Time… Space… Reality…
It's more than just a linear path. It's like a prism… of endless possibilities.
A single choice one makes can branch out into infinite realities… creating alternate worlds from the ones we know.
Greetings. I am the Guardian, appearing on your computer screen, to show you one of the new realities I have watched and seen branching the story you have followed.
Follow me… and ponder the question… What If…?
…
…
Well, how do you like that intro? I got it from an old pal from another cosmic reality. But enough of that. You all came here for one thing, and I'm here to give you the answer.
So last time there was a reality where Lilith Clawthorne was the one that raised Luz after the tragedy of her role in killing Camila Noceda. Which got me curious to see if there are other possibilities where Luz was… never brought to the Demon Realm at an early age…
As we know from the main timeline, Eda had by chance found Luz and took her from the car crash. After looking for somewhere to drop her at, she concluded to raise her on her own. Resulting in the Luz Clawthorne that we know and love.
But… what if this happened…
"'Dear noons," Eda said while reading the note and holding onto Baby Luz. "Please take care of this human child known as Luz. Her mother passed away two weeks ago and Luz needs someone to take care of her. She doesn't like pasteurized milk, but she does like the apple flavored baby food packets and she is a little bit of a biter." Eda's hand shook when she read the note, a tear fell from her eye. "She can be a handful… but when you look into her eyes, it gives you this… feeling that you want to protect her no matter what. She deserves more than… than…"
"Eda?" King whispered in concern.
Eda saw Luz raising her arms as if she wanted her. The witch had a saddened expression and to her surprise the nun held up the basket back to Eda.
"You're not ready to give her up," the nun told her in an understanding tone. "And she doesn't want to be separated from her mother."
"W-What?" Eda asked. "I-I'm not this kid's mother, I was just taking care of her until I could find someone to leave her with."
"Even if you're not her birth mother, she wants to be with you and I can tell that you want to be with her," the nun said as she handed Luz back to Eda. "I think that you are meant to be her mother."
"You… really believe that?" Eda asked, looking down at Luz, who hugged the witch's arm.
"Yes, and in time I believe you will become the parent this poor child needs," the nun replied with a smile.
Eda looked at Baby Luz, who smiled at her. But then… Eda frowned and looked at the baby sadly as she handed her back to the nun.
"No… no, no, no I'm… I just can't," Eda told her while rushing away, leaving Baby Luz as she started to cry.
"Are you sure?" the nun asked her, but Eda didn't look back.
"Eda? Are you… okay?" King asked her.
"Yeah, just… she's better off, okay?" Eda said as she ran far from the church, ignoring the cries of Baby Luz. "The Boiling Isles is no place for a human child and she needs to be with her own kind…"
The nun sighed while she held onto Luz. "There, there, everything's going to be okay," she said sadly while going back into the church. "I promise we will find you a good home…"
Hopefully, she finds a good home…
A week after Baby Luz was left with the nuns, a car pulled up and a couple got out.
"You think it's really her?" the man asked his wife.
"I hope so," the woman said as she walked up at a brisk pace, her husband following her.
"Careful now, you know the doctor said-"
"I can take it," the woman said while knocking on the door. Answering it was the nun.
"Yes?" the nun asked her.
"Abigail Gates," the woman told her while showing her ID. "I called earlier, about my goddaughter."
The nun nodded as she led the way. "Come in."
Abigail and her husband went inside and were told to wait until one of the nuns came back with the baby. Abigail's eyes widened when she recognized the child…
"Here she is," the nun said as she held up Baby Luz. "Little Luz Noceda, your godparents are here for you."
"Oh my god…" Abigail covered her mouth, tears streaming from her eyes. Immediately, she took Luz from the nun and raised the young child in her arms, rocking her back and forth while Luz cried "There, there, you're with me now… you're with me now…"
"We can work out the paperwork, and then she will be all yours," the nun told her.
"Thank you, for finding her," Abigail told the nun.
"Oh, that wasn't us, There was this… woman who showed up and dropped her off," the nun responded. "I thought she was gonna change her mind but… then I was wrong."
"Well, whoever she was, she did the right thing," Abigail responded while holding Luz. "Cause I don't know how I would deal with it if she was…" She sniffed and patted her own stomach. "You're going to have a big sister now… Clara…"
Fourteen years later…
"Clara, can you go check if Luz is ready for school?" asked Clara's dad.
"Sure, dad!" Clara replied while heading for the door to Luz's room, which had police tape and a 'Keep Out or Die' sign hanging on.
Inside the room, the walls were covered in posters of musicians like Santana, Rhianna, KISS, and the late Selena. Luz herself was looking through her contraband stash. Luz Noceda-Gates had natural, bushy curly hair and was wearing a blue rolled up sleeveless shirt with black fingerless gloves, black ripped jeans, and black boots. She was looking at an occult item when she heard knocking on the door.
"Luz?" Clara called out from the hallway.
Luz quickly hid the occult items under her bed, which had other hidden contraband like tarot cards, skulls, and Good Witch Azura books. She jumped on her bed and put on her headphones. She played some music and began to pop her head while the knocking continued. "Come in!"
