again.
"Willow…"
"You can ask all you want; I'm not untying you."
"No, it's not about that."
"Oh, sorry, continue."
Luz looked up into the sky and asked, "You don't think Amity's plotting something, do you?"
Willow stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at Luz. "What do you mean, 'plotting something'? Plotting what?"
"It's just…this seems too good to be true…Amity likes me, me, weird 'ol Luz Noceda. A girl who could not fit in back in her own world, so she ran away to a world of demons and witches…I mean, it wasn't too long ago that she kinda hated my guts, and wanted to spill them on a table," said Luz.
Willow shook her head at what she was hearing. "Where's this coming from? Yes, you and Amity didn't exactly have the best of first meetings. But she's changed, she's changed a lot and it's thanks to you, Luz. She's not the same person she used to be. Why would you think that's she's plotting something?"
Luz had not told Willow or Gus about Zoe, it was not a memory that she liked to revisit, much less talk about. But with Amity, it felt right to talk to her about such things, and now she knew why.
"There's something I haven't told you about, and I'd like it if you only kept it between you, me, and Amity."
Willow turned around fully and said, "Of course, Luz. What is it?"
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
Willow and Luz's heads turned in the same direction as the screaming.
"Willow, untie me. NOW!" Luz ordered.
Willow hurriedly drew a spell circle, using the first one to undo the vines, and the second to create a huge dome of vines around Luz.
[Light, Please.]
[HI~KA~RI!]
A flash of yellow light went off inside of the dome of vines, and in the next moment, the entire dome fell, revealing Kamen Rider Witch.
"HEEEELP!"
Witch's helmet sensors picked up on where the screams were coming from, and from what she could tell, there were two distinct voices. The hero of hope dashed straight for them, bounding through the trees until she finally came upon a thick fog that bombarded her and covered the entire area. Witch skidded to a halt, unsure as to how this fog was being generated, but she was not about to let it deter her.
[Sight, Please.]
Witch's visor glowed bright yellow as her magical sight pierced through the veil of thick fog. There she was able to see two people meandering through the fog, one of them was Viney, and the other was Emira Blight. But there was a third, standing between them and eyeing them with wicked glee. It was a Phantom, feminine in form. Its shoulders were protected by thick, green scale pauldrons. Both of its hands had long sharp claw-like fingernails that were black as night. The Phantom's body was covered in the same green scales, except for around the stomach and chest which was pitch black as well and had a yellow gemstone at the center just below the collarbone. The monster had no mouth, just a flat, black surface, and had two slit yellow eyes that glowed. The Phantom had frilled scales on both sides of its head, and two curved horns that went upwards.
But the most striking feature of this Phantom was what was coming out of its back. Six long serpent heads, like tentacles, protruded from its back, each one covered in the green scales, and each had a ridge of spines that ran down the length from the back of their heads to the points where they connected to the main body, but a darker color green to contrast against the lighter shade. Each of them sported the same yellow eyes as the main body, and each had rows of sharp teeth that were bared in preparation to attack.
"Ah! Witch has finally made her appearance. I wondered when you'd show up," said the Phantom.
"After another Gate I see! And what do I call you?" Witch asked.
The Phantom bowed gracefully and answered, "I am Scylla. The one who will bring despair upon this Gate!"
The six heads opened their mouths and unleashed rapid fire blasts of violet and dark coated energy spheres. Witch quickly dodged the attacks, she could tell that Viney and Emira were on opposite sides of the Phantom, so she tried to stay in the middle to avoid getting them caught in the crossfire. One of the spheres clipped Witch, hitting her in the shoulder and exploding, causing some sparks to fly off her armor. Thinking quickly, Witch replaced her right ring with a new one.
[Defend, Please.]
A wall of light appeared in front of Witch and took the brunt of Scylla's rapid-fire blasts. However, cracks were appearing. Witch knew that her barrier would not last long. She needed to get the girls out of the battlefield so she could better combat Scylla. She glanced about and saw that Viney was the closest, unfortunately, she did know which of them was the Gate, so she had to prioritize the closest one.
[Rubber, Please.]
Witch jumped straight into the air and whipped her left arm towards Viney. That same arm extended to an abnormal length, stretching further and further until she grabbed ahold of Viney's hood and dragged her up. Viney yelled out of fear and surprise of the sudden ascension, but her yelling ceased when she found out that it was Witch who had plucked her from that situation.
