Waking up to the sound of the door opening, I jumped up and rushed to the door, with me seeing an owl flying out into the forest. This was it, my chance to find Dakota and bring him home! I needed to do one or two things. Follow the bird, or wait for it to return. Taking out a coin, I flipped it. Catching it, I looked it over, with me looking at the door.
Later that morning
Seeing the owl come back, I walked over to the front door. Seeing it carrying a large sack of items, I crossed my arms as it came to a halt. "You seem to have a way to the Demon Realm." I said as I looked at the door. "This is also my home." I said as I looked back at the owl. "I wish to travel to the other side, and you are going to help me!" I said as I narrowed my eyes at it, with it hooting and flying forward once more. It dropped the bag at my feet, landing on my shoulder and rubbing against me.
The door opened, with me looking at it. Picking up the bag, I walked in, with me now standing in a different room from my living room. "Wanda?" I heard an older lady say, with me looking back at her as she looked shocked to see me. This was clearly Eda.
"Wanda!?" I heard a girls voice, with me looking at them and seeing a girl and a puppy with a bone mask, both looking at me in shock. This was Clearly Luz, from the photos Camila has shown me. The demon dog I had no clue.
Seeing them look to my left, I turned and saw who I had been searching for. His expression was that of shock, and I could tell he was having a breakdown at the sight of me. Tossing the bag aside, I picked up the owl. "Thank you for bringing me here." I told it as I let him go. I watched as he flew over to Eda and sat on her shoulder.
Looking back at Dakota, I approached him. He didn't move, but that was due to the shock. He didn't speak, he didn't even breathe as I got closer to him. Stopping a few feet from him, I remembered what Rogue said about his powers. Waving my hand in his face, he was coated blue. He backed up as I reached for him.
Placing a hand on his face, I saw tears swelling up. "Sorry I lost my memory of you." I said as I now realize that it wasn't his tears, but my own. "I've been trying to remember everything but I couldn't... and I still can't!" She said as he looked at my hand on his face. "Please... I need you to forgive me! I'm sorry!" I pleaded, with him backing away from me.
"Kid?" Eda asked as he looked confused, where he bolted out of the room, running past me and leaving the house all together. "Kid!" Eda yelled as I fell to my knees as he could never forgive me. He was angry, pissed, all because I unintentionally abandoned him here. Looking back at the door, I saw Eda running out after him.
I wanted to give chase, but I couldn't. I hurt him beyond belief. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I looked up at Luz. "He's... still trying to figure out the whole thing." Luz said as she knelt down next to me. "I'm Luz... I am kind of a fan... but that doesn't matter right now." She said, with me looking back at the door.
"I know who you are... I recently became friends with your mother." I said as I looked down. "She is going to be upset with you, you know?" I said, with her nodding her head. "She thinks that you are at camp." I said, getting a nervous laugh out of her.
"Yeah... I'll cross that bridge when I get there." Luz said as she rubbed the back of her head. "So... how did you remember Dakota?" She asked, with me standing up.
"I got into a fight with a mind fryer, it went into my mind and shattered my mind. I was able to get away and put back my memories, but some of them were badly damaged. Turned out my father removed my memories and filled them with what he wanted." I said as I made a fist.
"Well, it's going to take a lot of convincing, and I am your man for the job!" The dog spoke, and it's me looking at him.
"Did that mutt just talk?" I asked as I didn't know how to feel about that.
"King is not a mutt!" Luz said as she picked him up. "He is the king of demons!" Luz said in a baby tone, making him laugh. "I'm also training to become a witch, I'm even going to a school called Hexside, studying with Willow and Gus and—maybe even Amity!" She said before she got a horrified expression. "Amity! Oh cramity! We're supposed to meet so I can get my Azura book back!" She said as she runs out the door and slams it shut, leaving me with King.
"Can I say, it's been forever since I've seen you!?" Another voice spoke as the door opened, showing that the door was alive. I fell over, passed out as I was inside a living house.
Later, Dakota's POV
As I sprinted into the dense forest, my heart pounded in my chest like a drumbeat of despair. The face of the one who abandoned me, Wanda, swam in front of my eyes, her words echoing in my ears: "Sorry I lost my memory of you. I've been trying to remember everything but I couldn't... and I still can't! Please... I need you to forgive me! I'm sorry!"
Sorry? Was that supposed to heal the years of loneliness, the pain? I stumbled over a tree root, catching my balance just in time on a rough bark. Hot tears welled up and rolled down my cheeks, blurring the greenery that surrounded me. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion and hurt.
"Dakota!" I heard, with me recognizing it. It was Eda. She, of all people, had chased after me. The one person who knew the depths of my pain. My history with Wanda.
"I just need to be alone, Eda!" I yelled back, but my voice wavered, betraying my need for companionship.
"No, you don't!" She replied, her tone firm but not unkind. I could hear the rustling of leaves as she caught up to me. "You of all people don't need to be alone." She called out, her voice softer.
I slumped down against a tree, my energy spent. I watched as Eda reached me, her usually jovial face etched with concern. She sat down next to me, her back against the rough bark as I hugged my knees to my chest.
"I'm angry at Wanda too, Kid." She admitted, her voice soft. "What she did to you... It's not something you can just apologize for and expect everything to be okay." She said as she went to place an arm around me, but couldn't as she would risk touching my skin.
I nodded, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak. I wanted to speak, to say something. I never knew how hard betrayal would be, let alone abandonment. I wanted to heal, to forgive... but this was too soon. It hurt just seeing her.
