The evening was still. Quiet. Tranquil, almost, in a weird way.

A few hours had passed since the Glandus-Hexside game, and all the adrenaline and stress and anxiety over the match had finally faded from Skara's gut. It was an odd sensation. Those feelings had been ever present over the last few weeks, and had become so ingrained in her, that they had remained with her for days after everything was over. But now that they were gone, Skara found herself both utterly exhausted, and at the same time… Empty? No, restless?

A heavy exhale escaped her.

Restless… Maybe that wasn't the right word to describe it, but despite her considerable, extensive, and poetic vocabulary as a Bard, that was probably the most accurate one that she could think of.

There was nothing that she needed to do, no practice that she had to run to, no messages she urgently needed to respond to, nothing she needed to double, triple, quadruple, quintuple check over, and nothing that she needed to stress over. And yet, she still felt stressed. She still felt as if there was something she had to work on, something she was still training for, even if she wasn't doing any training - Skara felt as if she was forgetting to do something, or had missed something important or, just, something.

Leaning on her bedroom balcony in fuzzy red pajama bottoms and yellow nightshirt, Skara gazed over a regular Saturday evening in Bonesborough to her left, while a gentle, ever-so-very-slightly warm breeze hit her from the right, where the Boiling Sea splashed against the cliffs. She felt the air waving through her untied hair like the sea's waves. It felt relaxing, somehow.

Skara found herself pondering on how the last few weeks had gone, over and over again. The Grudgby practices, the constant training, the arguments with Boscha, and of course, what she had done in the match, in front of everyone from two entire schools.

No matter how many times she went over it though, taking everything into consideration, and imagining what else could have happened, she didn't find herself regretting what she had done.

She could imagine how things would have gone if she had made another choice, and how things would probably be different for her had she made them, and how things would probably be different for her had she made them, sure, but, being honest, all of them felt hollow and just… Not right. Like if she had made any other choice, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. She tried to imagine Boscha's smug face as she stepped over Bria to grab a victor's trophy, the cheers of the crowd at their success, but all she could imagine was Willow being…

No. She couldn't live with herself if she hadn't protected Willow. As far as she was concerned, she had made the right choice.

She remembered Willow's words to her before leaving the two split paths at the game: When you try… you're an easy person to believe in. Skara wasn't entirely sure if she believed that about herself, but hearing Willow say that… It helped cement her belief that helping Willow had been the right choice.

Still, just because she made the right one, it didn't mean that it was going to be consequence free.

Now, she wasn't Boscha's friend anymore. She wasn't going to be on top of Hexside's social hierarchy.

And she was very much aware that because of just how exactly she had dealt with everything, having left the field in the way that she had, costing Hexside the game because of it, and knowing that everyone blamed her for the loss. That environment was perfect for whispers and rumors, each one being wilder than the last, and it wasn't like anyone would ask Skara for her perspective. When the rumor mill started, there wasn't much anyone could do to stop it. And after everything that had happened between them, Skara couldn't see Boscha rushing to clear anything up. Especially not when it would make it look like she was the one who was to blame. Come morning, once she got to Hexside, there was going to be… a lot of angry people to deal with. There were going to be rumors, and there were going to be lies she couldn't do anything about.

That was… Fine. She expected as much. It didn't make the anxiety fade away. But it didn't change anything either.

I can… totally deal with them.

At the end of the day, she'd done what she had done because Willow was in danger and Skara wanted to help her. And regardless of the outcome against her, Skara wouldn't change what she did. Because if there was one person that deserved the help, after everything she had been put through by, and everything she had done for Skara, it was Willow.

Her thoughts were a confusing mess. She was worried about what tomorrow would bring, but she wouldn't change anything that she had done if she could. Somehow, she felt calm, but could feel the anxiety in her gut. She regretted nothing, and everything, all at the same time. She took a breath, and exhaled.

That was still the strangest part to Skara. It felt like everything had changed, but at the same time, nothing really had.

All that really changed was that Skara realized that whatever Boscha was at this point, she didn't want to be that herself. Whatever that entailed. And realizing that was…

…Confusing.

"I-I-I-IT'S SO BE-HOOT-IFUL!"

"HOOTY NO!"

Beyond the door to Luz's room, the sounds of Hooty slamming himself against every available surface, hoot-filled cries, and Eda trying to get Hooty to just calm down were, mercifully, muffled.

There had been a point in the past where Hooty's… antics… as well as his general existence deeply disturbed Willow, and left her wondering things like, 'How has Luz managed to stay sane around him after so long?', 'How, and why, does he exist?', and 'Is this proof that the Titan does not love us?'

But the more that she was around him, the more Willow realized two things. The first being that aside from the existential nightmare that was his existence, Hooty wasn't that bad. Eccentric, weird, and a little bit fundamentally disturbing, but not bad in any sense of the word.

The second was that after a while, you just sort of got used to his behavior, and learned to tune him out if you needed to.

And learning to do that was something Willow was… very grateful for right about now.

The Crystal Ball that was set up in the center of a make-shift circle that she and her friends - Plus Hooty, who had insisted on peeking his head and neck through the window to see what was going on - began to fade to black, and a list of various actors names for another episode of Treks of the Boiling Seas began to scroll by. The episode had been a massive event when it first premiered, concluding a massive seasons long redemption arc of a fan-favorite Wild Witch becoming a full fledged member of… the Emperor's Coven. Willow had to admit, knowing what she did now about the Coven, that it was a bit… propagandistic.

