Walking through the portal door, I carried two things with me. A dress, that I had Natasha help me with, and a suit for Dakota. A all white suit was not going to work for him. I made my way to Eda's room so that I could get her opinion on the dress.
Once I entered her room, I watched as Eda was having her coat fixed by King. "You're not going to be wearing a dress?" I asked as I moved over to the blinds and made sure King couldn't see me as I started undressing.
"Never ask me to wear one again!" Eda shot back at me as I started putting my dress on. "First Grom was a disaster, and you won't catch me doing that again!" She said with a shiver.
"I'm just surprised is all." I said as I tried my best to look good before stepping out. "What do you think? Too red?" I asked as I showed off my red dress that had a black cape that connected to the arms. It was an elegant dress, and I wanted to seem elegant over mature or fun.
"Dang girl, you are going to kill him... again." Eda said with a laugh. "So, what is he wearing, and how are you going to get him to wear it? Last time I had to drag him back here to get dressed up, and that was after bribing him with food. He would have been shirtless without me." Eda said as she crossed her arms, where I grabbed the bag holding Dakota's suit and opened it for her to see. "Alright, black and white, hit of read to blend in with you." Eda said as she noted the tie and handkerchief.
"I plan on asking him." I said as she gave a thumbs up and then thumbs down.
"Where is the flair? This is Grom, it's supposed to be dramatic!" Eda said as she crossed her arms, with King poking her. "Watch it!" She warned, making me smile.
"We didn't get to experience our Prom." I said as I looked at the suit with a frown. "He was stranded here... and I was too busy doing as father told." I said as I crossed my arms. "This is our prom, or Grom as you call it." I said as I looked over at Eda and then back at the suit. "I hope my sister has a better chance at having her prom." I said as I thought of Lorna.
"Sister?" Eda said as she rushed over to me, throwing herself onto my back. "You have siblings? How many and what are they like?" She asked with a smile.
"I have two, a twin and a half sister." I said as I placed a hand on Eda's hand. "My brother, Pietro, worships my father and will do whatever he is told to do. He has super speed." Told as I thought of him. "He is a jerk, but is still a loving brother." I said with a smile. "Lorna, my half sister from my father's side, hates our father, probably more than I did as he made a machine to kill her. She has his powers, or very similar to it." I said as I frowned. "We aren't on the best of terms. I know where father is, and she wants to know so she can kill him first." I said as I looked away. "There is a lot of hate in my family." I said as I didn't like it.
"But there is just as much love!" Eda said as she got off my back and winked at me. "Look at you and your mother. She loved you with everything she had, I know it because that's just the person she was. Then there is you and Dakota, just what is going on there?" Eda teased, with me pushing her back slightly with a smirk.
"I'll figure that out on my own." I said as we heard the front door open.
"I'm home!" Luz called out, with Eda getting pricked, making her yelp in pain.
"Eda's room, girls only, so don't come in Dakota!" I called out, not wanting him to see me yet. Luz ended up walking in and looking me up and down.
"Looking good!" Luz said as she gave me two thumbs up and a weird expression. She looked over at the other two. "Guys?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Careful with those pins." Eda warned King as he was about to poke her again.
"Why am I doing this? I don't even wear clothes!" He yelled as he stomped his feet.
"Hey, sweet duds, Owl Lady! What's the haps?" Luz questioned as she walked over and sits on Eda's nest. I still wasn't used to the idea of her using a nest.
"I'm chaperoning Grom tonight. So I have to look sharp." Eda said as she looked over at me. "They is going because they missed their prom and she wants to dazzle Dakota." Eda said as she did jazz fingers, with sparkles.
"And Gus asked me to co-emcee the fight!" King said, where I tilted my head. King holds up a poster of him and Gus, standing back-to-back in sunglasses, Gus holding a microphone.
"Fight?" I asked, not sure what this was now. Was it a gladiator match? I thought it was a dance!?
"Ooh! Have they announced the victim yet?" Eda asked as she looked at Luz with a smile.
"Yeah. It's Amity. She's kinda freaking out though. I wish I could, like, take her place or something." Luz said as she looked down about it.
Eda and King laugh at that. "A great joke, Luz!" King said as he waved her off as they continued laughing.
"Am I the only one who doesn't know what's happening here?" I asked as they looked at me and then back at Luz.
"Ah, listen, kid. That's a noble sentiment, but Grom is a little above your pay-grade. You're a human. You're... fragile." Eda said, with me getting some of the picture.