"But... Wanda's trying. That has to count for something, right?" She said as she lightly pushed me with her elbow, shaking me a little bit.
I looked at Eda, her eyes sincere and compassionate. I wanted to believe her, to believe in Wanda. But the pain was too raw, the wound too fresh. Even after all these years... I didn't know what to do.
"I... I don't know... I don't know if I can forgive her." I admitted, but deep down I wanted to. Her memory was gone, and because of that she forgot me. It wasn't her fault but it was at the same time.
"And that's okay!" She said, reaching to place a hand on my shoulder, but stopped at the last second, hesitating before doing so."You don't have to decide anything right now. You're allowed to feel hurt, to be angry. But remember, Dakota, forgiveness isn't just for Wanda. It's for you too." She said, confusing me on what she meant.
Her words hung in the air, and I let out a shaky breath. I wanted to lean into her, to be appreciative of the warmth and comfort she provided. But I couldn't.
"Thanks, Eda." I mumbled, wiping away my tears.
She gave me a small smile, her hand squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. "Anytime, kid. We're in this together." She said as she got up. "I'll have my talk with her first, give her a piece of my mind! After that, it's all up to you!" She said as she winked at me before walking away.
As the sun set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, I felt a sliver of hope amidst the turmoil. I had Eda, and maybe, just maybe, I could find it in me to forgive Wanda. But for now, I needed time to heal, to make sense of my feelings. And in the quiet of the forest, with Eda by my side, I knew I was on the right path.
Later, Wanda's POV
I was rudely awakened by an odd tickling sensation on my face. Groggily, I batted at the source of the annoyance, only to find my hand coming away covered in ink. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I squinted at the mischievous figure looming over me. "What are you doing?" I grumbled, remembering that this demon was King, the Demon Dog?
The small demon grinned mischievously, holding up the marker he had been using to draw on my face. "Just adding some flair to your beauty sleep, Wanda! You should see the masterpiece I've created." He said with a laugh. Sitting up, he jumped off and ran away laughing, with me finding that I was now on the couch.
Before I could retort, the door burst open, and in strode the imposing figure of Eda. Her piercing gaze fell upon me, and her expression darkened. "We need to talk, Wanda!" Eda said, her tone unusually serious. "About Dakota."
My heart sank at the mention of that name. Dakota. My long-lost companion, the one I had left behind five years ago. Guilt gnawed at my insides as I remembered him running away once I found him.
"When you left him, he was trapped here! I thought he was eaten in the wilds, but when Luz came here, we found him locked away. He should have been dead ten hundred times over, but at the time, we figured that it was his resolve that kept him alive." She said as she walked up to me. Her words poured forth, they were like arrows piercing my soul. He should have been dead... because of me. "It wasn't until I found out that my Sister was the one who locked him away due to some prophecy crap, and him somehow fusing with a Vampire named Verona that he survived. Now he has a bit of a split personality problem, and it's Veronas fault. We have to deal with the aftermath." Eda said as she crossed her arms.
"Trust me, I know what I've done." I said as I leaned forward, lowering my head.
"No, you don't! You have no idea what he went through because of you, you only think you do!" Eda yelled, her voice cracked with emotion. "But just when he's finally starting to heal, you waltz back into his life and open those wounds all over again." She said as she held her head up.
I felt a lump form in my throat. I had never wanted to cause Dakota any pain. I had left while he wanted nothing more than to protect me, I never intended for him to suffer. "I know." I said, it was more a whisper, my voice barely above a breath. "I'm so sorry, Eda. I never wanted this." I said as I fought the tears building up as I looked up at her.
Eda's expression softened slightly, her eyes reflecting a mix of anger and empathy. "I know, Wanda. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. But the fact remains that it did happen, and now we have to deal with the aftermath." She said as she sat next to me. A heavy silence settled over the room as I absorbed Eda's words. I felt the weight of my past actions pressing down on me, suffocating me with guilt and remorse. "But... I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you came back for him, even after you lost your memories of Dakota. It means something, Wanda." She said, wrapping an arm around me, her voice softer than before.
My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn't expected any semblance of understanding or forgiveness from Eda, given the gravity of my mistake. Yet here was Eda, acknowledging my effort to make things right.
"Thank you, Eda," I mumbled as I started crying, my voice trembling with emotion. "I'll do whatever it takes to make things right. I won't let Dakota suffer any longer because of me."
"If that's going to happen, then you are going to have a long road ahead of you." Eda said while rubbing my back. "Trust me, I have to find a way to prevent him from killing my sister, and it's up to you to change him back!" She said, where she frowned. "Speaking of... why are you here?" She asked as I rubbed the tears out of my eyes.
"I came back for Dakota... not just because I forgot him... but we need him." I said as I looked at Eda. "After... I forgot him... a Mutant god was awakened. We managed to defeat him... by sending him through time." I said as Eda crossed her arms. "Coming here with him was a mistake, leaving him here was an even bigger mistake. He is coming back, and he will be stronger than last time!" I said as I turned to face Eda completely. "Apocalypse will return, and only Dakota can kill him." I said, with Eda getting a frown on her face.
Eda regarded me with a mix of curiosity and concern. "So, you're saying that Dakota was meant to stop this Apocalypse, a Mutant God? And because he wasn't there, you were only able to move him through time?" She asked, with me nodding.