Still, it had been an episode Willow had seen maybe seventeen dozen times before, and even knowing what she did about the implications now, it was one that never once failed to leave her with a smile on her face.

Never, aside from today, at least.

Willow let out a small, barely audible sigh, and glanced at her friends. Gus had fallen asleep a long time ago, having passed out from exhaustion, face down on the wooden floor. Amity had been awake the last time Willow had checked, but she was asleep now too, looking particularly snug as she nestled against Luz's shoulder. Luz, surprisingly, was actually still awake - Kind of, Willow assumed. Her eyes were open at least, if barely, and she was tilted slightly so she leaned back into Amity. She looked utterly exhausted beyond words, and was just sort of staring at the names of the performers that appeared on the Crystal Ball without reacting to any of it, like she wasn't entirely aware of what was happening. Any second now, Willow thought, Luz would properly and fully pass out.

It was nice of them all to try and cheer me up at least.

After what happened at the Grudgby game, and how Willow was shaken by it all when last they saw her, her friends had all decided to just wind down by watching some shows on the Crystal Ball. The show they had chosen was one that they knew Willow was fond of, Treks of the Boiling Seas.

They didn't even ask Willow if she wanted to - It was all set up and ready to go by the time she got there, like they had been planning on watching it irregardless of if she turned up or not. That way, the onus wasn't on her to decide what they would spend the afternoon doing, so she wouldn't feel responsible. No one else really seemed all that into it, but they sat through it anyway, just to try to make Willow feel better.

Of course, Willow appreciated the gesture, she really did. She really had the best friends anyone could ask for.

At the same time though, she couldn't help but feel a little bit defeated by it. The show didn't distract her. Partially because she felt she just couldn't get her mind off it, and partly because the episode itself did the opposite.

Because with this show, and this episode in particular, Willow was reminded of Skara.

Specifically, the conversation with her back at the Healers, when they had gone to visit Amelia a week before the match. The show had come up, and it turned out to be an interest they shared. She remembered that there was a lightheartedness to Skara's voice at first that she hadn't heard from the Bard in… Well, ever, now that she thought about it.

Then Boscha had spoken up. And all of that levity just left Skara in an instant.

The Plant Witch's hands balled up in anger. From there, her thoughts went back to the game, and how Boscha had thrown the ball at her, and how she hadn't been able to do anything to stop it.

If not for Skara…

…And now, Skara said she was done with Boscha. What had happened had been a step too far for her. Or maybe it had just been the moment that made her realize she had never really been on the same page as the Grudgby Captain. Or maybe there was something else. But whatever it was, Skara said she was done.

On the one hand, Willow was glad about that, and in a way, proud of her for that. And thankful, of course. It was… Hard not to see a little of herself in the Bard after everything that they had talked about and had been through together. It made it hard not to be proud of her for making the choice to leave what was so clearly making her miserable.

But she was also worried about her. When it wanted to be, Hexside could be a very vindictive place, and Boscha could be an incredibly vindictive person. No doubt there were countless people who would want to give her a piece of their mind.

And on top of that, Willow felt conflicted about, well, feeling conflicted. Because it was Skara, of all people.

Skara, who had been tormenting her for years alongside Boscha and Amity. Skara, who helped to bully her. Skara, who had gotten her into trouble time and time again….

…Skara, who had lied to herself that this was just the way that the world worked while becoming just as miserable. Skara, who had just protected her when no one else could. Skara, who Willow felt she understood better than most people at Hexside could even begin to.

For a long time now, Willow hadn't even really thought much about the past that she and Skara had. She had been focused on making sure she was just alright. Now though, she found herself really pondering on what their relationship really was. What Willow wanted it to be.

Which was a question she couldn't even begin to answer.

Back and forth and in a circle these thoughts all went, never settling on any one thought for long, and never coming to anything even close to a single concrete answer or feeling for any length of time at all. Not even a few comforting seconds of certainty. Willow found herself just… so unsure of how to feel or what to think.

She looked at the Crystal Ball, unmoving for a few seconds, and then reached out with a hand, gesturing for it to rewind a few moments before. To the scene that had made Hooty bolt out of the room in tears.

"Miss Spall." Captain Chrip stated, her voice monotone. "Over these past few seasons on the Empirical Calendar, you've worked alongside the Banshee's Revenents to destroy us."

"Yes sir, I have." Spall stood before Chrip, hands braced behind her straight back as she gazed directly at the captain sternly aboard the deck of the Extravaganza.

"And yet, after so many adventures together, from us being trapped on a frozen tundra to our mutual friends' injuries, you've gone from one of our greatest foes to a brilliant ally." Chrip smirked. "And just now, after rescuing me from your own crew, I'd dare even call you… a friend."

Spall dropped her head. "But, Captain, after everything I did… you can't… I don't deserve forgiveness?"

Chrip shook his head. "Miss Spall, forgiveness is not something anyone deserves. It is something given." His voice was solemn yet lively, stern yet loving, like a grandfather ready to impart wisdom. "Some people will forgive the harshest infraction in a matter of seconds. And some will never forgive anyone at all, regardless of how they change." At these words, Chrip spun a circle in the air. "I, however, take a more middle of the road path. I believe in the ability of people to change for the better." From the circle, a small badge fell into his hand. "And I for one think that should be celebrated." He hands out the badge, bronze and adorned with the symbol of the Empirical navy. "Private… Miss Spall?" He smirked, the sort of smirk a man could only give for an intense friendship born out of a several episode arc.