Opening the door, Clara saw Luz listening to her music. "Come on, we're gonna be late!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it!" Luz replied while taking her headphones off. Clara then spotted something on the floor.
"Is that…?" Clara pointed at a magazine on the floor, a very… adult magazine, while Luz blocked from her line of sight.
"Hey, my room, my business," Luz responded. "You didn't see anything, right?"
Clara shook her head. "Just get ready."
"Atta girl," Luz said while giving Clara a nudge to her arm. "Now leave."
Clara walked out and shortly afterward Luz came out of her room with her book bag and a gray jacket on. Before heading out though, she stopped in front of a door and knocked on it,
"Yo, mom," Luz spoke up.
"Come in."
Luz opened the door and looked in to see Abigail, who was bed-ridden.
"Good morning, Luz," Abigail said as she looked up at her daughter.
"Just checking to see if you're doing alright," Luz said while noticing the pill bottle on her dresser.
"I'm doing okay, Luz," Abigail responded. "How about you? Did you sleep well?"
"Don't worry, had a good night's rest and um, not listening to Bono," Luz assured her. "I'm about to head off."
"Well, have a good day at school, Luz," Abigail replied while putting on a brave face for Luz. Seeing the smile pained Luz, who knew that Abigail was faking it to hide her depression. But… Luz still appreciated the effort.
"Thanks, and… I love you," Luz said, putting on her own brave face with a smile. "See ya later, mom."
Abigail nodded. "You too."
As Luz headed into the hall, her expression changed to worry. She wished she could do more. The woman who saved her deserved more.
Once she arrived in the kitchen, she saw a plate of toast and sausage links and she took a few. Then she saw her adoptive father handing a bag of lunch to Clara and then to her.
"Here you go, Luz," he said while handing her a bag. "I know how much you like burritos, so I got some warmed up for ya."
"Um… thanks, Frank," Luz responded while grabbing her lunch.
"Come on, Luz, the bus is almost here!" Clara announced while Luz left with Clara to catch the bus.
Clara got in first and Luz greeted the bus driver as she got on as well. "Morning, Ms. Cherry."
"Don't talk to me and sit down," the elderly driver responded, causing Luz to roll her eyes. Spotting Clara sitting with her friends, Luz walked past her and looked for a free seat.
"Yo, Luz, saved ya a seat!" Gus Gordon shouted, getting her attention.
"Thanks, Gus," Luz responded while sitting down and pulling out the burrito. "Road burrito?"
"Aw nice, thanks!" Gus responded as he took the burrito and they both felt the bus start to move. "So did you see that new music video last night?"
"Yeah," Luz responded, the two beginning to talk about music on their way to school.
Later at Gatesfield High, Luz and Gus walked down the hall together.
"So you've been working through that playlist of yours for a while?" Gus asked her.
"Yup," Luz replied. "And I have been adding some great and obscure hits to my CDs."
"You know that most people use MP3 players now," Gus pointed out. "We can even listen to our music on our iPhones."
"Yeah, but I like to go old school," Luz said while stopping to open her locker. "If only I could learn how to mix tapes, that would be fun."
"Hey, Luz, Gus," said an African-American girl with dark natural hair, brown eyes, glasses, a green shirt, and jean shorts with red flats.
"Paulina, hey!" Luz greeted.
"The town's theater is having Romeo and Juliet tryouts," Paulina brought up. "You guys interested?"
"Does it require music?" Gus asked her.
"I'm not interested in that," Luz dismissed with a wave. "Besides, I got better things to do with my spare time."
"Are you sure?" Paulina asked her. "Clara's signed up, so it would be-"
"Lina, Lina, Lina," Luz said, patting the girl's shoulder. "I'm not interested in dressing up like some maiden. It's just not my thing, okay?"
"Oh… okay," Paulina said while they heard the bell ring.
Clara, while in her class, was writing notes in her notebook from the teacher's lecture.
"Now who can tell me what Revolutionary soldier became our state's official hero in 1985?" the teacher asked and Clara raised her hand up. "Clara?"
"Nathan Hale, who was a spy for the Americans until he was hanged by the Red Coats in 1776," Clara answered.
"That is correct! As always, my star student!" the teacher exclaimed while placing a gold star on Clara's name on the wall… which has more gold stars than her classmates. "If the rest of you were to put as much as an effort as Ms. Gates here, you'd have more stars!"
Luz, meanwhile, was boredly drawing in her notebook while not paying attention to her history lesson. Her doodles were of… owls, which she had a strange fascination with. She usually drew them with skullcaps.
"Alright, who can tell me about the significant historical deeds Abraham Lincoln accomplished!" the teacher exclaimed while looking around and spotting Luz doodling. "Luz!"
"Hmm?" Luz asked, looking up.
"Why don't you tell our class about Lincoln's accomplishments?" he asked her.
"Um… well, he did proclaim emancipation against slavery, only to attempt to deport them," Luz answers, causing a moment of silence. "What? It's not like Honest Abe doesn't have any dirt in his hands, none of our presidents had clean hands back then."