"Yes, that's what I've come to understand. The consequences of our actions, of my actions, have far-reaching implications. If Dakota doesn't return to his rightful place, Apocalypse will bring about the end of everything." I informed, with Eda letting out a heavy sigh.
Eda's expression darkened as she absorbed the weight of Wanda's words. "That's a heavy burden for him, Wanda. Even if Dakota needs to fulfill this destiny, there's still the matter of him not being able to go through the portal." She informed, shocking me on her words.
My mind raced as I considered the implications of this new obstacle. If Dakota couldn't pass through the portal, then their chances of setting things right seemed to dwindle with each passing moment.
"That's not good." I admitted, frustration lacing my voice. "If he can't, then... then the Human realm won't be around anymore. Without Dakota to stop Apocalypse, everything will be lost."
Eda's eyes widened in realization, and a solemn quiet settled between them as they grappled with the dire situation. The fate of not just the demon realm, but the entire human realm hung in the balance, and the weight of that reality pressed down on my shoulders like a leaden cloak.
"We'll figure this out, Wanda!" Eda said firmly, her voice tinged with determination. "I've faced impossible odds before, and I've always come out on top. We won't let the world end, not if we have anything to say about it." Eda gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll find a way to help Dakota, and we'll make sure that the world keeps on spinning. I promise." She said as she made a fist, with her hand falling off. She picked it up and put it back on like it was normal.
Later, Dakota's POV
When I finally returned, my expression was guarded, my eyes reflecting a mix of hurt and betrayal as I faced Wanda. Eda stood up and walked over to me. "Ok kid, here's the deal." She said, with me looking at her. "We need to get you back to the Human Realm as soon as possible, to defeat this Mutant God. That's how powerful he is, to the point that the very earth isn't able to defeat him!" She said, wasted no time in relaying the information to me. "They were able to move him through time, but because you weren't in the fight, they were only able to delay the inevitable. That is your so called destiny... wow, you're apart of two destiny's, you must be really important." Eda said with a smirk as she crossed her arms. "Something about the Day of Unity, and defeating a god." Eda said, with me rolling my eyes.
"I'm not a weapon, Eda!" I said, my voice taut with emotion. "I'm a living, breathing human being. I never asked for any of this!" I yelled, with her backing up.
Eda nodded understandingly, her eyes soft with empathy. "I know, Dakota. And I'm sorry that you've been pulled into this against your will. But the reality is that the fate of both worlds may rest on your shoulders." She said as she placed her hands on my shoulders, trying to calm me down.
My gaze flickered briefly toward Wanda as she approached, but I quickly averted my eyes, refusing to acknowledge her presence. "Dakota, please..." Wanda implored, her voice laced with desperation. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm sorry for leaving you, for everything. I want to make it right." She pleaded, with me looking down.
My expression remained resolute as I turned away, striding towards my room without a word. The sound of the door closing behind me echoed through the silence, leaving Wanda standing there, her heart heavy with remorse.
"Give him time, Wanda. Healing old wounds takes time, and he's been through a lot." I heard Eda as I leaned against the door. Falling down, I hugged my knees to my chest once more.
"I know, Eda. I just hope he can find it in his heart to forgive me." Wanda replied, her voice choked with emotions.
Later, Wanda's POV
Eda was reading a book titled "Bending Ingredients to Your Will." "Why?" I asked as I watched her.
"Why not!" Eda said with a large smile. "Wow, a surprisingly peaceful domestic moment. When will it be ruined?" She said jokingly.
Luz slams the front door open. Eda! She cried out, with us looking at her.
"There it is." Eda said in a knowing tone as well as a smile as Luz runs in.
"Eda, Eda! Eda!" Luz called out before falling flat on her face. "You have to teach me a new spell right now!" Luz said as she looked up at us. "Or Wanda!" She said with stars in her eyes.
"Sorry, Luz! These vegetables won't cook themselves... yet." Eda said as she grabbed a potion and was about to dump it onto the vegetables. I stopped her and used my magic to cut them into small pieces and tossed them into the pot.
That's torture! I warned as I was not up to experiencing that.
"What? I had it... that time." Eda said as she looked away.
"Saying it like that just means that you failed at it before." I said as I used my magic to cook. "As for you, Luz, my magic is special to me, because it was passed down through blood." I informed, with Luz standing up.
"But I need to know two spells to get into decent classes at Hexside. I can make light glyphs!" Luz said as she pulls out a sheet of paper and touches it, creating a large ball of light that blinded us. I had to rub my eyes as it hurt my eyes to look at it. It was a neat way to use magic. "But at the end of the day, that's the only spell I know."
"And whose fault is that?" Eda questioned as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Yours!" Luz pointed out, getting a laugh from Eda.
"Yep. Got me there." Eda said with some pride, and disappointment.
"Just teach me a spell now. Any spell! It can be the darkest evil." Luz said, with me walking over and lightly hitting her on top of the head.
"The darker the spell the harder it is to control." I informed as I crossed my arms. "With my magic, I have to use everything I have in order to control it. Chaos Magic is no joke, if I ever lose control, I could quite literally erase everything from existence." I told, making her gulp.
"Well, I have been researching my texts on wild magic, but I'm much too busy right now." Eda said, with me looking at her in disappointment.
"Come on! You're the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles. How would it look if your apprentice got thrown into the baby class?" Luz said, with me crossing my arms.
"I believe that title belongs to me now." I said as I looked at Eda with a smirk.