"Grom isn't a dance but a fight, not just a fight but a someone or something. Grom Queen has to fight Grom?" I said as I crossed my arms. "Am I missing something?" I asked as I wanted answers.
Luz, red with anger, gets up and marches towards Eda, where I saw a spider in her hair. "Hey! I've been learning lots of new spells! I could totally handle it!" Luz said as she turned around and crossed her arms.
"There's a horrifying spider in your hair." Eda pointed out.
"Nope. I'm not as fragile as you think, Eda. And I can't be so easily fooled, either." Luz said as she made her way towards the door.
"Luz." I said, with her looking at me. "She isn't lying, there is a spider in your hair." I said as I used my magic to remove the spider and show it to her. "I don't know what this Grom is capable of, so I can't say for sure on if you are ready or not to take him on-"
"-Grom uses your fears against you, not your smallest fears, but your absolute fears." Eda informed, with me stiffing up.
"Definitely not! I forbid you from taking him on!" I said as I made an X with my arms, with Luz looking shocked, hurt. "This has nothing to do with you being fragile, but facing your true fears, is exactly difficult for us humans." I said as I crossed my arms. "Take me for example, I would lose my mind if I lost everyone here, especially Dakota. I can't lose him again, I can't leave him again!" I said, with Luz looking down.
"You're right about that... I would be hurt if that happened... if it happened to me. But we all have to face our fears at some point." Luz said as she walked out, slamming the door.
"Uh, maybe you were too hard on her. She's saved you from multiple monsters, remember?" King pointed out, with me looking at him.
"Luz doesn't know what that means yet." I said as I walked over to him and picked him up, hugging him. "I know what her greatest fear is, and I know she can't face it. I've been rehearsing how to go about it for so long that it scares me, that I might lose a friend." I said as I set him down, giving him a smile. "She will have to face it, but right now, it's too soon."
"Do you think I could pull off red eyeshadow?" Eda asked as she looked in the mirror, with me looking at her.
"Girl, you can pull off anything! Up top!" King said as they high-five each other. "We're style geniuses!" He added, making me laugh at their actions.
Earlier, Dakota's POV
In the midst of the forest, I was busy drawing intricate symbols with blood on the ground. The forest, was usually peaceful but today, the air was thick with tension. I was in the process of using blood magic, a forbidden and dangerous technique. I had just killed a giant demon that had been terrorizing the local woodland creatures. No one seemed to notice, but I did.
Suddenly, a crackling noise echoed through the silent trees. I turned sharply, my eyes narrowing. From the bushes emerged a girl with vibrant green hair and violet eyes. She was clearly distressed, her breath ragged and her eyes wide with fear once she saw me.
This was Amity, a witch and Luz's friend, who had somehow ended up all the way out here. My gaze softened at the sight of the scared girl. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice was cool and calm, in stark contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded here. Amity, however, said nothing. She was too scared to speak. Reading her silence as fear, I asked again, only another question. "What do you fear?" My voice was gentler this time, a soothing respite from the terror she had encountered.
After a moment of hesitation, Amity finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I fear... Asking Luz to Grom."
"Like Prom?" I asked, with her nodding her head while rotating her hand to say it's similar to it but at the same time not so much. I blinked, surprised at her confession. I had expected her to say that she feared me, but not something as human as asking someone to Prom. A soft smile spread across his face, and he gestured for her to sit next to him on a fallen tree trunk.
I ended up with a splitting headache and a voice speaking into my head, telling me that they will take it from here. Verona, a mother, a supernatural creature, a monster, a vampire, wanted to help this child. I let her take control as she would have more experience with this than I as I didn't know much about matters of the heart.
I watched as Amity slowly walked over and sat down next to me, placing her head in her hands as she leaned forward. We sat in silence for a moment, the air filled with the sounds of the forest. I finally broke the silence once I found the right words. "Fear is a funny thing, isn't it? We're both supernatural beings, surrounded by demons and magic, yet our fears are no different from those of humans." I said as I crossed my legs and placed my hands on my knee.
Amity looked at him, her violet eyes curious. "What do you mean?" She asked in confusion.
I chuckled softly. "I mean, fear is universal. It's not the monsters that scare us, but our feelings. The fear of rejection, of not being enough... These are the real monsters." I said as I placed a hand on my chest. I turned to look at Amity, my violet eyes serious now serious. "You fear asking Luz to this Grom because you fear her rejection. But remember, Amity, fear is just an illusion. It's not real. It's our mind playing tricks on us." I said as I pointed at my head.