Miss Spall blinked, staring at the badge warily. "I… Si-Captain, are you…" But at Chrip's nod, she hastily raised a hand, taking the badge before placing it over her heart. "Thank you, Captain."

"No need. Private." He held out a hand, seeking a handshake.

And in the last image of the episode, Spall clasped her hand with his, ending one of the shows longest running arcs on a high note.

Willow held her hand out, and gestured to the Crystal Ball for the episode to rewind itself again. And so it did, to just a few moments leading up to the end.

I believe in the ability of people to change for the better.

Once again, Willow rewound it, and watched it play out. And when it ran through another time, she rewound it, and watched it again. And again. And again.

It had always been one of her favorite scenes in the show. When she was a lot younger, she could replay it, over and over and over again, and from that, she could still recite the whole thing from memory. There was just something that was really special about it to Willow, something about it that just… resonated with her. How it was written, what was being said, how it was being said. It was one of those moments that told her that she wasn't just watching something mindless. That Treks of the Boiling Seas had something to say. And to Willow, after everything that had happened with Amity, it felt more… Tangible, she supposed. Like she understood its meaning more than most people would be able to. It spoke to her in a certain way that she just couldn't describe with words.Y

She reached out to rewind it and watch it again-

"So… you ship them?"

Flinching, Willow jolted upright. She turned towards the voice that had said her name, looking at Luz, who now seemed significantly more aware and awake than she had been just minutes ago.

"O-Oh!" Willow finally exhaled, and her hand pressed against her chest to try to calm her heartbeat. "Luz. It - It's just you." another exhale. There was a slightly quizzical expression on Luz's face. "I - I thought you were asleep, or were about to fall asleep or… Something. You spooked me."

"Ah. Sorry." Luz apologized.

"Did I wake you?"

"No, no, I think I was just kind of… out of it, I guess?" Luz's hand just sort of gestured vaguely, like she wasn't entirely sure what she was describing herself. "I heard something just… repeating over and over and it just sort of made me pay attention, I guess."

"Sorry." Willow apologized with a sigh. "I didn't mean to."

"Don't worry about it." The Human-Witch smiled. She seemed unusually calm, less hyperactive than usual. Probably due to her grogginess, Willow thought.

"Though er, what are you doing, exactly?"

"It - I just really like this part of the episode." Willow answered, honestly, and a little embarrassed. "It just - There's just something about it that feels really special to me, I guess."

"I get it." Luz nodded immediately and reassuringly, though carefully as well so as not to disturb the sleeping Amity on her shoulder. "I'm like that with parts of the third Azura book. When Azura and Hecate first meet, their first fight, their first kiss…."

Willow allowed herself to smile slightly. Of course if there was anyone who would really get it, it would be Luz.

"How're you feeling?"

Letting herself take a moment to consider her answer, Willow looked down to the floor. "A… A bit better, I think." She said, only half-lying.

Given what had happened, practically anything was an improvement. But that didn't mean she was anything even approximating 'okay.'

In truth, she was still shocked, distressed, and angry - At Boscha for throwing the ball at her, at Hexside's inevitable lack of action, and at herself for being so useless when push came to shove.

And then there was Skara.

"Kind of." She added.

Even before she added that on though, Luz was giving her a concerned look. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No. I'd… Really rather not. And besides, I…" She let out a small sigh. "I don't really know what to say about it."

Once again, Luz nodded. Then, she yawned, hastily covering her mouth with her hand. Awake or not, she was clearly exhausted, ready to dream of whatever Humans dreamed of.

Positioned as she was though, against the wall, with Amity resting on her shoulder, she wasn't able to move from where she was sitting. So Willow got up onto her own feet, and from the nearby bed, picked up a pillow and blanket. She walked over to two of her best friends, put the pillow behind Luz's head, and the blanket over both of them.

"Thanks." Luz smiled. "You can take the sleeping bag if you want. Eda keeps some spare blankets in the closet."

Sure enough, Willow found some spares, and thankfully only one had a pair of functioning eyes sewed into it. She threw that one as far back in the closet as it would go, and then took one of the other two, and covered up Gus. The final one, she kept for herself, wrapping herself up in it, and sitting on top of the sleeping bag..

For a moment, there was silence.

"…Skara's the one that protected me."

For reasons that were beyond Willow, those words just slipped out… No, not for reasons beyond her. In fact, she knew exactly why she had said it.

Because no one else had.

Everyone had seen what had happened, and even if they hadn't, they would have seen, or at the very least heard that Skara had walked off the field after it had happened amidst the confusion of the crowd and the yelling of her captain, and it wouldn't have been difficult to put two and two together from there. It would have at least been noteworthy.

But no one had said a word about it. Maybe because they thought Willow wouldn't be comfortable with it. Or maybe because they weren't comfortable with it themselves.

Luz had asked her if she had wanted to talk about it. It turned out, she actually did.

"She saw what Boscha was doing. She could have just let it happen. It would have been a lot easier for her. She wouldn't get in trouble. It could be labeled an accident. And if not, she could have just said she didn't see it or know what was going to happen, but she did see it, and she did… something, when I couldn't even do something about it and…"

After everything that had happened between the two of them - Willow finding the Bard crying under a stairwell, constantly checking in on her, the Witch Trap, fighting on the Knee, rescuing each other, breaking through the barriers of their relationship and ending up wherever they were now, whatever it was.