"Weaponizing my pride. Well played, both of you. Well, in that case, this looks like a job for magic boot camp! As well as a rematch." Eda said as she smirked back at the challenge. I was caught off guard as I didn't know we fought.
King opens back door. "Did someone say boot camp? I agree to run it. We'll rise at dawn! You'll carry me on your back as I yell hateful things about your performance!" He said while pointing upwards to the ceiling.
"Nope. You'll have no part in this." Eda said as she crossed her arms. "Luz needs to focus, and I can't have her go all weird when you do something adorable. Then there is my rematch with Wanda, I will need to bring my A-Game if I'm going to win, or B-Game if she is still weak." She said, sticking her tongue out at me. "That and we need you to make sure Dakota doesn't lose it. He is already on edge with Wanda being here." Eda said while pointing her thumb at me as I cooked.
"What she means to say is keep him entertained, calm, and most of all, have some fun." I said, with Eda and Luz leaning against me. "What are you two doing?" I questioned as I looked at both of them.
"Someone still holds feeling for their lost friend!" Eda said with a grin.
"I knew you had a crush!" Luz said as she hugged me, making me blush as even Eda joined in.
"What is happening?" I questioned as I couldn't push them away. King jumped onto my back, joining the hug.
"Dog Pile!" He yelled, making me groan as I hid my face the best I could.
Later
Standing with Eda and Luz, we were now in winter gear surrounded by snow. "Welcome to a place I like to call, the Knee!" Eda said as she held her hands out to the scenery before us.
"Yes!" Luz cheered, her cry echoes across the Isles.
"The earliest witches came to the Knee to develop their magic, drawn to its natural power." Eda said as I could feel a good sense of magical power below.
"It's beautiful!" I said as I moved my hair behind my ears to keep it out of my face. Not only was it beautiful, it was disgusting. We were on a giant corpse. It's knee of all things.
"Though, it's not without its dangers." Eda added, where we looked off to the side and saw a beast gnawing on a tree trunk. "The Slitherbeast! Don't worry, if you don't mess with him, he won't mess with you." Eda warned, with me nodding as I didn't feel like becoming a chew toy, that included Luz.
I followed Eda as we moved on, where I heard Luz blow a raspberry at the Slitherbeast. Looking back, it bites through the tree trunk and looks in Luz's direction. She yelped and ran to catch up.
"Here's where we'll set up shop." Eda said as we came to a bit of a clearing.
"I'll definitely learn my second spell here! Gorgeous views, magic in the air. And best of all, we're completely alone!" Luz said, with me watching as a pink light illuminates her.
"Watch out!" Eda called out as she tackles Luz seconds before a pink fireball hits the spot Luz had been standing in. I stopped it just before it hit with my magic, holding it in place. Eda pops up over the rocks they fell behind with her staff drawn. Luz also pops up, and gasps.
"Sorry, whoever's over there!" We heard, where I sent their spell into the air and let it set off in the sky.
Luz ducks back down, hiding her face with her hat. "Forget teaching me a spell, just make me disappear." She said, where I looked at her and over to the three kids not far from us.
"Well, okay, but I've got a 60/40 record of making you re-appear." Eda said as I crossed my arms. "Oh! You meant... ah, never mind." She said as she got the picture. The older of the two waved at me, with me doing the same.
"Hey, Lady!" The boy called out.
"Hello!" The older girl called out.
"Hey, it's Luz!" The boy called out as he looked over at Luz.
"Okay, let's do this." Luz said as she stands and waves back. "Hey, guys!"
"Who are they?" I asked, with Eda standing up.
Luz grabs Eda's jacket. "Be cool! If they know I haven't mastered two spells, they'll think I belong in the baby class!" Luz said, where I rolled my eyes as that was dumb.
All three of them walked over to us, with the younger girl speaking up. "What's that about the baby class?" She asked as she tilted her head.
"Only that it's for babies, and Luz here clearly isn't a baby." Eda said to a now glaring Luz. "Nailed it." Eda said as she whistles and walks away.
"Amity!" Luz said before she slips, then poses on the ground. "Wha... What are you doing here?" Luz asked the younger girl, with me crossing my arms.
"I'm here to train. I'm trying to beat Ed and Em's highest score on the exam." Amity said as she looked at her siblings?
"Aw, Mittens. That's impossible!" Em said, with me narrowing my eyes at her.
"She still needs to use a training wand to learn new spells. So what are you workin' on? Something powerful?" Ed asked as I stepped forward.
"First off, don't down play your sister like that, I think she can do it, you just got to believe in her." I said as I rubbed Amity's head. "Second, we're here to teach Luz a spell, or two. While we're doing that, Eda and I are going to have ourselves a witches duel, apparently it's a rematch and I lost." I said as I looked at Eda, who was making snowballs.
"Luz!" Eda said as she walked back over to us with the snowballs. "I shall now teach you how to identify different types of snow—by taste!" Eda said as she holds out a snowball. "Go on, eat the snow." Eda said as she shoves it in Luz's face.
"Is this some kind of... special magic?" Em asked as I didn't know but I knew that it was a waist of time. Looking up, I let out a groan as this was going to be a long training session.
"Can we watch?" Amity asked, then looked at Eda. "The fight I mean, it could be educational." She said, with me nodding as I didn't have a problem with it. There was an interesting constellation in the sky, a bird?
"Eda, how about we show these kids a witches duel?" I asked as I looked at her, with Eda smirking.