"Um… we were supposed to talk about the good our presidents have done…" the teacher pointed out but Luz wouldn't have it.
"Right… like Woodrow Wilson being responsible for most of the racism in this country," Luz replied. "Or when Nixon ordered for black neighborhoods to be raided by authorities, and what about Andrew Jackson… dude's a psychopath!"
"Detention for 'causing a scene'!" Luz ranted while walking down the hall with Gus. "Damn teacher couldn't handle the truth!"
"The authority here sucks, man," Gus said in agreement.
"I can't wait to get out of here," Luz muttered, while many students glanced at her or made sure to avoid her. "I only shared facts and I got detention for it!"
Clara read through a Shakespearian passage for literature arts. "The Weird Sisters, hand to hand, posters of the sea and land, thus do go about, about, thrice to thine and thrice to mine! And thrice again, to make up nine. Peace, the charm's wound up…"
"Very good, Clara," spoke the teacher. "As expected from the school's resident Shakespearian student, now why don't you recite a line from Romeo and Juliet?"
Clara nodded before she began her lines…
Luz was in another class, sitting alone while her classmates were talking amongst themselves. She tried to focus on her notebook, which contained sketches of mythological creatures. Some of them were from her dreams… or at least she thought they were dreams.
"The hell are you drawing?" asked one student who peeked at her notebook.
"Fuck off," Luz replied while flipping him off.
"Tsh, freak," he said while going back to his friends, all were heckling amongst themselves while Luz just ignored them.
In art class, Luz was doing some paintings, including a portrait of a mysterious woman made of shapes and lines. Luz gave this woman an orange mane and a red dress made up of triangles.
The art teacher looked at Luz's painting. "Very interesting, what do you call it?"
"I guess… Lady in Red," Luz responded with a shrug.
There was one thing Clara couldn't get her mind off of, though she tried to distract herself by reading some of the books in the library for research.
She was reading about paintings by classical artists. But when she looked at the ones that depicted… explicit content, she couldn't help but be reminded of the magazine Luz had in her room. She quickly closed the book, not wanting to see another painting of a woman without clothes on.
She looked at her phone, a thought popping into her head. But should she risk it? Maybe if she put the safe search on, it wouldn't get her in trouble… right?
"Claire!" Jordan called out as she, along with Cree and Pigtails, came into the library. "I heard you signed up for Romeo and Juliet tryouts!"
"Uh yeah," Clara said with a nod. "I… thought it would be fun."
"Ooh, it'd be super fun!" Pigtails responded. "Especially since Prince Daniels also signed up for the part of Romeo!"
"Yeah, like mmm, he's such a dreamboat!" Jordan said. "Don't you agree, Claire?"
"Oh yeah, definitely," Clara said, though she felt about her statement.
"Oh, you know that Luz girl? I hear she caused a scene at her history class," Cree brought up.
"Ugh, what is up with that weird girl?" Jordan asked. "Like, honestly, how do you put up with her Claire? Living under the same roof as her must be dreadful…"
"She's my godsister, Jordan," Clara reminded her. "Though… it wasn't always like this." She looked down while remembering a time when she and Luz used to be so close…
When they were both the age of five, little Luz was looking around the house until she spotted someone behind the curtains. She giggled, walked over, and pulled the curtains up, finding the young Clara there.
"Found you!" Luz declared.
"Aw man, I really need to find a better hiding spot!" Clara pouted.
"Don't worry, you'll get better!" Luz said, patting the girl's shoulder. "But now you'll have to find me, little sis!"
Clara smiled. "Sure!"
"Then you better start counting!" Luz reminded as Clara closed her eyes, starting to count while Luz went to hide.
"One… two… three.." Clara counted while Luz looked for a good hiding spot.
While she snuck through the hall, she overheard people talking in another room. She followed the chatter and partially opened the door to spot her godmother, Abigail, arguing with someone "I told you that-!" Abigail stopped when she noticed Luz. "Luz, honey, what are you… doing?"
"Looking for a place to hide while Clara looks for me," Luz replied.
"Well, you can't hide in here while I'm… busy," Abigail advised her.
"Hello, Luz," spoke the woman who was with Abigail.
"Hi, Tía Angelica!" Luz waved while rushing away to hide, having recognized her aunt's arm…
About three years later, Luz placed her present on the stack of presents for Clara's eighth birthday.
"Clara's gonna love this!" Luz said to herself after placing the present.
"God, I can't believe she's here," she heard someone say.
Luz heard some of the other girls talking amongst themselves, so she walked over to them "Hey, you must be Clara's friends! I think one of you is in the same class as me."
"And you are?" asked a young Jordan.
"Oh you know me, Luz, the girl next to the window who likes coloring snakes?" Luz greeted.
"Yeah well, we got some party games to play," Jordan said while she and her friends walked away.
"Can I join?" Luz asked them hopefully.
"Sorry, but we need an even amount of players for our game," she told her.