"WITCH! Oh, thank Titan it's you!" Viney exclaimed.
"I got you guys, don't worry!"
Witch held Viney close as she landed on her feet and ran into the woods as the monster kept barraging her.
"VINEY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! VINEY, ANSWER ME!" Emira cried out.
Despite her request, it fell on deaf ears as the explosions were making it hard for Emira's voice to reach Viney, or for Viney's to reach Emira's.
"She abandoned you, little one."
"What?!" Emira shouted.
The six heads began to extend and slither forward, each one echoing the voice of the main body.
"She saved herself."
"You aren't worth anything to her."
"You're not worth anything to anyone, really."
"SHUT UP!"
"All she wants is your title."
"All she cares about is being popular."
"And in the end, you know the dreaded words she will one day say…"
Six pairs of eyes stared at Amity from inside the fog and in one voice said, "'I don't need you anymore.'"
"NOO! STOP IT!" Emira begged as she fell to her knees.
Witch and Viney landed a couple of meters away, the hero of hope placed Viney down and turned around, readying to go back and fight. "Wait here, and I'll go and help Emira Blight!"
"Hold on, Niña!"
Witch stopped mid jump and fell flat on her face. Seriously, Lala? You made me faceplant.
"Do it now."
Do what – Oh! You mean…
Witch stood up and dusted herself off. Afterwards, she took off her right ring and replaced it with another one.
[Connect, Please.]
Witch reached into the magic circle that appeared, and from it she produced two clear magic stones. The hero turned around and looked directly at Viney. "Miss Viney, I am going to save Emira Blight, but I need your help to do it."
"Yes! Yes! Whatever it is, I'll do it!" Viney insisted.
Witch smiled under her helmet when she saw how much Viney cared about Emira. "Take each of these stones into your hand. You are going to help forge two new rings to aide in my battle against the Phantom, and others."
Viney blinked. "Uh, wow, okay. I don't know if I can do that."
Witch gently placed one stone in Viney's right hand, and another in her left. "I will help you. All you need to do is focus your magic into them. In one focus your Healing magic, and in the other, your Beast Keeping magic. Close your eyes and concentrate."
Viney held the stones tight and did as Witch instructed. Witch placed her two hands over Viney's left and right and channeled her own mana. The two hands glowed a golden-brown and navy-blue color. The twin energies of two different track magics were focused into these two stones as yellow magical energy wrapped around them to complete the process. Twin bursts of light erupted from their hands, enough that even Scylla stopped her taunts to look in that direction. When it was over, Witch released Viney's hands, allowing her to open them. The teenage witch unclenched her hands and revealed two new spell rings, one that bore the emblem of the Healing Coven and the other the Beast Keeping Coven.
Witch took both rings and nodded her approval. "Thank you, Viney, I'll make good use of them."
[Lupachi Magic Touch Go! Lupachi Magic Touch Go!]
[Beast Keeping, Please.]
Witch held out her right hand, releasing particles of golden-brown light. The particles swirled about and took on the form of six large dire wolves. The wolves growled and barked but remained where they were. Witch walked up to them; she could feel a connection to them on a primal level. The six wolves bowed their heads to her, recognizing Witch as their alpha.
"Alright boys, let's hunt us a snake!"
The six dire wolves howled into the air. Witch dashed straight for where Scylla was, while the wolves broke off into two groups of three, taking flanking positions. Their great sense of smell allowed them to pinpoint where the Phantom was even through the thick fog that permeated the area, and somehow, Witch could sense what they were sensing, as if her own sense of smell, hearing, and sight were enhanced to the levels of her summoned pack.
Scylla's serpents could sense that there were more enemies in the fog, more than just Witch. "What has she done this time?" One of the construct dire wolves dashed out of the fog, bearing its mighty fangs as it chomped down one of the serpent tentacles and began dragging Scylla back with it. "YOU INSOLENT MUTT!" One of the other serpent tentacles fired a sphere of dark energy at the construct, nailing it in the back and causing the wolf to release its prey as it whimpered and rolled off into the fog.
Scylla got back to her feet, but was instantly assaulted by two more wolves, one came at her from the right, slashing with its large claws and causing sparks to fly from her body. The second tackled her, from behind, throwing the Phantom forward. Scylla rolled on the ground for a second before hopping up and digging her heels into the dirt stop her momentum. Just as she had done that, several light infused silver bullets rained down on her position. Scylla willed the serpent tentacles to form a shield in front of her to keep her main body from getting damaged. At that moment, all six wolves descended on Scylla, each one snapping up a serpent tentacle in its jaws and going in six different directions until they were all pulled taut.