"Ready for round two, huh? Well, I can't wait to show you that I'm still better!" Eda said as we walked over to the field, with Luz walking with us. She drew the same symbol on the ground that was in the sky and pressed it, with a ball of light appearing. "When that light disappears, that means we shall begin." Eda said as she placed her staff in the ground, looking confident.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. I was eager to test her own abilities against another magic user. I had always been cautious about using her powers, but I knew that controlled sparring matches like this one could help me gain better control and understanding of my abilities.
"Are you ready, Wanda?" Eda called out, a playful smirk on her face.
I nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "As ready as I'll ever be." I said with a whisper as I watched the ball of light. We circled each other, our eyes locked on the ball of light. My scarlet energy crackled around my fingertips, while Eda's staff glowed with a green, magical aura. We both knew that this would be a test of skill and control, rather than an all-out battle.
With a swift motion as soon as the light vanished, Eda sent a burst of magical energy towards me, where I countered with a shield of scarlet energy. The impact sent ripples through the air, but neither of us showed any signs of strain. We were both testing the waters, gauging each other's strength and tactics.
Breaking her spell, I sent the rocks behind Eda at her, with Eda making a circle and creating a large owl head of ice. It ate the rocks then proceeded to turn towards me, where it spat them out. Taking to the air, I crushed the rocks. Turning the smaller rocks into spikes, I tossed them at the ice owl, tearing it to shreds. As the ice fell, I caught it and made it form a meteor, with the steam making it look like fire as I tossed it down at Eda.
Eda created a wall of fire that took out the ice, with the water from the ice taking out the fire. She smirked at me, one I returned as the field was now filled with smoke. Spinning my hands around, I created a tornado that sucked up the smoke, with me finding Eda was gone. Looking behind me, I saw her flying on her staff, holding her head up high.
"You've become quite the spellcaster, Wanda." Eda said, swinging on of her legs over her staff. "It's been a long time since I've seen magic quite like yours. You could even give your mother a run for her money." She said, catching me off guard.
"And you're no slouch yourself, Eda." I replied, my eyes alight with excitement and interest. 'Her staff gives her a boost in power, and she uses her fingers to trace spells. That's how I will win.' I thought as I sent the tornado after her.
Eda flew with the wind without any trouble. "You know, I feel like I should say some wicked things right about now. Like "you will never catch me!" Or "Curse you, you witch!" But none of it is coming to mind for our fight, maybe it's because deep down, I already know the truth!" Eda said she flew higher.
"And what's that?" I questioned as she flew to the top of the tornado.
"I've already won!" She said as the tornado exploded in a shower of ice and snow. I flew upwards at the incoming attack. Putting my hands together, I caught it all and tore it in half, making a clear path for Eda, who looked on in interest. Eda traced three circles in the air and sent three rays of light at me. I caught them all and turned them against her, where she was forced to move out of the way.
Eda made more circles, summoning an army of owls. As she made more, her staff made a larger one in turn, creating one giant owl, each of them made of light. They flew up and came down towards me, where I created a shield around me. They all smacked into me, the shield breaking them. The larger one bit down onto the shield, with it holding me in place.
Smacking my hand against the shield, it grew in size and destroyed the larger owl. The shield continued to grow, covering a large area in its red barrier, including Eda. "There is a difference between us." I said as I flew up and over Eda, who looked up at me as I flew out of the barrier. "It's power!?" I said as the barrier started shrinking on Eda.
"Power? And here I thought it was presentation!" Eda said as she made a circle, or tried to as her magic wasn't working. Looking around the barrier, her eyes widened as she saw the runes I had placed on the barrier that cuts off any magic other than my own on the inside. "Clever girl." She said as the barrier covered her entire body, trapping her inside, even separating her from her staff.
Flying forward, I took the staff out of her hand and lowered us to the ground, with the others looking at us with surprise. Landing, I lowered the barrier, with Eda crossing her arms. "You beat Eda!" Luz said with a large grin, nearly jumping out of her skin in excitement as she and the others joined us.
"You've really gotten stronger, stronger than me." Eda said as I looked at her, where she crossed her arms, a smile on her face as she looked at me with pride. "I trained the next Strongest Witch on the Boiling Isles." Eda said, with me raising an eyebrow at her.
"Trained?" I asked, with her nodding.
"When you first arrived here, with Dakota, I trained you for a few days after our fight. It was to help you better control your emotions, and your magic." Eda said, making me smile as I placed my hands behind my back and rocked back and forth on my feet.
"Well, I must of had the greatest teacher, for me to remember your training after losing my memories." I said, with Eda lightly hitting my shoulder.
"Who are you?" Ed asked as he walked around me.
"How can you use your magic without tracing circles?" Em asked as she did the same but the opposite way.
"Are you human like Luz?" Amity asked as she stood in front of me.
I smiled at their questions, grabbed both Ed and Em and moved them in front of me as it was weird having them walk around me like I was some sort of statue. "Yes, I am Human, but I'm also a Mutant and a Witch." I said as I looked at Amity, who looked surprised. "I don't use typical magic like you do, I use Chaos Magic, it's unique to my family." I said, with Em looking excited. "As for who I am, My name is Wanda Maximoff, but in the human realm, I go by my title, the Scarlet Witch." I said as Ed crossed his arms.
"You single?" He asked, with Em punching him in the gut as I blushed at the question.
"Ed, don't ask such questions!" Em said as she grabbed his head and lowered it. "He is sorry, he is an idiot towards matters of the heart!" Em said with a laugh as Ed fought back against her.