"…After… Years of her being friends with Boscha, and them picking on me and Gus. After… Everything… She goes and does that."

For perhaps the first time since this had all started, Willow found herself truly questioning what her relationship with Skara was.

Less than friends, and more than acquaintances. Enemies on paper, but ethereally, something else. They'd been on completely separate sides their entire lives, and now, they were ostensibly on the same side, knowing things about each other that their friends didn't even know, while still somehow being barely more than strangers.

What did that all mean?

What did Willow want it to mean?

Throughout her ramblings, Luz hadn't said a word. For a moment, Willow thought she might have been asleep, but looking over, she saw that the Human was anything but asleep. Her expression conveyed a lot of things - Sympathy, understanding, confusion, and disbelief, all at once. In truth, Willow couldn't even begin to guess what it was that Luz was thinking.

"…Can I ask you something, Luz?"

"…Sure."

"What do… You think about all of this? About Skara?"

Normally, Luz wouldn't hesitate to answer a question like this. If asked, she would present her opinion plainly, and honestly.

For whatever reason though, this time, she hesitated. Remaining nearly completely still and silent for more than just a few seconds.

"... I…"

When she finally did speak, it was slow, careful, and deliberate.

"...I know she isn't always… the best." She started. "Since she hangs out with Boscha and all. And she can be a jerk too. To anyone. She hung out with jerks and didn't stop them from doing jerk things. She's been a jerk to me as well, sometimes."

That… was fair, Willow thought to herself. Luz didn't know Skara all that well. She hadn't had the talks that the two of them had had, hadn't seen Skara at her weakest, hadn't seen how she was treated by her 'friends'.

"But…" Luz turned her head slightly, looking down at the girl resting on her shoulder. "…But so was Amity."

There was a seriousness to her tone that Luz rarely embraced. It was a strange mixture of possibly being the most serious Willow had ever seen the Human, but also the most sincere. Her words were heavy, but her expression had an incredible warmth to it, eyes half lidded and her smile strong. It was an expression she didn't have with anyone other than Amity.

It wasn't ignorance that was making her pause now, Willow realized. It wasn't uncertainty. In fact, it was the exact opposite. And it was something that made Willow blink, and pause, and question how she hadn't made the connection before now.

Whatever could be said about Skara could be said about Amity.

And that meant, whatever someone could say about Amity, they could say about Skara.

"I… I've only been on the Isles for a short while" Luz carried on. "And Amity was a massive jerk to both of us when I first got here, but now she's… Not. And I know you two still haven't figured everything out yet but I…" She paused for a moment, trying to stop her mouth from going a mile a minute. "…Just because Amity used to be a jerk, it doesn't mean she was always going to be one. And she… Isn't. I don't think so at least. Not anymore."

A sigh escaped her, and she looked away.

"I don't know what happened between you and Skara in the past. I don't know what she did, what she said, or… any of that. I only know what I've seen from her and she seems… I don't know. I don't really know her well enough either way but…"

She looked back to Willow.

"…Amity changed. Maybe Skara can too."

Willow's eyes looked back down at the crystal ball. Not out of disrespect for her friend, but because of the scene it was paused on: the ending handshake, between two bitter enemies, turned best of friends.

I believe in the ability of people to change for the better.

"...And I for one think that should be celebrated."

"What was that?"

Willow turned back to Luz, once again startled. "What?"

"You said something?"

"OH! Uh, sorry. Just… lost in my own head for a second." Suddenly desperate to change the subject, Willow coughed. "Hey. Uhm… what did you mean, ship?"

Luz cocked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Ship? Like, you asked me if I… shipped them?" She gestured at the Crystal Ball. "I mean they're… on a ship, but-"

"You…don't know what shipping is?" Luz's eyes widened, almost in pure shock.

"I er… " Willow paused, now a touch scared. "...No?"

Luz's face suddenly lit up, and a squeal suddenly escaped her throat. "OOOOOOOH THE THINGS I CAN TEACH-"

"Nnn… Luz?…"

Disturbed from her rest by the conversation between the two, Amity spoke up, her voice quiet, tired, and groggy. Luz's expression changed to one of very slight panic andself-annoyance as her stupid squeal woke up the other girl . Mouthing 'We'll talk later,' Luz silenced herself, closing her eyes and gently laying her head against the top of Amity's, pretending to be asleep in the hopes that would make Amity also decide it was nothing, and go back to sleep too.

With that, Willow decided to take it as a sign that she needed to get some sleep herself. Without a word to disturb any of her friends, Willow laid down on the sleeping bag, tucked herself inside it, her head resting on its side, and her eyes looking to the Crystal Ball.

Amity changed.

And I for one think that should be celebrated.

Willow couldn't stop her mind wandering sometimes back to when Amity would bully her… but Luz was right. Amity had changed. She wasn't the same person that she was when they were kids. And she wasn't the same person that she was just a few months ago either.

Maybe Skara can too.

Maybe…

…Maybe Skara already had.

"…I guess that's that, then." Willow whispered to herself, before letting her eyes close. There were still a dozen thoughts all spirally around in her head, and she wasn't close to having everything figured out. But for the first time today, she let herself feel something close to content.

She'd made a decision.

Skara was woken up to the sound of her alarm screeching at her. Immediately, she bolted upright, wide awake, and reached out to shut it up. It took her a few seconds to realize where she even was. - She didn't remember falling asleep, or even going to bed at all.