"But there's only three of you and-" Luz saw them ignoring her, which made her feel disheartened. She looked around and saw other kids playing around without her, some were talking with Clara. Luz looked down at the ground while she went to look for Abigail, passing some of her neighbors.
"It's that weird girl again," spoke one parent.
"The Noceda kid? I hear she once brought snake skin to show and tell."
"I've seen her not pay much attention during church service. Always drawing weird pictures."
"Remind me to not invite her to my kid's party."
Luz kept looking down sadly, overhearing the adults talking about her. But it wasn't new to her, she was already self-aware enough to know how they really felt about her. A kid who was adopted into the Gates family out of pity…
"Not surprised this girl ends up being weird, considering it is Abigail who raised her," one parent brought up.
"You tell me," another replied. "Abby has been spewing out junk about witches and monsters since she was a kid and now she's putting it all in that poor child's head."
"Makes me wonder why she even took her in," one questioned.
"She's her godchild, Abigail was obliged to," another answered. "Thankfully Clara turned out to be more normal."
Luz shut her eyes and eventually spotted Abigail sitting at the patio. She ran up to her. "Mom, are you alright?"
"Hmm? Oh, Luz," Abigail responded. "Shouldn't you be out there with the other kids?"
"I would, but… I'd rather spend some time with you," Luz responded. "I've um… also heard what the other parents said about you."
"Oh? What did they say?" Abigail asked her.
Luz looked down. "They… said about how you used to talk about witches and monsters when you were a kid… do you know what they were talking about?" Abigail's eyes widened and she looked at the ground, which concerned Luz. "Mom?"
Abigail sighed and turned to Luz. "Back when I was young, I… saw someone get attacked by a wild animal. Because of how young I was, I tried to cope with what I saw by believing it was a witch who had taken the form of a monster."
"Oh… I'm sorry," Luz responded. "They shouldn't be making fun of you for that."
"It's fine," Abigail said as she patted Luz's head. "Those parents are just being jerks."
This made Luz confused. "If those parents are jerks, why even invite them over if you don't like them?"
Abigail sighed. "Because as a member of the Gates family and this community, I have certain… obligations to uphold," she explained to her. "Because as much as I want to, I can't escape who my family is."
"Really?" Luz asked while Abigail gave a nod. "Am I… also part of this family?"
"Oh come here," Abigail said as she held Luz up. "You will always be a part of my family, Luz," she said while kissing Luz's head affectionately.
"Thanks, Mom," Luz responded with a smile while hugging Abigail, who hugged her back.
As the years went by, Luz noticed how she was alienated by most of the kids at school. And unlike her, Clara didn't have this problem. And during this time, Luz started noticing Abigail's depression growing worse and worse.
At one point, Luz found Abigail on the floor with a stack of pills when she was eleven. She called 911 which resulted in Abigail making a trip to the hospital. When Luz expressed her concern for Abigail, Frank reassured her that "everything's fine."
Eventually Luz realized how no one was willing to help Abigail. The adults around here weren't willing to do anything about Abigail's condition, and they told their children to not talk about it, adding to the fact that most didn't want to associate with Luz in the first place despite her being part of the Gates family.
Because of this, Luz started isolating herself from everyone… even her foster family.
"Luz?" Clara, age thirteen, asked as she checked in on Luz, who was setting up some posters on the wall. "I'm going to go shopping with my friends, would you like to come?"
"I'm busy," Luz told her while not looking.
"Oh, um… okay. Just asking," Clara responded sadly before she left Luz alone who continued to set up her room. "I'll see you later then."
"Yeah…" Luz said while putting up another poster, not seeing her godsister's saddened look.
Clara just looked down, thinking about Luz while her friends continued to chat about her.
"Like seriously, your godsister will probably end up as your maid or something," Jordan said casually, which irked Clara. "Besides, forget about her, let's talk about Jessica, she literally wore the same dress!"
"Oh no/She's so out to get you!" Pigtails and Cree commented, while Clara decided to just not pay attention to what they were saying…
Soon school was over and as Luz headed out, she was noticed by Clara, who was in her cheerleading uniform.
She tried calling to her, but she watched as Luz continued to walk away in a hurry. Clara looked down, sighing as she headed for cheer practice.
When she got there, she was confronted by Pigtails outside the gym. "Hey, what took you so long?"
"Oh, just… saw someone," Clara responded.
"It was Daniels, wasn't it?" Pigtails asked her.
"Uh… maybe…" Clara lied, causing Pigtails to pull on her arm.
"Well come on, we can talk all about it with the other girls!" Pigtails said as she pulled Clara inside the gym, where the rest of the cheer squad was.
"Right… the other… girls…" Clara said nervously, now having to be inside a large room full of girls in cute, cheerleading uniforms…
Again.
Luz walked through town until she reached the old Gravesfield graveyard, in the part of the town that was once known as Gravesfield until the Gates family took over. This was the only part of town that still kept its original name Gravesfield due to, well, being a graveyard.
She headed for an old oak tree, where she heard someone call out her name. "Yo, Luz!"