"Well, she might not like to admit it, but Wanda here has a thing for our Angry Monster!" Eda said as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder, with me covering my face as I let out a groan.
"I don't have a "thing" for Dakota... I just want to help him... and remember who he is, and what happened between us." I said as I crossed my arms, with Eda taking her staff back.
"Sure, keep telling yourself that!" Eda said as she walked in front of me and stood behind the kids. "Now, we have to go. Luz needs to learn some new spells!" Eda said as she started dragging Luz away, with me following them.
"It was nice to meet you, and keep up the good work, I'm sure you will do better than your siblings!" I told Amity as I rubbed her head as I walked past, following Eda and Luz.
Same time, Dakota's POV
"This is ludicrous! I once led armies. I can lead a dang boot camp! But I have no recruits." King said as he paced back and forth in front of the front door, with Hooty and I watching him.
'How about some fun?' I thought as I stood up and saluted King. "Oh Captain my Captain!" I said, looking at Hooty, who got a large smile on his face.
"Yep! It's your faithful pal Hooty reporting for duty! Up at dawn, taking orders all day long!" Hooty said as he extended his neck towards me.
No! You are too desperate! King said as he looked at Hooty and then me. "You on the other hand, it's weird being in control over a monster." He said as he opened the door and walked back inside, leaving us there, stunned. He then returns with all of his toys and sets them down next to me. "Roll call!" He said as he looked at them. "New Guy, Aloysius Turtle, Chip, Beefy Bob, Francois." He stopped and picked up Francois. "Oh, you're perfect already!" He said as he held it as he looked at me. "Dakota! As for the rest of you, I'm only saying this once so listen up!" He said as I placed my hands behind my back.
New Guy falls onto Aloysius Turtle, with me looking at it.
"Huh, it's no fun if they don't tremble." He said, with me thinking about that. Looking at my hand, I bit it, with blood dripping down. I held it over the toys, with the blood seeping into the toys. One by one they stood up and saluted King, who looked excited.
It was like I was in multiple places at once, seeing what they were seeing. My head was splitting from the inside, and I couldn't move. My body was locking up, preventing me from moving! It was terrifying! More than anything. The toys laughed as I was frozen. I was them and they were me.
Later, Wanda's POV
Eda and I were sitting in front of a fire drinking out of a mug, we sent Luz into the woods to look for her hand, which she lost. "I found something." I said as I looked up at the sky, with Eda looking at me. "Look up and tell me what you see." I told her, with her looking up.
"I see stars." She said as there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Getting up, I moved over to sit next to her, where I pointed up at the stars, tracing the bird in the sky. "You've got to be kidding me!" Eda said as she looked shocked. "Thats Luz's glyph!" She said, with me nodding.
"My guess, is that she is using the power of the Isles, to use her magic, as you call it, Wild Magic." I said as I looked at Eda. "Magic, Chaos Magic, and Wild Magic." I said as I looked at the stars.
"Wild Magic comes from the Isles." Eda said as she picked up some snow. "If the stars make light, what do you think makes ice?" She asked as she did her best to make a snowball with one hand.
"Well, if I had to guess... a snowflake?" I thought out loud as I honestly didn't know. "Fire would be the hardest to find... plants are another thing. If we had a telescope we might be able to find it on the cell wall?" I said as I tried to think of where to find said glyphs, or what kinds of glyphs there would be.
"I can't wait to tell Luz about this! She is going to have a field day!" Eda said with a laugh, but stopped once I place a hand on her shoulder.
"Actually... I want Luz to find that on her own." I said as I looked at her. "It's her path, and she can't always have a helping hand." I said, with Eda nodding her head.
"Well, she does need to learn patience as well." Eda said with a smile as we looked back up at the stars. "I just can't help but have a bad feeling, Leaving King in charge of watching Dakota." She said with a shiver, making me laugh.
"He will try to get Dakota to follow him as his minion." I said, getting a laugh out of Eda.
"Okay." We heard Luz, with us looking at her. "I've identified the smells of three different rocks, sorted all the twigs from big to small, and found your glove, and your hand." Luz said as she lifts the glove off of Eda's detached hand.
"Ah, I was wondering where that thing went." Eda said as she took it back and screws her hand back on.
"That is so creepy." I muttered to myself as I didn't like the idea of detachable limbs.
"So what now?" Luz asked as she looked over at the sibling Trio, with me doing the same.
Amity was training with Ed and Em. Amity sends a jet of fire at Ed with the training wand she had. He dodged it with little to no trouble. Em summons an arm of snow, which was slightly impressive. Amity blocks it and destroys it with a shield. Amity dispels the shield and waves at Luz. Ed uses the distraction to make Amity sink in the snow until only her hand is showing. Luz giggles as she looked back at us.
"Hey. I know my lessons seem weird but this is what wild magic is all about! Making a connection with nature. The earliest witches understood that. Human witches need to understand it, too. You wanna learn a second spell?" Eda said as she looked at me and winked.
With all my heart. Luz said with a serious expression.
"Then you have to learn from the island." Eda said as we got up and started to guide Luz to a rock, where I made her sit down. "Now look!" Eda ordered as she pointed out to the view before us.
The rock overlooks the Titan. Its Ribs are nearly the same height as the Knee, and its Skull is towering even from the opposite end of the Isles. We stares at the sight in, Luz in awe as wind blows past her while I still didn't like the idea of living inside a body.