Amity listened to me, her heart pounding in her chest. God the blood rushing inside her made me even more hungry. Alas, I would have to ignore it for her sake, for our sake. My words resonated with her. She knew I was right.
"The only way to overcome our fears is to face them head-on. Asking Luz to Grom might be scary, but it's a fear you need to face. And who knows? Maybe she's just as scared as you are." I added, surprising her.
Amity took a deep breath, feeling a newfound determination. She nodded as she stood up. "Thanks for the advice." She said as she started walking away. As she walked away, I watched her, a proud smile on my face. I knew that Amity was strong, and she would only get stronger. I had faith that she would conquer her fear.
I heard Dakota inside our head, asking I, Verona, just what made me, well, me! "A silly question to be asking, and it's not one I shall answer!" I said as I gave him control over his body once more, where I cracked my neck once I stood up. "Right, back to the blood magic ritual." I said as I continued what I was doing before getting interrupted.
Later
"How did I get dragged into this?" I questioned as I stood next to Amity while Luz, Emira, and Edric stood in front of us. Behind us, Hooty is now wearing an eyepatch and bandages. I wanted to ask what happened but chose against it.
"Grom will transform into your darkest fears. What are you afraid of, Luz?" Amity said, with me looking at Amity.
"Wait, I thought you said it was a dance?" I asked, confused, as was Verona.
"It is... but it's more complicated than that. Grom is a demon that uses your fears against you, and Grom Queen has to battle it to keep it under the school." Amity informed, with me getting the picture.
"OH! I get it!"I said as I slightly hit my palm with my hand. "No wonder why you were distressed earlier!" I said, getting a blush from Amity. "Quick, what are your fears!" I yelled as I pointed at the three.
Luz thinks about it, unsure on what to say. That was ok, we already knew that. If she couldn't say it, then it was going to be a lot harder to deal with.
"Being alone forever!" Edric answered with a smile.
"Being stuck with you forever." Emira told her brother, where Edric groans.
"In preparation, I've made a list!" Luz said as she pulls a list from her pocket and holds it out to me. I didn't bother reading it as that was a waste of time and tore it to shreds. "Hey!" She called out, not happy with me.
"All good answers but none of them are true." I said, confusing them. "I know what your fear is Luz, but not coming out to say it will make it harder. You've buried it, you're scared of what you will find, what you will hear." I said as I got in her face. "Your fear isn't one that can be overcome, it's one that you have to face." I said, with her looking to the side and then back at me.
"What's the difference?" She asked, with me backing up.
"Facing your fears and overcoming your fears are related concepts, but they refer to different stages in the process of dealing with fear." I said as I started walking around her, where Verona took over.
"Facing your fears generally involves acknowledging and confronting the things that cause you fear or anxiety." I said as I looked her in the eyes, with her backing up once she saw my eyes. "This can involve intentionally putting yourself in situations that make you feel uncomfortable or anxious in order to gradually desensitize yourself to the fear." I said as I pulled her forward and right back where she was standing. "Facing your fears is an important first step in overcoming them, as it allows you to directly address the source of your anxiety and begin to understand it better. That is one way of looking at it." I said as Dakota took over once more.
"On the other hand, overcoming your fears goes beyond simply facing them; it involves successfully managing or resolving the fear to the point where it no longer has a significant negative impact on your life." I said as I let her go and continued to walk around her. "Overcoming your fears may involve using various techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, gradual exposure, relaxation techniques, or seeking support from others. It's about regaining a sense of control and reducing the power that fear has over you." I said as I now stood behind Luz and looked dead at Amity., who rubbed her arm.
"In summary, facing your fears is about acknowledging and confronting them, while overcoming your fears is about successfully managing or resolving them so that they no longer have a significant negative impact on your life." Amity finished, with me nodding.
"So... what are you scared of?" I asked again as I now stood in front of her.
Luz took a deep breath, looking at the ground. "I'm scared that we might lose you." She said, catching me off guard. "I'm scared that this Verona person will take over your body and you will no longer exist. I've heard what Eda said, how she easily over powered her. She had to beg for you to come back and she could have lost her sister." Luz said, with me backing away from her to give her space.