Luz looked up and smiled. "What's up, my fellow old grave robbers?" she asked, looking up to see Masha, Dana, and Rudo in the branches of the tree.
"What's up yourself," Masha responded as she climbed down. "Were you followed?"
"Nope, I made sure to cover my tracks and stay in the blind spots," Luz said.
"Hell yeah," Rudo cheered.
"Come on, there's a spot we can hang," Dana said as the group headed to a spot away from sight.
The four hung out in front of a grave while Masha showed them more of the occult items she managed to come into possession of. She then started to do tarot card readings for each of her friends, eventually moving onto Luz.
"Alright Luz, it's your turn to read your future," Masha said while shuffling her cards.
"What does my future hold?" Luz asked.
"Let's see..." Masha replied while shuffling the cards and placing down three of them. "The cards say here that… you have been… feeling like there's a mark left on your soul… an echo of your past left behind," she explained. "Your curiosity will lead you… on an adventure of self-discovery to meet someone from your past that will lead you to a choice that will change the path you're on…"
"Whoa…" Luz said in shock. "But what does that mean?"
"Who knows," Masha said with a shrug. "I just made the whole thing up."
"True, it's not like these things actually predict stuff. It's all good and fun." Dana replied.
"Or do they…?" Rudo asked in a haunted sounding voice.
"Well, now that we have had our futures read, check these out," Luz said as she brought up some of her artwork from her book bag, including the Lady in Red painting.
"Whoa… you did that?" Dana asked.
"Yeah, I painted it during art class," Luz responded while Masha noticed her sketches in her notebooks.
"Huh, you sure do draw a lot of owls and skulls," Masha said while looking at one drawing. "What do you make of this?"
Luz looked at the drawing of a round shaped owl face with large black eyes and a small beak. "I keep having nightmares about that… face," she admitted. "But for the rest I am influenced to draw what I remember from these… fuzzy dreams I keep having."
Masha nodded before deciding to change the subject. "So… have you told them you-know-what yet?" she asked.
Luz sighed. "No, but earlier this morning Clara found one of my magazines. However, I don't think she suspects anything."
"Sounds like a close call," Rudo said.
"Yeah, thankfully. I mean, I'm still not ready to come out as bi to my family," Luz admitted. "Nor do I ever plan to, honestly. Especially with how much of a good ol' Christian town this place is and… how my mom is… I'm afraid of how she and the rest of my family will react if they find out that I like girls. I know they won't hurt me or something like that, but I still don't think they will take it well…"
"Hey, we get it. That's why we have agreed to keep your secret," Masha reminded her.
"Thanks, Mash," Luz said while looking down. "Though I guess this is why me and Clara aren't as close anymore… we like, live in completely different worlds. She has her cheerleading and Shakespeare while being Little Miss Perfect and is always hanging out with those 'friends' of hers, while I am the weirdo who has decided to focus on her artwork and music interests."
"Shakespeare?" Masha asked. "I think I heard her reciting poetry earlier."
"Yeah, she was most likely practicing for the Romeo and Juliet tryouts," Luz mentioned. "Paulina asked if I was interested in trying out… but I don't think it's a good idea."
"Are you sure? Because maybe you should actually try out," Dana suggested.
"Yeah, like maybe you can show Clara that you're interested in her hobbies and spend some time with her," Masha suggested. "You don't have to tell her that you're bi… but you're still sisters."
Luz gave a thoughtful look. "I'll… think on it," she said while holding up her cellphone. "So… anyone up for some prank calls?"
At the Gatesfield Historical Society, Jacob Hopkins was just cleaning his desk when the phone rang. He answered it. "Hello? Gatesfield Historical Society, this is Jacob Hobkins speaking."
"Yes, this is the US government," said Masha's voice, which sounded different. "We have been wanting to talk to you, Mr. Hopkins."
Jacob's hopes rose. "You… you have?"
"Yes, we've heard about your Youtube account being taken down which is very unfortunate," Masha said. "So we hoped to recruit you ourselves so that we could hear about your… theories."
"Like my theory on how the world is flat and held up by the aliens from Kuzakia is getting into light?!" Jacob asked in excitement. "I'm in! What do you have to do?"
"Wear a green spandex suit and meet us at the old GB Gates statue!"
"On it!" Jacob declared as he hung up, this was going to be his biggest break yet!
"Oh my god, he fell for it!" Luz snickered.
"Wow, that's impressive you did, Masha," Dana commented. "You'd make a good voice actor."
"Yeah, putting that on my list," Masha said in agreement.
The Romeo and Juliet tryouts had commenced, Clara having shown up in a blue gown costume. She was trying out for the starring role and she noticed someone else who had shown up.
"Luz?" Clara said in surprise, spotting her godister. She walked up to her. "Hey… what are you doing here? I didn't know you'd… try out."
"Eh, I'm just trying new things," Luz shrugged.
"Well… it's great that you're here," Clara said enthusiastically. "Seriously, this is going to be great!"
"Yeah…" Luz said awkwardly, while walking over to do her lines.
"Name?" the theater director asked.