"And think about what the island is trying to tell you." Eda said as she left.
"Luz." I said, with her looking up at me. "Be sure to keep your head up, you never know what you might find." I said with a wink as I walked with Eda, giving her a hint.
Same time, Dakota's POV?
"Military discipline, cooking! Ha, I truly am a demon for all seasons!" King said as he stood before us, with all of us cooking for him as my body was standing outside still. "Welcome to boot camp! You sure need it. Look at you: raggedy, pathetic, chewed on, you got a button hangin' off of your eye. Pathetic! But I'll mold you worms into... slightly... better kinds of worms. Your commander is hungry, so pick it up!" King ordered as he pointed at us while pacing back and forth.
At the moment, I was focused on using Aloysius Turtle, Chip, and Beefy Bob to cook. New Guy was just standing there as using so many bodies was hard to do. King smacks New Guy, probably because he was disappointed that he wasn't doing anything. "Hey, Private Dingdong, you better shape up, recruit, you're in my boot camp now. He said, with me feeling the hit, and I was getting pissed at his attitude.
Later, Wanda's POV
Having finished making dinner, we heard an explosion coming from Luz's location. We bolted over there as something could have happened to her. Once we reached her, we saw her jumping in place, a wand in hand.
"I did magic! I did magic! Without drawing anything! This thing is the coolest!" Luz said, with us getting upset with her as that was not how you learned magic, especially Wild Magic.
Hold it right there! Eda said as she placed her hands on her hips. What are you doing with that? She questioned as I shook my head.
"I'm doing magic, what would you have me do?" Luz snapped back as she glared at Eda. "Eat more snow? Lick a rock?" She said sarcastically.
"Okay, so maybe my methods are... unique, but so is your magic." Eda said as I turned around to leave it to Master and student. Connecting to the island can help you. That wand can't. Eda pointed out, with me walking over to camp to finish making everyone their food.
As I reached camp, I watched as a fire ball flew off into the distance and went off. I knew Luz attacked out of anger, and it was ok, emotions were high. When it hits, birds fly off as it explodes, followed by a large growl. The Slitherbeast growls. I gasped before watching The Slitherbeast jumps over the trees, over me and in their direction.
I rushed back as fast as I could, with me returning just in time to see The Slitherbeast puts Edric and Emira into the claw holding Eda and runs off. The captured witches yell as the Slitherbeast made its escape. Amity and Luz made an attempt to follow, but I stopped them by putting them in a cage.
This wasn't good, not one bit.
Same time, Dakota's POV?
After dinner, we loaded King with snacks and drinks from all over. "Yep, keep 'em coming." He told Aloysius Turtle. "And don't forget the pretzels this time." He ordered me as he takes a bag of chips and opens it. "Running a boot camp is tough work, but as my second-in-command, you deserve this!" He said as he dumps the chips onto Francois.
I watched them from the eyes of New Guy. Feeling hungry myself, I reached for one of the chips. I wanted to eat, I needed to eat. Having so many stomachs made it even worse.
"Hey, hey! Private New Guy! You're not privy to snacking privileges, back away!" King ordered with me backing away and jumping off the arm of the couch. "Leading this boot camp has tuckered a little guy out, so Sergeant King signing off." King said as he puts a night cap on Francois and himself and closes his eyes.
Seeing my chance, I returned, now standing over King. I wanted to eat, and he was prey. He called himself King, but he was about to become food. I was about to become the new King.
"Excuse me?" King said as he wasn't happy with me, with US! As New Guy, I was looming over him. "Could you maybe turn down those eyeballs? Trying to sleep."
He closes his eyes again, with me bringing the others over as well. More shadows fell over him. His eyes open once more, looking at all of us. All of us were now looming over him. Beefy Bob pulls New Guy's string on my back.
"Don't you want a hug?" New Guy said in a demonic voice, getting a scream out of King.
Same time, Wanda's POV
"Oh no you don't!" I said as I walked over to the barrier as they banged against it. 'I need her to find it on her own, I can't help her, but I can point her in the right direction.' I thought as I walked up to the barrier. "Luz, you are inpatient!" I said as I drew two runes on the barrier, and made one of her glyphs. "You two are going to stay here!" I said as I crossed my arms. "You want out, find another glyph and place it on this!" I said as I made two circles. "That is your only way out!" I said as I turned to go after The Slitherbeast.
"What about me? I can help you! They are my family!" Amity said, with me looking back at her.
"You left your weapon unattended for. This is as much your fault as it is hers. Either help her find a glyph, or wait until I come back!" I said as I put my foot down, not wanting to argue with a child. "Keep your head up, and everything will be fine." I hinted once more before walking away from them.
Same time, Dakota's POV?
We threw knives and shot arrows at King, who was running for his life.
"Hey! How dare you mutiny!" King yelled as we grabbed him and bit down on his limbs, but found that we couldn't eat him. So, we did the next best thing. We picked him up and rushed towards the door. "Unhand your commander right now!" King ordered as we opened the door and tossed him outside, where we threw Francois out the window soon after. "Dakota gave you life, and I can take it away!" King said as he stood next to me.
We took the time to start creating our fortress, which was made out of the couch. We would become unstoppable! We were no longer cute and cuddly stuffed animals! We were warriors! First the owl house! THEN THE WORLD!?
"Hooty, Hooty! Great news, buddy, you can be in the boot camp! First task: destroy the boot camp." We heard King, all of us looking at the door.