For a moment, she just sat there. Normally when she woke up, she was groggy and sleepy. Sometimes so groggy and sleepy that she fell back asleep, or wouldn't move until the back-up alarms she had set forced her to get up, if only to stop them from shrieking at her. Today though, there wasn't even a hint of exhaustion present in Skara. She was just incredibly, incredibly awake

She blinked a couple of times. Then, once her brain properly woke up with the rest of her body, she realized.

Oh.

Right.

It was Monday.

Great.

The first day back at Hexside since the game.

And the first day there where she wasn't Boscha's friend anymore.

It felt like the day had creeped up on her suddenly. She didn't do… Much of anything on Sunday, really. She was still processing everything that had happened that she hadn't really left her room. She just wandered around, listened to some music, practiced with a few instruments, but she couldn't remember anything specific about what she did. It all just sort of merged together into a vague nothingness. She didn't even remember if she had eaten anything that day. Her mother always said that if you couldn't remember if you'd eaten, then you probably didn't.

A particularly loud and slightly painful growling from her stomach all but confirmed that she had probably skipped dinner last night. Maybe that was why she was wide awake now.

That and the anxiety.

Still, she decided to try and start her day off as normally as she could: with a fifteen minute browse through her Scroll. Summoning it, she remembered placing it on silent mode, which she was rudely reminded of when more notifications from Pensta popped up with more notifications than Skara had even thought the Scroll could physically display.

Probably all of them are about how I'm a terrible person who hates Hexside and wanted us to lose.

Then again, it was just a Grudgby Game, right? A very hyped up one that people had gotten far too invested in, sure, but still just a game. Maybe she was overreacting. What was the worst there could be? She pressed one of the notifications at random.

It was a story from one of the school's newspapers, The Hexside Hollerer, entitled "How One Player Ruined Our Biggest Game of the Year."

It noted the article was a twenty minute read.

Hahaaa, Nope!

Immediately, she dispelled the Scroll, and forced a smile towards the ceiling. I am going to… Not deal with that today!

Not if I don't have to, anyway.

Today, she thought, she would break-up her routine just a little, and not browse through her Scroll. Trying not to think about the fact that there were certainly other students who were reading that article at this very moment, Skara decided to just get on with the rest of her morning - By taking a nice, slightly longer shower than usual that used up most of the hot water, get dressed, and grab her bag as she slowly made her way downstairs for breakfast, cooked by two of the best chef's on the Isle.

The Bard stretched, releasing a small yawn as she reached the bottom of the reached the kitchen, a small smile on her face at the sight of her parents placing a collection of flapjacks at her usual seat. She licked her lips at the slightly leaning tower of deliciousness. If she didn't know any better, she'd say it had even a few more flapjacks than usual.

"Ah! Morning!" Her mother beamed up to her as Skara came down the stairs. "I trust you slept well!"

"I uh… I slept alright." Skara rubbed an eye as she took her seat, grabbing a knife and fork set. "Hmm. Flapjacks, smothered in tree blood. My favorite."

Her father smiled. "Well, anything to help our little Grudgby champion!"

Skara's mother's head snapped back at her father with a rapidness only possible from years of acting. It took a second for her husband, and for Skara, to realize why her mother was no doubt shooting daggers at him.

"I, er, mean my little star. My generic, not-at-all sports related star!" He attempted a smile, though it was rather obvious to Skara it was rather forced.

"Rrriiiiiight." Skara attempted to ignore… that as best she could, instead trying to focus on the soft, fluffy taste of her breakfast.

"Mmmm, so gooooooood!" She hummed out loud, trying to sound cheerful like she usually was on a morning, giving a small, ever-so-slightly exaggerated thumbs up after a few chews. "Compliments to the chefs!"

Both her parents nodded, but with a touch less enthusiasm then Skara expected. Maybe it was because they were so heartbroken at seeing one of their best masterpieces being devoured - Something that happened with alarming frequency - or maybe it was because they could tell that Skara's cheerful demeanor was as forced as their own smiles.

Probably the latter, all things considered. Which was something Skara would really prefer to… not deal with first thing in the morning.

She continued to eat, though now quieter, and with a touch of wariness.

After an uncomfortable minute, her father finally cleared his throat. "Skara, dear. May I ask…. Is everything alright?"

Skara gulped down the last of her flapjacks, with a literal gulp of Please don't ask me that.

"Yeah," she lied. "Why?"

Both her folks glanced at each other, and Skara could tell that neither one of them bought it for a second.

"Wellllll..." Her mother was one of the Boiling Isles' most prolific actresses, but all of that skill and talent seemed to fly out the window when it came to her clear worry for her daughter. "You told us you lost that match you trained so hard for…"

Skara felt her stomach churn, and not for any reasons relating to the flapjacks. When she'd gotten home, all she'd told her parents was 'We lost' and outside of that, had avoided the subject entirely. She hadn't told either one about Boscha, or Willow, or anything that happened - Partly because she didn't know how to even begin explaining it, partly because she had spent the weekend pondering it and wasn't sure how to bring it up days after the fact, and partly because even if she did tell them, there wasn't anything that they could do - but mostly because she just… didn't want to dwell on it. She didn't know how to talk about it, and didn't want to talk about it. Not with them at least. Not right now. Hexside was going to be rough enough, and the last thing she wanted was all of that drama making its way into her home life.