"That's not something that can happen." I said, with Luz looking up at me. "Verona and I." I said as Verona stepped in. "Dakota and I, we have an understanding... somewhat." I said as I made the same hand tilting gesture that Amity used earlier. "See, I know what he is, and what his destiny is. Removing him completely means the end of all things." I said as Dakota took over. "So I want to do what I can for her." I said with a nervous laugh. "If we're in the same body then we will have to understand and help each other." We said as one.
""It's son weird and cool that you two are doing that." Luz whispered, with us rolling our eyes.
"So, in the end, you have nothing to fear on that, because it's not your fear." I said, crossing my arms.
"The reason I can't face Grom—it goes deeper than things that just gross me out." Amity said as she walked up and pokes Luz. "What's your real fear, Luz?" She asked, wanting an answer.
Luz looks up in thought. "My real fear... is that Eda thinks I'm too fragile to do this! And if she's right, I'll never be a real witch!" She said, with me seeing Edric and Emira look at each other and draw a conjoined spell circle. A giant illusion of Eda rises from the ground, flipping her hair.
"You're inadequate." The Eda Illusion said as she draws a spell circle. Luz is put in a high chair with a bib that says "weak baby".
"No!" Luz called out as she tried to get out. I facepalmed as that still wasn't her greatest fear. Emira and Edric looked proud of their creation while Amity looks nervous.
"I get it. Ditch the yellow." Eda said, with me looking at her, watching her gasp. "Is that supposed to be me?" Eda asked as she looked up at the illusion of herself, which smiles down at her.
"Dang, I look great." Eda said with a chuckle, before realizing something. "Wait a sec. You're training to be Grom Queen!" Eda said, with me giving her a thumbs up.
"So what if I am?" Luz snapped back before falling over in her high chair. The high chair and bib disappear as Eda walks up to her.
"You think training will help against Grom? Luz, you always go overboard and we end up bailing you out. Now, what's the fun in watching a kid get eaten by a monster if it's my kid?" Eda said, with me smiling at the paternal instinct that Eda had over Luz.
"Well, maybe you'll have fun watching me defeat Grom!"
"Or watch you run away from your fears." We heard Wanda, with us looking up at her as she floated down in her dress, landing next to Luz. "Your fear isn't an easy one to overcome, nor is it an easy one to face." Wanda said as she used her magic to clear Luz off. "I know it because I have the same fear." Wanda said as she placed her hands on Luz's shoulders. "We might think we are ready but we never are. It's better to face the real thing over a false fear." Wanda said as Luz looked down.
"Let her face it." I said, with them looking at me. "If she faces a false fear, then it would make the real thing easier for her." I said as I walked over to Luz and got between her and Wanda. "I'm putting my faith in her." I said as I looked Wanda in the eyes.
"So be it." Wanda said as she looked down at Luz. "With the newest addition to her magic, that being plants, it's possible that she can face Grom, and possibly even take him down before he gets to that fear." Wanda said, stretching it a bit. "However, none of us will help you. If I see that fear manifest, your true fear, I am stepping in." Wanda warned, with Luz hugging her with a smile. "Dakota, go get dressed!" Wanda said, with me raising an eyebrow at her.
"She got you a suit to match her because she-"
"-EDA!?" Wanda yelled, stopping her from finishing her sentence.
"Cool, new clothes to add to my collection." I said as I walked inside to go find it.
Later, Wanda's POV
"Prom, I can't believe that we missed it!" I said in excitement as we walked into the gym, with us watching as couples awkwardly dance on the dance floor. Willow dons corsages onto some guests. Walking over to her, I didn't even have to ask as she just put one on me. "You seem to be having fun." I said, with her nodding and running off to give others corsages.
"I don't think she likes you." Dakota said as he moved to stand next to me, his tie untied as well as the top button being undone.
"Because of the whole "not wanting Luz to fight" thing." I said as I fixed it for him. He just placed his hands in his pockets and leaned away from me while I did. "I'm putting my trust in you." I said, with him looking at me.
"Luz is strong, you just have to give her a chance." He said as he went to undo the tie again, but I stopped him by pulling the tie as tight as I could, getting a choking sound out of him as I did.
"Don't think I won't step in. Because I will! The first hint of her true fear, and I'm ending it." I warned, with Dakota growing a claw from his fingernail and cutting the tie. "Really?" I questioned as I crossed my arms.