"Luz Noceda-Gates, and I'm trying out for Mercutio," Luz explained.
"Mercutio? That's usually a male role," the director pointed out.
"Yeah but, then again, Peter Pan and Pinocchio were played by Sandy Duncan so why can't I play Mercutio?" Luz questioned. "Besides, I ain't going for Juliet, or some maiden."
The director sighed and decided to let Luz give it a try. "Proceed…"
Luz looked at the script. "Let's see… 'O… then I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes in shape no bigger than an agate stone!" Luz recited while looking at her script closely. "On the forefinger of an alderman, drawn with a team of little… atomics?'"
"Atomies," the director sighed while Clara watched Luz's audition, a smile forming on her face…
After tryouts, Luz walked out of the theater with Clara walking beside her.
"I think you did good," Clara said while walking with Luz.
"Yeah, just don't expect that they'll pick me for the part," Luz told her. "Besides it being a male part, I think I f'ed up a few lines, like… what the hell does 'Begot' mean?"
Clara still smiled before she noticed what looked to be Jacob Hopkins in a green suit. "Um… are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Luz turned and saw Jacob walking across the street and heading for the center of town. "It's best not to ask," she said while keeping herself from laughing.
A week later, Luz was at her locker when Gus walked up to her. "Luz, I didn't know you tried out for the play."
"I tried it, but I don't think they were interested in me," Luz responded while Gus held up the cast list.
"You sure about that?" Gus asked and when Luz saw her name on the cast list, her eyes widened.
"Mercutio!? They gave me Mercutio?!" Luz said in shock. "No way!"
"If you guys need a sound editor, I'm your guy!" Gus volunteered, pointing to himself.
"You know it, Gordon," Luz responded as the two fist bump.
"Oh Romeo, thou Romeo." Clara recited from her script, Luz helping her practice. "Where forth art thou, Romeo?"
"Geez, they're really wanting us to sound this ornate?" Luz asked while reading her script.
"It's from the late 16th century, the dialogue was always going to sound old," Clara said while Luz just slouched on her bed.
"That explains the questionable age difference between the leads…" Luz pointed out while Clara rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Luz, take this seriously," Clara told her godsister.
"Fine, I'll help you… plan to ask out Prince Daniels," Luz said while Clara looked uncertain for a moment. "Hey, you alright?"
"Oh um… yeah." Clara lied, while Luz stared at her.
"Hey, I get it, most girls your age would be nervous over a boy they like," Luz said while looking away, not realizing Clara was flinching. "I mean, he's a pretty boy but I'm not into pretty boys, you know? I like my men with a little muscle, you get what I'm saying?"
"Uh, yeah." Clara nodded "Gotta drink that man sweat!" she said while putting on a nervous fake smile.
An awkward pause followed.
"Okay… did not want to know that…"
"No, it's not what I-"
"Let's continue rehearsing," Luz said while Clara just looked down awkwardly…
Later, it was the night of the play. All of the Gatesfield community went to the school theater to watch their kids perform. This included Abigail and Frank, the presence of the former surprising quite a few parents.
Clara, in her Juliet costume, peeked through the curtains and saw her parents there. "Dad's here with mom," she told Luz, who was in her Marcutio outfit.
"For real?" Luz asked her and Clara nodded.
"She's really here, coming to see our show!" Clara said with a smile. "How do I look? Is the dress ironed out good or-"
"Hey, hey, relax, okay?" Luz reassured her. "You're going to do great," she said, patting Clara's shoulder. "You'll do great."
"Alright, places everyone!" declared the director. "Let's get the show started!" She turned to Paulina, who was part of the cast "You, turn on the lights! Gordon, start the music! This night shall be perfect!"
And so the play commenced, with Clara up on stage. Calling out their lines was Prince Daniels, the pretty boy in the Romeo outfit. He approached her.
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand, this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this," Prince said as he held onto Clara's hand, getting into character. "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss…"
Clara tried to not look nervous, not out of stage fright, but because of Prince swaying his eyebrows and smiling at her… a big turn off to her.
"Uh… Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much!" She placed her hand against him. "Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss!" She tried not to show disgust as she shifted her face away from Prince.
Within the audience, Frank leaned over to Abigail. "Clara's really doing good up there."
"I know," Abigail said, giving a nod.
"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" Prince Daniels asked, raising his head up in question.
"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer," Clara said while in a prayer gesture.
Later, it was Luz's big scene, where she had a fake sword underneath her armpit as she performed her death scene.
"A… plague… o' both your houses!" Luz cried out while dramatically acting. "They have made worms' meat of me… I have it… and soundly, too… Your houses!" She ripped her shirt open which caused sausages to spill out onto the stage. "AAAHHH!"
The audience were definitely shocked by this, but the rest of the players played along.
"This… gentleman, the Prince's near ally, my very friend, hath got this mortal hut in my behalf!" Daniels continued on.
"Oh, so it is part of the play," Frank said while shocked.
Abigail nodded. She looked just as shocked as the audience, but she couldn't help but smile at Luz's performance, especially since she knew the sausages was likely her own suggestion to spice up her death scene.