[C'mon slashing, shake hands! C'mon slashing, shake hands!]
} LIGHT, SLASH STRIKE {
Witch descended from the air and slashed in a wide arc, releasing a crescent wave of light that slashed through all six serpents at once. Scylla cried out in pain as all her tentacle serpents were severed, leaving the dead trunks to fall onto the ground as the wolves released them from their maws as they turned to ash and faded away.
"Well, that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Guess I'm just that good," Witch taunted.
Scylla glared at Witch from over her shoulder and said, "Don't get so cocky, hero!"
Suddenly, the severed ends of the tentacles instantly sprouted brand new heads. The heads wasted little time and began firing a barrage of energy blasts from their mouths. Witch hurriedly dodged them, commanding her dire wolf pack to begin running as well. Scylla was not about to get sneak attacked again in her own fog, so she had all six heads begin firing in random directions, causing multiple explosions to erupt around herself.
"Great, now she's just shooting indiscriminately."
"Then I'll just have to make her back off before she does any more damage!"
Witch focused her mind and called forth a new beast as she dismissed the wolves. The particles from the wolves coalesced and formed something new, a swarm of bees that were on fire, or Fire Bees. A Boiling Isles local insect. Witch commanded the swarm to charge for Scylla, the flaming swarm did as they were told and attacked the monster, swirling around it, and engulfing it in flames. Their razor-sharp stingers slashed and stung at the monster, while flames caused additional damage to the Phantom. Scylla was getting overwhelmed to the point that her serpent tentacles were unable to shoot as the tiny bees were swirling around them in a tight pattern that made it nearly impossible to shoot without hitting herself.
"UGH! FORGET THIS! NEXT TIME, I WON'T BE ALONE!" Scylla warned.
All six serpent tentacles aimed towards the ground and fired one shot each, sending soil and debris flying into the air and generating a dust cloud that smothered the bees and aided in her retreat. As soon as Scylla left the battlefield, the fog lifted and revealed the damage that the Phantom and done to the area. Witch shifted her focus over to Emira, who was lying on the ground with some of her right leg burned from one of Scylla's blasts.
Viney, having ran back after hearing the fighting stop, fell to her knees in front of Emira and hugged her. "Em, I'm so glad you're alive!"
"Alive…yes, but my leg hurts like–!"
"I think I can help with that." Witch interrupted as she walked towards them. "Miss Viney here helped me make a new ring that will aid me in saving a lot of lives, I think. And I'd like to try it on you if that's alright?"
"If it makes this stop hurting, then do it!" Emira stated.
Witch switched out the Beast Keeping ring with the Healing ring.
[Healing, Please.]
Navy blue light shined forth from Witch's right hand. That light bathed over Emira's right leg and immediately soothed the pain. Viney and Emira watched as in just a matter of seconds the burns were healed, not a trace of burnt skin could be seen.
"Whoa…" Viney and Emira uttered.
Whoa…that's so cool! I can heal people now! Like, I can do real healing magic!
"Celebrate this later, Niña, we have a problem. I'm sensing something odd occurring back at the school."
A Phantom?
"More than likely given what just happened."
"Listen to me, something's happening at your school. I'm going to go and see what it is. But I'm sending you home first."
Emira looked confused and asked, "Wait, how are you–?"
[Connect, Please.]
A magic circle opened under both the girls, and a moment later, they fell through it.
"Sorry."
Heka's slashes were able to keep the dark water at bay, but she needed to come up with a different strategy, otherwise it was only a matter of time before the Phantom overwhelmed her.
"You've lasted longer than I thought, Heka. But I have a job to complete and you're in the way!"
Heka smiled under her helmet as she got ready. That's right, Phantom. Getting too impatient is going to cost you.
The golden Rider could feel the space around her changing, the dark tide was swishing back and forth, building up momentum and strength for the Phantom's next attack. Heka closed her eyes and allowed her senses to help her in this. The armor's glow intensified, releasing embers that floated into the air, acting as extensions of Heka's area awareness. The embers burned parts of the dark tide, cutting through the noise and fabricated space to find out where the Phantom was. As the waters churned and readied to come crashing down, Heka's eyes flew open as she managed to pinpoint the Phantom's location. Heka raised her left hand, inserted the Griffon Ax Arms ring into the left slot, and turned it like a key.