"And I will stop you." He said as he rolled his neck. "Only step in if it's a life or death situation, not before. She needs experience." He said as he walked over to Eda, with her laughing at him for some reason.
I know Luz is strong, I'm not calling her weak. There are things that most people can't face, and humans are more connected to their emotions than others. That included us Mutants. Placing a hand on my chest, I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see Luz go through that, to hear or experience the pain that I did. The rejection of a parent, the disapproval, the anger that comes with it.
"Why so twitchy, witchy?" King asked as he stood next to me. Opening my eyes, I looked down at him. I know Eda is super worried, and so is Dakota, but you are looking worse than them." King said, with me looking at Dakota and Eda, with Eda and him sneaking off and pickpocketing people.
"Of course I'm worried." I said as I looked back at him. "I don't want Luz to go through what I did." I said as I crossed my arms and looked around at everyone dancing. "And Dakota isn't worried, he is too calm about it." I said as I looked back at him as he climbed the bleachers to be at eye level with me.
"Oh, you haven't seen him like I have." King said, with me raising an eyebrow at him. "Dakota is really connected to his emotions, especially his anger. When he is worried, and I've seen it a couple of times, he does this thing with his fingers. I can't show you because I don't have what you have." King said as he showed me his paws. "He crosses his fingers and wiggles his thumbs together. He did it a lot when you were training with Eda." He said, surprising me. "Tight now, I can tell you his toes are doing the same thing... maybe?" He said as he shrugged.
"He was worried about me?" I said to myself as I looked back at him, seeing his attention was at the door and not his targets. "That makes me feel somewhat better." I said with a smile, kissing Kings Skull and walking over to him.
The lights dim once I reached them. Cutting Dakota's powers off, he looked at his hands. Grabbing one, he looked at me as a slow song began to play. Eda shot us a knowing grin before excusing herself, leaving us alone. Dakota turned to me, a knowing look in his eyes, but a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Fine, I don't see a problem with one dance." he said, squeezing my hand.
As we stepped onto the dance floor, my heart fluttered with excitement. I rested my hand on Dakota's shoulder, feeling the warmth of his hand on my waist as we found our rhythm. The world around us faded away as me moved in perfect harmony, lost in the music and the moment.
I wanted to talked about ourselves, sharing stories and laughter. After all that I had learned about him, there was nothing that I could hear to make me fall more for him. Dakota's easygoing nature and smile put me at ease, and I was really glad about that.
Their dance flowed effortlessly, and I found my getting lost in his eyes. I wanted to share my passions, my dreams, and my fears, and Dakota I opened that he listened with genuine interest, but his eyes would never leave mine.
As the song came to an end,we paused, their eyes locked in a shared moment of understanding. My heart swelled with a mixture of joy and nervousness, unsure of what would come next. But in that moment, as we stood together on the dance floor, I knew that I had taken a chance worth taking.
As we made our way off the dance floor, I couldn't shake the feeling that something special had begun between us. I knew that I had taken a bold step in asking him to dance, but I also knew that it had been worth it.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and assorted demons!" Gus called out, with us looking on stage. Gus was on stage, in the spotlight, speaking into a microphone. "It's almost time for our main Grom event. Please, please, take a seat, and be aware that the first three rows are designated splash zones." He said as he points at the bottom rows, where guest is sitting in the first row, wearing a raincoat and opens an umbrella. The students cheered with Eda and King sitting next to us towards the front.
"He's really good at this. They're hanging on his every word!" King said with Joy.
Gus was encouraging the crowd to applaud. "I see we've got Principal Bump in the house! Now, sir, I hope you won't throw us in detention because, uh, we're going to raise the roof!" Gus said as the light shined on the principal, who was sitting in the bleachers. He makes a raising-the-roof motion with his hands and smiles. The students cheered even more at his actions.
"Whoo, I, uh, hope my material's up to snuff." King said nervously, where he drops his card and falls into a sitting position, where a whoopie cushion goes off. "What do you think will go better with the youths, close-up magic or impressions?" King asked us, with me looking at Dakota and seeing the fingers thing.
Eda grabs King by the collar and holds him up. "Oh, King. Teenagers are brutal. They'll boo anyone, and that kind of public humiliation can stick with you for life." Eda said, with me looking at her.
"It's true, I booed everyone just to boo." Dakota said before I could say anything. I turned around and crossed my arms, not happy with them picking on King like that.