Thankfully, neither of them cared for local news or worked with people Skara knew with kids at Hexside, so they probably wouldn't have to hear about any of what went down for a while, at least. Eventually they would. Her parents were friends with Boscha's parents, so they were going to hear it from them if nowhere else.

Which was another reason she didn't want to deal with this - She would have to explain everything that happened between her and Boscha and that was going to open a whole other mess that she really didn't want to think about.

But that whole mess hadn't fallen onto her lap right now, and right now, man, did Skara just… really not want to talk about this.

"It's cool. It's just a game. Not like anyone got super hurt."

Not that someone didn't TRY, mind…

Her father's brows furrowed. "But you've been very distant this weekend. Like a ghost longing to return to the Astral Plane."

"Those are less distant and more existentially terrifying." Skara shook her head. "I've seen enough of them to know the difference - But don't worry guys. Everything's fine! Gonna be a bit rough at school cause of the big loss-"

Understatement of the era.

"But I promise, it'll all be fine."

Again, both her parents glanced at each other, a glint of worry still in their eyes. "Skara…"

"I'm okay." Skara smiled her most reassuring smile, thankful for her mother imparting onto her some acting tips. "Really."

There was another moment where they both seemed unsure, that they saw right through her, were on the verge of prying further. But after that moment passed, both of them looked back towards their daughter, and smiled softly.

"Of course." Her father laughed, awkwardly. "Sorry. Didn't mean to make things… awkward."

"You're fine." Skara awkwardly laughed back, taking her dish to the sink while avoiding as much eye contact as possible. "Don't sweat it. You're my parents. It's your entire job to make my life awkward."

"Well, just in case today's more rough then you expect." Her mother spun a finger, and Skara's lunch-box fell into her hands. "We made you an extra-special surprise lunch today."

Skara took the lunchbox, spinning her finger and having it vanish into her school bag's inventory. "Thanks!"

Her father nodded. "And there's plenty there to share! You can give some to Boscha and the rest of the team!"

That made Skara's smile falter.

'Everyone's going to hate you.'

"I… thanks." She spun around, her legs carrying her to the door faster than a staff ever could. "I'm sure they'll appreciate it."

Before either of her parents could respond, Skara gave a half-hearted 'Bye! Love you!' and slammed the door behind her. With a groan, she leaned back against it until the back of her head hit against it.

I'm gonna get to school and everyone's gonna hate me. They're gonna think of me as the girl who ruined their big game and who threw it away for whatever stupid rumor Boscha comes up with, and even if I told them the truth, no one would believe me. They wouldn't want to believe me. They don't want to…..

Tapping the back of her head against the door to push herself off of it, Skara had to force herself to walk down her usual path.

It's okay, Skara. Just cause some people are gonna be a bit jerkier than usual, and just cause you won't be on top at school anymore, and one of your former best friends will now probably spread vicious rumors about how you wanted to destroy Hexside or whatever, none of that's really THAT bad.

Right?

Unconvinced, Skara pulled her hood up to cover her face the best she could.

As with all school days, Willow and Gus stopped by the Owl House to grab Luz, and from there walked their way up to Hexside, eventually joined by Amity when she was able to sneak away from her siblings. And as with all school days, the four friends spent their walk bemoaning their upcoming classes, excitedly talking about new spells they wanted to try, and attempting to figure out fun plans for after school.

For the most part, today's walk was the same as any other. And Willow tried her best to keep that spirit going. She wanted her friends to be happy, not worrying about her.

For her part though, it wasn't like any other day. She had both a thousand different thoughts, and a single, tunnel-visioned goal, all bouncing around in her head at once, along with a dozen emotions going on at the same time. Dread, confusion, anxiety, anger, concern, worry, curiosity, and determination. She knew today wasn't going to be just like any other day. And if nothing else made it so, she was going to be the one to shake things up.

Thankfully, nothing on their way to Hexside made them think anything was wrong.

It wasn't until they entered Hexside that they realized things were… off.

"Sheesh. Is it just me or is everyone… Really, really… I dunno, deflated today?"

Monday nearly always started off at least a little melancholy at Hexside. They marked the end of the freedom that came with a weekend, and the start of another week of lectures, spells, and lectures involving spells being cast. Mostly at them. Or by them. Usually resulting in explosions to the face.

But even by those dreary standards, Willow had to agree with Luz. There was a heavy atmosphere of defeat that hung over everyone, as if the Titan's bones were weighing down their shoulders.

Some were hunched over, looking to the ground as opposed to where they were actually going. Others looked annoyed, glaring at the small amount of remaining, half-torn down or defaced Hexside decorations from the game with a mixture of resignation and contempt. Somehow the entire building felt darker and drearier for it. Like it knew that all of the ridiculous demands and inconveniences caused in order to benefit the Grudgby team, from the elaborate decorating to interrupting everyone else's classes, had been for nothing.

"People are still upset about the… game…" As he neared the end of his sentence, Gus' voice became quieter, slower, and more awkward, as if he realized the redundancy of the statement.

"...Man, and I thought people took sportsball wayyyy too seriously back on Earth." Luz muttered.

As her friends spoke, Willow glanced around the corridors. A part of her was looking to see if she could spot Skara, or Titan-forbid, Boscha, but the other part of her was just observing, to see how people were taking the loss. A few had formed groups, their conversations held in hushed tones, like they were trying to keep secrets. But Willow could hear some of their words clearly.

"She left because of a surprise Crazy Ten Minute sale at the Night Market. That's what my cousin said."

"She wanted a Glandus scholarship! Only explanation."