} GRIFFON AX: MAJESTIC STRIKE! {
Golden light flared around the twin-headed ax as Heka slashed the air in a wide circle, creating a ringlet of light that expanded outward. The ring kept going, and going, widening, and spinning like a saw blade as it collided with the dark tide, and severed right through it. That attack struck something in the dark, causing sparks to fly from it as the ring of cutting light disappeared. As soon as the attack hit, the darkness and spacial warping ceased, returning the hallway back to its proper dimensions.
Heka twirled her ax around and readied herself for more combat but paused to get a look at Phantom. Its body was a navy-blue color, with two sleek shoulder pauldrons, and a yellow gemstone fitted right below where its collarbone would be. The Phantom was feminine, and a bit heavy set, but that seemed to be a matter of function when taking into account its other feature. Its stomach had a hole in it, and surrounding that hole were ten sharp teeth that acted as a covering for it. The center of the Phantom's body was black, but the rest of it was navy-blue in color. This Phantom had a flat face as well, and yellow glowing eyes. Along with two curved horns that went in opposite directions.
"Damn you! You're supposed to be a newbie! How the heck did you find me!"
"I scattered my magic in the form of embers, allowing me to better sense where your negative energy was. I figured you hadn't moved at all during this fight. Why would you? You can manipulate space. So, I figured you would be standing in spot, it was just a matter of pinpointing where that spot was. And your attack earlier made it easier, since you would more than likely form it close to you, I just had to let my embers go with the flow and find you. And I did. Now, tell me who you are!"
"Tch! Remember my name because it will the name you curse when you die! I am–!"
Suddenly the glass of the nearby window was shattered as a green scaled Phantom entered the hallway. "Charybdis, we need to go!"
"Are you kidding me?! Way to ruin my reveal, Scylla!" Charybdis whined.
"Can it, Sis! We're leaving! Witch is here and she's got some new tricks!" Scylla stopped and took notice of Heka. "Oh, no wonder it was taking you so long."
"I was about to win!"
"So not," Heka corrected.
"Oh, you want to go again you rookie Rider?!" Charybdis dared.
"Enough! We're retreating for now. Priority is the Gates, they come first!" Scylla scolded.
Charybdis growled indignantly but nodded her head. A thick fog followed by darkness enveloped the entire hallway, but it only lasted for a short time, for it vanished just as quickly as it appeared, taking the two Phantoms with it. After their disappearance, Witch came jumping through the window, rolling onto the floor, and brandishing her WizarSwordGun. She looked around for a moment and paused when she saw Heka.
"Oh…"
"Oh…"
Silence hung for a few seconds.
"Did you happen to see a Phantom named Scylla – kinda tall, has six snake tentacles thingies coming out of her back – running around here have you? Or another Phantom?" Witch asked.
"She just left, along with her sister, Charybdis," Heka answered. "Was she after a Gate?"
"Yeah, and I think–!"
"AAAAH!"
The two heroes rushed towards the sounds of distress. They turned the corner and found that Edric was lying on the ground, in a fetal position, eyes shut tight. "I'm alone! I'm all alone!"
"Ed!" Heka was about to rush towards her big brother, but Witch held out her right arm and prevented her from doing so. "What are you doing?!"
"Not like this! He doesn't need Heka!…He needs his family."
Heka looked around and found an empty classroom. She quickly went in and deactivated her transformation, bursting out a moment later as Amity Blight. The green haired witchling dropped to her knees next to her older brother and cradled his head. "Shh! Shh! It's okay, Ed, I'm here! It's Mittens!"
Edric finally opened his eyes and looked up and saw his little sister. Tears formed his eyes as he buried his face in her chest. "Amity, I was all alone in the dark! There was no one and nothing! I…I…!"
"I'm here, Ed, I'm here. You're not alone," Amity cooed.
Amity looked up at Witch mouthed the words, "Thank you". Witch nodded her reply and left the school, unfortunately, she was still expelled and if she transformed back into Luz now it would raise more questions than she wanted to answer. But as she headed back to meet up with Willow, a disturbing thought entered her mind.
"There can be no doubt about this, Niña."
I know…the Phantoms are after Edric and Emira…they're after Amity's brother and sister.