"Now, introducing our Grom Queen." Gus said as we all looked at the door, with us seeing Amity and Luz talking. Amity was wearing a normal dress, with the chest piece being black with a hot pink diamond on her chest. She had pink puff shoulders and a dark pink skirt with black high heels and had beige pink socks on.
Luz was definitely herself. She wore a mixture of Tux and Dress. Her Tux was black and white, while the inner lining of the tux was blue. Her puff skirt was pink and hot pink while her leggings were purple while wearing men's dance shoes.
"You know her, you love her... you've at least heard of her. Luz, the Human!" Gus called out as the students cheered as the spotlight goes on Luz.
A pedestal with a red button skitters onto the stage. Gus presses it, where the floor opens to reveal the Grom arena. The weapon racks rise up on either side of Luz. She picks up a flail and places an ice glyph on it. It glows with her magic, making me smile as she was learning. She ventures into the arena, where we watched as Grom rises. Grom was a black blob.
Grom turns into human head cat bodies. They started surrendering Luz, with me questioning on why this was a fear of hers. She swings her flail to gain momentum and slams it to the ground. A pillar of ice rises and rockets out the cats, making the students cheer.
"And there she goes, folks! Using that characteristic human magic to keep Grom at bay! And now, to hand things over to my co-emcee: King!" Gus said, with me looking over at the stage and seeing King walk onto the stage.
The students cheered for him, with me looking over at Dakota and saw he was focused on the fight below. "Hel-LO, Hexside! So..." King drops his cards and the microphone feedback screeches. Looking at him, he tugs at his collar. "Oh, oh gosh. Um... whoo. Wow, these lights are warm." He said before looking at me, with pole pointing at the fight to help him. "Observe! Luz, is um... she's down there, all right. And, uh, yes she is! There she goes! Folks, she's battling the thing, and uh..."
The crowd begins to boo, with me shaking my head as this wasn't working.
"Bring back the funny kid!" A kid yelled.
"You will clap for me!" King ordered as he pointed at all of them. "Please?" He asked nicely as he wasn't getting through to them. He throws down the microphone and runs offstage, wailing.
"King!" Gus called out before I could get up. I watched as he ran after him, with me staying seated as he would be fine. Luz on the other hand, I was more worried about. Back in the arena, Luz is fighting the illusion of a phone. A phone? She slams an ice glyph down, which creates a sharp shard of ice that pierces the illusion and makes it disappear.
"Luz has lasted surprisingly long. But what form will Grom take next?" Principal Bump said as he picked up the microphone and looked down at the arena.
Grom rises behind Luz, towering over her. An illusion of cursed Eda with glowing eyes creeps towards her. I looked at Eda, with me seeing Dakota place a hand on her shoulder as she groans and hides in her hair. The illusion reaches out to Luz's head and makes her eyes glow. It morphs into the portal door.
This was it, this is her deepest fear, her true fear. The door opens and Camila steps out, looking around. Luz looks on, shocked at seeing her mother.
"Mom! What are you doing here?" Luz said loud enough for all of us to hear.
"Luz, what is this terrible place? Espérate un momento, this isn't camp. Have you been here, all these weeks?" False Camila said as she placed her hands on her hip, then saw the weapon, gasping. "And is that a weapon?" She questioned as she narrowed her eyes.
Luz dropped the flail as she heard what her mother said. "I can explain!" She said as she held her hands up.
The illusion of Camila morphs into Grom. It towers over Luz. "Mija, have you been lying to me?!" It growls, with me getting ready to stand up. Feeling a hand on mine, I looked at Dakota, seeing him shaking his head at me.
Luz stares at Grom-Camila, terrified. Unable to face her fear, she turns away and runs out of the stage. She ran out into the hallway, with us looking at each other and giving chase ourselves.
Later, Dakota's POV
Running through the woods to catch up to Luz and Grom, I broke free and saw them in a clearing, with Luz standing in the edge of a cliff. "LUZ!?" I called out as I ran towards Grom. He swiped at me, but missed as I slid under him and now stood between her and Grom, facing Luz. "Sup!" I said as I backhanded a few of Groms strikes, with it screaming as it touched me.
"I can't do it, I don't wanna be Grom Queen anymore! I give up the throne!" Luz said, on the verge of tears.
"Let me ask you this. Are you scared of your mother?" I asked, with her shaking her head. "It's the conversation that you will have to have with her about all of this." I said, with her nodding. "That's step one!" I said as I held a finger up. "Identify your fear!" I said as we looked at Grom. "Look at it, does it look like your fear? It no longer resembles your mother." I said as I crossed my arms.