Friar Lawrence spoke his lines, while Clara and Prince Daniels had arrived at… that scene.
"Romeo, O, pale! Who else? What, Paris too...?" he recited while Clara waited for her cue.
'Great… the kiss scene,' she thought as she waited for her cue. 'Do I really have to do this? Maybe… I can be creative with it… yeah, no one would know. I can just brush it off by saying that I'm saving my first kiss to someone really special… no one will suspect a thing, not even Luz…' The cover of the magazine popped in her head, causing her to scream internally. 'Get out of my head, you stupid, foxy magazine!'
"…The lady stirs!"
Clara rose up and looked over at Prince Daniel's motionless body. "O comfortable friar! Where is my lord? I do remember well where I should be, and there I am. Where is my Romeo?"
Behind the curtains, Luz watched her godsister while Paulina and Gus. "Wow, she's really bringing it in," Paulina comments.
"She's alright," Gus replied.
"Yeah, and call me cupid cause I think I gave Clara her score," Luz replied while watching Clara holding up the cup.
"A cup clos'd in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end," she recited before holding onto Prince. "O churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop to help me after? I will kiss thy lips, haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make me die with a restorative. Thy lips are warm…"
"Okay, here it is… the kiss…" Jordan whispered to her girls as they watched.
"I so ship them!" Pigtails squeed.
Clara looked down at Prince who opened one of his eyes slightly, waiting for the kiss. She looked quite uncomfortable about it and what she did next… surprised the audience.
She gave him a kiss… on the forehead.
This confused the audience, especially Jordan and her friends. "Aw, what?!"
"Did she chicken out?" Gus asked Luz.
"Um… I'll ask her about it later," Luz responded.
Clara rose up with the dagger in her hand "Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief! O happy dagger, this is thy sheath." She pretended to stab herself. "There rust… and let me… die!" She fell to the ground and the audience began to clap in approval.
"Think she's a little shy?" Frank asked Abigail while they clapped.
"I'm not… sure…" Abigail responded, just as confused.
After the play, the parents went backstage to meet up with their kids and congratulate them. Gus noticed Luz walking away. "Hey, aren't you going to meet your folks?" he asked.
"I will, just need to find Clara first," Luz responded.
"Alright," Gus said before he went to meet with his mom.
Luz headed over to the dressing room. "Clara, are you-"
"What was that back there?"
Hearing Daniel's voice, Luz paused and began to listen.
"I just… thought I'd be a little creative, that's all," Clara's voice said. "Plus, you shouldn't be in here…"
"Yeah, you're right." Daniels responded while walking towards Clara. "You know, Jordan told me you've been eyeing on me for a while…"
"Well, she can be… wrong." Clara responded nervously while Daniels grabbed her by the shoulder.
"No, you owe me this," Daniels told her while grabbing Clara, shoving her against the dresser.
"Hey- stop! Let me go! NO!" Clara cried while kicking and screaming.
The door flew open as Luz rushed in to separate him from her. "Get away from her, shithead!" she shouted as she punched him across the face, making him fall down to the floor. She then stomps him between the legs, repeatedly. "You get what you fucking deserve!"
She was seeing red as she kept beating him and stomping on him. She wasn't going to let this scumbag get away with hurting her godsister like that, not while she was around…
"Luz, stop!"
Luz was then pulled away by the adults that heard the commotion. She gets them to let go of her. "Don't fucking touch me!" she shouted while backing away before looking around, seeing the scared Clara and the shivering Daniels who was being escorted away by some of the adults. She then realized everyone was looking at her with those judgmental eyes…
The next day, Luz was with Abigail and Frank as they met with Principal Hal.
"Your goddaughter is a ticking time bomb," Principal Hal said while pacing back and forth. "That boy's parents are threatening to sue over this incident."
"Hey, you should've seen what he tried to do-" Luz stood up but Frank interjected.
"Luz, let Principal Hal talk," Frank told her while Luz looked at him in disbelief.
"This is unacceptable behavior," Principal Hal told them. "So in light of recent events, I think it would be in the best interests of everyone that Luz… gets help. And I know just the place." He offered them a pamphlet, which Frank took.
"The… Smile Away Reformatory School?" Frank asked.
"It'll help her keep her… wild behavior tendencies tamed," Hal advised.
"In other words, you're sending me away," Luz said while looking at Abigail with a hopeful look, hoping her godmother would at least try to defend her.
But Abigail looked unsure, conflicted even. "Well… we are gonna… need some time to think about it…"
"Well I say we should go for it!" Frank declared. "Cause honestly, this is what Luz needs right now."
"Of course you'd be happy to send me away, Frank," Luz muttered.
"Hey, if you hadn't hurt that poor, Daniels boy-"
"Oh right, the poor little creep who tried to force himself onto your daughter, Clara, who didn't want to kiss him!" Luz shouted back at him.
"Luz, now that is quite the accusation," Frank told her. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad. Besides… boys will be boys."
Luz couldn't believe it. That was it. That was the final straw.