"Hmmmm, no thanks!" Hooty said as we went back to working, New Guy making weapons for us.
"What? But you begged to join!" King pointed out as we started expanding our fortress across the living room.
"Sorry. You said I was desperate, so now I'm playing hard to get." Hooty said, with us taking it that he wasn't going to help.
"What do you want?!" King yelled in anger as we now controlled the living room.
"I don't know. What are you offering?" Hooty questioned, trying to see what he could get out of this.
Later
We controlled all of the house now! We had made our own flag out of some owl panties, with us having made an X on the owl's head to show that we controlled everything. We had won the battle, and it was almost time for the war to begin! We will crush our enemies with our weapons! We will burn down the city of Witches! We would rule everything! And once we controlled this world, the Human realm would be next!
"Wow, this is incredible! It's so real! You got yourself a deal!" We heard Hooty, with us looking at the door as it opened, showing he had a chalk outline on him of a person. "Hooooot!" Hooty said with a vicious smile.
Hooty then charged after us, taking us down one at a time! Our forces were no match for his powers! We were powerless! Stuffing, buttons, and limbs fly everywhere!
"This day shall live in infamy." King said as I rubbed my head as I was finally able to move again. I hated that feeling, and I didn't want it to happen ever again.
Later, Wanda's POV
Reaching the cave, I watched as the Slitherbeast stepped out, growling at me. "I've fought worse." I said as I waved my hand next to me, with a false Hulk appearing. "He let out a roar that shook the knee before charging at the Slitherbeast, with it roaring as well. They started attacking each other, with me walking past them and into the cave. Once inside, I spotted Eda, Em, and Ed against it the wall, covered in goop.
Wanda? What was that noise? Eda asked as I examined the goop holding them.
Just a false conjugation of a friend, who you never want to make angry. I said as I waved my hand to the side, creating a false Iron Man. Cut them free! I said as he aimed his hand at them, where a red laser started cutting them free. Once it was done, he vanished before our eyes.
"A man made of metal!" Ed said with stars in his eyes.
"I'm more worried about what let out that roar." Em said with fear.
"Knowing Wanda, she most likely will have a way around it." Eda said with a nervous laugh. "Right?" She asked as she grabbed my shoulders, making me laugh as I did. We watched as the Slitherbeast was thrown into the cave, sliding on the ground until it hit the wall. Hulk jumped in and let out a victorious roar, shaking the entire cave before vanishing.
"A giant green monster!?" They all yelled, shock, joy, and confusion.
"That was the Hulk, an Avenger, one of Earths Mightiest Heroes." I said as I started to leave. "The angrier he is, the stronger he gets." I informed as we stepped outside. "The other person was Tony Stark, also known as the Iron Man, another Avenger." I informed, with them looking at me.
"What's a Hulk?" Eda asked as she grabbed her hair as she didn't understand.
"What's an Iron Man?" Em asked as she that a thoughtful expression on her face.
"What is an Avenger?" Ed asked as he still had stars in his eyes.
"The Avengers are a group of heroes from the Human Realm." I said as I looked at Ed. "Iron man, as his name says, isn't really iron, he is human in armor, and is considered one of the smartest people in the world." I said, with Em getting excited. "The hulk is complicated." I said, with Eda looking disappointed at my answer.
"EDA!?" We heard Luz, with us looking at her as she ran over and hugged Eda.
"Emira, Edric!?" Amity yelled as she ran over and hugged her siblings.
"Don't worry, we're fine!" Em, whose full name was Emira, said as she rubbed Amity's head.
"If it comes too, then we're gonna die." Edric said, with Emira hitting him as they broke the hug.
"That's right!" Luz said as she faced me. "I learned my second spell! I made the connection!" She said as she looked between us, making us smile.
"I know, you're out of my barrier." I said as Eda wrapped an arm around her shoulder and ruffled Luz's hat.
"Nice work, kiddo." Eda praised as Luz chuckled a bit.
I still don't see why you didn't tell us about me needing to use the fire ball spell to break free." Amity said, with me poking her nose.
"It would have been too easy for you if you didn't pay attention, now would it?" I said as I stood next to Luz and Eda. "So, how about it, Luz? Show us your new spell! I said, watching her draw a glyph of a sword in the ground and activates it. This glyph made a diagonal pillar of ice that sent us flying, they both Eda and Luz cheering while I screamed, not prepared for this.
Later, Dakota's POV
Walking through the door, I held my head as I looked at King and Hooty. "Private Hooty, today when the felt flew you showed grit and determination that were instrumental in securing our victory. May I just say, it has been an honor, to be your commander." King said as he saluted Hooty, where I held in a barf.
"Sir, the honor is all mine." Hooty added in return.
King hugged Hooty for whatever reason. "Private, our hearts have been touched by fire, and—"
"Ahem!" I head from behind, with me looking at Eda, Luz and Wanda. Eda was pissed, Luz was confused, and Wanda was worried. That made me barf on the ground, everyone backing away from me as it was black blood and not actual vomit. "What the heck did you three get into?" Eda questioned as I sat up straight and left to go get the mop to clean up my blood.
"First off, gross, second, we're having a moment here!" King said as he narrowed his eyes at them.
"You'll never understand what we've been through together! Never! Never!" Hooty yelled as I returned with the mop and started cleaning.
"Ugh, moment ruined." King said as he walked away.
"I will be haunted by my actions forever. Hoot hoot!" Hooty said, with me rolling my eyes as I was going to clean up all of this on my own.