"No, it doesn't!" Luz said as she grew some courage.
"Are you locked in place? Are you forced to sit there and freeze up?" I questioned as Luz now stood next to me.
"No!" Luz cheered as she made a fist and held it out in front of her.
"What is your goal?" I questioned as I looked down at Luz.
"To defeat Grom and prove to everyone that I am not weak!" Luz said as she now stood in front of me.
"That is an excuse." I said, with her looking at me in confusion. "Your goal, is to over come your fear, to know what your true fear is and use it to your advantage!" I said as I narrowed my eyes at Grom.
"Understood!" Luz said as Wanda and Eda came into view.
"Look at those around you, they are your support! Not the students of Hexside, not the gods, but us!" I said as I smirked. "King and Eda, Gus and Willow, Wanda and I, even Amity, we are all your support!" I said as I could see everyone I just called out to. "Use our support to grow stronger, to grow into a better you!" I said as Amity ran over and puts herself between Luz and Grom.
Grom growls and reaches out an inky arm towards Amity, lifting her high above the ground. "I'm sorry, Luz. I should have fought my own battle." Amity said, with me stopping Luz from trying anything. Grom's eyes glow blue, reading Amity's mind.
"Amity! No, your fear!" Luz called out, with me shaking my head.
"She will be fine." I said as she looked up at me.
Grom grows, turning more and more blob-like. Finally, it shrinks and morphs into a humanoid body. "Who is that?"
"Grom takes the pink note from Amity's pocket and rips it in half, letting it fall to the ground. Amity closes her eyes, embarrassed, clutching her dress. Grom slinks away. Amity picks up one half of the note from the ground and holds it to her heart. Luz runs over and picks up the other, unfurls it, and reads it.
"You were afraid of getting rejected. Amity, it's okay. What if I went to Grom with you instead?" Luz asked as she held her hand out for Amity to take. Amity reaches for it, her fear gone.
"Really?" Amity asked with a smile.
"That's what friends do." Luz said with a smile herself.
"There is valuable insight from pain." I said, with both of them looking at me. "Now, visualize your goal!" I said they looked at each other.
"Well, then, if that's settled, may I have this dance?" Amity asked as she holds out her hand to Luz. Luz grins and takes it. They come close to dance, the moon shining brightly behind us. They started their dance. Luz spins Amity, and Amity casts a spell with her feet, forming a giant abomination below them. They rise up on it, where Luz fans out her plant glyph cards. Amity dips Luz, and she slaps the glyphs onto the abomination. They jump off, and the abomination goes into Grom's mouth. Green light moves within it, and then plants start to bloom through it. Luz lands, then catches Amity, spinning her around several times before putting her on her feet. As they finish, holding hands, looking at each other, Grom explodes behind them. A giant tree is in its place. The last remnants of Grom slink off. Luz and Amity look up as a tiara appears on both of their heads. They smile at each other.
"So... who did you wanna ask out?" Luz asked with a smile, trying to pry into Amity's crush.
"Oh, it's... it's not important." Amity said in embarrassment before she pulls the note-piece from her pocket and tosses it aside. At the same time, King runs to the side of the girls.
"And there you have it, folks. A happy ending for this year's Grom. Let's give a big hand to our Grom Queens, Luz and Amity!" King cheered as he held his hand up.
Luz flashes a toothy smile as Amity blushes awkwardly. The students pop out of the bushes and run toward them, cheering. They parade the girls, holding them up. Luz puts a hand on Amity's shoulder. Eda is clapping for them next to Gus and King.
"Are you ok?" Wanda asked as she made her way over to me, with me placing my hands in my pockets.
"I will be." I said as I looked up at the moon. "Your mother... You miss her... don't you?" I asked as I was well aware that she lost her mother at a young age.
"I do." She said as she stood next to me, looking up at the moon as well. "Why do you ask?" She asked as she looked at me.
"What would you do to have one more day with her?" I asked, looking at her as she actually thought about it.
"I can't say... And you?" She asked, with me looking at my hand.
"I would give up my right arm to spend one more day with her." I said as I made a fist. "To tell her I'm sorry... to tell her that I'm ok... sort of... to tell her that she doesn't have to worry about me." I said as I pushed down the emotions and started walking away as I said my peace.