"I can't believe she betrayed Hexside for a joke!"

Willow took a sharp inhale. Today, she was going to set the record straight. That was the least she could do.

The first person she was going to correct, she decided, was the blue-skinned Witch with horns that said Skara had betrayed the team as a joke. She walked up, and tapped them on the shoulder.

"Hey, I know what really happened with Skara."

The group turned to Willow, looking equal parts surprised at the sudden, seemingly random intrusion, and curious. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"She was saving me!"

For a moment, they all just stared.

Then, they laughed.

"Oh? Oh really? She left her team in the middle of a match to save you?"

Willow could feel her cheeks burn red with anger at the implication that, no, actually, Willow was lying. "Yes - Well, she saved me from getting hit by Boscha's ball, which she threw deliberately at me, then she got fed up and left and-"

"Oh, please." But the azure Witch just shook her head. "Do you really expect me to think Skara gave up literally everything for you, of all people?"

Willow felt her eye twitch. "That's what-"

"Who even are you, anyway?" Another Witch asked.

"I'm-"

"A narcissist, clearly." The third one said, flatly.

"I'm not a - That's the truth!"

"Yeah, no." The azure Witch shook their head." I'll stick to the more realistic account, thank you… Whoever you are." They, and the rest of their group, walked right past Willow like she wasn't even there.

The Plant Witch staggered back, and glared at the group as they walked past, but before she could step forward, on the verge of yelling something particularly unkind, she felt a hand placed on her shoulder.

"Don't," Amity said. "Willow, they're not going to believe you."

Willow turned, incredulous, back at the Blight. "But it's the truth!"

Amity's face… changed. It looked uncomfortable, like she didn't even particularly like thinking what she was about to say. Regardless, she kept her voice level.

"Look, I spent… more time than I'd like to admit around people who knew the ins and outs of Hexside's rumor mill.. I know how this stuff works. They're mad at Skara, and they'll latch onto any scrap to justify that anger. Even if what you're saying is the truth - They don't want to believe it."

"But I can't just let these stupid rumors spread!"

"They're already everywhere." Amity said. "Haven't you seen them on Penstagram?" When Willow shook her head, Amity let out a small sigh, and summoned hers in front of Willow, to let her have a look.

Sure enough, Gus was scrolling through a feed filled with different ideas of what exactly happened with Skara, each more wildly out there than the last. Half of them were completely contradictory to one another, and the other half didn't make any sense at all. She balked at them all.

"She left because of a crush on Bria?"

Luz raised an eyebrow. "Who's Bria, again?"

"The Glandus' team captain!" Willow nearly yelled. "People can't actually believe any of these, right?! None of these rumors make… Any kind of sense in like, three different ways!"

"It doesn't matter." Amity repeated. "People want to believe this. So they're going to. I was the same with the Emperors Coven for… a while. I wanted to believe in it, so I tried to ignore, or rationalize anything bad about it. I'm sorry Willow, but no one's gonna believe you without proof… And even then, it's not a guarantee."

"Well I-" Willow clenched her fists, wanting to prove Amity wrong, to say something that could get the Blight to concede that they could do something about it.

But without any proof, it was the word of a Plant Coven girl everyone picked on for years, up against rumors spread by the most beloved Banshee captain in recent memory, about a match everyone had invested far too much of themselves into.

She knew, no matter how much she hated it, that she couldn't win that like this, at least.

"I'm sorry," Amity repeated. "It'll blow over… eventually. Don't worry. It always does. Then they'll find some other junk to be upset about."

Willow looked down. "But I…" She shook her head. "I wish this was more fair."

The expressions on her friends' faces were varied, and all equally difficult to read. Luz looked more confused, amity looked conflicted, and Gus looked… Willow wasn't sure how to describe it.

"...If it helps," Amity said, "I can probably get the twins to pull a big prank on Boscha. Get a potion to blow up in her face? Maybe even get Ed to drop a truth serum in her drink and get her to spill her guts?"

Even if all thinking about Boscha did was get her more upset, Willow did find herself able to let out at least one, small chuckle at the idea. "Yeah. See if you can do that."

Once it subsided though, the frustration and anger swelled up inside her again. She wasn't going to give up on trying to set the record straight - That much was certain. But somehow, for some reason, she had thought that it would have been easier than this. Maybe she had held onto a hope that people would be able to put the pieces together if they had all the right information, but that clearly wasn't going to work. She was going to have to try a different approach.

Refocusing on her surroundings, Willow glanced down a corridor, and noticed someone - Walking from one hallway to the next, with their hood up, and the red leggings and sleeves of a Bard…

But, as soon as Willow blinked, they were gone in the crowd. And all Willow could do was sigh as the bell screamed to officiate the start of school.

Skara paced herself as she went through Hexsides halls, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. Granted, being one of the only students on campus with both Bard track sleeves and a hood up wasn't exactly helping her to blend in, but it had to be better than leaving herself exposed completely.

Still, she could feel eyes on her. Even if they didn't know it was her, she was sure there were people who saw her.

Really wishing I was an Illusionist right about now. I could just cast a spell and make myself look like…. literally anyone else.

She shook her head as she crossed her way into the Bard hall. Hopefully, all she'd have to do is just grab her books, head to class, and-

She was so distracted by everything in her head that Skara didn't even notice her surroundings until it was too late. She smacked into a student, falling flat on her back as the other did just the same. Her hood flew up, and Skara had to scramble in the hopes of not getting seen.