"Oh fuck you, Frank!" Luz shouted as she flipped him off and rushed out of the principal's office.
"Luz!" Abigail called out for her while turning to glare at her husband.
"What?" Frank asked stupidly.
Luz rushed into the hall, where Clara was waiting for them. "Luz, how-" She tried to speak to her, but Luz ran past her. "Luz!"
Luz kept running, not looking back as Clara began to chase after her.
"Luz!" Clara shouted as she followed Luz out of the building, only to lose sight of her. "Luz?"
Luz had managed to lose Clara. This was too much for her, everything was too much for her. She needed to get away…
She ended up in a cemetery, where she slowed down and started to wander. She didn't really know where she was going until she came to a stop in front of one plaque in particular.
The one marking her father's tombstone.
Manny Noceda, Luz's father who died before she was old enough to even remember him. Tears streamed from her eyes as she knelt down in front of her father's grave.
"Dad…" Luz sniffed while wiping her tears and noticing another grave plot nearby. The plagues marked the graves as belonging to her uncle and her grandparents, or more specifically, her uncle and her grandparents from the Gates side. She didn't know much about them. Joseph Gates died at the same time her father did and Abigail's parents died while Luz was still very young…
"Luz Noceda…"
Luz raised her head up, wiping away her eyes. "Who's there?" she asked as she stood up, looking around and attempting to find the source of the voices.
"Luz …"
Luz narrowed her eyes, hearing the voices calling from the woods. "Masha? Dana? Rudo?" she called out as she walked closer to the woods. "This isn't the time for jokes, guys!"
But as she dared to venture into the woods, following the voices calling her name, she saw something… or someone…
"Luz Noceda, so nice to meet you," said one of the Weird Sisters, the Mother. "Just in time."
"In time?" Luz asked, seeing the three women around their cauldron. "Who are you? And how do you know me?"
"Well, I'm the Mother," she introduced. "And they're the Maiden and the Crone."
"We have been waiting for you, Luz," the Maiden responded as a curious Luz came closer…
HOLD UP, HOLD UP!
… … …
Am I seeing this? Are you seeing this? Those Weird Sisters are at it again!
Oh? You're curious as to why I had to interrupt the story at this point? Well, this should be a cautionary tale for all that have an encounter with the Weird Sisters. Like, if you see a bunch of chanting ladies of different ages, stirring up a cauldron or what not… run.
Run as fast and as far as you can from them. This is more than just some stranger-danger scenario. Because the Weird Sisters insist on interfering with the destinies of mortals. Do not trust the Sisters, for their purpose is to place mortals on paths that end up dooming them… and you have already seen what happened to those that encountered them and saw their prophecies…
And now… this version of Luz is already doomed…
I wish to show you more, but perhaps another time. There's a lot more realities to explore, and maybe look into many other universes unrelated to this multiverse…
But hey, that's all there is… potential universes to explore.
So now we have Luz being raised by Abigail, resulting in her being raised in Gatesfield. Would this be a regular thing on every April Fools? Seeing Luz bring raised by those other than Eda? Who knows.
A bit of trivia:
-The intro is indeed a reference to Marvel's What If? TV series.
-Sometimes I used the Hey Arnold's famous Romeo and Juliet episode as a reference to certain scenes, like the ending of the play.
-The Smile Away Reformatory School is indeed a reference from Phineas and Ferb.
-Luz commenting on how Peter Pan and Pinocchio were played by Sandy Duncan is a reference to Sandy Duncan's past stage play performances.
-All the historical facts are indeed true and can be looked up. Sorry for those who has to learn that Abe Lincoln wanted to deport African Americans to Haiti after his emancipation.
-Paulina is Willow's human counterpart, the look-a-like from the first episode. She's named after Willow's original name from the Owl House series pilot.
-Zuko has nothing to do with redemption arcs in this story... not related to this chapter, just wanting to point out to certain people who believes Zuko needs to be compared to this, when in reality it fucking doesn't, okay? The redemption arcs are it's own thing, we don't use Zuko as a reference, nor would any events relating to Zuko's arc would happened, because it's not Zuko's arc and story. Every character has their own arcs planned out ahead and not just out of a whim. So please, for the love of Titan, stop comparing redemption arcs to Zuko's! Compare it to, I don't know, Dinobot, Sasuke Uchiha, Terra, Vegeta, The Grinch, Gajeel Redfox, Scrooge, Peridot, Karone from PR: Lost Galaxy, basically any character that has to go through a redemption arc of their own and don't need Zuko's as a map, since he didn't invented redemption arcs.
Now for the reviews:
Crosshot: Yup, there's more to Andrews than meets the eye. And yeah, thanks for the recommendation.
Matteso585: 1) She did more than that. 2) Nope. 3) Probably. 4) Can't wait to continue to break your expectations.
61394: Nope, this chapter isn't about Mel… yet.
Franco Almiron: The end is almost near…
Ultimate-drax: Indeed.
Shuffollower: Well, she's going to be staying up to the weekend. Hope you like how this chapter turns out.
And now, back to our schedule programming...