Too late.

The guy she ran into, a Potions demon with green skin and a squash-like head, rubbed his temple. "Sorry, sorry," he began. "I-" He stopped apologizing as he saw who he'd crashed into. "Oh. It's you." Both his eyes, one atop the other, glared at Skara, before picking himself off the floor and walking away, not saying anything else.

"Sorry," Skara called out. "That was my bad!"

He didn't even acknowledge her, and kept walking on.

Great, Skara thought. It seems like everyone's just gonna give me the cold shoulder. Well that's… Better than what I was expecting, I guess, but…

As Skara reached her locker, she noticed a small, bug-eyed insect flew through the air. It took Skara a moment to recognize it: A Carrier Hopper? And it looked to be heading towards… her?

It was, indeed. In its mouth it carried a Healer blue envelope. As it came closer, it divebomb into Skara's outstretched hand, dropping said envelope into it.

"Huh. Thanks little guy." Skara scratched the top of the Hoppers head, admiring the onyx-colored body and ruby eyes, before looking at the letter itself, an eyebrow raised. Who even sends letters anymore when Scrolls exist? "I… really hope this isn't hate mail."

As if recognizing Skara's words, it shrugged, before hopping off her hand. Skara sighed, taking the time to turn the letter so she opened it away from her, Her eyes half-shut, half expecting the thing to explode…

And was pleasantly surprised when instead, it was just an ordinary letter, written on ordinary paper. She took said paper out, unfolded it. Attached at the top, was a picture of Bo, Amelia, and Cat. Specifically, Bo holding the camera, Amelia laying in bed with an arm around Cat's shoulders, and Cat just laying there, both of the latter being crimson red.

"What the…" Skara muttered, before reading the writing underneath it.

Hey Skara, it's Bo. Figured you'd probably have your Scroll off today, which, fair, but I didn't want to leave you in the dark, so, here we are.

That… was fair enough, actually, Skara thought. She probably wasn't going to use her Scroll for… a while, at least, so, yeah. Good forward thinking on Bo's end.

Although that did raise the question of where they were. Skara glanced back at the photo, and then kept reading.

Sorry we can't be there today for you. Amelia had a small flare up. Nothing too bad, but the higher Healers wanted to give it one more day, especially since she was out at the game on Saturday. They couldn't tell though if it was because of the Witch Trap venom or because of Cat saying yes to a date. Or, to quote Cat properly. "YESYESYESOFCOURSEATHOUSANDTIMESYESSSS!"

In spite of everything else that was going on in her head, Skara couldn't help but do anything but squeal at the revelation that finally - finally - Cat had decided to bite the bullet and ask Amelia out. She carried on reading:

Me and Cat spent the weekend trying to shoot down as many stupid rumors as we could. We know what happened. We tried to explain at first, but no one bought it, so we just kept telling them they were stupid. Sorry… But don't worry. Give it a week and it'll all blow over, right?

If you need to talk, we're a Crow Call away. Hope today goes well despite everything!

Bo.

Skara looked over the letter one last time, scanning it till it was memorized. She couldn't help but smile.

Heh. I guess Willow was right. Friends are supposed to care about you.

She made a mental note to do something nice for Bo, and see if she could do anything for Cat and Amelia.

Maybe a gift card to some fancy restaurant or… I dunno. She sighed. I'm lucky I have such caring friends…

…I just wish any of them were here to help me now.

QuirkQuartz - HEY SO IT'S BEEN A WHILE HASN'T IT?

Yes, nothing short of the heat death of the universe will prevent us from working on this, Buuuut we've had… lots of stuff happen this year, from classes, to trips, to moves, jobs, catching the Covid-plague - and this chapter in particular was an absolute pain to get through to the point we decided to split it into two in the hopes that'll help us mentally figure it out.

So we do wanna apologize for the delay and we'll hopefully try to get these out more often, but we do have other projects as well which we hope ya'll will be interested in, but more will come out about that when we have something to actually show for it.

In the meantime, I wrote a short skarlow oneshot - A Note For Petals - ya'll might like that didn't do as well as I'd hoped so if ya'll wanna give that a look I'd appreciate it

A Note for Petals

Hopefully it won't be as long before the next update, but until then - See you in part 2!

DesmondKane - 'hand flies out of grave mound, pulls myself out, gasps for breath

Good news everyone! Rumors of our deaths were greatly exaggerated!

In all seriousness though, I admit it's been a while. Both me and Q had a busy second half of 2022, and sadly this has to take a backseat to most everything else we had to do. But don't worry, we never forgot our favorite little ship. Q wrote an excellent one-shot in the meantime and I did this little advent calendar thing with a bunch of cute Skarlow ideas. Plus, in the meantime, I answered Skarlow and other crack ship questions on my tumblr, desmondkaneofao3fame

There's also one other little thing I should probably mention…

I'M IN A ZINE BABY!

I'll be writing a comic for the upcoming 'The Owl House Fan Zine!' For more details on that, you can check out their Instagram "theowlhousefanzine"

Skarlow song of the Chapter: 'Don't You Dare (Make Me Fall In Love With You)' by Kaden MacKay, Cover by Lovely Promise.

Imagine Skara wandering through her room singing this to herself about Willow. Does this not sound perfect?

(P.S. On the 'Flapjack Tree Blood' line: We've been working on this chapter before even TTT was out, and I wrote that line before we saw it, so apparently I'm secretly an Oracle.)